ã€ŠStranger Dangerã€‹


 Chapter 1: Female Ghost

    <h4>Chapter 1: Female Ghost</h4>

    ¡°It hurts!¡±

    Ye Qing gasped in pain as his weary eyes fluttered open. He was hurting everywhere as if his body was falling apart.

    ¡°Young Ye! You¡¯re finally awake!¡± eximed an aging voice from the side. Ye Qing tipped his head in that direction and saw a white-haired old man shambling over to his side with surprise and delight on his face. He looked to be in his sixties.

    ¡°How do you feel, young Ye? Are you alright?¡± the old man asked concernedly.

    Ye Qing slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. He asked weakly while nursing a pounding headache with one hand, ¡°Who am I? Where am I? What happened?¡±

    The old man¡¯s expression turned worried as he responded, ¡°We¡¯re in your house, young Ye. What¡¯s gotten into you? Did you lose your memory or something?¡±

    ¡°My house?¡±

    Still massaging his forehead, Ye Qing turned his aching neck and briefly surveyed his surroundings. It was only then he noticed that he was inside an unfamiliar room. The house was devoid of furniture save for an old table, chairs, and the bed he was lying in right now. The walls were made from mud and straw. Chilly wind was seeping through its web-like cracks and stealing his heat even though he was wrapped in a thick nket.

    <i>This is most definitely </i>not <i>my house. Where on earth am I?</i> Ye Qing thought while furrowing his brow. He was about to ask the old man more questions when surprise stole his breath away. He hadn¡¯t noticed earlier because his perspective was skewed, but the old man was wearing an ancient long robe and a crown. His attire was straight out of a historical drama.

    Ye Qing had read too many web novels not to recognize the situation he was in. <i>This isn¡¯t my world, is it? Have I¡­ transmigrated?</i>

    He shook his head back and forth in dismay.<i> Last night, I was¡­ Did I die because I stayed up watching the World Cup for too long? You can¡¯t be serious!</i>

    His head was filled with doubt and confusion right now, but he didn¡¯t allow them to tumble through loose lips. After deliberating his words for a moment, he said carefully, ¡°My¡­ my head hurts. I can¡¯t remember anything.¡±

    The old man¡¯s eyes shed with pity as he sighed. ¡°I see you¡¯ve hurt your head. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll get better after a couple of days¡¯ rest.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve watched over you since you¡¯re a wee little boy, young Ye. You¡¯re practically a grandson to me, so I¡¯m going to give you a little advice, okay? You cannot protect your parents¡¯ fields from Chen Zheng any more than an arm can outmuscle a leg. So what if he refuses to give you a fair price? Had you acquiesced, you wouldn¡¯t be lying in bed with a sore body and an addled head at the least. Will you remain stubborn after everything you have suffered?¡±

    As the old man spoke, fragments of memories that did not belong to Ye Qing slowly rose to the surface of his mind. ording to these memories, the world was a dangerous ce filled with strange, mysterious and deadly creatures known as Strangers. The only sanctuary for a human in this world was a vige or a city, and even then it wasn¡¯t a sure thing. Take his¡ªor rather, his host¡¯s¡ªparents for example. Two months ago, a Stranger had ambushed and killed them while they were farming, leaving behind a pair of quality fields to their only child, Ye Qing. Yes, his host shared the same name as him. In a world where nearly every part of thend was upied by Strangers, any soil safe and fertile enough to farm was precious to put it mildly.

    It was also why Ye Qing was in trouble. Not long after his parents had passed away, a martial artist named Chen Zheng had shown up on his doorstep and offered to buy the farm off his hands. The problem was that Chen Zheng did not carry himself like a proper buyer at all. Not only did he try to coerce Ye Qing into selling the farm to him, the price he offered was obscenely low. When Ye Qing had rejected his offer, he began threatening and mocking him in all sorts of ways.

    Ye Qing was a young, hot-blooded male who just lost his parents. Naturally, he was ill-equipped to endure Chen Zheng¡¯s provocations. Yesterday, when Chen Zheng sought him out and mocked him again, Ye Qing finally lost control and attacked the martial artist. However, he was just an ordinary person, and Chen Zheng a martial artist. Long story short, Chen Zheng had dished out a sound beating that left him unconscious to this day.

    <i>So, my guy tried to man up but got himself a reality check instead, </i>thought Ye Qing while rubbing his forehead and chuckling bitterly to himself. <i>In fact, I bet he was hurt so bad that he died. That¡¯s why I was reincarnated in his body. What a pitiful death it was.</i>

    Seeing that Ye Qing was looking down and keeping silent, the old man continued, ¡°Young Ye, people like us cannot hope to go against the likes of Chen Zheng, so quit being stubborn and save yourself some trouble. It¡¯s not like he offered you a poor price, unfair it may be.¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about this right now, so he pleaded, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, Grandpa, but can we talk about thister? I¡¯ve just awoken, and I¡¯m still a little dizzy.¡±

    Although Ye Qing had addressed the old man as Grandpa, he wasn¡¯t actually his grandfather. He was a neighbor and a friend of the family, Cheng Hui. They shared a good rtionship because his parents had taken good care of the old man when they were still alive.

    Realization dawned as Cheng Hui cuffed himself on the head. ¡°My age must be getting to me. You¡¯re right. You¡¯ve just awoken, and you need a good rest. The food is in the kitchen. Feel free to warm it up and eat it when you¡¯re hungry. I shan¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded and said, ¡°Thanks, Grandpa.¡±

    Cheng Hui gave him a wave before grabbing his walking stick and hobbling out of the entrance. He looked especially hunchbacked and frail in the dying rays of the sunset.

    Ye Qing¡¯s head began to throb again after Cheng Hui was gone, so hey back down on the bed and was out like a light. The next time he came to, it was to the painful grip and sound of his own hunger.

    ¡°Is it midnight already?¡±

    He opened his eyes to a pitch ck room. Not even the weak moonlight seeping through the door sill and the windows was strong enough to chase away the oppressive darkness. Worse, Ye Qing had this feeling that a vicious beast was hiding somewhere in the darkness. It was cold, stifling and frightful.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my me stick?¡±

    Ye Qing sat up and groped around for the me stick he was pretty sure was on the headboard based on his host¡¯s memories. When he found it, he blew at it and saw an orange me ring from the tip. Unfortunately, it did not evenst a second before a cold wind appeared out of seemingly nowhere and extinguished it instantly.

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough¡­¡±

    The cold wind hadn¡¯t just blown out the me, it had washed over Ye Qing and chilled him to the core. It was so cold he couldn¡¯t stop coughing for a while.

    ¡°Hooo¡­ hooo¡­¡±

    Ye Qing blew at the me stick a couple more times in an attempt to ignite it fully, but for some reason it kept resisting his efforts. Furthermore, the chilly, almost unnaturally freezing air seemed to have entrenched itself around him. It made the dark room even scarier and oppressive than it already was.

    Ye Qing surveyed his surroundings suspiciously as he shivered uncontrobly. Maybe it was just a figment of his imagination, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t shake this feeling that someone was watching him from the dark.

    Ye Qing swallowed and forced himself to calm down. Then, while covering the tip of the me stick with his left hand, he sucked in a deep breath and blew with everything he got. This time, the fire starter did not fail him. A strong me spilled out of the tube and chased away the darkness in a rush.

    ¡°Finally,¡± Ye Qing sighed out in relief, the gentle me chasing away some of the fear he had been stricken with until now. Unfortunately, it would notst. When he looked up from the me, he was greeted by the bloodless face of a woman. Not only was she a mere inch away from his face, she was also staring at him with dead, lifeless eyes.

    It wasn¡¯t just a feeling after all.

    ¡°Aaaaaahhhhhhh!¡±

    Ye Qing screamed in horror as he recoiled from the woman. He mmed into a corner of the bed so hard that his whole body red up in pain. Ye Qing was beyond caring, however. It wasn¡¯t just because he was just dealt the fright of his life, but also because he noticed that the woman did not have a lower body. She was literally floating in the air with a nk expression and ssy eyes. The air rolling off her incorporeal body was colder than he could possibly imagine.

    ¡°A ghost! A ghost!¡±

    Ye Qing screamed again when realization struck him, his scalp tingling with abject fear. It was the wrong move. As if Ye Qing¡¯s scream had snapped her out of her thoughtless state, the female ghost abruptly lurched toward him.

    She was cold. Even before she got close, the unnatural chill was already invading every pore on his body and turning his blood into ice. He was shaking like he was stranded in Antarctica.

    ¡°Get away from me!¡± Ye Qing yelled while holding the me stick with one hand and grabbing his bed essories with the other. His pillow, his nket, he threw it all at the female ghost in hopes of dying her for even a second longer. However, the bed essories merely passed through the female ghost as if she was made of air. Not only that, she reached Ye Qing just a secondter and gripped his neck with both hands. She began squeezing.

    As her grip tightened, hand-shaped, bluish ck bruises started to appear around Ye Qing¡¯s neck. At the same time, unending coldness enveloped him like it would freeze him from the inside out.

    ¡°A-ack¡­ g-ghk¡­¡±

    Ye Qing struggled with everything he got, but it was useless. His body grew colder and colder as he lost strength. Slowly but surely, the darkness was consuming him.

    <i>Am I going to die again? </i>Ye Qing thought disbelievingly to himself. <i>No, no, it¡¯s not over yet. I remember there¡¯s something hidden in the cracks of the wall behind me. It might just be what I need to save my life!</i>

    A sudden intuition shed through his head as death marched ever closer. His host was dead, but it would appear that his body wasn¡¯t quite ready to follow him to the beyond.

    Ye Qing mustered whatever strength he had left and flung the me stick he had been holding at the female ghost. It worked. Seemingly afraid of the fire, she let out a scream and relinquished her death grip on Ye Qing¡¯s throat, floating backward to avoid the ming object. As soon as he was free, Ye Qing sucked in a few greedy breaths before turning around and punching the wall behind his bed with all his might.

    There was a loud bang, followed by the sound of dust hitting the floor and a soft crack from his wrist. He knew immediately from the sharp pain that he had cracked a bone, but there was no time. Gritting his teeth, he snatched a random shirt from nearby, wrapped it around his fist, and resumed hisst-ditch effort.

    Meanwhile, the female ghost was floating toward him again after avoiding the me stick. Eyes bloodshot and ugly veins bulging on his arm, Ye Qing struck the wall again and again while hissing, ¡°C¡¯mon! C¡¯mon!¡±

    Suddenly, an entire section of the wall copsed, exposing a hiddenpartment about the size of a human head. Inside thepartmenty a ck wooden box that looked like it hadn¡¯t been used for a very long time.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up as he threw away the shirt and grabbed the box with one hand. However, the female ghost suddenly appeared before his eyes and reached out for his neck again.

    ¡°Die!¡± Ye Qing threw himself backward to dodge the female ghost¡¯s grip and extract the wooden box at the same time. Then, he opened the wooden box, grabbed the object it bore, and threw it straight at the female ghost. At that moment, his movements were as swift as lightning.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A ball of white light abruptly exploded in the middle of the room, ring and hot. Like the sun hanging high in the Ninth Heaven, it lit up the room as bright as the day.

    <i>¡°Aaahhhh!¡±</i>

    The female ghost let out a painful scream as soon the light made contact with her body. For the first time, terror shed across her face as she tried to turn around and escape. It was futile. The heat easily caught up to her and turned her into ashes in an instant.

    The zing lightsted around ten breaths before fadingpletely, revealing a tattered yellow talisman at the core. It slowly crumbled into ash as it floated toward the ground.

    ¡°Oh thank heavens¡­ thank <i>heavens</i> it¡¯s finally over!¡±

    Ye Qing stared at the space where the ghost and talisman were a moment ago before copsing onto his bed. He was breathing hard and sweating all over like he had just run a marathon.

    It was only now he realized that his entire body was screaming like he was being stabbed by a thousand needles. At the same time, extreme exhaustion and fatigue washed over him.

    ¡°I¡¯m so d the talisman actually worked.¡±

    ording to his host¡¯s memories, his parents had spent a huge sum of money to acquire the single talisman from a wandering Daoist priest. It was said to be capable of repelling Strangers and blessing the household. His parents had cherished it like a treasure and hid it in their house for when they truly needed it. They had never used it, and they never would.

    His host had believed that the Daoist priest was a chatan, and that the yellow talisman they bought was nothing more but a sham. Ye Qing was extremely d that he was wrong, because he would have died otherwise.

 Chapter 2: Annon Sutra

    <h4>Chapter 2: Annon Sutra</h4>

    ¡°That ghost¡­ I think she¡¯s a¡­ Yin Spirit?¡±

    After resting until his pain and exhaustion had faded away a little, Ye Qing suddenly ¡°recalled¡± what the female ghost was.

    ¡°A Yin Spirit is one of, if not the weakest Strangers out there. It should not appear to anyone with even a modicum amount of yang energy. It is why they only attack people who are severely ill or dying; those whose qi, blood and yang energy have hit rock bottom.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned deeply. ¡°But Yin Spirits normally avoid ces with great concentrations of yang energy. They¡¯re so weak they can only haunt sparsely popted areas such as the forest. Also, I¡¯m pretty sure my house is protected by a purge talisman, so there¡¯s no way the Yin Spirit coulde in¡­ unless¡­¡±

    Ye Qing abruptly rose to his feet and picked up the me stick from the ground. He used it to light an oilmp before walking over to the living room. Sure enough, when he looked up at the beam where the purge talisman should¡¯ve been adhered to, he could not find anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s not there. No wonder the Yin Spirit dared to invade my house.¡±

    A purge talisman was the most basic tool a human could have to ward off Strangers. At least one purge talisman was adhered to every household. However, his purge talisman was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Someone must¡¯ve deliberately removed it!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose with growing agitation. He did not believe for a second that someone had stolen it because even the poorest household in the vige could afford it. This could only mean that someone had taken it to lure a Yin Spirit to his house and kill him.

    ¡°But who? Who¡¯s the bastard who¡¯s trying to kill me? Is it Chen Zheng?¡±

    It had to be him. The martial artist was the only person in the entire vige who had a motive to kill him, not least because he had refused to sell his farm to him again and again. If he died, his farm would be ownerless, and Chen Zheng would be able to im it with little effort using his position and means. Even better, no one could pin the crime to him despite the fact that he was the prime suspect. After all, Ye Qing would have been killed by a Yin Spirit. Why did that have anything to do with him?

    ¡°He wants a perfect murder to go with his undeserved inheritance, eh? That son of a <i>bitch</i>,¡± uttered Ye Qing with a hint of anger. It was pure luck that he had survived the encounter.

    Despite his outburst, Ye Qing was more worried than angry right now. Chen Zheng was one of the three esteemed martial artists of his hometown, August Hill Vige. Its namesake was the hill adjacent to the vige, Little August Hill. ¡°Martial artist¡± wasn¡¯t a cultivation level, but a title people used to respectfully address those who practiced martial arts.

    In any case, Chen Zheng and his fellow martial artists were no doubt the strongest warriors in the vige. They were as powerful as they were well-respected, and they were responsible for protecting the vige from danger. Bearing that in mind, how could he, a defenseless,mon man possibly do any harm to Chen Zheng?

    Furthermore, revealing the truth would not help him one bit. It wasn¡¯t because the vigers were too stupid to realize the truth, but because they feared the consequences too much to ever acknowledge it. To be fair, who would risk incurring the wrath of a martial artist for a nobody?

    On the other hand, Chen Zheng had a hundred and one ways to kill Ye Qing without ever exposing himself. The Yin Spirit was one such example. He might have survived tonight, but he was sure he would encounter many, many more such ¡°idents¡± in the future. The next time this happened, he did not think he would be so lucky as to find another talisman to save his life.

    Besides that, he remembered that Chen Zheng was an exceptionally petty-minded man. Even if capitted now and sold his farm to Chen Zheng as Cheng Hui had advised him, he didn¡¯t believe that the man would allow him to live.

    ¡°I can¡¯t beat him, I can¡¯t reason with him, I can¡¯t even run away because this ce is surrounded by Strangers. This isn¡¯t good at all, is it?¡±

    Ye Qing was normally a bright and carefree soul, but even he could not help a bitter chuckle and a long sigh when the reality of his situation sank in. He exhaled deeply while massaging his forehead, ¡°Poor, poor me. Just how on earth am I going to survive this?¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should just¡­ give up? I mean, I¡¯ve already died once. What¡¯s another death, right?¡± Ye Qing joked to himself. ¡°But man, do I have to? Is there really no other way?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing caught a dark sh out of the corner of his eyes. It brightened and dimmed in intervals like a flickering candlelight in the dark.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Curious, Ye Qing went over to the strange object and picked it up. Then, he sat down by the table before raising his oilmp to examine it.

    It was a thin, rectangr sheet that looked like it was made from calfskin. It was ckish yellow in color and covered in unusual patterns that were shaped like serpents, dragons, or both. Its appearance invoked a strong feeling of age and mystery.

    The dark sh came from a rune etched on the vellum sheet. It was still glowing on and off like a firefly when ominous, blood red text suddenly manifested at the center of the sheet:

    <i>¡°Chen Zheng wants me dead!¡±</i>

    To say that Ye Qing was bbergasted would be an understatement. If he wasn¡¯t paying attention until that point, he was now. As more and more words emerged on the sheet, his eyes continuously widened until it could widen no longer. There was a lot of shock and even a hint of terror in those eyes.

    <i>¡°By sending his minion to remove the purge talisman in my house, the man had nearly seeded inmitting the perfect murder and robbery by way of a Yin Spirit. Although I somehow survived the encounter, I¡¯m sure he has more tricks up his sleeves.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I am but amon man. It would be suicide for me to go up against Chen Zheng, a Qi Invocation stage martial artist. I do not wish to surrender to my grim fate though. What should I do? Is there really nothing I can do except wait to die? Is it really a sin to be weak?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I really, really don¡¯t want to die here. Perhaps my only way out is to join the watchmen. I can¡¯t hide forever, but it may just buy me enough time to find another way.¡±</i>

    The ominous passage ended there. Contrary to the vellum¡¯s still and unassuming appearance, Ye Qing¡¯s stomach was churning like the raging sea right now. Not only did the vellum narrate the cause and effect of the attack, it even gave him what looked like a temporary solution to the threat to his life. How could he stay calm? How could he not be afraid?

    A long timeter, Ye Qing gradually calmed down and realized that he was overreacting a little. This was not the mundane world where he lived. This world was overflowing with all sorts of oddities and unexined mysteries. With that in mind, it wasn¡¯t so strange that this vellum would turn out to be more magical than expected, was it?

    If he remembered correctly, the vellum hade from the same wandering Daoist priest who had sold the yellow talisman to his host¡¯s¡ª<i>no, I can¡¯t think like this anymore. My host and I are now one and the same</i>¡ªparents. ording to him, the vellum was a special artifact made from the skin of a powerful Stranger. Its name was Annon (Unknown) Sutra, and it was in possession of a mysterious power¡ªor so the Daoist priest imed.

    Honestly, his parents should¡¯ve known better than to fall for the Daoist priest¡¯s dubious sales pitch, but they didn¡¯t, and they quickly discovered that the so-called ¡°artifact of mysterious power¡± waspletely useless save for the fact that it was impervious to water or fire. Even if the Daoist priest wasn¡¯t lying, they certainly hadn¡¯t found the way to invoke it.

    His parents were depressed for a long time because of this, but they had spent too much money on the ¡°artifact¡± to throw it away. So, they decided to store it in the hiddenpartment together with the talisman.

    For the longest time, Ye Qing was of the same opinion as his parents, but now, he realized that the Daoist priest might not have been lying after all.

    ¡°But why did the Annon Sutra wait until now to show its power?¡± Ye Qing asked himself while tapping his knuckles against the wooden table. It was then he saw the blood on his hand and the blood-colored words on the vellum¡¯s surface. He eximed in realization, ¡°Perhaps my blood is what revived the artifact?¡±

    The Annon Sutra had been stored in the wooden box together with the talisman. He must have tossed both the talisman and the Annon Sutra at the Yin Spirit just now. It was also when he identally got his blood on the vellum.

    ¡°Should I give it another go?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself. His mind made up, he clenched his fist and squeezed out a few drops of blood onto the vellum. As soon as contact was made, the Annon Sutra emitted a dark sh and seemingly absorbed the blood into itself. Then, new words began emerging on its surface:

    <i>¡°I think I¡¯ve uncovered the Annon Sutra¡¯s secret! Based on my experiment, I believe that my blood is capable of invoking its power. How wonderful! In the future, I should be able to make some inquiries to avoid the dangers ahead and grow my strength, all at the meager cost of some blood.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Still, I have a question. Is this truly the extent of the Annon Sutra¡¯s secrets?¡±</i>

    ¡°I knew it. This is incredible!¡± Ye Qing pped his thigh in excitement after reading the passage. Assuming he hadn¡¯t grossly misinterpreted the Annon Sutra¡¯s meaning, it was suggesting that he could pay a blood toll to exchange for answers from now on.

    Thest line on the Annon Sutra left him feeling a bit chilly though. He also wondered why the wandering Daoist priest would sell something so clearly extraordinary to his parents.

    <i>Maybe he never found out its true power?</i>

    <i>Or maybe he¡¯s plotting some sort of scheme?</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s head was starting to hurt again from all the question marks sprouting over his head. Even his initial good mood was slowly but surely being overcast by gloom. Eventually, he rubbed his forehead onest time before pushing it all to the back of his mind. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can rid myself of the Annon Sutra right now, and there¡¯s nothing I can do even if that Daoist priest is scheming something. In other words, whateveres wille, so there¡¯s no point thinking about it until then. Yes, I should just focus on solving the crisis at hand!¡±

    Speaking of which, the temporary solution provided by the Annon Sutra was undeniably excellent. As the defenders of the vige, the watchmen were well-respected among their society. Although Chen Zheng was one of the three esteemed martial artists in August Hill Vige, even he did not have the right to interfere with their business. Furthermore, the watchmen wasmanded by an equally strong martial artist, so Chen Zheng would not be able to coerce them to his will.

    Of course, joining the watchmen did not mean he was rid of his problems forever. In fact, it was highly probable that his life would be in great danger. The watchmen weren¡¯t just responsible for guarding the vige from Strangers, they frequently went on expeditions to curb the Stranger poption in the vicinity of the vige as well. This meant that he would be fighting those terrifying creatures directly.

    Even so, he would rather die to a Stranger than sumb to Chen Zheng¡¯s schemes. Joining the watchmen would also give him the opportunity to learn martial arts. It was the only way he could grow stronger and save himself once and for all. With the Annon Sutra in hand, he might yet be able to turn his seemingly hopeless situation around.

    ¡°That¡¯s the n then. I¡¯ll apply to join the watchmen first thing in the morning!¡±

    When Ye Qing finally rxed after sorting out his problems, he abruptly remembered that he was still tired, hungry, and in pain. So, he tucked away the Annon Sutra and forced himself to shamble over to the kitchen despite his aches. After warming the food Cheng Hui had brought him and shoving it all down his throat, he went back to his bed and fell into a deep slumber.

    ¡­¡­

    The next day, Ye Qing got out of bed and went to the training ground at the break of dawn. It wasn¡¯t long before he arrived at his destination and saw a dozen youngsters training their hearts out while wielding an assortment of swords and sabers. Giant beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads and sparkled like diamonds in the growing light.

    ¡°Your lower half must be steady, your back must be straight, and your punches must be infused with strength! You must be like a tiger galloping down a hill to defend its domain from all manner of predators! If you cannot aplish this much, then how can you hope to kill a Stranger? Show me strength, dammit! Strength!¡±

    A well-built, stern-faced man in his forties was standing at the edge of the training ground with his hands sped behind his back. Every time they made a mistake¡ªwhich was quite often¡ªhe would rebuke them and give corrective instructions.

    The trainer¡¯s name was Lin Hu. He was the captain of the watchmen and one of the three esteemed martial artists of August Hill Vige.

    ¡°Are you feeling better, Ye Qing?¡± Lin Hu noticed Ye Qing and greeted him first.

    ¡°Much better. Thanks for the concern, captain!¡±

    Ye Qing was going to say more when he suddenly felt a wave of pressure. His senses screamed as if he was facing down a tiger, and the blood drained from his face so fast that a small cough escaped his lips. It was because he had entered the captain¡¯s range.

    Lin Hu furrowed his brow when he saw his reaction. ¡°You may be better, but you¡¯re certainly not healed. Why are you running about when you should be resting instead?¡±

    The watchmen captain wasn¡¯t trying to be loud, but his voice washed over Ye Qing like a gale and caused his ears to ring anyway. Ye Qing scratched his left ear before replying in a quiet voice, ¡°I came to see you, captain!¡±

    Lin Hu looked puzzled. ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°I would like to join the watchmen!¡± Ye Qing said directly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Lin Hu was having a hard time believing his ears. A watchman¡¯s life was terribly risky. Almost every day, one or more watchmen would be injured or killed. Barring a handful of permanent personnel, most of its members consisted of conscripted vigers who were chosen via a rotation system. Not only that, the conscription was only temporary. It was no wonder Lin Hu was surprised to receive a volunteer at all.

    The youngsters at the training ground had paused their training as well. They were all staring curiously at Ye Qing and whispering to each other.

    Suddenly, Lin Hu red at the youngsters and roared, ¡°The hell are you people looking at? Get back to your training! You¡¯re not allowed to rest until you¡¯ve learned the ¡®Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡¯!¡±

    The youngsters immediately snapped out of their idle chatter and shrank away like frightened quails. Training resumed not a secondter.

    Lin Hu turned back to Ye Qing and asked in a much kinder voice, ¡°Are you sure about this, Ye Qing? You do understand what it means to join the watchman, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I do. I understand I¡¯ll be risking life and limb by joining the watchmen. Even so, I am not afraid, so please¡­¡±

    Lin Hu mulled over the request for a bit before nodding. ¡°Very well. It so happens that the watchmen are in need of new blood, so I have no reason to turn you away.¡±

    The captain had an inkling why Ye Qing had volunteered to join the watchmen; he had heard of the conflict between Chen Zheng and him. Lin Hu had nothing but scorn to offer the despicable bastard, but Chen Zheng was also one of the only three esteemed martial artists in the vige. There was nothing he could do to stop the man unless he crossed the line.

    That said, he didn¡¯t mind offering Ye Qing an olive branch. It was also a fact that the watchmen were sorely understaffed right now. For the past few months, the Strangers had been attacking humans non-stop like they had gone insane. Many watchmen had been seriously injured or killed because of this madness. It was why they needed fresh blood now more than ever.

    In fact, the youngsters training on the training ground right now were theirtest conscripts. They would be running patrols and performing guard duties after just a few days of basic training.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Ye Qing replied gratefully.

    Lin Hu nodded. ¡°Normally, this is the part where I order you to join your fellow brothers pronto, but that would be unreasonable seeing as you¡¯re still recovering. You maye back after you¡¯ve regained your health.¡±

 Chapter 3: Sea of Blood, Sarcophagus

    <h4>Chapter 3: Sea of Blood, Sarcophagus</h4>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A sudden bang startled Ye Qing so much he nearly jumped. When he looked, he realized that Lin Hu had kicked off the ground and was shooting toward the vige entrance like an arrow. He reached his fellow watchmen in just the blink of an eye.

    <i>What incredible speed! </i>Ye Qing swallowed as he stared at Lin Hu¡¯s back. That speed, that power. Assuming that Chen Zheng was on the same level as Lin Hu, he had a long way to go before he could even begin to plot a reversal.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Hu barked harshly as soon as he arrived at the vige entrance.

    ¡°C-captain¡­ B-behind us¡­¡± A terrified watchman stuttered out a response.

    Lin Hu did not wait for the watchman to finish before taking one step forward and appearing on the vige walls. Then, he stared at the distant sky with a severe expression on his face.

    A moment ago, the sky was still light blue and clear like a tranquilke. Now, an ominous red had consumed over half of the horizon. It looked simr to the fiery kiss of sunset, but it was so much redder that Lin Hu could not help but think of the color of fresh blood.

    ¡°Shit. Everyone, get back to your homes this instant!¡± the captain roared.

    Maybe it was a coincidence, but the bloody crimson in the sky suddenly shuddered almost as if it was reacting to the captain¡¯s shout. The next second, it churned violently and started flooding toward August Hill Vige like an angry god.

    It might actually be a literal sea of blood. Whatever blue that still remained in the sky was swiftly overtaken by ominous red as the powerful, stifling, terrifying presence of something unspeakable washed over the entire vige. It was immediately followed by the thick stench of blood.

    As it turned out, the pungent odor was even more extraordinary than it looked. All vigers who failed to return to their houses before the blood stench flooded the vige suddenly slowed down and began bleeding from their pores. Their eyes grew bloodshot, and their expressions slowly subsided into nk apathy.

    ¡°Snap out of it! Get back to your homes, NOW!¡± Lin Hu shouted at the dazed vigers, but he was powerless to help them.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock as he broke into a run toward the nearest house. However, he had only taken a few steps when the horrible smell assaulted his nostrils and robbed him of his faculties instantly. He then started bleeding like the other vigers as well.

    It was at this moment the Annon Sutra emitted a dark glow. As if drawn by an invisible force, Ye Qing¡¯s blood crawled over to the vellum before vanishing into the material. A few secondster, its dark glow grew bigger until it wrapped tightly around Ye Qing like a bubble. It was only then the young man slowly regained his consciousness.

    ¡°That was too close!¡± Ye Qing heaved out a sigh of relief when he realized what just happened. After brushing his fingers across the Annon Sutra tucked beneath his shirt, he made a mad dash for a nearby haystack. He didn¡¯t want anyone to notice that he was glowing like a ck light bulb, and it wasn¡¯t like the blood stench could affect him any longer. He dove head first into the haystack and reoriented himself to face toward the vige entrance, revealing only a pair of eyes.

    Meanwhile, the sea of blood in the sky had grown even bigger and scarier than before. It was now towering over the entire August Hill Vige and dying everything bright red. It looked like it might crash down on them at any moment.

    <i>Swoosh! Swoosh!</i>

    Two silhouettes dashed across the streets like the wind and appeared next to Lin Hu. They looked up and stared intently at the sea of blood above their heads.

    The neers were a man and a woman. The man was about thirty years old with an imposing build and a handsome face. His appearance would¡¯ve been perfect if not for a triangr eye shape that gave him a cold, almost viper-like visage.

    The woman was much older than the man. She had dirty white hair, saggy skin and a hunched back. Well into her fifties, she could¡¯ve easily been mistaken for your stereotypical grandma if not for the fact that she was ten times lighter on her feet than most of her fellow vigers.

    The duo were none other than the other two martial artists in August Hill Vige besides Lin Hu. The man was Chen Zheng, and the woman was called Xia Ling. However, almost everyone in the vige addressed her as Granny Xia.

    ¡°What in the world is that thing?¡± Chen Zheng asked with a deep frown as he attempted to make sense of the terrifying pressure looming over them.

    Lin Hu shook his head. ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    Granny Xia coughed softly over her walking stick as something sharp and steely flickered in her cloudy eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what it is, it¡¯s clear we¡¯re no match for it. I suggest that we bring out the Heavens¡¯ Eye!¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Neither men objected to her words because it was the in truth. They were no match for the sea of blood.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Suddenly, an odd, muffled thud resounded from the sea of blood. It almost sounded like someone was knocking on a b of stone. The next moment, the sea of blood parted to reveal a single sarcophagus.

    The sarcophagus was greenish ck in color and covered in intricate, arcane carvings. It exuded such an air of antiquity that it had to have existed for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years.

    ¡°It''s that sarcophagus from¡­!¡± Lin Hu blurted in disbelief as all the blood drained away from his face.

    ¡°I thought it couldn¡¯t move? How the hell did ite all the way here?¡± Chen Zheng was just as pale as the captain was. Large beads of sweat were forming on his forehead as well.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The sarcophagus shuddered ominously once more, and the next thing they knew, the lid slowly began to slide open with an unpleasant screech. The same thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind at the same time,

    ¡°Is there actually a body inside the sarcophagus? If there is, who could it be?¡±

    The more the sarcophagus opened, the thicker the blood stench in the air became. There was even a tinge of something rotten. All three martial artists started bleeding from their pores as a terrifying aura epassed what felt like the world itself.

    ¡°It must not be allowed to emerge from the sarcophagus! Otherwise, we¡¯ll all die!¡± shouted Granny Xia as she abruptly sank into the floor and shattered the stone beneath her feet.

    Both men agreed with her assessment. Together with Granny Xia, they formed a strange hand seal before firing a beam of light each at the ancient bronze mirror hung in front of the vige entrance.

    ¡°Please answer our call, Heavens¡¯ Eye!¡±

    <i>Hum¡­</i>

    Runes shaped like flowers, birds, fishes and insects suddenly came alive and swam all over the ordinary-looking bronze mirror. At the same time, the mirror itself began shining like the sun and emitting an epic halo of light.

    <i>Sizzle¡­</i>

    Over half of the sea of blood was vaporized just like that. The farther the light spread, the smaller the sea of blood became.

    <i>Creeeeeeeeeak!</i>

    It wasn¡¯t over though. As if angered by the resistance, the sarcophagus¡¯ lid was violently shoved aside before a spotlessly white hand slowly stretched out into the open. Then, it pressed downward in their direction.

    A terrifying, crushing pressure pressed down on the entire August Hill Vige in an instant. It felt like the sky itself was falling on top of them. Breath caught in their throat, and none could summon even the tiniest will to resist.

    It was at this moment the ancient mirror grew brighter and hotter until finally, it fired a gigantic column of pure white at the descending palm.

    <i>Boooooom¡­</i>

    An explosion that was beyond description took ce. There was no sound, but Ye Qing suddenly felt like an invisible boulder had hit him squarely in the chest. A mouthful of blood burst out of his lips before he realized what happened.

    Granny Xia, Lin Hu and Chen Zheng were no exception. They too spat out a mouthful of blood before they hurriedly moved deeper into the vige, their faces as white as a sheet.

    A long timeter, the storm of wind and fire that epassed the entire sky gradually subsided. Both the sea of blood and the sarcophagus looked a little transparent as if they had suffered tremendous damage. They quickly vanished into the horizon after that.

    ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s finally gone!¡± Both Lin Hu and Chen Zheng heaved out a long sigh of relief.

    ¡°The Stranger in the sarcophagus has grown even stronger. I can hardly believe it took a full hit from Heavens¡¯ Eye and survived!¡±

    In stark contrast to the men¡¯s relief, Granny Xia looked grim and worried. A hint of distress peeked through her wizened features when she nced at the ancient mirror that had saved all their lives. It was now as dim and lifeless as an ordinary mirror.

    ¡°Holy shit! Is that what they call a Stranger?¡± Ye Qing muttered under his breath as he tried to calm his racing heartbeat. Having witnessed everything from his vantage point, he was honestly surprised that he and everyone else was still alive. The Stranger was just that scary. When the sarcophagus opened, and that hand hade into view, he almost thought he would pass on to the next life there and then. If it wasn¡¯t for the mirror, that hand most assuredly would¡¯ve ttened August Hill Vige like a pancake.

    <i>Speaking of the mirror, who</i> <i>would¡¯ve thought it was this powerful? </i>mused Ye Qing. The ancient mirror was usually hung in front of the vige entrance, and he had always believed it to be an ordinary ornament until today.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing noticed that a de of grass in front of him was stained with something. It looked like a dark red crystal under the sunlight.

    ¡°Is this¡­ blood?!¡±

    The blood didn¡¯t just look extraordinary, it was emanating an indescribable presence that even amon man like Ye Qing could pick up. At first, he wanted to get the hell away from it as soon as possible. Then, he realized what it was and perked up. ¡°This is the blood from that Stranger in the sarcophagus, isn¡¯t it? It has to be!¡±

    The blood must¡¯ve been spilled when the mirror attacked the Stranger, and it just so happened to havended on his haystack.

    Ye Qing licked his lips greedily as he took a moment to survey his surroundings. Once he confirmed that no one was looking his way, he immediately fished out a small salt container from his pocket, dumped all of its contents, and held it carefully before the grass tip. When he was ready, he gave the grass a feather-light tap and held his breath. The blood slowly slid off the de before plopping into the bottle, leaving no trace behind.

    The deed was done, but Ye Qing was still frowning. It was because the blood was still radiating a potent presence like the container didn¡¯t even exist. How was he going to bring it home like this? Forget the three martial artists at the vige entrance, even a viger would notice its presence if they were close enough. He would be in deep trouble if people found out that he was hiding the blood of a Stranger.

    He could not discard the blood, however. It might just be what he needed to ovee his personal crisis.

    ¡°Oh right! The Annon Sutra!¡±

    Ye Qing immediately pulled out the vellum from under his shirt and wrapped it around the bottle. It worked. The blood¡¯s presence abruptly vanished like it was never there.

    ¡°I knew it! Thank the heavens!¡± Ye Qing eximed in delight before shoving the items underneath his shirt and close to his heart once more. It was only then he let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Mmmmrrrrgh¡­¡±

    Suddenly, he heard a strange noise and felt a disgusting odor assaulting his nostrils yet again. He looked up instinctively and found himself staring at a blood-drenched face.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Recognition struck Ye Qing even as a sharp cry escaped his lips. It belonged to a fellow viger who had failed to escape into the house in time. Not only was he covered from head to toe in blood, he was reaching out to Ye Qing as if trying to grab him!

    Ye Qing subconsciously snatched a rock from the ground and smashed it against the viger¡¯s temple. Then, he charged forward and knocked the man to the ground.

    The brutish assault would¡¯ve incapacitated most people, but the viger beneath him struggled fiercely as if he couldn¡¯t feel any pain. He even opened his mouth and bit down on Ye Qing¡¯s arm!

 Chapter 4: Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation

    <h4>Chapter 4: Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation</h4>

    <i>Rip!</i>

    The viger beneath Ye Qing ripped off a chunk of flesh from his arm and elicited a pained groan, but instead of fear, the intense pain had brought out his inner aggression instead. Eyes turning bloodshot with fury, Ye Qing raised his rock and brought it down on the viger¡¯s head again!

    <i>Pssh!</i>

    There was a disgusting crunch as the viger¡¯s skull caved inward, spewing blood and brain matter everywhere. However, the viger continued to bite and tear away at the young man like he couldn¡¯t feel any pain whatsoever. Furious, Ye Qing jammed his wounded left arm into the viger¡¯s throat and redoubled his efforts, whaling away at the bastard¡¯s head like they were sworn enemies.

    At first, the viger¡¯s struggles were fierce and unrelenting. Eventually though, it weakened more and more until he ceased moving entirely. Still, Ye Qing dared not rx the pressure and continued to smash the viger¡¯s head with relentless ferocity.

    ¡°Enough, enough! He¡¯s already dead!¡± A gentle voice suddenly broke out behind Ye Qing. ¡°You¡¯re going to turn his head into mush at this rate.¡±

    Caughtpletely off guard, Ye Qing jumped to his feet and spun around to face the speaker. When he saw who it was, he let out an audible sigh of relief beforeunching into a hasty exnation, ¡°Granny Xia, this isn¡¯t what it looks like. I¡ª¡±

    Granny Xia interrupted him before he could finish, ¡°I¡¯m not ming you. This poor man has been contaminated by the blood qi and turned into a Red Walker who knows naught but to attack the living. I would¡¯ve killed him even if you''d spared his life.¡±

    As she was speaking, Lin Hu and Chen Zheng were running around the vige and eliminating every Red Walker they came across. Although the mindless creatures were immune to pain, they were unable to put up even a token resistance against the two martial artists. It took them just a dozen breaths to wipe out everyst Red Walker in the vige and paint the streets red.

    ¡°You¡¯re Ye Rong¡¯s boy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Granny Xia asked in a kind voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. My name is Ye Qing!¡± Ye Rong was his father¡¯s name.

    Granny Xia let out a sorrowful sigh. ¡°Ye Rong. Oh, Ye Rong. I still remember holding him in my arms when he was a wee little boy. It¡¯s truly a shame that he¡¯s no longer with us. By the way, you¡¯re eighteen this year, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s face grew saddened as well. ¡°That I am, Granny Xia.¡±

    Granny Xia stretched her wrinkled skin into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you¡¯ve grown into a fine man. Anyway, I shan¡¯t dy you any longer. The vige isn¡¯t safe yet, and you look like you could use some rest. Don¡¯te out again until the coast is clear.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded strongly. ¡°I will, Granny Xia. Thank you, and goodbye!¡±

    He gave her a wave before throwing away his rock and running off in haste.

    After Ye Qing was gone, Granny Xia circled around the haystack he was hiding in a moment ago and wondered, ¡°Strange. I¡¯m sure I felt a potent presence in this direction. Why is it gone now?¡±

    A short whileter, she shook her head and chuckled self-derisively. ¡°I guess it¡¯s just my imagination. I am an olddy now.¡±

    It was at this moment Lin Hu and Chen Zheng walked up to Granny Xia. They had taken out every Red Walker in the vige. ¡°It¡¯s done, Granny Xia. What do we do now?¡±

    Granny Xia¡¯s tone turned heavy and solemn. ¡°The sarcophagus is the one entombed in Jade Dragon Lake, no? Despite its fearsome power, it was never a problem for us because it does not go beyond theke. One might even say it¡¯s perfectly harmless as long as you do not enter its domain.

    ¡°Unfortunately, that isn¡¯t the case anymore. If not for the Heavens¡¯ Eye, I doubt that anyone would¡¯ve lived to tell the tale. There is no way we can suppress this Stranger, so I suggest that we report this to the Pacification Bureau in Anyang and request their assistance as soon as possible.¡±

    Lin Hu and Chen Zheng agreed immediately. ¡°You won¡¯t hear an objection from us.¡±

    Granny Xia nodded before continuing, ¡°One more thing. The Heavens¡¯ Eye has used up all of its power to repel the Stranger, and it will be three months at least before it recovers. In other words, August Hill Vige will not have an ace in the hole until then. We must be ready for anything.¡±

    ¡°Worry not, Granny Xia. We understand,¡± Lin Hu and Chen Zheng replied solemnly.

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye was the national relic of Chu. It was said to possess limitless power and the ability to keep vigil over the entire realm, suppressing any and all Strangers that fell within its watchful gaze. Of course, the ancient mirror hung in front of August Hill Vige was not the genuine article. It was just an imitation that contained a sliver of the Heavens¡¯ Eye power. Not only that, it took months to recharge every time it was used up.

    Every prefecture,mandery, county and vige in Chu owned an imitation of the Heavens¡¯ Eye. It was to be used only in times of great crisis. Although August Hill Vige had managed to ovee their crisis, it had also cost them their greatest trump card. It was a terrible loss to say the least.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to make the report now. I trust that the two of you can handle the aftermath?¡± Granny Xia asked.

    ¡°No worries, Granny Xia. Just leave it to us.¡±

    After the old woman was gone, Chen Zheng shot Lin Hu an enigmatic smile and asked, ¡°I heard you recruited Ye Qing into the watchmen, brother Lin?¡±

    .

    Lin Hu replied stiffly and mockingly, ¡°You are very well-informed, brother Chen!¡±

    Chen Zheng did not take offense though. He continued to wear a sunny grin on his face as he exined, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I just happened to hear about it in passing.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You and I are two of the only three martial artists of August Hill Vige, brother Lin. Hundreds of lives are counting on us to ensure their survival in this harsh world. Therefore, I beseech you not to spoil our good rtionship over an insignificant matter. That will not benefit you, me, or August Hill Vige, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Hrmph. You don¡¯t get to tell me what I can or cannot do!¡±

    Lin Hu knew that Chen Zheng was warning him to stay out of his feud with Ye Qing, of course. He had evenid bare the consequences that would follow should he ignore his warning.

    The worst part of it was that he couldn¡¯t say that he disagreed with Chen Zheng.

    Chen Zhengughed. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t, brother Lin. I¡¯m just giving you advice, is all. I will be happy enough if you will sit on it.¡±

    That was all he said before he turned away to leave.

    A displeased Lin Hu red daggers at Chen Zheng¡¯s back. ¡°In that case, I have some advice for you as well, <i>brother </i>Chen. Ye Qing is a member of the watchmen now. You best not do something that¡¯ll cross the line!¡±

    ¡°What was it you said again just now? You don¡¯t get to tell me what I can or cannot do either,¡± Chen Zheng responded without looking back. A sneer crossed his lips as he stared at the floor of corpses beneath him,

    ¡°Do you truly believe you¡¯re safe just because you¡¯ve joined the watchmen and attached yourself to Lin Hu, Ye Qing? How naive. You were dead from the moment I made up my mind to kill you!¡±

    ¡°Life is cheap. The only one we can rely on is ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately for you, Ye Qing, you do not possess the power to change your fate!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing had no idea about the conversation that took ce between Lin Hu and Chen Zheng. The second he returned home, he immediately snatched the teapot on the table and took two long gulps directly from the spout. It wasn¡¯t until the cool, bitter tang of tea had permeated his entire mouth that he finally began to calm down.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Today had been a shocking day in more ways than one. Although he already knew from his host¡¯s memories that this world was exceedingly dangerous, he still wasn¡¯t prepared for the sea of blood, the Stranger in the sarcophagus, or the Heavens¡¯ Eye at all. The world was just so exciting and dangerous he could die, literally.

    ¡°This world is just too hostile. I need to get stronger as soon as possible.¡±

    A bitter smile spread across Ye Qing¡¯s lips. If it wasn¡¯t for the Annon Sutra, the blood qi might have contaminated him enough to turn into a Red Walker already. Furthermore, he had already joined the watchmen. Once his injuries were healed, he would have to join them on expeditions and fight against all kinds of Strangers. Without strength, he was as defenseless as a babe before those things.

    That was why he needed to grow stronger. It was either that, or die.

    When Ye Qing felt that he had rested enough, he grabbed two cornbreads from the kitchen and swallowed them with some cold water. He didn¡¯t need to be full; he just needed to have enough strength to perform what was toe. After pulling a chair over to the entrance and taking a seat, he began reading the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± he had received from Lin Hu.

    Sunlight pierced through the thick clouds and cast a weak glow on the young man¡¯s youthful but resolute countenance. At that moment, he almost looked like he was glowing.

    ¡°I see. The first step to cultivation is the Body Tempering stage!¡±

    It took Ye Qing about an incense stick to pour through the entire manual from start to finish. ording to the text, all warriors must begin their cultivation journey by tempering their body, also known as the Body Tempering stage. Warriors at this stage were known as Reforged. First, they must temper their limbs. Next, they must temper their torso. Then, they would temper their skin, and finally, they would temper their internal organs. They must start small before they could move onto the big, and they mustplete the externals first before moving onto the internals. It was the proper way to activate one''s strength and vigor. If the warrior was sessful, then their skin would harden, their flesh and bone would be strong, their vigor would be unending, and their strength would be extraordinary.

    The ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± was precisely what Ye Qing needed to begin his cultivation journey; a Body Tempering stage cultivation art. At first nce the cultivation art only had seven forms, but each form was made up of seven minor variations. In other words, there was a total of forty-nine forms in the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡±. As a whole, they represented a harmonious cycle that tempered the body, strengthened the muscles and bones, and erged the strength and vigor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the first form!¡±

    Without further ado, Ye Qing rose to his feet and began emting the first illustration on the paper. It wasn¡¯t easy though. Almost as soon as he twisted his body into the correct position, he started hearing strange pops and screeches that sounded like his bones cracking, and his muscles rubbing viciously against one another. It only got worse as he moved on from one minor variation to another. Despite the blood draining away from his face andrge beads of sweat forming on his forehead, he forced himself to ignore the pain and soldiered on.

    When Ye Qing finally went through all seven minor variations of the first form, he was drenched in sweat like he had just crawled out of a river. His clothes werepletely soaked through, and there wasn¡¯t a single part of his body¡ªhis internal organs, his bones, his muscles, and even his skin¡ªthat wasn¡¯t on fire. There was also an undercurrent of numbness.

    Ye Qing tried practicing the second form afterpleting the first, but he immediately felt like he was being crushed and molded by a giant hand. The pain had climbed to a new crescendo, and blood was starting to leak out of his pores again. If someone were to pass by his house right now, they might just mistake him as another Red Walker.

    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ Dammit, this body is just too weak.¡± Ye Qing hurriedly stopped his training before letting out a long sigh.

    At first nce, the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± looked fairly easy to practice. In reality, each form, each minor variation affected the skin, the muscles, the bones, the arteries and veins, and even the internal organs in its entirety. When a warrior had gone through all forty-nine forms andpleted a full cycle, they would have tempered every part of their body one time.

    With enough practice, the warrior would discover that their bodily functions and organs were much better than before. If they managed to reach the adept level, then their skin would be as tough as iron, their muscles and bones would turn as hard as steel; their vigor rivaling that of a tiger¡¯s, and their strengthparable to that of a fiery stallion.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing¡¯s body was just too weak to withstand the tempering effects of the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡±, not to mention that he was still recovering from his injuries. Forgetpleting a full cycle, he couldn¡¯t even begin the second form without feeling like he was about to tear himself apart. He could only take it one step at a time.

    In fact, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the only one who found themselves in the same predicament. Most of the vigers could only practice the cultivation art slowly and methodically as well.

    ¡°No, this isn¡¯t going to work!¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t mind slow and steady, but he just didn¡¯t have enough time. At this rate, it would take him two or three months toplete a full cycle without copsing, and over a full year to reach the adept level and be an adept Reforged. He would probably be dead by then.

    Ye Qing sighed wistfully. ¡°If only I have one of those miraculous medicines that can swiftly replenish both strength and vigor¡­¡±

    ording to the manual, the practitioner was strongly encouraged to consume strength and/or vigor replenishing medicines so as to shorten their recovery time and hasten their progress. The problem was, he didn¡¯t have any!

    Suddenly, Ye Qing perked up and looked down at his shirt. ¡°Wait. Why don¡¯t I ask the Annon Sutra about this? Maybe it has a solution to offer?¡±

 Chapter 5: Strange Blood

    <h4>Chapter 5: Strange Blood</h4>

    .

    Ye Qing took out the Annon Sutra and put the container holding the mysterious blood on the table. When he unfurled the vellum, he noticed something odd. <i>That¡¯s strange. I¡¯m pretty sure that rune wasn¡¯t glowing before.</i>

    One of the strange runes on the Annon Sutra was emanating a grayish glow.

    <i>Is it because I killed a Red Walker earlier? Yes, that has to be it!</i>

    Last night, a rune had lit up after the yin spirit was dead. Today, the same thing happened again after he killed the Red Walker. It made sense that the ignition of these runes were tied to the Strangers he killed.

    <i>I wonder what they¡¯re for? Never mind, that can wait. My question is more important right now.</i>

    Ye Qing bit his finger and squeezed out a drop of blood. Then, he asked, ¡°How can I increase my cultivation speed?¡±

    The blood drop wriggled on the vellum as if it was alive before vanishing into the material. But contrary to Ye Qing¡¯s expectations, no words appeared on the Annon Sutra at all.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it working? It¡¯s not broken, is it? No, that doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Ye Qing racked his brain with a frown. ¡°Maybe it just needs more blood?¡±

    A moment of hesitationter, Ye Qing went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. When he returned, he gritted his teeth and cut open his finger, spilling a steady stream of blood on the Annon Sutra. The blood wriggled, and the vellum began glowing once more. Four or five breathster, a familiar blood red text finally came into view:

    <i>¡°What should I do?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°My body is too weak to withstand the effects of a Body Tempering stage cultivation art, but I do not have the option to grow at a slow and steady pace. If I do not be strong as soon as possible, it won¡¯t be long before I sumb to the Strangers haunting the wilderness, or the enemies lurking within the vige. What should I do? Can I really do nothing but wait to die?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°No, I¡¯m not out of ideas yet. Perhaps the dragon-serpent runes on the Annon Sutra may offer me a solution.¡±</i>

    ¡°... Okay, the dragon-serpent runes on the Annon Sutra may be able to help me. But how? What do I do exactly?¡± Ye Qing blinked dumbfoundedly. ¡°Finish your sentence, man. Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s bad manners to leave someone hanging?¡±

    Ye Qing subconsciously put his right hand on the gray rune as heined. That turned out to be the right thing to do. The rune shed once before disappearing into his body.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    An immense amount of energy filled with strength and vigor detonated inside him. Before he realized what was happening, it spread throughout his body and filled him with staggering warmth. His wounds, his weakness, and even the invisible damage that had been umting inside his body were all gone. However, there were far, far more energy in the rune than was necessary to restore him to full health. It began charging all over the ce like a living creature, smacking its shapeless head against the confines of his physical body until his eyes turned bloodshot, and his face became as red as an apple. Blood jetted out of his nostrils like he was in aic, and his skin began cracking inch by inch while oozing red blood.

    The blood itself was overflowing with vitality. His cracked skin was also healing, breaking, healing, then breaking again in an endless cycle. Ye Qing understood at once that this was happening because he had absorbed too much vitality. Just like how amon man might die if he ate solid food after a prolonged period of starvation, he was suffering because his body was frail, and he didn¡¯t know how to control the bursting vitality.

    ¡°Oh dear. I¡¯m not about to die from ¡®excessive intake¡¯, am I?¡± Ye Qing chuckled helplessly. He really didn¡¯t want to die like this. He would be the biggestughingstock of all time if he did.

    ¡°Wait, the ¡®Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡¯! Now¡¯s the perfect time to temper my body, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Earlier, he was troubled because hecked the strength and vigor to practice the Body Tempering stage cultivation art properly. But now, he was literally bursting with it. If now wasn¡¯t the time to cultivate his power, then when?

    Ye Qing was a man of action, so he immediately rose to his feet and emted the first form of the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± once more. Even as he fell into position, he could feel the energy in his body slowing down and flowing in a more controlled fashion. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t barging all over the ce like a headless fly anymore. It was relieving in more ways than one.

    Unlike his first attempt, Ye Qing was able to finish the first form without any problems whatsoever. It was the same when he moved on to the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh form,pleting a full cycle. By the time he was done, Ye Qing felt like every part of his body had be healthier. His strength was also much bigger than before.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! Again!¡±

    Ye Qing was ecstatic. Most people tempered their body starting from their limbs, their torso, and finally their internal organs. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to temper them all at the same time, but because they simply did not have the strength and vigor to do it. However, he had the opposite ¡°problem¡±. He had so much energy in him he was in danger of exploding if he didn¡¯t use them up somehow. It was why he could temper every part of his body at the same time.

    Not about to waste this golden opportunity or wait for his body to explode, Ye Qing immediately went back to the first form and resumed his training. He was so absorbed in the activity that he did not notice that the container beside the Annon Sutra wobbling suddenly as if something was trying to break out.

    <i>tter¡­ tter¡­ tter¡­</i>

    A momentter, the container wobbled onest time before an eerie red seeped out into the open. It looked both evil and terrifying.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The next second, the container abruptly exploded into smithereens, and a single drop of dark red blood shot toward Ye Qing. It entered his body before he even realized what just happened.

    ¡°The hell?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned when felt something foreign entering his body, but before he could react a cold, dark, evil, terrible and deathly energy exploded within him and consumed all of his blood in an instant.

    Blood made up approximately ten percent of an adult''s weight. To lose it all was to wither away until one was nothing but skin and bones. That was what had happened to Ye Qing. A deathly aura surrounded him. If not for the fact that he was still breathing, Ye Qing certainly could¡¯ve been mistaken for a shriveled corpse.

    ¡°What the fuck! What¡¯s going on? Why is this happening?!¡±

    Ye Qing could feel his vitality being greedily devoured by something. At the same time, images of death, ughter, profanity and darkness were contaminating his mind and dulling his consciousness. If not for the dragon-serpent rune¡¯s immense energy working tirelessly to repair his body and restore his vitality, he would be dead already.

    This could not go on though. The unknown entity eating him from the inside out seemed to possess a bottomless appetite. No matter how much new blood and vitality were being produced, it had devoured it all like a ckhole. At this rate, he was going to die!

    ¡°Wait a second, where¡¯s the container? Is it the blood?¡±

    Ye Qing was panicking when he noticed that the container bearing the mysterious blood was gone. He immediately put two and two together and felt his heart clenching in horror.

    ¡°Fuck! I should¡¯ve known this would happen!¡±

    Ye Qing was overflowing with bitter regret. He would not have ended up in this situation if he hadn¡¯t gotten greedy and taken the blood home. Now, he was reaping what he sowed.

    ¡°What do I do? I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    Ye Qing abruptly pped himself in the head and forced himself to calm down. Regret would not change anything. He could bask in self-recrimination all he wanted after he had saved himself.

    After shaking his head strongly in an attempt to regain some rity, he took a step forward and snatched the Annon Sutra from the table. Even in his addled state, he knew that it was the only thing that might save his life!

    The second he made contact with the vellum, the dragon-serpent runes on its surface shook and swam around like they were alive. At the same time, an icy sensation entered his body and slowly pushed away the negative emotions that were raging inside his head. A couple more secondster, his initial panic had subsided as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fail me now, Annon Sutra¡­¡±

    Ye Qing bit his finger and attempted to squeeze out some blood, but to his surprise, nothing came out. Unwilling to believe this was happening, he chewed his finger until he damned ripped it in half, but still he wasn¡¯t able to squeeze out even a drop of blood.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>How is this possible?! I¡­ Right,? the damn thing is sucking up all my blood! Even the new blood is gone before they can enter my finger!</i>

    The Annon Sutra hadn¡¯t failed him, but he had failed the Annon Sutra. What the flying fuck was he supposed to do now?

    <i>Not yet! It¡¯s not over yet! This is a cultivation universe, and the blood is inside my body, right? What if I try refining it?</i>

    Since the Annon Sutra was useless at the moment, he had no choice but to try something else. He had never been a giver-upper in his first life, and he wasn¡¯t about to start in his second life. Based on his rich experience in fiction over the years, blood that contained vast and mysterious powers like this one could usually be refined and absorbed. If the characters in those novels could pull off such a feat, then why not him?

    Without further ado, Ye Qing took a pose and began practicing the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡±. To his utmost delight, it worked. Almost as soon as he made his move, the blood flowing through his veins suddenly became much louder, and a small portion of the vitality and energy that were being pulled into the blood suddenly stopped in their tracks. It was because the cultivation art had intercepted them to temper his tattered body.

    ¡°It¡¯s working!¡±

    Greatly encouraged by the sess, Ye Qing hurriedly moved onto the next form. At first, the cultivation art could only intercept a small portion of his vitality and energy. But after he went through a total of forty-nine cycles, he was able to wrestle most of them back under his control. The corruptive power of the blood was also much weaker than before.

    ¡°Oh shit! The dragon-serpent rune is about to run out of power!¡±

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing still wasn¡¯t out of danger. The dragon-serpent rune had been feeding the blood and over fifty cycles of cultivation, so it was only natural that it would be close to running out of power. However, Ye Qing hadn¡¯t finished refining the blood yet, and without a steady supply of vitality and energy to keep it at bay, he was still going to be sucked dry and killed in the end. All of his efforts would¡¯ve been for naught.

    ¡°Wait! I still have another rune!¡±

    He had ignited one rune when he killed the yin spirit, and another when he took out the Red Walker. It was exactly what he needed to save his life.

    <i>The heavens haven¡¯t abandoned me yet!</i>

    Ye Qing immediately pped his hand over the gray rune. The next second, it slipped into his body and erupted into a tremendous vortex of energy, shielding him from the blood¡¯s influence once more.

    Ye Qing immediately started cultivating the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± again. He did not dare to waste even a second.

    One time¡­

    Five times¡­

    Ten times¡­

    Twenty times¡­

    Like a tireless machine, Ye Qing practiced the Body-Tempering cultivation art again and again. Slowly but surely, his shriveled, decaying body began to fill up. His muscles bulged, his vitality was restored, and the aura of death that had surrounded him up until this point was gone before he knew it.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The false death experience hadpleted his cultivation in a way Ye Qing couldn¡¯t possibly imagine. To have ¡°died¡± once ande back to life as if reborn, his skin, flesh, bone, blood and internal organs were tougher and stronger than they would¡¯ve been. More importantly, the corruptive power of the blood was steadily fading thanks to his persistent effort. Even if he were to stop now, he wouldn¡¯t be in danger of dropping dead without warning anymore.

    <i>Rumble¡­</i>

    Around half a teatime [1]ter, the corruptive power of the blood finally vanished. Something unexpected happened to him then. The refined blood abruptly merged with his blood and flooded him with heat, making him feel like his blood was boiling over a stove. At the same time, a vast, profound and terrible power he could not even describe washed over his whole body and filled him with strength.

    ¡°What incredible power!¡±

    Ye Qing was as flushed as a boiled crab as every pore in his body opened and released a thin mist of blood. Like a blood red sun, he emitted so much heat and light that the entire room was dyed red.

    Ye Qing was caught off guard at first. It wasn¡¯t every day you turned into a blood red sun after all. Then, he jumped in delight because he knew that the energy came from the mysterious blood. Previously, it was overflowing with powers of darkness, death, cold, extinction, and anything else that was in direct opposition to the concept of vitality. Now, all that was left was pure energy and the truest essence of its power.

    The amount of energy contained within the drop of blood was easily greater than the two dragon-serpent runesbined, and that was before including the arcane essence. If he hadn¡¯t identally tempered his body once before the blood attacked him, the sheer amount of energy within the blood would have burst him like a balloon. Even now, his skin was cracking ominously and oozing blood all over the floor.

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ Well, it¡¯d be a shame not to put all this energy to good use. Time to grind like no tomorrow!¡± Ye Qing coughed as blood jetted out of his nose again. He wasn¡¯t going to die from ¡°excessive intake¡± after all the shit he just went through!

    Ye Qing wiped away his nosebleed and assumed a pose. Once more, he practiced the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡±.

    ¡°Hoo¡­ hoo¡­¡±

    His form was the fuel, and his body the furnace. Every time he moved, steam would rise from his flushed skin and float around him like ayer of mist. Bit by bit, his skin, flesh, blood, bone, and internal organs were reforged to be better than before. Some time during the cultivation, he lost track of timepletely. It wasn¡¯t until sunlight flooded through narrow windows and illuminated the floor when a profound transformation came over Ye Qing. His skin and muscles abruptly became as hard as steel, his bones crackled and popped as loud as thunder, his blood rushed in his ears like a river, and every contraction of his heart resonated like the rumble of a heavenly gong. A terrifying yet magnificent aura began rising from his body.

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

 Chapter 6: Mud Doll

    <h4>Chapter 6: Mud Doll</h4>

    ¡°Is that you, Ye Qing? Why are you here? I thought I told you to rest until you¡¯ve fully healed?¡± asked Lin Hu.

    It was a peaceful morning. Lin Hu was instructing the trainees on the training ground as usual when Ye Qing walked up to him with a bright smile on his face.

    Ye Qing replied casually, ¡°But I am healed, captain. That¡¯s why I came to see you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lin Hu looked Ye Qing up and down for a moment before eximing in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s true! How did you recover so quickly?¡±

    Just a week ago, Ye Qing had looked sick, pale, and so weak that a gust of wind might topple him. But now, he was practically the picture of good health. His cheeks were rosy, his vigor was overflowing, and not a shred of weakness could be spotted anywhere.

    Ye Qing was ready for this. He answered, ¡°I wasn¡¯t that hurt in the first ce, and my family kept an old ginseng that¡¯s perfect for restoring strength and vigor. It¡¯s why I recovered so quickly.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Lin Hu had no reason to suspect that Ye Qing was lying, so he simply nodded and said, ¡°By the way, your level of vigor should not be possible for an untrained man. In fact, it rivals some of the kids behind me. You have already begun practicing the ¡®Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡¯, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Your senses are sharp, captain. Yes, it was boring for my body to heal, so I thought to myself: why not?¡± answered Ye Qing while rubbing his nose as if embarrassed. It was why Lin Hu did not notice the triumphant glint in his eyes.

    <i>The captain didn¡¯t realize I¡¯m an adept Reforged already. He didn¡¯t notice that my blood is unusual either. That¡¯s</i> <i>good, </i>he thought with a bit of relief.

    A week ago, Ye Qing wondered how he was going to exin his unnatural progress to anyone. After all, it wasn¡¯t everyday a nobody skipped a whole year of work and became an adept Reforged in under a day. But after he grew ustomed to his newfound power, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his blood could disguise his cultivation level and his presence. By manipting its power of consumption, he could ¡°store¡± his strength, presence and more inside the blood and make himself look like amon man, just one with a stronger vigor than normal. When necessary, he could simply cancel the effect and return to full power in an instant. To put it simply, he could make himself look weaker than he really was.

    It wasn¡¯t perfect though. If someone were to take a look at his blood, they would notice that each drop contained an unimaginable amount of power.

    Besides absorbing the remnant energy in his body and continuing his cultivation, learning how to control his blood was Ye Qing¡¯s main focus for the past week. It was all to conceal his strength. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have any vanity in him, he just wasn¡¯t strong enough to afford it right now.

    For one, his cultivation speed was so insane that someone would want to know exactly how he had done it. Two, it was highly likely that Chen Zheng would be spurred into drastic action if he discovered that the insignificant pebble he thought he could crush at any moment wasn¡¯t so insignificant after all. Until he found out exactly what his nemesis was capable of, it was simply unwise to sh against him so soon. For now, the low-profile was the best profile.

    Lin Hu ordered, ¡°Show me your ¡®Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡¯. I want to know how far you¡¯ve progressed.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Ye Qing nodded and took a stance. Then, he began to practice the cultivation art he had practiced at least hundreds of times before. However, his movements were far slower than normal, and his transitions were shaky and rough. By the time he finallypleted a full cycle, he was sweating like he had just climbed out of a river and panting like a dog.

    He was faking it, of course. The n was to keep a low profile, so of course he should act ordingly.

    ¡°Incredible! Incredible!¡±

    Ye Qing had done his best to practice the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± as horribly as possible. In fact, he was fully expecting Lin Hu to tell him what a failure he was and spray spittle all over his face. It was why he was utterly surprised when he received the exact opposite.

    ¡°I cannot believe you learned the entire cultivation art in just seven days! Although your transitions are rough, and many parts of your forms are wildly inurate, to reach this level in just seven days is nothing short of incredible. Keep this up! At this rate, it shouldn¡¯t be long before you reach the journeyman level.¡±

    After Lin Hu was done praising Ye Qing, he turned back to the trainees and lost his smile immediately. ¡°Look at Ye Qing, and then look at yourselves! Our man has only practiced for seven days with no one to guide him, and still he was able to perform the ¡®Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡¯ from beginning until the end! But you lot have been studying under me for over two weeks, and some of you still couldn¡¯t perform a full cycle! Did I identally pick up a pack of dogs? Is that why you couldn¡¯t even learn something so simple? An embarrassment, that¡¯s what you are!¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡± Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    As a dozen pairs of resentful gazes fastened on his face, Ye Qing rubbed his nose innocently and thought, <i>I just want to keep a low profile. Is that too much to ask?</i>

    ¡°Zhou Nian, Li Er. Step forward,¡± Lin Hu ordered.

    ¡°Captain.¡± Two men¡ªone stout and one slender¡ªimmediately stepped into the open.

    Ye Qing knew these two. The tall, slender youth with an air of aloofness was Zhou Nian, and the short and portly one beside him was Li Er. They had yed together when they were children, and they had shared a good rtionship until Chen Zheng had barged into his life and caused them to grow estranged.

    ¡°Ye Qing, Zhou Nian, Li Er. The three of you have learned the ¡®Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡¯ and begun tempering your bodies. In better times, I would wait until your vigor has fully stabilized before throwing you to the frontlines, but sadly our numbers are too thin to maintain that rule anymore. I have no choice but to put you to work immediately.¡±

    Zhou Nian and Li Er turned as pale as a sheet when they heard this, but not Ye Qing. He knew this wasing, not to mention that the reason he showed up today was to participate in expeditions, kill Strangers, and apply them in his cultivation.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Lin Hu led them to the vige entrance where a middle-aged man stood. He carried a bow on his back and a long saber around his waist. ¡°I¡¯ve got three rookies for you, Nianshui. I want you to show them the ropes.¡±

    Fang Nianshui (Thinking of Water) was a refined and graceful name, but the man himself was anything but that. Not only was he as stout as an ox, he had a bandit¡¯s face and a thick ck beard.

    Fang Nianshui let out a heartyugh. ¡°Perfect timing! I just lost myst few underlings two days ago!¡±

    Zhou Nian and Li Er turned even paler and shivered when they heard this.

    ¡°Cut it out. Are you trying to make things harder for yourself?¡± Lin Hu pped the big man behind the shoulder before shooting them a reassuring smile. ¡°Nianshui is the most experienced hunter of Strangers in our vige. You would do well to learn from him.¡±

    ¡°Yes captain,¡± All three youngsters responded affirmatively.

    ¡°Take them to the armory to choose their weapons. Then, show them what a day in a watchman¡¯s life is like,¡± Lin Hu ordered before adding, ¡°Take good care of them, okay?¡±

    Fang Nianshui nodded with a guffaw. ¡°I get it, captain. You¡¯ve got nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll see you allter then,¡± said Lin Hu before turning around and leaving.

    After the watchmen captain was gone, Fang Nianshui deredckadaisically, ¡°Alright, the three of you are my underlings now. Although we¡¯re fellow vigers, and I¡¯ve watched over you since you were running around with your birds out, there are watchmen rules that we watchmen must abide by no matter what. For starters, you must address me as ¡®Boss¡¯ or ¡®Boss Fang¡¯.¡±

    "Boss Fang," the trio answered obediently.

    ¡°Goodds!¡± Fang Nianshui grinned in satisfaction. ¡°Come on then. Let¡¯s go grab your weapons.¡±

    There were sabers, spears, sticks, clubs, axes, hatchets, swords and even pitchforks in the armory. Unfortunately, they were all forged usingmon crucible steel, and there was nothing special about them besides having a fine edge.

    Zhou Nian chose a longsword, and Li Er a long stick. It was a good fit with his portly frame. Ye Qing took a bit longer to consider his options before grabbing a long saber with a long, narrow de. It resembled the Yanling saber.

    A sword looked dashing, but it required a style that revolved mainly around thrusts and jabs. A stick was impactful, but itcked the sheer deadliness of a honed edge. A saber was heavy and excellent at shing, but it could not be wielded properly without a good amount of strength. Thankfully, his strength was exceptional even for an adept Reforged, so a saber was the most suitable weapon for him.

    ¡°Are you done? If you are, then it¡¯s time to head out and broaden your horizons!¡± Fang Nianshui dered after all three youngsters had grabbed their weapons.

    Li Er asked curiously while running after the hunter, ¡°What should we be expecting, Boss Fang? Is there anything you can tell us?¡±

    Fang Nianshui chuckled but refused to give him an answer. ¡°It¡¯ll be no fun if I tell you everything now, won¡¯t it? Just wait and see. I promise you it¡¯ll be an interesting experience.¡±

    When the group exited the entrance and stared into the distance, they were immediately greeted by a beautiful expanse of lush fields and pastures, tall trees and swaying flowers, calm waters and lofty mountains, soft clouds and a clear, blue sky. Even Ye Qing had to admit that it was a scene straight out of a paradise.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡± Zhou Nian could not help but exim in wonderment. Li Er and Ye Qing were looking left and right with bright eyes as well.

    The people of August Hill Vige were generally not allowed to leave the vigepound unless it was for farming. It was why they rarely got to enjoy even the scenery just beyond their walls.

    ¡°It <i>is</i> beautiful, innit? This is just the beginning. More pleasant surprises are waiting for you ahead,¡± Fang Nianshui winked at them before walking down a path set between the fields.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡±

    They were walking when Li Er came to a sudden stop. It was because he noticed bubbles rising from a quagmire next to them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± Fang Nianshui hurriedly stopped Li Er when he looked back and noticed that the curious youngster was about to poke the quagmire with his long stick. Not a moment too soon, the surrounding mud suddenly wriggled on its own before joining together to form a pair of mud dolls.

    ¡°Yah yah¡­¡± The mud dolls had a nose, eyes and legs. Individually, it was just big enough to fit on a palm. The moment they appeared, they started running around making strange noises and ying like children.

    More and more mud wriggled unnaturally before taking the form of a mud doll. It took only a few seconds for the otherworldly creatures to fill up the whole path. Mud and water flew everywhere, and some evennded on the group when a couple of mud dolls collided against their feet. It wasn¡¯t an attack though. The creatures were just fooling around and ying among themselves.

    About seven to eight minutester, the mud dolls abruptly ran back to the quagmire as if they had had their fill. Then, they wriggled onest time before dissolving into the pool of mud and disappearingpletely.

    ¡°What¡­ what are those things?¡± Li Er asked with a stiff voice. His face was pale, and he didn¡¯t dare to move even after the mud dolls had disappeared.

    Fang Nianshui dropped hisckadaisical demeanor and said seriously, ¡°We call them Mud Dolls, an Mundane-ss Stranger. From weak to strong, a Stranger may be ssified as Mundane, Red, Malice, and Hatred. They correspond to our Body Tempering, Qi Invocation, Vessel Augmentation, Astral Refinement and more.¡±

    .

    ¡°Are there Strangers above the Hatred-ss?¡± Ye Qing asked with a frown.

    Fang Nianshui answered, ¡°Of course, but you don¡¯t need to learn about them right now. Just know that they are far beyond you or my ability to handle. To give you an example, a Stranger at that level can easily destroy a vige or even a county singlehandedly. They can only be handled by another warrior at the same level or higher.¡±

    ¡°Setting that aside, my first lesson to you lot is to rein in your curiosity. Think twice, look twice, and don¡¯t touch anything unless you¡¯re sure it won¡¯t kill you. Why? Because some Strangers are perfectly harmless unless you provoke them first. Take the Mud Dolls for example. Normally, the worst they can do to you is to dirty your clothes. But if you piss them off, they will fight you to the death.

    ¡°You might think that you stand a chance, but the Mud Dolls arepletely made of mud. They are nigh unkible unless you can eliminate all the mud in the area somehow. Even I won¡¯t survive a confrontation with the Mud Dolls without some serious luck, much less you rookies!¡±

 Chapter 7: Echo Caterpillar

    <h4>Chapter 7: Echo Caterpir</h4>

    ¡°So? Have you carved my words into your heads?¡± Fang Nianshui pressed with a harsh voice.

    ¡°Yes boss,¡± all three youngsters responded with varying degrees of distress. Fang Nianshui¡¯s advice could mean the difference between life and death, and no one was stupid enough to take it lightly.

    ¡°That is all I ask. Now, let us continue.¡± Fang Nianshui abruptly lost his serious face and returned to his sunny,ckadaisical disposition once more.

    ¡°We¡¯re not going back yet?¡± Li Er asked with trepidation as his legs shivered.

    Fang Nianshui chuckled ominously. ¡°Of course not. Why would we go back when there¡¯s more fun to be had?¡±

    All three youngsters exchanged incredulous looks with each other. They didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud, but only a maniac would agree with the hunter¡¯s idea of ¡°fun¡±.

    ¡°By the way, the ces we¡¯re passing through are all ces we¡¯re going to patrol in the future, so you best carve them into your heads as well.¡±

    The group of four passed through the farms and stepped on a major road. Fang Nianshui would continue to exin all the routes and areas they would be patrolling as they continued.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ hahaha¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing heard a peal ofughter he wasn¡¯t quite sure was real when a breeze blew against the surrounding trees. He immediately straightened up and kept his eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary.

    ¡°Ye¡­ Ye Qing, did you¡­ did you hear anything just now?¡± asked Li Er beside him. The stout youngster was hunching his shoulders and scanning his surroundings with a frantic look in his eyes.

    Ye Qing gave him a random excuse, ¡°The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.¡±

    Li Er: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ hahaha¡­¡±

    It was at this moment a gale blew at them hard enough to throw their clothes into disarray. More importantly, theughter was growing louder and louder until it almost felt like someone was giggling right beside their ears. Ye Qing also caught a glimpse of what looked like a blurry silhouette out of the corner of his eyes.

    ¡°Aaaaah! It¡¯s a ghost! A ghost!¡± Li Er let out a terrified scream before turning around and running for the vige. Of course, he didn¡¯t even manage two steps before someone appeared behind him and lifted him to the air by the cor.

    ¡°Ghost, my ass!¡± Fang Nianshui pped Li Er out of his panic before exining impatiently, ¡°What kind of ghost appears in broad daylight? That¡¯s the Wind Children you¡¯re hearing. It¡¯s harmless so long as you don¡¯t provoke it.¡±

    ¡°The Wind Children?¡± Ye Qing concentrated his eyes on the passing wind. Sure enough, he glimpsed what looked like the silhouette of a child dancing freely in the wind.

    ¡°Yep. The Wind Children are Mundane-ss Strangers. They enjoy hiding inside the wind and flying with it. Just like the Mud Dolls, they normally don¡¯t attack anyone unless provoked. If you do, you¡¯ll find that they are a greater enemy than even the Mud Dolls.¡±

    ¡°That reminds me, our Captain Lin once provoked the Wind Children by ident and nearly died despite being ate-stage Invoker. Luckily, Granny Xia and Captain Chen showed up in time to save his life. Long story short, don¡¯t provoke the Wind Children unless you have a death wish.¡±

    <i>Lin Hu is ate-stage</i> <i>Invoker? </i>Ye Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Since Chen Zheng stood on the same footing as Lin Hu, it should be safe to assume that he was also ate-stage Invoker.

    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m feeling generous today, so here¡¯s a freebie: If you run into a dangerous situation in the future, do not panic, and definitely do not scream like a goddamn girl. People like that are usually the first to die.¡± Fang Nianshui released Li Er before teasing him in a friendly manner, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that a big guy like you would have such tiny balls? You better grow some soon before you disappoint thedies,d.¡±

    Li Er chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head in embarrassment.

    ¡°Change of ns. Ye Qing, switch ces with Li Er. Let¡¯s hope that¡¯ll be enough to stop you from jumping at every shadow.¡±

    .

    ¡°Yes boss,¡± both youngsters responded as Ye Qing moved to the rear, and Li Er to the center of their group.

    ¡°My second lesson to you lot is to remain calm and observe your surroundings no matter the circumstances. The more stressed and nervous you are, the easier it is to lose control and consequently, your life.¡±

    Fang Nianshui continued after a pause, ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to make another round here.¡±

    By now, the trio was somewhat ready for what was toe. At the very least, they weren¡¯t overreacting like when they encountered the first two Strangers anymore.

    ¡°That mountain over there¡ªthe tallest and biggest of them all¡ªis Little August Hill. You might¡¯ve noticed, but our vige is named after it. While it looks calm and peaceful from the outside, trust me when I say it¡¯s very dangerous. Not even our martial artists would dare to enter Little August Hill without cause.¡±

    After pointing at a tall, lofty mountain in the distance and providing a brief exnation, Fang Nianshui said, ¡°And that¡¯s it. We¡¯ve patrolled all the areas we have to patrol. Oh! Look at me. We¡¯ve walked all morning, and I still haven¡¯t told you our main responsibilities yet. First, a watchman is responsible for protecting the farmers so that they may toil without fear from the Strangers. Second, a watchman is responsible for protecting the farms so that the Strangers cannot plunge us all into a famine, and third, a watchman is responsible for protecting the vige from a Stranger attack. Also, we must report back to the higher-ups if we spot any dangerous Stranger nearby.¡±

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve been walking for almost three hours, and I¡¯ve told you everything you need to know. It¡¯s time to go home.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank heavens! We can finally go home!¡± Li Er exploded in excitement. He even swung his stick around a little.

    ¡°Oh thank heavens, we can finally go home.¡± The reserved Zhou Nian said the same thing, but in a stiffer voice.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± dered Fang Nianshui with a wave. This time, he did not chide Li Er despite him causing amotion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then!¡± Zhou Nian repeated Fang Nianshui¡¯s words.

    ¡°Zhou Nian? Why are you repeating after us?¡± Li Er asked in puzzlement.

    ¡°Zhou Nian? Why are you repeating after us?¡± Zhou Nian repeated in the exact same intonation.

    ¡°Seriously, are you alright? Wait, I think your nape¡¯s bleeding.¡± Li Er lookedpletely confused, but the blood on Zhou Nian¡¯s neck drew his attention away before he could say anything more. He was about to walk over and inspect his friend¡¯s injury when Ye Qing held him in ce, frowning.

    ¡°Wait. Something¡¯s wrong.¡±

    As soon as he said this, Zhou Nian¡¯s eyes abruptly turned bloodshot like he was about to fly into a rage. Then, he actually let out an animalistic roar and swung his sword wildly at Ye Qing and Li Er.

    Caughtpletely off guard, Li Er wasn¡¯t able to react at all. He would¡¯ve died just like that if Ye Qing hadn¡¯t pulled him out of the way. He unsheathed his saber and shed des with Zhou Nian.

    <i>ng!</i>

    Zhou Nian¡¯s sword flew into the air, but the saber¡¯s momentum wasn¡¯t spent yet. It cut through the youngster¡¯s neck and sent his head flying into the air. Zhou Nian¡¯s headless corpse took two more steps before it finally copsed on the ground with a dull thud.

    ¡°Aaaaaa¡ª¡±

    It was only now Li Er¡¯s brain finally processed what just happened, and he opened his mouth to let out a bloodcurdling scream. However, he was cut short when an icy voice spoke behind him,

    ¡°Silence, fool. Do you want to die that badly?¡±

    The voice belonged to Fang Nianshui. Li Er snapped out of his funk and pped his hands around his mouth, but his panic was in for all to see.

    ¡°Boss, I¡ª¡± Ye Qing tried to exin himself when Fang Nianshui looked at him, but the hunter interrupted him with a wave and said,

    ¡°I¡¯m not using you. It¡¯s the Echo Caterpir.¡±

    Fang Nianshui walked up to Zhou Nian¡¯s head and took a quick look. Then, he lifted his feet and stomped down on it. The second the head was crushed, a worm about half a finger¡¯s length crawled out of the gore. It looked just like a cabbage caterpir.

    Somehow, it had burrowed into Zhou Nian¡¯s head without anyone noticing.

    ¡°This is an Echo Caterpir, a Mundane-ss Stranger. It isn¡¯t threatening in itself, but it can bite through the victim¡¯s skull and burrow into their brains without anyone noticing. Then, it would make the body repeat everything it hears. If someone sees through its act, it would immediately control the body to attack everyone around it. It¡¯s incredibly difficult to guard against, and many watchmen were injured and even killed by their own allies because of the Echo Caterpir.

    ¡°Clearly, the Echo Caterpir had burrowed into Zhou Nian¡¯s head and controlled him for heavens-know-how-long. You did well, Ye Qing. If not for your swift and decisive action, you and Li Er may have been in danger before I could step in and save you.¡±

    Ye Qing did not respond to Fang Nianshui¡¯s praise. For some reason, he was squinting his eyes and shivering a little. He also looked quite pale.

    ¡°Ye Qing? Are you alright?¡± Fang Nianshui asked worriedly. He thought Ye Qing was feeling scared because this was the first time he took a human life.

    Ye Qing shook his head, but Fang Nianshui thought that he was just putting up a brave front. He did not know that the young man was really trying to suppress his bloodlust.

    When Fang Nianshui had crushed Zhou Nian¡¯s head¡ªno, even before that, when his saber had sliced through the youngster¡¯s neck¡ªhis blood had immediately boiled up at the sight of bright red blood. He could feel them screaming at him to devour everyst drop of blood in Zhou Nian¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ye Qing dug his fingers into his palm almost deep enough to gouge out his own flesh. Thankfully, the terrible pain was enough to push down the bloodlust.

    Feng Nianshuiforted Ye Qing, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everyone gets like this the first time they take a life. You¡¯ll get used to it eventually. Also, Zhou Nian was no more from the moment the Echo Caterpir had burrowed into his head. You¡¯re actually taking revenge for him by taking out his controlled body, so there¡¯s no need to feel regret over this.¡±

    The Echo Caterpir looked just like an ordinary caterpir without a head to attach to. Although it was crawling away from them, it was so slow that they had all the time in the world to kill it. Feng Nianshui was about to do just that when suddenly, Ye Qing cried out in rm, ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°What? What?¡± asked the hunter while looking left and right hastily. He thought that danger had crept up to them without him noticing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    Before Fang Nianshui could make sense of his words, Ye Qing rushed forward and stomped down on the Echo Caterpir. It let out a disgusting ¡°<i>pssh¡± </i>sound before green liquid began forming around his shoes. When Ye Qing looked up and saw Fang Nianshui staring at him with an odd look, he let out an awkward cough and said, ¡°I er, I just want to take revenge for Zhou Nian myself.¡±

    ¡°Well, sure.¡± Fang Nianshui frowned but didn¡¯t press the subject. He pulled out a talisman from within his shirt and ignited it with a spark of qi. Then, he tossed it over Zhou Nian¡¯s corpse and burned it into ashes in an instant.

    ¡°Boss Fang, why did you¡­ we could¡¯ve taken him home for a proper burial¡­¡± Li Er stammered. Clearly, he hadn¡¯t recovered from the shock of Zhou Nian¡¯s death yet.

    ¡°There are two reasons why we do things this way. One, it¡¯s unnecessary. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Zhou Nian is dead, and it doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s cremated or buried. Two, a corpse like this will give off a blood stench. It may attract dangerous Strangers that we are ill-equipped to handle. That is why you always cremate the body with a fire talisman,¡± Fang Nianshui replied.

    ¡°Speaking of dangerous Strangers¡­ you wouldn¡¯t happen to mean that, would you boss?¡± Ye Qing suddenly interrupted and pointed in a certain direction. When the hunter looked, he noticed that the sky was covered in pitch ck clouds. What was strange was that the clouds were moving toward them and cutting through everything in its path like a hot knife through butter. Even the Wind Children had escaped far, far out of their range.

    <i>Buzz¡­ buzz¡­</i>

    It wasn¡¯t until the clouds got close, and he heard a loud buzzing noise that Ye Qing realized what he was looking at. The ¡°clouds¡± weren¡¯t clouds, they were a gigantic swarm of pitch ck mosquitos! There were so many of them that they looked like clouds from a distance. Worse yet, they were man-eating mosquitos!

 Chapter 8: Kung Fu Frog

    <h4>Chapter 8: Kung Fu Frog</h4>

    All the blood drained away from Fang Nianshui¡¯s face when he realized what he was staring at.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Bloodsucking Mosquito! Run!¡± He shouted before breaking into a mad dash for the vige.

    Ye Qing and Li Er did not need to be told twice. They immediately fell behind the hunter and ran as quickly as their legs could carry them. Unfortunately, the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were much faster than they were. They had just reached the halfway point when the buzzing swarm caught up to them and descended like a thunderstorm.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote¡­ Ready your arms,ds! It¡¯s time to fight for your life!¡± Fang Nianshui took a look around him before sighing out loud. His expression was dark and resigned. Despite what he said, he knew there was no chance they were going to survive this.

    Although the Bloodsucking Mosquito was a Mundane-ss Stranger, it traveled in swarms that consisted of tens or even hundreds of thousands Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. Forget Lin Hu or the other martial artists, even an Augmentor must get out of the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes¡¯ way unless they had a death wish. It was no wonder Fang Nianshui believed that they were all going to die here.

    .

    Suddenly, Li Er let out a maniacal scream before taking off in a hurry. ¡°Ahhhh! I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Caught off guard, Ye Qing tried to grab his fellow viger but was toote. Li Er was already out of range by the time his hand passed through the air where his shoulder used to be.

    The portly youngster had only taken a few steps when the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes descended on him and surrounded him. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t see anything due to how densely packed the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were, but he could certainly hear his childhood ymate letting out the final scream of his life before falling quiet four to five breaths beforeter. When the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes finally flew away, all that was left of Li Er was a shriveled corpse. Every drop of blood in his body had been sucked dry, and bones scattered everywhere when it copsed on the ground.

    It was at this moment Fang Nianshui let out a mighty, ¡°Now!¡± before pping a talisman to his saber. When his weapon swept through the air, a massive column of mes burst into view and turned countless Bloodsucking Mosquitoes into ashes in an instant. Unfortunately, it only took the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes one second to fill up the gap before rushing toward Fang Nianshui.

    Unlike the hunter, Ye Qing did not have a talisman he could p to his saber to empower his attacks. He could only hack and sh at the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes the old-fashioned way. The good news was that his strength was formidable, and his vigor unending even though he had never learned how to wield a saber before. He swung his weapon around like a hurricane and was able to keep the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes at bay for a time.

    The bad news was that the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were endless, and his utterck of swordsmanship ultimately proved to be a fatal w. It wasn¡¯t long before a small swarm of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes slipped past his guard andnded on his body.

    His skin was as tough as iron, but it still couldn¡¯t prevent the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes from piercing it with their stylets and sucking his blood. A tingling pain erupted from every part of his body in no time. This was another reason why the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were so feared. Their stylets were so sharp that they could prate even fine steel with ease. Otherwise, anyone who had reached the adept level in the Body Tempering stage could¡¯ve handled them.

    ¡°Is this it?¡± Ye Qing thought wryly to himself. He felt surprisingly calm despite knowing that he was but moments away from death.

    It was at this moment the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes on his person suddenly shuddered as if they had taken a mighty blow. Then, they shriveled up without warning before falling to the ground, dead.

    ¡°What the¡­ how did they die?!¡±

    Ye Qing was so surprised by the turn of events that he subconsciously slowed down and allowed even more Bloodsucking Mosquitoes to reach him. However, just like the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes from before, they too shriveled up and dropped dead in just a matter of breaths. It wasn¡¯t long before the ground was covered in countless dead Bloodsucking Mosquitoes.

    ¡°My blood¡­ it¡¯s sucking them all up!¡± eximed Ye Qing in realization. His blood had boiled up the moment the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes plunged their stylets into his skin. But instead of sucking him dry, they were the ones who got their blood sucked out of their bodies instead. Not only that, he could feel his vigor increasing every time he consumed a small swarm.

    <i>I had no idea my blood could be used this way!</i> Ye Qing thought ecstatically to himself. Then, he realized something and stopped moving all of a sudden. The Bloodsucking Mosquitoes immediately took advantage of his inactivity and covered him from head to toe.

    The Strangers couldn¡¯t kill him, and he was growing stronger just by standing there and doing nothing. So, why would he resist?

    Meanwhile, Fang Nianshui was still swinging his ming saber about and slowly retreating toward the vige. He did not notice what was happening to Ye Qing because he was busy enough trying to keep himself alive. The youngster was probably long dead anyway.

    At first nce, it looked like Fang Nianshui was doing pretty well. The me on his saber was absolutely tearing through the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. However, the me was just an effect of his talisman, and every swing of the de diminished its power a little more. The moment it ran out of power would be the moment he died.

    Gradually, the me on his saber weakened, and his legs grew heavier and heavier. It would appear that he wouldn¡¯t even live until his talisman petered out. It was because the high-intensity battle had taken too much out of him, and because there were simply too many Bloodsucking Mosquitoes in the area. They were as numerous as the stars in the sky, and they hampered him every step of the way.

    <i>Is this it? </i>Fang Nianshui thought while panting heavily. His eyes still burned with defiance, but he was covered in Bloodsucking Mosquitoes and growing weaker by the second. At this rate, he was surely going to die.

    ¡°... Croak!¡±

    Suddenly, a thunderous croak erupted from the center of a paddy field.

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    The strange noise came closer and closer until finally, a green frog appeared from the road. It was asrge as a human infant and standing on its hindlegs with its head held high like a human. A red strap was tied around its head, and its forelegs were crossed in front of its chest like human arms. It stared at the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes in the sky with itsrge, round eyes and looked almost¡­ disdainful.

    ¡°Croak! Croak! Croak!¡±

    What happened next was something Ye Qing wasn¡¯t likely to forget for the rest of his life. Out of nowhere, the frog started shadowboxing the air in front of it. They weren¡¯t the wild, swaggering punches of an untrained man either. Its movements were swift and precise, and it croaked every time it threw a punch. It looked like a true martial arts master.

    ¡°Is that¡­ a <i>kung fu frog </i>I¡¯m seeing?¡± Ye Qing blurted as he wiped away the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes on his face. He could only stare in utter disbelief as the frog continued to shadow-box its way toward him and deal critical hits to his worldview every time it threw a punch.

    The next moment, the frog leaped into the sky and sucked in so much air that its belly was as round as a balloon. Then, it opened its mouth and let out a croak so loud, so powerful that the air shook, and an entire swathe of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes dropped dead from the shockwave just like that!

    Ye Qing was not exempt from the croak. His eardrums ruptured, and his mind turned nk for a good few seconds before he recovered. When he did, he realized he was leaking blood from every hole in his head including his eyes.

    ¡°Mother of heavens! It¡¯s a kung fu frog <i>and</i> a qigong frog!¡± Ye Qing wiped away the blood just in time to see the frognding back on the ground and slurping up all the dead Bloodsucking Mosquitoes with its long tongue.

    Next, the frog unleashed its tongue and started sweeping, whipping, rolling and herding the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes to their final destination: its stomach. Its movements were well-honed and disciplined in a way that an ordinary frog couldn¡¯t possibly emte. Even more intriguing was the fact that the frog¡¯s stomach remained perfectly t despite eating what must have been thousands of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes by this point. It wasn¡¯t long before more than half of the swarm had disappeared into its stomach. The surroundings also looked a lot clearer than before.

    As if recognizing the threat it represented, the remaining Bloodsucking Mosquitoes abruptly ditched Ye Qing and Fang Nianshui and pounced toward the frog. However, the frog simply bent down a little, stretched out a forelimb, and did a little handwave that anyone with even a smidgen of worldly experience would recognize.

    When the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes got close, it abruptly unleashed a series of lightning fast palm thrusts that not only frozerge swathes of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes in an instant, but also crushed them to bits afterward. Its palms must have been infused with some sort of cold energy. The bodies were then swept into its stomach by a gluttonous tongue. The frog moved so fast that it looked like it had a hundred arms, and not a single Bloodsucking Mosquito was able to get close enough to do any damage.

    The Bloodsucking Mosquitoes weren¡¯t stupid, however. When they realized that they could not defeat the frog, they abruptly pulled away from it and tried to escape. However, the frog anticipated this andunched itself into the air with a mighty croak. Then, it executed a magnificent roundhouse kick that shook the air and created what looked like an invisible wall of power. The Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were about ten meters away from the frog when suddenly, over half of their numbers just exploded into itsy bitsy pieces and spilling blood everywhere.

    Once more, the frog unfurled its long tongue and swept all the fallen insects into its stomach. Terrified, the few hundred remaining Bloodsucking Mosquitoes flew even faster into the distance.

    This time, the frog did not pursue them. It simply patted its belly with a satisfied expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s it?¡± Some distance away, Fang Nainshui finally recovered from his shock and stared at the fleeing Bloodsucking Mosquitoes with incredulity. The Bloodsucking Mosquitoes belonged in a category of Strangers he could never hope to defeat, and yet he just witnessed another Stranger absolutely massacring them before driving them away with their tail between their legs. That the one who did it was a <i>frog</i> only shocked him even more.

    He did not recognize the frog¡ªhe had never seen or even heard of a Stranger like this¡ªbut one thing for certain, it was incredibly powerful. After all, it had soundly defeated a Bloodsucking Mosquito swarm that even an Augmentor would have fled on sight. How could it not be powerful?

    It was why Fang Nianshui tensed up and watched the burping frog warily aftering back to earth.

    ¡°Croak¡­ croak¡­¡±

    Thankfully, it looked like the frog wasn¡¯t interested in them. After shooting both Fang Nianshui and Ye Qing a disdainful look, it leaped back into the paddy fields and vanished just like that.

    After the frog was gone, Ye Qing walked up to Fang Nianshui and asked quietly, ¡°Boss Fang, what in the world is that Stranger? That¡­ kung fu frog?¡±

    Fang Nianshui shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯ve never seen a Stranger like that. ¡®Kung Fu Frog¡¯ is a fitting name for it though.¡±

    It was at this moment Fang Nianshui startled and shot Ye Qing a disbelieving look, ¡°Wait, you¡¯re still alive?¡±

    <i>Do you want me to die? </i>Ye Qing rolled his eyes before making up a random excuse. ¡°I was lucky. I was going to die until that Kung Fu Frog showed up and saved me.¡±

    If that strange frog hadn¡¯t shown up, he could¡¯ve devoured more Bloodsucking Mosquitoes and grown even stronger. Unfortunately, the bestid ns of mice and men often went awry.

    That said, the Kung Fu Frog also served as the perfect excuse as to how he survived the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes, so he could hardlyin about it. The heavens give, and the heavens take.

    Fang Nianshui nodded, but Ye Qing noticed that he was staring at the red dots and bumps covering his body with an inscrutable expression. It was impossible to say if the hunter believed him or not.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back then. The Bloodsucking Mosquito isn¡¯t poisonous, but wounds have a higher chance of festering in hot weather like this. We should get them treated as soon as possible!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded and followed Fang Nianshui back to the vige.

 Chapter 9: Skin

    <h4>Chapter 9: Skin</h4>

    ¡°You did well. Go home and catch some well-deserved rest!¡± Fang Nianshui said after they returned to August Hill Vige.

    Ye Qing tilted his head in puzzlement, ¡°What about you, Boss Fang?¡± He was asking because it looked like the hunter was going elsewhere.

    Fang Nianshui replied with a weary voice, ¡°Me? I have to report what happened today to Captain Lin. Two people were dead after all. Also, I need to inform him about that strange frog you named Kung Fu Frog. It¡¯s no ordinary Stranger, and while it doesn¡¯t seem to be hostile toward humans that is no reason for us to lower our guards. At the very least, our fellow brothers should know not to provoke it under any circumstances.¡±

    He was about to take off when he suddenly turned back to Ye Qing. ¡°I almost forgot. Take this. It¡¯s a spirit snake ointment and one of the benefits we enjoy. It¡¯s meant to be applied to external wounds. Just rub it over your skin, and your wounds should be healed the next day. Every watchman gets two free bottles each month. In the future, you may receive them yourself at the office.¡±

    .

    ¡°Thank you, Boss Fang,¡± Ye Qing hurriedly epted the medicine and thanked him.

    Fang Nianshui gave him a careless wave. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m running off to see Captain Lin now. I¡¯ll see you here at Rabbit Hour [1] tomorrow. Don¡¯t bete.¡±

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Ye Qing nodded in affirmation before adding, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± said Fang Nianshui while waving him off again. After Ye Qing had turned around and walked some distance, the hunter abruptly stared at his back with an inscrutable expression on his face.

    When Ye Qing returned to his house, the first thing he did was to pour himself a full ss of tea and drain it all in one gulp. It took him a long time before he finally recollected himself. He knew that the outside world was dangerous, but it wasn¡¯t until he actually stepped into it that he realized just what those dangers entailed. To put it simply, they represented death and ughter.

    Take this expedition for example. What should¡¯ve been an easy and harmless tour around the area had imed two lives just because. If it wasn¡¯t for his unparalleled fortune, he would¡¯ve died just like Zhou Nian and Li Er.

    Ultimately, he was still too weak to survive in this harsh world.

    Some timeter, Ye Qing abruptly looked up from the table. ¡°Oh right, I killed plenty of Strangers today. I wonder how many dragon-serpent runes were ignited?¡±

    He took out the Annon Sutra and unfurled it across the table. As expected, a good amount of dragon-serpent runes were dazzling on the vellum. They looked like a river of stars.

    ¡°One, two, three¡­ thirteen dragon-serpent runes in total! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Ye Qing eximed in delight before a frown came to him. ¡°Wait, that can¡¯t be right. I killed an Echo Caterpir and at least thousands of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. Even if the conversion ratio is horribly bad, I should have received dozens of dragon-serpent runes at least.¡±

    Thankfully, the answer came to him almost immediately. ¡°Wait a second. These two runes over here are¡­ silver-colored, not gray!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. Every ignited rune on the Annon Sutra was gray except two. Not only were they silver, they were brimming with a profound air of Dao.

    <i>Did most of the gray runes join together to form these two silver runes? </i>He thought. It was definitely possible. The Annon Sutra was only so big after all. It simply did not have enough space to fit thousands of dragon-serpent runes at the same time.

    ¡°Logically speaking, the silver runes should be better than the gray runes, right?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself. It made sense. Even their appearance was cooler than the gray ones.

    For a second, Ye Qing was tempted to absorb a silver rune. However, itsted for only a second before he ditched itpletely. There was no telling how many gray runes it took to form a silver rune. What if it contained more power than he could hold? It would be most ironic if he survived the dangers outside only to perish in his house because he couldn¡¯t rein in a stupid impulse.

    ¡°Oh well. Thirteen gray runes should be enough tost me for a while. I¡¯ll consider my options after I¡¯ve used them all.¡±

    And so Ye Qing rose to his feet, took a pose and began practicing the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± once more. It was to refine the blood he had drained from the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. Food could not provide energy if one did not have a digestive system. Just the same, the foreign blood in his veins must be subsumed before he could obtain their power. Otherwise, it would be like carrying sand in his blood¡ªheavy, irritating and ufortable.

    Two cyclester, the weight and awkwardness afflicting up till this point vanishedpletely. His strength and vigor had grown much stronger as well.

    <i>Just like that, I¡¯ve gotten even stronger, </i>Ye Qing thought with a smile. <i>I wonder if I could be invincible if I devour an infinite amount of blood? That would be so awesome. It does feel kinda viinous though. Regardless, I mustn''t getcent. </i>

    Ye Qing thought back to the moment he¡ªor more specifically, his blood¡ªdevoured the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes¡¯ blood. It was like trying to control a mindless beast that was overflowing with greed and lust multiplied by a billion. Had he let go of the reins for even a second, he might have been pulled into the vortex of madness and be transformed into a bloodthirsty monster. That was why he mustn¡¯t getcent. He did not want to transform into a monster who was controlled by his greed and bloodlust.

    ¡°Now that that¡¯s done, it¡¯s time to do some actual cultivation!¡± Ye Qing dered cheerfully while touching a gray rune. Its tremendous power flooded his body in an instant.

    Mind and spirit as one, Ye Qing practiced the ¡°Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡± with sublime precision and smoothness. It was a euphoric experience he just could not get enough of.

    ¡°Hoo¡­ hoo¡­¡±

    His skin was flushed with heat and sweat. His bones and internal organs were humming with power. It took him merely two cycles to use up all of the rune¡¯s energy.

    <i>I thought so. The stronger my body is, the easier it is to refine the dragon-serpent runes,</i> thought Ye Qing with a satisfied smile on his face. Just a week ago, a single gray rune would almost be enough to make him explode. Now, it took him merely seven to eight minutes to refine and absorb it all. The difference was like night and day.

    ¡°Again!¡±

    Ye Qing did not wait to absorb another gray rune. The outside world was as strange as it was dangerous, and Chen Zheng was at the minimum ate-stage Invoker. The pressure from both inside and outside the vige was driving him to thirst for power like never before. He did not want to die without even knowing that a brain-eating caterpir was eating through his skull, or go out with a whimper like Li Er.

    He wanted to live!

    ¡­¡­

    Early next morning, Ye Qing ate some breakfast he threw together at random before hurrying to the vige entrance. As expected, Fang Niangshui was already waiting for him. The hunter greeted Ye Qing before beckoning him over to his side, ¡°Come, I¡¯ve got a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°A gift? What is it?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Fang Nianshui tossed what looked like a small sack into his hands. When he unraveled it, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a saber manual named the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±.

    ¡°A saber manual?¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise, ¡°For me?¡±

    Fang Nianshui smirked with his arms crossed. ¡°Who else? I¡¯ve noticed that your strength and vigor are pretty strong, so I reckon that you must have reached the initiate level of the Body Tempering stage already. That is enough for you to begin training in the ways of the saber. Captain Lin¡¯s the one who told me to give it to you to improve yourbat strength yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Boss Fang!¡± Ye Qing dered while flipping through the manual with clear delight. Despite the manual¡¯s rather¡­ questionable name, it was exactly what he needed right now. In fact, he had nned on visiting Captain Lin in the next few days and see if he could learn a proper martial art to better defend himself. He wasn¡¯t expecting it to fall into hisp before he even asked about it.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re happy, but we still have a patrol to finish, so let¡¯s not waste anymore time, shall we?¡± Fang Nianshui let out an uncaring chuckle before turning to leave.

    It was at this moment the night watchmen came through the entrance. Normally, they would be celebrating the end of their shift or at least greeting their fellow watchmen, but today the entire squad was shrouded in a somber mood.

    Fang Nianshui called out, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Old Lin?¡±

    A man in his forties with charcoal skin answered with a sorrowful sigh, ¡°Last night, Yu The Third and his men were ambushed by a Night Owl. All three of them were killed without even leaving a corpse behind.¡±

    Fang Nianshui¡¯s expression immediately morphed into pity and sorrow. He gave the guy he called ¡°Old Lin¡± aforting pat on the shoulder before squeezing out a smile, ¡°Chin up. Wherever they went, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a better ce than this one. With luck, we may join them soon enough¡­ Anyway, you all look like shit, so go catch some sleep and leave the rest to us.¡±

    They left the vige after the somber conversation. Not even the beautiful scenery outside could change the mood for the better.

    Suddenly, Fang Nianshui burst into a heartyugh and pped Ye Qing on the shoulder. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough ck mood for the day. Everyone dies one day, and you and I are no exception, so chin up!¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I know.¡±

    And so Ye Qing began patrolling the surrounding farms with Fang Nianshui. At the beginning, they often ran into another watchmen squad who were performing their rounds as well. Instead of walking up to their fellow watchmen and greeting them in person, they merely gave an affirmative nod before resuming their business. The reason the watchmen stayed well out of each other¡¯s way was because there was a possibility they could be controlled or possessed by a Stranger. Eventually, they came up with the rule to avoid such tragedies from happening again. Those who ignored it did so at their own peril.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    Suddenly, a horrified shriek cut through the air. It belonged to a farmer who was toiling the soil.

    ¡°Shit! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Fang Nianshui and Ye Qing hurriedly ran toward the farmer.

    The screaming viger was running toward them with obvious terror riddled across his face. He looked like he had just encountered the scariest monster of his life. Suddenly, Ye Qing noticed a thread appearing on the viger¡¯s forehead out of nowhere. It pulled at the viger like a fish hook until horrifyingly, the skin itself starteding loose and exposing the muscle fibers underneath.

    What was scary was that the viger did not seem to feel any pain at all, and the faster he ran the quicker his skin was stripped away from his flesh. Even stranger was the fact that his skin wasn¡¯t damaged at all despite his frantic movement. It was almost as if he was taking off his shirt.

    ¡°Stop right there! Stop!¡± Fang Nianshui yelled urgently, but the viger ignored himpletely. Eventually¡­

    <i>Rip!</i>

    When the viger finally got within ten meters away from the duo, his skin abruptly tore off with a crisp sound, leaving behind a fleshy body that was oozing blood and fluid from everywhere. As if on cue, the afflicted viger then copsed on the ground and began convulsing violently. He was still alive, however. He started crawling toward them while mumbling, ¡°Save me, save me¡± over and over. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the human skin that should¡¯ve floated to the ground abruptly turned around and took off like the wind. Literally, it was running like it was a person with its own mind.

    1. 5 am sharp. Ã® is between 5am to 7am, and Ã®Ê± is 5 am ??

 Chapter 10: Why Donâ€™t You Guess?

    <h4>Chapter 10: Why Don¡¯t You Guess?</h4>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The earth beneath Fang Nianshui erupted as he shot toward the escaping human skin like an arrow. He was still in the air when he swung his long saber and¡ª

    <i>Shred!</i>

    ¡ªsliced the Stranger in half just like that.

    A wisp of ck qi so miniscule and faint it was almost invisible slipped out of the severed skin, but Fang Nianshui merely let out an imperious hmph and turned his wrist. Fast and deadly, the horizontal sweep easily caught up with the ck qi and shattered it before it could go anywhere.

    ¡°What on earth is this thing?¡± Fang Nianshui murmured to himself as he bent down to inspect the human skin.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing screamed out in warning before swinging his saber straight at Fang Nianshui. He could literally feel the wind whipping against his hair.

    Fang Nianshui¡¯s first thought was that Ye Qing was trying to kill him, but then he felt nothing when he heard a <i>rip </i>noise that definitely sounded like something was being torn apart. He spun around just in time to see Ye Qing cutting a human skin in half and destroying its ck qi in just one strike. The young man¡¯s execution was just as squeaky clean as his.

    Fang Nianshui would¡¯ve been shocked for a while longer, but then he heard more rustling noisesing from all around them. He immediately readied his weapon and watched his surroundings warily. Not a moment too soon, six human skins rushed out from the farms and surrounded them in the blink of an eye.

    <i>Just how many people has it killed?</i> Ye Qing thought with a deep frown on his face. It wasn¡¯t easy to identify someone when they were just skin, but he could still tell that the human skins blocking their way were all vigers from August Hill Vige.

    ¡°I trust you to handle yourself, Ye Qing!¡± Fang Nianshui encouraged before charging toward the three human skins closest to him.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes for a moment. Then, he pounced toward the other three human skins.

    The human skins weren¡¯t too strong, to be honest. They looked scary, but even Ye Qing was able to carve up the first human skin that ran up to him in one strike. The same strike had crushed the ck qi possessing the human skin as well.

    Next, Ye Qing shuffled his feet and twisted his waist to one side. His posture looked awkward, but it allowed him to dodge another human skin¡¯s attack and sweep out with his saber. The second human skin was also destroyed just like that.

    Unfortunately, that was the end of his wless performance. The third human skin had managed to maneuver behind him andshed out.

    Although Ye Qing possessed a gargantuan amount of strength, he had never learned any footwork or movement technique in his life. He could only watch as the human skin¡¯s armsnded squarely against his shoulders.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    His shirt yoke was shredded into a million pieces, and his shoulder des caved in like they had just been struck by a gigantic hammer. The human skin¡¯s own arms had exploded into bits, which showed just how powerful the blow was.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Ye Qing did not waver, however. He didn¡¯t even budge an inch from his position as he calmly reversed his grip on his saber andshed out. Just like that, the final human skin on the battlefield was dead.

    Or was it?

    ¡°Ye Qing, watch out!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing heard a warning cry that drove every cell in his body into overdrive. He immediately turned his head as far to the right as possible. An ordinary person would have broken their neck trying to do this, but Ye Qing was an adept Reforged. His flexibility and sturdiness had long since exceeded what was considered normal a while ago, so he was fine.

    The next moment, Ye Qing felt a terrible force smashing viciously into his shoulder. He could hear his bones snapping as his shoulder and his elbow became bent at an odd angle.

    ¡°Hgg!¡± Ye Qing gasped both in pain and fear. If his reaction was just a little slower, the attack likely would have struck him in the head. The consequences would¡¯ve been unimaginable, assuming that his head didn¡¯t straight up explode like a watermelon.

    As expected, Ye Qing looked up to find a human skin floating in front of him. It was about to dish out another blow when Ye Qing let out a hmphed loudly before executing a back roll andshing out with his saber at the same time. He was able to slice the human skin in half before it could reach him.

    It was only then Fang Nianshui¡¯s voice came, ¡°Are you alright, Ye Qing!? Hang on! I¡¯ming to help you now!¡±

    Instead of running over to Fang Nianshui, Ye Qing took two steps away from him and watched the hunter warily. He sneered while dragging a limp arm, ¡°Help me? No, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯reing to kill me!¡±

    At the distance, Fang Nianshui skidded to a stop and paused for a good few seconds as if he was trying to digest the absurdity he just heard. Then, he asked with a look of utter confusion, ¡°Did you hit your head or something, Ye Qing? I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s tone grew even more scornful. ¡°I haven¡¯t hit my head, and neither have you, so let¡¯s stop pretending and cut to the chase already, shall we?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the assassin Chen Zheng sent to kill me, am I right?¡±

    At first, Fang Nianshui lookedpletely bbergasted at Ye Qing¡¯s usation. But when a few seconds passed, and Ye Qing¡¯s expression remained firm and unwavering, he finally dropped his mask and asked curiously, ¡°I¡¯m surprised. You¡¯re not as dumb as you look after all. I must ask though: how did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Not even going to defend yourself? Well, I suppose you¡¯re not that type of person,¡±mented Ye Qing with a raised eyebrow before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s simple. During yesterday¡¯s expedition, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that you were giving me looks every now and then while you were exining things. We live in the same vige, and we see each other all the time even before I joined your squad. So what possible reason do you have to sneak nces at me like I¡¯m your secret crush? It couldn¡¯t be because I¡¯m so much more handsome than you, right?¡±

    ¡°Two, when the Echo Caterpir took control of Zhou Nian and attacked us, you could¡¯ve stepped in and saved me and Li Er. Instead, you just stood by and did nothing at all. That was a little too much even if I pretend that you were trying to give us a lesson in independence or something. Of course, I now know for certain that you were trying to use Zhou Nian to kill me!¡±

    ¡°Third, I was leading the way while we were returning to the vige yesterday, and the whole time I could feel you burning a hole in my back. There was even a hint of killing intent. You would¡¯ve acted then if we hadn¡¯t run into other watchmen squads, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath beforeunching into thest part of his analysis, ¡°Of course, these are just guesses on my part. I could just have an overactive imagination. But then, you proved me wrong by ¡®letting slip¡¯ that human skin just now.¡±

    ¡°These human skins may possess enormous strength, but they¡¯re also slow and very fragile. If I, someone who has never learned any saber art or movement technique before could defeat three of them on my own, how is it possible for ¡®the most skilled and experienced hunter¡¯ in August Vige to screw up so badly that one of them managed to escape you? Even if you¡¯re ugly as sin, that¡¯s a little too much, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°A splendid analysis!¡± Fang Nianshui started slow-pping while looking incredibly impressed. ¡°I still have a question though. If you¡¯ve suspected me since yesterday, then why did you save me just now?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I wasn¡¯t sure if I was just imagining things until you proved me true. Also, I would rather believe that there are more good people than there are bad people in this world. Unfortunately, I was wrong!¡±

    Fang Nianshui let out a wistful sigh. ¡°That got me in the heart, Ye Qing! I¡¯m almost having second thoughts now! In fact, how about this: I¡¯ll let you live if you tell me your secret?¡±

    ¡°Secret? What secret?¡± Ye Qing frowned. He did not know exactly what Fang Nianshui was referring to. Was he referring to the Annon Sutra, his hidden strength, or his very unusual blood?

    A knowing smirk spread across the hunter¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re not an initiate Reforged who just started practicing the ¡®Seven Forms of Demon Subjugation¡¯, are you? You¡¯re a journeyman Reforged!¡±

    Ye Qing did not bat an eyelid. ¡°Really? What makes you say that?¡±

    Fang Nianshui spread his arms wide. ¡°If you¡¯re not a journeyman Reforged, there is no way you could¡¯ve survived the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes or these human skin Strangers. They might not be especially deadly, but they¡¯re still as strong as an ox. If you really are an initiate Reforged, you couldn¡¯t have defeated three of them on your own.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. You were clearly bitten by the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes yesterday, but your skin looks as good as new, meaning that you¡¯ve made a full recovery after just one night of rest. How is this possible if you don¡¯t have a journeyman Reforged¡¯s vigor and vitality?¡±

    Ye Qing tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who gave me a spirit snake ointment yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you didn¡¯t use them, did you?¡± dered Fang Nianshui with surprising confidence.

    ¡°Well, yes. But how did you know?¡±

    An evil smirk crossed Fang Nianshui¡¯s lips then. ¡°If you had, I wouldn¡¯t be seeing you today.¡±

    Ye Qing put two and two together and eximed in shock, ¡°You¡­ poisoned the spirit snake ointment?¡±

    Thank goodness he was suspicious of Fang Nianshui since yesterday, and he never thought of using the spirit snake ointment since he had the dragon-serpent runes. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

    Truly, one should always guard against the harm others might do to them!

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Fang Nianshui readily admitted his crime. ¡°My turn to ask another question. How did you go from aplete nobody to journeyman Reforged in just seven to eight days? It had taken me more than half a year to reach the same level. Is it some sort of medicine? Unknown cultivation art? Or a Strange Artifact?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re a good guesser, aren¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you guess?¡±

    Fang Nianshui grinned savagely in response to Ye Qing¡¯s provocation, ¡°If I have to guess, it¡¯s gotta be a Strange Artifact or, hmm, I know! A Strange Artifact. It''s how you were able to swiftly increase your strength while still appearing ''ordinary'' to everyone, am I right?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled again but did not say anything. His response was ambiguous, but Fang Nianshui believed he was right because the absence of denial itself was an implicit admission. So, he offered, ¡°I¡¯ll let you live if you¡¯ll give me your Strange Artifact. What do you say?¡±

    Ye Qing barked out augh before shaking his head decisively. ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    Fang Nianshui was surprised by how vehement he sounded. ¡°Why not?¡±

    Ye Qing sneered, ¡°Because you had never nned on letting me live, duh. If you really wanted to deal with me, you¡¯d never have allowed that human skin Stranger to target my head.¡±

    If he really was a journeyman Reforged, the blow to the head would¡¯ve killed him without question. The hunter would never have done that if he was nning to cut a deal with him.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk. I take back my words. You are far smarter than I gave you credit for,¡± Fang Nianshui sounded impressed, but his tone steadily grew darker as he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s too bad that smart people also have the tendency to die before their time. I cannot let you live now even if Chen Zheng had suddenly decided to change his mind.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged nomittally before asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I might have hidden my ¡®Strange Artifact¡¯ somewhere? That killing me would lose you the means to find it?¡±

    Fang Nianshui let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Why are you acting dumb right after I praised your intelligence? One of the functions of your Strange Artifact is to disguise your presence. Naturally, you must carry it with you at all times. Once I''ve killed you, the Strange Artifact would naturally fall into my hands.¡±

    "Even if I''m wrong, I only need to search your house to get it. How big is your house, and how much furniture do you have? You could¡¯ve dug a well underneath your bed to hide it, and I¡¯m still going to find it eventually. This is my golden opportunity, and no one can take it away from me¡ªyou, or the heavens themselves!¡±

    ¡°So, kid¡­ are you prepared to go to the afterlife?¡±

    ¡°I must admit that most of your guesses are correct. You, too, are smarter than I gave you credit for.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sigh before slowly lifting his head. Then, he cracked a grin as sunny as the sky above their heads and dered, "Too bad for you, you got one thing wrong. I¡­ am not a journeyman Reforged!¡±

 Chapter 11: Havenâ€™t I Told You?

    <h4>Chapter 11: Haven¡¯t I Told You?</h4>

    <i>Crack crack crack!</i>

    The moment Ye Qing finished his sentence, his wounds began healing at a visible rate. His deformed shoulder des abruptly regained its normal shape, his broken arm abruptly popped back into position, and every other wound on his body disappeared like they never happened.

    ¡°Hm¡­ that Strange Artifact you have really is quite something,¡± Fang Nianshuimented with a cold chuckle. ¡°But you didn¡¯t think you¡¯re going to live just because your wounds are healed, did you?¡±

    Before he even finished speaking, Fang Nianshui leaped into the air and brought down his saber with both hands. The overhead chop was fast and fierce, brutal and ruthless. Ye Qing could even hear what sounded like a tiger''s roar from the man''s form. He had no doubt that the attack would cut him in half if he allowed it tond.

    It was about what he expected from the Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber. Ruthless and fierce, its practitioners were advised to execute its techniques with all-epassing hatred and violence in mind. They must crush their foes like a bloody executioner would exterminate one''s family to the nine generations.

    Ye Qing did not avoid the deadly strike, however. He merely crossed his saber across his chest and waited for the inevitable sh.

    <i>ng! </i>There was a terrific impact as metal struck metal, but instead of blowing Ye Qing away, Fang Nianshui discovered in disbelief that he was the one who was blown away instead!

    ¡°Impossible¡­ how do you have so much strength?¡±

    It took Fang Nianshui a few steps to regain his footing after hended on the ground. He was also bleeding from his palm and losing feeling in his saber arm. It was no wonder the man was shocked. He was an adept Reforged who had already begun to rece the qi in his dantian with true qi and was on his way to be a Qi Invoker. His strength was far greater than your average adept Reforged and equal to at least two fiery stallions. However, Ye Qing had still blown him away almost casually. The gap between their strength was like night and day!

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you? I¡¯m not a journeyman Reforged.¡±

    While Fang Nianshui was still recovering from his shock, Ye Qing bent his knees slightly, circted his vigor, and kicked off the ground so hard that a small pit was left behind. His saber was already in mid-swing to split Fang Nianshui in half.

    Not having anticipated Ye Qing¡¯s speed in the slightest, Fang Nianshui could only cross his saber in front of himself just like Ye Qing had done earlier and hope that it would be enough to weather the blow.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A mighty boom shook the world as Fang Nianshui sank all the way to his knees. His arms werepletely numb as well.

    ¡°Again!¡±

    Ye Qing was nowhere spent despite the powerful attack. Muscles and veins writhing disturbingly like a can of worms, and blood simmering like red hotva underneath his skin, he could have whaled away at Fang Nianshui at least dozens more times before he finally needed to catch his breath.

    Another boom ensued as metal shed against metal, but this time it was mixed with the sound of breaking bones. Fang Nianshui sank even deeper into the ground.

    ¡°Bastard!¡± Fang Nianshui let out an enraged scream before sweeping his saber at Ye Qing. At the same time, five tiger-like silhouettes appeared out of nowhere and jumped the young man from multiple directions.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t dodge though. He continued to bring his saber down on Fang Nianshui¡¯s head with unwavering determination. What did skill matter when he possessed enough strength to break it all?

    Three of the five silhouettes were crushed into bits when they shed against Ye Qing¡¯s saber, but two managed tond on his arm and leg and bleed him. On the other hand, Fang Nianshui had managed to block his strike a third time. This would seem like a win for the hunter if not for the violent force behind Ye Qing''s saber pouring into his body like tidewater, shattering his arm bones and squeezing his internal organs tight.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Fang Nianshui abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with pieces of raw flesh. Face as pale as a sheet, he shot Ye Qing a baleful re while uttering, ¡°Even¡­ even if you¡¯re an adept Reforged, there¡¯s no way you can be this strong!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Haven¡¯t I told you before? I¡¯m not just ¡®any¡¯ person. I have had godly strength since I was a babe!¡±

    Although Ye Qing was talking, he hadn¡¯t forgotten to move his hands. Again and again, he swung at Fang Nianshui¡¯s head like he would hack the conniving assassin into itsy bitsy pieces. He might not know any saber technique, but he had overwhelming strength and vigor. If one overhead swing wasn¡¯t enough to kill Fang Nianshui, then five would do it. If five overhead swings still wasn¡¯t enough, then twenty would do it.

    Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing tranted novels from the original source at [  ]

    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won just because you have godly strength, brat? I¡¯ll show you my true power right now!¡± Fang Nianshui roared. As soon as he said this, he threw out a fiery red talisman that burst into mes and descended on top of Ye Qing like a.

    ¡°That''s not goint to do anything!¡± dered Ye Qing with a disdainful snort. The fire talisman might look deadly, but it was only effective against Strangers who were afraid of fire. As for him, well, one swing of the saber was all he needed to cut the curtain of mes into two.

    Unbeknownst to Ye Qing, a golden light had washed over Fang Nianshui¡¯s saber while he was dealing with the fire talisman. The next second, the hunter swung his saber at Ye Qing¡¯s descending de and¡ª<i>Crack!</i>¡ªsnapped it like a twig.

    <i>¡°Five Tigers Sever The Soul¡±</i>

    That wasn¡¯t the end of Fang Nianshui¡¯s counterattack. When the hunter brought his saber down again, Ye Qing felt as if an attack wasing from his left, right, front, back and center with deadly power at the same time. Moreover, the roar of the five tigers possessed a mind-bending quality that seemed intent on terrifying the victim with brute force, violence and bloodthirst.

    Caught off guard and without a weapon, there was just no way Ye Qing could block the attack no matter what. He had no choice but to hug his head, protect his vitals as well as he could, and roll away from Fang Nianshui.

    Ye Qing was fast, but the saber energies were even faster. They left five deep gashes on his body and spilled blood everywhere. The wound across his chest especially was so long and deep that one could vaguely glimpse his wriggling innards and beating heart.

    ¡°Hahahaha! So what if you have godly strength? You¡¯re still going to die!¡± Fang Nianshui burst outughing even as he spat out another mouthful of blood. All of his anger and frustration had been swept clean with this singr sess.

    The fire talisman he threw earlier was just a distraction. It was to buy himself enough time to empower his saber with an edge talisman. As its name might suggest, the function of the edge talisman was to provide any weapon a fine, cutting edge. It was why he was able to break Ye Qing¡¯s saber in one hit.

    Without his saber, how could Ye Qing possibly beat him?

    Of course, the talismans weren¡¯t cheap, and Fang Nianshui could not help but wince every time he thought about them. Still, it was worth it if he could obtain Ye Qing¡¯s Strange Artifact in return.

    Whatever the Strange Artifact might be, it had transformed Ye Qing from a helpless man to an adept Reforged in a matter of days. Not only that, his strength was unnatural even for an adept Reforged. Fang Nianshui was sure that it was all thanks to the Strange Artifact. If he could obtain it, he would surely grow so much more powerful and reach unprecedented heights.

    ¡°Cough cough¡­. I¡¯ll admit that godly strength isn¡¯t that useful!¡± Ye Qing let out a couple violent coughs before continuing, ¡°But a powerful vigor and an exorbitant amount of vitality? Now that¡¯s a different story altogether.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s extraordinary strength and physique had never been his greatest advantage. It was his awe-inspiring vigor, or to put it more urately, the incredible power hidden within his blood.

    The next moment, a tremendous amount of vitality flowed out of Ye Qing¡¯s blood and flowed into the open wound across his chest. Then, the wound began wriggling and healing right before Fang Nianshui¡¯s eyes. In just the span of a couple breaths, every wound on Ye Qing¡¯s body vanished like they were never there, leaving not even a tiny scar behind.

    ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Fang Nianshui blurted in disbelief. He was starting to think that the situation was spiraling out of his control.

    ¡°Alright then. It¡¯s my turn now!¡± Ye Qing dered before rushing toward Fang Nianshui like a tiger.

    ¡°Argh! So what if you have an astounding amount of vigor? I¡¯m still going to kill you in the end!¡±

    Fang Nianshui let out a crazed howl before executing an extremely telegraphed overhead swing. It looked like he had lost his mind to panic and wanted nothing more but to cut the young man in half. However, he changed his technique at thest moment and aimed a stab at Ye Qing¡¯s heart instead.

    Ye Qing shifted his feet slightly before pushing forward. Fang Nianshui''s saber skewered him like a hot knife through butter, but it missed his heart with just milimeters to spare. There was enough pain that he had to stifle a groan, but Ye Qing soldiered on and plunged his broken saber into Fang Nianshui¡¯s stomach.

    For a second, the hunter stared at Ye Qing as if he couldn¡¯t believe what just happened. Then, he let out another crazed howl and gripped the hilt of his saber with both hands. ¡°There is no way! There is no way I cannot kill the likes of you!¡±

    Unfortunately for Fang Nianshui, Ye Qing was able to grab the saber embedded in his chest before he could do anything. His tremendous strength prevented the hunter from twisting the hilt even a little. Not about to allow Fang Nianshui any more funny ideas, Ye Qing leaned back a little and gave him the headbutt of his life. At the same time, he pushed his broken saber another inch deeper into Fang Nianshui''s stomach.

    Something neither Ye Qing nor Fang Nianshui expected happened then. Like sharks who caught the scent of blood, Ye Qing¡¯s blood abruptly came alive and filled him with irresistible bloodlust. His eyes had turned crimson before he knew it.

    Fang Nianshui had just recovered from his shock when he met Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. He flinched in horror when he realized that it was crimson red, cold, merciless, and full of hunger.

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    Stunned beyond words, Fang Nianshui tried to pull away only to feel a sudden, unnatural weakness taking hold of him. It took him a second to realize that he was losing blood. When he looked down, he saw that Ye Qing¡¯s entire arm had turned bright red from all the blood flowing out of his body and into Ye Qing.

    ¡°Stranger¡­ you¡¯re a Stranger! You¡¯re not human! You can¡¯t kill me, you can¡¯t¡­ kill¡­¡±

    The more blood he lost, the more Fang Nianshui felt like a nt that was losing all of its moisture to a desert. His consciousness grew blurrier and blurrier until it was no more.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    When the final drop of blood had been sucked out of Fang Nianshui¡¯s body, the hunter copsed on the ground with a loud thump, dry and lifeless.

    <i>Buzz¡­</i>

    A terrifying presence erupted from Ye Qing¡¯s body then. Sometimes it was as unrestrained as a wild beast, and sometimes it shivered like someone was trying to wrestle it under control. Not only that, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes remained red, cold, and full of hunger after the consumption. There wasn¡¯t a shred of human emotion of rationality to be seen within his eyes.

    A long, long timeter, Ye Qing shuddered once before he slowly regained his consciousness. The unnatural redness in his eyes gradually faded away.

    ¡°That was too close¡­¡± eximed Ye Qing with lingering trepidation while wiping away the beads of sweat on his forehead.

    There was a moment there where he could''ve lost himself to the ecstasy of elerated power and sumbed to primal hunger and bloodlust. Had he lost his mind, he would¡¯ve been entirely possessed by the desire to kill more people and devour even more blood.

    Luckily, his willpower was just strong enough for him to resist the urge ande back as himself. Otherwise, the consequences would¡¯ve been unimaginable.

    ¡°I must say this power feels incredible though!¡± Ye Qing clenched his fist and caused the air around it to pop. A hint of intoxication shed across his features as he basked in the terrifying current of power running through his body.

    The most obvious benefit he derived from this battle was his vigor increasing by at least half of its previous sum. He had acquired more power devouring the sum of Fang Nianshui¡¯s vigor than all the dragon-serpent runes he had refinedbined. He was about half a fierce stallion stronger than before as well.

    Ye Qing was certain that his strength and vigor were greater than that of ate-stage Qi Invoker. His vigor in particr should rival that of a Channel Augmentor. Barring exceptional circumstances, there was literally no adept Reforged in the world he couldn¡¯t trounce like a babe!

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad gaining power via absorbing blood has its side effects even though it¡¯s super fast. I should use it as little as possible in the future,¡± Ye Qing told himself.

    <i>I¡¯m a warrior with strong willpower. I shan¡¯t cultivate my power using such questionable means¡­ unless my enemies insist on delivering themselves to my doorstep, of course.</i>

    ¡°First things first, I should deal with Fang Nianshui¡¯s corpse. It would be troublesome if someone finds me like this!¡±

    Ye Qing stopped daydreaming and crossed his arms for a moment, thinking. Then, he began rifling through the hunter¡¯s pockets.

 Chapter 12: Unknown Danger

    <h4>Chapter 12: Unknown Danger</h4>

    ¡°That was thest one? Oh well. I suppose I¡¯ll just dig a hole then!¡±

    Ye Qing had found two bottles of spirit snake ointment, three silvers, and an unknown book that was wrapped in a strip of a calfskin from Fang Nianshui''s body. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to find what he was looking for.

    Ye Qing had been hoping to burn Fang Nianshui to ashes with a fire talisman. It would be the cleanest and most painless way to handle the body. Just leaving it in the wilderness wasn''t an option because there was a chance it might attract a Stranger. Worst case scenario, it would be a Stranger far beyond his ability to handle and one that was hell bent on hunting him down because why not? That was why he decided to bury the body. All he needed to was to dig a hole, dump the body inside, and cover it back up. With his strength, he could¡¯ve dug out the earth with his bare hands and still be done in a matter of minutes.

    Without further ado, Ye Qing grabbed Fang Nianshui¡¯s saber and dug a pit that was about six meters deep. He filled it up once he had dumped the body inside.

    A six-meter deep pit was deep enough that most people would not discover the body. Once a subterranean Stranger had consumed it maybe two dayster, no one would ever find out exactly what had happened to the man.

    ¡°Phew! It¡¯s done!¡± Ye Qing sighed in relief after finishing his dirty work and confirming that nothing was out of ce. He was just taking a small break when suddenly, a series of rapid footsteps came from the distance. He turned around just in time to see Lin Hu and a couple of watchmen running toward him. They came to a stop when they were about six meters away.

    ¡°Ye Qing?¡± Lin Hu asked warily.

    Ye Qing was watching Lin Hu¡¯s squad warily as well. Judging from their disheveled, wounded state, it was clear they had just fought a difficult battle. ¡°It¡¯s me, captain!¡±

    ¡°Did you encounter the human skin Strangers as well?¡± asked Lin Hu while ncing at the severed human skins on the ground.

    Ye Qing replied seriously, ¡°Yes. Boss Fang and I were doing the rounds when suddenly, we heard Uncle Ma screaming on top of his lungs¡­¡±

    Ye Qing proceeded to tell Lin Hu the first half of everything that had happened.

    Lin Hu¡¯s eyebrows were locked so tight they were practically inseparable. ¡°Speaking of which, where is Nianshui?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he kept his cool and exined, ¡°Boss Fang told me to stay here after we took out all the human skin Strangers. I think he found something, but he didn¡¯t want to bring me probably because he thought that I would only be a burden to him.¡±

    Lin Hu eximed in realization, ¡°Nianshui must have found the Strangers¡¯ true body. Even so, that is too reckless of him!¡±

    Lin Hu never suspected that Ye Qing was lying to him. In his opinion, there was just no reason for him to do such a thing.

    ¡°Did you and your squad fight against the human skin Strangers, captain?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Lin Hu let out a deep sigh. ¡°That¡¯s right. A lot of vigers have died and transformed into human skin Strangers today. I wonder what Stranger could possibly be behind this ughter¡­? Never mind. Ye Qing, you¡¯ll join my squad temporarily and assist us in taking out all the human skin Strangers still lurking around the vige. Otherwise, all our farmers would be in danger,¡± Lin Hu ordered.

    ¡°Yes, captain!¡±

    And so Ye Qing and Lin Hu¡¯s squad searched the farms thoroughly to hunt down every human skin Stranger they could find. Strangely though, they found nothing at all despite hours and hours of searching.

    ¡°Strange. There were a ton of human skin Strangers earlier. Where did they go? There''s no way we''ve chased them all away or killed them all, right?¡± A watchman voiced his puzzlement.

    Lin Hu was frowning as well. ¡°We mustn¡¯t let our guard down. These human skin Strangers are even more abnormal than the ones we usually encounter around the vige. I¡¯m willing to bet that none of them are its true body.¡±

    No one saw any reason to deny his sound logic.

    Suddenly, a close acquaintance of Fang Nianshui spoke up, ¡°By the way, we should have encountered Nianshui by now. He couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Although he did not finish his sentence, his meaning was as clear as day. The atmosphere turned darker in an instant. A long and painful silenceter, Lin Hu finally said, ¡°He may have gone back to the vige before us. We¡¯ll know once we¡¯ve finished our rounds. If he hasn¡¯t¡­ well, he should¡¯ve known what could happen when he chased after a Stranger all by himself.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all tired and eager to go home already, so let¡¯s end things here!¡±

    The squad stepped in front of Heavens¡¯ Eye after they returned to the vige. They entered only after the relic had confirmed that they weren''t Strangers.

    Lin Hu asked a watchman who was guarding the entrance, ¡°Has Fang Nianshuie home yet?¡±

    The watchman shook his head. ¡°No. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Lin Hu¡¯s eyes dimmed as he deflected the question, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Thanks for your hard work!¡±

    Despite what he said, Lin Hu knew full well that Fang Nianshui was probably dead. The others clearly shared his sentiment as well. For a while, the atmosphere was somber until Lin Hu rubbed his aching forehead and said wearily, ¡°Alright, enough. You¡¯ve all worked hard for the entire day, so go catch some rest already. The threat is still out there somewhere. The vige will need you at full strength when tomorrowes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, captain. You should catch some rest as well, captain. It would be bad if you overexert yourself!¡± A few watchmen responded before taking their leave one after another.

    Ye Qing was about to do the same when suddenly, Lin Hu called out to him, ¡°Wait, Ye Qing! I need to speak to you about something!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but again he did not allow his trepidation to show on his face. He asked, ¡°What is it, captain?¡±

    ¡°Since Nianshui hasn¡¯te home yet, there¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯s¡­ no longer with us. If he doesn¡¯t show up by tomorrow, then I want you to join Tian Hong¡¯s squad instead,¡± Lin Hu instructed sorrowfully and regretfully.

    Fang Nianshui wasn''t just a warrior who had reached the adept level of the Body Tempering stage in his thirties, he had begun to invoke true qi as well. Out of everyone in the younger generation, he was easily the one with the highest chance to enter the Qi Invocation stage. How could Lin Hu feel nothing when it was all but confirmed that August Hill Vige had lost one of their brightest stars?

    It was then Ye Qing surprised him by saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, captain. I think I can handle a simple patrol on my own.¡±

    The captain temporarily forgot his sorrow and frowned. ¡°You what? Uneptable! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, captain. I¡¯ve already reached the journeyman level of the Body Tempering stage. I think I can handle this.¡±

    ¡°You what?¡± Lin Hu repeated himself like a parrot, ¡°But I thought you¡¯ve only started tempering your body two days ago! How did you grow so quickly?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose as if embarrassed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯m a born-genius?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Lin Hu looked like he was considering Ye Qing¡¯s proposal seriously. ¡°Even so, it¡¯s too dangerous especially since the human skin Strangers are on the prowl¡­¡±

    He did not ask how Ye Qing had managed to reach the journeyman level of the Body Tempering stage so quickly. Everyone carried their own secrets, and to dig too deeply was to provoke even the most amiable soul into conflict.

    Ye Qing assured the captain with a confident smile, ¡°You really don¡¯t have to worry about me, captain. Nothing should be able to surprise me as long as I keep my eyes open, and aren¡¯t we short-staffed right now? If I don¡¯t do Boss Fang¡¯s job, it¡¯ll be even more dangerous for our farmers.¡±

    Lin Hu opened his mouth as if he wanted to argue, but in the end he could only let out a tired sigh. It was true that the watchmen were sorely under-staffed right now. So many Strangers had attacked them in recent times that it was a miracle that they were still functioning. If he were to send Ye Qing to another squad, Fang Nianshui¡¯s responsibilities would only fall on another squad¡¯s shoulders, which would increase their burden and the dangers they might face. One could say that Ye Qing had hit the nail on the head.

    In the end, Lin Hu had no choice but to agree. ¡°Very well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for agreeing to this, captain,¡± Ye Qing replied respectfully. He knew Lin Hu would agree not only because the watchmen really was that short-staffed, but also because he had revealed himself to be a journeyman Reforged. While he wasn¡¯t the strongestbatant among the watchmen, he certainly wasn¡¯t the weakest either. He was just strong enough that he could be trusted to carry out a patrol by himself.

    There were two reasons why Ye Qing wanted this. One, he wanted to make damn sure that this was the first andst time Chen Zheng sent an assassin to be his rade¡±. Two, he didn¡¯t want anyone else discovering his secret like Fang Nianshui. Despite his best efforts, the hunter had managed to identify some inconsistencies in his actions and conclude that he carried something exceedingly valuable. All things considered, the best way he could keep his secret was to operate alone.

    As for his questionable rise to ¡°journeyman Reforged¡± in just the short span of ¡°two days¡±, he wasn¡¯t worried that Chen Zheng would suspect anything. As proven by Lin Hu¡¯s somewhat lukewarm reaction, it wasn¡¯t that unusual for a talented warrior to reach that level in a short time. Worst case scenario, Chen Zheng would be a little more wary of him, but that was it. There was just no reason for him to throw all caution to the wind and attack him with everything he got, damn the consequences.

    It was due to this consideration that Ye Qing dared to reveal just a hint of his true strength.

    ¡°I¡¯ll speak with Granny Xia about this. Tomorrow, you can visit her and collect some talismans from her. If you run into any danger during your patrol, do not try to handle it yourself. Launch the emergency signal and request for reinforcements immediately,¡± Lin Hu instructed.

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I will.¡±

    Granny Xia wasn¡¯t just one of the three esteemed martial artists in August Hill Vige, she was also a talisman maker. Every single talisman circting within the vige had been created by her. Of course, it took an enormous amount of materials and mental energy to create them, so only those who were squad leaders or higher were allowed to receive them. Not only that, they could only receive a very limited number of talismans.

    The fact that Lin Hu had given Ye Qing permission to get them meant that he was now a squad leader in power, even if not in name.

    "If there is nothing else, I shall be taking my leave. I wish you a good evening, captain,¡± Ye Qing saluted Lin Hu before walking away.

    ¡­¡­

    Outside the vige, a chilly wind mixed with something dark and unspeakable blew across the fields. The Wind Children dancing in the wind were gone all of a sudden, and the few Strangers roaming the outskirts had disappeared without a trace as well. It was as if they had sensed some grave danger and decided to flee. All that was left on the empty fields were deathly silence.

    <i>Rustle rustle.</i>

    Suddenly, what sounded like tree leaves brushing against one another or someone rubbing sand between their fingers broke the silence. The next moment, a fresh patch of soil on the ground started swelling unnaturally as if something was trying to break out. Then, a withered hand abruptly burst out of it before pushing away the soil. It wasn¡¯t long before the arm, the torso, and finally the whole body had crawled out of the earth.

    If Ye Qing was here, he would have recognized the man instantly as none other than the man he had killed, Fang Nianshui.

    Something was off with Fang Nianshui, however. Excluding the fact that he had literally crawled out of the earth despite being very dead, his expression was perfectly nk as if he did not have a mind of his own. Suddenly, a crack appeared on his forehead, and it grew wider and wider until his skin waspletely peeled from his flesh. Then, as if receiving some sort of signal, it trembled a little before breaking into a run toward August Hill Vige.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one. Many, many more human skins had risen from the fields and were running toward August Hill Vige as well. From a distance, they looked just like a ck swarm of death.

    ¡­¡­

    The first thing Ye Qing did after returning to his house was to cook himself a quick meal and warm up some buns. Once he was satisfactorily full, he immediately threw himself into cultivation once more. It was evening by the time he finally finished refining Fang Nianshui¡¯s blood.

    Ye Qing muttered with a frown after he was done, ¡°I think it''s time I enter the Qi Invocation stage.¡±

    His body was extremely powerful thanks to an overwhelming amount of vigor and a ridiculously solid foundation, but although he was still growing in power, his progress had clearly slowed down to a snail¡¯s pace. If he continued to cultivate this way, it would cost him an exorbitant amount of time and resources just to further his power by a sliver. That was why he should start considering entering the next level of cultivation, also known as the Qi Invocation stage. Only then could he defeat Chen Zheng and truly be free from his shadow.

 Chapter 13: Mental Art of The Toad

    <h4>Chapter 13: Mental Art of The Toad</h4>

    ¡°But what do I do, exactly?¡±

    Ye Qing wanted to pick Lin Hu¡¯s brain, but he was afraid that it would draw suspicion. In the end, he sighed and looked down at the vellum tucked underneath his shirt.

    ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll have to ask the Annon Sutra¡­¡±

    In fact, Ye Qing¡¯s feelings toward the Annon Sutra was something of a mixture between deep respect and outright dread. If he had a choice, he would¡¯ve minimized his interactions with the Annon Sutra as much as possible. Unfortunately, reality did not care much for his personal preferences.

    And so Ye Qing spread the vellum across his table once more and cut open his finger. After pouring a few drops of blood on its surface, he asked out loud, ¡°How can I invoke qi?¡±

    The Annon Sutra did not answer immediately. It wasn¡¯t until he had poured more than a bowl¡¯s worth of blood that it finally manifested a response:

    <i>¡°How can I invoke qi?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I¡¯ve hit a wall after bing an adept Reforged. The only way I might advance further and ovee my impending doom is to enter the Qi Invocation stage.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°But before I can even think of invoking qi, I should search for a Qi Invocation mental art first. It may contain what I¡¯m looking for.¡±</i>

    The bloody text vanished as soon as thest sentence was manifested. No one but Ye Qing knew it was ever there.

    ¡°A Qi Invocation mental art?¡± muttered Ye Qing with a heavy frown. The Annon Sutra had made it crystal clear that obtaining a Qi Invocation mental art was a must if he wished to continue any further. The problem was: how?

    He had no doubt that Lin Hu and Granny Xia had what he sought for¡ªthey werete-stage Qi Invokers after all¡ªbut to ask them about it would be to expose his secret and put himself in grave danger. Anyone can be bought for the right price, and the value of his secrets were worthpromising an integrity or two to put it mildly. But if the obvious solution wasn¡¯t avable to him, what else could he do to obtain a Qi Invocation mental art? Steal it? There was no way it would work. Take it by force? Only if he had a death wish!

    ¡°This is such a pain in the ass!¡± Ye Qing groaned while scratching his head in irritation.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing spotted a rectangr object wrapped in a strip of calfskin on his table. It took him a few seconds to recall that it was a book Fang Nianshui was carrying. He hadn¡¯t checked out its contents before because an open field littered with human skins and a dead body was hardly the ideal reading environment, and he still wasn¡¯t in the mood to¡ª<i>wait.</i> His eyes suddenly lit up. If he remembered correctly, Fang Niansui had already started invoking qi to enter the Qi Invocation stage, and to do that he would first need a Qi Invocation mental art. Could this book be what he was looking for?

    <i>It¡¯s definitely possible!</i>

    Ye Qing immediately grabbed the book and tore away its wrappings. The cover page of the book read: ¡°The Mental Art of The Toad¡±.

    ¡°¡®The Mental Art of the Toad¡¯? What a peculiar name!¡± eximed Ye Qing curiously. He proceeded to flip open the book and poured through its contents.

    Half an incense stickter, Ye Qing closed the book temporarily to rein in his excitement and delight. It was as he suspected. The book really was a Qi Invocation mental arts manual.

    The so-called Qi Invocation stage was the stage where a warrior invoked internal energy and true qi into their dantian and umted them. Qi was the energy behind the life, aging, sickness, death, growth, decline, and longevity of a human being. It was taken from the essence of all things and stored within one¡¯s flesh and blood, but the qi a human was born with was turbid qi. It was why an ordinary human needed to breathe constantly to live, and they could only hold just enough qi to maintain their vitality.

    True qi was natural, quintessential qi. To ¡°invoke qi¡± was to expel the muddy qi in one¡¯s body and ept clean, natural qi into one¡¯s dantian, and to do so continuously and without loss through a special breathing method. This would open up the blood vessels, invigorate the channels, and nourish the body and the internal organs; all good things that would lead to an increase in power and lifespan.

    In addition, true qi was considered to be the essence of the world. It was intangible, insubstantial, and possessed of limitless potential. Greater gross and fine motor control was just the beginning for a warrior who had invoked true qi. It could be applied in countless ways such as merging it with one¡¯s vigor to increase strength, imbuing it in one¡¯s limbs so that even the weakest attacks could produce thunderous results, covering oneself in it to be ridiculously resilient, applying it to a de to grant it unparalleled sharpness, so on and so on.

    This was why a Qi Invoker was fundamentally stronger than a Reforged. A single wisp of true qi was enough to make a world of difference.

    The first step to invoke qi was to breathe in a special way that would allow the warrior to gather true qi inside their dantian, and the ¡°Mental Art of The Toad¡± was exactly that, a cultivation manual on how to imitate the breathing of a toad and use it to store true qi inside one¡¯s dantian. The breathing method even had the positive side effect of vibrating one¡¯s vigor, muscles and bones through deep breaths and croaks, leading to a minor improvement in one¡¯s constitution..

    In addition, practitioners of the ¡°Mental Art of The Toad¡± could form something called a ¡°Toad Force¡± in their body once they had cultivated the mental art to a certain degree. The Toad Force was a structured application of true qi where the practitioner mobilized their vigor, muscles, bones and internal energy into perfect harmony through breathing to unleash a devastating amount of power in an explosive instant.

    ¡°Not bad,¡±mented Ye Qing as he continued to flip through the pages with a glimmer in his eyes. ording to the opening chapter of the manual, most Qi Invocation mental arts taught incredibly slow and basic methods to invoke true qi. A good Qi Invocation mental art was one that not only drastically shortened the time necessary for a practitioner to invoke true qi, but also taught them various ways to weave said qi into powerful spells and techniques.

    In this sense, the ¡°Mental Art of The Toad¡± was clearly an above average Qi Invocation mental art. There might be many Qi Invocation mental arts out there that surpassed it, but it definitely wasn¡¯t bad.

    ¡°Well then. Without further ado¡­¡± Ye Qing licked his lips and began imitating the pose that was illustrated in the manual. He bent down until his inner thighs were touching the floor, and his calves were facing outward. His hands were also touching the floor. It was the pose of a toad sitting on the floor.

    Next, Ye Qing began to breathe just like it was taught in the ¡°Mental Arts of The Toad¡±. First, he opened his mouth slightly and exhaled all the air in his lungs and stomach. Then, he inhaled until his stomach looked slightly swollen. A soft <i>croak </i>abruptly sounded from inside his body, and a shockwave washed out of him and kicked up his clothes a little. At the same time, a wisp of ephemeral qi slipped into his dantian.

    <i>¡°You breathe</i>

    <i>Clean qi into your chest</i>

    <i>And know</i>

    <i>That the essence of the world now lies within you.¡±</i>

    ¡°This¡­ is true qi?!¡±

    Ye Qing felt like his body had undergone some sort of fundamental change; like he was a blind man who was seeing the world for the first time. It was a most profound sensation.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Extremely excited, but not so excited that he would dy his cultivation to just bask in the sensations, Ye Qing quickly closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation. The toad croaks would not stop until a long, long timeter.

    ¡­¡­

    The next day, when the first ray of dawn shone through the windows, Ye Qing opened his eyes to reveal a clear, bright glint that wasn¡¯t there before. It was as dazzling as the stars themselves.

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    A powerful croak sounded from within his body, kicking up dust and throwing wind everywhere. Ye Qing then rose to his feet and nodded in satisfaction.

    It had taken him just one night to thoroughly grasp the ¡°Mental Art of The Toad¡± and invoke true qi into his body. Although the size of the true qi in his dantian was quite limited as a matter of course, he was definitely a Qi Invoker now. His power would grow so long as he continued to cultivate the ¡°Mental Art of The Toad¡±.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to go make my rounds.¡±

    Ye Qing changed into a new set of clothes and grabbed his long saber. Then, he took off for Granny Xia¡¯s house. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that he was now entitled to receive some talismans!

    Upon reaching his destination, Ye Qing knocked on the door and heard an aged voice responding, ¡°Is that you, Ye Qing? Come in!¡±

    Ye Qing stepped in and saw Granny Xia sitting in front of a table and enjoying some tea. When she saw him, she shot him a wrinkled, grandmotherly smile and said, ¡°You¡¯ve done well to reach the journeyman level of the Body Tempering stage in such a short time. There was a moment where I thought Huhu was joking when he told me yesterday, hoho!¡±

    ¡°Huhu?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s mouth twitched with amusement. Granny Xia might be the only person in the entire August Hill Vige who could say that to Lin Hu¡¯s face and not earn a smack to the head. He saluted her before replying humbly, ¡°You tter me, Granny Xia, but thank you for the praise!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also d to see that the power hasn¡¯t gone to your head. Keep up the good work!¡± Granny Xia smiled. ¡°You¡¯re here to receive your talismans, right? I have them here.¡±

    She handed him three talismans in total and exined them one by one, ¡°The first one¡¯s a fire talisman, the second one¡¯s an edge talisman, and the third one¡¯s a message talisman. You know how they work, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The captain has already exined everything to me!¡± replied Ye Qing affirmatively while tucking the talismans under his shirt. The fire talisman could create a massive curtain of mes that was pretty deadly against many Strangers, the edge talisman could improve the sharpness of a weapon and was useful when going up against a particrly tough Stranger, and the contact talisman was exactly what it sounded like: a tool to contact others and summon reinforcements.

    ¡°Haha, good.¡± Granny Xia let out a chuckle before advising, ¡°Watch yourself when you¡¯re out there, okay? Nothing is more important than your own life.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted her again. ¡°I will, Granny Xia. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be heading out now.¡±

    The old woman waved her assent. ¡°Off you go. When you have time, do visit this old woman and keep herpany, will you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Ye Qing shot her onest smile before taking his leave.

    After he was gone, Granny Xia¡¯s clouded eyes shone just a little brighter. ¡°Strange. I feel like there¡¯s something off with his body, but it¡¯s masked by some sort of power? How strange!¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting an interruption as he made his way toward the vige entrance, but he ran into Chen Zheng by ¡°ident¡± right as he was about to step out.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re a journeyman Reforged, Ye Qing?¡± the martial artist asked with a meaningful look on his face.

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows and grinned. ¡°Yeah. What business do you have with me, Chen Zheng?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t. You¡¯re under Lin Hu¡¯s protection right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chen Zheng sneered. ¡°That said, no matter how high an ant climbs, it will always be an ant that I can crush to death with a single finger. So don¡¯t get any stupid ideas, okay?¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged his shoulders before responding in a careless tone, ¡°You can certainly try. Say, do I get a prize if I manage to force you to use two fingers instead of one?¡±

    Chen Zheng snorted in disdain. ¡°That¡¯s all you got, your mouth.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else? No? Then I have work to do,¡± Ye Qing replied with a perfunctory smile before stepping around Chen Zheng. He wasn¡¯t at the point where he could take the fight to the martial artist yet, so he wasn¡¯t going to provoke him into a rage.

    Chen Zheng¡¯s face iced over as he red daggers at Ye Qing¡¯s departing back. ¡°Fang Nianshui, you useless bastard. How did you manage to off yourself before youplete the simple task I gave you?¡±

    ¡°Screw it. So what if the ant gets to live a couple days longer? In the end, it¡¯s still going to die!¡±

    Chen Zheng wasn¡¯t worth any space in his frontal lobe, so Ye Qing forgot about him as soon as his feet had passed through the gates. And good thing he did, because he was immediately assaulted by a cold, oppressive pressure that came from seemingly everywhere. He frowned and kicked up his alertness another notch.

    Just like before, Ye Qing began his expedition starting from the small path between two fields. He kept a hand the hilt of his saber at all times as he scanned his surroundings. He could see multiple traces of battle from yesterday.

    <i>Rustle rustle¡­</i>

    A sudden rustle caused him toser into a nearby bush and unsheathe his saber immediately. He waited to see if something would jump out at him, but nothing happened after he waited a good ten seconds, then another ten. He was just thinking that it was a false rm and prepared to leave when suddenly, it rustled again.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this bush?¡± Ye Qing frowned a little before making the bold decision to part it with his saber and check what was inside. Unfortunately, it was a mistake. He had just pushed half of the grass away when suddenly, he heard a crisp, melodious chime that stopped his movement and made him feel very, very faint all of a sudden. Before he knew it, he cked out.

 Chapter 14: Human Face Grass

    <h4>Chapter 14: Human Face Grass</h4>

    He wasn¡¯t out for long. Just a single breathter, Ye Qing opened his eyes again and saw an orange me flickering in front of him. It looked fairly simr to a candle me.

    Surprised but still keeping his wits about him, Ye Qing immediately pulled back from the me. He couldn¡¯t feel any danger from it, but why risk being wrong when he could be safe instead?

    Too bad for him, the game was rigged from the start.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The second he made a move, the me exploded and filled his vision with bright orange. It hit him squarely in the face before he could even shut his eyes and yell, ¡°Shit!¡± But to his surprise, he didn¡¯t feel any pain whatsoever. In fact, the me¡¯s temperature was lukewarm at best despite its deadly appearance.

    When Ye Qing calmed down and looked back at the bush, he saw a pair of oddly-shaped grasses creeping deeper into the bushes as if they had legs. One of them had a stem covered in bell-shaped flowers that chimed melodiously with every movement. The other one carriedntern-shaped fruits with orange-colored mes. The way the lights partially passed through the fruits¡¯ flesh made them look just like litnterns.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Chime Blossom and Lantern Grass¡­¡±

    The two Strangers were already gone by the time he finally understood what happened.

    ¡°Unlucky. They pranked me!¡±

    The grass with the bell-like flowers was called the Chime Blossom. Its flowers weren¡¯t just shaped like bells, they also rang like one. Anyone who listened to its chime would lose their consciousness for an extremely short period of time. The other grass was called the Lantern Grass. Its fruits were shaped likenterns, and each fruit carried a flickering me that shone brighter during the night. It could be used as a means of illumination.

    Both the Chime Blossom and the Lantern Grass were Mundane-ss Strangers. They were generally harmless save for their prankster tendencies. The Chime Blossom would stun their victim for a short period of time, and the Lantern Grass would seize the opportunity to spit fire on their face. While the me was perfectly harmless, it contained a kind of ck powder that dyed the victim¡¯s face pitch ck. It also gave off a burnt, sooty smell that made it seem as if the victim really had been scorched by fire.

    Ye Qing could see from the reflection of his de that his face was, as expected, as ck as the bottom of a frying pan. His bangs were dried, curled up, and giving off a burnt smell as well.

    ¡°Hmph! One day, I¡¯ll catch you both and pluck all your bells andnterns,¡± Ye Qing swore in the direction of the escaped Strangers, but he was really more amused than he was angry. He would take a pair of pranksters over a group of bloodthirsty human skins any day.

    Ye Qing immediately took a detour to the nearest creek after the encounter. It was to wash off the powder, of course. Although the Lantern Grass¡¯ powder was just as harmless as its me, it was sticky, smelly, and more importantly, an absolute blight against his handsome appearance. Thest thing he wanted to happen was for someone to see him like this.

    After arriving at the creek, Ye Qing stood there and observed his surroundings for a moment just in case there were any hidden danger. When he could find any, he rxed and started washing his face by the creekside.

    However, danger often showed up when one least expected it. A ripple broke out as what looked like a human face suddenly appeared at the bottom of the creek. As it slowly rose to the surface, its features wriggled until it had transformed into a massive, pitch ck maw. It then attempted to take a bite out of Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Ye Qing immediately swung his saber and was able to cut the massive maw in half. He then took two steps away from the creek and red daggers at the thing that just tried to eat him.

    As it turned out, the massive maw he just split in half wasn¡¯t a maw at all. In fact, it wasn¡¯t even flesh and blood. It was an incredible amount of water grass joining together and forming the shape of a giant maw.

    ¡°Humanface Grass, a Red-ss Stranger!¡± Ye Qing recognized the Stranger right away.

    <i>Whistle whistle whistle!</i>

    It was at this moment the Humanface Grass abruptly burst out of the water andunched its de-like grass at Ye Qing like spears. However, Ye Qing remained calm and cut them all with a long, powerful sweep. He then rushed forward and attempted to sever all the grass on the surface of the creek.

    The Humanface Grass wriggled and knitted themselves into a shield just in time before Ye Qing¡¯s sabernded. When it hit, he frowned because he felt like he was cutting into a massive ball of cotton. Forget splitting it in half like he did earlier, he only managed to cut a few des of grass before the attack waspletely spent.

    <i>It¡¯s tough. As expected of a Red-ss Stranger! </i>Ye Qing hadn¡¯t used his full strength during the attack, but he was still far stronger than most newbie Qi Invokers. Despite this, his attack had barely done any damage to it.

    Not daring to treat the Humanface Grass lightly, Ye Qing tried to pull back only to find more grass shooting out of the water and catching his de in a firm bind. Not only that, they quickly slithered up his arm and pulled him toward the creek before he could react.

    The Stranger was stronger than Ye Qing expected, but he quickly caught himself and just allowed the Humanface Grass to pull him for a good couple seconds. No matter how hard it tried, Ye Qing remained rooted in ce as if he was a mountain and not a man.

    ¡°You want to y tug of war? I <i>love </i>ying tug of war!¡±

    Ye Qing wore an evil smile on his face as he abruptly unleashed all the power that was stored within his blood. There was a series of pops and cracks that sounded like a full muscr breakdown before Ye Qing grabbed the grass entangled around his right arm, and pulled.

    A gigantic ball of water grass burst out of the creek just like that.

    The water grasses writhed, squirmed and swung all over the ce like green snakes. At first nce, it looked absolutely terrifying. However, a closer look would reveal that every de of grass was connected to a clump of roots located at the center of its mass. There was also a human face on the roots that looked like it was looking down on all living beings with utter apathy and cruelty.

    This was why it was called the ¡°Humanface Grass¡±. It was also its biggest weakness. Destroy the roots, and the Stranger would die immediately. To try anything else would just be a waste of time and energy.

    The roots werepletely exposed after it was dragged to the surface, and the Humanface Grass seemed to be aware of that fact. For a second, the skyful of grass writhed madly before shooting toward Ye Qing and entangling him into a mummy in just the blink of an eye. Once done, they started pulling him toward the human face. As they did so, the face on the roots slowly morphed into a big maw with rows and rows of sharp teeth in it.

    ¡°Croak¡ª¡±

    Just when Ye Qing was less than a meter away from the maw, a loud croak abruptly sounded from within the tangle of water grass. It visibly swelled up for a second, shrank, then straight up exploded into a million pieces. As soon as Ye Qing was free, onest croak sounded from his abdomen before he shed at the human-faced roots right in front of him. At the same time, a tiger¡¯s roar filled with brutality and bloodthirst resounded across the creek.

    The attack was as fast as a phantom and as poignant as frost. The Humanface Grass never even reacted until it was toote.

    Slowly, the human-faced roots that had transformed into a giant maw split in half from the center. The iling water grasses had also frozen like someone had paused their very existence.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The next moment, the human-faced roots exploded into smithereens. The water grasses also fell to the ground and started withering at an unbelievable rate. As the grasses werepletely reliant on the human-faced roots for sustenance and vitality, they were unable to continue existing without it.

    ¡°I knew thatbining the Toad Force and the Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber would result in something explosive!¡± Ye Qing stared at the floor of Stranger remains with a wide grin on his face.

    The saber style he just used was none other than the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±, but the force behind the attack was abination of his natural strength and the Toad Force. Not only did itpletely sever the human-faced roots in half, the energy of the Toad Force had seeped into its core and overwhelmed it. That was why it had exploded into smithereens. It showed just how powerful the Toad Force was.

    Moreover, his Toad Force was only in the initiate level right now. It could be even more powerful when the size of his true qi was bigger.

    On a side note, he knew how to use the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡± because he had spent some time learning it yesterday. The saber art was neither difficult norplex. All it asked was that its practitioner execute its techniques with ferocity and brutality. There was literally nothing else about it that was worth mentioning besides that.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m strong enough to take out a Humanface Grass alone, I should be on the same level as the average Qi Invoker now!¡±

    The Humanface Grass was ssified as a Red-ss Stranger, meaning that it was on the same power level as a Qi Invoker. Although it was among the weakest Red-ss Strangers out there, the fact that he could kill it with ease should mean that an average Qi Invoker was no longer a match for him.

    ¡°Heh. If this is the result after just one night of cultivation, it¡¯s just a matter of time before I catch up to Chen Zheng!¡±

    <i>Ring ring ring¡­</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing heard a familiar chime. When he looked, he saw none other than the Chime Blossom and Lantern Grass who had pranked him earlier peeping out from behind some trees. When they saw that he was looking at him, they immediately escaped into the woods as if startled.

    ¡°Am I really that scary?¡± Ye Qing asked no one in particr while rubbing his nose. It was then he realized something and eximed in shock, ¡°No way¡­ could it be?¡±

    It just urred to Ye Qing that perhaps the Chime Blossom and Lantern Grass had run away not just because he had just annihted the Humanface Grass, but also because they were in cahoots with it!

    The n was very simple. First, the Chime Blossom and Lantern Grass pranked him so he would be forced to wash his face at a nearby stream. Then, the Humanface Grassy in wait at the bottom of the stream and ambushed him as soon as he began washing his face.

    The Humanface Grass was a nt Stranger who devoured flesh-and-blood beings to be stronger and evolve. That was why the Chime Blossom and the Lantern Grass had sought out its protection. The two Mundane-ss Strangers were almost useless inbat, so the only way they might survive in this harsh world was to seek out the protection of a powerful Stranger.

    The more Ye Qing thought about it, the more he was sure he was right. Fang Nianshui had mentioned that there were intelligent Strangers out there who were no different from humans in terms of their ability to think, perceive gains and losses, and weigh pros and cons. Some of them could even assume a human form, slip into a human city, and live among the humans.

    Ye Qing had taken Fang Nianshui¡¯s words with a grain of salt at the time, but now, he knew that the hunter was right.

    <i>I¡¯ll have to be much more careful in the future. This battle would¡¯ve killed me if I hadn''t entered the Qi Invocation stage and learned the Toad Force yesterday. </i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing spat on the ground and chuckled bitterly to himself. ¡°Motherfucker, I almost got yed by a bunch of grasses, haven¡¯t I? How embarrassing¡­¡±

    With that harrowing but ultimately harmless interlude behind him, Ye Qing took a short break before resuming his patrol once more. The next couple hours passed quickly in idyllic peace and boredom. This actually disappointed Ye Qing as he had been looking forward to killing some Strangers and umting more dragon-serpent runes. At this rate, his battle against the Humanface Grass was going to be the one and only highlight of the day.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    It was around evening time, and Ye Qing was ready to head back to the vige when suddenly, he heard and saw a red firework erupting in the sky.

    ¡°Someone used their contact talisman! What happened?¡±

    Due to how precious talismans were, most watchmen refrained from using them unless absolutely necessary. For someone to use a contact talisman could only mean that their lives were in grave danger, and they needed help as soon as possible. Ye Qing did not hesitate to sprint in the direction of the fireworks.

 Chapter 15: The Calm Before The Storm

    <h4>Chapter 15: The Calm Before The Storm</h4>

    <i>ng! ng! Thud!</i>

    Ye Qing had just arrived at the scene when he saw three watchmen doing battle against a massive group of human skin Strangers, although to call it a ¡°battle¡± might be giving the watchmen a little too much credit. They were desperately trying to not die while ten human skin Strangers at minimum attacked them from all sides. Not far away from their feet, a couple of bloody, obviously skinned corpsesy lifelessly on the ground.

    Individually, the human skin Stranger wasn¡¯t a great threat. One hit was all it took to destroy the frail skin it possessed. However, they fought with no regard for self-preservation, and their attacks were as strong as an adept Reforged¡¯s. A single hit from these creatures could injure or even kill a watchman outright. That was why the three watchmen were already tethering on the brink of annihtion by the time Ye Qing finally reached them.

    As soon as Ye Qing had found his target, he immediately crouched low and sprinted toward the human skin Strangers like the wind. However, he kept silent so as to maximize the advantage of surprise and to avoid being swarmed himself. Once he had gotten close, he swung his long saber like he would split a river in half and bisected three human skin Strangers in one swing. He shed again to shatter all the ck qi escaping from the destroyed skin.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing took a moment to adjust his footing before changing his saber style from heavy to light. He transformed from a powerful storm that could snap even the thickest tree trunk to a light drizzle that could reach even the narrowest cracks. Nimble, quick, and precise, he easily beheaded another two human skin Strangers and sent their heads flying across the air.

    Ye Qing could¡¯ve killed more, but that would be too much for a mere ¡°journeyman Reforged¡±. So, he pulled back and pretended that he had run out of strength. It was all he needed to do anyway. The death of five human skin Strangers had dramatically lessened the pressure on the three watchmen and allowed them tounch a decisive counterattack. It wasn¡¯t long before all the enemies were eliminated.

    ¡°Phew¡­ you could not havee at a better time, Ye Qing. We¡¯d have all died if you were just a little slower! Thank you!¡± A watchman thanked Ye Qing after the crisis was over. He was Ma Shiyuan, a squad leader.

    After taking a couple more seconds to catch his breath, Ma Shiyuan added, ¡°And I can hardly believe how much you¡¯ve grown when you¡¯ve just joined the watchmen for a couple of days. I¡¯m starting to think that we¡¯ve all chosen the wrong calling here!¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Uncle Ma. I¡¯m sure you could¡¯ve done the same if you were in my position, not to mention that the Strangers werepletely focused on you and your men,¡± Ye Qing replied modestly before changing the subject, ¡°So, what on earth happened here, Uncle Ma?¡±

    Ma Shiyuan¡¯s expression turned severe as he turned to look at the three dead bodies just a short distance away from them. He said slowly, ¡°You rushed over because of the contact talisman, didn¡¯t you? Well, we were the same, except that Old Wei and his men were already dead by the time we showed up. Then, these human skin Strangers appeared out of nowhere and surrounded us.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand where these creepy things areing from. We turned the whole ce upside down yesterday and found nothing, so how?¡± Another watchman cursed.

    It was at this moment more watchmen showed up and asked what happened. By the time Ma Shiyuan was done with his ount, everyone was staring at the bodies and human skins on the ground with grim expressions.

    ¡°This cannot continue. The captain will want to hear about this as soon as possible!¡±

    Everyone agreed that the wisest course of action would be to head back to the vige and inform the captain of this incident, so they did. After listening to the full story and realizing the severity of the situation, Lin Hu agreed to organize a thorough search of the vige outskirts first thing in the morning.

    The watchmen¡¯s efforts would prove to be futile, however. Despite scouring the fields and searching every nook and cranny for the entire day, they would not find even a hint of the human skin Strangers. They had vanished so thoroughly it was as if they had evaporated into thin air. It wasn¡¯t until two dayster¡ªwhen everyone thought that the human skin Strangers had truly been repelled and slowly rxed their guard¡ªthat they reappeared and ambushed multiple squads at the same time, sessfully killing a handful of watchmen. Since then, the human skin Strangers would attack the watchmen almost every day.

    At first, the human skin Strangers often attacked multiple watchmen squads at the same time, but no one died because they were expecting it, and its weakness was well known. Unfortunately, it got smarter. Just a few dayster, they started throwing all of their forces on a single squad, and they retreated immediately after they had dealt a sessful blow. As a result, the watchmen started ruing massive casualties in just a short time.

    As if this wasn¡¯t bad enough, they still didn¡¯t know where the human skin Strangers wereing from or how they could end its threat once and for all. It wasn¡¯t long before a dark cloud was cast over everyone in the vige.

    ¡°What the bloody hell are those human skin Strangers? I must have killed at least fifty of them at this point, but still they didn¡¯t give me a single dragon-serpent rune.¡±

    Ye Qing had juste back from another grueling patrol. He was currently lying on his bed and frowning at the sparse number of dragon-serpent runes on the Annon Sutra. The fact that he hadn¡¯t gained any runes from the human skin Strangers despite killing dozens of them could only mean that they weren¡¯t the true body. Specifically, he believed that the human skin Strangers were some sort of doppelganger or puppets-on-strings that were being controlled by a hidden Stranger. So long as the hidden Stranger was still alive, the human skin Strangers were endless, and he wasn¡¯t going to gain dragon-serpent rune.

    Ye Qing¡¯s mood soured even more. Assuming he was right, he could only imagine how powerful this hidden Stranger was.

    ¡°I need to cultivate faster, but¡­ the gray dragon-serpent runes just aren¡¯t doing it for me anymore,¡± Ye Qing murmured while staring at three gray dragon-serpent runes on the Annon Sutra.

    Ye Qing had been rushing to save himself since the very day he awoke in this world, but that sense of impending doom felt especially clear these days. It was why he made sure to refine two dragon-serpent runes every night, and why he was down to the three runes he had gained from killing the Humanface Grass.

    Unfortunately, his hard work had only yielded subpar results so far. Maybe it was because the gray dragon-serpent rune only provided strength and vigor, but his true qi had barely increased despite everything he used. He was still stuck in the early-stage of the Qi Invocation stage.

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time to consult the Annon Sutra yet again¡­¡± Ye Qing sighed. He tried not to rely on the vellum too much, but there was no denying that it was a million times more reliable than the heavens. One rarely answered his prayers at the best of times, while the other would answer any question he asked as long as he gave it enough blood.

    ¡°How can I swiftly grow my reservoir of true qi?¡± Ye Qing asked while cutting open his finger and pouring his blood on the Annon Sutra again. This time, it absorbed two bowls¡¯ worth of blood before it finally gave its answer:

    <i>¡°I had almost exhausted all of my gray dragon-serpent runes, but my true qi has barely grown at all. What should I do?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Danger ising. If I cannot increase my power significantly before it¡¯s toote, I may not live to see theing dawn. However, I do not have a medicine or a spirit nt that can swiftly increase my true qi. I¡¯m not lucky enough to run into a fairy tale expert who would surrender all of their hard-gotten power to me either. Can I really do nothing but wait to die?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°No, I remember that there are two silver dragon-serpent runes left on the Annon Sutra. Perhaps they may give me a pleasant surprise.¡±</i>

    ¡°Oh right, the silver dragon-serpent runes! I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think about them!¡± Ye Qing abruptly mmed the table with his hands while staring at the two shiny runes on the vellum with shiny eyes.

    He had, in fact, thought about the silver dragon-serpent runes from time to time. He just overlooked them by ident because he was so used to filtering them out of his usual options.

    ¡°Seriously though, this piece of vellum is getting cheekier and cheekier. I¡¯m not lucky enough to run into a fairy tale expert who would surrender all of their hard-gotten power to me? You couldn¡¯t be any less subtle if you tried!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes before sucking in a deep breath. Then, he pressed a finger on a silver dragon-serpent rune. It immediately slipped into his body with a silver sh.

    Unlike the gray dragon-serpent rune, its silver counterpart did not release its contents immediately upon entering his body. It went into his dantian first before¡ª

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡ªexploding into a tidal wave of energy. It felt like a storm was happening inside his dantian.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and delight when he sensed what energy it was. ¡°This is¡­ origin qi! Incredibly pure origin qi!¡±

    He would¡¯ve celebrated more, but the origin qi started leaking out of his dantian and fading into the background almost immediately.

    ¡°Oh shit! I need to refine it before it¡¯s all gone!¡±

    Clearly, the pure origin qi did not count as his even though they had been released inside his dantian. They would disappear eventually if he did not refine and absorb them in time.

    The dragon-serpent runes might have given a shortcut, but it was still up to him to make the best of it. Without further ado, Ye Qing hurriedly assumed a pose and began cultivating the ¡°Mental Art of The Toad¡± once more. As he went through the motions, the raw, unrestrained origin qi in his dantian grew steadily tamer. It was as if an invisible hand was willing it to take a stable form and be Ye Qing¡¯s.

    Time passed in the blink of an eye. When the darkness subsided, and light spilled down from the blue sky once more, Ye Qing slowly opened his eyes and gently exhaled a mouthful of turbid air. A shockwave washed out of him and circled one meter away from him like dragons, thick and unfading.

    ¡°No wonder its color is different. I can hardly believe how much true qi I¡¯ve gained in one night!¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself excitedly while perceiving the fog-like energy rolling inside his dantian. If his reservoir of true qi was only as big as a small pond a day ago, now it was the size of a massive river. Not only was his true qi a hundred times bigger than it was before, it was almost thick enough to condense into a cloud form. This meant that he was close to entering the middle-stage of the Qi Invocation stage.

    In ascending order, the Qi Invocation stage could be split into early-stage, middle-stage, andte-stage. Each stage corresponded to a specific state of the warrior¡¯s true qi. When a warrior¡¯s true qi was as sparse as a mist, the warrior was at the early-stage of the Qi Invocation stage. When their true qi had condensed enough to form clouds, the warrior was at the middle-stage of the Qi Invocation stage. Finally, when the cloud of true qi had grown so thick that they had transformed into liquid, the warrior was at thete-stage of the Qi Invocation stage.

    Ye Qing¡¯s true qi was currently rolling inside his dantian like an imprable fog. Assuming his feelings were urate, he should take no more than a few days to transform the fog into a true cloud and enter the middle-stage of the Qi Invocation stage.

    ¡°I still have one silver dragon-serpent rune left. If I refine and absorb itpletely, it might just be enough to propel me to thete-stage of the Qi Invocation stage. Chen Zheng certainly isn¡¯t going to be a concern for much longer!¡±

    Right now, Ye Qing was pumping his fist and dancing a little with undisguised smugness. Was he getting a little drunk with sess? Hell yes he was! He almost jumped from the early-stage all the way to the middle-stage in a single night! Even thete-stage was but a silver dragon-serpent rune away! If this wasn¡¯t reason enough to indulge a little, then what was?

    A few minutester, Ye Qing finally calmed down and stared at the final silver dragon-serpent rune on the Annon Sutra. He realized then he needed to obtain more of it as soon as possible.

    Ate-stage Qi Invoker might be a top-tier warrior in August Hill Vige, but on a world scale they were still no different from ants. If he was content with just this, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he got squished as soon as he stepped into the wider world.

    Take Lin Hu for example. The poor captain had been running himself dry trying to deal with the human skin Strangers¡¯ attacks for the past couple days. His heart was in the right ce, but he just couldn¡¯t do it with his current strength.

    This was why Ye Qing needed power still; far more power than what was thought to be the absolute ceiling in this tiny vige. And to gain power, he would need more silver dragon-serpent runes. The gray dragon-serpent rune increased his strength and vigor while the silver dragon-serpent runes increased his true qi. Since the next couple cultivation levels after Qi Invocation¡ªVessel Augmentation, Astral Refinement and more¡ªcould only be achieved with an ocean¡¯s worth of true qi, he could never have enough silver dragon-serpent runes.

    It wasn¡¯t going to be easy though. It took at least one thousand gray dragon-serpent runes to form just one silver dragon-serpent rune. The future looked bleak and painful.

    <i>Where are the bloody Bloodsucking Mosquitoes when you need them?</i>

 Chapter 16: When Frog Gives You Lemons

    <h4>Chapter 16: When Frog Gives You Lemons</h4>

    ¡°This is the thirty-sixth one today!¡±

    Ye Qing sheathed his saber while staring at the human skins on the ground. He looked like he was on the verge of exploding.

    This was the thirty-sixth human skin Stranger he had killed, and the third wave of human skin Strangers he had encountered today. Not only had they attacked him three times in a row, each attack consisted of more human skin Strangers than thest. The first wave had five enemies, the second wave had ten, and the third wave had a whopping twenty-one. It was almost as if they had a grudge with him. He would¡¯ve been in great danger if he hadn¡¯t refined a silver dragon-serpent rune and be much stronger. At the very least, he would¡¯ve taken some injuries.

    ¡°These goddamn monsters are growing more and more numerous by the day. What on earth is behind these things?¡± Ye Qing muttered darkly. His man¡¯s intuition was telling him that bad things were about to happen in the very near future, but no one could end the threat or even locate the hidden Stranger. It was this persistent sense of gloom that made him grow ever so irritated by the day.

    ¡°Since the truth isn¡¯t looking to spill out any time soon, the only other solution to this problem is to further my strength. It is the only way I might better protect myself when dangeres.¡±

    He felt like he was facing the same problem again and again. He just did not have enough power to face what was toe.

    To grow his power, he would need to gather as many dragon-serpent runes as possible as quickly as he could. But how could he do that? There were a ton of Strangers in this world as a matter of course, but those he could kill seemed to be few and far between. Moreover, he had a sense that the poption of other Strangers in the vicinity of August Hill Vige had drastically decreased since the rise of the human skin Strangers. It was so bad that he had barely killed anything except the human skin Strangers for the past couple days.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, these human skin Strangers did not yield even a single gray dragon-serpent rune. All they did was bleed him and his fellow vigers dry while giving nothing in return. With that in mind, how could he not loathe them for it?

    ¡°You better not let me find out who or what you really are, bastard! Otherwise, I will rip you to shreds!¡± Ye Qing swore into the air before scratching his hair in dejection. ¡°Sigh. If only every Stranger in the world was as free as the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes; massive in numbers and easy to kill!¡±

    Suddenly, an idea urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Wait a second¡­ the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes! I can try and lure them to me!¡±

    He didn¡¯t dare to venture into Little August Hill because some of the Strangers there could probably squish him like a fly, but the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were a different story. Given enough fresh blood, he should be able to lure them out just like Zhou Nian had when he died to the Echo Caterpir!

    Now, there was only one problem left: where was he going to get some fresh blood?

    The human skin Strangers had scared away seemingly every flesh-and-blood Stranger that normally lurked around August Hill Vige, leaving behind the humans. Of course he wasn¡¯t going to take someone¡¯s life just to satisfy his cultivation needs. Chen Zheng was an exception, but he still couldn¡¯t beat Chen Zheng right now, could he?

    <i>What if I use my own blood? </i>Ye Qing thought. Blood was the one thing he didn¡¯tck thanks to his powerful vigor, and assuming he was sessful the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes would restore the blood he lost faster than he could blink his eyes.

    <i>Yeah, let¡¯s do this!</i>

    Despite his eagerness, he did not execute his n immediately. He recalled the time and location of the other watchmen squads before moving to a location where there was little chance hisrades might stumble upon him. It was only then he finally kicked off ¡°Operation Mosquito¡±.

    First, he chose a clean rock on the ground and cut not his finger, but an artery on his wrist. His blood poured profusely out of the wound and dyed the rock bright red in just the blink of an eye. It was at this moment something unexpected happened. Green moss suddenly grew out of the rock and covered itpletely in just a matter of seconds. They looked like vines, except they were dark red instead of mossy green. It looked very strange to say the least.

    Even scarier was the fact that the moss started actively pushing back against all the nts around it. If Ye Qing didn¡¯t know better, he would have thought that the moss had transformed into a Stranger.

    ¡°...¡±

    Clearly, his blood was even more special than he thought. Its enormous vitality and power of consumption had literally caused a random clump of moss to undergo an unprecedented mutation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to redo this!¡± The reason he chose a rock to pour his blood onto was to prevent it from sinking into the earth and vanishing over time. He just hadn¡¯t ounted for his blood¡¯s unique characteristic.

    This time, Ye Qing hacked off the top half of the rock and dug a hole in the middle of it. Then, he removed all the moss and nts around it. After confirming that everything was ready, he cut open his arm once more and poured his blood into the hole in the rock.

    The hole was about as big as a human¡¯s head. When it was half full, Ye Qing sealed his wound with a single thought. Literally. His flesh had knitted together so fast and seamlessly that not a scar was left behind.

    ¡°I¡¯ve literally bled myself to prepare you this grand feast, Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. Do not disappoint me!¡± said Ye Qing. With that done, he sat down on the ground, plucked a random foxtail to put in his mouth, and cast a hopeful nce in the direction of Little August Hill. He was just waiting for the main character to show up now.

    Fifteen minutes passed¡­

    Half an hour passed¡­

    One hour passed¡­

    ¡°Come on. They have to show up eventually, right?¡± Ye Qing was starting to get a little worried. ¡°I¡¯ll give it another hour. If they still don''t show up, then I¡¯ll try and find another way!¡±

    Another hour passed, but the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were still nowhere to be seen. Disappointed, Ye Qing patted away the soil on his clothes and prepared to leave.

    It was at this moment a ck cloud suddenly appeared above Little August Hill. Not only was it moving toward Ye Qing with insane speed, its buzzing sound was clearly audible even from this distance.

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Ye Qing exploded with such glee that he even took two steps toward the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. He looked like he was looking at a bunch of naked women, not bloodsucking parasites that would literally drain him into skins and bones if they could.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes reached him. When they discovered Ye Qing and the pool of blood inside the rock, they immediately descended on them and covered thempletely.

    Ye Qing did not move a muscle. He allowed the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes to drain his blood to their heart¡¯s content. However, every time a Bloodsucking Mosquito had had their fill of blood, their bodies would suddenly dete and lose all life. They would then fall to the ground like specks of dust. Layer uponyer of dead Bloodsucking Mosquitoes started stacking on the ground until it looked like Ye Qing was standing in the middle of a ck sea, one that was purely made of corpses. It was terrifying to put it mildly.

    Ye Qing was perfectly fine with this though. ¡°I feel so good I can fly! A couple more ¡®sessions¡¯ like this, and I¡¯m set for the foreseeable future!¡±

    If he could kill everyst Bloodsucking Mosquito in this ce, he would gain a dozen silver dragon-serpent runes at least. Moreover, he was making a killing without having to lift a finger. How could he not be ecstatic about this?

    s, all good things muste to an end. A familiar coak suddenly came from the distance and made him feel like someone had poured a cold bucket over his head. <i>It couldn¡¯t be! I must be hearing things!</i> Ye Qing prayed fervently.

    But he wasn¡¯t. A green frog wearing a red bandana and a massive, cape-like leaf suddenly dropped from the sky. It was still in the air when it executed a beautiful roundhouse kick that annihted a swathe of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes before sweeping it all into his mouth. When itnded on the ground, itunched into a flurry of palm thrusts that killed a ton of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes and generated a tremendous amount of chilly wind. Of course, it ate all these Bloodsucking Mosquitoes as well. Its speed and efficiency was matched by no one!

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing looked like he wanted to cry. He would be cussing up a storm already if he wasn¡¯t worried that the frog would turn around and kick his ass if he did. When the Kung Fu Frog started killing the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes faster and faster, Ye Qing finally decided that enough was enough and took the fight to the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. He started executing the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡± with all his might to mow down the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes.

    His attacks were powerful, and his technique was impable. Unfortunately, he was still nowhere close to catching up to the Kung Fu Frog¡¯s speed. Every time the Kung Fu Frog executed a move, an entire area would be affected almost like he was firing cannonballs of air at the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. On the other hand, Ye Qing could only affect the immediate vicinity of his weapon. Of course he was slower than the Kung Fu Frog.

    <i>Never thought I¡¯d be outmatched by a frog one day¡­</i>

    Ye Qing only felt more and more bitter over time, but the Kung Fu Frog was one of those powerful Strangers he could not afford to provoke. The only him he could do was to urge himself to go faster.

    ¡°Croak¡­ croak¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s stomach was croaking every once in a while. Thanks to the Toad Force, his saber was slightly quicker and more powerful than normal, which of course helped to kill the dwindling Bloodsucking Mosquitoes even faster. The young man was so focused on his task that he did not notice the Kung Fu Frog shooting him a curious look when his stomach croaked for the first time.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the man and the frog had wiped out the skyful of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. The few pockets that were lucky enough to escape quickly flew back to Little August Hill.

    Ye Qing let out a wistful sigh as he stared at the escaping Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. Then, he looked at the satisfied-looking Kung Fu Frog with a decidedly unsatisfied expression on his face.

    If the Kung Fu Frog hadn¡¯t jumped out of nowhere and interfered, these Bloodsucking Mosquitoes would¡¯ve been all his. At least one-third of his haul had vanished into the Stranger¡¯s stomach!

    There was nothing he could do about it though. If this was a game, then the Kung Fu Frog would be a boss. He would have to have a death wish to provoke it!

    ¡°Croak.¡±

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, the Kung Fu Frog did not leave after cleaning up all the dead Bloodsucking Mosquitoes on the ground. Instead, it croaked at him as if it was trying to say something.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Kung Fu Frog: ¡°Croak croak...¡±

    Ye Qing blinked. ¡°......¡± <i>I¡¯m sorry bro, but I just don¡¯t speak frog!</i>

    As if sensing his iprehension, the Kung Fu Frog pointed at its own stomach and filled it with a bit of air. Then, a thunderous croak erupted from it.

    ¡°... You want me to show you my Toad Force?¡± This time, Ye Qing did understand. He immediately channeled the Toad Force and made a croak from his stomach, but it was way softer than the Kung Fu Frog¡¯s.

    ¡°Croak! Croak! Croak!¡± Seeing that Ye Qing had understood his meaning, the Kung Fu Frog pointed at its stomach again and started breathing again. Every time its stomach swelled and deted, a croak would rip through the air, and each time a croak happened, the Kung Fu Frog¡¯s aura would grow just a little stronger. Nine croakster, the air around the Kung Fu Frog was shaking unnaturally almost as if it was being distorted by some sort of unimaginable power.

    ¡°CROAK!¡±

    The next moment, the Kung Fu Frog let out its loudest croak yet and unleashed what looked like a beam of white shockwave straight from its mouth. It struck the ground in front of it and caused such a massive explosion that Ye Qing had to brace himself for it. The earth shook like a massive drake was rolling in its sleep.

    By the time the dust had settled, Ye Qing found himself staring at a massive pit that was thirty meters deep at minimum. It was absolutely terrifying to say the least.

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes were as wide as saucers. He didn¡¯t even realize he was trembling until he did. <i>What the hell is this power? Forget me, I highly doubt Lin Hu or Chen Zheng could take a hit like this and survive!</i>

    The Kung Fu Frog sped its hands behind its back. After pointing a finger at its stomach and the deep pit in front of them, it lifted its chin proudly almost as if to say: You see this, boy?<i> This </i>is the Toad Force, not that chicken shit you were practicing!

    ¡°Yes, yes, I get it. You¡¯re a bloody amazing frog!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at the bragging frog.

    <i>When a frog gives you lemons¡­</i>

 Chapter 17: Tubo

    <h4>Chapter 17: Tubo</h4>

    Suddenly, inspiration struck Ye Qing. <i>Hmm, I think that attack was so powerful because the Kung Fu Frog had stacked up its power via multiple qi umtions. I wonder if I can do the same with my Toad Force?</i>

    Not one to sit on an idea, Ye Qing immediately umted his qi until a croak sounded from his chest. But instead of releasing the gathered energy like he normally did, he umted his qi again until another croak sounded from his chest. It worked. He could feel the Toad Force in his body doubling in size after the sess!

    ¡°It does work!¡±

    Ye Qing started umting qi for the third time, but this time it didn¡¯t work. The true qi suddenly faded after reaching the halfway point.

    <i>It¡¯s probably just a familiarity issue. With enough practice, I should be able to umte qi a couple more times before reaching my limit!</i>

    Ye Qing could feel himself burning up with excitement. What if he could stack up its power nine times like the Kung Fu Frog as well? Just how powerful would his attack be?

    Realizing that the Toad Force had massive potential, Ye Qing made up his mind to study it thoroughly as soon as he returned home. Even if his limit turned out to be lower than expected¡ªperhaps he could only umte qi five to six times because he was a human, not a frog¡ªit would still increase hisbat strength dramatically.

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, brother Frog!¡± Ye Qing sped his hands together and thanked the Kung Fu Frog solemnly. Judging from its behavior so far, he was pretty sure that it was one of those intelligent Strangers that could understand human speech.

    And he was right. When the Kung Fu Frog heard his thanks, it actually returned the gesture and nodded. It was the very model of a jianghu master.

    The Kung Fu Frog still didn¡¯t leave after receiving Ye Qing¡¯s thanks though. It pointed at Ye Qing¡¯s saber first before pointing at itself. Then, it started croaking while swinging its arm around. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t believe what his eyes were telling him, but he asked anyway, ¡°You¡­ want me to teach you the saber?¡±

    ¡°Croak!¡± The Kung Fu Frog nodded.

    ¡°You actually want to learn the saber¡­¡± Ye Qing was incredulous to put it mildly. It wasn¡¯t everyday a Stranger asked to learn the martial arts of a human after all. <i>Does it fancy itself a super genius like me or something?</i>

    ¡°I can teach you, brother Frog, but it¡¯s not my fault if you can¡¯t pick it up, okay?¡± Ye Qing warned before snapping a suitable branch from a nearby tree. He then carved it into the shape of a saber before handing it to the Kung Fu Frog. After moving to a clearing and assuming a pose, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to start now! Watch closely!¡±

    Ye Qing began demonstrating the techniques of the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±. Frankly, the saber art was nothing special. All of its techniques were rtively simple andcking in variation. In fact, the key of the saber arty not in its techniques, but the state of the mind. So long as the practitioner executed the saber art with ferocity and violence, they were considered to have grasped the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±.

    That was why Ye Qing finished his demonstration in just the span of a few breaths. He did not attempt to hide anything because there was nothing worth hiding. He even slowed down his movements to make sure the Kung Fu Frog would not miss them. It was a frog after all. It made sense that it would have trouble tranting his human moves to its froggish body. Let no one say that he was an animal abuser!

    Of course, part of the reason Ye Qing was so candid was because he simply did not believe that the Kung Fu Frog could actually pick up the saber art. However¡­

    ¡°Is that enough, brother Frog?¡± Ye Qing asked afterpleting his demonstration. He was just about to go through the motions a second time when he saw that the Kung Fu Frog was already starting to practice the saber art with its wooden saber. This would not have surprised Ye Qing¡ªhe was quite the hasty learner himself¡ªexcept the Kung Fu Frog was already executing each and every technique with lightning speed and impable precision! It even got the state of the mind right, which meant that it had fully grasped the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡± already!

    Ye Qing was having trouble picking up his jaw from the floor. What the hell was up with this world? How did a <i>frog</i> pick up a human martial art faster than the human himself? The ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡± might be a rtively simple saber art, but it had still taken him over two hours to familiarize himself with it. On the other hand, the Kung Fu Frog had learned it after a single demonstration, <i>and </i>it looked like it was better than him at the saber art already. To say this was embarrassing would be an understatement. This frog had truly bested him in every sense of the word!

    That said, he wasn¡¯t a sore loser. Once the Kung Fu Frog was finished, Ye Qing offered it a heartfeltpliment, ¡°You really are a genius, brother Frog!¡±

    The Kung Fu Frog was obviously excited. It croaked out twice before saluting Ye Qing again. The young man grudgingly returned it while telling himself again and again, <i>I¡¯m not a sore loser, I¡¯m not a sore loser¡­</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing noticed a strange shape slowly appearing from the foot of Little August Hill. It was slowly walking toward him following a path. It took him a second to realize that it was a Stranger, but one that he had never seen before.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Ye Qing murmured. The Stranger had a tiger¡¯s head but an ox¡¯s body. Around six meters in height, it had four hooves that were literally on fire, three eyes, and a pair of long, sharp horns that looked as crooked as the Yellow River itself. The horns were pitch ck and emanated some sort of eerie light. For some reason, the gap between the horns almost looked like a gateway that was connected to another world.

    Ye Qing quickly realized that it wasn¡¯t just a feeling. At some point, he saw children crawling in and out of the gap repeatedly. Sometimes they would vanish into the world beyond, and sometimes they would return and run back and forth across the giant horns, ying.

    ¡°Seriously, what the hell <i>is </i>that?¡± murmured Ye Qing again while his heart raced at twice its normal speed. Although the Stranger didn¡¯t give off a powerful presence, he wasn¡¯t nearly stupid enough to treat it lightly, much less walk over to it. He slowly started backing away from the Stranger.

    On the first day he joined the watchmen, the very first lesson Fang Nianshui had schooled into his brain was this: rein in your curiosity. Think twice, look twice, and don¡¯t touch anything unless you¡¯re sure it won¡¯t kill you!

    The Kung Fu Frog did not share his sentiment, however. He was still getting out of the mysterious Stranger¡¯s way when the frog suddenly leaped forward with incredible speed!

    ¡°Brother Frog, don¡¯t¡ª!¡± It was toote by the time the words had escaped Ye Qing¡¯s mouth.

    But as luck would have it, the Kung Fu Frog hit an invisible wall as soon as it went within ten meters of the mysterious Stranger. Actually, calling it an invisible wall would be a mistake. It looked more like the Kung Fu Frog was trapped in some sort of invisible space. No matter how hard it tried to leap up to the Stranger, it just could not reach it no matter what, much lessy a hand on it.

    The Stranger itself seemed to bepletely uninterested in the Kung Fu Frog. It continued to amble along the path toward August Hill Vige.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Finally, the Kung Fu Frog returned to Ye Qing¡¯s side with a single leap. It scratched its bare head while still staring curiously at the ambling Stranger.

    Ye Qing had to wipe some sweat off his forehead. Thank goodness the Kung Fu Frog¡¯s actions hadn¡¯t angered the mysterious Stranger, or there was a chance he might have been dragged into the battle.

    ¡°I need to go, brother. I¡¯ll see you another day!¡± Ye Qing bade the Kung Fu Frog goodbye before rushing away in a hurry.

    It looked like the mysterious Stranger was heading for August Hill Vige, which meant that he needed to report this to the watchmen as soon as possible. At the very least, the vige could not be unprepared when the mysterious Stranger showed up. So, Ye Qing took a shortcut and sprinted back to August Hill Vige at top speed.

    As soon as Ye Qing reached the vige entrance, he yelled, ¡°Open the gates! I need to speak with the captain this instant!¡±

    When the gates opened, Ye Qing called out to a guard on the walls, ¡°Where is Captain Lin Hu?¡±

    As he was asking, Lin Hu approached from a distance while asking, ¡°You¡¯re looking for me. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Ye Qing cut straight to the chase. ¡°I saw a mysterious Stranger while I was patrolling the area. It¡¯s headed straight for the vige.¡±

    ¡°What did it look like?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­ oh. I guess you can see it for yourself, captain!¡±

    Ye Qing was about to give Lin Hu a proper description when he looked up and saw none other than the mysterious Stranger walking toward the vige. He narrowed his eyes. He had run home using a shortcut, while the mysterious Stranger was ambling at a rxed pace. He had thought that the Stranger would take at least eight minutes to get here, but clearly he was wrong.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing saw a guard on the walls drawing his bow and getting ready to shoot the Stranger. He hurriedly cried out, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot! It¡¯s not the type of Stranger to attack without provocation!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot!¡± Lin Hu added his shout to Ye Qing¡¯s as well. While staring intently at the approaching Stranger, he beckoned a guard to his side and ordered, ¡°Inform Chen Zheng and Granny Xia that they are needed at the vige entrance!¡±

    After the guard was gone, Lin Hu grabbed the long saber on his waist and watched the Stranger warily. Large beads of sweat actually started forming on his forehead as the Stranger came closer and closer.

    The mysterious Stranger finally came to a stop when it was almost thirty meters away from the vige. And then¡­ there was nothing. It simply stood there motionlessly as if it was an inanimate object.

    No one dared to rx their guard for even a second though. They continued to look at the mysterious Strangers for any unusual movements.

    A short whileter, Granny Xia and Chen Zheng rushed over to the vige entrance and spotted the Stranger immediately. Chen Zheng frowned as he asked, ¡°What is that thing?¡±

    Lin Hu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen it before!¡±

    Granny Xia was scrunching up her eyebrows as if she was trying to dredge up an old memory from her ancient mind. When realization did strike her, herplexion slowly turned as white as she started wobbling like she could copse at any moment.

    Ye Qing hurriedly supported her and asked concernedly, ¡°Granny!? What¡¯s wrong? Do you recognize that Stranger?¡±

    Granny Xia waved her hand to show that she was fine before saying in a heavy tone, ¡°If I¡¯m not misremembering things, I believe that this Stranger¡­ is the legendary Tubo!¡±

    ¡°Tubo?¡± Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the only one who looked confused. No one present had heard of this name before.

    Granny Xia exined, ¡°Tubo is the guardian of the mythical Netherpolis and master of the Nether,nd of the dead. It is said to be capable ofmanding thousands upon thousands of ghosts. Most importantly, it is said that ces visited by Tubo are sure to suffer a lot of deaths!¡±

    Lin Hu asked, ¡°Deaths? Are you saying that this ¡®Tubo¡¯ is going to kill us?¡±

    The old woman shook her head. ¡°No, not Tubo. Tubo does not attack the living. It only guides the dead to their rightful ce.¡±

    Ye Qing eximed in realization, ¡°I get it. You¡¯re saying that something terrible and will cost a lot of lives may happen to our August Hill Vige soon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a possibility, it¡¯s a certainty!¡± Granny Xia looked like she had aged a couple of years just saying this. ¡°Rumor has it that Tubo had appeared eighteen times in this world, and every time it did the blood ran like a river, and countless people were killed. No one may be spared from this tribtion!¡±

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Chen Zheng asked with an ugly look on his face while trembling imperceptibly.

    Granny Xia responded, ¡°For now, we can only inform the Anyang Pacification Bureau about this and ask them to send help as quickly as possible. If they move fast enough, we may yet be able to solve our crisis before it happens and save our August Hill Vige from disaster.¡±

    ¡°Good! Good. Since there¡¯s no time to waste, I shall send the word immediately,¡± Chen Zheng eximed with much relief before taking his leave.

    ¡°I hope we¡¯re not toote,¡± Granny Xia whispered. She looked incredibly old and feeble at that moment.

    Even if the Anyang Pacification Bureau responded to their plea for help immediately, it was still going to take them two days at minimum to arrive. The question was, did August Hill Vige have two days left in them?

    <i>I sure hope so.</i>

    ¡°Huhu, gather the men and see to our expedition duties and defenses immediately. Be on your highest alert until reinforcements arrive!¡± Granny Xia instructed.

    Lin Hu nodded. ¡°At once.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to head home and make the necessary preparations as well. Send someone to my houseter. I have some talismans in reserve that should be of use to your people. Let us hope it will be enough to help our August Hill Vige survive this tribtion.¡±

    After Granny Xia was gone, Lin Hu used a contact talisman to recall all watchmen who were still patrolling at this time. Then, he mobilized everyone to prepare the defensive measures.

    It wasn¡¯t until nine to ten hourster that Ye Qing was finally allowed to return home to catch some rest. There was no time to rest, however. As soon as he mmed the door behind him, he took out the Annon Sutra and spread it across the table. There were now five silver dragon-serpent runes and three gray dragon-serpent runes on the vellum, meaning that he had killed enough Bloodsucking Mosquitoes to earn four silver dragon-serpent runes.

    This was cause for celebration, but celebrating was thest thing in his mind right now. He immediately absorbed a silver dragon-serpent rune and threw himself into cultivation. Tubo¡¯s appearance meant that August Hill Vige was soon to face a terrible disaster. If he did not grow his strength as soon as possible, if his preparations proved to be insufficient when disaster struck, then everything he had achieved so far would be meaningless!

 Chapter 18: Attack of the Human Skins

    <h4>Chapter 18: Attack of the Human Skins</h4>

    ¡°Wooooooo¡­¡±

    It was midnight. The moon and the stars were nowhere to be seen. The sky was an oppressive, heavy nket that seemed intent on choking everyone in their sleep. Even the air felt particrly inauspicious tonight.

    Suddenly, a bleak howl pierced through the air. The vigers weren¡¯t sleeping well in the first ce, but the howl had woken up absolutely everyone in the August Hill Vige. Thousands of candles were lit across just as many houses in the span of minutes, but it still wasn¡¯t enough to dispel the coldness of the dark.

    ¡°Is this it?¡±

    A steely glint appeared in Ye Qing¡¯s eye as he jumped to his feet. After folding the Annon Sutra and tucking it under his shirt, he grabbed his saber, got out of the house, and raced into the night.

    When he reached the vige entrance, he saw that the gates and the walls were crawling with people already. Every watchman was holding a bow and looking nervously out of the vige.

    ¡°Do we know what the threat is?¡± Ye Qing walked up to Ma Shiyuan and asked in a hushed tone.

    Ma Shiyuan gulped audibly before answering, ¡°It¡¯s the human skin Strangers. A <i>lot </i>of human skin Strangers.¡±

    Ye Qing looked. He immediately noticed that the fields were crawling with them. There had to be thousands at the very least.

    For some reason, human skin Strangers weren¡¯t attacking yet. They were simply standing there inplete stillness as if they were waiting for some sort of signal. When the wind billowed across the fields, the way they swayed reminded Ye Qing of scarecrows, but a hundred times scarier. There was clearly something dark and unspeakable going on here.

    ¡°Wooooooooo¡­¡±

    A dark wind blew, and the human skin Strangers shuddered as if they just received an order. Then, they all started running toward August Hill Vige like a ck tide.

    ¡°OIL, READY!¡± A grim-faced Lin Hu roared as soon as he saw movement. When the human skin Strangers reached the bottom of the walls, he waved his hand and roared again, ¡°POUR!¡±

    When ck oil spilled down the stones, the human skin Strangers who were already scaling the walls at unbelievable speed immediately slipped and crashed into their unholy brethren at the bottom. For a short time, they were unable to make any headway.

    ¡°FIRE ARROWS, READY¡­ RELEASE!¡±

    Countless ming arrows shot into the human sea Strangers and ignited the oil. A sea of fire whooshed into existence in just the blink of an eye.

    The human skin Strangers continued to charge despite the fact that they were burning alive.? The good news was that they only managed a few steps before they were burned to ashes. The bad news was that their numbers were endless. It took only a few breaths before the entire swathe of inferno was put out under the sea of human skins, and they began scaling the walls once more.

    ¡°ROCKS, READY¡­ DROP!¡±

    Lin Hu remained calm as he ordered the archers to stand down temporarily, and the other defenders to pick up the boulders, logs and other deadly objects they had prepared beforehand. They were then dropped on top of the human skin Strangers to crush them.

    Again, they were able to throw back the attackers, but again it didn¡¯tst long. August Hill Vige wasn¡¯t a city, so their walls were only six to seven meters tall. Although the human skin Strangers might be frail, they were so strong and light that they could easily clear a few meters with a single jump. Every time there was a lull in between the defenders¡¯ attacks, a couple human skin Strangers would sessfully surge up the walls and brain a few unsuspecting watchmen. Worse, ck qi would slip into the dead bodies, strip them of their skin, and transform them into new human skin Strangers. Some of the defenders weren¡¯t paying attention and were killed by these new enemies as a result. For a time, the screams would not stop, and the people were on the verge of a full-blown panic.

    ¡°Calm down! I want everyone to fight in three-man squads!¡± Lin Hu was still barking orders as he cut down two human skin Strangers in one strike, ¡°Also, watch out for the dead men on your feet! They will turn into new human skin Strangers!¡±

    The watchmen quickly split into squads just like they usually did when patrolling the vige outskirts. They did their best to cut down any human skin Stranger that had surged up the walls.

    Ye Qing did not group up with anyone though. He was used to operating alone by this point, and with his strength he didn¡¯t need to group up with the others. Last night, he had refined two silver dragon-serpent runes and entered the middle-stage of the Qi Invocation stage, which drastically increased his strength and true qi. It was why his killing speed was no slower than the other squads. If anything, he had to restrain himself so as not to draw any suspicion. He could¡¯ve mowed down the human skin Strangers even faster otherwise.

    Ye Qing went to town with the human skin Strangers like the rain. Every time he took a step, a group of human skin Strangers would drop dead. Every time he took a swing, multiple heads would tumble across the air. There was no human skin Stranger who was a match for him no matter where he went. For as long as he was wielding his saber, no mere skin was going to make him submit!

    Suddenly, Ye Qing noticed a group of human skin Strangers threatening to overwhelm three of his fellow watchmen. He crossed the distance in a single step before killing all the enemies with a Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber technique.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± The squad leader thanked him.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Be careful.¡±

    Ye Qing did not even look at them as he rushed to rescue another losing squad.

    ¡°Wait a second. Isn¡¯t he the son of the Yes? When did he be so strong?¡± A squad member asked suddenly.

    ¡°I know right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re literally facing an invasion here and you guys are <i>gossiping? </i>Get your head in the game! Herees the Strangers again!¡± ¡°Kill!¡±

    Ye Qing did not know about their conversation, and he didn¡¯t care. Right now, he was wholly focused on cutting down the human skin Strangers and saving his fellow vigers andrades.

    Despite this, his effort was utterly inadequate in changing the tides of the battle. Watchmen kept dying, and those watchmen transformed into new human skin Strangers who killed even more watchmen. The number of humans kept decreasing, while the Strangers¡¯ increased.

    <i>There¡¯s just too many human skin Strangers out there! We can¡¯t kill all of them! </i>Lin Hu thought desperately while wiping away the blood on his face. He had taken a blow that cracked his skull and bled him like a pig a minute ago. The rest of his body wasn¡¯t doing so hot either. Unfortunately, there was just no time to heal his wounds. <i>If only the Heavens¡¯ Eye is still usable!</i>

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye could have killed every human skin Stranger assaulting the vige in one strike, but since it hadn¡¯t regained its energy yet, it was as useful as an ordinary mirror right now!

    Granny Xia said heavily while shattering a few human skin Strangers with her sleeve, ¡°We will die long before we take out every human skin Stranger on this earth!¡±

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Lin Hu asked while shaking his head to get rid of some of his dizziness.

    ¡°It¡¯s not ideal, but we must find the Stranger behind the human skin Strangers and kill it. Only then may we stand a chance to survive this,¡± Granny Xia replied with a steely glint in her eye. ¡°You will join me, Huhu. It¡¯s either this, or die.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Lin Hu epted without hesitation. Although he knew full well that his chances of survival in the sea of human skin Strangers was next to nothing, and even if they somehow broke through there was no guarantee they might find the hidden Stranger, he was willing to give everything he had including his life if it meant giving the tens of thousands of helpless vigers behind him a chance to see tomorrow¡¯s sun!

    Granny Xia then turned to Chen Zheng and instructed in a heavy and sorrowful voice, ¡°Chen Zheng, I trust you to protect the vige while Huhu and I are gone. If¡­ if it is not possible, then take as many vigers with you and escape through the passage. Many of us may not survive this disaster, but some survivors are still better than no survivors at all!¡±

    It sounded like she was giving herst will. In fact, she was.

    She knew better than anyone their desperate n was folly. It was highly unlikely they were going to find the hidden Stranger that was controlling the human skin Strangers, and it was even less likely they were going to live to see another day. It was, frankly, a suicide charge. Even so, she must try if only because a sliver of a chance at sess was still better than no chance at all!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Huhu!¡± Granny Xia beckoned before leaping off the walls. While she was still in the air, countless yellow talismans poured out of her sleeves and burst into mes on their own. It formed a massive curtain of mes that cleared out most of the human skin Strangers in an instant.

    Not done yet, Granny Xia waved her walking stick and caused some sort of ripple to appear from the handle. The next moment, a sea of mes washed over the area, and a shrill phoenix cry pierced through the air. Incredibly, an actual phoenix emerged from the sea of mes and flew to the distance, burning each and every human skin Stranger that crossed its path into ashes.

    Granny Xia followed right behind the phoenix as she raced toward the vige outskirts. Lin Hu was right beside her and killed every human skin Stranger who dared to get close to them.

    Lin Hu was also using the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±, but the basic saber art looked particrly formidable in his hands. Wherever his saber flew, the tiger roared, and a river of silver flowed. Any human skin Stranger who dared to get within one meter of him were crushed without a sound.

    The two Qi Invokers made slow but steady progress as they pushed through the ck tide. Each step was hard fought and not without a dear cost, but their determination was unbreakable no matter how hard the human skin Strangers threw themselves at them. It wasn¡¯t long before the duopletely vanished from the defenders¡¯ view. The only way they knew that the duo were still alive were the asional explosions and roars.

    At that moment, everyone on the walls were silent. They could only stare at the direction the duo had disappeared to with respect, sorrow and silence.

    Suddenly, Chen Zheng let out a roar, ¡°The fuck you guys nking out for? The enemies are attacking again! Kill them all!¡±

    He thenmanded the watchmen to attack the human skin Strangers who had scaled the walls again.

    ¡°You must live,¡± Ye Qing sighed as he stared at the disappeared duo. He had nothing but respect for the two martial artists who had decided to risk it all for the people. Personally, he would never have taken such a risk because he ultimately wasn¡¯t a true member of August Hill Vige. He was a soul from a different world with no particr attachment for his fellow vigers. At best, they were familiar strangers to him. He wasn¡¯t so noble that he would sacrifice himself for others either.

    That was why he couldn¡¯t do it. He respected people like them, but he could not and would not emte their example. Not now at least.

    It was at this moment a desperate watchman ran up the walls and snapped him out of his daydream with a desperate cry, ¡°Captain Chen, Captain Chen! The gates are soon to be breached! We can¡¯t hold on much longer!¡±

    Although the gates of August Hill Vige were carved from tough ironwood, it was still wood in the end. Naturally, it was covered in cracks and ready to break after all the batterings it had endured.

    ¡°Dammit! We¡¯ve almost run out of men already!¡± Chen Zheng took a quick look and realized in horror that the number of defenders on the walls had dwindled to less than twenty. The gates would take a significant amount of men to hold, but if he did that then the walls would be practically defenseless. He himself would be in mortal danger. ¡°What should I do?¡±

    Suddenly, Chen Zheng saw Ye Qing killing a human skin Stranger out of the corner of his eyes. A ruthless n took form in his mind then. He ordered, ¡°Ye Qing, Ma Shiyuan, Zhang Yuan, your squads will hold the gates! The blood will be on your hands if you allow even a single enemy to enter the vige!¡±

    ¡°Captain Chen, you can¡¯t be serious! How can we possibly hold the gates with so few people?¡± Ma Shiyuan pleaded desperately. While they were technically three squads, Ye Qing was a one-man squad, and Ma Shiyuan had lost all of his men a while ago. Zhang Yuan still had one watchman left, but even then they were only four. How could they possibly hold the gates with just four people?

    He might as well be ordering them to die!

    ¡°You are the only ones I can spare! The rest of us are needed on the walls! The vigers will be in danger if the Strangers breach through the gates, so you¡¯ll just have to do it one way or another!¡± Chen Zheng dered sanctimoniously.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ma Shiyuan and Zhang Yuan exchanged nces with each other.

    ¡°Go now! You¡¯re not thinking of disobeying a direct order, are you?¡± Chen Zheng yelled harshly.

    ¡°At once!¡± Left with no choice, Ma Shiyuan and Zhang Yuan took off to the gates. They looked like they were ready to die for their people.

    Ye Qing smirked but said nothing. He simply jumped down the walls and walked toward the gates.

 Chapter 19: Blizzard

    <h4>Chapter 19: Blizzard</h4>

    ¡°Hmph! Let¡¯s see how you survive this one!¡±

    An evil smirk crossed Chen Zheng¡¯s face as he stared at Ye Qing¡¯s back. The order was deliberate, of course. He knew that four people wasn¡¯t enough to hold the gates shut, much less prevent the human skin Strangers from bursting into the vige. The reason he did it anyway was to send Ye Qing to his death.

    Ye Qing¡¯s prowess had not escaped Chen Zheng¡¯s notice. Although the young man¡¯s cultivation level was still nowhere near enough to threaten him, he could not shake off a bad feeling for some reason. In that case, he might as well kill the young man while the opportunity was ripe.

    Ma Shiyuan and Zhang Yuan were just unfortunate scapegoats. After all, the people might suspect something if he ordered Ye Qing to guard the gates alone. Besides that, Ma Shiyuan and Zhang Yuan were Lin Hu¡¯s aides, and they had dared to contradict him just now. He might not bear a grudge against them, but he certainly didn¡¯t care if they lived or died.

    Of course, things would have been even simpler if they had refused their orders. He would¡¯ve had the perfect excuse to end them by his own hands.

    In Chen Zheng¡¯s mind, Ye Qing, Ma Shiyuan and Zhang Yuan were already dead. The thought warmed his soul and brought a loathsome grin to his face.

    Ma Shiyuan and Zhang Yuan were unaware of Chen Zheng¡¯s scheme, but Ye Qing knew exactly the kind of person the bastard was. He simply didn¡¯t care to thwart his ploy because Chen Zheng had miscalcted one crucial thing: he was a middle-stage Qi Invoker, not a journeyman Reforged.

    The group of four quickly reached the gates. One watchman moaned in despair when he saw the cracked, rickety gates that looked moments away from being destroyed by the human skin Strangers. ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    Once the gates were destroyed, they were sure to receive the full brunt of the human skin Strangers¡¯ assault. And the chances they might survive that¡­ was zero!

    ¡°What else? We do our best!¡± Zhang Yuan, a middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and huge eyes said carelessly before spitting on the ground. ¡°We¡¯ll hold the line for however long we can hold it. If we cannot, then we die. That¡¯s all there is to it, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ma Shiyuan let out a bitter chuckle at his uncaringment but remained silent. It would seem that he was in agreement with Zhang Yuan.

    More and more cracks appeared on the ironwood as the human skin Strangers continued to pound away at the gates. In the end, it happened. The wooden structure copsed inward with a loud thud, and the ck tide rushed straight toward the four watchmen.

    ¡°Kill!¡± Zhang Yuan roared and became the first to rush forward. Hisst squad member guarded his left, and Ma Shiyuan his right. Together, they formed a versatile triangle that could handle offense or defense. They collided against the sea of human skin Strangers, and¡­

    And then there was nothing. The trio were overwhelmed in just the blink of an eye. Like a raindrop dripping into the sea, they had failed to elicit even the tiniest of sshes.

    <i>Is it my turn now? </i>Ye Qing thought while clenching his saber and squinting at the iing horde. The second they got close to him, a terrific boom shook the narrow corridor and shattered at least a dozen human skin Strangers. It was the Toad Force.

    Next, Ye Qing shed the air in front of him and unleashed a beam of silver. It spread out into a wide area and eliminated yet another group of human skin Strangers.

    More enemies reced their fallen brethren in just the blink of an eye, but Ye Qing remained calm and executed all the techniques of the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡± again and again. He chopped, shed, swept, flicked or parried everything that was thrown his way again and again. His moves looked brutally simple, but they were lightning fast and colossally powerful.

    If someone was watching Ye Qing right now, they would notice that his attacks only traveled halfway to their targets before another set of attacks ovepped them. They might even think that he was yacting if not for the fact that the human skin Strangers facing the attacks were shredded into pieces. It was because he was moving so fast that the naked eye could only capture the moment he unleashed his saber, but not the moment itnded on its target or the moment he withdrew his arm to unleash another attack.

    At the beginning, Ye Qing¡¯s attacks still maintained the structure and intent of the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±. Then, his saber moved faster and faster until its ferocity was reced by speed. Pure, unadulterated speed.

    The storm of des was evolving. What was a small, intermittent stream gradually grew into an unstoppable river of light that shredded everything in its path. Wherever it traveled, human skin Strangers were shredded into pieces. The ck tide just could not punch through even though he was one man guarding an entire passage by himself!

    One minute¡­ three minutes¡­ eight minutes¡­ fifteen minutes¡­

    Fifteen minutes passed in the blink of an eye, but Ye Qing was like a tireless machine. His saber remained as swift, steady, and urate as ever as the human skin Strangers fell like weeds.

    <i>Snap!</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing heard a snap and felt a sudden loss of weight from his hand. It was because his saber had snapped in half!

    ¡°Not good!¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath. Clearly, the battle had gone on for too long, and his weapon just could not withstand the pressure any longer. His attacks might be swift, but that didn¡¯t mean they were light. Each and every swing was empowered by the Toad Force. Since the saber was just a normal crucible steel weapon, it was always going to break in a protracted, high-intensity battle like this.

    This was a massive issue as a matter of course. He could still fight, but the loss of his weapon greatly impacted hisbat effectiveness. Already, he was starting to strain under the unending tide.

    <i>It¡¯s time to leave, </i>Ye Qing thought with a tinge of regret and sorrow. He still had enough energy to fight for a couple more minutes, but what was the point? They still hadn¡¯t heard back from Granny Xia and Lin Hu, and the tide of human skin Strangers was as big as ever. It was obvious that theirst-ditch effort to end this invasion had failed. Worst case scenario, they might already be dead.

    There was no longer any point in holding the line, and he would die if he remained any longer. In that case, he had no choice but to look after number one!

    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡±

    It was at this moment he heard Chen Zheng¡¯s angry roar from somewhere above him. Clearly, the defense line on the walls could not hold on either. The next moment, he saw the martial artist sprinting toward the vige faster than anyone else.

    There was an underground passage inside the vige that led to a hill on the outskirts. It was the vige¡¯s back-up n should they ever face an existential crisis such as this one.

    ¡°Hah! Look at him run!¡± Ye Qing snorted in disdain but did not hesitate to chase after Chen Zheng.

    With the watchmen broken, the human skin Strangers were finally able to pass through the entrance unhindered. They flooded into the vige like a tidal wave and killed everyone they encountered. For a time, the screams and cries would not stop, and it felt like the end of the world. In fact, it was the end of the world for the people of August Hill Vige!

    ¡°If only¡­¡±

    Ye Qing let out a disheartened sigh as he watched his fellow vigers fall to the abominations one after another. It felt terrible to watch all these lives disappearing before his eyes and know that there was nothing he could do to change it. Worst of all, he only had his own weakness to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not toote, am I?¡±

    A casual voice spoke over the screams all of a sudden. Then, a man¡¯s silhouette appeared on the walls. He seemed to be carrying two people with both hands.

    The human skin Strangers on the walls tried to run down the mysterious man as a matter of course, but he calmly dropped the people he was carrying, untied the drinking gourd on his waist. and took a sip. Then, he flicked a drop of liquid at the nearest enemy.

    As soon as the droplet hit the human skin Stranger, it immediately froze in its tracks, literally. Ice covered its whole body in just the blink of an eye. Not only that, it continued to spread outward and freeze every human skin Stranger that came into contact with it as well. In just the span of a few breaths, every enemy on the wall and even the wall itself had turned into ice. It was as if a mini winter had taken ce on the walls.

    Next, the man jumped up into the sky and unleashed a palm strike toward the ground. The already frigid air turned even colder as dozens of human skin Strangers shattered into pieces at the same time. They too werepletely covered in ice.

    The man would remain afloat and walk leisurely in the sky like it was solid ground. Every few seconds, he would unleash a palm strike that shattered numerous human skin Strangers and froze the rest. It wasn¡¯t long before every human skin Stranger in the vige was taken out just like that.

    The mysterious man wasn¡¯t done yet, however. Seemingly dissatisfied that the battle¡ªif you could even call it that¡ªhad ended so quickly, he took another sip from his drinking gourd before sauntering toward the vige entrance where more human skin Strangers were pouring in. He then crushed them with the same ease he had disyed? earlier.

    If the human skin Strangers was a ck tide that was seemingly without end, then the mysterious man was a bright moon that melted them away with its silver light. Wherever he went, the ck tide receded like fading shadows until all that was left was stunning frost. The silver moon was untouchable, unstoppable. For as long as it hung in the sky, no shadow could bear to stand in its light!

    The tide of human skin Strangers continued to wither under the unstoppable ice for a time until suddenly, they shuddered as if they had just received new orders. Then, they abruptly turned around and escaped into the darkness. Finally, the invasion was over.

    The mysterious man did not stop the human skin Strangers from leaving. He waited until they were all gone before turning around and walking back to August Hill Vige. The way his hair swayed to the icy wind made him look like a deity who had descended from the heavens.

    It looked like the man was walking, but he reappeared in the vige in just the blink of an eye. It was only then Ye Qing got a good look at their visitor.

    He was a young man in his twenties with shapely eyebrows and sharp eyes. His facial features looked like they were chiseled from marble, and he wore a carefree smile that looked like it would never fade no matter the circumstances. On the other hand, his hair was a disheveled mess, and his clothes were covered in dirt and leaves for some reason. It did not mesh well with his looks or his earlier performance at all. And yet¡­ It wasn''t a bad look on him. It actually humanized him and gave him the appearance of a fairy tale hero instead.

    ¡°My apologies for showing up toote and costing your vige so many lives. The fault is all mine,¡± the young man apologized as soon as he walked through the vige entrance. A hint of sorrow shed in his eyes as he stared at the pile of corpses on the floor. He let out a sigh and took another two sips from his drinking gourd.

    ¡°Thank you so much for saving our vige, my lord!¡± A pair of voices came from the walls. They were none other than Granny Xia and Lin Hu.

    The two martial artists looked rather terrible right now. Lin Hu¡¯s face was covered in blood, and his chest was caved in. He had also lost an arm judging from the way his sleeve was pping limply in the wind. Granny Xia¡¯s breathing was erratic, and she looked hunched and thinner than ever. The wrinkles on her face were as dense as tree bark, and she looked like she had aged ten years in a single night.

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s nothing. This tragedy could¡¯ve been averted if I hade even a little sooner!¡± The young man waved them off embarrassedly before muttering under his breath, ¡°I knew it was a mistake to drink too much¡­¡±

    Granny Xia coughed twice before saying weakly, ¡°What are you saying, my lord? If it wasn¡¯t for you, this olddy and the ten thousand souls living in August Hill Vige would have perished tonight.¡±

    Granny Xia was right. If it wasn¡¯t for the young man, the human skin Strangers would¡¯ve ripped Lin Hu and her from limb to limb, and August Hill Vige would have been wiped off the face of the earth already. It would not be an exaggeration to say that everyone in August Hill Vige now owed the young man a favor greater than the heavens themselves!

    ¡°May we know your name, my lord?¡± Granny Xia asked.

    ¡°My name is Chu Nianjiu [1]. I¡¯m a Windcatcher of the Pacification Bureau,¡± Chu Nianjiu answeredzily before fishing around his shirt for a bit. He then produced a dirty badge and handed it to Granny Xia. ¡°Here¡¯s my badge.¡±

    Granny Xia epted the badge and inspected it carefully. Once she confirmed that it was the genuine article, she returned it to Chu Nianjiu and greeted him formally, ¡°We greet you, Lord Windcatcher!¡±

    ].

    We greet you, Lord Windcatcher!¡± echoed Lin Hu hurriedly with a salute.

    Chu Nianjiu said carelessly, ¡°Please, let us do away with the formalities. You¡¯re still injured, and I¡¯m sure you would rather be healing yourselves than trading unnecessary pleasantries with little ol¡¯ me.¡±

    1. meaning ¡°Sucker For Alcohol ??

 Chapter 20: The Wine Gentleman

    <h4>Chapter 20: The Wine Gentleman</h4>

    Granny Xia did not take Chu Nianjiu¡¯s words seriously, however. She said, ¡°You¡¯ve saved over ten thousand lives in August Hill Vige, my lord. We may never be able to repay this favor. The least we can do is to show you the depths of our respect!¡±

    She bowed deeply after saying that.

    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, my lord!¡±

    Lin Hu, Ye Qing and everyone else who survived bowed to Chu Nianjiu as well.

    ¡°Heavens, you really don¡¯t have to¡ªif you must repay me somehow, then I implore you to get me two jugs of fine wine instead! Do we have a deal?¡± Chu Nianjiu said in a hurry while summoning a gust of energy that prevented everyone from being able to lower their backs.

    ¡°You jest, my lord,¡± Granny Xia said smilingly.

    Chu Nianjiuughed. ¡°I¡¯m serious! I¡¯m called Chu Nianjiu for a reason. There is nothing I love more than alcohol! Speaking of which, I¡¯m almost out of alcohol, and I¡¯d rather die than continue living in this world without it. Since I saved your lives, you can spare me two jugs of fine alcohol and save mine, am I right? I think it¡¯s a fair trade!!¡±

    Granny Xia smiled again. It didn¡¯t look like Chu Nianjiu was joking, so she said, ¡°Very well. I shall instruct my fellow vigers to prepare a hot meal right away.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu visibly perked up. ¡°Wonderful! I¡¯ve beennguishing in the mountains with only the sky as my nket, the earth as my bed, and the insects as my friends for the past few days! I haven¡¯t had a single hot meal throughout this time either. I would be most grateful if you would cure this nd taste on my tongue as soon as possible!¡±

    Granny Xia nodded before ordering a watchman who wasn¡¯t hurt too badly to make the preparations.

    Seeing that Chu Nianjiu was an amiable, easygoing man, Granny Xia dared to ask, ¡°Can I ask you a question, my lord? How did you get to August Hill Vige so quickly? We sent word to the Anyang Pacification Bureau just yesterday. It should have taken at least one or two days for someone to be dispatched.¡±

    She was also a little worried that Chu Nianjiu might not be who he imed to be. Although the badge was one hundred percent genuine, and the young man had undoubtedly saved all their lives, she was sure she would have heard someone like him serving the Anyang Pacification Bureau. While she didn¡¯t think it would be a problem, caution had served her well for decades, and she saw no reason to rx her guard now.

    Chu Nianjiu chuckled. ¡°Oh, about that. Do you still remember the report regarding a sarcophagus you sent us some days ago? I¡¯m the one the higher-ups have dispatched to look into this matter. In fact, I¡¯ve been loitering around Little August Hill for the past few days until I received a new message saying that your vige is in grave danger a while ago. Since Little August Hill is pretty close to the vige, I decided to rush over immediately. That is why I was able to arrive in time to save you.¡±

    Realization dawned upon Granny Xia¡¯s features. ¡°I see! Your dedication to your duty is most appreciated, my lord.¡± Who would¡¯ve thought that their cautiousness would be the final straw that saved their vige from the brink?

    ¡°Since you were in the area, did you find out who or what is controlling these human skin Strangers, my lord?¡± Granny Xia asked another question.

    Chu Nianjiu took a sip from his drinking gourd before answering, ¡°In fact, I do. I believe that these human skins are created from a Strange Artifact.¡±

    ¡°A Strange Artifact?¡± Granny Xia repeated the word darkly. The term had caught Ye Qing¡¯s attention as well.

    During one of his mandatory lessons with Lin Hu, the watchmen captain had exined that a Strange Artifact was a weapon created from the body parts of a Stranger. That said, it didn¡¯t necessarily have to be shaped like a saber, spear, stick, sword or other weapons. It could be ab, a mirror, a book or other items. Its abilities and power were incredibly varied as well. There was no such thing as a useless Strange Artifact, only one that didn¡¯t fit the situation it was in. In the legends, some Strange Artifacts were said to be capable of flight, underground travel, severing mountains, parting seas, and even stealing a celestial object from the sky itself.

    So why wasn¡¯t everyone in the world carrying a Strange Artifact to protect themselves from danger? It was because they were cursed just like the Strangers they were made from. Their staggering power was bnced by a plethora of adverse effects. For example, the user could be afflicted with unnatural drowsiness, hunger, a severeck of sense of direction, deadly diseases and so on, and these were just some of the mildest adverse effects one could experience.

    Generally speaking, the more powerful a Strange Artifact was, the worse the adverse effects became. It was quitemon for a particrly potent Strange Artifact to cost one or multiple lives to activate. In fact, it would not be inurate to describe a Strange Artifact as a controble Stranger!

    On a rted note, Ye Qing had suspected the Annon Sutra was a powerful Strange Artifact for a long time. It was also why he was extremely wary of it. It wasmon sense that powerful Strange Artifacts required a terrible cost to wield, and yet the Annon Sutra only required him to pay it some blood. He just couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Strange Artifact was going to give him a devastating wake-up call one day.

    ¡°That is correct!¡± Chu Nianjiu paused for a second before adding, ¡°Specifically, it¡¯s a Strange Artifact that has gone out of control. I know this because I¡¯ve witnessed something simr in the past.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Granny Xia asked worriedly. For as long as the Strange Artifact was allowed to rampage, August Hill Vige would never be safe.

    Chu Nianjiu assured her with easy confidence, ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Tomorrow, I will borrow some men from your vige and head to Little August Hill. We will deal with the Strange Artifact and settle your troubles once and for all.¡±

    Granny Xia thanked him profusely, ¡°Thank you so much for your help, my lord.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu smiled and yawned a little. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯m not done with my investigation with the sarcophagus anyway, and trust me, I¡¯m d to be able to kill two birds with one stone.¡±

    Judging from how easily he had annihted the human skin Strangers, an out-of-control Strange Artifact probably was no big deal to Chu Nianjiu.

    It was at this moment a viger ran up to Granny Xia and said, ¡°The food¡¯s ready, Granny!¡±

    ¡°Fantastic. I was just beginning to feel hungry!¡± Chu Nianjiu dered with sudden passion. Their savior had been looking somewhat listless this entire time, but the mention of food had immediately injected a fire in him.

    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go enjoy a well-deserved supper!¡± Granny Xia chuckled lightly before ordering some vigers to lead Chu Nianjiu to the venue. She then looked at Lin Hu and said, ¡°Huhu, I know it¡¯s been a long day, but please round up the men, tally our casualties and calm the vigers. I do not want our savior to be disturbed.¡±

    ¡°Also, please select a team from those who aren¡¯t too wounded to apany our savior to Little August Hill tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    The next day, Ye Qing got up at the crack of dawn and took a moment to clean himself. Then, he ran straight to the vige entrance.

    Lin Hu was already waiting when he arrived. Chen Zheng, Liu Jinshui, Wu Biao and Zheng Tao were present as well.

    The watchmen captain gave Ye Qing a nod, and the others greeted him cordially as well. Chen Zheng was the only one hiding killing intent in his eyes.

    Ye Qing smiled and nodded politely at everyone except Chen Zheng. Then, he walked over to a corner and closed his eyes to catch a small nap.

    They weren¡¯t gathered here for a patrol today. They were going to embark on a proper expedition into Little August Hill and take care of the Strange Artifact with Chu Nianjiu!

    The group waited for about an incense stick until Chu Nianjiu finally showed up with a huge yawn. Granny Xia was right beside him.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone!¡± Chu Nianjiu greeted themzily after he got close.

    ¡°We greet you, my lord!¡± Everyone saluted.

    ¡°Right.¡± Chu Nianjiu leaned against a tree and stared at the group for a bit. Then, he turned to Granny Xia and asked, ¡°Is this everyone? The team that¡¯ll be apanying me to Little August Hill?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu frowned and shot Ye Qing a nce. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not trying to be difficult, but why did you pick a journeyman Reforged to join me? He can¡¯t possibly be of much help, can he?¡±

    Granny Xia smiled sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord, but most of our warriors are dead or severely wounded. This is all we have left to spare!¡±

    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s better than nothing,¡± Chu Nianjiu acquiesced before looking at Lin Hu with a stern look. ¡°But not you, Captain Lin. You¡¯re out.¡±

    Lin Hu immediately scrunched up his eyebrows. ¡°My lord, I can still¡ª¡±

    The young man interrupted him because he could finish, ¡°Captain Lin, you have a head wound, a copsed chest, severe internal injuries, and even a moderately damaged dantian. You¡¯re going to be crippled as a warrior if you do not rest. Even if I do allow you toe with us, how can you possibly help in your state? You¡¯re only going to drag us down.¡±

    Lin Hu was going to argue further, but Chen Zheng interrupted the conversation, ¡°He¡¯s right, Captain Lin. You should just stay home and rest. Lord Windcatcher is the famous ¡®Wine Gentleman¡¯ of Luo Shui. There is no Stranger in Little August Hill that can stop us with him around, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything!¡±

    Everyone was surprised to hear this. Luo Shui was not a backwater like August Hill Vige. It was a massivemandery overseeing nine counties and thirty-six viges in Chu. In fact, Anyang was one of the nine subordinate counties.

    If Chu Nianjiu really was famous throughout Luo Shui, then he must be a seriously impressive warrior. He was someone backwater people like them could never dream of meeting in the norm.

    ¡°You recognize me?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked curiously. He knew he was famous, but he didn¡¯t think he was so famous that a viger this far out would recognize him.

    Chen Zheng answered carefully, ¡°I do. My older brother told me many things about you, my lord!¡±

    ¡°And who¡¯s your brother?¡±

    A hint of pride shed in Chen Zheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°His name is Chen Cang!¡±

    ].

    ¡°Do you mean Chen Cang, the ¡®Sword Gentleman¡¯?¡± Chu Nianjiu raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    Chen Zheng nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Chen Cang, the ¡®Sword Gentleman¡¯ is my older brother!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu clicked his tongue in astonishment. ¡°I can hardly believe it! Chen Cang and I have been colleagues for many years, but I never knew the guy had a younger brother! I know that he came from a small ce, but that¡¯s it! The guy is just so stiff and wooden and like¡ªyou know what I¡¯m saying. Say, are you sure the two of you are rted by blood?¡±

    Chen Zheng: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m just joking. Please don¡¯t take offense,¡± said Chu Nianjiu with augh. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why he would keep quiet about you. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a peerless beauty of the ages.¡±

    Chen Zheng exined, ¡°Oh, my older brother actually exined that to me. He said that he had offended a lot of people and killed many intelligent Strangers throughout the years. While there his enemies are no match for him, they could hurt me or use me to threaten him if they knew about our rtionship. That is why he refrains from telling anyone about me, and why he told me to be tight-lipped about our rtionship.¡±

    Chu Nianzhou eximed in understanding, ¡°I see! Yes, that makes a lot of sense. It¡¯s definitely wise of him to ensure that his family is protected.¡±

    Meanwhile, the rest of the group were wearing stunned looks on their faces. It was because they knew that Chen Cang was, in fact, Chen Zheng¡¯s older brother. The two brothers had grown up together until Chen Cang disyed an uncanny talent for martial arts. He was the kind of genius who could pick up anything so long as he put his mind to it. One day, an old man passed through the vige and happened to notice Chen Cang¡¯s talent. He immediately decided to take him as his disciple. Since then, the young man left August Hill Vige and was never heard of again.

    They might not have believed Chen Zheng if there was no one to corroborate his story, but since Chu Nianjiu himself confirmed that Chen Cang had, in fact, be a famous warrior known as the Sword Gentleman, they knew it had to be true. Against all odds, the chicken coop that was August Hill Vige had somehow produced a rising phoenix! Everyone knew then a bright future awaited their tiny little vige, and that it might just be what they needed to finally break free from their eternal status quo!

    Everyone grew excited when they realized this. Some of them were even looking at Chen Zheng with envy and greed. Now they understood why Chen Zheng always acted like he was above them all. If they had an older brother like Chen Cang, they would have grown an inted ego as well!

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad your brother¡¯s talent doesn¡¯t extend to you though. No offense, but your cultivation is so-so at best!¡± Chu Nianjiumented while taking another sip from his drinking gourd.

    Chen Zheng¡¯s grin stiffened in an instant. A few secondster, he replied awkwardly, ¡°Well, yeah. I don¡¯t have my older brother¡¯s talent in martial arts!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu shrugged. ¡°I think that¡¯s a good thing actually. I can tell you right now you¡¯re way more intelligent and sociable than your older brother. The guy isn¡¯t just stiff and boring, he wears a permanent scowl on his face like everyone in the world owes him a couple hundred silvers. Seriously, that guy¡­¡±

    ¡°H-haha¡­¡± Chen Zheng let out an awkward chuckle but didn¡¯t say anything. Chu Nianjiu was bold and strong enough to criticize his brother, but not him. His brother would just beat the crap out of him if he did.

    ¡°Alright, time¡¯s a wastin¡¯. Let¡¯s move!¡± dered Chu Nianjiu while looking at the sun.

    ¡°We wish you all the best, my lord.¡± Granny Xia saluted him. ¡°And please, do take good care of our younglings!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t hear your subtext, woman! What you really mean to say is, ¡®please take care of Chen Zheng¡¯, right?¡± Chu Nianjiu joked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am here. I promise you that nothing bad will happen!¡±

    With that, they left for Little August Hill.

 Chapter 21: Dangers Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 21: Dangers Everywhere</h4>

    The air turned unsettling and cold as soon as they entered Little August Hill, chilling them all the way to the heart.

    ¡°On your guard, people. Little August Hill is an evil ce with plenty of malicious Strangers about. It¡¯s on you if you lose your life as a result of your own negligence!¡± Chu Nianjiu warned.

    It was unnecessary advice. Everyone in August Hill Vige knew Little August Hill was a ce to avoid at all costs. Few vigers had ever ventured into the ce and lived to tell the tale. Even Qi Invokers like Granny Xia, Lin Hu and Chen Zheng had never gone farther than the outskirts of the mountains.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    It? had only been a few minutes since they entered Little August Hill when the group encountered a clump of shiny mushrooms. Not only were they as big as a millstone, the caps were covered in magnificent-looking star-shaped spots. They twinkled like actual stars in the sky.

    ¡°Oh! It smells good!¡± Liu Jinshui suddenly eximed in wonderment when he sniffed the air.

    ¡°You¡¯re right! These mushrooms smell really good!¡± Zheng Tao closed his eyes and took a deep breath as well.

    Ye Qing had a bad feeling about this, however. He immediately stopped breathing and watched the duo carefully.

    ¡°Stop it. Do you want to die that badly?¡± Not far away, Chen Zheng was breathing deeply with an intoxicated expression as well. He was about to breathe again when he felt someone smacking him on the shoulder and infusing him with an icy sensation. He jolted awake immediately.

    Chen Zheng looked beside him and saw that it was Chu Nianjiu. He looked puzzled as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, my lord?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu smirked. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why don¡¯t you take a look at them?¡±

    When Chen Zheng looked, he noticed that Liu Jinshui and Zheng Tao were staggering toward the big mushrooms with dazed expressions. No matter how intoxicating the mushrooms smelled, they should¡¯ve known better than to approach something so obviously suspicious. Even scarier was the fact that star-shaped spots started appearing on their bodies as soon as they got within a certain range. They looked exactly as the twinkling stars on the mushrooms.

    ¡°No! Please save them, my lord!¡± Chen Zheng eximed in horror.

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Chu Nianjiu sipped from his drinking gourd before flicking a drop of alcohol at Liu Jinshui and Zheng Tao each. Frost immediately spread over their body and jolted them out of their intoxicated state.

    ¡°What happened?¡± The two men shivered when they woke up and realized that they were just a few meters away from the millstone-sized mushrooms. They immediately scrambled back to the group.

    Chu Nianjiu answered, ¡°What else? You were nearly killed, that¡¯s what!¡±

    ¡°This mushroom is a Red-ss Stranger known as the Sea of Stars. It bewitches and lures its victims close with a delicious scent. As soon as you get close to it¡­¡±

    Chu Nianjiu snapped off a tree branch and threw it at the Sea of Stars. As it sailed toward the mushrooms, dreamy, star-shaped spots began to twinkle on its surface, and it started melting like it was ice under a hot son. By the time it reached the mushrooms, the branch had meltedpletely into a pool of sparkling liquid. It disappeared as soon as it made contact with the mushrooms.

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡± Gulps could be heard from everyone in the group. If it wasn¡¯t for Chu Nianjiu, Zheng Tao, Liu Jinshui and even Chen Zheng would be dead already!

    ¡°See?¡± Chu Nianjiu was the only one who remained unperturbed by the eerie sight.

    ¡°Thank¡­ thank you for saving our lives, my lord!¡± The trio thanked him immediately.

    ¡°Sure, but how are you guys still so careless at your age? Even thed has more sense than the three of youbined! He stopped breathing as soon as he noticed that something¡¯s amiss.¡± Chu Nianjiu pointed at Ye Qing.

    The trio immediately nced at Ye Qing with a mixture of embarrassment, jealousy and of course, resentment.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Why are you dragging me into this?</i>

    ¡°Let this be a lesson to you all: keep your eyes open, and don¡¯t be careless!¡± Chu Nianjiu warned before moving on.

    Some timeter, the group entered a valley and encountered a massive burning tree immediately. It had a huge trunk that took two people to coverpletely, and its canopy was even more impressive, not least because it was literally on fire. The fire was so massive that the entire valley was dyed red.

    The tree didn¡¯t feel particrly dangerous, but no one dared to get closer since the encounter with the mushrooms was still fresh in the mind. Instead, they looked to Chu Nianjiu for guidance.

    ¡°My lord, is this tree dangerous?¡± Chen Zheng asked.

    Chu Nianjiu shot him a look. ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s literally on fire!¡±

    Chen Zheng let out an awkward chuckle before continuing, ¡°What should we do then? We¡¯ll have to take the long way up if we decide to circumvent this valley, and the long way is <i>really </i>long.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu sipped from his drinking gourd before replying, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, but it¡¯s also quite easy to handle!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu abruptly tossed an amulet into the air that transformed into a dark cloud. It then started raining over the burning tree.

    <i>Flutter flutter flutter!</i>

    The next moment, every lick of me on the tree suddenly flew away from the tree like they had wings. As it turned out, the mes weren¡¯t mes after all. They were butterflies that looked almost identical to fire. Not even Ye Qing had noticed this until Chu Nianjiu had disturbed them. The magical things flew deeper into the forest and were gone just a few secondster.

    ¡°That is the Fire Butterfly, a Mundane-ss Stranger. Individually, the Fire Butterfly is an insignificant threat, but as you may have noticed, they are gregarious Strangers just like the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes or the Skull Ants. Never provoke them unless you have no other choice.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu continued, ¡°On the other hand, the Fire Butterflies love the heat and hate the cold. You¡¯ll often see them on a hot, sunny day, but never during the winter or the rain. All you need to do to chase them away is to create a bit of rainwater.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re as erudite as you are strong, my lord!¡± Chen Zheng seized the opportunity to tter Chu Nianjiu. Unfortunately for him, the Windcatcher did not appreciate it.

    ¡°Cut it out. Praise from a pretty woman is one thing, but praise from a guy is just ass. Let¡¯s get out of here before anything else shows up!¡± said Chu Nianjiu before resuming his march.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was staring at the direction the Fire Butterflies had disappeared to with a twinkle in his eyes. <i>The Fire Butterflies¡­ I could farm them if I ever run out of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes!</i>

    That said, the Fire Butterflies weren¡¯t hard-countered by his blood like the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were, so it would be wise toe up with a perfect n first before he threw himself against them.

    ¡°Ye Qing? What are you doing? Let¡¯s go already!¡± Wu Biao called out and snapped him out of his reverie.

    ¡°Coming!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly replied and caught up to the group before he was left behind.

    More time passed, and the group made it through the valley without incident. It was at this moment a bunch of white things suddenly descended on the group.

    ¡°What the¡­! Oh, for heavens¡¯ sake, it¡¯s just catkins!¡±

    Liu Jinshui was walking at the forefront of the group, and at first he was quite startled. When he realized what he was looking at though, he swore and batted the catkins away from him.

    It was a mistake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch those catkins!¡± Chu Nianjiu suddenly yelled.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liu Jinshui looked confused by his outburst. ¡°It¡¯s just catkins. What could possibly¡ª¡±

    He never got to finish his sentence. Liu Jinshui abruptly shivered like he had a cold before he started sneezing uncontrobly. It sounded like he was trying to dislodge something in his throat or his nose. His sneezes only grew louder and louder over time, and he could not control himself no matter what. Then, something horrifying happened: catkins began to spill out from his mouth and his nostrils. No matter how many he spat out, there were always more catkins. It was as if his insides were filled with them.

    ¡°Save¡ª<i>achoo!</i> <i>Achoo! Achoo!</i>¡ªme¡ª<i>achoo!</i>¡±

    Liu Jinshui reached out desperately to hispanions as he staggered toward them. Zheng Tao was going to rush over and support his friend, but Chu Nianjiu stopped him immediately. ¡°Leave him! It¡¯s already toote!¡±

    As soon as he said this, catkins sprayed out of Liu Jinshui¡¯s eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth with a vengeance. Finally, he copsed on the ground and stopped breathing just like that.

    ¡°What¡­ what in the world is that?¡± Zheng Tao asked shakily.

    Chu Nianjiu exined, ¡°That is a Stranger called the Catkin¡¯s Lie. If you touch it, it will transform everything within your body including your blood into catkins. You can open his stomach and take a look if you don¡¯t believe me. I guarantee that it¡¯s filled to the brim with catkins!¡±

    No one said a word after hearing this. Of course, no one was crazy enough to inspect Liu Jinshui¡¯s body either.

    <i>Whoosh!</i> Chu Nianjiu tossed a fire talisman over Liu Jinshui¡¯s corpse to cremate him before sighing, ¡°I know it was an ident, but try to remember this simple rule as we continue forward: Don¡¯t. Touch. Anything. That I haven¡¯t given you permission to touch. Otherwise, not even the heavens can save you!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    They did not linger. The group of five moved on after catching a small break.

    The atmosphere was a little gloomy, however. It was because Liu Jinshui¡¯s death made them realize that they weren¡¯t one hundred percent safe even with Chu Nianjiu¡¯s protection.

    ¡°Phew. We¡¯re finally out!¡±

    Eight or so minutester, the group finally left the thick and gloomy forest and entered a massive clearing. The hill they were standing on was covered in beautiful red flowers and green meadows, and the blue sky above their heads was as clear as a mirror. It immediately uplifted the mood that had taken a huge hit since Liu Jinshui¡¯s death.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to take a small break here, everyone! Feel free to dig into your rations!¡± Chu Nianjiu ordered. The reprieve was much appreciated as everyone was feeling a little tired after a two-hour march.

    Chen Zheng wiped away the sweat on his forehead and asked, ¡°If I may ask, my lord, how much longer do we have to go before we reach our destination?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to know? Are you scared?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu was lying t on the ground with his drinking gourd sitting on his chest. Every time he took a breath, a stream of alcohol would shoot out of the container andnd squarely in his mouth. It looked mighty impressive as a matter of course.

    Before Chen Zheng could muster a response, Chu Nianjiu continued, ¡°We¡¯re close. Don¡¯t you feel it? There is an evil aura in the air that is exactly the same as the human skin Strangers¡¯. Naturally, the Strange Artifact that produces them must be pretty close!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that!¡± Chen Zheng nodded before looking down on his feet. It was impossible to say what the martial artist was thinking.

    A whileter, Chu Nianjiu put away his drinking gourd and pped his hands. ¡°Alright! I can feel that the Strange Artifact is somewhere nearby, so here¡¯s the n. I want the four of you to split into two two-man squads and search around the area. If you find anything unusual, you wille back and report to me immediately. Do <i>not </i>go off on your own, understand?¡±

    A cunning glint immediately shed in Cheng Zheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, my lord. Wu Biao, you will team up with Zheng Tao. I will team up with Ye Qing!¡±

    No one¡ªnot even Chu Nianjiu¡ªhad any objection to offer. From their perspective, Chen Zheng¡¯s arrangement made perfect sense as Ye Qing was the weakest warrior in their group, and Chen Zheng the strongest. Of course the strongest should pair up with the weakest to maximize everyone¡¯s chances of survival.

    Ye Qing knew better, of course. He was sneering behind a mask of obedience. Everyone thought that Chen Zheng was looking after him, but he knew that the guy was just trying to iste them both so he could kill him!

    Luckily, he didn¡¯t mind this arrangement one bit. Today was the day they settled their feud once and for all.

    After the others were gone, Chen Zheng shot Ye Qing an amiable smile and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile was just as friendly. It was almost as if there wasn¡¯t a blood feud between the two that could only be settled with death.

    Chen Zheng took the lead, and Ye Qing followed right behind him. No one was saying a word, but the air between them could only be described as cold and murderous. The word "two-faced" had never described the two men better than this moment.

 Chapter 22: Parting Song

    <h4>Chapter 22: Parting Song</h4>

    ¡°Say, Ye Qing. Why are there so many people in this world who overestimate themselves? Why are there idiots who would purposely go out of their way to get themselves killed?¡± Chen Zheng asked suddenly from the front.

    Ye Qing replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°Some people overestimate themselves not because they¡¯re unaware of their limits, but because going beyond is the only way to better their future. Just the same, some people do desperate things not because they¡¯re actually suicidal, but because they want to live!¡±

    Chen Zheng let out a disdainful chuckle. ¡°But an ant is always going to be an ant, Ye Qing. It¡¯s not going to live or have a future no matter how hard it struggles.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°You won¡¯t know until you try.¡±

    /p>

    Chen Zheng sneered. ¡°Is that what you think?¡±

    But Ye Qing shook his head decisively. ¡°Me? Not at all. After all, I¡¯m neither an ant nor desperate, so why would I ever entertain such thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Chen Zheng burst outughing like a madman. ¡°That is the funniest joke I¡¯ve ever heard in my life!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Don¡¯t stopughing then. After all, it¡¯s going to be thestugh of your life.¡±

    That was thest thing Ye Qing said before his saber abruptly exited its sheath as quick as lightning. Chen Zheng¡¯sugh died in his throat as surprise flitted across his features, but he was toote. He never reacted before the saber had cut through his throat.

    Ye Qing thought it was over, but Chen Zheng abruptly disappeared into thin air. In his ce was a wooden doll with a thin line across its throat.

    ¡°The hell is this thing?¡± Ye Qing stared at the wooden doll with a slight frown. The surprise attack should¡¯ve ended Chen Zheng¡¯s life.

    ¡°Where is Chen Zheng?¡±

    Ye Qing looked around but could not spot the Qi Invoker anywhere. It was as if the guy really had vanished into thin air.

    Ye Qing shook his head. <i>No, be realistic. Chen Zheng is no Houdini, he can¡¯t pull a vanishing act. There are two possibilities. Either he teleported away to safety, or¡­ he¡¯s invisible!</i>

    Ye Qing squinted at his feet as if he was absorbed in thought, but in reality he was watching his surroundings carefully. His caution was rewarded just a momentter. A bush to his right suddenly depressed as if something had stepped on it. Without hesitation, Ye Qing rushed forward and unleashed a devastating series of shes at the space directly above the bush.

    <i>ng ng ng!</i>

    A series of metallic ngs rang out. Ye Qing was sure he had hit something, but instead of the softness of flesh, he felt as if he had struck steel.

    The truth was revealed just a secondter. The air in front of him abruptly distorted, and Chen Zheng popped back into view. He was covered in ayer of golden light that was shaped like a bell.

    ¡°Impossible! How are you so fast?¡± Chen Zheng eximed in astonishment, rage and even a bit of fear. If it wasn¡¯t for his brother¡¯s Scapedoll and golden bell talisman, he would probably be dead already.

    The Scapedoll was the wooden doll that had reced Chen Zheng right before Ye Qing would have cut his throat open. It was a potent Strange Artifact his older brother had requested a respected senior to create in exchange for a huge favor. The Scapedoll didn¡¯t just take a life-threatening hit in ce of its owner, it turned the owner invisible to help them escape as well.

    The Scapedoll was priceless even though it only worked one time. After all, it could save a life in a critical moment. Its value should be self-evident.

    Chen Zheng believed that his own carelessness was the reason Ye Qing was able to surprise him. If he hadn¡¯t showed his back to the young man like an idiot, there was no way in hell his life would¡¯ve been in danger. That was why he chose to stay instead of leaving. He was going to repay the ¡°favor¡± by ambushing Ye Qing with his invisibility.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing had found him before he could enact his revenge. Not only that, the young man had once again surpassed his reaction and triggered another life-saving item, the golden bell talisman. He would already be in pieces if the item didn¡¯t trigger automatically!

    He might be able to dismiss his first near death experience as a result of his own carelessness, but the initiative and surprise factor were firmly in his corner during the second exchange. Despite this, he still failed to defend himself against Ye Qing¡¯s saber. That was just how fast the young man was.

    ¡°Is it? I can go faster. Come try me!¡±

    Ye Qing remained cool and collected on the surface, but on the inside he was ranting about how Chen Zheng¡¯s older brother was a total bro-con. He could hardly believe that the sonuvabitch had two life-saving items when he, the main character of this story, didn¡¯t even have one!

    <i>So what if you have a brother who¡¯s both rich and powerful? Pshaw! You¡¯re still going to die!</i>

    Disgruntled he might be, Ye Qing did not allow it to affect his performance in the slightest. He was attacking even as he taunted Chen Zheng.

    <i>ng ng ng ng ng ng!</i>

    It looked like he was only unleashing one strike, but it clearly rang six times when the sabernded on Chen Zheng. Obviously, it was because Ye Qing had attacked six times in a row. It just looked like one to the naked eye because he was moving too quickly.

    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work. ¡°Just how tough is this thing?¡± Ye Qingined out loud. He had struck the same spot six times in a row, but still there wasn¡¯t a scratch on the golden light.

    ¡°This strength¡­ you¡¯re not a journeyman Reforged! You¡¯re a¡­ Qi Invoker?!¡±

    Although the golden bell talisman prevented Ye Qing¡¯s attacks from hurting him, it didn¡¯t prevent the force from transmitting into Chen Zheng¡¯s body. It was how he was able to identify Ye Qing¡¯s true cultivation level. Not only that, he could tell that the true qi behind the attacks were incredibly dense. This level of power was only possible if Ye Qing had been cultivating his true qi for years!

    <i>Has he been pretending to be weak this whole time?</i>

    But no, that couldn¡¯t be right. Just a month ago, he had beaten Ye Qing hard enough to put him in bed for days. The young man¡¯s vigor had been weak, and his body as fragile as what you might expect from someone who had never cultivated before. This meant that he had really entered the Qi Invocation stage in a single month.

    But how was that possible? He knew that geniuses did not conform tomon sense, but this was still a little too ridiculous, wasn¡¯t it? Did he encounter a once-in-lifetime opportunity thatpletely overturned his fate? Was he the reincarnation of a legendary warrior of old? Or maybe he wasn¡¯t human at all, and a Stranger had possessed him?

    All sorts of possibilities shed in Chen Zheng¡¯s mind, but he had nothing that might help him in narrowing down to the truth.

    While Chen Zheng was distracted, Ye Qing mustered his vigor and readied a powerful attack. His arm wriggled like there were tiny mice scurrying underneath his skin before it abruptly swelled up like a balloon. Then, he brought it down on Chen Zheng with everything he got.

    <i>CLANG! </i>This time, the golden light flickered unsteadily as if its power source was disrupted, but in the end it still wasn¡¯t enough. Not only that, his arm was numb and sore from the recoil.

    The terrific impact startled Chen Zheng and brought him straight back down to the earth. He quickly checked his body and was infinitely relieved to find that the golden bell talisman was still functioning. When he looked up and saw the look on Ye Qing¡¯s face, he finally realized something: <i>wait a second, why am I acting scared? The golden bell talisman protects me from all attacks! Ye Qing¡¯s the one who should be afraid of me, not the other way around!</i>

    ¡°Hahaha! So what if you¡¯re a Qi Invoker now, Ye Qing? No matter how fast your saber is, you still can¡¯t break through my golden bell talisman! Today is the day you die!¡±

    Chen Zheng¡¯sugh was full of scorn and hatred. Just a month ago, the young man was an ant he could literally squish to death with a finger. Now, he was actually threatening his life! How could he let him live? How could he wash away this rage if he did not hack him into a million pieces and feed him to the Strangers?

    And so Chen Zheng turned his wrist and summoned a sword to his hand. It had a crystalline body and a fine edge that looked as cold as frost. It was clearly no ordinary weapon. When he thrust the sword forward, it looked like a plum blossom had bloomed in the middle of a cold winter. It was proud and elegant, lofty and cold, beautiful and poignant.

    If the edge was the petal, then the tip was the pistil. When the plum blossom descended on Ye Qing, seven cold stars cut through the air and zipped toward Ye Qing¡¯s forehead, throat, heart, dantian and three other vital spots.

    <i>Parting Song of the Seven Plum Blossom ys!</i>

    Most parting songs weren¡¯t deadly, but this one definitely was. If any one of these ¡°stars¡±nded, Ye Qing was going to wake up on the other side!

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows shot up his hairline as he swung his saber furiously, weaving a mighty storm of des to intercept all seven thrusts before they could hit him. At first, it seemed like he was sessful as metal rang seven times in a row, and the plum blossom slowly faded into nothing. Then, an eighth star shot out from the center of the plum blossom not unlike a viper striking out from its hiding, vicious and unexpected. Empowered by a strange force Ye Qing couldn¡¯t make sense of, it shattered his barrier of des and struck him squarely in the chest.

    <i>Bang! </i>There was a dull impact as Ye Qing¡¯s chest exploded in a shower of blood and gore. It threw him a good couple of steps away from Chen Zheng before he caught himself. He quickly looked down on his wound with an indecipherable expression.

    ¡°Hahaha! If the seven sword thrusts are the parting song of the Seven Plum Blossom ys, then this one is the requiem for the dead!¡± Chen Zheng cackled madly when he saw that he had sessfully wounded Ye Qing. ¡°Requiem For The Dead¡± was a lethal move in the ¡°Plum Blossom Sword Art¡±. It was deadly, swift, and nigh impossible to guard against without forewarning.

    The ¡°Plum Blossom Sword Art¡± was a Qi Invocation stage sword art Chen Cang had gifted his younger brother. Naturally, it was much better and profound than the mundane ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±!

    ¡°That technique¡¯s pretty good!¡± Ye Qing swung his arm a bit in an attempt to alleviate some of the soreness in the limb. The Requiem For the Dead wasn¡¯t just extraordinary, it was empowered by an indescribable force that numbed his arm upon contact.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a good technique! You ought to be honored that you¡¯re going to die under my ¡®Plum Blossom Sword Art¡¯!¡± Chen Zheng cackled again before closing the distance. The plum blossoms began to bloom in the winter once more.

    Ye Qing¡¯s techniques were nothing special. In fact, one might say that they werepletely basic¡ªbasic chops, basic shes, basic sweeps, basic flicks and basic parries. But sometimes, you could make magic happen by pushing a certain aspect to the extreme. In Ye Qing¡¯s case, he was going so fast that it was like he had summoned a literal storm of sabers to attack Chen Zheng. If nothing else, it looked a lot more imposing than the plum blossoms.

    <i>So what if you have plum blossoms that can thrive in winter? I have a storm that will crush all life no matter how tenacious!</i>

    For a time, the only sounds that could be heard was the sound of a sword shing against a saber. Every time a plum blossom bloomed in the frigid wind, a ruthless storm would crush it without mercy. The plum blossom would then bloom again before another storm scattered its petals across the ground.

    That was the problem though. No matter how hard the storm blew, the plum blossoms kepting back to life. Although Ye Qing¡¯s saber was swift and unending, Chen Zheng¡¯s sword was equally profound and unpredictable. It was soft, but not without an unyielding hardness at its core; proud, but not so proud that it was beneath using surprise and illusions to gain an advantage; straightforward, but perfectly willing to use trickery to achieve its goals. Combined with the fact that Chen Zheng was protected by the golden bell talisman and so did not need to defend himself, and you get a helluva threat that could fight one or even multiple cultivation levels above oneself.

    Slowly, Ye Qing started umting more and more wounds. His clothes were drenched in blood as well.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Once again, Ye Qing¡¯s chest exploded in a shower of gore and blood and threw him backward. He dodged a follow-up attack with a slight frown on his face.

    ¡°Hahaha! So what if you¡¯re a Qi Invoker now, Ye Qing? You¡¯re still an ant, and an ant will never be able to climb the heavens!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s miserable state filled Chen Zheng with ecstasy.

    ¡°That¡¯s what you believe. I believe that an ant only needs to grow wings to scale the heavens,¡± said Ye Qing smilingly while looking down on his wounds. When his blood hit the ground, the grass and the flowers beside his feet suddenly started sprouting like weeds. The flowers grew brighter than ever before, and the grass shot over Ye Qing¡¯s head in just a matter of seconds. It was like he was a walking nt booster.

    ¡°Your blood is¡­? Now I understand! You¡¯re a Strangerkin! You have Stranger blood in your veins! No wonder you shot through the cultivation levels so quickly!¡± Chen Zheng eximed in realization even as a wave of jealousy and hatred threatened to choke him where he stood.

    A ¡°Strangerkin¡± didn¡¯t necessarily refer to a descendant between a human and a Stranger. It could be anyone who had somehow gained the power of a Stranger. All Strangerkins possessed mysterious abilities, and Chen Zheng¡¯s older brother, Chen Cang himself was a Strangerkin. He was a one-in-a-million Innate Immacte Swordsmaster who was born to wield the sword from the very day he left his mother¡¯s womb. It was why he was scouted by his master at a young age.

    Not all Strangerkins were aplished in life, but most of them were certainly one-of-a-kind.

 Chapter 23: Surprise

    <h4>Chapter 23: Surprise</h4>

    If everyone in the world was a Strangerkin, then this world would¡¯ve been a much friendlier ce to humanity. Unfortunately, fewer than one in a million were Strangerkin.

    Most Strangerkins inherited their powers from an ancestor, but to this day, no one had found a surefire way to create a Strangerkin or pass down their abilities to future generations. The Chen Zheng brothers were a prime example of that. They were blood brothers, but one of them was an Innate Immacte Swordsmaster and a genius, while the other was just an ordinary human in every sense of the word.

    There were many things in this world that were decided by choice, but birth wasn¡¯t one of them.

    For a while, Chen Zheng could only seethe with jealousy. Why did an ant get to awaken as a Strangerkin? Why not him? The more he thought about it, the angrier and more upset he became.

    ¡°Stranger blood? I have Stranger blood in my veins?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself while staring at his own blood. Although he didn¡¯t know what Chen Zheng was talking about, it was clear from his expression that this ¡°Stranger blood¡± was something to kill for. It was a good thing to know, but it didn¡¯t really matter to him.

    ¡°So what if you¡¯re a Strangerkin? I¡¯ll just bleed you until you have nothing left to bleed!¡± Chen Zheng grew even angrier and frustrated when he noticed that Ye Qing did not seem to care just how fortunate he was.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°So sorry to disappoint you, but blood is the one thing I can afford to piss away like nothing!¡±

    The moment he said this, his wounds began sealing and healing on its own. A secondter, Ye Qing waspletely healed as if he had never been injured in the first ce.

    ¡°...¡±

    This revtion pissed Chen Zheng off even more, of course. If a person¡¯s gaze could kill, Ye Qing would have burned down into a pile of ashes already.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t interested in exchanging passionate looks with Chen Zheng, however. They were sworn enemies who had dropped all pretense to murder the shit out of each other. Chen Zheng must die today, or he would be a source of endless trouble to him in the future.

    <i>Bang!</i> The earth shattered as Ye Qing appeared in front of Chen Zheng and brought his saber down once more.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, Ye Qing! You¡¯re just not strong enough to breach my golden bell talisman!¡± Chen Zhengughed loudly and scornfully at what he perceived to be a useless effort. It seemed that mocking the young man was the only way he could do to relieve the jealousy and anger in his heart.

    Suddenly, Chen Zheng¡¯s smile froze on his face. As Ye Qing swung his saber, his chest and abdomen started inting and deting unnaturally. Chen Zheng had just enough time to register a loud croak before he found himself sent hurtling across the air like a ragged doll. The impact was such that even the golden light protecting him all this time had dimmed considerably after flickering wildly like a light.

    ¡°Toad Force? You cultivated the ¡®Mental Art of The Toad¡¯, which means¡­ you¡¯re the one who killed Fang Nianshui!¡± Chen Zheng eximed in disbelief.

    Chen Zheng recognized Ye Qing¡¯s technique immediately because he was the one who had given Fang Nianshui the cultivation manual in the first ce. It was because Fang Nianshui was a talent worth nurturing, and because the hunter needed an incentive to assassinate a fellow watchman without getting caught.

    But now, it would seem that Fang Nianshui, that fool, had been killed not by the human skin Strangers. It was Ye Qing who did him in. Naturally, his cultivation manual had fallen into Ye Qing¡¯s hands.

    The irony tasted so bitter Chen Zheng could resurrect Fang Nianshui from the dead and kill him a second time.

    Ye Qing had also put two and two together after some quick thinking, but it didn¡¯t slow down his movements in the slightest. Chen Zheng was still in the air when he caught up to him and brought down his saber.

    Chen Zheng wasn¡¯t going to allow Ye Qing to hit him with impunity, so he tried to drive him away by attacking the young man¡¯s vitals using the Plum Blossom Sword Art. However, Ye Qing simply took the attack head on¡ªhe was confident that his powerful vigor and vitality would allow him to survive most hits¡ªand struck Chen Zheng¡¯s shielded body yet again. The golden light flickered and became even weaker than before.

    ¡°Again!¡±

    Ye Qing swung his saber like the wind and scored a couple more Toad Force-empowered hits across the golden light. The golden light started spilling golden shards everywhere while flickering dangerously like a dying candle. From the looks of it, it could disappear at any moment.

    Chen Zheng was seriously panicking now. As the owner of the cultivation manual, he was well aware that the Toad Force was potent enough to break through his golden bell talisman, not least because it was happening right before his eyes. Perhaps his situation would be less dire if his sword art was effective against Ye Qing, but the bastard was healing faster than he could put a hole in his body. He could scarcely believe that the young man was still human.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Ye Qing¡¯s reservoir of true qi and vigor was unlike anyone he ever met. Most people would have had to catch a breather after executing the Toad Force a handful of times, but the young man just kept going like he could do this until the end of time. That was of course an exaggeration, but Chen Zheng was sure that Ye Qing could keep this up until his golden bell talisman was gone at the very least. The moment that happened would be the moment he died!

    <i>Is being a Strangerkin really that big of an advantage?</i>

    For the first time since the battle began, Chen Zheng was seriously terrified of his enemy.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Suddenly, a beam of red light shot into the air and exploded like fireworks. It was Chen Zheng activating his contact talisman.

    Ye Qing was so surprised that he temporarily stopped his assault and frowned.

    Chen Zhengughed when he saw the realization on the young man¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s over, Ye Qing! You can¡¯t kill me before Chu Nianjiu and the others show up, and when they do, you will die!¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting Chen Zheng to be so decisive as to activate his contact talisman the second he determined that he was in grave danger. He was right that the group would want to kill him when they showed up as well. Although Chen Zheng was the one who started this whole nonsense in the first ce¡ªhe could even prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was his fault¡ªthe only one who would be suffering the consequences today was him. Forget that he was carrying multiple valuables that could tempt even a saint off the virtuous path, Chen Zheng had a strong older brother who was acquaintances with Chu Nianjiu. This alone would ensure that he, the real victim of this incident, would be victimized.

    In this world, being right didn¡¯t matter nearly as much as being strong!

    He had two choices. One, he could run right now and pray that he could somehow escape Chu Nianjiu, the guy who had singlehandedly crushed the army of human skin Strangers that nearly annihted August Hill Vige. He would also have to somehow make it out of Little August Hill alive, a death trap where even the likes of Chu Nianjiu had to tread carefully.

    Or two, he could kill Chen Zheng.

    Ye Qing took one look at Chen Zheng¡¯s hateful expression and made his choice. Of course he was going to kill Chen Zheng.

    The golden bell talisman still protecting Chen Zheng was a problem though. While the Toad Force could definitely break through the protection, he reckoned that it would take another dozens of hits before it was finally dismantled. By then, Chu Nianjiu would have reached them already.

    The only way to do this was to finish this as soon as possible.

    ¡°Croak¡­¡±

    A croak erupted from Ye Qing¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Haha! Stop wasting your energy already! You won¡¯t make it in time!¡± Chen Zheng said scornfully when he saw that Ye Qing had chosen to struggle. That was all weaklings could do, struggle futilely and pitifully until the end!

    ¡°Croak¡­¡±

    Then, a second croak erupted from Ye Qing¡¯s stomach and cut his mirth short. All the blood drained away from Chen Zheng¡¯s face as he eximed in disbelief, ¡°Impossible! The Toad Force can be stacked?¡±

    Despite his shock, Chen Zheng did not allow his emotions to get the better of him. He immediately turned tail and ran like hell. All he needed was to survive for another minute or two, and victory would be his!

    ¡°Croak¡ªcroak¡ªcroak!¡±

    Three more croaks erupted from Ye Qing¡¯s stomach. When his power grew to the point where even the air around him started vibrating ominously, he abruptly vanished from view¡ªthe earth beneath him literally splitting like an earthquake as he pushed off the ground¡ªand reappeared right behind the escaping Chen Zheng. His saber came down.

    ¡°Noooooooooo!¡±

    Chen Zheng could only scream in terror as Ye Qing descended on him like a demon god. When the de struck the golden light, it trembled onest time before disintegrating inch by inch into nothing. Finally, the Toad Force was able to pour into Chen Zheng¡¯s body unhindered.

    Blood immediately shot out of every hole on Chen Zheng¡¯s head like a fountain. He then crumpled into a heap following a series of disturbing pops and snaps. It sounded like Chen Zheng had snapped every muscle and bone in his body.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t doing so hot himself, however. He was on his knees before he knew it, and his skin was cracked everywhere like he was made of porcin. He had stacked the Toad Force five times before unleashing the devastating attack. There was so much power that even his body couldn¡¯t quite withstand it. It was an ultimate attack that hurt him almost as much as it hurt the enemy.

    But of course, the results were well worth the cost. The ultimate attack hadn¡¯t just destroyed Chen Zheng¡¯s golden bell talisman, it had flooded his body with Toad Force, shattered his bones, and turned his internal organs into goo.

    Chen Cang must <i>seriously </i>love his younger brother though, because Chen Zheng <i>still wasn¡¯t dead </i>despite sustaining the kind of injury that would kill another Qi Invoker a hundred times over. An unknown energy seemed to be keeping him alive and restoring his vitality from within.

    ¡°You¡ª<i>cough! Cough! Cough!</i>¡ªcan¡¯t kill me. My brother is¡ª<i>cough!</i>¡ªChen Cang, is one of the Four Gentlemen. He will <i>ughter </i>you if you dare to kill me!¡±

    Chen Zheng was still shooting his mouth even though he waspletely helpless at this point. Ye Qing spat out a mouthful of blood before forcing himself to stand and staggering toward Chen Zheng.

    ¡°I swear you I¡¯ll never bother you again if you let me go, Ye Qing! I¡¯ll even introduce you to my brother! You¡¯re a Strangerkin. I¡¯m sure great things are in store for your future, a future that my brother can make ten times better!¡±

    His saber had long since shattered into a million pieces, so Ye Qing had no choice but to pick up a random rock from the ground. He then continued toward Chen Zheng with unflinching determination. Only an idiot would believe Chen Zheng¡¯s promise, and in this world, the only reliable soul was a dead one!

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me! My brother is Chen Cang! You¡ª¡± Chen Zheng started screaming incoherently when he saw that Ye Qing would not be deterred. Sometimes, he would swear the worst things upon Ye Qing should he continue his course. Sometimes, he would beg in the meekest tone and promise the world if only Ye Qing would spare him. Like a man seconds away from drowning, he was grabbing at anything that might save his life.

    It was too bad there was absolutely nothing he could say or do that would change Ye Qing¡¯s mind.

    <i>Buzz buzz buzz¡­</i>

    It would seem that fate had onest joke in store for the two men, however. A loud buzzing noise abruptly came from the sky and drew Ye Qing¡¯s attention away. He looked up and saw an unnatural ck cloud flying straight toward them.

    ¡°Ha, haha, ahahahaha! It¡¯s the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes! You might still be able to make it if you run now, Ye Qing! Otherwise, you¡¯reing down to the grave with me! Hahaha!¡±

    Chen Zheng startedughing like a madman when he realized what the ck cloud in the sky was. Clearly, the Strangers had been attracted by their blood. It was perfect. His older brother had left him a third and final item that would temporarily fill him with energy and preserve his vitality. It was also why he was confident he would survive until Chu Nianjiu showed up and killed these Bloodsucking Mosquitoes!

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was looking at the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes with the strangest expression on his face. A whileter, he turned back to Chen Zheng and stared at him like he was an idiot.

    The Bloodsucking Mosquitoe was his favorite Stranger bar none. Their appearance right before he was about to kill Chen Zheng could only be described as killing two birds with one stone. After all, he would be taking out his sworn enemy and earning a ton of dragon-serpent runes at the same time. If this wasn¡¯t killing two birds with one stone, then what was?

    In fact, he would be killing <i>three </i>birds with one stone. The Bloodsucking Mosquitoes would deal with Chen Zheng¡¯s body for him. Marvelous!

    And so Ye Qing raised his rock and brought it down on Chen Zheng¡¯s forehead hard, silencing his mad cackle instantly. <i>Bang!</i>

    ¡°Do you really want to die, Ye Qing?¡± Chen Zheng screamed hoarsely after a second of utter disbelief.

    The only response he got was another rock to the face. <i>Bang!</i>

    <i>I¡¯m the quiet, strong protagonist. I don¡¯t talk unless I have to!</i>

    It was around this time the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes finally reached them and enveloped them like a bundle of thick nkets. Chen Zheng¡¯s body immediately started shriveling in real time, though he was still alive because of the item continuously recharging his vitality.

    Chen Zheng¡¯s eyes were wide open. He wanted to sear every second of Ye Qing¡¯s agonizing demise permanently into his memory.

    What happened next was certainly something he wasn¡¯t ever going to forget. Not only was Ye Qing perfectly fine, the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes were the ones that shriveled up like dead leaves before falling lifelessly to the ground. It was as if Ye Qing was the one sucking their blood dry, not the other way around. Not only that, he was visibly growing healthier as time passed.

    Ye Qing met Chen Zheng¡¯s eyes and winked at him. ¡°Surprise! Are you entertained?¡±

    /p>

    ¡°Sha! Sha!¡±

    Suddenly, a shrill, high-pitched noise cut through the air. The next moment, a dozen or so strange birds swooped down from the sky and inhaled entire swathes of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes into their stomachs.

    The strange birds were about ten meters in height with a snake¡¯s head and an avian¡¯s body. Their feathers were dark green and shiny like jades. They also stank. A lot. Every time they opened their mouths, foul-smelling breaths would threaten to empty the contents of his stomach.

 Chapter 24: The Gale and the Bull

    <h4>Chapter 24: The Gale and the Bull</h4>

    ¡°Gale Birds?¡±

    A vein bulged on Ye Qing¡¯s forehead as he looked at the strange birds feeding on his precious Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. The Gale Bird was a ten-meter tall Stranger with a snake¡¯s head and an avian¡¯s body. It enjoyed eating children and possessed a pair of powerful wings and a mouth that could generate a lot of wind. The wind contained a deadly poison that would putrefy the skin upon contact.

    Ye Qing knew this because he had studied a book named ¡°The Stranger Tales¡± that was kept within the archives of August Hill Vige. It was aption of anecdotes and apocryphal stories about the Strangers, and there were a lot. For starters, it had spoken of a strange serpent that eternally devoured its own tail, and anyone who saw the serpent would transform into a baby and be eaten by it; a Mind Demon that was small enough to live in a human¡¯s ear and could mentally manipte humans into killing each other to feed on their malice, a Nimbus Cloud that was like a child who glowed like the sun when it was happy, shot thunder at the ground when it was angry, rained heavily when it was sad and more; a Dream Eater that fed on dreams, so on and so on.

    Before today, Ye Qing firmly believed that the contents of the book was mostly fiction because the Strangers described in it were simply too fantastical to be real. He thought it was just something an author made up to amuse the masses. Now though, he wasn¡¯t so sure. The Gale Birds in front of him were very real at least.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing was assaulted by a wave of dizziness. At the same time, his flesh and blood began to fester in real time like they were rotting.

    ¡°Its breath is poisonous!?¡± That was the moment Ye Qing finally decided to abandon Chen Zheng and run like hell. He hadn¡¯t run when the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes came because he was immune to them, but the Gale Birds were a different story. These Strangers would kill him if he did not run while he still could!

    It was a shame he couldn¡¯t see Chen Zheng¡¯s death through to the end, but then again, if the sonuvabitch managed to survive the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes feeding on his blood and the Gale Birds rotting his flesh with its breath, then he would just have to ept that fate did not want him to die today.

    ¡°Sha! Sha!¡±

    Speaking of which, it looked like fate had a bone to pick with him today because one of the Gale Birds abruptly turned toward Ye Qing¡¯s direction and let out an ugly cry, its ribbon-like tongue rippling across the air just like a snake¡¯s tongue would. At the same time, Ye Qing felt a smelly, powerful gust of wind pulling him from behind and nearly throwing him into the air.

    <i>I thought you like eating children? I¡¯m already an adult! I¡¯m coarse and rough and not tasty at all! </i>Ye Qing swore inside his head even as he clung onto a boulder and attempted to wait out the attraction. However, the pull was only growing stronger and stronger, and his body was still rotting from the deadly poison. It wasn¡¯t long before chunks of his flesh and blood began stripping off his body and flying into the Gale Bird¡¯s mouth like cotton waddings! At this rate, his flesh was going to be sucked clean off his bones, which was basically the same as being eaten alive!

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    Ye Qing was still racking his brains for a way out when suddenly, the entire hill shuddered like a drake was flipping over in its sleep. Ye Qing was nearly shaken off the boulder he was clinging to, and the Gale Bird attempting to suck him to death startled and stopped doing what it was doing. It hurriedly pped its wings and escaped into the sky.

    Some of the Gale Birds weren¡¯t as lucky. Bucket-width vines abruptly burst out of the earth and caught not one, but several Gale Birds who were too slow to escape, dragging them into the ground. Terrified for their kin, the Gale Birds in the air pped their wings and sted their wind against the vines with all their might. Unfortunately, they failed to damage the vines even a little. That was all they managed to do before the trapped Gale Birds were dragged into the crevices and disappeared.

    ¡°Sha! Sha! Sha!¡±

    Only five Gale Birds were left when all was said and done. They flew circles around the area and cried mournfully for their fallen kin, but they did not dare to approach the ground.

    ¡°What the bloody hell just happened?¡± Ye Qing blurted out loud. He would get his answer just a secondter. The ground started trembling once more, and entire chunks of earth were kicked off to the side. The next thing he knew, he was staring at a colossal Stranger the size of a small hill.

    /p>

    The Stranger was a massive bull with a horse¡¯s face. Easily over forty meters tall, it had a pair of crescent-shaped horns and brown scales that covered nearly every inch of its body. Each individual scale was as big as a millstone and glowed a ckish yellow under the hot sun.

    The bull Stranger had one tail that waspletely covered in fur. Each strand was as thick as a bucket. At the tip of the tail was a human face that was smeared with blood. There were even a few strands of dark green feathers hanging out of its mouth.

    Clearly, the ¡°vines¡± were really the bull¡¯s fur. They had dragged the Gale Birds into the underground before feeding it all into the mouth.

    As if all this wasn¡¯t mind-blowing enough, the face suddenly spoke, ¡°Haha! What are you looking at, cutie? Are you so enamored with me that you can¡¯t look away? Don¡¯t worry, I promise I¡¯ll eat you in a moment. That way, you can look at me forever and ever, haha~¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s jaw was on the floor right now. His eyes were as wide as saucers, and his brain kept trying to convince him that it was all a dream. How could he not? Not only did a giant bull¡¯s tail just talk to him, it¡ªshe seemed to be a female! Like what the fuck?

    Then, it finally clicked to him: <i>Oh shit! The tail-woman wants to eat me!</i>

    Survival instinct prevailed over shock at that moment. Ye Qing immediately jumped off his boulder and sprinted toward the distant forest!

    ¡°Oh, cutie, it¡¯s pointless. You¡¯re not going to escape me!¡± The tail-woman giggled sweetly. Her voice sounded so sweet, inviting and more importantly, human that no one would ever believe she was a face on a bull''s tail until they saw her with their own eyes.

    ¡°But first¡­ will you please get rid of those ugly birds in the sky for me, Bull?¡± The tail-woman said sweetly. Ye Qing instinctively looked back just in time to see the massive bull letting out a thunderous snort that was far louder and impactful than a thunderp. He was almost a hundred meters away from the bull at this point, and still he felt like someone had hit his head with a hammer.

    The Gale Birds in the sky weren¡¯t nearly as lucky. The snort was so powerful that their heads abruptly exploded into a shower of blood and gore. Before their headless carcasses could hit the ground, the fur on the bull¡¯s tail grew like crazy and caught them all. Then, it pulled the carcasses toward the woman so she could gobble them all up in one gulp. Ye Qing could hear their bones snapping like twigs even as blood sprayed forth from the corners of her lips. It was creepy to put it mildly.

    ¡°Peeping on me again, cutie? Just give me a moment! I¡¯ll be right there!¡±

    The tail-woman was still chewing up the Gale Birds¡¯ bodies when she called out teasingly to Ye Qing. Assuming he wasn¡¯t mistaken, he even saw her winking at him from afar. Clear goosebumps broke out of his scalp as he ran even faster toward the forest ahead of him. He had no doubt the tail-woman would eat him like chicken wings if he was even a little bit slower!

    Ye Qing¡¯s speed was excellent, and he was able to reach the foot of the hill and slip into the dense woods just a few secondster. However, he had just taken his first step into the forest when the ground started trembling, and the woman¡¯s sweet giggles entered his ears. The hunt was on!

    ¡­¡­

    On a tall, straight mountain that stretched all the way into the clouds, a young man was meditating on top of a cliff. He was around twenty-five to twenty-six years old and wore a set of pure white clothes that matched his handsome features very well. His aura was sharp and devoid of warmth like a sword.

    The mountain was lofty, and the wind was extremely strong. It was pushing the sea of clouds beneath the cliff to heavens-know-where. As the ground waspletely blocked from view, it was impossible to say how far up the young man was, only that a drop from this height was going to be fatal for sure.

    The young man wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest, however. He was so calm and collected that he resembled a cold, hard rock.

    Suddenly, the young man opened his eyes and fished out a wooden tag from his sleeves. It had snapped in half before he knew it.

    ¡°Zheng¡¯s Lifetag is broken!¡± the young man uttered in a low, raspy voice. He then gripped the wooden tag so hard that it exploded into a million pieces.

    ¡°Killer of my brother, I will find you and destroy you if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡± He swore under his breath. The air was stifling and oppressive just like the calm before the storm.

    <i>Buzz¡ª</i>

    The sound of singing swords abruptly rang from beneath the cliff. The next moment, the sea of clouds scattered into nothing as if they were skewered by a tsunami of sword qis.

    ¡°Master said I¡¯ve reached a bottleneck, and I¡¯ve certainly cultivated in peace and solitude for long enough. It is time I leave the mountains!¡± The young man said while rising to his feet. Then, he started walking down the clouds like he was a god descending to the earth!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Haha! Don¡¯t run, cutie! You¡¯re going to end up in my mouth anyway, so why bother?¡±

    Behind Ye Qing, ancient trees thick and tall enough to have lived for hundreds of years kept falling like they were trampled by some sort of giant. The earth shook violently and constantly like an earthquake that would never end. However, none of them were as terrifying as the sweet voice that kept talking to him like the tail-woman was right beside him this whole time. He just could not shake the bull Stranger off no matter how far he ran!

    Ye Qing snuck a nce behind him and noted that the hill-sized bull was definitely still chasing after him. Its tail was also lifted high up in the air like a snake towering over its prey. He could almost see the woman¡¯s face at the end of the tail.

    ¡°Peeping at me again, cutie? If you let me eat you, then we can be together forever! Don¡¯t you want that?¡±

    ¡°Oh cutie, your flesh smells incredible! I can¡¯t wait¡­¡±

    Ye Qing ignored her and kept running. Every time he was about to run out of stamina, he would sacrifice a dragon-serpent rune and restore himself as good as new. It was the only reason the giant bull hadn¡¯t caught him¡­ or maybe not. Given its size, Ye Qing was fairly sure that the bull could catch up to him if it really wanted to. It was just toying with him like a cat would before eating the mouse!

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know if that really was the case, and he didn¡¯t care. One thing for certain, he must keep running if he wishes to live!

    Suddenly, the scenery before his eyes changed drastically. The lush, ancient trees that towered over the earth were abruptly reced by apletely different kind of tree. Not only was its trunk pitch ck in color, they were bald and overflowing with doom and gloom.

    The deeper Ye Qing went, the darker the environment became. Then, there came a point where the trees were suddenly covered in human skins. As soon as Ye Qing burst into this area, every skin on the trees abruptly came alive and turned toward him, drilling their gaze into his soul with their pitch ck eyes.

    ¡°The human skin Strangers? Did I identally stumble upon the human skin Strangers¡¯ir?¡± Ye Qing recognized the creepy monsters in front of him, of course. At first he was cursing his luck, but then it hit him that he might be able to pit the human skin Strangers and the bull against one another. Worst case scenario, it would still be a three-way fight!

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. Still sprinting at full speed, he shouted on top of his lungs, ¡°Human skin Strangers, your grandfather¡¯s here to kick your ass!¡±

    It was like someone had shot a re or sent a signal to every human skin Stranger in the area. They immediately peeled off the trees and chased after Ye Qing like a tidal wave.

    The human skin Strangers at the very back did not get to participate in the chase, however. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to, but because a humongous hoof had abruptly descended from the sky and crushed them into bits.

    ¡°What ugly things! Bull, make sure you stomp them all into bits! Do not let them hurt a single hair on my cutie!¡± The tail-woman ordered sweetly while swaying right above the bull.

    What happened next was, of course, a one-sided ughter. The giant bull easily trampled the human skin Strangers to bits! They were unable to put up even the slightest bit of resistance!

 Chapter 25: Jade Dragon Lake

    <h4>Chapter 25: Jade Dragon Lake</h4>

    ¡°Fuck! They¡¯re so useless!¡± Ye Qing swore while sneaking a nce behind his back. He sucked in a deep breath before elerating once more. As he ventured deeper into the forest, his surroundings steadily grew darker and darker. The air itself seemed to be chock full of doom and gloom and misfortune. And of course, the number of human skin Strangers chasing after him was still growing by the second.

    The sea of human skin Strangers would¡¯ve been a huge threat against most opponents, but unfortunately, a Stranger the size of a hill wasn¡¯t one of them. Like ants, a single stomp was all the bull Stranger needed to crush an entire group of human skin Strangers into pieces. A couple more stompster, and they couldn¡¯t even maintain their shape anymore.

    Ye Qing was still running for his life when he encountered a wall of thick fog. It was then he heard a crazed, evilughter from behind the fog.

    ¡°Kekeke! You¡¯re here, you¡¯re finally here! I¡¯ll kill you, I¡¯ll kill you, kekeke¡­¡±

    Ye Qing could hardly stop now, so he simply clenched his teeth and got ready for anything. A few secondster, he saw the silhouette of a giant. It was as tall as a Gale Bird, but its width was no less impressive. It looked like a mountain of flesh from a distance.

    ¡°Fang Nianshui?¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock when the bloated giant¡¯s face finally came into view. It belonged to none other than Fang Nianshui.

    Ye Qing quickly realized that he was mistaken though. The closer he got, the clearer the giant became, and it wasn¡¯t long before he realized that the mountain of flesh wasn¡¯t a mountain of flesh at all. It was a body that had been cobbled together through an unimaginable amount of human skins. Covered in wrinkles and cracks from head to toe, it looked like an unbelievably ugly lump that had been stitched together using countless pieces of dirty fabric. Ye Qing could confidently say that he had never seen something so ugly and bloated in his life.

    The giant¡¯s face was somehow even uglier. The face was technically Fang Nianshui, but it was a giant face grafted together using countless heads. There were mouths, nostrils, eye sockets and ears all over the flesh. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t even sure how the monster managed to cobble them together into Fang Nianshui¡¯s face, but one thing for certain, it truly was the epitome of ugliness.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing noticed that a disgusting, pitch ck qi was constantly pouring out of the seams between the giant¡¯s skins. Through the seams, he could just barely see a ck dagger about three inches in length sticking out of its heart. It was also the source of the ck qi.

    ¡°That dagger! That must be the Strange Artifact Chu Nianjiu spoke of!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    The ck qi flowing out of the dagger looked exactly the same as the ck qi possessing the human skin Strangers. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the dagger must be the culprit behind the human skin Strangers!

    Ye Qing perked up not because he discovered the truth¡ªwhat did the truth matter when he was moments away from death?¡ªbut because the human skin giant looked quite powerful. And since it was powerful, it should be able to dy the giant bull behind his back for a significant amount of time. Worstes to worse, it should still buy him enough time to escape to safety!

    ¡°Heh! I¡¯m counting on you, brother!¡± <i>He did not forget me even after he passed onto the afterlife. You¡¯re such a good guy, Nianshui!</i>

    Ye Qing charged straight toward the human skin giant while wearing a giant grin on his face.

    The hatred on the human skin giant¡¯s face deepened when it saw Ye Qing charge straight toward it. It immediately clenched its fist and punched down on the young man. As it did so, ck qi flowed into the fist before bursting into ck mes. It seemed intent on burning Ye Qing into ashes.

    Ye Qing did not alter his trajectory though. He kept running forward like he was nning tomit double suicide with the human skin giant. But right before the punch would¡¯ve hit him, Ye Qing abruptly sped up, hugged his head, and rolled right between the giant¡¯s legs. Just like that, he was out of danger and free to run to his heart¡¯s content once more.

    It was obvious that the human skin giant did not have a good head on its shoulders, or rather, it was acting purely based on its instinct. After losing Ye Qing, he froze for a second before flying into a rage and roaring on top of its lungs. It proceeded to punch the giant tree beside it and shattered the trunk in one hit.

    <i>Rumble rumble!</i>

    It was at this moment the giant bull finally made it to the human skin giant. As soon as the tail-woman entrenched above the bull¡¯s head spotted, she immediately let out a cry of dismay and horror, ¡°How ugly! How can such an ugly thing exist in the world? Ugly, ugly, ugly! Quick, Bull! Stomp him to death before he pollutes our eyes!¡±

    The human skin giant was already pissed off in the first ce, and now an excellent target had just presented itself. It let out another roar before charging straight toward the bull.

    p>

    <i>Well done, brother! </i>Naturally, Ye Qing was thrilled when he saw the human skin giant charging toward the bull Stranger out of the corner of his eyes. He even gave his new best friend a thumbs-up in his heart.

    On the bull¡¯s head, the tail-woman let out a disdainful snort and swayed left and right like she was shaking her head. Even the strange bull was snorting in disdain¡ªno, it was an attack! A powerful shockwave greater than the one it had unleashed earlier abruptly spread out in every direction! Like a tsunami, it crushed every tree, every grass, and every rock that dared to stand in its path!

    Ye Qing was about fifty meters away from the two giants when the shockwave smacked him in the back and sent him hurtling across the air. By the time he climbed back to his feet and looked behind him, he realized that the gloomy woods behind him had been razed to the ground, leaving only an empty clearing behind!

    The sea of human skin Strangers were nowhere to be seen. The human skin giant standing directly in the path of the shockwave waspletely gone as well!

    ¡°Motherfucker! You¡¯re useless, Nianshui!¡± Ye Qing cursed when he realized that the human skin giant had been annihted. Despite its scary appearance, it was just a paper tiger! It couldn¡¯t even survive a sneeze from the enemy!

    <i>Ka-thunk!</i>

    ¡°What the!?¡± Suddenly, a dagger fell from the sky andnded right in front of Ye Qing. It was none other than the dagger he had seen embedded inside the human skin giant¡¯s body earlier. The shockwave caused by the bull Stranger¡¯s sneeze had probably blown it all the way to this ce!

    ¡°It¡¯s considered bad luck to turn down free stuff! Especially if it¡¯s from the heavens themselves!¡± Ye Qing dered in justification of his greed. Every Strange Artifact was a priceless relic in its own right. He might not have wanted it when it was still embedded in the giant¡¯s body, it would be foolish of him not to take it now!

    But of course, he wasn¡¯t bold enough to grab it directly. The dagger lookedpletely unassuming now, but the horrifying things it hadmitted¡ªpeeling skin off both living and dead people, conjuring armies of human skins, and even creating a monster straight out of one¡¯s worst nightmares¡ªwas still fresh in his mind. That was why he brought out the Annon Sutra. He wrapped it around the dagger and tucked it all under his shirt.

    If the Annon Sutra could suppress even the mysterious blood, then it should have no problems suppressing the dagger as well.

    With that done, Ye Qing continued to flee for his life. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that a bloodthirsty Stranger was right behind him!

    ¡­¡­

    On a previously scenic hillside, Chu Nianjiu was floating in the air and surveying the ruined and copsed mess in front of him. He looked grave and solemn.

    ¡°What happened here, my lord?¡± Zheng Tao and Wu Biao blurted from behind when they saw the destruction. They were searching the area opposite of Ye Qing and Chen Zheng when suddenly, they saw the contact talisman exploding in the air. While they were rushing over to theirrades¡¯ rescue, the earth suddenly shook as if an earthquake was happening. They already had a bad feeling then, but it would seem that things were even worse than they had imagined!

    ¡°Have you seen Captain Chen and Ye Qing, my lord?¡± Zheng Tao asked urgently.

    ¡°No, I have not. The presence of a powerful Stranger permeates this ce. I suspect that Chen Zheng and Ye Qing must have used a contact talisman after encountering a serious threat!¡± Chu Nianjiu spected. Unfortunately, he was just a little too far away from the duo when the contact talisman was fired. Now, he could only pray that Chen Zheng was still alive. Otherwise, he was going to catch hell from a certain sword maniac.

    <i>How bothersome!</i>

    Chu Nianjiu scratched his head in irritation as he observed his surroundings. ¡°Looking at the marks on the ground, it looks like the powerful Stranger that caused all this destruction had gone that way. We should follow it. Let¡¯s hope¡­ that they¡¯re both fine!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu took a sip of alcohol before taking a step. As if magic, he shot ten meters forward like the wind. Zheng Tao and Wu Biao hurriedly chased after him. The Wine Gentleman might look like he was sauntering, but in fact he was moving at high speed. The two watchmen had to give everything they got just to keep up with him.

    As they ventured deeper and deeper into the forest, their astonishment steadily grew as well. The hoofprints were the size of ake, and countless treesy broken or shattered on the ground. The forest itself had been split in half. They could only wonder what kind of Stranger had caused this destruction.

    ¡°Wait, this presence¡­ it belongs to the human skin Strangers!¡± Suddenly, Chu Nianjiu stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes in concentration. Then, he walked up to a shattered tree andy his hand on the fragments. ¡°Yes, this was definitely where the Strange Artifact was!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu hurriedly rushed forward until he reached the location where the presence was the strongest and stopped in his tracks once more. His usual expression had been reced by a look of utter shock.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my lord?¡± Zheng Tao and Wu Biao asked between heavy breaths after catching up to Chu Nianjiu. Their question was automatically answered when they looked up and saw the clearing in front of them; one that definitely had not been present before. The wide clearing in front of them looked like it had been struck by a meteor. The st radius was at least thirty meters wide, and the pit at least ten meters deep. The crystallization at the center of the pit and the lingering heat in the air all suggested that a terrifying explosion or tsunami had taken ce here just a while ago. Lying just beyond the pit were countless fallen trees and debris.

    ¡°What¡­ What could possibly have done all this?¡± Wu Biao stuttered as he gulped.

    ¡°A Stranger!¡± Chu Nianjiu replied expressionlessly before resuming the pursuit.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°God dammit! It¡¯s been a full hour since she started chasing me! Why is she still chasing me!?¡± Ye Qing panted heavily while ncing behind his back with bloodshot eyes. There, a giant bull with a carnivorous tail-woman were still nipping at his heels relentlessly.

    ¡°You should stop, cutie! The ce you¡¯re about to enter is very dangerous! You won¡¯t be able to leave once you enter the ce!¡± The tail entrenched on the bull¡¯s head cried sweetly. ¡°Just join me already! You¡¯ll be able to see me everyday if you do!¡±

    ¡°...¡± <i>I would rather die than see your bloody face everyday.</i>

    Truth be told, the Stranger¡¯s warning was unnecessary. The unnatural blood stench in the air was all the warning sign he needed to know that he was entering a dangerous ce. What was curious was that the smell felt very familiar to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re a very naughty boy, cutie! I¡¯m starting to get angry!¡± Perhaps it was because Ye Qing had ignored her ¡°advice¡± one too many times, but the tail-woman grew visibly angry this time. The hair around the tail started growing at an insane rate before plunging toward Ye Qing like a flood of snakes.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Ye Qing spat out a bloody spittle before sucking in a deep breath. His stomach swelled and deted rapidly for a couple of times before a powerful aura seeped out of his body. Suddenly, he was running several times faster than before.

    In essence, the Toad Force was a technique that greatly enhanced the wielder¡¯s physical attributes. That was why it could also be applied to fleeing as well.

    <i>Whoosh! </i>Ye Qing abruptly burst into a clearing. He was greeted by the sight of a massiveke.

    Something was very wrong with theke, however. A normalke was azure blue or emerald green in color, but this one was jarringly red¡ªthe color of blood.

    ¡°Ake of blood? Is¡­ Is this the Jade Dragon Lake?¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock and horror. He finally realized why the blood stench had smelled so familiar to him. It was the same smell that had permeated the vige when they were under attack by the sarcophagus!

    Theke before him could only be the resting ce of that terrifying sarcophagus, the Jade Dragon Lake!

 Chapter 26: The Perfect Scapegoat

    <h4>Chapter 26: The Perfect Scapegoat</h4>

    <i>Swoosh swoosh!</i>

    Countless strands of bull fur were flying toward Ye Qing, and each strand was as thick as a bucket. They easily smashed every tree standing in their path into smithereens. Ye Qing had no doubt that he was a goner if he allowed them to catch him.

    There was no time to think. After rolling on the ground and dodging a deadly swipe that was aimed at his back, Ye Qing leaped back to his feet and elerated toward the Jade Dragon Lake with everything he got.

    Honestly, there was no good option here. He was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, though one threat was more immediate than the other. It was why Ye Qing ultimately decided to risk the Jade Dragon Lake. One way or another, he wasn¡¯t going to give up until thest moment.

    When the bull fur got within ten meters of the Jade Dragon Lake, it suddenly began to take on a blood red hue. The next moment, it began bleeding bright red blood like it was flesh, not fur.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    The clump of bull fur writhed violently like it was alive. At the same time, countless warped and tormented faces began appearing on each individual strand. It looked horrifying in every sense of the word.

    The faces weren¡¯t doing well, however. Like candle wax melting under a hot me, they were slowly but surely dissolving into blood. They struggled and screamed as an unnatural, irresistible power strove to unmake their very existence.

    The clump of bull fur immediately stopped pursuing Ye Qing and pulled back, but it was toote. Before it could withdraw out of range, it meltedpletely into blood and dyed the ground red.

    ¡°Argh! You abominable bitch! How dare you damage my beautiful hair! One day, I swear I will¡­¡±

    In the forest, the tail-woman was screeching angrily like a banshee. The blood had essentially destroyed a good portion of her hair and made her partially bald, so she looked incredibly ugly right now.

    When she was finally done with her swearing, she looked at Ye Qing and let out a bone-chilling cackle. ¡°I will remember this, cutie, and I will find you even if you run to the ends of the earth!¡±

    She then looked away and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go find some flesh food, Bull. The sooner I can regrow my beautiful hair, the better!¡±

    With that, the bull Stranger turned around and trotted back into the forest, wantonly carving yet another path of destruction.

    ¡°Phew¡­ it¡¯s finally gone!¡±

    When he confirmed that the bull Stranger was truly gone, Ye Qing let out a huge sigh of relief and copsed to the ground. He shot back to his feet almost immediately, however. It was because he remembered that he wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet. The memory of the sarcophagus nearly annihting the August Hill Vige and the bull fur rotting into a pool of blood were still fresh in his mind.

    ording to Granny Xia, there existed three forbidden regions around August Hill Vige. They were the underbelly of Little August Hill, the Haunted Wail Gorge, and the Jade Dragon Lake respectively. Of the three, the Jade Dragon Lake was easily the most dangerous because any living being who got too close to theke would be corrupted by its blood qi and suffer either one of two different fates: One, they would turn into a Red Walker who fed on all things with even a sliver of blood in them. Or two, they would be melted down into a pool of blood.

    Even if there was a way to shield themselves from the blood qi, they still had to contend with theke of literal blood and the sarcophagus at the center of it. It was why no viger was allowed to get close to the Jade Dragon Lake under any circumstances.

    ¡°So like¡­ why am I still alive?¡± Ye Qing asked no one in particr while rubbing his nose. Not only did he feel perfectly fine, he felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to this ce. To be specific, his blood was unusually lively, and it was constantly consuming the blood qi in the air to strengthen itself.

    ¡°Is it the Annon Sutra or the mysterious blood? It¡¯s probably the blood!¡±

    He had refined the mysterious blood from the Stranger in the sarcophagus, and the Stranger was probably the source of all the oddities surrounding Jade Dragon Lake. That was why he was safe. The Annon Sutra might be able to shield him from the blood qi, but it would not be able to trigger a resonance between his blood and the blood qi!

    Ye Qing reached out and made a grabbing motion. Wisps of blood qi immediately entered his body almost as if they couldn¡¯t wait to be one with his blood. The effects were immediate. He began healing at an elerated rate.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m right. This is a safe zone for me!¡± Ye Qing was delighted, of course. The Jade Dragon Lake was the bane of all things alive, and not even the bull Stranger was an exception. Logically speaking, no Stranger should exist in the area besides the one lying in the sarcophagus at the center of theke. It should be safe for him to catch some rest.

    And so he dropped back to the ground and rested. It wasn¡¯t until he was more or less back to peak form that he finally climbed back to his feet and examined his surroundings.

    The Jade Dragon Lake was around thirty meters in diameter and blood red in color. Its waters were perfectly still, and everything around it¡ªthe grass, the trees, the rocks, the soil, and even the sky were dark red in color. It was like an independent domain that existed separately from the outside world.

    Floating in the middle of theke was a sarcophagus, and blood qi was constantly seeping into it. It was as if the mysterious Stranger inside the sarcophagus was also absorbing the surrounding blood qi to restore itself¡­

    <i>Thump!</i>

    Suddenly, the sarcophagus shuddered once and scared the shit out of Ye Qing. He would have turned tail and run if the sarcophagus hadn¡¯t fallenpletely silent after that. He sighed in relief when he confirmed that it was just a false rm.

    Afraid that staring at the sarcophagus for too long would trigger it somehow, Ye Qing looked away and muttered, ¡°That sarcophagus is weird as hell. Best not look at it any longer!¡±

    Ye Qing spent the next period of time examining every nook and cranny for cultivation manuals, medicine or anything that could be valuable to him. There had to be some treasures lying around this strangend, right? Unfortunately, he was wrong.The only thing he found was trees, grasses, and rocks. He sighed. ¡°Oh well. I guess it¡¯s time to leave!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu and the others should be pretty close by now, and it would be troublesome if they found out that he was immune to the deadly phenomenon of the Jade Dragon Lake. In fact, he would have left way sooner if he wasn¡¯t worried that the bull Stranger could be lying in wait for him somewhere. He wouldn¡¯t count out the possibility considering how intelligent the tail-woman was.

    As expected, he had just returned to the forest when he heard a bunch of rustling noises not far ahead from him; the sound of footsteps to be exact. Ye Qing immediately hid behind arge tree and pretended to be nervous.

    Not a moment too soon, Chu Nianjiu came into view and called out warily, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± At the same time, the Wine Gentleman stared intently at Ye Qing¡¯s hiding spot.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, my lord? Thank goodness!¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise as he ran out of his hiding spot. He was so happy, so excited that he even tripped and ate a faceful of dirt.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Ye Qing, right?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Still brimming with excitement and relief, Ye Qing scrambled to his feet and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s my name, my lord!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Chen Zheng?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked another question while looking left and right for Chen Cang¡¯s younger brother. He was getting a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Chen Zheng?¡± Unconscious fear and horror crept over Ye Qing¡¯s face as he stuttered, ¡°Captain Chen, he¡­ he was eaten by a bull Stranger!¡±

    ¡°He what?¡± Chu Nianjiu urged. ¡°What the hell happened? Please tell me everything from the start!¡±

    Ye Qing took a couple of seconds to rein in his emotions before he began, ¡°From the beginning¡­ Not long after we parted ways with you, we ran into a swarm of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. Captain Chen and I fought them off as best we could while trying to make it back up the hill.¡±

    ¡°However, a dozen or so giant birds with snake heads suddenly descended from the sky and began attacking the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes. When they opened their mouths, they spat out this disgusting wind that¡¯s incredibly deadly. I¡­ I only touched the wind for a second, but it was enough to rot my skin¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Malice-ss Stranger, the Gale Bird!¡± Chu Nianjiu rified. ¡°Continue!¡±

    ¡°Since the Gale Birds¡¯ attention was wholly on the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes, we thought that we were safe. We were just about to make a run for it when¡­ when¡­¡±

    All the blood suddenly drained away from Ye Qing¡¯s face as if the memory was too much to bear. ¡°The ground suddenly split apart, and clumps of fur the size of buckets suddenly burst out into the open. It caught most of the Gale Birds and¡­ and Captain Chen. He was just too close to the scene when it happened. Then, they were all pulled into the underground.¡±

    ¡°After that, the ground shook like an earthquake, and a gigantic bull the size of a small hill burst out into the open. It had a horse¡¯s face and a long tail with a woman¡¯s face on it. The fur that caught the Gale Birds and Captain Chen originated from that tail, and that woman, she¡­ she pulled Captain Chen close and ate him in one gulp!¡±

    Ye Qing continued while looking as pale as a sheet, ¡°Not only that, that tail-woman¡­ She can talk! She said she wanted to eat me! I could hardly believe my ears!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu¡¯s expression was inscrutable. He took a sip of alcohol before asking, ¡°If what you said about that bull is true, then how did you survive?¡±

    Ye Qing swallowed audibly before answering, ¡°Well, I ran like hell as soon as I saw her taking a bite out of Captain Chen. It was while I was running that she said she was going to eat me. Thanks to the early start, I was able to escape into the forest before she could reach me, and after that¡­ well¡­ I¡¯ve just been running non-stop and praying to all the gods and demons in the world to save me.¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve died, really. I was about to run out of energy when I reached this ce. For whatever reason, the bull Stranger just suddenly gave up and left without a word. Worried that there might be some grave danger lying ahead of me¡ªdanger that even the bull Stranger is wary of¡ªI decided to hide here and wait for rescue. And¡­ and you did!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu asked another question, ¡°Did you encounter anything strange on your way over?¡±

    ¡°Like what, exactly? Nothing about this ce is¡­¡± Ye Qing frowned in confusion before eximing in realization, ¡°Oh right, I did! There¡¯s a ck forest not far away from here that¡¯s filled to the brim with the human skin Strangers! There¡¯s even a giant that¡¯s cobbled together from human skins. They tried to chase after me after I intruded their territory, but then the bull Stranger showed up, and they decided to deal with the greater threat first.¡±

    ¡°It was useless though. That bull Stranger, it¡­ it just let out a sneeze, and the human skin Strangers, every single one of them¡­. They were gone just like that!¡±

    ¡°A sneeze? Are you sure?¡± Chu Nianjiu pressed.

    ¡°Absolutely. That sneeze was louder and more powerful than anything I¡¯ve ever seen before. It was like the sky itself was sundered in half. It¡¯s impossible!¡± Ye Qing said while wiping away beads of cold sweat from his forehead.

    <i>I see. That pit we saw must¡¯ve been a result of that sneeze! </i>Chu Nianjiu thought to himself.

    Chu Nianjiu hid a sigh when Ye Qing¡¯s story finally came to an end. He was unable to identify any inconsistencies or suspicion points from the young man¡¯s words or expression.

    In fact, he had encountered the bull Stranger just a moment ago. It was exactly as Ye Qing had described. He didn¡¯t know why, but the bull Stranger had been trampling over the forest, catching every flesh-and-blood creature and Stranger it could find with its bucket-sized fur, and feeding them into the woman on its tail. It was bloody and horrifying to the extreme to put it mildly.

    <i>Well, this is bad. If Chen Cang learns that his younger brother had been eaten by a bull Stranger under my watch, and worse, that I had allowed its killer to escape right before my eyes, it¡¯s gonna be soooo embarrassing!</i> Chu Nianjiu thought gloomily while sipping his wine.

    <i>Bah. What was I saying? It¡¯s better to be embarrassed than to be dead! </i>Chu Nianjiu scratched his nose irritatedly. <i>There¡¯s no way I could¡¯ve predicted that this would happen, and frankly it¡¯s not my fault he¡¯s so unlucky!</i>

    Ye Qing was way weaker than Chen Zheng, but he had survived the encounter with the bull Stranger, but Chen Zheng did not. Sometimes, life just rolled that way.

    ¡°My lord, do you know why the Stranger stopped chasing me all of a sudden?¡± Ye Qing asked. He had been examining Chu Nianjiu¡¯s expression this whole time, and he finally allowed himself to rx after confirming that he had sessfully fooled the Wine Gentleman. No one could contradict his story because there was no body, and since there was no body, no one could investigate it and find out that Chen Zheng had, in fact, had his crap beaten out of him before he died. He even had a perfect scapegoat to pin the me on. It was the perfect crime!

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the sarcophagus in Jade Dragon Lake!¡± Chu Nianjiu guessed. The sarcophagus was the reason he came to Little August Hill in the first ce, though he wasn¡¯t able to find anything despite circling the periphery for the past two days. Despite his powerful Strange Artifacts, he was unable to get within six meters of the Jade Dragon Lake without being corrupted by the blood qi. It was why he still couldn¡¯t find out the true identity of the stranger in the Sarcophagus.

    ¡°The Jade Dragon Lake? You¡¯re saying that theke up ahead is <i>the </i>Jade Dragon Lake? No wonder!¡± Ye Cheng eximed with feigned surprise.

 Chapter 27: The Wilful Annon Sutra

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Wilful Annon Sutra</h4>

    ¡°Do you know what Stranger resides within that sarcophagus, my lord?¡± Ye Qing asked with genuine curiosity.

    Chu Nianjiu took a deep gulp from his drinking gourd before dering proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve got no idea!¡±

    ¡°...¡± <i>I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the right tone for such an answer.</i>

    As if he could hear Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts, Chu Nianjiu said indifferently, ¡°The Jade Dragon Lake is so dangerous that even that bull Stranger is afraid to get close. Is it really that strange that I couldn¡¯t find out what¡¯s hiding inside the sarcophagus?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re totally right!¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows before nodding seriously.

    This time though, it was Chu Nianjiu¡¯s turn to shoot Ye Qing a meaningful look. His eyes were mirthful almost as if he had figured out something.

    ¡°My lord, my lord!¡± It was at this moment Zheng Tao and Wu Biao stepped out of the forest. They reported, ¡°Our deepest apologies, my lord, but we couldn¡¯t find the Strange Artifact you asked us to find anywhere!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Who knows where it might have gone after that bull Stranger sted it into the air?¡±

    It was at this moment Zheng Tao noticed Ye Qing. ¡°Ye Qing! You¡¯re still alive! Where is Captain Chen?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu said before Ye Qing could answer, ¡°He¡¯s dead. He was eaten by that bull Stranger we ran into earlier!¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± The two watchmen immediately turned as pale as a sheet. It wasn¡¯t until a long timeter that they finally recovered and stuttered, ¡°W-what should we do then, my lord?¡±

    ¡°What else? We go home and drink our woes away!¡± Chu Nianjiu dered.

    The Strange Artifact that was creating the human skin Strangers had been taken out by the bull Stranger, and he couldn¡¯t get close enough to the Jade Dragon Lake to perform any sort of investigation. What was the point of staying then?

    ¡°Come on!¡± Chu Nianjiu beckoned them to follow him before turning to leave. The three watchmen exchanged nces with each other before following him in a hurry.

    <i>Thump¡­ thump¡­</i>

    Just a minute after the group of four left, the sarcophagus at the center of the Jade Dragon Lake suddenly rang twice like someone was knocking on its stone lid. Then, it abruptly creaked an inch to the side. A pale, unblemished hand slowly reached out of the sarcophagus.

    At that moment, the Jade Dragon Lake turned as dark as the night!

    ¡­¡­

    <i>Pitter patter¡­</i>

    Inside Ye Qing¡¯s dantian, a ck cloud so thick it was practically solid hung heavily in the air. It looked like it unleashed a downpour, no, a world-ending flood at any moment!

    Suddenly, a breeze appeared out of nowhere and blew against the cloud. The cloud wobbled once before it began to drizzle. The rain kept growing stronger and stronger as if someone had cut a hole in its underbelly. Eventually, what looked like an entire river fell to the ground below and filled it with water.

    As the downpour continued, the water on the ground grew from puzzles into a stream, then from a stream into a river, and finally from a river to ake.

    The dark cloud in the air would continue raining until it had shed thest drop of water. When the deed was done, the ¡°sky¡± looked as blue as the sea, and his dantian glowed as bright and vibrant as spring!

    On the floor, Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes and muttered happily, ¡°My true qi had finally turned into ¡®rain¡¯. I¡¯m finally at thete-stage of the Qi Invocation stage!¡±

    It had been three days since he returned from Little August Hill. After applying for a three-day sick leave from Lin Hu, he had locked himself in his house and cultivated for three days straight. Thanks to this, he was able to advance from the middle-stage to thete-stage of the Qi Invocation stage.

    Chu Nianjiu had left on the second day after he returned to the August Hill Vige. Chen Zheng¡¯s death had everyone¡ªespecially Granny Xia and Lin Hu¡ªworried because it was entirely possible for Chen Cang to me Chen Zheng¡¯s death on August Hill Vige. Thankfully, Chu Nianjiu had promised them that he would take full responsibility for Chen Zheng¡¯s death, and that he would make sure that Chen Cang would noty a hand on August Hill Vige no matter how angry he was. It was only then they were able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    There was no denying that everyone was feeling a little disappointed though. For a moment, they had believed that August Hill Vige would be elevated to greater heights through Cheng Zheng and Chen Cang. Now, they were back to square one. It was only natural that they were disappointed with this oue.

    Ye Qing did not care about any of this though. Right now, the one thing that concerned him was Chen Cang¡¯s revenge!

    The day they had returned to August Hill Vige, he had subtly pried some information out of Chu Nianjiu¡¯s mouth. ording to the Wine Gentleman, Chen Cang was an obsessed man who cared for nothing but the sword. He was also exceptionally narrow-minded and stubborn. However, these were all good traits for a swordsman. Only by being obsessed with the sword could they be a sword that could cut through anything.

    Unfortunately, this was bad news for Ye Qing because it meant that Chen Cang wasn¡¯t going to let this go. Once a stubborn, obsessed man like him had set his mind to something, he would not relent until they had achieved his goal.

    Although his crime was perfect, and no one could possibly pin anything on him, it was a coin toss whether Chen Cang would decide toe after him. After all, he was thest person to see Chen Zheng alive, and it was well known that he and Chen Zheng were at odds with one another. Today, Chen Zheng was dead, and he was alive. Even he had to admit that he was a prime suspect.

    If Chen Cang really dide after him, and if he, through certain means, was able to uncover his secrets, then he was going to be in big trouble!

    He had witnessed Chu Nianjiu¡¯s strength with his own eyes, and Chen Cang was his equal. He could only imagine that Chen Cang was as strong as Chu Nianjiu, if not stronger!

    That was why he needed to increase his own power as soon as possible. He was certain he would be d when the time came that he needed it.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m in thete-stage of the Qi Invocation stage, it¡¯s time to consider the next level!¡±

    The next level after the Qi Invocation stage was the Vessel Augmentation stage. The warrior would use his true qi to augment his blood vessels and transform it into a furnace that could support even more true qi and enhance his qi cirction. Finally, he would be able to extend his true qi beyond his body.

    The biggest difference between the Qi Invocation stage and the Vessel Augmentation stage was the ability to extend one¡¯s true qi beyond the body. A Qi Invoker could only imbue their body or their weapons with true qi, while a Vessel Augmentor could maintain their true qi even after it was cut off from the body.

    It was here Ye Qing encountered another problem. He had absolutely no idea what to do to enter the Vessel Augmentation stage.

    Okay, maybe iming that he was clueless was a bit of an exaggeration. He did have an inkling on how he could get there, but there were certainly a lot of uncertainties!

    ¡°Screw it, I¡¯m just gonna ask the Annon Sutra!¡±<i> When in doubt, just ask the Annon Sutra!</i>

    ¡°How can I ascend to the Vessel Augmentation stage?¡± Ye Qing asked while cutting open his palm and pouring his blood on the vellum. It took a long time before the familiar red text finally came into view.

    <i>¡°I feel like a bull in a china shop trying to navigate through the unknown dangers ahead of me. The only thing I can do is to grow my strength as much as possible and prepare for the worst.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I have reached a bottleneck, however. How can I continue growing my strength? Perhaps I should try ascending to the Vessel Augmentation stage!¡±</i>

    <i>¡°To ascend to the Vessel Augmentation stage, I would need a Vessel Augmentation stage cultivation art. It can¡¯t just be any cultivation art either. The better cultivation art is, the more vessels I¡¯d be able to augment, and the stronger I would be. This is something that directly affects my future potential. I must treat this with the utmost care!¡±</i>

    ¡°A Vessel Augmentation cultivation art, eh? I knew that would be the case.¡± It had taken a Qi Invocation mental art to enter the Qi Invocation stage. Naturally, he would need a Vessel Augmentation cultivation art to enter the Vessel Augmentation stage.

    Moreover, the Annon Sutra was saying that the better the quality of the Vessel Augmentation cultivation art he chose, the greater the amount of blood vessels he would be able to augment, and the better his future potential would be. That was why he couldn¡¯t just cultivate the most avable Vessel Augmentation cultivation art he could find. He must treat this with the utmost care!

    ¡°What are some of the best Vessel Augmentation cultivation arts out there?¡±

    Ye Qing hovered his palm over the vellum once more, but this time the Annon Sutra did not manifest his answer as quickly as it usually did. Eight whole minutester, when his face was deathly pale, and he had bled nearly every drop of blood in his body, the Annon Sutra finally answered his question:

    <i>¡°The quality of a Vessel Augmentation cultivation art directly affects my future potential, so I ask the Annon Sutra: what are some of the best Vessel Augmentation cultivation arts out there?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Well, there¡¯s the ¡®Orthodox Method of Heavenly Astral Five Thunders¡¯ by the Dragon Tiger Mountain, the ¡®Eighteen Impetus of Taichi¡¯ by the True Martial Sect, the ¡®Flowerfall Sword Sutra¡¯ by the Swordsgrave, the ¡®Flying Clouds and Flowers Order¡¯ by the Unique Vi, the ¡®Imperishable True Arts¡¯ by the Demon Mountain, the ¡®Nine Song Riddles of the Innocent¡¯ by the Academy of the Gate of Chi, the ¡®Autumn Book of the Son of Heaven¡¯ by the Chu Dynasty, the ¡®Nine Cauldrons Dragonfall Art¡¯ by the Wei Dynasty, the ¡®Heavenly Tablet of the Seven ughters¡¯ by the Yan Dynasty and so on¡­¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Unfortunately, these first-ss Vessel Augmentation cultivation arts are never taught beyond their inner circles, and I may never get the chance to obtain them. I should cease my wishful thinking and consider more realistic options instead!¡±</i>

    Ye Qing let out a couple of weak coughs and nearly slumped to the ground when the red text finally reached the end. There was a moment there where he was truly terrified for his life. He had wanted to interrupt the ritual as soon as he realized that the question was going to cost him far more blood than he was ready for, but he was unable to do so. A mysterious force had trapped him in ce and forced him to continuously pour his blood onto the Annon Sutra! There was absolutely nothing he could¡¯ve done to resist it!

    <i>It¡¯s probably because my question is far beyond the reach of someone at my current level! I must be much more careful in the future! </i>Ye Qing chided himself.

    In fact, he already had a feeling that this was the case not long after he obtained the Annon Sutra. The harder and trickier the question, the more blood he had to spill to get his answer. He just wasn¡¯t sure until thistest question.

    When he had asked the Annon Sutra for a list of some of the best Vessel Augmentation cultivation arts out there, he had intended to follow it up with a question on how to obtain them. Of course, that was no longer an option. It was very possible that the question would literally suck him dry, not to mention that the Annon Sutra itself had warned him to cease his wishful thinking. It would be a bad idea to ignore its advice.

    That said, the question hadn¡¯t been aplete waste of blood. For one, he had discovered one of the Annon Sutra¡¯s limitations. Two, he had uncovered some very important names. The Dragon Tiger Mountain, the True Martial Sect, the Chu Dynasty, the Wei Dynasty¡ªit was clear that they were some of the major forces in this world. The question had shown him a glimpse of this vast, mysterious world and the forces who stood at its peak!

    After recovering his blood using a gray dragon-serpent rune, Ye Qing asked his next question, ¡°How can I obtain the most suitable Vessel Augmentation cultivation art for me?¡±

    He believed that this was a much better question than the previous one because the scope was a lot narrower, and it took his circumstances into consideration. He was right. This time, it only cost him two bowls of blood before the Annon Sutra gave him an answer:

    <i>¡°Having nearly lost my life to unrealistic fantasies, I decided to take a more pragmatic approach.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I should travel to the Jade Dragon Lake. The opportunity I¡¯m looking for may be there!¡±</i>

    ¡°The Jade Dragon Lake?¡± This wasn¡¯t what he expected at all. He had just returned from that forbidden area, and he hadn¡¯t found anything besides the mysterious sarcophagus while he was there. So where could this ¡°opportunity¡± be?

    It couldn¡¯t possibly be referring to the mysterious Stranger in the sarcophagus, right?

    ¡°No¡­ no, that can¡¯t be it!¡± Cold sweat broke out of his forehead as soon as he recalled the terrifying existence. ¡°The Annon Sutra won¡¯t send me to my death¡­ I hope!¡±

    He did not try to sacrifice more blood to obtain more details because he already knew that it was futile. For questions like this, the most the Annon Sutra would provide was a general direction. It would never give him a clear, detailed answer. It was wilful like that.

    For example, he once asked the Annon Sutra when Chen Zheng would try to kill him. It had not deigned to give him an answer. Before taking off to Little August Hill, he also asked if the expedition would be a dangerous one. Again, the Annon Sutra did not tell him anything.

    In conclusion, the Annon Sutra was potent, but not omnipotent. He could utilize it to his advantage, but he must never be reliant on it!

 Chapter 28: Weaklings Do Not Deserve To Live In This World

    <h4>Chapter 28: Weaklings Do Not Deserve To Live In This World</h4>

    <i>What excuse should I use to leave the vige? </i>Ye Qing frowned. It was likely that the trip to Jade Dragon Lake would take days, so he couldn¡¯t just sneak away during a routine patrol. He couldn¡¯t just up and leave either. His fellow vigers would definitely suspect something.

    <i>Knock knock!</i>

    It was at this moment someone double-tapped on his door. He called out, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    Sun Er¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Captain Lin is looking for you, Ye Qing!¡±

    Ye Qing opened the door and greeted his fellow viger. ¡°Good afternoon, Sun! Why is the captain looking for me?¡±

    Sun Er shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I reckon it has something to do with the group of outsiders who just came into our vige!¡±

    ¡°Outsiders? Do you know who they are?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Sorry, no. What I can tell you is that they¡¯re well-dressed, pompous, and not someone you wish to trifle with. Make sure you don¡¯t offend them when you see them, okay?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Sure! Why would I do that?¡±

    The two men chatted until they arrived at Granny Xia¡¯s residence. As soon as they arrived at her doorsteps, they immediately heard a cold, unfamiliar voiceing from inside, ¡°Hmph! The favor we¡¯re asking from you is trivial at best, but all I hear are excuses and more excuses! Is that it? Does August Hill Vige thinks they are superior to the Zheng n of Anyang?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! Why on earth would we denigrate our guests? It¡¯s just that Huhu and I are still recovering from a major battle, and we are not fit for any sort of long trip. Please understand¡­¡± Granny Xia¡¯s voice followed meekly.

    ¡°Understand? Understand my ass! I think you just don''t want to obey us! You realize that the entire August Hill Vige is going to suffer if my young master¡¯s ns are disrupted in any way?¡± A stout middle-aged man with a ferocious aura threatened.

    ¡°Be polite, Pao. We are here to ask for help, not to fight and kill,¡± said a youngster sitting at the head chair of the house. He was wearing expensive clothes and enjoying a sip of tea. Although it sounded like he was reining in his servant, his arrogant expression and his next words were anything but. ¡°We can always threaten them after they refuse to help us, right?¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master!¡± The man named Pao grinned savagely while staring at Granny Xia and Lin Hu like a butcher would examine his meat.

    Granny Xia and Lin Hu were fuming, but they didn¡¯t dare to let their emotions show. Forget the Zheng n, the group of five in her house alone was no one they could trifle with.

    The youngster in expensive clothes was Zheng Tianyuan. He was the leader of the group and the scion of the Zheng n. His aura marked him as a middle-stage Qi Invoker.

    Pao was Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s bodyguard and ate-stage Qi Invoker.

    The old man with white hair and a goatee called himself Prayer. He looked to be in histe fifties, but his aura was tough and unfathomable.

    The other middle-aged man was called Chi Long [1]. Living up to his namesake, he had red hair, red beard, and reddened skin that gave him the appearance of a walking furnace. His aura felt incredibly powerful and hot to touch as well. He was a keeper of the Zheng n.

    Thest person in the group was an old woman named Granny Snake. She carried a walking stick with a handle that was shaped like a turtle dove. Her pupils were an eerie dark green, and she carried a dark green snake that constantly slithered in and out of her sleeves. It was possible there were more snakes inside her clothes. Her aura was as gloomy as she was creepy, and she too was a keeper of the Zheng n.

    The two men and one woman were allte-stage Qi Invokers. In fact, their auras clearly marked them as Pao¡¯s superior in cultivation. Without exaggeration, the three of them were enough to ughter every man, woman and child in August Hill Vige!

    ¡°Granny Xia, right? Maybe you or your watchmen captain are unable to apany us, but surely there¡¯s someone else you can send?¡± The old man named Prayer spoke up in an unhurried tone before sipping his tea. ¡°We will take anyone you have as long as they¡¯re suitable. We desperately need this medicine to save a life, and we cannot afford any more dys. We will be most grateful if you will lend us your aid!¡±

    Granny Xia rxed a bit when she heard this. ¡°Well, there is someone. A few days ago, a Windcatcher of the Pacification Bureau, Chu Nianjiu, was conducting business in Little August Hill. He had taken one of our watchmen with him while investigating the Jade Dragon Lake. If you don¡¯t mind his cultivation, I am sure he can be of help to you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about thed standing just outside the door, aren¡¯t you? Let him in!¡± Prayer said amiably.

    Granny Xia nodded and called out, ¡°Ye Qing! You cane in now!¡±

    After Ye Qing stepped into the house, he saluted Granny Xia and Lin Hu before asking, ¡°Were you looking for me, Granny Xia?¡±

    The old woman answered, ¡°Ye Qing, these people are guests from Anyang. They would like your help with something.¡±

    ¡°Help? What can I possibly do for these people?¡± The voices were muffled, but he had vaguely heard Granny Xia talking about the Jade Dragon Lake before he was invited in. Could these people be looking to visit the Jade Dragon Lake?

    ¡°Have you been to Jade Dragon Lake?¡± Zheng Tianyuan interrupted arrogantly and stiffly before Granny Xia could say anything.

    Ye Qing looked to Granny Xia for instructions. It wasn¡¯t until she said, ¡°Please answer his question,¡± that he saluted the youngster and responded, ¡°That is correct. Three days ago, I apanied Lord Chu Nianjiu to the Jade Dragon Lake to investigate a Strange Artifact that had gone out of control. However, we never went deeper than the periphery because he imed that the Jade Dragon Lake is too dangerous!¡±

    On the inside, Ye Qing was celebrating his good luck. He was just wondering how he could convince Lin Hu to let him go to the Jade Dragon Lake.

    ¡°Good. You will be apanying us!¡± Zheng Tianyuan dered, sealing Ye Qing¡¯s fate without even bothering to ask for his consent.

    Ye Qing pretended to look confused as he, a measly journeyman Reforged, shouldn¡¯t have been able to eavesdrop on their conversation. Prayer noticed this and let out a chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s like this. We desperately need a herb named the Red Buddha Lotus to save a life. As the herb could only be found in the Jade Dragon Lake, we would need someone to take us there. Since you¡¯ve visited the Jade Dragon Lake before, would you be so kind as to act as our guide?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ye Qing pretended to hesitate. He wanted to go there of course, but it would be highly suspicious if he raised his hands and whooped, ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± It was a forbidden area that nobody wanted to visit after all.

    Also, these people might be able to fool his fellow vigers, but as someone who made it all the way to the underbelly of the Jade Dragon Lake, he knew that it was a total lie. Forget the Red Buddha Lotus, it didn¡¯t even have a lotus-shaped nt in the area. The only nt that could be found close to theke was weeds and more weeds. Therefore, these people had to be visiting the Jade Dragon Lake for a whole nother reason!

    Prayer continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry,d. We don¡¯t need you to apany us to theke. Just take us to the outskirts, and we¡¯ll handle the rest. We promise you that you won¡¯t be in any danger, and we¡¯ll reward you handsomely for your efforts!¡±

    Suddenly, a sweet, young voice interrupted the conversation, ¡°Why don¡¯t you let my baby y with him, Prayer? It might just be the incentive he needs to change his mind, haha!¡±

    It was Granny Snake who had said those words. She was clearly an old woman, and yet her voice sounded just like a young woman in her twenties. It was eerie to say the least.

    Everyone turned to look at Granny Snake, then back at Ye Qing. It was because a green snake about the width of a thumb had circled around his neck before they realized it. Ye Qing visibly gulped as it tickled his skin with its tongue. His lips were pale, and his body was shivering as if he was doing everything he could not to move and startle the snake. He looked so afraid he might faint at any moment!

    Of course, it was all an act. Ye Qing had sensed Granny Snake¡¯s movements the second she set her snake on him. He simply chose not to react was to avoid suspicion.

    He wasn¡¯t worried that Granny Snake would kill him. They needed him to take them to the Jade Dragon Lake, so there was no way they would kill him until then.

    ¡°What are you doing, elder one?¡± Lin Hu eximed in shock and instinctively took a step toward Ye Qing. He quickly stopped when he realized there was no way he could rescue the young man before the snake bit him though.

    Granny Snake chuckled darkly. ¡°Rx. Like I said, it¡¯s just a little incentive. If thed agrees to be our guide, then all is well. But if he does not, haha¡­¡±

    He would be fucked up, of course.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll be your guide!¡± Ye Qing nodded in a hurry.

    ¡°Good boy!¡± Granny Snake reached out, and the green snake leaped back to her arm. It circled around her wrist and returned to being a cute, ¡°harmless¡± pet.

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried that we might mistreat you, don¡¯t. Take this.¡± Prayer tossed a pellet into Ye Qing¡¯s hands. ¡°This is a Tiger Bone Power Pill. It can strengthen your body and improve your vigor. You¡¯re currently in the journeyman level of the Body Tempering stage, right? If you consume this, you¡¯ll enter the adept level immediately! Consider this our down payment for your service. We¡¯ll give you a second pill when we¡¯re done with our business!¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, elder one! Thank you!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly tucked the pill under his shirt while wearing an ecstatic expression on his face. On the inside though, he was rolling his eyes so hard his imaginary eyes had fallen out of their sockets. <i>You couldn¡¯t be anymore obvious with your carrot and stick approach if you want to. Also, Tiger Bone Power Pill is such ame ass name. I¡¯m willing to bet a million silvers it¡¯s nowhere as good as my dragon-serpent rune. This is the problem with society these days, they keep overestimating their worth even though they¡¯re really just a small fish in a big pond that h h h¡­</i>

    ¡°Now that we have our guide, let¡¯s not waste anymore time!¡± Zheng Tianyuan dered before making his way to the exit. Even now, he still hadn¡¯t looked Ye Qing in the eye. Chi Long and Granny Snake followed right behind him.

    ¡°We shall be taking our leave then. Thank you for the tea,¡± Prayer said politely while getting up. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll take good care of yourd. I promise that no harm wille to him.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course. Thank you!¡± Granny Xia and Lin Hu hurriedly got up to see their guests out. After they were gone, Granny Xia beckoned Ye Qing to her side before saying seriously, ¡°Boy, those are bad, bad people. You must watch yourself when you¡¯re in Little August Hill. If you find anything that doesn¡¯t sit right with you, anything at all, do not hesitate to run like hell, okay?¡±

    ¡°I understand, Granny. Thank you for your concern!¡± Ye Qing nodded obediently and gave her and Lin Hu a bow. Then, he left the house.

    After Ye Qing was gone, Lin Hu mmed the table hard and growled, ¡°God dammit! If we were any stronger, Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t need to risk his life on our behalf! He¡¯s just a boy!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We live in a world where weaklings do not deserve to live.¡± Granny Xia sighed weakly. ¡°And you and I are both weaklings!¡±

    ¡°I have a question, Granny. Why did you summon Ye Qing instead of Zheng Tao or Wu Biao to apany those people? Aren¡¯t they stronger and a better fit for the job?¡± Lin Hu asked.

    She replied, ¡°The trip to Jade Dragon Lake is most likely going to end in tragedy. While Zheng Tao and Wu Biao are stronger and more suitable, we have lost too many warriors to the human skin Strangers already, not to mention that Chen Zheng just died three days ago. Even our surviving warriors are injured or outright crippled. Frankly, we cannot afford to lose anymore men.¡±

    ¡°Right now, Zheng Tao and Wu Biao are our vige¡¯s strongest warriors besides you and me. They¡¯re also the ones with the highest potential for growth. It¡¯s a shame we have to sacrifice Ye Qing, but they must be protected at all costs.¡±

    ¡°Granny, you¡­ you knowingly sent Ye Qing to his death?!¡± Lin Hu cried in horror. ¡°How can you do this? Granny, you¡­ argh! I¡¯m going to stop him!¡±

    Granny Xia caught Lin Hu as soon as he tried to move. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Your life is your own, I can¡¯t stop you if you insist on throwing it away, but consider this: what will happen to the vige if we lose you?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Lin Hu stopped struggling. He looked like he wanted to rip something in half.

    Granny Xia slowly let go of Lin Hu and let out a sigh. At that moment, it looked like she had aged another dozen years. ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? Weaklings do not deserve to live in this world!¡±

    Lin Hu closed his eyes,plexion turning as gray as death.

    She was right. In this world, weakness is a sin!

    1. meaning Red Dragon ??

 Chapter 29: Prayerâ€™s Prayers

    <h4>Chapter 29: Prayer¡¯s Prayers</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s already quitete, elder one. It¡¯ll probably bepletely dark by the time we finally make it to the Jade Dragon Lake.¡±

    After catching up to the group, Ye Qing immediately implored Prayer, ¡°Little August Hill is already a dangerous ce, but it¡¯s even more dangerous during the night. Why don¡¯t we leave on the crack of dawn instead?¡±

    ¡°No need to be so formal,d. Just call me Prayer!¡± Prayer smiled warmly. ¡°And don¡¯t worry. Everything will be alright with me around.¡±

    Behind them, Granny Snake suddenly let out a creepy giggle and said, ¡°You have nothing to be worried about,d. Prayer¡¯s abilities are far beyond your imagination. You just guide us there and leave the rest to us!¡±

    <i>You¡¯re not helping! </i>Ye Qingined in his head, but he wisely stopped pressing the issue.

    The group came to a sudden stop when they reached the foot of Little August Hill. While stroking his goatee, Prayer stepped out and started walking circles around the area. First, he closed his eyes as if taking a small break. Then, he looked to the distance as if admiring the view. Later, he lowered his head as if absorbed in thought, and finally, he started mumbling something they couldn¡¯t hear under his breath.

    ¡°What is Prayer doing?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    The red-haired and bearded Chi Long answered, ¡°He¡¯s checking the fengshui of this ce!¡±

    ¡°Fengshui?¡± That surprised Ye Qing. Was fengshui a thing in this world as well?

    It was at this moment Prayer stopped mumbling and opened his eyes. Then, he took three steps forward. As if a mysterious force was empowering his steps, each step seemed to strike a chord with everyone¡¯s heart. On the third step, his surroundings trembled as if he had stepped on some sort of confluence, and a cool breeze started circling around Prayer. He looked every bit like a fengshui master right now.

    .

    Next, Prayer produced a palm-sized censer that looked to be carved from some sort of jet ck wood out of seemingly nowhere. It gave off a cold, eerie presence. Then, he produced three vibrant-colored incense sticks in the exact same way and lit them all up. When the scent of the incense sticks entered Ye Qing¡¯s nostrils, he immediately felt refreshed as if he had just taken a cold bath. Even his head felt clearer and sharper than normal.

    After lighting the three incense sticks, Prayer raised them over his head and bowed to the heavens. He said, ¡°My first prayer goes to the celestials and Buddhas above! Bless me with auspicious luck!¡±

    Then, he bowed toward the earth and said, ¡°My second prayer goes to the ghosts and deities of Fengdu [1]! Rid me of all evil spirits and monsters!¡±

    Finally, he bowed toward Little August Hill. ¡°My third prayer goes to the untold creatures of the mountains! Protect me from all illness and ill fortune!¡±

    Prayer carefully nted the three incense sticks in the censer. Then, he just stood there as if he was waiting for something. When nothing did, he sucked in a deep breath and cracked a smile on his face. While picking up the censer, he beckoned, ¡°It¡¯s done. Let us continue!¡±

    Everyone in the group except Ye Qing seemed to know what just happened. They also seemed to haveplete trust in Prayer¡¯s ritual, whatever it was. There was clear ease and confidence on their faces.

    ¡°Er¡­¡± Ye Qing looked left and right like he was hoping that someone would step up and exin things to him.

    Noticing his confusion, Chi Long cracked a derisive smirk before asking, ¡°Are you confused, boy?¡±

    When Ye Qing gave him an obedient nod, Chi Long answered, ¡°It¡¯s no secret, but the incense sticks Prayer just used are no ordinary incense sticks. They are called the Incense of Worship. The first prayer to the heavens blesses us good luck, the second prayer to the earth wards us from evil, and the third prayer to the spirits protects us from any ident. If the Incense of Worship does not go out at the end of the ritual, it means that our prayers are epted, and that the gods and spirits would ensure that our journey will be smooth and sessful.¡±

    ¡°... You¡¯re not kidding me, are you?¡± Ye Qing was a bit skeptical, to be honest. Why even cultivate and practice martial arts if prayers were enough to protect one from everything?

    Chi Long sneered. ¡°How do you think Prayer got his moniker? It¡¯s because he owns all kinds of miraculous incense sticks that can bless someone with good fortune, ward them from evil, uncover hidden secrets and more. Just wait and see if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Suddenly, Prayer chuckled from the front. ¡°You seem to know a lot about me, Chi Long.¡±

    Chi Long¡¯s smirk visibly stiffened on his face before he apologized profusely, ¡°They¡¯re just rumors I picked up here and there, Prayer! I swear I don¡¯t mean anything by it!¡±

    He then red daggers at Ye Qing as if he was the reason behind his embarrassment.

    Of course, Ye Qing was having none of it. <i>Why are you ring at me? You¡¯re the one who wanted to answer my question!</i>

    ¡°If you¡¯re really curious about my incense sticks, we can talk about it after business is over!¡± Prayer ignored Chi Long and said to Ye Qing in a friendly tone.

    ¡°Sure. Thanks, Prayer!¡± Ye Qing saluted the old man.

    Suddenly, Granny Snake interrupted without warning, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that,d. As far as I know, everyone who has spoken to Prayer about his incense sticks have turned into incense sticks themselves!¡±

    Ye Qing shuddered immediately. He didn¡¯t even have to fake it.

    Prayer did not take offense though. He turned to look at Granny Snake and smiled. ¡°Why are you making up stories, sister? You¡¯re scaring ourd for no reason here! Lad, don¡¯t listen to her nonsense, you hear? I promise you I¡¯m the most humble, cultured, and honorable old man you¡¯ll ever meet in your life!¡±

    <i>Yeah, like hell I¡¯m going to believe that!</i>

    Ye Qing kept a tight lid on his real thoughts and forced out a grin. ¡°R-right!¡±

    He already had a feeling, but there really wasn¡¯t a single good person in this group. Even the friendliest of them all¡ªassuming that Granny Snake was telling the truth¡ªhid a dark side as well.

    Suddenly, Zheng Tianyuan dered from the center of the group, ¡°Enough. We¡¯re entering the mountains now. I want everyone to keep your wits about you!¡± No one objected to his order.

    The first part of their journey was mostly peaceful until a bunch of catkins suddenly appeared in front of them. Ye Qing immediately cried out in warning, ¡°Watch out! That¡¯s the Catkin¡¯s Lie! You mustn¡¯t touch it no matter what!¡± Liu Jinshui¡¯s horrifying death three days ago was still fresh in his mind.

    Prayer did not seem perturbed in the slightest, however. He simply said, ¡°It will be fine!¡± before raising his censer and continuing forward, giving Ye Qing no choice but to follow. Right before they would make contact with the Catkin¡¯s Lie, a gust of wind suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blew them out of the way. Just like that, they were safe.

    ¡°Stop jumping at every shadow, boy! Nothing would happen with Prayer around!¡± rebuked Pao with a dissatisfied expression.

    What else could Ye Qing say? He simply let out an awkward chuckle and moved on. Ye Qing would soon learn that the effects of the Incense of Worship. One time, they encountered a horde of Bone Rats. Bone Rats were gregarious, carnivorous Strangers that feasted on any flesh-and-blood creature until nothing but bones were left, which was how they had earned their name. In fact, the Bone Rats had eaten a Red-ss Winnowing Leopard into a skeleton right before their eyes. But for some reason, the Bone Rats just ran past them even though they were right in front of them.

    Later, they stumbled upon a massive horde of Red-ss Headless Lanterns. It was a Stranger that hunted and killed any living being that was illuminated by its candlelight. Specifically, they would descend on the target¡¯s head and remove it. Unlike the Bone Rats, the Headless Lanterns actually responded to their presence and tried to kill them, but a rain suddenly appeared out of nowhere and extinguished the candle mes inside thenterns. Without the candlelight, the Headless Lanterns seemed as blind as a blind man. They soon flew away and were out of sight and mind in no time.

    The fourth Stranger they encountered was a little more dangerous than the previous three. It was a Smilodon, a Malice-ss Stranger who charged them immediately after it saw them. However, another Malice-ss Stranger¡ªan Armored Armadillo¡ªjust happened to crawl out of the ground at the wrong ce and the wrong time and identally struck the Smilodon¡¯s belly. Naturally, the two Strangers started beating the shit out of each other and forgot about the humans entirely.

    These incidents would continue to happen as they trekked through Little Azure Hill. It was easily one of the most amazing things Ye Qing had witnessed.

    Some timeter, Prayer snapped Ye Qing out of his amazement with a question, ¡°How much longer until we get to the Jade Dragon Lake,d?¡±

    Ye Qing came back down to earth and examined his surroundings. ¡°We¡¯re close. Once we get past this hill, we¡¯ll be there in two or three hours at most!¡±

    ¡°Good. For your own sake, I hope you aren¡¯t lying to us!¡± The arrogant Zheng Tianyuan said indifferently before ordering, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here, everyone!¡±

    Pao immediately pulled out an animal-skin nket from what looked like a shell-like object and spread it across the ground. He then ced some jerkies, candied fruit and delicious wine on the nket before apologizing, ¡°My deepest apologies, young master. This is the best I can do given the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem!¡± Zheng Tianyuan answered before sitting down on the nket and enjoying his meal. If Ye Qing didn¡¯t know better, he would have thought that they were out for a night pic.

    Noticing that Ye Qing was extremely interested in the shell-shaped object Pao was holding, Prayer exined while walking to his side, ¡°That is what we call a Nature¡¯s Shell. The Nature¡¯s Shell is a unique Stranger with a pocket dimension in its body. It can be used to store any non-living thing. With proper refinement, it can easily be made into a high quality storage artifact!¡±

    ¡°Nature¡¯s Shell, you say?¡± <i>This old man thinks I don¡¯t know what a spatial artifact is? Pshaw!</i> When Ye Qing recalled that Prayer had seemingly conjured his censer and incense sticks out of nothing as well, he asked, ¡°Do you have one too, Prayer?¡±

    ¡°I sure do!¡± A shell about the size of a baby¡¯s hand fell out of his sleeves and into Prayer¡¯s palm. Seeing as it was an entire size smaller than Pao¡¯s, Ye Qing reckoned that its quality was slightly inferior as well. ¡°My Nature¡¯s Shell is made using an undersized Nature¡¯s Shell, which is why it can only hold so many items. In the markets, it would be rated as an inferior quality item. On the other hand, Scion Zheng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell is both mature and very well-bred. You can tell it¡¯s a superior quality Nature¡¯s Shell at first nce.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a Nature¡¯s Shell!¡± Despite his humble words,? Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s expression was anything but humble. He said, ¡°Just tell me if you wish to upgrade your Nature¡¯s Shell, Prayer! I¡¯ll give you a better one as soon as we return home!¡±

    ¡°Haha! Thank you for your generosity, Scion Zheng!¡± Prayer said with a chuckle.

    Suddenly, Granny Snake interrupted, ¡°Quiet, all of you! Do you hear that?¡± The old woman had been meditating in silence until something caught her attention.

    Ye Qing listened closely. He quickly heard what sounded like festive noisesing from deep within the forest.

    <i>Are those¡­ suonas and drums?</i> Ye Qing thought before dering, ¡°It sounds like someone is celebrating something!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a wedding procession song!¡± Prayer added with sudden gravity.

    ¡°A wedding procession song? You must be joking, Prayer! We¡¯re in the middle of nowhere! It must be the wind you¡¯re hearing!¡± Pao taunted instinctively, but as soon as he fell silent he heard the suonas and drums as well. The blood immediately drained away from his face.

    Prayer grabbed his censer tightly. ¡°Be on your guard, everyone. We¡¯re probably dealing with multiple Strangers!¡±

    Granny Snake suggested, ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s still some distance away. Why don¡¯t we hide until whatever¡¯s causing those noises are gone?¡±

    Unfortunately, as soon as she finished her sentence, the festive noises suddenly increased in volume until it felt like whoever was creating it was right there with them. And they were. The next moment, a bunch of people wearing red clothes and carrying a wedding carriage suddenly appeared in front of the group.

    As it turned out, the people weren¡¯t humans at all. They were a bunch of oddly-shaped Strangers. A quartet of stout toads with pimple-like warts all over their faces and extraordinarilyrge mouths were standing in front of the wedding carriage and blowing the suona. Theirrge mouths were probably why it sounded like an entire band of minstrels were supporting the procession. Right behind them were six tall, slender Strangers with six arms attached to their bodies. They were probably some sort of insect Strangers. Each insect Stranger was holding a gong in one hand and a mallet in every other hand. Their tight and rhythmic gong beats were something no human could possibly replicate without sufficient numbers!

    1. famous necropolis of the underworld ??

 Chapter 30: The Mountain God Takes A Wife

    <h4>Chapter 30: The Mountain God Takes A Wife</h4>

    Following behind the gong beaters were many gorgeous women, but just like the Strangers before them, these women were no humans. For starters, they had root-like legs. Every time they took a step, petals would scatter, and a refreshing scent would permeate in the air. They were obviously some sort of nt Strangers.

    The wedding carriage was at the center of the procession, and it was quite something to look at. Carried by four stone giants, the carriage constantly changed in shape and color like an unfinished painting that was constantly being worked on. Sometimes it was red, sometimes it was light blue, and sometimes it was dark green. Circling above the carriage were colorful birds wearing wreaths of grass and flowers and chirping a melodious tune.

    Behind the carriage were many kids who were barely old enough to be children instead of babies. Cute and round, they had root-like arms and various leaves and flowers growing out of their unnaturally shiny bodies. They were also wearing red dudous. Judging from their appearance, they were probably ginsengs, lingzhi and mushroom Strangers.

    Finally, the children were followed by a bunch of humanoid Strangers riding all sorts of ferocious beasts such as bears, tigers, leopards and even lions. They were all wearing armor and carrying a massive saber. In stark contrast to the cheerful procession ahead of them, these humanoid Strangers were as quiet and expressionless as death itself.

    Wherever the wedding procession went, Strangers bowed their heads in reverence, and nts went out of their way to give passage. Literally, the grass, the flowers and even the trees were bending out of its way as if they had a mind of their own. Even the wind felt especially lively and refreshing tonight, blowing in a manner that could only be described as cheerful.

    ¡°P-prayer, what the hell is going on here?¡± Pao stuttered out in fear.

    Beside him, Zheng Tianyuan was keeping quiet and doing his best to keep up a dignified appearance, but his paleplexion betrayed just how scared he really was.

    ¡°I think¡­ we¡¯ve stumbled upon an ancient custom. The mountain god is taking a wife tonight!¡± Prayer answered with an audible gulp, but his voice still sounded raspy because his throat waspletely dry.

    ¡°Can you please exin in more detail?¡± Granny Snake prodded in a meek voice while doing her best not to draw any attention from the procession.

    Prayer shook and nodded his head as if he wasn¡¯t quite sure how to react either. ¡°To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know that much about this custom either. It¡¯s something I read in a travel journal, and it¡¯s only a few sentences long. I quote, ¡®When the mountain god takes a wife, the birds start singing, the music starts ying, the nts start dancing, and fearsome beasts protect a carriage made of clouds. Wherever they go, all creatures bow their heads in awe, the grass and trees move away to open up a path, the wind dances in celebration, and the water drinks in joy!¡¯¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ve always thought that it was just a myth; a fairytale. I-I never knew it was real!¡±

    ¡°What should we do then, Prayer?¡± Chi Long asked while licking his dry, cracked lips.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s best if we stay where we are and see what happens!¡±

    Prayer shook his head before raising his censer high above his head. The Incense of Worship that had been burning very, very slowly in the censer up till this point suddenly began to burn up rapidly until they formed arge cloud of smoke. The smoke then slowly floated toward the wedding procession.

    As soon as the smoke made contact with the wedding procession, everyone stopped what they were doing all of a sudden. The next moment, a short, portly, decrepit old man whose hair had turnedpletely white slowly started walking toward the group. He carried a walking stick that was much taller than him.

    At that moment, all six humans felt their hearts leaping to their throats. They subconsciously stopped breathing as well.

    The old man walked so slowly and shakily that it looked like it would take him forever just to shamble to their side. In reality, it took him only one step to appear in front of the group. Smiling, the old man gave them a small bow before saying, ¡°Our Master is taking a wife today. Seeing as we are fortunate enough to run into each other during this wonderful night, the Mistress has requested me to invite you to our wedding banquet. Would you please ept our offer and bless the banquet with your presence?¡±

    .

    ¡°You¡­ want us to attend your mountain god¡¯s wedding banquet?¡± The humans all exchanged panicked and uncertain looks with each other. Would they be leaving the banquet alive if they said yes? And would they live if they turned the old man down? The questions were simple, but no one had an answer to either of them.

    ¡°The Mistress insists that you bless us with your presence!¡± The old man pressed unhurriedly. Chuckling, he slowly swept his gaze across everyone¡¯s face until he stopped¡­ on Ye Qing.

    Everyone turned to look at him, surprise and suspicion flitting across their faces. Unfortunately, Ye Qing was just as clueless as they were.

    <i>Why the heck is he looking at me!? Does he want me to make the decision?</i>

    In the end, Ye Qing could only see one way out of this. He forced out a smile and answered, ¡°If it¡¯s not too much of a bother, then¡­ sure! W-why not?¡±

    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s no bother at all! We are most honored to have you, young master!¡± The old manughed heartily before doing a little wave. The earth surged, and six smaller carriages suddenly appeared before the group. He beckoned, ¡°Come,e! Please enter your carriages!¡±

    At this point, it was far toote to reject the old man¡¯s request. They could only enter the carriages whether they liked it or not. As soon as they had taken a seat, the music resumed, and the carriages immediately started moving toward somewhere. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t quite tell where they were, not just because it was dark outside, but also because the windows were covered up by semi-transparent curtains. He could only tell that they were moving very quickly judging from the sound of the wind. Strangely, Ye Qing could not feel the slightest bump even though they were traveling across the mountains. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would¡¯ve thought that they were traveling on t ground.

    An unknown amount of timeter¡ªYe Qing literally couldn¡¯t tell, for it felt like they had traveled for a breath and a few hours at the same time¡ªthe old man¡¯s voice suddenly came from outside, ¡°We are here, dear guests!¡±

    Ye Qing obediently stepped out of the carriage and found himself standing inside a massive hall. Not only was the hall richly ornamented and overflowing with riches, the ceiling was embedded with countless night pearls that glittered like stars. They brightened the hall so much that it felt like daytime.

    ¡°If I may be so bold, elder one¡ªwhere are we?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Oh my, please do not call me that, dear guest! I am not worthy to be your elder one! If you don¡¯t mind, please address me as Uncle Fu!¡± The old man saluted Ye Qing brightly before answering his question, ¡°We¡¯re currently in one of the Master¡¯s imperial pces. The wedding will begin shortly, so feel free to rest your legs and partake in our hospitality until then. I have to get busy now, so please, enjoy your stay!¡±

    Before anyone could say anything, Uncle Fu bowed and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°What¡¯s the n, Prayer?¡± Zheng Tianyuan looked to Prayer for instructions as soon as Uncle Fu was gone.

    Prayer performed some finger calctions and observed his surroundings for a moment. Then, he shook his head and said, ¡°The threads of fate here arepletely hidden, so I cannot determine our exact location. In other words, we are trapped.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trapped? You might as well say that we¡¯re dead!¡± Pao visibly nched before turning on Ye Qing and growling, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, boy! We would not be in this situation if you haven¡¯t guided us down the wrong path! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Chi Long, Granny Snake and Zheng Tianyuan were wearing ugly expressions as well.

    Pao was halfway to Ye Qing when Prayer stopped him. ¡°Calm down, Pao! Now is not the time to be ming others!¡±

    To their surprise, Ye Qing seemedpletely unperturbed by Pao¡¯s threats. He crossed his arms and said calmly, ¡°It is as Prayer says. In my opinion, these Strangers don¡¯t hold ill will toward us. I¡¯m not saying it¡¯s not dangerous, but I don¡¯t think we will die if we y this out properly!¡±

    Prayer shot Ye Qing a surprised look. He wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to be so calm considering their circumstances. Regardless, he nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Thed is absolutely right. These Strangers are many times stronger than we are. If they were nning to kill us, they would not have waited until now. They would¡¯ve killed us as soon as we ran into them.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ what do we do then?¡± Chi Long asked.

    Prayer thought for a moment before answering, ¡°We are guests, aren¡¯t we? We may as well act our role and getfortable!¡±

    <i>Crunch!</i>

    Suddenly, a crisp crunch drew everyone¡¯s attention. Everyone turned and saw Ye Qing leaning against a table and eating a fresh, emerald green fruit without a care.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Zheng Tianyuan blurted in shock even as anger flooded his veins. He could not believe that Ye Qing would be so bold as to touch anything in this hall, much less enjoy the food. All of them would die if the Stranges decided to take offense with his impudent behavior!

    As if he couldn¡¯t sense the group¡¯s rising anger, Ye Qing waved the fruit in his hand and replied casually, ¡°I¡¯m eating a fruit, duh! What¡¯s the matter? Uncle Fu said that we are free to partake in their hospitality. Surely it would be impolite <i>not </i>to enjoy the sweet fruits and delicious wine they had purposelyid out for guests like us?¡±

    ¡°Also, these fruits are seriously tasty. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to take a bite?¡±

    Granny Snake was examining the fruit in Ye Qing¡¯s hand when she suddenly eximed, ¡°That¡¯s the Emerald Fruit, a fruit that refines one¡¯s true qi and strengthens the body!¡±

    ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± Prayer appeared in front of Ye Qing and snatched the half-eaten fruit from his hand. He inspected it closely for a moment before breaking into a wide smile. ¡°It really is the Emerald Fruit! And those are¡­¡±

    Prayer¡¯s mouth fell open when his eyes shifted to a bunch of crystalline grapes on a fruit tray. ¡°Crystal Grapes! They¡¯re fruits that can increase the amount of one¡¯s true qi!¡±

    His eyes continued to widen as he looked at the fruit next to the Crystal Grapes. It was as big as a longan and as red as blood. ¡°That¡¯s the Blood Bodhi, a fruit that can supposedly create flesh out of nothing and increase one¡¯s lifespan. A priceless restorative, it is said to be capable of rescuing anyone from the brink of death so long as they are still alive!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that tea is the Purple Haze Tea, a drink that can improve the mind and eyesight. The Flowerless Fruit¡­ The Passion Lotus¡­ The Gem Flower¡­ these are all top-grade spirit fruits that are sold for thousands and thousands of silvers in the market!¡±

    ¡°Om nom nom nom nom nom nom¡­¡±

    Prayer was still ranting about the value of the spirit fruits on the table when the sound of eating abruptly disrupted his train of thoughts. He turned around and saw that everyone was sitting around a table each and busy stuffing their mouths with food.

    ¡°...¡±

    Prayer was speechless for a moment. Just a moment ago, these people were so frightened that they didn¡¯t even dare to touch a single object in the hall. Now? They probably wouldn¡¯t stop even if he told them that the food was poisoned!

    Disgruntled as he was, Prayer did not hesitate to grab a seat and start shoving food into his mouth as well. He might still die when the wedding banquet was over, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going to go to the other side on an empty stomach!

    <i>Whoosh whoosh whoosh!</i>

    Suddenly, the hall darkened for a second before the candles strategically ced throughout the ce all lit up at the same time, dyeing everything dark red and chasing away the cold. The atmosphere felt warm and festive.

    Two people suddenly appeared at the center table. The person to the left was tall and fierce, while the one to the right was dainty and delicate. They were both wearing red wedding outfits. As warriors, the humans should be able to see the two people clearly despite the dim lighting. In reality, some sort of mysterious force had blurred out the bride and the groom¡¯s appearance so that the most that they could make out was their gender.

    Suddenly, bamboo flutes and string instruments started ying in the hall. Before the humans could react, Uncle Fu¡¯s voice came from outside the hall,

    ¡°The wedding begins! You may now enter the hall, dear guests¡­¡±

    A young man wearing a blue robe sauntered into the hall. He had long, blue hair and carried a jade folding fan. He looked to be in his twenties, and he was so handsome he didn¡¯t look like he belonged in this world.

    Uncle Fu introduced, ¡°First, we wee Scion Sea. Scion Sea brings the bride and groom not one, but two thousand-year-old Dew Water Jade Lotus Flowers! He sincerely wishes that they will love and cherish each other till death do them part!¡±

    ¡°Huh. Someone managed to get ahead of me?¡± Scion Seamented as soon as he saw Ye Qing¡¯s group. He shot them a dashing smile and saluted them before walking all the way to the table at the end of the hall; table number one.

    ¡°Next, we wee Old Man of the Mountain. Old Man of the Mountain brings the bride and groom a long-life statue, and he wishes that they will love each other as equals for one hundred years, then another one hundred years toe!¡±

    A benign-faced old man wearing a yellow robe walked into the hall¡ªor rather, the earth beneath his feet carried him forward like the tides. When he passed by the center table, he bowed to the bride and groom before moving onto his seat.

    ¡°Thirdly, we wee Tiger General! Tiger General brings the bride and groom a ten-thousand-year-old Rindo Grass! He too wishes that they will love and cherish each other till death do them part!¡±

    A tall, massive humanoid Stranger with a tiger¡¯s head stepped into the hall. d in war armor, he gave off a brutal and tyrannical aura that was very much at odds with the festive atmosphere around him. As soon as he stepped through the entrance, he nced at Ye Qing¡¯s group andughed maliciously. ¡°Why are humans attending the Master¡¯s wedding day? Should I eat them and save us all some eyesore?¡±

    He then made a grab for Ye Qing before anyone could react.

 Chapter 31: Chang Bone

    <h4>Chapter 31: Chang Bone</h4>

    <i>Are you kidding me right now? There are at least two other humans at this table who are thicker and juicier than me! Why me?</i>

    Ye Qing was miffed, of course. The bastard was clearly targeting him because he was the ¡°weakest¡± link of the group. He was just about to resist when suddenly, Tiger General¡¯s arm stilled, and his malicious grin morphed into abject terror. It was as if he was seeing something horrifying that none of them could.

    The next moment, Tiger General¡¯s chest cracked and slowly slid open to the left and the right. Strangely, not a single drop of blood spilled out of his body. Then, something cracked inside Tiger General¡¯s body, and all the blood drained away from his face. It was clear that he was in a lot of pain.

    A ck bone that looked like it had been snapped from the joint floated out of his body andnded in front of Ye Qing. After that, the wound on Tiger General¡¯s chest slowly disappeared like nothing had ever happened.

    .

    ¡°These people are the distinguished guests of the Mistress, Tiger General. You best not act out of line and disrupt the Master¡¯s wedding banquet. No one can bear the responsibility otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Your Chang [1] Bone shall be given to our guest as his rightfulpensation!¡± Uncle Fu¡¯s voice resounded throughout the hall, but he never showed himself.

    ¡°How dare you! I won¡¯t forget this!¡± Tiger General red venomously at Ye Qing as he staggered on his feet, but in the end he didn¡¯t dare to test the mountain god¡¯s patience. He went over to a random seat and sat down.

    Ye Qing examined the Chang bone on the table curiously. It was about the length of an infant¡¯s arm and as ck as ink. It gave off a gloomy aura and some sort of mysterious energy.

    Although he had no idea how he might use it to his advantage, it had to be valuable considering that it had been ripped right out of Tiger General¡¯s torso. So, he tucked it safely under his shirt and returned his attention to the wedding banquet.

    After that little intermission was over, Uncle Fu resumed his duties, and more and more Strangers entered the hall. They saw a gorgeous Stranger who wore a crown of flowers and looked as beautiful as a celestial, an ugly Stranger who was the antithesis of beauty itself and stank like a garbage dump, a hulk of a Stranger who looked like a walking mountain, a skinny, frail Stranger who looked like a wind could blow them over; faceless things that looked like a shadow, scaly, lizard-like creatures with vertical slit pupils, and even objects such as a bloody shirt, a pair of red shoes, a shoulder pole, an urn, a hat and many, many more Strangers of all shapes and sizes. It truly was an eye-opening experience.

    More importantly, every Stranger attending the wedding banquet was powerful beyond imagination. Even a wisp of their aura was enough to cow the humans into shrinking their presence as much as possible. Thank goodness Uncle Fu had taught Tiger General a lesson earlier, or they couldn¡¯t even imagine what might have happened to them!

    Suddenly, someone mmed the table and roared, ¡°Hey boy! How dare you sit on our [2] chair! Do you have a death wish or something?¡±

    Ye Qing and the others looked. They saw a humanoid Stranger with a bear¡¯s head and ck fur ring at Zheng Tianyuan like he would swallow him alive.

    Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s face was ugly as a matter of course, but when he recalled what happened to Tiger General earlier, he regained his courage and threatened, ¡°How dare you threaten me! I am a distinguished guest invited to this banquet by the Mistress herself!¡±

    The bearman scoffed before speaking in a low, muffled voice, ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t believe you. There is no way the Mistress would invite a filth like you.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? I dare you toy a hand on me then!¡± Zheng Tianyuan dered with an arrogant sneer.

    ¡°Hah! Why not?¡± The bearmanughed and, to everyone¡¯s surprise, lifted Zheng Tianyuan into the air without any trouble.

    ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡±

    The young master struggled with all his might, but like a cat who was scruffed he was unable to break free no matter how hard he struggled.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Master¡¯s wedding today, so we won¡¯t eat you for your transgression. Begone!¡± The bearman proceeded to toss Zheng Tianyuan right out of the door like he weighed nothing.

    ¡°Young master!¡± Pao cried out in rm.

    ¡°What? There¡¯s another filth here! You can get lost as well!¡± The bearman let out a bark ofughter before catching the panicking Pao with his massive hands. Then, he tossed him out just as easily as he had tossed Zheng Tianyuan.

    The rest of the humans nched, but before they could do anything another pair of Strangers entered the hall. This time, they were walking straight toward Granny Snake and Chi Long.

    Unwilling to suffer Zheng Tianyuan and Pao¡¯s fate, Granny Snake and Chi Long immediately jumped to their feet and scurried away. It was the right thing to do, because the Strangers merely took their seats without bothering them!

    Granny Snake and Chi Long both wiped a bead of sweat from their brow. Then, they stared at Ye Qing and Prayer with obvious anticipation on their faces. They were clearly waiting to indulge in some schadenfreude.

    But to their surprise, nothing happened. Not only did the Strangers that came after ignore Ye Qing and Prayer, some even nodded at them as if acknowledging that they belonged here. Having no idea why this was happening, Granny Snake and Chi Long could only exchange confused nces with each other. Prayer shot Ye Qing a meaningful look but said nothing.

    ¡°Next, we wee Hero Frog¡­ Hero Frog brings the bride and groom one Five Poison Pearl, and he wishes them a long and prosperous life!¡±

    A familiar figure entered the hall, and Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Brother Frog! You came as well?¡±

    The Stranger was none other than Kung Fu Frog. He was dressed exactly the same as Ye Qing remembered it¡ªa bandanna on its head and a cloak behind its back¡ªexcept that there was now an additional essory on its waist. It was none other than the wooden saber Ye Qing had carved and given it that day.

    ¡°Croak croak!¡± Kung Fu Frog¡¯s eyes also lit up in recognition and delight as it leaped into the air andnded on the chair right beside Ye Qing.

    ¡°Are you here for the mou¡ªI mean, the Master¡¯s wedding as well?¡± Ye Qing was overjoyed to see Kung Fu Frog. He might be a Stranger, but in a room full of deadly, unknown Strangers and fellow humans who would rather see him dead, to say that a familiar face brought him joy and hope would be an understatement.

    Kung Fu Frog croaked again before grabbing a wine pot from the table and pouring one for Ye Qing, and another for itself. It then started downing ss after ss until the entire pot of wine had vanished into its stomach.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing had tried the wine earlier. Despite its sweet and purifying taste, it had a massive kick that left him dizzy after just one ss. It was why he didn¡¯t dare to drink anymore wine. On the other hand, Kung Fu Frog looked perfectly fine despite having gulped down a whole pot. Truly, the frog was better than the man!

    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!</i>

    Suddenly, someone beat the drum three times in a row. Backs were straightened, heads were turned, and all noise departed the hall sopletely that a pin could be heard.

    ¡°We are most honored that you would show up for our humble wedding! A toast to all of you, my dear guests!¡±

    A powerful, grandiose-sounding voice erupted from the center table.

    ¡°You tter us, Master! May you and the Mistress live happily ever after!¡±

    Every Stranger in the hall rose to their feet and toasted the Master. Naturally, Ye Qing and Prayer followed suit.

    ¡°Please return to your seats. The food and wine will be served shortly. Please enjoy to your heart¡¯s content, and remember: we drink until we drop!¡±

    ¡°We drink until we drop!¡±

    After the toast was over, and the mountain god had permitted everyone to return to their seats, a troupe of gorgeous women entered the hall and began dancing to the melodious tune of flutes and string instruments. They wore long robes with long sleeves, and they had translucent wings on their backs. Their dance was out of this world, and they were as dreamlike as fairies.

    As the hall returned to its boisterous self, the drinkers started drinking, the gossipers started gossiping, and the cheers sounded like it would never end. It was a riot!

    The humans too basked in the celebration until the wine eventually got all of them. They fainted and fell into a deep, intoxicated slumber.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Huh¡­ where am I?¡± Ye Qing muttered as he opened his eyes in a daze. The clean sunlight spilling through the leaves was warm but not ufortable.

    A secondter, he jumped to his feet as his memories caught up to him. When he scanned his surroundings, he was immensely relieved to find that he was no longer in the mountain god¡¯s imperial pce or surrounded by powerful Strangers.

    He was currently standing on a wide meadow. Prayer, Granny Snake, Chi Long, Zheng Tianyuan and Pao were all present as well.

    Prayer, Granny Snake and Chi Long looked no different from yesterday, but the same could not be said for Zheng Tianyuan and Pao. For some reason, they were covered in stinking mud as if they had just crawled out of a quagmire.

    ¡°Zheng Tianyuan and Pao were tossed out of the hall by a bearman yesterday, weren¡¯t they? Is that why they¡¯re covered in mud?¡± A smirk crossed Ye Qing¡¯s lips as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

    Yesterday¡¯s events were so fantastical that he almost couldn¡¯t believe that it actually happened.

    It was at this moment Prayer, Granny Snake and Chi Long awoke one after another.

    As soon as Chi Long looked up, he blurted, ¡°Prayer! What happened yesterday¡­ it wasn¡¯t a dream, was it?¡± His tone grew uncertain when he looked around and found himself at an unfamiliar ce.

    Prayer thought for a moment before answering, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Try feeling your body.¡±

    Granny Snake and Chi Long did as he said and discovered that they were overflowing with true qi and a mysterious power. They eximed in pleasant surprise, ¡°The food we ate yesterday¡­ they¡¯re all real!¡±

    It was at this moment Zheng Tianyuan and Pao awoke as well. The young master asked, ¡°Where are we, Prayer?¡±

    As soon as he opened his mouth, a horrible stench immediately flooded into his nose and mouth. The young master waspletely confused until he looked down and noticed that he was covered in mud.

    Prayer and the others had long noticed Zheng Tianyuan and Pao¡¯s condition, of course. They were just wise enough not to make ament about it.

    Unfortunately, not everyone had a good head on their shoulders. Pao began, ¡°Young master, it¡¯s probably because that bear¡ª¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± The young master cut him off before he could finish. His face flushed with humiliation as he recalled being tossed out of the wedding hall and into a quagmire by a bearman. Not only that, the quagmire possessed some sort of mysterious force that prevented him from climbing out no matter what he tried. In the end, he had no choice but to spend the whole night in the cold and stinking quagmire.

    He was Zheng Tianyuan, scion of the Zheng n of Anyang. He could positively dere that he had never suffered such humiliation in his life!

    Since Pao was stupid enough to draw Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s attention, the young master did not hesitate to turn him into his punching bag, ¡°You fool! What are you waiting for? Get me some new clothes already!¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, young master!¡± Pao nched and hurriedly did as Zheng Tianyuan ordered. Despite his anger and humiliation, he didn¡¯t say a word as he handed Zheng Tianyuan his clothes and changed into a new set of clothes himself.

    ¡°Ahem. Prayer, do you think that mountain gods are real?¡± Granny Snake purposely looked away and asked a question so as to avoid making Zheng Tianyuan feel even more humiliated than he already was.

    Ye Qing¡¯s face was turned away, but his ears were wide open. He too was curious about the answer.

    Prayer shook his head firmly. ¡°If you¡¯re asking if there is a God Almighty who rules over all the mountains in the world, then no. A mountain god is really just a Stranger who is literally born to rule a mountain. Just the same, there are Strangers who are born to rule over certainnds, mountains, and waters as well. They are immensely powerful, but in the end, they are still Strangers.¡±

    He added after a pause, ¡°The gods and spirits I pray to using the Prayersticks are also Strangers!¡±

    Chi Long snorted in disdain. ¡°Heh! And here I thought there are actual gods and spirits in this world. Damn fakes.¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± Prayer nched as he rebuked Chi Long harshly, ¡°How dare you rebuke the god of these mountains! Do you have a death wish?¡±

    A startled Chi Long pped a hand over his mouth when he realized what he just did as well. Although the mountain god had not shown his face from the start until the end, he could only be powerful beyond imagination considering the quality of his guests and Uncle Fu.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t take offense, Master, I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m born this way, please!¡± Chi Long implored while bowing again and again in every direction. When nothing happened, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Oh right. Boy, hand over that bone you gotst night.¡± Having finished changing his clothes, an unhappy-looking Pao abruptly turned on Ye Qing without warning.

    1. A <i>chang</i> is a kind of Chinese ghost or zombie who lures others to their death. Most often, changs are the spirits of those killed by tigers, enved by the beast that killed them and unable to find release until they find a new victim for the tiger, who then takes their ce. ??

    2. royal we/our ??

 Chapter 32: Sarira Bone

    <h4>Chapter 32: Sarira Bone</h4>

    ¡°What bone?¡± Ye Qing frowned.

    ¡°Do you really think feigning ignorance is going to work, boy? I¡¯m talking about the Chang bone that old man gave you yesterday. Give it to me, now!¡± Pao ordered with a threatening sneer on his face.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a bit. ¡°That¡¯s Uncle Fu¡¯s gift to me!¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Pao snorted in disdain. ¡°So what? You¡¯re just some backwater trash. A treasure like that is not a good fit with you. Give it to me now, or else!¡±

    Prayer, Granny Snake, and Chi Long were simply watching this unfold with uncaring smiles on their faces. Zheng Tianyuan was looking down on Ye Qing with clear scorn as well. No one said anything, but they clearly agreed with Pao¡¯s actions.

    The corners of Ye Qing''s lips turned up a little. When he received the Chang bone yesterday, he could already sense the group eying him with greed and jealousy. He thought they would at least pretend to be polite and tactful, but clearly, he had overestimated these people.

    Then again, everyone here was an adult. What kind of adult would balk at something as trivial as shame?

    ¡°Just to be clear, I¡¯m not robbing you. If it wasn¡¯t for my young master¡¯s benevolence, you¡¯d never have been able to enter the mountains, stumble upon the mountain god¡¯s wedding, and enjoy that grand feastst night. That was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that someone like you should never be able to experience, so you should already be satisfied with what you¡¯ve got!¡±

    Pao rebuked Ye Qing harshly before threatening again, ¡°Now stop dilly-dallying and give it to me already! Otherwise, I¡¯ll break your limbs!"

    ¡°You best listen to Pao, boy. That Chang bone doesn¡¯t belong to you!¡± Chi Long also added with a sinister chuckle.

    ¡°Heh! Since you all seem to think that I should surrender the bone¡­ alright then! Here you go!¡± Ye Qing shook his head and tossed the Chang bone to Pao. For some reason, he did not look angry or dissatisfied with this ¡°arrangement¡± at all.

    ¡°Guess you¡¯re not so stupid after all!¡± Pao was a bit disappointed, to be honest. He was hoping that Ye Qing would resist so he would be justified in beating the shit out of him and venting his frustration. Unfortunately, the boy was even more spineless than he imagined.

    After snatching the bone out of the air and shooting Ye Qing a murderous re, he presented it to Zheng Tianyuan with an obsequious smile. ¡°Here¡¯s your Chang bone, young master!¡±

    Zheng Tianyuan epted the bone and caressed it, sensing the mysterious power within it. He smiled. Although he didn¡¯t know what the Chang bone was used for, he was sure it was extraordinary since it had been plucked out of Tiger General¡¯s body. When they returned home, he would show it to an artificer and check if it could be refined into a Strange Artifact.

    ¡°Put it away, Pao,¡± Zheng Tianyuan ordered while tossing the bone back to Pao. It was at this moment he noticed that Ye Qing was smiling like he wasn¡¯t angry in the slightest. He raised an eyebrow and felt a tinge of worry, it onlysted a second before he shook it off. The young fool was just an ant. What could he possibly do against them?

    <i>I don¡¯t like his smile though. Yes, I¡¯ll see him dead as soon as we reach the Jade Dragon Lake! </i>Zheng Tianyuan had lived his whole life like this. He killed anyone he disliked and wasn¡¯t strong enough to resist him.

    ¡°What are you looking at, boy? Do you want me to dig out your eyeballs?¡± Pao was extremely displeased with Ye Qing¡¯sck of reaction as well.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just looking, that¡¯s all. If you don¡¯t like it, I can just turn away!¡±

    It was at this moment Prayer stepped in as the mediator. ¡°Lad, the Chang bone is clearly no ordinary item. Greed is a powerful motivator, and you, if you¡¯ll forgive me for saying this, aren¡¯t strong enough to keep it from prying eyes. That is why handing it over to Scion Zheng is the best thing you can do, and it¡¯s not like we¡¯re taking it for free. When our business is concluded, we¡¯ll give you a couple more Tiger Bone Power Pills aspensation.¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Prayer!¡± Zheng Tianyuan affirmed. From his perspective, Ye Qing was already dead. Any promise he made to him was automatically null and void.

    ¡°Haha. Thank you in advance!¡± Ye Qing said with a chuckle that did not reach the eyes. <i>I thank your mom for giving birth to a whoreson like you, more like. Does he really think I¡¯m that stupid? A child could¡¯ve told you that the Chang bone is a hundred times more valuable than some shitty ass Tiger Bone Power Pills!</i>

    Seemingly cated by Ye Qing¡¯s eptance, Prayer stroked his goatee and asked, ¡°Speaking of which, do you know where we are right now? And do you know how much longer we need to travel to get to the Jade Dragon Lake?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°In fact, we¡¯re already here. If you¡¯d take a look at those nts over there, you¡¯d notice that they¡¯re tinged with a bit of red. They¡¯re like this because they¡¯re constantly exposed to blood qi. The Jade Dragon Lake should be just behind the forest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news!¡± Prayer pped his hands in excitement. Last night, before they were forced to attend the mountain god¡¯s wedding, they had been a fair distance away from the Jade Dragon Lake. Who would¡¯ve thought that they would wake up right next to their destination? Clearly, this was the mountain god¡¯s work. It was a pleasant surprise no one could possibly begrudge.

    As usual, Ye Qing took the lead and led the group through the forest. It wasn¡¯t long before they arrived at the infamous blood redke.

    ¡°This is the Jade Dragon Lake?¡± Someone eximed in a hushed voice while staring at the ominouske in front of them.

    ¡°Look over there! Is that¡­ <i>the </i>sarcophagus?¡± Pao gulped while pointing a finger at the one and only object floating at the center of theke of blood. It was as eerie as it was mysterious.

    Zheng Tianyuan asked curiously, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Jade Dragon Lake holds a mysterious sarcophagus for as long as I can remember, and it seems that the rumors are true. But does anyone know what lies inside the sarcophagus?¡±

    Prayer replied in a solemn voice, ¡°Whatever it is, it is no one we wish to meet. Young Master Zheng, please remember that we are here for Old Man Xueying¡¯s (Blood Shadow) treasure. I implore you not to stray away from our main objective.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    Even without Prayer¡¯s advice, Zheng Tianyuan had no intentions of provoking the sarcophagus in any way. It was because one look at it was enough to inflict his mind with terror and stir his vigor to the point of instability. He would have to have a death wish to get anywhere close to it.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was thinking to himself, <i>I knew these people weren¡¯t here to forage herbs. They¡¯re here for that so-called Old Man Xueying¡¯s treasure! </i>

    There was a problem though. The Jade Dragon Lake looked just as barren as thest time he was here. It did not look like there was a treasure anywhere.

    <i>I sure hope their treasure isn¡¯t at the bottom of the Jade Dragon Lake, because that is one attempt that¡¯s doomed to end in failure and death.</i>

    Pao was trembling slightly as he stared at the ominously blood qi surrounding the Jade Dragon Lake. ¡°Young master, Old Man Xueying¡¯s treasure can¡¯t possibly be at the bottom of the Jade Dragon Lake, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Zheng Tianyuan could not help but criticize his servant. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the map just like me! Old Man Xueying¡¯s treasure lies somewhere around the Jade Dragon Lake, not the bottom!¡±

    ¡°But this ce ispletely barren, young master. It doesn¡¯t look like there could be a treasure anywhere. We¡­ aren¡¯t mistaken, are we?¡± Chi Long voiced his doubts as well.

    Zheng Tianyuan frowned but insisted, ¡°It has to be here somewhere!¡±

    ¡°Allow me!¡± Prayer said before producing an incense stick from his Nature¡¯s Shell. Unlike the Incense of Worship, this incense stick had a darker color and looked no different from a normal incense stick. When Prayer lit it up, it gave off a thick smoke that quickly spread to the surroundings.

    ¡°Gods and spirits that lie within the stick, please bless me with unparalleled luck!¡± Prayer prayed as he nted the incense stick in the censer and bowed twice.

    ¡°Will this work, Prayer?¡± Zheng Tianyuan asked uncertainly.

    The old man returned a confident smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure. This incense stick is called the Incense of Fortune. As I mentioned earlier, it will bless us with unparalleled luck. Barring unforeseen circumstances, it should lead us to Old Man Xueying¡¯s treasure very quickly!¡±

    As soon as he said this, the ck smoke rising from the censer abruptly started floating toward a hill next to Jade Dragon Lake. This was strange because it was moving directly against the wind.

    ¡°See?¡± Prayer dered with a pleased look. ¡°Follow the smoke!¡±

    ¡°Wait. What do we do with the boy, young master?¡± Pao suddenly looked at Ye Qing with a sinister glint in his eyes.

    Remembering that Ye Qing was there with them, he said without hesitation, ¡°Since his duty is finished, it¡¯s time to send him on his way!¡±

    By that, he meant sending Ye Qing to the afterlife, of course.

    ¡°At once! This is my forte!¡± Pao let out a vicious cackle before striding toward Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing feigned surprise and backed two steps away from the group. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What else? I¡¯m going to kill you, of course! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a fast worker. I promise you won¡¯t feel any pain when you go!¡± Pao clenched his fists as bloodthirst and tyranny shed in his eyes.

    Just when it looked like a sh was inevitable, Prayer suddenly raised a hand to stop Pao. ¡°Scion Zheng, we haven¡¯t located Old Man Xueying¡¯s treasure yet. It¡¯s a little hasty to kill thed before we know what lies ahead of us, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Zheng Tianyuan mulled over Prayer¡¯s advice. He really wanted to kill Ye Qing now, but not at the cost of offending the old man. After all, they still needed him to find the treasure. So, he nodded. ¡°Very well. I trust your judgment, Prayer. Pao! Stay your hand.¡±

    ¡°Pah! Lucky sonuvabitch. I suppose you get to live a while longer!¡± Pao cursed angrily before stomping away.

    ¡°Thank you for saving my life!¡± thanked Ye Qing as he saluted Prayer. Although he wasn¡¯t afraid of the group, he didn¡¯t want to sh against them yet. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the treasure they were looking for was probably the opportunity mentioned on the Annon Sutra.

    ¡°I promise you¡¯ll be safe if you stay close to me. You have nothing to be afraid of!¡± Prayer shot him a friendly smile before turning his attention back to the ck smoke. The group began following the smoke trail.

    They had just taken a few steps when Pao¡ªhe was taking point together with Prayer¡ªsuddenly let out a cry of pain. At the same time, blood began seeping out of his pores.

    ¡°Save me, young master!¡±

    .

    ¡°Scion Zheng! If you will!¡± Everyone else in the group was rmed as well. Every breath they inhaled contained a sliver of blood qi in them, and it seemed to be taking control of their blood and pulling it out of their body.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Zheng Tianyuan didn¡¯t dare to treat his life lightly, of course. He immediately produced a clean, smooth skeleton hand from his shirt. The moment the skeleton hand appeared, it immediately emitted a warm light that chased away the surrounding blood stench in an instant. They could vaguely hear the sound of Buddhist chants as well. It stopped the unnatural bleeding immediately.

    ¡°It is as we postted! The Sarira Bone really does work on the evils of this ce!¡± Prayer dered in relief before urging, ¡°Now move!¡±

    And so the group hurriedly followed the ck smoke to heavens-know-where. But the closer they got to the Jade Dragon Lake, the narrower and dimmer the light became. Cracks were beginning to appear on the skeleton hand as well.

    ¡°The Sarira Bone isn¡¯t going to hold much longer, Prayer! Can we find the treasure in time? If not, can we get <i>out </i>in time?¡±

    Prayer was normally a cautious man, but right now he looked anything but. His face was warped by a tinge of desperation and madness as he uttered, ¡°We¡¯re close! We¡¯re close! Just hang on!¡±

    The group would continue to run behind the ck smoke for a while longer until they arrived at a small valley. They saw the smoke flying straight into it.

    The valley wasn¡¯t really a valley. It was a gully running through two small hills and ending with a rocky wall. Strangely, the smoke flew all the way to the wall before vanishing behind it.

    ¡°That''s it!¡± Prayer roared in triumph.

    The rest of the group looked relieved as well. They began running down the gully with all their might. They did not stop even after they had reached the dead end.

    The wall shivered when Prayer made contact with it, but it did not stop him dead in his tracks. It was an illusion. The rest of the group quickly vanished into the wall as well.

 Chapter 33: I Warned You

    <h4>Chapter 33: I Warned You</h4>

    ¡°I see! This ce is warded by a minor illusion array!¡±

    The group was greeted by an actual valley after they passed through the fake wall. Strangely, the valley and the gully outside looked like two separate worlds even though they were only separated by a single wall, and not even a real one at that. For starters, the valley was overgrown with green grass and clearly not polluted by the blood qi. Even more conspicuous was a tree about two humans tall at the center of the valley and what looked like a man underneath it.

    ¡°Is that Old Man Xueying?¡± Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s eyes lit up. As if on cue, the Sarira Bone he was holding abruptly disintegrated into fine powder. Clearly, it had used up all of its power.

    This startled the group and caused them to tense up a little. When they felt no difort, they all let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that a minor illusion array isn¡¯t the only thing in effect here. Old Man Xueying must have set up some other array to keep out the blood qi,¡± Prayer spected.

    Still staring at the mysterious figure beneath the tree, Zheng Tianyuan repeated again in a trembling voice, ¡°Is that Old Man Xueying?¡±

    Prayer nodded. ¡°I believe so!¡±

    The young master looked confused, ¡°I thought this is just one of many treasure spots Old Man Xueying has hidden throughout the world. Why would he die at such a ce?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s head over and see, shall we?¡± Prayer deflected the question before warning, ¡°There might be some traps or unexpected dangers, so be careful!¡±

    As soon as Pao heard this, he immediately withdrew his foot and ordered Ye Qing loudly, ¡°Take point, boy!¡±

    Ye Qing did not resist. The exit was just a few meters away, so he could always escape if there was any danger, and unlike the others he wasn¡¯t afraid of the blood qi at all. The Jade Dragon Lake was his homeground, and he was its lord and master!

    To everyone¡¯s surprise including himself, Ye Qing reached the tree without encountering any danger. It wasn¡¯t until they arrived beneath the tree that they realized that the man they thought was Old Man Xueying had already dposed into a skeleton. However, his clothes were still intact, and his skeleton hadn¡¯t yet be so weakened that it would crumple into a pile of bones. That was why it looked like he was meditating from afar.

    ¡°He really is dead. You sure gave me a scare, you bag of bones!¡± Pao sneered and kicked the skeleton before anyone could react, scattering bones everywhere.

    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Prayer startled before rebuking the man.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you people are afraid of. It¡¯s just a bag of bones!¡± replied Pao with an uncaring shrug.

    ¡°Look! There¡¯s a gravestone over here!¡± Granny Snake suddenly shouted and drew everyone¡¯s attention.

    After walking over to the gravestone and pulling away the overgrown grass, they noticed that a few passages were engraved to the stone. It read: ¡°My name is Fu Xueying, and my title Old Man Xueying. I have been forced to hide here after suffering a terrible betrayal. I am gravely wounded, and I know I do not have long to live. That is why I¡¯m leaving behind my life¡¯s work¡ªthe ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± and the ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡±, and the Blood Shadow Divine Pill necessary to cultivate the arts¡ªto my fateful one.¡±

    ¡°Should you choose to cultivate my martial arts, you will carry on my will and swear to avenge my death. My betrayer is none other than my disciple, Fu Qianqiu. Remember this well!¡±

    ¡°Last will of Old Man Xueying, Fu Xueying!¡±

    ¡°That body really was Old Man Xueying!¡± Prayer said with a wistful sigh. To think that the master of Blood Shadow Castle, a powerful faction that used to be famous thirty years ago, would perish at such a ce. What was even sadder was the fact that he had been murdered by none other than his own disciple. It truly was a pitiable andmentable death.

    Then again, Blood Shadow Castle was an infamous demonic sect in Luoshui back in the day. They were ruthless, wanton, and self-seeking. It was perfectly normal for master and disciple to turn against one another, and even father and son to plot each other¡¯s death. Old Man Xueying¡¯s death¡ªasmentable as it was¡ªwas hardly surprising, all things considered.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t share the same sentiment because he had never heard of an ¡°Old Man Xueying¡± or a ¡°Blood Shadow Castle¡±. In fact, the only thing that concerned him right now was the two cultivation arts mentioned on the gravestone, the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± and the ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡±.

    That¡¯s right, he didn¡¯t even care for the Blood Shadow Divine Pill that Old Man Xueying imed was a must-have to cultivate his martial arts. It was clear it was a cultivation medicine of sorts, and cultivation medicine was nothing to him since he had the Annon Sutra!

    Ye Qing scanned the surroundings but could not find anything that looked like a book around the area. Judging from the state of the earth, he highly doubted that the old man had buried his cultivation manuals either. It was then he recalled the body and the tree. If the books weren¡¯t next to the gravestone, then it had to be on the body or the tree. Since Pao had so kindly kicked the body into a million pieces, the only ce left to check was the tree.

    Ye Qing walked beneath the tree and looked up. He was right. He saw three wooden boxes sitting on a tree branch in the canopy.

    <i>The boxes must contain the cultivation arts and the pill mentioned on the gravestone!</i>

    ¡°Heh! Your eyes are surprisingly sharp, aren¡¯t you boy? It¡¯s too bad there¡¯s nothing here for you!¡± Pao said derisively. Intelligence wasn¡¯t a trait that was unique to Ye Qing. Naturally, everyone else in the group had figured out the truth and spotted the wooden boxes as well.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, Pao? Go grab the boxes already!¡± Prayer urged.

    Ye Qing abruptly shot Prayer a strange look as if he was surprised. He didn¡¯t say anything though.

    ¡°Sure!¡± replied an unsuspecting Pao. He then leaped into the air and made a grab for the boxes.

    It was at this moment something unexpected happened. The instant Pao¡¯s hand made contact with one of the boxes, he abruptly tensed up as if he had been electrocuted. His body turned limp as he fell down andnded with a loud thud.

    ¡°Pao! Are you alright?¡± Zheng Tianyuan nched and called out to Pao, but the middle-aged man did not respond to his cry at all. It was almost as if he was¡­ dead.

    Their fears were proven just a secondter. All of a sudden, Pao¡¯s body started shriveling up like something was draining his vigor. It took only a few seconds before he turned into a dry corpse.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Zheng Tianyuan backed away from the corpse with shock and terror written all over his face.

    Chi Long stepped in front of Zheng Tianyuan and watched the tree warily. ¡°Be careful, young master. Something¡¯s not right about this tree.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t just saying this because Pao was dead. As if the middle-aged man¡¯s death had awoken something in the tree, its tree trunk began changing from dark brown to vibrant green, and new leaves began growing on its branches. At the same time, a flower bud grew out of a tree branch.

    The flower bud was swaying even though it waspletely windless inside the valley. It was also changing color constantly. Sometimes it was emerald green, sometimes it was yellow gold, and sometimes it was as red as blood. A sweet, aromatic, intoxicating scent permeated the air.

    ¡°What is that?¡± someone whispered. Everyone was staring at the flower bud with a mixture of curiosity and fear. No one dared to get close to it because it was definitely the culprit behind Pao¡¯s death. The middle-aged man was ate-stage Qi Invoker, and yet he had died in an instant and without any resistance whatsoever. Of course they weren¡¯t going to approach it carelessly.

    There was one person whose reaction was noticeably different from the others, however. No one saw that Prayer was clenching his fists and visibly shaking with excitement behind them.

    After observing the flower bud for a moment and sensing no danger from it, Granny Snake stepped up and said, ¡°Let me try!¡± She blew a whistle, and something green shot out of her sleeves andnded on the tree. It was none other than the little green snake she used to threaten Ye Qing a while ago.

    At first, the snake seemed perfectly fine. It was when it got within a certain range of the boxes when it came to a sudden stop.

    ¡°Return!¡±

    The blood drained away from Granny Snake¡¯s face as she blew another whistle, but her snake did not respond to it. The next second, it fell off the tree and shriveled up just like Pao had.

    ¡°My baby!¡± Granny Snake screeched on top of her lungs. The snake was a Stranger she had tamed and raised using countless medicines and poisons. It was so venomous that it could threaten some Vessel Augmentors. Without exaggeration, it was the apple of her eye and a treasure she cherished second only to her own life. Of course she was heartbroken by its demise.

    Speaking of which, the flower bud on the tree grew again after the snake was dead. Its scent was also much sweeter than before.

    It was at this moment Chi Long had been crossing his arms and watching the show from the sidelines. He immediately yelled at him, ¡°Go get the boxes, boy!¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows at the red-haired man. Then, he barked out aughter and said, ¡°Fuck no!¡±

    ¡°What did you say? I dare you to say that again!¡± Surprise flitted across Chi Long¡¯s features before it morphed into anger. He wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to dare to refuse him.

    ¡°Are you deaf? I said I¡¯m not going! A blind man can see that getting up that tree is tomit suicide! How stupid do you think I am?¡± Ye Qing shrugged before saying something iprehensible, ¡°Also, I¡¯m warning you, but you better think twice before you attack me!¡±

    As if he was unable toprehend Ye Qing¡¯s defiance, Chi Long barked out a furiousugh before saying, ¡°You¡¯re not going? Okay then! You can die in my hands instead!¡±

    The red-haired man took one step toward Ye Qing and appeared in front of him like magic. Then, he made a grab for the young man¡¯s head. Chi Long wasn¡¯t just tall and muscr, his hands were the size of a leaf fan. It was quite intimidating to stand beneath it as it came closer. From another¡¯s perspective, Ye Qing looked like a defenseless child who could do nothing but be crushed beneath his palm, not to mention that it was giving off a massive wave of heat like it was on fire. It warmed up even those who were standing a good few meters away from Chi Long.

    The red-haired man cultivated a martial art called the ¡°Red Dragon Force¡±. It was a hegemonic and brutal martial art that imbued its wielder with the power of the scorching son. Those who failed to defend against the force would find their blood vessels crushed and their internal organs burned into a crisp. If they failed to expel the force in time, then they would literally burn down into a charred corpse.

    ¡°Die, boy!¡± Chi Long said with a viciousugh. Hisplexion was beet red due to the ¡°Red Dragon Force¡±, so he looked just like a story book demon when heughed.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing turned his body sideways and took one step away from Chi Long. Then, a bright sh cut through the air and halted the red-haired man dead in his tracks.

    ¡°What¡­ how did¡­ you¡­¡± Chi Long eximed in disbelief as shock spread across his face. As if on cue, blood burst out of his cut throat before he copsed to the ground with a thud.

    It was only then a bead of blood fell off Ye Qing¡¯s de.

    ¡°I warned you not to attack me, but you just can¡¯t help yourself, can you?¡± Ye Qing said with a smirk. He looked so calm and uncaring it was as if he had just ughtered a chicken, not ate-stage Qi Invoker.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not¡­¡± Zheng Tianyuan and Granny Snake were stunned, of course. Chi Long wasn¡¯t just anyte-stage Qi Invoker, he was pretty well-reputed in Anyang. Who would¡¯ve thought that he would die like a wimp to a mere ¡°journeyman Reforged¡±? It was like a dream, but the dead body on the ground told them it was anything but!

    <i>Bang!</i>

    It was at this moment Prayerunched into action. While Zheng Tianyuan and Granny Snake were distracted, the old man suddenly raced forward and¡­ hit Granny Snake squarely in the chest.

    Completely caught off guard, Granny Snake could do nothing but m into the tree.

    ¡°Argh! Prayer, what are you¡ª¡± Granny Snake cried out in pain before shooting Prayer a confused and furious re. Unfortunately, that was all she managed before she shriveled up and died right next to her snake. She remained stunned and confused until the very end.

    Prayer wasn¡¯t looking at her or Zheng Tianyuan, however. He dashed over to Chi Long and kicked him over to the tree. The vigor flowed out, and the flesh rotted. Just like that, the dead man shriveled up to a dry corpse!

 Chapter 34: Dead Manâ€™s Tree

    <h4>Chapter 34: Dead Man¡¯s Tree</h4>

    ¡°What did you do, Prayer? Have you gone mad?¡±

    Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s brain finally processed what just happened, Granny Snake and Chi Long had already been sucked dry, and Prayer was staring excitedly at the flower bud on the tree.

    ¡°Mad? Hahaha! I¡¯m not mad. I can¡¯t be mad until I¡¯ve achieved my goal,¡± Prayer answered, but his eyes never left the flower bud. Despite his ims he certainly looked the picture of madness.

    Once again, the flower bud on the tree was reacting after absorbing Granny Snake and Chi Long¡¯s vigor. It was slowly but surely blooming into a beautiful yet eerie flower.

    The flower had five petals in total, and each petal was in a different color: Red, yellow, blue, ck and white. It was beautiful, but that beauty was marred by something horrifying. Each petal carried a human face, and one could vaguely identify those faces as belonging to Pao, Granny Snake and Chi Long. When a breeze brushed against the flower, its petals opened and closed almost as if it was breathing. The way the human faces on the petals swayed to its movements, it almost looked like they were smiling. The sight was unsettling to put it mildly.

    Zheng Tianyuan visibly shuddered before stuttering, ¡°W-what is that thing?¡±

    ¡°That is what they call the Dead Man¡¯s Flower! ¡®The Dead Man¡¯s Tree grows the Dead Man¡¯s Flower, The Dead Man¡¯s Flower fruits the Fruit of Life, the Fruit of Life revives a dead man from the dead, and the Dead Man Tree grows its hoard of bones beneath its roots. And so the cycle continues forever and ever!¡¯¡±

    Prayer was staring at the flower with fervent eyes and whispering as if he was afraid too loud a volume would disturb its growth or something, ¡°The Dead Man¡¯s Tree got its name because it can only bear fruit by consuming a living being¡¯s vigor and vitality. When the Dead Man Flower falls, it will bear a fruit called the Fruit of Life. As the name implies, the Fruit of Life can extend one¡¯s lifespan, strengthen one¡¯s body, and even protect one from all kinds of poison.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, it can bring anyone from the brink of death and restore them to full health so long as they¡¯re still alive. It is one of the top ten miraculous fruits in the world!¡±

    ¡°A Dead Man¡¯s Tree that flowers the Dead Man¡¯s Flower and fruits the Fruit of Life? How ironic!¡± Ye Qing sneered. ¡°Your words sound pretty, but in the end, it¡¯s really just a tool to steal another person¡¯s life, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Haha! You¡¯re right on the money!¡± Prayer echoed in agreement, but he still didn¡¯t look away from the Dead Man¡¯s Flower.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you attacked Granny Snake and the others! You¡¯re trying to make the Dead Man¡¯s Tree bear the Fruit of Life!¡± Zheng Tianyuan eximed in realization.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Prayer nodded.

    ¡°The Fruit of Life, huh? How wonderful! If you give me the Fruit of Life, I promise I¡¯ll overlook what you¡¯ve done, Prayer!¡± Zheng Tianyuan ordered while staring passionately at the Dead Man¡¯s Flower.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The old man finally looked away from the Dead Man¡¯s Flower to stare at Zheng Tianyuan. His expression was both surprised and amused.

    ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯ve never seen such a dumdum in my life!¡± eximed Ye Qing with a facepalm. If Pao was a fool, then his young master was aplete imbecile. Heavens know how he managed to live this long without dying.

    ¡°What did you say!?¡±

    Zheng Tianyuan red at him, but Ye Qing merely shrugged innocently before exining, ¡°Don¡¯t you realize it yet, Scion Zheng? Prayer has been plotting our deaths since the start!¡±

    Prayer shot Ye Qing a curious look. ¡°When did you find out?¡±

    ¡°Just now. You must¡¯ve known that there¡¯s a Dead Man¡¯s Tree in this ce from the beginning, or you wouldn¡¯t be able to describe its characteristics down to the letter. Also, you¡¯ve been watching the tree since we entered this valley, which is strange as the dead man beneath it is far more conspicuous no matter how you looked at it. Third, you ordered Pao to grab the wooden box without checking or even suggesting that there might for any traps, which ispletely at odds with the level of caution you¡¯ve disyed until now. How are you going to exin that?¡±

    ¡°All things considered, there is only one answer. You wanted the Dead Man¡¯s Tree to absorb Pao¡¯s vitality and vigor. That is also why you ambushed Granny Snake. In fact, you were never here for Old Man Xueying¡¯s treasure. You were targeting the Fruit of Life from the start, and Scion Zheng and his men were the food you¡¯ve prepared for the Dead Man¡¯s Tree!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! No wonder the ancients say to fear the young! I can¡¯t say that¡¯s true for everyone, but you have certainly earned my respect,d!¡± Prayerughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. My ultimate objective has always been the Fruit of Life.¡±

    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Zheng Tianyuan was still confused.

    ¡°What am I saying? I¡¯m saying that I¡¯ve plotted this ¡®grand adventure¡¯ from the start until the end, you idiot!¡± Prayer¡¯sughter grew increasingly triumphant as he continued, ¡°For starters, where do you think you got the treasure map that leads to Old Man Xueying¡¯s hoard, Scion Zheng? I¡¯m the one who asked Granny Snake to give it to you!¡±

    ¡°Granny Snake was your friend?¡± Zheng Tianyuan blurted.

    The old man stroked his goatee while answering, ¡°But of course! Why else would she ask you to seek me out and partner up with me? That¡¯s because I¡¯m the one who set up everything, hehehe. If not for me, would you have brought your cohort all the way to these mountains to die?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I neglected to mention the bit about the Dead Man¡¯s Tree and the Fruit of Life, but I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind such a <i>minor</i> omission, would you? Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Granny Snake was one of yours¡­ and you killed her? How could you?¡± Zheng Tianyuan could not believe his ears.

    A vicious grin crossed Prayer¡¯s lips then. ¡°Well, there is only one Fruit of Life, and we can¡¯t possibly share something so valuable, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a monster!¡± Zheng Tianyuan uttered even as ice coursed through his veins, and the world seemed to be spinning around him. He felt like the sky itself had fallen and smacked him silly. He had wholeheartedly believed that the treasure map was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He never thought it would be a carefullyid trap meant to sacrifice him and his cohort for another¡¯s benefit.

    ¡°Say, it¡¯s true that the Dead Man¡¯s Tree needs fresh vigor and vitality to fruit, but you could¡¯ve just grabbed some nobodies off the streets and fed them to the tree, couldn¡¯t you? Why take the risk of angering the Zheng n?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°Your words make perfect sense, and trust me, I know,¡± Prayer said with a helpless sigh. ¡°The problem is that the Dead Man¡¯s Tree is located next to the Jade Dragon Lake, and who doesn¡¯t know that the blood qi permeating this ce is deadly and bizarre? Without the right skill set or Strange Artifact, it¡¯s practically suicide to even get close to this ce.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, there are very, very few people in Anyang who possess the skill set or Strange Artifact I need. It took me a long time just to find out that the Zheng n possessed a Sarira Bone that can suppress the blood qi of Jade Dragon Lake. After that, well, you know the rest!¡±

    ¡°Finally, the quality of the sacrifice <i>does </i>affect the quality of the Fruit of Life. The more vigor and vitality the Dead Man¡¯s Tree absorbs, the better the Fruit of Life it bears. With that in mind, what better sacrifice is there than a warrior, and what better warrior is there than Scion Zheng¡¯s cohort? I¡¯ve always been a perfectionist and an overachiever, you see. If I can make the best Fruit of Life there is, why not?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I see! I must admit that you¡¯re as devious as you¡¯re meticulous!¡±

    ¡°I admit defeat, Prayer.¡± Some timeter, Zheng Tianyuan finally recovered from his stupefied state somewhat and said, ¡°I won¡¯t ask you to give me the Fruit of Life. I can pretend that you¡¯ve never plotted against me and killed Pao, Chi Long and Granny Snake. I will also swear that the Zheng n will note after you. All I ask is that you let me leave this ce alive. What do you say?¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m happy to hear that!¡± A wide smile spread across Prayer¡¯s face as he slowly walked toward Zheng Tianyuan. ¡°It should not need to be said, but I do not want to fight against the Zheng n either.¡±

    Relief seeped into Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s face. He was just a middle-stage Qi Invoker, and Pao, Chi Long and Granny Snake were all dead. There was no way he could defeat Prayer, so he could only beg for his life. If Prayer let him live, and if he could make back to his home safe and sound, it would be the old man¡¯s turn to beg for his mercy. The bastard had dared to plot against him and kill his men. He was going to make him regret he ever¡ª!

    The young master did not manage to finish his thoughts before Prayer suddenlyunched a palm strike at his head. Zheng Tianyuan clearly wasn¡¯t expecting this because he just stood there and stared as death approached. He just couldn¡¯t believe that Prayer would dare to kill him.

    It was at this moment a sh of light cut toward Prayer¡¯s neck so fast and suddenly it was as if it had teleported through space. Unfortunately, the old man was able to react in time and floated away from the attack like a leaf being blown away by the wind. He dodged the attack with just a few centimeters to spare.

    ¡°Your saber is swift,d!¡± Prayer praised.

    Ye Qing withdrew his saber and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡±

    Prayer did not take offense even though Ye Qing had nearly killed him. He wore a kind smile on his face as he asked, ¡°How did you know I was going to kill him?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°You should know Scion Zheng better than I do. Does he look like the type who will keep his promises? Even if he is, why would you let him live when silencing him was by far the superior solution?¡±

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m pretty sure that Dead Man¡¯s Flower hasn¡¯t fully bloomed yet. It has five petals, but only three people have died so far. If I¡¯m not mistaken, two more people need to die before it bears fruit, and there are only three of us left. Who else are you going to sacrifice if not Zheng Tianyuan and I? And why else would you bring me here if not to sacrifice me to the Dead Man¡¯s Tree?¡±

    ¡°As for why you targeted Zheng Tianyuan first, that¡¯s obviously because Zheng Tianyuan is the bigger threat between the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Incredible! Truly incredible! I honestly would loath to kill you if the Dead Man¡¯s Tree didn¡¯t need five people¡¯s worth of vigor and vitality to bear fruit!¡± Prayer slow-pped with a regretful look on his face.

    It was at this moment Zheng Tianyuan finally snapped out of his shock and screamed, ¡°You¡­ you tried to kill me. You actually tried to kill me! My dad is Zheng Feng, the patriarch of the Zheng n and a Vessel Augmentor! He¡¯ll chase you to the ends of the earth if you kill me!¡±

    Prayer merely scoffed at his threat. ¡°It¡¯s true that the Zheng n is bigger than me, but who will know that I¡¯m the one who killed you? You do remember that this is the Jade Dragon Lake and not your home, do you? Also, I would be a Vessel Augmentor myself once I¡¯ve eaten the Fruit of Life and cultivated the ¡®Blood Shadow Divine Art¡¯. Why would I fear the Zheng n then?¡±

    ¡°This is why the two of you must die today.¡±

    Zheng Tianyuan was both enraged and terrified. ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Save your breath, Scion Zheng. You heard him. He isn¡¯t going to let us live,¡± Ye Qing interrupted Zheng Tianyuan before saying, ¡°The only way we might live now is if we work together to kill him.¡±

    This was why Ye Qing had saved Zheng Tianyuan earlier. It was so that he wouldn¡¯t have to fight Prayer alone.

    Ye Qing had no illusions that Zheng Tianyuan would feel even a shred of gratitude toward him should they seed, but he was by far the easier opponentpared to Prayer. If they could kill Prayer, then his victory was as good as sealed.

    ¡°You think the two of you are enough to kill me? Think again,¡± Prayer sneered before twisting his wrists andunching a throwing knife at Ye Qing and Zheng Tianyuan each.

    Ye Qing rolled on the ground and dodged the throwing knife unceremoniously. On the other hand, Zheng Tianyuan let out a roar and took three steps into the air. Then, he unleashed a powerful palm strike that was clearly infused with lightning. It was none other than the Zheng n¡¯s exclusive technique, the Boundless Lightning Palm.

    However, right before his palm would make contact with the throwing knife, the throwing knife abruptly split into three and sped up. Not only that, they abruptly changed directions in mid-air and flew toward three separate vital spots!

    As it turned out, Prayer hadn¡¯t tossed just one throwing knife at Zheng Tianyuan at all. They were three throwing knives meshed together using some sort of special force to create the deception.

    Zheng Tianyuan managed to block the first throwing knife, but not the second and the third. Before he could even react, the second throwing knife pierced his heart, and the third his forehead. He was dead just like that.

    The leaf scatters,

    To bloom three flowers.

    The knife chases,

    To doom the soul!

 Chapter 35: The Incense of Misfortune

    <h4>Chapter 35: The Incense of Misfortune</h4>

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Just how useless can he be?¡±

    The entire reason Ye Qing saved Zheng Tianyuan earlier was to pit him against Prayer. The young master was a middle-stage Qi Invoker and the scion of the Zheng n. He might be a bonafide imbecile, but he should be able to give Prayer a run for his money. He was going to kill them both once they had sufficiently worn each other out.

    In reality, Zheng Tianyuan¡¯sbat experience was socking that not even the best martial arts in the world could¡¯ve saved his life. He was so useless that Prayer had taken him out in a matter of seconds.

    That said, it wasn¡¯tpletely Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s fault. Prayer¡¯s throwing knives had turned out to be trickier than expected. They were already fast enough to give Ye Qing a run for his money, but they could also speed up and change directions without warning. Had Prayer chosen to attack him first, he might have fallen for the trick as well, though he would survive of course.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t slow down despite his disappointment. He immediately tossed a fire talisman at Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°You dare!?¡± roared Prayer when he noticed what the talisman was. He crossed ten meters in an instant and made a grab for the fire talisman.

    It had taken an insane amount of nning and waiting on his part toe this far. If Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s corpse was destroyed, then all of his efforts and scheming would be for naught. Of course he wasn¡¯t going to allow it to happen. He let out an audible sigh of relief when he caught the fire talisman and crushed it between his fingers.

    Of course, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to allow this golden opportunity to slip through his grasp. A de as bright as the snow cut toward his neck like lightning.

    ¡°Petty tricks aren''t going to work on me,d!¡± Prayer sneered. His hand slowly turned steely gray as he curled his fingers until they resembled a w. Then, he made a grab for the shining de in the air.

    ¡°Iron Hand¡± was a martial art that hardened one¡¯s hand until they were as tough as steel. The practitioner was required to temper and refine their hands using ironsand as often as possible. Prayer had reached the adept level of this martial art as he had been practicing for a very, very long time. His hands were as tough as an ordinary weapon, and he could easily catch a sharp de with his bare hands. It was a potent counter against any de wielder.

    In Prayer¡¯s opinion, Ye Qing was a low level warrior whose one niche was his extraordinarily swift de. The only reason he managed to kill Chi Long was because the guy hadpletely let down his guard. A fast de was alreadycking in power, but Ye Qing was also just a journeyman Reforged. The chances that he might cut through his Iron Hand was exactly zero, which was why Prayer wanted to snatch his saber. Without it, Ye Qing was as powerless as a tiger without teeth and ws. His victory was as good as sealed then.

    ¡°Croak¡­ croak¡­ croak!¡±

    It was at this moment three croaks boomed from Ye Qing¡¯s stomach in rapid session. They were so loud that they resounded throughout the valley.

    Prayer nched as rm bells suddenly rang in his head. Without hesitation, he canceled his attack and tried to pull back.

    Unfortunately for him, Ye Qing¡¯s saber sang and suddenly grew a tad faster. It struck his hand right before he could move it out of the way.

    ¡°Argh!¡± Prayer let out a bloodcurdling scream as a metallic shriek cut through the air. Ye Qing¡¯s saber had cut through his prized Iron Hand¡ªsevering all five fingers like a hot knife through butter¡ªand split his arm into two, baring muscles and bones!

    ¡°You¡¯re not a journeyman Reforged! You¡¯re¡­ ate-stage Qi Invoker!¡± Prayer cried out even as he clutched his broken arm. Every time he said a word, blood mixed with tiny chunks of flesh would spill out of his mouth.

    Ye Qing¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t just rendered Prayer¡¯s arm useless, its potent force had severely damaged Prayer internal organs as well. The pain was excruciating, but it was nothingpared to the shock and disbelief the oldman was feeling right now!

    In fact, Prayer had long since realized that Ye Qing was no ordinary warrior. It was because Uncle Fu had given him a Chang bone, a special favor that not even he, the owner of the Incense of Worship, enjoyed. Since then, he was sure that Ye Qing was hiding some sort of powerful secret.

    It was one of the reasons he made sure that no harm woulde to Ye Qing until they entered the valley. Sure, he needed Ye Qing to stay alive until he could sacrifice him to the Dead Man¡¯s Tree, but he also wanted to im whatever it was that made Ye Qing so special in the eyes of Uncle Fu for himself.

    Until just now, he was certain that Ye Qing¡¯s de was that secret. It was the only exnation as to how he managed to kill Chi Long earlier. It took more than just surprise to ovee the tyranny of cultivation levels after all. But now, he realized it was because Ye Qing was also ate-stage Qi Invoker. Not only that, he had the skill, the experience, and even the cultivation art to match his cultivation level!

    But how was that possible? He had briefly looked into Ye Qing¡¯s background when Granny Xia had mentioned him. He would need to tweak his ns a little if the young man turned out to be stronger than expected after all. However, his investigation revealed that Ye Qing was just an unassuming watchman with an equally unassuming background. His parents had died not too long ago, and he had only begun cultivating and practicing martial arts for less than a month. It was literally impossible for him to be ate-stage Qi Invoker, and yet¡­

    Ye Qing admitted, ¡°You¡¯re definitely a lot more perceptive than the others, Prayer. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not a journeyman Reforged!¡±

    Ye Qing was a little disappointed, to be honest. He thought for sure he would be able to kill Prayer with the element of surprise and a triple Toad Force, but the old man still managed to dodge it in the end.

    His effort wasn¡¯t useless though. The surprise attack had severely wounded the old man. It shouldn¡¯t take much more time and energy to kill him!

    ¡°This isn¡¯t possible¡­ this isn¡¯t possible¡­ this isn¡¯t¡­¡± Prayer muttered again and again as if he had dropped his soul somewhere.

    Ye Qing countered, ¡°Why not? Luck and opportunity aren¡¯t exclusive to any one person. If you can find the Fruit of Life, then why can¡¯t I be ate-stage Qi Invoker?¡±

    ¡°Of course, your Fruit of Life isn¡¯t going to be yours for much longer!¡±

    ¡°The Fruit of Life¡­ you want to take <i>my </i>Fruit of Life?¡± Prayer abruptly snapped back to reality and grinned savagely at Ye Qing. ¡°You seem to think you¡¯ve already won. Allow me to correct that delusion!¡±

    Before he even finished, Prayer abruptlyunched three throwing knives at him in rapid session. All three knives traveled along a straight line until the two at the back abruptly sped up and mmed into the one at the front, elerating it several times faster than before. While the first throwing knife was speeding straight toward Ye Qing¡¯s heart, the second throwing knife suddenly curved toward his lower abdomen, while the third shot right past Ye Qing before curving around to hit his scruff.

    <i>¡°Shooting Stars Chase The Moon¡±</i>

    Prayer¡¯s throwing knives still caught Ye Qing by surprise even though he had been watching out for them since the moment he revealed them. Thankfully, they weren''t so tricky that he couldn¡¯t block them in time. After throwing up a destorm that protected every inch of his body and parrying all the throwing knives, he pushed off the ground and charged straight toward Prayer.

    <i>Always strike an enemy when they¡¯re at their weakest!</i>

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, Prayer didn¡¯t seem flustered in the slightest. Instead, he produced a grayish ck, ominous-looking incense stick from his shirt, nted it on his censer, and lit it up.

    ¡°Really, Prayer? I highly doubt the gods and spirits are going to save you from me!¡± Ye Qing scoffed. He had never learned a movement art, but his powerful vigor still allowed him to reach Prayer in just the blink of an eye. He immediately executed a Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber technique and targeted five vital spots at the same time.

    <i>¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡ªFive Tigers Sever The Soul¡±</i>

    Something unexpected happened then. Right before his saber would carve into Prayer¡¯s flesh, a thick smoke suddenly sted into his face, choking him and watering his eyes. That unexpected distraction was enough to cause him to lose track of his target.

    <i>Swoosh swoosh!</i>

    When Ye Qing heard a series of swooshes, he did not hesitate to drop to his feet and rolled to the back. Not a moment too soon, a couple of throwing knives shot past his scalp and cut a few strands of hair.

    ¡°Heavens!¡±

    Cold sweat covered Ye Qing¡¯s forehead in an instant. If he was even a second slower, those throwing knives would¡¯ve been embedded in his brain!

    As soon as Ye Qing¡¯s eyes cleared up, he immediately stopped his roll and pushed himself off the ground once more. The ground exploded with a bang as he shot toward Prayer like an arrow once more.

    Ye Qing was fast, but his saber was even faster. He reached Prayer almost faster than the eyes could blink and swung his weapon once more. However, the old man jumped backward and floated away from Ye Qing like a leaf. He was able to dodge the attack by a hair¡¯s breadth and shoot a throwing knife at Ye Qing¡¯s throat at the same time.

    Ye Qing decided to emte his enemy¡¯s example and twist his head to one side. He put so much force into the motion that his neck bone let out a soft crack. While the throwing knife passed by his neck with milimeters to spare, he executed a wide sweep like he would cut an entire river in half. His transitions were so smooth it was as if he had thought out his moves beforehand.

    It was at this moment a wisp of smoke entered his nostrils. It was so itchy that Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but let out a sneeze. The sneeze slowed his movements just a tad, but it was just enough for Prayer tounch his attack first. As if his body was weightless, the old man sailed past Ye Qing in an arc and took his back, his feet never even touching the ground. Then, heunched a hail of throwing knives almost point nk at the young man! At this range, it was near impossible for Ye Qing to defend himself against it!

    Ye Qing was shocked, but he didn¡¯t sumb to panic. In fact, he realized the danger as soon as that sneeze overtook him. He imagined that his legs were the axis and forcefully twisted his waist halfway toward Prayer. At the same time, he brought his saber around and conjured a mighty wind with his impressive strength. Since he was using the t side of the saber, he was able to block the deadliest throwing knives and blow the rest out of his way.

    His woes weren¡¯t over, however. He suddenly heard a loud crack and felt a burst of pain from his waist.

    <i>Did I just twist my back?! </i>Ye Qing thought in disbelief. He was ate-stage Qi Invoker with an equally powerful physique. It should be damn near impossible for him to twist anything, and yet he did.

    That brief distraction was enough to add a couple more wounds to his body. Thankfully, they were superficial since he had blown the worst of the throwing knives out of the way.

    <i>Is it because of that incense stick?</i> Ye Qing red daggers at the gray incense stick on the censer even as he channeled his vigor to heal himself.

    First, the smoke had blinded him and caused him to lose track of his target. Then, it had caused him to sneeze and lose the initiative of the fight. Just now, he had suffered an unbelievable stroke of bad luck and twisted his back. If these incidents had happened on separate asions, he would¡¯ve chalked it off as sheer bad luck. But for it to happen three times in a row? Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action!

    Every time hemitted a ¡°mistake¡±, it was when he was holding the upper hand and about to severely wound Prayer. Worse, his mistake always put him in a dangerous spot that could¡¯ve cost him his life!

    <i>It has to be that incense stick! </i>Ye Qing thought with his eyes narrowed before charging toward the censer. It would be incredibly hard for him to kill Prayer if he did not extinguish that incense stick. However, he just happened to kick a round rock as soon as he raised a leg and nearly tripped on his feet. He had just regained his bnce when a de of grass tripped him and caused him to fall t on his back.

    Of course, Prayer wasn¡¯t just going to stand around and watch while Ye Qing was stunned. Heunched dozens more throwing knives toward Ye Qing and forced him into an emergency roll. The good news was that he managed to dodge the worst of it, taking wounds only on his arms and legs. The bad news was that he kept mming his head against not one, not two, but <i>dozens</i> of rocks as he rolled. By the time he finally got back to his feet, his head was full of bumps, and stars were spinning around his head.

    ¡°Hahaha! How do you like my Incense of Misfortune,d?¡± Prayer could not help but guffaw in schadenfreude at the sorry sight.

    ¡°Incense of Misfortune?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply.

    Prayer let out another bark ofughter before answering, ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t just have a bunch of Incense of Fortune, you know! I also have its antithesis! Whoever is cursed by the Incense of Misfortune will trip over their own feet, suffer nightmares in their sleep, choke on nothing and generally suffer all kinds of idents until the Incense of Misfortune runs out, or they¡¯re dead!¡±

    ¡°So? How do you like my Incense of Misfortune?¡±

 Chapter 36: The Fruit of Life

    <h4>Chapter 36: The Fruit of Life</h4>

    <i>I knew I couldn¡¯t be that unlucky!</i> Ye Qing thought to himself. The Incense of Misfortune was definitely a devious item. Prayer would already be dead if it wasn¡¯t for its interference!

    ¡°You¡¯ll never be able to kill me before the Incense of Misfortune runs out,? so why don¡¯t you just give up and fulfill an old man¡¯s wish, hmm? I assure you it¡¯s less miserable this way,¡± Prayer asked with a gruesome smile.

    ¡°Haha! Sorry, but I don¡¯t give up easily!¡± Ye Qing massaged his spinning head while channeling his vigor to heal his injuries. ¡°And did I tell you that I¡¯m something like a cockroach? Minor injuries are nothing to me!¡±

    However, the second he channeled his vigor, a wave of weakness washed over his body, and his stomach hurt like someone was twisting a knife inside his intestines. When he looked down, he immediately noticed that his wounds weren¡¯t healing. They were oozing greenish ck blood and giving off a disgusting stench. This was definitely not supposed to happen.

    ¡°Poison? Your throwing knives are poisoned?¡± Ye Qing looked up at Prayer in astonishment.

    ¡°But of course! All¡¯s fair in war, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Prayer cackled with sadistic pleasure. ¡°Here¡¯s a lesson for you in your next life,d: the end <i>always </i>justifies the means!¡±

    ¡°The poison you¡¯re suffering from is called the Bowel Necrosis. It is a poison that flows into your intestines through your blood and rots them from the inside out. Most people die from the pain long before the loss of their bowels actually kills them!¡±

    Prayer was smiling, but it was a sinister and cruel smile. ¡°And don¡¯t think you can kill me before it happens. The poison only takes a short time to reach its full effect. I eagerly await the moment I can feed your corpse to the Dead Man¡¯s Tree!¡±

    ¡°Grr¡­¡± Anything Ye Qing did triggered a terrible burst of pain from his stomach. He could clearly feel his intestines rotting little by little. The only silver lining here was his vigor was repairing the damage non-stop, or he absolutely could¡¯ve died from pain overload.

    <i>I need a n B!</i> Ye Qing thought. A tremendous amount of vigor and vitality might buy him a lot of time, but the poison was still going to kill him in the end if he could not remove it in time. The problem was that the Incense of Misfortune was keeping him from taking down Prayer in the shortest amount of time possible. There was also a huge gap in their mobility as well¡ªPrayer had a movement art that he must have mastered for years, while he was relying purely on brute strength and speed to get around. It was extremely unlikely he would be able to kill Prayer before his time ran out.

    <i>If brute force won¡¯t win me the day, then¡­</i> A light bulb suddenly appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s head as an idea came to him. The next second, he turned around and ran toward the exit with all his might. He shouted, ¡°You want the Fruit of Life, Prayer? Dream on! If I can¡¯t win, then I would rather both of us lose!¡±

    Prayer nched and figured out Ye Qing¡¯s n immediately. Clearly, the young man was nning to die to the blood qi outside so he would not be able to feed the Dead Man¡¯s Tree thest bit of vigor and vitality it needed to bear the Fruit of Life. All of his hopes and efforts woulde to nothing if Ye Qing seeded!

    ¡°Bastard!¡± Prayer screamed in rage. The young man was obviously determined to be annoying until the very end. The old man immediately broke into a run whileunching three throwing knives aimed at Ye Qing¡¯s neck and his legs. He was so fast he was running parallel to his throwing knives.

    Ye Qing ignored it. Legs bending, he let out an earthshaking croak before kicking off the ground andunching himself into the air. It was very close¡ªPrayer¡¯s throwing knives and palm strike had just missed him by milimeters¡ªbut the young man was ultimately able to make it out of the valley.

    ¡°Fuck! Fuck!¡± Prayer skidded to a stop before the fake wall and hesitated for a moment, his mind racing with a million thoughts. In the end, he gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and rushed out after Ye Qing.

    He had invested far too much time and effort to obtain the Fruit of Life. He had even gone so far as to murder the Zheng n¡¯s scion and his cohort. He was but one step away from obtaining his heart¡¯s desire, so of course he wasn¡¯t willing to give up and start all over again. He didn¡¯t have the <i>time </i>to start over again even if he wanted to. He was already at the end of his lifespan. Without the Fruit of Life, he probably had less than a year to live at best. That was he couldn¡¯t give up here no matter what!

    It was true that the Jade Dragon Lake¡¯s blood qi was a serious risk¡ªit corrupted not just their vigor, but also their spirit¡ªbut the corruption wasn¡¯t immediate. Since Ye Qing¡¯s injuries were worse than his, he shouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the blood qi¡¯s effects for long. If he died close by, there should be enough time to drag his corpse back to the valley before it was toote.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to dilly dally though. If he took too long, Ye Qing would transform into a lifeless and soulless Red Walker. The young man would bepletely useless in that state.

    As soon as Prayer rushed out of the valley, he immediately felt the blood qi¡ªone that was filled with indescribable filth and wickedness¡ªdrilling all the way into his marrows and corrupting both body and mind. His skin immediately started festering and oozing blood.

    Prayer hurriedly channeled his true qi to ward off the unnatural blood qi. Then, he searched around for Ye Qing.

    It would seem that luck was on his side today. He had just taken two steps forward when he found Ye Qing lying on top of a red, withered bush. He looked nothing like the dashing young man he was before, however. It couldn¡¯t have been more than thirty seconds since he left the valley, but he was already rotting at a visible rate and oozing blood everywhere. His bloody appearance could only be described as horrifying.

    ¡°Thank goodness I didn¡¯t hesitate for long! The body would be useless if I waited even a minute longer!¡± A wide grin spread across Prayer¡¯s face after he inspected Ye Qing¡¯s body. He then grabbed the young man¡¯s leg and started dragging him back to the valley.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m finally back. The Jade Dragon Lake¡¯s blood qi is just ridiculous!¡± The journey was extremely short, but Prayer felt like he had endured the blood qi for a lifetime. Not only was hepletely drenched in blood,rge chunks of flesh actually slid off his face and revealed pale white cheek bones as he talked.

    ¡°It¡¯s all this little bastard¡¯s fault!¡± Prayer tried to wipe the blood on his face only to w off even more flesh by ident. It hurt so much he couldn¡¯t help but gasp in pain.

    His n had been perfect. He should¡¯ve been able to obtain the Fruit of Life and enjoy an extended lifespan with nary a scratch. Instead, Ye Qing had destroyed his hand and made him work for it. Without the Incense of Misfortune, he certainly would¡¯ve died already!

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the little shit decided tomit suicide by throwing himself into the blood qi. If his injuries were less severe, if he had died far enough from the valley entrance, he would¡¯ve sessfully contaminated his body and ruined Prayer¡¯s years-long scheme or worse, take him to the grave with him!

    Even now on the brink of sess, Prayer scarcely felt like a victor. How could he, when he was bleeding like a pig, and his flesh was so weak that he could literally w them off his bones?

    The more he thought about it, the more frustrated and angrier he became. After cursing Ye Qing¡¯s entire lineage and still feeling dissatisfied at the end of his rant, he decided to vent his feelings in a more physical fashion and kick Ye Qing¡¯s body.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    However, Ye Qing did not sail across the air as expected. Instead, he had broken his own leg!

    ¡°Argh!¡± Prayer screamed in pain even as rm bells rang in his head in full force. He tried to move away from the body, but Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes, shot him a triumphant grin, and jumped to his feet. He then caved in Prayer¡¯s chest with a double punch to the torso.

    ¡°No! How are you still¡ª!¡± Prayer cried out in shock and terror even as blood sprayed between his lips.

    Ye Qing did not wait for Prayer to finish. He took one step forward and plunged a dagger into his chest, piercing the heart.

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ this can¡¯t be happening¡­ I¡­¡±

    Prayer reached out as if trying to grab something, but in the end, his arms fell limply to the ground. His face was etched with confusion and disbelief.

    ¡°Hehe. Did I mention that my biggest trump card isn¡¯t my cultivation level? No, it¡¯s my immunity to the blood qi around Jade Dragon Lake!¡± Ye Qing said while smiling down on Prayer.

    The blood and rot covering his body was fake, of course. Or rather, he purposely allowed the blood qi to damage him to create a convincing illusion. Prayer never realized that he wasn¡¯t dead until he was toote.

    As for why he didn¡¯t ambush Prayer while they were still outside the valley, it was to deplete the old man¡¯s stamina and to feed his body to the Dead Man¡¯s Treeter.

    He was still suffering from Prayer¡¯s Bowel Necrosis. Although he could expel it from his body eventually, it was going to take him a long, long time to do so. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would leave behind some sort of? long-term seque either. On the other hand, Prayer imed that the Fruit of Life could extend one¡¯s lifespan, pull one back from the brink of death, and more importantly, protect one from all kinds of poison. It was exactly what he needed to cure himself.

    <i>Shred!</i>

    Ye Qing was about to toss Prayer¡¯s corpse over to the Dead Man¡¯s Tree when suddenly, a tear appeared on the old man¡¯s head. Then, his skin was stripped clean off his flesh like it was some sort of suit.

    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t realize I was using the Skinner!¡± It was only now Ye Qing noticed that the dagger he used to kill Prayer was none other than the culprit behind the near annihtion of August Hill Vige, the Skinner.

    The Skinner wasn¡¯t a name Ye Qing hade up himself. It was what the Annon Sutra had called it when he asked about its information.

    ording to the Annon Sutra, the Skinner was a Mundane-ss Strange Artifact. It was rumored to be a torture instrument used to strip convicts of their skin and damage the bones. Over time, it umted so much resentment, hatred and misery from the convicts that it gained a minor power. When someone discovered this, they had it forged into a Mundane-ss Strange Artifact and named it the Skinner.

    The Skinner was, as its name would suggest, capable of stripping someone of their skin and controlling it like a puppet. The skin¡¯s strength was directly proportional to the victim¡¯s.

    Of course, the Skinner was hardly omnipotent. The stronger the target, the less likely it would be able to strip them of their skin. For example, the Skinner would never have worked on Prayer while he was still alive.

    In essence, a Strange Artifact was a Stranger that could be reliably wielded by its wielder. Naturally, every usage was apanied by a negative side effect. In the Skinner¡¯s case, it was very simple: every time its wielder stripped someone of their skin, they must remove a palm-sized patch of skin from their body as well. If not, the Stranger would attack the wielder or go out of control. The consequences were unimaginable to put it mildly.

    But of course, if the wielder was far stronger than the Strange Artifact, then they could just ignore the side effects or wrestle the Strange Artifact back under control.

    In conclusion, Strange Artifacts were as powerful as they were dangerous. This was true even for the Skinner, which the Annon Sutra had deemed as a lesser Strange Artifact!

    After Prayer¡¯s skin was stripped, the Skinner started struggling almost as if it had a life of its own. He could also see wisps of ck smoke pouring out of the dagger and seeping into his arm. It was bizarre to say the least.

    ¡°This is probably the infamous side effect I heard about!¡± Ye Qing muttered as he channeled his blood. Like hungry beasts that had awoken from hibernation, they devoured the ck smoke in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°You are a million years too young to be facing me, you lump of metal!¡± Ye Qing sneered while grabbing the Annon Sutra and wrapping it around the dagger. Like a mouse facing down a cat, the Skinner immediately stopped struggling and withdrew its ck smoke. It became as in as a normal dagger in no time.

    After tucking the Annon Sutra and the Skinner back under his shirt, Ye Qing stared at the human skin for a moment. <i>I wonder if I can control this telepathically. Let¡¯s see¡­</i>

    Prayer¡¯s skin shuddered once before floating into an upright position. Then, it wrapped its arms around Prayer¡¯s body like a pair of ropes and tossed it to the Dead Man¡¯s Tree.

    As the Skinner¡¯s wielder, Ye Qing could control any human skin that was stripped by it. However, the human skin itself possessed no intelligence. He would have to control it like a puppet on strings.

    As soon as Prayer¡¯s body made contact with the Dead Man¡¯s Tree, it immediately shriveled up and lost all the vigor in its body. A secondter, the old man¡¯s face appeared on one of the nk petals of the Dead Man¡¯s Flower.

    The petals spread a little wider, and the sweet scent became so strong that it permeated the entire valley. At the same time, a green, unripe fruit grew from the center of the flower.

    ¡°Is that the Fruit of Life? It needs one more body to fully ripen though!¡± eximed Ye Qing as he stared at the fruit unblinkingly. He immediatelymanded the human skin to toss Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s body over to the tree.

    After Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s body had been sucked dry, the Dead Man¡¯s Flower immediately shone with penta-colored radiance. Red, ck and white intermingled with one another to create a fantastic, rainbow-like glow.

    The Fruit of Life at the center of the petals began growing and maturing. Every time it grew bigger, one of the petals would wither away. When all five petals had fully withered, the Fruit of Life had be as big as an infant¡¯s fist and so red it looked like it might drip blood at any moment. Its wonderful scent had also reached a new crescendo.

 Chapter 37: Vessel Augmentation

    <h4>Chapter 37: Vessel Augmentation</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s finally mature!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up as he instinctively took two steps toward the Dead Man¡¯s Tree. However, he had a problem. ¡°The Fruit of Life is mature, but how am I going to pluck it from the tree?¡±

    After all, anyone who got too close to the tree would have their vigor and vitality sucked dry. How would he enjoy the fruits of hisbor then?

    ¡°Oh right. I just need to use something that can¡¯t be drained by the Dead Man¡¯s Tree!¡± Ye Qing nced at Prayer¡¯s skin and sent it amand. The human skin immediately flew up to the canopy. As expected, it encountered no problems plucking the Fruit of Life from the withered flower.

    As soon as the Fruit of Life was plucked, the Dead Man¡¯s Tree abruptly withered at a visible rate. Its tree leaves yellowed and fell off the branches, and the wood turned dry and brittle. What was a vibrant tree that was full of life and died in practically the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Everything the tree has is used to grow the fruit and the fruit alone, huh. This Dead Man¡¯s Tree is definitely an evil thing!¡± Ye Qing sighed as he took the Fruit of Life from Prayer¡¯s skin. He did not consume it immediately, however. Instead, he took out the Annon Sutra and poured some blood on its surface, asking, ¡°Is the Fruit of Life safe to consume?¡±

    He was being paranoid, but everything about the Fruit of Life except its supposed effects screamed ¡°evil¡±, ¡°strange¡±, and ¡°deadly¡±. He just didn¡¯t dare to consume it until he was one hundred percent sure it was safe. Plus, what if Prayer¡¯s knowledge regarding the Fruit of Life was wrong? It was just safer to ask the Annon Sutra before hemitted to anything.

    His blood wriggled, and a single word appeared on the vellum. ¡°Yes.¡±

    <i>Short, simple and direct! I like it!</i>

    Ye Qing devoured the Fruit of Life as soon as he saw the answer. It was because the poison had progressed to a point where he couldn¡¯t wait any longer.

    The Fruit of Life melted like liquid as soon as it entered his mouth. As its golden juice slid down his throat, he felt a tremendous amount of vitality spreading throughout his body. But unlike the dragon-serpent runes, the Fruit of Life did not threaten to tear him from the inside out the first time he used it. It was smooth and healing, calm and gentle, warm andfortable. His injuries were healed, and the toxin was removed like magic. Even the invisible damage he had been umting over time had vanished entirely.

    ¡°What pure power!¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise. Although the way the Fruit of Life expressed its power was far tamer than the dragon-serpent runes, its purity was in no way inferior to the dragon-serpent runes. In fact, the energy contained in one Fruit of Life was equal to three or four silver dragon-serpent runes in total. It was incredible to say the least.

    Unwilling to waste such an incredible boon, Ye Qing immediately dropped to his feet and started cultivating. While this was happening, the gentle power continued to circte inside his body and expel the Bowel Necrosis¡¯s toxin at a slow but steady pace.

    Six whole hourster, Ye Qing opened his eyes once more. His eyes looked like stars, and his aura was a full magnitude greater than what it was before.

    ¡°Prayer wasn¡¯t kidding about the Fruit of Life¡¯s effects. It didn¡¯t just remove the Bowel Necrosis, it gave me so much true qi that I¡¯ve more or less reached the absolute ceiling of the Qi Invocation stage. What a time saver!¡± Ye Qing said cheerfully while sensing his newfound power.

    Before he joined the group on this expedition, he had just entered thete-stage of the Qi Invocation stage. Even if he had Old Man Xueying¡¯s cultivation arts, he would have needed to cultivate for months before he could finally take that first step to enter the Vessel Augmentation stage. Now, he could start right away.

    ¡°Speaking of which, let¡¯s grab those boxes and check out Old Man Xueying¡¯s cultivation arts!¡±

    Ye Qing rose to his feet andmanded Prayer¡¯s skin to remove the three boxes still sitting on the tree branch. Just in case they were booby-trapped, he backed a few steps from the human skin before ordering it to open the boxes one by one. Once he confirmed that there was no danger, he finally went over and checked out its contents.

    The first two boxes contained a jade slip each, while the third held a red pill covered in twisted and sinister-looking patterns. It also reeked of blood stench. It sent chills up Ye Qing¡¯s spine just looking at it.

    ¡°The jade slips probably contain the ¡®Blood Shadow Divine Art¡¯ and the ¡®Blood Sea Fragrance¡¯, and the pill is most likely the so-called Blood Shadow Divine Pill!¡± Ye Qing mumbled. He picked up the first jade slip and pressed it against his forehead. A tremendous amount of information immediately flooded into his mind. It took him a long time before he recovered from the dizziness.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t think that Blood Sea Fragrance is a movement art from its name!¡± Ye Qing muttered in delight. Blood Sea Fragrance was a powerful movement art that enabled its practitioner to move like the wind while remaining as silent as a shadow. Not only that, the practitioner would be able to perform mid-air dodges, maneuvers and turns, and float like they were weightless. It was such a graceful and elegant movement art that the author even wrote a poem to praise it:

    ¡°The sky may be infinite,

    But not infinite enough to hide the stars and moons from me.

    The sea may be vast,

    But not vast enough to stump a blood celestial like me.

    Wherever I go, the scent of blood follows.¡±

    The Blood Sea Fragrance was exactly what Ye Qing needed right now. If he had learned a movement art before he fought Prayer, he might not have been pushed to the extent he had.

    ¡°Time to check out the other jade slip!¡± Ye Qing took a moment to calm down before picking up the second jade slip and pressing it to his forehead. Since he knew what wasing, he did not get nearly as dizzy as he had with the first jade slip. Unfortunately, there was no avoiding some measure of headache and nausea.

    After Ye Qing was done processing what felt like an ocean of information, his lips widened into an excited grin. ¡°The ¡®Blood Shadow Divine Art¡¯ really does fit me to a T!¡±

    The ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± was a top-notch Vessel Augmentation cultivation art. Generally speaking, a human possessed twelve standard meridians, eight extraordinary meridians, and three hundred and sixty points (also the total number of cycles in the human body). The Vessel Augmentation stage was the stage where the warrior unlocked, expanded, and strengthened these blood vessels to form awork that was far more powerful and self-sustaining than the one they were born with. In summary, augmenting one¡¯s blood vessels dramatically increased the amount of true qi a warrior could hold in their body, elerated its flow speed, improved its flexibility to the point where one couldmand it like an arm or a finger, and¡ªdepending on what kind of cultivation art they were using¡ªimbued it with all kinds of incredible attributes and abilities.

    There was a well-known poem regarding the Vessel Augmentation stage that went like this:

    ¡°Draw a thousand flowers

    To hide a true dragon in your chest.

    When the storm passes,

    The dragon shall rise to the Nine Heavens.¡±

    It was essentially audatory statement about how amazing the Vessel Augmentation stage was.

    Generally speaking, the more meridians and points were unlocked, and the higher the degree of augmentation, the greater the amount of true qi one could hold in their body. One¡¯s true qi would be more flexible, and one¡¯s future potential would increase by leaps and bounds.

    At the adept level, the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± was said to unlock every meridian and point in the practitioner¡¯s body and achieve perfect augmentation.

    Besides augmenting one¡¯s blood vessels to perfection, the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± also imed tobine one¡¯s true qi and vigor to cast Blood Shadow Magic, a magic art [1] that summons one or multiple blood entities, a.k.a Blood Shadows. A Blood Shadow was invisible, untraceable, shapeless and formless. It could split into countless bodies and y enemies without a trace.

    This was easily the most powerful aspect of the cultivation art!

    The reason Ye Qing thought that the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± was perfect for him was because it took an immense amount of vigor to cast Blood Shadow Magic. The magic art could still be cast without sufficient vigor, but the entities one summoned would be far weaker than they should be. But since vigor was the one thing he did notck, the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± was easily the best cultivation art he could ask for.

    On a rted note, Old Man Xueying had left behind the Blood Shadow Divine Pill because it improved one¡¯s vigor. It was so that his sessor would have enough vigor to cultivate the Blood Shadow.

    ¡°I¡¯ve reached the ceiling of the Qi Invocation stage, and no one can hurt me or disturb me while I¡¯m here. Now is the time to cultivate the ¡®Blood Shadow Divine Art¡¯!¡±

    Unable to wait even a second longer, Ye Qing dove head first into cultivation.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Tianyuan¡¯s Lifetag is broken! Who killed my son?¡±

    Inside an opulent hall, a striking middle-aged man dressed in luxurious clothes let out a scream of rage when he discovered that his son had been killed. His expression was as warped as it was mournful. There were several other people in the hall, and they were all bowing their heads and stayingpletely silent.

    The middle-aged man was none other than the patriarch of the Zheng n and the father of Zheng Tianyuan, Zheng Feng!

    ¡°Zheng Shou, you¡¯re the steward of the n. You should know why Tianyuan left the residence!¡± Zheng Feng spun on a portly middle-aged man. His eyes were bloodshot like that of a man-eating beast.

    Zheng Shou wiped away the sweat on his forehead before stammering, ¡°Y-yes, my lord! Before the young master left, he told me that he was going on a treasure hunt!¡±

    ¡°Treasure hunt? What treasure? Where to? With whom?¡± Zheng Feng asked harshly.

    Zheng Shou answered, ¡°The young master didn¡¯t tell me what he was searching for, but he did say that he was going to er, August Hill Vige. He is apanied by his personal bodyguard, Pao, and our two keepers, Granny Snake and Chi Long.¡±

    ¡°Pao, Granny Snake and Chi Long! How did he die with three Qi Invokers protecting him?¡± Confusion overcame Zheng Feng for a second before he asked, ¡°What do you know about this August Hill Vige?¡±

    Zheng Shou answered again, ¡°There¡¯s nothing special about August Hill Vige, my lord. It¡¯s just a small, secluded vige about one or two days away from Anyang.¡±

    ¡°A small vige, you say?¡± A murderous sneer crossed Zheng Feng¡¯s lips. ¡°Then how did my Tianyuan die, pray tell?¡±

    It was at this moment a young man with sharp features and a dark aura spoke up, ¡°Send me to investigate this August Hill Vige, stepfather. I shall make whoever killed Tianyuan pay the price of blood!¡±

    A couple of keepers also responded, ¡°We are willing to apany Young Master Qi to August Hill Vige and investigate Young Master Tianyuan¡¯s death as well!¡±

    Zheng Feng swept his gaze around the hall once before uttering in a brooding tone, ¡°Very well. I trust you will find your brother¡¯s murderer at all costs, Tianqi, and when you do, make sure you kill anyone and everyone who has something to do with his death. Leave no one alive!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Zheng Tianqi saluted his father before turning away, eyes turning as cold as ice.

    ¡°Ahhhh¡­ Tianyuan¡­ Tianyuan¡­¡±

    Zheng Feng did not stop mourning after his dead son even after everyone was gone.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m finally back. I was a little worried I might run into that damn bull, but thankfully it¡¯s just groundless fears.¡±

    Ye Qing was currently standing at the foot of Little August Hill, and August Hill Vige was just a short distance away from his location. He was looking at the familiar settlement with a small yetplicated smile on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s time I say goodbye to this ce.¡±

    From the moment he learned that Granny Xia had sent him to follow Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s group into Little August Hill instead of his more ¡°qualified¡± seniors, he knew that the old woman had abandoned him.

    From Granny Xia¡¯s perspective, it was the right thing to do. It was all for the sake for August Hill Vige. But from his perspective, Granny Xia had abandoned him for her so-called greater good. As a transmigrator, he had almost no emotional attachment to August Hill Vige whatsoever, but there was no denying that he felt a pang of abandonment.

    It was for the best though. It canceled out the debt he owed August Hill Vige, however insignificant it might be. Since there was nothing left for him here, it was time to say goodbye.

    Of course, the biggest reason he had to leave was because he was the sole survivor of Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s doomed expedition. If the Zheng n learned about his survival, they woulde after him with everything they got, and there was a not insignificant chance the vigers of August Hill Vige might be affected as well. That was why the best way to handle this was to leave in silence. If everyone believed that he had died in Little August Hill, then the only thing the Zheng n could do was to drop it.

    Besides that, he was now a Vessel Augmentor. He was finally strong enough to survive in this world. Wherever he went after this, he should not have to tip toe like every step might be hisst.

    ¡°That¡¯s it then. Goodbye, August Hill Vige!¡±

    Ye Qing stared at August Hill Vige for a moment longer before getting ready to leave. s, fate had something else in store for him today. Right before he would turn away, he saw out of the corner of his eyes a group of peopleing straight for Little August Hill.

    1. ÉñÍ¨, which generally trantes to some sort of special ability, talent, or magic. ??

 Chapter 38: Blood Shadow Magic

    <h4>Chapter 38: Blood Shadow Magic</h4>

    ¡°Is that¡­ Captain Lin and Granny Xia?¡±

    After he entered the Vessel Augmentation stage, his eyesight, perception and other bodily functions were much better than before. It was why he saw the two seniors long before they saw him.

    Something was wrong, however. Both Lin Hu and Granny Xia looked terribly unwell, and he wasn¡¯t just referring to their deathlyplexions. Lin Hu¡¯s arms were dangling unnaturally by his sides, and the upper front of his shirt was covered in bloodstains. Granny Xia was in the exact same state, except her eyes were cloudier than ever, and her back was bent almost ny degrees as she walked. She looked like she had one foot in the grave.

    The two vigers were apanied by nine strangers, and the young man at the center of the group was clearly their leader. He wore a moon-white colored robe and a faint smile on his face. He was nked by a pair of middle-aged men, one stout and one skinny. The other six wore identical, form-fitting ck outfits and carried long sabers around their waists. Their bodynguage was rigid and austere.

    ¡°Who are these people? Do they belong to the Zheng n?¡± Ye Qing whispered to himself while furrowing his brow. It wasn¡¯t umon for Lin Hu and Granny Xia to y the role of a guide for certain VIPs every once in a while, but no matter how he looked at it, these strangers were treating his fellow vigers like prisoners.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t have found out that Zheng Tianyuan was dead and came to investigate his death, could they? But how did they know?¡± Ye Qing scratched his nose in puzzlement.

    He did not go into hiding not because he couldn¡¯t, but because Lin Hu and Granny Xia were most likely going to die if he did. Granny Xia could die for all he cared, but he could not abandon Lin Hu during his time of need. If the watchmen captain hadn¡¯t allowed him to join the watchmen, he would be dead already. If the watchmen captain hadn¡¯t promised him temporary protection Chen Zheng, he would be dead twice over.

    Perhaps he had an ulterior motive, or perhaps he really was that noble of a person. Regardless, he owed Lin Hu a huge favor, and so he must repay in one way or another!

    He was no saint, but the concept of reciprocity wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to him. If you owe someone a favor, then you must repay it. If someone treats you with kindness, then you should reciprocate that kindness. It was that simple.

    ¡°Eh? Who¡¯s that?¡± It was at this moment the young man spotted Ye Qing waiting for them at the foot of Little August Hill. He looked to Lin Hu and Granny Xia for answers.

    ¡°What?¡± Lin Hu and Granny Xia looked up and saw Ye Qing as well. At first, they looked like they couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing. Then, realization struck them like a lightning bolt.

    Suddenly, Lin Hu broke away from his captors and ran forward. He roared at Ye Qing with all his might, ¡°Run! Run!¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± The skinny middle-aged man beside the young man uttered with contempt. Like a tiger, he stretched a little before catching up to Lin Hu in an instant andnding a palm strike on the watchmen captain¡¯s head.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The middle-aged man had surprisingly huge hands despite his physique. He shattered Lin Hu¡¯s head like a watermelon.

    <i>¡°Huhu!¡± </i>Granny Xia let out a mournful, bloodcurdling scream.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes also turned red in an instant. Literally. Like a pair of glittery rubies, they were as bright as they were ice cold.

    Of course he understood that Lin Hu was trying to save him, and of course he wanted to save Lin Hu. However, the skinny man had gone for the kill right from the get go, and he was just too far away from the group to reach Lin Hu even with his new power. He could do nothing but watch his benefactor die in front of him.

    For the first time in his life, he felt the impulse tomit mass ughter. The Zheng n behind this was also a part of his wrath!

    ¡°They all deserve to die!¡± Ye Qing muttered with cold fury under his breath.

    Meanwhile, the skinny man returned to his young master¡¯s side and apologized, ¡°My apologies, young master. I was so angry that I forgot to control my strength!¡±

    It was clear from his vicious, bloody grin that he didn¡¯t mean it at all.

    The young man he called his young master grinned just as wickedly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We still have a spare. Speaking of which, that young man ahead of us is probably the guide who apanied my younger brother on his treasure hunt. The idiot wouldn¡¯t have suddenly lost his mind otherwise. Let¡¯s see what he has to say, shall we?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t take long before the group reached Ye Qing. The young master spoke first, ¡°You¡¯re Ye Qing, right? My name is Zheng Tianqi. I am Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s older brother.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    .

    ¡°You¡¯re a much smarter man than that idiot back there. If you had tried to run away just like him, you would be a corpse already.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression was unnaturally calm as he replied, ¡°His name is Lin Hu, and he¡¯s the watchmen captain of our vige. Aren¡¯t you worried that the Pacification Bureau would punish you for wanton murder?¡±

    The skinny man who killed Lin Hu sneered before Zheng Tianqi could answer. ¡°Oh yeah? And what would they do, pray tell? All I killed is a nobody, an <i>ant</i> no one gives a damn about!¡±

    ¡°Is that really how you see us? Ants that you may shame and kill as you please?¡± Ye Qing asked again, voice still utterly devoid of anger and defiance. It was like a dead zone that held nothing but the promise of death.

    ¡°Sure! And what are you gonna do about it?¡± The skinny man continued with the same contemptuous tone he disyed since the beginning, ¡°We live in a world where the strong are honored, and the weak are no different than ants. And ants do not deserve to live!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Thank you for the lesson!¡±

    He then turned back to Zheng Tianqi and asked, ¡°You¡¯re here to investigate Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s death, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    <i>Interesting. </i>Zheng Tianqi didn¡¯t understand why Ye Qing was so calm. His confusion was mixed with a bit of worry, anger, and curiosity. That was why he decided to answer the young man¡¯s question even though he could¡¯ve ignored it outright, ¡°Oh no, you got it all wrong. I do not care one whit how Zheng Tianyuan died. The only thing I care about is pleasing the old man! That is why I came all the way here to find the answers he seeks, and to kill a couple of people to cure some of my boredom, of course!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re killing people¡­ to cure your boredom?¡± Ye Qing squinted at Zheng Tianqi and felt likeughing, but on second thought, there was nothing funny about this at all.

    ¡°My apologies, young master, but you might want to tone down your wording a little? This is the patriarch we¡¯re talking about. It would damage our reputation if someone hears us!¡± The stout middle-aged man with an honest face said with a chuckle.

    Zheng Tianqi shrugged. ¡°And who is this someone, pray tell? There¡¯s no one here except us and some ants! Also, I¡¯m the sole heir of the Zheng n now. He wouldn¡¯t really hurt me even if I said it to his face!¡±

    He then startedughing like a madman, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so d you¡¯re dead, brother! So d! Haha! Hahaha! Hahahahahahaha!¡±

    A long timeter, he finally recovered enough to ask, ¡°Where was I? Oh right. You can tell me what happened to Zheng Tianyuan now.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I changed my mind. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to tell you anything,¡± Ye Qing said with a shrug and a smirk.

    Zheng Tianqi stared at Ye Qing as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears. A steely glint entered his eyes as he asked, ¡°What did you just say?¡±

    The rest of the group were ring daggers at Ye Qing as well. No one thought that an ant would dare to speak to Zheng Tianqi this way.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t seem to feel their threatening gazes. He simply smirked and answered, ¡°I <i>was </i>nning to let you rest in peace, but now that I think about it, that is too good for the likes of you people. It¡¯ll also be <i>boring</i>, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! What on earth are you talking about, boy? Have you gone mad?¡± The skinny guy let out a vicious cackle before making a grab for Ye Qing¡¯s head, his fingers glowing unnaturally just like when he killed Lin Hu earlier.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill him, Elder Chen. We need him to appease the old man, remember?¡± Zheng Tianqi reminded with a smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master. I know what I¡¯m¡ª¡± Elder Chen was still grinning viciously when suddenly, he trailed off like someone had grabbed him by the throat. The next moment, a red line appeared on his neck before his entire head fell off. Not only that, his body started shriveling rapidly until he was nothing more but a dry husk.

    Everyone¡¯s smile froze on their face. It had happened so fast that they didn¡¯t even realize what was happening until it was toote.

    When a wisp of red flowed out of the corpse and into Ye Qing¡¯s body, he squinted a little and let out a sigh of pleasure, ¡°Phew¡­ that felt good!¡± At the same time, his presence suddenly grew a tad stronger.

    Ye Qing was smiling, but it failed to induce any semnce of friendliness or warmth at all. Zheng Tianqi and his group were all staring at him like he was a Stranger d in human skin.

    Zheng Tianqi visibly shuddered before he regained hisposure and shouted angrily, ¡°G-get him!¡±

    The six bodyguards in form-fitting outfits immediately unsheathed their long sabers and split up into two-man teams. Then, they let out a battle cry and charged Ye Qing from multiple directions. It was clear from their movements and coordination that they were extremely well-trained. Theirck of hesitation betrayed the fact that their hands were coated in blood as well.

    ¡°Well met. I was hoping to test out my ¡®Blood Shadow Divine Art¡¯ in a real fight!¡± Ye Qing said smilingly as he ran his arm through the air like he was caressing a lyre. Out of nowhere, six Blood Shadows sprang into existence and rushed toward the six men like they had a life on their own.

    Appearance wise, the Blood Shadows looked almost faint enough to be formless. They would be invisible if not for the wisp of dark red sitting at the center of their bodies.

    To the bodyguards¡¯ credit, they reacted to the surprise attack swiftly and decisively. All six of them were able to cut the Blood Shadows in half before they could reach them. The problem was that their effort waspletely useless. The Blood Shadows reconnected with their severed halves almost instantly and entered the humans¡¯ bodies before they could react.

    All six men shuddered as their expressions morphed into horror. They would¡¯ve screamed, but their bodies started shriveling as if something was sucking them dry from the inside out. They were dead in just the blink of an eye.

    After that, the six Blood Shadows left the corpses and entered Ye Qing¡¯s. His presence became much stronger after he reabsorbed the Blood Shadows.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡±

    Not including Granny Xia, the group of nine had dwindled to two in just a matter of seconds. Zheng Tianqi and the stout middle-aged man could only stare at Ye Qing in horror and disbelief.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad!¡± Ye Qing ignored their looks and praised his new power. The Blood Shadows were, of course, the result of his Blood Shadow Magic.

    Ye Qing had spent three whole days cultivating in the Jade Dragon Lake. On the first day, he managed to unlock four Standard Meridians, two Extraordinary Meridians, and thirty-six points and enter the early-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage. After his cultivation level had stabilized, he spent the next two days cultivating the Blood Shadow Magic and the movement art, ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡±. Since his vigor was immense, and he was assisted by the silver dragon-serpent runes, it took him little time to master the basics in both arts.

    Of the two, his progress in the Blood Shadow Magic and the power it disyed were especially heartening. He would even go so far as to say that it had surpassed his expectations.

    The Blood Shadow Magic was a magic art that summoned the shapeless, formless Blood Shadows through the fusion of true qi and vigor. These blood entities could split into countless bodies and y enemies without a trace.

    Generally speaking, the greater the amount of true qi and vigor of the practitioner, the greater the quantity and quality of the Blood Shadows they summoned.

    Since Ye Qing possessed both an overwhelming of vigor and a hefty amount of reserves in the shape of the silver dragon-serpent runes, the biggest requirements of the magic art was never a problem to him. As a result, it took him just two days to create thirty six Blood Shadows¡ªwhich happened to be the number of Heavenly Astron stars [1]¡ªand reached the journeyman level of the Blood Shadow Magic.

    Even better, he discovered that his Blood Shadows possessed the same unique quality of his blood, namely the ability to devour vigor and vitality. It was what had happened to Elder Chen and the six bodyguards. This one ability made the Blood Shadows so much better than the original version.

    Blood Shadow Magic, the magic art that kills without a trace!

    1. stars of the Big Dipper that constitute the tail of the dipper ??

 Chapter 39: Cursed Doll

    <h4>Chapter 39: Cursed Doll</h4>

    ¡°So, how do you like my performance, Scion Zheng? Has it cured you of your boredom yet? If not, I can im a couple more souls for your entertainment?¡±

    Ye Qing held out his arm as if to show off the Blood Shadows swimming between his fingers. His eyes shone like red ambers, and he was shrouded by a veil of bloody radiance. When he smiled, it looked like they were staring into the face of a demon of hell.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Vessel Augmentor¡­? You¡¯re a Vessel Augmentor! But how is this possible?¡± Zheng Tianqi eximed in shock as he looked Ye Qing up and down. Terror was written all over his face.

    ¡°Run while I hold him back, young master!¡± the stout middle-aged man shouted while summoning a hand crossbow into one hand. He pulled the trigger and shot a bolt straight at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing flicked his fingers and sent a Blood Shadow straight into the crossbow bolt, shattering it into pieces. The impact had also scattered the Blood Shadow, but instead of fading into nothing it descended upon the stout man like a giant curtain.

    Unwilling to get anywhere close to the Blood Shadow, the stout man dashed ten meters backward with supernatural grace¡ªdodging the Blood Shadow¡¯s attack as a result¡ªandunched even more crossbow bolts at Ye Qing.

    Each and every bolt was covered in some sort of strange, twisted pattern. Halfway toward Ye Qing, they actually caught on fire and became twice as deadly as before! This was no ordinary rain of bolts he was facing, this was a storm of fire!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    In response, Ye Qing punched the air and unleashed a dark red shockwave. Not only did the crossbow bolts shatter into a million pieces, the hand crossbow the stout man was holding had cracked in half as well!

    The stout man¡¯s eyes shed with shock as he pushed off the ground with his right leg and spread his arms slightly. He looked like a swallow as he shot backward with the same supernatural speed from before. As if on cue, a bloody cloud gushed out of the ground and enveloped the space he was at just a second ago.

    <i>That was too close, </i>thought the stout man while sailing through the air. If he hadn¡¯t sensed something amiss and dashed away in time, he might have followed in the footsteps of Elder Chen and the bodyguards already!

    The stout man wiped away the thick sheen of his forehead as he continued to run away. Every time he was about to hit the ground, he would tap the ground twice in rapid session and jump into the air once more. His movement was so light that it didn¡¯t even kick up the slightest dust. Fast as lightning, he resembled a swallow flying close to the water without causing a ripple.

    Three short burstster, he crossed nearly forty meters of distance and arrived next to Zheng Tianqi. He took a deep breath and voiced his shock, ¡°We need to go fast, young master. We are no match for this guy!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Zheng Tianqi replied contemptuously before sneering. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can deal with him once we reach August Hill Vige!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear!¡± The stout man sighed in relief.

    It was at this moment a mocking voice turned their blood into ice, ¡°Why are you running? I¡¯m not done ying with you yet!¡±

    The two men subconsciously looked behind them and saw Ye Qing floating toward them like he was a celestial riding the wind. He looked like he should be moving slowly, but in reality he had crossed ten meters of distance and reached them in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± The stout man cried out in shock and terror. Not only was his ¡°Triple Flit Of The Swallow¡± among the best Qi Invocation stage movement arts out there, it was famed for its amazing speed. Like a swallow flitting across the waters, his speed wasparable to that of a loosed arrow. He rarely found someone who could match his speed, much less outdo him in this department.

    Ye Qing did not wait for them to recover from their shock. He dropped his hand and sent a couple of Blood Shadows toward the duo.

    Both Zheng Tianqi and the stout man reacted immediately. Zheng Tianqi summoned a doll that looked like it was sewn together using all sorts of rags. It was colorful, but the colorbination was just off enough that it elicited a wrong, unsettling feeling instead.

    Speaking of unsettling, the doll¡¯s face looked like an amalgamation of everything that was wrong and twisted in this world. Neither a smile nor a cry, its expression was disgusting, dizzying, and chilling to look at.

    Zheng Tianqi grabbed a silver needle out of nowhere and poked it into his own flesh. His face immediately warped as if he was enduring a tremendous amount of terrible pain.

    The twisted doll¡¯s lips abruptly curved into an odd smile as if it hade alive. Its mouth parted slightly, and¡ª

    <i>Screech!</i>

    An impossibly loud and high-pitched shriek cut through the air, shredding both the air and the Blood Shadows approaching Zheng Tianqi in an instant.

    On the other side, the stout man pulled out a shirt from his storage artifact. It took Ye Qing a second to realize that it was a burial shirt. As soon as he put it on, hisplexion started withering at a visible rate, and his vitality vanished as if it did not exist. It was reced by the thick aura of death instead.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The stout man punched out and unleashed a shockwave of death energy, shattering the shapeless, formless Blood Shadows heading for him as well.

    ¡°Strange Artifact?¡± Ye Qing frowned and gathered his energy. The bloody aura surrounding his body shone brighter as a red ripple surged toward the duo with seemingly unstoppable power.

    Both Zheng Tianqi and the stout man nched when they sensed the terrifying power surging toward them. Gritting his teeth, he summoned three silver needles into his hand and poked himself in three different points. A wave of pain so excruciating that he nearly tripped over his feet immediately came over him.

    The effects were immediate, however. The doll he was holding shivered, and the lines on its face grew increasingly twisted and evil. At the same time, it let out an evil cackle that formed invisible ripples and filled the air with an evil aura. It shed against the red ripple and held it at bay.

    The stout man simply threw another punch at the red ripple spreading in his direction. The explosion of death energy was just enough to tear it apart.

    ¡°Feng Xuan, kill him while I suppress him! It¡¯s either him or us!¡± Zheng Tianqi shouted while grabbing another five needles and poking himself in five points. The young master immediately felt as if a giant hammer was pounding his body to bits again and again. Perhaps the worst part was that his body was actually fine, so each wave of pain felt just as excruciating as thest. This time, he couldn¡¯t stop spasming even as he continued to run for his life.

    ¡°Die! Die! I curse you! DIE!¡± cursed Zheng Tianqi again and again. It wasn¡¯t just excruciating pain that contorted his face into a horrifying visage. His eyes were filled with wrath and hatred.

    ¡°Kekekeke¡­¡±

    The evil cackle filled Ye Qing with nausea and dizziness. He felt as if a million women were howling in rage, hatred and sorrow in his head at the same time. Not only, a cold, evil aura had spread throughout his body before he knew it and held him in ce.

    ¡°Now, Feng Xuan! My curse won¡¯tst for long, so do it now!¡± Zheng Tianqi shouted. He was relieved to see that his curse was sessful in paralyzing Ye Qing.

    The doll Zheng Tianqi was holding was called the Cursed Doll, a very special Strange Artifact. It was said that a shaman had sewn the doll using the skin of countless snakes, insects, mice, ants and more poisonous creatures and filled it to the brim with their innards. Then, it was submerged in the heart¡¯s blood of forty-nine teenage girls for a total of forty-nine days.

    ording to the rumors, the shaman loved torturing women. He would torture them to death first using all kinds of unspeakable means before procuring their heart¡¯s blood. It was why the blood-soaked Cursed Doll was possessed by a powerful curse, a curse that embodied the infinite hatred of these innocent, tortured women.

    The Cursed Doll could be used to curse others in a wide variety of ways, but only if it was fueled by the wielder¡¯s pain. The more terrible the pain, the greater the curse that was unleashed. That was why Zheng Tianqi had stabbed himself in his bodily points using another Strange Artifact known simply as the Torture Needle. The Torture Needle was a torture instrument used to interrogate and/or torture criminals. Stabbing someone in their points would erge their pain to the maximum capacity and prevent them from fainting, meaning that the victim could only endure the pain until the needles were removed.

    This was why there was an infamous saying regarding the Torture Needle: ¡°One needle to feel like death, three to feel worse than death, and five to meet Death Himself.¡± The ordinary person could only take one needle before breaking downpletely, while a particrly stubborn one might be able to withstand three. But five needles was the point where anyone who wasn¡¯t immune to pain would wish they were dead. If the torturer did not remove the needles, the person would literally die from sheer pain.

    In the past, Zheng Tianqi only needed three Torture Needles to create a curse potent enough to kill his enemies. However, Ye Qing was so strong that the Cursed Doll emanated an unbelievable amount of fear and reluctance even after he used five Torture Needles on himself. This meant it was highly unlikely he would be able to curse Ye Qing to death. The best he could hope for was to suppress Ye Qing for a short time or deal him a serious blow. That was why he needed Feng Xuan to deal the finishing blow.

    ¡°O-oh. Sure!¡± Seemingly half a beat slower after putting on the burial shirt, he responded to Zheng Tianqi¡¯s order only after the young master had finished his sentence. His voice was hoarse and dragged out as well.

    Despite his slow reaction, his movements weren¡¯t slow in the slightest. He took one step toward Ye Qing and unleashed a devastating, death-infused punch.

    The punch was aimed at Ye Qing¡¯s chest, but the young man was surrounded by a thin film of red light. The punch was strong enough to put a dent in the film, but not enough to shatter itpletely.

    ¡°Aaaaahhh!¡± Feng Xuan let out a full-throated howl. Even more death energy gushed out of his body as the burial shirt glimmered ominously, and his body slowly shriveled over time.

    <i>Sizzle sizzle sizzle!</i>

    Sizzling noises rang in everyone¡¯s ears as the death energy washed over the bloody film and tried to extinguish it. However, a closer look would reveal that the bloody film was consuming the grayish death energy like prey. It was clear the death energy was going to lose if the situation continued.

    Seeing that his n wasn¡¯t working, Feng Xuan howled, ¡°Kill!¡± before battering his fists against the film surrounding Ye Qing. He looked like he was going to shatter the young man and his protection via sheer brute force.

    But although the bloody film flickered like a dying candle in the wind, it never yielded to the storm attempting to batter it into nothingness. It continued to burn with a kind of warmth and light that was unique to itself.

    ¡°Are you done?¡±

    A dozen or so punchester, bloody light as bright as the sun itself abruptly exploded from his amber red pupils. The corner of his lips were slightly curled into a wicked smile.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    When his smile widened, the Cursed Doll suspended in the air abruptly shuddered and let out a bloodcurdling scream. The next thing Zheng Tianqi knew, his Strange Artifact had burst into mes.

    In the mes, the souls of dozens of young women could be seen fading soundlessly into nothing. They were all smiling tearfully and gratefully at Ye Qing.

    ¡°No! My Cursed Doll!¡± Zheng Tianqi screamed at the sight of his destroyed Strange Artifact. He spat out a mouthful of blood even as his face became warped in horror and disbelief.

    The next moment, a brilliant light exploded from Ye Qing¡¯s body. Thick as a river of blood, the bloody radiance easily swept Feng Xuan into the sky, helpless and unable to get away. Then, thirty-six Blood Shadows emerged from the light and enveloped him entirely.

 Chapter 40: Void

    <h4>Chapter 40: Void</h4>

    The shapeless Blood Shadows swarmed Feng Xuan from every direction and caught him in their grasp, but unlike their previous kills they were unable to invade his body and sap his vigor and vitality. In fact, they shattered into mists of blood as if something was resisting them.

    ¡°That burial shirt he¡¯s wearing is blocking my magic.¡±

    Ye Qing could clearly see the dark gray burial shirt glimmering darkly and shielding Feng Xuan from the Blood Shadows¡¯ advances, but not without a cost. Not only did Feng Xuan look increasingly dead with every passing second, he had be so skinny that he was just skin and bones. The stout man wasn¡¯t anything but stout anymore.

    Ye Qing grinned wickedly. ¡°Now I¡¯m curious. How much longer can you hold on before your own Strange Artifact kills you?¡±

    Ye Qing curled his fingers slightly, and the mist of blood abruptly tightened around Feng Xuan. At the center, the formerly stout man could hardly breathe. He felt as if a mountain was threatening to crush him as t as a pancake. Although the burial shirt was temporarily keeping the crushing pressure at bay with a thick, deathly mist of its own, it came at the cost of his own health. His hair started wilting and snapping at the roots, his teeth started falling off his gums, and an eyeball literally fell off his eye sockets because the surrounding flesh had withered awaypletely. He looked like he was a hundred years old with one foot in the grave.

    <i>Crack crack crack!</i>

    Feng Xuan looked absolutely terrified right now. It was because he knew exactly what was happening to him. The burial shirt he was wearing was called the Burial Shirt of the Dead, and it was a Mundane-ss Strange Artifact. Its wearer would gain ess to its death energy and a temporary but massive boost in strength and speed. It also doubled as a powerful protection that shielded its wearer from all harm.

    There was a reason the Strange Artifact was named the Burial Shirt of the Dead, however. Although a living person wearing the shirt would temporarily gain a massive amount of power, it was fueled by their own vigor and vitality. The wearer would die if they did not remove the Strange Artifact before they ran out of time.

    Right now, Feng Xuan was facing this exact problem. He wanted to take off the Strange Artifact and beg for mercy, but the surrounding blood mist was like a mountain that was crushing him from all sides. Forget moving, he could not even squeeze out a sentence from his lungs.

    <i>Crack crack crack crack¡­ crack.</i>

    Just a few breathster, thest bit of light disappeared from Feng Xuan¡¯s eyes. He did not copse, however. Death energy so thick it almost looked tangible started flowed out of his corpse while a new light settled in his empty eye sockets¡ªlight that was deathly green in color.

    ¡°Is this how a Strange Artifact awakens after losing its wielder? Interesting!¡± Curiosity twinkled in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes, but he did not allow it to affect his judgment. He curled his fingers a little more, and Feng Xuan¡¯s corpse abruptly exploded into dust. Without a vessel to express its power, the Burial Shirt of the Dead had no choice but withdraw back unto itself and turn back to normal. It then slowly floated to the ground.

    Ye Qing appeared underneath the Strange Artifact and caught it in one hand. Smiling, he shoved it into his Nature¡¯s Shell.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what the burial shirt was, but it was clearly a Strange Artifact. Its performance during the battle was subpar, but that was only because its opponent was him. Feng Xuan was ate-stage Qi Invoker, but he was a Vessel Augmentor, one who had cultivated the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡±, a top tier Vessel Augmentation cultivation art no less. Not only did the cultivation art more than quadruple the amount of true qi he had, the Blood Shadow Magic was infinitely more powerful and flexible than the original thanks to his overwhelming vigor and unique blood. It was why Feng Xuan had seemed so powerless against him.

    Had Ye Qing still been ate-stage Qi Invoker, Feng Xuan would¡¯ve been a most formidable opponent for him. The stout man didn¡¯t just have formidable strength, speed and defense, the death energy of Burial Shirt of the Dead was a direct counter to his greatest strengths. Evil, anti-life, and foul, the death energy could contaminate not just a person¡¯s vitality, but also their spirit and consciousness. Thebination would have been potent enough to severely injure him and force him to reconsider his revenge.

    The Burial Shirt of the Dead was undeniably a powerful Strange Artifact. It was just that its opponent this time was too strong.

    On a rted note, the Nature¡¯s Shell he used to store the burial shirt was of course the spoils he had gotten from Zheng Tianyuan and Prayer.

    Ye Qing looked up at Zheng Tianqi after putting away his loot. The young master had not hesitated to make a run for August Hill Vige while he was ending Feng Xuan¡¯s life. Eyes growing cold, he took one step forward and suddenly froze in ce. It wasn¡¯t until a breeze blew past the ¡°body¡± and disintegrated it that it was revealed that it was just an afterimage.

    Meanwhile, the real Ye Qing appeared behind Zheng Tianqi and brought down his palm. The surrounding air abruptly turned red and drastically slowed the young master like he was stuck in a quagmire. No matter how he struggled, he could only watch as Ye Qing slowly walked toward him.

    ¡°Don¡¯te closer. I will kill everyone in August Hill Vige if you do,¡± Zheng Tianqi threatened. The young master had stopped his futile struggle, but for some reason he didn¡¯t look panicked anymore. Apparently, something had filled him with infinite confidence.

    Ye Qing was confident he could handle anything Zheng Tianqi could throw at him, however. He snorted in disdain and said, ¡°You think you can threaten me? And whatever makes you think I care about their lives?¡±

    ¡°Right back at you, trash. What makes you think you have the right to threaten <i>me</i>?¡±

    In response, Ye Qingmanded a Blood Shadow to appear beneath Zheng Tianqi¡¯s feet and slip into his body. The next second, the young master began shriveling at a visible rate.

    Zheng Tianqi was stunned at first. Then, a crazed expression flitted across his face as he screamed, ¡°You forced me to do this, you forced me to do this! LET¡¯S DIE TOGETHER!¡±

    An odd-looking sculpture appeared in Zheng Tianqi¡¯s hand. It was pure white like it was carved from white jade, and it was glowing with some sort of illusory, invisible, and mysterious pattern. The sculpture clearly had a face and an appearance, but for some reason all Ye Qing could see was pale, hollow void. It was indescribable.

    <i>Shit. </i>Realizing he might have screwed up, Ye Qing immediately detonated the Blood Shadow in Zheng Tianqi¡¯s body and shattered his heart. He was hoping it would end the young master¡¯s life immediately.

    Zheng Tianqi did not react to his injury at all, however. Stillughing like a madman and contorting his face into a warped and evil visage, he abruptly crushed the white sculpture he was holding.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    The second the sculpture was crushed, Zheng Tianqi¡¯s body started disappearing little by little. He wasn¡¯t falling apart or disintegrating, he was literally turning into nothing as some sort of unimaginable power was slowly erasing his very existence from this world and returning it to the void. The next moment, an indescribable, terrible power descended from above, and everything¡ªthe grass, the trees, the farms, the clouds, the wind and more¡ªstarted distorting and fading away. It did not matter if the objects were animate or inanimate. They were all slowly but surely turning into nothing.

    <i>Run!!!</i>

    Terror like nothing Ye Qing had ever felt before seized control of his limbs and took him far, far away before his brain could even process what was happening. Pushing ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡± to the absolute limits, he cut across the meadow like lightning and made a beeline for Little August Hill.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the only one who was seized by primordial terror. Countless other Strangers such as the Mud Dolls, the Wind Children, the Lantern Grass, the Human Head Flower, the Two-headed Leopard; the harmful, the harmless, the strong and the weak were all running away from the power and toward Little August Hill with all their might.

    Not all of them made it. Countless Strangers were caught by the power of the void and slowly erased from existence itself.

    Out of the corner of his eyes, Ye Qing could see that Little August Hill was not exempt from the power. The entire vige grew increasingly faint and distorted until it looked more like a mirage than a real thing. He even saw a couple of watchmen on the walls going about their daily routines when suddenly, an unnatural shudder seized them all at the same time. He could see the terror and confusion on their faces before they vanished into nothing.

    This wasn¡¯t even the worst part. The worst part was that the unnatural void was rapidly spreading toward its surroundings as if it would wipe out this entire corner of the world.

    ¡°What the bloody hell is this thing!?¡± Ye Qing swore in horror and disbelief. He had thought that Zheng Tianqi was bluffing and trying to buy time to save his sorry ass. That was why he had attacked him with the Blood Shadow. He never thought that the bastard actually had something that was capable of killing him, much less a weapon of mass destruction that seemed capable of erasing an entire corner of the fucking world itself from existence! If he knew this would happen, he would never have pushed him like this!

    <i>Impulse really is the devil!</i>

    ¡°What do I do?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes darted all over the ce as he tried to think of a way out. He looked like a cloud of blood as his true qi surged, and his Blood Shadows were killing every Stranger who was stupid or panicked enough to get between him and Little August Hill.

    Right now, the only solution he could think of was to pray that the mysterious, powerful Strangers residing in Little August Hill could stop the spread of the void. If even they couldn¡¯t stop it, then he and every unfortunate fuck around him was going to pay the price of his arrogance!

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    The second he entered Little August Hill, the mountains abruptly shook as if it had awoken from its slumber. A cool breeze blew past the hillocks, rainbow clouds soared through the sky, flocks of birds flew over the forest¡­ every living creature in Little August Hill had mobilized to action at the same time.

    Appearance wise Little August Hill looked the same as ever, but Ye Qing¡¯s senses told apletely different story. He could feelyers of astonishing power pouring down its peak like tidal waves and crashing against the unnatural void before it could get close. At that moment, space itself vibrated as if destabilizing from the inside out, and formless storms erupted across the entire perimeter and transformed into terrifying vortices of nothingness, void and chaos.

    It was amidst this utter chaos that an illusory yet imposing figure appeared into view. The entity was transparent, formless and seemingly did not exist in this world. Ye Qing also saw countless equally transparent and formless tentacles upying the space that was August Hill Vige and everything around it. It would seem that these tentacles were the true culprit behind the very world slowly fading into non-existence.

    The gigantic tentacles were stretching toward Little August Hill and attempting to turn the mountains into nothing as well, but they were unable to make any progress as if some sort of mysterious power was keeping them at bay.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    Suddenly, a great will overflowing with an unimaginable amount of power crashed down from the peak of Little August Hill. The formless tentacles proving the air instantly vanished into nothing.

    ¡°That sounded like the mountain god¡¯s voice?¡± Ye Qing was trying to observe the battle, but when the invisible energy in the sky scattered his eyes started bleeding as if it could not withstand the pressure. He hurriedly looked down like a frightened chick. However, he was almost certain that the voice just now was very simr to the mountain god¡¯s voice during his wedding.

    ¡°Void¡­¡±

    It wasn¡¯t over, however. As if responding to the mountain god¡¯s challenge, the illusory yet definitely terrifying entity in the sky trembled once before waves of unimaginable power crashed down like a ring of waterfalls. It was so terrible that the entire Little August Hill shook for a second, and every living being in the mountains felt a primordial terror that came from their very soul.

    ¡°He¡¯s looking at us!¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t see the entity clearly, but he could still feel their gaze focusing on him¡ªor rather, the entire Little August Hill.

    It was at this moment a sweet, charming voice broke the silence, ¡°It looks like you¡¯re having performance issues, mountain boy! Haha! I suppose your big sis will lend you a hand!¡±

    The voice was soft and gentle, but it swept across the entire Little Azure Hill like a refreshing breeze. It gradually suppressed the uncontroble fear that was afflicting its refugees and residents.

 Chapter 41: Until We Meet Again

    <h4>Chapter 41: Until We Meet Again</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s that god-damned bull Stranger and his tail!¡± Ye Qing nched when he recognized the voice. He did not hesitate to withdraw his presence as much as possible. Thest thing he wanted was to y another cat-and-mouse game with them. The mere recollection of the memory filled him with dread and difort.

    A gigantic bull began manifesting out of nowhere after the voice was finished. In fact, it kept growing bigger until it nearly took up half the sky.

    <i>¡°MOOOOO!!!¡±</i>

    The next moment, a terrible moo erupted from the bull Stranger and mmed into the void¡¯s power like a tangible thing. The invisible energies shed against one another so fiercely that the sky itself resembled something straight out of the apocalypse. Everything looked distorted and empty.

    Ye Qing could clearly sense that the bull Stranger was losing, however. It steadily lost ground as the void kept corroding and assimting its power. It wasn¡¯t long before the mighty silhouette of the bull abruptly shattered into pieces, and two gigantic tentacles fell down on Little August Hill like they would wipe it from the face of the earth.

    ¡°Just how strong is this bastard? I guess this is it then!¡± Ye Qing chuckled bitterly. The iprehensible entity was so strong that it had overwhelmed even the mountain god and the bull Strangerbined. Just what was it?

    Just when Ye Qing had given up all hope, a crimson fog abruptly rose from the underbelly of Little August Hill. The fog of blood looked pitifully weakpared to the all-epassing power threatening to erase Little August Hill from existence itself, but the second the invisible tentacles made contact with it, they reeled back like a child who identally touched a piece of red hot coal.

    The formless entity had withdrawn the tentacles as quickly as they could, but that brief contact seemed to be all it took to infect it with the blood¡¯s corruptive, destructive power. Red spots began spreading throughout the tentacles and, as if they had been forcefully dragged into reality, they started bleeding crimson, putrefied blood.

    <i>¡°ARGH!¡±</i>

    The painful scream of an evil, indescribable voice resounded throughout Little August Hill for a long time. The two infected tentacles abruptly shattered into a million pieces and rained all over the mountains. The formless entity had also vanished into thin air.

    Unfortunately, the entity and the tentacles weren¡¯t the only things that had vanished. Little August Hill and everything around it were gone, leaving behind only a pale white canvas of nothingness and void. There was no greenery, no cooking smoke, no living things, no color, nothing. There was only a strange, empty space that looked like someone had erased half of the canvas that was reality. It was as bizarre as it was unreal.

    <i>Pitter-patter, pitter-patter, pitter-patter¡­</i>

    Fortunately or unfortunately, red blood rained over the unnatural space just a secondter and dyed everything red.? It wasn¡¯t long before it became the only color in the world. The blood rain would not stop until the puddles had turned into streams, and the massive hole where a vige and an entire chunk ofnd used to be slowly filled up into ake of blood. It was ake that was very much like the Jade Dragon Lake, but notpletely.

    ¡°That void entity looked like it could wipe out everything and anything, but even they could not resist the blood qi of Jade Dragon Lake¡­ just who is the Stranger in the sarcophagus really?¡±

    Ye Qing could not help but wonder out loud as he stared at the blood fog slowly receding into nothing. He was stunned and thankful that he had, against all odds, somehow survived this disaster, but his feelings were quickly reced by inexplicable sorrow when he looked down and stared at the bloodke where a humble vige used to be.

    It was true he didn¡¯t care much for August Hill Vige, but it was still his first ¡°home¡± since he arrived in this world. Who would¡¯ve thought that the curtains would fall over the vige in such an inexplicable, tragic fashion? Worst of all, its people had done absolutely nothing to deserve this fate.

    ¡°Zheng Tianqi¡­ the Zheng n of Anyang.¡±

    A me of anger began to burn in Ye Qing¡¯s chest. August Hill Vige would still be safe and sound if not for them. Lin Hu and countless other innocent souls would not have perished if not for them!

    ¡°Very well. I swear to take revenge for you all. Let this be the atonement for my own sins!¡±

    The fault wasn¡¯t his, but he was part of the reason things had turned out this way. This was why he must bear this cross and atone for his sins. This was why he must take revenge not just for Lin Hu and all the innocent vigers who had died for this, but also for himself. He would not stop until everyone who was responsible for this tragedy was brought to justice!

    Suddenly, a feminine voice snapped Ye Qing right out of his mncholy. ¡°Oh my, is that my cutie I spy over there? I¡¯m so happy! Come to me, quick! Your big sis would like to embrace you right now!¡±

    Ye Qing visibly shuddered when the horrible memories began reying in his head, and whatever sorrow he was feeling a moment ago was reced by panic and fear. ¡°Shit! I can¡¯t believe I forgot she was here!¡± He did not hesitate to execute ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡± and sprint down Little August Hill.

    ¡°Running again, cutie? But why? Don¡¯t you want to be with a gorgeousdy like me forever?¡± The voice teased. At the same time, he heard the horribly familiar noise of countless trees and rocks being crushed to smithereens once more. Clearly, the bull Stranger wasing after him yet again.

    <i>Gorgeous! You¡¯re a goddamn tail! How shameless do you have to be to say such a patent lie?</i> Ye Qing rolled his eyes and ran even faster.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    A cold hmph suddenly came from the peak of Little August Hill before the mountains began undting like tidal waves. Ye Qing abruptly noticed that the earth beneath his feet was pushing him forward like a super high speed walkway. He was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°How dare you interfere with my business, mountain boy! Just watch me ruin your precious trees!¡±

    Right before he was out of earshot, Ye Qing heard the tail-woman screaming in rage and thunderous rumbles that sounded like an earthquake. It was probably the bull Stranger wrecking the forest, again.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Phew¡­ heavens forbid I ever run into that Stranger again¡­¡±

    Some timeter, the earth stopped undting, and Ye Qing came to a stop some kilometers away from his original position. He could tell he was no longer in Little August Hill. While looking around and scratching his head in confusion, he wondered out loud, ¡°Where is this? Where have you sent me, mountain god?¡±

    After observing his surroundings for a bit, Ye Qing realized that he was standing on a marked road [1]. Both sides of the road led to mountain wilderness, and he could not find a vige or a person anywhere. Thankfully, his confusion was resolved when he followed the road until he encountered a milestone with the words, ¡°Monkey Ridge¡± etched on it.

    ¡°Monkey Ridge¡­ it¡¯s probably referring to that ridge over there, huh?¡± guessed Ye Qing while staring at a mountain ridge that looked very much like a monkey.

    ¡°Wait, I have a map. I can check roughly where I am right now!¡± Ye Qing tapped his hand with his fist. After pulling a map out of his Nature¡¯s Shell and locating the name ¡°Monkey Ridge¡±, he eximed in surprise, ¡°Damn! I¡¯m almost ten kilometers away from August Hill Vige!¡±

    Although Monkey Ridge was right next to Little August Hill, it was a fair distance away from August Hill Vige. It would take him hours to return if he walked back from here.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty close to Anyang though. I just need to circle around the Monkey Ridge and pass through the Redstone Forest and Soundless Gorge to reach the border.¡±

    Even if August Hill Vige wasn¡¯t gone, he had always nned to leave the ce. The mountain god had done him a huge favor by sending him here.

    Speaking of which, the map he was using had been retrieved from Zheng Tianqi¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell. It was a local map epassing Anyang and the surrounding viges. He must have prepared this when he was getting ready for his treasure hunt in Little August Hill.

    As there was no hurry, Ye Qing decided to catch a short rest. Once his true qi had recovered, and his injuries had healedpletely, he climbed to his feet and started in the direction of Anyang.

    ¡°Croak croak!¡±

    He had only taken a few steps when suddenly, he heard a panicked series of croaks from the sky. He looked up just in time to see a frog falling from the sky. Judging from its wild iling, it looked like it had been tossed over from somewhere!

    ¡°K-Kung Fu Frog?¡± The frog wore a bright red bandana, a green cloak, and a wooden saber around its waist. Who else could it be if not his buddy, Kung Fu Frog?

    Pleasantly surprised, Ye Qing was going to catch it when the frog performed a flip to steady itself. In the end, it was able tond on its feet without his aid.

    ¡°Brother Frog!¡± Ye Qing greeted Kung Fu Frog with great delight. The frog Stranger croaked just as happily when it noticed Ye Qing as well.

    ¡°What happened to you, brother? Why did you fall from the sky?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Kung Fu Frog immediately croaked twice before spitting out two spirit fruits. It pointed back and forth between the fruits and Little August Hill while wearing a very human look of indignance on its face!

    Somehow, Ye Qing was able to understand its gestures immediately. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you got tossed out by the mountain god because you sto¡ªI mean, took these spirit fruits, is that it?¡± <i>Don¡¯t ask me how I crossed the racial barrier so easily, just know that I know exactly what it¡¯s trying to convey!</i>

    ¡°Croak croak¡­¡± Kung Fu Frog nodded while shaking its head disapprovingly. A pauseter, it handed the spirit fruits to Ye Qing and puffed up its chest as if to say it wasn¡¯t nearly as stingy as a certain deity!

    ¡°You¡¯re giving this to me?¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise. Kung Fu Frog nodded affirmatively before spitting another two spirit fruits to indicate that he had more inside its stomach.

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up as he epted the spirit fruits. The first fruit was emerald like an emerald jade and overflowing with vitality. It also gave off a rich and enticing aroma. The second fruit glowed red like it was on fire and felt a little hot to touch. It was about the size of an infant¡¯s fist and could fit perfectly in his mouth.

    ¡°Say¡­ how many such spirit fruits did you take, exactly?¡±

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t been an ignorant fledgling for quite some time. He might not recognize the spirit fruits¡¯ names or their effects, but he could tell from the immense energy they were emanating alone that they were far more valuable than the Crystal Grapes, Jadeite Fruits and whatchamacallit they had eaten during the wedding!

    The two spirit fruits Kung Fu Frog was holding were nothing like his, but no less extraordinary in terms of power, and it had gobbled them down messily like they were some wild berries. The air became dyed with the spirit fruits¡¯ sweet scent as juice flew everywhere.

    Upon hearing Ye Qing¡¯s question, Kung Fu Frog spat out another three spirit fruits and tossed them into his hands. It then patted its seemingly bottomless stomach to indicate that it still had a lot more spirit fruits in store!

    ¡°...¡±

    Havingpletely understood the situation, Ye Qing could only roll his eyes at Kung Fu Frog. He reckoned the frog Stranger must have stolen a <i>lot </i>of spirit fruits from the mountain god, so much so that the deity finally lost it and tossed it out of Little Azure Hill, literally. It was incredibly benevolent of the mountain god because in his ce, he absolutely would¡¯ve annihted Kung Fu Frog for robbing the shit out of his backyard!

    But he was not the mountain god¡¯s servant, and whatever Kung Fu Frog did with its rightful spoils was its business. After putting all five spirit fruits into his Nature¡¯s Shell without a shred of shame, he asked, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think the mountain god will wee you if you go back, so¡­ where do you n to go from here, Brother Frog?¡±

    Kung Fu Frog froze for a second before looking back at Little August Hill. Ye Qing could see a hint of hesitation and uncertainty in its eyes.

    A light bulb suddenly appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s head, and he blurted out his thoughts without thinking, ¡°If you have nowhere to go¡­ would you like toe and wander the<i> jianghu</i> with me?¡±

    On one hand, he really did want to help Kung Fu Frog. On the other hand, he could use a powerful partner like it.

    Unlike a human settlement, the untamed wilderness was rife with Strangers and untold dangers. Although he was now a Vessel Augmentor, and he wasn¡¯tpletely helpless in this world anymore, he still didn¡¯t dare to say that he would make it to Anyang with all of his limbs intact. This world was just that strange and dangerous.

    But if he could recruit Kung Fu Frog¡¯s aid, then it was a different story. In the past, he was unable to identify how powerful the Stranger was due to his weak cultivation. Now, he could vaguely tell that Kung Fu Frog was probably a Malice-ss Stranger. That was incredible all things considered!

    In conclusion, he would be much safer if he could travel together with Kung Fu Frog. The Malice-ss Stranger alone could handle most threats. Together? They wouldn¡¯t be unstoppable, but their chances of survival would be much higher than if they were separated!

    ¡°Why hesitate, Brother Frog? It¡¯s not like you have anywhere else to go. If youe with me, I promise you we¡¯ll have good food to eat and fine wine to drink. We¡¯ll cross a thousand mountains and rivers, admire a thousand views, and im whatever stars and moons we fancy for ourselves! That¡¯s the dream, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s tone was gentle, and his gaze full of lust. Right now, he looked just like a suspicious uncle who was trying to tempt a kid into his van!

    ¡°Croak¡­¡±

    As it turned out, Kung Fu Frog¡¯s desire was even simpler than he imagined. Its eyes lit up, and it licked its lips as soon as it heard the words ¡°delicious wine¡±.

    <i>Got you! </i>Ye Qing smirked as he pulled out a jar of wine from his Nature¡¯s Shell. It belonged to Zheng Tianyuan, of course. Besides the wine, there were many delicacies in the Nature¡¯s Shell as well.

    Kung Fu Frog literally jumped when it saw the jar. It looked back and forth between the jar and Ye Qing while licking its lips non-stop.

    ¡°So? What do you say? If you agree, then this wine is yours!¡± offered Ye Qing while giving the jar a little wave.

    There was no contest. As soon as Kung Fu Frog nodded its head, and Ye Qing had nodded his assent, it immediately grabbed the jar of wine and started taking small sips. At that moment, it looked so happy it could die.

    ¡°Man, maybe I shouldn¡¯t have named you Kung Fu Frog. You look every bit like an Alcoholic Frog right now!¡±? Ye Qing shook his head at the frog Stranger¡¯s unbridled fondness for wine. Heavens only know how it came to enjoy alcohol in the first ce.

    ¡°Until we meet again, o¡¯ bittersweet home of mine! Farewell! Farewell!¡±

    Having sessfully ¡°swindled¡± a powerful ally to join him, Ye Qing said his final farewell before turning his back on Little August Hill and doing a little wave. The duo then slowly walked into the distance beneath the falling sunset.

    1. ¹ÙµÀ. A road that officially appears on a map ??

 Chapter 42: Bleakwind Bandit

    <h4>Chapter 42: Bleakwind Bandit</h4>

    ¡°The Incense of Misfortune holds the unique power of bad luck and decline. It is the amalgamation of poverty, inferiority, deterioration, hardship and sorrow. When it is lit, its target will suffer non-stop misfortune as if they had been possessed by the god of misfortune themselves. However, the Incense of Misfortune cannot kill someone directly no matter how unlucky they are!¡±

    ¡°The Incense of Misfortune, eh? How interesting!¡± Ye Qingmented to no one in particr.

    The young man was currently riding a donkey and reading a book with great interest. Kung Fu Frog was sitting on the donkey¡¯s head and sipping from its wine jar from time to time. It also looked a little drunk. The duo was still following the marked road and making their way toward Anyang, a county of Chu.

    The donkey was a wild donkey Kung Fu Frog had beaten up and kidnapped from the nearby woods, a Red-ss Stranger to be exact. Since it was no match for the Malice-ss Stranger or Ye Qing, it had no choice but to be their mount.

    The book Ye Qing was reading was called the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±.? He had found it in Prayer¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell. It didn¡¯t seem like it, but it was his third greatest spoil after the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± and the ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡±.

    Twelve terrifying and bizarre divine incense sticks were noted in the book. They were, in no particr order, the Incense of Worship, the Incense of Malediction, the Incense of Sickness, the Incense of Pain, the Incense of Aging, the Incense of Dreams, the Incense of Ghost Summoning, the Incense of Exorcism, the Incense of Requiem, the Incense of Fortune, the Incense of Misfortune, and the Incense of Seven Emotions.

    He could personally attest to the miraculous effects of the Incense of Worship, the Incense of Fortune and the Incense of Misfortune; the memory of thest one being especially vivid as he could still feel the phantom bumps on his head even though his injuries had long since healed. Naturally, he wanted to study them as deeply as possible. He could just imagine the applications if he could grasp the method to create these incense sticks.

    ¡°To create the Incense of Misfortune, one must gather a bowl of Rootless Water, a clump of hair from a Poverty Ghost, three Misery Flowers, a pair of eyeballs from an Unlucky Cat, one soulfire from a Bleakwind Bandit, and one leaf from a Distress Tree. One must then seek out a location where the five elements are weak and wait for the moment where night passes into morning. Only then can one create the Incense of Misfortune!¡±

    ¡°The Rootless Water is rainwater that hasn¡¯t touched the ground. The Rootless Water, Dustless Water and Sourceless Water are known together as the three Lesser Waters. Do note that Rootless Water that is gathered during a yin month, day and hour is of the highest quality.¡±

    ¡°A Poverty Ghost is a scrawny, emaciated being with a head as big as a bucket, and a pair of eyes that resembled bells. They are the resentful ghost of a person who was poor for most of their life and died without even a single item to their name. Possessed by the power of poverty and decline, a Poverty Ghost¡¯s victim is guaranteed to lose their family and sumb to destitution and homelessness. Every time a Poverty Ghost is sessful in destroying the life of a person, a family, or a n, their head would grow a proportional amount of hair.¡±

    ¡°A Poverty Ghost can usually be found in a wealthy family. They especially love to target kind-hearted and joyful souls. Do seek out people who fit this description if one wishes to capture a Poverty Ghost!¡±

    ¡°Beware! A Poverty Ghost is a yin soul of sorts, so they are shapeless, formless, and impervious tomon weapons and attacks. However, their hair is the source of their power and their weakness. Just cut their hair, and the Poverty Ghost would cease to exist in this world!¡±

    ¡°The Misery Flower is a flower created from the tears of a person who has suffered much misery and hardships. It is¡­¡±

    The more Ye Qing read, the brighter his eyes became. The ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡± didn¡¯t just exin the way and the materials necessary to create the twelve incense sticks, it also borated in great detail what those materials looked like, where they could be found, the best way to acquire them and more.

    At least hundreds of materials and Strangers necessary in the creation of the twelve incense sticks were mentioned in the book, and every single one of them was described in great detail. Practically an encyclopedia on Strangers, it was an eye-opening experience for Ye Qing to put it mildly.

    ¡°This book¡­ is priceless.¡±

    If he ever encountered a Stranger that was recorded in the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±, he would have an overwhelming advantage over them because he knew exactly how they functioned and what their weaknesses were. This was true even for Strangers who weren''t mentioned in the book but had traits inmon with those who were. He had no doubt that the knowledge he absorbed from this book would save his life and form the basis of his ability to survive in this world.

    Some fools might think otherwise, but ¡°knowledge is power¡± was most definitely not an empty saying!

    ¡°I¡¯m going to focus on reading now, Brother Frog! Please alert me if you notice anything!¡± Ye Qing said before concentrating on the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±pletely.

    <i>Clop, clop, clop¡­</i>

    He was halfway through the book when suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats came from a side road that was connected to the marked road. Not long after, a medium-sized group made up of a dozen individuals or so came into view.

    Leading at the forefront were four men wearing form-fitting outfits and standardized long sabers around their waist. Their eyes were emotionless, and their faces ice cold. They had clearly seen their fair share of battles.

    At the center of the group was a horse-drawn carriage. Despite its dark, unassuming colors, the horse-drawn carriage traversed the uneven road stably and without making the slightest noise. Judging from its make, its passengers were either wealthy, noble, or both.

    The horse-drawn carriage was nked by many more stern-faced guards, but the man riding on the right side of the carriage was particrly noteworthy. He was a muscr middle-aged man riding a fine ck horse. He had thick eyebrows,rge eyes, and very recognizable facial features. He was also noticeably a lot more fearsome than the rest of the guards.

    When the middle-aged man saw Ye Qing and Kung Fu Frog, he raised his eyebrows before waving a hand. The group immediately slowed down, and the guards slowly moved closer to the carriage in a defensive formation.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Yan Feng? Is there trouble?¡± A mellow, rich voice came from within the carriage.

    The middle-aged man moved closer to the window before responding in a low voice, ¡°There is a man¡ªa very strange man up ahead, my lord.¡±

    The young man looked to be eighteen or neen years old. He was holding a book and riding what was obviously a donkey Stranger. There was also a strange frog on top of the donkey¡¯s head. It was probably the strongest of the three because he was unable to identify its strength, not to mention that it was wearing a red bandanna around its head, carrying a wooden saber beside its waist, and sipping from a wine jar. To call them a strangebination would be an understatement.

    ¡°A strange man?¡± The man in the carriage hummed in thought for a second before replying, ¡°He could just be an ordinary traveler. Let¡¯s try staying out of each other¡¯s way unless he¡¯s clearly malicious.¡±

    Yan Feng saluted. ¡°As youmand!¡±

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was studying the approaching group curiously. <i>These people are quite strong, </i>Ye Qing thought to himself. Most of the guards were early-stage to middle-stage Qi Invokers, and that Yan Feng was ate-stage Qi Invoker. They were also extremely well-trained considering that they were all carrying themselves in a disciplined and organized fashion.

    When the group got close, Ye Qing pped his donkey in the temple and retreated to the side. When the guards stared at him with naked wariness, he simply responded with a polite smile. Sensing no ill will from Ye Qing and caught off guard by his manners, Yan Feng subconsciously returned a nod before resuming his duties.

    <i>Are they heading to Anyang as well? </i>Ye Qing thought when he noted that the group seemed to be heading in the same direction as him. Smiling, he cast his stray thoughts to the back of his mind and pped his mount again. While the donkey slowly shifted behind the group, he picked up his book and resumed his reading.

    Some timeter, Yan Feng shot the young man following thirty or so meters behind a frown before calling out to the person inside the carriage, ¡°My lord?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°That strange man is still following us. Should I give the order to chase him away, or¡­?¡±

    The person in the carriage remained silent for a bit before replying, ¡°Let¡¯s not do that. He might just be headed in the same direction as us. As long as he isn¡¯t malicious, I don¡¯t mind him following us.¡±

    ¡°One more thing. If the traveler encounters any danger, do help him if it is within our ability to provide aid!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Yan Feng answered affirmatively.

    When Monkey Ridge was fully behind the group, their vision abruptly cleared up as if the mountain wilderness on both sides of the marked road had disappeared. Ahead of them was a t valley with a single river passing through it, and a lush forest on both sides of the river.

    Something wasn¡¯t right about the woods, however. It felt dark, gloomy, and most ufortable.

    <i>Woooo¡­ wooooo¡­</i>

    The group was passing through the forest when suddenly, a dark, chilly gale blew hard against them. The trees swayed violently, and the shadows on the ground looked like phantoms threatening to rip the life out of them. Everyone shivered and nked out for a moment.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right about this wind!¡±

    Not far behind the group, Ye Qing lowered his book as a red aura shed around his body and shredded the powerful gale before it could get close. A bit of flint entered his eyes as he looked at the direction where the wind wasing from.

    <i>¡°Neeeeigh!¡±</i>

    The next moment, loud horse neighs pierced through the air, and ghastly silhouettes suddenly emerged from the wind.

    The unnatural silhouettes roderge horses made purely from yin energy. They wore armor and wieldedrge sabers. Their ghastly green eyes flickered in the wind like ghost fire, and their mouths were opened in a soundless cry as they charged toward Yan Feng¡¯s group. They looked like bandits, but they were very obviously not human.

    ¡°The Bleakwind Bandits!¡± Ye Qing immediately matched the ghastly Strangers ahead of him to a record in the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±.

    The Bleakwind Bandits were Red-ss Strangers. They were former bandits who were corrupted by winds of yin energy and transformed into monsters who knew nothing but ughter. They were known as Bleakwind Bandits because their mounts wereposed of yin energy, their bodies were made from the very wind that transformed them, and they traveled on the wind itself.

    There was nothing more a Bleakwind Bandit loved than killing travelers. Once their victims were dead, a Bleakwind Bandit would consume their bodies, capture their souls, and corrupt them so that they would be their eternal ves!

    ¡°Bleakwind Bandits! We are under attack by the Bleakwind Bandits! Form up and protect our lord!¡± Yang Feng shouted, having recognized the murderous Strangers instantly.

    The guards did not hesitate to unsheathe their long sabers and maintain a tight ring around the carriage. When the Bleakwind Bandits were close, Yang Feng barked out another order,

    ¡°Empower your sabers with a me talisman!¡±

    Everyone did as he ordered and pped a me talisman to the de of their saber. The des immediately burst into mes.

    ¡°Now kill them all!¡±

    The next moment, everyone attacked the Bleakwind Bandits directly in front of them.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A chain of explosions urred as the mes roared, and the yin wind howled. A dozen Bleakwind Bandits were torn to shreds just like that. Not nning to show their attackers any quarter, Yan Feng and the guards kept pressing forward until every single Bleakwind Bandit had been annihted.

    ¡°He¡¯s employing brute force to crush the Bleakwind Bandits¡¯ frail bodies, and yang to counter ying. A most intelligent tactic!¡± Ye Qing nodded in approval but shook his head immediately after. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s not enough!¡±

    As if on cue, the shattered Bleakwind Bandits reformed their bodies in the wind, let out a soundless howl, and charged Yan Feng¡¯s group once more.

    Yang Feng¡¯s group did not panic. Still maintaining their tight formation, they crushed the iing Bleakwind Bandits once more. However, the Strangers reformed their bodies before they could catch their breaths and charged again as if nothing had ever happened. It was as if they were unkible and undying.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. The yin wind blowing in the air was weaker than before, and the ghastly mes burning in the Bleakwind Bandits¡¯ eye sockets were dimmer. Clearly, their efforts weren¡¯t futile.

    ¡°Stay strong, brothers! We just need to kill them a couple more times to end their sorry existence once and for all!¡± Yang Feng shouted to keep morale high.

    Individually, the Bleakwind Bandits were fairly weak. However, they were ghosts whose existence had sprung from resentment, and their body from the yin wind. Shapeless and formless, they would never die until the yin wind that sustained them had died outpletely. That was why they were extremely annoying to take down. Most people knew only one way to end them, and that was to kill them again and again until they hadpletely run out of energy. It was why many people would rather duke it out against a powerful Stranger than to oust the Bleakwind Bandits.

 Chapter 43: Bleakwind Bandit Leader

    <h4>Chapter 43: Bleakwind Bandit Leader</h4>

    ¡°The n isn¡¯t the worst n ever, but the cost is too high!¡± Ye Qing said while shaking his head. It was true that killing the Bleakwind Bandits repeatedly until they ran out of energy was a viable n, but it was easily the worst one of them all. Not only was it exhausting, there was a real chance they might suffer casualties. At that point, it would be a pyrrhic victory even if they did manage to defeat the Bleakwind Bandits.

    As predicted, Yan Feng¡¯s group started taking damage over time. A few guards were forced to withdraw from the battle after using too much true qi and taking injuries as a result. Although the Bleakwind Bandits were also weakening, their numbers hadn¡¯t decreased in the slightest. It wasn¡¯t long before the scales started tilting in the Strangers¡¯ favor!

    ¡°Oh well, I suppose I can lend them a hand!¡± Ye Qing smiled and vanished from view without warning.

    In the middle of a forest, a cyclone made up of yin wind was spinning on a clearing. It almost looked like an eye in the sky from below. At the center of the cyclone was a silhouette that looked vaguely humanoid.

    ¡°Yep. This is the source!¡±

    Ye Qing reappeared next to the cyclone and gave it a quick look. After his suspicion was confirmed, he calmly stepped into the cyclone. The howling wind tried to attack him as a matter of course, but it was easily shredded by the faint red aura surrounding his body. He looked so steady it was as if the cyclone didn¡¯t exist at all.

    <i>Woooooooo¡­</i>

    As soon as he reached the eye of the cyclone, a bone spear suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stabbed at Ye Qing¡¯s head. The weapon hadn¡¯t made the slightest noise, and even if it had it would¡¯ve been masked by the howling wind around it. However, Ye Qing still dodged it by millimeters as if he saw iting. Not wasting a second, he stepped forward and struck the bone spear with a finger.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The bone spear splintered inch by inch as if it was hit by lightning, not a finger. The next moment, a thousand spears made of yin wind appeared all around him and stabbed at him. Not afraid in the slightest, Ye Qing threw a punch that scattered his Blood Shadows and true qi in every direction and shattered the spears. After the spears were gone, and the yin wind had dissipated, a tall, brawny Bleakwind Bandit was revealed in front of Ye Qing.

    Not only was this Bleakwind Bandit bigger and fiercer than the ones still attacking Yan Feng¡¯s group, his wind-made body looked dense enough to be solid. He was d in armor and carrying a spear. A pair of fist-sized soulfires burning with ruthlessness and madness resided within his eye sockets.

    ¡°You¡¯re definitely the Bleakwind Bandit Leader. Good. Once you¡¯re dead, this matter will be resolved!¡± Ye Qing dered while recalling the way to kill the Bleakwind Bandits as stated in the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghost and Gods¡±.

    Killing the Bleakwind Bandits again and again and depleting their energy and soulfires was one way to end them once and for all. It was also the dumbest method. ording to the book, all subjects were ruled by a king, and all bandits were ruled by a bandit leader. The Bleakwind Bandits were no exception. The Bleakwind Bandit Leader was both the leader and the strongest fighter of the Bleakwind Bandits. It was he who controlled them to attack the travelers with his soulfire. As the saying went, one should cut off the head to kill a snake. The Bleakwind Bandits would disintegrate on their own if the Bleakwind Bandit Leader was killed.

    Of course, the Bleakwind Bandit Leader was the only one with a soulfire. While each Bleakwind Bandits seemed to carry a soulfire as well, it was really a piece of the Bleakwind Bandit Leader¡¯s soulfire and his method of controlling them. To put it simply, those soulfires didn¡¯t count any more than a person¡¯s skin counted as their heart.

    It so happened that the soulfire of a Bleakwind Bandit was one of the main ingredients to create the Incense of Misfortune. Naturally, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t about to allow such an excellent opportunity to slip through his grasp.

    The Bleakwind Bandit Leader roared and threw a punch at Ye Qing when he saw him. Innumerable streams of yin wind immediately gathered around his fist and converged into a river of pure power that seemed capable of crushing anything and everything.

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    Instead of dodging, Ye Qing executed the Toad Force and waved at the Bleakwind Bandit Leader. A blood red, lifelike toad immediately manifested in front of him before letting out a loud, devastating croak. It easily shredded the river of yin wind and mmed into the Bleakwind Bandit Leader¡¯s body, exploding his torso and dissolving it into wind.

    ¡°Looks like thebination of the Toad Force¡¯s explosive power and the Blood Shadow Divine Art¡¯s control over true qi is pretty great!¡± Ye Qingmented with a wide grin. As soon as the Bleakwind Bandit Leader had reformed its body, a web made of innumerable red threads appeared out of nowhere and caught the Stranger like a fish.

    The Bleakwind Bandit Leader howled in fury, but he was unable to free itself from his bindings despite its fragile appearance. While it was held in ce, Ye Qing produced a small porcin bottle from his Nature¡¯s Shell and extended his hand toward the Bleakwind Bandit Leader¡¯s head. As if sensing his impending doom, the Stranger started struggling and howling with all his might. At the same time, the surrounding yin wind surged toward Ye Qing from every direction like a tidal wave.

    Ye Qing paid them no heed, however. He simply sped up a little, grabbed the Bleakwind Bandit Leader¡¯s skull, and crushed it with just a sliver of force. After curling his fingers and binding the two soulfires with countless blood threads, he slowly pulled them away from the Stranger¡¯s body.

    The farther the soulfires strayed from their original position, the weaker the Bleakwind Bandit Leader¡¯s struggles became. When the soulfires were fully removed from his body, the Bleakwind Bandit Leader abruptly ceased struggling and crumbled into nothing. The howling wind in the air had stopped as well.

    Everything returned to stillness and tranquility in just the blink of an eye. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by the drastic change. The soulfire was the essence of the Bleakwind Bandit Leader. So long as its soulfire was still intact, the Bleakwind Bandit Leader would never die. On the other hand, destroying or removing its soulfire would destroy it instantly.

    ¡°What a strange energy!¡±mented Ye Qing while ying with the Bleakwind Bandit Leader¡¯s soulfires for a bit. Later, he stored them in his porcin bottle and smiled in satisfaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go back!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Back on the marked road, a wounded, tired Yan Feng watched incredulously as the Bleakwind Bandits attacking his men abruptly disappeared into nothingness. It took him a good few seconds to process that the battle was over.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± A guard voiced his confusion while wiping away the blood on his face. ¡°Do you know anything, brother Yan?¡±

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t!¡± Yan Feng rolled his eyes at his subordinate before muttering, ¡°Maybe we were so strong that they decided to run and fight another day?¡±

    That was what he said, but he highly doubted that was the case.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation, Yan? Feng?¡± a voice came behind him. The curtains on the window of the horse-drawn carriage were lifted to reveal a schrly man in his fifties. Despite his thin appearance, his spirit was strong, and he carried himself with authoritative weight and dignity. He seemed calm and collected despite facing a life-and-death crisis just a moment ago.

    ¡°We¡¯re safe now, my lord!¡± Yan Feng rushed over to his lord¡¯s side and answered. He hesitated for a moment before adding, ¡°We haven¡¯t actually beaten the Bleakwind Bandits, but they suddenly disappeared all at once for some reason!¡±

    The schrly man thought for a moment before saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter as long as we¡¯re safe. This world is full of strange and inexplicable things after all. Let us be off before more danger besets us, Yan Feng. I would like to reach Anyang by the day after tomorrow at thetest!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Yan Feng responded with a salute. Although everyone was injured to a certain degree, none of them were hurt so bad that they were incapacitated. They set off again after taking a short moment to rest and reorganize.

    Before they took off, Yan Feng looked behind him but could not spot the young man or his donkey anywhere. The light in his eyes dimmed as he let out a mournful sigh. The situation just now was so critical that they simply could not afford to lend the young man a hand. He hadn¡¯t actually seen him going down, but Yan Feng was almost certain that the young man was dead.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Yan Feng pushed his stray thoughts to the back of his mind before ordering his men to leave.

    However, not long after they resumed their journey, Yan Feng suddenly heard the plodding clop of hooves not far behind them. He instinctively looked back and was shocked to find the young man and his donkey once more. The young man was reading his book, and the strange frog was sitting on the donkey¡¯s head just like before!

    ¡°He¡¯s still alive?!¡± Yan Feng was stunned to put it mildly. As if sensing his gaze, the young man looked up from his book and shot him a smile. Then, he returned to his book once more.

    <i>Could he be a hidden master? </i>Yan Feng responded with a stiff nod while thinking, <i>No, it can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no way a master can be this young. He probably just got lucky and avoided the worst of the assault.</i>

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°We¡¯ll camp here tonight!¡±

    As the sunset fell, and night approached, Yan Feng¡¯s group decided to set up camp at a clearing next to a stream. It wasn¡¯t long before the tents were pitched, the campfires were lit, and the delicious smell of food permeated in the air.

    It had been a long day, one that had ended in a harrowing skirmish no less. The group could not help but rx as they basked in the warmth and scents.

    After the broth was ready, Yan Feng nced at the young man who had set up camp just beyond their campsite. He was sitting on a rock and still reading his book by his fire. Yan Feng then turned to one of his subordinates¡ªa young man in his twenties¡ªand ordered, ¡°Yang Guan, fill a bowl of broth and deliver it to that young man!¡±

    ¡°Whuh? Whai?¡± Yang Guan asked unclearly. He had snatched a piece of meat from hispanion¡¯s hands and stuffed it into his mouth.

    ¡°Because there is no harm in showing a traveler who¡¯s headed in the same direction as us a bit of good will, and because I told you so! Just do as I say!¡± Yan Feng furrowed his brow into a stern frown nearing the end of his sentence.

    Yang Guan was reluctant, and it showed in both his expression and his movements. When Yan Feng noticed that he was taking his time to fill the bowl with more meat, he chided Yang Guan with a wry shake of the head, ¡°If you¡¯re fast, you can still make it back in time and enjoy some meat! Otherwise, there won¡¯t be anything left for you!¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Yang Guan¡¯s eyes lit up and got up to his feet immediately. Before he left, he shoved two more pieces of meat into his mouth and warned everyone, ¡°I¡¯m the one who cooked this broth, so you bastards better leave some for me, you hear? Don¡¯t be an ingrate!¡±

    ¡°Of course¡ªnot! Now go fucking do your job already! Haha!¡±

    ¡°Cunt!¡±

    Yang Guan finally ran off while his colleagues continued to battle each other to im the most meat. Despite his incredible speed, his hand was as steady as a rock, and not a single drop of broth dripped out of the bowl. He reached Ye Qing in just a matter of seconds.

    ¡°Hey dude! Brother Yan told me to give you this!¡± Yang Guan handed Ye Qing the bowl of broth and said in a light tone, ¡°It¡¯s cold and humid tonight. A bowl of soup will keep you warm until the next day.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Ye Qing did not decline the offer. After blowing the soup once and taking a small sip, he replied smilingly, ¡°Wow! It¡¯s fresh and tasty. Thank you for your generosity!¡±

    ¡°You have a discerning tongue, my dude!¡± The praise blew away what little resentment Yang Guan felt toward Ye Qing for causing him to miss out on his precious meat as he puffed up his chest. ¡°I¡¯m the one who cooked it, you know? It¡¯s a family recipe that no one besides those in my squad got to enjoy!¡±

    ¡°Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Yang Guan. What¡¯s your name? Where are you going, and why are you out alone in the wilderness?¡±

 Chapter 44: Rosemary Bird

    <h4>Chapter 44: Rosemary Bird</h4>

    ¡°My name is Ye Qing. I¡¯m going to Anyang to further my studies!¡± Ye Qing answered sinctly.

    ¡°Study? You¡¯re a schr?¡± Yang Guan eximed in surprise but quickly came to terms with the answer. ¡°That makes sense. You¡¯ve been holding that book of yours and reading all day. You¡¯re obviously a bookworm, and there are only so many kinds of bookworms in this world.¡±

    ¡°But why are you, a helpless schr, traveling to Anyang all by yourself? Aren¡¯t you worried you might be killed by a Stranger in the middle of nowhere?¡±

    ¡°I never said I¡¯m a helpless schr,¡± Ye Qing said with a smirk, ¡°and I¡¯m not alone either. Brother Frog, will you please introduce yourself?¡±

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    A frog¡¯s croak interrupted the conversation as Kung Fu Frog leaped out of the darkness. It executed an expert-level flip in the air beforending on a rock, causing Yang Guan to flinch a little. It took him a few seconds to realize that the Stranger was none other than the strange frog sitting on the donkey¡¯s head earlier.

    The young guard hadn¡¯t felt much when Kung Fu Frog was far away, but now he could clearly feel its aura. Fear and trepidation gripped him like a vice grip. The Stranger was small, but Yang Guan felt as if he was facing a monster so terrifying that its pressure alone was enough to ground his courage to dust. Forget resisting, he could barely summon the energy to continue breathing.

    ¡°B-b-b-brother, i-i-i-it¡¯s¡­¡± Yang Guan stammered as his blood froze inside his veins. He was so scared he could not even say aplete sentence.

    ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t be afraid, my friend. Its name is Kung Fu Frog, and I promise he won¡¯t hurt you!¡± Ye Qingughed while giving Yang Guan aforting pat on the shoulder.

    Takingfort in the gesture and hisugh, Yang Guan gradually calmed down but couldn¡¯t quite shake off his nervousnesspletely. He gulped audibly before asking, ¡°You sure¡­ you sure he won¡¯t hurt a human?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m still alive, am I not? You¡¯re alive, are you not?¡± Ye Qing smiledfortingly at Yang Guan before looking at Kung Fu Frog. ¡°Brother Frog, Brother Yang gave us a bowl of broth even though he didn¡¯t have to. Do you think we should reciprocate his kindness?¡±

    Kung Fu Frog thought for a second before pping its tummy. A jar of wine appeared in its hands, and it handed it to Yang Guan.

    The young guard subconsciously took a step away from Kung Fu Frog and nced at Ye Qing for help. Ye Qing simply smiled and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t need to be so nervous, Brother Yang. Brother Frog is just reciprocating your kindness. I can tell you right now that there¡¯s nothing Brother Frog loves more than wine, so you better not turn it down, you hear?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Yang Guan mustered his courage and epted the jar of wine. When he waited for a few seconds and noted that he was still alive, he let out a small sigh of relief and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Frog!¡±

    ¡°Croak!¡± Kung Fu Frog croaked in response before going over to the bowl of broth and taking a small sip. When the sensations hit its tongue, its eyes lit up, and it croaked repeatedly as Yang Guan as if to say it was delicious. It proceeded to down the broth inrge gulps.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Yang Guan rxedpletely when he saw just how much Kung Fu Frog loved his broth. He also felt a surge of pride knowing that his cooking was well received even by a Stranger. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave then. You two have a good night.¡±

    ¡°We will. See youter, Brother Yang!¡± Ye Qing said with a wave.

    Yang Guan had just taken a few steps when he recalled something. He turned back and said, ¡°Feel free to lie down closer to our camp when you restter. It¡¯ll be safer that way¡­¡±

    As soon as he said this, Yang Guan recalled that Ye Qing was protected by Kung Fu Frog. Who would dare to attack the young man when he was protected by such a powerful Stranger? <i>No wonder he¡¯s confident enough to travel to Anyang alone. </i>He trailed off and scratched his head in embarrassment.

    <i>He¡¯s a good person, </i>Ye Qing thought with a smile. He had a barbed tongue, but he was really a forthright and simple guy with a good heart. So, he saluted Yang Guan and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Yang. I will take you up on the offer!¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Yang Guan scratched his head while chuckling. Onest waveter, he finally returned to the camp.

    When he sat down by the campfire, Yan Feng asked concernedly, ¡°What took you so long, Yang Guan? Did something happen?¡±

    Yang Guan slurped up his broth noisily before answering, ¡°Nah, I was just having a chat with Ye Qing!¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing? Is that his name?¡± Yan Feng asked curiously, ¡°Did you find out why he¡¯s out on the road and where he¡¯s going?¡±

    Yang Guan answered, ¡°Ye Qing is a schr. He¡¯s going to Anyang to further his studies.¡±

    Yan Feng was very surprised. ¡°A schr? He, a helpless schr, is traveling to Anyang all by himself? Is he bold or mad?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Yang Guan smirked when he noticed that Yan Feng¡¯s reaction was more or less the same as his. ¡°What makes you say that? There is now that forbids a schr from traveling alone, and even if there is, whoever said that Brother Ye is alone?¡±

    The young guard then got up to his feet and left just like that.

    Yan Feng: ¡°...¡±

    <i>I bloody knew it! One day without thesh, and these rascals are already forgetting themselves!</i>

    ¡­¡­

    Midnight soon came, and the whole world was silent save for the chirps of insects. Yang Guan and four other guards were keeping watch next to a campfire, chatting idly and scanning their surroundings from time to time. No one noticed that a near odorless scent had drifted into their camp and filled up their lungs.

    Suddenly, Yang Guan rose to his feet and walked away from the camp. However, his fourpanions did not react to his abrupt departure at all. Not only that, they continued speaking to the empty space where Yang Guan was as if he was still present. It was bizarre to say the least.

    After Yang Guan had left the camp, he walked toward the forest and even waved his hand from time to time as if he was responding to a distantpanion. The strange thing was that there was no one in the direction he was waving at all. There was only a faint mist and a strange bird perched high up on a tree.

    The bird had pitched ck feathers and was about as big as a crow. It also had a pair of dark green eyes that glittered darkly in the night. But unlike a crow, it had an unusually long tail that almost looked like a mouse¡¯s tail. The near odorless scent that permeated the camp hade from this tail.

    The strange bird stared at Yang Guan as he came closer and closer to the tree it was perched on. Its dark green eyes shed with human delight and cruelty as it continued to wave its tail. The scent grew thicker and thicker.

    Yang Guan was about to walk right beneath the strange bird when suddenly, a hand caught his shoulder, and a voice called out to him from behind, ¡°What are you doing here, Brother Yang?¡±

    Yang Guan felt a warm energy entering his body and clearing up his muddled head in an instant. He looked back and saw Ye Qing smiling warmly at him.

    ¡°Ye Qing! You scared me!¡± Yang Guan said smilingly before answering, ¡°My friend was calling me to follow him, so I¡ªwait, where is he?¡±

    Yang Guan stared into the empty woods in confusion. His friend was right there just a second ago, and now he was gone. How was that possible?

    ¡°A friend?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened as he pointed upward. ¡°Are you sure <i>that¡¯s</i> your friend?¡±

    Yang Guan looked up and spotted the strange bird immediately. The way its dark, unfathomable eyes seemed to be peering into the soul chilled him to the core.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°The Rosemary Bird is a Red-ss Stranger that looks like a crow, but is distinguishable by its long mouse tail. Its tail emanates a near odorless scent that is simr to a rosemary¡¯s, but with the additional effect of strong hallucinogenic properties. It is how it draws its victim away using illusions.¡±

    ¡°When the victim has reached the Rosemary Bird, it would increase the amount of scent it¡¯s giving off and slowly numb their nerves until they can¡¯t feel anything. Then, the Rosemary Bird wouldnd on their head, peck open their skull, and consume their brain. The good news is that the victim won¡¯t feel any pain throughout the gruesome process. They won¡¯t die until the Rosemary Bird haspletely consumed the brain either. The bad news is¡­ I don¡¯t need to tell you what it is, do I?¡±

    ¡°So, to exin what happened to you earlier, you were entranced by the Rosemary Bird and a moment away from bing itstest victim. The friend you saw? It was just an illusion!¡±

    ¡°Oh god, oh god, oh god¡­¡± Yang Guan broke out in cold sweat as he ran his hands over his head frantically to check that there wasn¡¯t a hole in his head. He did not even want to think what would have happened to him if Ye Qing hadn¡¯t saved him.

    ¡°So? Are we still following your ¡®friend¡¯, or?¡± Ye Qing joked.

    ¡°Come now! That isn¡¯t funny at all!¡± Yang Guan smiled awkwardly before his anger caught up to him. He looked up at the damn bird that nearly killed him and drew his saber.

    However, Ye Qing caught his arm and said, ¡°It¡¯s already dead, Brother Yang!¡±

    As soon as he said this, something snapped the Rosemary Bird¡¯s neck before pushing it down the tree branch. When Yang Guan¡¯s eyes adjusted, he realized it was Kung Fu Frog.

    ¡°Brother Frog!¡± Yang Guan cheered. He should¡¯ve known the powerful Stranger would be present.

    ¡°Croak!¡± Kung Fu Frog croaked in greeting before jumping to the forest floor.

    As soon as the Rosemary Bird hit the ground, Ye Qing immediately pulled out a knife and cut off its tail. He then cut open its stomach from the tail, stuck his hand into its entrails, and pulled out something that looked like a galldder. It smelled surprisingly nice even though it should be the opposite.

    ¡°What is that, Ye Qing?¡± Yang Guan asked when he saw Ye Qing stuffing the galldder into his Nature¡¯s Shell.

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°It¡¯s the Rosemary Bird¡¯s scent nd. Simr to the venom nd of a venomous snake, it contains the scent the Rosemary Bird uses to influence its victims.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s used for?¡± The young guard asked curiously.

    ¡°Oh, it can be used for many things. The scent can be turned into incense, spice, pills and medicine. It can even be used to improve one¡¯s cultivation and magic!¡± What Ye Qing did not say was that the Rosemary Bird¡¯s scent nd was one of the key ingredients to create the Incense of Dreams.

    ¡°I see!¡± Yang Guan replied a little dizzily.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t done with the carcass, however. He produced a porcin bottle next and began collecting the Rosemary Bird¡¯s blood.

    Yang Guan was puzzled. ¡°Why are you collecting its blood? It stinks like hell, and I doubt it can be used to make medicine.¡±

    After collecting a full bottle of blood, Ye Qing handed it to Yang Guan and exined smilingly, ¡°It¡¯s true that the blood of the Rosemary Bird can¡¯t be used to make medicine, but it can be used to save lives, specifically you and your friends!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve all inhaled the Rosemary Bird¡¯s scent for some time, and the scent is toxic to a certain extent. If you do not remove the toxin in time, you will wake up tomorrow with a pounding headache and nausea, and fall ill for the next couple days.¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, the blood of the Rosemary Bird can cure this. When you return to your colleagues, feed them exactly one drop of blood. No more, no less. You should be fine after that!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yang Guan nked out again after hearing Ye Qing¡¯s advice. He wasn¡¯t doubting the young man¡¯s words¡ªhe would be dead already if it wasn¡¯t for him¡ªhe was just having trouble processing everything that had happened tonight, so much so that he half-thought that he was still dreaming. However, what shocked him the most was the extent of Ye Qing¡¯s knowledge. Even long-time hunters would have trouble identifying the exact characteristics and properties of a Stranger, and yet this young man¡ªhe wasn¡¯t even in his twenties yet!¡ªhad said it all like it was nothing. Of course he was having trouble epting this.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ye Qing asked when he noticed that Yang Guan was just staring at him nkly.

    The young guard snapped out of his reverie and asked, ¡°You said you¡¯re a schr, right? How do you know so much about Strangers?¡±

    A tiny smirk crept onto Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean? It¡¯s perfectly normal for a schr, an icon of knowledge, to be aware of such things, is it not?¡±

    Yang Guan: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Normal?</i>

    <i>A normal schr is someone who uses unnecessaryplex words to feel superior to others and mask theirck of knowledge about everything outside the books! They </i>definitely <i>shouldn¡¯t know about Strangers like the back of their hand!</i>

    <i>You¡¯re not a fake, are you?</i>

 Chapter 45: Bellyfish Egg

    <h4>Chapter 45: Bellyfish Egg</h4>

    ¡°My lord! We have a problem!¡±

    The night eventually faded, and sunlight not unlike the underbelly of a fish broke over the horizon. It spilled across the ground like ripples in clear water. It was a shame that moment of tranquility had to be shattered by a panicked cry.

    ¡°What happened?¡± A dignified-looking man asked while stepping out of his tent. Yan Feng was right behind him.

    ¡°My lord, Brother Yan. Two of our brothers were cleaning themselves by the stream when suddenly, theyined about a stomach ache. Then¡­ then¡­¡± the guard¡¯s eyes shed with terror as he recalled what was clearly a horrifying memory.

    ¡°Go on!¡± Yan Feng urged.

    The man jolted out of his reverie and continued, ¡°Their bellies started growing bigger and bigger. They are still growing as we speak!¡±

    ¡°Follow me!¡± The dignified-looking man made up his mind immediately and strode toward the stream. Yan Feng and the others hurriedly followed behind him.

    They had just gotten close to the stream when they heard the sound of muffled groans and moans. When they entered a clearing, they saw two men lying on the ground with stomachs as swollen as that of a woman who was ten months pregnant. Their faces were contorted with pain, and no one seemed to know what to do or how to help them.

    ¡°What happened? How did Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo be like this?¡± The dignified-looking man asked urgently while checking both men¡¯s pulses. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to identify their affliction.

    ¡°W-We don¡¯t know either!¡± The surrounding guards looked at one another with varying looks of confusion and bewilderment.

    ¡°Yan Feng! See if you can find anything!¡± The dignified-looking man beckoned for Yan Feng to help him. Yan Feng obeyed the order and inspected the two men carefully, but he was unable to find any clue either. In the end, he tried putting his hands on the men¡¯s swollen bellies. As soon as he did this, their bellies suddenly grewrger, and the two men let out a bloodcurdling scream. Yan Feng immediately withdrew his hands as a matter of course.

    Although the two men were in terrible pain, they were neither unconscious nor delirious, at least not yet. Yan Feng asked urgently, ¡°Luo Fang, Lin Shaobo, can you hear me? If you can, I need you to tell me exactly what happened to you?¡±

    ¡°B-Brother Yan, we¡¯re not sure what happened either. We just drank a few mouthfuls of water when we were cleaning ourselves by the stream, and then¡­ and then¡­ argh!¡± Luo Fang did not manage to finish before his and Lin Shaobo¡¯s stomachs grew yet again. Their bellies were so swollen that their clothes had been pushed away, and one could vaguely see the blood vessels and bulging veins.

    ¡°The water?¡± The dignified-looking man and Yan Feng exchanged a nce before striding toward the stream immediately. However, the stream looked crystal clear and untainted. The fishes darting here and there indicated that there shouldn''t be anything wrong with the water either.

    ¡°What do we do, my lord?¡± Yan Feng requested his lord¡¯s guidance.

    The dignified-looking man thought for a second before answering, ¡°A Stranger is probably behind Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo¡¯s affliction, but we do not have a Stranger specialist or a doctor with us. The only thing we can do now is to make haste back to Anyang and request help from the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Yan Feng replied before ordering, ¡°Carry Lo Fang and Lin Shaobo into the carriage! We will depart for Anyang immediately.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± A few guards replied and tried to lift Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo to their feet. However, the two men screamed as soon as they touched them because their stomachs had grown yet again. In fact, their bellies were stretched so much that they looked almost transparent. Like a pair of balloons that had been stretched to their limits, it looked like they might explode at any moment.

    The guards immediately let go as a matter of course. For a time, no one even dared to touch them!

    ¡°What do we do, my lord?¡± If they couldn¡¯t even touch the two men, forget making it to Anyang, their stomachs were probably going to burst and kill them in just a moment.

    The dignified-looking man looked lost. Everyone looked lost. What could they possibly do to save the two men¡¯s lives?

    It was at this moment a meek voice broke the grave silence. ¡°M-my lord, Brother Yan, I-I might know a way to help them?¡±

    Yan Feng identified the speaker immediately and frowned. ¡°What do you know, Yang Guan? Tell us!¡±

    Yang Guan answered a bit nervously, ¡°There is one man who might be able to figure out what happened and save Brother Luo and Brother Lin¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°And who might this man be?¡± Yan Feng urged.

    ¡°Ye Qing!¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing? You mean that young schr who¡¯s hoping to further his studies?¡± Yan Feng said incredulously as the young man¡¯s youthful face shed across his mind. He shook his head in disappointment before rebuking Yang Guan, ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this, Yang Guan! Our brothers may die at any moment! What can a youngster like him possibly do to help?¡±

    ¡°So what if he¡¯s young? He¡¯s a schr!¡± Yang Guan retorted.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>What does that have to do with anything?</i>

    Yang Guan added when he saw the confusion on Yan Feng¡¯s face, ¡°A schr is knowledgeable, right? So he might know how to save our brothers!¡±

    ¡°I agree on the point that a schr is knowledgeable, but our lord is a schr as well, one who has decades more knowledge and experience than the young man no less! If even he doesn¡¯t know how to save our Lo Fang and Shaobo, then how could Ye Qing possibly do better than him?¡± Yan Feng rebuked Yang Guan while shooting his lord a subconscious nce.

    The dignified-looking man¡¯s expression grew a tad awkward. <i>Why do I feel like I¡¯ve brought shame to my fellow schrs?</i>

    There was no time to waste, however. The dignified-looking man quicklyposed himself and coughed twice. ¡°You must have a reason for saying this, right Yang Guan?¡±

    Yang Guan nodded and quickly told a summary of what had happened to himst night. As expected, everyone including the four guards who were keeping watch together with Yang Guan looked stupefied when he reached the end of his story.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting you, Yang Guan, but¡­ you¡¯re not joking, are you?¡± Yan Feng asked incredulously. He hadn¡¯t sensed a thingst night.

    ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m telling you the truth!¡± Yang Guan dered with absolute confidence. ¡°You can check the forest if you want to! I¡¯m willing to bet that the Rosemary Bird¡¯s body is still there!¡±

    The dignified-looking man raised a hand and dered, ¡°I trust you, Yang Guan. Please invite Ye Qing to our camp immediately. And be polite!¡±

    Did he really think that the young man was capable of saving his men¡¯s lives? Not really. But they didn¡¯t have the time to seek out a better solution either, so that was that.

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Yang Guan responded before breaking into a run immediately.

    Outside the camp, Ye Qing was just packing his stuff and getting ready to leave. Themotion hadn¡¯t escaped his senses, and he was almost certain that the group had encountered some trouble. He did not stick his nose into their business though. Assuming the worst, thest thing he wanted was to be mistaken as the culprit.

    Ye Qing was just about to leave when he saw Yang Guan running toward him while shouting on top of his lungs, ¡°Ye Qing! We need your help! Pleasee with me!¡±

    Ye Qing paused his footsteps and waited until Yang Guan had caught up to him. He then asked calmly, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin as we go, soe on!¡± Yang Guan grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s hand and took off. By the time they returned to the camp, he had exined more or less the whole situation to Ye Qing.

    ¡°Their bellies kept getting bigger after they drank the water, huh?¡± Ye Qing hummed thoughtfully but did not say anything.

    When they reached the camp, the dignified-looking man and Yan Feng walked over to him immediately. The dignified-looking man examined Ye Qing for a second before introducing himself, ¡°Hail, fellow. My name is Yan Yufei. Thank you for agreeing to help us!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Lord Yan. My name is Ye Qing, Ye meaning ¡®leaf¡¯ and Qing meaning ¡®cyan¡¯!¡± Ye Qing saluted him. ¡°Before we do anything, I¡¯d just like to say that I cannot guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to save your men. All I can say is that I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    ¡°Wepletely understand. We¡¯re already grateful that you¡¯re willing to lend us a hand. Should the worst happen, you have my word that we will not fault you for it!¡± Yan Yufei replied civilly and respectfully. He did not underestimate Ye Qing just because he was young.

    On the other hand, Yan Feng was examining Ye Qing with a critical eye. To be exact, he was watching Kung Fu Frog, who was standing behind the young man. He could feel his hair standing on end just looking at the frog Stranger.

    Noticing this, Ye Qing assured him smilingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. Its name is Kung Fu Frog, and it is my friend. You have my word that it won¡¯t hurt anyone!¡±

    ¡°Right. My name is Yan Feng!¡± Yan Feng replied sinctly before returning his attention to the frog Stranger. He didn¡¯t doubt Ye Qing¡¯s words, and he couldn¡¯t sense any malice from Kung Fu Frog whatsoever. However, that was no reason to let down his guard at all.

    ¡°This way, my friend!¡± Yan Feng turned around and led him to Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo. Once they had arrived, he exined, ¡°These are the two who drank the stream water and became like this. Also, we were originally nning to take them back to Anyang and find help, but physical contact immediately causes their bellies to grow bigger!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Ye Qing nodded and shot the two guards a nce. Then, he walked over to the stream, crouched down and just stared at the waters.

    ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he¡¯s looking for clues?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. The stream is so shallow you can see right to the bottom. If there really is a clue, we would¡¯ve found it already, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I think he¡¯s just a chatan trying to put on a convincing show. Just look at him! Does he even have a bush down there? What can he possibly do that we cannot?¡±

    ¡°Quiet! You¡¯re being too loud!¡±

    It was inevitable that the guards would start gossiping as they watched Ye Qing. At some point, Yan Yufei had to let out a cough to shut them up. Personally, he didn¡¯t think Ye Qing was going to find anything new either, but the young man hade to help them. It was unbefitting of a gentleman to reciprocate kindness with ill will!

    It was at this moment Ye Qing rose to his feet and rubbed his sore neck.

    ¡°Did you find anything, friend?¡± Yan Yufei asked.

    ¡°Yes, I have!¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Maybe¡ªwait, what did you just say?¡±

    Yan Yufei had asked the question out of courtesy. He wasn¡¯t expecting the young man to actually find something. Pleasantly surprised, he urged, ¡°What did you find?¡±

    ¡°Come closer!¡± Ye Qing beckoned for everyone toe closer before pointing at a guard. ¡°Can you give me your hand?¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± The guard was puzzled but still did as he asked.

    Ye Qing grabbed his elbow and put his hand into the water. It was quite early in the morning, so the stream water was ice cold. The guard subconsciously tried to withdraw his hand, but he couldn¡¯t because Ye Qing was keeping a firm grip on it. Ye Qing rebuked him, ¡°I said, don¡¯t move!¡±

    The guard flushed red. He didn¡¯t really want to obey a youngd who was at least a decade younger than him, but he quickly discovered that he was unable to move a muscle. Despite his scrawny and weak appearance, the young man possessed the strength of a titan. Just how was this possible?

    The next moment, a white cobblestone on the stream bed suddenly shivered for a second before scattering like white powder. The white dust quickly filled the entire stream, although they were so tiny and white that it was incredibly difficult to spot them in the water. Not only that, they all started swimming toward the guard¡¯s hand as if they had a life on their own.

    Startled and afraid, the guard hurriedly withdrew his hand from the water. This time, Ye Qing did not stop him.

    After the guard¡¯s hand was removed from the water, the white dust floated aimlessly for a bit before sinking back to the stream bed. A couple more secondster, they had transformed back into a cobblestone once more.

    ¡°What¡­ what is that?¡± Yan Feng asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re Bellyfish eggs!¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°Bellyfish eggs? You¡¯re telling me those tiny white dusts are eggs?¡± Yang Guan could scarcely believe his ears.

 Chapter 46: Iâ€™m A Magnanimous Man

    <h4>Chapter 46: I¡¯m A Magnanimous Man</h4>

    ¡°The Bellyfish is a Mundane-ss Stranger, but one that is extremely dangerous. Despite being obsessed with warmth, they can only survive in an ice cold stream. They are usuallypletely harmless barring certain circumstances.¡±

    ¡°The egg of a Bellyfish only appears during the day, and only grows when there¡¯s heat. Normally, they would clump up together like a rock in hibernation unless they sense the heat of a human, animal, or a Stranger who was drinking at the stream. They would then awaken and attempt to infiltrate the victim¡¯s stomach.¡±

    ¡°If the Bellyfish eggs sessfully infiltrate the victim¡¯s stomach, they would hatch and grow into a fish in just a very short time. This is why the Stranger came to be known as the Bellyfish.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s voice was clear and soothing, and his face was calm and collected. It did nothing to chase away the dark clouds hanging over everyone else¡¯s head.

    ¡°It should be clear now why a human, animal or Stranger who identally drank the Bellyfish eggs would find their bellies swelling rapidly until they resemble a woman who is ten months pregnant. On a rted note, it is why the Bellyfish is also known as the Impregnation Fish.¡±

    ¡°If not treated in time, the Bellyfishes would continue to grow until they literally burst out of the victim¡¯s stomach. Should this happen next to the stream¡ªand it should, as their growth rate is simply insane¡ªthey would return to it,y new eggs, and restart the cycle all over again.¡±

    When Ye Qing was finally finished, Yan Yufei said severely, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo¡¯s stomachs will explode if they do not receive treatment in time?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying!¡± The guard who was forced to stick his hand into the streamter eximed in horror.

    Ye Qing nodded seriously. ¡°Ipletely agree!¡±

    The guard muttered under his breath, ¡°If you agree, then why didn¡¯t you stick your own hand into the stream?¡±

    A grin spread across Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s exactly because it¡¯s scary that I used your hand to perform the experiment. Also, a demonstration is the only way I can prove that I am not a chatan, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The serious atmosphere turned awkward in an instant. There were few things more embarrassing than backbiting someone and getting caught red-handed!

    ¡°Oh right! I should remind you all that a Bellyfish egg is incredibly resilient. Anyone who¡¯s cleaned themselves or drunk from this stream should consider themselves infected by it. It¡¯s true that the rest of you aren¡¯t showing any symptoms right now, but the eggs might be attached to your hands, and they¡¯re too small for you to see. When you dig your nose, or clean your teeth, or eat your food, they will enter your stomach and¡­ hehe, let¡¯s just say a bunch of pregnant men would be quite a sight to behold¡­¡±

    That was an understatement. The mere imagination of it sent chills through everyone¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Countless guards turned as white as a sheet as they eximed, ¡°W-What should we do? I don¡¯t want to die like this!¡±

    ¡°Indeed! What should you do, I wonder?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a wicked smirk on his face.

    Yan Yufei abruptly bowed toward Ye Qing and implored, ¡°Fri¡ªno, Teacher Ye. I apologize on behalf of my unruly subordinates, so would you please save our lives? We would be eternally grateful if you do!¡±

    Ye Qing lifted him back to an upright position and dered, ¡°Why are you apologizing? Do I look like such a petty-minded person to you? You are too courteous, Lord Yan!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s actually quite simple to eliminate any and all Bellyfish eggs that might have gotten on your hands. It¡¯s true that the Bellyfish eggs are resilient and warmth-loving, but there¡¯s only so much heat they can withstand. All you need to do is to hold your hands over a fire like when you boil your water or cook your rice, and the eggs would die offpletely!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened. ¡°And remember! You gotta bake it nice and long!¡±

    In fact, there was a simpler, much painless way to remove the Bellyfish eggs. One simply needed to boil a pot of water that was slightly higher than body temperature and submerged their hands in it. The Bellyfish eggs would automatically detach themselves from the skin and enter the water.

    <i>I¡¯m not going to tell them though! It¡¯s not right to talk behind people¡¯s back, and the only way they¡¯re gonna learn is to do it the hard way!</i>

    <i>These people called me a chatan, but I¡¯m still saving their lives and doing my best to correct their crooked behavior. I¡¯m such a magnanimous man!</i>

    ¡°...¡±

    The thought of baking one¡¯s hands over a fire alone was enough to inflict imaginary pain. It wasn¡¯t that they disbelieved Ye Qing, but the fact that the young man was grinning like a Cheshire cat made them really skeptical that it was the only way to disinfect their hands.

    <i>We suspect you¡¯re plotting something, but we don¡¯t have proof!</i>

    ¡°Thank you, Teacher Ye!¡± Yan Yufei said gratefully before ncing at Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo. ¡°If you can save them as well¡­¡±

    ¡°But of course!¡± Ye Qing dered confidently. He took a spin around the stream and picked up a couple of grass from the riverbank. He then said, ¡°Please start a fire next to the patients. The reason their bellies grew every time they were touched is because of your body temperature. The Bellyfish reacts to heat, so an increase in temperature¡ªeven a minor one¡ªis going to activate them even more!¡±

    Yan Feng nodded. This exined why Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo¡¯s bellies had grown when he was inspecting them, and when they were trying to carry them to the carriage. He ordered, ¡°You four! Go gather some wood and start a fire as soon as possible!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± The men received their order and acted quickly. It wasn¡¯t long before a fire was burning right next to the two guards. Luo Fang and Lin Shaobo¡¯s stomachs started moving about as if countless things were wriggling inside. Not only that, their stomachs were still growing in size and torturing the duo even more as a matter of course.

    ¡°What do we do now, Teacher Ye?¡± Yan Yufei asked hurriedly. The fire was increasing their body temperature and causing the Bellyfishes in their stomachs to grow faster than ever before. At this rate, they were going to die in a matter of minutes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Ye Qing said calmly while crushing the grass he had picked up earlier. He then fed it to the two guards and waited for the magic to happen. There was a tremble before the two men began cooling down at an unnatural rate. It wasn¡¯t long before their lips were blue, and their faces were deathly white. Then, fist-sized bumps started appearing all over their stomachs almost as if the Bellyfishes in their stomachs were trying to get out!

    ¡°Aaaahhh! It hurts! It hurts!¡± Both men screamed on top of their lungs.

    ¡°Teacher Ye¡­¡± Yan Feng looked increasingly anxious as he looked back and forth between his men and Ye Qing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The grass I just fed them is called the Frostgrass. Cold by nature and slightly toxic, they usually grow next to a river or a stream. Consumingrge amounts of Frostgrass will freeze one¡¯s blood and lower one¡¯s body temperature, and the Bellyfishes cannot grow bigger at temperatures below body temperature.¡±

    Ye Qing ignored the two screaming men and continued, ¡°Now that their bodies are much colder, the Bellyfishes will want to seek out a new source of heat, namely the campfire burning right next to them. That is why the Bellyfishes are attempting to break out of the patients¡¯ stomachs to get to it.¡±

    ¡°Knowing that, all we need to do is¡­¡±

    Ye Qing crouched down and lifted Luo Fang¡¯s lower body into the air. While pressing one knee against Luo Fang¡¯s stomach, Ye Qing wrenched his mouth open and pped him hard on the back.

    ¡°aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!¡±

    The next moment, everyone¡¯s eyes widened like saucers as countless fishes about the size of two fingers poured out of Luo Fang¡¯s mouth and into the campfire. The Bellyfishes were utterly fearless even though entering the fire meant their doom. It wasn¡¯t long before a delicious scent began permeating throughout the whole camp!

    Luo Fang¡¯s stomach shrank visibly as Ye Qing continued to p his back. The pain that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face gradually subsided as well. The crowd was breathing a sigh of relief when suddenly, Ye Qing said, ¡°The Bellyfish is considered to be a rare delicacy because it has a lot of meat but few bones, and because it doesn¡¯t have a fishy scent at all. Does anyone want to give it a try?¡±

    ¡°... Why are you all looking at me like that? I¡¯m telling the truth! There are tons of rich people out there who can¡¯t go a week without a delicious serving of Bellyfish. Don¡¯t question my knowledge with your ignorance!¡± Ye Qing shook his head in mock disappointment.

    Everyone rolled their eyes at him in unison. <i>If it¡¯s that tasty, then why aren¡¯t you eating it yourself, huh? How stupid do you think we are?</i>

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± It was at this moment Yan Yufei let out a quiet cough and ordered, ¡°Yan Feng, you saw how it¡¯s done. Go help Shaobo!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Yan Feng replied before mimicking Ye Qing¡¯s actions. It wasn¡¯t long before the Bellyfishes in Lin Shaobo¡¯s stomach were expelled as well.

    A whileter, when the two guards had stopped vomiting Bellyfishes, and their stomachs had returned to normal, Ye Qing gently put Luo Fang down and pped his hands. ¡°It¡¯s done! There should be no Bellyfishes left in their stomachs. On the off chance I¡¯m wrong, one or two Bellyfishes won¡¯t be enough to kill them.¡±

    ¡°In fact, I would highly rmend keeping a Bellyfish in your stomach. Anytime you feel like eating fish, you can simply spit it out and cook it into a delicious meal. Like any fish, it can be steamed, braised, fried and more. You won¡¯t find another Stranger as convenient as this!¡±

    ¡°...¡± No one responded to Ye Qing¡¯s joke as a matter of course. They were starting to realize that he was far more wicked and yful than he looked!

    ¡°Boring!¡± Ye Qing booed the surrounding guards but said, ¡°Anyway, they¡¯re safe now. They should recover after just a day or two of rest.¡±

    ¡°Yang Guan, Chao Fang, take Luo Fang and Shaobo somewhere where they can rest and cook them some porridge!¡± Yan Yufei ordered before looking at the rest of the group. ¡°Also, anyone who¡¯s used the stream this morning should bake their hands over the fire! You don¡¯t want to get ¡®pregnant¡¯, do you?¡±

    Six guards immediately grimaced like they had eaten an entire te of lemons, but they obediently walked over to the campfire and stuck their hands into the mes. It hurt like a bitch as a matter of course, but no one dared to remove their hands early. Pain was temporary, but the shame of getting ¡°pregnant¡± and dying from an exploding belly was something that would be remembered for eternity. They could only endure the licking mes and pray that it would be enough.

    From Ye Qing¡¯s perspective, it almost looked like the guards were cooking their hands like barbecued chicken. It was very entertaining to say the least. He watched them intently while smiling like the Chesire¡¯s cat!

    Yan Yufei and Yan Feng could only shake his heads at Ye Qing¡¯s undisguised schadenfreude. When Yan Yufei decided that enough was enough, he coughed to catch Ye Qing¡¯s attention and said in a grateful tone, ¡°Thank you for helping us, Teacher Ye! This would¡¯ve ended poorly if not for you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but I was just doing what I can!¡± Ye Qing smiled back. ¡°Also, it was a pretty fun experience for me!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>I knew you were toying with us! I even have a confession straight from your own mouth! I can¡¯t say anything about it though!</i>

    ¡°Regardless, you still saved our lives, and such kindness is greater than the heavens themselves. We will never forget it!¡± Yan Yufei said solemnly before changing the subject. ¡°By the way, my men told me you¡¯re a schr, and that you¡¯re heading to Anyang to further your studies. Is that correct?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. It so happens that we are heading to Anyang as well. If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to travel with us? We can watch your back, and you ours!¡± Yan Yufei invited.

    Ye Qing saw no reason to turn him down, so he nodded smilingly. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be in your care then!¡±

    He was about to run out of food no thanks to a certain frog Stranger anyway. Since someone was offering to feed them, why not?

    ¡°Haha! It is our honor to be able to travel with you, Teacher Ye!¡± Yan Yufei dered with obvious delight.

    Ye Qing smiled back and said, ¡°Speaking of which, can you please address me by another name? A teacher is someone whose knowledge and experience have reached the level where they are qualified to enlighten others, and I¡¯m definitely not qualified, not to mention that everyone here is my senior!¡±

    ¡°My name is Ye Qing, but I prefer to go by another moniker. Please address me as Joyless!¡±

    Ye Qing was a strong believer that a man of the <i>jianghu </i>should have a <i>jianghu </i>moniker, which was why he decided to go with Joyless. It was his online nickname in his previous life, and it was, in his opinion, a cool and poetic name!

    ¡°Very well. Well met, Joyless!¡± Yan Yufei said with a wide smile, ¡°You seem to know a lot of things for someone so young, Joyless. I¡¯m sure you have a bright future ahead of you!¡±

    Ye Qing replied humbly, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. I just read more books than most, that''s all!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>I strongly suspect that this guy is gloating, but¡ªoh who am I kidding, he¡¯s one hundred percent gloating to our faces! We can¡¯t say anything about it though!</i>

 Chapter 47: Strange Fog

    <h4>Chapter 47: Strange Fog</h4>

    ¡°Heads up, everyone! We¡¯re approaching Redstone Forest!¡±

    Ye Qing looked up from the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡± when he heard Yan Feng crying out from the forefront. What greeted him was one of the most amazing sights he had seen in his life.

    Standing in a massive formation, the tall rocks in front of him were shaped like tall spears that were pointed defiantly at the heavens. Not a trace of green could be seen anywhere. The exposed rocks were as red as blood, and at first nce it looked like the aftermath of a great battle, scary and gruesome. Half of the sky was dark gray, and the other half as red as fire. It was both vast and stunning.

    ¡°Croak croak¡­¡±

    Kung Fu Frog was croaking in excitement with shiny eyes. It had probably never seen such a stunning sight in its life either.

    ¡°It is very impressive!¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement before breaking off a small chunk from a tall rock next to him. Upon closer examination, he noticed that the unusual coloration wasn¡¯t just limited to its surface. The insides of the rock were blood red as well. It was cool to touch and fairly heavy.

    ¡°The redness is probably some sort of mineral!¡± Ye Qing yed with it a while longer before tossing it aside.

    ¡°Squeak squeak!¡±

    Suddenly, a mouse with blood red fur let out a frightened squeak and scurried out from deeper within the stone forest. It ran far, far away from them.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a Redstone Mouse. I was surprised for a second there!¡± Yang Guan looked at the escaping rodent and chuckled. ¡°Your rock probably hit it by ident!¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. A Redstone Mouse was a Stranger that fed on insects, nuts, flowers and grasses. It was extremely cowardly and rarely a danger to anyone.

    ¡°Chirp chirp chirp¡­¡±

    It was at this moment more Redstone Mice scurried out into the open. They ignored the group and ran right past them.

    <i>Ah,they¡¯re probably the family of the Redstone Mouse! </i>Ye Qing thought. However, his guess was quickly overturned when more chirps came from deeper within Redstone Forest¡ªfar, far more¡ªand red dust clouds rose into the sky.

    This was clearly unusual, but Ye Qing still thought, <i>Mice do breed like crazy. Maybe it¡¯s the whole n migrating somewhere?</i>

    The noise grew louder, and the dust clouds kept swelling until it resembled a dust storm. It wasing straight for them.

    Themotion did not escape Yan Feng, of course. He shouted, ¡°Get ready!¡±

    The guards immediately drew their long sabers with stern expressions. A short whileter, someone cried, ¡°It¡¯s the Redstone Mice! A <i>lot </i>of Redstone Mice!¡±

    When the dust storm got close, the group finally realized that the dust storm wasn¡¯t a dust storm at all¡ªat least not a natural one. It was the dust clouds kicked up by what looked like millions and millions of Redstone Mice!

    The tsunami of Redstone Mice was kicking up what looked like the mother of all dust clouds. The blood red dust clouds that covered half the sky looked like it would bury them and the entire stone forest whole.

    nching, Yan Feng roared, ¡°Dismount and gather around the carriage now!¡± Everyone obeyed the order instantly and formed a tight circle around Yan Yufei¡¯s carriage.

    It was at this moment the group noticed that Ye Qing hadn¡¯t joined them. He was standing on the road alone like he had no idea what was about to happen. Yan Feng shouted, ¡°Joyless? What are you doing? Come quickly!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine!¡± Ye Qing shook his head and walked a few steps closer to the group. Then, he patted Kung Fu Frog on its shoulder and said, ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, Brother Frog!¡±

    This time, it was Yan Yufei who shouted, ¡°Joyless! Are you trying to kill yourself?! Get over here before it¡¯s toote!¡±

    The dignified-looking man was grim-faced when he pushed away the curtains and looked out of the window. He was even paler when he noticed that Ye Qing was standing in the middle of the road as if he would face down the tidal wave of Redstone Mice himself.

    While the Redstone Mice were harmless in most circumstances, a stampede at this scale was just as life-threatening as a tsunami or an avnche, if not more.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It will be fine!¡± Ye Qing replied without a trace of fear or worry whatsoever. When the Redstone Mice swarm was seconds away from hitting him, Kung Fu Frog finally took a few steps forward and pped its belly almost imperiously. First, it put its hands together in a double palm strike pose and channeled an invisible ball of force between its palms. Then, it crouched a little and slowly rotated its body clockwise and moved its hands behind its waist. Every time its hands had crossed an inch of distance, his aura and the invisible force between its palms would swell in power. Finally¡ª

    ¡°CROAAAAAAAAAAAAK!¡±

    Three inchester, Kung Fu Frog let out a mighty croak and threw its hands forward. There was a moment ofplete silence before the world roared, and a pir of pure power burst out of its palms and into the iing swarm. It was utterly unstoppable. The beam of light did not just punch a hole in the swarm, it kept going as if its power was infinite and turned countless Redstone Mice into mincemeat. At the end of it, the red tsunami was cut in half just like Moses had split the Red Sea into two!

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    For a long time, the humans could only stare at a certain frog Stranger in utter disbelief. Even Ye Qing¡ªalthough his face-fu was as impable as ever¡ªwondered if he was in a dream.

    <i>Who am I? Where am I? Did that really just happen?</i>

    His n was for Kung Fu Frog to act as a one-man frontliner and take out most of the Redstone Mice swarm headed their way. Anything it missed would be handled by Yan Feng¡¯s group.

    That was the n, until Kung Fu Frog had surpassed his expectations and cut the entire swarm in half with a frog style Kamehameha! Seriously, it was practically identical to the signature attack of a certain world-famous manga!

    <i>Is there actually a Master Roshi in this world? Are you his student??</i>

    The Redstone Mice stampede would pass by the group harmlessly after Kung Fu Frog¡¯s astounding attack. It was almost as if they were watching the tidal waves passing them by from atop a hill. The humans did not recover their senses until the swarm hadpletely vanished into the horizon.

    ¡°Joyless, yourpanion¡­ is absolutely incredible!¡± Yan Feng praised from the bottom of his heart as he stared at Kung Fu Frog. The frog Stranger was currently putting its hands on its waist and letting the wind carry its bandanna and its cape in the air. Say what you want about the frog, but it was an absolute master at looking cool as fuck.

    Before this Yang Feng was fairly certain that he could take down Kung Fu Frog even though he felt threatened by it. Now? He knew that Kung Fu Frog could kick three, no, five of him with no effort whatsoever. The frog Stranger wasn¡¯t just a Malice-ss Stranger, it was close to the ceiling of its power level!

    <i>I must be </i>crazy <i>to think I stood a chance against it!</i>

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong!¡± Ye Qing replied ¡°humbly¡± to hide the fact that he was just as surprised as all of them.

    ¡°Joyless, Kung Fu Frog is a Malice-ss Stranger, isn¡¯t he?¡± Yan Yufei asked from his carriage. Although he didn¡¯t know martial arts, his eye for them was as sharp as a razor.

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°You have a discerning eye, Lord Yan!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Yan Yufei praised before probing him a little, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me saying this, I doubt that an ordinary person can enjoy the protection of a Malice-ss Stranger. Your background must be pretty extraordinary, am I right?¡±

    Once again, Ye Qing replied ¡°humbly¡±, ¡°You¡¯re not wrong!¡±

    Technically, it wasn¡¯t a lie. He was a transmigrator after all. If that didn¡¯t count as an extraordinary background, then what possibly could?

    Of course, Yan Fengpletely misunderstood Ye Qing¡¯s response. He thought to himself, <i>I knew it. If Ye Qing was the scion of a major n, that would exin why he¡¯s so knowledgeable and guarded by a powerful Stranger!</i>

    Everyone else thought the same thing as Yan Yufei. For the first time, they weren¡¯t just looking at Ye Qing with curiosity. There was a healthy dose of fear and respect in their eyes as well. It was the kind of look people got when they confirmed that someone was not to be trifled with!

    Suddenly, Ye Qing frowned and summoned Kung Fu Frog back to his side. ¡°Wait. Something¡¯s not right about this!¡±

    His words shook the humans out of their reverie and earned him quite a number of puzzled looks. Yan Yufei asked, ¡°What do you mean, Joyless?¡± Ye Qing said, ¡°The Redstone Mice are docile in nature and extraordinarily timid. They would normally veer out of harm¡¯s way at the mere sight of a human, much less a group like ours. However, the swarm we encountered earlier never stopped even though Brother Frog killed a ton of them and revealed his power. That is not normal behavior, is it?¡±

    Yan Feng thought for a moment before agreeing, ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±

    Yan Yufei asked, ¡°What do you think might have prompted such a behavior, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and said slowly, ¡°I think they¡¯re running from something!¡±

    ¡°Running?¡± Both men frowned in deep thought.

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°This is just a guess, but I bet that the Redstone Mice encountered something dangerous deeper within the Redstone Forest; something that was even more dangerous than our group and Kung Fu Frog. It is the only reason I can think of as to why they would charge us like mindless beasts!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Yan Yufei and Yan Feng exchanged a nce with each other before agreeing with Ye Qing¡¯s deduction.

    It was at this moment Kung Fu Frog suddenly broke away from its cool pose and leaped onto the donkey Stranger¡¯s head. It then croaked and made a series of rapid gestures with an anxious expression.

    ¡°You sense the danger as well, Brother Frog? Alright! We¡¯ll leave immediately!¡±

    Ye Qing immediately climbed onto his beloved donkey. It immediately turned in the direction the Redstone Mice were heading to and broke into a gallop!

    ¡°Joyless, wait! Where are you going?¡± Yan Yufei called out to him from behind.

    Ye Qing held back the donkey temporarily and looked back. ¡°I¡¯m running for my life, of course! It¡¯s confirmed by the Redstone Mice and Kung Fu Frog that something terrifying and dangerous is about to happen real soon. I¡¯m not about to wait here and die! Are you?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyone in the group exchanges nces with each other. He was totally right, but at the same time, it was rare for someone to make a snap decision and act on it without so much a thought.

    <i>You must¡¯ve had a lot of practice, haven¡¯t you?</i>

    ¡°Ahem. Everyone, mount up and follow Joyless! Quickly!¡±

    Despite their strange feelings, Yan Feng did not hesitate to bark out the orders and follow behind Ye Qing. No one wanted to die after all.

    As for why they were running in the direction of the Redstone Mice swarm, it was because their danger sense was extremely well-honed. There was a high chance they would be able to avoid the unknown danger if they followed them!

    Also, it so happened that the direction the Redstone Mice were heading to wasn¡¯t at odds with their destination, Anyang. They were basically killing two birds with one stone!

    ¡°Everyone, look! There¡¯s a fog behind us!¡± Someone shouted suddenly. Everyone obeyed the voice and noticed that a thick fog had appeared behind them before they knew it. The strange thing was that it was blood red in color.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a blood red fog,¡± A guard said curiously before lifting a hand to touch it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Yan Feng tried to stop him, but it was toote. The second the bodyguard touched the red fog, his whole body abruptly turned blood red as if he had fallen into a dye vat.

    ¡°Chen Long, you¡ª!¡±

    He didn¡¯t manage to finish before the fog abruptly changed colors from red to green. This would¡¯ve been rming enough, but Chen Long and even the tall rocks within the fog had turned green as well! It wasn¡¯t the superficial kind of coloring either. They were green from the inside out almost as if they had been assimted by the fog around them!

    Three breathster, the fog changed colors once more and turned as blue as the sea. Another three breaths passed, and they turned from blue to purple, cyan, orange, yellow¡­

 Chapter 48: Heptachromatic Fog of Aging

    <h4>Chapter 48: Heptachromatic Fog of Aging</h4>

    The fog kept changing colors in regr intervals like it was a light show. Everything trapped within fog¡ªthe stone forest, the ground, the air and even the clouds¡ªchanged colors as well. It was colorful, dreamlike, and strange to put it mildly.

    That wasn¡¯t the full extent of its strangeness, however. Every time it happened, entire sections of the stone forest would weaken as if it had aged hundreds of thousands of years in an instant. Eventually, they crumbled away into dustpletely!

    This in and of itself was absolutely terrifying, but Chen Long¡¯s transformation struck a deeper chord with the group because he was a fellow human. Every time the fog switched to another color, he would age decades in an instant. His face grew saggy and wrinkled, his hair whitened inch by inch, and his teeth grew looser and looser until they fell off his gumspletely¡­ It was like something was stealing Chen Long¡¯s lifespan little by little.

    Seven changester, Chen Long died of old age and decayed into a pile of bones instantly. Not only that, the bones were still withering at a visible rate!

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡±

    An indescribable chill shot up everyone¡¯s spine and spread throughout their whole body!

    A terrible cry escaped Yan Yufei¡¯s throat, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging! Make haste, men! We must get as far away from it as possible!¡±

    Most of the time, Yan Yufei had acted like nothing in the world could possibly unsettle him. This was the first time most people saw him losing hisposure so utterly. Naturally, they hastened to obey his order. Frankly, no one was crazy enough to dilly-dally after witnessing Chen Long¡¯s bizarre demise with their own eyes.

    <i>Clop clop clop¡ª</i>¡°HEE HAW!¡±

    They had just fled for a short distance when Ye Qing¡¯s donkey blew past them with extraordinary speed. It should not be possible for it to outrun the horses considering that it was shorter and smaller than them in every way, but it did, and it was hee-hawing the entire time as if its stamina was inexhaustible.

    <i>Clop clop clop¡ª</i>¡°HEE HAW!¡±<i>¡ªclop clop clop¡ª</i>¡°HEE HAW!¡±<i>¡ªclop clop clop¡ª</i>¡°HEE HAW!¡±

    Not only that, the donkey was looking back at them from time to time and shooting them a toothy grin. It was almost as if it was deriding them for how slow they were! The worst part was, they couldn¡¯t prove it wrong! How frustrating was that?

    <i>Sigh. We¡¯re okay with Ye Qing being stronger than us¡ªor at least, his bodyguard is. But his mount too? Sometimes, life is just unfair!</i>

    ¡°The fog is spreading! We need to move faster!¡± Yan Feng shouted on top of his lungs as he nced back and forth between Ye Qing¡ªwho had almost vanished into the horizon, damn that donkey¡ªand the fog all around them. He then whipped his own mount harder.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hah, hah, hah¡­¡±

    A teatimeter, the group was resting in the outskirts of Redstone Forest, panting like a dog and floored in every sense of the word. Some people were flushed like a tomato, and some looked as pale as death. They had done it though. They had sessfully escaped the fog of death.

    It was a close one though. Most of their horses had run out of steam about halfway to where they were, and the fog was still spreading in their direction. Left with no choice, they had to abandon their horses, dump everything they didn¡¯t need, and run with their own two legs. It was a harrowing escape to put it mildly.

    Well, it was a harrowing escape for all of them except one. A young man was standing by the road with a calm expression. He was the only one with perfectly tidy clothes and standing on his feet while everyone else had copsed to the ground in exhaustion. There was no doubt that he was the smartest-looking human of the bunch right now. He was, of course, Ye Qing!

    Ye Qing was currently observing the fog still spreading across the entire Redstone Forest with a deep frown on his face. He did not know what it was as the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghost and Gods¡± had not mentioned it. A long timeter, he finally could hold his curiosity no longer and walked up to Yan Yufei, asking, ¡°Lord Yan, I remember you addressing the fog as the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging, right? Can you tell me more about it?¡±

    By now Yan Yufei had rested enough to regain some energy, so he joked, ¡°There are things you don¡¯t know, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose awkwardly. ¡°Come now! Of course there are things I know nothing about! The pursuit for knowledge is endless, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You are!¡± Yan Yufei chuckled beforeunching into his exnation, ¡°I happened to read a file about this fog before. The Heptachromatic Fog of Aging is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing was familiar with the term ¡°Phenomenon-ss Stranger¡± because he had read about it in the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghost and Gods¡±. Three of the incense sticks required a material that could only be procured from a Phenomenon-ss Stranger.

    Previously, Fang Nianshui had taught him that a Stranger could be ssified as Mundane, Red, Malice or Hatred. They matched the four lowest cultivation levels of a warrior and were the mostmon kinds of Strangers out there. That said, Hatred wasn¡¯t the end of thedder. There were five more sses above Hatred, and they were Soulstealer, Phenomenon, Disaster, Ancient and Extinction.

    A Phenomenon-ss Stranger was exactly what it sounded like: a phenomenon. It was an observable event whose power, shape or form could not be measured by any quantifiable means. Not limited to just animate objects, it could be a rock, a piece of paper, a statue, or even a fog like the one that damn near annihted their group just now. Its threat level, power level, deadliness, area of activity, patterns and more were all fluid and unpredictable. Hence, it was impossible to properly appraise a Stranger like this.

    A Disaster-ss Stranger was, as its ss might suggest, akin to a natural disaster such as hurricanes, floods,ndslides, earthquakes and so on.? Every time one showed up, it would cause massive, irreparable damage to both the environment and the unfortunate souls living in the area.

    As for Ancient-ss and Extinction-ss, there were unfortunately¡ªor fortunately¡ªlittle to no description about them. Few humans had ever encountered Strangers at this level, and even fewer lived to tell the tale. Naturally, there were little to no meaningful records regarding such Strangers.

    ¡°¡ªA strange fog that alternates between seven colors at regr intervals and possesses the mysterious power of time. No one knows how it came to be, where ites from, or how to guard against. Once it appears, it would rapidly spread to its surrounding area. It can be as small as several kilometers in diameter, or as big as fifty kilometers or higher.¡±

    ¡°Its effect is as you''ve seen. Everything that the fog epasses be it a mountain, a rock, a grass, a tree, a human, an animal, the wind or the clouds; everything and anything will be infected and assimted by it. And every time it changes color, the affected things will age rapidly as if their time was stolen by the river of time itself. Things will crumble, animals will age, and humans will die. That is why the fog is called the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging!¡±

    ¡°The Heptachromatic Fog of Aging cannot be repelled, stopped, destroyed or exploited. Anyone and anything who is infected by it cannot be saved. It is why it is considered to be stronger and even more dangerous than some Disaster-ss Strangers.¡±

    Yan Yufei took a short break before continuing in a heavy tone, ¡°Many years ago, there was an infamous incident revolving around the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging called the Longchuan Tragedy. The fog had manifested in the Longchuanmandery at <i>midnight. </i>You¡¯ve seen how fast the fog spread, and since it was midnight few people noticed the fog, if at all. The next day, when someone finally realized what happened, the entiremandery had already crumbled away into bone and dust. Can you imagine? A sprawling city over fifty kilometers wide with tens of thousands of citizens in it, gone in a single night. How terrible.¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging does not spread endlessly or exist for an indefinite amount of time. It¡¯s not too damaging as long as it does not appear in a highly popted settlement. That is why it is ssified as a Phenomenon-ss Stranger and not a Disaster-ss.¡±

    ¡°Heavens above! Now that¡¯s a stay-the-fuck-away Stranger if I ever heard one!¡± Ye Qing was gaining an impression of the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging and Phenomenon-ss Strangers in general after listening to Yan Yufei. Long story short¡ªsuch power, much strong, stay the fuck away from or else!

    As they spoke, Redstone Forest was crumbling away at an unbelievable rate. What was once a gorgeous rock formation that seemed like it wouldst a lifetime was crumbling away like rotten wood in a sandstorm. It was only a matter of time¡ªliterally¡ªbefore one of the best attractions of Anyang was gone forever.

    ¡°This¡ªthis looks bad. We need to get back to Anyang and inform the citizens to stay away from Redstone Forest as soon as possible!¡± Yan Yufei abruptly rose to his feet and ordered, ¡°Rouse the men, Yan Feng. We must reach Anyang before the sun fallspletely into the mountains!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Yan Feng answered and climbed to his feet as well. He pped away the dust on his armor andmanded the men to get ready. It wasn¡¯t long before the group resumed their journey once more.

    Ye Qing hung back at the rear of the group. He continued to read his book and acted the role of a schr.

    After they passed through Redstone Forest, they followed the marked road for about an incense stick before they arrived at a steep, narrow gorge. The gorge looked like one big mountain range that had been split in half. Its walls were perfectly smooth and angled steeply. Even an experienced climber would find it difficult to scale such steep walls.

    What was truly bizarre however, was the fact that the gorge was perfectly silent. There was no animal cry, no insect chirp, and not even the sound of the wind inside the gorge. The phrase ¡°the silence is deafening¡± was literal in this case!

    ¡°The Soundless Gorge¡­¡± Ye Qing muttered as he squinted at the gorge in front of him.

    Yan Feng dismounted and said in an unusually soft voice, ¡°Dismount. Bridle your horses and wrap their hooves in cloth. I don¡¯t want to hear even a bit of noise, understand?¡±

    It was forbidden to make noise in the Soundless Gorge because it would attract the attention of a Red-ss Stranger called the Soundless Bug. Individually the Soundless Bug wasn¡¯t much of a threat, but it usually lived in a swarm numbering tens or even hundreds of thousands. No one wanted to face down thousands and thousands of Strangers unless absolutely necessary.

    That said, the Soundless Bugs would not attack if there was no sound. Hence their preparations.

    After everyone had dismounted and done as Yan Feng ordered, the group officially entered the Soundless Gorge.

    Everyone was keeping as quiet as possible. They even controlled their breathing to avoid drawing the Soundless Bugs¡¯ attention.

    There was one notable exception, however. Ye Qing was staring at the sea of Soundless Bugs crawling up and down the sheer cliffs with bright eyes and seriously considering drawing them over with some noise.

    Although he still had plenty of gray dragon-serpent runes, his silver dragon-serpent runes had dwindled to just two. He had spent most of them cultivating the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡±. In fact, he was saving these two runes when he was in an emergency, so one could say that he was broke right now.

    Long story short, he was in dire need of cultivation resources, and he desperately wanted to murder these weak Strangers whose only virtue was their great numbers!

    Not far away, Yan Feng noticed Ye Qing¡¯s fervent stare and felt a sudden wave of panic. Why did he feel like something bad was about to happen? Specifically, why did he feel like someone was about to make his job much, much harder than it should be?

    As if sensing Yan Feng¡¯s wary gaze, Ye Qing turned around and shot him a smile. In the end, he decided to abandon his n. He and Kung Fu Frog had nothing to fear from the Soundless Bugs, but the same could not be said for Yan Feng¡¯s group. He would feel bad if someone got hurt or even killed because of his greed.

    <i>I¡¯m just too good of a person! </i>Ye Qing shrugged to himself before letting out a soundless sigh.<i> Well, it¡¯s not like the Soundless Bugs are going to go anywhere, and from the looks of it they aren¡¯t really </i>that <i>numerous¡ªnot as much as the Bloodsucking Mosquitoes at least¡­ Yeah, I should wait until they increase their numbers. You don¡¯t harvest wheat one block at a time after all. No, you reap them all in one go!</i>

    In the end, the group was able to pass through the Soundless Gorge without any ident, and everyone let out an audible sigh of relief when the danger was fully behind them. They even talked louder than normal as if to make up for the forced silence from before.

    ¡°You look kinda disappointed just now, Joyless. What¡¯s the matter?¡± A smiling Yang Guan walked over to Ye Qing and asked.

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°I am. Say, why are these Soundless Bugs such cowards? Why didn¡¯t they take the initiative to attack us?¡±

    Yang Guan: ¡°...¡± <i>Is it just me, or is there a screw loose in your head?</i>

    ¡°Also, what¡¯s with their abysmal numbers? There¡¯s not even enough to make up a quarter of a swarm of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes!¡± Ye Qing continued to rant.

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    <i>We would rather that there are no Soundless Bugs in the Soundless Gorge at all, but you want the opposite?</i>

    <i>Are you a demon?</i>

 Chapter 49: No Need To Thank Me, Captain!

    <h4>Chapter 49: No Need To Thank Me, Captain!</h4>

    Anyang was one of the nine counties of Luoshui. Located in front of Bashan and north of Moshui, it was ridiculed as ¡°The Last of The Nine¡± or ¡°The County Backwater¡± because of its remote location. In reality, Ye Qing was quite impressed with the county¡¯s tall buildings and sprawling walls. Whatever the others might say, it looked much grander than August Hill Vige at the very least.

    The group had just reached the gates when a toon of soldiers stopped them.

    ¡°Halt! Do you have a travel pass?¡±

    Yan Feng handed over the travel pass to a treacherous-looking soldier. He gave it a cursory nce before looking at the horse-drawn carriage behind Yan Feng with a cunning glint, saying, ¡°What¡¯s inside the carriage? Open it up! We¡¯ll need to inspect it!¡±

    Yang Guan was extremely displeased with the man¡¯s rude and vulgar behavior. He muttered, ¡°Is he serious? What else can be inside a carriage besides a person?¡±

    The soldier heard that and flew into a rage, ¡°How dare you! Who the fuck do you think you are to deride me? You know what, I think you lot are the bandits who robbed and killed the Qingfeng Merchants yesterday. Lock em¡¯ up, boys!¡±

    ¡°Hehe! At once, captain!¡±

    Every soldier in the vicinity started chuckling evilly. Their eyes were malicious, and naked greed was written all over their faces. They looked like a pack of wolves getting ready to ughter a flock of sheeps. Some of them were even whispering to each other,

    ¡°Woohoo, that¡¯s anothermb to the ughter!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to find out what we¡¯re going to get this time!¡±

    ¡°These merchants are oh-so-rich and yet oh-so-cowardly. It would be a sin not to milk them for all they¡¯re worth!¡±

    At the rear, a smirk crept across Ye Qing¡¯s face. He could hardly wait to see what was going to happen next.

    As expected, a booming voice erupted from inside the carriage, ¡°No, how dare <i>you. </i>Do you even know who you¡¯re speaking to?¡±

    Yan Yufei lifted the curtains to reveal a cold, dark countenance. It was so unexpected and intimidating that the soldiers actually paused in their tracks!

    The captain of the soldiers¡ªthe treacherous-looking one who took offense with Yang Guan¡¯s retort and ordered them to be taken earlier¡ªrecovered hisposure first and sneered, ¡°What does it matter? I¡¯m an official, and you¡¯re a citizen! If I say you¡¯re guilty, then you are! Now get them, boys! Kill anyone who dares to resist!¡±

    ¡°Bastard! I dare you to draw your weapons!¡± Yan Feng roared and took one step forward. He had subdued his presence before as a matter of politeness, but now he was unleashing it in full. Hand on his long saber and eyes wide with the promise of brutal violence, he red at the soldiers around him like he would swallow them whole.

    ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s a Qi Invoker!¡± The soldiers paled and stopped in their tracks yet again. They had believed the group to be sheep, but now it would seem that they had awoken a tiger!

    ¡°Captain¡­¡± A soldier said hesitatingly. The captain himself looked bewildered as well. In the end, he decided call their bluff and threatened,

    ¡°Hmph! So what if you¡¯re a Qi Invoker? My brother-inw¡¯s a Vessel Augmentor <i>and </i>the vice magistrate of Anyang! If you¡¯re smart, you would put down your weapons and obey us! Otherwise, we will have to take drastic action!¡±

    The captain wasn¡¯t stupid, it seemed. He had brought out his patron immediately!

    Yan Yufei wasn¡¯t afraid, however. A cold smile cut across his face as he said, ¡°Drastic action, you say? Should I take that as a threat against your very own magistrate?¡±

    He produced a yellow silken cloth from his shirt and unfolded it. At that moment, the wind and clouds above Anyang surged, and a majestic, formidable power epassed the world in an instant. It was stunning to put it mildly!

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re Anyang¡¯s magistrate?¡± the captain couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He might refuse to believe Yan Yufei¡¯s words, but he could never deny the silken cloth before his eyes. When the magnitude of his error finally dawned upon him, he actually copsed to his feet and shook like a leaf.

    ¡°W-We greet you, Lord Magistrate!¡±

    The rest of the soldiers had seen the contents of the silken cloth and felt the terrible power circting above Anyang as well. Terrified for their lives, they immediately dropped to their knees and bowed as deeply as they could.

    ¡°Croak croak¡­¡± Kung Fu Frog was clearly ufortable with the majestic power in the sky. Their donkey straight up emptied its bowels out of fright.

    ¡°Is this what they call the ¡®Will Of The Dragon¡¯ and the ¡®Will Of The People¡¯?¡± Ye Qing patted Kung Fu Frogfortingly while watching the sky curiously.

    The ¡°Will Of The Dragon¡± referred to the power of the Son of Heavens, the emperor himself, and the ¡°Will Of The People¡± referred to the power of the people of a specifd or human settlement.

    All Chu officials naturally bore a sliver of the Will Of The Dragon andmanded the authority to wield the Will Of The People. Blessed by the emperor and acknowledged by thend and people they governed, they were capable ofmanding The Will Of The Dragon, the Will Of The People and the Human Way to attack their enemies. This was why a civil servant who had never touched a weapon their whole lives was still extremely deadly in their own right. It was a path of power that waspletely different from that of martial arts and cultivation.

    But of course, there were pros and cons. In their territory, a civil servant wielded power great enough to suppress most threats. But outside their territory or if they were expelled from their post, they were no different from an ordinary person.

    Yan Yufei was clearly one such example. Earlier on the road, he had no power whatsoever. He had to rely on Yan Feng and his guards to protect him. But now, his power was easily the equal of a Vessel Augmentor, if not better.

    <i>I had no idea that Lord Yan is the magistrate of Anyang, </i>Ye Qing thought to himself. Although he already guessed from Yan Yufei¡¯s dignified bearing and his entourage¡¯s cultivation level that they were no ordinary people, their true identity still surprised him.

    <i>Of course, this means that the show¡¯s going to be even better.</i>

    ¡°Rise!¡± Yan Yufei ordered while withdrawing the silken cloth. The terrible power and unnatural phenomenon happening in the sky vanished like they never happened, and everyone felt a considerable weight lifted from their shoulders.

    ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± The soldiers responded and rose to their feet.

    The captain was climbing to his feet as well when Yan Yufei stared straight into his eyes and uttered coldly, ¡°I did not give <i>you </i>permission to rise!¡±

    ¡°M-My lord, I¡­¡± So scared the captain was that his knees weakened, and he dropped to his knees once more.

    Yan Yufei asked emotionlessly, ¡°Tell me your name and post.¡±

    The captain answered with a tremor in his voice, ¡°My name is Tang Yi¡¯an [1]. I¡¯m the current gate captain of Anyang!¡±

    ¡°Tang Yi¡¯an? That name is wasted on someone like you!¡± Yan Yufei said scornfully, ¡°I am not so naive that I would expect all officials of Chu to lead by example and solve the people¡¯s problems, but to actively use your status to exploit the people you¡¯re supposed to protect? How dare you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord! I beg you to give me another chance!¡± A trembling Tang Yi¡¯an admitted his guilt and kowtowed immediately. However, he immediately defended himself by saying, ¡°Yesterday, after the Qingfeng Merchants were robbed outside of Anyang and suffered heavy losses, the assistant magistrate ordered me to investigate everyone who passes through Anyang thoroughly. I dare not neglect my duty, and I am deeply sorry that I have offended you as a result. So please¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Yan Yufei narrowed his eyes. This Tang Yi¡¯an really was smart. Not only did he manage to excuse himself from his behavior, he had brought up his patron again to warn him. In theory, the assistant magistrate was subordinate to him. In reality, the assistant magistratemanded Anyang¡¯s armed forces and wielded a lot of power. There was also the fact that he was a newly appointed magistrate, and this was technically his first day at the job. If he insisted on punishing the gate captain for his behavior, he was going to give off the impression that he was mean and petty-minded, and he would offend the assistant magistrate as well. It was a lose-lose situation in that case.

    A short pauseter, Yan Yufei said coldly, ¡°Even so, you have clearly transgressed beyond your post and behaved unseemingly. If I find you doing this again, you will be punished severely!¡±

    ¡°I obey, my lord! Thank you for giving me a second chance, my lord!¡± Tang Yi¡¯an replied in a hurry while hiding his delight. He knew the new magistrate wouldn¡¯t dare to punish him and risk his brother-inw¡¯s ire!

    Yan Yufei wasn¡¯t nning on letting him off with no punishment, however. Just when Tang Yi¡¯an was about to rise a second time, he said suddenly, ¡°Speaking of which, you seem to have a fondness for kneeling. In that case, you may kneel a while longer!¡±

    Tang Yi¡¯an grimaced visibly. <i>Since fucking when do I enjoy kneeling? </i>He did not dare to disobey Yan Yufei though, so he dropped to his knees for a third time!

    ¡°The rest of you may resume your duties now. Be warned that you will be punished severely if you dare to abuse your position and neglect your duties again!¡± Yan Yufei¡¯s voice was ice cold as he swept his gaze across the other soldiers.

    ¡°Yes, my lord¡­¡± They responded meekly. Unlike Tang Yi¡¯an, they weren¡¯t lucky enough to be the assistant magistrate¡¯s brother-inw. The only thing they could do was to obey.

    ¡°Now then. Let us enter Anyang!¡± Yan Yufei ordered before leaving his carriage. He then walked right through the gates.

    Satisfied with the show he just watched, Ye Qing casually followed behind Yan Yufei and the others and passed through the gates as well. Since Yan Yufei was right there, no one had the guts to stop him and ask his name, much less put him through an inspection. He was happy with this oue to say the least.

    ¡°Hee haw¡­¡± <i>Prrrssssssh!</i>

    There was to be onest encore before the show truly ended, however. Ye Qing was leading his donkey past Tang Yi¡¯an when his donkey¡ªafter all the fright it had suffered earlier¡ªdecided now was the time to take a literal piss. The hot stream hit Tang Yi¡¯an squarely in the face.

    Tang Yi¡¯an: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing looked down, and Tang Yi¡¯an looked up. Their eyes met, and for a while no one knew what to say to each other!

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    A few speechless secondster, Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s emotions finally caught up to him, and he was ready to shout at the bastard. However, Ye Qing interrupted him with an apology, ¡°Sorry, sorry! My donkey is a cowardly thing, and you are so intimidating that it just cannot help itself. I hope you won¡¯t take offense with a donkey?¡±

    His words almost sounded polite, but the derision in his voice was as clear as day. Ashen-faced with anger, Tang Yi¡¯an was about to unleash fire and brimstone when suddenly, Yan Yufei looked back and said, ¡°What are you doing, Joyless? Get over here already!¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± Ye Qing responded, and whatever Tang Yi¡¯an was going to say was quickly swallowed back into his stomach. It sounded like the young man was quite close with the magistrate, and until he figured out their rtionship he didn¡¯t dare to attack him. For a time, he looked like he was about to explode from all the anger and frustration he had pent up!

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot!¡± Ye Qing suddenly turned around after a few steps. ¡°It¡¯s pretty hot today, and you look like you can use some water. It so happens that my donkey¡¯s piss is good for the liver and the lungs, and is most effective at cooling heat. If you like you can even roll yourself in the puddle or drink from it. I guarantee you¡¯ll never feel as hot or impulsive ever again! No need to thank me, captain!¡±

    Ye Qing gave him one final wave and left just like that!

    ¡°Pff¡­¡± Some of the crowd could not stop themselves from bursting out inughter.

    <i>Creak¡­ </i>Tang Yi¡¯an was clenching his teeth so hard that he almost broke a mr. He could not remember thest time he had been humiliated like this. His eyes shed with a hint of hatred as he red at Ye Qing¡¯s back.

    As soon as they were inside the county, Yan Yufei saluted Ye Qing and said sincerely, ¡°Joyless, I hadn¡¯t told you my identity earlier because I wish to avoid unnecessary risks. It¡¯s not that I want to hide it from you. I hope you won¡¯t mind?¡±

    At that moment, he didn¡¯t look like a magistrate at all.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°I understand, Lord Yan. I don¡¯t mind it one bit! Plus, I already figured that you guys were no ordinary people. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be the magistrate of Anyang though! Now that was a surprise!¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ I knew we wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it from you!¡±

    Yan Yufei was quite delighted by Ye Qing¡¯s honesty. ¡°Speaking of which, what do you n to do now that you¡¯re here?¡±

    1. meaning Justice and Peace ??

 Chapter 50: Ghost In The Bookstore

    <h4>Chapter 50: Ghost In The Bookstore</h4>

    Ye Qing pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. For now, I¡¯m going to find an inn!¡±

    ¡°Haha, sure. Do notify me after you¡¯ve found a ce to stay, okay? When I¡¯m free, I would like to treat you to a drink and thank you for all the help you¡¯ve given us during our trip!¡± Yan Yufei said with a smile. Personally, he would¡¯ve treated Ye Qing to a drink this instant, but as the newly appointed magistrate of Anyang there were many things he had to busy himself with. He could only promise to repay Ye Qing at ater date.

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°Did I mention you are too courteous, my lord? Don¡¯t worry! I promise I¡¯ll visit you myself as soon as your schedule is open!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a promise then!¡± Yan Yufeiughed heartily and saluted him onest time. ¡°Then, until we meet again!¡±

    ¡°Until we meet again!¡± Ye Qing saluted back before walking over to Yan Feng, Yang Guan and the rest of the guards and bid them goodbye as well.

    After everyone was gone, the young man looked at Kung Fu Frog and said, ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us now. Let us find a ce to stay first, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Croak croak!¡± Kung Fu Frog responded affirmatively.

    And so the one human and one frog slowly wandered through the streets, taking in the sights and finding an inn to stay. However, they quickly realized that the simple task wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Every inn they visited had refused to ept them not because they were full, or even because a stereotypical young master had bought out the ce. No, it was because of Kung Fu Frog. No one wanted to take in a Stranger no matter how harmless it looked, and their excuses were virtually the same: a Stranger would frighten their guests, negatively impact their business, so on and so on. As a result, they were unable to find lodging despite having seen over half of Anyang already!

    ¡°Okay, this is a problem,¡± Ye Qing let out a little sigh. He and Kung Fu Frog were currently sitting underneath a stone bridge and staring gloomily at the clear waters.

    In fact, there were plenty of people in the county who kept Strangers as pets. That didn¡¯t mean that your ordinary citizen wasn¡¯t afraid of Strangers, however. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t sympathize with the innkeepers either. The problem was, he still didn¡¯t have a fucking ce to stay!

    <i>Am I, a Vessel Augmentor, actually going to have to sleep on the streets?</i>

    <i>No! I won¡¯t ept this!</i>

    Suddenly, a light bulb appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s head. ¡°Wait, I know! We can just buy a shop or a house!¡±

    Both Prayer and Zheng Tianyuan carried a lot of silvers with them. This was especially true for Prayer, who might very well have kept his life¡¯s savings in the storage artifact. As the inheritor of their wealth, Ye Qing could buy a house in Anyang and still have a lot to spare.

    ¡°Croak croak¡­¡± said Kung Fu Frog while nodding.

    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s move!¡± Ye Qing wasted no time in putting his thoughts into action.

    First things first, they needed to find a middleman. Just like in the other world, a middleman acted as a broker, go-between, or intermediary for requests and business opportunities in return for amission or a fee. After asking a pedestrian about it and receiving an address, Ye Qing went straight to a shop named Yijun Brokerage.

    As soon as Ye Qing stepped through the door, a silver-tongued assistant greeted him immediately, ¡°Wee to our shop, customer! Would you like to buy, mail, or sell? Yijun Brokerage offers all the relevant services at a fair and affordable price! We guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied with our services!¡±

    <i>Wow. Look at him go like a modern age advertisement! </i>Ye Qing thought while answering, ¡°I would like to buy a house or a cheap shop!¡±

    The assistant¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. Brokering a house sale was a big deal. Assuming everything went smoothly, he was guaranteed to earn a heftymission. He asked with a wide smile on his face, ¡°Before I go get you what you need, do you have any specific requirements? For example, what kind of house or shop are you looking for?¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before answering, ¡°I want a quiet ce with a good environment, and the price should be reasonable, of course!¡±

    ¡°Okay! Please wait a moment!¡±

    The assistant poured Ye Qing a cup of tea before opening a notebook and going through the list carefully. A whileter, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve found two houses and one shop that fit your criteria, dear customer!¡± He proceeded to describe the ces in great detail.

    Ye Qing frowned after the assistant was done talking. Frankly, none of the options really appealed to him.

    The two houses were a courtyard house and a massive residence. The courtyard house was expanded four times and was owned by a destitute licentiate [1]. He wanted to travel to the capital to attend the imperial examination, so he was selling his ancestral home to cover his travel expenses. The problem was the house had been in a state of disrepair for years due tock of maintenance. Overall, it was slightly below Ye Qing¡¯s expectations.

    The massive residence belonged to a wealthy family. It was huge, ornate, and beautiful. The owner wanted to sell the ce because he was going into business elsewhere. The building was great and frankly above Ye Qing¡¯s expectations, but there was a problem: the residence was too big and thus, too expensive. Even if he could afford it, it was ridiculously wasteful to buy a residence that could fit up to a hundred people just to amodate himself!

    As for the shop, he had struck it from his head as soon as the assistant said, ¡°pork butcher¡¯s shop¡±. Now why on <i>earth</i> would he want to stay in a bloody butcher¡¯s shop, not to mention that a handsome man like him did not belong to such a ce? This was a hundred percent a one-star option! Boo!

    ¡°Are there no other options?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    .

    The assistant scrunched up his face. ¡°These are the only ones I can find, dear customer. Unless¡­¡±

    His eyes suddenly lit up as he recalled something. ¡°There <i>is </i>a bookstore with a beautiful environment that is on sale for an amazing price. However¡­¡±

    ¡°However, what? Spit it out, man!¡± Ye Qing sipped his tea and said.

    The assistant answered, ¡°It is rumored that the bookstore is haunted by something. Every night, the voice of someone reading aloud could be heard from the bookstore. Sometimes it was loud, sometimes it was soft, sometimes it was happy, and sometimes it was sad. However, the voice would stop as soon as someone enters the bookstore, and to this day no one is able to find the culprit behind the voices. It¡¯s very strange!¡±

    ¡°The hauntings eventually became so infamous that almost everyone in Anyang had heard about it. Terrified for their lives, the shop assistants left one after another until the owner was the only one left in the bookstore. The bookstore was decades old and incredibly famous in Anyang until this happened. The owner was extremely reluctant to part with it as a matter of course, but he was old and weak, and he did not have any children he could pass the store to. Unable to run the business any longer, he had no choice but to put it on sale including all the books and orphan works.¡±

    ¡°But as I said, practically everyone has heard of the hauntings, and so no one was willing to buy the bookstore despite the owner lowering its price again and again. To this day, it is still waiting for a new owner. The bookstore owner came to us for helpter, and truth be told, we would¡¯ve rejected him if not for the fact that the hauntings had not imed any lives to this day.¡±

    ¡°A haunted bookstore, you say?¡± Now this sounded perfect for Ye Qing. An ordinary person might be afraid of a haunting, but he hadn¡¯t been an ordinary person for a long time, had he? ¡°What is its name? Where is it located? And how much does it cost?¡±

    ¡°The bookstore is called Endless Horizons. It is taken from the proverb, ¡®The sea of learning has no horizons¡¯. Endless Horizons is located in the intersection between Anyang Street and Rainflower Alley, an extremely strategic location, and it is currently selling for just the cheap, cheap price of a hundred silvers. I would say that it is excellent value for money considering that shops located in this district usually sell for way more.¡±

    The assistant, like allpetent salespeople, was going to say more to build up the bookstore and encourage a sale. However, he shut his mouth when he recalled that the bookstore was, no matter how valuable it really was, haunted. He doubted that Ye Qing would be interested in buying it.

    Of course, he was wrong. Ye Qing dered immediately, ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision! I¡¯m going to buy this bookstore!¡±

    ¡°I thought so. In that case, pl¡ªwait, what? You¡­ you want to buy Endless Horizons?¡± The assistant was going to go back to his notebook when he realized what Ye Qing said and eximed in utter disbelief.

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°You did a good job praising its good points to hell and back. I would be an idiot not to buy such an excellent ce.¡±

    The assistant was more than a little befuddled to put it mildly. His introduction was no different from all the introductions he had done for the bookstore previously, but none of his customers had fallen for his sales pitch so to speak. <i>What are the chances that everyone who has reviewed the bookstore until the young man before is an idiot?</i> He thought. He didn¡¯t say his thoughts out loud, of course.

    Out of good conscience, the assistant reminded Ye Qing, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t say this, customer, but you do remember that the ce is haunted, do you?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°In that case, I just have to make it not haunted anymore! Anyway, get me started on the procedure already. I don¡¯t want to wait any longer than I have to. You don¡¯t want me to change my mind, do you?¡±

    ¡°Er, sure! Right away, customer!¡± The assistant nodded a couple of times in excitement and did as Ye Qing ordered. Then, he personally took Ye Qing to the original owner of Endless Horizons. Ye Qing paid everything he was due in one go, the owner handed him the keys, the deed and everything else. They both signed the contract, and the deal was done.

    Ye Qing looked both happy and excited as he looked up at the wooden building in front of him. He dered, ¡°From now on, this is our turf!¡±

    Endless Horizons was a three-storey building with bronze bells hanging underneath flying eaves. It looked interesting, appealing, and very tasteful.

    The first thing he saw after pushing open the door and stepping inside was a neat and tidy hall. The tables and chairs were all ced in neat rows next to the walls, and a ring of bookshelves filled with books of all kinds surrounded the ce. There had to be thousands of books in this hall alone.

    The tables and chairs were clearly prepared for the customers. They enabled both buyers and non-buyers to enjoy the books in rtivefort. It was a very customer-friendly setting to say the least.

    The second floor was split into a number of small rooms, and most of the rooms contained all kinds of orphan works or rare books sorted based on their categories. Ye Qing could tell at first nce that some of the books were quite valuable. Besides that, there were a couple of ornately designed guest rooms that were meant to be used by important guests.

    The third floor was the floor where the owner used to live. The outer room was the tea room used to serve very important guests, and the innermost room was the bedroom. There was a study to the left, and a kitchen to the right. The floor was fully furnished and equipped with everything a person might need to livefortably. This was definitely something he very much appreciated.

    ¡°What an incredible ce this is! That assistant had no idea how right he was when he said this ce is excellent value for money!¡± Forget its strategic location, the instations and the books alone were absolutely worth more than a hundred silvers. No wonder the original owner looked so reluctant when he handed over the deed just now.

    Ye Qing arranged the bedroom for a bit before going downstairs and wiping the ce until it was more or less shiny. Ye Qing looked at the reborn bookstore and smiled in satisfaction.

    ¡°Now, all that¡¯s left to do is to deal with the ghost who loves to read!¡±

    One way or another, he was going to find out exactly who the mysterious reader was.

    ¡­¡­

    It was a moonless, windless night. When the gongs rang thrice, and the fourth watch of the night began, the sound of reading abruptly broke the silence shrouding Endless Horizons.

    The reading voice was crisp and melodious. Sometimes, it climbed up the notes as if to reflect the joy etched in a certain passage. Sometimes, it softened to reflect the sadness of the text. Like a Confucian sage reciting a sagely work, its cadence of speech was more or less perfect, and it sounded both rhythmic and beautiful.

    There was just one tiny problem. Not a soul could be seen in the first two floors. This one variable transformed what was a soothing recital into a horror show!

    1. referring to Ðã²Å or schr. I didn¡¯t trante this as schr because I¡¯ve used the term ÊéÉú earlier. ??

 Chapter 51: The Book Sprite

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Book Sprite</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡±

    Ye Qing was resting and waiting on the third floor until themotion began. He opened his eyes, and Kung Fu Frog leaped to its feet. <i>Sounds like a kid, </i>he deduced after listening for a bit.

    ¡°Time to go downstairs and pay our mysterious ghost a visit, Brother Frog!¡± Ye Qing whispered as he gently opened the door. After Kung Fu Frog had leaped onto his shoulder, he slipped out without a sound and reached the first floor in just a matter of seconds.

    Ye Qing thought he was stealthy enough, but the sound vanished as soon as he reached the main hall. All was silent as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty alert, isn¡¯t it?¡± A small smile crept on Ye Qing¡¯s face as he felt around with his senses. Strangely, he could not sense any difiting aura in the bookstore. The fact that the ghost sounded crisp, clear and bright also contradicted the ims that a ghost was haunting this bookstore.

    ¡°Croak croak!¡±

    Suddenly, Kung Fu Frog leaped off his shoulder and made a grab for a book on the bookshelf to his right. It was then Ye Qing heard someone crying, ¡°Wah!¡± before a palm-sized, shadowy silhouette vanished in a sh of light.

    ¡°Croak¡­¡±

    The silhouette was fast, but Kung Fu Frog wasn¡¯t slow either. As soon as the silhouette disappeared, it kicked off the bookshelf andunched itself toward a different book.

    ¡°Wah! Wah!¡± The shadowy silhouette cried out again before leaving the book and vanishing once more. It sounded just like a human.

    The shadowy silhouette was formless, shapeless, and seemingly capable of teleportation. Forget sensing it, he couldn¡¯t even identify the direction in which it had disappeared to. The same could not be said for Kung Fu Frog, however. Perhaps it was because a Stranger¡¯s senses were different from a human¡¯s, but no matter how many times the silhouette vanished seemingly into thin air, Kung Fu Frog could always perceive it and chase it down in the next instant.

    What happened next felt nothing like a ghost hunt and everything like a cat-and-mouse game, though in this case it was a frog and a ¡°ghost¡±. The frog kept croaking and jumping all over the bookstore to catch the silhouette, while the ¡°ghost¡± kept crying in rm and teleporting away from it. The atmosphere was honestly more cheerful than solemn, not least because Kung Fu Frog clearly wasn¡¯t going all out. Ye Qing could tell that it was just toying with the silhouette.

    <i>A bookstore¡­ a ¡®ghost¡¯ who recites books at midnight¡­ it looks kinda humanoid, and it¡¯s capable of teleportation¡­ </i>Ye Qing slowly pieced together the clues while rubbing his nose and observing the fleeing silhouette. It was at this moment the answer came to him.

    ¡°I know who you are!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a wicked smile. ¡°You cane back now, Brother Frog!¡±

    ¡°Croak?¡± Kung Fu Frog skidded to a stop and shot him a look of confusion. The small dy was all the silhouette needed to disappear once more and let out a peal of childishughter. ¡°Stupid! Stupid! You can¡¯t catch me because you¡¯re <i>stupid!</i>¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Ye Qing chuckled and patted Kung Fu Frogfortingly after his friend had returned to his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s true that I can¡¯t catch you, but I can kill you, you know?¡±

    ¡°Liar! Liar!¡± The childish voice taunted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe me?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened as he dered, ¡°Tell me then, what happens if I burn every book in this bookstore?¡±

    It was like someone had pressed the mute button. Dead silence abruptly filled the bookstore.

    ¡°Why so quiet? You were having so much fun calling me stupid, weren¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing asked casually, ¡°I know exactly what you are, I know your true body is probably somewhere in a room on the second floor! That should be enough for you to know that my threat is no idle threat!¡±

    ¡°Show yourself, and I may yet decide to let you live. Stay hidden, and I will burn every book in this bookstore!¡±

    Again, there was naught but dead silence. A few secondster, Ye Qing decided that a bigger push was necessary and threatened, ¡°You¡¯re really not going toe out? I¡¯m a man of my word, you know. I will burn the books if you don¡¯te out. On the count of three¡­ two¡­¡±

    ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    He didn¡¯t manage to say one before a wail broke out, and the air on a certain bookshelf abruptly twisted as if grabbed by an invisible hand. The next moment, a palm-sized young girl wearing a twintail and a dress with ck-and-white sleeves popped into view. Right now, the girl was sitting atop a book and letting out a heartbroken cry.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing was a bit speechless, to be honest. He was sure that his threat would work, but it would seem that it had worked a little <i>too </i>well. <i>You¡¯re a Stranger, dammit. Where is your pride? You¡¯re making me look like the bad guy!</i>

    That¡¯s right. The ¡°ghost¡± haunting the bookstore was none other than a Stranger, a ¡°Book Sprite¡± to be exact. Born from the essence of the literary fate of a literary ce, a Book Sprite was a pure-hearted, book-loving Stranger that was exceptionally knowledgeable in most areas of studies and capable of human speech.

    Despite being Mundane-ss andpletely useless inbat, a Book Sprite was as rare as it was valuable, not least because the conditions necessary to bring about its birth were exceptionally stringent. For starters, it could only be born from a famous orphan work. Two, its ce of birth must possess rich cultural vor and immense wealth of knowledge. They must possess a strong fate for the literary so to speak. Three, its ce of birth must be free from taint and evil spirits, and the owner, their family and even their rtives must be good people. Four, it took decades or even centuries for a Book Sprite to be born. And five, it was a matter of luck whether a Book Sprite would be born even if all of the above conditions were met, which made it near impossible to nurture a Book Sprite on purpose. It was why only literary and/or virtuous families stood a chance of giving birth to a Book Sprite.

    Although a Book Sprite was harmless and useless inbat, it was by no means a powerless creature. Born from the essence of the literary fate of a literary ce, it was naturally blessed with unparalleled knowledge and exceptional literary fate. Even better, it could improve another person¡¯s fate and talent in the literary department. Listening to its recital could enhance one¡¯s memory, improve one¡¯s fate, clear one¡¯s mind, and enable one to focus absolutely on a certain task without being distracted. Invaluable to anyone and especially a schr, there was no literary and/or virtuous family who didn¡¯t take pride in the fact that they owned a Book Sprite!

    But of course, a Book Sprite also had its ring weakness. For one, its true body was that of a book, so it was ludicrously fragile to put it mildly. It would die if its true body suffered extensive damage. Two, a Book Sprite could not travel too far away from its true body. This was how Ye Qing determined that the Book Sprite¡¯s true body was in a room on the second floor and used that information to threaten the female Book Sprite to show itself.

    Frankly, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting Endless Horizons to possess a Book Sprite. It was probably due to its long and storied literary history. As a bookstore that was easily over a hundred years old, it had naturally amassed an incredible amount of priceless orphan works. Not only that, it had never had a ck-hearted owner. Finally, it was a famous location of literature and culture in Anyang. All these conditions had ultimately resulted in the birth of a Book Sprite.

    Unfortunately for the previous owner, he must not read a lot of books in his time. He had mistaken it for a ghost-type Stranger and sold his heritage and the Book Sprite to Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t care for the Book Sprite¡¯s ability to improve one¡¯s literary fate. After all, he wasn¡¯t a licentiate trying to be the top scorer in the pce examination. What he desired was her unparalleled knowledge¡ªeven though it was a bit of an exaggeration on the author¡¯s part. A Book Sprite was naturally familiar with all the books within its birthce as it was born from the essence of its literary fate, but that was it. She didn¡¯t know any book that Endless Horizons did not possess.

    Ye Qing waspletely fine with this though. ¡°Just¡± all the books within Endless Horizons was good enough for him. After all, knowledge was power!

    Back in the present, Ye Qing tried to calm down the girl after noticing that she wasn¡¯t going to stop crying anytime soon, ¡°Alright, enough. If you keep this up, you¡¯re going to flood the bookstore with your tears!¡±

    The young girl spread her fingers a little and took a peek. When she realized that her tears hadn¡¯t even wetted the book beneath her butt, she scrunched up her face and cried, ¡°Liar! Liar!¡±

    Then, she began bawling again.

    Deeply amused, Ye Qing replied, ¡°Fine, fine! I promise I won¡¯t burn you, so will you please stop crying already?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The young girl asked timidly while rubbing her reddened eyes.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°I would never burn a cute little girl like you. It was just a lie to get you to show yourself!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Liar!¡± sheined again. The Book Sprite had finally stopped crying, but she was still holding back a sob as evident from the asional twitch of her shoulders.

    Ye Qing continued, ¡°Not only that, I give you my word that you are free to read your books whenever you want. You no longer have to sneak out during the night to read them. What do you say?¡±

    Her eyes lit up immediately. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really!¡±

    ¡°Yay! You¡¯re a good human!¡± The young girl was so happy she forgot her sorrows and hopped on her feet. She hadpletely forgotten who was the bastard who made her cry in the first ce.

    ¡°That said, I want you to do something for me in return. Is that okay?¡± said Ye Qing smilingly. His eyes narrowed like that of a fox who was observing its prey.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± The young girl asked innocently.

    Ye Qing answered slowly, ¡°I want you to read me a book for me every night. Additionally, I get to pick the genre. What do you say?¡±

    The young girl tilted her head and thought for a moment. Since the arrangement did not sound disadvantageous to her, she nodded and said simply, ¡°Okay!¡±

    A smile spread across Ye Qing¡¯s lips then. The reason he requested this was because he wanted to make use of her ability to enhance one¡¯s memory and clear one¡¯s mind, of course. For one, it would aid him in memorizing the contents of a book in the shortest amount of time possible. Two, it would save him from the need to read the book himself. And third, it would bring him and the Book Sprite closer.

    Having gotten what he wanted, Ye Qing gave the Book Sprite a wave and said smilingly, ¡°Alright, you can read your books now. I¡¯m going to bed.¡±

    ¡°Hurray! That¡¯s wonderful! You¡¯re a very good human!¡± The young girl chirped happily while jumping up and down. She even started flying in and out of the books in excitement.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot!¡± Ye Qing had already taken a few steps toward the stairs when he recalled something. ¡°My name is Ye Qing. What is your name?¡±

    ¡°My name?¡± The young girl stopped flying and started biting her finger. She sounded surprisingly gloomy as she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t have a name!¡±

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°Do you want me to name you then? I swear I¡¯m incredibly gifted ating up with names!¡±

    The young girl looked doubtful. ¡°Really?¡±

    Ye Qing thought carefully as he rubbed his nose habitually. A long timeter, he said, ¡°Since you¡¯re born from a book, and your birthce is Endless Horizons¡­ let¡¯s call you Wah Wah with a ¡®h¡¯ at the end!¡±

    She was small and cute and had the tendency to cry ¡°Wah!¡± whenever she was startled. Hence, Wah Wah was the perfect name for her!

    However, Ye Qing changed his mind as soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth. ¡°Actually, wait, Wah Wah is a little tant¡­ Let¡¯s call you Wawa instead. In my prev¡ªI mean, my hometown, Wawa means ¡®little girl¡¯ and ¡®the return of spring¡¯. It sounds poetic, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Wawa?¡± The young girl bit her lip and mulled over the name. A short whileter, she abruptly broke out in joyfulughter and chirped, ¡°Wawa has a name! Wawa has a name now! I¡¯m so happy!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s mouth curled into a foxy smile. ¡°Since I¡¯m such a good friend, how about I do you another favor, Wawa?¡±

    ¡°What favor?¡± Wawa asked puzzledly.

    ¡°I can take care of your true body for you.¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Wawa replied without hesitation and watched Ye Qing warily.

    Unaffected by her gaze, Ye Qing implored good-naturedly, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your sake, Wawa. Just think. As a book, you¡¯re so fragile that even a bug can hurt you, and if a rat decides that you look delicious, well, I wouldn¡¯t be seeing you anymore. Do you really want that to happen?¡±

    ¡°Wah? Bugs? Rats?¡± Wawa abruptly turned deathly white as if recalling some terrible memory. She hesitated for a long time, but in the end, she acquiesced and said, ¡°O-okay.¡±

    After Wawa took Ye Qing to a room on the second floor, a book flew out of a bookshelf andnded in her hands. She reluctantly handed it to Ye Qing while instructing with a serious expression, ¡°But you have to take <i>very </i>good care of Wawa, okay friend? You mustn¡¯t let me be bitten by a bug, and definitely not by a rat!¡±

    ¡°I promise!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened as he epted the book. With Wawa¡¯s true body in his possession, he could ensure her safety and more importantly, make certain that she would never be able to escape his grasp.

    <i>Muahahaha¡­</i>

 Chapter 52: Soulchasing Saber

    <h4>Chapter 52: Soulchasing Saber</h4>

    ¡°The Francolin is a pheasant-like Stranger with beautiful feathers and a dark brown crown. It loves to crow, and its crows have the strange power to plunge anyone who hears it into sorrow¡­¡±

    ¡°The Lying Rabbit is a rabbit with a human face. It excels at lying and enjoys feeding on the brains of its victims¡­¡±

    ¡°The Palm Leaf Celestial is a palm leaf that had transformed into a Stranger. Usually taking the form of a beautiful woman, it excels at seducing humans using its beauty and consuming their vital energies while they were distracted¡­¡±

    ¡°The Nameless Hair is¡­¡±

    Rays of sunlight peered through the windowttice and filled the rooms on the third floor with bright, warm light. It felt as weing as the beginning of spring. Inside the bedroom, Ye Qing was meditating on a praying mat and listening to Wawa reading a book on Strangers.

    The girl¡¯s voice was crisp, soothing, and melodious. It felt like paradisebined with the beautiful morning.

    Ye Qing¡¯s head felt clearer and more focused than ever before. He had not only solved many martial arts conundrums that had previously stumped him, but also memorized every word Wawa was saying. The process seemed as effortless and natural as breathing.

    When Wawa was done reciting the book, Ye Qing opened his eyes and thought, <i>Now that I¡¯m settled in, it¡¯s time to get to work!</i>

    ¡°Wawa is done reading, friend. Can I go and y now?¡± Wawa asked expectantly after shutting the book gently.

    ¡°But of course! Feel free to y as much as you want!¡± Ye Qing dered magnanimously and elicited an excited cry from the girl. She immediately teleported atop Kung Fu Frog¡¯s head and started frolicking with it, giggling the whole time.

    Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°work¡± consisted of three separate matters. First and foremost, he wanted to kill Strangers and collect dragon-serpent runes. It had been a while since he ran low on silver dragon-serpent runes, and without them he could not cultivate and grow stronger. It was why it was his first priority.

    The second thing he needed to do was to train. Specifically, he needed to improve his martial arts. He was now a Vessel Augmentor, but his martial arts were, frankly speaking, a poor fit for his cultivation. The ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡± was utterly beneath him at this point. His lightning fast saber style he developed on his own was fast, butcking in strength. The Toad Force was powerful, but it took time to umte its power; far too much time in the middle ofbat.

    Everything besides his Blood Shadow Magic was wed in a way he could not ignore.

    These weaknesses might not matter against an opponent whose cultivation level was lower than his, but he was certain he would run into trouble if he went up against an equal. That was why expanding his repertoire of skills was also a top priority.

    Thankfully, he did not have to go hunting for a martial arts manual on the streets. He had gotten a ton of good loot from Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s group, and among them were several cultivation and martial arts manuals. For example, he had received the Qi Invocation stage internal mental art, the ¡°Red Dragon Art¡± from Chi Long, the ¡°Esoteric Arts of Snake Maniption¡± and ¡°Thousand Snake Hand¡± from Granny Snake, the ¡°Iron Hand¡± from Prayer, and so on.

    Of all the manuals, there were two that he valued above all others. The first one was a concealed weapons manual he found in Prayer¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell called the ¡°Star Plucking Hand¡±. Back then, Prayer had nearly managed to kill him using his throwing knives and the Incense of Misfortune, and he was pretty sure that the martial art he used to throw his knives was the ¡°Star Plucking Hand¡±. If he couldbine it with his movement art ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡±, he was certain he could maximize the martial art¡¯s potential.

    The second manual that caught his fancy was a Qi Invocation stage saber art manual he found in Zheng Tianyuan¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell called the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡±.

    ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡± featured a very different style of saber fightingpared to the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡±. Where the ¡°Five Tigers Door Breaking Saber¡± focused on brute force and ferocity, the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡± focused on speed, trickery, and deadliness. It taught its practitioners to always attack from an unexpected angle, and to execute them with such speed that one¡¯s opponent was dead before they even realized what just happened. As a saber style that emphasized on speed and trickery, it was a natural fit with his lightning fast saber style and an even better fit with his ¡°Blood Magic Divine Art¡±, which was anything but straightforward.

    The ¡°Star Plucking Hand¡± was a ranged offensive art, and the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡± a melee offensive art. They were just what he needed to expand his repertoire and something he would be focusing on for the foreseeable future.

    As for the rest of the manuals, he might consider studying them if time allowed. At the current stage, there was no such thing as having too many skills after all. If not, then he could just push them to ater date.

    Finally, the third thing he needed to do was to seek out the Zheng n and take revenge not just for August Hill Vige, but also himself.

    <i>Zheng n! Zheng Feng!</i> A steely glint shed across his eyes as he recalled the ones he had sworn to kill.

    Revenge wasn¡¯t always a dish best served cold, but in this case, he had no choice but to wait. ording to Zheng Tianyuan, his father was a Vessel Augmentor who had spent many years mastering the Vessel Augmentation stage. Besides that, he was the patriarch of a powerful n with many hanger-ons and even more guards. If he visited them now, chances were he was only going to make a fool out of himself, if not die.

    That was why he needed to strengthen himself and gather more information on the Zheng n and Zheng Feng first. He could take his revenge after he hade up with aprehensive n.

    Best case scenario, he would have reached the Astral Refinement stage and be utterly untouchable to Zheng Feng. When that happened, he could p the bastard left, right, and center to his heart¡¯s content!

    <i>That¡¯s right! I¡¯m not scared, I¡¯m just being careful and tactical!</i>

    And so Ye Qing spent the next few days holed up in Endless Horizons. During the day, he would cultivate the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡± and the ¡°Star Plucking Hand¡±. When night arrived, he would meditate while listening to Wawa¡¯s recital. During his free time, he would pour himself a cup of tea, open the doors, and lie down on a recliner to bask in the warm sun. Sometimes, he would even pay his neighbors a visit, tell strange stories to the children running all over the streets, or sit down at a restaurant to enjoy their fine wine and music. If he was in a particrly good mood, he would even reward them with a small tip. It was a good life.

    His actions were so out of the ordinarypared to the average plebeian that everyone living nearby soon learned that Endless Horizons had gained a new owner. Not only that, he was a young, friendly owner who loved to smile and enjoyed making other people smile even more. He called himself a schr, and he often carried a strange frog with him.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t to say that the new owner wasn¡¯t without its ws. He waszy and seemed to have entirely too much free time in his hands. Besides that, he didn¡¯t seem bothered in the slightest that the bookstore was doing as poorly as ever under his management. Forget getting angry, sad, or even concerned for his future, he smiled everyday as if he was living the time of his life!

    One day, Ye Qing entered a restaurant named ¡°Coming Clouds¡± and was immediately greeted by a smiling waiter, ¡°Come to hear our music again, Boss Ye? I assume you want the usual arrangements?¡±

    ¡°The same!¡± Ye Qing nodded. Coming Clouds was just next to Endless Horizons, and he had been visiting the ce quite frequently for the past two days. As a result, every waiter and even the owner of the restaurant were familiar with him.

    ¡°Two jars of Pear Blossom wine, a tter of beef and a te of peanuts~¡± The waiter sing-songed as he headed toward the kitchen.

    The restaurant had a fair amount of customers at this hour. They were all enjoying their alcohol, listening to the music, and gossiping about everything.

    ¡°Have you heard about that incident?¡±

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t like to be kept on tenterhooks, Old Cui. Just spit it out already.¡±

    Three middle-aged men were gossiping at the table next to Ye Qing¡¯s. The guy called Old Cui answered, ¡°I heard that several people had been found dead in Fortune Alley this morning!¡±

    ¡°What? Who?¡± His twopanions were drawn in an instant.

    Old Cui down a cup of wine before exining, ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I do know that four, if not five people were found dead on the streets. Not only that, I heard that it was an absolute bloodbath. One man had their limbs cut off, another had their eyes and tongue dug out of their bodies, and a third had their ears and nose severed. For whatever reason, not a single body was left intact. It was terrifying!¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­ that¡¯s terrifying!¡± Both men gasped in horror. ¡°What kind of person would do something like this?¡±

    Old Cui shook his head. ¡°Exactly. No person in their right mind would do such a thing, so either they¡¯re actually cuckoo in the head, or more likely, a Stranger is the one responsible for those poor people''s deaths!¡±

    ¡°A Stranger? Heavens¡­ wait, we shouldn¡¯t be talking about this. What if the Stranger decides to kill us next?¡±

    ¡°Old Liu is absolutely right. Come, let us bask in the music and forget about this conversation already!¡±

    <i>Hmm. A murderer, possibly a Stranger with a fetish for mutting bodies? </i>Ye Qing shot the trio a thoughtful look.

    It was at this moment the owner of Coming Clouds walked over and greeted Ye Qing with a gloomy, exhausted expression. ¡°You came, Boss Ye?¡±

    ¡°Good day to you, Boss Zhou!¡± Ye Qing greeted him before asking curiously, ¡°What¡¯s happened to you? Did you fall ill, or did you sleep poorlyst night?¡±

    Boss Zhou stopped in his tracks and let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯ll try to keep it short. Yesterday, my son suddenlyined that he¡¯s hungry and started eating non-stop. And I do mean non-stop. He¡¯d stuffed himself until his stomach was bulging, but still he wouldn¡¯t stop crying about how hungry he was and shoving food into his mouth. When we tried to stop him, he cried and struggled and even mutted himself to get his way. It wasn¡¯t until this morning that he finally tired enough to cease his tantrum, and I¡¯ve been kept awake for just as long!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already hired five doctors to look at him, but none of them were able to determine a problem. I¡¯m worried sick right now. Doctor Xue is the most famous doctor in Anyang, so I¡¯m nning to pay him a visitter. I only have one son, Boss Ye. I cannot lose him no matter what!¡±

    Boss Zhou¡¯s full name was Zhou Fu, and Ye Qing had met his son before. He was around eight or nine years old with an honest face, a robust figure, and a mischievous personality. Zhou Fu had been trying for a son for years, and it wasn¡¯t until nine years ago that he finally got his wish. It was why he pampered his son to death and loved him more than his own life. It was no wonder Zhou Fu was a bundle of nerves right now.

    Suddenly, an urgent cry came from outside the restaurant. A secondter, a servant rushed through the entrance, found Zhou Fu and said urgently, ¡°The young master is awake and begging for food again, master! He¡¯s shoving everything he can grab into his mouth! The mistress asks you to head home as soon as you¡¯re able!¡±

    ¡°Oh heavens¡­ I¡¯m going right now!¡± Zhou Fu hurriedly got to his feet and ordered, ¡°Zhou Gui, I want you to go to the Divine Needle Clinic and invite Doctor Xue to our ce. Go!¡±

    ¡°At once, master!¡± Zhou Gui responded before running back out the entrance, Zhou Fu following right behind him. The owner had even forgotten to bid Ye Qing goodbye before taking his leave. It was just as well. He didn¡¯t notice that Ye Qing had risen to his feet and trailed after him.

    Zhou Fu¡¯s residence was just a few steps away from his restaurant. As soon as he walked through the entrance, he heard a series of muffled groans and panicked noises from the backyard.

    ¡°What the hell has happened to my Hui¡¯er?¡±

    Zhou Gui ran all the way to a building in the backyard and stepped in. He immediately saw his son being bound to his bed with a silk handkerchief in his mouth. The young boy was screaming through the cloth with a terrifying expression on his face.

    ¡°What are you doing? Why did you tie up my son?¡±

    Furious, Zhou Fu rushed forward to unbind his son, but his wife stopped him immediately. ¡°You mustn¡¯t! When Hui¡¯er woke up, the first thing he did was cry for food. When we refused, he immediately started banging his head against the wall! That¡¯s why I ordered the servants to bind him to his bed, and the handkerchief in his mouth is to stop him from biting off his own tongue!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Zhou Fu visibly slowed down when he heard this.

    ¡°What do we do, Zhou Gui? We need to save Hui¡¯er somehow!¡± cried his wife as she burst into tears. Her expression was wrought with sadness, worry, and bewilderment. Zhou Fu looked just as lost as she was.

    It was at this moment a bright voice came from behind, ¡°I can treat him!¡±

 Chapter 53: Everhungry Worm, Rot Eating Cat

    <h4>Chapter 53: Everhungry Worm, Rot Eating Cat</h4>

    ¡°Boss Ye! How did you¡­¡± Zhou Fu eximed in surprise when he turned around and saw Ye Qing standing behind them. The young man was wearing a serene,id-back smile on his face.

    ¡°I followed you, of course!¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°Boss Ye, did you just say you can treat my son?¡± Zhou Fu¡¯s wife pushed past her husband and grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s arms.

    .

    He nodded. ¡°Yes, I can!¡±

    Overjoyed, she begged, ¡°Please save my son, Boss Ye! I beg you!¡±

    Zhou Fu was just as worried as his wife, but unlike her he was a little less trusting. ¡°Are you sure, Boss Ye?¡± He asked suspiciously. It was understandable. Ye Qing was just too young.

    Ye Qing paid his suspicion no heed and answered amiably, ¡°Do not worry, Boss Zhou. As a schr, I always put my money where my mouth is!¡±

    Once again, his wife shoved Zhou Fu aside and pulled Ye Qing all the way to the bed. Like a drowning woman on herst straw, she begged, ¡°There is no time! Please examine Hui¡¯er already, Boss Ye!¡±

    Ye Qing obediently sat down beside the bed and gave Zhou Hui¡¯s stomach a rub. The young boy¡¯s stomach was round and swollen. To say that he was full to the brim would be an understatement. And yet, the boy¡¯s eyes shone with such hunger it reminded him of a beggar who hadn¡¯t had a drop of water for days. Even now, he was trying to swallow the handkerchief in his mouth and seeding.

    Seeing that there was no time to waste, Ye Qing started untying the ropes keeping Zhou Hui in ce while ordering, ¡°Get me a bottle of vinegar right now. The sourer, the better!¡±

    ¡°Boss Ye, you can¡¯t¡ª!¡± The wife hurriedly started. The reason they had bound Zhou Hui wasn¡¯t just because he was hurting himself, but also because he had be unnaturally strong after catching this strange illness. It had taken them an unbelievable amount of effort to secure him to the bed. Even with the addition of two men, she did not think it would be an easy task to bind him to the bed once more.

    Unfortunately, she did not manage to finish before Zhou Hui¡¯s bindings became undone. As soon as the rope came loose, Zhou Hui immediately started shoving the handkerchief down his gullet like he had gone insane. Not only that, he jumped down the bed and sprinted for the exit so fast it was unthinkable that a nine-year-old boy was capable of such movements.

    ¡°No!¡± The wife eximed in horror, but her panic proved to be unnecessary just an instantter. Ye Qing stretched out a hand and, despite looking like he wasn¡¯t even trying, caught Zhou Hui while he was still in the air and pulled him down. A secondter, the manic boy found himself lying on top of Ye Qing¡¯s legs.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Ye Qing turned his wrist slightly and pped Zhou Hui hard on the back. At the same time, he pushed up against the boy¡¯s stomach with his right knee.

    ¡°rgh!¡±

    An unimaginable amount of vomit burst out of Zhou Hui¡¯s mouth. A couple more pushester, the boy¡¯s stomach looked a lot healthier. However, Zhou Hui was still struggling with all his might and moaning, ¡°Eat¡­ eat¡­ eat¡­¡± again and again. His eye color was an unnatural shade of dark green as well.

    ¡°Boss Ye, what are you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the vinegar?¡±

    Zhou Fu wanted to ask what the hell Ye Qing was doing, but he was interrupted before he could finish. It was at this moment a servant girl ran over and handed the young man a jar of vinegar, dering, ¡°Here!¡± He took a sniff, nodded in satisfaction, and flipped Zhou Hui over. Then, he forced open the boy¡¯s mouth and poured the vinegar straight down his gullet.

    ¡°What are you doing? Stop!¡±

    Zhou Fu¡¯s wife was furious when she saw Ye Qing handling her son so roughly. She ran over and tried to pull him away, but the young man raised his finger slightly and sent an invisible Blood Shadow in her direction. It tripped her and caused her to fall on top of a servant girl instead.

    Ye Qing paid the looks of anger, puzzlement and shock around him no heed. Still maintaining a tight grip on Zhou Hui and pouring vinegar into his mouth, he looked up and smiled at the crowd. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. A bit of vinegar won¡¯t kill him!¡±

    Ye Qing had poured over half a jar of vinegar into Zhou Hui when suddenly, the boy ceased his struggles. Then, as little bumps started appearing all across his stomach as if something was writhing inside it. The crowd could only watch in shock and horror.

    ¡°Boss Ye, what is happening to Hui¡¯er?¡± Zhou Fu eximed in fear as he pointed at Zhou Hui¡¯s stomach.

    Ye Qing replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s just a small worm. Don¡¯t worry about it!¡±

    When the time was right, Ye Qing pped Zhou Hui¡¯s back once more¡ªthis time a lot gentler than before¡ªand shoved just a tiny bit of force into Zhou Hui¡¯s stomach. The young boy immediately started throwing up small chunks of food and the old vinegar Ye Qing had forcefully poured down his throat a moment ago.

    That wasn¡¯t everything Zhou Hui threw up, however. Just a few secondster, a worm about the size of a thumb fell out of Zhou Hui¡¯s mouth and hit the ground with a disgusting squelch.

    The worm was five segments long, white, and extremely fat. In another ce and time, no one would¡¯ve favored it a second nce. Right now though, the crowd was so scared that they instinctively took a few steps away from it.

    Zhou Hui stopped struggling and begging for food almost immediately after he spat out the worm. His warped, maddened expression slowly faded back to normal as well. He whispered weakly, ¡°Big bro Ye¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re all fine now!¡± Ye Qing assured him gently before grabbing a new handkerchief from the bed and wiping away the filth on his mouth. Then, he gentlyid the boy on the bed and looked at Zhou Fu, saying, ¡°It¡¯s done. Hui¡¯er is cured!¡±

    ¡°My son! My son!¡± Zhou Fu¡¯s wife half-sobbed and halfughed as she rushed to the bed and hugged Zhou Hui tightly against her chest. Ye Qing naturally stepped out of the way before producing a pair of chopsticks and a porcin bottle from his shirt. He picked up the strange worm and dropped it inside the bottle.

    ¡°What on earth is that worm, Boss Ye?¡± Zhou Fu was overjoyed that his son was cured as a matter of course, but he did not neglect his benefactor like his wife had.

    Ye Qing put away the bottle safely before answering, ¡°The worm is called the Everhungry Worm, a Mundane-ss Stranger. It is normally harmless until someone identally inhales its egg into their nose or mouth. Once it enters the stomach, it would release a paralyzing toxin that induces a feeling of extreme hunger. It¡¯s why the victim can never feel full no matter how much food they eat, and why they¡¯re driven to eat like a starved man. Hence the name.¡±

    ¡°The unnatural hunger is purely mental and has nothing to do with one¡¯s physical needs whatsoever. The toxin doesn¡¯t improve one¡¯s ability to digest food either. Therefore, it is entirely possible for a victim to die from overeating if they aren¡¯t stopped in time.¡±

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡± Zhou Fu pressed a hand against his heart when he heard this. He could only imagine what would happen if they had not discovered Zhou Hui¡¯s affliction in time. ¡°Is that why you fed Hui¡¯er vinegar just now? To force the Everhungry Worm out of his body?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°The Everhungry Worm isn¡¯t afraid of sweet, bitter, salty or spicy vors. It is only afraid of sourness. Your son has probably eaten everything in your kitchen at this point, but I¡¯m willing to bet he hasn¡¯t eaten much sour food, has he?¡±

    Zhou Fu thought back for a moment and quickly arrived at the conclusion that he was right.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing said, ¡°I have a couple of questions I¡¯d like to ask Hui¡¯er, Boss Zhou. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°But of course! Feel free!¡±

    Ye Qing turned back to Zhou Hui¡ªthe young boy¡¯splexion had finally returned to a healthy color¡ªand asked gently, ¡°Excuse me, Hui¡¯er, but do you remember where you went to y yesterday? Did you encounter anything you might consider strange or interesting?¡±

    Zhou Hui tilted his head to one side and thought for a moment. Then, he raised his hands and replied animatedly, ¡°Hui¡¯er ran into a big cat yesterday! It¡¯s real scary!¡±

    ¡°A big cat, you say?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes shed with intelligence. ¡°Do you remember where you ran into it?¡±

    Zhou Hui answered, ¡°At the back alley. It ran through our feet while Young Nan, Niu Niu and I were ying together. Young Nan and Niu Niu were scared, but I wasn¡¯t! I even beat it to scare it away!¡±

    ¡°Haha. You¡¯re a brave kid, Hui¡¯er!¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t have any more questions, so go catch some rest. Come find me when you¡¯re healthy again, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhou Hui replied with an obedient nod.

    Ye Qing turned back to Zhou Fu and warned, ¡°Hui¡¯er is fine now, but make sure you don¡¯t feed him anything spicy or difficult to digest, okay? His stomach is hurt from all the food he swallowed and needs time to recover. Just feed him some porridge for the next couple days, and he should be fine.¡±

    As the young man turned to leave, Zhou Fu hurriedly strode over to see him off. ¡°Thank you so much, Boss Ye. If something were to happen to Hui¡¯er, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have the courage to live another day. You¡¯re not just my son¡¯s savior, Boss Ye. You¡¯re my savior as well!¡±

    Ye Qing shot him a smile. ¡°You tter me, Boss Zhou.¡±

    Zhou Fu shook his head vehemently. ¡°Not in the slightest! In fact, I¡¯m not quite sure how to thank you for saving our lives! I¡­ I¡­ Please ept my knees, Boss Ye!¡±

    The middle-aged man¡¯s knees buckled, but Ye Qing caught him before he could fall to the ground. ¡°Boss Zhou! If you really want to thank me, why don¡¯t you charge me a little less and stop mixing water into my Pear Blossom wine? That¡¯s all I ask!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­ got it.¡± Boss Zhou let out an awkward chuckle before swearing, ¡°Not only that, I hereby dere that you¡¯re my restaurant¡¯s most honored customer! From now on, you won¡¯t have to pay a single silver to dine at my restaurant!¡±

    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s very generous of you, Boss Zhou! I shall happily ept your offer!¡± Ye Qing let out a heartyugh and saluted Zhou Fu. ¡°You should go see your son now, and I still have a jar of wine to finish!¡±

    Zhou Fu responded just as happily, ¡°Feel free to drink to your heart¡¯s content, Boss Ye! Coming Clouds might becking in some ways, but our wine is not one of them! Hahaha! Goodbye, Boss Ye!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. See youter!¡±

    Ye Qing bade Zhou Fu goodbye and left the Zhou residence, but instead of returning to the restaurant as he imed he would, he went to the back alley Zhou Hui had mentioned. After that, he poured the Everhungry Worm on the ground, hid in a corner and waited for something to happen.

    His patience was rewarded just a few minutester when a big cat with shiny, ck fur crawled out of a corner. It then ran straight toward the Everhungry Worm.

    <i>Zhou Hui wasn¡¯t kidding when he said that the cat is big, </i>Ye Qing thought. It was the size of a smaller hound with a pair of eyes that shone like gemstones. Its ears were twice asrge as a normal cat¡¯s, and it had a fluffy tail and an extremely round head. It looked funny, goofy and lovable, but Ye Qing knew better than to trust its inviting appearance.

    ¡°I knew it was you, Rot Eating Cat!¡±

    The massive ck cat was a Red-ss Stranger called the Rot Eating Cat. It was a savage beast that feasts on rotten food and shared a symbiotic rtionship with the Everhungry Worm.

    The Everhungry Worm could usually be found on the Rot Eating Cat¡¯s fur in its egg form. The Rot Eating Cat would then lure an unsuspecting victim to touch them so it could infect them with the Everhungry Worm. Once the Everhungry Worm had crawled into the victim¡¯s stomach, it would poison them and drive them mad with unquenchable hunger.

    When the victim had died from overeating, and the body was buried in the ground, the Rot Eating Cat would seek it out by following the Everhungry Worm¡¯s scent. It would then tear open the victim¡¯s stomach with its sharp ws and tail and feast on the rotting food within. That was why it was named the Rot Eating Cat. It was a devious and evil Stranger through and through.

    From the moment he determined that Zhou Hui was infected by an Everhungry Worm, he already guessed that there might be a Rot Eating Cat nearby. That was why he didn¡¯t kill the Everhungry Worm immediately and instead, used it to lure out the Rot Eating Cat. In short, he was catfishing¡ªliterally!

 Chapter 54: A Passing Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 54: A Passing Dragon</h4>

    ¡°Meow¡­¡± The Rot Eating Cat was about halfway to the Everhungry Worm when it suddenly straightened its ears and stared warily at Ye Qing¡¯s hiding ce.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite perceptive for an animal!¡± Ye Qing sneered while stepping away from his hiding spot. ¡°Too bad it¡¯s not going to help you survive!¡±

    Unlike Kung Fu Frog or Wawa, there was nothing good about the Rot Eating Cat whatsoever. It was a disgusting and terrible creature that deserved to be exterminated on sight. It was one thing if it didn¡¯t show up, but since it did, he wasn¡¯t going to let it live long enough to see tomorrow¡¯s sun!

    The Rot Eating Cat puffed up as if it could sense Ye Qing¡¯s bloodthirst. Its shiny ck fur instantly puffed up like needles, its long tail gradually ttened and grew fish-like scales, and its canine teeth lengthened until it resembled that of a saber-toothed predator. Right here and now, it looked nothing like the dumb, cutesy cat it was a moment ago!

    ¡°So this is what you really look like!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips widened into a savage grin as he examined the cat with a critical eye. ¡°And from the looks of it, you¡¯ve killed a lot of people!¡±

    Most Strangers possessed the ability to disguise themselves, and the Rot Eating Cat was no exception.

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    The Rot Eating Cat abruptly let out a screech. The steely fur on its back immediately flew toward Ye Qing like a porcupine¡¯s spines.

    <i>p!</i>

    Ye Qing responded by swinging his hand and ¡°pping¡± the air, causing a soft yet unmistakable thunderp. As if they had mmed into an impregnable wall, the rain of fur abruptly shattered into a million pieces.

    The attack was just a distraction, however. Already, the Rot Eating Cat was jumping in front of Ye Qing and attempting to wrap his neck with its tail. If it seeded, the tiniest ounce of strength was all that was needed to rip his throat into shreds!

    ¡°Not bad, not bad!¡± Ye Qing praised while putting his finger directly in the path of the iing tail. The second contact was made, the tail abruptly broke into several segments and exploded in a shower of scales, blood and gore. It was like it was struck by lightning. In fact, there was enough force left that the Rot Eating Cat was mmed into the wall behind its back.

    ¡°Mrreow¡­¡±

    The Rot Eating Cat managed tond on its feet, but it was clear it could not fight any longer. Most of its tail had been blown clean off the stump. It was as bare as a human as it hadunched most of its hair during the initial assault, and it was bleeding all over. It looked nothing like the imposing predator it was before.

    Ye Qing clicked his tongue in disgust. ¡°What an ugly creature you are!¡±

    ¡°Meow!¡± The Rot Eating Cat shot Ye Qing a hateful re but did not fall for his taunt. It abruptly bounded toward the distance like a bolt of lightning. Unfortunately, it was futile.

    ¡°You can¡¯t escape!¡± Ye Qing let out a derisive snort and flicked his wrist. A throwing knife shot right out of his hand and toward the fleeing Stranger.

    The Rot Eating Cat sensed the danger and leaped to its right. However, the throwing knife abruptly split into multiple knives not unlike a kaleidoscope. The cat was able to dodge the throwing knife flying directly toward its back, but not the rest. One of the knives plunged into its neck, and that was the end of the Stranger.

    ¡°Not bad!¡± Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction. The ¡°Star Plucking Hand¡± was just as powerful as he thought it would be!

    Ye Qing walked up to the Rot Eating Cat and got ready to remove his throwing knife when something unexpected happened. Two men rushed into the back alley as if they were looking for something. When they saw Ye Qing, one of them abruptly cried out in surprise and outrage, ¡°What the¡ªhow dare you kill Master Six¡¯s pet! Do you have a death wish, boy!?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow as he examined the neers. The two men looked to be in their thirties. They were burly, fierce, and ring at Ye Qing like they would swallow him alive.

    ¡°Are you deaf? That cat over there is Master Six¡¯s pet, and you just killed it! You are so dead!¡± One of them yelled.

    ¡°Really? There¡¯s someone out there who would want to keep a Rot Eating Cat as a pet? Your ¡®Master Six¡¯ must be a wicked soul then,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently.

    The two men stared at him for a second before bursting out in furiousughter. ¡°You must be a neer! There aren¡¯t many people in Anyang who have the balls to besmirch Master Six!¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in agreement. ¡°You are correct. I am new, and I¡¯ve never heard of a ¡®Master Six¡¯ before. If I may be so bold, who is he?¡±

    ¡°Our master is the one who sees all, hears all, and knows all! He is the omniscient Master Qiao Six!¡± One of the men dered proudly.

    The so-called ¡°omniscient¡± Master Qiao Six was a famous information broker in Anyang who made a living by trading information. His informationwork was hundreds of informants strong and spanned across every strata in Anyang. It did not matter if his informant was a beggar, a hooligan, a trader, a footman; an official, a celebrity or a noble, he valued them equally so long as they could supply him with valuable information. There was nothing in Anyang, big or small, that he wasn¡¯t aware of, so the man wasn¡¯t exactly boasting when he called his master omniscient.

    ¡°Omniscient, huh? That is quite an impressive title!¡± Ye Qing replied almost distractedly. The two men did not notice it, but a n was quickly taking form in his mind.

    ¡°Have you finally realized your folly? Unfortunately, it¡¯s toote!¡± One of them let out a sinisterugh while cracking his knuckles. ¡°You have killed Master Six¡¯s favorite cat and even besmirched his good name. The only way you may atone for your sins is for us to break your limbs and cut out your tongue!¡±

    The burly man threw a punch as soon as he finished. A tiny smirk crossed Ye Qing¡¯s lips, but he did not try to dodge or defend himself against the attack. He allowed the punch to hit him squarely in the chest.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    There was a loud crack, and the burly man¡¯s face morphed into incredulity and disbelief. An instantter, abject pain surged up from his hand and overwrote his expression.

    The burly man was a warrior, an adept Reforged to be exact. His fist packed enough punch to break an ordinary person¡¯s bones like twigs, which was why he thought for sure that his punch was going to cave in the ¡°frail¡± youngster¡¯s chest. In reality, he felt like he had punched a steel wall. Not only was Ye Qing perfectly unharmed, he was the one who broke his bones from the rebound.

    <i>Shit! I underestimated him!</i> The man thought in shock as he hurriedly backed away from Ye Qing. The other man realized the same thing and tried to rush to hispanion¡¯s rescue, but he abruptly felt cold brushing against his neck. When he touched the spot and looked, he was chilled to the core to find that his fingers were covered in blood. He looked behind instinctively and found that a throwing knife was embedded in the wall, a tiny smear of blood dripping off the de bit by bit.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ my blood!¡± The burly man gulped audibly, too afraid to move even a muscle. He knew full well he was still alive not because the young man had missed, but because he wasn¡¯t nning on killing him just yet. He might very well change his mind if he continued to struggle futilely!

    While the two men hadn¡¯t learned how to be a proper information broker despite following Qiao Six for years, they had mastered his tactfulness and ability to take stock of a situation to perfection. It was why they did notmit the mistake of provoking Ye Qing further.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious. What made you think you could fight against me, when I had killed the Rot Eating Cat, a Red-ss Stranger all by myself?¡± Ye Qing asked carelessly. Two adept Reforgeds were nothing to him.

    To his surprise, the two men exchanged confused nces with each other before answering, ¡°Red-ss Stranger? W-We don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­?¡±

    A Red-ss Stranger was the equivalent of a Qi Invoker, and the two men were of course aware of this. However, they didn¡¯t understand why Ye Qing was bringing this up now.

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow but rxed just a secondter. Assuming the two men weren¡¯t putting on a world ss performance, it would appear that they had no idea that their master¡¯s pet was really a Rot Eating Cat, a Red-ss Stranger. They were just Reforgeds, so their ignorance was understandable. Add to the fact that the carcass was mostly bald and missing over half of its tail, and he could see why the two men had failed to recognize even the fact that the cat was a Stranger. They would not have dared to rush over and use him of pet murder otherwise.

    That said, Ye Qing did not believe for a second that their master, Qiao Six wasn¡¯t aware of the truth.

    Ye Qing asked again, ¡°Tell me your names.¡±

    The two men exchanged another nce with each other before the one with a broken hand answered obediently, ¡°I¡¯m Qiao Shanhu [1], and he is Qiao Shanpao [2].¡±

    Neither Qiao Shanhu nor Qiao Shanpao had any clue why a dragon-in-human-skin like Ye Qing had deigned to visit a backwater county like Anyang. The only reason they were even out today was to search for Master Six¡¯s cat, and suddenly, their lives were in grave danger.

    <i>It¡¯s all that stupid cat¡¯s fault!</i>

    ¡°Take me to this ¡®Master Qiao Six¡¯ of yours,¡± Ye Qing said directly.

    ¡°You¡­ you want to meet Master Six?¡± Both men¡¯s hearts skipped a beat as they exchanged a third nce with each other. <i>Is he serious? He must know the proverb, ¡°A snake in its turf may yet wrestle a foreign dragon¡±, right? Is he too young and confident to recognize his folly, or¡­ </i>

    Ye Qing merely cocked his head and smiled. ¡°Sure! I want to know if your master is really as ¡®omniscient¡¯ as you im.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    A bitter smile crossed the two men¡¯s lips. It did not matter if the young man was an overconfidentmb or a deadly wolf. The fact remained that he wasn¡¯t someone they could trifle with. The only thing they could do until they met Master Six was to do as he demanded, or else.

    The two men nodded and were about to move on when suddenly, Ye Qing said, ¡°Oh right, one of you should carry the cat. This would be my first time visiting Master Qiao Six, so I should bring him a gift!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>You call this a gift? Are you a monster?</i>

    Despite their inner thoughts, neither Qiao Shanhu nor Qiao Shanpao dared to voice an objection. They could only pick up the Rot Eating Cat with a disgusted expression before leading Ye Qing back to Qiao Six¡¯s residence.

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, Qiao Six¡¯s residence wasn¡¯t far away from Endless Horizons. It was just located on the next street, Rainflower Alley.

    Rainflower Alley was one of the most flourishing streets in Anyang. Popted by highly profitable businesses such as restaurants, brothels, gambling dens and more, the only time Rainflower Alley wasn¡¯t jam-packed with people was midnight.

    Ye Qing had expected Qiao Six¡¯s residence to be excessively morous just like most of the buildings he had seen on Rainflower Alley, but in reality it looked rather mundane. However, it was by no means an ordinary ce. From the moment they stepped on Rainflower Alley, he immediately noticed a few sets of eyes gazing in their direction. The gazes never lingered on them for long, but that was fine, because there were always new observers to pick up the ck.

    During the stretch between the street entrance and Qiao Six¡¯s residence, he noticed hawkers, waiters, customers, beggars, pedestrians, prostitutes and more examining him with a critical eye. He had no doubt that they were the information broker¡¯s informants and sentries. In fact, the closer they got to the residence, the stronger the feeling he was being observed became until finally, he even picked up several tinges of bloodthirst. They all pressed against his skin like sharp knives.

    Of course, Ye Qing didn¡¯t pay them any heed. He simply smiled and continued toward Qiao Six¡¯s residence as if he couldn¡¯t feel the aggressive gazes at all!

    ¡°Qiao Residence¡ªLongevity and¡­ Prosperity?¡± Ye Qing squinted at the signboard hanging above the main entrance for a bit before shaking his head. ¡°Who wrote this? It¡¯s barely legible!¡±

    ¡°Ahem, it¡¯s written by none other than Master Six!¡± Qiao Shanhu hurriedly said with a cough. To be honest, he thought that the writing was ugly as well, but of course he didn¡¯t dare to say a thing about it!

    ¡°That said, a doctor¡¯s writing is also barely legible, but we all hold it as gospel, do we not?¡± Ye Qing changed his tune smoothly.

    ¡°...¡± <i>Silver-tongued bastard!</i>

    1. Shanhu->Mountain Tiger. As a pun, the whole name can also be read as ¡°intimidator¡±, like a loan shark intimidator ??

    2. Shanpao-> Mountain Panther. ??

 Chapter 55: Qiao Six

    <h4>Chapter 55: Qiao Six</h4>

    <i>Creak¡­</i>

    The group of three had just arrived at the entrance when the doors of the Qiao residence suddenly opened without warning. It would seem that they were expected.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by this. In fact, he wasn¡¯t surprised by what happened next. As soon as they crossed over the threshold, the doors mmed shut behind them, and Qiao Shanhu and Qiao Shanpao abruptly bolted away from him in different directions as if they knew this would happen. The next moment, dozens of men wearing form-fitting outfits and wielding swords and sabers surrounded him from all sides.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad! I love how you wee your guests!¡± said Ye Qing with a knowing smirk on his face. In fact, he noticed that Qiao Shanhu and Qiao Shanpao had made a number of hand gestures to a few beggars who ¡°happened¡± to cross their paths a while ago. He had no doubt that those beggars had passed on a message to Qiao Six, which was why the information broker was able to prepare such a ¡°nice¡± wee for him.

    The two men believed that Ye Qing hadn¡¯t noticed their petty maneuver, but they were wrong. He hadn¡¯t stopped them simply because he deemed it unnecessary.

    Barring the unforeseen, he was certain that no one in this residence possessed the strength to stop him from escaping.

    ¡°Guest? You are no guest. Our doors only wee friends, family, customers, and deities. You are just an outsider who trespassed into our master¡¯s property uninvited; a thief. And there is only one way to treat a thief!¡±

    The leader of the armed group abruptly charged toward Ye Qing and roared, ¡°Kill!¡±

    <i>There are two middle-stage Qi Invokers and five early-stage Qi Invokers. The rest are journeyman or adept Reforgeds!</i>

    Ye Qing quickly got the measure of the group while responding to the threat. When the leader brought down his saber, he shifted his feet slightly so that it would pass just centimeters away from his face. Then, he took a step forward and came face to face with the man.

    ¡°Good day!¡±

    The leader wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing¡¯s speed to put it mildly. The brief surprise was all the young man needed to bump his shoulder against his chest. The next second, the leader flew backward like he was struck by lightning and identally bowled over three other men.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t out of danger yet, however. While he was pushing the leader away from him, two swords thrust at his left arm and right shoulder, and a saber swung at his ankle from a super low angle. They wereing at him from different directions as well. An ordinary warrior would have been mutted or killed.

    But Ye Qing was anything but ordinary. He pushed off the ground gently and floated into the air like a feather, dodging the sword thrusts by a hair¡¯s breadth. Of course, the saber had missed him as well. The three attackers could only watch in horror as Ye Qing flew around them in an unnatural arc andnded deftly on his feet. They hadn¡¯t seen him move, but they all felt a sudden pain in their weapon hand that forced them to let go of their weapons. It was only then they realized that a throwing knife was embedded in their wrists!

    After crippling three people in one go, Ye Qing abruptly ckened as if he had used up all of his energy. Sensing an opportunity, the closest attackers to Ye Qing hurriedly closed the distance and swung their weapons. It was a ruse. Ye Qing took one step into the air and abruptly split into multiple copies of himself.

    It was near impossible to distinguish who was real and who wasn¡¯t, and the Ye Qings seemed to be escaping in every conceivable direction. When all was said and done, their attacks had missed, and sudden pain had gripped their wrists. Just like the three attackers from before, a throwing knife was embedded in their wrists!

    Curiously, the throwing knives were a hair¡¯s breadth from hitting an artery, which could¡¯ve constituted a serious threat to the attackers¡¯ lives. The young man had also missed the bones and the tendons and avoided inflicting a wound that could¡¯ve crippled their arms permanently.

    Was it a coincidence?

    Or was it intentional?

    What happened next stunned everyone who was watching the battle. The copies disappeared, but Ye Qing started darting all over the ce like a monkey. Sometimes, he would sprint forward in a straight line and suddenly dash backward as if thews of physics were fake. Sometimes, the straight line would abruptly turn into an arc or even an S-shaped curve. And sometimes, he would descend from the air like he was nning to tten an attacker like a pancake only to rise back into the sky.

    His movements were so erratic and unpredictable that it was near impossible to react or guard against it, much less mount any sort of effective retaliation. Every time he dashed or flew past an attacker, a throwing knife would suddenly appear in their wrists. Even worse, they now knew it definitely wasn¡¯t a coincidence that their wounds were neither life-threatening nor crippling-for-life because all of the throwing knives hadnded exactly one millimeter away from the artery and avoided the bones and tendons!

    It wasn¡¯t long before every attacker in the front yard was neutralized. Clutching their wrists and covered in blood, they all looked as sorry as they could be. On the other hand, the young man who defeated them all was smiling and not even touched by the battle. At that moment, he resembled a mighty celestial of the heavens!

    ¡°Does anyone wish to continue this fight?¡± Ye Qing sped his hands behind his back and asked with a yful smirk on his face.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>How? With our heads?</i>

    Everyone stepped away from Ye Qing at the same time. It wasn¡¯t cowardice that drove them to back down. It was the simple, unadulterated fact that there was absolutely nothing they could do against him!

    ¡°Master Six would like to speak with you, young warrior.¡±

    It was at this moment a man wearing a ck outfit and a cold expression stepped out of a building deeper within the residence. He said, ¡°This way, please!¡±

    The cold man didn¡¯t even look at his injured allies. After Ye Qing made to follow him, he immediately turned around and led him around the main building toward the back yard.

    The man¡¯s facial control was excellent, but not his bodynguage. His slightly stiff footsteps and the left hand he had hidden in his sleeve since showing up betrayed his true feelings. <i>He¡¯s probably hiding an stic sword up his sleeve, </i>thought Ye Qing after shooting the man¡¯s left hand a nce, <i>a left-handed stic sword user? I bet his fighting style is pretty backstabby and unorthodox!</i>

    As if sensing Ye Qing¡¯s gaze, the cold man slowed down for just an instant and tensed up his muscles. If the young man disyed any abnormal behavior at all, the stic sword in his sleeve would prate his throat in the blink of an eye¡­

    ¡­ Or so he would like to tell himself. He was confident in his skills, but he wasn¡¯t confident they were enough to kill the young man next to him.

    ¡°Heh. My name is Ye Qing. What is yours, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Zuo Yiyan!¡± replied the cold man, but he did not lower his guard as a matter of course.

    ¡°A good name!¡± Ye Qing praised while admiring the exquisite scenery around them. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. Your master¡¯s residence looked pretty mundane from the outside, but the inside is a whole different world!¡±

    He was speaking from the heart. Whoever designed the architecture must be a genius. On the outside, the residence paled in contrast to the mboyant buildings around it to the point where it was almost inconspicuous. But on the inside, there were tall, lush trees and well-trimmed bushes that soothed the eyes, smooth grass and beautiful flowers that added life and vibrance to the surroundings, covered bridges that spanned across certain sections of the residence and enabling a scenic view of the gardens, rooftops with flying eaves that seemed to reach out to the heavens, tasteful corridors that seemed to wind into the unknown and entice its guests to childish exploration, and more. Together, they painted an elegant, poetic picture that seemed to sing at the very soul.

    That wasn¡¯t all. There was an order in which the elements of the residence were arranged. At first nce, it seemed like there were a bit too many fake hills, bridges, gardens, trees, and winding paths. In reality, it was to create a giant maze. That¡¯s right, this whole section of the residence was a maze designed to confuse enemies and uninvited guests alike. Without a guide, most people would not even be able to find their way back to the exit, much less make it to whatever destination they had in mind.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Ye Qing sensed many guards stationed at both conspicuous and inconspicuous ces. He wouldn¡¯t say that the defense was airtight¡ªthis was a world full of monsters after all¡ªbut it was quite impressive.

    ¡°Master Six is the architect!¡± Zuo Yiyan continued to respond tersely as if every word was worth an ounce of gold.

    Ye Qing clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Your master¡¯s writing is ass, but his designing skills are anything but. He must be a man of culture!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Zuo Yiyan didn¡¯t know what to say. <i>Did this guy seriously just disparage Master Six to my face? Does he think I¡¯m deaf, or is he that confident?</i>

    <i>Screw it, I¡¯m just going to y deaf!</i>

    Zuo Yiyan also pretended that he was mute. Nothing could go wrong if he heard nothing and said nothing, right?

    Many twists and turnster, the duo finally exited the maze and entered a huge clearing. The first thing Ye Qing saw was a massive, sky blue pond with countless lotuses floating on the surface. It was beautiful, but Ye Qing imagined that it would be even more beautiful when it was summer, and the lotuses were in full bloom.

    ¡°Please enter the boat, young warrior. Master Six is waiting for you in the pavilion up ahead!¡± said Zuo Yiyan. After Ye Qing had done as he said, the cold man personally steered the boat toward the pavilion.

    Zuo Yiyan¡¯s boat poling skills were excellent. They reached the pavilion quickly and smoothly in no time at all.

    The pavilion was octagonal-shaped and tastefully ornamented. Bronze bells were hung beneath each corner so that melodious ringings filled the ears every time there was a breeze.

    The pond was beautiful, the pavilion was aesthetic, and the ringings were sublime. Naturally, the pavilion¡¯s name could not be far behind.

    ¡°Rainflower Rest, a resting ce where the rain falls on a pond of lotuses, is it? Not bad at all!¡±

    ¡°And I am most d that Boss Ye is a man of culture! This deserves a hearty drink!¡±

    In the pavilion, a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a schr¡¯s robes rose to his feet. He also had a long, elegant beard thatplemented his cultivated appearance perfectly.

    Who would¡¯ve thought that this cultured, gentle-looking man who almost looked like a teacher would be the greatest information broker in Anyang, the omniscient Master Qiao Six?

    ¡°You know me, Master Six?¡± Ye Qing hopped off the boat and stepped into the pavilion.

    ¡°Please take a seat, Boss Ye!¡± Qiao Six beckoned for Ye Qing to sit down on the chair on the opposite side of the table before saying, ¡°And yes, of course I¡¯ve heard about you. You are a self-proimed schr who carries a strange frog with you and entered Anyang seven days ago. You bought Endless Horizons, a bookstore that was supposedly haunted for one hundred silvers with Zhao Mu as the broker on the very same day.¡±

    ¡°You spent most of your time indoors, but on the rare asion you leave the building, you enjoy sunbathing, drinking wine and listening to music. You don¡¯t care for your business, but you are kind and agreeable. You managed to win the affection of your neighbors in just a few days and earn yourself the nickname, ¡®Boss Ye¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Haha. I didn¡¯t think that you would investigate a nobody like me so thoroughly. No wonder some people im that you¡¯re omniscient!¡± Ye Qing said smilingly. He wasn¡¯t surprised though. The guy wouldn¡¯t be known as the greatest information broker in Anyang if he wasn¡¯t this good.

    Qiao Six smiled and epted a cup of hot tea from his servant girl. A small sipter, he said evenly and amiably, ¡°You say that, but it¡¯s clear that I haven¡¯t found anything beneath the surface. For example, I never realized that you were a hidden dragon until you defeated my guards without a scratch!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I¡¯m just a world ss actor is all!¡±

    ¡°I can see you¡¯re a humorous person, Boss Ye!¡± responded Qiao Six while barely suppressing a grimace. <i>This guy just does?</i>not <i>hesitate to use anything you throw him topliment himself, doesn''t he?</i>.

    Ye Qing leaned back against his chair and enjoyed a sip of tea. He then saidzily, ¡°Speaking of which, you¡¯re not a very good host, are you? I¡¯vee to see you with a great gift, but you weed me with violence practically the second my foot left the threshold. That isn¡¯t very polite, is it?¡±

    Qiao Six smiled calmly. ¡°You heard what my guard said, didn¡¯t you? An invited guest is one thing, but an uninvited one, well, it¡¯s only natural I would want to gauge your intentions and check if they are good or evil, fortune or misfortune,manding or imploring, am I right?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that it was just a test?¡±

    The middle-aged man replied immediately, ¡°That is correct!¡±

 Chapter 56: Ensnaring An Old Fox

    <h4>Chapter 56: Ensnaring An Old Fox</h4>

    ¡°Okay! I believe you!¡± Ye Qing said with a smirk. It was true that the group who surrounded him earliercked bloodthirst despite the fact that they were brimming with violence. They probably really were just gauging his intentions and of course, his strength. If he wasn¡¯t strong enough to ovee the obstacle, then he wasn¡¯t qualified to meet Qiao Six.

    Besides that, Qiao Six¡¯s decision was prompted by Ye Qing¡¯s unknown origin. If he could find out exactly when Ye Qing¡¯s had entered the county, then of course he knew about the incident at the gates and the fact that he seemed unusually close with Yan Yufei, the current magistrate of Anyang. This one connection alone guaranteed that Qiao Six would not dare to kill him even if he could, which was why he truly believed that the information broker was telling the truth.

    ¡°So, what did you find out, Master Six?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t shown up at my doorsteps in good will, but you do not bear any malice either. Also, I believe that you require my services!¡± Qiao Six dered calmly, eyes glimmering with wisdom and experience. He looked like he was perfectly sure of his deduction.

    One corner of Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled up a little. ¡°You¡¯re half-right, but you¡¯re also half-wrong!¡±

    ¡°Oh? What did I guess wrong, pray tell?¡± Qiao Six eximed with a hint of surprise and curiosity.

    Ye Qing did not keep him on tenterhooks. ¡°You¡¯re wrong about me not carrying good intentions. The main reason I¡¯m here is to make sure that you¡¯ll always be safe and healthy!¡±

    Something flinty shed in Qiao Six¡¯s eyes, but his tone remained warm and amiable, ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, Boss Ye. A well-intentioned person would not pay someone a visit bearing their dead pet as a gift, would they? Much less a pet that they had murdered with their own two hands?¡±

    A wicked smile spread across Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°I can see you¡¯ve misunderstood me. Trust me when I say that what I carried wasn¡¯t a dead pet, but a great gift that you wille to appreciate dearly once I¡¯ve exined everything to you!¡±

    ¡°I am waiting,¡± Qiao Six responded calmly.

    Ye Qing took another sip of tea and wet his throat. It was only then he gave his exnation. ¡°Your cat is a Red-ss Stranger called the Rot Eating Cat, and I am sure you know better than me what kind of creature it is. Cunning, vicious, and greedy, there is nothing it enjoys more than killing a human through the Everhungry Worm and cutting open their stomach to feast on both human flesh and rotting food alike!¡±

    .

    ¡°Just a while ago, I saved an innocent boy who nearly died because of your cat¡¯s actions, and I am certain he isn¡¯t its first victim.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to keep a Stranger, but to raise one that is clearly a danger to humans and allow it to kill as it pleases¡­ well, I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you what would happen if the Pacification Bureau hears about this, do you?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Qiao Six abruptly dropped his pleasant demeanor altogether. There was a dead silence as the atmosphere in the pavilion grew increasingly suffocating. ¡°No one threatens me, Boss Ye. I¡¯ve led a long, healthy life, and I can tell you now there is nothing that scares me less and angers me more than threats!¡±

    ¡°You do realize that I can bury you here right here and now if I give the order, right Boss Ye?¡±

    The information broker¡¯s bloodthirst kept growing until it epassed the entire Rainflower Pavilion like a thick smog.

    Ye Qing could not seem to feel his murderous intent, however. Still acting as casual and indifferent as ever, he shot Qiao Six a smile and said, ¡°Nah, I think you¡¯re delusional!¡±

    Ye Qing raised his right foot half an inch before putting it back down on the floor. His movements were gentle, but the pavilion shuddered, and a breeze blew at the bronze bells and caused them to ring melodiously. The breeze would continue to sweep out until the blue waters of the pond rippled incessantly, and the lotuses swayed like tiny green boats atop a moving sea.

    The sight was as scenic as it was poetic, but wait, that wasn¡¯t the end of the show yet. Soft pops suddenly erupted from the pond bottom, and it sounded like spring thunder weing theing of a new spring. Then¡ª

    <i>Glug glug glug!</i>

    Bubbles started rising and popping across the whole pond. Then, a plethora of men wearing tight, waterproof outfits burst through the pond surface! Clearly, they were the hidden guards Qiao Six had prepared just in case his negotiations turned sour. Something wasn¡¯t right about their condition, however. They didn¡¯t look injured, but theirplexions were beet red, and they looked like they were having trouble catching their breaths. It was because a shockwave had impacted their internal organs and disrupted the cirction of their vigor. Of course, it was caused by none other than Ye Qing himself.

    ¡°You dare!¡± Zuo Yiyan erupted in anger and tensed up. His clothes billowed without wind, and something cold and sharp peeked out from within his left sleeve. It looked like a viper ready to deal Ye Qing a fatal blow at any moment. Besides that, inconspicuous servant girl who had been serving tea until just now abruptly raised her left arm and caused her water sleeve [1] to circle around her like it had a life of its own. Gone was the beautiful but ordinary woman who had no presence whatsoever, reced by a murderous celestial ready to rip and kill at a moment¡¯s notice.

    They were bothte-stage Qi Invokers, and they were both experienced killers with a lot of blood on their hands. It was evident from the wash of their auras alone.

    The two warriors did not make a move despite their intimidating posture, however. It was because a thread of blood so thin it was almost invisible had appeared around their necks before they knew it. The blood thread looked frail enough to break at the slightest touch, but both of them had a feeling that it would sever their neck like nothing if they dared to attack Ye Qing.

    Even if they were sessful in escaping decapitation, their senses were warning them that some sort of unknown, invisible danger was lurking around them. In this case, they were absolutely right. If they were at the Vessel Augmentation stage just like Ye Qing, they would notice that formless, shapeless Blood Shadows had been swimming throughout the Rainflower Pavilion this whole time!

    ¡°Rx. I noticed your men had been submerged in the waters for a bit, and I was worried that one of them might suffocate to death. That is why I encouraged them to catch their breaths so to speak!¡± Ye Qing exined with a bright smile while a wisp of red danced nimbly between his fingers like a piece of silken fabric.

    For a time, the atmosphere was so suffocating one could barely breathe. Then, Qiao Six startedughing all of a sudden, ¡°Haha! Hahaha! Impressive, Boss Ye! I dare say that I am most impressed by your skill!¡±

    Qiao Six couldn¡¯t quite control the shock within his pupils, but his smile was firmly affixed to his face as he said, ¡°You¡¯re a businessman just like me, so I¡¯m sure you understand that violence is most undesirable when pursuing a longsting business rtionship. Come, let¡¯s enjoy another cup of tea!¡±

    ¡°Heh. In fact, you arepletely right about my motivations, but I noticed that you needed a little¡­ encouragement to notice my sincerity. Do forgive me for resorting to such a crude method!¡±

    Ye Qing epted the teacup smilingly and blew at its surface. He continued after taking a small sip, ¡°Your pet is an evil creature who loves to kill, Master Six. At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before it implicates its owner. With that in mind, killing it before the worst happens can only be a good thing, am I right? I personally think it''s one of the best gifts one can receive. What do you think?¡±

    Qiao Six stretched his lips into a smile. ¡°Now that you mentioned it, it is a great gift. I thank you for doing me such a huge favor.¡±

    Ye Qing pshawed and waved him away. ¡°You¡¯re wee, but it¡¯s unnecessary. I¡¯m just a kind-hearted soul who can¡¯t help but do good upon others!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Qiao Six let out a heartyugh before sighing. ¡°I should¡¯ve been more vignt. If not for you, I would not have realized that that damn monster would dare to harm innocents while I wasn¡¯t looking. I would¡¯ve found myself an unwitting murderer if not for you, so once again, thank you!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. He knew that Qiao Six would insist that he knew nothing about the Rot Eating Cat¡¯s actions, but he did not expose the lie because it benefited no one. He was here to establish a business rtionship with Qiao Six. He wasn¡¯t going to earn any favors if he kept bashing the older man¡¯s face with the truth, no matter how satisfying it might be.

    ¡°You tter me, Master Six. Anyway, I believe we are pretty well acquainted with each other at this point. Would you like to be my friend?¡±

    Qiao Six looked overjoyed at the offer. ¡°But of course! Haha! Trust me, there is no way I¡¯m passing on a friend like you! But oh, please don¡¯t call me Master Six in that case. That is not an appetion that should be used between friends. How about you call me Brother Six, Boss Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing went with the flow. ¡°Sure! On that note, you may call me Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Joyless? What a poetic name!¡± Qiao Six praised. ¡°Today is turning out to be a most pleasant day, Joyless. Why don¡¯t we celebrate our new friendship with a drink?¡±

    ¡°I will hold you to that, brother, but not today!¡± Ye Qing said smilingly. ¡°I said earlier you were half-wrong and half-right. In fact, I havee to request your services!¡±

    Qiao Six didn¡¯t look surprised. He seemed aware that the conversation was going to take this turn. ¡°Do not use the word ¡®request¡¯, Joyless. We are friends, no, brothers now. I will do anything to help you¡­ as long as it is within my ability to help, of course!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, all I ask is for you to do what you do best: gather information.¡±

    ¡°Very good!¡±

    Ye Qing nced at Zuo Yiyan and the servant girl and said, ¡°If we can have some privacy¡­¡±

    Qiao Six immediately looked at his subordinates andmanded, ¡°Yiyan, Hong Yu, wait at the boat for the moment!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Zuo Yiyan and the servant girl, Hong Yu immediately retreated to the boat. Not only that, Zuo Yiyan had steered the boat until they were about six meters away from the pavilion. It was just far enough that they couldn¡¯t eavesdrop on the conversation, but close enough that they could rush to their master¡¯s rescue should it turn out to be necessary!

    ¡°My apologies, brother. I would prefer to keep my business between the two of us,¡± Ye Qing said apologetically.

    Qiao Six was perfectly fine with the arrangement. ¡°I understand. Some secrets must remain a secret for the sake of everyone!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d we have an ord.¡± Ye Qing went straight to the point. ¡°I want you to tell me everything you know about the Zheng n!¡±

    This was why he had gone through all this trouble and even overlooked the crimesmitted by his murderous cat. It was because he wished to gather information on the Zheng n. As the greatest information broker in Anyang, Qiao Six had to know the Zheng n like the back of his hand. No one¡¯s information was more reliable than his, not to mention that he did not have to spend a single silver for the information since they were ¡°friends¡± now. It would also save him the trouble of having to spy on the Zheng n himself.

    He could be hardworking if he wanted to, but he was generally azy person. Since the opportunity had fallen into hisp, he would be damned if he passed it by!

    ¡°Zheng n? <i>The</i> Zheng n of Anyang? The one that ismanded by Zheng Feng?¡± Qiao Six eximed in surprise.

    Ye Qing countered, ¡°Is there another Zheng n in Anyang?¡±

    Qiao Six scrunched up his eyebrows in puzzlement. ¡°But why are you looking into the Zheng n? They¡¯re not a family to be trifled with, you know?¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows as if surprised that Qiao Six would ask such a question. Then, his lips spread into a positively diabolical smile. ¡°Why, it¡¯s because I¡¯m plotting to destroy them and kill their patriarch, Zheng Feng, of course! Would you like to hear more, brother?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    For a time, Qiao Six was utterly speechless. Then, he let out a bitter chuckle and said, ¡°Since the day I started my business, I¡¯ve always obeyed one and only one personal rule: I never ask my customers why they want their information. It¡¯s because I know that it would bring me endless trouble. I¡¯ve never broken this rule until now, and it is thanks to it that I managed to be the biggest information broker in Anyang, and survive to this age!¡±

    ¡°Today is the first day I ever indulged in my curiosity, and to think that it would be my undoing! Joyless, oh Joyless, how can you ensnare your brother so?¡±

    Ye Qing let out a mirthful chuckle. ¡°But brother, I didn¡¯t ensnare you. You¡¯re the one who wanted to know the answer!¡±

    It was a lie, of course. From the moment he heard of Qiao Six¡¯s existence, he had been plotting to bind the information broker to his ship somehow. If he bought information from Qiao Six normally, and something were to happen to the Zheng n, the information broker would figure that he was the one behind the incident instantly. If Qiao Six decided to expose the truth to protect himself or earn the Zheng n¡¯s favor, then he would be put on the back foot and even met with a life-threatening crisis.

    This was why he didn¡¯t want them to be business partners. No, he wanted them to be aplices. Qiao Six would be the insider supplying him with the information necessary to kick the Zheng n¡¯s teeth in, and he would be doing the kicking.

    It was toote for Qiao Six to change his mind already. From the moment he learned about Ye Qing¡¯s motive, their fates were intertwined like two grasshoppers that were tied to the same rope. If Ye Qing went down, he was going down as well. He might still be able to survive¡ªhe was one of Anyang¡¯s most valuable assets after all¡ªbut his status would plummet, his life would be ruined, and Ye Qing was going to kill him right here and now if he dared to say no.

    Qiao Six was a wise man. He might have rejected Ye Qing if he hadn¡¯t witnessed the young man¡¯s prowess earlier, but he had, so he knew that the best he could hope for should conflict break out was a pyrrhic victory. And what kind of idiot would bet on a pyrrhic victory where his own life was on the line?

    Plus, there <i>was </i>a way out for him, and that was cooperating with Ye Qing and giving him what he wanted. No one would know about his involvement if they both kept their mouths shut. He wasn¡¯t going to say anything as a matter of course, and Ye Qing sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to make things more difficult for himself. For better or worse, it was business as usual.

    From Ye Qing¡¯s point of view, this matter was settled from the moment he determined Qiao Six¡¯s character. The information broker was a shrewd, self-serving man. He would give him everything he wanted <i>and </i>keep his secret.

    1. Ë®Ðä, super long sleeves you normally see in Chinese operas and court dramas ??

 Chapter 57: Yan Feng Visits

    <h4>Chapter 57: Yan Feng Visits</h4>

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s my fault? I knew I should¡¯ve kept my mouth shut.¡±

    Qiao Six was a wise man. He figured out Ye Qing¡¯s scheme as soon as he revealed his objective. What was done could not be undone, so the only thing he could do now was to see it through until the end.

    Plus, it wasn¡¯t like Ye Qing was asking him to do the impossible. The young man only wanted him to keep his secret, and a man of his trade naturally hoarded plenty of secrets. One more wouldn¡¯t kill him.

    Besides that, he stood to profit from the Zheng n¡¯s demise as well. Assuming that Ye Qing seeded in his endeavor, he would be first in line to partake in the cake that was the Zheng n¡¯s businesses and connections. It would also earn him the trust¡ªnot this fake rtionship they had now, but real trust¡ªa young man with a promising future. All things considered, it was a win-win situation for both of them.

    It wasn¡¯t hard for Qiao Six toe to a decision after he had sorted out his thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ve put me in hot enough waters already, so I won¡¯t ask why you want to kill Zheng Feng. Now then, about the information you requested. The patriarch of the Zheng n is Zheng Feng, and he is a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor. He is an expert in palm techniques, and he is most known for a forceful and potent palm art, the ¡®Boundless Lightning Palm¡¯. Zheng Feng has two younger brothers, and they are both in thete-stage of the Qi Invocation stage. They are¡­ He also has six keepers, and they are¡­¡±

    Qiao Six truly was the greatest information broker in Anyang. It was impressive enough that he was able to recite all this information from memory, but Ye Qing was willing to bet that he knew the Zheng n better than the Zheng n themselves. He was able to tell him Zheng Feng and his keepers¡¯ cultivation level, martial arts, characteristics, and personality traits, where the guards were located and when they changed shifts and more.

    ¡°The Zheng n was one of the strongest forces in Anyang until they lost a dozen or so elites, five elders, and their two scions, Zheng Tianyuan and Zhen Tianqi half a month ago. The Zheng n might have copsed already if Zheng Feng wasn¡¯t still around,¡± Qiao Six said while shooting Ye Qing a meaningful nce.

    Ye Qing answered smilingly, ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m the one who killed those people!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>I didn¡¯t even ask anything this time! Are you a monster?</i>

    ¡°Joyless¡­ For heavens¡¯ sake¡­¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged and said innocently, ¡°What? I thought you wanted to know since you were giving me looks earlier!¡±

    <i>And he pins the me on me, again.</i>

    A bitter, helpless smile crossed Qiao Six¡¯s lips. When was thest time he got screwed over by a youngster like Ye Qing? Both his mind and his strength were top-notch.

    ¡°That said, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. The Zheng n might have suffered a massive decline as ofte, but that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re an easy foe by any means. I would advise the greatest caution if you truly wish to take them out, Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. You just sit tight and wait for the good news!¡± Ye Qing nodded obediently.

    <i>What the hell? Now he makes it sound like I¡¯m the one who ordered him to kill Zheng Feng and destroy the Zheng n!</i>

    Qiao Six was normally a steady man, but for a second there he felt seriously tempted to wring the young man by his neck.

    Ye Qing rose to his feet and said, I think I¡¯ve heard everything I need to hear, so I shall be taking my leave. I¡¯ll take you up on your offer when I¡¯m free, Brother Six!¡±

    ¡°Anytime!¡± Qiao Six smiled and rose to his feet as well. ¡°Allow me to see you off!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, brother. I¡¯m sure you have better things to do!¡±

    Ye Qing darted out of the Rainflower Pavilion like a swift after he was finished. He nted one foot on a lotus and caused it to wobble a little, but there wasn¡¯t enough movement to cause a ripple on the pond water. When he leaped again, his back rapidly shrank into a small dot in the distance. Before he disappeared, he gave Qiao Six a wave and said loudly, ¡°Thank you for everything! Be sure to keep my secret, brother!¡±

    ¡°What incredible movement art!¡± Qiao Six could not help but praise out loud. At the same time, he grew even more certain that his decision to befriend Ye Qing was the right choice.

    Zuo Yiyan and Hong Yu returned to the pavilion after Ye Qing was gone. Zuo Yiyan asked, ¡°Master Six, Ye Qing is rude and provocative. Why didn¡¯t you give us the order to kill him? If we all work together¡­¡±

    Qiao Six replied indifferently, ¡°It won¡¯t work.¡±

    Hong Yu giggled and smiled like a blooming flower. She had dropped her actpletely since they were alone. ¡°How many people in Anyang can handle the three of us at once? Ten? Five?¡±

    Most people did not know this, but Qiao Six was a Vessel Augmentor and one of the strongest warriors in Anyang. It was why he was able to establish himself as the greatest information broker in the county. He would¡¯ve been dethroned a long time ago if he didn¡¯t have the strength to defend his status.

    Qiao Six smiled. ¡°You are right, but that young man¡­ he¡¯s probably among the handful you speak of.¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡± Zuo Yiyan eximed in surprise.

    Qiao Six shot both of his aides a look before sighing. ¡°Not only that, I believe we are overestimating ourselves. Judging from everything he has showed us so far, I¡¯m pretty sure that we¡¯re the ones who would die had we attacked him.¡±

    Zuo Yiyan and Hong Yu couldn¡¯t see the Blood Shadows because their cultivation level was too low, but not him. To say that he was worried about the strange apparitions would be an understatement. Combined with a top-tier movement art that allowed him toe and go as he pleased, he just could not imagine them defeating Ye Qing even in the best case scenario.

    ¡°Master Six!¡± Hong Yu covered her mouth in surprise. ¡°He¡¯s just a brat! Are you sure you haven¡¯t misjudged him?¡±

    ¡°Misjudge him? How do you misjudge someone who¡¯s obviously a dragon?¡± Qiao Six looked at the sky and said slowly, ¡°He might not have reached his full potential yet, and he¡¯s currently holed up in this backwater county, but that doesn¡¯t mean he is weak whatsoever. When the dayes where the dragon finally rises to the heavens¡­ Just watch. Anyang is probably going to be turned upside down in the near future!¡±

    A long silenceter, Qiao Six turned serious and ordered, ¡°Ye Qing¡¯s origin is a mystery, but he¡¯s already a Vessel Augmentor at his age, and a shrewd and decisive man to boot. He is also acquainted with Yan Yufei. Assuming that he doesn¡¯t fall before he realizes his full potential, a man like him can only be destined for a bright future. All things considered, it is far wiser to have him as a friend than an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Inform the men that they will strive to treat Ye Qing with the utmost respect. In fact, I want them to treat him as respectfully as they would treat me. Also, be sure to tell them everything that has happened in this residence today stays in this residence. If anyone dares to break the rule, you have my permission to break their limbs, sever the tendons, and cripple them permanently. There will be no leniency!¡±

    Zuo Yiyan and Hong Yu exchanged a nce with each other before nodding solemnly. ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Oh right, what were you discussing with Boss Ye?¡± Hong Yu suddenly asked.

    Qiao Six shot her a nce before answering, ¡°It is best you do not know about this. It will be better if you never indulge in your curiosity again.¡±

    ¡°Remember this, Hong Yu. Some secrets can and will kill you!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Still nothing?¡±

    Inside the county hall, Yan Yufei was looking up from his table and staring at his subordinates with a weary look on his face. He was also nursing a headache with one hand.

    .

    Yan Feng and Yang Guan shook their heads. The two men were currently standing at the center of the room. They were wearing bailiff outfits and carrying Yanling sabers around their waist.

    The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy as Yan Yufei questioned in a stern voice, ¡°The serial murder has been happening for three days straight, and you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve found <i>nothing </i>at all? You haven¡¯t awakened your inner sloths, have you?¡±

    Yan Feng replied with a bitter expression, ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just that this case is no ordinary case. None of the victims are rted to one another, the locations are all over the ce, there is no discernible pattern whatsoever, and not a clue could be found at the crime scenes. Forget finding a clue, we know absolutely nothing besides the fact that murders have been happening seemingly randomly throughout Anyang.¡±

    ¡°In fact¡­ I strongly suspect that these murders weremitted not by a human, but a Stranger, my lord!¡±

    ¡°Tell me why,¡± Yan Yufeimanded.

    Yan Feng took a moment to organize his thoughts before answering, ¡°All kinds of people have been killed so far. There weremoners, hooligans, traders, nobles and more. The way they died is ridiculously varied as well. Some people were missing their eyes, some people had their ears cut out, and some literally had their hearts dug out of their chests.¡±

    ¡°Let us pretend that the murderer is a human for a moment. Is it realistic that there exists someone out there who has a beef with so many people across multiple stratas? Even if there is, why would they go through the trouble of mutting the bodies in so many different ways? It¡¯s not only unnecessary, it drastically increases the chance that the murderer might leave something behind and expose themselves!¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, we weren¡¯t able to find anything at the crime scenes at all. It¡¯s so clean that, assuming the murderer is a human, it can only bemitted by a master of martial arts. However, what kind of master would suddenly murder a whole bunch of innocents without reason? No matter how I think about it, a Stranger is the most likely culprit behind this serial murder!¡±

    ¡°If a Stranger is behind this, then we should hand this case over to the Pacification Bureau!¡± Yang Guan suggested.

    Although the Pacification Bureau and the administrative divisions were both government institutions of Chu, their functions were very different from each other. The Pacification Bureau was responsible for handling all Stranger-rted and supernatural incidents within a certain territory. They were also responsible forrge cases that were beyond the ability of the administrative division to handle. The administration division was responsible for collecting taxes, keeping the public order, and handling a number of social and livelihood issues such as apprehending mundane criminals and so on.

    As a result, most cases went through the administrative division first before they were escted to the Pacification Bureau. For example, if a theft had taken ce at a person¡¯s residence, or if an armed brawl had broken out on a street, then the administrative division would handle it directly. But if they discovered that a Stranger was involved with the case, then they would escte it to the Pacification Bureau.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple!¡± Yan Yufei grimaced and massaged his forehead harder. ¡°We don¡¯t have any evidence that these murders are, in fact,mitted by a Stranger. It¡¯s one thing if the culprit really is a Stranger, but if we¡¯re wrong, then our abilities will be brought into question!¡±

    It had only been days since he became the magistrate of Anyang. If he screwed up, his peers would scorn him, his subordinates would look down on him, and the people would distrust him. The moment he gave off the impression that he was ipetent¡ªnever mind that the truth was theplete opposite¡ªboth his career and his future would be in extreme jeopardy.

    ¡°But there <i>is </i>a simple solution to this problem, my lord!¡± Yang Guan suddenly spoke up. Yan Feng stared at him as if he could not believe that his simple-minded subordinate had just contradicted the magistrate openly. He rebuked,

    ¡°Shut it, Yang Guan!¡±

    Yang Guan shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±

    Yan Yufei smiled a little before asking curiously, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite. What is this solution, Yang Guan?¡±

    The young guard dered, ¡°We just need to ask Joyless! He¡¯s an expert in Strangers, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯ll know if a Stranger has killed those people! Also, if the Stranger turned out to be easier than expected, we can take it out ourselves before reporting the incident to the Pacification Bureau. That¡¯ll show those high-and-mighty bastards that we don¡¯t always have to rely on them!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Yan Yufei and Yan Feng exchanged a shocked nce with each other. Yang Guan¡­ was right! How could they have forgotten about Joyless?

    ¡°Do you know where Joyless is right now, Yang Guan?¡± Yan Yufei asked. This serial murder had practically smacked him as soon as he became Anyang¡¯s magistrate, so he was so busy he could barely afford the time to sleep, much less find out where Ye Qing was living right now.

    Yang Guan nodded. ¡°Yep! Joyless bought the Endless Horizons at Rainflower Alley a few days ago. He¡¯s now the owner of a bookstore!¡±

    ¡°Endless Horizons? But I thought the ce was haunted?¡± Yan Feng blurted instinctively before answering his own question with a bitter smile, ¡°What am I saying? There is no way a mere ghost can threaten someone of Joyless¡¯ abilities.¡±

    ¡°We have a n then. Yan Feng, Yang Guan, you will visit Joyless and request his aid with this case immediately!¡± Yan Yufei instructed.

    ¡°At once!¡± Yan Feng and Yang Guan took off into a brisk run as soon as they left the county hall.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was lying on his recliner and basking in the sun outside Endless Horizons as usual. He yawned while wondering what would be the best time to leave the county and reap some juicy, juicy Bloodsucking Mosquitoes.

    ¡°Joyless!¡± ¡°Joyless!¡±

    His daydream popped like a bubble when two familiar voices entered his ears. He opened his eyes and shot his acquaintances a bright smile. ¡°Brother Yan, Yang Guan! I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you two. Shouldn¡¯t you be working on a serial murder right now?¡±

 Chapter 58: General of Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 58: General of Punishment</h4>

    ¡°You look like you have a lot of free time in your hands, Joyless!¡± Yang Guan voiced his envy before plopping down on the doorsteps of Endless Horizons. ¡°By the way, how did you know that we¡¯re investigating a serial murder?¡±

    Ye Qing poured both men a cup of wine as he replied, ¡°The entire county is talking about the serial murders right now, and the ck circles around your eyes are so thick I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you told me that you haven¡¯t slept at all. It¡¯s elementary, my friends.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. That is why we¡¯vee today!¡± Yang Feng said with a sigh.

    Ye Qing joked, ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m the murderer, do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! We¡¯re here to ask for your help!¡±

    ¡°What? But how?¡± Ye Qing cocked his head to one side. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue how to solve a case.¡±

    Yan Feng exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this. We¡¯ve been investigating this serial murder for three days straight, but we weren¡¯t able to find a single clue. Since you¡¯re a schr with extensive knowledge regarding Strangers, we¡¯d like to ask your help to verify if these murders weremitted by a human or a Stranger.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. He also realized that Yan Feng and his men must¡¯vepletely run out of ideas on how to continue the investigation or stop the murders, or they would not havee to a civilian like him. He nodded. ¡°Very well, I shall lend you a hand. But please don¡¯t be unhappy with me if I fail to produce any results, okay?¡±

    A delighted Yan Feng shook his head firmly. ¡°Of course not! We feel sorry enough that we have to trouble you to perform our duty!¡±

    ¡°d to hear that. Now, let¡¯s move!¡±

    Ye Qing rose to his feet, carried the recliner back into the bookstore and locked the doors. Then, he called out from beneath the stairs, ¡°I need to leave for a bit, Brother Frog. Please watch over the bookstore while I¡¯m gone!¡±

    ¡°Croak!¡± Kung Fu Frog responded from above. He could also hear a peal of childishughter.

    ¡°Huh? Is that a child¡¯sughter I just heard? I thought you live alone, Joyless,¡± Yang Guan asked curiously while walking up to Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°She¡¯s a friend. I¡¯ll introduce her to you when you¡¯re free!¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Yang Guan agreed with a chuckle.

    The trio began walking back to the county hall. The county hall was just two streets away from Endless Horizons, so the trio arrived at their destination in just a short time. Yan Yufei was already waiting for them at the entrance with a wide smile on his face. The middle-aged man remained as friendly and polite as ever even though he was now a magistrate. They exchanged pleasantries for a bit before heading straight for the mortuary.

    There were at least ten bodies in the mortuary, and the sheer amount of yin energy they discharged made Ye Qing feel like he had stepped into a freezer. If this was anywhere else, the suffocating amount of yin energy in the building would have converted the bodies into Yin Puppets, Zombies or other yin-type Strangers in no time. The reason they hadn¡¯t was because the walls, beams and other key locations of the mortuary were engraved with golden runes meant to suppress the transformation.

    This method of body preservation was excellent not just because it prevented the corpses from turning, but also halted the decaying process. Its only w was that it was cold as hell, which was hardly an issue for the warriors.

    ¡°Please take a look, Joyless!¡± said Yan Yufei after leading Ye Qing to a group of bodies.

    Ye Qing counted six bodies in total. The first body was a middle-aged woman with a thin face that gave her a sharp, unkind appearance. Her mouth was wide open, and her face was clearly contorted into an expression of terror. Her tongue had been severed from the roots.

    The second body was a portly woman d in luxurious, well-tailored clothes. She could onlye from a wealthy family. Her heart had been dug out of her chest.

    The third body was a young man in his twenties. His muscr, well-proportioned body indicated that he was a martial arts practitioner of sort. He was missing both of his hands.

    The fourth body was an old man with gray white hair and a face that seemed unusually lecherous for some reason. His eyes had been dug out of their sockets.

    The fifth body was a beautiful woman in herte twenties. He could smell a faint waft of perfume from her body, and her clothes were rather disheveled and revealing. She was probably a prostitute. Her ears had been cut clean off the head.

    The sixth and final body belonged to that of a huge man. He was tall, massive, and wearing a fierce scowl even in death. He was obviously a fierce, aggressive man when he was still alive. He was missing his legs.

    ¡°Can you give me a brief summary of their profiles?¡± Ye Qing examined them all closely before asking the question.

    Yang Guan immediately responded, ¡°The middle-aged woman is called Liu Xiaolian. She was a washerwoman who washed clothes for a living. She was a harsh, sharp-tongued woman who loved nothing more than to argue with her neighbors and sowed discord between people.¡±

    ¡°The portly woman is called Chen Cuihong. She was a songstress in Swallow¡¯s Nest, a brothel until she was redeemed by a Landlord Zhou. She is an exceptionally jealous woman who has turned the Zhou family upside down since she was taken in as a concubine.¡±

    ¡°The young man is called Feng Two. He was a known pickpocket.¡±

    ¡°The old man is called Sun Suo. He was a picklock with no children to his name. He waszy, addicted to alcohol, and had the vulgar habit of peeping on women.¡±

    ¡°The young woman was called Yan Hong. She was the jewel of Smoke and Rain, another brothel.¡±

    ¡°Thest person is called Zhang Pao. He¡¯s a hooligan who loves nothing more than the brawl!¡±

    Ye Qing was deep in thought and rubbing his nose unconsciously as he processed the information. Yan Feng added, ¡°The victims all came from different backgrounds, and they all suffered different forms of muttion. We were unable to identify any pattern or even locate a single clue despite three days of non-stop investigation. We wouldn¡¯t even ssify this as a serial murder if they hadn''t all died in the same fashion!¡±

    ¡°No, I do think there is a pattern!¡± Ye Qing said all of a sudden.

    ¡°Really? Pray tell!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up as Yan Yufei urged.

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush. Have youpiled the victims¡¯ profile and whereabouts prior to their murder? Can I take a look at the documents?¡±

    ¡°We do! It¡¯s in the archives!¡± Yang Guan replied and looked to Yan Yufei for permission. He then ran to the archives, gathered everything Ye Qing had requested, and brought it back to the young man.

    Ye Qing epted the documents and skimmed through the pages quickly. It wasn¡¯t long before he shut the document and dered, ¡°It is as I thought!¡±

    ¡°So? What did you find, Joyless?¡± Yan Yufei asked again.

    Ye Qing set down the document before answering Yan Yufei¡¯s questions, ¡°At first nce, these victims seem to share nomonalities with each other, and the way their bodies are mutted arepletely different as well. But if you look closer, you may discover why the murderer had killed them and mutted their body in a specific way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll start from the beginning. Liu Xiaolian was a harsh, sharp-tongued person who enjoyed sowing discord between people. It was why the murderer cut off the tongue. ording to the document, Chen Cuihong was such a jealous-ridden woman that she went so far as to murder a servant girl who was prettier than her. It was why the murderer dug out her heart.¡±

    ¡°Feng Two was a thief, and a thief relies on their hands to steal and feed themselves. That was why the murderer cut off his arms. Sun Suo had the vulgar habit of peeping on women, so the murderer dug out his eyes. Yan Hong was a habitual eavesdropper who enjoyed collecting dirty secrets and using them to ckmail or besmirch her victims¡¯ reputation, so the murderer cut off her ears. Finally, Zhang Pao was a frequent brawler with a strong preference for kicking because he possessed a pair of strong legs, and he especially enjoyed kicking his victims until they were crippled. That was why the murderer cut off his legs.¡±

    ¡°In summary, the one who sowed discord lost her tongue, the jealous one lost her heart, the thief lost his hands, the peeping tom lost his eyes, the eavesdroppers lost her ears, and the leg brawler lost his legs¡­ what is this if not a pattern?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re right!¡± Everyone eximed in surprise and realization. It seemed so obvious now that Ye Qing had stated it out clearly.

    Yan Yufei mulled over the revtion for a moment before asking, ¡°Do you know who¡¯s the murderer then, Joyless? Is it a human, or a Stranger?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Stranger!¡± Ye Qing dered.

    ¡°And how do you know that?¡±

    .

    ¡°Because my instincts said so!¡± Ye Qing dered matter-of-factly.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>That doesn¡¯t sound like a particrly convincing argument¡­</i>

    Ye Qing ignored their dubious gazes and continued, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not all instinct. I have one piece of evidence to support my im.¡±

    ¡°Evidence? You have evidence, and you¡¯ve been keeping us in suspense all this time?¡± Yang Guanined in an impatient tone. ¡°Just tell us already, man!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Fine, fine. I once read about a folk tale in a book. It said that Shing Wong, the City Godmands two judges who were responsible for martial and civil duties, and four generals who were responsible for rewarding good, punishing evil, detaining souls, and suppressing ghosts respectively.¡±

    ¡°Of the four generals, the General of Punishment, Gan Liu is especially embittered against evil. He has two heads, four eyes and six arms. One hand determines good, and the other judges evil. He wields an axe, a hatchet, a sword, a saber, a hook, and a fork with his four arms. If he encounters a sower of discord, he would rip out their tongues with his hook. If he encounters a malicious, jealous person, then he would pluck out their hearts with his fork. If he encounters a thief or a gambler, then he would cut off their hands with his sword. If he encounters a peeping tom or an eavesdropper, then he would sever their ears or their eyes with his saber. So on and so on¡­¡±

    ¡°Does that not sound very simr to the way the victims were mutted?¡±

    ¡°It is!¡± Yan Yufei nodded but hesitated for a moment. ¡°But still, it¡¯s just a folk tale. We can¡¯t possibly use it as evidence.¡±

    ¡°And I would agree. But how can you exin the fact that they¡¯ve all visited the Shing Wong temple located to the east of the county recently?¡± Ye Qing dered with a flourish. ¡°In any case, we simply need to visit the Shing Wong temple to know if I¡¯m right!¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? They¡¯ve all visited the Shing Wong temple prior to their deaths?¡± Yan Yufei eximed in shock. When he grabbed the document on the table and read it closely, he discovered that Ye Qing was right. They had missed it because the time the victims visited the Shing Wong temple were all different.

    Yan Feng and Yang Guan looked over Yan Yufei¡¯s shoulders for a moment before exchanging mortified looks with each other. They were both professional bailiffs, and yet a novice had outdone them in this department. How embarrassing!

    Of course, it wasn¡¯tpletely their fault. Countless people visited the Shing Wong temple everyday, but only a handful of bad people were murdered for their crimes. It was why the two bailiffs had subconsciously overlooked this.

    ¡°Well, we know what to do now. Prepare to head to Shing Wong temple immediately,¡± Yan Yufei ordered after taking a moment to sort out his thoughts.

    ¡°At once!¡± Yan Feng and Yan Guan received their orders and left.

    By preparations, Yan Yufei meant rounding up the bailiffs. There was strength in numbers after all. By the time Ye Qing and Yan Yufei arrived at the county hall entrance, at least thirty armed men in red-and-ck uniforms were already standing in formation and waiting for orders. Once Yan Yufei had given themand, the sizable force immediately departed for Shing Wong temple.

    The Shing Wong temple was located to the east of Anyang, the direction where the sun rose. It was also the only Shing Wong temple in the entire county, which was why it was packed with people almost everyday!

    Unfortunately, the great nation of Chu did not worship deities, and it rarely appointed a deity to supervise a territory such as a mountain god to watch over a mountain, an agent of the underworld to govern the dead of a city, and so on. As a result, the Shing Wong temple was just that, a temple. Despite its numerous worshippers, a deity was never born in the temple.

    Yan Yufei ordered the men to remove the worshippers after they had arrived at their destination. Once done, the group began their investigation while Ye Qing and Yan Yufei headed straight for the main hall.

 Chapter 59: Shing Wong Statue

    <h4>Chapter 59: Shing Wong Statue</h4>

    In ancient times, Shing Wong was a very popr faith. Depending on the territory, the people either worshiped the Civil Shing Wong or the Martial Shing Wong. The one in this temple was the Martial Shing Wong.

    The Shing Wong statue set at the main hall was tall, huge, and fearsome. He carried a long saber.

    Yan Yufei wasted no time in searching every nook and cranny of the main hall as soon as he entered the building. However, he couldn¡¯t even find a portrait of the General of Punishment, much less a statue of the deity. After returning to Ye Qing¡¯s side, he discovered that the young man was staring closely at the Shing Wong statue for some reason. Thinking that the young man had found something, he asked hurriedly, ¡°How¡¯s it going, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, this statue is pretty impressive!¡±

    Yan Yufei: ¡°...¡± <i>That¡¯s not what I meant.</i>

    ¡°I mean, did you find anything, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Oh. No, I haven¡¯t found anything yet, but no worries. Let¡¯s take this one step at a time!¡± said Ye Qing with a shake of his head.He then sped his hands behind his back and walked leisurely around the main hall like he was a tourist.

    ¡°We found nothing, my lord!¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t find anything either, my lord!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before the bailiffs Yan Yufei had sent off to scour the entire temple came to report that they did not find anything resembling the General of Punishment. There was no statue, no portrait, nothing.

    ¡°Was your deduction wrong after all, Joyless?¡± Yan Yufei said doubtfully after hearing his men¡¯s reports.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing frowned a little but gave the magistrate a careless shrug. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just because we didn¡¯t find anything now doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t find somethingter. Please give me a moment!¡±

    His response caught Yan Yufei off guard, but the young man was already leaving before he could ask what exactly he meant by that.

    After Ye Qing went to a secluded corner, he took out the Annon Sutra and bit open his finger. He asked while dripping his blood on the vellum, ¡°Where is the General of Punishment hiding?¡±

    Ye Qing was certain that the culprit behind the serial murder was the General of Punishment, and that the deity was hiding somewhere within this temple. Just because they couldn¡¯t find him didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t here!

    The General of Punishment might prove to be too elusive to the bailiffs, but not him. After all, he was the man with the Annon Sutra! When in doubt, just ask the Annon Sutra!

    <i>¡°I¡¯ve encountered a troublesome problem. I have identified the murderer behind the recent serial murder and even chased it to itsir, but the deity has proven to be more elusive than expected. Yan Yufei and the others are already beginning to doubt my judgment. Whatever shall I do to prove that I was right?¡±</i>

    The droplets of blood transformed into rows and rows of words. The Annon Sutra was the same as ever.

    <i>¡°Perhaps the Shing Wong statue would give me some clues. I feel that something is odd about it!¡±</i>

    ¡°Something¡¯s odd with the Shing Wong statue?¡± Ye Qing muttered with a frown. He had been staring at the statue since he entered the main hall, but he hadn¡¯t noticed anything wrong with it at all.

    .

    That said, the Annon Sutra was never wrong even though it refused to give him a straight answer. If it said that something was wrong with the Shing Wong statue, then it must be wrong!

    Ye Qing put away the Annon Sutra and went back to the main hall. When he rounded a corner, he saw Yan Yufei pacing back and forth in front of the Shing Wong statue. His expression was calm, but his movements betrayed just how anxious he really felt.

    Yan Yufei¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Ye Qing again. He immediately walked up to the young man and asked, ¡°Did you find anything, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°In fact, I did!¡± Ye Qing replied honestly.

    ¡°Wonderful! Tell me now!¡± Yan Yufei eximed in pleasant surprise.

    Ye Qing pretended to be suave and pointed his chin at the tall and imposing Shing Wong statue behind Yan Yufei. He then said in a serious tone, ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this statue!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?¡± Yan Yufei asked while turning around and staring at the statue as well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure, but it¡¯s been triggering my sixth sense since I entered this ce!¡± Ye Qing answered. The Annon Sutra was never wrong, so it was simply a matter of leaving it up to the professionals to find out exactly what was wrong with it.

    Yan Yufei didn¡¯t say anything. While he wasn¡¯t too pleased with Ye Qing¡¯s reply, he could not deny that a person¡¯s sixth sense could be extremely urate. This was especially true when investigating a case. It was folly to rely on one¡¯s instincts to guide them, but it was equally folly to ignore itpletely!

    It was at this moment Yang Guan entered the main hall. When he noticed that Ye Qing and Yan Yufei were staring at the Shing Wong statue, he shot it a look and sighed admiringly, ¡°Man, this statue is huge!¡±

    Suddenly, Yan Yufei perked up and spun on Yang Guan. ¡°What did you just say, Yang Guan?¡±

    The magistrate¡¯s outburst surprised Yang Guan, of course. His first instinct was that he had said something to displease his superior, it wasn¡¯t like he could refuse to answer. So, he forced himself to respond, ¡°I said, this statue is huge. W-What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Yan Yufei pped his hands in delight. ¡°Joyless mentioned that something is wrong with the Shing Wong statue just now, and when I took a closer look I too found myself agreeing with him, though the answer refused to leave the tip of my tongue until you showed me the light, Yang Guan!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Yang Guan asked helpfully. Ye Qing was also leaning forward and waiting patiently for Yan Yufei to give his exnation.

    ¡°This Shing Wong statue is huge alright. In fact, it is far too big!¡± Yan Yufei began slowly. ¡°When I left my home to broaden my horizons many years ago, I¡¯d visited many Shing Wong temples and seen many Shing Wong statues. However, they were never built taller than 12.6 meters and wider than 11 meters.¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. This was something he knew nothing about, and from his perspective the Shing Wong statue just looked like any other statue. If it wasn¡¯t for the Annon Sutra, he would never guess that something was wrong with it.

    Yan Yufei exined, ¡°There is a passage in ¡®Folklore¡¯ that goes something like this. Shing Wong is a yin deity; a ghost god who was appointed to be a deity after his death. That is why he must not be built taller than 12.6 meters and wider than 11 meters. Barring certain exceptions, almost every Shing Wong statue in the realm obeys this rule.¡±

    ¡°But the build of this Shing Wong statue breaks this rule not just by a little, but a lot. You can also tell that its disproportionate appearance gives off an oppressive and disharmonious feeling. Something is obviously off about it!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying, but you¡¯re probably right!¡± Ye Qing said with a nod. <i>As expected of a true schr! He¡¯s far more knowledgeable than a smatterer like me!</i>

    ¡°Okay, so the Shing Wong statue of this temple is weird, but¡­ what does that have to do with our case?¡± Yang Guan asked while scratching his head.

    ¡°...¡± Yan Yufei¡¯s momentum stuttered to a halt. Once again, Yang Guan was right. While the strange statue indicated not all was right in this temple, it didn¡¯t seem to be rted to the General of Punishment at all.

    It was at this moment a sh of inspiration lit up in Ye Qing¡¯s mind. He blurted, ¡°No, there is a rtion!¡±

    Yan Yufei and Yang Guan immediately looked at him expectantly.

    Ye Qing wet his lips and exined his theory, ¡°I¡¯m certain that the General of Punishment is hiding somewhere in this Shing Wong temple, but we¡¯ve scoured every nook and cranny and found nothing at all. This can only mean that the Stranger is concealing himself somehow.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that this Shing Wong statue is much bigger than an ordinary Shing Wong statue, right? Tell me, what are the chances that the General of Punishment might be hiding within this statue?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Both Yan Yufei and Yang Guan eximed in surprise and realization. The idea hadn¡¯t urred to them until Ye Qing had made the connection, but now, they were starting to think he was right!

    When Ye Qing saw the hesitant look on Yan Yufei¡¯s face, he said lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to think so hard about this. There¡¯s a simple way to check if my deduction is correct!¡±

    ¡°Really? What is your n, Joyless?¡± Yan Yufei asked.

    Ye Qing grinned. ¡°We just need to smash the statue and see what¡¯s inside!¡±

    ¡°No! You cannot!¡± Shock rippled through Yan Yufei as he hurriedly stopped Ye Qing. The Shing Wong temple was one of the main attractions of Anyang, and the statue itsndmark. It was one thing if the General of Punishment really was hiding in the statue, but he wasn¡¯t, then they would be hardpressed to exin their actions to the people.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll pay for the damage!¡±

    Yan Yufeiughed involuntarily. Money was hardly the problem here. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t manage to persuade Ye Qing further before the young man put a thumb on the hilt and unsheathed his saber with a crisp ring.

    ¡°Joyless, wai¡ª¡±

    <i>Crash!</i>

    A blinding light shone from Ye Qing¡¯s saber and mmed squarely against the Shing Wong statue. As it crumbled into smithereens, the glitter of gold shone from within.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°This is bad!¡±

    At the temple grounds, an old man with a slightly crooked back abruptly looked up with a sinister, vicious gleam in his eyes the second the Shing Wong statue was destroyed. He was an incense acolyte that Yan Yufei had questioned earlier.

    ¡°Stop! What are you doing?¡± A bailiff shouted and broke into a run when he noticed that he was striding toward the main hall. His colleagues were rushing over from multiple directions as well.

    ¡°Out of my way!¡± The incense acolyte yelled and unleashed a cold, terrible aura. Everyone shivered involuntarily when the aura washed over them.

    The next moment, something terrifying froze them all in their tracks. The incense acolyte¡¯s nose, mouth, ears, and finally the eyes gradually disappeared one by one. When all was said and done, the incense acolyte had turnedpletely faceless!

    ¡°Mmm! Mmm!¡±

    The temple acolyte wasn¡¯t the only one who turned faceless. Every bailiff in the area was losing their face as well. When their facial features werepletely gone, they abruptly copsed to the floor and died just like that.

    The temple acolyte immediately started toward the main hall once more, but he paused just a couple of stepster and changed his mind. ¡°No, it¡¯s already toote. I should escape before anyone finds me!¡±

    He stomped his foot angrily and leaped onto a rooftop. Then, he disappeared into the distance.

    ¡­¡­

    Back at the main hall, a brand new statue stood before the trio after the blinding light had faded. It was a literal gold statue with two heads, four heads and six arms. One head wore a kind and amiable smile, while the other a savage and vicious snarl. Their expressions looked so lifelike they could be real. The statue wielded an axe, a hatchet, a hook, a fork, a saber, and a sword.

    The statue looked incredibly majestic. It was also brimming with the power of wishes. However, its majesty was mixed with some sort of unspeakable evil that elicited a horribly twisted, discordant feeling.

    ¡°The General of Punishment! It really is the General of Punishment!¡± Yang Guan eximed with bulging eyes.

    Yan Yufei was far more furious than he was shocked, however. A sudden, terrible aura erupted from his body as he roared, ¡°How dare you forge a golden body and steal the power of the people¡¯s wishes for yourself!¡±

 Chapter 60: Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 60: Punishment</h4>

    ¡°Golden body? Power of wishes?¡± Ye Qing muttered under his breath.

    Yang Guan must have noticed his puzzlement because he helpfully exined in a low voice, ¡°Chu does not worship celestials or deities, which is why there are so few mountain gods or river gods or other deities in the realm. It is also why such statues are usually molded from y or stone. Only a deity who received an official appointment from the court is allowed to forge a golden statue with true gold and absorb the power of wishes of the people to create a golden body.¡±

    ¡°Ourw clearly states that any deity who dares to forge a golden statue and steal the power of wishes without the court¡¯s approval would be condemned as a false deity. Their temples would be dismantled, their icons would be destroyed, and their three souls would be wiped out without mercy. Any and all aplices would be imprisoned, exiled, or exterminated to the nine generations depending on the severity of their crimes.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing nodded in realization. Now he understood why Yan Yufei was so furious.

    Suddenly, a muscle twitched in Ye Qing¡¯s forehead, and he shouted, ¡°Move!¡± while pulling Yang Guan all the way to the entrance. At the same time, the General of Punishment abruptly opened his eyes and shone like a golden sun; bright and hot. If there was any doubt that the General of Punishment was a Stranger, there wasn¡¯t now.

    <strong>¡°Who dares to disturb a god¡¯s slumber?¡±</strong>

    An awe-inspiring, imposing voice boomed throughout the main hall.

    "And who are you to call yourself a god, filthy heretic and insignificant Stranger?¡±

    An equally potent and awe-inspiring aura gushed furiously out of Yan Yufei, billowing his sleeves and pushing back against the deity¡¯s. It felt like a pair of mini hurricanes were taking ce in the main hall as the building shook ominously.

    .

    <strong>¡°You dare to insult me, mere mortal? You deserve death!¡±</strong>

    The General of Punishment roared angrily as the head with a kind expression abruptly spun toward Yan Yufei and wore a vicious snarl. Then, he shot hot golden fire out of his eyes and swung all six of his weapons at Yan Yufei like a punisher intending to enact divine judgment on behalf of the heavens!

    ¡°Hmph! The winds of Man rage against the sycophant; forceful, unyielding, and all-epassing!¡±

    Unafraid, Yan Yufei chanted what sounded like a mantra and summoned a storm of wind out of seemingly nowhere. It was so powerful that it actually kept both the sea of mes and the General of Punishment himself from reaching him. The next moment, a furious downpour crashed down from the ceiling and extinguished the golden mes in no time!

    ¡°Ah, he¡¯s using his authority to borrow strength from thend and the people to bring forth the power of nature itself! He¡¯s probably stronger than a warrior equivalent!¡± Ye Qingmented with bright eyes.

    Yan Yufei was undeniably powerful, and the fact that he could summon a storm powerful enough to extinguish the mes of a deity with just a simple mantra was impressive to say the least. However, it ultimately wasn¡¯t his own strength. Logically, a true General of Punishment¡ªone who was officially acknowledged by the imperial court of Chu¡ªwould be more than a match for Yan Yufei. However, the General of Punishment in front of them wasn¡¯t a conferred deity. He was at best a Stranger who sneakily became a false deity behind Chu¡¯s back. He might look imposing and all-powerful, but his strength was only equal to that of ate-stage Qi Invoker. It was why the battle waspletely one-sided in favor of Yan Yufei.

    ¡°Can Lord Yan win, Joyless?¡± Yang Guan asked worriedly while watching the ensuing battle.

    ¡°Of course. That General of Punishment is just a Red-ss Stranger and not much better than even the likes of you. There is no way he can threaten the magistrate!¡± Ye Qing replied leisurely.

    ¡°I see!¡± Yang Guan responded but immediately rolled his eyes at Ye Qing. <i>¡®Not much better than the likes of you¡¯? I¡¯m plenty strong for a bailiff, okay!</i>

    <strong>¡°GRAH!¡±</strong>

    The General of Punishment roared again and swung all six of his weapons at the storm keeping him away from Yan Yufei. The living statue was huge, and the weapons he wielded were just as big. As a result, the attack actually managed to cut through the furious storm billowing inside the main hall.

    ¡°Thew of Chu states: no false deity shall receive the power of wishes!¡± Yan Yufei dered powerfully while a square seal floated above his head. It was none other than the magistrate seal of Anyang.

    The seal was shaped like a square block because its owner governs all four directions of a territory. The owner was also responsible for all the people within the territory, which was why pictures of farmers and livestocks tilling thend were engraved to the horizontal sides of the seal. The seal was called the Seal of the Land or Seal of the People to signify that its owner bore the heavy responsibility of enriching the people and thend, and wielded absolute authority (within the post they were bestowed, of course) within their territory.

    When Yan Yufei was finished speaking, the magistrate seal abruptly shone a brilliant golden light. It was an august, majestic light that was nothing like the superficial, impure amalgamation that the General of Punishment tried to intimidate them with earlier. It was as tall as the heavens, as thick as the earth, and as vast as the people themselves!

    Like snow under a zing hot sun, the General of Punishment started leaking ck, smelly smoke when it was touched by the light. The warm, golden light that surrounded him also disappeared as if some unseen force was stripping it away bit by bit. Cracks began to appear all over its golden body as well.

    <strong>¡°ARGH!¡±</strong>

    The moment the General of Punishment was stripped of the power of wishes he stole, the strength of his aura began plummeting at a visible rate. His swings also became so weak that they failed to put even a dent on the golden light of the seal.

    ¡°Thew of Chu states: a false deity who steals the power of wishes shall be crushed and exterminated!¡±

    When Yan Yufei lowered his hand, the golden light morphed into countless chains and wrapped around the General of Punishment, immobilizing him. Then, a long sword abruptly appeared in the air. The sword had a blocky body and did not look like it was capable of cutting through anything at all, but the righteous power it gave off was a different story.

    A gentleman was square [1], which was why the sword with a square de was named the Gentleman¡¯s Sword. It was a sword the Son of Heavens bestowed to each and every official before they assumed a post. It was his wish that his servants would be a virtuous gentleman as square as the Gentleman¡¯s Sword!

    ¡°My lord, wait!¡±

    Yan Yufei was about to behead the false deity when suddenly, Ye Qing shouted without warning. When he instinctively slowed down, Ye Qing seized the opportunity to leap over to the Stranger¡¯s head.

    ¡°Allow me!¡±

    Hended a palm strike on the top of the Stranger¡¯s head and unleashed his power, shattering the General of Punishment into smithereens. Golden debris flew everywhere, and a thick dust cloud filled the main hall.

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough¡­¡±

    For a time, everyone was covering their mouths and coughing violently. As a result, they did not notice Ye Qing swiping a dim golden heart from the floor and storing it in his Nature¡¯s Shell.

    A long timeter, when the golden dust cloud finally subsided, the main hall was in shambles, and everyone was covered in a sheen of literal gold. It was a golden day.

    ¡°Joyless, what were you¡­?¡±

    Yan Yufei hadn¡¯t suffered as much as his subordinates thanks to his seal, but he was definitely confused by Ye Qing¡¯s final action.

    Ye Qing wore an awkward smile as he scratched his head. ¡°Sorry, sorry. This is the first time I met a General of Punishment, and I suddenly wanted to know how it feels to kill a deity¡ªeven if it¡¯s a fake. I guess I used a bit too much strength at the end though.¡±

    <i>He wants to know how it feels to kill a deity? The fuck?</i>

    Almost everyone was wearing question marks on their faces, but Yang Guan was staring at Ye Qing with a half-smirk on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding this strength all this time, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing replied humbly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just a lot stronger than you!¡±

    Yang Guan: ¡°...¡± <i>Let¡¯s keep this civil, shall we?</i>

    Ye Qing ignored Yang Guan¡¯s reaction and turned to Yan Yufei. ¡°Anyway, this isn¡¯t a simple murder case anymore, Lord Yan. Someone must be responsible for bringing the General of Punishment to life. You should investigate this thoroughly!¡±

    Yan Yufei nodded. Honestly, Ye Qing¡¯s warning was unnecessary. There was no way a Stranger could hide within the Shing Wong statue and steal the people¡¯s power of wishes right under Anyang¡¯s nose without help. ording to thew of Chu, cases like this must be investigated until every stone was turned, every culprit was apprehended or killed, and every loose end was tied. So, he ordered immediately, ¡°Men! Round up everyone in the Shing Wong temple and other relevant people and bring them to the county hall for an interrogation immediately. Do not let anyone slip through your grasp!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Yan Feng and Yang Guan responded immediately.

    It was at this moment a bailiff suddenly barged into the main hall and cried out in a panicked voice, ¡°M-My lord! We have an incident!¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Yan Yufei asked.

    ¡°Chen Ling, Wei Gang, Yuang and the others! They¡­ they¡¯re all dead!¡±

    ¡°What?! Lead the way!¡±

    The bailiff quickly led the group to one part of the temple grounds. Everyone gasped in horror when they rounded a corner and saw the bodies on the ground.

    No one here was unfamiliar with the dead, but dead people whose faces were perfectly nk like unfinished dolls? That was a different story entirely.

    Yan Feng sucked in a deep breath before walking over to inspect the bodies and removing their identity tags. After a thorough inspection, he looked behind him and reported, ¡°My lord, there are six victims in total. They are Bailiff Chen Ling, Wei Gang, and Ma Yuang; Common Bailiff Zhuang An, Yang Zhen and Tang Yang.¡±

    ¡°I cannot find any wounds on their bodies whatsoever. The only thing they¡¯re missing¡­ is their face. The cause of death is unknown!¡±

    Yan Yufei epted the identity tags from Yan Feng before staring at the other bailiffs with an ice cold expression. ¡°What the hell happened here? Who killed them?¡±

    No one seemed to have a clue. They were all exchanging helpless looks with each other.

    ¡°Besides the victims, was there anyone else at this part of the temple grounds?¡± Ye Qing asked after staring at the corpses.

    ¡°Y-Yes! The incense acolyte of Shing Wong temple was here!¡± A bailiff answered.

    ¡°The incense acolyte?¡± Yan Yufei repeated with stormy eyes. ¡°Since the temple acolyte¡¯s body isn¡¯t here, it can only mean two things. Either he was kidnapped by the murderer¡­ or he was the one who killed them.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes shed as he exined slowly, ¡°Lord Yan, the mastermind behind the General of Punishment must be an abbot or a senior monk of the Shing Wong temple at the very least. Not only that, they must be able to take charge of the maintenance of the Shing Wong statue, or there is no way they could¡¯ve hidden a statue within a statue. In this Shing Wong temple, the incense acolyte is the only one who fits the criteria, not to mention he went missing without a word and left six bodies in his wake. He has to be a prime suspect!¡±

    ¡°You are absolutely right!¡± Yan Yufei echoed in agreement. ¡°Yan Feng, take some men with you and spread posters of the incense acolyte immediately. Let the people know that anyone who can provide a lead regarding his whereabouts will be rewarded handsomely!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    ¡°Zhu Nan, you and everyone else will carry our deceased brothers back to the county hall. Be sure to give them a proper burial!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    Yan Yufei had just finished giving his orders and left the Shing Wong temple when a group of men approached him. They were clearly no ordinary people.

    ¡°What happened, Lord Yan?¡± A rugged-looking and muscr military officer in armor walked up to Yan Yufei and asked.

    ¡°Perfect timing, Vice Magistrate You. I want you to rally your men and remove this Shing Wong temple immediately!¡±

    Yan Yufei exined seriously, ¡°Someone in Anyang has the gall to forge a golden statue of the General of Punishment and hide it inside the Shing Wong¡¯s statue. Not only has the statue received enough power of wishes to be a false deity, it had already imed more than a few innocent lives. It would¡¯ve been a disaster if I hadn''t chased a lead all the way to this ce and found it!¡±

    1. I understand a square person means old-fashioned and conventional in English, but in this case you should read it as honest and genuine. ??

 Chapter 61: Petty Schemes Galore

    <h4>Chapter 61: Petty Schemes Galore</h4>

    The vice magistrate flew into a rage when he heard this, ¡°What!? Who was the culprit? How dare they!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still looking into it, but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find the culprit very soon. In the meantime, will you please rally the men and remove this Shing Wong temple immediately? The people must be made aware of the danger, and it¡¯ll serve as a warning to all criminals who might be harboring simr ideas!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The vice magistrate saluted Yan Yufei before ordering, ¡°Yi¡¯an, rally the men and remove this Shing Wong temple immediately! Make haste!¡±

    ¡°Got it, brother-inw!¡± The young man named Yi¡¯an answered. He was none other than Tang Yi¡¯an, the gate captain of Anyang.

    ¡°Tang Yi¡¯an? Why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be at the gates?¡± Yan Yufei frowned the moment he noticed the gate captain.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I noticed an unusual disturbance in this direction earlier, my lord! I thought I should check it out just in case it was a Stranger attack!¡± Tang Yi¡¯an responded in a righteous tone.

    However, Yan Yufei let out a cold hmph and said, ¡°You are the gate captain of Anyang. Your main responsibility is to guard the gates and prevent any malevolent souls from infiltrating the county. Unless we specifically called for you toe to our aid, you should leave the incidents within the county to us.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯vee out of the goodness of your heart, I will not punish you for the crime of leaving your post without permission. But do not do it again, understand?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord, I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me!¡± Tang Yi¡¯an said hurriedly even as his expression darkened. He had been hoping to earn Yan Yufei¡¯s favor with this initiative, but instead it almostnded him in hot waters. His heart immediately boiled with resentment and hatred.

    ¡°Please forgive him, my lord. It is I who failed to teach him properly. When we get back, I¡¯ll be sure to brush up on his education!¡± The vice magistrate smiled awkwardly as he apologized on behalf of Tang Yi¡¯an. He then turned back to the young man and chided in a stern tone, ¡°What are you waiting for? Get back to the Shushou Gate already! I will hold you responsible if anything happened at the gates while you were gone! Now get lost!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord. I¡¯ll be returning to my post now!¡± Tang Yi¡¯an replied and turned away, but right before he left he red at Ye Qing with a hint of hatred and bloodthirst behind his eyes.

    <i>Yan Yufei¡¯s the one who raked you over the coals, and your own brother-inw¡¯s who scolded you, so why is the idiot looking at me instead of them? Does he have a screw loose in his head?</i> Ye Qing thought idly to himself. Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s action, while inconspicuous, hadn¡¯t escaped his notice thanks to his fine senses.

    He paid the clown no heed though. He could beat a hundred Tang Yi¡¯an should he ever grow the nerve to challenge him. The military officer on the other hand, now that was someone he needed to be wary of!

    Yan Yufei had addressed the military officer as the vice magistrate, and Tang Yi¡¯an his brother-inw. He could only be the vice magistrate responsible for the military defense of Anyang, You Da!

    You Da had a rugged appearance, but his vigor was thick and strong. Like a sun, he was blinding in the auric sense even from a long distance away. Ye Qing had no doubt that he was a powerful martial practitioner and a Vessel Augmentor at least. He couldn¡¯t tell if You Da was a middle-stage orte-stage Vessel Augmentor, but one thing for certain, his cultivation level was definitely stronger than his right now.

    There was one more person of note besides You Da. He was another middle-aged man in his forties wearing a ck, form-fitting outfit. He had long, straight eyebrows, and eyes that glittered like stars. His aura was as cold and biting as winter, and his face looked like it was carved out of stone, stiff and expressionless. Ye Qing might believe it if someone told him that the man wasn¡¯t really a human, but a heartless golem.

    <i>He¡¯s also a Vessel Augmentor, and not just any Vessel Augmentor either. He¡¯s even stronger than You Da!</i>

    At first nce, the middle-aged man¡¯s presence was weaker than You Da¡¯s. In reality, it was just withdrawn because he had full control over his power. To Ye Qing, his aura felt rounded, fully integrated, and unfathomable. This meant that he was actually much stronger than You Da.

    ¡°Lord Yan. Did you fight against the suspect earlier?¡± The middle-aged man asked suddenly.

    ¡°Well met, Chief Ling!¡± Yan Yufei turned toward him and nodded. ¡°As to your question, the answer is both yes and no. I had fought against the General of Punishment¡ªthe golden statue that had grown some measure of sentience and transformed into a Stranger due to all the power of wishes it had received throughout the year. As for the mastermind behind this, I¡¯m still in the middle of investigating!¡±

    <i>Chief Ling? He¡¯s probably the chief of the Pacification Bureau in Anyang, the ¡°One Sword Autumn¡± Ling Jianqiu then. No wonder he gave me a dangerous feeling, </i>Ye Qing thought while rubbing his chin.

    The reason he came to Anyang was to massacre the Zheng n and take revenge for August Hill Vige and himself. Naturally, he had made sure to investigate every faction, notable person, and any other variables in Anyang that might pose a concern to his mission, and Ling Jianqiu, the chief of the Pacification Bureau was one of them. To do any less was to court failure at best, or a fate-worse-than-death at worst.

    Ling Jianqiu was the chief of the Pacification Bureau. Naturally, he had done some research on him.

    It was at this moment the bailiffs carried their dead colleagues out of the Shing Wong temple. You Da¡¯s face darkened as he asked, ¡°My lord?¡±

    Yan Yufei sighed deeply. ¡°I did not think that the mastermind would still be in the temple, and he was able to kill some of our brothers and escape while I was battling the General of Punishment!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu interrupted, ¡°You should¡¯ve reported this case to my Pacification Bureau since it rtes to Strangers, Lord Yan. We would have destroyed the false deity and captured the mastermind without suffering any casualties!¡±

    ¡°Because of your wilful actions, you have cost several bailiffs their lives and even alerted the mastermind. Now, it¡¯ll be far more difficult to capture the bastards!¡±

    ¡°Are you using me of ipetence, Chief Ling?¡± Yan Yufei asked coldly. He could stomach the first half of Ling Jianqiu¡¯s reprimand, but the second half was just a put-down through and through. The Pacification Bureau and the administration division were technically on the same level even though their functions were very different from one another. However, Ling Jianqiu had borne down on him arrogantly and usingly like he was his superior. It was no wonder that Yan Yufei was displeased.

    ¡°You misunderstand me. I¡¯m simply stating the facts as they are!¡± Ling Jianqiu replied as cool as ever.

    <i>Wow, this guy is exactly like the rumors said! </i>Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little. It was rumored that Ling Jianqiu was cold and heartless, cynical and insensitive, pitiless and strict and more. It would seem that the rumors were not unfounded.

    ¡°You want to talk about facts, don''t you? Okay! I¡¯ll give you some facts¡± Yan Yufei retorted, ¡°This was just a serial murder case at the beginning. We had no idea if a Stranger was actually behind the murders. It¡¯s only after we chased the clues to this ce that we stumbled upon the Stranger, and by then we were already engaged in battle! We did not inform the Pacification Bureau in time not because we didn¡¯t want to, but because there was no time!¡±

    ¡°Second, could the Pacification Bureau really have done better than us? I could tell from my battle against the Stranger that it had been stealing the power of wishes for some time, and yet the Pacification Bureau had not noticed a thing until now. If I hadn¡¯t stumbled upon it by ident, a terrible tragedy would¡¯ve befallen Anyang, and I don¡¯t need to tell you what would¡¯ve happened to your Pacification Bureau if the emperor heard about this!¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even begun to hold you responsible for your negligence, and you have the gall to criticize me, Chief Ling?¡±

    Yan Yufei had mixed quite a bit of lies into his counter-usation¡ªfor example, he was lying about not knowing that a Stranger might be behind the murder case at all¡ªbut it was so well-reasoned and intimidating that a lesser official might¡¯ve caved under the pressure. Unfortunately, Ling Jianqiu was no lesser official. Expressionless as ever, he took the full brunt of the counter-usation like it was nothing and said, ¡°If a tragedy were to break out as a result of my negligence, then so be it. As the chief of the Pacification Bureau, I am willing to bear the sins and consequences that resulted from my mistakes. But just the same, there is no denying that you¡¯vemitted a mistake today, one that you should take responsibility for.¡±

    ¡°In any case, now that we know for certain that a Stranger <i>is </i>behind this, I would urge you to hand this case over to the Pacification Bureau immediately. The mastermind must be apprehended as soon as possible!¡±

    Yan Yufei sneered. ¡°Thanks but no thanks. Since Chief Ling insists that this matter is a mistake on my part, then allow me to make up for it by resolving this case! You do not need to interfere or worry over this, Chief Ling!¡±

    ¡°Men, let us depart!¡± Yan Yufei ordered curtly after that and left without even bothering to bid Ling Jianqiu goodbye.

    ¡°I need to go, Chief Ling. I¡¯ll see youter!¡± You Da also took his leave after saluting Ling Jianqiu.

    When everyone was gone, a young woman behind Ling Jianqiu asked him, ¡°Foster father, Lord Yan is the newly appointed magistrate of Anyang, and I am sure that his backing is considerable. Why did you butt heads with him instead of trying to foster a good rtionship with him? Won¡¯t it make things difficult and impact the Pacification Bureau and the administrative division¡¯s future rtionship?¡±

    The young woman was about twenty years old and wearing a long, dark green dress. She had a beautiful countenance, a shapely figure, a gentle temperament, and a natural aura around her that was unique to a waterfront woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m not targeting Yan Yufei. I just want to apprehend the Stranger as soon as possible. Strangers are cunning by nature. Every second we waste may result in the death of another person!¡± Ling Jianqiu replied evenly.

    The young woman said gently, ¡°Yun Yan understands that you just want to do right by the people of Anyang, but your temper is causing the opposite effect, foster father. Angering Lord Yan has only made it harder for us to take over this case!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu asked coolly, ¡°Has it though?¡±

    Yun Yan thought for a second before blooming into a smile. ¡°Oh, I get it. You had done it on purpose. You want Yan Yufei to do the investigation part for you so you don¡¯t have to!¡±

    ¡°It makes sense. The Pacification Bureau is busy with August Hill Vige and quite undermanned right now. It is better to leave the investigation to Lord Yan and lend a hand only after he has found something!¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known better than to question your judgment, foster father!¡±

    ¡°You know me well, Yun Yan. It¡¯s a shame you cannot practice martial arts, or else¡­¡± A hint of rare sorrow appeared on Ling Jian¡¯s features but disappeared immediately after.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be sad, foster father. Yun Yan might be too frail to practice martial arts, but I am well read in a wide range of subjects. The pen can be mightier than the sword, am I right?¡± Yun Yan said kindly.

    Ling Jianqiu let out a quiet sigh and patted her on the head affectionately. ¡°I know. I just wish you could have a better life!¡±

    Yun Yan shook her head with a bright smile on her face. ¡°Yun Yan is happy with her life. Being able to keep youpany and solve your troubles is good enough for me.¡±

    ¡°You are a smart and sensible girl, Yun Yan. I am most happy to have you as well!¡± Ling Jianqiu smiled onest time before returning to his cold self. ¡°How goes the investigation of August Hill Vige?¡±

    Yun Yan shook her head. ¡°Nothing yet. Whatever happened to August Hill Vige, it is stranger than anything we could imagine. Not only did the vige vanish into thin air, the ce where it used to be had transformed into ake of blood. It has be a forbidden area that pollutes and dissolves anyone that gets close to it. As a result, we¡¯re unable to find any clues as of now.¡±

    ¡°Was there any survivors or witnesses?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no. Since the vige itself had vanished into nothing, it¡¯s probably safe to say that none of the vigers had survived. It¡¯s the main reason we¡¯re still unable to determine what had happened.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu frowned deeply. ¡°Regardless of the difficulties, we must find out what happened to August Hill Vige as soon as possible. Is it a natural disaster, or is it a Stranger¡¯s doing? Is it a one-time thing, or will it spread to Anyang? We <i>must </i>know.¡±

    .

    ¡°I know!¡± Yun Yan nodded with a smile before bidding her foster father goodbye and taking her leave.

 Chapter 62: Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 62: Conspiracy</h4>

    ¡°The General of Punishment¡¯s Martial Courage, huh. It was worth the trip!¡±

    After bidding Yan Yufei and the others goodbye, Ye Qing returned to Endless Horizons and sat on his chair. He then took out what looked like a golden rock from his Nature¡¯s Shell and examined it curiously.

    The golden rock was none other than the golden heart he had swiped from the General of Punishment¡¯s shattered body. It was called the Martial Courage, and it was the coalescence of the people¡¯s worship and wishes.

    Strangers who absorbed the people¡¯s worship and wishes to grow sentience and strength could usually be split into two types. A Stranger who had received permission and an official title from the imperial court was recognized as a deity, and one who hadn¡¯t was known as a false deity or a heretic deity. In any case, both types of Strangers needed the people¡¯s belief to forge a heart, their wishes to forge a gut, their worship to forge a body, and the Human Way to forge a soul. Only then would the golden body beplete, and the Stranger would be a true deity.

    The Martial Courage was one small part of the General of Punishment¡¯s golden body. Since the Stranger hadn¡¯t been worshiped for long, it only managed to forge its heart¡ªthe Martial Courage¡ªbefore it was destroyed.

    ¡°Wah wah wah! Something smells very nice¡­¡±

    Ye Qing had only brought out the Martial Courage for a few seconds or so when suddenly, a childish voice entered his ears. The next moment, a young girl flew out of a book on the table and stared at the Martial Courage with saliva dripping down her mouth.

    ¡°What is this thing, friend? It smells incredible! Can I sniff it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯ll have to read an extra book for me tonight!¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly. Simr to delicious food, stuff like this was very enticing to Strangers.

    It was at this moment Kung Fu Frog leaped out from somewhere andnded on the chair next to his and watched over Wawa with a doting look. Unlike Wawa, it didn¡¯t care for the Martial Courage at all. The scorn on its face was as clear as day.

    ¡°It¡¯s a deal, friend!¡± Wawa nodded happily and moved closer to the Martial Courage. She then stood on her tiptoes and took a long, intoxicating sniff.

    A whileter, Wawa asked dazedly, ¡°Can I lick it, friend?¡±

    ¡°You can, but what happens next isn¡¯t my fault, okay?¡± Ye Qing agreed as the hint of a cunning smile crossed his lips.

    Wawa was just a kid, so she let out a loud whoop, ¡°You¡¯re a good friend, friend!¡± before giving the Martial Courage a lick. The second she finished, she immediately spat on the ground and grimaced like a bun. ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s so bitter! It¡¯s so bitter Wawa can die! You lied to me, friend! You lied to me! Waaaaaaaah!¡±

    The Book Sprite immediately started bawling. Ye Qing replied in an innocent tone, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one who wanted to lick it. It¡¯s not my fault!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! It¡¯s your fault, you baddie, you liar, you bad, bad friend! Wawa doesn¡¯t care about you anymore!¡± She threw a fit before vanishing in the blink of an eye.

    Ye Qing shrugged. The bitterness Wawa tasted was of course, the taint that made up part of the Martial Courage. Because the General of Punishment was a fake deity, the Martial Courage it formed was nowhere as pure as the real thing.

    Next, Ye Qing turned to Kung Fu Frog¡ªthe frog Stranger was drinking a jar of wine as usual¡ªand grinned wickedly. ¡°What about you, Brother Frog? Care to give it a lick?¡±

    Kung Fu Frog merely croaked and rolled itsrge eyes. Do-you-think-I¡¯m-stupid was the expression on its face.

    ¡°Never mind then!¡± Ye Qing shrugged again before putting the Martial Courage away. The reason he interrupted Yan Yufei and stole the heart earlier was because it was a key ingredient in creating the Incense of Worship, the Incense of Ghost Summoning and more. And of course, he had done it to earn some dragon-serpent runes as well.

    The result was impressive. A single General of Punishment hadted him three silver dragon-serpent runes in total. That was incredible to say the least. He could finally begin cultivating his ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± again!

    ¡°Without further ado, it¡¯s cultivation time¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    <i>Creak¡­ creak¡­</i>

    Bright, cold moonlight, peered through a window frame and illuminated a mostly empty room. It was simple, decrepit, and devoid of any furniture besides one long wooden table and five wooden stools.

    The room waspletely empty, but the furniture were surprisingly clean. So clean, in fact, it was as if someone was cleaning them everyday. However, this was a room in an ancient, abandoned house, so that couldn¡¯t be right¡­

    Right?

    <i>Bang! Bang, bang! Bang, bang!</i>

    Suddenly, a stool in the house swayed back and forth without warning, its feet hitting the floor and making a crisp, banging noise each time. It was as if someone was sitting on the stool and shaking it on purpose.

    ¡°I heard you failed your mission, Faceless!¡±

    A yful, childish voice resounded throughout the room, and the silhouette of a person abruptly appeared on the stool. It was almost as if they were there this whole time.

    The person was a young girl with a pair of twintails. She looked to be eight or nine years old. However, her head was utterly rotten, and rotting meat and pus continuously dripped off her face and hit the floor, sizzling. They were most likely corrosive.

    ¡°Keep your rotting nose out of my business, Rotten Crown!¡±

    A rickety, spindly man appeared on the stool opposite of the young girl. His face was a smooth marble devoid of any facial features whatsoever. He was none other than the incense acolyte who had murdered six bailiffs at the Shing Wong temple.

    ¡°Hehe, <i>now </i>you want us to stay out of your business? Who the hell do you think you are, Faceless?¡±

    A sarcastic voice spoke next as a young man appeared on the stool at the farther end of the table. His posture was sloppy, and he was fanning himself without a care in the world. Countless terrifying, dark green eyeballs could be seen squeezing in and out of his face.

    ¡°Are you done living, Dark Eye?¡± Faceless asked in a cold, murderous tone.

    ¡°Enough. You can argue after Evergreen Ivy [1] has arrived!¡± A slow, raspy voice interrupted as an old man slowly sat down on the stool.

    At first nce, the old man looked no different from an ordinary old man. However, a closer look would reveal that only half of his face was flesh and blood. The other half of his face was made of weeds, and his hair were really clumps of green grass!

    ¡°You¡¯rete, Old Grass!¡± Rotten Crown teased him while shaking her legs back and forth.

    ¡°I¡¯m old. My legs aren¡¯t what they used to be!¡± The old man named Old Grass rasped.

    ¡°What happened, Faceless? How did the humans find out about the General of Punishment?¡±

    A woman suddenly spoke from the main seat. Her voice was kind and gentle, but darkness surrounded her like a cloak of invisibility and masked her facepletely. She was, of course, Evergreen Ivy.

    Faceless, Dark Eye and Rotten Crown instinctively straightened their backs when they heard the voice. Faceless then answered in a dark tone, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened either. Earlier this noon, Yan Yufei suddenly showed up at the Shing Wong temple with a small force and searched the whole ce. It was how he discovered that the General of Punishment was hiding inside the Shing Wong statue. He might even have found me if I hadn¡¯t acted quickly and escaped!¡±

    ¡°The General of Punishment probably killed one too many people as ofte and drew suspicion. One thing led to another, and Yan Yufei realized that a Stranger was behind the murders!¡± Evergreen Ivy deduced gently. Despite Faceless¡¯ failure, she didn¡¯t sound angry at all.

    Faceless abruptly pped the wooden table and uttered in a cold, bloodthirsty voice, ¡°Dammit! We were one step away from seeding, and now we have to start all over from the beginning! The smartass bailiff who found out the truth better be ready for me. I¡¯m going to make him wish he was dead as soon as I find out who he is!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s your fault for being careless!¡± Dark Eye taunted him from the other end of the table.

    Face abruptly shot to his feet and uttered, ¡°Do you want to die, Dark Eye?¡±

    The other Stranger snarked back fearlessly. ¡°What, are we not allowed to point out your mistakes?¡±

    ¡°I will¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Evergreen Ivy interrupted the duo before a full-blown brawl could break out, ¡°Faceless, I will report your mistake to the Dark Lord as it is. Instead of regretting what could have been, we shoulde up with another n to make up for it.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a n, Evergreen Ivy?¡± Old Grass asked.

    ¡°Something has happened to August Hill Vige recently. The entire ce suddenly up and disappeared into thin air, and the Pacification Bureau had to dispatch most of their personnel to investigate the incident. Suffice to say, they are severely undermanned right now. We can work on this, can¡¯t we?¡±

    Old Grass nodded in agreement. ¡°This is an excellent opportunity. Assuming that wee up with a good n, the result may even surpass our initial expectations!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you agree. Now, let us discuss how best to utilize this opportunity to destroy Anyang!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Some timeter, Evergreen Ivy pped her hands together and dered, ¡°Now that the n is set, let us fulfill our roles to the best of our abilities! Please remember to be careful, or you may face the wrath of the Dark Lord.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s talking about you, Faceless! You better not slip up another time, old man!¡± Dark Eye taunted and vanished into thin air.

    ¡°Be careful, Faceless¡­¡± Rotten Crown also ridiculed him.

    When everyone was gone, Faceless was positively boiling with murderous rage as he mmed the table. ¡°Who¡¯s the bastard who ruined my business? I swear I will rip them to a million pieces!¡±

    ¡°As for the rest of you¡­ I swear I¡¯ll devour you all when the n isplete!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!¡±

    Inside his room, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes and sneezed a couple of times. When he recovered, he rubbed his nose andined, ¡°The bloody hell just happened? Did someone curse me or think of me or something?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m such a good boy. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just a beautiful woman or ten missing my handsome looks!¡±

    Ye Qing rose to his feet and stretched a little. It was at this moment a naughty idea entered his mind. He unleashed his Blood Shadows and carefully sent them over to Wawa and Kung Fu Frog. Wawa was ying when suddenly, she sensed danger and let out a frightened scream. She immediately flew into a book and vanished. Kung Fu Frog abruptly opened its eyes and watched its surroundings warily. It stared at the invisible wisps of Blood Shadows and croaked a few times in warning.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Feeling much better after ying a joke on Wawa and Kung Fu Frog, Ye Qing withdrew his Blood Shadows and took a moment to perceive his newfound strength. He was very pleased when all was said and done.

    Yesterday, he had used three silver dragon-serpent runes and improved the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± to a new level. His internal energy had grown tremendously, and the amount of Blood Shadows under hismand had doubled to seventy-two.

    In essence, his Blood Shadows were the coalescence of the Blood Shadow true qi and his vigor. Theoretically speaking, Blood Shadow Magic possessed limitless potential so long as the practitioner¡¯s true qi was strong, and their vigor was sufficient. That was the ideal the creator of the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± had in mind when he authored the cultivation art.

    Unfortunately, a person only had so much time and energy. There were few warriors who could grow both elements at the same time,? not to mention that the art of honing one¡¯s body was easy to grasp, but difficult to master. To put it simply, it consumed an insane amount of time and precious natural resources to hone one¡¯s body to the absolute pinnacle, and the end result, as far as most warriors were concerned, wasn¡¯t as good as the pinnacle of qi or spirit.

    This was why most warriors focused on cultivating their true qi and spirit instead of their body, and why there were very few people in Blood Shadow Castle¡¯s history that converted all of their Blood Shadow True Qi into Blood Shadows.

    ording to the manual, a practitioner who sessfully created thirty six Blood Shadows was considered to have reached the journeymen level, seventy two to reach the adept level, and one hundred and eight to achieveplete mastery. Add to the fact that the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± was just a Vessel Augmentation stage cultivation art, and Blood Shadow Magic was just a method to apply it offensively, there were very few practitioners who truly mastered Blood Shadow Magic.

    ording to the manual, Ye Qing had already reached the journeyman level of the magic art. He could stop creating more Blood Shadows now and just focus on augmenting his vessels.

    Of course, Ye Qing disagreed with this opinion. It was because of the dragon-serpent runes. The gray dragon-serpent runes would increase his vigor, and the silver dragon-serpent runes his true qi. Knowing this, he knew there was every chance he could convert all of his Blood Shadow true qi into Blood Shadows and attainplete mastery of Blood Shadow Magic.

    Not only that, his blood was capable of devouring energy. He was going to carry the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± to unprecedented heights.

    His goal had always been to convert all of his Blood Shadow true qi into Blood Shadows. Seventy-two was just the beginning, and the end was, as the creator of the cultivation art had envisioned, theoretically endless.

    ¡°My internal energy is stronger than ever before, and I still have some leftover dragon-serpent energy in my body. Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s enough to get me all the way to the middle-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage!¡± Ye Qing mumbled to himself before turning to Kung Fu Frog. ¡°Please protect me while I cultivate, Brother Frog!¡±

 Chapter 63: Faceless

    <h4>Chapter 63: Faceless</h4>

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Ye Qing opened his eyes and called out in response. He sounded a little puzzled.

    Read the most updated version of this novel and other amazing tranted novels from the original source at [  ]

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Boss Ye! It¡¯s Zhou Gui!¡± Zhou Gui¡¯s voice rang from outside the door.

    ¡°Zhou Gui? Why is he here at this time?¡± Ye Qing mumbled but rose to his feet. After heading downstairs and opening the door, he saw the owner of Coming Clouds beaming at him at his doorsteps.

    ¡°Good evening, Boss Zhou! Do you need anything?¡± Ye Qing asked smilingly while leaning against the door frame.

    Zhou Gui lifted the package of food he was holding and said, ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m the one who¡¯se to help a man in need! You haven¡¯t left the bookstore the entire day, so I reckon that you must¡¯ve been too busy with your cultivation to eat anything. That is why I brought you a jar of high quality Pear Blossom wine and squirrel fish for dinner!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you! Now that you mentioned it, I am feeling hungry!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up as he waved Zhou Gui in. ¡°Come in, Boss Zhou! Since you¡¯re already here, you might as well join me for a drink!¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± The restaurant owner replied smilingly and followed Ye Qing into Endless Horizons. It wasn¡¯t long before the food and wine were ced on the table, and a delicious scent spread throughout the bookstore.

    ¡°Damn, that smells good!¡± Ye Qing sniffed the air and praised, ¡°Your cooking skills are getting better and better, Boss Zhou!¡±

    ¡°Haha! I¡¯m honored that my food is to your liking!¡± Zhou Gui chuckled and poured Ye Qing a cup of wine. ¡°A toast to you, Boss Ye.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Ye Qing epted the cup before asking, ¡°Oh right, how is Hui¡¯er doing now, Boss Zhou? Has he recovered from his cold already?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s much better. Thanks for your concern!¡± Boss Zhou replied smilingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that,¡± Ye Qing said with a smile before twisting his wrist. The next second, the cup flew straight toward Zhou Gui¡¯s head like an arrow!

    A bewildered look flitted across Zhou Gui¡¯s face, but he caught the wine cup with two fingers right before it would hit his forehead. He then set down the cup and asked curiously, ¡°Interesting. How did you know that I¡¯m not Zhou Gui?¡±

    Ye Qing replied casually, ¡°Since the moment you started talking, really. It¡¯s true that Zhou Gui and I aren¡¯t close, but I¡¯ve never told him that I¡¯m a martial arts practitioner. In fact, I told everyone that I¡¯m a wandering schr looking to broaden my horizons in Anyang, and I haven¡¯t given them any reason to believe otherwise. If you really were Zhou Gui, why would you guess that I was cultivating?¡±

    ¡°But of course, it¡¯s just a guess. Zhou Gui is a restaurant owner, so he might¡¯ve heard something from a loose mouth or two. That¡¯s why I decided to test you by asking how Zhou Gui¡¯s son is doing. You don¡¯t know this, but I visited Zhou Gui¡¯s ce just yesterday. Hui¡¯er was sick, but not because he caught a cold, but because he was infected by an Everhungry Worm. In fact, I¡¯m the one who saved his life.¡±

    ¡°In conclusion, you cannot be Zhou Gui. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Haha! You¡¯re smarter than I thought. I suppose I should¡¯ve known better to pay you a visit before conducting a proper investigation.¡± The fake Zhou Gui¡¯s smile slowly morphed into a sneer. ¡°Since this is our first meeting, allow me to introduce myself: I am Faceless, and I havee to kill you!¡±

    Faceless was telling the truth. He was faceless, but he could take on anyone¡¯s face almost perfectly as long as he had seen it at least once. Earlier, he had taken on the face of amon bailiff and infiltrated the county hall. It was there he discovered that the person who discovered the General of Punishment and ruined their grand n was a young man named Ye Qing and the current owner of Endless Horizons.

    Enthralled by unspeakable hatred and anger, Faceless immediately traveled to Endless Horizons to kill Ye Qing. Unfortunately, Ye Qing spent the whole day in the bookstore doing god-knows-what and gave him no opportunities to knife him in a secluded back alley or something. He did not want to barge into Endless Horizons either because it would only escte the situation unnecessarily and draw attention to himself.

    Later, he was drinking his woes away at Coming Clouds when he identally overheard that the owner of the restaurant, Zhou Gui happened to be acquaintances with Ye Qing. After briefly interrogating the gossiper about their rtionship¡ªthe gossiper himself had no idea that he was being interrogated, of course¡ªhe took on Zhou Gui¡¯s face and visited Ye Qing on the pretext of delivering him dinner. The rest was history.

    Faceless had been stewing in hatred and anger since yesterday. The only way he could rid himself of these loathsome emotions was to kill Ye Qing. However, the young man was far more alert than he expected and saw through him before he could do anything.

    He only had himself to me, to be honest. He had acted recklessly and visited Ye Qing before he found out exactly how the young man and Zhou Gui were rted. Otherwise, this could¡¯ve gone a lot better.

    ¡°Faceless?¡± Ye Qing repeated the name with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m positive I have never met you until now, so why do you want to kill me, stranger?¡±

    ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s because you ruined our grand n, of course!¡± Faceless let out a dark and violentugh.

    ¡°Grand n?¡± Ye Qing thought for a second before pping his hands. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about the General of Punishment? That¡¯s right! I¡¯m the one who dunnit!¡±

    ¡°Not even going to try to deny it, huh? Do you know that we were one step away frompleting our n? Do you know how many years of hard work were wasted because of your actions? You deserve to die, boy!¡± Faceless uttered through gritted teeth as his eyes turned bloodshot.

    His group had infiltrated Anyang and secretly forged the General of Punishment within the Shing Wong statue. Once the false deity¡¯s golden body wasplete, he would take control of the people of Anyang through the power of wishes he stole and drive them into a frenzy, throwing the entire county into turmoil. When that happened, Anyang would fallpletely under the Strangers¡¯ control.

    Their n had progressed smoothly until the final step. The General of Punishment needed to kill forty-nine humans toplete his golden body, and he must not be discovered until he was ready to enact the n. That was why they had gone through great lengths to ensure that the General of Punishment only killed ordinary people. They also made sure to select targets who werepletely unrted to one another so that the administration division or the Pacification Bureau could not make the connection.

    The group had believed that their cover-up was perfect, and that the final step of their n would go just as smoothly as the rest. Instead, a nobody had led the magistrate straight to the Shing Wong temple and ruined everything. How could Faceless stay calm knowing this? He was so angry his face was contorted. He was so angry he wanted to rip a certain piece of shit into shreds!

    ¡°Wow! It¡¯s that serious?¡± Ye Qing scratched his head and broke into a wide grin. ¡°I¡¯m so d to hear that!¡±

    ¡°DIE!¡± Faceless roared as his facial features abruptly vanished one by one. When they were all gone, a cold, evil energy permeated the room and attempted to invade Ye Qing¡¯s body. The young man could clearly sense some sort of evil power infiltrating his body and attempting to erase both his facial features and his mindpletely.

    ¡°You¡¯re that incense acolyte who killed the six bailiffs? A Malice-ss Stranger?¡± Ye Qing immediately put two and two together.

    ¡°You¡¯re really quick-witted. It¡¯s too bad you figured out the truth toote!¡± Facelessughed darkly. He thought he would savor the young man¡¯s final expression before he died, but hisughter was abruptly cut short when a few seconds passed, and he realized that the young man wasn¡¯t losing his facial features or his life. In fact, he was smirking at him like he was looking down on an idiot!

    ¡°You¡¯re a Vessel Augmentor?!¡± Faceless eximed in shock and realization. His ability corrupted any warrior or Stranger who was below his power level, a.k.a the Malice ss or the Vessel Augmentation stage. Their facial features would be erased, and their soul would disintegrate into nothing. Since Ye Qing was fine, it could only mean he was on the same level as him or higher, or he possessed some sort of Strange Artifact that shielded him from his ability!

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess?¡± Ye Qing said smilingly and moved his fingers like he was ying a string instrument. The next moment, a few throwing knives shot toward Faceless like thunder.

    ¡°This is nothing!¡± Faceless sneered and grabbed the air. An invisible force twisted the air until it exploded and knocked all of the throwing knives away.

    Suddenly, Faceless disappeared and reappeared next to Ye Qing. He then swung his boneless arms at the young man¡¯s head like a whip.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The air cracked, and Ye Qing shattered into smithereens. However, Faceless wasn¡¯t happy in the slightest. It was because the person he just ¡°killed¡± was just an illusion.

    The Stranger proceeded to show off an inhuman level of flexibility by twisting his upper body and only his upper one hundred and eighty degrees around and facing Ye Qing, who had somehow gotten behind his back without him noticing. Heunched a palm strike at the young man¡¯s torso, but the young man suddenly floated like a feather that was being pushed by the wind. He was able to dodge the deadly attack with just milimeters to spare.

    ¡°Argh! Die, die, die, die, die!¡±

    Faceless tried to attack Ye Qing a couple more times but missed all of his attacks. Losing his cool, he let out a dark, twisted growl that sounded like a hundred ghosts screeching at the same time and unleashed a deadly w technique. The growl possessed a mind-bending quality, and the w-shaped hands moved so fast it seemed impossible that Ye Qing, standing right in front of Faceless, would not be cut into a million pieces.

    And yet he wasn¡¯t. No matter how rapid the attacks came, they could not harm even the fabric of his shirt. It was like Ye Qing was a gust of air that could make minute adjustments and avoid the storm of ws blowing his way by a hair¡¯s breadth. He wasn¡¯t a celestial, but he certainly looked like one right now.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made me angry, human! You won¡¯t like it when I¡¯m angry!¡±

    Faceless let out a full-throated roar as his smooth, marble face abruptly split open from the forehead all the way to his chin. Then, pitch ck light shone out of the gap and enveloped everything within the bookstore.

    It was as ck as tar and as thick as ink. Whatever it touched immediately transformed into strange monsters as if they were corrupted by its power. The tables and chairs grew giant mouths with rows and rows of sharp teeth. They kept grinding their teeth together to make this screeching noise that was both shrill and ufortable. The wine sses grew long, oddly-shaped arms that were covered in thorns, the books grew eyeballs that were overflowing with malice, madness and rage, and the pests grew impossibly huge noses that dripped smelly, poisonous liquid and more.

    The next moment, everything that was corrupted by the ck light charged toward Ye Qing at the same time.

    ¡°How unsightly!¡± Ye Qing shook his head in disgust and started charging the Toad Force. Five loud croakster, when his strength, qi and spirit had joined into one, and his aura grew so powerful that it was almost tangible, he unleashed a punch that shattered every creature charging toward him and scattered the pitch ck light in an instant.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Faceless let out a painful howl the second the unnatural light was dispersed. Blood started leaking through the gap on his face.

    The Stranger did not hesitate. He immediately made a run for the exit.

    ¡°You think you can escape?¡±

    Ye Qing squinted a little and made a grabbing motion in Faceless¡¯ direction. The Blood Shadows that had been lurking throughout the bookstore all this time immediately slipped into Faceless¡¯ body.

    ¡°ARGH!¡±

    Faceless let out a louder scream as countless lines abruptly cut into his body. Each line ran so deep that his bones were exposed, and blood poured profusely on the ground. The lines had even cut off half of his face.

    That wasn¡¯t what stunned him the most, however. He could feel something devouring his blood at a terrifying pace. At this rate, he was going to turn into a withered husk in two or three breaths at most!

    ¡°Ye Qing¡­ I won¡¯t forget this!¡±

    Faceless did not dare to treat the life-threatening danger lightly. He roared onest time before transforming into a beam of light, crashing out of a window, and vanishing from view.

 Chapter 64: Old Grass

    <h4>Chapter 64: Old Grass</h4>

    ¡°Is that it? I was expecting a bigger challenge!¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow as he stared at the broken window where Faceless had escaped from.

    One of the main reasons he had bested Faceless so easily was because he had entered the middle-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage, augmenting another four Standard Meridians, two Extraordinary Meridians, and one hundred and eight points all in one day. A middle-stage Vessel Augmentor¡¯s internal energy was much stronger than an early-stage¡¯s, not to mention that he had reached the adept level in the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡±.

    Admittedly, it would¡¯ve taken him much more effort to defeat Faceless if he hadn¡¯t made these breakthroughs. He still would¡¯ve won, but he certainly could not have gotten away without any injuries either. The fact that his enemy still managed to escape despite his overwhelming dominance was proof that Faceless was a formidable foe. In general, a Stranger¡¯s resilience, abilities, talent, magic and more were just far, far greater than a human¡¯s.

    Of course, just because he failed to kill Faceless now didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t going to kill himter. From the start, Ye Qing had never intended to let the Stranger live. A Malice-ss Stranger who wanted him dead and possessed the ability to look like anyone he wanted was just too great a threat to let go. If he did not kill him as soon as possible, it was only a matter of time before he or the people he cared about fell in danger!

    ¡°I already told him this, but did he really think he could escape me?¡± Ye Qing sneered while sucking in a deep breath to quell his blood. As usual, it had grown a tad restless after consuming Faceless¡¯ fresh blood. Once he was ready, he dashed out to the streets, pinpointed the direction Faceless was heading, and leaped onto the roof. Then, he chased after the Stranger as fast as the wind.

    He had left a wisp of Blood Shadow in Faceless¡¯ body earlier. That was how he knew that he was able to identify Faceless¡¯ current location. Of course, the Blood Shadow could onlyst so long away from him, so he had to catch up to his quarry as soon as possible.

    It didn¡¯t take long before Ye Qing found him. However, the Stranger had taken on a new face and even changed his clothes. Wearing an ordinary-looking face and ordinary clothes, he looked no different from an ordinary pedestrian right now. He calmly walked along the street while hiding himself amidst a throng of people.

    Ye Qing was impressed. If he couldn¡¯t sense the Blood Shadow in Faceless¡¯ body or erratic fluctuations of his aura, he would never suspect that the ordinary pedestrian was the Stranger he was looking for.

    Faceless¡¯ acting was sublime. asionally, he would pause in front of a stall and pretend to be interested in a certain item when he was scanning his surroundings and checking if Ye Qing had caught up to him. Once he was sure Ye Qing wasn¡¯t around, he would leave the stall and continue to creep along the street toward somewhere. His caution wasmendable, but it was pointless because he never discovered the shadow hiding in the rooftops and following closely like a ghost. Like a clown, all he achieved was to create moreedic material for Ye Qing tough at.

    Many twists, turns, and streetster, Faceless arrived at an ordinary peasant household and leaped over the wall. This was Ye Qing¡¯s cue to give chase, but instead he remained where he was with a smirk on his face. Ye Qing was going to lose track of the Stranger at this rate, but for some reason he didn¡¯t seem worried in the slightest.

    Five or six breathster, Faceless leaped back onto the streets and sighed, ¡°Good. It looks like I¡¯ve really shaken him off!¡±

    Then, he leaped into the tofu shop directly opposite of the peasant household.

    ¡°I knew he was trying to trick me!¡± Ye Qing said with a cold chuckle. No amount of precaution was too much against a foe like him, and he had to admit that Faceless would¡¯ve gotten him if he was less smart than he was.

    There was also another reason he hadn¡¯t killed Faceless yet. For one, he looked like he was heading somewhere. The Stranger had also used the word ¡°we¡± and ¡°us¡± time and again during their conversation earlier, meaning that he had a group behind his back. Chances were, he was going to hispanions to get help. Knowing this, why would he kill Faceless now when he could annihte the whole group in one fell swoop? Even if the enemy turned out to be too numerous or powerful for him to destroy singlehandedly, he would still learn exactly who he was dealing with.

    Ye Qing pushed off the roof andnded on a tree beside the courtyard of the tofu shop. He didn¡¯t make the slightest noise.

    As if on cue, he heard an old voice calling out from inside the house, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Old Grass!¡± Faceless replied.

    ¡°Faceless? <i>Cough cough! </i>Come in!¡± Old Grass coughed once and opened the door. Faceless immediately slipped inside the house.

    ¡°Why have youe at this time, Faceless? Did you need something from me?¡±

    It was at this moment Old Grass noticed Faceless¡¯ injuries and eximed in astonishment, ¡°You¡¯re hurt! What happened?¡±

    Faceless coughed a little and identally ripped a wound on his neck. The wound looked shallow from the outside, but in reality it had nearly beheaded him. His neck was barely kept together by a thin stretch of flesh.

    A human being would¡¯ve died a long time ago if they sustained such an injury. But for Faceless, it was just a serious injury he could recover from.

    ¡°That is no minor injury, Faceless. What on earth happened to you?¡± Old Grass nched when he noticed the neck wound.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mess is what. I almost didn¡¯t make it back alive!¡± Faceless sighed. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been looking into the culprit who ruined our ns, right?¡±

    ¡°Did you find them?¡± Old Grass asked.

    ¡°I did. He¡¯s the owner of a bookstore called Endless Horizons. His name is Ye Qing, and he¡¯s a youngster around eighteen or neen years old.¡±

    ¡°Eighteen? He should be a breeze to deal with then! But how did you sustain such severe injuries?¡±

    ¡°The guy¡¯s the one who did it!¡± Faceless uttered through gritted teeth. ¡°He looks young, but his power is something else. Not only is he a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor, he practices a strange art that allows him to control invisible forces and absorb someone¡¯s blood. He somehow beat my innate magic, Light of the ck Fiends, sucked my blood dry and almost beheaded me!¡±

    ¡°No wonder you look so weak!¡± Old Grass said slowly, ¡°That youngster must be the pretigious disciple of a major n or a sect who¡¯s out to broaden his horizons!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t care who he is, I swear I will pay back everything he¡¯s done to me ten times over and swallow him alive!¡± Faceless uttered with a vicious, bloodthirsty snarl. However, Old Grass disagreed.

    ¡°If the young man is as strong as you say, then it¡¯s best if you avoid himpletely. The missions Evergreen Ivy has given us should be our first priority above all else. Once Anyang is destroyed, you can toy with him however you like!¡±

    ¡°Uneptable! I must rip him to shreds first before I can focus on anything else!¡±

    Old Grass¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Do not forget why we¡¯re here, Faceless. I will take action if you fail your mission again, understand?¡±

    ¡°... Fine. That lucky bastard. I suppose he can live a while longer!¡±

    Faceless looked disgruntled, but his fear of Old Grass seemed to win out over his anger at Ye Qing. He nodded and put a lit on his emotions, but a new thought almost shattered hisposure the next moment. ¡°Shit! I¡¯ll never hear the end of it if Dark Eye and Rotten Crown learn that I allowed the bastard who nearly killed me to go scot free, if only for a moment!¡±

    ¡°So? Would you rather fight that young man now and die for certain, especially since he¡¯s aware of most of your abilities?¡± Old Grass shook his head. ¡°Just treat this as a valuable lesson and learn from your mistakes. In the future, don¡¯t let your recklessness lead you by the nose again!¡±

    ¡°Now then, let us see to your wounds, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Sorry for the trouble, Old Grass!¡± Faceless apologized in a grim tone.

    Old Grass plucked two strands of hair from his head. They immediately transformed into a pair of grass that he ced on Faceless¡¯ neck. As soon as they had taken root, the grasses immediately withered at an elerated rate while Faceless¡¯ neck wound healed slowly. The Stranger was fully healed by the time the two grasses had decayed into dust.

    ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± Old Grass dered in a slightly weary tone. ¡°Just rest for a few days, and you should be back to full health. Do try to be more careful in the future, okay?¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Faceless replied uncaring while twisting his neck tentatively.

    Suddenly, the two Strangers grew quiet, and a gentle breeze stirred the air. The next moment, yellow grass sprouted in the courtyard, the walls, and even the tree just outside the tofu shop. They painted a cold, bleak picture in the evening as they swayed lightly in the wind.

    A few secondster, the yellow grass gradually withered and disappeared. Faceless could be heard saying,

    ¡°You¡¯re way too cautious, Old Grass. There¡¯s no one who can elude both of our senses.¡±

    ¡°Better to be safe than sorry. We cannot afford to screw up again, Faceless.¡±

    ¡°I get it. I promise you that everything will be smooth-sailing from here!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°That was too close!¡± Ye Qing wiped some sweat off his forehead while hiding on the peasant household¡¯s rooftop. A second before Old Grass had suddenly covered the courtyard with grass, he had sensed something amiss and ran away. If he was even half a second slower, the Stranger named Old Grass might have discovered him. Some Strangers¡¯ ability and magic were just incredibly difficult to guard against!

    ¡°They said they were going to destroy Anyang. What on earth are they nning?¡±

    Ye Qing flipped over to the other side of the roof andy down on his back. Staring at the pitch ck sky above his head, he muttered, ¡°The group is bigger than I expected as well. Evergreen Ivy, Rotten Crown and Dark Eye? That¡¯s at least five Strangers plotting to destroy Anyang, and who knows if there are more Strangers<i> </i>behind this conspiracy?¡±

    ¡°Should I try and thin their numbers now?¡± Ye Qing thought for a moment but let out a sigh in the end. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s too risky!¡±

    Old Grass was obviously a Malice-ss Stranger, and he was clearly much stronger than Faceless. Even with his new power, he wasn¡¯t absolutely certain that he could defeat him for sure. Besides that, there were a lot more members in this group than he expected. If he failed to kill Old Grass and Faceless in one hit, they would almost certainly escape and know that he was onto them. That could only end poorly for him.

    Thirdly, it sounded like the group of Strangers was plotting something big enough to destroy the entire county. It was one thing if he hadn¡¯t heard about the conspiracy, but since he had, he couldn¡¯t just do nothing and live his life as usual. Until he learned the specifics of this n and confirmed the number of Strangers who were hiding in Anyang, it would be wise to avoid alerting the enemy prematurely.

    ¡°Should I tell Yan Yufei or the Pacification Bureau about this?¡± Ye Qing toyed with the idea for a bit before shaking his head. Again, he didn¡¯t want to alert the enemy. The Pacification Bureau currentlycked the manpower to carry out any sort of operation, whereas the administrative divisioncked the ability. If he informed any one of them, they would be forced to take action no matter how unprepared they were. That would lead to the Strangers being more careful with their n and make it harder to stop them.

    That was why Ye Qing thought it would be better to lie low while the advantage of surprise was still in his court. Only after he had discovered the specifics of their n and identified every Stranger who was involved in this conspiracy could he eliminate them in one fell swoop.

    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s do this!¡± Ye Qing dered with a smile before leaping into the air and vanishing into the night.

 Chapter 65: A Good Day To Kill

    <h4>Chapter 65: A Good Day To Kill</h4>

    ¡°Captain, the guy you told us to monitor just left the county!¡±

    It was very early in the morning. Dawn had just broken, and the sky was still dark like a woman who was just opening her eyes to greet her first ray of sunlight. In a luxurious house, Tang Yi¡¯an had just risen from bed when a soldier entered his bedroom and gave his report.

    ¡°Is it Ye Qing?!¡± Whatever sleepiness still clinging to Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s consciousness was blown away immediately.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The soldier answered.

    ¡°Good, good!¡± Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s eyes shone brightly as he waved the soldiers away. His expression was riddled with anger and hatred as he uttered, ¡°I may not be able to do anything to you inside the county, but outside? You only have yourself to me, Ye Qing!¡±

    Tang Yi¡¯an summoned an aide to his side and handed him a letter. He said, ¡°Take this to Yan Tieyi. He¡¯ll know what to do!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± His aide nodded and left the room.

    Tang Yi¡¯an turned to look at the increasingly blue sky outside the window as a sinister smile flitted across his features. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s going to be a sunny day today. It¡¯s the perfect time to take a life, hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡­

    ¡°Looks like it''s going to be a sunny day today. It¡¯s the perfect time to farm some free experience, hahaha!¡±

    Ye Qing was currently riding his donkey down a marked road in the outskirts of Anyang. He was sipping some wine and looking very pleased with today¡¯s activities.

    While the Stranger conspiracy was still sitting in his chest like a mountain, a man needed to know when to stop brooding over things they couldn¡¯t change and focus on living the present. And if the matter proved to be more disturbing than expected, there was always alcohol to drink away one¡¯s worries!

    Plus, harvesting dragon-serpent runes and improving his strength would make his inevitable battle against Faceless and the other Strangers a lot easier. Should the worst happen, and he failed to stop the Strangers from destroying Anyang, he would be strong enough to keep himself alive at least.

    In this world, the only way to live was to be strong, and the only way to be strong was to farm experience!

    On a rted note, Ye Qing had visited Qiao Six before leaving the county. He wanted to know if there were Bloodsucking Mosquitoes near Anyang. Unfortunately, the answer was no. There used to be a lot of Bloodsucking Mosquitoes around Anyang, but the Pacification Bureau had cleared them out due to how harmful they were. Therefore, Ye Qing had no choice but to set his sights on the Soundless Bugs of Soundless Gorge. They might not be his first choice, but lean meat was still meat. It wouldn¡¯t satisfy him, but it would at least sate his urges!

    Over two hourster, Ye Qing finally arrived at the Soundless Gorge. Just like the first time he was here, the narrow gap that looked like a line reaching toward the heavens waspletely silent. He did not hesitate. He leaped off the donkey¡¯s back andnded right in the middle of the gorge.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    He could¡¯vended without a sound, but the point was to draw the Soundless Bugs toward him. It worked wonderfully. Not a second too soon, countless bugs crawled out from the rocks, the soil, the cracks and more and swarmed him from every direction.

    ¡°Come to daddy, my experience!¡±

    Ye Qing grinned widely and charged toward them. Most warriors would¡¯ve fled at the sight of the sea of Soundless Bugs, but Ye Qing cheerfully greeted them by stomping his right foot.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    A white shockwave spread out from Ye Qing and washed over an entire area. Every Soundless Bug that was hit by the shockwave immediately exploded into a shower of blood and gore.

    The shockwave took out over half of the tide just like that, but the noise and the blood only angered the Soundless Bugs even more. More Soundless Bugs crawled out from the sides and met up with their fellow Strangers before charging Ye Qing again.

    ¡°There were so many of you? Fantastic!¡± eximed Ye Qing in pleasant surprise. It would seem that his initial assumption was wrong. He thought that there were only a couple thousand Soundless Bugs in Soundless Gorge, but now, he realized that the main bulk was simply hiding somewhere out of view.

    <i>Pop!</i>

    He closed his right fist lightly and caused a small pop in the air, conjuring wisps of dark red Blood Shadows from his hand. The bug tide closest to him immediately exploded into blood and gore. The blood did not seep into the ground, however. Instead, they floated into the air and formed a literal river of blood.

    Suddenly, an idea urred to Ye Qing. <i>Since my Blood Shadow Magic inherited my blood¡¯s power to consume, absorb, and attract blood, it makes sense that I should be able to control these blood as well, right?</i>

    He decided to put his theory to the test immediately. He closed his fist again and caused the river of blood to writhe unnaturally. A few secondster, it abruptly transformed into a giant blood hand that smashed down on the Soundless Bugs below and ttened them like pancakes. That wasn¡¯t all. Ye Qing proceeded to extract some blood from the giant blood hand and conjured other things such as blood animals, blood weapons, blood mists and more. Regardless of the shape, the oue was always the same: a massive amount of Soundless Bugs was crushed into bits, and their blood was subsumed by the blood he was controlling.

    ¡°It does work!¡±

    Of course, he was really just controlling the blood using Blood Shadow Magic. In essence, it <i>was </i>Blood Shadow Magic. It looked intimidating, but it wasn¡¯t all that useful inbat.

    ¡°What if I do it like this?¡±

    He concentrated his mind, and countless Soundless Bugs suddenly exploded without warning, but this time it wasn¡¯t because the Blood Shadows had infiltrated their bodies. He had simply infected the Soundless Bugs with his true qi, took control of their blood and exploded their bodies from within!

    ¡°Good, good!¡± Ye Qing said with deep satisfaction. The idea had urred to him afterbining his Blood Shadow Magic and his blood¡¯s ability to devour. Now, he had a new way to handle his enemies.

    A warrior¡¯s body and vigor was the foundation of their martial arts. If either one of the two elements were affected, their ability to fight would be greatly impacted. Ideally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to output even one-tenth of their usual strength.

    This was why his newfound method of applying his Blood Shadow was fantastic. If he was fighting against a formidable foe, he could infect them with Blood Shadow Magic and disrupt their body and vigor, destabilizing their internal bnce or even forcing a deadly rebound. It might onlyst a few seconds at best¡ªa powerful warrior or Stranger could probably contain, expel or crush the Blood Shadows inside them very quickly¡ªbut that lull between their movements was something he could use to deal a severe blow to his enemy or kill them outright.

    As for those who were weaker than him, he could cause a rebound with a single thought. He might even be able to destroy their blood vessels, points and even their bodies from within.

    ¡°This is wonderful!¡± Ye Qing dered with bright eyes before dispersing the Blood Shadows in the air. Without the invisible entities to hold them in ce, the river of blood fell from the sky and sshed loudly on the ground. The reason he hadn¡¯t just absorbed the Soundless Bugs¡¯ blood was because he wasn¡¯t sure if it was poisonous. Yesterday, it had taken him the whole night to subsume Faceless¡¯ blood fully. While the benefits were considerable¡ªboth his vigor and his cultivation level had advanced tremendously after he was done¡ªhe wasn¡¯t so conceited as to attempt this in the middle of a fight.

    Ultimately, Stranger blood was very different from human blood. It would be folly to absorb them willy-nilly!

    ¡°It¡¯s time to practice!¡±

    Ye Qing immediatelymanded Blood Shadows to infect the Soundless Bugs. Then, he closed his eyes a little. At that moment, he could clearly feel the blood flowing inside the Soundless Bugs¡¯ bodies like his own. He could even manipte them however he pleased with a single thought.

    ¡°Boom!¡± He said with a grin. An entire swathe of Soundless Bugs froze in their tracks and exploded just like that. It was like a firework of blood and gore!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    Half an incense stickter, Ye Qing stood alone in the middle of the meat grinder that was Soundless Gorge. Not one drop of blood had managed to stain his clothes despite the gruesome battle¡ªno, massacre he just wrought. He let out a refreshing sigh while taking out the Annon Sutra to check his rewards.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve gotten six silver dragon-serpent runes and ten gray dragon-serpent runes from these bugs. Not bad at all!¡± He would save one or two silver dragon-serpent runes for emergencies, but the remainder was still enough to improve his strength considerably.

    By now, he had figured out that one silver rune was worth a little over one thousand plus gray runes. Moreover, the stronger the Stranger he killed, the greater the quality and quantity of the runes he received.

    Generally speaking, Mundane and Red-ss Strangers only gave him gray dragon-serpent runes. However, Malice-ss Strangers or higher might give him silver dragon-serpent runes. If the Stranger he killed was both rare and powerful, then he would receive even more dragon-serpent runes. The General of Punishment was one such example. The Annon Sutra had generously paid him three silver dragon-serpent runes for his efforts.

    That said, he needed to kill more powerful Strangers to verify if his theory was true. After all, the General of Punishment was the only Malice-ss Stranger he had ever killed. It was possible he was wrong even though he personally believed it to be very unlikely.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to head back to the bookstore.¡±

    He was done farming experience, but he still needed to convert those experience to actual power. There would be no point otherwise. And so Ye Qing left the Soundless Gorge and whistled. It wasn¡¯t long before a gray donkey galloped over from a distance.

    Something was off, however. His donkey was hee-hawing loudly and frantically as if it was in danger. It also carried some deep wounds on its torso.

    ¡°I told you we would find the boy as long as we follow the donkey!¡± An arrogant voice resounded.

    ¡°Good job, Schr. You really are a clever man!¡±

    Three men slowly emerged from the distance. The first person of the group carried a folding fan and looked to be in his thirties. However, hisplexion was haggard, his body was thin and bones, and he looked so ill a gentle breeze might be enough to topple him over.

    The second person of the group was tall, huge and muscr. His hands were as big as a dustpan, his face was as ck as coal, and a thick, fiendish aura could be seen circling around his person. He also wore a vicious grin on his face.

    The third andst person of the group was a short but muscr monk. He had three dots on his head, and he wore a monastic robe that covered only half of his body. His bronze skin looked healthy and extremely tough to prate. His vigor was strong, and the earth shook every time he took a step. He felt more like a brutish beast than a man.

    Once the trio had reached Ye Qing, the one with a coal-likeplexion barked harshly, ¡°Are you Ye Qing?¡±

    ¡°It is I. What business do you have with me?¡± Ye Qing asked with a small frown. It was obvious that these men weren¡¯t here for a friendly chat, but he was certain that he didn¡¯t know them, much less antagonized them in the past. So why had theye all the way to kill him?

    ¡°It¡¯s him alright!¡± The coal-faced man let out a sinisterugh. ¡°My name is Shi Jiang, and people call me the ckfaced God. His name is Tao Xian, and people call him the Sick Schr. The monk¡¯s Dharma name is Jie Chen [1], but he is known as the Rash Vajrapani in the jianghu!¡±

    ¡°As for why we¡¯re here, we¡¯vee to kill you, of course!¡±

    ¡°You guys sure know how to choose a moniker. Anyone can tell that you are bad, bad people!¡± Ye Qing shrugged before voicing his doubts, ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that you¡¯vee to kill me, but why? I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t know you people.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got a silver tongue, doesn¡¯t he? There¡¯s nothing more I love than breaking mouthy idiots like you!¡± Shi Jiang cracked his knuckles and sneered.

    ¡°Why are you wasting words with a dead man? Let¡¯s kill him and be done with it already. I have a jar of wine waiting for me back home!¡± Jie Chen said impatiently before throwing a punch straight at Ye Qing¡¯s head!

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. Tilting his body so the punch would miss him by mere millimeters, he brought his shoulder forward and mmed into the monk¡¯s chest like a hammer.

    <i>Thunk!</i>

    There was a loud thunk that sounded like shing metals. Right before Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder would make contact with Jie Chen¡¯s chest, a sheen of golden light abruptly appeared and blocked the attack. It was shaped like a golden bell!

    1. meaning refrain from anger ??

 Chapter 66: Soulchasing

    <h4>Chapter 66: Soulchasing</h4>

    Ye Qing remained unmoving after the collision. It was Jie Chen who staggered a few steps away despite his protection.

    ¡°Damn, thisd is stronger than he looks!¡± The Rash Vajrapani eximed in astonishment while rubbing his slightly sore chest.

    ¡°Do you seriously think we¡¯d believe that, Vajrapani? I bet you must¡¯ve spent all your energy in Le Smoke Brothelst night!¡± Shi Jiang cackled loudly.

    ¡°Screw you! I was just careless!¡± Jie Chen yelled back in embarrassment before manifesting the golden light surrounding him in full. It took the form of a golden bell.

    ¡°The Golden Bell Shield?¡± Ye Qing eximed with a strange look.

    ¡°Guess you¡¯re not clueless after all!¡± Jie Chen sneered and rushed straight toward Ye Qing. Every time he nted his foot on the ground, he would kick up a shower of dirt and leave a deep hole behind him. Not only that, his muscles would grow a tad thicker. By the time he was right in front of Ye Qing, his arms had be as thick as a tree trunk.

    Next, Jie Chen hurled his arms over his shoulders before bring it back like he was trying to tten Ye Qing between his palms. The air exploded from the sheer amount of force behind the move, and for a second he looked like a true Vajrapani crushing a demon mercilessly.

    <i>¡°Big Crush Tomb Hand¡±</i>

    ¡°What incredible strength!¡± Ye Qing squinted and channeled the Toad Force. A series of rapid croakster, hended a punch directly at the center of Jie Chen¡¯s palms.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Fist met palms, and a shockwave washed out from both men. The earth churned away from Ye Qing like a tidal wave, but he did not move an inch from his location. On the other hand, Jie Chan stumbled back and grew paler each time he took a step. By the time he took his fifth and final steps, his Golden Bell Shield shattered into pieces just like that.

    ¡°The Toad Force? But how?¡± Jie Chen¡¯s eyes widened like saucers as he tried to quell his raging vigor. He just couldn¡¯t believe it. His Golden Bell Shield was a Qi Invocation stage body art, and ¡°Big Crush Tomb Hand¡± was a technique famed for its forcefulness and strength. On the other hand, the Toad Force was the mostmon qi mental art. This oue should not have happened!

    ¡°The target¡¯s stronger than expected! Get him!¡±

    Originally, Shi Jiang and Tao Xian weren¡¯t going to get involved. When they sense the presence Ye Qing had exuded for an instant when shing against Jie Chen though, they nched and rushed Ye Qing together.

    Shi Jiang¡¯s stomps weren¡¯t as loud or potent as Jie Chen¡¯s, but ayer of ck qi slowly covered his face and turned his coal ckplexion even darker than it already was. His hands also turned pitch ck with a fiendish aura.

    <i>¡°ck Fiend Palm¡±</i>

    ck Fiend Palm, as its name suggested, infused the practitioner¡¯s palms with fiendish energy. If the attacknded, it would leave a ck palm print on the victim¡¯s skin. The victim might look perfectly fine on the surface, but in reality the palm energy had shattered their insides. It was a dirty technique that was a lot deadlier than it seemed.

    The reason people called Shi Jiang the ckfaced God wasn¡¯t just because he was born with a ckplexion, but also because his face was covered by ayer of ck qi every time he channeled the ck Fiend Palm. ck aura would also pour out of his body and give him the appearance of a fiendish god, hence the name.

    The ck Fiend Palm was his signature move. Like a fiend, one strike was all he needed to turn his victims¡¯ innards into goo.

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression turned serious, but a folding fan attacked his major points before he could take evasive action. It came from none other than Tao Xian, of course. The folding fan kept opening and closing like a flower going through the seasons rapidly, making it difficult to predict exactly which point of the fan he intended to tap Ye Qing¡¯s major points with. Even trickier was the fact that green needles shot out of his fan every time it opened and shut exactly once. The color of the needles made it clear that they were coated in poison. They were also aimed at his eyes, throat, mouth, sr plexus and other vital spots.

    The technique was Tao Xian¡¯s signature technique. Its name was ¡°Blooming Fan, Flying Needles¡±, and the Sick Schr had evenposed a short poem for it:

    ¡°Farewell! Farewell!

    A folding fan blooms,

    leaves and petals falling scattered on the street,

    Into garden, Heavens¡¯ garden,

    Where she could bloom again¡­¡±

    [1]

    That wasn¡¯t all. Jie Chen was stomping toward Ye Qing again and using the same technique asst time, the ¡°Big Crush Tomb Hand¡±!

    The trio¡¯s teamwork was better than expected, attacking Ye Qing at the same time from three different directions. There was nowhere the young man could hide or dodge!

    ¡°Die!¡± Shi Jiang dered with a vicious grin when he saw that Ye Qing was trapped. He thought for sure that this was the end for the young man.

    He was wrong. A steely sh appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Ye Qing. It wasn¡¯t until they heard a series of metallic clinks, and the blinding light had faded that they realized the young man had deflected every needle Tao Xian had shot at him. Not only that, a series of whistling sounds followed, and they felt a jolt of pain from their weapon hand. When the trio looked down, they discovered that a two-inch deep wound had magically appeared on their wrist. It was just deep enough to sever the wrist tendon, no more and no less.

    Somehow, the young man had managed to deflect all the needles flying toward him <i>and </i>sever their wrist tendons with one saber!

    <i>Was it really one saber? Or was it three? Maybe more than that?</i>

    The trio didn¡¯t know. Their eyes were too slow to keep track of the young man¡¯s movements. One thing was certain, however. He was too fast for them to even react!

    The trio exchanged nces and saw the exact same thought in each other¡¯s eyes: Retreat. After all, if they couldn¡¯t defeat their target in their best condition, what chance did they have when both of their arms were useless? The trio immediately backed away from Ye Qing. Unfortunately, they were toote.

    ¡°Did I say you can leave?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned at the fleeing trio and summoned a new saber into his hand. Unlike the saber he normally used, this one was curved like a crescent. Then, he took off into a sprint. He closed their distance faster than the trio thought was possible and conjured what looked like a storm of des. The trio could clearly see that Ye Qing had swung his saber only one time, but for whatever reason, they saw countless des flying toward them instead of one. The des were swift, bizarre, and bone-chilling like a phantom. Their hair stood on end long before the des even reached them, and they felt like their souls were being pulled toward the deadly storm.

    Their hearts sank like rocks as they prepared for the worst. Shi Jiang roared and covered himself inyer uponyer of fiendish aura. He also raised his left arm and moved it rapidly in front of him to form a protective shield.

    Tao Xian tapped the air with his folding fan multiple times to create ripples of invisible force in front of him. At the same time, he flew backward like a flower that was flying in the wind.

    Jie Chen¡¯s choice of defense was the most straightforward. He simply let out a mighty roar and summoned a lifelike bell around him. The golden bell was also covered in Sanskrit and mysterious runes. The monk must have cultivated the defensive art to the adept level.

    It was futile though. The next second, all three men let out a muffled groan and suddenly copsed to their feet. It was because a wound had split open on their ankles. At the same time, the des flying toward them disappeared like they never were.

    ¡°It¡¯s fake?¡±

    The trio could not believe it. It was only now they realized that the storm of des they saw was just an illusion, and the real attack cut their ankles a long time ago. The attack was just so fast they couldn¡¯t even feel the pain until several secondster, much less see it and react to it in time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a fast de before. What is this art?¡± A pale-looking Tao Xian asked dazedly while coughing a couple of times.

    ¡°The Soulchasing Saber!¡± Ye Qing answered simply and tapped a finger against his de to shake off the blood.

    The ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡± was a tricky saber art that relied on speed, illusion and intimidation to catch its victims off guard, but that it was also quite powerful in its own right. The reason Ye Qing executed it with a curved saber instead of his usual weapon was because that was what the saber art demanded. ording to the manual, only a curved saber could unleash the unusual qualities of the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡±.

    ¡°Can we talk now?¡± Ye Qing tilted his head to one side and smiled wickedly at the trio.

    Shi Jiang, the ckfaced God simply spat on the ground and began, ¡°Fuck you, you sonuva¡ª¡±

    He stopped short when the blood in his body suddenly churned unnaturally. Before he could figure out what the hell was going on, his face turned beet red, and blood started pouring from every pore on his body. He looked like a blood popsicle in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Wait¡ª¡±

    Shi Jiang screamed in pain, but whatever he was going to say was lost forever when he exploded with a loud bang, showering the area with blood and gore. His blood did not fall back to the ground, however. Instead, they formed a ball in the sky and flew toward Ye Qing. His aura visibly grew after he swallowed it all in one gulp.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing more I hate than people who swear!¡± Ye Qing licked his lips with an intoxicated expression before looking down at the remaining duo. ¡°Can we talk like proper adults now, or do I have to make another example?¡±

    Tao Xian and Jie Zhen gulped. For a time, they could only shiver like a leaf and stare at Ye Qing in terror. They didn¡¯t dare to keep him waiting for long though. Clutching his folding fan with a death grip, Tao Xian stuttered, ¡°Are¡­ are y-you a Vessel Augmentor?¡±

    Only a Vessel Augmentor could separate their true qi from their body, manipte them remotely, and defeat three famouste-stage Qi Invokers with the kind of ease Ye Qing had disyed earlier.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing countered with his own question, but the absence of denial was itself an implicit admission!

    Tao Xian and Jie Chen drooped their heads and lost all will to resist. If Ye Qing was a Qi Invoker, then there was still a chance they might be able to turn things around. But a Vessel Augmentor? The only thing resisting would get them was a quicker death.

    It wasn¡¯t their fault for misjudging Ye Qing¡¯s strength. His blood could already camouge his strength, but the Annon Sutra also possessed camouging properties. As long as Ye Qing didn¡¯t show off his aura on purpose, there were very few humans or Strangers who could perceive his true strength. There was also the fact that he hadn¡¯t gone all out because he wanted to test his newfound skills against actual warriors. It wasn¡¯t until Shi Jiang died the way he did that the duo finally figured out his true cultivation level.

    ¡°So? Who sent you to kill me?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Tao Xian kept quiet for a moment before letting out a cough. ¡°We were sent by Boss Yan, the leader of the Iron Shirt Gang.¡±

    ¡°Boss Yan? You mean Yan Tieyi?¡± Ye Qing frowned. The Iron Shirt Gang was a major gang in Anyang and stood on equal footing as Qiao Six¡¯s faction. But unlike Qiao Six, the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s business was far more heinous including such as smuggling, protection, assassination and so on.

    ¡°I have no grudge with Yan Tieyi. Why would he send the three of you to kill me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We were just following orders. That said, I saw Boss Yan reading a letter before he ordered us to take you out, so perhaps it was an assassination request,¡± Tao Xian answered with clear regret. All three of them had thought that Boss Yan was being too cautious when he ordered them to take out some nobody they had never heard before. Now, it wasn¡¯t just toote for regrets, it looked like their ¡°prey¡± was nning to take it out on their gang.

    <i>An assassination request? But I¡¯ve only arrived in Anyang for a week or two. Who would want to kill me?</i> Ye Qing thought. <i>Could it be Faceless and Co.? No, it can¡¯t be. Faceless knows that I¡¯m a Vessel Augmentor, and not an ordinary one at that. He¡¯ll never send threete-stage Qi Invokers tomit suicide! Who else holds a grudge against me?</i>

    A face slowly appeared in his head.

    ¡°Take me to your boss!¡± A cold glint entered Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he stared at the duo. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t need to say this, but don¡¯t try anything unless you want to end up like ckfaced God.¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± The duo hurriedly nodded like woodpeckers. They were already beyond thankful that Ye Qing was willing to let them live. Only a total idiot would choose to defy the young man after witnessing his unnatural and unpredictable arts, and that person had already exploded into itsy bitsy pieces.

    ¡°You better!¡± Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°Now take a moment to treat your wounds and tell me more about Yan Tieyi. I want to know what martial arts he practices, how many elites there are in the Iron Shirt Gang and so on. You can lie of course, but know that I¡¯m an acquaintance of Qiao Six. All I need to do to verify the truth is to pay him a visit. If I learned that you¡¯ve lied to me, hehe¡­¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Tao Xian hurriedly repeated andunched into an exnation, ¡°Boss Yan is a Vessel Augmentor just like you, and his signature art is called the Iron Sleeve Art. He is known as ¡®Iron Shirt Yan¡¯ in the jianghu¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing was riding his donkey while Tao Xian and Jie Chen limped behind him. Tao Xian was still exining everything he knew about Yan Tieyi and the Iron Shirt Gang when suddenly, he nced at the duo with a steely glint in his eyes. ¡°Wait a second. Did you just say he¡¯s sworn brothers with Zheng Feng?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tao Xian visibly shuddered when Ye Qing¡¯s gaze drilled into his skull.

    ¡°They¡¯re sworn brothers, huh?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself before ordering, ¡°Tell me everything you know about their rtionship.¡±

    When Tao Xian was done talking, Ye Qing stared at them for a couple of seconds and said, ¡°You¡¯re my prisoners now. One thought is all I need to send you to the afterlife like Shi Jiang.¡±

    A smile cracked on Ye Qing¡¯s face when the blood drained away from both their faces. ¡°But since I¡¯m a good person, I¡¯m going to give you one chance to redeem yourself. Are you interested?¡±

    Before they could answer, Ye Qing shook his head and said, ¡°What am I saying? Unless you¡¯ve changed your mind about living, you¡¯ll do what I say no matter how much you loathe the idea! Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Anyway, this is my n¡­¡±

 Chapter 67: Iron Shirt Yan

    <h4>Chapter 67: Iron Shirt Yan</h4>

    ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you think sending someone after Ye Qing as per Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s request is a little risky?¡±

    The speaker was a thin middle-aged man sporting a pair of mustache and a refined appearance. He was currently standing next to a lotuske in the Iron Gang¡¯s headquarters.

    The person he was speaking to was fishing in theke seemingly without a care for the world. He was none other than the gang boss of the Iron Shirt Gang, Yan Tieyi.

    Yan Tieyi¡¯s moniker was Iron Shirt Yan. He had a tall, slender physique and a long, white beard beneath his chin. His face was thin but energetic, and he was wearing a long robe with huge sleeves,a loose belt, and a huge crown [1]. Right now, he gave off the impression of a quaint, unfettered schr whose focus waspletely set on his silver fishing rod and the calm waters in front of him. He did not look like he had heard the middle-aged man¡¯s question at all.

    Suddenly, the fishing line swayed a little and caused a tiny ripple. He immediately twisted his wrists and bent the fishing rod so much that it looked like a crescent. The line snapped taut, and a massive fish flew out of theke water and drew an elegant arc in the air. Itnded perfectly in the creel next to him.

    It was only then Yan Tieyi asked slowly, ¡°You¡¯re worried that we would anger Yan Yufei, right Yongzhi?¡±

    The full name of the middle-aged man he called Yongzhi was Lu Yongzhi. On the surface, he was a steward responsible for the finance and general affairs of the Iron Shirt Gang. In reality, he was their tactician and Yan Tieyi¡¯s right-hand man. He was known by the moniker, the Humble Schr.

    ¡°I am!¡± Lu Yongzhi nodded. ¡°Ye Qing himself may be a nobody, but he is a close acquaintance of Yan Yufei. If the magistrate learns about this, he will surely put a lot of pressure on us. Objectively speaking, Tang Yi¡¯an is nothingpared to Yan Yufei, so why are we giving up the forest for the tree?¡±

    Yan Tieyi chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Your words make sense, but you¡¯re not looking at the long-term picture. Yan Yufei is an impressive man, but he is a neer with a weak base of power. Not only that, he is too impressive a man to stay in Anyang for long. To befriend him is like trying to scoop the moon¡¯s reflection from ake; a useful but ultimately meaningless gesture.¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, Tang Yi¡¯an and his uncle, You Da had been entrenched in Anyang for years. Their base of power is strong, and they¡¯re not looking to leave Anyang anytime soon. With that in mind, who do you think will benefit us more; a magistrate who will soon leave for greener pastures, or a vice magistrate who is looking to stay until he dies? To befriend Tang Yi¡¯an is to befriend You Da, and befriending You Da is greatly beneficial to our businesses in Anyang.¡±

    ¡°Finally, how would Yan Yufei know that we are the ones behind Ye Qing¡¯s untimely demise if the job is carried out cleanly?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you sent Tao Xian, Shi Jiang and Jie Chen to kill him! It¡¯s to make sure that the assassination will be carried out without a hitch, and to ensure that no clues will be left behind at the crime scene!¡± Lu Yong eximed in realization. ¡°I stand corrected, boss. Your foresight is most impressive!¡±

    ¡°Oh? When did you learn how to tter people, Yongzhi? I almost thought you were someone else!¡± Yan Tieyi let out a fond chuckle. ¡°I just like to prepare for any eventualities, is all. Tang Yi¡¯an imed that Ye Qing is at most an early-stage Qi Invoker, but you know me; I never liked sending exactly the right quantity and quality of people to do a job. It''s an invitation for an unexpected variable to ruin everything, and in our line of work, it¡¯s always better to be safe than sorry.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, Tao Xian and the others should be back any moment now.¡±

    As if on cue, a warrior strode over the duo and reported, ¡°Report! Hallmaster Tao, Hallmaster Shi, and Master Jie Chen are requesting to meet you, boss!¡±

    ¡°Perfect timing. Show them in!¡± Yan Tieyi ordered.

    ¡°At once!¡±

    A short whileter, Tao Xian, Jie Chen and Shi Jiang entered the backyard. They stopped a short distance away from Yan Tieyi and saluted respectfully, saying, ¡°We¡¯re back, boss.¡±

    ¡°How did it go?¡± asked Yan Tieyi while throwing his fishing rod back into the lotuske. He didn¡¯t look at the trio.

    Tao Xian shook his head. ¡°We managed to kill Ye Qing, but we were all injured in the process.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? That would exin why your presence felt unstable.¡±

    Curious, Yan Tieyi beckoned them closer and asked, ¡°Tell me exactly what happened.¡±

    Jie Chen replied in a disgruntled tone, ¡°What else? We thought thed was an early-stage Qi Invoker, but no, he was ate-stage Qi Invoker. Not only that, his skills were even more incredible than we thought. As a result, he managed to drag out the fight far longer than expected and even hurt us in the process.¡±

    ¡°I see! Still, you managed to kill him in the end, so all is well!¡± Yan Tieyi nodded and asked another question, ¡°Speaking of which, did you run into anyone along the way? And did you clean up the scene properly?¡±

    ¡°<i>Cough cough!</i> Don¡¯t worry, boss. No one saw us, and we tossed Ye Qing¡¯s body into the Soundless Gorge. We didn¡¯t leave until the Soundless Bugs hadpletely consumed his body!¡± Tao Xian replied.

    ¡°Good job! You¡¯ve all done well!¡± Yan Tieyi praised them before looking at Shi Jiang suddenly. ¡°Say, why are you so quiet today, Hallmaster Shi? You¡¯re usually the chattiest of us all.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡­¡± Shi Jiang finally broke his silence. ¡°Can I ask you something, boss?¡±

    ¡°Sure! What is it?¡± Yan Tieyi asked.

    Shi Jiang looked unusually hesitant as shot hispanions a nce. Then, he slowly walked toward Yan Tieyi.

    The gang boss thought that Shi Jiang wanted to make a private, possibly embarrassing request¡ªone that he didn¡¯t want his fellow colleagues to hear¡ªso he joked, ¡°You can be frank with me, Hallmaster Shi. This awkwardness doesn¡¯t suit you at all. Did a girl catch your fancy again? Is it a married woman? Do you need me to act as your go-between?¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that!¡± Shi Jiang replied.

    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Yan Tieyi asked curiously.

    Instead of answering, Shi Jiang continued to approach Yan Tieyi. He was two steps away when Yan Tieyi finally felt a tinge of inexplicable unease.

    It was at this moment a cold, white light blinded Yan Tieyi. The next thing he knew, blood was flying everywhere.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A terrific energy exploded out of the gang boss. Everything around him¡ªthe stone table, the grass, the flowers, and even the trees¡ªturned into dust, and the ground looked like a giant monster had dug it with its ws.

    Tao Xian and Jie Chen did not take any damage from the shockwave because they had jumped away as soon as it was discharged. It was almost as if they knew it wasing. Even so, the powerful gale blowing past their cheeks was enough to cause every hair on their body to stand on end.

    Lu Yongzhi wasn¡¯t as lucky. Having received no warning whatsoever, the shockwave had sent him flying through the air like a rag doll. He looked greatly weakened as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

    The greatest surprise came in the form of Shi Jiang. He was standing right in front of Yan Tieyi and the gang boss¡¯ main target, so the shockwave should¡¯ve annihted him into smithereens. However, he remained rooted to the ground as if the shockwave was nothing more but a gentle breeze.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Shi Jiang. Who are you?¡± Yan Tieyi asked in a harsh voice. Right now, his aura was circting rapidly and unpredictably around his body, and his clothes were billowing out around him like a banner swaying wildly to the wind. He looked incredibly intimidating, or he would have if not for the fact that a trickle of blood was seeping out from between his sleeves and dying his white robe red in just the blink of an eye.

    Yan Tieyi was both shocked and furious as he perceived his injury. If his instinct hadn¡¯t warned him in time, the surprise attack would¡¯ve cut right through his throat like a hot knife through butter. Despite this, he wasn¡¯t able to dodge the attackpletely. There was a horizontal line stretching from his left breast to the right.

    ¡°Answer me! Who the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°My name is Ye Qing. Ye for leaf, and Qing for cyan!¡± Shi Jiang, or rather, Ye Qing dered loudly. His bones cracked ominously under his skin until he returned to his normal size, and he removed his mask to reveal a handsome grin.

    When a warrior had entered the Body Tempering stage, they could easily move their bones and muscles around and alter their physique. Theoretically, there was no physique he could not imitate unless the person was overwhelmingly bigger or smaller than him. As for his face, it so happened Tao Xian was a master of disguise and owned a useful item that allowed him to change his face as he pleased, so he happily confiscated it for his own use.

    Ye Qing¡¯s n was very simple. First, he altered his physique and wore the mask to pretend to be Shi Jiang. Then, he slipped into the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s headquarters together with Tao Xian and Jie Chen. Ye Qing learned from Tao Xian that Yan Tieyi was a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor with incredible skill and even greater alertness. In fact, he was so cautious that he normally did not allow anyone to get within three meters of him. Therefore, the only way to assassinate him within his own headquarters and without alerting the other gang members was to kill him in one strike.

    Ye Qing had nned to improvise on the fly and approach Yan Tieyi somehow while they were giving their reports. When he was close enough, he would unleash his fastest attack and kill the gang boss.

    Unfortunately, Yan Tieyi proved to be more formidable than expected. His n had gone perfectly, but the gang boss still managed to dodge the fatal blow at thest moment.

    ¡°Ye Qing? You¡¯re still alive?¡± Yan Tieyi eximed in realization and disbelief.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m alive. How am I supposed to kill you if I¡¯m dead?¡± Ye Qing chuckled before looking at Tao Xian and Jie Chen. ¡°Hold back the others while I send your former boss to the afterlife.¡±

    Tao Xian and Jie Chen nodded and suppressed the grievously injured Lu Yongzhi in just a short time. Then, they left to keep the others from approaching this area.

    ¡°You think you can kill me all by yourself?¡± Yan Tieyi scoffed. Ye Qing was just a Qi Invoker. He could never have injured him if he hadn¡¯t caught him by surprise!

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ye Qing answered while charging toward Yan Tieyi, his curved saber drawing a fine arc across the air. A moon suddenly appeared above their heads, and bleak moonlight shone down from the sky. It looked gorgeous, but it was the kind of beauty that could end one¡¯s life in an instant. Each and every ray of ¡°moonlight¡± in the sky was a curved saber flying straight toward Yan Tieyi!

    Yan Tieyi felt chilled to the bone as he stared at the grand illusion above his head. Not daring to treat the technique lightly, he immediately waved his sleeves and froze the air in front of him until it resembled cold iron. Then, he struck the frozen space andunched the frozen air into the sky like he was firing an air cannon. The earth shook, and the air trembled as the terrific force washed over the storm of sabers like a tidal wave. When all was said and done, nothing was left in the sky.

    The martial art Yan Tieyi just used was, of course, the Iron Sleeve Art!

    ¡°The Iron Sleeve Art, huh? It deserves its reputation!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s chuckle came from the sky, but the young man himself was nowhere to be seen. Or rather, Ye Qing had suddenly split into innumerable copies of himself and his saber had covered the sky once more!

    <i>¡°A shadow without a shadow, a saber without a saber¡±</i> was a quote from ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡±. It perfectly described what Yan Tieyi was facing right now. The gang boss knew that there was no way the Ye Qings in the sky were real¡ªthis fight would be over already if that was true¡ªbut the hail of killing intent battering his skin felt was all too real.

    Yan Tieyi was a nobody who wed tooth and nail to get to where he was now. He had fought countless people in his life, and many of them were a lot stronger, trickier, and more resilient than he was. However, his experience and knowledge werepletely useless because Ye Qing was like no one he had ever fought. His eyes couldn¡¯t differentiate the real from the fake, his senses could not lock onto a specific aura, and it was downright impossible to guess where the saber¡ªthe one that would take his life¡ªwoulde from. It was beyond frustrating because he could not go on the offensive without knowing where his enemy was.

    Suddenly, Yan Tieyi waved his sleeves around like he was dancing. Paradoxically, the dancing sleeves looked tough as steel, soft as fabric, straight as an arrow and winding like a river all at the same time. It was a perfect harmony of soft and hard power, activity and inactivity, the real and the unreal that protected the gang boss from all sides like a perfect, imprable globe.

    It was a titanic sh between the unbreakable iron sleeves that had locked down space itself, and the omnipresent sabers that sought to squeeze through the tiniest of gaps and steal their target¡¯s soul. Who woulde out on top?

    1. a type of hat, not an emperor¡¯s crown ??

 Chapter 68: Fight

    <h4>Chapter 68: Fight</h4>

    <i>Crash! Boom! Bang!</i>

    Jie Chen was a warlike monk. The distant explosions kept tickling at his fighting spirit like the demon on his shoulder. But at the same time, he knew it was suicide to indulge in his urges because the shockwaves of that battle could be felt even through the walls from over forty meters away. It was a stunning and fearful revtion to know that he could get hurt if he was standing half that distance away from the battlefield.

    He turned to look at Tao Xian. ¡°Do you think Ye Qing can kill the boss?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tao Xian shook his head with the same tinge of trepidation on his face. ¡°It¡¯s toote for regrets anyway. We are grasshoppers tied to the same rope as Ye Qing. He must win, and we must do everything we can to ensure he seeds.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    He was right. They were set on this path from the moment they agreed to Ye Qing¡¯s n. It was either Iron Shirt Yan or them!

    ¡°Quick! There¡¯s no time to waste!¡±

    Suddenly, the two warriors heard amotion. It wasn¡¯t long before a group of Iron Shirt Gang warriors rounded a corner and made a beeline straight toward them. They had clearly heard the loud sh happening in the backyard.

    ¡°Hold it right there! Who gave you permission to enter this ce?¡± Tao Xian immediately took a step forward and blocked their way.

    ¡°Hallmaster Tao! D-Do you know what¡¯s going on back there?¡± One of the gang members asked in a meek voice.

    He replied, ¡°A friend hase to visit the boss, and they¡¯re having a friendly spar at the back. No one is allowed to disturb them until the spar is finished?¡±

    ¡°A friend?¡± The guy looked puzzled, but he saw no reason to question Tao Xian or Jie Chen. He asked curiously, ¡°Who is this friend? We could hear the explosions all the way from the front.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Now get back to your posts already! What if someone infiltrates the ce while you were absent?¡± Tao Xian barked harshly.

    Jie Chen also joined in with an impatient shout, ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°At once, Hallmasters!¡± The group replied and backed down immediately. Tao Xian was one thing, but Jie Chen was infamous for his impatience and bloodthirst. He really would kill them if they pissed him off.

    After the group was gone, Jie Chen wiped some non-existent sweat from his forehead and asked, ¡°If you have a n, now¡¯s the time to say it. We can only stall this out for so long!¡±

    The small fries were one thing, but it was only a matter of time before some Hallmasters decided to check out themotion. And their fellow colleagues weren¡¯t so easy to fool!

    ¡°I don¡¯t. We¡¯ll just have to improvise on the fly and pray that Ye Qing finishes off the boss as soon as possible!¡± Tao Xian sighed.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°What a pain!¡± Ye Qingined under his breath while bringing his curved saber down toward Yan Tieyi¡¯s right shoulder. Then, his arm abruptly took a ny-degree turn and shot toward the gang boss¡¯ neck swiftly and without warning. However, Yan Tieyi was able to p the de away at thest moment and even respond with a counterattack, wrapping his sleeves around Ye Qing like he would catch the young man in a tight embrace. Thankfully, Ye Qing was just fast enough to jump away before the entrapment wasplete.

    The problem with Yan Tieyi¡¯s martial arts was that his force was perfectly fluid and unpredictable. Like a cloud, it could pause in one ce or move like the wind, deceive or strike true as Yan Tieyi wished, and unleash both hard and soft techniques seamlessly. It was why Ye Qing was unable to break through his defense.

    ¡°Hahaha! Did you actually believe you could kill me with just this level of skill?¡± Yan Tieyiughed. When he sensed a lull in the young man¡¯s aura, he immediately spread his arms wide and cleared out all the air in his vicinity in an instant. For a moment, all was still except his billowing sleeves. Then, he thrust his arms forward andunched a terrific st of force that seemed to split both the sky and the earth in half.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    A gigantic ssh at least ten meters tall rose from theke. A floating gazebo in the middle of theke abruptly exploded and copsed into the waters.

    ¡°Croak¡ªcroak¡ªcroak¡ª¡±

    The giant ssh was still suspended in the air when five croaks resounded in rapid session. Ye Qing¡¯s aura skyrocketed, and three inches of pure, visible energy covered his saber. He then brought down his saber in a mighty overhead swing.

    <i>¡°Toad Force x5¡±</i>

    The suspended water was cut in half as a beam of pure energy punched through its center and flew toward Yan Tieyi in a straight line. It was so powerful that it cut through the earth like a hot knife through butter and left behind a deep scar that was at least one meter deep in its wake.

    Yan Tieyi did not dare to treat it lightly. He struck the ground with enough energy to lift an entire chunk of earth into the air to block the attack. The beam of energy was strong, but not strong enough to punch through several meters of earth before it crumbled away into nothing.

    ¡°Haha! You can¡¯t hurt me with your petty tricks, boy!¡±

    Despite what he said, Yan Tieyi had to take a few seconds to catch his breath. He was feeling rather weak after expending a prodigious amount of true qi. It was fine though. His enemy was a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor just like him, so theoretically they should share more or less the same amount of energy reserves. No matter how uncanny his martial arts were, there was no way Ye Qing could defeat him in a short time, meaning that he only needed to hold out until reinforcements showed up. When that happened, both Ye Qing and those two traitors would die like the dogs they were!

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing said with a light chuckle. ¡°Let¡¯s see you can keepughing after you catch <i>this.</i>¡±

    The rm bells in Yan Tieyi¡¯s head rang like crazy immediately after Ye Qing was done speaking. Without thinking, Yan Tieyi channeled his true qi through his sleeves and surrounded his whole body in a protective circle.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡±

    It was at this moment Yan Tieyi suddenly noticed countless shapeless, floating things floating just an inch away from him. They were nigh invisible save for a dark red tinge at the core. The gang boss¡¯ scalp immediately turned numb. How did these things manage to get so close without him noticing? They were anything but harmless too. His instincts were screaming that something terrible would happen if he allowed them to touch him.

    <i>¡°Blue Demon¡±</i>

    Yan Tieyi extended his hand out of his left sleeve to reveal a bluish ck glove. The painfully thin fabric was covered in bizarre patterns and emitting a bluish ck glow in intervals. What looked like a demon¡¯s head was sewn to the center of the glove.

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, the demon¡¯s head slowly opened its eyes¡ªor was it just a trick of the light?¡ªat the same time an irritating voice suddenly mumbled incessantly in his head. Then, a bluish ck me erupted from the glove and released a disgustingly sweet scent into the air.

    As soon as the scent entered Ye Qing¡¯s nostrils, a powerful wave of dizziness and weakness immediately gripped him. Hisplexion immediately turned bluish ck as well.

    <i>That¡¯s his Strange Artifact! It¡¯s as deadly as Tao Xian says! </i>Ye Qing thought in shock. Before he could mount a response though, a refreshing sensation suddenly rose from his dantian and spread across his whole body. The next thing he knew, he was back to normal.

    <i>The Fruit of Life protected me from the poison!</i>

    The answer came to Ye Qing immediately. He had consumed the Fruit of Life back at the Jade Dragon Lake, and it was said to be capable of bringing someone back from the brink of death, extending one¡¯s lifespan, and protecting someone from all kinds of poisons. That said, he wasn¡¯t willing to bet his life on the author¡¯s integrity, so Ye Qing hurriedly popped an antidote and held his breath just in case.

    Earlier, he had prepared some antidotes after Tao Xian told him that Yan Tieyi owned an extremely poisonous Strange Artifact that killed anyone who touched it or smelled its gas. Although it turned out to be unnecessary, he had to admit that the Strange Artifact was even deadlier than he imagined. If he hadn¡¯t consumed the Fruit of Life before, there was a good chance this fight would¡¯ve ended poorly for him.

    <i>Crackle crackle!</i>

    Meanwhile, Yan Tieyi was able to clear all the Blood Shadows surrounding him with just a wave of his burning glove. Even scarier was the fact that the bluish ck mes were deadly enough to burn holes in the ground.

    Ye Qing clenched his fist and resummoned his Blood Shadows. Then, he sent them toward Yan Tieyi once more.

    The Blood Shadows was the coalescence of his true qi and vigor. So long as he didn¡¯t run out of either element, he could theoretically summon an endless number of Blood Shadows. And that was exactly what he was going to do. The ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± was a top-tier Vessel Augmentation cultivation art, and his reservoir of true qi and vigor far exceeded a warrior in the Vessel Augmentation stage. To put it simply, he could afford to piss away the power.

    <i>Sizzle sizzle!</i>

    The Blood Shadows tried to catch Yan Tieyi a second time, but once again the bluish ck mes burned them into nothing. The gang boss let out an arrogantugh and said, ¡°What else do you have, boy? It will not be enough!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that.¡±

    Yan Tieyi didn¡¯t even manage to wipe the smile off his face when Ye Qing waved his hand and summoned an unbelievable amount of Blood Shadows once more. This time though, he merged them together into a gigantic hand before bringing it down like he would squash the gang boss like a fly.

    Yan Tieyi swore and spat out a tremendous amount of internal energy. His left hand curled into an arc, he swiped at the giant hand falling toward him and sessfully shredded it into pieces.

    But it wasn¡¯t enough. The shredded hand abruptly scattered into individual wisps of Blood Shadows and slipped through his guard before he could react. As soon as they made contact with his legs, his chest, and more body parts, blood immediately started seeping out of his skin. For a moment, Yan Tieyi could only watch in horror as the Blood Shadows greedily devoured his blood and weakened him even more than he already was.

    <i>What the hell is this martial art? And how does he have so much internal energy?</i> [1] Yan Tieyi thought in panic while burning the Blood Shadows in his body into nothing once more.

    At this point, Yan Tieyi finally realized that Ye Qing was, for whatever reason, far more energetic than he was even though they were both middle-stage Vessel Augmentors. Not only that, he could use his uncanny techniques in rapid session as if they didn¡¯t cost anything. He, on the other hand, was on the verge of triggering a rebound because he was almost out of internal energy. At this rate, he was going to die for sure.

    ¡°It¡¯s do or die!¡±

    A flinty glint entered Yan Tieyi¡¯s eyes, and he abruptly stopped defending himself. Instead, he leaped into the sky and swooped toward Ye Qing like a goshawk. Arms spread, Yan Tieyi flew erratically and unpredictably while rapidly closing the distance between himself and Ye Qing. Every time he changed positions, a goshawk''s cry would pierce through the air, and his aura would grow a little stronger.

    Nine criester, Yan Tieyi abruptly vanished from view and reappeared behind Ye Qing. Then, what looked like a thousand arced, me-wreathed hands swiped toward his major points at the same time.

    <i>¡°Nine Changes of the Goshawk¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Shadowless Hand¡±</i>

    Everyone and their mothers knew that Iron Shirt Yan was a practitioner of the Iron Sleeve Art and the Flowing Cloud Force, but no one knew that he also practiced a powerful movement art and a w art toplement his Blue Demon Hand. Why? It was because everyone who forced him to reveal his trump cards were dead!

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Ye Qing broke out in a cold sweat as he spun around and faced down the gang boss¡¯ ultimate technique. He never realized that Yan Tieyi was hiding a powerful movement art and a w art up his sleeves until it was toote. While neither art was particrly threatening per se, they wereplemented by a powerful Strange Artifact that could burn a hole in the ground like nothing, and he did not think that his body was tougher than the earth.

    There was no time to think. Right before the w technique would rip him to shreds, Ye Qing executed a Soulchasing Saber technique and wreathed his saber in a sheen of energy. When he lightly cut the air in front of him, it created ripples of light¡ªthey were really ripples of de energy¡ªthat spread out into a protective globe around him. It looked like a moon hanging in the sky.

    The saber technique temporarily was good enough to Yan Tieyi¡¯s w technique at bay, but the same could not be said for the all-consuming mes. Not only that, Ye Qing noticed that the bluish ck mes were steadily eating away at the de of his saber and spreading toward his hand!

    Ye Qing pushed Blood Sea Fragrance to the max and appeared above the lotuske in an instant. He managed to get away from the bluish ck mes for a moment, but¡ª

    ¡°You won¡¯t escape!¡±

    Yan Tieyi appeared right behind him and executed Shadowless Hand once more. From Ye Qing¡¯s point of view, it looked like the gang boss was swiping, tearing, pping, hooking and pointing at him from every direction all at the same time. Even worse, the fire was everywhere. Everything within ten meters of the eye of the storm were covered in bluish ck mes. There was no escape.

    1. true qi is a part of internal energy by the way ??

 Chapter 69: Blue Demon Hand

    <h4>Chapter 69: Blue Demon Hand</h4>

    Yan Tieyi was certain that he had finally gotten Ye Qing, but to his surprise, the young man shot him a wicked grin and said, ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but the n was never to escape from you!¡±

    Before Yan Tieyi could make sense of his words, he shouted, ¡°Now is the time, Brother Frog!¡±

    A ssh erupted from theke, and Kung Fu Frog shot into the sky like a star. Hands put together in a double palm strike pose and a ball of deadly force spinning wildly between its palms, it threw its hands forward and said,

    ¡°CROAAAAAAAAAAAAK!¡±

    A pure white pir streaked toward Yan Tieyi¡¯s back. The gang boss had not anticipated the Malice-ss Stranger, but he did not panic. He charged his right sleeve with true qi to protect himself from Kung Fu Frog¡¯s attack and continued attacking Ye Qing with his left hand!

    For a moment, it looked like Ye Qing was going to take a direct hit even if Kung Fu Frog¡¯s surprise attack was sessful. Then, Yan Tieyi¡¯s vigor suddenly churned as if some sort of invisible force was wrestling for control. Although he was able to suppress the strange urrence immediately, his movements and techniques slowed down just a fraction of a second, and in a battle like this, a fraction of a second could mean the difference between life and death.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Kung Fu Frog¡¯s energy st struck Yan Tieli squarely in the back. Although he was protected by ayer of true qi, Kung Fu Frog was a Malice-ss Stranger and equal to a human Vessel Augmentor in terms of cultivation level. As a result, the energy st snapped Yan Tieyi¡¯s back like a twig and sent him sailing through the air like a ragged doll, a trail of blood spewing out of his mouth.

    <i>Pop!</i>

    Ye Qing did not allow the golden opportunity to pass him by. He immediately kicked off the air and caught up to Yan Tieyi in just the blink of an eye. At this point, it was clear that the gang boss was as good as dead, but he wasn¡¯t dead just yet. Fear shing in his eyes when Ye Qing appeared right in front of him, he attempted to channel his remaining true qi for onest gambit.

    Unfortunately, he failed. Once again, his vigor churned unnaturally and interrupted his final move for just a fraction of a second. Then, a blinding light sent his vision spiraling all over the ce.

    It took Yan Tieyi a few seconds to realize what just happened. <i>Oh, he cut off my head, </i>he thought numbly. The secondst thing he saw was his headless body exploding into a brilliant shower of light and fire, and thest thing he saw was Ye Qing gathering his blood into a condensed ball that looked like red amber on one hand and catching his head with the other.

    Yan Tieyi, Iron Shirt Yan of Anyang and leader of the Iron Shirt Gang, did not pass away peacefully. He never figured out why a Stranger was hiding in his lotuske, and he never figured out why his vigor had suddenly spiraled out of control twice during thest moment. Perhaps Ye Qing might have enlightened him if he was able to maintain his consciousness a few seconds longer, but s, it was not meant to be. And so he went to the afterlife without ever getting his answers.

    ¡°Finally!¡± Ye Qing ced Yan Tieyi¡¯s head on the ground and let out a sigh of relief after he finallynded on his feet.

    The gang boss had turned out to be a far more formidable opponent than expected, and he had to use everything he had to barely defeat him at thest moment. His current repertoire of skills had proven inadequate to to kill Yan Tieyi in short order, so he had no choice but to win by endurance and deplete his foe¡¯s reserves little by little. Even then, the gang boss had nearly turned it around with his Strange Artifact. It just goes to show that he still had a long way to go.

    Fortunately, he had prepared sufficiently for the battle and even brought Kung Fu Frog with him just in case. While he was fighting against Yan Tieyi, the Malice-ss Stranger had snuck its way to the lotuske and hid at the bottom. After that, it waited until Ye Qing gave it the signal before springing a surprise Kamehameha at Yan Tieyi.

    Of course, even that might have proven to be insufficient if he hadn¡¯t figured out how to affect his opponent¡¯s vigor through his Blood Shadow Magic. But all¡¯s well that ends well, so that was that.

    ¡°No time to waste,¡± Ye Qing muttered before swallowing the blood he had ripped out of Yan Tieyi¡¯s body just now. This wasn¡¯t over until he had taken full control of the Iron Shirt Gang. As soon as the blood went down his throat, an unbelievable amount of energy immediately spread to every corner of his body.

    It was like a sun was burning inside his stomach. Hot air began flushing out of his pores, and his skin turned as red as a furnace. He heated up so much that the air around him became heavily distorted.

    ¡°Damn! That¡¯s a lot of vigor!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. Not only that the vigor was as refined as it was potent. Then again, this was the essence of a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor he was absorbing. It made sense that it was worth at least one silver dragon-serpent rune.

    <i>Slosh¡­</i>

    He could hear his own blood running rapidly inside his veins, and his bones cracking and popping like they were filled with thunder. His sweat turned into steam as soon as they left his body and temporarily shrouded him from view.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The next moment, he discharged a shockwave that was so powerful that it threw entire chunks of earth into the air. Everything within ten meters of him was wiped clean like the ground zero of a terrible explosion.

    When the shockwave finally subsided, Ye Qing was standing at the center of a massive pit. His eyelids fluttered open to reveal a pair of shining eyes that resembled the sun and the moon. His aura was spinning wildly around his person, and every inhale and exhale seemed to trigger a mini typhoon. It was like he wasn¡¯t a human, but a gigantic dragon.

    It didn¡¯tst forever, however. Ye Qing continued to breathe in and out until his aura had be fully stabilized. A couple more breathster, and his presence became as peaceful and warm as before.

    ¡°Good, good! I¡¯ve gotten a little stronger than before!¡± Ye Qing dered with satisfaction. Yan Tieyi¡¯s vigor hadn¡¯t just healed himpletely, he was a step closer to the next level as well.

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    It was at this moment Kung Fu Frog called out to Ye Qing and leaped out of theke. It then spat out two items in front of him. The first item was a shell-like item. It was of course Yan Tieyi¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell. The second item was none other than the bluish ck glove that hade so very close to driving him into a dead end.

    The two items had fallen into theke when he shattered Yan Tieyi¡¯s body earlier. As his first priority after killing the gang boss was to recover his strength, he thought he could grab them after he was ready. Kung Fu Frog had saved him some time and energy by grabbing them for him.

    ¡°Thanks, Brother Frog! This is your reward!¡± Ye Qing grinned at his friend and tossed it a jar of Pear Blossom wine. The Malice-ss Stranger immediately caught the jar, croaked twice in thanks and started chugging down the delicious wine like no tomorrow. It really was a hopeless drunkard.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Ye Qing chuckled fondly and put away Yan Tieyi¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell. Then, his gazended on the bluish ck glove.

    The bluish ck glove looked almost like an ordinary glove as it was no longer shining ominously or on fire. However, the mysterious patterns across its fabric and a dim but still discernible glow proved that it was anything but that. In fact, Ye Qing could tell that it was way, way better than the Skinner or the Burial Shirt Of The Dead, so much so that they did not even belong in the same league.

    ¡°What is this Strange Artifact called? What does it do?¡± Ye Qing asked in a soft voice after taking out the Annon Sutra and cutting his finger over the vellum.

    The Annon Sutra glowed darkly for over ten breaths before it finally manifested the familiar text. Ye Qing was happy to see this because it meant that the Strange Artifact was very valuable.

    <i>¡°The Blue Demon Hand is a Red-ss Strange Artifact made from the scalp of the Hatred-ss Stranger, the Blue Demon. It took ten years to sear a Hundred Poison into the scalp using the Netherme. The day it wasplete, the sky rained blood, the Netherme spread, and its one Hundred Poison turned everything within five kilometers of the Strange Artifact into an empty wastnd. So deadly were its me and poisons that not even the remains of its victims were left behind.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Unfortunately, the Blue Demon Hand is such an evil and unholy Strange Artifact that the heavens cast lightning upon it and damaged its roots. As a result, it degraded into a Red-ss Strange Artifact.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°The wielder of the Blue Demon Hand gains extreme resistance to conventional weapons, water and fire. It can also unleash the Netherme and the Hundred Poison. The Netherme can ignite anything, rot flesh and blood, corrode energy, and scorch a person¡¯s innards. The Hundred Poison is a shapeless, formless poison that can diminish one¡¯s vigor, damage the blood vessels, and destroy one¡¯s bodily points.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Every month, the wielder of the Blue Demon Hand must offer up their heart¡¯s blood one time. Otherwise, it would burn its wielder with the Netherme. Moreover, the wielder must not use it for over thirty breaths, or they would be poisoned by the Hundred Poison!¡±</i>

    ¡°This is incredible!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up with barely controlled excitement. The Red-ss Strange Artifact was already incredibly powerful, but it had the potential to be even stronger than it currently was! ording to the Annon Sutra, the original Blue Demon Hand was so powerful and unholy that the heavens decided it was too much and damaged its roots, downgrading it to a Red-ss Strange Artifact. Assuming it could be restored to its original form, would it be a Malice-ss Strange Artifact? Maybe even a Hatred-ss? How much stronger would it be if it was a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact? He could hardly imagine!

    Even better, the Strange Artifact¡¯s side effects and limitations were practically non-existent to him. For most warriors, having to offer their heart¡¯s blood at least once a month was a massive loss. After all, the heart¡¯s blood was the culmination of a warrior¡¯s essence, qi and spirit. To sacrifice even one drop of it would damage their foundation and mandate a long period of recovery. However, this side effect did not apply to him because he was overflowing with vigor and true qi, and he could replenish himself with the dragon-serpent runes whenever necessary. He could literally drown the Strange Artifact in heart¡¯s blood if he wanted to.

    Hell, if he could satisfy a bonafide bloodsucker like the Annon Sutra, why would he fear a mere Blue Demon Hand?

    Onto its limitation, the Blue Demon Hand would poison its wielder with the Hundred Poison if it was used over thirty breaths. However, the Hundred Poison was useless against him because he had consumed the Fruit of Life. This was already proven when Yan Tieyi tried to poison him earlier to no avail, meaning that this limitation might as well not exist to him!

    The Blue Demon Hand was unquestionably a deadly Strange Artifact. Most people would hesitate to use it even if its power was substantial. But to him? The Blue Demon Hand was a purely beneficial Strange Artifact that drastically elevated hisbat power. One might even say that the Strange Artifact was tailor-made for him!

    ¡°Hehehe! I really am the heavens¡¯ favored son! Thanks dad!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sillyugh and wore the Blue Demon Hand over his left hand immediately. Once he was done injecting his heart¡¯s blood into the Strange Artifact, he proceeded to rece Yan Tieyi¡¯s imprint in the glove with his own. And just like that, the Blue Demon Hand was well and truly his!

    Ye Qing tried moving his left hand around after putting on the Blue Demon Hand. It felt as if the glove didn¡¯t even exist. His fingers moved as smoothly as ever, and there was a firm connection between himself and his mind. A single thought was all he needed to channel its Netherme or its Hundred Poison.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing paused his experiment and hid his left hand within his sleeve. He then said, ¡°Come out!¡±

    ¡°M¡­ Master Ye?¡± Jie Chen walked out of the shadows and stared at the backyard that had been ravaged so thoroughly he could scarcely recognize it. He swallowed audibly before asking in a fearful tone, ¡°Where¡­ Where is Boss Yan?¡±

    He had rushed over as soon as he heard no noiseing from the battlefield. He wanted to know who had emerged victorious. If Yan Tieyi had won, then an early warning could be the difference between life and death. And if Ye Qing had won, then all¡¯s well that ends well, of course!

    He wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to discover him before he even showed himself though.

    Ye Qing stepped aside to reveal the head hidden behind his back. ¡°Oh him? He¡¯s over here!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead¡­ he¡¯s actually dead¡­¡± Jie Chen eximed in shock and disbelief. He was a man of few fears, but even he could not help but stagger backward at the sight of Yan Tieyi¡¯s head, trembling.

    The corners around Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up a little. ¡°What? Were you hoping that he¡¯d live? Or should I say, were you hoping that I¡¯d die?¡±

    ¡°A-Absolutely not! That is definitely not what I meant!¡± Jie Chen denied immediately even as he turned to stare at Ye Qing in disbelief. He wasn¡¯t just surprised that Ye Qing had killed Iron Shirt Yan, he could clearly sense that the young man was stronger than before. That made no sense since he had just fought a great battle against Yan Tieyi, and yet his senses clearly stated otherwise.

    It was at this moment Jie Chen finally remembered the second reason he came here and said, ¡°Oh right, the rest of the Hallmasters are already here. Tao Xian won¡¯t be able to hold them back for much longer!¡±

    ¡°Perfect timing!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Tell them that the boss will see them at the main hall!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Jie Chen left immediately.

 Chapter 70: Are There Any Objections?

    <h4>Chapter 70: Are There Any Objections?</h4>

    The Iron Shirt Gang headquarter¡¯s main hall was called the Flowing Cloud Hall. It was where the Iron Shirt Gang usually held their meetings. Right now, the Flowing Cloud Hall was jam-packed with people including the six Hallmasters and the three Keepers.

    ¡°Where is the boss, Tao Xian?¡± An old man whose hair and beard had gonepletely white asked. Despite his age, hisplexion was a healthy red, his skin was as smooth as a babe¡¯s, and his presence was as indomitable as a mountain. He was one of the three Keepers of the Iron Shirt Gang and ate-stage Qi Invoker. His name was Xu Yuan, the Light Vented Bulbul.

    ¡°Please be patient, Keeper Xu. The boss will arrive shortly!¡± Tao Xian replied calmly while fanning himself.

    ¡°¡®Please be patient, please be patient.¡¯ You¡¯ve said that half a teatime ago, Tao Xian! When on earth is the boss showing up?¡± A brawny man with a scar-ridden face yelled impatiently. He was the Hallmaster of the Hundred Wars Hall, Yao Xingjun, the ¡°Ghostface¡±.

    ¡°Hallmaster Tao, you mentioned that an old friend of the boss is visiting today. Can you indulge in my curiosity and tell me who it is?¡± A seductive woman with an hourss figure and a beautiful countenance giggled while straightening her bangs. She looked to be around twenty five or twenty six years old, and she was wearing a flowery, form-fitting petticoat. In fact, the petticoat fit her so well that everyone could see her wholesome breasts jiggling to the slightest movements.

    Many men in the hall swallowed audibly, but no one was stupid enough to act on their lustful thoughts as a matter of course. It was because the woman was the Hallmaster of the Hundred Flowers Hall and the manager of all the brothels, theaters and entertainment centers owned by the Iron Shirt Gang. She wasn¡¯t just apetent businesswoman, but also an extremely aplished warrior. She was a middle-stage Qi Invoker, and her name was Ruan Hongluo, the Hundred Flowers Celestial.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a moment, Hongluo!¡± Tao Xian replied in the same tone he used against Yao Xingjun earlier.

    ¡°Are you hiding something from us, Tao Xian? The noise and shockwaves did not feel like a mere spar!¡± A cold voice spoke up next. He was a middle-aged man wearing an ice cold expression and ck clothes. His whole body oozed a dark, cold presence that chilled everyone around him to the core. It was also why no one was sitting next to him. He was none other than the Hallmaster of the Punishment Hall, Yin Ju the ¡°Living King of Hell¡±. He was ate-stage Qi Invoker, and he was responsible for keeping thew and dishing out punishment to those who broke them.

    ¡°Please be patient, Hallmaster Yi. The boss will¡ª¡± Tao Xian began. Yi Jun was even sharper than he imagined. He had probably figured out that something was amiss. Unfortunately, it was already toote!

    Before Tao Xian could finish his sentence, a refreshing voice resounded from the entrance, ¡°Everyone¡¯s here? Good! Let¡¯s jump right into it then!¡±

    Then, a young man who wasn¡¯t even twenty yet stepped into the main hall. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡± An old, fat woman with pimples all over her face demanded. She was clutching her walking staff and staring at Ye Qing with an expression that was anything but friendly.

    Ye Qing paid herck of warmth no heed, however. He shot her a sunny smile and said, ¡°Good day to you, Lady Poison. My name is Ye Qing, and my moniker is Joyless! As for why I¡¯m here, I havee to make an announcement!¡±

    Ye Qing swept his gaze across the room as he walked around the center hall. Then, to everyone¡¯s shock except Tao Xian and Jie Chen, he sat down at the main seat and curled his lips into a wicked smile. ¡°Starting today, I¡¯m the new leader of the Iron Shirt Gang! Are there any objections?¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Who the hell do you think¡ª¡± Yao Xingjun mmed the table and shot to his feet. As the Hallmaster of the Hundred Wars Hall, he was rash and unafraid to voice his opinion to anyone¡¯s face. Unfortunately, that was his first andst mistake of the day. The brawny man abruptly cut himself off and turned beet red in the face. Then, he started shuddering uncontrobly as blood seeped out of every pore of his body.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Before anyone could even react, Yao Xingjun abruptly exploded and showered the main hall with bits and pieces of flesh. His blood though, they paused in mid-air as soon as they left his body and condensed into a ball above Ye Qing. It thennded snugly in his palm almost like it was a tangible object.

    <i>tter tter tter!</i>

    Obviously, everyone in the hall shot to their feet faster than Ye Qing could say, ¡°Boo!¡± They instinctively channeled their powers and stared at Ye Qing with varying expressions. Some people looked stunned like their minds couldn¡¯t process what just happened. Some people looked shocked, some people looked terrified, some were puzzled, and some were furious. But no one¡ªnot a single one of them¡ªdared to attack Ye Qing for killing one of their own.

    Yao Xingjun wasn¡¯t just ate-stage Qi Invoker. As the Hallmaster responsible for all big and small conflicts inside and outside the gang, he was naturally not to be underestimated. His Hundred Wars Saber Art was famed for its deadliness, and he was at least a top four warrior in the Iron Shirt Gang. But forget putting up a fight, he had died before he could so much as draw his weapon. Worse still, no one saw how Ye Qing had done it, and without knowing exactly what kind of martial art the young man had used to kill Yao Xingjun, it was pure folly to act against him!

    ¡°Are there any objections?¡± Ye Qing asked again while tossing the ball of blood in his palm up and down, a yful smile dancing on his lips.

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡± Everyone swallowed with eerie unison.

    For a time, the attendees could only exchange stunned looked with one another until one of the three Keepers of the Iron Shirt Gang, Yan Yuming the ¡°Willow Leaf Sword¡± let out an angry shout, ¡°You¡¯re dead when my brotheres back!¡±

    A long, willow-thin sword glided out of his right sleeve. Then, he leaped toward Ye Qing and executed a thrust. Textbook his movements might be, the rain of swords that suddenly appeared all around the main hall was anything but. Beautiful yet deadly, they danced all over the ce like swaying willow leaves.

    <i>¡°Spring is warm</i>

    <i>Until the air shifts</i>

    <i>And willow leaves dance in the wind¡±</i>

    Yan Yuming was one of the three Keepers of the Iron Shirt Gang and Yan Tieyi¡¯s younger brother. Naturally, his kung fu was very good. Yan Tieyi often gave him personal lessons and helped him hone his Willow Leaf Sword Art to near perfection. Fast, urate, ruthless and deadly, there were few people in the Iron Shirt Gang who could best him in a fight.

    That was why everyone was surprised when they saw the rain of swords suddenly vanishing into nothing, and Ye Qing catching Yan Yuming¡¯s sword with just a pair of fingers. If they didn¡¯t know better, they would¡¯ve thought that Yan Yuming was putting on an act with the young man. Just how was he able to beat Yan Yuming¡¯s signature attack so easily? He hadn¡¯t moved away from his chair!

    They knew the answer. The young man had to be a Vessel Augmentor!

    ¡°I¡¯m a good person. Since you wish to see Yan Tieyi that badly, I¡¯ll reunite the two of you right now!¡± Ye Qing chuckled goodnaturedly and flicked his finger against the sword¡¯s edge. The de twanged loudly as Yan Yuming¡¯s purlicue abruptly split in half and bled profusely. At the same time, a wisp of force slipped into his body, shook his innards, and disrupted his blood vessels. A pool of blood immediately surged up his throat and burst right out of Yan Yuming¡¯s lips uncontrobly.

    Shocked, Yan Yuming instinctively tried to put some distance between himself and Ye Qing. But as soon as he kicked off with his feet, a dark red Blood Shadow appeared behind him and wrapped tightly around his neck. His head tumbled across the air, and another Qi Invoker had died just like that!

    When Ye Qing made a grabbing motion, the tumbling head abruptly curved toward him andnded on a nearby table. Then, he called out, ¡°Family should not be separated from one another. Bring it in, Jie Chen!¡±

    Jie Chen immediately walked out of the back room while carrying a wooden box between his arms. When he ced it on the table and removed its cover, the attendees immediately cried out in shock and disbelief.

    ¡°Boss!¡±

    ¡°Boss¡­¡±

    ¡°How¡­¡±

    Yan Tieyi¡¯s severed head was inside the box. Iron Shirt Yan was a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor and an expert in the Iron Sleeve Art and the Flowing Cloud Force. He was famous throughout Anyang and one of its strongest warriors as a matter of course. But now he was dead, and his bulging eyes were all they needed to see to know that he had not passed away in peace!

    ¡°Yan Tieyi wanted me dead, so I killed him first!¡± Ye Qing said with a smile and rose to his feet. An unbelievably powerful aura immediately washed over the main hall. For a moment, everyone felt suffocated like a rock was sitting atop their chest. In fact, the aura eventually grew so heavy that not even the strongest of them could lift their heads, and the cirction of their true qi turned sluggish. No one could muster even the tiniest will to resist.

    <i>He¡¯s not just any Vessel Augmentor, he¡¯s probably in the middle-stage or even¡­ thete-stage!</i>

    The thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind at the same time.

    ¡°Everyone should pay for their mistakes. Sometimes more, sometimes less!¡±

    Still keeping his aura in the open, Ye Qing saidzily. ¡°I don¡¯t really care about this gang, but I suppose I should take over since I¡¯ve unceremoniously removed your boss. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to the rest of you after all. Are there any objections?¡±

    Tao Xian sensed that it was his time to shine and did not hesitate to butter up his new boss. He bowed deeply and dered, ¡°I agree! Yan Tieyi¡¯s the one who tried to kill you first, so he only has himself to me for his untimely death! Not only that, you are kind enough to punish only those who would do you harm, while a weaker man would¡¯ve sumbed to his baser fears and taken out our whole gang! Who else deserves our loyalty if not you, Young M¡ªI mean, boss?¡±

    Jie Chen also took a step forward and voiced his support, ¡°I agree. Boss Ye isn¡¯t even in his twenties yet, but he¡¯s already a Vessel Augmentor. His future is bright and limitless. It is our fortune to be able to be his subordinate.¡±

    The monk was speaking from his heart. He had been obsessed with martial arts since he was young, and there was no one he respected more than a champion. In the past, that person was Yan Tieyi, and now it was Ye Qing.

    ¡°Haha. I agree. I don¡¯t care who bes the gang boss as long as the silver keeps flowing into the coffers!¡± Ruan Hongluo let out a giggle before staring at Ye Qing with deep interest. She didn¡¯t seem afraid of him whatsoever!

    ¡°I agree¡­¡±

    ¡°I agree¡­¡±

    ¡°I agree¡­¡±

    Since Tao Xian, Jie Chen and Ruan Hongluo had set an example, the rest of the attendees followed suit as well. It did not matter if they meant their deration. It was that, or suffer the same fate as Yao Xingjun and Yan Yuming.

    ¡°Good. I¡¯m d that most of you are intelligent people!¡± Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction and finally withdrew his aura, causing everyone to sigh in relief. ¡°From today onward, we are one big family. Please, take your seats!¡±

    When everyone had returned to their seats, he continued, ¡°Since Yao Xingjun and Yan Yuming are dead¡ªoh, I almost forgot. Shi Jiang is dead as well, and their positions need to be filled as soon as possible. In my opinion, Jie Chen should be the new Hallmaster of the Hundred Wars Hall and a Keeper, and Tao Xian should rece Shi Jiang as the Hallmaster of the External Affairs Hall. Yes, I¡¯m aware he¡¯s already managing the gang¡¯s intelligence gathering and rtions as the Hallmaster of the Hall of Secrets, but I¡¯m sure he can handle two responsibilities at the same time. Are there any objections?¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    <i>If we object, will you kill us?</i>

    Meanwhile, Tao Xian and Jie Chen could hardly control their excitement. Their gamble had been extremely risky, but in the end it was the right call. Now that Tao Xian was managing two halls at once, there were few people in the gang who could match his new status and power. Besides that, the Hall of External Affairs was one of the gang¡¯s most profitable halls. So his pockets were going to be heavier than ever before.

    As for Jie Chen, he really should¡¯ve been made the Hallmaster of the Hall of Hundred Wars a long time ago. However, he could never go higher beyond the vice Hallmaster position because there were people who were jealous of his talent. Now, he was both a Hallmaster and a Keeper. One might say that he had finally gotten what he deserved.

    ¡°Thank you, boss!¡± The duo saluted him deeply. Ye Qing waved them away before adding,

    ¡°As for the rest of you, there will be no changes. You will carry out your tasks and responsibilities as normal.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, boss!¡± The others also saluted Ye Qing. They were relieved. It was prettymon for a new boss to shuffle things around and make them cough up some sort of tribute to prove their loyalty, but Ye Qing hadn¡¯t asked anything of the like at all, and he could¡¯ve since he could probably kill them all singlehandedly. Assuming he wasn¡¯t ying the long game, this was actually¡­ an okay turn of events?

    Many people started looking at their new boss in a new light. Noticing that his carrot-and-stick tactic had worked, Ye Qing smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re one big family now. So long as you do your job well and remain loyal to me, I promise I will treat you just as fairly!¡±

    ¡°We appreciate your benevolence, boss!¡± Everyone said in unison.

    ¡°One more thing. I want all of you to keep quiet about the fact that Yan Tieyi is dead, and the gang has gotten a new boss. What happened today stays within these four walls.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± No one understood why he wanted this, but they agreed to his request all the same.

    With that done, Ye Qing rose to his feet and got ready to leave. When he was passing by Lady Poison though, he suddenly said, ¡°Lady Poison, you know it¡¯s a bad habit to poison people willy-nilly, right?¡±

    The woman turned deathly pale and jumped away from him.

 Chapter 71: Plot Within Plot

    <h4>Chapter 71: Plot Within Plot</h4>

    Lady Poison¡¯s true name was Cheng Mei. She was a master in the art of poisoning, and the deadliest and most subtle poison was called the Bone Melter. As its name would suggest, it was a colorless, odorless, and airborne poison that liquefied the bones and rotted the flesh if it was breathed in. It only took a short time for her victim to melt into a fleshy puddle. Her ability to kill invisibly was why she came to be known as Lady Poison.

    Lady Poison had poisoned Ye Qing with the Bone Melter while he was killing Yan Yuming. She believed that there was no way he would notice as he was distracted. Once he was dead, she would speak with the patriarch of the Zheng n, Zheng Feng and request that he rewarded her for taking revenge for Yan Tieyi.

    Zheng Feng and Yan Tieyi were sworn brothers and incredibly close. It was natural that he would want to take revenge for Yan Tieyi. He would surely reward her handsomely once he had taken over the Iron Shirt Gang. With luck, he might even make her a Hallmaster.

    Of course, the n hinged on the fact that Ye Qing did not notice the poisoning¡­ and he did.

    <i>I need to run!</i>

    That was the only thought in Lady Poison¡¯s mind even as she frantically backed away from Ye Qing. However, she hadn¡¯t even moved three meters away from her original location when the air around her abruptly hardened like it was a solid object. She could still move, but she might as well be immobile at the pace she was going.

    ¡°Ahhhh! I will kill you even if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡± Lady Poison screamed, knowing that it was do or die. Without hesitation, she discharged a cold, dark green true qi that spread to the surroundings in just an instant. Greenish mes crackled within the true qi, and the nts within the main hall withered in the blink of an eye.

    Everyone except Ye Qing backed away from the true qi in an instant. Those who had seen the art in action before immediately recognized it as the Green Phosphorus Art. In essence, the Green Phosphorus Art was a poisonous gas made of dozens of deadly poisons. When mixed with true qi, it would create a phosphorus me that was highly toxic. Anyone who touched the sparks would immediately catch the poison and fall dead in a very short time, and as the practitioner of the art, Lady Poison could spread the poison gas with her true qi and poison everyone and everything within a certain range.

    ¡°Oooh, a fellow me practitioner?¡±

    Ye Qing paid the phosphorus mes no heed, however. He simply raised his left hand and unleashed the Netherme. Not only did Lady Poison¡¯s true qi caught on fire as soon as the Netherme made contact with it, the Netherme easily overwhelmed¡ªno, <i>devoured</i> the phosphorus me and advanced quickly toward Lady Poison.

    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>

    Knowing that her life was in grave danger, Lady Poison immediately detonated the pimples and warts covering her whole body. As it turned out, the pimples were hiding many insects that looked like winged centipedes, and they all flew toward Ye Qing from multiple directions.

    ¡°You were raising these bugs with your own flesh? Isn¡¯t that a little too much?¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little and clenched his left fist. The Netherme descended on top of the centipede swarm and turned them to ash without a sound.

    ¡°Ahhh¡­ my Phosphorus Centipedes!¡± Lady Poison screeched in pain and sorrow, but she didn¡¯t dare to linger for even a second longer. She immediately made a run for the exit. However, she stiffened yet again after she took her first step, and it was a different sensation fromst time. If it felt like she was wading through extremely hard water before, now her entire body was stiff to the point it felt like full-body paralysis. She couldn¡¯t see her own face, but herplexion had turned bluish ck.

    <i>Poison? Am I poisoned?</i>

    The thought flitted across Lady Poison¡¯s mind. Then, her consciousness blurred, and she abruptly copsed on the floor.

    <i>It¡¯s too¡ª</i>

    She couldn¡¯t even form a full thought before she died.

    Lady Poison had poisoned countless people her entire life, and in the end, it was a poison that took her life. It was terribly ironic to put it mildly.

    ¡°I gave you an out, and you still chose this path. Some people just can¡¯t be helped.¡± Ye Qing let out a soft sigh before snapping his fingers. A wisp of Nethermended on Lady Poison¡¯s corpse and turned it into ash in an instant. With that done, he pped his hands to get everyone¡¯s attention and said,

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s unfortunate we have to lose another one of our members, but I am d that the rest of you are intelligent people!¡±

    He smiled, but it only left the attendees feeling chilled to the core.

    ¡°Hallmaster Ruan, you¡¯re one of the three Keepers now. Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°R-Right! Thanks, boss!¡± Ruan Hongluo was caught off guard at first, but happiness quickly took over when she realized she had been promoted.

    Before Ye Qing left, he swept his gaze across the hall onest time and said, ¡°I said this before, and I¡¯m going to say it one more time. What happened within these walls stays within these walls, understand?¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    Behind him, everyone bowed toward him and answered as respectfully as they could!

    ¡­¡­

    Qiao Residence, Rainflower Rest.

    ¡°How unexpected. I thought you didn¡¯t have time for my humble abode?¡±

    Qiao Six was sitting at his usual seat and cooking a pot of tea. He looked a lot more rxed and carefreepared to thest time he saw him.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t leave my brother alone for long, can I?¡± Ye Qing answered smilingly while sitting opposite of the information broker.

    ¡°And you are¡­ Tao Xian, the Sick Schr?!¡± Qiao Six looked at the sick-looking man standing behind Ye Qing with a look of obvious puzzlement. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days. When did you join the Iron Shirt Gang, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing shook and nodded his head in session. ¡°I didn¡¯t join the Iron Shirt Gang, but the Iron Shirt Gang belongs to me.¡±

    ¡°Okay, my age must be catching up to me, because that sentence makes no sense to me at all!¡± Qiao Six shook his head wistfully while rubbing his fingers across a tea cup.

    Tao Xian chose this moment to speak up, ¡°Don¡¯t you get it yet, Master Six? Boss Ye has be the leader of our Iron Shirt Gang!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Qiao Six eximed in disbelief. Beside him, Hong Yu was so stunned that her hands shook, and she identally spilled some tea across the table. A refreshing scent filled the pavilion quickly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re the boss, then what happened to Yan Tieyi?¡± Zuo Yiyan blurted.

    Ye Qing sipped his tea and closed his eyes in satisfaction. ¡°What else? I killed him, of course!¡±

    Qiao Six took a moment to steady himself before asking seriously, ¡°You¡¯re not kidding me, are you? What the hell happened in the past few days?¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m serious! Yan Tieyi tried to kill me, so I killed him in return. After that, I procured his gang aspensation!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s it?¡± Qiao Six just could not believe it. Iron Shirt Yan was one of the most prominent warriors in Anyang, and not even he was a match for that old man. Now, Ye Qing was telling him that he was dead, and he was the one who did it.

    Even knowing what he did, Qiao Six could scarcely believe his own ears.

    ].

    Ye Qing pulled back his left sleeve to reveal the Blue Demon Hand. He said casually, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were expecting, but it really is that simple.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Yan Tieyi¡¯s Blue Demon Hand!¡± Qiao Six blurted. As the greatest information broker in Anyang, of course he knew a thing or two about Iron Shirt Yan¡¯s Strange Artifact. He fell silent for a long time before sighing, ¡°If the Blue Demon Hand fell into your hands, then Yan Tieyi must be dead! Joyless, you¡­ you are the living proof that the young always surpasses the old!¡±

    Qiao Six already knew that Ye Qing was extremely strong, but to be so strong as to kill Yan Tieyi with the Blue Demon Hand equipped? Right now, the young man could probably crush him like a bug if he wanted to.

    The information broker could not help but praise himself for making the right choice a few days ago. Had he chosen to fight Ye Qing to the death, the grass before his tombstone would nearly be a meter tall by now.

    ¡°You tter me!¡± Ye Qing repliedzily while crossing his legs.

    ¡°That said, this business isn¡¯t over yet, Joyless. You might have killed Yan Tieyi and controlled the Iron Shirt Gang, but you still have to watch out for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Zheng Feng, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    By now Qiao Six had regained his calm, and he did not hesitate to warn Ye Qing, ¡°Yan Tieyi once saved Zheng Feng¡¯s life, so they are closer than many blood brothers are! Zheng Feng wille after you for killing his sworn brother!¡±

    Ye Qing did not panic, however. He said, ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I came to visit you today, Brother Six!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Qiao Six¡¯s expression immediately turned wary. ¡°What are you scheming? I¡¯m just a businessman, you bastard! I can¡¯t possibly help you with this matter!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes at him. ¡°You wound my soul, brother. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not asking you to shield me from the Zheng n or something. I¡¯m here to make a deal with you!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Tell me!¡±

    Ye Qing sat up straight and turned serious. ¡°Before I get to that, I want you to know that Zheng Feng is going to die no matter what. There is nothing in the world that will change that fact. Of course, I¡¯m aware of your position, so I won¡¯t ask you to help me kill Zheng Feng. I¡¯d rather do this myself anyway.¡±

    ¡°I came here today because I have one, and only one question to ask you: are you interested in the Zheng n¡¯s assets and businesses? Of course, I mean after the guy¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°What difference does my answer make?¡± Qiao Six replied unhurriedly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯ll take seventy percent of the cake and share the rest with you. If not, then this meeting has never happened!¡± Ye Qing proposed. ¡°There are no free lunches in this world, but this is as free as it gets, brother. You best think carefully before you give me your answer.¡±

    ¡°Free lunch? More like a high rank cultivation art that¡¯s missing a few key pages!¡± Qiao Six retorted while shaking his head.

    ¡°Is that so? Should I take that as a no then, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked with a half-smirk. He did not seem to be worried in the slightest.

    ¡°I never said that!¡± Qiao Six quickly changed his tune and said, ¡°I think the profits could be distributed a little more evenly though. What if I im seventy percent of the cake, and the rest goes to you?¡±

    ¡°Do you have no shame? Fine, I suppose I can make apromise and give you forty percent of the cake.¡±

    ¡°One must keep clear ounts even with their own brother, am I right? But since you¡¯re willing topromise, I suppose I can take a step back as well. How does fifty-fifty sound?¡±

    ¡°It sounds fantastic. Are we in agreement?¡±

    ¡°We are. A pleasure to work with you!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°You look puzzled, Tao Xian. Are you wondering why I gave up half of our cake for free?¡±

    Tao Xian had been looking weird since they left the Qiao residence. He clearly wanted to ask a question but was afraid he would earn Ye Qing¡¯s wrath, so Ye Qing did the asking for him.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Tao Xian said immediately. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even need to lift a finger to get half of the profits! How is this fair?¡±

    ¡°Heh. It only looks unfair because you aren¡¯t looking at the bigger picture, and you¡¯re wrong when you say that Qiao Six wouldn¡¯t need to work for it,¡± Ye Qing replied calmly. ¡°The thing is, the Iron Shirt Gang cannot eat up the Zheng n by ourselves. The Zheng n is a powerful n that has rooted itself in Anyang for years. Their wellbeing is tied to many other forces and people¡¯s wellbeing.¡±

    ¡°If I kill Zheng Feng, and the Iron Shirt Gangys im to all the wealth they possess, it is inevitable that we will damage some people¡¯s interests and earn their hatred. We will also give off the impression that we are excessively greedy. Once the Iron Shirt Gang has be the target of everyone¡¯s ire, we will be hindered every step of the way.¡±

    Tao Xian dipped his head and mulled over Ye Qing¡¯s words. A long timeter, he slowly nodded in understanding.

    ¡°That is why Qiao Six said that my offer is like a high rank cultivation art that¡¯s missing a few key pages. Everyone wants a high rank cultivation art, but the fact that it¡¯s missing key pages means that it¡¯s highly risky to practice. If you¡¯re skilled and knowledgeable enough to figure out those pages by yourself, then good for you. But what if you¡¯re not? You¡¯re going to suffer a deviation at best or die at worst, and your enemies are only all too happy to take advantage of your downfall.¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t have something all by yourself, then you might as well share it. In this case, I decided that Qiao Six is an excellent partner to share this pie with. In terms of connections, there¡¯s no one who is more connected than our so-called ¡®omniscient¡¯ information broker. Qiao Six¡¯s connections will make our wrongdoers at least think twice before they decide to target us. and we would not have to bear everyone¡¯s ire by ourselves.¡±

    ¡°In fact, I would ¡®identally¡¯ miss out between ten to fifteen percent of our share when it is time to bribe the hyenas to look the other way. I guarantee you that Qiao Six will be plotting the same thing. This way, we will still get the lion¡¯s share of the cake, but no one will hate us for it.¡±

    ¡°You are as wise as you are strong, boss!¡± Tao Xian praised him from the bottom of his heart.

    ¡°It¡¯s not thatplicated, really. Greed is good, but too much greed

 Chapter 72: Godspeed!

    <h4>Chapter 72: Godspeed!</h4>

    That night, in the Flowing Cloud Hall of the Iron Shirt Gang.

    ¡°Hail, brother!¡± Yan Tieyi greeted as soon as Zheng Feng stepped into the Flowing Cloud Hall behind Tao Xian. He was Ye Qing in disguise, of course.

    ¡°Well met, Tieyi. Did something urgent happen for you to seek me out at this hour?¡± Zheng Feng asked.

    Zheng Feng was a tall, muscr man with graceful features and a dignified bearing that naturally came with being in a position of power for decades. Right now though, he just looked like a tired fifty year old man who was saddened by something. It was clear that Zheng Tianyuan and Zheng Tianqi¡¯s death had dealt a huge blow to the man. Objectively speaking, it was never a happy thing for the young to pass away before the old.

    ¡°Please take a seat, brother!¡± Ye Qing waved Zheng Feng to a chair and poured him a cup of wine. He purposely revealed the Blue Demon Hand in the process so that the patriarch would not suspect his identity. And he didn¡¯t. The Blue Demon Hand was Yan Tieyi¡¯s most cherished Strange Artifact, and he never allowed it to leave his sight even when he was taking a bath. Naturally, there was no reason for Zheng Feng to suspect that the familiar man before him was an imposter. He epted the drink and downed it in one gulp.

    Ye Qing sat opposite Zheng Feng and said with a smile, ¡°I invited you today because I want to share some good news with you, brother.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve invited me all the way to your headquarters, I¡¯m assuming it must be very good news.¡± Zheng Feng replied wearily while nursing a headache. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been out of sorts ever since Tianyuan and Tianqi are¡­ gone. The fact that I don¡¯t even know who the killer is troubles me even more. I can really use some great news.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a mysterious smile. ¡°That is exactly why I invited you here, brother. I¡¯ve found the answers you seek.¡±

    ¡°Y-You found out who the killer is?¡± Zheng Feng was so delighted he reached over the table and grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s arm. ¡°Who is it? What did you know? Tell me everything!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, brother. There is no rush!¡± Ye Qing grinned as he gently sped Zheng Feng¡¯s left arm with his left hand. ¡°I have two pieces of good news to share with you. Listen well.¡±

    ¡°One, it is as you guessed. I know exactly who your killer is. In fact, that person might be closer than you think!¡±

    ¡°Two, you¡¯re going to be reunited with your sons very soon. Aren¡¯t you d?¡±

    At first, Zheng Feng thought that Yan Tieyi was making a tasteless joke and felt furious at him. But when he listened until the end, he realized that something was terribly wrong.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Tieyi!¡±

    The patriarch subconsciously tried to pull away, but Ye Qing¡¯s grip on his left arm abruptly tightened into a death grip. The next moment, he felt a blinding pain and saw a dark me slowly creeping up his left arm.

    ¡°Argh!¡± Zheng let out a bloodcurdling scream. His right hand abruptly turned as white as jade, and purple lightning crawled all over his skin. There was even a furious thunderp as he raised his hand. However, the second he thrust his palm toward Ye Qing¡¯s chest, the tendrils of lightning abruptly condensed into purple, watery beads and gathered at the center of his palm. It looked like he was holding a tiny pool of water in his right hand.

    <i>¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±</i>

    As they were literally face to face with each other, Ye Qing felt as if a lightning bolt was detonating right in front of him. It was vast, unbounded, and powerful.

    Still keeping Zheng Feng¡¯s left arm in a death grip, the young man narrowed his eyes and clenched his right fist. His abdomen swelled and depressed repeatedly as he met the palm strike with a silent punch.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Palm met fist, and both men shuddered. There was no sound, and yet the entire Flowing Cloud Hall suddenly copsed into a ruin without warning. The ground beneath the duo shuddered violently and split into fissures like it was the site of a terrible earthquake.

    Right now, Zheng Feng¡¯s left arm resembled the arm of a charred corpse; ckened andpletely devoid of flesh. Even his right arm had been twisted round and round until it resembled a fleshy rope.

    That said, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t doing so hot either. Hisplexion kept alternating between purple and red, and tiny tendrils of lightning could be seen slithering in and out of every pore of his body.

    ].

    ¡°They say that no martial art could match the Boundless Lightning Palm in terms of brute force because it is a martial art that is meant to smite the heavens¡¯ enemies. It definitely deserves its reputation!¡±

    Ye Qingmented in a casual tone even as the deadly lightning force ravaged his insides. Every time he opened his mouth, lightning literally shot out of his throat, and blood trickled down the corner of his lips. The Zheng n¡¯s ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± was a martial art where a warrior tempered themselves with true lightning to create Lightning true qi within their body. They should aim to, ¡°Smite your enemies with seemingly boundless strength, and annihte all life beneath your lightning.¡± Naturally, a martial art like this was violent to the extreme. ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± was even said to be unparalleled in terms of brute force, and considering the state he was in, Ye Qing had to admit that it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration.

    ¡°Toad Force? Who on earth are you?¡± Zheng Feng roared and spat out a purple sword from his mouth, literally. It flew toward Ye Qing¡¯s forehead as swiftly as the wind!

    Ye Qing finally let go of Zheng Feng¡¯s left arm and caught the sword with his left hand, but his body shook, and the blood drained away from his face as if he was struck by a huge rock. It was because a tremendous strength and an unbelievably refined lightning force had poured into his body as soon as he touched the de. His left hand shifted back an inch uncontrobly, and a trickle of blood spurted from his forehead. Then, he flew backward uncontrobly as if he had been struck by a giant hammer.

    <i>Crash crash crash!</i>

    Like a cannonball, Ye Qing crashed through the wall, a fake mountain, a building and more until finally, the ground. He was embedded so deep within the earth that it was impossible to tell if he was alive or dead.

    ¡°Hahaha! No one can survive my Lightning Bolt!¡± Zheng Fengughed like a madman. Despite his weakened state, his excitement and joy was bare for all to see.

    The lightning sword was called Lightning Bolt. It was a Red-ss Strange Artifact and not nearly as magical as the Blue Demon Hand was. However, its explosive power and speed were unmatched.

    Moreover, Lightning Bolt was an offensive Strange Artifact he nurtured inside his body most of the time unless he needed it. After spending decades tempering its shape with his true qi and nurturing its mind with his blood essence, it had long since gained a hint of sentience and be even more powerful than it already was. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Zheng Feng could literally spit any enemy within a hundred steps of him to their death.

    In fact, Lightning Bolt was what made Zheng Feng who he was today. It was thanks to Lightning Bolt that he was able to entrench himself in Anyang. It was thanks to Lightning Bolt that he was able to turn several crises around and transformed his family into a massive, powerful n. So far, no one had ever been able to survive his lightning sword, and he did not think that Ye Qing would be an exception.

    ¡°Hehe, heh¡­ Pwack!¡±

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet. Zheng Feng¡¯sughter abruptly devolved into a hacking cough, and when he spat out a glob of bluish ck blood that was mixed with bits and pieces of innards, he knew he was in deep trouble.

    ¡°Poison?!¡± He nched as a wave of dizziness assaulted his head. His innards were also twisting like someone was pressing them against a grinder.

    ¡°The Blue Demon Hand! Dammit!¡± Zheng Feng bit his tongue as hard as he could in order to keep himself awake. He had clearly been poisoned by the Blue Poison Hand, and as Yan Tieyi¡¯s sworn brother he knew full well just how deadly Hundred Poison was. If he was healthy, he could have held back the poison for a short time with his true qi, but obviously he was anything but healthy right now. The bastard had burned his left arm to a crisp and even punched him with the Toad Force, shattering his internal organs in the process. As a result, he was so seriously injured it would not be surprising if he died within a couple of hours, not to mention that Lightning Bolt had used up most of his true qi. There was practically nothing he could do to suppress the poison right now.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time! I need to leave immediately!¡± he muttered. The fact that the men he brought hadn¡¯te to his aid despite themotion could only mean that they were upied. The bastard must have taken control of the entire Iron Shirt Gang after killing Yan Tieyi. Considering his condition, even a Reforged would stand a good chance at killing him, much less a Qi Invoker.

    Right now, his only option was to escape this ce and cure the poison. Only after he had recovered his strength could he deal with these traitors.

    ¡°Return, Lightning Bolt!¡± Zheng Fengmanded and made a hand gesture. He wasmanding his Strange Artifact to return to him with his energy.

    Lightning Bolt had long since gained a hint of sentience after decades of nurturing. It would automatically return to his side after he channeled his energy. However¡­

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s going on?¡± Lightning Bolt did not return to him despite hismand. When he tried again, the energy he had imbued onto Lightning Bolt actually vanished into nothing!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Every hair on Zheng Feng¡¯s body stood on end as a terrible premonition gripped him.

    ¡°This sword is pretty good! I¡¯m taking it!¡± A voice suddenly called out from the distant ruins. Then, a young man slowly stepped out of the dust clouds and into the open. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

    Right now, the young man was covered in dust, and his clothes were mostly torn up. His aura was fluctuating erratically, and the bloody hole on his forehead was particrly conspicuous.

    Zheng Feng wasn¡¯t staring at his wounds, however. He was staring at his left hand. Ye Qing was holding a small sword with a de as thin as a leaf. It was covered in purple lightning and vibrating incessantly as if it had a mind of its own, but it was unable to break free no matter how hard it struggled.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re still alive? But how?¡± Zheng Feng actually staggered away from Ye Qing in disbelief. He just could not believe that the bastard had actually survived his greatest trump card!

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you. It was pretty close though!¡± Ye Qing smirked. He was telling the truth. Qiao Six had told him that Zheng Feng owned a lightning sword that could, theoretically, annihte any foe within a hundred steps from him, so he was prepared for it from the beginning. Despite this, the lightning sword¡¯s power still exceeded his expectations and nearly prated his brain.

    While speaking, Ye Qing sucked in a very, very deep breath, as his stomach had grown until he resembled a woman who was ten months pregnant. When he finally exhaled, the air boomed like a thunderp, and a purple dragon that looked like it was made of pure lightning shot out of his mouth and into the sky. It roared and circled the sky for a bit before finally disappearing.

    Ye Qing¡¯s erratic aura immediately started stabilizing after he spat out the purple dragon. Even the bloody hole on his forehead started closing little by little.

    ¡°This is impossible¡­¡± Zheng Feng looked even more lost and shaken than he already was after witnessing that scene. Just now, the young man had inhaled new energy from his surroundings until he had enough to force out all the lightning force in his body in one go. Now that lightning was no longer ripping his innards to shreds, it was only a matter of time before he fully recovered.

    He, on the other hand, had lost both arms and broken most of his internal organs. Even if he somehow recovered from this, he would be much weaker than he used to be. It was highly unlikely that his cultivation would grow either.

    <i>But how did he cultivate so much true qi at his age?</i>

    <i>Just how?</i>

    <i>I need to run!</i>

    Finally, Zheng Feng snapped out of reverie and wheeled around. He did not try to snatch Lightning Bolt back from Ye Qing because the effort could only end in failure. He immediately channeled hisst vestiges of true qi and made a run for the walls.

    But it was futile. The second he made a move, Ye Qing abruptly vanished from his location and reappeared beside him. Then, a Blood Shadow severed Zheng Feng¡¯s legs right through the knees.

    ¡°Argh!¡± Zheng Feng let out another bloodcurdling scream and copsed to the floor. He broke downpletely and screamed on top of his lungs, ¡°Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me? I don¡¯t even know you! Just why?!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know me?¡± Ye Qing slowly crouched beside the broken man with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°That may be true, but what about August Hill Vige?¡±

    ¡°August Hill Vige?¡± Zheng Feng was caught off guard for a second before his eyes bulged with shock. ¡°You¡¯re from August Hill Vige? Then Tianyuan¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? That¡¯s right. I¡¯m the one who killed Zheng Tianyuan and Zheng Tianqi!¡± Ye Qing let out a mirthless chuckle. ¡°As for why I killed them and why I¡¯m going to kill you now, you can ask them after you see them in hell!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± A horrified Zheng Feng struggled with all his might, but it was futile. The next moment, his entire body exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    ¡°Godspeed! I won¡¯t be seeing you off!¡±

 Chapter 73: Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve

    <h4>Chapter 73: Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve</h4>

    ¡°Phew¡­ Captain, Lin, Granny Xia, everyone in August Hill Vige, I¡¯ve taken revenge for you. May you rest in peace!¡±

    Ye Qing swept away the cloud of blood with a flick of the arm before staring at the rising moon at the distance. His voice was cool and indifferent, and yet there was also a hint of loneliness.

    The moon never changes, but the people who once were were no longer.

    In the end, revenge was just something people did when it was already toote.

    ¡°Are you¡­ okay, boss?¡± Tao Xian asked softly when he came over and found Ye Qing¡¯s back looking a little forlorn for some reason.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ye Qing snapped out of his reverie. The dead were dead, and the living must continue living. If nothing else, he felt much better after finishing his revenge and fulfilling his promise. He asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±

    ¡°It went well. Zheng Feng¡¯s two guest warriors and his ten guards are all dead!¡± Tao Xian reported before looking at the tattered ruins around him. ¡°And how is Zheng Feng? Is he¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently. ¡°You might still find a piece of him if you search around the area.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Tao Xian turned a little white. He immediately recalled how Ye Qing had exploded Shi Jiang and Yao Xingjun. It seemed that his new boss loved killing his enemies by turning them into fireworks.

    <i>I must never piss him off!</i>

    Tao Xian took two steps away from Ye Qing and coughed, ¡°Ahem. Since Zheng Feng is dead, should we begin our takeover now, boss?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Ye Qing massaged his forehead a bit before continuing in a tired voice, ¡°I leave this matter to you, Tao Xian. I¡¯m not going to get involved with what happens next. It¡¯s up to you and the others to eat as much as you can without debilitating the gang!¡±

    ¡°Also, I don¡¯t want the public to know about my identity. If someone asks you about me, just tell them that I do not enjoy the limelight and would prefer to keep a low profile. Understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand, boss!¡±

    ¡°Now go. You may find me at Endless Horizons if you need me!¡± Ye Qing gave him a wave before leaping into the air. It wasn¡¯t long before he disappeared into the night.

    ¡­¡­

    Jingrui 3 [1], March 3rd would be remembered in the history of Anyang as a tumultuous day. It was the day where one of the three major ns of Anyang, the Zheng n, had crumbled in a single night.

    Not long after their one and only Vessel Augmentation stage warrior, Zheng Feng, had fallen in battle, an army of warriors had suddenlyunched an all-out assault against the Zheng n. Most of their elders and guest warriors were ambushed and killed, and only a handful managed to surrender or escape with varying degrees of injuries.

    In just one night, the Zheng residence had been reduced to rubble, their warriors had been annihted, and the Zheng n was no more. In fact, the dust had settled by the time the officials finally realized what had happened and took action.

    There was something strange about the incident, however. It was unclear how Zheng Feng had died and who was behind the destruction of the Zheng n. Some people imed that Zheng Feng was killed because he had offended a powerful warrior of the Dark Ways, some people imed it was the joint effort of several Anyang masters after Zheng Feng was discovered to be a Stranger sympathizer, and some people imed it was the chivalrous act of a hero who decided to do right by the people by ending his sinful life¡­

    Countless people came up with countless theories, but no one seemed to notice that the Iron Shirt Gang had gotten a new boss.

    ¡­¡­

    Pacification Bureau headquarters, the Demonying Hall.

    Ling Jianqiu was holding a long sword and examining the de when he asked in a cold voice, ¡°Did you find out who killed Zheng Feng, Yan¡¯er?¡±

    His adopted daughter replied, ¡°It was the new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang. From what I heard, they are the ones who killed Yan Tieyi as well!¡±

    ¡°A warrior who can kill both Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng is no joke. They must be a middle-stage or ate-stage Vessel Augmentor at least,¡± Ling Jianqiu said calmly. ¡°Since you haven¡¯t given me a name, I¡¯m assuming you don¡¯t know who this new boss is?¡±

    Yun Yan said in an apologetic tone, ¡°Unfortunately, no. The only ones who seem to know the truth are the Hallmasters, but they¡¯re surprisingly tight-lipped about their own boss¡¯ identity. Not even our spies in the Iron Shirt Gang had seen this mysterious boss before.¡±

    ¡°Look into this discreetly!¡± Ling Jianqiu ordered, ¡°I want to know who this person is and why they had killed Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng. I also want to know if they¡¯re tied to any dark sects and Strangers!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Shen residence, the Idle Sanctum.

    ¡°Tell me your thoughts, Brother Li,¡± said the patriarch of the Shen n, Shen Xian. Sitting opposite him was the patriarch of the Li n, Li Yuankang. The Zheng n, the Shen n and the Li n used to be the three strongest ns in Anyang. Now, only two of them were left.

    Li Yuankang took his time to think while stroking his beard. A whileter, he said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Zheng Feng could¡¯ve offended someone he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Or maybe it was Yan Tieyi who did the offending, and Zheng Feng was just the coteral damage.¡±

    Shen Xian asked after a moment of consideration, ¡°What are the chances it might be a conspiracy against our ns?¡±

    Li Yuankang immediately shook his head. ¡°It is very unlikely. Looking at the clues, the attacker was only targeting the Zheng n. I don¡¯t think they will set their sights on our ns.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but you and I must keep our guards up regardless,¡± Shen Xian said seriously before a glint flickered in his eyes. ¡°The three of us have always looked out for each other. Like the lip and the teeth, our survival is closely dependent on one another. With that in mind, would you like to join forces with me and make the Iron Shirt Gang exin why they hadn¡¯t helped the Zheng n in their time of need?¡±

    That was what he said, but Li Yuankang knew what he really meant. Therge majority of the Zheng n¡¯s wealth, assets, businesses and more had fallen into the hands of the Iron Shirt Gang. As the news had arrived at their doorsteps a little toote, they had only managed to im a small portion of that loot so to speak. Naturally, Shen Xian was extremely displeased with this state of affairs.

    Li Yuankang himself was a little miffed, but he was a little more level-headed than his fellow patriarch. ¡°That won¡¯t be easy. Qiao Six has gotten arge portion of the cake as well, so it¡¯s safe to say that they were in cahoots with one another. What if we pay them a visit, and Qiao Six chooses to help the Iron Shirt Gang? It would be extremely troublesome. That old coot is not someone to be trifled with!¡±

    ¡°Besides, we still haven¡¯t found out who the new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang is. You don¡¯t want to act on iplete information, do you?¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Shen Xian let out a deep sigh. He knew what Li Yuankang was saying all too well, but he just could not bring himself to let it go. ¡°Is there really nothing we can do?¡±

    Li Yuankang chuckled. ¡°For now, that seems to be the case. We cannot move until we know exactly who¡¯s behind the Iron Shirt Gang.¡±

    Shen Xian nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right. Our first order of priority is to find out everything we can regarding this new gang boss! In fact¡­ Why don¡¯t we pick an auspicious date and pay this mysterious warrior a visit together? Don¡¯t you want to meet the person who took out both Zheng Feng and Yan Tieyi with your own eyes?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. If they refuse to show up, then we¡¯ll force them to show up!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Anyang county hall, the back hall.

    ¡°The investigation is finished, my lord. The new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang is the one who killed Zheng Feng!¡± Yan Feng saluted Yan Yufei and reported.

    ¡°The new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang?¡± The magistrate looked up from his book with a deep frown. ¡°What happened to their old boss, Yan Tieyi?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead. The new boss was the one who killed him!¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Yan Yufei put down his book and asked in a serious tone, ¡°Well, stop keeping me hanging and tell me about this new boss already. Who are they? Where do theye from? Why did they kill Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng?¡±

    Yan Feng dropped his head immediately. ¡°My apologies, but¡­ I haven¡¯t found anything on the new boss just yet!¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± A hint of dissatisfaction crept into Yan Yufei¡¯s voice.

    Yan Feng exined, ¡°This new gang boss is extremely reclusive, my lord. Not only have they not shown themselves in public, most of the members of the Iron Shirt Gang themselves have never seen them. In fact, they didn¡¯t even know they had a new boss until today!¡±

    Yan Yufei¡¯s expression rxed slightly when he heard this. ¡°Keep looking into this boss, and warn the Iron Shirt Gang and all other forces to keep their conflicts among themselves. If even one civilian¡¯s life is disturbed because of them, I will see to it myself that they are in chains!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Yan Yufei replied with a respectful salute.

    ¡°By the way, how goes the investigation regarding the General of Punishment?¡± Yan Yufei asked next.

    Yan Feng answered in a helpless tone, ¡°We couldn¡¯t find anything. It¡¯s like that incense acolyte had vanished into thin air. We couldn¡¯t find a trace of him even though we¡¯ve been scouring the county for days!¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s still our one and only clue. You must find him even if you have to turn Anyang upside down to do it!¡± Yan Yufei ordered in a tone that would ept no rebuke.

    ¡°As youmand, my lord!¡±

    It was at this moment a bailiff barged into the back hall while crying, ¡°We have an incident, my lord!¡±

    Yan Yufei asked immediately, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°A body¡¯s been found in the northern reservoir, my lord!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Endless Horizons.

    Ye Qing opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi. It was quite early in the morning, but he felt stronger and clear-headed than ever before. Not only had he recovered fully from his injuriesst night, he had fully refined Zheng Feng¡¯s blood and improved his cultivation level once more.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot to check Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization before producing two Nature¡¯s Shell. His eyes were wide and sparkling with anticipation. After all, who doesn¡¯t enjoy opening loot boxes? He started with Yan Tieyi¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell and broke through its restriction. A pile of items immediately appeared on the floor.

    ¡°Silvers,nd deeds, letters, talismans, pills¡­ jackpot!¡± Ye Qing could barely suppress his glee as he went through each and every one of Yan Tieyi¡¯s possessions.

    ¡°So, he has around ten thousand silver and ten shop and house deeds, and¡­ they¡¯re all located in the prime locations of Anyang! Just how rich is this guy?¡±

    ¡°As for the pills, there are Tiger Bone Pills, Yellow Sprout Pills, antidotes and¡­ wow, they¡¯re all trash!¡±

    ¡°And these books are¡­ martial arts manuals! The ¡®Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art¡¯, ¡®Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡¯, ¡®Shadowless Hand¡¯... they¡¯re Yan Tieyi¡¯s martial arts!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes had glossed over many valuables to save time, but the manuals? He could not look away as soon as hended his eyes on it.

    ¡°The ¡®Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art¡¯ is a Vessel Augmentation cultivation art with eight chapters. At the adept level, the practitioner would unlock eight Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and one hundred and eighty points¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡± Ye Qing put down the cultivation manual and shook his head. The ¡°Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art¡± might be an incredible cultivation art for an ordinary warrior, but he was not an ordinary warrior, and it was practically trashpared to the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡±.

    At the adept level, the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± unlocked all twelve Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, three hundred and sixty points, fully augmenting the practitioner¡¯s vessels. Not only that, it also taught a powerful magic art that Ye Qing just could not get enough of, the Blood Shadow Magic.

    Naturally, he had no use for the ¡°Eight Directions Vessel Augmentation Art¡±.

    ¡°¡®Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡¯ is a Vessel Augmentation stage martial art. It teaches the practitioner how to concentrate their qi on their sleeves to achieve various effects. If sessful, the practitioner can summon clouds, fly through the air, and conjure cloudy illusions with a wave of the sleeve. They can also harden it so that it can crush rocks with ease, soften it so that it can wind like a stream; move as powerfully as lightning, or stand as still as a virgin in peril. At full manifestation, it can be as relentless as a river, and as transient as a cloud. When the practitioner has reached the adept level, they would attain bnce in both hardness and softness, activity and inactivity, and the real and the unreal. Its potential would be limitless.¡±

    Ye Qing clicked his tongue in amazement. ¡°Yan Tieyi, that sly fox. Everyone thought his primary martial art is the ¡®Iron Sleeve Art¡¯, when it really is ¡®Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡¯!¡±

    This was a good thing though. As the man who killed Yan Tieyi, he could personally attest to the martial art¡¯s potential. Not only was it equally capable in both offense and defense, it possessed endless variations. If he hadn¡¯t cultivated a top-tier Vessel Augmentation art and possessed far more true qi than Yan Tieyi, he would¡¯ve been hardpressed to punch through his ¡®Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡¯ with brute force. In short, this martial art was extremely powerful.

    <i>I¡¯m definitely going to learn this!</i>

 Chapter 74: Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method

    <h4>Chapter 74: Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method</h4>

    ¡°The ¡®Shadowless Hand¡¯ is a Qi Invocation stage palm art thatbines various palm techniques, finger techniques and w techniques into one whole package. Speed is its essence, and flexibility is its lifeblood. Everchanging and shadowless, the ¡®Shadowless Hand¡¯ is best used to dismantle straightforward moves¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± determined Ye Qing. The ¡®Shadowless Hand¡¯ was clearly a palm art that focused on agility and flexibility. It was definitely not weakpared to the sea of Qi Invocation stage martial arts out there, and more importantly,bining it with the Blue Demon Hand would serve to maximize the Strange Artifact¡¯s potential.

    In the past, he would be practicing these martial arts already. Now though, he had a better idea.

    ¡°But before that, I should check out Zheng Feng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell!¡± said Ye Qing as he put down the martial art manual. A short whileter, another pile of valuables appeared on the floor.

    The contents of Zheng Feng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell was more or less the same as Yan Tieyi¡¯s. It also contained a vast amount of silver,nd deeds, manuals and more. There were three things that caught Ye Qing¡¯s eye, however. The first was three fist-sized spirit fruits. They were purplish ck in color and covered in mysterious, dark purple runes. They were glowing faintly and emanating a tremendous amount of energy.

    Ye Qing had no idea what the fruits were, but he was certain that they were extraordinary.

    The second thing that caught his eye was three manuals. The first manual was a Vessel Augmentation cultivation art called the ¡°Thirty Six Impetus of Lightning¡±. A warrior who mastered the cultivation art could augment nine Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and two hundred and sixty points. In addition, the cultivation art strove to ze a new trail by teaching its practitioners how to ¡°infect¡± one¡¯s true qi with the power of lightning using natural lightning or lightning-attribute fruits.

    The cultivation process was extremely dangerous, and the slightest mistake could cause a potentially fatal deviation. But if the warrior was sessful, then their true qi would be as vast, potent, and forceful as lightning. The risks were great, but the reward was a match for it.

    The second manual was a martial art manual titled the ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±. It was a Vessel Augmentation stage palm art. Unlike the ¡®Shadowless Hand'', the ¡®Boundless Lightning Palm¡¯ was a straightforward martial art that relied on sheer power and indomitable spirit to overwhelm one¡¯s enemies. Practitioners of this art were required to move as fast as lightning, as loud as thunder, and as forceful as a raging torrent. At the adept level, one could supposedly ¡°summon forth the thunderous might of the heavens¡± with a single palm strike. It was quite the powerful martial art to say the least.

    Obviously, the ¡°Thirty Six Impetus of Lightning¡± and the ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± were a two-in-one package. Only bybining the two could one unleash the full potential of the ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±.

    That said, the ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± was still powerful individually. It was also why Ye Qing wanted to practice the ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± instead of the ¡°Shadowless Hand¡±. While the ¡°Shadowless Hand¡± had its own advantages, the ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± had greater potential and power because it was a Vessel Augmentation stage martial art. On top of poisoning and burning his enemies, he would be electrocuting them with lightning as well!

    The third and final thing that caught Ye Qing¡¯s attention was a tattered painting. It was pitch ck as if shrouded by dark clouds or ck ink. It was also covered in mysterious, profound-looking runes that seemed to outline a pair of eyes. It was as enigmatic as it was ancient.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a shitty painting. Why did he go through all the effort to keep it hidden?¡± Ye Qing wondered out loud while examining it closely.

    The painting had been hidden in a box forged from Kunshan White Jade. Kunshan White Jade was a special material that could inste aura and prevent spiritual detection. It could be used to conceal powerful treasures from prying eyes or preserve certain natural treasures. Naturally, it was incredibly valuable.

    The fact that Zheng Feng had stored this painting inside a box made of Kunshan White Jade could only mean that it was exceedingly valuable. He just hadn¡¯t figured out the painting¡¯s secrets just yet.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing¡¯s eyesnded on the eyes outlined on the surface of the painting. He heard a boom inside his head, and the eyes abruptly shone a pitch ck light that melted away the inky ckness of the painting. Then, a silhouette whose stature seemed great enough to support both heaven and earth appeared inside his head.

    The silhouette was tall and massive. He was a man wearing a gilt crown and a robe that seemed to epass millions and millions of kilometers ofnd. He carried the sun and the moon on his shoulders, and his feet stretched all the way to the Nine Nethers. He was great, majestic, honorable and graceful beyondpare.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    /p>

    The next moment, the Nine Nethers shattered into pieces, and an extraordinary vehicle drawn by thousands and thousands of beasts appeared beneath the man¡¯s feet. The sun and the moon were the vehicle¡¯s shafts, the wind and the clouds were its wheels, and the water and the fire were the ornaments.

    The next moment, the vehicle took off and soared across the world. It shone like a million suns and sundered the Nine Nethers and the Nine Heavens in half.

    ¡°ARGH!¡±

    The moment the heavens shattered, Ye Qing¡¯s mind and spirit were suddenly assaulted by a terrible storm. The storm was dark and relentless, and the strange vehicle was grinding down every inch of his mind and spirit into bits. There was a frightful second where he thought that his head had literally exploded, and his entire body was gripped by an unbelievable amount of pain. At the same time, bright red blood jetted out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!</i>

    Every time a wheel turned, Ye Qing¡¯s mind would crumble a little more. The pain was so unbearable that he spasmed uncontrobly like he was experiencing a seizure, and he mmed his head against the floor repeatedly in hopes of finding sweet release in the void. Unfortunately, even that was impossible. It was a fate worse than death itself.

    Eventually, the vehicle reached thest corners of his mind and crushed the final vestiges of his consciousness. Hisst thoughts were,

    <i>Is this it? Is this where I die¡­?</i>

    It was at this moment the Annon Sutra glowed within his shirt. Then, several dragon-serpent runes slowly swam away from the vellum and into Ye Qing¡¯s mind.

    The Annon Sutra¡¯s light was as weak as a candle me, but it never faded no matter how hard the storm raging in Ye Qing¡¯s head tried to blow it away. It preserved Ye Qing¡¯s mind and kept it from scattering into the void.

    A teatimeter¡ªthough it certainly felt like a lifetime to Ye Qing¡ªthe young man finally opened his eyes.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m still alive? <i>Ssss! </i>Oh, it hurts so bad¡­¡±

    His head throbbed painfully the second he tried to move. It wasn¡¯t as bad as when the vehicle was grinding his mind into bits, but he still felt like someone bashing his head with a hammer from the inside again and again.

    Ye Qing remained where he was until his headache had subsided a little. Then, he slowly sat up and nced at the painting on the table with trepidation. ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ urgh. What the hell is this painting? Wait¡­ it looks different!¡±

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, the painting lookedpletely different from before. Previously, it was covered in dark clouds and ck ink. Now, it was reced by a man wearing a gilt crown and a robe of endless earth. He rode an unspeakable vehicle that was made of natural elements and celestial objects, and he was so tall that his stature spanned across the heavens, the mundane world, and thehers. His appearance was grand, majestic, honorable and graceful. He was none other than the man who had appeared in his head earlier. He was¡ª

    <i>¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±</i>

    Emperor Fuxi appeared in Ye Qing¡¯s mind at the same time Ye Qing saw the painting, but unlike before he wasn¡¯t violent or attempting to crush his mind into bits. Instead, he hovered in the nine heavens like the sun and filled the world with light. Warm, life-giving light.

    Like a miracle, Ye Qing¡¯s damaged mind and spirit started rooting, sprouting, and flourishing like a nt that had just endured winter and weed spring. It felt so healing that Ye Qing instinctively closed his eyes and mumbled,

    ¡°It feels good!¡±

    An untold period of timeter, Ye Qing opened his eyes once more. The room literally brightened up as his eyes shone like a pair of morning stars.

    ¡°My spirit is much stronger than before! This is unbelievable. To think that the ¡®Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡¯ could strengthen the spirit and the mind!¡±

    He hadn¡¯t just recovered fully in both mind and spirit, his spiritual power reserves were twicepared to before. All humans carried three vital energies in their body. They were the essence, qi and spirit. Those who were weak in essence would have little strength, but those who were strong in essence would be as strong as an ox. Those who were weak in qi would have a feeble body, but those who were strong in qi would be as resilient as a diamond. Finally, those who were weak in spirit were inclined to enter an early grave, but those who were strong in spirit would lead a long, healthy life!

    Fundamentally, all humans be it ordinary people and warriors should always strive to improve their essence, qi and spirit, though the direction they were headed to were different. Ordinary people should strive for stability and bnce, while warriors should strive for power. After all, power leads to prosperity, and prosperity leads to longevity!

    Ye Qing had arrived in this strange world for some time, but he had never encountered an art that tempered the mind and strengthened the spirit until now. Since every warrior he encountered so far only focused only tempering their body or building up their qi, he didn¡¯t know this was a thing until the near death experience.

    The benefits of growing his mind and increasing his spiritual power reserves were obvious. Already, he could tell that his perception of the surrounding environment, the energies, the minute changes of the air and more were sharper than before. He wasn¡¯t using his eyes, but he could sense the moth pping its wings near themp, the ants crawling up the walls, the leaves falling off a tree outside Endless Horizons, and the nts twisting their bodies ever so subtly to face toward the sun. He could even perceive extremely minute details such as the air currents, the weather, the flow of his true qi, the expansion and contraction of his muscles, the wriggling of his innards and more. They all seemed so clear in his head.

    Externally, he could perceive every activity and inactivity around him, and internally, he was like a god looking down on a mini universe of his creation.

    He could control his body, vigor and true qi better than ever before. He could ensure that he was always in the most optimal condition and even fine-tune his body on the fly to handle specific circumstances. Speaking of which, he could now perceive his enemies¡¯ movements, aura and energies like the worm in their belly. If his opponent wanted to take a step to the right, he would know the second they flexed their toes. If his opponent wanted to execute a new move, their energies and aura would inform him before they so much as twitched a muscle. He would be able to suppress them almost like he could see a second or two into the future.

    The ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± might not be an offensive art, but it was an art that allowed him to unleash his full potential. It was at least as valuable as the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡±, if not more!

    ¡°This is crazy! Why didn¡¯t Zheng Feng pick up this method as soon as he got it? If he had, I could¡¯ve died even considering all the preparations I¡¯ve made!¡± Ye Qing eximed in amazement. During their duel, Zheng Feng had disyed a lot of brute force but poor fine control. That could never be the case if he had studied the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±.

    The answer came to him almost as soon as he thought about it. He had nearly died after identally looking at the eyes on the painting. It was only thanks to the Annon Sutra that he was still alive. Zheng Feng must have known how dangerous it was and didn¡¯t want to put his life at risk until he was stronger.

    ¡°Now that my spirit is stronger, I should be able to refine Lightning Bolt with my spirit and make it even stronger than before.¡±

    Every time Ye Qing recalled the lightning sword that had nearly given him a brain piercing, he would feel a bit of lingering trepidation. Just like the Blue Demon Hand, it was a Red-ss Strange Artifact.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Lightning Bolt is a Red-ss Strange Artifact forged using a Lightning Meteorite and the blood of a Malice-ss Stranger, the Roaring Thunder Beast. It can be nurtured in one¡¯s body and used to annihte anyone within a hundred steps of the wielder instantly.¡±

    ¡°The Roaring Thunder Beast is a Stranger with a roar as loud as a thunderp, a cry as booming as a drum beat, and a screech that can split the heavens. Since Lightning Bolt is forged using its blood, the user must withstand these noises every time they use it.¡±

    Zheng Feng had only nurtured Lightning Bolt with his blood essence and true qi, but the Strange Artifact had still exceeded his expectations and nearly killed him. Now that he had the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, he could refine it with his spirit and nurture it with his mind as well. It should greatly enhance his ability to control the weapon and its power.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s nothing else? Alright then! It¡¯s cultivation time!¡± Ye Qing dered. He had everything he might need to strengthen himself¡ªthe dragon-serpent runes, the martial arts and a Strange Artifact¡ªso it was time to put in the work!

 Chapter 75: Knock Knock

    <h4>Chapter 75: Knock Knock</h4>

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    Ye Qing had just finished visualizing the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method" one time when he suddenly heard a series of rhythmic knocks. It was extremely distinct not just because it was very rhythmic, but also because there weren¡¯t many people in Anyang who would knock this way.

    ¡°Coming Clouds?¡± Ye Qing immediately identified where the knocking sound wasing from thanks to his reborn spirit.

    ¡°It¡¯s past midnight already. Did a drunke back for another round or something?¡±

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    The knocking continued unhurriedly and rhythmically. It sounded especially loud and clear in the dead of the night.

    ¡°No wait, something¡¯s not right!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. It had been a while since the knocking began, and yet the employees of Coming Clouds hadn¡¯t responded to it at all. Besides that, the knocking sound carried a strange rhythm that was almost eerie. Scratch that, it was eerie as fuck to hear at this hour.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on over there?¡± Ye Qing scratched his chin and wondered if he should go check it out.

    Suddenly, the knocking sound ceased without a warning. Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered like a dying candle in the darkness. <i>Is it gone?</i>

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    It wasn¡¯t, and this time, it was happening at Endless Horizons¡¯ doorsteps!

    As the knocking continued, an ominous, ice cold air started spreading inside the bookstore. Kung Fu Frog jolted awake from his deep slumber and croaked anxiously, while Wawa flew into her book and stuck her head out a little, watching the main entrance nervously.

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    The ominous air seemed to thicken with every knock. In fact, the thick stench of death started permeating throughout the bookstore as well. On the second floor, Ye Qing felt as if his mind was being corroded by deathly energy, and his consciousness was definitely deteriorating little by little.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ye Qing scrunched his eyebrows and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. The emperor appeared inside his head and rode a gorgeous vehicle through the sky. His light wiped clean every tinge of deathly energy in Ye Qing¡¯s head in an instant.

    ¡°Who dares to y the demon in my bookstore? Get lost!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes shone brightly as he rose to his feet. Lightning suddenly crackled inside his room, and his words sounded as loud as thunder. At the same time, a terrific gust of wind suddenly appeared inside the bookstore and shook the windows, the doors, the tables, the chairs and more like an actual storm was brewing. It immediately blew away the ominous air and stopped the knocks!

    Ye Qing blurred and reappeared outside the bookstore, but to his surprise, he couldn¡¯t see anyone. Rubbing his forehead and wondering what the hell just happened, he looked at Coming Clouds and jumped. He broke through a window andnded inside the restaurant.

    ¡°They¡¯re all dead!¡±

    Ye Qing scanned his surroundings once before disappearing from view. Three breathster, he reappeared in the dining hall and sighed.

    Everyone inside the restaurant was dead. The waiter, the cooks, even the guests who were sleeping upstairs in the guest rooms. At least ten souls were gone just like that, and everyone of them had died in the exact same manner. He couldn¡¯t find any wounds on their bodies, but they were all lifeless, pale, and ssy-eyed. It was like someone or something had sucked their soul, leaving only the shell behind.

    ¡°Is it a Stranger? Or a human?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and murmured to himself.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing heard a whistling noise from the window. He immediately raised his hand and caught a pitch ck arrow between his fingers. However, there was so much force behind the arrow that his hand was pushed back half an inch.

    <i>Did a Qi Invoker shoot this? </i>Ye Qing thought to himself while snapping the arrow in half.

    This was just the beginning though. As if the first arrow was just the signal, countless more arrows shot through the windows like a sudden downpour.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ye Qing hmphed imperiously and swung his arms. Gentle as water and smooth as the clouds, he was able to catch all the arrows with his sleeves no matter how many flew in his direction.

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±</i>

    ¡°It is against etiquette to not reciprocate!¡± Ye Qing dered as he threw the arrows back where they came from even faster than before.

    <i>ng ng ng!</i>

    Some of the arrows were parried, but some weren¡¯t. He could hear people grunting in pain as the arrows sank into flesh and bone.

    ¡°How dare you massacre innocents, fiend! Sumb to your fate!¡±

    It was at this moment an angry roar erupted from outside the building. It was so loud that it actually blew apart the main entrance and scattered debris everywhere. Then, a tall, muscr man rushed in like a tiger on the hunt. Every time he took a step, several bricks would shatter into pieces.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    The man reached Ye Qing in just the blink of an eye and threw a punch. It was just a simple punch, but it felt like the sky itself was copsing on top of him. Its will was unstoppable, unbreakable. The violent, ferocious fist would sooner break itself than submit. Ye Qing could almost hear it saying: <i>Nothing will stand before me!</i>

    /p>

    ¡°Well met!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up as he spun his feet about half an inch and ground the bricks he was standing on to dust. When his sleeves had be as hard as steel, he swung them straight at the man¡¯s fist.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was a terrific noise of impact as the shockwave shattered most of the tables and chairs in the dining hall. His right arm dangling limply by his side, the ferocious man staggered all the way to the entrance before he finally managed to catch himself. Clearly, it was Ye Qing who had won the sh. Eyes bloodshot and face contorted in a wrathful expression not unlike an enraged beast, he charged toward Ye Qing once more.

    ¡°Graaaaaagh! Die!¡±

    ¡°Hu Nu, stop!¡±

    Suddenly, a gentle voice called out from behind him. The ferocious man immediately stopped in his tracks and turned around.

    A beautiful, mild-mannered woman wearing a green dress slowly stepped out from the darkness. She was followed by a bunch of warriors wearing ck armor and carrying bows.

    ¡°Yun Yan? The Pacification Bureau?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. She was none other than Yun Yan, the woman he had seen at the entrance of the Shing Wong temple a few days ago. As for the bow-carrying warriors, they were obviously the central force of the Pacification Bureau, the Sentinels.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before. You¡¯re that young man who was following behind Lord Yan at the Shing Wong Temple, aren''t you?¡± Yun Yan asked as she slowly walked toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°Be careful, miss!¡± The guy named Hu Nu took a step forward and stood protectively in front of her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s not the killer!¡± Yun Yan replied smilingly, ¡°He¡¯s one of the magistrate¡¯s men after all. It¡¯s highly unlikely that he¡¯s a bad person.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted her respectfully and said, ¡°You are a discerning woman, Miss Yun. I am Ye Qing, owner of Endless Horizons!¡±

    Her smile widened. ¡°I had heard that Endless Horizons had gotten a new owner, but I didn¡¯t think it would be you. And to think that you¡¯re a hidden master as well!¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Miss Yun Yan. I still have a long way to go before I deserve such a lofty title!¡± Ye Qing replied humbly.

    ¡°I doubt that, but if you say so, then so it shall be,¡± Yun Yan said in a gentle voice before looking at the dead people around the restaurant. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, Mister Ye, do you know what happened here?¡±

    Ye Qing responded, ¡°To tell you the truth, Miss Yun, I¡¯m not sure myself. Earlier, I had heard a strange knocking noiseing from Coming Clouds. I paid it no heed at the time because it stopped after three times. Then, someone or something knocked on my door the exact same way and filled the bookstore with an ominous air. When I dispelled the unnatural air and chased out of the building, I found no human or Stranger abound.¡±

    ¡°Realizing that the people in the restaurant might be in grave danger, I rushed into Coming Clouds and tried to search for survivors. Unfortunately, it was already toote.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s what you said, but is it the truth?¡± said Hu Nu while ring daggers at Ye Qing. ¡°You could be the one who killed them as well!¡±

    ¡°Haha. I don¡¯t even recognize most of these people, and those I do know are my acquaintances. Why on earth would I kill them?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Suppose I¡¯m the killer, why would I linger and wait for you to catch me red-handed? Anyone with half a brain would have run as far away from the crime scene as possible. What do you say, Miss Yun?¡±

    ¡°I believe you of course, Mister Ye,¡± Yun Yan said smilingly while walking around the dining hall. She took a look at some of the bodies before asking, ¡°Who do you think is the killer? Human, or Stranger?¡±

    Ye Qing answered with surprising conviction, ¡°It¡¯s a Stranger!¡±

    ¡°Oh? And how do you know?¡± Yun Yan stared at him curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you noticed that none of the bodies have any wounds on their person. Moreover, you can tell from their posture and condition that they had passed away at the exact same time. There are very few humans who can do this, at least not me! Also, the ominous air I felt earlier had a tinge of deathly energy mixed in it, which is why I don¡¯t think it¡¯s human.¡±

    ¡°Your word makes sense!¡± Yun Yan nodded. ¡°But just in case, I still need to ask you toe with us to our headquarters. I hope you won¡¯t mind?¡±

    To her surprise, Ye Qing said with a chuckle, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no need. I think I know where the Stranger who did this is?¡±

    ¡°Y-You know where the murderer is?¡± Hu Nu¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief.

    ¡°I think so!¡± Ye Qing repeated with a nod before turning back to Yun Yan. ¡°I need to head home and pick something up, Miss Yun. I¡¯ll be right back!¡±

    ¡°Who gave you permission to leave!?¡± Hu Nu erupted while making a grab for Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder. When his finger passed right through the young man¡¯s body like it was air though, he realized that it was just an afterimage. The real Ye Qing had disappeared a moment ago.

    ¡°You dare to escape!?¡± Hu Nu roared and attempted to give chase, but Yun Yan stopped him again and said,

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless. If he really wants to run away, we¡¯ll never catch up to him. And if by some miracle we managed to catch up to him, we¡¯re not strong enough to apprehend him anyway.¡±

    Hu Nu: ¡°...¡± <i>That may be true, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a little too honest, miss?</i>

    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t run away,¡± Yun Yan added. She sounded so calm and collected it was as if everything was under her control.

    About half a teatimeter, Ye Qing reappeared at the entrance and said, ¡°Follow me!¡±

    He then started walking toward somewhere.

    Yun Yan exchanged nces with her subordinates for a moment. Then, she ordered, ¡°Follow him!¡± and followed him into the night.

 Chapter 76: Incense of Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 76: Incense of Fortune</h4>

    ¡°Where is the Stranger? You¡¯re not leading us on a wild goose chase, are you?¡±

    The group had followed Ye Qing through countless twists and turns for about half an incense stick. Yun Yan and the rest of the Sentinels were still patient, but Hu Nu just could hold it in any longer and exploded.

    ¡°We¡¯re here! It¡¯s right over there!¡± Ye Qing stopped in his tracks and pointed toward an alley.

    Hu Nu stared at the alley with a frown. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Longevity Alley. Why did you bring us here?¡±

    Right now, every shop in Longevity Alley had a whitentern hung on the entrance. They swayed to the wind and cast orange candle light and eerie shadows on the limestone floor. It looked both hypnotic and eerie.

    Longevity Alley was the ce to purchase candles, mock ingots, coffins, burial clothes, paper objects and all other funeral or ceremonial items. The reason every shop in Longevity Alley had a whitentern hung on the entrance was because it was a traditional custom in Chu. Nighttime was the time where yin energy was strong, and yang energy was weak. Naturally, shops that sold funeral or ceremonial items like theirs were bound to attract ghosts and other inhuman things.

    This was why it was customary to hang a whitentern on the entrance and use a candle that wouldst throughout the night. Thentern was a guidepost that led the ghosts away from one¡¯s home. It was also a warning to all living to stay away from this particr street because it was meant to be used by ghosts only. This was how the saying, ¡°When yin things walk, the whitenterns show the way¡± came to be.

    ¡°Mister Ye, are you saying that the Stranger is hiding in this area?¡± Yun Yan asked slowly while staring at the dark and deste Longevity Alley.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ye Qing nodded. It was what the Annon Sutra had told him, and the Annon Sutra was never wrong. He had lied about heading back to the bookstore to pick something up, of course. He was really using the time to ask the vellum where the Stranger who massacred the people in Coming Clouds had disappeared to.

    But of course, the Annon Sutra did not specify the exact hiding location of the Stranger. It was willful like that.

    ¡°Do you know where it is exactly?¡± Yun Yan asked.

    Ye Qing shook his head and lied, ¡°I managed to follow it all the way to Longevity Alley, but you know how this ce is. The yin energy here is thick enough that I can¡¯t identify its exact location.¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t be easy!¡± Yun Yan said with a deep frown. ¡°Longevity Alley is a crossroad with fifty-six shops in it. It is seventy-six meters long from east to west, and sixty-three meters long from south to north. The Stranger will know we¡¯reing very easily if we search through the shops one by one.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not toying with us, are you?¡± Hu Nu grumbled in dissatisfaction.

    Ye Qing ignored his rude usation and said casually, ¡°It¡¯s true I don¡¯t know where the Stranger is hiding, but I know a way to find it.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do you have a n, Mister Ye?¡± Yun Yan stared with Ye Qing with bright eyes.

    Ye Qing turned his palm upward to reveal a half-burned incense stick. A fragrant scent quickly permeated the air after he ignited it with a me stick.

    ¡°We¡¯re praying to gods now, aren¡¯t we? If prayers are useful, then why do the Pacification Bureau even exist?¡± Hu Nu couldn¡¯t help but ridicule Ye Qing when he saw this.

    This time, Ye Qing quipped back, ¡°Haha. If you think you¡¯re so hot, why don¡¯t you catch the Stranger yourself?¡±

    Yun Yan cut off Hu Nu before he could say anything else, ¡°Quiet, Hu Nu. Do not bother Mister Ye!¡±

    After Hu Nu had fallen silent, Ye Qing bowed twice to the incense stick and said, ¡°I know you have a mind, brother. I ask you to lend me a hand!¡±

    The incense stick was none other than the Incense of Fortune Prayer had left behind. The bad news was that it was already half-used, and it was the only one he had until he could gather the ingredients to make another. The good news was that the Incense of Fortune should be able to locate the Stranger they were looking for. After all, sometimes you have to be lucky to find someone, right?

    As soon as he finished his prayer, the Incense of Fortune started burning much, much faster than before. The smoke it created started floating down a certain direction even though there was no wind right now.

    ¡°Follow it!¡± Ye Qing instructed and chased after the smoke immediately. His heart ached when he saw the Incense of Fortune shortening at a visible rate, and he knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before it burned outpletely. It would be bad if it burned out before they could find the Stranger.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing felt like he had stepped on something and looked down. ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s a silver ingot!¡±

    As if on cue, the smoke floated toward a shop that sold joss papers. It was called the ¡°Source of Happiness¡±. Realizing what this meant, Ye Qing hurriedly extinguished the Incense of Fortune before pointing at the shop, ¡°This is where the Stranger is hiding!¡±

    ¡°Are¡­ are you sure, Mister Ye?¡± Yun Yan looked a little hesitant. She had seen various methods to track down Strangers, but this was the first time she hade across this one. It was no wonder she was feeling a little skeptical.

    /p>

    ¡°We would know once you give it a try, wouldn¡¯t we?¡± Ye Qing smirked and swung his sleeves at the joss paper shop.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª¡± It was toote. His force was already crashing toward the shop like an avnche. At times like this, action was far more useful than words. They would know he was right when the Stranger was forced out of its hidey-hole!

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t tried to preserve his strength. The attack was powerful enough to destroy the entire joss paper shop. However, right before the attack would hit its target, a dense cloud of yin energy suddenly poured out of ¡°Source of Happiness¡± like a tidal wave and blocked Ye Qing¡¯s force!

    This time, Ye Qing didn¡¯t need to exin himself. Everyone noticed that something was amiss and took action immediately. Hu Nu roared loudly and threw out a mighty punch, whereas the rest of the Sentinels moved closer toward Yun Yan and formed a tight circle. They kept a firm grip on their bows and watched their surroundings carefully.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Hu Nu¡¯s punch force rolled toward the joss paper shop like a raging river. It easily blew away the yin energy surrounding it and crashed into the door.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the door didn¡¯t budge an inch. Hu Nu was the one who was pushed back a few steps by the rebound. A flinty glint entered Ye Qing¡¯s eyes immediately. He knew first hand just how brutal and powerful Hu Nu¡¯s punch was, and yet it still wasn¡¯t enough to threaten the Stranger within. It was proof that the Stranger was quite powerful, so powerful that it had to be a Malice-ss Stranger!

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    It was at this moment a series of crisp and rhythmic knocks came from the door. The Sentinels didn¡¯t recognize the noise because they hadn¡¯t experienced it before, but not Ye Qing. He immediately cried, ¡°Watch out!¡± and tightened his own mental defenses. Before he even finished speaking, an ominous air suddenly flooded the alley and chilled the humans to their core. Ye Qing was fine, but some of the Sentinels suddenly looked dazed and almost sleepy.

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    <i>Knock¡ªknock knock!</i>

    As if on cue, the Stranger inside ¡°Source of Happiness" knocked twice more and thickened the ominous air rapidly.

    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!</i>

    The dozen or so Sentinels copsed to the ground and died one after another. Hu Nu and Yun Yan were the only ones who were still hanging on to life.

    Hu Nu was an early-stage Vessel Augmentor, so it made sense that he would be able to withstand the fatal knocks. But Yun Yan, if he remembered the rumors correctly, was born with a frail body and incapable of practicing martial arts. It was why Ye Qing was very surprised to find she was still alive.

    That said, the light in their eyes were dimming and weakening at a visible rate. They clearly could not hold on for much longer!

    Thankfully, Ye Qing had alreadye up with a n based on his previous encounter with the Stranger. The moment he heard the knocks, he immediately visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and dispelled the ominous air that had invaded his mind immediately. That was why he wasn¡¯t affected like the others. Then, he united his essence, qi and spirit into one and let out an imperious, ¡°Hmph!¡±

    His voice was so loud that it reverberated throughout the alley like a huge bell. Strange ripples started appearing in the air as the invisible energies shed against one another. The ominous, deathly air hanging around them was immediately disrupted, and the knocking in the joss paper shop ceased in an instant.

    ¡°Hooo¡­ KILL!¡±

    Not done yet, Ye Qing sucked in a huge breath and gathered his energy within his chest. When his sleeves started billowing wildly like they were being blown by a powerful storm, he unleashed a tidal wave of force at the joss paper shop!

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±</i>

    It was at this moment a pale, wrinkly hand shot out of the pitch ck shop and grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s sleeve. If the sleeve resembled a tidal wave, then the hand was a reef that parted it right at the center. The two forces shed, and Ye Qing was thrown into the air. His sleeve was shredded into bits as well. However, the hand wasn¡¯t doing so hot either. It turned almost transparent as it slunk back into the darkness.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    Suddenly, a heavy thump that sounded like a massive rock crashing against the ground came from inside the joss paper shop. The darkness churned, and a bunch of humanoid silhouettes rushed out of the shop and straight toward Ye Qing. Their limbs were stiff, and their movements were eerie. It was because they were paper dolls!

    Ye Qing drummed his fingers like he was strumming a pipa. A dozen or so throwing knives immediately shot toward the paper dolls like lightning bolts. They were useless though. The throwing knives drilled through their paper bodies without resistance but failed to slow them down in the slightest.

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow and changed tactics. This time, he brought down his left hand and unleashed a jet of bluish ck mes at the paper dolls. It worked. Every paper doll that so much as brushed against the bluish ck mes were burned into ashes in an instant.

    It was at this moment a crooked old man with a face that looked as pale as a sheet appeared behind Ye Qing like a ghost. His index and middle finger curled slightly, he lowered his right hand like he would knock on Ye Qing¡¯s head!

    ¡°I was waiting for you!¡±

    Ye Qing was anticipating this, however. He had sensed the old man hiding in the darkness since the beginning. Right before the old man¡¯s fingers wouldnd on his head, he wheeled around and opened his mouth. A brilliant light appeared from behind his throat, and Lightning Bolt pierced through his head without resistance.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±

    Half of the old man¡¯s head was blown away just like that. He let out a bloodcurdling scream before vanishing into thin air. When the old man disappeared, the ominous air permeating the area vanished as well.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Stranger?¡± Hu Nu woke up and asked weakly after his mind was freed. Right now, he looked nothing like the fearsome man he was earlier. His eyes were dazed, his face was deathly pale, and his bodynguage exuded death and weakness.

    ¡°He escaped. But don¡¯t worry. I have him in my sights!¡± Ye Qing nced at him and Yun Yan. ¡°Just take care of Miss Yun and leave it to me!!¡±

    ¡°Be¡­ careful!¡±

    Ye Qing was already gone by the time the words tumbled out of Hu Nu¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 77: Did I Give You Permission To Leave?

    <h4>Chapter 77: Did I Give You Permission To Leave?</h4>

    ¡°This way!¡±

    If someone was watching Ye Qing right now, they would have mistaken him for a ghost. His feet never touched the ground, and he did not make a sound as he dashed through the darkness.

    His spiritual power had grown by leaps and bounds ever since he practiced the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. Although the old man was almost as untraceable as an actual ghost, he could still pick up a faint trail of yin energy. It was how he managed to stay on the Stranger¡¯s trail.

    The old man was pretty cautious. They must have traversed at least one quarter of the entire county before he finally entered a house.

    Ye Qing jumped over the wall and skulked through the courtyard without a sound. It wasn¡¯t long before he found the old man sitting opposite a schrly man holding a folding fan in the living room.

    <i>Faceless?</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw the schr. He did not recognize his appearance, but his aura was unmistakable.

    <i>The old man and Faceless are acquaintances? Is Faceless behind today¡¯s incident?</i> Ye Qing thought. He was going to kill the Stranger immediately, but now he decided to wait just a bit longer. They might give him some interesting information.

    In the living room, Faceless asked in a puzzled voice, ¡°What happened, Ghastly? Who did you run into to be injured this badly?¡±

    The old man named Ghastly looked terrible. Half of his head waspletely gone, and ck smoke was rising from the gaping wound. The other half was contorted in an expression of fury and hatred as Ghastly stared at Faceless unblinkingly. It was like he was staring at a dead man.

    His chilling stare rolled off Faceless like water off a duck¡¯s back, however. Faceless chuckled while fanning himself, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I might just dig out your remaining eye if you keep this up.¡±

    Ghastly finally squeezed out a dark, raspy reply, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that man possesses an outstanding mind and spirit, Faceless? He even has two potent Strange Artifacts!¡±

    ¡°You were hurt by Ye Qing?!¡± Faceless eximed in shock. His dark eyes flickered with uncertainty as he muttered to himself, ¡°That can¡¯t be right. I¡¯ll grant him that he disyed a prodigious amount of true qi, incredible movement art, and unpredictable saber techniques, but his mind was so-so at best! There should be no way he could withstand your knocks!¡±

    ¡°And yet he had!¡± Ghastly rasped angrily.

    Faceless tapped his table twice before realizing something, ¡°Wait a second, didn¡¯t I tell you to leave immediately if Ye Qing somehow survives your ability? I told you I had other tricks up my sleeves in case it fails. Did you ignore my advice, or did something unexpected happen? Tell me everything, Ghastly!¡±

    The old man kept quiet for a moment but did as he said. When he was finished reciting his tale, Faceless¡¯ expression turned cold and brooding. ¡°What a lucky bastard! My original n was for you to eliminate his mind with your ability and take revenge on my behalf. On the off chance you failed, I even notified the Pacification Bureau that a massacre had taken ce at Coming Clouds so that their deaths would be pinned on him.¡±

    ¡°If Ye Qing decided to resist capture and fight against the Pacification Bureau, he would have signed off his own death sentence. If he followed them back to their headquarters, then even better. I have a million ways to kill him without a trace once he entered the Pacification Bureau and had his true qi suppressed!¡±

    <i>I knew that something was off! </i>Ye Qing thought in realization outside the building. He had been thinking what were the chances that the Pacification Bureau showed up within the same minute he entered Coming Clouds. As it turned out, it was a trap Faceless hadid down to catch him.

    He had to admit that Faceless¡¯ n this time was pretty tight. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was good enough that he would¡¯ve fallen for it if a number of good fortunes hadn¡¯t happened to him in the nick of time.

    If he hadn¡¯t identally triggered the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and discovered its secrets, he might not have survived Ghastly¡¯s deadly knocks. Besides that, the Pacification Bureau was very different from the administrative division. In case of a murder, the administrative division did not have the authority to detain a suspect without evidence. However, the Pacification Bureau could detain anyone and everyone with or without any evidence especially when a Stranger was involved. They even had the right to execute anyone on the spot if they dared to resist arrest.

    If he was anyone else, Faceless¡¯ trap would have seeded. He would have been hunted down and killed by the Pacification Bureau or die to Faceless¡¯ tricks while he was being interrogated at the Pacification Bureau¡¯s headquarters. It was only thanks to the Annon Sutra that he unknowingly broke out of the Stranger¡¯s trap, which led to him defeating Ghastly and even discovering their hidden rtionship!

    ¡°My n is so perfect that even I was impressed with my bout of inspiration, so how did that bastard manage to see through it? It should¡¯ve worked!¡± Facelessmented in a wistful tone. Only his eyes revealed the fact that he was really burning with hatred and bloodthirst.

    Faceless then asked curiously, ¡°By the way, how on earth did the bastard and the Sentinels manage to find your old haunt? I know full well just how elusive you are!¡±

    For the first time, a trickle of uncertainty entered Ghastly¡¯s eye. He shook his head as he replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m certain I haven¡¯t left any trace behind, so it shouldn¡¯t have been possible for them to track me, much less my hideout!¡±

    Suddenly, Faceless eximed in realization, ¡°Wait a second. If they can find your hideout, they might be able to find <i>my </i>hideout as well! You¡¯re the most careful of us, Ghastly! How could you havemitted such a rookie mistake?¡±

    Ghastly¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Watch your mouth, Faceless. The reason I¡¯m like this in the first ce is because of you. I don¡¯t expect gratitude, but I would greatly appreciate it if you don¡¯t use me of failure!¡±

    ¡°In any case, you¡¯re worrying over nothing. I left most of the Sentinels hurt or dead before I escaped. They were in no condition to chase me, much less track me to your hideout!¡±

    Faceless let out a strange cackle. ¡°I¡¯m worrying over nothing? No, I¡¯m just being cautious. Our n has just reached a critical stage. From now on, everything must go perfectly until we are ready to execute the n!¡±

    ¡°Also, you¡¯re the one who should watch your mouth. You¡¯re not doing me a favor, you¡¯re paying me back for the favor <i>I </i>have done unto you. If you think you can twist things around just because you¡¯re older than me, think again!¡±

    Ghastly did not take offense despite Faceless¡¯ tone. He asked curiously, ¡°Speaking of which, what on earth are you plotting with Rotten Crown and Dark Eye? Is it still not safe to tell me?¡±

    A mesmerized look came over Faceless. ¡°You¡¯ll know in two days. Hehehe! When the dayes, I will be able to eat all the flesh I want, and you all the souls you ever dreamed! It¡¯ll be a feast of epic proportions!¡±

    ¡°I look forward to your group¡¯s sess!¡± Ghastly did not press the matter. There was even a hint of anticipation and excitement in his tone.

    ¡°Trust me, we will seed!¡± Faceless chuckled. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s time we go our separate ways. Like I said, it¡¯s just a precaution. Let¡¯s drink together when this is all over!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a promise!¡± Ghastly replied. ¡°Onest thing. With this, my debt is settled. I will not be responsible for what happens if you ¡®forget¡¯ and try to coerce me to do your bidding again, understand?¡±

    ¡°Rx, Ghastly. I will remember. After all, I¡¯m not a brainless old fart like you, haha!¡± Facelessughed and headed toward the front door.

    ¡°Sigh. I¡¯m going to have to get a new face after this. How trouble¡ª¡±

    Faceless was opening the door in mid-grumble when suddenly, he felt like something was off. Not one to disregard his intuition, he immediately tried to back away only to find a hand flying out of the darkness like lightning. It hit him right in the sr plexus with a thunderp-like boom and fried him until he looked like a lump of red hot iron. Not only that, he felt like something was hitting his insides again and again not unlike a cksmith who was tempering a piece of molten iron with his hammer. His limbs felt weak, his aura was a mess, and there wasn¡¯t a part of his body that didn¡¯t hurt like a bitch.

    That moment of distraction was enough for the hand to move above his head and burst into bluish ck mes. Although the hand was simply hanging above his head like a thundercloud, Faceless knew with terror-stricken certainty that it would burn both his body and his soul into ashes if he dared to make a move. Thick walls of aura had also surrounded him from all sides and prevented him from escaping.

    The surprise attack had happened in just the blink of an eye. By the time Ghastly realized what happened, the mysterious attacker had already rendered Faceless immobile. The old man did not hesitate to abandon hispanion and escape through the window¡ªor at least, he tried to.

    ¡°Did I give you permission to leave?¡± taunted Ye Qing as the dark cloud covering the moon abruptly parted in half. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence. A bolt of lightning abruptly zapped across the sky and struck Ghastly squarely in the chest. It was none other than his new Strange Artifact, Lightning Bolt.

    Ghastly¡¯s body abruptly exploded to reveal a strange creature. It had a massive mouth and a head as big as a bucket, but its limbs were shockingly thin and short. It almost looked like a ghost baby with a giant head. As soon as it appeared, yin wind suddenly filled the house, and ghastly wails resounded everywhere as if they had been transported to the Nether in an instant. It was a bone-chilling phenomenon to put it mildly.

    ¡°You¡¯re a Soul Eater? Hmph! No wonder you can kill without a trace!¡± Ye Qing remarked curiously while still keeping his left hand above Faceless.

    A Soul Eater was a Malice-ss Stranger and a type of yin soul. It had a head as big as a bucket, but a body as small as a baby. It was usually found in a hollow of a yin-infested mountain. Intelligent and cunning, this Stranger usually lured its victims with sound so it could consume their souls. Although it was only ssified as a Malice-ss Stranger, it was extremely dangerous and could threaten Vessel Augmentors or even Astral Refiners. It was weak to lightning, fire, heat, and yang.

    A Soul Eater was a highly dangerous and intelligent Stranger. Forget the average Vessel Augmentor, even Ye Qing would have perished to Ghastly¡¯s fatal knocks if he hadn¡¯t identally uncovered a visualization method and greatly bolstered his mind and his spirit as a result.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡± The Soul Eater let out a dark, evil cackle after manifesting its true form. The yin energy in the house immediately churned like a tidal wave, and the countless wandering souls in the area started cackling as well. The sound was twisted and impossible, shrill and painful. Despite knowing it wasing, Ye Qing still felt dizzied and destabilized by the sound attack.

    <i>¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±</i>

    Ye Qing did not dare to treat the attack lightly. He immediately visualized the painting and dispelled the evil energies that had intruded his head in an instant. Then, he grabbed Faceless¡¯ skull with his right hand so he could free his left andunched a palm strike.

    <i>¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Blue Demon Hand¡±</i>

    The Netherme was deadly, but it was even deadlier whenbined with the Boundless Lightning Palm. Like a raging inferno, it spread to every corner of the house in just the blink of an eye.

    <i>¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!¡±</i>

    Countless souls screamed as the Netherme burned them all into ash. The Soul Eater itself was writhing in pain and flying all over the ce in search for a way out. However, it was neither able to extinguish the mes consuming its body or break out of the ring of mes. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, yin energy seemed to elerate the spread of the dark me. It grew hotter and hotter until finally, the struggling Soul Eater melted awaypletely like a candle and disappeared.

    Ye Qing clenched his left hand after the Soul Eater was dead. The unholy mes immediately surged back into the Blue Demon Hand and vanished.

    Meanwhile, Faceless had just recovered from Soul Eater¡¯s cackle. Just because he was a Stranger didn¡¯t mean he was immune to the other Stranger¡¯s sound attack. He looked around the empty house once before stammering in fear, ¡°Is¡­ is he dead? Did you kill Ghastly?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips widened into a diabolical smile. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn to pay the price!¡±

 Chapter 78: Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 78: Conspiracy</h4>

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡±

    Faceless couldn¡¯t stop stammering as he stared at Ye Qing. The way he was looking at the young man, it was like he was staring at a fellow Stranger instead of a human. Just a few days ago, he was still able to put up a fight against the young man. Although he had lost in the end, he was ultimately able to escape with his life. If his skin was a bit thicker, he would even call it a narrow defeat.

    But now? Ye Qing hadn¡¯t just trounced him in one move, he also took out Ghastly with one hand and without moving from his spot. The gap between their strength was so huge it was like a fight between a child and an adult; a son and his dad. They were trounced so hard he was almost surprised he was still breathing.

    <i>It¡¯s only been a few days since Ist saw him. How did he get so strong in so short a time? Is his growth really that ridiculous, or was he hiding his strength the first time we fought?</i>

    It did not matter what the answer was. Both possibilities terrified him to the core.

    ¡°Mercy, warrior, mercy! I shouldn¡¯t have tried to kill you! I will do anything! All I ask is that you spare my life!¡±

    Ye Qing had been patiently waiting for Faceless to make a move. Just when he thought that the Stranger would fight to the bitter end¡ªhis face had been contorting non-stop since a while ago¡ªFaceless surprised him by dropping to his knees, pummeling the floor with his head and begging for his life.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose a little. When Faceless had talked down on Ghastly like he was a gang boss a while ago, he thought for sure that the Stranger had a diamond spine that would rather break than bend. However, the guy had caved before he even began and killed the vibe with sheer cowardliness.

    <i>Where¡¯s your backbone as a Stranger? Where¡¯s your dignity?</i>

    ¡­ Was what he would¡¯ve said if not for the fact that Faceless¡¯ cowardice saved him a ton of time and energy, so he just kept his mouth shut and walked into the living room. A few secondster, he dragged over a chair, sat down, and just stared at the squirming Stranger for a bit. A long, long timeter, he finally said,

    ¡°Let¡¯s set aside the time you tried to kill me for the moment¡ªI¡¯m still alive after all¡ªand talk about something else. If you tell me what I want to know truthfully, I may yet choose to stay my hand. If not, then I have no choice but to send you on your way. Are we agreed?¡±

    ¡°Of course, warrior!¡± Faceless immediately put on an obsequious smile on his face. ¡°Ask away, warrior! I swear on every god, demon, celestial, buddha and whatever the hell is up and down there that I shall tell you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!¡±

    <i>How eloquent, </i>Ye Qing thought amusedly to himself before going straight to the point, ¡°Tell me what you and your group are plotting.¡±

    This was the reason he did not kill Faceless. It was because he wanted to know what he and his fellow Strangers were plotting. Originally, his n was to investigate them slowly and carefully so as not to trigger any rms, but from what he heard earlier their n was already on the verge of sess. In that case, he had no choice but to find out the answer using the simplest and most direct method instead: forceful interrogation!

    Was there a chance this would alert the other Strangers that something was wrong? Of course there was. But it was still better than the alternative of doing nothing and allowing Anyang to turn into hell.

    Faceless pretended to be confused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What are you talking about? Do you mean me and Ghastly plotting together to kill you. It¡¯s all my fault, I know I deserve death for my actions, but I¡¯m just a small fry who¡¯s so blind I failed to recognize your prodigious power. Surely a magnanimous hero like you wouldn¡¯t take too much offense¡­?¡±

    ¡°You really are quite the eloquent tterer!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened. ¡°As a reward, I promise to grant you a swift, less painful death!¡±

    ¡°Wait wait wait! What did I do wrong? I thought we were talking about my plot to kill you?¡± Faceless protested innocently. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Can you please enlighten me, warrior?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. What were you saying earlier? Right. Dark Eye, Rotten Crown, all the flesh and soul you and Soul Eater can consume¡­ need I say more?¡± Ye Qing said with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye.

    Faceless was still pretending, however. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about that! I was just boasting with Ghastly, warrior! There is no n. You know how it is, a superficial man like me can¡¯t help but want to feel superior to my peers. Surely a wise, sagacious warrior like you can understand my petty desires?¡±

    ¡°Hah! ¡®The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth¡¯ my ass! I haven¡¯t even truly started yet, and already you¡¯re trying to bullshit your way out!¡± Ye Qing shook his head disappointedly. ¡°No wonder they say not to trust a man¡¯s words, though you¡¯re not even a man, are you? Do Strangers even have genders? Anyway, my patience is limited, Faceless. At this rate, you¡¯re going to be dead real soon!¡±

    ¡°Also, I know a lot more than you think. For example, I don¡¯t just know Dark Eye and Rotten Crown are in your group. I also know an Old Grass and an Evergreen Ivy. Not only that, I know your n is to destroy Anyang, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a benevolent man, so I¡¯m going to give you one more chance to tell me the truth. Remember, this is your one and only chance; your one and only life. Don¡¯t. Squander. It.¡±

    For the first time, Faceless¡¯ obsequious smile froze on his face. His eyes betrayed a hint of shock as well. However, they were quickly reced by an expression of confusion and self-ridicule as he chuckled. ¡°Hehe, I really have no idea what you¡¯re talking about, warrior. Old Grass? Evergreen Ivy? I don¡¯t know those people. Destroy Anyang? Forgive me for saying this but I can¡¯t even kill you! How can I possibly be capable of such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Do you really know nothing at all?¡± Ye Qing said unhurriedly and smilingly. ¡°Okay then! I¡¯ll see you on the other side!¡±

    His left hand abruptly burst into mes, and he slowly extended his palm toward Faceless. Primordial terror gripped Faceless as the blood drained away from his face, every hair on his body stood on end. <i>He¡¯s going to kill me! But why? Doesn¡¯t he know what will happen if he kills me?</i>

    In fact, Faceless knew that their n was exposed from the moment Ye Qing mentioned Old Grass and Evergreen Ivy¡¯s names. Although he didn¡¯t know how it was exposed or who was the one who exposed it, the revtion actually made him sigh in relief. The fact that Ye Qing wanted him to divulge the details of the n meant that he didn¡¯t actually know about them. This meant that Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t dare to kill him until he had revealed everything. That was why he dared to bullshit Ye Qing to his face.

    However, Ye Qing had chosen the unthinkable. He was going to kill him right now. That was not how the script was written!

    A second before Ye Qing¡¯s palm wouldnd on his head, Faceless finally lost hisposure and growled, ¡°Are you actually going to kill me?! Don¡¯t you want to know about our n?¡±

    ¡°Huh? But I thought you said you didn''t know anything?¡± Ye Qing said with a sarcastic, ridiculing smirk.

    Faceless hid a sigh of relief when Ye Qing stopped moving his hand. Then, he let out a chuckle and said, ¡°Heh. You really are wise and sagacious. My act didn¡¯t faze you at all. That¡¯s right! We¡¯re plotting something big that will destroy the entire Anyang and kill all the humans in it! When the timees, the entire county will turn into a living hell, and it so happens that I know exactly when, where, and how the n will unfold! So? Are you still going to kill me knowing that I hold all the information you need?¡±

    Faceless¡¯ tone grew increasingly arrogant until he was practically daring Ye Qing to kill him. He did it because he was certain that the young man wouldn¡¯t do so, but¡­

    ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± Ye Qing tilted his head and stared at Faceless puzzledly like he was looking at his neighbor¡¯s stunted son. He truly looked like he couldn¡¯tprehend why Faceless would arrive at such a stupid conclusion.

    ¡°...¡± <i>This guy seriously isn¡¯t following the script!</i>

    Faceless was speechless for a moment before he blurted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Anyang would fall into ruins and turn into a living hell?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth? Not at all.¡± Ye Qing leaned back a little and kicked off the ground. He then started swaying back and forth as if he was sitting on a recliner, not a chair. ¡°First, I know for a fact that you have some sort of n to destroy Anyang. I can just inform the Pacification Bureau about this, sit back, and rx. We both know how capable they are. Do you really think your n will go smoothly when the Pacification Bureau is actively hampering your efforts?¡±

    ¡°On the off chance the Pacification Bureau fails to stop you, I can just get out of Anyang and hide in the woods for a bit. Sure, Anyang will fall, and the people will be massacred to thest, but¡­ what does that have to do with me? This is a harsh world. I¡¯m satisfied with just keeping myself safe. If the others couldn¡¯t protect themselves, it¡¯s their fault for being weak, no?¡±

    Faceless: ¡°...¡± <i>Motherfucker, I can¡¯t refute him because he¡¯s absolutely right! I can¡¯t even appeal to his guilty conscience because </i>our <i>group is the one plotting the downfall of Anyang!</i>

    Before Faceless could react, Ye Qing continued, ¡°also, I don¡¯t necessarily have to pry the information I need from your mouth. There are other sources who may prove just as valuable as you, if not more.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! You¡¯re lying!¡± Faceless blurted out before he could stop himself.

    Ye Qing shot him a casual smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m not though. Let¡¯s see. I remember that Old Grass is a tall, thin man with a friendly demeanor. He also has a head of grass. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have a fantastic conversation with each other. Last I remember, he lives at Yang¡¯s Tofu Shop in Westward Alley on the west side of the city. Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Impossible! How did you know where Old Grass lives?¡± Faceless blurted in shock again when he remembered something: <i>No! Did he follow me when I ran away?</i>

    <i>Was </i>I<i> the one who leaked our n?</i>

    He started recalling what he and Old Grass had discussed during theirst meeting, and the more he remembered, the uglier his expression became. There was a tinge of regret and fear as well.

    ¡°Of course, even if Old Grass¡¯ spine turned out to be made of sterner stuff, I still have Dark Eye, Rotten Crown, and Evergreen Ivy to question! Surely one of them will give me what I want?¡± Ye Qing leaned forward a little to create even more pressure. ¡°Don¡¯t doubt my ability. I followed you when you thought it was impossible, which led to me finding Old Grass. I also found Ghastly when he thought it was impossible. So long as yourpanions are still alive, I can and will find them no matter where they hide!¡±

    ¡°Now, let me ask you one more time¡­ do you really think I won¡¯t kill you?¡±

    Faceless¡¯ smile had vanishedpletely at this point. He didn¡¯t know about other Strangers, but he knew with every fiber of his being that his group only looked friendly on the surface. In reality, every single one of them was cold-blooded, heartless, and selfish. There was no chance those bastards would keep the n a secret if it meant saving their own skin.

    So yes, he believed Ye Qing. He truly believed that Ye Qing would kill him and pry the truth from those bastards¡¯ mouths if necessary!

    ¡°Ehehe, I was just joking with you and testing your mettle, warrior. I should¡¯ve known better than to doubt your resolve, but now I know for sure that you are definitely a man who¡¯s destined for great things! I am most impressed!¡±

    Faceless abruptly put on an obsequious smile and ttered Ye Qing to the high heavens. Once done, he said, ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve been wanting to tell you the n from the start, so you definitely shouldn¡¯t seek out Old Grass and the others. Every single one of them is a sneaky, cunning, heartless, and cold-blooded sonuvabitch. As the only pure, kind, honest soul in their group, it honestly hurts me to be lumped together with them, really!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, just ask me a question, and I swear I will answer it to my fullest ability!¡± The Stranger ended with a loud chest thump.

    ¡°Pure, kind, honest soul?¡± Ye Qing squinted in an attempt to locate some hint of shame from Faceless¡¯ face. There was none. No wonder the ones at the top were usually shameless people. With a skin this thick, was there anywhere you couldn¡¯t go?

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°Fiiiiiine. I suppose I can give you one more chance. Tell me, what is your n?¡±

    Faceless did not try to bullshit him this time. He said directly, ¡°Three dayster during the night, we n to open the gates so that the Strangers hiding outside the county can get in. Then, we¡¯ll massacre all the humans and destroy Anyang from the inside out!¡±

 Chapter 79: Why Should I Keep You Alive

    <h4>Chapter 79: Why Should I Keep You Alive</h4>

    ¡°You¡¯re going to open the gates for your fellow Strangers lurking outside the county? Are you serious?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°The gates of Anyang are imbued with powerful restrictions courtesy of the Heaven¡¯s Eye, and I should not need to tell you how deadly it is. Forget opening the gates, you can¡¯t even get close without feeling like you¡¯re about to suffocate, so how¡­ unless¡­¡±

    Ye Qing abruptly slowed down when he was nearing the end of the sentence. It was because one possibility had urred to him.

    ¡°I knew you would figure it out! It is as you imagined!¡± Faceless said with an obsequious smile. ¡°It¡¯s true that we Strangers cannot open the gates, but you humans can!¡±

    ¡°I thought so,¡± Ye Qing rubbed his chin and mumbled seemingly to himself, ¡°To open the gate and lower the gate restrictions, you need a gate token. And a gate token is something only the gate captain possesses¡­ Tang Yi¡¯an is one of yours?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, warrior! You¡¯ve guessed it in one try!¡± Faceless buttered up Ye Qing again, though it wasn¡¯t all ttery. The fact that Ye Qing had managed to deduce so many things urately and in such a short time was proof that his mind operated on a different levelpared to most people.

    Ye Qing asked another question while rubbing the spot between his eyebrows, ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why would Tang Yi¡¯an make such a deal with you? Not only is he digging his own grave, he¡¯ll even implicate his own family when all is said and done. What¡¯s the point?¡±

    ¡°What else does a human want from this world besides fame and fortune?¡± Faceless let out a sinister chuckle. ¡°Offer them one or the other, and they will willingly enter your trap regardless of the consequences!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you offered him fame or fortune to open the gates?¡± Ye Qing tapped his armrest slowly. ¡°Tang Yi¡¯an is Anyang¡¯s guard captain and the brother-inw of a vice magistrate. He already has a highway to the top rung of thedder¡ªor what he perceived as the top at least, so I doubt you can lure him with promises of fame. So fortune it is.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can see how you did it. I¡¯ve long heard that Tang Yi¡¯an is a greedy man, and practically everyone knows that he abuses his position to pin make-believe crimes on traveling merchants to strip them of their wealth. All you need to do is to bribe him, and he should do as you wish.¡±

    In fact, the dumbass had tried to pull this on Yan Yufei when they first arrived in the county. While it had been quite entertaining to watch him crash and burn at the time, it no longer seemed so funny anymore.

    ¡°However, one must live to be able to spend their wealth, and there are few things more painful in this world than to die while money is left unspent!¡± Ye Qing said indifferently. ¡°Tang Yi¡¯an may be greedy, but I doubt he¡¯s stupid. He should understand something this simple at least, which means you never told him about your n, did you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re beyond insightful, warrior! You never fail to hit the nail on the head in just a few sentences!¡± Faceless praised with a beaming smile on his face.

    ¡°Slow down. ttery no matter how sweet is loathsome in excess,¡± said Ye Qing while shooting a nce at Faceless. How did he not notice that this guy was a professional bootlicker before?

    ¡°More words of wisdom! Not an hour had passed since I was graced by your presence, and already I feel a decade wiser!¡± Faceless eximed in false wonder. That said, he did understand that anything could be loathsome in excess, not to mention that Ye Qing had already warned him to cool it, so he had no choice but to stop his bootlicking for the moment and return to the main subject.

    ¡°You are correct. Tang Yi¡¯an doesn¡¯t know that we¡¯re nning to destroy Anyang. We lied to him saying that we¡¯re a bunch of spirit material merchants, and that we have a number of goods that need to be shipped into the county in three days at most, or they would lose their value. At first, Tang Yi¡¯an refused to budge no matter how hard we begged him, but he caved immediately after we gave him a thousand silver!¡±

    ¡°A thousand silver? Damn! That¡¯s a lot of money!¡± Ye Qing sighed beforeunching into a counterpoint, ¡°But even if you managed to slip in an army of Strangers through the gates undetected, Anyang is still protected by the Shenwu Defense Force and the Sentinels. Of course they wouldn¡¯t be able to react to your attack in time, but when they do show up, I highly doubt you¡¯ll be able to defeat them and destroy Anyang!¡±

    Faceless smiled. ¡°That would be true, but a vige called¡­ something Hill Vige recently vanished into thin air, prompting the Pacification Bureau to dispatch most of their men to investigate this matter. They aren¡¯t expected to return any time soon either, so their headquarters is severely undermanned right now.¡±

    ¡°Ahem. What about the Shenwu Defense Force?¡± Ye Qing coughed. He was pretty sure that that ¡°something Hill Vige¡± Faceless was talking about was August Hill Vige, but he sure as hell wasn¡¯t going to admit it.

    ¡°The Shenwu Defense Force just left the county to hunt down some raiders, and they¡¯re not expected to return in three to five days!¡± Faceless noticed Ye Qing¡¯s odd expression as well, but he wisely chose not to say anything about it.

    ¡°Raiders?¡± Ye Qing frowned.

    Faceless chuckled. ¡°A few days ago, a group of Grave Raiders appeared outside Anyang and ambushed countless traveling caravans that were passing through Anyang. They also dug out every grave they could find in the area in search of loot. That is why the magistrate ordered You Da to take a thousand Shenwu Defense Force with him and eliminate the Strangers just yesterday. They must be enjoying that sweet, sweet mountain wind right now!¡±

    The Grave Raiders weren¡¯t just humanoid-shaped Strangers, they were humans who had transformed into a Stranger. Despite possessing a human¡¯s memories and intelligence, they willingly allied themselves with Strangers and loved nothing more than to dig up grave sites and plunder the treasures within. They also consumed the corpses for sustenance.

    It should not need to be said, but they were easily one of the most hated Strangers in the realm, so much so that Chu itself decreed that all Grave Raiders would be killed on sight!

    ¡°It can¡¯t be a coincidence. Your group must have contacted the Grave Raiders and told them to attack at this time, am I right?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°An astute deduction, warrior!¡± Faceless replied simply.

    ¡°With this, you hold the absolute advantage while Anyang holds none. I must admit that I¡¯m impressed!¡± Ye Qing sighed. No wonder Faceless was so confident. With little to no men left to protect Anyang, the invading Strangers would be able to ughter the people to their heart¡¯s content. Forget the Sentinels at August Hill Vige, not even the Shenwu Defense Force would be able to make it back in time. The county would have long turned into a living hell by then.

    Ye Qing fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°You¡¯ve given me the general outline of your n, but what about the specifics? What role does each of you y in this n?¡±

    Faceless answered honestly, ¡°My mission was to bribe Tang Yi¡¯an, Old Grass¡¯ mission was to collect information throughout the county just in case, and Rotten Crown and Dark Eye¡¯s mission was to contact the Strangers outside the county and make the necessary arrangements.¡±

    ¡°Your roles are very clear cut, huh?¡± Ye Qing shot a thoughtful nce at Faceless before asking another question, ¡°What else are you expected to do? Don¡¯t you have a mission to cause amotion or sabotage a key location or something?¡±

    Faceless shook his head. ¡°And why would we do that? Evergreen Ivy told us that the n has reached a critical stage, and that it would be unwise toplicate things unnecessarily. If the n goes smoothly, then all is well. If not, we can lie low and wait for another chance.¡±

    ¡°Evergreen Ivy? From the sounds of it, she¡¯s the leader of your little group, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    When Faceless nodded, Ye Qing fired another question, ¡°Besides Old Grass, do you know where Dark Eye, Rotten Crown and Evergreen Ivy are hiding?¡±

    Faceless shook his head.

    ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s tone darkened.

    ¡°With heaven and earth as my witness, I swear that I haven¡¯t told a single lie since you won my heart with your boundless grace!¡±mented Faceless with a hurt look. He even squeezed out a few drops of fake tears to make his act look more convincing. ¡°Of the five of us, Evergreen Ivy is probably the only one who knows about our true identities and hideouts. In fact, we usually rely on her to contact us every time we hold a meeting. Also, we always meet each other using our true forms, so I truly do not know who they are and where they¡¯re living!¡±

    But Ye Qing did not let up the pressure. ¡°You say that, but what about Old Grass?¡±

    Faceless shuddered a little at the flinty glint in his eyes and said, ¡°Old Grass is an exception to the rule because we already knew each other before we infiltrated Anyang. You can even say that we are old acquaintances. But I seriously know nothing about the others!¡±

    ¡°When is your next meeting?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Like I told you, we usually wait for Evergreen Ivy to notify us when and where the next meeting will take ce,¡± Faceless answered in a helpless voice.

    ¡°If you know nothing useful, then¡­ why should I keep you alive?¡± Ye Qing said lightly.

    Faceless visibly shuddered before dropping to his knees. He then shuffled closer to Ye Qing and begged in a weeping voice, ¡°Warrior, you promised me you will let me live if I told you our n! Surely a man of integrity such as yourself wouldn¡¯t go back on your promise!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m pretty sure I said I ¡®might¡¯ consider letting you live.¡±

    ¡°That cannot be right! You must¡¯ve misremembered!¡± Faceless then raised his right hand as if he was preparing to swear an oath and said, ¡°I may not know where they live, but I do know their scents like the back of my hand! I swear I¡¯ll locate everyst one of them if you would just give me some time!¡±

    ¡°Besides that, I¡¯m a man of many uses. I can make tea, do theundry, cook, run errands, and perform manualbor. I can even be a <i>woman </i>of many uses and tidy your bed, act as your escort, warm your bed and more¡­¡±

    When Faceless said he was a man of many uses, his face started changing in rapid session. When he said he could make tea, his face changed to that of a male servant. When he said he could do theundry and cook, he actually transformed into a cook with a round head and a broad neck. When he said he could tidy his bed and act as his escort, he actually transformed into a young woman with an hourss figure and a shy look on her face, and when he said he could warm his bed, he transformed into a cool beauty whose elegant appearance, warm eyes and sweet voice could¡¯ve melted even the hardest soul.

    Finally, Faceless ended his appeal with a melodious voice, ¡°I can be whatever you wish, young master. All I ask is that you don¡¯t abandon me!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    His performance was sublime, but Ye Qing only felt goosebumps all over his body. After all, just because <i>he</i> took the face of a woman did not change the fact that <i>he</i> was a man through and through! <i>I¡¯m a perfectly straight male, thank you!</i>

    ¡°I can let you live, but how can I be certain that you wouldn¡¯t betray me?¡± Ye Qing ignored Faceless¡¯ antics and asked in a cold voice.

    In fact, Ye Qing did not want to kill Faceless. For one, taking out the Stranger might be to chuck a veryrge rock into a pond. Two, he was hoping to use Faceless as a mole and capture his whole group in one fell swoop.

    While he could use the Annon Sutra and the Incense of Fortune to locate these Strangers¡ªthe Annon Sutra would give him a rough location, and the Incense of Fortune would lead him straight to their doorsteps¡ªbut the incense stick was almost used uppletely. It would onlyst one more use at most, which was a couple of uses shy of tracking down all of the Strangers, not to mention that he would rather save it for emergencies.

    So yes, Faceless¡¯ beseechment did appeal to him somewhat. There was just one simple problem: Strangers were naturally cunning and treacherous. How could he make sure that Faceless would not betray him the second he left his sight?

    ¡°How could you say that? I¡¯ve long since repented and resolved to serve you as your loyal servant since you¡¯ve bested me with your awe-inspiring charisma. I could never hurt you, warrior!¡± Faceless implored coquettishly. He still hadn¡¯t turned back to a male human.

    Ye Qing merely curled his lips upward and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t actually think I¡¯m that stupid, do you? You know what? I changed my mind. It¡¯s far easier and safer to just kill you and be done with this farce!¡±

    ¡°Wait wait wait! I can sign a Heavenly Ghost Contract with you and be your eternal servant! This way, you¡¯ll know that my loyalty is true!¡± Faceless instantly broke character when he saw the growing bloodthirst in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Heavenly Ghost Contract?¡± Ye Qing actually sneered when he heard this. His smile was so chilling that Faceless realized instantly that he had made an error. ¡°You <i>do </i>think that I¡¯m a young and inexperienced warrior you can toy as you please! The Heavenly Ghost is <i>the</i> trickster Stranger who loves nothing more than to sow discord and mischief. Any contract that is signed with or through it will be wed in a certain way no matter how carefully the parties had worded it. After the contract isplete, the Heavenly Ghost would actively encourage both sides to break the contract so that it could devour their souls.¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so? You¡¯re such an erudite and multi-talented schr, warrior! I have no idea about this, and I¡¯m so sorry I nearly steered you wrong! I deserve to die for my mistake, I truly do!¡± Faceless feigned innocence and berated himself with all his might.

    Ye Qing cared little for Faceless¡¯ petty tricks, however. He said with a smile, ¡°That said, your suggestion isn¡¯t totally useless. There <i>is </i>a way to keep you on the straight and narrow. We can¡¯t sign a Heavenly Ghost Contract, but we <i>can </i>sign an Oath of Burden!¡±

 Chapter 80: Oath of Burden

    <h4>Chapter 80: Oath of Burden</h4>

    ¡°Oath of Burden?¡± Faceless nched a little when he heard this.

    The Oathbearer was the name of an exceptionally powerful and rare Stranger with a tortoise-like body, but a head that was shaped like a dragon or a snake. It was also called the Oath Tortoise. It was as huge as a mountain and carried an innumerable amount of monuments on its back. Mild-mannered and adventurous, it loved nothing more than to explore the world and bearing witness to oaths.

    The Oathbearer was a fair and impartial witness. Anyone who broke an oath they swore on its name would earn the Oathbearer¡¯s wrath and have their soul ripped out of their body and chained to the monument they swore their oath to. They would be tortured by Heavenly Astral winds and suffer for eternity. This was why the monuments were known as the Monuments of Oath!

    If Faceless signed a contract with Ye Qing with the Oathbearer as the witness, he would never be able to renege on his promise. He would actually have to serve Ye Qing for all of eternity. When he offered to sign a Heavenly Ghost Contract with Ye Qing just now, it was because he thought that the young man was too young and ignorant to know about it. If Ye Qing actually signed a Heavenly Ghost Contract with him, he could exploit the w in the contract and break free eventually. However, not only did Ye Qing prove him wrong, he even knew about the Oath of Burden.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Having second thoughts?¡± A wicked smile sprung onto Ye Qing¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hehehe, of course not! Why would I have second thoughts when I couldn¡¯t be happier with this arrangement?¡± Faceless said half-heartedly before hesitating. ¡°However, the mantra to invoke the Oath of Burden is so ancient that even I know nothing about it. If you say a single word wrong, you might summon some other Stranger or unknown danger instead, so¡­¡±

    <i>So I would advise you against this course of action!</i>

    ¡°That¡¯s for me to worry about, not you. You only need to tell me if you¡¯re willing to sign an Oath of Burden with me or not. Yes or no?¡± Ye Qing pressed unhurriedly.

    ¡°But of course!¡± Faceless dered with a beaming smile. It was as if he truly wanted to bind himself to eternal servitude.

    ¡°Good!¡± Ye Qing nodded and produced the Incense of Fortune from his Nature¡¯s Shell once more. First, he ignited the incense stick and nted it on the floor. After two solemn bows, he lifted his head and pressed one hand to his chest and another against his back. Then, he stood up tall and took a step forward in a surprisingly elegant and dignified fashion.

    The strange ritual was an ancient ritual called the Gentleman¡¯s Etiquette. It was the first step to invoke the Oathbearer.

    Once done, Ye Qing raised his head slightly and chanted, ¡°Heed my call, the void sky above and the dark earth below! I am Ye Qing. In the name of the undying oath, I summon the Oathbearer, Spirit of the Void Sky and Witness of Oaths, to witness my oath!¡±

    His voice was heavy, slow and solemn, and his intonations sounded like it came from a far gone era. Invisible ripples actually started appearing out of nowhere as if his utterance somehow resonated with the world itself.

    Shock flitted across Faceless¡¯ features when Ye Qing actually seeded. <i>He actually knows the mantra to summon the Oathbearer? How is this possible? </i>

    The next moment, both Ye Qing and Faceless suddenly felt incredibly light as if they had been freed from their physical bodies. In fact, they were. Their minds shot right through the nine heavens before they finally arrived and saw the biggest tortoise they had ever seen in their life.

    Starlights orbited around the giant tortoise¡¯s body, and astral wind blew across its back from time to time. Its humongous back was jam-packed with countless tall, ancient, and weathered monuments inscribed with various oaths. They were obviously the legendary Monuments of Oath.

    Besides that, Ye Qing noticed that some monuments had souls bound to their bodies. They were all screaming and wailing in the endless astral wind. They must be the damned souls who broke their oaths and were doomed to be cut by the astral wind for eternity.

    ¡°This¡­ is the Oathbearer?!¡± Faceless thought as he perceived the power rolling off the giant tortoise and trembled from the bottom of his heart. He didn¡¯t even have the courage to raise his head and look at his fellow Stranger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but most likely!¡± Ye Qing responded. The young man also felt a little intimidated¡ªwho wouldn¡¯t after witnessing such a grand sight?¡ªbut he was able to maintain hisposure far better than Faceless thanks to the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±.

    ¡°Hail, oathmakers. Why have you summoned me?¡± It was at this moment a grand voice entered their ears. Both men blinked, and an old man wearing a clean robe and carrying a walking staff suddenly appeared in front of them. His smile was kind, and his demeanor was friendly. However, his eyes swirled like there was an entire universe behind them. They could see a vast, empty space, orbiting suns and moons, dying gxies and more.

    ¡°Well met, Oathbearer, Spirit of the Void Sky and Witness of Oaths!¡±

    Ye Qing did not allow himself to be distracted by the magnificent sight happening within the old man¡¯s eyes, however. He did not doubt that the old man was an avatar or manifestation of the Oathbearer, and to treat him with anything less but the utmost respect was pure folly. ¡°The two of us would like to sign a master-servant contract, and we would dare to ask you to act as our witness!¡±

    ¡°At your service!¡± the Oathbearer replied with a kind smile.

    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡± Ye Qing shot a nce at Faceless. The Stranger had been trying to minimize his presence in hopes that Ye Qing would somehow miss him to no avail.

    ¡°R-Right!¡± Faceless replied despondently. Short ofmitting suicide, the only thing he could do was to swear the oath, so he did. ¡°In the name of the Oathbearer, I, Faceless, swear that I will serve Ye Qing as his eternal servant. His wish is mymand, his word is myw, and my life belongs to him and him alone. Should I ever waver in my loyalty, may my mind cease to exist from this world!¡±

    Ye Qing did not rush to ept Faceless¡¯ oath. After mulling over his words carefully and finding no loopholes, he raised his head and swore solemnly, ¡°In the name of the Oathbearer, Ye Qing, solemnly ept Faceless¡¯ oath of servitude!¡±

    ¡°And so it shall be!¡± the Oathbearer dered with a smile and raised his hand a little. Ye Qing and Faceless immediately heard an indescribable sound that seemed toe from nowhere and everywhere at once. Then, their oaths manifested into reality in the form of an ancient yet profoundnguage beforending on a monument. And just like that, it was done.

    As soon as the oath wasplete, Ye Qing suddenly felt an indescribable, invisible connection to Faceless. If he wanted to, he could literally kill the Stranger with a single thought. Faceless felt the same thing as well, except that he was the one who might perish at any moment.

    This was what a master-servant contract was. In this contract, the master bore no limitations or consequences whatsoever, but the servant must obey his master absolutely. Not only that, his death would not impact Ye Qing whatsoever, but Ye Qing¡¯s death would result in his death as well. From now on, he could only serve Ye Qing like a dog and obey his every whim. He would also protect him with all his power because his life literally depended on it.

    <i>This is going to suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, </i>thought a certain unfortunate Stranger.

    ¡°Thank you for your help, the Oathbearer!¡± Ye Qing smiled and saluted the old man respectfully after the oath wasplete.

    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t mention it. It is my honor to be able to help you!¡± the Oathbearer responded while swinging his arm a little. The monument floating in the air immediately flew toward the giant tortoise¡¯s back andnded in the middle of the forest of monuments.

    ¡°Most people know me as the Oathbearer, but you may call me Fu Tian [1], young one. If you need my services in the future, simply say my name, and I will respond.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, the Oathbearer!¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment. He was surprised that the Oathbearer would share his true name with him.

    ¡°If there is nothing else, then allow me to send you back to your bodies. Please, have a nice day!¡±

    When Fu Tian waved his hand, Ye Qing found himself falling through the sky at an unimaginable speed. When his mind returned to his body, and he opened his eyes in a hurry, he discovered that he was back at the house again. Beside him, Faceless had jolted ¡°awake¡± as well. It was almost like they had never left in the first ce.

    The first thing Ye Qing did after returning to the earth¡ªliterally¡ªwas to extinguish the Incense of Fortune. During the short span they were gone, the poor thing had burned down to just the length of a thumb. He reckoned that it was only good for one more use, and perhaps not even that.

    After Ye Qing had put away the Incense of Fortune, Faceless suddenly interrupted him with a surprising question, ¡°Master, are¡­ are you really human?¡± He turned around and saw the Stranger staring at him with a most thoughtful expression.

    ¡°Duh? If I¡¯m not human, then who is?¡± Ye Qing looked confused. ¡°What¡¯s troubling you?¡±

    Faceless answered obediently, ¡°From what I heard, most people who signed an Oath of Burden with the Oathbearer had never seen his true body, much less his avatar. The only thing they saw was the nk monument where their oaths would be inscribed.¡±

    ¡°But the Oathbearer didn¡¯t just manifest his avatar to meet you, he even told you his true name. The Oathbearers are an ancient, honorable race who respects ancient customs above all else, and they never divulge their true name to anyone except those whom they acknowledge. Don¡¯t you find it strange that the Oathbearer is so courteous with you?¡±

    ¡°Not at all! I¡¯m a good man, and a good man is popr no matter where he goes!¡± Ye Qing replied cheekily.

    Faceless immediately gave him a thumbs-up and echoed in agreement, ¡°You¡¯re right! It¡¯s why people say that one good turn deserves another. Once again, you¡¯ve hit the nail on the head, master!¡±

    Of course Faceless knew that he was lying through his teeth, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to press him about it. From the moment he signed a master-servant contract with Ye Qing, he was no longer Faceless, the Stranger. He was simply Faceless, Ye Qing¡¯s eternally loyal servant, and thanks to his myriad experiences, he knew exactly what a servant should think, say and do.

    ¡°I still have a couple of things I need to settle, so head to Endless Horizons and wait for my return!¡± Ye Qing ordered and stepped out of the house. The moonlight shining down from the dark yet clear sky felt incredibly soothing.

    ¡°As youmand, master!¡± Faceless answered with a deep bow.

    Ye Qing was about to take his leave when he suddenly added, ¡°By the way, don¡¯t call me master from now on. Young master is fine. Also, change your face to someone yourpanions have never seen. You don¡¯t want yourpanions to see you walking into my bookstore, do you? And no, you¡¯re not allowed to take a woman¡¯s appearance!¡±

    ¡°You truly are a gentleman, young master!¡± Faceless joked while making a face that caused goosebumps to creep all over Ye Qing¡¯s skin once more. Then, the Stranger turned into an old man in his fifties and saluted him again. ¡°See you in a moment, young master!¡±

    ¡°Mm!¡± Ye Qing responded, but his body grew increasingly transparent over time. As it turned out, he had long since vanished into the night.

    Faceless waited respectfully until Ye Qing¡¯s afterimage waspletely gone. Only then did he disappear into the night as well.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Ye Qing to return to Longevity Alley. He wasn¡¯t worried that Faceless would try something while he was gone because they had signed a master-servant contract. He could literally kill the Stranger with a thought if he wanted, and for better or worse, Faceless wasn¡¯t the type to die for a cause!

    ¡°Wa¡­ Warrior Ye. How did it go?¡± Hu Nu walked up to Ye Qing as soon as he saw him. Yun Yan had awoken as well, though she still looked a little pale and unhealthy.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead!¡± Ye Qing gave him a nod before inspecting Yun Yan¡¯s condition. ¡°Are you okay, Miss Yun?¡±

    The young woman slowly saluted him. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thanks for your concern, warrior. By the way, that Stranger looks like a mythical Soul Eater, and its abilities are strange to put it mildly. Did you really kill it?¡±

    ¡°Your knowledge is most impressive, Miss Yun. You are correct. That Stranger is a Soul Eater!¡± Ye Qing said smilingly.

    A bit of admiration trickled into Yun Yan¡¯s eyes. ¡°That may be true, but I am nothingpared to you. To think you¡¯re strong enough to kill a Soul Eater! Most impressive, warrior!¡±

    ¡°I was just lucky!¡± Ye Qing replied humbly. ¡°Anyway, now that the Stranger is gone, you should head home and get yourself treated as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, warrior,¡± Yun Yan smiled politely but asked another question, ¡°Warrior, you are incredibly strong and skilled considering your age. I am certain that you have a bright future ahead of you. If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to join the Pacification Bureau and help us eliminate Strangers and protect the people?¡±

    Ye Qing was honestly surprised by the offer. As the only department in Chu that was responsible for both the security of the people and the elimination of Strangers, the Pacification Bureau answered to the emperor and the emperor only. This was to prevent petty politics from diminishing their effectiveness and efficiency. To this end, they were even granted the right to kill first and ask questionster, so one might say that they were the most eminent and powerful department in the realm!

    Countless people fought to enter the Pacification Bureau for fame and fortune, but of course its selection process was extremely stringent. For starters, the candidate¡¯s background must be perfectly clean. Second, they must possess outstanding talent. But the way Yun Yan put it, he could probably skip this selection process and join the Pacification Bureau immediately if he so wished!

    Seeing that Ye Qing was silent, Yun Yan continued, ¡°Considering your talent and your achievement tonight, I promise that you will be granted the rank of Lieutenant at the very least.¡±

    ¡°Lieutenant?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. He did not think that Yun Yan would make such a generous offer.

    The Pacification Bureau was split into five ranks in total. From top to bottom, they were the Chief of Bureau, Peacemaker, Lieutenant, Guardian, and Sentinel. Chief of Bureau should be self-evident. Peacemaker was the rank for people bearing titles such as Windcatcher, Investigator, Patrolman and so on. Since Chu Nianjiu was a Windcatcher, this meant that he was a Peacemaker-rank official of the Pacification Bureau.

    On a rted note, just because two people shared the same title did not mean that their status was the same. For example, Chu Nianjiu was a Windcatcher of Luo Shui; an entiremandery. It should be obvious that a Windcatcher of Luo Shui was far more illustrious than, say, a Windcatcher of Anyang.

    Although Lieutenant was technically the middle rank between the five ranks, it counted as the upper echelon of the Pacification Bureau. For someone like Ye Qing, it was absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t deny that the offer was a tempting one, but in the end he shook his head and said, ¡°Thank you very much for the most generous offer, but I¡¯m just a young, inexperienced man who still has a long, long way to go before he can assume a post, much less one as important as Lieutenant. Also, the reason I visited Anyang is purely to explore the world and broaden my horizons. I may leave at any moment, which is why I have no choice but to let you down.¡±

    He carried too many secrets that must not be exposed already. It would be folly to be involved with the Pacification Bureau directly.

    ¡°That is a terrible shame!¡± Yun Yan sighed in disappointment but quickly schooled herely features into a soft, gentle smile. ¡°Although it is a terrible shame I will not be able to work with you, it is still my honor to make your acquaintance today, warrior!¡±

    ¡°And I you, Miss Yun!¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly, ¡°By the way, you need not address me as ¡®warrior¡¯ or ¡®Mister Ye¡¯. I am not that vain, and both appetions feel incredibly distant. Just address me by my name or my moniker, Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Since I¡¯m a few years older than you, I shall call you Joyless.¡± Yun Yan turned a little red but said, ¡°In that case, I want you to stop addressing as Miss Yun as well. Just call me big sis.¡±

    ¡°B-Big sis?¡± <i>This is only our second meeting, and she wants me to call her big sis already? This rtionship is moving a little too fast, isn¡¯t it?</i>

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and coughed. ¡°Big¡­ Big¡­ Sister Yun! How does Sister Yun sound?¡±

    In the end, his face-fu [2]wasn¡¯t up to snuff, and he just could not bring himself to use such an embarrassing appetion no matter what, so he offered apromise.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Yun Yan agreed easily.

 Chapter 81: Ye Qingâ€™s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 81: Ye Qing¡¯s n</h4>

    Ye Qing went back to Endless Horizons after he bid Yun Yan goodbye. He had just arrived at the entrance when Faceless stepped out of a dark corner.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for me inside?¡± Ye Qing asked confusedly.

    The Stranger pointed a finger at the bookstore and replied sadly, ¡°Your pet Strangers refused to let me in.¡±

    Ye Qing pped his head in realization. He had forgotten about Kung Fu Frog and Wawa after everything that had happened tonight. Considering Kung Fu Frog¡¯s strength, he could definitely see how Faceless was unable to force his way through.

    ¡°Follow me!¡± Ye Qing ordered and entered the bookstore. The second he stepped through the door, Kung Fu Frog leaped down from the second floor and looked behind him warily. Wawa was also hiding inside a book and sneaking peeks at Faceless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Frog! Allow me to make the introductions. His name is Faceless, and he¡¯s a friend from now on!¡± Ye Qing exined.

    ¡°Croak croak!¡± Kung Fu Frog swayed its head back and forth with a puzzled look. It was clearly still wary despite Ye Qing¡¯s assurance.

    Wawa suddenly appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder and pulled his hair. She then whispered beside his ear, ¡°Friend, friend, you need to be careful! This guy is the baddie who tried to kill a few days ago!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯re the type to hold a grudge!¡± Ye Qing patted her little head smilingly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That fight back then was just a misunderstanding. From now on, he¡¯ll never hurt me again.¡±

    Wawa was more perceptive than he thought. He thought that no one would be able to recognize Faceless after he had taken on a new appearance, but the Book Sprite still recognized him immediately.

    Ye Qing then looked at Faceless and said, ¡°These are my friends, Brother Frog and Wawa. I¡¯ll be counting on you to take good care of them while I¡¯m absent!¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master!¡± Faceless responded before shooting Kung Fu Frog and Wawa a friendly smile. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Brother Frog, Wawa. I¡¯ll be in your care from now on.¡±

    Seeing that Kung Fu Frog and Wawa were still wary of him, Ye Qing suggested, ¡°Brother Frog, you can ask Faceless to buy you any wine you want to drink. Wawa, you can also ask Faceless to get you any delicious food you want to eat!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Wawa immediately threw all caution into the wind and chirped excitedly, ¡°I wanna eat sugar cbashes, marshmallows, chestnut cakes, osmanthus cakes and, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wawa. I¡¯ll buy them all for you tomorrow!¡± Faceless dered with a bright smile. ¡°On that note, I picked up some cooking skills in the past. I know how to make some pastries and delicacies such as squirrel cinnamon fish, sweet drunken prawn, emerald porridge, as-you-wish cake, plum blossom cookies and more. I¡¯ll make them all for you if you want!¡±

    ¡°I want! I want! I want them all!¡± The little girl was beside herself with joy.

    Faceless then turned to Kung Fu Frog and produced a jar of wine from his Nature¡¯s Shell. ¡°Brother Frog, this is a Sunset Wine that¡¯s been stored in a cer for over a century. It is brewed using a hundred-year-old Sunset Flower and a thousand-year-old Ice Spring Water, and vored with a hundred other things to give it an unthinkable amount of vors. It is sweet, mellow and rich and I guarantee that your memory of this wine willst for a lifetime. Consider this my meeting gift for you, Brother Frog.¡±

    After handing over the jar of wine to Kung Fu Frog, he added, ¡°Besides that, I know a little about wine brewing and delicious wine in general. If you don¡¯t mind, I will happily share my knowledge with you.¡±

    ¡°Croak croak¡­¡± Kung Fu Frog¡¯s wariness visibly decreased after it epted the offering, though the only reason it let down its guard at all was because it couldn¡¯t sense any malice from Faceless. If not, it would¡¯ve attacked him no matter what he offered.

    ¡°Hehehe, as long as you are satisfied!¡± Faceless responded with a smile as if he could understand Kung Fu Frog¡¯s words!

    Ye Qing smiled. He had to admit that Faceless was an expert in reading people and navigating through a social situation. In just a few sentences, he was able to get both Kung Fu Frog and Wawa to drop their guard.

    ¡°Go catch some rest, Faceless. We will be going out on a trip tomorrow morning,¡± Ye Qing ordered before walking upstairs. Once he returned to his bedroom, he immediately closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. Now that he knew what Faceless¡¯ group was nning, it was time to make some ns and preparations.

    When the first morning bell rang, Ye Qing immediately packed his stuff and left the bookstore. Faceless was already waiting for him at the entrance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ye Qing beckoned him to follow and stepped onto the street.

    Faceless asked while trailing a few steps behind Ye Qing like a humble servant, ¡°Where are we headed to, young master?¡±

    ¡°The county hall!¡± Ye Qing replied honestly, ¡°Your n is too much for me to handle alone. I¡¯m going to need to notify Lord Yan about this.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to convince Lord Yan to capture Tang Yi¡¯an and clear out the Strangers lurking within the county?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled enigmatically and said, ¡°You¡¯ll find out the answer very soon.¡±

    A few stepster, Ye Qing recalled something and added, ¡°By the way, remember themon bailiffs you killed at the Shing Wong temple? You best avoid bringing up the matter at all when we meet Lord Yanter. It¡¯ll be troublesome otherwise!¡±

    ¡°I will. Thank you for the reminder!¡± Faceless replied obediently.

    Some timeter, Ye Qing arrived at the county hall and requested a bailiff standing guard at the entrance to notify Yan Yufei of his arrival. Therge majority of bailiffs in the administrative division recognized Ye Qing because he had apanied Yan Yufei to the Shing Wong temple before. Even those who didn¡¯t know him knew that he was extremely close with Yan Yufei and Yan Feng. That was why he was granted entry very quickly and easily.

    Yan Yufei looked the same as ever. He wore a long, schrly robe and sported a kind, genial appearance as usual. However, he had also added a couple of wrinkles to the corner of his eyes and a few strands of white hair to his beard. The changes were minute, but it made him look a few years older than he was thest time Ye Qing saw him.

    Clearly, a magistrate¡¯s job was anything but easy.

    Yan Yufei was extremely happy to see Ye Qing. He said apologetically after they had exchanged their greetings, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joyless. I¡¯ve been wanting to invite you over, but I kept forgetting about it every time I got busy. I hope you won¡¯t take offense.¡±

    Ye Qing replied with a polite smile, ¡°Of course not! You work day and night because you care for the people of Anyang, and as a temporary resident of Anyang I¡¯m only all too thankful for your diligence. There is no way I would ever me you for this.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You praise me too much, Joyless. I¡¯m just carrying out my responsibility!¡± Yan Yufei said while gesturing for Ye Qing to take a seat.

    While Ye Qing was taking a seat, Yan Feng poured them both a cup of tea and asked in a friendly tone, ¡°What¡¯s been keeping you, Joyless? I¡¯ve visited you a couple of times to invite you to a drink, but you were never avable!¡±

    After Ye Qing thanked Yan Feng for the tea, he replied, ¡°Sorry, sorry, I¡¯ve been absorbed in my cultivation for the past few days. If I knew you were going to treat me to a drink, I would not have gone into secluded training. Dammit!¡±

    Yan Yufeiughed. ¡°Hahaha! I know right? Yan Feng has the face of a generous man, but in reality he¡¯s even stingier than some housewives. If something costs half a copper, he won¡¯t think twice to split a copper coin into two. I can barely remember thest time he treated someone to lunch, much less a drink!¡±

    ¡°My lord! How can you say that? I treated you to a drink just three years ago!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±

    The trio exchanged pleasant conversation for a while longer before Ye Qing deemed that it was finally time to get serious. ¡°To tell you the truth, I havee today to inform you about something terribly serious, my lord.¡±

    Yan Yufei¡¯s curiosity was immediately piqued. ¡°I rarely see you looking so serious, Joyless. What is it?¡±

    Ye Qing answered solemnly, ¡°I found out that a group of Strangers are plotting to destroy Anyang three dayster.¡±

    ¡°Destroy Anyang? Why, that does sound pretty serious!¡± Yan Yufei said with a chuckle. The magistrate must have thought that Ye Qing was joking, but when he noticed Ye Qing looked as solemn as ever, he finally said disbelievingly, ¡°You¡­ weren¡¯t joking?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this.¡±

    Yan Yufei instinctively straightened his back and turned serious as well. ¡°What happened? Please, tell me everything!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± Ye Qing proceeded to tell him about his encounter with Faceless and the conspiracy he had identally uncovered. The only thing he refrained from mentioning was the fact that Faceless was the one who killed the bailiffs at the Shing Wong temple.

    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Yan Feng eximed in horror and fury when Ye Qing finally finished his story. ¡°How dare these Strangers hatch such a heinous plot! How dare they!¡±

    Yan Yufei kept his cool and asked, ¡°You said you caught that Stranger who called himself Faceless. Did you bring him with you?¡±

    ¡°I did!¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Faceless, tell them everything you know in detail.¡±

    Faceless had been waiting for his turn to speak. He immediately bowed to Yan Yufei and greeted, ¡°Faceless greets you, Lord Yan.¡±

    Yan Yufei looked a little taken aback. ¡°This old man¡¯s Faceless?¡± The old man had apanied Ye Qing into the hall, but he paid him no heed that he was the young man¡¯s servant or subordinate. He never imagined that he was a Stranger until he revealed himself. This should not be possible because official buildings such as this one were centers of the Will of the Dragon and the Will of the People; an official¡¯s homeground so to speak. Most Strangers would lose most of their power and be forced to reveal themselves if they even get close to such sites, but the old man before him looked perfectly fine.

    Even now, Faceless had no presence whatsoever and felt no different from an ordinary human. It was no wonder that Yan Yufei was stunned. Yan Feng was already gripping his saber and getting ready to fight Faceless to the death if need be.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He has signed a master-servant contract with me. He is now absolutely loyal to me, and I can kill him with a single thought if he ever changes his mind, so you have nothing to worry about, Brother Yan,¡± Ye Qing assured before ordering Faceless again, ¡°Faceless, tell them what you were nning to do to Anyang.¡±

    ¡°As youmand,¡± Faceless nodded before telling Yan Yufei about his fellow Stranger¡¯s n.

    Yan Yufei was silent for a long time after Faceless was finished. When he looked up again, he was barely holding back his anger as he said, ¡°These Strangers¡¯ gall knows no bounds. How dare they plot the destruction of Anyang!¡±

    After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he looked at Ye Qing and said gratefully, ¡°Thank goodness you managed to uncover this conspiracy, Joyless, or the consequences could only be described as unimaginable. On behalf of everyone in Anyang and Chu, I thank you for saving our lives!¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly said, ¡°You tter me, my lord. Anyone with even a smidgen of conscience would¡¯ve done the same.¡±

    ¡°What do we do now, my lord?¡± Yan Feng asked, ¡°Should we detain Tang Yi¡¯an, put the whole county under lockdown and hunt for the Strangers lurking within Anyang right away?¡±

    Yan Yufei nodded in agreement. ¡°Sounds like a good n. Tang Yi¡¯an is the guard captain, and yet his dereliction of duty has nearly paved the way to an unthinkable disaster. There is no chance I¡¯m letting him off this time. As for the Strangers, I see no reason to keep them around whatsoever, especially since we are so short on time. I hereby order you to round up the men and scour the whole county for Strangers! You may kill anyone you find!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Yan Feng epted his order solemnly.

    However, Ye Qing blocked the bailiff¡¯s way and said, ¡°Wait, Brother Yan!¡± He then turned back to Yan Yufei and said, ¡°My lord, your n isn¡¯t bad, but it only treats the symptoms and not the cure. If you will heed my advice, I have a different n that will solve this crisis once and for all.¡±

    ¡°Tell me!¡± Yan Yufei asked curiously.

    Ye Qing took a sip of tea before starting, ¡°Since we know exactly what these Strangers are nning, why don¡¯t we use it to our advantage beforehand? My n is this: let¡¯s set up an ambush and wait for these Strangers to invade Anyang. This way, we may kill them all in one fell swoop!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ sounds pretty risky,¡± Yan Yufei replied uncertainly. To say that Ye Qing¡¯s n was bold would be an understatement. If something went wrong, it could result in the end of Anyang.

    ¡°The path to the optimal oue is often risky!¡± Ye Qing exined slowly, ¡°Although your n sounds safer, there is one big w with it. If one or more of the Strangers managed to escape detection, they maye up with a second, third or fourth n to topple Anyang. Even if you manage to defeat them this time, there is no telling if you¡¯ll be able to defeat them again and again.¡±

    ¡°That is why the best course of action here is to take the fight to them. If my n seeds, we¡¯ll be able to eliminate not just the Strangers inside Anyang, but also the ones that have been harassing the people in the outskirts. The people will be safer than ever before, and the realm won¡¯t soon forget your achievements. So please, do not be too quick to dismiss my n.¡±

 Chapter 82: Weeding

    <h4>Chapter 82: Weeding</h4>

    ¡°Give me some time to think!¡± Yan Yufei said thoughtfully.

    ¡°My n might sound crazy, but in truth it isn¡¯t risky at all!¡± Ye Qing dered with great confidence. ¡°The reason the Strangers dared to invade Anyang at all is because both the Pacification Bureau and the Shenwu Defense Force are severely undermanned right now. Therefore, all we need to do is to bring them back in secret and set up the ambush, and their plot would be thwarted for sure.¡±

    ¡°That is a good n!¡± Yan Feng echoed in agreement. ¡°What do you think, my lord?¡±

    Yan Yufei did not make a decision immediately. A moment of considerationter, he finally said, ¡°It is worth trying. However, this isn¡¯t something I can decide on my own. I¡¯ll have to speak with Chief Ling about this!¡±

    ¡°Naturally!¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement. It was impossible to circumvent the Pacification Bureau or Ling Jianqiu for this matter to have any chance at sess anyway.

    ¡°Also, we need to find a way to bring back the Shenwu Defense Force to the county without our enemies noticing,¡± Yan Yufei said thoughtfully.

    ¡°Oh, that one¡¯s pretty simple actually,¡± Ye Qing said with a smile, ¡°Of the five key Strangers plotting the destruction of Anyang, Old Grass is the one responsible for collecting information for the group. He is the eyes of the group so to speak. As long as we take him out, slipping the Shenwu Defense Force back to the county should not be an issue anymore.¡±

    ¡°That works!¡± Yan Yufei nodded immediately.

    Ye Qing pped his hands and said, ¡°We are in agreement then. I¡¯ll handle Old Grass myself, so I trust you to handle Chief Ling and the Shenwu Defense Force, my lord.¡±

    ¡°Do you need help, Joyless? I can lend you a hand if you need me,¡± Yan Feng asked concernedly, but Ye Qing was very confident.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I managed to catch Faceless alive, didn¡¯t I? If he¡¯s any indicator, the rest of the group are going to be easy,¡± he dered.

    ¡°...¡±

    Faceless¡¯ pride felt a little wounded, but he responded in a ttering tone, ¡°Old Grass is more or less on my level, so of course he is no match for the young master.¡±

    Ye Qing added, ¡°Also, you guys aren¡¯t strong enough to help me. In fact, it¡¯s only going to increase the chance of exposure.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Now Yan Feng was the one who felt insulted. ¡°Who are you calling me weak? What cultivation level are you at right now?¡±

    ¡°The Vessel Augmentation stage!¡± Ye Qing answered honestly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Yan Feng¡¯s smile immediately froze on his face. It was quickly reced by shock and disbelief. Beside him, Yan Yufei looked just as stunned.

    ¡°Yep. I¡¯ve been a Vessel Augmentor for some time. A middle-stage Vessel Augmentor to be exact!¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently after enjoying a sip of tea.

    Yan Yufei: ¡°...¡±

    Yan Feng: ¡°...¡±

    For a time, the two men could only exchange nces with each other. Although they had seen Ye Qing fight and knew that he was an outstanding warrior, the possibility that he might be a Vessel Augmentor¡ªa middle-stage Vessel Augmentor no less¡ªhad never crossed his mind. It was because there were only a handful of Vessel Augmentors in the entire Anyang. One could even say that they were the county¡¯s most powerful warriors since everyone else above that level had moved to greener pastures.

    What truly stunned them, however, was the fact that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t even twenty years old yet. A Vessel Augmentor like him would be considered a genius even in amandery or a prefecture. His future was bright and limitless.

    ¡°You never fail to surprise me, Joyless!¡± Yan Yufei sighed emotionally. Before, Yan Yufei thought of Ye Qing as a junior with outstanding talent and character. But now, he was treating him like a true equal. ¡°Very well. I trust you to take care of Old Grass!¡±

    ¡°Worry not, my lord. I promise I will live up to your expectations.¡± Ye Qing saluted the magistrate. ¡°There isn¡¯t much time left, so I¡¯m going to head back and make the preparations now. I will take out Old Grass tonight.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Be careful!¡± Yan Yufei advised.

    Ye Qin nodded before adding, ¡°One more thing, my lord. If possible, I would like you to keep this between you, me, and Chief Ling only. After all, we do not know how many Strangers are lurking in Anyang, nor do we know how many people have sumbed to their temptation. The less people know about this, the higher the chance the n will seed.¡±

    Yan Yufei nodded seriously. ¡°An ant colony may copse a great dike. I understand.¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath after he left the county hall. Then, he put on a smile and returned to his usual, rxed self once more.

    ¡°Why did you do it, young master?¡± Faceless asked with a puzzled expression. He was referring to the fact that Ye Qing had chosen the riskiest n to deal with the Strangers¡ªone where he would stand at the center of the maelstrom¡ªeven though he could¡¯ve just agreed to Yan Yufei¡¯s original n and stayed out of the whole thing. Not only that, Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu were the ones who stood to benefit the most out of this arrangement, not him.

    ¡°Heh. You won¡¯t understand!¡± Ye Qing simply replied with a shake of his head. A man should be selfish, but they shouldn¡¯t always be selfish. If everything went well, Anyang would be safe, and its people would enjoy a few years of peace and security at least, so why wouldn¡¯t he go with the n? Humans were humans because they possessed the capacity to go against their baser instincts and strive for goodness, right?

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he was totally selfless. If the n seeded, he would be killing a ton of Strangers and earning a lot of dragon-serpent runes, which would be greatly beneficial for his growth. All things considered, what was not to like about this n?

    ¡°Where are we going now, young master?¡± Faceless did not press the matter after Ye Qing had refused to answer.

    ¡°The bookstore. I¡¯d like to enter the next stage before we meet your old friend!¡±

    Ye Qing looked up. The sun had just risen from the horizon, and it looked both bright and hopeful.

    ¡­¡­

    When the moon had risen to the center of the sky, and the gongs were struck three times to signify the beginning of midnight, Ye Qing finally left his bedroom and went downstairs.

    Faceless had been waiting for a while and walked up to his master immediately after he sensed his presence. He was about halfway there when suddenly, he paused in his tracks and eximed in astonishment, ¡°You made a breakthrough, young master?¡±

    He said this because he felt a little pressured by Ye Qing in a way he hadn¡¯t felt during the day. This could only mean that Ye Qing had entered thete-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage.

    ¡°Yeah? Didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯m going to do that this morning?¡± Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly.

    Practicing his martial arts, the ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± and the ¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡± and refining his new Strange Artifacts, the Blue Demon Hand and the Lightning Bolt weren¡¯t the only things Ye Qing had done during his previous training session. He had also spent two silver dragon-serpent runes to solidify his foundation and filled up his newly augmented blood vessels and bodily points with true qi. At that point, he was one step away from entering thete-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage.

    This was why he was able to achieve a breakthrough today. All he needed to do was to use up his remaining four dragon-serpent runes, augment his final four Standard Meridians and two Extraordinary Meridians toplete that final step.

    Faceless looked taken aback. It was only now he remembered that Ye Qing had said that he was going to enter the next stage of his cultivation level. However, he hadn¡¯t taken it to heart at the time because he thought that his master was joking. Who would¡¯ve thought that he would actually do it in a single day? Since when was breaking into the next stage so easy?

    ¡°Few people could improve their cultivation level so easily. You must be a chosen of the heavens, young master!¡± Faceless said. The Stranger was attempting to mask his shock with ttery, but Ye Qing paid him no heed.

    ¡°Enough with the bootlicking. It¡¯s time to meet Old Grass!¡± Ye Qing chided Faceless before calling out, ¡°Pleasee with us, Brother Frog. I¡¯m going to need your help this time.¡±

    He didn¡¯t really, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. With two Malice-ss Strangers by his side, there should be no way Old Grass could escape his grasp.

    At Yang¡¯s Tofu Shop, Old Grass had extinguished themps a long time ago. However, his eyes were wide open. He was currently sitting on a stool and staring nkly at the walls.

    Everything was ready, and the n would be set in motion in just a couple more days. However, strange restlessness had been bothering him for the past few days and especially tonight. For whatever reason, his mind just refused to rest, and his chest felt so tight it almost felt like he was suffocating. Why did he keep feeling like something bad was about to happen?

    ¡°Am I just old?¡± Old Grass sighed, his wrinkles creasing together and making him look even older than before. His hair kept changing back and forth between lush green and withered yellow, and the barren grass in the courtyard rustled to the wind as if sensing up his emotions.

    Suddenly, Old Grass tensed up and stared at his door coldly. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Faceless!¡± Faceless called out from outside.

    ¡°Faceless?¡± Old Grass frowned but opened the door to let him in. He asked in a puzzled voice, ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you at this time. Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Nope! What, can¡¯t I visit you when I¡¯m bored?¡± Faceless said with an uncaring smile.

    Old Grass grew irritated. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Evergreen Ivy? We shouldn¡¯t be seeing each other anymore until the n is executed, or if you have something that can¡¯t wait!¡±

    Faceless shrugged. ¡°So what? It¡¯ll all be over in a couple of days anyway.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you!¡± Old Grass shook his head helplessly. He was about to say something else when a series of unnatural rustling noises caught his attention. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, Faceless?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you found out?¡±

    Faceless let out an eerie chuckle before his facial features abruptly vanished into nothing. Then, his forehead split open to unleash a pitch ck beam that struck Old Grass squarely in the head.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Old Grass didn¡¯t manage to dodge the sudden attack as they were only a few steps away from each other. It easily shattered his head into pieces. However, instead of falling dead like a human would have, grass grew out of his stomach and shot toward Faceless like des. They would absolutely skewer the Stranger if he didn¡¯t get out of the way.

    ¡°Wow!¡± Faceless let out a strange cry and sped away immediately. His instincts were screaming for him to dodge, and it was the right call. As soon as he left the entrance, the entire building was skewered by countless des of yellow grass.

    ¡°Why did you try to kill me, Faceless?¡± A furious, questioning voice boomed from Old Grass¡¯ headless body. At the same time, a new head slowly grew out of his neck like a sprout.

    ¡°Hehe. Since when do I need a reason to kill you?¡± Faceless sneered. As soon as he finished, a small silhouette dashed out from beside him andunched a palm strike at Old Grass.

    Old Grass swung his arms lightly and caused the surrounding grass to grow at a crazy rate. They then surged toward the silhouette from every direction. If the silhouette was caught, the grass would easily rip them apart from limb to limb.

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    However, the small silhouette let out a mighty croak and thrust their palms forward. A tremendous amount of force crushed the walls of grass like nothing. It was none other than Kung Fu Frog.

    Old Grass didn¡¯t panic, however. Green vitality shed from his body, and the broken grass started growing wildly once more. This time, Kung Fu Frog had no choice but to move out of the way.

    Meanwhile, Faceless was also dodging a sea of yellow grass. They didn¡¯t juste at him from different directions, it was like trying to dodge a million swords at the same time. He had to deal with thrusts, shes,shes, sweeps, and more, and it was near impossible to tell which attack was a feint and which wasn¡¯t. Scratch that, it was like he was facing a million expert swordsmen at the same time!

    For a time, it was all Faceless could do to dodge the attacks. The amount of wounds on his body was growing rapidly. Old Grass was just standing there with an imperious sneer as he said, ¡°Is this it? What on earth made you think you could kill me?¡±

    As if on cue, the rm bells in Old Grass¡¯ head suddenly went off. Before he could react, a bolt of lightning shed before his eyes.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The next moment, half of Old Grass¡¯ body exploded just like that. There was a faint smell of burning as lightning crawled all over his body.

 Chapter 83: May Humanity

    <h4>Chapter 83: May Humanity</h4>

    ¡°There¡¯s a third assassin? How?¡±

    Old Grass didn¡¯t fall even though half of his body was annihted by Lightning Bolt. He simply shed bright green again and regrew the missing half of his body. In fact, he looked more stunned than he was concerned with his own wounds.

    Old Grass possessed an innate magic that allowed him to control the surrounding nts and feel what they feel to a certain degree. It was how he noticed Kung Fu Frog¡¯s presence earlier and realized that something was amiss. Just now, his magic was still informing him that there were only two presences around him, and they were Faceless and the frog Stranger. Then, out of seemingly nowhere, a third presence had appeared and dealt him a serious blow. It was both extremely disturbing and worrying. More importantly¡­

    ¡°A human?!¡±

    When Old Grass saw Ye Qing standing on a wall and looking down, he could not help but explode in outrage, ¡°You colluded with a human, Faceless!?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Collude? Oh no no, I¡¯m on <i>his </i>side. It¡¯s what I determined to be the best course of action after reviewing the circumstances.¡±

    Still dodging Old Grass¡¯ attacks, Faceless persuaded with a smile, ¡°Old Grass, you and I are old acquaintances, so I¡¯m going to give you some advice. Surrender now, and you may yet live to see another day with my help. Otherwise, tonight will be thest night you live.¡±

    But Old Grass was relentless. He uttered in a dark, raspy voice, ¡°You dare to collude with a human, Faceless? You deserve death!¡±

    The withered grass in the courtyard grew even wilder. It looked like a tidal wave of grass was attempting to squash Faceless like a bug.

    Of course, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t exempted from Old Grass¡¯ hatred. He shouted, ¡°Die, human!¡± and stomped the ground. Every de of grass in the courtyard abruptly snapped in half before floating toward the sky. Then, they fell down toward Ye Qing like a rain of swords.

    ¡°Pretty impressive!¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows and smiled. As he slowly raised his left hand, the air around him started shaking ominously. It almost looked like he was lifting a mountain. When the rain of grass swords was about one meter away from him, he thrust his left hand forward and conjured a sea of bluish ck mes. It was mixed with the tyrannical force of the lightning as well.

    <i>¡°Blue Demon Hand¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±</i>

    The ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± was one of the finest Vessel Augmentation Arts out there, allowing him to unlock all twelve Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and three hundred and sixty points and achieving perfect augmentation. As a result, his true qi was far greater than the averagete-stage Vessel Augmentor. Combined with the Boundless Lightning Palm, it was like he was unleashing a tsunami of pure power!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The rain of grass swords crashed against the tsunami of fire, and as expected the bluish ck mes easily burned them all into ashes. Ye Qing did not wait for the ashes to fall to the ground and appeared in front of Old Grass in just the blink of an eye. Before the Stranger could react, he pped his sleeve right across his chest.

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±</i>

    There was so much force behind the attack that his chest caved in, and his entire person sank into the ground, leaving aically-shaped hole behind. However, Old Grass transformed into a bundle of withered grass just a secondter.

    ¡°It¡¯s a fake?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned and mustered his energy. His spirit spread out in direction like a giant ripple, and his aura epassed the entire area like a spider¡¯s web. He was trying to find Old Grass by perceiving every minute change in his surroundings.

    ¡°Got you!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up, and he clenched his hand together. A Blood Shadow flickered toward a certain direction, and an empty spot in one corner of the ruined shop shivered unnaturally. Then, Old Grass abruptly popped into existence. As it turned out, the cunning Stranger had been hiding inside his ruined home this whole time.

    As soon as Old Grass reappeared into view, countless Blood Shadows swooped down on him and lifted him into the air. His? body shed green again and again as he attempted to break free to no avail.

    ¡°Surrender. You cannot escape.¡±

    Ye Qing slowly approached the struggling Stranger and said, ¡°I may allow you to live if you surrender now and tell me everything!¡±

    ¡°Surrender? Keep dreaming, human!¡± Old Grass growled. The green light immediately grew much brighter, and a terrible power began gushing out of his body.

    ¡°Watch out, young master! He¡¯s about to detonate his own mind!¡± Faceless hurriedly warned.

    ¡°Hmph! Like that could happen on my watch!¡± Ye Qing sneered and grabbed Old Grass¡¯ head with his left hand. He then squeezed until the Stranger¡¯s head exploded and burned his body into ash with the Netherme.

    ¡°What a shame!¡±

    After Old Grass was dead, Ye Qing shot the ruin that was once a tofu shop a nce and shook his head. He said, ¡°Old Grass is dead. Let¡¯s go!¡± before dashing through the streets and disappearing into the night. Faceless and Kung Fu Frog followed closely behind him.

    Silence and tranquility returned to the area after Ye Qing was gone. It was almost as if nothing had happened as a cool breeze blew across the courtyard of yellow grass.

    About half an incense stickter, a patch of ground in the courtyard suddenly twitched once. Then, a clump of lush green grass burst into view. Unlike the ordinary grass around it, it looked like it was carved out of white jade and glowed an eerie green light. Then, a blurry, transparent silhouette appeared above the grass and whispered, ¡°Since Faceless has betrayed us, there is a high chance our plot has been leaked to the enemy. I must inform Evergreen Ivy about this immediately.¡±

    The silhouette was none other than Old Grass. Somehow, he was still alive even though his body was dust and ash at this point. He slowly floated into the air until he was fully detached from the unusual grass. As if on cue, the grass withered and died as if it had lost all of its vitality in an instant.

    Like a ghost, Old Grass rode the wind and floated from Westward Alley. He flew straight toward the county center almost as if he had a specific destination in mind.

    Eventually, he arrived at the county center and flew toward a certain building. His silhouette looked even blurrier and transparent than before, but the old Stranger was wearing a smile on his face. Once he got inside and informed Evergreen Ivy about what happened, he would be able to pass away without any regrets.

    s, it wasn¡¯t meant to be. Right before he was about to fly into the building, a bluish ck hand blocked right in front of his face. Before he knew it, bluish ck mes had surrounded his whole body.

    ¡°It¡¯s you!? But how¡ª¡± Old Grass could hardly believe it when he realized who had intercepted him at thest moment. His expression morphed into madness and struggle, ¡°No! Impossible! You cannot¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, old man, but this is where your life ends!¡± said a young man¡¯s voice. A secondter, Old Grass¡¯ final wails dissipated into nothing, and not a trace of him was left behind. Pale moonlight shone down from the sky and illuminated half of the killer¡¯s face. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

    After Ye Qing had killed Old Grass, he looked at the towering building not far away from him and muttered in a disbelieving voice, ¡°The Pacification Bureau¡­ to think that this is where she¡¯s hiding!¡±

    That¡¯s right. The ce Old Grass tried so hard to reach before Ye Qing had intercepted him was the Anyang Pacification Bureau headquarters itself. A million thoughts raced across his mind as he stared at the towering building with dark eyes.

    ¡°Tsk tsk! Who would¡¯ve thought that Evergreen Ivy is a member of the Pacification Bureau?¡±

    It was at this moment Faceless poked his head out from behind Ye Qing. Although his tone was mocking and sarcastic, the way he was eyeing the Pacification Bureau betrayed the fact that he was terrified of the ce. He quickly looked away before asking curiously, ¡°How did you know that Old Grass knew where Evergreen Ivy is hiding, young master?¡±

    ¡°I guessed,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°Old Grass is both your information gatherer and your eyes and ears in Anyang. Naturally, he must know a way to pass on a message or contact your leader, Evergreen Ivy. After all, what¡¯s the point of gathering all this information if he couldn¡¯t inform her about it in time?¡±

    ¡°I see! That¡¯s why you purposely left Old Grass alive when you could¡¯ve annihted him utterly! Your wisdom knows no bounds, young master!¡± Faceless eximed in amazement.

    Ye Qing ignored Faceless. Faceless had long since told him that Old Grass had a powerful survival technique that allowed him to sever a small portion of his mind and host it on a nt. In case of emergencies, he could abandon his body and be reborn from said nt.

    Thanks to his powerful spirit, he had discovered the nt Old Grass had attached his mind to pretty much as soon as he destroyed his body. He chose not to eliminate him because he wanted to know if Old Grass would lead him to Evergreen Ivy¡¯s hideout, which he did.

    The answer turned out to be more shocking than he expected, however. He never imagined that Evergreen Ivy would be hiding in the Pacification Bureau headquarters of all things. She was most likely a member of the Pacification Bureau as well. How was this even possible?

    ¡°You left Old Grass¡¯ mind alive because you want him to lead you to Evergreen Ivy¡¯s hideout. In that case, why didn¡¯t you take it a step further and let him lead you straight to Evergreen Ivy herself? Isn¡¯t it a bit of a waste?¡± Faceless asked another question.

    ¡°That would¡¯ve been one step too much!¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°As undermanned as they are, the Pacification Bureau is still tightly guarded and helmed by Chief Ling himself. Neither you nor I have been here before, so it¡¯s more likely that we¡¯re only going to trip some sort of rm and expose ourselves. That would immediately alert Evergreen Ivy that something is amiss.¡±

    ¡°Also, did you actually think Old Grass was going to meet Evergreen Ivy in person? I can¡¯t deny that it is a possibility, but he doesn¡¯t need to see Evergreen Ivy to warn her that the n has gone awry. All he needs to do is to cause a bit ofmotion after he enters the Pacification Bureau, and Evergreen Ivy would automatically know that something is wrong. That is why killing him here and now is the best course of action.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed quietly. ¡°Knowing Evergreen Ivy is hiding in the Pacification Bureau is good enough. After that, it¡¯s just a matter of carrying out a secret investigation and eliminating the suspects one by one.¡±

    Ye Qing was extremely d that he had warned Yan Yufei beforehand to tell no one but Ling Jianqiu about his n. Otherwise, the Strangers might¡¯ve found out about it and thrown everything into disarray. Just in case, he needed to head back and remind Yan Yufei one more time about the necessity for secrecy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    His mind made up, Ye Qing immediately went to the county hall to inform Yan Yufei about Old Grass¡¯ death and the possibility that Evergreen Ivy might be hiding in the Pacification Bureau headquarters itself. Naturally, the magistrate was both stunned and furious to hear this. Without hesitation, he took off to the Pacification Bureau to speak with Ling Jianqiu even though it was almost dawn at this point.

    Although he already had a meeting with the Chief of Bureau this noon, the man hadn¡¯t yet given him a response. This meant that Ling Jianqiu probably hadn¡¯t done anything to rm Evergreen Ivy just yet. Even so, he needed to inform the man about this as soon as possible and minimize the chances that something might go wrong.

    Ye Qing did not linger in the county hall nor did he return to the bookstore after Yan Yufei was gone. Instead, he went to the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s headquarters and summoned Tao Xian. He left the man with some instructions and took the materials he had requested the man to gather for him earlier.

    After the duo had exited the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s headquarters, Faceless feigned astonishment and eximed, ¡°I had no idea that you¡¯re the gang boss of the Iron Shirt Gang, young master! Does that mean that you¡¯re the one who took out Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng?¡±

    Ye Qing shot him a look. ¡°Quit pretending you haven¡¯t figured it out a while ago.¡±

    He had used the Lightning Bolt and the Blue Demon Hand in front of Faceless multiple times at this point. Only an idiot or a pretend-idiot would fail to put two and two together, and clearly Faceless belonged to thetter category.

    ¡°Hehehe, you are right. But every wise man needs a fool to portray their wisdom, and I am all too happy to y that role for you, young master!¡± Faceless replied without a shred of shame or embarrassment whatsoever. ¡°So, where are we going now, young master?¡±

    Ye Qing looked up. The morning bell rang, and a beam of light pierced through the sky like a holy sword that would cut through any darkness. As the world brightened, he said quietly, ¡°We¡¯re going to leave the county for a bit and make an incense stick.¡±

    <i>May humanity always triumph over hardships and wee a good ending. May the light forever shine on us all.</i>

 Chapter 84: Pallbearer

    <h4>Chapter 84: Pallbearer</h4>

    ¡°By the way, Faceless, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you for a while. How did you and your group manage to go in and out of Anyang without being discovered by the Heaven¡¯s Eye?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously after they were out of the county.

    Generally speaking, a Stranger who got within a certain range of a human settlement would be spotted by the Heaven¡¯s Eye and forced to reveal their true form immediately, no amount of mundane or unnatural disguise would protect them from detection. However, Faceless could obviously enter and leave Anyang as he pleased.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I have this,¡± Faceless passed a certain item to Ye Qing. It looked like a cicada, but it was glittery and translucent under the sunlight like a piece of white jade. It was also warm and smooth to touch.

    ¡°You have an Invisible Cicada? No wonder!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization after examining it for a moment.

    ¡°Your wealth of knowledge is truly impressive, young master,¡± said Faceless, and unlike most of his praises he meant this from the bottom of his heart.

    Ye Qing continued to examine the Invisible Cicada closely. The Invisible Cicada was a highly rare Stranger with the ability to conceal one¡¯s presence and blood. Supposedly, anyone with an Invisible Cicada was nigh undetectable by conventional means. A long time ago, there was a Stranger called Chun Xia [1] who transformed into a human and used the Invisible Cicada to mask his presence. He then infiltrated the Jixia Academy of Chu and became their student for years. Exceedingly talented, he quickly rose to stardom and took first ce in the imperial examination, and for a time there was no one in Shendu who didn¡¯t know his name. He was also famous for always wandering the red-light districts on a white horse.

    s, Chun Xia¡¯s epic adventure would meet a tragic end. While drinking with a friend, Chu Xia grew so drunk that he identally revealed his true form. It was only then people realized that he was actually a Stranger. It was said that Chun Xia was still locked in a prison in Shendu known as the ¡°Heavenly Prison¡± to this day.

    Assuming that the stories were true, Chun Xia had managed to fool the people in Shendu for years thanks to the Invisible Cicada. It was no wonder that it could fool the Heaven¡¯s Eye of Anyang as well.

    So why didn¡¯t more humans or Strangers procure the Invisible Cicada for their own use? It was because it was extraordinarily rare, of course. Born at the end of spring, an Invisible Cicada¡¯s lifespan was so short then it usually died at the beginning of summer. In fact, assuming that it was born at the start of the day, it would die when the sun set, meaning that it had a lifespan of half a day at most. Moreover, an Invisible Cicada was transparent and incredibly difficult to spot with the naked eye while it was still alive, and when it died it would immediately disappear into nothingness. It was why some people said that it was a ghost who was even more ephemeral than a ghost itself.

    To say that it was incredibly difficult to capture an Invisible Cicada would be an understatement. A considerable amount of luck was involved in the process. Not only that, one must use a special method to wipe out its mind, but leave its form intact. Only then could it remain in the physical world indefinitely in the form Ye Qing was seeing right now. This was why the imperial court wasn¡¯t worried that malicious Strangers might infiltrate certain settlements en masse using an Invisible Cicada.

    Ye Qing toyed with the Invisible Cicada while asking, ¡°Do all five of you have an Invisible Cicada?¡±

    ¡°No. Evergreen Ivy only gave Rotten Crown, Dark Eye and me an Invisible Cicada as they need to leave the county to contact the other Strangers, while I need to approach the gates andmunicate with Tang Yi¡¯an from time to time.¡±

    ¡°Incredible. I can¡¯t even begin to imagine how long your leader has been preparing for this,¡± Ye Qing sighed before tossing the Invisible Cicada back to Faceless. The Stranger was priceless, but it was also useless to him. Hence, he saw no need to take it from Faceless.

    The duo would continue to chat a while longer before they reached an area that was filled with dead nts and yin energy. Dry bones and rotting corpses could also be seen peeking out from the ground here and there. When they got close to a clump of dead trees, an insane amount of crows cawed and took off into the sky. Their cries sounded shrill and bleak.

    ¡°Why did wee to a burial mound, young master?¡± Faceless asked curiously. The so-called burial mound was really just a ce where those who couldn¡¯t afford to bury their dead in an actual graveyard buried their dead

    ¡°I told you. I¡¯m going to make an incense stick!¡± Ye Qing replied simply. Specifically, he was going to make an Incense of Misfortune in preparation for the uing crisis.

    ording to the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±, one must gather a bowl of Rootless Water, a clump of hair from a Poverty Ghost, three Misery Flowers, a pair of eyeballs from an Unlucky Cat, one soulfire from a Bleakwind Bandit, and one leaf from a Distress Tree. One must then seek out a location where the five elements are weak and wait for the moment where night passes into morning. Only then can one create the Incense of Misfortune.

    He already had the soulfire of a Bleakwind Bandit, and he asked Qiao Six and Tao Xian to gather the rest of the items a few days ago. It took little effort for the two factions to procure what he needed, and he had received them from Tao Xian when he visited the Iron Shirt Gang earlier.

    The reason Ye Qing came to this burial mound was because this was one of the few ces he could create the Incense of Misfortune; a ce where the ¡°five elements were weak¡±.

    After wandering around the area for a bit, Ye Qing went to a clearing and cleared out the surrounding bushes with a swing of his sleeve. Then, he took out all the ingredients he needed to make the incense stick, lit a bonfire and said to Faceless, ¡°Guard me while I work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master,¡± replied the Stranger dutifully.

    First, he ced a cauldron on top of the fire. Once it was sufficiently warm, Ye Qing poured over half a bottle of Rootless Water into it. It didn¡¯t take long for the water to be boiling hot. Then, Ye Qing put the rest of the ingredients¡ªa clump of hair from a Poverty Ghost, three Misery Flowers, a pair of eyeballs from an Unlucky Cat and one leaf from a Distress Tree¡ªinto the cauldron in order.

    The order in which the ingredients were dropped into the cauldron must be followed strictly. Otherwise, there was a high chance the cauldron would just explode, and all his effort would be for naught.

    After the ingredients had melted in the Rootless Water one by one, the cauldron began emitting a cold, dark and inauspicious smoke into the surroundings and covering the surrounding grass in a sheen of gray. All the pests hiding in the underground immediately crawled out into the open and escaped as far away as they could.

    Ye Qing did not panic though. Checking the cauldron one more time to make sure that the ingredients had fully melted, he grabbed thest and most important ingredient of them all¡ªthe soulfire of a Bleakwind Bandit¡ªand dropped it into the cauldron.

    The soulfire of a Bleakwind Bandit was yin in nature. It also possessed the ability to unify all the conflicting ingredients in the cauldron, which was why the boiling liquid cooled down the instant contact was made. The transparent silhouette of a Bleakwind Bandit abruptly appeared in the cauldron and let out a soundless howl, and the gray smoke covering the area immediately rolled back into the cauldron. Not only that, the yin energy across the entire burial mound were drawn into the cauldron as well. Then, a stormy cloud began gathering rapidly in the sky.

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t mentioned in the book!¡± Ye Qing stared at the cauldron in rm. It wasn¡¯t supposed to suck the surrounding yin energy dry or summon a storm cloud!

    As he was an astute man, he quickly deduced that it was probably because he used the soulfire of a Bleakwind Bandit Leader as the final ingredient. He thought that the soulfire of an ordinary Bleakwind Bandit didn¡¯t count because it wasn¡¯t a true soulfire, but clearly he was mistaken.

    Ye Qing immediately plugged more wood under the cauldron and turned the fire into a zing inferno, but by this point the cauldron had umted too much yin and filthy energies. Not even an inferno was strong enough to heat up the cauldron.

    The final step to create the Incense of Misfortune was to evaporate the water inside the cauldron with a huge fire. The powder that was left behind could then be blended into the incense stick. However, since the fire wasn¡¯t strong enough to heat up the cauldron, it couldn¡¯t evaporate the water within as a matter of course. At this rate, he was going to fail for sure.

    ¡°Wait! I can use the Netherme!¡± Ye Qing was wracking his brain for a solution when he suddenly recalled the Blue Demon Hand. The Netherme should be more than enough to evaporate the water inside the cauldron.

    Without hesitation, Ye Qing pressed his left hand to the cauldron¡¯s side and unleashed the Netherme. He made sure to control it so that it wouldn¡¯t burn through the cauldron itself. It worked. The liquid inside the cauldron immediately started bubbling and releasing gray smoke like crazy once more. A long timeter, all that was left inside the cauldron was a mound of ck powder.

    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± Ye Qing said with clear relief. Thank goodness he had the Blue Demon Hand, or the creation would¡¯ve failed at thest step.

    Ye Qing wet the powder with his remaining Rootless Water slightly and stirred them for a moment. Then, he slowly kneaded them together into multiple Incense of Misfortunes.

    Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much powder in the cauldron at all. It was only enough to make three Incense of Misfortunes in total. Still, Ye Qing was extremely satisfied with this oue. ording to the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±, he would be lucky to make enough powder to create two or even just one Incense of Misfortune. The fact that he had enough to make three meant that he was insanely lucky.

    Ye Qing was ready to leave after he put away the incense sticks when suddenly, he spotted a humanoid silhouette walking toward him in the distance. His appearance was nothing special. He was a tall, muscr man with a nk expression, and people like him were a dime a dozen in Anyang. What was odd was the fact that he was carrying a massive coffin on his back.

    The coffin was over ten meters long and made from something he couldn¡¯t identify. He could only tell that it was some sort of grayish ck material. Multiple crows were circling just above the coffin and cawing again and again.

    Despite the size of the coffin, the man¡¯s footsteps were perfectly silent. Not only that, he was moving so fast that he reached Ye Qing and Faceless in just a few steps.

    ¡°Who are you? Get lost! You¡¯re blocking my young master¡¯s way!¡± Faceless chided the strange man before throwing a palm strike at him. However, he didn¡¯t use much strength at all because he sensed no danger from the man, and because his master would be displeased if he identally killed a human. He was just trying to scare him.

    ¡°Caw! Caw!¡±

    Right before the invisible force would strike the man, the crows circling above the coffin abruptly cawed in unison and created some sort of sound wave that actually canceled out Faceless¡¯ attack. Then, they flew straight toward Faceless.

    Surprised, Faceless turned a little more serious and threw another palm strike at the crows. However, his force passed right through them and dealt no damage almost as if they didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°Get back!¡±

    Ye Qing realized the danger and blocked in front of Faceless immediately. Not a moment too soon, the crows hit his face¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t feel any impact whatsoever¡ªand appeared inside his head. When they cawed again, his mind immediately shook as if he was under attack!

    Ye Qing hurriedly visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. When Emperor Fuxi appeared and unleashed his light, the crows immediately melted away like ice under a zing sun.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    After his mind had returned to normal, Ye Qing stared at the coffin bearer with increased wariness. This was especially true after the crows he supposedly wiped out reappeared above the coffin he was carrying and cawed like nothing had happened. If he wasn''t mistaken, the crows weren¡¯t real crows at all. They were some sort of spiritual manifestation that the man used to attack an enemy¡¯s mind. His mind would¡¯ve been crushed if he hadn¡¯t viewed the painting before.

    It was at this moment Faceless remembered something and eximed in astonishment, ¡°Pallbearer. He¡¯s the Pallbearer!¡±

    1. meaning Spring Summer ??

 Chapter 85: It Begins

    <h4>Chapter 85: It Begins</h4>

    ¡°Pallbearer?¡± Ye Qing frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, but I¡¯ve never seen one until now.¡± Faceless said seriously, ¡°Legend says that the Pallbearer is a unique Stranger who possesses unfathomable strength, but he will not harm you unless you provoke him first. Generally speaking, the Pallbearer only shows up in ces where a powerful warrior or Stranger has perished, or is expected to perish very soon. Once they¡¯re dead, he would store their corpse in the coffin he¡¯s carrying.¡±

    ¡°He sounds almost identical to Tubo!¡± Ye Qing wondered out loud. The two Strangers were identical in the sense that they usually showed up when one or many people had died or were expected to die. However, Tubo only wanted the souls of the dead, whereas the Pallbearer was interested in the bodies. Also, Tubo took any soul he could find, but the Pallbearer only imed the bodies of the strong!

    It was at this moment the Pallbearer stopped in his tracks and stared fixatedly at Ye Qing. At first nce, the Pallbearer looked no different from a normal human, but now Ye Qing realized that he had no pupils at all. His eyes were a pair of perfectly ck swirls that seemed to contain nothing at all. Ye Qing could not help but break out in cold sweat as he wondered what the hell the Pallbearer wanted with him.

    A few secondster, the Pallbearer abruptly waved his hand and sent a crow flying toward him. Ye Qing tried to dodge out of the way, but he suddenly found himself unable to move when the Stranger¡¯s eyes shed something dark. Forget taking a step, he was unable to move even a muscle.

    The crownded on Ye Qing¡¯s left arm and cawed once. Then, it transformed into a puff of ck smoke and circled the back of his left hand before vanishing. It wasn¡¯t gone, however. It had simply transformed into a small motif on the back of his hand.

    It was only then the Pallbearer looked away from Ye Qing and slowly walked past him. With his back against the sun, he stepped into the mountains and left behind a series of caws that seemed like it would never end.

    Ye Qing did not dare to rx until he was sure that the Pallbearer was well and truly gone. Even now, his spine was tingling with lingering fear and trepidation.

    ¡°Are you okay, young master?¡± Faceless asked in concern. The Stranger had done his best to pretend he didn¡¯t exist until the Pallbearer waspletely out of sight.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ye Qing shook his head before looking down on the crow motif at the back of his head. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±

    He had already inspected himself internally just now but couldn¡¯t find anything amiss. As far as he could tell, it was just a harmless picture.

    Faceless answered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master. It¡¯s just the mark of the Pallbearer. It is, for all intents and purposes, harmless.¡±

    ¡°A mark? What is it for?¡±

    ¡°ording to the legends, the Pallbearer grants a crow mark only to those whose strength he acknowledges. Unless the mark is removed, the Pallbearer would be able to sense the death of a marked one no matter where they are. He would then make haste to their location to pick up the body.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that he acknowledges my strength?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°But I¡¯m just a Vessel Augmentor. What on earth made him think that I¡¯m ¡®worthy¡¯ of his attention?¡±

    ¡°How can you denigrate yourself like this, young master!¡± Faceless eximed in a horrified tone, ¡°You¡¯re not just any Vessel Augmentor, you¡¯re one who isn¡¯t even twenty years old yet! If even you are not worthy of the Pallbearer¡¯s attention, then who is?¡±

    ¡°In fact, I would¡¯ve thought so much less of the Pallbearer if he thought that you weren¡¯t worthy of its mark! Anyone can tell that you have a bright, unlimited future ahead of you, young master!¡±

    ¡°Hardy har har.¡± Ye Qingughed sarcastically. He made it sound like it was a good thing that he was marked for death!

    Faceless insisted, ¡°Seriously, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. There are many people out there who actually consider it a mark of honor and a status symbol; one that most of them would never get in a lifetime!¡±

    ¡°Heh. Let¡¯s just say that I prefer the more traditional kind of honor and status symbol, okay?¡± Ye Qing shook his head disbelievingly before sighing, ¡°Well, I suppose it¡¯s notpletely a bad thing. If one day this world proved too much for me to handle, at least there¡¯s someone out there who¡¯ll collect my body instead of leaving it to rot.¡±

    Faceless chuckled. ¡°No worries, young master. You will live a long life.¡± And this time, he truly meant his words. After all, Ye Qing¡¯s life was his life. If Ye Qing died, then he would die as well.

    ¡°Alright. We should head back now!¡± Ye Qing smiled and looked in the directions of Anyang. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before the show begins!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    It was a moonless, windless night. Somewhere in the outskirts of Anyang, a massive Stranger with a human¡¯s body but a bear¡¯s head asked in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re not trying to trick me, are you Dark Eye? Will Anyang¡¯s gates really open tonight?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, Bear King. Just watch!¡± Dark Eye replied with a bright smile on his face.

    ¡°Good, good. It¡¯s been a long time since I tasted human flesh. I''m going to gorge myself on humans tonight!¡± The Bear Kingughed, but it didn¡¯t sound like theughter of a bear. It was gloomy and piercing like that of an owl.

    ¡°You¡¯re early, big guy!¡± A childish voice suddenly drew their attention. They immediately saw a child with a pair of twintails skipping out of the darkness. Every time he skipped, rainbow powder would fall out of his body almost like he was a cartoon character. It gave him a dreamlike and colorful appearance.

    Dark Eye and Bear King took a few steps away from the child like he was the gue, however. Bear King asked, ¡°What are you doing here, Rainbow Child? I thought you don¡¯t eat humans?¡±

    Rainbow Child continued to skip rhythmically while responding in a childish voice, ¡°To collect your body when you¡¯re dead, of course!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Dream on! I will never die before you!¡± Bear King harrumphed, but it was just a reflex. He was clearly wary of the child Stranger.

    <i>Glug glug glug!</i>

    Suddenly, the solid ground before the three Strangers rapidly softened into a pool of mud. Then, it started bubbling incessantly. Faces of men, women; the old, the young; the joyful, the weeping and more could be seen within the bubbles. A long timeter, an old woman¡¯s face finally rose to the surface and said in a kind, grandmotherly voice, ¡°I¡¯m notte, am I?¡±

    Rainbow Child answered cheerfully, ¡°Not at all! You¡¯re actually early, Granny Mud!¡±

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m notte!¡± Granny Mud said before asking, ¡°This isn¡¯t everyone, is it?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re still waiting for¡ª¡± Dark Eye was just about to answer when a series of strange cackles interrupted him. Everyone turned and saw a big tree with human legs slowly walking toward them. It had a massive trunk and a canopy that was full of ck leaves, or so it seemed. It wasn¡¯t until the tree was almost upon them when they finally realized that the leaves weren¡¯t leaves at all. They were ck butterflies, and they were the source of the strange cackling.

    ¡°This here is Grandpa Tree¡­¡± A young girl wearing a red dress jumped out from behind the tree. She was none other than Rotten Crown. The Strangers briefly greeted the tree before falling silent.

    <i>Thud¡­ thud¡­</i>

    They didn¡¯t have to wait long before a silhouette covered in mist slowly appeared in the distance. It was a humanoid Stranger who was half-man and half-woman, literally. Half of his face was that of an extraordinarily handsome man, whereas the other half was that of an unbelievably gorgeous woman. Had the two faces been separate, they could have charmed any soul even with just half a face, but together the overall effect could only be described as bizarre.

    Even stranger was the fact that their body was overflowing with disgusting warts and tentacles. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, each wart and tentacle was covered in eyeballs. The Strangers couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified when they saw the eyeballs.

    ¡°Servant of Fear¡­¡±

    Everyone exchanged nces with one another and fell silent. Even Rainbow Child and Rotten Crown, the two chattier Strangers of the group were consciously restraining himself before the Stranger.

    More and more Strangers arrived at the gathering location as time passed. There was a woman who looked every bit a human except the fact that her hair was covered in peach blossom, a mouse with a human¡¯s face, a yin spirit that was covered from head to toe in hair, an exceptionally disciplined group of one-eye bandits riding white horses, a floating shirt that was covered in bloodstains, a floating wedding carriage and more. They all seemed to be waiting for something. Then¡­

    <i>Creak¡­</i>

    When the night gong struck thrice to signal that it was midnight, the shut gates of Anyang abruptly shed with mysterious runes. Then, the thick metal slowly swung inward.

    ¡°It¡¯s opening! It¡¯s actually opening!¡± Bear King couldn¡¯t help a mad cackle when he saw this. The rest of the Strangers, intelligent or not, were cackling strangely as well.

    ¡°You were telling the truth after all, Dark Eye, Rotten Crown!¡± Rainbow Child chirped excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m going in! See you all in a bit!¡±

    A pair of rainbow wings appeared behind his back. He then flew straight toward the open gates.

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m going in as well! Don¡¯t fall behind, my children!¡± Bear Kingughed savagely before letting out a mighty roar. The Strangers behind him cried out in unison and followed him into Anyang as well.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Dark Eye and Rotten Crown exchanged a joyful nce with one another before trailing behind the horde.

    Right now, Anyang was like a tiger without teeth and ws. It might look impassable from the outside, but they didn¡¯t need to ovee its sheer walls and vignt guards as the gates were wide open. The horde of Strangers quickly entered the county without encountering any resistance whatsoever.

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m in! Now, where are the humans? I¡¯m not leaving until I¡¯ve absolutely filled my tummy with human flesh today!¡±

    ¡°Kill¡­ kill¡­¡±

    The Strangers could hardly wait to start their bloody feast.

    Suddenly, Dark Eye said in a puzzled voice, ¡°Is it just me, or is something wrong, Rotten Crown?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rotten Crown asked confusedly.

    He answered, ¡°Anyang is severely undermanned right now, but we should¡¯ve encountered at least one or two guards by now, right? There¡¯s no way they¡¯re <i>that </i>undermanned!¡±

    Rotten Crown started looking left and right. ¡°Now that you mention it¡­¡±

    <i>m!</i>

    Before the two Strangers could puzzle out the problem, the gate behind them abruptly mmed shut. Then, torches were lit on the walls and the buildings until the entire ce looked as bright as the day. The soldiers who had been lying in wait all this time stepped out of their hiding spots and aimed their arrows at the horde of Strangers below, scale armor glinting brightly against the mes.

    Dark Eye¡¯s pupil contracted in shock before he shouted, ¡°The Shenwu Defense Force? Shit! It¡¯s an ambush!¡±

    On the walls, a cold sneer crossed You Da¡¯s lips as he waved his hand. ¡°Loose!¡±

    Bow twangs deafened the ears, and arrows rained down from the sky like a downpour.

    The bow and arrows the soldiers were wielding were no ordinary weapons. The bow was called the Starbreaker Bow, and the arrows the Starbreaker Arrows. They were weapons researched and produced by the Divine Defense Department of Chu itself.

    Powerful and deadly, they were the perfect weapons to use against the resilient Strangers. The horde immediately fell row by row like bundles of wheat.

    ¡°Quick! We need to get deeper into the county before it¡¯s toote!¡± A wise Stranger roared and ran down the street. The rest followed right behind them.

 Chapter 86: Rolling Heads

    <h4>Chapter 86: Rolling Heads</h4>

    <i>Thud thud thud thud¡­</i>

    The Stranger¡¯s quick thinking wasmendable. The only problem was that the humans had already anticipated it. Squad and squad of soldiers marched out in orderly footsteps and blocked off the intersections immediately. Even the rooftops were crawling with Shenwu Defense Force soldiers.

    <i>m! </i>¡°Shenwu!¡±

    <i>m! </i>¡°Shenwu!¡±

    <i>m! </i>¡°Shenwu!¡±

    Each soldier was armed with a saber and a shield. They would smack their shields with their sabers before roaring, ¡°Shenwu!¡± When their fighting spirit and bloodthirst had reached its peak, they finally cried,

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    Arrows rained down from above and turned the foremost Strangers into pincushions. It would be nice if they could annihte the horde before they could get close, but just a few roundster, the Strangers were almost upon them. Someone cried, ¡°Raise shields!¡± and the front row immediately switched to their shields and held it firmly in front of them.

    The Strangers hit the defense line and battered the soldiers with everything they got, but it was as futile as trying to punch through a solid wall bare-handed. They were unable to put even a dent on the defense line. Not a moment too soon, spears emerged from the gaps between the shields and nailed the nearest Strangers to the floor.

    Not all Strangers were so easy to kill, however. Not far away, Rainbow Child stared at the floor of dead Strangers beneath his feet and giggled, ¡°Hehehe! This is fun!¡± A squad of soldiers shot a hail of arrows at him, but a sh of rainbow disintegrated the projectiles instantly. He started shaking his head back and forth until his twintails grew asrge as a whip. When he was ready, he whipped his head around and severed all the humans and Strangers around him into two.

    ¡°Hehehe! Kill kill kill~¡±

    As Rainbow Child continued to shake its head, its twintails spun faster and faster. Eventually, they were fast enough to slice even the toughest human or Stranger in its range into itsy bitsy pieces.

    <i>Flutter flutter!</i>

    Near the walls, Grandpa Tree gave his body a shake and stirred all the butterflies resting on his branches awake. They took to the air and flew straight toward the Shenwu Defense Force soldiers on the walls.

    Despite the torches, the sky was pitch ck, and the butterflies made no noise whatsoever when they flew. By the time the soldiers took notice, some of them were already touched by the butterflies.

    The ck butterflies looked frail enough to be blown away by a stiff breeze, but their deadliness was no joke. Every soldier who was touched by the butterflies immediately copsed to their feet and rolled back and forth on the floor, screaming. At the same time, tiny ck balls that were shaped like fish eggs started growing out of their nose, mouth, eyes and more.

    The ck eggs only needed a few seconds to hatch into ck butterflies. Over time, their numbers grew to the point where they resembled a cyclone instead of a swarm. Wherever the ck cyclone traveled, soldiers copsed and died in abject pain.

    Thankfully, a captain realized the danger and ordered immediately, ¡°Burn them with your fire talismans! Ready, release!¡± A massive ball of fire hit the cyclone of ck butterflies, and they were gone just like that.

    Not done yet, the captain barked out another order, ¡°Archers! Ready! Loose!¡±

    The soldiers immediately released a hail of Starbreaker Arrows at Grandpa Tree.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, Grandpa Tree!¡±

    It was at this moment the ground beside Grandpa Tree suddenly turned into a pool of bubbly mud. Every time a bubble was popped by an arrow, a Yin Spirit would emerge and fly straight toward the soldiers. As Yin Spirits do not have a physical body, the arrows and physical weapons in general were useless against them. They easily passed through the arrows and possessed the soldiers before they could react.

    Every soldier in the Shenwu Defense Force was overflowing with vigor, yang energy and bloodthirst. Logically speaking, a Yin Spirit was thest thing they were afraid of. In reality, Granny Mud¡¯s Yin Spirits easily extinguished their minds and puppeteered their bodies to attack the rest of the soldiers. That section of the wall was in absolute chaos for a time.

    This was nothingpared to the battlefield where the Servant of Fear was rampaging, however. The Stranger was walking deeper toward the county with leisurely footsteps as if they couldn¡¯t sense the soldiers lying in ambush all around it. The eyes on their squirming warts and tentacles kept opening and closing and releasing pulses of light at a steady pace. Every time the light washed over the soldiers, their expressions would grow increasingly dazed and horrified, and their bodies would grow warts and tentacles.Eventually, they all transformed into mindless creatures who knew nothing but death and destruction. So far, every soldier who was unfortunate enough to be stationed next to the Servant of Fear had transformed into a Stranger!

    At the beginning, the battle was goingpletely in the favor of the Shenwu Defense Force. But after powerful Strangers such as the Servant of Fear, Grandpa Tree, Granny Mud, Rainbow Child and more had joined the battle, the tables were slowly but surely turning against the humans instead. Even the weaker Strangers who were struggling to survive earlier found various openings to batter the Shenwu Defense Force further.

    ¡°Hahaha! Puny humans!¡± The Bear Kingughed savagely while shaking off some of the Starbreaker Arrows lodged in its fur. Although the projectiles were deadly against most Strangers, they were unable to pierce the bear Stranger¡¯s thick hide at all. With a mighty roar, the Bear King stomped the limestone floor beneath it into pieces and charged straight toward the squad of soldiers blocking the intersection.

    The Bear King was as huge as a small hill and just as strong. Every time it took a step, the ground shook like a major earthquake was going on. It was terrifying to put it mildly.

    ¡°Shield wall!¡±

    The Shenwu Defense Force squad did not dare to treat it lightly. After the order was given, they immediately mmed their shields to the ground and formed an imprable shield wall.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The shield wall held, but it wasn¡¯t without a terrible cost. The impact was so terrible that the shields directly in the Bear King¡¯s path crumpled like wet tissue, and the soldiers directly behind him literally exploded in a shower of gore. The soldiers behind the unfortunate souls were also knocked over and injured to a certain degree. The squad¡¯s morale immediately deted like a balloon.

    ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s feeding time!¡± The Bear Kingughed before catching the closest soldier in a death grip and ripping them in half. Then, it shoved the dead man into its mouth and chewed vigorously.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Tasty, so tasty! Human flesh just tastes so much better than everything else in the world! I need more!¡±

    Absolutely soaked in blood that didn¡¯t belong to itself, the Bear King looked beyond terrifying to put it mildly. No one was able to muster the courage to fight it even after the bloodthirsty Stranger had gobbled up theirpanion. The Bear King was just about to grab another soldier when a cold snort broke the spell,

    ¡°A puny Man Bear dares to invade Anyang? Die!¡±

    A beam of sword energy bloomed from the darkness and struck the Bear King squarely in the chest. The Bear King¡¯sughter abruptly cut short, and it looked down to find a bloody hole where his heart should be.

    ¡°RRAAAAGGGHHH!¡±

    However, the Bear King was even more vigorous than imagined. Not only was it still alive, it let out a full-throated roar that caused everyone to raise their weapons in rm. Just when they were prepared for the worst, the Stranger abruptly turned tail and ran. The Bear King was vigorous, but not so vigorous that it could keep fighting without a heart!

    For a moment, it looked like the Stranger would make its escape. Then, a young man ran up to its back much faster than expected and jumped onto its head. The Bear King noticed this and attempted to p him with both hands. The size difference between the two could only be described as massive. If the attack seeded, the young man was absolutely going to be ttened like a pancake.

    The young man didn¡¯t dodge out of the way, however. He waited until thest second before injecting a bit of strength into his right leg. The Bear King¡¯s head abruptly exploded in a shower of blood and brains, and all strength left its body in an instant. Its hill-sized body then copsed on the ground, kicked up a ton of dust, and finally jolted the stunned Shenwu Defense Force squad back to reality.

    ¡°This Man Bear is an exceptionally tenacious Stranger who can stay alive even if you cut off all of its limbs and crush its heart. The only way to kill it in one strike is to destroy its head,¡± said the young man as he leaped back down to the ground. It was only then the Shenwu Defense Force squad noticed that the young man was even younger than they expected, and he wore a charismatic smile that naturally made the heart fonder. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

    The bear Stranger called itself the Bear King, but it was really just a Man Bear. A Man Bear was a Stranger with a human¡¯s body but a bear¡¯s face. It was cunning, capable of human speech, and loved nothing more than to hide in a mountainous forest and lure travelers to its maw by pretending to be a human. That said, it was a bonafide Malice-ss Stranger despite its cowardly tactics. It sported a bear¡¯s tremendous strength and a level of vitality that few couldpare.

    ¡°Everyone already knows you¡¯re a schr, Joyless, so quit showing off and go help the others already!¡± A clear, bright voice came from above. It belonged to Yan Yufei.

    After Ye Qing gave him a thumbs-up, Yan Yufei turned to Ling Jianqiu and said, ¡°You too, Chief Ling!¡±

    The Chief of Bureau, Ling Jianqiu shot Ye Qing a meaningful look but knew that it wasn¡¯t time to indulge in his curiosity. After swinging his sword around and beheading all the Strangers that stood in his way, he charged straight toward the mysterious and terrifying Servant of Fear.

    ¡°Be careful, Joyless!¡± Yan Yufei said onest time before charging toward the battlefield where Grandpa Tree and Granny Mud were. His seal reached them first as he yelled, ¡°You are in the realm of humans, Strangers! This is no ce for you to rampage as you please!¡±

    Just like thest time, nature bent itself to Yan Yufei¡¯s will as he spoke. As the seal fell, the wind turned as sharp as sabers, and the sky started raining swords all of a sudden. All the Strangers close to Grandpa Tree and Granny Mud were immediately turned into pincushions or cut into many smaller pieces.

    ¡°The Seal of the Land?¡± Grandpa Tree eximed in rm. He was clearly very wary of the seal. He waved his branches and sent his butterflies toward the seal in an attempt to stop it, but the seal responded immediately and turned golden bright like the sun, turning the ck butterflies into dust before they even got close. Not only that, the pool of mud that was Granny Mud sizzled under the golden sun and caused her to screech in pain and panic. She clearly had little to no resistance against the seal¡¯s power.

    The Will of the Dragon and the Will of the People were the bane of all Strangers. It was why the upper hand was firmly in Yan Yufei¡¯s grasp even Although Grandpa Tree and Granny Mud were Malice-ss Strangers, and Yan Yufei¡¯s strength was only equal to that of a middle-stage Vessel Augmentor.

    Obviously, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to sit idle while Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei were battling some of the strongest Strangers of the horde. He plowed head first into the area with the most Strangers and began swinging, sweeping, chopping, swiping, poking, cutting and shing every enemy in his way. Although his technique was about as basic as it could get, it did not matter since he moved so fast it was like he was operating on a different time scalepared to the others. Moreover, he almost always took out a Stranger in one hit because he never failed to hit their weak spots from the most unpredictable angles.

    His crescent saber went up and down again and again. It took him less than a minute to clear out an entire area and leaving dozens of Strangers dead beside his feet. Not even bothering to catch a breather since it was unnecessary, he rushed to the next area and repeated the massacre all over again. It was like he was the King of Hell himself appearing on this earth toy judgment upon the Strangers. Absolutely no one was a match for him.

    It wasn¡¯t long before every soldier on the battlefield noticed the young and incredibly strong youngster. He was like the wind, the shadow, and the lightning bolt all at the same time. Wherever he went, heads rolled, and blood flowed like a river. He had saved countless soldiers who were on the brink of defeat and thwarted many dangerous assaults that could¡¯ve dealt a severe blow to their efforts. It was such incredible heroism that it was impossible not to feel impressed or grateful toward him. Their biggest regret was that they weren¡¯t able to shoot him a word of thanks because he was usually gone by the time they got the chance to do so.

    Ye Qing had no idea what the others were thinking. It was because killing the Strangers and earning those sweet, sweet dragon-serpent runes was the only thought in his mind right now.

    In the past, he had to look all over the ce just to find one or two Strangers to kill. Now, they were trapped here with him with nowhere to run. This was the moment he had schemed and prepared so long for, so how could he not reap these walking bags of experience to his heart¡¯s content? Sometimes, he was even tempted to say, ¡°Don¡¯t kill the Strangers! Let me do it!¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re incredible! I¡¯ll y with you!¡±

    Ye Qing was in the zone when he heard a giggling voice. When his sides abruptly prickled with danger, he did not hesitate to execute Blood Sea Fragrance and dash out of the way like a phantom. The second he was gone, colorful rays of light struck the spot he was standing on and afflicted a couple of Strangers. They immediately grew colorful, aromatic mushrooms that drained them into a dry husk in just a matter of seconds.

 Chapter 87: Ready Or Not

    <h4>Chapter 87: Ready Or Not</h4>

    ¡°Who the fuck stole my jungle camp [1]!?¡± Ye Qing turned around and red at Rainbow Child with deep displeasure.

    ¡°You look really strong, big brother. Come y with me!¡± Rainbow Child giggled before swinging his twintails at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing gently leaped into the air and darted all over the ce like gravity had no hold over him. No matter how fast Rainbow Child swung his twintails, he was always able to dodge them by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    ¡°No fun! It¡¯s not fun if you dodge, big brother!¡± Rainbow Childined with a pout. As if on cue, his twintails abruptly came loose and spread into a sea of ck hair¡ªor was it? When Ye Qing looked closer, he discovered that the ¡°hair¡± wasn¡¯t hair at all. It was some sort of tendril that one could usually find beneath the cap of a mushroom or other seed nts. In any case, it was spine-chilling to see them iling all over the ce and towering over the ce like a tidal wave.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    In response, Ye Qing flicked his wrist and swung his sleeve. His energy spiked to peak levels in an instant, and the clouds in the sky vibrated as if responding to the move.

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A long gap appeared in the sea of ck tendrils and temporarily revealed the sky and the moon. The next moment, Ye Qing appeared in front of Rainbow Child and bashed his skull with a downward palm strike as swift as lightning. As the Stranger was mmed into the ground, the ground split asunder, and the resulting shockwave threw countless nearby Strangers into the air or killed them outright.

    Exhaling, Ye Qing rose to his feet and got ready to leave. It was at this moment he heard Rainbow Child saying, ¡°Oh, that hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡± Ye Qing blinked in surprise. He had reached the adept level in the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± and unlocked all twelve Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and three hundred and sixty bodily points, so his true qi was far greater than your average Vessel Augmentor. His physical body was also strong enough to shatter rocks or kill a fellow Vessel Augmentor in one strike. He hadn¡¯t conserved his strength when he dealt what he thought was the killing blow earlier, so he was quite surprised to find that the frail-looking Malice-ss Stranger was still alive and well.

    ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s been a while since I felt so much pain. You¡¯re truly incredible, big brother!¡±

    The dust cloud had finally settled enough to reveal Rainbow Child, but the Malice-ss Stranger looked very different from before. For starters, his head had transformed into a mushroom covered in rainbow-colored dots that emitted rainbow-colored shes. Countless hair-thin tendrils were floating above the dots as well. He had also grown a thick stalk beneath its feet. The Malice-ss Stranger actually looked pretty cute in its current state, if one ignored the fact that it was a murderous, bloodthirsty monster.

    ¡°The Rainbow Mushroom¡­¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply when he finally recognized Rainbow Child¡¯s true form. The Rainbow Mushroom was a Malice-ss Stranger whose body was covered in rainbow dots. Born in dark, damp, and miasma-ridden ces, it emitted colorful lights at night to lure unsuspecting Strangers into its range before releasing infectious spores to consume them. In other words, the Rainbow Mushroom wasn¡¯t just a vicious Stranger, it was one that ate other vicious Strangers to sustain itself.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ I¡¯m going to get serious now, big brother! Get ready!¡± Rainbow Child warned before shaking its massive cap and releasing a thick cloud of shy dots at Ye Qing. They were his spores, of course.

    Ye Qing had already seen what the spores did to its victims just now, so he didn¡¯t dare to treat it lightly and leaped out of the way. The spores did not discriminate against the living or the dead, all flesh and blood beings grew colorful mushrooms as soon as they were infected by it.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    That wasn¡¯t all. The tiny mushrooms grew eyes and limbs before uprooting themselves from the bodies. While giggling, they hopped toward Ye Qing like miniature versions of Rainbow Child.

    ¡°Our name is Shroomie, and we fear nothing. Ready or not, here wee!¡±

    ¡°Our name is Shroomie, and we fear nothing. Ready or not, here wee!¡±

    The little mushrooms waved their little hands, kicked their little legs, and chanted their little battle cry as they rushed toward Ye Qing. If a human or a Stranger happened to get in their way, some of them would explode and take out the obstacle while the rest continued to march their way toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°Interesting!¡± Ye Qing let out a chuckle and stopped in his tracks. When he pped his hand on the ground, the long street in front of him shook once before spitting out a bunch of limestone bricks. Before they dropped back to the ground, Ye Qing swung his sleeves and caused them to spin wildly like he was conjuring a cyclone. Finally, he sent the cyclone crashing toward the army of small mushrooms.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    There was no way the little mushrooms could¡¯ve dodged out of their way courtesy of their short feet. As a result, they turned into mini fireballs and blew up that entire section of the street.

    ¡°This is so much fun! Yipee!¡± Rainbow Child cheered and pped his hands boisterously while staring at the fireworks. He looked like he was enjoying the time of his life.

    It was at this moment Rainbow Child sensed something and let out a strange yelp. He tried jumping to the side, but his feet had just left the ground when a bolt of lightning pierced through the dust clouds and hit him squarely in the chest. He instantly exploded into a million pieces.

    Ye Qing slowly stepped out of the dust and curled his finger, and a sword as thin as a leaf flew back into his head. It was Lightning Bolt, of course.

    ¡°Our name is Shroomie, and you are scary. We had enough fun, so see you never!¡±

    Ye Qing thought that Rainbow Child was dead this time for sure, but the shattered pieces on the sundered ground abruptly bounced into the air, grew arms and legs, and took off in every direction.

    ¡°He¡¯s still not dead?¡± Ye Qinb blinked and unleashed his Blood Shadows. The shapeless, formless entities immediately spread out and sliced through every Rainbow Child they came across practically without resistance. It was a mistake though. The sliced chunks simply transformed into more mini Rainbow Children before running toward the nearest crowds.

    ¡°What a pain in the ass!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose in annoyance. At this rate, Rainbow Child was going to grow into a horde of his own. That said, his senses were telling him the Stranger was steadily weakening with every attack. This meant that his attacks were working to a certain extent, and that he would hit a limit eventually.

    ¡°In that case¡­¡± A wicked grin sprung onto Ye Qing¡¯s face as he struck out with his left hand. A terrifyingly potent force mixed with a jet of bluish ck me immediately engulfed the swarm of Rainbow Children.

    <i>¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Blue Demon Hand¡±</i>

    This time, his attack was far more effective. The me consumed the duplicates in just the blink of an eye and turned most of them into ash. His change of tactics came a tad too slow, however. One Rainbow Child ultimately managed to escape the all-consuming me and disappeared into a crowd of Strangers.

    ¡°Damn, I should¡¯ve used the Blue Demon Hand sooner. But did it really think it could escape me?¡±mented Ye Qing with a positively diabolical smile on his face. He hadn¡¯t wasted all that time and energy just so that his precious dragon-serpent runes would elude him at thest moment.

    He immediately gave chase, but he made sure to kill every Stranger he encountered along the way. They too were dragon-serpent runes, and he wasn¡¯t going to leave any behind.

    ¡°Granny Mud! Grandpa Tree! Rainbow Child hase to help you!¡±

    Rainbow Child had not been running aimlessly like a headless chicken. He had been making a beeline toward his fellow Strangers since the moment he lost the battle.

    When Granny Mud turned and saw the mushroom Stranger, she eximed in astonishment, ¡°What happened to you, Rainbow Child?¡±

    Speaking of Granny Mud and Grandpa Tree, the two Strangers were still fighting against Yan Yufei. Although the Seal of the Land was the bane of all Strangers, the two Strangers were quite strong, and it was a one-versus-two battle. It was why the battle was temporarily locked in a stalemate.

    At first, Granny Mud and Grandpa Tree were d to see Rainbow Child. Yan Yufei might be able to force two of them into a stalemate, but there was no way he could fight three powerful Malice-ss Strangers at once. That was when they saw the state Rainbow Child was reduced to and realized what he was really nning. He wasn¡¯t trying to help them, he was using them to get away from his pursuer! The human who defeated Rainbow Child must be exceptionally strong, and they could only imagine what would happen if they decided to join forces with Yan Yufei!

    Granny Mud immediately let out a cry of outrage, ¡°You would do us harm, Rainbow Child?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I came to help you, Granny!¡± Rainbow Child giggled with feigned innocence.

    ¡°Nani? Buy one get two? Now this is a deal I can get behind!¡± It was at this moment Ye Qing arrived at the scene and saw the weakened Granny Mud, Grandpa Tree and Rainbow Child all in one ce. His eyes immediately lit up with greed and glee.

    Yan Yufei also eximed in pleasant surprise when he saw Ye Qing, ¡°Perfect timing, Joyless! I need to help the others, so I¡¯m leaving these animals to you! Goodbye!¡± He then withdrew his seal and left just like that.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>You could at least pretend to give me a hand before you up and leave, you sonuvabitch. Where is your sense of camaraderie?</i>

    Meanwhile, Granny Mud and Grandpa Tree could hardly believe their luck. They were so sure that Yan Yufei would team up with the neer and wipe them out once and for all, but for whatever reason, he had chosen to withdraw from the battlefield instead. The neer was only one person, and he was so young he couldn¡¯t possibly put up a good fight. How could they not be overjoyed with this sudden turn of events?

    ¡°Kill him!¡± Grandpa Tree shouted and shook his branches. A swarm of ck butterflies immediately surged toward Ye Qing, though their numbers were far sparser than before. Clearly, the battle against Yan Yufei had consumed much of his energy.

    ¡°Egg Butterflies?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brow. He had read about this Stranger from a book. The Egg Butterfly was a kind of Red-ss Stranger that procreated by injecting its eggs into flesh and blood creatures, and the eggs hatched immediately when it made contact with blood. It was quite simr to the Bellyfish in some ways but far more dangerous. It was because the Bellyfish could only wait for a suitable host to stumble upon them, while the Egg Butterfly could fly up to its victims toy its eggs.

    Naturally, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to allow the Egg Butterflies to get close. When they swarm was around ten meters away from him, he immediately swung his sleeves and killed them all with a deadly gust of force. However, Grandpa Tree hadn¡¯t been idle while he was dealing with the Egg Butterflies. The tree Stranger had crossed the distance between them with surprising speed before attacking his nk with half a canopy of sharp, ck branches. It looked very much like a spear wall.

    Ye Qing immediately channeled his qi to jump away from Grandpa Tree. He didn¡¯t want to sh directly against Grandpa Tree, not because he couldn¡¯t, but because it was unnecessary. With Blood Sea Fragrance he could both dodge the attack andunch a decisive counterattack at once, so why would he opt for a suboptimal solution instead?

    However, the earth underneath him abruptly softened into a pool of mud before he could jump away. The next thing he knew, he had sunk to knee level and was still sinking by the second.

    ¡°Grandma Mud¡­¡±

    Ye Qing frowned and tried to lift his feet, but it felt like a pair of hands grabbing his ankles with a death grip and pulling him toward the bottom with all their might. This mud Stranger was most likely the ¡°Granny Mud¡± Rainbow Child had mentioned earlier.

    ¡°Keke. Die, human!¡± The face on the tree trunk scrunched into an eerie cackle when Grandpa Tree noted that Ye Qing was unable to break free from Granny Mud¡¯s grasp. This was the n they hade up with after Yan Yufei had left the scene. Grandpa Tree wouldunch a direct attack to attract Ye Qing¡¯s attention, and Grandma Mud would immobilize him while he wasn¡¯t looking. While the young man was struggling, Grandpa Tree would deal the decisive, fatal blow.

    1. League of Legend reference. ??

 Chapter 88: The Iron Shirt Gang, At Your Service

    <h4>Chapter 88: The Iron Shirt Gang, At Your Service</h4>

    ¡°Die? So sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m not done with life yet,¡± answered Ye Qing with a shrug. A moment before Grandpa¡¯s tree branches would skewer him, he channeled his true qi and swung his sleeves around like he was drawing a circle.

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±</i>

    ording to the Tao Te Ching, water was the softest and weakest thing in the world, but it could never be defeated by strong, firm things such as a punch for no amount of punches was going to change its form. Through this, it was understood that the soft could ovee the hard, and the weak the strong.

    As far as his previous world was concerned, no one was able to carry it out in practice both physically or philosophically¡ªbut Ye Qing wasn¡¯t in his old world anymore. ¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡± was a martial art that could be hard or soft depending on the circumstances, and when it became as soft as water, there was no attack in the world it could not defend against.

    As Ye Qing swung his sleeves round and round, the surrounding air grew thicker and thicker until Grandpa Tree felt as if he was wading through water. The closer the falling branches got to Ye Qing, the slower they became until finally, their momentum waspletely spent. The second it happened, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and let out a powerful croak from his abdomen. Then, he hardened his sleeves into steel and threw his arms down like he was throwing a giant stele.

    Grandpa Tree nched when the surrounding air abruptly transformed into a raging, unstoppable torrent. Before he could react, it crashed against his canopy and snapped countless twigs and branches.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Grandpa Tree let out a bloodcurdling scream and hurriedly pulled away from Ye Qing, but his canopy had been reduced to just the thickest, strongest branches. Even his trunk was barren like that of a man who shaved himself bald from head to toe.

    The branches were part of Grandpa Tree¡¯s body. Naturally, losing them had greatly diminished his power. Despite this, he was too stunned to feel much pain. That was just how powerful the young man was. The young man should¡¯ve been trivial to kill since Grandma Mud had immobilized his lower half, and yet he still managed to defeat him and deal him a severe blow in one hit. Grandpa Tree realized toote that the young man was actually stronger than even Yan Yufei.

    <i>I must escape! </i>The tree Stranger turned around to run as soon as the thought had crossed his mind. There was literally no reason for him to stay unless he had a firewood wish. This meant that he was abandoning Granny Mud to the young man¡¯s mercy, sure, but she was an ally-of-convenience, not his wife. Like hell he was going to sacrifice his life for her!

    <i>Zap!</i>

    s, blinding light shot through his body practically the second he made a move. It was like he was struck by a lightning bolt from the Nine Heavens above. His trunk turned ashen, and fire and smoke rose from multiple parts of his body. When the blinding light finally faded, it was revealed that there was a scorched hole at the center of Grandpa Tree¡¯s forehead. Then, a beam of light shot through his head once andnded snugly in Ye Qing¡¯s palm. It was a sword. Clearly, it was the one that had given the tree Stranger the time of his life.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    With that, the great tree copsed to the ground and ceased living forever.

    The moment Grandpa Tree fell, Granny Mud was struck by a terrible sense of danger. She immediately released a ton of bubbles filled with yin spirits, and unlike with the Shenwu Defense Force these yin spirits did not wait for Ye Qing to break them out of their ephemeral prison. They circled around Ye Qing and cried,ughed, roared or screamed at him to confuse and damage his mind.

    A weak-willed person might have copsed to the unholy noise and lost their mind, but Ye Qing waspletely unhurt not just because his mind and spirit were strong, but also because he had the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. It prevented any and all evil energy from invading his head.

    When Ye Qing felt the grip on his ankles disappearing without warning, he chuckled. ¡°You think you can escape?¡±

    First, he extended his left arm and clenched his fist. A ball of Netherme immediately consumed the surrounding yin spirits and killed them before they could even scream. Then, he punched his left fist into the mud below so hard that the kilometer-long street shuddered a little. The pool of mud started burning intensely, and no matter how hard it struggled it was unable to extinguish the mes.

    The Netherme was said to be capable of burning anything and everything. Forget a pool of mud, it could¡¯ve burned through solid stone with little difficulty.

    The pool of mud grew shallower and shallower as the Netherme burned. When it was almostpletely dry, Ye Qing abruptly plunged his left hand into the ground and pulled out a strange creature that looked like a pitch ck lizard. It had an old woman¡¯s face, and its body looked like it was made from mud. It stank to the high heavens as a matter of course.

    The lizard wasn¡¯t dead yet, so it kept struggling and roaring on top of its lungs. It was, of course, Granny Mud.

    ¡°So ugly!¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head in disgust before crushing the lizard between his hands. Obviously, he dashed away before the smelly mud could stain his clothes.

    After Grandpa Tree and Granny Mud were dead, Ye Qing immediately unleashed his spirit and scanned his surroundings. Unfortunately, Rainbow Child was nowhere to be seen. He clicked his tongue in disappointment, ¡°Tsk. That damn mushroom managed to escape in the end!¡±

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t to say that he had wasted his energy. Buy one get two Strangers would always be a great deal especially since Grandpa Tree and Granny Mud were way easier to kill than they should have been. It was because they had exhausted most of their energy against Yan Yufei, and they had underestimated him because of his age.

    Ye Qing let out a little sigh before channeling the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± to restore his spent true qi immediately. Once he had returned to peak condition, he walked over to Grandpa Tree and stuffed his corpse into his Nature¡¯s Shell.

    Grandpa Tree was a tree, and trees were incredibly useful for a number of things, much less one who was a powerful Stranger. He could probably use his main body to create Strange Artifacts, or his branches to refine pills or something. Worst case scenario, he could use the body to make sturdy furniture or houses.

    As for Granny Mud¡­ he wouldn¡¯t use her even if she did turn out to be a useful ingredient. To put it in a nutshell, ugliness is a sin!

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    ¡°This way, men!¡±

    ¡°Charge! Do not allow any one of these bitches to live!¡±

    ¡°Kill! Kill them all!¡±

    The sounds of fighting, fire and blood weren¡¯t just contained to the entrance. In fact, it had spread to the entire Anyang a long time ago. Ye Qing nced at his surrounding once before letting out a long, long sigh in his head.

    Their preparation was substantial, and their ambush had gone as well as it could be. Despite this, a lot of Strangers still managed to break through the defense line and enter the county. A good number of them were powerful and strange entities such as Grandpa Tree or Rainbow Child as well. As a result, the Shenwu Defense Force, the Sentinels, the bailiffs and more still incurred a horrific amount of casualties.

    ¡°It is time!¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself and pulled out a contact talisman from his sleeve. It exploded like fireworks when he tossed it into the air.

    Not long after the contact talisman was activated, a cacophony of footsteps suddenly appeared from multiple directions. At the same time, loud, high-spirited cries boomed from the streets:

    ¡°Lord Yan, Tao Xian of the Iron Shirt Gang, at your service! Let¡¯s defend Anyang together!¡±

    ¡°Ruan Hongluo of the Iron Shirt Gang, at your service!¡±

    ¡°Jie Chen of the Iron Shirt Gang, at your service!¡±

    ¡°Yi Jun of the Iron Shirt Gang, at your service!¡±

    The cries were extremely loud and out of ce all things considered, which was why they immediately drew countless attention. Yan Yufei had been fighting against the Servant of Fear until he heard someone calling out to him. When he looked, he saw the Hallmasters of the Iron Shirt Gang¡ªTao Xian, Ruan Hongluo, Yi Jun and more¡ªand arge group of Iron Shirt Gang disciples joining the battle and killing all the Strangers around them.

    <i>Why are they here? And why are they shouting their arrival? </i>Yan Yufei looked confused, but regardless of the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s intentions, it was a good thing that they hade to assist them.

    It was at this moment another vigorous voice boomed, ¡°Qiao Six, at your service, my lord!¡± The information broker showed up at the end of the street right after that with Zuo Yiyan and Hong Yu in tow.

    <i>Qiao Six came too? What¡¯s going on? Who gathered these people together? </i>Yan Yufei¡¯s confusion was growing by the second. Qiao Six sensed his gaze and rubbed his nose in embarrassment. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t wanted to shout a battle cry like the Iron Shirt Gang because it was embarrassing, but for some reason it also felt wrong to show up without announcing himself. Plus, how would Yan Yufei know that he hade to help if he didn¡¯t say anything? Sometimes, being thick-skinned was a good thing! A great thing even!

    Qiao Six saluted Yan Yufei from afar. Then, he ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Yiyan!¡± and charged toward the Strangers.

    Yan Yufei was still confused, but the pressure on their forces had greatly lessened thanks to their presence. Naturally, he was thankful.

    ¡°On behalf of the people of Anyang and Chu, thank you all foring to our assistance!¡±

    The reinforcements responded, ¡°No worries, Lord Yan! ying Strangers is our natural responsibility!¡±

    The addition of the Iron Shirt Gang and Qiao Six¡¯s forces instantly bolstered the Shenwu Defense Force and the Sentinels¡¯ morale. For the first time in a long while, theyunched an offensive that broke the stalemate and slowly shifted the tides of battle in the humans¡¯ favor.

    ¡°Perfect!¡± Ye Qing snapped his fingers in self-satisfaction as he observed the battlefield. Naturally, he was the one who had arranged for the Iron Shirt Gang to appear at this time, and also the one who told them to shout the battle cry. How else would the people know that the Iron Shirt Gang was the one who helped them during their time of need without it?

    The reason he did this was simple. It was to make the government owe the Iron Shirt Gang a favor, and to give the Iron Shirt Gang the opportunity to ally themselves with the government.

    He had been forced to reveal Lightning Bolt and the Blue Demon Hand in this battle, so there was no hiding the fact that he was the one who killed Yan Tieyi and annihted the Zheng n. This meant that opportunistic hyenas and those whose interests had been hurt by those incidents would be tempted to attack him and disturb his peaceful everyday life. In that case, he might as well reveal himself on his own terms.

    No matter how this battle turned out, the Iron Shirt Gang would be remembered as the faction who went above their obligation and helped Anyang during their time of need. Add to the fact that he was the one who revealed this whole conspiracy and came up with the n to annihte the Strangers in the first ce, and neither Yan Yufei nor Ling Jianqiu could punish him even though they knew that he was the one who murdered Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng.

    This merit also guaranteed that the government would help out the Iron Shirt Gang if¡ªno, when the hyenas finallyunched their assault. The government wouldn¡¯t favor them forever as a matter of course, but in the short term, they must step in unless they wanted to give off the impression they were ingrates. Also, it would leave a stain on their reputation if they chose not to repay the brave people of Anyang who came to their aid during their time of need.

    The government¡¯s interference would definitely intimidate the other factions, and the Iron Shirt Gang would be safe in the short term. That should buy him enough time to grow so strong that any faction would realize the folly of attacking him or the Iron Shirt Gang. And if they were too stupid to realize that, well, he didn¡¯t mind destroying them and enriching himself through their dead bodies!

    In short, he was killing multiple birds with one stone with this one act!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    It was at this moment a loud explosion sent both Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu flying. Their faces were covered in reddish warts and tentacles, but they were far enough from the root cause that the anomalous growth eventually subsided into nothing. They were obviously having trouble with one of the most powerful Strangers in the area, the Servant of Fear.

    ¡°Our lords are in danger! We need to protect them! Men, charge!¡±

    A squad of a dozen Shenwu Defense Force soldiers cried in outrage when they saw that Yan Yufei and Ling Jianfei weren¡¯t just beaten back, but injured. They did not hesitate to charge the Servant of Fear.

    ¡°No! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Stop right there!¡±

    Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu nched and cried out in warning, but it was toote. The soldiers had just gotten within ten meters of the Stranger when their faces, their arms and other body parts started growing reddish flesh buds that twisted around like worms. It should not need to be said just how disgusting they looked.

    The closer they got to the Servant of Fear, the longer and thicker the reddish buds became. Eventually, they transformed into oily and disgusting tentacles.

    Why didn¡¯t the soldiers get away from the Servant of Fear as soon as their bodies started changing? It was because their minds had long since extinguished under the Stranger¡¯s unnatural influence. Their husks quickly transformed into disgusting monsters that hovered protectively around the Servant of Fear.

    ¡°What a bizarre and terrifying Stranger!¡± Ye Qing watched the Servant of Fear warily. The abomination was easily the strongest Stranger he had encountered tonight, so without hesitation, he¡­ turned around and walked away in the opposite direction.

    It was the only logical conclusion. He should just leave the Servant of Fear to the professionals since he didn''t know if he could defeat it without endangering his own life. There were still a lot of Strangers to kill anyway. He was sure that no one would begrudge him for focusing on the small fries!

 Chapter 89: Servant of Fear

    <h4>Chapter 89: Servant of Fear</h4>

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing had just taken a few steps when Yan Yufei called out to him from behind. ¡°What are you doing, Joyless? Get over here and help us already!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing paused and felt a wave of exasperation. <i>Your talent is wasted being a magistrate, Lord Yan! With eyes like yours, you should¡¯ve been a thief instead!</i>

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to give up without a fight though. While muttering, ¡°Oh wow, the battlefield is so loud, I can¡¯t hear anything¡­¡± he resumed his footsteps and strode toward the nearest exit as quickly as he could. This time though, he had barely taken a step when Yan Yufei came again like a mother urging her son to do his housework, or else:

    ¡°I know you can hear me, Joyless! Get over here already!¡±

    ¡°Dammit! Who said that only the wicked get no rest?¡± Ye Qing had no choice but to turn around and shoot Yan Yufei a sulky look. <i>Just because we¡¯re bros doesn¡¯t mean I work for free!</i>

    There was no escaping his fate though. Even if Yan Yufei wasn¡¯t staring at him like a hawk, Ling Jianqiu had turned around to look at him as well. He was literally being peer pressured to assist, and he was in no position to say no. No wonder people said that the reward for good work was more work!

    ¡°At your service, my lords!¡± Ye Qing replied reluctantly while turning around and walking back to the duo.

    After Ye Qing had gotten close to them, Ling Jianqiu stared at him for a bit before saying in his usual cool voice, ¡°We meet again, Ye Qing. You¡¯re a good man. You are the main reason we are able to wipe out these animals and save Anyang from destruction. We will never forget your contribution!¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Chief Ling. It¡¯s my natural responsibility!¡± Ye Qing responded with a respectful salute.

    Clearly, Yan Yufei had told Ling Jianqiu everything. It wasn¡¯t surprising though. There was no way the magistrate could have set up this ambush without going through Ling Jianqiu first.

    ¡°Leave the conversation forter, you two. We still have a difficult fight ahead of us!¡± Yan Yufei interrupted before waving his hand and causing the world to shudder. As the Seal of the Land fell toward the Servant of Fear with great speed, he chanted,

    ¡°The earth howls, and the mountains shake with fury!¡±

    An ink wash painting of a meandering mountain range appeared in the sky and crashed down on the Servant of Fear. Everything within ten meters of the Servant of Fear¡ªthe floor and the transformed Strangers protecting them¡ªimmediately ttened like pancakes as if they had been crushed by a true mountain range.

    The Servant of Fear themselves were perfectly fine, however. Their face kept alternating between male, female and both, and the eyes on their tentacles and warts opened and closed seemingly at random. In response to Yan Yufei¡¯s attack, they unleashed some sort of inexplicable influence that instantly filled the magistrate¡¯s mind with all kinds of terrifying and unspeakable images. Not only that, the mental pollution also caused his face to grow reddish flesh buds once more. It was horrifying to put it mildly.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    Ling Jianqiu¡¯s sword rang melodiously and severed the evil influence in one strike. Then, the Chief of Bureau pointed his sword at the Servant of Fear and channeled his true qi. The sky abruptly cleared up, and frigid autumn wind blew unrelentingly across the area. It was no winter, and yet it certainly felt like the beginning of one.

    The sky looked empty, but that was only if you were looking for physical objects. In reality, the autumn wind was a sword, and the frigid air was a sword as well. This meant that there were really swords everywhere. This was the power of Ling Jianqiu¡¯s sword, Cold Autumn. ¡°When Cold Autumn sings, the sky weeps, and thend speaks of coldness and destion.¡±

    As if sensing true danger from Ling Jianqiu, Servant of Fear abruptly grew a lot more tentacles and iled them everywhere like crazy. They were trying to prevent Ling Jianqiu from turning the air around it into swords and damaging them.

    <i>Shing shing shing!</i>

    Despite its best efforts, invisible swords continued to manifest into existence and cut into the slimy tentacles from every direction. Instead of blood, the Servant of Fear bled a kind filthy, smelly yellow liquid that resembled pus water.

    The rain of swords was unending, and the tentacles took more and more damage as time passed. However, there were so many tentacles that most of the sword energies failed to hit the Servant of Fear¡¯s body. Not only that, the spilling pus left strange ripples in the air that washed over Ling Jianqiu and caused his face to grow fleshy buds as well. As a result, his attack grew weaker and weaker.

    When the Servant of Fear noticed that Ling Jianqiu¡¯s attacks had weakened, they started withdrawing their tentacles as if to catch a breath. It was at this moment several Blood Shadows appeared seemingly out of nowhere and easily cut through their body like hot knives through butter.

    ¡°Is it dead?¡± Ye Qing wondered out loud. The Blood Shadows were his doing, of course. There was a lull between the Servant of Fear¡¯s movements after repelling Ling Jianqiu¡¯s powerful attack, and he did not hesitate to exploit the opening to deal them a fatal blow. But despite hisment, he did not think he seeded. Most Strangers were incredibly hard to kill, and he did not think that a powerful one like the Servant of Fear would go down so easily. He was right.

    ¡°It¡¯s still alive! Watch out!¡± Ling Jianqiu warned. As expected, the severed pieces of flesh on the ground abruptly grew scarlet buds and reconnected with one another before they could react. A secondter, it was like the Servant of Fear had never taken a mortal blow.

    As soon as the Servant of Fear had revived, they immediately wheeled around and stared at Ye Qing with every eye on their body. In that instant, the surrounding air turned as cold as ice, and Ye Qing felt a chill up his spine. At the same time, countless terrifying and bizarre images started ying in his head.

    He saw mountains and mountains of corpses floating above a sea of blood¡­

    He saw countless ghosts and other spectral entities screaming endlessly into the void¡­

    He saw people fighting and killing each other in a war that never ends¡­

    As the terrifying illusions polluted his mind and spirit, Ye Qing started growing fleshy buds from his body parts just like Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu.

    ¡°mental pollution? No wonder it¡¯s so difficult to defend against!¡± he eximed in realization. Clearly, the Servant of Fear¡¯s main method of attack was to corrupt its victims¡¯ mind and spirit with unspeakable illusions.

    Ye Qing immediately put his hand on his forehead and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. The great emperor immediately manifested inside his head and unleashed his light, causing the illusions to melt away like snow. The fleshy buds on his face also disappeared in response.

    ¡°Lord Yan, Chief Ling, I think I can kill this Stranger, but I need you to draw its attention and buy me as much time as possible!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu responded immediately. On the surface, it looked like the Servant of Fear¡¯s methods were incredibly basic. They relied solely on mental pollution to kill its enemies, and their physical body¡ªas the Blood Shadows had proven¡ªwas very frail. Theoretically, they only needed to get close to the Servant of Fear to kill them.

    The problem was that they couldn¡¯t get close. At a certain range, the mental pollution became so strong that it was simply impossible to bear. They would transform into monsters long before they killed the Stranger.

    Neither Yan Yufei nor Ling Jianqiu knew how Ye Qing was going to defeat the Servant of Fear, but they saw no reason to disbelieve his words. Few people would gamble their life away on a whim after all. Without hesitation, both men renewed their attack on the Servant of Fear once more. Yan Yufei channeled the power of nature through the Seal of the Land, while Ling Jianqiu fired sword qi after sword qi at the Servant of Fear.

    Ling Jianqiu¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t nearly as shy as Yan Yufei¡¯s. In fact, his techniques looked incredibly simplistic. A basic thrust here, a basic sh there. However, when someone had reached a certain level in their martial arts, one did not needplex moves to unleash tremendous power. In Ling Jianqiu¡¯s case, he only needed a basic sh to fire thousands and thousands of sword qi at the Servant of Fear.

    The two men worked well together even though they hadn¡¯t fought alongside each other for long. They were able to force the Servant of Fear to waste energy and upy most of their attention.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was running circles around the Servant of Fear at an insane speed. At first nce it looked like the young man was fooling around, but in reality every revolution brought just a little closer to the Servant of Fear. There were two reasons why he was approaching the Stranger in such a roundabout manner: One, the power of the mental pollution wasn¡¯t always consistent. Ye Qing had noticed that there were ¡°gaps¡± in the all-epassing influence that he could slip through. A couple of testster, he determined that it was easier for him to approach the Servant of Fear by slipping through these gaps than it was to charge in a straight line and bear the full brunt of their mental pollution. And two, he didn¡¯t want to draw the Servant of Fear¡¯s attention unnecessarily.

    Even so, the strength of the mental pollution was increasing steadily. At the beginning, the illusions entered his head at just the speed of a trickle. Now, it had grown to a raging river that even the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± could not stempletely. It continuously ate away at his consciousness and caused his body to grow fleshy buds once more. The closer he got, the longer the buds became until it looked like he was covered in red sea weeds.

    ¡°Why am I doing this to myself?¡± Ye Qingined even as he pressed his hand to his forehead and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± with all he got. As the silhouette of Emperor Fuxi solidified until he looked almost tangible, most of the illusions in his head washed away like they never happened. The fleshy buds growing throughout his body hadrgely subsided as well. But as soon as he took a step closer, the fleshy buds grew again and forced him to focus on the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± once more.

    This seesaw would repeat itself for an agonizingly long time as Ye Qing got closer and closer to the Servant of Fear. It was trying to kill grass without uprooting it from the soil. No matter how many times he repelled the illusions with the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, it would reappear and eat away at his mind and spirit once more.

    It was working though. Thanks to the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, he could never fall unconscious or be overwhelmed by the mind-bending illusions. His footsteps might be agonizingly slow, but he was definitely getting closer and closer to the Stranger of Fear.

    Fifteen meters¡­

    Ten meters¡­

    Six meters¡­

    Greatly motivated by Ye Qing¡¯s progress, Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu exerted themselves even more to keep the Servant of Fear busy and create opportunities for him. s, their enemy wasn¡¯t stupid. When Ye Qing had got within three meters of the Stranger, they abruptly spun their neck around and trained their gaze on Ye Qing. The eyes on the tentacles and the warts were fully affixed on him as well. In that instant, all the rm bells in Ye Qing¡¯s head went off at the same time.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The tide of terrifying and evil illusions abruptly swelled into a tsunami. Caught off guard, Ye Qing nearly cked out there and then even as his mind wobbled like a rowboat attempting to wade through a thunderstorm, or a candle me trying to survive a hurricane. He knew he had seconds at most before hepletely sumbed to the Servant of Fear¡¯s influence.

    ¡°Scatter!¡±

    Ye Qing bit down his tongue to regain just an instant of rity before visualizing the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± with all his might. The silhouette of Emperor Fuxi abruptly solidified, and the light of the Nine Heavens illuminated every corner of his head.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    While the light was shining at full force, the strange vehicle Emperor Fuxi stood on abruptly vanished and cut a streak across the sky. His sea of consciousness¡ªit was almost fully ck at this point due to the mental pollution¡ªshuddered violently before threads of light abruptly appeared on its surface and stretched all the way to the bottom. Like the moon pushing away the clouds that dared to block its light, the threads boiled away at the ck sea just long enough for Ye Qing to pull off his ultimate move.

    <i>¡°Lightning Bolt¡±</i>

    A bolt of lightning shot right out of his mouth.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Infused with the power of the Nine Heavens, the terrific sword easily tore through the Servant of Fear¡¯s tentacles, warts and most of its body in one blow. The Stranger staggered away from him and looked up as if to let out a soundless scream.

    Lightning was the bane of all spectral and evil entities, and the Servant of Fear most definitely fell under the category of evil. It was why Lightning Bolt dealt more damage to the Servant of Fear than any one of their attacks so far.

    Ye Qing was a faithful believer of kicking an enemy when they were down. When the mental pollution pouring into his head abruptly slowed down due to the damage they took, he immediately stepped in front of the Servant of Fear and caught their skull with his left hand. He then said,

    ¡°Adios, friend!¡±

    Netherme surged out of the Blue Demon Hand and engulfed the Stranger in just the blink of an eye. The next second, the Servant of Fear was reduced to just a pile of ashes.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Just in case, Ye Qing swung his sleeve and scattered the ash. As the saying went, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

    ¡°Lightning Bolt¡­¡±

    ¡°The Blue Demon Hand¡­¡±

    Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu were distracted by the death of the Servant of Fear at first. The Stranger had given them a lot of trouble after all. However, they soon noticed Ye Qing¡¯s weapons and exchanged a quick look with each other. The dots were finally starting to connect in their head.

 Chapter 90: Nether Lord

    <h4>Chapter 90: Nether Lord</h4>

    Ye Qing must be the one behind Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng¡¯s death since the Blue Demon Hand and Lightning Bolt were in his possession. He must be the mysterious gang boss behind the Iron Shirt Gang and the reason why the Iron Shirt Gang hade to their aid as well.

    ¡°What a cunningd!¡± Yan Yufei chuckled helplessly. The magistrate wasn¡¯t stupid, and the moment he put two and two together he was able to figure out the truth and Ye Qing¡¯s motives in just a matter of seconds. ¡°He didn¡¯t just wash his hands off the murders, we¡¯re going to have to act as his shield for a bit!¡±

    Yan Yufei didn¡¯t just think of Ye Qing as a close friend, he also valued his abilities highly. Had he learned of the truth behind Yan Tieyi and Zheng Feng¡¯s deaths earlier, he would not have bothered the young man too much, at least not in a way that would matter. This was before mentioning the fact that Ye Qing had uncovered a devastating conspiracy,e up with a n to eliminate the threats once and for all, and even summoned the Iron Shirt Gang to help them during their time of need as well. Objectively speaking, his merits had more than made up for his wrongdoings, and even he could not help but be impressed by the young man¡¯s nning and execution.

    That was why his earlier words weren¡¯t directed at himself. It was a subtle advice to Ling Jianqiu to overlook Ye Qing¡¯s past actions.

    Speaking of Ling Jianqiu, the Chief of Bureau was staring at Ye Qing as if he hadn¡¯t heard Yan Yufei¡¯s words. His silence wouldst at least a dozen breaths before he finally said, ¡°Ye Qing has yed a crucial role in the defense of Anyang. I have no qualms trading away a couple of vermin for his services!¡±

    That was all Ling Jianqiu said before departing for the next battlefield.

    ¡°...¡±

    Yan Yufei could not help but nce at Ling Jianqiu with astonishment. Had he known that the Chief of Bureau would be so willing to overlook Ye Qing¡¯s crimes in favor of his merits, he would not have bothered to say anything at all.

    When the magistrate turned back to Ye Qing, the young man just happened to be looking his way as well. The moment their eyes met, Ye Qing abruptly clutched his head and moaned, ¡°I¡¯m still hurt from the fight, my lord! You don¡¯t mind me catching a short break, right?¡±

    His meaning was clear. <i>Hmph! No way I¡¯m gonna work for you for free another time!</i>

    ¡°....¡± <i>Do I look like that type of person to you? </i>Yan Yufei¡¯s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. The young man had a penchant for acting like he was an obedient,w-abiding citizen on the front, and then doing crazy shit like wiping out two of the biggest factions in Anyang behind one¡¯s back. Not only that, he was smart enough to keep the truth hidden from all parties and reveal it only when it would benefit the most. Even now, Ye Qing had seen through his intentions instantly and shut him up before he could even begin to say, ¡°Please.¡± Sometimes, he really thought that the young man was too smart for his own good.

    Some timeter, Yan Yufei finally shook his head and said in a wry tone, ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll see you in a bit!¡± Then, he turned around and left. He was a schr. If a minister could hold a boat in his belly [1], then he could tolerate Ye Qing¡¯s asional bullshit as well.

    The moment Yan Yufei had left the scene, Ye Qing¡¯splexion immediately returned to normal. He then let out a chuckle and pounced toward the nearest Strangers.

    The Servant of Fear¡¯s final counterattack was pretty deadly. It had taken nearly all of his spiritual power to ovee it. Luckily, the attack ultimately wasn¡¯t strong enough to damage his foundation, and he was mostly fine besides a headache and some sores here. Not only that, he was brimming with true qi¡ªthe fight against the Servant of Fear had exhausted him mentally far more than it had physically. He might not be able to fight a powerful Stranger in his current state, but he could definitely handle a bunch of small fries.

    Plus, bullying small fries was safe and profitable. In the time he took to kill the Servant of Fear, he could¡¯ve killed maybe a hundred small fries and earned far more dragon-serpent runes. With that in mind, why on earth would he actively walk the thornier, less profitable path?

    Finally, the Strangers had already lost. With the passing of powerful Strangers such as the Servant of Fear, Grandpa Tree, Granny Mud and more, and the addition of powerful reinforcements such as the Iron Shirt Gang and Qiao Six, it was only a matter of time before the Strangers were annihted.

    Meanwhile, in a dark, hidden corner of the streets, Dark Eye muttered with eyes full of despair and disbelief, ¡°How did this happen? Why did the humans know we¡¯reing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It shouldn¡¯t have turned out this way,¡± Rotten Crown replied, causing smelly pus to leak out the holes on her face. She sounded just as lost as herpanion was.

    ¡°We failed our mission. The Nether Lord will never forgive us,¡± Dark Eye¡¯s tone abruptly grew panicked as he trembled in fear. Rotten Crown too started shaking uncontrobly.

    Most of the Strangers had chosen to fight against the Shenwu Defense Force as soon as the ambush took ce, but Dark Eye and Rotten Crown had hidden themselves instead. Judging from how the battle had turned out, it was the right move. The reprieve wouldn¡¯tst forever, however. They might be able to escape the Shenwu Defense Force, there was no way they could escape the Nether Lord¡¯s wrath. His punishment was so terrible that they might actually be better off dead than alive.

    ¡°No, our n hasn¡¯t failed yet.¡±

    Suddenly, a gentle voice surprised them from behind.

    ¡°Who the¡ª!?¡± Dark Eye and Rotten Crown wheeled around in panic and saw a figure wearing a ck hood standing behind them. They had no idea when the person had appeared.

    ¡°You¡¯re not so lost that you can¡¯t even recognize my voice, are you?¡± The hooded figure continued in their soft voice.

    Neither Dark Eye nor Rotten Crown could see the hooded figure¡¯s face because it waspletely hidden, but they eventually put two and two together and guessed, ¡°Evergreen Ivy? Is that you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Evergreen Ivy nodded. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The Stranger jumped into a courtyard beside her like she weighed nothing at all. Then, she led Rotten Crown and Dark Eye to a secret room.

    ¡°Evergreen Ivy, you said that our n hasn¡¯t failed yet. What did you mean?¡± Dark Eye asked impatiently after the door had shut behind them. After all, the army of Strangers they brought were almost routed at this point.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. My n has never hinged on whether the county is destroyed, or if the Strangers gain the upper hand. The only thing it ever needed was a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood; human or Stranger!¡± Evergreen Ivy answered with an unusual tremor in her voice. She was clearly very excited.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Evergreen Ivy. Can you exin things better?¡± Rotten Crown looked increasingly confused.

    ¡°Hehe. Take a look!¡± Instead of answering, Evergreen Ivy pointed at an altar located at the center of the secret room. Her eyes looked fervent and full of anticipation.

    ¡°An altar?¡± Dark Eye and Rotten Crown examined the altar closely. ¡°Eight corners, four directions, a statue and bones¡­¡±

    As they said, the altar was shaped like an octagon and pointed toward the four cardinal directions. ced atop threeyers of bones was the statue of the Nether Lord himself.

    Realization struck Rotten Crown and Dark Eye at the same time. ¡°This is the bone altar used to summon the Nether Lord! Are you trying to bring him to this ne, Evergreen Ivy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Evergreen Ivy nodded under her hood. ¡°It takes a vast amount of bodies, blood and ughter to bring the Nether Lord to this ne. That is why I had tasked you to lure the Strangers into the county. It doesn¡¯t matter if the Strangers ultimately defeated the humans, or the humans defeated the Strangers as both oues would still create the bodies, blood and ughter necessary for the ritual to seed. And when the Nether Lord descends upon this ne, we will still be the final victor!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an incredible n, Evergreen Ivy! Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this sooner? You could¡¯ve saved us so much worry!¡±ined the duo, though they were really overjoyed by this turn of events. After all, it meant that the n was still on track, and they wouldn¡¯t have to suffer the Nether Lord¡¯s punishment.

    ¡°The more people know about a secret, the harder it is to keep it under wraps,¡± Evergreen Ivy said indifferently. ¡°Take this failed invasion for example. How did the humans find out about our n? It¡¯s probably because there¡¯s a traitor among us who leaked the n to the humans!¡±

    ¡°What!? You must be joking! There¡¯s no way any of us would betray our n to the humans!¡± Rotten Crown could not believe her ears.

    They couldn¡¯t see Evergreen Ivy¡¯s expression, but her voice was clearly bitter and scornful. ¡°I thought so too, but if that¡¯s true, then how did the humans find out about our n? And how did we not know about this until it¡¯s toote?¡±

    Dark Eye and Rotten Crown exchanged a nce with each other before defending themselves in a hurry, ¡°It wasn¡¯t us!¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not traitors. I wouldn¡¯t have brought you here otherwise,¡± Evergreen Ivy assured them before turning serious. ¡°Anyway, I would rather finish this sooner thanter, so I¡¯m going to carry out the ritual now. Please protect me until the ritual isplete.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Dark Eye and Rotten Crown responded obediently before moving into position.

    Evergreen Ivy walked up to the altar and bowed three times toward the statue. Then, she slowly walked up the bone steps until she was at the top. Sitting crosslegged in front of the statue, she lit up all eight red candles in the eight corners of the altar before slicing open her wrist with a silver dagger. Finally, she held her hand above the statue and drenched it in her blood.

    The yellow candle mes immediately turned as white as a ghost, and strange patterns suddenly appeared on the statue. Then, the statue absorbed all the blood that covered its surface.

    Eyes closed and still dripping her blood over the statue, Evergreen Ivy muttered something under her breath for several minutes straight. It was as if she couldn¡¯t feel the blood loss at all. Gradually, the dark statue turned red and smooth like a piece of red jade. It clearly looked evil and demonic.

    ¡°O¡¯ mighty Nether Lord, in the name of Evergreen Ivy, I beseech you to descend upon this ne!¡±

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    As soon as Evergreen Ivypleted her chant, a dark shockwave rippled across the secret room. The statue¡¯s eyes also turned as ck as the night sky. Then, a noise that sounded like a million people whispering at the same time appeared inside the room. It sounded crazed, chaotic, and dark. The noise was so unbearable that Dark Eye and Rotten Crown instantly copsed to their feet and rolled around in abject pain, but thankfully, it faded away after just a second.

    Outside the secret room, the sky of Anyang suddenly shuddered like someone was knocking on its fabric of space and time. Then, all the bodies, blood, energy of resentment and more littered across the county started flying into the sky. They eventually merged together to form a door of flesh and blood that oozed an ominous pressure and unspeakable evil.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    For a time, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up. Even the Strangers had temporarily forgotten their rage to stare at the unholy door in the sky.

    For the first time since the battle began, Ling Jianqiu¡¯s eternally frozen face cracked and revealed a hint of shock and disbelief, ¡°Oh no! Someone is trying to use the bodies and resentment umting on thisnd to summon a powerful Stranger!¡±

    ¡°A powerful Stranger? Do you know what this Stranger might be?¡± Yan Yufei asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Ling Jianqiu shook his head. ¡°One thing for certain, it isn¡¯t someone you, I, or anyone in this county could fight against!¡±

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Yan Yufei did not linger on the subject.

    ¡°We need to stop this Stranger from descending!¡± Ling Jianqiu kept his answer as short and sinct as possible. ¡°There are two ways. One, we destroy the door before it fully forms. Two, we identify the location where the ritual is taking ce and destroy the ritual!¡±

    ¡°Neither of those sound like good options,¡± Yan Yufei replied in a solemn voice. The first way was impossible because the door was extremely high up in the sky. Forget destroying it, they couldn¡¯t reach high enough to hit it.

    The second way sounded less impossible than the first option, but it was really the opposite. Anyang was anything but a small ce. They would be long dead by the time they finally found the ritual¡¯s location.

    ¡°Let¡¯s awaken the Heavens'' Eye!¡± Ling Jianqiu decided to go with the first way after sucking in a deep breath. Considering that there was little chance they would find the ritual in time to destroy it, they could only pray that the Heavens'' Eye would be powerful enough to destroy the flesh-and-blood door.

    If it worked, they would live, and if not, they would die. It was as simple as that.

    1. Idiom. It means someone in high ces has great tolerance ??

 Chapter 91: Iâ€™ll Sacrifice You

    <h4>Chapter 91: I¡¯ll Sacrifice You</h4>

    ¡°Lord Yan, Chief Ling, I can find the rats who¡¯re casting this ritual!¡±

    Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu¡¯s mood had just reached a new low when Ye Qing¡¯s voice suddenly cut through the haze like a beam of sunshine.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What did you just say, Joyless?¡± Yan Yufei looked up at the young man who had somehow appeared next to him without him noticing. He knew that his ears were functioning perfectly, but he still couldn¡¯t quite believe what he just heard.

    ¡°You¡¯re not hearing things, Lord Yan!¡± Ye Qing said smilingly, ¡°I said, I can find the rats who¡¯re casting this ritual!¡±

    ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± Yan Yufei stared at him both suspiciously and hopefully. Ling Jianqiu wasn¡¯t speaking, but his gaze bespoke the same emotions as the magistrate. Despite their decision, they knew it was incredibly unlikely that the enemy had not factored in the possibility that they would attempt to destroy the flesh-and-blood door with the Heavens'' Eye, meaning that theirst-ditch effort was most likely going to end in failure. If Ye Qing really could do what he imed, then it was certainly a more realistic and hopeful n than theirs.

    ¡°Of course! Have I ever lied to you, Lord Yan?¡± Ye Qing dered confidently, ¡°I just need you and Chief Ling to buy me some time.¡±

    ¡°Okay then. We¡¯ll carry out both ns at the same time!¡± Ling Jianqiu wasted no time in arriving at a decision. ¡°Lord Yan and I will do our best to dy the Stranger¡¯s arrival, while you will find the rats and disrupt the ritual!¡±

    ¡°If the Heavens'' Eye seeds in destroying the door, then all is well. If not, then we need to find those rats anyway!¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± Ye Qing nodded and saluted the two men solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, my lords!¡±

    ¡°And we you, Joyless!¡± Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei saluted him as well.

    Their final words weren¡¯t just a prayer for sess. It was a solemn promise to see through their duties to the very end if only for the people of Anyang!

    <i>Creak!</i>

    Ye Qing was just turning around to leave when the flesh-and-blood door in the sky suddenly creaked loudly as if it was about to open. The surrounding space shuddered violently, and the flesh-and-blood door suddenly came alive with countless vengeful souls and crying spirits screaming endlessly on its surface. Their unholy wails were so terrible that eardrums were deafened, and nosebleeds were triggered even from such a great distance.

    ¡°Looks like we have even less time than we thought. Let¡¯s awaken the Heavens'' Eye immediately!¡± Ling Jianqiu said and tapped his sword with the back of his finger. It immediately let out a melodious ringing that temporarily kept the disturbing wails at bay.

    ¡°Got it!¡± Yan Yufei nodded and pointed at his Seal of the Land. Ling Jianqiu then threw a badge into the air and made a hand seal. The badge was immediately charged with some sort of energy.

    The badge was none other than the symbol of the Chief of Bureau, the Pacification Badge. In a county, the Heavens'' Eye could only be used by the county magistrate and the local Chief of Bureau, and only if they both activated it at the same time. It would not awaken if even one of them was missing!

    ¡°Please answer our call, Heavens¡¯ Eye!¡±

    The two men chanted, and both the Seal of the Land and the Pacification Badge shone at the same time. They then fired a beam of light at the Heavens¡¯ Eye hung in front of the entrance.

    Runes shaped like flowers, birds, fishes and insects suddenly came alive and swam all over the ordinary-looking bronze mirror. A dragon¡¯s head and a phoenix¡¯s tail feather washed away the stains on its surface instantly and created gentle ripples of light.

    <i>Creak!</i>

    It was at this moment the door in the sky widened just enough to reveal a crack. Behind the crack was an infinite sea of darkness. Everyone who saw it immediately felt dizzy as if they could faint at any moment, and the weak-willed ones instantly lost their souls and became possessed by evil energy. Their bodies then mutated into mindless monsters who knew nothing but ughter.

    That wasn¡¯t all. A pitch ck hand abruptly poked out of the flesh-and-blood door. Size wise, it looked no different from a human¡¯s arm, but as ck as ink and as ominous as the night. The appendage looked thin and frail, but it emanated so much power that it gave off the impression of beauty instead.

    The moment the arm appeared, they all felt like a mountain was sitting above their chest. An unbelievable amount of pressure poured down from above, and the heads of those who were heavily injured or weak in mind abruptly exploded like watermelons.

    ¡°PLEASE ANSWER OUR CALL, HEAVENS¡¯ EYE!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei roared in unison as the Seal of the Land and the Pacification Badge shone even brighter. When the Heavens¡¯ Eye grew so bright that it was like a second sun, it discharged a massive pir that illuminated the entire county as bright as day.

    The flesh-and-blood door shook violently long before the pir of light even got close. It started melting rapidly like snow, and ck smoke was rising from the pitch ck arm as well.

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye¡¯s light seemed to anger the owner of the arm. It opened its hand and made a grab for the iing attack like it would crush it between its fingers.

    Every time the hand moved an inch, it would grow a lotrger. It seemed physically impossible, but by the time the hand had moved about three inches, it had berge enough to blot out a sun.

    <i>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!</i>

    Light shed against the darkness, and white mixed haphazardly with ck. The resulting shockwave was so epic that houses copsed, the earth was torn asunder, and the entire world seemed to be engulfed in dust.

    ¡­¡­

    <i>They used the Heavens¡¯ Eye already. We need to move faster!</i> Ye Qing thought while feeling the epic sh happening far, far above his head. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had experienced this, but his heart was beating just as fast as the first time.

    He looked at Faceless beside him and asked, ¡°Where are they?¡±

    ¡°Hehe! You seem extremely confident that I¡¯d be able to find them, young master. What if you were wrong?¡± Facelessughed instead of answering.

    Ye Qing looked back to the horrifying mixture of ck, white, and pure chaos happening in the sky and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll sacrifice you to your god, of course! It was what you wanted, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°And what will you do after I¡¯m dead, young master?¡± Faceless asked with morbid curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to run, duh. You don¡¯t actually think I¡¯m going tomit double suicide with you, do you?¡±

    Not only did Faceless take no offense from his sarcastic remark, he eximed, ¡°As expected of my young master! You are a dragonpared to the rest of us puny mortals!¡±

    ¡°Cut it out. You¡¯ll have all the time in the world to butter me up after we¡¯ve ended the ritual and survived this crisis!¡± Ye Qing pped Faceless on the shoulder once. ¡°So take me to them already!¡±

    Faceless had made himself scarce ever since the Strangers had invaded the county. It was because Ye Qing had tasked him with keeping an eye on Dark Eye and Rotten Crown. It was because he knew that Evergreen Ivy would contact them eventually, and he wanted to take out the most elusive and well-hidden Stranger of them all. In the off chance that Evergreen Ivy decided to abandon her allies and never show up, he would at least know where Dark Eye and Rotten Crown were hiding. He would kill them when the crisis was over.

    As it turned out, his n was even wiser than he thought, though Ye Qing sincerely wished that things hadn¡¯t turned out this way. He was certain that Evergreen Ivy was behind the ritual, but there was no guarantee that she would be together with Dark Eye and Rotten Crown. It was a gamble he had to take though; their only chance at taking out the rat behind everything. If it worked, then all was well. If not, then he had no choice but to abandon Anyang to its fate and escape.

    In that sense, he supposed he hadn¡¯t been wholly truthful with Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu. He had made it sound like he could locate the ritual for sure, which wouldn¡¯t be a lie if not for the timer that was breathing down all of their necks. If this location turned out to be farther than expected, then he could only apologize to the people of Anyang and do what he must. After all, a dead person would not be able to take revenge for Anyang!

    In life, the best a person could do was to ensure that they had no regrets. Whether or not their efforts would bear fruit¡­ waspletely up to fate!

    ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t worry, young master. You¡¯re a lucky man, and I¡¯m not too far behind you. None of us are dying today!¡± Faceless dered.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up at the subtext. ¡°So Dark Eye and Rotten Crown are involved in the ritual after all?¡±

    ¡°Not at the beginning, but afterward? Yes!¡±

    ¡°Speak human!¡± Ye Qing quipped impatiently only to remember that Faceless wasn¡¯t human.

    Faceless stopped keeping him on tenterhooks and replied, ¡°This whole thing was nned by Evergreen Ivy, probably. Just now, she suddenly revealed herself to Dark Eye and Rotten Crown and led them into a nearby residence.¡±

    ¡°Evergreen Ivy? Residence?¡± Ye Qing figured out his meaning immediately. ¡°They must be holding that ritual in that residence then! Take me there now!¡±

    As it turned out, the residence wasn¡¯t far away at all. They had arrived at their destination after just a dozen breaths or so of running. Faceless said, ¡°This is it, young master. I saw them entering this courtyard with my own two eyes. But as you know, my former allies are no ordinary Strangers, so I dare not follow them inside and risk being discovered.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    The duo leaped up to the rooftop and looked around for a bit, but there was no one in the courtyard. Eyes half-lidded, Ye Qing abruptly dropped back to ground level directly in front of the house.

    ¡°Young master, this isn¡¯t very¡­ stealthy, is it?¡± Facelessmented in a dumbfounded tone. If there was anyone inside the house right now, they would¡¯ve spotted Ye Qing instantly.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Rx. There¡¯s no one in the courtyard or the house.¡±

    He knew this because he had scanned the whole ce with his spirit earlier.

    ¡°What?¡± Faceless looked left and right frantically but could not find anyone as Ye Qing said. Afraid that Ye Qing would use him of lying, he hurriedly defended himself, ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth, young master! I really saw them entering this courtyard!¡±

    ¡°Why are you panicking? I never said you were lying to me!¡± Ye Qing entered the house and circled the living hall once.

    ¡°Where are they? They couldn¡¯t have left while I was gone, could they?¡± Faceless muttered. He was pale with fright because he knew that there was a non-zero chance Ye Qing would actually ¡°sacrifice him to his god¡± if he screwed up something this important.

    Luckily for him, Ye Qing replied confidently, ¡°They¡¯re still here. You don¡¯t see them because they¡¯re underground!¡±

    As soon as he said this, Ye Qing walked up to a certain spot and brought down his right foot on the floor. It immediately gave way to an underground passage.

    Faceless: ¡°...¡± <i>I¡¯ve said it before, and I¡¯ll say it again: Wouldn¡¯t it be stealthier to find the hidden level to open the passage?</i>

    ¡°This is faster!¡± Ye Qing exined as if he could hear the Stranger¡¯s thoughts before jumping into the hole. A number of twists and turnster, they arrived at a stone door leading into a secret room.

    ¡°This is it!¡± Ye Qing said while staring at the door. He took a step backward and waved. ¡°Strangers first!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>Fuck, I suddenly feel like swearing. Evergreen Ivy and the others must be ready after that loudmotion earlier. That¡¯s why he¡¯s sending me through the door first to spring their trap. How could he do this to his humble, loyal servant?</i>

    Despite his thoughts, Faceless sucked in a deep breath and slowly went over to the door. There was a high chance whatever was waiting for him behind the door would kill him, but he would <i>definitely </i>die if he dared to disobey Ye Qing¡¯s order. Between the bad and the worse option, it was obvious what he should pick.

    Faceless took a moment to heighten his concentration to the max. Then, he gave the stone door a mighty push. As soon as the door creaked open, A pair of beams attacked his head and his abdomen at the same time!

    Faceless let out a strange cry as his forehead split apart, and he unleashed his own beam of light to save his own life. Despite this, he was unable to block the full-powered attackspletely. A good chunk of his head was cut off, and his waist was just barely hanging by a thread.

    As Faceless staggered backward, Ye Qing dashed into the secret room so fast that he was almost pressing against the floor. Quick as a phantom, he unleashed an attack that Faceless couldn¡¯t see because of the partially open door and elicited a pair of muffled groans. When he finally recovered enough to enter the secret room, he saw Ye Qing standing at the entrance with his saber out, and Dark Eye and Rotten Crown clutching a bloody stump each deeper within the secret room. Their severed arms were strewn across the floor.

    ¡°Faceless? You¡¯re the one who betrayed us!?¡± Dark Eye screamed with outrage and hatred when he saw the Stranger.

    Faceless shrugged. ¡°There never was any camaraderie between us, was there? You want to survive, and so do I. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    Rotten Crown was ring daggers at him as well. ¡°The Nether Lord won¡¯t forgive you for this betrayal, Faceless! He will kill you when he descends on this ne!¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I came to stop you.¡± Blood poured down Faceless¡¯ face as he grinned widely. ¡°I¡¯ll probably live if he fails to descend upon this ne, am I right?¡±

    ¡°You think you can stop us?¡± An insane amount of eyeballs suddenly appeared all across Dark Eye¡¯s body. They glowed ominously in the dim room and looked incredibly intimidating.

    ¡°Hehehe, of course¡ª¡±

    Faceless knew that he was no match against Rotten Crown and Dark Eye together, so he instinctively wanted to postpone the inevitable fight as long as possible, but when he glimpsed Ye Qing out of the corner of his eyes, he suddenly changed his mind. What could the two Strangers possibly do to him with Ye Qing around? So, he said, ¡°¡ªI can. I alone am enough to turn you both into ash.¡±

 Chapter 92: Shenwu

    <h4>Chapter 92: Shenwu</h4>

    .

    ¡°Young master?¡± Dark Eye and Rotten Crown automatically filtered most of Faceless¡¯ boasting out of their mind except the important bit. Both Strangers wore a severe expression when they turned to look at Ye Qing.

    Faceless might be beneath their notice, but the young man was a different story. He looked incredibly young, and his cultivation level seemed so-so at best. And yet, every cell in their body was screaming that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. The fact that they lost their arms in the earlier exchange was proof of that.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t looking at them, however. Since the moment he entered the secret room, he only had eyes for the altar and the silhouette on top of it. He said, ¡°Damn, Faceless! Were you hiding your strength this whole time? Now I feel sorry for stealing your limelight! Okay, you can y with the small fries. I¡¯m going to focus on the altar!¡±

    There was no time, and Dark Eye and Rotten Crown weren¡¯t worth his attention. Since Faceless wanted to prove himself so badly, it was only right that he, the master, gave him the opportunity to do so, right?

    Small Fry D and R: ¡°...¡±

    Small Fry F: ¡°......¡±

    Faceless was more shameless than most since he had no face, but this face-pping onught? still felt as hard as a hurricane. If he knew this was going to happen, he would never have sumbed to the temptation. It was toote for regrets though. Even if he took back his words now, Ye Qing would not change his mind, and Rotten Crown and Dark Eye definitely wouldn¡¯t overlook him!

    ¡°You won¡¯t damage the altar, human!¡± Rotten Crown pounced toward Ye Qing when he took off toward the altar. As she ran,rge clumps of rotten flesh fell off her head and exposed her bony white skull. They sttered on the ground with a disgusting squelch and spilled pools of yellowish liquid. Then, rotten arms, heads, tongue, teeth, hair and other unholy creatures crawled out of the pools and pounced toward Ye Qing as well.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t even look at Rotten Crown, however. He simply swung his sleeve and sent a raging torrent of force in her direction. The force st annihted all the strange creatures she had created instantly, and his sleeve struck her squarely in the face. If Rotten Crown¡¯s height was average, the sleeve would have put a hole in her stomach at most. However, she was an exceptionally short Stranger, so¡­

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Not only had Rotten Crown¡¯s head exploded like a watermelon, she crashed into the wall at the far end so hard that the entire room shook, and a bit of dust fell down from the ceiling. The Stranger still wasn¡¯t dead, however. Her empty shoulders wriggled a little before a pair of smaller heads about half the size of the original head grew out of them. The head on the left asked, ¡°Are we still fighting, or?¡±

    The head on the right yelled, ¡°Are you stupid? He just beat us like it was nothing! We¡¯d die for sure if we attacked him again!¡±

    Enraged at being called stupid, the head on the left yelled back, ¡°You¡¯re stupid! Your whole family is born stupid!¡±

    The head on the right screeched in outrage, ¡°Who are you calling stupid! I dare you to say that again!¡±

    Spittle flew everywhere as the head on the left taunted, ¡°Stupid, stupid, you¡¯re so stupid~¡±

    As expected, the argument quickly devolved into a shouting match where absolutely no one was the winner. Neither head could get at each other physically because their heads were just a little too far apart, and their hands had fallen off during the crash earlier. Once words had proven insufficient to express their outrage and disdain, they even started spitting at each other¡¯s faces like children. It would¡¯ve been beyond hrious if Anyang¡¯s existence wasn¡¯t on the line right now.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing had broken off into a run as soon as he incapacitated Rotten Crown, his aura growing increasingly powerful with every step he took. When he was about three meters away from the altar, he leaped into the air and brought down his crescent saber with all his might to unleash a powerful st of energy at the altar.

    Ye Qing had gone all out with the attack. Only a total idiot would try to save his strength at this time. Of course, he could¡¯ve unleashed an even greater attack had he chosen to destroy the altar at melee range, but he was afraid that stepping on the evil structure would have dire consequences. The oue was the same anyway. As long as the altar was destroyed, the summoning ritual would be disrupted, and the Nether Lord would not be able to descend on this ne.

    As for the ck hooded figure on the altar, he was pretty sure that she was Evergreen Ivy. If he could kill her with the same strike, then even better.

    However, pale white me surged out of the candles ced in the eight corners of the altar and formed a semicircr shield. Ye Qing¡¯s attack crashed into the shield, and¡ª

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The resulting explosion was so huge that the room wouldn¡¯t stop shaking, and everyone would be breathing dust until they got out of the room. However, the attack had failed to shatter the seemingly fragile altar. The fiery shield protecting it looked untouched as well. Ye Qing was the one who was sent flying like a ragged doll, and even after hended on the ground he was unable to catch himself until he was almost back at the entrance. There were multiple deep cracks on the ground where his feet had dug into it, and his saber broke off inch by inch like it was made of dust.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t done, however. As soon as he managed to arrest his momentum, he shot forward even faster than before and cracked the limestone floor beneath his feet like a spider web. An unbelievable amount of true qi poured out of his body as he swung his sleeves at the altar.

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±</i>

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    An even bigger explosion rocked the secret room like an earthquake, and this time the fiery shield wobbled like it had taken a solid blow. However, the bone altar within the shield was still untouched, much less Evergreen Ivy.

    <i>Thud thud thud!</i>

    Ye Qing was thrown back yet again, his sleeves scattering into countless pieces of fabric with every step he took.

    After Ye Qing had caught himself for a second time, he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his lips and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s seriously tough!¡±

    He had literally given his 120% to unleash the saber attack and the sleeve attack. He dared to say that no one in the Vessel Augmentation stage would dare to take either one of his attacks head on. However, it still wasn¡¯t enough to break through the fiery shield, and now, he had lost both of his weapons.

    ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s useless!¡± A ridiculing voice came from atop the altar. Ye Qing looked up and saw Evergreen Ivy shaking her head a little under her hood.

    This shield can only be destroyed by an Astral Refiner. You are strong, but not even you can breach it! No one in Anyang can! So stop wasting your energy and submit to fate! No one can stop our lord from descending!¡±

    At the far end of the wall, Rotten Crown¡¯s two heads suddenly stopped arguing and started taunting at Ye Qing with surprising coordination,

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you¡¯re out of ideas, aren¡¯t you!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Hit the shield some more, stupid! What¡¯s wrong? Are you out of stamina already?¡±

    ¡°Hehehe. He should¡¯ve known he couldn¡¯t break the shield, but he still wasted his energy anyway. What an idiot!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s an idiot through and through!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± Ye Qing suddenly nced at the two heads. They instantly shivered like they were licked by death and snapped their mouths shut.

    Dark Eye had no such qualms, however. He suddenly burst into a fit of mad, uncontrobleughter while saying, ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯ve failed, Faceless, human! You¡¯ve failed! So what if you managed to find this ce? You¡¯re still going to die! Hahaha! Tremble in fear! Despair! DIE! AHAHAHAHAHA!¡±

    Faceless looked deathly pale. Ye Qing looked like he was contemting something.

    ¡­¡­

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Meanwhile, light and darkness, hope and death, good and evil were still shing in the skies of Anyang. For a time, they were the only colors of the entire world. Then, a crack caused everyone¡¯s head to swivel in the same direction, and they realized in horror that it hade from the Heavens¡¯ Eye itself. Cracks were forming on its surface, and it didn¡¯t look like it was going to stop.

    ¡°Not good. The Heavens¡¯ Eye is about to run out of power!¡± Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei exchanged grim looks with each other. Worse still, the arm was still as powerful as ever.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    As if on cue, the darkness epassing the sky pressed an inch closer toward the ground, and the light of the Heavens¡¯ Eye dimmed even further. Everyone knew it wasing, but their hearts still sank to the bottom when the relic finally shattered into a million pieces.

    The second the Heavens¡¯ Eye vanished, the light resisting the darkness immediately started fading like water without a source; a nt without roots. In the end, all that was left was infinite darkness.

    It wasn¡¯t like their efforts werepletely futile, however. Half of the flesh-and-blood door had been seared away by the light. It was also covered in holes and nowhere as pristine and ominous as it was at the beginning.

    The arm was also missing everything beneath its elbow. The stump was dripping not blood, but a kind of dark energy that could only be described as evil, twisted, and strange.

    Still, it wasn¡¯t enough.

    <i>Buzz¡­</i>

    The half-a-door started shaking violently. It looked like someone was trying to force their way through. First, it was a shoulder. Then, it was half a head. A couple wriggles after that, the entity managed to squeeze through half of his body. When it finally managed to put a leg through the door, the air shook, space rippled, and a terrifying, seemingly omnipotent presence bore down from above.

    At that moment, every human felt like an ant that was moments away from being crushed by the heavens. What could a mortal do against a god or a demon? Nothing. Nothing at all. Forget resisting, they couldn¡¯t even muster the courage to look at the entity directly.

    All hope was lost from the moment the Heavens¡¯ Eye was destroyed. As fear and despair started spreading throughout Anyang like a gue, some people even curled up on the ground and started crying like a baby. At this rate, Anyang¡¯s demise was all but set in stone.

    ¡°Did Joyless fail?¡± Yan Yufei muttered. His hair was loose and messy, and his clothes were disheveled. His eyes were calm and fearless unlike many others, but it wasn¡¯t because his character was that indomitable. Some people calmed down instead of panicking when faced with absolute despair, and he was one of them.

    ¡°It looks like today is the day I die fighting demons and protecting the people of Anyang. I have no regrets.¡± Ling Jianqiu replied just as coolly as ever. ¡°I only loathe the fact that I will not live long enough to y every demon in this world!¡±

    ¡°Me too, Chief Ling, but the people of Anyang¡­ they did not deserve this fate!¡± Yan Yufei sighed. No one else said a thing after that.

    Right now, there were many people who regretted not doing better in life. There were even more people who were ridden with grief and unwillingness to sumb to their fate.

    The entity in the sky seemed to deeply enjoy their despair, sorrow, fear and struggle. Its presence grew even more oppressive than before.

    For a time, silence and despair hung over Anyang like a suffocating nket when suddenly, a voice spoke up,

    ¡°Shenwu¡­¡±

    The voice belonged to a Shenwu Defense Force soldier. He was covered in blood, and he looked so weak it was a miracle he managed to make a sound at all. But not only had he shattered the silence with his cry of defiance, he stood as tall and straight as the spear in his hand.

    ¡°Shenwu¡­¡±

    A second voice spoke up. It belonged to another soldier who had lost his left foot. His disability did not stop him from propping himself up with his spear and standing just as straight as hisrade.

    ¡°Shenwu¡­¡±

    A third voice responded. The soldier who said it had lost an arm, but it didn¡¯t stop him from lifting a banner with a tiger-and-leopard symbol into the air with the other. His expression too was firm and unyielding.

    ¡°Shenwu¡­¡±

    ¡°Shenwu¡­¡±

    Shenwu¡­¡±

    More and more soldiers rose to their feet and chanted the word ¡°Shenwu¡± like a mantra no matter what state they were in. At first, it was just a trickle that could barely be heard, but over time it grew louder and louder, until finally the entire Anyang was shaking with the battle cry!

    They were soldiers who had sworn themselves to defend their people to thest. They were warriors who flirted with danger and death every day. So what if the battle was lost? So what if they were all going to die? They would still uphold their duty faithfully. They would never give in to fear or despair, and they most certainly weren¡¯t going to pass to the other side like sniveling cowards!

    Shenwu, Shenwu, Shenwu!

    ¡°Hahaha! Good! Good! Let it be known that there are no cowards in Chu!¡± Yan Yufeiughed energetically as the despair in his eyes vanished without a trace. ¡°Let it be known that the people of Chu would rather die than submit to fate!¡±

    ¡°Death before dishonor!¡± Ling Jianqiu echoed in agreement before lifting his head high and staring at the entity without fear. ¡°Death before dishonor!¡±

    In the sky, the dark silhouette humphed as if annoyed by the puny humans¡¯ show of defiance. ck energy poured out of its body faster than ever before and fell toward Anyang like a world-ending downpour.

    The pressure bearing down on the humans suddenly increased many fold. Their bones started cracking ominously like they were carrying a mountain on their shoulders. But no one knelt, and no one was afraid. The next second might very well be theirst, but they would at least die with their honor intact!

    Death, before dishonor!

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    The flesh-and-blood door shook again, and more of the entity emerged into the world. Now, it was just one step away from descending upon this ne; one moment away from turning Anyang into a hellscape!

 Chapter 93: Cheers to Humanity

    <h4>Chapter 93: Cheers to Humanity</h4>

    On the bone altar, Evergreen Ivy sneered from within her hood, ¡°The Nether Lord would descend any second now. Anyang is finished, and so are you!¡±

    Faceless looked deathly pale, but Ye Qing asked a sudden question, ¡°Do you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Hear what?¡± Evergreen Ivy said in a mocking tone, ¡°Oh, you mean your fellow humans¡¯ final cries of sorrow and despair? I¡¯ll admit, they sound pretty melodious!¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head firmly. ¡°Despair? You couldn¡¯t have gotten it more wrong. It¡¯s the sound of defiance, resolve, and hope!¡±

    ¡°Hope? Is this a joke?¡± Evergreen Ivy snorted. ¡°Who can possibly turn this around, pray tell? You? Ling Jianqiu? Yan Yufei?¡±

    ¡°No wonder you¡¯re the leader of this little group! That¡¯s right! I am the one who will turn this around!¡± Ye Qing dered confidently before producing an incense stick out of seemingly nowhere. He then ignited it and prayed solemnly to the heavens.

    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little toote for prayers?¡± Dark Eye said mockingly when he saw this.

    Ye Qing ignored him until he had bowed three times in a row. Only then did he look at the Stranger and said, ¡°I remember someone saying something very simr to me in the past.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Dark Eye didn¡¯t understand where he was going with this.

    ¡°And he died.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Dark Eye thought that Ye Qing was spewing nonsense, but he wisely kept his mouth shut to avoid provoking the young man and losing his head as a result.

    Meanwhile, Evergreen Ivy was suddenly struck by an inexplicable sense of unease as she watched Ye Qing. ¡°What on earth are you nning?¡±

    Ye Qing shot her a look before sighing. ¡°Fine, I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. Your Nether Lord will be showing up very soon, right? That¡¯s why I¡¯m praying to the heavens and wishing him a safe journey!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± If Evergreen Ivy¡¯s face could transform into a question mark, it would. She just could not figure out what was going on in the young man¡¯s mind.

    Logically speaking, she had absolutely nothing to worry about. The Nether Lord was literally seconds away from fully manifesting in this ne, and there should be nothing Ye Qing could do to change this at all. Therefore, all she needed to do was to wait for the Nether Lord to appear and squash the annoying gnat in front of her like a bug.

    However, Evergreen Ivy just could not feel at ease for some reason. Her restlessness just kept growing and growing until finally, she lost her cool and shouted, ¡°Dark Eye, extinguish that goddamn incense stick right now!¡±

    Maybe it was because she shouted a little too loudly, or but the puff of air was just enough to blow out a candle in one corner of the altar.

    Evergreen Ivy: ¡°...¡±

    Dark Eye: ¡°...¡± Faceless: ¡°...¡±

    For a moment, the secret room was engulfed in awkward silence. The candle mes were the shield¡¯s sole source of power, so blowing out even one of them was enough to weaken it considerably. This was proven when the fiery shield abruptly dimmed in brightness.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± It took Evergreen Ivy a couple of seconds to recover from her shock, but when she did she immediately summoned a wisp of me and flicked it toward the extinguished candle¡ªor atst, she tried to. Right before the me would escape her fingertip, her nose was suddenly assaulted by an itchy sensation. It was so ufortable that she let out a powerful sneeze and discharged a smear of something straight at the wick of another candle. Outraged, the red candle extinguished itself in an instant.

    It was an understandable reaction. The red candle might just be a candle, but it wasn''t without its pride. No way it would stand for this humiliation!

    That wasn¡¯t all. Because of the sneeze, Evergreen Ivy¡¯s me went flying toward an evil-looking talisman instead of the candle she intended to reignite. It was a tiny me, but the talisman generously burst into mes anyway. If she wanted it to burn, then it shall burn!

    The problem was that the talisman was one of the keys to summon the Nether Lord. If it was burned into a crisp, then the summoning ritual would fail immediately. Horrified, Evergreen Ivy immediately rushed over to the talisman and pped her hand over the fire.

    The good news was that the fire had extinguished instantly. The bad news was that she had identally pped the statue behind the talisman and sent it flying through the air. Her eyes bugged out as she tried to catch the statue, but it was far toote. It drew a beautiful arc across the air andnded right in front of Ye Qing¡¯s foot.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing subconsciously looked up and met Evergreen Ivy¡¯s stunned, dazed, and disbelieving eyes. He could practically hear her thinking: <i>What the fuck just happened? All I did was bark an order and sneeze, so how¡­</i>

    Ironically, this was beyond even Ye Qing¡¯s expectations. When he ignited the Incense of Misfortune, his n had been to induce Evergreen Ivy into making an ¡°unfortunate¡± mistake and exploit the opening to destroy the altar. Instead, the poor girl had dismantled her own altar like she was possessed by the god of misfortune himself! He would shed a tear for her if she wasn¡¯t trying to destroy Anyang and everyone in it!

    A wicked smirk slowly spread across Ye Qing¡¯s face as he gave Evergreen Ivy a wink. Then, he nted his foot on the statue.

    ¡°You dare!?¡± Evergreen Ivy let out a maniacal screech and raised her hand as if she could somehowmand him to stop. The next moment, Ye Qing shuddered and crushed the statue beneath his foot.

    While everyone was staring at him in shock, Ye Qing looked up at Evergreen Ivy again and shrugged innocently. ¡°Sorry. I startle easily!¡±

    Back on the surface, the entity was literally one foot away from manifesting in Anyang when suddenly, the flesh-and-blood door abruptly mmed shut and trapped his foot. Like a man whose foot was caught in a mass of metals after a major car ident, he was unable to pull free no matter how hard he pulled. The turn of events was so sudden and unexpected that even the soldiers abruptly stopped chanting and stared as the Nether Lord performed a one-footed dance for them in the sky.

    As it turned out, it wasn¡¯t a good idea to force your way through an already half-broken door via brute force. One particrly forceful pullter, the flesh-and-blood door abruptly shattered into pieces and engulfed that corner of the sky in a massive cloud of ck qi. Then, the entity started dissipating bit by bit as it was consumed by the ck qi.

    <i>¡°Nooooooooooooooooooooo¡­¡±</i>

    The Nether Lord struggled with all his might, but the ritual had failed, and he could not remain in this ne no matter how much he wanted to. He ended his performance with a magnificent, full-throated, anger-charged roar that would reverberate throughout Anyang for at least a few minutes before finally disappearing into nothing. When he was gone, the ck energy in the air too dissipated into nothing it never was.

    ¡°This¡­ It has to be Joyless! Joyless found those rats after all!¡± Yan Yufei eximed with mixed emotions. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t happy, but just a moment ago he was fully prepared to prove his manhood and die a patriotic death. Then, the Nether Lord had disappeared in a positivelyical fashion. It was no wonder that a somewhat traditional man like him was having trouble processing his emotions.

    ¡°It would seem that that is the case.¡± Ling Jianqiu nodded with a rare look of surprise and delight on his face as well. ¡°He actually did it.¡±

    ¡°Ha, haha, hahahahaha! I knew Joyless could do it! I knew it!¡± Yan Yufei suddenly guffawed on top of his lungs. It was an utterly undignifiedugh that did not befit a magistrate in the slightest, but no one cared. It was because the others were all absorbed in their own shock and tion.

    ¡°We won!¡±

    ¡°We won!¡±

    ¡°Shenwu!¡±

    ¡°Shenwu!¡±

    ¡°SHENWU!¡±

    The chant erupted throughout Anyang once more, but this time it wasn¡¯t filled with solemnity or grave determination. Instead, it was filled with joy and excitement. It was a cheer to the living, Anyang, and humanity!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Nooooooooooooooooooooo¡­¡±

    In stark contrast to the joyous cheers happening on the surface, a Stranger was howling in sorrow and despair as if he had lost both of his parents at the same time. It was, of course, Dark Eye.

    ¡°Bloody hell, shut up! If you miss your daddy that much, then I¡¯ll send you over to him right now!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his ear annoyedly while extinguishing the Incense of Misfortune.

    Evergreen Ivy didn¡¯t lose her cool like Dark Eye did, however. In fact, she said in a surprisingly calm voice, ¡°You may have won this time, Ye Qing, but thestugh will belong to me. One day, I will kill you with my own hands!¡±

    Ye Qing did not like the fact that she was acting so calm. He immediately dashed toward the altar and attempted to hit her with a palm strike, but¡ª

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The altar abruptly exploded and forced him to dodge out of the way. As Evergreen Ivy slowly disappeared like a mirage, she left him one final message:

    ¡°See you soon, Ye Qing! Remember to watch your back!¡±

    ¡°Dammit!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s forehead pulsed as he unleashed his spirit and scanned the entire area. However, he was unable to sense Evergreen Ivy anywhere. She must¡¯ve prepared an escape route for herself even though she was fully confident that the ritual would seed. It was a good habit, but he hated it when it belonged to his enemies.

    Not about to make the same mistake twice, he turned around and stared at Dark Eye and Rotten Crown. ¡°Oh? Are we saying goodbye already? Okay! Allow me to send you on your way!¡±

    The two Strangers had been tiptoeing toward the entrance since Evergreen Ivy made her escape, but Ye Qing had noticed their movements as a matter of course. Evergreen Ivy managed to elude him because she was both lucky and prepared, but these two? He felt insulted that they even thought that they could escape from right under his nose!

    Ye Qing disappeared and reappeared right behind Dark Eye. Then, he made a grab for the Stranger¡¯s skull with his left hand. Sensing that he was in grave danger, Dark Eye immediately grew pitch ck eyeballs all over the back of his head and shot a myriad of invisible beams at Ye Qing. At the same time, countless eyeballs appeared above Dark Eye and stared down on him as well.

    As it turned out, the eyeballs exuded the exact same qualities as the Servant of Fear¡¯s corrupting influence. It attacked the mind and spirit and attempted to transform him into something he wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°This again? Too bad you don¡¯t have enough eyeballs though! Your appearance is also way too human for this tactic!¡± Ye Qing said mockingly. Frankly, the Servant of Fear would¡¯ve found it insulting to bepared to Dark Eye if they were still alive!

    Ye Qing sped up and caught Dark Eye¡¯s skull before the Stranger could try anything else. A whoosh of bluish ck mester, Dark Eye managed another two steps due to momentum before disintegrating into a pile of gray ash.

    ¡°So scary! We must run!¡±

    ¡°So brutal! We must flee!¡±

    Rotten Crown paled and tried to flee after Dark Eye had died in front of them, but it turned out that two heads sharing one body was a terrible idea. At first, Rotten Crown ran in circles three times in a clockwise direction. Then, she turned around and ran in circles three times in an anti-clockwise direction. This kept going on and on as the two heads argued with each other incessantly,

    ¡°To the left, idiot!¡±

    ¡°No! We should go to the right!¡±

    It was impossible to tell if they were really trying to flee or just fooling around. The Stranger had turned into pureedy relief since they lost their main head.

    ¡°I almost feel bad for them, but eh, there¡¯s no future for them anyway!¡± Ye Qing shrugged before dashing over andnding a ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±. One thunderous boomter, Rotten Crown¡¯s body exploded into smithereens.

    ¡°Idiot! You just killed yourself!¡±

    ¡°Stupid! You¡¯re going to die as well!¡±

    ¡°Ptooey! You¡¯re the stupid, your whole family¡¯s stupid!¡±

    ¡°Ptooey ptooey! You¡¯re the stupid, your whole lineage is stupid!¡±

    ¡°Ptooey ptooey ptooey!¡±

    ¡°Ptooey ptooey ptooey ptooey!¡±

    The two heads would not stop yelling and spitting at each other¡¯s faces even as their voices faded over time. Eventually, they fellpletely still.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you keep them alive for interrogation, young master? They might know a thing or two about Evergreen Ivy¡¯s identity,¡± Faceless asked after Ye Qing had in Dark Eye and Rotten Crown. It wasn¡¯t because he felt sympathy for his fellow Strangers though. In fact, he wanted Evergreen Ivy dead as soon as possible. After all, the woman knew that he was the traitor, and his life was in danger so long as she was still alive.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point!¡± Ye Qing replied while looking around the secret room for a bit. He felt disappointed when he found nothing valuable. ¡°Evergreen is an incredibly careful Stranger. There is little chance she would have leaked her identity to Dark Eye or Rotten Crown, so it would¡¯ve just been a waste of time!¡±

    ¡°Wise words, young master!¡± Faceless nodded in agreement. He was of the same opinion, frankly.

    ¡°Oh right, what is that incense stick you used just now, young master? Is it the one you made outside the county the other day?¡± Faceless asked another question.

    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s called the Incense of Misfortune!¡±

    ¡°The Incense of Misfortune? No wonder!¡± Faceless nodded with trepidation when he recalled just how unlucky Evergreen Ivy had been during those final moments. ¡°Does this mean you can literally pray your enemies to death now, young master? That¡¯s incredible! It¡¯s a million times more effective than sticking nails in a voodoo doll!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 94: Screw Ups Never Die

    <h4>Chapter 94: Screw Ups Never Die</h4>

    Ye Qing went back to the gates after he left the secret room. There, he saw Yan Yufeii and Ling Jianqiu celebrating their triumph with the masses. The magistrate called out to him as soon as he spotted him from afar, ¡°Over here, Joyless!¡±

    Ye Qing walked over to him and saluted both men. ¡°Lord Yan, Chief Ling, I havepleted my mission!¡± It was never too early to inform your superiors of your magnificent achievement.

    ¡°Yes you did, yes you did! On behalf of all of Anyang, I thank you for saving our lives!¡± Yan Yufeiughed happily and tried to bow to the young man, but Ye Qing hurriedly caught him before he could do so.

    ¡°You tter me, my lord. I¡¯m just doing my duty. Plus, I¡¯m the one who suggested this n, and because I underestimated the Strangers it nearly ended in an unthinkable tragedy. If anything, I should be begging for forgiveness from you two!¡±

    Yan Yufei guffawed. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re forgiven then! It is thanks to your n that we are able to wipe out all the Strangers near Anyang, and barring the unforeseeable the county will be a far safer ce for at least a hundred generations toe! If that isn¡¯t worth praising, then what is?¡±

    He then put a hand on Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder and added in a meaningful tone, ¡°Sometimes, the result is the only thing that matters. Do you get what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    ¡°Wise words, my lord!¡± Ye Qing smiled back.

    At the side, Ling Jianqiu patiently waited for them to finish exchanging pleasantries before asking, ¡°So, who are the bastards behind the ritual, Joyless? And how did you find them?¡±

    Ye Qing saluted him and said, ¡°I was just about to give you a report, Chief Ling. The long story short is that Evergreen Ivy is the one behind this. As it turns out, her n from the start wasn¡¯t to destroy the county with the Strangers, but to use the death, blood, and ughter created by our battle to summon the Nether Lord.¡±

    ¡°The Nether Lord?¡± Ling Jianqiu furrowed his brow sternly.

    Noticing that Ling Jianqiu recognized the name, Ye Qing asked curiously, ¡°Do you know who the Nether Lord is, Chief Ling?¡±

    Ling Jianqiu shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s a powerful and evil intelligent-type Stranger, but that is none of your concern at the moment. Please, continue!¡±

    And so Ye Qing continued, ¡°As to how I managed to find the location Evergreen Ivy is holding the ritual, it¡¯s a bit of a happy coincidence. Earlier, I tasked Faceless to follow Rotten Crown and Dark Eye because¡ª¡±

    He told them exactly how he had found the secret room, though he didn¡¯t mention the fact that he didn¡¯t actually think well of his chances of sess, and he was totally ready to make a run for it if Faceless had failed.

    Yan Yufei fell silent for a bit after listening to Ye Qing¡¯s story until the end. ¡°He then said with lingering trepidation, ¡°Thank the heavens that you¡¯re a lucky man, Joyless. We would¡¯ve all died if not for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to deny that. My luck has always been pretty good,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly, ¡°but Anyang is pretty lucky too, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re right! The heavens¡¯ grace is on Anyang and Chu today!¡± Yan Yufeiunched into another guffaw.

    Ling Jianqiu snapped out of his thoughts and asked, ¡°Where are Evergreen Ivy, Dark Eye and Rotten Crown right now?¡±

    ¡°I killed Dark Eye and Rotten Crown, but Evergreen Ivy managed to escape. She was prepared.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu furrowed his brow again. ¡°So our positions are reversed yet again. She is a threat so long as she continues to exist. We must uncover her and eliminate her as soon as possible!¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Ipletely agree!¡± Considering Evergreen Ivy¡¯s skill and intelligence, she could definitely create a disaster like this again if she was left to her devices. It might take her another decade or two, but they could not rest until she was truly eliminated from this world.

    More importantly, Evergreen Ivy now remembered him as the man who thwarted her whole n and had vowed to enact bloody vengeance upon him. While he was now strong enough to protect himself, he did not fancy the idea of having to watch out for her for god knows how long, and heavens forbid if she summoned the Nether Lord toe after him or something. The sooner she was dead, the sooner he could rest easy.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. In that case, I leave her to you, Joyless!¡±

    ¡°......!?¡±

    When Ye Qing finally realized what Ling Jianqiu was saying, he wheeled around and stared at the Chief of Bureau incredulously.<em>I thought this is a Pacification Bureau matter? Why are you dumping this in myp? Do I really give off a freeborer vibe or something?</em>

    Sure, he too wanted to find Evergreen Ivy as soon as possible, but it was one thing to act on his own volition and another to be carrying orders, especially if he didn¡¯t get a reward for it!

    As if he could read his mind, Ling Jianqiu tossed a badge into his hands and said, ¡°This is the Pacification Badge. Think of it as a symbol of the Chief of Bureau position. From now on, you maymand any Sentinel, enter any Pacification Bureau branch, and look through any file in our archives as you please.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing caught the badge, but he did not understand what Ling Jianqiu¡¯s gesture meant. The Chief of Bureau turned to Yan Yufei without giving him an answer. ¡°It¡¯s time for us to perform our duty, Lord Yan. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Yan Yufei hmphed. ¡°You did not just steal one of mine and pretend that nothing had happened, Chief Ling.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°What distinction does it make? We are all people of Chu, and we are all doing this for the good of the people, are we not?¡±

    Yan Yufei looked taken aback for a second. Then, he clicked his tongue in astonishment and said, ¡°You really had me fooled during our first meeting. Who would¡¯ve thought that a straightced man like you could spout such nonsense with a straight face?¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Lord Yan. I still have a long way to go before I can reach your level!¡± Ling Jianqiu replied with a salute.

    ¡°Not at all! Now I¡¯m certain that you are who we should strive to be, Chief Ling!¡± Yan Yufei hmphed again before walking up to the Chief Ling and facing forward where You Da was walking toward them.

    <em>Oh. Ling Jianqiu was¡­ inviting me to join the Pacification Bureau?</em>

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing had finally figured out what Ling Jianqiu meant from his interaction with Yan Yufei. It would seem that both Yan Yufei and Ling Jianqiu thought very highly of him. Who would¡¯ve thought that he would be so popr one day? It would be even better if they were two women instead of two men, but hey, he wasn¡¯tining!

    Smiling, Ye Qing toyed with the Pacification Badge for a bit before putting it away. Regardless of his intentions to join the Pacification Bureau or not, obtaining the badge was definitely a good thing. It would have been so much more difficult to suss Evergreen Ivy out of the Pacification Bureau otherwise.

    Meanwhile, the vice magistrate, You Da, had reached Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei to give his report. His armor was coated in dry blood, and his expression was ridden with deep sorrow. He saluted both men before facing Lord Yan. ¡°My lord. We managed to kill over ten thousand Mundane-ss Strangers, a thousand Red-ss Strangers, and eight Malice-ss Strangers. However, the Shenwu Defense Force has also suffered three hundred fatalities and eight hundred injuries!¡±

    The Pacification Bureau member standing next to You Da was also reporting to Ling Jianqiu in a solemn voice, ¡°My lord. The Sentinels have taken one hundred fatalities and three hundred injuries. Of the hundred fatalities, two of them are Lieutenants, and five are Guardians.¡±

    Generally speaking, a county had a garrison of one thousand Shenwu Defense Force soldiers and five hundred Sentinels. This meant that both defense forces had lost over half their numbers in a single night. They might have secured Anyang for at least decades toe, but the price they had to pay was terrible to put it mildly.

    A pyrrhic victory was almost as bad as a defeat, so it was no wonder that no one was happy.

    ¡°Thank you all for your hard work!¡± Yan Yufei nodded at them before shooting his right-hand-man, Yan Feng a look. The bailiff understood his meaning instantly and ced his saber on You Da¡¯s neck.

    You Da wasn¡¯t expecting this as a matter of course, not to mention that he was terribly exhausted after the grueling battle. It wasn¡¯t until the cold metal was pricking his skin that he realized what just happened and eximed in shock, ¡°What is the meaning of this, my lord!?¡±

    His voice drew everyone¡¯s attention as a matter of course.

    ¡°You will see very soon. Bring him over, Yang Guan!¡± Yan Yufei ordered. A whileter, the young bailiff returned with a prisoner in tow. His cultivation was sealed away by two metallic chains passing through his shoulder des, and he looked like he had gone through hell. He was none other than Tang Yi¡¯an. The gate captain wailed as soon as he saw You Da, ¡°Save me, brother-inw! Save me!¡±

    You Da¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot and murderous when he saw this. ¡°My lord! What on earth did Yi¡¯an do to deserve such treatment?¡±

    ¡°Hah! What did he do, you ask?¡± Yan Yufei sneered. ¡°Who did you think opened the gates to the Strangers, You Da? It was your brother-inw. He was the reason Anyang was almost destroyed tonight!¡±

    You Da¡¯s voice rose to a new octave. ¡°WHAT? Impossible! Yi¡¯an would never do such a thing! You must¡¯ve been mistaken!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t lying to save his brother-inw. Forget the fact that Yi¡¯an was the one who opened the gates, he didn¡¯t even know an invasion wasing until everyone was in position, and Yan Yufei had told him about it at thest minute.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, brother-inw! I¡¯m innocent!¡± Tang Yi¡¯an shouted even louder when he heard this, ¡°Save me, brother-inw!¡±

    In response, Yan Yufei said disdainfully, ¡°Innocent? Answer this then. Three days ago, did you not ept a bribe from a merchant and promised him that you would open the gates for him tonight?¡±

    Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s jaw ckened. He wasn¡¯t able to answer the question, not that Yan Yufei wasn¡¯t expecting him to. He continued, ¡°I can tell you right now that that ¡®merchant¡¯ who bribed you is really a Stranger. His n was to convince you to open the gates so that he can lead an army of Strangers into the county, ughter our people, destroy our home, and wipe Anyang from the surface of the earth. It is only by the grace of the heavens that we are still standing right now, so tell me, do you still think you¡¯re innocent?¡±

    Tang Yi¡¯an copsed to his knees then. His eyes both looked horrified and hopeless.

    You Da¡¯s heart sank when he saw Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s reaction. It was practically an admission of guilt.

    He had always known that Tang Yi¡¯an was a greedy and licentious man, but he still treated him like a son because he and his wife weren¡¯t able to conceive a child. He thought that Tang Yi¡¯an was smart enough to not go overboard, and even if he did his offense should not be so severe that he, the vice magistrate of Anyang, could not protect him.

    But this? This was beyond his wildest imagination. Forget protecting Yi¡¯an, even he wasn¡¯t exempt from me as he was guilty by association!

    ¡°Tang Yi¡¯an, it is bad enough that you, the guard captain of Anyang, was derelict in your duty, but your treacherous greed had nearly led to its destruction. If we hadn''t discovered the Stranger¡¯s ploy in time, tens of thousands of people would¡¯ve died because of you. The destruction of Anyang would¡¯ve had unimaginable consequences to Chu as well.¡±

    ¡°You, Tang Yi¡¯an, deserve death!¡±

    Yan Yufei¡¯s voice was harsh and unrelenting. Everyone in the area was ring at Tang Yi¡¯an with anger and bloodthirst as well.

    ¡°You Da, I know that you have no clue of Tang Yi¡¯an¡¯s treachery, but thew of Chu states that all colluders of Strangers are to be exterminated to the three generations! Do you submit?¡±

    <em>Thump!</em>You Da also copsed to his knees with hopeless, despairing eyes. He bowed his head and replied in a lifeless voice, ¡°I submit, my lord.¡±

    It was the only answer he could give. Had he tried to resist in any shape or form, Yan Yufei would¡¯ve had cause to execute him on the spot. And even if he miraculously managed to escape, there was no ce in the entire realm that would amodate him. Heck, there was no human nation in the entire world who would ept a colluder of Strangers!

    ¡°Good!¡± Yan Yufei said before changing his tune suddenly, ¡°That said, the crime wasmitted by Tang Yi¡¯an and Tang Yi¡¯an only, and you have no knowledge of his wrongdoing. Moreover, you have fought valiantly to defend the people of Anyang, so I shan¡¯t execute you as per ourw.¡±

    ¡°That said, you still must answer to your crime if only for all the lives that were lost today. Your post will be stripped, your possessions will be confiscated, and you will be temporarily demoted to a sinner [1]. You may not leave Anyang until you have served your sentence and regained your citizenship!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ thank you for not killing me, my lord!¡± You Da pressed his head to the ground and started weeping openly.

    It was at this moment Tang Yi¡¯an broke out of his stupor and pounced toward You Da. He screamed on top of his lungs, ¡°B-brother-inw! Don¡¯t leave me behind! Please save me as well! Please!¡±

    Yan Yufei looked at the man with disgust as he ordered, ¡°Take him away! I want him beheaded in front of the gates three dayster so that the heroic souls who have died defending Chu today may rest in peace!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    Yang Guan epted the order and dragged Tang Yi¡¯an away.

    Ye Qing let out a small sigh as he stared at the hysterical Tang Yi¡¯an and the dazed You Da. He had no sympathy for Tang Yi¡¯an, but You Da¡¯s fate could only be described as tragic. Unfortunately, there would always be screw-ups so long as life continued to exist in this world. You Da was just one unfortunate soul in an endless line of victims.

    ¡°Yan Feng, make the arrangements to give our warriors a dignified burial andpensate their families handsomely.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    ¡°Chen Hou, take some men with you and sort out the bodies of the Strangers. Put those that can be used in our treasury and burn the rest. We don¡¯t need a gue right now!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    ¡°Yu Yuan, take the rest of the men with you and scour Anyang for stragglers. The sooner we rid the streets of Strangers, the sooner our people will be safe!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    1. A status quo thing. You know how ves are a ss belowmon citizens? This is that, but not very ??

 Chapter 95: Another Day, Another Killing

    <h4>Chapter 95: Another Day, Another Killing</h4>

    ¡°One, two, three¡­ ten. I got ten silver dragon-serpent runes and fifteen gray dragon-serpent runes from this battle!¡±

    At Endless Horizons, Ye Qing was sitting on his bed and counting the dragon-serpent runes on the Annon Sutra like a dragon counting his hoard. He was red-faced with excitement and delight at the end of it.

    ¡°But why do I have ten silver dragon-serpent runes?¡± Ye Qing tilted his head in confusion. It wasn¡¯t because he had gotten less silver runes than expected, but more. He had killed five Malice-ss Strangersst night, and they were Grandpa Tree, Granny Mud, the Servant of Fear, Dark Eye and Rotten Crown. That should him five silver dragon-serpent runes give or take. All the Red-ss and Mundane-ss Strangers he killedst night probably added up to one silver dragon-serpent rune as well. But where did the extra foure from?

    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± A possibility entered his mind. What if the Nether Lord¡¯s avatar counted as his kill as well? Although he hadn¡¯t killed the avatar with his own two hands, he was indirectly the cause of his death. Perhaps that was why the Annon Sutra had given him a constion prize of four silver dragon-serpent runes.

    <i>Marvelous!</i>

    ¡°Hahaha, haha, ahahahaha! This excursion has been well worth the reward!¡± Ye Qing said whileughing himself silly. He could not remember thest time he was this wealthy. With ten silver dragon-serpent runes in stock, he would not have to worry about running out of cultivation resources for a very long time toe. It was worth the risk he had taken.

    Ye Qing¡¯s derangedughter would continue a while longer before he finally snapped out of it and threw him into cultivation. Currently, he was ate-stage Vessel Augmentor who had augmented all twelve Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and three hundred and sixty points of his body. However, he hadn¡¯t reached the absolute limits of the Vessel Augmentation stage just yet. He still needed to fill his meridians and points to the brim with true qi and ensure that it would form a self-sustaining cycle before he truly mastered the Vessel Augmentation stage.

    The ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± stated, <i>¡°The meridians are the passage in which the qi travels, and the points are the vaults in which they are stored. Only by filling the points with true qi could theye alive and form a tiny world in one¡¯s body.¡±</i>

    Augmenting one¡¯s meridians and points were like digging holes on the ground so they could be transformed into ponds. One could not have a pond without a hole, but if the hole wasn¡¯t filled with water then it still wouldn¡¯t be a pond. It would be like having an irrigation system without the water to nurture the fields.

    This was why it was critical for the points to be filled with true qi. Only then could true qi cycle along the meridians from point to point and form a self-sustaining system in one¡¯s body.

    Earlier, Ye Qing had fully augmented his blood vessels but did not have the time to fill them with true qi. That was why he wasn¡¯t really ate-stage Vessel Augmentor even though he met the requirements to be one. Now that the crisis was behind him, it was time to pop a silver rune or two, fill up those ¡°ponds¡±, and create this tiny world in his body!

    Although the county wasn¡¯tpletely rid of Strangers yet, it was only a matter of time before the stragglers were hunted down, and even if they weren¡¯t, they did not have the strength to change anything. As for the aftermath, there were people far more qualified than him to handle it. Hence, there was no better time to cultivate than now. In fact, one of the main reasons he went through the trouble of uncovering the conspiracy anding up with the n to end it all was to grow stronger. And he would keep growing stronger until one day, there was nothing left in this world who could threaten his life!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Are you sure the traitor is hiding in Anyang, Xiao Yang?¡±

    In the middle of nowhere, a white deer as white as snow was galloping across a mountain while carrying a house on its back. The house was beautifully decorated, and there was a jade table at the center of the house.

    The table was covered in delicious food and wine, but it was perfectly stable even though the white deer was galloping like the wind across mountains, rivers, uneven ground, winding paths and more. Not even a drop of wine had spilled from the ornate container that was holding it.

    Two men were sitting across from each other at the table. The man to the left wore a ck attire and looked to be in his thirties. He had red hair, arge forehead, and a strange, bony protrusion between his eyebrows. At first nce, he looked like an amiable person with little regard for trivialities. In reality, his bearing was that of an arrogant predator that looked down on all others like they were ants.

    The man to the right wore a white attire and looked to be twenty-five or twenty-six years old at most. He had a handsome face, messy hair that gave him the appearance of someone who had just gotten out of bed, and a wide open cor. He was also leaningzily against a wall and slowly swirling a cup of wine. Women would probably swoon over him if they could see him like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, Xiao Yang,¡± said the man in ck after taking a sip of wine.

    The man in white drank from his cup before curling his lips into a wicked, reckless smile. ¡°Don¡¯t you trust in my abilities, senior brother?¡±

    ¡°ording to my investigation, Wu Chun had escaped to Anyang after stealing that item. He then started over as someone called Zheng Feng. Not only did he manage to step back into the light with his new identity, he actually flourished and founded a massive n for himself!¡±

    ¡°Wu Chun, Wu Chun [1]. His name is stupid, but he isn¡¯t stupid at all. It takes a good head and a seriously huge pair of balls to put oneself in public after what he did, and to do it right under our nose? Shit! I would almost admire him if he hadn¡¯t stolen from us!¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, those idiots from the Dark Sun Hall seriously need to go some day. They brag day in and day out about how well-informed they are, but they couldn¡¯t locate Wu Chun even though he was right under their nose, winking at them and spitting in their faces for years. Heck, a blind man could¡¯ve felt the spit on his face, but them? It¡¯s like they¡¯re dead to the world!¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, someone should dig out their eyeballs and feed it to the dogs. They¡¯re not using their eyes anyway, so why have them taking up space on their faces?¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The man in ck¡ªQing Kui was his name¡ªhmphed in disgruntlement.

    ¡°Ohh, I totally forgot that you¡¯re from the Dark Sun Hall. Sorry, sorry!¡± Xiao Yang apologized with not a shred of sorry on his face whatsoever. ¡°I¡¯m really thankful that those idiots are such a bunch of fuck-ups though, seriously. This opportunity wouldn¡¯t have fallen into ourps if not for them!¡±

    A vein bulged on Qing Kui¡¯s forehead as he red daggers at Xiao Yang. ¡°Watch your mouth, Xiao Yang. I wouldn¡¯t mind teaching you a lesson in etiquette if that is your wish!¡±

    Xiao Yang cared naught for his threat, however. He took another sip of wine and replied in an uncaring tone, ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯m born this way, and I¡¯m quite happy with the way I am. If you have time to teach me a lesson, why don¡¯t you enlighten me on what you¡¯re going to do when we meet Wu Chun?¡±

    ¡°What am I going to do?¡± Qing Kui let out a disdainful snort. ¡°That traitor was just an early-stage Vessel Augmentor when he ran away. Considering how mediocre his talent is, I¡¯ll be shocked if he manages to get any higher than thete-stage of the Vessel Augmentation stage. In short, I¡¯m just going to kick his door down!¡±

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re a wise man, senior brother. ording to my investigation, Wu Chun is indeed just ate-stage Vessel Augmentor,¡± Xiao Yang said in azy voice. ¡°That said, he might have something up his sleeve that isn¡¯t stated in the records, so it¡¯s best if we proceed with caution.¡±

    Qing Kui sneered. ¡°So what if he does have something up his sleeve? It won¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m going to crush him like an ant!¡±

    Xiao Yang shrugged. ¡°Whatever you say, senior brother!¡±

    Qing Kui abruptly grabbed the wine jar on the table and gulped down a few mouthfuls of wine as if to quell his impatience. ¡°How much longer until we reach Anyang?¡±

    ¡°Soon!¡± Xiao Yang took a moment to calcte the time before adding, ¡°We should be there by tomorrow night at thetest!¡±

    ¡°Haha! Now that''s what I call music to my ears!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    At the entrance to the Zheng residence, Qing Kui stared at the abandoned, dpidated and overgrown mansion in front of him with his mouth agape. ¡°Xiao Yang, are you sure that this is where the traitor is hiding?¡±

    Xiao Yang blinked. ¡°It should be. Look at the signboard. It says ¡®Zheng Residence¡¯, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What the hell happened to the Zheng n then? And where did Wu Chun run off too?¡± Qing Kuiined when a possibility suddenly entered his mind. ¡°That traitor couldn¡¯t have noticed something and escaped, could he?¡±

    Xiao Yang rubbed his nose. ¡°I highly doubt it. Give me a moment to ask around.¡±

    Xiao Yang searched around for a bit before calling out to a young woman. He managed to make herugh in just a few short sentences, and coupled with the fact that he was a handsome man in the first ce, he was able to find out the answer very quickly.

    ¡°So? Did you find out anything useful?¡± Qing Kui asked after Xiao Yang had returned to his side.

    ¡°But of course! Who do you think I am?¡± Xiao Yang dered proudly before exining, ¡°The girl told me that Zheng Feng, or rather, Wu Chun was killed some days ago. The reason is unclear, but the most popr theory is that he offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have. Without Wu Chun to keep things together, the Zheng n naturally fell apart and turned into this.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? He was killed right before we were about to find him? This can¡¯t be a coincidence!¡± Qing Kui frowned. ¡°Does the girl know who¡¯s the one who killed him?¡±

    Xiao Yang shook his head this time. ¡°She¡¯s just amon folk. I wouldn¡¯t trust her answer even if she does know who did it.¡±

    Qing Kui pped his hand on a stone lion in front of the Zheng residence so hard that web-like cracks appeared on his surface. ¡°If Wu Chun is dead, then the item must have fallen into the murderer¡¯s hands. If we can¡¯t locate the murderer, then this trip would be aplete waste of time and energy. God dammit!¡±

    Xiao Yang didn¡¯t panic, however. He said in a confident tone, ¡°Calm down, senior brother. I have a n?¡±

    ¡°What n?¡± Qing Kui looked at him immediately.

    Xiao Yang smiled. ¡°Did you forget that I¡¯m also a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui? I have the right to supervise and inspect all matters rting to the Pacification Bureau under the jurisdiction of Luoshui. Zheng Feng¡¯s death might be a mystery to most people, but the Pacification Bureau must have looked into this matter. I can simply check the files and find our next lead!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Qing Kui pped his hands in excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s get right into it then!¡±

    But Xiao Yang saidzily, ¡°What¡¯s the rush? We¡¯ve been on the road for days, and my bones are stiff from all the sitting and nothing we¡¯ve done. I heard that ¡®Red Sleeved Beauty¡¯ is a great ce to catch a drink, indulge in beautiful bamboo flute music, and rx one¡¯s weary bones. Why don¡¯t we rx for the day and resume our mission tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Rx one¡¯s weary bones, my ass! I¡¯d bet a silver that the first thing you do after entering the ce is to work your bones over some woman!¡± Qing Kui sneered in disdain. ¡°When our mission isplete, you may indulge yourself in your vices as much as you want! Now let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Sigh. You¡¯re truly a stiff man, senior brother!¡±

    Xiao Yang shook his head in disappointment, but he obeyed Qing Kui¡¯s order and made a beeline for the Pacification Bureau headquarters. After they had arrived at their destination, Xiao Yang said, ¡°Senior brother, you¡¯re not a member of the Pacification Bureau, so it¡¯s best if you wait here for me!¡±

    Qing Kui frowned, but he understood that his presence would onlyplicate things unnecessarily. So, he swallowed his displeasure and said, ¡°Be quick.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Xiao Yang replied smilingly before sauntering into the headquarters.

    Qing Kui thought that Xiao Yang would actually be quick, but before he knew it, seven hours came and went in the blink of an eye. It wasn¡¯t until the restaurants on the streets were in the middle of closing that Xiao Yang finally appeared once more. Not only was the bastard chit-chatting with a couple of acquaintances, it was clear from his asional burps and alcohol stink that he had enjoyed a wonderful dinner!

    Qing Kui¡¯s voice was filled with barbs when Xiao Yang finally bade hispany goodbye and went to his side. ¡°Hmph! You sure know how to take it easy, junior brother. Not only did you take seven hours to look into one simple matter, you even had dinner before you deigned to meet me!¡±

    He would¡¯ve throttled the guy already if they weren¡¯t on a mission. What kind of person leaves their colleague out in the cold for <i>seven hours</i> without so much a peep? As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he had the gall to eat dinner while he was starving in the cold!

    Xiao Yang sped his hands together and apologized in a hurry, ¡°Sorry¡ª<i>burp!</i>¡ªsorry! It¡¯s honestly out of my control though. I¡¯m an important man, and it¡¯s inevitable that someone would try to curry favor with me. I¡¯ve never been good at turning down invitations, and before I knew it, it was alreadyte at night.¡±

    ¡°Also, asking for permission to look into a file and checking said file takes longer than you think. Surely you can find it in yourself to forgive me? <i>Burp!</i>¡±

    One of the unfortunate things about being a warrior was that you could smell exactly what the other party ate. Qing Kui scrunched up his nose at the smell of leek and egg and decided to cut to the chase before Xiao Yang could go off on another tangent, ¡°Cut the bullcrap and tell me what you found already.¡±

    Xiao Yang nodded. ¡°Kay. By the way, you wouldn¡¯t believe what happened yesterday. Last night, Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei lured over ten thousand Strangers into the county and killed them all with an ambush. There were a good number of Malice-ss Strangers in the mix, and the Nether Lord¡¯s avatar showed up near the end as well! Crazy, right? Had we arrived a day sooner, we might¡¯ve been able to join in on the excitement!¡±

    ¡°The Nether Lord¡¯s avatar?¡± Qing Kui¡¯s impatience morphed into a hint of shock. ¡°How is this county still standing then? You¡¯re not bullshitting me again, are you?¡±

    Xiao Yang shook his head. ¡°Not this time, senior brother! It¡¯s one hundred percent real! From what I heard, a young man managed to locate the ce where the summoning ritual was taking ce and disrupt it. That was why they were able to kill the Nether Lord¡¯s avatar. If I remember correctly, the young man is called Ye Qing. It turns out that there¡¯s some truth to the old saying, ¡®boys make heroes¡¯ after all!¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Qing Kui eximed in realization before turning disdainful. ¡°I was wondering how for a bunch of trash who aren¡¯t even in the Astral Refinement stage yet managed to defeat the avatar of the Nether Lord. Turns out they¡¯re just lucky!¡±

    Xiao Yang chuckled. ¡°Luck is aponent of power, no?¡±

    Qing Kui did not deny this because it was true. Then, he realized that Xiao Yang had gone off on a tangent again and got angry. ¡°Can you stop trying to change the subject? Did you find out who killed Wu Chun?¡±

    Xiao Yang answered in a leisurely tone, ¡°Yep. They¡¯re the gang boss of the Iron Shirt Gang! They¡¯re extremely mysterious though. Not even the Pacification Bureau knows who they are!¡±

    ¡°The Iron Shirt what?¡± Qing Kui frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s a small gang in Anyang. The former boss was an old guy named Yan Tieyi, but he was taken out by the current boss. Then, the same person tricked Wu Chun into the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s headquarters using their friend¡ªapparently Wu Chun and Yan Tieyi were fast friends¡ªand ambushed him. In short, this gang boss is the one we¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Qing Kui said impatiently, ¡°Why are you telling me all this useless information? All I needed to hear was ¡®the killer is the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s boss¡¯! Anyway, I¡¯m heading over to annihte them now! Unless this boss is a total coward, there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t give us what we want!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, senior brother!¡± Xiao Yang hurriedly grabbed Qing Kui before he could walk away. ¡°The Iron Shirt Gang was a major help in the massive ambushst night. You may offend Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei if you destroy them!¡±

    ¡°So what? We¡¯ll just remove them if they dare to stand in our way!¡± Qing Kui snorted in disdain.

    ¡°Killing them is easy, but behind them stands the Pacification Bureau and Chu! Are you seriously going to risk Chu¡¯s wrath just because you want to finish this mission faster?¡±

    Qing Kui grumbled with displeasure. ¡°What the fuck should we do then?¡±

    A wicked smile crossed Xiao Yang¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Tonight, we¡¯ll infiltrate the Iron Shirt Gang and find that gang boss. Then, we¡¯ll convince them to surrender the item!¡±

    ¡°Are you fucking serious? That¡¯s exactly the same as my idea!¡±

    ¡°Not even remotely. You were nning to wipe out the whole gang, and I just want to have a good chat with the guy! Or girl!¡±

    Qing Kuiughed scornfully. ¡°Good chat my ass! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to let the gang boss live if they do hand over the item! You¡¯re acting like a prostitute who pretends she isn¡¯t a slut!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, what happened in your life that you think that killing one person is the same as wiping out a whole gang?¡± Xiao Yang threw his hands up and happened to notice that the moon was high. ¡°Oh good, it¡¯s midnight already. I know you¡¯re dying to bloody your hands, so let¡¯s go, senior brother. Another day, another killing!¡±

    1. Chun can mean ¡°stupid¡±. ??

 Chapter 96: Itâ€™s Just A Joke, Bro!

    <h4>Chapter 96: It¡¯s Just A Joke, Bro!</h4>

    ¡°Have you memorized everything, Tao Xian?¡±

    In the rebuilt Flowing Cloud Hall, Ye Qing was sipping wine and instructing Tao Xian on his new task. After he was done, his aide bowed his head and said, ¡°I have!¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t a nagging person, but he could not help but remind Tao Xian again, ¡°Remember, the investigation must be carried out with the utmost caution. It would end terribly for everyone if we were discovered!¡±

    Tao Xian smiled and nodded again. ¡°No worries, boss. I promise to proceed with the utmost caution.¡±

    ¡°Good. You may take your leave now.¡±

    ¡°Have a good night, boss!¡± Tao Xian saluted Ye Qing respectfully before leaving the room.

    After Tao Xian was gone, Ye Qing left the Flowing Cloud Hall with his wine jar in tow. He then went to the garden to enjoy a rxing night stroll, all the while taking sips from his wine.

    There were two reasons he visited the Iron Shirt Gang tonight. One, he had something to entrust Tao Xian with. Two, he thought he deserved a break after that major battlest night, not to mention that he had jumped right back into cultivation and cultivated for almost twenty hours after that. His legs were literally numb when he finally stopped and tried to stand up.

    Hard work was important, but rxation was just as important be it in literary arts or martial arts. Even if it wasn¡¯t, he had no intentions of cooping himself up in his room all day every day. It was bad for his mental health and his charisma so to speak!

    ¡°Up in the sky, there is a moon, a bed of stars, and an entire universe, and in my hand, there is a jar of wine, a garden of flowers, and an endless future. Now this is what I call poetic!¡± Ye Qing hummed happily to himself while strolling along a winding path through the garden. It was an elegant and beautiful ce with melodious streams, quaint bridges, well-trimmed bushes, and gorgeous flowers that seemed to glow in the night. Every step he took introduced a sight to behold for the rest of time, and every ten steps felt as if he had crossed into a new world. This really was a fantastic ce to enjoy the moon and drink delicious wine.

    s, the moment couldn¡¯tst. He was just rounding a corner when he suddenly came face to face with an unfamiliar man. A few secondster, he became certain that the man wasn¡¯t a member of the Iron Shirt Gang. One, a night guard would have asked him who he was and what the hell he was doing in the garden already. Second, they wouldn¡¯t be wearing a bronze mask that covered up their face.

    ¡°Who are¡ª Ye Qing began, but the man did not wait for him to finish. He took a step forward, released his aura, and threatened in a cold, harsh voice, ¡°Quiet! You¡¯re dead if you say another word! Where is your boss right now?¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes glowed a terrifying red in the darkness. If Ye Qing didn¡¯t know better, he would think that the man was a Stranger ready to consume him at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Ye Qing blinked. This guy was a masked man who infiltrated the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s headquarters in the dead of the night, and the first question he asked upon encountering someone was the location of their boss¡­ yeah, this guy was totally here to kill him.

    ¡°Say something! If not, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    The man¡¯s eyes grew even redder. In fact, his aura was turning red and distorting the air around him.

    In response, Ye Qing shrugged and said, ¡°You were the one who said I¡¯m dead if I say another word, and now you¡¯re threatening to kill me if I stay silent? Make up your mind, man!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± The masked man lost his train of thought for a moment. If he wasn¡¯t as desperate as he was, he would¡¯ve murdered the damn brat for mouthing off to him already.

    The masked man was none other than Qing Kui. After arriving at the Iron Shirt Gang¡¯s headquarters, they had put on their masks, infiltrated the headquarters, and captured a couple of people. Their n was pretty simple. They would interrogate their captives and find out where their gang boss was. Then, they would go to the gang boss and capture them. Once the gang boss had given them what they wanted, they would kill them to tie up loose ends and leave the ce. Missionplete!

    Unfortunately, reality was a harsh mistress. After infiltrating the gang and interrogating a good number of people, they quickly realized that the gang members were just as ignorant as they were. Forget their boss¡¯ location, they didn¡¯t even know if their boss was a male or female, old or young! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Zheng Feng and Yan Tieyi were dead, they would¡¯ve believed that this boss didn¡¯t exist at all!

    Not wanting to stay here all night, he and Xiao Yang split up so they could interrogate the men faster. Someone had to know who their boss was and where they were hiding, right? For a long time, Qing Kui was met with failure after failure until finally, he discovered Ye Qing in the garden.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t just taking a night stroll in the garden, he was drinking wine, enjoying the moon, andposing poems that positively made Qing Kui¡¯s skin crawl. He had to be a prominent figure in the Iron Shirt Gang, meaning that he just might be able to tell him where the mysterious boss of the Iron Shirt Gang was.

    ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience. Tell me where your boss is, or I will shatter every tooth in your mouth!¡± Qing Kui uttered harshly and murderously.

    Ye Qing flinched back and protested innocently, ¡°Calm, man, calm! You should¡¯ve just said that sooner! I¡¯ll take you to him right now!¡±

    <i>But I </i>did <i>tell you to tell me where your boss is, you sonuvabitch! Grr!</i>

    Most warriors were immune to mortal diseases, but Qing Kui felt he was dangerously close to catching a stroke. He swore he would suck the young man¡¯s blood dry as soon as he had led him to his boss.

    ¡°Move! Don¡¯t try anything stupid, or I swear I will make you wish you were dead!¡± Qing Kui ordered and pointed a finger at Ye Qing. A snake that seemed to be made out of blood immediately appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around his neck like a cor. It was so cold that frost was literally forming on his skin.

    <i>He¡¯s strong! </i>

    Although the blood snake looked incredibly real¡ªit was even flicking its tongue at him like a real snake¡ªYe Qing¡¯s senses told him that it was really a manifestation of true qi. Not only that, his senses were telling him that this masked man was extremely dangerous.

    <i>Is he a peakte-stage Vessel Augmentor? Maybe even an Astral Refiner?</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s pupils contracted a little. This guy clearly wasn¡¯t here to enjoy a drink with him, but what did he want exactly? Was it revenge for what had happened to Zheng Feng or Yan Tieyi?? Was it an attack by those who felt like they didn¡¯t get what they deserved during the Zheng n¡¯s downfall? Or was it something else?

    ¡°What are you doing? I said move!¡± Qing Kui urged when he saw Ye Qing nking out of it for some reason.

    ¡°Okay, okay! Don¡¯t hurt me! I¡¯ll take you to the boss right now!¡± Ye Qing pretended to flinch again and put on an obsequious smile.

    <i>For now, I should y along and see where this goes!</i>

    Ye Qing led Qing Kui out of the garden and straight toward Tao Xian¡¯s residence. When they had arrived, he pointed toward the main entrance and said, ¡°Our boss is inside!¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re very funny, don¡¯t you?¡± Qing Kui¡¯s eyes boiled with killing intent as he stared at the brightly lit room. The bastard might as well have pointed him to the entrance!

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a trick! I wouldn¡¯t dare lie to you with my life on the line!¡± Ye Qing exined in a hurry, ¡°Our boss is a good man and a workaholic. That is why he¡¯s still working even though it¡¯s past midnight!¡±

    <i>It¡¯s a logical exnation. I¡¯m sure that Yan Yufei, for example, is still working at this time!</i>

    Unfortunately, the bestid ns of mice and men often go awry. Before Qing Kui could decide if Ye Qing was trying to lead him into a trap or not, the door abruptly creaked open to reveal Tao Xian. The Hallmaster nced back and forth between the two of them before saluting, ¡°Good night, boss. Did you have something else to add?¡±

    Qing Kui: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    If reality was a harsh mistress, then coincidence was a real bitch. Ye Qing had led Qing Kui to Tao Xian¡¯s room precisely because he knew that the Hallmaster wasn¡¯t asleep yet. While Tao Xian was distracting the assassin, he would catch him by surprise and hopefully kill him in one strike. Even if he failed, he was confident he would be able tond a solid blow and earn himself the upper hand.

    However, Tao Xian had stepped out of his room at the worst possible timing and said the worst possible things. After that, well, there was no after that because the game was up.

    ¡°So. You¡¯re the boss,¡± Qing Kui said in a mocking tone while squinting his eyes at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Ye Qing coughed drily before shooting Qing Kui an apologetic smile. ¡°The weather is pretty good today, so I thought I should wee you in with a joke. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°I do mind.¡± Qing Kui¡¯s eyes shed red, and the blood snake entangled around his neck immediately squeezed with all its might. Ye Qing¡¯s face instantly flushed red as his breath became caught in his throat.

    ¡°Boss!?¡± By now, Tao Xian noticed that something was amiss. He did not hesitate to rush to Ye Qing¡¯s rescue, but Qing Kui merely sneered and thrust his palm toward the Hallmaster. A crimson, hand-shaped silhouette immediately flew straight toward Tao Xian with deadly, all-consuming power. Everything in its way including the air was being consumed by the bloody hand.

    Tao Xian skidded to a stop and turned as pale as a sheet. He wanted to dodge out of the way, but it felt as if the surrounding air was pinning him in ce. He could only watch as the bloody hand sailed toward his chest.

    Right when Tao Xian was resigned to his fate, a young man appeared in front of him and spun his sleeves in a circle, trapping the bloody hand at the center and dissolving it into nothing. He was Ye Qing, of course.

    ¡°Boss!¡± Tao Xian cried out while breathing an audible sigh of relief.

    ¡°Huh. It seems I¡¯ve underestimated you!¡± Qing Kui looked surprised as well. He didn¡¯t think that there was anyone in this county who could block his attack so easily.

    If Ye Qing¡¯s Boundless Lightning Palm wasposed of forceful, yang force, then the bloody hand was theplete opposite. Vicious and unforgiving, the bloody hand shattered the bones and melted the flesh and blood of anyone who was struck by it. It should not need to be said that it was extremely dangerous, and yet Ye Qing had neutralized it without any effort at all. Clearly, he was an outstanding warrior.

    But of course, surprise was all he felt from Ye Qing¡¯s performance. He still did not consider him to be a threat at all.

    ¡°Nah! I¡¯m just a little talented is all!¡± Ye Qing waved away the praise casually. ¡°Everyone here are civilized people, so let¡¯s act like it, okay? What do you want? If it¡¯s within my ability to give, then I will give it to you!¡±

    ¡°But before you start, don¡¯t ask me for my money or my life, okay? I don¡¯t have money, and I¡¯m not handing over my life!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qing Kui ignored his joke and asked, ¡°Are you the one who killed Zheng Feng?¡±

    ¡°Yep! That¡¯s me!¡± Ye Qing did not deny this because there was no point. The guy wouldn¡¯t be here if he hadn¡¯t investigated the truth behind the incident thoroughly. ¡°Are you here to take revenge for Zheng Feng?¡±

    Instead of answering, Qing Kui asked another question, ¡°If you¡¯re the one who killed Zheng Feng, then you must have obtained his possessions. Did you find a painting among them?¡±

    ¡°A painting?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brow for a second before rxing. <i>Are they here for the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±?</i>

    The slight change in Ye Qing¡¯s expression did not elude Qing Kui. A smile spread across his face as he said, ¡°You have seen the painting! Give it to me, and I promise I won¡¯t desecrate your corpse!¡±

    ¡°The painting is with me, yes, but if you¡¯re going to kill me either way then why the bloody hell would I give it to you?¡± Ye Qing asked with a raised eyebrow. <i>Is the guy stupid? Did no one teach him how to negotiate terms like a human being?</i>

    ¡°The hard way it is!¡± Qing Kui let out an ominous chuckle. ¡°I was hoping you would turn me down anyway!¡±

    As soon as he finished, his bloody aura grew much stronger than before. It looked as red as fire, and yet it felt so cold it was like they were standing next to the source of winter. At the same time, frozen blood rippled out of the man like shockwaves.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ an Astral Refiner!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s pupils contracted a little. He had his suspicions, but now he was certain that the assassin was in the Astral Refinement stage. It was because the bloody aura surrounding Qing Kui wasn¡¯t made of true qi, but astral qi.

    True qi was the intangible, insubstantial essence of the world. It could be molded into anything and everything, but it did not have a defining attribute. On the other hand, astral qi was known as the Qi of Perpetual Motion. Generally speaking, it referred to natural true qi that had taken on a distinct shape and attribute due to their environment or other factors. Some of the most astral qi in the world were Bing Fire, Yi Wood, Gui Water and so on.

    An Astral Refiner was a warrior who had absorbed astral qi into their body and refined it into their true qi to give it characteristics of fire, water, lightning, earth, sound and other forces of nature. This was why astral qi was infinitely more varied and powerful than pure true qi.

    Take Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡± for example. The martial art molded his true qi to simte the force of lightning, but it was ultimately just a simtion. It was nowhere as realistic or potent as the real thing.

    Besides that, there was a reason astral qi was known as the Qi of Perpetual Motion. A body that was tempered by astral qi would not leak vigor, strength, or vitality into the environment, meaning that it could theoretically function indefinitely without an external energy source. It was why the ancients called this body the ¡°Innate wless Body¡±.

    To give a metaphor, if the Vessel Augmentation stage was the stage where the warrior dug ¡°ponds¡± and ¡°channels¡± in their body to fill them with ¡°water¡±, then the Astral Refinement stage was the stage where they nted the seeds of life in their body and transformed it into a true ecosystem, mimicking nature in every sense of the word.

    Ye Qing was now a bonafidete-stage Vessel Augmentor, so he had begun looking into the Astral Refinement stage as a matter of course. However, he absolutely wasn¡¯t expecting to meet an Astral Refiner in the flesh, much less one who meant to do him harm.

    ¡°A-An Astral Refiner?!¡± Tao Xian stammered out in fright, and not just because the creeping frost was cold enough to constrict his blood vessels and turn his blood was ice. He could barely move an inch with how stiff he felt.

 Chapter 97: Yin Blood Qi

    <h4>Chapter 97: Yin Blood Qi</h4>

    <strong>Chapter 97: Yin Blood Qi</strong>

    Trantor: Truth

    ¡°You¡¯re also smarter than you look. It¡¯s too bad the answer isn¡¯t going to help you one bit!¡± Qing Kui sneered, and the frosty blood on the ground abruptly lifted into the air and transformed into a swarm of hissing snakes. Ye Qing had no doubt they would rip him and Tao Xian into pieces if given the chance to do so.

    ¡°You should go!¡± Ye Qing pped Tao Xian on the chest. The gentle force didn¡¯t just push him out of the frosty blood¡¯s range, it also dissolved the yin energy stifling his limbs and restoring control to his body.

    After Tao Xian was out of danger, he immediately turned tail and ran like the wind. ¡°Hang on, boss! I¡¯ll call for help immediately!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>You know, I thought the underlings should be the ones throwing themselves against formidable enemies while I, the boss, shoot orders from the backline. So why is the opposite happening here?</i>

    ¡°Your underling has abandoned you, brat. If you surrender now, I might yet change my mind about torturing you and making you wish you were dead!¡± Qing Kui couldn¡¯t care less about Tao Xian escaping because there was no one he could call that could pose a real threat against him, and by the time he mustered enough men he would¡¯ve killed Ye Qing and left the ce a long time ago.

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks!¡± Ye Qing jolted back to reality and replied. He could daydream after he had beaten the assassin. Staring at the snake swarm in front of him, he curled his fingers and somehow caused the blood to drain away from their bodies, leaving behind only icy frost. When the snakes were about three inches away from him, they abruptly shattered into pieces as if they hadpletely expended their energy and could not maintain their form any longer.

    ¡°How did you¡­?¡± Qing Kui¡¯s smile morphed into shock and confusion when he saw this. He had no idea how Ye Qing had done it, but he had suddenly lost control of his bloody snakes when they were less than a second away from skewering the young man.

    The battle was just starting though. Qing Kui¡¯s palm and the surrounding air abruptly turned blood red like an inferno. Then, he unleashed a palm strike that was far, far more powerful than the one he attempted to kill Tao Xian with earlier.

    The bloody palm flying toward Ye Qing looked as picturesque as a painting, but it came at the cost of everything around it. The ground, the nts, and even the fake mountains some thirty meters away from the attack were covered in sheen of red frost. It slowly ate away at their form until nothing was left behind.

    <i>¡°Yin Blood Hand¡±</i>

    The ¡°Yin Blood Hand¡± was Qing Kui¡¯s signature move. He cultivated a cultivation art called the ¡°Yin Blood Qi Scripture¡±, and it transformed his true qi into an insidious, brutal astral qi called the Yin Blood Qi.

    It bore repeating that Yin Blood Qi was an exceptionally insidious and brutal astral qi. Not only was it cold enough to freeze a person¡¯s blood and inflict frostbite damage, it could invade a person¡¯s body to corrupt their vigor and melt their innards without a trace. At a certain level, the astral qi could even influence a person¡¯s mind without them noticing.

    The ¡°Yin Blood Qi Scripture¡± came together with a palm art known as the ¡°Yin Blood Hand¡±. It was a martial art made to maximize the Yin Blood Qi¡¯s potential. Ideally, the ¡°Yin Blood Hand¡± could freeze everything and melt all flesh and blood into goo in one palm strike. It was incredibly deadly to put it mildly.

    Of course, Qing Kui hadn¡¯t gone all out. He didn¡¯t want to kill Ye Qing until he had obtained the painting after all. Even so, he was confident that the palm strike would hurt Ye Qing enough to incapacitate him.

    On the other side, Ye Qing stood frozen in ce like someone who had lost all will to resist. However, right before the bloody palm wouldnd, Qing Kui¡¯s hair abruptly stood on end not unlike a mouse who was cornered by a cat. It was at this moment Ye Qing opened his mouth and sucked the bloody palm and the bloody air around it into his stomach!

    ¡°Not bad, not bad! It¡¯s kinda like eating a super hot pepper, but cold!¡± Ye Qing smirked while licking his lips.

    Qing Kui wasn¡¯t expecting this at all, but he did not hesitate to rush forward and point his finger at Ye Qing. Bloody energy streamed out of his fingertip like light beams and threatened to turn the body part he was aiming at into goo. He was aiming at Ye Qing¡¯s major points too, meaning that the young man would be crippled if even one of the attacks hit.

    <i>¡°Melting Finger¡±</i>

    However, Ye Qing was able to duck and weave through the assault like a cloud dancing in the wind. No matter how close the Melting Finger came to hitting him, it was never actually close enough to deal any sort of damage. When he had dodged the final attack, Ye Qing abruptly disappeared and reappeared behind Qing Kui.

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±</i>

    Qing Kui was both shocked and furious when he sensed the attack. His senses told him that Ye Qing was just ate-stage Vessel Augmentor, and yet the tidal wave of force rushing toward his back was on par¡ªno, greater than what he could muster, an Astral Refiner! This wasn¡¯t possible unless¡­

    <i>Did he achieve perfect augmentation!? </i>The possibility entered Qing Kui¡¯s mind. Only a Vessel Augmentor who had augmented all twelve Standard Meridians, eight Extraordinary Meridians, and three hundred and sixty points could possess such a tremendous amount of true qi!

    <i>But this is Anyang! What is a perfect Vessel Augmentor doing in a backwater county like this?</i>

    It was no wonder that Qing Kui was confused. He was a member of a powerful faction, but even he had only augmented twelve Standard Meridians, six Extraordinary Meridians, and three hundred points in his body.

    <i>There¡¯s no way this can be true. I have to be mistaken¡­ right?</i>

    By now, Ye Qing¡¯s attack was less than a second away from hitting his back. Not daring to treat it lightly or conserve his strength, he channeled his Yin Blood Qi to the max and manifested what looked like a blood red moon from his body.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The red globe of astral qi was so thick it was almost tangible, but Ye Qing¡¯s attack had smashed through it like a tsunami crashing through a building. If Qing Kui wasn¡¯t sure before, he now knew with absolute certainty that Ye Qing¡¯s reservoir of true qi was much bigger than him.

    Qing Kui staggered forward uncontrobly and had to catch himself. Although his makeshift shield managed to block off most of the attack, he still felt like cracks were forming across his innards. However, his pain was quickly overwhelmed by a greater shock when he saw Ye Qing clenching his hand and pulling all the blood in the air toward him. They converged just above his palm and formed a small globe of blood.

    ¡°Impossible¡­ How are you controlling my Yin Blood Qi?¡± Qing Kui couldn¡¯t help but blurt out in shock.

    He could ept Ye Qing having a greater reservoir of true qi than him, an Astral Refiner. The guy was a perfect Vessel Augmentor after all. He could even ept that Ye Qing was resistant or immune to his Yin Blood Qi. He had fought against warriors whose martial art was the antithesis of his Yin Blood Qi and witnessed martial arts that were far stranger than his.

    But how in the flying fuck was the young man controlling his Yin Blood Qi like he was the true Astral Refiner here, not him? He had never seen anything like this despite his myriad life experiences, and he did not like it one bit because it meant that there was at least one factor in this battle that waspletely out of his control.

    Ye Qing squeezed the globe of blood in his hand a little. It was only as big as a walnut, but he could feel an unbelievable amount of energy in it. If he tossed it on the ground, he had no doubt that the resulting explosion would destroy at least half of the headquarters. It was a terrifying amount of power to say the least.

    Astral qi was just so much more powerful than natural true qi, and this was especially true in Qing Kui¡¯s case. Qing Kui had not ascended to the Astral Refinement stage by refiningmon astral qi such as Bing Fire or Gui Water. It was the strange and deadly Yin Blood Qi. If Ye Qing had been an ordinaryte-stage Vessel Augmentor, he could¡¯ve defeated him and killed him in just a matter of seconds.

    Unfortunately for Qing Kui, the Yin Blood Qi was mainly a blood astral qi with a bit of yin element in it, and it just so happened that Ye Qing¡¯s blood was the bane of all blood thanks to its devouring ability! In fact, his blood had been growing restless since Qing Kui hadunched his first attack. He could tell that it wanted to devour the blood in the air to enrich itself.

    This was why Ye Qing had chosen to stay behind and fight despite knowing that his enemy was an Astral Refiner. It was because he had a real shot at oveing the gap between their cultivation level and killing Qing Kui. Otherwise, he would¡¯ve run away a long time ago!

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe your astral qi likes me more than it likes you?¡± Ye Qing joked while continuing to toy with the globe of blood.

    ¡°Is there no end to your shitty jokes, you bastard?¡± Qing Kui narrowed his eyes. Of course he didn¡¯t believe Ye Qing¡¯s nonsense, but until he figured out exactly why his opponent could steal away his Yin Blood Qi, he would be fighting at a disadvantage, and the thought that a <i>Vessel Augmentor </i>had any advantage over him at all irked him to no end.

    Still, he needed to end this as soon as possible. If Ye Qing managed to drag out the fight long enough for reinforcements to show up, he would be in a lot of trouble not because they could threaten him, but because it would lead to the kind of consequences Xiao Yang had warned him about.

    Also, he refused to believe that he, an Astral Refiner, could not squash a mere Vessel Augmentor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ve won yet, brat. I¡¯ll show you the true power of an Astral Refiner starting now!¡± Qing Kui dered when blood suddenly poured out of his eyes and trickled down his bronze mask. Then, strange patterns lit up across the surface of the mask and formed the lifelike image of a tiger as it absorbed the blood.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    ].

    A terrific amount of fiendish energy gushed out of the bronze mask then. It was so thick that it shrouded the assassin like a fog.

    ¡°Kill! Kill! KILL!¡±

    Ye Qing could vaguely hear the sound of hoofbeats, the nging of metals, and battle cries from the fog-like energy. There were the sound of war drums and blowing horns as well. It was as if the two of them had been transported into a battlefield.

    At the same time, a silhouette wearing a draconic armor and a bronze mask appeared behind Qing Kui. The mask looked exactly the same as the one Qing Kui was wearing. The silhouette also wielded a Green Dragon Crescent de.

    ¡°GRAH!¡±

    The silhouette abruptly looked up and roared on top of his lungs, and the fiendish energy surrounding Qing Kui immediately flooded into the silhouette. His body kept growing more and more tangible until he almost looked like a real person; a real war general.

    The general abruptly mmed the butt of his crescent de against the ground, shattering it. He red daggers at Ye Qing and roared again, ¡°KILL!¡±

    An unspeakable aura full of bloodthirst and violence washed out of the war general then. At that moment, Ye Qing had no doubt that whoever the war general in life was a mighty warrior who had fought a thousand battles, wade through mountains of corpses, and swam across seas of blood to be who he was. It was such a show of intimidation that even Ye Qing could barely keep his cool and stabilize his mind. A weaker man would¡¯ve lost all will to fight after hearing that battle cry alone.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    Finally, the general grabbed his crescent de with both hands and began his attack.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The general was a good distance away from Ye Qing, but when he swung his crescent de diagonally across the air, a terrific crescent of death flew toward the young man with seemingly enough force to cut the heaven and the earth itself in half. At that moment, the world trembled, and all colors seemed to fade into nothing!

    ¡°Oh shit shit SHIT! I knew I shouldn¡¯t have fooled around!¡± Ye Qing cried out in rm while dashing sideways as quickly as he could. Every cell in his body was screaming that there was no chance in hell he could block the attack. The crescent de was a true de of war whose sole purpose in existence was to y its enemies. The technique might seem insultingly basic¡ªanyone who had reached the Vessel Augmentation stage could swing a weapon and shoot their true qi¡ªbut why would you needplexity when your attack was backed by overwhelming power?

    It was as if the general¡¯s violence, bloodthirst, aura and more had been molded together to create a pure instrument of murder. This one attack was worth thousands and thousands of attacks. Forget one Ye Qing, not even two Ye Qings might be enough to block the attack!

    Ye Qing hadunched into evasive maneuvers as soon as he saw the crescent of death flying toward him, but it chased after him like a homing missile and could not be shaken off no matter what he tried. Not only that, there was so much power behind the attack that it was crushing everything ahead of it before it even reached them. It cut through walls, structures and the earth beneath it like they didn¡¯t even exist.

    <i>I can¡¯t dodge this, </i>the thought entered Ye Qing¡¯s mind. But he had to, because every other option led to certain death. So, he pushed Blood Sea Fragrance to the utmost limit and danced all over the ce as light as a feather and as quick as a lightning bolt. Not only that, he unleashed his spirit so he could locate the weakest spot in the air and minimize the air resistance he was enduring. Any speed he could squeeze out might just make the difference between life and death!

    In Qing Kui¡¯s eyes, Ye Qing was like a candle me struggling to survive a raging storm. The wind was strong, and the downpour was so potent that it could have extinguished even a raging inferno, much less a pathetic candle me. But no matter how fierce the storm raged, the candle refused to submit to fate and kept on burning. It never stopped emitting a warm light that valiantly pushed back against the darkness and despair closing in around it; a light that looked like hope itself!

 Chapter 98: On Second Thought

    <h4>Chapter 98: On Second Thought</h4>

    ¡°Hope, huh? If hope is all it takes to change fate, then the world would¡¯ve been a much better ce!¡± Qing Kui said mockingly.

    The mask he was wearing was called the ¡°Bronze Tiger Head¡±, a bonafide Malice-ss Strange Artifact. Legends said that it belonged to a fearsome war general whose name was lost to time. Imbued with a terrible amount of power, it could summon the general¡¯s soul fragment and have him fight on behalf of its wielder.

    The crescent of death was the general¡¯s ultimate attack, and it was about as potent as ate-stage Astral Refiner¡¯s attack. It was why Qing Kui¡¯s ridiculingment wasn¡¯t unreasonable. The fact was that Ye Qing was slowing down and growing pale over time. The crescent of death was slowly but surely shrinking his room for maneuver as well.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Qing Kui sneered coldly. From the moment he used the Bronze Tiger Head, he had given up on the idea of capturing Ye Qing alive. After all, the painting had to be on Ye Qing¡¯s person or somewhere in the headquarters. It would take a while, but he would find the painting eventually.

    Qing Kui failed to notice something critical, however. It was true that Ye Qing was losing room for maneuver, but he was also getting closer and closer to Qing Kui. When he was mere meters away from the Astral Refiner, he abruptly jabbed a finger at him.

    It looked like the act of a petnt child who was moments away from losing their game, but Qing Kui felt a chill running down his spine for some reason. The next moment, he felt his blood suddenly going out of control like someone had added a drop of water into a pot of boiling oil. It mmed against the walls of his blood vessels repeatedly as if it was trying to escape.

    Qi and blood were keyponents of one¡¯s vigor. If either one of them was disrupted, it would be impossible for the person to function normally. Naturally, Qing Kui was immediately assaulted by a wave of dizziness, and his vital signs were going haywire as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Qing Kui pressed a hand to his chest and looked inward. To his shock, he noticed invisible, dust-sized tendrils that almost looked like shadows of blood swimming inside his body. He would never have noticed them if not for the sudden deterioration of his health. They were Ye Qing¡¯s Blood Shadows and the reason for sudden disruption of his vigor, of course.

    ¡°When did this¡­?¡± Qing Kui muttered in confusion and disbelief even as he mustered his true qi and attempted to expel the Blood Shadows. However, they were unusually difficult to remove even for an Astral Refiner like him.

    Suddenly, Qing Kui felt a tiny burst of pain behind his neck. A thin wound then appeared out of seemingly nowhere. When he focused his eyes and stared at his surroundings, he finally noticed the nigh invisible Blood Shadows swimming all around him like ghosts.

    ¡°This is¡­ the Blood Shadow Magic?¡± Qing Kui¡¯s eyes bulged when he realized what he was seeing. ¡°How did you know the Blood Shadow Castle¡¯s magic art? Are you a disciple of Blood Shadow Castle?¡±

    However, he quickly refuted his own assumption, ¡°No, no, I must be mistaken. The real Blood Shadow Magic could never affect my vigor! Who are you?¡±

    More wounds appeared on Qing Kui¡¯s body as he was speaking. They were so tiny that they couldn¡¯t even threaten an ordinary person¡¯s life, but for some reason Qing Kui had a bad, bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Haha! You came to kill me, and you don¡¯t even know who I am?¡± Ye Qing replied while still darting about in the sky. Thanks to the Blood Shadows affecting the flow of Qing Kui¡¯s vigor, the crescent of death chasing after him had be a lot weaker than before. It still wasn¡¯t enough though. He had snuck the Blood Shadows into Qing Kui¡¯s body almost as soon as they started fighting, but the assassin was an Astral Refiner. He quickly found out that he was unable to control the Blood Shadows enough to affect Qing Kui¡¯s vigor unless he was within a few meters of him. As for killing him outright with the Blood Shadows like he had done with the Soundless Bugs, that was downright impossible without sufficient preparation.

    So he prepared. While Qing Kui was still struggling to control his vigor or his astral qi, hended hit after hit with his Blood Shadows until the guy was bleeding all over the ce. Eventually, Qing Kui grew frustrated enough to shout, ¡°I don¡¯t care who the fuck you are, but you¡¯ll never kill me with such petty tricks!¡±

    As soon as he finished, the Astral Refiner forcefully mustered a ball of astral qi in his dantian and discharged it across his whole body. This time, he was able to destroy the Blood Shadows lurking within his vigor.

    ¡°Well done, friend. Unfortunately, you¡¯re just a little toote!¡± Ye Qing said suddenly. Before Qing Kui could make sense of his words, blood abruptly squirted out of his wounds like water out of an open valve!

    It happened so fast. One second ago, Qing Kui was still rejoicing over the annihtion of the Blood Shadows and getting ready to end Ye Qing once and for all. The next, fountains of blood shot out of his wounds like fireworks, and then all that was left was a pile of skins and bones. Qing Kui never even reacted to it until it was toote.

    This was what Ye Qing had been nning from the beginning. Although his Blood Shadow Magic could absorb and affect another person¡¯s blood, there was only so much he could do against people whose cultivation level was higher than him. To give an example, a weaker cultivator was like a small, inferior quality water bag. One tiny hole was all he needed to drain them of their blood. However, a stronger cultivator was a bigger, tougher water bag. Not only did it take much more effort to put a hole in their body, he needed multiple holes to drain their bloodpletely.

    So that was what he did. He put as many holes in Qing Kui¡¯s body as possible before draining him. Not even an Astral Refiner could withstand losing most of their blood in one go!

    <i>How does it feel to be sucked dry, bitch?</i>

    However, Qing Kui still wasn¡¯t dead despite losing the heavy injury. He shouted, ¡°Save me, junior brother!¡± before jumping to his feet and running toward the exit. Of course, he could no longer use the Bronze Tiger Head in this state, so the war general behind his back and the crescent of death chasing after Ye Qing abruptly shattered into a million pieces and vanished.

    <i>He¡¯s still alive?</i> Ye Qing squinted at the escaping Astral Refiner. Then, he reappeared behind Qing Kui and beheaded him in one smooth motion.

    Qing Kui¡¯s head drew a long arc across the air. While it was passing by a rooftop, a silhouette just so happened to appear on the rooftop and caught sight of the head. Its cheeks were sunken, and its eyes were bulging like the eyeballs might fall off their sockets at any moment. It looked like a skull wearing human skin, and it was beyond ugly to put it mildly.

    ¡°Heavens, that¡¯s the ugliest head I¡¯ve ever seen in my life,¡± the silhouettemented. Then, he realized something and eximed in shock, ¡°Wait¡­ is that Qing Kui¡¯s head?¡±

    After the head fell out of sight, he shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s still ugly though.¡±

    The silhouette was Xiao Yang, of course. While looking down on Ye Qing from the rooftop, he whispered seemingly to himself, ¡°My senior brother may be a little arrogant, violent, loathsome and ugly, and although I totally would¡¯ve killed him myself because I didn¡¯t want to share the painting with anyone, he was my senior brother and a member of my Sunset Hill. As the saying goes, blood is thicker than water¡ªwait that¡¯s not right, he¡¯s my senior brother, not my actual brother. Er¡­¡±

    Xiao Yang thought for a long time but could note up with a proper idiom, so he resumed his monologue, ¡°Anyway, because something something and yada yada, it is only right that I take revenge for him.¡±

    Xiao Yang got ready to meet Ye Qing in battle after he finally finished his inane mumbling, but right before he could do so Ye Qing abruptly raised his hand and made a fist. All the blood in the area immediately floated into the air and converged into a globe in front of him. Then, he swallowed the globe and returned to full strength in an instant!

    ¡°... On second thought, never mind¡­¡±

    Xiao Yang was going to attack the young man just now because he looked tired, but now? The young man looked like he was up for another showdown, and heavens know that Xiao Yang never fought fairly if he could help it. Qing Kui wasn¡¯t just any disciple, he was a genius disciple who had a good chance of bing a pir of Sunset Hill in the future. Sure, his senior brother was no match for him, but even he couldn¡¯t have killed the Astral Refiner and walked away unscathed. In fact, the best oue he could hope for was a close victory.

    On the other hand, the young man had killed Qing Kui with seemingly no effort whatsoever. He couldn¡¯t spot a scratch on his body even after his senior brother had used his trump card, the Bronze Tiger Head, meaning that he was definitely more formidable than Qing Kui. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the guy had seemingly recovered his strength in just the blink of an eye! What the hell was even that technique? Was that why Qing Kui had died looking like the victim of a forbidden voodoo ritual? Who in their right mind would engage such a powerful and unpredictable opponent if they could help it?

    He wasn¡¯t just any man, he was an extraordinarily handsome man [1]. He had no intentions of fighting a battle he could have avoided, losing, and being sucked in a dry, ugly husk. The thought that he might deprive every woman in the world of a national treasure like himself was enough to douse his fighting spirit like an ice bucket.

    So no, he wasn¡¯t going to fight the young man, at least not now. Revenge was a dish best served cold, and the painting could afford to wait a bit before returning to its rightful owner.

    His mind made up, Xiao Yang turned around and suddenly started fading as if his body was made of mist. It wasn¡¯t long before he waspletely gone.

    It was at this moment Tao Xian, Jie Chen and the others finally showed up in typicalte cavalry fashion. ¡°Boss! We¡¯re here, boss! Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a small fry. It¡¯s nothing to worry about,¡± Ye Qing replied casually while waving his hand.

    Tao Xian and Jie Chen stared at the copsed walls, ruined buildings, and tattered courtyard around them. Then, they felt the terrifying aura still permeating the air. Finally, they exchanged a quick nce with each other before looking away.

    <i>If </i>this <i>is what the boss considers a small fry, then what are we? The dirt on the ground?</i>

    Tao Xian stared at the beheaded ¡°small fry¡± on the ground and praised from the bottom of his heart, ¡°Long live the boss!¡±

    ¡°Long live the boss!¡± Everyone else dropped to one knee and echoed in heartfelt agreement.

    ¡°Mm. Everything¡¯s fine now, so you may take your leave!¡± Ye Qing waved for the others to leave before adding, ¡°Tao Xian, stay with me.¡±

    After the others were gone, Tao Xian saluted him respectfully and asked, ¡°What are your orders, boss?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°I want you to find out everything about this assassin. Who is he? Where did hee from? What did he¡ª¡±

    He abruptly cut himself off. It was only now he noticed that the assassin had been sucked into a dry husk, so whatever defining features it had before was either unrecognizable or distorted. His shrunken head also resembled a Stranger more than a human being. How was Tao Xian supposed to find anything like this?

    ¡°Never mind. Just clean up the ce when tomorrowes.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Tao Xian saluted before leaving his boss to his devices.

    After Tao Xian was gone, Ye Qing searched Qing Kui¡¯s corpse for loot but could not find anything.

    ¡°Penniless bastard. How is he so poor that he doesn¡¯t have a Nature¡¯s Shell?¡± Ye Qing muttered irritably but rxed when he nced at the bronze mask lying not far away from Qing Kui¡¯s head. ¡°At least there¡¯s still the mask. This Strange Artifact alone is worth ruining a night or two!¡±

    Ye Qing could still remember the fear he felt when the terrifying war general unleashed that devastating attack that almost killed him. He also felt a little excited.

    The bronze mask was obviously an incredibly powerful Strange Artifact. It wasn¡¯t just a match for his Blue Demon Hand. It had exceeded it.

    After he put the bronze mask safely into his Nature¡¯s Shell, Ye Qing unleashed the Netherme and burned Qing Kui into a pile of ashes. While doing so, he said,

    ¡°Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You may have tried to kill me, brother, but I won¡¯t hold a grudge against you and feed your body to the Strangers since I¡¯m a broad-minded man. That said, I¡¯m too busy a man to dig a grave for you, so cremation is the way to go. It¡¯s environmentally friendly, saves space, and beneficial to the realm. What¡¯s not to like, am I right?¡±

    After that, he turned around and walked toward the Flowing Cloud Hall.

    Just a few seconds after Ye Qing took off, a silhouette abruptly appeared on another rooftop and stared at Ye Qing¡¯s departing back. A short whileter, he rubbed his chin and mumbled regretfully, ¡°My word, he really took no damage from that fight? Oh well. There is always another chance!¡±

    The silhouette was none other than Xiao Yang!

    ¡°This brat has a lot of good stuff on him. What¡¯s yours is mine, and what¡¯s mine is still mine. Keep them safe for me, kiddo. One day, I will return and take back what¡¯s mine!¡±

    Xiao Yang disappeared once more, and this time, he did note back.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ they finally left!¡±

    At the door, Ye Qing let out a huge sigh of relief after the deadly aura his spirit had been sensing was finally gone. As if on cue, he abruptly covered his mouth and started coughing like he was coughing up a lung, blood trickling from between his fingers even as he tried to control his reaction.

    1. this is Xiao Yang¡¯s subjective opinion ??

 Chapter 99: Acrostic

    <h4>Chapter 99: Acrostic</h4>

    <i>That was too close!</i>

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t just hurt, he was hurt pretty badly. Although he managed to avoid getting hit by the crescent of death¡ªhe would¡¯ve died otherwise¡ªit hade close enough to wound him with its force and destructive will. The reason he hadn¡¯t allowed himself to show any sign of weakness until now was because of the assassin¡¯sst words:

    ¡°Save me, junior brother!¡±

    Hisst words were proof that the assassin hadn¡¯te alone. Considering how powerful he had been, his junior brother could not be too far behind. The only reason he managed to kill the assassin was because the Blood Shadow Divine Art just happened to counter his cultivation art perfectly. Another Vessel Augmentor, even a weaker one might have proven to be more than a match for him, not to mention that he was in no condition to fight a consecutive battle.

    Had Ye Qing showed any weakness at all, he was certain that he would not live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun. That was why he had pretended to be fine, no, more than fine. There was no telling if the assassin¡¯s junior brother had watched the battle, but at the very least Ye Qing wanted him to think that he was almost or fully healthy after the battle. He wanted to sow so much doubt and uncertainty in the junior brother that he was disinclined to fight him.

    Of course, his tactic only worked against smart people. If the junior brother turned out to be an idiot or a one-track minded person who couldn¡¯t read a clue to save his life, then he was dead as a dodo. It was as simple as that.

    Luckily, his acting skill was up to par, and his spirit was just strong enough that he noticed the junior brother spying on him from the darkness. That was why he did not slip up until the end and somehow lived to see another day.

    ¡°That was <i>way </i>too close! Thank god I¡¯m a lucky man, and thanks for watching over me, dad [1]!¡± Ye Qing breathed an audible sigh of relief after he finally managed to stop his cough. ¡°But who are these people? Why did they show up now to take the ¡®Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡¯?¡±

    He could see why the assassin¡ªor anyone for the matter¡ªwould want to steal the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± for themselves. After all, it was an incredible visualization method that could increase one¡¯s mental strength and fortitude. However, Zheng Feng had owned it for years without ever finding a murderous Astral Refiner standing in his backyard, while he had barely owned it for a week or two before trouble found its way to its doorsteps. Was he mistaken about his luck, or was Zheng Feng just that lucky?

    In the end, Ye Qing could onlyfort himself by thinking, <i>it must be because I¡¯m too handsome and talented. Even the heavens deem that I must face a tribtion or two to bnce out the scales.</i>

    Ye Qing went into the room, assumed a meditative pose and closed his eyes. He then channeled the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡± with all he got. His heart beat loudly like drums, and he could hear his blood rushing like a river in his ears. Soon, he emanated a red light and turned boiling hot like the sun. The entire room was dyed in red for a long time.

    Over four hourster, when the horizon started to turn white like the belly of a fish, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of murky qi. Lightning suddenly crept across the furniture, and the room was filled with a terrifying, murderous aura in an instant.

    <i>Buzz¡ª</i>

    The entire room shook as the unusual aura swam restlessly throughout the space. Invisible de energies instantly diced the table, the chairs, the cups and every item in the room into fine powder. It was terrifying to say the least.

    Ye Qing reached out and pulled seemingly all the air in the room into his palm. Then, he clenched his hand until there was a devastating pop and a terrific gale. A long timeter, the wind finally subsided together with the murderous aura and the de energies.

    ¡°Phew! It¡¯s done!¡± what he spat out of his mouth just now was of course, the de force that had invaded his body. Technically speaking, his internal injuries weren¡¯t that severe. The problem was that the de energies would not stop attacking his insides until he had expelled it from his body. Without it, it only took him seconds to return back to full health.

    On a rted note, he had fully refined the blood he absorbed from Qing Kui as well. As expected of an Astral Refiner, his vigor was extremely powerful. It wasn¡¯t just enough to heal up his injuries, it had pushed his physique to a whole new level as well. Right now, not even three Qing Kuisbined had more vigor than him. With high HP and high defense, he was what theizens would call a tank [2].

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m back to peak form, I should check out that bronze mask.¡± Ye Qing recalled the bronze mask he picked upst night and retrieved it from his Nature¡¯s Shell. He then examined its appearance for a bit. The bronze mask was rusty and covered in ckened bloodstains. It also oozed an air of antiquity and hardship. Besides that, it didn¡¯t look any different from an ordinary mask.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like much. I should ask the Annon Sutra about it.¡± When in doubt, ask the Annon Sutra!

    So, he took out his vellum and fed it his blood as usual. ¡°What kind of Strange Artifact is this bronze mask?¡±

    A short whileter, the Annon Sutra glowed darkly and manifested its answer:

    <i>¡°The Bronze Tiger Head is a Malice-ss Strange Artifact and a mask belonging to Wei Rou, a great general from the previous dynasty. Wei Rou was already quite famous at a young age because he was a master of all things military, but he had the unfortunate luck of being born with a woman¡¯s face. Too pretty to intimidate an enemy or ally, he eventually decided to wear a tiger mask every time he entered the battlefield. It quickly proved a simply but brilliant solution to his problem.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°However, because the tiger mask was exposed to the battlefield for too long, it eventually became tainted with bloodthirst, violence and vengeful spirits who had died on the battlefield. On the one hand, it gained special abilities and transformed into a Strange Artifact. On the other hand, Wei Rou¡¯s personality was slowly warped by the tiger mask until he finally transformed into a vicious, bloodthirsty and murderous beast who only knew murder. After he lost a battle and was caught by the enemy, he was executed by chariot-splitting. [3]¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Wei Rou was unresigned to his fate, however. Such was his grudge that a fragment of his soul became attached to the mask. As a result, the tiger mask became even stranger than before.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°The wearer of the Bronze Tiger Head can soak the mask in blood to summon Wei Rou¡¯s soul fragment into existence. The violence and bloodthirst of the myriad battlefields he had fought and the power of hundreds of heroic souls woulde together to grant the wearer immense power.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°In exchange, the wearer must withstand the Bronze Tiger Head¡¯s unrelenting corruption. If their mind and spirit proved insufficient to fend off the mask¡¯s thirst for violence and blood, they would eventually sumb to the same fate as Wei Rou and transform into a mindless beast.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Besides that, the bearer of the Bronze Tiger Head may be harassed by Wei Rou¡¯s soul fragment from time to time.¡±</i>

    When the Annon Sutra was finally done exining the Bronze Tiger Head, Ye Qing eximed in amazement, ¡°A Malice-ss Strange Artifact! No wonder it¡¯s so powerful!¡±

    As someone who had barely survived its attack, he could personally attest to its strength. Unfortunately, its side effects were just as dangerous. Judging from the aura he feltst night, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if a weak-willed person activated it and immediately lost their minds the second after.

    ¡°It¡¯s a crying shame that the side effects are so terrible. I can only use it as a trump card!¡± Ye Qing sighed. Frankly, it was lousier than the Blue Demon Hand and Lightning Bolt in terms of practicality.

    ¡°What did it mean that ¡®the bearer of the Bronze Tiger Head may be harassed by Wei Rou¡¯s soul fragment from time to time though¡¯? Like, is the guy going to appear randomly and stalk me like a ghost, or is he going to haunt my dreams or something?¡±

    Unfortunately the Annon Sutra did not give him a straight answer, so he could only wait and see what happens next. He consoled himself, ¡°It should be fine. We¡¯re both men, and the Annon Sutra said he¡¯s only going to ¡®harass¡¯ me, not ¡®attack¡¯ or ¡®kill¡¯ me, so who cares?¡±

    With that done, Ye Qing decided to look into Astral Refinement stage cultivation art next. Now that he was a bonafidete-stage Vessel Augmentor, one could say that he had reached the absolute ceiling of the Vessel Augmentation stage. The only way he could progress further was to enter the Astral Refinement stage, and to do that he would have to refine astral qi. He didn¡¯t actually know if that was the case, but a Reforged needed to invoke qi to enter the Qi Invocation stage, and a Qi Invoker needed to augment their blood vessels to enter the Vessel Augmentation stage. Going by that logic, it made perfect sense that a Vessel Augmentor would need to refine astral qi to enter the Astral Refinement stage.

    Just likest time, he nned to consult the Annon Sutra to determine the best Astral Refinement stage cultivation art for him and where he could get it. If the cultivation art turned out to be out of reach, then he would seek out Ling Jianqiu and request a suitable Astral Refinement stage cultivation art as a reward. Considering his contributions to the county, he was sure the Chief of Bureau wouldn¡¯t reject him.

    However, he would prefer not to do this because the exchange would most likely bind him to the ship that was the Pacification Bureau. Sure, it was one of the biggest, stablest, and safest ships in the realm, but he would have to surrender his independence and freedom as the price. Independence was the only reason his secrets were still under wraps. He seriously didn¡¯t want to join the Pacification Bureau unless he had no other choice.

    Without further ado, he cut open his finger again and asked, ¡°Where can I find an Astral Refinement stage cultivation art that suits me best?¡±

    This time, it took half a teatime before the Annon Sutra was finally satisfied. Then, it manifested these words:

    <i>¡°Redstone grasps for the heavens like swords</i>

    <i>Forest awash, a world forever transformed</i>

    <i>Books are tasty, yums an early worm until a</i>

    <i>Sprite kicks it over for knowledge lost.¡±</i>

    ¡°I-Is this a poem? Why did you suddenly change your style, brother?¡± Ye Qing blurted. It wasn¡¯t a bad poem, but it was a massive departure from its usual first-person perspective, suspenseful and thriller-style response. In fact, it was so unexpected that Ye Qing didn¡¯t even know what to make of it.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m supposed to decipher its meaning or something?¡± Ye Qing muttered before pouring through the poem a second time. It was, on the surface, a very simple poem. The first two lines described scenery, whereas thest two lines seemed to imply a moral lesson. It was very easy to understand since it was written vernacrly. There was just one problem.

    <i>What the fuck does this have to do with my question? This¡­ this isn¡¯t a scam, is it?</i>

    That seemed unlikely since the Annon Sutra had never failed him before, so Ye Qing crossed his arms and racked his brain once more. Unfortunately, the answer still eluded him like a mirage.

    <i>Bro! I seriously don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying! Can you go back to your previous style, please?</i>

    Ye Qing felt like crying. He hadn¡¯t transmigrated to another world to learn how to decipher a poem, dammit!

    ¡°Redstone reaches toward the sky like a sword, forest leaves wobble atop meandering¡­ wait a second. Redstone¡­ Forest? Is that how it is?¡±

    Ye Qing was reciting the poem for the umpteenth time when suddenly, it hit him. Was this an acrostic? The first word of the first line of the poem was ¡°Redstone¡±, whereas the first word of the second line was ¡°Forest¡±. Together, they made the word ¡°Redstone Forest¡±!

    Besides that, the description seemed to match what he had seen the first time he traveled to Redstone Forest. The stone forest did look like swords pointing toward the sky, and it was forever changed after the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging had washed over a good portion of it.

    ¡°Yes! It has to be referring to the Redstone Forest!¡± Ye Qing pped his thigh in excitement.

    ¡°What about thest two lines? ¡®Books¡¯ and ¡®Sprite¡¯¡­ Book Sprite? Is it referring to Wawa?¡±

    Although he didn¡¯t know how Wawa could help him find the Astral Refinement stage cultivation art he was looking for, the Annon Sutra never gave him a useless answer. Even if he was wrong, there was no harm in bringing Wawa on one of his adventures.

    ¡°There is no better time to start than now, so let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    It was morning by the time he returned to Endless Horizons. Wawa was ying with Kung Fu Frog as usual. He called out to her with a beaming smile on his face, ¡°Can I ask your help with something, Wawa?¡±

    Wawa patted her tiny chest and dered, ¡°Wawa loves helping people. How can I help you, friend?¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°I¡¯d like to head out to Redstone Forest and search for something. Would you like to help me with it?¡±

    ¡°Redstone Forest? Are we going out to y, friend?¡±

    Wawa looked so excited she bounced up and down on his shoulders. She had automatically tranted what was most likely going to be a boring search in the middle of nowhere into an fun adventure. ¡°Of course I¡¯lle with you! Wawa loves to go out and y! You¡¯re a good friend, friend!¡±

    <i>As long as she¡¯s happy, I suppose!</i>

    Ye Qing went up and stored Wawa¡¯s true body in his Nature¡¯s Shell. He then left Endless Horizons with Wawa, Kung Fu Frog, and Faceless in tow. Although Wawa was the only one the Annon Sutra had asked him to bring, it didn¡¯t say that it couldn¡¯t bring additional help with him. If his previous experience was anything to go by, it was practically guaranteed that they would definitely encounter some sort of unpredictable danger. They were safer as a team of four than a team of two.

    Ye Qing had just left the gates when he ran into a couple of familiar faces. ¡°Sister Yun! Hu Nu! What brings you to the gates?¡±

    ¡°Warrior Ye!¡±

    Yun Yan was apanied by Hu Nu and dozens of Sentinels, and they all greeted him warmly and with deep respect. Everyone here had witnessed his prowessst night and knew just how strong he was. Not only had he killed plenty of powerful Strangers, he was the one who interrupted the summoning ritual and ultimately prevented the Nether Lord from descending upon Anyang. He was, by all means, the savior of Anyang, so how could not treat him with respect?

    ¡°Are you heading out as well, Joyless?¡± Yun Yan looked surprised to see Ye Qing at the gates as well.

    Ye Qing gave her the excuse he had prepared earlier, ¡°Yeah! There¡¯s something I need to do. What about you guys? Where are you going?¡±

    Ye Qing was puzzled because the Sentinel squad apanying Yun Yan was armed to the teeth. It looked like they were out on an expedition, but that didn¡¯t seem right because nearly all of the Strangers around Anyang had perished in that battle.

    A Sentinel answered his question, ¡°Something strange has happened at Redstone Forest, and we¡¯re heading over to investigate it.¡±

    ¡°Redstone Forest?¡± Ye Qing blinked. Was it a coincidence? He didn¡¯t think so!

    1. chapter 69, when he calls himself the heavens¡¯ favored son and the heavens his dad ??

    2. gaming ng ??

    3. execution method used in ancient China that involved tying horses or chariots to the condemned''s four limbs and neck and then violently pulling them apart by having the horses set off in different directions. ??

 Chapter 100: Mountain of Riddles

    <h4>Chapter 100: Mountain of Riddles</h4>

    ¡°What happened? Did the Heptachromatic Fog of Aginge back?¡±

    Last he heard, the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging had vanished a few days ago. Otherwise, he would have abandoned the idea of entering the Redstone Forest in a heartbeat!

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Yun Yan shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s a floating mountain!¡±

    ¡°A floating mountain? What kind of mountain is it?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°We¡¯re not sure yet, but our scouts reported a mountain suddenly appearing above Redstone forest this morning. Everyone who got too close to the mountain would disappear without a trace!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not good.¡± Ye Qing frowned. The morning had just begun, and things were already escting to unptable levels. ¡°Can Ie with you?¡±

    Still, he must go. His Astral Refinement stage cultivation art almost certainly had something to do with this mountain.

    Yun Yan smiled. ¡°It would be an honor!¡±

    Suddenly, a handsome man in white clothes walked over and asked, ¡°Care to make the introductions, Sister Yun?¡± He carried himself casually, but not so casual that he would inflict disgust upon others.

    Yun Yan said obediently, ¡°Of course, Lord Xiao. This is my friend, Ye Qing. Ye Qing, this is Lord Xiao Yang, a Patrolman of Luo Shui!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to address me by name, Sister Yun? Lord Xiao sounds so distant!¡± Xiao Yang pretended to be sad for a second before breaking into a cheerful grin. ¡°Of course, you may address me as ¡®Brother Xiao¡¯ or ¡®Brother Yang¡¯ as well if ¡®Xiao Yang¡¯ is too direct for you!¡±

    Yun Yan smiled again but did not give him an answer.

    Xiao Yang looked at Ye Qing and sped his hands together in a respectful salute. ¡°Hail, Brother Ye! I am Xiao Yang, and it¡¯s nice to meet you!¡±

    Ye Qing returned the gesture, ¡°Well met, Brother Xiao Yang. It¡¯s nice to meet you as well.¡±

    Xiao Yang moved closer to Ye Qing and patted him on the shoulder happily. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! I¡¯ve heard of your achievements, brother. Not only did you uncover a terrible conspiracy that would¡¯ve destroyed Anyang, you¡¯re the one who came up with the n to rout the invading Strangers and even yed the Nether Lord himself! I only wish that I¡¯m half the shit-bomb you are!¡±

    What was left unsaid was that Ye Qing was thest person he wanted to face in all of Anyang. When he saw Ye Qingst night and realized who he was, he knew that it was going to be even harder to carry out his nned assassination than expected. Who would have thought that the gang boss of the Iron Shirt Gang was also the famous savior of Anyang and a rising star in the eyes of the Pacification Bureau? Killing him was hard enough, but he also had to find the right time and ce to do it unless he wanted to deal with the aftermath. <i>Troublesome! So troublesome!</i>

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was trying to figure out if Xiao Yang was praising or insulting him. It didn¡¯t look like he was insulting him, but what kind of person would call someone a ¡°shit-bomb¡± and mean it as a praise? Why couldn¡¯t he use something conventional like ¡°star¡± or ¡°warrior¡±?

    In the end, he decided to go with a humble reply, ¡°You tter me!¡± <i>I¡¯m just a bit better than most people! That bit being the distance in which I can throw you!</i>

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re too humble, brother!¡± Xiao Yang continued to hug Ye Qing. ¡°It is my honor to be able to make the acquaintance of a young hero like you!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°And I you, Brother Xiao Yang! You are one of the most interesting people I¡¯ve ever met!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t kidding. Very few people would treat aplete stranger in such a warm, friendly fashion on their first meeting, and such people could usually be broken down into two types. One, they possessed a heart of gold that could befriend even the surliest of people. Or two¡­

    They were plotting something.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that! You must let me treat you to a drink when we return from this trip, brother. When the timees, we will not stop until we drop!¡± Xiao Yang guffawed. ¡°Now, let us be on our way!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s the mountain!¡±

    Some mountains in the world were special, but not because they were particrly tall or big. It was because they possessed something unique that few other mountains possessed. The group passed through the Soundless Gorge¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t silent anymore because the Soundless Bugs had been exterminated by an unknown do-gooder some days ago¡ªand saw the mountain they were looking for immediately.

    The mountain was neither tall nor big, but it floated quietly above Redstone Forest as if gravity wasn¡¯t a thing. Shrouded in thick, white clouds, it looked just like a celestial mountain of the legends.

    They were still thirty meters away from Redstone Forest when Yun Yan raised her hand and halted their march. She said with a serious expression, ¡°We must stop here. We will vanish like all the others if we continue further!¡±

    The group observed the mountain for a bit before Xiao Yang asked Ye Qing quietly, ¡°Did you notice anything, brother?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded and rubbed his chin sagely. ¡°It¡¯s definitely a mountain alright!¡±

    ¡°...¡± <i>Anyone who isn¡¯t blind can see that!</i>

    Ye Qing ignored Xiao Yang and turned to Yun Yan. ¡°Has any one of the missing people been spotted yet, Sister Yun?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°No. We¡¯ve searched every nook and cranny within ten kilometers of Redstone Forest, but nothing. We don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re still alive or not!¡±

    ¡°Say, do you think those missing people could be found on the mountain?¡± Xiao Yang ventured while rubbing his chin.

    Ye Qing nodded in agreement. ¡°Most likely!¡± If they couldn¡¯t be found anywhere in the area, then they must be on the mountain. His Astral Refinement stage cultivation art was most likely there as well.

    Suddenly, the mysterious mountain shook, and the clouds stirred. Then, what looked like an invisible shockwave erupted from the mountain and traveled straight toward them!

    ¡°Watch out! Everybody spread out!¡± Ye Qing yelled after realizing that they were in trouble. He immediately grabbed Yun Yan and dashed away from the shockwave. Xiao Yang also let out a yelp and dissolved into a cloud of fog. He was moving even faster than Ye Qing was.

    However, the shockwave was way faster than it had any right to be. It was almost like it was crossing through space and time itself. Before they knew it, the shockwave had washed over them, and everyone abruptly vanished like they never were.

    ¡°Where am I?¡±

    When Ye Qing came to, he realized that he was at an unfamiliar ce. He looked up and saw a mountain path made of white jade and zed tiles leading all the way up to the peak. The path was surrounded by thick, rainbow fog that looked both mysterious and dangerous. From time to time, ancient seal scripts with wings would fly out of the fog and over the mountain path. He himself was standing at the base of the mountain.

    He had a strong feeling he knew where he was.

    He wasn¡¯t alone. Xiao Yang and the Sentinels were right beside him. However, Yun Yan, Kung Fu Frog and Faceless were nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡± Xiao Yang asked.

    Ye Qing replied slowly, ¡°We¡¯re most likely on the floating mountain above Redstone Forest.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Everyone exchanged nces with each other. He could see a hint of panic in some of their eyes.

    Suddenly, an urgent voice broke out, ¡°Miss? Miss! Where did you go, miss?¡±

    Ye Qing looked and saw Hu Nu walking around in the crowd and searching for Yun Yan frantically.

    ¡°Calm down, Hu Nu. Sister Yun isn¡¯t here, and that¡¯s probably a good thing!¡± Ye Qing went over to give him aforting pat on his shoulder.

    ¡°Are you sure? Warrior Ye¡­ The miss is going to be fine, right?¡± Hu Nu¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with worry and panic.

    ¡°It will be fine!¡± Ye Qingforted him a while longer before looking around. ¡°Right now, our first priority is to get out of this ce!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream interrupted his momentum. Ye Qing turned around and saw a Sentinel clutching his arm and rolling on the ground in abject pain. Everything beneath his elbow waspletely gone, but not a drop of blood could be found on the ground.

    Xiao Yang immediately went over and tapped a few points on the Sentinel¡¯s body to stop the pain. He then asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    The Sentinel replied while looking as white as a sheet, ¡°I¡­ I was just trying to touch the fog beside the path, and then¡­ and then my arm is just gone!¡±

    Everyone subconsciously stepped away from the rainbow fog the second they heard this.

    ¡°You heard him, people! Do not touch the fog!¡± Xiao Yang ordered but realized that it was useless advice, so he added, ¡°From now on, no one is to touch anything on this mountain without my express permission!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The Sentinels responded.

    It was at this moment an ancient seal script flew down from the mountain peak. Unlike the ones flying back and forth across the mountain path, this one was incredibly good-looking and agile. It also had a pair of ink-wash wings. Every time it pped its wings, watery ripples and the scent of ink would permeate across the air.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Ye Qing raised an arm and watched the unusual seal script warily. When it was about one meter away from them, it finally stopped in its tracks and said in a surprisingly childish voice, ¡°Wee to the Mountain of Riddles, challengers. All who enter the Mountain of Riddles must challenge the Path of Riddles, and only those who reached the top may leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°All challengers are required to know these rules. One, you can only ever go forward once you¡¯ve stepped on the Path of Riddles. Two, the Path of Riddles is made of a hundred steps, and you can move forward a step only if you answer a riddle correctly. You will be punished if you answer incorrectly or refuse to answer, but you may also take a step after the punishment isplete.¡±

    ¡°Three, the first line of a couplet will be announced once every incense stick. Everyone will have the opportunity toplete this couplet. Depending on the intent, rhyme, and structure of theplete couplet, additional steps may be awarded to the challenger.¡±

    ¡°Four, challengers may not assist one another, or they will be punished. Five, all challengers who sessfully reached the peak may request something reasonable from the Riddler. And six, Strangers and idiots are not weed in the Mountain of Riddles!¡±

    <i>Strangers and idiots aren¡¯t weed in the Mountain of Riddles?! Isn¡¯t that kinda racist?</i> A strange expression flitted across Ye Qing¡¯s face when he heard this. <i>Now I get why Faceless and Kung Fu Frog are missing!</i>

    ¡°But wait, what about Wawa?¡± Ye Qing suddenly recalled the third Stranger he had brought with him on this expedition.

    As if on cue, a cute, childish voice entered his ears. ¡°I¡¯m over here, friend. Oh wow! There¡¯s so many flying friends in this ce! They¡¯re just like Wawa!¡± A small figure then crawled out of his hair and looked around curiously and happily. She was none other than Wawa, of course.

    <i>Something¡¯s not right. Wawa¡¯s a Stranger as well, but why isn¡¯t she kicked out of the Mountain of Riddles? </i>Ye Qing frowned. <i>Could it be¡­?</i>

    Wawa was a Book Sprite; a Stranger that was born from a book. Her true body was a book, and the book was inside his Nature¡¯s Shell right now. Perhaps that was why she was able to enter the Mountain of Riddles despite its rules.

    This was great news because Wawa was a Book Sprite. As the essence of and¡¯s literary fate and the master of countless books, she was exactly who you wanted to consult with when solving riddles. In fact, it was probably an insult to use Wawa on something as childish as this, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers.

    Now he understood why the Annon Sutra had asked him to bring Wawa with him. With a living answer sheet like her, it was practically impossible for him to fail this test!

    ¡°Mountain of Riddles? We¡¯re in the Mountain of Riddles? No wonder!¡± Xiao Yang suddenly eximed. He looked like he could barely control his excitement.

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard of the Mountain of Riddles, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Hahaha! It looks like today¡¯s our lucky day, brother!¡± Xiao Yang chirped, ¡°The Mountain of Riddles is a famous Strange Realm that is usually mentioned in the same sentence as the Sea of Poems, Bridge of Art, ins of Chess, Tower of Music, Sea of Couplets, City of Books and so on. Since the seven Strange Realms epass the seven fields of art and literature, they¡¯re also unanimously known as the Seven Strange Realms of Literary Arts.¡±

    ¡°Generally less dangerous than most other Strange Realms, the Seven Strange Realms of Literary Arts were considered the dream destinations of every schr in the entire world. It¡¯s because the Strange Realms allow them to show off their skills and be rewarded for their aplishments. It is also why they¡¯re regarded as the sanctuaries of all schrs.¡±

    A Strange Realm referred to any ce or domain that possessed mysterious, supernatural qualities. They were simr to pocket worlds or blessednds in that they were ripe with boons and opportunities, but also filled with untold anomalies and dangers.

    ¡°If this is a sanctuary for schrs, then why do you look so happy? Are you a schr as well?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Xiao Yang shook his head in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s not the point! The point is that this Strange Realm is safe! Do you understand what I¡¯m saying? It¡¯s safe! Short ofmitting suicide, we¡¯re most likely going to leave this ce alive!¡±

    He was so agitated he went so far as to define the obvious.

    ¡°Say, this is the first time you enter a Strange Realm, right? Aren¡¯t you nervous at all?¡± Xiao Yang asked puzzledly after noticing that Ye Qing waspletely rxed. Most people would be shivering in fright when they entered a Strange Realm for the first time in their life, not to mention that they had been dragged into this against their will. Ye Qing, on the other hand, looked like an old hand who had been through all this.

    ¡°That¡¯s a strange question. You¡¯re the one who said this Strange Realm isn¡¯t dangerous!¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow and shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m also a schr, so solving riddles andpleting couplets are easy peasy for me. Just watch if you don¡¯t believe me!¡±

 Chapter 101: When You Donâ€™t Study Hard

    <h4>Chapter 101: When You Don¡¯t Study Hard</h4>

    The moment they set foot on the first step, the mountain path abruptly became long and distant, and a wall of rainbow fog flooded the path behind them. Their destination was nowhere to be seen, and retreat was impossible.

    <i>¡°One, you can only ever go forward once you¡¯ve stepped on the Path of Riddles.¡±</i>

    The rules the ink wash seal script had mentioned shed through everyone¡¯s mind. As the fog was corrosive, it really seemed that the only way they could go was forward. As if on cue, many winged seal scripts flew out of the fog andnded in front of the group. Then, they unfurled into rows and rows of text. They were riddles the people were expected to clear in order to progress further.

    Ye Qing looked left and right and noticed that he could only see his own riddle. Obviously, this arrangement coincided with the rule that each person could only answer their own riddle. Brimming with confidence, Ye Qing rolled up his sleeves and concentrated on the riddle before him, ¡°Give it to me, bebe! I will show you the power of a top¡­ student¡­¡±

    The riddle read: ¡°One, two and three of me can form a symbol or a letter. What am I?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>Symbol? Letter? Letter symbol whaaaaaaat?</i>

    He did not think that he would be stumped at the very first riddle, but he was. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, a countdown starting at 10 appeared beneath the riddle. 10¡­ 9¡­. 8¡­.

    <i>A time limit? Are you kidding me right now? Shit! I¡¯m not going to fail on the very first riddle, am I? </i>

    Suddenly, Wawa¡¯s disdainful voice entered his ears, ¡°The answer is ¡®I¡¯, stupid!¡±

    ¡°I?¡± Ye Qing frowned as he muttered to himself, ¡°I¡­ ? Let¡¯s see, one I can form the letter ¡®I¡¯ or the minus symbol (-), two Is can form the letter ¡®X¡¯ or the plus symbol (+), and three Is can form the letter ¡®N¡¯ or¡­ or¡­ the inequality symbol (¡Ù)! The answer really is ¡®I¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Why are you stating the obvious? You¡¯re so stupid, friend! Wawa figured it out the moment she saw the riddle!¡± The Book Sprite dered cheekily.

    Normally, Ye Qing would¡¯ve flicked her forehead for daring to call him stupid to his face, but it was a fact that he was no match for her in the academic department. So, he could only rub his nose to hide his embarrassment. He was so distracted he nearly missed the countdown and called out in a hurry, ¡°The answer is ¡®I¡¯!¡±

    The floating words abruptly dissolved into a pool of light and slipped into the faint mist in front of him in the blink of an eye. The mist receded just enough to reveal the second step.

    Knowing that he had sessfully cleared the first hurdle, Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief and took a moment to check out how the others were doing. Judging from the deep frowns on their faces and their frantic hair pulling, it was not going well at all. They might be invincible if they turned bald, but it would not improve their IQ one bit, not to mention that every single one of them except Xiao Yang was the brawny type who used their biceps far more than they ever used their brains. Forcing them to answer a riddle was like making a child the emperor¡ªit was unreasonable to expect them to perform well in any capacity.

    Speaking of which, Xiao Yang was the only one who lookedpletely confident when he gave his answer. But unlike Ye Qing, his riddle abruptly transformed into a floating chain and bound him to a wooden cross that had appeared behind him without warning. Xiao Yang lookedpletely stupefied when he realized what happened, ¡°What? This is impossible! How can my answer be wrong?¡±

    As if on cue, everyone¡¯s timer hit zero at the same time. Everyone who answered wrong or failed to answer in time were bound to a wooden cross as well. It was quite the scene to put it mildly. Then, a scary-looking whip covered in hooked barbs appeared in front of each person.

    ¡°Bondage? Whip?¡± <i>This escted quickly! Where are the candles?</i>

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The whips fell in unison and caused all of them to shudder in agony. If the whip was a normal whip, then this would be an unpleasant experience at worst. Most of them were Qi Invokers after all. However, the barbed whip literally tore a chunk of flesh off their body. To call it painful would be an understatement to say the least.

    At first, there were a couple of badasses who bravely withstood the pain without uttering a sound. Over time though, even the toughest nuts eventually broke under the pressure especially since their torturer did not mention when their suffering was going to end.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Ah~¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Ah~¡±

    ¡°Wait WTF? I¡¯m not hearing things, am I?¡±

    It was a terrible thing to get rekt, but apletely different story to watch someone else get rekt. To watch dozens of people get rekt at the same time because they didn¡¯t study hard enough? Even better! Ye Qing was just wishing he had some popcorn when he heard something strange mixed within the screams of pain. At first he thought he was hallucinating, but over time it was impossible to ignore the strange moan.

    He immediately pushed his hearing to the limits to identify the source. Just a few secondster, he found out that the moan¡­ hade from Xiao Yang himself. Just like everyone else, the Patrolman was bloody and horribly mutted. But while the others were screaming in abject pain, Xiao Yang was¡­ moaning with pleasure.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression at that moment was strange to put it mildly. <i>I didn''t take him to be the masochist type! I should stay far, far away from him from now on.</i>

    The good news was that the punishment didn¡¯tst forever. Twenty whipster, the chains, the wooden crosses and the whips all vanished into thin air. Not only that, the horrific wounds they suffered had vanished into thin air as well. It was almost as if they had never been whipped to begin with.

    But of course, the wounds might have disappeared, but the memory remained. Everyone looked pale-faced and fearful. No one wanted to suffer that kind of pain another time¡ªno one except Xiao Yang that was. Unlike the others, he wore a regretful look on his face. He actually looked like he wanted the whipping to continue longer.

    When he noticed Ye Qing¡¯s strange expression, he stepped toward him and licked his lips, ¡°You should have joined us, brother. It was an¡­ unforgettable experience.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing subconsciously took a few steps away from Xiao Yang and said seriously, ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m a schr, and I¡¯d rather keep my dignity intact.¡± <i>Unlike you. </i>He then moved onto the second step before Xiao Yang could pollute his ears any further. Stay away from Xiao Yang to save your soul!

    As soon as he stood still, another ancient seal script flew out of the fog and unfurled into a new riddle:

    ¡°What has roots as nobody sees,

    Is taller than trees,

    Up, up it goes

    And yet never grows?¡±

    This time, Ye Qing was able to figure out the riddle very quickly. ¡°This one¡¯s simple! The answer is a ¡®mountain¡¯!¡±

    A mountain was rooted to the ground despite having no roots.? It was also taller than a tree, so much so that some looked like they could put a hole in the sky. Finally, a mountain could never ¡°grow¡± taller, so it had to be the answer.

    He was right. Once again, the words dissolved into rainbow light and pushed back the mist a little more.

    ¡°You got it already, brother?!¡± Xiao Yang had just nted a foot on the second step when he noticed that the mist before Ye Qing had receded once more. He was so shocked that his jaw was hanging wide open.

    Ye Qing waved a sleeve and said casually, ¡°I <i>am </i>a schr, you know. I won¡¯t be balked by a simple riddle!¡±

    <i>I thought he was just bragging to save face! Is he actually a schr? </i>Xiao Yang thought in shock and jealousy. He thought he was the only truly studious person in the group, but clearly he was wrong. Not only that, the first person to reach the peak would surely obtain a better reward. This meant that it was time to get serious.

    Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yang climbed onto the second step and waited for the seal script to turn into a riddle. When he was done reading, he gave his answer with just as much confidence as before.

    Unfortunately for him, he was just as wrong as he was before. The seal script abruptly transformed into a pot of boiling oil, and an invisible force dunked Xiao Yang into the potpletely.

    Xiao Yang burst out screaming as his flesh sizzled. He tried to escape as a matter of course, but it was as if he was shackled by a mysterious force. He was unable to leap fully out of the pot no matter what he tried. Eventually, Xiao Yang¡¯s struggle ceased as he floated atop the boiling oil like a piece of fried meat. Literally, his flesh looked golden brown and crispy, and a delicious scent spread throughout the area.

    If Ye Qing didn¡¯t know better, he would¡¯ve thought that it was the scent of fried chicken.

    <i>Heavens above. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen¡ªor smelled¡ªa deep-fried human! </i>Ye Qing thought with a suppressed chill.? Everyone else looked green in the face as well.

    Ten breathster, the boiling pot vanished, and Xiao Yang hit the ground with a soft thump. However, the poor guy was still twitching here and there as if his senses hadn¡¯t caught up to reality yet. A long timeter, he finally looked up at Ye Qing and said, ¡°It¡¯s not as hot as it looks! Really!¡±

    ¡°I believe you!¡± <i>As far as a child can throw you, that is!</i>

    It should not need to be said, but no one wanted to suffer Xiao Yang¡¯s fate. So, the Pacification Sentinels racked their brains and pulled their hair harder than ever before to answer their given riddle. Unfortunately, most of them literally weren¡¯t smart enough to save their own life, so they followed in Xiao Yang¡¯s footsteps and were deep fried into crispy yellow. Add in a sprinkle of cumin and some sauce, and they would be a ready dinner for a cannibal or two!

    If there was one silver lining about all this, it was that they were all strong-willed people who were used to walking on a knife¡¯s edge. Once they were reset back to normal, they were ready to go for another round. Rtively speaking, of course. At least they weren¡¯t dead, right?

    Ye Qing sighed. He would help out his mates if he could, but the rules forbade him from doing so. He wasn¡¯t nearly so virtuous that he would deep fry himself to save another person either, much less dozens of them. Lastly, there was no telling if they had infinite ¡°lives¡±. How ironic would it be if he died because he suicided one too many times?

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all up to fate!¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head and looked away from the others. Then, he climbed onto the third step.

    ¡°All about, but cannot be seen,

    Can be captured, cannot be held,

    No throat, but can be heard.

    Who am I?¡±

    ¡°Another riddle poem. Let¡¯s see. All about, but cannot be seen. Can be captured, cannot be held. No throat, but can be heard¡­ heard? I got it! The answer is ¡®wind¡¯! Only the wind fits all the mentioned criterias!¡±

    ¡°That is correct, friend. You¡¯re a smart boy now!¡± Wawa praised him and pped her hands encouragingly.

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>I¡¯ve always been a smart boy, okay? Still, I don¡¯t mind being praised by a top student!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s answer was correct, and the fourth step was revealed. It was at this moment Xiao Yang rushed up the third step. When he saw that Ye Qing was getting ready to climb the fourth step¡ªit was as if he had made no progress at all¡ªhe gritted his teeth and challenged the third riddle as quickly as he could.

    Of course, he was wrong yet again.

    This time, a single word transformed into a knife and flew past Xiao Yang. A slice of flesh so thin that it wasparable to a cicada¡¯s wing fell off the Patrolman¡¯s torso and hit the ground with a st.

    Xiao Yang shivered as the blood drained away from his face. As if remembering something, his eyes abruptly bulged with terror, andrge beads of sweat started dripping off his head like a waterfall. It was at this moment the knife flew back and carved out another slice of flesh. Not only was it the exact same shape and size as the first, Xiao Yang¡¯s wounds weren¡¯t bleeding at all.

    ¡°Death by a thousand cuts?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. Legend says that the true death by a thousand cuts could make the victim suffer thousands and thousands of cuts without dying, and since Xiao Yang was a warrior¡­

    <i>Poor kid. This is what happens when you don¡¯t study hard enough!</i>

    Ye Qing sighed and resumed his climb.

 Chapter 102: Exceptional

    <h4>Chapter 102: Exceptional</h4>

    ¡°I have forests but no trees.

    I havekes but no water.

    I have roads but no travelers.

    Who am I?¡±

    With Wawa as his guide, Ye Qing easily made it all the way to the ninth step almost as if he was taking a slow walk. He answered immediately when he saw the riddle, ¡°The answer is map!¡±

    A map had images of forests but no actual trees, images ofkes but no water, and images of roads but no travelers. It was such an easy riddle that he didn¡¯t even need to use Wawa this time.

    In fact, he had barely used Wawa at all throughout his climb. As long as the seal scripts¡ªor rather, the Riddler¡ªdidn¡¯t cheat, he was fairly certain he could answer every riddle without relying on Wawa!

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh¡­ Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh¡­¡±

    He had just finished answering the ninth riddle when he heard a long, disturbing groan from behind. He turned around just in time to see Xiao Yang crawling up to the ninth step.

    ¡°Brother¡­ you haven¡¯t answered a riddle correctly even once, have you?¡± Ye Qing sighed sympathetically as he stared at the man¡ªno, the man-shaped <i>liquid </i>in front of him. Xiao Yang looked so spent it was a miracle he was even capable of crawling. One look was all Ye Qing needed to know the guy had screwed up every riddle presented to him and screamed the whole way.

    ¡°You have my respect if nothing else, brother!¡±

    And how could he not? Xiao Yang was basically brute-forcing his way up the Mountain of Riddles by throwing himself into every pitfall like a suicide machine. While it allowed him to keep pace with Ye Qing, a lesser person would¡¯ve lost their minds after their second or third punishment in a row, much less the ninth.

    ¡°You tter me, brother!¡± Xiao Yang shot him a grin before flopping over like a fish. Then, he uttered without even bothering to look at the riddle in front of him, ¡°Come get me!¡±

    Xiao Yang had given up after the first few attempts to solve the riddles. It was because he realized that the riddles were specifically targeted at his weakness. No matter how hard he racked his brain¡ªseriously, he was thinking harder than when he was plotting against his victims¡ªhe just could not get it right no matter what.

    No wonder true schrs could climb up the ranks and earn heaps and heaps of silvers just by pping their mouths and shaking their brush. No wonder people like <i>him </i>could only risk their lives on the battlefield to earn just enough money to survive until the next day. If smart people excelled at governing people, then dumb people excelled at being ordered around like the dumbass they were!

    Xiao Yang made up his mind then to kill a couple of schrs for his people as soon as he got out of this Strange Realm¡ªespecially those who reminded him of Ye Qing!

    ¡°Come, bebe! I am the one who will endure all the punishments!¡± Xiao Yang shouted with great courage. As if sensing his determination, the floating words transformed into an inferno and trapped Xiao Yang in an instant.

    ¡°Last time it was deep frying, and now it¡¯s BBQ? The Riddler really is plotting to turn him into a dish!¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself while looking sympathetically at Xiao Yang.

    It was at this moment he noticed something. ¡°Huh. I guess he isn¡¯t all brawn and no brain after all.¡±

    Xiao Yang looked like he was having an absolute heck of a time within the mes, but a closer look would reveal that the hat he was wearing was leaking something golden that clung tightly to his body. As a result, the mes failed to do any real damage to him at all.

    Not only that, his senses were telling him that the hat was continuously absorbing the essence of the mes and weakening them. He would not have noticed it if his spiritual power hadn¡¯t drastically increased thanks to the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±.

    <i>That¡¯s definitely a Strange Artifact, a fire-type Strange Artifact no less! </i>A thought suddenly popped into Ye Qing¡¯s mind. <i>What if¡­ no, forget it. I should just resume my climb.</i>

    When Ye Qing climbed onto the tenth step, a loud and melodious chime suddenly came from the peak. The sound waves pushed away the rainbow fog above their heads to reveal the ink-wash seal script they had met at the beginning. It dered loudly and clearly while pping its wings, ¡°It¡¯s time for a couplet challenge!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ did an incense stick pass already?¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise. In his opinion,pleting couplets was way easier than solving riddles!

    ¡°The first line is: grow long, grow long, continue to grow long¡ª¡± Ink-wash words full of life and energy started aligning themselves in the sky. ¡°¡ªpleaseplete the second line. You have one tea time!¡±

    ¡°Wait a second, I recognize this couplet! This is giarism!¡± Ye Qing blinked. In fact, it was a world-famous couplet in his previous world. [1]

    <i>What a scummy Stranger¡­ is what I would say, if not for the fact that I know several answers thanks to it!</i>

    ¡°Wawa, you don''t need to help me this time. Allow me to show you the power of five thousand years of Chinese history!¡± Ye Qing winked at the Book Sprite sitting on his shoulder.

    ¡°Okay! Wawa loves it when you embarrass yourself, friend!¡± Wawa pped her tiny hands excitedly.

    ¡°...¡± <i>Just you wait, you''ll be sorry but your tears will be toote!</i>

    He was just about to mouth a retort when he heard a schrly voice saying, ¡°Allow me!¡±

    He looked up. The rainbow fog in the sky abruptly joined together to form arge mirror. It showed an unfamiliar man d in a moon white uniform.

    ¡°Damn. This challenge is going to be broadcasted live?¡± Clearly, the schrly voice he heard earlier belonged to this person. ¡°This guy isn¡¯t one of us though. He must be one of the people who went missing!¡±

    It was at this moment the young man in the sky coughed twice and shuffled his feet a little before answering, ¡°Grow long, grow long, continue to grow long; soar high, soar high, continue to soar high.¡±

    The moment he finished giving his answer, the line ¡°soar high, soar high, continue to soar high.¡± appeared in the sky. The text was gold in color, and there was a ¡°1¡± floating above it.

    ¡°Well answered, well answered! It¡¯s my turn now!¡±

    This time, it was a frivolous-sounding voice who spoke up. The schrly man in the mirror disappeared and was reced by a handsome middle-aged man who looked like he had bedded his fair share of women. While holding a folding fan and wearing a casual smile on his face, he answered, ¡°¡®Grow long, grow long, continue to grow long¡¯, is it? In that case, my answer is, ¡®dive deep, dive deep, to dive ever deeper¡¯.¡±

    <i>p!</i> The middle-aged man opened his fan as soon as he finished and fanned himself twice. There was no mistake. He was definitely a heartbreaker.

    The middle-aged man¡¯s answer appeared underneath the schrly man¡¯s answer. The text was silver in color, and the number ¡®2¡¯ floated above it.

    ¡°My turn.¡±

    A third voice answered the call, but this time it was bright, melodious, and feminine. It clearly belonged to a woman. The image in the sky changed again to reveal a shapely woman, though her face was concealed by a veil. Ye Qing could almost hear the middle-aged man sighing in dejection.

    She breathed through vermillion lips, ¡°Grow long, grow long, continue to grow long; always growing, always growing, continually growing.¡±

    Her answer appeared in the sky just like the others, but this time it did not appear at the bottom. Instead, it appeared atop both answers and shone a golden color. The number ¡®1¡¯ also appeared above it. The former number 1 answer dropped to second ce and turned to silver, whereas the former number 2 answer dropped to third ce and turned to bronze.

    ¡°I see! It¡¯s a ranking list!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. Obviously, the higher one¡¯s ranking, the more steps would be awarded for clearing the challenge. The woman definitely deserved first ce though. Not only was it <i>the </i>answer to the couplet in his previous world, it was also structurally appropriate and more meaningful. He was going to im it for himself, but now he was going to have to use an inferior answer instead.

    ¡°Is it really that easy? I have it then!¡± A boorish voice interrupted. The mirror shifted once more to reveal a brawny man with a square head carrying a crucible steel stick in his hand. With a proud grin on his face, he dered,

    ¡°Listen well, brothers and sisters! My answer is, ¡®get hard, get hard, getting hard as fuck¡¯!¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    For a moment, Ye Qing could not think of anything. ¡°Grow long, grow long, continue to grow long; get hard, get hard, getting hard as fuck¡±? How sublime! It was simple yet illuminating, shocking yet unforgettable, uncouth yet oh-so-evocative¡­ ahem.? Whoever said that the right answer must be the best answer? If he was the examiner, he would definitely award the guy first ce!

    Unfortunately, it would seem that the ink-wash seal script had a different opinion. As if enraged by the answer, it uttered, ¡°Uncivilized boor!¡± before pping its wings and somehow pping the man across space and time. The poor man was pped so hard that he literally spun a circle on his feet, leaving a dark red palm print on his cheek.

    The boorish man clutched his face looking wronged and innocent. The ink-wash seal script called him an uncivilized boor, and it was right. He <i>was </i>an uncivilized boor, so how could he possibly provide a ¡°civilized¡± answer? If it thought that he was unsuited for the Mountain of Riddle, then it shouldn¡¯t have kidnapped him to begin with!

    ¡°Wow¡­ uncivilized much?¡± Ye Qing blinked. Obviously, the ink-wash seal script was one of those types¡ªa hypocrite hiding behind a veil of civility.? He knew the boorish man couldn¡¯t see him, but he mentally offered him some sympathy and moral support anyway.

    The challenge resumed, but every answer that came after the legendary answer felt so in and boring that Ye Qing wished they could get on with it already. Not only that, the ink-wash seal script had ced the boorish man¡¯s answer at the absolutest ce of the ranking. The challengers continued to answer the couplet one after another, but no one¡¯s answer was ever bad enough to ¡°bottom¡± the ranking.

    ¡°Such a shame! Such a shame!¡± Ye Qing shook his head regretfully. <i>You do not understand love, Stranger!</i>

    ¡°My turn!¡±

    It was at this moment a familiar voice jolted him back to reality. Xiao Yang¡¯s image then appeared in the sky mirror.

    ¡°Xiao Yang? I don¡¯t want to put you down, but are you sure you know how toplete a couplet?¡± Ye Qing looked at the Patrolman and rubbed his chin doubtfully. Xiao Yang¡¯s spirit wasmendable, but his intelligence? Tsk tsk.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Xiao Yang coughed once before sping his hands behind his back and looking forty degrees upward. He actually looked pretty handsome at that moment. After he was done posing, he began slowly, ¡°So, the first line is ¡®grow long, grow long, continue to grow long¡¯, huh? It reminds me of a farmer¡¯s hopefulness as they watch their crops grow. Not bad, not bad! It would only be right if I give my all to provide a fitting answer.¡±

    He shuffled back and forth for a bit and touched his bangs. Then, he slowly raised an arm to the heavens as if confessing to a lover and said with a most narcissistic expression, ¡°My answer is, ¡®shit hard, shit often, do not stop shitting.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Manure is key to growing strong, healthy crops. With periodic fertilizing, one can ensure that the crops will ¡®grow long¡¯ and ¡®continue to grow long¡¯. Is this not the perfectplement to the couplet?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    The ink-wash seal script: ¡°...¡±

    For a long time, Ye Qing could only gape at Xiao Yang. You know you have found a truly exceptional soul when their words or actions stupefied both humans and Strangers alike. When he finally came to, Ye Qing gave the exceptionally shitty answer a mental thumbs-up and thought: <i>Respect, brother!</i>

    1. The original in Chinese is ³¤³¤³¤³¤³¤³¤³¤ - an English example would be ¡°Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo¡±, and no, it¡¯spletely different from the raw text. I¡¯m using this because it allows me to actually be somewhat urate in the following trantion, as you will seeter. ??

 Chapter 103: The Riddler

    <h4>Chapter 103: The Riddler</h4>

    Xiao Yang continued to stroke his bangs as he dered proudly, ¡°So? My answer is sublime, isn¡¯t it? I wouldn¡¯t say it deserves first ce, but it has to be among the top three at least¡ª¡±

    ¡°GET LOST!¡±

    He did not get to finish his words because a shrill voice abruptly pierced through the air, deafening everyone¡¯s eardrums and shaking the Mountain of Riddles itself. None suffered as much as Xiao Yang, however. He was bleeding out of every orifice and staring dazedly at the sky. His nk eyes seemed to say: <i>Where am I? What am I doing? What happened?</i>

    ¡°Poor thing! Why is he putting himself through all this suffering?¡± Ye Qing shook his head. He just could not understand where Xiao Yang was getting his confidence from. Maybe his brain was so tiny that he could not even weigh the pros and cons like a normal human being.

    ¡°Alright. The show¡¯s over, and it¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s get this over with!¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself and put on his Bronze Tiger Head. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted to use the Strange Artifact, but because he wanted to hide his own face. Once he was ready, he called out, ¡°Allow me!¡±

    As soon as his image appeared in the sky, he said, ¡°Grow long, grow long, continue to grow long; stand tall, stand tall, stand tall and never fall!¡±

    Ink wash words immediately took shape in the sky and rose until all the way to second ce. As expected, it failed to exceed the current first ce, ¡°Always growing, always growing, continually growing.¡± Ye Qing was more than okay with this result, however. Even if he wasn¡¯t, he only needed to check out, ¡°Get hard, get hard, getting hard as fuck¡± or ¡°Shit hard, shit often, do not stop shitting¡± at rock bottom and let the schadenfreude wash away his displeasure. He was terrible like that, and he did not mind it one bit!

    A tea time passed in the blink of an eye. When it was time, the ink wash seal script dered, ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± The ranking list in the sky and the hundreds of couplets within it immediately shed all sorts of colors as if it was alive. Then, the couplets abruptly transformed into various numbers¡ªthe couplet in the first ce transformed into the number ¡°10¡±, the couplet in the second ce transformed into the number ¡°8¡± and so on.

    The two couplets sitting deadst on the ranking list were exceptions, however. Not only did the couplets join together to form a pair of big fat zeros, they were so ck they looked purple from a distance. Obviously, it meant that the boorish man and Xiao Yang were awarded absolutely nothing at all. Life was like that sometimes.

    <i>I¡¯m assuming that 8 means I get to progress eight steps?</i> Ye Qing guessed while staring at his own number.

    He waited for things to return to normal, but the ink-wash seal script remained floating in the sky. A bad feeling suddenly gripped Ye Qing, and it was proven true just a secondter.

    ¡°All who didn¡¯t answer the couplet challenge in time shall die!¡±

    ¡°Die?!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes bulged as if he could not believe his ears. ¡°What the hell! You didn¡¯t mention this in the rule earlier!¡±

    The ink-wash seal script didn¡¯t hear him, however. It simply pped its wings and caused ink to rain from the sky. When the ink made contact with the rainbow fog, it melted away the fog and revealed a bunch of panicked-looking people. Some of them came from the Pacification Bureau, and some he did not recognize at all. They were those who hadn¡¯t answered the couplet challenge earlier.

    The victims did everything they could to avoid the falling ink. Some had even brought out their Strange Artifacts to buy more time for themselves. It was useless though. The ink passed right through their Strange Artifact as if it didn¡¯t exist and hit them. Like ink being added into a ss of clear water, their bodies turned pitch ck in just the blink of an eye. They also froze in their tracks as if someone had cast a petrification spell on them.

    The victims weren¡¯t dead yet, however. Their darting eyes and terrified expressions made it clear that they were still alive. However, there was nothing they could do except wait for death to im them.

    <i>Plop! Plop!</i>

    The victims gradually melted into a puddle like blocks of ice under a hot sun. However, they were puddles of ink instead of water or blood. The ink then rose into the air and converged into a pool of ink. Finally, winged seal scripts flew out of the pool and disappeared into the fog. This would continue until not a drop of ink was left in the sky.

    <i>Heavens above! Is this how the ancient seal scripts are made? Is every seal script in this ce a former human being? </i>Ye Qing rubbed his nose with an ice cold expression. The punishment was even scarier than he thought!

    After the punishment was over, the ink wash seal script flew back to the peak, and the rainbow fog covered up the mountain path once more. Everything had finally returned to normal, but Ye Qing had utterly lost the mood to climb the mountain at his leisure. It was because people had died, of course.

    Death was rarely a joyous thing, not to mention that some of the people who died just now were his acquaintances. This incident also made him realize that this Strange Realm really was a Strange Realm. It might not be as dangerous as most Strange Realms, but it was still dangerous enough that death was a very real possibility.

    Ye Qing turned serious and started climbing the mountain at full speed. Thanks to Wawa, he didn¡¯t encounter any difficulty no matter what riddle or couplet the Mountain of Riddles threw his way. The journey wasn¡¯t a peaceful one, however. He had seen a manpletely losing his sense of self in the middle of a punishment and perishing as a result. He had seen a woman going insane and diving into the rainbow fog after witnessing this very scene.

    He had even seen a pair of father and son turning on each other because the father refused to help the son, and the son ultimately killed his father by his own hands. Then, the sonmitted suicide after withstanding a punishment that pushed himpletely over the brink. It would not be the first or thest of its kind. Heavens only know how many more tragedies were happening on this mountain path, and to say that Ye Qing¡¯s heart was burdened by the things he saw would be an understatement.

    When Ye Qing finally reached the peak, the rainbow fog abruptly vanished like it was never there. Green meadow, lush trees, beautiful flowers, cool streams and a perfectly clear sky greeted him cordially. It was like he had stepped into paradise.

    An old man was sitting on the edge of a cliff. He was wearing a conical hat with his back facing toward him. When Ye Qing approached him, he discovered that he was holding a fishing rod with a fishing line that extended all the way into the sea of clouds below. His expression was concentrated and focused.

    <i>This is the first time I see someone fishing in an ocean of clouds. It certainly looks cool, even though I don¡¯t think he¡¯s gonna catch anything! </i>Ye Qing thought to himself while rubbing his chin. He didn¡¯t call out to the old man not just because he didn¡¯t want to break his concentration, but also because he was curious if the old man could actually fish something out of the clouds.

    A dozen or so breathster, the old man broke the silence. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious what I¡¯m fishing for, young man?¡±

    ¡°Well met, Riddler!¡± Ye Qing greeted in a respectful tone. He had no doubt that the old man before him was the ¡°Riddler¡± that the ink wash seal script had mentioned. ¡°Since you¡¯re holding a fishing rod, I¡¯m assuming that you¡¯re trying to catch a fish!¡±

    The Riddler smiled. ¡°Just because a fishing rod is called a fishing rod doesn¡¯t mean that it can only be used to catch fishes. For example, it can be used to catch a treasured medicine¡ª¡±

    The Riddler reeled his fishing rod and caused a round pellet to fly out of the clouds. For a moment, the pellet shone like a golden sun before it fell out of view.

    ¡°A manual of the ages!¡±

    The Riddler reeled his fishing rod again and pulled up an extraordinary-looking book with a golden cover and a terrifying aura.

    ¡°A Strange Artifact!¡±

    A draconic cry rang from clouds, and a noble-looking, five-wed golden dragon burst into the sky and stirred the clouds until they resembled a tide. In the end, the dragon transformed into a golden spear that looked both awe-inspiring and powerful.

    ¡°Or even mountains of gold, silver, and jewelry!¡±

    The Riddler wasn¡¯t kidding when he said the word ¡°mountains¡±. He proceeded to reel in literal mountains of gold, silver, and precious stone all from the end of his fishing line.

    The Riddler wasn¡¯t done yet. He would continue to reel in all kinds of tempting treasures such as a powerful Stranger that could be used like a servant, treasure maps marking the locations of unimaginable treasures, precious herbs that could heal or strengthen the body like nothing he had ever seen and more. Hell, the old man had even reeled in a gorgeousdy once!

    To this, Ye Qing could only think: <i>Man, you sure know how to enjoy life, old man!</i>

    ¡°Do you want them, young man?¡± The Riddler finally asked after he was done showing off.

    Surprised, Ye Qing pointed a finger at himself and asked, ¡°If I say yes, would you give them to me?¡±

    The Riddler smiled. ¡°Of course not!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ye Qing¡¯s expression crumbled. <i>Why do you even make the offer then!?</i>

    As if he could hear Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts, the Riddler corrected his misunderstanding with a friendly smile, ¡°You can¡¯t have it all, but you can pick one of them as a reward. Of course, you can also ask for something that I haven¡¯t shown you, but be warned that you can only have one wish!¡±

    <i>Now we¡¯re talking. </i>¡°Can I make any wish?¡±

    The Riddler shot him a look and countered, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s just a joke,¡± Ye Qing said with a shrug. The ink-wash seal script had stated at the beginning that the wish must be within reason.

    ¡°Haha. I can see that you¡¯re a smartd. You know when to push and when to concede!¡± The Riddler praised, but his next words chilled Ye Qing to the core. ¡°Unlike some fools who dream so big they fail to recognize even the reality before them. Once, there was a guy who asked me to turn him into the strongest person in the world!¡±

    ¡°... What happened to him?¡±

    ¡°He died!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    What a simple yet bizarre tale it was.

    ¡°Mind you, I did fulfill his wish, but he was just an ordinary person with an ordinary body. The second my power entered his body, he immediately popped like a watermelon. Not one bit of him was left when all was said and done!¡±

    ¡°That reminds me, there was another guy who wished to be an emperor. Again I fulfilled his wish, but he turned into a retard because he was too weak to withstand the Will of the Empire; a burden that all emperors must bear.¡±

    ¡°Also, there was this fool who¡ª¡±

    For a time, the Riddler could not stop talking like a proper old man.

    <i>Long story short, everyone who made an ¡°unreasonable¡± wish died one way or another!</i> Ye Qing mentally shook his head. Whether or not the wishes were truly unreasonable remained to be seen¡ªhe was only hearing one side of the story after all¡ªbut one thing for certain, the Riddler wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with.

    So, what constitutes a reasonable wish? ording to Ye Qing¡¯s own standards, it was something that met his needs and could be realized via his own capabilities given enough time and effort. It definitely wasn¡¯t something unrealistic like, ¡°Make me the strongest warrior in the world this instant!¡±

    When the Riddler was finally done with his ramblings, he asked once again, ¡°So, what do you want, young man?¡±

    Ye Qing carefully mulled over his words before answering, ¡°I would like an Astral Refinement-stage cultivation art that suits me and the release of everyone from the Mountain of Riddles.¡±

    The Riddler tilted his head in puzzlement. ¡°That¡¯s two requests, no? I thought you were a smartd. Are you going to make me eat my words so quickly?¡± His tone had taken on a tinge of displeasure as well.

    .

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose innocently. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If you can fit it all in one sentence, then doesn¡¯t that constitute a single wish?¡±

    ¡°...¡± <i>I¡¯m pretty sure that belies the meaning of ¡°one wish¡±.</i>

    Ye Qing wrangled with his thoughts for a long time, but in the end he said seriously, ¡°In that case, I wish¡­ that you will release all the innocent people currently on the Mountain of Riddles right now.¡±

    He wanted that Astral Refinement cultivation art like you wouldn¡¯t believe, but he could not leave the Pacification Sentinels to their fates either. This was especially true since they had fought side by side just a few days ago. He could pretend that the strangers he encountered along the mountain path did not exist, but hisrades? He wouldn¡¯t be able to face himself if he chose the Astral Refinement stage cultivation art over them.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t like he had no other alternatives. He could always find another Astral Refinement stage cultivation art using the Annon Sutra. However, you only have one life. That was why he ultimately chose to save their lives.

    ¡°As you wish!¡± The Riddler smiled and waved his sleeve. The next moment, every challenger in the mountain abruptly disappeared from the mountain.

    There was one particr challenger that caught Ye Qing¡¯s notice, however. Specifically, it was a familiar-looking man standing on the ny-ninth step. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t hear him, but he seemed to beughing loudly with his arms around his waist. He was just about to step on the one-hundredth step when suddenly, poof! He was gone just like that.

 Chapter 104: King of Couplets

    <h4>Chapter 104: King of Couplets</h4>

    ¡°I was just seeing things¡­ right?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and muttered in an uncertain voice, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if I wasn¡¯t, what I did was a good thing. I¡¯m sure that the heavens would forgive me!¡±

    After everyone was gone, the Riddler looked at Ye Qing with a surprising amount of approval and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be such a kind soul, young man! I have spoken with countless challengers in my life, and most of them arepletely selfish and cared only for themselves. I have seen husband and wife who turned on one another, best friends who stabbed each other in the back, and father and son pretending as if they wereplete strangers all in the name of self-interest. However, I¡¯ve never met someone who would give up his hard-earned fortune to help others!¡±

    ¡°Haha, you tter me, Riddler. I¡¯m not nearly as kind-hearted as you think,¡± Ye Qing replied with a sigh. Seriously, his heart was aching so bad at the loss that he could hardly breathe. ¡°I¡¯m just doing the best that I can¡­ or maybe I¡¯m just an idiot.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just doing the best that you can? You¡¯re just an idiot? Hahaha!¡± Riddler guffawed. ¡°Then allow me to say this as well. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve met too many selfish and treacherous people in my life, but I think that meeting an ¡®idiot¡¯ once in a while isn¡¯t too bad after all!¡±

    ¡°You know what? I feel like being ¡®stupid¡¯ today, so I¡¯m going to make you this offer: if you can answer my riddle correctly, then I¡¯ll give you the Astral Refinement stage cultivation art you¡¯re searching for. What do you say, young man?¡±

    ¡°Sure¡­ wait, what? Y-You¡¯re not kidding, are you?¡± Ye Qing stared wide-eyed at the Riddler in disbelief.

    The old man smiled. ¡°I¡¯m serious. But ah, you mustn¡¯t ask for help from the Book Sprite hiding in your Nature¡¯s Shell. You must answer my riddle via your own capabilities.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, you found out?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose awkwardly. He thought the Riddler hadn¡¯t noticed since he hadn¡¯t been punished for cheating, but clearly he was mistaken. ¡°Okay! I ept the challenge! Please ask me the riddle!¡±

    The Riddler nodded and began, ¡°I am round when drawn, squiggly when written, short during winter, and long during summer. What am I?¡±

    As he spoke, the ocean of clouds beneath the cliff churned and turned into the Riddler¡¯s words.

    For a moment, Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything. Then, he blurted as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears, ¡°A-Are you sure you gave me the right riddle? Scratch that, you wouldn''t happen to have Wang for yourst name, would you?¡±

    The Riddler looked utterly confused. ¡°Excuse me? My surname is definitely not Wang. I am born from the Mountain of Riddles. I have no parents, name or surname. Even the ¡®Riddler¡¯ is just a moniker.¡±

    ¡°R-Right. Forget what I said,¡± stammered Ye Qing with an awkward chuckle. For a second there, he really thought he had encountered someone from his old world.

    The reason Ye Qing had such a strange thought was because the Riddler¡¯s riddle was, in fact, identical to a well-known riddle from his old world. Not only was it crafted by the famous philosopher Wang Anshi, and it was apanied by a famous tale. Legend says that Wang Anshi had a poet friend called Wang Jifu. Not only was his friend a great poet, he was also an expert in crafting riddles. When they were together, the two friends often passed the time by challenging each other to various riddles.

    One evening, Wang Jifu visited Wang Anshi at his ce like usual, and it so happened that Wang Anshi was thinking up a new riddle. As soon as Wang Jifu took his seat, Wang Anshi riddled him without even bothering to offer a greeting, ¡°I am round when drawn, squiggly when written, short during winter, and long during summer. What am I?¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long for Wang Jifu to figure out the answer, but instead of answering the riddle normally, Wang Jifu had a moment of inspiration and countered,

    ¡°Never resting, never still.

    Moving silently from hill to hill.

    It does not walk, run or trot.

    All is cool where it is not.

    What am I?

    I am the answer to your riddle!¡± [1]

    Naturally, Wang Anshi was extremely impressed. Not only had Wang Jifu answered his riddle correctly, he had done it by crafting a better riddle on the spot. The philosopher couldn¡¯t stop pping his hands and praising his friend for a time, and their little bout would eventually go down in history as a famous folklore.

    On a rted note, the answer to both riddles was, of course, the ¡°Sun.¡±

    ¡°Er, how about you shoot me another riddle?¡± Ye Qing asked. As a bonafide Chinese, it would be an understatement to say that the riddle was easy. In fact, it was so easy that he felt like he would lose something important if he took the freebie.

    The Riddler misunderstood his intentions, however. Stroking his beard with an extremely pleased look on his face, he said, ¡°Is it too difficult for you, young man? How disappointing! It is a riddle that even a child could solve! In that case, you must be punished for failing to provide an answer! Don¡¯t look at me like that, the rules are the rules even up here!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing stared at the old man. <i>I¡¯m trying to be fair here, and yet you would punish me for my virtue? Fine then! The gloves are </i>off!

    Ye Qing cleared his throat and copied Wang Jifu¡¯s answer word to word,

    ¡°Never resting, never still.

    Moving silently from hill to hill.

    It does not walk, run or trot.

    All is cool where it is not.

    What am I?

    I am the answer to your riddle!¡±

    The Riddler waspletely caught off guard by Ye Qing¡¯s answer. For a long time, he couldn¡¯t speak at all. Ye Qing was extremely pleased with the Riddler¡¯s expression. <i>Hehe! How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine?</i>

    A long timeter, the Riddler finally pped his hands and praised out loud, ¡°Brilliant! Most brilliant! I haven¡¯t been impressed like this in a long time! In the future, I¡¯m so setting up a challenge where the challengers must answer a riddle with a riddle of their own! Oh, I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>My deepest condolence to all the brothers and sisters who¡¯ll be climbing the Mountain of Riddles in the future!</i>

    ¡°I was going to give you an ordinary Astral Refinement stage cultivation art, but your answer is so brilliant and enlightening that I¡¯ve decided to give you something slightly above average! Thanks again, young man!¡± The Riddler dered smilingly.

    Ye Qing perked up when he heard this. <i>Wait a second. I can improve my reward? I can work with this!</i> He said tentatively, ¡°Say, you¡¯ve been doing the riddling this whole time, right? Why don¡¯t <i>I </i>shoot you a couple of riddles, and you try to solve them? If you manage to get them all, then there will be no doubt that you¡¯re truly the greatest Riddler in the whole world!¡±

    ¡°Hoh? Interesting!¡± An intrigued smile crossed the Riddler¡¯s lips. For obvious reasons, no one had ever dared to riddle the Riddler. He doubted that the idea had even crossed anyone¡¯s mind until now. But it sounded fun, so why not?

    ¡°What if I couldn¡¯t answer them all?¡±

    Grinning, Ye Qing rubbed his hands together and said, ¡°If you fail, I wouldn¡¯t mind receiving a better reward, if you get what I mean. You¡¯re a rich man with an entire floating mountain to yourself anyway. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t mind giving up a possession or two!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± The Riddler guffawed at Ye Qing¡¯s undisguised greed. ¡°Cunning brat! If you lose, all I receive is a title I already know I deserve, but if I lose, I have to give up some of my possessions? This isn¡¯t very fair, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly buttered up the old man, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped! The best item I own is nothingpared to the worst item you have, so what¡¯s the point of putting them on the betting table? Can¡¯t you overlook this bit of unfairness just once?¡±

    The Riddler chuckled. ¡°Fine, fine. As your senior, I suppose I can surrender the advantage for once.¡± Of course, there was also the fact that the Riddler was fully confident in his abilities. He was called the Riddler, for heavens¡¯ sake. Was there any riddle in the world that he couldn¡¯t solve?

    Ye Qing took a moment to recall a handful of famous riddles before starting, ¡°What goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening?¡±

    ¡°A human!¡± The Riddler answered immediately.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad!¡± Ye Qing praised. The first riddle was just to gauge the Riddler¡¯s knowledge; he wasn¡¯t expecting it to actually confound him. A few seconds passed, and he fired his second riddle,

    ¡°There is a house. One enters it blind andes out seeing. What is it?¡±

    The Riddler stroked his beard and thought for a bit. Then, he answered, ¡°A school!¡±

    ¡°As I was going to Anyang,

    I met a man with seven wives,

    Each wife had seven sacks,

    Each sack had seven cats,

    Each cat had seven kits:

    Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,

    How many were there going to Anyang?¡±

    ¡°One!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Things were <i>not </i>going as expected. Ye Qing had asked a dozen more riddles after the first three, but the Riddler was able to answer them all without pause. It would seem he would have to crank up the difficulty some more. He pretended to wipe his forehead to show that he was impressed with the Riddler¡¯s knowledge before shooting another riddle,

    ¡°You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don¡¯t see a single person on the boat. Why?¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± This time, the Riddler did not answer immediately. His fishing rod twitched imperceptibly, and the ocean of clouds churned without a sound. It was as if the objects had a mind, and they were afraid to break the Riddler¡¯s train of thought.

    A dozen breathster, the Riddler finally answered, ¡°Because all the people are married! You almost got me talking about boats and sinking, but the keyword here is ¡®single!¡¯¡±

    <i>Seriously? He got </i>that? <i>That stumped me so hard when I first saw it on the inte!</i>

    Ye Qing took a moment to collect himself before firing thest bullet in his chamber, ¡°What are the next three letters in thisbination? O, T ,T, F, F, S, S!¡±

    The Riddler fell into thought once more, but this time he took more time to think than any other riddler Ye Qing had asked previously. Feeling that he had finally stumped the old man, he rubbed his nose proudly and thought, <i>Finally. This riddle had stumped so many keyboard warriors that it was left unanswered on the inte for weeks before someone finally got it. You may be the Riddler, but not even you can¡ª</i>

    ¡°The answer is E, N, T! Since each letter represents the first letter in the written numbers: one, two, three, four, five and so on, and the next three numbers in thatbination are eight, nine and ten, the answer can only be E, N and T! Hahaha! That is a great one, young man!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s jawy somewhere on the floor. Somehow, the Riddler had figured out the answer before he even finished his inner monologue! How!?

    ¡°Your bag of riddles is quite impressive, young man. Not only are theypletely new to me, some of them seriously stimte the brain! Do you have more?¡± The Riddler urged with clear excitement.

    ¡°Hahaha, sorry, I don¡¯t think I have anything else that can stump you, elder one. You truly are the greatest Riddler in the world!¡± Ye Qing threw in the towel. It was folly to challenge the Riddler to a riddle contest after all!

    He hadn¡¯t given up yet, however. ¡°What about a couplet challenge? Dare you answer my couplets and be the greatest couplet master in the world as well, Riddler?¡±

    ¡°Couplets?¡± The Riddler smiled. ¡°I¡¯m definitely not as good with couplets than with riddles¡­ but why not?¡±

    ¡°Okay then! Here Ie!¡± <i>Eat this! </i>¡°The first line is: a mountain of books has a way and diligence is the path!¡± [2]

    A shudder coursed through the Riddler¡¯s body, and for the first time he lost his smilepletely. A long, long timeter, the Riddler finally answered, ¡°The sea of learning has no end and hard work is the boat.¡±

    Ye Qing thought that the couplet was enough to get the old man, but he was even better than he expected. Not wanting to waste time shooting a dozen more couplets until he finally stumped the Riddler, Ye Qing went straight for the kill,

    ¡°Next! The first line is: where smoke locked pond willow! In structure, the five words use the five elements, Earth, Fire, Metal, Water and Wood as radicals, and in terms of artistic conception, it depicts a quiet pond in front of the courtyard, and the light mist of cooking smoke lingers around the pond. Now, please give me the second line!¡±

    ¡°Where smoke locked pond willow?¡± The Riddler furrowed his brow so tightly that his wrinkles were all bunched up together. The ocean of clouds beneath the cliff churned harder than ever before, and countless ancient seal scripts and words took form from time to time as if reflecting his thoughts.

    There were a few times the Riddler opened his mouth as if he was about to voice the answer, but he always stopped at thest moment and whispered, ¡°No, that doesn¡¯t work¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehehe! Is that too difficult? That¡¯s fine. I can give you a second chance.¡± Ye Qing grinned in delight. ¡°The first line is: A lonely widow rests against a cold empty window. Can you give me the second line?¡±

    The Riddler: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Is that too hard as well? That¡¯s fine, how about something simpler? The first line is: In a painting, a monk paints on a lotus blossom. What is the second line?¡±

    At this point, the Riddler¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to bug out of their sockets. <i>Like hell it¡¯s simpler! Every single one of these couplets could confound even the greatest schrs! Also, I¡¯m the Riddler, not the Couplet Master!</i>

    Then, he realized something. <i>Wait a second, where the hell did he even get these couplets? I¡¯d bet my fortune that they don¡¯t even exist in the Sea of Couplets!</i>

    ¡°Where did you get these couplets?¡± The Riddler asked in a raspy voice.

    Ye Qing turned his nose all the way up to the sky andughed. ¡°Are you implying something, Riddler? I created all these couplets myself! To tell you the truth, my nickname is the King of Couplets, and everyone calls me the Couplet Coupler!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get back to our challenge, shall we? Don¡¯t worry, I promise I¡¯ll go easy on you this time. The first line is¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing was just about to kick the dog when it¡¯s down when suddenly, the Riddler waved his sleeve at him. The next thing he knew, he was back on the edge of Redstone Forest.

    ¡°Not fair! Violence is not the answer! How is ousting me from your mountain just because I beat you civilized?!¡±

    ¡°Wait a second. Where¡¯s my reward? My cultivation art?¡±

    ¡°Elder one, no, big brother, no, ancestor, please¡ª!¡±

    1. This is NOT Wang Jifu¡¯s answer, by the way. His actual answer is a short poem that breaks down the character ¡°Óã¡± until all that is left is the character ¡°ÈÕ¡±. It is incredibly brilliant and alsopletely untrantable in English, so I simply lifted a random sun riddle from the inte for this. ??

    2. Yeah I lifted this from somewhere, the original line:ÏÂÍû½­Á÷£¬½­Â¥Ç§¹Å£¬½­Á÷Ç§¹Å¡± just wentpletely over my head, so ??

 Chapter 105: Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind

    <h4>Chapter 105: Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind</h4>

    ¡°Couplet Coupler, eh? Let¡¯s see if he can still call himself that after his innards are all coupled up from sheer regret!¡±

    The Riddler let out a satisfied cackle after he tossed Ye Qing out of the Mountain of Riddles and listened to the young man¡¯s frantic screams. It had been a while since he felt this gleeful.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing found himself standing at the edge of Redstone Forest with none of the rewards he was promised. He even went through his Nature¡¯s Shells hoping against hope that the Riddler had somehow stuffed his rewards into the storage artifacts to no avail.

    ¡°I was wrong, elder one, big brother, ancestor! Please forgive me!¡± Ye Qing screamed as he stared at the fog-shrouded mountain. Heavens know he was moments away from breaking into tears. If he knew the Riddler was such a humorless person, he would never have dared to tease him until he quite literally blew his top. Now, he hadn¡¯t just lost his additional rewards, he didn¡¯t even have his Astral Refinement stage cultivation art!

    <i>Ahhhh! Why did I do that? Ahhhhhhhhh!</i>

    ¡°Elder one, I can give up the additional rewards, but please, at least give me the Astral Refinement stage cultivation art you promised!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the bigger person here, elder one! Surely you can find it in yourself to forgive a petty little shit like me!¡±

    ¡°Elder one¡­¡±

    For a time, Ye Qing keptunching spit attack after spit attack at the floating mountain in the sky. Maybe his sincerity finally reached the Riddler, or maybe the old man simply had had enough of Ye Qing screeching like a banshee and disturbing his peace, but a couple of items suddenly fell from the sky and hit Ye Qing squarely in the head.

    ¡°Heavens, just how vengeful can you be?¡± Ye Qing muttered while rubbing his head. He looked down and found two jade slips and a cbash.

    ¡°Jade slips? Are they the cultivation manual I was promised?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up as he hurriedly picked up the jade slips.

    One of the jade slips was ck in color, and the other white. Ye Qing pressed the white jade slip to his forehead first and probed it with his spirit. The contents of the jade slip immediately flooded into his brain.

    ¡°The ¡®Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡¯ is a cultivation art that delivers one¡¯s enemies to nirvana via the scorching winds of nature. The ¡°Yellow Court Sutra¡± states, ¡®There exists a strange wind in our world. It is vast and majestic, terrible and scorching, invisible and reclusive. It is capable of turning grass and wood into ash, ckening rock and earth, drying rivers andkes, and extinguishing minds and souls. At its greatest, it can scorch mountains and boil oceans into wastnds. At its lowest, it can still extinguish minds and burn almost everything.¡±

    /p>

    ¡°The one who practices ¡®Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡¯ must subsume a Burning Wind into their true qi. They would then use it to hone their body to wlessness and perfect their blood vessels. By doing this, they would be able to carry mountains and rivers in their chest, and take in the sky and the earth into their heart. Only by possessing a smaller world of your own could one exist harmoniously with the bigger world.¡±

    ¡°The warrior who practices this cultivation art must meet the following requirements: One, they must augment all three hundred and sixty blood vessels to perfection. Two, they must possess a strong and resilient physique. Three, they must have a tremendous reservoir of true qi. And four, they must possess an iron will.¡±

    ¡°When the practitioner has reached the adept level, they would gain the power to deliver anyone to nirvana with the Burning Wind!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hmm! This looks incredibly powerful!¡± Ye Qing muttered while massaging his forehead. He was very happy with what he found after he was finished digesting the contents of the white jade slip. However, his face quickly crumpled when he thought of its ws.

    The Burning Wind described in the cultivation art was obviously powerful. In essence, the Burning Wind was an incredibly potent astral qi. He could only imagine how strong he would be after he had subsumed it into his true qi and used it to temper his body.

    The problem was that the requirements to cultivate the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± were extremely stringent, so much so it excluded ny-nine percent warriors right from the get go. For starters, the warrior must achieve perfect Vessel Augmentation, possess a tough body and strong will, so on and so on. Those who tried to practice the cultivation art without meeting the requirements would cripple their body or mind at best, or burn to death to the very wind they were trying to subsume at worst.

    The rewards were incredible, but the risks were equally terrible. For this reason, few people could even begin to practice the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡±, much less reach the adept level.

    Obviously, one must absorb and refine an astral qi before they could channel its power. Astral qi was a naturalponent of the world, so it could be found everywhere as a matter of course. However, the demand for astral qi was ever increasing, and not all astral qi were made equal or readily avable. Some astral qis were extremelymon and could be procured everywhere, whereas some were so rare one must venture to unknownnds and brave untold dangers just to have a chance at obtaining them.

    This was why most Astral Refiners chose to subsumemon astral qis. For example, Gui Water astral qi could be easily procured from ces with lots of water such as rivers andkes, Yi Wood astral qi could be procured from forests and jungles, and so on.

    Rare astral qis were much more powerful thanmon astral qi, but they were rarer, harder to find, and considerably more dangerous. Generally speaking, there were two ways to refine a rare astral qi. One, the warrior could seek out the location where the astral qi was concentrated. Two, they could absorb the smidgens of rare qi in the air and refine them little by little.

    The first method was highly risky because ces where a rare astral qi was concentrated was usually very dangerous as well. The second method was so slow that one could practice their whole life and still not make it to the adept level.

    A warrior who aimed low and refined amon astral qi would never be a powerful Astral Refiner, but a warrior who aimed high might never be an Astral Refiner in the first ce either because they couldn¡¯t gather enough rare qi, or because they were dead as a dodo. In short, both options had their pros and cons.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s case, the first and biggest problem he faced if he wished to practice the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± was, where could he obtain the Burning Wind? And no, he wasn¡¯t referring to the smidgens of Burning Wind mixed within the atmosphere. The slow and steady option was never an option to him not just because he had grown used to scaling the power level rapidly like a wealthy man who had grown used to living a luxurious life, but also because he had no time to waste. Qing Kui¡¯s junior brother was still out there watching him from the dark and waiting for an opportunity to end his life. The longer he took to enter the Astral Refinement stage, the bigger the likelihood that he wouldn¡¯t live to see another day. That was why he needed to find a location with the high concentrations of Burning Wind and refine it as soon as possible.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check the Pacification Bureau¡¯s archives first. If there is nothing, then I¡¯ll ask the Annon Sutra!¡±

    His mind made up, Ye Qing picked up the second jade slip¡ªthe ck one¡ªand pressed it to his forehead. A long timeter, he lowered the item and bubbled with excitement, ¡°A fist martial art! This is even better than I expected!¡±

    The ck jade slip contained an Astral Refinement stage fist martial art named the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±. The name was inspired by the quote, ¡°Vapores up from the lond of clouds and dreams; surging waves strike against the city wall of Yueyang.¡± By enlightening oneself upon the vastness of a river, and studying the forces that molded the clouds, a warrior could learn how to vaporize one¡¯s enemies. Supposedly, an adept could throw a punch that could scorch the earth, boil a river, and vaporize even the clouds in the sky. It would be like the sun itself had descended upon their enemies.

    It was clear from the description alone that the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± was an exceedingly vigorous and potent fist art thatbined impetus, intent and power into one. It was a perfect fit with the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± as it maximized the power of the Burning Wind.

    ¡°The Riddler is a good person!¡± Ye Qing said happily. The old man had given him a top-tier Astral Refinement stage cultivation art and aplementary martial art to boot. If he wasn¡¯t a good person, then who was?

    What? Someone was cursing his good name earlier and wishing him the worst earlier? The gall! Whoever it was, it definitely wasn¡¯t a guy named Ye Qing!

    Ye Qing carefully put the two jade slips into his Nature¡¯s Shell. Then, he looked at the third and final item the Riddler had awarded him, the cbash.

    The ancient and mysterious-looking cbash was quite small. It was barely bigger than his palm and grayish ck in color. It looked like it was made out of wood, but when Ye Qing grabbed it he found that it was as cold as jade. He had no idea what kind of material it was.

    As soon as he grabbed the cbash, white air abruptly gushed out of its bore and formed lines and lines of words in the air. It was a description of the cbash¡¯s features.

    <i>¡°The Head Turn Cbash¡¯s rank and origin are unknown. It possesses the power to sprain anyone¡¯s neck.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°To use it, the wielder simply needs to stand behind their target and call out to them. If the target responds to the call and looks back at the wielder, then they would sprain their neck and feel abject pain. It does not matter if the target is a human, a ghost, a celestial, a demon or a god. So long as they have a neck, the cbash will work one hundred percent of the time. But beware! No matter how painful the sprain is, it will never be enough to kill the target!¡±</i>

    <i>¡°P.S. Dare you respond if I call out to you?¡±</i>

    ¡°What an insi¡ªI mean, strange cbash!¡± Ye Qingmented. He was going to say insidious¡ªit was a perfect match with that treacherous old man who called himself the Riddler¡ªbut the Riddler did reward him handsomely despite that little joke he yed on him earlier, so he changed his wording.

    Seriously though, this was one of the most insidious Strange Artifacts he had ever seen. Imagine going to the streets and crying, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! I have something to say!¡± while holding the Head Turn Cbash. The mere thought of everyone spraining their necks with an audible crack at the same time was¡­ <i>no, no, you¡¯re one of the good guys, you mustn¡¯t use this to y a prank on innocent people! You can¡¯t!</i>

    Jokes aside, the cbash was extremely powerful. It imed that anyone with a neck be it human or Stranger, strong or weak, would sprain their necks so long as they responded to his call and looked around. A Strange Artifact that worked one hundred percent of the time was exceptional to say the least, not to mention that its effects, while seemingly situational, could be incredibly potent in the right situations.

    Ye Qing toyed with the Head Turn Cbash a while longer before pulling out a rope and tying it to his waist. Now, it looked just like an ordinary drinking gourd.

    ¡°Perfect!¡± Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction. Who would ever suspect that the ¡°drinking gourd¡± was the Strange Artifact that made them sprain their neck?

    With that done, he looked up at the Mountain of Riddles and shouted onest time, ¡°Thank you, Riddler! You¡¯re a good person through and through!¡±

    As if on cue, the floating mountain suddenly grew fainter and fainter. At the end, it vanished like it was never there.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave!¡±

    After the Mountain of Riddle was gone, Ye Qing turned around and left Redstone Forest, whistling a cheerful tune the whole way. This trip had turned out to be even more fruitful than he thought, so how could he be anything but happy?

    It would seem that Lady Luck was smiling down on him today, because he ran into the Pacification Bureau group he came with as soon as he left the vicinity of Redstone Forest. Yun Yan was with them as well.

    Yun Yan looked extremely d to see him. She greeted him with a warm smile, ¡°Joyless! Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, Sister Yun. Thanks for your concern!¡± Ye Qing shot her a smile before asking the others, ¡°What about you guys? Is everyone alright?¡±

    ¡°We are. We¡¯re not sure why, but we were teleported out of the mountain all of a sudden. Not that we¡¯reining, of course!¡± A Pacification Sentinel replied to his question with clear relief. However, he quickly turned sad again and said, ¡°Not all of us survived though. Young Ma and the others¡­¡±

    ¡°You have my sincerest condolences!¡± Ye Qing sighed. He had already done the best he could. There was a reason perfect endings only existed in fairytales.

    Suddenly, Xiao Yang approached him and asked in an unfriendly tone, ¡°Tell me the truth, brother. Was it you?¡±

    Ye Qing looked confused. ¡°Was it what?¡±

    ¡°Was it you the one who caused us to be teleported out of the Mountain of Riddles?¡± Xiao Yang narrowed his eyes as if trying to discern if Ye Qing was acting or not. ¡°It happened after you made it to the peak. It¡¯s the only logical exnation, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Nope! It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Ye Qing fired off a triple denial. He enjoyed bragging about his achievements like any other person, but today he felt like being humble.

    ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± Xiao Yang remained doubtful despite his insistence.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Perhaps only one person can make it to the top, and everyone else would be teleported out of the mountain after a while!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t say that isn¡¯t a possibility,¡± Xiao Yang muttered but still looked very doubtful. ¡°Speaking of which, what did you get from the Riddler?¡±

    ording to the rules, the challenger who made it to the top could ask the Riddler one reasonable wish. If Ye Qing had used his wish to send them away, then he would have nothing to show Xiao Yang. But if Ye Qing had obtained something from the Riddler, then he was most likely telling the truth.

    ¡°A bone!¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t tell Xiao Yang the truth. Instead, he used the Chang Bone to support his lie. The Chang Bone came from Little August Hill, and anyone who knew about it was dead or beyond reach. Naturally, there was no way anyone could expose his lie.

    But why did he lie in the first ce? It was because the rewards he obtained from the Riddler were more than enough to garner unwanted greed and trouble. You could never be too careful, and this was doubly true when you were facing someone like Xiao Yang!

    ¡°Bone? What bone?¡± Xiao Yang asked suspiciously.

    Ye Qing pulled out the Chang Bone and handed it to Xiao Yang. ¡°This one. The Riddler told me it¡¯s a great item, but he didn¡¯t say what makes it great or even how I should use it. Would you happen to know what it is, brother?¡±

    Xiao Yang epted the Chang Bone and inspected it closely. A whileter, he replied, ¡°This is a Chang Bone; the Chang Bone of a Mountain Turning Tiger, a Hatred-ss Stranger to be exact. It¡¯s a natural Strange Artifact that can be used tomand yin souls and other ghosts! The Riddler wasn¡¯t lying to you when he said it¡¯s a great item!¡±

    ¡°Well damn! And here I thought the old man had yed me like a fiddle!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise while taking the Chang Bone back from Xiao Yang. It wasn¡¯t faked either. He had no idea that Uncle Fu¡¯s gift was this powerful.

    Xiao Yang couldn¡¯t hear Ye Qing¡¯s inner monologue, and he didn¡¯t care. As soon as he had returned the Chang Bone, he abruptly threw his arms into the sky and screamed on top of his lungs, ¡°Why? Why are you doing this to me? I had suffered ny-nine punishments and was one step away frompleting the climb, and you threw me out right before I was about to make it to the top?¡±

    ¡°How is this fair? How is this justice?¡±

    ¡°Give me back my Strange Artifacts, my manuals, my treasures; you swindler!¡±

    ¡°Damn it all!¡±

    <i>It really was him? </i>Ye Qing recalled the unfortunate bastard he saw on the ny-ninth step right before the Riddler had sent everyone away. He had thought he was mistaken, but he was right after all. Thank goodness he had chosen to keep a low profile, or Xiao Yang might have been angry enough to fight him here and now! <i>It doesn¡¯t matter anyway. I did a good thing, even if it cost Xiao Yang a little bit of pain!</i>

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sister Yun!¡±

    The poor fuck could cry to death for all he cared. It might be a sin to make a woman cry, but not a man!

 Chapter 106: Strange Incident

    <h4>Chapter 106: Strange Incident</h4>

    ¡°Excuse me, Warrior Ye. Are you free right now? The chief would like to speak with you.¡±

    After the group had returned to Anyang, Ye Qing bade hispanions goodbye and returned to Endless Horizons first. Once he felt fairly rested, he went to the Pacification Bureau¡¯s archives to search for clues regarding the Burning Wind.

    A ce containing high concentrations of Burning Wind must be incredibly dangerous, and since the Pacification Bureau was the department that handled all things rted to Strangers and unusual phenomenons, it was obviously the best ce to begin his search. He had no doubt that a record would exist somewhere in the archives if such a location existed near Anyang.

    Unfortunately, he went through all the files but could not find anything rted to the Burning Wind. So, he got ready to return home and ask the Annon Sutra. However, someone caught up with him as soon as he stepped out of the door.

    The man was a Swordbearer of the Pacification Bureau, Zhao Yunlong. He was an early-stage Vessel Augmentor, and he was responsible for all matters rting to thew. Subordinate only to Ling Jianqiu, he was the most powerful person in the headquarters both in terms of authority and strength.

    ¡°Well met, Lord Zhao!¡± Ye Qing saluted him and asked curiously, ¡°Do you know why Chief Ling wishes to see me?¡±

    It would seem that Zhao Yunlong was just as cold as Ling Jianqiu, however. His lips pressed into a firm, unyielding line, he answered, ¡°I do not. The chief only told me to bring you to him after you left the archives!¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and decided that it would take far more effort to pry any useful information from Zhao Yunlong¡¯s mouth than just meeting Ling Jianqiu right away. So, he said, ¡°Very well. Please, lead the way!¡±

    ¡°This way, please!¡± Zhao Yunlong nodded and took Ye Qing to Ling Jianqiu¡¯s study. Once there, Zhao Yunlong said, ¡°The chief is inside. I will not be apanying you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Zhao!¡± Ye Qing said.

    Zhao Yunlong shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Then, he turned around and left just like that.

    Ye Qing stared at Zhao Yunlong¡¯s back for a moment. ¡°I can see why he¡¯s Ling Jianqiu¡¯s right-hand man. I would believe it if someone told me they were secretly brothers. They¡¯re both as cold as ice!¡±

    He walked up to the door and got ready to knock, but before he could do so Ling Jianqiu¡¯s voice came from inside, ¡°Come in!¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged and pushed open the door. Inside, he saw Ling Jianqiu sitting at the table and doing some paperwork. When the Chief of Bureau saw Ye Qing, he pointed at a nearby chair and gestured for him to wait a little.

    Ye Qing obediently went over to the chair and sat down. He then waited patiently for Ling Jianqiu to finish.

    Ling Jianqiu looked like he was busy with work, but in reality he was observing Ye Qing. He wondered if the savior of Anyang would fidget like a youngster especially in the presence of higher authority. However, not only was Ye Qing calm,posed, and patient, he could not find even a trace of anxiety or dissatisfaction on the young man¡¯s face. He could not help a mental sigh of approval. Few people at his age could maintain their cool so well.

    It was too bad he couldn¡¯t read minds, because the youngster he thought to be most outstanding wasining disdainfully inside his head, <i>Chief of Bureau my ass. He didn¡¯t even serve me a hot cup of tea like a proper host! So stingy!</i>

    About half a teatimeter, Ling Jianqiu finally set down his brush and looked at Ye Qing. ¡°How is your investigation going, Joyless? Have you found anything regarding Evergreen Ivy yet?¡±

    It had only been two days since the invasion. What could he possibly find in such a short time? Clearly, Ling Jianqiu hadn¡¯t called him to his study today for this matter. Ye Qing didn¡¯t point it out though. He feigned ignorance and replied, ¡°No. I¡¯m still looking into it!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu nodded and ended that line of conversation with a moment of awkward silence. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t used to making small talk. A whileter, he jumped straight to the point, ¡°There is something I need your help with, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau needs my help?¡± Ye Qing frowned. <i>Is he trying to make me work for free again? No bloody way! </i>

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t dumb enough to reject Ling Jianqiu outright, so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±

    His n was to listen until the end before putting Ling Jianqiu down lightly. In his head, he was already preparing a thousand and one excuses to reject the request such as: something¡¯s happened to my home, my friend is sick, my wife is about to give birth, I¡¯m on my period today, yada yada h h.

    Of course, he could just say no without the excuses, but Ling Jianqiu was an acquaintance, and an outright rejection was liable to cause misunderstandings and sour their rtionship.

    ¡°Three days ago, a Patrolman named Yu Hai sent me a report regarding a strange incident happening to one of the nine viges under Anyang¡¯s jurisdiction, the Jade Spring Vige.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu said slowly, ¡°ording to Yu Hai, the vige numbered five hundred and eighty two houses and over one thousand and two hundred vigers thest time he patrolled Jade Spring Vige, which was several months ago. But when he visited the vige four days ago, he discovered that their poption had been cut in half, their livestocks were all gone, and everyone was skinny and pale as if they were afflicted by some sort of terrible disease.¡±

    ¡°What was strange was that the vigers thought Yu Hai was joking when he questioned them about the missing vigers. More urately, they didn¡¯t seem to remember the missing people at all. It was as if those people had never existed. Not only that, when he asked them about their poor health, they once again denied his concerns and imed that they were right as rain.¡±

    ¡°A blind man could¡¯ve seen that wasn¡¯t true. They were so thin and pale that they couldn¡¯t carry anything. They could barely take a step without wobbling like they were about to fall. However, not a single person seemed to notice their condition, and they continued to live their lives as if nothing was wrong.¡±

    ¡°That is very strange!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes shed with interest.

    Ling Jianqiu paused for a second before continuing, ¡°Yu Haiunched an investigation right away, but he wasn¡¯t able to find anything. Realizing that this was no simple incident, he sent me a message to inform me about the incident and promised me that he would report his progress at least once every day. He then resumed his investigation.¡±

    ¡°However, that very report would turn out to be thest time I hear from him. It has been three days since I¡¯ve heard from him, and I suspect that he has fallen prey to whatever is happening to Jade Spring Vige!¡±

    <i>You don¡¯t say? </i>Ye Qing thought. He could not imagine any other reason why the Patrolman wouldn¡¯t report back to Ling Jianqiu.

    ¡°So, you want me to follow up on the investigation, Chief Ling?¡± Ye Qing figured out what Ling Jianqiu wanted him to do as soon as he finished listening to the story.

    The Chief of Bureau nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only been two days since the invasion, and neither Yunlong nor I could afford to step away from our post just yet. As for the others, I don¡¯t believe they are strong enough to handle this incident. After all, Yu Hai was half a step away from entering the Vessel Augmentation stage, and there are only a handful of people in the bureau who are a match for him. If he couldn¡¯t survive whatever¡¯s guing Jade Spring Vige, it would be pointless to send anyone who¡¯s weaker than him.¡±

    ¡°After much consideration, I concluded that you are the only one who can do this. You¡¯re a strong, intelligent, and cool-headed warrior. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to solve this incident!¡±

    <i>Hehehe. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m super awesome¡­ but do not think you can win me over with just honeyed words!</i> Ye Qing affirmed his resolve despite melting a little under the assault of praises. He was a man with principles. He would not work unless he was properlypensated for his efforts!

    ¡°About that¡­ it is my natural responsibility to do right by the people, but¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing put on a troubled expression and tried to give his excuse, but Ling Jianqiu interrupted him unhurriedly, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t make you work for free!¡±

    Ye Qing swallowed whatever he was going to say and stared earnestly at Ling Jianqiu. Anything was negotiable as long as there was a reward!

    ¡°You¡¯ve mastered the Vessel Augmentation stage, right Joyless?¡± Ling Jianqiu confirmed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°You must be getting ready to enter the Astral Refinement stage, right Joyless?¡± Ling Jianqiu confirmed again.

    ¡°You are correct, chief.¡±

    A rare smile spread across Ling Jianqiu¡¯s face. ¡°In that case, you must be looking for information regarding your desired astral qi when you were in the archives earlier.¡±

    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s expression immediately turned cold and unfriendly.

    Ling Jianqiu remained firm under Ye Qing¡¯s re. ¡°You misunderstand me. I haven¡¯t spied on you. When I was using the archives earlier, I overheard you asking someone to bring you all the files regarding an astral qi¡¯s location and dangerous zones.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization and rxed. It was his own fault for being so careless.

    Ling Jianqiu continued, ¡°You probably already know that an astral qi is absolutely essential to cultivate any Astral Refinement stage art. Astral qis are generally split into three grades, namely inferior, average, and superior.¡±

    ¡°There are a total of one hundred and eight inferior astral qis, seventy-two average astral qis, and thirty six superior astral qis in this world.¡±

    ¡°Inferior astral qis can usually be found in ordinary elements, and they are fairly weak because they are rife with impurities.¡±

    ¡°Average astral qis are the essences of nature. They are extremely pure and very powerful.¡±

    ¡°Superior astral qis are the souls of nature and the hearts of the world itself. They are perfectly pure and immeasurably powerful.¡±

    ¡°Huh. I have no idea that all the astral qis in the world are already categorized!¡± Ye Qingmented with deep interest.

    ¡°The greater the astral qi, the greater the boons they bring to a warrior. Unfortunately, the heavens are perfectly fair, so a particrly powerful astral qi is quite rare.¡±

    p>

    Ling Jianqiu paused again before continuing, ¡°To make aparison, if an inferior astral qi is as plentiful as the fishes in a river, then an average astral qi is as rare as a sea dragon, and a superior astral qi is as unique as the sun itself. You would not find another like it.¡±

    ¡°Considering how strong you already are at your age, I am sure that your background is equally extraordinary. Naturally, the Astral Refinement cultivation art you wish to practice must require an average astral qi at least. However, you would not find the information you seek in that archive!¡±

    ¡°Do enlighten me, Chief Ling.¡± Ye Qing could hear Ling Jianqiu¡¯s subtext.

    Ling Jianqiu replied directly, ¡°Every Pacification Bureau headquarters has two types of archives. One of them is your ordinary archive, and the other one is called the secret archive. There, you may find what you¡¯re looking for!¡±

    ¡°The secret archive?¡± Ye Qing mused for a moment before asking, ¡°What is the requirement to enter the secret archive?¡±

    Ling Jianqiu smirked. ¡°The secret archive is one of the most important rooms in the Pacification Bureau. Naturally, only the Chief of Bureau and a selected few Peacemakers are allowed entry!¡±

    <i>You old fox. I was wondering when you were going to spring your trap!</i>

    Ye Qing had been wondering why Ling Jianqiu seemed so confident that he would assist with the investigation. As it turned out, he never had a choice to begin with.

    Once upon a time, he thought that only a two-faced guy like Qiao Six was capable of concocting a cunning plot. Clearly, he was mistaken. Is there no paradise in this world where humble, upright and honest citizens like him could live in peace!?

    Ye Qing abruptly sprung to his feet and saluted Ling Jianqiu solemnly. ¡°Chief, it is every warrior¡¯s duty to y evil, do right by the people, and save lives. I will happily travel to Jade Spring Vige and investigate this incident!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu nodded. ¡°I knew you would agree, Joyless! In that case, I shall make an exception and let you into the secret archive one time!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± Ye Qing dered, but on the inside he was grumbling like an old man. <i>Why am I thanking the guy who tricked me into an offer I can¡¯t refuse? Grumble grumble¡­</i>

    As if on cue, Ling Jianqiu added, ¡°However, you only have two hours to find what you¡¯re looking for!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>Is it toote to change my mind?</i>

 Chapter 107: Another Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 107: Another Conspiracy</h4>

    ¡°Now this, is what I call a mighty coincidence.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu had taken Ye Qing to the secret archive and left him to his own devices after wrangling a promise out of him. A bit of searchingter, he actually found a file that spoke of a location that seemed to contain the Burning Wind. It was said that there was a valley to the south of a mountain called Seenorth Mountain in Anyang. Beset by a deadly wind all year long, the valley was like a red hot furnace where no life could possibly survive. It was practically and of extinction by all ounts. It was because the wind was so hot it felt like fire. It was also why the wind was called the Fire Wind, and the valley was named the Firewind Valley.

    From what he could tell, the Fire Wind shared many characteristics with the Burning Wind. The only thing that was truly different ws the name. Therefore, he had good reason to believe that it was the astral qi he was looking for.

    The real coincidence, however, was the fact that Jade Spring Vige was also located in Seenorth Mountain. In fact, it was just a few kilometers away from Firewind Valley. This meant that the investigation and his objective were actually not in conflict with each other. In fact, he most likely could achieve both at the same time.

    Sometimes, you could have the best of both worlds.

    Ye Qing did not dilly-dally after obtaining the information he needed. He left after speaking with Ling Jianqiu and bidding him goodbye.

    ¡­¡­

    It was a calm, peaceful night until a gust of wind broke the silence.

    ¡°Who goes there?¡±

    In his bedroom, Xiao Yang suddenly opened his eyes and raised a finger. Lightning crackled inside the room as a beam of deadly heat and power shot toward the exit.

    The beam looked small and unassuming, but the bedroom suddenly heated up like someone had ignited the air. Vapor filled the whole room in just the blink of an eye, but none of the fragile items such as the curtains, the furniture and more were affected in the slightest. It was clear that he possessed as much finesse as he had power.

    The powerful attack did not cause even a ripple after it flew outside, however. It was almost as if it had disappeared into a sea of darkness.

    ¡°Please restrain yourself. Ie in peace.¡±

    A voice blew in with the wind. It was androgynous, so Xiao Yang could not tell if the uninvited stranger was male or female.

    ¡°Heh. Says the thief who tried to sneak into my house at midnight!¡± Xiao Yang sneered, but he did not follow up on his attack after sensing no retaliation from the unknown stranger.

    ¡°I came at midnight because it¡¯s the best time to talk business,¡± The mysterious person outside his room replied, ¡°and I haven¡¯te tonight to steal from you. I¡¯vee to help you.¡±

    ¡°Help me?¡± Xiao Yang smirked as if he had heard a joke. ¡°And why would I need your help?¡±

    The mysterious person didn¡¯t take offense at Xiao Yang¡¯s taunt. They replied, ¡°I can help you kill Ye Qing!¡±

    ¡°How did you know that!?¡±

    If Xiao Yang was wary but perfectly calm before, now he was like a man whose deepest secrets had been exposed under the sun. He abruptly sat up and emitted a golden light that illuminated the entire house [1] like the sun. However, the space just outside his bedroom remained shrouded in a fog of imprable darkness.

    ¡°Does it matter who I am? What matters is that we share the same goal. Just like you, I would love to see Ye Qing dead!¡± The mysterious voice dered.

    Xiao Yang didn¡¯t respond immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and continuously increased his power. His eyes burned like a pair of golden suns as a terrifying pressure enveloped the entire house.

    A long timeter, when his light still couldn¡¯t dispel the darkness outside, Xiao Yang abruptly smiled and withdrew his aura. ¡°You¡¯re right. The enemy of my enemy is my friend! So tell me, how are you nning to kill Ye Qing? And before you say anything, I won¡¯t help you unless your n is foolproof!¡±

    ¡°But of course!¡± The mysterious person replied as if they knew Xiao Yang would agree. ¡°Ye Qing¡¯s background is unknown, but he is an exceptionally powerful warrior as unpredictable as he is alert. The only way to deal with him is to kill him in one strike, or he¡¯ll bring fire and brimstone upon all of his enemies.¡±

    ¡°This might sound offensive, but not even an Astral Refiner like you has a one hundred percent chance to kill him!¡±

    <i>You don¡¯t say! </i>Xiao Yang scoffed mentally. <i>Ye Qing would be long dead if I was sure I could kill him!</i>

    ¡°That said, even an elephant may fall to a horde of ants. If one man isn¡¯t enough, what about several others!¡± The mysterious person continued.

    ¡°Is this what you meant when you offered to help me?¡± Xiao Yang raised an eyebrow. He could tell from his earlier test that the mysterious person was quite powerful. If they joined hands, there was definitely a high chance they would be able to kill Ye Qing.

    But to his surprise, the mysterious person said, ¡°I will be joining you, but just the two of us are not enough to guarantee sess! We need more people to ensure that there is no chance Ye Qing could turn the tables on us!¡±

    ¡°Who else do you intend to recruit?¡± Xiao Yang asked curiously.

    .

    The mysterious person answered right away, ¡°The Li n and the Shen n!¡±

    ¡°And why would they agree to help us?¡±

    ¡°Because they¡¯re not helping us. They¡¯re just helping themselves!¡±

    ¡°If the Li n and the Shen n are the local snakes, then Ye Qing is the outsider dragon no one asked for. Not only did he kill Yan Tieyi and take over the Iron Shirt Gang, he also killed Zheng Feng and devoured the Zheng n as well. The teeth feel cold without the lips, and Li Yuankang and Shen Xian have been wary of him for a while now.¡±

    ¡°On top of that, the Iron Shirt Gang managed to earn the government¡¯s favor and became far more powerful than they used to be, which only served to deepen their suspicions even more. They¡¯re both afraid that Ye Qing would abuse the connection to devour both the Shen n and the Li n and be the top dog in Anyang.¡±

    ¡°To say that they want Ye Qing dead would be an understatement. They¡¯re a pile of dry wood just waiting to be set on fire!¡±

    The mysterious person paused for a second before continuing, ¡°You would be the spark in my n. All you need to do is to treat them to the carrot and the stick, and they should cooperate with us!¡±

    ¡°Heh. Why me and not you?¡± Xiao Yang knew the carrot and the stick entailed, of course. The carrot was the chance to take out their greatest rival and take over the Iron Shirt Gang. They didn¡¯t need to worry about the repercussions either since he, a Patrolman of Luo Shui, would take care of that.

    The stick was what would happen to them if they refused. He was a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau, a powerful Vessel Augmentor and a disciple of Sunset Hill. Anyone of these identities was enough to make them regret ever crossing him, much less all three of them together. To put it simply, their fates were sealed from the moment the mysterious person had? mentioned their names.

    The mysterious person answered matter-of-factly, ¡°You¡¯re a Patrolman and a disciple of Sunset Hill. You are easily the best person for this role!¡±

    Xiao Yang shrugged. That was one point he couldn¡¯t refute. He asked, ¡°By the way, you wanted to invite the Shen n and the Li n not just because they¡¯re useful and motivated, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ye Qing is very close with the magistrate of Anyang, Yan Yufei and the Chief of Bureau, Ling Jianqiu. His background is unknown, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he hails from a powerful n or something. Someone has to carry the me, and there is no one better than Li Yuankang and Shen Xian!¡±

    The mysterious person¡¯s voice was gentle and kind, but Xiao Yang felt a chill when he heard this.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ that¡¯s a great n!¡± He let out a dryugh. It wasn¡¯t that he pitied the two patriarchs¡ªhe would¡¯ve killed them himself because dead people were the only people that could keep a secret¡ªbut the way the mysterious person put it made him feel like they were like donkeys. The moment they were done pulling the mill, they would be ughtered and cooked for dinner.

    ¡°I admit that your n is viable, but even with the Li n and the Shen n¡¯s help, it¡¯s still going to be difficult to take out Ye Qing in Anyang!¡± Xiao Yang voiced another concern. Anyang was guarded by powerful warriors like Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei, and Ye Qing was good friends with them. If they made a mistake, the two men might be alerted to the assassination attempt ande to Ye Qing¡¯s rescue. It would be all for naught then.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be possible to assassinate Ye Qing in Anyang, and I wasn¡¯t nning to. We¡¯ll do it when he¡¯s outside the county!¡± The mysterious person answered.

    ¡°Outside? But why would he go outside?¡± Xiao Yang looked confused.

    The mysterious person chuckled. ¡°Ye Qing will be heading to Jade Spring Vige to carry out a mass disappearance investigation tomorrow. That will be our best opportunity to kill him!¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯m a Patrolman of Luo Shui, and even I wasn¡¯t told about this incident. How on earth did you know that?¡± Xiao Yang¡¯s eyes shed dangerously. ¡°Are you a member of the Pacification Bureau as well, or do you have a nt in the Anyang headquarters?¡±

    The voice turned cold and dangerous. ¡°You do not need to know my identity, and you definitely shouldn¡¯t try to puzzle it out. I know about you far more than you know about me. If you work with me, then all is well. If not, then I promise you that you won¡¯t like the oue!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t be mad, brother. I¡¯m just specting is all! I won¡¯t bring it up again, so rx, will you!¡± Xiao Yangughed. ¡°You have a deal. I hope for a good cooperation between us.¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    The mysterious person had just finished speaking when Xiao Yang suddenly disappeared from his bed. He appeared outside his room in the blink of an eye, but he couldn¡¯t see anyone or anything. All there was left in the room was the echoes of the mysterious voice.

    ¡°Not bad¡­¡± The corners of Xiao Yang¡¯s lips curled into an sinister, ruthless smile.

    ¡°Ye Qing will die. Li Yuankang and Shen Xian will die. You will die by my hands as well¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°What are you doing here, Brother Xiao Yang?¡±

    The next morning, Ye Qing left the county as soon as the morning gongs rang. However, he ran into Xiao Yang as soon as he left the gates.

    ¡°I was waiting for you, duh!¡± Xiao Yang replied matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Okay. For what?¡±

    ¡°To help you with your investigation, of course!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise, ¡°Are you apanying me on my investigation of Jade Spring Vige?¡±

    ¡°Got it in one!¡± Xiao Yang nodded with a wide grin on his face.

    Ye Qing asked suspiciously, ¡°But how did you know about this?¡±

    Xiao Yang smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t look down on me! I¡¯m a Patrolman of Luo Shui, you know? As the overseer of all big or small matters happening in the nine counties under Luo Shui, of course I would know about such things.¡±

    ¡°I was curious about the incident to begin with, and when I heard that Chief Ling had sent you to investigate this incident, I thought that I might as welle with you! Two heads are better than one, am I right?¡±

    Ye Qing was suspicious of Xiao Yang¡¯s intentions at first, but his reply was so forthright that he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was just being paranoid. So, he replied, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll be counting on you then, Brother Xiao Yang!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee! Let¡¯s go!¡± Xiao Yang gave him a sunny smile and a pat on the shoulder. The duo then left Anyang together toward the east.

    Jade Spring Vige was about two days away from Anyang. Even with Xiao Yang and Ye Qing¡¯s speed, it would take them a day and a night to arrive at their destination. At least the Strangers near Anyang were almost extinct. The duo had not encountered any danger until they left the borders.

    ¡°We¡¯re at Coiled Snake Ridge now. Once we¡¯re through, we should arrive at Jade Spring Vige in a couple of hours at most!¡± Ye Qing exined after taking a look at his map and the winding mountain ridge before them.

    Xiao Yang stared at the uneven mountain roads and sighed. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s see if we can get through Coiled Snake Ridge and find a ce to stay before it¡¯s dark.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    Unfortunately, their n would be interrupted by a cry for help right before they were about to scale the mountains.

    1. some houses do not have ceilings ??

 Chapter 108: Beauty Snake

    <h4>Chapter 108: Beauty Snake</h4>

    ¡°Someone¡¯s crying for help!¡± Ye Qing and Xiao Yang exchanged a nce with each other before racing into the woods where the voice wasing from. As they were both Vessel Augmentors, it only took them a few seconds to reach their target.

    Xiao Yang whistled immediately. ¡°What a beauty!¡±

    The crier turned out to be an exceptionally beautiful woman lying on the ground. Most of her body was hidden behind a tree, her countenance alone was enough to cause both men to swoon on their feet. Her facial features were bewitching, soft, and loving all at the same time, and her brown eyes seemed to hold all that was good and beautiful in the world. To say that she was overflowing with charm would be an understatement, it was like she was pulling at their very soul.

    ¡°Save me, please save me¡­¡± The woman¡¯s voice grew increasingly gentle and pleading when she saw them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,ss! I¡¯ll save you!¡± Xiao Yang replied even as his eyes grew increasingly out of focus for some reason. His feet were carrying him toward the young woman before he knew it.

    <i>Is this what they call love at first sight? I can¡¯t help but be drawn to her¡­</i>

    The young woman¡¯s voice was like magic. It muddled Ye Qing¡¯s mind until the only thought that was left was: <i>Go to her, go to her, go to her¡ª</i>

    ¡°No!¡±

    Ye Qing had just taken a few steps when his mindspace suddenly shook, and the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method surfaced in his mind. When he regained rity of mind, he looked at the woman once more and broke out in cold sweat immediately.

    The woman was still beautiful, but that was only if he looked at the top half of her body. The bottom half of her beauty was a long snake tail that was covered in colorful scales. They shimmered eerily and hypnotically under the sunlight. It felt both paradoxical and chilling to see her calling out to them like nothing was going on while her lower half was coiled around the tree trunk.

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and caught Xiao Yang¡¯s shoulder. At the same time, he imbued his spirit into his voice and uttered, ¡°Careful, brother.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Xiao Yang blinked and regained his own rity of mind. When he saw the snake woman for what she was, he jumped, ¡°Mother of heavens! What the hell is this creature?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the beauty you speak of, duh!¡± Ye Qing joked. ¡°It¡¯s the Beauty Snake, a Malice-ss Stranger!¡±

    ¡°Beauty Snake?¡± Xiao Yang goggled. ¡°That name sounds familiar. Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve heard of it before!¡±

    <i>And by that you mean you have no idea what a Beauty Snake is, and you need me to exin it to you like you¡¯re a three-year-old. Got it.</i>

    And so Ye Qing exined, ¡°The Beauty Snake is a Stranger with a human¡¯s upper body and a snake¡¯s lower half. It excels at hiding itself in the darkness and luring travelers to their doom using its exquisite countenance and some sort of hypnosis power. If the traveler fails to break out of the hypnosis, then the Beauty Snake will devour them beginning from the feet.¡±

    ¡°The victim would not feel any pain whatsoever as they arepletely bewitched by the Beauty Snake¡¯s countenance and charm. They might awaken when they¡¯repletely inside its stomach, but by then, it would already be toote.¡±

    ¡°Oh, now I remember!¡± Xiao Yang tapped his palm in realization. ¡°Do you know that the Beauty snake is actually quite famous among the nobility? Some wealthy, lustful men enjoy breeding Beauty Snakes or turning their heads into specimens for collection purposes. Now that I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes, I can understand why they want one!¡±

    <i>Holy shit there are scalies in this world and one of them is right next to me, </i>Ye Qing thought in horror while stealthily stepping away from Xiao Yang. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a live one right in front of you. If you want to catch it¡­¡±

    Xiao Yang waved him off. ¡°Nah, forget it. It¡¯s pretty to look at, but that¡¯s all. Not only that, it might eat me alive, which is¡­ huh¡­ anyway, I¡¯m not strong enough to handle it!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Is it just me, or did he just admit to having a vore fetish?</i>

    ¡°Save me¡­ save me¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, the Beauty Snake was trying even harder to hypnotize the two men after they stopped in their tracks. Its facial features grew even prettier, and its voice even more bewitching than before. But since the two men were prepared, of course they did not sumb to its power as a matter of course.

    A short whileter, when the Beauty Snake finally realized it wasn¡¯t going to work, her voice abruptly turned shrill and unholy. Its face became warped like that of a monster as well. A snake¡¯s tongue flickered out of its throat, and a disgusting stench began to permeate the air.

    ¡°Still think she¡¯s beautiful?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°...¡± Xiao Yang couldn¡¯t say anything. If its face was as beautiful as a goddess¡¯ before, now it was a kind of horror only a mother could love.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on with this already!¡± Xiao Yang humphed and stepped forward.

    The air shook, and the earth shuddered when he took his first step. It was as if he was drawing power from all around him. Sensing the danger, the Beauty Snake recoiled and spat out a cloud of rainbow-colored gas. The gas looked colorful and smelled sweet, but it withered every nt that came into contact with it. It was clearly very poisonous. However, the poison gas abruptly burst into mes before it could spread closer, and the Beauty Snake with it as well.

    <i>¡°Craaaaaaah!¡± </i>The Beauty Snake shrieked in pain while dropping on the ground and rolling back and forth like a log. Its iling tail was powerful enough to break trees and crush stones, and yet it just couldn¡¯t extinguish the mes on its body no matter what.

    The mes were golden in color and exceedingly bright. It was also so hot that the surrounding air became distorted as if the forest had suddenly turned into a furnace. Naturally, the Beauty Snake was burned into ashes in just an instant.

    <i>What an incredible astral qi! </i>Ye Qing thought as he observed the battle. As it turned out, Xiao Yang¡¯s astral qi was a fire element astral qi just like Qing Kui¡¯s, though there was of course a great difference between the two astral qis. If Qing Kui¡¯s astral qi was like a monster in the dark ready to spill blood and gore at a moment¡¯s notice, then Xiao Yang¡¯s was like the midday sun; hot, bright and utterly fearless. It was no less powerful than Qing Kui¡¯s astral qi!

    ¡°Game over. Now, let¡¯s continue on our way!¡± Xiao Yang pped his hands and looked like he hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat.

    ¡°Not yet. Give me a moment.¡± Ye Qing stopped Xiao Yang before charging his sleeves with qi and sweeping away the unnatural dust and heat in the surroundings. Then, he walked up to the tree where the Beauty Snake was coiled around earlier.

    Xiao Yang¡¯s golden me was so hot that it could burn even a Malice-ss Beauty Snake into ash. However, the tree was only scorched on the outside.

    By now, Xiao Yang had noticed the oddity as well. ¡°Huh? What is this tree? How did it withstand my Purple? Sun Gold me?¡±

    <i>Purple? Sun Gold me? Is that the name of his astral qi? I wonder what grade it is? </i>Ye Qing thought but did not allow it to show on his face. He answered, ¡°This tree is called the Beauty Tree. It is born when it is struck by lightning. Extremely tough and impervious to fire, water, wind and even the cold, it is an excellent material to make a Strange Artifact.¡±

    ¡°Of course, there is a reason why it¡¯s called the Beauty Tree instead of the Lightning Tree or something. It¡¯s because the Beauty Snake is born from it. So long as the Beauty Tree is still alive, a new Beauty Snake will rece the one that was killed.¡±

    Ye Qing pressed a palm to the tree trunk and sucked in a deep breath. A toad-like croak erupted from his abdomen, and his palm crackled with lightning.

    <i>¡°Toad Force¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±</i>

    .

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The tyrannical force poured into the Beauty Tree and easily exploded the tree trunk that withstood the Purple? Sun Gold me. The ghost of a Beauty Snake howled and flew out of the tree¡ªit was obviously the Beauty Snake Xiao Yang had just killed¡ªbut it dissipated into nothing just as quickly.

    <i>One silver rune, get! </i>Ye Qing thought happily when he confirmed that the Beauty Snake was truly dead. This was why he hadn¡¯t attacked the Stranger sooner. One, it was to check out Xiao Yang¡¯s abilities, and two, he knew that Xiao Yang would not be able to eliminate the Beauty Snake in one strike. Why would he exert himself when he could reap the rewards without?

    ¡°Most impressive, brother! You¡¯re surprisingly knowledgeable, aren¡¯t you?¡± Xiao Yang did not suspect a thing and sung his praises.

    Ye Qing returned a humble smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee. I am a schr!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>We can still be friends if you never use the word ¡°schr¡± again!</i>

    Ye Qing and Xiao Yang resumed their journey after taking out the Beauty Snake. Coiled Snake Ridge wasn¡¯t particrly tall, but it was winding, crooked, and circled back and forth like an actual snake. The path itself was extremely rugged and seemingly endless as well, not to mention the bountiful of sudden cliffs and scarps along the way. It was so infamous that someone had even made a short poem for it,

    ¡°Like an epic

    the mountain twists and turns

    Each step

    Can be the step that leads to the heavens.¡±

    A normal person would be hardpressed crossing Coiled Snake Ridge in a single day, but Ye Qing and Xiao Yang were powerful warriors with excellent movement skills and great stamina. It took them only a short time to cross over half of the terrain. When they arrived at a hanging bridge, Ye Qing said, ¡°We¡¯re making good progress. At this rate, we should make it out of the mountains before night falls.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xiao Yang nodded in agreement. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get off these mountains. My feet feel like they might fall off my ankles at any moment.¡±

    The hanging bridge was about thirty meters long. It was a series of wooden nks chained together by iron. There were no handrails. The hanging bridge was the only thing that connected the two hills, and it was suspended above a gulf of clouds. The scenery looked like something straight out of a painting or a celestial realm.

    The duo encountered no danger until they reached the center of the hanging bridge. It was then the surrounding clouds suddenly churned unnaturally.

    ¡°Careful. Something¡¯s not right!¡± Xiao Yang warned immediately. Right after that, a plethora of ethereal figures abruptly appeared behind them and walked forward like they were in the middle of crossing the bridge as well. Their silhouettes grew increasingly solid with every step until Ye Qing and Xiao Yang saw them for what they were. They were soldiers wearing armor and carrying sickle spears, but something wasn¡¯t right about them. Their armor looked outdated, and sickle spears were oddly-shaped. It didn¡¯t match the standard military equipment of Chu, Yan, Yong or Wei.

    The soldiers were marching in full military formation, and they looked ready to fight at any moment. They were walking straight toward Ye Qing and Xiao Yang, but strangely, their footsteps made not a single sound, and the soldiers were staring straight ahead as if they couldn¡¯t see the two warriors.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the standard equipment of the You Dynasty!¡± Xiao Yang nched. ¡°They¡¯re You soldiers! But this cannot be possible!¡±

    Ye Qing knew exactly what he meant. A thousand years ago, You was an almighty empire that had unified thends and ruled over the world. However, they had long been destroyed and consumed by Yan, Chu, Yong and Wei. Naturally, it was impossible for soldiers of the You Dynasty to still exist.

    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t alive¡­ this is an Anomaly!¡±

    In this world, an Anomaly was a special kind of Strange Realm or energy. It could also be some sort of unknowable existence. No one knows where they came from, how they were formed, or even what kind of dangers they contained because some Anomaly were everchanging. They were also impossible to destroy. A powerful warrior could wipe every trace of an Anomaly from this world, and it would simplye back after a period of time. It was terribly strange to put it mildly.

    Anomaly usually appeared in fixed locations, and it was usually impossible to predict how dangerous it was until it was toote. Some Anomaly were death traps with no possible escape, and some werepletely harmless.

    In other words, they were in deep shit.

    ¡°We need to go!¡± Xiao Yang uttered while looking like he had swollen something rotten, but Ye Qing shook his head and replied just as severely,

    ¡°It¡¯s toote!¡±

    He said this because the You soldiers were already right in front of them.

    Ye Qing and Xiao Yang tensed up like drawn bows and channeled their energies. They were ready to react as soon as they perceived any danger. However, the You soldiers walked right past them as if they couldn¡¯t see them. They kept going forward until suddenly, the foremost soldier looked over the bridge as if he saw something below. His look of surprise quickly morphed into abject terror as he opened his mouth and screamed something they couldn¡¯t hear. It was as if they existed in a different spacetime.

    Something more horrifying happened next. The screaming soldier¡¯s head abruptly fell off his shoulders and spewed a fountain of blood! It almost looked like an overripe melon!

    The soldiers fell into panic almost immediately. Everyone was looking down the hanging bridge to check what was going on, and whatever they saw had them so horrified that they were screaming like they had lost their minds. The next moment, one soldier exploded into several pieces as if he had been ripped apart by invisible hands, another lost his head as if he was hit by a giant hammer, a third soldier suffocated slowly like he was hanging from a rope, a fourth soldier abruptly went <i>st </i>as if he had hit the ground at high velocity, a fifth soldier lost his flesh bit by bit like he was going through death by a thousand cuts until all that was left was a bloody skeleton, a sixth soldier burned into a pile of ashes and more.

    It was a chilling sight to say the least.

 Chapter 109: Anomaly

    <h4>Chapter 109: Anomaly</h4>

    ¡°What¡­ What the hell is going on here?¡± Xiao Yang gulped. His lips were blue with fear.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not sure, don¡¯t ask me!¡± Ye Qing shook his head and quipped a triple denial. It was the truth though. Just like Xiao Yang, all he saw was the You soldiers looking over the bridge, recoiling in fear, and dying in all sorts of bizarre ways. He had instinctively nced at the direction they were looking at, but he couldn¡¯t see anything that might have scared them to death, literally. All he saw was a bunch of clouds.

    It wasn¡¯t long before all the soldiers were dead. Their dead bodies and the pools of blood turned what was a beautiful scenery into a horror show. Then, just as abruptly as they had appeared at the beginning, the clouds churned, and they all disappeared like they never were.

    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ gone?!¡± Xiao Yang blinked a couple times in disbelief. ¡°Is it finally over?¡±

    But Ye Qing shook his head with a severe expression. ¡°No. I think it has just begun!¡±

    Xiao Yang followed Ye Qing¡¯s gaze and looked over the bridge. He immediately noticed that the clouds were no longer floating peacefully like they used to. Instead, they were twisted and turned restlessly as if something massive and terrifying was swimming underneath the clouds.

    Both men tensed up for some sort of horror to emerge from the depths, but a few secondster, they realized that nothing was happening. Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief before urging, ¡°Let¡¯s get to the other side while it¡¯s still safe!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Xiao Yang nodded and took a single step. Ye Qing did the same thing as well. As soon as they did this, Ye Qing abruptly shuddered and stared down the bridge in horror. It was because a corpse had suddenly appeared on the clouds. Its face was contorted in terror, and its eyes were bulging out of its eye sockets. Its tongue extended all the way down to its stomach not unlike someone who had died by hanging. The corpse was none other than himself!

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡± Ye Qing swallowed audibly. Unless he was gravely mistaken, the You soldiers must have witnessed their own dead bodies as well. That was why they had lost theirposure so badly. Anyone would be shocked and terrified after meeting their own doppelganger, much less one who had died in such a horrifying fashion.

    ¡°Ahhhh!? W-Why is my dead body down there?¡± It was at this moment Xiao Yang let out a cry of terror. Clearly, he had seen his own corpse beneath the bridge as well. Suddenly, the man stiffened as if an invisible force had trapped him in ce. Then, his head slowly turned toward his back. Ye Qing could only watch in horror as Xiao Yang struggled with all his might to no avail. Eventually¡ª

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Xiao Yang¡¯s neck broke with an audible snap, and his head spun two full revolutions before it finally came to a stop.

    Ye Qing thought that this was the end of Xiao Yang, but the Astral Refiner abruptly vanished in a poof and left a mysterious doll behind. The mysterious doll was small enough to fit on a palm, but it had baby-like skin and flesh and a life-like expression. It almost looked like it was alive.

    It was at this moment the mysterious doll¡¯s head spun around twice. The doll was still alive, however. Its face simply turned purple as if it couldn¡¯t breathe. The doll then grabbed its head with its fat little hands and twisted it back to normal. Then, it started running toward Xiao Yang, who had reappeared a short distance away from it.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of the horror show, however. As it ran, the doll suddenly started bleeding out of its eyes, and an invisible force continued to twist its neck round and round. When it was just three inches away from Xiao Yang, the invisible force pulled its head right off its shoulders. The next moment, the mysterious doll exploded into smithereens, but instead of flesh and blood it spilled some sort of milky white worm that was about the length of a finger.

    <i>Substitute Worms¡­ That¡¯s the Substitute Doll! </i>Ye Qing narrowed his eyes when he finally realized what the Strange Artifact was.

    The milky white worm was a Malice-ss Stranger called the Substitute Worm. It could be refined and used to block non-fatal damage on behalf of its user. On the other hand, the Substitute Doll was a Strange Artifact that could only be made via an extremely cruel method.

    Two ingredients were necessary when making the Substitute Doll. The first one was, of course, the Substitute Worms, and the second one was an unborn fetus that was ten months old. The mother of the baby was continuously fed with Substitute Worms so that they would consume and rece the babypletely, forming the Substitute Doll. After the Substitute Doll was fully formed, it was simply a matter of cutting it out of the mother¡¯s stomach.

    As the Substitute Doll was born like a human, it was semi-sentient and capable of blocking fatal damage for the owner.

    Chen Cang¡¯s Scapedoll could only block one fatal damage for its owner, but the Scapedoll could be used repeatedly so long as it wasn¡¯tpletely destroyed. It would recover naturally so long as the owner fed it Substitute Worms and cared for it for a time. Therefore, it was infinitely more valuable than the Scapedoll.

    However, the method used to make the Substitute Doll was so cruel that the imperial count and many noble ns denounced it as heresy and put a ban on it. Only heretics and people who cared nothing for human lives would make a Substitute Doll.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The second the Substitute Doll was destroyed, Xiao Yang abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood and turned as pale as death. It was because the Strange Artifact was connected to him by his heart¡¯s blood.

    It was at this moment Xiao Yang saw something else beneath the bridge and opened his mouth to scream again. But before he could do so, Ye Qing put a finger to his own lips and shook his head rapidly.

    Xiao Yang was a Astral Refiner, so he wasn¡¯t so weak-willed that he couldn¡¯t even keep his mouth shut. He immediately mped a hand over his mouth.

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and took another step. As soon as he did this, a new corpse surfaced from the clouds. Again it was his own body, but this time it looked like it had been torn from limb to limb.

    <i>I was right! </i>Ye Qing was both relieved and d that his guess was spot on. Earlier, he noticed that the You soldiers had all screamed in terror before the Anomaly took action. It was the same for Xiao Yang as well. On the other hand, he remained perfectly unharmed. That was why he guessed that only those who screamed after they saw their dead bodies would trigger the Anomaly.

    But of course, he wouldn¡¯t know if his guess was true until he tested it out, so he forced himself to stay calm and performed an experiment. Thankfully, he was right. So long as he kept silent, the Anomaly could not harm him no matter how many bodies it generated.

    Ye Qing took another step, and a new body appeared. This time, it was a drowned corpse that looked as inted as a balloon. However, nothing happened to him because he remained silent. Now, he was absolutely certain of his theory.

    By now, Xiao Yang had figured out the key to surviving this Anomaly as well. While keeping a tight grip over his mouth, he took a step forward and forced himself to stay silent when a new body rose from the depths of the clouds. Just like Ye Qing, nothing bad happened to him. The duo moved quickly after that, and it wasn¡¯t long before they crossed the bridge and reached the other side.

    Both men heaved out a long sigh of relief once they were safe. When they looked back, they saw all kinds of corpses still floating above the clouds. It was like a gallery of the one thousand ways to die: drowning, burning, hanging, falling, dismemberment, torture... It was creepy to put it mildly.

    It was at this moment the clouds churned once more, and eyeballs suddenly appeared beneath the bodies. Or rather, the bodies had been <i>inside the eyeballs </i>this whole time! Each eyeball held exactly one body and manner of death!

    A few secondster, the eyeballs slowly closed their eyes. Naturally, the bodies were gone as well. Then, what looked like a gigantic shadow sank deeper into the clouds and vanishedpletely.

    ¡°What¡­ what was that thing?¡±

    When the clouds had returned to normal, and neither man could sense any danger anymore, Xiao Yang finally mustered enough courage to ask a question. He looked more shaken than Ye Qing had ever seen him.

    Ye Qing licked his dry lips and shrugged. ¡°Do I look like I know what that is to you? That said, I remember reading a file stating that a surprising number of travelers had gone missing in Coiled Snake Ridge, but no one has ever found out why. It¡¯s most likely because of this Anomaly.¡±

    ¡°We can mull over this after we get off this mountain ridge, yeah?¡± Xiao Yang said impatiently and gave him a p on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m still feeling the creeps, and I do <i>not </i>want to find out if my intuition is correct!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s leave.¡± Ye Qing had no intention of staying either. Both men immediately took off at their fastest possible speed. It wasn¡¯t until Coiled Snake Ridge waspletely behind them that they finally rxed. It couldn¡¯t be helped. That Anomaly just now was beyond bizarre, and it was pure luck that they had survived. Hell, it waspletely up to daddy heavens whether weaklings like them could survive an Anomaly at all.

    Xiao Yang let out a long sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°Thank the heavens that¡¯s behind us. Let¡¯s make haste and find a ce to stay. The sky¡¯s almost dark, and I can use a drink to celebrate our survival!¡±

    ¡°I would agree, but we¡¯re still a good distance from Jade Spring Vige, and it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s an inn nearby¡­¡± Ye Qing looked around once before looking up at the clouded sky. ¡°Also, it looks like it might rain very soon. I think we¡¯ll have to sleep in a cave for the night!¡±

    ¡°Dammit, fine!¡± Xiao Yang nodded and started looking around. The good news was that they found an abandoned temple not long after they began their search. The bad news was that it looked like something straight out of a horror movie. The walls were cracked, the courtyard was overgrown with weed, the icon was tattered beyond recognition, and cobwebs were everywhere.

    There was one thing that stood outpared to the rest of the building though. There was a wall that was covered in paintings of flying women. It was perfectly clean and unblemished as if someone had wiped it down everyday. Obviously suspicious, Ye Qing and Xiao Yang inspected it closely but could not find anything amiss. It probably was just a normal painting. So, they settled in the abandoned temple and tidied up the ce a little.

    They had just started a fire when a drizzle finally began to fall from the darkened sky.

    ¡°Have a drink, brother! It¡¯ll warm you right up!¡±

    Xiao Yang tossed a wine jar in Ye Qing¡¯s direction and took a sip from his own wine. He looked sofortable he could doze off this second.

    Ye Qing caught the wine jar and produced the jerkies he had prepared beforehand. A sip here, a sweet jerky there, this is the life!

    <i>Bang!</i>

    s, the peace was shattered when the door to the temple abruptly exploded into smithereens like it was struck by a tremendous force. A cold, watery wind blew into the temple instantly.

    ¡°Motherfucker! This rain came out of fucking nowhere! I¡¯mpletely wet!¡± A coarse, uncouth voice came from outside.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty cold. Thank the heavens there¡¯s a temple here. Let¡¯s get inside and warm up with some wine already!¡±

    A group of sixteen men filed into the room immediately. They didn¡¯t just look powerful, not even the rain was enough to dispel the blood stench clinging to their bodies. It was obvious they were no one to be trifled with.

    One man stood out among them all, however. He had a thick beard on his face and looked as brawny as a tiny hill. He was also d in a wolfskin that made him look like a man-shaped brute. His eyes were what really drew attention though. They were dark green unlike most humans, and they glowed in the dark like a pair of cold, eerienterns.

    The big man spotted Ye Qing and Xiao Yang immediately after he entered the temple. When he squinted, a sharp glint shed across his eyes not like the edge of a sharp de.

    ¡°It¡¯s not empty?¡± One subordinate following behind the big man eximed in surprise when he saw Ye Qing and Xiao Yang. He shuffled closer to his leader and whispered, ¡°Boss, should we¡­¡±

    He made a cutting motion in front of his neck. His meaning was obvious.

    ¡°They¡¯re two men camping out in the middle of nowhere. Do you really think they¡¯d be easy to deal with? Control yourself!¡± The big man whispered back.

    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± The subordinate replied with a tinge of disappointment.

 Chapter 110: I Like Men

    <h4>Chapter 110: I Like Men</h4>

    The temple entrance was at least a dozen meters away from where Ye Qing and Xiao Yang were resting, not to mention that it was raining outside. That was why the two men were certain that their whispers wouldn¡¯t be overheard. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Ye Qing and Xiao Yang heard every word as clear as day.

    The two warriors exchanged a cold smirk with each other. Out of the sixteen people, their leader was the only one who was a Vessel Augmentor. Everyone else was either a Qi Invoker or even a Reforged. The idea that these people could take them out wasughable at best and stupid at worst.

    The temple felt a lot more crowded with the addition of sixteen men, but it was also a lot livelier than before. The drinkers drank, the gossipers gossiped, and the finger-guessers guessed fingers to their heart¡¯s content!

    At first, the men were fairly restrained probably because their leader had warned them about being too boisterous before. However, that restraint was quickly forgotten after they had downed a few bowls of yellow wine. Some of them started singing on top of their lungs or jumping all over the ce like monkeys. Two men were even having a cursing contest with each other and greeting the other person¡¯s family all the way to the eighteenth generation. Of course, their peers were more than happy to fan the mes and cheer them on. For a time, it was as if theughter would never end.

    Ye Qing and Xiao Yang did not bother them. They simply ate their food, drank their wine, and enjoyed the show like they were in a theater.

    Suddenly, a man drunk out of his tits pointed at the painting of flying women and yelled, ¡°Hot damn! Take a look at that wall! Those girls are to die for!¡±

    A few men immediately rushed to his side and oohed and aahed at the painting. One of them let out a lustful cackle and said, ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right! Look at those sweet lips, those bountiful breasts, and those smooth, long legs! If only they¡¯re real!¡±

    ¡°I know right? I would happily take ten years off my lifespan if I could marry a woman like this!¡±

    ¡°Ten years? I would happily give up my life if I could sleep with all these women for just a single night!¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯s feeling a little thirsty, I see! Don¡¯t worry, Monkey! When we raid our next vige, I¡¯ll personally round up a couple women for ya to enjoy!¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Thanks, Brother Hound!¡±

    ¡°Watcha lookin¡¯ at, pretty boy?¡± The guy named Hound suddenly wheeled around and red fiercely at Ye Qing. ¡°Look somewhere, or I¡¯ll dig ya eyes out!¡±

    Ye Qing sipped his wine and raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m looking at the painting, duh. Since when is it a crime to admire a painting? You¡¯re not jealous over a couple of fake women, are you?¡±

    ¡°Women? Do you even have a bush down there, brat?¡± Hound taunted and received a round of apuse and cheers from his fellow brothers.

    The corner of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up as he responded, ¡°Of course I have. How else did youe to be in this world?¡±

    At first, the crowd was speechless. Then, they burst into an uproariousughter, ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡±

    Hound was either slower or drunker than the rest of his buddies, because he was unable toprehend Ye Qing¡¯s meaning until someone had whispered to him about it. Embarrassed and enraged, he uttered, ¡°How dare you call me your son! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    As soon as he said this, he curled his fingers like they were ws and crouched lower, fingernails glittering in the dark as if they were covered in steel. At the same time, he swayed back and forth and his teeth for all to see. Eyes flickering with bestial madness, he moved his fists up and down like a pendulum and growled gutturally like a crazed dog.

    The next second, Hound bounded forward as if he had found an opening and opened his mouth fully. He looked like he was nning to rip out Ye Qing¡¯s throat with his bare teeth!

    The young man barely reacted to the pouncing man though. He simply took another sip from his ss and smiled, ¡°Doggie? I love doggies! I love doggie meat even more!¡±

    Hound was less than one meter away from Ye Qing when his face suddenly morphed into absolute terror, and his head abruptly separated from his neck. He was dead just like that!

    The men¡¯s cruel smiles froze on their faces. Hound was one of the strongest warriors of their group, and he was infamous for his Mad Hound Fist. But not only did he die, they never even saw how he was killed!

    The unknown led to fear, and fear led to outrage.

    ¡°How dare you kill one of our brothers! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Six men who were too drunk to realize the danger immediately pulled out their des and prepared to charge Ye Qing. However, they had just taken a single step when they suddenly froze in their tracks, and a red line appeared around their necks. The next second, their heads tumbled to the ground, and their bodies followed just a beat behind. Most of them didn¡¯t even seem to realize that they were dead until their life had fully departed their bodies.

    The remaining men turned as white as a sheet as they stared at the floor of heads and headless bodies on the floor. For a time, it felt like a mountain was sitting on everyone¡¯s chest!

    It was at this moment the leader saluted Ye Qing from a distance and spoke up, ¡°My men should not have disturbed you. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience they have caused.¡± He then raised his voice and ordered, ¡°Toss the bodies out of the temple. I¡¯m sure our friends would rather not smell their filthy blood while enjoying their meal!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes boss!¡± The men responded and threw out the bodies as quickly as they could. They even wiped away the bloodstains for fear that Ye Qing would use it as an excuse to kill them all!

    <i>Unfortunate. The boss is smarter than he looks, </i>Ye Qing thought while sipping his wine. He was hoping that these people would get in over their heads and try to swarm them or something. It was obvious that none of them were good people. In fact, he was pretty sure from their earlier conversation and behavior that they were evil, vicious bandits who had tortured and killed many innocent people in the past. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he sense a hint of danger from their leader, every bandit in this room would be dead already.

    Besides obvious self-defense, the other reason he killed Hound and the other attackers was to make an example out of them. It was almost guaranteed that these bandits would try something funny when they tucked in for the night. Killing some of them now would make sure that even the bravest man of the group would stay firmly in his corner.

    As expected, the uninvited guests were much more subdued afterward. They even lowered their voice to a murmur so as not to disturb Ye Qing or Xiao Yang.

    After dinner was done, everyone huddled around their campfires and caught some rest. The temple grew quieter and quieter until all that was left was the sound of rain, the howling wind, and the crackling mes.

    ¡°Young master? Young master?¡±

    Ye Qing was half-asleep when he suddenly heard a gentle voice calling out to him. There was even a waft of something fragrant tickling his nostrils.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing jolted awake and opened his eyes. He was immediately greeted by one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen. If the Beauty Snake¡¯s face was devilishly sensual and hypnotic, then this woman was an amalgamation of femininity, elegance, roses and lilies. Their strengths were different, but they were equally beautiful.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡± Ye Qing felt slower than usual as he massaged his forehead. He looked around and discovered that he was lying inside an antique but well-decorated bedroom. Judging from its many feminine designs, it was clearly a woman¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Where am I?¡±

    He clearly remembered spending the night in a decrepit temple, so how on earth did hee here?

    ¡°My name is Ying Xiu!¡± The woman bowed elegantly as she answered in a crisp, gentle voice, ¡°You¡¯re in my bedroom right now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an answer, but not the one I seek.¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes and sat upright. ¡°What I mean is, where is this ce?¡±

    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± Ying Xiu smiled. The way her sweet lips slowly spread resembled a blooming lily. ¡°The room is warm, and the night is young. Why don¡¯t we focus on the present and leave the exploring for another time?¡±

    ¡°Focus on the present, you say?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Okay! Tell, what did I, Ye Liangchen, do to deserve a beauty like you?¡±

    Ying Xiu did not take offense despite Ye Qing¡¯s implications. Smiling as bright as ever, she asked, ¡°Is my looks not to your liking, young master? That¡¯s okay. I have a lot of sisters. I can have all of them serve you if you like?¡±

    She pped her hands once, and four women opened the bedroom door and stepped in. Their appearances were distinctly different from each other. Some of them were plump, and some of then thin. Their heights ranged from incredibly tall to incredibly short as well. Even their character waspletely different. The first woman was as cold and proud as a plum, and the second as elegant and intellectual as an orchid. The third woman was as sumptuous and noble as a peony, and the fourth as passionate and joyful as a fiery rose.

    But no matter how different they looked, they were all gorgeous beyond imagination.

    ¡°My name is Plum. Pleased to meet you, young master!¡±

    ¡°My name is Lily. Pleased to meet you, young master!¡±

    ¡°My name is Peony. Pleased to meet you, young master!¡±

    ¡°My name is Rose. Pleased to meet you, young master!¡±

    All four women bowed and greeted him sweetly. It was such an impressive performance that even the room seemed more vibrant and colorful than before.

    ¡°Wow, your looks are incredible, but your names are seriously¡­ something. Ahem.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s too bad there¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world though, much less one that is this incredible. It¡¯s way overboard even for a dream, you get me?¡±

    ¡°More importantly¡­ Do you really think that mere sex is enough to confound I, Ye Liangchen!?¡±

    Ye Qing swung his sleeve and unleashed a mighty st as soon as he finished. It easily pushed the five defenseless women into the air and shattered the bedroom door. However, the five women dissipated into smoke instead of bleeding like a normal person would.

    ¡°I knew they weren¡¯t human!¡± Ye Qing dashed out of the room andnded in a garden. It was covered in beautiful flowers and lush trees. He also saw small bridges flying over cool streams and exquisite buildings littered around the garden. To put it simply, it looked like paradise on earth.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡­¡±

    As if on cue, the five women reappeared in the sky while giggling like bells. ¡°There is no such thing as a man without lust. Why did you hurt us, young master? Is it because we aren¡¯t beautiful enough?¡±

    ¡°Not at all! You¡¯re some of the most gorgeous women I¡¯ve met!¡± Ye Qing replied honestly.

    Ying Xiu smiled. ¡°Then why do you spurn us?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and shrugged innocently. ¡°It¡¯s because I like men!¡±

    Ying Xiu: ¡°...¡±

    Plum: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone else: ¡°...¡±

    It was at this moment another man flew out of a pavilion whileughing, ¡°It was fun ying with you all, but I think I¡¯ve had enough!¡±

    When he looked down and saw Ye Qing standing in the garden, hended beside him and greeted, ¡°Hello again, brother!¡±

    He was none other than Xiao Yang, of course!

    ¡°Say, you¡¯re a well-traveled Patrolman, right? Do you happen to recognize these Strangers?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Unfortunately, Xiao Yang shook his head and said, ¡°No. I¡¯ve never encountered them before!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this ce first!¡±

    Using his foot as the axle, Ye Qing did a half turn and threw a ton of throwing knives in every direction. They easily pierced through the women¡¯s throats and turned them into mist. Xiao Yang too unleashed a palm strike that seemed topress the air itself and crushed the women who were chasing after him. However, they too vanished like smoke and did not leave behind a body.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can kill them here!¡± Ye Qing frowned and dashed toward the exit, but right before he was about to leave the residence, the space around him suddenly rippled like water. Before he knew it, he was back in the garden once more.

    ¡°Let me try!¡± Xiao Yang pushed off the ground and shot straight up into the sky, but just a few secondster, he reappeared at the exact same spot as before.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way out?¡±

    Ye Qing and Xiao Yang exchanged a deep frown. It was impossible to leave the residence normally, and even the sky was off limits. What else could they do to escape? Dig underground?

 Chapter 111: Wall Painting

    <h4>Chapter 111: Wall Painting</h4>

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Why do you want to leave? Isn¡¯t it nice here?¡±

    Ying Xiu, Plum, and a dozen other women appeared in the sky once more. It would be a wonderful sight if not for the fact that they were trying to trap them in this ce.

    ¡°Look at them! Look how happy they are!¡±

    Ying Xiu waved a hand and conjured an image. It showed everything that was happening inside the surrounding pavilions. The men they were spending the night with earlier were currently having the time of their life. There were delicious food, sweet wine, melodious music, and warm, sulent bodies that promised never-ending pleasure.

    ¡°Stay with us!¡±

    ¡°Stay with us!¡±

    The women beseeched once more with their sweet lips and bewitching eyes that could steal the soul itself.

    ¡°Heh. They got their wish after all,¡± Ye Qingmented mockingly. The women were hoping to seduce him with the lustful scenes, but he could see what was really happening in the pavilions. Unbeknownst to themselves, the delicious food they were eating were really their own flesh, the sweet wine they were drinking were really their own blood, and the holes they were plowing were really their own body!

    The pain alone should¡¯ve jolted awake a long time ago, and yet they could not seem to feel it one bit. Worst of all, they were all wearing bloody, skeletal smiles that were absolutely horrifying to look at!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Xiao Yang stomped his foot against the ground and conjured what looked like a dragon of debris. It flew straight toward the women and shredded them to nothing yet again. This time, the women reappeared with hideous snarls and vicious expressions on their faces.

    ¡°You have wronged us for thest time, wretches! Taste our wrath!¡±

    Ying Xiu abruptly raised her head and screamed. The rest of the girls did the same thing as well. The soundwaves spread out like ripples and crushed the bridges, the streams, the pavilions and everything else into dust. Not even the ghastly women and the skeletal men inside the buildings were safe from the attack.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Both Ye Qing and Xiao Yang stifled a groan as blood spurted out of their orifices. Their head pounded like someone was hitting it with a hammer as well.

    ¡°Bitch!¡± Xiao Yang roared, so furious that golden mes were spilling out of his eyes. He clenched his right hand and gradually lifted it into the air, the golden mes surrounding his fist growing thicker with every inch it rose.

    When his fist was held high above his head, a piercing light abruptly illuminated the entire residence like the sun. Space shook, and everyone and everything within the light disintegrated into nothing. Naturally, the deadly sound attack was cut off as well.

    However, a bunch of clouds joined together and reformed Ying Xiu and the ghastly women once more. Worse, their auras felt just as powerful as before.

    ¡°Are they actually unkible?! How the hell are we going to survive this?¡± Xiao Yang burst out in anger and disbelief. Although the women themselves were pretty fragile, they had proven themselves to be unkible no matter what they tried. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they ran out of strength and died.

    ¡°Haha! You cannot escape!¡± Ying Xiu giggled. This time, the sound spread to every corner of the residence and manipted the clouds into crashing toward them like a tidal wave.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Xiao Yang threw another punch and unleashed his astral qi. A sea of golden mes immediately filled the sky and scattered the clouds. However, the sh was so violent that he couldn¡¯t help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

    Looking as pale as a sheet, Xiao Yang looked at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°What do we do?¡±

    The young man had been leaving the battle to Xiao Yang and observing his surroundings the whole time. Squinting a little and rubbing his nose, he said suddenly, ¡°Follow me!¡±

    Xiao Yang¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Do you have a n?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s better than nothing!¡±

    He then charged straight toward the spirit screen [1] at the center of the residence.

    The women suddenly turned furious when they noticed Ye Qing¡¯s intentions. They all flew toward the duo at the same time.

    <i>I was right! </i>Ye Qing thought in relief as he took out all their pursuers yet again using the Blood Shadows he had hidden in the sky. By the time Ying Xiu and her girls had reformed once more, it was already toote.

    ¡°No!¡± Ying Xiu screeched in anger.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Xiao Yang asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Ye Qing replied simply and charged even faster toward the spirit screen.

    ¡°What are you doing, brother? It¡¯s still too early tomit suicide!¡± Xiao Yang eximed in shock. His first thought was that Ye Qing was nning to brain himself against the wall to preserve his honor or something. While the notion was absolutely ridiculous to him, there were some people out there who valued their honor over their life. Maybe Ye Qing was one of those people?

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t explode into a shower of blood and gore, however. He simply passed right through the shadow screen and disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s the exit!?¡± Xiao Yang eximed in realization. He followed right behind Ye Qing and vanished into the wall as well. In the sky, Ying Xiu¡¯s furious screech echoed like it would never end.

    ¡°The temple? We¡¯re back!¡±

    After Ye Qing and Xiao Yang had passed through the spirit screen, they discovered that they had reappeared in the rundown temple. Xiao Yang asked curiously, ¡°How did you know that the spirit screen is the exit?¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°While you were battling against the Strangers, I noticed that everything in the residence except the spirit screen was disintegrated by the shockwaves. That is why I figured that the spirit screen is the only real object in that world, and possibly the exit.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t actually know if it would work until I tried. Thankfully, I was right!¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re here, brother, or I most likely would¡¯ve died to those terrible women!¡± Xiao Yang said gratefully while giving Ye Qing a friendly p on the shoulder, but in reality he was wary of the young man more than ever before. They had encountered two deadly dangers so far¡ªthe Anomaly on the bridge and now the ghastly women¡ªand both times Ye Qing had disyed exceptional intelligence and collectedness. In fact, he had outdone him, a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau. Of course, it was partly because he was hiding his strength, but there was no denying that Ye Qing was a formidable warrior.

    And that was exactly why he could not allow him to live.

    ¡°What are you looking at, brother?¡± Xiao Yang asked when he noticed that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t paying attention to him. Instead, he walked up to the wall painting with a deep frown on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? We were resting in this temple and minding our own business when suddenly, we all woke up in that residence. Not only that, we reappeared in this temple right after we passed through the exit. Finally, don¡¯t you think that this wall painting looks a little familiar? It looks pretty simr to the spirit screen we passed through earlier, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that that strange residence is connected to this wall?¡± Xiao Yang frowned as well.

    He wasn¡¯t an idiot. He noticed that something was off with this abandoned temple from the start, and this wall was easily the most suspicious object of them all.

    ¡°That will be an understatement. I suspect that the world we were trapped in earlier <i>is</i> this painting,¡± Ye Qing guessed while rubbing his chin.

    ¡°I agree. What is your n?¡±

    ¡°In the painting, the Strangers are the absolute rulers of the world, unkible and immortal. We were much weaker than we should be as well!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glimmered with intelligence. ¡°But outside? Outside is a different story, won¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Xiao Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Ye Qing raised his hand and turned his wrist slightly. An unbelievable amount of force and lightning immediately sprung into existence.

    <i>¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±</i>

    The wall painting had onest surprise for them, however. Before Ye Qing could unleash his attack, the silhouettes on the wall suddenly morphed into warped, ghastly faces and howled soundlessly at the duo. They swelled outward as if they were trying to push out of the wall. Not only that, an evil, distorted energy washed over the temple and attempted to restrain Ye Qing, though it was a far cry from the power that they experienced inside the painting.

    In response, Ye Qing let out an imperious hmph and channeled his true qi. When the force gathering around his palm had reached a critical point, he pressed it against the wall painting with surprising gentleness almost as if he was caressing a fragile object.

    The wall painting immediately distorted as if it was being disrupted by some sort of invisible force. Then, the residence, the pretty women, the background and everything started disappearing inch by inch as if wiped by an invisible eraser. In the end, all that was left was a grayish ck wall.

    Cracks started spreading across the wall until the whole chunk resembled a spider¡¯s web. A few breathster, it abruptly crumbled into a pile of debris and dust. However, right as the wall fell apart, a brawny figure abruptly emerged into the open. It was none other than the leader of the bandit group. It would seem that the painting¡¯s destruction also allowed him to break free from its influence and escape back into the real world.

    ¡°Thank you for saving my life!¡± The brawny man immediately thanked Ye Qing and Xiao Yang after escaping the painting. ¡°I am Zhao, and I swear I will repay your kindness one day! Goodbye!¡±

    The brawny man dashed toward the exit as soon as he finished. He seemed to be in a great hurry for some reason. He had just reached the center of the temple when Ye Qing said,

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a lift!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The brawny man did not understand what Ye Qing was saying and looked back instinctively. He immediately saw a sh of steel flying straight toward him.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    His pupils contracted into pins as the premonition of death gripped his limbs. He immediately let out a growl, crouched down, and extended both hands toward the iing attack. At the same time, thick, ck hair started growing out of his arms and his face at an exponential rate. They glittered in the dark and looked just as tough as steel.

    That wasn¡¯t all. His bones abruptly grewrger and thicker, and his fingernails elongated until they resembled ws. His human arms had transformed into wolf arms, and his human hands had transformed into wolf ws in just the blink of an eye. A pair of canine teeth had also grown out of his mouth, giving him the appearance of a wolf.

    ¡°Awooooooo!¡±

    The leader crushed the iing attack with his bare hands before crouching on the ground and bending his back. Muscles tensing, he abruptly kicked off the floor and shot toward the exit like a loose arrow.

    His speed was incredible, and for a second it looked like he might just make it out of the temple alive. Then, the leader abruptly turned limp as if he suddenly lost all strength in his body, and his head rolled right off his neck. It looked like a ripe apple from a distance.

    ¡°What a fast de!¡± Xiao Yang praised even as his pupils contracted into pins. The leader thought he had stopped Ye Qing¡¯s attack, but in reality it was just an afterimage. The real attack had sliced through his neck so fast that he never even realized he was dead until his body abruptly gave up on him.

    ¡°But why did you kill him, brother?¡± Xiao Yang asked in puzzlement.

    Ye Qing replied indifferently, ¡°He and his group are the Wolf Raiders.¡±

    ¡°The Wolf Raiders?¡± Xiao Yang walked up to the headless leader and kicked his body over. After a brief inspection, he nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right! In that case, well done!¡±

    A Wolf Raider was almost the same as a Grave Raider except that a Grave Raider fed on corpses, while a Wolf Raider fed on human flesh. It should not need to be said which was the worse between the two. Moreover, a Wolf Raider was a former human who gave up on humanity to survive. It was one thing if they repented and returned to being human, but if they did not, then they would gradually transform into a half-Stranger and lose their humanity permanently. They fed on humans, lived in the wilderness, and keptpany with Strangers. They were ruthless, inhuman bastards to put it mildly.

    A Wolf Raider wasn¡¯t fully human or Stranger. It was an amalgamation who possessed the worst qualities of both entities. It was decreed by Chu that all half-humans who harmed their fellow human beings were to be killed without mercy, so what Ye Qing did was an act of justice, not murder!

    ¡°Phew¡­ the sun¡¯s up, and the evils are all dead. Let¡¯s resume our journey!¡± Ye Qing suggested while wiping the blood on his curved saber¡ªhe had gotten a new one after breaking his previous de¡ªand scanning the temple for loot. He was disappointed when he found nothing worthwhile, but the wall painting Stranger should give him some dragon-serpent runes, so it wasn¡¯t aplete waste of effort. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the wall painting Stranger was at least a Malice-ss Stranger, so he should¡¯ve gained a silver rune.

    Xiao Yang looked at the faint light shining through the exit and nodded. ¡°The rain¡¯s let up as well, so why not? Assuming the sky stays clear, we should reach Jade Spring Vige by noon!¡±

    As if on cue, a ray of sunlight pierced through the dark clouds and filled the world with light.

    1. A spirit screen, also called spirit wall or screen wall, (Chinese: Ó°±Ú; pinyin: Y¨«ngb¨¬; lit. ''shadow wall'' or Chinese: ÕÕ±Ú; pinyin: Zh¨¤ob¨¬) is used to shield an entrance gate in traditional Chinese architecture. ??

 Chapter 112: Lake Bogey

    <h4>Chapter 112: Lake Bogey</h4>

    Ye Qing and Xiao Yang did not encounter any more danger after leaving the abandoned temple. They were able to make it to Jade Spring Vige before noon.

    Although Ye Qing already had an inkling of what he might discover after listening to Ling Jianqiu¡¯s ount, the reality was still much worse than he had anticipated. The farms werepletely abandoned and overgrown with grass, the guards responsible for protecting the vige from Strangers were nowhere to be seen, and garbage and feces were everywhere.

    These were nothingpared to the horror he felt when he saw the vigers, however. Everyone, be it young or old, looked so thin and haggard he could¡¯ve believed that they were going through a famine. However, all of them were wearing happy smiles on their faces and going about their business as if their minds were living in apletely separate entity.

    What was a poption of twelve hundred had dwindled to just three hundred, and they all said the same thing even after Ye Qing and Xiao Yang had interviewed each and everyone of them: they were perfectly healthy, no one was missing, and the vige was just fine. It was exactly as Yu Hai had reported.

    Speaking of which, no one knew where Yu Hai had gone to, or rather, they imed that they had never even met the guy before, so of course they couldn¡¯t provide his whereabouts. Later, they searched the whole vige and even the outskirts for clues to no avail.

    That said, it wasn¡¯t like their efforts werepletely useless. One, the reason the vigers of Jade Spring Vige looked like they had one foot in the grave wasn¡¯t because they were starved, but because they were missing most of their vigor. Two, they couldn¡¯t find any Stranger near Jade Spring Vige, not even themon Wind Children or Mud Dolls. As mentioned earlier, Jade Spring Vige waspletely defenseless right now. The one Patrolman who could have saved them was missing in action as well. A random Red-ss or even Mundane-ss Stranger could probably ughter them to thest, and yet they were still safe and sound¡ªrtively speaking, of course.

    Ye Qing and Xiao Yang eventually arrived at two theories. One, an extremely powerful Stranger had appeared in Jade Spring Vige and scared away all the other Strangers. Moreover, it was keeping the vigers alive to aplish some sort of unknown objective. They had a couple of guesses¡ªit could be raising the vigers like livestock, it could be a choosy eater etc¡ªbut no evidence to support any guess.

    Two, an Anomaly had struck Jade Spring Vige, influencing the Strangers and scaring away the other Strangers. But after a brief argument, both men agreed that the first theory was likelier. It was because they noticed various cut marks on the vigers¡¯ chest. It was most likely the reason behind the vigers¡¯ missing vigor. If this was an Anomaly, it could probably absorb their vigor without leaving a scratch on their body!

    Of course, this was just a theory. In the end, they needed to investigate more to find out the truth behind the incident.

    In his head, Ye Qing was praying that this wasn¡¯t an Anomaly. If it was, he was going to run so fast that Xiao Yang could only breathe his dust, guilty conscience be damned.

    ¡­¡­

    The sun set, and the moon rose. When darkness came, silence became the only theme in Jade Spring Vige.

    In fact, there was too much silence. Not a candle was lit, and not a sound could be heard throughout the whole vige. If they didn¡¯t know better, they would¡¯ve thought that Jade Spring Vige was an abandoned vige.

    ¡°Heavens above. It¡¯s like the whole ce is dead!¡± Xiao Yang muttered under his breath. The two men had <i>not </i>slept inside Jade Spring Vige as a matter of course. Instead, they were observing from a safe spot some distance away from the vige.

    Logically speaking, the best way to learn the truth about the vige was to remain inside the vige, but they still didn¡¯t know if it was a Stranger or an Anomaly that had turned it to this state. A Stranger would be the best. With their strength, they should be able to escape even if they were no match for it. But if it was an Anomaly, then their recklessness could easily be the death of them.

    Had they died, they would not be able to find out the truth or report back to the Pacification Bureau. That was why they had chosen to observe Jade Spring Vige from a distance. It definitely wasn¡¯t because they were scared for their life. Nuh uh!

    ¡°Yeah. If the vige is barely alive during daytime, then it is as dead as a graveyard at night.¡±

    Ye Qing jumped down from the branch he was hanging on andy down on the ground. While staring at the ck clouds in the sky, he said, ¡°Something should happen tonight!¡±

    Xiao Yang alsoy down beside him and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I want something to happen, to be honest. If it turns out to be beyond our ability to handle¡­¡±

    ¡°Quit jinxing us!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Xiao Yang. ¡°I believe in good karma. Even if the worst were toe by, I¡¯m sure that you would be able to turn it around!¡±

    ¡°Now that, is what I call apliment!¡± Xiao Yangughed.

    The two passed the time by making idle chit-chat and keeping an eye on Jade Spring Vige. Eventually¡­

    ¡°Here ites!¡±

    It was past midnight when Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes. Xiao Yang also jolted awake and climbed to his feet as well. They turned around and stared at theke next to Jade Spring Vige. An unnatural mist was spreading across its surface.

    Theke was called Jade Spring Lake because it tasted as smooth as jade and as sweet as spring. It was also how Jade Spring Vige got its name.

    The two men couldn¡¯t help but exchange embarrassed looks with each other. They were one Vessel Augmentor and one Astral Refiner, and they had circled Jade Spring Lake at least three times during the day. However, neither of them had found a thing at the time.

    Meanwhile, the mist above Jade Spring Lake was growing thicker and thicker. Then, snow white fishes with three red whiskers hanging beside their gills jumped out of the water and floated in the air. It wasn¡¯t long before hundreds of fat, white fishes were hanging in the sky like snow.

    <i>Tang! Tang! Tang!</i>

    Suddenly, a humanoid Stranger with two arms and legs slowly rose to the surface. It carried a turtle¡¯s shell on his back and a pair of horns on its head. Its face was as ck as coal, and it was carrying a gong and hitting it with a mallet. The fishes responded to the gong beats and surged forward until they formed a white bridge. After a water pir lifted the humanoid Stranger onto the bridge of fishes, it strode straight toward Jade Spring Vige.

    <i>¡°Do you recognize that Stranger?¡± </i>Ye Qing asked via sound transmission.

    Xiao Yang stared at the Stranger for a bit before shaking his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s probably some sort ofke bogey.¡±

    ¡°Lake bogey?¡± Just as the mountains were alive with spirits, it was the same with the waters as well. The humanoid was probably some sort of aquatic bogey that was simr to the Mountain God of Little August Hill. This one was clearly evil though!

    Ye Qing watched on as theke bogey walked until it was right above Jade Spring Vige. Then, it smacked its gong so hard that he could see some sort of invisible energy rippling across the air. The vigers of Jade Spring Vige started stepping out of their houses and walking toward theke, each and every one of them carrying a de in their hands. Their expressions were numb, and their eyes ssy. Ye Qing could¡¯ve been convinced that they were dead.

    When the vigers were gathered in front of theke, theke bogey walked back to Jade Spring Lake and hit its gong twice. But unlike the previous beats, this one was shrill and rapid. Even from this distance, Ye Qing and Xiao Yang felt as if something was trying to muddle their minds.

    The viger standing closest to theke immediately pulled open his shirt and revealed his bare chest. He then stabbed himself in the heart and sliced open a deep wound.

    Blood poured profusely out of the wound and into theke. The clear waters were immediately dyed in red. For a good few seconds, the viger simply stood there and let his heart¡¯s blood flow out of his body as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain. When he had bled almost a full bowl of blood, one of the fishes lowered its red whiskers and pressed against the wound. The bleeding stopped immediately.

    The viger walked away, and the next viger came forward. He did the exact same thing as the first viger and bled his heart¡¯s blood into theke. This would continue on and on until theke had turnedpletely red and sticky like blood. The blood stench was so thick that even Ye Qing and Xiao Yang could smell it from where they were.

    ¡°What the hell is thiske bogey nning?¡± Ye Qing whispered.

    Xiao Yang shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it can¡¯t be anything good. Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±

    <i>Tang! Tang!</i>

    About half a teatimeter, theke bogey hit its gong again. The center of theke abruptly started spinning until it formed a whirlpool, and from the bottom rose a lotus that looked as white as jade.

    The moment the lotus had risen to the water surface, the viscous blood in theke abruptly surged into it as if pulled by a mysterious force and dyeing it blood red. It wasn¡¯t long before theke became crystal clear once more.

    The blood red lotus looked like something out of a nightmare as it floated innocently on theke. In the sky, theke bogey was staring at the blood red lotus like it was the love of its life.

    <i>Tang!</i>

    A few secondster, theke bogey jolted out of its reverie and hurriedly hit its gong. The dozen vigers standing quietly next to theke abruptly cut open their chest, ripped out their hearts, and tossed it over to the lotus!

    The mindless vigers had acted so quickly and abruptly that there was no chance Ye Qing or Xiao Yang could have stopped them. Naturally, the vigers fell to the ground and died after losing their hearts. The white fishes in the sky immediately wrapped their whiskers around the corpses and pulled them into their mouths. Every time they chewed, blood would spurt out of their mouths and spill into the clear waters below. It was unbelievably cruel.

    Meanwhile, the blood red lotus was unfolding its thirteen petals like it was blooming. It pulled the hearts toward its stamen and ate the hearts one by one like a maw from hell. After it was done feeding, it grew even bigger and glowed brightly. It also emitted an unbelievably fragrant scent that spread all the way to Ye Qing and Xiao Yang¡¯s location.

    ¡°Holy shit! It smells incredible!¡± The two men felt incredibly invigorated after inhaling the scent.

    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Ye Qing whispered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it clearly deserves eradication!¡± Xiao Yang shook his head, but there was a greedy glint in his eyes that he took care not to reveal.

    He mulled over the situation for a bit before saying, ¡°We now know that thiske bogey is the true culprit behind the mass disappearance of Jade Spring Vige. It¡¯s a Hatred-ss Stranger, but it doesn¡¯t look so strong that it¡¯s beyond our abilities, so why don¡¯t you go save the vigers and leave it to me, brother?¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a few seconds before nodding. ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°I''ll go first!¡± Xiao Yang dered and soared into the sky. He then burst into mes not unlike a golden sun.

 Chapter 113: Blood Jade Lotus

    <h4>Chapter 113: Blood Jade Lotus</h4>

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The bridge of fishes was smashed into pieces in the blink of an eye. Due to Xiao Yang¡¯s power, the rain of blood and gore had burned into dust by the time itnded in thekewater.

    Theke bogey standing on the bridge was furious, of course. It brought down its mallet on the golden sun immediately.

    The mallet looked no different from your ordinary mallet, but it easily shattered the Purple Sun Gold me and hit Xiao Yang directly on his fist. As if struck by a lightning bolt, he shuddered and lost control of his true qi in an instant. Not only was his attack dispelled, he was smashed deep into the ground.

    ¡°<i>Spit</i>¡­ It¡¯s stronger than he looks!¡±

    Theke bogey thought it was over and got ready to leave, but Xiao Yang shot out of the pit and appeared behind it in the blink of an eye. He then unleashed another mighty punch that was hot enough to wither the surrounding nts and boil the air. However, theke bogey hugged its head so that only its turtle shell was exposed. There was a loud bang and a terrific shockwave that spread across the entireke and more, but theke bogey itself was perfectly unharmed.

    Theke bogey immediately raised its right leg not unlike a dog who was taking the piss and kicked Xiao Yang in the stomach. The Astral Refiner left a deep gorge on the ground as he was sent flying once more.

    ¡°<i>Spit spit! </i>Sonuvabitch! I¡¯m a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui! No bloody way I can¡¯t beat a mereke bogey like you!¡±

    Xiao Yang was extremely tough, however. He seemed almost unharmed despite taking two solid hits from theke bogey. Without hesitation, he leaped into the air and battled the Stranger once more.

    While this was going on, Ye Qing was sneakily escorting the mindless vigers back into the vige. However, he had just finished escorting thest viger when suddenly, he sensed something that made his heart skip a beat. He immediately floated backward like a feather just in time to dodge a devastating mallet attack. It was theke bogey!

    <i>Why is it here? Where is Xiao Yang? </i>A million thoughts raced across Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    The failure did not deter theke bogey. It simply disappeared and reappeared behind Ye Qing almost like it had teleported and pressed the attack¡ªor at least it tried to. Ye Qing had detected his intention before it even moved and dashed away, so by the time theke bogey showed up he was already gone.

    Theke bogey kept chasing, and Ye Qing kept escaping from its grasp. For a time, afterimages kept appearing and disappearing in the sky like a light show. If the river bogey was like a ghost that could teleport everywhere, then Ye Qing was like a colored smoke that could clearly be seen, but could not be grasped no matter what the river bogey tried. It was speed and unpredictability versus transience and mysticism.

    A whileter, after failed attempt after failed attempt, theke bogey finally lost its cool and let out a terrifying screech. Then, it smacked the gong it was holding.

    <i>Tang!</i>

    The beat was loud and deafening a thunderp, but it was also infused with a kind of strange, distorted energy that sounded like a million people whispering beside one¡¯s ears at the same time. It wasn¡¯t just irritating to the max, it wiped one¡¯s memory like a giant eraser as well.

    Ye Qing¡¯s mind turned nk for an instant. For a moment, he could not tell where he was, what he was doing, or even who he was. His movements slowed. Clearly, the gong beat was an attack that targeted the mind.

    Pleased that its tactic had worked, theke bogey appeared behind Ye Qing once more and aimed its mallet at the back of Ye Qing¡¯s head. If itnded, it would shatter Ye Qing¡¯s spirit and extinguish his mind without fail. But right before the mallet would make contact, a smirk suddenly spread across the young man¡¯s lips. He spun around and caught the mallet firmly in his hands.

    .

    ¡°Ggrrk!?¡±

    Theke bogey was astonished. It could not understand why Ye Qing wasn¡¯t affected by its gong beat. Before it could react, Ye Qing grabbed theke bogey with his left hand and unleashed the Nethermes!

    ¡°Graaah! Graaah!¡±

    There was nothing the Netherme could not burn. Theke bogey screamed in pain as the Netherme spread throughout its body in an instant.

    <i>Tang! Tang! Tang!</i>

    This time though, the Netherme had met its match. Every time theke bogey smacked its gong, the bluish ck mes would weaken considerably. Just three gong beatster, the Netherme abruptly vanished like it never was.

    Not done yet, theke bogey abruptly withdrew its head into its turtle shell. Then, it actually flew out of its shell and leaped far, far away from Ye Qing. In the air, it sucked in a deep breath and struck its gong with all its might.

    There was no sound, but the chunk ofnd Ye Qing was standing on abruptly rippled like a piece of cloth before shooting into the air. It spun like a dragon and threatened to tear Ye Qing into pieces.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes and raised both hands. Every time they moved an inch upward, his sleeves would swell a little bigger and be much heavier. By the time his hands had moved a meter from its original position, it was like he was carrying an entireke in his hands.

    What better way to crush a dragon than to drop ake on top of it?

    The chunk ofnd exploded into smithereens as soon as Ye Qing brought down his sleeves, but he wasn¡¯t done yet. He turned toward theke bogey, opened his mouth, and let out a mighty roar that was infused with an immense amount of spiritual power and true qi. It shook the earth and the sky like the wrath of the heavens themselves.

    After using its mysterious powers to manipte the people of Jade Spring Vige for so long, theke bogey had finally gotten a taste of its own medicine. The roar not only stunned it, blood spurted out of its eyes, ears, mouth and nostrils like a waterfall. Before it could recover, a lightning bolt cut through the darkness and pierced right through its forehead.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Theke bogey¡¯s head exploded, the lightning burned it all before it could spread. A few secondster, its headless body hit the ground with a soft thud.

    ¡°Finally. It sure is a formidable opponent!¡± Ye Qing pretended to wipe his forehead while sighing in relief. Not only was theke bogey as quick as a phantom, and its gong could attack the mind and even affect one¡¯s memories directly. Even the mallet could disrupt the flow of one¡¯s qi. In a sense, it was the perfect assassin.

    If he hadn¡¯t learned the ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡±, an excellent movement art that allowed him to stay ahead of theke bogey¡¯s insane speed, or practiced the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, which strengthened his mind and spirit so much that he was immune to the mental attack, he could¡¯ve died even if he was stronger than theke bogey in almost every aspect.

    Xiao Yang was a perfect example. Twice theke bogey had managed to bury him in dirt thanks to its treacherous abilities.

    ¡°Xiao Yang¡­¡± Ye Qing frowned the moment he recalled hispanion. Earlier, they had agreed that Xiao Yang would keep theke bogey busy while he rescued the vigers of Jade Spring Vige, so why had theke bogey turned on him?

    There were three possibilities. One, theke bogey noticed what he was doing and decided that it was more important to stop him than to take out Xiao Yang. However, Xiao Yang should¡¯ve caught up to it almost instantly in this scenario, when in reality he hadn¡¯t shown his face the entire time.

    The second possibility was that theke bogey had killed Xiao Yang, but this didn¡¯t seem very likely either. While theke bogey had proven to be a formidable and treacherous opponent, Xiao Yang was both an Astral Refiner and a Patrolman of Luo Shui. Even if theke bogey managed to catch him off guard, Ye Qing refused to believe that he had nothing that might save him from a fatal attack. The Substitute Doll that saved his life from the Anomaly earlier was the proof of that.

    Finally, if he, a Vessel Augmentor, managed to kill theke bogey without too much trouble, how could an Astral Refiner like Xiao Yang fail to do the same?

    The third possibility was that Xiao Yang had intentionally let theke bogey escape. He wanted theke bogey to kill him, if not injure him enough so that he would be easier to kill! This was most likely the truth of the matter!

    ¡°How curious.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes turned hard and unyielding. ¡°I wonder why you want me dead, Xiao Yang?¡±

    Ye Qing went over to theke bogey¡¯s corpse to pick up the gong and the mallet. Then, he vanished in the blink of an eye.

    At Jade Spring Lake, Xiao Yang was floating above the blood red lotus and grinning like the devil himself. It was a very different look from the cool but somewhat foolish man he pretended to be.

    ¡°Hahaha! Who would¡¯ve thought that a treasure like the Blood Jade Lotus would be found in a small vige like this? This will surely propel to greater heights! Hahahaha!¡±

    Xiao Yang cackled and killed a few fishes to feed the Blood Jade Lotus their blood. The strange nt immediately looked more crystalline and mystical than before.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to mature any moment now!¡± Xiao Yang licked his lips greedily and shot a nce in Jade Spring Vige¡¯s direction. ¡°Don¡¯t let me down, brother! I¡¯lle get you as soon as this lotus is in full bloom!¡±

    Forty-nine breathster, mysterious runes appeared on the petals of the Blood Jade Lotus. It made the petals looked even more solid and exquisite than before. At the same time, an inexplicable, dreamy aura spread across the wholeke. It felt as if the whole area had transformed into the Blood Jade Lotus¡¯ domain.

    ¡°It¡¯s ready!¡± Xiao Yang¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately dashed forward and made a grab for the Blood Jade Lotus. But at thest moment, a silhouette appeared out of nowhere and stole the nt right before he could take it!

    ¡°Who is it!?¡± Xiao Yang eximed in shock and fury. <i>Who¡¯s the bastard who stole his treasure? And how did they get so close without me noticing?</i>

    Xiao Yang red at the mysterious silhouettending on the other side of Jade Spring Lake. When they turned around, his pupils abruptly contracted like pins, and he slowly looked up until he was staring the person in the eye. He then broke into a smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s you, brother? You gave me a scare, man!¡±

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up as he threw the Blood Jade Lotus up and down like it was a toy. ¡°I thought you were dealing with thatke bogey, brother? Where did it go?¡±

    Xiao Yang looked around and scratched his head. ¡°Oh yeah. Where did it go? Maybe it ran away because I was too strong?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°I must have been pretty unlucky then, because it ran straight to me!¡±

    As soon as he finished, he threw theke bogey¡¯s corpse over to Xiao Yang¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Wow! That is pretty unlucky!¡± Xiao Yang eximed in surprise, but not because he didn¡¯t know theke bogey would attack Ye Qing. Having fought the Stranger earlier, he had believed that it was strong enough to injure Ye Qing or at least keep him busy until the Blood Jade Lotus was mature. But kill it? That was definitely not within Xiao Yang¡¯s expectations. The bastard didn¡¯t even look winded after the right!

    Was it because theke bogey was really a pushover, or was Ye Qing too strong?!

    Who was he kidding? It absolutely was because Ye Qing was too strong. If he wasn¡¯t, he would not have to resort to such roundabout tactics.

 Chapter 114: Thatâ€™s What A Guilty Person Would Say

    <h4>Chapter 114: That¡¯s What A Guilty Person Would Say</h4>

    Xiao Yang had recognized the Blood Jade Lotus from the moment he set his eyes on it. He immediately came up with a n to pit theke bogey and Ye Qing against each other.

    The n was very simple. First, he pretended to die in a manner that would draw theke bogey¡¯s attention to Ye Qing. Theke bogey should be able to keep Ye Qing busy or better, deal him a severe blow. While the fight was ongoing, he would elerate the Blood Jade Lotus¡¯ growth and pocket it as soon as it reached full maturity. Finally, he would return to the battlefield and take out both theke bogey and Ye Qing. He would be killing many birds with one stone so to speak.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing proved to be even stronger than he thought. Not only did he manage to kill theke bogey without so much as a scratch, he had stolen the Blood Jade Lotus as well.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Ye Qing was clearly suspicious of him. He wouldn¡¯t have snatched the Blood Jade Lotus from under his nose. Now that he was wary, it would be much harder to kill him!

    ¡°Are you alright, brother? Did thiske bogey hurt you anywhere?¡± Xiao Yang asked with feigned concern. It was a small hope, but there was a chance he might be able to fool the young man still. After all, you never know until you try. If a PUA could fool their targets into parting with their chastity and money again and again, why not him?

    Ye Qing did not say anything in response though. He simply stared at Xiao Yang with a half-smile on his face.

    The silence felt incredibly awkward, but Xiao Yang did not stop trying, ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re fine. That¡¯s good. You¡¯re amazing, brother!¡±

    Ye Qing continued to smile silently as if he hadn¡¯t said a word. <i>I¡¯m just the audience, bro. Please continue! I¡¯m going to stay perfectly quiet while you perform on stage!</i>

    Eventually, the atmosphere grew so awkward that even Xiao Yang with his thick skin couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. So he let out a sigh and said, ¡°Fine, fine, It¡¯s my fault. I admit that I haven¡¯t done right by you.¡±

    ¡°The lotus you¡¯re holding is called the Blood Jade Lotus. It¡¯s an incredibly rare spirit material that can refine a warrior¡¯s astral qi and even imbue it with a shadow of the Blood Qi¡¯s power, effectively doubling its potency.¡±

    ¡°You probably already know this, but natural astral qi is usually mixed with all kinds of impurities. For a warrior, the purity of the astral qi is directly proportional to its strength. In essence, the Astral Refinement stage is the stage where you refine the natural astral qi you¡¯ve absorbed to absolute perfection.¡±

    ¡°Generally speaking, most warriors can only refine their astral qi one wisp at a time. It¡¯s why any special art or spirit material that can hasten this process is invaluable to any Astral Refiner.¡±

    Xiao Yang paused for a second and continued, ¡°To give you an example, this one Blood Jade Lotus can save an Astral Refiner <i>thirty years </i>of hard work. You can imagine just how valuable it is. So, yeah. I got greedy. I wanted you to keep theke bogey busy while I im the Blood Jade Lotus for myself.¡±

    Xiao Yang let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°I was going to help you after I took the Blood Jade Lotus as a matter of course, but well, it turns out that you don¡¯t need my help after all. Dammit, why did I have to get greedy? I¡¯ve brought shame to myself and the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re probably entering the Astral Refinement stage very soon, right? If you¡¯ll allow me to make amends, I¡¯ll surrender two-thirds of the lotus to you. One-third is fine with me.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked and finally broke his silence, ¡°And here I thought you¡¯ll give me the whole lotus!¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Xiao Yang rubbed his nose in embarrassment. ¡°I did fight theke bogey for a bit and elerated the Blood Jade Lotus¡¯ growth. That¡¯s gotta be worth something, right?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Theke bogey was in, and I wasn¡¯t hurt. Since you¡¯ve confessed your mistake, I suppose I can forgive you this once!¡± Ye Qingughed and tossed the Blood Jade Lotus into the air. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to use this lotus anyway, so I¡¯ll leave it to you to split the goods, brother!¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Just leave it to me!¡± Xiao Yang was overjoyed. It would seem that he had managed to fool Ye Qing after all. He was just about to catch the Blood Jade Lotus when suddenly, a throwing knife appeared behind it and shot straight toward his throat!

    The two of them were standing fairly close to each other to begin with, and Xiao Yang wasn¡¯t on his guard because he believed that he had sessfully fooled Ye Qing. It wasn¡¯t until the throwing knife was an inch away from his throat that he finally realized what happened and reacted.

    Xiao Yang¡¯s reaction was mighty impressive. Not only did he manage to twist his neck out of the way in an instant, his right hand was still moving toward the Blood Jade Lotus. He was nning to catch the spirit material and avoid the throwing knife at the same time!

    It was at this moment the throwing knife split into not two, not four, but eight throwing knives in total! They also split up and flew toward his eyes, his neck, his heart and other vital spots!

    <i>¡°Star Plucking Hand¡ªStarfield¡±</i>

    Xiao Yang was astonished. He wasn¡¯t expecting such an incredible transformation from a single throwing knife. Left with no choice, he gave up on catching the Blood Jade Lotus and clenched his right fist. There was a soft pop as the surrounding space froze as if an invisible had caught it within its grasp, freezing the throwing knives in ce. The weapons vibrated for a second and shattered into a million pieces.

    Xiao Yang wasn¡¯t out of the woods yet, however. A saber energy was right behind the throwing knives and flying straight toward his head! The attack wasn¡¯t just as fast as the wind, his senses were telling him that its trajectory was impossible to predict. It was like the attack contained an infinite amount of variations, and at this range he simply couldn¡¯t identify the correct variation in time to parry it.

    <i>¡°Soulchasing Saber¡±</i>

    Xiao Yang growled and unleashed his astral qi. Like a sun, purple golden mes shot out in every direction and melted away the saber energy like snow. So what if he couldn¡¯t identify the variation in time? All he needed to do was to shield himselfpletely!

    Now that he was safe, Xiao Yang immediately retaliated by throwing a mighty punch at Ye Qing. It was like the sun itself was crashing toward the earth and threatening to burn everything into dust.

    Ye Qing did not panic though. Instead, he summoned a mallet into his hand and tapped Xiao Yang¡¯s fist with it. What was a solid, terrifying, and seemingly unstoppable power suddenly fell intoplete disarray. The impetus was interrupted, and the intent vanished like it never existed

    <i>Theke bogey¡¯s mallet!?</i> Xiao Yang¡¯s eyes bulged as a deadly premonition struck him. <i>Not good!</i>

    The thought had just crossed his mind when a bigger, brighter light erupted from the spot where saber energy had melted into nothing a while ago. Light shone brightest in the dark, and life in the shadow of death. As a result, this attack was far faster, cunning, and potent than all the attacks Ye Qing had unleashed until now. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the saber energy was also wreathed in ayer of cold, demonic mes!

    <i>Allow me to send you to the King of Hell with the Nethermes and the Soulchasing Saber!</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The me-wreathed attack cut Xiao Yang from the left waist all the way to the right shoulder, leaving a wound so deep that Ye Qing could practically see his internal organs. Not only that, cold, icy droplets that resembled beads of diamond seeped out of the wound and chilled Xiao Yang to the core. The droplets then popped and released a st of icy force that withered flesh and blood and worsened his wounds.

    Throughout all this, the Nethermes burned as brightly as ever. The icy force couldn¡¯t extinguish it, and blood actually seemed to strengthen it.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Ye Qing still wasn¡¯t done, however. He opened his mouth and spat a literal bolt of lightning straight at Xiao Yang¡¯s forehead!

    <i>¡°Lightning Bolt¡±</i>

    But before the Lightning Bolt could pierce Xiao Yang¡¯s head and explode it like a watermelon, tendrils of light abruptly slithered down the hat he was wearing. They were thin, but they shone? as bright as the sun itself. They covered his body and formed a retro-style robe carrying the sun and the moon on each shoulder, and the stars on the chest. What looked like an image of the universe also appeared beneath his feet.

    Lightning Bolt was about an inch away from Xiao Yang¡¯s forehead when it struck what looked like an invisible, rippling barrier. As a result, the Strange Artifact was deflected to the side instead.

    <i>A shame, </i>Ye Qing sighed internally as he summoned Lightning Bolt back to his side. He knew that this was as far as his surprise attack could go.

    Ye Qing had nned out every step of his surprise attack as meticulously as he could. He had tossed out the Blood Jade Lotus to distract Xiao Yang before catching him off guard with Starfield and the Soulchasing Saber. Then, he disrupted his attack with theke bogey¡¯s mallet and seized the opportunity to severely injure him with a Netherme plus Soulchasing Saberbo. Finally, he unleashed Lightning Bolt to end Xiao Yang.

    In fact, his surprise attack had gone without a hitch until thest moment. Caughtpletely off guard, the Astral Refiner didn¡¯t even get the chance to use his Strange Artifact. Unfortunately, he was just a beat too slow when he unleashed Lightning Bolt, and Xiao Yang was ultimately able to deflect the fatal strike with his Strange Artifact. It was like jogging nine kilometers in a ten-kilometer marathon. In the end, he still failed to kill Xiao Yang.

    But of course, his effort wasn¡¯tpletely futile. Xiao Yang asked, ¡°What are you doing, brother? I know you''re upset because I tried to take advantage of you, but don''t you think killing me is a step too far?"

    The Astral Refiner was trying to extinguish the insidious force and Netherme wreaking havoc inside his body, but it was proving to be an extremely slow-going process even with his Strange Artifact. Physical technique wasn¡¯t the only insidious thing about the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡±. If the practitioner managed tond a direct hit, its seemingly innocuous force could invade the victim¡¯s meridians and even crush their internal organs. It was how he had spread his Blood Shadow true qi and his Netherme throughout his whole body.

    This meant that Xiao Yang didn¡¯t just look horrible on the outside, his insides were bubbling like a pot of boiling oil as well. There was no way he would be able to extinguish the nefarious energies inside him without a considerable amount of time and effort, and certainly not before this battle was over. It was the perfect recipe for a masochist like him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking this Blood Jade Lotus. It¡¯s what you owe me for trying to trick me earlier!¡±

    The Blood Jade Lotus was still falling through the air when Ye Qing caught it and slipped it inside his Nature¡¯s Shell. He then added, ¡°You ask me why I¡¯m trying to kill you? It¡¯s because you tried to kill me first, of course!¡±

    Xiao Yang¡¯s pupils contracted into pins. ¡°I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding between us, brother.¡±

    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± Ye Qing grinned. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You were in cahoots with Qing Kui, weren¡¯t you? Or should I say, you¡¯re the junior brother he spoke of before I killed him!¡±

    Xiao Yang replied innocently, ¡°Who¡¯s Qing Kui? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, brother? That is exactly what a guilty person would say!¡± Ye Qing shook his head in mock disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s no use though. Your denial is pointless before the evidence!¡±

 Chapter 115: I Hope You Wonâ€™t Regret This

    <h4>Chapter 115: I Hope You Won¡¯t Regret This</h4>

    ¡°Evidence? What evidence?¡± A small, almost scornful smile crossed Xiao Yang¡¯s lips. He did not mind Ye Qing monologuing for a bit because he needed time to recover, and because he was waiting for something.

    ¡°One, Qing Kui had called out to his junior brother moments before his death. Since he¡¯s an Astral Refiner, his junior brother can¡¯t be too far behind. Can you guess who¡¯s the only other Astral Refiner in Anyang besides Qing Kui? Two, you showed up the day after Qing Kui was dead. Well ain¡¯t that a coincidence? Three, you, a mighty Patrolman of Luo Shui, acted like I was your long lost lover during our first meeting even though I¡¯m just a small fry. While I believe in love at first sight and the like, you were just a little too passionate in your attempt to buddy up with me. And what do we call people who buddy up to you for no apparent reason whatsoever? A person with an ulterior motive!¡±

    Ye Qing raised his fourth finger and continued, ¡°Four, Chief Ling is a careful and steadfast man. If he ordered you to apany me on the investigation, he would definitely inform me about it before or after he spoke about the incident. Since he hadn¡¯t, your decision to join me is clearly a personal one. But I¡¯m here to conduct an investigation, not take a vacation, so why on earth would you willingly put yourself in danger? I wasn¡¯t sure about your motive before, but now I know for certain that you came with me to kill me!¡±

    ¡°Five¡ª¡±

    <i>There¡¯s a five? Did I really screw up that badly? </i>Xiao Yang pondered in astonishment. He admitted that he had acted a little too hastily and deliberately at the beginning, but he was certain he hadn¡¯t given anything away during this trip.

    ¡°¡ªyou were forced to use a Strange Artifact to save your life when we encountered the Anomaly at Coiled Snake Ridge. You probably thought I didn¡¯t recognize it, but I do, and I know all there is to know about the Substitute Doll.¡±

    ¡°The Substitute Doll can only be wielded by the forger themselves. It cannot be stolen or transferred to another person even after the owner is dead. Therefore, you have to be the forger of the Substitute Doll.¡±

    ¡°The method to forge the Substitute Doll is extraordinarily cruel and evil. It¡¯s why it was banned by the imperial court. That is how I know that you aren¡¯t nearly as kind as you pretend to be, and why my suspicions were fully aroused!¡±

    ¡°Finally, there is the matter with the Blood Jade Lotus. You imed you were going to help me after you¡¯ve imed the Blood Jade Lotus, but that was a lie, wasn¡¯t it? You were hoping that we would tire each other out so you could kill both of us easier!¡±

    ¡°You said you had evidence, but so far everything you¡¯ve told me is guesses at best. What if it was just a string of unfortunate coincidences?¡± Xiao Yang argued, though on the inside he admitted that his ¡°perfect¡± n was far more wed than he thought.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Are you even listening to yourself? Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, and three times is enemy action! This is doubly true in the <i>jianghu</i>!¡±

    ¡°Too many coincidences is the same as enemy action? Hahaha! I¡¯ve never heard of this idiom, but it¡¯s wonderful! Hahahaha!¡± Xiao Yang suddenly let out a loud, almost unhinged cackle. ¡°But what if you were wrong? What if it really was just a coincidence?¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Then nothing. This is the<i> jianghu</i>, and we are both <i>jianghu</i> warriors. If you¡¯re not prepared to die, then you should not have set foot in this shithole to begin with. Right or wrong has no ce in this world.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re not innocent though. You¡¯re a man who would damn a mother and her baby just to make a Substitute Doll to save your life. Even if I was wrong, killing you would only earn me good karma!¡±

    ¡°Well said, well said! You truly are a poet!¡± Xiao Yang let out another peal of mad cackle and dropped his actpletely. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that I¡¯ve underestimated you. I can hardly believe that you hail from a small ce like Anyang. It¡¯s too bad that your naivety will be the death of you!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Naivety? Ah, are you talking about me wasting my breath and giving you time to recover?¡±

    Xiao Yang grinned devilishly. ¡°Am I wrong?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened. ¡°What makes you think that you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s buying time? You may have heard that I possess a Strange Artifact called the Blue Demon Hand. It¡¯s the creator of the Netherme that¡¯s corroding your flesh and eating your insides. It must be quite an enjoyable experience for a masochist like you, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°My main point is, the Blue Demon Hand has a second ability called the Hundred Poison. The Hundred Poison, as you may have guessed from its name, is an incredibly poisonous gas that¡¯s also odorless, colorless, incorporeal and invisible. It can weaken your vigor, corrode your organs, and destroy your blood vessels all without you noticing!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve noticed, but I¡¯ve been standing upwind this whole time. You think you¡¯re recovering, but you¡¯ve really been dying at a slow and steady rate!¡±

    Xiao Yang had looked internally as soon as Ye Qing said the word ¡°Hundred Poison¡±, and as the young man imed an incredibly deadly poison was polluting his vigor, eating away at his internal organs, and killing his blood vessels bit by bit. Already, he was starting to lose control over his own qi.

    The reason he hadn¡¯t noticed until now was because his senses were damaged by the Netherme, and he was too focused on putting them out to notice the invisible poison that was killing him as well. He was also too absorbed in his own n to realize that Ye Qing was buying time as well.

    He called Ye Qing naive, but he was the truly naive one. Despite his youthful appearance, the young man was really as cunning as an old fox. He really should¡¯ve known better than to underestimate him!

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you got me. You¡¯re definitely one of the most formidable foes I¡¯ve ever faced!¡±

    Xiao Yang coughed through his hand and caused ck blood to seep through his fingers. He lookedpletely defeated, and yet his grin kept growing wider and wider for some reason. ¡°But just because I lost the battle doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ve lost the war!? I haven''t only been buying time to regain my strength, you know? I was also waiting for reinforcements!¡±

    ¡°Reinforcements?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Who?¡±

    He was certain that Xiao Yang and Qing Kui hade to Anyang alone. He wouldn¡¯t have bothered going through all the deception and trickery otherwise. Was he wrong?

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s forehead throbbed ominously. It was because he sensed dozens of people entering his range and surrounding him from all sides.

    ¡°Who else? People who want you dead, of course!¡± Xiao Yang sneered.

    Xiao Yang¡¯s reinforcements reached them in just the blink of an eye. They were all wearing ck shirts and cloaks that concealed their appearancepletely. Clearly, they didn¡¯t want to be recognized.

    Ye Qing spread his spirit far and wide and determined everyone¡¯s cultivation level in an instant. <i>Two peak Vessel Augmentors and thirty plus of initiate or adept Qi Invokers. No one here is a weakling either!</i>

    There was no way these people were Xiao Yang¡¯s men. If they were, they would¡¯ve been noticed as soon as they crossed Anyang¡¯s border. In fact, the day after he killed Qing Kui, he had asked Qiao Six to give him a name list of every unfamiliar face who had entered Anyang as ofte. However, the information broker had found no one except Xiao Yang, Qing Kui, and a handful of others.

    Qiao Six was a local snake and the greatest information broker in Anyang. Even if he presumed that Xiao Yang and his men had infiltrated the county in disguise, there was still no chance they could have escaped the man¡¯s notice. Therefore, these men must hail from Anyang.

    There were only a handful of factions in Anyang, and they were the Pacification Bureau, Qiao Six, the Iron Shirt Gang, the Shen n and the Li n.

    None of these factions¡ªnot even the Pacification Bureau¡ªwas powerful enough to field two peak Vessel Augmentors and over thirty Qi Invokers to assassinate a single person, so it was reasonable to assume that two or more factions were working together. It could not be the Pacification Bureau because they owed him big time for saving the county for annihtion, not to mention that Ling Jianqiu was a trustworthy character. Qiao Six was a close acquaintance who benefited much from their association, so it probably wasn¡¯t him either. The Iron Shirt Gang was just out of the question.

    This left the Shen n and the Li n only, and it so happened that their patriarchs¡ªShen Xian and Li Yuankang¡ªwere both Vessel Augmentors. They also had very good reasons to want him dead.

    ¡°You lot are from the Shen n and the Li n, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing said suddenly.

    The approaching men abruptly froze in their tracks, and their two leaders red at him like they would swallow him alive.

    <i>It¡¯s definitely them! </i>Ye Qing concluded and stared at the two Vessel Augmentors. ¡°Shen Xian, Li Yuankang, I have no quarrel with either of you, so why have youe to kill me?¡±

    The two patriarchs weren¡¯t going to admit this, of course. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. There is no Shen Xian or Li Yuankang in our group!¡±

    ¡°Deny all you want, it won¡¯t change the truth. I have just one question for you: are you sure you want to be enemies with me?¡± Ye Qing asked. There was so much gravitas in his voice that they felt like a mountain had sat on their shoulders.

    Shen Xian and Li Yuankang exchanged a nce with each other. Then, theymanded their men forward with a firm wave.

    ¡°Got it. I hope you won¡¯t regret this!¡±

    Ye Qing did not try to dissuade them a second time. Sometimes, no amount of words was enough to change a person¡¯s mind. Sometimes, the only way to convince them to see reason was to step over their cold, dead bodies!

    ¡°Kill!¡± All thirty plus assassins growled out and charged toward Ye Qing at the same time. In response, Ye Qing flipped his right hand and threw what looked like a couple of silver flowers straight at his enemies.

    <i>¡°Star Plucking Hand¡±</i>

    <i>Pssh! Pssh! Pssh!</i>

    The ¡°flowers¡± split into a hail of throwing knives and nailed the closest five Qi Invokers in the throat, killing them instantly. Behind Ye Qing, six Qi Invokers with the best movement arts readied their swords and attacked his major points as quickly and soundlessly as deadly vipers.

    <i>¡°Sword of the Six Boys¡±</i> [1]

    Ye Qing did not even look at his attackers though. He simply swung his sleeves and created a circle of force that diverted all the swords into his sleeves instead of his major points. Not only that, the move snapped the des into multiple sections and twisted their arms round and round like ropes.

    1. ÁùºÏÍ¯×Ó refers six boys with the characters ÁùºÏÍ¯×Ó imprinted on their butts in an old kungfu movie. What is less funny is their master needling their neck and robbing them of their consciousness to manipte them like puppets. ??

 Chapter 116: The Uncertain Chain

    <h4>Chapter 116: The Uncertain Chain</h4>

    Shocked and in pain, the six men abandoned their swords and tried to retreat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you off!¡± Ye Qing chuckled and hardened his sleeve. It mmed into the six men¡¯s chest like an avnche and sent them flying through the air, blood streaming out of every orifice in their body. They were dead long before they hit the ground because the attack had shattered their internal organs into bits. Not only that, they were moving so fast that they mmed into a few assassins who were too slow to get out of the way and killed them as well.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was croaking like a toad and releasing a bright red fog from his body. Once he waspletely shrouded within the fog, he gradually faded into nothing like a mirage.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Shen Xian recognized the danger and shouted on top of his lungs, but he was still toote. Ye Qing abruptly reappeared in the middle of the group and whispered, ¡°Too slow!¡±

    A crescent saber slid out of his sleeve and drew a crooked arc across the air. Then, more arcs appeared in the air until the space around Ye Qing resembled a chaotic but tight-knit web. The arcs disappeared a secondter, but over a dozen men had holes in their throat, their foreheads, their hearts, their dantians and other vital spots. It was only after the fact that they panicked as if realizing what just happened, but it was toote. Their eyes turned ssy, and they copsed and fell dead.

    Before they hit the ground, their blood flew out of their bodies and circled around Ye Qing like ribbons. He then turned toward Shen Xian and Li Yuankang and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now!¡±

    His smile was kind, but it was worse than a demon¡¯s in Shen Xian and Li Yuankang¡¯s opinions. Realizing that they had underestimated the young man, they wrestled down their shock and fear and roared, ¡°R-Retreat!¡±

    They had spent decades raising these men into who they were. They weren¡¯t just elites, they were the foundational pirs of their two ns. If they all died, it would not be worth it even if they managed to kill Ye Qing in the end!

    The two patriarchs charged Ye Qing to buy time for their men to escape. Scared shitless by the bizarre and horrific abilities Ye Qing had disyed, the assassins did not hesitate to follow the order. However, they had just taken a step when their blood suddenly bubbled out of control, and their energies fell into disorder. Before they could figure out what was happening to them, Ye Qing sneered,

    ¡°Taking your leave without asking for my permission? How rude!¡±

    Ignoring Shen Xian and Li Yuankang, he clenched his fist and caused a sea of Blood Shadows to appear all around him. At the same time, one of the assassins suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream that was cut short when he exploded into smithereens.

    His death was like a signal. All the Qi Invokers started screaming at the same time as their bodies swelled like balloons, and blood poured profusely out of their bodies. A chain of explosionster, nothing was left except blood and gore. That was the end of the Shen n and the Li n¡¯s cadre.

    ¡°Noooooooooo!!!¡± Shen Xian and Li Yuankang screamed with bloodshot eyes. It wasn¡¯t just their present that Ye Qing had ruined, but their future as well!

    ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it? I told you you would regret this!¡± Ye Qing cracked a grin at the maddened patriarchs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Li Yuankang roared and summoned a spear into his hands. He thrust it so fast that it split into a flurry of fiery afterimages that seemed powerful enough to ignite an entire meadow. It was a technique from the Li n¡¯s Vessel Augmentation stage spear art, the ¡°Ignition Spear Art¡±!

    <i>¡°Hundred Strikes Ignition¡±</i>

    At the same time, Shen Xian threw out a chain from his sleeves. The chain was rusted, dark, and heavy. It looked like an ordinary chain, but it was floating in the air and slithering around like a snake. It was then Shen n¡¯s Red-ss Strange Artifact, the Uncertain Chain!

    The chain circled the air several times before splitting into multiple chains and shooting toward Ye Qing without warning. They surrounded him from all sides and closed in on him from every direction.

    Ye Qing executed a Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve technique that shattered the chains and seemingly kept them at bay, but suddenly, he lost his smile and dashed some thirty meters away from his original position.

    It was futile though. A chain had appeared around his torso before he knew it, and it quickly extended to the rest of his body and caught him in a tight bind!

    Ye Qing immediately channeled his true qi and tried to break out of the chains, but it was tougher than he expected. Shen Xian felt like his frustration and hatred were wiped clean in an instant as he let out a wildugh, ¡°Hahaha! This is the Uncertain Chain, and you cannot avoid it once it¡¯s locked onto you, much less break free! Now die!¡±

    The Uncertain Chain was a Red-ss Strange Artifact with the ability to entrap both yin and yang. The reason it was called the ¡°Uncertain Chain¡± was because it was simultaneously real and unreal at the same time when targeting an enemy, meaning that its state of existence was fluid and everchanging. It was a unique quality that made it nigh impossible to defend against.

    Regarding its ability to entrap ¡°yin and yang¡±, yin referred to yin entities with no physical body such as ghosts and yin soul, whereas yang referred to flesh-and-blood entities such as humans, animals, Strangers and the like.

    In short, the Uncertain Chain could entrap both physical and non-physical objects. Unless the strength disparity was too huge, practically no one could break out of its bindings and must contend with a debilitating, most likely fatal handicap.

    ¡°Kill him now, Brother Li!¡±

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    Li Yuankang arrived at just the right moment and thrust his spear straight at Ye Qing. if the young man didn¡¯t do something, it would skewer every part of his body and turn him into a pile of ash.

    <i>Rise! </i>Ye Qing mentallymanded. His Blood Shadows immediately appeared in front of him and surged toward Li Yuankang not unlike a tsunami of blood.

    Blood was, in part, water, so an unimaginable amount of steam was released when the two elements shed. The wall of spear afterimages disappeared, but the red hot, me-wreathed spear managed to cut through the blood and continue toward Ye Qing. In fact, Li Yuankang unleashed a dragon of pure fire straight at Ye Qing when he brought down his spear!

    The spear was no ordinary spear. It was the Red-ss Strange Artifact, the Ignition Fire Dragon Spear!

    Ye Qing was as small as an insectpared to the fire dragon. His hair was curling up from the heat even though the fire dragon was still a fair distance away from him.

    A meter before the fire dragon would consume him whole, Ye Qing suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a lightning bolt. It cut the roaring dragon in half and mmed into the Ignition Fire Dragon Spear¡¯s spear tip, temporarily keeping it at bay. It was, of course, Lightning Bolt.

    For a time, the mini sword and the me-wreathed spear struggled for dominance. Sparks flew everywhere, and the shockwaves kicked up a ton of dust and dug deep holes into solid earth. It almost looked like the site of an earthquake.

    As both Lightning Bolt and the Ignition Fire Dragon Spear were Red-ss Strange Artifacts, they shared more or less the same power. It would take a while before the stalemate was broken, but Ye Qing was pretty sure that Shen Xian was going to stay on the sidelines and do nothing like a good boy. He needed to win this, now.

    <i>Let¡¯s see, how do you win a tug of war again? That¡¯s right¡­</i>

    Ye Qing emitted a pulse of spiritual power from his forehead and into Lightning Bolt. The Strange Artifact rang softly and pulled back an inch as if it was faltering under the Ignition Fire Dragon Spear¡¯s power. Pleasantly surprised, Li Yuankang did not hesitate to spin his spear like a top and pressed forward.

    It was at this moment Lightning Bolt shot forward and shed against the fiery spear once more. Then, it discharged a terrifying amount of lightning that blinded both men.

    Li Yuankang nched. The renewed attack was so powerful and so unexpected that his grip slipped, and his spear skidded back an inch before he regained it. However, he had to exert far more strength to maintain his grip because his blood was drenching the handle, and lightning was creeping into his open wound and destabilizing his grip even more.

    <i>And you¡¯re done.</i>

    Lightning Bolt pushed even harder, and suddenly, Li Yuankang¡¯s finger bones snapped as if they could handle the pressure no longer. The Ignition Fire Dragon Spear flew right out of his grasp.

    ¡°NO!¡±

    All the blood drained away from Li Yuankang¡¯s face as he screamed in horror. Before he could dodge out of the way, the mini sword shot through his forehead, and everything dissolved into darkness.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Ye Qing opened his mouth and inhaled Lightning Bolt back down his throat. His head was pounding like a bitch.

    Lightning Bolt was said to be able to kill anyone and anything within a hundred steps from its wielder, but it must be nurtured with his blood essence and spiritual power. The more blood essence and spirit he fed into the sword, the stronger it became.

    Thanks to the Annon Sutra, he possessed a powerful physique and a nigh infinite amount of blood essence. Thanks to the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, his spirit was far stronger than even your average Astral Refiner. That was why Lightning Bolt was so much more powerful in his hands than Zheng Feng.

    Just now, he had injected all of his spiritual power into Lightning Bolt and targeted the weakest point of his attack. That was why he was able to overwhelm his opponent, and why he was battling against a terrible headache and nausea right now.

    <i>Shunk!</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing tensed up and moved an inch to the left. As if on cue, a soft sword stabbed into his back and out of his chest. If he hadn¡¯t sensed the danger at thest moment, the attack absolutely would¡¯ve stabbed him in the heart and killed him!

    What was scary was that the sword was undetectable right until the second it was about to sink into his flesh. It blended so well with its surroundings that it was almost as if it didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°The Thirteen Swords of Hidden Mist!¡±

    Ye Qing made the connection immediately. The ¡°Thirteen Swords of Hidden Mist¡± was the? signature sword art of the Shen n. It originated from an assassin sect known as the ¡°Gate of Hidden Mist¡± over a century ago. Their martial arts could be summed up in just a few words: silent, invisible, and lethal on the first strike. Of course, their movement arts were excellent as well.

    This was why Ye Qing couldn¡¯t detect the ¡°Thirteen Swords of Hidden Mist¡± even with his powerful spirit. Fast, urate and ruthless, the sword art was an assassination art meant to kill the target with the first strike. That Ye Qing managed to avoid it at all was a testament to his skills.

    ¡°Correct. It is the ¡®Thirteen Swords of Hidden Mist¡¯!¡±

    Shen Xian¡¯s voice came from behind him, but Ye Qing was unable to pinpoint his exact location. Sometimes it came from the left, and sometimes the right. Li Yuankang might be the most powerful warrior of the three ns, but Shen Xian was absolutely the best assassin and the most annoying to deal with.

    <i>Croak! Croak! Croak!</i>

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and croaked in rapid session. When he croaked nine times in a row, an unimaginable aura hiked all the way to the nine heavens, crushed the earth thirty meters around him, and kicked up a wave that was over thirty meters tall from the Jade Spring Lake!

    Ye Qing acted so swiftly and decisively that Shen Xian never reacted until it was toote. By the time he figured out what the young man was doing, a terrific wave of blood had swept across the entire area and struck him squarely in the chest. His chest waspletely caved in as he shot through the air like a ragged doll.

 Chapter 117: Deadly Evergreen Ivy Flower

    <h4>Chapter 117: Deadly Evergreen Ivy Flower</h4>

    ¡°His true qi is¡­! He¡¯s achieved perfect Vessel Augmentation!¡±

    .

    When Shen Xian finally managed to catch himself, he stared at the blood red true qi that had swatted him like a fly and engulfed everything within thirty meters of the young man. He was ck-jawed with shock when he fully perceived its power. The true qi was as heavy as a mountain and as spectacr as the sea. It was easily twice as immense as his own true qi. If this wasn¡¯t perfect Vessel Augmentation, then nothing was.

    Xiao Yang was just as astonished as Shen Xian was, but his reasons were far more profound. As an Astral Refiner and a disciple of Sunset Hill, he was much more worldly than Shen Xian was. Not only did he recognize that Ye Qing was a perfect Vessel Augmentor, he realized that Ye Qing was cultivating the Blood Shadow Castle''s top-tier Vessel Augmentation cultivation art, the ¡°Blood Shadow Divine Art¡±.

    Xiao Yang was not unfamiliar with the Blood Shadow Castle. In fact, he had sparred with the disciples who had achieved perfect Vessel Augmentation. That was how he knew that Ye Qing¡¯s true qi was way greater than even his peers. Heck, he had more true qi than even him, an Astral Refiner. Just how was this possible?

    <i>This guy isn¡¯t normal. He mustn¡¯t be allowed to live no matter what!</i>

    Xiao Yang grew even more determined to kill Ye Qing. The young man must die even if he didn¡¯t have the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±!

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was sucking in another deep breath after repelling Shen Xian. He sucked in every ounce of true qi around him until his stomach was as big as a pregnant woman¡¯s. The Uncertain Chain immediately rattled from the sudden increase in size.

    ¡°Fooo¡­.¡± Ye Qing exhaled some murky air, and his stomach grew smaller. The Uncertain Chain immediately shrank to adjust to its captive¡¯s size, but it was definitely looser than before. It was at this moment Ye Qing growled and fought against his bindings with all his might. His arm muscles strained against the chain, and his feet sank into the ground. The Uncertain Chain let out a metallic screech thatsted for a few seconds before it finally snapped in half.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Shen Xian threw up a mouthful of blood and turned as white as a sheet when the Uncertain Chain was destroyed. It was because the Strange Artifact was tied to his heart¡¯s blood. His shock triumphed over his pain, however. He never thought it was even possible to break the Uncertain Chain via brute force until Ye Qing.

    The loss of his Strange Artifact was the final straw for the patriarch. Without hesitation, he turned tail and ran away like the mist. He knew that his departure would most likely cause the assassination attempt to end in failure, and that the young man was almost certainly going to take revenge against the Shen n if he survived, but so what? He was the heart and soul of the Shen n. If the Shen n was destroyed, he could always rebuild it another day. But if he died, then it was the end of the Shen n.

    Also, what would be the point if he wouldn¡¯t live to savor the fruits of hisbor?

    Shen Xian wasn¡¯t stupid, and as the patriarch of arge n it was practically his nature to figure out his priorities, weigh the pros and cons, and know what risks he could take and couldn¡¯t. And right now, every cell on his body was screaming that his first and only priority was to keep himself alive!

    Shen Xian¡¯s instinct was correct. It was just too bad someone else had a different idea. He was literally a second away from removing himself from the battlefield when suddenly, two vines burst out of the shoreline and pierced his defenseless body faster than he could react. Then, it started growing white flowers on its stem. The patriarch tried to struggle, but it was useless. Every time a white flower grew out of the vine, Shen Xian¡¯s aura would weaken a little more. The vines were literally sucking the life out of him. When Shen Xian finally perished, all that was left behind was a pair of vines that were covered in bright, beautiful flowers.

    ¡°Those nts¡­ are evergreen ivy!¡± Ye Qing suddenly had a very bad feeling about all this. ¡°Is Evergreen Ivy the one behind all this?!¡±

    ¡°It all makes sense now. I was wondering how an outsider like Xiao Yang managed to figure out they of thend and even recruit the aid of the Shen n and the Li n so quickly. But it wasn¡¯t him. It was her!¡±

    Ye Qing finally figured out everything. Last time, he had tricked Evergreen Ivy and ruined her grand n. Tonight, it was her turn to ensnare him in a deadly assassination attempt. Karma really was a bitch.

    <i>Seriously, I¡¯m just one person, and she mobilized over forty men to kill me. Am I really that scary?</i>

    ¡°This is what you¡¯ve been waiting for, isn¡¯t it? Come out and fight me, Evergreen Ivy! Come and kill me!¡± Ye Qing shouted. Unfortunately, the cunning Stranger did not fall for the bait. He was unable to detect her presence even after extending his spirit as far away as he could. She was definitely here though, and he wasn¡¯t just saying this because of the vines. Every nt in the area was swaying uniformly from side to side like a greeting.

    There was a moment of silence when suddenly, countless vines burst out of the bushes, the trees, and the flowers all around Ye Qing. Some of them were as thick as a human¡¯s arm, and some were as thin as a finger. Some were covered in thorns, and some were as smooth as ss. Regardless of their appearance, they all wanted Ye Qing dead.

    ¡°Not holding back, eh?!¡±

    Having seen how Shen Xian was drained into a dry husk, Ye Qing didn¡¯t dare to treat the vines lightly. He shed at the iing vines like lightning and cut every single one of them.

    The vines weren¡¯t very tough, and Ye Qing was able to make quick work of them, at least at the beginning. The problem was that the severed vines immediately dug into the ground and sprouted more vines, so their numbers were actually increasing instead of decreasing!

    <i>Thwack! Thud! Pssh!</i>

    There was no way Ye Qing could defend himself against so many vines, so he slowly but surely began to umte wounds. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the white flowers on the vines weakened him and slowed his movements. Specifically, it was sapping away his vitality, his vigor, his true qi and even his spirit, or his essence, qi and spirit for short!

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of losing his vigor or his true qi because he had the dragon-serpent runes. He could literally replenish them faster than Evergreen Ivy could absorb them. However, there was nothing he could do about his spirit. In fact, he would be long dead if his spirit wasn¡¯t far stronger than your average warrior.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no way I can win like this. Time to leave!¡± Ye Qing decided immediately. Although he had taken out Li Yuankang and Shen Xian, they had never been strong enough to constitute a real threat. From the start, the true threat had always been Xiao Yang and Evergreen Ivy.

    Xiao Yang was severely injured, burned, and poisoned, but enough time had passed that he had probably removed the status conditions and recovered enough to fight again. Evergreen Ivy was in tip-top condition, and heavens only know how long she had been hiding and preparing for this fight. He had no intention to find out exactly how many traps she hadid for him.

    No, it would be pure folly to fight this out even if he was at his best, which he wasn¡¯t. Revenge wasn¡¯t always best served cold, but he certainly didn¡¯t mind waiting until he was an Astral Refiner before making hiseback!

    Ye Qing hacked open a path and immediately tried to make his escape. However, he had just taken a few steps when the sea of vines blocked his path once more. It was like trying to punch through a prison with heaven knows how manyyers in it!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Ye Qing decided to switch tactics andshed out with his sleeves instead. The vines blocking his way were immediately crushed into smithereens. <i>Cutting the vines didn¡¯t work, but there¡¯s no way they can regrow after I¡¯ve powdered¡ª</i>

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even get to finish his thoughts before the powdernded on the earth and grew into more vines and white flowers.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Phuck!</i>

    The good news was that he wasn¡¯t out of ideas yet. He reached out with his left hand and unleashed a torrent of bluish ck mes. An entire swath of vines burned into ash in an instant.

    <i>Surely it¡¯ll work this time!?</i>

    There were good news and bad news. The good news was that the ashes didn¡¯t regrow into more vines. The bad news was that the surviving vines grew thicker and stronger when they came into contact with the ashes!

    <i>It¡¯s because ash improves soil fertility and¡ªnow is not the time for a science ss, brain!</i>

    The tactic wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was effective, so Ye Qing did not hesitate to burn all the vines into ash and escape into the distance. For a short while, it seemed like he was finally out of the woods, but a terrible itchy sensation suddenly assaulted the back of his neck. It was unlike any itch he had ever felt before.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Ye Qin muttered while reaching behind him and ripping something out of his neck. When he looked, he saw that it was a white evergreen ivy flower.

    Ye Qing¡¯s face immediately contorted into a grim snarl. It was because the roots of the flower were tied to a chunk of flesh and dripping with blood. It would¡¯ve been okay if it was a one-time thing, but his hands, his elbows, his face, his stomach and other parts of his body suddenly started itching as well. It wasn¡¯t long before more flowers burst out of his flesh and danced to the wind!

    ¡°When did she¡­?¡±

    Ye Qing ripped out a flower growing on the back of his right hand, but it also ripped out an entire chunk of flesh. Clearly, the flowers were deeply rooted in his flesh and maybe even his bones. He would be killing himself slowly and painfully if he tried to rip them out by force.

    <i>I need to find another way to remove these flowers! </i>Ye Qing thought as a surge of vitality healed the horrifying wound back to normal.

    <i>But first, I need to know when and how I contracted these flowers in the first ce. Did I catch it when the vines cut me? </i>Ye Qing mulled over this for a few seconds before shaking his head. <i>No, it¡¯s not the vines.</i>

    Although the vines did possess the ability to sap his essence, qi and spirit, he was sure he didn¡¯t feel anything out of the ordinary when they hurt him.

    <i>What could it be? </i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s gaze abruptly became transfixed to the flowers growing out of his body. <i>It¡¯s the flowers¡­ or rather, the pollen they release!</i>

    He could see wisps of nigh invisible powder flying out of the flowers¡¯ stamen and into the air. Every object that came into contact with it¡ªthe earth, the trees, the nts and more¡ªwould sprout into evergreen ivy flowers.

    That was why the flowers had spread across all the farms surrounding Jade Spring Lake. It was a phantasmal sight he could¡¯ve enjoyed if it wasn¡¯t killing him slowly. The reason he hadn¡¯t noticed until now was because the pollen were too tiny.

    Now that he knew what the culprit was, it was easy to figure out how he might have contracted the pollen. He could¡¯ve inhaled them into his body, or they could¡¯ve invaded his body through his wounds.

    Ye Qing dared not take Evergreen Ivy¡¯s trump card lightly. First, he summoned his Blood Shadow true qi and formed a shield around himself. It was to prevent more pollen from entering his body. Then, he focused inward and strummed his true qi like a musician might y a zither. It sounded like thunder was roaring inside his veins as true qi washed through his blood vessels and bodily points!

    His n was to destroy the roots embedded inside his flesh and eliminate the pollen that hadn¡¯t sprouted first. Removing the flowers would be easy then. But something unexpected happened. His flesh and blood suddenly exploded like a bomb had taken off inside his body. He went from a handsome young man to a bloody, barely intact skeleton in an instant!

 Chapter 118: Knives Out

    <h4>Chapter 118: Knives Out</h4>

    ¡°My pollen grows on anything, Ye Qing. It can infest flesh and blood and even dissolve into energy. There is nothing you can do to remove it, so you can stop wasting your energy!¡±

    Evergreen Ivy¡¯s voice seemed toe from everywhere and nowhere at once. It was impossible to say if she was near or far away from him.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you die quickly. You¡¯re the man who ruined the Nether Lord¡¯s descent to this ne after all.¡±

    ¡°I will make sure you live until every part of your body is covered in flowers. You will pass on only after you¡¯ve suffered the cruelest and longest punishment there is in this world!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you noticed, Evergreen Ivy, but there is a long list of enemies who want me dead. You¡¯re gonna have to wait for your turn like a good girl!¡± Ye Qing cackled. He looked like an abomination of hell as he was almost a walking skeleton right now.

    ¡°Just give it up, brother. You make me sad with how you look right now.¡±

    This time, it was Xiao Yang who spoke up. ¡°How about this: if you give me the painting you obtained from Zheng Feng, I promise to end your misery as soon as possible. Deal?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks, brother! This bit of injury is nothing to me, so just save your good will for when you enter your grave!¡± Ye Qing shouted back. It was too bad his cheeks and throat were quite holey right now, so he sounded more like a duck than a human being.

    He wasn¡¯t lying. For most others, this level of injury was crippling at best or fatal at worst. But to him, it was just a matter of popping a dragon-serpent rune and returning to normal, which he did. Overwhelming vitality rushed out of his body and swiftly regrew his flesh. He was back to normal in practically the blink of an eye.

    The root of the problem, however, wasn¡¯t solved. Not only did his body start itching and growing evergreen ivy flowers again, there were a lot more of them than before!

    <i>It¡¯s as Evergreen Ivy says. The pollen dissolves even in intangible things like energy, so trying to flush it out with true qi is only going to achieve the opposite effect. Heck, even using true qi is going to exacerbate the problem!</i>

    Ye Qing frowned deeply as he muttered under his breath, ¡°How troublesome!¡±

    True qi was the source of a warrior¡¯s power. A warrior without true qi was like a reservoir without a source or a tree without roots. He would be lucky to be able to unleash even one-tenth of his true strength. He would be in serious trouble if Evergreen Ivy and Xiao Yang were to attack him now. Should he use his true qi to defend himself and exacerbate his condition? Or should he not use his true qi but die under theirbined attack?

    Of course, Evergreen Ivy and Xiao Yang knew his predicament as well. Or rather, this was her n from the very beginning.

    <i>I need to get away from them! </i>Ye Qing arrived at a decision immediately. He pulled out a bronze mask and put it on his face. It was none other than the Bronze Tiger Head!

    One of the reasons Ye Qing chose to use the Bronze Tiger Head was because it required blood to activate, not true qi.? All he needed to do to awaken the wrath of a hundred heroic spirits was to offer it some blood.

    Blood trickled down the eyes of the bronze mask as soon as he put them on. A deathly, bloodthirsty aura immediately sprang to existence.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t use the power immediately, however. He forced the terrible energy to stay inside the mask so as not to rm his enemies.

    Dew started forming on the nts all around Ye Qing, but they were an eerie reddish ck that looked more like blood than water. What looked like a mountain of corpses and thousands upon thousands of vengeful souls started manifesting in his vision as well. Even his eyes had turned red with violence and bloodlust.

    This was a sign that his mind was slowly being corroded by the mask, but still he waited for his enemies to show up. He would not act until the time was ripe!

    It was at this moment Evergreen Ivy and Xiao Yang appeared behind Ye Qing at the same time. Evergreen Ivy was wearing a ck hooded robe that covered her from head to toe. When she raised a hand, vines as thick as barrels burst out of the ground and spread open to reveal rows and rows of sharp, hooked spines. It almost looked like a venom dragon that was barring its venomous teeth at its enemy. The next moment, the vines swooped down on Ye Qing and threatened to swallow him whole!

    Contrary to Evergreen Ivy¡¯s swift and ruthless attack, Xiao Yang slowly lifted his right fist into the air before punching down on Ye Qing. At first, his punch was extremely slow and feeble. But the more it fell, the stronger and faster it became. At the end, it was like the sun was setting down on Ye Qing, hopeless and forlorn.

    <i>¡°Sunset Punch¡±</i>

    This was the moment Ye Qing was waiting for. He abruptly wheeled around and released the fiendish energy he had been holding back this whole time. The next moment, a general wielding a Green Dragon Crescent de appeared behind Ye Qing and roared,

    ¡°KILL!!!¡±

    The earth shook, and the sky trembled in fear. Dark clouds converged above the duo as the general unleashed his deadly attack.

    ¡°The Bronze Tiger Head!¡± Xiao Yang eximed in terror. As Qing Kui¡¯s junior brother, he knew exactly how powerful the Malice-ss Strange Artifact was. The soul fragment within the bronze mask was the amalgamation of countless dead on the battlefield, and theirbined hatred and bloodlust were powerful enough to threaten even an Astral Refiner.

    The general¡¯s de easily cut through Xiao Yang¡¯s Sunset Punch like it was an illusion. Evergreen Ivy¡¯s vines were disintegrated inch by inch until nothing was left. Then, the de energy sent both of them flipping through the air like rag dolls.

    Xiao Yang wasn¡¯t in peak form to begin with, so the de energy easily shattered his arteries and veins and worsened his existing wounds. Blood sprayed out of his lips like crazy.

    Evergreen Ivy was throwing up blood as well, but it was green and sprouted evergreen ivy flowers when it sttered against the ground.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Xiao Yang crashed into the ground so hard that he dug a huge pit. Evergreen Ivy was less miserable as she was able to summon her vines and catch herself with a of vines.

    ¡°KILL!!!¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t done with them, however. The general roared once more and mmed his de into the ground, causing cracks to form across the earth like a spider web. Then, he lifted the de with one hand, turned his wrist, caught his weapon in a reverse grip, and executed a left-to-right horizontal sweep.

    Murky energy sank into the earth, and clean energy rose into the air. This second attack flying toward Xiao Yang and Evergreen Ivy seemed capable of tearing apart the void and even creating a whole new universe!

    Evergreen Ivy immediately summoned more vines and pulled herself away from the deadly attack. Xiao Yang turned tail and ran away.

    <i>Booooooom!</i>

    The crescent energy chased the duo for almost a hundred meters before mming into the ground. The entire chunk of earth rose at least fifty meters into the air before crashing down on the duo like a tidal wave! It was insane!

    ¡°Move!¡±

    Evergreen Ivy and Xiao Yang didn¡¯t fancy their chances of blocking a?ndslide head on, so they retreated some more. They had to run another sixty meters before they were finally out of danger.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I can¡¯t believe I almost forgot about that mask. That mistake nearly cost me my life!¡± Xiao Yang wiped his forehead as he stared at the tidal wave of earth slowly crashing down to the ground from a safe distance.

    He had just finished saying this when Evergreen Ivy suddenly dashed back into the dust clouds.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Yang scratched his head in confusion when realization struck him. ¡°Oh shit!¡±

    He dashed after Evergreen Ivy as well until they arrived at a deep, seemingly bottomless gorge. When he arrived next to Evergreen Ivy, he asked in a hurry, ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°He escaped!¡± The Stranger answered directly.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Xiao Yang didn¡¯t sound surprised. ¡°That cunning bastard. I was so sure that he was going for a do-or-die attack! By the way, why aren¡¯t you giving chase?¡±

    ¡°Because he can¡¯t escape.¡± Evergreen Ivy replied coolly and calmly. ¡°He can¡¯t use his true qi unless he wants my pollen to spread even faster, and without his true qi, what can he possibly do to save himself?¡±

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be far more satisfying to give him a bit of hope before extinguishing it? To make him suffer through the cycle of helplessness, fear and despair fully before killing him?¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡± Xiao Yang clicked his tongue. ¡°No wonder they say that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.¡±

    All of a sudden, Xiao Yang leaped a few feet away from Evergreen Ivy. Not a moment too soon, a few vines shot out of the earth and skewered the space where he was standing. If not for his quick reaction, the vines would have pierced him and killed him the same way as Shen Xian!

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xiao Yang narrowed his eyes dangerously.

    Evergreen Ivy said coldly, ¡°I told you not to probe my identity in any way. If you can¡¯t keep to such a simple rule, then we might as well go our separate ways now!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too sensitive!¡± Xiao Yang shot her an uncaring smirk. ¡°Ye Qing called you Evergreen Ivy, and it sounds like a woman¡¯s name. That¡¯s all there is to it!¡±

    ¡°Does that mean that our cooperation hase to an end?¡±

    ¡°Nah. If you don¡¯t like it, then I won¡¯t say it any longer!¡±

    ¡°You better.¡± Evergreen Ivy sneered. ¡°Anyway, we should start chasing the rabbit now. It is you who will suffer Ye Qing¡¯s wrath first if he somehow escapes!¡±

    ¡°True. The price of underestimating an opponent is very costly!¡± Xiao Yang saidzily. This was doubly true as he was aiming to kill Ye Qing and take the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± for himself!

    And so the duo chased after Ye Qing. Fifteen minutes passed, and the young man was nowhere to be seen. That was fine though. The hunt had just begun.

    One hour passed, and Ye Qing was still nowhere to be seen.

    Two hours passed, and both man and Stranger were starting to feel a little impatient.

    Two hours turned to four, and four hours turned to six. Eventually¡­

    ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re heading in the right direction?¡± Xiao Yang shot Evergreen Ivy a nce. The Stranger waszing on her vines and letting them do most of the hard work.

    Evergreen Ivy replied coolly, ¡°There¡¯s no mistake!¡±

    Ye Qing was infested with her pollen, and her pollen were leaving behind a clear trail to follow. Unless he eliminated the pollen in his bodypletely, she could track him even to the ends of the world.

    She could understand Xiao Yang¡¯s doubt though. She would be wondering the same thing if she couldn¡¯t feel her pollen.

    Xiao Yang continued to voice his puzzlement, ¡°In that case, why haven¡¯t we caught up to him yet? Aren¡¯t you the one who said Ye Qing couldn¡¯t move quickly because he couldn¡¯t use his true qi?¡±

    Her reply was as curt as it was direct. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    .

    Xiao Yang was unhappy with this answer to say the least. He would¡¯ve turned on her already if he didn¡¯t need her to track down Ye Qing!

    ¡°What should we do then?¡±

    ¡°We keep chasing. I can feel his location.¡±

    ¡°Fine, whatever!¡± Xiao Yang grunted.

    The chase continued for another hour. By now, the sun had risen from the horizon and spilled its warm rays across the world. It was a wonderful morning that could set even the most restless minds at ease.

    Xiao Yang could not settle down, however. In fact, his restlessness kept building the longer the chase continued. It was almost as if his intuition was warning him about something. A whileter, he finally couldn¡¯t hold it any longer and said,

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Ye Qing is moving kinda strangely? Assuming he¡¯s nning to shake us off, he should either escape to Anyang to call for help, or seek out terrains that are dangerous,plex, and well-hidden. However, thend is growing increasingly t, and the amount of nts in the area are decreasing over time. He can¡¯t possibly be thinking of hiding in this area, can he?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he isn¡¯t nning to hide from us!¡± Evergreen Ivy answered, ¡°Past this mountain is a valley called Firewind Valley. It is constantly beset by a fiery wind that is said to be capable of scorching heaven and earth. It isbeled a forbidden zone not just in Jade Spring Vige, but also all of Anyang.¡±

    ¡°What? Why is he heading there?¡± Xiao Yang¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and puzzlement when a possibility struck him. ¡°Wait a second. He¡­ he¡¯s not nning to make ast stand, is here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible!¡± Evergreen Ivy added, ¡°He¡¯s definitely the type to drag his hated foes to the grave with him. I¡¯m not worried though. If he couldn¡¯t kill me when he surprised me earlier, there¡¯s no way he will seed when I¡¯m ready for it.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>You might not be worried, but I am! If he kills himself at thest moment and takes all of his possessions to the grave with him, and he¡¯s most definitely petty enough to do such a thing, then why am I even doing all this?</i>

    Xiao Yang¡¯s eyes suddenly turned gold like a pair of suns. Then, he sped up and raced toward Firewind Valley.

    Evergreen Ivy sneered as she stared at Xiao Yang¡¯s back. The Astral Refiner thought he hid his intentions well, or maybe he didn¡¯t care if she found out. Regardless, she knew that there was only one way their cooperation would end, and she was fully prepared for that moment.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who wanted to kill me first. Don¡¯t me me when things don¡¯t go your way!¡±

 Chapter 119: Astral Refinement

    <h4>Chapter 119: Astral Refinement</h4>

    ¡°Almost there, almost there!¡±

    A glint flickered through Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he stared at the dark red, barren valley in front of him. Right now, his eyes were cloudy, his face was rotting, and his body was shriveled up. A deathly aura clung to him like a cloud of pestilence. Add to the fact that he was wearing a grayish yellow burial shirt, and he looked like a zombie who had crawled out of the earth after being buried for decades.

    Ye Qing was wearing the Burial Shirt of the Dead. While fighting against Evergreen Ivy earlier, he discovered that her pollen could grow on earth, wood, flesh and blood, but not lifeless objects such as rocks, metal, clothes and so on. It was what inspired him to use the Burial Shirt Of The Dead, a Strange Artifact that he had, frankly, almost forgotten existed.

    The Burial Shirt of the Dead filled him with deathly energy. It was nothing like rock or metal, but it was still the antithesis of life, meaning that Evergreen Ivy¡¯s pollen could not absorb it to sprout its flowers. Not only that, the Burial Shirt Of The Dead functioned as an excellent recement for his true qi, at least until he got to his destination. This was how he was able to surpass Evergreen Ivy and Xiao Yang¡¯s expectations and stay ahead of them.

    Of course, the cost of using the Burial Shirt of the Dead was significant. If his physique wasn¡¯t as powerful as it was, if he didn¡¯t have a rich stock of gray dragon-serpent runes, the Strange Artifact would have consumed all of his vitality and turned him into an actual corpse.

    Evergreen Ivy was half-right and half-wrong. Ye Qing was heading toward Firewind Valley, but it wasn¡¯t because he was nning tomit triple suicide with his favorite pursuers. He knew from the start that running back to Anyang was impossible. As his true qi was basically sealed right now, the chances he might make it back even with the Burial Shirt of the Dead was less than zero.

    He supposed he could escape to more advantageous terrain, but he was unfamiliar with the geography surrounding Jade Spring Vige. If he chose the wrong location and ran into a deadly Stranger or something, then he would be stuck between a rock and a hard ce. That was why Firewind Valley was the only ce he could escape to.

    One, the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± was an astral refinement cultivation art that was specifically designed to refine Burning Wind. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t afraid of the astral qi.

    Two, once he entered the Astral Refinement stage and sessfully eliminated the pollen inside of him, it would be Evergreen Ivy and Xiao Yang¡¯s turn to run away like the bitches they were! It was the perfect n!

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the runner, brother!¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but break into a smile when he recognized that Firewind Valley was just ahead of him. s, he wasn¡¯t able to make it there before he heard a familiar voice. The voice meant to provoke him, but the traces of anger that slipped into it more or less ruined the taunt.

    <i>It¡¯s Xiao Yang. Evergreen Ivy cannot be far behind as well, </i>Ye Qing thought.

    ¡°Heavens above! What happened to you, brother? You look like a rotten corpse!¡± Xiao Yang called out again. At first, his voice came from far, far away. However, it closed the distance in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Just give up already, brother. Why put yourself through all this torment if you¡¯re going to die either way?¡±

    ¡°How can I die after all the ¡®kindness¡¯ you¡¯ve done unto me, brother? Don¡¯t worry! I swear I¡¯ll live until I can pay it all back!¡± Ye Qing retorted and ran even faster toward the Firewind Valley.

    ¡°But I¡¯m an impatient man, brother. How about you repay me now with your life?¡±

    When Xiao Yang was about ten meters away from Ye Qing, he threw a punch with the intent of crippling the young man. From his perspective, Ye Qing¡¯s aura was as weak as a candle most likely because he had expended too much energy, so the punch should be enough to end the chase. However, Ye Qing didn¡¯t even bother to turn around and block the attack. He let it hit him in the back¡ªthe Burial Shirt of the Dead unleashing a thick gust of deathly energy and thest moment to block the punch¡ªand flew even faster toward Firewind Valley.

    ¡°Thanks for the assist, brother!¡±

    Ye Qing was still in the air when he put away the Burial Shirt of the Dead and restored his vigor using two gray dragon-serpent runes. Then, he executed Blood Sea Fragrance and flew toward Firewind Valley at his top speed. He was almost at Firewind Valley anyway, so it shouldn¡¯t matter if he used his true qi for a bit.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    It soundedplicated, but Ye Qing had really changed his tactics in just the span of one breath. By the time Xiao Yang realized he had screwed up, the young man was already a flower sprouting dot in the distance. Another second passed, and the young man was inside the valley.

    ¡°Dammit, dammit!¡± Xiao Yang¡¯s expression was beyond ugly, but before he could throw a tantrum a thought suddenly urred to him. ¡°Wait¡­¡±

    By now, Ye Qing should have figured out that he was pursuing him to obtain the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. However, the young man never used the painting to try and throw him off even when he was on hisst legs. Sure, there was a small chance Ye Qing still didn¡¯t know what his goal was, but it just seemed very unlikely. So, why didn¡¯t Ye Qing use everything in his disposal to increase his chances of survival? Something wasn¡¯t right. Maybe¡­

    ¡­ Maybe Ye Qing <i>knew</i> he could survive Firewind Valley? He didn¡¯t sound like a guy who was making hisst stand either. In any case, there was no way he was giving up on the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, so he must enter this Firewind Valley no matter how dangerous it was!

    His mind made up, Xiao Yang gritted his teeth and dashed into Firewind Valley as well.

    Xiao Yang had just disappeared when Evergreen Ivy finally arrived at the entrance on her vines. Underneath her cloak, a sneer crossed her lips as she stared at Xiao Yang¡¯s back.

    ¡°Birds die for food, and men die for greed. And mankind is so, so greedy!¡± Evergreen Ivy said in her true voice, ¡°It¡¯s clear that none of you know that the so-called Fire Wind of Firewind Valley is the Burning Wind. It is said that the Burning Wind can scorch mountains, boil seas, and extinguish mind and spirit. No one below the Spirit Purification stage can possibly survive it!¡±

    ¡°Pathetic humans. Laughable humans!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    No life existed inside Firewind Valley. There were no trees, no flowers, not even a single de of grass. The earth and the rocks were red hot with heat, and the valley itself felt like one giant furnace.

    From time to time, gusts of wind would blow through the area and summon sts of fire. Everything the wind touched was scorched ck.

    ¡°Holy crap this ce is hot!¡± Ye Qingmented. He was currently hiding behind a giant rock looking as red as a lobster and steaming from every pore of his body. He was also staring at the ¡°fire dragons¡± swirling inside the valley with deep wariness.

    Just now, he identally allowed a gust of wind to brush against him and saw his flesh turning ck in an instant. Not only that, the few strands that made it into his blood vessels literally boiled his blood and made him feel like he was being cooked alive. As if that wasn¡¯t enough the wind ignited even his mind and set off a terrible headache.

    If he hadn¡¯t practiced the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and strengthened his mind and spirit, if he hadn¡¯t visualized the painting immediately after the fact, the wind would have extinguished his mind with insulting ease.

    ¡°The Burning Wind. It¡¯s definitely the Burning Wind!¡±

    <i>¡°There exists a strange wind in our world. It is vast and majestic, terrible and scorching, invisible and reclusive. It is capable of turning grass and wood into ash, ckening rock and earth, drying rivers andkes, and extinguishing minds and souls. At its greatest, it can scorch mountains and boil oceans into wastnds. At its lowest, it can still extinguish minds and burn almost everything.¡±</i> ~ excerpt from the ¡°Yellow Court Sutra¡±.

    As far as he could tell, the fiery wind of the valley was almost identical to the Burning Wind described in the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡±!

    ¡°Now that I know for sure it¡¯s the Burning Wind, it¡¯s time I start entering the Astral Refinement stage!¡±

    Ye Qing immediately sat down and started practicing the cultivation art. He couldn¡¯t say he had memorized everyst word in the manual, but he had memorized all the steps, key points and caveats so well that he could read them backward. Therefore, he encountered no problems whatsoever when practicing the cultivation art.

    A single strand of Burning Wind were pulled through his blood vessels and into his dantian. It was only a strand, but it was still enough to boil every sliver of Blood Shadow true qi in his dantian like a drop of water added into a pot of oil. Steam rose from his dantian, and his true qi diminished rapidly like dry sticks that were beset by a zing inferno. From the outside, his dantian probably looked just like a furnace.

    Speaking of outside, his skin was cracked and bright red, and white steam was seeping out of his pores. One could vaguely see his boiling hot blood vessels through the cracks.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The sensation was so ufortable that a muffled groan escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips. He could feel his consciousness flickering in and out like he was about to ck out. He did not give up, however. After all, he had to start all over again if he did.

    Ye Qing used the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to prevent his mind from copsing and preserve his rity of mind. For a moment, he felt like his soul had been separated from his body. Neither physical nor mental pain could affect him no matter how bad it was.

    This first step was easily the most critical step of his cultivation, the step where hebined his true qi and astral qi into one. To give an example, it was like building the foundation of a house. Without a solid base, the house would always be in danger of copsing. That was why he couldn¡¯t give up or slip up even a little.

    As he continued to cycle the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡±, the feral wind in his dantian slowly but surely became tamer. The Blood Shadow true qi also stopped rejecting the Burning Wind wholly as it did before. Then, the two started merging.

    The Blood Shadow true qi was originally bright red in color, but now there was a hue of dark red in it. It was like a dragon that was slumbering in the depths of a blood red sea. It was like every true qi in his dantian was protecting it and waiting for the day it would awaken and soar to the heavens.

    ¡°It¡¯s done! Phew¡­¡±

    A dark red breath escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips. It was surprisingly hot and seemingly unending until Ye Qing mped his mouth shut.

    Now that he had absorbed the strand of Burning wind, the temperature of the valley was much, much more manageable. It was still scorching hot, but he didn¡¯t feel like he might drop dead at any moment anymore!

    Despite his sess, he still wasn¡¯t an Astral Refiner yet. He had one foot over the threshold, but he wouldn¡¯t truly enter the Astral Refinement stage until every wisp of true qi hadbined with the astral qi.

    <i>Bathump!</i>

    It was at this moment Ye Qing¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and every hair on his body stood on end. Someone¡¯s gaze was boring into him like a knife. He did not hesitate to jump forward. As if on cue, the giant rock he was hiding behind abruptly shattered into a million pieces. Some of the pieces flew past Ye Qing and cut his face.

    ¡°Xiao Yang? You actually came into Firewind Valley? Are you suicidal?¡± Ye Qing wiped away his blood and ridiculed the Astral Refiner.

    Having learned that viin monologues usually ended poorly for said viin, Xiao Yang had attacked Ye Qing as soon as he found him. Unfortunately, Ye Qing still noticed him at thest second and escaped!

 Chapter 120: Ding Ding Ding

    <h4>Chapter 120: Ding Ding Ding</h4>

    ¡°Suicidal? Hahaha! Don¡¯t you know that I cultivate the Purple Sun Gold me? Fire is thest thing I¡¯m afraid of!¡±

    Xiao Yang opened his mouth and sucked in a deep breath. His expression turned intoxicated as hot air flooded into his veins and caused him to grow as bright as the sun.

    ¡°If you surrender the painting you got from Zheng Feng, then I promise to give you a swift death! Otherwise, you¡¯ll wish that you were dead!¡± Xiao Yang threatened with an evil grin.

    But to his surprise, Ye Qingughed, ¡°Hahaha! What a coincidence! I¡¯m not afraid of this valley either! Come chase me if you dare!¡±

    He immediately kicked off the ground and raced deeper into the valley.

    Evergreen ivy flowers grew as soon as he used his true qi, but they withered practically the second they reached full bloom. In fact, Ye Qing had noticed this when he identally brushed against the Burning Wind earlier. Every flower on his body had withered and fallen off together with their roots. This meant he could use his true qi like normal inside Firewind Valley, which was of course most weed.

    ¡°Is that a challenge?¡± Xiao Yang uttered icily. He was done ying games with his ¡°brother¡±. He kicked off the ground with a loud boom and charged toward Ye Qing like a loose arrow.

    If Ye Qing¡¯s movement art made him light as smoke, then Xiao Yang¡¯s transformed him into a beast of brute force and speed.

    Theoretically, Ye Qing should have the upper hand in this cat-and-mouse game, but he had only refined a strand of Burning Wind. He might have adapted to the valley¡¯s high temperature, but he still couldn¡¯t take a gust of the astral qi head on. That was why he had to run and avoid the Burning Wind at the same time.

    On the other hand, Xiao Yang had no such problems. Not only was he a true Astral Refiner, his Purple Sun Gold me was powerful enough to block the Burning Windpletely. That was why he could chase after Ye Qing in a straight line. As a result, he was slowly but surely closing the distance between them.

    The deeper the duo ventured into the valley, the hotter it became. The Burning Wind grew increasingly deadlier and bigger as well. Every time a patch of air suddenly caught on fire, it would transform into a towering inferno that seemed capable of devouring anything. It was as beautiful as it was dangerous!

    ¡°Got you!¡±

    When Xiao Yang was mere meters away from Ye Qing, he finally let out a triumphant roar and made a grab for him. It was at this moment a deadly gust of Burning Wind rolled out from deeper within the valley and engulfed both men before they could react.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    His clothes were gone, and his flesh was charred in the blink of an eye. The Burning Wind had evaporated every drop of blood in his body and even caused sparks to fly out of his bones. None of these injuries couldpare to his burning mind and spirit, however. The pain was so bad that Ye Qing immediately visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to steady his mind, circted the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± to absorb the Burning Wind ravaging his insides, and popped a gray dragon-serpent rune every time his body threatened to give out.

    At first, his recovery speed was utterly incapable of keeping up the speed at which the Burning Wind was eating through his flesh. Thankfully, he had enough gray runes to replenish his vigor non-stop and keep himself alive.

    For a time, his body died, came back to life, died, then came back to life again in a cycle that seemed like it would never end. It was said that what doesn¡¯t kill you makes you stronger, and that was definitely true in Ye Qing¡¯s case. Every time his body came back to life, it was a little tougher than before. Like a piece of iron that was slowly being refined into steel, his body gradually adapted to the Burning Wind. It was bing less and less painful to maintain the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± as well. He was slowly but surely bing highly resistant to the all-consuming wind.

    Even better, visualizing the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to fend off the Burning Wind actually improved his mind and spirit by leaps and bounds as well. In fact, his improvement in this area had slowed to a crawl after the initial growth spurt. He had never stopped practicing, but it turned out that being burned by the Burning Wind was worth an entire month of hard work.

    Ye Qing managed to ovee his crisis, but Xiao Yang could not say the same. His Purple Sun Gold me had long been blown away by the Burning Wind. The only reason he was still alive was thanks to his hat and the ancient robe it conjured. Even so, holes were slowly but surely appearing all over the robe. His face and exposed flesh looked as red as a lobster, and steam was constantly rising from his pores. His consciousness was flickering in and out because the Burning Wind was attacking his mind and spirit as well. He kept hammering his own head in a desperate attempt to stay awake.

    ¡°Hehe. You got what you deserved!¡± Ye Qing mocked when a devious idea suddenly urred to him. He immediately unleashed a Boundless Lightning Palm at Xiao Yang¡ªor at least, he tried to. The attack had just left his hand when the Burning Wind melted it all away into nothing.

    ¡°You can save your energy! This Fire Wind is strong enough to blow apart even my Purple Sun Gold me, much less your true qi!¡± Xiao Yang mocked back when he noticed what Ye Qing was doing.

    ¡°You¡¯re right! Thanks for the advice!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. He hadpletely forgotten that he was now a half-baked Astral Refiner. This time, he channeled the Burning Wind inside his dantian beforeunching a second attack.

    ¡°You¡¯re an i¡ª¡± Xiao Yang was going to mock Ye Qing again when suddenly, his chest exploded with pain. His flesh was charred, his internal organs felt like they were on fire, and the blood he spat out evaporated into white steam as soon as it left his mouth.

    ¡°Fire Wind? How did you¡ª¡± Xiao Yang eximed in shock before realization hit him. ¡°Is this why you came here? You were nning to refine the Fire Wind? No wonder you were able to resist it for so long!¡±

    ¡°Ding ding ding!¡± Ye Qingughed. ¡°As your reward, allow me to correct one thing. Fire Wind isn¡¯t the astral qi¡¯s true name. It¡¯s called the Burning Wind!¡±

    Ye Qingunched a third palm strike at Xiao Yang, and the Astral Refiner tried to dodge out of the way to no avail. It was because the Burning Wind was still blowing and pinning him in ce. The hit worsened his injuries and made him look even redder.

    The good news was that Ye Qing¡¯s attack was still weakened by the blowing wind despite its new attribute. Otherwise, the second hit would¡¯ve been enough to kill him.

    The bad news was he was still going to die at this rate. Worse still, there was absolutely nothing he could do to save himself!

    ¡°What do I do? Am I actually going to die here? Impossible! I won¡¯t ept this!¡± Xiao Yang roared on top of his lungs, but there was no use. He could only watch as Ye Qing raised his hand a fourth time to attack him.

    <i>Whoooooooooooosh!</i>

    It was at this moment a powerful gust of Burning Wind mmed into the existing wind and joined into one. They spun round and round toward the sky until they formed a massive tornado. But unlike an ordinary tornado, this was one crooked and bent almost like a serpent. As it moved deeper into the valley, everything that stood in its path¡ªgiant rocks and even whole chunks of earth¡ªwere pulled into the tornado and melted into moltenva, which of course made it even deadlier than before. It was like a scene straight out of the apocalypse.

    As Ye Qing and Xiao Yang were flying smack dab in the middle of the tornado, their situation was bad to say the least. The temperature rose to unprecedented levels, and it was a miracle both men were still alive. They looked like human torches who could burn out at any moment.

    <i>Whooooooooooooooosh!</i>

    The molten tornado continued toward the heart of the Firewind Valley.

    ¡­¡­

    Deep within Firewind Valley, there was a vast valley with a narrow entrance that led to a wide space. It almost looked like a cbash from above.

    The walls of this valley were ssy, translucent, and colorful like gemstones. They were also brimming with an unimaginable amount of heat and energy.

    The sky above the valley was dark red in color. From time to time, it would ripple like a heat wave was passing through and catch on fire.

    There was a golden bagua brazier at the center of the valley. It was unusually huge and shaped like a round pagoda. Two-eared and three-footed, the brazier was engraved with images of the eight trigrams and taichi, it looked both ancient and shrouded in mystery.

    There were a pair of circr openings to the left and right side of the brazier. If someone were to look through the openings, they would spot a roaring, dark red me. The eight trigrams and taichi images on the brazier¡¯s surface were slowly spinning in a way that seemed to resonate with the world itself.

    Suddenly, a terrific roar erupted from within the brazier. Bursts of me spun wildly inside the brazier before flying out into the open. It was like a dragon was born as the river of me and wind circled around the sky. It was so hot that even the crystalline walls were partially melted into red hotva. The entire valley resembled a natural furnace of some sort.

    In the end, the fiery wind flew out of the narrow entrance and joined its many ¡°brethren¡± outside.

    Who would¡¯ve thought that the Burning Wind of Firewind Valley was born from a single brazier?

    ¡°There is no longer any chance you can turn this around, girl! The item inside the Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier is mine!¡±

    The chuckle of an old man suddenly came from above. As it turned out, an old man and a young woman were floating in the sky and facing each other.

    The old man was over sixty years old andpletely white in both hair and beard. However, hisplexion was healthy, and his skin looked as smooth as a babe¡¯s. He wore a gaudy robe that gave him the appearance of a manchild.

    The young woman was around twenty years old and wearing a long dress with ck embroidered flowers. Her long, ck hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and she possessed a devastatingly beautiful countenance that could topple kingdoms should she so desire.

    Her eyes were bright and clear as a mountain that had just been cleansed by a refreshing rain. They seemed to represent all that was new, clean, good and beautiful in this world. Not only that, one could almost see the orbit of celestial objects and the birth and destruction of stars behind those eyes. It was like there existed an entire universe behind them.

    There was a transparent go board floating in between the duo. Much of the go board had already been covered in ck and white stones. For those who yed the game, the go board resembled a battlefield where two sides were vying for control over the other. One could almost hear the drums of war, the cries of men, and the sounds of weapons shing against one another.

    At first nce, it looked like both sides were more or less on equal footing. However, a more experienced yer would be able to tell that the white stones had dominated the center area and formed what looked like a dragon. On the other hand, the ck stones were scattered all over the ce like routed soldiers who were desperately trying to flee from the great dragon.

    ¡°The game isn¡¯t over yet, and victory and defeat may yet change hands. You best not get careless, Old Tong!¡±

    As it turned out, the woman¡¯s voice was as sweet as her appearance. Colors seemed to fade from the world itself before returning to normal.

    Speaking of which, the Burning Wind around them was hot enough to annihte heaven and earth, and yet it wasn¡¯t able to affect the duo at all for some reason.

    ¡°Still haven¡¯t given up yet, girl? Fine. If a crushing defeat is what you desire, then it is what you will get!¡± Old Tong held up his hand and conjured a white stone between his fingers.Then, he gently ced it on a point.

    A wind blew across the go board, and the shadow of the white dragon loomed over everything. Multiple ck stones were crushed with this one move!

    The young woman was already behind to begin with. Now, it looked like the crushing defeat Old Tong spoke of was going toe true!

    Suddenly, Old Tong looked down and eximed in surprise, ¡°Huh? How did a pair of kids make it into this ce alive?¡±

    A mighty tornado had forced its way through the narrow entrance and into the inner area. It continued to spin for a bit before scattering into many smaller gales.

    Two men fell from the sky and hit the ground with a soft thud. One of them was Ye Qing, and the other Xiao Yang. However, they were pitch ck and smoking not unlike a piece of charred wood. They also appeared to be dead as they showed no signs of life at all.

 Chapter 121: Bet

    <h4>Chapter 121: Bet</h4>

    ¡°An Astral Refiner¡­ and a Vessel Augmentor even?¡±

    Old Tong looked very surprised. ¡°How on earth did they make it in? Interesting. How interesting!¡±

    Old Tong pped his hands like a kid and said excitedly, ¡°Say girl, do you want to make a bet with me? Who do you think will survive?¡±

    The young woman calmly ced another ck stone on the board. It slowed down the dragon¡¯s offense a little, but in terms of the big picture it was like trying to extinguish a house fire with a ss of water.

    ¡°Are you sure, Old Tong? Distracting yourself whilst ying a game seems like a bad idea.¡±

    Old Tong skipped over to the young woman¡¯s side with a cheeky smile. ¡°But you¡¯ve already lost, girl! You cannot win even if I give you a move for free! Since you already lost, you might as well make a bet with me! Come on!¡±

    The girl shot him a smile and dered with surprising confidence, ¡°Very well. If this is your wish!¡±

    ¡°Wonderful! Wonderful! You¡¯re a nice person, girl! I, Everyoung Tong, love friends like you!¡± The old man did a little dance of joy before asking, ¡°You may make your pick first, girl!¡±

    That was what he said, but Everyoung Tong kept sneaking nces at Xiao Yang. They were betting on who between the two would survive, and he was afraid that the young woman would pick Xiao Yang.

    The young woman chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a junior. Of course I should go second.¡±

    Delighted by her generosity, Everyoung Tong said immediately, ¡°Okay! I bet that the Astral Refiner would survive!¡±

    His choice was perfectly within expectations. The young woman smiled as brightly as ever as she dered, ¡°Then I¡¯ll bet on the Vessel Augmentor.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re going to lose, girl! There¡¯s no way you can win this!¡± Everyoung Tong taunted while performing a series of backflips. The Burning Wind in the sky stayed well away from him.

    ¡°Look, girl! The Astral Refiner¡¯s fingers are twitching!¡±

    ¡°Look! His mouth is twitching as well!¡±

    ¡°His eyelids are twitching as well. He¡¯s about to wake up, girl!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Any moment now! Any moment until your defeat, girl!¡±

    Everyoung Tong would not stop yelling and rolling in the sky as he observed Xiao Yang. He was just about to dere his victory when suddenly, he fell silent like a duck that was grabbed by the neck. Ye Qing, who had been unmoving this whole time like a corpse, suddenly opened his eyes and climbed to his feet. Then, he shook off the charred ck substance clinging to his body to reveal smooth, unblemished skin. His physique was so wless and perfect it was like a work of art.

    ¡°Phew¡­ that was too close!¡± Ye Qing let out a long sigh of relief. His breath was hot, twisting, unfading and dark red in color just like the Burning Wind around him. When he stomped his foot, the ground within fifty meters of him caved in like it was struck by a giant hammer, kicking soil and dust everywhere.

    This should not be possible as the ground of this valley was constantly beset by the Burning Wind. It had long since be as hard as refined steel. Forget a foot, an actual hammer or a sharp de would be hardpressed to leave a mark on the soil. And yet, Ye Qing had made it seem as weak as tofu.

    ¡°Hahaha. Fortune and misfortune really are two sides of the same coin!¡±

    Earlier, his body had burned, reformed, burned, and reformed again over and over in the deadly hurricane, tempering his flesh, blood, bones, and even his soul to unimaginable heights. He was now resilient enough to withstand even the hottest temperatures.

    Not only that, every inch of his flesh, blood, bone and true qi was infused with Burning Wind. That¡¯s right, he was now a full-fledged Astral Refiner. Normally, it would¡¯ve taken years to infuse every wisp of true qi in one¡¯s body with astral qi, and most never made it past this first step despite decades of hard work. He couldn¡¯t say he was keen to relive such an experience again, but thanks to this unexpected boon, he had entered the Astral Refinement stage in one fell swoop.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m an Astral Refiner, it¡¯s time to get my revenge!¡± A diabolical smirk crossed Ye Qing¡¯s lips when he spotted Xiao Yang lying not far away from him.

    Honestly, he would¡¯ve thought that Xiao Yang was dead if his spirit hadn¡¯t ascended to greater heights. That was how close to death the Astral Refiner was. He was going to make sure that the two-faced man would never menace him again.

    ¡°He¡¯s entered the Astral Refinement stage? But how?¡± Everyoung Tong blinked in disbelief.

    Contrary to the old man¡¯s reaction, the young woman didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. While stroking her hair and looking down at Ye Qing, she said, ¡°You¡¯ve lost, Old Tong!¡±

    ¡°I lost?¡± Her words jolted Everyoung Tong back to reality. Judging from the way his face scrunched up, and his eyes were darting all over the ce, it was clear he was unwilling to admit defeat.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who made the bet, and you¡¯re the one who picked first. You¡¯re not going to renege on your own bet, are you?¡± The woman pressured Everyoung Tong without missing a beat.

    ¡°I¡­ er¡­ I¡­¡± Everyoung Tong was scratching his head profusely and looking all over the ce for a way to get out of the bet when suddenly, an idea urred to him. He immediately tossed something that shot through the Burning Wind andnded on Xiao Yang before he dered, ¡°Say girl! The bet is who will <i>survive</i>, not who will wake up first, right? In that case, I haven¡¯t lost yet!¡±

    Everyoung Tong had noticed that Ye Qing was brimming with bloodthirst. It was clear that the two were sworn enemies, which gave him an idea.

    Everyoung Tong believed himself to be an exceptionally smart man, and his smarts were telling him that there was no way a new Astral Refiner could possibly defeat one who had already begun to create his Expression.

    Of course, Xiao Yang looked like he could barely draw breath right now, which was why he had prepared a backup n. It was what would guarantee him victory!

    ¡°Very well. If that is what you wish.¡±

    The young woman didn¡¯t get angry even though Everyoung Tong was clearly bending the rules a bit. Her smile remained as tranquil and clean as ake.

    ¡°I am surprised you would go so far as to spend a Por Branch Nectar, however. Even a single drop can renew the flesh, strengthen the vigor, and restore the energies, no?¡±

    ¡°You have sharp eyes, girl!¡±

    Everyoung Tong let out a chuckle. Not at all annoyed that his little maneuver was seen through, he dered triumphantly, ¡°But I¡¯m not cheating, okay? I¡¯m just ensuring fairness is all. Your kid is fully recovered, but my kid is still half-dead. A one-sided massacre wouldn¡¯t make for an interesting bet, no?¡±

    The young woman nodded seriously. ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. We shall see what happens then!¡±

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was just about tond thest hit and collect that juicy, juicy experience when suddenly, new flesh grew out of Xiao Yang¡¯s body, and blood began rushing in his veins once more. His aura was growing stronger and stronger as well.

    ¡°The hell? What¡¯s going on?¡± Ye Qing nched. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to wait until Xiao Yang was fully recovered. He immediately tossed three throwing knives at the Astral Refiner¡¯s forehead, throat and heart before following right behind the projectiles. His hand was also crackling with energy and raised in a ready position.

    Unfortunately, Xiao Yang managed to leap away from his original position and dodge the throwing knives at thest moment. He then startedughing like a madman, ¡°Hahaha! I live! I live! Even my wounds arepletely healed! Hahahahahaha!¡±

    He then turned toward Ye Qing and shot him a vicious re, ¡°You¡¯re the first person ever to push me this far. Since the heavens are kind enough to save my life today, I will make sure to repay their favor with your blood!¡±

    He might not know how he survived and even healed back to full health, but that was no reason to get distracted by the real matter at hand. One way or another, today would be the day Ye Qing dies!

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re going to lose, girl!¡± Everyoung Tong eximed in delight when he saw that Xiao Yang was awake.

    The young woman wasn¡¯t paying attention to the ensuing battle, however. Her eyes were wholly focused on the Go board. ¡°You already said that once, Old Tong, but I haven¡¯t lost yet, have I?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Everyoung Tong couldn¡¯t say anything for a second and grumbled like a child, ¡°It¡¯s different this time. There¡¯s no way a new Astral Refiner could possibly go up against a veteran who¡¯s already starting to manifest his Expression. I can tell that his astral qi is a superior grade astral qi as well. There¡¯s no way he would lose!¡±

    When he was done, he turned his back on her and hmphed loudly.

    The young woman smiled but paid him no heed. She continued to stare at the go board.

    In the valley, Ye Qing was smiling wryly at Xiao Yang. ¡°I¡¯ve heard something like that many times already, but I¡¯m still alive, and my enemies are all dead!¡±

    Heunched a palm strike as soon as he finished his sentence.

    ¡°You must be joking! If you haven¡¯t caught me by surprise earlier, you really think that a¡ª¡± Xiao Yang retorted disdainfully while throwing a punch to meet Ye Qing¡¯s palm strike midway.

    <i>¡°Sunset Punch, Rising Sun¡±</i>

    However, he lost his train of thought when Ye Qing¡¯s palm strike punched right through his energy and astral qi. The next thing he knew, the unstoppable attack had struck him squarely on the right shoulder and flooded his veins with destructive force.

    Xiao Yang was sent flying through the air like a rag doll. His right shoulder exploded, and he crashed into the wall so hard that he was embedded in it.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The sound of crumbling walls reverberated within the valley for a long time.

    ¡°You¡ªPwack!¡±

    Xiao Yang looked utterly dazed. He was going to say something when a mouthful of blood sprayed through his lips without warning. He felt like his internal organs were cooked, his qi and blood were boiling, and his mind was on fire. His skin looked dry and withered as well.

    ¡°Impossible. Impossible. How do you have so much strength? Impossible. Impossible¡­¡±

    Xiao Yang couldn¡¯t stop repeating the word ¡°impossible¡±. It was as if the palm strike had physically ripped his confidence and willpower to shreds.

    ¡°How the¡­ How is this kid so strong?¡± In the sky, Everyoung Tong was just as bbergasted as Xiao Yang. ¡°His physique isparable to the bald donkeys [1] who cultivate the ¡®Bhaisajyaguru Sutra¡¯ from Lanke Temple!¡±

    Lanke Temple was a physique-focused Buddhist temple. All disciples who cultivated the ¡°Bhaisajyaguru Sutra¡± must temper their body with medicine from a young age. Once they were ready, they would further refine their body with the Five Poisons (snakes, scorpions, centipedes, toads and spiders) so that their energies and astral qi would be molded into their flesh. Although they would lose the ability to release their true qi like a normal warrior, they would be as strong and tough as a dragon elephant [2], and gain immunity to most poisons and attacks. They would be able to overwhelm skill with pure power and defeat ten thousand arts with a single punch!

    The young man was clearly no monk, but his physical resilience and strength wasparable to the Lanke Temple monks who cultivated the ¡°Bhaisajyaguru Sutra¡±. But unlike the monks, he could release his true qi as well. Most warriors could only choose one path and give up all others, but this guy was powerful both in his body and his arts. Where on earth did hee from?

    1. ng for monks ??

    2. an actual creature in Chinese mythology and a symbol of strength ??

 Chapter 122: One Punch

    <h4>Chapter 122: One Punch</h4>

    ¡°It would seem you¡¯re wrong again, Old Tong!¡± The young woman said with a smile.

    ¡°...¡±

    Imagine a veteran hunter losing an eye to a bird that he hunted for a living. That was how embarrassed Everyoung Tong was feeling right now. Worse still, this was the oue after he had already cheated once, and not even he was shameless enough to cheat a second time. He had no choice but to feign deafness and return his attention to the battle, praying for a miracle.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was stunned that he had sent Xiao Yang flying in a single strike. When he clenched his fist, space crackled as if it couldn¡¯t withstand his strength. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a sillyugh when he confirmed that he wasn¡¯t dreaming.

    It was well known that attaining dragon elephant-like strength and resilience was a major milestone in body tempering. It would seem that the young man was even luckier than he thought!

    A body-tempering Astral Refiner would infuse their desired astral qi instead of true qi into their flesh, blood and bones to reforge their body, qi, and mind into a weapon that could conquer any foe and obstacle. It was why a body-tempering Astral Refiner could go toe-to-toe against a normal Astral Refiner despite losing the ability to release their qi.

    When Ye Qing was trapped inside the hurricane, his flesh, blood and bones had been filled to the brim with Burning Wind. Obviously, this was not how anyone would temper their body in the norm, but the oue was the same, if not better.

    ¡°No wonder there are so many warriors who practice at least one fist art. It feels incredible to defeat a foe with one punch!¡± Ye Qing eximed in delight.

    <i>It doesn''t matter how strong you are, I¡¯m gonna end it all in one punch! And if one punch isn¡¯t enough, then two punches would do it! Simple and effective!</i>

    ¡°No no no no no! This isn¡¯t happening! I won¡¯t ept this!¡± Inside the wall, Xiao Yang suddenly let out a maddened howl and jumped back into the open. His eyes were bloodshot, and his aura was climbing like crazy. It was like a cornered animal¡¯sst stand.

    When he threw a punch at Ye Qing, red light filled the sky in an instant like sunset. There was no sun, but sunlight was everywhere. The intent was invisible, but it was everywhere as well.

    <i>¡°Sunset¡±</i>

    ¡°What a powerful move!¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes and turned serious. The red hue in the sky was the Expression of the Purple Sun Gold me after it was condensed to the limit. If it hit, it could turn hundreds and hundreds of meters of ground into a wastnd, boilkes, and sever rivers.

    Ye Qing clenched his own fist and gathered his strength. He didn¡¯t infuse any astral qi into his fist. When all of his strength was focused on a single point, he met Xiao Yang¡¯s punch with a punch of pure power.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The punch was simple, but the air within tens of meters of Ye Qing crumpled like a physical object. The noise it made was unspeakable. The red sky disappeared inch by inch starting from the point of impact, but the Purple Sun Gold me couldn¡¯t even leave a single mark on Ye Qing.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s fist shed directly with Xiao Yang¡¯s fist when the red sky disappearedpletely. The Astral Refiner immediately exploded into smithereens, and the Burning Wind turned his remnants into ash before they even hit the ground. That was the end of Xiao Yang.

    ¡°My precious!¡±

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t very happy with this oue because his punch had also sted Xiao Yang¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell far, far away from him. He would¡¯ve held back a little If he knew his punch was this powerful! He was gone like the wind long before the echoes of his pained scream had faded from the valley.

    In the sky, the young woman said smilingly, ¡°You¡¯ve lost, Old Tong!¡±

    ¡°I did!¡± Everyoung Tong copsed on his butt with a frustrated expression. However, he quickly picked himself up when he recalled the game. ¡°It¡¯s fine though. You¡¯re still going to lose the game!¡±

    The woman grabbed a ck stone out of thin air just like Everyoung Tong had earlier. Then, she slowly ced it at the center point of the go board and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Old Tong, but you¡¯re about to lose this game as well!¡±

    ¡°Impossible! My dragon has taken form, and your pawns are scattered all over the ce. How can you possibly defeat me?¡± Everyoung Tong shook his head in clear disbelief.

    When he saw the board state however, he felt like a mortal who was struck by lightning. ¡°What! How¡­ How¡­¡±

    Everyoung Tong had scattered the young woman¡¯s pieces to the point where they resembled routed soldiers who were fleeing and fighting purely for their own survival. But when she ced her final stone at the center of the go board, her scattered troops abruptly joined together to form a massive web that trapped his white dragon at a corner! No matter how much the white dragon struggled, it was unable to break through the web. It was like a cornered animal with no way out.

    The next moment, the dragon disappeared, and most of the white stones on the go board vanished just like that!

    She had in, in effect, the dragon with a single stone!

    ¡°I¡­ you¡­¡±

    Everyoung Tong¡¯s eyes were widened like saucers. He couldn¡¯t not believe this was happening.

    ¡°You y, you pay. The item inside the Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier is mine, Old Tong!¡± The woman saluted him in thanks.

    Everyoung Tong was pulling out his own hair and muttering in a daze, ¡°How did I lose? I had the overwhelming advantage. How did I lose? Tell me, girl. How did I lose?¡±

    The young woman plucked another stone out of the air and exined, ¡°If the world is a board, then its denizens are the stones. Each space represents a person¡¯s life journey. Whenever you want to do something, you must first weigh the pros and cons. Only then can you begin to master the world around you. Just the same, it is imperative to observe the cause and effect before taking an action in life. Only then can one ensure that every step they take is smooth and satisfactory.¡±

    ¡°Go is, in a sense, a representation of life. Before a yer makes a move, they must first view the whole board. Only then could one know their n after cing the first stone, and win the game after cing three stones!¡±

    ¡°You have perfected your go skills, Old Tong. Like a gold ingot that had been refined over a hundred times, every step you make is perfect and wless. Unfortunately, you are so focused about perfection¡ªso concerned about losing a single stone¡ªthat you¡¯ve lost sight of the big picture. You have even forgotten that you are ying to win, not to be perfect.¡±

    ¡°A yer who loses sight of the big picture cannot move with purpose. A yer who has forgotten to win cannot win!¡±

    ¡°That is why you¡¯ve lost from the beginning, Old Tong!¡±

    ¡°A yer who loses sight of the big picture cannot move with purpose, and a yer who has forgotten to win cannot win¡­¡± Everyoung Tong muttered these two lines over and over until he finally let out a long sigh. ¡°I lost!¡±

    ¡°My senior brother and I used to y a lot of go, and he always told me that I care too much about artistry. He said that I only look at what¡¯s in front of me and not whates after, which is why I could never master the essence of my ¡®Cloudside Record¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I used to think that he was just trying to put me off bnce and paid me no heed, but now, I can see that he was right!¡±

    The young woman replied, ¡°¡®Cloudside Record¡¯ of Cloudside Mountain ces emphasis on unpredictability. It expects its yers to y their stones like a cloud; free, formless, and everchanging. It is a poor fit for you, someone who strives to build something up to a desired shape in your mind.¡±

    ¡°However, ying go is like trying to be the person you want to be. As long as every stone you cees from the heart, there is no such thing as a bad move. If you try to conform yourself to a style you dislike, you¡¯ll be a poor yer of that style at best, or ruin yourself at worst!¡±

    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, your go skill is already perfect. So long as you set aside your design and pursuit for wlessness, so long as the move you makees from the heart, you have what it takes to turn even the worst board state around. You do not need to obsess over the ¡®Cloudside Record¡¯.¡±

    Everyoung Tong was silent for a long time after hearing this. In the end, he let out a long, regretful sigh. ¡°I lost, girl, and it¡¯s a well-deserved loss! The item inside the Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier is yours!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Old Tong!¡± The woman smiled like spring.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°A pill brazier? Why is there a pill brazier at this ce?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brow while staring at the huge and mysterious golden brazier in front of him.

    He was chasing after Xiao Yang¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell just now, and he was just about to catch up to it when it fell into one of the brazier¡¯s openings and burned to ashes.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Burning Wind!¡± Ye Qing recognized the dark red mes shooting out of the golden brazier instantly.

    ¡°What kind of pill needs the Burning Wind as the fire?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose curiously.

    <i>Whoosh whoosh!</i>

    It was at this moment the dark red me in the pill brazier roared out of the opening and turned into Burning Wind. Instead of dodging, Ye Qing scattered the iing wind with a single punch. It failed to do any damage to him whatsoever.

    Ye Qing was too shocked and distracted to be delighted by his growth, however. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ is this the source of the Burning Wind that created Firewind Valley? That¡¯s not possible¡­ right?¡±

    As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn¡¯t deny the reality before his eyes.

    <i>Should I check out what¡¯s inside the brazier?</i> A thought suddenly urred in Ye Qing¡¯s mind. The Burning Wind was the greatest threat in this ce, but it so happened that he was almost immune to it. So why not?

    Ye Qing licked his lips unconsciously as his caution warred against his greed. In the end, greed won out, and he jumped into the air and punched the cover. Why suffer temptation when he could afford to indulge in it?

    <i>Tang!</i>

    His full-powered punch was powerful enough to shatter Xiao Yang like a vase, but the brazier cover didn¡¯t budge an inch. In fact, he was the one who was sent stumbling.

    ¡°What the hell? Just how hard is this thing?¡± Ye Qing shook his hand and eximed in astonishment after catching himself.

    The golden brazier seemed angered by the punch, however. It shook once and fell still as if it was gathering its power. The next moment, it unleashed a pair of Burning Winds that were far, far hotter than anything it had released from its two openings. In fact, it was so hot that their color had turned from dark red to ck. Like a pair of ck dragons, they engulfed Ye Qing before he could react.

    ¡°Hahaha! Look at the kid! He actually thought he could steal what¡¯s inside the Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier!¡± Everyoung Tongughed boisterously when he saw Ye Qing being engulfed by the Burning Winds.

    The woman smiled but paid no attention to Ye Qing¡¯s plight. Instead, she made a hand gesture and pointed at the brazier, causing its cover to rise slowly into the air.

    A dark light shone out of the brazier the moment it was opened. It moved slowly, but everything the light touched turned dark as well.

    Strange, rainbow colors swam within the unnatural light, and the Burning Wind was everywhere. The dark light seemed to exist between the line of real and unreal, and the longer it persisted, the more the surroundings seemed to fade into reality.

    ¡°What a beautiful yaoqin you are. When you y, the world itself seems to descend into a dark dream. I shall name you Dark Dream!¡±

    Like a cool breeze brushing against a tranquil pond, the young woman¡¯s voice caused ripples to appear across the dark light. The dark light was about to slip into the void when it suddenly flew into the young woman¡¯s palm and transformed into a yaoqin. It was almost like it was responding to its master¡¯s call. When she stroked its strings, clear notes resonated throughout the unnatural space and folded it up like a painting. When all was said and done, the valley had returned to normal.

    After the young woman had put away the yaoqin, Everyoung Tong hurriedly made a grab for the Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier. His palm kept growing bigger and bigger until it became as big as a mountain. He then lifted the brazier into the air with his impossibly huge hand.

    The Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier struggled with all its might, but in the end it was unable to break free. It was about halfway through the air when it abruptly stopped shaking as it had been tamed.

    Suddenly, a tiny smirk crossed Everyoung Tong¡¯s face when he recalled something. He then ¡°identally¡± tipped the brazier over and poured the Burning Wind¡ªthe astral qi waspressed so much that it resembled moltenva¡ªinto the valley. Specifically, he was pouring the Burning Wind right on top of Ye Qing.

    At that moment, the world turned to fire, and the Burning Wind roared louder than ever before. Everything in the valley¡ªthe earth, the rocks, even the mountains¡ªmelted into moltenva. It was like the end of the world.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Everyoung Tong chuckled deviously. As soon as he grabbed the Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier, he vanished into thin air and left behind only his voice,

    ¡°I promised you I would give you what¡¯s inside the Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier, girl, but I never said anything about the brazier. Surely you won¡¯t me me for taking it, right? With this, my senior brother shouldn¡¯t be too mad about returning empty-handed!¡±

    ¡°Also, feel free to visit Cloudside Mountain if you like!¡±

    ¡°Old bastard!¡± The young woman chuckled while staring at the sky, but she wasn¡¯t angry. She then turned back to the valley and observed Ye Qing as he struggled.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was seriously regretting his earlier decision. Although the two ck dragons weren¡¯t powerful enough to hurt him, a giant hand had appeared out of nowhere and taken the golden brazier with it.

    By now, he realized that he was in the presence of a terrifying power. He immediately yed dead and prayed that the owner of the giant hand wouldn¡¯t notice him. However, the fucker ¡°identally¡± slipped and poured the hottest substance inside the brazier right on top of him. It was easily tens of times hotter than the ck dragons that had engulfed him earlier.

    Naturally, he was in deep trouble. His body might be strong enough to resist the Burning Wind, but his mind wasn¡¯t. Like a candle me, it flickered violently and threatened to disappear at any moment. The only reason he was still alive was thanks to the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. It waspletely up to fate whether he could oust until the downpour of Burning Wind!

    ¡°You sonuvabitch! You¡¯re going to kill me just because I touched your stupid brazier one time? You old bastard!¡±

    Ye Qing knew he wouldn¡¯tst when the creeping ckness grew closer and closer to the center of his vision. That was why he decided to say screw it and started cursing the old man to hell and back. He was going to die anyway, so who cares?

    During his final moments, he let out a bitter chuckle and started singing,

    ¡°Goddess, I know that you are good

    You came to rescue me

    So please, hear my humble plea

    Save me, goddess, save me

    I have nowhere else to go~¡±

    In the sky, the young woman smiled as she listened to Ye Qing¡¯s curses. ¡°Old bastard, he says. Ipletely agree.¡±

    When he started singing out of nowhere, she tilted her head a little and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he tweaked the lyrics a little, and his tone is all off. That said, it is a good song, and it reminds me of some tunes from the previous dynasty¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll be your goddess one time.¡±

    The young woman started ying her new yaoqin. Like a spring hidden in the depths of a dark valley, the music was pleasing to the ear despite its dark, silent tone. As she yed, a whinny noise broke out from afar, and a clopping sound drew nearer and nearer. Soon, a horse-drawn carriage appeared and stopped in front of the young woman.

    The carriage was indigo in color and covered in mysterious runes and patterns. The driver was an old man wearing a conical hat. The fine horses pulling the carriage had blue skin. Every time it snorted through its nose or shifted its feet, invisible ripples would spread across the air.

    ¡°Please get in, Miss!¡± The old man asked. His voice was heavy and creaky. It didn¡¯t sound like the voice of a human at all. In fact, he wasn¡¯t. His eyes were lifeless and metallic, and his expression seemed permanently affixed. In fact, the horses weren¡¯t alive either. They looked and acted like living creatures, but their bodies were really made of bronze.

    ¡°Uncle Bronze,¡± she responded affirmatively and climbed into the carriage. She then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Please take the young man trapped within the Burning Wind with us.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Miss!¡± The old man she called Uncle Bronze bowed and rolled down the curtains. He then whipped the horses and drove the carriage into the Burning Wind.

    The horse-drawn carriage seemed to be protected by a mysterious power. When it got close, the Burning Wind immediately parted ways like the Red Sea.

    Ye Qing had already fainted at this point, so Uncle Bronze easily caught him with his whip and pulled him into the carriage. He thenid the young man on a soft cushion.

    ¡°Neeeeeeeeeeigh!¡±

    The horses neighed and broke through the Burning Wind. Just a secondter, the valley was already behind them.

    Inside the carriage, the young woman shot Ye Qing a nce. He waspletely red and naked right now, but she didn¡¯t seem embarrassed in the slightest. With the wave of a hand, she covered him up with a nket and grabbed a book from the carriage¡¯s hiddenpartment. Then, she began reading in silence.

 Chapter 123: The Curtain Rises

    <h4>Chapter 123: The Curtain Rises</h4>

    Warm sunlight was pouring down a clear, blue sky. A nearbyke was shimmering with serene beauty.

    ¡°Oooh¡­ this headache is killing me!¡±

    There was a man lying on a meadow next to theke. He was motionless until he suddenly sat up, pped a hand to his forehead, and shook his head violently. He was none other than Ye Qing.

    ¡°I¡¯m at¡­ Jade Spring Lake?¡± Ye Qing was taken aback when he saw the familiarke. ¡°How did I get here? I¡¯m pretty sure I was at Firewind Valley.¡±

    Ye Qing massaged his forehead some more and tried to remember what happened. He had tried to resist the downpour of Burning Wind but cked out eventually. He didn¡¯t know how long he was unconscious, but he remembered waking up in a half-lucid state and finding himself lying inside a carriage. There was also a young woman.

    He remembered asking, ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡±

    And she had answered, ¡°I¡¯m your goddess!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The woman shot him a smile before singing,

    ¡°Goddess, I know that you are good

    You came to rescue me

    So please, hear my humble plea

    Save me, goddess, save me

    I have nowhere else to go¡­¡±

    When she was done, she said, ¡°I saved your life, so I¡¯m your goddess, right?¡±

    Her voice was melodious and heavenly. Even the afterglow was a dreamlike experience!

    The young woman set down her book and shot him another smile. ¡°This is how you should¡¯ve sung the song! You¡¯re a terrible singer.¡±

    That was where his memory cut off. He might have said something, he might not have. He wouldn¡¯t know. One thing for certain though, it was that woman who saved his life and left him here.

    ¡°A goddess, huh?¡±

    Ye Qing rested his head on his hands and basked in the warm sunshine. He let out a silly giggle and sang again, ¡°Save me, goddess, save me, I have nowhere else to go¡­¡±

    ¡°Bah! It really does sound pretty bad¡­ hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    <i>¡°The practitioner shall walk like a raging stream, smooth yet soundless. They shall punch like they would topple the heavens themselves, terrible yet without a trace. The practitioner would be invisible to the world when they had attained the highest strength!¡±</i>

    Ye Qing was currently walking back to Anyang following the official route, but that wasn¡¯t the only thing he was doing. He was also practicing his stance. His footsteps were as torrential like a river, and yet they were also perfectly soundless. Every punch he threw threatened to punch a hole in the sky, and yet its power was perfectly unrecognizable until thest moment.

    The stance he was practicing was called the Cloud Vaporization Stance. It was, of course, a part of the Cloud Vaporization Style.

    The Cloud Vaporization Style was an Astral Refinement stage fist art, so it was a lot more detailed than your ordinary fist art. Not only did it teach the techniques, it also taught the breathing method and various know-hows.

    The foundation of the Cloud Vaporization Style was the Cloud Vaporization Stance. In martial arts, power came from the earth, force from the body, and intent from the mind, and they could all be learned through the Cloud Vaporization Stance. Only by building a solid foundation could one build a house that wouldn¡¯t topple over at the slightest breeze. Just the same, only by mastering the stance could one master a fist style.

    When practicing a stance, one must pay attention to their breathing, their step, the way they channeled their force and so on when practicing a stance. It was why it took him three days to return to Anyang instead of one.

    It was worth it though. He had practiced the stance for over fifty kilometers straight, and his punches over three thousand times. As a result, he was now more or less familiar with the Cloud Vaporization Style¡¯s breathing method, force cirction, and technique. He could now say that he was an initiate of the Cloud Vaporization Style.

    ¡°I¡¯m finally back!¡± Ye Qing stopped practicing when Anyang¡¯s tall, wide gates were finally in sight. He let out a sigh of relief, smiled, and started toward the entrance with a smile on his face.

    Ye Qing did not head to the Pacification Bureau directly after entering the county. Instead, he went to the Iron Shirt Gang and checked in with Tao Xian about a certain investigation. Then, he went to Endless Horizons and spoke with Faceless for two hours. It was only then he went to the Pacification Bureau and visited Ling Jianqiu.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally back, Joyless!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu was dressed in white and wearing an icy expression as usual. The expressionless man was expressionless even after learning about the plight of Jade Spring Vige and the death of Xiao Yang. The vigers were one thing, but Xiao Yang was a Patrolman of Luo Shui. And yet, the Chief of Bureau didn¡¯t seem to care about it at all.

    ¡°Thank you for your service, Ye Qing. And I¡¯m sorry for all that I¡¯ve put you through!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all for the good of the people!¡± Ye Qing replied humbly.

    Ling Jianqiu set down the document he was reading and asked, ¡°There is one thing that puzzles me, Joyless. You mentioned in your secret letter that Xiao Yang is dead, but how did Xiao Yange to be with you in the first ce? What is the chain of events that had brought the two of you together? Please, tell me everything!¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. ¡°The day I left the county, Xiao Yang was waiting for me at the entrance. He told me that it was you who sent him to apany me on the investigation. Was he telling the truth?¡±

    Ling Jianqiu shook his head immediately. ¡°Absolutely not. Xiao Yang did tell me that he was heading out for a bit, but he never told me where he was going or what he was doing. I definitely hadn¡¯t asked him to apany you to Jade Spring Vige either. I would definitely notify you if that was the case!¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Ye Qing shook his head. He had suspected that Ling Jianqiu had no idea about Xiao Yang¡¯s visit to Jade Spring Vige, but it wasn¡¯t until now that he knew for certain that the Astral Refiner was lying. ¡°I trust you, Chief Ling!¡±

    Ye Qing had never suspected that Ling Jianqiu might have something to do with his ambush because there was just no reason for him to do something like this. He took a moment to organize his thoughts before informing everything that had happened during his journey except the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±.

    Ling Jianqiu¡¯s lips were pressed into a firm line when he listened until the end. ¡°Xiao Yang is a Patrolman of Luo Shui, and yet he colluded with a Stranger to murder his own kind. He deserves to die. Shen Xian and Li Yuankang also took the side of a monster to further their own self-interest. They too deserve death for their crimes. You¡¯ve done well to rid them from our world!¡±

    ¡°However, I can¡¯t help but notice that you not only survived the ambush of Xiao Yang, Evergreen Ivy, Shen Xian and Li Yuankang, but also yed Xiao Yang, a mid-stage Astral Refiner. You must have entered the Astral Refinement stage already, am I right?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I just got lucky!¡±

    A rare sigh escaped Ling Jianqiu¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯re a promising youngster.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Chief Ling!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu fell silent for a moment before he resumed the conversation, ¡°You have nothing to worry about Xiao Yang¡¯s death. As a cardinal rule, all members of the Pacification Bureau are prohibited from colluding with Strangers tomit acts of violence against other humans. Barring exceptional circumstances, anyone who breaks this rule will be handed the capital punishment. No one would defend Xiao Yang for what he did even if he is a Patrolman of Luo Shui, so you may rest easy on that ount!¡±

    ¡°As for the Shen n and the Li n, the situation is even simpler. Without their leaders, the two ns are no more than annoying pests. Feel free to deal with them as you please!¡±

    ¡°The real problem is locating Evergreen Ivy and killing her. If a colony of termites is left alone, it may chew through a foundation and bring down an entire structure. Evergreen Ivy is that colony of termites, except she¡¯s far more dangerous and cunning. First it was Anyang, and now you. If we don¡¯t eliminate her soon, it¡¯s only a matter of time before she causes another disaster that we may not recover from!¡±

    ¡°My sentiments exactly!¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Besides giving you a report of what happened at Jade Spring Vige, it¡¯s also the main reason I¡¯vee to you today!¡±

    As the man who ruined her n to bring the Nether Lord to this world, Ye Qing knew full well just how much Evergreen Ivy hated him. He might have survived her ambush this time, but she would surely attack him a second time, a third, a fourth and more. So long as she was still alive, she would never stoping after him, and there was no guarantee he would be able to survive all of her ambushes.

    He did not want to have to watch out for her for eternity. The only way to solve the problem once and for all was to kill her.

    Ling Jianqiu was pleasantly surprised to hear this. ¡°Did you find out who she is, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing replied firmly, ¡°I think so!¡±

    ¡°Who is she?¡±

    ¡°Now, now, Chief Ling! No spoilers!¡± Ye Qing chided him jokingly. ¡°Speaking of which, can you round up everyone in the Pacification Bureau, Chief Ling? I have something important to announce.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu was a wise man. He immediately figured out Ye Qing¡¯s subtext and frowned. ¡°Are you suggesting that Evergreen Ivy is hiding in the Pacification Bureau?¡±

    Ye Qing did not give him a yes or no. He simply urged, ¡°Just do as I say.¡±

    ¡°Very well!¡± Ling Jianqiu agreed after a moment of thought. ¡°Are you sure though, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Just sit tight and enjoy the show!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Say, does anyone know why the chief has summoned us today?¡±

    ¡°Not me. Everyone¡¯s here though. It¡¯s gotta be something big!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say? I just hope that it¡¯s not another big incident like that attack a week ago. Sigh¡­¡±

    ¡°Me too, man. Me too.¡±

    Every member in the Pacification Bureau¡ªthe Pacification Sentinels, the officers and more¡ªwere gathered in the main hall of the headquarters, and no one had any idea what was happening.

    ¡°Why have you gathered us today, Chief Ling?¡± Zhao Yunlong nced at his superior and asked. Ling Jianqiu hadn¡¯t just summoned his subordinates, he had gathered all the higher-ups as well.

    Ling Jianqiu slowly swept his gaze across his surroundings. Everyone fell silent as if his pressure was a tangible thing. Satisfied, he began,

    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone here still remembers the invasion from a week ago. You should also know that the masterminds behind that invasion are five intelligent Strangers, namely Rotten Crown, Dark Eye, Old Grass, Faceless and Evergreen Ivy. Four of the Strangers had been executed on the day of the invasion, but thest Stranger, Evergreen Ivy, is still on the prowl.¡±

    He knew the truth about Faceless, but he lied since there was no point in revealing it now.

    ¡°Five intelligent Strangers¡­¡±

    ¡°One of the Strangers hasn''t been caught yet? That¡¯s terrible!¡±

    ¡°Evergreen Ivy¡­¡±

    Everyone was shocked to hear this. They knew the rough outline of the incident, but not the specifics. It was a given that his statement would spark a massive discussion.

    ¡°Foster father, have you found Evergreen Ivy¡¯s trail? Have you summoned us to catch the Stranger?¡± Yun Yan asked.

    The crowd immediately turned to look at Ling Jianqiu expectantly. ¡°Is Yun Yan speaking the truth, Chief Ling?¡±

    Everyone here wanted to catch Evergreen Ivy be it for selfish or selfless reasons.

    ¡°Yes, and no!¡± Ling Jianqiu swept his gaze across the crowd once more and said, ¡°I shall leave the specifics to Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Warrior Ye?¡±

    ¡°What does this have to do with Warrior Ye?¡±

    As the main hall fell into amotion once more, Ye Qing stepped out from the backrooms and saluted everyone. ¡°A good day to you all,dies and gentlemen!¡±

    ¡°A good day to you as well, Warrior Ye!¡± The group replied just as respectfully.

    Yun Yan was the first one to speak up, ¡°Why have youe today, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing did not respond to her question. Or rather, he was nning to address everyone at the same time, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all curious why I¡¯m here when I¡¯m not a member of the Pacification Bureau. It¡¯s very simple. Because I¡¯m not bound to as many rules and duties as you all, Chief Ling had charged me with the mission of investigating Evergreen Ivy after the investigation was over. And I am happy to announce that my investigation has finally borne fruit!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± A fearsome, hot-blooded man abruptly sprung to his feet and yelled loudly, ¡°Where is that bastard right now? I¡¯ll personally lead the charge to cut off their head and avenge our fallen brothers and sisters!¡±

    The speaker was Shi Chong, an Investigator of the Anyang Pacification Bureau. He was mainly responsible for apprehending and exterminating Strangers, and he was a simple and explosive person.

    ¡°Do not worry, Lord Shi. You have my word that they won¡¯t escape!¡± Ye Qing assured him.

    Shi Chong tried to curb his impatience by scratching his head. ¡°Sure, but where is that Ever¡­ Ever-something hiding, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Joyless. Stop keeping us in suspense and tell us already!¡±

    The others obviously shared his sentiment, so Ye Qing smiled andplied with their request. He said directly, ¡°To tell you the truth, Evergreen Ivy is hiding in this building!¡±

 Chapter 124: Coincidence?

    <h4>Chapter 124: Coincidence?</h4>

    ¡°Evergreen Ivy is¡­ hiding in this building? What are you¡­¡±

    Shi Chong was confused, but the others figured out Ye Qing¡¯s meaning immediately. ¡°Joyless, are you saying that our very <i>headquarters </i>is that Stranger¡¯s hideout?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Not only that, they¡¯re right here with us! That¡¯s right. One of us¡­ is Evergreen Ivy!¡±

    It was like he had lobbed a bomb at the center of the main hall. Everyone was shouting and exchanging incredulous nces with each other.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± An old man¡¯s voice boomed over themotion, ¡°Every single person in this building, no, this hall is a respectable and meritorious member of the Pacification Bureau. There is no way they would collude with a Stranger! You may be the savior of Anyang, but even you do not have the right to speak off the cuff!¡±

    The others had fallen silent during the old man¡¯s cry of outrage, but their expressions made their feelings as in as day.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t allow his audience¡¯s reaction to affect him, however. Smiling as calmly as ever, he said, ¡°I understand your disbelief, but I would implore you to wait until I¡¯ve said my piece before you make your decision!¡±

    ¡°As Chief Ling had mentioned earlier, the five intelligent Strangers are the ones who plotted the Nether Lord¡¯s descent and the destruction of Anyang. But did you know that Evergreen Ivy is the leader of the group? Not only that, they¡¯re the one who plotted everything! The other four Strangers are just the executors of their will!¡±

    ¡°Evergreen Ivy is a cautious Stranger. So cautious, in fact, that Old Grass was the only one of the four Strangers who knows where they¡¯re hiding. It¡¯s because he¡¯s responsible for spying on Anyang and collecting the necessary information to carry out the n!¡±

    ¡°When the invasion happened, why didn¡¯t the Strangers notice our preparations until it was toote? It¡¯s because I found out about Old Grass and took him out first. However, I didn¡¯t kill him immediately. Suspecting that he might have a clue as to where Evergreen Ivy was hiding, I pretended not to notice his fake death and went away. As expected, Old Grass immediately raced to warn Evergreen Ivy about the situation, and can you guess where I tracked him down to? That¡¯s right! He went straight to the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Themotion restarted, but this time Ling Jianqiu silenced them with a cold rebuke, ¡°Silence! Let Joyless speak!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled politely and continued, ¡°I could have allowed him to lead me straight to Evergreen Ivy, but I¡¯m an outsider, and if you think about it, he didn¡¯t need to meet Evergreen Ivy to warn her. So, I killed Old Grass outside the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu nodded approvingly. ¡°Your concerns are well-founded!¡±

    ¡°Okay, so Evergreen Ivy was hiding in the headquarters, but that doesn¡¯t mean that they must be a member of the Pacification Bureau,¡± someone argued.

    Ye Qing assured him, ¡°I¡¯m getting to it. To exin how I narrowed down the suspect and eventually identified Evergreen Ivy, I must first speak of the altar.¡±

    ¡°The altar? You mean the altar the Strangers used to summon the Nether Lord?¡± Shi Chong asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°The altar is one of the key factors in summoning the Nether Lord. The materials used to make it are extraordinary to put it mildly, and it could not have beenpleted in a short time. That is why the owner of the house must¡¯ve been involved in the construction, and why I decided to start my investigation with him¡ªor at least, I nned to.¡±

    ¡°When I tried looking into the owner, I discovered that he had met an unfortunate end the day prior while carrying out some business outside the county. It was clearly a certain Stranger¡¯s effort to tie up loose ends.¡±

    ¡°Since I already knew that Evergreen Ivy was hiding inside the Pacification Bureau, I had ordered my men to keep an eye on the building. It was how I learned that exactly eight Pacification Bureau members had left the county on the same day the owner was killed! They are Sun Xingguo, Fang Ziwu, Liu Hailong, Wang Pan, Lei Gang, Feng Tang, Zhou Li and Hu Nu!¡±

    Ye Qing purposely stopped here and swept his gaze across the crowd, his spirit enveloping every person in the hall and tracking their every activity. Of the eight he mentioned, only one of them started breathing faster and experienced an increase in heart rate even though his facefu was perfect, and he was¡­

    ¡°Seven of the eight people had left the county on official business, and I have the records to prove it. Only one of them did not have a record. Can you guess who this person is?¡±

    Before anyone could react, Hu Nu suddenly shouted, ¡°This is baseless usation, Ye Qing! I left the county that day to procure a herb for the Miss! I didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡±

    A wicked grin spread across Ye Qing¡¯s lips. ¡°That¡¯s strange. I haven¡¯t said who that person is. I never said that this person is the killer either, so why are you in such a hurry to defend yourself, Hu Nu? How very suspicious!¡±

    ¡°By the way, I was totally lying about the records. I was just fishing a little and checking if someone would take the bait. To think you would actually fall for it! Hohoho¡­¡±

    ¡°S-Stop spouting nonsense. You can¡¯t use me of murdering Chang Lezhou just because I happened to be leaving the county that day. Plus, how can you be sure that your surveince was perfect? Maybe there was a ninth member who left the Pacification Bureau that day, and your men just happened to miss them! Evidence matters, Ye Qing, and this is the Pacification Bureau!¡± Hu Nu argued passionately.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re iming it¡¯s a coincidence?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°In that case, how did you name the victim even though I¡¯ve never mentioned his name?¡±

    Cold sweat broke out of Hu Nu¡¯s forehead when he realized what he just said. He argued, ¡°I¡­ I just happened to know Chang Lezhou. T-There¡¯s nothing strange about this!¡±

    ¡°So, you plead that it¡¯s a coincidence again?¡± Ye Qing teased him. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s hear about this then!¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯ve mentioned before, the materials necessary to build the altar are extraordinary. It cannot have been built in a matter of days either. When Chang Lezhou was still alive, he once procured various materials from a total of eight traders. However, every single one of these traders were now dead because they had encountered one unfortunate ¡®ident¡¯ or another. Some were killed by Strangers, some had run into bandits, and some straight up vanished and were never seen again. They left no bodies for the Pacification Bureau to conduct an investigation either!¡±

    ¡°I tried digging a little into these incidents, and can you guess what I discovered? You were almost never in the county when these traders had met their unfortunate end! Now tell me, what were you doing during those times? You¡¯re not going to im that it¡¯s a coincidence again, are you?¡±

    Hu Nu looked like he was about to tear his hair out. ¡°You¡­ I¡­ It¡¯s been several months since those people had died! How could I possibly remember what I was doing at the time? Anyway, their deaths have nothing to do with me!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled again and pointed out, ¡°You¡¯re a pretty bad liar, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve never told you that these traders had died several months ago. In fact, their deaths had never been reported to the Pacification Bureau because they appeared to be <i>mundane </i>deaths, meaning that their cases were handled by the county hall. So, how did you know that they had died several months ago? Answer me!¡±

    Hu Nu wiped away the sweat on his forehead and swallowed audibly. ¡°I¡­ I happened to hear about the murders from¡­ somewhere. What? Is that a crime?¡±

    ¡°Once again, he pleads that it¡¯s a coincidence! A lot of ¡®coincidences¡¯ seem to happen around you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Ye Qing taunted, but his voice was growing colder and colder over time. ¡°Tell me then. Who did you hear these murders from, and where?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember!¡± Hu Nu argued again, but to say that his argument was weak would be an understatement. Everyone in the main hall was staring at Hu Nu with unfriendly expressions at this point.

    Contrary to Hu Nu¡¯s words, evidence definitely did <i>not </i>matter when it came to the Pacification Bureau. This was doubly true in the case of Strangers. To put it simply, the Pacification Bureau would rather kill an innocent than unleash a malicious Stranger into the world. If not for the fact that Ling Jianqiu and Ye Qing hadn¡¯t given amand yet, they would have hauled Hu Nu into the prison and interrogated him already.

    The group did not seem to realize that they had put Ye Qing on the same pedestal as Ling Jianqiu.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember? What a shame. I suppose I have no choice but to overlook this as well!¡± Ye Qing pped his hands as he mocked Hu Nu in a tone that was full of ridicule. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I have onest thing to share with you all.¡±

    ¡°ording to my investigation, Chang Lezhou once hired fifteen artisans to build something secret. I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you all that it¡¯s the altar. Once the altar wasplete, all fifteen artisans had died or disappeared outside the county just like the traders.¡±

    ¡°Now, is there any brave soul in this room who would like to bet me that our friend here was in the county during those times? Anyone? No?¡±

    ¡°Hu Nu, oh, Hu Nu. You¡¯re not going to say that you just ¡®happened¡¯ to be out of the county again, are you?¡±

    Hu Nu hung his head low and kept quiet. It was as if he had given up on defending himself!

    ¡°Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. What else do you have to say for yourself, Hu Nu?¡±

    Ling Jianqiu barked from his seat as well, ¡°Answer him, Hu Nu! Are you Evergreen Ivy or not?¡±

    ¡°Keke¡­ that¡¯s right. I am Evergreen Ivy!¡± Hu Nu suddenly let out a crazed cackle. ¡°You idiots, I¡¯ve been hiding right under your nose for ages, and not a single one of you noticed anything amiss. Even better, it was an outsider who discovered me in the end, not you. Fucking idiots!¡±

    Shi Chong was an impatient man to begin with, and the fact that Hu Nu dared to taunt them all in this sacred hall pushed his anger way over the edge. He immediately made a grab for Hu Nu.

    Shi Chong¡¯s signature martial art was called the Stone Breaking Hand. Since he was angry, he wasn¡¯t exactly holding back his strength either. If he managed to get his hands on Hu Nu, the traitor would be lucky to break just a couple of bones.

    ¡°RAAAAAGH!¡±

    It was at this moment Hu Nu let out a roar so loud that most people clutched their heads in pain. At the same time, Hu Nu turned toward Shi Chong and met his grab with a ferocious punch. To everyone¡¯s shock, he actually broke the Investigator¡¯s arm and elicited a painful scream from the man. He mmed into the wall behind him and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°What the¡ª!¡±

    Shi Chong apprehended and yed Strangers for a living. Naturally, he could not be a weak warrior. Although he wasn¡¯t a Vessel Augmentor yet, he was very close to making a breakthrough. He was also one of the strongest warriors in the Pacification Bureau.

    On the other hand, Hu Nu was just a Qi Invoker. Although he was born with incredible strength, it should¡¯ve been impossible for him to go up against Shi Chong, much less best him. And yet, reality begged to differ.

    ¡°RAAAAAGH!¡± Hu Nu let out another mighty roar after defeating Shi Chong. It was so strong that it sounded like a thunderp had gone off at the center of the main hall, and a gust of wind started blowing out of nowhere. It wasing from Hu Nu.

    Speaking of Hu Nu, the man had undergone a massive transformation. Three yellow horizontal lines had appeared on his forehead, and his face was covered in yellow fur. Long, deadly fangs were protruding from his mouth, and his fingernails had transformed into sharp ws. He looked almost like a tiger right now.

    ¡°A Strangerkin?!¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes. It was important to note that a Strangerkin was not the same as a human who transformed into a Stranger. A Strangerkin might possess the characteristics and abilities of a Stranger, but they were essentially human in every other way. They identified themselves as human and were usually in control of their nature.

    On the other hand, a human who had transformed into a Stranger was theplete opposite. The transformation would twist their nature and obliterate their human mind, leaving nothing behind except a monstrous husk who only desired the death and destruction of humanity. They might possess a human¡¯s features and even a human¡¯s intelligence, but they were a Stranger through and through.

    That said, Stranger blood was inherently dangerous. All Strangerkins were one-in-a-million geniuses whose talent and ability usually outstripped their human counterpart by leaps and bounds. But if they lost control of their Stranger blood, or if they were overtaken by their Stranger Blood for some reason, their human mind would be obliterated, and they would transform into a Stranger as well. There was no such thing as power without a price.

    But of course, being a Strangerkin was almost always a good thing. This was especially true for a warrior.

 Chapter 125: The End - Or Is It?

    <h4>Chapter 125: The End - Or Is It?</h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Hu Nu¡¯s cultivation level didn¡¯t change after he awakened his Stranger blood, but his aura and the power he disyed were almost on par with a Vessel Augmentor.

    The only true Vessel Augmentors in the Pacification Bureau were Ling Jianqiu and Zhao Yunlong.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Zhao Yunlong roared in anger and tossed a red cape straight at Hu Nu. It threatened to envelop him whole like a red cloud. At the same time, Zhao Yunlong rose from his chair and flew over to Hu Nu like a bird, fast and difficult to catch. His palm drew many afterimages in the air and roared like a dragon.

    <i>¡°Palm of Dragon¡¯s Roar¡±</i>

    There was no way Hu Nu could defeat a Vessel Augmentor, but he refused to submit. Roaring, he clenched his fists andunched a flurry of punches at Zhao Yunlong. His punches were simple and direct, but they were also incredibly powerful. His force howled not unlike a tiger leaping over a mountain stream. The palm afterimages were easily scattered into nothing by his attacks.

    But what was the point if he could notnd a hit on Zhao Yunlong? It was the same for the Swordbearer, but as a Vessel Augmentor he could afford to drag out the fight. For a time, the duo traded ¡°useless¡± blows with each other seemingly without end. It was a battle between the tiger and the dragon!

    ¡°Take this!¡±

    The stalemate continued for a moment when suddenly, Hu Nu let out a mighty roar and manifested what looked like a crouching tiger behind him. It was both massive and full of bloodthirst. He threw another punch, but it was far more powerful than any one of the punches he had thrown before. Both the red cape and the palm afterimages were blown away in an instant.

    Zhao Yunlong let out a pained grunt as he reappeared into view. The blood drained away from his face as he pulled away from Hu Nu. Despite the disparity between their cultivation level, Hu Nu was the one who hade out on top!

    After he had sessfully beaten back Zhao Yunlong, Hu Nu turned toward Ye Qing and red at him like he would shoot mes from his eyes. He roared, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Hu Nu dropped on all fours and pounced toward Ye Qing. The ferocious tiger behind his back grew more and more solid until it finally merged with Hu Nu into one. His fingers bent slightly like ws, he fell down on Ye Qing like a real tiger.

    It was said that the clouds obeyed a dragon, and the wind a tiger. It would seem that it wasn¡¯t just a saying. A gale was blowing out of Hu Nu¡¯s body, and it was so strong that it broke all the tables and chairs in the main hall into pieces. More importantly, it was pushing away the others and keeping them from being able to assist Ye Qing.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Someone cried out in warning.

    Out of everyone present, Ye Qing was the only one who waspletely unperturbed by Hu Nu¡¯s surprise attack. He waved his sleeve casually like he was batting away a fly, and like an actual fly Hu Nu was sent flying until he crashed into the ground so hard that he formed a small pit.

    Just like that, the threat was neutralized. It was impossible to tell if the guy was still alive.

    ¡°Holy¡­¡±

    Ling Jianqiu was the only person in the hall who wasn¡¯t surprised by this oue. Hu Nu had managed to push back even Zhao Yunlong, a Vessel Augmentor, and yet Ye Qing had knocked him out with a wave of the hand! Was Hu Nu that weak, or was Ye Qing too strong? Clearly, it was thetter. What a monster!

    Shi Chong was still recovering from his injury, but he was so excited that he blurted out between his coughs, ¡°<i>Cough! Cough! </i>Well done, Joyless! You¡¯ve exposed Hu Nu¡¯s true face and captured the true culprit behind the attack on Anyang. Your service to Anyang and the Pacification Bureau will never be forgotten!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If not for you, heavens only know how much longer he would have worked against us from within!¡± Zhao Yunlong rebuttoned his cape and thanked Ye Qing from the bottom of his heart as well.

    Yun Yan, who had been silent as a mouse since Ye Qing began expounding his suspicion of Hu Nu, also broke into a smile and said, ¡°To think that Hu Nu would be Evergreen Ivy. Thank goodness you¡¯re here, Joyless, or it is only a matter of time before Anyang encounters another great disaster. If that happens, we, the Pacification Bureau, would be responsible for it.¡±

    ¡°On behalf of the Pacification Bureau and the people of Anyang, I thank you for your service, Joyless!¡±

    Yun Yan rose to her feet and saluted him respectfully after saying that.

    ¡°Thank you for your service, Joyless!¡±

    Everyone else did the same thing as well.

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re wee, everyone!¡± Ye Qing epted the praise calmly, but a hint of ridicule crossed his lips as he continued, ¡°However, it seems there¡¯s a misunderstanding here. Did you guys actually think that Evergreen Ivy is Hu Nu?¡±

    ¡°What!? Hu Nu isn¡¯t Evergreen Ivy? But didn¡¯t you say¡ª¡± Stunned, Zhao Yunlong tried to say something only to be interrupted by Ye Qing.

    ¡°Please recall what I <i>really </i>said earlier. Have I ever said that Hu Nu is Evergreen Ivy? Yes, I presented evidence that proves that Hu Nu is working for Evergreen Ivy, but does it really prove that Hu Nu is Evergreen Ivy? It does not, and the reason is very simple. It¡¯s because Hu Nu isn¡¯t Evergreen Ivy!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ling Jianqiu narrowed his eyes a bit when suddenly, he flinched as if he realized something. His expression turned dark as he asked, ¡°Who is the real Evergreen Ivy then?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach the eyes. ¡°Evergreen Ivy. It¡¯s not a conventional name, but it¡¯s easy to tell that it¡¯s a feminine one. Also, Evergreen Ivy tried to hide her identity behind a cloak, but I could tell she¡¯s small and delicate when I fought against her. She¡¯s nothing like Hu Nu.¡±

    He had been referring to Evergreen ivy as ¡°they¡± and ¡°them¡± this whole time, but now he was calling her by female pronouns. Combined with the obvious hints, every single person in the room subconsciously looked at the one and only woman in the main hall, Yun Yan!

    Yun Yan smiled calmly and gently. ¡°Surely you¡¯re not suspecting me, Joyless?¡±

    Ling Jianqiu¡¯s gaze was icy as well. ¡°Joyless, I would ask you to choose your words carefully. As you know, most Strangers possess the ability to assume whatever shape they like. They could be male, female, young or old. If this is your basis for using Yun Yan, then I am sorry to say that I am disappointed in you.¡±

    He had adopted Yun Yan since she was a child, and she had been a kind and understanding soul for as long as he knew her. He loved her like his own daughter, and he would not allow anyone to nder her without good reason.

    Even Shi Chong was shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Yeah, you must be mistaken, Ye Qing. Yun Yan has been sick and frail since she was a kid. She could barely carry something that¡¯s heavier than a chair, much less fight and kill humans. There¡¯s no way she is Evergreen Ivy!¡±

    His sentiment was shared by most people in the main hall. Although Yun Yan was a sick and frail woman, she was wise, intelligent, and a warm soul. She was the one responsible for taking care of their misceneous affairs and ensuring that even dumb brutes like that would be well cared for. There wasn¡¯t a single person in the Pacification Bureau who didn¡¯t respect her from the bottom of their hearts.

    ¡°Hahaha! Calm down, people! You will understand why I¡¯m saying this after I¡¯ve rified myself!¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°First, I had fought against Evergreen Ivy not long ago, and I can confirm that she is a Hatred-ss Stranger. Hu Nu is pretty strong after he awakens his Stranger blood, but he¡¯s at best on the same level as a Vessel Augmentor or a Malice-ss Stranger. He is nowhere as strong as Evergreen Ivy is.¡±

    ¡°Second, Hu Nu was one of many who fought in the frontlines the whole time when the Strangers invaded. I¡¯m pretty sure that there are many people in this room who can testify to this. There is no way he could¡¯ve slipped away and conducted the ritual to summon the Nether Lord, so he cannot be Evergreen Ivy. Am I right?¡±

    No one said a word because it was the truth.

    Ye Qing pped and brought everyone¡¯s attention back to him. ¡°As I¡¯ve established earlier, Evergreen Ivy must be a member of the Pacification Bureau. She must also be able to slip away during the day of the invasion to carry out the ritual. With that in mind, who was the one person who wasn¡¯t on the battlefield that day?¡±

    ¡°Also, the timing to conduct the ritual is very important. If it was held too soon, then the Pacification Bureau would have a shot at stopping it before it could bepleted. It was the same thing if it was held toote. This means that Evergreen Ivy must be privy to the Pacification Bureau¡¯s movement. She might not know what they were nning exactly, but it couldn¡¯t have been difficult to guess considering that she was the mastermind.¡±

    ¡°With that in mind, it would be reasonable to say that only a handful of people would fit into this criteria, am I right?¡±

    Again the crowd was silent and thoughtful. The Pacification Bureau had mobilized literally everyone who could fight the night the Strangers invaded Anyang. The only ones who were left behind were the old, the sick, the crippled and the servants. Out of all those people, the only one who knew that they had a covert operation that night was¡­

    ¡°But of course, this is just spection; something to keep in mind while I bring up another matter!¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Most of you wouldn¡¯t know this, but I was attacked by Evergreen Ivy a few days ago while I was out of the county and carrying out a mission for Chief Ling. I was lucky to have survived the ambush.¡±

    ¡°But before I left the county, I specifically ordered my men to keep a close eye on the Pacification Bureau. It¡¯s not difficult considering that every single one of you had remained in the county to flush out and kill the remnants of that invasion. In other words, anyone who left the county or was absent for whatever reason during my absence was most likely Evergreen Ivy.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to this, I found out that exactly one person had taken a few days off because she was ¡®unwell¡¯ while I was gone. What a coincidence, am I right?¡±

    ¡°One more thing. My mission was a covert mission that only Chief Ling and I should know. However, Evergreen Ivy somehow found out about it and was able to set up a well-nned ambush that almost killed me. Chief Ling could corroborate with me on this, but let¡¯s just say that there was no way she could¡¯ve done what she did if she hadn¡¯t known about my mission beforehand.¡±

    ¡°Chief Ling is a cautious man. He would never leak a secret intentionally. As for me, why on earth would I leak my own activities, especially since I know that Evergreen Ivy was out for my blood? So, how did she find out about it?¡±

    ¡°I had thought long and hard over this, and in the end, I can only think of one possibility. Chief Ling must have brought up my mission by ident while he was chatting with someone; a close family member who could get him to lower his guard even for someone as cautious as him. She might even have prodded him about it since she knew he wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing.¡±

    ¡°So, who do you think this person is, Chief Ling?¡±

    Ling Jianqiu¡¯s face darkened like never before as everyone turned to look at him. The Chief of Bureau was silent for a few seconds before he slowly turned to Yun Yan and asked, ¡°Is it really you, Yun Yan?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s spection was spot on, though it didn¡¯t exactly turn out the way he thought it did. Ling Jianqiu was having dinner with Yun Yan when he talked about the mass disappearance happening at Jade Spring Vige. He was wondering who he could send that wouldn¡¯t be fodder for whatever Stranger was wreaking havoc at that ce, and it was none other than Yun Yan who rmended that he sent Ye Qing!

    So yes, Yun Yan did know that Ye Qing was leaving to investigate the mass disappearance at Jade Spring Vige. More urately, she was the one who had arranged everything! He was just a pawn in her scheme from the start until the end!

    ¡°Do you suspect me as well, foster father?¡± Yun Yan¡¯s eyes watered.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ling Jianqiu hesitated. If she was anyone else, he would not have fallen for such a simple trick. But Yun Yan was the daughter he had adopted and raised since she was young. How could she possibly be Evergreen Ivy?

    Not only that, Yun Yan was weak and prone to illness from a young age, so much so that she couldn¡¯t even practice martial arts. No matter how he tried, he just could not imagine her as the cruel, devious Evergreen Ivy!

    And yet, he could not deny the truth behind Ye Qing¡¯s words¡­

    ¡°Just give me an answer! Yes, or no?¡± Ling Jianqiu furrowed his brow until it was as wrinkled as the veins of a mountain. He looked like he was carrying a mountain in his chest as well.

    Even Zhao Yunlong, a man who was normally as ice-veined as Ling Jianqiu was, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken, Ye Qing?¡±

    For the first time, the young man dropped his smile and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want it to be Sister Yun either. s, it was not meant to be!¡±

    When he figured out the truth, he finally understood how Yun Yan, a mere mortal, had survived the knocking of the Soul Eater. He had thought it was because Ling Jianqiu had given her a talisman or something that shielded her from harm, but now he realized it was because she was hiding her strength. It was also why Yun Yan had not been teleported into the Mountain of Riddles during theirst adventure together. It was because the Mountain of Riddles did not ept Strangers and idiots into its belly, and Yun Yan was anything but an idiot.

    When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Yun Yan might have been a human at the beginning, but she had ceased being human at some point in her life. Now, only the Stranger was left.

    However, Yun Yan had built up so much reputation in the Pacification Bureau that even now, when all evidence pointed toward her being Evergreen Ivy, there were still many people who doubted his words. So, Ye Qing broke into a grin and said, ¡°There is one simple way to check if Sister Yun is Evergreen Ivy.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Everyone turned to look at him.

 Chapter 126: The Simple Way

    <h4>Chapter 126: The Simple Way</h4>

    Ye Qing shook his wrists and smiled evilly. ¡°All it takes is one punch. If she dies, she¡¯s Yun Yan. If she doesn¡¯t, she¡¯s Evergreen Ivy!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The idea was simple, direct, and effective. Human or Stranger, anyone would reveal their truest self in a life-or-death crisis. It was a matter of survival, not morality or character.

    There was just one problem. If Ye Qing was right, then everything was well. But if he was wrong, then Yun Yan would be dead!

    The Pacification Bureau was ruthless, but not heartless, not to mention that Yun Yan was no ordinary person. How could Ye Qing even think to risk her life like this? Was he a demon?

    As it turned out, he was. Before anyone could react, he threw a punch straight at Yun Yan!

    ¡°Joyless, no!¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Shocked but not stunned, the group tried to stop Ye Qing. However, a strange heat suddenly rose from their chest, boiled their vigor, and robbed them of their strength. They had no idea how the young man had done it, but their pores started leaking dark red mes and steam. At the same time, their minds started burning up with unimaginable pain.

    In just an instant, Ye Qing had incapacitated almost everyone in the room. They were all clutching their heads and staring nkly into the air. Ling Jianqiu was the only one who somehow withstood the pain, wrestled his vigor back under control, and attacked Ye Qing. Like cold autumn, ice cold light and sword qi filled the room in an instant.

    <i>¡°One Sword Autumn¡ªFall Silent to the Skies and Waters of Autumn¡±</i>

    Ling Jianqiu used his strongest move from the get go. He knew there was no chance he could stop Ye Qing otherwise. Despite this, his icy sword energy and even his sword slowly turned dark red in color. The cold temperature dominating the room also melted into a terrible heat in just a matter of seconds.

    The attack could not maintain itself because its intent had been overridden. It vanished in the wave of heat.

    Ling Jianqiu turned as red as a lobster and spat out a mouthful of boiling hot blood. To say that this oue was shocking would be an understatement. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t even attacking him, but the residual force alone was enough to destroy his strongest move. He knew that the young man was now an Astral Refiner, but the gap between their strength was even greater than he had imagined. If Ye Qing really wanted him dead, he most likely could¡¯ve killed him in a single punch.

    More importantly, if even he could not endure a single punch from Ye Qing, then how could the sick, frail Yun Yan possibly survive this?

    It was clear Ye Qing really wanted to kill her!

    ¡°Joyless, stop!¡± Ling Jianqiu shouted, but that was all he could do. He could only watch in helplessness as Ye Qing¡¯s fist moved closer and closer to Yun Yan. He closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to see Yun Yan turning into ash and scattering into the wind.

    ¡°Hahaha! To think you would actually try to kill your Sister Yun, Joyless!¡±

    But right before Ye Qing¡¯s fist wouldnd on Yun Yan, a pair of green vines suddenly burst out of the floor and pulled her to safety. The woman was giggling, but her voice no longer sounded kind or gentle. Instead, it was seductive, slothful, and evil.

    Ye Qing shrugged as if he knew this would happen. His smile grew as he replied, ¡°I would never do this against Sister Yun, but Evergreen Ivy? Now, that¡¯s a different story!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? I am both Yun Yan and Evergreen Ivy!¡± She continued to giggle as more vines grew out of the floor, the walls, the roof and other ces. Pure white evergreen ivy flowers were growing out of the vines as well. The entire Pacification Bureau headquarters was transformed into a kingdom of ivies in just the blink of an eye!

    ¡°Yun Yan is Yun Yan, and Evergreen Ivy is Evergreen Ivy. But Evergreen Ivy can never be Yun Yan because Yun Yan is lost from the moment she transforms into Evergreen Ivy!¡± Ye Qing dered while taking two steps to the side. It was only two steps, but it felt like the rush of a heavenly river. He threw a punch.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The Burning Wind howled and surged toward Evergreen Ivy from multiple directions. The space simmered like it was cooked, and the air was positively scorching and unlivable. The punch felt hot enough to boil an entire marsh.

    <i>¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±</i>

    Everyone in the headquarters felt the unbearable heat and backed further away from Ye Qing. They felt like their bodies had caught on fire. Evergreen Ivy¡¯s vines and flowers were not so lucky. Not only were they burning, the fire had begun from the inside. It spread unhindered to every vine and flower in the headquarters and burned it all to dust in just the blink of an eye.

    Ye Qing could personally attest to the potency of Evergreen Ivy¡¯s vines and flowers. To this day, the fear was still fresh in his mind. But of course, it was a past tense kind of fear. Even if he hadn¡¯t grasped the Burning Wind, which was the antithesis of Evergreen Ivy¡¯s nts and pollen, his body had be so tough that he doubted that the stranger could put even a single scratch on his person. Thick skin for the win!

    The members of the Pacification Bureau and the civilians close by could not say the same thing, however. Everyone would have died if he allowed the vines and the flowers to grow unhindered. That was why he had used the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± to destroy it all in one go.

    Of course, part of the reason he did it was to test out the power of the fist style in realbat. The result was satisfying to say the least.

    ¡°The Burning Wind? You actually subsumed the Burning Wind into your true qi? No wonder you managed toe out alive from Firewind Valley!¡± Evergreen Ivy eximed in surprise, realization, and even a bit of worry. If she wasn¡¯t sure before, she now knew that Ye Qing definitely had the power to kill her.

    ¡°Yun Yan! You¡¯re really Evergreen Ivy?!¡± someone shouted. It was only now the realization hit everyone, and none of them looked like they could believe it.

    ¡°That is correct. So sorry to disappoint you all!¡± said the Stranger, though it was clear from her smile and her tone that she wasn¡¯t apologetic in the slightest.

    ¡°Why?¡± Ling Jianqiu broke his silence. His tone was calm, but everyone could tell that he was anything but. Hidden behind the mask of calmness was pain, iprehension, and anger.

    Evergreen Ivy looked at him with the same smile as before. ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t this what you wanted, foster father? Since I was young, you¡¯ve always wanted me to practice martial arts and grow stronger. You¡¯ve always wanted me to make a name for myself like a man, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°And I did, foster father! Not only that, I¡¯ve surpassed your expectations! You should be happy for me!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu¡¯s eyes were full of sorrow. ¡°What I wanted? Yes, I did want you to practice martial arts and grow strong. I did want you to be famous throughout the realm. But that is because I want you to be someone who would protect the weak and defenseless and raise justice for those who could not. I want you to be someone who could protect tens of thousands with your sword!¡±

    ¡°When I found out that your body is too frail to practice martial arts, I had immediately withdrawn those expectations. I searched high and low to find a cure for you, but I have never heaped my personal expectations on you. All I ask is that you be good to yourself and others, stay safe, and be happy!¡±

    ¡°But what did you do? Who did you be? You became a Stranger who wanted to destroy Anyang! You tried to kill tens of thousands of innocent people!¡±

    ¡°I, Ling Jianqiu, am not the best father, but I dare say that I have taught my daughter right at the very least. Ask yourself this. Did you really do this for me? Or did you do it for yourself?¡±

    ¡°Aw. You found out?¡± Evergreen Ivy cupped her cheeks in mock embarrassment. ¡°I still remember the day you found me in the snow, foster father. It was eighteen years ago. My parents were killed by a group of Stranger hunters who were passing through the area, and the only reason I didn¡¯t die with them was because they didn¡¯t see me.¡±

    ¡°I remember hiding behind my mother¡¯s corpse for a whole day and night. I didn¡¯t dare to cry, scream, call for help, move or anything because I was afraid of making noise. I felt like a cattle that might be ughtered for meat if I so much as twitched the wrong way. The only things that kept mepany were the snow, the wind, and my dead parents¡¯ bodies.¡±

    ¡°At the time, I couldn¡¯t help but ask myself the same question over and over again: How could human beings be so cruel to their own kind? How are they worse than even the Strangers who haunt thends? Since then, I swore that I would be so strong that no one could ever prey on me again. I would rather be a monster of chaos than a woman among pigs and dogs.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I had stayed in the snow for so long that my body was permanently damaged. I had be so weak that I couldn¡¯t even practice the mildest martial art to begin my dream. You have no idea how disappointed I was.¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, there was a light at the end of the tunnel. I happened to stumble upon a book that taught me how to summon the Nether Lord and fulfill any wish. I didn¡¯t actually think it would work of course, but despair can be a powerful motivator. And what do you know? It actually worked!¡±

    ¡°The Nether Lord turned me into a Strangerkin and taught me how to cultivate. Thanks to it, I became stronger than I could possibly imagine. It¡¯s a great feeling, an intoxicating feeling, a feeling I can never, never, let go.¡±

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t agree, but humans and Strangers are the same to me. Sometimes, humans can be worse than Strangers. I would know. There is only the strong and the weak, high and low, life and death!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ling Jianqiu eyed his daughter coldly as he raised his sword and took one step toward her. As he gathered a devastating torrent of sword qi, he uttered, ¡°In that case, you won¡¯t mind if I abuse my strength and end your tyranny once and for all, right?!¡±

    Unfortunately, he failed to bring his sword down before Evergreen smiled and did a little wave. A pair of vines suddenly burst out of the ground, mmed into his sword qi, and shattered it with ease. Not done yet, they whipped Ling Jianqiu and sent him flying through the air like a rag doll.

    Right before he would crash into a wall, Ye Qing took one step and appeared behind Ling Jianqiu in the blink of an eye. He caught the Chief of Bureau, rotated him to exhaust his momentum, and gentlyid him on the floor.

    ¡°You¡¯re too good a man to abuse others, Chief Ling. Leave this kind of work to me!¡± Ye Qing rose to his feet and slowly turned toward Evergreen Ivy. ¡°If nothing else, I have a score to settle with her!¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more.¡± Evergreen Ivy crossed her legs and caressed her bangszily. ¡°Now, please get out of the way, my dear seniors. I would be very sad if you were identally hurt during our fight!¡±

    ¡°Eat this!¡±

    Ye Qing had talked a lot just now, and he didn¡¯t feel like wasting his breath on Evergreen Ivy any longer. His spine curved like a dragon, he unleashed a devastating punch using the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± once more. The Burning Wind howled, and dark red mes spread toward the Stranger like a fog!

    ¡°Is that an Astral Refinement stage fist art? You truly are full of surprises!¡± Evergreen Ivy giggled as she sensed the iing heat wave. Aftermanding a vine to pull her out of the way, a wall of vines burst out of the ground and blocked in front of the punch like a wall.

    Unfortunately, fire was highly effective against nts, and Ye Qing¡¯s Burning Wind was the bane of Evergreen Ivy¡¯s vines. The Burning Wind easily burned the wall of vines into dust before continuing toward the Stranger like a fiery dragon.

    ¡°How does it feel to be the hunted, Evergreen Ivy?¡± Ye Qing taunted. So long as he was still alive, the punch would not fade on its own. In fact, it grew stronger the longer it traveled. It wasn¡¯t named the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± for nothing.

 Chapter 127: The Worst Good Wishes

    <h4>Chapter 127: The Worst Good Wishes</h4>

    ¡°Not very good, to be honest!¡± Evergreen Ivy replied smilingly even though she was at a severe disadvantage right now. She looked like she had a trump card up her sleeves. ¡°It¡¯s why I enjoy being a hunter more!¡±

    An unusuallyrge finger appeared in her hand. It was as big as a baby¡¯s arm and pitch ck in color. Covered in twisted and mystifying runes, it gave off a dark and oppressive feeling.

    ¡°This is a finger bone the Nether Lord had graciously bestowed me, and it possesses a sliver of His Majesty¡¯s strength. I hope you¡¯ll enjoy it!¡±

    She tossed the finger bone at Ye Qing, and it floated in the air as if suspended by a mysterious power. A ck, unspeakable silhouette suddenly manifested into existence, and the finger bone slowly melded into its palm.

    A terrifying power erupted from the figure as soon as the fusion wasplete. Then, it pointed a finger at Ye Qing.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Space itself began copsing as a cold, deathly aura spread to the surroundings. Everything¡ªthe rocks, the ground, the nts, the buildings and more¡ªwas immediately encased in ice.

    Some Pacification Sentinels failed to get out of the way in time and turned into ice statues as well. They were dead in just the blink of an eye.

    The ice was pitch ck like the aura it permeated. It wasn¡¯t just the humans, everything that was alive died the moment it came into contact with it. Even powerful warriors such as Zhao Yunlong and Shi Chong felt like their blood had turned into ice. The Burning Wind was the one thing that was keeping the ice at bay and neutralizing its murderous power.

    As if angered by Ye Qing¡¯s resistance, the silhouette let out an audible grunt and thrust its finger an inch forward. The stalemate was immediately broken as the ck ice pushed back the Burning Wind at a rapid pace.

    ¡°Goodbye, Joyless!¡± Evergreen Ivy waved Ye Qing goodbye smilingly. Although the finger only contained a sliver of the Nether Lord¡¯s strength, it was still beyond the ability of an Astral Refiner to withstand. She was absolutely certain that Ye Qing would not survive this.

    The Stranger had even sighed in dejection, ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult to rece such a fun toy. I¡¯m going to miss you!¡±

    In the sky, the silhouette leaned forward to tap Ye Qing in the forehead. In response, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and channeled the Burning Wind until his body became as hot as a furnace. Evergreen Ivy seemed to think it was over, but in reality the deathly cold could not affect him one bit. His Burning Wind had dispelled it as soon as it seeped into his body. Even the approaching finger only made him feel a sliver of pressure. He could do this.

    He assumed his stance and tensed up his muscles. Normally, he would unleash his astral qi like he was throwing a fireball, but this time he locked his energy firmly within his flesh and blood. His legs were the base, his backbone the support, his arm the cannon that would unleash hell upon his enemies, and his body the reactor that gave him the power to do so. He gathered all of his essence, qi and spirit into his fist.

    When he drew back his fist, the sky changed, and the earth trembled as if bending to Ye Qing¡¯s will. When he threw his punch, the world turned white, and all sound ceased to exist for an instant. It looked like a punch that could annihte all evil and cement peace for untold ages.

    <i>Buzz¡­</i>

    The world grew silent when Ye Qing¡¯s fist finally shed against the Nether Lord¡¯s finger. The next second, every building within thirty meters of the site was smashed into smithereens before they even hit the ground. It was because an unbelievable amount of force and wind that was simultaneously hot and cold was gushing from the point of impact and destroyed everything in its path. There was no sound, but the ground zero looked like a painting that was in the middle of being ripped piece by piece by an invisible hand.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble¡­</i>

    The earthquake was fairly mild at the beginning, so much so that it almost felt like a dyed reaction. The stones were jumping slightly as if an underground Stranger was about to jump out into the open. Then, it grew louder and louder until it sounded like a continuous barrage of thunder that would never end, or a drumbeat by a god who was using the earth itself as the drum. When the unholy sound had risen a certain pitch, the earth abruptly warped, churned, and tore itself apart. The ground around Ye Qing¡¯s feet were literally rippling like the sea surface during a thunderstorm.

    But Ye Qing remained as firm as a mountain. No matter how hard the finger tried to push past his fist and drill into his skull, his resistance was ceaseless and unyielding.

    Eventually, the rumblings came to a stop. Most of the ground around Ye Qing besides the one he was standing on had fallen away into a bottomless chasm. Then¡ª

    <i>Crack!</i>

    There was a sound like breaking ss when cracks suddenly appeared on the Nether Lord¡¯s finger bone. It quickly spread throughout its body until it started wavering like an exquisite vase that was on the verge of falling apart.

    ¡°No¡­ This is impossible!¡± Evergreen Ivy eximed in utter shock and disbelief. She just could not believe that an Astral Refiner¡ªone who had just entered the Astral Refinement stage no less¡ªcould break the Nether Lord¡¯s finger.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little too early to be surprised, girl!¡±

    Ye Qing shot Evergreen ivy a wide grin and pushed his fist an inch forward. The ground directly underneath him immediately sank a meter below as if it couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure, and the cracked finger pulled back as if it was trying to escape. The dark silhouette it was imbuing had disappeared in a sh of distortion as well.

    Unfortunately, it was toote. It only flew a short distance when it froze suddenly as if it had crossed a certain threshold. Then, it exploded into smithereens.

    ¡°And game! It¡¯s your turn to be the hunted again, Evergreen Ivy!¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his fist and shook his wrist casually. His bones immediately let out a disturbingly long series of pops and cracks as if he was undergoing a metamorphosis or something. When it finally ceased, the foreign force attacking his body¡ªthe one the finger had injected into him during the sh¡ªhad beenpletely dispelled.

    Despite the stunning failure, Evergreen Ivy did not seem worried about her own safety in the slightest. ¡°How impressive! I¡¯m starting to like you more and more, dear!¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Me too,<i> sister!</i>¡± Ye Qing raised his right foot half an inch before stomping the ground. He shot into the sky like an arrow and straight at Evergreen Ivy. ¡°I like you so much I can¡¯t wait to kill you with my own two hands!¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s a free lesson to you from one schr to another. The reason a human is a human isn¡¯t because they are capable of benevolence. It¡¯s also because they know right from wrong, good from evil, and justice from injustice. A human who only obeys thew of the jungle is just an animal!¡±

    While saying this, Ye Qing pulled back until his spine resembled a drawn bow. Then, he punched forward and unleashed a massive column of Burning Wind.

    ¡°Haha, I will remember your lesson, Joyless. I shall put it to the test the next time we meet!¡± Evergreen Ivy gave him a little wave. At the same time, she started turning transparent at a rapid pace. She looked like she might disappear at any moment.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Ye Qing cursed. Just likest time, Evergreen Ivy was teleporting herself away to safety through an unknown method. He quickened his fist in hopes that it would hit her before she disappeared.

    Evergreen Ivy pped her head as if she just remembered something. ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. When you came back, I sent word to Sunset Hill informing the Hill Lord, Wang Luori, that you are the one who killed his direct disciple, Xiao Yang. Wang Luori is a petty, vengeful man who would do anything to take revenge for those he cared about, so you better watch out!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, indeed.

    He protested, ¡°Screw you! I didn¡¯t kill Xiao Yang! The idiot¡¯s the one who chased me into Firewind Valley and got himself killed! It has nothing to do with me!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. You should save those words for Wang Luori. Who knows, maybe he¡¯ll believe you?¡±

    Evergreen Ivy disappeared into thin air after saying that. She left behind only one final message, ¡°Take care, Joyless. You better stay alive until our next meeting!¡±

    If one of the best good wishes in the world was, ¡°I hope to see you soon!¡± then the worst one was easily, ¡°You better stay alive until our next meeting!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s fist scattered the clouds and returned the sky to blue, but Evergreen Ivy was long gone by then. Not only that, she had left behind the vilest curse. <i>It¡¯s bad enough I failed to kill her, but she made me a powerful enemy as well! What the fuck!</i>

    Ye Qingnded back on the ground looking sad and dejected. When he noticed that Ling Jianqiu, Zhao Yunlong, Shi Chong and everyone else was shooting him strange looks, he thought they were suspecting him and rified in a hurry, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I swear I didn¡¯t kill Xiao Yang!¡±

    When the group exchanged strange nces with each other, he thought they didn¡¯t believe him and panicked even more, ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s not me! Evergreen Ivy is lying through her teeth! You gotta believe me!¡±

    ¡°Ahem. I believe you, Joyless. We all believe you!¡± Ling Jianqiu replied with a cough. He suppressed his disappointment and sorrow as best he could and added, ¡°Thank you for everything, Joyless!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu was wracked with grief to put it mildly, but he was still the Chief of Bureau with many duties to attend to. His grieving must wait untilter.

    ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re wee. I¡¯m doing it for myself as well!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly waved his hands and nced at the ruin that was once the Pacification Bureau headquarters. He let out a sigh as he rubbed his nose, ¡°I can¡¯t believe she managed to get away a second time though. This was our best chance to get her, but she still managed to escape in the end. It¡¯ll be so much harder to capture her in the future!¡±

    Ling Jianqiu replied, ¡°That may be so, but the fact that she can no longer work against the Pacification Bureau from the inside is a good thing.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure the Pacification Bureau is happy, but what about me? Dammit!¡± Ye Qing felt another wave of headache when he recalled what Evergreen Ivy said about Sunset Hill and Wang Luori. ¡°What can you tell me about Wang Luori, Chief Ling?¡±

    Ling Jianqiu furrowed his brow. ¡°Sunset Hill, Blood Shadow Pce and White Horse Academy are the three most influential sects in Luo Shui. Sunset Hill in particr has one thousand Qi Invokers, three hundred Vessel Augmentors, and one hundred Astral Refiners, and I¡¯m only talking about its disciples.¡±

    ¡°The Hill Lord, Wang Luori, is a half-step Spirit Master. An expert in fist arts, his fighting style is as violent and fiery as his temper. He is also irritable, arrogant, and vengeful. He perceives any slight toward Sunset Hill as a slight to himself. He is not a man you want to trifle with.¡±

    ¡°A half-step Spirit Master?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply. A warrior¡¯s cultivation was a step-by-step process. If the Body Tempering stage and the Qi Invocation stage focused on honing the body, and the Vessel Augmentation stage and Astral Refinement stage focused on refining the qi, then the Spirit Purification stage and the Spirit Master stage focused on cultivating the spirit.

    The Spirit Purification stage was the stage where a warrior unlocked the primordial points located at the center of their head and honed their spirit. The goal was to build a Mind Altar in their head to strengthen their mind. Given a powerful enough spirit, a Spirit Purifier could cultivate all kinds of mental arts, perceive enemies before they even came into view, and even attack them via mental attacks. More often than not, they could kill without leaving a trace in the physical world. Barring anomalies like Ye Qing, a Spirit Purifier could extinguish the mind of any warrior below the Spirit Purification stage like a candle.

    The Spirit Master stage was also known as the Yin God stage. It was the stage where a warrior created a spiritual entity called the Yin God. Despite being the embodiment of the warrior¡¯s spirit, the Yin God usually looked different from their physical self. It could also leave its physical body behind and roam the world without being fettered by its physicalws.

    More importantly, the warrior could not be killed unless their Yin God was destroyed. The Spirit Master stage was the stage where a warrior truly broke free from the confines of their mortal shell and returned to their truest, most natural self.

    In other words, Wang Luori was someone Ye Qing wanted to avoid at all costs.

    Ling Jianqiu nced at Ye Qing and said slowly, ¡°If what Evergreen Ivy said is true, then you are in deep trouble, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>Stating the obvious much? </i>Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Ling Jianqiu. <i>Sigh. It¡¯s so hard to be a good guy these days!</i>

 Chapter 128: Humanity Is Worth It

    <h4>Chapter 128: Humanity Is Worth It</h4>

    ¡°Do you have a n, Chief Ling?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    It was true he killed Xiao Yang, but he wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if Ling Jianqiu hadn¡¯t sent him on a mission. Therefore, the man must take some responsibility!

    Ling Jianqiu chuckled. ¡°I do, but I¡¯m not sure you would like it.¡±

    ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ll decide if I like it after I hear it,¡± Ye Qing said quickly. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t expecting the Chief of Bureau to say yes when he asked him for a solution. Of course he wasn¡¯t going to pass it over until he had heard about it.

    ¡°You can join the Pacification Bureau!¡± Ling Jianqiu dered.

    ¡°You¡­ want me to join the Pacification Bureau?¡± Ye Qing stared at Ling Jianqiu incredulously. <i>You couldn¡¯t even handle one Evergreen Ivy, and you¡¯re asking me to join you? Do I look stupid to you?</i>

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Ling Jianqiu coughed in embarrassment. He couldn¡¯t hear Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts, but the doubt in his eyes was as in as day. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to join my Pacification Bureau. We obviously do not have the strength to protect you from the likes of Sunset Hill. But Luo Shui¡¯s Pacification Bureau is a different story.¡±

    ¡°Luo Shui?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s confusion only increased. Sunset Hill was located in Luo Shui, so to go there was like entering the tiger¡¯s den of his own volition. <i>He¡¯s not trying to kill me, is he?</i>

    Ling Jianqiu exined, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this, but Luo Shui¡¯s Pacification Bureau is stronger than Sunset Hill, Blood Shadow Castle and White Horse Academybined.¡±

    ¡°As the overseer of eighty-one viges, Pacification Bureau of Luo Shuimands fifteen thousand Qi Invokers, eight thousand Vessel Augmentors, one thousand Astral Refiners, three hundred Spirit Purifiers, ten half-step Spirit Masters, and two Spirit Masters in total. This does not include partial members such as guest warriors, hanger-ons, or covert agents.¡±

    ¡°If they wanted to, the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui absolutely possesses the power to topple the three sects and make themselves king of the hill that is Luo Shui. They didn¡¯t because our responsibility is to y Strangers, preserve the peace, and protect the territory we¡¯re assigned to from all dangers, not getting involved in petty affairs so to speak.¡±

    ¡°Are you for real?¡± Ye Qing blurted in shock. He had no idea that Luo Shui¡¯s Pacification Bureau was so powerful, though in hindsight he probably should¡¯ve realized this sooner. In Anyang, the Pacification Bureau was also stronger than all the other factions such as the three ns, the Iron Shirt Gang and Qiao Six.

    Ling Jianqiu continued, ¡°Besides that, Luo Shui is defended by ten thousand ck Feather Guards, and they answer to the Pacification Bureau and themandery administration. Sunset Hill would be crazy to go up against them.¡±

    Ling Jianqiu sounded quite proud of his brethren¡¯s strength. ¡°Finally, the Pacification Bureau is the central pir of Chu itself. If Sunset Hill is stupid enough to challenge and bring shame to the empire, the ten thousand ck Feathers would step in and tten them overnight.¡±

    ¡°In conclusion, your safety should be guaranteed if you join Luo Shui¡¯s Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°That sounds awesome!¡± Ye Qing did not try to hide his admiration. ¡°But how can I join them?¡±

    His question sounded simple, but it wasn¡¯t. It was notoriously difficult to join the Pacification Bureau, not to mention that this one was the overseer of an entiremandery. Sure, he could join them as a Pacification Sentinel¡ªit would be simply since he was an Astral Refiner¡ªbut neither the Pacification Bureau nor Wang Luori were idiots. The Pacification Bureau would not go to war against Wang Luori over a small fry, and Wang Luori knew this as well. This meant that he must join the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui as a person of power. Only then would their protection matter.

    Ling Jianqiu assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Every year, I am allowed to rmend one person to join the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui. If the person seeds, they would be promoted to Guardian or Lieutenant immediately. I will give you the slot.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? That¡¯s not very proper, is it?¡± Ye Qing said hesitantly, but he was just being polite. On one hand, he was robbing the actual members of the Pacification Bureau a shot at promotion. On the other hand, this was his life they were talking about.

    Ling Jianqiu smiled. ¡°Considering what you¡¯ve done for Anyang, giving you the slot is the least we could do. In fact, you deserve it more than anyone in this entire county. I can only imagine your future considering how strong you already are.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I shall dly ept your offer!¡± Ye Qing saluted the Chief of Bureau respectfully.

    It was a sound n. With Ling Jianqiu¡¯s rmendation, he could skip most of the hassle and be promoted to a Lieutenant right away. That was high enough on the totem pole that Wang Luori would have to think twice before attacking him.

    The idea of shooting for Guardian never crossed his mind. At his level, it would be a mark of shame to be a Guardian.

    Ling Jianqiu nodded when Ye Qing agreed to the n. ¡°One more thing. My teacher is the Deputy Chief of Bureau. I will write him a letter and ask him to look after you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Chief Ling!¡± <i>Now this is what I call proper nepotism!</i>

    ¡°I¡¯ll get started on the procedures then. No reason to drag this out longer than it needs to be, right?¡± Ling Jianqiu said. When he turned around, his lips curled into a triumphant smirk.

    From the day he learned about Ye Qing and his deeds, he had wanted to recruit Ye Qing into the Pacification Bureau. Although the young man proved to be too big for Anyang, where he was going would give him the opportunity to benefit far more people and uplift Chu to greater heights. It was a dreame true so to speak.

    Behind Ling Jianqiu, Ye Qing saluted the man again and dered, ¡°Thanks for everything, Chief Ling. I will never forget what you¡¯ve done for me today!¡±

    He didn¡¯t know that Ling Jianqiu had been plotting to recruit him into the Pacification Bureau since ages ago, but he could see that the arrangement was purely to his benefit. Offering the Chief of Bureau his wholehearted thanks was the least he could do.

    Sure, Ye Qing didn¡¯t really want to be affiliated with the Pacification Bureau, but you couldn¡¯t always get what you wanted in life. He would just have to improvise as the situation demanded.

    ¡°With your permission, I¡¯ll be taking my leave, Chief Ling. There are a few things I need to attend to.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±

    Ye Qing turned around and left after that. His smile was warm and bright.

    Humans were humans not just because they knew right from wrong, good from evil, and justice from injustice. It was also because they knew gratitude, reciprocation, self-sacrifice, altruism, love and more.

    This, was why humanity was worth it.

    ¡­¡­

    As usual, the morning gongs awoke the sleeping men and women. The sky took a shade of white, the streets became filled with hustle and bustle, and merry voices andughter filled the world with joy once more.

    Everyone seemed to be gossiping about three major incidents today. The first incident was the demise of the two remaining ns of Anyang, the Shen n and the Li n. Their people were ughtered, their assets were robbed, and their bases were reduced to ruins in just a single night. Who would¡¯ve thought that they would follow in the footsteps of the Zheng n, and in such a short time no less? In any case, this marked the moment the three major ns became theughingstock of the entire county and a mere footnote in Anyang¡¯s history.

    The second incident was the destruction of the headquarters of the most mysterious department in Anyang, the Pacification Bureau. Despite suffering heavy casualties and damage, the members of the Pacification Bureau were unusually cheerful for some reason. It was almost as if they were celebrating the New Year.

    The third major incident was some of the most prominent figures of Anyang standing on gates when the first morning gong was sounded. There were Ling Jianqiu, Chief of the Pacification Bureau; Yan Yufei, the county magistrate of Anyang; Yan Feng the bailiff and the omniscient Master Qiao Six. For some reason, they were all gazing to the horizon as if weing the first ray of dawn or bidding goodbye to someone!

    As usual, no one knew exactly what had led up to the incidents. For a time, it was all they could talk about for an entire month and more.

    No one noticed that Endless Horizons had gotten a new owner, however. The young man who always wore a warm smile on his face; who enjoyed drinking and basking in the sun in front of his bookstore, who always joked with the children and put a smile on their faces, was gone.

    Like a grain of sand he had flown into the hub of humanity with the wind, and like a grain of sand he had flown away without anyone noticing.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Lifees and goes like the wind and the rain, but a jar of rice wine? Man! Who said that there is no medicine to cure my sorrows, right Brother Frog?¡±

    ¡°Croak croak!¡±

    ¡°Brother Frog, I don¡¯t mind you staring at me with yourrge, innocent eyes all day, but just in case you¡¯re harboring any misguided hope, I must tell you that I am not sharing this jar of wine with you. This is mine!¡±

    Ye Qing gave his wine a shake and took a long sniff that left him feeling heady in a very, very good way. ¡°We agreed that we¡¯d enjoy a jar each everyday. It¡¯s not my fault you finished it as quickly as you did. As a frog, a kungfu frog no less, your word is your bond!¡±

    Even Wawa appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder and chided Kung Fu Frog seriously, ¡°He¡¯s right. You should always keep your promises!¡±

    ¡°Croak croak¡­¡± Kung Fu Frog croaked glumly. Who was the one who told it that it would never run out of good food and fine wine? Lies, all of it!

    ¡°Do we really need to leave so soon, young master?¡± Faceless asked. The Stranger was currently holding the donkey and leading the way.

    Ye Qing sipped his wine before answering in a helpless tone, ¡°What can I do? Wang Luori could show up a monthter, or he could show up this very evening. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get to Luo Shui and safety!¡±

    Their departure was, admittedly, a little hasty, but at least he had wrapped all of his important business in Anyang. First, he had paid the Shen n and the Li n a visit and plundered them for all their worth. Everyone who resisted was killed, and no one still living was stupid enough to plot revenge against him. Second, he had made Tao Xian the new boss of the Iron Shirt Gang and a subordinate of Yan Yufei. With the Pacification Bureau to back them up, Wang Luori should be less tempted to take it out on them.

    Last but not least, he visited all of his friends and acquaintances and bade them goodbye. Yan Yufei, Yan Feng, Yang Guan, Ling Jianqiu, Qiao Six, even the Zhou Family whose son he saved a while ago and more, he made sure that his departure was one that would not leave any regrets behind.

    The next day, before the sun was even up he visited the Pacification Bureau, received the rmendation letter and stamp from Ling Jianqiu, and left on the first morning gongs toward the light. If Ye Qin were to be honest with himself, he did not want to leave Anyang either. But life was everchanging, and reality was its harsh mistress. All he could do was to walk the path without losing himself!

    There were two ways to travel to Luo Shui, thend route or the river route. Thend route¡ªalso the official route¡ªwas longer, but it was safe because it was popted by viges and counties. The river route would take them to Luo Shui in three days at most, but the chances they might run into Strangers or other danger was almost one hundred percent.

    After weighing the pros and cons, Ye Qing decided to stick with the river route. The sooner he reached the Pacification Bureau, the lesser the chance that something might go wrong.

    The closest ferry point to Anyang was Maple Leaf Point. Ideally, it would take them about one day to make it there. Realistically, it was impossible to say.

    A party of one man and three Strangers was unusual even in this world, but it certainly wasn¡¯t boring. They passed the time by making conversation with one another and teasing Wawa. It was a pretty lively experience overall.

    Ye Qing was teasing Wawa again when suddenly, they heard a childish voice singing,

    ].

    ¡°Dig a little hole,

    nt a little seed,

    One two three four five¡­¡±

    Ye Qing followed the voice. He quickly saw a small, childlike figure digging a hole on the ground with a little spade.

 Chapter 129: Infant Rabbit

    <h4>Chapter 129: Infant Rabbit</h4>

    ¡°Careful, young master!¡± Faceless warned while staring at the childlike figure in the woods warily. It was because he sensed a hint of danger from them, whoever they were.

    ¡°You worry too much. Come on! Perhaps it¡¯s a kid from a neighborhood nearby?¡± Ye Qing said with a smile. Besides the childlike figure, he had also picked up the vital signs of multiple people in the forest. Specifically, they were humans.

    <i>Let¡¯s see. One, two, three, four, five, six! There are six people in the forest! </i>Ye Qing calcted in his head.

    As they got closer, Ye Qing finally saw the childlike figure for what it was. It was a Stranger with a rabbit¡¯s head but a human¡¯s body. It was only as big as an infant, but it was standing on two legs and digging a hole using a spade that was shaped like a carrot. While digging, it sang what sounded like a nursery rhyme,

    ¡°Dig a little hole,

    nt a little seed,

    One two three four five¡­¡±

    There were six humans in the ground next to it. Literally, they were buried in the ground all the way up to their necks. They looked listless as if they had just received a good thrashing.

    Their eyes lit up when they saw Ye Qing. Like a drowning man who had found a straw, they cried out, ¡°Help! Please help us!¡±

    ¡°Please help us, warrior! This Stranger is nning to kill us!¡±

    The rabbit Stranger paid neither Ye Qing nor them any attention, however. It was fully focused on the hole in front of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s like it¡¯s nting carrots,¡± Ye Qing watched the rabbit with a strange, indecipherable expression.

    ¡°Croak croak!¡±

    Kung Fu Frog was a righteous Stranger who was always eager to enact justice and save lives. When it saw that the humans were trapped, it immediately leaped over to save them. But right before it was about tond, a hole appeared right beneath its feet. At the same time, the rabbit sang again,

    ¡°Dig a little hole,

    nt a little seed,

    One two three four five¡­¡±

    The next moment, Kung Fu Frog was pulled straight into the hole and buried, leaving only its head out in the open. It couldn¡¯t break free no matter how hard it struggled.

    ¡°Young master!¡± Faceless cried. Unlike Kung Fu Frog, Faceless¡¯ n was to take out the rabbit Stranger first. Everyone would be free if it died, right? Unfortunately, the rabbit suddenly let out a shriek in Faceless¡¯ direction and opened a hole beneath his feet as well. Before he could jump out of the way, the strange rhyme rang again and froze him in his tracks. He immediately followed in Kung Fu Frog¡¯s footsteps.

    <i>Wow! It overwhelmed two Malice-ss Strangers in an instant! Not bad!</i> Ye Qing thought as he observed the rabbit Stranger. As he tilted his head as if remembering something, the rabbit sang again,

    ¡°Dig a little hole,

    nt a little seed,

    One two three four five¡­¡±

    A hole appeared beneath Ye Qing¡¯s feet, and he felt an unnatural power shackling him and pulling him toward the hole.

    ¡°Interesting!¡±

    Ye Qing channeled his vigor and pushed back against it. The invisible power vanished, and the spade the rabbit was holding abruptly snapped into two.

    ¡°Dig a little¡ª¡± The rabbit¡¯s face morphed into human-like shock when the spade broke. Shivering, it slowly turned its ruby-like eyes on Ye Qing and stared.

    ¡°Chirrup!¡±

    The rabbit apparently didn¡¯t like what it saw because it let out a frightened whimper, hugged its head, and dug a pit in the ground in just the blink of an eye with its bare hands. After leaping into the pit and burying itselfpletely, the swollen mound sank into the hole as if it was going somewhere.

    ¡°Haha! You think you can run from me?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. He could tell that the rabbit was underground and escaping to somewhere at incredible speed. In response, he raised his right foot half an inch and stomped the ground.

    The ground undted up and down like a ripple in a piece of fabric, but for some reason it made no noise whatsoever. However, the rabbit, the six humans, Kung Fu Frog and Faceless were all expelled from the earth in an instant. They iled for a bit before hitting the ground in a series of thuds.

    The rabbit Stranger was the fastest to recover. It tried to escape, but it couldn¡¯t even manage a step before it copsed back to the ground. For some reason, it just could not gather any strength. It was the same for Kung Fu Frog and the others as well.

    ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t quite control my strength yet!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose apologetically. After his experience in Firewind Canyon, he was stronger than ever before. However, his precision and control had also be a lot worse as a result. For now, he was like a cannon who couldn¡¯t help but shoot a cannonball even if the target was a mosquito.

    Ye Qing took one step and appeared in front of the rabbit. He grabbed it by its nape and returned just as quickly. It took hispanions and the six humans at least a dozen breaths before they finally recovered enough to move.

    ].

    The six humans were a surprise. They had lookedpletely spent when he saw them, but after regaining their freedom and popping a fiery red pill, they were almost back to normal in just a dozen breaths or so.

    It was worth noting that they were a group of three middle-stage Vessel Augmentors and three early-stage Vessel Augmentors. It was a fairly strong party all things considered.

    ¡°My name is Tian Hang. Thank you for saving our lives, warrior!¡± thanked a middle-aged man in his forties after he regained his strength. He had a loyal, honest appearance that made it difficult to think that he was capable of deception or trickery.

    Ye Qing waved it off. ¡°You¡¯re wee, but I was just passing by.¡±

    A cold, vicious-looking man standing behind Tian Hang uttered hatefully, ¡°Damned rabbit! I¡¯m gonna skin it alive, eat its flesh and drink its blood!¡± He then rushed over and brought his saber down in one smooth motion. However, Ye Qing raised his hand and caught the de between two fingers. No matter how hard the man tried to pull or push, he was unable to move his de even an inch.

    The vicious man red at Ye Qing. ¡°What are you doing, warrior?¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just a rabbit, a cute one no less. Why don¡¯t you let it go?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    To say that the group was bbergasted would be an understatement. Was he joking? How was a rabbit capable of ¡°nting¡± a human being into the ground like an actual carrot ¡°cute¡±?

    The vicious man was still trying to pull his saber free as he uttered, ¡°Let it go? This Stranger nearly killed us all! There¡¯s no way we can pretend like nothing had ever happened! Now let go!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile grew kinder. Fingers twisting, he easily snapped the saber¡ªa thick de that was forged from cold steel¡ªin half and sent the man stumbling. He looked like he couldn¡¯t believe what just happened.

    ¡°I tried giving you a hint, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen, would you? This rabbit is called the Infant Rabbit. It¡¯s a Hatred-ss Stranger who loves digging holes and nothing else. Gentle, timid and harmless, it would only attack if it felt threatened.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, its retaliation is incredibly mild. The worst it would do to its attackers was digging a hole and keeping them in the ground for a bit. It would never try to kill its attackers.¡±

    ¡°If it encounters a powerful foe it couldn¡¯t possibly defeat, it would immediately escape or cower in fear. It¡¯s probably one of the most cowardly Strangers you could encounter.¡±

    Ye Qing gave the shivering Infant Rabbit beside his feet a reassuring pat before continuing as if he hadn¡¯t noticed the group¡¯s rapidly changing expressions, ¡°As the Infant Rabbit is harmless and mild-natured, they are well-received by nobles, wealthy people, and especially wealthy women. There are a lot of people who would pay a lot of money to buy an Infant Rabbit. Besides that, an Infant Rabbit¡¯s body is a veritable treasure trove. Its brain and flesh are delicious to eat, its fur is excellent for making clothes, and even its bones are a rare medicinal ingredient.¡±

    ¡°In other words, there are few prey a Stranger Hunter loves more than a Infant Rabbit!¡±

    Ye Qing shot the humans a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach the eye. ¡°Am I right, my dear hunters?¡±

    As the name might suggest, a Stranger Hunter was a hunter of Strangers. They usually killed Strangers to sell their body parts for a living.

    The group¡¯s faces turned dark and grim. Ye Qing¡¯s subtext was clear: he was saying they deserved what they got, and if they were to be honest with themselves, they did.

    When they stumbled upon the Infant Rabbit a while ago, they immediately got greedy and tried to capture it. However, the Infant Rabbit turned out to be warier and stronger than they had anticipated. It saw theming and buried them in retaliation.

    Later, Ye Qing saved them and caught the Infant Rabbit, but they thought Ye Qing was too young to recognize the Infant Rabbit and tried to kill it in the name of revenge. It was so that they would have the excuse to im its body parts. Although a dead Infant Rabbit wasn¡¯t worth as much as a live one, it was still a lot of money.

    Unfortunately, they were dead wrong. Not only did the youngster recognize the Infant Rabbit, he even exposed their little scheme straight to their faces.

    Embarrassment, resentment, anger and more sprouted in the hearts of the six men in an instant. The vicious man even looked like he wanted to murder Ye Qing there and then. But before anyone could make a move, Tian Hang stepped forward with an obsequious smile and said, ¡°Sorry, sorry. My brother didn¡¯t mean to offend you, he was just too eager to take revenge against the Stranger. I hope you won¡¯t mind!¡±

    ¡°Since you were the one who captured the Infant Rabbit, it¡¯s only right that you get to decide what to do with it. We shall take our leave immediately!¡±

    With that said, Tian Hang saluted Ye Qing onest time, gave the vicious man¡¯s sleeve a strong pull, and left.

    The vicious man was clearly displeased, but he obeyed his leader and turned around. He red resentfully at Ye Qing before he left though.

    ¡°Heh. He¡¯s lucky not everyone in his group is an idiot!¡± Ye Qing muttered. The vicious man¡¯s gesture and thoughts didn¡¯t escape him, of course. If Tian Hang hadn¡¯t been smart enough to recognize the threat, well, let¡¯s just say that today next year would be the anniversary of their deaths.

    There was no helping these people though. Maybe it was because they interacted with Strangers for too long, but most Stranger Hunters were cruel, bloodthirsty, and greedy bullies who would not hesitate tomit atrocities to further their self-interests. Sometimes, they would evenmit a murder, rob a caravan, raid a vige and more if they thought they could get away with it.

    If Tian Hang and his group had chosen to attack him, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t have minded sending them to kingdome. It would be good karma as far as he was concerned. It was too bad Tian Hang had more sense than courage.

    ¡°Shame, shame!¡± Ye Qing shook his head in the group¡¯s direction before looking down on the Infant Rabbit. The poor thing was still trembling like a leaf. He let out a sigh and gave it a little kick, ¡°You are definitely the most cowardly Stranger I¡¯ve ever met yet. You bring shame to your race, you know that?¡±

    He then flicked the Stranger into his hand and tossed it far, far away. ¡°You can go now. Try not to get caught again, alright? Not everyone is as kind-hearted as I am!¡±

    The Infant Rabbit hit the ground surprisingly soft and rolled twice. When it caught itself and looked around, it discovered that it was both safe andpletely unhurt. After pressing its fat paws together and giving Ye Qing a bow, it dug the ground and buried itself in another pit. It was gone just like that.

 Chapter 130: A Ghost Story

    <h4>Chapter 130: A Ghost Story</h4>

    ¡°Come. Let us continue on our way!¡± Ye Qing beckoned the others after the Infant Rabbit was gone.

    From the start, he had never nned to kill the Infant Rabbit. The reason he bothered catching it at all was to obtain a small clump of fur; a key ingredient to make the Incense of Fortune.

    After Ye Qing was gone, Tian Hang and his group emerged back out of the forest and red at the departing Ye Qing. The vicious man asked resentfully, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you order us to take out that boy, Brother Tian? Without his interference, we would¡¯ve caught the Infant Rabbit a second time and killed two birds with one stone!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Brother Tian! We missed a golden opportunity there!¡± The rest of the group echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Shut up, you fools. Do you only think about women and wine? How could you be so dim that you can''t even see what is obvious?¡±

    Tian Hang rebuked them harshly, his honest-looking face warped into a visage of viciousness and cruelty. ¡°The boy had captured the Infant Rabbit without even breaking a sweat, so he must be ate-stage Vessel Augmentor at least, if not higher. Forget you, he could¡¯ve killed all of us if he wanted to!¡±

    ¡°Besides, his servant and his Stranger are obviously extraordinary as well. Why on earth would Imit suicide?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ er¡­¡± The group turned red with embarrassment.

    ¡°Is that it? Are we going to pretend like nothing happened?¡± The vicious man clenched his fists indignantly.

    Tian Hang gave his shoulder a p and let out a cold chuckle. ¡°I never said that!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that the boy is heading toward Maple Leaf Point, and to get to Maple Leaf Point one must pass through the gravesite. That will be our chance!¡±

    ¡°You mean that ce!?¡± Fear shed across the vicious man¡¯s face before it was reced by excitement. ¡°I knew you had everything nned from the start, Brother Tian!¡±

    Tian Hang said seriously, ¡°Mu, there are two qualities all Stranger Hunters must learn in this trade, and they are called caution and patience. Caution is what keeps us alive and prevents us from making mistakes that we cannot recover from, and patience is how youe by opportunities to thrive!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°I spot candlelights ahead of us, young master. I think it belongs to a small vige!¡±

    The world felt a lot quieter and lonelier after the sun set, and the shade of ck in the sky deepened. It was why the glimmers of light looked especially weing. Ye Qing and Faceless had spotted them long before they had gotten close.

    ¡°A vige? I don¡¯t remember there being a vige between Anyang and Maple Point,¡± Ye Qing scratched his forehead in confusion. Was it a new vige?

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s check it out. I would prefer not to sleep out in the wilderness.¡±

    Despite his doubts, the allure of the candlelight ultimately won over his caution. Of course, his decision was founded on the fact that he could kill any Stranger below Hatred-ss in one punch. And if one punch wasn¡¯t enough, then two would do it!

    ¡°Young master, something doesn¡¯t feel right about this vige.¡±

    As it turned out, something <i>was </i>wrong with this vige. Everything had looked normal from afar, but as soon as they entered the vige, the air had suddenly be unbearably cold.

    ¡°Croak croak¡­¡± Kung Fu Frog echoed in agreement while observing its surroundings warily.

    Even Wawa had crawled out of Ye Qing¡¯s hair and cautioned, ¡°Friend, this ce is very dangerous. We should leave!¡±

    ¡°I would agree, but it¡¯s already toote!¡± Ye Qing shook his head and motioned at the exit. The entrance they passed through earlier had disappeared without them noticing. Instead, there was only a thick, imprable fog. Not only that, everything beyond the vige was pitch ck, and something seemed to be wriggling behind the curtain of darkness. He would not be surprised if there actually was a horde of Strangers waiting behind it.

    The vige was very small. Ye Qing counted only a dozen houses or so, and the architecture was your ssic red bricks and ck tiles. He would almost feel at home if it wasn¡¯t for the obvious strangeness around him.

    At the center of the vige was a gigantic locust tree. It was so big that it would take multiple people to hug its trunkpletely. Its massive canopy also stretched over half of the vige. When the wind blew past the leaves, they made this ominous rustling noise that sounded like wailing.

    Faceless asked with a deep frown, ¡°What should we do, young master?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll see when we cross that bridge.¡±

    Faceless immediately seized the opportunity to lick his boots, ¡°Well, young master is as lucky as he is powerful. I¡¯m sure that everything will turn out fine!¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± <i>Because I¡¯m totally going to use you to sweep the minester.</i>

    ¡°Hey look, there are three people over there. Let¡¯s see if they can illuminate us on the situation, shall we?¡±

    Ye Qing took the lead and walked toward the strangers. They were three men sitting around a campfire and seemingly chatting about something.

    The campfire was pretty big, but Ye Qing could not feel the slightest bit of warmth from it even after he had gotten close. The three men seemed to be engrossed in some sort of argument to notice or care about his arrival either. What were they talking about?

    Ye Qing listened patiently until he finally understood what was going on. Long story short, the trio were arguing whose ghost story was scarier. However, their argument was heading nowhere because no one could convince the other person to concede defeat.

    ¡°Good evening, brothers!¡± Ye Qing sped his hand and greeted the trio. Immediately, all three men turned their heads to stare at Ye Qing with nk, lifeless eyes. It was incredibly eerie to say the least. Not only that, red blood started trickling down their cheeks just a few secondster. It was terrifying to put it mildly.

    Ye Qing continued as if he didn¡¯t notice the ghastly sight, however. ¡°Why are you tearing up, brothers? I¡¯ll listen to your stories if you want to. The night¡¯s pretty dreary, and I could use augh!¡±

    Faceless: ¡°...¡±

    Kung Fu Frog: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? Seriously, there¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of!¡± Ye Qing encouraged when he saw that they weren¡¯t saying anything.

    The three men: ¡°...¡±

    A few breathster, one of them finally said in a shrill, ghastly voice, ¡°Tell us! Whose ghost story do you think is the scariest?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing blinked once before asking sincerely, ¡°Can you please repeat your stories? I haven¡¯t heard them yet.¡±

    But another man repeated, ¡°Tell us! Whose ghost story do you think is the scariest?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>I would tell you, if you would actually tell me your heavens damned story! How the hell am I supposed to decide if I haven¡¯t even heard them? And what if it¡¯s actually a love story? Why else would all three of you cry literal tears of blood?</i>

    ¡°Tell us¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell us¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell us¡­¡±

    The trio¡¯s eyes started bleeding much faster when they saw that Ye Qing was silent. Theirplexion turned deathly white, and ck smoke started rising from their bodies.

    ¡°Holy shit! I¡¯ve seen cartoon characters smoking out of their ears because they¡¯re angry, but frustration?¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes and raised his hands in a cating manner. ¡°Calm down, my bros! Violence is not the answer! If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how long have you been arguing about this?¡±

    One man thought for a moment before answering, ¡°A thousand years!¡±

    ¡°A <i>thousand </i>years?¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization, ¡°No wonder you¡¯re frustrated. I would be frustrated too if I were you.¡±

    He knew they might burst into mes if he dilly-dallied any longer, so he let out a cough and said seriously, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you my answer. My answer is¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell us!¡±

    ¡°Tell us!¡±

    ¡°Tell us!¡±

    ¡°... My answer is, none of your ghost stories are as scary as mine!¡±

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ck smoke rising from the men¡¯s bodies weren¡¯t really smoke, but yin energy. And right now, the trio were leaking so much yin energy it was like a forest fire. Besides that, their eyeballs had fallen off their eye sockets, and their faces were beginning to rot as well.

    Ye Qing looked behind him and shot Faceless a wink. ¡°You see this? I haven¡¯t even begun to tell them my ghost story yet, and they¡¯re already so scared that their eyeballs literally popped out of their eye sockets!¡±

    Faceless could only smile helplessly at his young master. The three men, or rather, the three Strangers were clearly dangerous judging from the concentration of their yin energy, and yet Ye Qing was teasing them like the children back at Anyang. Just how confident was he?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, brothers, then listen to my ghost story!¡± Ye Qing looked back at the men and turned serious. ¡°Once upon a time, there were three Strangers who wanted to listen to a ghost story. Then, they died!¡±

    Faceless: ¡°...¡±

    The trio: ¡°...¡±

    The three Strangers finally couldn¡¯t stand the insult any longer and unleashed their full power. Their yin energy was like a tidal wave as they rose to their feet and got ready to jump Ye Qing. But when a scorching wind suddenly blew through the area, they discovered in horror that dark red mes had suddenly ignited inside their bodies. They howled in rage as they tried to fight against it, but it was futile. It wasn¡¯t long before they dissolved into a pile of ashes.

    ¡°What did I tell you? There is no greater fear in this world than death!¡±

    Ye Qing patted away the dust on his pants and climbed to his feet. Smiling, he said, ¡°This vige is more interesting than I thought. Let¡¯s walk around some more and see what else this vige has in store for us. We¡¯re stuck until whatever abnormality is keeping us here is gone anyway.¡±

    Faceless could only shoot Ye Qing an awkward and obsequious smile. <i>I have a feeling that someone is showing off, but I dare not say anything about it!</i>

    The good news was that the trio¡¯s deaths did not make any waves in the vige. It seemed as empty as ever. The group would continue deeper into the vige until they entered a clearing and saw six people gathered under a locust tree for some reason.

    Ye Qing beelined over to the group. He immediately saw a huge cooking pot at the center of the crowd and a huge fire underneath. The boiling oil looked hot enough to burn the flesh off a person¡¯s bones in a matter of seconds.

    A middle-aged man with withered hair, unusually thin body, and beady eyes poured out a bunch of coins from his pouch and tossed them into the pot. Then, he stuck his bare hand into the cooking pot, fished out a single coin, and showed it off proudly to the crowd while asking, ¡°Is there anyone here who would dare to copy me? You¡¯ll get a reward if you seed!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± A young man dered and stepped forward. He rolled up his sleeves, stuck his arm into the cooking pot, and tried to search for a coin as quickly as possible. However, he cried out in pain in just a matter of seconds and tried to withdraw his arm. The boiling oil seemed to possess some sort of mysterious power, however. No matter how hard he struggled, he was unable to pull away from the pot.

    Eventually, the young man ran out of strength and tried to catch a breather. It was at this moment the oil suddenly pulled him into the pot in one fell swoop! He screamed in pain and tried to escape, but what chance did he have when he couldn¡¯t even pull his arm free at the beginning? Inevitably, he burned to death and turned as ck as charcoal.

    ¡°Man, that is surely one of the worst ways to die!¡± Ye Qing shook his head sympathetically. Not even Xiao Yang had it this bad when he boiled to death on the Mountain of Riddles.

    The gambler swept his gaze across the crowd and let out a daring chuckle. Then, he dug out an eyeball and tossed it into the pot. Blood streamed down his face profusely, but it was like he couldn¡¯t feel the pain at all. Ten breathster, he stuck his hand back into the cooking pot and fished out his eyeball. After showing it to the crowd to prove that it was real, he plugged it right back into his eye socket. Ye Qing could tell that he was perfectly fine.

 Chapter 131: True Love

    <h4>Chapter 131: True Love</h4>

    ¡°Is there anyone who¡¯d dare to emte me?¡± The gambler yelled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± An old man with white hair and beard stepped out of the crowd.

    ¡°...¡± <i>Are these people stupid or suicidal? Wait, can a ghost even die? Hmm¡­</i>

    By now, Ye Qing had figured out that every single one of these vigers was a yin soul of sorts. The old man walked up to the cooking pot, dug out his eyeballs, and tossed it into the pot. The eyeball turned golden brown and even let out a fragrant scent almost immediately. Knowing he didn¡¯t have much time, the old man tried to fish out his eyeball before it could sink to the bottom.

    Something worse happened, however: his eyeballs had charred and melted into the oil in just the blink of an eye, never to be found again.

    ¡°My eyeball! My eyeball!¡± The old man wailed. He saw what had happened, but he refused to believe that his eyeball was gone. He kept fishing inside the pot until his arm had crumbled away as well. Still unwilling to give up, he stuck his left arm into the oil, then his upper torso, then his lower torso. Just like that, the old man waspletely gone.

    After that, Ye Qing was treated to a horror show that one could never find in a human society. The man would proceed to challenge his fellow ghosts to scoop their ear, their nose, their tongue, their head and so on from the cooking pot, and they all just went with it. It was an eye-opening experience to put it mildly.

    Despite the variety, there was one thing that never changed. The gambler never lost a single game, and the losers were all cooking inside the cooking pot!

    Inevitably, the gambler walked up to Ye Qing and challenged, ¡°Would you like to bet with me, youngster?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and asked a reasonable question, ¡°Can I say no?¡±

    The second he said this, a terrifying amount of yin qi rolled out of the gambler¡¯s body. The faces of the deceased yin souls also pressed out of the boiling oil to re hatefully at Ye Qing. It looked like they would attack him all at once if he refused, and frankly it was a little scary.

    ¡°Fine, fine, since you invited me so passionately, it would be ungracious of me to say no.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°However, you¡¯re only betting your coins, your eyeballs, your head and whatever. Frankly, the stakes aren¡¯t nearly high enough to pique my interest. Do you want to raise the stakes?¡±

    ¡°Raise the stakes?¡± The gambler was caught off guard. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°What I mean is that you¡¯re only betting one part of your body such as your hands, your ears, your eyeballs and so on. Instead, why don¡¯t we bet our whole body? Let¡¯s bet who can stay under the oil the longest!¡±

    Faceless: ¡°...¡± <i>That¡¯s one way to raise the stakes alright.</i>

    ¡°Why not?¡± The gambler let out a confident chuckle. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then let¡¯s go for it!¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his hands excitedly. ¡°Since you¡¯re such a good sport, it¡¯s only right that I reciprocate. You may make the first move!¡±

    The gambler: ¡°...¡± <i>I don¡¯t think you get how reciprocation works.</i>

    Ye Qing grinned confidently. ¡°This is for your own good, brother. You¡¯ll never win if I go first!¡±

    Faceless hurriedly echoed in agreement, ¡°Yeah! My young master is the greatest gambler of them all!¡±

    The gambler had to resist the urge to facepalm. Just how shameless could this pair of master and servant be?

    In the end, the gambler agreed. He had been ¡°taking the first turn¡± the entire time anyway, so what was one more? He leaped into the air and dove into the pot like a professional diver.

    ¡°<i>Magnifico!</i>¡± Ye Qing yelled the only Italian word he knew, grabbed a massive stone b from nearby, and mmed it over the pot in the blink of an eye.

    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!</i>

    The gambler struggled with all his might as a matter of course. In fact, Ye Qing could tell through his spirit that the cooking pot itself was attempting to push the b away or break it in half. Unfortunately for them, Ye Qing¡¯s strength was at the level of a dragon elephant¡±, so their struggle was about as useful as a breeze.

    When they thumpings became weak and useless, Ye Qing pushed both the b and the cooking pot beneath it all the way into the ground. Once done, he pped his hands in satisfaction and said, ¡°What did I tell you? You should¡¯ve made that first move count, brother! Also, gambling is bad for yourself and others!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Facelessughed dryly. Hell hath no fury like a shameless, brutal bastard!

    They stepped around the big locust tree and continued down the road. This time, Ye Qing saw an old woman with a wrinkled face and gray hair sharpening an iron stick at a three-way junction. To be more specific, she was sharpening an unusually huge iron stick that was as thick as a bowl and over three meters long.

    The iron stick was pitch ck, dense, and shiny even in the darkness. It had to weigh twenty-five to thirty kilograms at least, a weight that even a young, fitd would be hardpressed to carry. The old woman seemed to have no problem with it, however. She was grinding it against a whetstone the size of a millstone and sending sparks everywhere. She almost looked¡­ cool, assuming that she was an allusion to that famous folklore [1].

    There was a strange song mixed within the screeches of metal as well. It sang in a shrill, mocking voice,

    ¡°A granny lost her needle,

    So she took an iron stick to make a new needle.

    Eeeee screeched the iron,

    Aaaaa squealed the whetstone,

    Day after day,

    Year after year!

    But the stick never shrank,

    Nor did it grow thin.

    Day after day,

    Year after year!

    The granny¡¯s shoes are torn,

    Her hat is ripped,

    And her clothes are covered in holes,

    But the stick never shrank,

    Nor did it grow thin.

    Foolish old granny!

    Foolish old granny!

    Hehehehahahahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose curiously, ¡°It sounds better than I expected!¡±

    When Ye Qing got closer, he realized that the song wasing from the iron stick itself. As if on cue, the old woman looked up at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Tell me, young man. Do you think I can grind this iron stick into a needle?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled and nodded firmly. ¡°As long as your kung fu is up to par, who says you cannot grind an iron stick into a needle? You can do it, granny!¡±

    ¡°Kakaka¡­ you have a sweet mouth, young man!¡± The old woman let out a strange cackle that literally sounded like a million crows cawing at the same time. It was extremely noisy and unpleasant to hear.

    Faceless and Kung Fu Frog immediately covered their ears and staggered away from the old woman, proving that the cackle wasn¡¯t as harmless as it seemed. However, Ye Qing continued to smile as if he couldn¡¯t feel the sound attack at all.

    Speaking of smiles, the old woman¡¯s mouth kept widening until her cheeks split apart and revealed rows and rows of sharp teeth. It was incredibly unsettling to look at.

    ¡°But young man, I¡¯ve been grinding this stick for one thousand and two hundred years, and I still wasn¡¯t able to make a needle. Would you happen to know a solution?¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡±

    The extraordinarily unkind and malicious-sounding ¡°do you¡±s didn¡¯te from the old woman. It came from inside the iron stick.

    Ye Qing pretended not to hear the voice and thought for a couple of seconds. Then, he pped his hands and dered, ¡°I got it!¡±

    ¡°How? Please, tell us!¡± Both the old woman and the entity inside the iron stick asked in unison.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°It¡¯s simple. You just need to beg me.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± The old woman could not understand what he meant.

    ¡°If you beg me properly, then I¡¯ll grind that stick into a needle for you!¡± Ye Qing rified.

    Finally realizing that Ye Qing was toying with her, the old woman flew into a rage, ¡°How dare you make fun of me!¡±

    The old woman¡¯s upper and lower jaw smashed together and sent sparks flying all over the ce. The iron stick in her hands was vibrating ominously as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not though.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m serious! Or are you so jaded that you don¡¯t believe I can do it? I can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t want to be helped, man.¡±

    The moment the enraged old woman opened her mouth to say something, Ye Qing immediately punched her in the mouth. She bit down on his arm expecting to taste his juicy flesh and blood, but instead her sharp teeth broke into smithereens. The next second, she let out a bloodcurdling scream and disappeared as the Burning Wind consumed her from the inside out.

    The battle wasn¡¯t over yet though. The three meter long iron stick let out a loud ¡°Aaaaaaaaaahh!¡± and attempted to bash Ye Qing¡¯s brain in. However, he easily caught it with both hands before shifting his grip to the center of the stick. It couldn¡¯t break free no matter how hard it struggled. Ye Qing then squeezed it as hard as he could without snapping it in half before he started pulling toward both ends of the stick and rubbing it in a circr motion.

    Sparks flew everywhere as entire chunks of metal were rubbed off the stick¡¯s body. The entity possessing the iron stick let out a howl so terrible that it would¡¯ve chilled even the most hardened man to the core. Ye Qing paid no attention to it, however. He just kept rubbing the stick until it had finally been reduced to a sewing needle.

    ¡°See? I told you I could do it. It¡¯s really not that difficult!¡± Ye Qing admired his creation for a bit before shaking his head with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s too bad you¡¯re too impulsive, granny! You would have loved to see it!¡±

    Ye Qing then looked at Faceless and advised, ¡°Remember this, Faceless. Impulse is the devil, and you must never sumb to it.¡±

    Faceless let out a dryugh. <i>I wonder. I¡¯m pretty sure the real devil is standing in front of me!</i>

    With that done, Ye Qing stored the sewing needle in his Nature¡¯s Shell. The Stranger inside the sewing needle wasn¡¯t dead yet, so it was technically a Strange Artifact. He could probably sell it for money if he wanted to.

    /p>

    <i>Thump thump!</i>

    This time, the vige did not wait for him to stumble upon its next horror. The cheerful, celebratory sounds of drums and suonas quickly filled the air.

    Ye Qing listened for a moment before muttering, ¡°It sounds like a wedding parade.¡±

    Before he could finish, another musical parade broke out from the other end of the vige. However, this one sounded sad and mournful.

    ¡°And that¡¯s¡­ a funeral procession.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what expression to make to say the least. It wasn¡¯t everyday that a wedding parade and a funeral procession happened at the exact same time!

    Both music grew louder and clearer over time. It would seem that both processions were headed toward the vige center.

    ¡°Are they going to sh?¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but smirk at the idea. ¡°It would be fun if they did!¡±

    His prediction was spot on. Not longter, both processions encountered one another under the massive locust tree. The music ceased abruptly as they came to a standstill, leaving only eerie silence.

    On one side, the people conducting the wedding procession were wearing auspicious colors such as red and green. Everyone looked happy and cheerful. The man leading in front of the wedding procession was dressed in wedding garments and riding a white horse. He was obviously the groom. However, his face looked blurry from Ye Qing¡¯s perspective probably because the angle was bad, and the moonlight was somewhat blinding.

    On the other side, everyone in the funeral procession was dressed in white and wearing white bands around their hands. Their expressions were dark and gloomy. At the center of the procession were eight people carrying a ck coffin. What was strange was that a big red flower was tied to the center of the coffin, and the ‡Ö [2] word was taped to both sides of the coffin.

    Finally, the person leading the procession was carrying a memorial tablet. The upper edges of the memorial tablet was covered in red cloth and the word ‡Ö as well. The center of the tablet read: ¡°In Memory of Guo Yuniang¡±.

    ¡°A ghost marriage?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. The deceased was clearly a woman judging from the name on the memorial tablet, and a real funeral procession would not have red flowers and ‡Ö words on the coffin and the memorial tablet. Therefore, this was most likely a ghost marriage, one between a living groom and a dead bride. Now he understood why the two processions had met each other at the center of the vige.

    For obvious reasons, ghost marriages were incredibly rare.

    <i>Guo Yuniang¡¯s corpse isn¡¯t actually in that coffin¡­ right?</i> Ye Qing thought, but there was no other exnation. This groom was so infatuated with the woman that he would go so far as to bring her corpse with him. <i>It¡¯s gotta be true love!</i>

    1. It¡¯s a story about a granny trying to grind an iron stick into a needle, and Li Bai taking it as a moral lesson to never falter if a task seems impossible ??

    2. meaning double happiness/luck/fortune etc. ??

    Also some memes. Tell me if its too jarring.

 Chapter 132: Yin Locust Tree

    <h4>Chapter 132: Yin Locust Tree</h4>

    Suddenly, Wawa crawled out of his hair and stared at the groom on the white horse for a bit. Then, she said in puzzlement, ¡°Hmm? Hey friend, the groom looks exactly the same as you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing turned serious. He knew that Wawa was no ordinary Stranger. She was a pure soul who could see what most people couldn¡¯t see. When he looked up to check out the groom¡¯s face once more, the groom turned around to stare at him as well!

    Ye Qing shivered. As Wawa said, the groom looked a lot like him. Scratch that, he looked exactly the same as him. Even his gaze was a mirror reflection of his.

    It was at this moment a familiar grin spread across the groom¡¯s face. Ye Qing nked out for second, and the next thing he knew, he was sitting on the white horse. He had be the groom himself.

    ¡°Please wee the bride, groom!¡± The matchmaker, an old woman, said loudly.

    Ye Qing slowly got off the horse and walked up to the coffin. He didn¡¯t feel in control of himself.

    ¡°Please kick the coffin, groom!¡± The matchmaker yelled again.

    Once again, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t stop himself from kicking the coffin. <i>Seriously? I know it¡¯s tradition to kick the carriage to symbolise having wed one¡¯s beautiful bride, but a coffin? My dear dead bride is totally going toe back to life and haunt me, isn¡¯t she?</i>

    ¡°Please carry the bride, groom!¡± The matchmaker yelled a third time, and the coffin lid opened on its own. Then, the woman wearing a bridal dress and a red veil over her face sat up without warning.

    If he ignored the bride¡¯s deathly pale hands, her bony stature, and the suspicious scent permeating the air, he could see that she was quite the beautiful woman in life. But right here and now, the only thing Ye Qing felt was goosebumps!

    ¡°Please carry the bride, groom!¡± The matchmaker yelled again when she saw that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t moving.

    Ye Qing swallowed. He wanted to carry the bride and get it over with as well, but his legs just refused to listen to him!

    When it became apparent that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to move, the bride slowly floated out of her coffin andnded behind his back. Then, a pair of unblemished arms slithered down his shoulders and wrapped around his neck.

    <i>Wow, you¡¯re a bold woman, ain¡¯tcha?</i> Ye Qing thought to himself. To say that the bride felt cold would be an understatement. He felt like he was carrying a block of ice.

    ¡°Please carry the bride home, groom!¡± The matchmaker barked a new order.

    <i>This is my second life, but I haven¡¯t tried carrying a bride before. This should be interesting!</i> Thought Ye Qing as he began walking. However, the longer he walked, the colder and heavier the bride became. Eventually, he felt like he wasn¡¯t carrying a block of ice, but a mountain.

    It wasn¡¯t just a feeling. If Ye Qing could look behind him, he would notice that he wasn¡¯t carrying not one, but a mountain of ghosts. She was apanied by a mountain of ghosts. The ghosts were stacked on top of each other until they reached all the way to the top. When they could not go any higher, they spread out to the surroundings like branches and leaves. From a distance, it almost looked like Ye Qing was carrying a gigantic tree.

    Ye Qing was hunchbacked at this point. Every time he took a step, his feet would sink deeper into the ground. His surroundings were covered in a thickyer of frost as well.

    ¡°Do you not love me anymore, husband? Or are you having second thoughts about marrying me? If not, why are you walking slower and slower?¡±

    Ye Qing had just pulled his feet out of the earth when Guo Yuniang whispered beside his ear. At the same time, he felt her icy cold arms slowly tightening around his neck as if she would strangle him if she did not like his answer.

    What Ye Qing really wanted to say was, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re way too heavy, woman!¡± But he was pretty sure his health would be in grave danger if he answered honestly. Instead, he said, ¡°Of course I love you, dear! I love you to death!¡± <i>Literally, since you know, you¡¯re already dead?</i>

    ¡°If you really love me, will you stay with me until the end of time?¡±

    As it turned out, his answer didn¡¯t really matter. Guo Yuniang continued to tighten her arm around his neck until there was no doubt that she was strangling him. Ye Qing could not seem to feel it, however. He answered, ¡°Sure!¡± and continued forward.

    Guo Yuniang sounded extremely pleased with his answer. ¡°Good, good! Yuniang will stay with you forever, husband. We will never be separated from each other!¡± She then draped her head over his shoulder and tightened her arms with everything she got.

    If Ye Qing died, then they would truly be together forever.

    One breath passed¡­

    Three breaths passed¡­

    Five breaths¡­

    Ten breaths¡­

    Guo Yuniang¡¯s smile slowly stiffened because the man she was trying to strangle waspletely fine. Not only that, cracks were slowly appearing across her arms because she was using too much strength.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t stop! I¡¯ve never had a neck massage before, but this is morefortable than I thought!¡± Ye Qing joked while cracking his neck. ¡°If you¡¯re done, then it¡¯s my turn now!¡±

    Ye Qing very, very slowly raised his right leg so he wouldn¡¯t identally topple over from the sheer amount of weight on his back. At the same time, the ground began shaking unnaturally almost as if it was afraid!

    After he had raised his foot about three inches into the air, he brought it down and caused the ground to undte outward like a piece of fabric. Every house in the vige copsed when the ¡°wave¡± passed under them. At the same time, his hunched back abruptly straightened not unlike a drawn bow that was released, or a spring that had bounced back to its original shape. The mountain of ghosts behind his back were tossed straight in the sky, and his spine was as straight as an arrow once more.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been carrying this whole time? No wonder it was so heavy!¡± Ye Qingmented when he turned around and saw the ghosts. He then assumed a stance and threw a punch at them.

    <i>¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±</i>

    The Burning Wind washed over the mountain of ghosts. Like a sand castle that was struck by a tidal wave, the ghosts disappeared like they never were.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad I didn¡¯t actually get to marry my bride. I haven¡¯t even seen her face yet,¡± Ye Qing sighed wistfully.

    After the ghosts were destroyed, the red suit he was wearing abruptly vanished into nothing, and Faceless, Kung Fu Frog, and his donkey reappeared on the road looking dazed and confused. The trio had suddenly disappeared when he reced the groom, and it looked like they had no idea what just happened.

    <i>Rustle rustle¡­</i>

    A cool breeze blew through the area, and the giant locust tree at the center of the ruined vige swayed a little to the wind. Then, without any warning whatsoever, the tree suddenly reached out toward Ye Qing with its branches and roots. It moved so silently that not even Faceless and the others noticed anything amiss!

    The branches and roots were less than a meter away from Ye Qing when he suddenly turned around and grinned at the locust tree. ¡°Hehe! I knew it was your doing from the start, Yin Locust Tree!¡±

    As if embarrassed that their true colors were revealed, the branches and roots moved toward Ye Qing even faster than before. In response, the Astral Refiner simply executed another Cloud Vaporization Style punch and turned it all into ash.

    Ye Qing dashed forward and approached the Yin Locust Tree¡¯s main body at high speed. He then mmed his fist straight against its tree trunk.

    The Yin Locust Tree was incredibly huge. Ye Qing looked like an antpared to it, and his punch seemed just as futile. However, countless faces suddenly pressed out of the branches and leaves and howled on top of their lungs as if they were in abject pain. Some of the faces looked very familiar as well. Ye Qing saw the three men who were arguing whose ghost story was better, the gambler, the groom on the white horse, the bride in the coffin and more.

    The next moment, dark red mes and Burning Wind poured out of their orifices and consumed them all. Just a dozen or so breathster, the entire tree had burned into ash.

    ¡°You¡¯re free now!¡± Ye Qing said with a smile. The unnatural fog and darkness trapping the whole vige slowly vanished into nothing, and the moon and the stars suddenly appeared in the sky as if an invisible veil had been removed. The light painted a dreamlike scene that was both picturesque and freeing.

    The clear moonlight illuminated their surroundings as clear as day. They had never been inside a vige. It was a gravesite filled with haphazardly erected gravestones and even unburied bones all along.

    Ye Qing and hispanions were standing at the center of the gravesite. There was also a pile of ashes in front of him. If he had to guess, it was most likely the ash of the Yin Locust Tree.

    ¡°What on earth was that thing, young master?¡± Faceless asked.

    Everything had returned to normal after that locust tree had burned into ashes. Clearly, it was the mastermind behind it all.

    /p>

    Ye Qing scooped up a pinch of ashes as he answered, ¡°That tree is a Hatred-ss Stranger called the Yin Locust Tree. The Yin Locust Tree is only born in and of great yin, which is why it ismonly spotted in gravesites and battlefields.¡±

    ¡°In and of itself, the Yin Locust Tree is pretty weak. However, it can absorb the yin energy of the dead and create all kinds of minions such as Yin Souls, Zombies and the like. A Yin Locust Tree that has reached the height of its power is far, far stronger than your average Hatred-ss Stranger. In fact, it is a match for some Soulstealer-ss Strangers.¡±

    Faceless nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah. Every single ghost we encountered earlier is at least a Malice-ss Stranger. The ghost bride might even be a Hatred-ss Stranger.¡±

    Ye Qing continued, ¡°That said, the Yin Locust Tree¡¯s birth condition is too strict, and it takes a long time to reach its full power. Even if that isn¡¯t the case, its true body is incredibly fragile. That is why it is only ssified as a Hatred-ss Stranger.¡±

    ¡°I get it now. Thanks for the lesson, young master!¡± Faceless hurriedly served up apliment.

    Ye Qing nodded and said, ¡°If you¡¯re ready, then I want you to collect the Yin Locust Tree¡¯s ashes and store them properly!¡±

    ¡°Huh? But why?¡± Faceless looked confused.

    ¡°Just do it.¡±

    The ash of the Yin Locust Tree was a key ingredient in making the Incense of Sickness. It was why Ye Qing had deliberately left the ashes behind.

    ¡°Yes, young master!¡± Faceless replied affirmatively and scooped all the ashes into a y bottle. He handed the bottle over to Ye Qing after he was done.

    After Ye Qing had put the bottle in his Nature¡¯s Shell, Faceless asked another question, ¡°So, should we continue our journey, or should we stay here for the night?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°We¡¯re staying, of course. This was the Yin Locust Tree¡¯s territory until we came through. Now that it¡¯s gone, this ce is practically a safe zone for the moment. Besides that, I¡¯m expecting some guests.¡±

    Guests who should¡¯ve known better and left when they still had the chance!

 Chapter 133: A Moment of Tranquility

    <h4>Chapter 133: A Moment of Tranquility</h4>

    ¡°Can we hurry up, Brother Tian? What if someone else ims our mark before us?¡±

    Tian Hang and his group had been moving at a slow and steady pace toward the gravesite. Mu, the vicious man who wanted to kill Ye Qing earlier, was urging Tian Hang to move faster after finally losing his patience.

    Tian Hang nced at Mu coldly. ¡°What did I tell you yesterday? A Stranger Hunter must always be patient and careful! If not, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they die! If you can¡¯t even do something so simple, then you might as well go back to your home and till the soil! At least you¡¯d still be alive then!¡±

    Mu visibly flinched and put on an obsequious smile to appease his leader. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be mad, Brother Tian. I¡¯m just worried that they¡¯ll get away, you know?¡± It was clear that he was terrified of the man.

    Tian Hang snorted. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. The gravesite appears at night and vanishes in the morning. If we get there too early, there¡¯s a chance we might be pulled into it. Do you know how dangerous that is? Forget robbing the guy, it¡¯d be a miracle if even one of us manages to make it out alive!¡±

    ¡°At our current pace, the sun should just be rising when we get to the gravesite, so we would be safe. If the boy died, then all is well. If not, he should still be exhausted enough that we can defeat him with ease!¡±

    ¡°Brother Tian is wise!¡±

    ¡°Brother Tian is so awesome he can n ten steps ahead!¡±

    Tian Hao chided them goodnaturedly, ¡°Enough, you bootlickers. We¡¯re getting close, so get ready. I expect all of you to pull your weight if that boy somehow survived the gravesite.¡±

    Mu snorted in disdain. ¡°There is such a thing as over-worrying, Brother Tian. That gravesite is so dangerous that I¡¯ve never heard of anyone walking out of it alive.¡±

    Tian Hang smiled. ¡°Perhaps, but one should always be prepared for the worst. It is the only way you can lead a good life in this world.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t forget, Brother Tian!¡± Everyone responded affirmatively.

    As Tian Hang had predicted, the sun rose just as they got to the gravesite. Its warm rays pierced through the heavens, chased away the darkness, and illuminated the world once more.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Mu was leading the way when suddenly, he cried out in surprise, ¡°Brother Tian, look! That locust tree is gone!¡±

    Tian Hang stepped forward and gazed into the distance. ¡°Huh. It really is gone. What happened here?¡±

    ¡°And that boy is right over there, Brother Tian! But¡­ huh? He really is still alive! But he¡¯s lying on the ground and breathing very lightly. He must be badly injured or near death already!¡±

    Mu¡¯s eyes lit up when he glimpsed Ye Qing in the middle of the gravesite and sensed his faint breathing. He immediately took off while yelling, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill that boy right now, Brother Tian!¡±

    ¡°Come back, Mu!¡± Tian Hang nched, but it was already toote. He muttered ¡°dumbass¡± under his breath before waving for the others to follow, ¡°Let¡¯s go, boys! Be careful!¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯sing, young master!¡± Beside Ye Qing, Faceless opened his eyes and shot Tian Hang¡¯s group a nce. ¡°It¡¯s the Stranger Hunters from yesterday, and they do not look friendly. Should I take them out?¡±

    /p>

    ¡°Those greedy bastards. I knew they would show up,¡± Ye Qing sighed. Tian Hang thought they were unnoticed when they hid in the forest yesterday, but his spirit was far greater than they could imagine. He could even tell that they were watching him with unfriendly eyes. It was then he knew then that they were plotting something heinous against him.

    After they ran into the Yin Locust Tree, he quickly figured out that the Stranger Hunters were hoping that the Stranger would kill him or severely wound him at least. That way, they would be able to take advantage and profit from his dead body.

    <i>I saved them, and their way of repaying me is to kill me. This world.</i>

    ¡°Go!¡± Ye Qing waved. ¡°No need to hold back!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe! Don¡¯t worry, young master. You have my word that their deaths would be painless!¡± Faceless let out an evil cackle and slowly made his way toward the Stranger Hunters.

    ¡°Get out of my way if you want to live, you decrepit thing!¡± Mu yelled in disdain when he saw Faceless walking toward him.

    Instead of getting angry, the Stranger Faceless replied with a polite smile, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. My young master has ordered me to entertain you and your friends. Without further ado¡­¡±

    As soon as Faceless said this, Mu abruptly froze in his tracks. Then, his eyes, his nose, his mouth and his ears slowly vanished into nothing. He hit the ground with a thump and died just like that.

    ¡°Mu! Watch out, everyone!¡± Tian Hang turned pale and cried out a warning when he saw this. The rest of the group hurriedly drew their weapons and spread out. However, they didn¡¯t even manage to get close to Faceless when suddenly they felt a strange energy invading their bodies. The next thing they knew, their faces slowly started disappearing as well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see! I can¡¯t see! My eyes!¡±

    ¡°My nose! I can¡¯t feel my nose! Brother Tian, help!¡±

    ¡°Mm! Mmmmmm!¡±

    Everyone was screaming in terror and running their hands over their own faces as if the gesture would somehow prevent their facial features from vanishing. But of course, it was no use.

    Out of everyone present, Tian Hang was the only one who managed to stop the unnatural power from killing him. Even so, the fact didn¡¯t bring him anyfort at all. Everyone in their group was a Vessel Augmentor, and three were middle-stage Vessel Augmentors. No one was a newbie either. So how did everything go wrong so fast?

    When they had chosen toe after Ye Qing, Tian Hang was certain that the worst that could happen was a death or two; practically par for the course for Stranger Hunters. Instead, everyone had died in just a scant few seconds. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the boy didn¡¯t even look injured or tired from the night¡¯s ordeal. It was clear he was ready for them as well.

    <i>It was a trap!</i>

    The sandpiper and m war together, and the fisherman catches both. That was what should have happened, except that the sandpiper was really a flesh-eating monster, and after devouring the m it waited for the fisherman to show up so it could eat him as well. To say that Tian Hang was terrified and dismal would be an understatement. If the servant alone was enough to wipe them out, he could only imagine how strong the boy was!

    <i>Flee! I need to flee!</i>

    Tian Hang turned around and fled immediately. If he waited a few seconds longer, he worried that he would never get the opportunity to worry again. As for revenge, the thought had never even crossed his mind. Death was a constant in this line of work, and the risks were often as high as the rewards, if not higher. If the Stranger Hunter came through, then the rewards could transform their lives forever. If not, then they would die like the rest. The only one to me if that happened was themselves.

    s, Tian Hang had only managed a few steps when he felt a hot wind blowing past his face. The next thing he knew, his blood began boiling, his internal organs started charring, and a raging bonfire suddenly ignited inside his head. His mind felt like it was on fire.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh!¡± The pain was so bad that Tian Hang could not help but let out a scream. When he did, dark red mes shot straight out of his mouth. His pores began to leak dark red mes as well.

    As Tian Hang burst into mes, he hit the ground with a soft thud. A few breathster, all that was left was a pile of ash that was quickly scattered by the wind.

    ¡°I could¡¯ve taken him, young master!¡± Faceless turned around and said. It was the truth. Tian Hang wasn¡¯t weak, but there was little chance he would be able to defeat Faceless.

    Ye Qing shot him azy smile. ¡°You could, but it would¡¯ve taken too long. I¡¯d rather end it now so we can get to our destination as soon as possible.¡±

    Faceless pped his own head in disbelief and chagrin. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I almost forgot about it! The shame, the shame! Please forgive me, young master! Next time, I swear I¡¯ll prioritize your time and business like I value my own life!¡±

    Faceless had always been a bootlicker, but this was a tad too far even for Kung Fu Frog, who had gotten used to his antics at this point. It rolled its beady eyes and croaked disdainfully at the Stranger.

    In response, Faceless puffed up his chest and dered, ¡°How can you say that, Brother Frog? I¡¯m not trying to butter up the young master. I only speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! What do you say, Wawa?¡±

    Wawa was currently sitting on Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder. She made a face at Faceless and booed him, ¡°Shameless bootlicker!¡±

    Faceless sighed thematically, ¡°I suppose it was too much to expect the sparrow and the swallow to know the dream of the great swan! A shame!¡±

    Ye Qing interrupted suddenly, ¡°Now I¡¯m curious. What is your dream, Faceless?¡±

    Faceless couldn¡¯t say that his dream was to rebel against his master and beat his sorry ass, of course. He let out a good-natured chuckle and answered, ¡°My dream is to serve you as your most faithful servant, and that you will live as long as the heavens themselves, of course!¡±

    Ye Qing shot him a nomittal smile and stared at the rising sun to the east. He said quietly, ¡°I don¡¯t need eternal life. I just want to live my life happily and peacefully.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    And so they resumed their journey on the peaceful, earthly road while the sun was still warm.

    ¡­¡­

    The reason Maple Leaf Point was called the Maple Leaf Point was because it was situated inside a red maple forest. The leaves turned as red as fire when autumn came, and they were even more beautiful than the red flowers in February. It would not be wrong to say that they were a symbol of humanity¡¯s prosperity and passion.

    The river running through Maple Leaf Point was called the Luo Shui River. It passed through twomanderies, Luo Shui and Feng Yang, and dozens of viges. Without exaggeration, it had spawned over tens of thousands of acres of fertilend and provided a near endless source of aquatic food. Naturally, it was a center of trade and businesses as well. It was even called the ¡°ribbon of jade that wraps around the Land of Heavens, and produces more goods than Shendu itself¡±.

    The ¡°Land of Heavens¡± in the line was referring to Luo Shui, themandery famed for its aquatic food, rice, andmerce. Once a traveler had gotten to Maple Leaf Point, they could travel all the way to Luo Shui by boat.

    Although Maple Leaf Point was just a ferry terminal, it was as big as a vige and much more prosperous than the likes of August Hill Vige. It even had a small garrison to defend its denizens from threats.

    Unfortunately,? this meant that its entry inspection was extremely stringent. Even with the badge he received from the Anyang Pacification Bureau, Ye Qing still had to undergo a detailed interrogation and special registration before he was finally allowed into the terminal. It was mostly because he brought three Strangers with him.

    Faceless wasn¡¯t afraid of being found out because of his transformation ability and the Invisible Cicada, but Kung Fu Frog and Wawa did not have such luxury. There were plenty of warriors who used Strangers inbat, or wealthy people who kept pet Strangers in this world, so Stranger servants and pets were hardly umon. Chu couldn¡¯t exactly enforce a realm-wide ban on such practices either.

    To make up for this, the imperial court decreed that everyone who wished to bring a Stranger or two with them on their travels or raise a pet Stranger must subject themselves to careful scrutiny and registration. This was to prevent Strangers from controlling a human to infiltrate a human settlement, or to prevent <i>humans</i> from using their Strangers to wreak havoc to their surroundings. Every time there was a supernatural incident, these people were usually the first ones to be investigated as well.

    The good news was that the badge was useful, and the guards were perfectly respectful with him. After hepleted the processes as per the rules demanded, he was let into Maple Leaf Point without any fanfare.

    Ye Qing did not linger after entering Maple Leaf Point. He went straight to the ferry terminal just in time to catch a tower ship that was bound for Luo Shui.

    The tower ship was called Cloud Mountain, and it was just as big as its name might suggest. Thirty meters long, thirteen meters wide, and twenty-six meters tall, it resembled a small mountain. Silver clouds were engraved into various parts of the ship such as the hull, the bow, the four-storey tower, the deck and more to give it a mystical and elegant, noble and exquisite appearance as well.

    Ye Qing had just set foot on the ship when a ship steward named Qian greeted him. The steward¡¯s smile grew wider when he took note of the group¡¯s appearance. As a general rule, people who brought Strangers with them should be treated respectfully, and Ye Qing was almost certainly no one to be trifled with.

 Chapter 134: I Have Money

    <h4>Chapter 134: I Have Money</h4>

    Steward Qian began exining to Ye Qing, ¡°There are three types of lodgings in Cloud Mountain, esteemed guests. The economical lodging offers a bunk room that you will share with up to ten people at the same time. Of course, the bunk room is perfectly clean, and the beddings are all new.¡±

    ¡°The standard lodging offers a standard room that you will share with three people at a time. Although you¡¯ll all be living in the same room, it has three separate fully-furnished bedrooms. You may not interact with your roommates at all if that is your wish.¡±

    ¡°The premium lodging offers a private room that belongs to you and you alone. Not only that, ites in eight different styles, namely plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo; spring, summer, fall and winter. It is your choice which style you want your room to be. We want to ensure that you are perfectlyfortable during your time with us.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, esteemed guests who stay in our premium lodgings are offered the option to hire a private housekeeper. Your food and beverages will bepletely free as well.¡±

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°Sounds great. Which room would you rmend I stay in, Steward Qian?¡±

    Steward Qian smiled. ¡°You, your servant, and your pets are going to take up a lot of space, but it would be very inconvenient for you to stay in a bunk room. Your pets especially are going to cause rm among your bunkmates. Therefore, I would suggest that you choose the standard lodging or the premium lodging.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°How much do they cost?¡±

    Steward Qian answered, ¡°The standard lodging costs five silvers. If you wish to reserve the whole room, then you will have to pay ten silvers instead. The premium lodging costs fifteen silvers.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen silvers? That is crazy expensive!¡± Ye Qing gasped. He already knew that Cloud Mountain¡¯s lodgings were going to be expensive, but he was still surprised when he heard Steward Qian¡¯s answer. Fifteen silvers were enough for an ordinary household to livefortably for over half a year.

    ¡°If the premium lodging is too much for you, then¡ª¡± Steward Qian thought Ye Qing couldn¡¯t afford the premium lodging because of his reaction. He was just about to offer him the standard lodging when Ye Qing interrupted him and said,

    ¡°I choose the premium lodging!¡±

    ¡°As you¡ªhuh? Excuse me?¡± Steward Qian thought he was mishearing things.

    Ye Qing tilted his head at his reaction. ¡°What? It is an option, isn¡¯t it? Or are you afraid that I can¡¯t afford it?

    Steward Qian smiled awkwardly. That was exactly what he thought, but he didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud as a matter of course.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s true that I think that your prices are expensive, but that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t afford it. I have a couple hundred silvers in my purse, so you can be rest assured that I¡¯m not trying to swindle you or whatever.¡±

    He was telling the truth. He had taken over the Iron Shirt Gang and robbed the Zheng n, the Shen n and the Li n. Not including the Pacification Bureau, the only major power in Anyang that he hadn¡¯t robbed was Qiao Six, so he was filthy rich to say the least. Fifteen silvers were nothing to him.

    ¡°Wonderful! I shall make the preparations immediately. By the way, did you know that you''re an incredibly lucky man? There is exactly one premium room left.¡±

    Delighted, Steward Qian was just about to lead Ye Qing to his room when suddenly, a cunning-looking middle-aged man with a hook mustache blocked his path. He said, ¡°Excuse me, Qian Yong, but I¡¯ve already reserved thest premium room for my guest. You should find another room.¡±

    The guest the middle-aged man spoke off was a suspicious-looking man wearing a ck robe and a hood that covered up most of his face. His appearance was gloomy enough, but nothing was more gloomy than the literal coffin he carried behind his back. The coffin looked like it was forged from metal, but it was dark and unreflective. It was as if it was consuming all the light that shone its way. It looked dark and gloomy, enigmatic and sinister.

    ¡°It¡¯s already reserved? Why am I not aware of this, Jiang Shan?¡± Qian Yong asked with a puzzled expression.

    Jiang Shan sneered. ¡°And what does your ignorance have anything to do with me?¡±

    Qian Yong¡¯s expression turned a little ugly, but he swallowed his displeasure and said, ¡°I would know if a room has already been reserved. Let us bring this up with the chief steward.¡±

    The corners of Jiang Shan¡¯s lips immediately curled down as he rebuked Qian Yong, ¡°I gave you face, Qian Yong! You¡¯re the one who decided to throw it away. Do you think you can bear the consequences of obstructing <i>my </i>guest¡¯s registration?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you shut your mouth!¡± Qian Yong replied rather weakly despite his beet redplexion. Jiang Shan was a distant nephew of the chief steward, which was why everyone on Cloud Mountain tolerated him and gave him special treatment to a certain extent. Unfortunately, this made Jiang Shan bossy and domineering to the point where he no longer hesitated to steal their business from right under their nose. It was their own fault, but it was far toote to correct that mistake.

    Jiang Shan hmphed loudly as he red at Qian Yong, ¡°This is yourst warning, Qian Yong. Let this go, or I swear you will regret this!¡±

    Qian Yong shuddered as the blood drained away from his face. He was angry and indignant, but he knew that the temporary ecstasy he would feel for standing up to Jiang Shan wasn¡¯t worth the consequences. So, he turned back to Ye Qing and said, ¡°My apologies, esteemed guest, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, steward! Just leave this to me!¡±

    Ye Qing patted Qian Yong on the shoulder before stepping forward and smirking evilly at Jiang Shan. ¡°Steward Jiang, is it? I don¡¯t know what gave you this impression, but you seem to think that I am somehow <i>less esteemed </i>than your dear guest. You im Steward Qian can¡¯t bear the consequences of obstructing your guest¡¯s registration, but has it crossed your mind that the same also applies to <i>me</i>?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t a meddlesome person by nature. If Jiang Shan had spoken nicely, he would¡¯ve given up the premium room without fanfare and stayed in a standard room instead. He wasn¡¯t a pampered young master who couldn¡¯t stand anything but the highest quality anyway. Heck, he had slept in an abandoned temple that was haunted by literal man-eating women not long ago. What was that meme again? If it fits, he sleeps!

    But Jiang Shan¡¯s attitude was just unbearable. It was one thing if he lorded over his colleagues only, but his attitude also extended to their customers. Did his daddy never teach him that there were people out there he couldn¡¯t afford to offend?

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re just a poor schr! Like the likes of you can do anything against me!¡± Jian Shan snorted in disdain. ¡°Now get lost, or I¡¯ll¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay twenty silvers for the premium room.¡±

    It was at this moment Jiang Shan¡¯s mysterious customer stepped into the argument. His voice was cold, dark and emotionless as if everything in the world was beneath his notice.

    Jiang Shan was surprised by the interruption, but he quickly looked over to Ye Qing and raised his head arrogantly. ¡°You heard that, <i>schr</i>? Twenty silvers. Do you think you can afford that?¡±

    ¡°Thirty silvers,¡± and a smile was Ye Qing¡¯s response. <i>You think you¡¯re made of money? What a coincidence! So am I!</i>

    Jiang Shan¡¯s smile immediately stiffened.

    The mysterious man didn¡¯t seem displeased or angered by Ye Qing¡¯s retaliation, however. He responded in his icy voice, ¡°Forty.¡±

    ¡°Fifty.¡±

    ¡°Sixty.¡±

    ¡°Seventy.¡± One thing Ye Qing learned in his previous life was that bluffing was a powerful weapon. So what if you didn¡¯t actually have the money in your pockets? If you could convince your opponent into believing that you were a million bucks, then you were, essentially, a million bucks. Even better, he wasn¡¯t even bluffing this time!

    ¡°Eighty,¡± the mysterious man was still upping the price, but this time he was two breaths slower. It was clear he needed to think if he could really afford it.

    ¡°Ny!¡± Ye Qing answered without hesitation. <i>Good! This is my win!</i>

    This time, the mysterious man hesitated for a long time before he finally said, ¡°One hundred!¡±

    ¡°Most impressive, brother!¡± Ye Qing abruptlyplimented the guy and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°The room is yours!¡±

    Qian Yong: ¡°...¡±

    Jiang Shan: ¡°...¡±

    The mysterious man: ¡°...¡±

    A long timeter, the mysterious man finally squeezed out an incredulous question, ¡°W¡­ Why did you stop?¡±

    Ye Qing tilted his head in confusion. ¡°You must have a heck of a reason to be willing to pay a hundred silvers to get this room, which is why I decided to be the better man this time. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    The mysterious man¡¯s mouth twitched under his hood. <i>I wouldn¡¯t mind it if you chose </i>not to <i>be the better man though!</i>

    ¡°Also, it¡¯ll take two days at most to go from here to Luo Shui. Worst case scenario, I could just find a random floor and meditate until the ride is over. I¡¯d rather spend a hundred silvers on a high-ss restaurant in Luo Shui than a room that I¡¯ll be leaving in two days. What, do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    ¡°...¡± The mysterious man¡¯s arms shook under his sleeves. <i>He¡¯s definitely calling me stupid in a roundabout fashion. You sonuvabitch. I don¡¯t even know you, and you screw me over like this? I might be well-off, but I¡¯m not </i>that <i>well-off that I could afford to fuel a forge with silver! Is it toote to change my mind?</i>

    ¡°You paid a hundred silvers for this room, so you first, brother!¡± Ye Qing goaded and stepped aside to let Jiang Shan and the mysterious man through.

    p>

    Seeing that the argument was over, Jiang Shan also let out a cough and beckoned, ¡°This way please, esteemed guest!¡± He then led the way toward the upper floors where the premium rooms were located.

    The mysterious man wasn¡¯t done with Ye Qing though. When he was walking past Ye Qing, he ¡°identally¡± bumped his shoulder against Ye Qing¡¯s. It looked as harmless as a breeze, and the contact hadsted only for an instant. However, when the duo were three or four steps apart from each other, the entire ship abruptly sank a meter into the water as if a mountain had suddenly sat on it. It was so forceful that it kicked up a massive wave that was at least dozens of meters tall. The passengers, the crew and everyone else aboard the ship were all crying out in surprise.

    It was at this moment cloud-shaped runes appeared around the ship. Like a calming breeze, it neutralized the unknown force and returned everything back to normal.

    ¡°Huh? Did I just sense a sh aboard the ship?¡±

    Inside a luxurious room, a thin but healthy-looking middle-aged man with a long beard suddenly opened his eyes. ¡°What powerful auras. They¡¯re both Astral Refiners. Thank goodness they¡¯re only sounding each other out, or my Cloud Mountain would¡¯ve suffered serious damage!¡±

    In a differently-styled but equally luxurious room, a woman was ying her yaoqin when she sensed the sh as well. Her fingers paused, and a hundred flowers suddenly bloomed inside the room.

    ¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t expecting to see him here!¡± The woman said smilingly before resuming her y once more. The resonant plucks of her strings slowly washed away the beautiful flowers until everything had returned back to normal. It was almost as if the flowers were a desert mirage or a reflection of the moon.

    The two of them weren¡¯t the only ones who noticed the sh. Every warrior aboard the ship had noticed the sudden outburst of power, and their reactions were fairly mixed. There were people who were surprised, wary, afraid, disdainful and more.

    Ironically, the two people who had caused themotion in the first ce simply gave each other a nod and continued on their way. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

    The mysterious man sent Jiang Shan away after he was led to his room. After the steward was gone, he abruptly let out a violent cough that caused a small amount of blood to trickle down his lips.

    ¡°An Astral Refiner¡­ and not just any Astral Refiner either!¡±

    He had wanted to teach the young man a lesson, but it turned out to be a big mistake. Like an ant trying to topple a mountain, the only one hurt in the collision was himself. His energy had rebounded and damaged his own internal organs. <i>Man, I am so unlucky today.</i>

    The mysterious man¡¯s face turned increasingly pale as he coughed a couple times more. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t dilly-dally any longer, he immediately assumed a meditative stance and channeled his energy. Wisps of dark energy started flying out of the coffin and into his body. Some timeter, his aura finally returned to normal.

    A few breathster, the mysterious man finally opened his eyes and allowed himself to think once more. <i>That Astral Refiner is incredibly young too. I should recognize him, but I don¡¯t. Is he a genius from a major n or something?</i>

    You can practically hear Xu Banren''s internal scream when Ye Qing suddenly left the negotiation table.

 Chapter 135: The Hundred Mouth Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Hundred Mouth Dragon</h4>

    ¡°I knew he was an Astral Refiner. He¡¯s pretty strong too!¡± Ye Qing muttered under his breath while massaging his slightly sore shoulder. The mysterious man probably possessed some sort of Strange Artifact that allowed him to hide his aura or cultivation level, because he wasn¡¯t able to tell until they bumped shoulders with one another.

    He had only used fifty percent of his strength because it was one thing to teach someone a lesson, and another to hit them with a full-powered attack. Despite this, he could tell that the mysterious man was injured by his retaliation. It wasn¡¯t a serious injury, but it certainly wasn¡¯t something he could just ignore either.

    ¡°I wonder how he¡¯s feeling right now, paying a hundred silvers for a single room <i>and </i>getting schooled by the very guy who screwed him over, hehe!¡±

    ¡°Esteemed guest? Did you say something?¡± Qian Yong asked curiously.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Please get me a standard room, Steward Qian. Of course, I¡¯ll be reserving the whole thing!¡±

    ¡°As you wish, esteemed guest! Please, follow me!¡± Qian Yong smiled back. He was grateful that Ye Qing was willing to stand up for him, so he quickly led Ye Qing to his room and did his best to amodate him.

    After everything was ready, Qian Yong said, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave now, esteemed guest. I hope you¡¯ll enjoy your stay with us. In the meantime, do not hesitate to seek me out for anything!¡±

    ¡°I will. Thanks, Steward Qian!¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you, esteemed guest, not to mention that it is my duty to serve. See youter!¡± Qian Yong saluted him and left after that.

    ¡°Brother Frog, Wawa, Faceless, feel free to catch some rest. I¡¯m going to train for a bit!¡± Ye Qing told hispanions before he started practicing the Cloud Vaporization Style once more.

    Training was very important. Without training, not even the most talented person in the world could be proficient in anything. This was especially true when it came to fist martial arts.

    Since he had grasped the basics of applying the Cloud Vaporization Style inbat, it was time to master the little details such as weight, speed, movement, control, power and so on. Everything must be honed into perfection, and he must know his moves so well that it was practically second instinct. Only then could he unleash the Cloud Vaporization Style¡¯s full potential all the time.

    Right now, he was still a long, long way from reaching that ideal state. That was why he must train as often as he could. Besides that, practicing the Cloud Vaporization Style could temper his astral qi. Once he had fully mastered the Burning Wind, he would use the Blood Jade Lotus to refine his astral qi and enter thete stage of the Astral Refinement stage in one go.

    Finally, he was training like his life depended on it because it did. He could not rest easy until Sunset Hill and Wang Luori were dealt with. Sure, the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau would keep him safe, but even they could not protect him forever. In the end, the only one he could truly rely on was himself.

    The foghorn sounded, and the Cloud Mountain began cutting through the waves. Soon, it was speeding toward a foreign and unfamiliarnd.

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing spent the entire morning practicing the Cloud Vaporization Style in his room. It was a fulfilling and peaceful experience.

    ¡°Friend! Look!¡±

    He had just finished going through the motions for the nth time and was enjoying a cup of wine when Wawa caught his attention. He turned around and saw the Book Sprite lying on top of the window sill and shouting excitedly at something outside.

    Ye Qing walked over to her and looked outside the window. He immediately saw a school of big fishes with translucent wings riding the waves kicked up by Cloud Mountain and jumping in and out of the water. Sometimes, they jumped so high and far that it almost looked like they were flying. The fact that their wings glittered like rainbows under the sunlight only made the scene even more picturesque.

    ¡°These fishes are so big and beautiful! Wawa loves them!¡± The young girl squealed with joy and pped her hands.

    Ye Qing leaned on top of the window sill with a smile as he exined, ¡°This fish is called the Wavechaser. Despite being a Red-ss Stranger, it is perfectly harmless and enjoys nothing more than to ride the waves.¡±

    ¡°We should go to the deck for a better view. It would look even more impressive if they formed a fish tide!¡± Ye Qing beckoned Wawa and started toward the exit.

    Still pping her hands in excitement, Wawa immediately leaped over to Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder and cried, ¡°Okay!¡± She was so happy that her eyes were curved like crescents.

    There were a lot of people on the deck when they got there. Clearly, they hade to watch the Wavechasers as well. It was at this moment someone shouted, ¡°Here theye!¡±

    Ye Qing looked. Countless Wavechasers hade together to form a tidal wave behind Cloud Mountain, chasing after its waves. When they finally reached the ship¡¯s sides, they leaped into the air, unfolded their wings, and cut through the air like living rainbows for several seconds before falling back into the river. They would repeat this feat again and again as if they were tireless. It was a colorful, picturesque scene straight out of a dream.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s magnificent!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is real!¡±

    The scenery was so fantastical that it almost felt insulting that the crowd could only muster simple words to describe it. But then again, did it really need to be fanciful? Sometimes, simple was the best.

    Unfortunately, the good moment didn¡¯tst. Out of seemingly nowhere, gaping maws with rows and rows of sharp teeth suddenly appeared on the river surface. Not only were they everywhere, they were at least thirty meters wide in diameter. Caught off guard, the tidal wave of Wavechasers had no choice but to fall right on top of them!

    This wasn¡¯t a kid-friendly show where certain details were fudged or cut out, or the camera would conveniently move out of the way right before a gruesome scene would take ce. Everyone who was watching the scenery be it young, old, male or female was treated to the horrific sight of the maws chewing up the helpless fishes until this entire section of the river ran red. It was brutal and unbearable to look at.

    ¡°Aaaahhh!¡± Many timid people screamed at the sight. Some were even covering up their eyes. This was just the beginning, however.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    After the maws had eaten every Wavechaser around the ship, the river suddenly exploded and kicked up a massive wave that was at least tens of meters tall. It was as if a giant had suddenly burst through the water surface.

    The wave crashed against the Cloud Mountain¡¯s hull and shook it heavily, causing some people to fall over their feet. The good news was that the ship¡¯s defenses came alive and blocked the wave. The bad news was that everyone was staring in a certain direction with wide eyes and gaping mouths. Something had captured their attention fully, and that something was, of course, a Stranger.

    The Stranger resembled a giant worm. Its body was as thick as a millstone, and the part suspended above the waters alone was over fifty meters long. It was also covered in colorful, bowl-sized scales that glittered ominously under the sun and formed mysterious patterns that looked like the huge maws that devoured the Wavechasers.

    <i>Ooooooooooh¡­</i>

    A loud, unspeakable noise resounded from inside the worm Stranger¡¯s body. It sounded like an angry roar. The next second, the mysterious patterns abruptly spread open into big, toothy maws. The Stranger roared again, and this time the maws joined in as well. It was loud enough to deafen the ears, and its breath smelled so bad it was a surprise no one fainted from it.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s a S-S-Stranger! RUN!¡± Someone finally shouted and jolted the stupefied crowd from their daze. Panicked screams filled the air as everyone started running in every direction. It was utter chaos.

    Suddenly, a middle-aged man appeared on the deck. He looked thin but healthy. He yelled, ¡°Calm down, people! Calm down! This Stranger is not strong enough to break through Cloud Mountain¡¯s defenses!¡±

    At the same time, an invisible energy spread throughout the deck and separated the people from one another. It was just in time to prevent the people from causing a stampede and injuring one another. Moreover, the middle-aged man¡¯s voice was gentle, kind, and seemingly infused with some sort of calming power. Slowly but surely, the crowd calmed down somewhat.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    It was at this moment the worm Stranger swooped down from above in an attempt to strike Cloud Mountain¡¯s side like a battering ram. The cloud engravings covering the ship immediately lit up and conjured what looked like a sea of clouds around the ship. For a moment, it looked as if Cloud Mountain was riding the clouds.

    The worm Stranger managed to sink a few meters deep when it struck the clouds, but a tremendous force sent its whole body flying through the air. It caused a gigantic ssh when it finally crashed back into the river.

    ¡°I am the chief steward of Cloud Mountain, Jiang Yuzhen. You have my word that this Stranger won''t be able to hurt us!¡±

    Jiang Yuzhen rxed after the worm Stranger was bounced away and added, ¡°Cloud Mountain is protected by one hundred and eight Profound Cloud Restrictions, a restriction that is excellent for defense. At full strength, it can block a full-powered attack from any Stranger below the Soulstealer-ss, so please, be at ease!¡±

    Some of the passengers looked convinced by Jiang Yuzhen¡¯s assurance, but Ye Qing only shook his head. ¡°Is he joking?¡±

    As if on cue, the tower ship started shaking violently as the worm Stranger reappeared from the waters and crossed over the ship to the other side. It would repeat this another three times like a python that was wrapping around its prey. Once it was ready, it began squeezing the ship while releasing filthy, most likely corrosive breath from its many maws. Slowly but surely, the surrounding clouds began straining under the pressure.

    Jiang Yuzhen¡¯s expression immediately turned ugly. As the one controlling the ship, he could clearly feel how much pressure the Profound Cloud Restrictions were under. The corrosive breath especially had corrupted the restrictions and made them far less potent than they would be otherwise.

    <i>I just told everyone that they would be safe!</i>

    Before Jiang Yuzhen could muster a response, the worm Stranger abruptly exerted its full strength and destroyed many Profound Cloud Restrictions.

    ¡°Dammit!¡± Jiang Yuzhen cursed. Knowing he had no time to waste, he immediately flew into the sky and summoned a whip to his hand. The whip looked firm, flexible, andpletely useless in this situation. But when the chief steward swung the weapon, it conjured countless transparent whips and water threads that wrapped around the worm Strangers like chains.

    The worm Stranger roared furiously and struggled with all its might, but it was unable to break free for a time.

    ¡°That¡¯s the inferior-grade astral qi, Soft Water!¡± Ye Qing eximed in recognition. The ship was shaking violently from the sh of powers, but his feet were firmly rooted to the floor.

    Soft Water was an inferior-grade astral qi and the embodiment of the softness of water. Out of all the types of water astral qi out there, it was the softest and most flexible of them all. Its flexibility could defeat brute strength if applied properly, and it could transform into a million things depending on the warrior¡¯s skill and imagination.

    Although Soft Water was unsuited for offense, it was extraordinarily capable in terms of defense and control. It was why the worm Stranger couldn¡¯t break free even though the watery chains keeping it pinned might look as thin as threads.

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough though!¡± Ye Qing sighed. Jiang Yuzhen¡¯s skill in water maniption was incredibly impressive, but he was only an early-stage Astral Refiner.

    The worm Stranger was a Hatred-ss Stranger called the Hundred Mouth Dragon. Despite its name, it was really a kind of earthworm that was usually born in rivers. As massive as it was strong, its body was covered in huge maws filled with rows and rows of sharp teeth. Obviously, it was carnivorous.

    The Hundred Mouth Dragon was also as tenacious as an earthworm. It would live even if it was cut into two or more parts.

    The Hundred Mouth Dragon was one of the stronger Hatred-ss Strangers among its peers. Not only that, it was twenty to thirty percent stronger in water than it was onnd. Jiang Yuzhen wasn¡¯t weak, but there was little chance he would be able to defeat the Stranger by himself.

 Chapter 136: Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 136: Nightmare</h4>

    What happened next did not exceed Ye Qing¡¯s expectations. The Hundred Mouth Dragon visibly gathered its strength, opened its maws, and let out a mighty roar. At the same time, its body grew bigger than before. The watery chains immediately snapped inch by inch.

    ¡°Pwack!¡± Jiang Yuzhen spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and turned as pale as a sheet. While he struggled to soothe his damaged energy, the enraged Hundred Mouth Dragon squeezed even harder around the ship. The hull began to break little by little.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Jian Yuzhen¡¯s eyes flickered with regret and despair. The passengers had long since lost their cool and were running all over the ce like headless chickens. But where could they run, when even jumping off the ship wasn¡¯t an option? The Strangers lurking in the river would consume them long before they reached the shore.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop it, young master?¡± Faceless asked Ye Qing in a hushed voice. The Stranger had rushed to Ye Qing¡¯s side a while ago.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Not yet. Backup should arrive any moment now!¡±

    Before he even finished saying this, a man wearing a ck robe and a hood appeared in the sky. He was none other than the mysterious man from before.

    Floating above the Hundred Mouth Dragon, the mysterious man brought his hand down and conjured a massive gray palm. His hand had turned grayish ck as well. The attack hit the Hundred Mouth Dragon squarely on the body and pressed it back into the water.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    Of course, the Stranger wasn¡¯t going to go down so easily. The next second, it burst out of the river and pounced toward the mysterious man.

    The mysterious man hmphed as thick corpse energy seeped out of his body, and his limbs gradually stiffened as if he was actually turning into a corpse. The next moment, he raised his stiff right arm and met the Hundred Mouth Dragon¡¯s charge with his own fist.

    Logically speaking, the mysterious man should have turned into a star in the sky. In reality, it was the Hundred Mouth Dragon whose head was crushed like a watermelon, spilling blood and gore everywhere. Not only that, his corpse energy quickly spread from the wound to the rest of the Stranger¡¯s body, dyeing it grayish ck and robbing it of its vitality. The flesh and blood that had rottedpletely automatically fell off the Hundred Mouth Dragon¡¯s body and sank into the blue waters.

    ¡°The Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi¡­¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little when he identified the mysterious man¡¯s astral qi.

    The Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi was one of the best average grade astral qis out there. Normally found in wastnds where all life had perished, anyone who made contact with it would immediately start rotting and dying at an exponential rate. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, it could inflict its victims with Corpse Poison as well. It was why the Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi was considered the equal of some superior grade astral qis in terms of potency.

    Unfortunately, the Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi was a double-edged sword. A warrior who cultivated the Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi would gradually be corrupted by the astral qi and lose their humanity in every sense of the word. Their vitality would die, their flesh and blood would stiffen, and even their personality would gradually take on a darker tone. Those who were weak-willed could even be taken over by their own astral qi and transformed into a zombie, a ghoul, or other simr Strangers who knew nothing but ughter.

    Thankfully, the mysterious man was anything but weak-willed. Ye Qing could tell that his core hadn¡¯t changed despite cultivating such an insidious astral qi because one, he didn¡¯t go overboard when he was testing him out yesterday, and two, he had stepped forward to battle against the Hundred Mouth Dragon even though he could¡¯ve stayed out of it.

    He might be a little slow probably because of his astral qi, but he was definitely a good person.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    Back to the battle, the Hundred Mouth Dragon let out a furious roar and tried spitting its corrosive breath after taking a tremendous amount of damage, but the mysterious man easily canceled it with a single punch.

    His limbs looked stiff, and his fighting style was one-note. He was basically throwing straight punch after straight punch at the Hundred Mouth Dragon. However, it was enough to push back the Stranger again and again.

    Unfortunately, the Hundred Mouth Dragon was a tenacious being. Not only was it still alive, its retaliation was growing more violent by the second.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing called out via sound transmission, ¡°Brother, the Hundred Mouth Dragon is like an earthworm! You can break it into a million segments, and it¡¯s still going to survive unless you hit it in its weak point!¡±

    The mysterious man was slow, but he wasn¡¯t a bad person. That was enough for Ye Qing to lend him a hand.

    The mysterious man visibly slowed down and nced at Ye Qing¡¯s direction. It was clear that he had heard his voice. His hands hadn¡¯t stopped, but he was clearly waiting for Ye Qing to say his piece.

    Ye Qing continued, ¡°To kill a snake, one should hit it seven inches from its head. It¡¯s because that¡¯s where its heart is located. As it happens, the Hundred Mouth Dragon¡¯s weakness is its seventh mouth. Destroy it, and it will cease to be.¡±

    ¡°Hundred Mouth Dragon? The seventh mouth?¡± The mysterious man slowly processed the information. The Hundred Mouth Dragon must be the name of the Stranger it was fighting, and the seventh mouth¡­ The mysterious man started counting down from its head, and as expected, he noticed something strange about its seventh mouth.

    Every other mouth on the Hundred Mouth Dragon¡¯s body was agape, but its seventh mouth was only half-open almost as if it was afraid to get hurt. It was confirmation that the Stranger¡¯s weakness was, indeed, its seventh mouth.

    Choosing to believe in Ye Qing¡¯s words,the mysterious man took one step forward and appeared on the river surface where the seventh mouth was in the blink of an eye. Then, he punched it with his full power.

    For the first time, the Hundred Mouth Dragon let out a panicked roar and tried to twist out of the way. Although the mysterious man¡¯s movements were stiff, his speed was apletely different story. The punchnded squarely on its target and ripped it in half. This time, it neither regenerated nor continued its mad attacks like before. It was over.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing disappeared from the deck and reappeared at the spot where the Hundred Mouth Dragon had split apart. He grabbed something from its severed torso and returned to the deck just as quickly as before.

    Ye Qing had moved so fast that no one except the mysterious man, Jiang Yuzhen and a handful others even noticed his movement, and even they couldn¡¯t capture his movements perfectly or figure out what he took from the Hundred Mouth Dragon¡¯s body. Not that it mattered. Even if the item he took turned out to be exceedingly valuable, his one move had made it clear that he was no one to be trifled with.

    After the Hundred Mouth Dragon was dead, and the mysterious man had returned to the ship, Jiang Yuzhen hurriedly went over to him. ¡°On behalf of everyone on the ship, thank you so much for saving our lives, senior!¡±

    The mysterious man replied coldly, ¡°Your thanks is unnecessary. Jiang Shan helped me, so I¡¯m just repaying the favor. With this, my debt is settled.¡±

    He then pointed at Ye Qing and added, ¡°Also, the one you should really be thanking is him, not me!¡±

    Jiang Yuzhen did not understand why¡ªhe hadn¡¯t heard the silent conversation between Ye Qing and the mysterious man¡ªbut he still went over to Ye Qing to thank him. The young man looked like an extraordinary person anyway, so there was no harm making his acquaintance whatsoever.

    Before Jiang Yuzhen could say anything, Ye Qing said smilingly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already received mypensation.¡±

    He was telling the truth. The Hundred Mouth Dragon was a tenacious bastard, so it wasn¡¯t immediately dead even after taking a fatal strike to its weak spot. That was when Ye Qing stole its exposed galldder away. The galldder was the Hundred Mouth Dragon¡¯s true weakness; the beating heart of a monster that didn¡¯t possess a true heart. It was only then the Stranger truly died.

    The Hundred Mouth Dragon¡¯s galldder was extremely valuable. It was a potent medicine that could strengthen one¡¯s vigor and body. Not only that, scoring thest hit hadted him a silver dragon-serpent rune as well, so Ye Qing had essentially killed two birds with one stone.

    Ye Qing then looked at the mysterious man and asked, ¡°My name is Ye Qing, and my moniker is Joyless. May I know your name, brother?¡±

    The mysterious man hesitated, but not because he didn¡¯t want to tell Ye Qing his name. He just seemed ufortable with social situations in general. A whileter, he finally said, ¡°My name is Xu Banren. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Brother Ye!¡±

    He turned around and left after saying that.

    ¡°Xu Banren? He¡¯s Halfman Xu!¡± Jiang Yuzhen eximed in surprise when he put two and two together.

    Ye Qing asked curiously, ¡°Halfman Xu? Is he famous?¡±

    Jiang Yuzhen told Ye Qing everything he knew. ¡°Xu Banren is an Astral Refiner and a Lieutenant of the Pacification Bureau. Although he is withdrawn and unsociable, he is famed for his strength and has in many Hatred-ss Strangers singlehandedly. In Luo Shui, everyone calls him Halfman Xu.¡±

    ¡°I see! I didn¡¯t realize he¡¯s a colleague!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose in relief. Thank goodness he hadn¡¯t gone <i>too </i>overboard during their first meeting, or else¡­ ¡°Halfman Xu, eh? That¡¯s a pretty cool moniker!¡±

    Jiang Yuzhen: ¡°...¡± <i>Are you sure? Because it sure sounds more like an insult to me. And it would be an insult if he isn¡¯t as strong as he is¡­</i>

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then I shan¡¯t keep you from your duties any longer, Steward Jiang. See youter!¡± Ye Qing waved him goodbye and left just like that.

    ¡°See youter, Warrior Ye!¡± Jiang Yuzhen really wanted to curry favor with Ye Qing, but the ship had just survived a Stranger attack. If he, the chief steward, did not assuage his passengers¡¯ fears as soon as possible, then Cloud Mountain¡¯s reputation would suffer for sure. So, he had no choice but to leave and perform his duties.

    Ye Qing immediately resumed his training after returning to his room. The sky may fall, but training must never stop. Cloud Mountain would continue to encounter more Strangers during their voyage, but thankfully, none were nearly as malicious or deadly as the Hundred Mouth Dragon.

    Night soon fell, and everyone was feeling tired after the day¡¯s excitement. It wasn¡¯t long before the passengers returned to their rooms and fell into a deep slumber.

    For a time, everything was quiet and peaceful. The only sound that could be heard was the river sloshing in the background. It was almost dreamlike.

    Suddenly, a cool breeze blew through the air and caused some ripples. Then a curtain of fog gently draped over the waters and added a mysterious and dreamlike quality to the night sky.

    The unexpected phenomenon was supposed to make the night even more pleasant, but the sleeping faces of the passengers on Cloud Mountain suddenly grew ufortable. Their expressions looked fearful, and beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads as if they were experiencing a nightmare.

    What was really strange, however, was the fact that not a single one of them was able to wake up from the nightmare!

    In his room, Ye Qing was sleeping soundly when his eyebrows suddenly twitched imperceptibly. It was because he was being chased by a rabbit inside his dream. No, the rabbit was neither a normal rabbit nor a bunny girl. Instead, it was the Arnold Schwarzenegger of all rabbits! Not only was it taller and bigger than him in every way, it was also a kung fu rabbit! Although he was an Astral Refiner, the rabbit had easily beaten him blue and ck without being able to resist whatsoever with its Mad Rabbit Fist! That was why he was running for his life right now!

    Even in this strange, new world, Ye Qing reckoned that he was the first person ever to be hunted by a rabbit. No one would ever believe it if he told them.

    Ye Qing knew he was dreaming because the higher a warrior¡¯s cultivation was, the greater their control over their essence, qi and spirit would be. That was how he was able to distinguish the difference between dream and reality. Strangely, he wasn¡¯t able to wake up even though he was fully aware, and he was done getting his ass kicked by a kung fu rabbit since practically the beginning.

    ¡°No. No. Something¡¯s wrong! This must be some sort of mental attack!¡±

    His fear seemed to fuel the kung fu rabbit¡¯s growth, because the greater his fear, the stronger the kung fu rabbit became. Not only that, his surroundings kept growing more and more bizarre as he ran. He had seen a battlefield of corpses, scarecrows that ate hearts, dolls with wicked grins on their faces, flying rivers with mountains covered in giant maws growing out of their waters and more.

    ¡°I need to wake up now!¡±

    He had a strong inkling that this nightmare would never end so long as he was still asleep. Worst case scenario, he would be stuck in this nightmare until he died!

 Chapter 137: Fog of Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 137: Fog of Nightmare</h4>

    <i>"Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±</i>

    Having realized what was happening to him, Ye Qing immediately visualized the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method. The majestic image of Emperor Fuxi appeared inside his dream at once and unleashed an incredible amount of light. It was like he was the sun itself.

    <i>Rumble¡­</i>

    As if crushed by an invisible power, the bizarre, monstrous dream that had trapped Ye Qing¡¯s consciousness abruptly shattered into a million pieces. The next moment, Ye Qing opened his eyes and realized he was back in his room, eyes still glowing white with power.

    ¡°Huh? Why is there so much fog?¡± The first thing Ye Qing noticed after waking up was a thick white fog shrouding his whole room.

    ¡°Is this the source of that strange nightmare?¡± He tried probing the fog with his spirit, but it felt? just like a normal fog would.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡±

    It was at this moment a loud scream came from Wawa¡¯s room. He immediately dashed over to see what was going on.

    As soon as Wawa saw him, she immediately flew over to his shoulder and hugged him tightly. She sobbed, ¡°Friend, friend! A really, really, really big worm wanted to eat me! I¡¯m so scared! Uuuu¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve already squashed the big worm, so don¡¯t be scared!¡± Ye Qing consoled her, though he was surprised that she was able to wake up on her own. He reckoned that it was because Wawa was really a book, and her mind was pure and simple. That was why the nightmare couldn¡¯t really entrap her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check up on Kung Fu Frog and Faceless!¡± Ye Qing dered and went over to hispanions¡¯ room in an instant, thinking that there was also the possibility that the nightmare only affected humans. He was wrong. Faceless and Kung Fu Frog¡¯s faces were contorted in fear, and their entire bodies were drenched in cold sweat. They were even rolling back and forth as if trying to shake themselves awake. Unfortunately, it was no use.

    Ye Qing tried calling out to their minds with his spirit, but nothing happened. He couldn¡¯t help but frown deeply. ¡°What on earth is going on here?¡±

    ¡°I should ask the Annon Sutra!¡± When in doubt, just ask the Annon Sutra!

    Ye Qing encountered a small problem when he was attempting to cut his finger though. It had been a while since he used the Strange Artifact, so it was only now he realized that his body had be too resilient. He literally could not cut his finger even with the sharpest tool he could find. Eventually, he had no choice but to punch himself in the chest and spray out a mouthful of blood.

    His blood wriggled atop the vellum for a bit before slowly disappearing. Soon, the familiar blood text surfaced once more.

    <i>¡°I had encountered a strange incident while traveling to Luo Shui. Everyone on Cloud Mountain had fallen into a nightmare, from which they could not awaken.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I managed to avoid the same fate thanks to the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method, but I do not know who or what is behind this nightmare.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Perhaps I should observe the fog closer. Something doesn¡¯t feel right about it!¡±</i>

    ¡°The fog?¡± Ye Qing withdrew the Annon Sutra and frowned. The fog was the first thing he suspected since waking up, but he hadn¡¯t discovered anything strange about it. Was he mistaken?

    Suddenly, Ye Qing looked toward the exit. ¡°Someone¡¯s awake!?¡± He could feel someone exiting his room and appearing on the deck. Not only that, he was someone he had just recently gotten acquainted with. It was none other than Xu Banren.

    ¡°He¡¯s awake too?¡± Ye Qing immediately chased after the guy.

    As soon as he appeared on the deck, Xu Banren turned around to face him. Ye Qing greeted him first, ¡°You had a nightmare too, Brother Xu?¡±

    Xu Banren hummed affirmatively before asking, ¡°You too?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not just me, my two friends are having a nightmare as well. However, they wouldn¡¯t wake up no matter what I did. If I¡¯m not mistaken, everyone besides the two of us are trapped in a nightmare as well.¡±

    Xu Banren looked surprised. He hade out because he noticed something odd, but he wasn¡¯t expecting everyone on the ship to be trapped in a nightmare as well. At the same time, he was curious how Ye Qing managed to wake up from the nightmare. He seeded only thanks to his coffin, but what about Ye Qing?

    Xu Banren didn¡¯t say anything though. He was, by nature, not a very curious person, and this was hardly the time to indulge in his curiosity.

    ¡°Brother Xu, you¡¯re a Lieutenant of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, right? Do you know what Stranger this is?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Caught off guard, Xu Banren grew wary and stared at ye Qing with cold eyes. He did not answer his question.

    Realizing why Xu Banren was acting like this, he quickly exined, ¡°You misunderstood me, Brother Xu. Jiang Yuzhen is the one who told me about you!¡±

    Xu Banren was still silent, but most of the wariness in his eyes vanished after he heard Ye Qing¡¯s answer. He fell into thought for a good few minutes before he finally shook his head. ¡°I do not know.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned deeply. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. I have a feeling that something bad would happen if we cannot wake everyone up as soon as possible!¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡± Xu Banren¡¯s tone was still icy, but now there was a tinge of severity in it as well. ¡°Have you found anything yet, Brother Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing purposely looked out to the thick fog shrouding the river and mused out loud, ¡°I think something¡¯s not right with this fog!¡±

    ¡°The fog?¡± Xu Banren followed his gaze and fell into deep thought. Just when Ye Qing thought he would turn into a pest and ask a million questions, Xu Banren raised his fist andunched a mighty punch at the fog.

    The Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi swept through the river and stirred up the waters like crazy. It should¡¯ve been more than powerful enough to dispel the fogpletely, but it didn¡¯t. More urately, the fog had rolled back into the clear space after just a short while.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Something is wrong with this fog!¡± Xu Banren confirmed and withdrew his fist.

    Ye Qing blinked and swallowed his justification back down his throat. As expected of Halfman Xu, his tactic was simple yet effective!

    ¡°So, did <i>you</i> find anything, Brother Xu?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°No.¡±

    <i>Fuck, I feel like Ipletely wasted my time there, </i>Ye Qing thought as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. In the end, the only one he could rely on was himself.

    Ye Qing closed his eyes and spread out his spirit in every direction like the wind. He was trying to see if there was anything unusual around them. There were bad news and worse news. The bad news was that he couldn¡¯t sense anything unusual whatsoever. The worse news was that this made no sense, because even the shores werepletely devoid of activity. He couldn¡¯t hear any Stranger, people, animals, or even insects! It was the entire world had fallen dead!

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    In the end, Ye Qing withdrew his spirit without anything to show. A wave of fatigue washed over him as he rubbed his forehead.

    So, the fog was strange. But how was it strange, and what could he do about it?

    This was the first time he encountered a Stranger that he had absolutely no idea how to deal with. What a conundrum!

    ¡°What do we do, Brother Ye?¡± Xu Banren asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be asking you that!¡± This time, Ye Qing did roll his eyes at the man before suggesting, ¡°What if we carry the passengers out of the fog? Perhaps they¡¯ll return to normal after they get out of its range!¡±

    Xu Banren frowned. ¡°But there¡¯s only two of us. How many people can we save before it¡¯s toote?¡±

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°I know. But it¡¯s better than saving no one.¡±

    Xu Banren wasn¡¯t a pedantic man. A few secondster, he nodded. ¡°Very well. We shall do as you say.¡±

    But right as they were about to move, a gentle voice rang beside their ears, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through all that trouble. This is the Fog of Nightmare, a Hatred-ss Stranger. It has no fixed body, shape, form or substance. It usually appears during the night and at ces with huge bodies of water as a fog.¡±

    ¡°When the Fog of Nightmare appears, everyone who is asleep will fall into an eternal nightmare. If they do not awake, their mind would eventually perish, and they would turn into a vegetable [1].¡±

    ¡°Since the Fog of Nightmare has no form, it cannot be dispelled or killed. Although it¡¯s just a Hatred-ss Stranger, it is extremely dangerous and difficult to deal with. Barring a handful of exceptions, any warrior below the Astral Refinement stage is probably not going to walk away from a Fog of Nightmare alive.¡±

    ¡°The Fog of Nightmare?¡± Xu Banren shuddered as if he recalled something. ¡°Now I remember. I¡¯ve read a few cases in the archives where the Fog of Nightmare is the culprit. Everyone in those cases were dead.¡±

    ¡°ording to the records, the Fog of Nightmare has no obvious weaknesses except sunlight. Every time the sun rises from the east, it would naturally disappear into nothing.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose. ¡°So, we just need to wait until daybreak?¡±

    Xu Banren nodded once but shook his head quickly. ¡°You and I can afford to wait until daybreak because we¡¯re awake, but those trapped inside the nightmare are most likely going to die.¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before sping his hands together. He asked, ¡°Miss, you recognize the Fog of Nightmare, and you¡¯re the one who said that there¡¯s a better way of handling this, so¡­¡±

    Once again, the woman¡¯s clear, quiet voice rang beside their ears like dark orchids in an empty valley, ¡°The Fog of Nightmare is a dreamweaver who weaves nightmares to kill its victims. Therefore, all you need to do is to enter a dream and destroy the nightmares it weaved to wake everyone up. It¡¯s very simple!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Xu Banren: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Excuse me, but what part of that line sounds simple?</i>

    <i>Plunk¡­</i>

    Suddenly, they heard a sound that sounded like a stone falling into a spring. It was crisp, clear, and melodious. It was the sound of a qin being plucked.

    Ye Qing and Xu Banren immediately sharpened their hearing. The woman had only plucked the first note, and already their minds were drawn to it.

    What followed was a peaceful, auspicious song that sounded like the spring wind blowing past a massive stretch of plum blossom trees and blooming them all at once; or a single me lighting the candles of ten thousand households at once. It was a song of peace and prosperity.

    The music was quiet, but not one-note. It was mild, but not uninteresting. Just because the world is big and chaotic, doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t lead a pure, peaceful life.

    ¡°This tune¡­ it¡¯s the Song of Purity and Peace!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. The song the woman was ying was a very famous song. He had heard it in Coming Clouds before.

    The Song of Purity and Peace was a quiet, mild song that most people might find boring be it sung or yed using an instrument, which was why most songstresses and musicians tried to mix it up and add some richness to the tune so to speak. Regardless of the sesses, it was a fact that the song¡¯s original meaning and intent had been distorted by the alterations.

    On the other hand, the woman did not make any changes to the song. She yed it exactly as it was meant to be¡ªpure and peaceful.

    <i>¡°Clouds, one thinks of her clothes; flowers, one thinks of her countenance;</i>

    <i>the spring wind sweeps dew from her balustrade, splendid and dense.</i>

    <i>If not seen at the peak of the Jade Mountain,</i>

    <i>then she will be encountered under the moon on the gemstone terrace¡­¡± </i>[2]

    Ye Qing and Xu Banren were more or less tone deaf, but even they were fully absorbed in the wonderful music. Their irritation, worry, fear, sorrow, anger, and all other negative emotions were silently removed from their hearts, leaving only peace, purity, and calm.

    <i>Plunk¡­</i>

    They didn¡¯t know when it happened, but when the music finally ceased, silver light shone down from above like the grace of heavens. A beautiful moon hung in the sky, and the river glittered like a bed of stars.

    1. Not literally. I realize now I have to rify things like this because of how insane this world is XD ??

    2. I borrowed this from a website called eastasiastudent, which is part 1 of the Song of Purity and Peace. This is NOT what the author did, he basically threw in some random wishes he made up himself as if he was interjecting the narrator¡¯s perspective, which no matter how I tried to trante, felt jarring at best or devastating at worst. Hence the alteration. ??

 Chapter 138: My Name Is Pockface Zhang

    <h4>Chapter 138: My Name Is Pockface Zhang</h4>

    .

    ¡°The fog¡¯s gone!¡± It was only now Ye Qing realized that the thick fog surrounding both the ship and the river had disappeared without warning. He immediately scanned the passengers with his spirit and discovered that their breathing was calm, and their lips were curled into an unconscious smile of relief. It was confirmation that the nightmare guing their mind really was gone.

    ¡°May you all have a nice dream tonight!¡± Ye Qing said with a smile. Not only was the Fog of Nightmare gone, it looked like everyone was going to have a nice dream tonight. He wondered if they would ever find out that they had nearly slept to death tonight. Sometimes, ignorance really was bliss.

    ¡°Speaking of which, I feel like I¡¯ve heard the woman¡¯s voice before. I think I¡¯ve heard her ying her qin as well. But where?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his forehead firmly as if trying to jolt the memory back from his mind. ¡°Where? Where have I met her, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Wait, was it Firewind Valley? It must be! She¡¯s the one who saved my life back then!¡±

    Overjoyed, Ye Qing immediately shouted, ¡°Miss! Miss! Are you still here?¡±

    Earlier, the woman had made it so that her voice seemed to being from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. Even with his powerful spirit, he was unable to pinpoint her location. That was why he had no choice but to call out to her and pray that she would respond.

    Unfortunately, nothing happened after he waited for several breaths.

    ¡°Miss? Miss Goddess?¡± Ye Qing called out again, but still not one responded to him. Disappointed but unwilling to give up without exhausting all of his options, he started singing,

    ¡°Goddess, I know that you are good

    You came to rescue me

    So please, hear my humble plea¡­¡±

    He stopped and waited after singing the first half of the song, but the only sound he could hear was silence. Knowing that she probably wouldn¡¯t speak to him anymore, he let out a mournful and disappointed sigh.

    It was at this moment he heard a giggle. ¡°I see you haven¡¯t improved at all even though it¡¯s been a few days since west met. Just how tone deaf are you?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression morphed into one of pure happiness when he obtained her answer. ¡°Of course my singing is nowhere as good as yours, Miss Goddess!¡±

    ¡°Oh right, my name is Ye Qing, and my moniker is Joyless. Thank you for saving me at Firewind Valley that day!¡± Ye Qing dered seriously and performed a salute even though he couldn¡¯t see her.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but I just happened to be at the right ce at the right time!¡± She replied.

    Ye Qing beamed. ¡°Perhaps, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact you have saved my life. It is a favor that I will remember for a lifetime! If I may be so bold, may I know your name?¡±

    The woman giggled again. ¡°You¡¯ve already given me a name, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You mean ¡®Miss Goddess¡¯?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise, but she interrupted him before he could say anything more, ¡°It¡¯s a good name.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t press the issue since the woman obviously didn¡¯t want to reveal her name. ¡°If that is what you wish, then so it shall be. Instead, can I visit you so I may thank you in person?¡±

    She turned him down again, ¡°Perhaps another time!¡±

    Ye Qing felt disappointed, but he asked hopefully, ¡°Will there be another time, Miss?¡±

    This time, she answered, ¡°If fate deems it so, then why not?¡±

    ¡°Fate?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise, but he quickly burst outughing. ¡°It¡¯s a promise then! The next time we meet, you must tell me your name, Miss Goddess!¡±

    The woman neither agreed nor disagreed with his presumptuous statement. In fact, she didn¡¯t say anything at all after that. That was the end of their conversation.

    Ye Qing was disappointed, but not nearly as much as he was at the beginning. It sounded like the woman was letting him down gently, but fate was a fickle thing. Not long ago, Miss Goddess had saved his life at Firewind Valley. Just dayster, he had run into her on the Luo Shui River, and she had taken care of the Fog of Nightmare for him. Who could say they weren¡¯t fated for each other?

    Someone else might say that it was just a coincidence, but who gave a shit about their opinion? What mattered was that he believed that they would meet again someday. He couldn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Ye Qing let out a silly chuckle as he imagined how their first¡ªtechnically second, but he was more or less unconscious the first time they met¡ªmeeting would turn out.

    It was at this moment a wary voice snapped him back to reality, ¡°Brother Ye¡­ what¡­ are you doing?¡±

    From Xu Banren¡¯s perspective, it looked like Ye Qing had suddenlyunched into conversation with himself, sang a song that was equal parts creepy and off-key, and finallyughed like he had gonepletely cuckoo. Who wouldn¡¯t be rmed in his position? He even took a few steps away from Ye Qing just in case the guy had gone insane or something.

    ¡°Oh, ahem¡­ Worry not, Brother Xu. I was just, er, happy is all!¡± Ye Qing let out an embarrassed cough. Clearly, Xu Banren hadn¡¯t been clued in on their conversation. If he thought about his own behavior from Xu Banren¡¯s perspective, he could see why the man was looking at him like he was a mental patient. A seriously ill mental patient no less.

    Luckily, Xu Banren wasn¡¯t a very curious person. After confirming that Ye Qing had truly returned to normal, he said, ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay. Did you know where that woman went?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°I have no idea. She probably left.¡±

    Xu Banren paused for a second before asking another question, ¡°The Fog of Nightmare is gone, so the people on the ship should be safe now, right?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Not only that, they¡¯re all gonna enjoy a pleasant dream tonight.¡±

    Xu Banren had no reason to disbelieve Ye Qing¡¯s words, so he saluted him and said, ¡°In that case, I shall return to my room to catch some rest.¡± He then walked toward the passenger cabins.

    But right before he slipped into the shadows, he suddenly turned as if he just recalled something. He added, ¡°You should catch some rest as well!¡± before finally stepping through the entrance and disappearing.

    ¡°Hah¡­ he¡¯s a little cold, but he really is a good man!¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    Despite Xu Banren¡¯s advice, Ye Qing did not go back to his room. Instead, he remained on the ship¡¯s railings to enjoy the scenery and the beautiful night sky of Luo Shui with Wawa. The duo would continue to make idle chat with each other until the first golden ray pierced through the sky, and a gorgeous red sun slowly rose from the far end of Luo Shui River.

    ¡°This is sunrise and light¡­¡± Ye Qing whispered as his eyes reflected the rising sun and white moon still hanging in the sky. At the same time, it looked like he was carrying the invisible weight of the world on his shoulders.

    ¡°And this too, is humanity!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Chu had nine prefectures in total, and Luo Shui was one of the ninemanderies under the jurisdiction of Tian Yong, a prefecture of Chu. If Jin Xiu was the prefecture of culture, and Tian Liang the prefecture of might, then Tian Yong was the prefecture of wealth.

    At least eighty percent of Tian Yong¡¯s wealth came from Luo Shui, but it wasn¡¯t just referring to Luo Shui, themandery. A good part of that wealth came from the cantons bordering the Luo Shui River as well. But of course, themandery was definitely the biggest contributor to their prosperity.

    As soon as Cloud Mountain passed through the borders,the river immediately became much wider and stable. Despite this, it nearly wasn¡¯t big enough to fit the sheer amount of vessels that were traversing it. It was the picture of prosperity in Chu.

    ¡°Man, just look at the hustle and bustle!¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but raise apliment as he stared at the countless ships and boats popting the area. The young man was currently standing on the bow of the ship and admiring the view right now.

    Xu Banren replied in his usual impassive voice, ¡°This is just the outskirts of Luo Shui. Once we pass through the gates, you will be bombarded to colors, lights, and people like you¡¯ve never seen before. I promise that the hustle and bustle you witness then will be tens of times greater than this.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise, ¡°I can¡¯t wait to explore themandery already!¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing suddenly frowned and looked in a certain direction. A few breathster, Xu Banren did the same thing and said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Little Sword King of Sunset Hill, Xu Wushang!¡±

    A young man about twenty-five or twenty-six years old carrying a broadsword behind his back was making a beeline for the ship on a bamboo raft. The vessel was moving on its own very quickly even though it looked like Xu Wushang wasn¡¯t doing anything.

    <i>Sunset Hill? </i>Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. <i>Is it just a coincidence¡­ or did they already find out that I¡¯m on this ship?</i>

    Xu Banren frowned under his hood when Xu Wushang came closer and closer toward them. It looks like he¡¯sing toward our ship!¡±

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°Who is this Xu Wushang?¡±

    At this point, Ye Qing had no doubt that Xu Wushang wasing for him. That was why he wanted to learn about the young man as much as possible.

    Xu Banren suspected nothing as he answered, ¡°Xu Wushang is the third disciple of the Hill Lord of Sunset Hill, Wang Luori. Although silent and unsociable, he is exceptionally talented with the sword and single-minded in his pursuit for the pinnacle of swordsmanship. He is on the same level as the Sword Gentleman of Luo Shui, Chen Cang.¡±

    ¡°Chen Cang?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped another beat. He loathed to admit it, but he had nearly forgotten that Chen Cang existed until Xu Banren brought him up. That was yet another sworn enemy he had to watch out for even though he had never met the man in his life.

    Meanwhile, Xu Wushang hade closer enough for Ye Qing to see his face. As Xu Banren described, Xu Wushang was an ordinary-looking man with listless, clouded eyes. His expression was extremely wooden as well. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would¡¯ve thought that Xu Wushang was mentally handicapped or something.

    The bamboo raft slowed down when it was about ten meters away from Cloud Mountain. Then, Xu Wushang looked up and carefully examined every face aboard the ship.

    Xu Wushang gave Xu Banren a slow nod when he saw him. Xu Banren also responded in a simr fashion. Both men were pretty unsocial, so they didn¡¯t say a single word during the exchange.

    Xu Wushang moved onto Ye Qing next and stared at him for a bit. A few secondster, he finally asked, ¡°Are you Ye Qing?¡±

    <i>I bloody knew it,</i> Ye Qing mentally sighed as he answered, ¡°I am not. My name is Pockface Zhang. Have you perchance gotten the wrong person?¡±

    Xu Banren nced at Ye Qing incredulously. <i>There isn¡¯t a single pock mark on your face, and you call yourself Pockface Zhang? Can you be any more obvious that you¡¯re lying?</i>

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t react to his reaction though. Whoever said you couldn¡¯t have a name that didn¡¯t fit your appearance at all?

    Xu Wushang mulled over Ye Qing¡¯s words seriously before answering, ¡°I¡¯ve seen your portrait before, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯re Ye Qing, not Pockface Zhang.¡±

    Ye Qing argued, ¡°But I¡¯m <i>not </i>Ye Qing. There are plenty of people who share simr or even identical faces in this world. Maybe I just happen to look like Ye Qing!¡±

    Xu Wushang mulled over Ye Qing¡¯s words again and nodded in agreement, but he said, ¡°That is a possibility, but I also heard that Ye Qing is apanied by a frog Stranger and a servant, and it so happens that you are the same. Therefore, you must be Ye Qing!¡±

    Ye Qing threw his arms up. ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence! Coincidences <i>can </i>happen!¡±

    ¡°Warrior Ye! It¡¯s nice to see you again. I¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing was just about to argue some more when suddenly, Jiang Yuzhen walked out of the passenger cabin and saw him. He immediately greeted the young man and tried to say something, but he paused when he noticed that something was off. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done.

    For a time, Ye Qing and Xu Wushang stared at each other without a word. Then, Xu Wushang dered, ¡°You are not Pockface Zhang. You are Ye Qing, the one they call Joyless Ye in the jianghu!¡±

    Xu Wushang didn¡¯t get angry despite Ye Qing¡¯s denial. He simply said in his impassive voice, ¡°You killed my junior brother, Xiao Yang, and my master has ordered me to take you back to Sunset Hill. Pleaseply.¡±

    Xu Banren and Jiang Yuzhen were silent for a second. Then, they eximed in shock at the same time, ¡°You did <i>what</i>, Ye Qing?!¡±

    Ye Qing looked at the sky and let out a long sigh. What must be, must be.

 Chapter 139: Cloud Vaporization

    <h4>Chapter 139: Cloud Vaporization</h4>

    "Fine, fine. I am Ye Qing, But before I greet you, I must rify something. I did <i>not</i>, in fact,<i> </i>kill Brother Xiao Yang. Brother Xiao Yang and I had hit it off practically? from the moment we first met. There is no way I would ever kill him.¡±

    .

    ¡°To tell you the truth, Xiao Yang was killed by a Stranger named Evergreen Ivy. She was the one who masterminded the destruction of Anyang, and she hates me because I was the one who ruined her ns.¡±

    ¡°After learning that Brother Xiao Yang is a disciple of Sunset Hill, she came up with the devious n of killing him and pinning his death on me. We were so close to capturing Evergreen Ivy and taking revenge for Brother Xiao Yang, but in the end, she still managed to escape. In that, I ept the full me for my failure.¡±

    Finally, Ye Qing let out a long sigh and dered in a sincere voice, ¡°But do not worry, Brother Xu. I swear I will hunt Evergreen Ivy down to the ends of the earth and kill her if only to take revenge for Brother Xiao Yang!¡±

    If Evergreen Ivy thought she was the only one who knew how to incriminate others, then she was going to be very sorry.

    However, Xu Wushang replied in a serious voice, ¡°Whether or not you are innocent or guilty does not matter to me. My master will be the one to decide that. My one and only mission right now is to take you back to Sunset Hill.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>You sonuvabitch! I feel like I¡¯m talking to a block of wood here!</i>

    ¡°By the way, how did you find me?¡±

    He had left Anyang the day after Evergreen Ivy told him about her incrimination. No one except a handful of trustworthy people knew about his departure, and he had made it to Luo Shui stealthily and with almost no dys whatsoever. With that in mind, how on earth had Xu Wushang managed to track him down?

    The swordsman exined, ¡°My first senior brother had gone to Anyang yesterday. When he couldn¡¯t find you and asked around, he learned that you were probably headed for Luo Shui. After my master received his message, he quickly deployed us to various key intersections that you must pass through if you wish to reach Luo Shui. I am in charge of the river route. Even if you had picked another route, you would¡¯ve run into one of my senior or junior brothers.¡±

    ¡°Just give it up ande with me to Sunset Hill, Ye Qing. If you are as innocent as you im, I am sure my master will let you go free!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you sweet summer child¡­¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but shoot Xu Wushang a derisive smirk. If he actually went with Xu Wushang, then everyone would think that he had killed Xiao Yang. After all, why would he capitte to his captors if he hadn¡¯t actually done anything wrong, not to mention that he <i>had</i>, in fact,<i> </i>killed Xiao Yang? That was why he couldn¡¯tply with Xu Wushang¡¯s wish no matter what!

    ¡°I appreciate the offer, Brother Xu, but I cannote with you no matter what!¡±

    Xu Wushang must have predicted Ye Qing¡¯s answer from the start because he didn¡¯t look surprised or dissatisfied. He simply said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯m sorry for what I have to do next!¡±

    The young man slowly grabbed the hilt of his sword. At that moment, his listlessness and woodenness suddenly disappeared without warning, his eyes shone like a pair of bright mirrors, and his aura turned as sharp and intimidating as an unsheathed sword. It was like he was apletely different person from before.

    ¡°My sword is called Heavy Abyss. It is 1.43 meters long, 0.33 meters wide, and weighs 168 kilograms. May the best man win.¡±

    Xu Wushang lightly tapped the rainguard of his broadsword. Without warning, it flew out of its scabbard and shot straight toward Ye Qing!

    Long before the broadsword even got close, both Xu Banren and Jiang Yuzhen felt a stinging sensation across their skin. Xu Banren was only frowning, but Jiang Yuzhen broke out in cold sweat and staggered away from Xu Wushang as if the sword was aimed at him, not Ye Qing.

    <i>He could kill me in a single hit! </i>Jiang Yuzhen thought in shock and dejection. <i>We are both Astral Refiners, and yet the gulf between us might as well be heaven and earth!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s response toward the attack was to smile and sweep his arms in front of himself. His sleeves immediately conjured a cyclone of invisible, formless force that slowed down Heavy Abyss like a bog. The closer it got to Ye Qing, the slower it flew. Not even its cold, sharp sword qi was able to cut through the obstructive force of ¡°Flowing Clouds, Flying Sleeves¡±. When the broadsword finally got within melee range, Ye Qingshed out with an even greater force and struck it in the de. Heavy Abyss let out a metallic shriek and flew back to Xu Wushang even faster than before.

    Xu Wushang frowned and reached out to grab his broadsword. It looked like he was nning to neutralize the foreign force afflicting Heavy Abyss. However, as soon as his fingers brushed against the hilt, the broadsword abruptly turned as red as iron, and the air burned like fire. He felt as if invisible mes were invading his pores and boiling his flesh, blood, and even his mind. It was a disturbing sensation to say the least.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Xu Wushang¡¯s face turned beet red as he staggered backward. He left behind a burning footprint every time he took a step.

    The bamboo raft was about three meters or nine steps long. It wasn¡¯t until his ninth step when the unnatural redness on Xu Wushang¡¯s face finally subsided, and he let out a puff of burning hot air. His weapon arm was trembling slightly, and his expression was as serious as it could be.

    ¡°Xu Wushang¡­ lost the exchange?!¡± Jiang Yuzhen could hardly believe his own eyes. Although they were both Astral Refiners, Xu Wushang was a famous genius in Luo Shui, whereas Ye Qing was just a nobody. This should have gone the other way.

    Xu Banren was less surprised than Jiang Yuzhen¡ªhe had a rough idea how strong Ye Qing really was since they had ¡°fought¡± briefly¡ªbut he didn¡¯t know that Ye Qing possessed such an unusual astral qi. Its potency was clearly greater than expected as well, considering that it had caught Xu Wushang off guard.

    ¡°You are strong. I underestimated you!¡± Xu Wushang said slowly after eliminating the Burning Wind Astral Qi inside his body. Every time he said a word, dark yellow astral qi would pour out of his body, and his aura would grow just a little stronger. ¡°I¡¯m going to get serious now!¡±

    As soon as he said this, Xu Wushang grabbed his broadsword with both hands and started running, dragging the weapon behind him. Every time he took a step, the river would shake like a heavenly gong was sounded, and Xu Wushang would raise his sword just a little higher. Nine stepster, Xu Wushang leaped into the air while still lifting his sword over his back.

    Heavy Abyss wasn¡¯t the only thing he lifted into the air, however. The river itself was trailing behind him like a piece of fabric being pulled by a giant, invisible hand! The water kept hiking higher and higher into the sky until it resembled a tidal wave, and when Xu Wushang finally reached the highest point of his jump, his sword came to a stop right above his head. For a moment, the man, the sword, and the river floated in the sky and refused to fall!

    <i>¡°Vast Expanse Sword, Mountain River Change¡±</i>

    The technique was neither flexible, uncanny, or meaningful. It was just a basic overhead swing that was as immense and heavy as a mountain. And that was enough.

    <i>¡°One sword to move mountains, shift rivers, and warp the sky itself¡±</i>

    Everyone on the ship turned as white as a sheet. When Xu Wushang¡¯s sword finally moved forward an inch, a dark yellow Qilin appeared behind his back and let out a mighty roar.

    The wall of water suspended in the sky fell toward Cloud Mountain as if on cue. Neither the tidal wave nor the broadsword had struck the ship¡ªor more urately, Ye Qing¡ªyet, but everyone was holding their breaths and staring at the iing attack with pure, unadulterated terror.

    ¡°Houtu [1] Qilin Qi!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. He finally figured out why Xu Wushang¡¯s sword was so heavy and powerful.

    Houtu Qilin Qi was an average grade Earth element astral qi, and its key attributes were weight and size. Conceptually, a warrior who cultivated the Houtu Qilin Qi wanted to be as big as a mountain, as forceful as a river, and as heavy as the earth itself. It was most suitable for steadfast warriors who were so unwavering that they seemed foolish to the public¡¯s eyes, and martial arts that were attuned to the natural order. In terms of application, it could be summed up in one short sentence: to crush anything and everything with overwhelming power.

    Looking at Xu Wushang, it was clear that he had mastered at least one part of the heart of the Houtu Qilin Qi. Otherwise, there was no way he could move the river with a simple overhead swing.

    ¡°Most impressive!¡± Ye Qing praised Xu Wushang¡¯s technique from the bottom of his heart. The swordsman might share the same cultivation level as Xiao Yang, but it was clear that he was much stronger than his junior brother.

    Too bad for Xu Wushang, he wasn¡¯t the budding Astral Refiner he was before. Ye Qng took half a step backward and bent his knees slightly, causing the entire ship to sink three inches into the water. Strangely, the sudden movement didn¡¯t cause even the slightest ssh. When Cloud Mountain slowly rose back to its previous water level, Ye Qing threw a punch into the mountain in the sky.

    <i>¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±</i>

    Like a galore of war banners, the Burning Wind spread across the sky like wildfire and dyed everything red. When it shed against the tidal wave of water crashing down on Cloud Mountain, it instantly evaporated it all into a massive cloud of mist that could be seen throughout Luo Shui, unintentionally matching the defining quote in the martial arts manual, ¡°Vapores up from the lond of clouds and dreams; surging waves strike against the city wall of Yueyang.¡±

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Trapped inside the mist of its own making, Xu Wushang¡¯s Qilin had no choice but to be blown apart by the force of Ye Qing¡¯s fist and scatter dark yellow sword qi everywhere. Clearly, the Qilin was the coalescence of the swordsman¡¯s Houtu Qilin Qi and sword qi.

    Although the Qilin was destroyed, the sword qi was still impossibly sharp. It ripped apart the surrounding mist and Burning Wind and created a clearing. It was inside this clearing where Xu Wushang¡¯s Heavy Abyss and Ye Qing¡¯s fist shed.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The Houtu Qilin Qi and sword qi washed over Ye Qing¡¯s body and sliced much of his shirt to shreds. The nk beneath his feet also snapped in half due to the sheer amount of pressure it was under. Not only that, the storm of sword qis thoroughly annihted many parts of the decks, and not even Xu Banren and Jiang Yuzhen were brave enough to stand anywhere close to it. They both withdrew into the entrances and watched the battle from there.

    Ye Qing, the man at the center of the storm, was unmoved, however. In fact, the deadly sword qis failed to leave even the slightest mark on his body.

    ¡°What the¡­ how strong is his body!?¡±

    Xu Banren and Jiang Yuzhen were stunned to say the least. Xu Wushang¡¯s sword qi was so deadly that the hair on their skin was standing on end even at this distance, and yet Ye Qing waspletely unaffected. They didn¡¯t even know it was possible for a warrior to train their physique to such a level until they saw it with their own eyes!

    ¡°You¡¯re not weak, but I¡¯m stronger!¡± Ye Qing dered simply before pushing his fist forward. It was just an inch, but it was all he needed to shatter Heavy Abyss into smithereens with his dragon elephant strength!

    The punch broke not just Xu Wushang¡¯s weapon, but also his arm and his chest. Like a rag doll, Xu Wushang was smashed into the river all the way to the bottom. A muffled boomter, Ye Qing lowered his fist and stared murky waters underneath. ¡°I could¡¯ve taken your life just like how I took your sword, but I won¡¯t. Instead, I want you to go back to the Hill Lord and tell him that Evergreen Ivy is the one who killed Xiao Yang, not me. He should be searching for her if he really wants revenge for his dead disciple!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a tolerant man. In fact, my patience is far from unlimited, so don¡¯t test me!¡±

    ¡°I will carry your message to my master!¡± Xu Wushang¡¯s weak voice came from the river bed. ¡°And I will see you soon!¡±

    ¡°If you mean to treat me to a drink, then I wee you anytime!¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°If you mean trouble, then I¡¯m not afraid either!¡±

    Ye Qing threw a punch at the river immediately after saying this. His punch was soundless, powerless, and caused seemingly no ripples whatsoever. It almost looked like he was punching the air like an ordinary person. It was at this moment the waters within tens of meters suddenly churned like thunder. It was almost as if an undercurrent had suddenlye to life under the river. It kicked up a ton of dirt and silted out the river in an instant.

    A dozen or so breathster, a man slowly floated to the surface. His breathing was almost non-existent, and he wasn¡¯t moving at all. He could have easily been mistaken for a floating body.

    Xu Banren and Jiang Yuzhen recognized the man immediately. He was of course Xu Wushang. Clearly, he was knocked out by Ye Qing¡¯s seemingly useless punch.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do that, Brother Ye. He¡¯d already lost!¡± Xu Banren spoke up after a moment of silence.

    Ye Qing hmphed coldly. ¡°There is nothing I loathe more than being threatened by my enemies. I¡¯d already shown him mercy by not killing him!¡±

    ¡°Threaten?¡± Xu Banren could not understand what Ye Qing meant for a time. It took him a while before he finally realized that Ye Qing had misinterpreted Xu Wushang¡¯sst words. He let out a wry chuckle and exined, ¡°You misunderstood, Brother Ye. Xu Wushang wasn¡¯t threatening you. He¡¯s a martial arts addict who only cares about furthering his martial skills, so he was probably just asking you to spar with you in the future!¡±

    ¡°I-Is that so?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s grin stiffened as he rubbed his nose. ¡°Ah¡­ I guess I shouldn¡¯t have done that then.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault though! Anyone would¡¯ve mistaken what he said as a threat! He should¡¯ve rified his meaning exactly!

    ¡°...¡± <i>Perhaps so, but don¡¯t you think that you were overreacting as well?</i>

    Xu Banren decided that he would keep Ye Qing at a distance there and then. He was a man of few words as well. He would be very sorry for himself if one day Ye Qing identally killed him because he hadn¡¯t exined himself enough.

    ¡°Never mind!¡± Xu Banren let out a sigh and said, ¡°He¡¯spletely unconscious right now, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to defend himself? from a river Stranger. If you truly don¡¯t mean to kill him, then allow me to send him back to Sunset Hill. You wouldn¡¯t want them to pin his death on you as well, right?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ sure. Sorry for the inconvenience, Brother Xu, and thank you!¡± Ye Qing saluted him.

    Although Sunset Hill was a major faction of Luo Shui, its base wasn¡¯t located in themandery itself. That was why Xu Banren did not apany Ye Qing to Luo Shui. After bidding Ye Qing goodbye, he borrowed a boat from Jiang Yuzhen and left with the unconscious Xu Wushang.

    After Xu Banren had left, the corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips abruptly curled into a diabolical smirk. He knew that Xu Wushang hadn¡¯t meant to threaten him, of course. The reason he knocked him out anyway was because he was displeased. If he hadn¡¯t been strong enough to defeat Xu Wushang, it was he who would be feeling very sorry for himself right now. Sure, Xu Wushang had turned out to be a better man than expected, but that was no excuse not to retaliate against the woes that had been done unto him.

    ¡°It looks like I can¡¯t dy using the Blood Jade Lotus for much longer!¡± Ye Qing sighed. He was hoping to refine his Burning Wind a little longer before entering thete-stage of the Astral Refinement stage, but it would seem that he had even less time than he thought. The only thing he could do now was climb the cultivationdder and be a Spirit Purifier as soon as possible. Only then would he truly be safe.

    But that could wait untilter. First things first, he should report to the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau.

    After the ship had docked, Ye Qing paid his due and politely turned down Jiang Yuzhen¡¯s invitation to join Cloud Mountain. Then, he registered at the gates and entered themandery.

    While Ye Qing was walking away, the gate captain responsible for inspecting and registering the travelers called over a guard and ordered, ¡°Tell Young Master Luo that I¡¯ve found the Stranger he¡¯s looking for. A schr studying away from Anyang has a Book Sprite with him!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± The guard left after receiving his orders.

    1. Houtu is the deity of allnd and earth in Chinese religion and mythology. ??

 Chapter 140: Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 140: Trouble</h4>

    ¡°Ribbons of jade wrapped around the watchtowers,

    myriad bargespete along the rivers.

    Merchants packed together like clouds,

    pedestrianse and go like streams.

    Sculpted beams that belonged to celestial pces,

    ornamented walls that are anything but ordinary.

    Jade altars that wee a golden dawn,

    clouds that hover atop the tallest peaks.

    Eighteen boats to connect all of Luo Shui,

    endlessmps to keep the darkness at bay.

    When spring arrives with the wind,

    flowers bloom,

    and all is right in the world.¡±

    The poem spoke of the prosperity and growth of Luo Shui. In just a few lines, it had painted a clear picture of themandery¡¯s grandeur and vor.

    It was unfortunate Ye Qing had no time to admire its beauty right now. He made a beeline for the Pacification Bureau as soon as he was done asking for directions.

    Unfortunately, he had just walked past Greenbird Street and set foot on Pacification Street when a group of people blocked his way. Specifically, it was a handsome youngster wearing expensive, well-tailored clothes. He was probably eighteen or neen years old.

    The youngster was wearing an arrogant, lofty expression that didn¡¯t really fit with his age, though that was mitigated by the fact that he was ate-stage Vessel Augmentor. It was clear that his upbringing wasn¡¯t normal. He was apanied by what Ye Qing presumed to be his guards and attendants. They were much weaker and only in the Qi Invocation stage.

    ¡°Do you have business with me?¡± Ye Qing frowned. This was literally his first day in Luo Shui, and as far as he was aware the only faction that had beef with him was Sunset Hill. The young man in front of him didn¡¯t look like a Sunset Hill disciple, but he clearly did not harbor good intentions either.

    The young man pped his hand against the white jade folding fan he was holding and said directly, ¡°I heard you have a Book Sprite. Will you sell it to me?¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°How did you know about that?¡±

    Everyone in the area immediately felt a chill down their spine. It was like someone was pressing a knife to their back, and yet they couldn¡¯t tell where the inexplicable feeling hade from.

    The young man did not seem to notice anything, however. He continued arrogantly, ¡°So you do have a Book Sprite. Name your price!¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t sell Wawa, friend! Please!¡± Wawa immediately crawled out of Ye Qing¡¯s hair and sobbed.

    ¡°A female Book Sprite? Perfect!¡± The youngster¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Wawa. I could never sell a cute girl like you!¡± Ye Qing rubbed her head gently and looked back at the youngster. ¡°Apologies, but I¡¯m not selling her!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to name a price, how about I make you an offer instead?¡± The youngster raised a finger and dered arrogantly, ¡°One thousand silvers.¡±

    ¡°I said no!¡± Ye Qing rejected him firmly. One thousand silvers was a lot of money, but even if Wawa wasn¡¯t his family, it wasn¡¯t enough to buy a Book Sprite at all.

    ¡°Two thousand silvers!¡± The youngster raised another finger when he saw that Ye Qing was unmoved.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. Please step aside!¡± Ye Qing started stepping to the side to circle around the group.

    .

    ¡°Five thousand silvers!¡± The youngster more than doubled his price this time. ¡°Five thousand silvers is more than enough money for you to marry two concubines and livefortably for the rest of your life, friend. You best not get any greedier than this.¡±

    Ye Qing responded with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye, ¡°I already told you: no. Also, I¡¯m pretty rich myself, so you can save it.¡±

    It was the truth. He was probably wealthier than all of thembined.

    ¡°You think we¡¯d believe that, you pauper!? Just sell it to us while we¡¯re still in the mood to negotiate! Do you even know who my young master is?¡± One of the youngster¡¯s attendants yelled after noting that Ye Qing was adamant in his rejection.

    <i>Would you look at that, that¡¯s a line straight out of a web novel! It¡¯s too bad they have no idea who they¡¯re dealing with.</i>

    When the attendant noticed that Ye Qing was shooting him a yful, almost pitying look, he grew angry and dered, ¡°My young master is the second young master of the Luo n, Luo Feibai, and he¡¯s already giving you face by offering to pay you five thousand silvers! Give it to us now, or you will regret whates next!¡±

    The attendant then rushed toward Ye Qing and attempted to snatch Wawa from his shoulders.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Wawa cried out in fear.

    However, something hit him in the chest before he could react and smashed him into the ground. Blood sprayed out of his mouth, and his chest was caved in.

    Beside Ye Qing, Kung Fu Frog let out a disdainful, ¡°Croak!¡±

    ¡°What the? How dare you hurt my men!¡± Luo Feibai erupted in anger after he recovered from his shock. ¡°Get him! Kill him!¡±

    His attendants immediately charged Ye Qing while letting out a battle cry. However, Kung Fu Frog leaped into the air and thrust all four of its limbs at the attendants, unleashing a gale of force that knocked all of them to the ground.

    As usual, Kung Fu Frog was very careful with its attack. Although the men were all spitting blood and looking as pale as a sheet, none of them were in danger of dying.

    Luo Feibai could not seem to believe that Ye Qing would dare to fight back. It took him a good few seconds to finally recognize the reality before him and fly into a rage. ¡°You¡­ You are courting death!¡±

    He folded his fan and performed a downward thrust with it. Fast and unpredictable, it looked like it wasing from multiple directions at once. It was a surprisingly high level sword technique.

    Sadly, he was still some distance away from Ye Qing when a voice stopped him dead in his tracks, ¡°You better not move, little scion!¡±

    Faceless had somehow taken Luo Feibai¡¯s back by surprise, and his fingers were resting on his throat. He would not hesitate to rip the scion¡¯s throat out if he tried anything stupid.

    ¡°Y-you¡­ How dare you! I¡¯m the second young master of the Luo n! M-my dad will never forgive you if you dare to harm a hair on my person!¡±

    Luo Feibai looked as pale as a ghost as he gulped, ¡°Now let me go!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna. Whatcha gonna do about it?¡± Ye Qing tilted his head and shot Luo Feibai a shit-eating grin.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­!¡±

    For a long time, the scion was unable to stammer out a full sentence. After all, he had never encountered a situation like this in his life. What should he do?

    It was at this moment the sound of orderly footsteps came from the distance. Ye Qing looked up and saw a toon of Pacification Sentinels d in ck armor and tiger boots marching toward them. They wielded a hand crossbow on one hand and had a long saber strapped to their waist.

    ¡°Tian Wu! Tian Wu! Save me! Save me now!¡± Luo Feibai screamed like he had found his savior as soon as caught sight of the Pacification Sentinels out of the corner of his eyes.

    A portly man in his thirties stepped out in the open. He had a hook mustache and a pair of beady eyes that gave him the appearance of a cartoon viin. After observing the situation and confirming that he didn¡¯t recognize Ye Qing¡¯s group, he put on a frown and yelled angrily, ¡°How dare you attack the citizens of Luo Shui with your Stranger and even take a hostage! Let go of Young Master Luo now, or else!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Luo Feibai wasn¡¯t stupid. He immediately figured out what Tian Wu was doing and lied through his teeth, ¡°Tian Wu¡ªsorry, I mean Guardian Tian, I was negotiating a deal with this schr when he suddenly sed his Stranger on me. As you can see, he seriously injured my men and even took me hostage! You must help me, Guardian Tian!¡±

    ¡°Negotiate a deal?¡± Ye Qing shrugged uncaringly. ¡°If by ¡®negotiate¡¯ you mean forcing me into a deal I never asked for, then sure!¡±

    Tian Wu ignored Ye Qing¡¯s words and dered in a righteous voice, ¡°Thew of Chu states anyone whomits wrongdoings through Strangers will have their cultivation sealed and be escorted to the Demon Suppression Prison to await their punishment.¡±

    ¡°Do not resist, or we will employ deadly force against you!¡±

    As soon as he said this, the Pacification Sentinels immediately unsheathed their sabers and loaded their crossbows. At the same time, they spread out into a circle and surrounded Ye Qing from all sides.

    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? Let Young Master Luo go before it¡¯s toote, criminal!¡± Tian Wu yelled again.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t seem to notice the deadly intent all around him, however. He chuckled. ¡°Criminal? As I told you, it was your ¡®Young Master Luo¡¯ who tried to force me into a deal I never asked for. In fact, he was the one who sed his<i> </i>men on me first, which was why my Stranger beat them up in self-defense.¡±

    Luo Feibai lied again, ¡°Bullshit! I¡¯m the second young master of the Luo n! I would never do such a thing!¡±

    Tian Wu uttered coldly, ¡°Hmph! We haven¡¯t seen Young Master Luo trying to force you into a deal, but you admitted yourself that this carnage is your Stranger¡¯s doing! So quit the bullshit ande with us to the Pacification Bureau already, criminal!¡±

    ¡°Criminal, criminal, criminal. You just can¡¯t stop using that word, can you?¡± Ye Qing smiled mirthlessly. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you won¡¯t change your mind no matter what, Guardian Tian?¡±

    ¡°Why would I? It is the truth! Not only that, I suspect that you¡¯re plotting something against Luo Shui because you brought Strangers into themandery!¡± Tian Wu waved his hand and ordered, ¡°Capture him!¡±

    The Pacification Sentinels immediately obeyed and marched toward Ye Qing. Although they were only Qi Invokers, their auras were strong, and their eyes were fully focused. They were good men who just had the misfortune of serving under a bad boss.

    Ye Qing shook his head and stomped his feet. Like a wave, the earth rolled toward the Pacification Sentinels and knocked them all to the ground. Their faces turned beet red, and their auras grew unstable. For a time, they were unable to muster their energies no matter what they tried.

    ¡°What?¡± Tian Wu was farther away from Ye Qing, but the attack still made him feel a sudden tightness in his chest and threw his breathing out of order. The only reason he didn¡¯t drop to his feet like the rest of the Pacification Sentinels was because he was ate-stage Vessel Augmentor. Even so, he could tell immediately that Ye Qing was an Astral Refiner.

    <i>Fuck! I thought he was a worm, but he¡¯s really a dragon! </i>Tian Wu swore loudly inside his head. He and Luo Feibai were acquaintances, and Ye Qing was a stranger with a weak aura. That was why he took this as an opportunity to curry favor with Luo Feibai. Instead, he had offended someone he shouldn¡¯t have offended.

    He was still a Guardian of the Pacification Bureau, but if he managed this poorly¡­

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Suddenly, Luo Feibai let out a surprised cry and jolted Tian Wu out of his thoughts. He saw the young man sucking Luo Feibai out of the old servant¡¯s hands and into his own.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Calm down. There¡¯s no need for drastic action¡­¡± Tian Wu stammered. He was terrified that the young man would get impulsive and kill Luo Feibai. It would be an absolute shitshow if that happened!

    Ye Qing grabbed Luo Feibai firmly with his left hand. It looked like he wasn¡¯t using any strength, but Luo Feibai couldn¡¯t break free because he felt unusually weak and sore. Ye Qing then looked to Tian Wu and smiled, ¡°Rx, Guardian Tian. You wanted to go to the Pacification Bureau, right? C¡¯mon then! Let¡¯s walk there together!¡±

    Before Tian Wu could react, Ye Qing steered Luo Feibai like a chick and started walking in the direction of the Pacification Bureau. The Pacification Sentinels who had just gotten back to their feet instinctively stepped out of Ye Qing¡¯s way and stared at his back.

    Tian Wu blinked in confusion. He didn¡¯t understand what the young man was plotting. He didn¡¯t actually think that the Pacification Bureau would believe him over one of their own, did he? Or did he have an actual trick up his sleeves?

    Suddenly, Tian Wu had a bad, bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Come on! What are you waiting for?¡± Ye Qing beckoned when he took another two steps and noticed that Tian Wu wasn¡¯t following. ¡°Oh right, bring this idiot¡¯s underlings with you as well, Guardian Tian.¡±

    Tian Wu: ¡°...¡± <i>Who¡¯s the Guardian here, you or me?</i>

    Despite his inner rant, he ultimately ordered his men to carry Luo Feibai¡¯s underlings and followed Ye Qing into the Pacification Bureau.

 Chapter 141: You Asked For This

    <h4>Chapter 141: You Asked For This</h4>

    As soon as Ye Qing entered the Pacification Bureau, countless Pacification Sentinels emerged from the rooftop, the gardens, the spirit screens, the fake hills, the waterside pavilion and more. They were all pointing their crossbows at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Haha. This is quite the impressive showing!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled amiably as he looked around the area. ¡°At ease, everyone. I am¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish, Luo Feibai suddenly turned into a paper doll. At the same time, Ye Qing sensed the flicker of a faint, almost indiscernible aura. When he looked, he saw a ghastly old man who was covered from head to toe in paper dolls. The old man raised his hand, and Luo Feibai appeared next to him like magic. Then, he stared Ye Qing right in the eye¡ªhe must have sensed his gaze¡ªand cracked a dreadful grin. As if on cue, the paper dolls fluttered rapidly as if they had a life of their own.

    ¡°What a peculiar ability. He must have used it to save many lives!¡± Ye Qing eximed in amazement.

    ¡°You dare enter the Pacification Bureau without permission while holding a hostage? Take him down!¡± A dignified voice suddenly boomed across the air. The Pacification Sentinels immediately fired their crossbows at Ye Qing.

    ¡°...¡± <i>Take me down? Are you sure you¡¯re not trying to wipe me off the map?</i>

    Ye Qing immediately threw out a punch and unleashed his Burning Wind. The bolts immediately burned into a crisp before they could hit him. The Pacification Sentinels tried to react, but the Burning Wind hit them first and scorched their flesh, blood, bone and mind. The weaker ones cked out immediately, whereas the stronger ones were writhing in pain and struggling to gather their energies. Naturally, they could no longer participate in the battle. Ye Qing had taken them all out in one punch.

    ¡°Please listen to me. I am Ye Qing. I have¡ª¡±

    Unfortunately, he was interrupted again by an angry roar, ¡°Who dares to cause such amotion in the Pacification Bureau?¡±

    At the same time, a brawny man who looked like he was forged from steel stepped out of the crowd and charged straight toward Ye Qing.

    Every time he took a step, bricks exploded into smithereens, and the ground shook like it was an earthquake. His behavior was more like that of a wild beast¡¯s than a human as well.

    ¡°An Astral Refiner¡ªno, a body-tempering Astral Refiner!¡± Ye Qing eximed with great interest. He could feel how thick the brawny man¡¯s vigor was and even hear his muscles and bones roaring with every moment. The guy wasn¡¯t just overflowing with strength, his astral qi waspletely infused inside his flesh and blood. Generally speaking, that was how you identified a body-tempering warrior.

    This was the first time Ye Qing encountered a true body-tempering warrior, and he was quite curious to put it mildly. He made up his mind to test the man right there and then. His sleeves billowed and pped everywhere like clouds that were constantly being blown by the wind. It looked like it was pping, sweeping, rolling or caressing all at the same time.

    <i>¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeves¡±</i>

    When the brawny man¡¯s fist finally struck Ye Qing, he felt like he was punching a ball of cotton, not a human arm. It was because the technique had depleted most of his momentum.

    <i>He is as strong as seven pythons or so. Not bad! </i>Ye Qing thought while sensing the force transmitting through his arms.

    A warrior¡¯s attainment in body-tempering was measured differently from their cultivation. It could be categorized as fiery stallion, mad python, dragon elephant, and sky dragon. In ascending order, ten fiery stallions equaled one mad python, ten mad pythons equaled one dragon elephant, and ten dragon elephants equaled one sky dragon.

    To put it in simpler terms, fiery stallion was the beginner level, mad python was the initiate level, dragon elephant was the journeyman level, and sky dragon was the adept level of body-tempering.

    The brawny man¡¯s punch was equal to seven mad pythons, meaning that he was close to entering the journeyman level of body-tempering. It was quite impressive considering that Ye Qing only gained a dragon elephant¡¯s strength after a narrow brush with death in Firewind Valley. Had he been any other Astral Refiner, this punch would¡¯ve been enough to deal him a severe blow.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing didn¡¯t just possess a mighty amount of astral qi. His body was incredibly strong and tough as well. Naturally, the weakened punch failed to do any damage to him whatsoever.

    ¡°RAAAHHHH!¡±

    Knowing that his punch had failed to wound Ye Qing, the brawny man let out a mighty roar that caused the ground beneath his feet to copse. His muscles and veins bulged dangerously as he threw another punch so powerful that it caused a sonic boom.

    Ye Qing responded the same way as he did before. He kept swinging his sleeves and neutralized theyers of force surrounding the man¡¯s fists. This would continue for a time as the shockwaves of the battle were so deadly that most people could only watch from afar.

    Inside a pavilion, a long-haired young man wearing a blue robe sipped his wine and asked in azy tone, ¡°Who do you think is gonna win, Yuhuai?¡±

    ¡°The youngster is most likely going to win!¡± The man named Yuhuai answered. He was around twenty seven or eight years old, and his looks were perfectly ordinary. However, he possessed a warm aura and kind smile that easily endeared him to most people.

    ¡°Oh my, how can you say this, Yuhuai?¡± Thezy man teased him, ¡°Wei Yueshan is one of us. How can you not believe in his strength? Shouldn¡¯t you support yourrade no matter what?¡±

    Yuhuai countered, ¡°Who do <i>you </i>think is gonna win then, Nianjiu?¡±

    The man in blue robe was none other than Chu Nianjiu, a Windcatcher of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau and the man who had saved August Hill Vige back then.

    Chu Nianjiu took another sip from his ss and shot Yuhuai a disdainful look. ¡°I think that that guy named Ye Qing is going to win as well.¡±

    A warm smile crossed Yuhuai¡¯s lips. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why did you question me just now?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu started bullshitting through his teeth, ¡°I arrived at my conclusion after careful observation and deduction. You were just saying whateveres to your mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yueshan may be an early-stage Astral Refiner, but he¡¯s also a body-tempering warrior. This means that he¡¯s on the same level of a mid-stage Astral Refiner. Unfortunately, he severelycks control and wastes most of his strength. It¡¯s like he¡¯s trying to punch a mosquito to oblivion!¡±

    ¡°While Ye Qing is also an early-stage Astral Refiner, and he¡¯s the defending side right now, his astral qi is much thicker than you might expect for someone his level. Assuming I¡¯m not mistaken, it seems to be the rare Burning Wind as well. ¡®Flowing Clouds, Flying Sleeves¡¯ is all he needs to block Yueshan¡¯s full-powered attacks.¡±

    ¡°It is risky to stay on the defense for too long, but a long defense can also weaken the enemy. At this rate, Yueshan is going to lose for sure!¡±

    Yuhuai nodded in agreement even though he could have poked many holes in Chu Nianjiu¡¯s logic. ¡°You are correct. Besides that, I¡¯m pretty sure that Ye Qing still has many tricks up his sleeves.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second. Ye Qing? Ye Qing?¡± Chu Nianjiu leaned on top of the handrail and rubbed his forehead. ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve heard this name before?¡±

    Yuhuai chuckled. ¡°Of course you¡¯ve heard of him. Remember the rmendation letter Anyang¡¯s Chief of Bureau, Ling Jianqiu handed us a while ago? The person they¡¯re rmending this year is Ye Qing, and the timing is about right.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, Ye Qing is the man who rescued Anyang and ruined the Strangers¡¯ n to bring the Nether Lord to this ne a while ago. Both the Chief and the Deputy Chief of Bureau couldn¡¯t stop praising him to the high heavens. They all think that he has a bright future ahead of him.¡±

    ¡°Finally, Ye Qing is also the one who ultimately uprooted the mastermind that plotted the descent of the Nether Lord and the spy who had been lurking in the Anyang Pacification Bureau for a long time, Evergreen Ivy. This was also mentioned in Chief Ling¡¯s letter.¡±

    ¡°Ohh! I was wondering why he sounded so familiar!¡± Chu Nianjiu eximed in realization before sighing, ¡°Man oh man, I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s already so aplished at such a young age! The young truly are formidable!¡±

    Yuhuai chuckled. ¡°You realize you¡¯re pretty young too, right?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu asked,? ¡°Why did Chief Ling let Ye Qing go then? Shouldn¡¯t he hold onto him like his future depends on it?¡±

    ¡°That was also exined in Chief Ling¡¯s letter. Apparently, Evergreen Ivy had killed Xiao Yang and pinned the me on Ye Qing as revenge. You know how Wang Luori is. It doesn¡¯t matter if the news is true or false, he will capture Ye Qing first and find out the truthter. The Anyang Pacification Bureau isn¡¯t strong enough to protect him, so Chief Ling rmended him to us instead! Say, do you think we should help him?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu raised his eyebrows in surprise before chuckling. ¡°No wonder Xiao Yang was in a hurry a few days ago! He was rushing to meet his maker! This is very good news. All sect disciples who join the Pacification Bureau are two-faced ingrates. They deserve to live fast and die young!¡±

    Yuhuai shook his head. ¡°Come now. One bad apple doesn¡¯t spoil the whole bunch. Anyway, you haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu replied without hesitation, ¡°Of course we¡¯re going to help him. If Wang Luori is stupid enough to challenge us, I will simply head to Sunset Hill and tten his sect myself!¡±

    Yuhuai smiled. ¡°Oh yeah? Since when are you strong enough to fight a half-step Spirit Master?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu shrugged. ¡°I cannot, but we have the Chief and the Deputy Chief, don¡¯t we? The Deputy Chief especially is just as protective of his underlings as Wang Luori, if not more. And let¡¯s not forget that Chief Ling is the Deputy Chief¡¯s disciple, and Ye Qing is the man Chief Ling rmended to him. He¡¯s practically half a disciple even though he doesn¡¯t know it yet.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, the Deputy Chief would turn Sunset Hill into a pile of rubble if Wang Luori dares to harm a hair on his person.¡±

    Yuhuai shook his head again. ¡°That¡¯s not a praise, Nianjiu. Anyway, we¡¯ve dilly-dallied long enough. Let¡¯s get down there and stop the fight before someone crosses the line!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± echoed Chu Nianjiu after taking another sip from his wine gourd.

    The duo were just about to jump off the pavilion when a palm-sized sparrowhawknded squarely on Yuhuai¡¯s shoulder. The young man immediately stopped in his tracks and grabbed the secret letter that was tied to its feet. When he read the contents of the letter, his warm smile abruptly turned stiff and stic.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s gotten your panties in a bunch?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked curiously. There were few things in the world that could faze Lin Yuhuai, which was why it was rare to catch him in a moment like this.

    A short silenceter, Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°It¡¯s a message from Banren. He said that Wang Luori¡¯s third disciple, Xu Wushang the ¡®Little Sword King¡¯, tried to intercept Ye Qing at Luo Shui River this morning.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Wang Luori sure is a hasty man!¡± Chu Nianjiu snorted in derision before asking, ¡°So, how did it go? Did Banren persuade Xu Wushang to change his mind?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai hesitated for a few seconds. Then, he finally said, ¡°No. Ye Qing took out Xu Wushang in one punch and nearly killed him.¡±

    ¡°Pff!!!¡± Chu Nianjiu spat out the mouthful of wine that just entered his mouth. ¡°<i>Excuse me?</i>¡±

    .

    Xu Wushang was strong enough that even they couldn¡¯t treat him lightly, and Banren was saying that Ye Qing had nearly taken him out in one punch?

    How was that possible?

    Lin Yuhuai said slowly, ¡°Banren believes that Ye Qing has reached the initiate level in terms of body-tempering.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu took a second to process that information. <i>If Ye Qing is this strong, then¡­ What¡¯s going to happen to Wei Yueshan?</i>

    The two men exchanged nces with each other before turning to the entrance. It was at this moment Wei Yueshan let out a frustrated roar, ¡°Stop dodging and fight me like a man, bastard!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devious grin. ¡°Okay! You asked for this!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled up his sleeves to reveal his fists. Then, he casually ¡°bumped fists¡± with Wei Yueshan.

    The next second, the body-tempering warrior flew out of the Pacification Bureau. It wasn¡¯t until a long, long timeter that they finally heard a soft thump from somewhere.

 Chapter 142: Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction

    <h4>Chapter 142: Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction</h4>

    There was a momentary silence after Wei Yueshan was sent flying by Ye Qing. It was almost as if the Pacification Bureau was temporarily subdued by Ye Qing¡¯s show of power. However, it was just the calm before the storm. The next moment, swimming dragons started appearing between the ground, the fake hills, the buildings and more. The sky above the headquarters had also turned into ck all of a sudden.

    The stars in the artificial night sky grew brighter and brighter. Then, a terrifying pressure bore down from above. Wawa let out a panicked cry and disappeared into thin air. Faceless slumped to the ground and curled into a ball, shivering. Kung Fu Frog dropped to one knee, head bowed and eyes bloodshot with pressure. It tried to look up and stand back on its feet to no avail.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s pupils contracted a little. He too was feeling a stifling amount of pressure and trepidation.

    The Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction was one of the thirty six Heavenly Astral Restrictions. A restriction that brought forth the Ziwei Emperor¡¯s presence into existence, it was a fusion between the natural order of the world, the power of the sun, moon and stars, the Purple Star and the Ziwei Emperor¡¯s soul.

    The Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction was specifically made to suppress Strangers. Its presence alone was enough to incapacitate most Strangers, but at its maximum, it could even manifest Ziwei Emperor¡¯s soul tomand the celestial bodies and do battle against humanity¡¯s enemies. It was incredibly powerful to say the least.

    Although the Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction was much less effective against humans, Ye Qing highly doubted he would be able to survive its full power. That was why Ye Qing wisely raised his hands in surrender and shouted, ¡°Please stop! I¡¯m a member of the Pacification Bureau as well!¡±

    ¡°I was rmended by the Anyang Pacification Bureau to¡ª¡±

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing was interrupted yet again when a majestic, awe-inspiring presence appeared in the night sky. It was none other than the Ziwei Emperor. He pointed a finger at Ye Qing and said, ¡°The Purple Star shall subjugate the demons¡­¡±

    The night sky shook, and the stars fell from the sky one by one. They converged at his fingertip as if all the stars in the sky was his tomand and leaned forward as if he was nning to squish Ye Qing like a bug.

    ¡°Out you go!¡± Ye Qing swung his sleeves and delivered Kung Fu Frog and Faceless out of the door. Then, he slowly raised his head and stared at the descending finger.

    <i>Rumble¡­</i>

    Every time the finger descended an inch, wind would howl, space would shatter, and invisible ripples would spread to the surroundings. Ye Qing truly looked like an antpared to the finger.

    <i>¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±</i>

    Eyes bloodshot, Ye Qing bent his knees slightly and slowly raised his arm. However, his waist kept falling as if it could not withstand the pressure of the finger or the weight of his fist.

    When his waist, his fist, and the ground were all on the same level [1], Ye Qing abruptly shot up like an arrow, his muscles and bones letting out a thunderp as he did so. His force, his astral qi and his spirit were all gathered inside his fist and molded into his flesh, blood and bone. When all three elements were joined into one, his power was equal to that of a dragon elephant.

    With this fist, he would defeat even the Purple Star!

    <i>Rumble¡­!</i>

    The second he raised his fist, the ground beneath him immediately started rumbling uncontrobly. It was like a series of spring thunders weing the return of spring. He punched right through the gale and force in front of the finger and shed against the finger.

    <i>Boom boom boom!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s lower half sank into the ground instantly. He looked like a nail that had been hammered halfway into a nk. The earth surrounding him started breaking apart like it was paper, and Burning Wind, hot and unrelenting, surged up as if it would destroy the world.

    ¡°Oh crap.¡±

    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡±

    All the blood drained away from Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai¡¯s face. They could sense a terrifying amount of power both in the sky and underground. Their sh would surely reduce the entire Pacification Bureau into ruins!

    ¡°What are you afraid of when I¡¯m here? Cowards!¡±

    It was at this moment a lion-like roar erupted throughout the headquarters. It was so loud that it stirred up everyone¡¯s vigor and deafened their eardrums. A silhouette fell from the sky toward the courtyard, and the moment their feetnded on the ground, the mini earthquake affecting the entire Pacification Bureau abruptly ceased, and the powers in the sky and the underground vanished like they never were.

    The silhouette did a little wave with their hand, sweeping away all the dust and air currents in one go and revealing their¡ªno, his face. He was a middle-aged man with a gaunt, weathered face and dark skin. His appearance was unassuming, and his skin was coarse like that of a forty-year-old farmer who basked in the sun all year long. He also had a wide frame and unusually long arms that stretched below his knees. His fingers were covered in calluses as well.

    The misshapen man looked nothing like a champion. In fact, Faceless looked more human than he was. But it was this man who had dispelled the terrifying energies like it was nothing.

    ¡°Shoo, shoo!¡± The middle-aged man waved at the figure in the sky first like it was a dog. The majestic figure responded to hismand and slowly withdrew his finger. Then, he, his stars, and the night sky itself disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    After the Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction was gone, the middle-aged man took two steps toward Ye Qing¡ªhe was still partially stuck in the underground right now¡ªandughed. ¡°I see you¡¯ve reached the initiate level of body-tempering, boy! No wonder you¡¯re able to withstand one-third of the restriction¡¯s power! Hahaha! Not bad at all!¡±

    The middle-aged man looked haggard, but hisughter was as loud as a chorus of bells. Whileughing, he tapped Ye Qing twice on the shoulder. The gesture was casual and unconscious, but Ye Qing still sank another two inches into the ground. His shoulder felt numb as well. It showed just how strong the man really was.

    <i>He¡¯s most definitely a body tempering warrior, and his body is way stronger than mine! </i>Ye Qing thought in astonishment.

    ¡°Phew! Your body is pretty great! Now this is what I call a diamond in the rough!¡± praised the middle-aged man while giving Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder a squeeze. ¡°Do you want to be my disciple, boy?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡± The question hade out of nowhere, but there really wasn¡¯t much to think about. The middle-aged man must be pretty high up in the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. If he could be his disciple, he would skyrocket up the bureaudder like crazy, and Wang Luori should not be an issue anymore!

    ¡°Senior¡ª¡± Ye Qing was about to say something, but the middle-aged man suddenly interrupted him with the wave of his hand, ¡°Actually, forget it. I¡¯m already in my forties, and I¡¯m still only five dragon elephants strong. You, on the other hand, are already at the initiate level at your age. Frankly, I am not qualified to teach you, so forget it!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Can you let me finish?</i>

    <i>Also, I don¡¯t mind even if you think you¡¯re not qualified!</i>

    Unfortunately, it was toote to bring it up now. Bootlickers and desperate men were unsightly at best and loathsome at worst!

    ¡°We greet you, Deputy Chief.¡±

    ¡°We greet you, Deputy Chief.¡±

    It was at this moment Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai walked over and saluted the middle-aged man respectfully.

    ¡°Deputy Chief?¡± Ye Qing was a bit surprised, to be honest. He never thought that this unassuming man would be the Deputy Chief himself, a.k.a Ling Jianqiu¡¯s master and one of the only two Spirit Masters of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, Gu Suitang the ¡°Mountainshaker¡±!

    <i>Seriously, senior, can you take back your words so I can be your disciple?</i>

    ¡°Yes, yes, whatever,¡± Gu Suitang waved them off. It was clear he wasn¡¯t one for pleasantries.

    ¡°I greet you, Senior Gu. My name is Ye Qing, and I am the one rmended by Chief Ling of the Anyang Pacification Bureau this year!¡± Ye Qing got rid of his stray thoughts and handed a letter to Gu Suitang. ¡°This is the letter he wrote, senior. He also asked me to give you his regards.¡±

    Gu Suitang epted the letter whileining, ¡°Regards my ass! If that brat really wants to give me his regards, then why didn¡¯t he visit me himself? Kids these days, they think that a single letter is¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose smilingly. It was as Ling Jianqiu said. Although his master was a hot-tempered man who cared little for trivialities, he was really a big softie on the inside. If he really meant what he said, he would not have epted the letter, would he?

    ¡°You can save the pleasantries as well, boy. Jianqiu had already messaged me about you yesterday. Long story short, you¡¯re the guy Jianqiu rmended and my junior, right? So let¡¯s act like actual seniors and juniors, okay?¡± Gu Suitang smiled while lifting Ye Qing back to the surface with two fingers.

    ¡°No problem, senior, and thank you!¡± Ye Qing saluted him.

    ¡°Deputy Chief, Peacemakers, you have to help me!¡±

    It was at this moment Tian Wu ran over while crying, ¡°This¡­ this <i>insolent </i>bastard hasmitted many unforgivable crimes today! Not only had he harmed innocent civilians with his Strangers and used one of them as a hostage, he even wrecked the Pacification Bureau! You must kill him for all that is right, my lords!¡±

    Just now, Tian Wu had run far, far away from the battlefield because he didn¡¯t want to be caught in it. It was only after the dust had settled that he crept back to check if Ye Qing was dead, which was why he had missed Ye Qing and Gu Suitang¡¯s conversation. Believing that Gu Suitang had captured Ye Qing, he did not hesitate to pin all the me on Ye Qing and urge for his execution as soon as possible. Dead men tell no tales. If Gu Suitang killed Ye Qing now, then no one would ever know about his abuse of power.

    ¡°Yeah! This is the bastard who hurt my men and even took me hostage, my lords! You need to kill him right away!¡±

    Luo Feibai also ran over to support Tian Wu¡¯s statement, ¡°I am Luo Feibai of the Luo n. I beg you to do right by me, my lords!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Gu Suitang wasn¡¯t looking at Tian Wu, Luo Feibai or even Ye Qing. The question was directed at Lin Yuhuai.

    Yuhuai smiled warmly and produced a book from his shirt. It was dark yellow, ancient, and normal-looking. When he opened the book, it gave off a mysterious energy that was decidedly not normal. After he penned the date on a nk page, the pages suddenly flipped on its own, and ink words leaped out of the papers and flew into the air. They formed a passage that said,

    ¡°On Jingrui 3, September 8th, the third quadrant of Rabbit Hour [2], a young man and the second young master of the Luo n, Luo Feibai engaged in conflict with one another at Pacification Street. Later, the Pacification Sentinels led by Guardian Tian Wu made an intervention.¡±

    ¡°ording to eyewitnesses at the scene, the main cause of the altercation was Luo Feibai wanting to buy the Book Sprite he owned, and the young man refusing toply with his request. After being rejected repeatedly, Luo Feibai allowed his subordinates to snatch the Book Sprite by force. Physical conflict ensued when a Malice-ss Stranger apanying the young man took action to protect the Book Sprite.¡±

    1. This is technically possible, but yeah it¡¯s pretty weird ??

    2. 5.45 am to be exact ??

 Chapter 143: Gu Suitang the Tyrant

    <h4>Chapter 143: Gu Suitang the Tyrant</h4>

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Ye Qing was pretty surprised. The passage had described the entire incident perfectly. It was almost like a minute taker had witnessed everything from the sidelines and jotted it all down from start until the end.

    ¡°Yuhuai is an Intelligence Officer, and he is responsible for gathering intelligence, sorting truth from fiction, maintaining the files in the archives and so on. Naturally, he is the most up-to-date person in the bureau.¡±

    Noticing Ye Qing¡¯s curiosity, Chu Nianjiu walked up to him and exined in a quiet voice, ¡°The book he¡¯s holding is a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact called the Truthseeker. Any information that the Pacification Bureau had collected, sorted, and entered into the records would automatically appear in it. Think of it as an auxiliary-type Strange Artifact.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. This was the first time he encountered a Strange Artifact like this. It was also a peek into the true power of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. The incident had literally happened less than half an hour ago, and yet the Pacification Bureau had already found out about it and investigated the whole truth. They were definitely not to be underestimated.

    Ye Qing also noticed that Chu Nianjiu didn¡¯t recognize him, which wasn¡¯t surprising. Be it in terms of stature, appearance or aura, he was nothing like the country bumpkin he used to be.

    ¡°Hmph. Luo Feibai, Tian Wu. What do you have to say for yourselves?¡± Lin Yuhuai put away the Truthseeker and questioned the duo.

    Luo Feibai looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. Tian Wu wanted to argue his way out of the hole he dug himself into, but Gu Suitang interrupted him before he could speak, ¡°You¡¯re a Guardian of the Pacification Bureau, Tian Wu, but instead of protecting the people and serving Chu, you chose to disrupt thew and order, collude with criminals, neglect your duty, and even frame an innocent. As per thew of Chu, I hereby abolish your cultivation and expel you from the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Before Tian Wu could even process what he was saying, Gu Suitang had already pped his head over his head. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as he felt an unstoppable power breaking his muscles and bones, destroying his dantian, and ripping his veins into shreds. Just like that, the man would never cultivate martial arts again.

    <i>Holy shit, this guy¡¯s ruthless!</i> Ye Qing gulped. He wasn¡¯t expecting Gu Suitang to cripple Tian Wu practically the minute after his guilt was confirmed.

    Gu Suitang casually tossed the limp Tian Wu out of the way before turning toward the entrance. His mouth split into a shit-eating grin as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Red Hair? Does it offend you that I beat up your dog?¡±

    ¡°You could stand to be more polite, Deputy Chief Gu!¡± came a voice as someone walked through the entrance.

    The neer was a dignified-looking old man with crimson hair and beard. He looked to be in his fifties, and he was wearing a golden crown and a golden robe with sun symbols on it. The closer he got, the brighter the surroundings seemed to be. The surrounding temperature was rising at an incredible rate as well. It was like he was a walking sun that brought light and heat wherever he went.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s eyes, the man was a burning sun that was bright, hot, and overwhelmingly powerful. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he could easily be caught up in his mes and burn into dust.

    ¡°And you can shove your politeness right up your sorry ass! First it was Xiao Yang, now it¡¯s Tian Wu. Do you really think I¡¯m blind, you sonuvabitch? Who gave you the gall to nt spies in <i>my </i>Pacification Bureau?¡±

    Gu Suitang spat on the ground beforeunching into another tirade, ¡°Also, this is me in a good mood already! If I was in a bad mood, I would¡¯ve called you Red Bush and made sure everyone and their mothers hears about it! Whatcha gonna do about it?¡±

    The red-haired man hmphed, ¡°Quit the baseless usations, Deputy Chief Gu! I¡¯ve never nted a spy in the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    ¡°Keep telling yourself that, Red Hair! Maybe one day you could convince yourself that it¡¯s the truth!¡± Gu Suitang¡¯s grin somehow grew even wider. ¡°But I shan¡¯tin. Both of your dogs are dead, and all is right in the world once more. Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, are you here to pick up your dog, Red Hair? Will you simmer-fry him or steam him in broth? Whatever the case, you probably shouldn¡¯t eat him. You might just catch rabies!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ve got no time for your bullshit!¡± The red-haired man uttered darkly, ¡°I havee for one reason and one reason only, and that is to take revenge for my disciple! Give me that boy standing behind you, now!¡±

    ¡°What did you say? I¡¯m so sorry, my age is getting to metely. Care to repeat yourself, Red Hair?¡± Gu Suitang put a hand to his ear.

    At this point, it was clear that the red-haired man was none other than the Hill Lord of Sunset Hill, Wang Luori. He said in an icy voice that did not fit his aura at all, ¡°Give me the boy behind you. Give me Ye Qing, the one they call Joyless Ye!¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing? Joyless Ye?¡± Gu Suitang cast a nce at Ye Qing before turning back to Wang Luori. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll¡­ give you a stick to stick it up your ass, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that your disciple was killed by that Stranger named Evergreen Ivy or something. If you want revenge that badly, then go kick her sorry ass to kingdome! Why are you going after a boy who has nothing to do with it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know! You couldn¡¯t find Evergreen Ivy, so instead you¡¯re going after the next best thing; a scapegoat. Do we look soft to you, Red Hair? Is that why you think you can snatch an <i>innocent man </i>from right under our noses?¡±

    Wang Luori abruptly red daggers at Ye Qing. ¡°Hmph! I will find out the truth, Deputy Chief Gu. Until then, neither Ye Qing nor Evergreen Ivy are getting away from me!¡±

    Ye Qing should¡¯ve looked away the moment the Hill Lord¡¯s eyes suddenly glowed like a pair of rising suns, or maybe it wouldn¡¯t have mattered whether or not he met his eyes. All of a sudden, a golden sun rose inside his head, and all he knew were mes and agony.

    His spirit evaporated as easily as a tiny stream that was under siege by a forest fire. His mind was next as it crumbled inch by inch under the burning sun.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ye Qing let out a muffled groan as intense pain assaulted his mind. By now, he had figured out that Wang Luori had invaded his head via his spirit and was trying to destroy his mind before Gu Suitang could react.

    As a Spirit Purifier, Wang Luori possessed the ability to attack another person¡¯s soul with their spirit. It was incredibly difficult to guard against, and there was zero chance a warrior with a weak spirit could survive a spiritual attack.

    Luckily, Ye Qing¡¯s spirit was anything but weak. He hurriedly visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and manifested the majestic apparition of Emperor Fuxi. It shielded his mind from the worst damages and prevented the scorching sun from extinguishing itpletely.

    Ye Qing knew it wouldn¡¯tst forever though. Every time a warrior entered the next cultivation level, they would undergo a transformation that could only be described as revolutionary. It was like the difference between a person¡¯s bare fists and a gun; an army and a nuclear bomb. It was why very few people could ovee this gap and win against someone whose cultivation level was higher than theirs.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Wang Luori was a half-step Spirit Master, and he was just an early-stage Astral Refiner. To say that the chasm between them was unbridgeable would be the understatement of the century.

    ¡°You motherfucking Red Bush! You actually <i>dare </i>to attack my charge from right under my nose!?¡±

    It was at this moment the noble, mighty roar of a lion resounded throughout the Pacification Bureau. Like a p of holy thunder, it shattered the golden sun in Ye Qing¡¯s head and extinguished the mes ravaging his mind. It wasn¡¯t long before Ye Qing¡¯s mind and spirit returned to normal. He opened his eyes just in time to see Gu Suitang rushing toward Wang Luori like an enraged lion.

    Gu Suitang wasn¡¯t giving off any energy, but his speed was as quick as lightning. Ye Qing¡¯s senses were telling him that Gu Suitang was using every part of his body to execute his purpose. His blood, his flesh, his sinews and his bones were all moving in perfect harmony to move heaven and earth itself.

    Gu Suitang reached Wang Luori faster than one could blink and unleashed a palm strike. Knowing full well how strong the Deputy Chief of Bureau was, Wang Luori responded with a full-powered punch of his own.

    A golden sun appeared behind the Hill Lord¡¯s back without warning, and it was so bright that it dyed the entire bureau gold. At the same time, deadly mes appeared out of nowhere and threatened to consume anything and everything.

    Although the punch was aimed at Gu Suitang and Gu Suitang alone, Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and everyone else still felt like they would be burned into dust if they did not get away immediately. And they did. It was like a second sun had manifested itself in the Pacification Bureau, and its terrific heat threatened to turn all life into dust.

    There was absolutely nothing they could do before this power. Like ants facing down a zing inferno, the only thing they could do¡­ was die!

    Gu Suitang paid the burning sun no heed, however. His palm easily scattered the all-consuming mes and smacked Wang Luori¡¯s fist sideways. There was a loud boom as the artificial sun suddenly shook as if something had thrown it off bnce.

    Stunned by how ineffective his counter attack was, Wang Luori tried to gain some breathing room by jumping away from Gu Suitang. However, Gu Suitang easily caught his wrist and pulled him forward. Then, the Deputy Chief took one step forward and rammed his shoulder into the Hill Lord¡¯s chest.

    Wang Luori shuddered like he had been struck by a mountain. The attack had caved in his chest and disrupted his energies.

    Wang Luori sucked in a shallow breath and gathered his energy for another strike, but he had just reached the halfway point when Gu Suitang abruptly backhanded him across the face!

    <i>p!</i>

    The p was so crisp that it could be heard throughout the Pacification Bureau. Ye Qing was stunned, Chu Nianjiu was stunned, Lin Yuhuai was stunned, and even Wang Luori himself couldn¡¯t say a word until a few secondster.

    ¡°You¡­ pped me?¡± Wang Luori¡¯s eyes bulged when his mind finally processed what just happened, crimson hair literally bursting into mes. It was clear that he was furious beyond imagination.

    ¡°Yep, I pped you. Whatcha gonna do about it?¡± Gu Suitang guffawed. ¡°I gave you face, and you thought you could barge into my territory and attack my men? Why can¡¯t you people ever be satisfied with what you have?¡±

    Before Wang Luori could respond, Gu Suitang pped him again and taunted, ¡°I thought you might want a freebie, so here you go!¡±

    ¡°RAAAARGH!¡± Wang Luori screamed on top of his lungs. ¡°You¡¯re dead! You¡¯re so dead!¡±

    As it turned out, the sun symbols on his robe wasn¡¯t just for show. When they lit up, his power started growing at an exponential rate.

    Unfortunately, he never got to do anything. The second he made a move, Gu Suitang sneered and punched him squarely in the chest. His strength was awe-inspiring, but what was even more impressive was his control. Somehow, the Deputy Chief managed to inject every ounce of force into Wang Luori¡¯s body.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Wang Luori¡¯s golden robe abruptly exploded into shreds. He himself was knocked t on his back. The next second, Gu Suitang stomped on Wang Luori¡¯s chest and drove him into the underground!

    ¡°You do realize that you¡¯re a half-step Spirit Master at best, right? Did you actually think you stand any chance against me? Seriously, I could¡¯ve pounded you dead with one hand!¡±

    ¡°You¡ª!¡± A beet red Wang Luori struggled to get back on his feet, but it was futile. Gu Suitang¡¯s foot might as well be a mountain right now.

    ¡°You what mate?¡±? Gu Suitang bent down a little and sent spittle all over Wang Luori¡¯s face, ¡°It¡¯s very simple, small fry. Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau. If you touch a hair on his person, I¡¯ll turn you from Red Hair to No Hair. If youy a finger on him, I will break your legs. If you kill him, I will ughter you and your sect to thest!¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Wang Luori shook uncontrobly.

    Gu Suitang burst outughing. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare? Are you even listening to yourself? Give me a reason, and I will march to your Sunset Hill this instant! Or are you questioning the Pacification Bureau and my power?¡±

    Wang Luori kept his mouth shut. The Pacification Bureau definitely possessed the power to destroy Sunset Hill with ease, but he still couldn¡¯t believe that Gu Suitang would go so far for Ye Qing.

 Chapter 144: Skyrocketing Up That Bureau Ladder

    <h4>Chapter 144: Skyrocketing Up That Bureau Ladder</h4>

    ¡°Heh. I can tell you don¡¯t believe me, Red Bush, but it¡¯s true!¡±

    Gu Suitang chuckled. ¡°Your short-lived disciple died, so the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau is missing a Patrolman right now. Ye Qing, get over here.¡±

    After Ye Qing came over, Gu Suitang pointed a finger at him and said, ¡°Congrattions, you are now the new Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± Ye Qing nked out a little. He would¡¯ve been satisfied if he was given a Lieutenant-rank post, but a Patrolman? That was a Peacemaker-rank post, wasn¡¯t it?

    Gu Suitang ignored him and turned back to Wang Luori. ¡°So, Ye Qing is now our Patrolman. Still think I won¡¯t tten your Sunset Hill if you kill him?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Wang Luori looked like he wanted to strangle Gu Suitang alive, but everyone knew how that went.

    Before this, Ye Qing was technically a nobody. The Pacification Bureau had no reason to protect him, and even someone as willful as Gu Suitang would be hardpressed to find an excuse to tten his Sunset Hill so to speak.

    But now, Ye Qing was a high-ranking officer in the Pacification Bureau. Killing Ye Qing now would be the same as going to war against the Pacification Bureau and pping Chu in the face. The emperor¡¯s dignity must be protected at all costs, and the imperial court might just decide that ttening Sunset Hill would be an appropriate punishment.

    ¡°Hehe. You think you¡¯re hot shit, right Red Bush? Go get the boy then! I promise you I won¡¯t stop you this time!¡± Gu Suitang removed his foot and stepped aside. Ye Qing did not hesitate to puff up his chest and make a provocative gesture as well.

    <i>I¡¯m a man with a boss now! Come get me if you can, bitch!</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Violent energy burst out of Wang Luori¡¯s body as he rose to his feet. He looked like he was on the verge of unleashing all of his power to destroy everything and anything. In the end though, the Hill Lord did not dare to attack Ye Qing. He said, ¡°I won¡¯t forget this, you bastard!¡± before turning around to leave.

    Before he could do so though, Gu Suitang appeared next to Wang Luori and punched him in the waist. The man immediately shot out of the entrance like a cannonball.

    ¡°Who gave you the gall to threaten me, you little shit? I swear, I would¡¯ve pummeled you into meat paste if your ancestor wasn¡¯t an acquaintance of mine!¡±

    As the Hill Lord staggered to his feet, he felt something wet hitting him in the face. It was Gu Suitang spitting at him while saying, ¡°Now get lost!¡±

    This time, Wang Luori did not say anything. He leaped into the air and vanished in the blink of an eye. Everyone could see how angry he was and how close he was to losing control though.

    <i>That was so cool! Now this is what I call a true champion, and it sure is nice to be carried </i>[1] <i>once in a while! </i>Ye Qing thought to himself.

    <i>p!</i>

    Gu Suitang pped once to draw his attention before saying, ¡°You¡¯re our Patrolman from now on, boy. Give it your all. I have high expectations for you!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ weren¡¯t joking, senior?¡± Ye Qing honestly thought that Gu Suitang didn¡¯t mean what he said earlier, but now it would seem that that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Gu Suitang rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m the heavens damned Deputy Chief of Bureau, boy! Do I look like I got the time to joke around?¡±

    Ye Qing hesitated, ¡°But I¡¯m not sure I¡ª¡±

    Gu Suitang interrupted him before he could finish, ¡°You are qualified. You¡¯ve proven during my earlier test that you are as strong as Yuhuai and Nianjiu, and your achievements in Anyang marked you as a man of exceptional intellect, so you have nothing to worry about.¡±

    He then turned to Lin Yuhuai and ordered, ¡°When the registration is over, hand him his badge and give him a rundown on what a Patrolman is supposed to do, Yuhuai!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai nodded affirmatively. ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Alright, is there anything anyone else wants to say to me? No? Then you are dismissed!¡± dered Gu Suitang with the wave of a hand.

    The crowd was just about toply with his order when a man suddenly barged through the entrance and roared, ¡°Where is that boy? I can still go for another three hundred rounds! Let me at ¡®em!¡±

    It was none other than Wei Yueshan, the body-tempering warrior who Ye Qing turned into a star a while ago.

    <i>p!</i>

    Not a second after Wei Yueshan was done yelling, a palm pped him in the back of his head hard enough to make him stumble.

    ¡°Who hit me?¡± Wei Yueshan roared again.

    ¡°I did. Whatcha gonna do about it, huh?¡± Gu Suitang pped Wei Yueshan a second time as he yelled, ¡°I¡¯ve been tutoring you for heaven-knows-howlong, and yet you still couldn¡¯t reach the initiate level. Not only that, you lost to a guy who¡¯s younger than you! Just how embarrassing can you get? Just get out of my sight!¡±

    Gu Suitang kicked Wei Yueshan in the butt as soon as he finished, and once again, the poor guy turned into a star in the sky.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ what¡¯s going on there?¡± Ye Qing blinked in puzzlement.

    Lin Yuhuai chuckled. ¡°That guy¡¯s name is Wei Yueshan. He¡¯s a Lieutenant in the Pacification Bureau and the Deputy Chief¡¯s disciple.¡±

    ¡°Oh! No wonder!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization before introducing himself, ¡°I am Ye Qing, the one they call Joyless Ye. I¡¯m honored to make your acquaintance, my lords.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai smiled gently. ¡°You tter us, Brother Ye. You¡¯re a Peacemaker now, meaning that you are on the same level as Nianjiu and I. Please just treat us as peers and address us by our names.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai then introduced himself and Chu Nianjiu, ¡°My name is Lin Yuhuai, and I¡¯m an Intelligence Officer. He is Chu Nianjiu, and he¡¯s a Windcatcher.¡±

    ¡°Well met, Brother Lin, Brother Chu. Please feel free to address me as Brother Ye or Joyless!¡± Ye Qing responded in kind.

    A smiling Chu Nianjiu wrapped an arm around Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder and took a sip from his wine, ¡°Joyless, you¡¯re quite an impressived, aren¡¯t ¡®cha? You¡¯re not even twenty yet, and you¡¯re already a Peacemaker. Your achievement isn¡¯t unprecedented, but it¡¯s been decades since someone as young as you was made a Peacemaker in our bureau!¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose wryly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting this either. In fact, I still haven¡¯t quite recovered from the shock yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the Deputy Chief for you. He wouldn¡¯t be the Deputy Chief if he acts predictably. You¡¯ll get used to it!¡± Chu Nianjiuughed. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve had an exciting day, haven¡¯t you? Follow me after you¡¯re done with the registration. I¡¯ll treat you to a drink at Cuiwei Boat tonight!¡±

    Ye Qing saluted him smilingly. ¡°Thank you, Brother Chu!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai exposed Chu Nianjiu mercilessly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t thank him. He just wanted to enjoy their Cuiwei Rainflower Brew again!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu paid him no heed. ¡°So? I¡¯m killing two birds with one stone!¡±

    ¡°Whatever you say!¡± Lin Yuhuai shook his head wryly before looking back at Ye Qing. ¡°Follow me, Joyless. I¡¯ll guide you through the procedures, introduce you to your responsibilities, and give you a tour of this ce!¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Brother Lin!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°The Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method is on him?!¡±

    Some distance away from themandery, Wang Luori¡¯s rage-filled expression suddenly melted into a joyous smile.

    ¡°Hmph, now I understand why Xiao Yang and Qing Kui snuck into Anyang. Their ambition is one thing, but they should¡¯ve known their ce and informed me about it. Their deaths are well-deserved!¡± He muttered cruelly as his lips curled into a cold, detached sneer.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s thanks to my dear disciple that the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method is delivered right into myp. Hahaha! The heavens are on my side this time!¡±

    ¡°Once I get my hands on the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method, I¡¯ll finally be able to enter the Spirit Master stage. When that happens, you will pay for everything you¡¯ve done to me tenfold, you old bastard!¡±

    Wang Luori burst outughing like a madman then. His crazedughter was loud enough to be heard even tens of kilometers away.

    When he was finally done, his face slowly turned dark and cruel. ¡°Ye Qing¡­ Ye Qing¡­¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t escape me. You won¡¯t escape me!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Luo Shui is famed for its One Water, Nine Bridges, and Eighteen Boats. One Water refers to the Luo Shui River, Nine Bridges refers to the nine Moon Bridges that connects the two shores of Luo Shui River, and Eighteen Boats refers to the eighteen pleasure boats scattered across the river such as Cuiwei, Brightmoon, Hongxiu, Ruyi, Crystal Clear, Aroma and so on.¡±

    The moon glowed brightly in the night sky. Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai, We Yueshan and Xu Banren were walking along the bustling riverside of Luo Shui River while Lin Yuhuai exined its most famous attraction, the ¡°One River, Nine Bridges, and Eighteen Boats¡±.

    The five of them were headed to Cuiwei Boat for a drinking session, of course. It was a small wee party for Ye Qing. Wei Yueshan was tagging along because he somehow caught wind of their ns and muscled himself into their ns¡ªhe was just as much of an alcoholic as Chu Nianjiu was¡ªwhereas Xu Banren was forcefully dragged along after he returned to the Pacification Bureau.

    A party wouldn¡¯t be a party without enough people, right?

    ¡°A pleasure boat with friends, booze, and beautiful girls, huh? Not bad at all!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes were glowing with delight as he listened to Lin Yuhuai¡¯s exnations.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ not only that, Cuiwei Boat¡¯s Cuiwei Rainflower Brew is a uniquely delicious brew across all of Luo Shui. Only a limited amount is served every day, and only VIPs are allowed to order the brew. There are countless people who wish they could enjoy the brew, but couldn¡¯t!¡± Wei Yueshan unconsciously licked his lips.

    ¡°It sounds like a must-have for sure!¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    Chu Nianjiu took a sip from his wine and added, ¡°The Cuiwei Rainflower Brew is definitely incredible, but that is not the only thing they¡¯re famous for. Their qin and se performance and their dances are famous throughout Luo Shui as well. I promise you won¡¯t be disappointed, Joyless!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai echoed in agreement, ¡°Indeed, the Cuiwei Boat¡¯s brew, music and dances are why they are the number one pleasure boat in Luo Shui!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    The group of five¡ªwell, all of them except Banren¡ªcontinued to make idle conversation as they walked along the streets. The riverbanks were lined with restaurants, the pleasure boats and other vessels were floating along the river like strings, the flute and string music were positively endless, the delicious smell of food and booze was a constant, the sweet voices of songstresses could rx even the most strung-up men, and the innumerable candles, torches andnterns lit the streets almost as bright as daytime. It was a phantasmal experience that did not seem to belong in this world.

    ¡°We¡¯re here! That is the Cuiwei Boat!¡± Lin Yuhuai pointed when they arrived at an arch bridge that glowed white in the darkness as if it was forged from white jade. It was why it was called a Moon Bridge. A mysterious, exquisitely-designed pleasure boat was parked a fair distance away from it.

    Appearance wise, the pleasure boat was definitely not the biggest, gorgeous, or most luxurious pleasure boat of them all. However, Ye Qing knew at first nce that it was the brightest star. Mysterious and elegant, it stood out among the other pleasure boats in a good way. It was unique like a night orchid in an empty valley, or the moon surrounded by a bed of stars.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing noticed something strange. ¡°Wait a second. This pleasure boat is parked in the middle of the river, and it isn¡¯t close to the bridge either. Are we expected to fly over to it or something?¡±

    ¡°That is exactly correct! You are expected to fly over to Cuiwei Boat!¡± Chu Nianjiu let out a small chuckle before leaping into the air. Hended at the center of the boat.

    ¡°Sounds fun!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. The Cuiwei Boat was at least twenty five to thirty meters away from the riverbank, and it was even farther away from the Moon Bridge. Anyone whose movement art wasn¡¯t up to snuff would not be able to board the Cuiwei Boat.

    Ye Qing took one step and leaped into the sky as well. As light as a feather and as swift as the wind, hended on Cuiwei Boat in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Joyless¡¯ movement art is quite impressive!¡± Lin Yuhuaiplimented. As Ye Qing was a body-tempering warrior, he thought that his movement art would be simrly brutish. Instead, the young man had looked like a bonafide celestial. It was honestly surprising.

    Speaking of brutish, Wei Yueshan roared, ¡°It¡¯s my turn!¡± before backing up a few steps. Then, he dashed up to the shoreline and kicked off the ground with both legs. A few secondster, hended on the pleasure boat with a muffled thump.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s more like it!¡± Lin Yuhuai shook his head. He and Xu Banren then leaped over to the Cuiwei Boat as well.

    Xu Banren¡¯s movement art was as soundless as a ghost, and Lin Yuhuai¡¯s as calm and gentle as water. Regardless, they bothnded on Cui Wei Boat without a sound.

    1. gaming ng, meaning that it¡¯s nice to let someone else do most of the heavy-lifting in a game ??

 Chapter 145: Here Comes Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 145: Here Comes Trouble</h4>

    The first thing Ye Qing saw upon entering the Cuiwei Boat was a wide, circr stage that looked like it was carved out of jade. A woman was ying her pipa on it. Dining tables and chairs arrayed around the stage, and the customers were all listening to her performance intently.

    Every time she plucked a string, it sounded like someone was striking a bead against the frame of a jade abacus; crisp and melodious. Every customer listening to her performance looked intoxicated even though some of them weren¡¯t drinking.

    Before Ye Qing came in, he had imagined that the atmosphere would not be too different from a restaurant or a brothel[1]. He also expected to be weed by cute, scantily dressed girls who were all too eager to inquire about his well-being and discuss the mysteries of life one way or another.

    But that was not the case with the Cuiwei Boat. The girls were lightly dressed, but they exposed very little skin. Their behavior and mannerisms were extremely refined and elegant as well.

    Even the customers were perfectly silent. They were all giving their full attention to the performance. The atmosphere wasfortable and calming to say the least.

    It was at this moment a female attendant walked up to them and whispered, ¡°Would you like to dine in the main hall or the guest rooms, dear customers?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu answered just as softly, ¡°A room, please. I¡¯ve booked a ce under the name Chu Nianjiu this noon.¡±

    The attendant was visibly surprised. ¡°Lord Windcatcher! My apologies for not recognizing you sooner. I¡ª¡±

    Chu Nianjiu interrupted, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Go bring a few jars of Cuiwei Rainflower Brew to our room, and don¡¯t worry about escorting us. I know where the room is.¡±

    The attendant bowed respectfully and replied, ¡°At once, my lords!¡±

    After she left, Chu Nianjiu led the four of them to his room with practiced ease. They chatted while enjoying the wonderful song and dance at the main hall.

    ¡°I thought you said you¡¯ve run out of Cuiwei Rainflower Brew? What the hell is that you¡¯re holding in your arms then?¡±

    Suddenly, an angry shout erupted from outside the guest room. ¡°You¡¯re not even holding one jar, but several! I¡¯ll kill you, you lying bitch!¡±

    ¡°You misunderstood, Young Master Luo! These brews had been reserved by a customer beforehand!¡± A familiar voice answered. It belonged to the female attendant who greeted them earlier.

    ¡°And who in the world would need these many brews? Aren¡¯t they afraid that they¡¯ll choke to death?¡± Young Master Luo continued toin loudly.

    ¡°Is that Luo Feibai I hear? Man, is this fate or what?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise as he exchanged a nce with everyone.

    The man making amotion right outside their door was none other than the so-called second young master of the Luo n, Luo Feibai. The young man had left with his tail between his legs this morning, and Ye Qing thought that that was thest he saw of him. He didn¡¯t think that they would meet again on the very same day.

    ¡°You know what? I want to see who this customer is with my own eyes!¡±

    ¡°Young Master Luo, please don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡±

    Outside, Luo Feibai walked up to the room and kicked the door open. Sneering, he looked into the room and uttered, ¡°Who the fuck do you think you are¡­ to¡­ to¡­¡±

    Luo Feibai stopped talking halfway through his viin monologue. It was because he finally recognized the faces inside the room, each and everyst one of them. His eyes bulged like a noisy duck who was suddenly caught by the neck.

    ¡°What were you trying to say, Scion Luo? Care to finish your sentence?¡± Wei Yueshan sneered and crushed the tea cup in his hand.

    ¡°I¡­ er¡­¡± The blood drained away from his face, but he was unable to form even a single sentence.

    Today must have been the unluckiest day of his life. This morning, he had tried to rob Ye Qing only to get his ass kicked at the Pacification Bureau. Later this evening, he decided that he would drown his worries away with the Cuiwei Rainflower Brew only to be told that they had run out of stock. Words could not describe how apoplectic he felt when he realized that that was, in fact, not the case. Just when he was about to unleash fire and brimstone on the sonuvabitches who had ruined his night, he discovered that it was the very same fuckers who had ruined his day. How unlucky was that?

    Technically speaking, he could deal with Wei Yueshan and Xu Banren. They were just Lieutenants, and the Luo n was equipped to handle a couple of Lieutenants.

    But the Peacemakers? Maybe Ye Qing didn¡¯t count because this was his first day at the job, but Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuan were veteran Peacemakers with real power in their hands. They were most definitely beyond the Luo n¡¯s influence.

    More urately, they <i>could</i> provoke the Peacemakers, but the cost was too great to be worth it.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? You were so confident when you were yelling at the female attendant earlier!¡± Wei Yueshan taunted.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was my mistake,¡± Luo Feibai gritted his teeth and apologized.

    Wei Yueshan scoffed, ¡°You think an apology is enough to make up for what you did? Does that mean I can beat you up now and say sorryter?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. Wei Yueshan truly was Gu Suitang¡¯s disciple. Their temperament was more or less the same.

    Luo Feibai turned blue in the face. ¡°I already apologized, Lieutenant. What more do you want?¡±

    Wei Yueshan smacked the table and sneered, ¡°I want to kick your ass. What are you gonna do about it?¡±

    Luo Feibai abruptly looked up and red daggers at Wei Yueshan, but in the end he didn¡¯t dare to say or do anything.

    Wei Yueshan snorted, ¡°Man, what a coward. I can hardly believe that it was you who had tried to frame our Patrolman. With your balls, your father should have named you ¡®Luo I Suck¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Enough, Yueshan. His older brother and I are friends, so let¡¯s leave this here, shall we?¡± Lin Yuhuai spoke up after he deemed that Luo Feibai had received a suitable amount of rebuke.

    ¡°Hmph! Get out of our sight!¡± Wei Yueshan waved him off with a disgusted expression.

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Lin. Goodbye!¡± Luo Feibai saluted and left immediately. He did not want to linger for even a second longer.

    But before he could step away, Wei Yueshan scoffed, ¡°Hmph! There really isn¡¯t a bone in him! He would¡¯ve died ages ago if he didn¡¯t have a good brother!¡±

    Outside the room, Luo Feibai shuddered and clenched his fists so hard that veins were popping on his arm. His face was contorted into an expression of pure fury as well.

    ¡°Are you alright, young master?¡± One of Luo Feibai¡¯s servants asked kindly after noticing his expression, but it was a mistake.

    ¡°Did I ask for your concern!? Fuck off!¡± Luo Feibai yelled and hit the attendant on the chest. The poor man let out a bloodcurdling scream and fell to the ground, unmoving. It was impossible to say if he was still alive or not.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ordered Luo Feibai before heading straight for the exit.

    It was at this moment something happened. Luo Feibai had just taken two steps when he suddenly copsed to the ground. It was so sudden and unexpected that it took his servants a couple of seconds to react.

    ¡°Young master!¡±

    ¡°Young master!¡±

    They rushed to his side and shook him back and forth, but he didn¡¯t react. Eye bulging and face as pale as a sheet, his pupils kept shrinking until all life had vanished from his eyes.

    ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s dead?¡± A servant mustered his courage and tried to feel Luo Feibai¡¯s pulse, but there was nothing. He was so scared that he copsed on his butt.

    ¡°The young master¡¯s dead¡­¡±

    ¡°The young master¡¯s dead!¡±

    Everyone looked as white as a ghost. No one knew what the hell just happened, much less how to fix this situation.

    Themotion was hardly quiet, so many customers were drawn out of their guest rooms. Cries of shock ensued, and it wasn¡¯t long before a crowd had gathered around the young master¡¯s dead body. It was chaos.

    Suddenly, a man cut through the crowd and asked loudly, ¡°What¡¯s going on over here?¡±

    Luo Feibai¡¯s servants subconsciously turned toward the person. When they saw who it was, their eyes lit up like they had found their savior. ¡°Constable Li! Thank heavens you¡¯re here! Our young master, he¡­ he¡¯s dead!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Constable Li¡¯s full name was Li Lang, and he was a middle-aged man in his thirties. He possessed a stern, intimidating face that could easily cower people into submission. When he frowned, the nearest crowd literally flinched and took a step away from him. ¡°Is that your second young master, Luo Feibai on the ground?¡±

    ¡°Yes, constable!¡± A servant answered, and Li Lang¡¯s heart dropped. The Luo n was a highly influential family who had started as a humble river merchant. Their foundation was solid, and their connections were not to be underestimated. The patriarch of the Luo n was called Luo Chunchao, and Luo Feibai was the son of his first wife. Therefore, his death was absolutely going to cause a massive ssh in Luo Shui.

    <i>This is bad.</i>

    Li Lang¡¯s frown deepened. He hade here to enjoy a drink with his brothers, and a murder case, one that would cost many people¡¯s lives if it wasn¡¯t handled properly, hadnded in hisp. How unlucky was that?

    As reluctant as he felt, Li Lang didn¡¯t dare to treat this lightly. He immediately ordered, ¡°Men, seal off the scene. Starting now, no one is allowed to leave the Cuiwei Boat without my permission!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The bailiffs apanying Li Lang immediately responded. They too were aware how serious the situation was and hurried to carry out their duties.

    After Li Lang was finished giving his orders, he turned back to Luo Feibai¡¯s servants and said, ¡°Tell me everything that happened prior to Luo Feibai¡¯s death. Also,¡± he pointed at the servant who had been struck unconscious or dead by Luo Feibai earlier, ¡°What¡¯s with that guy over there?¡±

    The frightened servants quickly told the constable everything. When they finished giving their ount, Li Lang thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Just to rify, you are certain that Luo Feibai argued with some customers in a guest room over the Cuiwei Rainflower Brews right before his death?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡± The servants hesitated a little because it was more like a one-sided beatdown than an argument, but it was probably unnecessary to mention that, so they didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Alright, take me to that guest room right now!¡± Li Lang rose to his feet and ordered the servants to lead the way. They headed straight for Chu Nianjiu¡¯s room.

    ¡°Oh no, herees trouble!¡± Ye Qing half-joked as he enjoyed a sip of Cuiwei Rainflower Brew. It had a rich taste and a lingering aftertaste that made him want to go for another sip again and again. It was definitely worth its reputation.

    Everyone in the room was an Astral Refiner at least, so of course they heard themotion as clear as day. But of course, they didn¡¯t hear the moment Luo Feibai died. They would¡¯ve stepped out of the room to investigate if that was the case.

    <i>m!</i>

    Once again, the room door was opened roughly, and once again, an awkward silence permeated the air when Li Lang saw who the five men sitting inside the room were. The constable desperately wanted to say, ¡°Sorry to disturb you. Goodbye!¡± and leave the ce, but his sense of duty was ultimately greater than his fear.

    Saluting the five men stiffly, he said, ¡°Greetings, everyone. Something¡¯s happened outside, so if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡±

    Before he could finish, Chu Nianjiu answeredzily, ¡°No need for pretenses, Constable Li. We¡¯ve all heard themotion, and we know what you want to ask. Here is my answer.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we had an argument with Luo Feibai over the Cuiwei Rainflower Brew, or more urately, we verbally ripped a hole in his ass before we told him to leave. He was perfectly healthy when he left the room, as evident from the fact that he had pped one of hisckeys unconscious outside the room. Everyone saw this, so you know I¡¯m not lying.¡±

    ¡°As for motive, we simply have no motive. We¡¯d already vented our annoyance on him, and what kind of crazy would kill Luo Feibai over a couple of Cuiwei Rainflower Brews? He¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    Li Lang rxed and echoed in agreement, ¡°It is true that you have no motive to kill Luo Feibai.¡±

    However, his statement was refuted by a low mutter, ¡°That¡¯s a lie! I know at least one person in there who absolutely has a motive to kill Young Master Luo!¡±

    ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Li Lang immediately turned around to look at the servant who said this.

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy.

    The servant said, ¡°This morning, the young master had tried to frame Lord Ye Qing for a crime, and his action had nearly resulted in his death. Therefore, it is definitely possible that Ye Qing had killed my young master for revenge!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right! That has to be the case!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s him, it¡¯s him, it has to be him¡­¡±

    <i>Here we go again,</i> Ye Qing sighed internally. He wasn¡¯t looking for trouble, but trouble just couldn¡¯t help but look for him, could it?

    It didn¡¯t take long before Luo Feibai¡¯s servants divulged everything that had happened this morning.

    1. In ancient China, it¡¯s quitemon for high-ss brothels to be a brothel/restaurant/theater. ??

 Chapter 146: Nameless Hair

    <h4>Chapter 146: Nameless Hair</h4>

    ¡°Shut your mouths!¡± Wei Yueshan erupted in anger, ¡°How dare you piece of shits use our Patrolman of murder! You are courting death!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Yueshan!¡± Lin Yuhuai quickly restrained him.

    Li Lang furrowed his brow deeply and turned to Ye Qing. ¡°Are they telling the truth, Lord Ye?¡± Ye Qing replied unhurriedly, ¡°Partially.¡±

    Li Lang was a bit displeased with how casual Ye Qing was acting. It was also partially because Ye Qing was far too young. The youth was usually arrogant, the arrogant was usually impulsive, and the impulsive was usually dangerous toward himself and others.

    Unaware of Li Lang¡¯s inner thoughts, Ye Qing exined, ¡°I say ¡®partially¡¯ because it¡¯s true that Luo Feibai had tried to frame me and hold a grudge against me. However, it¡¯s definitely not true that I had killed him for revenge.¡±

    The servant who used Ye Qing at the very beginning hmphed, ¡°That¡¯s what you im, but who knows if it¡¯s true or not?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Where is your evidence then, since you¡¯re so confident that I¡¯m the murderer? Or are you just making baseless usations?¡±

    The servant stopped talking, but he continued to shoot Ye Qing with a ¡°I know it¡¯s you even if you don¡¯t admit it¡± look.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing cocked his head to the side and smiled coldly. ¡°What is your name?¡±

    The servant felt a chill down his spine as he asked warily, ¡°My name is Luo Shen. What, are you plotting to silence me or something?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Rx. It¡¯s just a question.¡±

    Li Lang did not interrupt their conversation. He simply frowned as he recalled all the clues he had discovered so far¡ªor rather, theck thereof. When he was checking Luo Feibai earlier, he couldn¡¯t find any wound on his body whatsoever. His internal organs seemed perfectly fine, and there were no signs of poisoning either. In other words, he was unable to identify the cause of death.

    Based on his many years of experience, he concluded that this was no ordinary death. Luo Feibai must have died to a Stranger or a powerful warrior.

    Ye Qing must be pretty strong since he was a Patrolman. He almost certainly possessed the strength to kill Luo Feibai without leaving a trace. For now at least, it definitely looked like Ye Qing was the prime suspect.

    Once Li Lang had reached a conclusion, he scanned the crowd with a severe look before announcing, ¡°There are many suspicious points regarding Luo Feibai¡¯s death. With that in mind, I¡¯d like to invite Lord Ye to themandery hall with me to assist with the investigation. The servants will being with me as well.¡±

    <i>m! </i>A furious Wei Yueshan pped the table when he heard this. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Li Lang? Are you actually going to detain Lord Ye?¡±

    Xu Banren didn¡¯t say anything, but his expression was just as unfriendly.

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai looked calm and collected, but it was them who gave Li Lang the most pressure.

    Li Lang was the chief constable of the Luo Shui Commandery Hall and leader of the Three Companies and Six Offices with several hundred bailiffs under hismand. Naturally, he could not be a weakling. He was ate-stage Astral Refiner just like Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai, though he was inferior to them because he didn¡¯t deal with Strangers all year long.

    Despite this, Li Lang did not back down from his duty. He said seriously, ¡°Watch your tone, Lieutenant Wei. You are a public servant, and it is your natural duty to observe thew. I will charge you with obstruction of justice and take the necessary actions if you try to stop me.¡±

    ¡°Also, I¡¯ve made it very clear that I am only inviting Lord Ye to assist with the investigation. This is not an arrest or even an interrogation!¡±

    Wei Yueshan paid him no heed, however. He took a step forward menacingly and uttered, ¡°You can try!¡±

    Unafraid, Li Lang took a step forward as well. ¡°I certainly shall!¡±

    It was at this moment a wicked, arrogant voice boomed from outside, ¡°Are you having trouble, Constable Li? Who in the world would dare to obstruct you from detaining the prime suspect?¡±

    The crowd parted to admit a young man between twenty five to twenty six years old. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Brother Chu and Brother Lin! No wonder!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu lifted an eyelid to look at the neer before shifting into a morefortable position. While sipping his wine, he said, ¡°One may not need to observe what they eat, but they most certainly need to watch what they say, Xue Shiwu!¡±

    The young man possessed a handsome appearance, but Ye Qing could sense a hidden cruelty within him. This was a man who looked like a cute puppy on the outside, but was really as ruthless and bloodthirsty as a wolf on the inside.

    Moreover, he had the cultivation level to match his inner wolf. He was ate-stage Astral Refiner just like Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai.

    Xue Shiwu shrugged carelessly. ¡°I¡¯m just saying as it is though! It is a fact that you¡¯re trying to stop Constable Li from apprehending the suspect, isn¡¯t it? Speaking of which, you may proceed with the arrest, Constable Li. I will make sure that you are able to carry out your duties without further obstruction. But be swift! I don¡¯t enjoy cold food and warm wine.¡±

    Curious about the neer¡¯s identity, Ye Qing asked Xu Banren via sound transmission, ¡°Who is this Xue Shiwu? He¡¯s talking down on us like we¡¯remon criminals.¡±

    ¡°Xue Shiwu is the son of Xue Beikun,mander of the ck Feather Guards. Most people call him the ¡®Little Commander¡¯. He is a cruel, wicked, and arrogant man who almost always butts heads with the Pacification Bureau,¡± answered Xu Banren after some thought.

    ¡°He¡¯s the son of amander? No wonder!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    Although the ck Feather Guards technically answered to the Pacification Bureau and themandery hall, their internal affairs were theirs to handle, not to mention that power struggles were a constant as old as time itself.

    ¡°What are you two talking about? You¡¯re not talking behind my back, are you?¡± Xue Shiwu suddenly gave him and Xu Banren an icy look.

    <i>His senses are pretty sharp! </i>Ye Qing thought warily, but on the outside he replied with an impable, ¡°Nah, we¡¯re just discussing a mad dog who bites whoever it meets is all!¡±

    Bloodthirst immediately gushed out of Xue Shiwu, fiery and bloody. For a second, he looked like a vengeful wraith who had crawled out of a mountain of dead. Clearly, Xue Shiwu had killed a lot of Strangers or humans to umte such a terrifying amount of bloodthirst.

    Xu Banren and Wei Yueshan immediately tensed up and watched Xue Shiwu warily, but Ye Qing acted like he couldn¡¯t feel anything despite bearing the brunt of the Little Commander¡¯s ire. His smile remained asidback as it could be.

    ¡°Interesting! Very interesting!¡± dered Xue Shiwu three breathster with a smile, but his eyes glittered like that of a hungry wolf. ¡°You must be the guy who killed my brother, Xiao Yang and stole his position, Ye Qing!¡±

    ¡°You are mistaken, Little Commander. I am Ye Qing, but it isn¡¯t me who killed Xiao Yang.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Only a fool would believe an obviously false rumor like this, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Xue Shiwuughed harshly. ¡°We¡¯ll know very soon who is the fool. Constable Li, what are you waiting for?¡±

    Li Lang took a step forward and dered in an icy tone, ¡°Patrolman Ye, if you would.¡±

    ¡°Not another step!¡± Wei Yueshen and Xu Banren took a step forward. As if on cue, the bailiffs behind Li Lang drew their weapons and gave not an inch.

    For a time, the atmosphere in the Cuiwei Boat grew so heavy it was suffocating. Then¡ª

    ¡°Gulp!¡±

    A small gulp shattered the silence and drew everyone¡¯s attention. It was Ye Qing picking up his jar and downing a mouthful of Cuiwei Rainflower Brew. He then shot them a smile and dered, ¡°Rx. We¡¯re all colleagues here, are we not? So why are you ring at each other and drawing weapons like you¡¯re about to war? Come! Have a drink and cool your heads!¡±

    Xue Shiwu taunted, ¡°You must have nerves of steel, Brother Ye. I wouldn¡¯t be drinking if I were you!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°I can solve this case as easy as pie, so why would I worry about anything?¡±

    Xue Shiwu sneered. ¡°Really now? Care to prove it then?¡±

    Ye Qing slowly set his wine jar on the table and rose to his feet. Li Lang immediately eyed him warily, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the Little Commander? I¡¯m going to solve this case. I¡¯m going to uncover the truth of Luo Feibai¡¯s murder.¡±

    Li Lang looked suspicious. ¡°How?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled and walked up to Luo Feibai¡¯s body. A quick inspectionter, he closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already checked the body. There are no external or internal wounds on Luo Feibai¡¯s body!¡± Li Lang said with displeasure. It was because Ye Qing clearly had no training with body examination. He thought that he was just putting on an act and buying time for himself.

    Xue Shiwu said sarcastically, ¡°Even Chief Li couldn¡¯t find anything, and you think an amateur like you could find what he couldn¡¯t? Just stop pretending and go to prison already¡ª¡±

    But before Xue Shiwu could finish, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes and dered smilingly, ¡°I know who Luo Feibai¡¯s killer is!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Li Lang¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°Who was it?¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t keep them on tenterhooks. ¡°It¡¯s a strand of hair that took his life!¡±

    ¡°A hair? What the hell?¡± Li Lang blurted. Everyone else looked confused as well.

    Ye Qing bent down and grabbed Luo Feibai¡¯s hair with his left hand. Then, he released a wisp of Netherme. Luo Feibai¡¯s hair immediately caught on fire.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Li Lang eximed in shock and tried to make a grab for Ye Qing. He thought that the young man was trying to destroy the evidence. However, Ye Qing raised his right hand seemingly without thought and tapped Li Lang on the wrist. Immediately, the chief constable felt a scorching heat rippling through his arm and boiling his blood. Ye Qing himself waspletely unharmed.

    ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not trying to destroy the evidence. Now look!¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his hand and pointed at Luo Feibai¡¯s burned scalp. Most of the scion¡¯s hair had melted away like butter as soon as they caught on fire, but a single strand of hair suddenly started struggling as if it was alive. The next second, it pulled out of Luo Feibai¡¯s head and shot straight toward the exit.

    A bailiff who happened to be standing in the hair¡¯s path subconsciously reached out to grab it, but he let out a bloodcurdling scream just a secondter. It was because the hair had cut right through his right hand like it was nothing!

    As if realizing it wouldn¡¯t reach the exit in time, the hair abruptly swerved down and tried to slip through a crack between the floorboard. It was a good n that would¡¯ve allowed it to shake off its pursuers if not for a pair of fingers catching its tail end right before it would slip through the crack. No matter how hard it struggled, it was unable to leave a single mark on the man¡¯s fingers, much less break free.

    The man who captured it was Ye Qing, of course.

    Ye Qing raised the hair above his head so that everyone could see it. ¡°This is the Nameless Hair, a Malice-ss Stranger [1].¡±

    ¡°Nameless Hair?¡±

    ¡°A Malice-ss Stranger?¡±

    Everyone looked confused. It looked like no one had heard of this Stranger before.

    Xue Shiwu asked suspiciously, ¡°You¡¯re not making this up, are you?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like a schr, so I won¡¯t fault you for your ignorance!¡± Ye Qing mocked the Little Commander and continued, ¡°The Nameless Hair is a very rare Stranger, so I¡¯m not surprised that most of you haven¡¯t heard of it. But do you know why it is rare? It¡¯s because it¡¯s not a natural Stranger. It is something someone had cultivated into existence.¡±

    ¡°A cultivated Stranger?¡± Li Lang immediately understood his meaning. ¡°Are you saying that someone used it to kill Luo Feibai?!¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Not only that, his murderer is still with us!¡±

    1. The Nameless Hair was briefly mentioned at the beginning of Chapter 52. ??

 Chapter 147: Godspeed! 2

    <h4>Chapter 147: Godspeed! 2</h4>

    [1]

    ¡°His murderer is still with us? But why?¡± Wei Yueshan interrupted curiously, ¡°And who?¡±

    Li Lang and everyone else were looking at Ye Qing expectantly as well.

    Ye Qing ignored them all and continued his exnation, ¡°The Nameless Hair¡¯s true body is, obviously, a hair. To kill someone with it, all you need to do is to drop it on someone¡¯s head, and the Nameless Hair would automatically take root in the victim¡¯s scalp, crawl into their brain, and destroy their central nervous system little by little.¡±

    ¡°The Nameless Hair looks and feels just like a normal hair, and it gives off no noticeable vital signs that a warrior might be able to pick up. Practically undetectable in most situations, it is why those who own it usually use it to carry out assassinations!¡±

    A pauseter, Ye Qing continued, ¡°But of course, the Nameless Hair has its fair share of weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°One, it takes an extreme amount of time and effort to cultivate a Nameless Hair into existence. Two, the Nameless Hair cannot move too far away from its host. And three, the Nameless Hair¡¯s death would damage its host severely!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled confidently. ¡°This is why I¡¯m certain that Luo Feibai¡¯s murderer is still present at the scene!¡±

    ¡°An excellent deduction, Joyless. Now tell us: who is the murderer?¡± Lin Yuhuai asked smilingly.

    Ye Qing fired a question, ¡°Who was the one who stirred up trouble at the start?¡±

    As if on cue, the servant who used Ye Qing of murder and kept drawing everyone¡¯s suspicion back to him, Luo Shen argued instinctively,? ¡°That is a lie, and you have no proof! For all we know, you could be the owner of the Nameless Hair!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. I haven¡¯t even started throwing out names yet, and someone is already all too eager to defend himself!¡± Ye Qing sneered. ¡°But if proof is what you want, then proof is what you¡¯ll get!¡±

    ¡°There is only one way to cultivate the Nameless Hair, and that is to provide it with most of your nutrients and especially your hair¡¯s. Naturally, anyone who cultivates the Nameless Hair is hairless, or to put it another way, bald.¡±

    Ye Qing took one step forward and appeared in front of Luo Shen. Then, he pulled his hair right off his head. All of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s a wig!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s bald!¡±

    ¡°You are the murderer, Luo Shen!¡± Li Lang erupted in rage and made a grab for the servant. Since Luo Shen was standing right next to him, and he was only ate-stage Vessel Augmentor, Li Lang thought for sure that he would be able to capture him. However, Luo Shen let out a bark of savageughter and sprouted hair from every pore on his body in the blink of an eye.

    Caught off guard, Li Lang was pushed away by the massive swarm of hair. Luo Shen immediately seized the opportunity to slip into the crowd. When Li Lang tried to give chase, the crowd themselves suddenly pounced toward him with eerie unison like puppets on strings! It took him a second to realize that they were being controlled!

    ¡°Keke¡­ you can try and apprehend me if you don¡¯t care about these people¡¯s lives, Constable Lin.¡±

    Somewhere behind the crowd, Luo Shen let out an eerie cackle. There was a strand of hair behind every person he was controlling. He then looked at Ye Qing and cackled again. ¡°I will remember this, Patrolman Ye!¡±

    Ye Qing was unperturbed by the dangerous situation, however. He raised his right fist slightly, and the Burning Wind abruptly swept through the ce. Before they knew it, every hair behind the controlled people had burned into ashes. They immediately stopped in their tracks and copsed on the ground.

    Luo Shen turned as pale as a sheet. He shot Ye Qing a furious re but did not hesitate to race toward the exit.

    Unfortunately, he had just taken a few steps when Ye Qing¡¯s voice suddenly rang beside his ears, ¡°If you miss me so much, then you might as well stay!¡±

    Every hair on Luo Shen¡¯s body stood on end immediately. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ye Qing cracking a smile at him and showing off a strand of hair between his fingers. Then, he snapped it in half with a bit of strength. The hair automatically burned into ash when Ye Qing let it drop to the ground.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Luo Shen let out a muffled groan and staggered on his feet. Hisplexion abruptly turned sickly pale, and a trickle of blood poured down his bottom lip.

    Because the Nameless Hair was tied to his heart¡¯s blood, losing it was like losing his heart¡¯s blood. It was a huge blow to say the least.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing appeared beside him in a blur and raised his left hand. Panicking, Luo Shen grew out his hair even more and wrapped himself in a cocoon. Not only that, countless strands of hair floating outside the cocoon and swinging with enough strength to trigger mini sonic booms.

    ¡°You think this is going to stop me?¡± Ye Qing smirked and brought down his left hand. The Netherme immediately engulfed the hair and burned it all into ash. Then, he grabbed the cocoon and exploded it like a bomb.

    There was no one inside the cocoon, however. It was because Luo Shen had seized the opportunity to slip away while Ye Qing was breaking through the obstacles.

    <i>He¡¯s over there! </i>Ye Qing¡¯s spirit told him that Luo Shen had ducked into a nearby guest room.

    Ye Qing burned the remaining cocoon into ash. Then, he made a beeline for the guest room. He had just reached when suddenly, he felt a fierce and vicious fist force flying straight toward his head!

    Ye Qing turned around and dispelled the fist force with his own punch. Then, he looked at Xue Shiwu and asked, ¡°What is the meaning of this, Little Commander?¡±

    Xue Shiwu was the one who had attacked him.

    The Little Commander let out a cold chuckle. ¡°That is my room, and I¡¯m treating an esteemed guest inside. No one is allowed to enter it without my permission!¡±

    ¡°Is~ that~ so~?¡± Ye Qing purposely dragged out his sentence, smirking. ¡°My innocence counts on capturing Luo Shen though. What if I must enter your room?¡±

    Xue Shiwu sneered. ¡°You can certainly try!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine and taunted, ¡°Why are you blocking Joyless from capturing the murderer, Little Commander? You¡¯re not in cahoots with Luo Shen, are you?¡±

    Xue Shiwu narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°Fuck off with your usations. I just told you I have an esteemed guest inside. It¡¯s not just him, no one is allowed to enter my room!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu¡¯s smile abruptly disappeared. A bit of coldness entered his eyes as he said, ¡°I think someone¡¯s forgotten that I¡¯m not as easy-going as I appear to be. Get into that room, Joyless. I¡¯ll deal with the Little Commander!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Ye Qing chuckled and tried entering the guest room once more.

    Unfortunately, Xue Shiwu had more tricks up his sleeves. He sneered audibly as he ordered, ¡°Wind, Forest, Mountain, Fire, stop them while I deal with this so-called Patrolman who doesn¡¯t deserve his title!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± His four personal bodyguards answered and charged toward Chu Nianjiu and the others fearlessly.

    Xue Shiwu knew that there was no chance his four bodyguards could even defeat Chu Nianjiu, not to mention Lin Yuhuai, Wei Yueshan and Xu Banren were present as well. At most, they would be able to stall them for a short time.

    That was all he needed though. Based on what his senses were telling him, Ye Qing was just an early-stage Astral Refiner. It would be all too easy for him, ate-stage Astral Refiner, to capture him. Once he had Ye Qing in his grasp, Chu Nianjiu and the others would have no choice but to submit to him.

    This was why Xue Shiwu didn¡¯t hold back. Blood red astral qi sprung into existence as he swiped at Ye Qing. It looked so ominous it was like a mountain of corpses, a sea of blood, and an infinite amount of souls screaming into eternity.

    <i>¡°Greedy Wolf Howls At The Moon¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Awoooo!¡±</i>

    There was a piercing howl as a bloody wolf rose from the sea of blood. Souls were screaming as it stepped over a mountain of bodies, and a bloody moon slowly rose over its head. When the murderous astral qi washed over the Cuiwei Boat, those who were weak-willed or weak-bodied immediately experienced all kinds of horrifying illusions and copsed to the ground, shivering from the bottom of their souls.

    When the Greedy Wolf howled at the moon, a sea of blood was surely to follow!

    ¡°What a fierce and forceful intent!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. He was feeling a terrific amount of pressure even before the punch could reach him.

    Xue Shiwu¡¯s astral qi was a match for his fist art. It was the average grade astral qi, the Greedy Wolf Blood Qi.

    The Greedy Wolf was one of the Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper. Excelling atbat, the Greedy Wolf Blood Qi wasmonly found in battlefields or ces of terrible death and ughter. In that sense, there was no astral qi more bloody and violent than the Greedy Wolf Blood Qi.

    The Greedy Wolf Blood Qi could negatively impact the enemies¡¯ mind and spirit. Excluding those who were too strong to be affected by the astral qi, it could instill fear into the enemy at best or terrify them to the point of breakdown at worst. Not only that, it gave the user infinite courage and allowed them to fight bravely no matter the circumstances.

    It was why the Greedy Wolf Blood Qi was considered to be the best offensive astral qi on the battlefield. It was especially popr with soldiers.

    Xue Shiwu was the son of the ck Feather Guard¡¯smander, and he possessed a fierce, brutal personality. Therefore, he was a perfect fit with the Greedy Wolf Blood Qi and could unleash its maximum power.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Xue Shiwu was ate-stage Astral Refiner; a warrior who had entered the realm of Expression. He was capable ofbining his astral qi and his fist intent and bringing his Expression into reality.

    Ye Qing took half a step backward and pulsed his spirit. The shape of Xue Shiwu¡¯s fist intent, the minute changes of his energies, and the strong and weak points of his astral qi immediately became reflected in his mind. Then, he stepped horizontally with his right foot, bent halfway to the ground, and raised his fist one meter into the air. Inside his fist, a tremendous amount of lightning was coagting and spinning wildly as if waiting for an opportune moment to unleash its power.

    From Xue Shiwu¡¯s perspective, it looked like Ye Qing was stunned by his ¡°Greedy Wolf Howls At The Moon¡±. He thought the young man was paralyzed with fear right after he finished assuming a pose.

    ¡°Kill!¡± Xue Shiwu growled triumphantly.

    Right before the bloody fist would punch Ye Qing squarely in the head, the young man abruptly sprung to full height and punched right through Xue Shiwu¡¯s fist force. Not only that, the punch wasing from an angle that prevented him from pulling any counterattack and disrupted his energy flow. It was almost as if the young man could see the weakest spots of his attack and the shape of his energies!

    <i>Thud!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s fist continued forward until it struck the bloody wolf right in the neck. There was a loud crack, and the seemingly invincible wolf abruptly shattered into a million pieces like ss.

    Shattering the bloody wolf released a terrifying amount of force and astral qi inside the boat. It was like a mini cyclone had sprung to existence. The man bearing the full brunt of the gale did not budge an inch, however. His fist continued forward until it finally struck Xue Shiwu in the wrist.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Thunder boom, and all the lightning, astral qi and force condensed within his fist erupted at the same time.

    <i>¡°Strength of Dragon Elephant¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±</i>

    Xue Shiwu shuddered violently as his clothes abruptly exploded into smithereens. His face turned beet red, and his pores started spitting tiny jets of dark red mes.

    ¡°Godspeed!¡±

    Ye Qing grinned and took one step forward. Then, he mmed his elbow into Xue Shiwu¡¯s chest like a hammer.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    .

    Xue Shiwu¡¯s eyes bulged as his chest caved inward. The next second, he flew through the corridor and the window before sinking into the Luo River.

    <i>Glug glug glug!</i>

    The surrounding waters immediately started boiling unnaturally. Hot air and bubbles kept rising to the surface.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath. He then withdrew his fists and shot the stunned crowd a glittering smile.

    Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu, Wei Yueshan and Xu Banren weren¡¯t too surprised. They had witnessed Ye Qing sending Wei Yueshan to the stars and even holding back the Purple Star Demon Subjugation Restriction temporarily before. Li Land and the others though, they could hardly believe what they were seeing. Not only had they just witnessed an early-stage Astral Refiner defeating ate-stage Astral Refiner with one punch, this was the Little Commander they were talking about! The son of themander of the ck Feather Guards himself!

    Just how was this possible?

    1. The unpopr sequel to Chapter 72: Godspeed! ??

 Chapter 148: Wen Zailai

    <h4>Chapter 148: Wen Zai</h4>

    ¡°Little Commander!¡±

    ¡°Little Commander!!!¡±

    Xue Shiwu¡¯s four personal bodyguards¡ªWind, Forest, Mountain and Fire¡ªshouted in horror when they saw this. The fight was over so quickly and unexpectedly that they never even got to start their own. They hurriedly raced out of the Cuiwei Boat and jumped into the river to save their charge.

    After the four bodyguards were gone, Chu Nianjiu choked down some wine to suppress his shock. ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ You never fail to surprise, Joyless!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled humbly. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s because he underestimated me!¡±

    It was the truth. The real reason he was able to defeat Xue Shiwu in one punch and deal him a severe blow was because he did not believe that Ye Qing was a threat at all and fought him as such. In reality, Xue Shiwu was a very strong Astral Refiner. If the Little Commander hade after him with everything he had, he still would¡¯ve won, but it would¡¯ve taken a lot more effort and time.

    Ye Qing finally turned around to face the guest room behind him. The shockwaves of his battle with Xue Shiwu could¡¯ve shattered even a tough limestone house, but it did no damage to the seemingly wooden structure of the Cuiwei Boat whatsoever. Clearly, this boat was no ordinary boat. Just like the Cloud Mountain, it was probably protected by powerful restrictions.

    Despite his idle thoughts, Ye Qing did not hesitate to push open the door. However, he was met with a conundrum as soon as he entered the room. Luo Shen was lying motionless on the ground, eyes bulging. He was very obviously dead. Strangely, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t spot any injury on his body whatsoever. There was also a middle-aged man in his thirties sitting beside the table. He wore a silk hat and a schr¡¯s robe and carried a feathered fan. He looked very much like your traditional schr.

    The man smiled and saluted Ye Qing as soon as he saw him. ¡°Hail, Patrolman Ye. I am Wen Zai.¡±

    <i>Anotherte-stage Astral Refiner? Since when didte-stage Astral Refiners be asmon as cabbages? </i>Ye Qing thought in annoyance as he asked, ¡°Well met, Brother Wen. What happened here?¡±

    Wen Zai replied casually, ¡°It¡¯s like this. I was having a nice drink when this stranger suddenly barged in and tried to kill me. He was probably worried that I would reveal his whereabouts. Worried for my life, I have no choice but to kill him in self-defense!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing asked suspiciously while crouching down to pry open Luo Shen¡¯s mouth. As soon as he did this, a mouthful of blood spilled out of the man¡¯s lips.

    <i>What a sword! </i>Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glinted. He immediately noticed that Luo Shen had died from a sword wound, and the ce he was struck with was none other than his mouth.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Luo Shen was going to say something after entering Wen Zai¡¯s room when suddenly, a sword pierced up his mouth and into his brain. Not only that, the attack was so fast that Luo Shen closed his mouth in panic only after the sword aws withdrawn. After that, he was just dead. That was why he looked unhurt from the outside, and why the blood had pooled inside his mouth.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Wen Zai?¡±

    By now, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai had stepped into the room as well. They both frowned when they saw him sitting next to the table.

    Wen Zai took no offense from their rather cold attitude, however. He greeted them politely, ¡°Hail, Brother Chu. Hail, Brother Yu.¡±

    ¡°Shiwen is a good friend of mine, and we were having a good time until this incident happened.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a schr, and he''s a brute from the army. I doubt that the two of you even share the same type of chamber pot, much less enjoying a drink together,¡± Chu Nianjiu said sarcastically. ¡°You¡¯re not plotting something heinous, are you?¡±

    ¡°You must be joking, Brother Chu!¡± Wen Zaiughed uncaringly. ¡°A person¡¯s hobbies aren¡¯t just limited to literature and martial arts, and one can have friends from both low and high ces! But I suppose that someone like you would not understand such concepts!¡±

    Clearly, Wen Zai was indirectly calling Chu Nianjiu uncouth.

    Ye Qing touched Xu Banren¡¯s shoulder and asked him through sound transmission, ¡°Who is this Wen Zai? And why does Brother Chu seem to dislike him so much? I could practically imagine a melodramatic past listening to their verbal spar!¡±

    Xu Banren answered, ¡°Wen Zai is one of the four stars of the White Horse Academy. Not only is he well-read, smart, and judicious man, his attainment in martial arts is quite impressive as well.¡±

    ¡°But although he is as strong as he is knowledgeable, Wen Zai is cursed with a devious mind. Ruthless as a soldier and cunning as a fox, he especially enjoys scheming behind another¡¯s back. It is also why people call him the Deceitful Schr.¡±

    ¡°Lord Chu had been hoodwinked by Wen Zai in the past, but he was unable to repay the favor because he couldn¡¯t find proof. Since then, they had constantly butt heads against one another.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. No wonder Chu Nianjiu was acting like Wen Zai was his ex or something.

    ¡°Patrolman Ye. Thank you for overlooking my transgressions and even identifying the true culprit behind Luo Feibai¡¯s murder.¡±

    It was at this moment Li Lang stepped into the room and inspected Luo Shen¡¯s body for a bit. Then, he looked at Ye Qing and added, ¡°I deeply apologize for the troubles I¡¯ve caused. I hope you will forgive me.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted him, ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, Constable Li. You were just catching a killer, and I was only proving my innocence!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Li Lang returned the salute and nced at the others. ¡°Thank you all for lending a hand in this incident as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Constable Li!¡± Everyone including Wen Zai responded.

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before asking, ¡°I have a question, Constable Li. Do you think that this incident is as simple as it seems?¡±

    Since the beginning, he had a feeling that something wasn¡¯t right about this whole incident. For starters, why did Luo Shen want to kill Luo Feibai? Why did he choose the Cuiwei Boat of all ces to execute his murder? And why did he kill Luo Feibai right after they left his room? No matter how he thought about it, he felt that the time, location and motive were all very suspect. So suspect, that he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it turned out that Luo Shen¡¯s true objective was him!

    Besides that, Luo Shen¡¯s own death was a little suspect. As someone who had fought him personally, he could tell that Luo Shen was pretty strong. He was also in possession of a special skill set that temporarily kept <i>him </i>at bay even if he was aiming to capture, not kill. However, the man had died as soon as he entered Wen Zai¡¯s room. He had died so cleanly and quickly that it was almost as if he hadn¡¯t anticipated being attacked, a ludicrous thought considering his circumstances¡ªunless he knew Wen Zai.

    It was the only exnation why Luo Shen had ducked into Wen Zai¡¯s room of all rooms, and why he was so unguarded that Wen Zai was able to kill him in a single attack. It also exined why Luo Shen¡¯s final expression was one of shock before he perished. He hadn¡¯t expected Wen Zai to kill him.

    Finally, there was nothing strange about Xue Shiwu enjoying a drink with Wen Zai, but it was beyond suspicious that Xue Shiwu would go so far as to assault him to prevent him from entering the room. The only reason he could think of was that Xue Shiwu was trying to stall him while Wen Zai killed Luo Shen, meaning that Xue Shiwu and Wen Zai were the true masterminds behind all this!

    The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that his deduction was correct. There was one thing he couldn¡¯t figure out though. He had just arrived at Luo Shui, and he literally didn¡¯t know that Xue Shiwu and Wen Zai existed until tonight. So why did the duo go through all this trouble?

    It could be because they were trying to take revenge for Xiao Yang. Earlier, Xue Shiwu had called Xiao Yang a brother, and as far as he could tell they were pretty close. It could be because he wanted to take revenge for Xiao Yang and roped Wen Zai in as the brains of the operation, though at this stage it was pure spection.

    Li Lang said nothing for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s up to Patriarch Luo to decide after I return Luo Shen¡¯s corpse to him, not me.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in understanding. Li Lang was obviously an intelligent man who noticed the same thing he did. He was also a wise man who realized that the masterminds behind this incident were most likely people he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. That was why he decided to leave it to Luo Feibai¡¯s father, Luo Chunchao to make the decision.

    Would Luo Chunchao choose to minimize the impact of this incident and overlook his son¡¯s murder? Or would he kick up a fuss and muster heaven and earth to take revenge for his son? It was all up to him now.

    ¡°Men, take Luo Shen¡¯s body away, and make haste. Thest thing we need is another ¡®ident¡¯!¡± Li Lang ordered. Two bailiffs immediately rushed into the room and carried Luo Shen¡¯s body away.

    ¡°Good night, everyone!¡± The chief constable saluted and left the room as well.

    Ye Qing and Co got ready to leave. No one was in the mood to enjoy anything after this fiasco. However, they had just exited the room when a roar erupted from outside, ¡°You are dead, Ye Qing!¡±

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A silhouette covered in blood red astral qi burst into the Cuiwei Boat. The doors and windows shook violently as he charged straight for Ye Qing.

    ¡°Xue Shiwu!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and the others immediately stepped out of harm¡¯s way.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Such good friends!</i>

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and pulsed his spirit once more. He was nning to target the weak point in Xue Shiwu¡¯s energies once more. But despite looking like a crazed, savage beast on the outside, the Little Commander¡¯s bloodshot eyes were as cold as ice. Like a wolf, he was savage but calm, cruel but mindful. He made sure to conceal his energies properly so that Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything.

    ¡°Smart. Too bad it¡¯s not going to help you!¡± Ye Qing grinned. If Xue Shiwu thought he was just a warrior who happened to be born with a strong spirit, then he was going to be very disappointed.? His spirit had grown by leaps and bounds after it was baptized by the Burning Wind. He could not im that it was on the same level as a Spirit Purifier, but among Astral Refiners? It had to be among the best of the best. Despite Xue Shiwu¡¯s attempt to conceal his energies, he could still see them as clear as day.

    Ye Qing did not move even though Xue Shiwu was getting closer and closer. When they were less than ten meters away from each other, he took one step forward and vanished from view. An instantter, bothbatants had switched ces.

    The Cuiwei Boat abruptly shook, and an invisible shockwave spread outward across the waters. Some nearby vessels even exploded into smithereens without warning.

    The Cuiwei Boat itself was fine even though the shockwave had happened in its belly. It was because a ripple of energy had canceled them out and protected the ship from harm.

    Back in the ship, Ye Qing was standing calmly on one side, while Xue Shiwu was clutching a limp arm on the other. Hisplexion was beet red, and his aura was fluctuating erratically as well. It was clear who had won the second exchange.

    ¡°I had no idea that Joyless could predict his opponent¡¯s actions this well,¡± Chu Nianjiu muttered while exchanging a nce with Lin Yuhuai.

    Xue Shiwu had thrown a punch when the two of them entered melee range, and Ye Qing had countered with a perfectly-timed elbow flick that knocked it off course. As a result, Xue Shiwu¡¯s devastating punch could only sail harmlessly past Ye Qing¡¯s cheek, and he was unable to switch up his move. This could not have happened if he didn¡¯t know exactly what his opponent was nning to do or where the punch was aimed.

    Then, Ye Qing straightened his forearm and smacked Xue Shiwu across the shoulder like he was wielding an axe,nding yet another powerful blow.

    If shame could kill, then Xue Shiwu would have died a million times already. If the first time was a fluke, the second time was a coincidence, then the third time must be a pattern; a pattern where he, ate-stage Astral Refiner, had lost decisively against an early-stage Astral Refiner!

    ¡°RAAAAAGH!¡±

    Xue Shiwu abruptly let out a mighty roar as his eyes turnedpletely red. He suddenly became a lot bigger as fangs suddenly stretched out of the corners of his mouth, and crimson hair grew out of his skin. Ye Qing frowned when he saw this.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Strangerkin?¡±

    That wasn¡¯t all. A pair of crimson gauntlets had appeared in his hands, and it had a wolf¡¯s head at the back and sharp ws at the fingertips. It was an exquisite and deadly-looking Strange Artifact.

    The moment Xue Shiwu put on the gauntlets, the eyes of the wolf¡¯s head abruptly lit up like a pair of crimson stars. At the same time, the apparition of a bloody wolf appeared around the gauntlet and let out a long, bloody howl.

    ¡°Joyless, Xue Shiwu has the blood of a Greedy Wolf in him. He is twice as fast and strong when his bloodline is active, and the gauntlet he¡¯s wearing is a Malice-ss Strange Artifact called the Greedy Wolf Gauntlet, so you must be careful,¡± Lin Yuhuai¡¯s soothing voice rang beside Ye Qing¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, Joyless! Fuck him up!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu¡¯s sound transmission came right afterward. ¡°You can cripple him or kill him, it doesn¡¯t matter! The Pacification Bureau will back you up every step of the way, so just do it! We believe in you!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Such good brothers!</i>

 Chapter 149: Seeing You Again

    <h4>Chapter 149: Seeing You Again</h4>

    Ye Qing sighed and channeled his spirit and energy. The Blue Demon Hand and Lightning Bolt were shivering in anticipation as well. Go big or go home, right?

    It was at this moment the soothing sound of a qin came from outside the window. Like a cool night¡¯s breeze, it gently blew away the irritation, the tension, the bloodthirst and the promise of death.

    The unnatural redness in Xue Shiwu¡¯s eyes gradually faded away. His crimson hair and sharp fangs slowly shrank until they werepletely gone as well.

    Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu lookedpletely entranced by the musical performance. Even a thug like Wei Yueshan was closing his eyes and looking rxed.

    When the performance finally ended, and the Wen Zai couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°What a beautiful tune! It¡¯s almost too good for this mortal coil!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed. It¡¯ll be the balm to my soul for at least a good while.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu took a sip from his gourd and shot the two schrs a disdainful look.¡±Hmph! Schrs and their pretentious-sounding words! I¡¯ll grant you the tune is very good though. At the very least, it¡¯s far better than what the two of you can y, right Joyless?¡±

    He waited for a response but heard nothing. When he turned around, he noticed that Ye Qing was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Lord Ye left just now iming he needed to use the toilet, Lord Chu,¡± Xu Banren exined expressionlessly, ¡°He also said that he¡¯s leaving the aftermath to you and Lord Lin.¡±

    ¡°The toilet?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai exchanged a nce with each other. <i>Toilet break my ass, he¡¯s paying us back for dumping everything on him earlier!</i>

    ¡°Ye Qing? Where is he?¡± Xue Shiwu demanded after breaking out from the entrancing music and discovered that his hated foe was nowhere to be seen.

    Chu Nianjiu sneered, ¡°He¡¯s using the toilet. If you¡¯re fast enough, you might be able to catch him mid-pee!¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re funny, Chu Nianjiu?¡± Xue Shiwu squinted at Chu Nianjiu dangerously, but the madness that gripped him was far milder than it was before.

    The Windcatcher shook his gourd at Xue Shiwu and said in a disdainful tone, ¡°Dude, you are such a mad dog. There is literally no one you wouldn¡¯t bite. If you want, I can beat the madness out of you!¡±

    Xue Shiwu burst into a crazedugh before baring his teeth at Chu Nianjiu. ¡°Did you only realize that now, Chu Nianjiu? I <i>am </i>a mad dog. Anyone who offends me will suffer a fate worse than death!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to be a hero, Chu Nianjiu. Everyone and their mothers know that heroes die young! Just because you survivedst time doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to survive this time!¡±

    Something cold and steely shone out of Chu Nianjiu¡¯szy, casual eyes then. ¡°I knew it was you two.¡±

    Cold, white air started pouring out of the Windcatcher¡¯s body. It felt cold enough to turn the world into ice. Lin Yuhuai had taken a stance and stood off against Wen Zai as well.

    ¡°Customers. The Cuiwei Boat is a ce offort and leisure, not violence.¡±

    It was at this moment a crisp, cool voice reverberated from somewhere. ¡°Cuiwei wees you if you are here to enjoy our music and dances, but if you are here to settle a score, then please kindly move elsewhere!¡±

    As soon as she finished, countless talismans lit up and submerged the entire interior with power. While the other guests were only mildly pressured, Xue Shiwu, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai, Wen Zai, Yue Weishan and Xu Banren felt their hair standing on end, and an uncontroble panic climbing up their throats.

    ¡°Calm down, Nianjiu!¡± advised Lin Yuhuai as he gave the Windcatcher a pat on the shoulder.

    Wen Zai also walked up to Xue Shiwu and whispered, ¡°We have time, Little Commander!¡±

    The Cuiwei Boat was named after its master, Cuiwei. Although Cuiwei was a woman, she possessed an extraordinary background and a wealthy amount of connections. Not only that, she was a powerful warrior in her own right.

    When Cuiwei first came to Luo Shui, countless people had taken an interest in her and her business. Many of them hailed from dangerous gangs and powerful ns as well. However, every single one of them had failed in their mission, and Cuiwei was able to deal them a crippling blow at best, or wipe them from the surface of Luo Shui at worst.

    Since then, every faction in Luo Shui stayed well out of Cuiwei and the Cuiwei Boat¡¯s way. Not even powerful sects like Sunset Hill or White Horse Academy were willing to make an enemy out of them.

    Technically speaking, the Pacification Bureau did not fear Cuiwei. If she dared to attack the bureau, the bureau would tten her and her boat the next day. That said, the Pacification Bureau generally stayed out of <i>jianghu </i>business because their main focus was on the Strangers. It was also a fact that they were causing a huge scene in the Cuiwei Boat, and the battle between four Astral Refiners would certainly damage the ship. Rationally, killing Xue Shiwu wasn¡¯t worth risking Cuiwei¡¯s wrath.

    In the end, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai took their leave first. Xue Shiwu red daggers at their backs as he let out a dark shuckle. ¡°The Four Gentlemen of Luo Shui, my ass. One day, I will crush them all beneath my feet.¡±

    ¡°As for that Ye Qing, my name isn¡¯t Xue if he doesn¡¯t beg me to end his life by the time I¡¯m done with him!¡±

    Wen Zai replied with a warm smile while fanning himself, ¡°The day wille, and it will be sooner than you think!¡±

    ¡°Tsk. The kid was lucky he escaped tonight!¡± Xue Shiwu clicked his tongue angrily. ¡°But it won¡¯t be so easy next time!¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing doesn¡¯t know we¡¯re targeting him. Ye Qing is already dead, he just doesn¡¯t know it yet!¡±

    Wen Zai looked out of the window with an inscrutable look. ¡°In the end, insects cannot withstand the winter!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    In a suite at the top floor of the Cui Wei Boat, Ye Qing stared awkwardly at a young woman and mustered his courage, ¡°Miss Goddess?¡±

    The young woman looked to be twenty five or twenty six, and she possessed a cool demeanor that reminded him of a winter flower. The woman shot him an indifferent nce before answering, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten the wrong person, customer. I am Cuiwei, master of the Cuiwei Boat.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry!¡± Disappointment filled Ye Qing¡¯s eyes immediately. Her answer aside, it was clear from her voice that she wasn¡¯t Miss Goddess.

    When he heard the qin performance earlier, he was certain that Miss Goddess was the one who yed it. Overflowing with surprise and joy, he did not hesitate to ditch his pals and rush to this suite where the music wasing from. He thought he could finally meet his savior in person, or at least chat with her a little. Unfortunately, it would seem that he was mistaken after all.

    Ye Qing let out a long sigh and saluted Cuiwei, ¡°My deepest apology for disturbing you, Miss Cuiwei. I shall take my leave now.¡±

    He turned away and was just about to leave when the bead curtain, and a teasing voice tickled his ears. ¡°Do you have poor eyes on top of a poor singing voice? How did you mistake Cuiwei for me?¡±

    ¡°Miss¡­ Goddess?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened like saucers as he stopped in his tracks. As if he was afraid he was hallucinating, he slowly turned around until his eyes caught someone stepping out of a room that was covered by a bead curtain.

    The young woman looked to be in her early twenties. She wore an ink dark dress with embroidered flowers and possessed a stunning countenance that stole his breath away the second heid his eyes on her. Her eyes were bright and clear, her smile was warm andely, and her long hair resembled a cascading waterfall. She looked like a goddess who had stepped out of an ink wash painting.

    ¡°Who else?¡± The young woman smiled before walking over to Cuiwei and cing a jade te with three bottles of medicine on it in front of her. ¡±I made these restoratives myself. For ten days, you will take one pill from each bottle every morning and night. You ought to recover then.¡±

    ¡°Remember to rest even after you¡¯re healed, however. Otherwise, you may experience a rpse.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Cuiwei nodded.

    Finally, Ye Qing snapped out of his daze and exploded with joy, ¡°It really is you, Miss Goddess! It¡¯s so nice to finally meet you!¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± The young woman asked smilingly while picking a teapot from a red mud stove and filling up a jade cup. A faint yet invigorating scent began permeating throughout the room. She then offered him the tea.

    Ye Qing epted it and took a sip, enjoying the hot yet soothing vors that were spreading through his mouth. Feeling a lot calmer, he answered, ¡°It¡¯s because I can finally thank you properly for saving my life, of course!¡±

    She smiled. ¡°I did save your life, didn¡¯t I? You best remember it then. I may call upon that favor one day.¡±

    Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly, ¡°Of course I will. I won¡¯t forget it for as long as I live.¡±

    ¡°Do you know each other, Qingyou?¡± Cui Wei asked suddenly.

    ¡°Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Is that your name, Miss Goddess? ¡®Like a dream thatsts all autumn¡¯? It¡¯s a wonderful name, Miss Goddess!¡±

    ¡°Like a dream thatsts all autumn¡­ huh?¡± The woman paused as her eyes grew long and distant. For a moment, it was like she was looking through space and time itself. Then she smiled and popped the illusion like a bubble, leaving behind only fall-like silence and calm. ¡°Myst name is Feng, and my first name is Qingyou. You may call me Qingyou.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Qingyou!¡± Ye Qing dly addressed her by her first name. ¡°I told you before, but my name is Ye Qing, and my moniker is Joyless. You may call me Joyless.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ you live here, Qingyou?¡±

    He was going to ask if Qingyou was working for Cuiwei Boat, but he changed his mind at thest second. Although the Cuiwei Boat was clearly a cut above its peers, there were some people who would take serious offense for being associated with an establishment like this. Just in case, he decided to go about his question in a more roundabout fashion.

    Unfortunately, he did not ount for another variable that was sitting right in this room. Cuiwei turned sharply in his direction and asked in a scathing voice, ¡°Is that a hint of scorn I detect, customer?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>That¡¯s not what I mean, sister. Also, I like you much better when you were roleying an ice queen.</i>

    Ye Qing shrugged and rubbed his nose. ¡°Of course not! Everyone is equal in the entertainment industry!¡± <i>And as a man, this is easily my favorite ce, so cool your jets, alright?</i>

    His titudes did nothing to cate Cuiwei, however. She snorted in disbelief and continued to eye him coldly and critically.

    Ye Qing continued to rub his nose. For whatever reason, he felt like Cuiwei was displeased with him.

    Feng Qingyou smiled and saved him from his predicament. ¡°I am a doctor, and I¡¯m a close acquaintance of Cuiwei. I¡¯m currently staying at a clinic called Heavenly Heart Clinic. I came here today because Cuiwei has been feeling sick, and she invited me over to treat her ailment.¡±

    Ye Qing eximed in realization and admiration, ¡°You¡¯re well-versed in the art of music and healing as well, Qingyou? That¡¯s incredible!¡±

    More importantly, Feng Qingyou was staying in the Heavenly Heart Clinic. Ye Qing immediately engraved the information into his brain.

    ¡°Fawner!¡± Cuiwei set down her tea cup and hmphed again.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <i>What did I do to deserve this treatment? </i>

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re an acquaintance of Qingyou!¡± Cuiwei said suddenly, ¡°Now listen well, because I¡¯m not going to repeat myself. Wang Luori once saved Wen Zai¡¯s life, and Luo Shen was a pawn Wang Luori nted in the Luo n.¡±

    Ye Qing immediately turned serious and stared at Cuiwei. ¡°What? How did you know about that?¡±

    Cuiwei¡¯s tone turned mocking again, ¡°Did you not know that brothels, theaters, restaurants, gambling dens and more are ces where information flows the freest?¡±

    Clearly, Cuiwei was still miffed that Ye Qing had insulted the Cuiwei Boat earlier.

 Chapter 150: Conspiracies, Conspiracies Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 150: Conspiracies, Conspiracies Everywhere</h4>

    ¡°Man oh man¡­¡±

    Ye Qing resisted rolling his eyes. Since ancient times, women and schemers had been the bane of heroes across all ages. One of them was sitting across from him, and another was scheming in the shadows. <i>Truly, I am the protagonist.</i>

    Of course, he didn¡¯t take Cuiwei¡¯s info as gospel. Not even the Pacification Bureau knew about these secrets, so how did a pleasure boat of all things find out about it? Clearly, the Cuiwei Boat was more than it seemed.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t prod her about her source or question the validity of her intel though. She had already done him a huge, potentially life-saving favor by giving him such critical information. He would absolutely be crossing a line if he questioned her integrity now.

    ¡°Thank you so much for giving me such an important piece of intel, Miss Cui!¡± Ye Qing rose to his feet and saluted her respectfully. ¡°I had already guessed that Luo Feibai¡¯s death was a plot against me, and now I know for certain it is true.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve figured it out already? How?¡± Curiosity and surprise reced some of Cuiwei¡¯s coldness.

    Ye Qing nodded and exined, ¡°Because this whole incident had been a little too coincidental from my point of view. Xue Shiwu¡¯s strange behavior and Luo Shen¡¯s strange death are quite suspect as well¡­¡±

    Ye Qing told her everything he deduced earlier and added, ¡°The only thing I couldn¡¯t figure out was why Xue Shiwu and Luo Shen were targeting me. Likee on, today is literally the first day we met. I have a couple of theories, but they all seem flimsy at best.¡±

    ¡°But it all makes sense if Wang Luori is the one behind this. That old coot really is sparing no effort to kill me.¡±

    Wang Luori had asked Wen Zai to kill him, and Wen Zai had used Luo Shen to set up a trap. The n was to me Luo Feibai¡¯s death on him.

    Xue Shiwu had made a timely appearance to give Li Lang the courage to stand up against the Pacification Bureau. At the very least, he wanted to make sure that Li Lang wouldn¡¯t back down just because Chu Nianjiu and Li Yuhuai were covering for him.

    Had he followed Li Lang to themandery hall, he would be beyond the Pacification Bureau¡¯s protection. Wang Luori would have the opportunity to kill him then.

    Even better, the old coot could easily pin his death on themandery hall. The Pacification Bureau would never know that he was the real murderer, or at least, they wouldn¡¯t have the proof to charge him with anything. He would be killing two birds with one stone.

    Even if Wang Luori chose not to attack him in themandery hall because it was too risky or something, that didn¡¯t mean he was out of the woods. Wang Luori most likely had several ways to ensure that the murder charge would stick no matter what, meaning that Luo Feibai¡¯s family, the Luo n would being after him. He would have made a powerful enemy through no fault of his own.

    The trap was exquisite, multiyered, andpletely unexpected. By all rights, he should be in deep shit right now. Unfortunately, they misjudged his knowledge and thought he wouldn¡¯t recognize the Nameless Hair, an extremely rare Stranger that most people weren¡¯t aware of. This one mistake allowed him to identify the true killer, clear his name, and even turn the tables on them temporarily.

    Ideally, Wen Zai wouldn¡¯t have to reveal himself, but he had to because he needed to silence Luo Shen. If Luo Shen were to fall into the Pacification Bureau¡¯s hands, it would expose their n andnd them in hot waters to say the least. It was probably why he was here at the Cuiwei Boat at all, to make sure that the worst case scenario wouldn¡¯t happen even if the n went awry.

    No one knew about his rtionship with Wang Luori or the fact that Luo Shen was Wang Luori¡¯s pawn anyway, so no one would think that he had killed Luo Shen to silence him.

    Ye Qing had to admit that the plot was intelligent, well thought out, and bold. Few people would think to use Luo Feibai as bait.

    Unfortunately, no n survives contact with the enemy, and their wless n had ended in total failure just shy of the worst case scenario.

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou spoke up, ¡°Wang Luori is a brutish, hot-tempered man who¡¯d rather solve his problems with his fists and intimidation. There is nothing he loathes more than having toe up with a scheme to obtain what he wants. In short, he is all brawn and no brains. Therefore, he could not be the one who came up with such a devious, multiyered n.¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t Wang Luori¡­¡± Realization flickered across his features. ¡°Are you saying that Wen Zai is the one who came up with this scheme?¡±

    Feng Qingyou didn¡¯t respond, but her meaning was as clear as day.

    ¡°Wang Luori¡­ Wen Zai¡­¡± Ye Qing rubbed his chin while his lips curled into a diabolical smile, ¡°So, they thought they could toy me as they pleased, hmm? I should give them a taste of their own medicine then!¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled, ¡°You¡¯re going to tell Luo Chunchao about Wang Luori and Wen Zai¡¯s scheme, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You know me well, Qingyou!¡± Ye Qing replied with a smile that didn''t reach the eye. ¡°They¡¯re the ones who used a tiger¡¯s cub as bait. Why shouldn¡¯t they suffer the consequences of their actions?¡±

    Feng Qingyou caressed her jade cup thoughtfully. ¡°Luo Chunchao had begun from humble beginnings, and he is as shrewd as he is paranoid. If you truly wish to s the Luo n against Sunset Hill, I would advise you not to divulge the whole truth. Just tell him what ties Wang Luori, Luo Shen and Wen Zai together, and he should be able to figure out the rest on his own. Otherwise, he would overthink it and suspect that someone is trying to sow discord.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Ye Qing agreed after mulling over her suggestion. Luo Chunchao was a smart man. All he needed was a starting point, and he would eventually find out the whole truth on his own. Besides, a truth he had to work to uncover would be far more convincing than one he heard from another¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Alright. There¡¯s no time to lose, so I¡¯m going to visit Luo Chunchao right now,¡± said Ye Qing as he rose to his feet.

    He saluted Cuiwei first and said, ¡°Thank you for your service, Miss Cui.¡±

    He then turned to Qingyou and shot her a sunny grin, ¡°I gotta go, Qingyou. I¡¯ll see you at Heavenly Heart Clinic sometime!¡±

    For most people, revenge was a dish best served cold. But for Ye Qing, revenge was three meals a day with a slice of dessert.

    ¡°Very well!¡± Feng Qingyou smiled back.

    With that, he gave them one final nod and left the room.

    After Ye Qing was gone, Cuiwei asked suddenly, ¡°Why did you ask me to divulge Wang Luori and Wen Zai¡¯s n to Ye Qing, Miss Feng?¡±

    Feng Qingyou looked down on her tea as she replied in a warm, soothing voice, ¡°Joyless is the main reason we seeded in imnting the Dream Seed in Xue Shiwu¡¯s mind without a hitch. Telling him Wang Luori and Wen Zai¡¯s n is my way of repaying him.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, ny percent of Tian Yong¡¯s wealthes from Luo Shui, and all of Luo Shui¡¯s wealthes from the Luo n and White Horse Academy. If the Luo n does have a fallout with Wang Luori and Xue Beikun, it may benefit our ns greatly.¡±

    Cuiwei frowned in puzzlement, ¡°But how, exactly? I just can¡¯t see how we might benefit from this.¡±

    ¡°The world is like a game of go. Anything can happen, perfection is unlikely, and there are some things you cannot change no matter what you do. That is why we must deliberate every step and n for even the most insignificant of things. Think of it as an effort to build up more pawns, more tricks, more flexibility and more room to maneuver. Only then can victory be assured.¡±

    ¡°As you say, pitting Luo Chunchao against Wang Luori and Xue Beikun does not benefit us in the short run, but who can say what the future holds?¡±

    Cuiwei nodded. ¡°Thank you for the lesson. But are you sure Luo Chunchao would fall out with Wang Luori and Xue Beikun?¡±

    Feng Qingyou shook her head. Her eyes looked like a starry night sky, infinite and unfathomable. ¡°He will, but not openly. He wouldn¡¯t try to solve things with violence either.¡±

    ¡°Luo Chunchao is a cautious and paranoid man. He also excels at forbearance. On the surface, he would pretend as if the death of his son is but a ssh in the pond, but under the surface, it would be a different story altogether. For example, Luo Chunchao controls many parts of the Luo Shui River. Therefore, it would be logical to assume that Sunset Hill and the ck Feather Guards¡¯s river transportation businesses would be suffering greatly from now on.¡±

    Cui Wei nodded in agreement and suggested, ¡°Should we add some fuel to the fire?¡±

    Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°No. To go too far is as bad as not to go far enough.¡±

    Cuiwei nodded obediently. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Feng Qingyou let out a small cough and said, ¡°You may leave now.¡±

    ¡°Catch some rest soon, miss!¡± Cuiwei advised before leaving the room.

    After Cuiwei was gone, Feng Qingyou chanted to herself, ¡°Like a dream thatsts all autumn, like a reflection that breaks at the slightest touch¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that what I am? A mirage?¡±

    ¡°If that is true, then I reject this fate!¡±

    The qin began ying once more underneath the bright moon.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Dammit, just how cowardly is this Luo Chunchao? Why isn¡¯t he doing anything even though his son is dead?¡±

    Ye Qing sighed deeply at the courtyard of the Pacification Bureau¡¯s Inspection Department. Last night, he had leaked Wang Luori, Wen Zai and Luo Shen¡¯s rtionship to Luo Chunchao thinking that he would be able to enjoy a good show first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, reality was a harsh mistress. Forget dering bloody vengeance against Wang Luori, the Luo n hadn¡¯t even announced Luo Feibai¡¯s death. Now that it was almost noon, he was certain that the dog-eat-dog show he was anticipating wouldn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve just ended your own life on a piece of tofu, coward!¡± Ye Qingined to no one in particr. He had a feeling this might happen when he learned of Luo Chunchao¡¯s personality from Feng Qingyou, but foreknowledge wasn¡¯t enough to keep him from feeling disappointed.

    Had Luo Chunchao chosen to go to war with Wang Luori, the sect master would not be able to spare the energy to attack him in the short term. It would¡¯ve bought him some much needed time to grow stronger.

    ¡°That said, a biting dog doesn¡¯t bark, and Luo Chunchao would definitely bite Wang Luori when the time is right. It¡¯s going to be oh-so-bloody. At best, Wang Luori was going to regret picking Luo Feibai as his bait for a long time toe, and at worst¡­ he won¡¯t live to regret his decision.¡±

    Ye Qing immediately felt better when he arrived at this conclusion. He might not be able to watch a dog-eat-dog show today, but it was an eptable sacrifice if a dragon-versus-tiger battle was on the horizon!

    Luo Chunchao was not a person to be trifled with, and he was a forbearing man. He would never let Luo Feibai¡¯s death go, he just wouldn¡¯t act until he was sure it would deal Wang Luori a severe blow. When he did make his move, it would be like a thunderstorm or andslide had struck Luo Shui. This was definitely a good thing from a long-term perspective.

    ¡°Patrolman, we have an incident at Cockcrow Alley!¡±

    Ye Qing had just taken a sip from his wine jar when Xu Banren strode into the courtyard with a stern expression on his face. Ye Qing rose to his feet and asked seriously, ¡°What happened?¡±

    A Patrolman was responsible for monitoring and patrolling the region they were charged with and protecting it from Strangers. Since Ye Qing was the Patrolman of Luo Shui, this meant that he was responsible for monitoring and patrolling not just themandery, but all counties and viges under Luo Shui¡¯s jurisdiction as well. If, for example, a vige was threatened by a powerful Stranger that it could not possibly defeat, then it was the Patrolman¡¯s responsibility to mobilize the troops or handle the threat themselves.

    This was why Patrolmen possessed a lot of hard power in the Pacification Bureau. A Patrolman was granted their own office in the Pacification Bureau and couldmand up to six Lieutenants, twelve Guardians, and three hundred and sixty Pacification Sentinels. It was a force to be reckoned with to say the least.

    However, the Inspection Department was usually empty because most of its members were out on patrol. So far, Xu Banren was the only Lieutenant he saw in his office.

    As the Patrolman, his main responsibility was protecting Luo Shui from all Stranger-rted threats. If, for example, a Lieutenant had a run-in with a Stranger they couldn¡¯t defeat, then it was his responsibility to travel to their location and eliminate the Stranger as well.

    To put it simply, he was the Superman of Luo Shui. He would go wherever Luo Shui needed him!

    ¡°There¡¯s been deaths in Cockcrow Alley,¡± Xu Banren kept things as sinct as he could, ¡°We suspect that a Stranger is behind it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a little <i>too </i>sinct, brother!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. ¡°Give me some details to work with.¡±

    ¡°Early this morning, a man named Li Zhou noticed that there was a bloodstain on his shirt. At first he paid it no mind, but the bloodstain kept growing bigger and bigger until Li Zhou noticed something was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Li Zhou tried to take off his shirt, but he died the second he touched the fabric. Worse, everyone who made contact with Li Zhou now has a bloodstain on their shirt as well. The bloodstains are also growing.¡±

 Chapter 151: Bloody Shirt

    <h4>Chapter 151: Bloody Shirt</h4>

    ¡°Bloodstains? Did you find any clues?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Xu Banren shook his head. ¡°No. We searched the area but couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious.¡±

    ¡°How many people did Li Zhoue into contact with?¡±

    ¡°Eighteen.¡±

    Ye Qing knitted his brow in concentration. ¡°So, Li Zhou died when he tried to take off his shirt. What about the others? Did they feel any difort or something?¡±

    Xu Banren shook his head. ¡°Unclear. Everyone seemed fine when I left the scene, but I suspect that something bad will happen when their clothes are soaked through.¡±

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    The two were chatting as they walked. By the time they reached Cockcrow Alley, Ye Qing had more or less pieced together a rough outline of the situation.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    A dozen or so Pacification Sentinels were guarding the scene, and they saluted Ye Qing as soon as they saw him. Ye Qing waved them off and asked, ¡°Did anything happen while the Lieutenant was gone, Zhou Xi?¡±

    A thin but tough-looking man in ck armor reported, ¡°Everything''s still fine, my lord, but the bloodstains on the victim¡¯s shirts¡ªwell, clothes, since some of the bloodstains had spread to their pants¡ªare still growingrger.¡±

    ¡°Is this everyone who has made contact with Li Zhou?¡±

    Zhou Xi nodded. ¡°Yes, my lord. All eighteen people are present and ounted for.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Ye Qing entered the clearing where the eighteen victims were waiting. There were people from all ages and genders. They were all huddled together and shaking in fear and worry. The spreading bloodstains only added to the eeriness of the situation.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    It was at this moment a middle-aged man suddenly screamed out in pain. When the bloodpletely soaked through his clothes, it suddenly came to life and squeezed him tightly. It was like watching a flesh sponge being squeezed by a vice grip. The man¡¯s face turned purple almost instantly, and every vein on his body was popping out of his skin. It was absolutely horrifying to look at. At this rate, the bloody clothing was going to crush him into a pulp!

    Ye Qing frowned and took a step forward. He appeared beside the man and attempted to grab the bloody clothing. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t fast enough because the bloody clothing abruptly doubled its efforts and popped the victim like a balloon.

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and unleashed his astral qi, burning as much blood and gore as he could before they could fly too far. He managed to prevent himself from being dirtied, but two Pacification Sentinels who were standing a little too close got hit by a tiny splotch of blood.

    The bloodstain slowly began to spread just like the victims.

    ¡°My lord¡­¡±

    The two Pacification Sentinels nched and stared at Ye Qing with a pleading look on their faces. But before Ye Qing could react, another person let out a bloodcurdling scream.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaahhhh!¡±

    The good news was that it wasn¡¯t because another victim¡¯s clothes werepletely soaked through. The bad news was that the group of victims finally realized what they just saw and screamed on top of their lungs. One man was so panicked he started tearing away at his shirt,pletely forgetting that he would die if they so much as touched the fabric.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± Ye Qing yelled, but he was just a little toote. The man abruptly turned stiff and hit the ground like a log. He was dead.

    The victims panicked even more. The sudden deaths were driving them toward the brink of insanity.

    ¡°Please settle down and stay calm, everyone.¡±

    Ye Qing immediately wrapped them in a gust of invisible force to prevent them from moving. Then, he said slowly, ¡°I am a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau. I promise you I will find that Stranger and save you all, so please, calm down.¡±

    He had imbued his voice with a tinge of spirit. Like a soothing wind, it slowly chipped away at the victims¡¯ fears until they finally settled down once more.

    After he was done cating the victims, Ye Qing turned to Zhou Xi and ordered, ¡°Zhou Xi, go gather some men to evacuate the civilians and lock down this area immediately. Also, inform the others to iste anyone whose clothes look like they¡¯re about to be soaked through immediately. Obviously, they should take care to avoid the bloodstains.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Zhou Xi replied and stepped away to carry out his orders.

    ¡°Lieutenant Xu, have we questioned these people?¡± Ye Qing turned to Xu Banren next.

    Xu Banren waved his hand, and a Pacification Sentinel walked over to hand Ye Qing a book. It contained a record of the victims¡¯ statement and all info and clues they had collected so far.

    Ye Qing read through the book carefully before humming in thought, ¡°It looks like Li Zhou is definitely patient zero. Everyone else caught it after they made contact with Li Zhou.¡±

    ¡°Li Zhou had no parents, wives, or children, and his neighbor is the first person to make contact with him. With that in mind, it should be reasonable to assume that the source of the bloodstain is inside Li Zhou¡¯s house or somewhere around the area.¡±

    Xu Banren nodded and shot Ye Qing an astonished look. He didn¡¯t expect Ye Qing to figure this out so quickly.

    Ye Qing did not notice Xu Banren¡¯s look not because he was distracted, but because the Lieutenant¡¯s expression rarely changed. It was probably because he was a half-corpse. ¡°Come, let¡¯s check out Li Zhou¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already searched the house, my lord, but we weren¡¯t able to find anything,¡± said a Pacification Sentinel who was following Ye Qing around.

    ¡°I know. I just want to take another look. It won¡¯t take too much time anyway,¡± Ye Qing replied before ordering, ¡°Lieutenant Xu, why don¡¯t you take the men and search around the area some more? Who knows, you might find something this time.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Xu Banren saluted and took his leave. Having witnessed Ye Qing¡¯s strength several times at this point, he wasn¡¯t worried about his safety at all.

    After everyone was gone, Ye Qing stepped into Li Zhou¡¯s house and began searching for clues. Li Zhou was a tailor, so his house was absolutely packed with clothes and fabric. Whenever a wind blew, they would p around like a throng of ghosts. It was pretty eerie even during the day.

    Ye Qing spread his spirit and began searching for anomalies. The house, the yard, and everything else immediately appeared inside his mind.

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, he wasn¡¯t able to find anything. ¡°Strange. The Stranger has to be here somewhere, right?¡±

    Ye Qing pondered for a few more minutes in hopes of arriving at a genius solution to no avail. In the end, he had no choice but to take out the Annon Sutra. He was hoping to solve the case by himself, but reality was a cruel mistress. She had jabbed a finger into his face and told him directly, ¡°You suck!¡±

    After spitting a mouthful of blood on the piece of vellum, Ye Qing asked, ¡°Where is the Stranger who killed Li Zhou hiding?¡±

    The blood wriggled, and bloody text began appearing on its surface:

    <i>¡°I encountered a strange incident today. Bloodstains had suddenly appeared on the victims¡¯ shirts, and when they had spread to every article of clothing, the clothes suddenly came to life and strangled their victims to death. Worse still, attempting to remove the clothes would result in death as well.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I theorized that a Stranger is behind this incident and followed the clues to the ce where I believe the Stranger is most likely hiding, but unfortunately I wasn¡¯t able to find anything.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°What should I do? I just became a Patrolman yesterday. If I cannot solve this case perfectly, my reputation would suffer, and people would look down on me. Seriously, what should I do?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Maybe I just have bad eyes. I should search through Li Zhou¡¯s house once more!¡±</i>

    ¡°...¡±

    <i>Bro, you don¡¯t have to attack me like that.</i>

    The Annon Sutra was done, but the information it provided made Ye Qing want to roll his eyes. It might as well have said nothing at all.

    Of course, the information wasn¡¯tpletely useless. It more or less confirmed that the Stranger was definitely in Li Zhou¡¯s house.

    ¡°But¡­ where is it hiding?¡±

    Ye Qing felt a headache when he gave the house another look. There had to be hundreds, if not thousands of clothes and fabric in this house. It would take forever to search them all.

    Suddenly, an idea urred to Ye Qing, ¡°Wait, what was I thinking? I don¡¯t need to find the needle in a haystack. I can just burn it all!¡±

    He assumed a stance and threw out a punch. When in doubt, do!

    <i>Buzz¡­</i>

    The air vibrated, and the doors, the windows, the clothes and every other item in the house suddenly caught on fire. At the same time, Ye Qing spread his spirit out once more.

    ¡°Got you!¡±

    Just when the dark red mes were about to burn everything into ash, a tattered shirt suddenly flew out of a pile of discarded fabric. A bloodstain appeared on the left side of the shirt, but it was spreading way, way faster than the one guing the victims. In just the blink of an eye, it was soaked through to the point where blood was dripping from the hem of the shirt, and the smell of iron quickly permeated the room.

    That wasn¡¯t all. When the blood hit the floor, it immediately dyed it red like adding ink to clear water. It wasn¡¯t long before the entire house was covered in blood, and a violent and ominous aura pressed against Ye Qing from all sides.

    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re a Hatred-ss Stranger? What a joyful discovery!¡± Ye Qing grinned widely as he examined the bloody shirt. How could he not be happy when a new silver dragon-serpent rune was about to enter his pockets?

    Since returning from the Firewind Valley, he had been focusing on refining his true qi and astral qi, so he hadn¡¯t used a single silver rune. Currently, he had umted nine¡ªand soon to be ten¡ªsilver runes in total. Every time Ye Qing checked out his runes he felt proud and giddy not unlike a wealthy businessman who was checking out his ount book.

    <i>Glug, glug, glug¡­</i>

    Blood began bubbling out of the floor, the walls,the rooftop and other ces. They were thick and horrible-smelling. The next moment, they sprayed toward Ye Qing like water sprinklers.

    Ye Qing moved his body slightly and summoned the Burning Wind. It instantly evaporated the rain of blood into nothing.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to try harder than this!¡± He shook his head.

    Before he could finish, what looked like bloody pimples started popping up all across the room. Their sizes varied, and the way they squirmed looked absolutely disgusting.

    The pimples exploded, and more bloody shirts appeared and flew to the ceiling. It wasn¡¯t long before they ceiling was absolutely dominated by bloody shirts. The stench of blood was positively choking, and it was as if they were trying to turn the world itself into blood.

    It was at this moment wisps of blood qi surrounded Ye Qing from all sides. It looked like they were trying to enter his body. However, Ye Qing simply smirked with his hands behind his back. He lookedpletely unconcerned with the bloody shirts¡¯ attempt to corrupt him.

 Chapter 152: Black Pot

    <h4>Chapter 152: ck Pot</h4>

    <i>p p p!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s careless attitude seemed to anger the bloody shirts greatly. In unison, every shirt except the original suddenly pounced toward Ye Qing like a locust swarm.

    Unfortunately, they had only gotten halfway when they suddenly froze up and shivered like they were fighting some sort of invisible power. The next moment, they exploded in rapid session until not a single one was left.

    The mist of blood left behind the explosions writhed as if it was trying to retake its previous form, but when Ye Qing made a grabbing motion, they flew uncontrobly into his palm and formed a thick ball of blood.

    ¡°You thought you could use<i> blood</i> to defeat me? That¡¯s like trying to beat Guan Yu with a guandao [1]!¡±

    While Ye Qing was tossing the ball of blood up and down, countless Blood Shadows rose into the air. He had spread them out to the point where they looked like tiny specks of dust.

    <i>¡°Blood Shadow Magic¡±</i>

    Ye Qing dropped his hand, and the Blood Shadows sliced the bloody house into countless uniform pieces like tofu. Not only that, they ripped the blood right out of whatever surface they were clinging to and brought it back to Ye Qing.

    The bloody shirt¡¯s aura grew weaker and weaker as Ye Qing continued to devour its blood like a ravenous beast. When the time was right, he abruptly disappeared from view, reappeared next to the Stranger, and struck it with his left hand.

    <i>¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Blue Demon Hand¡±</i>

    The all-consuming Nethermebined with the brutal power of Boundless Lightning Palm poured down on the bloody shirt like a heavenly waterfall. Since Ye Qing had locked the space around it with his power, it couldn¡¯t even dodge out of the way.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    There was a loud bang as the bloody shirt exploded into countless pieces. The Netherme burned it all into ash.

    ¡°And that¡¯s that!¡± Ye Qingnded back on the floor and dusted off his hands. He smiled a little as the ashes scattered into nothing.

    Ye Qing had made it look oh-so-easy when he defeated the Hatred-ss Stranger, but in fact it wasn¡¯t weak at all. It just so happened that its power waspletely countered by his blood¡¯s ability to devour other blood. Another warrior would have had a lot more trouble to defeat it.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    ¡°Lord Ye!¡±

    It was at this moment Xu Banren and the Pacification Sentinels ran up to him. The bloody shirt hadpletely isted the interior of the house earlier, so they hadn¡¯t heard or felt anything amiss until the house copsed. After that, they rushed over as quickly as they could.

    ¡°Lord Ye, what¡­¡± Xu Banren looked at the pile of rubble behind Ye Qing and felt the residue of energies around the area. ¡°Did you find that Stranger after all, Lord Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I did. It was a Hatred-ss Stranger!¡±

    ¡°A Hatred-ss Stranger?¡± Everyone except Xu Banren nched at the revtion. ¡°Where is it? Did it run away?¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged and answered in a casual tone, ¡°It¡¯s dead. It¡¯s just a Hatred-ss Stranger. It doesn¡¯t take much to kill one.¡±

    The group had to resist the urge to roll their eyes. At most, ten breaths had passed since they heard themotion. They could have killed a Hatred-ss Stranger, sure, but to do it in the span of ten breaths?

    <i>No wonder he¡¯s the boss. I wonder if he¡¯s taking disciples?</i>

    ¡°Can you message Zhou Xi and ask him if the bloodstains on the victims¡¯ clothes have disappeared?¡± Ye Qing asked Xu Banren.

    The Lieutenant took out a talisman and activated it. A few breathster, Zhou Xi¡¯s voice came from the talisman, ¡°Lieutenant Xu, the bloodstains on the seventeen civilians and our two brothers havepletely disappeared. I believe that the danger is over.¡±

    The talisman burned into ash as soon as Zhou Xi was done speaking. The talisman was a single-use sound transmission talisman that only worked if the target was close by, and only for a very short while. Even so, its usefulness should be self-evident.

    ¡°I believe it¡¯s a job well done, Lord Ye!¡± Xu Banren reported.

    ¡°Good!¡± Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief and ordered, ¡°Good job, everyone. Let us return.¡±

    Ye Qing waved, and everyone followed him out of the residence. It wasn¡¯t long before the ce returned to calm once more.

    Or did it?

    <i>Whoosh¡­</i>

    A cool breeze blew up the ashes on the ground and did a little twirl in the air. Then, it entered a nearby well and rippled its waters.

    ¡°They¡¯re gone!¡±

    A dull, heavy, echoing voice that sounded like the speaker was speaking from inside arge jar or something came from inside the well. More urately, it wasing from the bottom of the well.

    A three-inch tall y pot suddenly appeared on the water surface. It looked a little like a fermentation pot. A pair of eyes were peeking out from inside the pot, blinking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think the hiding ce you chose is a little too risky, Bronze Toad?¡± The y pot wobbled twice as another voice resounded from the pot. The next moment, it sank all the way to the bottom of the well.

    The bottom was not the end, however. The pot continued to sink through the silty soil as if it was an illusion. Very soon, the y pot hadpletely vanished from view.

    The space underneath the soil was surprisingly clean. Not only that, it was glowing brightly as the walls were embedded with countless night pearls. It illuminated the underground space so much that it looked like daytime.

    A golden yellow toad that was asrge as a millstone was sitting on a chair. Its whole body was embedded in bronze coins. After shifting into a morefortable position, it answered, ¡°You don¡¯t understand, ck Pot. There is a human saying that goes something like this: ¡®the most dangerous ce is also the safest ce¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Safe my ass! The entire reason we almost got caught is because that mindless shirt of yours can only act on instinct! At this rate, the Pacification Bureau will find us and kill us all!¡± The y pot Stranger called ck Potined while jumping over to a chair. The poor furniture creaked loudly as itnded like a rock.

    Bronze Toad shifted its stout body again, and the bronze coins smashed into each other hard enough to cause sparks. ¡°And this is why I call you stupid. When the Blood Shirt is still alive, it could conceal our auras and act as our meatshield. Even after it¡¯s dead, it can act as our scapegoat and divert the humans¡¯ attention away.¡±

    ¡°After all, all Strangers are territorial, and non-sentient Strangers like Blood Shirt are especially territorial. Normally, they would battle any Stranger who intruded into their territory to the death.¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau is aware of this pattern as well, which is why they could never imagine that there are more Strangers hiding in this residence. In fact, they would be inclined to rx when they patrol this area from now on. I don¡¯t need to exin to you why this is advantageous for us, do I?¡±

    ck Pot chuckled. ¡°Yes, yes. You have a big head, so whatever you say.¡±

    ¡°If you guys are done talking, I¡¯m going to head up and check if the humans are truly gone,¡± A shadow on the ground suddenly stood up and said.

    ¡°Be careful, Shadow!¡± Bronze Toad advised.

    ck Pot leaped off its chair and chirped, ¡°I¡¯ll go with Shadow! If anything happens to it, I can act as backup! Sha¡ª¡±

    ck Pot was going to address Shadow, but when it looked back it discovered that the Stranger was already gone.

    ¡°You¡¯d think he¡¯s rushing to enter a new womb!¡± ck Pot said sarcastically before floating back to the surface once more.

    On the well, ck Pot looked around for a bit but could not find anyone. Sighing in relief, it muttered, ¡°They really are gone!¡± before dropping to its side and rolling toward the exit.

    However, ck Pot had just reached the entrance when a foot suddenly appeared from outside the door and stepped on it. Stunned, ck Pot tried to struggle only for a tremendous force to push it into the underground. What was strange was that it made no sound whatsoever.

    ¡°Tsk. You¡¯re tougher than I expected!¡±

    Ye Qing stepped out from his hiding spot and crouched lower. While staring at the y pot beneath his foot, he said with a devious smile on his face, ¡°You better not move a y though. I swear I will crush you like a watermelon if you so much as shiver.¡±

    While saying this, Ye Qing condensed his force until it was practically solid. The container immediately started creaking ominously.

    ck Pot possessed a very strong will to live. Despite its fear, it managed to rein in its natural reaction and stopped shivering.

    The Pacification Sentinel standing behind Ye Qing looked incredibly impressed. ¡°Incredible intuition, my lord! I can hardly believe there are more Strangers hiding in this ce!¡±

    Earlier, no one really believed Ye Qing when he imed that there were more Strangers in the residence. After all, they were taught that Strangers rarely shared territories unless they were kin or the same type of Strangers. But now that the evidence was right in front of their eyes, it was impossible not to be impressed with the young Patrolman.

    ¡°I just got lucky,¡± Ye Qing replied with a smile.

    Xu Banren shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re too modest, Lord Ye!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± <i>I wasn¡¯t being modest though.</i>

    He had, in fact, gotten lucky. When he was using the Burning Wind to drive the bloody shirt out of its hiding spot, he had sensed a sh of energy from the well. His astral qi must have caught whatever Stranger was hiding inside the well by surprise. However, he could not be sure how many Strangers were hiding inside the well or how strong they were, which was why he pretended not to notice and focused on killing the shirt Stranger first.

    After the blood shirt was dead, he led his men out of the residence and told him about his discovery. They then hid themselves and waited for the Strangers to show.

    He was pretty sure that the Stranger or Strangers hiding inside the well would send someone to check if the coast was clear. Therefore, all they needed to do was to capture one of them and interrogate them. If the Strangers inside the well were weak, then he and his men would take them out right now. If they were stronger than expected, then he would call for reinforcements.

    What? This was his life that was on the line here. Of course it was better to be safe than sorry.

    So far, everything had gone exactly as he predicted. Now, it was time to interrogate this Stranger.

    ¡°Tell me, pot, how many Strangers are there in the well? How strong are they?¡± Ye Qing asked in a low tone.

    The ck pot yed dead and said nothing at all, so Ye Qing chuckled and put more strength into his right foot. More cracks immediately started spreading across its surface like a spider web. ¡°Stop ying dead, and don¡¯t try to y dumb. I heard you loud and clear when you were standing on the well earlier. You better tell me what I want to know, or I will literally stomp you to the underworld.¡±

    ¡°M-My name is ck Pot, and I¡¯m one hundred fifty six years old. I¡¯m single and unmarried, but I have a son and a daughter with Yellow Pot¡¯s wife, White Pot next door¡­¡±

    ck Pot was seriously frightened. Although its body was molded from y, it was tough enough to withstand des, blunt weapons, water, fire, wind and even lightning. It was easily his proudest ability.

    However, the human had easily broken through its defense. He definitely possessed the power to crush it like a watermelon. Faced with the threat of death, ck Pot did not hesitate to divulge everything that was on his mind right now.

    ¡°That¡­ is not what I asked!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a strange expression, ¡°And what did you expect me to do with this information? I¡¯m not a matchmaker!¡±

    ¡°Speak human¡ªI mean, get to the point. If you spout anymore bullshit, I will split you like a stick up a human¡¯s ass.¡±

    The ck Pot abruptly stopped its babble andughed drily, ¡°S-Sorry, I was so scared I reverted to my default state for a moment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your default state?¡± Ye Qing hmphed. ¡°Anyway, get to the point!¡±

    ck Pot shuddered and started talking, ¡°There are¡­¡±

    1. Guan Yu is a famous general in the Three Kingdoms, and his signature weapon is the guandao. After Lu Bu died, no one is a greater warrior than Guan Yu. It was his own hubris who had defeated him in the end. ??

 Chapter 153: Die For You

    Chapter 153: Die For You

    While ck Pot was drawing everyone¡¯s attention, a shadow suddenly split into a handful of smaller shadows and merged with the Pacification Sentinels¡¯ shadows. No one noticed that something was wrong until the afflicted people suddenly realized that they were unable to control their body or even cry out in rm. They could only watch in horror as their bodies slowly raised their crossbows and took aim¡­ at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow when his senses suddenly warned him of danger. He looked back just in time to see his own men loosing their bolts at him.

    Did a Stranger slip into our midst?

    Ye Qing figured out the truth immediately. He swung his sleeves like it was a sheet of steel and batted all the bolts away. Then, he brought down his right foot and attempted to crush the pot Stranger.

    Since its cohort had already discovered them, there was no point in keeping it alive or staying hidden any longer.

    Boom!

    There was a loud explosion as the ground within ten meters of Ye Qing caved inward like tofu. However, he could tell that the y pot hadn¡¯t shatteredpletely. In fact, it slipped into the underground and was trying to escape.

    ¡°Did you think you could run?¡±

    Ye Qing was going to give chase when the surrounding Pacification Sentinels drew their sabers and charged toward him.

    ¡°Have you guys gone mad?¡± Xu Banren growled and unleashed a devastating punch at his colleagues. His Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi would severely injure them at best or kill them at worst.

    ¡°Stop! They¡¯re being controlled by a Stranger!¡±

    Ye Qing took a step forward and threw out his own punch, burning Heavenly Yi Corpse Qi into nothing with his Burning Wind. Then, he swung his sleeves and sent all of the Pacification Sentinels flying. Not a single one of them was hurt despite the attack.

    Unfortunately, this was but a temporary measure. The Pacification Sentinels immediately climbed back to their feet and charged them once more.

    ¡°Do you know what Stranger is behind this, Lord Ye?¡± Xu Banren asked. By now, the Lieutenant noticed that the Pacification Sentinels were definitely not acting as they should. However, he could not find anyone or anything who might be controlling them.

    ¡°Their shadows. Something¡¯s wrong with their shadows!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flicked with intelligence. When he sent the Pacification Sentinels flying just now, he noticed that their bodies and their shadows were out of sync. The shadows were moving a beat slower than it should¡¯ve been. Moreover, the shadows remained as ck as ink even when they were directly exposed to sunlight.

    ¡°The shadows?¡± Xu Banren looked and discovered the same oddities as Ye Qing did. Before he could react, Ye Qing threw a mighty punch at the shadows.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    The Burning Wind blew across the ground with a loud whoosh. The next moment, the shadows actually burst into dark red mes. As soon as the unnatural shadows were wiped out, the Pacification Sentinels discovered that they could move their limbs once more.

    No one noticed Ye Qing¡¯s shadow twitching behind his back, however. It abruptly jumped to its feet, transformed its arm into a dagger, and brought it down on Ye Qing¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Heh¡­ I was waiting for you!¡±

    Right before the dagger would¡¯vended, Ye Qing abruptly reached out with his left hand and caught the shadow¡¯s arm. No matter how hard the shadow pushed, it could not so much as touch Ye Qing¡¯s skin.

    Shadow was bbergasted to say the least. Everything it did until this point was one, to rescue ck Pot from danger, and two, to assassinate Ye Qing while he was distracted.

    His enemy was too strong to be controlled like the Pacification Sentinels, so this was its only option.

    Its tactic was tried and true as it had killed countless humans with it. However, Ye Qing had somehow anticipated its movement and caught it hook, line and sinker.

    He didn¡¯t understand how Ye Qing had anticipated its movements, but it wasn¡¯t going to wait around and ask. Its pitch ck body writhed for an instant before dissolving into a ck, viscous fog.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t fast enough. Netherme gushed out of the Blue Demon Hand and across its whole body. Screaming in pain, Shadow split into countless fragments and slipped into the shadows.

    ¡°Lightning Bolt¡±

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and unleashed his Strange Artifact. The mini sword impaled the shadow Shadow had slipped into and unleashed a crackle of lightning.

    The shadow writhed and emitted ck smoke. The ink ck shadow immediately grew faint like it might disappear at any moment.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Ye Qing was going to end Shadow right there and then, but a scream suddenly drew his attention away. ck Pot had dug out of the ground before he knew it, and a pair of baby soft arms were stretching out of the pot. They grabbed a Pacification Sentinel¡¯s legs while he wasn¡¯t looking and pulled them unto itself.

    The arms looked thin and weak, but they were monstrously strong. The poor guy waspletely unable to resist as the arms pulled his whole body into the pot in just the blink of an eye. The sound of crushed flesh and bone were horrifying to put it mildly.

    Blood bubbled out of the opening as ck Potmented, ¡°So juicy and crunchy. There really is no tastier flesh than humans!¡±

    ¡°Kill it!¡±

    Hispanions¡¯ eyes grew bloodshot when they saw this. They immediately fired their hand crossbows at the Stranger.

    ¡°Oh my, how terrifying!¡±

    ck Pot teased and withdrew its arms. The bolts were specifically made to kill Strangers, and yet they failed to leave even the slightest mark on the y pot.

    ¡°Too weak!¡± ck Pot sneered and mmed into a Pacification Sentinel¡¯s chest before he could react. It punched right through his torso and sttered gore everywhere.

    ck Pot wasn¡¯t even done yet. It was heading straight toward another Pacification Sentinel who was standing behind his now dead colleague.

    Right before another Pacification Sentinel would perish, an arm appeared from the side and smashed into the pot. ck Pot was sent flying as a cloud of corpse qi surrounded it.

    ¡°Get out of the way. I¡¯ll deal with it.¡±

    Xu Banren stepped out of the crowd while a copious amount of corpse qi rolled down his body. The coffin behind his back gleamed coldly and eerily in the light.

    ¡°A deadman? Your flesh stinks like hell, deadman! Heavens, it stinks so much!¡± ck Pot wobbled a little before a pair of arms suddenly stretched out from the sides, and legs from the bottom of the pot. It twirled twice on its feet before what looked like an infant¡¯s head popped out of the y pot¡¯s opening. It had creamy white skin, red lips, and a vertical ponytail on top of its skull.

    The next second, ck Pot drew a long saber made of talisman paper from itself and swung it twice. The paper saber actually made a whooshing noise that sounded just like a real de.

    Come fight me, deadman! I¡¯m going to cut you into eighteen pieces!¡± ck Pot taunted.

    That was a mistake though. Before it even finished its sentence, Xu Banren had appeared right in front of it and threw a punch at its face.

    I, Xu Banren, always talk less and act more.

    ck Pot blocked the punch with its saber, and metallic sparks flew off the point of impact even though it was a fist versus saber. Neither human nor Stranger moved as their force shed, and the shockwave generated from the impact was enough to shake the earth itself. The Pacification Sentinels looked stunned as they staggered on their feet.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad! Again!¡± ck Pot gave its paper saber a wave before attacking Xu Banren once more.

    Halfman Xu had nothing to fear from the y pot Stranger. His arms turned ashen green as it punched at ck Pot again.

    Although ck Pot was a Stranger, its saber technique was shockingly good. It could chain shes, thrusts, feints, blocks, parries with perfect fluidity. It could alternate its strength between as gentle as a feather and as heavy as a mountain. Finally, it wasn¡¯t a stickler for the forms and could modify its moves to meet a specific situation. It was without a doubt a master with the weapon.

    On the other hand, Xu Banren¡¯s fist style looked anything but masterful. All he could do with his stiff arms were simplistic punches, swings, blocks and the asional elbow smash. But despite his terrible technique, his fists were overflowing with intent and force. Every time he threw a punch, it took everything ck Pot had to stop it or dodge out of the way. It was why the battle was currently locked in a stalemate.

    The y pot is surprisingly strong! Ye Qing thought in astonishment. Although he knew from the start that ck Pot was a Hatred-ss Stranger, it had acted so cowardly he thought that its strength would be impaired by its weak personality. In reality, ck Pot was strong enough to fight Xu Banren to a standstill. Heavens only know how many humans it had killed just by acting weak and surprising them at an opportune moment.

    Despite this, the situation was advantageous for them. As long as Xu Banren remained strong, he could focus all of his attention on the shadow Stranger.

    Speaking of the shadow Stranger, he failed to kill it even though hended a severe blow because it possessed the ability to pass through shadows. A moment¡¯s distraction was all it needed to escape into a patch of shadow. Not only that, he was unable to detect the Stranger after it entered the shadows.

    ¡°Interesting!¡± Ye Qing smirked. So what if he couldn¡¯t detect the Stranger? He raised his fist and punched the ground hard, triggering a mini earthquake and causing Burning Wind to burst out from the seams. Every earth and rock within tens of meters of him was turned red hot as well.

    A shadow next to the well immediately jumped into the air. It was burning with dark red mes from the inside out.

    ¡°Heh. Found you!¡±

    Ye Qing turned around and appeared right in front of the shadow Stranger. His left hand burst into mes as he made a grab for it.

    Whoosh!

    Once again, Shadow dissolved into an ink ck fog and tried to escape, but Ye Qing abruptly clenched his hand into a fist and, pop! The air within several meters of him popped like a balloon and elicited a painful cry from the shadow Stranger.

    A few wisps of shadow survived the sudden explosion and returned to its true body, but it was much fainter and weaker than before.

    Honestly, Shadow¡¯s ability wasn¡¯t weak. It could slip into Shadows, control a weaker being¡¯s shadow, and hide even from Ye Qing¡¯s powerful spirit. It was perfectly suited for scouting, ambushes, and assassination duties.

    Its only w was that it was somewhatcking in directbat. If the enemy managed to catch it off guard andnd a few solid hits just like Ye Qing had, then it would be put on the back foot instantly.

    Of course, Shadow was also unlucky to have Ye Qing as its opponent. The Patrolman¡¯s powerful spirit, rich true qi and all-consuming Burning Wind was the bane of its ability.

    So sorry that I¡¯m too good for ya!

    Suddenly, ck Pot let out a cackle. ¡°Shadow is gonna die for you soon if you don¡¯t show yourself, Bronze Toad!¡±

    Xu Banren hmphed in disgust, ¡°You dare be distracted while you¡¯re fighting against me?¡±

    Halfman Xu blocked ck Pot¡¯s sh with his left fist and struck its body with his right. ck Pot was covered in cracks in the first ce, but the solid blow and outburst of Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi instantly blew a hole in its sides that spewed disgusting, smelly pus.

    ¡°Aaaah! It hurts! I¡¯m gonna die as well if you keep this up, Bronze Toad!¡± ck Pot let out an exaggerated scream.

    Xu Banren ignored ck Pot¡¯s attack and kept up his attack. Ye Qing, however, was feeling worried. ck Pot could be bluffing, but it was far more likely that there were more Strangers hiding inside the well. It was obvious now why the shadow Stranger had lured him to the well. It was nning to surprise him with the Stranger inside the well and kill him!

    Ye Qing immediately punched the well entrance. It boomed as loud as the drumbeat of a celestial.

    Rather than wait for his enemy to ambush him, he would rather take the fight to them first! The best defense was a good offense!

 Chapter 154: The Bronze Toad of Cornucopia

    Chapter 154: The Bronze Toad of Cornucopia

    Boom!

    His fist force had just reached the well entrance when the well water abruptly surged into the air. The well exploded, and water spilled all over the ce. This wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all except that everything that was touched by the water¡ªthe rocks, the bricks, the soil and more¡ªstarted sizzling as if they were corroded by acid.

    ¡°Watch out! The water is corrosive!¡± Ye Qing shouted, but he was a little toote. Three Pacification Sentinels failed to dodge out of the way and immediately melted into a puddle. It was so fast that they never even had the time to scream. Even their weapons and their armor had melted into a puddle as well.

    To say this is acidic would be an understatement, Ye Qing thought with a small frown. The ground itself was being eaten at such an unbelievable rate it was as if potholes had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°You¡¯re dead! Bronze Toad¡¯s venom can corrode even refined metal, much less flesh-and-blood!¡± Shadow sneered weakly from Ye Qing¡¯s left hand.

    Ye Qing was standing right next to the well, so most of the water had sshed onto him. He was sizzling all over as if he would melt into a puddle at any moment.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Shadow was destined to be disappointed, however. With a smirk, Ye Qing shook off his tattered clothes to reveal silky smooth skin. There wasn¡¯t even a single scratch on his person.

    ¡°How the¡­¡± The Stranger¡¯s ridiculing cackle abruptly cut short. It could not help but stare incredulously at Ye Qing.

    Bronze Toad¡¯s venom was so deadly that even he didn¡¯t dare to take a direct hit, so how on earth did the human manage to survive it?

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ so sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m pretty thick-skinned. More importantly, I¡¯m immune to most poisons,¡± Ye Qing answered while grabbing a new set of clothes from his Nature¡¯s Shell and putting it on. As ofte, his clothes had the tendency to go poof for one reason or another, which was why he started to keep a few sets of spares. The situation he was in right now proved that his preparation was wise. He didn¡¯t mind being seen naked, but it would definitely damage his reputation if people saw him like this.

    Also, Ye Qing was telling Shadow the truth. He had eaten the Fruit of Life before, so he was immune to all poison. Even if he wasn¡¯t, his body was so tough that the acid had failed to corrode even his skin.

    Rumble!

    It was at this moment the ground within ten meters of Ye Qing suddenly copsed entirely. A ck hole had appeared underneath his feet out of nowhere, and it was turning everything that fell into it into a puddle of acid.

    Upon closer look, it wasn¡¯t a ck hole at all. It was a giant maw that was aligned with countless rows of sharp teeth. Disgusting smelling acid was constantly trickling down its oral cavity.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t fall into the all-consuming maw, however. As if he knew this would happen, he had leaped into the air the second the ground had copsed. In fact, he had been scanning the underground with his spirit from the moment he confirmed that there was, indeed, a Stranger hiding there. He was only pretending to be distracted by Shadow.

    In the air, Ye Qing clenched his left hand and elicited a final scream from Shadow. After the Netherme had consumed everyst bit of it, he formed a fist with his right hand and punched toward the maw.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    The fist force came from every direction. It looked like nothing at the beginning, but it rapidly grew in power until it looked like space itself was being ripped apart by an invisible hand.

    Boom!

    The underground Stranger let out a muffled roar as the copsing ground suddenly stopped its descent and pushed upward. It was trying to use the ground itself to block the punch.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty strong,¡± Ye Qing frowned a little as he felt the Stranger¡¯s resistance was transmitted to his fist. At the very least, it was much stronger than ck Pot and Shadow.

    That said, it was hardly unbeatable. Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath until his abdomen sounded like roaring thunder. Then, he exerted more strength into the punch and pushed the giant chunk of ground back to where it began. In fact, the closer it got to the underground Stranger, the more it broke apart until eventually, there was only the fist force and the Burning Wind.

    The underground Stranger howled in fury, but it was powerless to resist. When the fist force was right in front of the giant maw, the Burning Wind exploded and entered the giant maw in full force. The dark red mes easily burned its flesh, teeth and acid into ash.

    ¡°You like to eat that badly? You can choke on my Burning Wind then!¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    ¡°Croak croak!¡±

    Suddenly, a toadish croak erupted from the underground. Then, the earth split apart to reveal a toad that was asrge as a millstone.

    ¡°A toad? You must be a close rtive of Brother Frog!¡± Ye Qingmented casually while rubbing his nose, but on the inside he was as serious as he could be. It was because the bronze toad had taken a punch to its mouth, and yet it looked like it wasn¡¯t hurt all too badly.

    Dark red mes were jetting out of its pores, but its body remained intact as if it was forged from the toughest metal. Its skin did turn as red as iron, but that was it. Forget turning into ash, it didn¡¯t even look charred or melted.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat you, human!¡±

    The next moment, the Bronze Toad started growing bronze coins on its body. The round-shaped coins with a square hole at the center had the words ¡°Heavens Bless The Cornucopia¡± and gorgeous patterns that resembled dragons and clouds inscribed on the surface. It was incredibly beautiful.

    The more coins appeared, the bigger the Bronze Toad¡¯s body became. It was already the size of a millstone to begin with, but at the end it became as big as a house itself. It was shining like it was forged from pure bronze.

    ¡°The Bronze Toad of Cornucopia!?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart sank. The Bronze Toad of Cornucopia was one of the stronger Hatred-ss Strangers out there. Capable of transforming earth into bronze, and bronze into coins via consumption, its ability was as precious as it was rare. This ability was why the Stranger was named Bronze Toad of Cornucopia, and why many merchants and peddlers viewed it as a symbol of wealth and prosperity.

    In reality, the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia was one of the most brutal Strangers out there and were killed on sight for good reason. It loved eating humans and especially babies, and it possessed the power to transform its whole body into bronze and be impervious to weapons and natural elements such as water, fire, wind and earth. It also possessed enormous strength and could change its size as it pleased. It was a difficult Stranger to defeat to say the least.

    It shouldn¡¯t need to be said, but there was also a Silver Toad of Cornucopia and a Gold Toad of Cornucopia. Each one was more precious than thest.

    ¡°Oh dang. Bronze Toad looks angry. You¡¯re so dead, human!¡± ck Pot taunted while pulling a second paper saber out of its pot. As it turned out, the y pot Stranger was still hiding its strength. Not only could it run its mouth at Ye Qing, it started driving Xu Banren back as soon as it revealed its second weapon.

    ¡°Die, human!¡±

    The gigantic Bronze Toad of Cornucopia raised a limb and attempted to crush Ye Qing underfoot. Ye Qing chose not to endure the attack head on and dashed out of the way. Its foot was strong enough to put a deep pit in the ground.

    ¡°What incredible strength. Too bad you¡¯re too slow to hit me!¡±

    While Bronze Toad was still recovering, Ye Qing appeared on top of the Stranger and swung his arms down like a hammer. Tang tang! It sounded like someone was hitting a giant gong twice in rapid session. Knowing that Bronze Toad could take it, he did not hold back his dragon-elephant strength. The arm smash was so powerful that Bronze Toad¡¯s skull caved in about three inches and spewed bronze yellow liquid.

    The Bronze Toad of Cornucopia cried out in pain and staggered on its feet. Knowing that his attack was effective, Ye Qing did not hesitate to punch the same spot again and again.

    ¡°Croak! It hurts! Croak!¡±

    Bronze Toad shook its head in hopes of throwing Ye Qing off, but it might as well be trying to shake off its own coins. A few futile attemptster, Bronze Toad changed its tactics and unfurled a coin-studded tongue from its throat. Like a python, the tongue swept toward Ye Qing with titanic strength.

    Ye Qing crouched a little and firmly rooted himself on Bronze Toad¡¯s head. Poweres from below, and force from the body. When the tongue got close, he punched it so hard that it snapped in half. However, the attack also sent Ye Qing crashing through at least a dozen houses before he finally came to a stop.

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    When the Pacification Sentinels saw this, they immediately fired their crossbow bolts at Bronze Toad. Knowing full well that getting close to the Stranger was a death sentence, they unanimously chose to harass it from range. Unfortunately, the crossbow bolts easily bounced off its body and failed to leave even a mark behind.

    However, Bronze Toad seemed to be angered by the assault. It opened its mouth and inhaled all the surrounding rubble and earth. New metal began growing over its wounds, and its severed tongue quickly regenerated to normal. The next moment, it iled its tongue across a wide area, caught a few Pacification Sentinels who failed to dodge in time, and swallowed them all.

    ¡°Die, humans!¡±

    Not done yet, the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia leaped into the air andnded on top of five Pacification Sentinels. They never stood a chance. They were ttened like pancakes, and the shockwave turned all houses within tens of meters from the point of impact into rubble.

    ¡°You fucker!¡±

    Suddenly, an angry roar erupted from the rubble. Then, the silhouette of a war general appeared in the sky. It was wielding a crescent de and overflowing with killing intent.

    ¡°KILL!¡± The general roared and swung his weapon. A bloody battlefield where two armies were battling each other to the death suddenly appeared behind him. The soldiers were shouting, the weapons were shing, the cavalry was rampaging, and blood was everywhere. It was as if the de energy had cut a literal wound in the sky and spilled its blood.

    Bronze Toad seemed to recognize the danger and turned around to escape, but the second it moved, a red line suddenly appeared from the top of its skull and stretched all the way to the bottom. A wobbleter, the massive Stranger split in half just like that.

    Rumble!

    It was only after Bronze Toad was dead that cracks suddenly appeared all across the ground. The de intent permeating the area was so potent it was stupefying.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ dead?!¡±

    The surviving Pacification Sentinels were deeply worried about the damage the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia would cause, and they were about to charge into the fray and sacrifice themselves for the good of all. Then, the Stranger died just like that.

    What the hell just happened?!

    Boom!

    It was at this moment a man wearing a bronze mask stepped out of the rubble. He was overflowing with such bloodthirst that everyone who saw him shivered in frozen terror.

    Then, the man took off the mask and revealed a handsome face. He was none other than Ye Qing.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    The Pacification Sentinels immediately saluted him.

    ¡°At ease!¡± Ye Qing answered, though his eyes were still bloodshot with fury. It was partially because of the bronze mask, and also because his mistake had cost many Pacification Sentinels¡¯ lives.

    He could not bring them back to life, but he could send them a few parting gifts. Shadow was the first, Bronze Toad was the second, and ck Pot¡­ would be the third!

    On the other side of the battlefield, ck Pot suddenly felt a chill behind its back and looked behind. It was just in time to meet Ye Qing¡¯s bloodshot eyes and see the split Bronze Toad behind him. Words could not describe the shock and disbelief it was feeling.

    What the hell happened?

    The answer came to him a momentter.

    I¡¯m so fucked.

 Chapter 155: Mysterious Silver Page

    Chapter 155: Mysterious Silver Page

    ¡°I¡¯m not ying with you any longer, deadman! Goodbye!¡± ck Pot cackled and withdrew its head and limbs back into the y pot. Then, it started digging into the underground.

    ¡°You can¡¯t run,¡± Xu Banren sneered and rushed forward. The moment he got close, the coffin behind his back suddenly creaked open, and a pair of arms covered in ck hair and dark blue fingernails caught ck Pot in a vice grip.

    ck Pot possessed monstrous strength despite its small size, but the strange arms proved to be even stronger. It was pulled into the coffin in just the blink of an eye.

    Bang! The coffin closed not a moment too soon as something smashed against its lid. This would continue for a time as corpse qi leaked through the seams, and ck Pot tried to smash its way out.

    Every time there was a bang, Xu Banren¡¯s face would turn just a little paler. Hisplexion didn¡¯t look like a human¡¯s to begin with, and now he was the picture of a dead corpse. At this rate, he was going to die for real.

    Xu Banren seemedpletely unperturbed with the fact that he was inching toward true death, however. He simply kept a hand on the coffin lid to prevent ck Pot from escaping.

    Eventually tBLack Pot¡¯s struggles grew weakened until it was no more.

    After the coffin had returned to calm, Xu Banren carried it on his back and slipped his hood back over his head once more. He was now the picture of a badass as well.

    ¡°I knew Xu Banren¡¯s coffin is a Strange Artifact. It¡¯s a pretty high level Strange Artifact too.¡±

    Ye Qing was going to assist Xu Banren, but the man surprised him by killing ck Pot with a coffin-no-jutsu. As a result, he failed tond thest hit and missed out on a silver rune.

    Besides that, the coffin gave him an incredibly dangerous feeling when it opened itself, and the arms reached out to grab ck Pot. It must be a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact at least.

    Xu Banren walked up to Ye Qing and saluted him, ¡°I have performed my duty, Lord Ye!¡±

    ¡°And you have done very well, Lieutenant Xu,¡± Ye Qing nodded before ordering, ¡°Please round up our dead and wounded and give them the treatment they deserve. I¡¯m going to patrol the area one more time just in case.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    After Xu Banren was gone, Ye Qing patrolled the area as he said he would but could not find any traces of other Strangers. This confirmed that the bloody shirt, the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia, Shadow and ck Pot were the only four Strangers entrenched in this residence. After confirming that the danger had passed, he knelt down in front of Bronze Toad and stared at its corpse with undisguised greed.

    The body of a Bronze Toad of Cornucopia was a trove of treasure. Its bronze flesh could be used to forge Strange Artifacts, and its venom sac could be made into medicine or, of course, poison. However, Ye Qing¡¯s real aim was a single coin embedded inside its mouth called the Bronze Coin of Cornucopia. Not only was the bronze coin the quintessence of the Stranger¡¯s being, it was extremely lucky. Literally, wearing the coin would bestow the wearer great luck and especially luck of fortune. It was a rare and special Strange Artifact in and of itself.

    Ye Qing nced left and right to make sure that no one was looking. Then, he plunged his hand into the corpse¡¯s mouth and dug out the Bronze Coin of Cornucopia.

    Ye Qing examined the coin for a moment. It looked no different from the other coins except that it was glowing brightly. The other coins were glowing as well, but their light faded as soon as the Bronze Coin of Cornucopia was dug out. In fact, the entire corpse just dimmed as if it lost its final spark of life.

    ¡°The quality is great, and the engravings are all in ce. It¡¯s an excellent Bronze Coin of Cornucopia!¡± Ye Qing chuckled and put it away in his Nature¡¯s Shell. While he was rising to his feet, he abruptly spread his legs and punched the right half of the corpse.

    The Burning Wind howled as his force crushed it into bits and engulfed it all in dark red mes. Then¡ª

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    Something golden shot out of the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia¡¯s body and escaped to the distance.

    ¡°Hmph! And here I thought you would be kind enough to go down peacefully.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked and blocked the strange light¡¯s way almost as if he knew it was there beforehand. Then, he spun his sleeves like the wind and trapped it in the middle.

    He seized the golden light with his left hand after hended on his feet. Inside the light was none other than the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia clutching a silver page between its arms and hopping all over the ce in hopes of breaking out of its confines. It was translucent like a ghost.

    ¡°Stop wasting your energy, Bronze Toad,¡± Ye Qing chuckled. The strange light he was holding was the remnant of the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia¡¯s soul. Clearly, it possessed the same ability as Old Grass and could keep a sliver of its soul alive even after its physical body was destroyed.

    Ye Qing had sensed a weak flicker of energy when he was digging out the Bronze Coin of Cornucopia earlier. That was how he knew that Bronze Toad was still alive. It was an unbelievable mistake considering that its life was on the line, but the bronze coin contained the quintessence of its being. Losing it had probably triggered some sort of involuntary reaction.

    Even so, the flicker of energy was so weak that most people would¡¯ve missed it. Even he would¡¯ve missed it if he wasn¡¯t standing so close to Bronze Toad, and his spirit was far stronger than most. And thank goodness he was a greedy, selfish man, or Bronze Toad could¡¯ve escaped with its quintessence and made aeback.

    All things considered, one could even say that Bronze Toad was destined to die today.

    That said, this was a good reminder to never underestimate a Stranger. Heavens only know what might have happened had Bronze Toad managed to escape.

    ¡°You have earned our eternal hatred, human.¡±

    Realizing that there was no escape, Bronze Toad abruptly stopped in its tracks and red daggers at Ye Qing. Sensing that something was amiss, Ye Qing unleashed the Netherme and attempted to burn its remnant soul into ash.

    It was at this moment Bronze Toad let out a painful, hate-filled scream and turned as red as blood. The next second, it swelled like a balloon and exploded into a million pieces.

    ¡°Did it self-destruct? No, there¡¯s something else¡­¡±

    The Bronze Toad of Cornucopia was as dead as it could be after destroying its own soul, but Ye Qing quickly noticed that something was amiss. Something ominous and vengeful was clinging to his body like a curse, but it wasn¡¯t doing any damage to him. He triple-checked himself to make sure of that. As far as he could tell, it was just a strange aura.

    ¡°What on earth is this thing?¡±

    Ye Qing tried to remove it as a matter of course¡ªthe aura itself might be harmless, but whatever the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia had meant for him could not be good¡ªbut neither the Burning Wind nor his talismans could dispel it.

    After trying every method he knew to no avail, Ye Qing finally gave up with a sigh, ¡°Screw it. It might disappear on its own eventually.¡±

    Next, he checked out the silver page Bronze Toad had been clutching during its final moments. It was cold to touch as if it was made from some sort of metal, and many strange, twisted symbols or letters were written on its surface. More importantly, it was resistant to his Netherme, which was supposedly capable of burning everything.

    Just staring at it for a moment made Ye Qing feel nauseous and dizzy. Pain and corruption were also assaulting his mind.

    He looked away immediately. Even with his mental fortitude, it took him a few deep breaths to return to normal. ¡°Bloody hell, what on earth is this thing?¡±

    One thing for certain, it was as valuable and extraordinary. Even ignoring the fact that it could resist the Netherme and bend his mind, Bronze Toad had not forgotten to take it with it even when it was on itsst legs. This alone was proof that it was worth keeping.

    ¡°In you go!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly stuffed the silver page into his Nature¡¯s Shell when he sensed someoneing his way. He would research it when he was safe and alone.

    Xu Banren strode over and reported, ¡°It¡¯s done, Lord Ye. We are ready to leave.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    With that, they finally left the residence for real.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Croak!¡±

    ¡°Croak¡­¡±

    An unknown amount of timeter, a pair of toads¡ªone gold and one silver¡ªleaped into Li Zhou¡¯s courtyard at the same time. They searched around the residence for a bit before the silver toad uttered angrily and impatiently, ¡°Bronze Toad is dead, sister!¡±

    ¡°Yes, he did. He died so thoroughly that not even his soul fragment managed to make it!¡± The golden toad answered as her abdomen inted and deted.

    If the silver toad¡¯s voice was clearly masculine, then the golden toad¡¯s voice obviously belonged to that of a woman. Not only that, it was such a voice that it could easily steal the soul of a weak-willed man.

    Considering that they had called Bronze Toad their brother, the two toads could only be the Silver Toad of Cornucopia and the Gold Toad of Cornucopia.

    The silver toad¡¯s voice turned shrill like screeching metal, ¡°Who¡¯s the fucker who killed our brother! I swear I will kill them all¡­ croak!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Silver,¡± the golden toad advised her younger brother and said, ¡°Judging from the remnants of the battlefield, it was probably the Pacification Bureau who did him in.¡±

    ¡°Bronze was a cautious toad. It was probably Blood Shirt, that dumbass, who drew the Pacification Bureau¡¯s attention and dragged Bronze and his cohort into the fight.¡±

    Silver Toad¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. ¡°I told him! I told him not to associate himself with a non-sentient idiot, but no, he insisted that ¡®the most dangerous ce is the safest ce¡¯. Now he¡¯s no longer with us, that idiot! Idiot! Shit! Shit!¡±

    Silver Toad asked after swearing for a bit, ¡°What do we do now, sister?¡±

    Gold Toad answered gently, ¡°We take revenge on Bronze¡¯s enemies, of course. More importantly, we must take back the silver page!¡±

    ¡°Revenge. Yes, we will take revenge for Bronze. I will rip the murderers from piece to piece and eat them alive! Ahhhh¡­ [1]¡±

    Silver Toad was hot-headed, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. ¡°There are a lot of people in the Pacification Bureau. How are we going to find the person who killed Bronze? We can¡¯t just kill everyone we meet, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for the silver page. How do we even find the person who took it?¡±

    Gold Toad fell silent for a moment before answering, ¡°Bronze is pretty strong, so his killer could only be a champion of the Pacification Bureau. That would narrow down our search considerably. Moreover, I sense a wisp of Dying Grudge in the area. Bronze must have cursed his killer before he died. So long as the aura exists, our enemy will not elude our grasp.¡±

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m fairly certain that the killer is the same person who took the silver page.¡±

    Silver Toad eximed in pleasant surprise, ¡°Oh right! As long as the Dying Grudge doesn¡¯t fade, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we identify Bronze¡¯s killer and reim the silver page!¡±

    ¡°When the timees, I¡¯m going to eat their flesh and drink their blood! Oh, I need to go get ready. See you in a bit, sister!¡±

    ¡°Please be careful, brother. If you find Bronze¡¯s killer, do not try to attack them on your own ande to me immediately. It would not do to alert them about our presence,¡± Gold Toad warned.

    Silver Toad chuckled darkly. ¡°Rx, sister. I¡¯m not Bronze. I won¡¯t make the same mistakes he did.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, see youter, sister!¡±

    After Silver Toad was gone, Gold Toad croaked to herself, ¡°No one can take my silver page from me. No one¡­¡±

    1. Just imagine one of the demons in Demon yer making disturbing moans. ?

 Chapter 156: A Strange Patient

    Chapter 156: A Strange Patient

    ¡°If the aura clinging to my body is Bronze Toad¡¯s dying curse, then why do I feel just fine, Qingyou?¡±

    Ye Qing was currently at Heavenly Heart Clinic. He was consulting Feng Qingyou on his recent experience. After leaving Cockcrow Alley andpiling everything that had happened today in a report, Ye Qing had gone out on a stroll and somehow found himself in front of Heavenly Heart Clinic. It totally wasn¡¯t because he was nning to visit Feng Qingyou, oh no. He just thought that the intelligent woman might know something about the weird aura that was persistently clinging to his body. Yes, his motives were entirely pure.

    To his surprise, Feng Qingyou actually recognized the aura. She set down the medical book she was reading and exined, ¡°I suppose that a curse isn¡¯t the best way to describe it. Sometimes, a Stranger would leave a mark on its killer. A kin of the Stranger would easily recognize this mark and know their killer.¡±

    ¡°I see! It¡¯s a mark of vengeance!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    ¡°You can say that,¡± confirmed Feng Qingyou with a smile.

    Ye Qing rxed knowing that the aura, however annoying, was ultimately harmless. However, he did not like being on his guard all the time either, so he asked, ¡°Do you know a way to eliminate this mark, Qingyou?¡±

    Unfortunately, Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, but the mark is the Stranger¡¯s innate magic. Generally speaking, it is very difficult to remove.¡±

    Seeing Ye Qing¡¯s disappointed expression, she chuckled. ¡°However, it¡¯s not something to worry about too much. A mark like this normally has a time limit. It canst as long as two months, or as short as three days. Just bear with it for the moment, and it will pass.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Ye Qing sighed.

    That was what he said, but he didn¡¯t n on being on the defensive. The Annon Sutra should be able to identify the location of Bronze Toad¡¯s kin. If they were outside themandery, then he supposed he could be a tortoise one time and hide until the mark had passed its course. But if they were inside themandery, he wouldn¡¯t mind bing a hero and reuniting Bronze Toad with its family. Families shouldn¡¯t be separated, right?

    Yeah, I¡¯ll ask the Annon Sutra when I get home tonight.

    ¡°So, Qingyou, do you¡ª¡± Ye Qing was going to check if Feng Qingyou was free and ask her out on a date or something, but a loud, panicked cry suddenly came from outside.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Uncle Feng?¡± Feng Qingyou called out.

    The door creaked open, and a decrepit old man with a crooked back stepped in. He answered, ¡°we have a patient, miss, and he looks to be in pretty serious condition.¡±

    Before Feng Qingyou could react, Ye Qing rose to his feet and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together. Who knows, maybe I can be of some help?¡±

    She did not turn down his offer. Feng Qingyou nodded at him smilingly and walked toward the door.

    As Ye Qing passed by the old man, he could not help but nce at him. Uncle Feng looked and felt like an ordinary old man, but Ye Qing knew that it was the opposite. For one, he hadn¡¯t sensed the guy right until the moment he knocked on the door. Two, the inner hall they were currently in was far away enough from the outer hall that he could only hear bits and pieces of themotion. And yet, Uncle Feng knew exactly what was going on and reported as such. That was all he needed to see to know that Uncle Feng was a lot more powerful than he was.

    As if sensing Ye Qing¡¯s gaze, Uncle Feng looked up and shot Ye Qing a yellow tooth smile. Ye Qing smiled back but didn¡¯t say anything.

    By the time Ye Qing and Qingyou arrived at the outer hall, the situation was just barely under control. Six young men were holding a rope each and doing everything they could to keep the man they were dragging restrained.

    The man didn¡¯t really resemble a man anymore. His limbs were scrawny, but his torso was swollen like a mountain of flesh. His skin was also oozing some sort of smelly, oily liquid from his pores that could only be described as disgusting. His head was misshapen, bald, and inted not unlike a water balloon that was filled to the brim. It looked like it might explode into a shower of gore at any moment. His eyes were ssy and lifeless like a dead person, his mouth was so huge that it almost stretched from ear to ear, and his teeth were yellowed and unnaturally tiny. Disgusting yellow saliva was also trickling down the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Hihihi¡­¡±

    The guy wasughing strangely from time to time, but he didn¡¯t seem to be conscious at all. He could not seem to feel the rope squeezing into his flesh either. However, his strength was absolutely monstrous. The slightest movement he made was enough to throw the six men restraining him off bnce. No one dared to let go of the rope no matter how exhausted they were though.

    Snap!

    It was at this moment the rope wrapped around the misshapen man suddenly snapped in half. Then, while leaking yellow saliva from his mouth, he suddenly rushed toward the nearest young man while chuckling,

    ¡°Eat¡­ eat¡­ eat¡­¡±

    The unfortunate young man reacted immediately and jumped out of the way, but the misshapen man was surprisingly fast despite his size. He easily caught up to the young man and grabbed him with his thin, seemingly frail hand.

    The young man looked strong, but he might as well be a babypared to the misshapen man. He was easily lifted into the air and toward the misshapen man¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Aaaahhh! Save me! Someone save me please!¡±

    The young man struggled with all his might but could not break free. The others immediately rushed forward to pull the young man to safety, but it was no use.

    Just when it looked like the misshapen man would take a bite out of the young man¡¯s head, a finger suddenly appeared over his wrist and stopped it dead in its tracks.

    ¡°Hgggh! Grrrrrr!¡±

    The misshapen man pulled with all his might, but it was like a boulder was sitting on his wrist. He grew more and more frustrated until suddenly, he roared and attempted to bite the owner of the finger.

    The finger shifted over to his shoulder, and the misshapen man immediately froze in ce not because he didn¡¯t want to move, but because he couldn¡¯t. The finger was pressing down on his shoulder so hard it was like he was carrying a mountain. Try as he might, all he could do was to roar helplessly in ce.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Ye Qing asked. He was the one keeping the misshapen man pinned, of course.

    His senses were telling him that the misshapen man wasn¡¯t a human anymore. He might have been a human in the past, but something happened to him and warped him into this disgusting monstrosity. Forget looking like a human, he didn¡¯t even feel like a human anymore. In exchange, he gained what looked like a Stranger¡¯s appetite and strength.

    ¡°We¡­ we¡¯re not sure,¡± a young man gulped. He shook his head strongly to jolt himself out of his fear and retorted, ¡°I mean, we wouldn¡¯t be here if we knew what was wrong with him!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Well, he¡¯s not wrong.

    ¡°Do you know what kind of illness ails Deng Qiang, doctor?¡± Another person asked urgently.

    ¡°Er, I¡¯m not the doctor,¡± Ye Qing replied and looked back at Feng Qingyou. The young woman didn¡¯t respond though. She circled around the misshapen man¡ªDeng Qiang¡ªtwice before grabbing his hand. She was going to check his pulse.

    ¡°Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing subconsciously raised his voice. Deng Qiang was covered from head to toe in horrible-smelling fluid, and it was so disgusting that even he used one finger and only one finger to pin him in ce. However, Qingyou was putting her whole hand on his wrist.

    Isn¡¯t she disgusted by this?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡±

    Feng Qingyou shot him a light smile to show that she truly wasn¡¯t bothered by the filth. Then, she returned her attention back to Deng Qiang. She carefully examined his eyelids, his tongue, and his pulse. Next, she pulled out a silver needle and lightly poked him in a few major points. Whatever it was she discovered, it made her frown like she was puzzling out aplex problem.

    It was only now the young men realized something and stared at Feng Qingyou. One of them eximed in disbelief, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re the doctor, Miss?¡±

    In their impression, a doctor should be a stern, old-fashioned middle-aged or old man with a long beard. But a girl? Could they really trust her?

    ¡°I am the owner of Heavenly Heart Clinic,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed beforeunching into a brief exnation, ¡°About the patient, Deng Qiang shows absolutely no signs that he is still alive. His pupils are dted and unresponsive, and he doesn¡¯t have a pulse or a heartbeat. Furthermore, the ¡®oil¡¯ leaking out of his body is really corpse wax.¡±

    ¡°Corpse wax?!¡±

    Everyone in the outer hall immediately covered their noses and backed away from Deng Qiang. Ye Qing immediately held his breath as well. Frankly, he wanted to get away from the misshapen man just like the others, but Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t left yet, so how could he?

    At least he was using his left hand and wearing the Blue Demon Hand. I¡¯m so sorry, buddy!

    Feng Qingyou shot Ye Qing a nce and felt like giggling for some reason, but she controlled herself and continued, ¡°Corpse wax takes form when a body has dposed so much that the fat is leaking. Therefore, Deng Qiang is dead.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead? B-But then¡­ how is he still moving?¡± Someone stuttered.

    Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure here. Logically speaking, Deng Qiang is already dead. However, something changed him and allowed him to keep some of his bodily functions.¡±

    ¡°Is it a Stranger?¡± Ye Qing asked instinctively.

    She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe so. I haven¡¯t found any traces that might suggest that he was infested by a Stranger. Also, judging from the rate of dposition of his muscles and internal organs, the change had been going on for some time. His behavior should have changed a while ago. When did you guys notice that he was acting strange?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯repletely right,ss¡ªI mean, doctor.¡±

    One man looked clearly impressed as he reminisced, ¡°Deng Qiang is an orphan, and he lives alone. He was a kind and hardworking man until over a month ago.¡±

    ¡°At first, Deng Qiang just looked under the weather. He can¡¯t seem to chain more than a few sentences together like his mind was addled, and there was a faint smell that¡­ oh. It was the smell of the corpse wax.¡±

    ¡°Over time, Deng Qiang came to enjoy the indoors more and more. He rarely even went out of his room, much less the house. His appearance grew increasingly bizarre, and he started acting strange like peeping at people through the gap between his door, eating raw meat,ughing like he was crazy and so on¡­¡±

    The man gulped. The more he thought about the past, the more afraid he became. ¡°Later, Deng Qiang¡¯s behavior became even more troubling. We started hearing strange crunching noises from his house. He started going out once more, but that was during the dead of the night where he would stick his face against our windows and stare at us. He even started biting our livestocks¡ªchickens, ducks, pigs, sheeps and more¡ªto death¡­¡±

    ¡°A few days ago, Deng Qiang got way worse and started attacking people. He would chase down anyone he saw a-and bite them just like what you saw earlier. A lot of people were hurt by Deng Qiang.¡±

    ¡°Left with no choice, we finally decided to restrain him and bring him here for treatment.¡±

    Feng Qingyou was silent for a moment before she asked, ¡°Is there any chance that any of you may recall whether Deng Qiang hade into contact with anything weird prior to his change?¡±

    The crowd tried to think of something, but a whileter they all shook their heads.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Feng Qingyou nodded, ¡°You may leave now.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What about Deng Qiang?¡± Someone asked weakly.

    She replied, ¡°He¡¯ll be staying in the clinic for the moment.¡±

    ¡°Okay! We¡¯re heading back to Longwind Street then!¡±

    ¡°We leave him in your hands, doctor!¡±

    The young men didn¡¯t even bother asking why she wanted to keep Deng Qiang in the clinic. They just bade their goodbyes and left as quickly as they could. It was because Feng Qingyou¡¯s statement had scared the shit out of them. Forget what Deng Qiang already did, what kind of crazy person would want to bring him back after everything they just heard? Of course they ran away and never looked back.

 Chapter 157: Black White Shrub, Fruit of Living and Death

    Chapter 157: ck White Shrub, Fruit of Living and Death

    ¡°Why do you want to keep him around, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked, puzzled. ¡°He¡¯s dead already, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Just dig a hole and put him to rest.

    Feng Qingyou answered calmly, ¡°To research him, of course. This is the first time I''ve met someone like Deng Qiang. I¡¯m pretty curious, to be honest.¡±

    ¡°R-Research?¡± Ye Qing shuddered a little. ¡°A-And how are you going to go about this research, exactly? Are you going to dissect him?¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°If it turned out to be necessary, then yes.¡±

    Ye Qing broke out in a cold sweat and shot Deng Qiang a nce. People who study the art of healing are scary!

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared?¡± Feng Qingyou teased him.

    Ye Qing let out a chuckle and pretended to be calm. ¡°Of course not. Why would I be scared?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± yfulness flickered across Feng Qingyou¡¯s features, but she did not expose Ye Qing. Instead, she turned to Uncle Feng and asked, ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit, Uncle Feng. Can you please take Deng Qiang away?¡±

    ¡°As you wish, Miss,¡± Uncle Feng answered and grabbed Deng Qiang. The misshapen man was monstrously strong and in his prime¡ªrtively speaking¡ªwhereas Uncle Feng looked like he had one foot in the grave. However, the old man easily picked him up and walked away as if he weighed nothing at all.

    Ye Qing shot the darkening skies a nce and asked, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, Qingyou. Where are you going?¡±

    She answered, ¡°I¡¯m leaving themandery to forage some herbs.¡±

    ¡°At this time? Isn¡¯t it dangerous? Can¡¯t you forage it in the morning or something?¡± Ye Qing asked worriedly.

    Feng Qingyou chuckled easily, ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine with you to protect me. Unless you were nning to leave a frail woman like me to collect the herbs I need on my own?¡±

    Frail woman? What kind of ¡°frail woman¡± can venture into the Firewind Valley alone or repel the Fog of Nightmare with a single qin?

    That said, Feng Qingyou was asking him to escort her. How could he possibly refuse a beautifuldy?

    And so Ye Qing pped his chest and dered confidently, ¡°Hehe, of course not. I will keep you safe, mydy. You have my word no harm wille to you while you¡¯re foraging!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you then,¡± Feng Qingyou smirked.

    It was such an impish smile that Ye Qing suddenly felt a chill down his back. He was starting to have a bad feeling about this.

    I suspect you¡¯re plotting something, but I have no proof!

    And so Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou left themandery and traveled to a forest called the ck White Forest. The reason it was given this name was because half of the forest was pure white like the clouds in the sky, and the other half was as ck as ink. It was the same for the animals and Strangers as well.

    The two halves of the forest possessed distinctively different atmospheres. The ck Forest was dark and eerie, whereas the White Forest looked holy and pure. To a human though, it made no difference. Both sides were equally dangerous.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the ck White Forest is incredibly dangerous? Why haven¡¯t we encountered a single Stranger so far?¡±

    It had been one and a half hours since they entered the forest. They had been following the dividing line that separated the ck Forest from the White Forest.

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°The ck and white Strangers in the forest arepletely hostile toward each other. If they meet, they would battle each other to the death. That is why most of them chose to stay away from the dividing line.¡±

    Ye Qing eximed in realization, ¡°I see! But what is this herb you¡¯re looking for, Qingyou?¡±

    She smiled mysteriously. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a bit.¡±

    Another half an incense stick of walkingter, Feng Qingyou stared at a big clearing and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here!¡±

    She walked to the center of the clearing and produced a small bottle from her Nature¡¯s Shell. She then uncorked it and poured some sort of medicinal liquid on the ground.

    Young, fleshy saplings began growing out of the ground where the liquid was poured. They were nts, but it might be better to describe them as works of art. They were ck-and-white [1]in color and shiny like they were carved out of gemstones. They were also giving off a clean, fragrant scent.

    ¡°What are¡ª¡± Ye Qing was just about to indulge in his curiosity when a series of rustling noises interrupted him.

    ¡°Shh! We need to hide!¡± Feng Qingyou immediately pulled Ye Qing into a hiding spot. They had just gottenfortable when a group of ants suddenly appeared from both sides of the forest. Naturally, the ants emerging from the ck Forest were ck in color, and the ones emerging from the White Forest were white.

    Both groups were charging straight toward the strange nts Feng Qingyou had cultivated, but when they saw each other they immediately changed course and shed against one another. As Feng Qingyou had mentioned earlier, the ck Strangers and white Strangers werepletely hostile toward one another. They would not stop until the other side was annihted.

    What happened next was a gruesome battle where blood and gore flew all over the ce. It wasn¡¯t long before their numbers had dwindled to just a handful.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t sure if he was seeing things, but the nts seemed taller, richer in scent, and more colorful after basking in the ants¡¯ flesh and blood.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know if it was the scent of the blood or the nt, but more and more Strangers started showing up at the intersection point. They saw ck and white mice, ck and white butterflies, ck and white mosquitoes; bats, tigers, leopards, pythons, fleshy warts, eyeballs and more.

    All sorts of Strangers lived in the forest, but they were all ck or white in color. Just like the ants, they went absolutely nuts as soon as they saw a Stranger of the opposite color. It was like their hatred took priority overmon sense or even their self-preservation instincts.

    Over time, more and more bodies began piling up in the forest, and the stench of blood became positively choking. The nts Feng Qingyou had cultivated also grew bigger and bigger until it became a lush shrub covered in verdant green fruits. Even Ye Qing could tell they looked delicious.

    ¡°Can you tell me your n now, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing swallowed to moist his dry throat and whispered. He was also rubbing his face to loosen the muscles that had been taut with shock for over an hour.

    He wasn¡¯t shocked anymore though. The war of ck and white had been going on for over an hour. Even the most sensitive person would¡¯ve been desensitized by now.

    Feng Qingyou whispered, ¡°The nts are called the ck White Shrub. They can only be found at the dividing line of the ck White Forest.¡±

    ¡°The growth condition of a ck White Shrub is extremely stringent. One, it will only grow if it was nurtured with the flesh and blood of both ck and white Strangers. Two, it will only bear fruit if it has absorbed a bnced amount of both types of flesh and blood.¡±

    ¡°The fruits it bears are called the ck White Fruits or the Fruit of Living and Death. The white fruit is called the Fruit of Living [2]. It is an outstanding restorative that can neutralize a hundred poisons, regenerate one¡¯s flesh, and restore one¡¯s energies. The ck fruit is called the Fruit of Death and the antithesis of the Fruit of Living. Unbelievably poisonous, it can corrode the body and pollute the mind. A single Fruit of Death contained enough toxin to kill a thousand people with ease. It is so deadly that it could threaten even a Spirit Purifier.¡±

    ¡°That sounds incredible!¡± Ye Qing eximed with widened eyes. The Fruit of Living was one thing, but the Fruit of Death sounded absolutely incredible. Any weapon that could threaten even a Spirit Purifier was a weapon to be reckoned with.

    ¡°What was that medicine you poured on the ground just now?¡± Ye Qing recalled. Earlier, Feng Qingyou mentioned that few Strangers would ever get close to the dividing line because it was practically a death sentence, so it would be incredibly difficult for the ck White Shrub to flourish in any capacity. As for bearing fruit, it should be outright impossible unless a miracle happened, or if someone made it happen like Feng Qingyou had. The liquid had to be the reason the Strangers rushed in one after another like they had gonepletely mad.

    ¡°It¡¯s a special concoction I made that most Strangers found to be irresistible. I used it to lure them over to a location where the ck White Shrub might grow. Since the ck and white Strangers must fight to the death, their flesh and blood would fuel the ck White Shrub¡¯s growth until it could emit a special scent of its own, one that would lure more Strangers unto itself. In my estimation, this virtuous cycle shouldst long enough for the ck White Shrub to bear fruit.¡±

    As Feng Qingyou said this, the verdant green fruits on the ck White Shrub slowly changed colors. The fruits on the white branches slowly turned ck, whereas the fruits on the ck branches slowly turned white. It was impossible to say why the branches bore fruits of the opposite color, but one thing for certain, it was an incredibly strange sight.

    Suddenly, Feng Qingyou cracked a small smirk. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Before the ck White Fruits reaches full maturity, its scent would be several times greater than before, meaning that even more Strangers would be gathering at this ce. Now is your time to shine, Joyless!¡±

    ¡°What? What does this have to do with me?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise while feeling a bad premonition. His gut was screaming that she was about to say something he wouldn¡¯t like, and he was right.

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s smirk widened. ¡°Did I mention that the fruits¡¯ strong scent will drive the Strangers insane and push them to consume that Fruits of Living and Death at all cost? Can you guess who¡¯s the hero I¡¯m relying on to protect the fruits?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Hero my ass! You don¡¯t need a hero, you need a meat shield! Can I go home?

    Although his first impulse was to escape, Ye Qing ultimately stepped out of their hiding spot and raced toward the ck White Shrub. He then leaped into the air and punched down on a group of Strangers. Everything within ten meters of the point of impact immediately went st. After hended on his feet, he swung his sleeves and knocked hordes of Strangers off bnce.

    Whoosh whoosh¡­

    Dozens of goshawks with white mes streaming behind their wings swooped down on Ye Qing. Under the ground, centipedes that were over ten meters long and with de-like feet dug out of the ground and skittered toward him as well.

    ¡°The White me Goshawk and the Hundred Feet Centipede¡­¡± Ye Qing smirked as he stomped his foot. As if on cue, the Burning Wind manifested into existence and burned the White me Goshawks and all other Strangers around him into ash. The Hundred Feet Centipedes still underneath the ground were crushed into fleshy juices as well.

    ¡°Now this is what I call a grind!¡±

    The Strangers weren¡¯t just numerous, therge majority of them were Red-ss and Malice-ss Strangers. At his level, they were practically free experience. Oh, how he missed the days where he grinded mobs and noobs until his hands were literally too sore to continue¡­

    ¡°Hang on, Joyless. The Fruits of Living and Death should mature any moment now.¡± A gentle smile flickered across Feng Qingyou¡¯s face as she watched Ye Qing going through the Strangers like the reaper.

    ¡°No problem! I can fight Strangers at this level until the end of time itself!¡± Ye Qing responded while unleashing a Netherme-empowered Boundless Lightning Palm. The electrified mes easily burned a dozen Strangers into dust. Right after that, he swiped his right hand and manifested countless Blood Shadows into existence. The invisible silhouettes easily cut through an entire swath of Strangers into half.

    He wasn¡¯t kidding. The ck and white Strangers could be endless, and he would never run out of true qi or stamina thanks to the dragon-serpent runes. In fact, given enough runes, he could one day be as strong as the sun itself, so this situation was more than weed. Let it rain, baby!

    1. Meaning that itt has both colors. Note that I use hyphen for this instance, while in other instances I didn¡¯t. ?

    2. I had to change this to avoid confusion with the Fruit of Life born by the Dead Man¡¯s Tree, but you¡¯ll notice that their effects are practically the same. ?

 Chapter 158: Black and White Spectres

    Chapter 158: ck and White Spectres

    ¡°Watch out, Joyless. Two powerful Strangers are headed your way.¡±

    Ye Qing was having the time of his life when Feng Qingyou suddenly warned him via sound transmission. He looked up just in time to see a pair of Strangers floating toward him. That¡¯s right, they were floating.

    They were a pair of ck and white Strangers. The white Stranger was as pale as paper, whereas the ck Stranger was as ck as ink. Not a trace of other colors could be spotted on their person. It was as if they were the embodiment of the color white and ck itself.

    Besides that, the two Strangers looked nearly identical in terms of shape, size, and appearance. He would¡¯ve believed it if someone told him that they were twins.

    The two Strangers possessed a humanoid appearance and wore a long robe. They were also carrying a pair of mourning staffs [1]. They were ck and white in color as well. Their lower torso was missing just like a ghost.

    When the two Strangers got closer, they waved their mourning staffs and summoned some sort of invisible force that crushed the Strangers blocking their way into pieces. Strangely, the Strangers didn¡¯t spill blood like it normally did. Instead, they scattered into ck or white powder in slow motion.

    The Strangers seemed unnaturally afraid of the ck and white pair, so much so that they actually overcame their madness and returned to whence they came. It wasn¡¯t long before Ye Qing and the ck and white Strangers were the only ones left at the scene.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± I can overlook a killsteal or two, but you drove away my mobs as well? I¡¯m gonna kill you!

    Ye Qing could tell that the ck and white Strangers were Hatred-ss Strangers. They seemed pretty powerful as well. However, no (former) gamer worth their salt would stand by and do nothing while someone stole their mobs!

    Plus, it didn¡¯t look like the two Strangers were going to overlook him anyway. They were floating right past the enticing ck White Fruits and floating straight toward him!

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your names are, so I¡¯m just gonna call you ckie and Whitie. You guys are lucky you got such cute nicknames.¡±

    Ye Qing attacked first and appeared in front of ckie. Swinging his arms like he would entrap the sun and moon between his sleeves, he pushed out the air within ten meters of him and reced it all with the Burning Wind.

    ckie opened his mouth as if he were screaming, but no sound came out of his throat. At the same time, thick ck qi gushed out of his mourning staff and swayed like a me.

    ckie swung his staff again, and to Ye Qing¡¯s shock, the ck qi somehow dyed the formless Burning Wind into ck. As soon as the Burning Wind had turnedpletely ck, it somehow lost all of its potency and crumbled into invisible dust.

    ¡°What a strange power!¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. This was the first time he encountered a Stranger that wasn¡¯t afraid of the Burning Wind.

    Suddenly, every hair on his person stood on end. Whitey was still a few meters away from him when he was fighting against ckie when suddenly, it appeared behind his back like teleportation. He then brought down his mourning staff¡ªwhich was burning hotly just like ckie¡¯s except with a white me¡ªon the back of his head. The Stranger would¡¯ve caught him off guard if he hadn¡¯t been monitoring his surroundings all this time with his powerful spirit.

    Ye Qing sidestepped out of harm¡¯s way and summoned a curved saber into his hand. Then, he took a swing at Whitey¡¯s neck from a peculiar angle.

    ¡°Soulchasing Saber: Chasing Souls¡±

    The lightning fast attack easily cut through Whitey¡¯s neck like a hot knife through butter. Half a secondter, the Stranger¡¯s head flew into the air.

    However, not only was Whitey still alive, he adjusted his aim and swung his mourning staff at Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder instead. Caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events, Ye Qing took a solid hit on his shoulder. He immediately felt a torrent of bizarre energy pouring into his body and attempting to convert his flesh and blood into white powder.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ye Qing grunted and channeled his astral qi. Like fire in a furnace, the Burning Wind melted the invasive energy into nothing in the blink of an eye.

    The battle was just beginning though. Having escaped Ye Qing¡¯s pursuit, ckie abruptly teleported next to him and swung his mourning staff at his head.

    Having learned his lesson from his exchange with Whitey, Ye Qing chose to sh des with ckie instead. He imagined that he was trying to cut a river in half andunched a devastating sweep.

    Bang!

    One loud bangter, ckie was sent flying through the air like a rag doll. The attack had scattered his ck qi and snapped his mourning staff in half. On the other hand, Ye Qing was perfectly unharmed. The only problem was that his curved saber was quickly corroded by the ck qi and dissolved into ck dust.

    A short distance away, the headless Whitey shook a little as white powder poured in from the White Forest and into his body. Just a few secondster, he regrew his head as if nothing had ever happened.

    ckie¡¯s mourning staff was restored the same way as well.

    ¡°Are you guys cockroaches?¡± Ye Qing lifted a curious eyebrow and kicked off the ground once more. When he reappeared, he was standing behind Whitey and swinging his arm like he would aiming to crush a stele into smithereens.

    Whitey failed to react in time and lost his head a second time. Not only that, Ye Qing grabbed him with his left hand and activated both the Boundless Lightning Palm and the Netherme. Completely locked in ce, Whitey ultimately burned into a pile of ash.

    The second Whitey disappeared, Ye Qing suddenly twisted around and threw a punch behind him. It was because ckie had teleported behind his back. His fist force and Burning Wind washed over the Stranger before he could react.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    ckie started disappearing¡ªor rather, vaporizing¡ªinch by inch as dark red mes forced its way out of his body. Eventually, he turned into ash as well.

    ¡°Phew¡­ There¡¯s no way they cane back to life after they¡¯ve turned into ash, right?¡± Ye Qing breathed out a long sigh of relief and, just in case, scattered the pile of ashes with another punch.

    ¡°Joyless, these two Strangers are called the ck and White Spectres. Born from the essence of the ck White Forest, they are something like the guardian spirits of the ck White Forest. That is why they cannot die so long as the ck White Forest remains standing.¡±

    Feng Qingyou deted his optimism like a balloon, ¡°So, no, it¡¯s not over yet. You¡¯re going to have to hang on a while longer.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ckie and Whitey have infinite lives? Are you shitting me right now?

    Ye Qing turned around and stared at Feng Qingyou with an aghast expression. Feng Qingyou favored him with a beaming smile and cheered him on, ¡°You can do it, Joyless!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes and tried to say something, but something drew his attention away. He saw ck and white powder pouring in from both sides of the forest and reforming the ck and White Spectres in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    They say that a man must be strong under any circumstances, but unkible Strangers are on a whole ¡®nother level! I just can¡¯t do it, my queen!

    ¡°Watch out, Joyless! Here theye again!¡± Feng Qingyou warned and jolted him back to reality. Sighing, he swung his sleeves and sent the ck and White Spectre flying like a batter. He was hoping to incapacitate the two Strangers or at least dy them a little, but they immediately got back on their feet and charged as if they couldn¡¯t even feel his attack, not to mention that they could teleport a short distance. Left with no choice, Ye Qing charged forward and engaged the ck and White Spectres in meleebat.

    While Ye Qing was keeping the ck and White Spectres busy, Feng Qingyou pulled out a jade box from her Nature¡¯s Shell and walked up to the ck White Shrub. Then, she began picking the ck White Fruits.

    Something strange happened then. Every time she picked a Fruit of Living or Fruit of Death, the color of the corresponding forest would fade just a little. On the ck Forest¡¯s side, It was like someone was adding clear water into a ss of ink and diminishing its purity. Pale spots were beginning to appear on the objects as well. On the White Forest¡¯s side, dirty spots were starting to appear on everything and tarnishing its previously wless white.

    ¡°Shaaah!¡±

    The ck and White Spectres weren¡¯t the guardian spirits of the ck White Forest for nothing. Sensing the oddity immediately, they let out an unholy roar and abruptly disengaged themselves from Ye Qing. Then, they charged straight toward Feng Qingyou.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to allow them to reach Feng Qingyou, of course. While the two Strangers were distracted, he opened his mouth and unleashed Lightning Bolt. The mini sword¡¯s deadly lightning easily annihted the ck and White Spectres into dust.

    By now, Ye Qing had noticed the ck White Forest¡¯s strange transformation. The more fruits Feng Qingyou picked from the ck White Shrub, the worse the changes became. It was like watching a painting slowly losing its color one fruit at a time.

    Whoosh whoosh¡­

    It was at this moment a cool breeze blew in from both sides of the forest, making howling noises and shaking the leaves. He could actually sense a hint of sorrow and¡­ hatred from the wind.

    ¡°What the heck? Do forests have emotions as well?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose in disbelief. Before he could process this information, a massive amount of ck and white powder suddenly floated out of the forest and toward their location. On one side, it looked like an avnche. On the other side, it looked like a tidal wave of ck snow straight out of a post-apocalyptic fiction.

    It can¡¯t be! Ye Qing suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Time to go, Joyless!¡±

    Feng Qingyou finally finished plucking all of the mature Fruits of Living and Death and beckoned Ye Qing. Then, she ran straight for the exit.

    Ye Qing did not hesitate to follow behind Feng Qingyou. The ck and white powder had converged into many ck and White Spectres, and even at a nce he could tell that there were at least hundreds of them. They looked exactly the same as the pair they had fought earlier, and they were all expressionless like a doll. What really scared Ye Qing wasn¡¯t just the fact that they wereing from every direction, but also because they were all Hatred-ss Strangers! In other words, they were currently being hunted by hundreds of Hatred-ss Strangers!

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that there were hundreds of ck and White Spectres, Qingyou!¡± Ye Qing gulped audibly as he ran next to Feng Qingyou.

    For whatever reason, the young woman seemedpletely unperturbed by the dire situation they were in. she exined in a perfectly collected tone, ¡°I told you that the ck and White Spectres are the guardian spirits of the ck White Forest, but I never said that there was only one pair.¡±

    ¡°While the ck White Forest is normally guarded by a single pair of ck and White Spectres, there are certain situations such as a forest fire,rge-scale logging, malicious sabotage and so on that will spur the forest into creating more ck and White Spectres to protect itself.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ and what on earth did you do to cause hundreds of ck and White Spectres to hunt us down?¡±

    While what Feng Qingyou said made sense, what was happening right now was on an even bigger scale than the situations she had described. There was absolutely something the young woman still hadn¡¯t told him about.

    This time, Feng Qingyou gave him the whole truth, ¡°The Fruit of Living and Death is born from the countless deaths of the creatures of the ck White Forest. Strictly speaking, it is the essence and source of the ck White Forest itself. What would you do if someone had stolen half of your essence of being? It¡¯s only natural that the forest would hate us.¡±

    What us? You¡¯re the one who took the fruits! I¡¯m just the pitiful worker who was kept in the dark until thest moment! Ye Qingined on the inside.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing tripped and nearly fell. This should be impossible considering his strength. He looked down and saw grass, vines and other nts wrapping around his ankles and attempting to root him in ce. The surrounding branches were stretching over to block their path as well. All of them were overflowing with malice.

    1. In Chinese culture, this is something used by the son or sons of the deceased in a funeral procession to show filial piety. ?

 Chapter 159: Zombie

    Chapter 159: Zombie

    ¡°Oh right, I forgot to tell you that all the flora and fauna in the forest are hostile now. Until we get out of the forest, they will do everything in their power to impede us, and we will be beset by terrible luck.¡±

    Feng Qingyou did not encounter any problems because she was half a step behind Ye Qing, and any obstacle they faced had been taken care of by Ye Qing. He was basically herndmine tripper!

    As soon as Feng Qingyou finished, a blob of unknown liquid fell from the sky and sttered right across Ye Qing¡¯s face. A rock he was stepping on had suddenly given way and nearly tripped him as well.

    ¡°Next time, please don¡¯t forget something so important, sister! I could¡¯ve used the warning before I got hit by bird shit!¡±

    That¡¯s right, the suspicious liquid that hit his face was bird shit. He just barely controlled the urge to vomit when the smell had entered his nostrils.

    Ye Qing burned the filth with his Burning Wind before looking at the horde of ck and White Spectres blocking their way. He immediately stomped the ground so hard that the earth jutted out of the ground, and everything in front of him was torn to shreds. At the same time, he rotated his waist backward, gathered all of his force at one point of his fist, and punched. The Burning Wind surged across the sky like it would consume it all.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    All ck and White Spectres within tens of meters of them were engulfed by Burning Wind. Dark red mes gushed out of their bodies and melted them into goo, and an entire swathe of Strangers were cleared out just like that.

    This was the first time Ye Qing executed the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± in full force. It was so powerful that not even the ck and White Spectres could withstand a single hit.

    But they didn¡¯t need to. The powders poured in and threatened to undo his efforts once more.

    ¡°Motherfucker! This is utter horseshit!¡± Ye Qing swore out loud this time. You think you¡¯re good just because you have infinite revives? Why yes you are! Someone get me out of here!

    ¡°Whatever it is you¡¯re doing, Qingyou, hurry up. I won¡¯t be able to stop them much longer.¡±

    Feng Qingyou remained as calm as ever. She waved her hand, and a yellow talisman suddenly appeared in the sky. It shone like the sun and manifested the word ¡°Suppress¡± out of nowhere. Suddenly, everything around them froze as if their time was stopped. Then, Feng Qingyou uttered quietly and solemnly, ¡°Go back.¡±

    Her words were simple, but it might as well be an imperial decree. Not only did the nts recede back to the forest, some of them even parted like the Red Sea and revealed a clear, narrow path straight toward the exit. The overflowing malice of the forest had also disappeared like it never was.

    ¡°You can do that?¡± Ye Qing stared at the path and the frozen ck and White Spectres in shock. Why didn¡¯t you use it as soon as you¡¯re finished plucking the fruits then? Do you enjoy watching me suffer or something?

    As if noticing Ye Qing¡¯s indignant stare, Feng Qingyou said innocently, ¡°You looked like you were having fun, so I didn¡¯t want to bother you.¡±

    Oh, so it¡¯s my fault now??

    Ye Qing blinked. He felt like he had been toyed with by Feng Qingyou all night long. Not only did she work him like a horse, she even made him put on a circus show for her without noticing¡­

    Just how smart is she? I am the man who saved Anyang, repelled the Nether Lord, and even screwed over Wang Luori, dammit! Does she think she can toy with me as she pleases?

    ¡°Don¡¯t nk out, Joyless. The suppression talisman has a time limit, so we have to get out of the forest before it¡¯s toote!¡± Feng Qingyou urged with a giggle, ¡°¡­unless you were nning to ept the ck and White Spectres¡¯ hospitality after all?¡±

    ¡°Hospitality my butt!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes and followed Feng Qingyou down the open path.

    Oh, screw it. If she wants to toy with me, then so be it. A good guy¡¯s gotta make some sacrifices here and there.

    Without the nts to block their path, the duo was able to leave the ck White Forest with ease. Not a moment too soon, the golden light disappeared behind them. It was almost as if someone had calcted how much time it would take for them to leave the forest and used the talisman at that exact time.

    The ck White Forest regained its vitality after the golden light had disappeared. The grass swayed, the trees moved side by side, and the edges of the forest were positively crawling with ck and White Spectres. Unlike before, their expressions were cold, dark, and bloodthirsty. They red at Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou like they would eat them alive if they could.

    Ye Qing was a little worried, but not Feng Qingyou. She shot the ck and White Spectres an uncaring nce before assuring him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t be able to leave the forest.¡±

    Ye Qing also looked away from the Strangers and asked, ¡°Qingyou, why on earth did you go through all this trouble to collect the ck White Fruits?¡±

    Despite everything Feng Qingyou had told him about the fruits, he did not think that the reward was worth the risk at all. She even had to use a valuable talisman to ensure their escape.

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll find out tomorrow. Come, it¡¯s time to head home!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ye Qing scratched his head puzzledly. ¡°If I¡¯m going to learn about it tomorrow, then why not just tell me about it now? There¡¯s no¡ªwhere are you going, Qingyou? Come on, don¡¯t be like that! Just tell me already!¡±

    Dammit, I hate it when people keep me in suspense! I¡¯m the one who¡¯s supposed to do it to others, not the other way around!

    The duo had just returned to themandery when Ye Qing¡¯s inspection badge suddenly lit up and disyed a short line of text, ¡°Longwind Street. All personnel are toe here immediately.¡±

    The inspection badge was a special Strange Artifact all Pacification Sentinels working for the Inspection Department possessed. In a case of emergency, it could be activated to summon all Pacification Sentinels to the scene.

    Generally speaking, the inspection badge wasn¡¯t used unless there was an emergency. This could only mean that something really bad had happened.

    ¡°Something came up, Qingyou. I gotta go,¡± Ye Qing said in a hurry.

    ¡°No worries. I¡¯ll see youter. Be careful!¡± She nodded and said.

    ¡°I will,¡± Ye Qing smiled and left just like that.

    Ye Qing arrived very quickly since Longwind Street wasn¡¯t far away from the gates. As soon as he rounded a corner, he saw a ton of Pacification Sentinels standing at the entrance like it was the headquarters.

    ¡°What happened, Zhou Xi?¡± Ye Qing asked when he strode over and saw his subordinate.

    ¡°My lord!¡± Zhou Xi saluted him before reporting, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the reason, my lord, but over thirty civilians living at Longwind Street suddenly went insane and bit anyone they saw. Furthermore, anyone they attacked would quickly lose their minds and turn aggressive as well.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the current situation?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply.

    ¡°Lieutenant Xu has already locked down the ce. He is currently leading the men and capturing the insane civilians.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Stay here and make sure that no one goes in or out of this ce. This is doubly true for civilians living in Longwind Street. Only let them through after a thorough inspection. We don¡¯t need this to spread and cause a greater panic.¡±

    If the disease could spread, then it was imperative that they maintained a strict lockdown. Heavens only know what would happen if an infected were to escape.

    Zhou Xi answered affirmatively, ¡°Do not worry, my lord. We understand the dangers.¡±

    Ye Qing entered Longwind Street as soon as he was done giving instructions. He had just passed through a small alley when he glimpsed three fat, rotten men from their bodies howling and pouncing toward a group of civilians. They were covered from head to toe in yellow liquid, and they stank so bad he could smell them all the way from where he was.

    ¡°Are those zombies?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock. The rotten men looked just like the zombies in the movies. Assuming he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this mess just became a whole lot moreplicated to deal with.

    Shocked he might be, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t slow to the rescue. He dashed in front of the zombies¡ªwell, they might have a different name in this world, but until he learned about it he was just going to call them zombies¡ªand sent them flying with his sleeve.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    However, the three zombies quickly struggled back to their feet and pounced toward Ye Qing once more. This surprised him because he had put enough force into the attack topletely shatter the strength of a Qi Invoker and immobilize them temporarily, much less the rotting corpse of an ordinary civilian.

    Judging from their movement and the feedback he got when he hit them, it would seem that these zombies were at least as strong and fast as ate-stage Qi Invoker. Not only that, they were immune to pain as well.

    This time, he used three Blood Shadows to bind the three zombies to a nearby hitching post like a rope. Although a Blood Shadow was really just a product of blood and true qi, it was tough enough that the three zombies could not break free no matter how they struggled.

    The reason Ye Qing didn¡¯t just kill them outright was because he wasn¡¯t sure if they could still be saved. If possible, he did not want to make a choice he would regret down the line.

    After he took care of the three zombies, Ye Qing turned to the group of panicked civilians and asked, ¡°Did anyone get hurt by those zombies?¡±

    The eight civilians shook their heads immediately, but Ye Qing still inspected them carefully until he was certain they were telling the truth. He then said, ¡°Head to the exit. You will find a troop of Pacification Sentinels guarding the ce. Just follow their instructions, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°W-We will do that, my lord! Thank you!¡± The group left in a hurry after thanking Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried that they would run off like headless chickens. The Pacification Bureau was quite influential among the people of Chu, and they possessed the power to kill first and ask questionster. Even if these people were, for whatever reason, suicidal, he didn¡¯t think they would dare to pay a member of the Pacification Bureau lip service.

    Ye Qing continued down Longwind Street after sending the civilians away. On the way, he encountered many three-man squads who were capturing the zombies and escorting the civilians to safety.

    Although the zombies were as strong as ate-stage Qi Invoker, theirck of intelligence was extremely easy to exploit. Every Pacification Sentinel was a battle-hardened warrior, so they could handle most situations by themselves.

    On the rare asion they encountered a group of zombies that was too big for them to handle, Ye Qing and Xu Banren would step up and take them out. All in all, it only took them a short while to capture every zombie in Longwind Street.

    Back at the entrance, Xu Banren reported, ¡°We¡¯ve gathered them all in one ce, Lord Ye.¡±

    Ye Qing stared at the fifty or so transformed civilians with a deep frown, ¡°Didn¡¯t Zhou Xi say that there are only thirty or so zombies? Why do I count over fifty?¡±

    ¡°Zombies? That¡¯s a fitting name,¡± Xu Banrenmented before answering, ¡°That¡¯s because twenty or so people were wounded and changed before we subdued them all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that quick?¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock. While staring at the mindless, growling zombies with a heavy heart, he asked, ¡°Did you find any clues or traces that a Stranger might be behind this?¡±

    Xu Banren shook his head. ¡°Not yet. It¡¯s still too early to say though.¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by his reply. He had checked the zombies he caught with his spirit earlier, and he too found no traces or energies that might suggest that a Stranger was behind this. Moreover, he failed to find any clues that might pinpoint as to what had happened to these people.

    ¡°So, we have no idea what caused these people to change,¡± Ye Qing sighed. The headache was already settling in.

    Xu Banren, the insensitive man, replied honestly, ¡°That seems to be the case, Lord Ye.¡±

    Ye Qing ordered, ¡°Maintain the lockdown. No one is allowed to enter or leave this ce without a thorough inspection. Also, separate those who are wounded by the zombies and the zombies. I want our doctors to take a look at them and see if they can be saved. If not, then you have my permission to kill them on the spot and burn the bodies. Thest thing we need is for this¡­ disease¡­ to spread to the rest of Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°As for the rest of the civilians, they will be relocated to a safe area. They are to remain under strict surveince until we¡¯re sure they won¡¯t change into a zombie.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, I want them to be questioned closely. Hopefully, one of them will be able to provide us with a lead.¡±

    ¡°And of course, remind our brothers to be doubly careful when handling the infected. If they caught even a small scratch¡­¡±

 Chapter 160: Who Gave You Permission To Leave

    Chapter 160: Who Gave You Permission To Leave

    Ye Qing was still giving instructions when his inspection badge glowed yet again. At the same time, a messenger sparrowhawknded on top of Xu Banren¡¯s shoulder.

    Xu Banren shot the inspection badge a nce and grabbed the paper slip tied to the sparrowhawk¡¯s feet. Shuddering a little after reading its contents, he said seriously, ¡°Lord Ye, I just received a report stating that zombies have been attacking civilians in the Nanping Boat and Fish Dragon Market.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. He immediately ordered, ¡°Lieutenant Xu, split up the Pacification Sentinels into three groups. One group will stay here and guard the ce, another will follow you to the Nanping Boat, and thest group will follow me to the Fish Dragon Market.¡±

    ¡°There is no time to waste, so let¡¯s go! And whatever you do, do not allow even a single zombie to escape!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    Xu Banren understood the severity of the situation and so did not hesitate to carry out his orders. As for Ye Qing, he raced toward Fish Dragon Market without even waiting for his Pacification Sentinels to assemble. Every second was precious considering the circumstances.

    Fish Dragon Market was a popr fish market in Luo Shui. It was incredibly busy and enjoyed a huge amount of traffic every day. Tonight, its poprity would turn out to be a curse. As soon as he got close, he could hear people screaming and running everywhere in panic.

    He arrived at the entrance just in time to see five or six zombies attacking everyone around them like crazy. There were also a dozen or so wounded on the ground, all covered in blood. It was impossible to say if they were hurt by the zombies or the ongoing stampede.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Ye Qing made a grabbing motion and summoned six Blood Shadows at once. They easily caught the rampaging zombies and dropped them in the blink of an eye. Then, he plunged his hand into the ground, took a deep breath, and pulled.

    There was a loud rumble as the stretch of floor undted like it was soft noodles. It quickly rose to the height as the surrounding buildings.

    The people panicked even more as a matter of course, but Ye Qing yelled before they could sabotage themselves even more, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, everyone! I am a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    His voice wasn¡¯t particrly loud, but it was imbued with his spirit. Warm, gentle feelings blew into everyone¡¯s heart and soothed their panic.

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an officer of the Pacification Bureau?!¡±

    ¡°Thank the heavens¡­ we¡¯re saved!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to live! Hahaha!¡±

    The civilians were beyond happy to hear this, but his next words plunged them right back into the abyss. ¡°No one is allowed to leave the ce until the situation is under control. Those who try will be killed without question.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we leave? Those¡­ things could attack us at any moment! Why can¡¯t we leave!?¡±

    ¡°My lord, please!¡±

    The crowd protested vehemently as a matter of course. Panic was starting to spread among the crowd once more.

    ¡°Calm down, people. The Pacification Sentinels will arrive soon to protect you all. So long as you remain here, I give you my word that no harm wille to you,¡± said Ye Qing while spreading out his force to prevent them from panicking.

    It was at this moment a thin, middle-aged man stepped out of the crowd. He was dressed like a schr and overflowing with some sort of righteous aura. He dered pompously, ¡°I am Li Yuechun, a bookkeeper in themandery hall and an important official of Chu. It would be a great loss to the realm if any harm were to befall me. I demand that you let me go this instant.¡±

    Not only that, he waved another five men out of the crowd and dered, ¡°These five are schrs who have journeyed to Luo Shui to attend the imperial examination. They are the future of our realm, and I will bring them with me.¡±

    ¡°W¡ªWait! I am Chen Dun, the heir of the Skyriver Restaurant! If they can leave, I should be allowed to leave as well!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Qian Yidui [1]! I¡¯m the young owner of the Kaiyuan Bank! Let me go!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Li Yuechun¡¯s action immediately caused countless others to have the same idea. The civilians Ye Qing had tried repeatedly to calm down started panicking again.

    While this was going on, Li Yuechun and the five schrs got ready to leave. As he was an early-stage Vessel Augmentor, he had no problems protecting five people all by himself.

    Chen Guo and Qian Yidui had an entourage of bodyguards as well. They leaped into the air to cross over the lifted street.

    ¡°This is going to be fun. These dissenters are all pretty influential in Luo Shui. If he forbade them from leaving, this new Patrolman¡¯s career would probably suffer greatly. But if he did allow them to leave, it would sow discontent and anger among the people. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard ce!¡±

    At a restaurant next to Fish Dragon Market, a handsome but sloppy-looking man wasmenting on the situation uncaringly. Sitting opposite him was another young man with a bearing of elegance and refinement. He had smooth, white skin, starry eyes and straight eyebrows. He was also dressed like a doctor.

    Seemingly dissatisfied with his friend¡¯s schadenfreude, the doctor replied slowly, ¡°If you have the time to gloat, you have the time to save some civilians and capture those who went mad.¡±

    Speaking of mad people, the doctor was looking at a floor of zombies. They weren¡¯t tied, but not a single one of them could move or even make a sound for some reason. They could only open and close their mouths soundlessly like fishes.

    ¡°Plus, Lord Patrolman¡¯s decision is the right one. Everyone who was injured by the crazed people lost their minds in just a short time, meaning that the disease is highly infectious. If a single person were to make it out, it would cause a greater panic and an endless amount of trouble.¡±

    The doctor carefully pulled out a needle from a zombie¡¯s forehead and examined it closely. After the silver needle was removed, the zombie immediately regained its mobility and tried to jump the doctor.

    The doctor did not react, however. He continued to examine the filthy silver needle as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Stop shouting! You¡¯re so noisy!¡±

    Right before the zombie would reach the doctor, Fang Xuang waved impatiently and condensed a gust of wind into a chain of air. It bound the zombie and dropped it to its feet once more.

    Fang Xuang then asked the doctor, ¡°Have you found anything yet, An Runyu?¡±

    An Runyu shook his head and answered, ¡°Not yet. They show no signs of parasitism, nor can I find any traces that might suggest that a Stranger is behind this. It is unclear what is causing them to change.¡±

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to do this, An Runyu. I¡¯m sure that the Pacification Bureau can handle this,¡± Fang Xuang shrugged and shook his goblet of winezily.

    An Runyu simply said, ¡°It is a doctor¡¯s natural responsibility to treat people and save lives.¡±

    Fang Xuang crossed his legs and sighed, ¡°Whatever. You do what you want. I¡¯m going to continue enjoying the show.¡±

    Back in Fish Dragon Market, a hint of anger flickered across Ye Qing¡¯s features. His sleeves billowed as he mustered a river of force.

    In the sky, Li Yuechun, Chen Dun, Qian Yidui and their men nched when they saw this. Before they could react, an unstoppable force knocked them out of the sky and back to the ground.

    ¡°Who gave you permission to leave?¡± Ye Qing red at the disobedient group icily.

    ¡°You¡ªpwack!¡± Li Yuechun tried to speak, but he felt his blood boil as soon as he opened his mouth. He immediately threw up a glob of blood.

    Li Yuechun wasn¡¯t the only one. Everyone who ever practiced martial arts in their lives felt their auras and their vigor going haywire. The schrs were the ones who were actually safe and sound. They looked pale, but that was only because Ye Qing had scared them.

    ¡°You¡­ How dare you attack a court official!¡± Li Yuechun used angrily after he finally mustered the energy to push down the pain.

    ¡°Excuse me? I must be hearing things. Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to kick your cowardly asses?¡± Ye Qing sneered and stared at Li Yuechun until his scalp was numb.

    ¡°Who are you? How dare you block our passage!¡± Another guy with thick brows andrge eyes yelled as well. He was one of Chen Dun¡¯s bodyguards and ate-stage Vessel Augmentor.

    ¡°You think this is daring?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a diabolical smile. ¡°Watch closely, brother. I¡¯m going to show you something even more daring in a moment.¡±

    I was going to kick that sonuvabitch¡¯s ass for ruining my efforts, but since you so kindly volunteered to be my guinea pig¡­

    The thick-browed man felt a sudden chill down his back. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    The thick-browed man was going to back down¡ªit was better to be a coward than to be dead¡ªwhen Ye Qing shot forward and stomped him right in the stomach. He immediately sank into the ground and threw up copious amounts of blood like it was free.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing went over to Li Yuechun and kicked him in the ribs. Caughtpletely off guard, the early-stage Vessel Augmentor was sent flying into a nearby shop.

    ¡°Heavens¡­ he¡¯s brutal!¡± Chen Dun, Qian Yidui and everyone else took a step away from Ye Qing in unison. They were all looking pale and shivering in fright.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a man of action! Not bad, not bad at all!¡± Fang Xuang looked pleasantly surprised by this turn of events as he took a sip from his wine gourd. ¡°I wonder what else he might show us?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±

    Inside the shop, Li Yuechun was lying helplessly on the ground and staring at Ye Qing like he was the devil incarnate. He could only point a finger at Ye Qing and repeat the same words over and over again like a robot.

    Still stepping on the thick-browed man, Ye Qing side-eyed Li Yuechun and said, ¡°Now this is what I call daring. By the way, did I mention that there is nothing more I loathe than being threatened? One more word from your filthy mouths, and I promise you¡¯ll never have to say a word again. Just try me.¡±

    Both the thick-browed man and Li Yuechun immediately fell silent. This wasn¡¯t cowardice, this was adapting to the circumstances.

    The crowd had fallen silent as well. What did they see? They saw an official beating up another official like a rag doll. Just how arrogant could the young man be?

    ¡°Hmph. It is decreed by Chu that no one is to obstruct the Pacification Bureau when they¡¯re carrying out their businesses. Anyone who breaks thisw will be severely punished.¡±

    ¡°Even the Pacification Sentinels are granted the authority to kill first and ask questionster, so whatever makes you think that I, a Patrolman, cannot do the same?¡±

    ¡°I could kill these two disobedient bastards right now, and they would have deserved it.¡±

    ¡°This will be my first andst warning. Disobey me again, and I will do what is necessary.¡±

    Ye Qing took one step forward and crushed the limestone bricks beneath his foot like butter.

    The crowd immediately staggered back and turned even paler than before. They looked into Ye Qing¡¯s eyes and, yep, there was no negotiating with the young man. It was his way or the highway.

    Satisfied with this oue, Ye Qing looked at Chen Dun and Qian Yidui next and ordered, ¡°Chen Dun, Qian Yidui, you are assigned to guard duty. You will make sure that everyone stays exactly where they should be. I will hold you two responsible if a single person disappears for one reason or another.¡±

    Chen Dun: ¡°...¡±

    Qian Yidui: ¡°...¡±

    We¡¯re just a bunch of small fries. How did such a heavy responsibility fall to ourps?

    1. This guy¡¯s name is literally ¡°A Pile of Cash¡±. Truly, his parents are naming geniuses. ?

 Chapter 161: This Show Isnâ€™t Free

    Chapter 161: This Show Isn¡¯t Free

    ¡°Do you hear me?¡± Ye Qing raised his voice when it looked like the two men were nking out.

    ¡°Y-Yes, my lord!¡± Chen Dun and Qian Yidui replied in a hurry. They might have a millionints about this arrangement, but they didn¡¯t dare to voice any of it.

    ¡°If someone ignores or disobeys you, you have my permission to beat the living shit out of them,¡± Ye Qing instructed before turning toward a restaurant and yelling, ¡°Show¡¯s over, my friend! It¡¯s time you assist me with taking care of the zombies. You didn¡¯t think that the show was free, did you? Don¡¯t be so shameless and learn from your friend!¡±

    It was none other than the restaurant where Xuang was watching themotion from.

    Xuang: ¡°...¡± Isn''t it a little too much to call me shameless?

    By the time he thought to make a retort though, Ye Qing was already gone.

    Suddenly, Xuang turned to Runyu and asked, ¡°Wait a second. Why did he rebuke me but not you?¡±

    His doctor friend didn¡¯t even bother lifting his head. ¡°Because I¡¯m actually busy, and you¡¯re justzing around and doing nothing!¡±

    Xuang: ¡°...¡± Shit, I can¡¯t say anything against that!

    It was at this moment another realization struck Xuang. ¡°Wait just another second. How did he know what is happening inside this restaurant when we¡¯re so far away?¡±

    The young Patrolman could¡¯ve gotten a glimpse of him through the window since he wasn¡¯t hiding himself, but Runyu had been crouching on his feet and examining the zombies this whole time. He shouldn¡¯t have known that Runyu was inside the building, much less grasp their activity like he was right there with him! Either he had a Stranger¡¯s ear, or his spirit was far from ordinary!

    ¡°This Patrolman Ye is more interesting than I thought!¡± Xuang chuckled to himself before heading downstairs to tackle the zombies as Ye Qing had ordered.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Ahhhh! Save me!¡±

    ¡°Monster! It¡¯s a monster!¡±

    ¡°Uwaaah! Niu Niu is scared, mama! Niu Niu is scared¡­¡±

    ¡°Eat¡­ eat¡­ eat¡­¡±

    Ye Qing had just finished dealing with an alleyway of zombies when suddenly, he heard a cacophony of panicked cries. Something bizarre yet strangely familiar was mixed within the cries as well.

    Bang bang!

    What followed next was a series of loud bangs and a rumble. It sounded like something big had crashed through several buildings.

    ¡°A zombie¡­ no. None of the zombies I¡¯ve encountered so far possess this much power!¡± Themotion was pretty far away, so Ye Qing could only see the dust clouds but not feel it with his spirit. ¡°Did it mutate into a new species or something?¡±

    Eyes sparkling with curiosity, Ye Qing kicked off the ground and dashed toward the scene.

    It didn¡¯t take much effort to identify the culprit behind themotion. It was a mountain of a zombie covered in oily fluid, stench and rot. It was damaging the surrounding houses like crazy in search for the civilians who were sheltering inside the buildings.

    The giant zombie was incredibly powerful. Its punches were at least as strong as a Vessel Augmentor¡¯s, so of course the buildings stood no chance whatsoever. While it was smashing in the wooden boards and brick walls, the zombieughed strangely from time to time and muttered, ¡°Eat¡­ eat¡­ eat¡­¡±

    From time to time, the giant zombie would grab a smaller zombie who was trying to snatch its food and shove it between its yellowed teeth. As it chewed, disgusting-smelling blood and bits of rotten flesh poured out of its mouth. It was incredibly gorey and cruel to say the least.

    ¡°Eat¡­ eat¡­¡±

    After the giant zombie was done eating, it wore its signature smile and renewed its assault against a half-copsed building once more.

    Boom!

    The next punch turned out to be thest straw, and the house finally copsed into rubble. Panicked cries filled the air as a dozen or so civilians rushed out into the open.

    Unfortunately, a young girl about five or six years old tripped as she tried to run through the debris. The giant zombie immediately grabbed her and lifted her toward its mouth.

    ¡°Mama! Mama! Save Niu Niu! Save Niu Niu!¡±

    The little girl screamed and struggled with all her might, but she was as powerless as an ant before the giant zombie.

    ¡°Niu Niu! Niu Niu! Someone, please save Niu Niu! I beg you, please save my Niu Niu! Please!¡±

    A woman in the crowd spun around and screamed herself hoarse trying to convince someone to help her. No one lent her a hand, however. She even tried to block their way and pull at their clothes, but they just shoved her out of the way and kept running.

    In the end, the woman gritted her teeth and raced toward the giant zombie with fatalistic determination. And it would be fatal. The woman was just an ordinary person who couldn¡¯t even pin down a single person to save her daughter, much less the giant zombie. Both her and her daughter would surely die a gruesome death.

    It was still a better ending than the alternative.

    Unfortunately, she was toote. Before she could even run up to the giant zombie, the little girl was mere inches away from its mouth.

    ¡°NIU NIU!¡± The woman screamed and copsed to her feet in despair. She could only watch as her daughter was being shoved into the zombie¡¯s mouth.

    A second before the little girl would perish between the giant zombie¡¯s jaws, it suddenly froze as if it had turned into a statue.

    Then, the little girl slowly floated out of the giant zombie¡¯s hands and into a young man¡¯s embrace.

    He was Ye Qing, of course.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid anymore, kid. I¡¯ll keep you safe,¡± said Ye Qing while shooting her a reassuring smile.

    Surprisingly, the little girl lost her fear almost as soon as Ye Qing held her. She asked innocently, ¡°Are you here to protect Niu Niu, big brother?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded smilingly. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m here to protect all of you. I¡¯ll defeat all the monsters and return everything back to normal.¡±

    The little girl¡¯s eyes lit bright and clear like a pair of stars. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, big brother! When Niu Niu is older, I¡¯ll be strong like big brother and defeat the evil monsters as well! I¡¯ll protect mama, papa and everyone!¡±

    Ye Qing nodded seriously. ¡°You better grow up quick then, Niu Niu.¡±

    ¡°I will! Niu Niu will be as big as big brother very soon!¡± The little girl waved around her cute little arms just as seriously.

    ¡°Niu Niu!¡± It was at this moment the woman finally recovered from her roller coaster of emotions and cried out in pure joy.

    ¡°Mama!¡± After Ye Qing had put her down, the little girl immediately raced over to her mother and hugged her like a tree.

    ¡°Niu Niu¡­ Niu Niu¡­¡± The woman couldn¡¯t stop sobbing for a time. When she finally managed to rein in her emotions, she looked at Ye Qing and thanked him from the bottom of her heart, ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much for saving Niu Niu¡­¡±

    The woman even tried to kowtow to him. Perhaps she thought that it was the only way she might express her gratitude.

    ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡± Ye Qing stopped her with a wave of his hand and said gently, ¡°You should head to the entrance. The Pacification Sentinels will protect you.¡±

    That made the woman realize that she and her daughter were still in danger. Shooting to her feet, she said, ¡°Got it! Thank you again!¡± carried Niu Niu over her shoulder, and ran off as quickly as she could.

    ¡°Bye bye, big brother!¡± Niu Niu cried while waving Ye Qing goodbye.

    ¡°Yeah. See you some time.¡±

    After the woman and her daughter were gone, Ye Qing finally turned around to look at the immobile zombie. It was then he noticed that the smelly fluid leaking out of its skin looked very familiar. ¡°Is that¡­ corpse wax?!¡±

    ¡°I was wondering why the zombie seemed so familiar to me. It¡¯s the same type of zombie as Deng Qiang!¡±

    The giant zombie was almost identical to Deng Qiang, the giant zombie that had been dragged to Heavenly Heart Clinic a day ago. He hadn¡¯t made the connection until now because it was bigger, uglier, and stronger.

    ¡°Corpse wax? Giant zombies? Deng Qiang?¡±

    Ye Qing casually bound a few normal zombies who were trying to attack him with his Blood Shadows when he recalled something, ¡°Wait a second. If I remember correctly, the people who delivered Deng Qiang to the Heavenly Heart Clinic yesterday mentioned that they¡¯re from Longwind Street.¡±

    ¡°A massive group of zombies had appeared in Longwind Street after Deng Qiang had changed into a giant zombie. Now, I found another giant zombie at the site of a zombie outbreak. It can¡¯t be a coincidence, right?¡±

    Could Deng Qiang and this giant zombie be the reason behind these sudden outbreaks?

    It was then he noticed then the biggest poption of zombies was concentrated around the giant zombie. The farther away it was from the giant zombie, the sparser their numbers became. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the civilians had transformed probably because they had made contact with the giant zombies.

    The more Ye Qing thought about it, the more he thought he was right.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Xu Banren about thister. If there was a giant zombie at Nanping Boat as well, then my theory is most likely correct.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and arrived at a decision. ¡°I was going to burn this thing to dust, but¡­ we¡¯ll have to keep it for now.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is that thing? The generic zombies look like pipsqueakspared to this monster.¡±

    Suddenly, a curious voice came from above a nearby wall. Ye Qing turned around and saw Xuang examining the giant zombie curiously and eating some melon seeds [1].

    ¡°It¡¯s probably the cause of this zombie outbreak,¡± Ye Qing answered honestly.

    ¡°You serious?¡± Xuang immediately looked interested. He dropped down the wall for a second before suddenlyunching himself forward without touching anything. Hended nimbly and almost soundlessly next to Ye Qing.

    Look at how light-footed he is! He must practice an extraordinary movement art, Ye Qing thought to himself.

    Xuang circled around the giant zombie once before voicing his doubts, ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. This guy is uglier, smellier and fatter, sure, but besides that there¡¯s nothing special about him. Why do you think he¡¯s the reason these people changed into zombies?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? It¡¯s because he¡¯s ugly!¡±

    ¡°... Really?¡± Xuang stared at Ye Qing incredulously.

    Ye Qing replied in a matter-of-fact tone, ¡°He¡¯s ugly because he¡¯s special, and he¡¯s special because he¡¯s the root cause of this zombie outbreak!¡±

    Xuang blinked. ¡°That¡­ actually makes sense. Even if the way you word it is a little sloppy.¡±

    Xuang wasn¡¯t stupid. The giant zombie was clearly different from the changed civilians. Even if Ye Qing was wrong, it must be an important clue of some sort.

    ¡°Right?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Speaking of which, why are you here when you can be catching zombies? You¡¯re not ying truant, are you?¡±

    Xuang: ¡°...¡± Excuse me? I came over to lend you a hand, and instead of being grateful you use me of ying truant? How is that fair?

    As if he could hear Xuang¡¯s thoughts, Ye Qing added, ¡°If you''re going to do something, strive to do it better than anyone else. Do it all the way. If you''re going to half-ass it, why bother?¡±

    ¡°Also, have you not heard that half-assing your job will cause your lifespan to be halved? I¡¯m doing this for your own good, brother!¡±

    No, I definitely haven¡¯t heard of that saying. Do you think I¡¯m stupid and illiterate?

    But¡­ if it¡¯s true then¡­

    Xuang knew it wasplete horseshit, but for some reason he just couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°What if?¡± So, he defended himself in a small voice, ¡°I¡¯m just catching a break, man. Is that illegal?¡±

    Wait, why am I talking like I did something wrong?

    1. This guy is trulymitted to being a part of the peanut gallery. ?

 Chapter 162: The Tower of Secrets

    Chapter 162: The Tower of Secrets

    ¡°It¡¯s not illegal, but you¡¯d definitely had your break. Get back to work.¡± Ye Qing gave him a look.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Sigh¡­¡±

    Xuang had just taken two steps when he recalled something and came back, ¡°Wait, your subordinates are already here, so why should I do anything? I¡¯m just a volunteer!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing nodded. Now that he thought about it, it was about time his men showed up. ¡°You can carry this giant zombie to the entrance then. Don¡¯t give me that look! Do you really want to cut your lifespan in half?¡±

    Xuang: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing left after that. Xuang hesitated for a moment, but he ultimately lifted the giant zombie and started toward the entrance. Better safe than sorry.

    The Fish Dragon Market had regained its order by the time Ye Qing made it back to the entrance. The zombies, the people who were hurt by the zombies, and those who were unharmed had all been segregated properly.

    ¡°My lord!¡± The Pacification Sentinels saluted as soon as they saw him.

    ¡°No time for pleasantries. Tang Yi, what¡¯s the current situation?¡± Ye Qing looked at a Guardian.

    The Guardian answered, ¡°Most of the zombies in the Fish Dragon Market have been captured, my lord. All of the civilians have been rounded up as well. As far as we¡¯re aware, everyone is present and ounted for.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Good job. Keep up the lockdown and continue the search for both civilians and zombies. Make sure you don¡¯t miss even a single soul.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Tang Yi replied.

    Ye Qing then turned to a Pacification Sentinel and ordered, ¡°Message Lieutenant Xu and ask him how he¡¯s doing. I want to know if he needs reinforcements, and oh, ask him if he¡¯s encountered a giant zombie.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± The Pacification Sentinel left to carry out his orders.

    After he was done giving out instructions, Ye Qing turned around and saw a refined-looking man examining the giant zombie thoughtfully.

    ¡°Have you found anything, brother?¡± Ye Qing walked up to him and asked.

    The refined-looking man was none other than Runyu. Still staring at the giant zombie, he answered, ¡°Nothing yet, but I suspect that this giant zombie is the reason the civilians have suddenly changed into zombies. Not only do they carry simr types of filth, their mutated organs look pretty simr as well. It¡¯s just that this giant zombie carries more filth and has more advanced mutations.¡±

    ¡°On a rted note, its filth is extremely infectious. Anyone it injures or makes prolonged contact with will be infected. You should be careful, my lord.¡±

    ¡°Heh, your guess is the same as Lord Ye¡¯s, Runyu,¡± Xuang interrupted. The difference was that one of them was purely guessing, and another had actual evidence to support their theory.

    Ye Qing ignored Xuang and pointed at the giant zombie, ¡°Do you know where the filthes from?¡±

    Runyu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Ye Qing asked another question, ¡°Do you know a way to remove the filth then? Or should I say, can these people still be saved?¡±

    This time, Runyu looked a little apologetic. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Ye Qing could not help but feel a little disappointed, but his answer was within his expectation. He saluted the two men and said, ¡°The Pacification Bureau thanks you for your selfless service, gentlemen. My name is Ye Qing. If I may know your names¡­?¡±

    ¡°You tter us, Lord Ye. It is no trouble at all,¡± Runyu returned the gesture respectfully, ¡°My name is An Runyu.¡±

    ¡°And my name is Fang Xuang,¡± Xuang saluted as well.

    Ye Qing was about to converse with them a little longer when the Pacification Sentinel who went away to message Xu Banren earlier came back. He passed a letter into Ye Qing¡¯s hand and said, ¡°My lord¡­ Lieutenant Xu has responded.¡±

    Ye Qing took one look at the letter and thought, I knew it.

    ording to Xu Banren, the situation at Nanping Boat was under control. More importantly, he had encountered not one, but two giant zombies.

    ¡°How troublesome!¡± Ye Qing took a moment to n out his next steps while massaging his forehead. ¡°Tang Yi, I leave this ce to you. I need to make a trip back to the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Tang Yi responded affirmatively.

    He then turned to Fang Xuang and An Runyu and saluted them both. ¡°Brother Fang, Brother An, I need to get back to the Pacification Bureau for something. I shall thank you both properly when I¡¯m free.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You can treat us any day you like,¡± An Runyu and Fang Xuang understood the urgency of the situation and did not waste Ye Qing¡¯s time.

    Ye Qing nodded and bade them goodbye. Then, he left Fish Dragon Market and made a beeline for the Pacification Bureau.

    After he arrived at the headquarters, the first thing Ye Qing requested was a meeting with Gu Suitang.

    Gu Suitang obviously knew about the zombie outbreaks because the first thing he said upon seeing Ye Qing was, ¡°How is the situation?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°It¡¯s temporarily under control, and I found out why the civilians had transformed.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Tell me.¡±

    And so Ye Qing told Gu Suitang the conjecture both him and An Runyu had arrived at.

    ¡°An Runyu?¡± Gu Suitang seemed surprised to hear that the doctor was involved in this incident. ¡°If Runyu said the same thing, then it¡¯s probably the case.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Why do I feel like you¡¯re looking down on me?

    Noticing that Gu Suitang recognized An Runyu, Ye Qing asked, ¡°Do you know An Runyu, chief?¡¯

    Gu Suitang replied, ¡°An Runyu is one of the more promising young warriors of Luo Shui. He¡¯s already quite powerful for his age, but his medical skills are even better. Even the senior doctors in the Healing Department are full of praise for him. We once extended an invitation to him, but unfortunately he decided that his future lies elsewhere.¡±

    I see,¡± Ye Qing nodded. An Runyu must be incredibly impressive for the Pacification Bureau itself to reach out to him.

    Not wanting to go off topic, Ye Qing said, ¡°Although the situation is temporarily under control, I¡¯m pretty sure this incident isn¡¯t over yet. More zombie outbreaks may ur throughout Luo Shui, so I¡¯d like us to be prepared for it.¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Gu Suitang asked.

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°Since we know that the giant zombie is the reason behind the outbreak, and the giant zombies are pretty conspicuous even before they fully transform, I suggest that we deploy additional manpower and search the entiremandery for anyone who is unnaturally fat, covered in oily fluid, and acting strange. They¡¯ll be captured and kept in istion, of course.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, we need to monitor anyone who has had prolonged contact with the giant zombie¡ªremotely, because there is no need to cause undue panic.¡±

    Gu Suitang mulled over his idea and agreed. ¡°Very well, we shall do as you say. The real question though, is how did the giant zombiese to be to begin with? Is it an ident or a conspiracy? And if it is a conspiracy, who is the one behind this?¡±

    Ye Qing agreed fully with his assessment, but for now the immediate priority was to keep the number of changed civilians to a minimum.

    ¡°By the way, has the Healing Department found a way to save the changed civilians? I¡¯m not sure how much longer they willst at this rate.¡±

    When he was inspecting the changed civilians earlier, he could tell that their organs were slowly withering and mutating into something unrecognizable. Their lives might be in danger if they took too long toe up with a cure.

    Gu Suitang frowned and ordered, ¡°I¡¯ll write you a written order. Take it to Yu Huai and head to the first floor of the Tower of Secrets. The Human-grade Strange Artifact No. 58 should be able to save them.¡±

    ¡°Tower of Secrets? Human-grade Strange Artifact No. 58?¡± Ye Qing was confused to say the least.

    Instead of exining, Gu Suitang said, ¡°Lin Yuhuai will tell you everything you need to know.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Ye Qing sought out Lin Yuhuai immediately after the order was penned. After he told Lin Yuhuai what he came for, they both headed straight for the Tower of Secrets.

    The Tower of Secrets was one of the most mysterious and well-hidden ces of the Pacification Bureau. It was where they kept their greatest valuables and secrets such as martial arts, medicine, Strange Artifacts, important documents, top secret intel and so on.

    Ye Qing had heard of the Tower of Secrets before, but he had no idea where it was located, much less frequented it in the past. It was why he was beyond surprised when Lin Yuhuai led him to a dpidated hut that looked like it had seen better days.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a practical joke, is it?¡± Ye Qing asked disbelievingly while looking the hut up and down.

    Lin Yuhuai chuckled and gave him a non-answer. ¡°You will know when we step inside.¡±

    The first thing Ye Qing saw after entering the hut was a mysterious bronze door. The reason he thought it was mysterious was one, it was engraved with all sorts ofplex and inexplicable patterns and images. Not only that, the patterns and images were constantly shifting and transforming as if they were alive. Even staring at it for just a few seconds was enough to induce nausea in Ye Qing.

    The second reason was because the door was floating about one-third of a meter above the ground. It seemed to be held in ce by a mysterious power.

    Suddenly, Li Yuhuai pped Ye Qing on the shoulder and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t stare at the Door Demon. He¡¯s very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Door Demon? Where? Wait, is he the bronze door in front of us?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ you came, you came¡­ kekeke¡­¡±

    It was at this moment a vile, eerie, and malicious cackle filled the room. It was otherworldly enough to make anyone¡¯s skin crawl.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t see it until after the fact, but the bronze door suddenly took on a blood red color and dripped fresh blood. A few secondster, the pool of blood underneath it started warping into all sorts of horrifying faces including Lin Yuhuai and Ye Qing¡¯s face. At the same time, mad ramblings and whispers filled their ears. It was bizarre to say the least.

    What an evil door, Ye Qing thought. But that was it. He did not react visibly to any of the oddities happening throughout the room because he could tell that it was just an illusion. The sudden change of color, the blood, the faces, everything.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that the illusions were harmless. A weak-willed person would sumb to them and lose their minds immediately.

    ¡°Cut it out, Door Demon. Take us to the Tower of Secrets,¡± Lin Yuhuai took out the order Gu Suitang had written and signed and waved it in the bronze door¡¯s direction.

    Buzz¡­

    A terrifying pressure echoed from the written order. The mad ramblings and whispers in the air vanished abruptly, and the blood on the door was gone as well. Everything had turned back to normal¡­ for now.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ you¡¯re as dull as ever. Hmm? You brought a newbie with you today! Wee, wee, kekeke¡­.¡±

    The patterns on the door came together to form a twisted, hideous face. Judging from the way its mouth was opening and closing, it was probably the entity that had been talking to them this whole time.

    ¡°I said, cut the bullcrap and open the door.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai waved the written order again, and the face finally cracked a fake smile and slid open.

    The air rippled as the bronze door opened. Whaty behind it was an infinitendscape of chaos and darkness. It was almost like a portal to another universe.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Lin Yuhuai said after the door was fully open. He took the lead with Ye Qing following right behind him.

    Ye Qing¡¯s vision darkened as soon as he stepped through the door. When the light returned, he found himself standing inside a massive tower.

    The tower was segregated into countless big and small spaces by stone houses. That¡¯s right, stone houses. Ancient, weathered and mysterious, the bizarre arrangement looked both chaotic yet beautiful at the same time.

 Chapter 163: Miracle Doctor Calabash

    Chapter 163: Miracle Doctor Cbash

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ do you wish to rise up thedder and be rich, mortal?¡±

    ¡°You can rule the world if you want to, or you can own a harem of millions.¡±

    ¡°Or perhaps your wish is to be the strongest warrior in the world?¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t even get the chance to examine his surroundings when a voice suddenly spoke to him inside his head. It wasn¡¯t just a voice either. Every time it said a wish, it would show off a corresponding illusion. He saw himself sitting atop a literal mountain of gold and silver; he saw countless beautiful women fawning over him, he saw reigning above all as the ultimate ruler, and he saw himself bing the greatest warrior of all time, literally.

    Ye Qing sneered internally. The Door Demon would make a good movie director, if nothing else.

    ¡°Do you desire them, mortal? If you do, then know that I possess the power to fulfill all of your wishes!¡± The Door Demon¡¯s voice rang inside Ye Qing¡¯s head again.

    Feeling a little yful today, Ye Qing answered, ¡°I want them all. Can you do that?¡±

    There was a lull in the Door Demon¡¯s response. Is it just me, or did he just skip straight to the ending? Normally, the human would make their wish, I would ept and bring up my condition, and they would obey my every bidding like a dog, right? This is a little¡­

    The Door Demon thought for a moment and forcibly wrestled back control of the conversation, ¡°I can bestow all of your wishes, of course. But in return, you must help me with a little something.¡±

    I bloody knew it. They could nevere up with something new, Ye Qing thought disdainfully but replied, ¡°What, you need me to help you before you can fulfill my wish? That¡¯s too much work. Forget it. I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡±

    Door Demon: ¡°...¡± This isn¡¯t part of the script!

    ¡°Are you sure, mortal? If you agree to help me out, I will grant you everything you ever wanted.¡±

    Ye Qing looked tempted. ¡°Okay! I agree! You may fulfill my wishes now!¡±

    Door Demon: ¡°...¡± Holy shit this guy is materialistic.

    The Door Demon let out a helpless sigh, ¡°I would, but my power is limited right now. I can only grant your wishes if you remove my seal.¡±

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t trust you. I¡¯ll unseal you after you fulfill my wishes, and not a moment sooner!¡± Ye Qing curled his lips in disdain. His expression was obviously saying, ¡°I knew it! He¡¯s another Bronze noob pretending to be a Challenger [1]! Ptooey!¡±

    ¡°You must be joking! If you don¡¯t help me unseal my power, then how can I possibly fulfill your wishes?¡± The Door Demon argued angrily. If I was strong enough to break out of the seal myself, then I wouldn¡¯t need your help, would I?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t fulfill my wishes first, then how can I trust you?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± The Door Demon felt like he was about to explode. This conundrum was eerily simr to the famous question, ¡°Which came first ¨C the chicken or the egg?¡± They could literally argue about this for a year and never arrive at a conclusion.

    By now, the Door Demon had figured out that Ye Qing was toying with him. He wasn¡¯t a Stranger for nothing after all. His voice grew eerie and threatening, ¡°No one has ever dared to toy me like that, boy. I will remember this, kekeke¡­¡±

    ¡°Save it, bitch,¡± Ye Qing dropped his act and smirked, ¡°You¡¯re not the first person to make that threat, and you won¡¯t be thest. Also, you¡¯re just a pathetic little keyboard warrior right now. What makes you think you can hurt me when you can¡¯t eveny a finger on me?¡±

    The Door Demon might not know what a ¡°keyboard warrior¡± was, but he certainly got an idea of Ye Qing¡¯s meaning. His voice grew hateful and crazy as he muttered, ¡°You will regret this, you will regret this, you will regret this¡­¡± over and over again. At the same time, irritating and nausea-inducing illusions sprung inside Ye Qing¡¯s mind.

    ¡°What did I say? You have nothing but your pathetic little keyboard,¡± Ye Qing grinned diabolically and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. The great emperor immediately shone like the sun and melted away all of the madness and malice.

    Ye Qing did not relent, however. Emperor Fuxi continued to float on the nine heavens and bathe everything in purifying light. A few breathster, a wisp of ck qi suddenly slipped out of a dark corner of his head and screamed hatefully, ¡°Graaahhh! I¡¯ll kill you! I swear I¡¯ll kill you one day!¡±

    The next second, it was annihted by Emperor Fuxi¡¯s light.

    ¡°I knew it wouldn¡¯t be that easy,¡± Ye Qing sneered. Had he underestimated the Door Demon¡¯s cunningness and overlooked that ck qi, heavens only know what kind of trouble it could cause. Strangers truly could not be trusted [2].

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Joyless?¡± Lin Yuhuai asked when he noticed that Ye Qing was nking out.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. The entire conversation had taken ce mentally, so Lin Yuhuai had no idea what just happened. ¡°Can you tell me more about the Door Demon, Brother Lin?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°ording to the records, the Door Demon is a powerful Stranger whose main body is a door. As you may have noticed, it possesses the power to traverse through space.¡±

    ¡°Centuries ago, a champion of the Pacification Bureau managed to capture the Door Demon and seal it within the headquarters. Since then, it had be the passage between the Tower of Secrets and the outside world.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the Door Demon is anything but pleased with its new life, and it tried everything under the sun to tempt our people into unsealing it. In fact, many weak-willed people had given into temptation and met terrible ends. To put it simply, half of them were led astray, and half of them went mad.¡±

    ¡°Did the Door Demon promise you something, Joyless? You mustn¡¯t believe it no matter what it says.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Lin. I know,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly. He would have to be stupid and crazy to fall for the Door Demon¡¯s tricks.

    It was at this moment a cold man wearing a ck robe with patterns of celestial objects and a silver mask appeared before the duo. He took a look at the written order Lin Yuhuai gave him and said, ¡°You wish to procure the Human-type Strange Artifact No. 58 is the Miracle Doctor Cbash, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. You will need three special Artifact Wielders to wield it. Please give me a moment.¡±

    The ck-robed man¡¯s voice sounded hoarse and unclear as if he wasn¡¯t used to speaking. He then turned around and went somewhere.

    ¡°Miracle Doctor Cbash? Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact?¡± Ye Qing blurted in surprise. Forget seeing, this was the first time he heard of a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. He could only imagine how powerful it was.

    But what did the guy mean by ¡°three special Artifact Wielders¡±?

    ¡°Can you tell me more about this Miracle Doctor Cbash, Brother Lin? And what are ¡®special Artifact Wielders¡¯?¡±

    Ye Qing was never afraid to ask something he didn¡¯t know about.

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°The Miracle Doctor Cbash is a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact that was rumored to be the possession of the miracle doctor, Niu Qinghua. They say that it gained a sliver of sentience and power due to prolonged use.¡±

    ¡°The Miracle Doctor Cbash contained the soul of the miracle doctor himself, and it could be summoned to cure any non-fatal disease and most Stranger-based toxins and curses.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± Ye Qing praised. The Miracle Doctor Cbash might not possess any offensive power, but its healing potency was something everyone in the jianghu dreamed of having.

    Theoretically, it wasn¡¯t a dream to rule a corner of the world with the Miracle Doctor Cbash. As long as the wielder wasn¡¯t suicidal, of course.

    Lin Yuhuai continued, ¡°However, the conditions to activate a Strange Artifact became more stringent the more powerful it was. The adverse effects are much worse as well.¡±

    ¡°To use the Miracle Doctor Cbash, three people with medical knowledge and skill must be present at the scene. Moreover, the greater their knowledge and skill, the greater the soul they would be able to summon. However, if even one person is missing, then the soul in the Miracle Doctor Cbash would go on a rampage and curse everyone around it. You can see why it¡¯s so dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, the Miracle Doctor Cbash is so powerful that it cannot be wielded continuously by one person. It must be used in rotation to prevent its users from being assimted or cursed by the Miracle Doctor Cbash.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. The Bronze Tiger Mask was one such example. It was just a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, but its use conditions and its adverse effects were already pretty potent, much less a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact.

    The duo had just finished talking when the ck-robed man returned with another three ck-robed men. However, the neers¡¯ ck robes were perfectly in, and their masks were iron-colored.

    In the Tower of Secrets, those who were called upon to wield Strange Artifacts of the corresponding grade were known as Artifact Wielders. The Artifact Wielders were categorized into Human, Earth and Heaven just like the Strange Artifacts. The ck-robed man they met at the beginning was an Earth-rank Artifact Wielder, and the three neers were Human-rank. The neers must be the Artifact Wielders of the Miracle Doctor Cbash.

    Ye Qing could tell that they were allte-stage Vessel Augmentors. However, the auras were somewhat impure and bizarre probably because they had to wield all sorts of powerful Strange Artifacts for a long time.

    After the four men came close, the Earth-rank Artifact Wielder handed a bronze box covered in mysterious patterns to his three colleagues and said to Lin Yuhuai, ¡°These are the men responsible for wielding the Human-grade Strange Artifact No. 58 this time. Please keep them safe.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai replied smilingly, ¡°You have nothing to worry about.¡±

    After that, Lin Yuhuai, Ye Qing, and the three Human-rank Artifact Wielders left the Tower of Secrets and made a beeline for Longwind Street. It was because it was the closest outbreak location to the Pacification Bureau.

    As they traveled, Ye Qing noticed that the three Artifact Wielders would pass the bronze box to another Artifact Wielder every half a teatime, and the Artifact Wielder carrying it would be shrouded in a faint mist. The faint mist seemed to be poisonous or imbued with some sort of evil energy as well. Clearly, the Miracle Doctor Cbash possessed some sort of corrupting quality.

    This made Ye Qing realize just how dangerous a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact was. Even just carrying it could bring harm to its bearer.

    After arriving at Longwind Street, Ye Qing led the three Artifact Wielders straight to the zombies and the civilians who were hurt by the zombies. Once they were ready, one Artifact Wielder ced the bronze box on the ground and slowly opened it to reveal a bronze cbash.

    Although the cbash was made from bronze, it was colorful and engraved with what looked like images of a night feast. It was also shaped like a teapot despite its name [3]. Its appearance was so exquisite that it resembled a work of art.

    The Artifact Wielder carefully lifted the Miracle Doctor Cbash in front of him. Then, he started rubbing its surface with his right hand.

    What the fuck? Why does this look so familiar? Ye Qing was taken aback by the strangely depraved gesture at the same time a memory hit him. Is this ddin¡¯smp? Is he going to summon a bloody genie and make a wish?

    Before he could even finish his mental ramblings, a white fog gushed out of the Miracle Doctor Cbash¡¯s spout and transformed into a saintly old man with white hair and beard.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± It really is a genie!

    The three Artifact Wielders gave the miracle doctor¡¯s soul a deep bow after summoning him. Shooting them a nce as if he had a real mind, the miracle doctor stroked his beard and exhaled in the direction of the infected.

    Rain clouds suddenly appeared above the infected¡¯s head. When the rain began, the changed civilians actually started changing back to humans. Their organs regrew, and their flesh and blood knitted until it looked like they had never been hurt in the first ce. Then, their deadened eyes slowly regained their sentience, and their faces bloomed with the joy of a survivor who somehow survived despite all odds.

    Whoosh!

    When everyone had returned to normal, the miracle doctor¡¯s soul slowly turned transparent until it disappearedpletely.

    The moment the soul disappeared, the Artifact Wielder wielding the Miracle Doctor Cbash abruptly copsed on the ground. Hisplexion was purple, his breathing was weak, and he looked like he could fall into aa at any second.

    Hispanions were clearly prepared, however. One of them caught the Miracle Doctor Cbash and deposited it back inside the bronze box. Another produced a pill from his pocket and fed it into his copsed colleague¡¯s mouth.

    Over time, the Artifact Wielder¡¯s unhealthyplexion slowly faded away into nothing. He soon regained his mobility and strength as well.

    Ye Qing summoned Zhou Xi to his side and gave him some instructions. He and the three Artifact Wielders then left the way and marched for Nanping Boat.

    There were far more infected on the Nanping Boat because it was beset by two giant zombies. It had taken two uses of the Miracle Doctor Cbash before they finally cured all of the changed civilians.

    Strangely, the giant zombies weren¡¯t healed. In fact, the Miracle Doctor Cbash¡¯s healing powers did not seem to work on them at all.

    Left with no choice, Ye Qing ordered Xu Banren to escort the giant zombies back to the Pacification Bureau.

    Finally, Ye Qing and the three Artifact Wielders made a beeline for Fish Dragon Market. By the time the civilians were cured and dealt with, it was almost midnight.

    ¡°Thank you very much for your services,¡± Ye Qing thanked the three exhausted Artifact Wiedlers from the bottom of his heart after everything was over.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, my lord, but we are simply performing our duties,¡± they replied in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll escort you back to the Tower of Secrets right now.¡± The Miracle Doctor Cbash was very important to say the least. He could not entrust this duty to anyone else except himself.

    The three Artifact Wielders bowed respectfully, ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ye Qing waved and escorted them toward the Pacification Bureau.

    1. League of Legends rank tier reference. ?

    2. A certain frog and Book Sprite sneezes. ?

    3. Cbash was used by doctors in Ancient China to transport medicine. ?

 Chapter 164: Interception

    Chapter 164: Interception

    It was a dark and stormy night, a night that was perfect for carrying out a murder or ten. The ephemeral wind swept across the empty streets like a ghost and blew away the night¡¯s mor. It could not, however, blow away the eternal cold and darkness.

    ¡°Are you sure he would pass through here, Silver Toad?¡±

    The mud on a wall suddenly converged on one spot and formed a strange face. The question hade from its mouth.

    ¡°Croak¡­ he must. This is the shortest route between the Fish Dragon Market and the Pacification Bureau,¡± A silver toad answered. It was crouching in a corner of the wall while its abdomen inted and deted with air.

    Whoosh whoosh¡­

    The silver toad had just finished talking when a dark, chilly wind blew out of the darkness and circled around the wall and Silver Toad. Then, the wind itself spoke, ¡°Whoosh, are you sure your n would go off without a hitch, Silver Toad? The Pacification Bureau will hunt us to the ends of the earth if anything goes wrong.¡±

    The silver toad was none other than the Silver Toad of Cornucopia and Bronze Toad¡¯s sibling.

    Silver Toad let out a strangeugh and answered, ¡°It will. Everything is under my control.¡±

    ¡°Most of the Pacification Bureau are busy dealing with the transformed humans, so much so that they are unable to spare the manpower necessary to protect the Miracle Doctor Cbash. Therefore, he must be alone when he escorts the Strange Artifact back to the Pacification Bureau. And let¡¯s not forget that he is apanied by three burdens.¡±

    ¡°He has no idea that we¡¯reing for him, while we know exactly when and where he¡¯sing from. When we ambush him, he¡¯ll have to fight all of us and protect those three burdens as well. What can he possibly do to turn things around?¡±

    ¡°Even better, the Pacification Bureau wouldn¡¯t suspect us. I¡¯d looked into his background and found out that he had murdered Wang Luori¡¯s direct disciple, Xiao Yang. For those who don''t know, Wang Luori is the Hill Lord of Sunset Hill, a major power in Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°A few days ago, Wang Luori barged into the Pacification Bureau to take revenge for his disciple only to have his ass beaten by Gu Suitang. No matter how you look at it, Wang Luori has a million reasons to want Ye Qing dead. Therefore, no one would suspect a thing if we pin the me on Wang Luori.¡±

    The more Silver Toad exined, the more excited he became. It grew to the point where his voice took on a tinge of madness and anticipation, ¡°Not only that, the Pacification Bureau must take action be it for revenge or their own face. While the humans beat the crap out of each other, we¡¯ll have much greater freedom than we had before. All in all, there is practically no downside to this n whatsoever!¡±

    The human face and the voice in the wind didn¡¯t reply as if in thought, so Silver Toad said, ¡°You won¡¯t get another opportunity like this if you miss it, Old Mud, Yin Woman. You better think long and hard about this!¡±

    Old Mud was the face on the wall. He paid no heed to Silver Toad and asked, ¡°What do you think, Writer?¡±

    A wolf hair brush abruptly appeared in the air. It looked perfectly ordinary and unassuming, but the air rippled with ink ck circles as soon as it made its appearance. It was also dripping with fragrant-smelling ink that vanished into the void after falling for a short distance.

    The wolf hair brush swayed left and right as if someone was using it. It wrote the word, ¡°eptable.¡±

    It was at this moment Yin Woman spoke up, ¡°You won¡¯t go back on your promise, right?¡±

    Silver Toad croaked out a chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re all well aware of the kind of person I am. I never go back on my words.¡±

    ¡°All I want is his life and a silver page. Everything else including the Miracle Doctor Cbash is yours.¡±

    ¡°He killed my brother, Bronze Toad. I must have my revenge.¡±

    The yin wind flew away and left behind some cold parting words, ¡°Very well. For your own sake, I hope you¡¯re not ying games with us.¡±

    Silver Toad¡¯s beady eyes narrowed into a cruel, anticipatory slits. ¡°Murderer of my brother, Ye Qing¡­ Today is the day you pay your debt in blood.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Gulp¡ªah! Man, this night just keeps getting colder and colder. Do you guys want to take a sip and warm up a little?¡± Ye Qing asked after taking a deep gulp from his wine gourd. The strong wine chased away the cold and the day¡¯s fatigue like a stiff breeze.

    ¡°Thank you for the offer, my lord, but no thanks,¡± all three Artifact Wielders replied in the exact tone.

    ¡°You guys should learn to live life a little,¡± Ye Qing shook his head and sighed internally. He was told that Artifact Wielders were like ascetic monks who spent most of their time in the Tower of Secrets cultivating or researching Strange Artifacts only. Besides that, well, there was no besides that. Pleasure and entertainment were practically alien concepts to these people. Now, he could see it was all true.

    Ye Qing took another gulp of wine as another gust of icy wind blew across his face. He had no idea that a wolf hair brush was writing something in an empty house:

    ¡°Ye Qing and the three Artifact Wielders were passing through Eminence Street when suddenly, Ye Qing identally stepped on a slippery rock and slipped, falling toward the wall next to him.¡±

    Back at Eminence Street, Ye Qing was still enjoying his drink when suddenly, he stepped on a round, slippery rock and fell toward the wall next to him.

    ¡°My wine!¡±

    Ye Qing reached out and caught his wine gourd before it could spill out his contents. He chuckled in relief while leaning against the wall, ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    He would be fine even if he crashed through the wall, but it would be a shame if his wine were to go to waste. In this world, beautiful people [1] and delicious wine were the two things one must live up to.

    When Ye Qing tried to get up, however, the wall behind him suddenly turned as soft as mud. rm bells immediately rang inside his head as he tensed his muscles and threw himself forward in an attempt to escape the wall.

    Unfortunately, he was a little toote. The wall abruptly transformed into a giant mouth and consumed Ye Qing whole. Then, it turned back to normal as if nothing had ever happened.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    The three Artifact Wielders were hardly in tip-top shape, and the attack had begun and ended in just the blink of an eye. By the time they reacted, Ye Qing was already gone.

    ¡°It¡¯s an attack! Bring out the contact talisman!¡±

    The good news was that the three Artifact Wielders weren¡¯t greenhorns. The second they realized the danger, they immediately stood back to back with each other and watched their surroundings warily. While doing so, they produced their contact talismans and tried to activate it.

    There was no way to tell if Ye Qing was still alive, and the three of them were thoroughly exhausted after using the Miracle Doctor Cbash repeatedly. That was why the best course of action wasn¡¯t to run, but to hold their ground and wait for reinforcements to show up.

    s, right before an Artifact Wielder was about to activate his contact talisman, a chilly wind suddenly blew into his face. His eyes suddenly grew dull and lifeless, and ayer of ice started creeping across his skin. He froze into an ice sculpture before hispanions could do anything.

    Realizing that the situation was even worse than they thought, the two Artifact Wielders abruptly split up and ran. So long as one of them managed to activate their contact talismans, there was still a chance they might survive this.

    Unfortunately, they had only taken a few steps when the blurry silhouette of a woman took form from the yin wind. When she exhaled, the yin wind split into two and engulfed the two Artifact Wielders in just the blink of an eye. Their bodies froze, and the light in their eyes abruptly turned dim. Ayer of ice rose from their feet and trapped them in the blink of an eye as well.

    ¡°Croak croak! Die!¡±

    While the Yin Woman was dealing with the three Artifact Wielders, a muscr, silver-haired man wearing silver armor descended from above. His lips were curled into a cruel grin as heunched a might punch at the wall that had devoured Ye Qing.

    Old Mud possessed the power to transform any wall into mud and devour a victim who was close to the wall. If the ambush was sessful, he could instantly harden the wall and either suffocate a weakling to death, and temporarily immobilize a powerhouse.

    Moreover, if an external force destroys the wall before the victim could escape, then they would shatter and die as well.

    Suddenly, the wall shook and emitted a strange noise that sounded like dull thunder. Then, innumerable cracks quickly spread across the whole wall. It looked like a vase that was seconds away from crumbling.

    Dammit! The silver-haired man cursed internally and moved faster. He was clearly hoping to destroy the wall before Ye Qing could escape.

    Unfortunately, his fist was still an inch away from its target when a hole suddenly exploded from the wall. A fist then reached out from the hole and shed against the silver-haired man¡¯s fist!

    Bang!

    The silver-haired man¡¯s face went from surprise, to astonishment, to full-blown disbelief in the span of one second. When he looked down at his arm, he saw his silver armor, his flesh and even his bones shattering into a million pieces.

    The silver-haired man flew back faster than when he had descended from the sky. Like a cannonball, he crashed through several houses before finallying to a stop.

    After the silver-haired man was sent flying, the breached wall suddenly began to vibrate ominously. It was impossible to say if it was because Old Mud was shaking in fear, or if some sort of terrifying existence was about to break out of his confines, or both.

    But right before the arm would break out of the wall, the wolf hair brush began writing once more:

    ¡°Ye Qing struggled to break out of Old Mud¡¯s wall after repelling Silver Toad. It was at this moment his nose suddenly felt a little itchy. When he sneezed, his energies slowed down just enough for Old Mud to pull over a couple more walls and seal Ye Qing permanently.¡±

    Something strange happened then. Right after the wolf hair brush wrote the word ¡°permanently¡±, the word suddenly began fading as if something was rubbing it with an eraser. It wasn¡¯t long before it waspletely gone.

    When the wolf hair brush tried to write the word again, it discovered that it was blocked by some sort of unspeakable power. No matter how hard it tried, it just could not finish the sentence. In the end, it had no choice but to write the word ¡°temporarily¡± instead.

    As soon as the wolf hair brushpleted the passage, Ye Qing suddenly felt a terrible itch in his nose and sneezed. As a result, his energies slowed just a beat.

    At the same time, the walls from the surrounding houses turned into liquid and poured in from every direction. Like paper, Old Mud pped them all on the original wall and buried Ye Qing in a pile of walls. In just the blink of an eye, a bloated, unsightly wall was created on Eminence Street. From a distance, it looked just like a bloated giant.

    ¡°Be quick, Silver Toad! He¡¯s too strong! I can¡¯t keep him down for long!¡± A face appeared on the bloated wall and shouted.

    Boom!

    A silhouette suddenly dashed out of a pile of rubble and threw a punch at the bloated wall.

    1. Beautiful here didn¡¯t necessarily refer to superficial beauty. It could mean inner beauty as well. ?

 Chapter 165: Tonightâ€™s Wind Is Real Naughty

    Chapter 165: Tonight¡¯s Wind Is Real Naughty

    Having learned his lesson, Silver Toad went all out with his second attack.

    It was do or die.

    As his punch flew toward the wall, silver scales began appearing on his fist and his arms. They were also growing on his face, although they looked more like snowkes than actual scales. At the same time, the image of a silvery white toad appeared behind his back, croaking. It was an Expression of his true self.

    The Toads of Cornucopia were famous for their strength, not to mention that he had manifested his Expression. He refused to believe that his full-powered punch could not kill Ye Qing.

    Shriek!!!

    The air directly in front of his fist made this shrill, piercing noise as if it was beingpressed far beyond its limit. It was deafening.

    Whoosh!

    Suddenly, wisps of hot air suddenly seeped out from the cracks between the bloated wall. Half a secondter, they transformed into dark red mes that swayed back and forth like grass.

    Then, an agony-filled face emerged from the mes in a soundless scream.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Silver Toad¡¯s eyes glowed brilliant silver as he forced himself to speed up even more. Unfortunately, he was still toote. Right before his fist would shatter the wall, the wall exploded into a storm of fire, wind, and debris. Its howls sounded like the end of the world itself.

    As Silver Toad was right next to the wall, the fiery wind struck him head on and melted most of his scales into liquid. They dripped onto melted stone and earth and vanished without a trace.

    ¡°Who dares to ambush me and my men!¡±

    One man stood tall amidst the howling wind and raging mes. Floating above the ground like a god or demon who had descended upon this earth to exact his vengeance, he brought his fist straight down on the puny Stranger who had dared to test his wrath.

    At that moment, it was like the sky itself had crashed down on the earth, and wasn¡¯t there a saying that described this situation perfectly: ¡°When the sky falls, none shall survive its wrath.¡±

    The punch struck Silver Toad squarely in the head. Forget resisting, he couldn¡¯t even react before he was driven straight into the ground.

    Rumble rumble rumble!

    The moment Silver Toad vanished from view, the entire street suddenly shook like it was an earthquake. Dark red mes spewed out of the cracks and shot at least thirty meters into the air before they finally faded.

    ¡°Phew¡­ what a thick head.¡±

    The silhouettended back on the ground, and the raging wind around him disappeared and revealed a man who was covered in dust and mud. He was none other than Ye Qing.

    He hadn¡¯t held back just now. He had used his full Dragon Elephant strength and his perfect Burning Wind astral qi to pummel the sonuvabitch¡¯s skull into the floor. This attack could¡¯ve vaporized another warrior at the same level like blowing off dust, and yet the guy¡¯s head had remained intact.

    Is this what it takes to survive in this world? A thick skin and a thick skull?

    He was in the middle of a battle though, so he quickly cast away the stray thoughts and pulsed his spirit. Invisible ripples washed over the streets and houses, and¡ª

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    In Ye Qing¡¯s mind, Ye Qing saw a wall slowly dissolving into mud and spreading across the ground. It looked exactly the same as real soil.

    If his spirit wasn¡¯t as strong as it was, he would never have realized that the mud Stranger was still alive. The fact that he didn¡¯t notice anything until he pulsed his spirit was the proof of that.

    The walls the mud Strangermanded were extremely bizarre and potent. Even with his current strength, it had taken him a surprising amount of effort and time to break free. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he was struck by the strong premonition that he would die if the wall broke. It was quite the scary moment to say the least.

    That was why the mud Stranger needed to die first before anyone. There was literally no reason to keep such a dangerous threat alive for even a second longer. He immediately dashed toward the mud Stranger.

    Unbeknownst to Ye Qing, the Writer was writing a new passage inside the empty house,

    ¡°Ye Qing discovered Old Mud and gave chase immediately, but as he was passing by a restaurant, the building suddenly copsed on top of him. He had no choice but to dodge to the left.¡±

    Outside the house, everything went exactly as the Writer had prophesied. Ye Qing was dashing past a restaurant when suddenly, the entire building copsed on top of him. In order to avoid being buried, he had no choice but to dodge to the left. He then attempted to circle around the building and resume his chase.

    The Writer wasn¡¯t done with him, however. He continued,

    ¡°It was at this moment a yin wind blew. Yin Woman had appeared behind him without him noticing, and she was able to catch him in a deathly embrace. An unspeakable cold immediately invaded his mind and froze his soul.¡±

    Unfortunately, the Writer started shaking again when he wrote the words, ¡°Froze his soul.¡± Then, an invisible power erased the words from existence just like before.

    Left with no choice, the Writer amended his passage to, ¡°Froze his body.¡±

    Had the initial prophecy came true, Ye Qing would have died immediately. It was because no human could live with a frozen soul. The body though, that was much more livable.

    As soon as the final word was penned, Ye Qing suddenly felt an unnatural chill behind his back. The next moment, a pair of translucent, shapeless arms wrapped around his neck and pressed her body against his back. It felt like a woman was giving him a hug.

    When did she get behind me!?

    Ye Qing was shocked because he hadn¡¯t sensed anything at all. It was as if the yin Stranger had suddenly appeared behind his back¡­ or something was blocking his spirit from detecting her.

    Before he could think of anything else, an unspeakable cold invaded his body and froze him from the inside out. Not done yet, it invaded his mind and attempted to freeze his soul as well.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Ye Qing immediately visualized the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method. The great emperor manifested inside his head and shone like the sun. The unnatural cold permeating his head immediately receded like the tide. After that, Ye Qing channeled his Burning Wind and melted the ice in his body like snow as well.

    ¡°Is that all you got? You really should¡¯ve taken your petty little tricks elsewhere!¡±

    The second he regained control of his body, the Burning Wind exploded out of Ye Qing¡¯s body and turned everything into dust. As Yin Woman was hugging him from behind, she got a boat load of his unfiltered passion.

    Yin Woman screamed in pain and attempted to freeze the Burning Wind with her cold, but it didn¡¯t evenst a second before it burst out of its confines once more. The next second, dark red mes began bursting out of her translucent body. No matter how she screamed and struggled, she was unable to extinguish the deadly mes. Over time, she grew more and more transparent and flickered erratically. It was like a simple gust of wind could blow her away.

    Yin Woman was a ghost-type Stranger. As she didn¡¯t possess a physical body, she was immune to conventional weapons and could even change her form as she pleased. At her level, the one thing she was afraid of was objects or creatures of absolute yang and fire, and it so happened that Ye Qing¡¯s Burning Wind fit that criteria perfectly. That was why he was able to deal such a severe blow to Yin Woman so easily.

    It looked like Yin Woman would burn to death just like that when the ground suddenly shook unnaturally. It felt like something terrifying was about to burst out.

    ¡°So, his true form is a toad, a silver toad no less. But why does it look so familiar?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s spirit allowed him to grasp the underground Stranger¡¯s clearly.

    ¡°Wait a second. Silver toad? Bronze Toad? Now I get it. The guy¡¯s family hase for revenge!¡± Ye Qing figured out the truth as soon as he connected the dots.

    He had wondered why so many Strangers hade together to ambush him. He hadn¡¯t terrorized that many local Strangers just yet, or so he thought. As it turned out, it was because he killed the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia. This silver toad must be the Silver Toad of Cornucopia, and it¡ªwell, he, since his human form was that of a man¡ªhad gathered this band of misfits to take revenge for his fallen kin. The only reason he only figured this out now was because Silver Toad had assumed a human form.

    As for how Silver Toad was able to track him down, he already knew the answer. It was because Bronze Toad had cursed him with the Dying Grudge. It should be trivial for him to locate Ye Qing unless he wasn¡¯t trying at all. It made sense that this ambush would be so well-orchestrated.

    In fact, he only survived this ambush because he was exceptionally powerful for his level. Any other early-stage Astral Refiner would¡¯ve died a million years ago.

    I might have survived this ambush, but I might not survive the next one. These Strangers need to die right here and now.

    As soon as the thought crossed Ye Qing¡¯s mind, he raised his foot and stomped the ground with all his might. There was an ominous rumble as the entire street undted as if it was fabric, not earth. Silver Toad was going to make a grand appearance, but thebination of Ye qing¡¯s Dragon Elephant strength and his Burning Wind astral qi forced it another ten meters into the ground.

    Even better, the Burning Wind was so hot that it literally burned the earth and the rock into moltenva. It cooked the Silver Toad of Cornucopia like a furnace.

    Your skull may be too thick for me to punch through, but what if I slow cook you alive like a frog¡ªI mean, toad?

    Of course, Silver Toad wasn¡¯t just going to sit in the ground and slowly boil to death, so Ye Qing stomped the ground again and again like he was ying the drum. Silver scales shattered, and blood flowed like a river. Powerless to change the situation, the Stranger could do nothing but be ground by the earth over and over again.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing looked up into the sky. Yin Woman had transformed into a gust of yin wind and was attempting to escape.

    ¡°Leaving already? The night¡¯s still young!¡±

    Ye Qing opened his mouth, and a thunderp shook the earth. A white shter, Yin Woman disappeared in a long, mournful scream.

    The second Yin Woman was dead, Ye Qing suddenly broke into a strange grin and jumped backward. It was because he sensed Old Mud sneaking toward the three Artifact Wielders while he was killing Yin Woman. Whatever he was nning, it could not be good!

    While Ye Qing was dashing toward Old Mud, the Writer continued to work hard to meet tonight¡¯s word count:

    ¡°Ye Qing discovered Old Mud¡¯s n and tried to stop him, but tonight¡¯s wind was very naughty. So naughty, in fact, that it kicked up a pile of dust that blinded Ye Qing and slowed him for just a beat. This minor dy was enough for Old Mud to take control of the three Artifact Wielders and manipte them into attacking Ye Qing with the Miracle Doctor Cbash. And so Ye Qing¡­

    DIES!

    DIES!

    DIES!¡±

    The Writer¡¯sst three words were so potent that they bled ink. At the same time, an evil, unspeakable power rippled outward like the curse of a thousand wraiths.

    Whoosh!

    A gentle wind blew across the street, and it kicked up a pile of dust that just happened to hit Ye Qing squarely in the eye. It came as such a surprise that he slowed down a beat.

    ¡°I got dust in my eyes?! How is this even possible?¡±

    At this point, Ye Qing finally realized that something wasn¡¯t right. A moment before the ambush was sprung, he had slipped on a rock and crashed into the wall that was Old Mud. That was how the Stranger was able to devour him and nearly doomed him. Then, the restaurant he was passing through copsed without warning and forced him to dodge out of the way. As a result, Yin Woman was able to surprise him and almost killed him a second time.

    Now, a bloody gust of wind had kicked some dust into his eyes and dyed him at a critical moment. He, an Astral Refiner, had somehow been blinded by a bloody gust of wind! How was this even possible? Was tonight¡¯s wind really that naughty, or was a Stranger behind these series of inexplicable phenomenon? It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out the answer!

    He had thought that the mud Stranger was the biggest threat of them all, but no, this hidden Stranger was even worse!

 Chapter 166: Is It An Idiot?

    Chapter 166: Is It An Idiot?

    He had no doubt that Old Mud would make it to the Artifact Wielders first because of the dy. He could be nning to use them as hostages, or perhaps stealing the Miracle Doctor Cbash was what he had in mind. Neither scenario was good for him.

    If he took them as hostages, he would have to fight while taking their lives into consideration every step of the way.

    If he took the Miracle Doctor Cbash and ran, then he would be in deep trouble as well. A severe punishment would await him for losing the Strange Artifact even if he was a Patrolman.

    Worse still, Ye Qing kept having this bad feeling that the enemy¡¯s ploy wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed.

    In fact, he knew that using the three Artifact Wielders as hostages or stealing the Miracle Doctor Cbash were lousy ns.

    Old Mud could never escape so long as he was still on his trail. At best, he would dy the inevitable until reinforcements from the Pacification Bureau showed up.

    No, the only way the Stranger could get out of this situation was to kill him.

    Speaking of which, Old Mud really should¡¯ve escaped while he was busy dealing with Yin Woman. Now that Yin Woman had died, and Silver Toad was grievously injured, he had lost his best opportunity to escape Ye Qing. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he chose to rejoin the battle and attack the Artifact Wielders. Objectively speaking, it was easily the stupidest choice he could have made.

    Was Old Mud stupid?

    Obviously not.

    When a non-stupid person willingly chose to do something stupid, it could only mean that they were plotting something big. Or in this case, something murderous.

    The more Ye Qing thought about it, the more certain he grew. He might not know how his enemy was nning to kill him, but the possibility could not be ignored.

    Since he had a gist of the enemy¡¯s n, his newest priority was to kill the danger in its infancy. Whatever it was Old Mud was going to do, he needed to stop it now.

    Unfortunately, the minor dy allowed Old Mud to reach the three Artifact Wielders first. A pool of mud flowed up their legs as if it would swallow them whole.

    Ye Qing smirked when he saw this. A gong and a mallet abruptly appeared in his hands, and he smacked the gong with the mallet.

    Dang!

    An evil, unspeakable energy washed over the street as the sound of a gong reverberated in the air. The mud that was a moment away from covering the three Artifact Wielders whole suddenly froze in its tracks.

    Dang! Dang! Dang!

    Seeing that the gong sound was effective, Ye Qing immediately struck the gong again while walking toward hispanions. At the same time, the mud covering their bodies fell back to the ground.

    After reaching the three Artifact Wielders, Ye Qing stopped beating the gong and let out a tired sigh. His face looked a little pale as well.

    The gong and mallet he just used were none other than the Hatred-ss Strange Artifact he had obtained from theke bogey of Jade Spring Vige, the Soul Absorbing Gong. The gong was forged from Soul Bronze and could be used to attack another person¡¯s mind, influence their thoughts, disrupt or erase their memories, and even absorb their soul. The mallet was forged from Gloomy Wood and could be used to destroy astral qi and affect the cirction of one¡¯s energy and force.

    The Strange Artifact was as insidious as it was potent, but its ws were pretty significant. The gong sound was an indiscriminate attack that affected Ye Qing just as much as it affected the others. If he hadn¡¯t cultivated the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and grown a powerful spirit, he would never dare to use the Strange Artifact. Chances were, he would die before his enemy.

    Even now, hitting the gong six times in a row had taken a toll on him. It took him two deep breaths before he finally managed to quell the disjointed thoughts in his head and brought his foot down on the mud on the ground.

    The mud was Old Mud¡¯s true body. He was currently unresponsive because he was still battling against the influence of the Soul Absorbing Gong.

    Ye Qing was, and would always be, a believer of kicking an enemy when they were down.

    Perhaps the threat of death had injected a hint of rity back into his mind, but Old Mud just barely formed a massive hand in an attempt to block Ye Qing¡¯s barbaric stomp.

    Ye Qing paused and lifted his mallet. Then, he tapped it lightly against the huge hand.

    The mud hand crumbled away like dust, and Ye Qing sessfully stamped his foot on Old Mud.

    Boom!

    It sounded like a celestial was using the ground as a drum. The earth shook, and Old Mud scattered into bits.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t done though. He unleashed the Burning Wind and burned the scattering mud into dust, leaving no trace behind.

    Just like that, another Stranger bit the dust.

    The moment Old Mud died, the Writer¡¯s writing disappeared one by one as if erased by some sort of invisible power, but not the three ¡°Dies¡±. Instead, they flew into the Writer¡¯s body and caused its aura to plummet. It was as if its curse had backfired on it.

    Back on the streets, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath to stabilize his energies and stomped the ground once more. No, it wasn¡¯t because Old Mud was still alive. It was because Silver Toad was gathering its energy to break out of its earthly confinements again. Unfortunately for the poor Stranger, the force of Ye Qing¡¯s attack and his Burning Wind knocked it right back to where it started.

    Patience. Your turn wille eventually.

    Without further ado, Ye Qing pulsed his spirit and searched for the fourth hidden Stranger.

    The Stranger¡¯s ability was easily one of the strangest he had ever encountered in his life. He could not rest easy until they were dead.

    While he was searching for the Writer, the Writer was fuming at its failure to kill Ye Qing. Once again, it was writing up a storm,

    ¡°Ye Qing managed to find my hiding spot, but he didn¡¯t notice that an Artifact Wielder was slowly opening the bronze box and activating the Miracle Doctor Cbash. As a result, the miracle doctor¡¯s soul emerged and killed Ye Qing.

    KILL!

    KILL!

    KILL!¡±

    Thest three words were as red as blood. They also gave off a frightening and murderous aura. When theynded on the invisible parchment the Writer was writing on, the walls, the rooftop, the floor and more started bleeding bright red blood like the bloody shirt Stranger hade back to life. The insane mutterings and howls of countless vengeful spirits quickly filled the room as well.

    ¡°Found you!¡±

    There was no way Ye Qing could miss such a huge pulse of energy even if he wasn¡¯t actively searching for it. He was just about to dash over to the Stranger when suddenly, he sensed a terrifying pulse of energy behind him. He looked behind just in time to see an Artifact Wielder activating the Miracle Doctor Cbash and summoning the miracle doctor¡¯s soul.

    When did he¡ª?

    Before Ye Qing could figure out what was going on, the miracle doctor¡¯s soul waved a hand and showered him in a sheen of wless light. The next second, his astral qi was fully restored, injuries disappeared like they never happened.

    At the same time, the Writer¡¯s curse vanished line by line. Then, the brush started shaking as every drop of blood and vengeful spirits in the house entered its body in an instant. It continued to shake as tiny cracks slowly formed across its body. It looked like it might shatter into pieces at any moment.

    ¡°Ahahaha! Is that Stranger an idiot?¡±

    It didn¡¯t take much for Ye Qing to figure out the truth. The mysterious Stranger had taken control of the Artifact Wielder in hopes of killing him with the Miracle Doctor Cbash. Unfortunately, they had no idea that the Miracle Doctor Cbash would never lose control so long as three people with medical expertise were present. That was why the miracle doctor¡¯s soul had healed him instead.

    Ye Qing was very impressed. It wasn¡¯t everyday you encountered a Stranger who dug their own grave after all.

    ¡°Hmm? What is¡­ oh, did the curse backfire on them?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise when the evil energy he sensed suddenly fell into disarray.

    It made sense. Its power to manipte events was extremely uncanny. Of course it would have some sort of limitation.

    If this isn¡¯t my cue to end the bastard¡¯s sorry life, I don¡¯t know what is.

    Ye Qing was about to take off when suddenly, he recalled something and turned around. Then, he put the Miracle Doctor Cbash back into the bronze box and carried it on his back. It was only then he made his way toward the Writer.

    He was so close to achieving a total victory. Thest thing he wanted was some random thief to steal the Miracle Doctor Cbash at thest moment and ruin everything.

    As Ye Qing raced toward the house, the floor tiles, the roof tiles, the debris from the surrounding ruins and more suddenly lifted into the air and shot toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°Heh¡­ too weak.¡±

    Ye Qing sneered and threw a punch at the iing debris. The Burning Wind and his fist force easily vaporized it all into dust.

    At the same time, a writing brush flew out of the house and dripped an unbelievable amount of ink from its brush end. The ink rippled out in a circle before they hit the ground and dyedrge patches of the sky ck in an instant.

    The real problem, however, was that the ink seemed to possess spirit-insting qualities. He was unable to detect the brush with his spirit.

    Ye Qing frowned. It was clear that the hair brush Stranger was trying to escape, but if he could not sense where it was going, then there was a real chance he might lose it.

    It was at this moment a vellum slipped out of his shirt and plunged head first into the curtain of ink.

    ¡°The Annon Sutra?!¡±

    It took Ye Qing a full second to realize what just happened. He had imagined countless things since arriving in this world, but he never thought that the Annon Sutra would suddenly leave him one day.

    He didn¡¯t even know the Annon Sutra could move on its own. The only time the vellum showed any reaction at all was when he asked it questions. How could he not be shocked by this turn of events?

    More than shocked, Ye Qing was gripped by an unprecedented level of panic, loss, and fear.

    Was he afraid that the Annon Sutra would leave him forever?

    Was he afraid that he would be all alone?

    Was he afraid that he would no longer have anyone to rely on?

    Or was it all of the above?

    He felt like a kid who suddenly lost his parents. One day he was still a superhero defeating evil and saving the world, and the next it was him against the whole wide world¡ªlonely, bewildered, and overwhelmed.

    The Annon Sutra was practically a parent to him. Since the first day he came to this world, the vellum had been a big part of his life. It had kept himpany, guided him, grown with him, walked with him through thick and thin¡­

    He might have been suspicious of the Strange Artifact before¡ªand he still was, if he were to bepletely honest with himself¡ªbut there was no doubt in his mind that it was his protector, his friend, and his family.

    So what if he was an Astral Refiner now? So what if he wasn¡¯t so weak that a stiff breeze could blow him over anymore?

    He could be the strongest man in the entire world, and losing the Annon Sutra would still hurt him deeply.

    A loss was a loss. [1]

    ¡°W-Where are you going, Annon Sutra? Big brother! C-Come back!¡± Ye Qing shouted as he gave chase, voice shaky and fearful. He felt as if his soul had been emptied.

    Right before Ye Qing would plunge into the curtain of ink, the ink was suddenly pulled toward a certain direction as if drawn by an invisible power. It was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    Ye Qing immediately saw the Annon Sutra and the writing brush floating in the air. The writing brush was leaking ink from its brush onto the Annon Sutra¡ªor rather, the Annon Sutra was absorbing its ink.

    The ink disappeared as soon as it hit the vellum. It was way faster than when it had absorbed Ye Qing¡¯s blood. The Writer shook and struggled to break free from the Annon Sutra¡¯s invisible hold, but it was futile.

    At some point, the Writer stopped strugglingpletely. Then, as if it had lost its final sliver of life, its wooden body rotted, and its brush wilted like grass. Finally, it shatteredpletely and crumbled into dust.

    The Annon Sutra¡­ killed a Stranger on its own? I wonder if it would give dragon-serpent runes this way? Ye Qing thought distractedly.

    With that done, the Annon Sutra flew back into Ye Qing¡¯s hands.

    1. Personally, I think this is one of the best scenes of the story. ?

 Chapter 167: Orbit of Fate

    Chapter 167: Orbit of Fate

    ¡°Phew¡­ I haven¡¯t raised you for nothing after all.¡± Ye Qing caressed the vellum and let out a long sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t know what it would do had the Annon Sutra really left him, but that didn¡¯t matter anymore. Everything was fine now.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve changed much though?¡± Ye Qing gave it a look-over to see if anything had changed about the vellum. It felt smoother and looked a little more mysterious than before, but that was it. On the surface, it still looked very much like an ordinary piece of vellum.

    I¡¯ll ask about it when I get back.

    It would be nice if the Annon Sutra underwent an upgrade, but he wouldn¡¯t mind even if it was the same as before. He folded the vellum into a square and slipped it against his heart. A gentle pat and another sigh of reliefter, he looked into the sky. The night was still young, and the moon was bright. He then turned his attention to the ground.

    It was finally time to eliminate the final Stranger.

    Rumble!

    Unfortunately, he had wasted a little too much time dealing with the brush Stranger. A fair distance away from Ye Qing, a patch of earth suddenly turned swollen as if something was pushing out of it. Then, a giant toad¡¯s head burst out into the open.

    The Stranger looked nowhere as imposing as it was at the beginning, however. Its silvery scales had melted into liquid, and the silver was mixed with a lot of red as well. It was obviously blood.

    ¡°Croak croak!¡±

    As soon as Silver Toad climbed back to the surface, it immediately let out a deafening croak that copsed a whole swathe of buildings.

    ¡°Bastard!¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes dangerously. Although Eminence Street was a business area with more shops than houses, that hardly meant that the area was uninhabited. Heavens only know how many people the Stranger had killed or injured with its croak.

    ¡°Seal!¡±

    Right before Ye Qing could throw himself into battle, a clear and sonorous voice suddenly caught his attention. He turned and saw a man standing on a rooftop and holding a golden brush. He was none other than Lin Yuhuai.

    Clearly, the Pacification Bureau had finally picked up on themotion and sent someone to help him.

    Lin Yuhuai wrote the word at the same time he cried out the word, ¡°Seal!¡± As soon as he finished thest stroke, golden light burst out of the word and transformed into chains the size of a human arm. They wrapped around Silver Toad and bound it in just the blink of an eye!

    ¡°Croak croak!¡±

    Silver Toad kept croaking and discharged a devastating shockwave. However, it wasn¡¯t enough to break through the formless, seemingly illusory chains.

    ¡°Suppress!¡±

    Seeing that Silver Toad was still struggling, Lin Yuhuai calmly wrote the word ¡°Suppress¡± and caused a massive stele to fall from the sky.

    The stele looked weathered and ancient. One side of the stele was engraved with patterns of flowers, birds, fishes and dragons, and the other side was engraved with the two words, ¡°Demon Subjugation¡±. Silver Toad abruptly stopped struggling, and it slowly shrank until it was only as big as a palm. Then, the stele vanished as if its work here was done.

    ¡°It is said that talismans are an expression of thews of reality. I didn¡¯t know Lin Yuhuai is a talisman master, and that he¡¯s reached the level where he could inscribe on nothing and turn fiction to reality. I definitely should stay on his good side.¡±

    ¡°Inscribe on nothing¡± referred to the fact that Lin Yuhuai could write or draw a talisman without having to rely on conventional items such as a writing brush, cinnabar, yellow papers, ink and so on. He had reached the level where he could borrow the power of nature directly to create his talismans. ¡°Turn fiction to reality¡± referred to the fact that he could bring physical objects into existence with his talismans. The stele was just one example. At a high enough level, he could also recreate rivers, mountains, stars, moons, suns and more. It was obvious that Lin Yuhuai¡¯s attainment in the way of talismans was incredibly high.

    ¡°Are you alright, Joyless?¡± Lin YUhuai jumped down the roof and went over to Ye Qing after sealing Silver Toad.

    Ye Qing shook his head and smiled. ¡°Thank you for your concern, but I¡¯m alright. It¡¯ll take more than a handful of small fries to kill me.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai was silent for a moment. Judging from the lingering auras on the battlefield, at least four Hatred-ss Strangers had attacked Ye Qing at the same time. However, they were apparently just ¡°small fries¡± to the Patrolman. Were the Strangers really that useless, or did Joyless allow his aplishment to get into his head a little too much?

    That said, Lin Yuhuai wasn¡¯t in the habit of roasting someone, so he ignored the boasting and asked, ¡°What on earth happened here?¡±

    Jokes aside, Ye Qing immediately told Lin Yuhuai everything that had happened tonight except the little interaction between the Annon Sutra and the Writer.

    For once, the normally genial man looked murderous when he heard Ye Qing¡¯s story until the end. ¡°How dare these Strangers attack a member of the Pacification Bureau openly. Hmph! I suppose it¡¯s about time we do a thorough clean-up of Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°By the way, you did really well to survive the ambush of four Hatred-ss Strangers. Anyone else at your level would¡¯ve perished a long time ago, but not only did you turn it around, you even managed to kill three of them. You really are an extraordinary warrior.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°You tter me, Brother Lin. Oh right! We should attend to ourpanions first! They¡¯re not beyond saving, right?¡± Ye Qing pointed at the three Artifact Wielders.

    Lin Yuhuai strode up to them and inspected them closely. He then gave Ye Qing the good news, ¡°They¡¯re fine. They are injured in body and mind, but they will recover.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai waved his sleeves slightly and threw out a talisman. It transformed into a ball of green light and showered the Artifact Wielders with its light. Once the cold energy inside their bodies was expelled, the trio eventually regained their consciousness.

    ¡°My lords¡­ are those Strangers¡­?¡±

    As expected of professionals, all three Artifact Wielders eyed their surroundings warily as soon as they woke up.

    Lin Yuhuai assured them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All four Strangers have been captured or killed.¡±

    It was only then they let out a sigh of relief.

    Ye Qing handed the bronze box holding the Miracle Doctor Cbash back to the three Artifact Wielders. Then, he looked at the frozen toad a short distance away from them and asked, ¡°What do we do with this silver toad, Brother Lin?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°Since it is an intelligent Stranger, I¡¯m going to take it back to the Pacification Bureau and see if our interrogators can pry the locations of its fellow rats out of its mouth. It would be great if it gives us useful information, but if not we will simply throw it into prison.¡±

    ¡°You mean the Strange Prison? It¡¯ll just be a waste of resources!¡± Ye Qing eximed in mock disbelief, ¡°I¡¯d rather you give it to me if you can¡¯t find anything!¡±

    The Strange Prison was, as its name might suggest, a prison for Strangers. Although most Strangers were hostile toward humans, some of them possessed special abilities that were incredibly useful. For example, some Strangers¡¯ blood could be used to create medicine and draw powerful talismans, some Strangers¡¯ flesh could be consumed to improve a warrior¡¯s power, some Strangers¡¯ hair served as excellent materials to create a Strange Artifact, so on and so forth.

    Rather than killing them outright, the humans thought it was better to keep them in captivity and maximize their usefulness so to speak.

    The Toads of Cornucopia¡ªthe rarer Silver Toad of Cornucopia no less¡ªpossessed the innate ability to draw luck and fortune to its owner. Although the Pacification Bureau was hardlycking in either department, it just barely crossed the line of being more useful alive than dead.

    ¡°Do you have a use for it, Joyless?¡± Lin Yuhuai thought he knew what Ye Qing was aiming for. ¡°Are you nning to start a business or something?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°What? Of course not! I just want to end its life with my own hands!¡±

    Money? Why would he want its money when he could have its life? Specifically, the dragon-serpent runes its life would turn into?

    ¡°Oh¡­ I understand now. You may do with the Silver Toad as you wish, Brother Ye,¡± Lin Yuhuai nodded agreeably.

    Ye Qing had no idea what Lin Yuhuai ¡°understood¡± from his reply¡ªmaybe he thought he wanted to take revenge for the ambush or something?¡ªbut as long as he got his dragon-serpent runes, then all was well.

    Noticing that Ye Qing was looking a little tired, Lin Yuhuai offered, ¡°You look like you can use some rest, Joyless. I¡¯ll take over from here.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t turn him down. He saluted the talisman master and said, ¡°Thanks, Brother Lin.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    And so Ye Qing and Lin Yuhuai bade goodbye, though they didn¡¯t part ways until they had escorted the three Artifact Wielders back to the Pacification Bureau and returned the Miracle Doctor Cbash safely to the Tower of Secrets because it was on the way. Only then did Ye Qing finally return to his residence.

    It was way past midnight by the time he got home. Wawa and Kung Fu Frog had gone to bed ages ago, though Faceless was still awake and waiting for him. As soon as he returned, he immediately served him a big bowl of thick noodles and a jar of Pear Blossom wine. The noodles were delicious, and the wine was intoxicating. Thebination was so good that it wiped the day¡¯s fatigue away.

    ¡°Now, if only there is a beautiful woman to finish the picture!¡± Ye Qing sighed as hey down on a bench. Despite the fantastic supper and the beautiful moon outside the window, Ye Qing felt like he wasn¡¯t quite satisfied yet. Faceless could take the form of a beautiful woman, but it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that he was a boring man on the inside.

    ¡°Oh right, I should ask the Annon Sutra if it had gotten an upgrade after absorbing the Writer.¡±

    Ye Qing made sure that the doors and windows were closed before pulling out the Annon Sutra. Then, he spat a mouthful of blood on the vellum and asked, ¡°Did the Annon Sutra gain some new abilities after absorbing the brush Stranger [1]?¡±

    The Annon Sutra didn¡¯t react though. Thinking that it just needed more blood, Ye Qing spent the next few minutes throring up at least dozens of mouthfuls of blood. Still, the Annon Sutra didn¡¯t react at all.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t it reacting? Was I mistaken after all?¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit disappointed. What a waste of my red hot passion, he thought [2]. Right before he was about to give up though, rows and rows of bloody text finally appeared on the vellum¡¯s surface,

    ¡°The Annon Sutra devoured the Writer tonight, and it looked like it had undergone some changes.¡±

    ¡°After a careful examination, I discovered that the Annon Sutra had gained an ability that is simr to the Writer¡¯s. To put it simply, it could influence the orbit of a person¡¯s fate to a certain degree. Hence, I decided to name it the Orbit of Fate.¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes when he saw this. What do you mean I named it? You¡¯re the one who named it, not me! The Orbit of Fate is a cool ability though.

    He knew first hand just how potent the Writer¡¯s ability was. It was unpredictable, unfathomable, and impossible to guard against. If he used this ability while fighting against any opponent, it would be like cursing them with an Incense of Misfortune. It would be an absolute nightmare for his enemy.

    While Ye Qing was imagining all sorts of unspeakably monstrous ideas to screw over his enemies, the Annon Sutra continued,

    ¡°All things in existence have a cause, effect, and fate. The intersection of all three is what makes a being¡¯s orbit of fate. By expending a corresponding amount of dragon-serpent runes, the Annon Sutra can, to a certain degree, alter the orbit of fate of everything including gods, demons, Strangers, humans, animals and more. Fortune or misfortune, life or death, the Annon Sutra can decide it all.¡±

    ¡°P.S. The more dragon-serpent runes you spend, the bigger the potency of the Orbit of Fate.¡±

    ¡°P.P.S. Do you know that I can secretly change your fate?¡±

    ¡°The Orbit of Fate! Holy shit!¡± Ye Qing burst out in uncontroble excitement. To say that this ability was overpowered would be an understatement, but¡­

    ¡°Why does it need dragon-serpent runes to activate?¡± Ye Qing groaned. The dragon-serpent runes he earned wasn¡¯t even enough for himself, and now he got a new ability that was obviously going to consume a ton of dragon-serpent runes. It¡¯s like I¡¯m back in university all over again!

    The Annon Sutra had made it very clear that the potency of the Orbit of Fate was directly proportional to the amount of dragon-serpent runes that were spent. He was pretty sure that the cost would go way up if his target was exceptionally strong.

    He could practically hear the Annon Sutra saying: Prepare your dragon-serpent runes, young man! I¡¯ming for it!

    Fuck my life!

    1. Author put the Writer here, but Ye Qing shouldn¡¯t know the Writer¡¯s name because he hadn¡¯t checked with the Annon Sutra yet. It doesn¡¯t look like he recognized the Writer either, only its abilities. ?

    2. No, the Annon Sutra is just squeezing you for all you¡¯re worth. ?

 Chapter 168: Corpse Wax and Story Time

    Chapter 168: Corpse Wax and Story Time

    Ye Qing lifted his head and let out a long sigh. Not even in this life could he escape a life of hard work. No wonder people said that joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin.

    A moment of self-pitying and self-absorptionter, Ye Qing recollected his feelings and thought about the zombies.

    The situation was currently under control, and the Pacification Bureau had invested additional manpower to search the entiremandery for anyone who showed any sign of changing into a zombie. For now, Luo Shui should not be in danger of turning into another Racoon City.

    That said, they still hadn¡¯t discovered the reason why some people had suddenly transformed into giant zombies. So long as they find the root cause a zombie outbreak would always be lurking around the corner.

    Luckily, Ye Qing had a one-stop solution at hand. Biting his tongue and spraying the Annon Sutra in blood once more, he asked, ¡°Why did Deng Qiang transform into a giant zombie?¡±

    Generally speaking, the more specific and simple the question, the clearer the answer the Annon Sutra would provide. Otherwise, the piece of vellum might refuse to answer altogether.

    Blood red text began to appear on the Annon Sutra¡¯s surface:

    ¡°A lot of people had transformed into zombies today. After a thorough investigation, I discovered that the reason they changed is because they were infected by the likes of Deng Qiang.¡±

    ¡°But why did Deng Qiang transform into a giant zombie to begin with? Was it caused by a Stranger or a human? And was it an unfortunate ident or a devious conspiracy? Regardless, I fear that something bad will happen if I do not solve this mystery in time.¡±

    ¡°But what should I do? Perhaps my examination of Deng Qiang was a little too cursory. I should sniff his body and taste his flesh. It might reveal an important clue.¡±

    ¡°Ayo what the fuck?¡± Ye Qing was so stunned by the Annon Sutra¡¯s advice that he broke character for a second. Goosebumps popped out of his skin the moment he recalled the disgusting corpse wax leaking out of the giant zombie¡¯s body. He would never smell another giant zombie in his life if he could help it, much less ¡°taste¡± his flesh. Not in this life, not in the next, not ever!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Can you sniff this, Joyless?¡±

    At Heavenly Heart Clinic, Feng Qingyou handed a bowl of liquid to Ye Qing. It was oily, slimy, and unsavory-looking in general. He quickly found out that the smell was far worse than its appearance might suggest.

    ¡°Ugh! It stinks! What the hell is this thing?¡± Ye Qing immediately moved the bowl away and pinched his nose after catching a whiff.

    ¡°I see. Now try sniffing this one.¡±

    ¡°Do I have to?¡±

    Yesterday, a fuming Ye Qing had gone to bed after receiving a most disgusting answer from the Annon Sutra. When he woke up in the morning, he immediately traveled to Heavenly Heart Clinic. It was because Deng Qiang was probably the first ever giant zombie, and Feng Qingyou had had a whole night to research him. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she had found a clue or two knowing how smart the woman was.

    However, the first thing he saw after stepping through the door was Feng Qingyou holding two bowls of indescribable liquid in her hands. When she saw him, she immediately asked him to taste the liquid.

    Ye Qing turned her down respectfully yet firmly as a matter of course, but she changed her request to sniffing them instead. Realizing that this was probably serious, he ultimately manned up and sniffed the bowls of liquid as she requested.

    He regretted his decision immediately. The stench was so bad he felt like it had polluted his very soul.

    After he was done gagging, Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s the difference between these two bowls of liquid?¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment and answered, ¡°One of them smells worse, and the other less so. Seriously, Qingyou, what the hell are these things?¡±

    Feng Qingyou set down the bowls and shot him a beautiful smile, ¡°They are corpse wax.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ye Qing immediately felt like his soul was polluted twice over.

    ¡°Corpse wax? And you were going to make me taste them?¡±

    Is this an assassination attempt?

    Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°I needed a test subject, and you just happened to be around. Someone has to sacrifice themselves for the advancement of medicine, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you test it yourself then?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    Feng Qingyou replied indifferently, ¡°Because I¡¯m the doctor. I can save you if something happens to you, but you can¡¯t save me if something happens to me, can you?¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t say anything to that.

    Then, Feng Qingyou added, ¡°Also, it smells putrid.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at her. He might¡¯ve ranted, but the disgusting smell had sapped away all of his energy.

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes curled into shapely crescents at Ye Qing¡¯s deted appearance. Even now, she looked as beautiful and weing as the moon. ¡°Fine, I shan¡¯t keep you on tenterhooks anymore. The two corpse waxes are not the same. One of them is ordinary corpse wax extracted from a deceased human, and the other one was extracted from Deng Qiang.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. A hint of inspiration shed through his mind, and the fog of mystery began to fade bit by bit.

    Feng Qingyou pointed at the bowls of corpse waxes on the table. ¡°On the surface, it looked like there was no difference between the two. But as you said, one of them has a thicker stench, and the other doesn¡¯t. The one with a thicker stench belongs to Deng Qiang.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, Deng Qiang¡¯s corpse wax is mixed with a strange power so faint that it¡¯s almost undetectable.¡±

    Ye Qing subconsciously asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that Deng Qiang¡¯s corpse wax is the real reason he changed into a zombie, and why he could infect others and change them into zombies as well?¡±

    He was sure Feng Qingyou had already found out about the zombie outbreaks that had taken ce throughout themandery.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed. ¡°Last night, I fed Deng Qiang¡¯s corpse wax to a rabbit. The rabbit quickly turned into a zombie just like the changed civilians.¡±

    Poor rabbit. Your death will save many lives though.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Ye Qing eximed in joy before asking curiously, ¡°But how did you find out something is wrong with the corpse wax, Qingyou?¡±

    She answered, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Remember what I said about corpse wax? It is a substance that takes form when a body has dposed so much that the fat is leaking. In other words, corpse wax could only be found in dead bodies that have dposed for a very long time.¡±

    ¡°While Deng Qiang is dead, he has only been dead for a while. One could even argue that he is still alive. Therefore, his corpse wax can onlye from somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Somewhere else?¡±

    Feng Qingyouunched into an exnation, ¡°You wanted to know why we went to pick the Fruits of Living and Deathst night, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s because the Fruit of Living possesses more properties than just regenerating flesh and restoring energy; one that only a handful of people are aware of. The Fruit of Living is extremely sensitive toward certain energies and can be used as some sort of detector. When I used it on Deng Qiang, it had responded to the corpse wax on his person.¡±

    ¡°After repeated examinations, I discovered that the energy itself is some sort of unusual corpse wax. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Deng Qiang had probably consumed something that was stained with this corpse wax, or made contact with it in some other way. As a result, the unusual corpse wax was able to take root inside of him, corrupt his body, and mutate it into a form that could create its own corpse wax. The unusual corpse wax became nigh undetectable after it was diluted by Deng Qiang¡¯s own corpse wax.¡±

    ¡°Also, the unusual corpse wax is the real reason behind the civilians¡¯ transformation.¡±

    Now Ye Qing understood why Feng Qingyou had purposely ventured into the ck White Forest to pluck the Fruits of Living and Death. He was so impressed he couldn¡¯t help but shoot her an admiring look. If he was the chatan who pretended to be Sherlock Holmes by using the Annon Sutra, then Feng Qingyou was the real deal who figured out everything practically from the get go. The only reason she waited until now to reveal the truth was because she needed to collect the evidence to prove it.

    How awesome was that?

    ¡°Thanks, Qingyou. With this, I can finally solve this problem once and for all.¡±

    ¡°Solve?¡± Feng Qingyou seemed surprised by his confidence. ¡°I might have figured out that the unusual corpse wax is the root cause behind Deng Qiang¡¯s transformation, but that¡¯s all. I have never seen anything like it, nor do I know of its origin. I do not think we have enough information to locate the mastermind behind this just yet.¡±

    Ye Qing shot her an enigmatic smile but said nothing. What Feng Qingyou said was perfectly true, but he was the man with the Annon Sutra. Now that he knew exactly what had caused Deng Qiang and the others to change, all he needed to do was to ask the Annon Sutra where the corpse wax hade from, follow the clues to the mastermind, and then profit!

    ¡°Anyway, thanks again, Qingyou! Wait for my good news!¡±

    Ye Qing waved and dashed out of the door. He was gone just like that.

    ¡°Strange?¡± Feng Qingyou furrowed her brow slightly as she stared at the empty exit. She couldn¡¯t understand why Ye Qing was so confident that he could solve the case.

    Her puzzlement was quickly reced by a warm smile though. It looked like a mountain after a good rain; clear and pure.¡±

    After Ye Qing left the Heavenly Heart Clinic, he traveled to a secluded spot and took out the Annon Sutra. Then, he spat his blood on it and asked, ¡°Where did the corpse wax that caused Deng Qiang to changee from?¡±

    The blood slowly vanished into the vellum, and lines of text rose to the surface. However, the words were blurry and unreadable.

    Ye Qing knew this was the Annon Sutra¡¯s way of saying that it needed more blood, so he spat out another dozen mouthfuls. The amount of blood essence he spat was enough to put any other Astral Refiner in bed for half a month, but it was nothing to him thanks to his unique constitution.

    There was one thing that concerned him though. The fact that it took so much blood to get the Annon Sutra to reveal the answer meant that the mastermind must be very powerful. Whateveres next, he would have to be very careful.

    The blood red text grew clearer and clearer until finally. Ye Qing could read them,

    ¡°There is a legend in Luo Shui that goes something like this. Every full moon, a mysterious cook would appear in the streets of Luo Shui. Only those who are kind, noble-hearted, or lucky would have a chance to meet him.¡±

    ¡°The mysterious cook would cook a delicious meal based on his customer¡¯s preference, and it is said that his meals are so impressive that it is like paradise on earth. Not only is the food perfect in terms of appearance, smell, and taste, it could imbue feelings of joy and hope in its customers. The pessimistic would feel joy, the optimistic would feel ecstasy, and the indifferent woulde to learn the beauty of this world. It is a wonderful experience that satisfies both the body and the spirit.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, the mysterious cook does not charge a single coin for his services. He would simply favor his customers with a smile and disappear into the night.¡±

    ¡°... That¡¯s it? That¡¯s all you want to tell me, Annon Sutra? You¡¯re not toying with me, are you?¡±

    The Annon Sutra had told him a story about delicious food and hope. It was a simple but beautiful story with dreamlike qualities. In terms of quality, he would rate it a solid 8 out of 10.

    There was just a teensy, weensy problem though¡ªthis wasn¡¯t what he asked for!

    I asked you for a clue, and you gave me a story? Whatever shall I do with you, Anon Sutra?

    Ye Qing sighed and put away the vellum. Then, he started mulling over the story.

    A whileter, he came to the conclusion that¡­ It was just a story. Nothing more, nothing less. That said, the mysterious cook was a central figure to the story. Assuming he wasn¡¯t overthinking this, the Annon Sutra was saying that he must find the mysterious cook first before he could locate the source of the unusual corpse wax.

    So¡­ where the heck was he going to find this cook?

 Chapter 169: Incense of Fortune

    Chapter 169: Incense of Fortune

    The Annon Sutra had given him a few obvious clues in its story:

    One, a full moon.

    Two, a kind, noble-hearted or lucky person.

    And three, the streets of Luo Shui.

    The Annon Sutra had provided him with the time, ce, and people. It was now up to him how to make use of them.

    There was a problem though. Out of the three clues, the only one that was truly useful was the first clue.

    The second clue imed that only a kind, noble-hearted or lucky person would have a chance to meet the mysterious cook, but there were many people who fit into either one or all three criterias. He himself was a kind, noble-hearted and lucky person if he said so himself, but could he say for certain that he would be able to find the mysterious cook? Nope! In other words, it waspletely up to luck.

    The third clue that imed that the mysterious cook would appear in the streets of Luo Shui was just as useless. Themandery was connected by countless main streets and small alleyways. Even if the Pacification Bureau deployed every man and woman to search for the mysterious cook, the chances they would be able to find him was minimal at best. Even half of Luo Shui was still too much for the Pacification Bureau to keep watch.

    Finally, the Annon Sutra told him nothing about the mysterious cook¡¯s appearance or characteristics, meaning that there was no way to tell if he had found the right person. Was it trying to make his life difficult or something?

    In any case, a brute force, human sea attack wouldn¡¯t work here. He¡¯d need to think of something else.

    Even if a human sea attack would work, he highly doubted that Gu Suitang would allow him to carry out such a massive operation based on a story alone. It wasn¡¯t like he could show the chief the Annon Sutra and say, ¡°Look! This is the super duper Strange Artifact I used to locate the culprit!¡±

    In the end, he could only rely on himself.

    But how am I going to find this cook when it looks like luck is the only thing that ma¡­ wait a second.

    ¡°Luck?¡±

    Ye Qing massaged his forehead to jog his memory. He seemed to remember that he had something that could boost¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s right! The Incense of Fortune!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled the Incense of Fortune of the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±. The Incense of Fortune didn¡¯t just boost one¡¯s luck, it could be used to search a specific thing as well. Back in Anyang, he had used it to track down the Soul Eater. If he used the Incense of Fortune, he might just be able to increase his chances of finding the mysterious cook.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    His smile quickly crumpled for one simple reason: the item had more or less run its course. After he used it to track down the Soul Eater, it had shrunk to the length of a finger. It might be enough to search for an ordinary person, but the mysterious cook? He highly doubted that it would be enough.

    In other words, he needed to make a new Incense of Fortune.

    The good news was that there were still six days before a full moon rises. That should be enough time for him to create the incense.

    ording to the ¡°Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods¡±, he needed a Lucky Flower, a clump of hair from the head of an Infant Rabbit, a Coin of Cornucopia, a strip of tree bark from a century-old Wishing Tree, a bottle of Eternal me [1]mp oil, a drop of agate from the Moon Seeing Stone, and a tuft of Grass of Beneficence.

    The tuft of Grass of Beneficence, the tree bark of a century-old Wishing Tree, and the bottle of Eternal me were easy to procure. A so-called Grass of Beneficence was basically any nt that grew out of the Forest of Beneficence of some Literary Temples, Martial Temples, or ancestral halls. The century-old Wishing Tree referred to any tree that the people gave their wishes to. There were wishing trees for rtionship, luck, health, fortune and more, and they could normally be found in temples and simr sites.

    Themp oil of an Eternal me could usually be found in a temple as well. A so-called Eternal me was a specialmp people used to pray for blessings.

    In and of itself, these three items were nothing special. The only reason they came to gain certain powers was because they received the worship, prayers and wishes of humans all year long. No one would miss them even if he were to procure some of them.

    He already had the hair of an Infant Rabbit and the Coin of Cornucopia as well. Although the Infant Rabbit was a rare Stranger, he luckily had run into one on his way to Luo Shui and procured its hair a long time ago. As for the Coin of Cornucopia, the Bronze Coin of Cornucopia he obtained from the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia after killing it would work perfectly.

    The Lucky Flower and the agate of a Moon Seeing Stone were a different story though. The Lucky Flower was an extremely rare Stranger not because their numbers were few, but because it was incredibly difficult to find them.

    It might sound obvious, but a Lucky Flower was very lucky. Its innate luck drastically lowered its chances of being discovered by a human or a Stranger and being harmed as a result. That was why few people ever managed to find a Lucky Flower.

    The agate of a Moon Seeing Stone was even rarer than a Lucky Flower, however. The Moon Seeing Stone was a spirit stone that gradually gained unique characteristics after basking in the sun and moon for years. As it contained the essence of the sun and moon, it was a precious resource that could be used to cultivate a cultivation art rting to the sun and moon, hone one¡¯s physique, forge Strange Artifacts and more.

    The agate of a Moon Seeing Stone was the culmination of all the sun and moon essence that a Moon Seeing Stone had absorbed. Moon Seeing Stones weren¡¯t too umon, but the agate of a Moon Seeing Stone definitely was. It could only be found in locations whererge numbers of Moon Seeing Stones were exposed to the sun and moon all year long. It was also why people often said that it took a decade to turn a stone into a Moon Seeing Stone, but a century to sow agate in a Moon Seeing Stone.

    The agate of a Moon Seeing Stone was liquid, and it contained a lot more sun and moon essence than an ordinary Moon Seeing Stone. Naturally, it was incredibly precious.

    To find the mysterious cook, he must create an Incense of Misfortune, and to create an Incense of Misfortune, he must find the Lucky Flower and the agate of a Moon Seeing Stone. If he could not procure these ingredients, then this case might never be solved.

    Luckily, he wasn¡¯t fighting alone anymore. He was now a man with an organization behind his back. Considering how powerful the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui was, they might very well have everything he needed in their vault already. It would save him a lot of trouble if that was the case.

    His mind made up, Ye Qing put away the Annon Sutra and traveled to the Pacification Bureau immediately. He then sought out Lin Yuhuai and told him about the ingredients he needed to make the Incense of Fortune.

    Lin Yuhuai pondered for a moment and exined, ¡°The Grass of Beneficence could be found in the Forest of Beneficence of the White Horse Academy. The tree bark of a century-old Wishing Tree could be obtained from the trees at the Child Deliverance Guanyin Temple or the Yue Lao Shrine at the Marriage Lane. Themp oil of an Eternal me can be procured from the Iron Buddha Temple or Water Moon Nunnery.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, these items are quitemon. I can gather them for you myself. We also have the Lucky Flower in our vault. You simply need to pay a certain number of contribution points to get it.¡±

    ¡°The agate of the Moon Seeing Stone is a problem. We used to have a lot of agate in our vault, but Chief Gu used them all to hone his body, so¡­¡± Lin Yuhuai¡¯s smile turned apologetic as he trailed off.

    ¡°Thank you regardless, Brother Lin.¡±

    Ye Qing was a bit disappointed that he wasn¡¯t able to get everything he needed from the Pacification Bureau, but it wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t expected this. If anything, he should count his lucky stars that he didn¡¯t need to search for the Lucky Flower as well.

    The contribution points Lin Yuhuai mentioned was a form of reward system that the Pacification Bureau implemented. Contribution Points was a form of currency within the Pacification Bureau, and all of its members were awarded a certain amount of contribution points for killing Strangers,pleting quests that were issued by the Pacification Bureau and so on. They could use these contribution points to exchange for Strange Artifacts, medicine, manuals, spirit materials, restrictions, intel and more.

    Although he had only joined the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui a few days ago, he was a Patrolman with almost five hundred contribution points thanks to all the Strangers he killed recently. He had more than enough to pay for a Lucky Flower.

    ¡°Alright. I guess I should start looking for the agate,¡± dered Ye Qing before asking, ¡°Do you know where I might obtain the agate of a Moon Seeing Stone, Brother Lin?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°You can try inquiring the major businesses about it, but honestly? Don¡¯t get your hopes too high. A Moon Seeing Stone is one thing, but its agate us usually sold as soon as it was put on disy.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Got it. ¡±

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot,¡± Lin Yuhuai eximed as he recalled a sudden memory, ¡°It¡¯ll be the Longtaitou Festival in another two days, and the Strange Market will open then. You might be able to purchase the agate you need there.¡±

    ¡°The Longtaitou Festival I get, but what is the Strange Market?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°The Strange Market is a special market that is as well known as it is numerous, but its origin and location are aplete mystery. All we know is that it would open during the darkest hour of the Longtaitou Festival. You will encounter all sorts of peddlers, shops, Stranger hunters, wanderers, warriors, wealthy merchants and more, and most of them are looking to trade. It¡¯s a very popr ce. I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll be able to find what you need there.¡±

    ¡°The Strange Market, huh? Sounds interesting.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up with deep curiosity and interest. ¡°If it is not too much trouble, will you apany me when the timees, Brother Lin?¡±

    Even if he wasn¡¯t looking for the agate of the Moon Seeing Stone, Ye Qing still would¡¯ve visited the Strange Market. It sounded like a fun ce to be.

    ¡°But of course,¡± Lin Yuhuai nodded smilingly, ¡°It so happens that Nianjiu is looking to obtain something from the Strange Market as well, so we¡¯ll all be going together. The more the merrier, right?¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡±

    After that, Ye Qing thanked Lin Yuhuai for his help and bade him goodbye, ¡°I shan¡¯t keep you anymore, Brother Lin. I¡¯ll visit the major businesses first and check if they have an agate.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai smiled. ¡°Of course. Good luck!¡±

    Despite what he told Lin Yuhuai, Ye Qing did not actually visit the major businesses in person. Instead, he went to the Inspection Department and dispatched all avable Pacification Sentinels who wasn¡¯t already out on a patrol to ask around for the agate of the Moon Seeing Stone. He was the boss, so why shouldn¡¯t he delegate the grunt work to the grunts?

    After that, he brewed a pot of tea and began practicing his form at the courtyard. When he was tired, he would lie down on his chair and drink some tea. When he was done resting, he would return to his practice and restart the cycle anew. Now this was what he called the good life!

    It was an age old adage that there was power in numbers, but sometimes the impossible really was impossible. Although his men spent the whole day scouring the shops in Luo Shui for the agate, they ultimately turned up with nothing in the end. More urately, some of the shops used to have a stock in the past, but that stock had been depleted for one reason or another.

    In the end, he could only pray that the Strange Market had what he needed.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Brother Lin, Brother Chu, I thought we¡¯re heading to the Strange Market tonight? So why are we just standing there and doing nothing?¡±

    The moon looked as white as snow tonight, and Ye Qing, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu were all gathered at the entrance of the Pacification Bureau. Ye Qing thought they would be leading him to some secret entrance in a hidden alleyway or something, but instead they were just standing there while carryingnterns. Whitenterns no less.

    Are we participating in a funeral procession or a sacrificial ceremony?

    The papernterns Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu were carrying were made from white paper. Generally speaking, whitenterns were only used during a funeral procession or a sacrificial ceremony [2].

    The orange me of the candles cast a faint halo on the ground. It looked strangely forlorn and cold.

    Smiling, Lin Yuhuai handed Ye Qing a whitentern and exined, ¡°That¡¯s because these whitenterns are all we need to enter the Strange Market.¡±

    ¡°When the Strange Market opens, its would-be visitors must carry a whitentern and walk nine steps backward at a crossroad. Only then can they enter the Strange Market.¡±

    1. An eternal me is a me,mp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. ?

    2. While this used to mean human sacrifices and the like, it¡¯s long since been amended to livestocks and objects such as paper money, fruits etc. ?

 Chapter 170: Strange Market

    Chapter 170: Strange Market

    ¡°What a peculiar entrance! Is the Strange Market a Strange Realm?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up with amazement. He initially thought that the Strange Market was just a trade gathering of sorts, but to think that it could only be entered through a special method just like a Strange Realm. He was still too young and inexperienced, it seemed.

    Chu Nianjiu took a sip of wine and answered, ¡°That¡¯s right, the Strange Market is a Strange Realm. Legend says that a Strange Market is located between the yin world and the yang world, and a whitentern possesses the power to bridge the two worlds. That is why we need it to enter the Strange Market. Besides that, the reason we must walk nine steps in reverse is because the living walk forward, and the dead walk backward. To walk backward is to go from life to death, from yang to yin.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment and epted the whitentern.

    Lin Yuhuai added, ¡°Or so our esteemed ancestors think anyway. The only one who might know the truth is the one who created the Strange Market in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s already midnight, so let¡¯s enter the Strange Market right away. We have only fifteen minutes to enter the Strange Market. If we miss it, we¡¯ll have to wait a whole year for the next gathering.¡±

    Ye Qing and Chu Nianjiu nodded and walked up to the crossroad in front of the Pacification Bureau. Then, they slowly began walking backward.

    From the moment they took the first step, a white mist immediately appeared around the trio. The surrounding buildings started flickering and fading almost as if they were a mirage or a reality that belonged in another world.

    Ye Qing reached out tentatively and tried to grab the white mist [1]. His hand easily passed through it and caused some sort of invisible ripples.

    Slowly, the white mist thickened until their surroundings werepletely gone. It was like they were walking on clouds. Everything was transient, and the line between the living and the dead was blurred.

    They were taking their eighth step when suddenly, a huge shadow appeared before their eyes. It asked in an eerie, indescribable voice, ¡°Do you need something to mask yourself, dear customer?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned and got ready for battle immediately. Although the white fog [2]was shrouding the entity from view, he could tell through his spirit that he was a giant skeleton that was made from the fog around them. Its eyes were really a pair of white mes, and whitenterns were floating around its head, giggling.

    ¡°Rx, Joyless. It¡¯s just a Mist Spirit.¡± Lin Yuhuai¡¯s voice rang beside his ear. ¡°A Mist Spirit shows themselves before anyone who wants to enter the Strange Market to offer them a concealing cloak of their preference. The cloak possesses the power to conceal one¡¯s appearance and aura.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can turn it down if you think it¡¯s unnecessary. It¡¯spletely up to you.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai then looked at the Mist Spirit and said, ¡°If it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡±

    ¡°At your service, dear customer!¡± The Mist Spirit dered. A whitentern flew out of the fog and transformed into a white cloak. It then wrapped snugly around Lin Yuhuai and covered up his face.

    Ye Qing quickly noticed something odd. ¡°I thought you said the cloak can cover up one¡¯s appearance and aura? If so, then why can I still see your face?¡±

    This time, it was Chu Nianjiu who answered him, ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re a group, of course. The Mist Spirit acknowledges that we are acquaintances and allows us to see through each other¡¯s cloaks. Otherwise, how are we going to find each other if we be separated in the Strange Market?¡±

    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s surprisingly humane. Please give me a cloak as well, Mist Spirit!¡± Ye Qing called out.

    ¡°At your service, dear customer!¡± The Mist Spirit said again and sent another whitentern over to Ye Qing¡¯s side. It too transformed into a cloak and wrapped snugly around Ye Qing.

    When everyone had gotten a cloak, the Mist Spirit bade them goodbye, ¡°May you have a pleasant time at our Strange Market, dear customers!¡± and slowly vanished into thin air. Then, they exchanged a nce with each other and took their ninth and final step.

    As soon as Ye Qing nted his foot, the surrounding fog abruptly vanished and was reced by buildings, shops, stalls and more. It was noisy and full of people as well.

    They had arrived at the fabled Strange Market.

    ¡°Huh! I thought we would appear at an entrance or something, but it left us right in the middle of a street!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. Despite their sudden appearance, no one paid any attention to them. Or rather, everyone here had gotten used to people suddenly appearing on the streets without warning.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go our separate ways for a bit, Joyless. Nianjiu and I have something to do. We¡¯ll look for you as soon as we¡¯re done with our business,¡± Lin Yuhuai said before adding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll keep an eye for your agate as well.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, man! I¡¯ll see you bothter!¡± Ye Qing nodded. He wasn¡¯t surprised because Lin Yuhuai had already told him beforehand that Chu Nianjiu had some business to conduct.

    Ye Qing began roaming the market at leisure after parting ways with Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu. The Strange Market was bustling with people and activity just like a day market in the real world. Shops and stalls aligned both sides of the streets, and all sorts of items were on sale. There were Stranger parts, medicine, spirit materials, Strange Artifacts, manuals, relics and more. It was enough to give anyone choice paralysis.

    Unfortunately, therge majority of the items on disy were ordinary goods despite the seller¡¯s shameless boasting. Their targets were uneducatedymen who couldn¡¯t differentiate what was good and what was bad. He had seen a stall owner waving a Red-ss Stranger¡¯s bone about and iming that it was the bone of a Soulstealer-ss or a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, and another peddling an ordinary martial arts manual as a once-in-a-lifetime martial arts manual. If the peddler were to be believed, the warrior could practice it today and be the living sun the next day.

    He also saw a Red-ss fragment that was intentionally aged so it might be sold as the part of a Phenomenon-ss or a Disaster-ss Stranger, a useless Strange Artifact with apletely fabricated name, ability, and even background story, a spirit material that wasn¡¯t even a spirit material and more. Lie? It¡¯s not a lie, you¡¯re just too ignorant to see the truth. Shame? I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing! It was capitalism at its finest.

    Even better, the cloak prevented them from being recognized, so they didn¡¯t even need to worry about being caught by their victims when they had returned to the real world. The world was full of idiots with more money than sense in this world. It was sinful to lie about your product, true, but wasn¡¯t it more sinful not to swindle such people?

    After walking around for a bit and witnessing some idiots actually falling prey to the scammers, Ye Qing briefly entertained the idea of setting up his own stall and making a quick buck. He changed his mind in the end though. His face-fu was strong, but hecked hispetitors¡¯ skill to distort the truth without batting an eyelid.

    Wait a second. Is that a Warding Pendant?

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up while he was passing by a stall. He was about to walk up to it when he suddenly changed his mind and examined the order in which the items of the stalls were ced instead. When he noted that the Warding Pendant was ced at the farthest edge of the stall, his mouth slowly curled into a devious smirk.

    As soon as he walked up to the stall, the stall owner immediately burst out in excitement, ¡°What do you wish to buy, customer? I¡¯m selling the grave goods I dug out of the grave of a once almighty champion. Yes, yes, I understand that they don¡¯t look like much, but I swear on my mother¡¯s grave that they are the good stuff. For starters, this fragment is the fragment of a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you how strong it is, should I? This bottle over here contains a bunch of Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pills. A single pill is all you need to gain an Innate Immacte Body¡­¡±

    The stall owner would continue to rattle on for at least a few more minutes. His eyes burned with fervor and greed, and he was one hundred percent treating Ye Qing like a big, stupid fish who was about to bite his bait.

    In response, Ye Qing smirked disdainfully and picked up the so-called fragment of a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. ¡°This fragment is at most the fragment of a Red-ss Strange Artifact, it only looks old because you masked it with sand and earth. This whatchamacallit pill¡­ ugh, you can literally smell the vinegar on it. It¡¯s obviously flour mixed with vinegar to give it an aged appearance, but since you didn¡¯t fully evaporate the vinegar, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that it¡¯s a fake. You couldn¡¯t even be bothered to make a convincing fake, man? Where is your sense of pride as a scammer?¡±

    The stall owner grew furious when he heard this, ¡°Hmph! Take your ignorance elsewhere, boy. Everything I sell here is real and of exceptional quality. If you¡¯re not going to buy, then shoo!¡±

    ¡°Heh. Am I ignorant?¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sinister chuckle and continued,¡±That porcin fragment over there is a Son-of-Heaven-hunting-a-deer delftware from Nanhuai Blue Kiln. You aged it by baking it over smoke. This Singsong Sculpture is an actual grave artifact, but it¡¯s clearly Yan [3] made and forty years old at most. It does possess some ethereal qualities because it¡¯s tainted by yin qi, but it absolutely cannot ward off evil like you im. In fact, it would draw yin spirits and ghosts to one¡¯s residence and damn the residents instead. As for this pair of shoes¡­ I strongly suspect that it¡¯s something your wife has discarded. You¡¯re just recycling it and hoping that some fool will buy it.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ that¡­ this¡­¡±

    At first, the stall owner was both embarrassed and angry. But the more holes Ye Qing poked in his goods, the more he deted until all he could do was grin awkwardly.

    ¡°Your knowledge astounds me, customer, but I¡¯m just trying to make a living here. Can you please give me some face and stop exposing my lies?¡± The stall owner wiped some non-existent sweat from his forehead. ¡°How about this: You may choose any item from the stall, and I swear on my mother¡¯s grave that I will sell it to you at cost price!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. This was exactly the effect he was going on. He bent down and picked up two passable ornaments from the main disy. Then, he moved to the edge of the stall and picked up the Warding Pendant.

    The stall owner smiled when he saw this. ¡°Hehe, you have good eyes, customer. The items you picked are the best items I have, and that jade in particr is forged using the famous Warding Jade. It is said to be highly sensitive toward all things strange and evil, and capable of warding off evil and drawing luck. It is why many consider it to be priceless.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat thinking that the stall owner had seen through his scheme. However, he rxed just a secondter. If the stall owner knew that the pendant was a true Warding Pendant, he would never have ced it in the most inconspicuous corner of the stall. He was just trying to talk up his goods like usual.

    Also, his earlier performance wasn¡¯t just to get the seller to lower his price, but also to fool him into thinking that he was an expert in identifying goods. This way, the seller wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing when he finally picked up the jade pendant and imed that it was trash.

    Knowing that the cards were fully stacked in his favor, Ye Qing cleared his throat and sneered, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you were going to sell your goods to me at cost price? So why are you lying to my face again?¡±

    ¡°Legend says that the Warding Pendant is as clean and translucent as a mirror. It is pure and wless no matter the time of the day. However, your pendant is yellow, dirty, and clearly of inferior quality. Are you seriously going to tell me that this is a Warding Pendant?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only buying from your stall because I was hoping to decorate my house, but you just can¡¯t help but turn away your customers, can you? Very well! I shall be taking my leave.¡±

    Ye Qing then acted like he would toss the items back into the disy.

    The stall owner hurriedly spoke up, ¡°Wait! Sorry, sorry, it¡¯s all my fault, I was so used to running my mouth that I totally forgot what I said earlier. I beg your forgiveness, dear customer.¡±

    ¡°So, you want me to sell these to you at cost price, right? It¡¯ll be ten silvers then. Surely you can agree that ten silvers is a reasonable price?¡±

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re not that stupid after all,¡± Ye Qing hmphed. Faking disdain, he pulled ten silvers from his pockets and tossed it into the seller¡¯s hands. Then, he turned around and tried to leave.

    Unfortunately, the bestid ns of mice and men often went awry. It was at this moment a low voice called out, ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll buy that pendant for one hundred silvers.¡±

    1. And then he started aging and died. The end! JK, I suppose he¡¯s secure in the knowledge that hispanions haven¡¯t warned him about the mist. ?

    2. I¡¯m using fog now because fog is basically super thick mist. ?

    3. Referring to the country/realm/nation, Yan. ?

 Chapter 171: I Have A Sword

    Chapter 171: I Have A Sword

    ¡°One hundred silvers?¡± The stall owner eximed in surprise.

    Ye Qing frowned and turned around. He immediately saw a man in a white cloak staring at his Warding Pendant with fervent eyes.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°My apologies, but I¡¯ve already bought this pendant.¡±

    The cloaked man replied in an icy voice, ¡°Sell it to me for a hundred silvers.¡±

    Ye Qing had a feeling that this was going nowhere, so he rejected the man directly, ¡°Sorry, but no.¡±

    Unfortunately, the cloaked man ignored his response. ¡°Two hundred silvers?¡±

    Ye Qing kept his answer sinct. ¡°No.¡±

    The cloaked man doubled his offer immediately. ¡°Five hundred then.¡± It was like five hundred silvers was nothing to him.

    But what a coincidence! Five hundred silvers is nothing to me either!

    Plus, this was the Warding Pendant they were talking about. Highly prized for its ability to ¡°see evil¡± and ¡°purge evil¡±, it was a natural treasure that was as rare as it was priceless.

    Its ability to ¡°see evil¡± referred to its extreme sensitivity toward evil energies, strange auras, curses and the like. If any such entities or objects were to enter its range, then the Warding Pendant would detect it and warn its user no matter how hidden, insignificant, or unusual it was.

    Its ability to ¡°purge evil¡± was exactly as it sounded, though it could protect others to a certain extent, repel misfortune and garner good luck as well.

    Of course, as with all things in this world, its effects were exaggerated to a certain extent. If it really could ¡°purge any evil¡±, then there would be no need for warriors. The Pacification Bureau could simply toss it at a Disaster-level Stranger and call it a day. In fact, the Warding Pendant was only effective against ordinary evil and Strangers. A Hatred-ss Stranger or higher could most likely ovee it with a bit of effort.

    What Ye Qing really valued was its ability to sense evil. As he hade to realize as ofte, his spirit couldn¡¯t detect everything. There were Strangers who could elude his senses and catch him off guard. However, the Warding Pendant was a potent detector that could supposedly detect any evil, strange or curses within its range. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to trust its abilities blindly, but the extra insurance it provided was almost as valuable as a life-saving Strange Artifact.

    The Warding Pendant was considered to be priceless because it could make the difference between life and death, so the idea that this guy was trying to buy it for merely five hundred silvers was positivelyughable.

    Oh? He had bought the Warding Pendant for a mere ten silvers? That was different. He had scammed it from a scam artist. He¡¯d more than earned the right to im the pendant.

    Seeing that silver wouldn¡¯t move Ye Qing, the cloaked man decided to change his condition. ¡°So long as you don¡¯t ask for the moon, I can give you anything you want. Do you need a Strange Artifact? A martial arts manual? A medicine? Or something else?¡±

    Ye Qing squinted. It was clear that this guy knew that the jade pendant was a Warding Pendant, and to be fair, histest offer sounded pretty attractive. But after Ye Qing carefully mulled over his financial condition, he discovered that¡­ he wasn¡¯tcking in anything at all! He had all the money, martial arts, Strange Artifacts and even medicine he might want at this stage of his cultivation. In other words, there was literally nothing the man could give him!

    In the end, Ye Qing had no choice but to say, ¡°Sorry. I just want you to leave me alone.¡±

    The cloaked man: ¡°...¡± That¡¯s an answer I¡¯ve never heard before.

    The cloaked man finally ran out of patience after hearing Ye Qing¡¯stest answer. He began emitting blood red energy and pressure as he said, ¡°I must have the Warding Pendant. Please don¡¯t test my patience, fellow warrior.¡±

    I¡¯m a simple man. I kill when I run out of patience.

    Before Ye Qing could react, the stall owner suddenly shouted and tried to snatch the jade pendant off his hands, ¡°That pendant is mine! I¡¯m not selling it anymore!¡±

    The stall owner hadn¡¯t nned on interfering with this matter, but the moment he heard the words ¡°Warding Pendant¡±, his greed immediately overtook his good sense.

    One must be strong to set up a stall in the Strange Market. If not, anyone could just take what you have and not pay a coin. The stall owner was ate-stage Vessel Augmentor, so he definitely wasn¡¯t a weakling. However, he had only made it halfway to Ye Qing when a hand grabbed his throat and silenced him like a duck, leaving only deathly silence.

    ¡°What a coincidence. My patience is limited as well!¡±

    His own thirst for violence stirred when he sensed the cloaked man¡¯s undisguised hostility.

    ¡°The Warding Pendant is very important to me. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The cloaked man was more stubborn than expected though. Although Ye Qing had captured the stall owner in a single move, he wasn¡¯t intimidated in the slightest. He assumed a stance and attacked Ye Qing with his palms.

    ¡°Impressive saber technique!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. The cloaked man was using his palms and executing what seemed to be a basic horizontal cut, but in reality it was an exquisite saber technique that was as fast as it was variable.

    It was too bad that the cloaked man had met his match. Speed was Ye Qing¡¯s forte!

    Ye Qing lifted his own palms and used them like a saber as well. With casual ease, he executed a diagonal cut aimed at his opponent¡¯s wrist.

    The cloaked man¡¯s hand shifted a little. It was just a tiny movement, but it would allow him to dodge Ye Qing¡¯s attack by millimeters¡ªor at least, it should have. The moment he made a move, Ye Qing changed his cut into a sweep almost as if he had anticipated his reaction. At this rate, Ye Qing¡¯s hand was still going to hit his wrist.

    Was it a coincidence? Doubt flickered in the cloaked man¡¯s mind, though his reaction wasn¡¯t slow in the slightest. He made another change, but once again Ye Qing pre-empted his movement and neutralized his counter before it coulde to fruition.

    How is this possible? How can he predict my moves like he could read my mind? The cloaked man thought in shock. He tried switching up his attack a couple more times, but each time Ye Qing was there to cut off his attacks. Not only that, he proceeded to kill off any follow-up moves he might havee up with.

    In the end, nothing came out of his attack, and his energies screeched inside his body like pent-up anger. He felt like his secrets werepletely dragged out into the open. He felt like there was absolutely nothing he could do or think that the young man couldn¡¯t predict. It was one of the worst things he had ever felt in his life.

    Realizing that Ye Qing was an insurmountable wall, he didn¡¯t hesitate to withdraw his hand and attempt to escape. However, he had just withdrawn his arm halfway when Ye Qing¡¯s hand abruptly sped up and reached his chest in an instant. There was just nothing he could possibly do to stop this.

    Bang!

    A muffled groan escaped the cloaked man¡¯s lips as he felt an unstoppable force pouring into his body. It easily broke his bones and caved his chest in. At the same time, an unbelievably hot astral qi invaded his internal organs, boiled his blood, and dimmed his mind.

    Wisps of dark red mes began seeping out of his body, and not even the mist cloak could cover up its presence. In fact, the cloak was slowly crumbling as time passed.

    While his opponent was groggy and unable to react, Ye Qing struck his chest again with a ¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡± technique.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    The cloaked man groaned again as Ye Qing¡¯s sleeves sent him stumbling at least thirty meters across the street. The streets were hardly empty,so of course he bowled over many pedestrians who were unfortunate enough to be in his way.

    Everyone looked angry, but no one dared to raise their voice against the culprit. Why? Because they couldn¡¯t beat him, of course.

    After the cloaked man rose to his feet and spat out some fresh blood, he saluted Ye Qing and said, ¡°Thank you for showing mercy, senior.¡±

    He knew he was still alive not because he was strong, but because his opponent had shown mercy.

    Seeing that Ye Qing was silent, the cloaked man did not hesitate to turn around and leave. He was already lucky that his opponent was a merciful person, it would be beyond foolish to linger any longer.

    After the cloaked man was gone, Ye Qing finally looked at the stall owner he was still gripping with one hand and sneered, ¡°Still want your Warding Pendant, vendor?¡±

    The one reason he didn¡¯t kill the cloaked man was because he couldn¡¯t sense any killing intent from him. If he had, he wouldn¡¯t mind delivering him to kingdome for free. There was no rule forbidding people from causing a fuss or killing anyway.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± The stall owner stammered. Before he could finish though, Ye Qing opened his mouth and unleashed a devastating lightning bolt. Three different stall owners in three different directions lost their heads instantly, but Lightning Bolt wasn¡¯t done yet. It raced toward another stall owner at the far end of the street.

    The fourth stall owner was prepared, however. When Lightning Bolt annihted his head, he slowly vanished and left behind a headless paper doll.

    A few breathster, a silhouette appeared on the street and whistled at Ye Qing, ¡°It was just a joke, brother! Why so murderous?¡±

    ¡°A joke?¡± Ye Qing let out a cold, ridiculing chuckle. ¡°Is that what my life is to you people? A joke?¡±

    ¡°If life is a joke, then that guy over there died because he yed a joke on me using poison; that guy on the opposite side died because he yed a joke using a gu insect[1], and the one to my left died because he yed a joke using a yin spirit.¡±

    ¡°As for you, you yed a joke on me using a curse. I¡¯m a fair and impartial man, so I gotta send you to the other side as well. The four of you can be mahjong buddies.¡± [2]

    Lightning Bolt dashed toward the stall owner once more.

    ¡°Calm down, brother. Let¡¯s talk this out!¡±

    The stall owner snapped his fingers, and dozens of masks at his stall suddenly floated into the air. They danced left and right and made this cackling noise that was positively eerie. Lightning Bolt easily destroyed them all with its lightning, but it was a trap. The masks were overflowing with tainted energy, and it greatly diminished Lightning Bolt¡¯s speed and strength.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my fellows on the other side, but I¡¯m not done living yet. They¡¯ll just have to wait for another mahjong buddy.¡±

    The stall owner chuckled and made a grab for Lightning Bolt. ¡°By the way, this mini sword of yours looks fantastic. I¡¯ll take it aspensation for my injuries.¡±

    Lightning Bolt was famed for its uncanny speed and devastating power. The tainted energies might have slowed it down considerably, but the idea that someone could just grab it out of the air wasughable.

    And yet, the stall owner was no ordinary person. His hand had suddenly appeared on top of Lightning Bolt as if it could pass through spacetime and caught Lightning Bolt in a firm grip.

    Bzz bzz!

    Lightning Bolt shook violently and discharged a great amount of lightning, but it was unable to break free from the enemy¡¯s grasp.

    ¡°Heavens, this Strange Artifact is even better than I thought! Thank you so much, brother!¡± The stall owner eximed with undisguised glee as he stared at Lightning Bolt.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s awesome. You don¡¯t deserve it though!¡± Ye Qing responded with dripping scorn. As soon as he said the word ¡°deserve¡±, Lightning Bolt abruptly froze as if it was gathering its strength. The next moment, it unleashed with an unthinkable amount of lightning and sword qi.

    Lightning zes the nine heavens,

    A sword freezes the Nether.

    Dare you test my wrath,

    When I have a sword that can pierce the moon and the sun?

    ¡°ARGH!¡± The stall owner let out a bloodcurdling scream as his right hand was turned into a pincushion. Naturally, it was impossible for him to hold onto Lightning Bolt. The mini sword immediately took aim at his forehead and shot forward.

    1. Venomous insects that normally appear in poison and curses. ?

    2. A mahjong game can be yed with three yers, but four is the standard. ?

 Chapter 172: Pawn Shop No. 8

    Chapter 172: Pawn Shop No. 8

    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny anymore!¡±

    Right before the stall owner would get a new brain piercing, he abruptly screamed and made a grab for a pedestrian a short distance away for him. The next moment, the pedestrian abruptly appeared at his location, and he at the pedestrian¡¯s location.

    Somehow, the two men had switched ces in the blink of an eye!

    ¡°Come back!¡±

    When Lightning Bolt was an inch away from the pedestrian¡¯s forehead, Ye Qing realized what happened and stopped his mini sword just in time. While he was doing this, the stall owner whistled again at his stall. The tattered cloth on the ground abruptly folded unto itself and wrapped all of his possessions in a neat bundle. Once the knot was tied, it automatically flew toward the stall owner.

    At first, the bundle was very huge, but as it flew toward the stall owner it shrank more and more until it was the size of a normal bag. After the stall owner caught the bundle and carried it behind his back, he saluted Ye Qing mockingly and said, ¡°Hehe. Until next time, brother!¡±

    His body started turning transparent. He was clearly nning to leave the Strange Market.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ye Qing chuckled, but his tone was cold enough to freeze the Nether. He made a grasping motion, and a sea of Blood Shadows suddenly appeared in the sky. They then shot toward the stall owner from every direction.

    ¡°Holy mother of heavens!¡± The stall owner eximed in shock and turned transparent faster. Right before the Blood Shadows would hit him, he abruptly disappeared and left the Strange Market.

    ¡°Phew! That was too close!¡±

    In a small alleyway of Luo Shui, a stout thirty plus years old man wiped the non-existent sweat on his forehead after returning to the real world.

    The man had a stout body and an honest-looking face, but his voice was naturally flippant and deceitful. He could pretend to be simple and honest if he kept quiet, but as soon as he opened his mouth he automatically gave off a treacherous, untrustworthy impression not unlike a wolf in sheep¡¯s skin.

    ¡°I went for wool and came back shorn. What horrendous luck!¡± The middle-aged man shook his head dejectedly but quickly regained his spirit. ¡°Oh well! I can¡¯t always have my way. Time to seek out Young Cui and discuss the meaning of life with her [1], hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°A day¡¯s work happens in the morning, and a day¡¯s rxation at night. Oh, I can hardly wait¡­¡±

    The middle-aged man was skipping down the road and whistling when suddenly, he noticed something strange, ¡°Huh? Why is my bundle so light?¡±

    When he looked behind his back, his eyes widened like saucers as he let out a devastated scream, ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOO!¡±

    As it turned out, there was a hole in his bundle, and most of his items had fallen out since heavens-know-when!

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh! My precious! My precious!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find you, thief¡­ I, Tang Shi, will definitely find you!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Why is he keeping such garbage? Trash, useless, trash, useless¡­¡±

    After the fourth stall owner had left the Strange Market, Ye Qing finally found the time to have a ¡°friendly¡± chat with the stall owner who sold him the Warding Pendant in the first ce. It went without saying that the stall owner packed his stuff and ran as soon as the conversation was over. After that, Ye Qing happily went through the items the escaped stall owner had left behind.

    He had done it on purpose, of course. Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill the stall owner in time, he instead directed his Blood Shadows to attack the bundle. To be honest, he didn¡¯t really think it would work. If was a-tenth of a second slower, then he might have ended up with nothing at all. But it did, so it was looting time.

    Ye Qing felt zero guilt iming these items as his own since the guy had tried to kill him. In fact, he never minded killing people who wished to kill him such as the three stall owners who tried to kill him just now. They had turned greedy when they learned that the jade pendant was none other than the famous Warding Pendant, and admittedly their tactics and timing were pretty good. They had chosen to attack him using traceless methods while he was fighting against the cloaked man. If his spirit wasn¡¯t as strong as it was, there was a good chance he actually could¡¯ve died here.

    Unfortunately for his wannabe killers, he was not someone to be trifled with. It was why he lived and they died.

    Thest stall owner was pretty tricky though. His ability to keep himself alive in particr was downright exceptional. That said, he managed to steal most of the bastard¡¯s possession and make it hurt, so he counted it as a win.

    He wasn¡¯t referring to physical pain, but psychological. Warriors healed quickly from their wounds, so physical pain was temporary at best. Psychological pain though, now that was something that couldst a long time even if you were the strongest warrior in the world.

    Thanks to Ye Qing¡¯s disy of ruthlessness, no one dared to pick up the stall owner¡¯s items even if they were right next to their feet. Everyone was terrified that Ye Qing would just up and murder their asses. It was why Ye Qing could collect the items at his leisure and even rate how shitty they were from time to time.

    The stall owner¡¯s items were mostly garbage, but there were some good stuff in it. For example, there was the cocoon of the Red-ss Cocoon Tree, the eyeball of the Blue Pupil Cat, and spirit materials such as the Star Mushroom, the Snake Favored Grass, the Fire Lotus and so on. These items alone were worth the trouble.

    ¡°Wait this is¡­ the Star Lotus! Hell yeah!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up when he picked up a nail-sized lotus that was shaped like a star and glowing silver.

    The Star Lotus was an extremely rare spirit material that could elerate the refinement of one¡¯s astral qi and the fusion between astral qi and true qi. It was a priceless treasure to any Astral Refiner because it could save them years or even decades depending on their innate talent.

    Even for Ye Qing, the Star Lotus was extremely valuable because he was in the middle of tempering his astral qi and true qi right now. This Star Lotus was thest push he needed to fully merge his astral qi and true qi, and he could use the Blood Jade Lotus afterward to skyrocket to thete-stage of the Astral Refinement stage.

    ¡°Thank you once more for your blessing, daddy heavens!¡±

    The Star Lotus was so good he just couldn¡¯t be bothered to check the rest of the items one by one anymore. He just nced at them once and shoved it all into his Nature¡¯s Shell.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t forget about the possessions of the three stall owners he killed. He put it all into his Nature¡¯s Shell when he passed by the area.

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this? It looks like a badge of some sort.¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing noticed a shiny ck object and picked it up from the ground.

    ¡°Pawn shop?¡±

    The badge was mysterious-looking and expertly crafted. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t tell what kind of material it was made of, only that it was icy to touch and almost weightless. It almost felt like he was holding a tree leaf. One side of the badge was engraved with the word ¡°Pawn Shop¡±, and the other side ¡°No. 8¡±.

    ¡°Pawn shop? Number eight? Pawn Shop No. 8?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment.

    It can¡¯t be the Pawn Shop No. 8 from my world, right? [2]

    He had just said this when his surroundings suddenly took a drastic change. One second ago, he was still standing in the middle of a bustling market. The next second, he found himself in a pitch ck space where massive, indiscernible shadows swam by from time to time. At the same time, countless hoarse, low, and cryptic murmurs rang beside his ears. A single winding limestone road stretched into the darkness.

    ¡°What on earth is this ce?¡±

    Ye Qing immediately tensed up with worry and confusion. But before he could make sense of this strange ce, he heard a series of strangeughter,

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡±

    Theughter was eerie and unsettling. The Warding Pendant tied to his waist glowed like it was about to burst into mes.

    ¡°Hehehe, wee to Pawn Shop No. 8, dear customer¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, just follow the road¡­¡±

    ¡°Kekeke, and you will see our pawn shop¡­¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ we wish you¡­ hahaha¡­ a pleasant day¡­ kekeke¡­ customer¡­¡±

    The three voicespleted each other¡¯s sentences whileughing from time to time. As they continuedughing, the surrounding shadows writhed and actually started reaching out to Ye Qing from both sides of the road. He subconsciously summoned the Burning Wind to burn the shadows away, but for the first time ever, the astral qi failed to elicit any response whatsoever. They disappeared as soon as they sank into the darkness not unlike a y ox that had fallen into the sea.

    Nothing happened when the shadows reached under his feet though¡ªat least, not yet. When Ye Qing looked down, the shadows slowly spread out and transformed into countless faces. There were male, female, young and old; joy, sorrow, hatred, anger and malice¡­

    The faces would continue to cycle through all sorts of expressions as if it was an expression of the facades of life. It chilled Ye Qing to the core just looking at them.

    ¡°What the hell are these things?¡± Ye Qing gulped. He made up his mind to follow the road then. He might not know exactly what was waiting ahead of him, but it seemed like a bad idea to hang around. Without further ado, he took off into a small jog and ventured into the darkness beyond.

    As he continued along the road, the scenery on both sides of the road and underneath his feet kept changing like a light show. He saw Strangers of all shapes and sizes, fantastical sceneries unlike anything he had ever seen, existences that went beyond the ability of words to describe, treasures that were as priceless as they were rare¡­

    To put it simply, it was a dizzying, terrifying, yet eye-opening experience.

    Half a teatimeter, a traditional building with flying eaves slowly rose from the horizon. Bronze bells were hung on all eight corners of the rooftop, and a sign board was hung at the top center of the building. It said, ¡°Pawn Shop No. 8¡±.

    What was strange was that the four words were covered in ck mes and giving off some sort of transparent smoke. The building itself looked like it was covered by a heat haze, and theybined to form a gigantic, all-epassing ck cloaked figure in the ck sky.

    ¡°It really is the Pawn Shop No. 8!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. The old memories surfaced, and he even felt a sense of kinship for this ce even though it was anything but. Human emotions really were a strange thing!

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s just like the pawn shop in the TV show; a pawn shop where you can pawn off everything including your soul!¡±

    Ye Qing was still hesitating when the doors of the pawn shop were suddenly flung open. A light shone out of the belly of the building, and numerous ck cloaked figures who looked very much like the silhouette in the sky but way smaller filed out into two lines. They then greeted him cordially,

    ¡°Wee to Pawn Shop No. 8, dear customer¡­¡±

    ¡°Wee to Pawn Shop No. 8, dear customer¡­¡±

    ¡°Wee to Pawn Shop No. 8, dear customer¡­¡±

    1. He¡¯s implying sex. Also Young doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she¡¯s young, it¡¯s just a nickname like ckie or something. ?

    2. Pawn Shop No. 8 is a famous 2003 Taiwanese television series. ?

 Chapter 173: Candle Spirit

    Chapter 173: Candle Spirit

    ¡°Repeating a greeting three times is a little excessive, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ye Qingmented while staring at the ck cloaked figures. He could clearly tell that these peoplecked any sort of aura. More urately, they were empty shells with no soul in them.

    ¡°I¡¯m already here, so I might as well getfortable,¡± Ye Qing muttered and walked toward the pawn shop without hesitation. It wasn¡¯t like he could leave even if he had second thoughts. Plus, he wanted to know if this Pawn Shop No. 8 really was the same as the pawn shop of legends; one where a person could even pawn off their soul.

    The first thing he saw after stepping through the entrance was a humanoid figure with an ebony rack for a head. The rack was jam-packed with colorful candles of all kinds, and each and every one of them was a Stranger.

    The humanoid figure stepped closer. The ebony rack had three levels and was shaped like a triangle. Most of the candles were sat at the bottom rack, and only a handful of them sat at the middle rack. The top rack was upied by one candle only.

    Every candle on the rack had a face and a pair of arms and legs just like a human. They were incredibly active and couldn¡¯t stop chit-chatting among themselves.

    ¡°Wee to Pawn Shop No. 8, dear customer,¡± greeted the white candle at the top rack. She was shaped like a beautiful woman and had a crisp and sonorous voice. He could even detect a hint of yfulness in her tone.

    The child-like candles beneath her immediately hopped on their feet and cried, ¡°Wee!¡± as well.

    The white candle asked, ¡°Wee to Pawn Shop No. 8, dear customer. I am Candle Spirit and the manager of this pawn shop. I shall do my best to serve you.¡±

    ¡°Manager? Are you the boss then?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°Of course not. Like I said, I am just a manager who manages things here and there.¡±

    Candle Spirit smiled and asked a question of her own, ¡°This is your first time at our pawn shop, and you seem very familiar with it. In fact, you don¡¯t seem afraid at all. Why¡¯s that? Some of the customers I¡¯ve served were so scared that they couldn¡¯t even stand straight.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! I remember one guy whose hands and feet couldn¡¯t stop shaking!¡±

    ¡°I remember a girl who screamed for her parents!¡±

    ¡°And I remember a guy who peed his pants!¡±

    The child-like candles immediately echoed in agreement.

    Ye Qing shrugged and replied honestly, ¡°Would you release me if I tell you I¡¯m scared? In that case, I¡¯m so scared I can burst into tears at any moment.¡±

    Candle Spirit burst into a giggle. ¡°You really don¡¯t look like it though. Why don¡¯t you cry for me? Maybe then I¡¯ll believe you.¡±

    Ye Qing simply stared at her in silence. Would you release me if I do that? No? Then why on earth would I do that?

    Candle Spirit shot him a cute smile. ¡°There is no need to be afraid, customer. Pawn Shop No. 8 represents the opportunity of a lifetime, and trust me when I say that there are countless people who wish that they were in your position!¡±

    ¡°The opportunity of a lifetime, you say?¡± Ye Qing said in a doubtful tone, ¡°Can you be a little more specific? Exactly what services does your pawn shop offer?¡±

    Candle Spirit answered smilingly, ¡°You might have figured out our main function from the name of our shop already, but we are a pawn shop where you may pawn off your valuables. However, unlike your ordinary pawn shop, our pawn shop epts anything of value. Literally, anything. We ept money, Strange Artifacts, spirit materials, martial arts manual and other tangible objects. But we also ept intangible objects such as five senses, love, familial love, friendship, natural gift, talent, and even¡ª¡±

    ¡°Your ambition¡­¡± A red candle interrupted and burned as passionately as mes.

    ¡°Your future¡­¡± A green candle followed and flickered hypnotically.

    ¡°Your life¡­¡± A blue candle continued while sitting as cold as death.

    ¡°And your soul¡­¡± A ck candle concluded while emanating off a most sinister vibe.

    ¡°You have already borne witness to our collection. Trust me when I say that our pawn shop has anything and everything you might desire,¡± Candle Spirit added.

    ¡°Those things are a part of your collection?¡± Ye Qing immediately recalled the strange, fantastical, and unspeakable things he saw while walking up to the pawn shop. Your pawn shop¡¯s taste is a bit heavier than I expected, girl. In my world, Pawn Shop No. 8 only wants the soul.

    ¡°What can I obtain in exchange?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Candle Spirit replied, ¡°Pawn Shop No. 8 has always adhered by the principles of fair trade. In other words, you will gain something of equal value. Obviously, the more you offer, the more you will get. For example¡­¡±

    An orange candle took over and whispered seductively, ¡°You may gain unlimited wealth¡­¡±

    A yellow candle breathed bewitchingly, ¡°You may rule over life and death¡­¡±

    And a blue candle murmured bewilderingly, ¡°You may be the greatest of all¡­¡±

    ¡°As I said, you can pawn anything and obtain anything. Whatever it is you desire, Pawn Shop No. 8 can fulfill it!¡±

    Candle Spirit¡¯s voice was unbelievably soft, intoxicating, and seductive. At the same time, innumerable whispers suddenly rang beside his ears and basked him in a cocoon of warmth,fort, and dreams. Before Ye Qing knew it, he found himself basking in his base desires. Or rather, his desires had drowned out the voice of his mind and left nothing but pure want. He wanted wealth, he wanted power, he wanted strength, he wanted everything¡­

    Ye Qing did not realize that the number 8 had appeared on his forehead as he sumbed little by little. As if responding to his unfettered desires, the number 8 the pawn shop¡¯s sign board burned even brighter and leaked ck, sinister qi. All the candles on the rack turned pitch ck and began swaying in perfect unison. The innocence, liveliness and child-like cunning they had disyed earlier¡­ all of it had been reced by pure, unadulterated evil.

    It was at this moment the Annon Sutra glowed a little and sent an icy sensation across his whole body. It immediately chased away the paralyzing thoughts and jolted Ye Qing back to wakefulness.

    The moment he regained his rity of mind, the murmurs and the number 8 on his forehead abruptly disappeared like it was never there. The oddities inside and outside the pawn shop all returned to normal as well. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

    One thing was different though. All the candles on Candle Spirit¡¯s head had shrunk a little.

    ¡°Did something happen just now?¡± Ye Qing asked. He was back to normal, but he could not recall what just happened at all. If the Annon Sutra wasn¡¯t giving off a cold sensation, he wouldn¡¯t even realize that something was off.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Please, take a seat.¡±

    Candle Spirit led Ye Qing to a table as if nothing had ever happened. She shot him a smile and asked, ¡°Have you figured out what you want, dear customer?¡±

    Ye Qing subconsciously touched his chest. Candle Spirit was acting just the same as before, and he couldn¡¯t spot any oddity in the shop whatsoever, and yet he just couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that something wasn¡¯t right. He was, for better or worse, on his guard.

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Can I leave this ce?¡±

    It was the truth. From the moment he ended up in this ce, his biggest desire was to get out of here.

    ¡°...¡±

    Candle Spirit was speechless for a moment. This was the first time she encountered a human who waspletely unmoved by an opportunity-of-a-lifetime.

    In fact, Ye Qing was moved by the offer, but the strange feeling had caused him to change his mind. Golden opportunities were golden, but what did it matter if you couldn¡¯t live to enjoy it?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but one of our rules states that all visitors must pawn at least one item, dear customer. Also, this really is the opportunity-of-a-lifetime. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider?¡± Candle Spirit asked.

    Wow, I can¡¯t leave until I pawn something? If you have a website, I absolutely would give you a one-star rating!

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose in irritation. It was pretty obvious, but now he confirmed that Pawn Shop No. 8 wasn¡¯t a ce one coulde and go as they pleased.

    Ye Qing thought for a little while longer before answering, ¡°I¡¯d like a bottle of Moon Seeing Stone agate!¡±

    Since he couldn¡¯t leave, he might as well take the opportunity to find out more about Pawn Shop No. 8 and their business rules. Second, he did need the agate to aplish his purpose.

    Candle Spirit smiled, ¡°The agate of the Moon Seeing Stone, is it? The Moon Seeing Stone is formed from the essence of the sun and moon and possesses many magical effects, and it so happens that we do have a stock of its agate.¡±

    One of the ck cloaked figures immediately walked over up to them. They were carrying a tray with a small porcin bottle.

    ¡°Please verify the goods, customer.¡±

    Ye Qing uncorked the bottle and looked inside. He saw a pool of shiny liquid with what looked like a million stars shining inside it.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely the agate of the Moon Seeing Stone, and its quality is above average,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    Candle Spirit beamed at him. ¡°As I said, our shop adheres closely to the principle of fair trade. We wouldn¡¯t try to cheat you by giving you an inferior product.¡±

    ¡°You said that I can pawn anything, right?¡± Ye Qing confirmed.

    Candle Spirit responded, ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Ye Qing mulled over his options carefully before answering, ¡°In that case, I would like to pawn myziness and greed.¡±

    Candle Spirit: ¡°...¡±

    An awkward silence stretched for a few seconds before Ye Qing asked, ¡°Is that not enough? What if I chip in my excess anger and desire as well?¡±

    Candle Spirit: ¡°......¡±

    ¡°Still not enough? Fine. I can give you my clumsiness, my indecision, my impulsiveness, my carelessness and, oh! That¡¯s right. My sleep quality has been rather poor as ofte, my stomach could stand to be a bit better, and I¡¯ve been gued by bad luck as ofte. Please take all my ailments away from me. I don¡¯t mind even if it exceeds the value of this agate. You¡¯re wee.¡±

    Candle Spirit: ¡°.........¡±

    Seeing that there was no end to Ye Qing¡¯s rant, Candle Spirit finally let out a sigh, ¡°I told you before that we only ept valuables, dear customer. What you just offered holds no value to us whatsoever.¡±

    Ye Qing abruptly cut himself off andined, ¡°You were the one who said I could pawn anything. Why didn¡¯t you interrupt me sooner if you¡¯re just going to turn it all down?¡±

    Oh, so it¡¯s my fault now? Candle Spirit barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she apologized, ¡°My apologies, dear customer. It¡¯s my fault for not rifying things.¡±

    ¡°Well, I forgive you,¡± Ye Qing replied generously.

    Like I need your forgiveness, you little shit!

    Ye Qing sighed. He was hoping to exploit a loophole or ten, but he supposed that was asking for too much. A few secondster, he said, ¡°Fine then. I shall give you my handsome, unparalleled, world-shattering looks in exchange for this agate!¡±

    Candle Spirit huffed, ¡°Dear customer, you cannot pawn what you don¡¯t have. Or should I say, your narcissism holds no value to us!¡±

    This time, it was Ye Qing¡¯s turn to fall silent. My looks are my most prized asset, and you¡¯re telling me it has no value whatsoever? Should I show you what gender equality me¡ªwait, I think she¡¯s stronger than me. Oh well. It¡¯s bad form to hit a woman anyway!

    ¡°What about my humility, my refinement and my uprightness then? Surely these qualities hold some value to your shop?¡± Ye Qing challenged. He refused to believe that he waspletelycking in good qualities.

    Candle Spirit¡¯s reply was like an arrow through his heart, ¡°My deepest apologies, customer, but you don¡¯t have humility or refinement either. You do have uprightness though, so yes, you can pawn that if you want to!¡±

    ¡°...¡± You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re a woman. I would¡¯ve punched your face in if you were a man.

    Still, the fact that he could pawn his uprightness proved that he wasn¡¯tpletelycking in good qualities. At the very least he wasn¡¯t a total scumbag, right?

    Hmm? Why do I feel like I¡¯ve just insulted myself?

 Chapter 174: Deer of Balance

    Chapter 174: Deer of Bnce

    ¡°What will happen if I give up my uprightness?¡± Ye Qing asked. This was the real question he wanted to ask.

    Candle Spirit answered, ¡°If you give up your uprightness, you will lose the ability to discern right from wrong, and good from evil. You will act as you please, kill on a whim, so on and so forth.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Ye Qing nodded before asking another question, ¡°And what would happen if I give up my familial love?¡±

    The corners of Candle Spirit¡¯s lips curled upward. If you give up your familial love, then you will lose all feelings toward your family. To put it simply, you will treat them just like you treat a stranger. Of course, this won¡¯t affect your daily life. Who knows, you might lead a freer life without the shackles of familial bonds to hold you down?¡±

    Ye Qing pressed, ¡°What if I¡¯m an orphan who had to grow up all alone?¡±

    Candle Spirit chuckled. ¡°You might not have a family now, but you will have one eventually. Your wife and your children are your family, is it not? Of course, if you choose to never have a family, then we will take something else of equal value.¡±

    In other words, the pawn shop would nevere out of a deal as the loser.

    Ye Qing nodded in understanding beforeunching into a deduction, ¡°In other words, I will never love again if I give up my love, and I will never have friends if I give up my friendship. Is that correct?¡±

    Candle Spirit nodded in affirmation.

    Ye Qing fell into thought for a moment before asking another question, ¡°How does pawning my dreams and future work?¡±

    Candle Spirit answered sinctly, ¡°If you pawn your ambitions, then you will lose all motivation to improve and be satisfied with your current status. If you give up your future, then you will always remain exactly where you¡¯re currently at in life. You will never change until you die.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned deeply when he heard this. He could tell that Candle Spirit was trying to downgrade the severity of the consequences without outright lying to his face. Losing a certain emotion already had a serious impact on one¡¯s life, but to lose one¡¯s dreams or future could only be described as life-changing.

    Could you really call a human who was missing an entire aspect of their emotions a human?

    Was there any difference between a human and a salted fish if he lost his ambition?

    And why even live if you would never have a future?

    Speaking of the future, suppose he was fine with pawning off his emotions or whatever and went on to live the life he dreamed of. However, life was full of obstacles, and it was only a matter of time before he encountered something that he couldn¡¯t solve. He would be tempted to visit the pawn shop again and pawn something else to obtain a solution to his problem.

    It wouldn¡¯t end there though. A human¡¯s greed and desire was bottomless, and once they had something they would want more of it. Pawn Shop No. 8 could carry him all the way to the top if he was careful with their deals, or it could slowly lead him into the abyss and cost him everything. If there came a day where he truly lost everything, who could say that they would be strong enough not to pawn off their own soul to the devil?

    Having understood the pitfalls and trapsid by Pawn Shop No. 8, Ye Qing visualized the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method to keep his head clear and asked, ¡°Can you tell me what I can pawn to obtain this agate then?¡±

    Candle Spirit smiled. So what if Ye Qing knew that Pawn Shop No. 8 was dangerous and treacherous? He would still enter their trap because that was just how humans were: greedy, slothful and full of desires.

    ¡°There are many things you can pawn, dear customer. For example, you may pawn your uprightness, your friendship, your intelligence, your conscience, your lifespan, your martial talent, your emotions and more.¡±

    ¡°Wow! I have a lot more stuff than I thought!¡± Ye Qing sounded a little excited, ¡°I feel like I can exchange a lot of useful stuff with what I have!¡±

    Candle Spirit¡¯s smile grew even warmer and coquettish, ¡°In that case, what will you give in exchange for the agate of the Moon Seeing Stone, dear customer?¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°I will give you¡­ my money, of course.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry?¡± Candle Spirit was taken aback. ¡°I thought you were going to give up something more¡­ substantial?¡±

    Ye Qing answered matter-of-factly, ¡°You said it yourself they¡¯re quite substantial. Why would I give up my treasures when I can sit on them instead?¡±

    Candle Spirit: ¡°...¡± So, you¡¯re saying that I wasted all that breath for nothing?

    Candle Spirit tried to change his mind, ¡°The agate of the Moon Seeing Stone is quite valuable, dear customer. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll have to pay through the roof if you wish to pay in mundane currency. In fact, intangible things like emotions are worth a lot more to our shop then tangible things like gold and silver. Why pay through the roof when there is a much cheaper option?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! That is why I cannot pawn off my intangible stuff!¡± Ye Qing answered matter-of-factly, ¡°Also, I have a ton of cash!¡±

    Given enough money, can money buy everything? Yes! Yes, it can!

    Candle Spirit was feeling a little distraught. Why is he getting more obstinate the more I try to persuade him?

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t pull out his cash immediately though. He asked, ¡°You imed that Pawn Shop No. 8 adheres to the principles of fair trade, but why should I believe you? How can I be sure that you won¡¯t intentionally raise the price of the agate or devalue my money?¡±

    By now, Candle Spirit realized that Ye Qing couldn¡¯t be persuaded, so she simply waved her hand and summoned a divine-looking, penta-colored deer into the shop. The Stranger was also carrying what seemed to be a scale on its back.

    ¡°Is that the Deer of Bnce?¡± Ye Qing blurted in surprise.

    ¡°Correct! It is none other than the Deer of Bnce!¡± Candle Spirit responded, ¡°Do you trust me now?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. A Deer of Bnce was a very special Stranger that was, in some ways, quite simr to the Oathbearer. Powerful but kind, it almost never attacked a human or Stranger unless it was attacked first. There was nothing it loved more than to evaluate items for humans and ensure fair trade.

    If someone tried to cheat the other party or facilitate unfair trade though, the Deer of Bnce would get angry, and the scale behind its back would be imbnced. The Deer of Bnce would carve up the wrongdoer bit by bit and ce their body parts on the te until the scale was bnced. Only then would it stop and cease its rage.

    This was why the Deer of Bnce was also known as the Deer of Fairness by merchants. It was also why its symbol was often inscribed on weighing scales as proof of fair transaction.

    The Deer of Bnce in front of Ye Qing had five-colored fur with starry spots that looked like stars in the sky. An auspicious cloud hung between its horns, and its eyes were brimming with life and intelligence. The mysterious scale on its back was glowing with hypnotic, auspicious colors as well.

    There was no mistake. The Deer of Bnce in front of him was the genuine article. There was no way this was a fake conjured by Candle Spirit.

    ¡°Shall we begin the exchange then, dear customer?¡± Candle Spirit said and ced the bottle of agate on one of the weighing tes. The scale slowly tilted in that direction.

    In response, Ye Qing pulled out fifty thousand silver certificates [1] from his Nature¡¯s Shell and ced it on the opposite te. However, he nearly suffered a heart attack when he discovered the scale had barely moved at all.

    The scale was only slightly tilted on one side, so he initially thought that the agate was cheaper than he thought. He wasn¡¯t expecting fifty thousand silver, which was almost half of all the money he had, to be worth so little.

    It would seem that money really was near worthless to Pawn Shop No. 8.

    Ye Qing stopped wasting his silver and added the goods he just got from the four stall owners to the te instead. He didn¡¯t recognize therge majority of the items, but who knows, maybe some of them might turn out to be valuable? They were wasting space in his Nature¡¯s Shell and meant little to him anyway, so he might as well pawn them off to Pawn Shop No. 8.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t deposit his items one by one on the te. He was the one who decided to show off his wealth. If he acted like a miser now, it would utterly ruin his heroic image. Therefore, he unloaded every item he thought had no value to him on the te in one go.

    The te was average-sized at best and could not seem to amodate arge number of items, but in reality not a single one of his items¡ªhundreds of them¡ªhad fallen to the ground. It was as if the te contained infinite space.

    It wasn¡¯t too surprising. A seed could hold a mountain after all. [2]

    After Ye Qing was done depositing his items, the horn of the Deer of Bnce slowly brightened with colorful, divine light. It was a soft, gentle glow that set him at ease. A short whileter, a small pile of the items were thrown out of the te and in front of Ye Qing. When Candle Spirit saw Ye Qing¡¯s confused expression, she giggled, ¡°Dear customer, the Deer of Bnce threw those items out because they¡¯repletely worthless.¡±

    After the worthless items were discarded, the tes slowly tilted toward the center. When they came to a stop though, Ye Qing discovered that the scale needed onest push to be truly bnced.

    ¡°It looks like your items still aren¡¯t enough, dear customer,¡± Candle Spiritmented with a smirk.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t panic. He thought for a moment and ced the Strange Artifacts and martial arts manuals he didn¡¯t need onto the weighing te such as the Skinner, the Burial Shirt of the Dead, the Chang Bone, the ¡°Iron Hand¡±, the ¡°Floating On Water¡± and more. The scale slowly evened out with every addition.

    However, Ye Qing did not notice Candle Spirit smiling eerily as he was adding his Strange Artifacts onto the te. The candles on the ebony rack abruptly turned ck and swayed in eerie harmony.

    Keke, you¡¯re dead.

    Candle Spirit¡¯s smile grew wider and wider as the scale slowly evened out. She had used a special ability to mask the true value of Ye Qing¡¯s Strange Artifacts. As soon as the Stranger noticed that something was wrong with the Stranger, it would definitely think that Ye Qing was trying to trick it and attack him. It did not matter if the Deer of Bnce killed him or maimed him. Either oue would be favorable to Pawn Shop No. 8.

    If Ye Qing was grievously injured, he would need to heal himself before he returned to the Strange Market. Otherwise, he might as well bemitting suicide. His only choice would be to negotiate a new deal with Pawn Shop No. 8 and treat his injuries. When that happened, she would get exactly what she wanted.

    It was even better if the Deer of Bnce killed him outright. His soul would go directly to Pawn Shop No. 8.

    My n is wless!

    Candle Spirit nearly burst out inughter as she marveled at the ingenuity of her own n. In fact, she had tricked many customers using this exact tactic, and so far no one had managed to escape her trap.

    Ye Qing had no idea that a grave danger was right on top of him. He even let out a mental sigh of relief when he saw that the scale was about to even out.

    It was at this moment the Annon Sutra suddenly shed ck. Then, a single silver dragon-serpent rune slowly vanished from its surface.

    The second the dragon-serpent rune was gone, words slowly appeared on its surface,

    ¡°Ye Qing had yed Candle Spirit like a fiddle, and the resentful Stranger was unwilling to take the humiliation lying down. So, she used her innate ability to conceal the true value of Ye Qing¡¯s items and provoke the Deer of Bnce into killing Ye Qing. This way, she would be able toy im to Ye Qing¡¯s soul.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, she was so pleased with herself that she identally let slip a hint of energy. As a result, the Deer of Bnce found out her ploy. Enraged beyond reason, the Deer of Bnce killed Candle Spirit on the spot.¡±

    When the words ¡°killed Candle Spirit on the spot¡± manifested, it started fading immediately almost as if it couldn¡¯t bear the power of fate it was imbued with. But right before they would disappear, all sixteen silver dragon-serpent runes on the Annon Sutra suddenly shone a bright silver light. Six of them disintegrated into nothing, and the six words abruptly regained its form:

    ¡°KILL CANDLE SPIRIT¡±

    1. Hey, fifty thousand silver ingots is heavy. For big numbers they have paper cash just like we do. ?

    2. This is a reference to a Chinese folk tale. I¡¯ll keep things simple, but once upon a time someone questioned a Buddhist monk saying that his im that a seed could hold a mountain is ridiculous. In response, the Buddhist monk asked him if he had read ten thousand books. When the man said yes and bragged that all the books he read were inside his head, the Buddhist monk asked how is that possible when his head couldn¡¯t possibly fit that many books. And so the man was enlightened. ?

    AI art for Deer of Bnce. Try and pretend that scale isn''t growing out of its ass, or that the angle is all off.

 Chapter 175: I Ainâ€™t Doing This Shit No More

    Chapter 175: I Ain¡¯t Doing This Shit No More

    At Pawn Shop No. 8, Candle Spirit was smiling bright enough to illuminate the dim interior. Too bright, in fact. Maybe she was so pleased with herself that she lost her sense of measure, or maybe she was just reaping what she sowed, but she identally let slip a cackle and a hint of aura.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t notice anything because Candle Spirit was way stronger than him, but the Deer of Bnce was a different story. It immediately turned to look at Candle Spirit, and Candle Spirit subconsciously met its gaze. Her wide-eyed look was all it needed to see to know that yes, the bitch was in fact trying to trick him.

    The Deer of Bnce was an intelligent Stranger, and it figured out her ploy in just the blink of an eye. Enraged, it immediately fired the divine light between its horns at the Stranger.

    ¡°What are you doing, Deer of Bnce? We¡¯re in Pawn Shop No. 8 right now!¡±

    Candle Spirit was shocked to say the least. It was one thing if she was a human, but she was an intelligent Stranger just like it. How could it attack a fellow Stranger willy-nilly? Also, they were in Pawn Shop No. 8 right now. Even if it was furious with her, shouldn¡¯t it overlook the offense because they were in her master¡¯s ce?

    Of course, Candle Spirit wasn¡¯t going to take her punishment lying down. The woman and all the children on the ebony rask sucked in a deep breath. When they exhaled, the candles burned at an elerated rate, and a terrific st of fire shot toward the Deer of Bnce.

    The Deer of Bnce paid the attack no heed though. Its divine light swept across the area and easily melted the deadly mes like snow. Forget hurting the Stranger, Candle Spirit¡¯s mes couldn¡¯t even get past the divine light.

    ¡°A-Are you really going to make an enemy out of Pawn Shop No. 8, Deer of Bnce?¡± Candle Spirit stammered in a panicked voice. The Deer of Bnce¡¯s divine light was incredibly potent and immune to all elements and power. It was why Candle Spirit¡¯s mes did nothing to it.

    The Deer of Bnce still didn¡¯t say anything. It preferred to converse with its horns far more than its mouth. The divine light swept across Candle Spirit¡¯s body like a scythe, and every candle on the ebony rack started melting at the same time. She screamed. The beautiful candle woman and children turned into snarling monsters with unholy auras, and pale hands reached out from the melted candle wax as if they would strangle the Deer of Bnce. However, the Deer of Bnce merely snorted through its nostrils¡ªas it turned out, its breath was penta-colored as well¡ªand melted all the hands into nothing with its snort. The fight was so lopsided it couldn¡¯t even be called a fight.

    ¡°My master will kill you for this, Deer of Bnce¡ªAhhhhh!¡±

    That was all Candle Spirit could say before the divine light melted all of her candles into nothing. Even her humanoid body had disintegrated into dust.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    The bloodthirst in the Deer of Bnce¡¯s eyes subsided only after Candle Spirit was dead. As it snorted again, it felt rather confused with its own behavior. It was true that Candle Spirit had tried to trick him andmit trade fraud from right under its nose, but it normally wasn¡¯t so hot-headed. For better or worse, it shared a long-standing rtionship with Pawn Shop No. 8. It would punish her greatly for her transgressions, but it would never kill her¡ªand yet it had.

    What on earth hade over it? How did it fall prey to the sudden, destructive impulse?

    The Deer of Bnce turned to the only other person in the pawn shop. Did the human do something to it?

    Ye Qing blinked stupidly when the Deer of Bnce looked into his eyes. Out of everyone present, he was easily the most confused of them all. Why had the two Strangers suddenly battled each other to the death? Or rather, why had the Deer of Bnce suddenly flown into a flying rage and ughtered the shit out of Candle Spirit? Should he worry for his own life as well?

    The Deer of Bnce knew it wasn¡¯t Ye Qing the second it saw its face. The idiot didn¡¯t even realize that he was seconds away from dying from Candle Spirit¡¯s trap, so there was no way he was the one who had influenced its thoughts.

    ¡°Idiot!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression was so stupid that the Deer of Bnce couldn¡¯t help but deride him a little. Then, it shook its body once and threw the bottle of agate into Ye Qing¡¯s hands.

    Ye Qing nced back and forth between the agate and the Deer of Bnce while feeling more confused than ever. Why did it call me an idiot? Did I piss it off or something? But when?

    Buzz¡­

    He was still confused when the pawn shop started shaking like it was in an earthquake, and the soulless puppets working in the store suddenly dropped to their knees and quivered like leaves. It looked like something bad was about to happen.

    ¡°Deer of Bnce, you have a deal with my Pawn Shop No. 8, and I do not believe that deal entails you killing my Candle Spirit. Why did you do it?¡± A terrifying voice boomed from above, and a pair of fiery orbs suddenly lit up under the hood of a gigantic silhouette in the sky. It looked both demonic and terrifying.

    The Deer of Bnce shed once and came face to face with the giant silhouette. Then, it replied in a disdainful tone, ¡°So what if I killed that bitch? She tried tomit fraud from right under my nose. As far as I¡¯m concerned, her death is well deserved!¡±

    Oh, it¡¯s a hot-headed deer. It all makes sense.

    Ye Qing felt much better after hearing the Deer of Bnce¡¯s hot-headed response. If the Deer of Bnce dared to insult even the owner of Pawn Shop No. 8 to their face, then why wouldn¡¯t it call a puny human an idiot?

    Wait a second. Did the Deer of Bnce just say that Candle Spirit tried tomit fraud under its nose? Could it be¡­?

    Ye Qing figured out the gist of the truth immediately. Candle Spirit must have tried to trick the Deer of Bnce, though he had no idea what she did and how she was discovered. It didn¡¯t matter though. The Deer of Bnce had already taken revenge for him, so all was well.

    ¡°What a righteous man¡ªI mean, a righteous deer!¡± Ye Qing sighed in admiration. The Deer of Bnce was literally going up against the master of Pawn Shop No. 8 for his sake right now. If it wasn¡¯t a righteous deer, then who was?

    ¡°Candle Spirit is my subordinate, Deer of Bnce. Even if she made a mistake, it is up to me to punish her, not you!¡± The shadowy figure replied calmly, though there was an unmistakable tinge of anger and bloodthirst behind their voice. ¡°You must pay for what you¡¯ve done, Deer of Bnce!¡±

    ¡°Pay? Sure, you can have deez nuts on your face, you fucker!¡±

    The Deer of Bnce let out a loud snort andunched into an epic rant, ¡°Your pawn shop has screwed over countless people using this tactic, but I¡¯ve always turned a blind eye because you didn¡¯t do it overtly, and because we share a business rtionship. But today, your bitch of an assistant openly used me to cheat another person! Openly! Do you think I¡¯m a tool that you may use as you please? Scratch that, even a tool would be furious if their owner treats them like trash!¡±

    ¡°You and your subordinates may be shameless bastards, but you can¡¯t expect everyone else in the world to be shameless bastards too! At the very least, I ain¡¯t sullying my reputation for the likes of you, get it?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, your bitch of an assistant was thest straw, which is why I decided to send her ass to the Nether. Whatcha gonna do about it, fucker?¡±

    The Deer of Bnce¡¯s outburst was so loud, so fearless, so gangster, that Umbra found no space to interrupt from start until the end.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Umbra said in a cold, unfeeling voice, but the seething darkness behind its back showed just how angry it was.

    The Deer of Bnce snorted again and said mockingly, ¡°I, what? Are you gonna attack me? Come on then! Like I¡¯m scared of your coal ck ass!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far this time, Deer of Bnce. No one may challenge Pawn Shop No. 8 without repercussions!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ¡®no one¡¯ though. I¡¯m the motherfucking Deer of Bnce!¡±

    The Deer of Bnce stomped the air underneath its feet and caused a shockwave that shattered the darkness around it. ¡°By the way, how many times do I need to tell you that I hate darkness?¡±

    ¡°Impudence!¡± Umbra roared. Unspeakable murmurs suddenly erupted from the surrounding darkness, and Ye Qing immediately felt like his mind flickering like a candle me in the wind. He could feel some sort of invisible power polluting his soul bit by bit.

    ¡°Seriously? You think you can talk me to death? Pathetic!¡± The Deer of Bnce let out a cold snort and unleashed its divine light. Like a five-colored sun, the light cleared out an entire patch of the darkness and killed the murmurs.

    This was just the appetizer though. The darkness stirred and formed three gigantic faces. Their expressions kept flitting from one expression to another, and a closer look would reveal that the three faces were really made up of countless souls. Every time they shifted, the faces¡¯ expressions would shift as well.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡±

    The three facesughed crazily as they slowly descended toward the Deer of Bnce. It was like the sky itself was falling toward it. their auras were unbelievably powerful.

    It felt like the three faces were much stronger than the Deer of Bnce, but a hint of disdain flickered across the Stranger¡¯s eyes as a strange light flowed out of the scale behind its back. At first, the scale was tilted toward the right side, but it slowly evened out over time.

    As the scale evened out, the aura of the three faces plummeted. It eventually got to the point where it was almost at the same level as the Deer of Bnce¡¯s.

    The next moment, the Deer of Bnce leaped into the air andunched a series of kicks with its forelimbs,

    ¡°Eat my Serial Shadowless Kick, you gnat!¡±

    Boom!

    Divine light erupted from the Stranger¡¯s legs every time it kicked out at the giant faces. They spread out like explosions and meltedrge chunks of the faces with ease.

    The souls swimming across the giant faces wailed in pain. As evil energy permeated the sky, transparent tentacles stretched out of the void and slithered toward the Deer of Bnce.

    ¡°Not good!¡±

    Ye Qing was observing the battle with his spirit when suddenly, the tentacles appeared inside his head and began corrupting his mind with its tainted powers. Sucking in a deep breath, Ye Qing hurriedly visualized the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method and purified the tentacles¡¯ tainted power. However, not only was he unable to dispel the transparent tentacles, they were actually growing stronger as if they were feeding off something.

    ¡°Dammit! I didn¡¯t do anything this time!¡± Ye Qing swore and withdrew his spirit immediately. The tentacles had appeared in his head because he was observing the battle with his spirit, so withdrawing it should alleviate his symptoms.

    Meanwhile, the mysterious lines on the Deer of Bnce¡¯s body glowed brightly, and a colorful ball of energy gathered between its horns. When so much power was gathered that the energy looked like a colorful inferno, it swept out and burned every transparent tentacle in the sky. Sensing grave danger, the three giant faces tried to retreat back into the darkness but were just a step too slow. Countless souls screamed and died as the three faces disintegrated into dust.

    As it turned out, the darkness wasn¡¯t infinite after all. The divine light punched a massive hole through the darkness and revealed a sea of stars.

    The transparent tentacles in Ye Qing¡¯s head disappeared when both the transparent tentacles and the giant faces were destroyed. It was only then he let out a sigh of relief and muttered, ¡°What a deer! Its innate magic is just insane!¡±

    At the beginning, the three faces were clearly stronger than the Deer of Bnce. However, the Stranger managed to ovee the power imbnce and even crushed the three faces with impunity all thanks to its innate magic.

    The Deer of Bnce possessed two potent magic. The first one was called the Scale of Bnce. Not only could it measure the true value of items and check if someone was trying tomit fraud, it could forcefully bnce out the power disparity between itself and its enemies.

    It wasn¡¯t omnipotent, of course. If the enemy¡¯s strength far, far exceeded the Deer of Bnce¡¯s, then not even the Scale of Bnce would be able to lower the enemy¡¯s power to its level. But barring that one scenario, there was nothing and no one that could resist the effects of the Scale of Bnce. It was a kind of power that superseded even thews of reality.

    Its second innate magic was the Pentacolor Divine Light. Just like the Scale of Bnce, it superseded thews of reality to a certain extent and was immune to the five elements, all things evil and dark, and most arts. Assuming that the Deer of Bnce and its enemies were on the same level, the Pentacolor Divine Light wasn¡¯t insurmountable, but it was close enough that anyone who went up against the Deer of Bnce would have a field day trying to defeat it.

    It was why no one wanted to provoke the Deer of Bnce if they could help it, and how it was able to ovee an opponent it should not have been able to defeat.

 Chapter 176: Dragon Bleeds Gold

    Chapter 176: Dragon Bleeds Gold

    ¡°I¡¯ve been displeased with you for a long time, Umbra. Since the opportunity is ripe, I¡¯m gonna kick your ass so hard you¡¯ll remember it for ages toe!¡±

    The Deer of Bnce turned to face the giant silhouette after destroying the three giant faces. Then, it conjured a penta-colored sword of light between horns andunched it at Umbra. As the sword flew, it split into two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty two and more. The sky was filled with swords in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Storm of swords

    Evil die¡±

    ¡°Hmph! How futile!¡± Umbra scoffed and brought down his palm. Darkness surged, and the curtain of darkness itself transformed into a palm as big as the sky itself. It easily epassed the rain of swords.

    Boom!

    The gigantic palm clenched its fingers, and the colorful swords abruptly froze in mid-air. Then, they shattered into a million pieces.

    The fragments did not disappear even though the swords were crushed though. In fact, they exploded like tiny bombs and put a million holes in the giant palm.

    ¡°Is that all? I guess you¡¯re not much better than your minion, Umbra!¡± The Deer of Bnce snorted in disdain.

    As soon as it said this, Umbra suddenly appeared behind the deer and struck it with his sleeve. Caughtpletely off guard, the deer Stranger was sent flying into the darkness.

    A few breaths passed, and rays of divine light pierced through the pitch ck darkness. The Deer of Bnce¡¯s voice boomed, ¡°More trickery, Umbra!?¡±

    It was like the moon piercing through the dark clouds and illuminating the world with its gentle light. The next moment, a beam of light shot out of the darkness and mmed into Umbra faster than he could react.

    Umbra staggered back in pain as the divine light melted his ck qi. Enraged, it sent the Deer of Bnce flying with another p. This time though, it didn¡¯t just stand around and do nothing like an idiot. It flew after the deer Stranger to kick the do¡ªdeer while it was down.

    The Deer of Bnce was not going to take it lying down, of course. And so the two Strangers fought an outrageous battle in the sky.

    In reality, the Deer of Bnce was no match for Umbra. But thanks to the Scale of Bnce and the Pentacolor Divine Light, it managed to fight Umbra to a standstill.

    Rumble!

    Darkness churned, and space shook. Ye Qing felt like he was trapped in the middle of an apocalypse. It was so terrifying that he hid inside Pawn Shop No. 8 and stayed as still as a salted fish.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Xiaoman, Xiaoman, I just sensed the presence of Pawn Shop No. 8.¡±

    On a hilltop, a man in his forties was crouching on the ground and holding a steaming bowl of oil spill noodles. His clothes looked worn out, and he had a down-to-earth face that gave him the appearance of an old farmer. A delicious aroma permeated the air as he slurped the noodles greedily.

    The middle-aged man wasn¡¯t the speaker, however. It was a longbow leaning against a tree. The bow was golden in color and covered in mysterious patterns. A gold dragon with shiny scales and sharp ws were encircling the grip. From time to time, small jets of golden mes would shoot out of its nostrils and circte around the bow, giving it a mysterious yet dignified appearance.

    The dragon was the one who spoke up earlier.

    ¡°Mm. I felt it as well,¡± the middle-aged man responded affirmatively but didn¡¯t move away from his noodles.

    ¡°Strange. I also sense two Strangers battling each other above Pawn Shop No. 8. One of them is Umbra, and the other one¡­ I¡¯m not sure who it is.¡±

    Sparks flew off the gold dragon¡¯s teeth as it closed its jaws gently. Whiskers floating beside its nostrils, it asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you send only two kids into the Strange Market? Did you arrange some additional help after all?¡±

    The middle-aged man shook his head. ¡°No. Whatever it is, it¡¯s not me.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not you, then who was it?¡± The dragon¡ªor rather, the longbow voiced its doubts, ¡°Perhaps Umbra discovered that your kids were looking for Pawn Shop No. 8 and decided to make his move first?¡±

    The longbow waited for a few seconds but didn¡¯t get a response from its owner. When it turned around and saw that the middle-aged man was fully focused on its noodles, it flew into a rage, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear my question, Fang Xiaoman? Eat eat eat! Were you a hungry ghost in your previous life? You¡¯re easily one of the biggest gluttons I¡¯ve ever seen in my life!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it. Food is the most precious thing in this world, and there is nothing more satisfying than eating your fill!¡±

    Fang Xiaoman said with a humble smile on his face, ¡°Aunt Hua made the noodles herself, and this pork is cut from the finest tenderloin. Not only are they plentiful and chunky, they are mixed with Aunt Hua¡¯s beef tallow as well. With that in mind, how can I waste such a fine delicacy on trivial questions?¡±

    He immediately went back to his noodles after answering his bow.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    The longbow quivered in rage and shed golden. At that moment, the entire hilltop suddenly shone as bright as a second sun. When the light faded, the nts had burned into dust, and the rocks and soil were scorched ck. However, the area around Fang Xiaoman was perfectly untouched.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Chief of Bureau of Luo Shui, Fang Xiaoman! Don¡¯t you care about your underlings¡¯ safety at all? You¡¯re a cruel, heartless and cold-blooded monster!¡±

    ¡°Have you no shame or dignity, Fang Xiaoman? If I was you, I would¡¯ve jumped off the walls of Luo Shui and killed myself a long time ago! Despicable!¡±

    No matter how the longbow goaded Fang Xiaoman, the Chief of Bureau didn¡¯t respond to its insults. In the end, the longbow lost its drive and said disgruntledly, ¡°Hey¡­ say something, you bastard!¡±

    Fang Xiaoman sucked thest noodle in the bowl down his throat and slurped up some of the onion oil at the bottom of the bowl as well. It was only then he finally answered the bow, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s most likely not them. If it was them, it would¡¯ve been over in an instant. Umbra would have squished them like a bug.¡±

    The longbow¡¯s anger was doused like a fire. It thought for a second before agreeing, ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯m still annoyed that you didn¡¯t answer me immediately, but I, Lord Xuanhuang, am a generous dragon. I shan¡¯t take offense at your slowness!¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Fang Xiaoman chuckled while wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

    Unfortunately, just because he kept quiet didn¡¯t mean that the bow named Xuanhuang would. It immediatelyunched into a new conversation, ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say you were going to attack Umbra? Now is the time to do so! With Lord Xuanhuang by your side, there is no way you can¡¯t blow his ugly face into smithereens! Use me now!¡±

    Fang Xiaoman slowly got to his feet and massaged his tingling legs a little. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. A better opportunity will present itself.¡±

    Xuanhuang grunted, ¡°At what cost? You¡¯re going to lose the golden opportunity you have right now! Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you if Umbra escapes! Dammit, what did I do in my previous life to deserve a slow master like you? I would have died of frustration if I was a human!¡±

    Fang Xiaoman still didn¡¯t take offense. He repliedzily, ¡°What can I do? My name is Fang Xiaoman (Slow). Besides, some things can only be done slowly. For example, you can¡¯t eat hot tofu quickly, can you?¡±

    ¡°Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.¡±

    As he said this, Fang Xiaoman slowly picked up the Xuanhuang Bow and weighed it in his hand. Then, he spread out his legs, lowered his center of gravity, and slowly pulled the string backward.

    As the bow curved more and more, the golden dragon encircling the grip shone golden and made this rattling noise that was really its scales shing against one another. At the same time, whispers of a draconic roar spread out from the bow and cowed all Strangers within tens of kilometers of Fang Xiaoman into submission. Soft as it was, not a single one of them even dared to make a peep while the dragon was still roaring.

    A golden arrow of light manifested on the longbow. The silhouette of a tiny dragon could be encircling the shaft. When the bow had reached its full draw, the dragon almost looked like the real thing.

    ¡°Drawn like a full moon

    Xuanhuang looked to the northwest

    To kill a god.¡±

    ROAR!

    Fang Xiaoman let go of the bowstring as soon as he achieved a full draw. The arrow flew, but instead of an arrow, it was a three hundred meter long dragon whose passionate roar pierced both heaven and earth. The next second, it slipped into the void and disappeared.

    After the golden dragon was gone, Fang Xiaoman allowed his tattered arm to fall to his side. His aura was faint, and blood was dripping from the bottom of the bow¡¯s limb. Strangely, the blood was gold in color, not red.

    Then again, why would a gold dragon bleed anything but gold?

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go. I can use a good rest after this.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman gently caressed the dragon before making his way down the hill.

    Xuanhuangined, ¡°Come on! We¡¯re not even going to watch the oue?¡±

    Fang Xiaoman answered, ¡°Nah. I trust you and myself. Even if Umbra survives this attack, it will leave asting memory. He will learn that the world isn¡¯t his to toy with as he pleases so long as the Pacification Bureau still exists to protect humanity!¡±

    ¡°Impressive speech, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re leaving because you¡¯re too weak to use me more than once. Otherwise, you would¡¯ve shot the bastard as many times as it takes to kill him dead. And then we¡¯ll never have to worry about fucking Umbra and his fucking Pawn Shop No. 8!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m just too weak.¡±

    ¡°You are weak. By the way, we should¡¯ve heard the explosion by now. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°What did I tell you about being slow? The arrow will hit when it¡¯s time to hit its target.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman looked like he was walking slowly, but he had disappeared from the forest in the blink of an eye. A second after that, the hill abruptly crumbled into rubble.

    ¡­¡­

    Meanwhile, Umbra and the Deer of Bnce were still having a mano-o-mano above Pawn Shop No. 8. They were evenly-matched, and it looked like they could go for another three hundred rounds without end.

    Suddenly, the Deer of Bnce dered in an arrogant voice, ¡°This game is getting boring. Goodbye, my grandson!¡±

    A streak of divine light cut through the darkness, and the Deer of Bnce was gone just like that.

    After the Deer of Bnce was gone, Umbra floated motionlessly above his pawn shop as if he was catching his breath. His fiery eyes were swaying unsteadily, and his aura was flickering erratically as well. The Deer of Bnce hadn¡¯t won, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t the winner either.

    Suddenly, Umbra peered down and red at Ye Qing. The young man was hoping to escape the pawn shop undetected, but of course his movement hadn¡¯t escaped the powerful Stranger¡¯s notice. He uttered with infinite malice and anger, ¡°You deserve death, ant!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± The fuck does this have to do with me? It¡¯s not my fault you lost the fight! Also, I was just gonna explore the Strange Market, get my stuff, and teach the asional lesson via superior firepower until you kidnapped li¡¯l ol¡¯ me to your pawn shop!

    Just the same, it was you who had tried to cheat me out of a fair deal until Deer-I¡¯m-a-fucking-boss-Bnce saw through your ploy and kicked your sorry ass. Literally everything was your fault from start until the end, and now you¡¯re going to take it out on me because, what, I¡¯m the only one left? Where is your shame, man? Your dignity?

    Sensing that Umbra could kill him at any moment, Ye Qing hurriedly yelled, ¡°I¡¯m a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau. Kill me, and the Pacification Bureau will chase you to the ends of the earth!¡±

    It was the truth. He was a Patrolman, and the Pacification Bureau would never take the loss of a Patrolman lying down. However, there was no telling if this was enough to scare Umbra away. If it worked, then all was well. If not, he could only pray that daddy heaven still had more ns for him!

    ¡°You¡¯re a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau?¡±

    The me orbs in his eyes suddenly burned brighter as he cackled in delight, ¡°Good, good! Your bureau, impotent they may be, has been a thorn in my side as ofte. Killing you would be the perfect balm to my soul! Kekeke¡­¡±

 Chapter 177: Iâ€™m A Jinx

    Chapter 177: I¡¯m A Jinx

    ¡°Why do you viins alwaysugh like this? Is there really no better way?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose as Umbra let out a viinousugh. ¡°That said, I¡¯m d you¡¯re one of the more predictable viins. Most viins do not have a good ending, and this is usually the part where deux ex machina happens to save the protagonist. For example, an arrow might fall from the sky and blow your ugly head to bits.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed after his otherworldly rant and gathered his power. This was real life, and deus ex machina just doesn¡¯t happen. The only one who could save himself was hims¡ª

    It was at this moment a draconic roar shook the world. The ck sky suddenly turned golden yellow, and a warm light melted away the all-epassing darkness melted like snow. Before he knew it, Ye Qing realized that he could see the sky once more.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    Umbra¡¯s orbs suddenly flickered wildly, and his entire body started smoking like he was on fire. It would seem that the darkness was a part of him, and losing it had dealt him a severe blow. The Stranger had no idea what was happening, but he didn¡¯t dare to take it lightly. He thrust his palm above his head and revealed a withered, pitch ck arm that was covered in countless twisted and evil-looking tattoos.

    Every time his palm moved upward, it would grow much bigger just like the Nether Lord¡¯s when it was blocking Heavens¡¯ Eye¡¯s attack. It would seem that the evils of this world shared simr tricks. By the time the palm had moved three inches, it had be as vast as the sky itself. The golden light looked positively punypared to it.

    Rumble!

    However, a needle could take a person¡¯s life if it hit the right spot, not to mention that the golden light was no puny needle. No, it was a three hundred meters long gold dragon. When the two shed, the entire palm shattered like it was made of ss. The surrounding clouds were shredded into nothingness as well. Roaring with triumph, the gold dragon red down on Umbra and swooped toward him as if it had a mind of its own.

    ¡°A gold dragon? Xuanhuang?! The Pacification Bureau!¡±

    Umbra clearly recognized the gold dragon swooping toward him. His voice was filled with undisguised anger, but there was even more fear and panic.

    Umbra let out an angry roar and inhaled deeply. Every door and window in Pawn Shop No. 8 flung open, and countless souls flew out of the store and into Umbra¡¯s mouth and nose. His aura began climbing rapidly until he resembled a demon or a god. Then, he threw a mighty punch at the golden dragon.

    The punch shattered the gold dragon from head to toe, and for a moment, it looked like Umbra had emerged victorious. Then, a shining arrow emerged from the shattered remains of the dragon and mmed into Umbra¡¯s fist! Like a hot knife through butter, it sliced the gigantic Stranger in half and even punched through Pawn Shop No. 8¡¯s rooftop! It was only then it deleted all of its energy and disappeared!

    ¡°Am¡­ Am I a jinx?¡± Ye Qing blinked stupidly as he stared at the vanished arrow right next to his feet. When he stood on his tiptoes and looked through the hole created by the arrow, he could vaguely see the sky still covered in a sheen of golden light.

    While cocking his head at a strange angle, Ye Qing muttered, ¡°This isn¡¯t enough. If this ¡®Umbra¡¯ survived, he¡¯s still going to squish me like a bug.¡±

    Rumble!

    As if on cue, Umbra¡¯s split body abruptly exploded into a million pieces. Pawn Shop No. 8 too exploded as if its life was connected to Umbra. Lucky for Ye Qing, he noticed the signs a fraction of a second before it happened and raced through the exit like the wind. Only then he managed to avoid being buried under the rubble.

    ¡°I am a jinx! Look at me, killing giants and destroying buildings with my mouth,¡± Ye Qing let out a long, long sigh of relief when he stared at the remains of Umbra and the Pawn Shop No. 8.

    It was at this moment countless souls suddenly floated out of the remains, but unlike before they weren¡¯t overflowing with malice and hatred anymore. In fact, they looked perfectly docile and at peace.

    The number of souls just kept growing and growing. In just a few breaths, the sky was filled with attest thousands of souls.

    There were male, female, old and young among the souls, but every single one of them wore a look of pure relief on their faces. When thest soul had floated into the air, they smiled down on Ye Qing and gave him a deep bow. They were clearly grateful toward him.

    Clearly, they were the human souls Umbra and Pawn Shop No. 8 had ensnared. For years they had toiled under the monster¡¯s tyranny, but they were finally released after the two entities were destroyed. They were thanking Ye Qing because they believed that he was their savior.

    It wasn¡¯t just empty thanks either. Ye Qing could vaguely sense some sort of invisible power pouring into his head. If he had to describe it somehow, it was like the morning dawn or the silver moonlight. Pure, immacte, gentle and warm, they soothed him like a warm bath after the apocalypse. His spirit had hit a wall some time ago, but now it was growing at a visible rate. His mind was also stronger and purer than ever before.

    ¡°The soul¡­¡±

    Ye Qing immediately understood what he was receiving. He was receiving their soul power.

    The soul was the purest energy in the world bar none. Not only could it increase one¡¯s spiritual power, it was incredibly effective at enhancing the mind as well. To be more specific, the soul was the most effective method to increase one¡¯s spiritual power since the mind, soul and spirit all originated from the same roots.

    This was why heretics and Strangers such as Umbra went after human souls. It was one of the fastest ways to increase one¡¯s power.

    Of course, the souls weren¡¯t giving up all of their power to Ye Qing. It was just a sliver that even an ordinary warrior would¡¯ve considered insignificant, much less one as strong as Ye Qing. However, there were tens of thousands of souls in the sky. A fraction of a soul¡¯s power might not amount to much, but tens of thousands? That was apletely different story.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the one who saved you. Seriously, I didn¡¯t do anything from the start until the end. But it would be remiss of me to turn down such a great gift, so¡­ hopefully, the champion who destroyed Shadow and Pawn Shop No. 8 wouldn¡¯t mind that I took their reward.¡±

    Overall, Ye Qing was very satisfied with this oue. How could hein? He literally did nothing, and he got one of the best rewards he could ask for.

    As more soul power poured into his head, his mind grew purer, and his spirit actually started condensing into solid mist. However, he quickly noticed that much of the soul power was wasted because he couldn¡¯t refine them fast enough. Unwilling to waste such a golden opportunity, he hurriedly visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to increase his refinement speed.

    Buzz¡­

    An indefinite amount of timeter, a dharma [1]of Emperor Fuxi appeared in the sky. Literally, in the real world. Created from Ye Qing¡¯s spiritual power, it looked as if the real Emperor Fuxi had appeared in the real world.

    The dharma shone like the sun just like the image normally did inside Ye Qing¡¯s head. Images of yin and yang, the Four Symbols, the Bagua and more appeared one by one and as his power reached every corner of the world. Not even the shadows hiding underneath the rubble were exempt from its cleansing light, and one could almost hear their pathetic screams as they evaporated into nothing.

    Ye Qing had been sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, meditating. An evil smirk crossed his lips when he heard the shadows¡¯ screams. The shadows were none other than the remnants of Umbra, and they had tried to corrupt him while he was receiving the souls¡¯ power.

    Umbra was ultimately a powerful entity. Not even the arrow was able topletely destroy it. Weak as these remnants were, past Ye Qing might have failed to notice their existence. But now, he could detect everything tangible or intangible within fifty meters of him. Should he desire it, he could inspect even the smallest speck of dust within his range. At this level, nothing and no one could elude him anymore.

    Thanks to his enhanced spirit, he was able to deal the shadows a fatal blow as soon as they entered his range.

    ¡°Come. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯repletely and utterly dead this time.¡±

    Ye Qing rose to his feet, and every rune on Emperor Fuxi¡¯s chariot lit up at the same time. It shot into the sky and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Rumble¡­

    When Emperor Fuxi rides his chariot, all demons must get out of his path or be destroyed. There was a dull rumble that sounded like the heavens were groaning, and the sky split into two to pour golden bright light. Countless shadows started screaming and disintegrating into dust.

    ¡°Still not dead yet? Just die already.¡±

    What do you do when you make an enemy out of someone? Nine out of ten times, you kill the shit out of them so they wouldn¡¯t trouble you down the line.

    Plus, Umbra was a powerful Stranger who could have squished him like a bug at his full strength. Now, he was so weak that even Ye Qing could kill him without too much trouble. Why on earth would he allow an opportunity like this slip through his grasp?

    More importantly, he wanted to know how many silver dragon-serpent runes the Annon Sutra would give him if he managed to kill Umbra. Would it be one thousand or ten thousand? The thought alone was enough to spark an ember in his loins.

    Ye Qing assumed a stance and executed a full-powered ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±. He saw no reason to save his strength whatsoever. As the Burning Wind surged in every direction like a tidal wave, the shadows suddenly crawled out of all kinds of hiding spots¡ªthe space underneath the rubble, the gaps between the rocks, the cracks on the ground and more¡ªand converged into a human-sized Umbra.

    When the Stranger red daggers at Ye Qing, he thought for sure that this was going to end with a climactic final battle. Instead, Umbra turned his back on Ye Qing and shot into the sky. He was unbelievably fast for someone so injured he couldn¡¯t even deal with a small insect. He was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°He¡­ ran?!¡±

    Umbra escaped so quickly that Ye Qing reacted only after the Stranger was gone. He could not believe that the master of the legendary Pawn Shop No. 8 would be such a coward. Where the hell was his pride as a Stranger, and more importantly¡­

    ¡°MY DRAGON SERPENT RUNES!¡± Ye Qing wailed on top of his lungs. He had thousands and thousands of them within his grasp, and now¡­ there was none!

    Damn it all!

    A formidable foe had escaped from under his nose, and there was a one thousand percent chance he would seek Ye Qing out for revenge in the future. But frankly, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t very worried. Umbra was wounded pretty badly, and Ye Qing reckoned that it would take the Stranger at least three years to recover. By then, he would¡¯ve be so strong that it was his turn to squish Umbra like a bug!

    After Umbra was gone, Ye Qing suddenly felt a tremendous rejection from the very space he was upying. His eyes blurred, and an intense wave of dizziness assaulted his mind. By the time he recovered, Ye Qing realized that he had returned to the Strange Market exactly where he had disappeared into thin air. No one seemed to notice his sudden appearance just like they hadn¡¯t noticed his sudden disappearance.

    ¡°I¡¯m back?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise. One of his worst fears was being permanently trapped in the space where Pawn Shop No. 8 was, never to return. He was thankful that that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Phew! I was worried for a moment there. Now that I¡¯m back, what should I do?¡± Ye Qing looked at the bustling market for a bit when an idea urred to him. Just now, he had used up nearly everything he had to purchase the agate of the Moon Seeing Stone. Now was the time to replenish his wealth!

    Unfortunately, the thought had just crossed his mind when a white paperntern suddenly appeared in front of him. Then, thick fog rolled in from every direction until all he could see was thentern¡¯s weak candle me. It illuminated a seemingly endless path ahead of him.

    Ye Qing subconsciously followed the road, and the more he walked the thinner the fog became. He started seeing the silhouettes of restaurants and buildings on both sides of the road.

    Nine stepster, the mist fadedpletely, and Ye Qing found himself back in the real world; the crossroads that was the starting point of a bizarre adventure. Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu were beside him as well.

    1. It¡¯s actually quite difficult to exin this. The dharma is an aspect of a truth or reality. Outwardly, it¡¯s simr to an Expression in that the warrior manifests an image of something that signifies someone¡¯s truth. For example, if you¡¯re a fire mage, then maybe your ¡°dharma¡± could be a volcano. ?

 Chapter 178: Fang Xiaoman

    Chapter 178: Fang Xiaoman

    ¡°I¡¯m back already?!¡± Ye Qing blinked and let out an audible sigh of disappointment. He must have wasted too much time in Pawn Shop No. 8. By the time he returned to the Strange Market, he had seconds left before he was automatically booted back to the real world. His n to recoup his wealth was dead before he even got to execute it.

    Woe is me!

    ¡°Why do you sound so surprised, Joyless? We told you how long the living could stay in the Strange Market.¡± Lin Yuhuai sounded curious. ¡°Also, why do you feel different from before? It¡¯s like¡­ you¡¯re harder to see through now.¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Well, you¡¯repletely correct.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Tell us,¡± Lin Yuhuai asked curiously.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hide his experience from his colleagues. He gave them a summary of how he came to enter Pawn Shop No. 8 and what happened there. Of course, he glossed over the fact that he had absorbed the soul power of tens of thousands of souls and focused mostly on the golden arrow that destroyed Umbra and the pawn shop.

    ¡°Pawn Shop No. 8 is destroyed? That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu eximed in pleasant surprise before exchanging an odd look with one another. ¡°Talk about a coincidence!¡±

    ¡°A coincidence? What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing asked when something caught his attention. ¡°Wait a second. You guys know about Pawn Shop No. 8 too?¡±

    ¡°Tell him, Nianjiu,¡± Lin Yuhuai said.

    Chu Nianjiu cleared his throat and did just that with undisguised delight, ¡°We told you that we have something to do at the Strange Market, right? In fact, we were on a mission to locate Pawn Shop No. 8.¡±

    ¡°Really? But why?¡± The way Chu Nianjiu said it, they had had their eyes on Pawn Shop No. 8 for a very long time.

    Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine gourd beforeunching into a lengthy exnation, ¡°Three months ago, a series of strange events started happening all over Luo Shui. One man suddenly became unbelievably strong overnight, but he also became cruel, heartless, and bloodthirsty. In the end, he suffered a mental breakdown. Another became rich overnight, but he too lost hispassion and would do anything for money. However, not even his ruthlessness in making money could make up for his gambling addiction, and he eventually lost everything andmitted suicide.¡±

    ¡°A gravely ill patient had suddenly healed from his sickness, but he aged rapidly in just a few days and passed of old age. A muddle-headed and ipetent official suddenly became unbelievably intelligent, solving many cases and shooting through the ranks rapidly. However, his personality also became increasingly bizarre until he suddenly went missing one day. There were also people who lost their sense of taste, touch, familial love and more.¡±

    ¡°Incidents like these were happening throughout Luo Shui, and I eventually found out that the victims had alle into contact with a mysterious badge and went to a mysterious ce known as Pawn Shop No. 8. Supposedly, you could pawn anything on your person including intangible things such as your emotions, your gift, your soul and more to exchange for anything.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu continued, ¡°We decided to eliminate Pawn Shop No. 8, but we were unable to locate this pawn shop despite searching for it for a long time. In the end, we have no choice but to use the Earth-grade Strange Artifact No. 13, the Mask of Prophecy to divine its location. It¡¯s how we figured out that it would appear in Pawn Shop No. 8 tonight.¡±

    ¡°Earth-grade Strange Artifact No. 13, the Mask of Prophecy? Sounds impressive. What does it do?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°It is a Strange Artifact that can divine the location of anything so long as it actually exists in the world a day before. That¡¯s not the main point though.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu glossed over the subject, ¡°After identifying Pawn Shop No. 8¡¯s location, Chief Fang and us came up with a n. Yuhuai and I would enter the Strange Market with the Star Locating Disc and locate Pawn Shop No. 8. Chief Fang would shoot his arrow and destroy the pawn shop and the Stranger behind it.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the Strange Market turned out to be stranger than we thought. For whatever reason, all powerful artifacts are suppressed and misled in that ce, so the Star Locating Disc wasn¡¯t able to lead us to Pawn Shop No. 8 as we hoped. Just when we thought the mission would end in failure, you identally made your way into Pawn Shop No. 8 and even induced the Deer of Bnce and the mastermind to wage war against one another. Chief Fang must have sensed the shockwaves of the battle and seized the opportunity to severely injure Umbra and Pawn Shop No. 8 in one strike.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a shame Umbra ultimately managed to escape, but we would not be seeing him for a while. Good job, Joyless. Your contribution in this mission is indispensable.¡±

    ¡°Like I said, it was a series of coincidences and misunderstandings, but I¡¯m certainly not going to turn down your praise.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose before asking, ¡°By the way, Chief Fang is the one who shot that arrow, right? What on earth is the Strange Artifact he used? It¡¯s unbelievably powerful.¡±

    He had joined the Pacification Bureau for some time now, but he had never met the true boss of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, Fang Xiaoman.

    Although Fang Xiaoman was the Chief of Bureau, he was elusive, rtively anonymous, and difficult to track down. Even the veterans who had worked for the Pacification Bureau for years could count the number of times they met their boss on one hand. Normally, it was the Vice Chief of Bureau, Gu Suitang who handled everything.

    Fang Xiaoman was a low-profile individual, so much so that most bureau members had never met him in their lives. However, no one would deny that Fang Xiaoman was strong. After all, he was one of the two only Spirit Masters in the bureau. How could he possibly be a weakling?

    That said, no one knows exactly how strong Fang Xiaoman was. Fang Xiaoman wouldn¡¯t go all out against a colleague, and those who deserved his full power were all dead!

    Naturally, Ye Qing was very curious about his boss.

    Chu Nianjiu answered, ¡°The arrow was shot by Chief Fang, yes, and the Strange Artifact he used is probably the Xuanhuang Bow. It¡¯s the only Strange Artifact we have that could grievously injure the master of Pawn Shop No. 8 in one hit.¡±

    ¡°Tell me more about the Xuanhuang Bow,¡± Ye Qing prodded.

    Chu Nianjiu shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know how strong or even what ss the Xuanhuang Bow is, only that it is an incredibly powerful Strange Artifact. The only ones who can give you a proper answer are the chief and the vice chief.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai added, ¡°This is just a guess, but Xuanhuang is at least a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, if not higher. That¡¯s right, it could be a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. The reason I say this is because Xuanhuang is an intelligent, sentient Strange Artifact.¡±

    ¡°A sentient Strange Artifact? That¡¯s incredible!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. In essence, a strange Artifact was a unique Stranger, and most Strangers didn¡¯t possess one whit of intelligence. They could only act as their instincts dictated. The small portion of Strangers who possessed both intelligence and sentience were, in a sense, humans with a different form. A sentient Strange Artifact fell under this category as well because they also possessed a human¡¯s sentience and intelligence.

    Generally, all sentient Strange Artifacts were one-of-a-kind. It was because they were stronger than their non-sentient counterparts and more importantly, possessed the ability to grow just like humans.

    That was why a sentient Strange Artifact was easily a hundred times more valuable than a generic Strange Artifact. Literally, there was a saying that one sentient Strange Artifact was worth a hundred Strange Artifacts.

    ¡°Where is Chief Fang right now?¡± Ye Qing asked, though he was really curious about the Xuanhuang Bow. He very much wanted to meet a sentient Strange Artifact.

    Chu Nianjiu shrugged, ¡°We don¡¯t know. Chief Fang is extremely elusive, so heavens only know where he is right now. He could be eating roast meat at Drum Street, or wonton at Xiaoqing Market, or oil spill noodles at Aunt Hua¡¯s ce¡­ he could be anywhere!¡±

    ¡°Roast meat? Wonton? Oil spill noodles?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and quipped instinctively, ¡°Is Chief Fang actually a glutton?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! A glutton? That¡¯s exactly what he is! You¡¯ve pinpointed his true nature in a single word, boy! Xiaoman the Glutton, Xiaoman the Glutton! Yes, it fits him well!¡±

    A ridiculing voice came from the entrance of the Pacification Bureau. When they turned around, they saw a down-to-earth, middle-aged man sitting at the entrance and eating a roujiamo [1]. When did he get there, and how did they not notice his presence until now?

    ¡°For heavens¡¯ sake, Xiaoman! Can you stop eating already? You¡¯re in the presence of your juniors right now, you glutton! I can feel their respect for me dropping by the second!¡±

    ¡°Om nom nom¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you hear me, you bastard! Eat, eat, eat! Is that the only thing you know? Argh, I would blow your head off if I could!¡±

    The scathing remarks wereing from a golden bow propped against the door frame. The middle-aged man took another delicious, juicy bite from his roujiamo before garbling, ¡°I fail to see how eating is shameful. Also, you¡¯ve missed yourst chance to blow my head off a long time ago for one very simple reason: I¡¯m stronger than you now.¡±

    Fuming as it was, the golden bow couldn¡¯t mouth a retort. It was because he was telling the truth.

    The middle-aged man and the golden bow were, of course, Fang Xiaoman and the Xuanhuang Bow.

    That said, the golden bow was the type who couldn¡¯t take things lying down for long, so it started running its mouth like a machine gun [2]. It might not be able to kick Xiaoman¡¯s ass, but it could definitely drown him in spit. Xiaoman was so slow it could fire off ten sentences before Xiaoman could finish one.

    ¡°Strong? Strong my butt! You were so weak that you couldn¡¯t even beat an old granny who¡¯s missing her front tooth! If you hadn''t run into me, you¡¯d never have be a strong warrior, much less the Chief of Bureau of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau! Nay, you would still be looking for scraps on the streets, you shameless fuck!¡±

    Xuanhuang had exposed Fang Xiaoman¡¯s dark past, but the Chief of Bureau didn¡¯t get angry. He said slowly, ¡°That is the truth, but it is also the truth that you can¡¯t defeat me anymore.¡±

    Xuanhuang: ¡°...¡± Ah, I¡¯m having a bad feeling about this conversation.

    ¡°That¡¯s only temporary, Fang Xiaoman! I¡¯ll ascend to a new level very soon! When the timees, it¡¯ll be my turn to beat the crap out of you!¡± Xuanhuang threatened.

    Fang Xiaoman put thest piece of roujiamo into his mouth and chewed it slowly. When he was done swallowing, he replied, ¡°Perhaps. But until then, you cannot defeat me.¡±

    Xuanhuang: ¡°...¡± Damn it all!

    After Xuanhuang fell silent, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai finally found the opportunity to greet the Chief of Bureau. Ye Qing followed suit as well. It was clear that the middle-aged man was Fang Xiaoman, and the golden bow was the sentient Strange Artifact, the Xuanhuang Bow.

    Of course, his imagination of the legendary duo didn¡¯t quite match the reality in front of him. In his head, the man who shot that arrow should have an impressive stature and a dignified appearance. In reality, he looked no different from a farmer who toiled thends [3].

    He also imagined that the sentient Xuanhuang was a cool, strong, arrogant bow who found it beneath him to speak to puny mortals. In reality, it probably couldn¡¯t keep its mouth shut even if it tried.

    As if to add insult to injury, the bow was a bronze-rank carper at best. It was nowhere close to bing a challenger.

    That said, the human and bow seemed to fit each other surprisingly well despite their drastically different personalities.

    1. Chinese hamburger or sandwich kind of, but I can¡¯t trante it as that because you know, there¡¯s technically no Chinese in this world? ?

    2. I didn¡¯t really want to use modern terms unless it¡¯s from the MC¡¯s mouth, but I couldn¡¯t really think of an equivalent either, so machine gun it is. ?

    3. Raiden sneezes. ?

 Chapter 179: Fuck My Life

    Chapter 179: Fuck My Life

    ¡°No need for formalities,¡± Fang Xiaoman rose to his feet and smiled. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work tonight.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu rubbed his nose in embarrassment. ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything. Joyless is the one who did our job.¡±

    Ye Qing waved him off, ¡°I just got lucky¡ªor unlucky if you look at it from another perspective.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman smiled. ¡°You¡¯re all deserving of credit. You are Joyless from Anyang, aren¡¯t you? What a promising youngd you are!¡±

    Ye Qing replied humbly, ¡°You tter me, Chief Fang.¡±

    ¡°Just ept his praise,d! He¡¯s telling the truth, and you¡¯re way better than this glutton when he was your age!¡± Xuanhuang interrupted.

    Ye Qingughed. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Lord Xuanhuang. You¡¯re pretty amazing yourself. That literal dragon you shot today is something I doubt I¡¯ll see again in a hundred years or even a thousand. I am most impressed.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I know right? I knew you¡¯d appreciate my power! Unlike some people!¡± Xuanhuang looked so happy it could fly. ¡°Let me tell you something. I¡¯ve only used one percent of my power back then. If I were to unleash my full power, I could pierce even the sky above our heads! Do you believe me?¡±

    Ye Qing put on a sincere expression and answered, ¡°Of course I do. Doesn¡¯t matter if everyone tells me otherwise. I¡¯ll still believe you.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! You really are a goodd!¡± Xuanhuang grew more and more excited. ¡°Very well! From now on, you¡¯re my little brother! If someone dares to bully you in Luo Shui, just call out my name, and I will blow their heads for you!¡±

    The golden dragon encircled around the grip abruptly shook its head as if it hade alive. A scale fell off its body and flew into Ye Qing¡¯s palm.

    ¡°This is my scale. It contains the power of a single arrow. It¡¯s now yours.¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly put it away and thanked Xuanhuang from the bottom of his heart, ¡°Thank you, Brother Xuanhuang!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re wee!¡± guffawed Xuanhuang.

    Xuanhuang was basically giving away a piece of its power, but Fang Xiaoman simply smiled and said nothing. After their conversation was over, the Chief of Bureau finally said, ¡°Keep it well. It may save your life at a moment of crisis. Suitang told me that you have a lot of enemies.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and responded in a helpless tone, ¡°What can I do? I don¡¯t want to make enemies either, but they just won¡¯t stoping!¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which,¡± Fang Xiaoman took a moment to organize his words before continuing, ¡°I have heard about the zombie outbreak incident from Suitang. You handled it well and in a timely manner.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kind words, chief, but I was just doing my job.¡± Ye Qing epted the thanks with a salute. ¡°Plus, I haven¡¯t found the culprit yet, so the case isn¡¯t truly wrapped up until then.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman chuckled. ¡°Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, so take it at your own pace. Strangers cannot be caught in haste just like hot tofu cannot be eaten in one gulp. And above all else, you must keep yourself alive.¡±

    ¡°I will remember your advice, chief,¡± Ye Qing replied respectfully.

    It was a good moment, but Xuanhuang broke it with a disgruntled voice, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense, brother. ¡®Hot tofu cannot be eaten in one gulp¡¯ my ass. Ever heard the saying that ¡®speed is the greatest martial art¡¯ [1]in the world? If you wanna catch a Stranger, you gotta be fast. If you wanna get famous, you gotta do it young. And if you wanna catch a babe, you gotta do it before it¡¯s toote!¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose awkwardly. How should he respond to that?

    Thankfully, Fang Xiaoman retook the reins of the conversation. ¡°Since you¡¯ve alle home safely, I¡¯m going to bed now. I want to wake up early and enjoy the tofu brains [2] at Aroma Street.¡±

    It was only then the trio realized that it wasn¡¯t a coincidence that Fang Xiaoman was here. He had been waiting for them. Everyone felt warmed by the Chief of Bureau¡¯s concern.

    Fang Xiaoman was about to take his leave when suddenly, Ye Qing called out to him, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Fang Xiaoman turned around and asked curiously, ¡°Do you have something else to share, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his palms together and asked carefully, ¡°There is something I¡¯d like to ask, chief.¡±

    Before Fang Xiaoman could say anything, Xuanhuang interrupted, ¡°Shoot away, brother. Xiaoman will tell you everything he knows!¡±

    Again, Fang Xiaoman did not take offense with Xuanhuang¡¯s behavior. He simply nodded and waited patiently for Ye Qing to speak. So he did. ¡°Is there any ce around Luo Shui that contains high concentrations of Burning Wind?¡±

    ¡°Burning Wind?¡± Fang Xiaoman examined Ye Qing for a bit, and for a moment Ye Qing felt like all of his secrets wereid bare before the Chief of Bureau. Then, Fang Xiaoman chuckled and said, ¡°In fact, I do know a ce like that near Luo Shui. It is a very dangerous ce though.¡±

    ¡°Where is it?¡± Ye Qing eximed excitedly. With the Star Lotus and the Blood Jade Lotus, he could enter thete stage of the Astral Refinement stage in one go. He just needed the Burning Wind now.

    Truth be told, he didn¡¯t need the Burning Wind. He could use the Star Lotus and Blood Jade Lotus right now and temper the astral qi inside his body. However, the Astral Refinement stage was the stage where one continuously absorbed, refined, and tempered one¡¯s astral qi. As he was far from reaching his limit, it would be a waste to use the Star Lotus and the Blood Jade Lotus now.

    To give an example, you were trying to retrieve some water from the well. You could¡¯ve carried a full bucket, but instead you only carried half. While you had technically fulfilled your objective, you hadn¡¯t done the bet you could. Moreover, half a bucket of water might only be enough to sate your thirst for the day, but a full bucket could sate your thirst, cook a meal, water some crops and more.

    In martial arts, one of the worst things you could do was to do things half-assed. Entering thete-stage the way he was would only give him a small boost in power and destabilize his foundation. He would have a much harder time ascending the cultivation levels as well.

    This was why Ye Qing wished to seek out a location with high concentrations of Burning Wind. This way, he could fill his ¡°bucket¡± to the brim¡ªeven overflowing it until his body had reached its absolute limits¡ªand enter thete stage of the Astral Refinement stage in the optimal state.

    In the short term, this endeavor would undoubtedly consume a lot of energy and time, but in the long term, it was purely beneficial. The hardships he endured now would significantly improve his strength and make it so much easier for him to scale the cultivation levels. It was worth the effort, and he must do it if he wished to survive the dangers ahead.

    Not only that, his goal since he arrived at this world had always been to climb the mountain that was martial arts to the absolute top, not mingle with the countless hills at the bottom. When he looked up he wanted to see the sky and nothing but the sky. When he looked down, he would see the millions others who were trying to reach him. To that end, he couldn¡¯t let up for even a moment.

    Firewind Valley was an excellent choice, and he didn¡¯t mind traveling a few days to improve his cultivation at all. However, the source of the Burning Wind¡ªthe Heaven Scorching Bagua Brazier¡ªhad been snatched away by an old fucker, so the valley was just a scorched valley now. He would have to hunt for his astral wind elsewhere.

    As the Chief of Bureau, Fang Xiaoman must be intimately aware of Luo Shui¡¯s surroundings. That was why Ye Qing decided to try his luck. He was right. Fang Xiaoman did know where he might find his Burning Wind.

    Sometimes, you make your own luck. And sometimes, luck just hits you in the face!

    Fang Xiaoman answered, ¡°Sixty five kilometers to the south of Luo Shui, there is an underground grotto called the Thousand Buddhas Grotto. It is also a Strange Realm. Deep within the grotto is a Thousand Buddhas Temple where three kinds of divine winds blew constantly.¡±

    ¡°The three divine winds are the Wind of Five Poisons, Wind of Six Desires, and Wind of Seven Emotions respectively. ording to Buddhists, the Five Poisons that gue humankind¡ªattachment, aversion, ignorance, pride, and jealousy¡ªoriginate from their thoughts, which is why the Wind of Five Poisons exists to cleanse it all and purify one¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°The Six Desires¡ªthe desires associated with the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind¡ªoriginate from the body, which is why the Wind of Six Desires exists to cleanse it and purify one¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°And finally, the Seven Emotions¡ªhappiness, anger, sadness, fear, love, hatred, and desire¡ªoriginate from the heart, which is why the Wind of Seven Emotions exists to cleanse it and purify one¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°The Buddhists make it sound very fanciful and profound, but it¡¯s really not thatplicated. To put it simply, the Wind of Six Desires is the Corrosive Wind, an astral qi that can corrode flesh and bone, the Wind of Seven Emotions is the Icy Wind, an astral qi that can chill one¡¯s core, and the Wind of Five Poison is the Burning Wind, an astral qi that can burn even the mind.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, the Burning Wind you seek lies in the Thousand Buddha Grotto.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for sharing this information, Chief Fang,¡± Ye Qing saluted him gratefully.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. The Thousand Buddhas Grotto is incredibly dangerous not just because it¡¯s haunted by the three divine winds, but also because it¡¯s a spawning ground for all kinds of Strangers and Anomalies. You must be careful,¡± Fang Xiaoman warned.

    ¡°I will, Chief Fang.¡±

    ¡°Good. Do you have any more questions? If not, then I shall be taking my leave.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all. Thanks again, Chief Fang.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going then. Good night, everyone.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman rubbed his hand on his sleeves and picked up the Xuanhuang Bow. Then, he stepped inside the Pacification Bureau.

    ¡°Good night, Chief Fang!¡±

    After Fang Xiaoman was gone, Ye Qing bade Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai goodbye and returned to his room. Then, he started tallying his haul for the day.

    Tonight¡¯s adventure had turned out to be far more fruitful than he expected. Not only did he manage to fulfill his objective, he also obtained the Star Lotus.

    It was nothingpared to tens of thousands of soul power he received from the souls though, not to mention the scale Xuanhuang had gifted him.

    He daresaid that his spirit was now stronger than the vast majority of peak Spirit Purifiers thanks to the soul power the souls had bestowed upon him. But of course, it was only in terms of quantity. His ability to use spirit and control was still inferior to a Spirit Purifier because, you know, he wasn¡¯t a Spirit Purifier yet.

    Still, this amount of spirit guaranteed that he would encounter no obstacles when he ascended to the Spirit Purification Realm. When the time was right, he could probably cross over to the next level with a single thought.

    As for the scale, Xuanhuang imed that it contained the power of a single arrow, and Ye Qing had witnessed first hand just how powerful it was. He didn¡¯t doubt that it could save his life at a critical moment.

    This trip hadn¡¯t just paved his way to the Spirit Purification Realm, he also gained a potent life-saving item.

    All he needed to do now was to stick to the n and ascend the cultivation levels methodically. How great was that?

    ¡°Oh right, I should ask the Annon Sutra what the hell happened today. Why did the Deer of Bnce suddenly crush the Candle Spirit out of nowhere?¡± Ye Qing muttered and pulled out the vellum. When his eyes subconsciously flickered to the dragon-serpent runes though, he noticed something that caused his eyes to widen like saucers.

    ¡°What the heck? Why are there only ten silver runes? Where did the other six go?¡±

    For the past few days, he had killed a ton of Hatred-ss Strangers such as the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia, ck Pot, Shadow, Yin Woman, Old Mud, Writer and more. In total, he had umted sixteen silver dragon-serpent runes. He didn¡¯t remember using them, so he couldn¡¯t understand why six of them were suddenly gone after he went to the Strange Market.

    ¡°Wait¡­ Could it be¡­¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing recalled the Annon Sutra¡¯s new ability, the Orbit of Fate. The vellum must have used its new ability to somehow reveal the Candle Spirit¡¯s ploy to the Deer of Bnce. It would also exin why the Deer of Bnce had gone so far as to kill the Candle Spirit for its transgressions, which didn¡¯t really fit its nature.

    This was a good thing, of course. If the Annon Sutra hadn¡¯t taken action, heavens only know what might have happened to him. Even so¡­

    ¡°Goddammit, Annon Sutra¡­ fuck my life¡­¡±

    1. Quote from ¡®Superspeed is the greatest superpower¡¯. ?

    2. It¡¯s tofu pudding, and it¡¯s quite delicious. But it has different names and I don¡¯t want to be caught off guard if the author decides to pull the cultural card down the line. ?

 Chapter 180: A Mysterious Cook

    Chapter 180: A Mysterious Cook

    ¡°It¡¯s time. I¡¯m counting on you, Brother Incense.¡±

    It was night. Ye Qing shot the round, bright moon in the sky a nce before lighting a bright yellow incense stick. While holding it reverently with both hands, he bowed three times in a row toward the sky, the earth, and humanity. [1]

    ¡°Please help me find that mysterious cook, Brother Incense!¡±

    As soon as he said this, the incense stick suddenly burned at an elerated rate and emitted a thick blue smoke. There was no wind, but the smoke floated down a certain direction of its own ord.

    ¡°Thank you, Brother Incense!¡±

    The incense stick Ye Qing was holding was of course, the Incense of Fortune. He had created it just yesterday.

    Technically speaking, it was much easier to create the Incense of Fortune than Incense of Misfortune¡¯s. For starters, it could be created on any hour that was considered lucky on any day. The true difficultyy in collecting the ingredients necessary to make the incense in the first ce. Both the Lucky Flower and the agate of the Moon Seeing Stone were extremely precious spirit materials that were rarer and more valuable than any single ingredient that was needed to make the Incense of Misfortune. This was why it was easier to create the Incense of Fortune.

    Of course, the sess rate of creating the Incense of Fortune was a different story. Take an MMORPG for example. So what if you spent months hunting for the ingredients necessary to craft a legendary item? If the heavens willed it so, you could still fail with a 99% sess rate.

    Ye Qing had two things going for him though. The two key ingredients¡ªthe agate of the Moon Seeing Stone and the Lucky Flower¡ªneeded to create the Incense of Fortune were of exceptional quality. The Lucky Flower was over a century old, and the agate was pure and wless. As a result, Ye Qing didn¡¯t just create one Incense of Fortune, he managed to create six with one set of ingredients, a lucky number ording to Chinese superstition. Their quality was superb as well.

    That said, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t sure that it would work. He didn¡¯t even know if the story the Annon Sutra told him was real, and the Incense of Fortune could hardly locate someone that didn¡¯t exist.

    Thankfully, it would seem that his worries were unfounded. The Incense of Fortune was clearly responsive. Not only that, this mysterious cook seemed to be quite formidable. He said this because the incense stick was burning at a prodigious rate. It wouldst fifteen minutes at most at this rate.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t dare to waste the Incense of Fortune¡¯s literal sacrifice. He immediately chased after the smoke like the wind.

    The hunt for the mysterious cook continued for over half a teatime. He went from Pacification Street, to Qingshi Alley, to over half of themandery. It wasn¡¯t until the Incense of Fortune was about to run out that the smoke finally stopped next to a small alley and faded into nothing.

    ¡°The mysterious cook is here? That can¡¯t be right! You¡¯re not toying with me, are you?¡± Ye Qing scanned the area with his spirit but couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary.

    As if offended that Ye Qing would question its efficacy, the Incense of Fortune suddenly emitted a new puff of smoke. It slipped into Ye Qing¡¯s nostrils before he could react and choked him so hard that tears and snot poured profusely down his face. It took a while before he finally managed to stop coughing.

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ for someone who failed its job, you¡¯re quite the feisty little fe, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing muttered while ring at the used Incense of Fortune. After he put it away, he shot the empty alley another look, sighed, and stepped inside.

    As soon as he entered the alley, the space around him suddenly rippled like he was entering another space. The next thing he knew, he saw a faint flicker of light at the distance and heard the sounds of eating.

    Ye Qing looked. He saw three people¡ªtwo men and one woman¡ªsitting at a low wooden table and holding a bowl of food each. Judging from the way they were guzzling down their food, it must be very delicious.

    The guy sitting on the left side of the table had a down-to-earth appearance and wore shabby clothes. He was probably a real farmer. He was smiling widely and enjoying a massive bowl of oil spill noodles.

    The thin guy at the center looked like a schr. He was eating a bowl of rice with a generous topping of roast meat slowly and elegantly. That said, his face was overflowing with happiness as well.

    The woman on the right side of the table looked like a gentlewoman who came from a wealthy family. She was pecking at a bowl of beef bone noodles with an intoxicated expression.

    All three diners came from different stratums of society, and normally they would never run into each other, much less enjoy a meal together at the same table. Right here and now though, they were all enjoying a delicious meal, and they were all brimming with happiness and satisfaction.

    There was a food stall right behind the trio. The stall¡¯s cooking equipment¡ªa simple kitchen stove, iron pot and the like¡ªwere set on the left, and the food ingredients such as flour and vegetables were on the right. A table was set at the center of the stall, and behind it was a kind old man dressed in simple rags. He looked to be in his seventies, and he was currently rolling some noodles. A huge pot was ced on top of a stove, and the pot was bubbling with hot air and a rich, delicious scent.

    Warm, red mes were dancing wildly in the night, a fragrant scent was permeating the air, a kind, hard-working old man was making some noodles, and the customers all looked happy and satisfied. If nothing else, it certainly chased away the cold and darkness of the long night.

    The world invented humanity, and humanity invented fire. Together, they painted a warm and picturesque scene. However, this scene only sent a chill up Ye Qing¡¯s spine. It was because he couldn¡¯t sense anything at all when he was standing outside the alley. The light, the sound, the aura, nothing. It was as if this part of the alley existed in apletely different world.

    Is that¡­ the mysterious cook? Ye Qing thought to himself. The old man before him could very well be the mysterious cook mentioned in the Annon Sutra¡¯s story.

    The story had mentioned that every full moon, a mysterious cook would appear in the streets of Luo Shui. Only those who were kind, noble-hearted, or lucky would have a chance to meet him. Besides that, the cook¡¯s food was so delicious that it could make his customers forget all of their sorrow and worries, and feel the beauty and joy of this world. As far as he could tell, the scene in front of him fit with the description very well.

    ¡°Another customer? Come,e! Take a seat!¡±

    When the old man noticed Ye Qing, he immediately set down his rolling pin and weed him warmly. Ye Qing narrowed his eyes slightly before chuckling, ¡°Hahaha! I wasn¡¯t expecting there to be a food stall here, and right as I was feeling hungry too!¡±

    While walking toward the dining table, Ye Qing asked, ¡°What do you have, mister?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. I can cook you anything you want, customer. Veges, meat, stir-fry, deep-fry, dry, soup¡­ anything. Just say the name, and I shall make it for you,¡± The old man replied smilingly.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bold im. Do you even have the ingredients to make, well, everything?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow doubtfully while sitting in front of an empty table.

    The old man chuckled, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to lie about such a thing, customer. Just give me the order. If I fail to cook you the meal you desire, then feel free to trash my stallter!¡±

    ¡°Haha! I shall take you up on your challenge then.¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled, grabbed a pair of chopsticks off the table and twirled it. ¡°If you really can make anything, then I¡¯d like some time to consider my dish carefully. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Take your time, customer. Just tell me when you¡¯re ready,¡± the old man replied unhurriedly.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ what do I really want to eat?¡± Ye Qing set down his chopsticks and put his hand on his chin. He looked like he was considering his options, but he was really sensing his surroundings with his spirit.

    He didn¡¯t scan the area earlier because he was afraid of alerting the enemy. Now that he was up close, he carefully spread out his spirit until he could sense everything around him. He could sense the down-to-earth man¡¯s contentment, the schr¡¯s joyful eyes, the gentlewoman¡¯s satisfied expression, and the old man¡¯s busy figure. It looked like everything was normal, but in reality it was not.

    For example, the three customers had not so much as nced at him since he walked in. It was like they were so absorbed in the food that they were physically incapable ofprehending their surroundings.

    For example, the world within his spirit waspletely dead besides the cook, the three customers, and himself. There were no birds, no cats, no dogs, not even a single insect.

    For example, the old man had been working non-stop even before he showed up, but he was one customer, and he hadn¡¯t even ordered his dish yet. And yet the old man would roll his noodles for a bit, then cut up some vegetables, then wash his rice and more. It was as if he was preparing to serve at least a dozen customers.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing felt the iron pat shaking without warning. Then, it said, ¡°Another idiot hase to our stall. What do you think he would order?¡±

    ¡°Noodles. Noodles are the tastiest of them all, and the noodles I make are especially chewy!¡± The rolling pin dered arrogantly with a little jump.

    ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s so tasty about noodles? It¡¯s dry, insipid, and only fit for a farmer! It¡¯s nowhere as sweet, soft and delicious as rice!¡± A rice jar on the ground replied disdainfully while wobbling on its bottom, causing some rice to jump in the air.

    ¡°Since when are noodles only ¡®fit for a farmer¡¯? Are you looking down on noodles!? You better give me an exnation now, or I¡¯ll destroy you!¡± The rolling pin was so angry that it lifted itself up on the table and looked like it might take a swing at the rice jar at any moment.

    The rice jar said disdainfully, ¡°So what if I look down on noodles? It is a fact that only farmers, cksmiths, dog killers and other lowly, disgusting people would enjoy noodles,¡±

    ¡°Now look at those who eat rice. They are either well learned schrs who carry boat loads of knowledge in their heads, gentle beauties who are experts in drawing and calligraphy, wealthy merchants or powerful authorities. They are all elegant and influential people.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± The rice in the rice jar echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Hmph! You understand nothing! My eaters are manly, and your eaters are either women or sissies!¡± The rolling pin retorted.

    ¡°You¡­ you barbaric brute!¡± The rice jar shot back.

    ¡°Sissy!¡±

    ¡°Barbaric brute!¡±

    The rolling pin and the rice jar started arguing¡ªactually, it wasn¡¯t even an argument, it was just pure vitriol and shouting¡ªback and forth like housewives on behalf of their factions.

    ¡°...¡±

    What kind of world is this? Even the food is practicing ss discrimination! And why is meat not part of this ¡®conversation¡¯?

    Ye Qing barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. But jokes aside, it would seem that the situation was more serious than he thought. He had no idea that the kitchen equipment were all Strangers until they started talking among themselves.

    ¡°I cannot believe the gall of you people. How dare you argue that rice or noodles are the most delicious food of them all when there is not a sliver of oil between the two. Hell, the two of youbined are still not a hundredth as delicious as me,mb meat! I can be used as the ingredient of a soup, stir-fried or deep fried! I can be the main course or the second course. I can sate one¡¯s hunger and nourish the body!¡±

    A massivemb rib floated out of a pot, bubbling with rich aroma. It was none other than the one who had been disparaging the duo. ¡°You bunch of garbage are nothingpared to me,mb meat!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Speak of the meat.

    1. If you didn¡¯t notice, there¡¯s been a short time skip of several days. ?

 Chapter 181: Source of The Corpse Wax

    Chapter 181: Source of The Corpse Wax

    ¡°Screw you! You and your kind are oily and fatty! Someone who eats too much of you will get fat and sick! You¡¯re not nearly as healthy as us noodles!¡± The rolling pin retorted immediately when it heard themb meat¡¯s disparagement.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! We spit in your face, meatarian!¡± The rice jar also echoed in agreement. It didn¡¯t hesitate to ally itself with the rolling pin to fight against themb meat¡¯s oppression.

    Never thought I¡¯d heard the word ¡°meatarian¡± in this context, Ye Qing rubbed his nose as he eavesdropped on the Strangers. The argument had turned out to be more interesting than he thought.

    ¡°Cut it out already. Aren¡¯t you guys embarrassed at how childish you¡¯re behaving?¡±

    It was at this moment the iron pot who kicked off the conversation at the very beginning interrupted, ¡°Noodles are fine, but can you get that chewy feeling without me to cook you nice and proper? Rice is high ss, but you¡¯re nothing without me to steam you, aren¡¯t you? And you,mb meat, do you think there¡¯s anyone out there who¡¯d eat you raw except animals?¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, then all of you are inferior to me. It is I who bestows you your divine color and taste!¡±

    ¡°Heh. I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t sprain your tongue bragging like that [1],¡± The stove suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Without me burning your ass all day and night, can the ingredients get cooked and release their delicious aroma? Speaking of ass, the one thing you can do is to point your ass in my direction. How dare you say that everyone is inferior to you!¡±

    ¡°Screw you! Like you can do anything without me!¡± The iron pot retorted, ¡°Also, I said this many times already, and I¡¯ll say it again. I¡¯m pointing my belly toward you, not my butt!¡±

    The furnace scoffed, ¡°Your belly looks just like a butt. Who can say if it¡¯s a belly or a butt?¡±

    Finally, the carrying pole leaning against the wall interrupted, ¡°Do you guys have too much energy? Is that why you people can¡¯t stop running your mouth?¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, none of you are as great as master¡¯s oil. It is said that oil is the essentialponent of all food, and it is a fact that these humans wouldn¡¯t enjoy their food nearly as much without master¡¯s oil. Just look at them! They look like they might lose their souls at any moment!¡±

    ¡°Oil?¡± It was at this moment Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. Could this oil be the corpse wax that he was looking for? It could very well be!

    Ye Qing was going to eavesdrop some more hoping that the Strangers would reveal more information, but the old man suddenly paused his work and shot Ye Qing a kind smile, ¡°Have you considered what you want, dear customer?¡±

    Can I order some oil? Was what Ye Qing wanted to say, but on second thought he wasn¡¯t actually sure if the corpse wax actually originated from this stall. He should wait a little longer and see what happens.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided. Please cook me a menu [2], please!¡± Ye Qing replied. The bigger the sample size, the better his chance at identifying what he was looking for.

    ¡°You want me to cook you a¡­ menu? What is that? I¡¯ve never heard a phrase like that before,¡± The old man said in confusion.

    ¡°Oh, I totally forgot you don¡¯t have a menu,¡± Ye Qing changed his request, ¡°Cook me a table then!¡±

    ¡°That¡­ doesn¡¯t exin your request any better, customer.¡± Is cook-a-table cook-a-menu¡¯s rtive?

    Ye Qingughed, ¡°Sorry, sorry! What I mean to say is, can you cook me a full table of dishes?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± The old man eximed in realization, ¡°I can do that, but can you really finish it all, customer?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine! I¡¯ve been a big eater since I was a kid!¡± Ye Qing waved away his concern. ¡°Also, feel free to make my food saltier and oiler than normal. Salt and oil makes the world go round, and I very much want to maintain a healthy figure.¡±

    The old man: ¡°...¡± I think your definition of a ¡°healthy figure¡± might be a tad skewed.

    ¡°Okay, customer. Please give me a moment.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s request was unusual, but the old man paid it no heed. Forget him, everyone had encountered at least one person with extreme tastes at least once in their lives.

    Heh. Humans.

    Ye Qing yed with his bamboo chopsticks once more, eyes flitting here and there seemingly at random. In reality, his attention was on the old man the entire time.

    The old man¡¯s cooking skills were pretty great. For example, he could cut any meat or vegetable smoothly and without pause as if he had done it a million times before. But of course, Ye Qing¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on his cooking skills. It was on the oil he used to cook said dishes.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t find anything out of the ordinary. As far as he could tell, the cooking oil he used to cook the dishes were normal cooking oil. This disappointed him as a matter of course.

    At first, Ye Qing didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. The old man hadn¡¯t acted out of the ordinary, and the dishes seemed fine as well. But over time, he started noticing something odd. Maybe it was because the old man had been working non-stop since he received Ye Qing¡¯s order, or maybe it was because he was sticking a little too close to the hot stove. In any case, his face was entirely drenched in sweat.

    This was perfectly normal, of course. Some people sweat easily, so much so that they could sweat like a pig while eating even during a cold, winter night, much less a hot stove. It was why Ye Qing paid it no heed at the beginning. However, the old man started sweating from his neck, his hands, his exposed arms, his torso and more. It eventually escted to the point where his shirt was utterly drenched in sweat.

    Naturally, it was inevitable that his sweat got into the food. Loads of it.

    ¡°Oh my, it smells so good! Master smells so good I can eat him!¡±

    All the Strangers¡ªthe iron pot, the rolling pin, the carrying pole, the rice jar and more made intoxicated noises. The old man himself was growing more and more excited for some reason. His face was contorted into a crazed expression, and the amount of sweat he was sweating was still increasing. Speaking of the sweat, it didn¡¯t look as bright or clean as before either. Instead, it was mixed with some sort of smelly, yellowish oil that shone eerily in the light.

    The next moment, the old man started melting like a literal candle. The droplets turned into trickles, and trickles turned into steady streams as the oil spilled into the iron pot.

    The pork meat and vegetables sizzled loudly within the oil and gave off an unbelievably fragrant aroma. It was so fragrant that the Strangers started showering praises unto the old man again,

    ¡°It smells good¡­¡±

    ¡°It smells too good¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it in any longer¡­ ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    A particrly strange cry was mixed within the shower ofpliments, but Ye Qing was too busy feeling disgusted at what he saw to register it in his brain. Urgh¡­ I¡¯m the one who ordered a heavy meal, sure, this is way too extreme!

    Suddenly, the old man looked up and grinned slowly at Ye Qing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, customer. Your stir-fried pork liver will be ready very soon.¡±

    As his mouth literally split from ear to ear, more smelly oil slid off his face and into his mouth and the iron pot. It was unbelievably horrifying and disgusting.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Can you stop smiling, brother? You look better when you aren''t smiling!

    Of course, Ye Qing was the only one who could see this. Even if the other customers weren¡¯tpletely absorbed by their food, a specialyer of energy permeated the mysterious cook and his stall. It masked the old man¡¯s true appearance¡ªcrazed and dripping oil like crazy¡ªand the kitchen equipment¡¯s boisterous conversation with a convincing illusion.

    If his spirit hadn¡¯t grown by leaps and bounds after receiving the soul power of the souls, he might not have been able to see through the special energy either.

    At this point, Ye Qing was almost certain that the smelly oil dripping was corpse wax, and the old man was the root cause behind Deng Qiang¡¯s transformation and the zombie outbreaks.

    ¡°Your stir-fried pork liver is ready, customer. As you requested, I¡¯d added a copious amount of salt and oil into your dish. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be satisfied with the result.¡±

    Stop mentioning the damn oil, for heavens¡¯ sake.

    Ye Qing examined the stir fried pork liver for a moment. The entire te was covered in a thickyer of oil, or more urately, corpse wax. Even now, the old man was dripping corpse wax until it formed a pool beneath his feet.

    ¡°You can start eating now, customer. Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± the old man urged when he saw that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t moving.

    ¡°Go on! You can start eating now. Go on¡­ why aren¡¯t you eating? WhY areN¡¯t YOu eaTiNG?¡±

    After urging Ye Qing a couple more times to no avail, a hint of madness began creeping into his face bit by bit. The corners of his mouth split wide open, and copious amounts of corpse wax dripped off his eyes, his nose, and his mouth. It poured onto the stir-fried pork liver, spilled out of the te, and spread toward Ye Qing bit by bit.

    ¡°deAR cUstoMER, WhY areN¡¯t yOU EATINg my deliCiOUs FoOD?¡±

    The old man slowly lowered his head. His wax-covered face inched closer and closer to Ye Qing.

    ¡°You¡¯re too close, bro! Are you trying to show off your big face or something!?¡±

    When the disgusting face was just an inch away from Ye Qing, he abruptly grabbed the back of the old man¡¯s head and mmed it into the te of stir-fried, corpse-waxed pork liver. There was so much force behind his arm that the wooden table shattered on impact.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing clenched his left fist and threw a devastating uppercut thatnded squarely on the old man¡¯s chest. His force easily blew the old man to pieces, but he spilled slimy, smelly corpse wax instead of flesh and blood.

    ¡°WhY areN¡¯t YOu eaTiNG?¡±

    ¡°whY aREn¡¯t yOU eAtinG?¡±

    ¡°Why AREN¡¯t YOU eATing?!¡±

    After confirming that the old man was the mastermind behind it all, Ye Qing had ambushed the old man in hopes of killing him in one blow. However, he didn¡¯t even manage to breathe a sigh of relief before the corpse wax on the ground climbed upward and reformed the old man. He red at Ye Qing like he would swallow him whole.

    ¡°iF yOu wON¡¯t EAT iT, TheN I¡¯ll eAt yOu!¡±

    The next moment, the old man¡¯s mouth split all the way to the base of his neck like he was Pac-Man. Then, he pounced forward and attempted to chomp down Ye Qing¡¯s head off.

    Ye Qing sidestepped the charge andshed out with his sleeve. An avnche of force easily shattered the mouth into bits. However, Ye Qing knew from previous experience that this was but a tickle to the old man. Taking every step like he would stomp the earth into the abyss, he rushed up to the old man and threw another punch.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    Normally, the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± was an incredibly forceful technique, but this time it was anything but. It practically made no sound as it slipped into the old man¡¯s body like a soft, gentle breeze.

    The next moment, the old man¡¯s entire body caught on fire. Dark red mes jutted out of his body, and the surrounding temperature spiked all of a sudden.

    When Ye Qing threw his second punch, he converted what was a ¡°hard¡± force into a ¡°soft¡± force; a ruinous thunderstorm into a gentle drizzle midway. By doing this, he was able to inject his full power into the old man¡¯s body and detonate it from the inside. Like a shadow it slipped into the night, and like a storm it loudly announced its presence.

    Thebined explosion of the Burning Wind and his fist force caused the old man to start melting inch by inch, and like a candle that was tossed into a furnace, the entire process only took the blink of an eye. One moment he was still screaming, and the next he had evaporated into thin air. It was as if he had never existed.

    1. Chinese proverb, meaning that someone¡¯s boasts are so ridiculous it¡¯s a surprise they didn¡¯t sprain their tongue. ?

    2. Meaning, cook me everything you have on your menu. Back then the list of dishes aren¡¯t nearly as big, and Chinese have this habit of ordering an entire table of food and just ¡°sampling¡± them even to this day. It¡¯s supposed to be some sort of status quo symbol. ?

 Chapter 182: From Within

    Chapter 182: From Within

    ¡°Is it dead? It¡¯s probably dead!¡±

    Ye Qing examined his surroundings for a bit before letting out a sigh of relief. The old man¡¯s whole body seemed to be made up of corpse wax, and he seemed to possess the ability to regenerate himself no matter how many times it was destroyed. Strangers like these were the absolute worst. The only real way to kill him was to annihte him utterly in one go.

    Had he not concentrated his fist force and tried to destroy the old man from the outside, there was a high chance he would just be wasting his energy. That was why he had condensed his force into a ball, inserted it into the old man¡¯s body, and destroyed him from the inside out. Only then could he annihte every speck of the Stranger.

    ¡°Wha¡­ What just happened? Master is dead! Master is dead!¡±

    ¡°Killed! Killed! The human killed Master! What do we do now?¡±

    ¡°We need to run! We need to run as far away as we can!¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have legs. How can we possibly outrun him?¡±

    ¡°We need a n, we need a n n¡ªhe¡¯s looking at us! He¡¯s walking toward us! Oh shit, oh shit, it¡¯s all over, we¡¯re all gonna die!¡±

    The iron pot, stove, rice jar and more Strangers were all panicking after the death of their master. Just when it looked like they were going to submit to their fate, the carrying pole leaning against the wall said, ¡°I have a n. Flour, I want you to blind that human when hees close. Rice, I want you to slip under his feet while he¡¯s blinded and trip him.¡±

    ¡°While he¡¯s disoriented, we¡¯ll rush him together. Rolling Pin, I want you to smash his head in. Knife, I want you to cut his neck. Rice Jar will smash his legs, Iron Pot will spill him with boiling water, and Stove will burn him with its mes. We¡¯ll give him the ice-and-fire treatment¡­¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Are they stupid? They¡¯re not even trying to lower their voice. Had I suddenly lost all of my powers or something, or are they just that arrogant?

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t inform the Strangers that he was aware of their n, of course. Instead, he slowly walked toward them exactly as they wanted. When he was about a meter away from the stall, he closed his eyes just in time to avoid being blinded by a shower of flour. At the same time, an army of rice rolled up to his feet and tried to trip him over.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fuck him up, everyone! Ahhhhh¡­¡±

    As soon as Flour covered his face, Rolling Pin, Rice Jar, Knife and the rest of the Strangers let out a battle cry and charged toward Ye Qing like gangsters.

    ¡°Heh! Never thought I¡¯d be swarmed by a bunch of food and kitchen equipment pretending to be gangsters one day!¡± Ye Qing smirked as he emitted ayer of astral qi to protect his body. Flour was immediately pushed out and away from Ye Qing. Then, he exerted a bit of strength and crushed the rice that had rolled under his feet.

    Next, he grabbed Rolling Pin before the Stranger could smack him in the back of his head and swung it at Knife. Caughtpletely off guard, Knife was knocked right into a wall.

    Not done yet, he swung Rolling Pin and sent Rice Jar flying before it could smash into his legs. Unable to arrest its momentum, it mmed into both Iron Pot and Stove and experienced the so-called ice-and-fire treatment.

    ¡°Argh! My back!¡±

    ¡°It hurts so much¡­¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you think you were doing, Iron Pot, Stove? Are you trying to kill us [1]!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the idiot who mmed into us! What else are we supposed to do?¡±

    ¡­¡­

    While the Strangers were busy picking themselves up, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and took two steps forward. Like a raging torrent, he threw out a third punch.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    A tsunami of Burning Wind washed over the entire space. By the time the Strangers realized what just happened, they were already burning to death.

    ¡°Wah! Wah! I¡¯m burning alive! I need you to ssh me with water now, Iron Pot!¡±

    ¡°What water? My water is long gone, you doofus! Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m red hot right now?¡±

    ¡°You guys think you had it bad? Look at me! I¡¯m a stove, and I¡¯m melting because the fire¡¯s too hot! Who would even believe this?¡±

    ¡°Ayayayayaa¡­¡±

    The Strangers never stopped bickering until the end. Their voices grew weaker and weaker until finally, they were all gone.

    ¡°They were an interesting bunch. I would have kept them alive if I didn''t need to make up for the dragon-serpent runes I lost,¡± sighed Ye Qing while withdrawing his fist. Every single one of these Strangers was a Malice-ss Stranger, and in the past they would¡¯ve posed a huge problem. But now? They were just fodder for more runes.

    It was at this moment Rolling Pin finally woke up from his shorta. It slurred, ¡°Urgh¡­ M-My head is spinning like I¡¯ve been swung around at least a dozen times¡­ D-Did we win, brothers? Is it over?¡±

    Rolling Pin thought its side had won since it couldn¡¯t hear anything. In response, Ye Qing replied smilingly, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡ªwait a second. You don¡¯t sound right. You¡­ You¡¯re not dead!¡± Rolling Pin eximed in shock. It was only now it realized that Ye Qing had been holding it this whole time. Before it could struggle free, Ye Qing engulfed it in the Netherme. It was burned down to dust in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s finally over.¡±

    Ye Qing pped his hands and got ready to leave. However, he suddenly realized that his hands were unusually slippery. It was almost as if they were covered in a sheen of oil. When he looked down, he discovered in horror that his hands were covered in ayer of yellowish oil. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just hit hands. He soon realized that his face, his arms, his legs and all other parts of his body were covered in the oil.

    ¡°Is this¡­ corpse wax?!¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t believe it. The smelly, yellowish ¡°oil¡± looked exactly the same as the old man¡¯s corpse wax. However, the old man should be dead already!

    ¡°The corpse wax is leaking from my pores; from inside of me! But how is this possible?¡±

    When Ye Qing tried to wipe one of his arms clean, he quickly realized that more corpse wax was leaking out of his pores. It was like his inside were filled with corpse wax.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? When did this happen?¡±

    For a time, Ye Qing waspletely stumped. He just couldn¡¯t figure out when he had been ¡°infected¡± with corpse wax. He had never made physical contact with the old man or the corpse wax [2], so how did they enter his body?

    ¡°Unless¡­ the air?¡± Ye Qing suddenly looked at the air around him. When he punched the old man so hard that he literally evaporated, he hadn¡¯t actually wiped every trace of him out of existence. To be specific, the old man had left behind a cloud of yellow mist. He hadn¡¯t paid it any attention because you know, it was just mist, but now, he realized that he was dead wrong.

    Did the yellow mist turn into corpse wax after I inhaled it into my body? It must be!

    It was at this moment Ye Qing noticed that the three customers were undergoing the same changes as him. In fact, their situation was much worse. Like melting candles, they were dripping so much corpse wax thatrge bodies of corpse wax had pooled underneath their feet. None of them noticed what was happening to them, however. They were still eating their meals with a look of bliss on their faces.

    If before their expressions elicited emotions of warmth and harmony, then now it was pure horror and disgust.

    The old man must still be alive!

    Ye Qing immediately circted the Burning Wind and burned away all the corpse wax inside his body¡ªor at least, he tried to. The moment he tried to channel his astral qi, he discovered in horror that they were moving at a snail¡¯s pace. It was as if his blood vessels and bodily points were clogged.

    Suddenly, the corpse wax covering the schr wriggled unnaturally. They condensed into a lump behind his shoulders and¡ª

    Pop!

    The lump popped and revealed a head. It was none other than the old man¡¯s head.

    The old man¡¯s head slowly turned around to re at Ye Qing. Then, his mouth split open as he asked, ¡°Food is the most wonderful thing in this world, so why do you refuse to eat?¡±

    ¡°Why do you refuse to eat?¡±

    ¡°WHy do YOu REfuSe to EAT?!¡±

    More corpse wax poured out of the schr, the down-to-earth man, and the woman¡¯s body and onto the ground. Then, the corpse wax started spreading toward Ye Qing like a tidal wave.

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and tried to retreat, but his own body started secreting more corpse wax. He found himself unable to control his body for an instant¡ªor more urately, his reflex was a beat slower than it should be¡ªand the flood of corpse wax reached him during that short dy.

    The next moment, the corpse wax crawled up his legs and covered his body rapidly. It looked like he could easily pull away from it, but in reality the corpse wax was strong enough to pin him in ce and immobilize him. He waspletely covered in just the blink of an eye.

    More corpse wax were being produced by the second. The three people¡¯s internal organs, flesh, blood and bone were all being melted to produce more corpse wax. It wasn¡¯t long before their insides werepletely emptied, and only their skins were left. At the same time, a literal hill of corpse wax was pinning down Ye Qing.

    Pop pop pop!

    Three heads burst out of the surging corpse wax on Ye Qing¡¯s shoulders and chest. They all wore the old man¡¯s face.

    ¡°wHy dO yoU RefuSE TO EAt?¡±

    ¡°WiLl YOu rEalLY nOt EaT?¡±

    ¡°iF YOu won¡¯t eat, THEn I Will EAT YoU!¡±

    The three heads said one after another.

    ¡°Pah!¡±

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and spat out Lightning Bolt. White hot lightning instantly annihted the corpse wax covering his face.

    ¡°You know why I don¡¯t want to eat your food. It¡¯s disgusting!¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t understand why the old man was asking such a stupid question again and again. There was no way he didn¡¯t realize just how fucking disgusting it was!

    Ye Qing shook a little. His flesh and blood squirmed, and his bones made this popping noise that sounded like thunder. When he unleashed his Dragon Elephant strength, the thick corpse wax enveloping his body was blown away in an instant.

    However, the scattered corpse wax quickly reformed itself in the sky, yellowish and smelly and sticky as ever. The way they spread out like a spider¡¯s web while writhing and twisting unto themselves could only be described as pure evil.

    Eventually, it happened. The corpse wax fell down toward Ye Qing like a nket.

    While the corpse wax was falling, Ye Qing pulled out a gong and a mallet from his Nature¡¯s Shell. Grinning, he hit the gong with the mallet as hard as he could.

    1. Probably because Rice Jar has Rice inside. ?

    2. This might confuse some people, but as he said his first punch didn¡¯t make physical contact. Remember that he can just unleash fist force like a kamehameha, but faster. ?

 Chapter 183: Strange Monk

    Chapter 183: Strange Monk

    Dang!

    There was a horrific scream as multiple heads suddenly wriggled out of the corpse wax. They all belonged to the old man¡¯s, and they all seemed to be contorted in pain. The corpse wax itself shuddered like it had taken a huge blow. It would seem that the Soul Absorbing Gong was very effective against the Stranger.

    Dang! Dang! Dang!

    Always one to kick a dog when it was down, Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to hit the Soul Absorbing Gang again, and again, and again.

    The heads started exploding one after another. The nket of corpse wax falling toward Ye Qing were riddled with holes as well. They sttered lifelessly against the ground as if they had lost all of their vitality and strength. They didn¡¯t move again.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing noticed that the corpse wax inside his body had lost its potency as well. His true qi began flowing as smoothly as before.

    He didn¡¯t hesitate. Astral qi surging inside him like a raging sea, he turned his body into a furnace and burned it all into nothing. The corpse wax inside his internal organs, his veins, his flesh and his blood, not a single drop was left untouched.

    Now that the biggest danger was resolved, Ye Qing continued to hit the Soul Absorbing Gong and unleashed his astral qi at the same time. The dark red Burning Wind swayed like a banner of victory as it swept across the entire space.

    ¡°Ahhh! Ahhhhh! AHHHHHHHHH!¡±

    The corpse wax flew everywhere as the old man screamed on top of its lungs, but it was futile. Ye Qing had locked down this entire space with his Burning Wind. No matter where it ran to, the Burning Wind was always there to burn it all.

    It took some time, but the corpse wax grew thinner and thinner, and the old man¡¯s scream got weaker and weaker as well. When thest drop of corpse wax evaporated into nothing, his scream finally came to an end.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡± Ye Qing released his spirit and carefully scanned every nook and cranny of the area. Although he couldn¡¯t sense the old man¡¯s aura or any corpse wax, he didn¡¯t let his guard down. Once was enough. He took out the Annon Sutra and checked the dragon-serpent runes. He let out a sigh of relief only when he confirmed that he had gained two silver runes from the battle.

    The first silver rune had probablye from Rolling Pin, Furnace, Rice Jar and the rest of the band ofedic Strangersbined, and the second rune came from the old man.

    ¡°Phew¡­ he¡¯s finally dead.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t paranoia if they were really out to get you. The old man had lived even after he had blown the sonuvabitch into gas. Not only that, it had slipped inside his body as he breathed and affected the flow of his astral qi.

    If his strength wasn¡¯t as formidable as it was, or if he didn¡¯t have a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact that attacked the soul, he still would¡¯ve won, but he might have to spend a week or two in the bed at least.

    He didn¡¯t think that another Astral Refiner¡ªeven one who had reached the ceiling of the Astral Refinement stage¡ªcould¡¯ve killed this guy. Defeat him, maybe, and it was far more likely that they would be melted into corpse wax just like those three poor customers. Kill him? Absolutely not.

    ¡°Urk¡­ that¡¯s it, I¡¯m deleting this battle from my brain except the beginning and the end. And I gotta go home and take a bath ASAP.¡±

    Driven by morbid curiosity, Ye Qing sniffed himself and nearly threw up on the spot. He might have annihted the corpse wax with the Burning Wind, but it was inevitable that some of the stench would linger. If he did not go home now and take a thorough bath, heavens only know what his men and more importantly, Qingyou would think of him tomorrow.

    Ye Qing looked around for a bit and confirmed that the mysterious power that separated this alley from the real world had disappeared. He could clearly hear the sounds of footsteps and conversations from outside the alley and the surrounding buildings. After inspecting the area onest time and confirming that he hadn¡¯t missed anything, he finally made his way to the Pacification Bureau.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t head to his residence immediately after he returned to the Pacification Bureau. Duty came first, and his duty entailed him to report what just happened to Gu Suitang. The Vice Chief of Bureau was extremely pleased to hear this and did not hesitate tovish him with praises.

    Obviously, he didn¡¯t mention that the Annon Sutra was the one who led him to the mysterious cook in the first ce. He chalked it all up to the Incense of Fortune and pure coincidence. After all, a man¡¯s gotta step on dog shit at least a few times in their life, much less dog shit luck, right?

    With this, the case was finally wrapped up. The mastermind behind the zombie outbreaks had been destroyed, so there wouldn¡¯t be any more zombie outbreaks. There were, of course, still the loose ends and the aftermath to handle, but that was for his subordinates to worry about. What was the point of being a boss if he didn¡¯t delegate?

    Ye Qing took a bath as soon as he returned to his room. When he had thoroughly washed the stink off his person, he hit the bed and was out like a light.

    He had not had a good night¡¯s sleep since he started investigating this case. The trip to the Strange Market had turned out to be far more tumultuous than he expected as well. It might not sound like much on paper, but he knew just how exhausting this past week had been. Now that it was finally over, of course he was going to catch all the Zs he had missed until now.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Phew¡­ the sky is bright, and the weather is clear. This is the perfect day to head out for a trip.¡±

    Ye Qing was wearing a conical hat and stretching a little in front of the entrance of Luo Shui, the corners of his lips curled into a bright smile as he basked under the warm sunlight.

    The reason he was leaving themandery today was to visit the Thousand Buddhas Grotto, of course. He was going to use the Star Lotus and the Blood Jade Lotus to skyrocket through the cultivation levels.

    It was dangerous to leave themandery, of course. Even if he pretended that Wang Luori wasn¡¯t looking for him anymore, it was practically guaranteed that he would encounter grave and unexpected dangers once he left the Pacification Bureau¡¯s protection. Such was the world he lived in now.

    That said, he had never nned on hiding under the umbre that was the Pacification Bureau forever. Outside help was great, but the only one who could truly help him was himself.

    But of course, that didn¡¯t mean that he was just going to waltz out of there without any preparation whatsoever. He had informed Gu Suitang and only Gu Suitang about his departure. He also asked Faceless to transform into him and pretend that he was still in the Inspection Department. As long as he showed his face and took care of some trivial matters once in a while, that should be enough to fool his observers into thinking that he was still in the Pacification Bureau. No one would think that the real Ye Qing had left themandery.

    The Thousand Buddhas Grotto was called the Thousand Buddhas Grotto because it was filled with all kinds of Buddhist statues. There were the Bodhisattvas, the Wisdom Kings, the Yaksha and the Buddha himself; the Sleeping Buddha, Reclining Buddha, Sitting Buddha, Standing Buddha, Apsara and more.

    Their appearance was also incredibly diverse. Some statues were smiling, and some were yelling. Some looked kind and benevolent, while some were wide-eyed with anger. Some were noble and righteous, and some were lustful and bizarre. Even their shapes and sizes were very varied. There had to be at least thousands of statues down there, which was why the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was also nicknamed as the ¡°Kingdom of Buddha on Earth [1]¡±.

    Of course, the nickname didn¡¯t mean that the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was a true Kingdom of Buddha where peace and harmony reigned, and paradise was everywhere. It just meant that the grotto had a lot of Buddhist statues.

    In fact, the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was filled with evil, Strangers and taint. It was a dangerous, living hell that only the strong, the brave or the foolish would dare to venture into.

    ording to the records, the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was a real Buddhist temple centuries ago, but one night, the entire structure sank into the underground for some unknown reason. The monks living inside the temple had gone missing as well. No one knew if they were alive or dead.

    Over time, Thousand Buddhas Grotto became infested with all kinds of evils and Strangers. It eventually transformed into a Strange Realm and a forbiddennd to all living things.

    The entrance of the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was located at the foot of a mountain. From above, it looked like the ground had suddenly split apart into a dark, sinister crack.

    When Ye Qing stepped through the crack, he was immediately assaulted by an unnatural chill. It was surprisingly dark inside the cavern even though the entrance was right there. It was as if a mysterious power was keeping out all of the warmth and light so that there would only be cold, dark and evil. The underground world or the surface world; the Kingdom of Buddha or the Kingdom of Demons.

    Ye Qing followed a series of small trails and ancient corridors deeper into the grotto. It wasn¡¯t long before he started seeing Buddhist statues of all shapes and sizes on both sides of the path.

    Tok tok tok tok¡­

    Suddenly, Ye Qing heard a series of distinct knocking sounds from deeper underground. He recognized it immediately.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s tapping on a wooden fish¡­?¡±

    Ye Qing stopped in his tracks and listened for a bit. It was a steady, fairly rapid rhythm that reminded him of monks tapping on a wooden fish while chanting a sutra.

    ¡°But why would there be such a sound in this grotto?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned and made his way toward the source of the noise. He had just stepped past a copsed Buddhist statue when he saw a monk wearing a moon white monk robe sitting crosslegged on the ground with his back facing toward him. He couldn¡¯t see it, but the knocking sound came from directly in front of the monk.

    A warm, golden light rippled out from the monk¡¯s body in intervals as the knocking sound continued. It gave him a holy and weing feeling that wasn¡¯t all that different from the rising sun.

    The holy light and the melodious knocks of the wooden fish seemed to possess some sort of strange magic. It could pacify everything within a certain range.

    Gradually, Ye Qing¡¯s expression turned warm and gentle. His lips were curled into a peaceful smile as he slowly stepped toward the monk as if he had forgotten his caution, his doubt, and his violent impulses.

    When Ye Qing was about three meters away from the monk, the monks slowly turned around to reveal a kind, amicable face. However, beneath the face was a centipede-like body that was covered in thin, long legs. As it turned out, the knocking sound hadn¡¯te from a wooden fish at all. It was the sound of the centipede tapping two of its legs together!

    Even stranger was the fact that the centipede Strangerpletelycked the dark, sinister vibe of the Thousand Buddhas Grotto. Instead, it exuded an aura of peace, tranquility, and majesty not unlike the esteemed monks who had studied the sutras for decades and attained varying degrees of enlightenment.

    In fact, no one would think that the monk was a Stranger if they only looked at his face or perceived his aura. They would¡¯ve believed that he was a great, virtuous monk whose attainment in Buddhism could only be described as sublime.

    The centipede Stranger¡¯s smile grew increasingly kind and merciful as Ye Qing stepped closer and closer. He was wobbling on his feet as if he wasn¡¯tpletely in control of his faculties. And all this time, the centipede Stranger never stopped tapping its legs.

    When Ye Qing was about an inch away from it, the centipede Stranger slowly opened its mouth to reveal a snake-like tongue. As the tongue slithered toward Ye Qing¡¯s face, it abruptly split in half to reveal rows and rows of barb-like teeth. Then, the split tongue bit down on Ye Qing¡¯s head horizontally.

    The centipede Stranger¡¯s kind smile never faded even as it tried to murder Ye Qing. To save a life was a merciful act. To take a life, too, was a merciful act.

    Right before Ye Qing would lose his head, his lips abruptly curled into an evil smirk. Then, he pulled back and dodged the bite with millimeters to spare.

    nk!

    Sparks flew, and there was a loud, metallic bang when the split tongue mped together. Before the centipede Stranger could react, Ye Qing reached out and grabbed its tongue with his left hand.

    Tok tok tok tok tok!

    The centipede Stranger clearly recognized that it was in danger. It started tapping one half of its legs faster than ever before, increasing the intensity of the golden light and the strange power that seemed capable of pacifying any violence or bloodthirst. At the same time, it thrust the other half of its legs forward in an attempt to stab Ye Qing in the stomach.

    The sudden outburst of power could have thrown most Astral Refiners off bnce for an instant, and in a battle, an instant could make the difference between life and death. However, Ye Qing waspletely unmoved by the pacifying power. Eyes looking as clear as a pair of crystals, he unleashed the Netherme and burned the centipede Stranger¡¯s tongue into ash in an instant. The unholy me then continued to spread to its head.

    At the same time, he swung his right hand downward and cut all of the attacking legs in one smooth motion. Then, he clenched his right hand into a fist and punched it right in the abdomen.

    Boom!

    The Stranger¡¯s golden light was crushed into smithereens, and the Burning Wind consumed it all. Like a piece of rotten wood, the centipede Stranger started eroding at an unbelievable rate. One second before, holes suddenly appeared all over its body. One secondter, all that was left of the centipede Stranger was dust.

    1. I¡¯m talking about earth, not Earth. Above Ground is an option but it soundsme and is misleading because this is an underground grotto. ?

 Chapter 184: Stone Child

    Chapter 184: Stone Child

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I ran into a Buddhipede so soon after I entered the Thousand Buddhas Grotto. How unfortunate.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. The centipede wearing a monk¡¯s head earlier was called a Buddhipede, a Hatred-ss Stranger.

    The Buddhipede was a special kind of Stranger with a human head but a centipede¡¯s body. It could only be born at a Buddhist site. Because it was born with Buddha-nature, A Buddhipede naturally possessed the power to forbid murder, eliminate violent thoughts, and induce feelings of kindness andpassion in others. Anyone who got near a Buddhipede would slowly let down their guard and their suspicion and turn peaceful and subdued. For example, a bloodthirsty murderer that was influenced by the Buddhipede could be converted into a devotee of the Buddha instantly. It was why the Buddhipede was also nicknamed the Protector of the Buddha.

    However, a Buddhipede¡¯s nature could vary drastically depending on their ce of birth. If the Buddhist site was a proper Buddhist site, then all was well. If it was the opposite, then the Buddhipede would be an evil, bloodthirsty killer instead.

    It spoke volumes as to the type of ce the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was considering that the Buddhipede it gave birth to had just tried to murder him. It was quite the dangerous and unpredictable Stranger too. Its ability to pacify a victim subtly and without them noticing was almost impossible to defend against, and the sheen of golden light surrounding its body was called the Light of Commandment. It was so tough that it could block even the attack of a Spirit Purifier, making the Buddhipede one of the harder Strangers to kill.

    That said, the Buddhipede had a critical weakness. Its tongue was incredibly frail, and severing it or destroying it would destroy its Light of Commandment as well. Of course, a Buddhipede normally kept its weakness well tucked behind its throat. However, it must unfurl its tongue if it wished to feed, which was why Ye Qing pretended to be influenced by the Buddhipede and waited until it had revealed its tongue before killing it in one strike. It would¡¯ve cost him quite a bit of strength had he tried to kill the Buddhipede the conventional way.

    On a rted note, Ye Qing didn¡¯t mean that the Buddhipede was a formidable foe when hemented how unfortunate the encounter was. It was said that the Buddhipede was blessed by the Buddha because it was born with Buddha-nature. That was why anyone who killed a Buddhipede would suffer terrible misfortune.

    It was impossible to know if the Buddhipede was actually blessed by the Buddha, but it was a fact that its killer would be very unlucky for a time.

    ¡°Sigh. I hope that everything will go smoothly.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t really let it upy his mind though. For one, he was quite confident in his abilities. Two, he still had the Incense of Fortune. If the bad luck was too much for him to handle, he could just light an Incense of Fortune to keep the bad luck away.

    Ye Qing continued deeper into the grotto after killing the Buddhipede. ording to the records, the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was a maze-like grotto that was filled with hundreds of tunnels and thousands of crevices, all of them traversable to a certain extent. If you got lost, then the chances of you making it back to the surface was incredibly unlikely. That said, there was one main path¡ªwhich was really just a particrly big crevice¡ªthat led all the way to the deepest parts of Thousand Buddhas Grotto, so as long as you stuck to the main path, you would never get lost.

    The main path wasn¡¯t without its dangers, however. Since it was the main path, it experienced far more traffic than the other paths, and not the human variety. Besides the Buddhipede, Ye Qing had run into the Hundred Ears Mouse, the Bell Ghost, the Earth Puppet after just walking for an incense stick or so.

    The Hundred Ears Mouse was a mouse that was covered in ears. It possessed exceptional hearing as a matter of course. The Bell Ghost was a bell-shaped ghost that could shake its own body to unleash a sound attack that sounded like the screams of an evil spirit. The Earth Golem was a massive golem that was entirely made out of soil.

    Of course, none of these Strangers were particrly powerful. The Bell Ghost was the strongest of them all, but it was only a Malice-ss Stranger. It barely took him any effort to defeat them.

    As he continued deeper down the crevice, the atmosphere grew increasingly dark and unsettling. The surrounding statues, moss and soil had taken on a heavy dark gray color as well.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing paused in his tracks. ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s sounds of fighting up ahead.¡±

    He pulsed his spirit and grasped the situation quickly. ¡°Three people are attacking a Stranger.¡±

    Ye Qing pushed off the ground and swooped closer to the battlefield without a sound. The humans were two men and one woman, and they were allte-stage Vessel Augmentors. The two men were handsome schrs wearing the same type of attire; a uniform. The dainty woman was wearing the same attire as the men, but her gender was obvious at first nce.

    The Stranger they were attacking was a boulder. It was as big as a millstone, but its two arms and legs were as thin as chopsticks. It was aedic appearance to say the least.

    That said, the boulder Stranger was the opposite of its appearance. It could summon countless rocks to defend or attack its enemies with the wave of a limb, and it was giving the three schrs a lot of trouble.

    ¡°A Stone Child!¡± Ye Qing recognized the Stranger immediately. The Stone Child was just a Malice-ss Stranger, but it was among the most annoying to deal with because it could control sand and stone like its own limb and was impervious to physical weapons, water and fire. In fact, it was on par with some of the weaker Hatred-ss Strangers out there.

    ¡°The Stone Child isn¡¯t an easy opponent, but these people¡­ how are they losing when they are three on one?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head slightly as he observed the battle from behind a rocky pir. Objectively speaking, the trio weren¡¯t weak at all. They werete-stage Vessel Augmentors, their martial arts were pretty strong, their swordy looked exquisite, and their true qi was enormous. However, they were performing so poorly it was like he was watching a cartoon show. There were multiple times they could¡¯ve exploited a major opening and dealt the Stone Child a huge blow, but they never failed to miss it.

    This was nothingpared to their teamwork though. Forget covering theirpanions¡¯ weaknesses or bolstering their strengths, they would bump into each other from time to time or block each other¡¯s paths. To call them pigs would probably be an insult to pigs, because pigs would have at least established a hierarchy beforehand. It was clear that the trio had next to no experience when it came to fighting Strangers.

    ¡°Uwah!?¡±

    Suddenly, the woman identally slipped on the ground andnded with a thud. Instead of getting back to her feet and backing away from the Stranger, she actually clutched her right leg and started rubbing the sore spot.

    ¡°Did it hurt so much that death is preferable?¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t resist rolling his eyes. The woman¡¯s action was akin to lighting antern in the toilet¡ªcourting death. [1]

    Astoundingly, the two men¡¯s reaction was just as idiotic as the woman¡¯s. One of them abandoned the Stone Child instantly and raced toward the woman. The other guy continued to fight the Stone Child as if hispanions hadn¡¯t just hung him out to dry. He could¡¯ve adopted a hit-and-run tactic or try to dy the Stone Child until hispanions recovers, but no, he fought in the exact same way as before.

    What could he possibly do by himself when three of them had failed to defeat the Stone Child? Just a few exchangester, the Stone Child sent his sword flying and threw a punch at his head.

    ¡°Brother Mu Yuan!¡±

    ¡°Mu Yuan¡­¡±

    The other man and the woman eximed in horror as they got back to their feet.

    The guy named Mu Yuan seemedpletely lost after he lost his sword. Instead of dodging out of the way, he just stood there with a ck-jawed expression as the fist rapidly approached his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle you guys managed to live until now,¡± Ye Qing sighed and appeared in front of Mu Yuan. He swung his sleeve and struck the Stone Child with enough force to send it flying across the air. It shattered into a million pieces before it hit the ground.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you thank me for saving your lives?¡± Ye Qing looked back at Mu Yuan¡ªthe young man was still in shock¡ªand said. The Stone Child was just a Malice-ss Stranger, so he lost nothing by helping them.

    ¡°T¡­ Thank you,¡± Mu Yuan subconsciously replied before he finally snapped back to reality and bowed, ¡°Thank you so much for saving our lives, senior!¡±

    Ye Qing was wearing a conical hat, and the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was extremely dark. As a result, Mu Yuan was unable to discern Ye Qing¡¯s face. Despite his youthful voice, Mu Yuan still addressed Ye Qing as senior because he clearly possessed immense strength. There was no harm in being polite after all.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± Ye Qing smiled and asked them a question, ¡°Who are you people, and why have youe to the Thousand Buddhas Grotto?¡±

    Mu Yuan replied respectfully, ¡°I am Mu Yuan, a student of White Horse Academy. They are my senior and my junior sister, Cheng Yi and Ch¨¦ng Yon [2].¡±

    Cheng Yi and Ch¨¦ng Yon harried forward and emted theirpanion¡¯s example, ¡°We greet you, senior. Thank you so much for saving our lives.¡±

    ¡°White Horse Academy?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. He wasn¡¯t expecting to hear this, but then again, they were dressed like schrs.

    White Horse Academy was one of the three major factions of Luo Shui together with Sunset Hill and Blood Shadow Pce, but they weren¡¯t a pure jianghu faction. Preferring civility over violence, everyone in the academy was a schr. Members of White Horse Academy were expected to be well-versed in the Four Books, the Five ssics, the Six Arts and the Seven Stratagems. That said, they lived in a tumultuous world, so they were trained in martial arts as well. Everyone in White Horse Academy was expected to be a master of both the pen and the sword.

    In fact, there were many White Horse Academy students who were martial arts experts, artists, musicians, Go game masters and of course, aplished schrs all at the same time. Many of them had participated in a county-level examination ormandery-level examination with a significant amount of sess as well.

    As most White Horse Academy students chose to follow a civic path in their career, they quite often tangoed with the imperial court and various administrative divisions. This was why it wasn¡¯t viewed as a pure jianghu faction.

    This was the second time he encountered another member of white Horse Academy. The first person he encountered was Wen Zai at Cuiwei Boat. Frankly, his impression of Wen Zai was bad. Not only was he a schemer, he was helping Wang Luori to scheme against him.

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re students of White Horse Academy. Why are you here risking your lives in Thousand Buddhas Grotto when you can be studying at your academy?¡±

    What he really wanted to say was, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, do you wanna die that badly?¡±

    Mu Yuan answered, ¡°We were apanied by Master Fu. However, we got separated from him halfway.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. No wonder they were so bad. They were, to put in gamer terms, being carried.

    ¡°Thousand Buddhas Grotto is an incredibly dangerous ce. The three of you aren¡¯t weak, but your experience is severelycking. You should leave as soon as you can!¡± advised Ye Qing.

    However, Mu Yuan hesitated and said, ¡°We er¡­ we can¡¯t leave yet.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Do you really wanna die that badly?¡± Ye Qing eximed incredulously.

    Mu Yuan exined with an awkward expression, ¡°Our trial requires us to reach the inner area of the Thousand Buddhas Grotto at least. If we go back now, we¡¯ll be punished by the academy.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned, ¡°The trial can¡¯t be more important than your life!¡±

    It was at this moment Cheng Yi spoke up with a resolute voice, ¡°In life, there are things a man of honor must do or mustn¡¯t do. If we cannot evenplete a simple trial like this, how can we bridge the gap between the heavens and the earth, establish a life for the people, seed the learnings of the ancient sages, and forge peace for all ages?¡±

    ¡°Heh,¡± Ye Qing sneered, ¡°And how are you going to aplish any of that if you¡¯re dead?¡±

    ¡°You may have saved our lives, but you will not nder our grand ambition, senior!¡± Cheng Yi protested with displeasure, ¡°Plus, it¡¯s just the Thousand Buddhas Grotto. Is there anything in this ce that can stop us?¡±

    ¡°Senior brother, don¡¯t¡ª¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon tugged at his sleeve, but Cheng Yi argued, ¡°What? Im¡¯ not wrong!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ye Qing was speechless for a moment.

    Are you alright in the head, bud?

    Who was the one who got wrecked by a Malice-ss Stranger despite it being a three-on-one fight?

    Who was the pathetic guy who could only scream helplessly when his junior brother was about to die?

    Are you seriously that oblivious to your inexperience?

    1. The original quote uses a pun to imply courting death, but it works here too. Imagine this ancient old toilet where all the shit is piled at the bottom until someonees over to clean it. Imagine that the methane is building up in this small, confined space. Now imagine lighting a fire in this space. ?

    2. I was told that the surnames are pretty hard to track, so I decided to add some pinyin to differentiate them. Tell me if this makes it better. ?

 Chapter 185: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

    Chapter 185: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

    ¡°Since you¡¯re so confident, then I wish you all good luck!¡± Ye Qing said with a shrug. He wasn¡¯t a merciful Buddhist who would try to save a person no matter how irredeemable. He had saved their lives and even given them sound advice, but if they wouldn¡¯t listen to reason, then so be it. They themselves didn¡¯t care about their lives, so why should he? It wasn¡¯t like he was in any way responsible for their lives.

    The good news was that not everyone in the group was an idiot like Cheng Yi. When Mu Yuan saw that Ye Qing was about to leave, he turned red and called out in a hurry, ¡°Senior¡ª¡±

    Before he could say anything though, a scornful voice broke out, ¡°Incredible. I thought people from White Horse Academy regard themselves as schrs who memorized the rules and etiquette by heart and know right from wrong? So why are you spurning the guy who not only saved your life, but also kindly advised you to leave like an ingrate? This is truly an eye-opening experience!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because he studied so hard that he¡¯s gone stupid!¡±

    ¡°The hell you¡¯re saying? They¡¯re stupid whether they studied the scriptures or not!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡±

    A chorus of jeers and mockingughter broke the silence as a group of people stepped out of the shadows. They were sixteen strong and dressed in the same style of clothes: long robes, cored uniform, golden-trimmed sleeves and a golden crown[1]. Their leader, a haughty-looking man wearing a look of scorn on his face, was the only one who wore a long, sparkling golden robe.

    None of these people were weak. Their weakest warrior was an early-stage Vessel Augmentor, and their strongest¡ªthe leader¡ªwas ate-stage Astral Refiner. He was nked by two early-stage Astral Refiners. But more importantly¡­

    They¡¯re from Sunset Hill!

    Ye Qing recognized their uniforms instantly.

    Why have theye to Thousand Buddhas Grotto? Are they here to catch me?

    No, that can¡¯t be right. If they were here for me, they wouldn¡¯t show themselves like this. It doesn¡¯t sound like the leader recognizes me either, which means that this is just a coincidence.

    Besides that, Sunset Hill should be well aware that he was an early-stage Astral Refiner at the minimum. If they really were here for him, they wouldn¡¯t have brought any Vessel Augmentor at all. They would only be fodder at best or nuisances at worst.

    Ye Qing was just hiding a sigh of relief when Cheng Yi erupted in anger, ¡°You dare insult my White Horse Academy, Wang Yang?¡±

    It was clear that Cheng Yi recognized the leader, and it so happened that Ye Qing recognized the name as well.

    Wang Yang? Ate-stage Astral Refiner named Wang Yang? He¡¯s Wang Luori¡¯s only son!

    Ye Qing had studied the Pacification Bureau¡¯s files on Sunset Hill as a matter of course. That was how he was able to match the record to the haughty man before him.

    ¡°Hahaha! Like you need me to insult your academy!¡± Wang Yang sneered disdainfully, ¡°The White Horse Academy is a jianghu sect, but instead you put on this holier-than-thou appearance and address yourselves as schrs, study the four books and five whatever, and even proim yourself as a ¡®righteous¡¯ and ¡®honorable¡¯ people. That¡¯s like a prostitute swearing to the heavens that they¡¯re a virgin. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡±

    His group immediately erupted in uproariousughter once more.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Cheng Yi turned beet red with fury. To everyone¡¯s surprise, he actually rushed Wang Yang and shouted, ¡°You dare nder my White Horse Academy? I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Wang Yang could hardly contain his disdain. He waved his hand like he was waving away dust and¡ª

    Bang!

    Cheng Yi¡¯s chest abruptly caved in like he was struck by a massive, invisible hammer. He flew back where he came from and cked out just like that.

    ¡°Senior brother!¡±

    ¡°Senior brother!¡±

    Mu Yuan and Ch¨¦ng Yon hurried forward to catch him. Their faces were fraught with panic and worry.

    ¡°This guy can¡¯t even take a hit from me, and he dares to visit Thousand Buddhas Grotto? Just go home and read your books, kiddos!¡± Wang Yang scoffed as he stared at the trio.

    ¡°How dare you hurt my senior brother unprovoked and insult the White Horse Academy, Wang Yang! Senior Brother Luo wil punish you for this!¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon threatened with a sob.

    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so scared~¡± Wang Yang replied mockingly, ¡°Do you think he¡¯s invincible just because he was named one of the four Gentlemen of Luo Shui or something? Forget Luo Feiliu, I could take him and your so-called Four Stars together!¡±

    He really is Wang Luori¡¯s son. He¡¯s just as arrogant as his dad, Ye Qing thought while narrowing his eyes. Luo Feiliu was one of the four Gentlemen of Luo Shui just like Chu Nianjiu, the ¡°Art Gentleman¡±. Skilled in the art of ink wash painting both literally and martially, there was no one who could match him in this area.

    Not only that, Luo Feiliu was Luo Feibai¡¯s older brother and Luo Chuncao¡¯s oldest son.

    Speaking of Luo Cunchao, why hasn¡¯t the patriarch made a move even though he knew that Wang Luori was the one who indirectly killed Luo Feibai? Strange! Maybe he¡¯s preparing something big?

    That was very likely. A dog that bites doesn¡¯t bark, and Luo Cunchao fit this stereotype perfectly. In fact, Luo Cunchao wasn¡¯t a dog. He was a wolf that devoured humans at his leisure.

    ¡°Lies! I know you haven¡¯t beaten Senior Brother Luo even once yet!¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon taunted, ¡°And you never will!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? I dare you to say that again!¡± Wang Yang abruptly lost his smile and turned murderous. ¡°Do you actually think I won¡¯t kill you three?¡±

    Wang Yang slowly walked toward the trio. He didn¡¯t bother to conceal his bloodlust.

    ¡°W-What do you think you¡¯re doing, Wang Yang?¡±

    Ch¨¦ng Yon and Mu Yuan knew they were in deep trouble when they saw this. Turning as pale as a sheet, Ch¨¦ng Yon tried another threat, ¡°My¡­ My dad is Ch¨¦ng Qianzhi, and Senior Brother Cheng¡¯s uncle is the vice principal of our academy! If you kill us, neither my nor White Horse Academy will ever forgive you!¡±

    The woman seemed to think that the threat was a good idea, but Ye Qing could only shake his head in disbelief. Did she seriously just try to bring up her dad and that idiot¡¯s dad? Wang Luori is the Hill Lord of Sunset Hill! He¡¯s the biggest daddy of them all! What is wrong with these people?

    In fact, to call them an idiot would be an insult to idiots. No, these three didn¡¯t even have a brain in their skulls. They were weak, but they provoked their betters again and again. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she just had to target Wang Yang¡¯s sore spot. Just what did she think was gonna happen? Wang Yang kowtowing to her in apology and chanting, ¡°Long live the White Horse Academy¡±?

    Any reasonable person would¡¯ve submitted to the circumstances or at least pretend to submit until they could find an opportunity to turn the tables around. But her? She just soldiered on thinking she was one of the sages in her books or something. The sages could afford to do so because they were strong. Her? The only thing her action was going to garner was certain death.

    As expected, Wang Yang scoffed as if he had heard an unbelievable joke. ¡°Bring the White Horse Academy upon me then! Let me taste their righteous wrath! Oh wait, you can¡¯t because this is the Thousand Buddhas Grotto, not the White Horse Academy. I can literally end you right here and now, and what do you think the White Horse Academy and Ch¨¦ng Qianzhi would do? Nothing. Do you know why? Because they¡¯ll never learn that I¡¯m the killer!¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± It finally clicked in Ch¨¦ng Yon¡¯s head just how screwed she was. Fear, despair, and regret welled inside her as she copsed to the ground and waited for the inevitable.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±

    Just when Wang Yang was about to end Ch¨¦ng Yon¡¯s life, a cough suddenly drew his attention. Wang Yang looked and saw the man wearing a conical hat coughing into his hand.

    ¡°Ahem ahem! Sorry, my throat¡¯s feeling a little itchy. Please, don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    Ye Qing pressed his hat downward and purposely leaked a hint of aura. He then said in ackadaisical voice, ¡°These idiots think they¡¯re number one in the world just because they studied some martial arts and read some books. You should punish them so they¡¯ll learn to be better in the future.¡±

    Wang Yang narrowed his eyes dangerously. He could tell that Ye Qing was telling him to teach them a lesson, not kill them.

    Frankly, Ye Qing didn¡¯t want to get involved in this conflict at all, but he must because the next person Wang Yang was going to kill after taking out the trio was him. After all, loose lips sink ships. While he wasn¡¯t afraid of the group, it was more trouble than it was worth, not to mention who knows what Strangers might be drawn to their battle?

    That was why he chose to speak up and reveal his aura. He was reminding Wang Yang that he was still here, and that he was no one to be trifled with. Of course, he made sure to sweeten his words so that Wang Yang would not be forced to take action to protect his face in front of his men.

    ording to the files in the Pacification Bureau, Wang Yang was arrogant and ruthless, but not stupid. He should be smart enough to make the right decision, and assuming he wasn¡¯t, he was prepared for a battle.

    But before Wang Yang could say anything, Cheng Yi¡ªhe had just awakened from his shorta¡ªlet out an angry, hateful roar, ¡°Bastard! I thought you¡¯re a good person, but you¡¯re no different from them! Despicable bastard, the White Horse Academy will never forgive you!¡±

    ¡°You mean well, brother, but it looks like the very people you¡¯re trying to save don¡¯t appreciate the gesture!¡± Wang Yang burst outughing, ¡°I can let you teach them a lesson if you want to!¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Eh, forget it. It¡¯s unfortunate that a dog bit me, but I don¡¯t gotta lower myself to its level, do you get what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Wang Yang responded with a nod, but for some reason he felt like Ye Qing was insulting him, not Cheng Yi.

    In any case, the moment had passed, and Wang Yang didn¡¯t feel like killing the trio anymore. He kicked Cheng Yi once and yelled, ¡°Now get lost! I¡¯ll overlook your transgressions this once because of the White Horse Academy, but there won¡¯t be a second chance!¡±

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Get lost already. Do you actually have a death wish?¡± Ye Qing added when he saw the trio were still standing there like idiots. He too was fed up with them by this point.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, senior brother!¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon and Mu Yuan hurriedly carried Cheng Yi toward the exit. No matter how disgruntled they were feeling, they weren¡¯t so stupid as to provoke Wang Yang again. They knew they would die if they tried anything.

    When the trio were passing by Ye Qing, Cheng Yi suddenly turned around and shot Ye Qing a re. It was filled with fury and hatred.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glinted. He could feel actual malice and killing intent from the young man. I saved your life, and this is how you repay me?

    Sure, he hadn¡¯t done it overtly, but anyone with even a bit of brain should be able to understand his actions. Unfortunately, Cheng Yi didn¡¯t seem to have a brain at all.

    If that is your desire, then so it shall be.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered with ruthlessness as he bent his fingers slightly. A wisp of Blood Shadow entered Cheng Yi¡¯s body without anyone noticing.

    He didn¡¯t want to do this either, but no good deed goes unpunished in this world. In that case, he would rather not be a good person.

    1. I¡¯m aware that most of you think crown=headdress of a king or something like that but it¡¯s not always the case for Chinese. ?

 Chapter 186: Plans

    Chapter 186: ns

    ¡°May I know your name, brother?¡± Wang Yang asked curiously after the trio from White Horse Academy was gone.

    Ye Qing replied smilingly, ¡°My name is Ye Pingshan. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Brother Wang.¡±

    ¡°Ye Pingshan?¡± Wang Yang tried to recall if he ever heard such a name before. ¡°I don¡¯t think I recognize you. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, which sect do you belong to, Brother Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing sped his fist. ¡°I am but a wanderer with no sect or faction to my name. I¡¯m not even a citizen of Luo Shui, in fact. I have only arrived at Luo Shui a few days ago, so it¡¯d make sense that you don¡¯t recognize me.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Wang Yang eximed in realization before growing wary, ¡°By the way, why have you journeyed to the depths of Thousand Buddhas Grotto?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m a body-tempering warrior. I heard that there is a Thousand Buddhas Vine in this ce that bears a fruit named the Thousand Buddhas Fruit, an excellent body-tempering spirit material. That is why I havee to test my luck.¡±

    ¡°A body-tempering warrior? You have my respect, brother!¡± Wang Yang eximed in astonishment. Body-tempering warriors were pretty rare in Luo Shui, and the most famous of them all was Gu Suitang, the guy who could beat up even his dad like nothing.

    Ye Qing hid a smile when he saw the sh of disgruntlement and hatred on Wang Yang¡¯s face. He hadn¡¯t called himself a body-tempering warrior to annoy Wang Yang, of course. It was just another effort to mask his identity.

    It had been a few months since he came to Luo Shui [1], and he hadn¡¯t tried to conceal his power or the characteristics of his martial arts. Therefore, Sunset Hill must know that the astral qi he cultivated was the Burning Wind, which was unique in all of Luo Shui. The scion would absolutely recognize him if he used his Burning Wind in front of him.

    That was why he decided to reveal the fact that he was a body-tempering warrior instead. For one, it was a good cover since it was the truth. Two, it was toy down the groundwork necessary to execute his n¡ªthe n to kill Wang Yang without a trace, which was only doable if he kept his identity a secret.

    No reconciliation was possible between Wang Luori and himself. Since he was lucky enough to stumble onto Wang Yang today, he didn¡¯t mind collecting some interests first. The scion was a bad egg anyway.

    ¡°Are you headed for the inner depths of the Thousand Buddhas Grotto too, Brother Wang? Let us walk together then. There is safety in numbers, and I believe that Thousand Buddhas Grotto warrants that level of caution,¡± Ye Qing suggested.

    He was nning to screw Wang Yang over after all. It would be a lot harder to do that if he chose to stay away from his group. Also, he was certain that Wang Yang would agree because one, the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was a very dangerous ce. Two, Wang Yang was an arrogant and self-conceited man. He wouldn¡¯t fear a mere outsider even if they were scheming something.

    And three, he was basically offering himself to be a minesweeper. There should be no reason why Wang Yang would turn down extra fodder.

    As expected, Wang Yang agreed to Ye Qing¡¯s suggestion after just a few seconds of thought, ¡°If that is agreeable with you, then let us travel together, Brother Ye!¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Are you okay, Senior Brother Cheng?¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon asked worriedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± A deathly pale Cheng Yi shook his head but grew hateful in an instant, ¡°What happened today won¡¯t go unanswered, especially that bastard who colluded with the likes of Wang Yang. I swear I¡¯ll kill him one way or another.¡±

    Mu Yuan frowned when he heard this and tried to exin, ¡°Senior brother, that senior saved our lives, and he only did what he did just now to¡ª¡±

    Cheng Yi interrupted him rudely before he could finish, ¡°Are you a member of White Horse Academy or what, Mu Yuan? Didn¡¯t you hear how he insulted us earlier? My name isn¡¯t Cheng Yi if I don¡¯t repay what he did to us ten fold!¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡± Mu Yuan tried again, but Cheng Yi interrupted him angrily, ¡°But what? I¡¯ll expel you from White Horse Academy if you say one more word to defend that bastard!:

    ¡°Senior brother¡­ I¡­¡±

    Mu Yuan turned white when he heard this. Whatever he was trying to say quickly died in his throat.

    ¡°Let us make haste. As soon as we return to the academy, I¡¯m going to report this to¡ª¡± Cheng Yi muttered darkly when suddenly, he froze in his tracks. His pupils slowly dted as he abruptly copsed to the ground.

    ¡°Senior brother?¡±

    ¡°Senior brother!¡±

    Both Ch¨¦ng Yon and Mu Yuan cried out and rushed to his side, but Cheng Yi didn¡¯t react. Mu Yuan subconsciously tested his senior brother¡¯s pulse and withdrew his palm just as quickly. Hisplexion was pale as he stammered, ¡°He¡¯s dead! Senior Brother Cheng is¡­ dead!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon eximed in disbelief and tested Cheng YI¡¯s pulse as well. When she sensed what he sensed¡ªwhich was nothing at all¡ªshe too copsed on her feet and blurted, ¡°He¡­ he really is dead.¡±

    ¡°But how can this be? He was fine just now. How did he just¡­ die all of a sudden?¡±

    A long timeter, Mu Yuan finally recovered his wits and murmured, ¡°Maybe it was Wang Yang who did it. He could¡¯ve shattered senior brother¡¯s heart when he struck him earlier, but controlled his strength so that senior brother wouldn¡¯t perish immediately. It was only now that the damage had caught up to him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! It has to be Wang Yang! He was about to kill us all just a while ago! It must be him!¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon echoed in agreement. ¡°So¡­ what do we do now?¡±

    Mu Yuan thought for a moment before answering, ¡°There is no way we can take revenge for senior brother by ourselves. We should return to the academy immediately and report this to the vice principal. He would know what to do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We should hurry!¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon replied while looking around paranoidly. It was as if she was afraid that Wang Yang would catch up to them at any moment.

    After Mu Yuan carried Cheng Yi¡¯s corpse on his back, the duo continued making their way toward the exit.

    ¡­¡­

    Cheng Yi should be dead by now, Ye Qing thought with a smile while walking together with Wang Yang and his group.

    Earlier, he had pierced the guy¡¯s heart and lungs using a wisp of Blood Shadow. The reason he didn¡¯t die immediately was because he had used the Blood Shadow to block the wounds. If the Blood Shadow dissipated, or if Cheng Yi¡¯s pulse elevated considerably because he was angry or something, then he would drop dead immediately.

    He felt his Blood Shadow dissipating into nothing just now. It was how he knew that Cheng Yi was probably dead.

    The reason he did this was to incite a conflict between White Horse Academy and Sunset Hill, of course.

    Considering Mu Yuan and Ch¨¦ng Yon¡¯sck of intelligence, they would definitely think that Wang Yang was the murderer and reported the situation as such to their academy. He remembered Ch¨¦ng Yon saying that Cheng Yi was the vice principal¡¯s nephew or something, so there was no way White Horse was going to gloss over this murder. They would definitely round up the men ande to Thousand Buddhas Grotto to question Wang Yang.

    When the timees, all he needed to do was to fan the mes, and the two major sects in Luo Shui would be butting heads like no tomorrow.

    Okay, that might be a little too much to hope for, but at the very least it was going to keep Wang Luori busy for a bit and buy him more time to grow stronger under the radar.

    There were few things more exciting than making life difficult and making enemies for one¡¯s enemies. If he could watch his enemies putting out mes here and there and raging over the ¡°injustices¡± that ¡°the heavens¡± had sent their way, then even better. He couldn¡¯t wait.

    He hadn¡¯t nned for this to happen when he saved the trio, of course. It was just that Cheng Yi¡¯s re before he left reminded him of The Farmer and the Viper, Mr Dong Guo and The Wolf of Zhongshan, and The Old Man and the Sea¡ªwait, I think that thest example isn¡¯t quite right but eh, whatever¡ªThe point was that he didn¡¯t mind murdering and recycling a murderous ingrate for his own use, especially one who was a bad egg through and through.

    ¡°Careful. Something¡¯s not right here.¡±

    Suddenly, a warning jolted him out of his reverie. Ye Qing looked around and found himself standing in the middle of a field of Buddhist statues.

    The Buddhist statues all wore kind and gentle expressions on their faces, but the bones, skulls and bodies on the ground both human and Stranger suggested a very different story. The stark contrast was both eerie and disturbing.

    ¡°Careful, everyone, and don¡¯t touch anything. Now, let us go!¡± Wang Yang instructed in a hushed voice after scanning the area for a bit and finding no danger.

    Wait a second. These statues are the Two-Faced Buddhas! That gives me an idea¡­ Ye Qing concealed a devious smirk as he observed the kind-faced statues.

    The group slowly walked through the field of Buddhist statues as per Wang Yang¡¯s instructions. They did everything perfectly, and they should have been able to pass through the field without any incident. Too bad for them, Ye Qing had different ns.

    As Ye Qing was passing by a Buddhist statue, he secretly let loose a hint of bloodlust. The moment it happened, the statue¡¯s face slowly morphed into anger and swiveled its head toward the path.

    Whoosh!

    The next second, the Buddhist statue spat out a jet of mes that engulfed the two Sunset Hill disciples walking behind Ye Qing in an instant.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Their screams were short-lived. The fire was so hot that it turned them to ash in practically the span of two seconds.

    ¡°Bastard!¡±

    Wang Yang responded to the attack instantly. The second the two Sunset Hill disciples were turned into ash, heunched himself toward the statue and shattered its head with his astral qi.

    This triggered a devastating chain ration, however. As if his ¡°murder¡± of the statue had awakened their wrath, they all turned toward the group with an angry expression on their faces. They spat either mes, yin wind, physical weapons or more at the nearest Sunset Hill disciple.

    For a time, it was utter chaos. Those who couldn¡¯t protect themselves in time or were weak in cultivation were burned into ash, corroded into a pile of goo, or skewered like a pincushion immediately. It was positively tragic.

    ¡°Useless trash. Get out of my way!¡± Wang Yang¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as pure white mes rushed out of his body. It was perfectly clean, pure, and unblemished. The moment it appeared, all of the filth, cold, taint and even the space surrounding the group vanished into a white so pure that it almost resembled the color of nothingness.

    Then, using his palm like a saber and his legs as the pivot, he spun horizontally and summoned what looked like a white moon.

    Everything turned white under the white moon, literally. The Buddhist statues were covered in ayer of pure white energy that enveloped their bodies in the blink of an eye. Then, they crumbled soundlessly and dissolved into nothingness before the pieces could even hit the ground.

    ¡°The White me of Nothingness¡­¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little as he watched the disintegrating Buddhist statues. He had read about Wang Yang¡¯s astral qi from the files of the Pacification Bureau as a matter of course, but it was another thing to witness it with his own eyes.

    One of the thirty-six superior grade astral qis, the White me of Nothingness was also known as the mes of Nothingness. Colorless and devoid of temperature, it could dissolve all five natural elements¡ªEarth, Water, Fire, Air, and Metal¡ªinto nothing. Naturally, it was incredibly powerful.

    While the White me of Nothingness was weaker than the Burning Wind in terms of sheer power, it outssed the Burning Wind in terms of flexibility and applicability.

    But of course, it all depended on the people who wielded it. If the White me of Nothingness was wielded by an idiot like Cheng Yi, then Ye Qing daresaid that he could beat the guy as a Vessel Augmentor. If someone was strong, then all arts were strong in their hands, and vice versa.

    1. Okay wow, this timeskip could¡¯ve been done better. The zombie outbreak incident either happenedter than I thought, or at least one month had passed since that day. If you guys have a better suggestion to make this less abrupt, please don¡¯t hesitate to share it with me. ?

 Chapter 187: The Thousand Hands Bodhisattva

    Chapter 187: The Thousand Hands Bodhisattva

    ¡°We lost six junior brothers in that battle, senior brother. Three of them are grievously injured as well. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be able to follow us deeper into the grotto.¡±

    After all of the statues were destroyed, a gloomy-looking man wrapped in thick ck robe stepped forward and reported the casualties to Wang Yang. He was Wang Yang¡¯s junior brother and one of the three Astral Refiners in the group, Yang Xuan.

    Wang Yang had no sympathy for the dead, however. ¡°So what if they died? They¡¯re just a bunch of useless trash anyway. If they can¡¯t even handle a few Malice-ss Strangers, then they might as well die now and save Sunset Hill the embarrassment in the future.¡±

    ¡°What about those three?¡± Yang Xuan pointed at the injured trio on the ground.

    Wang Yang shot them a nce. ¡°They can head back to the surface on their own.¡±

    ¡°But senior brother, their injuries are quite severe.They can barely walk, much less handle the Strangers they might encounter on the way,¡± A Sunset Hill disciple spoke up despite his fear of Wang Yang. ¡°We might¡­ we might need to send someone to escort them back to the surface.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Wang Yang turned and eyed the disciple coldly, causing him to shiver and bow his head deeply. Wang Yang then walked up to the three nearatose disciples, smirked cruelly, and kicked his foot. A jet of white mes emerged and surrounded the trio in the blink of an eye. A momentter, all three warriors melted into nothing just like that.

    Everyone gasped and stared at Wang Yang in shock and horror.

    ¡°This way, we won¡¯t need to escort them back or even waste the energy to bury them. It¡¯s the perfect solution, isn¡¯t it?¡± Wang Yang smiled cruelly as if he was very satisfied with the crowd¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Now, let us continue.¡±

    And so they continued deeper into the Thousand Buddhas Grotto.

    Whew, what a ruthless bastard, Ye Qing raised a thoughtful eyebrow as he watched Wang Yang¡¯s back. They all said that Wang Yang was a hot-tempered and cruel bastard who inherited the worst qualities of his dad. He could see now that the rumors were perfectly true. For him to murder his own people without batting an eyelid¡­

    I love him! He¡¯s the kind of guy I can hate without any reservation whatsoever!

    Of course, the real murderer here was really Ye Qing since he was the one who triggered the Buddhist statues into attacking in the first ce, but it didn¡¯t count as long as no one knows about it, right?

    Speaking of the Buddhist statues, they were statue Strangers known as the Two-Faced Buddha, a Malice-ss Stranger. As its name obviously implied, the Stranger had exactly two sides. When it was wearing a kind face, it was a merciful Buddha who wouldn¡¯t hurt a soul. But when it was wearing an angry face, then it would transform into a bloodthirsty Buddha who could spit water, fire, and weapons to eliminate a sinner and send them to hell.

    It wasn¡¯t safe to linger around the Two-Faced Buddha even when they were wearing a kind face because the slightest hint of bloodlust could change them into their evil side. All the Two-Faced Buddhas they encountered earlier were on their good side. It was entirely possible for the group to have passed through the field without any fanfare. But Ye Qing had purposely purposely leaked a bit of bloodlust, so that was that.

    The reason only one Two-Faced Buddha had attacked at first was because the bloodlust was too subtle and weak. Obviously, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the bloodlust Wang Yang exuded when he destroyed the Two-Faced Buddha who killed his followers. As a result, every Two-Faced Buddha on the field had attacked them.

    He hadid things out so that things would turn out this way, but strictly speaking, it was just a possibility. Had Wang Yang kept his cool and continued along his way, then their casualties could have been kept to a minimum. In other words, it was totally Wang Yang¡¯s fault that they had lost so many people.

    So, why did he purposely kickstart this chain of events? It was of course to weaken Wang Yang¡¯s group and to sound out Wang Yang and his followers¡¯ strength, and the information he got was pretty satisfactory. Wang Yang was so strong that the battle was over before Yang Xuan and the other Astral Refiner, Liu Fan could take action.

    Hehe. Since you¡¯re so strong, you won¡¯t mind me testing you a couple more times, will you?

    A tiny smirk spread across Ye Qing¡¯s mouth as he stared at Wang Yang¡¯s back.

    The next few battles were pretty insignificant. Wang Yang acted as the vanguard, and Ye Qing killed a couple of weak Strangers to keep up appearances. It wasn¡¯t that he had suddenly discovered his conscience and decided to requite evil with good, of course. If he did nothing at all and never participated in any battle, Wang Yang¡¯s group was going to resent him at best or suspect him at worst. He was acting after all. What kind of shitty actor would drop his act in the middle of a scene? Also, the Strangers, weak as they were, gave him some dragon-serpent runes, so he was motivated to kill them regardless.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the group stopped in front of arge grotto that looked like a main hall. It was in such a state of disrepair that it only retained the outlook of a main hall and nothing else.

    What really stopped the group in their tracks was a massive Buddhist statue at the center of the grotto. It was about ten meter tall and shaped like a Bodhisattva. It was sitting in a lotus position and had a thousand hands that fanned up from top to bottom, all holding the vitarka mudra [1]as well. The Buddhists called it the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva.

    What was really strange was the fact that each palm held a lit oilmp, the orange mes swaying gently in the darkness.

    One oilmp could only light up one meter of space at best, and poorly at that. But a thousand of them? It was like they were beholding the moon itself. It illuminated this section of the dark, gloomy grotto as bright as day.

    Thempfire was warm and bright like the eternal mes people kept and worshiped in an actual Buddhist temple, calm and peaceful.

    Not a single person in the group felt those emotions, however. In fact, a chill crept up their spines, and their hair stood on end. The reason was very simple. Rows and rows of people were kneeling in front of the statue, and almost all of them were dead.

    Some of them were withered skeletons that had existed since heavens-know-when, and some of them were in the middle of rotting. The handful who were alive were barely breathing as if they were on their deathbeds.

    Most importantly, both the living and the dead were kneeling before the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva with their hands pressed together in a prayer and wearing a peaceful smile on their face. It was like they were faithful worshipers who were praying to the Buddha in their hearts: respectful, pious, and zealous. There wasn¡¯t the slightest room for sphemy in their hearts, and they had no regrets dying for the sake of the Buddha.

    ¡°Those people belong to White Horse Academy,¡± Yang Xuan pointed at the handful of still living people kneeling in front of the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva.

    They must be the disciples who came to Thousand Buddhas Grotto to hone themselves, Ye Qing thought.

    The White Horse Academy disciples were still alive, but they seemed to bepletely unaware of what was going on around them at all. Their expressions were overflowing with piety and zealousness. They looked like they were going to kneel like this until the end of time itself.

    Swoosh!

    Wang Yang flicked his fingers and sent a speck of force through one of the disciples¡¯ shoulder. The wound immediately started bleeding profusely, but the man didn¡¯t react almost as if he wasn¡¯t in control of his own body. He maintained his position and continued to stare at the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva piously.

    Wang Yang frowned and ordered, ¡°Ma Yuanshan, go ahead and find out what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°M-Me?¡± The unlucky bastard named Ma Yuanshan blurted with wide-eyed shock and fear. Coincidentally or not, he was also the guy who suggested that they spare some men to escort the wounded back to the surface.

    The rest of the disciples immediately stepped away from Ma Yuanshan. Some wore an expression of schadenfreude on their faces, and some looked sympathetic because they knew that they could easily have been chosen as well. There wasn¡¯t a single person here who wasn¡¯t aware that this ¡°short, innocuous trip¡± was almost certainly going to end with his death.

    ¡°Senior brother, I¡­¡± Ma Yuanshan was reluctant to obey the order of course, but Liu Fan interrupted him as soon as he opened his mouth.

    ¡°What? Are you disobeying orders?¡± Liu Fan asked in a threatening voice. Young Fan was a gentleman¡¯s name, but the man himself was thick and burly. He gave off a tremendous amount of pressure just standing there.

    ¡°You could obey your order, or I could snap your neck right here and now!¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go!¡± A deathly pale Ma Yuanshan replied. Knowing Liu Fan, he did not doubt for a second that the burly man would snap his neck if he said no. If he was going to die either way, then he might as well go with the more hopeful option.

    And so Ma Yuanshan stepped toward the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva with fatalistic determination and resolve.

    At first, nothing happened at all. But as soon as Ma Yuanshan entered the range of themps, he suddenly froze and swayed like he was drunk or something. Then, his clear eyes slowly turned fanatical, and his fearful expression subsided into peace and tranquility.

    The disciple pressed his hands together in a prayer and kowtowed to the statue. Then, he rose back to his feet, took a step, and kowtowed to the statue again. He would repeat this motion over and over.

    With every step and kowtow, he was worshiping the Buddha in his heart!

    ¡°Yang Xuan!¡± Wang Yang growled when he saw this. Yang Xuan immediately threw out a vine from his sleeve and attempted to pull the disciple back to the group. However, the vine caught on fire as soon as it entered themps¡¯ range. It dissolved into ash before Yang Xuan could pull it back.

    Gravevine? Ye Qing recognized the strange vine Yang Xuan had tried to use to rescue Ma Yuanshan. It was a Red-ss Stranger called the Gravevine.

    As the name implied, a Gravevine was a kind of vine that grew near graves and burial mounds. Over time, it transformed into a Stranger because it was constantly exposed to yin qi. It usually wrapped itself around graves and burial mounds and captured any flesh-and-blood being who got too close to the grave such as a human who hade to pay their respects to their loved ones.

    The Gravevine was weak and immobile, but it could grow indefinitely so long as there was a steady supply of yin qi. However, Yang Xuan¡¯s Gravevine¡ªall of it¡ªhad burned into ash as soon as it made contact with themps¡¯ light.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Wang Yang asked seriously.

    Yang Xuan answered with a frown, ¡°It¡¯s the light of those oilmps. It burned my Gravevine into ash instantly.¡±

    ¡°Then why is Ma Yuanshan fine?¡± Wang Yang asked puzzledly.

    For a given definition of fine, that was. The guy was acting like an insane zealot right now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let me try something else!¡± Yang Xuan waved his sleeve and revealed a centipede covered in bluish green phosphorus me [2]this time. It was about as thick as a baby¡¯s arm.

    A Phosphorus me Centipede! Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully as the centipede skittered across the ground.

    The Phosphorus me Centipede was a Malice-ss Stranger that was normally found in extremely cold and yin ces. It possessed a deadly venom that could kill upon contact, and a phosphorus me that could erode flesh and blood.

    Incredibly agile and difficult to kill, the Phosphorus me Centipede could stay alive even after it had been severed into several pieces. Generally speaking, it was a very annoying Malice-ss Stranger to handle.

    1. A Buddhist hand gesture that looks like the Buddha is holding a lotus flower. ?

    2. If you ask why his sleeves haven¡¯t caught on fire, the answer is magic. ?

 Chapter 188: Self-Mutilation to Atone For Oneâ€™s Sins

    Chapter 188: Self-Muttion to Atone For One¡¯s Sins

    ¡°Interesting!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and smiled. First it was the Gravevine, and now the Phosphorus me Centipede. This more or less confirmed that Yang Xuan could control Strangers to an extent. Thank goodness he found out about this now, or the Astral Refiner absolutely could¡¯ve caught him by surprise.

    Yang Xuanmanded the centipede to go forward, and it did. However, it suddenly grew restless when it reached the periphery of themps¡¯ range. No matter what he did, the centipede inly refused to go further. It was clear that the Stranger recognized the danger.

    Unfortunately, Wang Yang didn¡¯t give him themand to stop, so Yang Xuan had no choice but to force the Phosphorus me Centipede to move forward.

    As soon as the Phosphorus me Centipede made contact with the light, its phosphorus abruptly extinguished. It also started smoking ck qi and melting at an incredible rate.

    Yang Xuan appeared right next to it and cut the Phosphorus me Centipede in half before the reaction could spread further. Then, he grabbed the untouched half of the centipede and hurried back to the group.

    The part of the centipede that was touched by the light dissolved into ash as well.

    Yang Xuan felt like someone had gouged his heart out as he examined his weakened, severed pet. He had fed this Phosphorus me Centipede with his heart¡¯s blood for several years to give it its current strength and intelligence. Now, it was right back to where it started. Of course he was distressed with this oue. At least it was still alive. He optimistically hoped that it would recover in a year or two.

    Meanwhile, Ma Yuanshan had made it to the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva and knelt next to the White Horse Academy disciples. Then, he maintained his posture and stayed there just like the others.

    It was like he had turned into a statue.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing took a few steps forward and said seriously, ¡°Brother Wang¡­ I¡¯ve made a major discovery!¡±

    ¡°Oh? What did you discover, Brother Ye?¡± Wang Yang¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. The others were looking at Ye Qing curiously and urgently as well.

    While rubbing his chin, Ye Qing paced back and forth a little and said, ¡°ording to my observation, something¡¯s wrong with the light.¡±

    Wang Yang: ¡°...¡±

    Yang Xuan: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    Imagine that you had taken off your pants and were seconds away from having the time of your life with a sexydy, and suddenly, she said, ¡°I have AIDS.¡± That was how more or less everyone was feeling right now.

    We know that, you bloody joker! Do you think we¡¯re stupid!

    ¡°Calm, brothers. I haven¡¯t finished yet!¡± Ye Qing smiled and ignored the daggers that were being stared at his direction. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the light these oilmps give off possess the power to influence one¡¯s mind and take control of them. That is why these people are acting like this. Besides that, this light is quite deadly against Strangers and especially against yin type Strangers.¡±

    ¡°Brother Yang has proven this with his demonstration.¡±

    Yang Xuan: ¡°...¡± Can you not rub salt in my wound, brother?

    ¡°What is themonality between all humans and Strangers? They are all alive, even if some Strangers exist in a form we do not understand. Assuming that the light is only effective against living things, then non-living things should be safe from the light. I say this because Brother Wang attacked that White Horse Academy disciple earlier using his astral qi. Your force was perfectly unaffected by the light, no?¡±

    Ye Qing kicked a rock into the light then. As expected, nothing happened to it.

    ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°You are correct!¡± Wang Yang nodded but frowned, ¡°But what use is this information, pray tell?¡±

    So what if non-living things were immune to the light¡¯s effect? They, the living, were the ones who needed to pass through the area.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Of course there is. Now that we know how the light works, there are two ways to circumvent it. One, we find another path and walk around this Thousand Hands Bodhisattva. Two, we make it so that the light cannot shine on us.¡±

    The first method seemed to be the safest method, but Thousand Buddhas Grotto was infamous for its myriad cracks, crevices and caves. While there were surely more than one way to reach the inner depths of the grotto, none of them were as straightforward and direct as the main path. It would be difficult to navigate through the twists and turns, and heavens only know how many dead ends were there. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the strata of this ce was hardly stable due to the existence of an underground river and cracks. It was entirely possible for a cave-in to happen without warning, and that was before mentioning the many Strangers that roamed these depths.

    The second method sounded harder, but it was far more realistic than the first method.

    ¡°How can we make it so that the light can''t shine on us?¡±

    As expected, Wang Yang chose the second method after a quick thought. There was no harm in listening to Ye Qing¡¯s suggestion first. If it sounded unviable, he could always consider other ways.

    The hint of a smile flickered across Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°Where did the lighte from? The oilmps the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva is holding, of course. In other words, the oilmps are the root cause of all our problems.¡±

    ¡°Also, it¡¯s been more than a century since Thousand Buddhas Grotto was abandoned. Where did the oilmpse from? How are they still burning?¡±

    ¡°As I said, the oilmps are the cause behind all our troubles. If we deal with themps, then the light won¡¯t be an issue anymore.¡±

    ¡°That is a good idea! If we take out themps, then we can walk past this area just like all the others!¡± Liu Fan pped once. It sounded especially in this silent, confined space.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just a good idea, it¡¯s quite doable as well.¡±

    Yang Xuan fell silent for a moment before suggesting,¡±Brother Ye proved that non-living objects would not be affected by the light. In other words, we can simply extinguish themps using rocks or our astral qis.¡±

    Wang Yang mulled over the suggestion for a moment, ¡°There¡¯s no need to take out all themps. We just need to extinguish half of it so that the light can''t reach us.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then. But be careful. Focus on extinguishing themps and nothing else.¡±

    ¡°Yes, senior brother.¡±

    A chorus of yesester, the group stood outside the light¡¯s range and began extinguishing themps on the left side of the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva. Although they couldn¡¯t get close, this bit of distance meant little to warriors like them and especially Yang Xuan and Liu Fan. An astral qi-filled punch and a palm strike was all they needed to extinguish a good number of oilmps. However, the statue itself was perfectly unharmed because they could control their astral qi down to the finest detail. As for the Vessel Augmentors, they didn¡¯t possess the Astral Refiners¡¯ tremendous true qi nor fine control, so instead they threw stones to eliminate the oilmps one by one.

    Most of themps on the left side of the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva were extinguished just like that. The lighting in the grotto was much darker as a result.

    There was something crucial that no one noticed, however. As more and moremps were extinguished, the people kneeling in front of the statue be it the living or the dead began weeping bright red blood.The way it slid down those peaceful-looking faces looked beyond eerie.

    ¡°It¡¯s done, senior brother.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before all themps on the left were extinguished. As a result, the left side of the hall turned dark and sinister.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Be sure to stick to the walls,¡± Wang Yang instructed before ordering another disciple to test the waters first. As expected, nothing dangerous happened. The others quickly moved him and stepped into the darkness.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh!¡±

    They were still walking toward the other side when suddenly, a Sunset Hill disciple let out a terrified scream.

    ¡°What is it!?¡±

    ¡°What the hell, man. Don¡¯t scare us!¡±

    A cacophony ofints broke out from the group.

    The Sunset Hill disciple stuttered, ¡°Those¡­ those heads¡­ they¡¯re looking at us! They¡¯re looking at us!¡±

    ¡°What? What heads?¡±

    ¡°Speak sense, man! What do you mean they¡­¡±

    Confused and annoyed, the group followed his gaze toward the right. Every hair on their body immediately stood on end.

    As it turned out, the crowd kneeling in front of the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva wasn¡¯t looking at the statue anymore. No, they were staring straight at them. Every single one of them was weeping blood, and their expressions weren¡¯t as kind and peaceful as they were before. Instead, they were either smiling, weeping, or ring at them. It sent a chill up everyone¡¯s spine.

    As they continued to watch the crowd, some people suddenly started bleeding from their eyes. Their expressions also contorted unnaturally almost as if they were slowly transforming into those people who were kneeling in front of the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva.

    Then, it happened. Everyone who was weeping blood suddenly cut off their arm with their saber, or dug out their heart with their bare hands, or dug out their eyeballs from their eye sockets, or cut off their own tongue and more.

    The stench of blood filled the air instantly, and yet the people mutting themselves couldn¡¯t seem to feel any pain or even realize what they were doing. They just kept mutting themselves¡­

    Not even Yang Xuan and Liu Fan were an exception to the rule. They were able to maintain their sanity at the beginning, but they had just taken two steps when blood started pouring out of their eyes, their bodies stiffened like someone had put a spell on them, and their eyes slowly grew out of focus.

    ¡°What on earth¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s spirit was strong, so he could tell that a strange, evil power was permeating around them. His Warding Pendant was shining brightly as well. Strangely though, the power didn¡¯t influence him to mutte himself like the others. It only pinned him in ce.

    There was one more person who was mentally unaffected just like him. It was Wang Yang.

    It became clear that the power was attacking all those who had extinguished the oilmps. More urately, it was attacking all those who had sphemed the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva.

    All who spheme against the Buddha must mutte themselves to atone for their sins!

    Ye Qing breathed a sigh of relief in his head. Holy shit. Thank fuck I hadn¡¯t sumbed to my impulse and joined the others.

    The evil power was incredibly potent, so potent that he wasn¡¯t sure if he could handle it had pushe to shove.

    In fact, he knew from the start that extinguishing the oilmps was an effective but extremely risky action. If it was that easy, there would have been significantly less bodies in this hall. No one in this jianghu was an idiot after all.

    Earlier, he had purposely misled Wang Yang and the others into thinking that extinguishing the oilmps would allow them to safely pass through this hall. He was a mole after all. What kind of mole didn¡¯t dig a pitfall or two for his enemies?

    Originally, he wanted to join the others and extinguish a couple ofmps himself. It would make Wang Yang less suspicious of his intentions, and he was fairly confident that he would be able to handle whatever the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva threw at him.

    In the end though, his self-preservation instinct won out, and what a wise decision that had turned out to be. Had he sphemed the Buddha just like the others, he would probably be struggling for his life right now.

    Technically, he was the one who brought up the idea of extinguishing themps, but clearly the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva didn¡¯t consider that an act of sphemy. If it had, he would most likely have to reveal his Burning Wind and expose the fact that he was Ye Qing, Wang Luori¡¯s sworn enemy.

    He wouldn¡¯t die though. He would never.

 Chapter 189: Itâ€™s Not My Fault

    Chapter 189: It¡¯s Not My Fault

    Boom! It was at this moment Wang Yang unleashed a terrific outburst of energy. After breaking apart the invisible shackles entrapping him with the White me of Nothingness, he grabbed Yang Xuan¡ªwho was right next to him¡ªand rushed into the tunnel behind the Thousand Buddhas Bodhisattva.

    Ye Qing did the same thing and broke out of his shackles with sheer force and grabbed the two closest Sunset Hill disciples. Then, he threw them straight through the tunnel, perfectly showing off the greatest strength of a body-tempering warrior: strength.

    Ye Qing moved very quickly. He was able to throw six people through the tunnel in the blink of an eye. However, his actions seemed to piss off the Thousand Buddhas Bodhisattva because its strange energy began spreading toward him.

    Ye Qing stopped there and then. He was just putting on a show for Wang Yang after all, not because he actually wanted to save these people. Also, he only rescued those who were closest to him, and what did you know, Liu Fan wasn¡¯t one of them. How unfortunate!

    The moment the strange energy reached him, Ye Qing bent his knees andunched himself toward the tunnel. He pretended tock fine control and left a massive pit where he kicked off the ground.

    ¡°Phew¡­ that was dangerous.¡±

    The strange energy and aura disappeared after he entered the tunnel. Ye Qing immediately let out a sigh of relief.

    Wang Yang was about to rush back in to save Liu Fan, but Ye Qing held him back and said, ¡°Don¡¯t! Look.¡±

    Wang Yang was enraged that Ye Qing would stop him from rescuing his subordinate, but when he turned around and looked, he noticed that the extinguished oilmps were starting to light up as the Sunset Hill disciples continued to mutte themselves. It wasn¡¯t long before orange red mes filled the hall once more, and the Sunset Hill disciples abruptly stopped mutting themselves.

    While wearing peaceful and joyous smiles on their faces, they kowtowed and stepped their way toward the Thousand Buddhas Bodhisattva until they reached Ma Yuanshan. Then, they knelt beside him and prayed to the statue¡­ for eternity.

    Liu Fan was no exception.

    ¡°Shit! How did it turn out like this?¡±

    Seeing that Liu Fan had followed in Ma Yuanshan¡¯s footsteps and was virtually dead, Yang Xuan, who had just jolted back to reality, leaped to his feet and red at Ye Qing hatefully, ¡°It was you, wasn¡¯t it? It has to be you, Ye Pingshan!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ye Qing took two steps away from him and watched him warily. ¡°What do you mean it has to be me?¡±

    ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Yang Xuan uttered coldly and angrily, ¡°You knew those oilmps were dangerous, but you still told us to extinguish them! What were you nning!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know. You wanted to use us to bypass that hall. No wonder you didn¡¯t touch any of them just now. What are you scheming, you bastard?¡±

    ¡°Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of consequences, bud.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s expression turned cold as well. ¡°I did warn you that the oilmps were dangerous. You all knew that the oilmps were dangerous. You even thought I was stupid for pointing out the obvious just now, so what the fuck are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°As for extinguishing themp, I never suggested you to extinguish themps. What I did say is that we should make it so that the light cannot shine on us, and there are plenty of ways to do that. For example, we could¡¯ve dug a tunnel, used our clothes, branches and vines to make a thick curtain, or used a Strange Artifact to create a mist and so on. Never have I once suggested extinguishing themps.¡±

    ¡°Think, Yang Xuan, think. The one who made the suggestion was Yang Fan, which you agreed with, and the one who confirmed the operation was¡­¡±

    Ye Qing shot Wang Yang a nce before continuing, ¡°As for why I haven¡¯t acted earlier, I¡¯m a body-tempering warrior with shitty force control. Brother Wang himself said to avoid touching anything but the oilmps to avoid unnecessaryplications, which was why I decided to stay my hand.¡±

    ¡°Plus, you had more than enough people to extinguish themps. Why would I risk bringing trouble on us all when my help isn¡¯t necessary?¡±

    They were the ones who suggested and acted to extinguish themps. In other words, Ye Qing was saying that the mey wholly on them. I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t do anything, I¡¯m innocent, and I ain¡¯t taking this fall!

    So, the one I should be hating is¡­ myself?

    When Yang Xuan realized he couldn¡¯t actually refute Ye Qing, his embarrassment morphed into anger, and he yelled, ¡°You¡­ You¡­ You are courting death!¡±

    Yang Xuan aimed his sleeve at Ye Qing, and an emerald green snake the width of a thumb flew toward Ye Qing¡¯s neck.

    Seemingly [1] caught off guard, Ye Qing could only lean backward and catch the emerald snake with his hand. However, the emerald snake was a living thing, so it simply bent down and bit Ye Qing on the back of his hand.

    To the snake¡¯s surprise, not only did it fail to put a dent in Ye Qing¡¯s skin, its fangs were the one that snapped into several pieces. At the sidelines, Wang Yang narrowed his eyes a little.

    Although Ye Pingshan had taken out a few Strangers earlier, they weren¡¯t anywhere strong enough to force him to unleash his true power. However, Yang Xuan had ambushed him just now and forced him to react on instinct. Despite this, he still didn¡¯t use anything but his body. The fact that his body was so tough that even the Malice-ss Stranger, Emerald Jade Snake couldn¡¯t pierce his skin proved that he was telling the truth about him being a body-tempering warrior.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Yang Xuan? Are you venting because you know you¡¯re the one who fucked up, or are you trying to silence me?¡± Ye Qing roared with a savage expression on his face. He looked like he had suffered the deepest humiliation.

    While saying this, Ye Qing crushed the Emerald Jade Snake into bits.

    ¡°How dare you kill my Stranger! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Yang Xuan roared and threw himself at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing threw out a punch in response.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    It was at this moment Wang Yang growled and appeared between the two. He caught their fists with his bare hands.

    Boom¡­

    A terrific shockwave spread out from the trio and into their surroundings. Since they were in a cave, it caused a series of chain reactions that resulted in the destruction of arge number of walls, structures, and statues. They were lucky that the tunnel they were in hadn¡¯t copsed. Themotion didn¡¯t stop until a long timeter.

    Their surroundings weren¡¯t the only casualties of the sh. The Sunset Hill disciples Ye Qing rescued awoke to themotion, but before they could even celebrate the fact that they had survived, the shockwave shattered their hearts and killed them.

    There was no greater pain in life than to die, live, then die again!

    When the dust settled, Ye Qing and Yang Xuan looked as pale as a sheet as if they couldn¡¯t withstand Wang Yang¡¯s power. They were trembling a little as well.

    On the other hand, Wang Yang was perfectly fine despite having withstood both men¡¯s attacks. The White me of Nothingness swirling around him also gave him an awe-inspiring appearance.

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    Wang Yang withdrew his hands and looked at Ye Qing. ¡°Yang Xuan was overeager and misunderstood you, Brother Ye. On behalf of him, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing to apologize for, Brother Wang. It has nothing to do with you,¡± Ye Qing rxed a little and feigned a little awe and respect. Wang Yang was clearly very satisfied with his attitude.

    In fact, Wang Yang had ordered Yang Xuan to attack Ye Pingshand. It was to sound out his strength.

    Liu Fan had died, and most of the disciples he brought were dead or grievously injured. He and Yang Xuan were the only ones left, but they hadn¡¯t fulfilled their objective yet. Therefore, Ye Pingshan was the only one left they could rely on to be their meat shield andborer.

    Of course, this n would only work if Ye Pingshan was a controble variable. If the guy turned out to be stronger than expected, then he was a time bomb they needed to dismantle as soon as possible.

    Thankfully, the test proved that Ye Pingshan was, indeed, a body-tempering warrior, an early-stage body-tempering warrior to be exact. He hadn¡¯t been concealing his strength either.

    This meant that they could continue exploiting him to their advantage and use him as their vanguard.

    As for whether Ye Pingshan had purposely killed his disciples, he didn¡¯t care. Dead people held no value. It was as simple as that.

    ¡°Brother Ye, I hope that we can cooperate with each other in good faith starting now. After all, Thousand Buddhas Grotto only gets more dangerous the deeper we go. It¡¯ll be very difficult for any one of us to reach the depths alone, so I hope you can forget all the unpleasantness from before and focus on the present.¡±

    ¡°You will cooperate with us, right? After all, we¡¯ve alreadye all the way to this ce. It¡¯ll be a shame to give up halfway, right?¡±

    Wang Yang¡¯s tone turned threatening. He also released his aura to add to the pressure.

    Ye Qing pretended to mull over the ¡°suggestion¡± and act troubled yet tempted. A moment of hesitationter, he finally said, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s cooperate in good faith.¡±

    ¡°Very good. Let¡¯s go!¡± Wang Yang ced his hands behind his back and continued deeper into the grotto. He never spared the innocent Sunset Hill disciples who died for nothing a nce.

    Sigh, I wasted my energy saving those disciples for nothing. me Wang Yang for caring nothing for your lives!

    Ye Qing shook his head. He had to admit that Wang Yang was a formidable enemy though. He was ruthless and unfeeling, but smart, careful, and experienced. He was still young, but he could absolutely grow into a formidable viin in the future.

    If his spirit wasn¡¯t so strong that he managed to eavesdrop on Wang Yang and Yang Xuan¡¯s sound transmission, if he hadn¡¯t known that his enemies wanted to test him, he might actually have exposed himself.

    But for now, he could y a mole for a little while longer.

    Ye Qing was also curious as to Wang Yang¡¯s objective. At first, he thought Wang Yang was here to give his disciples some hands-on experience. But clearly, he cared little for their lives. Despite having suffered horrific casualties, Wang Yang still insisted on venturing deeper into Thousand Buddhas Grotto.

    He was almost certain that Wang Yang was gunning for some sort of treasure, and a treasure that could drive him, the scion of Sunset Hill and ate-stage Astral Refiner to this extent must be pretty incredible.

    The deeper they ventured into the grotto, the more Strangers they encountered, though thankfully they hadn¡¯t encountered anything else like the Thousand Hands Bodhisattva. Since Ye Qing wanted to check out the treasure that had Wang Yang acting like an infatuateddy as well, he stopped causing trouble for them. As a result, they were able to reach the inner area of the Thousand Buddhas Grotto.

    Surprisingly, the number of Strangers they encountered actually decreased after they entered the inner areas. Instead, they were beset by gusts of strange winds.

    The winds weren¡¯t always the same. Some of them stank of rot and decay, some were colder than winter, and some were hot enough to burn the flesh off one¡¯s bones. Ye Qing was pretty certain that they were the three winds Fang Xiaoman spoke of: the corrosive Wind of Six Desires, the freezing Wind of Seven Emotions, and the burning Wind of Seven Emotions.

    The corrosive Wind of Five Poisons could corrode one¡¯s flesh and blood. Vile and deadly, any flesh-and-blood being that made contact with it would rot into a pile of bones in just a short time.

    The freezing Wind of Six Desires was chilly and unconventional. It wouldn¡¯t damage the body on the outside whatsoever, but it would prate the flesh and freeze their internal organs and their blood vessels.

    The Winds of Five Poison was the Burning Wind. Brutal and unconventional, it could boil not just the flesh and blood, but also burn the mind into dust.

    It was impossible for any flesh-and-blood being to live here naturally. It was why the Thousand Buddhas Grotto was considered a forbidden zone for the living.

    1. Seemingly, people. He¡¯s just pretending. ?

 Chapter 190: The Kingdom of Buddha and Hell

    Chapter 190: The Kingdom of Buddha and Hell

    At first, the three of them were able to withstand the three divine winds. But the deeper they went, the more challenging it became¡ªfor Yang Xuan and Wang Yang, that was. Ye Qing possessed a powerful body that was resistant to most weapons and practically immune to the Corrosive Wind. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the Icy Wind either because his body was like a furnace with the Burning Wind inside. And finally, his own astral qi was the Burning Wind, and his mind and spirit had been strengthened multiple times thanks to the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and the soul power bestowed by the souls. So why on earth would he be afraid of the Burning Wind?

    If anything, pretending that the winds were affecting him was harder.

    Yang Xuan and Wang Guan weren¡¯t pretending though. Yang Xuan¡¯splexion was as pale as death, and his eyes were dim and unfocused. He kept exhaling white breath as if he was walking through a snowstorm, and he had trouble maintaining ayer of protective astral qi around him. Even his arms, face, neck and other exposed parts started mottling and decaying slowly.

    Wang Yang fared better because the White me of Nothingness shielded him from both the Icy Wind and the Corrosive Wind, but the Burning Wind was a different story. Not only could the Burning Wind prate everything, it could burn a person¡¯s mind as well. Naturally, it gave Wang Yang a migraine so bad that he had trouble maintaining his astral qi as well.

    None of them looked as bad as Ye Qing, however. Right now, his clothes were in tatters, and his eyes werepletely unfocused. He looked like a drunk as he swayed left, right, and center. His lips kept alternating between blue and white, and hisplexion red and ck as well. Sometimes, tiny icicles would form inside his pores, and sometimes, dark red mes would melt it all into vapor. It was the ice-and-fire treatment.

    Schadenfreude was a unique emotion. If someone was getting it worse than you, then you would feel better even if you were allies. And if you were enemies, then even better.

    ¡°Are you okay, Brother Ye?¡± Yang Xuan asked seemingly out of concern, but he really just wanted to see Ye Qing embarrass himself.

    Ye Qing swayed on his feet and cracked an ugly grin. ¡°Not dead yet. I can go on a little longer.¡±

    Hmph! He should¡¯ve just admitted weakness when he still can! It¡¯ll be most satisfying when he dies! Yang Xuan scoffed inside his head.

    However, Wang Yang and Yang Xuan¡¯s schadenfreude subsided over time because the further they traveled, the worse the three divine winds became, which directly contributed to their suffering. On the other hand, Ye Qing looked the same as ever. He continued to sway back and forth like a drunkard, and it looked like onest breeze was all that was needed to kill him. But he didn¡¯t.

    Some time passed, and both Wang Yang and Yang Xuan were struggling just to put their foot in front of the other. However, Ye Qing looked the same as ever.

    ¡°Are you okay, Brother Ye?¡± Wang Yang asked.

    Ye Qing grinned. ¡°I am fine. I think I can hold on a little while longer.¡±

    Hold on? With the way you¡¯re looking? It¡¯ll be most satisfying when he dies! Wang Yang scoffed internally and focused on the path ahead of him.

    Some more time passed, and Ye Qing looked the same as ever. No matter how much he wobbled, he just refused to fall to the ground.

    The heck? How is he not dead yet?

    Wang Yang and Yang Xuan exchanged a nce with each other. They refused to believe that they, the geniuses of Sunset Hill, would lose to a jianghu wanderer of unknown origin.

    And so they asked Ye Qing the same question every time they walked a certain distance,

    ¡°How are you feeling, Brother Ye?¡±

    ¡°Cough cough, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, I can hang on a little longer!¡±

    ¡°Are you doing okay, Brother Ye?¡±

    ¡°Huff huff, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, I can hang on a little longer!¡±

    ¡°Are you fine, Brother Ye?¡±

    ¡°Hah, hah, I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine, I can hang on a little longer!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Wang Yang and Yang Xuan felt like they were about to go insane. They just wanted to one-up the fodder, so why were they not getting their wish? Also, how long was Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°a little longer¡±, exactly? Did he mean ¡°just a few more minutes¡±, or ¡°until the end of fucking time¡± itself?

    Screw it! I¡¯m done with this act! I¡¯m the motherfucking heir to Sunset Hill and ate-stage Astral Refiner! Why the hell was I trying to one-up a random nobody who¡¯s going to die at the end anyway? Speaking of which, is it worth butting heads with a dead man? Of course not!

    After Wang Yang had sufficiently cated himself, he flicked his wrist and summoned a bluish-green, palm-sized carp to his hand.

    The carp¡¯s scales looked like pieces of jade with cloud patterns on them. Its whiskers were bright red, and it held a bluish green orb in its mouth.

    The moment the carp appeared, the cloud patterns shone, and a white, misty cloud appeared underneath the carp. It slowly lifted the carp into the air.

    As whiskers floated, and its tail swished left and right, the bluish green orb slowly floated out of the carp¡¯s mouth and spun in mid-air. It then gave off a gentle, bluish green light that slowly formed a protective shield around the trio.

    The shield looked fragile, but in reality it was strong enough to keep the three divine winds away from the trio. More urately, the winds themselves seemed to be swerving out of the way of the shield for some unknown reason.

    ¡°Phew! Finally!¡± uttered both Yang Xuan and Ye Qing, but their reasons were very different. Yang Xuan was sighing because he was finally free from the torture of the three divine winds, whereas Ye Qing was sighing because he could finally the drop the act.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered with astonishment as he stared at the bluish green carp swam leisurely in the air. He recognized it as the Malice-ss Stranger called the Wind Repelling Carp.

    The Wind Repelling Carp had scales like pieces of jade and carried the Wind Repelling Orb in its mouth. It was why it was also nicknamed the Orb Carrying Carp. Although the Wind Repelling Carp was shaped like a fish, it really lived in the winds and could soar above the nine heavens. It possessed the unique ability to repel all winds so that there was nowhere in the sky it couldn¡¯t go.

    The Wind Repelling Carp wasn¡¯t a strong Stranger by any means, but it was irreceable in certain circumstances such as this one. However, the Wind Repelling Carp usually lived high above the sky and flew wherever it wanted, so it was quite difficult to capture it to say the least. Ye Qing had no idea Wang Yang had one until he released it to repel the three divine winds.

    In hindsight, there was no way Wang Yang would dare to venture into this ce if he didn¡¯t have something to repel the three divine winds, but this also made Ye Qing a little resentful.

    If you have something this amazing, then why didn¡¯t you bring it out earlier, you bastard? Acting isn¡¯t easy, man!

    Wang Yang noticed Ye Qing¡¯s look and exined, ¡°This is the Wind Repelling Carp, and it possesses the ability to repel all winds including the three divine winds of this ce. However, it¡¯s only a Malice-ss Stranger, and it has to protect not just itself, but all three of us, meaning that this protective shield won¡¯t hold for long. That is why I didn¡¯t use it earlier. I hope you won¡¯t take offense, Brother Ye.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Ye Qing said with a nod. What Wang Yang said was the truth. While the Wind Repelling Carp was exceedingly good at repelling wind, the Corrosive Wind, Icy Wind and Burning Wind were all unusual winds in their own right. Of course a Malice-ss Wind Repelling Carp was going to be hardpressed to protect itself and them.

    It would take a Hatred-ss Wind Repelling Carp to truly handle the three divine winds without trouble.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Wang Yang and Yang Xuan swallowed a pill each. Then, they raced toward the next area as quickly as they could. With the Wind Repelling Carp to keep the three divine winds away, the two of them and Ye Qing were quickly able to reach a huge, majestic-looking temple.

    The temple was square-shaped and extravagantly built. The bricks were gold, the tiles were jade, and the beams were colored and covered in engravings. It was also shining gold bright. Countless lotuses were floating amidst the golden light, and each lotus seemed to be carrying a Buddha, a Vajrapani, an Arhat, a Bodhisattva and more.

    Their expressions were quite varied as well. Some were ring like they were facing an enemy, some were holding a vitarka mudra and smiling beautifully, some looked like they were pitying someone or something, and some just wore a natural expression.

    Golden lotuses gave birth to Buddhas, and Buddhas gave birth to a Kingdom of Buddha.

    ¡°So this is the Thousand Buddhas Temple. Its reputation is well-deserved!¡±

    It was a stunning sight to say the least.

    Whoosh whoosh whoosh¡­

    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t have long to admire the view. The three divine winds blew out from inside the Thousand Buddhas Temple, but unlike the ones they had endured before, this one looked almost solid. Like a tri-colored dragon, it blew out of the temple with seemingly enough power to annihte the world itself.

    ¡°We need to get inside now!¡± Wang Yang jolted out of his reverie and urged. He then took the lead and charged toward the entrance. Ye Qing and Yang Xuan hurriedly followed behind him. Thankfully, they were able to make it into the temple before the Wind Repelling Carp used up its final sliver of strength.

    As soon as they made it inside the Thousand Buddhas Temple, a road made of jade and gold suddenly appeared in front of them. Gold, transparent lotuses floated and bloomed in the air, and countless Buddhist statues aligned both sides of the path. They looked kind, serene, and at peace. It was like they were standing in paradise on earth¡ªno, a Kingdom of Buddha on Earth.

    It wasn¡¯t all good, however. The areas beyond the path were filled with the three divine winds, and they resembled ck rivers due to how concentrated they were. They also made this unearthly howl like they were in the realm of the dead.

    On one side, there was the Kingdom of Buddha, and on the other, there was hell.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Wang Yang ordered after observing his surroundings for a bit and finding no danger. He also put away the exhausted Wind Repelling Carp.

    ¡°Er, can we not?¡± Ye Qing licked his lips nervously. For whatever reason, he looked both tense and worried. It was as if he could see something they couldn¡¯t see.

    In fact, he could. Wang Yang and Yang Xuan were seeing a golden road of divinity, but Ye Qing only saw a road of corpses. Literally, they were all pressed up and stacked together like bricks. Not only that, they were constantly twitching, struggling, screaming as if they still possessed consciousness, so the entire road kept undting like waves.

    The Buddhist statues lined on both sides of the road were real, but instead of stone, they were bodies. Words could not describe how grotesque they were. The only thing that came close was the skin giant Ye Qing had encountered back at Little August Hill, but that was one creature, and this was a literal hellscape.

    He saw three or four heads bunched up together and staring at them like they would devour them alive, cackling. Their rotting lips were curved into hateful, greedy, and spine-chilling smiles. Putrid saliva streamed down the corners of their mouth and made sizzling noises when it dripped on the road of corpses.

    The shiny, golden light and blooming lotuses weren¡¯t anything but what they appeared to be. The light was malevolent, twisted yin qi, and the lotuses were innumerable tortured souls. Theyughed, screamed, or wept as they roamed here and there on the bridge. asionally, the three divine winds would m into the road of corpses and annihte countless tortured souls, but the yin qi shrouding the road was so thick that the road itself was undamaged.

    Another person might think that this was a representation of the Kingdom of Buddha and hell in one ce, but him? All he could see¡­ was hell.

    Frankly, Ye Qing was starting to regret his decision to join Wang Yang. He had already murdered most of his disciples, and he could have ended Wang Yang and Xuan Yang¡¯s lives while they were weakened by the three divine winds earlier. After that, all he needed to do was to do what he came for and leave. Why oh why had he chosen to indulge in his curiosity and greed?

    Neither Wang Yang nor Yang Xuan possessed his level of spirit, so they had no idea that what they were seeing was just an illusion. They just thought that Ye Qing had suddenly regretted his decision and wanted out, which wasn¡¯t wrong. Wang Yang shot him a cold look and said, ¡°You cane with us, or you can die right here and now!¡±

    Wang Yang let loose an outburst of astral qi then.At this point, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to act anymore. He would kill Ye Qing if the young man dared to say no to his demands.

    This was the moment you used a fodder anyway. This ce might look safe, but his instincts were telling a different story. Plus, if Thousand Buddhas Temple really was a holy ce, then why was it abandoned for over a century?

    In short, it was time to put the fodder to work.

 Chapter 191: Temple Spirit

    Chapter 191: Temple Spirit

    ¡°What are you saying, Wang Yang?¡± Ye Qing pretended not to understand Wang Yang¡¯s meaning. It was time to show off his acting skills yet again.

    Wang Yang sneered indifferently, ¡°I mean what I said. To tell you the truth, there¡¯s a certain item in this Thousand Buddhas Temple that I must have. If you obey my orders and help me obtain it, I can consider leaving you alive or even grant you an opportunity. I can convince my dad to make you a disciple and elevate you to the heavens.¡±

    ¡°But if you disagree, then I will do what needs to be done. One thing for certain, I guarantee that you will wish that you were dead.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Ye Qing¡¯s face contorted with anger and disbelief.

    Wang Yang scoffed, ¡°What? Are you thinking of attacking me? Do you seriously think you even deserve to be my opponent?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, and veins popped all across his arms. There was hesitation, anger, and fear in his eyes. In the end though, it all morphed into helplessness and despair as he said, ¡°Very well, Brother Wang. You better remember your promise.¡±

    ¡°Rx. I always keep my word. You won¡¯t regret trusting me,¡± Wang Yang smiled arrogantly. He knew Ye Qing would ept; that he had no other choice but to ept. ¡°Now, please take the lead.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± If I wasn¡¯t faking it, I would regret trusting you this instant.

    In the end, Ye Qing obeyed the order and took the lead. He was here anyway, so he might as well head inside and find out exactly what had Wang Yang so enamored. Frankly, he was quite curious himself.

    Also, it really didn¡¯t matter if he took the lead, the center or the rear, because he was strong enough to punt Wang Yang and Yang Xuan to the front if necessary. They thought he was their meat shield, but it was really the other way around.

    And so Ye Qing forced down his disgust and carefully stepped on the road of corpses. It felt soft and slimy like he was stepping on a quagmire. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

    Strangely, the corpses abruptly spun around and red at them as soon as they stepped on the road. Every single one of them. Face facing upward, they red daggers at the trio who were stepping on them or about to with hatred, greed, and anger.

    ¡°This road is surprisingly soft. Even the statues are soft,¡± Yang Xuan suddenly said behind Ye Qing. He turned around and saw Yang Xuan stomping the ground twice and touching the Buddha statue beside him curiously. He did not notice that he was stomping on a corpse¡¯s face, and the corpse¡¯s mouth split open as if it was going to bite Yang Xuan¡¯s arm in half.

    As for the Buddhist statue he was caressing, it was really three bodies twisted into a fleshy ribbon. Even their heads were pressed together so that only a small half of their faces were exposed. As Yang Xuan continued to caress the statue, chunks of rotten flesh fell off the corpses¡¯ faces and bodies. Ye Qing even saw an eyeball falling out of the face.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    You are the definition of ignorance is bliss, brother. I didn¡¯t even dare to step on their heads precisely because I¡¯m scared they would give me a bite. If only you know how hard you¡¯re tempting fate¡­

    Luckily, the corpses ultimately didn¡¯t attack them. After they passed through the road of corpses, they were greeted by a fantastical scene. There were small bridges with small, clear streams passing under them, beautiful pavilions and sumptuous decorations, solid stupas and magnificent towers; gold, jewelry, auspicious beasts and precious nts and more.

    What was amazing was that it didn¡¯t look extravagant or wasteful at all. It just looked calm and tranquil like a true paradise.

    ¡°Is¡­ Is this ce really a Kingdom of Buddha?¡±

    Both Yang Xuan and Wang Yang were absolutely stunned by the sight before their eyes.

    Oh, you sweet summer children, Ye Qing side-eyed the bewildered duo and shook his head in secret. A Kingdom of Buddha? No, it was still hell.

    The bridge was sewn from countless tongues.

    The crystalline streams were really streams of bright red, stinky blood. Countless bloated, pale white corpses were floating on it as well. The yin souls¡¯ screams were neverending.

    The buildings were buildings, but they were forged from flesh and blood instead of stone and mortar. Tentacles and faces covered the entire structure.

    The gold and jewelry were really rotten heads, hearts, and various internal organs, whereas the flora and fauna were rotten limbs.

    To sum it up, the sight was absolutely disgusting, but if he didn¡¯t keep an eye on it, then he would be ovee with worry.

    Thankfully, the strange things were harmless for now. For whatever reason, they weren¡¯t attacking them yet.

    And so they crossed over the tongue-sewn bridges, passed by the flesh-and-blood buildings, stepped over the broken limbs and rotten heads, and ventured deeper still into Thousand Buddhas Temple.

    On a rted note, Wang Yang and Yang Xuan couldn¡¯t help but pick up some of the ¡°treasures¡± and stuff them into their Nature¡¯s Shell while they were passing through the area. It was¡­ an eye-opening experience for Ye Qing to say the least.

    As they were doing this, they even eyed Ye Qing warily as if afraid that Ye Qing would want a share of their loot.

    ¡°Har har¡­¡±

    Ye Qing wisely stepped aside and allowed them to do as they pleased. Why on earth would he want to snatch heads, limbs, and hearts with them? He wasn¡¯t addled! And thank goodness Wang Yang and Yang Xuan hadn¡¯t suddenly discovered their conscience and invited him to join in, because it would have been really hard to say ¡°FUCK NO!¡± without arousing any suspicion.

    After Wang Yang and Yang Xuan were done picking up their ¡°treasures¡±, they continued forward until they reached a gilt-gold statue of a Buddha. Tall, majestic, and sacred, it was holding a vitarka mudra and smiling kindly at the world.

    Seated in front of the statue was a white-robed monk. He had graceful features that made him look gentle and wise. His robe was immactely clean, and he was sitting atop a golden lotus while holding the virtarka mudra with one hand and the absolute mudra with the other. He was the picture of a sagely monk who had attained great wisdom and mercy. Their first impression of him was excellent to say the least.

    ¡°Attachment, aversion, ignorance, pride, the Seven Emotions and the Six Desires are all sins of a human. Since you managed to endure the Wind of Five Poisons without losing your mind, the Wind of Six Desires without losing your body, and the Winds of Seven Emotions and still retain your heart, you are all men of great wisdom and mercy. You all share a destiny with my Buddha.¡±

    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡±

    As soon as he chanted the word, their shock, doubt, fear, anger and all other negative emotions were soothed until all that was left was purity and calm.

    Oh man, this monk¡¯s quite powerful, Ye Qing thought to himself while sucking in a deep breath. Thank goodness he had shielded his mind with spiritual power as soon as he saw the monk, or that single word might¡¯ve been enough to sway him to whatever mumbo jumbo he was spouting.

    What really stunned Ye qing, however, was that he was unable to sense any evil presence from the white monk whatsoever, much less see through the illusions like everything he had witnessed earlier.

    In his eyes, the monk was exactly who he appeared to be: clean like he was fresh out of a bath and awe-inspiring like no one he had ever seen. The massive Buddha behind his back was also shining gold as if to say that this monk was a true enlightened monk.

    Had he not seen the road of corpses, the tongue-sewn bridges, the flesh-and-blood pavilions, and the broken limbs masquerading as celestial nts and animals, he might actually have believed that the monk before him was an enlightened monk.

    But he had witnessed hell with his own eyes, and he knew in his heart that there was no Kingdom of Buddha here. And if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the white monk before him was the culprit behind it all.

    ¡°Venerable Bhante [1]. It is nice to see you. May we know your name?¡± Wang Yang and Yang Xuan saluted him and asked.

    ¡°Amitabha. I am Jing Hu,¡± the monk answered, ¡°though I am not a human. I am the temple spirit of the Thousand Buddhas Temple.¡±

    ¡°Temple spirit?¡± Wang Yang and Yang Xuan were just wondering how it was possible for someone to survive to this day when the Thousand Buddhas Temple had been destroyed for over a century, but this dispelled their doubts immediately.

    The monk exined, ¡°Everything is impermanent. A hundred years ago, Thousand Buddhas Temple was struck by a terrible cmity and sunk into the underground. Most of our temples were destroyed, but not the Thousand Buddhas Temple. It was why I was able to survive.¡±

    ¡°However, my fate is no less tragic than my fellow monks. As the temple spirit, I am immortal as long as the temple remains standing, but I am also unable to take a single step away from my ce of power. For a hundred years, I have spent my time in solitude until the three of you show up. This poor monk is most honored to meet you all.¡±

    ¡°All meetings are destinies in their own right. Since you have ovee the trial of the three divine winds, it means that you share a destiny with my Buddha. Therefore, I shall grant you all an opportunity.¡±

    The monk¡¯s voice was calm and gentle, and yet every single one of them felt a sh of greed then.

    ¡°An opportunity, you say?¡± Wang Yang licked his lips. That was exactly why he was here, wasn¡¯t it?

    He hade by the news that a great opportunityy in the depths of the Thousand Buddhas Grottopletely by ident. As ofte, there were rumors in the counties and viges around Luo Shui iming that some people had identally entered the depths of Thousand Buddhas Grotto and stumbled upon the opportunity of a lifetime. They had suddenly grown by leaps and bounds and became geniuses that astounded the world.

    At first, he thought it was all rumors and paid it no heed, but during an excursion, he happened upon a familiar face. He was a Vessel Augmentor, but just a month ago, he was still a Qi Invoker.

    So, he interrogated the guy until he finally divulged his secret. As it turned out, the rumors regarding the Thousand Buddhas Grotto were real after all.

    The guy swore that the Thousand Buddhas Temple was a perfectly safe ce, but just in case, he still brought some disciples and a bunch of fodder. He was starting to think that he was being overcautious.

    It didn¡¯t matter though. He could simply take out the extras when they left the ceter.

    It was at this moment the monk asked, ¡°Do you know what my temple used to be, benefactors [2]?¡±

    Wang Yang shook his head. Eager he might be, he wasn¡¯t so eager he couldn¡¯t keep his cool. ¡°We don¡¯t know. Please enlighten us, Venerable Bhante.¡±

    The monk smiled. ¡°The Thousand Buddhas Temple used to be a ce of knowledge. All disciples who managed to ovee the trial of three divine winds and gain an imperishable soul, an unbreakable body, and an unwavering heart would be awarded with our Thirty Six Arts and a Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill.¡±

    ¡°Each and every one of our Thirty Six Arts is a Spirit Master stage martial art, and the Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill is a pill that can unlock more meridians, purify one¡¯s marrow, solidify one¡¯s fundamentals, enhance one¡¯s growth, strengthen the body, and improve one¡¯s talent. Upon consumption, it can restore one¡¯s primal state and revert a nurtured body to a natural body. Naturally, this greatly enhances one¡¯s gift for martial arts.¡±

    ¡°You may see why the Thirty Six Arts and the Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill were considered priceless treasures in our temple.¡±

    1. the proper way to greet a monk respectfully. ?

    2. this is specific to monks and should not be confused with the usual benefactor. ?

 Chapter 192: The Night Is Still Young

    Chapter 192: The Night Is Still Young

    ¡°Spirit Master stage martial arts? Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill?¡±

    Ye Qing, Wang Yang and Yang Xuan¡¯s eyes bugged out when they heard this. A Spirit Master stage martial art was the key to bing a Spirit Master. Why was Wang Luori stuck at the threshold of half-step Spirit Master stage for over a decade? It was because Sunset Hill didn¡¯t have a Spirit Master stage martial art anymore. Or rather, they used to have them until they lost it for one reason or another.

    This meant that Sunset Hill, one of the three most powerful factions in Luo Shui, didn¡¯t have a single Spirit Master. It was also why White Horse Academy and Blood Shadow Castle were considered superior to Sunset Hill; because both factions were helmed by Spirit Masters. It was embarrassing for Sunset Hill to say the least.

    To own even one Spirit Master martial art was like owning adder that would take you to the heavens. Mind you, there was no such thing as a shortcut to hard work, but if you did put in the work, then there was definitely a chance you might be a Spirit Master.

    As for the Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill, it was no less valuable than a Spirit Master martial art. Humans ate the Five Grains [1] and made contact with impurities on a daily basis. Therefore, their body was naturally murky like muddy water. It was what people called a ¡°nurtured body¡±. A ¡°natural body¡± was a pure body that was free of taint and naturallypatible with the Ways like a stream of sweet spring water.

    The Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill could eliminate one¡¯s impurities, restore one¡¯s primal state, and return their nurtured body to a natural body. To give an example, a weak idiot who ate a Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill would still be an idiot, but they would gain extraordinary talent in martial arts.

    Metaphorically speaking, the Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill was like a wind blowing underneath you and supporting your weight as you scaled thedder that led to the heavens. In other words, the pill was the perfectplement for the martial art. So long as the practitioner didn¡¯tmit suicide, they should have no problems bing a Spirit Master whatsoever.

    Wang Yang and Yang Xuan were so excited that their eyes were bloodshot. They would have rushed the monk already if theirst thread of reason wasn¡¯t holding them back.

    As for Ye Qing, hah! He was neither naive nor blind to the reality of the situation. Even if this temple was a perfectly normal temple, there was a saying called, ¡°There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.¡± He would not have believed the monk¡¯s im easily.

    There were only two types of people in this world who would offer free lunch. The first type was the people who raised you, and the second type was the people who were scheming against you. Obviously, the monk couldn¡¯t be the first type.

    It was at this moment the monk continued, ¡°The Thousand Buddhas Temple might be no more, but this poor monk doesn''t wish our legacy to be forever buried as well.¡±

    ¡°Since the three of you are destined with my Buddha, I shall teach each of you one of our Thirty Six Arts and bestow you a Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill. In return, I ask you to bear mercy in your hearts, defeat evil, and deliver all living from suffering.¡±

    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡±

    The monk pressed his hands together in a prayer and chanted the name of the Buddha once more. Buddhist mantras filled the ears, and golden lotuses sprouted from the floor, giving him a sacred and dignified appearance.

    ¡°Thank you, Venerable Bhante!¡± Both Wang Yang and Yang Xuan eximed in pleasant surprise.

    ¡°The Buddha is merciful, is all. Please,e closer!¡± The monk beckoned them smilingly.

    Wang Yang and Yang Xuan¡¯s minds werepletely dominated by their desire for a Spirit Master stage martial art and the Dragon Tiger Marrow Purifying Pill, so they didn¡¯t hesitate to stride toward the monk as quickly as they could.

    Yang Xuan was just an idiot, but Wang Yang shouldn¡¯t have lowered his guard so that he never even considered the possibility that the monk might be lying to him. However, his acquaintance had told him that there was no danger in the Thousand Buddhas Temple, and the monk had used his strange ability to dismantle all of his caution and wariness like a gentle breeze. As a result, he waspletely unguarded right now.

    Ye Qing followed behind the duo as he slowly mustered his spirit. He might not be strong enough to pierce the veil from a distance, but up close was a different story. He wanted to know exactly what kind of Stranger the monk was, and more importantly, escape at first notice if the danger turned out to be beyond even his ability to ovee.

    As he slowly got close to the monk, his appearance and the hall itself slowly took a different appearance. The golden light was reced by infinite darkness and gloom, and he could vaguely see the true face of the temple. The floor and the building itself was made from countless corpses, and every single one of them was facing outward. Their expressions were hateful, and their mouths were agape and leaking blood.

    The Buddha statue inside the temple was real, but instead of gold it was pitch ck in color. Its body was covered in evil and twisted patterns, and its face was contorted into a nefarious, savage, and unsettling smile. It was weeping blood from both of its eyes, and they steamed when they dripped down its cheeks andnded on its left hand.

    Speaking of the Buddha¡¯s left hand, its palm was facing upward and carrying countless tortured souls. Their agonized wails added to the ambience of this hellish ce to say the least. Its right hand was facing downward, and beneath it were countless humans and other living creatures, all kneeling on the floor and kowtowing to the Buddha statue in fear.

    On one hand, thousands of ghosts were submitting to the Buddha¡¯s will, and on the other hand, thousands of living creatures were kowtowing to it in submission.

    It was both the Demon and the Buddha!

    It was a given, but the monk beneath the Buddha statue looked different as well. Previously, the monk looked handsome and almost out of the world. Now, all Ye Qing saw was a man so skinny he resembled a withered corpse.

    The corpse¡¯s expression looked peaceful, but one of his eyes was tightly shut, while the other one was wide open and pitch ck. The ckness in his eyes flickered like a tiny demonic me and emitted a twisted, unsettling light. It was also overflowing with darkness, madness, and violence.

    Logically, anyone would want to look away from the eye immediately, but it possessed some sort of bewitching power that made his victims want to sink into the darkness permanently.

    Strangely, the corpse¡¯s torso was rightly wrapped in chains. His limbs were chained up as well. However, most of Ye Qing¡¯s attention were drawn to the seven people kneeling in front of the withered corpse; the seven people he couldn¡¯t see until he had gotten close. Since they were all dressed like schrs, Ye Qing reckoned that they came from White Horse Academy. In fact, he was willing to bet they were Cheng Yon and herpanions¡¯ escorts and fellow disciples.

    All seven people had been disemboweled, and their internal organs such as their heart, lungs, liver and more were nowhere to be seen. And yet, they were somehow still alive and staring reverently at the withered corpse.

    It was also worth noting that the corpse was clutching a heart in his hand, bright red blood dripping between his fingers.

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t resist a chill as he gulped. If it wasn¡¯t clear enough before, it was clear now that the corpse in front of him was the origin of all the strangeness inside the Thousand Buddhas Temple.

    Suddenly, every hair on Ye Qing¡¯s body stood on end. He felt as if some great, unspeakable terror was about to happen. When he looked up, he saw the withered corpse tilting his head, opening his closed eye, and staring straight at him.

    Boom!

    At that moment, His scalp turned numb, and his blood froze in its veins. He felt like he was struck by lightning as infinite terror and darkness suddenly seized his very being. All kinds of horrifying images such as a mountain of corpses, a sea of blood, vengeful spirits, tortured souls and more poured into his head and attempted to corrupt, no, wipe out his mind.

    Ye Qing¡¯s mind wavered, and his consciousness faded in and out like a light bulb. Before he knew it, he was stepping toward the withered corpse uncontrobly.

    He had just taken two steps when suddenly, the Annon Sutra injected a chill into his mind. Ye Qing immediately regained a sliver of awareness, realized what was about to happen, and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± immediately. Golden bright filled his head, and all of the terror and taint were immediately washed away like dust.

    That wasn¡¯t all. As Ye Qing¡¯s spirit was powerful, Emperor Fuxi¡¯s dharma manifested in real life and shone its purifying rays on everything like a blue sun. The yin qi in the temple immediately started melting like snow, the faces on the walls and the floor began screaming on top of their lungs, and the darkness, taint, and horror of the Thousand Buddhas Temple was finallyid bare.

    Wang Yang and Yang Xuan were right in front of the withered corpse when suddenly, they snapped back to reality and saw the truth with their own eyes.

    ¡°Uwaaaaaaah! What the hell is this!?¡± Yang Xuan¡¯s eyes bugged out as he screamed like a bitch.

    Wang Yang¡¯s expression was not much different from his. He was stunned and angry because his dream had shattered in the worst way imaginable, but by far the biggest emotion that currently gripped him was fear. Pure, unadulterated fear.

    It was at this moment the demonic me in the withered corpse¡¯s eyes red. His mouth wasn¡¯t moving, but an eerie, mind-shaking chuckle escaped through his lips as he made a grab for Wang Yang.

    Wang Yang subconsciously tried to back off, but the White Horse Academy disciples on the floor abruptly spun around and grabbed his legs with all their might.

    At the same time, a couple of arms stretched out of the floor and caught his ankles as well.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    The short dy was all it took for the withered corpse¡¯s hand to hang over Wang Yang¡¯s head like a massive, demonic w.

    But Wang Yang wasn¡¯t out of ideas yet. Ruthlessness flickered behind his eyes as he grabbed Yang Xuan¡¯s arm¡ªthe Astral Refiner still hadn¡¯t recovered from his shock yet¡ªand pulled him in front of him.

    ¡°Senior brother, you¡ªno!¡±

    It was toote by the time Yang Xuan snapped out of it. The withered corpse had already grabbed his head. His angry shout was abruptly cut short, and his scalp suddenly split apart andnded on both sides of his feet. The Astral Refiner let out a dying wheeze as blood poured out of his body not unlike how Ye Qing usually ripped the blood of his foes out of their bodies. He was covered in blood in just the blink of an eye.

    While this was going on, Wang Yang unleashed his White me of Nothingness and incinerated the hands and bodies clinging to his legs. Then, he jumped away from the withered corpse.

    ¡°Who on earth are you?¡±

    Wang Yang would have to be an absolute retard if he still didn¡¯t realize that he had been tricked after seeing the sea of corpses around him and hearing the wails of countless tortured souls. The so-called opportunity-of-a-lifetime was just something the withered corpse made up. He must have taken control of his victims¡¯ bodies and used them to spread rumors to lure people like him to their deaths.

    Some people might think that a simple rumor couldn¡¯t possibly draw so many people to their deaths like moths to mes, but those people must live in a greenhouse. Countles warriors were spilling rivers of blood over some random rumor and uncertain opportunity everyday.

    It wasn¡¯t like the withered corpse was spreading rumors blindly either. He had specifically chosen distant counties and viges because it was safer, and targeted jianghu wanderers or members of insignificant sects to be his rumormonger because people like them died or went missing by the droves every day. Their deaths wouldn¡¯t concern the administrative division or the Pacification Bureau one bit [2].

    Therefore, this Stranger must be an intelligent-type Stranger. It was one of the most ruthless Strangers both Ye Qing and Wang Yang had ever met as well.

    ¡°I already told you, didn¡¯t I? This poor monk is Jing Hui, kekeke. Since the Buddha has brought us together, why don¡¯t you stay with me a little longer, benefactors?¡±

    When the withered corpse let out an eerie cackle, every corpse within the structure began struggling to their feet. The very ground beneath their feet began undting as countless arms reached toward Wang Yang. They looked like wheats swaying to the wind, except there was nothing pleasant or rxing about their appearance whatsoever.

    1. soybeans (ÝÄ), wheat (ûœ), proso millet/broomcorn (Êò), foxtail millet (ð¢) and rice (µ¾). ?

    2. Life is cheap and untrackable in the ancient times, truly. ?

 Chapter 193: Canâ€™t Do It? Then Shut Up And Do What I Say

    Chapter 193: Can¡¯t Do It? Then Shut Up And Do What I Say

    Boom!

    Wang Yang let out a cold hmph, raised his right foot half an inch, and stomped the ground. A gush of White me of Nothingness immediately spread out and dyed over half of the arms and the bodies into pale white, freezing them and turning them into dust.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you are, you must die a horrible death for daring to trick me!¡±

    Wang Yang¡¯s eyes turned pale white as well. The White me of Nothingness he unleashed earlier immediately rolled back and gathered behind his back. It was like hundreds of white streamsing together to form the break of dawn. Soon, a white sun slowly rose into the air.

    Boom¡­

    The streams surged violently, and the white sun painted both heaven and earth white. An unbelievable pressure enveloped everything within this tiny corner of hell.

    ¡°As expected of an Expression. It¡¯s like nature itself has awakened to smite his enemies.¡±

    Ye Qing ashed the few corpses running toward him with the Burning Wind while squinting at the white sun and white rivers in the air.

    The three stages of the Astral Refinement stage was formally known as the Astral Refinement, Astral Tempering, and Expression, but both Astral Refinement and Astral Tempering were just foundations of the Astral Refinement stage. Expression was the stage where a warrior was considered to have reached the adept level.

    Expression was the stage where an Astral Refiner¡¯s control of their astral qi had be so good that they could manifest an aspect of nature and borrow its power to execute their will. To put it in simpler terms, Expression was the infusion of an aspect of nature into one¡¯s techniques so that every hit was as flexible and powerful as a god or demon.

    This was why Astral Refinement and Astral Purification were considered to be basic uses of one¡¯s astral qi. One could not manifest the true power of their astral qi until they had reached the Expression stage.

    Looking at Wang Yang right now, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t sure he could defeat him if he fought against him right now. At best, the battle would end in a stalemate. That was how powerful the scion was with his Expression manifested.

    ¡°Kill!¡± Wang Yang growled and threw out a punch. The white river poured down from the heavens, and the white sun crashed down on the world like the sunset.

    The writhing, wailing corpses in the temple turned pale white as if their very color was wiped away by Wang Yang¡¯s astral qi. When his fist force blew through the area, every taint was wiped clean until all that was left was pure white.

    The withered corpse was the only thing that wasn¡¯t wiped away together with the others. While leaking incredibly thick yin qi, the demonic me on the crazed side of his face red strongly.

    ¡°Mara Buddha¡­¡±

    In response to the attack, the withered corpse reached out with his left hand and pressed upward. An invisible, demonic sound resounded throughout the temple.

    Behind the withered corpse, the giant statue also raised its left hand and put its handful of wailing souls between the corpse and the white river and white sun. In a sense, it was a sh between heaven and hell.

    A series of rumblester, the left palm decisively defeated the white sun and the white river. The sky full of white mes were immediately dyed ck and demonic.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Wang Yang spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered backward. His energies were thrown into disarray after his Expression was destroyed.

    Shock flickered behind Wang Yang¡¯s pupils as he backed two steps away from the withered corpse. It was then he caught Ye Qing watching from the sidelines out of the corner of his eyes. His eyes shed with anger, but he quickly broke into a hidden sneer and said, ¡°We need to fight together, Brother Ye. Only then can we defeat this Stranger and survive!¡±

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s fight him together!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s response was firm and decisive, but he didn¡¯t hesitate to run toward the exit.

    Do you think I¡¯m as stupid as Yang Xuan?

    He knew exactly what Wang Yang was thinking the moment he heard his words. The young hill lord just wanted to trick him into stopping the withered corpse and buying him time to escape. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t going toply with his wishes.

    The reason Ye Qing didn¡¯t run earlier was because he wanted to know exactly how strong the withered corpse was. Now, he confirmed that it was at least stronger than Wang Yang and maybe even a Soulstealer-ss Stranger. There was no way he could defeat a Stranger like that as he was, so running away was the only course of action here.

    Meanwhile, Wang Yang pretended to take one step forward before turning around immediately. He was just in time to see Ye Qing rapidly vanishing into the distance like the wind.

    The heck? You should be in front of me, not behind! How did I be the meat shield?

    Wang Yang was stunned for an instant. Then, he erupted in anger, ¡°You are courting death, Ye Pingshan!¡±

    His anger was real, and his swearing came from the heart itself. But he did not hesitate to chase after Ye Qing. He wasn¡¯t suicidal after all, and why wouldn¡¯t he, ate-stage Astral Refiner, fail to outrun an early-stage body-tempering warrior?

    Wang Yang was also going to bury the bastard when he caught him. He was the one screwing over others since he was young, but today he was tricked once by a Stranger and a second time by Ye Qing. How could he not swear bloody vengeance against them?

    ¡°Keke¡­¡±

    Behind the duo, the withered corpse let out an evil cackle, and the massive statue behind it began weeping blood. Another mantra resounded throughout the temple.

    ¡°Mara Buddha¡­¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha¡­¡±

    An invisible energy spread across the entire Thousand Buddhas Temple. Then, every single corpse in thepound opened their eyes.

    Wang Yang was passing by a stupa when it suddenly grew an innumerable number of arms and held him tight. Wang Yang immediately threw a punch and sted the stupa into smithereens, but all the flesh-and-blood buildings started charging at him as well. Despite his strength, he was unable to break free immediately.

    Ye Qing was the same. While he was crossing a bridge of tongues, the tongues suddenly rolled up and attempted to ensnare him.

    His reaction wasn¡¯t slow, of course. He leaped away from the bridge andnded on a pond next to it. He was about to jump away when the bodies floating on the pond abruptly split open their stomachs and revealed long, barbed tongues that resembled whips. Not only that, countless blood-drenched hair swayed above the waters like grass and shot toward him.

    A ripple appeared when Ye Qing kicked off the waters. His movement made no sound and left almost no traces, but the pond suddenly started bubbling like it was boiling hot. Then, the blood-drenched hair ignited into mes at the same time.

    Hair wasn¡¯t supposed to be alive, but this one was apparently because it let out a bloodcurdling scream. The next moment, he half-turned in the air and severed all of the barbed tongues iling toward him with a curved saber.

    However, the short dy was enough for the bridge of tongues to reach him. Slimy fluid covered the entire structure, and within the slimy fluid were countless human heads that were all staring wide-eyed at him. An evil, filthy energy immediately spread toward him.

    ¡°Heavens, you¡¯re so disgusting.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s spirit was strong enough that the evil energy wasn¡¯t able to influence him. His response was to swing his curved saber and release a ripple of moonlight toward the bridge.

    The ripple looked frail enough to shatter at the slightest touch, but in reality it was the bridge of tongues that shook violently and sprouted fountains of blood as soon as contact was made.

    The moonlight saber looked like one saber, but it was really a million sabers and a million attacks.

    The bridge of tongues broke into pieces in just the blink of an eye, and the flesh and blood burned into ash before they could hit the ground.

    After he had taken out the bridge of tongues, Ye Qing inhaled slightly and dashed forward once more. However, he had just moved a short distance when he abruptly came to a stop.

    ¡°Keep running. Why aren¡¯t you running?¡± Wang Yang taunted. He had broken free from the flesh-and-blood buildings and reached Ye Qing as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯m not gonna run anymore. You can leave first if you want to!¡± Ye Qing shrugged and stepped out of Wang Yang¡¯s way as if he couldn¡¯t hear the scorn in his voice.

    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re¡ª¡±

    Wang Yang was going to provoke Ye Qing some more when he finally saw what had balked Ye Qing. All the words he wanted to say immediately went back down his stomach.

    The far end of the road of corpses that they walked across earlier had stood up before they knew it. They were blocking all of the exits like walls. At the same time, countless corpses were surging toward them like tidal waves.

    Wang Yang narrowed his eyes and swung his palm thirty six times in a row like it was a saber. Thirty six fiery saber forces manifested in the air and mmed into the wall of flesh.

    ¡°Minor me Saber Art¡±

    Flesh and blood spilled everywhere as the saber forces sank meters deep into the wall of flesh. At the same time, the White me of Nothingness gushed out of the cracks and melted them into nothingness. However, it onlysted for two or three breaths before it was devoured by the seemingly endless amount of corpses. The cracks had also healed themselves to normal.

    This isn¡¯t going to work! Wang Yang thought with a dark expression. He knew the moment he saw his damage dealt that he wasn¡¯t going to be able to breach through the wall of flesh, at least not within a short time. Unfortunately, time was the one thing they couldn¡¯t afford to waste right now. Already, the countless flesh-and-blood amalgamations behind their backs were almost upon them.

    Am I really going to die here? Despair began to slip its insidious tendrils into Wang Yang¡¯s heart. When he nced at Ye Qing out of the corner of his eyes though, he noticed that the young man looked perfectly unperturbed for some reason.

    ¡°Do you have a n, Brother Ye?¡± Wang Yang¡¯s eyes lit up. Ye Qing looked like he had a n.

    ¡°A good n? No!¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    Wang Yang: ¡°...¡± Then why are you acting like you can get out of this situation one hundred percent?

    Before Wang Yang could say anything, Ye Qing continued, ¡°But I do have an immature n.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose but didn¡¯t give him an answer. Instead, he ordered, ¡°Can you block these monsters for a moment, Brother Wang?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Wang Yang instinctively loathed the idea. ¡°Why me?¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Wang Yang. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll block the monsters, and you can figure a way out of this situation!¡±

    Wang Yang: ¡°...¡± I wouldn¡¯t be talking to you if I coulde up with a n, could I?

    ¡°Can¡¯t do it? Then just shut up and do what I say!¡± Ye Qing hmphed coldly before urging, ¡°What are you waiting for? Go get them!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Wang Yang¡¯splexion turned ashen with anger. If they weren¡¯t grasshoppers bound to the same rope right now, he would¡¯ve ripped Ye Qing to shreds already.

    ¡°You best not lie to me, Ye Pingshan! You won¡¯t like it when I¡¯m pissed off!¡±

    Wang Yang finally charged toward the iing flesh-and-blood monsters and slowly raised his right fist. His arm had just reached its full length when the corpses were right in front of him.

    There was a saying that to raise your fist above your head was to raise it above the heavens.

    A seemingly endless amount of white mes converged in the air. The sky turned pure white for a moment.

    Then, he dropped his fist, and the sky fell.

    ¡°Sunset Hill Fist¡ªSunset¡±

    Ye Qing had witnessed this technique from Xiao Yang before. When he used it, it was overflowing with a kind of fatalistic sorrow. But Wang Yang¡¯s ¡°Sunset¡± was very different from Xiao Yang¡¯s. There was neither sorrow nor fatalistic determination. There was only power that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth; one that reminded Ye Qing of the meteor that had wiped out the dinosaurs.

    Rumble!

    The sun set, and every corpse and flesh-and-blood amalgamation within tens of meters of Wang Yang was annihted. The flesh-and-blood floor itself depressed greatly and formed a huge pit.

 Chapter 194: Five Flames Seven Birds Fan

    Chapter 194: Five mes Seven Birds Fan

    Ye Qing and Wang Yang gasped when they looked at the pit on the ground. Literally everything from the edge all the way to the bottom of the pit were corpses and bones.

    Just how many people had died in this temple?

    ¡°Mara Buddha¡­¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha¡­¡±

    The demonic voice resounded once more, and the corpses inside the pit suddenly came to life. They piled on top of one another and formed several humanoid corpse giants about thirty meters tall.

    The giants were all shaped like a monk, and their posture was simr to the giant behind the withered corpse¡¯s back: left hand facing upward to hold up hell, and right hand facing downward to master humanity.

    ¡°My Mara is merciful¡­¡±

    ¡°My Mara is merciful¡­¡±

    The corpse giants mouthed demonic, mind-warping curses to stun Wang Yang while bringing down their right hands to crush him. However, Wang Yang obviously possessed a Strange Artifact that protected the mind because he only nked out for an instant before regaining his sanity. A feathered fan immediately appeared in his hand.

    The feathered fan was penta-colored¡ªred, orange, blue, ck and purple¡ªand looked like it was made from the feathers of five types of unique birds. The colorful lights intermingled with one another while seven extraordinarily handsome divine birds sang and danced among them, causing ripples to manifest across space.

    The moment the penta-colored fan appeared, the cold, chilly temple suddenly became unbearably hot and scalding.

    Whoosh¡­

    Wang Yang pped his fan lightly, and a penta-colored me immediately burst into existence. At the same time, the seven divine birds flew toward the corpse giants while dragging long tail feathers behind them.

    Wherever the divine birds went, the taint was purified, and the yin qi was annihted. The five-colored mes especially burned it all into ashes.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Five mes Seven Birds Fan, one of the Seven Treasures of Sunset Hill. Its reputation is well deserved.¡±

    Ye Qing looked envious as he examined Wang Yang¡¯s fan critically. The so-called Seven Treasures of Sunset Hill referred to its seven signature Strange Artifacts. They were the Sunset Crown, Hundred me Pot, Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps, Five mes Seven Birds Fan, Heaven Patrolling Sun Ship, Yin Yang Fire Cbash, and Eastern Purple Cloud Stele.

    All seven Strange Artifacts had their own incredible uses, and even the most mundane of them all was a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. Therge majority of them were Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifacts, and the greatest of them all, the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele, was said to be a Half-Step Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact.

    These seven Strange Artifacts were the reason why Sunset Hill could stand toe-to-toe with the strongest factions in Luo Shui despite owning no Spirit Masters.

    The Five mes Seven Birds Fan was a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. Said to be made from the tailfeathers of the five divine birds¡ªthe blue luan, the fire crane, the mingo, the fire phoenix and the purple phoenix¡ªand the soul essences of seven divine birds, the Five mes Seven Birds Fan could supposedly repel all evil. It was especially famous for its offensive power.

    But of course, the Five mes Seven Birds Fan cost a lot of power to use as well. Wang Yang had only swung the fan a couple of times before his face turned pale, and his aura became incredibly weak. The divine birds and the mes were all growing increasingly transient.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Do whatever it is you need to do quickly! I can¡¯t hold on for much longer!¡±

    Wang Yang was enraged when he nced at Ye Qing and noticed that the guy was watching from the sidelines and doing seemingly nothing at all.

    I¡¯m literally giving my all here, and you¡¯re just standing there doing nothing? If I die, then you die as well!

    ¡°Calm, Brother Wang.¡± Ye Qing shot him a mysterious smile. ¡°Our chance will show up very soon.¡± So please sacrifice yourself a little longer.

    ¡°You better not be lying, Ye Pingshan!¡± Wang Yang uttered through gritted teeth. Although he didn¡¯t understand what this ¡°chance¡± Ye Qing was talking about, he didn¡¯t think the young man would lie to him. Their fates were currently bound to one another after all.

    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t have other trump cards. If Ye Pingshan was lying to him, he didn¡¯t mind sending him to hell first before he followed afterward.

    It was at this moment the demonic voice resounded throughout the temple. However, it sounded angrier and harsher than before.

    Countless corpses and flesh-and-blood amalgamations crawled out of the walls, the roofs and other areas. They surged toward Wang Yang like a sky of locusts.

    When Wang Yang was buried under the tidal wave of corpses, Ye Qing abruptly bounded in the opposite direction toward a certain wall.

    He wasn¡¯t running particrly quickly, but it had this wonderful cadence where the strength applied and the distance between each step were exactly the same. He stepped forward like a raging torrent that couldn¡¯t be stopped; stomped the ground like a booming thunderp.

    It was at this moment the withered corpse noticed Ye Qing¡¯s movement. The demonic me in his eyes suddenly red wildly as if in fear or anger.

    The demonic voice resounded throughout the temple, and the corpses actually abandoned Wang Yang and pounced toward Ye Qing instead. Even the Buddha statue behind the withered corpse had extended its hand to tten Ye Qing like a pancake.

    Ye Qing paid no heed to the iing danger, however. United in both mind and body, every corpse who tried to impede him or block his path were shredded without a sound.

    When he was one meter away from the wall, he finally unleashed his punch. Burning Wind howled, and dark red mes swayed. The incredible force evaporated both heaven and earth like a dream.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    BOOM!!!

    The wall of corpses shuddered for a moment. Then, dark red mes began seeping out of the cracks and burning all of the bodies, tortured souls, yin spirits and more into ash. It wasn¡¯t long before the wall abruptly crumbled into pieces.

    As soon as this happened, a devastating storm rushed in and blew an entire swathe of corpses into ashes right before they could reach Ye Qing. The statue¡¯s palm was melted bit by bit into ash as well.

    It was none other than the three divine winds.

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    The withered corpse seemed to be terrified of the divine wind. It roared angrily and tried to block the hole with a new wave of corpses, but it was toote. The entire temple began quaking unsteadily as the three divine winds rapidly ate away at its flesh, blood and bones.

    Ye Qing smiled as he stood in the middle of the three divine winds, unwavering. ¡°I knew it. The three divine winds are the bane of his existence.¡±

    It was clear that someone had defeated and chained up the withered corpse in this temple. He also saw burn marks that belonged to the three divine winds on the withered corpse¡¯s body. As he cultivated the Burning Wind, he recognized the burn marks it left behind almost immediately.

    Looking at the clues, Ye Qing deduced that someone had sealed the withered corpse in this ce, and the three divine winds outside the temple of flesh, blood and bones was how they kept him sealed. In fact, Ye Qing would go as far as to say that the seal was set up this way so as to inflict punishment upon the withered corpse. The purpose was to rot his flesh and blood, chill his core, and burn his mind for eternity.

    As for why they had built this temple of flesh, blood and bones, it was obvious. It was to prevent the three divine winds from annihting the withered corpse and releasing him from his suffering.

    Therefore, their crisis would be resolved so long as he broke a part of the temple and allowed the three divine winds toe in.

    As for why he ordered Wang Yang to hold back the corpses for a bit and waited until now to act, it was one, to deplete Wang Yang¡¯s strength and two, to use him to draw away the withered corpse¡¯s attention. This would minimize the chances of the withered corpse noticing his intention too quickly and weaken the wall as much as possible.

    It was clear that his n had worked. The entire temple was eroding like a dpidated house that was being beset by a terrible storm. Holes kept appearing all over the ce, and its edges were being shaved away with every passing second. In the end, it crumbledpletely.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    After the temple had crumbled, the three divine winds blew in harder than ever before. The withered corpse screamed as the Buddha statue bent down and held him tight against his bosom. This was the one moment it acted like a true Buddha, sacrificing itself to protect the withered corpse.

    It couldn¡¯tst forever though. The three divine winds kept blowing away at the statue¡¯s yin qi until eventually, its whole body started crumbling bit by bit like a sandy dune that was being eroded from the top.

    The withered corpse wailed and struggled with all his might, but the chains pinning it in ce glowed coldly with runes. It was unable to break free no matter what it tried.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use,¡± Ye Qing said with a smile. The Buddha protecting the withered corpse wouldn¡¯t be able to hold on for much longer, and the withered corpse himself was unable to escape to a safe ce. His fate was as good as sealed.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing sensed a sudden outburst of killing intent. He turned around just in time to see Wang Yang grinning savagely and throwing a punch at his head. The Wind Repelling Carp was swimming above his head and keeping the three divine winds away from him.

    ¡°Hahaha! Die!¡±

    Shock flickered across Ye Qing¡¯s features as if he hadn¡¯t expected Wang Yang to backstab him at thest moment. However, it was immediately reced by ruthlessness and fatalistic determination. He actually ignored the punch aimed at his head and threw a counterpunch at Wang Yang¡¯s chest instead.

    Bang!

    Bang!

    Muffled groans escaped both men¡¯s lips. Ye Qing¡¯s neck let out an audible crack he was sent flying into the depths of the three divine winds. Wang Yang¡¯s chest caved in as he was sent crashing into the ground, hard.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Wang Yang spat out a mouthful of fresh blood as he climbed back to his feet. His face was pale, and his aura ran rampant for a bit. He was clearly hurt pretty badly.

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re a few years too young to get one over me!¡±

    Wang Yang paid his injuries no heed, however. In fact, he looked overjoyed.

    He was the kind of guy who killed anyone who dared to provoke him in any way. Moreover, he had picked up a terrifying aura from Ye Qing earlier, making it clear that he had hidden his strength. It was one thing if Ye Qing was his subordinate, but a strong and intelligent enemy must die no matter what.

    Only then could he be sure that he wouldn¡¯t return to haunt himter.

    This was why Wang Yang had attacked Ye Qing as soon as the crisis was over. He didn¡¯t even care if he took a heavy blow in return.

    ¡°Cough cough!¡±

    Wang Yang coughed a couple of times because hisugh had pulled at his injuries. Besides that, the protective shield keeping him from the three divine winds had shrank considerably as well. It was clear that the Wind Repelling Carp was rapidly running out of strength.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave,¡± Wang Yang muttered while perceiving the gradually strengthening winds and ncing at the withered corpse. He abruptly turned around and raced toward the exit.

    Although this whole trip had turned out to be a dud¡ªno, a death trap even¡ªhe had paid back all the grievances he had received, and he himself was still alive. It could¡¯ve been worse, which was why it was time to go home.

    Thanks to the Wind Repelling Carp, Wang Yang had no problems leaving the Thousand Buddhas Temple. It wasn¡¯t long before he waspletely gone.

    Meanwhile, the three divine winds were still eroding away at the Buddha statue. It was mere moments away fromplete copse now. The withered corpse beneath it howled in fury as its demonic qi kept dissipating, but eventually, his savage expression grew calm and tranquil. His evil, crazed-looking eye had turned back to normal as well.

    ¡°He thought he could kill me with just that? What a fool. Still, it¡¯s time for the show to begin.¡±

    It was at this moment a silhouette slowly walked out of the three divine winds and shot the exit of the Thousand Buddhas Temple a smirk. Then, he rode the wind and left the temple in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°My Buddha is merciful. People these days are so impatient. I was going to give you an opportunity, but now, I can only wait for the next destined one.¡±

    ¡°This poor monk doesn¡¯t have much time left though. Amitabha¡­¡±

    Not long after Ye Qing was gone, the withered corpse suddenly opened his eyes and let out a wistful sigh. The man himself was exactly the same man as before, but hecked the demonic qi he exuded earlier. He also gave off a peaceful and enlightened feeling not unlike a great monk who had achieved enlightenment.

 Chapter 195: When Things Go To Hell

    Chapter 195: When Things Go To Hell

    ¡°Wang Yang, you dare!¡±

    Wang Yang had just exited Thousand Buddhas Grotto and was getting ready to return to Sunset Hill when suddenly, he found himself surrounded by a group of angry people.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Vice Principal Cheng?¡± Wang Yang crossed his arms and frowned at the man standing directly in his way.

    The Vice Principal Cheng he was addressing was named Cheng Nuo, and the rest of the group were all White Horse Academy disciples. Ch¨¦ng Yon and Mu Yuan were among them as well. Wang Yang couldn¡¯t help but feel a bad feeling about this.

    Cheng Nuo was in his fifties. He had a thin but spirited face and a long beard. Wearing a big hat and loose robes, he somewhat resembled a gentleman of the old. However, that image was currently tarnished by the gloominess and hostility in his eyes.

    ¡°You know exactly what this is about, Wang Yang!¡± Cheng Nuo uttered coldly, ¡°That you are a cruel, impulsive and tyrannical man do not usually concern me, but you dare murder a disciple of the White Horse Academy? How dare you!¡±

    Wang Yang scoffed as soon as he recovered from his surprise, ¡°Vice Principal Cheng, freedom of speech does not mean freedom of consequences. Since when did I kill anyone from the White Horse Academy? I get it, you must be here to take revenge for that foolish nephew of yours, right?¡±

    ¡°Beat up the young, and the elderes yelling. I thought that this tradition is only applicable to us Sunset Hills, but I guess not even White Horse Academy, the so-called sessor of a sage, is immune to such customs. What an eye-opening experience this is turning out to be, hahaha!¡±

    Wang Yang wasn¡¯t afraid even though Cheng Nuo was the vice principal of White Horse Academy and a powerfulte-stage Spirit Purifier. After all, his father was the lord and master of Sunset Hill itself. There were only a handful of people in Luo Shui he needed to tiptoe around, and Cheng Nuo obviously wasn¡¯t one of them.

    Moreover, he heard that Cheng Nuo¡¯s cultivation was pure drugs and no martial arts. Forget his dad, even an early-stage Spirit Purifier from their sect could probably kick his ass with impunity. What did he have to fear from such a useless man?

    Wang Yang¡¯s taunt greatly angered Cheng Nuo. ¡°It¡¯s not enough that you killed my nephew, you would nder my White Horse Academy as well? So be it! Today is the day I y you and rid the world of your loathsome presence!¡±

    His hair started billowing on its own as his pressure washed out. Such was his presence that the White Horse Academy disciples couldn¡¯t help but take two steps away from him.

    Wang Yang was stunned when he sensed that Cheng Nuo actually intended to kill him. He thought that the old man was just nning to beat him up a little for his nephew, but killing him? That had far-reaching consequences to say the least. Also¡­

    ¡°Wait? You weren¡¯t exaggerating earlier?¡± Wang Yang realized something and blurted, ¡°Cheng Yi is actually dead?¡±

    Cheng Nuo¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with sorrow and fury. ¡°How much longer will you feign ignorance, you knave!¡±

    Cheng Nuo had no children to his name, which was why he raised Cheng Yi like a son even though he was technically his nephew. How could he not be angered by his death?

    Wang Yang¡¯s eyes flickered with uncertainty. ¡°So Cheng Yi is dead. What does it have to do with me? He was perfectly fine when we parted ways.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who killed senior brother!¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon took one step forward and red at Wang Yang with reddened eyes, ¡°Senior Brother Cheng was fine when we parted ways, but he died not long after that! You must have broken his insides when you struck his sr plexus, but did it in a way so that his injuries after we were far away to give yourself an alibi! You killed him because you were annoyed that he would challenge your authority!¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother Mu was present! He can prove that I am telling the truth!¡±

    ¡°It is as Junior Sister Yon says,¡± Mu Yuan nodded with a pained look as well, ¡°We did not encounter any other Stranger or unusual objects after we parted ways with you. Therefore, the only one who could¡¯ve murdered Senior Brother Cheng was you.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! What a load of nonsense!¡± Wang Yang retorted when he finally realized that this wasn¡¯t an extremely borate hoax, ¡°All I did was teach Cheng Yi a lesson. There is no chance that a light pat to his chest would kill him. Speaking of Strangers, maybe you did encounter one when you were carrying him back to the surface, and Cheng Yi was killed as a result. Afraid of facing the consequences, you decided to pin the me on me instead!¡±

    ¡°Yes, the more I think about it, the likelier that seems to be the case. Pinning the me on others is practically a schr¡¯s modus operandi,¡± Wang Yang nodded seriously.

    ¡°You lie!¡±

    ¡°Lies!¡±

    Both Ch¨¦ng Yon and Mu Yuan red at him angrily.

    Cheng Nuo stared at Wang Yang coldly, ¡°It¡¯s no use trying to talk yourself out of this, Wang Yang. I¡¯d personally inspected Yi¡¯er¡¯s body, and I can confirm that there is no other injury on his person except the one you dealt him. Therefore, you must be the man who killed my nephew.¡±

    ¡°A blood debt must be paid in blood. Wang Luori could show up right now, and I will still kill you and take revenge for my Yi¡¯er!¡±

    Cheng Yi made a grab for Wang Yang after he was done talking. Astral wind blew as a massive palm took form in the air and descended on top of Wang Yang.

    ¡°Air of Greatness - Great Catch¡±

    Wang Yang pushed off the ground and avoided the attack. Although Cheng Nuo¡¯s cultivation was built on drugs, he was still ate-stage Spirit Purifier. He would be stupid to face his attack head on. Moreover, he was tired and severely injured from fighting the withered corpse, enduring the astral wind, and even taking a do-or-die punch from Ye Pingshan. There was just no way he was a match for Cheng Nuo right now. The only thing he could do was to escape this ce.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t afraid of what might happen to him even if he failed to escape. Cheng Nuo was all bark and no bite. The pretentious schr imed he wanted him dead, but he knew better than anyone what the consequences would be if he actually died. At the minimum, his father would march up to White Horse Academy to call for justice, and there would be a great battle between the two factions. It was a responsibility no one could bear.

    Naturally, he had nothing to fear from Cheng Nuo.

    Cheng Nuo was furious that Wang Yang managed to avoid his first move. He manifested an ink stone that manifested a tiny ink man holding a brush. The tiny ink man flicked his wet brush at Wang Yang, and the ink droplets actually transformed into a rain of swords that shot straight toward Wang Yang.

    ¡°Kill him!¡± Cheng Nuo dered. Effectiveness aside, the move certainly looked mighty impressive.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Wang Yang grunted in annoyance as he felt the sword qis locking down the space around him. He felt like he was being sat on by a massive mountain, and his energies were either impeded or outright locked by the attack.

    If escape was impossible, then it was better to stand one¡¯s ground. Wang Yang summoned the Five mes Seven Birds Fan once more and pped it, summoning the five divine mes and seven divine birds. The ink swords quickly evaporated into thin air.

    ¡°Hmph! There is nowhere to run!¡±

    Wang Yang did well to neutralize the attack, but Cheng Nuo was already standing behind him. Ink forming a sword at his fingertip, Cheng Nuo aimed to stab Wang Yang in the shoulder.

    As expected, Cheng Nuo wasn¡¯t aiming to kill Wang Yang. Although he wanted nothing more than to kill Wang Yang, he knew that the consequences were far too heavy for even the principal to bear, much less him. That was why he was only aiming to cripple Wang Yang, and stabbing the young man in the shoulder would ruin his arm.

    Sure, he couldn¡¯t kill Wang Yang, but surely his nephew was worth at least one arm?

    Wang Yang wasn¡¯t willing to submit, of course. Despite his awkward position, he did everything he could to dodge to the side.

    It was at this moment Wang Yang identally stepped on a slippery rock and lost his footing. Instead of his shoulder, it was his head that was directly in the path of the ink sword.

    If Wang Yang was stunned, then Cheng Nuo was bbergasted. Worse, Cheng Nuo¡¯s cultivation was built atop a pile of drugs, so he was unable to control his force as he pleased. By the time he reacted, his ink sword had already skewered through Wang Yang¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Ug¡­ ggh¡­¡±

    Wang Yang¡¯s eyes grew unfocused. His shock and puzzlement never faded even until thest moment. He raised his hand to try and grab Cheng Nuo, but his life left him before he couldplete the motion.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    Cheng Nuo¡¯s ink sword melted into ink as he staggered away from Wang Yang¡¯s body in panic. To say that he was bbergasted would be an understatement.

    He just wanted to vent on the guy who murdered his nephew, and Wang Luori to pay White Horse Academy a visit and apologize for the murder after the fact. So how did it turn out this way?

    He knew Wang Yang could¡¯ve avoided the attack, but instead the young hill lord had chosen to put his head directly in harm¡¯s way. What the hell just happened? Was he trying to give him a taste of his own medicine or something? With his own life?

    Seriously, what the hell just happened?

    In any case, Wang Yang was dead, and dead by his hands no less. The situation had just be extremelyplicated.

    No one would disagree that a blood debt must be repaid in blood, but it was also a fact that some people¡¯s lives were more valuable than others. In this case, Wang Yang¡¯s life was definitely more valuable than his nephew, and knowing Wang Luori, the Hill Lord would absolutely pay him a visitter.

    Oh, no.

    ¡°Principal, you¡­ you actually killed Wang Yang?¡±

    Ch¨¦ng Yon, Mu Yuan, and the rest of the White Horse Academy disciples were staring at Cheng Nuo with bbergasted expressions as well. Although they were extremely sheltered, they weren¡¯t stupid. Of course they knew what the consequences of killing Wang Yang, the son of the Hill Lord of Sunset Hill was.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him, I¡­¡±

    Cheng Nuo wanted to deny all responsibility. He wanted to say that Wang Yang was the one who suddenly turned suicidal and killed himself. But who on earth would believe him? He wouldn¡¯t believe himself! It was like having yellow mud in one¡¯s pants. Everyone would think he shat his pants even if he hadn¡¯t!

    ¡°What¡­ What should we do now, principal?¡± Ch¨¦ng Yon and the others asked in panic.

    Ruthlessness flickered across his eyes as Cheng Nuo nced at the disciples. However, he shook his head immediately after he took a step.

    His first impulse had been to eliminate all the witnesses and destroy the evidence, but his exit had been anything but silent. There were a lot of people who knew that he was heading out to Thousand Buddhas Grotto to take revenge against Wang Yang. There was no concealing this fact even if he killed everyone here.

    Also, White Horse Academy would never tolerate the wanton murder of their disciples. They would boot him out faster than he could say ¡°please¡±, and how was he going to withstand Wang Luori¡¯s anger without them?

    All things considered, his only way out of this was to tell the truth and rely on White Horse Academy to survive this.

    The one silver lining of this ident was that Wang Yang was the one who killed his nephew first, so he was in the right. Knowing White Horse Academy¡¯s motto and belief, they would never surrender him to his wrongdoers. Therefore, relying on White Horse Academy was his only way to safeguard himself.

    Cheng Nuo took only an instant to figure out his moves. After he had regained his calm, he ordered, ¡°Take Wang Yang¡¯s body. We¡¯re returning to White Horse Academy right away.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Everyone answered, not knowing that they had been one impulse away from being silenced. They carried Wang Yang¡¯s body and followed Cheng Nuo back to White Horse Academy.

    The sky was rather cloudy today, so everyone¡¯s shadow looked long and narrow like a crack in the sky.

    And what does it mean if the sky is cracked?

    Well, it means that it¡¯s about to fall.

 Chapter 196: Meeting Jing Hui Again

    Chapter 196: Meeting Jing Hui Again

    ¡°Heh. It is done.¡±

    After Cheng Nuo and the White Horse Academy disciples were gone, Ye Qing slowly looked out of the entrance while wearing an eerie smirk on his face. He was holding the Annon Sutra in his hands, and there were a few lines of blood text on its surface. Although the words were fading, thest line was still incredibly clear:

    ¡°Wang Yang identally stepped on a slippery rock and slipped. As a result, Cheng Nuo identally skewered him through the brain and killed him.¡±

    The word ¡°killed¡± especially was glowing a bloody, vicious light.

    ¡°The Annon Sutra¡¯s Orbit of Fate is so scummy. I love it,¡± Ye Qing looked down on the piece of vellum with obvious delight on his face.

    That¡¯s right. The series of unfortunate coincidences that led to Wang Yang¡¯s death was all caused by the Orbit of Fate.

    Assuming he hadn¡¯t altered the trajectory of Wang Yang¡¯s fate, the young hill lord would¡¯ve been able to dodge the ink sword without much trouble. But since he had, he slipped at thest moment and identally put his head directly in the path of Cheng Nuo¡¯s sword, which resulted in his death.

    As for why he wanted Wang Yang to die in Cheng Nuo¡¯s hands, it was very simple. It was to pit Sunset Hill and White Horse Academy against one another. Best case scenario, Wang Luori would be so busy with his new enemy that hepletely forgot that he existed.

    Wang Luori was arrogant, petnt, and extremely protective of his own, so much so that he would even challenge the Pacification Bureau for a disciple. His only son? Ye Qing only wished he could be there when the showdown happened.

    As Wang Luori¡¯s only son, Wang Yang was pampered to the extreme from a young age. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he was Wang Luori¡¯s reverse scale. Besides that, Wang Luori wasn¡¯t the kind of person to plot before he acted. It was why Ye Qing was almost certain that he would pay White Horse Academy a visit as soon as he learned that Wang Yang had perished in Cheng Nuo¡¯s hands. So what if Cheng Nuo was the vice principal? Wang Luori was still going to murder him, take revenge for his son, and contemte the consequences after the dust had settled.

    As for Cheng Nuo, he was the vice principal of White Horse Academy and enjoyed both a good status and reputation. No matter how much White Horse Academy abhorred butting heads with Wang Luori, they would never give up Cheng Nuo without a fight. Even if Cheng Nuo wasn¡¯t a VIP, Cheng Nuo was in the right here. What would people think of White Horse Academy if they surrendered an innocent person to Wang Luori just because his fist was bigger?

    A schr practiced the Way of the Gentleman; believed that there are certain things that a gentleman would do and not do. If White Horse Academy broke their own code, their reputation in the jianghu wouldn¡¯t be the only thing that was sullied. Their standing with the temples, other schrs and more would be in tatters as well.

    Wang Luori would never swallow the death of his son without retaliation. White Horse Academy would never give up Cheng Nuo without a fight. Therefore, their conflict was inevitable, andpromise was impossible. There would only be one victor when all was said and done.

    Usually, the side with the bigger fist wins the day, but White Horse Academy and Sunset Hill were evenly matched as they were two of the three biggest sects in Luo Shui. It wouldn¡¯t be a bloodbath, but it definitely wasn¡¯t going to be all bark and no bite either. In other words, the conflict would not end easily.

    When the time came, Wang Luori would be too busy toe after him. He might even forget him altogether. After all, what was more important, the death of his only son, or a shitty disciple that could be, rtively speaking, easily reced?

    The best case scenario for Ye Qing was the principal killing Wang Luori. It would never happen, but it was a good daydream.

    This was Ye Qing¡¯s ultimate objective. Everything he did earlier¡ªkilling Cheng Yi, weakening Wang Yang, buying time until White Horse Academy showed up and more¡ªwas all in preparation for this one moment.

    But in order for his n to seed, there was one criticalponent that he must get right no matter what: he must get Cheng Nuo to kill Wang Yang publicly, and to do it in a way that no one would suspect foul y?

    While this would be rather difficult for most people to pull off, it was fairly easy for him thanks to the Annon Sutra. It was no Death Note though. The Orbit of Fate was potent and practically undetectable, but only if the circumstances would allow a certain fate to take form. Moreover, the stronger the target, the harder it was for the Orbit of Fate to affect them.

    That was why he had clipped Wang Yang¡¯s wings bit by bit and dealt a severe blow to him at the end. It was to reduce his strength to the point where the Orbit of Fate would actually work on him. Even so, it had taken three silver dragon-serpent runes to aplish his objective.

    Ye Qing was hurt by the loss of course, but it was worth it if it meant freeing himself from a Spirit Master¡¯s attention.

    ¡°My n is wless, perfect, and sublime, hehehe. I should give my intelligence a like and subscribe!¡±

    Ye Qing snapped his fingers smilingly while removing all traces of his presence from the surroundings. Only then did he return to the Thousand Buddhas Grotto.

    He hadn¡¯t forgotten his main objective foring to the Thousand Buddhas Grotto, of course. It was to refine the Burning Wind and grow stronger, not to screw over his enemies. As fun as it was, that was just a side quest.

    The Thousand Buddhas Temple had gotten a new makeup by the time he returned. The flesh, blood, corpses and filth had all been cleansed by the three divine winds, and the temple was returned to its original appearance. There were no golden buildings, holy light or divine lotuses. All that was left of the temple was a pile of ruins and the many, many marks of time.

    Despite this, Ye Qing actually felt safer than ever before. This was real. The mundane reality before him proved that there was nothing to worry about.

    After entering the Thousand Buddhas Temple and observing his surroundings for a bit, Ye Qing resolutely made his way toward the withered corpse.

    He wasn¡¯t nning to desecrate the corpse or anything, of course. Although he was surprised that the three divine winds had failed to annihte the body, Buddhist monks had always been famous for their tough, resilient bodies. It was entirely possible that the withered corpse was a body-tempering master in his previous life and possessed a body that could withstand even the all-consuming power of the three divine winds.

    Most importantly, he couldn¡¯t sense any evil influence or aura from the withered corpse. The chance that the Stranger would suddenlye back to life to haunt him was almost zero.

    As for why he was heading toward the corpse, it was because he noticed that the three divine winds of the Thousand Buddhas Temple¡ªthe Corrosive Wind, the Icy Wind and the Burning Wind¡ªwere centered around it. The winds were blowing in from left, right, and behind the withered corpse, and their purpose was obviously to suppress him. On a rted note, the Burning Wind was blowing in from behind the corpse.

    He only needed the Burning Wind to refine his astral qi. Not only would the Corrosive Wind and the Icy Wind not help him one bit, it would actually negatively impact his cultivation. That was why he needed to move behind the withered corpse.

    After walking up to the withered corpse, Ye Qing saluted him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to disturb your rest, senior. I¡¯m just borrowing your Burning Wind for a bit. Thank you.¡±

    Three bowster, Ye Qing was going to step around the corpse when suddenly, he heard a voice saying, ¡°You¡¯re back, benefactor. You truly are fated with my Buddha!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ye Qing felt a chill shooting up his spine as he jumped away from his spot. He appeared at the entrance of the Thousand Buddhas Temple a momentter with his arms lowered and his energies concentrated, ready to react to anything.

    ¡°This monk is Jing Hui. I am d to see you, benefactor!¡± The withered corpse slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Do not be afraid. I harbor no ill will toward you!¡±

    The withered corpse tugged the corners of his lips into a smile, but it only made him look scarier because of the state of his body.

    ¡°Jing Hui? You¡¯re still alive?¡± Ye Qing shrank. He looked like he might run at the slightest hint of trouble.

    It might seem cowardly, but Ye Qing had experienced enough of the monk¡¯s madness to be traumatized for a long, long time toe.

    ¡°Amitabha,¡± the withered corpse chanted gently, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, benefactor. This monk is Jing Hui, but this Jing Hui is not that Jing Hui!¡±

    Ye Qing watched him suspiciously. Can we speak human please, brother? I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying!

    Thankfully, the withered corpse did not keep him in suspense. ¡°The Jing Hui you encountered earlier is a strand of my demonic thought. He is not me.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ demonic thought?¡± Ye Qing frowned but didn¡¯t say anything. He simply watched the withered corpse in silence.

    Keep talking. I¡¯ll listen. I¡¯ll decide if you¡¯re telling the truth or not.

    As if he could hear Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts, the withered corpse continued, ¡°Amitabha. When I was still alive, I was the head of the Moko Hall. Moko represents the spirit ofck of colors and sex, which is why the Moko Hall is also the ce to study the teachings of the Buddha and cultivate one¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°However, I don¡¯t study the teachings of the Buddha nor cultivate my heart despite being the head of the Moko Hall. In fact, I was so intoxicated with martial arts that my temperament gradually became twisted. I became apetitive, irritable, cruel and bloodthirsty man.¡±

    ¡°When my martial arts reached a peak, I ignored my abbot¡¯s advice and went to the secr world. I challenged all kinds of martial arts practitioners, and everyone who fought me were either dead or seriously injured. However, I took this as a badge of honor and continued tomit countless sins.¡±

    ¡°Eventually, my evil actions culminated in multiple factions banding together to attack Thousand Buddhas Temple. Although my temple ultimately survived, many lives were injured and lost as a result.¡±

    The withered corpse¡¯s tone became full of remorse. ¡°That was what opened me to the fact that I am full of sin and possessed by my personal demon. So, I decided to lock myself up inside this ce and be destroyed by the three divine winds. The Wind of Five Poison cleanses the soul, the Wind of Six Desires exposes the body, and the Wind of Seven Emotions reveals one¡¯s nature. I was nning to spend the rest of my life atoning for my sins.¡±

    ¡°Later, the Thousand Buddhas Temple suffered a great cmity and was destroyed. As a result, my remains and this small temple fell to this ce.¡±

    ¡°Since I cultivated the Great Sun zed Sacrifice Sutra, my body survived even though my soul had deteriorated to the point where only a sliver of a fragment was left.¡±

    ¡°About five years ago, a man who called himself ¡®Mara Buddha¡¯ entered this ce and found me. Recognizing the fact that my body had be the perfect embryo of a Strange Artifact because of the constant baptism of the three divine winds, he plotted to transform my body into a Strange Artifact and my soul fragment into an artifact spirit.¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. It was obvious that this mysterious person was powerful from their name alone.

    The withered corpse continued, ¡°That is why he used a demonic me and burned my body for forty-nine days straight, and a demonic sutra to pollute my soul fragment and create a demonic thought.¡±

    ¡°To strengthen the demonic thought, Mara Buddha scattered the baits and lured countless greedy people toe to the Thousand Buddhas Temple andmit suicide. Over time, he gathered enough corpses to build an unholy temple that would block out even the three divine winds. I did my best to resist, but as the number of dead people grew, so did the demonic thought. Eventually, the demonic thought managed to ovee me and be the dominant mind. Although my mind still exists, I was unable to resist it.¡±

    This reminded Ye Qing of the withered corpse¡¯s odd expression earlier. It would exin why one half of his face was peaceful, and the other half was savage earlier.

    ¡°Thankfully, you are able to destroy this temple of corpses and suppress the demonic thought. As a result, I was able to escape. Had Mara Buddha seeded in his ns, a million deaths would not be enough to cleanse me from the sins I would havemitted. That is why I am most grateful for what you¡¯ve done, benefactor.¡±

 Chapter 197: The Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art

    Chapter 197: The Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me, Venerable Bhante. I was just doing my own thing,¡± Ye Qing said while saluting the withered corpse. He had mulled over the withered corpse¡¯s statement and couldn¡¯t find any real holes in it. He couldn¡¯t feel any malice from the withered corpse¡¯s either, so he saw no harm in being polite for the moment.

    The withered corpse said smilingly, ¡°Amitabha. All things in the world are tied by karma. You may be doing your own thing, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that your deeds have freed me. Therefore, you are deserving of my thanks.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Venerable Bhante,¡± Ye Qing responded with a smile of his own, ¡°If nothing else, I am d I am able to free you from your demonic troubles.¡±

    ¡°Excellent, excellent!¡± The withered corpse chanted, ¡°This monk is impressed at your humility and open-mindedness, benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Since you have freed me from my demonic troubles and future sins, I would like to offer you a small token of appreciation. I hope you won¡¯t refuse it.¡±

    Is this¡­ my opportunity? Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up, and his heart pounded with excitement. Sometimes, good luck falls on you like a hurricane. Should he ept it or ept it [1]? It wasn¡¯t just a gift from an elder, but also the dying wish of a soon-to-be-departed. He couldn¡¯t possibly reject such an offer, could he?

    But of course, there was still a chance this might just be a trick. That was why Ye Qing remained where he was and waited for the monk to continue.

    The withered corpse didn¡¯t get angry despite Ye Qing¡¯s obvious suspicion. He continued in a gentle voice, ¡°You have nothing to worry about, benefactor. I am but a soul fragment right now, and I could disappear at any moment. The way I am right now, I am unable to harm even a hair on your person.¡±

    The withered corpse lowered his mental defenses and bared his soul for Ye Qing to see then. Ye Qing carefully scrutinized Jing Hui¡¯s soul and found that he was telling the truth. Not only was he just a soul fragment, he was like a candle me that could be extinguished by the three divine winds at any moment.

    ¡°Do you believe me now? If you do, thene to me,¡± the withered corpse said smilingly.

    After Ye Qing was sure this was no ploy, he walked up to the withered corpse and apologized, ¡°Please forgive me for my rudeness, Venerable Bhante.¡±

    The withered corpse chuckled. ¡°The jianghu is a dangerous ce, and even if it isn¡¯t, it is natural to be cautious. What is there to apologize for?¡±

    He then raised a withering finger and tapped his forehead. A red lotus immediately flew out into the open.

    The red lotus was pocket-sized at best, but it was incredibly lifelike and burning a pure, red me. It also contained a great air of mystery and Dao.

    Before Ye Qing could react, the red lotus entered his head in a sh. Then, it began spinning slowly and unfurling its me into many scrolls of sutras and martial arts insights.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but looked astonished as he perceived the sutras and insights.

    ¡°This is the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art, one of the Thirty Six Arts of my Thousand Buddhas Temple. Although it is just a Spirit Purification stage martial art, it is quite potent.¡±

    ¡°Those who are sinful will burn in hell. The Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art can transform one¡¯s heart demon and sins into hellfire to purge the sinner.¡±

    ¡°The hellfire purges the heart, and the red lotus cleanses the world.¡±

    The withered corpse continued, ¡°When I was still alive, the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art is my signature martial art. Since your astral qi is fire-based, I believe that you are a good fit with it. I have transferred all of my insights regarding the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art and saber arts in general to you. Simply perceive the red lotus with your spirit, and you will be able to glean into my understanding and insights. I believe this will be greatly beneficial to your cultivation.¡±

    ¡°With this gift, I hope you¡¯ll be able to y more demons and save more people.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Venerable Bhante. This junior will not betray your expectations,¡± Ye Qing thanked him with barely suppressed excitement.

    Even if the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art was a mediocre saber art¡ªwhich Jing Hui confirmed personally that it wasn¡¯t¡ªthe word ¡°Spirit Purification stage¡± alone was enough to send him into hype overdrive. What delighted him even more was the fact that Jing Hui had injected all of his learnings and insights regarding the saber art into his mind. To give an example, it was the difference between having to study chemistry from scratch, and having a chemistry book to refer to. It was going to save him so much time.

    The Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art was a Spirit Purification stage martial art; a martial art that involved the use of the mind and spirit. As an Astral Refiner, it was inevitable that he would be hardpressed to apply it properly or even understand it. Worst case scenario, he could hurt his own mind and suffer a deviation.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t think he would suffer a deviation thanks to his powerful spirit, but of course he would experience more difficulties than an actual Spirit Purifier.

    This problem was circumvented since Jing Hui had given him his insights; his ¡°martial arts essence¡± for short. A martial arts essence could be directly imnted into another¡¯s mind or be sealed within an object such as a manual, a jade box and so on. It could be used to elerate one¡¯s cultivation. The reason it wasn¡¯tmonce was because it could only be created by some peak martial arts practitioners, and Jing Hui was clearly one of them.

    ¡°This monk believes in you, benefactor,¡± Jing Hui replied smilingly, although his voice was a lot weaker than before. It was clear that transmitting the martial arts essence took a lot out of the monk.

    ¡°Besides the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art, there is one more thing I would like to give you, benefactor.¡±

    ¡°What? There¡¯s more?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. Did his ancestore back to life or what? He wasn¡¯t expecting to be so lucky today!

    Jing Hui exined, ¡°My second gift to you is my corpse.¡±

    ¡°Thank¡ªwait what? Your corpse?¡± Why would I need your corpse? I¡¯m not necrophilic, bro! Oh wait, maybe he just wants me to bury him. I can do that.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve told you earlier, my body was refined by a man named Mara Buddha before. I am practically a Strange Artifact at this point, and my body has been fully corrupted by demonic energy. I can seal it, but I don¡¯t have the means to destroy it. If my body were to be left alone, Mara Buddha would surely return and im it one day. I can only imagine the number of lives he would take in my name. That is why I want you to have my body.¡±

    Ye Qing turned serious and nodded. ¡°I am grateful for your trust, Venerable Bhante. I swear I won¡¯t betray your expectations.¡±

    Jing Hui advised, ¡°I will use the Moko Boundless Chains to seal my bodyter. The Moko Boundless Chains is a valuable treasure of my Thousand Buddhas Temple and possesses the power to suppress heart demons and evils. It would keep my demonic energy well under wraps.¡±

    ¡°I will inform you how to use the Moko Boundless Chains in a moment. When the timees, you may release the chains, unleash my demonic energy, and transform my body into the Boundless Mara Buddha. I am sure it will be of great use to you.¡±

    ¡°However, I must warn you that my demonic energy is incredibly powerful. If possible, you should only reserve it for grave dangers. Otherwise, it may change your nature.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted him again. ¡°This junior will remember your advice, Venerable Bhante.¡±

    However, Jing Hui chuckled, ¡°That said, the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art I taught you possess the power to y one¡¯s heart demons and sins, and it isn¡¯t just limited to enemies. You simply need to cut yourself often, and you should never lose your rity of mind. It is one of the reasons I decided to grant you my Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art.¡±

    ¡°You stand tall and see far, Venerable Bhante. This junior is most impressed,¡± Ye Qing praised before hesitating for a moment. ¡°Venerable Bhante, I have a question. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you might have misjudged me? I could be a rotten bastard with good acting skills.¡±

    Jing Hui smiled. ¡°This monk is slightly familiar with the art of discerning people, and I can tell that you are a good person despite your cunning. I believe that I have not misjudged you.¡±

    He paused for a moment before adding jokingly, ¡°That, and I really don¡¯t have much time left. I don¡¯t have the luxury to pick the best fruit out of the lot.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for believing in me, Venerable Bhante.¡±

    Ye Qing abruptly straightened up and saluted the monk seriously, ¡°This junior is Ye Qing, a Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. I cannot swear that I will never kill another person, nor can I promise that I will save every life I encounter. However, I promise that I will never lose my heart and sumb into evil. I will do what I can and follow my heart. Wherever my actions take me, I swear that it will never betray my own beliefs.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Jing Huiughed joyously. ¡°Just follow your heart, and it is like having consulted the Buddha Himself! Amitabha! Excellent! Excellent!¡±

    The chains wrapped around Jing Hui slowly glowed as he said this. The runes sparkled, and a softyer of golden light basked the tattered temple.

    Multiple Buddha silhouettes began manifesting in the golden light. Golden lotuses descended from above, and the sounds of peaceful chanting filled the ears. It made Ye Qing feel calm and in control of himself.

    The next moment, the Buddha silhouettes descended like gods entering the mortal coil. They transformed into many enigmatic runes and imprinted themselves upon the chains.

    The chains glowed brightly and slowly shrank. Somehow, Jing Hui started shrinking as well. Just a few breathster, the body had be as small as a palm like a little mud sculpture. It was wrapped by a single chain that glowed with mysterious, gentle light.

    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡± A solemn chant rang onest time inside the tattered temple. It was like a final goodbye and well-wishes to this world.

    With that, the sculpture slowly floated into the air and into Ye Qing¡¯s hands.

    The sculpture felt warm to touch. Although it was a corpse, it was devoid of the darkness and coldness of a body. It was fairly light and circting with some sort of air of Buddha that ultimately went back into the chain. It looked and felt very mysterious.

    The body seemed to contain a tremendous amount of power. Its aura felt unholy and evil as well. However, it was tightly sealed by the chain.

    Ye Qing could no longer feel Jing Hui¡¯s soul fragment inside the sculpture. He reckoned that the monk had finally passed to the afterlife.

    ¡°Rest in peace, Venerable Bhante. This junior wouldn¡¯t betray your expectations,¡± Ye Qing sighed. He was sad, but he was also happy. Quite happy, in fact. This trip had turned out to be far more fruitful than he could possibly expect.

    No wonder there was this saying, ¡°Whatever will happen to our ns is up to fate.¡± Wang Yang hade to the Thousand Buddhas Grotto as prepared as he could be, but he still died in the end. He only wanted to refine the Burning Wind that was in the grotto, but he had walked away with everything he could ask for.

    Truly, you reap what you sow, and I am daddy heavens¡¯ favorite son.

    ¡°Time to check what grade, taboos and abilities this Strange Artifact possess.¡±

    After leaving the Thousand Buddhas Temple and finding a secluded and windless spot, Ye Qing unfurled the Annon Sutra and spat a mouthful of blood on the vellum, asking, ¡°What grade is the Strange Artifact Venerable Bhante Jing Hui transformed into? And what abilities does it possess?¡±

    The Annon Sutra didn¡¯t respond though. Clearly, one mouthful of blood wasn¡¯t enough.

    1. No, this is not a typo. ?

 Chapter

    Chapter 198: The Boundless Mara Buddha

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna suck me dry one day, bud.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sigh and proceeded to spit out a dozen mouthfuls of blood. Blood donation had never been this easy and exhausting. If he wasn¡¯t as vigorous as he was, he would¡¯ve reached his limit in a couple mouthfuls at most.

    Finally, the familiar blood red text appeared:

    ¡°The Boundless Mara Buddha is a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. It is created from the remains of the enlightened monk and Trueman-stage warrior of Thousand Buddhas Temple, Jing Hui, the power of the Mara Buddha, and the Moko Boundless Chains. To put it simply, the body is the foundation, the Mara Buddha¡¯s power is the core, and the Moko Boundless Chains are theplement. Together, they form the Mara Boundless Buddha.¡±

    ¡°The Mara Boundless Buddha contains both Buddhist and demonic powers. In its sealed state, it is a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. It possesses the power of a Buddha as it is created from the remains of an enlightened monk and a Buddhist artifact. It can be used to steady one¡¯s mind, calm one¡¯s spirit, and protect one¡¯s soul. It can also be used to suppress and exorcise many evils.¡±

    ¡°In its unsealed state, the Boundless Mara Buddha is a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact that can unleash the power of the Mara Buddha. The Boundless Mara Qi can be used to corrupt body and soul and manifest a demonic domain.¡±

    ¡°However, the wielder of the Boundless Mara Buddha may be corrupted and turned into a mindless puppet by its Boundless Mara Qi if their willpower is weak.¡±

    The blood text ended here.

    ¡°A Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact? I can hardly believe it! Hahaha! Hahahaha!¡±

    Ye Qing tried really hard to suppress his mad cackle, but in the end he just couldn¡¯t help himself. Finally, he had something that would allow him to give Wang Luori the middle finger and taunt, ¡°Come at me, bitch!¡±

    Generally speaking, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact was as potent as a Spirit Purifier. In fact, it was usually stronger because the ingredients and conditions necessary to create such a Strange Artifact was far more stringent than it was to create a Spirit Purifier. Take the Boundless Mara Buddha for example, it had been created from the remains of a Trueman. Trueman was the cultivation level above Spirit Master, and it requiredbining one¡¯s Yin God, astral qi, and physical body into one to form the Yang God. Trueman warriors were also known as Grandmasters.

    This was why even the most ordinary Strange Artifact was usually greater than its warrior counterpart. In fact, they could often threaten a warrior at a higher cultivation level. Therefore, in terms of potency alone, a Soulstealer-ss strange Artifact absolutely could threaten ate-stage Spirit Purifier and even a Half-Step Spirit Master. If it was sentient, then it could even threaten a Spirit Master¡ªassuming that it could unleash its full power, of course. In fact, most warriors could never unleash the full potential of their Strange Artifact due to its various restrictions and side effects.

    Even so, Ye Qing definitely possessed the right to stand against Wang Luori now. At the very least, the Half-Step Spirit Master could no longer threaten his life just by ring daggers at him like thest time.

    ording to the Annon Sutra, the Boundless Mara Buddha could be used in two ways. In its sealed state, it was a support-type Strange Artifact that could be used to protect his mind, spirit and soul. It would safeguard him against the tricks and ambushes of say, an illusion-type Stranger.

    In its unsealed state, the Boundless Mara Buddha would transform into an offensive-type Strange Artifact that supposedly possessed incredible potency. While the description didn¡¯t really do a good job at exining how he should use it or how powerful it waspared to your conventional Spirit Purifier, he could always test it out after he went back to his residence.

    As for the risk of using the Boundless Mara Buddhas in its unsealed state, Ye Qing decided to overlook it for now. To worry about it now was like fussing over the watermelon seeds inside a juicy watermelon. For now, the benefits seemed to outweigh the risks.

    ¡°Hoooh, hehehe¡­¡±

    After that, Ye Qing put away the Annon Sutra and admired his new toy. From time to time, he would even let out a sillyugh. He just couldn¡¯t have enough of it. He would do this for the next six hours toe.

    He hadn¡¯t gone insane, of course. He was waiting to see if danger would show up.

    He hadn¡¯t forgotten what Jing Hui said earlier. The monk had transformed into a Strange Artifact only because he was corrupted and refined by a person who called himself ¡°Mara Buddha¡±, and Ye Qing had just stolen the fruit he spent much time and effort to cultivate.

    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Mara Buddha had left behind some sort of rm to alert him just in case something had gone awry. What if Mara Buddha came over to take a look, found Ye Qing with his Strange Artifact, said, ¡°I am fated with this item¡±, and ughtered his ass to reim it?

    After all, Mara Buddha was the man who built a temple of corpses to refine the remains of a Trueman into a Strange Artifact. There was no way a guy like this would be weak, and this time he no longer had Wang Yang to act as his meat shield.

    This was why Ye Qing had chosen to hide himself instead of cultivating his astral qi immediately. It would be most awkward if Mara Buddha showed up and stumbled upon him in the middle of his cultivation.

    If Mara Buddha did show up, he would find no one and think that the thief had already escaped with his Strange Artifact. If Mara Buddha did not show up, then even better.

    In this world, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

    ¡­¡­

    Far, far away, a young man cultivating at the edge of a cliff slowly opened his eyes. The dark light circting in his pupils took the shape of a Buddha, but it was an evil-looking Buddha filled with demonic power. It painted a stark contrast with the gentle and merciful smile on his face.

    ¡°Huh! Someone took the item I kept in the Thousand Buddhas Temple.¡±

    The young man closed his eyes and counted with his fingers, but he quickly frowned and muttered, ¡°Strange. Who is it? Not only did they wipe out the strand of mind I imbued on the item, I couldn¡¯t calcte their exact location with my Southern Dipper Calction. Are they that strong, or do they possess a powerful artifact that could conceal their fate from scrutiny?¡±

    The young man spent a moment longer trying to identify the thief to no avail. He didn¡¯t take the failure to heart though. In fact, he smiled a little and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You may keep my item for a while longer. All things in the world are bound together by fate. I will find you one day.¡±

    ¡°Senior brother! Senior brother!¡±

    It was at this moment an anxious voice interrupted his train of thoughts. A young disciple was rushing up the cliff and calling out to him.

    When the young man turned around, the demonic Buddha in his pupils vanished like it was never there. He watched the young disciple with warm eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Take your time.¡±

    The young disciple felt his anxiety subsiding a little when he heard the young man¡¯s gentle voice. He took two breaths to calm himself further before saying, ¡°The Hill Lord is looking for you, senior brother.¡±

    ¡°Master wants to see me? Did he say why?¡±

    The disciple looked a little pale as he shook his head. ¡°The Hill Lord didn¡¯t say, but¡­ he looked incredibly angry. He had already killed a handful of servants and maids. You should be careful when you meet himter, senior brother. You wouldn¡¯t want to provoke his ire right now.¡±

    The young man smiled. ¡°Thank you for the warning. I will be careful. By the way, please take this Yellow Dragon Pill. It will aid you when you attempt to enter the Astral Refinement stage.¡±

    ¡°The Yellow Dragon Pill? I can¡¯t possibly ept that! It¡¯s too valuable!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The sooner you enter the Astral Refinement stage, the better you¡¯ll be able to serve the sect. Please don¡¯t turn down my gift, junior brother.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ Okay. Thanks, senior brother. I swear I won¡¯t betray your expectations.¡±

    ¡°Cultivate well. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing waited for almost nine hours before he was finally certain that Mara Buddha would not be visiting the ce. It was only then he crawled out of his hiding spot and returned to the Thousand Buddhas Temple. After finding a suitable spot and taking a seat, he took out the Star Lotus and swallowed it in one gulp.

    The Star Lotus melted as soon as it made contact with his tongue and filled his mouth with a sweet, fragrant scent. Before Ye Qing could enjoy its taste, a calm, gentle energy seeped out of the liquid and flowed straight into his dantian.

    The energy was neither turbulent nor immense. It was like a calm stream or a wispy cloud that entered his dantian before he knew it. It wrapped around the isted Burning Wind and true qi inside his dantian and fused them seamlessly.

    This was the power of the Star Lotus. It could blend astral qi and true qi into one instantly.

    While the Star Lotus was still in effect, Ye Qing hurriedly channeled the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± and pulled in a copious amount of Burning Wind. It quickly merged into one with his true qi and became indistinguishable from one another.

    Every time Ye Qing ran out of true qi, he would absorb a silver dragon-serpent rune and replenish it immediately. He made sure to maintain the speed at which he was refining the Burning Wind, and the speed at which it was merging with his true qi at the same level.

    Over time, a terrifying molten hurricane had taken form around Ye Qing. It was so hot that the stone and soil on the ground were melted into moltenva.

    Ye Qing was sitting dead center in this pool ofva, but he wasn¡¯t moving at all. In fact, his aura kept growing stronger, and his body and even his hair slowly turned dark red in color. Wisps of dark red mes were pouring out of his pores, giving him the appearance of a molten mold or a fire spirit.

    An incense stickter, when Ye Qing felt that his body had umted the maximum amount of astral qi it could umte, he immediately took out the Blood Jade Lotus.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t swallow the Blood Jade Lotus in one gulp like the Star Lotus because one, it was too big, and two, it would be wasteful to consume it this way. Instead, he tore off one petal and swallowed it slowly. After it entered his stomach, it transformed into a ball of red energy that spread to every corner of his body.

    He could feel the Blood Jade Lotus¡¯ power seeping into his dantian and spreading out like manyyers of invisible web. Then, it began filtering out all of the impurities and filth inside his astral qi.

    Ye Qing was surprised to see the dark red astral qi turning as ck as the night. He thought that this was its true color at its purest, but he was wrong. More time passed, and his astral qi gradually shedded its ck color. This would continue until his astral qi had bepletely transparent and seemingly non-existent.

    There was no denying the sheer power contained within this ¡°nothingness¡±, however.

    It was then Ye Qing had a revtion: wind was invisible and formless in the first ce. That was why the Burning Wind¡¯s purest form was invisible and formless as well.

    ¡°PHew¡­¡±

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and spat out an invisible wisp of Burning Wind. Everything within several meters of him instantly became distorted with heat, and an entire patch of Burning Wind blowing in from the opening was blown apart with ease.

    ¡°So this is the Burning Wind¡¯s true power!¡± Ye Qing eximed happily. But it was too soon to be happy just yet. The power of the Star Lotus and the Blood Jade Lotus hadn¡¯t faded yet, and there were still more work to be done. He immediately threw himself into his cultivation once more.

    Every time the Blood Jade Lotus filtered out arge amount of impurities, the volume of astral qi inside his dantian would decrease. As a result, he could absorb more Burning Wind from his surroundings and blend them with his true qi all over again. Once he had reached his limit, he would consume another petal and remove all of the impurities.

    Time passed little by little. The winds of the Thousand Buddhas Temple were as noisy as ever, and yet this moment felt surprisingly peaceful.

    White Horse Academy only wished they could say the same.

 Chapter 199: All Things In Life Are Decided By Power

    Chapter 199: All Things In Life Are Decided By Power

    White Horse Hill, White Horse Academy.

    Wang Luori was standing in front of the entrance and ring at the inscribed board with a murderous expression on his face. He was apanied by various elders, attendants and disciples. Everyone was as silent and afraid as an ant.

    It was said that the inscribed board hanging at the entrance of White Horse Academy was written by the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy himself. It contained a sliver of the dao of Confucianism and so was overflowing with righteousness and power.

    Capable of repelling all evils and Strangers within fifty kilometers of the academy, it was the symbol of White Horse Academy and their most prized possession.

    However, not even this treasure could wash away the darkness and promise of violence pouring out of Wang Luori right now.

    The atmosphere in front of White Horse Academy was solemn and quiet. Anyone could tell that it was the calm before the storm.

    Boom!

    Suddenly, Wang Luori took an earthshaking step and shone like a golden sun. Then, he threw a punch straight at the inscribed board.

    The surrounding space shook violently as the punch force flew toward the board. It was like the sun itself was descending from the sky.

    Buzz!

    The three words on the board ¡°White Horse Academy¡± lit up at the same time. The milky white light formed a white horse that raced forth to meet the sun.

    The white horse¡¯s aura was pure and unblemished. It was also carrying a ton of ancient scriptures that flipped open to unleash shockwaves, wind, rain, and more books.

    ¡°The white horse carries books and the sound of the wind, rain, and reading.¡±

    As the sounds continued, the descending sun grew smaller and fainter. At some point, it began flickering like a candle me that could extinguish at any moment.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Seeing this, Wang Luori took another earthshaking step toward the board, and his eyes shone like a pair of mini suns. His aura skyrocketed, and the wavering sun quickly regained its power. It was like the sun piercing through the dark clouds and illuminating the world after a heavy rainstorm.

    The white horse the board created abruptly shattered into pieces. A secondter, Wang Luori¡¯s fist force finally struck the board.

    There was a loud boom as the board shuddered like a leaf. Its white light grew much dimmer, and cracks spread all across its surface like a spider web.

    Wang Luori¡¯s fist force ultimately failed to shatter the board in one hit, but the gate and posts holding it up weren¡¯t so lucky. They crumbled like paper structures and shattered into a million pieces. Not only that, the remnant force of the attack spread deeper into the academy and bathed countless White Horse Academy disciples in ufortable heat.

    It was at this moment a deep and refined voice spoke up, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing destroying our entrance and damaging our priceless treasure, Hill Lord Wang?¡±

    The voice was like the spring wind. It blew away the ufortable heat in an instant.

    Then, an elegant old man with white hair and beard stepped out of the crowd. He looked to be in his sixties, and he was wearing a confucion robe. His huge, long sleeves pped in the wind and unleashed invisible ripples that wiped away the remaining energies in the air, preventing Wang Luori from using it to cause more havoc to the academy.

    He was the principal of the White Horse Academy, Zhang Lanjiang ¡°The Righteous One¡±.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what I want, Principal Zhang.¡±

    Wang Luori was wary of Zhang Lanjiang, but verbally he didn¡¯t relent at all. In fact, his killing intent was greater than ever.

    ¡°Surrender the murderer of my son, Cheng Nuo now, or suffer my wrath!¡±

    He came even sooner than I expected, Zhang Lanjiang sighed on the inside. He knew that there would be trouble from the moment he saw Cheng Nuo returning with Wang Yang¡¯s corpse. He just wasn¡¯t expecting it to be so soon.

    ¡°This matter is moreplicated than you think, Hill Lord Wang. May we have a careful discussion inside the guest hall?¡± Zhang Lanjiang beckoned politely.

    ¡°There is nothingplicated about this. Just answer me this: did Cheng Nuo kill my son?¡± Wang Luori sped his hands behind his back and asked in a murderous tone.

    ¡°That is true, but it is not what you¡ª¡±

    Wang Luori interrupted Zhang Lanjiang before he could finish, ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear. All debts must be repaid, and I must have Cheng Nuo¡¯s blood to make up for my loss. Surrender him now, and I will leave immediately. Refuse me, and it will be your fault that a river of blood runs inside your academy.¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang frowned as helplessness flickered across his wizened face. ¡°Everything in the world happens for a reason, Hill Lord Wang. Will you please allow me to say my piece?¡±

    ¡°My son is dead!¡± Wang Luori replied coldly.

    ¡°Hill Lord Wang, it is true that a member of White Horse Academy has killed your son by ident, but it was your son who murdered one of ours first. Can you please reconsider your actions for the sake of both our sects?¡± Zhang Lanjiang exined patiently.

    ¡°My son is dead!¡± Wang Luori repeated.

    ¡°Hill Lord Wang, both Sunset Hill and White Horse Academy are sects of Luo Shui. We should be looking out for each other, not attacking one another like this. Can you please restrain your anger ande in to have a careful discussion with me?¡±

    ¡°My son is dead!¡±

    ¡°Do you have to be so unreasonable and aggressive, Hill Lord Wang?¡±

    ¡°My son is dead!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    A bit of frustration entered Zhang Lanjiang¡¯s eyes as he swallowed his words. He had tried to reason with Wang Luori with logic, unwritten rules, and even emotions, but the Hill Lord had rebuffed it all with a simple, ¡°My son is dead.¡±

    The fact was, Wang Luori¡¯s sentiment was perfectly understandable. To him, what could possibly be bigger than his son¡¯s death?

    Seeing that Zhang Lanjiang had fallen silent, Wang Luori continued in a cold tone, ¡°I¡¯m just a brutish man who has never read a single book in my life, so your great Confucianist logic is wasted on me. I won¡¯t understand them, and I don¡¯t want to understand them.¡±

    ¡°I havee to ask for one and one thing only: Cheng Nuo. Surrender him, then this matter is settled. Refuse, and I¡¯ll ruin you and your precious sect even if I have to sacrifice my own sect to do it.¡±

    A moment of silenceter, Zhang Lanjiang asked, ¡°Is there truly no other way?¡±

    ¡°My son is dead!¡± Wang Yang¡¯s eyes grew a little bloodshot. ¡°I only have one son!¡±

    ¡°Show yourself, Cheng Nuo! Show yourself this instant!¡±

    ¡°Are you a man or what? You have the balls to murder my son, but not the balls to face the consequences? What kind of man hides behind another¡¯s back? Are you a woman? No, even a woman has bigger balls than you!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, vice principal of the White Horse Academy my ass! Disciple of a sage my dick! To call you a turtle would be an insult to turtles, so I¡¯m just going to call you out for what you are, a dickless coward!¡±

    ¡°Nowe out and face me, you dickless coward!¡±

    ¡°How uncouth!¡± Cheng Nuo stepped out of the crowd with a look of ashen anger. ¡°I¡¯m here, Wang Luori. What are you going to do now?¡±

    Wang Luori stared at Cheng Nuo like a wild beast who couldn¡¯t wait to rip and tear him to pieces. ¡°You killed my son. What do you think I¡¯m going to do?¡±

    Wang Luori took one step toward Cheng Nuo and uttered through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m going to eat. You. Alive for what you did to my son!¡±

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡±

    Wang Luori looked so savage at this moment that Cheng Nuo couldn¡¯t help but stumble two steps away from him. He tried to mask his own fear and threatened, ¡°It is true that I had killed your own son, but it was your son who killed my nephew first! You¡¯re the one who said that all debts must be repaid, so by your logic, it¡¯s only right that I take your son¡¯s life topensate for my loss, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not right!¡± Wang Luori¡¯s eyes werepletely bloodshot at this point. ¡°Who the fuck do you think your nephew is? He¡¯s just a garbage human being who hasn¡¯t even weaned off his mother¡¯s milk yet! How can his life possiblypare to my son¡¯s? Ten of your nephew isn¡¯t worth a single finger on my son¡¯s body!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± His callous deration angered Cheng Nuo. ¡°My nephew is a human being just like your son! Their lives are equal!¡±

    Wang Yang scoffed, ¡°I¡¯m not even going toment on how stupid your words are, but know that it is an honor that your garbage-of-a-nephew got to die in my son¡¯s hands. Hell, it¡¯s an honor to you as well. My son was saving your White Horse Academy from a lifetime of shame and humiliation by killing a ck sleep!¡±

    Cheng Nuo was so angry that he couldn¡¯t speak. So, you¡¯re saying I should thank you for killing my nephew?

    Wang Luori continued uncaringly, ¡°Plus, even if it¡¯s true that my son screwed up first, I¡¯m his dad. I¡¯m the one who should get to teach him a lesson first. Who the fuck do you think you are to supersede my authority?¡±

    Cheng Nuo was furious, but what could he possibly say against Wang Luori? He could only grumble, ¡°You¡­ you really are an unreasonable brute!¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang interrupted, ¡°You are wrong, Hill Lord Wang. The sage decreed that there is no such thing as a kindness that is greater than the other, no etiquette that is more superior than the other, and no life that is more noble than the other. Naturally, all lives are equal.¡±

    ¡°Plus, all lives and matters in life are connected to one another. If someone finds something they disagree with, it is perfectly within their right to interfere. Why would the order matter? Why would an order even exist?¡±

    Wang Luori shot Zhang Lanjiang a nce and said, ¡°I don¡¯t understand your Confucianist logic, and I don¡¯t care. All I know is my own jianghu logic and rules.¡±

    ¡°His trash nephew and my son are technically peers. It¡¯s his own fault he¡¯s so weak that he couldn¡¯t even take a hit from my son. But Cheng Nuo is many years older than my son, and he has abused his power to kill him. Do you think this is the jianghu way?¡±

    ¡°Therefore, Cheng Nuo is the one who broke the rules first. Blood must be repaid with blood, so Cheng Nuo must die today!¡±

    ¡°That said, this is between me and Cheng Nuo. It has nothing to do with White Horse Academy. I would advise you not to interfere in our private business, Principal Zhang.¡±

    ¡°There is no such thing as private business when it is a sect matter, just the same as no one¡¯s death is absolutely right or wrong.¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang shook his head. He was hoping to minimize the problem, but s, it was not meant to be. Besides, neither side waspletely right or wrong in this matter. This was humanity. Perfect ck and white did not exist when humanity was involved.

    A reasonable person could be reasoned with, but an unreasonable one could only be fought.

    Ultimately, all things in life are decided by power. To put it simply, the one with the bigger fist would always have the bigger say.

    ¡°Hmph! I really don¡¯t get schrs. You could¡¯ve just said that you would defend the murderer until the end, but no, you just have to bring up all the big words and waste everyone¡¯s time,¡± Wang Luori taunted. However, the fact that he had entertained Zhang Lanjiang and Cheng Nuo for this long was because he hoped that the principal would cave in and turn in Cheng Nuo willingly. He too didn¡¯t wish to fight Zhang Lanjiang if he could help it.

    That didn¡¯t mean he was afraid to fight the man though. He, Wang Luori, did not believe that revenge was best served cold. In fact, he preferred to solve everything immediately whenever possible.

    ¡°If you have nothing else to say, then let¡¯s get on with it. All Sunset Hill disciples, kill Cheng Nuo now! Don¡¯t hesitate to kill anyone who dares to stand in your way!¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± The Sunset Hill disciples responded and charged toward Cheng Nuo.

    ¡°This is a sanctuary of Confucianism! You will not ruin this ce!¡±

    A furious Zhang Lanjiang tried to stop the group from entering, but Wang Luori blocked his way first. ¡°Your opponent is me, Principal Zhang!¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang channeled the wind and clouds and swung his sleeves at Wang Luori, hoping to drive the Hill Lord back with a powerful attack and assist his disciples. Martial arts wise, they were the equal of Sunset Hill, but experience wise, they werecking to say the least. Moreover, Wang Luori had brought only elite disciples with him. He counted many elders and stewards among the group as well. As a result, many White Horse Academy disciples were injured practically since the beginning of the battle.

    Unfortunately, his attack failed to push Wang Luori even a step backward. The Hill Lord brought his palm down in a spiral and copsed the very space around him, creating a ck hole. It wiped out Zhang Lanjiang¡¯s force and forced the principal to keep his attention on him.

    ¡°Is this a deration of war, Wang Luori?¡± Zhang Lanjiang¡¯s normally gentle voice abruptly turned stone cold.

    Wang Luori sped his hands behind his back and summoned a scorching sun behind him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to war with you either. You¡¯re the one who asked for this.¡±

 Chapter 200: The Purple Qi Comes From The East

    Chapter 200: The Purple Qi Comes From The East

    ¡°All disciples, form up and retreat into the academy!¡± Zhang Lanjiang shouted before returning his cold gaze to Wang Luori. ¡°Tolerance does not equate admission of guilt. Compromise does not equate cowardice.¡±

    ¡°You crossed the line, Wang Luori.¡±

    As soon as he said this, the principal pointed one hand to the sky, and the other toward the earth. Together, they formed a perfect harmony.

    ¡°The sage decreed that one cannot achieve harmony without rules.¡±

    An invisible force spread out and formed crisscrossing lines across the entire academy after Zhang Lanjiang said this. The Sunset Hill group was just giving chase when suddenly, their hearts sank, and their footsteps suddenly came to a halt. As if trapped inside a tiny cage, they were unable to move their limbs, much less break free from their invisible shackles.

    It was the same for Wang Luori. He was going to punch Zhang Lanjiang in the face as he was speaking, but the moment he took a step, countless chains appeared out of nowhere all around him. Crisscrossed and perfectly straight, they formed a pocket world that bound him tightly.

    There could be no harmony without rules, and there could be no movement without harmony. While the Sunset Hill group was temporarily shackled, the White Horse Academy disciples were able to withdraw back into the academy.

    ¡°This is a sanctuary of Confucianism and no ce for you ruffians to cause havoc! Get lost!¡±

    Yelling at the Sunset Hill disciples, Zhang Lanjiang sent them all flying with a sleeve sweep.

    Almost everyone except a handful of elders spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and became incapacitated. Even then, none of them were able to catch themselves until they were flung out of White Horse Academy.

    No one perished, but they were all stunned by how easily the principal had tossed them out like nothing. Was this the power of a Spirit Master?

    ¡°Rules are made to be broken! Only a weakling will believe in rules when power is what they should really be worshiping!¡±

    It was at this moment Wang Luori let out a mighty roar and erupted into an inferno. A total of nine fiery suns appeared above him, and every nt in White Horse Academy suddenly withered and burst into mes at the same time. It was like the ce had suddenly transformed into an infernal hell. The crisscrossing chains that kept him bound melted without a sound as well. None shall withstand the wrath of the nine suns!

    The moment the chains disappeared, Wang Luori pushed off the ground like an earthquake and pounced toward Zhang Lanjiang. Following right behind him were his nine suns.

    ¡°Those who respect the rules are civil. If you don¡¯t respect the rules, then what difference is there between you and an animal?¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s charge looked formidable, Zhang Lanjiang wasn¡¯t afraid. His white hair flying all over the ce, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of clear, righteous qi.

    Righteous qi was clear, vast, and righteous, and there was no one better at cultivating righteous qi than a schr.

    The righteous qi transformed into a powerful gust of astral wind as soon as it left his mouth. It looked weak, but it shook the nine suns and extinguished their mes.

    As for Wang Luori himself, he suddenly found himself upside down. It took him a moment to realize that he had been blown right out of the academy and even the hill itself. He didn¡¯t stop spinning until he hit the foot of the hill.

    A single breath of righteous qi was worth hundreds of kilometers of wind.

    The moment Wang Luori was blown away, Zhang Lanjiang took one step forward and somehow appeared at the foot of the hill in the blink of an eye. Then, he moved his hand as if he was physically pulling the air and smashed his astral wind into the disoriented Wang Luori.

    What were mountains when you could alter rivers as you pleased?

    The world shook, and the earth was torn asunder as Wang Luori was engulfed by the astral qi.

    ¡°Phew¡­ They weren¡¯t kidding when they called you the Righteous One whose righteous breath is worth hundreds of kilometers of wind.¡±

    However, Wang Luori slowly stepped out of the dust cloud before it could dissipate. He also looked mostly unharmed.

    Floating around him were seven zedmps. They spun circles around him and emitted ripples that pushed away all of the dust and astral wind.

    It was none other than one of the Seven Treasures of Sunset Hill, the Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps.

    Out of all the Strange Artifacts, the Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps possessed the strongest defense. It could block both astral qi and protect the mind. Without it, it would¡¯ve cost him so much more to shield himself from Zhan Lanjiang¡¯s follow-up attack.

    He had to admit that Zhang Lanjiang was incredibly powerful though. He might be a Half-Step Spirit Master, but Zhang Lanjiang was a true Spirit Master, and not a sham like Cheng Nuo either. A Spirit Master was someone who had forged their Yin God and could learn to master the magics of the world. They could summon wind and rain,mand lightning and thunder, and cause the very weather to change with the snap of a finger. They were incredibly powerful to say the least.

    Moreover, Zhang Lanjiang was a qi practitioner, and qi practitioners were slightly different from your conventional warrior. If a conventional warrior focused on cultivating the essence, qi and spirit, then a qi practitioner focused on cultivating the spirit and astral qi only.

    Caring little about their bodies, a qi practitioner believed that their physical body was just a shell and a prison, and that cultivating an eternal qi and Yang God was the true way. One might say that they were the direct opposite of a body tempering warrior.

    A qi practitioner¡¯s maniption of astral qi and spirit were much more exquisite, flexible and potent than your conventional warrior. Barring exceptional circumstances, it would be suicide to challenge one into a ranged battle. That was why the best way to deal with a qi practitioner was to fight at close range, and why Wang Luori had tried to shorten their distance earlier. It was too bad his strategy had failed.

    ¡°You can still back down, Wang Luori,¡± Zhang Lanjiang said indifferently after shooting the Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps a nce.

    ¡°Back down? I will never back down until you¡¯ve given me Cheng Nuo, Principal Zhang,¡± sneered Wang Luori. Turning his right foot a little and causing an unearthly screech that sounded like an earth dragon flipping on its back, he sent multiple dragons that were created from earth straight toward Zhang Lanjiang. He himself stayed where he was and gathered his strength.

    ¡°Hmph. You truly are a stubborn man.¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang looked disdainful as he manifested a giant palm created from his Righteous Astral Qi. It easily buried the earth dragons into the ground.

    While Zhang Lanjiang was wasting his energy on the earth dragons, Wang Luori took one step forward and transformed into a dragon of fire [1]himself. He abruptly appeared beside the principal andnded a solid punch on his ribs.

    Bang!

    Zhang Lanjiang exploded, but he scattered paper instead of flesh and blood.

    ¡°The Doll Substitution Art?!¡± Wang Luori eximed. He knew he was in trouble, but he didn¡¯t panic. He wheeled around and threw a mighty punch at his right.

    ¡°Sunset Hill Fist¡ªThe Sun Descends On The West [2]¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang revealed himself with his index and middle fingers pressed together. He thrust them forward like a sword.

    The wind howled, and the rain showered. The wind and rain from everywhere came together and formed a huge bell.

    It was the White Horse Academy¡¯s Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain.

    Zhang Lanjiang struck the bell with his sleeves like a mallet.

    DANG¡­

    Wang Luori¡¯s ears were deafened for an instant as the sound rippled out like waves, the wind and rain howled, and the world turned yellow all of a sudden.

    Rumble rumble rumble¡­

    The trees, the rocks, the soil. The sound waves crushed everything in its path and kicked up what looked like an avnche. That was just the beginning though. The wind and rain transformed into soldiers, and the earth turned into armor that protected the soldiers. They quickly took formation and waited for their turn at the sidelines.

    Wang Luori¡¯s eyes grew blurry as he was assaulted by the seemingly never-ending sound waves. His energies fluctuated wildly, and he was pushed back uncontrobly despite the fact that everything under his knees had sunk into the ground. Even the Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps controlling him were shaking violently as cracks appeared across their surfaces, and their lights grew dim.

    Clearly, Wang Luori had lost this exchange. Not only did he take a huge hit, his Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps was severely damaged as well.

    While both the Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps and the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain were ssified as Hatred-ss Strange Artifacts, the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain was a tad stronger than the former. Not only that, the Strange Artifact was a rare sound-based offensive-type Strange Artifact. It was perfectly natural that the Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps would fail to protect its owner fully and suffer great damage after enduring a full-powered blow.

    Wang Luori felt heartbroken when he saw the damage, but he didn¡¯t have time toment about it. After the sound wave attack had ended, the army of million standing by this whole time charged straight toward him.

    ¡°This is nothing, Zhang Lanjiang!¡± Ruthlessness flickered within Wang Luori¡¯s eyes as he roared. Before the principal could react, he pummeled the ground with his fists and kicked up an entire chunk of earth. It melted intova before it could hit the ground, and when it did hit the ground, it washed over the whole army like a tidal wave.

    That wasn¡¯t all. A purple stele slowly floated out of theke ofva. Its front was inscribed with old, imperial seal scripts, and its back was engraved with a painting that showed a bunch of living things worshiping the sun. Its whole body was covered in tiny cracks. It looked both weathered and ancient.

    The moment the stele appeared, a thick cloud of purple qi abruptly flew over from the east. Wherever it flew, the nts bent backward as if terrified, and the wind and rain fell as if submitting to their emperor.

    The purple qi came from the east and lorded over everything.

    ¡°You brought the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele?!¡± Zhang Lanjiang eximed in a grim voice. He tapped the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain and unleashed another sound wave attack, but its power decreased rapidly almost as if it could not bear to attack its own sovereign. By the time it finally washed over Wang Luori, it had be as harmless as a mild breeze.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right,¡± Wang Luori sneered and tossed the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele into the air. Floating in the sky, it summoned more purple qi and soon engulfed the entire battlefield in purple.

    As soon as this happened, Wang Luori rushed toward Zhang Lanjiang like a tiger. In response, Zhang Lanjiang swung his sleeves and sent torrents of Righteous Qi straight at him. However, his counterattack weakened rapidly seemingly without reason, and by the time it made it to Wang Luori it had lost over ny percent of its original power. The Hill Lord easily shattered it with a casual punch. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would¡¯ve thought that Principal Zhang was fooling around with him.

    Zhang Lanjiang nched and reacted immediately. He tried to use his Earth Contraction Magic¡ªthe very magic that had allowed him to reach the foot of the hill in an instant¡ªand escape the purple qi¡¯s range, but he felt a hitch in his energies as soon as he took action. As a result, he was just a step too slow to get away from Wang Luori.

    There was a saying that went something like this: ¡°If your first step is slow, then the rest of your steps are slow as well.¡± It was the case for Zhang Lanjiang. Wang Luori was able to close the distance andnd a mighty punch that blew him into the sky.

    Wang Luori wasn¡¯t going to wait now that he had the upper hand. While Zhang Lanjiang was still trying to catch himself, he appeared above the principal and smashed him in the stomach with both fists.

    The silhouette of the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain appeared behind Zhang Lanjiang. The next instant, the principal had hit the ground like a meteor.

    Zhang Lanjiang burst out of the dust clouds just a fraction of a secondter. At the same time, the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain shrank to the size of a pocket watch and hung above his head. It was glowing a little.

    Before Zhang Lanjiang could react, Wang Luori flew up to him once more and conjured a multitude of suns once more. His astral qi looked all-epassing, and his fist force seemed unstoppable as he whaled on Zhang Lanjiang.

    Zhang Lanjiang emitted a sword qi between his fingers and met Wang Luori¡¯s attack head on, the wind, the rain, and sword qis blew all around the twobatants. It looked like a scene straight out of a master artist¡¯s ink wash painting.

    ¡°Eight Directions Sword of Wind and Rain¡±

    Their forces shed, and astral winds howled. The shockwaves alone resembled natural disasters that tore up the surroundingndscape like wet tissues.

    At first, the duo were evenly-matched. But over time, Zhang Lanjiang was actually pushed back by Wang Luori. In the end, he couldn¡¯t evenunch a single counterattack and could only endure Wang Luori¡¯s blows passively.

    A fight where you could only defend was destined to end in defeat. Gradually, Zhang Lanjiang grew weaker and umted more and more injuries. Somehow, the Spirit Master was being one-sidedly pummeled by Wang Luori, his inferior!

    1. Not an actual fire dragon, but dragon-shaped fire. ?

    2. Yes, I find this more convoluted than you do, I¡¯m the trantor you know. ?

 Chapter 201: The Sages Notes

    Chapter 201: The Sage''s Notes

    ¡°The principal is getting beaten up?!¡±

    Inside the academy, Cheng Nuo and the rest of the disciples were watching the battle with shock and disbelief. The principal of White Horse Academy and one of the few Spirit Masters in all of Luo Shui, Zhang Lanjiang the ¡°Righteous One¡±, was being beaten up by Wang Luori, his inferior! Not only that, the battle was so one-sided that he could only defend passively!

    Just what the hell was going on?

    ¡°The Hill Lord is beating up a Spirit Master?!¡±

    At the foot of the mountain, the Sunset Hill disciples were just as stunned as their White Horse Academy counterpart, though their surprise was the pleasant kind as a matter of course.

    Although Sunset Hill was known as one of the three biggest sects in Luo Shui together with White Horse Academy and Blood Shadow Pce, they had always been viewed as inferior to their peers. The reason was very simple. White Horse Academy and Blood Shadow Pce were helmed by Spirit Masters, but their Hill Lord was only a Half-Step Spirit Master.

    It might sound like their Hill Lord was only ¡°half a step¡± behind his peers, but the actual difference was like night and day. It was why they were so impressed. The fact that Wang Luori, a Half-Step Spirit Master, was beating the crap out of Zhang Lanjiang, a veteran Spirit Master, proved that he was strong enough to transcend the cultivation level.

    Assuming that Wang Luori did defeat Zhang Lanjiang, no one would ever dare tough at Sunset Hill iming that they didn¡¯t have a Spirit Master anymore. Not only that, they would never have to bow their heads to White Horse Academy either.

    White Horse Academy: Our principal is a veteran Spirit Master!

    Sunset Hill: So sorry, but our Hill Lord kicked his ass before.

    White Horse Academy: Our principal can summon the wind and rain and spit lightning!

    Sunset Hill: So sorry, but our Hill Lord kicked his ass before.

    White Horse Academy: Our principal is a man of great erudition, schrship, and talent! He¡¯s even the student of a sage!

    Sunset Hill: So sorry, but our Hill Lord kicked his ass before.

    The imaginary catharsis alone was almost enough to make them cum.

    The White Horse Academy disciples were confused, and the Sunset Hill disciples were overjoyed. As for Zhang Lanjiang himself? He was feeling extremely frustrated right now.

    He was obviously stronger than Wang Luori, but the more he lingered within the purple qi, the weaker he became. At first, it was just his internal energies that were flowing sluggishly. Then, his astral qi started moving sluggishly as well. Later, even his consciousness and reflex were slowing down. It was like he was remotely piloting his body with incrementalg. Strong he might be, he was simply unable to unleash his full power.

    Even worse, the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain¡¯s power was suppressed as well. Clearly, the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele was the culprit behind his woes.

    This was the first time Zhang Lanjiang witnessed the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele¡¯s power first hand.

    The Eastern Purple Cloud Stele was the Strange Artifact that gave Sunset Hill their status and influence today, of course Zhan Lanjiang was aware of it. It was rumored that the founder of Sunset Hill had intercepted a wisp of natural purple qi and refined it into a Strange Artifact. Natural purple qi wasn¡¯t included in the five elements despite being one because it was the symbol of sovereignty. All things must submit to it.

    The Eastern Purple Cloud Stele wasn¡¯t an offensive-type Strange Artifact like the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain, but it could greatly weaken anyone who entered its range. It was said to be capable of suppressing as much as ny percent of one¡¯s power.

    Zhang Lanjiang had never witnessed the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele in action before, much less faced it in person. That was why he thought that the rumors regarding the Strange Artifact were highly exaggerated. He even believed that it was a ploy by Sunset Hill to keep others from realizing that they were vulnerable. As a result, he was caught off guard, and Wang Luori never gave him the opportunity to regret his decision.

    Back in the present, Wang Luorinded another punch against the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain and caused it to screech like ripping metal. Sound waves rippled out to the surroundings as Zhang Lanjiang was flung helplessly into another hill. There was a loud boom as the entire hill copsed on top of the principal.

    ¡°Zhan Lanjiang the ¡°Righteous One¡± my ass! Hahahahaha!¡±

    Wang Luori crossed his arms and let out a wild, unrestrainedugh after sending Zhang Lanjiang flying with a punch. And how could he not? He was trouncing a Spirit Master as a Half-Step Spirit Master thanks to the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele. It was only right considering that the principal had looked down on him earlier.

    Also, it took a considerable amount of energy to use the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele, not to mention that the purple qi was suppressing him to a certain extent as well. It wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as what Zhang Lanjiang was feeling right now, but it was one of the Strange Artifact¡¯s biggest downsides.

    That was why he had no choice but to pause his attack and take a moment to catch his breath.

    ¡°There is nothing to be proud of, Wang Luori. It is not your strength that has me cornered, but your sect¡¯s treasure,¡± said Zhang Lanjiang as he slowly stepped out of the dust clouds. He was holding the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain in his left hand, and the Strange Artifact was spinning slowly and pushing away the dust with wind and rain, ¡°You don¡¯t actually think you¡¯re invincible under the heavens, do you?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Wang Luoriughed arrogantly, ¡°But I do believe I¡¯m strong enough to defeat you.¡±

    ¡°Zhang Lanjiang, today is the day you learn that me and my Sunset Hill will not stand for humiliation!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too arrogant, Wang Luori. You actually believe that the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele is all you need to do as you pleased in White Horse Academy.¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang let out a cold hmph. ¡°Today is the day I teach you that there are always people beyond this person, and skies beyond this sky [1]!¡±

    As soon as he said this, the principal put away the Eight Directions Bell of Wind and Rain and turned his back on Wang Luori. Facing toward White Horse Academy, he wiped away the dust on his clothes with his hand, and the bloodstains on his mouth with a handkerchief. His movements were rxed, but strict, meticulous, andpletely serious.

    It was almost like he was facing the sage himself.

    Zhang Lanjiang¡¯s actions made no sense to Wang Luori. What kind of person would turn their backs against a deadly foe? But more importantly, he had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

    ¡°Stop pretending and just die!¡± Wang Luori roared and pounced toward Zhang Lanjiang like a tiger once more.

    The best way to deal with a trump card was to make sure that it couldn¡¯t be yed in the first ce. However, Zhang Lanjiang continued his act as if he couldn¡¯t sense Wang Luori¡¯s movement, or he simply didn¡¯t care. Face solemn, he sped his hands together, bowed three times toward White Horse Academy, and performed the Three Rites.

    One who knows the Three Rites knows the ancient customs of Confucianism. The Three Rites were the rites a child performed when facing their parents, a student performed when facing their teacher, and a Confucianist performed when facing a sage. They were a noble and respectable custom.

    ¡°Pleasee to my aid, Sage''s Notes¡­¡±

    A light suddenly flew out of the academy. It looked like nothing special, but it was so fast that it actually reached Zhang Lanjiang first before Wang Luori. The light faded away to reveal a tattered book, and Wang Luo¡¯s fistnded squarely on its pages.

    A soft white light rippled out of the tattered book. It looked fragile andpletely powerless, but it ate away at Wang Luori¡¯s fist force like acid. Before the Hill Lord could react, the white light pushed out an inch further and threw him back like he was nothing more but a speck of dust. He stumbled at least a dozen steps before he was finally able to catch himself.

    Wang Luori¡¯s expression turned ugly as he red daggers at the tattered book. Although the white light hadn¡¯t dealt any damage to him, he had felt a terrifying and unstoppable force when he was flung away.

    It was only then Zhang Lanjiang turned around to catch the book. The white light slowly faded and revealed its true form.

    The book looked wrinkled and tattered. Its cover was even covered in blotches of ink. Its title was, ¡°A Commentary On The Sights Of Tian Yong¡±, and it was written using ancient seal scripts.

    Frankly, the book looked like nothing special. It was just an old, tattered book that looked like it had gone through at least a thousand readers. However, it was this inconspicuous, ordinary-looking book that had pushed back Wang Luori.

    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Wang Luori licked his lips grimly.

    Zhang Lanjiang replied, ¡°We call this the Sage¡¯s Notes. Your founder left the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele behind to protect your Sunset Hill. Surely you don¡¯t think that our sage would neglect to do the same to protect my White Horse Academy?¡±

    ¡°White Horse Academy is no ce for ruffians like you, and we don¡¯t stand for humiliation as well, Wang Luori!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Sage¡¯s Notes my ass. It¡¯s just a shitty book. Just watch me as I burn it into ash!¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s expression and words were scornful, but his attack was as serious as it could get. One should scorn the enemy in strategy, but take them seriously in tactics.

    Wang Luori took one step forward and threw a right punch. It looked like an ordinary punch at first, but every time it traveled an inch forward, his fist would raise a sixth of a meter higher, and his fist force and astral qi would grow a little denser. It was like a white sun slowly climbing over the horizon.

    Three inchester, his fist was over his head, and the sun had risen to the middle of the sky. Floating at the center of the sun was none other than the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele. Shaking a little and releasing a thick amount of purple qi, it dyed the massive sun purple. Its light turned purple, and the entire eastern sky turned purple as well.

    The rising sun rose to the center of the sky, and the purple qi came from the east.

    The next second, the fist dropped, the sun descended, and the sky fell.

    An all-epassing, unimaginable pressure consumed the world. As the purple sun created by the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele shone an ominous light, everyone and everything in this corner of the world started shaking uncontrobly. Forget the Sunset Hill disciples, not even the White Horse Academy disciples hiding in the academy were exempt from its influence. Their breaths were stifled, their astral qis were stuttering, and their minds were quaking in fear. No one could muster the courage to resist¡ª

    ¡ªNo one, except Zhang Lanjiang.

    ¡°Impudence.¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang could feel the pressureing from the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele as a matter of course, but he wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest. He simply raised the Sage¡¯s Notes half an inch above his head to pay his respects to the sage.

    ¡°This student humble requests the sage to protect his academy.¡±

    Flip flip flip!

    The Sage¡¯s Notes started flipping through its pages on its own. It was a soothing, melodious sound that reminded one of the wind and rain.

    Wind, rain, sounds of reading; mountains, rivers, humanity in between.

    Silhouettes of male, female, old and young stepped out of the book. They were smiling and chatting with each other as if nothing was happening.

    Following behind the humans were many gorgeous mountains and hills surrounded by many rivers and streams. Animals and Strangers ran across the terrain while making all sorts of noises.

    Together, they formed an ink wash painting that inspired countless imaginations, and what an epic world it was! [2]

    The purple qi should¡¯ve been able to suppress anyone and anything, and yet it could not suppress this pocket world. In fact, the painting was pushing away the purple qi, the fist force, and the all-epassing terror. Before they knew it, peace and tranquility had returned to the world.

    Wang Luori¡¯s eyes bugged out as he eximed in disbelief, ¡°How¡­ is this possible? How can your shitty book possibly suppress my Eastern Purple Cloud Stele?¡±

    He had not underestimated his opponent¡¯s Strange Artifact. He hadbined his strength with the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele and unleashed one of his most powerful attacks to crush it in one go. And yet, the Sage¡¯s Notes had easily neutralized the attack and even the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele¡¯s purple qi.

    Clearly, the Sage¡¯s Notes was also a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, one that was even stronger than the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele.

    1. Meaning that there¡¯s always someone or something better out there. ?

    2. Summoning Jutsu: Jumanji. ?

 Chapter 202: Shit Talking

    Chapter 202: Shit Talking

    ¡°Impossible! There is no way my Eastern Purple Cloud Stele would lose to a shitty book!¡± Wang Luori roared.

    Gritting his teeth, the Hill Lord poured all of his astral qi and spirit into the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele. An incredible amount of dark purple qi immediately gushed out of the Strange Artifact, and a three-footed, golden purple bird carrying a sun in its mouth appeared in the sky.

    The oddly-shaped bird pped its wings and unleashed a jet of purple mes from its mouth. The painting of humanity, mountains and rivers shook violently under the assault before dissolving into nothingness.

    Wang Luori let out a crazedugh when he saw this. ¡°Hahaha! I knew there¡¯s no way that shitty book can resist my Eastern Purple Cloud Stele! Today is the day I turn your academy into dust, Zhang Lanjiang!¡±

    The original Eastern Purple Cloud Stele possessed no offensive capabilities, but when it fell into his hands, he came up with a way to give it one. He sealed the soul essence of a Phenomenon-ss Stranger called the Sunbearing Golden Crow inside the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele and fed it his spirit and blood essence day and night. Over time, the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele gained the ability to attack.

    But of course, this wasn¡¯t his true objective. His true objective was to make the Sunbearing Golden Crow sentient so it could be the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele¡¯s artifact spirit. This way, the Strange Artifact would gain limitless potential for growth.

    Unfortunately, the Sunbearing Golden Crow still hadn¡¯t shown any signs of sentience to this day. Even so, its powers couldn¡¯t be underestimated.

    ¡°Who are you calling a shitty book?!¡±

    The Sunbearing Golden Crow was about to hit Zhang Lanjiang after punching through the painting when suddenly, the Sage¡¯s Notes stood up of its own ord. A pair of muscr arms abruptly shot out of its front and back cover, and they rapidly grew in size in just a fraction of a second. At the beginning, its hands were only as big as a millstone. Later, they were the size of an entire house.

    The book easily caught the Sunbearing Golden Crow with its left hand and crushed it to pieces. Before anyone could react, it swiped the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele out of the air with its right hand and brought it down on a stunned Wang Luori.

    Boom!

    By the time Wang Luori realized he was in deep shit, it was already toote. He was smashed into the ground without any resistance.

    This was just the beginning, however. The Sage¡¯s Notes hit Wang Luori with his own Strange Artifact again and again while yelling a stream of expletives,

    ¡°Shitty book? I overlooked your transgression once because you¡¯re just a wee, but you just can¡¯t help yourself, can you? Who the fuck do you think you are to swear at me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a shitty brat who doesn¡¯t have a bush under your pants, and you think you can destroy my White Horse Academy with a shitty stele and a mindless bird? Your own bloody founder wouldn¡¯t dare to make such a im, and you¡¯re nothingpared to him!¡±

    ¡°I thought you said you wanna wipe out my White Horse Academy? What are you waiting for? You¡¯ll get your wish as long as you defeat me, so get up! Get up and face me you useless, worthless sack of shit!¡±

    ¡°Your founder would be rolling in his grave if he knew the kind of shitstain who¡¯smanding his Sunset Hill right now! It¡¯s fine though! I¡¯ll teach a lesson on his behalf! Eat shit, you worthless piece of shit!¡±

    ¡°Take this! And that! And another!¡±

    As the Sage¡¯s Notes continued to kick ass and shit talk Wang Luori, everyone wore shocked and bewildered expressions on their faces.

    They were shocked because the tables had been turned in just the blink of an eye. A moment ago, Wang Luori was kicking Zhang Lianjiang¡¯s ass to orbit. Now, it looked like the Sage¡¯s Notes would hammer him to the center of the.

    They looked bewildered because the Hill Lord was being done in by a book, and the book was also swearing like a jianghu ruffian.

    ¡°I knew this was going to happen. Sigh¡­¡±

    Even Zhang Lianjiang was wearing an embarrassed expression. He looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

    ¡°A Commentary On The Sights Of Tian Yong¡± was a famous work written by the first principal of White Horse Academy. It was a record of the geography and culture of the prefecture of Tian Yong based on his travels and experiences.

    The book wasn¡¯t justprehensive and urate, it was quite humorous and easy to understand. It was adored by the popce and heralded as one of the greatest masterpieces of Chu even to this day. It was also why Feng Moyu came to be known as the Sage.

    The book Zhang Lanjiang was holding was the first draft. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it was the culmination of Feng Moyu¡¯s life¡¯s work. That was how it transformed into a Strange Artifact.

    Later, the first draft was enshrined in the Sage¡¯s Hall of the academy and nurtured with the righteous qi of Confucianism. As a result, it eventually gained sentience.

    It was said that Feng Moyu was an exceptionally hot-tempered and upright man despite being a schr. Since the first draft was born from Feng Moyu¡¯s will, it naturally inherited its writer¡¯s character: fiery, upright, and violently virtuous. If someone said or did something it didn¡¯t like, it would not hesitate to kick ass and chew bubblegum.

    Of course, this type of personality was nothing special in the jianghu whatsoever, but in awful, cultured ce like the White Horse Academy? It stood out to say the least.

    Personally, Zhang Lanjiang was exasperated that the academy¡¯s ultimate treasure and the life¡¯s work of a great sage was a shit talking gangster. To say that it singlehandedly ruined a schr¡¯s image of impable etiquette and manners would be an understatement.

    It was also why he allowed only a handful of trusted aides to learn about its existence, much less outsiders. For one, a trump card should remain hidden until it was time for it to shine. And two, it was just highly embarrassing. So embarrassing, in fact, that Zhang Lanjiang wouldn¡¯t have used it if he had any other option.

    That said, the Sage¡¯s Notes were unquestionably powerful. It was single-handedly trouncing a Half-Step Spirit Master and another Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact like they were babies.

    Zhang Lanjiang couldn¡¯t deny feeling a deep, deep sense of satisfaction as he watched the Sage¡¯s Notes wrecking Wang Luori both physically and mentally. If he wasn¡¯t the principal, and this wasn¡¯t a public space, he might even be tempted to cheer on the Sage¡¯s Notes and join in on the abuse!

    ¡°Oh, what was I thinking? Such thoughts are not befitting for a schr!¡± Zhang Lanjiang chided himself for his ungentlemanly thoughts before returning his attention to the wonderful show.

    Meanwhile, after pummeling Wang Luori with its massive fists about two dozen times, the Sage¡¯s Notes grabbed both ends of the stele. Muscles bulging and arms growing even bigger than before, it let out a cringeworthy scream, ¡°Hiyaah!¡± and exerted its strength.

    Crack crack crack¡­

    Cracks began appearing on the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele¡¯s surface. Every Sunset Hill disciple looked beyond horrified.

    ¡°Ahhh! No! No!¡±

    No one was more horrified than the Hill Lord himself, however. His fearful cries seeped out of the deep, dark pit he was in, and he appeared on the edge a secondter. However, his clothes were tattered, his appearance was unseemly, and his aura was far, far weaker than before. He was so weakened that he couldn¡¯t even stand straight.

    Wang Luori¡¯s eyes widened like saucers as he stared at the breaking Eastern Purple Cloud Stele.

    It¡¯s going to destroy my Eastern Purple Cloud Stele?

    It¡¯s actually going to destroy my Eastern Purple Cloud Stele?!

    There was nothing he could do to stop the book, however. Right now, his body was hurt and numb, his astral qi was in shambles, and his energies were circting sluggishly. He could only watch as his prized Strange Artifact broke bit by bit.

    ¡°You called me a shitty book, didn¡¯t you? Let¡¯s see who¡¯s shittier after I snapped your shitty stele in half!¡± the Sage¡¯s Notes taunted while continuing its work.

    ¡°No, I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, senior. I shouldn¡¯t have insulted you. I¡¯m the shitty one here, so please¡­¡±

    Hatred and frustration flickered within Wang Luori¡¯s eyes, but he had no choice but to beg for mercy. After all, the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele was the source of his confidence and strength. Without it, Sunset Hill would suffer a massive decline. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t afford to lose it no matter what!

    He didn¡¯t like his revenge served cold, but that didn¡¯t mean he was incapable of waiting. Whatever humiliation he suffered now could always be repaid tenfoldter.

    ¡°Hehehe. Don¡¯t you think that your apology came a little toote? Also, it doesn¡¯t really sound all that sincere. You¡¯re plotting to take revenge in the future, aren¡¯t you? Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Eat shit, you stupid fuck!¡±

    The Sage¡¯s Notes practicallyughed in Wang Luori¡¯s face before letting out another ¡°Hiyaah!¡± A secondter, the stele snapped in half just like that.

    ¡°You¡ªpwack!¡±

    As the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele was bonded with Wang Luori through his heart¡¯s blood, its destruction also dealt Wang Luori a severe blow. He looked downright pitiful as he stared at the broken stele in a daze.

    ¡°Aw man, it broke before I could use my full strength. What a shitty, lousy stele it is! Ptooey!¡± The Sage¡¯s Notes shook the two halves of the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele left and right before tossing them away like trash.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ You¡­ You¡­!¡±

    Wang Luori could only point a finger at the Sage¡¯s Notes and tremble in hatred and fury.

    ¡°What? Do you miss that shitty trash that badly? Fine! I suppose I can do you one favor!¡±

    The Sage¡¯s Notes pped Wang Luori across the torso as soon as it finished. The Hill Lord was turned into a star in the sky just like that.

    ¡°The rest of you can get lost as well! Or do you need me to send you off as well?¡±

    The Sage¡¯s Notes then wheeled around and shook its fist at the Sunset Hill disciples standing not far away from it.

    ¡°C¡¯mon!¡±

    They obeyed itsmand, of course. What could they possibly do when even Wang Luori had been swatted away like a fly? No one wanted to taste the fists of the Sage¡¯s Notes, so they were gone in just the blink of an eye.

    After the Sunset Hill group was gone, Zhang Lanjiang gave the Sage¡¯s Notes a deep bow and said, ¡°Thank you for your timely assistance, great sage!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but I have a question. Why didn¡¯t you let me kill them all? Those walking garbage don''t deserve to live, man!¡± The Sage¡¯s Notesined unhappily.

    Zhang Lanjiang shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re both in the wrong in this matter, and we are both sects of Luo Shui. We should be watching out for each other, not killing each other to thest!¡±

    ¡°Why do schrs study? Is it not to learn how to spread kindness to all people?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Are you secretly a woman? Or did you read so many books that you identally rotted your own brain?¡±

    The Sage¡¯s Notes scoffed in disdain, ¡°Kindness is a virtue, but it isn¡¯t something all people deserve. Good people are deserving of kindness, but bad people deserve punishment. Why do you think saints and sages get wrathful sometimes?¡±

    ¡°These people literally kicked down your door and screamed how they were going to destroy your sect, and not only did you let them p you in the face, you¡¯re going to offer the other side of your cheek as well? Are you stupid or senile?¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang could only let out a helplessugh. Unwilling to argue against the Sage¡¯s Notes, the principal echoed awkwardly, ¡°You are right, great sage.¡±

    The Sage¡¯s Notes bobbed up and down in satisfaction, ¡°Hmph hmph! Of course I¡¯m right! Don¡¯t hesitate to wake me up the next time something like this happens again! I promise I¡¯ll beat the shit out of them!¡±

    ¡°Remember this, Young Zhang. We White Horse Academy don¡¯t enjoy causing trouble, but that doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re afraid of trouble. A gentleman must stand up for himself before he can be strong!¡±

    ¡°This student will remember this!¡± Zhang Lanjiang saluted.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯m heading back to my ce now,¡± The Sage¡¯s Notes said and flew back to White Horse Academy in a beam of light.

    ¡°Farewell, great sage!¡±

    ¡°Farewell, great sage!¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang and every other White Horse Academy disciple chanted as they bowed their bodies in salute. Their voices would reverberate throughout the academy and soar through the heavens for a very long time.

 Chapter 203: Sudden Attack

    Chapter 203: Sudden Attack

    Xu Wushang was supporting Wang Luori on their way back to Sunset Hill. He asked in a low tone, ¡°Are you alright, master?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll live!¡± Wang Luori grunted beforeunching into a tirade, ¡°What were you guys doing while I was fighting against that old fucker? I cannot believe so many of you couldn¡¯t take out even one Cheng Nuo. Trash!¡±

    Xu Wushang and the others kept quiet. Contrary to Wang Luori¡¯s words, there was nothing they could do while he was duking it out with Zhang Lanjiang. Had he won, they would be all over Cheng Nuo¡¯s corpse already. But since he lost, they could only withdraw with their tails tucked between their legs. Such was the way of this world.

    Of course, no one was stupid enough to voice their opinion out loud. It would be no different frommitting suicide.

    Wang Luori was the tyrant of Sunset Hill. Rarely anyone dared to challenge his authority, not to mention that the man was furious right now. Voicing a retort now would surely earn them a swift and undignified death.

    ¡°Trash. Trash!¡±

    Wang Luori grew even more furious when no one spoke up. He pushed Xu Wushang away and yelled, ¡°Why are you still standing here? Go find my Eastern Purple Cloud Stele already! Both halves! If anything happens to my Strange Artifact because you were cking, I swear I¡¯ll rip you all to shreds!¡±

    ¡°As youmand, master.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    The group received their orders and left immediately. Only a handful of disciples stayed behind to guard Wang Luori.

    ¡°Dammit! Dammit! Zhang Lanjiang and that shitty book, how dare you destroy my Eastern Purple Cloud Stele and humiliate me! Just you wait. When my Strange Artifact is repaired, and I have be a Spirit Master after retaking the ¡®Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡¯ from Ye Qing, I wille back and destroy you all!¡±

    ¡°Graaaaaaaaah!¡± Wang Luori ended his rant with an angry roar and a punch against a giant rock standing in front of him. Despite his weakened state, it shattered into smithereens easily.

    At this point, the Hill Lord¡¯s hatred for Zhang Lanjiang had exceeded even his hatred for Cheng Nuo, the man who killed his son.

    He could always sow more sons in the future, but if he lost the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele, then that was it. Sunset Hill would be in grave danger, and he would lose the one item that allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with the other two sects!

    Therefore, he must retrieve the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele no matter what. Although that shitty book had snapped it in half, it might still be possible to repair it. Only then could he take revenge against White Horse Academy.

    Suddenly, Wang Luori saw a man walking toward them. It was an outer steward who went away to search for the Eatern Purple Cloud Stele earlier.

    ¡°Why are you back, Tang Shong? Did you find the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele already?¡± Wang Luori asked. However, the man didn¡¯t respond to his call.

    ¡°Are you deaf or mute? I¡¯m asking you a question!¡± Wang Luori¡¯s tone grew a little impatient. However, the man still didn¡¯t respond and continued to close the distance between them.

    ¡°Tang Shong, you¡ª¡± Wang Luori was about to fly into a rage when suddenly, Tang Shong rushed forward andnded a palm strike squarely on his chest.

    Tan Shong was an outer steward of Sunset Hill, so he was pretty strong¡ªa Half-Step Spirit Purifier to be exact. The steward hadn¡¯t held back, and Wang Luori was both severely injured and mentally unguarded. As a result, the sudden attack shattered his bones and sent him flying into a tree.

    ¡°Pwack! What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, Tan Shong? Have you gone mad?¡± Wang Luori eximed in shock and confusion while spitting blood. Tan Shong was among thest people he thought would attack him.

    ¡°No¡­ wait¡­ what happened to you, Tan Shong?¡±

    It was at this moment Wang Luori noticed something amidst. The outer steward¡¯s expression was nk and wooden almost as if he was a puppet.

    ¡°You lot, what are you waiting for? Come protect me already!¡±

    His disciples turned around to face him, but their expressions were just as wooden as Tan Shong¡¯s. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, over twenty warriors stepped out from the nearby forest. Their clothes, weapons, and cultivation levels all differed greatly. They were clearly independent warriors. The onemonality they shared was the wooden expression on their faces.

    The next moment, they all pounced toward Wang Luori.

    ¡°An assassination attempt?!¡±

    Wang Luori frowned deeply as he met the group head on. When two swordsmen got close, he raised his fists and punched their swords hard. The des exploded into a shower of deadly projectiles and killed a handful of attackers. Then, he took a few steps forward¡ªevery time he took a step, it was like an elephant was stomping the ground¡ªand shook the ground hard enough to knock the warriors off bnce. The next moment, they burst into mes and burned down to ashes without resistance.

    Wang Luori walked across the sea of mes. His movement looked slow and leisurely, but it took him only a second to appear in front of Tang Shong. He grabbed the outward steward with his bare hand and crushed it like a watermelon, sending red gore and white brain matter everywhere.

    ¡°Do you really think you can kill me with a bunch of mindless puppets?¡± Wang Luori taunted his unseen attacker. The warrior group looked menacing, but they were mindless. They were probably easier to kill than even a bunch of crazed animals.

    ¡°Show yourself, friend. Surely you¡¯re man enough to fight me face to face?¡± Wang Luori continued to provoke his enemy in a scornful voice.

    ¡°Sigh. I just can¡¯t manipte these dolls as well as that old timer. I guess I¡¯m just not talented in this department,¡±ined an annoyed, feminine voice. ¡°Oh well! I should just stick to my earth dolls!¡±

    Her voice wasing from the forest, but Wang Luori was unable to pinpoint her location because it wasing from everywhere at once. The next moment, the soil and stone around Wang Luori flowed like water and converged into many earth dolls.

    The earth dolls had a humanoid body and face. They looked so lifelike they could probably be mistaken for a human being in the dark. Not only that, they were crying with clear excitement and delight,

    ¡°Woohoo! Another day, another murder!¡±

    ¡°Get him, brothers!¡±

    It was almost as if they were sentient. They split up into several groups and surrounded Wang Luori from all sides.

    ¡°Earth dolls?¡±

    Wang Luori frowned deeply. His senses were telling that each and every one of these earth dolls was as strong as ate-stage Astral Refiner. They were just as intelligent as a human being as well.

    Before Wang Luori could decide on a course of action, the three earth dolls at the forefront raised their earth swords and attacked him from three positions: Heaven, Earth, and Human. They were all using a profound sword technique!

    ¡°The Three Powers Sword¡­¡±

    The Three Powers Sword was a third-rate sword art that many people in the jianghu knew. It was pretty weak when executed by a single person, but it was a different story if three people came together to form the Three Powers Formation.

    Wang Luori didn¡¯t dare to treat it lightly. Exploiting his greater cultivation, he managed to reach the earth dolls first and punch one of the earth dolls into oblivion before the Three Powers Formation could fully take form. Then, like a dragon flicking its tail, he swung his arm horizontally and unleashed a fiery dragon that consumed the other two dolls.

    Unfortunately, another three dolls crawled out of the ground before he could even sigh in relief. They yelled, ¡°We got a tough customer, brothers! Let¡¯s get him together!¡±

    The earth dolls rushed Wang Luori at once, but they weren¡¯t going after him like an unorganized group. Not even close. Three dolls formed the Three Powers, four dolls emted the Four Symbols, five people conjured the Five Elements, eight dolls embodied the Eight Trigrams, and nine dolls acted like one single entity.

    If Wang Luori was at his full strength, he could¡¯ve crushed these dolls in a single punch. However, he was seriously injured, and these earth dolls cooperated perfectly with one another and possessed seemingly endless numbers. Over time, he umted more and more injuries and was actually pushed into a corner.

    Not all Sunset Hill disciples were mind-controlled by the unseen attacker, and not all of them had walked so far away that they couldn¡¯t hear themotion. They immediately rushed back to the Hill Lord¡¯s rescue, but more earth dolls emerged from the ground and kept them pinned.

    It wasn¡¯t long before everyone was fighting to save themselves, and Wang Luori was the most desperate of them all.

    The Hill Lord continued to weaken as he rued more and more injuries. Then¡ª

    Pssh!

    Wang Luori was exhausted both physically and mentally after all the battles he had fought today. As a result, a pair of dolls were able to exploit a slip in his concentration and stab him in the chest.

    Behind him, a pair of swords and sabers were swinging toward his back as well. They were a perfect blend of real, unreal, straightforward and feint like yin and yang. A patch of chaos abruptly surged out into the open, and it seemed potent enough to return all things to zero.

    Wang Luori let out a furious growl when he sensed the sudden crisis. He detonated his remaining astral qi and was able to destroy all the earth dolls in a wash of golden mes, but the loss of power only put him in direr straits.

    A white-faced Wang Luori staggered on his feet when he finally recognized his attacker, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re the Earth Puppeteer of Jester Tower [1]?!¡±

    ¡°Huh! I must be more famous than I thought if the great Hill Lord of Sunset Hill would recognize me! A pleasure to make your acquaintance!¡± the feminine voice replied.

    ¡°Of course I have heard of you. There are few people at my level who don''t know about Jester Tower.¡± Wang Luori said slowly, ¡°However, I don¡¯t remember offending you or Jester Tower in any way. Why are you attacking me?¡±

    The Earth Puppeteer replied, ¡°Since you know our name, you should know exactly what kind of organization we are. We¡¯ll work for anyone who pays the right price. To put it simply, someone hired us to kill you.¡±

    ¡°And who might your employer be, pray tell?¡± Hatred flickered within Wang Luori¡¯s eyes.

    It was said that Jester Tower loved nothing more than to steal fate and toy lives. They were one of the most mysterious yet infamous killer organizations in the jianghu.

    They were mysterious because the location of their headquarters, their organizational structure, their numbers, their strength and more werepletely unknown. They were infamous because they had killed Grandmasters, Truemen, and imperial personnel, and even annihted famous sects in the past. To say that their hands were caked in blood would be an understatement. They continued to exist in this world even after several famous sects hade together to squash them.

    The Earth Puppeteer was one of the more famous killers of Jester Tower as ofte. Famed for their ability to control earth dolls, they oncemanded hundreds of earth dolls and ground down the veteran Spirit Master and casten of the Twelve Castles of the Owls of Feng Yang, Zuo Tianying the ¡°Ghost Owl¡±. It was this feat that caused their name to be whispered throughout the jianghu.

    Strangely, the Earth Puppeteer¡¯s true name, background, appearance, cultivation level and more were aplete mystery. It was probably because everyone who knew their personal information was dead.

    Wang Luori didn¡¯t think he deserved such a famous killer. The timing of the attack was practically perfect as well.

    Who in the world hates me so much that they would hire the Earth Puppeteer of all things to kill me?

    He might be an arrogant man who condescended on everyone and everything, he wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew who he could abuse, and who to avoid. He would¡¯ve died a long time ago if he didn¡¯t know at least this much.

    Unfortunately, he was unable to figure out the answer.

    His impulse told him that it was Ye Qing or the Pacification Bureau, but his reason said otherwise. If the Pacification Bureau wanted him dead, they would have marched to his hill in person. It was beneath them to hire a killer organization to kill him.

    Ye Qing was even more out of the question. It was unthinkable that the young man was rich enough to hire the Earth Puppeteer. If he was, he wouldn¡¯t need toe to the Pacification Bureau for protection.

    So who was it?

    1. The original raw is ¡°Fate Toying¡± or something like that. ?

 Chapter 204: The Bewitching Fish

    Chapter 204: The Bewitching Fish

    ¡°So sorry, but we have a rule that prevents us from divulging our employer¡¯s information. After all, who would hire us if we do that?¡±

    The Earth Puppeteer¡¯s voice kept fluctuating in pitch and direction as they [1]spoke, ¡°I know you¡¯re trying to buy time, Hill Lord Wang, but it¡¯s useless. No one wille to save you, so just be a good boy and die, will you?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You think you can kill me just because you got lucky with that trash, Zhuo Tianying? You must be quite new to your profession despite your fame!¡± Wang Luori suddenly burst outughing. ¡°I will remember this, Earth Puppeteer.¡±

    He said ¡°Earth Puppeteer¡± instead of ¡°Jester Tower¡± because the killer was just a member of the organization, not their representative. Also, it was one thing to make an enemy out of Earth Puppeteer, and another to dere the whole organization as his enemy. He didn¡¯t have a death wish, and he was no fool.

    Sensing that something wasn¡¯t right, Earth Puppeteer hurriedlymanded their earth dolls to attack Wang Luori. It was at this moment a massive ship with an equally massive sun floating above its sails appeared in the sky. It was none other than the Heaven Patrolling Sun Ship.

    The Heaven Patrolling Sun Ship was a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact just like that Seven Bejeweled zed Lamps. Although itcked any offensive capabilities whatsoever, it made up for it by being incredibly fast. Capable of traveling hundreds of kilometers in the blink of an eye, it was one of Wang Luori¡¯s lifesaving trump cards.

    Wang Luori spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and growled. The Heaven Patrolling Sun Ship abruptly shone like a golden sun before vanishing in a sh of light. Wang Luori himself was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Dammit! I screwed up! I can¡¯t believe I forgot that Wang Luori had the Heaven Patrolling Sun Ship! Oh, this is going to be so annoying!¡±

    Earth Puppeteer let out a deep, frustrated sigh, ¡°Calm down, girl [2], it¡¯s not entirely your fault. Who would¡¯ve thought that a macho guy like Wang Luori was really a scaredy cat who keeps his Heaven Patrolling Sun Ship with him all the time? The spineless coward should be ashamed of himself! Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, his cadre is still around. Hopefully, killing them would be enough to convince my employer not to take back most of his money!¡±

    ¡°Sigh, the smoked chicken and duck-in-wine from Smoke and Fire, the sweet prawn and hibiscus brew from Cloud Tower, and the osmanthus biscuits and rice-ball-in-wine from Yuxiu Diner¡­ I won¡¯t be able to enjoy these delicacies this time or meet up with my cute and beautiful Cui, Hong and Red either. Whatever shall I do¡­?¡±

    ¡°I need to work harder to earn more money. Beautiful people and delicious food are the two things one must never betray¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Back in Thousand Buddhas Temple, the space around Ye Qing had turned into a vacuum. The three divine winds were still pouring into the temple, but they automatically vanished when they came within a meter of the young man.

    A closer look would reveal that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t really surrounded by a vacuum, but an invisible cyclone of air. The wind looked weak and powerless, but in reality it was hot enough to boil even space itself. In fact, the ground underneath Ye Qing had melted into moltenva a long time ago.

    Ye Qing seemedpletely unperturbed though. It was almost as if he was existing in apletely separate space.

    Boom!

    Suddenly, a terrific amount of power gushed out of Ye Qing. The invisible cyclone abruptly grew much bigger, and the three divine winds inside the temple were blown away in an instant. Speaking of the temple, the structure had stood strong despite a century of erosion and the constant battering of the three divine winds, but now, it was melting inch by inch under the invisible cyclone¡¯s influence. The entire Thousand Buddhas Temple was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    The next moment, Ye Qing opened his eyes and inhaled deeply. Like a whale taking a deep breath, he somehow inhaled the invisible cyclone back into his abdomen. It cleared up his mind in an instant and made him feel like he just had a satisfying meal.

    Ye Qing rose to his feet and walked forward, his feet flowing seamlessly from one step to another like a stream. Then, he threw out a punch.

    BOOM!

    The wind howled, and the air was blown away in an instant. The cavern he was in and all the life in it abruptly disintegrated into nothing just like that.

    Now this was a punch that could vaporizekes and change the sky itself!

    ¡°Hahaha! My astral qi is now rich, dense and pure in every sense of the word. I¡¯ve finally entered thete-stage of the Astral Refinement stage.¡± Ye Qing let out a boisterousugh as he admired his handiwork.

    Thanks to the Star Lotus and the Blood Jade Lotus, he was able to skip the middle stage and enter thete-stage of the Astral Refinement stage in one fell swoop. Not only that, his astral qi was at least as rich, dense and pure as those warriors who tirelessly cultivated their astral qi for over a decade, if not more.

    Even better, the Blood Jade Lotus had purified his Burning Wind to the point where it turned invisible and resembled its truest essence. As a result, his astral qi was at least several times stronger than before.

    After this, all he needed to do was to improve his fine control until he could manifest his Expression, and he would finally be able to call himself a truete-stage Astral Refiner.

    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s finally time to go home.¡±

    It had been a few days since he came to Thousand Buddhas Grotto, and he was still the Patrolman of Luo Shui. It was one thing to take a few days leave for important business, and another to actively abscond his responsibilities for personal pleasure.

    Besides, he wanted to know if his ploy had worked. Wang Luori should¡¯ve learned of his son¡¯s death a few days ago. Had he gone to White Horse Academy for revenge? And had he died for his foolishness? As the one who had single-handedly directed this scene, he could hardly wait to enjoy the final product.

    I sure hope I¡¯m not toote for the show.

    Whoosh!

    Ye Qing was just about to take his leave when a school of fishes abruptly swam in from the surrounding cracks and crevices. That¡¯s right, swam. It was as if the Stranger was born to the three divine winds like fish to water. They also wore a human woman¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡±

    The fishes giggled melodiously as they swam. Although the faces were all different, they were all unnaturally beautiful and seductive. At the same time, an inexplicable energy spread across the area and conjured countless half-naked women in all sorts of embarrassing poses into existence. It was like he was suddenly teleported to the imperial harem.

    ¡°The Bewitching Fish?¡± Ye Qing muttered while the corners of his lips turned up. Eyespletely free from desire, he ignored the half-naked women trying to draw his attention and simply examined the fish Strangers curiously.

    The fish Strangers swimming in the air was called the Bewitching Fish. They were a rare Malice-ss Stranger.

    The Bewitching Fish possessed a fish¡¯s body and a human¡¯s face, and although it was called a fish, it was actually terrestrial. Born from a multitude of vengeful souls, it possessed the ability to conjure illusions. It fed on its victims¡¯ souls by conjuring seductive illusions and keeping them distracted until it was toote. The action allowed them to gain control over their victim¡¯s body and mind.

    Although the Bewitching Fish was just a Malice-ss Stranger, itcked a physical body and was immune to physical attacks as it was a ghost-type Stranger. Normally, it would take a considerable amount of effort to vanquish them.

    Even worse, the Bewitching Fish normally lived in groups. A handful of Bewitching Fishes alone could create an illusion that would drown even an Astral Refiner. In bigger numbers? They could scare off even Spirit Purifiers.

    Right now, Ye Qing was facing over two dozen Bewitching Fishes. If his spirit wasn¡¯t as strong as it was, he would be cumming out his brains already. Possibly literally.

    As for why the Bewitching Fishes hadn¡¯t shown themselves until now, he reckoned that it was because Jing Hui¡¯s heart demon was in control of this ce until recently. Now that the heart demon was sealed, and even the Thousand Buddhas Temple itself was destroyed, the Bewitching Fishes finally gathered enough courage to enter this ce.

    ¡°Heh. it looks like someone¡¯s underestimating my strength!¡± Ye Qing smirked diabolically. ¡°This is the perfect opportunity to test out my new Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art!¡±

    Ye Qing straightened his palm and swung it downward. The first thing he learned when studying the saber art was that there was no specific form he must abide to when executing the saber art. He could use his saber, his hands, his legs, or anything to execute a technique.

    Countless demonic red lotuses bloomed in the air in an instant. The way the red flowers floated across the air painted a paradisiacal scene, and yet it was bewitching in the sense that it could somehow unearth one¡¯s emotions, desires, and sins.

    The illusion conjured by the Bewitching Fishes vanished as soon as the red lotuses descended. They themselves shuddered unnaturally as their human faces turned nk and seemingly confused. The next second, countless demonic mes burst out of their orifices and consumed them from the inside out.

    The Bewitching Fishes couldn¡¯t break free no matter how hard they struggled. Even stranger was the fact that their expressions grew increasingly calm and peaceful as time passed. This shouldn¡¯t be possible as they were the embodiment of vengeance and darkness. Over time, the Strangers forgot how to struggle or despair. They even looked relieved and happy when the mes finally burned them into ashes.

    ¡°Heavens¡­ what a demonic art this is!¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but gulp as he stared at the pile of ashes that were once the Bewitching Fishes.

    He hadn¡¯t used his Burning Wind earlier because he wanted to test out the strength of the saber art. Instead, he had executed the technique using his spirit. The mes were not the mes of the Burning Wind, and it was named the Red Lotus Hellfire.

    As the mes were created from the sins of the Bewitching Fishes, one could say that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t their true killer. They had died to their own sins. Not only that, not a sound could be heard as the fishes burned to death. Assuming that the circumstances were right, he could probably use this to assassinate someone without a trace.

    On a rted note, he had practiced the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art while he was refining his astral qi. As Jing Hui had imprinted his martial arts essence directly into his mind, it took him little effort to grasp the basics of the saber art.

    This was the first time he applied it in truebat, and he must say that he was extremely pleased with the oue.

    He could see why it was ssified as a Spirit Purification stage saber art. He wasn¡¯t even a Spirit Purifier yet, and its potency was still far greater than any Astral Refinement stage martial art he had ever seen.

    Of course, he was just an initiate of the art right now. If he wished to unleash its true power, he would have to merge his spirit, astral qi, and saber intent into one andbine his essence, qi and spirit first.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± Ye Qing sighed regretfully. If he knew he was going to pick up this saber art in the future, he might have considered cultivating the Red Lotus Hellfire as his astral qi instead of the Burning Wind to maximize its potential. The Red Lotus Hellfire was one of the thirty six superior astral qis and rarer than even the Burning Wind.

    Of course, thebination of his formless Burning Wind and the saber art wasn¡¯t necessarily weaker than if he had cultivated the Red Lotus Hellfire. After all, the warrior was the one who decided the strength of a martial art, not the other way around.

    ¡°Alright. Now it¡¯s really time to say goodbye to this ce.¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his palm, looked around the ashen cavern that was once the Thousand Buddhas Temple, and smiled. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

    It was time to go home.

    1. Although it¡¯s a ¡°feminine¡± voice, there¡¯s no telling if she¡¯s actually a woman yet, hence they. ?

    2. NOW we can confirm she¡¯s probably a she. Probably. ?

 Chapter 205: Paper Doll

    Chapter 205: Paper Doll

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t linger after exiting the Thousand Buddhas Grotto. He immediately made a beeline for Luo Shui. However, he had just stepped on a marked road when suddenly, a sparrowhawk descended from above andnded on his shoulder.

    It¡¯s a message from Faceless. Did something happen? Ye Qing thought worriedly as he untied the letter tied to the sparrowhawk¡¯s leg and took a peek. The next second, his eyes turned bloodshot, and a terrible pressure gushed out of his person.

    ¡°Brother Frog and Wawa went missing?!¡± Ye Qing burst out uncontrobly before he forced himself to calm down.

    ording to Faceless, Kung Fu Frog and Wawa never returned after leaving the Pacification Bureau to explore the city [1] about two days ago. He had dispatched every Pacification Sentinel at his disposal and searched every location they might have visited to no avail. It was almost as if they had vanished into thin air.

    ¡°Who in the world would capture Brother Frog and Wawa?¡± Ye Qing crushed the letter between his fingers as he racked his brain for an answer.

    Kung Fu Frog and Wawa couldn¡¯t have gone missing on their own. Wawa was one thing, but Brother Frog was neither stupid nor inattentive. The chances of them somehow getting lost in the city for two whole days without informing Faceless was non-existent.

    Moreover, Faceless imed that he couldn¡¯t find the trace of a battle anywhere. As Kung Fu Frog was a powerful Malice-ss Stranger, this could only mean that the kidnapping was premeditated, and their kidnappers were quite powerful. Otherwise, there was no way they would be able to pull off the kidnapping without leaving a trace behind.

    So, the culprit was both powerful and a somebody. They should be well aware that Kung Fu Frog and Wawa were his Strangers as well. He had never tried to conceal their existence. In fact, he often took them to the streets so that people would know Kung Fu Frog and Wawa were his Strangers. It was also one of the main reasons Faceless wasn¡¯t scared of leaving Kung Fu Frog and Wawa to explore the city on their own.

    Despite this, the culprit still dared to kidnap the duo. There were two possibilities. One, an outsider who just recently entered Luo Shui noticed Kung Fu Frog and Wawa and decided to kidnap them. He couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t think it was very likely.

    The second possibility was that one of his enemies had kidnapped them for one reason or another. This was by far the likelier possibility between the two.

    His impulse said that it was Wang Luori, but Ye Qing discarded the thought almost as soon as it entered his head. The Hill Lord had just lost his son, and he should be busy plotting bloody vengeance against White Horse Academy right now. He shouldn¡¯t be able to spare him any attention at the moment.

    Who else besides Wang Luori had beef with him?

    ¡°Could it be the Luo n? No, it can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°Wait. What about the Strangers lurking within the city?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia. Perhaps one of its friends or family had decided to take revenge?

    Silver Toad itself was one such example. It had gathered a bunch of friends and ambushed Ye Qing during the zombie outbreak incident because it wanted to take revenge for Bronze Toad. But realizing that the direct approach wouldn¡¯t work, they decided to kidnap Kung Fu Frog and Wawa to use as hostages instead.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I think I¡¯m on the right track!¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself.

    Assuming his theory was true, Kung Fu Frog and Wawa should be safe for now. After all, if the enemy could kidnap them without a trace, they could have killed them just as easily. And if the n was to kill them, then there would be no need to vanish the bodies. It would just be a waste of time and energy. So, it had to be a kidnapping, and the reason was to use them as hostages.

    His eyes shone a cold, murderous glint as he muttered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who it is. Whoever kidnapped Brother Frog and Wawa must pay the price!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Excuse me!¡±

    Ye Qing made haste for Luo Shui as soon as his mind was made up, but he had just barely taken a few steps when a Taoist wearing a bagua robe and wielding a horsetail-whisk abruptly stepped¡ªor rather, glided out of the nearby forest. That¡¯s right, the man¡¯s feet were floating about half a meter above the ground almost as if he was riding the wind.

    Also, the Taoist was moving quite fast despite his seemingly slow speed. He had blocked in front of Ye Qing in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Stranger?¡±

    The man didn¡¯t look like a Stranger, but then he got close, and Ye Qing caught a whiff of something unnatural. He didn¡¯t hesitate tosh out and punch the guy into oblivion.

    ¡°Paper?¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes as the Taoist burned into ashes. It was clearly a paper doll of some sort. He paid it no heed though. He was in a hurry to get back to Luo Shui and could not afford to waste his time on the pesky little things as usual. Killing it was the fastest and simplest solution.

    Unfortunately, he had just taken two steps when another Taoist floated down from a nearby tree. He looked exactly the same as the Taoist from before.

    ¡°Wait, friend! Please allow me to s¡ª¡±

    This time, the Taoist spoke as soon as he revealed himself¡ªYe Qing had proven too impatient for pleasantries after all¡ªbut once again, invisible fire suddenly gushed out of its body and turned it to ash.

    ¡°Wait¡­ was he trying to say something?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until after the fact that Ye Qing realized that the Stranger was trying to hold a conversation with him. But then he recalled Kung Fu Frog and Wawa and decided that this oue was for the best.

    While he was passing by a giant rock, a voice suddenly came from above, ¡°Your pets are in our hands, so you best¡ª¡±

    This time, the paper Taoist didn¡¯t even bother approaching Ye Qing. He stood far, far away from the Patrolman and voiced his intention as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, he still couldn¡¯t finish his sentence before an invisible wind blew over him and turned him to ash yet again.

    ¡°What did he just say? ¡®Your pets are in our hands, so you best¡¯... Is he talking about Brother Frog and Wawa?!¡±

    Ye Qing stiffened when he finally connected the dots. Did I just annihte¡­ a free source of intel?

    But what could he do? The months he spent in this world had instilled the need to respond to Stranger threats as quickly as possible, and frankly, it was the paper Taoist¡¯s fault for dying so easily!

    ¡°Well, he already showed himself three times. He should have a fourth paper doll in stock¡­ I hope!¡± Ye Qing consoled himself while rubbing his nose.

    There was a chance the paper Taoist would say fuck it and just leave, but since they had purposelye all the way to this ce to convey a message, they probably wouldn¡¯t give up so easily.

    As expected, a fourth paper Taoist soon floated out of the forest, and he wasted no time in threatening Ye Qing, ¡°Do you want your pets to die this badly, Lord Ye? Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, but attack me again, and you will suffer the consequences!¡±

    Ye Qing pretended not to get his meaning, ¡°I¡¯m sorry? What are you talking about?¡±

    The paper Taoist sneered, ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about. That sparrowhawk just now is your messenger, and I¡¯m willing to bet it told you exactly what happened to your pets!¡±

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t remember offending you. Why would you capture my pets?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The paper Taoist replied in a scornful tone, ¡°were you not murder my brothers and sisters in Luo Shui? Or are you so busy that you¡¯ve forgotten all about them already?¡±

    ¡°Plus, I am Stranger, and you are human. We are destined to fight each other to the death since we are born, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    This confirms that a Stranger group affiliated with Bronze Toad or Silver Toad is behind this, Ye Qing thought to himself as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°That makes sense. What do you want?¡±

    The paper Taoist replied coldly, ¡°You will learn. Now, follow me!¡±

    The paper Taoist glided forward for a bit when he suddenly noticed that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t following him. He taunted, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid, are you Lord Ye? Or are you nning to abandon your two pets to their deaths?¡±

    Still crossing his arms, Ye Qing smirked. ¡°You said it yourself. Why would I risk my life for mere pets?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The paper Taoist sneered and waited patiently. It was as if he wasn¡¯t worried that Ye Qing would choose not to follow him.

    His group had done their homework, of course. He knew that Ye Qing shared a deep bond with Kung Fu Frog and Wawa, and that they were close enough to be called family. That was why they went through the trouble of kidnapping them in the first ce, and why he knew that Ye Qing would cave in in the end.

    As expected, Ye Qing shrugged after stalling him out for a moment longer. ¡°You win this time. Lead the way!¡±

    He just wanted to confirm that the Strangers had definitely done their homework. He was also certain that the Strangers wouldn¡¯t kill him¡ªfor now. If they really wanted him dead, they would¡¯ve just ambushed him while he was traveling back to Luo Shui. After all, they knew exactly where he was, so it would¡¯ve been trivial to set up. They probably wouldn¡¯t go through the trouble of kidnapping Kung Fu Frog and Wawa either.

    Assuming he wasn¡¯t mistaken, these Strangers wanted something from him, and they were using Kung Fu Frog and Wawa as their bargaining chip.

    Finally, the reason he dared to follow the paper doll Stranger was because he was confident in his own strength. It didn¡¯t matter how devious their scheme was, he was certain he was now strong enough to crush it all.

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re a courageous man, Lord Ye,¡± the paper doll Stranger said sarcastically before continuing on its way.

    About half a teatimeter, the paper doll Stranger led him to a Taoist temple. Almost as soon as they reached the entrance, the Stranger abruptly turned limp and transformed into a palm-sized paper doll. The wind easily blew it away without resistance.

    I see. There¡¯s a limit to how long he can maintain these paper dolls. No wonder he needed to bring me to his hideout.

    If the paper doll Stranger could maintain the paper dolls indefinitely, there would be no need for him to risk himself like this. He absolutely could¡¯ve held a remote conversation to ensure his own safety.

    Of course, it could also be because the paper doll Stranger was that confident in his abilities. Although Ye Qing was now ate-stage Astral Refiner, he still appeared to be an early-stage Astral Refiner on the outside. His blood¡¯s ability to conceal his cultivation was very handy in times like this.

    Ye Qing examined the Taoist temple closely. On the surface, it was a lofty and exquisite-looking structure. However, he quickly realized that the entire thing was really made of paper. Even the board hanging above the entrance stated, ¡°Paper Taoist Temple¡±.

    Paper Taoist Temple, huh? An apt name, it is. Ye Qing rubbed his nose to cover up a smirk. I wonder what will happen when I hit it with my Cloud Vaporization Style? Oh, the wolf can¡¯t wait to blow down the piglet¡¯s paper house¡­

    The entrance to the temple swung open, and a bunch of white-skinned and red-lipped paper doll children filed out into the open and split into two lines. Then, they greeted Ye Qing, ¡°This way, Lord Ye.¡±

    This guy is such a show-off, Ye Qing thought disdainfully but obeyed the unspokenmand.

    At first, Ye Qing was worried that the paper temple wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand his weight. After all, it was made of paper. Thankfully, the structure looked tougher than it seemed, and it was even bouncy to a certain extent. It might be a good yground for children¡ªwithout the obviously hostile Strangers, of course.

    Ye Qing was greeted by the sight of a gigantic tree as soon as he entered the courtyard. It was covered in fruits that were shaped like babies, but their expressions were savage and full of resentment.

    1. I usually try to avoid using the word city because I wanna avoid the conundrum of ¡°Is this a town or a city or a metropolis?¡±, but I just realized if I just saymandery it can be mistaken as the entire territory, so. ?

 Chapter 206: Paper Taoist

    Chapter 206: Paper Taoist

    ¡°Keke¡­¡±

    ¡°Keke¡­¡±

    ¡°Keke¡­¡±

    Ye Qing could sense through his spirit the infant-shaped fruits on the tree shaking slightly and letting out dark, resentfulughter. They were also turning every time he took a step and staring fixatedly at him. It was like they wanted to swallow him whole.

    There was a stone table underneath the tree, and a Taoist with white hair and beard was sitting next to it. It looked exactly the same as the paper Taoists he encountered earlier, but this one exuded a much stronger aura. He was obviously the head.

    ¡°Greetings, Lord Ye. My name is Paper Taoist, and I am honored to make your acquaintance.¡±

    Despite what he said, Paper Taoist didn¡¯t rise to his feet. He was the owner of this ce after all. ¡°Please, take a seat!¡±

    ¡°No thanks. Just tell me what you want already!¡± Ye Qing replied directly.

    Paper Taoist didn¡¯t dilly dally. ¡°You just need to do two things for us, and we will release your pets.¡±

    ¡°Spill it.¡±

    Paper Taoist smiled. ¡°Our request is very simple. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t reject us.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t give him a response.

    Paper Taoist began, ¡°First, we want you to give us the silver page you obtained from Bronze Toad.¡±

    ¡°Silver page?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn¡¯t think that the Stranger would ask for it.

    In hindsight, Bronze Toad was unwilling to abandon the silver page even on the verge of death. He didn¡¯t know why, but it must be exceptionally valuable to these Strangers. Silver Toad must have been gunning for the silver page as well.

    ¡°What on earth is that silver page?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Paper Taoist smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know about that. Just give it to me, and your first request is settled!¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°I can give you the silver page, but it¡¯s not with me right now. Can I head back first and give it to you afterward?¡±

    Paper Taoist¡¯s smile grew a little cruel. ¡°It seems you need a little motivation. Do you know who¡¯s holding your pets hostage right now? Her name is Gold Toad, and as you might be able to guess, she is Bronze Toad and Silver Toad¡¯s older sister. She is only all too happy to kill your cute little pets and take revenge for her younger brothers, so please, save your tricks!¡±

    Gold Toad? Bronze Toad and Silver Toad¡¯s older sister? Ye Qing squinted a little. Assuming he understood Paper Toad correctly, Gold Toad was the one who nned everything, and her ultimate objective besides taking revenge for her younger brothers was the silver page.

    This would also exin why the Strangers were able to see through Faceless¡¯ disguise. Bronze Toad had cursed him with the Dying Grudge prior to his death. Although Faceless could mimic his appearance perfectly, he was unable to mimic the Dying Grudge. It was no wonder Gold Toad was able to see through his disguise.

    ¡°Gold Toad, is it?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a diabolical smile. One of the reasons he was indulging in Paper Taoist¡¯s whims was to find out who was the mastermind behind this, but the Stranger had divulged it on his own. He sure saved him a lot of trouble.

    Paper Taoist had no idea about Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts as he continued, ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, Lord Ye. You should know better than to overreach yourself!¡±

    ¡°Fine. You win!¡± Ye Qing pulled out the silver page and tossed it to Paper Taoist.

    Paper Taoist wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to be so decisive and clumsily caught the silver page. A sh of manic delight flickered behind his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re definitely a smart man, Lord Ye!¡± Paper Taoist grinned widely.

    ¡°Har har¡­ now cut the bootlicking and tell me your second request already,¡± said Ye Qing with a sneer.

    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Paper Taoist agreed beforeunching into his second request, ¡°Our second request is that you obtain a certain item from the Demon¡¯s Graveyard after it opens.¡±

    ¡°Demon¡¯s Graveyard? What is that?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Legend says that the Demon¡¯s Tomb is the resting ce of Rahu, the Progenitor Demon. Normally, it floats in the infinite void and is impossible to locate. It is one of the most mysterious ces in the world.¡±

    ¡°But every once in a while, the Demon¡¯s Tomb would take form in our world. Everyone and everything can enter during this time.¡±

    ¡°Due to how special the Demon¡¯s Tomb is, some demonic sects or Strangers believe it to be their ancestralnd of some sort. Some even take pride in being buried in the Demon¡¯s Tomb after they die. As a result, some powerful Strangers or titans of the Dark Ways would enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb and await their deaths when nearing the end of their lifespan. Over time, the Demon¡¯s Tomb became a true tomb of demons where countless demons were buried.¡±

    ¡°Most of these titans and Strangers were exceptionally powerful when they still lived, so their possessions and even their corpses were priceless to put it mildly. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, the Demon¡¯s Tomb itself was a strangend overgrown with all sorts of treasures. Any one of these items can elerate a person¡¯s growth beyond their wildest imaginations.¡±

    ¡°It is also why the Demon¡¯s Tomb also became and of opportunity over time.¡±

    ¡°In short, it¡¯s a Strange Realm,¡± Ye Qing summarized sinctly.

    Paper Taoist lost his voice for a second. ¡°... You can say that.¡±

    Ye Qing asked curiously, ¡°What is this item you want me to obtain? Is it rted to the silver page?¡±

    Paper Taoist¡¯s expression abruptly turned icy and distant. It was as if Ye Qing had crossed a certain line he shouldn¡¯t cross. ¡°Again, you didn¡¯t need to know about that. When the timees, all you need to do is to obey our instructions.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Ye Qing shrugged carelessly. ¡°When and where will the Demon¡¯s Tomb open? I gotta know at least that much, right?¡±

    Paper Taoist answered, ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact time and location ourselves, but it should appear fairly close to Luo Shui within a month or two. Unnatural phenomena will ur throughout the area when it opens, so you¡¯ll know when the timees.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯ll release Brother Frog and Wawa if I get you the item from the Demon¡¯s Tomb, correct?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Paper Taoist replied smilingly, ¡°That is correct.¡±

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°And how can I trust your word?¡± Paper Taoist stroked his beard smilingly, ¡°We can¡¯t give you any guarantees, but can you afford not to trust our word while your two little cuties are still in our hands?¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Ye Qing tilted his head and abruptly shot Paper Taoist an evil smirk. ¡°But you know what? I think I can.¡±

    He didn¡¯t trust Paper Taoist and his cohort as a matter of course. He had killed both of Gold Toad¡¯s family, Bronze Toad and Silver Toad. Even a human would swear bloody vengeance against the enemy who killed their family, much less a Stranger like Gold Toad. And speaking of which, this was a bunch of Strangers he was negotiating with. He trusted them to keep their word as much as a child could throw them. He had no doubt that they would turn on him as soon as he obtained said item for them.

    Only a fool would negotiate with an evil person and expect to receive good faith in return.

    As soon as Ye Qing said this, he suddenly shivered a little and grew transparent. It was an afterimage!

    Paper Taoist wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to attack him at all. Cursing under his breath, his Taoist robe suddenly pped incessantly like a bunch of tree leaves.

    As it turned out, his Taoist robe was made of countless ck and white paper dolls. They floated into the air. They danced around Paper Taoist seemingly at random, but in reality there was a clear pattern to it. ck and white mingled to form yin and yang, life and death. It was obviously the Taoist¡¯s tai chi symbol, and it was protecting Paper Taoist from all sides.

    At the same time, Ye Qing appeared behind Paper Taoist and threw a punch. His force flowed toward the Stranger like a raging, thunderous river. However, the normally unstoppable punch only shook the tai chi symbol slightly. One would almost think that he was fooling around.

    ¡°Huh¡­ I guess you¡¯re not all talk after all!¡± Ye Qing could clearly sense the yin and yang of the tai chi symbol neutralizing his attack by spreading it evenly across all of the paper dolls. As a result, his thunderous punch only managed to shatter a handful of paper dolls.

    ¡°Tsk tsk, to think that a mere Stranger would figure out the secrets of tai chi. It¡¯s truly a shame that you weren¡¯t born a human. It¡¯s fine though! I¡¯ll send you to the afterlife now. Be sure toe back as a human in your next life!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled and pulled back his fist an inch. Then, he punched down on Paper Taoist once more.

    Rumble!

    As an ordinary human being, Bruce Lee was able to break a wooden board with ease with the one-inch punch. In Ye Qing¡¯s case, he was unleashing the full extent of his dragon elephant strength in one inch. Space shattered into smithereens like ss, and this time, the tai chi symbol had no time to neutralize the overwhelming force. The ck and white paper dolls shuddered in unison before scattering into countless paper scraps. They looked like snow from a distance.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Paper Taoist¡¯s eyes bugged out in disbelief. He wanted to say something, but Ye Qing annihted him in one punch.

    ¡°What are you doing, Ye Qing? Don¡¯t you want your pets to live anymore?!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the end though. Of course it wasn¡¯t. Paper Taoist¡¯s voice came from everywhere inside the temple, though he sounded a lot weaker than before.

    ¡°Of course I want them to live!¡± Ye Qingughed madly, ¡°I want them to live, and you to die!¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right with your head! Fine, I¡¯ll kill you first and those two little shitster!¡± Paper Taoist roared.

    Countless paper dolls abruptly flew out from underneath Ye Qing and enveloped him in the blink of an eye. Then, a hundred and eight paper dolls flew out from various corners of the temple. Each and every one of them possessed immense aura and strength. They assumed their positions based on the thirty six Heavenly Stars and seventy two Earthly Fiends and attacked Ye Qing immediately.

    Some paper dolls opened their mouth and spat lightning, Some paper dolls waved their sleeves and summoned wind and rain, Some paper dolls wielded talismans andmanded a storm, Some paper dolls mouthed incantations and summoned steel from the earth, and more.

    It was like the one hundred and eight paper dolls were all Taoist masters, and they specialized in the orthodox magics of the thirty six Heavenly Stars and seventy two Earthly Fiends. The spells engulfed Ye Qing in the blink of an eye, but¡ª

    ¡°Hah¡­ your bark is worse than your bite.¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t seem to feel the spell at all. In fact, he didn¡¯t. They all disappeared as soon as they came within three meters of him.

    The spells looked incredibly intimidating and deadly, but in reality it was a quantity over quality thing. They would be effective against an ordinary Astral Refiner, but him? One might say that Paper Taoist still had a long way to go.

    The temperature inside the Taoist temple suddenly rose rapidly. It was as if the interior was being cooked by an invisible me. The one hundred and eight paper dolls gradually yellowed, ckened, and turned into ash in just a matter of seconds.

    ¡°What else are you waiting for? If I die, then the rest of you are going to die as well!¡± Paper Taoist howled in a flustered voice. It was clear that losing the one hundred and eight paper dolls hurt him deeply.

    ¡°Keke¡­¡±

    Keke¡­¡±

    As soon as Paper Taoist said this, the massive tree at the courtyard started swaying on its own. Its leaves made rustling noises, and its infant-shaped fruits wobbled and cackled eerily.

    Their strangeughter grew louder and louder over time, evil and terrifying. A yin wind started blowing earnestly. The Taoist temple now looked more like a ghost realm than a temple.

 Chapter 207: Grudge Mother

    Chapter 207: Grudge Mother

    ¡°Keke¡­¡±

    ¡°Keke¡­¡±

    As the yin wind continued to blow across the temple, the infant-shaped fruits on the tree suddenly began weeping blood. Then, ghastly infants began floating out of the fruits.

    The infants were all smaller than what a newborn should look. They all looked plump and healthy, but their cheeks were covered in blood trails, their faces were pulled into a savage snarl, and their pitch ck pupils were full of resentment and hatred. T

    Their emotions were so potent that it could be felt throughout the temple. It was clear that they hated everyone and everything. Such was their hatred that even Ye Qing felt his mental defenses wobbling, and his spirit dyeing ck bit by bit. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he could easily lose himself in their sea of resentment and hatred.

    ¡°They¡¯re Grudge Infants!¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly touched his forehead and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to preserve his rity of mind. While doing so, he red at the floating infants with shock and fury.

    A Grudge Infant was born when a ten-month-old infant died before it could be born into this world. Infants at this age already possessed a certain level of consciousness, and so they were filled with love and hope toward the new life ahead of them. However, they died for one reason or another, and so their love soured into hatred, and they grew resentful of their parents, the people, and generally everyone and everything in the world.

    However, most Grudge Infants never umted as much hatred and resentment as the ones before his eyes. They had to be stillborn for at least five or six incarnations in a row.

    Luck was a fickle thing, and this world was a cruel ce. So, it was actually quitemon for a soul to be stillborn one or two incarnations in a row. However, it was rare for them to be stillborn three or four incarnations in a row. Five or six? That was statistically improbable.

    Ye Qing counted at least dozens of Grudge Infants who had umted at least five incarnations worth of hatred before his eyes, and the chances that this could ur naturally was zero, so¡­ it could only have been engineered.

    This was why Ye Qing was furious. Life was fickle, and humanity possessed both light and darkness. However, an infant could only be innocent, much less one that wasn¡¯t born yet!

    Whoever created these Grudge Infants deserved his pure, unadulterated anger!

    They deserved death!

    Ye Qing spread his spirit like a. It wasn¡¯t long before he detected a mass of ck hair floating just above the temple. They twisted and turned like streams, and he could vaguely make out the face of a woman.

    The woman wore a kind, benevolent smile and brimmed with a motherly aura. However, a closer look would reveal that her stomach was as round and swollen as a pregnantdy. One could almost see the outline of an infant lying inside her stomach as well.

    Although the infant was still inside the woman¡¯s stomach, Ye Qing could sense a shocking level of resentment of hatreding from it. It was even worse than the infants he was facing right now. The only reason he hadn¡¯t detected it sooner¡ªheck, hadn¡¯t detected it long before he even got close to the temple¡ªwas because a strange energy was keeping it concealed.

    ¡°A Grudge Mother. I knew it.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered with bloodthirst as he red daggers at the woman.

    The Grudge Mother was a yin soul-type Stranger just like the Grudge Infant, and even the way they came to be were pretty simr. A Grudge Mother was a mother who was ten months pregnant, but she died because of the infant she was carrying. For example, it could be the bastard son of an influential family, and someone decided that both mother and child were better off dead; a daughter that earned the hatred of the entire family, a tragic death when she was inbor, so on and so on. In any case, the deep resentment she carried allowed her yin soul to live on despite the demise of her physical body. One thing led to another, and the yin soul eventually evolved into a Grudge Mother.

    As the Grudge Mother had died an undeserved death because of her baby, she deeply resented everyone and everything. She especially hated pregnant women and unborn infants and liked nothing more than to torture the pregnant woman to death, sucking out the soul of the infant, and injecting it into another pregnant woman¡¯s belly. Right before the infant was about to be born, she would kill the pregnant woman and repeat the process all over again, eventually creating an army of Grudge Infants for herself.

    The Grudge Mother was easily one of the cruelest Strangers in the world. There were few humans in the world¡ªeven irredeemable monsters¡ªwho could tolerate the existence of a Grudge Mother.

    Unfortunately, a Grudge Mother was incredibly powerful. She might just be a Hatred-ss Strangers, but she could intimidate even Spirit Purifiers if she had assembled arge enough group of Grudge Infants. That was exactly the problem Ye Qing was facing right now.

    Even so, there is no way I would allow a Stranger like you to continue existing in this world!

    Ye Qing bent his legs slightly and lowered his spine. Then, he slowly raised his right fist like he was lifting an entire river. When his elbow was on the same height as his shoulder, he abruptly stood up straight¡ªhis feet literally sinking into the ground due the sheer amount of force¡ªand he unleashed a mighty punch at the Grudge Mother.

    A warrior who learned to fight should have the courage to challenge the heavens, the earth, and humanity. If someone told them to jump, they should ask, ¡°How high?¡± If someone told them to dig into the earth, they should ask, ¡°How deep?¡± And if someone asked them if they ever regretted their way of living, they should ask, ¡°What regret?¡±

    Today, Ye Qing discovered something he couldn¡¯t possibly overlook, and he wasn¡¯t entirely sure he could ovee it. How should he respond to this formidable challenge?

    Bring. It. On!

    His spine straightened like a dragon breaking free from its shackles and soaring into the heavens.

    His fist shot up unerringly, never questioning if it could pierce the nine heavens, only when.

    Rumble¡­

    Space shuddered, and the image of a massiveke and winding rivers suddenly appeared in the sky. It seemed impossible to endanger them in any way, but the Burning Wind blew, and suddenly, they were no more. It was like the world itself was returning to zero, and all gods and demons bowed before such power.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    The formless Grudge Infants blocking in front of Ye Qing dissipated into nothing without a sound. The Grudge Mother floating in the sky howled in rage as her stomach split open to unveil a Grudge Infant so ck it almost looked tangible. The baby let out a soundless howl after it climbed out of the Grudge Mother¡¯s stomach, and its infinite hatred poured down from the sky like a waterfall at the Yellow Spring.

    However, not even the torrent of hatred worthy of the Yellow Spring was strong enough to withstand the Burning Wind¡¯s heat. It all evaporated into clear, soothing air in just a matter of seconds.

    Shocked and afraid, the Grudge Mother¡¯s ck hair abruptly spread far and wide like a drop of ink on a piece of white paper. The hair was actually created from her resentment. After it wrapped around the Grudge Mother in a protective cocoon, she sped toward the horizon in an attempt to escape.

    Unfortunately, it was toote for her. The second she made a move, the wind and the clouds descended from the sky like snow and cleansed all of the ink nk surrounding the Grudge Mother, leaving behind only a patch of pale white. Inside the patch the Grudge Mother screamed in rage and bounced all over the ce in an attempt to break out of her confinement, but her efforts only made her look like a headless fly trapped inside a ss.

    Then, invisible fire began sprouting from all over her body. The mes werepletely invisible, but they were hot enough to cook the surrounding space until they looked as blurry as a dream. Finally, the wind scattered the ashes until they were all gone.

    Burn in hell and nevere back.

    Ye Qing withdrew his fist and sped his hands behind his back. The next moment, the Taoist temple¡ªone capable of withstanding fire, rain, wind and thunder despite its fragile material¡ªburst into mes earnestly.

    ¡°Heh, what a good fire it is,¡± Ye Qingmented while smirking like that girl in the Disaster Girl meme. He had wanted to test out his ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± against this Taoist temple from the moment he set his eyes on it, and he had to admit that the results were pretty great.

    ¡°How dare you destroy my temple! I¡¯ll never forgive you, Ye Qing!¡±

    The second the paper temple burst into mes, countless paper dolls abruptly flew out of it and escaped in every direction. Paper Taoist¡¯s voice wasing from them. His voice wasced with anger, frustration, and fear. In fact, his fear was easily the dominant emotion in his voice!

    Didn¡¯t they say that Ye Qing is only an early-stage Astral Refiner? If that¡¯s true, then how the hell did he destroy the Grudge Mother in one punch?

    This is the Grudge Mother we¡¯re talking about, a powerful Hatred-ss Stranger that surpasses even some Soulstealer-ss Stranger at her full strength! How could an Astral Refiner possibly destroy her in one strike?

    Have I gone crazy, or did the world change before I knew it?

    Paper Taoist was pretty proud of his intelligence and even styled himself as the wiseman among his fellow Strangers. The initiative and the geographical conditions were all in his favor, and just in case Ye Qing proved to be more troublesome than expected, he even invited the Grudge Mother to secure the scene.

    This particr Grudge Mother was on the same power level as a Soulstealer-ss Stranger because she possessed an army of Grudge Infants. It was also why he was sure that everything would go his way. If Ye Qing epted his terms, then all was well. If not, they could just kill him and take revenge on behalf of Gold Toad. No matter how he looked at it, there was no way this negotiation would end poorly for him.

    However, Ye Qing had surprised him by refusing to y his game at all andunching an all-out attack. Not only that, he had annihted his trump card in one punch! Just how was this possible?

    The punch hadn¡¯t just killed the Grudge Mother, it also vanquished Paper Taoist¡¯s confidence and will to fight. So, the Stranger ran.

    There was a silver lining though. He was an overly cautious Stranger who always considered the possibility of failure before he pondered on the fruits of sess. As a result, he had a treasure trove of escape ns and escape tools in store.

    Someone might call him a coward, but you only have one life. It was always better to be safe than sorry, and it was how he managed to survive to this day.

    The thought of taking revenge against Ye Qing in the future never crossed his mind because he knew it was impossible. He had never witnessed an Astral Refiner who could annihte a Hatred-ss Stranger¡ªone on par with some Soulstealer-ss Strangers¡ªin one punch, and he had no intentions of meeting him ever again.

    But of course, he couldn¡¯t withdraw without making a quip or two. It wasn¡¯t like it would cost him anything, right?

    ¡°I will be back!¡± quipped Paper Taoist.

    He didn¡¯t know that the seemingly harmless remark would cost him the one thing he didn¡¯t want to lose: his life.

    ¡­¡­

    Back to Ye Qing, the young man was going to kill Paper Taoist after killing the Grudge Mother¡ªafter all, it would be incredibly troublesome if he lived to send word back to Gold Toad¡ªbut while the Stranger was severelycking in offense, his ability to conceal himself and escape were a different story.

    From the moment he dealt Paper Taoist a severe blow, he was unable to detect his aura anymore. It was as if the Stranger had suddenly vanished into thin air.

    Of course, he knew that Paper Taoist was still inside the temple. He was just concealing his aura somehow. That was why Ye Qing had burned the paper temple right after he annihted the Grudge Mother in one punch. It was to force Paper Taoist out of his hidey-hole.

    His n seeded, but Paper Taoist had more tricks up his sleeves. Instead of one Stranger, he found himself staring down an innumerable number of paper dolls, all escaping in every direction at top speed. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, his senses told him that every paper doll was imbued with Paper Taoist¡¯s aura. In other words, he could be any one of them. Not even his spirit was capable of identifying the real thing.

    He was just about to take a gamble and chase after a random paper doll when suddenly, Paper Taoist threw him the ssic viin quote.

    His voice sounded like it wasing from the paper dolls, but his spirit picked up a faint, almost indiscernible fluctuation of energy. When he traced it, he was surprised to find that Paper Taoist¡¯s true body wasn¡¯t hiding among the scattering paper dolls at all. They were all smokescreens meant to lead him astray. The Stranger¡­ was hiding in the underground!

    Paper Taoist riding an oddly-shaped carriage about ten meters under the ground. The vehicle was box-shaped and seemingly made from bamboo. It also had four wooden wheels. What was strange was that the carriage wasn¡¯t drawn by an animal. No, it was an ink wash painting of an old man.

    Ink-like ripples spread out of the old man and wrapped around the entire carriage. It pushed away the soil and stone and allowed the carriage to cut through the underground like a boat on the sea.

    Not only that, the old man was moving around like it was alive. Right now, he was ring at Paper Taoist and huffing, ¡°I thought you said that everything will be fine, you stinking Taoist? So how did your hideout get boiled into a crisp?¡±

    ¡°Also, what the hell was that while you were escaping earlier? Do you actually want the human to find you?¡±

    ¡°You might be suicidal, but I still have a lot to live for, you unlucky bastard!¡±

    Completely unrted to the chapter itself, but I just realized Neytirix''s Pokemon horror fan arts are a perfect depiction of some of the horrors present in this book. So here you go!

 Chapter 208: Jasper Boat

    Chapter 208: Jasper Boat

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Painting. There is no such thing as one hundred percent in this world. If some humans could choke to death while eating, then of course cornering a dangerous beast would have a chance to fail.¡±

    Paper Taoist didn¡¯t get angry despite the ink wash old man¡¯s provocation. He mused, ¡°So long as you¡¯re still alive, then you are a victor. Why else would I invite you over? It¡¯s because I know your speed is unmatched, and that you can even travel underground. There is no one who can outrun you, is there?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right. So long as I am your driver, you¡¯ll never have to worry about pursuers!¡±

    The ink wash old man was incredibly pleased to hear Paper Taoist¡¯s praise. The way his beard swayed and spilled ink everywhere was quiteical. ¡°Your smokescreen was pretty good too, paperboy. Who would¡¯ve thought that all those paper dolls were fake? There¡¯s no way that boy would find out the truth!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you tter me, Painting! My smokescreen is nothingpared to your skills!¡± Paper Taoist replied humbly. Although he found the nickname ¡°paperboy¡± insulting¡ªhe was a bonafide Taoist master, dammit!¡ªthere was no harm in indulging an idiot.

    Paper Taoist and the ink wash old man were still licking each other¡¯s boots when suddenly, the earth shook unnaturally, and everything started melting like they were ice or snow. The soil, the sand, the rocks; they all melted into moltenva and surrounded the Strangers. Then, an invisible me yet deadly heat washed over them!

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Paper Taoist and the ink wash old man screamed in pain at the same time. Paper Taoist¡¯s paper body started yellowing and smoking, whereas the ink wash painting and his bamboo carriage straight up burst into invisible mes.

    ¡°Seventy Two Arts of the Earthly Fiends¡ªFire Escape¡± [1]

    Paper Taoist made a hand seal and engulfed himself in mes. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

    The ink wash old man screamed and release ink ripples in an attempt to extinguish the invisible mes eating away at his painting, but it was futile. His power vanished as soon as it made contact with them.

    ¡°Argh! How can this be? How can this be?¡±

    Shocked, panicking, and unable to think of any other solution, the ink wash old man detached himselfpletely from his painting and withdraw unto itself. Then, it attempted to escape the fiery hell.

    ¡°Heh. They¡¯re all so good at running away. Can they escape though?¡±

    On the surface, Ye Qing smirked evilly as he sped his hands behind his back and walked after the two Strangers. He looked like he was taking a leisurely stroll in the park, but in reality he was moving at unnatural speeds. In fact, every step he took seemed to resonate with the world itself. It was as if he had tapped into some sort of invisible rhythm.

    At first, the earth was only shaking slightly. An inattentive person could easily have missed the tremors. But when Ye Qing came to a stop, the light tremors abruptly joined together to form a thunderous explosion.

    Rumble¡­

    The earth within ten meters from Ye Qing abruptly caved into the underground. Directly beneath him, Purple Taoist and the ink wash old man felt like the world had been turned upside down as they struggled to weather the sudden cave-in. Then, a crushing force pressed down from above, and the ink wash old man exploded into smithereens after a pathetic scream. One down, one more to go.

    Paper Taoist was stronger than the ink wash old man and so was just barely able to hold back the crushing force with a spell. He screamed, ¡°Y-You can¡¯t kill me, Lord Ye! If Gold Toad doesn¡¯t hear from me tonight, she will kill your two pets for sure! But if you let me live, then I swear I¡¯ll assist you in rescuing your pets! What do you say?¡±

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t receive a response despite waiting for a few breaths. More urately, Ye Qing responded by increasing his force even further.

    ¡°No! You can¡¯t kill me, Lord Ye! I can¡­ I can be your ve! I¡¯m a useful Stranger! Surely you have a use for someone like me?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ m-mercy¡­ I don¡¯t want to die, I don¡¯t want to¡ª¡±

    Boom!

    That was all Paper Taoist managed to say before he burned into ash.

    ¡°Heh¡­ I have no need of your service!¡± Ye Qing sneered after confirming that Paper Taoist had burned to death. His eyes were brimming with bloodthirst even now.

    As he said, he didn¡¯t need Paper Taoist¡¯s service. He didn¡¯t require Paper Taoist to help him save Brother Frog and Wawa, nor did he need another servant. If there was one thing he wanted from the Stranger, it was his death, in and simple.

    He could easily locate hispanions with the Annon Sutra and the Incense of Fortune, and saving them would be even easier. Not only that, keeping Paper Taoist alive would give him the opportunity to betray him at an inopportune moment, not to mention that the Stranger had more than proved his cunning during the short time he knew him.

    He had to act with the utmost caution since Kung Fu Frog and Wawa¡¯s lives were on the line here.

    Besides, the city was protected by the Heavens¡¯ Eye. Faceless was able to subvert its detection thanks to the Invisible Cicada, but he strongly doubted that Paper Taoist could do the same thing. In fact, it was far more likely that Paper Taoist had no idea where Gold Toad was hiding Kung Fu Frog and Wawa, and he was just lying to save his own ass.

    Killing him would be the safest move here. Killing him would also give him a silver dragon-serpent rune, so why not?

    Speaking of which, he had used up almost all of his silver runes when he was tempering his astral qi in the Thousand Buddhas Temple. To be specific, he only had three silver runes left. He was just worrying that he wouldn¡¯t be able to use the Orbit of Fate with so few runes when Paper Taoist delivered not one, not two, but three silver runes straight to his doorstep. The intel he provided he was still alive was quite useful as well. What a kind Stranger he was!

    ¡°No time to waste. I need to ask the Annon Sutra where Brother Frog and Wawa are hidden right away.¡±

    Paper Taoist had imed that Gold Toad would kill Kung Fu Frog and Wawa if she didn¡¯t hear anything from him when it was nighttime. That was why he needed to act as soon as possible. Revenge could happen after he rescued hispanions.

    And so Ye Qing bit his tongue and spat a couple mouthfuls of blood on the Annon Sutra. A short whileter, a couple rows of blood red text rose to the surface:

    ¡°Ye Qing sallied forth into the Thousand Buddhas Grotto for treasures,

    knowing not the dangers that befell hispanions.

    Brother Frog and Wawa both went missing,

    and he was oh so worried and oh so lost.

    But good news delivered themselves to his doorstep,

    and now it¡¯s time for the Annon Sutra to show off its power!

    Where are Brother Frog and Wawa hidden, you ask?

    Why, Jasper Boat of Luo Shui River is my answer!¡±

    ¡°Changing your style again? It¡¯s even a self-ttering doggerel with no real rhyme or reason either. Can you have some shame, brother?¡± Ye Qingined as he put away the Annon Sutra.

    That said, the Annon Sutra was unusually direct this time. It had told him exactly what he wanted to know. Perhaps even the Strange Artifact wanted to rescue Kung Fu Frog and Wawa as soon as possible.

    ¡°Jasper Boat, huh? Wait for me, Brother Frog, Wawa!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered with murder as he whispered.

    ¡­¡­

    Jasper Boat was one of the eighteen boats of Luo Shui, but unlike Cui Wei Boat, it was a brothel through and through, and quite the famous one too.

    Who would¡¯ve thought that Kung Fu Frog and Wawa would be hidden at this ce? Gold Toad sure is one smart cookie! Ye Qing sneered internally after slipping into Jasper Boat and observing the crowd.

    There were many benefits to hiding Kung Fu Frog and Wawa at a popted ce like this. One, there were enough humans in the boat to mask Kung Fu Frog and Wawa¡¯s presencepletely all the time.

    Two, Jasper Boat was one of the eighteen boats of Luo Shui and extremely famous. Few people would think that Gold Toad would hide her important hostages in such a conspicuous location, which also meant that the Pacification Sentinels would subconsciously rx their guard when they searched this ce. It was a blind spot so to speak.

    Three, the customers could be used as hostages if the n failed, and they needed a way out. Even if the Pacification Bureau decided that killing them was worth sacrificing some innocents, they wouldn¡¯t be lonely in the afterlife.

    Four, Jasper Boat was a restaurant sh brothel where people from all walks of life frequented. If an incident were to break out, Gold Toad would hear about it immediately and be able to prepare against it.

    And five, Gold Toad wasn¡¯t hiding in Jasper Boat. Yes, the Stranger had stowed Kung Fu Frog and Wawa in Jasper Boat, but she herself was hiding elsewhere.

    Ye Qing himself thought that Gold Toad was hiding in Jasper Boat until he inquired the Annon Sutra about it.

    He had to admit that it was a smart n. This way, even if he somehow defied the odds and rescued Kung Fu Frog and Wawa, he would not be able to find her and end her once and for all. She would be able to continue plotting against him from the shadows.

    It was too bad she didn¡¯t¡ªand couldn¡¯t¡ªount for his cheat, the Annon Sutra.

    Since he knew exactly what Gold Toad was nning, of course he wasn¡¯t going to y her game. Instead of barging into Jasper Boat with an army of Pacification Sentinels, he snuck in to rescue Kung Fu Frog and Wawa first. As soon as he seeded, he was going to rush to Gold Toad¡¯s hideout and end her before she could react.

    This time, there wouldn¡¯t be any loose ends.

    After sneaking into Jasper Boat, Ye Qing walked to a fairly secluded ce and lit the Incense of Fortune. He prayed into the air and requested, ¡°Please help me find Brother Frog and Wawa, Brother Incense!¡±

    He hid the Incense of Fortune inside his sleeve. Then, he started chasing after the blue smoke it emitted.

    Since Jasper Boat was jam-packed with people, no one noticed a faint blue smoke sailing harmlessly through the air. Ye Qing soon arrived at the boat¡¯s hold where most of their wares were stored.

    The hold was normally left unattended, but not this time. As soon as Ye Qing rounded the corner, he saw a pair of tall, muscr men guarding the entrance. The blue smoke slipped through the door gap and disappeared from view.

    Ye Qing was certain that Brother Frog and Wawa were held inside the hold. His senses were telling him that the two men were justte-stage Qi Invokers, but he didn¡¯t act rashly. Instead, he took a moment to finb his surroundings with his spirit. When he was sure that there were no traps or hidden observers in the area, he smiled and produced a yellow talisman between his fingers. It caught on fire after he shook it a little.

    As soon as the yellow talisman caught on fire, a strange energy immediately spread across the area. Ye Qing immediately darted toward the entrance, opened the door, and vanished into the hold. Strangely, the two Qi Invokers didn¡¯t seem to notice his intrusion. In fact, their eyes looked blurry and unfocused.

    The talisman he used just now was a Red-ss talisman known as the Dream Talisman. It could be used to lull a person with a weak spirit into a daydream. However, any external stimulus could potentially jolt them awake, so it was generally viewed as amon andckluster talisman.

    That said, the Dream Talisman had one very useful effect. The victims would not remember the fact that they had fallen into a dream. They would only think that they had nked out for a bit.

    Realizing that the Dream Talisman could be extremely useful in certain situations, he had exchanged a stack of them with his contribution points. This situation proved that his preparation was wise.

    He could¡¯ve crushed these two Qi Invokers with a literal finger, but it was extremely likely that it would alert the hidden guard watching over Kung Fu Frog and Wawa.

    Besides that, it was obvious that these two people were justckeys. He simply couldn¡¯t believe that Gold Toad would dispatch them to guard Kung Fu Frog and Wawa.

    Finally, Jasper Boat wasn¡¯t a ce one coulde and go as they pleased. Since Gold Toad was able to hide Kung Fu Frog and Wawa here, she must have nts throughout Jasper Boat. She must also be a pretty high-ranking member of Jasper Boat herself, if not the puppet master behind it all. Therefore, killing them just wasn¡¯t worth the risk.

    On a rted note, the Dream Talisman wasn¡¯t the only item he exchanged from the Pacification Bureau. He had a small hoard of talismans and other items that were useless in most situations, but could be exceptionally useful in the right circumstances.

    This world was strange, and there was no harm in being prepared. Better safe than sorry!

    1. Was it intentional I tranted it like this? Totally! ?

 Chapter 209: Youâ€™re A God Among Men, My Lord!

    Chapter 209: You¡¯re A God Among Men, My Lord!

    Ye Qing quickly checked the entire hold, but he wasn¡¯t able to find anything. Specifically, he only used his spirit to scan the ce because he was worried that one of the rooms might be booby-trapped.

    ¡°Was I mistaken?¡±

    ¡°No, the Annon Sutra and the Incense of Fortune can¡¯t be wrong. Something must be obscuring my spirit!¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose in thought when he suddenly realized something. ¡°Now that I think about it, the third room is pretty sus.¡±

    Ye Qing walked back to the third room as he recalled what his spirit had sensed¡ªor rather, theck thereof. The third room was just an empty room with nothing in it whatsoever, but that in itself was very suspicious. The hold was where the Jasper Boat stored therge majority of their goods, and each room were more or less piled with random stuff. However, the third room waspletely empty. Logically speaking, there should be no reason why the crew would leave such a valuable space unused.

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow and concentrated his spirit onto the third room and third room alone. A rock could block a stream, but not a river. His spirit overwhelmed whatever was keeping him from sensing the room properly, and he finally saw it for what it was.

    Kung Fu Frog was sitting at the end of the room. A noose was wrapped around his neck, and his eyes looked unfocused and lost.

    Lying next to Kung Fu Frog was a book, and a bronze paperweight was sitting on top of it. It was none other than Wawa¡¯s true body.

    ¡°Two Malice-ss Strangers?! How cautious of you, Gold Toad!¡± Ye Qing let out a cold chuckle. The room had been camouged with an illusory array, and it was potent enough to fool even his spirit at the beginning. He would¡¯ve missed Kung Fu Frog and Wawa if he hadn¡¯t discovered the oddities of the room earlier.

    Most schemers would be satisfied with just the illusory-type array, but Gold Toad had arranged not one, but two Malice-ss Strangers to watch over her hostages as well.

    The first Stranger was the noose wrapped around Kung Fu Frog¡¯s neck. It looked like an ordinary rope at first nce, but Ye Qing could sense a gloomy, deathly aura rising from its body. It felt like countless Vengeful Souls were hiding inside the noose.

    The second Stranger was the bronze paperweight sitting atop Wawa¡¯s true body. Normally, a paperweight was long-shaped and inscribed with poems, epigrams, or tasteful images. However, this one only had six words on its surface, and it stated: ¡°Kill Until You Be A Demon¡±. The words looked plenty evil, but ck, filthy energies were leaking out of them and enveloping Wawa¡¯s true body as well.

    Clearly, the bronze paperweight was sealing Wawa and preventing her from manifesting her sprite form.

    These preparations showed just how careful Gold Toad was. In fact, he would say she was a little too careful.

    From what he remembered, Bronze Toad was simple, and Silver Toad was dumb. They might be intelligent Strangers, but it would be a stretch to call them intelligent. Gold Toad was theplete opposite, however. She had proven to be incredibly smart and careful. How was she so different from her siblings when they were all born from the same toad?

    ¡°Two Malice-ss Strangers, huh?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°This would¡¯ve been a problem, but the heavens are on my side today.¡±

    He could annihte these two Malice-ss Strangers with one hand, but he was worried that themotion would jolt the two men guarding outside the hold awake. It would be very troublesome if that happened.

    Thankfully, the illusory array didn¡¯t just mask light and aura, but also sound to a certain extent. It was probably a precautionary measure just in case Kung Fu Frog somehow woke up and caused a loudmotion. In this case, it worked to his advantage.

    Ye Qing sucked in a short breath. Then, he opened the door, dashed in, and closed the door in one smooth and lightning fast motion.

    The two Strangers in the room responded quickly. The second Ye Qing entered the room, bloodthirst and ripples of ck energy immediately burst out from the ominous words on the paperweight Stranger¡¯s body. It flew toward Ye Qing in an arc and attempted to bash his head in.

    Instead of defending himself, Ye Qing charged toward the paperweight Stranger and caught it right before it would hit his head. Then, he crushed it into smithereens with his bare hand. Before the bronze fragments even hit the floor, he burned it all with the Blue Demon Hand¡¯s Netherme.

    Ye Qing had just taken out the paperweight Stranger when suddenly, he felt an unnatural chill around his neck. Somehow, the noose Stranger had wrapped itself around his neck before he knew it. It released a tremendous amount of deathly energy and filled his head with macabre images of death and decay. He could hear countless Vengeful Souls screaming into his ears as well. At the same time, the noose Stranger rapidly tightened around his neck and attempted to squeeze his head right off his shoulders.

    Ye Qing¡¯s neck was perfectly fine, however. In fact, the neck Stranger was the one who used too much force and snapped itself into several pieces. It dissolved into yin qi and disappeared after that.

    ¡°Vengeful Souls. Interesting.¡±

    Ye Qing looked up. The ceiling was empty before, but now it was hanging with countless nooses and corpses. The swaying bodies were all staring at him with their empty, soulless eyes.

    His senses told him that the corpses were just Vengeful Souls, or more urately, the Vengeful Souls that the noose had killed. If he made contact with them, the nooses would automatically appear around his neck and attempt to strangle him to death.

    ¡°So shy, but where¡¯s the substance?¡± Ye Qing sneered as the Burning Wind blew out of his body. The room immediately turned unbearably hot, and the invisible mes burned it all into nothingness.

    While the Vengeful Souls were disappearing, Ye Qing reached out and caught the noose¡¯s true body. It had been half a second away from escaping the room, but unfortunately for it, it just wasn¡¯t fast enough. It burned down into ash between Ye Qing¡¯s fingers.

    The noose Stranger¡¯s ability was actually quite unpredictable and strong. It was definitely one of the stronger Malice-ss Strangers out there. It was just unfortunate that its opponent was him. The gap between their power was just too huge.

    Ye Qing¡¯s battle with the two Strangers soundedplicated, but in reality only a few breaths had passed. Thanks to the illusory array, the two men guarding outside the exit were stillpletely oblivious to what was happening inside.

    ¡°You finally came, friend! Uwaaaaah! Wawa was so scared, so scared.¡±

    As soon as the paperweight Stranger and noose Stranger were killed, Wawa and Kung Fu Frog woke up from their enforceda. Whe Wawa saw Ye Qing, she immediately flew over to his shoulder, grabbed his hair, and bawled like a baby. Her face was covered in streaks of tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Wawa. I¡¯m here now,¡± Ye Qing consoled her while checking hispanions¡¯ bodies for injuries. He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed that there were none.

    Ye Qing gave Wawa a few more seconds to collect her feelings before asking gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wawa, but I need you to stop crying now. There are still bad people outside. It would be bad if they heard your cries.¡±

    Wawa immediately ceased her sobbing and covered her mouth with both hands. She looked paralyzed with fear and panic.

    Ye Qing shook his head in amusement as he put Wawa¡¯s true body back into his Nature¡¯s Shell. Then, he looked at Kung Fu Frog and asked, ¡°Are you alright, Brother Frog?¡±

    Kung Fu Frog croaked twice and shook his head to indicate that he was alright, but his beady eyes were overflowing with anger and bloodthirst.

    Ye Qing gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I swear I¡¯ll take revenge for you both.¡±

    A pair of paper dolls appeared in his hands. When Ye Qing blew at them gently, theynded on the form and transformed into a bound Kung Fu Frog and Wawa.

    The Shapeshifting Paper Doll was one of the situational tools he had exchanged from the Tower of Secrets. The paper doll possessed one and only one ability, and that was to create an illusion based on one¡¯s memories. Visually, it was indistinguishable from the real thing. However, if someone were to try and touch the illusion, then they would discover that it was fake. Not only that, the illusion would onlyst for an incense stick.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Stay close, and don¡¯t get caught!¡±

    The trio escaped through the windows after finishing his preparations. It was to minimize the chances of them being spotted or caught. Before Ye Qing left, he purposely created some noise and jolted the two guards awake. It would be suspicious if someone happened to pass by the area and discover that both guards were dreaming after all.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know that a beautiful woman residing in the top floor of Jasper Boat suddenly had a bad feeling practically the minute after he escaped with Kung Fu Frog and Wawa. She took out a stone mirror, made a hand gesture, and pped her hand on its surface.

    The stone mirror shed once before disying the boat¡¯s hold. First, the woman checked out her guards. Her eyebrows rxed a little when she saw that both men were fine.

    Then, the image shifted to the third room in the hold. In the mirror, Kung Fu Frog was still being tied by the noose Stranger, and Wawa was still being suppressed by the paperweight Stranger. Everything looked exactly as it should be.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just paranoid,¡± the woman shook her head and chuckled derisively at herself before putting away the stone mirror. The room returned to silence once more.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Young master¡ªBrother Frog! Wawa!¡±

    A short distance away from White Horse Alley, Faceless was greeting Ye Qing and walking up to him when he saw Kung Fu Frog and Wawa behind him. The Stranger immediately eximed in delight, ¡°You found them, young master! It¡¯s wonderful!¡±

    ¡°You truly are a god among men, young master! This old ve wasn¡¯t able to find even a trace of them despite all that time and effort, and yet you managed to find and rescue them the moment you came back!¡±

    ¡°The bootlicking can wait untilter. Have you brought the men?¡± Ye Qing cut off Faceless before he could continue.

    ¡°I have. They¡¯re just waiting at the entrance!¡± Faceless immediately dropped his obsequious smile as per Ye Qing¡¯smand and asked, ¡°By the way, what are we doing here?¡±

    ¡°To draw some blood, of course!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered with killing intent as he ordered, ¡°You can give me back my face now!¡±

    Before he infiltrated Jasper Boat, he already messaged Faceless to bring everyone in the Inspection Department to White Horse Alley and stand by for orders. It was to take revenge against Gold Toad, of course. The Annon Sutra had stated that Gold Toad was hiding at White Horse Alley.

    He alone was enough to deal with Gold Toad, but White Horse Alley was famous for being a wealthy people¡¯s location. Not only did it enjoy a good amount of traffic, there were a lot of politicians, businessmen, and generally powerful people who lived in this ce. That was why it was necessary to bring the men not just to keep the order, but also to prevent innocents from being harmed.

    It was also to minimize the chances of some Strangers from being able to slip through his grasp. He was powerful, but he was still just one man. Of course he should do his best to ensure that there wouldn¡¯t be any loose ends.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    ¡°My lord.¡±

    ¡°My lord¡­¡±

    Faceless followed Ye Qing to the entrance after he transformed back into himself. Xu Banren, Zhou Xi, Tang Yi and more saluted Ye Qing as soon as they saw him.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone!¡± Ye Qing greeted them before looking at Xu Banren, ¡°Have you brought everyone, Lieutenant Xu?¡±

    Xu Banren answered, ¡°I have, but what is it we¡¯re doing here tonight?¡±

    Before Ye Qing could answer, a man muttered in a sarcastic tone, ¡°What else could it be? A show, of course!¡±

    The man had a muscr body but an ugly face. He looked like a monk with his monk¡¯s robe and monastic scars on his head. The exposed half of his torso was tattooed with the image of a bull.

    The bull had a pair of curved horns that made it looked like it was carrying a full moon. It was also surrounded by lightning.

 Chapter 210: The Ugly Monk and the Amorous Nun

    Chapter 210: The Ugly Monk and the Amorous Nun

    ¡°You should tread carefully around Lord Ye, Ugly Monk. If he gets angry, he might make aint to Chief Gu!¡±

    A seductive, feminine voice spoke up next. The woman was over thirty years old and quite beautiful. She wore a nun¡¯s robe and a hat and wielded a horsetail whisk.

    Her voluptuous curves were peeking through her robe even though it was quite big and loose. In fact, she was obviously behaving in an erotic and seductive manner.

    She wasn¡¯t defending Ye Qing either. It sounded like she was trying to cate the monk, but in reality she was implying that Ye Qing was the boss¡¯ pet; someone who could only cry to Gu Suitang whenever he encountered a problem.

    Xu Banren immediately red at the duo. ¡°You dare disrespect Lord Ye, Ugly Monk, Amorous Nun?¡±

    Ugly Monk? Amorous Nun? Ye Qing thought to himself. He had noticed the duo since the beginning, but he didn¡¯t recognize them. It wasn¡¯t until Xu Banren addressed them by their monikers that a memory came to mind.

    Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun were two of the six Lieutenants serving under the Inspection Department. They were both middle-stage Astral Refiners, and the strongest warriors in the department.

    ording to the records, Ugly Monk was originally a disciple of a major sect in Northern Xinjiang, the Yam¨¡ntaka Temple. However, due to his hot-tempered nature and violent nature, he broke amandment and was exiled from the temple. He eventually joined the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui.

    Amorous Monk was rumored to be a disciple of one of the thirty six unorthodox sects, the Temptation Nunnery. The Temptation Nunnery was an infamous sect well known for their art of harvesting cultivation through sex until one day, one of their elders made the mistake of harvesting a disciple of ¡°Sword From The West¡± Song Xi to the point where their cultivation and internal energies was utterly ruined.

    Song Xi hailed from a sect called the ¡°Purity Sword¡±, one of the Five Profound Sects. Naturally, he was beyond furious when he learned of this tragedy. On the same day, he marched up to the nunnery and annihted them all singlehandedly. Amorous Nun was the only one who managed to slip through his grasp thanks to abination of luck and weakness [1]. Later, she joined the Pacification Bureau to hide herself from Purity Sword.

    Obviously, the Pacification Bureau didn¡¯t just ept anyone into their midst. Although Ugly Monk was a sinner to his sect, and Amorous Nun hailed from an immoral ce, they were neither rotten to the core normitted a sin that was utterly unforgivable from their Pacification Bureau¡¯s point of view. That was why it had epted them into its fold.

    The reason the duo were insulting Ye Qing openly and subtly was probably because he was made the Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. Both Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun were powerful, experienced warriors who had served the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau faithfully for a long time.

    When Xiao Yang was the Patrolman, they couldn¡¯t reallyin because he was stronger than them, and he was backed by Sunset Hill and Wang Luori. After he was dead, they thought that one of them would be promoted to the position. Then, out of nowhere, Ye Qing popped up and imed the position with no experience, no background, and more importantly, no strength[2]. So of course they had a problem with him.

    ¡°Hahaha! I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve been away for that long. When did the famous Halfman Xu be someone else¡¯s dog?¡± Amorous Nun giggled.

    Xu Banren¡¯s pupils turned pale white in an instant. ¡°Is that a death wish, Amorous Nun?¡± He asked before unleashing his Heavenly Yin Corpse Qi and throwing a punch straight at the woman. However, Ugly Monk huffed and got in his way first. He took one step forward and threw his arm like he was swinging an axe or a hammer.

    On one side, Xu Banren¡¯s punch looked like it could crush a mountain. On the other, Ugly Monk¡¯s arm throw looked like it could cut a mountain in half. Their limbs hadn¡¯t even met yet, and already their force was pushing everyone away from them.

    Well, almost everyone. Ye Qing abruptly appeared between the two men, and he trapped Xu Banren¡¯s fist with his sleeve, and blocked Ugly Monk¡¯s arm with his own.

    The sh of forces should have resulted in a loud bang, but strangely, it was like they were fighting inside a vacuum. Both Xu Banren and Ugly Monk froze in ce and bugged out at the Patrolman.

    Xu Banren felt like his fist force had sunk into a ck hole of sorts. Not only was itpletely gone, the sleeve had somehow stopped his energies dead in their tracks, preventing him from moving even a muscle.

    Xu Banren was surprised by the disy of power, but he had borne witness to Ye Qing¡¯s strength time and again. It was nothingpared to Ugly Monk¡¯s shock.

    Ugly Monk felt like he was an ordinary human smashing his arm against a stick bar of steel. Not only did his bones hurt, his force waspletely pushed back into his body. As a result, his energies were bouncing all over the ce, and he was feeling very ufortable right now.

    He was a monk in the Yam¨¡ntaka Temple, and the Yam¨¡ntaka Temple was famous for their Yam¨¡ntaka dharmak¨¡ya [3] and body-tempering arts. Although he was exiled before he was able to cultivate their strongest martial arts, he had still trained his physique since a young age. He possessed literally the second strongest physique in the Pacification Bureau besides Gu Suitang, and not even Gu Suitang¡¯s disciple, Wei Yueshan was a match for him.

    But now, not only was he pushed back, Ye Qing looked like he wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest. How could he not be shocked by this?

    Ugly Monk immediately tried to pull back, but Ye Qing grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward before he could react. When he finally mustered his strength to resist, Ye Qing pped him on the shoulder so hard that his knees buckled a little, his bones cracked audibly, and the force he was gathering abruptly dissipated into nothing. His muscles felt sore, and he was unable to muster his strength at all.

    Ye Qing pped Ugly Monk¡¯s shoulder slowly as he said in an icy voice, ¡°We¡¯re all brothers here. It¡¯s perfectly fine to bicker and even beat each other up when we¡¯re behind closed doors, but I have official business to carry out today, and I¡¯m not in a good mood. You guys best obey me like good little subordinates, understand?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t care how frustrated or angry you¡¯re feeling, you best hold it all inside until this is all over. Don¡¯t you dare ruin my business and test my patience, understand?¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Lord Ye!¡± Xu Banren saluted Ye Qing as soon as he let go. Ugly Monk grunted, but it was clear that he had gotten the message.

    ¡°Good. Now wait for my signal!¡± Ye Qing turned around and left after that.

    Amorous Nun teased Ugly Monk after Ye Qing was gone, ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be so meek, Ugly Monk. I thought you were a baby for a second there!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Look at my feet, fool!¡± Ugly Monk motioned at his legs. When Amorous Nun and the others looked down, they were shocked to find that his feet hadpletely sunk into the ground. Not only that, the patch of ground ten meters from him had sunk at least a full meter into the earth!

    ¡°What the¡­¡± Amorous Nun was both stunned and in disbelief. How did she not notice that the ground had turned like this until now?

    When Amorous Nun¡¯s eyes met with Ugly Monk¡¯s, the same thought crossed both their minds: It looks like our newly appointed Patrolman is scarier than we thought!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Gold Toad sure knows how to choose a hideout!¡± Ye Qing let out a soft chuckle as he followed the blue smoke created by the Incense of Fortune into a residence.

    ¡°To think she would hide herself in the residence of a bookkeeper of Luo Shui¡­ Cautious she may be, she is anything but cowardly!¡±

    Bookkeeping was anything but morous, but it was still an official post, meaning that the bookkeeper was protected by the Will of the Dragon. Most Strangers and evils would naturally avoid it like the gue. Instead, Gold Toad had done the opposite and turned the guy¡¯s ce into her hideout. She was both bold and intelligent.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I offended a bookkeeper during the zombie outbreak incident¡­ this can¡¯t possibly be his residence, right?¡± Ye Qing mused to himself while sneaking into the residence. He followed the Incense of Fortune to a tower-like structure.

    ¡°The inner chambers? What¡¯s this, a harem raid?¡± Ye Qing chuckled at his own silly joke. It made sense though. ording to Paper Taoist, Gold Toad was a female Stranger. It made perfect sense that she would hide herself in the inner chambers where the women rarely left the ce.

    Ye Qing pulsed his spirit and examined the interior of the building closely.

    ¡°One, two, three¡­ there are five people inside the building; three humans and two Strangers to be exact.¡±

    There was one mistress and four servants in the room, and they were all women. Judging from their conversation, the mistress¡ªor more urately, the concubine¡ªwas in charge of this building, and her name was Lady Zuo. Lady Zuo herself and the old woman feeding her dinner now were Strangers, while the rest of the servants were humans.

    Ye Qing was looking for an opportunity to ambush the two Strangers when suddenly, the old woman suddenly raised her head and looked at the entrance.

    ¡°Huh? Her senses are pretty sharp,¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise before he realized something. His lips curled into a diabolical smirk. ¡°So you¡¯re the real one. You almost fooled me.¡±

    Both Strangers were hatred-ss Strangers, and at first he thought that Lady Zuo was Gold Toad. However, the old woman was the one who sensed his spiritual gaze, not Lady Zuo. This meant that the old woman was the stronger between the two.

    Strangers usually worshiped thew of the jungle. Under most circumstances, they would never obey someone who was weaker than them. Sure, there were always exceptions, but it was far more likely that Lady Zuo was just a puppet and a smokescreen, and the old woman was the real Gold Toad.

    Ye Qing mmed his elbow into the wooden door. Since Gold Toad had already noticed him, there was no need to conceal himself any longer. He preferred getting his revenge the straightforward way anyway.

    Boom!

    The entire tower shook as the wooden door shattered into bits. The wooden fragments shot toward Lady Zuo and the old woman at incredible speed, but missed the three female attendantspletely.

    Ye Qing had given neither Stranger any time to react, so they had no choice but to reveal themselves. Lady Zuo abruptly turned into liquid and took no damage from the wooden fragments even though they were powerful enough to pierce through her body and smash the screens behind her.

    The old woman simply opened her mouth and sucked all the wooden fragments flying toward her into her stomach.

    While the two Strangers were busy defending themselves, Ye Qing had already rushed into the building and swept the three human attendants into his sleeves. Then, he sent them away firmly but harmlessly.

    After the three human attendants were gone, Ye Qing walked like a river and reached his peak form in just a few steps. Moving faster than he appeared to be, he mmed into Lady Zuo before she could react and scattered her into a million water droplets. Then, he closed the distance between himself and the old woman and unleashed a devastating punch.

    The old woman was caughtpletely off guard, and Ye Qing¡¯s attack was even swifter and more thunderous than expected. Unable to dodge out of the way in time, she had no choice but to cross her arms in front of her.

    Thunk!

    Fist met arm, but the noise it generated was that of metal. It was because a sheen of golden light was covering her arms and turning them as hard as metal.

    1. Weakness because she was too weak to catch the dude¡¯s attention. ?

    2. Remember that these Lieutenants were away when the stuff happened, so as far as they know an early-stage Astral Refiner had usurped them just because Gu Suitang said so. ?

    3. The dharmak¨¡ya is one of the three bodies of a buddha in Mah¨¡y¨¡na Buddhism. ?

 Chapter 211: Woman of Taint

    Chapter 211: Woman of Taint

    Boom¡­

    The sh was so explosive that the tower¡ªhaving endured a not insignificant hit when Ye Qing had barged in the first time¡ªfinally copsed in earnest. Most of the debris was blown away and annihted by the shockwave before they could even hit the ground.

    Amidst the rubble, the old woman nched as her arms exploded, and her chest caved inward. Ye Qing¡¯s fist force proved to be even greater than she expected. She tried to create some distance as she stumbled backward, but Ye Qing gave her no quarter and swung his arm like a hammer. It smashed into the old woman¡¯s left chest and exploded half of her body just like that. She was flung across the residence like a rag doll before she hit the ground and dug a long trench.

    Ye Qing was going to dash forward and end her there and then, but a sobbing sound suddenly interrupted him. It sounded so sorrowful that he felt the urge to cry even though it didn¡¯t make any sense.

    A drizzle suddenly poured down from the sky. Normally, a rain like this should be calming, soothing and rejuvenating, but instead it dyed the emerald green nts in the residence pitch ck. Not only that, the grass started growing jagged teeth, the tree branches transformed into venomous snakes, and the flower turned into giant maws filled with rows and rows of sharp teeth.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the servants, attendants and everyone else who was still in the residence and weren¡¯t under a roof started suffering all kinds of maledictions. Some people¡¯s flesh started festering everywhere, some people started aging rapidly, some people were coughing blood uncontrobly, and some people¡¯s bodies were even splitting open and growing limbs, eyeballs and whatnot. It was bizarre and evil to the extreme.

    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s spirit was telling him that the rainwater contained all kinds of taint such as illness, decay, aging, pain and so on. It was the reason behind the unfortunate humans¡¯ transformation.

    ¡°The Woman of Taint¡­¡±

    Ye Qing muttered under his breath as he stared at Lady Zuo¡¯s direction, frowning. The woman had regained her form before he knew it, and she was currently carrying a red umbre and sobbing non-stop.

    The Woman of Taint was a Stranger who possessed all sorts of dark, filthy, and evil powers. Despite possessing the desirable exterior of a graceful, gentle, and loveable woman, she was overflowing with taint such as illness, poverty, decay, sorrow, pain and more on the inside. When she cried, a tainted rain that devastated all living things would fall from the sky.

    In and of itself, the Woman of Taint was pretty weak. She was impervious to most weapons because she could transform into rain, but that was it. However, the damage she could cause with her rain could only be described as devastating. Not only could it cover a wide range, the taint itself could spread like a disease. If she wasn¡¯t suppressed as soon as possible, she could singlehandedly wreck an entire portion of themandery.

    If she was any other Stranger, Ye Qing would¡¯ve left her to kill Gold Toad first. Both Strangers were going to die one way or another, and it didn¡¯t matter who went to the afterlife first. But in this case, he had to deal with the Woman of Taint before she could cause any more damage than she already had.

    Ye Qing turned around and faced the Woman of Taint. His spine and body straightened in an instant as he threw a punch.

    As his will climbed to incredible heights, the world abruptly warped like a mirage. The picture of an invisible wind boiling rivers andkes and threatening even gods and demons slowly unfolded in the sky. It looked both awe-inspiring and seemingly omnipotent.

    Space itself turned into a furnace as the surrounding air heated up rapidly. Then, the invisible mes spread out and boiled the tainted rain into nothing.

    The Woman of Taint melted into water once more as her cries grew increasingly sorrowful and aggrieved. What was a drizzle instantly turned into a downpour, and since the rainwater was ck in color, it looked like the sky itself had turned as ck as tar.

    A crazy amount of ck clouds gathered around the area, and the rain poured like it would never end. But no matter how hard it fell, it just couldn¡¯t eliminate the picture in the sky. Thekes and rivers continued to boil, and cloudy vapors continued to rise into the sky. Thekes, rivers and clouds were a representation of the will of his fist. In fact, the will of his fist was everywhere.

    The downpour evaporated into nothing in an instant, and the pitch ck sky copsed just like that.

    When light returned to the world once more, it was revealed that invisible mes were burning everywhere including the Woman of Taint herself. Like boiled water, she kept evaporating until she was no more.

    Bang!

    The second he killed the Woman of Taint, the old woman he had smashed away a while ago abruptly appeared behind Ye Qing. Her shoulder, arms, and torso had all returned to normal, and she was covered from head to toe in golden scales. Shended a solid punch against his back.

    There was a loud boom, but Ye Qing didn¡¯t move an inch from his ce. It was the old woman who was pushed back and felt like her bones could crumble into pieces at any moment.

    ¡°How did you find out that I am here, Ye Qing?¡± The old woman screamed on top of her lungs while withdrawing, ¡°Your pets are in my hands right now, so you best restrain yourself! One signal is all I need to order my men to kill them!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ why don¡¯t you try it then?¡± Ye Qing patted away the dust on his shirt and shot her azy smile. ¡°If I could find you, what makes you think I couldn¡¯t find them? Seriously, I dare you to send the signal. Let¡¯s see if things will turn out the way you hope it will.¡±

    The old woman¡ªor rather, Gold Toad visibly deted at his reply. She had been wondering if Ye Qing had rescued hispanions already, and judging from his reaction, the answer could only be yes.

    Worse still, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the early-stage Astral Refiner she thought he was at all. He was now a bonafidete-stage Astral Refiner.

    She had thought that her n was perfect. She had taken hispanions as hostages, and she was a powerful Stranger and the knife in the dark. If Ye Qing rejected their request and flipped the table, she was certain that she could make him regret his decision. Even if the Patrolman somehow defied all odds and rescued hispanions, she was sure he wouldn¡¯t be able to find her.

    However, the Patrolman had proven to be far, far more capable than her predictions. She was certain he wouldn¡¯t be able to locate Kung Fu Frog and Wawa and rescue them, but he did. She was certain he wouldn¡¯t be able to find her, but he did. And she was certain that he was an early-stage Astral Refiner when hest fought Silver Toad, and yet somehow, he had be ate-stage Astral Refiner.

    She felt like her plots and schemes were jokes before the young man, and she felt like a jester trying to make fun of a king. It wasn¡¯t until thest moment that she realized that she was courting death!

    It was no wonder Gold Toad was panicking even with her wits and strength.

    ¡°How the hell did you find me, Ye Qing? Was it Paper Taoist? Grudge Mother? Or Jasper Boat? No, no, it can¡¯t be them, none of them knew where I was hiding. Just how the hell did you find me!? This is impossible, impossible!¡±

    ¡°You want to know the truth?¡± Ye Qing smiled evilly. ¡°Not telling!¡±

    He abruptly closed the distance between them andshed out with his sleeves. Gold Toad hurriedly tried to leap backward, but as soon as she moved a muscle, she suddenly felt like the space tens of meters around her had frozen solid. Before she could do anything else, Ye Qing¡¯s sleeve struck her right across the torso, and she copsed into the ground with a bloodcurdling scream. The ground itself sank deeper into the earth.

    ¡°Mercy! Mercy! Let me leave, and I¡¯ll tell you the secret of the silver page!¡± Gold Toad begged as she looked up at Ye Qing. She was missing half of her golden scales, and golden blood was all over the ce. She looked like an absolute mess right now.

    ¡°So sorry, but Paper Taoist has already told me about its secrets.¡± Ye Qing chuckled, but his smile didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°All I want is for you to die!¡±

    As he said this, he slowly started walking down the pit where Gold Toad was lying. Pressing both hands against the ground, Gold Toad grew more scales from under her skin until her whole body was covered in it. A terrific amount of power gushed out of her body as she slowly, very slowly tried to push herself up into a standing position. It was like she was being sat on by a mountain, and she was attempting to shove it away.

    But the closer Ye Qing got, the dimmer her light became. More scales and blood were spilled, and her body slowly but surely sank back down to the earth once more.

    It was as if every step Ye Qing took was the mountain crushing down on her.

    Nine stepster, Ye Qing was standing right in front of Gold Toad. The Stranger was buried so deep that she couldn¡¯t even raise her head.

    ¡°Who dares invade my residence andmit murder!?¡±

    Ye Qing was just about to kill Gold Toad when suddenly, a righteous cry cut through the air. The next thing he knew, people were shooting arrows at him. Astral Breaking Arrows to be exact.

    Ye Qing could tell what kind of projectile was being fired at him based on the sound alone. If the Pacification Sentinels were equipped with Starbreaker Crossbows and Starbreaker Arrows, then the bailiffs of the Imperial n Court and the Three Companies and Six Offices were equipped with Astral Breaking Crossbows and Astral Breaking Arrows.

    The two names sounded simr, but their ability was very different from one another. The Starbreaker Crossbows packed a massive punch, and the Starbreaker Arrows possessed Stranger piercing and sealing properties because their enemies were mostly Strangers. On the other hand, the bailiffs of the Imperial n Court and the Three Companies and Six Offices mainly faced jianghu warriors, and so were equipped with weapons that could pierce astral qi, break bones, and sever veins.

    The Astral Breaking Arrows were very effective against ordinary warriors, but Ye Qing was anything but ordinary. A casual wave was all he needed to send the arrows scattering as if they had mmed into an invisible barrier.

    ¡°We meet again, Bookkeeper Li! How have you been?¡± Ye Qing greeted after batting away the arrows. The leader of the group who shot at him was none other than Li Yuechun, the idiotic official who had tried to abuse his authority and escape from Fish Dragon Market some days ago.

    When Ye Qing learned that this ce belonged to a bookkeeper, he had wondered if it was the one he had batted away like a fly. He didn¡¯t think that it would actually be the case.

    It was looking like the poor man was going to endure another bout of face-pping, and to that, Ye Qing could only say: Fate is quite the curious thing, ain¡¯t it?

    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

    Li Yuechun recognized the man who had publicly humiliated him at Fish Dragon Market, of course. At the time, there was nothing he could do because the Pacification Bureau¡¯s authority exceeded all. But now that Ye Qing was literally wrecking his own home, he finally couldn¡¯t suppress his anger any longer and yelled, ¡°ording to thew of Chu, invading an imperial official¡¯s residence is a serious crime! You are an official yourself, and yet you not only invaded my home, but also massacred my people as you pleased! Do you know your sin, Lord Ye!?¡±

    Li Yuechun¡¯s reaction didn¡¯t surprise Ye Qing whatsoever. He chuckled, ¡°I should be asking you that question, Lord Li. ording to thew of Chu, anyone who harbors Strangers should be executed to the three generations.¡±

    ¡°You dare! I am an imperial official! I would never do such a thing!¡± Li Yuechun retorted, ¡°Anyone with eyes can see that you¡¯re trying to shift the me on me despite openly invading my home and murdering my men! I am definitely going to report this to the seniormandery official and get you dismissed for this!¡±

    ¡°Men! Capture him!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so scared!¡±

    Ye Qing sneered and stomped the ground once. The earth immediately undted outward like a tidal wave and threw the dozen guards and servants off their feet. Their faces were unnaturally red, and their energies were disrupted.

    ¡°I can see you¡¯re the type of guy who refuses to be convinced until you¡¯re faced with grim reality. So be it.¡±

    Ye Qing swung his sleeves and tossed Gold Toad out of the pit. After the Strangernded in front of Li Yuechun, she slowly lost her human shell and revealed her true self: a golden, millstone-sized toad.

 Chapter 212: Divine Rope

    Chapter 212: Divine Rope

    ¡°This¡­ This can¡¯t be. Why is there a Stranger in my residence?¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­ it just can¡¯t¡­¡±

    All the color and arrogance drained away from Li Yuechun¡¯s face when he saw Gold Toad¡¯s true form. He copsed on the ground and couldn¡¯t say anything for a long time.

    He honestly didn¡¯t know that a Stranger was hiding in his residence; didn¡¯t think that a Stranger would even dare to do such a thing.

    Naturally, he had no idea how Ye Qing had traced this Stranger to his residence.

    One thing for certain, it was over for him.

    At the lightest, the crime of harboring a Stranger would see him dismissed and imprisoned. At worst, it was execution to the three generations as Ye Qing said.

    The court wouldn¡¯t sentence him to death since he hadn¡¯t harbored the Stranger on purpose, but he would definitely be charged for dereliction of duty for failing to notice the enemy hiding in his own backyard. Even if the court ultimately gave him a verdict of not guilty, he would still lose his post, and his reputation would be tarnished forever.

    A schr without reputation was like a jianghu warrior without martial arts. It was basically the end of the road for them.

    All light vanished from Li Yuechun¡¯s pupils when he realized this.

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say, Lord Li?¡± Ye Qing asked while shaking his head. It was clear that Li Yuechun wasn¡¯t faking his reaction. The bookkeeper was just too unlucky.

    Ye Qing¡¯s voice jolted Li Yuechun back to reality and injected a sliver of hope back into his body. He asked in a hurry, ¡°Lord Ye, I have no knowledge of this whatsoever! I don¡¯t even know how they made it inside my residence! Please understand that I¡¯m just a victim in this matter!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently, ¡°but you should save your protests for the Inquisition Department. There is nothing I can do to help you.¡±

    Li Yuechun had done a one-eighty the second he learned that there was, in fact, a Stranger hiding in his residence. At least he was smart enough not to protest his innocence or worse, attack him in an attempt to silence him. Otherwise, Ye Qing possessed the right to end him on the spot.

    The Pacification Bureau had always abided by the presumption of guilt when it came to Strangers.

    Suddenly, the dying Gold Toad looked up at a certain person and cried, ¡°Save me, Steward Zhou! I know who you really are! Save me, and I will tell you a great secret; one that is connected to the Demon Lord himself! Refuse, and I will bring you down with me!¡±

    Ye Qing followed her gaze and saw a middle-aged man in his forties. He had an ordinary appearance and was slightly overweight. He was also wearing a smile that looked like it would never fade.

    The man was the steward of the residence, and he had an ordinary name that befit his ordinary appearance, Zhou San.

    Ye Qing and Zhou San stared at each other for a few seconds. Then, the steward¡¯s smile suddenly grew just a tad sinister.

    Sensing that something was amiss, Ye Qing immediatelyunched a palm strike at Gold Toad. However, a dark cloud suddenly floated over and dropped a rope on top of the Stranger. The rope wrapped around her neck and pulled her into the sky. She was gone in the blink of an eye.

    After Gold Toad was pulled into the cloud, it slowly faded away and revealed a clear sky. Strangely, neither the rope nor Gold Toad was anywhere to be found. It was like they had disappeared into thin air.

    Boom!

    It was only now Ye Qing¡¯s palm force finally hit the spot where Gold Toad was. It blew up a deep pit in the ground like a bomb.

    ¡°The Divine Rope?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow at Zhou San.

    The steward smiled back and replied, ¡°You are quite the knowledgeable man, Lord Ye! That¡¯s right. It is none other than the Divine Rope.¡±

    The so-called Divine Rope was really a popr circus trick performers often used to entertain their audience. There were many versions of it, but generally speaking it involved a cloud dropping a rope down to the performer, and the performer climbing up into the cloud and seemingly vanishing into thin air.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Zhou San saluted him and answered, ¡°I am Zhou San. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Ye.¡±

    ¡°Zhou San?¡± Ye Qing skimmed through his memories but couldn¡¯t recall anyone with such a name. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are or what you¡¯re plotting, but you are aware that obstructing the Pacification Bureau from carrying out their duties and colluding with Strangers are both crimes that are punishable by death, right?¡±

    Zhou San didn¡¯t seem to hear Ye Qing¡¯s threat. He continued to smile as if nothing was going on and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, my lord? The Stranger disappeared on her own. What does it have anything to do with me?¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Ye Qing let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±

    Ye Qing charged toward Zhou San as soon as he said this. He was about halfway there when suddenly, he changed directions and threw a punch at what looked like an empty patch of space. His action lookedpletely random, but then the space rippled and copsed all of a sudden, revealing Gold Toad.

    It looked like his fist force would kill Gold Toad, but Zhou San abruptly appeared in front of her with his palms pointed at each other and circling in opposite directions. A pair of flood dragons¡ªone made of fire, and another made of water¡ªmanifested into existence, and they formed a tai chi circle of fire and water, hard and soft, yin and yang.

    When Ye Qing¡¯s punch struck the fire-and-water tai chi circle, he immediately felt like he was punching rubber. At first, his fist force sank into the tai chi circle and vanished into nothing. The next moment, it rebounded with even greater strength than before.

    Caught off guard, Ye Qing took a solid hit to his torso and let out a pained grunt. As he was pushed back, he left behind footprints that were at least several inches deep. When he finally neutralized the offending force, Ye Qing watched the man intently and asked, ¡°A Half-Step Spirit Purifier who knows the Fire Water Flood Dragon Palm? Are you a member of the Bai n?¡±

    The Fire Water Flood Dragon Palm was the signature martial art of the Bai n, a major n in Luo Shui. Inspired by theplementary attributes of yin and yang, it was a palm art that used fire and water astral qi to embody the qualities of yin and yang; soft and hard. At the adept level, one could not only neutralize the force of a thousand mountains, but also redirect it back against one¡¯s opponent. It was a potent palm art that was equally good in both offense and defense.

    It was said that the patriarch of the Bai n had earned its current status, wealth and influence thanks to the Fire Water Flood Dragon Palm. Although the Bai n had recently diverted their focus from martial art to business, the Fire Water Flood Dragon Palm had remained a family secret to this day. Only a direct descendant of the family was allowed to learn it, which was why Ye Qing was certain that Zhou San was a member of the Bai n.

    ¡°Haha, the Bai n is a lofty and prestigious family. How could humble old me have anything to do with them?¡± Zhou San denied the usation before changing the topic, ¡°How did you know Gold Toad is here, my lord?¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? There¡¯s a reason the Divine Rope is more known as a circus trick than anything else!¡± Ye Qing scoffed disdainfully. The Divine Rope was, essentially, just an illusion trick. To put it simply, everything he saw just now was just an illusion.

    At the beginning, Zhou San used some sort of concealment and transference-type talisman to move Gold Toad to this location. Then, he created that shy illusion to misdirect his attention. It was nothing special at all.

    ¡°Hehe, it is true that the Divine Rope is just a circus trick,¡± said Zhou San with a careless chuckle. ¡°Speaking of circus tricks, I have a couple more up my sleeves. Would you like to try them, my lord?¡±

    As soon as he said this, Zhou San abruptly went poof in a puff of blue smoke. At the same time, the real Zhou San appeared behind Ye Qing with a pair of mandarin duck sabers. The weapons burst into ck mes when he brought them down on Ye Qing¡¯s neck.

    Ye Qing wheeled around instantaneously almost as if he knew that Zhou San was there the entire time. Swinging his arms like a pair of whips, he easily crushed the ck mes into bits.

    He wanted to crush Zhou San with the mes, but the middle-aged man proved more elusive than he appeared. Narrowly dodging Ye Qing¡¯s fist force and astral qi by a hair¡¯s breadth, he swung his mandarin duck sabers again at the Patrolman¡¯s vital spots from an unpredictable angle. At the same time, the air suddenly became filled with ghastly, disorienting wails, and ghastly faces emerged from the torrent of mes and pounced toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°Ghastly wails that disorient the mind, and deadly sabers that kill the soul¡±. Is this the Screaming Ghosts Saber?

    Ye Qing recognized Zhou San¡¯s saber art in an instant. The ¡°Screaming Ghosts Saber¡± sounded pretty intimidating, but in reality it was a third-rate saber art at best. To make aparison, it was on the same level as the ¡°Door Breaking Five Tigers¡±.

    However, it was the warrior who decided the power of a martial art, not the other way around. In Zhou San¡¯s hands, the saber art actually rivaled some potent Astral Refinement martial arts.

    Zhou San was hoping to disorient Ye Qing with the saber art, but unfortunately for him, Ye Qing¡¯s spirit and mind far exceeded the norm. The Patrolman easily sidestepped out of the way and counterattacked with a palm strike. At the same time, his left palm burst into lightning and Netherme.

    ¡°Boundless Lightning Palm¡±

    ¡°Blue Demon Hand¡±

    There was a loud explosion as Ye Qing¡¯s palm strike punched through Zhou San¡¯s torrent of mes like wet tissue. Before the middle-aged man could pull back, Ye Qing closed the distance with ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡± and swung his sleeve.

    ¡°Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve¡±

    The sleeve strike was as thunderous as it was forceful, but it hit Zhou San about as effectively as the wind blowing against a leaf. He floated harmlessly away from Ye Qing before splitting into four all of a sudden.

    All four silhouettes were incredibly lifelike and indistinguishable from the real thing. After they had Ye Qing surrounded, they all started executing a martial technique.

    One silhouette pointed a finger at Ye Qing and conjured what looked like a sea of shooting stars.

    Another curled his hands into ws and ripped at the space in front of him like a vicious, bloodthirsty animal.

    The third silhouette formed a fist and punched down on Ye Qing, and the fist force descended like a massive, unstoppable spear.

    And thest person unleashed a series of rapid, powerful kicks that roared like dragons.

    Starfall Finger, Soul Scattering w, Great Spear Fist and Dragon Serpent Kick!

    Ye Qing was quite astonished. He had never seen someone executing four different styles of martial arts at the same time. It was like trying to write with your left hand, juggle with your right hand, practice kicks with your left leg and draw with your right leg all at the same time. It was an incredible feat to say the least.

    No, it¡¯s not just four martial arts. Whatever martial art he used to split into four earlier is a fifth martial art. In fact, it¡¯s the main reason he¡¯s able to execute four different types of martial arts at the same time.

    Astonished he might be, Ye Qing¡¯s reaction was swift and immediate. Sucking a deep breath until his bones popped as loud as thunder, he raised his fist and threw a punch that shook the heavens.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    The clouds in the sky were instantly scattered by the punch. The Burning Wind transformed into a raging cyclone, and invisible mes descended from above.

    The cyclone crushed all four attacks into bits, and the invisible mes enveloped it all and popped three of the four silhouettes like bubbles, leaving only the real Zhou San behind. So what if he had a million transformations? Ye Qing could still destroy it all with one punch.

    ¡°Most impressive, Lord Ye!¡±

    Zhou San didn¡¯t panic even though the cyclone was moving straight toward him. Cupping his mouth with both hands, he blew out like he was blowing a horn.

    A lightning snake covered in purple lightning emerged into existence. When it first crawled out of Zhou San¡¯s mouth, it wasn¡¯t even a third of a meter long. Just a few secondster, it was much bigger and grew a pair of legs on its head and four ws under its belly. Purple lightning and silver snakes shot everywhere.

 Chapter 213: Talisman Eating

    Chapter 213: Talisman Eating

    Snakes exited Zhou San¡¯s mouth, and when they soared into the sky, they transformed into lightning dragons. They charged straight toward the cyclone.

    Boom!

    The two elemental powers shed and spilled force everywhere. The surrounding fake hills, greeneries, buildings and more were easily torn to shreds. The ground was shaking violently as well.

    As soon as the dust clouds covered in from view, Ye Qing immediately rushed into the violent storm of astral qis and punched right through it. He was able to close his distance with Zhou San in an instant.

    Zhou San wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to be so gung ho about getting in his face. By the time he realized what happened, it was already toote to dodge out of the way. He immediately released a thick purple smoke from his body that caused Ye Qing to nk out for an instant.

    It¡¯s one of the seventy two average-grade astral qi, the Disorienting Purple Smoke, Ye Qing realized. No wonder all the moves and techniques and moves Zhou San had executed until now possessed some sort of mind-bending influence. It was because of his astral qi.

    The Disorienting Purple Smoke was formless, smoke-like, and capable of bending the mind and influencing the spirit. Although it wasn¡¯t even close to being as deadly as astral qis such as the Burning Wind, the Taibai Gengjin Qi, the Samadhi True Fire and more, it was potent in the sense that it was incredibly insidious and difficult to detect.

    A savage smile flickered across Zhou San¡¯s face when Ye Qing¡¯s eyes grew unfocused. His palm turned purple as heunched a palm strike at his chest.

    ¡°Gut Shredding Palm¡±

    The attack made no sound and seemed no different from the techniques he had used earlier, but in reality it was the opposite.

    The Gut Shredding Palm was one of Zhou San¡¯s trump cards. Its force was yin and soft, and it specifically targeted one¡¯s internal organs. On the outside, the attack would only leave an insignificant imprint on one¡¯s skin. But on the inside, it would shatter one¡¯s internal organs, guts, and blood vessels. It wouldn¡¯t kill its victim immediately, however. Instead, the victim would feel their guts disintegrating inch by inch until the agony finally overwhelmed them.

    This was why the Gut Shredding Palm was known as one of the cruelest and insidious martial arts in the jianghu.

    Bang!

    The attacknded on Ye Qing¡¯s chest as softly as a raindrop, but Ye Qing shuddered a little as if he had just suffered a huge blow. Just when Zhou San thought that the young man would start writhing in abject pain, the corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips abruptly curled into a disdainful smirk.

    rm bells rang in Zhou San¡¯s head as he attempted to pull away. However, Ye Qingnded a punch on his chest before he could do so.

    You hit me first, so I¡¯m gonna punch you right back. It¡¯s perfectly fair, right?

    The next moment, the blood drained away from Zhou San¡¯s face. As a tremendous, unstoppable force poured into his body, his chest caved in, and his internal organs were pushed out of the way. What was worse was the fact that the force was infused with some sort of all-consuming heat that boiled his blood, cooked his flesh, and withered his mind. As invisible mes jetted out of his pores, his skin started charring and crumbling like charcoal.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Zhou San couldn¡¯t stop himself from letting out a bloodcurdling scream as he staggered away from Ye Qing. Every time he took a step, he would leave behind a scorching footprint that melted the earth below, and his body would wither just a little more. He looked horrible to say the least.

    It was at this moment Zhou San summoned a bowl filled with clear water into his hand. He then snatched a yellow talisman out of thin air, set it on fire, chanted some sort of mantra and threw it into the bowl.

    After the yellow talisman had burned into a crisp, Zhou San raised the bowl above his head and cried, ¡°The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise. When the year is ji¨£z¨«, there will be Taiping under the heavens!¡±

    With that, he raised the bowl and drank the talisman water in one gulp.

    As soon as he did this, the invisible mes burning his insides began extinguishing bit by bit. His energies turned stable, and his withered skin and flesh started regaining their vitality bit by bit. In the end, it was like he was never hurt in the first ce. Its efficacy rivaled that of Ye qing¡¯s dragon-serpent runes.

    ¡°Talisman Eating?¡±

    Ye Qing eximed in surprise when he put two and two together, ¡°You¡¯re a Taiping cultist?!¡±

    The Way of Taiping might sound like an orthodox sect of the Taoist, but it was a heretical sect through and through and one of the Nine Demonic Ways.

    The Way of Taiping worshiped the Yellow Sky and believed that the Yellow God was the one who created the world and the humans. When the Yellow Sky was reigning, the world was at peace, and humanity enjoyed its greatest, most prosperous era. There was no oppression, no starvation, no natural disaster, no sickness, and most definitely no Strangers. At the time, every human was living a free and happy life.

    It was on top of this belief that the Way of Taiping created the slogan, ¡°The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise. When the year is ji¨£z¨«, there will be Taiping under the heavens!¡± They spoke about the wonders of the world under the Yellow Sky and preached to others to worship the Yellow Sky. They imed that anyone who worshiped the Yellow Sky and drank talisman water could invite good luck, avoid misfortune, gain strength, acquire a healthy body, and be free from all evil influences and dangers.

    Of course, if the Way of Taiping only preached their faith peacefully, then they would be considered a religion at best. The reason they werebeled a demonic cult was because they enjoyed nothing more than to preach their faith in poverty-strickennds and encourage the popce, rebel against their superiors, and take over the territory. Then, they would dress up the senseless massacre as glorious conquest and chant, ¡°The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise!¡±

    At the time of the founding of Chu, the way of Taiping had once gathered a peasant army of one hundred and fifty thousand in Tian Liang, Long Xi and He Dong and sparked countless wars. They were this close to destroying the foundation of Chu.

    Thankfully, the Son of Heaven at the time and founder of Chu, Chu Qiuyang personally invaded the Way of Taiping¡¯s main camp and fought their leader, Huang Sangong the ¡°Taiping Sage¡± for three days and nights. With the Human Emperor Brush, he was ultimately able to y him at Giant Deer Mountain.

    Their battle was said to be so epic that the mountains were crushed, entirends were wiped from the surface of the earth, and the sky was pitch ck with dust. It was like the apocalypse was upon Chu.

    Although Chu Qiuyang managed to y Huang Sangong, he himself suffered grievous injuries that he wouldn¡¯t heal from. He would pass away in sickness after finally uniting the country.

    As the Way of Taiping had proven themselves to be a great threat, Chu named the Way of Taiping as a demonic cult that must be eradicated at all cost. There were multiple times in history where armies were dispatched to eradicate the Way of Taiping. However, they were never able topletely uproot the cult from thend of Chu. In fact, an outstanding talent would crop up in the Way of Taiping every once in a while, lead them to glory, and continue to cause problems for Chu here and there.

    Talisman Eating was a unique art that only members of the Way of Taiping could use. Normally, talismans were used externally, but the Way of Taiping did the opposite. They consumed their talismans to imbue themselves with various powers. That was why people named it Talisman Eating.

    Zhou San¡¯s actions just now were pretty much a deration that he was a member of the Way of Taiping. Now that Ye Qing thought about it, his martial arts resembled that of a Taiping cultist as well.

    The martial arts of the Way of Taiping emphasized on the Five Elements, the yin and yang, and the practice of qi. Their signature martial arts such as the ¡°Book of Taiping Heaven¡±, the ¡°Yin Yang Five Talisman Scripture¡±, the ¡°Five Pecks of Rice Scripture¡±, the ¡°Liuding Liujia Incantations¡± and more were all talismanic and qi-focused martial arts. Zhou San¡¯s ability to split himself into several illusory bodies, exhaling qi that transformed into dragons and more were right up the alley of the Way of Taiping as well.

    ¡°You are quite knowledgeable, Lord Ye.¡±

    A hint of viciousness flickered in Zhou San¡¯s eyes. ¡°But it¡¯s not necessarily a good thing to know too much. Surely you¡¯ve heard the saying that the more you know, the sooner you die?¡±

    Although he was quite wary of Ye Qing¡¯s strength, there was no way he could leave the young man alive now that he had figured out his true identity.

    At first, he only interfered because he wanted to know this secret regarding the Demon Lord. Five hundred years ago, Yu Xiaoyao, the man would woulde to be known as the Demon Lord, was famed as the greatest warrior in the jianghu. Supposedly, he had reached the apex during his prime and spent the rest of his life doing whatever the hell he wanted and spreading love across the world. No one was as free and unfettered as he.

    The stories regarding Yu Xiaoyao could only be described as epic. He was most famous for his sword, his poetry, and his love for wine. His swordsmanship was unmatched, his poetry skills were unmatched, his fondness and stomach for wine was unmatched, and no single person in his area of expertise could evene close to defeating him.

    In the jianghu, he had challenged countless warriors with his sword and supposedly never suffered a defeat.

    In the court, he could supposedly drink everyone in the room under the table, and while doing so create a hundred poems that all deserved to be remembered for eternity.

    On the battlefield, he alone was worth an army of tens of thousands. Armed with only a saber, a qin, and a stomach full of poems and songs, it was said that he had singlehandedly stopped a hundred thousand well-equipped barbarians from breaking through Fangcun Pass.

    And as a hero, there was no one closer to the definition of hero than him. Free and unfettered, he was a man who died as he lived.

    Because Yu Xiaoyao hailed from the Demon Pce of Kunlun and cared little for rules,ws, and societal norms, he was eventually known as the Demon Lord.

    Zhou San wasn¡¯t really expecting Gold Toad to know much about the Demon Lord, but even a simple lead could potentially lead him to his inheritance. What if Gold Toad was telling the truth? What if he could obtain the Demon Lord¡¯s inheritance and be the next Demon Lord?

    Besides, Gold Toad knew of his, or rather, his sect¡¯s secrets and was threatening to divulge it all if he didn¡¯t save her. Frankly, he was surprised that there were Strangers hiding in the very same residence he had been using as a base this whole time. The Yellow Sky only knows how many secrets he had identally let slip during this time. That was why he ultimately decided to intervene [1].

    He thought that this would be easy, really. He had arrivedte, and Ye Qing was exuding the aura of an early-stage Astral Refiner, so he thought it would take him little to no effort to defeat him. However, not only was Ye Qing ate-stage Astral Refiner, his astral qi was powerful, his body was strong, and his will of the fist was supreme. It was such that even he, a Half-Step Spirit Purifier, had fallen into a disadvantage.

    If he hadn¡¯t learned ¡°Talisman Eating¡± from the ¡°Five Pecks of Rice Scripture¡±, he might actually have died here.

    Frankly, he was starting to regret getting involved in this business at all, but at this point, he only had one course of action. Ye Qing must die not just for the Demon Lord¡¯s inheritance, but also to preserve the Way of Taiping¡¯s secrets.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to silence me? Can you do it though?¡± Ye Qing snorted in disdain. ¡°I was just gonna catch a loach and call it a day, but a shark? Today must be my lucky day!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Just because you learned a few years of kung fu and yed a few Strangers doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re invincible. Allow me to show you the ways of Taiping!¡±

    Zhou San¡¯s expression darkened as he dropped his smile. He shook his bowl once and elicited some clinking noises. The water was gone, reced by a handful of yellow beans. The beans were engraved with tiny runes.

    Zhou San grabbed a bunch of beans and tossed them in front of him. When they hit the floor, they transformed into thirty six halberd-wielding soldiers that were d in thick armor.

    ¡°Taiping Thirty Six Arts: Scatter Beans Into Troops¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­ that¡¯s pretty impressive!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. All thirty six soldiers possessed the strength of an early-stage Astral Refiner, and their charge while swift was very organized. They were also using some sort of battle formation.

    If the thirty six soldiers managed to entrap him, even he would be hardpressed to defeat them without suffering a major injury or two. That was why Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to put on a bronze mask on his face.

    ¡°Bronze Tiger Head¡±

    Blood began flowing down the eyeholes of the mask. At the same time, an unbelievable amount of killing intent gushed out of Ye Qing¡¯s body and formed the silhouette of a war general above him. The general wielded a Green Dragon Crescent de, and his eyes were bloodshot with murder.

    1. I know that some people would say, ¡°Why the fuck didn¡¯t Zhou San just let Ye Qing kill her to keep his secrets? He was going to silence her anyway!¡± But the thing is, Ye Qing could just question his ass and threaten him with death if he protested his innocence, and since the Pacification Bureau goes by a presumption of guilt policy Ye Qing could easily take him in for a torture session or ten if he wants to. So realistically saving Gold Toad seemed like the best decision at the time ?

 Chapter 214: All Is Well Talisman

    Chapter 214: All Is Well Talisman

    ¡°Kill!¡± The general faced toward the iing soldiers and roared. The moment he lifted his de, the sky changed, and deadly saber qis filled the air.

    The saber qis were the culmination of fifteen thousand kilometers worth of war and bloodshed. No one shall survive the general¡¯s wrath!

    The saber qis swept toward thirty six soldiers like a giant web, and it easily hacked and shed them into itsy bitsy pieces.

    nching, Zhou San hurriedly raised his bowl and tossed some water¡ªonce again, its content had changed without warning¡ªinto the air. Somehow, it transformed into an entireke and destroyed the web of saber qis flying toward Zhou San.

    ¡°KILL!¡± The general roared again and swung his Green Dragon Crescent de eight times in a row; his movements grandiose and shy.

    ¡°Eight Swings of Spring and Autumn¡±

    The eight consecutive attacks didn¡¯t just dismantle the tidal wave of water flooding Ye Qing¡¯s way, it also left eight growing cracks on Zhou San¡¯s bowl. Before the Astral Refiner could react, his Strange Artifact abruptly shattered into smithereens.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Blood spilled through Zhou San¡¯s lips, and his energies fell into disarray. He lookedpletely stunned by this oue.

    The bowl was called the Sky Lake Bowl, and as its name might suggest, it was a bowl that could hold an entireke in it. A Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, not only could it hold an entireke, it could also be used to execute all sorts of talismanic arts. At a critical moment, one could even toss out theke it contained to flood the enemy.

    The branch had rewarded him with the Sky Lake Bowl after he sessfully infiltrated Lord Li¡¯s residence and stole a few pieces of valuable intel. He had treasured it like his life since. It was his greatest trump card, and now that it was gone, so did his confidence and arrogance.

    I need to escape!

    Zhou San immediately tried to escape. Gold Toad¡¯s so-called secret could wait until he was safe and sound. After all, there was nothing he could do with the secret if he was dead!

    Besides that, he needed to inform the branch leader about this as soon as possible. The branch leader would surely be able to kill Ye Qing!

    ¡°The Way of Taiping would not forget this, Ye Qing!¡±

    Zhou San left behind a ssic viin phrase and filled the entire residence with his purple smoke in no time. The purple smoke didn¡¯t just turn everything blurry and indistinguishable, it could also influence the mind.

    ¡°Disorienting Purple Smoke¡±

    Zhou San tried to escape while under the cover of his Disorienting Purple Smoke. It was at this moment the sound of a gong rang throughout the residence.

    Tang!

    As the gong sound kept going, the purple smoke suddenly began receding at a rapid pace. Zhou San too abruptly stopped in his tracks and forgot what he was doing. When he finally regained his senses, it was because his entire body suddenly hurt like he was being chewed by a million ants from the inside out. His bones and internal organs had shifted out of ce, and his vigor was flowing in reverse. It was a pain unlike anything he had ever experienced.

    ¡°Split Muscles Lock Bones[1]?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. You¡¯re quite knowledgeable yourself. Yes, it is none other than Split Muscles Lock Bones.¡±

    Ye Qing walked up to Zhou San smilingly. ¡°Split Muscles Lock Bones is one of the Pacification Bureau¡¯s most famous interrogation techniques. It could split the muscles, lock the bones, reverse the vigor, and make it feel like you¡¯re being bitten by a million ants. Not even the vilest criminals could withstand this technique for long.¡±

    ¡°So? How does it feel?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ are you plotting?¡± Zhou San asked. It had only been less than a minute since he was subjected to the technique, but his face was contorted, his muscles were spasming, and his whole body was drenched in cold sweat.

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man. I¡¯m sure you know what I want.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, how many Taiping cultists are hiding in Luo Shui, and for what? If you tell me everything truthfully, I can grant you a swift, painless death.¡±

    Normally, the Pacification Bureau didn¡¯t interfere with jianghu business, but heretical sects like the Way of Taiping, Court of Chaos, World Destroy Sect and more were exceptions to the rule. It was because these sects carried a banner of righteousness but often encouraged the people to rebel against their betters. Chu wasn¡¯t the only country who loathed them either. Even Yan, Wei and more viewed them as traitors of humanity that must be exterminated upon sight. Anyone who got involved with these sects would be eliminated to the nine generations, and those who harbored them or ignored their crimes were punished as well.

    The punishment sounded ruthless and overbearing, but the simple fact was that the disciples of the Way of Taiping absolutely deserved it. They were cruel, ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve their goals, bigoted and just insane. Wherever they went, a river of blood would flow, and the people would suffer.

    To put it simply, the cultists were a bunch of maniacs who just wanted to see the world burn.

    Rationally or emotionally, there was absolutely no reason for Ye Qing to overlook this.

    ¡°Dream¡­ Dream on!¡± Zhou San uttered through gritted teeth, ¡°How dare a small Patrolman like you dare to get in our way! Aren¡¯t you afraid that the Yellow God would punish you?¡±

    ¡°Dude, I just praised your intelligence,¡± tsked Ye Qing while slowly brushing his fingers across Zhou San¡¯s arm and grinding every bone along the way into powder.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    It was so painful that Zhou San let out another bloodcurdling scream.

    ¡°If I was afraid of your Yellow God, I wouldn¡¯t have caught you in the first ce, would I?¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t stop what he was doing even though he was talking, ¡°Also, if your so-called Yellow God really is that powerful, then why didn¡¯t he show up to save you?¡±

    ¡°How dare you spheme our god!? He will punish you! Our Sage will never forgive you¡ªah! Ah!¡±

    Zhou San was trying to threaten Ye Qing, but he quickly lost himself to pai because Ye Qing had crushed his other arm as well.

    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re breaking already? I¡¯m not trying to scare you, but this is practically the gentlest interrogation technique the Pacification Bureau know of. The more severe ones include piercing your bones with the Bone Piercing Needles, stripping your skin off your flesh bit by bit, feeding you a Hearteater Worm so it could gobble up all your internal organs, or attaching a Brain Feeder that will feed on your brain little by little¡­¡±

    ¡°I swear, any one of these interrogation techniques is ten thousand times more painful than whatever you¡¯re experiencing right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, we also know all kinds of soul scouring arts. Would you like to give them a go?¡±

    Zhou San shivered every time Ye Qing said a word. Looking as pale as a sheet, he uttered, ¡°You¡¯re beyond cruel!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Who are you to call me cruel?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change, but his voice was colder and more scornful than before. ¡°Five years ago, when northern Chu was experiencing a terrible drought, it was your Way of Taiping who spurred the people to rebel and ruined at least dozens of counties and viges. At least a hundred thousand citizens lost their homes and starved to death as a result.¡±

    ¡°Three years ago, a disciple of the Way of Taiping colluded with Strangers and destroyed an entiremandery because he needed their souls to cultivate his Brocade Soul Stealing Art.¡±

    ¡°And one year ago, you teamed up with the World Destroy Sect and sacrificed countless lives to summon the Hundred Ghosts Parade and transformed countlessnds into living hell¡­¡±

    ¡°There are many people in the world who have the right to call me cruel, but the Way of Taiping isn¡¯t one of them.¡±

    ¡°After all, you¡¯re not even humans. You are disgusting filth who are even lower than even Strangers.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s voice was filled with condemnation and killing intent at this point. Strangers and humans were naturally opposed to one another, but these people were humans who chose tomit atrocities that even a Stranger might find abhorrent. Of course they were disgusting, loathsome, and deserving of every ounce of his hate.

    ¡°My patience is limited, so I¡¯d advise you to tell me what I want as soon as possible. Otherwise, I promise you¡¯d suffer a fate worse than death!¡±

    However, Zhou San let out a mad cackle and retorted, ¡°Those people deserved their fate! The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise. All who refuse the Yellow Sky shall not partake in our immortality!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the same. You¡¯re all the same! The Yellow God will punish you all, but we? Hahaha! Ahahahahaha! We are immortal! We are immortal!¡±

    ¡°The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise¡­¡±

    It was like he had gonepletely mad. He just keptughing andughing as a yellow talisman abruptly floated out of his forehead. It was covered in mysterious,plicated-looking runes. Only one of the runes was identifiable, and it said, ¡°Taiping¡±.

    The Way of Taiping¡¯s All Is Well Talisman? Shit! He¡¯s going to self-destruct!

    The All Is Well Talisman was a secret art that the disciples of the Way of Taiping normally used to protect their minds from external influence. If they were caught, or if they encountered a danger they couldn¡¯t resist, then they had the option to activate the All Is Well Talisman and annihte their minds. The destruction was so thorough that no information could be gleaned from their minds even if someone were to scour their soul or even reverse time. It was probably why the bastards named it the ¡°All Is Well Talisman¡±.

    Ye Qing tried to stop Zhou San, but it was already toote. The middle-aged man¡¯s head abruptly exploded into red and white bits. Not only that, his body started rotting at a rapid pace, and an insidious, inexplicable air quickly spread to the surroundings.

    ¡°A gue!?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned when the air made contact with his body. Somehow, the guy¡¯s body was spreading some sort of gue as it rotted. He could tell from his bodily reactions that it was extremely infectious. If he didn¡¯t deal with it in time, everyone in White Horse Alley and even Luo Shui might be affected by it.

    ¡°Bunch of fucking crazies!¡± Ye Qing cursed out loud and waved his sleeve. The air immediately turned red hot as the Burning Wind swept everything including Zhou San¡¯s body. Thankfully, he was able to wipe out the gue before it could spread beyond the residence.

    They all said that the cultists of Way of Taiping are crazies, and Ye Qing now knew for a fact that it was true. It was one thing to be fearless, and another to turn themselves into a living carrier that would kill them and everyone else in an entire fucking region. Just what the hell was wrong with these people?

    In fact, the Way of Taiping often created gues to show off their ability to cure people with their talismans. It was one of the main ways they spread their unholy religion.

    Ye Qing had failed to interrogate any useful information from Zhou San, but frankly, he wasn¡¯t too surprised by this. The cultists were a bunch of crazy zealots at best, or zealous crazies at worst. He would be wary if Zhou San had actually told him something. It was a ¡°good if it worked, no harm done if it didn¡¯t¡± attempt.

    After all, there was nothing the Annon Sutra couldn¡¯t find.

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn now!¡± Ye Qing turned to face Gold Toad after killing Zhou San. The Stranger was grievously injured to begin with, and the shockwaves of Ye Qing and Zhou San¡¯s battle were hardly harmless. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t able to muster even the energy to escape.

    Despair filled Gold Toad¡¯s eyes when she saw Ye Qing walking toward her, but she recalled something and blurted, ¡°I, I know where Zhou San¡¯s cohort is hiding!¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Qing paused. That was a pleasant surprise. It would save him a lot of trouble if she was actually telling the truth.

    1. Surprisingly, an actual martial art in the real world. ?

 Chapter 215: Cow Ghost Market

    Chapter 215: Cow Ghost Market

    ¡°Y-Yes, I know where they¡¯re hiding! I¡¯ll tell you about it as long as you let me live!¡± Gold Toad said hurriedly like a drowning Stranger clutching at a straw.

    Ye Qing pretended to mull over her offer and replied, ¡°Give me the intel first. I¡¯ll decideter if it¡¯s worth your life.¡±

    Gold Toad didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Every once in a while, Zhou San would visit the Thaiping Grain Retailer at Cow Ghost Market, and the shopkeeper of Thaiping Grain Retailer would secretlye to this residence to meet up with Zhou San. Therefore, Thaiping Grain Retailer is their hideout.¡±

    ¡°Thaiping Grain Retailer? Thaiping, Taiping¡­¡± Ye Qing rubbed his chin with a strange expression. Talk about boldness. If he was suspecting that Gold Toad was just tricking him before, now he was certain that it was the truth. It was very much like the Way of Taiping to pull something like this.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll admit that your intel is very valuable,¡± Ye Qing said while smiling down on Gold Toad.

    The Stranger was very happy to hear that. Just when she thought she would actually escape with her life, her mind abruptly grew dim without warning. When she looked down, she saw invisible mes pouring out of her pores, and infinite pain burning her from all sides.

    ¡°You¡­ You broke your promise!¡±

    ¡°No I didn¡¯t. I only promised to let you live if your intel is worth your life, and after hearing what you have to say, my answer is no.¡±

    Ye Qing was smiling, but his voice was cold and unfeeling. ¡°Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, why on earth would I keep my promise to a devious Stranger who has imed countless human lives, not to mention that you had the bright idea to use my friends to threaten me? Do you actually think there was any chance I was going to let you live?¡±

    ¡°All humans and Strangers must take responsibility for their actions, and the price you must pay for your foolishness is death!¡±

    As soon as he finished, the Burning Wind burned Gold Toad¡¯s mind into nothing. All that was left was an empty husk.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    ¡°Lord Ye!¡±

    He had just killed Gold Toad when the orderly noise of clinking armor came from the main exit. Then, Xu Banren, Ugly Monk, and Amorous Nun burst into view.

    The trio had just rushed in when they saw the tattered garden and felt the terrifying auras still permeating the air.

    Ugly Monk was an impatient man, so he asked immediately, ¡°Where is the Stranger, my lord?¡±

    Ye Qing pointed a thumb at Gold Toad. ¡°Right here. There were two, but I annihted the other one because she wasn¡¯t particrly powerful.¡±

    Ugly Monk: ¡°...¡±

    Amorous Nun: ¡°...¡±

    Xu Banren: ¡°...¡±

    Excluding Ye Qing, they picked up a total of three powerful auras at the scene, and each one was probably strong enough to give them a run for their money. And yet this guy neglected to mention one of them and even imed that they weren¡¯t particrly powerful.

    We suspect that someone is boasting¡ªactually scratch that, he isn¡¯t boasting. He literally killed three powerful enemies by himself, he deserved to call them weaklings and such.

    All three Lieutenants felt varying degrees of mixed emotions. Xu Banren took it easier because he had gotten¡­ numb to Ye Qing blowing up his expectations again and again, but Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun were new to this. They were so stunned that they were having second thoughts about their little schemes.

    ¡°Lord Ye, you mentioned that there were two Strangers, but I¡¯m picking up three auras beside yours. Who does it belong to?¡± Xu Banren asked.

    ¡°A big fish,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently. ¡°Come. Today¡¯s the day we all get a promotion!¡±

    ¡°Er¡­?¡±

    Since Ye Qing didn¡¯t state things clearly, Xu Banren, Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun were all exchanging confused nces with one another.

    ¡°Come on already. Trust me, today¡¯s the day you get a pay raise, a promotion, a gorgeous partner, and the path that leads to the peak of your life!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Cow Ghost Market was located underground to the south of Luo Shui.

    Specifically, it was located in the underground city to the south of the city. It was because Luo Shui was built atop the ruins of Sky Gate, a city from five hundred years ago.

    ording to the annals of geography of Luo Shui, the epic battle between two peak champions was what sank the ancient city and its hundreds of thousands of citizens into the underground.

    Later, Chu unearthed the city and founded Luo Shui on top of it, but some parts of Sky Gate¡¯s buildings were still stuck underground. Knowing that it would risk the structural foundation of the city if the buildings were to be removed by force, the Earth Wood Sage at the time, Lou Gaoju decided to preserve it and treat it as a city expansion.

    After the buildings were reinforced, and the people were allowed to upy them for their own use, the ce became known as Sky Gate Market.

    However, Sky Gate Market was located underground, and it eventually became the gathering spot of people of all trades including the ¡°Cow Ghosts and Snake Gods¡±, which generally referred to bad people. As a result, some people started calling it the ¡°Cow Ghost Market¡± or the ¡°Ghost Market¡± as a warning to the good folk. Over time, Cow Ghost Market reced Sky Gate Market as its new name.

    If the Pacification Street, White Horse Alley and Fish Dragon Market of Luo Shui represented light, order, cleanliness and safety, then the Cow Ghost Market represented darkness,wlessness, filth and danger.

    Due to the sheer number of illegal factions that existed in Cow Ghost Market and theplexity of its power structure, not even the government of Luo Shui was able to govern it properly. Over time, they decided that they couldn¡¯t be bothered at all. As a result, it gradually turned into a unique ¡°tourist spot¡± in Luo Shui.

    Thaiping Grain Retailer was located in Cow Ghost Market. People gotta eat no matter how filthy, chaotic and dangerous a ce was after all.

    Of course, there were people who envied their prosperity and tried to take them over, but not only did Thaiping Grain Retailer remain strong, it was growing bigger and bigger. The reason was very simple: their fist was bigger, was all. More specifically, Xing The Third¡¯s fist was bigger than all of hispetitors.

    And how big was Xing The Third¡¯s fist, exactly? It was rumored that he had singlehandedly annihted the biggest faction in Cow Ghost Market, the Skywolf Gang with his fist and saber simply because the gang boss, Skywolf Duan took five bags of grain without paying.

    It was also rumored that he had chased the Sky Fox, Yu Chuntang for over five thousand kilometers before finally capturing him and severing his tendons because the man killed a shop assistant in Thaiping Grain Retailer.

    It was even said that he was so inhuman that he enjoyed feeding on women¡¯s flesh and drinking children¡¯s blood.

    As a result, Xing The Third became a household name in Cow Ghost Market.

    But of course, rumors were often exaggerated. In truth, Xing The Third definitely didn¡¯t enjoy drinking a child¡¯s blood or feeding on women¡¯s flesh. No, he enjoyed eating hotpot and drinking pepper soup.

    Right now, Xing The third was doing just that in his backyard. He was drinking a bowl of pepper soup from his hand and picking up a piece of meat from his hotpot.

    To be honest, he almost couldn¡¯t remember thest time he enjoyed such a good meal. He didn¡¯t know when it started, but he started living his life as cautiously and timidly as a mouse. He didn¡¯t dare to turn off the lights when he slept, and he kept a dagger under his pillow. He didn¡¯t dare to open his heart to anyone no matter who he was speaking to, and he didn¡¯t even dare to reveal his true kung fu when he killed someone. It was all to keep his secret intact.

    If he had to guess, it had probably begun since he entered Luo Shui and built the Thaiping Grain Retailer.

    After all, he was a cultist of the Way of Taiping, and what he was doing was no different from pointing a middle finger at Chu and crying, ¡°Come at get me!¡± It was no wonder he became so timid and cautiouster on.

    Their ploy worked though. The authorities thought that the Way of Taiping wouldn¡¯t dare to act openly because they had had their shit beaten out of them, so they tried exploiting that blindspot and established themselves in an arrogant and high-profile manner instead. It worked. Today, they had sessfully solidified their position in Cow Ghost Market and even established a foothold in the city of Luo Shui itself.

    Now, their grand n was but a moment away from seeding. Assuming that everything went well, this underground city would be their Stronghold, and even the one on the surface would fall into their control as well.

    That was why he had been feeling very good as ofte, so good that he couldn¡¯t stop indulging in his favorite food like before. He felt like he could devour another five to six bowls before he was finally full.

    ¡°Slurp¡­ so tasty¡­¡±

    It was at this moment he heard amotion from outside. The next thing he knew, one of his shop assistants stepped into the backyard with three people in tow. They were two men and a woman. The young man was young and handsome, the older man was brawny and fierce-looking, and the woman was so sexy that he could barely move her eyes away from her.

    Still, his many years of steadfastness allowed him to suppress his urges and shoot his shop assistant a death re. ¡°The hell¡¯s going on here?¡±

    The shop assistant flinched. He knew exactly how ruthless and bloodthirsty his boss was, so he exined in a small voice, ¡°They said they have a big business idea they¡¯d like to sell you.¡±

    Fucking trash, Xing The Third cursed in his head. There was nothing he hated more than someone interrupting his meal, so much so that he was going to refine the trio into armored puppets no matter what this ¡°big business idea¡± was.

    He looked at the woman again and changed his mind. Actually, the woman can live.

    ¡°So? What is this ¡®big business idea¡¯ you¡¯d like to pitch me?¡± Xing The Third asked rudely and directly. There was no point in being polite to would-be-dead men.

    ¡°Oh yes, it¡¯s big alright.¡± The young man stepped out and slowly walked toward him with a smile. ¡°It involves the Way of Taiping after all.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Xing The Third felt like he had just been punched in the face. Still, he didn¡¯t hesitate to throw himself at the trio. He didn¡¯t know who they were, but he was sure that his problems would be solved if he took them down.

    Boom!

    ck purple lightning abruptly shot out of Xing The Third¡¯s body. It formed a thunderous ghost god in the sky.

    The ghost god had two faces. One of them was divinely dignified, and the other was demonically savage. He carried serpents and dragons on his shoulders and wielded a lightning halberd. He looked very imposing.

    This was the ¡°Ghost God Sutra¡± of the ¡°Eight Thunder Gods Art¡± and Xing The Third¡¯s trump card. It was also why some of the rumors regarding him were pretty bloody.

    ¡°y!¡±

    When Xing The Third brought down his arm, the ghost god behind him brought down its halberd. The lightning seemed potent enough to destroy the entire ce.

    He hadn¡¯t held back because this was a matter of life and death. Only an idiot would hold back in this situation.

    However, the halberd had only reached halfway when the young man conjured a mallet into his hand. He tapped it against the halberd, and the weapon popped out of existence like a bubble just like that.

    Before he could react, he heard a loud tang that made him feel like his head just exploded. His mind shook like a boat under siege by a raging storm, and his consciousness faded into ck for a moment.

    By the time he awoke, his dantian was destroyed, and his tendons were severed. He had be a cripple.His shop assistant had also been captured by the gorgeous woman.

    ¡°Who¡­ Who are you people?¡± Xing The Third asked while suppressing his shock.

    The young man smiled at him. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ye Qing, and I am a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau?!¡± Xing The Third¡¯s eyes widened like saucers.

    As if on cue, the sound of orderly footsteps entered his ears, and countless Pacification Sentinels surrounded the entire Thaiping Grain Retailer. Their ck armor and crossbows could only be described as imposing.

    ¡°Search every inch of this ce and let no one escape. Kill anyone who tries to resist.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± The Pacification Sentinels responded before taking their leave.

    It¡¯s over.

    Xing The Third closed his eyes in despair when he saw the Pacification Sentinels marching into his property with impunity.

 Chapter 216: Soul Scouring

    Chapter 216: Soul Scouring

    Ye Qing crouched beside Xing The Third and asked slowly, ¡°You can start talking now. Who are you? What is your identity in the Way of Taiping? Do you have any other bases in Luo Shui besides here?¡±

    Xing The Third grunted and kept his silence. He didn¡¯t bother answering Ye Qing¡¯s question, nor did he try to defend himself. There was just no point at this point.

    He was also waiting to see if his fellow cultists still hiding inside the building might be able to make an escape. If they did, then he might still have a chance to survive this.

    Seemingly capable of reading Xing The Third¡¯s thoughts, Ye Qing added with a chuckle, ¡°Oh? Are you waiting for someone to rescue you? Save your thoughts. We have this cepletely surrounded. Not even a fly will be able to escape this ce.¡±

    As he spoke, rumblings and echoes of battle came from inside the building. It was often apanied by the sounds of muffled groans and painful screams. As Xing The Third listened to the screams, the hope in his eyes faded, and his expression grew darker and darker. In the end, there was only despair.

    About half a teatimeter, Xu Banren, Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun returned to his side. Their clothes were stained with blood, and their aura was a lot more erratic than before. It was impossible to say if the blood belonged to them or their victims.

    ¡°Lord Ye, we¡¯ve captured a total of fifty six people. Two of them were Astral Refiners, thirty of them were Vessel Augmentors, eighteen of them were Qi Invokers, and the rest were ordinary people,¡± reported Xu Banren after taking a moment to calm his true qi [1].

    ¡°My lord, we also discovered a hidden room in the granary filled with gold, treasures, and cultivation manuals,¡± A red-faced Ugly Monk reported while licking his lips. Ye Qing wondered if it was due to exertion or excitement.

    Not to be outdone, Amorous Nun reported her findings as well, ¡°My lord, I too discovered something incredible. There is a water prison [2] beneath the granary, and an incredible amount of Cow Ghost Market warriors are imprisoned in it. In fact, most of them were gang bosses or people of importance. If I¡¯m not mistaken, most of the gangs in Cow Ghost Market have been subverted by the Way of Taiping openly or covertly.¡±

    Right now, Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun were brimming were happiness. Even their hostility toward Ye Qing had decreased considerably. After all, the young man had brought them on a mission to destroy a deadly faction that was hiding right under Luo Shui¡¯s nose, the Way of Taiping. A merit like this was greatly beneficial for their future to say the least.

    They were also starting to grow a measure of true respect toward Ye Qing. His earlier battle against two powerful Hatred-ss Strangers and a warrior could still be rationalized a fluke¡ªafter all, who hasn''t gotten lucky with their opponents once in a while?¡ªbut just now, they saw with their own eyes how Ye Qing had incapacitated Xing The Third in a single exchange.

    Xing The Third was an infamous gang boss and ate-stage Astral Refiner. While some of the rumors were definitely exaggerated, there was no denying that he was a powerful enemy. Even so, Ye Qing still defeated him in a single exchange. Sure, he used a Strange Artifact and caught the man by surprise, but a victory was a victory. The fact that he could employ such a potent Strange Artifact also proved that he was strong.

    In this world, the strong were always deserving of respect. That was why their impression of Ye Qing had improved massively.

    ¡°Wow! To think you guys almost took over the Cow Ghost Market!¡± Ye Qing remarked teasingly, ¡°You guys must be plotting something big!¡±

    However, his expression quickly turned into a frown. ¡°Still, something isn¡¯t quite right about this. This is your hidden base, right? Why would it be guarded by three Astral Refiners only? You¡¯re the boss of this ce, and yet you¡¯re not even close to being at Zhou San¡¯s level. Nah, something¡¯s definitely fishy.¡±

    ¡°Zhou San? Did he¡­ betray us?¡± A shocked Xing The Third abruptly broke his silence. ¡°No, no, it can¡¯t be. Envoy Zhou would never betray the Yellow God!¡±

    ¡°Envoy Zhou? Sounds like he¡¯s more important than I thought.¡± Ye Qing shrugged and continued his musings, ¡°Where was I? Right. There¡¯s no way you guys could¡¯ve stood your ground in Cow Ghost Market if this is all you have, much less subvert most of its gangs. Therefore, you must have a bigger army elsewhere!¡±

    Ye Qing pped his hands and looked at Xing The Third all of a sudden. The man subconsciously looked away to avoid Ye Qing¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Gotcha.¡± Ye Qing grew certain of his deduction when he saw Xing The Third¡¯s guilty reaction.

    ¡°Tell me, who else is in your group, and where are they hiding? If you¡¯re honest, I can grant you a swift death. Otherwise, you will wish that you were dead!¡±

    ¡°Haha! So what if you managed to guess the truth? There¡¯s nothing you can do without the details.¡±

    A vicious grin suddenly spread across Xing The Third¡¯s face as he spat, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be long before the Yellow God enacts his divine judgment upon you all. It¡¯s not just the Pacification Bureau, the entire Luo Shui will be destroyed for their sins! Only those who worship Him may partake in his immortality!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise¡­¡±

    Xing The Thirdughed madly as a yellow talisman surfaced from his forehead, but the talisman had just lit up when a soft tang suddenly disrupted his concentration and destabilized his mind. The gong sound would continue until he felt like the apocalypse was taking ce inside his head, and his consciousness was growing blurrier and blurrier. Finally, the All Is Well Talisman turned dim and disappeared into nothing.

    ¡°Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me,¡± Ye Qing recited with a sneer as he put away the Soul Absorbing Gong. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to die until we have wrung every drop of information from you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Xing The Third was stunned by this oue to say the least. He didn¡¯t think that Ye Qing would have a way to disrupt the All Is Well Talisman from manifesting.

    Ye Qing shot him a diabolical grin. ¡°Heh. Death is the easiest thing in this world, but sometimes, it is a luxury.¡±

    ¡°Can I give it a go, my lord?¡±

    Ye Qing was just about to interrogate Xing The Third when suddenly, Amorous Nun stepped forward and offered her service.

    ¡°What is your n?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Amorous Nun smiled. ¡°I happened to learn a soul scouring art in the past. It is most effective against a pig-headed person like him.¡±

    Ye Qing hesitated for a moment but nodded. ¡°Very well. I leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Soul scouring!?¡± Xing The Third nched and tried to resist, but as soon as Amorous Nun chanted something only he could hear, his eyes immediately grew unfocused.

    Amorous Nun¡¯s eyes gradually turned as ck and boundless as the night. It looked like it had the power to submerge the entire world in eternal darkness. The next moment, a pitch ck, mysterious eyeball appeared above Xing The Third¡¯s head.

    The eyeball turned slowly and cast invisible light into Xing The Third¡¯s head. Slowly, his ckened expression became overwritten by struggle and pain. Despite this, he never woke up.

    A dozen or so breathster, the ckness in Amorous Nun¡¯s eyes faded, and her face turned as pale as a sheet. She staggered away from Xing The Third as if she had just spent most of her strength.

    On the other hand, Xing The Third was bleeding out of all of his orifices. His breathing had stopped a while ago.

    This was normal. Soul scouring arts were extremely brutal interrogation techniques meant to forcefully drag out the memories of the victim from their minds. Naturally, it damaged one¡¯s mind severely. In the best case scenario, the art would damage the victim¡¯s mind and turn them into retards. In the worst case scenario, their mind would be annihted, and they would die.

    Ye Qing stepped forward and caught Amorous Nun before she could fall to the ground. Sensing an opportunity, the Lieutenant tried to lean against his chest.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t step out of the way, but he did release a wisp of killing intent. Amorous Nun froze in mid-movement and hurriedly caught herself. She cursed inside her own head, what a dull man!

    ¡°So? Did you find anything useful?¡± Ye Qing asked seriously.

    Amorous Nun wasn¡¯t so far gone that she would fail to recognize the severity of the situation, so she turned serious as well and reported, ¡°Xing The Third¡¯s mind is protected by a powerful restriction, and my soul scouring art is iplete in some ways. As a result, I only managed to glimpse a handful of memory fragments.¡±

    She was telling the truth, not to mention that all soul scouring arts required the user to possess a certain level of spiritual power. Xing The Third¡¯s spirit wasn¡¯t too far behind hers because they were at the same cultivation level, so a handful of memory fragments were about the best one could expect.

    ¡°Tell me!¡± Ye Qing urged. He didn¡¯t me her for doing a ¡°poor¡± job because he knew that she had done her best, and the longer they dyed, the greater the chance the Way of Taiping might notice the destruction of their hidden base and react ordingly.

    Amorous Nun took a moment to organize her thoughts before answering, ¡°I saw Xing The Third and his cohort nning something big that could potentially subject the entire city in danger, but I am unsure about the details.¡±

    ¡°So, he wasn¡¯t lying when he said that the Yellow God would soon enact its ¡®divine judgment¡¯ upon Luo Shui,¡± Ye Qing muttered with a frown. He looked calm on the outside, but on the inside he was swearing left, right, and center.

    How do I keep running into city-level disasters like this? First it was Anyang, now it was Luo Shui. All I wanted was to get revenge against my wrongdoers! How the fuck did I get into this mess?

    I¡¯m just a kid, man. I¡¯m not nearly strong or tall enough to carry the heavens if they copse!

    Amorous Nun didn¡¯t interrupt Ye Qing thinking that he was mulling over the situation. A whileter, Ye Qing finally came back to reality and let out a resigned sigh. If there was one silver lining to this mess, it was that he had already informed the Pacification Bureau about the Way of Taiping. It shouldn¡¯t take too long before they sent an actual professional to handle this.

    ¡°Did you find out anything about his cohort?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Amorous Nun shook her head but added, ¡°However, I did find something unusual. Every three to five days or so, Xing The Third would deliver arge shipment of grain to the Sky Gate Abyss of Cow Ghost Market.¡±

    ¡°Sky Gate Abyss?¡± Ye Qing repeated while narrowing his eyes. Sky Gate Abyss was a natural crack in the ground deep within Cow Ghost Market. It also functioned as a border of some sort. It was said that Sky Gate Abyss was constantly shrouded by a fog of cold, dead energy, and there was no signs of life in the area whatsoever. As it wasbeled as a forbidden zone, few people would get close to that ce.

    If what Amorous Nun said was true, then it made little sense that Xing The Third would sendrge shipments of grain to Sky Gate Abyss every three to five days.

    Grain was food, and food was meant to be consumed. This meant that there was a group residing in Sky Gate Abyss for some reason, a pretty massive one too considering the amount of food that was delivered.

    Who could these people be, and what were they doing at Sky Gate Abyss? The answer was blindingly obvious. These people were most likely cultists of the Way of Taiping, and they were doing something bad at Sky Gate Abyss!

    This would also exin why Thaiping Grain Retailer was guarded by so few people. It was because therge majority of the group was entrenched in Sky Gate Abyss.

    1. Note that practically everyone except Ye Qing at this point still have true qi in their bodies, and even Ye Qing might still have a tiny, tiny percentage of true qi in him. Rarely anyone ever fully convert their true qi into astral qi before ascending to the next level. ?

    2. Please refer to ¡°water cure¡± for more details. In short, it¡¯s a prison where the prisoners are partially submerged in water. ?

 Chapter 217: A Ghastly Surprise

    Chapter 217: A Ghastly Surprise

    Ye Qing mulled over the situation for a bit before ordering, ¡°I¡¯m going to Sky Gate Abyss to take a look, so round up the men and safeguard the entrances to Cow Ghost Market. Don¡¯t allow anyone to get in or out until Chief Gu shows up.¡±

    But Xu Banren disagreed, ¡°Lord Ye, we haven¡¯t been silent when we took over Thaiping Grain Retailer. Assuming that the Way of Taiping really is hiding in Sky Gate Abyss, I reckon that they have already heard about our appearance. Considering the potential dangers, I think it¡¯s best if wee with you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly because it¡¯s dangerous that it¡¯s best if I head there alone.¡±

    The Way of Taiping must have worked on Cow Ghost Market for years to have taken control of most of its gangs. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they had eyes and ears everywhere, which was why it was most likely that the bigger group hiding in Sky Gate Abyss had already heard of their presence. If they were to travel to Sky Gate Abyss as they were, there was a huge chance they would fall into an ambush and be annihted.

    Therefore, the better n was to secure the entrances and pretend that they weren¡¯t aware of the group hiding at Sky Gate Abyss. Best case scenario, the group would think that Xing The Third was just unlucky to be caught by the Pacification Bureau and let down their guard. They could always storm Sky Gate Abyss after Gu Suitang and their reinforcements had arrived.

    That said, their job would be made easier if they could send someone to check out the situation at Sky Gate Abyss and scout out their enemies¡¯ numbers, arrangements and such, and the person Ye Qing decided to send was himself. It was still a risky venture, but far less risky than their whole team banging down on the Way of Taiping¡¯s door openly.

    ¡°Lord Ye¡­¡±

    Xu Banren frowned and tried to convince Ye Qing further, but Ye Qing interrupted him and said, ¡°Enough. Just trust me and do as I say.¡±

    Xu Banren stayed silent for a moment before offering apromise, ¡°How about this: Ugly Monk and I wille with you, and Amorous Nun will stay behind. She¡¯s too hurt to participate in another battle immediately anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The three of you should stick together.¡±

    Ye Qing knew that Xu Banren was concerned for his safety, but there really was no need for additional manpower. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank: I don¡¯t want to have to watch the enemy and take care of you two at the same time. It¡¯s just too much trouble.¡±

    Xu Banren: ¡°...¡±

    Ugly Monk: ¡°...¡±

    The two Lieutenants exchanged nces with each other. Did¡­ Did he just imply what he did?

    We¡¯re famous warriors and Lieutenants of the Pacification Bureau, and he¡¯s saying that we would slow him down?

    Just how arrogant can he be?

    Irritated and angry, Ugly Monk opened his mouth to retort only to find Ye Qing suddenly fading away like some sort of mirage. He was gone in just a matter of seconds.

    It was an afterimage. The real Ye Qing had left a short while ago.

    Ugly Monk did a double take and stared at the spot where Ye Qing used to be. He didn¡¯t even know Ye Qing was gone until the afterimage started fading, much less how he pulled off such a stunt.

    If the guy attacks me during this time¡­ I would probably be dead before I could even defend myself, couldn¡¯t I?

    The three Lieutenants exchanged another nce with each other and said nothing.

    I guess we really are burdens to him. Sigh. Guard duty it is.

    ¡­¡­

    How deep was the Sky Gate Abyss? No one knows.

    How wide was the Sky Gate Abyss? No one knows.

    What was hiding under the bottomless chasm of Sky Gate Abyss? No one knows either!

    Sky Gate Abyss was an extremely mysterious ce with little known facts. In a sense, it was just like the sun. Everyone knows that the sun was bright, hot, and round, but besides that, not much was known about it at all.

    Ye Qing was currently standing in a secluded spot and staring at the bottomless, fog-shrouded chasm that was Sky Gate Abyss. Frankly, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone told him that the chasm was connected to a different world. The view was mind-blowing to say the least.

    He was also certain that the intel Amorous Nun pried from Zhou San¡¯s soul was true because he could sense at least five Astral Refiners hiding in the vicinity. Their auras were solid, well-hidden, and quite powerful. It was clear that they were guarding the ce against any outsider.

    Unfortunately for them, their auras were as obvious as fireflies in the dark to his spirit. It took him little effort to sneak past them and venture deeper into Sky Gate Abyss.

    However, he couldn¡¯t find anyone else on the surface besides these hidden guards. It was because they were inside the chasm.

    That¡¯s right, they were past the fog-shrouded, seemingly bottomless chasm.

    And how did he know this? It was because he saw plenty of suspicious markings on the edge of the cliffs. They were obviously caused by people climbing up and down the cliffs for a long time.

    Some effort had been done to mask the markings, but he still noticed them as soon as they came into view.

    So sorry that I have better eyesight than all of you, readers.

    ¡°What could those crazies possibly be doing underground?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to head down and take a look.

    With his strength, he should survive so long as he didn¡¯tmit suicide.

    His mind made up, Ye Qing leaped over the edge and into the chasm.

    Whoosh!

    It was like tossing a stone into the sea. One second he was there, and the next he could see nothing but thick fog and hear nothing but the howling wind. It was disturbing to put it mildly.

    After falling into the chasm for about thirty meters give or take, Ye Qing abruptly plunged his left hand into the wall and clenched. His muscles and bones made a series of thunderous pops as he seized his downward momentum instantly.

    An ordinary human would¡¯ve easily ripped their muscles and snapped their bones like twigs if they tried this. But to an Astral Refiner like Ye Qing, he didn¡¯t even feel any real pressure.

    After pulsing his spirit and finding no danger or anomalies in the vicinity, Ye Qing let go and fell deeper into the chasm. He would be repeating this for a while toe.

    The deeper he traveled, the thicker the fog and the yin qi shrouding the Sky Gate Abyss became. It was also as dead as the rumors imed. Forget people, he couldn¡¯t sense a single Stranger in the area.

    Ye Qing was a bit weirded out by this, to be honest. Sky Gate Abyss was chock-full of yin qi and unsuited for life, but it should¡¯ve been a haven for Yin Spirits, Vengeful Souls, Walkers and the like. However, he couldn¡¯t sense even a single Yin Spirit in the area despite havinge this far. It was strange to say the least.

    Eventually, Ye Qing began sensing something other than yin qi. To be more specific, it was some sort of aura. An ominous one.

    At the beginning, it was so faint that he couldn¡¯t tell what it was beyond the basics. But the deeper he went, the more obvious the aura became. It was bizarre and overflowing with evil in the sense that it filled one¡¯s head with illusions and one¡¯s heart with desires. If Ye Qing had to describe it somehow, it would be temptation on steroids.

    After falling down the chasm for another kilometer or so, Ye Qing finally saw the bottom. It was covered in crisscrossing crevices and upturned earth. He also saw many broken walls and ruins. He could vaguely see copsed buildings, shattered bricks, rotting wood and more signs of decay.They looked like monsters hiding in the dark to ambush their prey.

    ¡°This¡­ This must be the ruins of Sky Gate.¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting to find more remnants of the old city so deep in the underground. Sensing a small trail that had probably been created from the footsteps of the cultists, he carefully followed it while keeping his spirit out in the open.

    He still couldn¡¯t quite make heads or tails of the situation. There was no life here whatsoever, and while an archeologist might find this ce interesting, what did it matter to the Way of Taiping?

    Snap!

    Ye Qing had been treading through the area as carefully as he could, but one of the tiles he was stepping on had be impossibly fragile after years and years of erosion. As a result, he identally crushed it underneath his foot. The soft noise sounded impossibly loud in this dead valley.

    It was a mistake. As if the lock on the gates of hell had suddenly been released, countless Yin Spirits started flying out of the fog and the ruins around him.

    No, they¡¯re not Yin Spirits. They¡¯re Grudge Spirits!

    The two names were almost identical, but a Yin Spirit was just an ordinary, yin soul-type stranger that was born from one¡¯s attachments. That attachment could be love, regret, longing and more. On the other hand, a Grudge Spirit was born from resentment and hatred. Much more cruel and violent than a Yin Spirit, a Grudge Spirit knew ughter and nothing else.

    The Grudge Spirits in front of him had ck pupils that burned like a pair of ck orbs, savage and eerie. They were also overflowing with so much resentment it was almost tangible. Soon, Ye Qing found himself staring down at least tens of thousands of Grudge Spirits. There were male, female, young and old, but they were overflowing with resentment and hatred.

    ¡°What the fuck? Why are there so many Grudge Spirits in this ce?¡± Ye Qing muttered with a deep frown. It was strange enough that each and every one of these Grudge Spirits was at least as strong as a Vessel Augmentor, but what puzzled him even more was their numbers.

    Normally, Grudge Spirits could be found in ces where arge number of people had died unjustified deaths. However, Sky Gate Abyss was a forbidden zone, and few people frequented this ce, if at all. Even if he presumed that the Way of Taiping was behind this, it should be impossible for them to kill this many people without rming the Pacification Bureau ages ago.

    Were they born from the dead of Sky Gate?

    Five hundred years ago, the battle between two peak champions had resulted in the destruction of the city and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. It would make sense if these Grudge Spirits were the remnants of those who died.

    But if that was true, then why had Luo Shui never experienced a Grudge Spirit outbreak during the centuries it had existed? Heck, Cow Ghost Market was right up there, but they had never logged a massive or even a minor attack by Grudge Spirits either.

    I¡¯m still missing pieces of the puzzle.

    Ye Qing was still thinking when the Grudge Spirits in the air rushed toward him like a tidal wave probably because they sensed his vitality.

    An ordinary person would¡¯ve copsed on all fours already, but Ye Qing was no ordinary person. Before they could get close, a magnificent golden light shone out of Ye Qing¡¯s body and melted it all like snow. At least half of the Grudge Spirits were vanquished just like that.

    A golden Buddha with his hands pressed together in prayer and wearing a merciful expression appeared behind Ye qing¡¯s back. At the same time, Buddhist chants began resounding across the valley.

    Countless Buddhist nes and golden lotuses started flying in the air, and the golden light felt as warm as the sun itself. Incredibly, the Grudge Spirits were exorcised of their negative emotions and returned to the cycle of reincarnation just like that.

    Only a handful of Grudge Spirits were left after the powerful attack. Even the dark, gloomy fog surrounding the area had dissipated slightly.

    ¡°As expected of the Boundless Mara Buddha.¡±

    This was the first time Ye Qing used histest Strange Artifact, and he was very satisfied with what he saw. He hadn¡¯t even unsealed it yet.

    In its sealed state, the Boundless Mara Buddha was a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. As it was forged from the husk of an enlightened monk and a Buddhist artifact, it naturally possessed the power of the Buddha. Not only could it be used to protect his mind, spirit, and soul, it could also suppress demons and exorcise yin spirits.

    In short, the sealed Boundless Mara Buddha was the bane of these Grudge Spirits.

    If he didn¡¯t have the Boundless Mara Buddha, he would¡¯ve booked it long before they gathered en masse. Forget him, even a Spirit Purifier would have to run and fight another day.

    So long as the Boundless Mara Buddha had power, no number of Grudge Spirits could threaten him.

    ¡°An EXP rush! It¡¯s been too long, man!¡±

    For Ye Qing, this meant that he could farm these Grudge Spirits for dragon-serpent runes to his heart¡¯s content. He was immediately reminded of the jubtion and excitement he felt when he first realized that he was immune to them. He thought he would never feel this rush again, but here he was!

 Chapter 218: Cutting An Official Today With A Sword From Before

    Chapter 218: Cutting An Official Today With A Sword From Before

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glowed with greed as he stared at the Grudge Spirits in the air. Every time he took a step deeper into the fog, an invisible shockwave would spread out from his foot and shatter bricks and tiles. Sometimes, an entire wall or even building would copse due to how old and eroded they were.

    The noise awoke countless Grudge Spirits and drew them all toward him. When they saw him shining like a light bulb in the darkness, they immediately rushed him and became exorcised by the light of the Boundless Mara Buddha.

    Death was a great deterrent for most living things, but these Grudge Spirits kepting like moths to mes. It was because they didn¡¯t possess any intelligence and knew only ughter.

    Tang! Tang! Tang!

    Ye Qing was having the time of his life when suddenly, a series of gong sounds appeared from the fog. It rang every two breaths, and it sounded sharp, loud, and sonorous. As the fog slowly parted, the Grudge Spirits abruptly stopped charging Ye Qing and moved to the sides. They were even kneeling on the floor and shaking as if they were weing an important official or something.

    Slowly, Ye Qing saw a bunch ofmon bailiffs stepping out of the fog while carrying signs that said, ¡°Away¡± and ¡°Silence¡±. Behind themon bailiffs were workmen carrying all sorts of items such as chains, sticks, ck whips, pumpkins, spears, ck fans, yellow umbres and more. Finally, they were apanied by a bunch of soldiers ridingrge horses. At the center of the entourage was a jade-encrusted carriage. It looked mighty impressive if nothing else.

    ¡°This official must be pretty important,¡± Ye Qingmented with a raised eyebrow. In fact, only amandery governor or higher were allowed to enjoy such fanfare.

    Obviously, the bailiffs, workmen, soldiers and more were either Grudge Spirits or manifestations of yin qi. The jade-encrusted carriage stood out even among these ghosts though. It looked luxurious, mysterious, and eerie. Its whole body was burning a ghastly green ghost fire. Its curtains were made not from yin qi or silk, but human skins. In fact, they were the skins of young, beautiful women. Their faces were either smiling, snarling, weeping, sneering and more.

    The silhouette of an imposing figure wearing a tall hat and wide robes could be seen behind the ¡°curtain¡±. When the group came to a stop about ten meters away from Ye Qing, a booming voice then entered his ears, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you paying respects to me?¡±

    The official¡¯s voice was shrill and dark like the screams of innumerable ghosts, intimidating and eerie. An entire group of Grudge Spirits actually exploded into yin qi after hearing hismand.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t answer. It was because the official wasn¡¯t speaking to him.

    As expected, a strange giggle appeared from the fog to Ye Qing¡¯s left, ¡°We¡¯re not your underlings, Yin Governor. You can¡¯tmand us to do anything.¡±

    Four other voices echoed in agreement, ¡°We¡¯re not afraid of you!¡±

    A person slowly stepped into the open. Strangely, their figure kept changing amidst the fog. Sometimes they were tall, and sometimes they were short. Sometimes they were fat, and sometimes they were thin. Ye Qing could also hear a constant cackle from them.

    It wasn¡¯t until they were close that Ye Qing finally saw them for who they were. They weren¡¯t one person, they were five children wearing a round hat and a ck, gold, white and red-colored round cor robe.

    The children¡¯s faces were covered in drawings. One kid had a rising sun drawn on his forehead, and another had wrinkles. A third had eye circles drawn around his eyes, and a tongue drawn beneath his bottom lip, and the fourth kid had crescents drawn around their eyes and nose. Thest kid had bones drawn on his cheeks. It looked both strange, amusing, and cute.

    Before they stepped out of the fog, it looked like they had an amorphous figure that was constantly changing. In reality, it was because they were moving all the time. Sometimes, they would stack on top of one another. Sometimes, they would hug each other. And sometimes, they would line up in a row. This was why they looked the way they did.

    Before Yin Governor could respond, a Grudge Spirit riding a handsome horse and wearing a set of silver armor rebuked them harshly, ¡°How dare you! You are my lord¡¯s citizens be it in life or death, ghost boys! Kneel now before it¡¯s toote!¡±

    The Grudge Spirit seemed to be a senior military officer. He also didn¡¯t have a head. Pale ghostfire kept seeping out of his throat. It looked like he had been beheaded.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡±

    ¡°No way!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna!¡±

    ¡°Ain¡¯t gonna!¡±

    ¡°I would rather die!¡±

    The five children replied one after another before sticking their tongue out in unison, ¡°We will never ever kneel before your governor! Lelele!¡±

    ¡°You dare¡ª!¡± The headless officer was about to blow his top when suddenly, he broke into pieces and copsed to the ground. He hadn¡¯t been attacked or anything. He just suddenly fell apart as if the invisible glue holding his body together had disappeared all of a sudden.

    The second the headless officer copsed, the yin soldiers unsheathed their weapons and red at the ghost boys with fiery eyes. One order was all they needed to rush forward and tear the Strangers to shreds.

    ¡°Ahhhh! So scary!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe! I¡¯m soooo scared~¡±

    ¡°Save us, Sister Bride!¡±

    As soon as the kid called for help, the fog to Ye Qing¡¯s right suddenly turned bright red like blood or fire. As it spread, it quickly took the form of a woman wearing a red wedding dress and a red veil.

    As soon as the ghost bride appeared, the surrounding yin qi were immediately dyed red. It looked both bleak and eerie.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Finally, Yin Governor spoke up. It was impossible to say if he was wary of the ghost boys, the ghost bride, or both, but he decided to cut the internal conflict here. ¡°We havee today to capture the rebel who dared to invade my Sky Gate and kill my people. If he ruins our ns, then all of our efforts would be all for naught. Will you be the ones to justify our failure to the Ghost King if that happens? Or do you wish to stay in this dark prison for eternity?¡±

    Both the ghost boys and the ghost bride fell silent. Then, they all looked at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Murderous rebel, get on your knees, surrender your soul, and divulge your intentions foring here now! I¡¯ll let you live if you do!¡± Yin Governor addressed Ye Qing this time.

    Ye Qing sighed. It was obvious that none of these ghosts were easy to beat, which was why he had been keeping his head down and hoping that they would fight among themselves. s, it wasn¡¯t meant to be.

    ¡°Er¡­ if I may be so bold, may I know your full title? And who was the one who conferred it?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I am Jiang Yu, Commandery Governor of Sky Gate and a fourth rank official of the imperial court! I was conferred this title by Emperor You Huang himself!¡± Yin Governor screeched out of his carriage. The curtains pped wildly before taking to the air and flying circles around the carriage. ¡°Will you surrender now, rebel?¡±

    I thought so, Ye Qing thought to himself. Both Emperor You Huang and the governor were people from five hundred years ago, meaning that the ghosts surrounding him were the dead of Sky Gate.

    Having confirmed his suspicions, Ye Qing pretended to be afraid for his life and begged, ¡°This subject will die if that is your wish, my lord, but can you please tell me what your grand n is before you kill me?¡±

    Yin Governor wasn¡¯t stupid, however. He sneered, ¡°Hah. Did you think you could trick me, cunning rebel? You may hear of my ns after you¡¯re dead!¡±

    Yin Governor pointed a finger at Ye Qing and fired a sword made of yin qi. It sucked the surrounding yin qi to form a gigantic sword and fell toward Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    Even before the sword fell, the surrounding Grudge Spirits were already trembling like leaves. The ghost boys and ghost bride¡ªboth Hatred-ss Strangers¡ªwere watching the sword warily as well.

    ¡°This is the Son of Heaven Sword His Imperial Majesty himself bestowed to me. As it is a representation of him, it can be used to cut down a disloyal rtive of the imperial family, corrupt officials, or traitorous rebels like you. Be honored that you get to die under this sword!¡±

    ¡°Says the guy who¡¯s plotting to cut down an official of the current dynasty with a sword from the previous dynasty [1]! You really are too bold, Lord Jiang!¡±

    Realizing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to pry any information from the governor, Ye Qing sneered and activated the Boundless Mara Buddha. The Buddha image behind him immediately shone like a proud, golden sun and melted all the yin qi that made up the gigantic sword, revealing its true body. Then, Ye Qing took one step forward, leaped into the sky like a soaring dragon, and punched the Son of Heaven Sword across the de.

    The Son of Heaven Sword shook violently as invisible mes turned its de bright red. It was sent back to Yin Governor even faster than when it was flying toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°It is against etiquette not to reciprocate a gesture, so here you go!¡±

    The Burning Wind reached the group first before the sword. It was as if this section of the valley had turned into a furnace as invisible mes swept across them.

    ¡°Argh!¡± The governor¡¯s entourage screamed in pain and dissolved into dust instantly. They were just too weak to withstand the astral qi.

    ¡°You are courting death, rebel!¡±

    Enraged, Yin Governor charged out of his carriage to meet Ye Qing in battle. He was wearing a golden swallow mianfu [2] and a tall crown.

    A shadow wielding an official seal in one hand and a golden brush on the other appeared in front of Yin Governor. When the seal was raised, a dragon madepletely of yin qi soared out and charged straight toward the Son of Heaven Sword.

    There was a huge explosion, and both the dragon and the shadow disappeared. However, the Son of Heaven Sword was also repelled. Unfortunately, a silhouettended on top of Yin Governor¡¯s carriage before he could take any joy in his sess. Such was the force of hisnding that the carriage shook violently, and its eerie green mes were scattered.

    Countless Yin Souls and Grudge Spirits flew out of the carriage to attack Ye Qing, but they disappeared practically as soon as they emerged. The carriage and Yin Governor himself were dissolving as well.

    ¡°What else are you waiting for? The Ghost King will ughter you both if your negligence causes our n to fail!¡± Yin Governor uttered angrily and agitatedly. Gone was his earlier air of confidence and superiority, reced by deep hatred and panic.

    ¡°Useless¡­¡±

    ¡°Trash¡­¡±

    ¡°Stupid¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you can do besides using the Ghost King to oppress us?¡±

    The ghost boysined loudly, but they didn¡¯t hesitate toe to Yin Governor¡¯s aid. The drawings on their faces suddenly came alive and unleashed a strange power.

    The boy with wrinkles drawn on his forehead inhaled slightly. A powerful yin wind immediately started blowing, and Ye Qing felt an unnatural chill stealing away his vigor and vitality.

    The boy with eye circles and a tongue drawn on his face covered his mouth and let out a small,zy yawn. The next moment, Ye Qing felt as if he was plunged into a pool of ice, and his head suddenly hurt like a bitch. He also felt nausea, dizziness, and other debilitating sensations. It was like he was a gravely ill person on his deathbed.

    1. He¡¯s implying that there¡¯s no bigger rebel than Yin Governor himself. ?

    2. A kind of Chinese clothing in hanfu; it was worn by emperors, kings, and princes, and in some instances by the nobles in historical China from the Shang to the Ming dynasty. ?

 Chapter 219: The Five Boys of Suffering

    Chapter 219: The Five Boys of Suffering

    ¡°What a strange power.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned and channeled the Burning Wind to cleanse away the unholy energies, but before he could do so, a terrible weight suddenly pressed down on his back. His feet abruptly sank into the ground as if he was carrying a million mountains, and a grayish fire started burning within thirty meters of him. Strangely, it was cold, lifeless, andpletely devoid of temperature. It felt like a me that should only exist during the Hundred Ghosts Parade, or the depths of hell.

    This was just the beginning, however. While Ye Qing was struggling to break free from the powers afflicting him, a terrible onught of emotions suddenly assaulted his mind. He felt terribly lost and sorrowful as if he had just lost his loved ones. He felt as if nothing in life was meaningless and hopeless, and that there wasn¡¯t even a soul he could rely on in this trying time. He was so sad, so lonely, so in despair that he thought he might as well die.

    He should just¡­ die.

    As soon as the idea took root, it quickly spread throughout his heart and filled him with a sense of bleakness and despair. He actually stopped resisting and allowed the deathly fire to erode his flesh, his vigor and vitality to leak freely, and all sorts of illness to spread throughout his body.

    I should die. I should die. I should¡ª

    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡±

    It was at this moment the Boundless Mara Buddha unleashed a halo of golden light. The deathly mes receded, the yin qi dissipated, and the chant resounded throughout Ye Qing¡¯s mind and soul like a loud bell. It dispelled all of the negative emotions and restored Ye Qing¡¯s mind to full rity in an instant.

    No evil might take root so long as the Boundless Mara Buddha was present.

    ¡°What the hell just happened to me?¡±

    The moment Ye Qing returned to normal, he immediately noted that he was in trouble. His body felt weak in a way he had never felt since he reached the journeyman level of body-tempering. Not wanting to tempt fate, he immediately visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to protect his mind from the emotional influence, and channeled the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± to circte his astral qi in the most efficient way possible. His vigor pulsed, and his body turned as hot as a furnace. The evil energies afflicting his body were dissolved into nothing in just the blink of an eye.

    As soon as he was cured, his powerful body began repairing itself. At the same time, he formed a shield around himself with his astral qi and epassed himself in the light of the Mara Boundless Buddha to ensure that no more evil energies could enter his body. It was only he let out a sigh of relief and inspected the ghost boys.

    ¡°Aging, sickness, death, and parting? Could it be¡­ the Five Boys of Suffering!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization when a memory suddenly rose to the surface of his mind.

    The Buddha stated that there were eight suffering in one¡¯s life, and they were living, aging, sickness, death, love, hatred, greed for what one couldn¡¯t have, and reluctance to relinquish what should be relinquished. So long as the eight sufferings existed, then it was only a matter of time before evil was born in one¡¯s heart.

    The Five Boys of Suffering were ghost boys who were born from the suffering caused by living, aging, sickness, death, and parting. In fact, the drawings on their faces showed exactly which boymanded which suffering. The rising sun was a symbol of life, which was why the boy with the rising sun on his face was the Life Boy.

    The Old Boy was the one with wrinkles on his face, the Ill Boy had eye circles and a tongue on his face, the Death Boy a pair of bones on his cheeks, and the Parting Boy had crescents on his face.

    Obviously, their magic were as their names implied. The Life Boymanded the magic of life and could heal his brothers and himself of injuries. The Old Boymanded the magic of aging and could absorb a living being¡¯s vigor and vitality to age them. The Ill Boymanded the magic of ailments and could infect someone with all kinds of illnesses, the Death Boymanded the magic of death and could turn fifty kilometers ofnd into a ghastly hell with the snap of a finger, and the Parting Boymanded the power of separation and could afflict one with certain emotions to the point where they would rather die than continue living in this world.

    Some of their magic was tangible, and some weren¡¯t. Regardless, they were all incredibly strange and unpredictable.

    The Five Boys of Suffering might appear to be five different entities, but in reality they were a five-in-one Stranger. Their minds were connected to each other, so they could cooperate perfectly and pose a greater threat against their enemies. It was why they were on par with some weak Soulstealer-ss Strangers despite being ssified as Hatred-ss. At the very least, they were stronger than the Grudge Mother and Grudge Infants he fought before. The fact that he nearly died just now was proof of their strength.

    Still, they had lost the element of surprise, so their ability to threaten him had decreased considerably.

    Seeing that their attacks weren¡¯t working, the Life Boy¡ªhe had been verbally cheering his brothers on this whole time¡ªperformed a backflip. The rising sun drawing on his head started floating above his head and poured down rays of sunlight.

    The four ghost boys were a little tired after attacking for so long, but the presence of the rising sun immediately restored their strength and even strengthened their power.

    ¡°Huh¡­ it can suppress my power too? How magical,¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. The sunrays couldn¡¯t just replenish the ghost boys¡¯ strength, they could suppress the power of his Boundless Mara Buddha and his astral qi as well. It was quite impressive.

    The Five Boys of Suffering weren¡¯t his only enemies, however. While the Hatred-ss Stranger was keeping him pinned, the red veil covering the ghost bride¡¯s face flew into the air and grew bigger and bigger, all the while spinning like a top. It wasn¡¯t long before it had be as big as the sky itself. The way the fabric undted somewhat resembled the waves of a sea.

    The next moment, a literal sea of blood poured down from above like the flood from heaven.

    Ye Qing¡¯s senses told him that the sea of blood wasn¡¯t actually blood, however. It was a manifestation of resentment and yin qi.

    Besides that, he could vaguely hear music from the red sea. It sounded both like wedding music and funeral music. They mingled together to form a positively eerie tune.

    She harbors within her an ocean of resentment, Ye Qing thought to himself. As if on cue, Yin Governor¡¯s aura suddenly red up in his perception.

    Yin Governor had gone into hiding after the Five Boys of Suffering took over. When the ghost brideunched her attack, he decided that this was a good opportunity and emerged from his hiding spot. While riding a thick gust of yin wind, he grabbed his golden brush and wrote a sage¡¯s essay in the air in one smooth motion.

    A sage¡¯s essay should be noble and glorious, but this one was brimming with yin qi and ghastly wails. Countless yin soldiers emerged from it and charged straight toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°How dare you wound me, rebel! I¡¯m going to extract your soul and use it to fuel a skyntern! You will wish that you were dead!¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯d rather deal with all three of you at once than one by one anyway.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked coolly despite the danger he was in. A crescent de abruptly appeared in his hand, and he swung it horizontally in front of him. His movement was perfectly nd, but the red lotuses that suddenly bloomed all over the ce weren¡¯t. They looked as dreamy as they were demonic, and they seemed capable of reflecting the sin and desire hidden in the deepest part of one¡¯s heart.

    The red lotus reflected one¡¯s sins and yed both man and sin.

    ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±

    When the red lotuses descended, all three Strangers abruptly froze in their tracks and nked out. The next moment, dark red hellfire erupted all across their bodies, and no matter how hard they tried to struggle, they were unable to extinguish the mes eating away at their bodies. If anything, it was growingrger andrger.

    The Red Lotus Hellfire was fueled by its victim¡¯s sin. So long as there was sin to burn, the hellfire would never fade.

    These three Strangers were born from infinite resentment, and they were as cruel as they were ruthless. They hadn¡¯t been good people when they were alive, and even after they died they continued to haunt the world as evil spirits. Of course centuries of sin couldn¡¯t be extinguished so easily.

    As the hellfire grew into an inferno, the evil aura the three Strangers emanated grew thinner and thinner. Their expressions were growing increasingly peaceful as well. In the end, they dissolved into ashes in peace.

    ¡°Phew. That was harder than I thought,¡± Ye Qing sighed as he put away his saber. The light in his eyes was weak, and hisplexion was as pale as a sheet.

    The ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± was powerful, but it was a Spirit Purification-stage saber art. Despite his outstanding spirit and ample amount of astral qi, it still strained him greatly to execute its technique. His spirit in particr was nearing the bottom of the barrel.

    At his current level, he could only use the saber art as a final blow or a do-or-die move. If the enemy was still standing after the attack, then he would be very sorry.

    The good news was that the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± was so powerful that practically anyone below the Spirit Purification stage was going to die in one strike, if not two. If even two strikes weren¡¯t enough to y the enemy, then¡­ he could only book it with his tail between his legs.

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and popped two silver dragon-serpent runes to replenish his strength. Now wasn¡¯t the time to be frugal.

    ¡°What? Why are there only fourteen silver runes??¡±

    When Ye Qing nced at the Annon Sutra, he was expecting it to be absolutely covered in silver runes. Instead, he counted only fourteen not including the two he just popped to restore his own strength. This made no sense considering how many Grudge Spirits he just killed.

    He was just feeling miffed when suddenly, he caught a glimpse of gold amidst the silver runes. It was shaped like a dragon.

    ¡°Is this a¡­ golden rune? Could it be¡­?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. If a sufficient number of gray dragon-serpent runes couldbine into a silver rune, it made sense then a sufficient number of silver dragon-serpent runes couldbine into a gold rune as well.

    ¡°The gray runes could be used to replenish vigor, whereas the silver runes could be used to replenish true qi. I wonder what a golden dragon-serpent rune could do?¡±

    Curiosity tickled at Ye Qing¡¯s chest cavity, and he was just about to ask the Annon Sutra about its effects when suddenly, he heard a series of footsteps from somewhere. They seemed to be approaching his location.

    Footsteps? The Way of Taiping! A glint flickered in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he put away the Annon Sutra and ducked into a nearby rubble. He was almost certain it was the bastards because ghosts couldn¡¯t produce footsteps.

    As expected, a man and a woman stepped into the battlefield. Their attire was incredibly strange. The man was wearing a theater costume and make-up [1], which was¡­ actually a pretty good fit with this eerie ce. The woman was wearing a hibiscus on her head and theater makeup as well. She had a ck mole on her left upper lip and carried a square handkerchief on her left hand and a maid¡¯s fan on her right. It reminded Ye Qing of a matchmaker [2].

    ¡°So? Did the Pacification Bureaue, Actor?¡± The woman waved her handkerchief and spoke in a frivolous tone. She was definitely acting like a matchmaker.

    The makeup on Actor¡¯s face turned from blue to white. His eyes flickered with puzzlement and cunning as he answered, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. I can only sense one human¡¯s aura in the area, and they¡¯re fairly powerful.¡±

    ¡°Is he alive or dead?¡± The woman giggled.

    Actor shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I reckon that they were annihted by the Ghost King¡¯s three subordinates. They¡¯re more than a match for most warriors.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very true!¡± The woman nodded earnestly. ¡°We really should¡¯vee sooner. If we could catch them alive, we could¡¯ve interrogated them and found out if the Pacification Bureau had discovered us.¡±

    Actor frowned as his makeup changed colors repeatedly as if to reflect his uncertain emotions. ¡°I doubt it. First, Xing The Third is a veteran who has served our sect faithfully for many years. There is no way he would betray us. Second, the Pacification Bureau wouldn¡¯t send a single person to scout out this ce, much less one who would cause such a bigmotion. It¡¯s probably just a curious jianghu warrior or something.¡±

    ¡°Finally, didn¡¯t the spies we nt at Cow Ghost Market just send word saying that the Pacification Bureau is still hanging out at Thaiping Grain Retailer? This proves that they haven¡¯t discovered anything beyond that. There is nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ you are correct,¡± The woman said with a giggle. ¡°Not that it would matter even if they did find this ce. The Ghost King had deployed his three dogs and over ten thousand Grudge Spirits to guard this ce. Those fools would just die if they dared to show their faces around here.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, we¡¯re just a few hours away frompleting our n. When the boss finally finishes widening the crack leading to the Nine Nethers and draws out its demonic qi, the Grudge Spirits that had been trapped in Sky Gate for centuries would finally be released. When that happens, the entire city and even themandery itself would be a living hell.¡±

    ¡°Both Luo Shui and the world would plunge into chaos, and our sect would rise from their ashes.¡±

    ¡°Waha! Wahaha!¡± Actorughed, but it sounded like he was reciting a script.

    ¡°What will you do when the timees, Matchmaker?¡±

    ¡°Me? Well, my dream is to open a ton of brothels¡­¡±

    ¡°Wahaha, so your dream is to be a pimp? Then why did you choose ¡®Matchmaker¡¯ as your moniker instead of ¡®Pimp¡¯ back then?¡±

    ¡°Well, both jobs require matching people together, so there isn¡¯t really a difference, is there? Hahaha¡­¡±

    1. Chinese ones to be exact. ?

    2. Try google Ã½ÆÅ and you¡¯ll see what he means. ?

 Chapter 220: The Crack

    Chapter 220: The Crack

    ¡°Demonic qi? The Grudge Spirits would finally be freed?¡± Ye Qing mulled over their conversation carefully as Actor and Matchmaker slowly walked out of sight. Their conversation was short, but it was more or less enough for Ye Qing to piece together their true n and objective.

    Five hundred years ago, the battle between two peak champions caused Sky Gate to be destroyed and sink into the underground. Hundreds of thousands had died as a result. At the same time, their battle opened a gap to the Nine Nethers and caused a small amount of demonic qi to leak into the surface.

    Humans could be good or evil, and nature could be yin and yang. Naturally, there was a world of light and a world of darkness as well. The Nine Nethers was the ce where the greatest darkness, yin energy, wickedness and evil were gathered. Humanity wasn¡¯t meant to live here to put it mildly. Its demonic qi¡ªor the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi in full¡ªwas the culmination of all that was dark and possessed incredible corruptive power. It could tempt someone to fall or indulge and give rise to all sorts of evil desires.

    The people of Sky Gate were resentful to begin with as they had died an unjustified death. Throw in the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi into the mix, and their ghosts started transforming into Grudge Spirits en masse.

    There was a silver lining, however. As the amount of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi leaking into the surface was limited and confined to the bottom of Sky Gate Abyss only, the Grudge Spirits it gave birth was unable to leave its range. That was why Cow Ghost Market and Luo Shui had remained safe for hundreds of years.

    Somehow, the Way of Taiping found out about this ce and decided to cooperate with the Strangers residing at the bottom of Sky Gate Abyss, namely Yin Governor, the Five Boys of Suffering, the ghost bride, and the ghost king they spoke of. Their n was to widen this crack into a full opening so that the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi could manifest on the surface in full.

    This way, the ghost king and his cohorts could descend upon the living, the Way of Taiping could seize the opportunity to promote their so-called faith and kickstart a rebellion.

    Of course, the people were the ones who would suffer the most in this scenario. In fact, the people often suffered during times of crisis or prosperity.

    ¡°An insane person who¡¯s strong can be locked behind bars, but an insane person who''s smart? Dammit!¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath. The Way of Taiping truly had no qualms when it came to promoting their religion. They were monsters worse than Strangers in every sense of the word.

    ording to Actor and Matchmaker, the horde, no, the army of Grudge Spirits he encountered earlier was a trap the Ghost King hadid for the Pacification Bureau. A lot of people could have died had they shown up without knowing what was waiting for them. It was a coincidence, but he had eliminated what was possibly the biggest threat to his fellow colleagues.

    Okay, it totally wasn¡¯t a coincidence. How could he overlook the Grudge Spirits when they were dangling right in front of him? How could he allow all this experience to go to waste?

    Plus, it wasn¡¯tpletely his greed that drove him to take such a risky action. The first horde of Grudge Spirits he triggered was definitely an ident, butter, he decided he would use himself as bait.

    The bottom of Sky Gate Abyss was just too huge. Trying to find the Way of Taiping in this fog was like trying to search for a needle in the ocean. That was why he decided to massacre the Grudge Spirits and bait them intoing to him instead. The n was to capture them and interrogate the location of their main group, or tail them to their hideout.

    Both ns were better than searching mindlessly in this foggy valley, and he would be killing two birds with one stone as well. What¡¯s not to like?

    While things hadn¡¯t gone exactly as he nned, the oue was ultimately positive.

    After Actor and Matchmaker were gone, Ye Qing crawled out of the ruins and trailed after the duo carefully. Both warriors werete-stage Astral Refiners, so Ye Qing followed behind them from at least one hundred meters away. With his powerful spirit and the fog to act as a great cover, he wasn¡¯t worried about losing the duo or being discovered.

    Actor and Matchmaker had no idea that someone was tailing them in secret. They continued to make conversation with each other until they reached their hideout.

    Their hideout was a huge basin, and surrounding the basin were twelve pirs engraved with mysterious runes. Sticking atop the pirs were banners sewn with all sorts of gods, demons, and strange beasts. Not only did they give off a powerful aura, they made this strange howl when they pped in the wind.

    The twelve pirs and twelve banners formed a mysterious array. At the center of the array was a thin crack about one meter in length and a finger wide.

    It wasn¡¯t until now that Ye Qing realized that the so-called crack was more like a mark left behind by a sword attack. The crack looked bottomless as far as he could tell, and pitch ck air was seeping out of it. Despite his distance, he could still sense a powerful darkness and evil from the qi.

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi!¡±

    Ye Qing used an Invisibility Talisman and hid behind a giant rock. His eyebrows were scrunched together in thought. There was something strange he noticed about the crack. Every time a wisp of demonic qi poured out of the crack, it would immediately turn so thin it was almost invisible. It was almost as if it was diluted or suppressed by some sort of power.

    Curious, Ye Qing tried to extend his spirit over to the crack. However, he had just crossed a short distance when suddenly, he nched in fear, ¡°Shit! That¡¯s¡ªPff!¡±

    Blood burst out of his orifices despite his best attempt to control his reaction. His head pounded like someone was beating it with a jackhammer, and he would¡¯ve been exposed if he hadn¡¯t used the Invisibility Talisman.

    ¡°A sword intent. I¡¯ve never sensed such a powerful sword intent in my life!¡±

    It took Ye Qing a few deep breaths before he finally recovered. To say that he was shocked would be an understatement.

    A sword intent unlike anything he had ever felt before was what was keeping the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi suppressed. When he tried to perceive it with his spirit, a massive, impossibly sharp sword had suddenly appeared in his head and attempted to sever his mind. He absolutely could¡¯ve died if his mind wasn¡¯t as strong as it was.

    ¡°This is the second time looking at the wrong things had almost cost me my life.¡±

    Back in his world, saying the wrong things could potentially lead to death. But here? Taking one look at the wrong things could mean death. This fucking world.

    Seeing as the sword intent was the reason the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi was suppressed, Ye Qing reckoned that the crack really was a mark left behind by a sword attack.

    ¡°Who on earth could have done such a thing? Not only did it pierce through the Nine Nethers, it left behind a sword intent that¡¯s potent enough to suppress the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi¡­ Wait¡­ It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Suddenly, fear and disbelief overwrote Ye Qing¡¯s expression. ¡°Was it a remnant of the two peak champions who fought to the death five hundred years ago?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then just how strong were they? Five hundred years is enough time to erode countless things, but this sword intent is still so strong it almost killed me for taking a look at it. Getting close to it physically would probably kill me, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Then again, their battle did result in the destruction of an entire city, so he supposed that it wasn¡¯t too surprising?

    ¡°Boss! Is the Twelve Sky Gods and Demons Array ready yet?¡±

    Meanwhile, Actor and Matchmaker was speaking to a boy at the periphery of the array. The boy wore a standing pigtail and looked to be twelve or thirteen years old at most.

    ¡°Hehehe. Almost. The array itself is ready to activate at any moment. When the ck Tide urs half a teatimeter, we¡¯ll activate it and annihte the sword intent stuck inside the crack in one go. The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi would spill out like a tidal wave then.¡±

    The boy giggled. ¡°Oh right. Did you two find anything? Was it a member of the Pacification Bureau?¡±

    ¡°We think not!¡± Actor shook his head before repeating his earlier deductions.

    The boy smiled. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter even if it was them. It¡¯s already toote.¡±

    ¡°The boss is right!¡±

    ¡°The boss is wise!¡±

    A pair of women wearing colorful clothes piped in while gesticting like they were dancing.

    In fact, their monikers were Dancer 1 and Dancer 2. The woman who loved swinging her arms around was Dancer 1, and the one who loved to hop up and down was Dancer 2. They were twins as well.

    Dancer 1 huffed, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for that¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªdamned sword qi!¡± Dancer 2 continued.

    ¡°Our n would¡¯ve seeded¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªa long time ago!¡±

    Matchmaker swung her handkerchief and bent down seductively. ¡°Come now, that sword qi was left behind by Jun Wuyan, the man who was renowned for his ¡®Fifteen Thousand Kilometers of Sword Intent¡¯. Of course it would be potent even after five hundred years.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been years since we started this project, and to this day we still couldn¡¯t get within a meter of it!¡±

    It was at this moment a paper crane flew out of the fog andnded in the boy¡¯s palm. When he unfolded the crane and checked out its contents, he nched. ¡°Oh no. Paper Celestial just messaged me saying that Gu Suitang had shown up with the reinforcements. In fact, they¡¯re already here at Sky Gate Abyss!¡±

    ¡°What? What¡¯s going on? Why would Gu Suitang himself show up, and why would hee here?¡± Actor eximed in puzzlement as his make-up suddenly turned blue.

    ¡°No, no, we are literally moments away from seeding. The n mustn¡¯t fail at the final step!¡±

    ¡°What should we do, boss?¡±

    ¡°The ck Tide will be appearing in less than half a teatime.¡± The boy thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Inform Ghost King about this. We¡¯re going to dy Gu Suitang for as long as possible!¡±

    ¡°Can we though? Gu Suitang is a Spirit Master!¡± Matchmaker voiced her worry.

    The boy answered, ¡°I¡¯m not nning to kill Gu Suitang, I only want to dy him. We just need to lead them around for half a teatime or so, and not even three Gu Suitangs would be able to change the oue.¡±

    ¡°Also, inform Paper Celestial and Dog King to wreak some havoc in Cow Ghost Market. The distraction may be able to buy us some time as well.¡±

    ¡°The boss is wise!¡± Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 chirped in unison.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The boy beckoned for everyone to join him, and they were gone in just a moment.

    The basin quickly turned silent, disturbed only by the incessant noise of the pping banners.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Squeak squeak!¡±

    A four-eared, palm-sized silver mouse was slowly making its way through the fog while followed by Gu Suitang, Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and more. They numbered at least several hundred people.

    ¡°Chief, Joyless went this way judging from the signs he left behind.¡±

    The silver mouse was called the Silver Tracker, and it was a tracking Stranger the Pacification Bureau specifically bred to track down certain signs. For starters, it could track down the unique scent of a special concoction all Pacification Bureau members were equipped with for various purposes.

    Gu Suitang looked around the area while responding in an indifferent voice, ¡°Joyless had definitely passed through here. There are signs of battles and leftover auras in this ce.¡±

    ¡°Heh. Lord Ye is seriously amazing. I still can¡¯t believe he found the Taiping cultist¡¯s hideout of all things! He¡¯s so getting a pay raise if we manage to uproot them all in Luo Shui!¡± Wei Yueshan said happily behind Gu Suitang.

    p!

    The Lieutenant had just finished talking when Gu Suitang wheeled around and pped him in the face. The Deputy Chief of Bureau swore, ¡°Amazing my ass! More like stupid beyond imagination!¡±

    ¡°He knew this was their main hideout, and he knew they were prepared for intruders, and he still came alone like he was a greenhorn! Did he really think he¡¯s invincible under the heavens just because he had learned a few years of kung fu? I¡¯m fucking bald at the center, and even I wouldn¡¯t dare to make such a im! Who the fuck does he think he is?¡±

    ¡°The rest of you kiddos better not emte his example, you hear me? You only have one life. Why would you waste it like this when you can spend it on eating and drinking instead?¡±

    Wei Yueshan rubbed the back of his head, chuckling. It looked like Gu Suitang was abusing them, but anyone could tell that he was just concerned for their safety.

    Lin Yuhuai smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much, Chief. Joyless is not a reckless man, nor is he the type of person to treat his life like a joke. He must be fully confident in his abilities toe here alone. He will be fine.¡±

    Gu Suitang harrumphed. ¡°He best hope so! When we return, I¡¯m going to beat up his arrogant ass so he won¡¯t forget that there¡¯s always a bigger heaven out there!¡±

    ¡°Chief!¡±

    Suddenly, a Pacification Sentinel ran over and reported, ¡°A riot is taking ce at Cow Ghost Market right now. We believe it¡¯s incited by the Taiping cultists.¡±

 Chapter 221: King of Sky Gate

    Chapter 221: King of Sky Gate

    ¡°Hah! They¡¯re panicking. It¡¯s clear that they¡¯re trying to lure us away or split up our manpower since we found their hideout. They must think we¡¯re stupid or something!¡± Chu Nianjiumented while sipping from his wine gourd.

    He had just finished saying this when Gu Suitang said, ¡°Squad 1 and 2, head back and assist our brothers at Cow Ghost Market. Don¡¯t allow a single Taiping cultist to slip through your grasp.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    Two squads of Pacification Sentinels received the order and went back immediately.

    Wine spilled out of Chu Nianjiu¡¯s mouth as he coughed loudly. ¡°Cough! Cough! My lord, er¡­.¡±

    He just said that the Taiping cultists were trying to lure them away or split them up, and Gu Suitang immediately dispatched not one, but two squads back to Cow Ghost Market. Was Gu Suitang really that dumb, or was he undermining him?

    In response, Gu Suitang snorted. ¡°I¡¯m all the manpower we need, and the fact that they¡¯re trying to pull such a trick proves that they¡¯re not confident in their ability to stop us. Plus, too many people can be a burden sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Hehe! You are as wise as you are mighty, master!¡± Wei Yueshan hurriedly ttered Gu Suitang, but his effort to cate his master only earned another p to the back of his head.

    The Deputy Chief of Bureau rebuked him, ¡°Is ttery the only thing you¡¯ve learned properly? Our enemy is already upon us, you fool!¡±

    Gu Suitang stomped the ground hard and sent a tidal wave of earth into the thick fog. He then yelled, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you showing yourself when you¡¯re already here? Are you trying to ambush us?¡±

    Rumble¡­

    The next moment, a sword lit up and fell down on the tsunami of earth. Shrouded in an enormous amount of yin qi, it sessfully cut the deadly wave in half.

    ¡°Who dares to offend the dignity of a king? You should submit and extinguish your own soul for the offense!¡±

    A majestic voice boomed out from deeper within the valley, and the fog itself trembled and receded as if it was afraid of the owner of the voice, revealing a tall and imposing figure.

    The figure had a cow¡¯s head but a human¡¯s body. His eyes were as big as millstones, and its pitch ck horns were curved like crescents. The horns were also burning a ghastly me that looked like countless wailing souls, eerie and horrifying.

    Even more imposing was the ridiculously huge sword he was carrying. A golden dragon was encircling the sword, and it roared loudly like it was alive. It made the imposing figure look like a god or demon incarnate.

    Standing behind the cow-faced giant was several thousand yin soldiers, all fully armored and equipped with weapons. Their resentment and bloodthirst merged together to form a dark cloud where ghastly wails could be heard all the time.

    ¡°Did you just call yourself a king? You shouldn¡¯t make ims you don¡¯t deserve just because you have a big head, bud. If a piece of shit like you could be king, then I would be an emperor already!¡±

    Gu Suitang looked like a childpared to the cow-faced giant, but he wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest. If anything, he was looking the Stranger up and down with obvious disdain on his face.

    ¡°sphemer! I was made the King of Sky Gate by Emperor You Feng himself. Imand thirty thousand Sky Gate Guards and protect the eastern capital from all danger! You ants would dare to besmirch my good name? I shall tear you all to shreds!¡±

    The King of Sky Gate let out an angry roar and plunged his massive sword into the ground with both hands. Yin wind howled as the earth split apart inch by inch.

    ¡°The King of Sky Gate, huh? Hah! Your name sounds impressive, but you still died, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Gu Suitang taunted, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get on with the fight already. You¡¯re trying to buy time for something, aren¡¯t you? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    As soon as Gu Suitang said this, the earth beneath his feet abruptly sank a few inches. He abruptly appeared in front of the King of Sky Gate and threw a devastating punch.

    The King of Sky Gate crossed his sword in front of himself like a shield. Fist met metal, and¡ª

    THAAAAAAAAANG!

    It sounded like a massive bell was struck. The sound wave that emanated from the impact was so loud and potent that an entire swath of yin soldiers were crushed just like that.

    ¡°Rraaaagh! You are courting death!¡±

    The King of Sky Gate was extremely peeved right now. Over half of his soldiers were dead before they could be of use, and for whatever reason, the tens of thousands of Grudge Spirits he had deployed here were nowhere to be found. Even his three trusted subordinates¡ªYin Governor, the ghostface boys and ghost bride were nowhere to be found. Not nearly enough time had passed for him to get over their deaths, and now he had lost over half of his troops. How could he be okay with this?

    A tremendous amount of yin qi gushed out of the King of Sky Gate¡¯s body as he held his sword in front of him and swept it sideways like a fan, driving Gu Suitang backward. Then, he shed at the deputy chief from nine different directions. His force was unstoppable, and his yin qi was all-epassing. The attack felt righteous not unlike a king attacking an usurper who dared to challenge his throne. Just like all life must stand under the heavens, so must all subjects submit to their king.

    ¡°"King''s Sword"¡±

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re just a Stranger, and you dream of turning all life into your subject? You dare to make me submit? Dream on!¡±

    Disdain flickered in Gu Suitang¡¯s eyes as he cracked his neck and gathered his muscles. His bones made a series of audible pops as a terrifying aura washed out of his body and kicked up his hair and beard. Now he too looked like a god or demon incarnate.

    Gu Suitang¡¯s response toward the nine consecutive attacks was tounch a straight punch. The punch lookedpletely basic and simple. It was empowered only by an unstoppable force and a fist intent taller than even a mountain.

    ¡°Mountain Shaking Punch¡± [1]

    His fists could shake mountains and turn them all into rubble, much less a sword. It easily disintegrated the King of Sky Gate¡¯s sword technique into nothing.

    Gu Suitang¡¯s attainment in the way of the fist was very high. The man followed the fist, and the fist followed the intent. He appeared in front of the King of Sky Gate right after he defeated the sword technique and swung his arm sideways like a dragon¡¯s tail.

    Once again, the King of Sky Gate raised his sword to block the attack. There was a loud bang, and the Stranger was pushed back three steps before he caught himself. However, every time he took a step backward, he wouldunch a counterattack. That was three attacks in total since he moved three steps. Intent raged like a torrential river as the shes crashed into Gu Suitang like a stream.

    Gu Suitang ignored the attack, however. Vigor rising, he just charged right through the shes like they were nothing and threw another Mountain Shaking Fist.

    This time, the punchnded squarely on the King of Sky Gate¡¯s chest and exploded half of his body just like that. The Stranger was stunned and in disbelief to put it mildly.

    Outdated as it was, the "King''s Sword" was one of the empire¡¯s ultimate arts five hundred years ago. Its name alone was an indicator how powerful it was. Grand and majestic, it naturally elicited fear and submission from all who faced it and could suppress most martial arts in the world.

    The "King''s Sword" could only unleash its true power when infused with the Will of the Dragon and the Will of the People. Since the previous dynasty was gone, and he himself couldn¡¯t receive the Will of the Dragon as he was already dead, the sword art was a lot weaker than it should be. However, during the five hundred years he was imprisoned at the bottom of Sky Gate Abyss, he had studied the sword intent that prated all the way to the Nine Nethers enough to incorporate it into his ¡°King¡¯s Sword¡±. As a result, the sword art actually improved in power over time.

    It was easily his proudest achievement as a dead man.

    He thought that his modified sword art would give him a chance to go toe to toe with Gu Suitang, but he couldn¡¯t have been more wrong. Thank goodness he was a Grudge Spirit, or that one punch would¡¯ve been enough to kill him.

    The King of Sky Gate inhaled deeply, and yin qi flowed into his mouth like a river. He quickly restored his half-destroyed body.

    Meanwhile, Gu Suitang had gotten close and unleashed his Mountain Shaking Punch yet again. The fist art was simple and barbaric, but there was no denying its power and efficacy. Like a child fighting against an adult, the King of Sky Gate could do nothing but be blown into bits of yin qi yet again and again.

    ¡°Shit, Gu Suitang¡¯s as strong as the rumors say.¡±

    Meanwhile, Actor, Matchmaker, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 were all watching Gu Suitang brutalizing the King of Sky Gate in shock and fear.

    The King of Sky Gate was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. He was just as skilled and experienced as he was in his previous life as he hadn¡¯t lost his intelligence or memories, but now he possessed the undying body of a yin spirit as well. Therefore, he was even stronger than your average Phenomenon-ss Stranger, so much so that even they didn¡¯t dare to treat him lightly.

    And yet, Gu Suitang was thrashing him like he was a Mundane-ss Stranger.

    Gu Suitang¡¯s fist was nothing special. There were no fancy moves,plicated variations, or sublime intent. There was only power and purity.

    His power was heavier than a mountain, and his fist intent was so pure that it transcended the heavens.

    He might never encounter a soul mate in his life, but his fist would transcend the nine heavens.

    Gu Suitang had perfectly joined his strength and intent into one and tempered their union many times over. His skill was also nearing the level of a way. His fists weren¡¯t the only things that were strong either. Literally every part of his body be it his arms, his legs, his shoulders, even his head was a weapon that he could use to crush his enemies. Every blow he threw was as heavy as a mountain and taller than the heavens. Forget that the King of Sky Gate was unable to keep up with Gu Suitang¡¯s movements at all, even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them. It took only a short time before he fell into aplete disadvantage and could only defend himself.

    Given enough power, all skills and arts can be dismantled via brute force.

    ¡°White Lotus, our Holy Envoy oncemented that Gu Suitang¡¯s words, body and actions were as light as a feather, but his heart was higher than the tallest mountain, and his fist intent greater than even the blue sky. If he survives, he is guaranteed to be remembered throughout history.¡±

    Beside them, the child said in a grave voice, ¡°He is a man that even our Holy Envoy would praise. Of course he wouldn¡¯t be an ordinary person.¡±

    Actor eximed in astonishment, ¡°That¡­ has to be an exaggeration, right?¡±

    An evil smirk crossed the child¡¯s lips. ¡°That depends. If he survives this tribtion, then sure. If not¡­¡±

    ¡°True. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be pleasantly surprised when he finds out what we have in store for him.¡± Matchmaker covered her mouth and snickered.

    Meanwhile, the King of Sky Gate¡¯s defeat was all but certain. In fact, he could die if he made the slightest mistake.

    ¡°Should we help him, boss?¡± Actor asked.

    The child replied without hesitation, ¡°Of course! The King of Sky Gate can¡¯t die yet. The Yellow Sky still have many uses for a Stranger of his caliber.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help the King of Sky Gate. You guys go keep the Pacification Sentinels busy. But make sure you don¡¯t throw your life away, okay? I only want you to dy them, not annihte them.¡±

    ¡°Got it, boss!¡± His subordinates replied before entering the fog and disappearing from view.

    On the Pacification Bureau¡¯s side, Lin Yuhuai ordered, ¡°Yueshan, stay behind and support the deputy chief if need be. Nianjiu, you and I are going to follow the Silver Tracker and locate Joyless.¡±

    He made the decision after seeing that the King of Sky Gate was but moments away from dying. However, they had only taken a few steps when a strange song appeared from the fog:

    ¡°Rabbit One is sick,

    Rabbit Two looks on,

    Rabbit Three left to buy some medicine,

    Rabbit Four is in pain,

    Rabbit Five is dead,

    Rabbit Six carries the body,

    Rabbit Seven digs a hole,

    Rabbit Eight buries the body,

    And Rabbit Nine sits on the ground and cries.

    When Rabbit Ten asks it why it¡¯s crying,

    It said,

    Rabbit Five will nevere back!¡±

    A chill gripped everyone as they listened to the strange song. When it was over, the dozen Pacification Sentinels standing at the outer edge suddenly started shrinking and growing white fur on their skin. They all transformed into white rabbits in just the blink of an eye.

    1. If you guys remember, his nickname/moniker is Mountainshaker. It¡¯s just that the author never thought to use it for some reason. ?

 Chapter 222: The Twelve Fiends of Taiping

    Chapter 222: The Twelve Fiends of Taiping

    ¡°A curse? Watch out!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai narrowed his eyes and wrote the word ¡°Cleanse¡± with his brush. Word: Cleanse was a talisman that specifically targeted curses and evil energies and dispel their influences. The word shone a warm, dewy light full of cleansing power and vitality.

    When the light reached the cute and dumb-looking rabbits the Pacification Sentinels had transformed into, they suddenly started screaming in pain. Eerie, ck qi seeped out of their bodies profusely, and their stomachs suddenly swelled like they were pregnant. When the swelling reached a critical point, their stomachs burst open, and the Pacification Sentinels fell out of their stomachs.

    Unfortunately, the Pacification Sentinels were long dead. They had been crushed into a horrifying ball of blood, bone and gore.

    ¡°Bastard!¡±

    Fury shed in Chu Nianjiu¡¯s eyes as he spat out a mouthful of wine. It transformed into a shower of icicle swords and plunged into the fog. When auras red from behind the fog¡ªtheir hidden attackers had to channel their energies to block or dodge the attack¡ªChu Nianjiu immediately homed in on the auras and charged into the fog.

    There were several loud booms as the fog trembled unnaturally. A momentter, Chu Nianjiu flew back out of the fog while surrounded by cold, white air. He looked like he had taken some injuries.

    ¡°The Twelve Fiends of Taiping?¡±

    ¡°Wahaha~~~¡±

    Someone let out a strangeugh as four figures slowly stepped out of the fog. They were none other than Actor, Matchmaker, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2. ¡°Well met, Wine Gentleman. That¡¯s right. We are the Twelve Fiends of Taiping.¡±

    ¡°I am Actor,¡± Actor introduced himself in a strangely-pitched voice[1]. The color of his makeup also changed ordingly.

    ¡°I am Matchmaker.¡± Matchmaker giggled and waved a handkerchief at Chu Nianjiu.

    ¡°And we are¡ª¡± Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 moved their bodies like they were dancing. ¡°¡ªDancer 1 and Dancer 2!¡±

    ¡°The Twelve Fiends of Taiping, huh?¡± Chu Nianjiu said while taking a careless sip from his wine gourd. Just now, the four cultists had attacked him together as soon as he entered the fog and scored a few blows. Despite this, he didn¡¯t look worried in the slightest. ¡°I think the Twelve Dogs of Taiping fit you more though.¡±

    ¡°You think? No, they are the Twelve Dogs of Taiping, Nianjiu.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai echoed in agreement as he walked over to his colleague¡¯s side with a warm, imprable smile on his face. ¡°And these four are just stray dogs who deserve to be killed for biting whoever they pleased.¡±

    ¡°Ayaya! I am so angry!¡± Actor¡¯s makeup changed from red to ck as he cried out in anger.

    Matchmaker¡¯s smile grew a little more sinister as well. ¡°This was a good day, and I didn¡¯t want to stain it with blood. Now though, I think I¡¯m going to sew up your mouths.¡±

    The Twelve Fiends of Taiping sounded a scary title, but in reality they were infamous criminals whom everyone loathed. There was nowhere they could go where they weren¡¯t hunted like dogs, which was why they had no choice but to join the Way of Taiping. It was only then they managed to survive. Later, they formed the Twelve Fiends of Taiping and slowly made a name under that title.

    This was why they absolutely loathed it when someone dredged up their past. They loathed it even more when someone called them a dog.

    ¡°Cut the bullshit and fight us already.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu huffed disdainfully beforeunching five consecutive palm strikes at the four warriors. From a distance, the four palm forces looked like the petals of a winter plum blossom. The ground suddenly became encased in ice, and even the fog was frozen in ice.

    ¡ªWhen the plum falls, heaven and earth be as cold as ice. [2]

    ¡°Winter Plum Blossom Palm¡±

    Actor, Matchmaker, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 immediately felt a terrible chill assaulting their senses. It was so that even their blood was showing signs of freezing. They were surprised.

    Earlier, they really thought much of Chu Nianjiu¡¯s power because it was a four-versus-one. It was only now they realized that he was a force to be reckoned with.

    The good news was that they were allte-stage Astral Refiners and on the same level as Chu Nianjiu. Surprised they might be, they weren¡¯t afraid of him. Actor pped the cloak he was wearing, and the essory immediately burst into mes. It spun like a top and flew toward Chu Nianjiu like a fire dragon.

    Unfortunately, it had only flown about halfway before it froze into ice and shattered into smithereens. The next moment, Chu Nianjiu appeared in front of Actor andunched another palm strike.

    Actor¡¯s theater costume suddenly swelled up like it was a balloon. The hitnded, but Chu Nianjiu felt like he was hitting a ball of cotton. His force was transmitting properly at all.

    Suddenly, Actor¡¯s makeup flew away from his face like it was a tangible thing andnded on Chu Nianjiu¡¯s face. The Peacemaker¡¯s movements immediately stiffened, and his eyes lost their focus.

    ¡°Not good.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai was going to go to his aid, but his senses suddenly screamed danger, and he was forced to jump backward. Not a moment too soon, a shower of silver needles coated in greenish substance just barely missed his face. It was obvious that the greenish substance was deadly poison.

    ¡°Silver Bone Piercing Needles?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai squinted a little. The silver needles had pierced through the hard, limestone ground like it was nothing.

    The Silver Bone Piercing Needle was an insidious hidden weapon that could pierce through most things with little effort, not to mention that these ones were coated in poison as well. Getting hit was not an option here.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I said I was going to sew up your mouths, didn¡¯t I? You can be my first victim,¡± said Matchmaker while swaying her hips and slowly making her way toward Lin Yuhuai.

    Matchmaker looked slow, but in reality she was traveling at high speed. She reached in front of Lin Yuhuai in just the blink of an eye and waved a palm-leaf fan. Pink petals fell from the sky as a sickly sweet scent spread across the air. At the same time, a couple more Silver Bone Piercing Needles flew toward Lin Yuhuai¡¯s eyes from hard-to-notice angles.

    ¡°Plum Blossom Miasma?¡± Lin Yuhuai frowned again. He had a feeling since Matchmaker shot poisoned needles at him, but now he was certain that she was a poison user.

    Plum Blossom Miasma was a kind of miasmic astral qi and one of the seventy two average-grade astral qis. It could only be found off the beaten tracks of a deep mountain. Although it looked beautiful and smelled good, it was incredibly poisonous. Anyone who inhaled it would hallucinate like they were dreaming and perish in their dreams.

    As the brains of the Pacification Bureau of Luo Shui, Lin Yuhuai knew exactly how dangerous the Plum Blossom Miasma was. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t going to treat it lightly. He let loose a string of yellow talismans from his sleeves that surrounded him and protected him from all sides. They looked like they were flying around at random, but not a wisp of Plum Blossom Miasma was able to get to the Peacemaker, much less the silver needles.

    While the yellow talismans were protecting him, Lin Yuhuai wrote the word ¡°Seal¡± and ¡°Suppress¡±. The word ¡°Seal¡± transformed into a chain and attempted to bind Matchmaker, while the word ¡°Suppress¡± transformed into a hill and fell toward her head.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡±

    Matchmaker giggled as she released the handkerchief she was holding. It flew over her head, and the peony flowers on the fabric came to life and bloomed a thousand petals.

    The petals were as sharp as a de despite its gentle appearance. They easily cut the chain into pieces and hacked the hill into bits.

    As it turned out, the handkerchief was a Strange Artifact. It was quite the powerful one to stop Lin Yuhuai¡¯s ¡°Seal¡± and ¡°Suppress¡± too. Having sessfully defended herself, Matchmakerunched into a dance and shot an endless hail of Silver Bone Piercing Needles at the Peacemaker.

    Lin Yuhuai was unable to break the stalemate for a time. The Silver Bone Piercing Needles were already a pain to defend against, but Matchmaker¡¯s movement art was good enough that he was unable to catch up to her immediately. If he tried to use his talismans to seal her, she would simply release her handkerchief and block them again.

    On the other side, Actor¡¯s lips curled into a cruel smile after Chu Nianjiu had fallen into his trap. One of the martial arts he cultivated was called the ¡°Four Secrets of Emotions¡±, and it possessed the power to influence one¡¯s spirit and emotions. Combined with his makeup, which was a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, he could directly take over another person¡¯s mind and use them like a puppet.

    Of course, Chu Nianjiu was just ate-stage Astral Refiner just like him, and his spirit was quite strong as well. There was no way he would be able to control him like he controlled his victims. However, the surprise attack was enough to daze him for a short while. It wouldst a few breaths at most, but in a battle between warriors, even an instant could mean the difference between life and death.

    Actor rushed forward and curled three of his fingers. The curled fingers turned as red as molten steel as he made a grab for Chu Nianjiu¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Heart Plucking w¡±

    Heart Plucking w was a sinister and vicious w art that enabled a warrior to rip out their enemy¡¯s heart from their chest in an instant without drawing blood. It was also why the people of jianghu, in their infinitely ck humor, called it a ¡°bloodless and heartless¡± martial art.

    The Heart Plucking w had several weaknesses, and one of it was that it could only be executed at close range. Luckily for Actor, Chu Nianjiu was more than close enough. An evil, savage grin crossed the Fiend¡¯s face as his fingers moved ever closer to Chu Nianjiu¡¯s chest.

    Almost. Almost¡­

    Actor trembled with excitement. He could literally feel the chill rising from the Peacemaker¡¯s skin.

    However, Actor¡¯s eyes bugged out in disbelief as soon his fingers made contact with Chu Nianjiu¡¯s body. The next moment, white ice appeared on his fingertips and spread across his whole body in the blink of an eye. It happened so quickly that the ice sculpture captured his shocked and fearful expression perfectly.

    ¡°Heh. What an idiot. Did you really think I would fall for such a petty trick?¡± Chu Nianjiu smirked disdainfully as his eyes abruptly regained their focus. He flicked a finger against the ice sculpture, and it abruptly shattered into a million pieces like ss.

    Chu Nianjiu didn¡¯t look happy, however. It was because the pieces of the sculpture suddenly transformed into hundreds and hundreds of Actors.

    ¡°The Ice of Nine Heavens? Ahaha. As expected of the Wine Gentleman.¡±

    Every Actor let out a strangeugh as their makeup changed colors. By now, he had figured out that Chu Nianjiu was just pretending to be affected by his ¡°Four Secrets of Emotions¡±. It would have killed him if he didn¡¯t have a trump card or two up his sleeves.

    ¡°I guess you aren¡¯tpletely ignorant,¡± Chu Nianjiu replied in an uncaring voice while sipping his wine.

    Chu Nianjiu cultivated the Ice of Nine Heavens, one of the thirty six superior grade astral qi. It was one of the coldest and darkest astral qis out there and could only be found in an equally cold and dark ce. A mere brush against the astral qi could freeze flesh and blood, and a concentrated gust could freeze even one¡¯s soul.

    His cultivation art was called the ¡°Winter Plum Blossom Art¡±. Yin and cold, itplemented the Ice of Nine Heavens well and could unleash an unbelievable amount of freezing cold in an instant. It was how he had frozen Actor earlier.

    ¡°You should know how powerful the Ice of Nine Heavens is now, dog. Surrender now, and I might yet let you live.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Say that again after you caught me!¡± Actor cackled. Their aim was to buy time until the sword intent stopping the Nine Nether Demonic Qi from manifesting was destroyed, so there was no need to risk his life. If he could kill Chu Nianjiu, then that would be for the best. If not, he could just fool around and waste as much of his time as possible.

    All the illusions rushed Chu Nianjiu as soon as he finished, but the Peacemaker sneered. ¡°Another petty trick.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu took a step forward and filled the entire area with icy qi in the blink of an eye. All the Actors except one abruptly disappeared into nothing. Of course, that was the true Actor.

    1. If you guys saw Chinese theater drama before, you¡¯ll know that both men and women singsong in high or low-pitched voices. I can¡¯t exactly specify one pitch, so strangely-pitched it is. ?

    2. Tell me if you like this. Sometimes the author would input stuff like this, which cannot really be tranted in past tense. Think of it like a quote or poem. I usually fit it in the paragraph somehow, but I really can¡¯t think of anything this time. I wee suggestions on how to trante this. ?

 Chapter 223: One Way Out

    Chapter 223: One Way Out

    ¡°You think my tricks are petty, don¡¯t you? Let¡¯s see if you can still say that after you experienced the true power of my ¡®Four Secrets of Emotions¡¯!¡±

    Actor wiped a hand across his face, and his makeup turned bright red in color. That wasn¡¯t the only thing that changed, however. His expression and demeanor suddenly turned courageous and ferocious, and a silver spear appeared into his hand. It was like he was a war general. When he thrust it in Chu Nianjiu¡¯s direction, it was like a thousand pear flowers blooming at the same time.

    ¡°Storm Crushed Pear Blossom Spear¡±

    The Storm Crushed Pear Blossom Spear was a military martial art. Simple but not basic, it was fast and ferocious like a storm beating down on a pear blossom. Ideally, its practitioner was expected to kill their opponent in one hit.

    In response, Chu Nianjiu waved his palms around and conjured a curtain of palm strikes that were fusing and separating repeatedly. It looked like a sea of winter plums that were blooming and withering over and over again, proud and cold.

    The duo shed fiercely against one another as spear met palm. For a few breaths, it sounded like the collision of force would never end. Then, Actor was thrown back with his silver spear snapped in half, and an icy, hand-shaped mark left on his chest. Over half his body was encased in ice as a result.

    ¡°Hooo¡ª¡±

    Actor exhaled and wiped his face once more. The makeup changed from red to white, and once again, his expression and demeanor changed drastically. He went from being courageous and ferocious to cunning and sinister.

    Actor produced a sword next, and it was almost as thin as a willow leaf. He then charged toward Chu Nianjiu again. He was now using apletely different martial art and a movement art; one that resembled the spring wind brushing against willow trees. It was light, flexible, and whimsical.

    ¡°Willow Wind Dance Sword Art¡±

    The Willow Wind Dance Sword Art was a martial art practiced by the Myriad Willows Sect. It emphasized on being nimble with the sword and running together with the wind. It was best used to pierce bodily points, sever veins, and tie up an enemy.

    A short whileter, Actor changed his makeup color from white to ck. His aura immediately turned tyrannical and bloodthirsty as a pair of massive axes appeared in his hands. He charged toward Chu Nianjiu and swung his axes thirty six times in a row, each one more forceful and violent than thest.

    ¡°Thirty Six Hurricane Axes¡±

    The ¡°Thirty Six Hurricane Axes¡± was a martial art practiced by the Hurricane Bandits. Forceful and unyielding, it was a top-rate do-or-die martial art in the jianghu.

    As soon as Actor executed the thirty sixth attack, he changed his makeup from ck to yellow. This time, he used a martial art that was grandiose, royal and imposing.

    In just a scant few breaths, Actor had assumed four different personalities and executed fourpletely different martial arts. Despite being weaker than Chu Nianjiu, he actually managed to lock up the Peacemaker in a temporary stalemate.

    Neither Chu Nianjiu nor Lin Yuhuai noticed that Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 were hopping, skipping and jumping their way to the troops while they were tied up with Actor and Matchmaker.

    The Pacification Sentinels weren¡¯t just going to wait until they got close, of course. They immediately loaded their crossbow bolts, took aim, and fired when the two enemies were about ten meters away from them.

    Instead of dodging out of the way, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 remained where they were as if nothing was happening. When the crossbow bolts were about one meter away from them, it abruptly froze in the air as if caught by some sort of invisible energy.

    Xu Banren, Ugly Monk and Amorous Monk were standing in front of the Pacification Sentinels, so they had a front row seat of the duo¡¯s odd behavior. They exchanged puzzled nces with each other while Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 were still ¡°dancing¡± to their heart¡¯s content.

    They didn¡¯t understand what the hell their enemies were doing. Did they have hyperactive child syndrome[1], or was this their way of asking for a truce?

    If it was, couldn¡¯t they have chosen a better dance? It looked more like a taunt than anything!

    Xu Banren, Ugly Monk and Amorous Monk ordered the men to remain on the defensive since they couldn¡¯t figure out what Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 were doing. They werete-stage Astral Refiners. If the enemy wasn¡¯t going to attack them, then it was better to wait and see what happens.

    At first, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Despite Dancer 1 and Dancer 2¡¯s horrible dancing, things were rtively normal. However, some of the weaker Pacification Sentinels suddenly started dancing without warning as if the two dancers had infected them with some sort of dancing syndrome.

    As they danced, these people broke their arms, their legs, their waist, and even their neck. Strangely, the victims didn¡¯t notice their odd behavior or feel any pain at all. They continued to dance as if they wouldn¡¯t stop until they died[2].

    ¡°An illusion spell?¡±

    Amorous Nun hailed from Temptation Nunnery, and Temptation Nunnery was infamous for their illusion spells and sexual harvesting arts. That was why she was the first one to notice what was really going on here.

    ¡°HUM!¡± Ugly Monk immediately responded with a Buddhist incantation. His voice was loud, clear, and bright, and it repelled the evil spell like a Vajrapani would beat down on a demon.

    ¡°Om Mani Padme Hum: Hum¡± [3]

    Hum was one of the six-sybled Buddhist mantras and possessed the power to repel all ghosts and demons. Ugly Monk¡¯s voice ripped out like a shockwave and revealed many transparent springs in the air. They stretched across the sky and ended in the afflicted Pacification Sentinels¡¯ skulls. It was most likely how she was able to cloud their minds and pilot their bodies.

    The strings wobbled for a moment before snapping in half. The afflicted Pacification Sentinels immediately returned to normal.

    ¡°Demon Subjugation Formation! Kill!¡± Xu Banren growled. Those who weren¡¯t injured immediately rushed forward and formed a military formation around Xu Banren, Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun.

    They had ignored Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 earlier because their action seemed harmless, as ugly as their dance was. But as it turned out, it was an attempt on their lives. Did they really think that the Pacification Bureau made their name through peace and harmony?

    Xu Banren stood at the center of the military formation, and Ugly Monk and Amorous Nun on the left and right wing. When the Lieutenant gave the signal, the left and right wing spread out, and the core charged toward Dancer 1 and Dancer 2.

    A hail of bolts streaked across the sky and forced Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 to stop them with their strange martial art. While they were distracted, Xu Banren and his men had already reached the two Fiends, and the left and right wing seized the opportunity to surround them from all sides.

    The group formed three tight circles around Dancer 1 and Dancer 2. It would take an incredible amount of effort to punch them.

    ¡°KILL!¡± Xu Banren roared with a wave of his hand. The innermost ring of Pacification Sentinels immediately unsheathed their weapons and attacked the duo.

    In response, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 tossed out a rag doll each. Both dolls were wielding a saber each. The second the dolls left their hands, they immediately slipped between the gaps of the Pacification Sentinels at high speed. A series of metallic ngs resounded throughout the valley as the two dolls blocked all of the attacks aimed at Dancer 1 and Dancer 2. Not only that, every attacker had taken some wounds from the dolls.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    Xu Banren was unmoved, however. The injured personnel backed down, and the second wave rushed forward to engage the enemies in battle. Their formation remained airtight, and not one person panicked.

    At first, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 were able to handle the assault with ease. But over time, they slowly but surely ran out of vigor and stamina.

    Complexion pale and breathing out of order, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 exchanged a nce with each other.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep this up.¡±

    ¡°We need to run.¡±

    The duo leaped into the air and attempted to escape after forcing back another squad of Pacification Sentinels.

    ¡°Hmph! Do you think you can escape?¡± Xu Banren scoffed in disdain when he saw this. Jianghu warriors were deadly, but that was only in a small-scale battle with no order whatsoever. On the other hand, the Pacification Sentinels had been trained to work in groups and obey orders perfectly. Like a tiger surrounded by spearmen from all sides, there was just nothing the duo could possibly do against these numbers.

    "A colony of ants can kill an elephant" was never a meaningless saying. Ten soldiers could fight a Vessel Augmentor, a hundred soldiers could fight an Astral Refiner, a thousand soldiers could fight a Spirit Master, ten thousand soldiers could fight a Grandmaster, and a hundred thousand soldiers were invincible in the jianghu.

    Plus, not all soldiers were made of the same mettle. Some were formidable warriors who possessed the strength to fight thousands and thousands of enemies alone. This was why a jianghu warrior could be unrivaled in their pond, but never the sea that was the world itself.

    History was the proof of this. Many years ago, when Yan and Wei were at war with one another, Wei had employed fifty thousand Blue Wolves [4]to wear out and y the mighty general protecting the borders of Yan, Duan Murun the ¡°Sword Sage¡±.

    When Chu was still in its inception, the founder of Chu, Chu Qiuyang led a great army and destroyed countless jianghu sects who dared to challenge his authority. Many of these sects had champions who could pluck the stars out of the sky, and yet didn¡¯t even dare to breathe in the wrong direction when Chu Qiuyang destroyed it all.

    Were they afraid of the founder and the first emperor of Chu? Of course not.

    No, they were afraid of his army of hundreds of thousands.

    ¡°Demon Subjugation sh!¡± Xu Banren roared, and every Pacification Sentinel swung their sabers at the same time. What should have been a haphazard hail of saber qis actually joined together to form a massive, incredibly potent saber qi because of their formation. Such was its power that it rivaled the strength of a Spirit Purifier.

    Boom!

    Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 never managed to react in time. The saber qi annihted them in an instant and scattered their flesh and blood across the valley.

    ¡°Come. We need to reinforce Lord Chu and Lord Lin.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 are dead!

    The blood drained away from Actor¡¯s face when he sensed his colleagues¡¯ deaths. The desire to withdraw immediately expanded in his mind.

    He knew from the start that there was no way Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 could defeat several hundred Pacification Sentinels on their own, but he thought that they should be able to escape at the very least. Instead, the twote-stage Astral Refiners had died just like that.

    The Pacification Sentinels would soon arrive to support their colleague. When that happened, both him and Matchmaker would be in grave danger.

    Their demise wasn¡¯t the true reason he wanted to pull back, however. It was the fact that Chu Nianjiu was even more formidable than he thought.

    The greatest merit of his ¡°Four Secrets of Emotions¡± wasn¡¯t his ability to influence another¡¯s spirit and emotions. Or even his ability to control them. After all, most warriors at the same cultivation level would be able to defend themselves from the mental attacks. Not, it was his ability to change his personality and use a corresponding martial art every time he changed his makeup.

    Most people would be caught off guard by his transformations and die as a result. After all, it was like he had transformed into apletely different warrior. But not Chu Nianjiu. He had changed his makeup twelve times and used twelvepletely different martial arts at this point, but Chu Nianjiu was able to stop them all. Not only that, he was gradually adapting to his tactics as time passed.

    On the other hand, his body was overflowing with icy qi, his internal organs were hurting slightly, and he was having trouble cycling his true qi properly. At this rate, he was going to lose even if the Pacification Sentinels showed up.

    More importantly, his sixth sense was telling him that something was off. He physically and mentally couldn¡¯t sense anything amiss, and yet he just couldn¡¯t shake off this sliver of worry. That was why he wanted to withdraw for now.

    ¡°Oh? You want to run? As expected of a dog who could only bully those who are weaker than him!¡± Chu Nianjiu scoffed as if he could read Actor¡¯s mind.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote though.¡±

    ¡°Toote?¡± Actor¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he still couldn¡¯t figured out what Chu Nianjiu was saying.

    Chu Nianjiu reached out to catch a snowke and answered, ¡°Winter has arrived.¡±

    ¡°Winter has arrived?¡± Actor instinctively parroted and looked up at the sky. It really was snowing, and he had no idea when it started.

    The falling snow looked like goose feathers, big and pretty. However, Actor only felt chilled to the core.

    It wasn¡¯t just an expression either. Actor abruptly realized that it wasn¡¯t just a feeling. His arms, his legs, his head, his heart¡ªeverything had be as cold as ice.

    How did I not notice this sooner?

    Realizing that he was in grave danger, Actor split into several images and dashed off in different directions. He wanted to escape this unsettling ce as soon as possible even though he still didn¡¯t know where his worry wasing from.

    ¡°Winter has arrived, and this ce is naught but a world of ice and snow!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu¡¯s eyes abruptly turned indigo. The snow started falling earnestly, and the chill in the air grew colder than ever before. Ice started growing on everything that was touched by the snow, and Actor was, of course, not an exception. It was outrightical how he was encased in ice while still in a running pose. His expression was fraught with shock and resistance.

    Snap!

    Chu Nianjiu snapped his fingers, and the frozen Actor shattered inch by inch into powder. Just like that, the man was gone like he never was.

    ¡­¡­

    On another battlefield, Lin Yuhuai asked Matchmaker with a gentle smile dancing on his lips, ¡°Dancer 1 and 2 are dead, and so is Actor. Won¡¯t you join them on the other side?¡±

    Matchmaker was currently standing in the middle of a peachy, flowery world that stretched at least five kilometers in every direction. It would¡¯ve been a most beautiful sight if not for the fact that the ground was covered in Silver Bone Piercing Needles and rot, and the peach flowers and its scent were deadly poisonous.

    Matchmaker giggled and waved her somewhat tattered handkerchief. ¡°Haha¡­ I hate crowds, and three is already too much for me.¡±

    She abruptly dashed away and bade Lin Yuhuai goodbye, ¡°Goodbye, handsome! I¡¯ll see you some other time!¡±

    Dancer 1, Dancer 2, and Actor were all dead. She shared a good rtionship with them and wanted very much to take revenge for them, but it was just impossible. Lin Yuhuai had proven to be even more formidable than she imagined, and his ability to create runes and talismans practically from thin air was downright scary. If she didn¡¯t leave now, she might really join her friends in the afterlife.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be sad if you don¡¯t join them. I¡¯ll do you a favor and reunite you all.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai¡¯s smile grew warmer. ¡°A family should be together, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    An invisible energy rippled out of the tip of his brush, and he started drawing again as he had done up until this point. But instead of his usual words of power, he only drew a simple cross. One horizontal line to split the sky, and one vertical line to sever the earth.

    A massive cross appeared out of nowhere and cut into the fog.

    And Matchmaker was at the center of it.

    The woman was still running when suddenly, the cross split her body into four even halves. The wounds were perfectly smooth, and not a drop of blood seeped out of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s another good deed fulfilled. The deputy chief should be almost done with his battle as well.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai gazed into the fog where a pair of auras were slowly fading with a smile.

    1. I would¡¯ve used ADHD, but obviously the term doesn¡¯t exist in this world. ?

    2. Remember, breaking a neck isn¡¯t a death sentence for warriors. ?

    3. O? ma?i padme h¨±? is the six-sybled Sanskrit mantra particrly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva ofpassion. ?

    4. cavalry troops. ?

 Chapter 224: Youâ€™re Not Joking?

    Chapter 224: You¡¯re Not Joking?

    The battlefield where Gu Suitang and the King of Sky Gate were fighting were in tatters as a matter of course. The ground was sundered here and there like it was hit by an earthquake, and there were no intact ruins in the area whatsoever.

    The King of Sky Gate was looking a lot more transparent and indistinct than before. His giant sword was shattered, and his yin soldiers were long dead. He looked anything but imposing right now.

    A pale and sickly child was also standing next to the King of Sky Gate. The battlefield was littered with the bodies of children, and each and every one of them looked exactly the same as the child. Even stranger was the fact that they weren¡¯t illusions. They were all flesh-and-blood bodies.

    On the opposite side of the battlefield, Gu Suitang cracked his neck with a disdainful expression. ¡°Is that all you got, Child Emperor? Your ¡®Blood Puppet True Sutra¡¯ is just as flimsy as yourpanion.¡±

    The Deputy Chief of Bureau looked way better than his opponents. His clothes had some holes in it, but he himself was almostpletely unharmed. His vigor poured like an endless flood, and his voice was as loud and powerful as ever. It was like the two-versus-one battle had barely cost any energy.

    ¡°Hmph! I admit that you¡¯re incredibly strong, Gu Suitang. Even the two of us together are no match for you,¡± replied the boy, Child Emperor, with a dark chuckle.

    Child Emperor was telling the truth. Gu Suitang was so ridiculously strong that he had trampled over the King of Sky Gate, a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, and him, a Half-Step Spirit Master, like they were ants.

    It wasn¡¯t like Child Emperor had never fought a Spirit Master in his life. In fact, he had in a handful of early-stage Spirit Masters using his cultivation art, the ¡°Blood Puppet True Sutra¡± before. The cultivation art allowed him to create flesh puppets using his blood essence, and each puppet would inherit a portion of his martial arts and strength.

    At his current level, he could create a maximum of nine flesh puppets, and each one inherited around seventy percent of his strength. The weaker ones were in the early-stage of the Spirit Purification Realm, while the stronger ones were in thete-stage.

    This was why he usually had the numbers advantage when he fought an enemy. Moreover, his flesh puppets shared one mind with him and werepletely fearless, so they were an even greater threat than the average Spirit Purifier.

    The problem was that his flesh puppets might as well be made of paper before Gu Suitang. A ncing blow was enough to injure them, and a direct hit would shatter them outright. If possible, he didn¡¯t want to get into a fight with Gu Suitang at all.

    Thankfully, the end was near. Child Emperor mentally checked the time before shooting Gu Suitang a provocative grin. ¡°But we¡¯ve bought enough time. You may have won the battle, but the war is ours.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gu Suitang suddenly had a bad feeling about this. ¡°You¡¯re not suggesting that you can somehow turn this around, are you?¡±

    Child Emperor chuckled darkly. ¡°Oh, but I am, and I¡¯m not afraid to tell you at this point. Luo Shui is about to undergo a transformation, you see. It will be subsumed by the Nine Nethers and transformed into a living hell very soon!¡±

    ¡°The Nine Nethers!?¡±

    Gu Suitang wasn¡¯t expecting this, but he maintained a strong front and scoffed, ¡°Is that it? You think you can scare me away?¡±

    But the King of Sky Gate didn¡¯t miss his reaction. Feeling catharsis after all the pain and humiliation he had suffered in Gu Suitang¡¯s hands, the Phenomenon-ss Strangerughed boisterously. ¡°Hahahaha! Like anyone has the time for that! Five hundred years ago, the battle between the two peak champions didn¡¯t just destroy Sky Gate, but also punched a hole in the ground deep enough to connect to the Nine Nethers. How else are we still alive? Why do you think our hatred remained as bright as ever despite five hundred years?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the crack is too small, and the amount of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi that leaked to the surface is too weak. As a result, we were unable to die or leave Sky Gate Abyss.¡±

    ¡°But that won¡¯t be a problem anymore. The ck Tide will happen any moment now, and the crack would soon split wide open like a watermelon. When that happens, your precious city will be my domain, and everyone you cherished will be my food and ve. Ahahahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re opening a passage that leads to the Nine Nethers? Have you gone insane, Child Emperor?!¡±

    Gu Suitang wasn¡¯t stupid. He figured out the King of Sky Gate¡¯s meaning instantly. ¡°Do you even understand what the hell you¡¯re trying to do? Not only would drawing the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi to the surface im countless lives, some natives of the Nine Nethers may break free and plunge humanity into chaos as well!¡±

    By native, he meant the Strangers who were born and bred in the Nine Nethers. Born from the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi, they were as strong as they were evil. Not only that, they came in all shapes and sizes and could conceal their presence so well that most detection methods were ineffective against them. Dangerous beyond belief, they would absolutely throw the world into chaos if they were given free passage into the surface world.

    In response, Child Emperor simply let out an insane cackle. ¡°The Azure Sky is already dead; the Yellow Sky will soon rise. Those who worship the Yellow God will naturally earn His protection and live forever.¡±

    ¡°But who cares about those who don¡¯t worship our Lord, and who cares if the world is plunged into chaos as a result? It has nothing to do with us, does it?¡±

    ¡°Screw your Yellow God! These fucking crazies!¡± Gu Suitang cursed. Assuming that Child Emperor and the King of Sky Gate were telling the truth, then the situation had just spiraled out of control. He needed to stop this one way or another.

    Noticing Gu Suitang¡¯s worry and anxiety, Child Emperor let out a satisfied cackle. ¡°Just save your strength, Chief Gu. There¡¯s no way you could find that ce, and even if you could, it is already toote.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already toote, Chief Gu! Hehehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Toote, is it? Then you will die for what you¡¯ve done!¡±

    Gu Suitang¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as he roared out in anger. His vigor surged violently as the ground within thirty meters of him abruptly ttened like it was struck by a mountain.

    Child Emperor and the King of Sky Gate hurriedly backed away from him. It was one thing to fight Gu Suitang while he was toying with them, and another when he was going all out.

    Child Emperor nced at the King of Sky Gate and said in a hurry, ¡°Where are your three aides, King of Sky Gate? Tell them toe out and help us already. That bastard¡¯s going to kill us both at this rate!¡±

    ¡°What aide?¡± The King of Sky Gate tilted his head in confusion before eximing in realization, ¡°Oh, you mean Yin Governor, the ghostfaced boys and the ghost bride?¡±

    ¡°Who else?¡±

    Child Emperor shot him a re. ¡°Seriously, now is not the time to be scheming against your own ally. Tell them to dy Gu Suitang and buy us time to escape. None of this matters if we die, no?¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡± The King of Sky Gate looked visibly confused by Child Emperor¡¯s usation. ¡°I¡¯m not scheming against you though. All three of them are already dead. In fact, the army of Grudge Spirits I stationed here to guard this ce are gone as well.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? You¡¯re not joking, are you?¡±

    At first, Child Emperor thought that the King of Sky Gate was lying to him in order to minimize his casualties. When he saw the confused look on the Stranger¡¯s face though, he immediately realized that he wasn¡¯t lying.

    If the King of Sky Gate wasn¡¯t lying, then Actor and Matchmaker must be wrong. They had thought that the ghost king¡¯s subordinates had captured the unknown person who infiltrated Sky Gate Abyss, but in reality, the unknown person had taken out all three Strangers and tens of thousands of Grudge Spirits.

    That person hadn¡¯t shown themselves for this fight, so¡­ where could they be right now?

    ¡°No¡­ It can¡¯t be¡­ I have to be overthinking this¡­¡± Child Emperor¡¯splexion grew increasingly pale despite his desperate attempts to convince himself that everything was fine.

    There was a high chance that that unknown person had followed Actor and Matchmaker to the location of the crack. There was also a high chance that they were the reason Gu Suitang had shown up ande to the Sky Gate Abyss immediately. This meant that the infiltrator wasn''t a random jianghu warrior, but a member of the Pacification Bureau.

    Assuming his theory was true, then what could this person possibly be doing at the crack right now?

    ¡­¡­

    If Ye Qing could hear Child Emperor¡¯s thoughts, he would definitely say, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just demolishing your array. And picking up some treasures here and there.¡±

    To be specific, he was demolishing the twelve stone pirs. They were clearly a keyponent of the boy¡¯s so-called Twelve Sky Gods and Demons Array, so as long as he destroyed them all, the Way of Taiping¡¯s conspiracy would fall apart on its own.

    It wasn¡¯t the most efficient way to destroy the array¡ªit would have been far easier and faster to just destroy the core¡ªbut Ye Qing knew nothing about arrays, so of course he didn¡¯t know where the core was. Luckily for him, smashing up the framework achieved the same result, so that was the n he went with.

    Just in case, he remained at his hiding spot for a little while after the Way of Taiping was gone. After checking for hidden observers and traps and finding nothing, he finally started his demolition work.

    Ye Qing walked up to a stone pir, lowered his waist slightly, and threw a punch. It immediately crumbled into pieces like rotten wood, though thanks to his force control the copse made no noise whatsoever. Then, he caught the banner before it could hit the ground.

    ¡°Caw!¡±

    Suddenly, the banner started struggling violently. Then, the picture on the banner¡ªa bird with a human head and eyes all over its wings let out a strange caw. The eyes blinked rapidly as it released a strange power.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes felt unbelievably heavy all of a sudden. If he wasn¡¯t prepared, he could have fallen asleep right there and then. He immediately visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and wiped clean the unnatural sleepiness in an instant.

    The Drowsy Bird was a Soulstealer-ss Stranger with a human head but a bird¡¯s body. Its wings were also covered in human eyes. Both its voice and its eyes possessed the power to hypnotize a person to sleep. They would then eat their victim¡¯s eyeballs while they were trapped in an unnatural slumber.

    The bird picture in the banner was the Drowsy Bird, and its soul was sealed inside the banner. Its hypnotizing power was much weaker because of this, but it was still an outstanding Malice-ss Strange Artifact.

    Each pir had a banner like this, though the souls that were sealed in it were different. There was the zing Tiger, Faceless Moth, All Withering Ghost Vine, Crying Wind, Rain Child, Fog Spirit and more. They were all Soulstealer-ss Strangers.

    The twelve banners were the treasures he was talking about earlier. After all, they were all Malice-ss Strange Artifacts.

    This trip to Sky Gate Abyss had turned out to be far more fruitful than he could possibly imagine. Just now, the Grudge Spirits had gifted him a ton of silver runes. Now, the Way of Taiping was giving him twelve Malice-ss Strange Artifacts. They were such good people he just had to reciprocate the favor.

    Ye Qing chuckled and destroyed thest pir. The unusual cyclone spinning above the basin slowly faded into nothing, and the strange energy permeating the surroundings disappeared as well. At the same time, a terrific sword intent exploded from the center of the basin¡ªthe crack¡ªand annihted the fog directly above it, revealing great patches of white.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡±

    The blood drained away from Ye Qing¡¯s face as he staggered away from the sword intent. It was clear that the Twelve Sky Gods and Demons Array was keeping its true power suppressed until now.

    ¡°No wonder it could prate the ground all the way to the Nine Nethers. I wonder who they were and why they fought at Sky Gate? Such sinful people!¡±

    Ye Qing sighed. He was just about to message Gu Suitang and the others when suddenly, the ground beneath his feet shook unnaturally, and the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi leaking from the crack grew much richer even though the sword intent was still working hard to neutralize it.

 Chapter 225: Fog Demon

    Chapter 225: Fog Demon

    ¡°This is probably the ck Tide the Way of Taiping spoke of.¡±

    An invisible me rippled out of Ye Qing and extinguished the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi surging in his direction. At the same time, he visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to protect his mind.

    The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi was infamous for its treacherous and corruptive quality. It could pollute a person¡¯s mind and spirit without them noticing and tempt them toward degeneration, which was why he didn¡¯t dare to be careless even with the Boundless Mara Buddha in hand.

    Rumble rumble!

    It felt like a tidal wave was rumbling under his feet as the ground shook. Thick puffs of Nine Nether Demonic Qi kept seeping out of the crack and into the air. Ye Qing backed further and further away from it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to pour out of Sky Gate Abyss, is it?¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but be worried despite his sess at dismantling the array. What if the ck Tide was potent enough to break through the sword intent even without the array to assist it? Or what if enough Nine Nethers Demonic Qi spilled out of the crack to leak out of the Sky Gate Abyss? Forget the Grudge Spirits, the demonic qi alone could cause an unimaginable amount of damage.

    His worries quickly subsided, however. Looking at the state of the crack and the amount of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi it was gushing, it didn¡¯t look like it was going to form a tide any time soon. If the ck Tide alone was enough to achieve what the Way of Taiping was trying to achieve, then they wouldn¡¯t have to spend years trying to set everything up.

    The rumbles were scary, but it onlysted dozens of breaths before subsiding in intensity. The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi grew weaker and weaker until it was the same as before.

    The ck Tide was over, and the worst case scenario¡­ ultimately didn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    It was only now Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief. A big one. The heavens were watching over Luo Shui after all.

    If he hadn¡¯t gone to Li Yuechun¡¯s residence to kill Gold Toad, if Zhou San hadn¡¯t outed himself out of greed, if he hadn¡¯t made his way to Thaiping Grain Retailer, if he wasn¡¯t strong enough to enter Sky Gate Abyss alone, if he hadn¡¯t made the risky decision to cause amotion and attract the Way of Taiping¡¯s attention, and if he hadn¡¯t followed Actor and Matchmaker to the location of the crack and find out the truth of the conspiracy¡­ Luo Shui might be a hell on earth right now.

    He probably would have perished as well. It would have been a disaster on the same scale as the Nether Lord manifesting in the human world.

    Considering how many coincidences it took to lead up to this point, Ye Qing could only sum it all up as fate.

    Ye Qing thought it was all over, but he did not notice a wisp of pitch ck fog slithering across the floor and approaching him silently. His spirit should be powerful enough to detect anything within a certain radius, and yet he never even noticed it melting into his body until a sudden chill came over him.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The Boundless Mara Buddha suddenly shook on its own. Buddhist chants and purifying light immediately filled the air.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Ye Qing blurted. Realizing that something was wrong, he hurriedly concentrated his spirit and looked into himself. As expected, he saw a wisp of ck qi slowly spreading across his blood vessels. However, the process was so smooth and traceless he literally couldn¡¯t feel it even though it was happening right before his eyes.

    Shocked, Ye Qing immediately channeled his astral qi and turned his body into a furnace. He thought that the Burning Wind would be able to extinguish the ck qi for sure, but in reality, it continued to cling to his insides like a maggot!

    Strange, distorted faces began appearing in the ck qi. It let out an evil cackle and asked, ¡°Do you know who I am, human? No? Hehehe.¡±

    ¡°I am the Fog Demon, the great and noble Fog Demon. You would be wise to submit to me while I¡¯m still in a good mood.¡±

    While the Fog Demon was cackling, Ye Qing realized in horror that the ck qi was seeping into his mental space as well. The twisted, insidious power was attempting to corrupt his mind!

    The second the power made contact with his mind, his physical body immediately started leaking ck qi, and his face was contorted into a vicious snarl. He looked like an evil version of himself.

    ¡°Fog Demon? Doesn¡¯t matter! Get the fuck out of my head!¡±

    Ye Qing roared as he pulsed his spirit. The ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± pulsed a light so bright it was as if a sun had leaped out of the eastern sea and reached the highest point of the sky in an instant. Its heat swept across Ye Qing¡¯s head like a zing inferno. However¡­

    ¡°Oh my, what a pure soul and tough body! You are an even better host than I expected! It¡¯s wonderful!¡±

    Not only did the Fog Demon continue to stand in the middle of the zing inferno as if it didn¡¯t exist, it took Ye Qing¡¯s appearance and grinned evilly at him. ¡°Stop struggling and submit to the mighty Fog Demon. I promise I will lead you to the peak of your life.¡±

    Ye Qing was shaken. This was the first time he encountered a Stranger who wasn¡¯t afraid of the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. Even now, his spirit was slowly but surely being corrupted by its power.

    What do I do?

    If he didn¡¯te up with a n soon, it wouldn¡¯t be long before his mind and spirit were fully corrupted. When that happened, he would most likely transform into the Fog Demon¡¯s puppet.

    Fuck! I can¡¯t believe the ¡®Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡¯ didn¡¯t work! What do I do? What do I do?

    Ye Qing¡¯s mind raced for a solution.

    ¡°Just cease your struggling. Your spirit is strong, but you don¡¯t know how to use it. There is no way you can ever defeat me,¡± The Fog Demon¡¯s said scornfully. ¡°It is your honor that I deem you worthy to be my host, so stop resisting and give me a smile, kay?¡±

    I don¡¯t know how to use it?

    The Fog Demon didn¡¯t realize it, but its casual remark had identally inspired Ye Qing. The ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, while potent, was ultimately a spirit training technique, not an offensive technique. Effective against a weaker Stranger it might be, it made sense that it would falter before the Fog Demon.

    However, he did have an offensive technique that attacked the spirit¡ªthe Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art! In fact, it worked on both the physical body and the spirit.

    Having made his decision, Ye Qing connected his mind to Jing Hui¡¯s martial arts essence and transformed both his mind and his spirit into a de. Then, he attacked the Fog Demon.

    There was a soft whistle as his mental space shook slightly. Then, pure, demonic red lotuses bloomed into existence.

    The Fog Demon abruptly ceased speaking and shuddered unnaturally. Then, it started screaming as hellfire seeped out of its body.

    Not about to let the golden opportunity go to waste, Ye Qing unleashed the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art a second time with his spirit. The Fog Demon screamed even harder as the hellfire burned brighter.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The Fog Demon struggled with all its might, but it just couldn¡¯t extinguish the hellfire no matter what it tried. In the end, it transformed into a wisp of ck light and disappeared from view.

    The Fog Demon was back in the physical world when it reappeared again. It dissolved into a curtain of ck fog and drew in the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi around it. The space around it abruptly turned pitch ck as if it was a ck hole that devoured all light, pure and unblemished. It was like the darkest night where no light could possibly exist¡ªnot even the Hellfire Red Lotus. It slowly vanished into nothing.

    ¡°Human, it is an honor to be chosen by me. Why do you resist? Why do you escape?¡±

    After the hellfire was fully extinguished, the fog surged toward the escaping Ye Qing. ¡°I don¡¯t like this. Oh, I don¡¯t like this at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re an ugly son of a fuck,¡± Ye Qing quipped back, but his face was looking a little pale. He was currently pushing ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡± and running away as quickly as he could.

    He had used up nearly all of his spirit after executing the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art twice, and his head was pounding like a bitch right now. However, not only was the Fog Demon still alive, it looked like it had healed back to full health. Considering the circumstances, escape was his only option!

    ¡°Ugly?¡± The Fog Demon eximed with mock hurt as it chased after Ye Qing with extreme speed. As it traveled, it pulled more and more Nine Nethers Demonic Qi into its body and grew stronger as a result. It took only a moment for its power to exceed thete-stage Astral Refinement Realm and enter the Spirit Purification Realm.

    ¡°How about this?¡±

    The Fog Demon transformed into a person. It now looked exactly the same as Ye Qing, but ck qi was rising from its body, and it was wearing a grin that could only be described as pure evil. Then, it appeared in front of Ye Qing in an instant and blocked his path.

    ¡°Am I still ugly?¡±

    Ye Qing stopped in his tracks and let out a mental sigh. It was clear that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from this Stranger. He could only fight with everything he got and pray that he could hold on until his colleagues showed up.

    ¡°You may transform into handsome ol¡¯ me, but it will never change the fact that you¡¯re an ugly son of a fuck.¡±

    Ye Qing threw a punch as soon as he finished. The Burning Wind blew, and clouds dissolved into nothing.

    The Fog Demon copied his movement and threw the exact same punch, but this one was filled with ck, demonic qi. It was so powerful that the Burning Wind was blown away like nothing.

    A frown came over Fog Demon¡¯s face, however. Ye Qing¡¯s punch was weaker than it appeared to be.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing appeared behind the Fog Demon. His essence, qi and spirit all condensed into his fist, he struck the Stranger in the back with everything he got.

    ¡°Dragon Elephant strength¡±

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Art¡±

    Half of the Fog Demon¡¯s body was crushed into bits just like that, but it simply grew an arm out of its back and repaid the favor with a punch to the chest.

    Ye Qing flew back and mmed into the ground, hard. The ground shattered, and dust clouds were everywhere.

    The next moment, Ye Qing leaped out of the pit and attempted to use the dust clouds as cover, but his feet had just left the ground when the Fog Demon appeared behind him¡ªor perhaps it was there even before he got back to his feet¡ªand struck him in the back once more.

    Ye Qing crashed right back into the ground.

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Boom!

    Again and again Ye Qing tried to escape, but again and again the Fog Demon knocked him back into the ground. There was literally nothing he could do to escape his situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s too strong. Thank goodness I¡¯m a tough guy.¡± Ye Qing spat out a bloody spittle while ignoring the dull pain in his chest.

    Seriously, any otherte-stage Astral Refiner in his position would be dead or half-dead already.

    ¡°What a disobedient child you are. I suppose that the only way to make you listen is to beat the disobedience out of you.¡±

    The Fog Demon cackled as it stepped toward Ye Qing once more. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t pummel you overly much. That is my body after all.¡±

    ¡°Keep dreaming, demon.¡±

    Ye Qing spat out another bloody spittle. I¡¯m not out of trump cards yet, bud!

    There was no room for hesitation. He made a mudra, and the chains surrounding the Boundless Mara Buddha slowly fell off. A terrifying amount of demonic qi immediately swept across the area.

    A smiling Buddha appeared at the peak of the demonic qi. His left hand was holding the swastika mudra, and his right the exorcism mudra. Its body was covered in the Moko Boundless Chains. As the chains loosened, a sea of blood of corpses manifested into reality, and countless silhouettes kowtowed to the unholy Buddha with zealous expressions on their faces.

    At that moment, a grandiose, formless, mighty voice resounded throughout the valley.

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    The outburst of demonic qi was such that even the Fog Demon was sent flying. Then, the Boundless Bara Buddha brought down its left hand and reversed its swastika mudra. It would enlighten the living¡­ via the demonic way.

    The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi clinging to the Fog Demon suddenly left its body against its will and was absorbed into the reverse swastika mudra. It grew bigger and dense as a result.

    Rumble!

    The Fog Demon was crushed just like that.

 Chapter 226: Iâ€™m Just Playing With You

    Chapter 226: I¡¯m Just ying With You

    ¡°You seem to have a lot of good stuff, human.¡±

    The Fog Demon was crushed, but not defeated. Multiple faces spawned from the scattered fog¡ªall of them Ye Qing¡ªas it said, ¡°I¡¯m so d because they¡¯re all going to be mine eventually. Keep up the resistance, human! Kekekeke¡­¡±

    The Fog Demon cackled as if the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s powerful attack did no real damage to it.

    Unperturbed, Ye Qing unshackled another portion of the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s strength. Its demonic qi grew thicker and thicker until it burst into mes.

    The demonic me was dark yet holy, dead yet vigorous. Somehow, the paradoxical energies were existing in harmony.

    ¡°Boundless Mara Buddha¡ªBoundless Demonic me¡±

    The Boundless Demonic me crashed down on the Fog Demon like the tidal wave. There was no room for it to dodge even in its current form.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The Fog Demon let out a bloodcurdling scream as soon as it made contact with the fire. Somehow, it was burning even though it was supposed to be intangible.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaargh! What the hell is this me? How the hell is it burning me? Ow!¡± The Fog Demon screeched in pain as the fire ate away at its foggy body.

    ¡°There is no way I¡¯m going to die to this!¡± The Fog Demon roared, and every wisp of Nine Nethers Demonic Qi in Sky Gate Abyss surged toward it as if drawn by its shout.

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    The Boundless Mara Buddha let out a loud and powerful chant, and the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi were either scattered or outright extinguished by the Boundless Demonic mes before they could empower the Fog Demon.

    Countless chains shrouded in Boundless Demonic mes whipped out from behind the Boundless Mara Buddha and cut through both the Fog Demon and the ground like tofu. The gorges they left behind were at least thirty meters deep.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh! It hurts! It hurts! I¡¯m gonna die! I¡¯m gonna die any second now!¡±

    The Fog Demon continued to wail amidst the Boundless Demonic mes, but despite its loud ims, it still refused to die. If anything, its cries were growing louder and louder over time.

    Why isn¡¯t it dead yet? I¡¯m not going tost at this rate, dammit!

    It looked like Ye Qing was holding the upper hand, but in reality he wasn¡¯t doing well at all. Demonic qi was gushing out of his body like crazy, his eyes kept clouding no matter how many times he blinked it away, and his expression was flitting between madness and struggle.

    Worse still, his mental space was covered in taint right now. His desires were running rampant, and demonic qi was everywhere. The only reason he hadn¡¯t sumbed yet was because the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± was maintaining hisst vestiges of sanity.

    He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able tost long though. The rate at which he was umting corruption was much higher than the rate ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± was cleansing it. If he couldn¡¯t defeat the Fog Demon before his mind waspletely corrupted, his soul would fall apart, and he would transform into the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s puppet.

    The Boundless Mara Buddha was powerful even though he hadn¡¯tpletely unsealed its power. Right now, it was on the same level as an early-stage Spirit Purifier. However, the price could only be described as severe. It had only been a dozen or so breaths since he unsealed it, and already he was close to the point of no return.

    The reason he was running out of steam so quickly was partially because his spirit was exhausted from executing Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art twice in a row earlier. But even if his spirit was in optimal condition, he couldn¡¯t havest more than a hundred breaths.

    He didn¡¯t have a choice though. It was do, or die.

    A whileter, Ye Qing waspletely shrouded in demonic qi. The vicious snarl on his face had also be permanent. However, the Fog Demon¡¯s voice had finally fallen silent. It would seem that it was finally dead.

    Is it¡­ dead?

    Ye Qing thought a little disjointedly. He was just barely clinging to his consciousness right now. Despite this, he was d to see that the damn Stranger had finally died.

    ¡°Fwah! I live again! Hahahahahaha! Are you surprised?¡±

    It was at this moment the Fog Demon¡¯s voice boomed from the demonic mes once more, and it was full of delight and wickedness. ¡°I was just ying with you. If you could maintain these mes for a full incense stick, then maybe you could¡¯ve killed me. But you¡¯re only seconds away from the brink, aren¡¯t you? Why must you torture yourself so?¡±

    The Fog Demon¡¯s voice grew increasingly delightful. ¡°This is for the best though. There is nothing more I like than a despairing soul and a corrupted body. Hahahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°Motherfucker!¡±

    Thest bit of hope in Ye Qing¡¯s heart was snuffed out, reced by resentment and the unwillingness to die like this. Thest bit of rity vanished from his eyes, and he screamed, ¡°If I must die, then you¡¯reing with me!¡±

    As if it could sense Ye Qing¡¯s feelings, the chains surrounding the Boundless Mara Buddha fell awaypletely. At that moment, the demonic qi gushed out like never before, and the world darkened ominously as if cowering in fear.

    ¡°MARA BUDDHA!¡±

    ¡°MARA BUDDHA!¡±

    ¡°MARA BUDDHA!¡±

    For a time, it sounded like the grandiose yet horrifying chants would never end. Then¡ª

    ¡°Are you stupid? Kids these days!¡±

    A loud roar boomed from somewhere, and it was so powerful it actually overwhelmed the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s chants. Then, a man appeared in the distance. He moved so fast that he left sonic booms and annihted all the demonic qi in his way. He appeared in front of Ye Qing in just the blink of an eye. He was none other than Gu Suitang.

    ¡°Seriously!¡±

    Gu Suitang shot a disgruntled look at Ye Qing and pped him on the back of his head. It looked like he was venting, but it really shattered the demonic qi entrenched in Ye Qing¡¯s mental space. It should¡¯ve extinguished the Patrolman¡¯s incredibly frail mind as well, but somehow, he didn¡¯t take any damage whatsoever.

    As soon as the demonic qi was gone, Ye Qing¡¯s clouded, vicious-looking eyes regained their rity instantly. The Emperor Fuxi¡¯s dharma also slowly picked itself up and shone its warming, nurturing light throughout his mind once more.

    ¡°Chief? I was¡­¡±

    The first thing Ye Qing saw after returning to consciousness was Gu Suitang. As the man looked very displeased, he couldn¡¯t help but flinch a little.

    p!

    Before he could even say a word, Gu Suitang pped Ye Qing on the back of his head once more. It was such a blow that even with his body, he nearly tripped and fell. A different person would¡¯ve fallenpletely unconscious.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    What are you hitting me for? What did I do?

    ¡°Save your excuses forter and focus on nurturing your mind. I¡¯ll kick your asster,¡± Gu Suitang threatened before looking at the Boundless Mara Buddha in the sky. The Strange Artifact waspletely out of control at this point, so it fired a wave of demonic qi and Gu Suitang and Ye Qing.

    ¡°Hmph! A Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact thinks it can corrupt me?¡±

    Gu Suitang harrumphed and casually swung his arm in front of him. The tidal wave of demonic qi was cut in half just like that.

    The Deputy Chief abruptly disappeared and reappeared in front of the Boundless Mara Buddha. The ground where he was standing abruptly caved in as if it couldn¡¯t withstand his weight and pressure.

    ¡°MARA BUDDHA!¡±

    The Boundless Mara Buddha lowered its left hand and attempted to crush Gu Suitang with the reverse swastika mudra. The Boundless Demonic mes burned so hot that it created a mirage of a living hell above its mes. So much demonic qi was rolling off the Buddha¡¯s body it was incredible the deputy chief didn¡¯t seem affected in the slightest.

    With this attack, the Boundless Mara Buddha would exorcise the Deputy Chief of Bureau into hell.

    ¡°Chief, watch out!¡±

    Ye Qing turned as white as a sheet. He could sense just how powerful the attack was even from this distance. He let out a cry of warning, but before he could even finish, Gu Suitang pushed himself off the ground and faced the palm head on.

    If the sky would fall on top of me, then I would crush it with my fist.

    If a demon dared to stand in my way, then I would smite it with my fist as well.

    His fist punched right through the gigantic palm and brought him in front of the Boundless Mara Buddha. Just like before, he threw another punch.

    RUMBLE!

    It was like the punch of a god or a demon. The gigantic Buddha was smashed into a million pieces, exposing the Strange Artifact within.

    The Boundless Mara Buddha hurriedly flew away from Gu Suitang. It was almost as if it was sentient and could tell just how powerful Gu Suitang was.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Gu Suitang snorted and used Earth Contraction. He abruptly appeared in the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s path and caught it with a firm grip.

    The Boundless Mara Buddha burst into mes and struggled with all its might. Impatient, Gu Suitang tightened his grip and clenched the Strange Artifact so hard that its body cracked ominously under pressure. The demonic qi dissipated immediately, and just like that, the Strange Artifact was under control once more.

    Suddenly, Gu Suitang looked in Ye Qing¡¯s direction with a livid expression. He then tossed the Boundless Mara Buddha straight at him!

    Ye Qing was stunned. He thought Gu Suitang was so displeased with his behavior that he wanted to kill him. He wanted to dodge out of the way, but the Strange Artifact was moving so fast that he couldn¡¯t do anything. By the time he wanted to react, the Boundless Mara Buddha had already slipped past his cheek and deafened his eardrums.

    The resulting explosion was so potent that it sent Ye Qing stumbling a few steps forward. For a time, he couldn¡¯t see anything because of the dust clouds.

    When the dust clouds dissipated, he saw Gu Suitang standing behind him inside a deep, massive pit. He was clutching a wisp of ck qi with his right hand and keeping the struggling Boundless Mara Buddha pinned with his left leg.

    ¡°The Fog Demon?¡±

    When Ye Qing saw the wisp of ck qi in Gu Suitang¡¯s hand, he abruptly realized that Gu Suitang wasn¡¯t nning to kill him at all. It was the Fog Demon he was targeting. The bastard must have been trying to corrupt him while he was distracted, and Gu Suitang was battling against the Boundless Mara Buddha. However, Gu Suitang noticed it at thest moment and neutralized its threat.

    ¡°Bastard! Even now, it¡¯s lusting for my body!¡±

    Ye Qing cracked a joke to hide his fear. Considering his current condition, there was a real chance the Fog Demon could have entered his mental space and killed his mind before he could react. Thank goodness Gu Suitang was here to save him.

    ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Chief,¡± Ye Qing thanked him before warning, ¡°But be careful. That Fog Demon is ridiculously powerful and extremely tricky. You don¡¯t want to let it slip through your grasp.¡±

    Even as he spoke, the Fog Demon had tried turning intangible, dissolving into wisps of fog, and creating illusions to escape Gu Suitang¡¯s grasp. But for some reason, it just couldn¡¯t escape Gu Suitang¡¯s hand almost as if it was magic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a Nine Nethers Demon. It would take much bigger demons than it to escape me.¡±

    ¡°Nine Nethers Demon?¡± Ye Qing voiced his doubt.

    Gu Suitang exined, ¡°A Nine Nethers Demon is a kind of monster that is born in the Nine Nethers. You may treat it as some sort of special demon.¡±

    ¡°However, most Nine Nethers Demons are extremely powerful. I bet that this one was hurt by the sword qi when it passed through that crack and into our world, which is why it is a lot weaker than it should be. Otherwise, it would¡¯ve taken you over long before I could save you.¡±

    ¡°Oh! No wonder it¡¯s so damned hard to kill!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. If Gu Suitang¡¯s assumption was correct, he had been fighting a wounded version of the Fog Demon this whole time. He could only imagine how powerful it was at its prime.

    Heavens! This world is fucking terrifying!

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared? weren¡¯t you the guy who dared to venture into Sky Gate Abyss alone?¡±

    Although Gu Suitang¡¯s tone was harsh, icy, and seemingly sarcastic, Ye Qing knew that he was really concerned for his safety. He broke into a grin. ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s because I knew you woulde to my rescue no matter what. Otherwise, I would never dare to enter this ce alone.¡±

    ¡°Heh. You wouldn¡¯t dare?¡±

    The corners of Gu Suitang¡¯s lips twitched a little. Ye Qing¡¯s praise was clearly working, but he maintained his stiff expression and uttered, ¡°I think you would put a hole in Luo Shui¡¯s sky if given the opportunity.¡±

    ¡°No way! I¡¯m the most obedient employee there is!¡± Ye Qing defended himself.

    Gu Suitangughed incredulously. ¡°Can you not besmirch the word ¡®obedience¡¯? I can hear it rolling in its dictionary.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll speak of your disobedienceter. First, tell me what happened.¡±

    Gu Suitang looked at the crack and asked, ¡°The King of Sky Gate and Child Emperor said they were going to widen a crack leading to the Nine Nethers using the ck Tide and flood Luo Shui with the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi or something, but that is all I know. What the fuck were those fuckheads nning?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± Ye Qing proceeded to tell Gu Suitang everything he encountered aftering to Sky Gate Abyss.

    Ye Qing¡¯s story was simple, but Gu Suitang couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked, scared, and relieved all at the same time when he listened until the end. If Ye Qing hadn¡¯t stumbled upon the Way of Taiping by ident, if he hadn¡¯t followed Actor and Matchmaker to the site, and if he hadn¡¯t destroyed the Twelve Sky Gods and Demons Array, Luo Shui would have faced its greatest disaster in history.

    His Pacification Bureau would never be able to wash away the dishonor even if they all died in defense of Luo Shui, and he, the Deputy Chief of Bureau, would forever be remembered as the sinner who allowed it to happen.

 Chapter 227: Two Options

    Chapter 227: Two Options

    ¡°These fucking maniacs!¡±

    Gu Suitang was so angry that he pushed his foot harder and caused the ground to depress a few inches deeper. The Boundless Mara Buddha had it worse because it was directly under the Deputy Chief¡¯s foot. Its demonic qi crumbled and it was pushed a few inches deeper into the ground.

    ¡°Ahem, chief? That¡¯s my Strange Artifact you¡¯re stepping on. Please don¡¯t break it if you can.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart ached at the sight. Although the Boundless Mara Buddha had nearly damned him just now, he didn¡¯t me it because it was his fault for being too weak to control it. Plus, he would already be dead if it wasn¡¯t for the Boundless Mara Buddha.

    ¡°Rx. It won¡¯t happen.¡±

    Gu Suitang removed his foot and picked up the Strange Artifact. ¡°The main body of your Strange Artifact is the remnant of a Grandmaster monk, and they were a body-tempering warrior as well, right? There¡¯s no way I¡¯d be able to break it unless I were to use my full strength.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact is rare even in Luo Shui. Where on earth did you get this?¡± Gu Suitang asked curiously, ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t need to answer if it¡¯s a sensitive issue.¡±

    ¡°Not at all! I got it from Thousand Buddhas Grotto.¡± Ye Qing proceeded to tell Gu Suitang how he came by the Boundless Mara Buddha, though he didn¡¯t mention his encounter with the White Horse Academy or Wang Yang. After all, no one must know that he was the one who killed Wang Yang.

    ¡°I see. You are one of the luckiest brat I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Gu Suitangmented enviously. Not only did Ye Qing obtain a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact during his trip, he even obtained a Spirit Purification stage martial art. If this wasn¡¯t considered lucky, then what was? If he was this lucky when he was younger, he would probably be a Grandmaster by now.

    Is this kid the reincarnation of a great one or something? It would exin why he¡¯s so unbelievably lucky. It was one thing when he ruined the Nether Lord¡¯s n to descend on Anyang, but this time he just happened to stumble on the Way of Taiping¡¯s n and save Luo Shui from disaster as well.

    Also, he hailed from a no-name vige and somehow grew from an ordinary human being to ate-stage Astral Refiner in just a year. To call him lucky would be an understatement.

    It didn¡¯t matter to Gu Suitang though. Everyone had their own destiny, and he was a firm believer of creating one¡¯s own destiny.

    ¡°It¡¯s not luck, it¡¯s skill, okay!¡± Ye Qingined. He couldn¡¯t hear Gu Suitang¡¯s thoughts, so he thought that his remark about him being lucky was pretty unfair.

    ¡°Oh right, did you happen to run into Wang Yang or the White Horse Academy during your time there?¡± Gu Suitang recalled something and asked suddenly.

    W-What? He didn¡¯t find out what I did, did he? Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. However, he quickly realized that he was overthinking this. He had pulled off what was practically the perfect crime. There was no way anyone would find out about his involvement.

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t run into anyone. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Gu Suitang replied, ¡°Oh, nothing. It¡¯s just that two White Horse Academy disciples imed that Wang Yang had killed the vice principal¡¯s nephew, Cheng Yi. Do you know who Wang Yang is? He¡¯s Red Bush¡¯s only son.¡±

    ¡°Cheng Nuo didn¡¯t have any children, so he raised his nephew like his own son. Naturally, he was so pissed that he caught Wang Yang at the entrance of Thousand Buddhas Grotto and killed him.¡±

    ¡°That said, I know Cheng Nuo. The guy¡¯s been a coward and a schemer his whole life. It doesn¡¯t really make sense that he would kill Wang Yang no matter how angry he was.¡±

    Gu Suitang paused for a moment to scratch his nose.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Ye Qing coughed awkwardly and scratched his nose as well. That¡¯s because I¡¯m the one who gave him the final push. Not that you¡¯ll ever learn about it. ¡°What happens next?¡±

    Gu Suitang didn¡¯t notice Ye Qing¡¯s gesture and continued, ¡°What happens next? They shed of course.¡±

    ¡°Wang Luori only had one son, and you know better than most just how protective he is over his own. He gathered his men, strode up to White Horse Academy, and demanded that they surrender Cheng Nuo.¡±

    ¡°White Horse Academy is a smelly ce, but even they can¡¯t stand someone just waltzing up to their doorsteps and demanding that they surrender their vice principal. A failed negotiationter, they fought to see who had the bigger fist.¡±

    ¡°Luckily, Red Bush turns out to be even more useless than he looks. Not only did he get his teeth kicked in by the principal, his prized treasure, the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele was shattered as well.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s awesome!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. This was exactly what he was hoping to see when he came up with the n!

    ¡°Indeed, it is.¡± Gu Suitang chuckled as well. ¡°But that¡¯s not the end of it.¡±

    ¡°While Red Bush was making his way back home, he was ambushed by a killer from Joker Tower. He would¡¯ve died if he hadn¡¯t brought the Heaven Patrolling Sun Ship with him.¡±

    ¡°Someone must hate Red Bush real bad to go so far as to hire a killer from Joker Tower to kill him. Their timing was perfect as well.¡±

    ¡°Who could¡¯ve done this?¡± Ye Qing wondered out loud when the name ¡°Luo Chunchao¡± suddenly shed in his head. He was the only person in Luo Shui who had a murderous grudge with Wang Luori, was wealthy enough to employ the services of Joker Tower, and knew Wang Luori¡¯s schedule like the back of his hand.

    Luo Chunchao really was a dog, no, a wolf whose bite was far worse than its bark. When it was time toy low, he hadid perfectly still. When it was time to act, he had spared no effort to see his ns through.

    It was a shame that Wang Luori still managed to get away in the end.

    ¡°Dammit, this story would have a perfect ending if Wang Luori died¡­¡± Ye Qing sighed.

    ¡°Few stories have a perfect ending, brat.¡±

    Gu Suitang shot him a look of amusement before breaking into a shit eating grin. ¡°Rx. Red Bush might have survived the assassination attempt, but he is injured so badly it would take him at least three to five months to recover. Also, the killer from Joker Tower killed a ton of Sunset Hill disciples probably hoping that they could cate their employers somewhat. Add to the fact that the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele is destroyed, and Sunset Hill has never been weaker.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, that¡¯s decades of hard work gone just like that. He¡¯ll be crying for a long time yet.¡±

    Why do you look happier than me, the perpetrator who¡¯s behind everything? Ye Qing rolled his eyes at the Deputy Chief¡¯s reaction, but he himself could hardly control his delight. Wang Luori might have survived, but he wouldn¡¯t be bothering him for a couple of months at least.

    ¡°Wang Luori doesn¡¯t seem like the person to leave it at that though,¡± Ye Qing said after thinking for a moment. The Hill Lord was fueled by sheer spite. He couldn¡¯t imagine the guy giving up on revenge especially after he suffered this much.

    Gu Suitang scoffed. ¡°What else can he do? He can¡¯t beat White Horse Academy, and it was his son who killed the vice principal¡¯s nephew first. I don¡¯t doubt for a second that he¡¯s plotting bloody vengeance, but for now he can only swallow his humiliation and anger.¡±

    ¡°But of course, if he¡¯s stupid enough to take the fight to White Horse Academy again, then it¡¯s cheers to everyone. I only wish he would put on a show like this for us everyday!¡± Gu Suitang didn¡¯t hide his schadenfreude at all. ¡°In any case, this is probably the biggest defeat Red Bush has ever suffered in his life!¡±

    Gu Suitang recalled something and added, ¡°Oh right, make sure you keep your trip to Thousand Buddhas Grotto a secret. If Red Bush finds out about this, he might think that you¡¯re rted somehow and vent his frustrations on you.¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­ I understand, chief. Thank you for the concern,¡± replied Ye qing with an obedient nod. There is no way I would out myself. That would be pure stupidity.

    ¡°One more thing. Your strange Artifact is powerful, but its demonic qi is too strong for you to control right now. At your current strength, the best you can hope for if you use it is a pyrrhic victory. At worst, you would be corrupted by its demonic qi like just now. So try not to use it if at all possible,¡± Gu Suitang advised while handing the Boundless Mara Buddha back to Ye Qing.

    ¡°Yeah. Thanks.¡± Ye Qing nodded after receiving the Boundless Mara Buddha from Gu Suitang. He then looked at the Fog Demon still in the Deputy Chief¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What are you going to do with this Fog Demon?¡±

    Gu Suitang sneered. ¡°Nine Nethers Demons are extremely hard to kill, and the havoc they can wreak is unthinkable if they managed to escape.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you felt it already, but Nine Nethers Demons are most proficient at corrupting one¡¯s heart and taking control of them. Not only that, they¡¯re pretty good actors, so it¡¯s quite difficult to spot their victims.¡±

    ¡°A long time ago, we once had a Nine Nethers Demon who corrupted over a dozen major ns and sects and pitted everyone against each other. It was a tumultuous, troubled time.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, the best way to deal with these things is to burn them using the Demon Subjugation Furnace. It¡¯ll end the threat once and for all.¡±

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t burn me! Please, don¡¯t burn me!¡± The Fog Demon suddenly cried out in panic.

    Ever since it realized it couldn¡¯t escape Gu Suitang¡¯s grasp, it had been ying dead and hoping that Gu Suitang would get sloppy. It was its only chance at escaping the Spirit Master.

    In fact, it had been chiding itself for not escaping when it could. Why oh why did I stay behind like an idiot? Now I¡¯m going to die for that idiocy!

    ¡°And why would I do that?¡± Gu Suitang asked.

    The Fog Demon hurriedly answered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of pain.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    The Deputy Chief broke into a wide grin. ¡°Is that so? Hmm, I was only going to burn you for a day or two, but since you¡¯re afraid of pain, I suppose I can drag it out to two weeks or so.¡±

    The Fog Demon: ¡°...¡± Who¡¯s the demon here, you or me?

    The Fog Demon offered, ¡°I-I can be your servant! All I ask is that you don¡¯t kill me!¡±

    Gu Suitang scoffed. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re so weak I can¡¯t see how you could possibly be of use to me.¡±

    The Fog Demon: ¡°...¡± If I was stronger than you, I wouldn¡¯t be making this offer, would I? I would be beating the crap out of you and making you my servant, okay?

    The Fog Demon panicked. It had taken it a great deal of effort to pass through the gap and into the human world. How could it die before it could do anything? ¡°I¡­ I may be weaker than you, but I have my uses!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Fog Demon. I can transform into anything and everything, and I can assassinate your enemies without a trace.¡±

    ¡°As a being of corruption, I can control all kinds of people and have them serve you. They¡¯ll pave the path to your ascension.¡±

    ¡°And in the norm, I can entertain you and relieve your boredom. See? Am I not useful?¡±

    The Fog Demon prattled on and on in a seductive voice.

    ¡°Even now, you¡¯re still trying to tempt me. You just can¡¯t help your nature, can you?¡± Gu Suitang scoffed disdainfully. ¡°In any case, I will get whatever I want with my own two hands. I wouldn¡¯t resort to such unscrupulous methods.¡±

    Bang!

    Gu Suitang abruptly squeezed his fingers. There was a loud bang as the Fog Demon let out a bloodcurdling scream and leaked a ton of demonic qi.

    ¡°That said, you did give me an idea. I can let you live if you agree to it,¡± Gu Suitang said suddenly just when the Fog Demon thought it was dead.

    ¡°W-What is it? I¡¯ll do anything so long as you let me live! Anything!¡± The Fog Demon replied in a hurry.

    ¡°You have two options. One, I¡¯ll toss you into the Demon Subjugation Furnace and burn you into a pile of ash for two weeks. Two, you¡¯ll be the artifact spirit of this Strange Artifact.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise when he realized that Gu Suitang was talking about the Boundless Mara Buddha. You can do that?

    The Fog Demon fell silent. As a Nine Nethers Demon, it was born with intelligence and memories. It knew it would never be able to leave the Strange Artifact if it was refined into an artifact spirit, and that it would have to do whatever its master told him to. It wasn¡¯t an unbreakable bond, but it would be so, so much harder for it to escape its bindings than otherwise.

    Originally, its n was to submit to Gu Suitang and find an opportunity to escapeter. As a Nine Nethers Demon, it was born with all sorts of miraculous abilities, so it wasn¡¯t impossible for it to escape even a Spirit Master.

    Unfortunately, Gu Suitang was smarter than it gave him credit for. He had shattered its delusions in an instant.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like option two? That¡¯s fair. I prefer option one myself.¡± Gu Suitang shrugged when he saw that the Fog Demon was silent.

    ¡°I agree! I agree!¡± The Fog Demon agreed hurriedly. If it refused, then it would die. If it agreed, then it would live, and it would still have a chance to break free. It was obvious which option was better.

    ¡°A wise choice.¡± Gu Suitang chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll seek out Old Ling when we get back and have him forge this Fog Demon into your Strange Artifact¡¯s artifact spirit.¡±

    ¡°Forge? You can forge artifact spirits?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Gu Suitang exined, ¡°Artifact spirits can be split into two categories: natural and artificial. Generally speaking, it¡¯s easier but slower to wait for a Strange Artifact to manifest an artifact spirit on its own, and harder but faster to create one.¡±

    ¡°Take your Boundless Mara Buddha for example. One way to make it manifest an artifact spirit is to spend a long time nurturing its intelligence. The artifact spirit will be perfectlypatible with the Strange Artifact and be capable of unleashing its full power. Not only that, it can grow stronger and possess a limitless future.¡±

    ¡°However, this would be a long and arduous process. It can be as quick as a few years, or as long as several decades. It¡¯spletely up to the heavens.¡±

    ¡°The second method is to forge an artifact spirit. To put it simply, it¡¯s the process of merging the soul of apatible Stranger into the Strange Artifact. This method is way faster than the first one, but its sess rate is usually pretty low. After all, not only must the Stranger¡¯s soul bepatible with the Strange Artifact, it must be strong enough to withstand the forging process. If it disintegrated in the middle of the process, then that was it.¡±

    ¡°On that note, the Strange Artifact must be pretty tough as well, or it too can be damaged or destroyed during the process.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, there¡¯s a high chance the Strange Artifact would be damaged if the forging process had ended in failure. It would also permanently lose the ability to gain its own sentience.¡±

    ¡°In short, both methods are both pros and cons.¡±

    ¡°Why did you even make me the offer? Who wouldpensate me if the forging fails, and the Boundless Mara Buddha is destroyed?¡± Ye Qing blurted.

    ¡°Hah! I¡¯m doing this for your sake, brat!¡± Gu Suitang chided him, though it wasn¡¯t serious. ¡°Your Strange Artifact is far too powerful for you to control right now. The only way you can unleash its full power without pushing yourself to the brink is to rely on an artifact spirit to shoulder most of the burden.¡±

    ¡°Besides, your Boundless Mara Buddha is extremely tough, yin and evil, so it¡¯s verypatible with a Nine Nethers Demon. A Nine Nethers Demon is also very resilient and difficult to kill, which makes them one of the most suitable materials to forge an artifact spirit. I am eighty percent sure that everything will go smoothly.¡±

    ¡°But of course, I won¡¯t force you to go through with this if you still think that it¡¯s a bad idea.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a great idea! Thanks chief!¡± Ye Qing rxed immediately when he heard this. An eighty percent chance of sess was pretty high.

    The first method had never fallen into Ye Qing¡¯s consideration because it would take too long. By the time the Boundless Mara Buddha had gained an artifact spirit, it was entirely possible that he had outgrown it. Therefore, this was an opportunity he couldn¡¯t let slip.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Gu Suitang shook his head wryly. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not dilly-dally any longer!¡±

    ¡°But what about the leak? Are we just going to ignore it?¡± Ye Qing pointed at the crack on the ground and asked worriedly, ¡°And what about the rest of the Way of Taiping?¡±

    ¡°Rx. They¡¯re already dead. I brought Yuhuai and Nianjiu with me. Do you really think those crazies can defeat those two?¡±

    Gu Suitang snorted in disdain. ¡°As for the leak, I¡¯ll dispatch someone to bury this ce as soon as we get back. That¡¯ll end the threat once and for all.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ye Qing frowned.

    ¡°Enough. Your mental space was just invaded by a Nine Nethers Demon. You need to nurture your mind and spirit as soon as possible to avoid any lingering effects.¡±

    Gu Suitang pped Ye Qing on the back of his head lightly and joked, ¡°You¡¯ve already taken most of the credit. You gotta leave some for the rest of your colleagues, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bad habit to im all the profits anyway. You¡¯re more likely to overeat and ruin your rtionships.¡±

    ¡°Now move it!¡±

    <sub></sub>

 Chapter 228: The Wind Rises

    Chapter 228: The Wind Rises

    Bang!

    ¡°Cough! Cough cough¡­¡±

    Inside a private room at Sunset Hill, Wang Luori suddenly crushed an expensive ss-and-jade table into pieces. He immediately turned as white as a sheet and coughed loudly after that.

    A man walked up to him and asked with a concerned voice, ¡°Are you alright, father?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Wang Luori waved him down and asked for rification, ¡°Are you sure everything you told me is the truth, Zai?¡±

    If Ye Qing was here, he would definitely recognize the man who addressed Wang Luori as father¡ªhis foster father to be exact¡ªas Wen Zai.

    After confirming that Wang Luori was fine, Wen Zai answered, ¡°It¡¯s definitely true. I was told this by a friend in the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°Dammit!¡± Wang Luori cursed loudly. ¡°Just how lucky is that brat? Not only did he discover the Way of Taiping¡¯sir in Luo Shui, he even yed a pivotal role in thwarting their ns. Gu Suitang would value Ye Qing more than ever before, and it¡¯ll be that much harder to capture him!¡±

    ¡°What should I do¡­ What should I do¡­¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s eyes were bulging furiously like a tiger, but Wen Zai paid his reaction no heed. He said, ¡°Calm down, father. There is a simple way to solve this matter.¡±

    ¡°There is?¡± Wang Luori asked in a hurry, ¡°Tell me!¡±

    Wen Zai smiled. ¡°Ye Qing became pretty famous because of this incident, right? Let¡¯s make him even more famous.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wang Luori looked puzzled. ¡°How is that going to help us?¡±

    Wen Zai exined calmly, ¡°Sometimes, too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and fame is one such example.¡±

    ¡°You know how the Way of Taiping is, They are as ruthless as they are vengeful. If we publicize Ye Qing¡¯s role in the sabotage and besmirch the Way of Taiping¡¯s reputation at the same time, those madmen would definitelye after Ye Qing no matter the cost.¡±

    ¡°All we need to do then is to wait for the Way of Taiping to kill him.¡±

    Sometimes, words were so much more effective than the sword.

    But as soon as Wen Zai finished, Wang Luori shook his head and said, ¡°No. Ye Qing must live.¡±

    Wen Zai looked puzzled. ¡°Why not, father?¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s eyes flickered. Wen Zai¡¯s n was good, but if the Way of Taiping managed to kill Ye Qing, then the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± would most likely fall in their hands. Was retrieving the painting from Ye Qing harder than retrieving it from the Way of Taiping? Of course not.

    He didn¡¯t care if Ye Qing lived or died, but he mustn¡¯t die in another¡¯s hands no matter what.

    Of course, Wang Luori wasn¡¯t going to tell his adopted son about the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, so he said, ¡°Xiao Yang was my favorite disciple, and I¡¯m pretty sure that he is behind Yang¡¯er¡¯s death. That is why Ye Qing must die in my hands.¡±

    The excuse waspletely bullshit as a matter of course, but if Ye Qing was here, he would¡¯ve been very impressed with the Hill Lord. It wasn¡¯t everyday you made something up, and it turned out to be the truth.

    Wen Zai looked surprised. ¡°And how would you know that, father? Everyone seems to agree that the Stranger was the one who killed him.¡±

    Wang Luori replied simply, ¡°I have my ways. All you need to know is that Ye Qing must die in my hands.¡±

    Wen Zai fell into thought for a moment. ¡°The n is still a go, we just need to tweak a few things here and there. We can pretend to be the Way of Taiping and announce to the world that anyone who kills Ye Qing will be gifted a Spirit Purification stage martial art, a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, a Taiping Godkiller Pill and so on.¡±

    ¡°There are countless greedy people in the jianghu. They will surely set their sights on Luo Shui and infiltrate the city to kill him. While the waters are muddied, the opportunity to kill Ye Qing will present itself.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it would work?¡± Wang Luori asked with a frown.

    Wen Zai replied confidently, ¡°One hundred percent.¡±

    ¡°The rewards I mentioned would catch the interest of any Spirit Purifier, but not a Spirit Master. Therefore, only Spirit Purifiers and below would target Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t be able to kill them easily, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to take out Ye Qing either. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to worry about them. We just need them to muddy the waters enough so that you can take advantage of it.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, you can pin the me on them whether you capture or kill Ye Qing. It would be killing two birds with one stone.¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s eyes lit up, but another worry came over him. ¡°The n sounds good, but would the jianghu warriors really fall for your ploy? And what if the Way of Taiping denies the announcement?¡±

    ¡°They will,¡± Wen Zai said confidently. ¡°All men are greedy, and jianghu people even more so. They will go after Ye Qing no matter how untrustworthy the rumor was.¡±

    ¡°As for the way of Taiping, they are even less of an issue. Ye Qing was the one who ruined their grand n, and they only wished they could kill him this instant. Not only would they not deny the announcement, they might even support it even if they weren¡¯t the one who came up with the idea.¡±

    ¡°That is true!¡± Wang Luori nodded dly. ¡°Very well. We shall do as you say.¡±

    He immediately added, ¡°But be careful. No one must find out that we are the ones who spread the rumors. Otherwise, that old fucker, Gu Suitang will knock on our doors.¡±

    Wen Zai smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I will. In fact, I¡¯m nning to pin the me on White Horse Academy. Luo Feiliu¡¯s younger brother died because of Ye Qing, so he has a motive to want him dead. If Gu Suitang really is going to take action, he could only target White Horse Academy. That would be very poetic, no?¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! That is a great idea!¡± Wang Luori guffawed. ¡°Everyone praises you to be a cunning and knowledgeable man, and you are most definitely deserving of your reputation! I¡¯m so d I still have you, or I honestly wouldn¡¯t know how to take revenge against my wrongdoers or rebuild Sunset Hill. Sigh¡­¡±

    ¡°You tter me, father. You are the one who possesses the talent and ability to be a great warrior who will go down in history. The reason the idea didn¡¯te to you immediately is because such tactics are beneath you,¡± said Wen Zai to butter up his father. ¡°As for Sunset Hill, so long as you are still standing, Sunset Hill will never fall.¡±

    Wang Luo let out another burst ofughter. ¡°Well said! So long as I, Wang Luori, am still standing, Sunset Hill will never fall! Once I¡¯ve recovered from my injuries, everyone who ever wronged me shall face my wrath!¡±

    When I caught Ye Qing and obtained the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, I¡¯d be a Spirit Master. When that happens, White Horse Academy will pay the price of blood, Gu Suitang will pay the price of blood, and the mice who tried to have me killed while I was weakened will be exterminated to the three generations!

    ¡­¡­

    Bang!

    Ye Qing flew back like a sack of grain and hit the ground so hard that he bounced twice. His bones felt like they werepletely disjointed, and blood was pooling underneath his skin.

    ¡°Do you know why ¡®Break Through¡¯ is called ¡®Break Through¡¯? It¡¯s because it represents the unwavering courage, if not the power, one must possess in order to break through a wall, a ceiling, or even a formation made up of hundreds of thousands of soldiers.¡±

    ¡°But you? Your fist ispletelycking in both qualities. Power can be built up with time, but what the fuck was that pussy ass punch you tried to hit me with earlier? My neighbor, Old Wang, had more courage than you when his wife caught him trying to sneak out for a drink!¡±

    Gu Suitang withdrew his fist and yelled, ¡°We body-tempering warriors may hesitate before we throw a punch, but once we¡¯ve made the decision, then it¡¯s all in! So what if a god, a demon, or even the heavens themselves stand in your way? You will punch through them even if you physically cannot!¡±

    ¡°There is a puff of air in your chest that must dare to challenge heaven or earth. Only then could you stand a chance of ying gods and demons. But your fists are hesitant both before and after you threw it. Where the fuck is your courage? Your fighting spirit?¡±

    ¡°Also, is it just me, or are you looking down on fist art? Isn¡¯t it better to hide your astral qi and fist intent like a dragon lurking in the abyss, unleashing it all only when the time is right? Isn¡¯t it nice to be able to punch through the sky in one punch?¡±

    ¡°When you punch, your astral qi is leaking all over the ce, your force is exposed, your intent is bare for all to see. Oh, it looks very shy, I¡¯ll give you that, but to someone in the know you look like a leaky bag who¡¯spletely wasting your energy. You might be able to intimidate a useless piece of trash, but anyone who¡¯s even remotely stronger than you would be able to kick your ass like nothing!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a journeyman body-tempering warrior with the power of a dragon-elephant in you, but instead of exploiting your own strength you choose to master those superficial shit those with frail bodies have no choice but to master. Are you an idiot or what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s truly a miracle that you didn¡¯t die when you entered Sky Gate Abyss alone!¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t dare to talk back even though Gu Suitang was berating the shit out of him. It was also because he knew that the Deputy Chief was chiding him for his own good.

    Two days after he returned from Sky Gate Abyss and got some well-deserved rest, Gu Suitang had called him over to his ce and beat the shit out of him.

    It was training, of course. Every day, Gu Suitang would spend four to six hours tempering his body, focusing his fist intent, and pointing out the ws in his fist techniques.

    His teaching method was a little unorthodox though. Most people would guide their students onto the right path via words and actions. They would use violence only when a student was particrly unruly. But Gu Suitang? Gu Suitang¡¯s teaching method was to beat the shit out of him.

    The guy didn¡¯t have brakes either, or rather, his brake was right before the point where he would kill or cripple him. Gu Suitang beat him up until he wondered if there were times where he genuinely wondered if he had imagined his OPness, or if his whole life was a lie.

    Every day, Gu Suitang would shatter his flesh, break his bones, and scatter his astral qi during training. The Gu Suitang special guaranteed that, no matter how healthy or confident he felt, he would always leave thepound on a stretcher.

    Physical attacks weren¡¯t the only things Gu Suitang mastered. His verbal abuses, slurs, and demeaningments were such that sometimes, they were worse than the beating itself.

    Seriously, he would have broken a long time ago if his willpower was weak.

    Thankfully, his improvements were just as obvious. Ever since Gu Suitang started training him, his body had undergone a small improvement. Some other people might scoff at such a minor improvement, but he was a journeyman body-tempering warrior. Any improvement starting from this level was difficult unless he consumed a priceless medicine or encountered a great boon or something.

    What delighted Ye Qing the most was Gu Suitang¡¯s understanding of fist intent and fist theory, however. Theory was the foundation of all things, and fist arts weren¡¯t an exception. Someone who had never studied the theory before wouldn¡¯t know what to do or what not to do, much less be proficient in a martial art. Even the exceptionally gifted must grasp the knowledge in order to avoid wasting their time and effort.

    Ye Qing had been self-learning from the moment he set foot on the Way of the Fist. The ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± was the only reference he had, and he had never studied under a true master. Although he was always able to surpass expectations, it was only because the Annon Sutra was there to keep him from going astray.

    Even so, he had inevitably wasted much time and effort and formed many bad habits. For starters, he was a jack of all and master of none. There was a lot of hesitation behind his fists, and he had gotten used to nning for failure¡ªwhich was a good thing in most cases, but a bad thing for a practitioner of the Way of the Fist. He mastered qi, but neglected his intent. His techniques looked strong, but were really devoid of substance. His grit wascking, and he was bogged down by too many thoughts. So on and so on.

    To make a metaphor, he looked like a tall, strong and healthy tree on the outside, but on the inside he was weighed down by many unnecessary branches and leaves, and his bnce waspletely off. He might be strong enough to provide shade to some people, but he still had a long way to go if he wished to be a pir that could withstand the heavens themselves.

    Gu Suitang¡¯s fist theory was like an axe that cut off all of the unnecessary branches, leaving only the things that truly mattered behind. It wouldn¡¯t make him a master of the fists overnight, but itid down the foundation that would make him a master in the future.

    To an outsider, it looked like Gu Suitang was just abusing him for no real reason. In reality, he was teaching him the theory with his fists, and the intent with his verbal abuses. He was violently uprooting all the bad habits that he had unknowingly ingrained in his body, and building him a better foundation and future.

    Not only that, Gu Suitang had taught him two fist techniques. The first one was Divide, and the second Break Through.

    <sub></sub>

 Chapter 229: Divide and Break Through

    Chapter 229: Divide and Break Through

    Strength and dominance were key factors when executing Divide. The practitioner must punch like they would divide mountains or sever rivers. A defensive fist technique that sought to break an enemy while defending, it could supposedly preserve the practitioner from all attacks and divide their opponent¡¯s vitality and force in half.

    Break Through was an offensive fist technique that focused on intent and dominance. Its best trait was its ability to pierce through tough defenses. Like a cavalry charge cutting through a military formation, the punch would never stop until its strength had faded, or the enemy was broken.

    Just now, Ye Qing had tried to hit Gu Suitang with a Break Through, but the Deputy Chief had easily sent him flying. Gu Suitang had kept his power on the same level as ate-stage Astral Refiner and used the exact same technique, but the oue was so one-sided it was like a child trying to outpunch an adult.

    ¡°The fuck are you waiting for? Get back on your feet and punch me again, trash!¡±

    Gu Suitang yelled, ¡°Remember what I said and try again!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s spine cracked and popped ominously as he leaped back to his feet. Then, he charged toward Gu Suitang like a lone cavalry facing down an entire army, despairing yet fearless, hopeless yet unwavering. When he reached the Deputy Chief, he threw his punch and unleashed his intent, qi, and power at once in a single point not unlike a cavalry troop targeting a weak point of a formation. A terrifying amount of fist intent immediately filled the air.

    Gu Suitang hid a smile and met Ye Qing¡¯s attack head on. Again, he was using Break Through.

    Gu Suitang¡¯s Break Through was a lot more reticent than Ye Qing¡¯s fist andpletely soundless until the moment it was unleashed. But when it did, it was like a storm that would end the world itself.

    BOOM!

    Fist met fist, and Ye Qing¡¯s fist intent was destroyed like it was made of rotten wood. Unstoppable force poured into his body and destroyed his astral qi and force as well. He flew back like a rag doll and hit a plum blossom pile, shattering it into smithereens.

    Break Through could have easily punched him through the next couple plum blossom piles behind him and even the wall at the far end should he allow it to happen, but Ye Qing¡¯s Divide eventually neutralized the attack and caused it to swerve to the side instead. Not only that, it cut off the stream of force and caused it to surge back to its user.

    While riding on the coattail of Gu Suitang¡¯s force, Ye Qing charged toward the Deputy Chief and unleashed a second Break Through. This time though, it was soundless and reticent just like the Deputy Chief¡¯s. Its flow wasn¡¯t impeded, however. It was like a powerful air current with no shape, an inferno with no smoke, or a running river that made no sound. Silence was the norm when one¡¯s fist had reached the peak.

    When his fistnded on its target, his power, qi, and intent exploded at the same time and poured a tidal wave of force into Gu Suitang¡¯s body.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t done yet, however. He unleashed a third Break Through with his left fist, and this punch was even more unstoppable than the first. His intent was taller than the sky and wider than the sea, and it even pulled Gu Suitang¡¯s fist force unto its own fist force before striking Gu Suitang with twice as much power as before.

    The Deputy Chief let out a dull grunt and staggered back two steps. Each time he took a step, his stomach would rumble like a drumbeat, and hisplexion would flicker between blue and red. It took him a few breaths before he finally returned to normal.

    ¡°So, you can adapt after all. I guess you¡¯re not too stupid.¡± Gu Suitang snorted.

    ¡°You tter me, chief. It¡¯s because you¡¯re a good teacher.¡± Ye Qing withdrew his fists and grinned widely.

    He was speaking from the heart. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t unleashed a simr punch in the past, but it had never been this smooth or full of heart.

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin was so punchable that Gu Suitang couldn¡¯t help but rebuke him, ¡°Hmph! You¡¯ve only been learning Divide and Break Through for two days, and you think you¡¯re hot shit already? You still have a long way to go, brat!¡±

    Despite his remark, Gu Suitang was pretty satisfied with Ye Qing¡¯s performance. He was old enough to have witnessed many geniuses in his life, and a plethora of them were more gifted, talented, or in possession of a firmer foundation than Ye Qing. However, few possessed the young man¡¯s mental toughness.

    His teaching method didn¡¯t fit everyone as a matter of course. In fact, few people could have their muscles pummeled to bits, and every bone in their body broken every day. It was little different from torture. Few people could endure this for an hour, much less two whole weeks.

    But not only did Ye Qing persist, he actually listened to the knowledge contained within his fists and his slurs. Moreover, he wasn¡¯t stuck in a box and could improvise when necessary. These were rare traits that most people didn¡¯t possess.

    That said, this brat was so wild that he needed a beating once in a while. If not, he might wake up and find a hole in the sky one day.

    ¡°Hehe. You¡¯re right, chief. I still have a long way to go,¡± Ye Qing said with a salute.

    Satisfied with Ye Qing¡¯s response, Gu Suitang continued, ¡°Why do we stick the word ¡®art¡¯ behind fist? That¡¯s because the Way of the Fist possesses limitless variations. It could be big or small, active or immobile, hard or soft. But no matter how it changes, it will always have its roots in theory and intent.¡±

    ¡°If your theory is good, then your fists will flow smoothly, and your mind will never be clouded. If your intent is high, then your fist will be high enough to surpass the heavens themselves. Only with good theory and intent can your fist art enter the annals of history and be remembered for eternity.¡±

    ¡°I understand, chief. I will engrave your teachings to my heart. Thank you so much for everything you¡¯ve taught me,¡± Ye Qing replied sincerely and gratefully.

    Gu Suitang was a master of the Way of the Fist, and yet he had freely shared his theories and techniques with Ye Qing. Generally speaking, only direct disciples or descendants were granted such honor, which meant that Gu Suitang truly thought of him as his disciple. How could he not be grateful?

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to engrave something to your heart, and another thing to carry it out for real. If you¡¯re all talk and no action, then you¡¯ll still lose everything you¡¯ve learned today.¡±

    Gu Suitang gave him onest piece of advice before saying, ¡°Alright. We can end things here.¡±

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s still early. Did something happen?¡± Ye Qing asked, puzzled. Previously, Gu Suitang hadn¡¯t stopped even after he had punched the daylights out of him. The Deputy Chief of Bureau was surprisingly punctual considering his behavior.

    Gu Suitang grinned. ¡°Oh? Did you like getting beaten up so much? I can fulfill your wish if that¡¯s what you want.¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly waved his hands. ¡°Nonono, I was just saying.¡± He could endure a punishment or ten if there was something to be gained from it, but he absolutely wasn¡¯t a masochist like a certainte-stage Astral Refiner.

    ¡°I¡¯m letting you go because I¡¯ve already taught you everything you need to know. It¡¯s up to you how you¡¯re going to walk your path and how far you can go now.¡±

    Gu Suitang smiled and waved him off. ¡°Now get lost. You¡¯ve rested long enough. Skip another day of work, and I will skin you alive myself.¡±

    ¡°At once, deputy chief. I hope to learn from you again when I¡¯m free,¡± Ye Qing replied brightly. Honestly, he wanted to study under Gu Suitang a little longer, but he was still the Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. While his department could handle itself quite well, that was no excuse to be derelict in his duties.

    Ye Qing saluted Gu Suitang and got ready to leave. He had just reached the exit when Gu Suitang suddenly called out, ¡°Oh right. Watch your back when you¡¯re out there, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Watch my back? But why?¡± Ye Qing looked back in confusion.

    Gu Suitang merely smiled mysteriously and replied, ¡°You¡¯ll find out very soon.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The fuck does that mean?

    Unfortunately, the Deputy Chief of Bureau wasn¡¯t going to give him an answer. He had already turned his back on him and ignored his follow-up questions.

    ¡°Bah, whatever.¡±

    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to get an answer, Ye Qing rubbed his nose and left just like that.

    After Ye Qing was gone, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Wei Yueshan appeared in thepound and asked, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to tell Joyless what¡¯s going on out there, chief?¡±

    Gu Suitang grunted. ¡°And what would be the point? He¡¯s going to find out himself very soon.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai looked worried. ¡°But a lot of jianghu warriors have entered Luo Shui, and most of them harbor malicious designs. If they attack Joyless before he realizes the truth¡­¡±

    Gu Suitang scoffed. ¡°He will be fine. I tutored him for two weeks straight. If he couldn¡¯t even handle something so minor, then he deserves what he gets.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu took a sip of wine and asked, ¡°Are we just going to ignore this then?¡±

    Gu Suitang answered, ¡°Yep. For now at least. We won¡¯t be able to catch the big fish if we join the fray too soon. Just keep watch and let Joyless handle this.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, have we caught the rest of the Way of Taiping yet?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai shook his head. ¡°No. But assuming that our intel is reliable, the only ones who are still atrge are Dog King, Paper Celestial, Husband and Wife; the remnants of the Twelve Fiends of Taiping.¡±

    Gu Suitang thought for a moment before replying, ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll catch them eventually. In fact, we can let Jiang Muyang and Xue Beikun handle this. We¡¯ve already earned quite the merit anyway, we might as well share them the leftovers. Otherwise, they might be tempted to cause some unnecessary waves.¡±

    Jiang Muyang was themandery governor of Luo Shui, and Xue Beikun was themander of the ck Feathers Guard.

    ¡°Got it, chief.¡± Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu nodded in understanding. Wei Yueshan was the only one who looked as clueless as ever.

    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake, why did I ever recruit an idiot like you?¡±

    Gu Suitang knew immediately from Wei Yueshan¡¯s stupid expression that his disciple hadn¡¯t understood the conversation at all. When he recalled how quickly Ye Qing had grasped Divide and Break Through in the past two days, he grew annoyed and pped Wei Yueshan on the back of his head.

    Wei Yueshan: ¡°...¡± What did I do? I didn¡¯t even say anything!

    Gu Suitang grew even more annoyed and yelled at his disciple, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone you¡¯re my disciple from now on! It embarrasses me!¡±

    ¡°Now get lost! The two of you may take your leave as well!¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± All three Peacemakers saluted Gu Suitang before taking their leave.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Look! It¡¯s Lord Ye!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s the guy who yed the cultists hiding in Luo Shui, ruined the Way of Taiping¡¯s conspiracy, and saved Luo Shui from disaster.¡±

    ¡°I heard that Lord Ye singlehandedly killed twelve cultists on his own. All twelve cultists were immensely powerful, but Lord Ye courageously fought them for three hundred rounds and ultimately defeated them all. What a hero!¡±

    ¡°Twelve people? I heard that there were thirty three people, and they were called the Thirty Three Ghost God Generals of Taiping or something. He didn¡¯t fight them for three hundred rounds though. Lord Ye had beheaded them in a single sh.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! It was ny nine cultists, and they were called the Ny Nine Killers of Taiping! Lord Ye blew them all apart with a single breath!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    What the fuck¡¯s going on? Why did everyone and their mother know about what I did at Sky Gate? And what the hell are these rumors? Thirty Three Ghost God Generals? Ny Nine Killers of Taiping? And I killed them all with a single breath? Who the fuck do they think I am, the One Puff Man?

    ¡°I thought for sure that the man who could y the Taiping cultists in one puff would have three heads, six arms, eight mouths and ten tongues, but¡­ huh. He¡¯s a pretty handsomed, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes! He¡¯s very young too!¡±

    ¡°What a cute boy. I want to have his babies¡­¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°......¡±

    Sis, is there anyone in the entire world who has three heads, six arms, eight mouths and ten tongues? Like can you show me a photo?

    And you, auntie, can you please take a look in the mirror before you think about babies? Heck, you¡¯re almost old enough to be my grandma!

    It¡¯s true that I¡¯m young and handsome though. I have zero qualms with gossiping when it is the truth!

    Of course, the women wasn¡¯t openly gossiping about Ye Qing. He only overheard their conversation because he was a warrior, and he had sharper ears and most.

 Chapter 230: Beauty Moth

    Chapter 230: Beauty Moth

    While Ye Qing was passing by a restaurant when suddenly, he heard the crisp sound of a gavel striking wood, and a storyteller speaking in a loud, melodious voice:

    ¡°In one strike, Ye Qing cut through fivekes and four seas, blew apart five hills and three mountains, yed the Taiping cultists and toppled the agents of hell.¡±

    ¡°After the Taiping cultists were in, Ye Qing jumped into the sky and carved a poem into a stone wall with his bare hands. Did you know what he wrote?¡±

    ¡°For ten years, I had honed this de without end.

    Today, I used it to y the Taiping cultists,

    and tomorrow, I shall use it to destroy the Way of Taiping.

    All shall fall before my might like the fall leaves.

    ¡°I am invincible, indomitable, and the king of the world.¡±

    ¡°Well said!¡±

    ¡°What an amazing story!¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s your tip!¡±

    A chorus of apuse and cheers broke out as soon as the storyteller finished telling his story. Themotion was so loud that it could be felt outside the restaurant.

    Speaking of which, Ye Qing was having trouble picking up his jaw from the floor outside the restaurant. It was one thing to exaggerate a story, and another to blow it up with so much bullshit it was a miracle that it didn¡¯t stink up the whole Luo Shui. Destroy the Way of Taiping? All shall fall like the fall leaves? Invincible, indomitable, and the king of the world? Like what the fuck?

    Maybe the storyteller didn¡¯t need to stick to facts. He was telling a story after all. But why the fuck was the audience cheering like he just told the greatest story in the world? Anyone with even a speck of brain in their heads should realize that what the guy said was utterly ludicrous, so why the fuck were they supporting him? Did they want to watch the world burn that badly?

    He had only been gone for half a month at most. Why did it feel like he had stepped into a different world?

    He was just a puny Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. You would think that he was the bastard son of the Emperor of Chu judging from the way they were talking about him.

    ¡°There is definitely a conspiracy behind this. Who¡¯s the bastard who¡¯s plotting my death?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and muttered. He had put two and two together immediately.

    Generally speaking, an operation like this wouldn¡¯t be publicized due to various concerns. However, it looked like everyone and their mothers had heard of his exploits. This could only mean that someone in the Pacification Bureau had leaked the news.

    Second, someone was definitely adding fuel to the rumors, and he was at the center of it all. It was true that he had yed a pivotal role in the operation, but he was hardly the only one who had made a major contribution in the operation. Lin Yuhuai had split the heavens with a single talisman, Chu Nianjiu had conjured a world of snow, and Gu Suitang had singlehandedly ughtered the King of Sky Gate and Child Emperor. But in all the stories he had heard so far, you would think that the Pacification Bureau was just sitting on their asses while he was doing all the work. Not only that, the rumors were so exaggerated that it just had to be intentional.

    The Way of Taiping already loathed him for ruining their ns, but now their hatred would be greater than ever before. After all, everyone knew of their shameful defeat now. They were going to kill him if it was thest thing they did. Some heretics would be more than happy to join in on the fun and add fuel to the fire as well.

    That said, the Way of Taiping probably wasn¡¯t the one behind this. It didn¡¯t make sense for them to besmirch their own reputation and make it harder for them to promote their insane religion.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s painted a big, red bullseye on my back. Bastard.¡±

    Ye Qing muttered to himself, ¡°But the Way of Taiping alone isn¡¯t enough. If I was the bastard, I would pretend to be the Way of Taiping and put a juicy bounty on my head or something. That would mobilize every jianghu warrior in and out of Luo Shui to attack me as well. What a cunning ploy.¡±

    It was at this moment another conversation caught his attention.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe how fast the rumors are spreading. There¡¯s practically no one in the jianghu who hasn¡¯t heard of Ye Qing now.¡±

    ¡°Heh, he¡¯s famous now, but I doubt he¡¯ll live long enough to enjoy it. He¡¯s humiliated the Way of Taiping, and you know how those crazies are. They¡¯ll never stoping after him until he¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I know. The Way of Taiping has already issued an official bounty for his head. Anyone who manages to kill Ye Qing would be rewarded with a Spirit Purification stage martial art, a Taiping Godkiller Pill, an Earth Dragon Lingzhi and a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. It¡¯s crazy!¡±

    ¡°I know. If I wasn¡¯t strong enough, I swear¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shh! Quiet. Ye Qing¡¯s looking this way. Come, let us drink.¡±

    The speakers were three jianghu warriors wearing form-fitting outfits and wielding swords and sabers.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Fuck, I didn¡¯t want to be right, but I am. Seriously, who¡¯s the sonuvabitch who came up with such a sordid idea?

    The city¡¯s too much for me, I wanna go home. But the roads at home are too slippery, and the human heart is just asplex!

    ¡°Ye Qing¡­¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing¡­¡± ¡°Ye Qing¡­¡±

    Ye Qing was raging when suddenly, he heard someone calling out to him. For some reason, the cries seemed to possess some sort of irresistible sway.

    He turned around to see who was calling out to him and was greeted by a supernaturally seductive face. It seemed capable of making any expression that tugged at his heartstrings the most and tempted him to decline and indulgence. Slowly, his eyes grew dazed.

    Strangely, no one else seemed to hear the cries. In fact, they didn¡¯t even see the soulsucking beauty Ye Qing was seeing. From their perspective, Ye Qing had suddenly turned to one side and daydreamed.

    No one noticed a fingertip-sized moth flying toward Ye Qing either.

    The moth was smaller than your ordinary moth and grayish brown in color. It hadrge eyes and bright, colorful patterns at its abdominal area. The patterns seemed to form a woman¡¯s smile.

    ¡°Your Beauty Moth is impressive, Moth Lady. Even Ye Qing has fallen for your trick,¡± a manplimented a middle-aged woman with waxy yellowplexion who was dressed in rags. ¡°The Way of Taiping¡¯s bounty will be ours, and we¡¯ll surely be powerful and famous warriors in the future.¡±

    The woman responded with an honest smile, ¡°I don¡¯t care about being famous. All I want is to enjoy a good meal every day and raise my children well.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ You can dine like an emperor if we sessfully im this bounty.¡±

    The man was chuckling when suddenly, his voice came to a stop. It was because a moth was sitting on his forehead. He eximed in shock and terror, ¡°What are you doing, Moth Lady?¡±

    ¡°The bounty¡¯s not enough for the both of us.¡±

    Moth Lady continued to smile like everything was normal. ¡°And I need a scapegoat since I do not n on dying anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    The man was just about to resist when the moth suddenly pped its wings. A cloud of pinkish powder engulfed his face, and his eyes became just as dazed as Ye Qing¡¯s. The next moment, the moth crawled down his nose and entered his mouth.

    Moth Lady smiled wider when the moth had disappearedpletely into the man¡¯s mouth. Then, she looked at the moth still flying toward Ye Qing with gentleness and expectation.

    But right before the moth wouldnd on Ye Qing¡¯s forehead, the nkness in his eyes was abruptly reced by intelligence. Then, he caught the moth between his fingers.

    ¡°The Beauty Moth, huh. It hasn¡¯t even been an hour since I left the Pacification Bureau, and the bounty hunters are already saying hello.¡±

    The moth he was holding was called the Beauty Moth. It was a moth-like Malice-ss Stranger withrge eyes and a pattern that resembled a human face on its abdomen.

    The Beauty Moth¡¯s powder possessed a powerful hallucinatory effect. The pattern on its abdomen could also bewitch a weak-willed person. Once its victim was bewitched, it would crawl through their mouths or other orifices into the body. Depending on its needs, it would either pilot the victim like a puppet, or build a nest inside their flesh and blood.

    He hadn¡¯t been bewitched by the Beauty Moth, of course. It was just an act.

    Sure, he had used this tactic countless times already, but hey, don¡¯t fix what isn¡¯t broken, right?

    A wisp of blue me surged out of the Blue Demon Hand. The Beauty Moth was burned into ash just like that.

    While this was happening, a man leaped into the air and tried to escape through the rooftop.

    ¡°You think you can run?¡±

    A savage grin shed across Ye Qing¡¯s face as he bounded after the man. However, he suddenly paused mid-way and spat Lightning Bolt at him. At the sametime, he rushed straight toward Moth Lady and swept his sleeves at her.

    Bang!

    Two explosions happened at the same time. One of them was the sound of Lightning Bolt crushing the man¡¯s head into bits, and the other was a sh of forces.

    The headless man fell from the sky and hit the ground with a thud. Moth Lady was literally steaming from her pores and staggering away from Ye Qing with an unnaturally redplexion. Every time she took a step, she would leave behind a scorched mark on the ground.

    ¡°How did you find me out?¡± Moth Lady asked after she finally caught herself. She looked both shocked and stern.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Your hands are too pale and smooth. An actual middle-aged woman who worked all day and night would never have hands as pale and smooth as yours. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must take very good care of your hands probably because of your profession.

    ¡°I was careless,¡± Moth Lady admitted with a sigh. Besides controlling the Beauty Moth, she was an expert in hidden weapons as well. That was why she took very good care of her hands. Unfortunately, she had forgotten to disguise her hands when she was donning her disguise.

    ¡°Also, I heard your conversation loud and clear just now. The next time you wanna do something bad, do try to keep your voice down,¡± Ye Qing added. This was the true reason he discovered that Moth Lady was the true attacker, and not the man.

    ¡°What?¡± Moth Lady was shocked to say the least. She had spoken with the man via sound transmission, and it was impossible to eavesdrop on a sound transmission unless one possessed a powerful spirit.

    Moth Lady turned a little paler. ¡°I made a mistake, my lord. I will leave Luo Shui this instant and never return.¡±

    Before Ye Qing could reply, she added, ¡°If you refuse, then I will take them to the grave with me.¡±

    Moth Lady looked at her surroundings as she said this. Her voice was pure, but the contents were anything but.

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s voice grew a little colder.

    Moth Lady giggled, and as she did, pimples started popping on her face, her arms, and other exposed parts of her body. They were also wriggling like there was something alive inside the pimples. It looked horrifying to say the least.

    Pop pop pop!

    The pimples popped, and blood spilled everywhere. Countless Beauty Moths flew out of Moth Lady¡¯s body and into the air.

    She¡¯s feeding her moths with her own flesh and blood? Talk about crazy, Ye Qing thought to himself as he stared at the bloodied Moth Lady.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Suddenly, he heard an outburst of cries from a different direction. He turned and saw the headless man he killed growing a ton of pimples just like Moth Lady. A lot more, in fact. The next moment, countless moths burst out of the corpse in a sickly shower of blood and gore.

    The man¡¯s face and stomach was utterly chewed through, and Ye Qing could vaguely see that his internal organs had beenpletely eaten. It was reced by a ton of white eggs instead. Even now, the white eggs were still hatching more Beauty Moths. It wasn¡¯t long before a massive swath of Beauty Moths hung in the sky like a dark cloud.

    Moth Lady watched the Beauty Moths with gentle eyes like they were her own children. She said gently, ¡°I¡¯m not threatening you. I¡¯m just stating a fact.¡±

    She definitely had the strength to back up a threat. They were in the middle of a market, and there were countless people in the area. Considering how many Beauty Moths there were, they could inflict an insane number of casualties if they were to attack everyone indiscriminately. That was why Moth Lady said that she was just stating a fact, and why she dared to attack Ye Qing in the middle of a street.

 Chapter 231: A Good Wine Deserves A Good Kill

    Chapter 231: A Good Wine Deserves A Good Kill

    ¡°Still sounds like a threat to me, but sure, whatever.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged casually as if Moth Lady hadn¡¯t just threatened to kill hundreds of people. ¡°I¡¯m a man of fairness, however. You may leave, but only after you¡¯ve taken a punch from me. After all, you attacked me with the Beauty Moth earlier. It¡¯s only fair that I pay you back for what you did, right?¡±

    ¡°If you can survive my punch, then your debt to me is settled. It¡¯s very fair, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that your silence means that you ept my proposal. Here Ie!¡±

    Ye Qing rushed forward before he finished his sentence.

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing had charged Moth Lady before Moth Lady could make sense of his nonsensical ¡°proposal¡±. Caught off guard, she reacted instinctively and summoned her Beauty Moths to defend her instead of attacking the civilians as she had originally nned. A thick cloud of white powder filled the air in an instant, and the human faces on the moths¡¯ abdomen released a strange, invisible power that seemed capable of sucking the soul right out of a person¡¯s body.

    Ye Qing ignored it all, however. Although he was one against many, he continued forward fearlessly like a cavalry troop ready to punch through a thousand formations. The wind howled, and the heart zed with dauntlessness and audacity.

    ¡°Break Through¡±

    His fist punched through the invisible power and countless Beauty Moths like they were nothing more but the wind. ¡°Break Through¡± was best employed against tough defenses and could supposedly prate even ten thousand formations like nothing, but less a bunch of Beauty Moths.

    By the time Moth Lady realized what was going on, Ye Qing had broken through the obstacle and appeared in front of her. Then, he punched her right in the face.

    His fist easily punched through her astral qi like it was made of paper. The next second, her head exploded into bits of red and white.

    After Moth Lady was dead, the Beauty Moths in the air abruptly fell from the sky as if their source of power was cut off. Ye Qing scanned them with his spirit and confirmed that they were all dead.

    Ye Qing withdrew his hand and shrugged innocently. ¡°I wanted to let you go, really. It¡¯s not my fault you¡¯re too weak to withstand my punch.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    It was at this moment the civilians finally screamed out in earnest, but only because it was suddenly raining moths, and they saw Moth Lady¡¯s headless corpse. Most of them didn¡¯t realize that Ye Qing and Moth Lady were fighting each other, or that the dark cloud that suddenly blotted out the sky temporarily was really a bunch of killer moths, much less the fact that they were a hair away from being killed. You would be surprised how many people wouldn¡¯t notice something that was right above their heads.

    Speaking of people, the jianghu warriors who were watching the battle from the shadows and waiting for an opportunity were all wearing grim looks on their faces.

    Who was Moth Lady? She was a powerful jianghu warrior who was infamous throughout Tian Yong. Moth Lady was only a middle-stage Astral Refiner, but she was proficient at manipting the Beauty Moths and incredibly ruthless. Once, she had infested an entire county of people just to nurture her Beauty Moths and was pursued by the government and Purity Sword, one of the Five Profound Sects. However, she ultimately managed to escape pursuit.

    Not only that, Moth Lady once ambushed and killed a Spirit Purifier from the Intelligence Department of Chu. It was this feat that made her famous throughout Tian Yong.

    The Intelligence Department was an espionage agency Chu had set up to spy on other countries and monitor all intelligence within Chu. Few things were known about the Intelligence Department, and everyone who served it was an elite. Strength wise, they were on par with the Pacification Bureau.

    Moth Lady was no weakling, and yet Ye Qing had still crushed her with insulting ease. Was she really that weak, or was Ye Qing too strong?

    The answer was self-evident.

    ¡°Idiots. There¡¯s a reason the Way of Taiping issued those rewards instead of killing Ye Qing themselves.¡±

    On the top floor of the highest restaurant in the city, a middle-aged man with fiery red hair and a rough appearance was observing the battle with a disdainful expression. He was wearing a fiery red robe as well.

    The restaurant was almost two kilometers away from the battlefield, but the red-haired man was acting like he had witnessed every detail of the battle from beginning until the end.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they¡¯re so stupid though. They¡¯ve given me a golden opportunity to im the reward myself.¡±

    ¡°His breath is murky, his back is slumped, his muscles are rxed, his spirit is unfocused, and his energy is spent. Yes, this is a great opportunity.¡±

    He abruptly swiped the wine jar on the table and took a greedy gulp. Some of the wine trickled down the corners of his lips and drenched his shirt, giving him a wild and uninhibited appearance.

    ¡°Hahaha! A good wine deserves a good kill!¡± The manughed loudly before kicking a massive red bow into his hands.

    As soon as the bow entered his hands, he immediately bent his knees and slowly drew the bow into a full draw.

    An invisible force spread throughout the room. The entire restaurant was shaking a little like it was experiencing an earthquake.

    Whoosh!

    The man let go as soon as he had drawn the bow fully. The arrow disappeared faster than the eye could blink.

    With that done, the man abruptly copsed back into his chair as if he had spent all of his energy. His forehead was covered in sweat as well.

    He looked extremely excited, however. He swiped the wine jar and downed a few gulps of wine again. His face was unusually red as heughed, ¡°Hahaha! The wine is great, and so is my shot! Hahahaha!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing pulsed his spirit after killing Moth Lady. After confirming that the mice lurking in the shadows were intimidated, he hid a sigh of relief and released his energies.

    He made it look easy, but he knew it was anything but. Moth Lady¡ªor more urately, the horde of Beauty Moths she raised because the woman herself wasn¡¯t strong¡ªwas extremely dangerous, and the only reason he managed to kill her in one punch was thanks to Gu Suitang¡¯s teachings. Otherwise, it would¡¯ve been a pyrrhic victory at best.

    ¡°Wait¡­ something is¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s spirit pulsed painfully like it had a life of its own. His skin prickled like a thousand needles, and his body felt ice cold.

    The next instant, a blood red arrow abruptly appeared in front of him.

    The arrow was as red as blood, and the silhouette of a dragon was swimming around its shaft. He could hear faint draconic roars as well.

    The blood red arrow had appeared without a sound and seemingly out of nowhere. By the time he noticed it, it was already right in front of him.

    Caught off guard, Ye Qing could only grab the arrow and try to stop it with his bare hands.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a muffled groan as soon as his hands made contact with the arrow. A zing, terrifying energy poured into his body as the arrow pushed back his arms until the tip touched his forehead.

    Bang bang bang!

    The streets behind Ye Qing abruptly exploded into pieces. The trail of destruction was at least fifty meters long, and it was ashen ck like it was scorched by fire.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    When the explosion came to a stop, Ye Qing breathed out a puff of fiery red force, and the surrounding air suddenly became unbearably hot.

    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly receive a gift from a stranger! Here, you can have it back!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯splexion returned to normal after he breathed out the force. Despite his quip, his expression was as furious as it was murderous.

    Holding the arrow like a javelin, he spun a full circle on his right foot before tossing it into the air.

    The arrow shot back into the sky just as quickly as before, and the limestone floor beneath Ye Qing¡¯s foot cracked like a spider¡¯s web.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s probably dead, but I should check!¡±

    At the restaurant, the red-haired man set down the wine jar and slowly rose to his feet. Then, he looked out of the window.

    It was at this moment a shrill sonic boom deafened his ears. Before he could figure out what was going on, he saw his arrow flying back even faster than when he released it a moment ago.

    What the¡ª?

    The thought hadn¡¯t even disappeared from the red-haired man¡¯s mind when the arrow pierced through his heart and hit the pir behind him. It kept shaking like it was mocking the red-haired man.

    ¡°How can this be? How can¡­ this¡­¡±

    Why did my arrow fly back?

    Why did my arrow kill me?

    Bright red blood bubbled between the man¡¯s lips as his wide open eyes slowly lost their liveliness.

    He died without finding out the answer.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°I wonder if the archer is dead?¡± Ye Qing wondered out loud. He wasn¡¯t nning to check his kill because he literally couldn¡¯t. He had tossed the arrow back to where it was originally released, but he didn¡¯t actually know where it came from. If his counterattack sessfully killed his opponent, then all was well. If not, well, he wasn¡¯t going to waste his time searching for them when it was entirely possible that they had run away.

    Plus, he didn¡¯t want to give the archer another opportunity to shoot him. The arrow was untraceable until the moment it was about to hit, and it contained so much power that it came very, very close to killing him.

    ¡°You really can¡¯t underestimate the jianghu!¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and frowned. ¡°This is going to be a pain.¡±

    It was clear that Moth Lady and the mysterious archer were targeting him because of the Way of Taiping¡¯s bounty.

    Before this, he thought that these jianghu warriors would think twice before attacking a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau. However, reality proved that he had sorely underestimated their courage and their greed. Who would¡¯ve thought that these bastards would attack him in broad daylight?

    Anyone could be bought. It was just a matter of how much!

    Worst of all, this wasn¡¯t the end, but the beginning. More and more jianghu warriors were entering Luo Shui every day, and his troubles had just begun.

    ¡°Ugh! What a headache!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his forehead in annoyance. He could tell that he was going to be busy for a long time toe.

    It was at this moment someone called out, ¡°Lord Ye! What happened?¡±

    Ye Qing turned around. It was Li Lang [1]and a squad of bailiffs walking toward him.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes immediately lit up. ¡°Constable Li, someone just tried to have me killed. Surely this falls under themandery hall¡¯s jurisdiction?¡±

    Li Lang took a moment to scan his surroundings and listened to the people¡¯s gossipings. He quickly figured out what was going on and let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°About that¡­¡±

    The administrative division was in charge of public security and civil affairs, so technically, Ye Qing was perfectly right.

    However, everyone and their mothers had heard of Ye Qing¡¯s exploits, and the victim of his heroism, the Way of Taiping, was so pissed that they issued an official bounty for his head. As a result, countless jianghu warriors were converging on Luo Shui to kill Ye Qing. How the hell were they supposed to handle them all?

    In fact, they had been working non-stop to quell these people for the past week or so. Jianghu warriors were used to living by their own rules, and many of them were hard-boiled criminals, killers or madmen who would kill without batting an eyelid. Their presence already meant trouble, but it was a powder keg waiting to explode when they were all gathered in one ce. Already, they had dealt much damage to Luo Shui.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, jianghu warriors weren¡¯t ordinary civilians that they could push around as they pleased. Every single one of them was a powerhouse in their own right. Even with the aid of the ck Feathers Guard and constant patrols, they were only treating the symptom and not the cure.

    That was why Li Lang really wanted to say, ¡°Yes, but what can we possibly do to stop this?¡±

    Li Lang wasn¡¯t stupid enough to voice his thoughts out loud, of course. He adopted a righteous tone and answered, ¡°But of course! If it is okay to assassinate an imperial official in public, then what is the point ofw and order?¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, Lord Ye. The administrative division has you covered. I will mobilize the men to arrest your assassins this instant.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, men!¡±

    Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best. Sorry, Lord Ye, but you¡¯re on your own!

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± The gall of this guy! His words sounded pretty, but it¡¯spletely useless! The assassins are lying right there on the floor, so who the fuck are you trying to arrest? A corpse? You might as well tell me that you¡¯re going to arrest the bitches who sed these idiots on me, the Way of Taiping then!

    Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re just trying to abscond your responsibility! Where is your sense of duty and professionalism as a public official? Have you fed it all to the dogs?

    1. Some of you might have forgotten, but he¡¯s the chief constable who investigated Luo Feibai¡¯s death. You know, the Nameless Hair incident. ?

 Chapter 232: Good Luck

    Chapter 232: Good Luck

    Li Lang was just about to pull off his great escape when suddenly, three bailiffs stepped out of the crowd while carrying a body. One of them reported, ¡°Lord Li, we found a body in the Star Reacher Restaurant. We¡¯ve gotten confirmation that it belongs to¡­ Wu Yijian.¡±

    ¡°Wu Yijian? The One Shot Kill, Wu Yijian?¡± A surprised Li Lang paused in his tracks. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    The bailiffs dropped the body on the floor and replied, ¡°We think so. He has red hair, wears a red shirt, and wields a red bow. He is most likely Wu Yijian.¡±

    Li Lang stepped over to the corpse and examined it for a bit. A short whileter, he nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s him alright. How did he die?¡±

    A bailiff answered, ¡°He was shot through his heart. We believe that the murder weapon is his own arrow.¡±

    The bailiff then produced a red arrow and handed it to Li Lang. ¡°We found this sticking to a pir in Wu Yijian¡¯s room. Judging from the location of the body and the direction of the arrow, we¡¯re pretty certain that he was killed by his own weapon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not kidding me, are you?¡± Li Lang could hardly believe his ears. His subordinates were telling him that the One Shot Kill was killed by his own arrow. Surely this must be a mistake?

    ¡°But it¡¯s true, chief!¡± The bailiff replied firmly even though he was scratching his own head, puzzled. ¡°We believe that hemitted suicide.¡±

    ¡°Suicide?¡± Li Lang parroted while staring at the guy incredulously.

    Why would Wu Yijian suddenly want tomit suicide?

    Was he suggesting that Wu Yijian suddenly realized what a sonuvabitch he was and decided death was the only way to atone for his sins?

    Not even a baby would believe such a thing!

    It was at this moment Ye Qing spoke up, ¡°You can stop guessing now. I¡¯m pretty sure that I¡¯m the one who killed this Wu Yijian!¡±

    He knew this because he recognized the red arrow.

    ¡°You what?¡± Li Lang wheeled around and stared at him in disbelief. Is it Prank-Your-Constable Day or something? We¡¯re almost two kilometers away from Star Reacher Restaurant. Heck, you can¡¯t even see the restaurant from here, and you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re the one who killed Wu Yijian? Do you fancy yourself a Spirit Master or something? Or do I look like an honest fool to you?

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I killed him. After I killed Moth Lady, the arrow suddenly appeared out of nowhere and almost killed me. So, I tossed it right back where it came from. I was just testing my luck, I didn¡¯t think I would actually get the guy because you know, you can¡¯t even see the restaurant from here. And what kind of idiot would remain where he was after firing his shot? He must be pretty weak.¡±

    ¡°Weak? Do you know who he is?¡± Li Lang blurted. He didn¡¯t think Ye Qing was lying, but he still found it hard to believe that what he was saying was true. Ye Qing was iming that he had tossed the arrow back to the archer and killed him across a distance of almost two kilometers. Not two hundred meters, but two kilometers. What was this, a fairy tale?

    The fact that Ye Qing was just ate-stage Astral Refiner was even more ludicrous. He was ate-stage Astral Refiner himself, but if he were to throw an arrow with all his might, it was unlikely he would be able to make the same distance, much less kill a renowned jianghu warrior.

    There was no denying the facts before his eyes though.

    ¡°I don¡¯t. Tell me?¡± Ye Qing asked. He had never heard of a Wu Yijian or a One Shot Kill.

    Judging from Ye Qing¡¯s expression, he really didn¡¯t know who Wu Yijian was, so he exined, ¡°Wu Yijian hails from Guang Ping[1], and most of his exploits were made in Guang Ping. You haven¡¯t been Luo Shui for long, so I¡¯m not surprised that you haven¡¯t heard of him.¡±

    ¡°Wu Yijian learned his martial arts under a major sect in Guang Ping called the Dragonying Sect, and he was famed for his ability to fire the Dragonying Shot, an ultimate technique of his sect. Not only was he an expert at killing enemies from a great distance, he was born with great strength and sharp eyes. Supposedly, he could spot a speck of dust from hundreds of meters away, which makes him a perfect fit with the Dragonying Shot.¡±

    ¡°As ate-stage Astral Refiner, Wu Yijian once killed a Soulstealer-ss Stranger and a Spirit Purifier from 1.5 kilometers away. Such was his fame that they praised him as the man who could y a dragon with a single shot. There is no one in Tian Yong who hasn¡¯t heard of him.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged and cast the body an indifferent nce. ¡°Well, I think his reputation is mostly exaggerated.¡±

    He had more or less figured out how he managed to kill Wu Yijian. The archer probably couldn¡¯t move for a bit after injecting all of his strength to fire his Dragonying Shot. That was why he was able to hit the guy with his own arrow.

    No wonder they call him One Shot Kill. He literally only has one shot in his chamber. If he fails to kill his target with his shot, then he would die. Small fry!

    Li Lang: ¡°...¡± What do you mean his reputation is exaggerated? He killed a Spirit Purifier and a Soulstealer-ss Stranger as an Astral Refiner!

    Then, Li Lang took one look at Wu Yijian¡¯s lifeless body and decided to keep his mouth shut. No sense in antagonizing the man who killed Wu Yijian.

    Another question urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Why is Wu Yijian risking his neck over a bounty when he¡¯s a disciple of the Dragonying Sect? He shouldn¡¯t becking in martial arts or pills.¡±

    Li Lang answered, ¡°That¡¯s because Wu Yijian broke one too many rules and was expelled from his sect a few years ago.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± That exins a lot.

    ¡°Oh right, what can you tell me about this Moth Lady?¡± Ye Qing pointed at Moth Lady¡¯s corpse next.

    ¡°Moth Lady? D-Did you just say she¡¯s the Moth Lady?¡± Li Lang stuttered.

    ¡°...¡± That¡¯s what I said, bud.

    A few secondster, Li Lang finally let out a mental sigh. He finally understood why Ye Qing was famous throughout Luo Shui, and why he could only clean up his mess after him. He was just that much stronger than him.

    After Li Lang gave Ye Qing a rundown of Moth Lady¡¯s background, the Patrolman let out a deep sigh. ¡°Hah. She¡¯s quite the character too, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    This was just the beginning, and already he was being hunted by jianghu warriors who could fight above their cultivation level. He couldn¡¯t even imagine who he was going to face in the future.

    ¡°Where are you going, Constable Li? My assassins are right here.¡±

    Li Lang had tried to pull off a great escape yet again while he was musing, but of course his attempt to sneak away didn¡¯t escape Ye Qing¡¯s notice. The Patrolman rolled his eyes. He wasn¡¯t this scaredy cat when I met him at Cui Wei Boat. Heck, he was even going to detain me when he thought I was Luo Feibai¡¯s killer.

    Li Lang paused in his tracks and let out an awkwardugh. ¡°Since your attackers are dead, there¡¯s no reason for us to stay behind, is there? We still have a patrol to finish!¡±

    Wu Yijian and Moth Lady were just the beginning. Li Lang knew full well that the quality of Ye Qing¡¯s attackers would only increase as time passed. Until the winds of turmoil had settled, Li Lang was fully prepared to stay as far away from Ye Qing as possible!

    Ye Qingined, ¡°How can you say that, Constable Li? My attackers are dead, true, but the mastermind behind this is still alive and well, aren¡¯t they? I¡¯ve bled for the people, served Luo Shui faithfully, and even made some major contributions to Chu. Surely you¡¯re not going to abandon me to my fate, Constable Li?¡±

    Of course I¡¯m going to abandon you to your fate! You fucking know there¡¯s nothing a small fry like me can really do to help you, so why are you making this difficult for me?

    Li Lang swore mentally even as he shot Ye Qing a bitter grin. ¡°Lord Ye, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to help you. We just¡­ don¡¯t have the strength.¡±

    They could request the ck Feathers Guard to step in and kill them all, but these bastards most likely weren¡¯t going to go down without a fight. That meant that innocents would die, and the city would incur heavy damage.

    And even if they managed to kill the first batch, the stream of jianghu warriors lining up to kill Ye Qing would never end so long as the bounty was still valid.

    Of course, if they could uproot the Way of Taiping once and for all, then this matter would be over. But who could do that? Entire countries had mobilized to root out the Way of Taiping, but the damn cult still existed to this day.

    Sure, the Way of Taiping were nowhere close to their prime especially after thetest blow they took, and if the imperial court really wanted to, they could probably eliminate all traces of the cult from Chu. But would Chu really invest that much time and effort just to protect an insignificant Patrolman? Obviously not.

    Therefore, all the administrative division could do was increase patrol and maintain public order as best they could. He supposed they could make an example by violently killing a handful of jianghu warriors, but again, that would only treat the symptom but not the cause.

    ¡°Good luck, Lord Ye. You¡¯re going to need it.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Someone needs to give you a lesson on how tofort others.

    Noticing the unfriendly look on Ye Qing¡¯s face, Li Lang coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this can¡¯t go on forever. You just need to stay alive for a bit, and the jianghu warriors would eventually learn that you¡¯re no one they can trifle with. You¡¯ll be safe then.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± I bet this guy leaves it to his subordinates tofort grieving families. The fuck do you mean by ¡®stay alive for a bit¡¯? You¡¯re basically telling me to tough it out on my own!

    ¡°You¡¯re a strong warrior, Lord Ye. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to defy the odds. I believe in you!¡± Li Lang patted Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder pretentiously.

    Ye Qing finally couldn¡¯t hold in his reaction any longer and rolled his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t need your fucking belief, I need your¡ª¡±

    ¡°My wife is waiting for me for dinner, so see you next time, Lord Ye!¡± Li Lang loudly cut him off before walking away without any hesitation whatsoever.

    Despicable. Back in the day, the¡ªwait, this is technically the ancient times, just in a different world. Fuck!

    Ye Qing wanted to throw his hands up in the air, but if he were to be honest, he knew this would happen.

    That said, the administrative division might abandon him to his fate, but the Pacification Bureau wouldn¡¯t. After all, he was a member of the Pacification Bureau, and they were the reason the mad dogs had targeted him in the first ce. Plus, the Pacification Bureau wasn¡¯t scared of the Way of Taiping.

    Yeah, I¡¯m going to visit Gu Suitang tomorrow and ask him for a solution.

    His mind made up, Ye Qing looted the bodies, tossed a fire talisman to burn them to ash, and walked away.

    After he returned to the Inspection Department, Ye Qing spent some time crunching through the work he had neglected for the past couple days. A whileter, he finally went back to his residence.

    As soon as he stepped through the door, a silhouette abruptly appeared on his shoulder and flew a circle around him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you hurt, friend? Why aren¡¯t you bleeding?¡±

    Ye Qing shot Wawa an incredulous look. Do you want me to bleed and get hurt?

    It wasn¡¯t Wawa¡¯s fault, of course. Half a month ago, when Gu Suitang began training him, he was beaten up so badly that he literally needed to be carried home on a stretcher. The girl had burst out crying as soon as she saw him.

    However, he had recovered the next day and went back to get beaten up all over again. Over time, even the Book Sprite had be desensitized to his injuries.

    Wawa was surprised because Ye Qing was able to walk through the door on his own two feet today, something that hadn¡¯t happened for the past two weeks or so.

    ¡°I am hurt. It¡¯s an internal injury.¡± That you gave me because of your hurtful remark.

    It was at this moment Faceless walked over and greeted him, ¡°You¡¯ve returned, young master.¡±

    ¡°I have.¡± Ye Qing nodded and rified, ¡°You know what¡¯s going on outside, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    Faceless nodded and turned serious. ¡°ording to my investigations, the rumors seem to originate from White Horse Academy.¡±

    ¡°White Horse Academy?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply. ¡°But I never did anything to them. Why would they do such a thing?¡±

    Did they find out about Cheng Nuo? No, that¡¯s impossible.

    Faceless replied, ¡°From what I heard, Luo Feiliu is the mastermind because you had a hand in his younger brother¡¯s death, Luo Feibai. That is why he spread the rumors in hopes that you will perish under the weight of your own fame.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and sneered. ¡°Luo Feiliu? Interesting. Do you think that the information can be trusted, Faceless?¡±

    Faceless answered, ¡°I believe so. I can confirm that the rumors definitely started from White Horse Academy.¡±

    Ye Qing wagged his fingers imperiously. ¡°Heh. That is incorrect. Only an idiot would believe that.¡±

    Faceless: ¡°...¡± Can we do away with the insults, please?

    Before this, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t sure who was the mastermind. But now, he was certain it was Wang Luori.

    Faceless didn¡¯t know the truth, so it was understandable that he would think that Luo Feiliu was the one behind the rumors, But he knew Luo Chunchao knew that Wang Luori was the one who killed Luo Feibai to set him up. There was no way the patriarch would order his son to spread such rumors.

    That said, Faceless¡¯ im that the rumors had probably originated from White Horse Academy was probably true. Since it was impossible for Luo Feiliu to have spread the rumors, the only one who could have done this was Wen Zai.

    Wang Luori was Wen Zai¡¯s savior, so Wen Zai absolutely had a reason to do such a thing.

    As for why he decided to pin the me on White Horse Academy and Luo Feiliu, it was obvious. It was to pit the Pacification Bureau and White Horse Academy against each other so that Sunset Hill would profit from their loss.

    ¡°Killing two birds with one stone, eh? As expected of the Deceitful Schr!¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    The chances that Hill Lord himself was the one who came up with this n was minimal because Wang Luori was an idiot.

    Ye Qing had to admit that the n was sublime though. If Cui Wei hadn¡¯t illuminated him on Wen Zai¡¯s rtionship with Wang Luori, Wen Zai¡¯s n would most likely have seeded, and he would never have figured out that the guy was the mastermind slowly maneuvering him toward his death.

    ¡°Wang Luori, you fucking son of a fuck.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes burned with killing intent. He was sure that the old fucker had forgotten all about him, but no, it hadn¡¯t even been a month since his son died before he targeted him again. What the fuck was wrong with the guy?

    In any case, it was time to reunite the old fucker and his son. Oh, and he mustn¡¯t forget Wen Zai as well. A family should be together.

    ¡°What do we do, young master? I can apany you if you need my strength!¡± Faceless offered.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re too weak,¡± Ye Qing replied bluntly.

    Faceless: ¡°...¡± Ow.

    ¡°Just stay here and take care of Kung Fu Frog and Wawa. Don¡¯t even go to the Inspection Department until this matter is behind us,¡± Ye Qing instructed carefully. ¡°If anyone tries to enter the residence without permission, and you¡¯re sure you¡¯ve never seen them before, don¡¯t hesitate to kill them.¡±

    ¡°I will handle this myself.¡±

    1. amandery ?

 Chapter 233: Granny Xiongâ€™s Roasted Chestnuts

    Chapter 233: Granny Xiong¡¯s Roasted Chestnuts

    ¡°Roasted chestnuts for sale¡­¡±

    ¡°Sweet and tasty roasted chestnuts for sale! It¡¯s free if it¡¯s not tasty!¡±

    ¡°Roasted chestnuts for sale¡­¡±

    It was dark, moonless midnight where most households had extinguished their lights, and the hustle and bustle of the day hade to an end. A cool breeze kicked up some dust and added some cold and forlornness to the streets.

    Suddenly, a low and raspy voice broke the silence of the night. It sounded old, tired, and heavy. It sounded like the voice of a civilian who had worked themselves to the bone since dawn and was hoping to catch a ss of warm water, a hot meal, and the warm words of their family.

    ¡°Roasted chestnuts for sale¡­¡±

    ¡°Sweet and tasty roasted chestnuts for sale! It¡¯s free if it¡¯s not tasty!¡±

    As the voice grew louder and louder, a wrinkly old woman with a hunched back slowly came into view. She was also pushing a small cart. Inside the cart was a pot filled with steaming, roasted chestnuts. It gave off a sweet, delicious scent that could be smelled even from far, far away.

    ¡°Your chestnuts smell pretty nice, old woman.¡±

    It was at this moment three people wearing form-fitting outfits and carrying sabers or swords on their waists walked up to the old woman. The speaker was a muscr, fearsome-looking man with a scar on his face.

    The old woman didn¡¯t pay the man¡¯s rude behavior any heed. She maintained a careful, obsequious smile and said, ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s a family recipe that¡¯s been passed down for many generations, and I just roasted them a while ago. Why don¡¯t you give it a try? You don¡¯t have to pay if you think it¡¯s not tasty.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± The fearsome man picked up a roasted chestnut, peeled away its shell, and tossed it into his mouth. He eximed in surprise when the delicious vors bloomed inside his mouth, ¡°Huh, it really is pretty tasty. Come give it a taste, you two.¡±

    ¡°Mm hmm! It¡¯s seriously delicious! I haven¡¯t eaten such an authentic roasted chestnut in a very long time!¡±

    His twopanions immediately stepped and shoved a couple of chestnuts into their mouths as well. They couldn¡¯t stop praising how good it was.

    ¡°Burp¡­ delicious.¡±

    ¡°Well, time to go. Shall we head to Apricot Brothel and have some fun?¡±

    ¡°Again? You were there the whole nightst night! You¡¯re going to die during sex and give the women a fright one day!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, what¡¯s the point of living if not to enjoy life?¡±

    ¡°Three is right. I quote: One desires lust when they are warm and full. Come, let¡¯s head to Apricot Brothel and enjoy some ¡®apricot blossoms¡¯...¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re a cultured man, brother! Indeed, let¡¯s head to Apricot Brothel and enjoy some blossoms, drink some wine, and kill some men!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Well said, well said! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Seeing that the trio were about to take their leave, the old woman hurriedly blocked in front of them. ¡°Dear customers, you haven¡¯t paid for my roasted chestnuts yet!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The formidable-looking man and the boss of the group immediately red at her.

    The old woman tried an obsequious smile and repeated, ¡°You haven¡¯t paid for my roasted chestnuts yet. I¡¯m in a hurry to return home myself, so just pay me the cost price, and I¡¯ll take my leave immediately!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that your roasted chestnuts are free, old woman?¡± Two grinned.

    The old woman replied carefully, ¡°I said that it¡¯s free if it¡¯s not tasty.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Three frowned and said, ¡°In that case, it tastes horrible. It¡¯s so horrible I can die.¡±

    ¡°Dear customers¡­¡±

    ¡°Listen here, you decrepit thing. It was your honor that we chose to eat your stuff, so you should be. Now get out of our way, or we¡¯ll rip you in half, get it?¡±

    ¡°You heard the boss, old woman. Get lost!¡± Three ordered before deciding that it would be faster to just kick her out of the way. However, he had just lifted his foot halfway when suddenly, he froze in terror. The next moment, his body melted into a puddle like he was made of candle wax.

    Strangely, the puddle of blood and melted flesh didn¡¯t seep into the soil. Instead, they wriggled and split into many round-shaped objects. A secondter, they transformed into hot, delicious-smelling roasted chestnuts.

    ¡°Ahh! You¡­ You¡¯re Granny Xiong! You¡¯re Granny Xiong! We need to run!¡±

    After witnessing Three¡¯s horrific death with their own eyes, the two men recalled something and turned as pale as a sheet. They were both Astral Refiners, but the thought of taking revenge for Three never crossed their minds. Like scared rabbits, they pushed their movement arts to the limits and escaped in opposite directions as quickly as they could.

    However, the duo had only taken two steps when they suddenly shuddered, and their bodies copsed into a puddle just like Three. Their flesh and blood then transformed into many more roasted chestnuts.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to pay up after eating my chestnuts, then I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯d have to take your life aspensation!¡± Granny Xiong shook her head slowly as she stared at the floor of roasted chestnuts. ¡°Kids these days!¡±

    She went back to her cart and tapped the pot twice, saying, ¡°Come into the pot!¡±

    As if they had a life of their own, the roasted chestnuts abruptly stood up and hopped back into the pot. A few breathster, what was an empty pot was filled with roasted chestnuts once more. In fact, there were more of them than there were before.

    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s a small profit, but a profit nheless.¡±

    Granny Xiong smiled as her wrinkles smoothed out. Then, she pushed her cart forward once more while calling out, ¡°Roasted chestnuts for sale¡­ Sweet and tasty roasted chestnuts for sale! It¡¯s free if it¡¯s not tasty!¡±

    She didn¡¯t go far before a troop of Pacification Sentinels wearing ck armor and carrying swords and sabers walked up to her. The leader of the group was none other than a familiar face, Ugly Monk.

    He had just finished dealing with a Stranger incident, and he hadn¡¯t had a grain of rice or even a drop of water for the whole day. He was so hungry he could eat a cow or two. That was why his stomach immediately started grumbling when he smelled the roasted chestnuts.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat some roasted chestnuts and fill our stomachs.¡±

    Ugly Monk led his men to Granny Xiong and asked, ¡°How much for one bag of roasted chestnuts, ma¡¯am?¡±

    Granny Xiong smiled. ¡°Just two Tongbaos [1].¡±

    ¡°That is cheap.¡± Ugly Monk picked up a roasted chestnut and tossed it into his mouth. He quickly praised, ¡°Oh, this is seriously delicious! Come on, guys, I know you¡¯re just as hungry as me. It¡¯s my treat, so feel free to eat to your heart¡¯s content!¡±

    ¡°Haha. Thanks boss!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take you up on your offer!¡±

    The Pacification Sentinels had been starving for a while now. They immediately rushed forward and partook in the delicious snack as well.

    ¡°Your roasted chestnuts are seriously great, ma¡¯am. I haven¡¯t felt such an authentic taste for a long time,¡± Zhou Xi praised.

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m d you like it.¡± Granny Xiong smiled wider. ¡°This might sound like a boast, but everyone who¡¯s ever eaten my roasted chestnuts thinks they¡¯re delicious. After all, they¡¯re freshly made.¡±

    Zhou Xi asked, ¡°Oh right, is this where you set up your stall, ma¡¯am? Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡±

    Granny Xiong replied, ¡°No, I used to work at Chang Shan[2]. I¡¯ve only arrived at Luo Shui two days ago.¡±

    ¡°Chang Shan?¡± Zhou Xi eximed in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s pretty far out. Did youe with your family or something?¡±

    Granny Xiong shook her head. ¡°No, I came alone.¡±

    ¡°Alone?¡± Ugly Monk was the one who spoke up this time. ¡°You must be one toughdy then. Chang Shan is tens of thousands of kilometers[3] away from here. Even if you took a ship, it¡¯ll take at least five to six days to make it here. Did you?¡±

    Granny Xiong beamed at him. ¡°No, how can I possibly afford to take a ship? I just walked. It only took a day, so it¡¯s not really as far as you say.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ day? You¡¯re a funny woman, ma¡¯am. There¡¯s just no way you could¡¯ve walked over from Chang Shan to Luo Shui in a day. Even I couldn¡¯t do that,¡± Ugly Monk saidughingly. Obviously, he thought that Granny Xiong was just joking with him.

    Granny Xiongughed with him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you look down on this old woman, dear customer. I¡¯m still quite healthy and fit despite my appearance. In fact I just murdered three unruly boys who ate my roasted chestnuts without paying a while ago.¡±

    ¡°Plus, Granny Xiong never jokes. I just don¡¯t see the point, you see?¡±

    ¡°You? A killer? Oh, you!¡± The Pacification Sentinels all burst outughing, but they soon realized that Ugly Monk and Zhou Xi weren¡¯t. In fact, their expressions were one of dawning horror and nervousness.

    ¡°You¡¯re Granny Xiong?¡±

    ¡°That is me.¡± She nodded affirmatively.

    ¡°The Granny Xiong who sells roasted chestnuts?¡± asked Ugly Monk while swallowing and gathering his strength.

    Granny Xiong replied, ¡°The one and only. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯m so famous that even the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau had heard of me though. It is my honor.¡±

    When Granny Xiong admitted to being who Ugly Monk thought she was, he immediately channeled his vigor and attempted to put some distance between himself and the woman. However, he froze as soon as he took a step, and his aura disappeared as quickly as it came. Zhou Xi and the others were the same as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my lords. I won¡¯t harm your lives,¡± Granny Xiongforted them with a beaming smile. ¡°However, I will have to trouble you to help me. Just treat it as payment for eating my roasted chestnuts. I¡¯m a fair woman after all. Do you agree with my proposal?¡±

    Granny Xiong enjoyed their fearful, struggling expressions for a bit before saying, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if you don¡¯t agree. It¡¯s not like I need your permission.¡±

    ¡°Come, take this bag of roasted chestnuts to your Lord Ye. I dearly wish to know his opinion of my handicraft.¡±

    Ugly Monk was anything but willing, but he epted the back as if his body wasn¡¯t his own.

    ¡°What a good boy.¡± Granny Xiong nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Oh right, when tomorrowes, I want you to¡­¡±

    She walked up to Ugly Monk and whispered something into his ear. When she was finished, she waved them away and said, ¡°You may go home now. I still have a lot of things I need to prepare!¡±

    A finger snapter, a strange energy rippled out and caused everyone¡¯s eyes to grow unfocused. It wasn¡¯t until Granny Xiong was gone did they finally regain their consciousness.

    ¡°Did¡­ Did something happen just now?¡± Zhou Xi asked while shaking his head.

    Ugly Monk chuckled. ¡°What? We were just eating some roasted chestnuts. Were you daydreaming because you¡¯re too tired or something?¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡± Zhou Xi smiled self-deprecatingly before licking his lips. ¡°Those roasted chestnuts are seriously delicious though. It¡¯s a shame that Lord Ye and the rest of our brothers wouldn¡¯t be able to get a taste.¡±

    Ugly Monk chided him jokingly, ¡°I already left some for them, unlike you gluttons who only care about filling your stomachs!¡±

    Everyone guffawed at that.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s really gettingte, so let¡¯s head home already. Roasted chestnuts are less delicious when they¡¯re cold.¡± ¡°Yeah, roasted chestnuts should be eaten while they¡¯re warm.¡±

    1. also a coin, but different. ?

    2. Amandery. ?

    3. It¡¯s nothing, but I just want to point out that the author suddenly decided to use actual kilometers for this particr passage when everything else is in Chinese metrics. ?

 Chapter 234: An Ox Who Knows Kung Fu

    Chapter 234: An Ox Who Knows Kung Fu

    ¡°How much longer do we have to go, Ugly Monk?¡± Ye Qing asked while ncing at his subordinate.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, my lord,¡± Ugly Monk replied.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glinted as their surroundings grew more and more remote. Not long after he fell asleep, Ugly Monk and Zhou Xi had woken up for an urgent matter. They imed that they had identallye across an area that was covered in white mist and decided that it was worth investigating. However, the two Pacification Sentinels who were dispatched to scout out the ce never returned, and they didn¡¯t dare to venture inside without knowing exactly what they were dealing with. So, they decided toe back first and recruit Ye Qing¡¯s aid.

    A short whileter, Ugly Monk pointed ahead and said, ¡°That¡¯s the ce, my lord!¡±

    Ye Qing looked. The white mist wasn¡¯t too thick, so he could vaguely see what was behind it. It was a cluster of dpidated buildings that had been abandoned for heavens-know-how-long. At this time, the white mist surrounding the area resembled deadly Strangers that were just waiting for him to enter their maws.

    Ye Qing pulsed his spirit but couldn¡¯t detect any danger nearby. So, he instructed, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a look. Stay here.¡±

    ¡°Let use with you, my lord,¡± Ugly Monk insisted.

    Zhou Xi echoed in agreement, ¡°He¡¯s right, my lord. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside yet. You could use the backup.¡±

    Ye Qing pondered for a moment before agreeing, ¡°Very well. Ugly Monk, Zhou Xi, the two of you will being with me. The rest of you will stay here. Keep your eyes open.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The Pacification Sentinels replied.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t sense anything special about the white mist when he was outside, but as soon as he went in, he felt a strong, invisible pressurepressing his spirit and his five senses to just a few meters.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with this mist. Be careful, and don¡¯t get lost,¡± Ye Qing instructed before venturing deeper into the mist.

    It was dead silent inside the mist. Literally, they couldn¡¯t even hear an insect chirp. Add to the fact that the mist was suppressing their senses, and it felt like they were trekking through the deste wilderness, lonely and suffocating.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t right¡­¡±

    A whileter, Ye Qing noted something strange. This mist-covered area wasn¡¯t really that big, and with their speed they should¡¯ve exited the ce a while ago. However, not only were they still inside, they couldn¡¯t even find the exit anymore. Something strange was clearly going on here.

    Whoosh!

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s spirit warned him of danger. The next second, he heard a soft whistling sound behind his back.

    Ye Qing sidestepped out of harm¡¯s way and raised his hand to block an attack.

    Bang!

    The sh of force pushed the surrounding mist away, and it was revealed that Ye Qing¡¯s attacker was none other than¡­ Ugly Monk.

    ¡°What are you doing, Ugly Monk?¡± Ye Qing yelled. Before he could get a response, a saber flew straight toward his head.

    Instead of dodging, Ye Qing tapped the de and snapped it in half with one finger. The gesture looked weak, but the attacker staggered back with blood spilling out from between his fingers.

    ¡°Zhou Xi? You¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing was going to rebuke them both when suddenly, he noticed that their eyes looked nk and unfocused.

    Someone¡¯s controlling them? Ye Qing thought wth a deep frown. While he was hesitating, Ugly Monk¡¯s arm abruptly bulged with muscles, and he was able to break free with a powerful pull. A golden sheen covered his hand as he unleashed a powerful palm strike.

    ¡°Vajra Palm¡±

    At the same time, Zhou Xi leaped into the air and kicked out with both legs, the fall wind suddenly blowing out of nowhere.

    ¡°Fall Wind Kick¡±

    Vajra Palm was one of Ugly Monk¡¯s ultimate techniques. Fall Wind Kick was Zhou Xi¡¯s trump card as well. The duo went all out from the start, but Ye Qing couldn¡¯t because they were allies.

    That said, Ye Qing could defeat them even without going all out. The best defense was a good offense, so Ye Qing took one step forward and met Ugly Monk¡¯s palm with his fist, crushing the Vajra Palm¡¯s force before it could even enter his body. Ugly Monk let out a muffled groan as he staggered away.

    At the same time, Ye Qing whipped his palm around like a saber and struck Zhou Xi at the weakest spot of his martial art. The fall wind dissipated, and the flurry of kicks died down. While Zhou Xi was recovering himself, Ye Qing stepped forward and hit him right on the neck. The man¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fainted.

    Ugly Monk caught himself during this time, but he was still trying to neutralize the force wreaking havoc inside the body. Ye Qing smirked, dashed forward, and knocked him out in the exact same manner.

    ¡°And done!¡±

    Ye Qing pped his hands and got ready to inspect Ugly Monk and Zhou Xi. After all, he hadn¡¯t sensed anything out of the ordinary since the beginning. He wanted to know what was controlling them, and when.

    Suddenly, the unconscious duo rose to their feet like someone was pulling them up by their necks. Then, they rushed Ye Qing once more. However, Ye Qing could clearly see that their eyes were closed. His spirit also told him that they were still unconscious.

    Ye Qing frowned harder and passed through the duo in the blink of an eye. When he stood still, Ugly Monk and Zhou Xi dropped to the ground once more¡­

    ¡­ And climbed back to their feet like zombies.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± So, this is what stun immunity looks like in real life.

    This time, Ye Qing summoned a thick swathe of Blood Shadows and trapped them in ce. He might not be able to knock them out, but trapping them was a different story.

    Just when Ye Qing thought that the matter was over, the sound of crossbow bolts being released suddenly entered his ears. A bad feeling suddenly gripped him as he swung his sleeves and scattered the arrow rain in one strike. The next moment, he saw a bunch of guards wearing ck armor and carrying sabers and swords stepping into view. It was one other than the Pacification Sentinels he had ordered to stay outside the mist.

    I thought so. If whoever¡¯s behind this can control Ugly Monk and Zhou Xi, why wouldn¡¯t they be able to take control of the Pacification Sentinels?

    Ye Qing sighed as the Pacification Sentinels rushed him. He lowered his palm like he was pushing something, and the group abruptly froze in their tracks like they were pinned by a mountain. Then, the Blood Shadows bound them tightly.

    ¡°Show yourself. You¡¯ll need more than my own men to kill me,¡± Ye Qing said with a sneer as he scanned his surroundings.

    ¡°Moo¡­ I told you we won¡¯t be able to kill Lord Ye with such petty tricks. In the end, we have to do this ourselves.¡±

    A strange voice came from behind a curtain of white mist. Then, an old ox slowly stepped into view.

    Noticing Ye Qing¡¯s strange expression, the ox rolled his eyes at him and said, ¡°What? You never seen an ox before? Moo!¡±

    Ye Qing replied honestly, ¡°I¡¯ve seen an ox, but I¡¯ve never seen one who can talk.¡±

    The ox scoffed, ¡°You think this is special? Wait till I beat your ass with my horns!¡±

    The ox shook his head, and its crescent-shaped horns abruptly glowed like a pair of curved sabers. It was a saber technique, and a two-saber technique to be exact. Strange and treacherous, a flurry of saber forces shot toward Ye Qing like the rain.

    Ye Qing conjured his own saber and swung it as swift as the wind.

    Dang!

    There was a soft shink as a thin line divided the mournful rain. At the same time, a bloody wound appeared on the ox¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°What a fast saber. Not bad!¡± The ox swayed its head back and forth as the wound gradually recovered.

    ¡°You, on the other hand, have average skill at best. But only if I judge you by human standards, of course,¡± Ye Qing said with a sneer.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you, brat? You asked for this! Moo!¡±

    The ox let out a loud moo as its stomach abruptly split open. But instead of blood, a pair of human hands stretched out of the wound and split it wider. A man then crawled out into the open.

    He had a surly face, and his upper body was bare not because he couldn¡¯t afford a shirt, but because he was covered in ox fur.

    ¡°Ox fur? You¡¯re Niu Ben!¡± Ye Qing immediately recalled a certain memory in his mind.

    Yesterday, after he returned to the Pacification Bureau, he had requested a name list of all the jianghu warriors who entered Luo Shui from Li Lang. Li Lang was the chief constable of the Three Companies and Six Offices of the administrative division and responsible for public security. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t keep a record of all the jianghu warriors who had entered Luo Shui.

    Of course, it was impossible for the guards to keep track of everyone, not to mention that some jianghu warriors were pretty good at disguising themselves. Niu Ben wasn¡¯t one of them, however.

    Supposedly, Niu Ben was an orphan who had been abandoned in a cow shed. He only survived because an old cow had fed him its milk every day. He also gained an ox bloodline as a result.

    The ox bloodline was strong, and he was very young when he gained his bloodline. As a result, he became a half-ox half-human and was covered in ox fur. His personality was strange, and his mood was unpredictable.

    Niu Ben was a middle-stage Astral Refiner and an expert at stick arts. His fighting style was wildm violent, andpletely fearless. Over time, he came to be known as Niu Ben the Mad Ox.

    ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s a bit toote to be afraid!¡± Niu Ben let out a mad cackle and produced a stick from the old ox¡¯s stomach. It was at least as thick as a human¡¯s arm and incredibly long. Heavens only know how the old ox¡¯s stomach managed to fit both the human and the stick.

    Niu Ben¡¯s eyes grew bloodshot as he let out a mighty roar. His fur started growing like crazy, and his stick was covered in ayer of lightning. He then charged toward Ye Qing and aimed a powerful downward swing at his head.

    Space itself was shredded as the lightning stick cut through the air, but Ye Qing ignored it right until the moment it would hit his head. Then, he sidestepped out of harm¡¯s way by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    Boom!

    The ground shattered like powder when it was hit by the stick. Before Niu Ben could lift it up, Ye Qing stepped it back into the ground.

    The lightning slithering across the stick spread to Ye Qing as a matter of course, but it was like he couldn¡¯t even feel it. Since Niu Ben refused to let go off his weapon, Ye Qing put some more strength into his right foot and forced Niu Ben to his knees.

    Niu Ben was stunned to say the least. The Great Ox was a Hatred-ss Stranger who possessed incredible strength, and since he inherited its bloodline he naturally possessed formidable strength as well. However, he felt as helpless as a child before Ye Qing. And in a sense, he was.

    While Niu Ben was being forced to his knees, Ye Qing took one step forward and touched his head like he was petting an animal. Then, the guy¡¯s head exploded into a million pieces.

 Chapter 235: Wind and Rain

    Chapter 235: Wind and Rain

    ¡°Throwing garbage at me is only going to piss me off. You¡¯re going to have to attack me together if you want to kill me.¡±

    A wisp of invisible me burned away the goo of red and white in Ye Qing¡¯s hands. He then tilted his head to one side and smiled evilly at his hidden watchers.

    By now, he had figured out that this was a trap his dear bounty hunters had prepared for him.

    ¡°The arrogance of this brat. That said, there is no need to drag this out. Let¡¯s attack him together and stop wasting time already.¡±

    The cold snort came from Ye Qing¡¯s left, but the attack actually came from the right. It was a sword force slithering silently yet quickly across the ground like a venomous viper while under the cover of the mist. At the same time, an erhu[1] started ying a bleak and sorrowful tune. It sang of the trials and tribtions of the long, long journey that was life.

    More importantly, Ye Qing immediately resonated with the tune and became gripped by bleakness and sorrow as well. He found himself unable to focus on the very deadly situation he was facing.

    While Ye Qing was distracted, the sword force abruptly pounced toward him and spread out like an umbre. They actually transformed into hissing snakes and targeted each and every one of his vital spots.

    Shing shing!

    However, Ye Qing¡¯s body turned out to be harder than expected. The sword force sshed uselessly against his skin almost like his body was made of metal, not flesh.

    ¡°¡®Ghost Snake¡¯ Cao Xiaoting!¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Miserable Wind and Rain¡¯ Shangguan Wuqing!¡±

    Ye Qing identified his attackers immediately after he saw their attacks.

    ¡°You have a discerning eye, brat,¡± said the gloomy voice who requested hispanion to attack Ye Qing earlier as two silhouettes stepped out into the open.

    The first attacker looked haggard, thin, and sickly pale. His aura was as dark as his appearance suggested as well. However, he had red, vertical pupils that very much resembled a snake. He also carried three snake-like swords. Literally, the de was the snake¡¯s body, and the handle was the snake¡¯s head. They were red, green and ck in color each, and the snake¡¯s head was hissing like it was alive.

    The second attacker was a middle-aged man in his forties. He sat on a litter[2] that was being supported by four beautiful girls, though their eyes were ssy and lifeless.

    The second attacker was quite handsome for his age, but his eyes were filled with mncholic sorrow. He was holding an erhu that yed sad tunes on its own even though his hands weren¡¯t moving, which made the atmosphere even bleaker and more deste than before.

    The swordsman was the ¡®Ghost Snake¡¯ Cao Xiaoting, and the bleak-looking man was the ¡®Miserable Wind and Rain¡¯ Shangguan Wuqing.

    ¡°So you¡¯re the ones whoid this trap for me?¡± Ye Qing crossed his arms and tilted his head at his attackers. ¡°I can tell that you guys are going all out!¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s one thing to kill me, and another to kill this many Pacification Bureau members. Are you sure you¡¯ve carefully considered the consequences? Are you sure you want to put yourself on the Pacification Bureau¡¯s hit list just for a handful of cultivation manuals, pills and whatever?¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau will never let this go unanswered, you know. You can run to the ends of the earth, and they will still hunt you down like dogs. Is it really worth it?¡±

    Shangguan Wuqing coughed. ¡°We appreciate your concern, but we¡¯re not that stupid. Your colleagues aren¡¯t dead yet. They just ate Granny Xiong¡¯s roasted chestnuts is all. Once you¡¯re dead, they¡¯ll return to normal.¡±

    ¡°Granny Xiong?¡± Ye Qing frowned. Not only did he recognize the name, it was quite the infamous name throughout the jianghu.

    It was said that an old woman who sells roasted chestnuts would appear on the streets every midnight, and anyone who ate her food would die in all sorts of bizarre ways. Almost no one had seen her before because barring a handful of exceptions, everyone who had met her had died.

    However, Granny Xiong¡¯s base of operations was Chang Shan. He wasn¡¯t expecting the woman toe all the way here just for the bounty. These jianghu warriors must be even poorer than he thought.

    ¡°Granny Xiong is here too? What an honor!¡± Ye Qing eximed with mock surprise before putting on a hesitant expression. ¡°However, there are three of you, and the bounty is only big enough for one person. Surely you¡¯re not nning to split them between you three?¡±

    ¡°If only the Taiping cultists aren¡¯t so stingy, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Do you actually think you can drive a wedge between us with such tant deception, brat? Spare us the drama!¡± Cao Xiaoting sneered. ¡°And don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know you¡¯re trying to buy time either. This whole ce is surrounded by an array. You can scream on top of your lungs, and no one is going to hear it and get help.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed. Everyone¡¯s brain is online, it seems. I knew that the web novels were lying to me. It was stupid of me to think I could incite my enemies to fight among themselves with just words.

    ¡°Let us begin then.¡±

    As soon as he finished, Lightning Bolt shot out of Ye Qing¡¯s mouth straight toward Cao Xiaoting. He then followed right behind his mini sword.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Cao Xiaoting¡¯s swords flew out of their sheaths and unleashed their power. The red sword unleashed ripples of fire, the green sword released clouds of poisonous smoke, and the ck sword hissed like it was a living snake.

    The fire was a red me that could char flesh and blood, the smoke was a deadly poison that could rot bones like nothing, and the hissing sound was a sound attack that could disorient the mind.

    This was also why the three swords were named ze, Poison and Disorient.

    The three swords swished and swerved past each other seemingly at random, when in reality it was theplete opposite. They followed a strict pattern that maximized their power and concealed the true threat amidst a flurry of bright, colorful lights.

    They engulfed Lightning Bolt before it could even reach its target.

    Ye Qing was far tougher than his hidden weapon, however. Channeling his strength and his willpower, he threw a forceful punch.

    Break Through¡±

    The fist force easily shredded the web of light and sent all three swords flying. The forceful disintegration of his power destabilized Chao Xiaoting¡¯s vigor and caused him to let out a muffled groan. He stared at Ye Qing in disbelief.

    Since they were plotting to kill Ye Qing, they had studied his information as a matter of course. They knew that he was an expert in fist arts and possessed a powerful physique, which meant that he was most likely a body-tempering warrior. Generally speaking, body-tempering warriors possessed a weak spirit and mind, which was why he used Disorient to disorient Ye Qing, and Poison to rot his internal organs from the inside.

    But not only were his counterspletely useless, Ye Qing had dismantled his attack in a single punch.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to give Cao Xiaoting the chance to stabilize his energies, of course. He rushed forward to end the swordsman¡¯s life.

    Suddenly, the sorrowful sound of an erhu filled the air. An unnatural sorrow immediately gripped his body and mind once more. However, Ye Qing was prepared this time. He immediately visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to shield himself from the music¡¯s effects and continued toward Cao Xiaoting.

    Seeing that his sound attack was ineffective, Shangguan Wuqing abruptly changed his tactic and yed a tune of chaos and turmoil. A pounding headache struck Ye Qing out of nowhere, and his vigor churned so much that his heart was beating twice as hard as before.

    ¡°HAH!!!¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and let out a mighty roar, overwhelming the disruptive sound of the erhu. While the music was temporarily disrupted, Ye Qing changed targets and threw a punch at Shangguan Wuqing instead.

    The Burning Wind imed the stage while the wind and rain were taking a break.

    The world plunged into a fiery hell all of a sudden, and it was hot enough to cook rivers and mountains. The stars flickered erratically as Ye Qing punched out with the audacity and ambition to give the sky itself a new makeup.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    If his ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style" only got the shape but not the essence in the past, then now it was trulyplete in every way. With this punch, he would burn the world, challenge the sun and moon, and wipe the te clean.

    Buzz¡­

    The deste wind and rain that surrounded the whole area was annihted by the punch just like that. It even cleared out the mist and revealed the sky once more.

    Cao Xiaoting and Shangguan Wuqing were beyond shocked at this point. Ye Qing¡¯s fist intent had forcefully locked them in ce and forced them to bear the full brunt of his attack. It wasn¡¯t even close yet, but already their astral qi was dissipating, their skin was cracking, their blood was boiling, their mind was flickering, and an unbelievable force was crushing every inch of their flesh bit by bit.

    ¡°Nine Swords of Dominance!¡± Cao Xiaoting growled as a puff of invisible me escaped his throat. He did not hesitate to execute his ultimate technique because he knew it was do or die. ze, Poison and Disorient flew in front of him and unleashed three vertical shes, three horizontal shes, and three thrusts. That was nine attacks in total.

    Everyone thought that the Ghost Snake was a sneak attacker who could only stab someone when they weren¡¯t looking, when in reality his trump card was theplete opposite.

    A sword was dominant, a man was dominant, and a man mastered the sword to be the best of both worlds.

    The first six sword qis cut open a crisscrossing path between the fist force. It allowed thest three sword qis to punch through unhindered.

    While Cao Xiaoting was unleashing his ultimate attack, Shangguan Wuqing also closed his eyes and slowly, very slowly, pulled his bow stick across the string.

    Every time the bow moved an inch, the surrounding space would grow just a tad denser. When the string was fully drawn like a bow, and the erhu was screeching in pain, Shangguan Wuqing finally stopped his action.

    By now, Shangguan Wuqing was deathly pale and sweating bullets. His arms were shaking as if they were withstanding a terrible weight because he was. An entire rivery between the strings.

    Buzz!

    When Shangguan Wuqing finally let go, the string rebounded back to its original position. The earth shuddered, and space shook as if it was straining under a terrible weight. Strangely, no sound could be heard whatsoever.

    Then again, a powerful sound was inaudible.

    Bang! Bang!

    The only two strings on the erhu abruptly snapped at the same time, and it was like a dam had broken. The swords were opening the way, and behind the swords were a massive river that would crush it all and flood the world, leaving behind only destion and misery.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking.¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow and took half a step forward. Crouching deeply, he punched the ground diagonally and sent the entire chunk into the air. It not only blocked the tidal wave of force, but also reflected it after a brief stalemate.

    This gift is too big for me. You can have it back!

    Rumble!

    The unexpected counterattack caught Cao Xiaoting and Shangguan Wuqingpletely off guard, and they were spent after unleashing their strongest attack. As the torrent of force sent them flying, Ye Qing appeared in the air and punched them both into the ground, hard.

    Buzz¡­

    It was only now that a certain pot arrived fashionablyte. It flew into the air and stopped when it was directly above Ye Qing. Then, an old voice called out,

    ¡°Come into the pot!¡±

    An unbelievable suction force suddenly locked the surrounding space and trapped Ye Qing in ce. Even with his strength, he was unable to break free immediately.

    At the same time, countless roasted chestnuts fell out of the pot.

    The roasted chestnuts immediately rolled up to Ye Qing¡¯s feet and broke their own shells. What crawled out of the shells weren¡¯t chestnuts, but tiny, insect-like Strangers with humanoid arms and legs.

    1. The erhu (Chinese: ¶þºú; pinyin: ¨¨rh¨²; [a???xu??]) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a Southern Fiddle, and is sometimes known in the Western world as the Chinese violin or a Chinese two-stringed fiddle. ?

    2. The litter is a ss of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the elements. ?

 Chapter 236: Heart Infestor

    Chapter 236: Heart Infestor

    The worms were fat, white, and thumb-sized. It had humanoid limbs that were as thin as a strand of hair, and its two eyes covered almost the entire front of its head. Ignoring the fact that it was a Stranger, it looked charmingly naive.

    ¡°Heart Infestors?¡±

    Ye Qing nched when he saw the worms, however. He stomped the ground and sent the worms flying with a powerful gust of Burning Wind, but not only did they climb back to their feet, it was as if his astral qi had done no damage to them at all; the astral qi that could melt metal and annihte rocks as easily as breathing.

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s expression turned severe. The Heart Infestor was a Malice-ss Stranger that was shaped like a caterpir but possessed humanoid limbs. It could climb into a human¡¯s body through their orifices and take root inside their heart. It could then pilot the victim like a puppet ory a ton of eggs to eat them from the inside out.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the roasted chestnuts Ugly Monk, Zhou Xi and the rest of the Pacification Sentinels ate must contain the Heart Infestor. That was how Granny Xiong was controlling them.

    The Heart Infestor looked fragile, but in reality it was theplete opposite. Unbelievably tough, they were like mini body-tempering warriors that were near immune to fire, water, weapons and strength.

    He couldn¡¯t use his full strength to wipe out the Heart Infestors because the pot was keeping him pinned. If the Heart Infestors managed to slip inside his body, then he would die. That was probably the ideal oue Granny Xiong was striving toward.

    A second before the Heart Infestors would reach him again, Ye Qing abruptly stopped resisting and allowed the pot to pull him into the sky.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­¡±

    In the shadows, Granny Xiong let out a delighted cackle. It was because Ye Qing was dead as soon as he entered the pot.

    The pot was called the Roasted Chestnut Pot, and it was quite the unique Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. It was said that the Roasted Chestnut Pot was created by an artificer who loved eating roasted chestnuts like nothing else and so created many corresponding Strange Artifacts as a result.

    For example, he had created a Braised Chestnut Chicken Pot that could instantly create a braised chestnut chicken dish just by cing a chicken and a te of chestnuts into the pot, a Pork Ribs With Chestnut Hot Pot that could create a pork ribs with chestnut hotpot dish, a Chestnut Porridge Bowl that could create a chestnut porridge dish and so on.

    The guy had created an entire series of cooking Strange Artifacts just to cook chestnuts, and the Roasted Chestnut Pot was one of them. In fact, the Roasted Chestnut Pot was one of the more better designed Strange Artifacts of the series because roasted chestnuts were the artificer¡¯s favorite food.

    Unlike the other Strange Artifacts, the Roasted Chestnut Pot didn¡¯t need any raw ingredients to create the dish. It could convert anything with origin qi in it including living beings into roasted chestnuts. For convenience sake, he also gave the Roasted Chestnut Pot the ability to draw in and capture any creature that fit the criteria. He also imbued it with a massive number of potent binding runes and restrictions probably to prevent the target from resisting.

    Not only that, the greater the amount of origin qi iit absorbed, the sweeter and more delicious the roasted chestnuts it produced.

    Despite some of the more disturbing features of the Roasted Chestnut Pot, the artificer didn¡¯t actually mean any harm. He just wanted to be able to eat his favorite food anytime, anywhere.

    It was the opposite for Granny Xiong, however. The roasted chestnuts were a means, not an end.

    To be fair, the Roasted Chestnut Pot was surprisingly good at killing people. It was as easy as making a potful of roasted chestnuts.

    The reason she hadn¡¯t shown herself until was very simple. One, she wanted Cao Xiaoting and Shangguan Wuqing to exhaust Ye Qing as much as possible. Two, she wanted Ye Qing to kill them both because as he said, the reward the Way of Taiping offered was just enough for one person. Even one extra person was too much, much less two. She would have taken them out herself if Ye Qing hadn¡¯t done her dirty work for her.

    Someone might think that she was too callous, but callousness was how you survived in the jianghu. Everyone was narrow-minded before the promise of great riches.

    Granny Xiong¡¯s smile grew wider as Ye Qing flew closer and closer to the Roasted Chestnut Pot. However, Ye Qing was smiling as well. When he was about three inches away from the opening, Ye Qing abruptly sucked in a deep breath and channeled his power. His bones popped, and his vigor surged. The change was so sudden and explosive that the space within several meters of him copsed inch by inch.

    The next moment, Ye Qing ripped himself free from the Roasted Chestnut Pot¡¯s restriction and punched it in the side. The Strange Artifact let out a resonant ng before turning into a star in the sky.

    Granny Xiong¡¯s energies were tied to the Roasted Chestnut Pot as she was wielding it. As a result, the sudden attack didn¡¯t just send the pot flying, but also hurt her to a certain extent. She let out a muffled groan as blood spilled through her lips, and her aura fell into disorder.

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    Ye Qing had been keeping his spirit out to keep track of any sudden fluctuations. He identified Granny Xiong¡¯s location as soon as her aura fluctuated erratically and threw a mighty punch from above like a godying judgment upon the sinner.

    Entire swathes of space copsed as the fist force flew straight toward Granny Xiong. The old woman let out another muffled groan as her knees were driven into the ground, and her bones were snapping like twigs.

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Granny Xiong screamed in pain. Most of her power came from the Roasted Chestnut Pot and the Heart Infestors. She herself wasn¡¯t really strong at all. In a direct sh, she couldn¡¯t even defeat Cao Xiaoting or Shangguan Wuqing, much less defend herself against the fist force that had sorely pressed the two warriors.

    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t kill me! If you kill me, then your colleagues will die!¡± Granny Xiong shouted. She could tell that Ye Qing wanted her dead from the sheer amount of bloodthirst his fist force was exuding. ¡°They¡¯re still infested by my Heart Infestors! There is no one in the world who can save them if you kill me!¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing! Are you really going to let them die!?¡±

    ¡°No¡ª¡±

    But Ye Qing paid no heed to her pleas. He just kept getting closer and closer until his fist crushed her head like a watermelon.

    As Granny Xiong¡¯s headless body slowly fell to the ground, Ye Qing sped his hands behind his back and said with a vicious smile, ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. I can save them even without your ¡®help¡¯.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief after killing Granny Xiong. The reason he killed her immediately and without hesitation was precisely because Granny Xiong had full control over the Heart Infestors. If he agreed to her demands or even showed the slightest bit of hesitation, he had no doubt that Granny Xiong would use their lives to threaten him, which also meant that he would be giving up the initiative.

    Whypromise when he could get what he wanted without?

    He wasn¡¯t lying when he said he could save his colleagues without Granny Xiong¡¯s help either. Ye Qing bent down over the dead woman¡¯s body and ripped her heart out of her chest. Then, he pulled everyone to his side using the Blood Shadows before cing Granny Xiong¡¯s heart at the center of the group.

    Everyone¡¯s flesh began squirming unnaturally almost as if there were worms wriggling under their skin.

    Then, white, fat Heart Infestors crawled out of their mouths and crawled toward Granny Xiong¡¯s heart. Even the Heart Infestors Ye Qing had sent flying earlier were moving rapidly toward her heart as well.

    Not only did a Heart Infestor feed on human hearts, they usually lived in it as well. Since Granny Xiong was their caretaker, her heart must be far more attractive to the Heart Infestors than any other human heart. That was why he ripped out her heart to lure the Heart Infestors out into the open.

    In fact, he was willing to bet that Granny Xiong¡¯s n was the same as his¡ªexcluding the part where he ripped her heart out, of course. She was just going to use her heart¡¯s blood to draw them out slowly.

    After the Heart Infestors were all gathered in one ce, Ye Qing detonated Granny Xiong¡¯s heart with his force. The worm Strangers immediately feasted on the pool of blood and gore.

    Suddenly, the worm Strangers¡¯ white skin took on a bluish ck hue. A few secondster, they abruptly fell still and died.

    Ye Qing smiled. One Heart Infestor was already a massive threat, much less a whole host of them. If he ignored them, it was only a matter of time before they started a mini apocalypse.

    A Heart Infestor was near immune to external forces, but they were incredibly fragile on the inside. Therefore, poison was one way to kill them. However, a Heart Infestor only fed on human hearts, and they normally sealed off their respiratory organs and esophagus when they weren¡¯t eating. That was why he injected Granny Xiong¡¯s heart with the Blue Demon Hand¡¯s Hundred Poison and waited until the Heart Infestors were fully drawn out before shattering the heart. This ensured that every Heart Infestor would feed on the poisonous flesh and blood and kill themselves. The oue was satisfactory to say the least.

    Although the Heart Infestors had been drawn out of the Pacification Sentinels¡¯ bodies, it would take a while yet before their power would fully dissipate. So, Ye Qing stayed by their side and waited patiently for them to awaken.

    He didn¡¯t notice that a round head was peeking out from where Cao Xiaoting and Shangguan Wuqing had died and sneaking nces at him, lips curled into a cunning smile.

    ¡°Now this is what I call a big haul! Last time, you stole most of my stuff at the Strange Market. It¡¯s only right that I take what is yours, right? I, Tang Shi, am a believer of an eye for an eye after all.¡±

    If Ye Qing was here, he might have recognized the guy as the stall owner who tried to ambush him only to lose almost everything back at the Strange Market.

    Tang Shi¡¯s palms moved so quickly across Cao Xiaoting¡¯s body that they left behind a series of afterimages. When the afterimages vanished, Tang Shi was holding the swordsman¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell, jade pendant, wallet, ne, and even the golden tooth in his mouth.

    The guy had literally stolen everything that was of value in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Tang Shi flicked his wrist, and the items vanished into thin air just like that. He would do the same thing to Shangguan Suqing and steal everything as well.

    ¡°Huh? Is this¡­ Hong Xiu¡¯s undergarments? My oh my, this Shangguan Wuqing normally acts like he¡¯s too sad forpanionship, but in reality he¡¯s an undergarment thief, eh? What a scumbag, what a scumbag! Hehehe¡­¡±

    Tang Shi said scornfully, but he carefully slipped the undergarments into his Nature¡¯s Shell.

    And how did he know it belonged to Hong Xiu of Red Candle Boat? If you must know the answer, then the answer is yes.

 Chapter 237: Good Evening, My Lord. Good Bye, My Lord

    Chapter 237: Good Evening, My Lord. Good Bye, My Lord

    Tang Shi dipped into hard, solid earth beneath his feet like it was water and disappeared after looting Cao Xiaoting and Shangguan Wuqing¡¯s corpses. When next he reappeared, he was crouching in front of ze, one of the three swords Cao Xiaoting wielded.

    The sword wasn¡¯t by Cao Xiaoting¡¯s side because Ye Qing¡¯s punch had sent it flying. Tang Shi licked his lips and lifted it into the air.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Malice-ss Strange Artifact! Hell yeah!¡± Tang Shi cheered silently while grinning from ear to ear.

    This was just the beginning though. After putting away ze, Tang Shi proceeded to look at Poison, Disorient, and Shangguan Wuqing¡¯s erhu. He was literally salivating as his eyes zed with greed.

    All three of Cao Xiaoting¡¯s swords were Malice-ss Strange Artifacts, and while they all had their uses, Disorient was easily the most valuable of the three.

    Shangguan Wuqing¡¯s erhu was named Heartbroken, and it was said to be made from the wood of a Heartbroken Tree. The Heartbroken Tree was a Hatred-ss Stranger that gave off a bleak and sorrowful aura at all times. Any living creature that entered its range would automatically feel sorrowful and break into tears. In severe cases, the victim wouldn¡¯t be able to break free from its effects and weep until they died. Hence the name.

    This meant that Shangguan Wuqing¡¯s Heartbroken was worth all three of Cao Xiaoting¡¯s swordsbined.

    In fact, Shangguan Wuqing gained his infamy mostly thanks to his erhu. His cultivation art was called ¡°The Miserable Wind and Rain¡±, and it gave him arge reservoir of internal energy and astral qi and the ability to affect another¡¯s emotions. It was the perfectplement to Heartbroken. Through the use of sound waves, he could afflict his targets with drowning, inescapable sorrow before he shattered their heart and mind with true qi.

    Yes, Heartbroken could be quite literal in some cases.

    Shangguan Wuqing should¡¯ve had a smooth journey until the Spirit Purification stage at least, but unfortunately he ran into Ye Qing. Most warriors were strong in one area and weak in all others, but Ye Qing was strong in body, true qi, and even spirit. It was as unfortunate as it was ridiculous.

    But of course, none of this had anything to do with Tang Shi. In fact, he wanted Ye Qing to be strong. How else could he profit from his troubles?

    Plus, the reason he came here in the first ce was to gather information regarding Ye Qing and sell it to his attackers. The stronger Ye Qing was, the more trump cards he revealed, the higher the price he could p on his intel. How awesome was that?

    Tang Sih was pretty sure that he could live his ideal life when this business was over, which was visiting Hong Xiu every day and talking about life.

    As for killing Ye Qing to im the Way of Taiping¡¯s reward for himself, he had extinguished the thought after recognizing how powerful the Patrolman was. Why on earth would he risk his life when he could earn his profit in a much, much safer way? Why would he give up on visiting Hong Xiu? Heck, why would he give up on life in general? He really didn¡¯t get his jianghu brethren sometimes. Why did most of them want to die so badly?

    Tang Shi¡¯s face crumpled all of a sudden. It was because he noticed that Poison, Disorient and Heartbroken were closer to Ye Qing than he wasfortable with. It would be troublesome if Ye Qing noticed him, but he didn¡¯t feel like giving up on the loot either.

    ¡°Oh right! If it¡¯s dangerous to get close, then I¡¯ll just do it without!¡±

    Tang Shi mentally praised his own intelligence before producing a yellow talisman. When he crushed it, the ground beneath the three Strange Artifacts soundlessly transformed into a pool of mud and engulfed them all.

    The mud talisman was a talisman that could transform a solid patch of earth into a pool of mud, but it was normally used to trap or restrict a target. The master who invented the talisman himself probably didn¡¯t realize that it could be used to steal items as well.

    Yes, I¡¯m definitely the first person ever to discover this, Tang Shi thought with a smile while grabbing the three Strange Artifacts. I¡¯m smart, honest and sharp unlike a certain Patrolman after all!

    It would take a while before Tang Shi finally broke free from his own narcissism.

    Tang Shi cast his gaze on Niu Ben and Granny Xiong¡¯s bodies next. Poison, Disorient and Heartbroken were lying pretty close to Ye Qing, but since the Patrolman was facing away from the Strange Artifacts, he ultimately managed toe up with a n to steal it. But Niu Ben And Granny Xiong¡¯s corpses were right in front of Ye Qing, and not even a genius like him could think of a way of looting their bodies from right under his nose. The Patrolman wasn¡¯t blind after all.

    In the end, Tang Shi had no choice but to give up. ¡°Fine, you can have their possessions. It¡¯s bad form to work someone without paying their duepensation after all. Sigh, if only I¡¯m not a good person.¡±

    One should be satisfied with what he had, right?

    Ye Qing¡¯s men were going to wake up any moment now, so Tang Shi peeled his gaze away from his precious and got ready to leave. It was at this moment he heard a whistling sound that seemed to being from above him. He looked up just in time to see a big pot falling from the sky and smashing into his forehead.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    The pot was big, hard, and painful. Since Tang Shi had been diverting most of his attention on Ye Qing, he never noticed the ck pot until it was toote. It took him a while before he finally shook off the dizziness and stared at the ck pot, ready to call it every name under the sun.

    Suddenly, he recalled something and grabbed the pot. ¡°Wait a second, this is Granny Xiong¡¯s ck pot! It¡¯s a great item!¡±

    Then, he recalled a different matter and slowly turned his head. He immediately saw Ye Qing standing beside him and staring with a curious smile on his face.

    Ah fuck! This stupid pot! Of all the times you could¡¯ve fallen from the sky, you choose now? And of all the ces you could¡¯ve fallen, you chose my head!?

    It was his own fault, really. He knew full well that he was risking his life stealing Ye Qing¡¯s loot from under his nose, but he just couldn¡¯t control his greed. Now, it was toote for regrets.

    ¡°Good evening, my lord.¡±

    Tang Shi smiled stiffly and slowly withdrew his hand from the ck pot.

    ¡°Goodbye, my lord.¡±

    He then dove into the underground and escaped.

    The solid earth was like water to Tang Shi. Not only did it pose no resistance to him, it acted as a propeller and pushed him toward his destination swiftly and soundlessly.

    The Earth Escape spell he practiced was called the Instantaneous Earth Escape. It was a kind of magic that allowed the user to travel tens of kilometers away in a single breath.

    Of course, tens of kilometers was an exaggeration. At the very least, Tang Shi couldn¡¯t perform such a feat at his current cultivation level. But a few hundred meters? That was well within his ability. It was why he dared to risk Ye Qing¡¯s wrath.

    Unfortunately for him, he had just traveled a few meters when the earth suddenly shook, and a tremendous force struck him squarely on the head. It felt just like when he was hit by ck pot, painful and dizzying.

    Tang Shi turned his plump body like a fish and took off in a different direction, but once again something struck him in the head as soon as he made a move.

    Tang Shi hesitated for a moment and pulled out a few strands of hair from his head. When he blew them away, they transformed into him and took off in three separate directions.

    All three doppelgangers shared the exact same shape and aura as him. Tang Shi himself withdrew his aurapletely and stayed still. In his opinion, the reason Ye Qing could identify his location was because of his aura. That was why he decided to use his innate bloodline magic to create several doppelgangers that shared the exact same aura as him to lure him away. While Ye Qing was chasing down his doppelgangers, he could simply climb back out into the open and leave.

    There was also a chance Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t have the time to pick up the ck pot. If he was lucky, he would be able to obtain a fourth Strange Artifact.

    He was a man after all. A man should get back on their feet where they fell!

    As expected, he heard a few rumbles and booms as his doppelgangers grew further and further away. It would continue until it waspletely gone.

    A few breathster, when Tang Shi was sure that he couldn¡¯t hear anything else, he poked his head out of the ground¡ªnot exactly where he was before, of course, that would be a little too bold¡ªand looked around. Satisfied that Ye Qing was nowhere to be seen, he left the earthpletely and walked over to the ck pot, and picked it up.

    He chuckled. ¡°This is mine now. Hehehe! He has the brawn, but not the brain.¡±

    As soon as he finished, he immediately heard a taunting voice, ¡°Are you talking about me?¡±

    Tang Shi¡¯s reaction was swift. He took off like the wind as soon as he heard the first word and crossed fifty meters of distance in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Do you seriously think you can run?¡±

    Before Tang Shi could even breathe a sigh of relief, the taunting voice rang again like it had never left. In fact, it was even closer than before!

    bbergasted, Tang Shi ripped an entire clump of hair from his head and scattered them in front of him. They immediately transformed into dozens of Tang Shi and took off in every direction.

    ¡°What a mistake! I¡¯m going to turn bald at this rate!¡± Tang Shiined to himself while hiding himself amidst his doppelgangers. However, he had just taken two steps when a violent gust of scorching wind blew across the area and ignited every single one of his doppelgangers. He was alone again before he knew it.

    Tang Shi subconsciously reached out over his head to pull out another clump of hair, but he gave up the idea when his reason caught up to him. The doppelgangers he created with his hair could emte his aura and move very quickly, but they were also extremely fragile. It was the perfect escape tool, but he could never use them in battle because they would break in a single hit. And now, it couldn¡¯t even function as an escape tool because Ye Qing¡¯s astral qi could epass the area much faster than he or his doppelgangers could run. The only thing he would achieve by pulling out his hair was just that: making himself balder.

    ¡°Why did you stop? Keep pulling! It¡¯s not everyday I get to see someone shaving their head manually!¡± The taunting voice said.

    How can he say that as a fellow man!? Tang Shi grumbled mentally and turned around to see Ye Qing standing just ten meters away from him.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding, my lord.¡± Tang Shi put on an honest smile and began lying, ¡°I was passing through the area when I heard themotion. That¡¯s why I decided to take a look. Really, that¡¯s all I did.¡±

    Look at my face! There¡¯s no way an honest-looking guy like me would lie to you, right?

    Ye Qing merely smiled. ¡°Keep going. I want to know where you¡¯re going with this lie.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying, my lord! I really was just passing through the area! Everyone in the neighborhood knows that I¡¯m an honest and reliable guy since I was a boy, and I¡¯ve never lied even once in my life! There is nothing more I enjoy then performing good deeds without asking anything in return. I especially like saving poor women and caring for lonely housewives!¡±

    Tang Shi ended with a perfectly straight and sincere face, ¡°You must believe me, my lord!¡±

    Saving poor women and caring for lonely housewives? You couldn¡¯te up with a more convincing lie?

    Ye Qing¡¯s mouth twitched. ¡°So, it¡¯s a coincidence my dozens of Strange Artifacts and martial arts manuals vanished into your pockets while you were ¡®passing through the area¡¯?¡±

    Dozens of Strange Artifacts and martial arts manuals!?

    Tang Shi nearly spat a mouthful of blood at Ye Qing¡¯s face when he heard this. He had taken only two Nature¡¯s Shell and four Strange Artifacts at most! Dozens of Strange Artifacts and martial arts manuals? It was clear that Ye Qing was trying to scam him.

    ¡°Hahaha, you must be joking. I picked up the items only because I didn¡¯t want them to trip up an old man or a child or something. Even if the people are fine, it would be bad if they tripped up a cat or a dog, right?¡±

    Tang Shiughed innocently. ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m only performing my civic duty. I never knew that they belonged to you. Here, you can have them back.¡±

    Tang Shi produced the Nature¡¯s Shells and the four Strange Artifacts and tossed them in Ye Qing¡¯s direction.

 Chapter 238: Extortion

    Chapter 238: Extortion

    Pop!

    The Strange Artifacts were right in front of Ye Qing when suddenly, a bright, piercing sh filled his vision.

    The sh talisman was a talisman that could create an instantaneous burst of light strong enough to blind a warrior temporarily.

    At the same time, Tang Shi brought out a conch shell and blew it. His body immediately transformed into a cloud and floated into the sky like smoke.

    The Cloud Conch was a Malice-ss Strange Artifact. Blowing it would transform the user into a cloud that was impervious to weapons and various elements. It was a powerful life-saving Strange Artifact.

    Ye Qing had witnessed his Instantaneous Earth Escape and his doppelgangers earlier, so there was no point trying them again.

    He was denied the underground and the surface, but that was fine. He still had the sky.

    When Ye Qing recovered, he would most likely think that Tang Shi had escaped using either one of the two methods he had shown earlier. He could never imagine that he had transformed into a cloud and escaped into the sky. It was just unthinkable.

    I¡¯m a fucking gen¡ª

    Dang!

    Tang shi was about topliment himself again when suddenly, he heard a gong sound that shook his mind and disoriented him greatly. It was so unexpected and potent that he nearly lost control of his form.

    Dang! Dang! Dang!

    The gong rang a couple more times, and Tang Shi couldn¡¯t maintain his form any longer. He abruptly turned back to human and hit the ground with a loud thud.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    The moment he awoke, Tang Shi discovered that he was tied up like a mummy by countless invisible Blood Shadow.

    ¡°It¡¯s incredibly rude to leave when a conversation is still ongoing.¡± Ye Qing grinned toothily at Tang Shi. ¡°Try it again, and you will die.¡±

    I can¡¯t even if I want to! I can hardly breathe in these bindings!

    Tang Shi shivered even as he shot Ye Qing an obsequious smile. He had no idea that Ye Qing had a Strange Artifact that could affect the mind. This meant that the guy hadn¡¯t used his full strength when he fought against Cang Xiaoting, Shangguan Wuqing and Granny Xiong at all. What a monster!

    ¡°Now speak. Who are you? Are you in cahoots with Granny Xiong and her cohort? Have youe to kill me as well?¡±

    Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°And do try to speak the truth this time, If I run out of patience before you can finish, the only one who¡¯d be interested in listening to your words afterward would be the king of hell.¡±

    ¡°M-My name is Tang Shi,¡± Tang Shi stammered, ¡°And I¡¯m not in cahoots with Granny Xiong! I¡¯m not here to kill you, seriously! The thought has never even crossed my mind.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. It was true he hadn¡¯t sensed any killing intent from Tang Shi, which was why he hadn¡¯t killed the lying bastard¡­ yet. ¡°Then what are you doing here? And you better not tell me you¡¯re passing through the area. We both know that isn¡¯t true.¡±

    Tang Shi fell silent for a moment before answering sincerely, ¡°You might not know this, but there is no one in the jianghu who hasn¡¯t heard of your achievements. You are the model of our kind, and our respect and adoration for you is like the Luo River, ceaseless and never-ending.¡±

    ¡°In short, I came here because I wish to see the legendary warrior with my own eyes.¡±

    Can you feel my sincerity? It¡¯s pretty damn sincere, isn¡¯t it?

    The ground beneath Ye Qing¡¯s right foot suddenly cracked without warning, and Tang Shi was dragged right back to cruel reality. He hurriedly added, ¡°And I want to know how strong you are.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s face turned unfriendly. ¡°So, you¡¯vee to spy on me.¡±

    Tang Shi put on a terrified expression and started weeping, ¡°I mean no harm, my lord! I just want to make a living is all! I have a mother to raise and a son to¡ªer, I mean I have a son to raise and a mother to feed, so please overlook my transgressions this once! I swear I¡¯ll never do it again!¡±

    Ye Qing ignored Tang Shi¡¯s antics and examined him closely for a moment. ¡°Why do I feel like I met you before? Wait, now I remember! You¡¯re that stall owner who tried to kill me back at the Strange Market!¡±

    Tang Shi¡¯s act abruptly skidded to a halt. He recognized Ye Qing because his bloodline[1] was special, but he didn¡¯t think that Ye Qing would be able to recognize him. He hurriedly said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to kill you! It was just a joke, a harmless joke! And haven¡¯t I apologized for my mistake andpensated you for your troubles?¡±

    ¡°I even gave you a Star Lotus aspensation. You¡¯re a generous and forgiving man, I¡¯m sure you would bring up old debts that are already settled, right my lord?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, the three swords Cao Xiaoting wielded are called ze, Poison and Disorient. They are all Malice-ss Strange Artifacts. The erhu wielded by Shangguan Wuqing is a Malice-ss Strange Artifact as well, but it is made from the food of a Heartbroken Tree, so it¡¯s mighty impressive!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve also inspected their Nature¡¯s Shells for you. Cao Xiaoting has three martial arts manuals in his Nature¡¯s Shell. The first one is his ultimate technique, the Nine Swords of Dominance. The second one is the Eight Steps of Snake and Crane, a movement art. And the third one isn¡¯t worth mentioning; it¡¯s just a third-rate martial art.¡±

    ¡°The most valuable item in Cao Xiaoting¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell is the Yellow Court Pill. It¡¯s a pill that could be used to unlock the Xuanguan point on your forehead and allow you to enter the Spirit Purification stage. Cao Xiaoting had probably prepared this for himself, but in the end his fortune ended up in your hands. What a lucky man you are, my lord!¡±

    Tang Shi knew that his life was on the line and so spoke as quickly as possible. ¡°Shangguan Wuqing¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell is also filled with all kinds of random shit. The three most valuable items in his possessions are one, his Astral Refinement stage cultivation art, ¡®The Miserable Wind and Rain¡¯ that could be used to cultivate the Miserable Wind and Rain Qi. Two, a Stranger bone that, in my humble opinion, is the eyeball of the Soulstealer-ss Stranger called the Lovesick Duck. The eyeball of a Lovesick Duck is an excellent crafting material and a medicinal ingredient. It¡¯s incredibly valuable.¡±

    ¡°And three¡­¡±

    Tang Shi paused for a moment for the suspense before breaking into ascivious grin. ¡°Three isn¡¯t one item, but rather an assortment of valuable items. For starters, there is the undergarments of the star of Red Candle Boat, Hong Xiu, the undergarments of the three stars of the Red Sleeve Boat, the handkerchief of Li Ruyi of the Ruyi Boat, the handwritten letter of the concubine of Proprietor Li, head of the Tongbao Bank, the hair and hairpin of the wife of Feng Long Textile Farm and more. There¡¯s even the embroidered shoes of a scribe in the administrative division, the¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Ye Qing coughed to stop Tang Shi from continuing further. What the hell was wrong with this fatty, and how the fuck did he even recognize these items? Was he secretly friends with Shangguan Wuqing, or did he share the same fetish as the guy?

    In any case, Tang Shi was definitely born with the wrong exterior.

    Still, Ye Qing had to admit that Tang Shi¡¯s eye for valuables was pretty good. Not everyone could look at an item and figure out their origin and use immediately.

    Tang Shi looked reluctant, but he ultimately stopped his rant and handed the treasures into Ye Qing¡¯s hands. Ye Qing made it all disappear with the flick of a wrist.

    After the items were put away, Ye Qing looked at Tang Shi and smiled. ¡°Is that all? I¡¯m pretty sure these aren¡¯t the only things they have¡­¡±

    Tang Shi: ¡°...¡± I bloody knew he wouldn¡¯t let me go without bleeding me a bit. Bastard! I¡¯m gonna¡­ do nothing because he¡¯s stronger than me. Dammit!

    ¡°Oh, look at me! I can¡¯t believe I made a mistake!¡±

    Tang Shi took out a Malice-ss Strange Artifact called the Crane Cry Bow and handed it to Ye Qing. He was all smiles on the outside, but weeping uncontrobly on the inside because it was one of his prized possessions.

    Ye Qing looked very satisfied, but he wanted more. ¡°Is there anything else? I¡¯m pretty sure there¡¯s more¡­¡±

    Enough you piece of shit! Was what Tang Shi wanted to say, but his courage suddenly vanished into thin air when he met Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. So, he produced a light green-colored, ck-edged, long-sleeved shirt with bamboo patterns on it and handed it to Ye Qing, saying, ¡°This shirt is called Green Ink Shirt, a Malice-ss Strange Artifact. It¡¯s always clean, it smells like bamboo and ink, and it can grow bigger or smaller depending on the person¡¯s size. It also has a certain level of defensive capabilities.¡±

    ¡°Ohh!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. This was exactly what he needed right now because of his powerful physique, and the fact that his clothes tended to go boom whenever he fought a powerful warrior. This Green Ink Shirt should save him a handful of silvers at least.

    Ye Qing epted the Green Ink Shirt and put it on right in front of a disgruntled Tang Shi. After moving around for a bit, he decided that he was very pleased with the results.

    Meanwhile, Tang Shi was horrified by Ye Qing¡¯s audacity. The Patrolman didn¡¯t even have the courtesy to change into his shirt when he wasn¡¯t looking! It¡¯s my shirt, dammit! Mine! He screamed inside his head.

    ¡°What else do you have?¡± Ye Qing beamed at Tang Shi after he was ready. He looked like he was looking at amb waiting to be ughtered.

    ¡°Nonono, you must be mistaken, my lord. This is everything.¡±

    It was obvious that Ye Qing was going to squeeze him for all his worth, and this time Tang Shi didn¡¯t back down. Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Push me again, and I¡¯ll fight you to the death!

    Noticing Tang Shi¡¯s defiance, Ye Qing narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure there was one more.¡±

    Tang Shi wanted to cry, really. He wanted to say no, but once again he discovered that his courage had fled him, and for good reason. Left with no choice, he brought out a martial arts manual and handed it to Ye Qing. ¡°This is an Astral Refinement stage movement art called the ¡®Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡¯. A top-rate movement art, it specializes in flexible, unpredictable and illusory movements.¡±

    ¡°This really is thest one, my lord. If I¡¯m hiding anything else that is yours, then the heavens smite me with lightning, my children will be born without a butthole, and my wife will be¡ª¡±

    He knew from the start that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t nning to kill him. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be breathing already. But just because the Patrolman wasn¡¯t nning to kill him now, didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t change his mindter. The items Ye Qing was extorting from him were the price of his life, which was why Tang Shi had never thought to cheat the Patrolman.

    Ye Qing had given him a chance to live, and he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to waste it.

    ¡°The ¡®Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡¯? Sounds amazing!¡± Ye Qing epted the martial arts manual happily. Right now, he was still using his Vessel Augmentation stage movement art, the ¡°Blood Sea Fragrance¡±. It was a great movement art, mind you, but its rank was ultimately too low to support him for long.

    In fact, he was going to spend some contribution points and exchange for an Astral Refinement stage movement art at the Pacification Bureau, but he just couldn¡¯t find the time because of all the shit that had been happening to him as ofte. He was d to save those contribution points especially since the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± sounded like an excellent recement.

    1. This makes me wonder if Tang Shi has the blood of Sun Wukong in him or something. I mean, the references are pretty clear. The ability to turn hair into doppelgangers and the ability to see through disguises, though to be fair it wasn¡¯t mentioned if he actually identified Ye Qing via his eyes¡­ ?

 Chapter 239: Fishing Using Oneself As Bait

    Chapter 239: Fishing Using Oneself As Bait

    ¡°That is all. Thank you so much for picking up my loot for me, bud.¡± Ye Qing smiled in satisfaction after putting away the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±.

    He neither pushed Tang Shi too far nor tried to kill him mainly because the fatty had proven himself to be a wise man. Some people would¡¯ve given him trash, but Tang Shi knew that he was paying the price of his own life and so didn¡¯t try to cheat him. Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t mind creating another body otherwise.

    ¡°Thank you for your kindness and generosity, my lord!¡±

    Tang Shi let out a sigh of relief. Although his heart was bleeding on the inside, he still smiled from ear to ear. After all, losses could be recouped in the future, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for one¡¯s life.

    ¡°Alright. Now that that is behind us, let¡¯s talk about business!¡± Ye Qing dropped his smile and said seriously.

    Tang Shi also turned serious. He had been expecting this. ¡°Please, tell me!¡±

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°Would you like to get rich?¡±

    What? Did he suddenly find his conscience or something? Is he going to give back what he extorted from me?

    Tang Shi asked, puzzled. ¡°Can you rify, my lord?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°You¡¯re spying on me because you collect information on me and sell that intel to my attackers, am I right?¡±

    Tang Shi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Was that what the Patrolman meant? Their old debts were settled, but not the present?

    ¡°Forgive me, my lord. I was blinded by greed when I first made the decision, but now that I had witnessed your glorious power, I had realized the error of my ways,¡± Tang Shi said with a regretful expression, ¡°In the name of my grandmother, I solemnly swear that I will never leak your intel to anyone starting today. If I do, may the heavens smite me with its righteous lightning!¡±

    But to Tang Shi¡¯s surprise, Ye Qing shook his head and said, ¡°You misunderstand me. I want you to sell my intel to my attackers. I will even tell you my skills, tactics, habits and so on.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Tang Shi couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Have you gotten tired of living, my lord?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s face darkened in an instant. Are you trying to provoke me?

    Noticing his slip of the tongue, Tang Shi hurriedly corrected himself, ¡°I mean, why would you want to do this, my lord?¡±

    ¡°To y the fisherman, of course.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Right now, I am out in the open, and the jianghu warriors are in the dark. Not only do I have to watch out for them day and night, I will always be ying their game. Although I¡¯m strong enough to handle anything they throw at me, reacting passively to my attackers¡¯ schemes is hardly a permanent solution.¡±

    ¡°That is why I¡¯m going to turn the tables on them. I¡¯m going to use myself as bait and let theme to me instead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Tang Shi¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°This would allow you to take control of the situation and their possessions. These jianghu warriors have a lot of good stuff. I can only imagine the amount of riches you¡¯ll gain from their deaths, my lord!¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­ What are you talking about? I¡¯m not that kind of person,¡± Ye Qing denied the allegations smoothly. He was mainly doing this to solve his troubles. Getting rich was just a side benefit.

    Tang Shi asked in a greedy tone, ¡°What do you need me to do, my lord?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°Your job is very simple. I want you to sell my information to my attackers. However, I don¡¯t want you to sell to those who are too powerful, nor should you sell my information to too many people at once. Otherwise, the situation might spiral out of control.¡±

    ¡°Also, I want you to look into my attackers¡¯ backgrounds, strengths, martial arts and more as well. You will tell me exactly what these people are capable of.¡±

    Tang Shi scoffed internally when he heard this. If Ye Qing really wanted to stem the flow, he would have rounded up the strongest warriors in town and murdered them all. That was the best way to intimidate the small fries. Instead, he wanted Tang Shi to round up the weaklings. Clearly, it was because he wanted to profit from their deaths.

    He wasn¡¯t going to point this out, of course. A wise man knows when to keep his mouth shut.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Granny Xiong¡¯s scheme should only be known to herself and cohort, and yet you somehow managed to find out about it. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be able to pull this off perfectly.¡±

    Tang Shi immediately forgot himself when he heard thepliment. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m not bragging, but I know exactly how many jianghu warriors had entered Luo Shui, what their names, cultivation levels, and skills are, how many wives they have and what even undergarments their wives are wearing! This is easy peasy, so just leave it to me!¡±

    Tang Shi then rubbed his hands together. ¡°There is just one tiny problem. How are we going to split the profits?¡±

    Ye Qing pretended not to get his meaning. ¡°What profit?¡±

    Tang Shi exined, ¡°The loot you''ll get after killing your wrongdoers, of course! How are we going to split them?¡±

    ¡°And why should I give you anything?¡± Ye Qing scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m the one who came up with the idea, and I¡¯m the one who would be risking my life to kill these people. Do you seriously think you deserve a portion of the loot?¡±

    ¡°Also, I¡¯m already giving you my information for free, so what else can you possibly want? You shouldn¡¯t be too greedy, Brother Tang!¡±

    Tang Shi: ¡°...¡± I have never met such a shameless person in my life!

    The stall owner argued, ¡°But I am doing something, my lord! It takes effort to look into the attackers¡¯ background, and if I slip up it¡¯s entirely possible that I might die in the process! Plus, if someone finds out that we are working together, then I will be targeted by the jianghu warriors as well! In that sense, the risk I would be shouldering is no less smaller than yours! You can¡¯t do this to your business partner, my lord!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it would be ¡®easy peasy¡¯ for you to pull this off? If it¡¯s that easy, then surely there is no risk?¡±

    Tang Shi: ¡°...¡± Why did you have to go and say that, mouth?

    Tang Shi immediately tried to fix his mistake, ¡°I was just bragging, my lord! You shouldn¡¯t take it seriously!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, the risk I shoulder when looking into these jianghu warriors is no joke. After all, it¡¯s not like these people are small fries. I would be in deep shit if they found out what I was doing.¡±

    ¡°Of course, my safety is none of your concern, but if I have to be excessively cautious to preserve my own life, and as a result give you inurate information that might put you in danger, that would be terrible, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Hoh? Are you threatening me?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow.

    Tang Shi didn¡¯t say anything, but it was clear that that was exactly what he meant. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to work for free, bud! Even ves get paid a meal a day!

    Ye Qing gave it some thought and acquiesced, ¡°Very well. Since your work is so risky, I suppose I won¡¯t ask for a share of the profits you¡¯ll get for selling my information.¡±

    Tang Shi: ¡°...¡± This guy is totally fucking with me. The profit I make from selling his intel is already pitiful, and he was going to ask for a share? Plus, I¡¯m talking about the loot he¡¯s going to get from his kills, dammit! The loot!

    ¡°Rx, bud. It¡¯s just a joke,¡± Ye Qing rified before Tang Shi could say something. ¡°We¡¯ll split the profits seventy-thirty.¡±

    Tang Shi instinctively asked, ¡°The seventy goes to me, right?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ You must be dreaming.¡± Ye Qing side-eyed him and rified again, ¡°I¡¯ll get seventy percent of the profits, and you thirty.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too little! Too little!¡± Tang Shi started bargaining, ¡°How about a fifty-fifty split? We¡¯re business partners, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Ye Qing nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll do a eighty-twenty split in my favor.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Tang Shi wasn¡¯t expecting this. This was the opposite of apromise, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°My lord¡ª¡±

    Before Tang Shi could finish, Ye Qing interrupted him rudely. ¡°What a greedy man you are. Fine, we¡¯ll do a ny-ten split in my favor!¡±

    Tang Shi was just about ready to blow his top. ¡°This is absurd, my lord! Do you really think you can screw me over like this¡­ without¡­¡±

    Tang Shi was about halfway through his rant when suddenly, he noticed the cold, unfeeling smile on Ye Qing¡¯s face. His voice grew smaller and smaller until he could continue no more.

    Ye Qing slowly dropped his smile. ¡°I think you¡¯ve forgotten something, but this is not a negotiation. This is charity. When I offer you something, you best ept it. If not, then you can have nothing at all¡ªnot even your life.¡±

    Tang Shi nched as a bead of cold sweat formed on his forehead. It was only now he recalled that he was a prisoner, not a guest. He didn¡¯t have the right to negotiate any terms.

    I can¡¯t believe I forgot myself, again!

    Tang Shi wiped away the sweat and forced out a chuckle. ¡°Hahaha¡­ you¡¯re too serious, my lord. It was just a joke. As you say, we¡¯ll split the profits ny-ten in your favor.¡±

    Ye Qing kept quiet, and another bead of cold sweat slid down Tang Shi¡¯s nose. In fact, his back was rapidly bing drenched in cold sweat. He was so afraid for his life that he didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly for fear that the bogeyman would send him flying all the way to the afterlife in one punch.

    Greed without strength truly was a sin

    Just when Tang Shi was getting ready to drop to his knees and beg for his life, Ye Qing suddenly broke into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re a wise man, and I¡¯m a generous soul, so we won¡¯t be doing a ny-ten split. A seventy-thirty split as we discussed before is just fine.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Tang Shi replied dumbly. When his brain finally processed the information, he blurted out in gratitude and joy, ¡°Thank you, my lord, thank you! You truly are a magnanimous person! Don¡¯t worry, my lord! I swear on my life I¡¯ll perform the job you requested perfectly!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Brother Tang.¡± Ye Qing said with a smile. Some people were like this. When you gave them a fair offer, they would think you were a bitch and try to take advantage of you. When you put your foot down, they would suddenly do a one-eighty and beg you to cut them an unfair deal.

    ¡°A pleasure to cooperate with you, Brother Tang.¡±

    ¡°Same here, my lord.¡±

    The duo would spend the next moment discussing details such as how they shouldmunicate with each other, where they should meet to exchange the intel and so on. A short whileter, when Ye Qing noticed that Ugly Monk and the others were about to awaken, Ye Qing finally said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you may take your leave. My colleagues will be waking up any moment now!¡±

    ¡°Understood, my lord. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

    Tang Shi saluted Ye Qing and got ready to leave, but at thest moment he turned back around and asked, ¡°My lord, I have a question. You¡¯re letting me go without putting a curse on me or anything. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I would try to cheat you and leak your information to those who could really do you harm?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled and sped his hands behind his back. ¡°You¡¯re a wise man, Brother Tang. A wise man isn¡¯t immune to stupidity, but they would never intentionally make a stupid choice.¡±

    ¡°If you cooperate with me, it¡¯s a win-win scenario. If you screw me over, then it¡¯s a lose-lose scenario. Also, do you believe me when I say I have a million ways to drag you out of your hidey-hole and make you regret ever betraying me?¡±

    Tang Shiughed. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Don¡¯t worry, I never go back on my word when doing business with others. I¡¯m called Tang Shi after all. I¡¯m as honest as you can be!¡±

    The stall owner then slipped into the underground and disappeared just like that.

    Ye Qing scoffed disdainfully as he stared in the direction Tang Shi had disappeared to. ¡°Heh. Even until the end, he couldn¡¯t help but lie through his teeth.¡±

 Chapter 240: Seven Warriors of Laoshan

    Chapter 240: Seven Warriors of Laoshan

    ¡°Are you the Seven Warriors of Laoshan?¡± asked Ye Qing while smiling at the seven men who had him surrounded.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± one guy said with a sneer. He was well-groomed, but it did little to offset the fact he was an ugly, perverted-looking sonuvabitch. ¡°Give it up, Ye Qing. Your subordinates are still at the foot of the mountain, aren''t they? There is no way they¡¯ll be able to arrive in time to save you.¡±

    The speaker was the second strongest warrior of the seven, the ¡°Powder-faced Fox¡± Zhong Chong.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯d be able to kill me?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t look afraid in the slightest despite the fact that he was outnumbered seven to one.

    ¡°Hmph! Do you fancy yourself invincible just because you killed a couple useless pieces of trash?¡±

    The boss of the Seven Warriors of Laoshan, ¡°Soaring Hawk¡± Li Yun scoffed. ¡°We are all Astral Refiners. There is no way you can survive us even if you have three heads and six arms.¡±

    The title ¡°Seven Warriors of Laoshan¡± sounded pretty cool. But in reality they were just seven evil randos who had imed this area of Laoshan as their own and did every evil under the sun for their own gains.

    That said, they had the brawn to back up their misdeeds. Li Yun and Zhong Chong werete-stage Astral Refiners, and the rest of them were middle-stage or early-stage Astral Refiners as well. If Ye Qing was an ordinaryte-stage Astral Refiner, then this situation would most likely end poorly for him.

    ¡°Heh. We¡¯ll see, won¡¯t we?¡± Ye Qing sneered and took one step forward. He abruptly split into seven silhouettes and charged toward the group of seven.

    ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±

    It might sound like the Seven Warriors of Laoshan were underestimating Ye Qing, but in reality it was the opposite. There was a reason the Patrolman was famous throughout Luo Shui, and poor skill wasn¡¯t one of them. Despite this, they were still caught off guard when Ye Qing abruptly split into seven people.

    They were just trying to defend themselves when one of their numbers suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. When they looked, they saw their six, the ¡°Cloudchasing Crane¡± Liu San clutching his bleeding neck and falling to the ground. Beside Liu San, Ye Qing was holding a crescent-shaped saber with a bead of blood slowly sliding down the de. When it hit the ground, it scattered like a winter plum in full bloom.

    ¡°The ¡®Sunchasing Crane¡¯ Liu San is an early-stage Astral Refiner who¡¯s an expert in movement arts and hidden weapons. He practices the ¡®Crane Flip¡¯ and the ¡®Rain on Palm Leaf¡¯.¡±

    Liu San¡¯s expertise was the reason Ye Qing decided to eliminate him first before everyone else. It would be annoying if the guy decided to hit him from range or run away because his colleagues were being ughtered.

    It wasn¡¯t everyday he got to spring a trap on his enemies. Naturally, he should do his best to ensure that everything went smoothly.

    ¡°Six!¡±

    ¡°Six¡­¡±

    The other six warriors screamed in shock and anger when they saw their brother falling to Ye Qing.

    The fourth and fifth strongest warriors of the group, Huang Kang and Xu Ying were the closest people to Ye Qing, and they didn¡¯t hesitate to attack him together. Huang Kang let out an angry roar and discharged what looked like a blood mist from his body. His vigor surged like a tidal wave, and his aura grew like crazy as he threw a punch at Ye Qing.

    Xu Yingying was the only woman of the seven and wielded a soft sword. She tapped the air around her lightly like she was dancing, but ripples of dark green energy spread out from the tip of her sword and caused the air to sizzle. It was clear that it contained some sort of deadly poison.

    Once again, their intel flickered across Ye Qing¡¯s head:

    ¡°The ¡®Mountain Flipping Panther¡¯ Huang Kang is a middle-stage Astral Refiner and a fist practitioner. He practices the ¡®Mountain Flipping Fist¡¯ that could supposedly turn a mountain upside down like nothing. He also has a blood ignition art that greatly increases the potency of his fist art.¡±

    ¡°However, Huang Kang would descend into uncontroble rage for a bit after using the blood ignition art. He would also be weakened for an extended period after the blood ignition art has ended.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Beauty Snake¡¯ Xu Yingying is an early-stage Astral Refiner who is well known for her sword art and poison. Her sword art is called the ¡®Pear Blossom Sword Art¡¯, but it¡¯s nothing to write home about. Her true threat lies in her unique poison, the ¡®Beauty Rots Bones¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡®Beauty Rots Bones¡¯ is a deadly poison that could rot the flesh and melt the bones upon contact. Not only is it incredibly difficult to remove, it doesn¡¯t inflict any pain on the victim. Some of her victims didn¡¯t even know they were poisoned until they body gave out from under them like a man falling for the woman of their dreams. Hence the name.¡±

    Ye Qing charged toward Huang Kang first and threw his own punch. It looked like he was nning to sh fists with Huang Kang.

    ¡°Die!¡± Huang Kang roared as his bloodshot eyes grew even redder. He looked like he would rip and tear Ye Qing into a million pieces. But right before the attack would connect, Ye Qing abruptly stepped sideways and dodged his fist. At the same time, he left behind an afterimage that looked just like him.

    ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± was a movement art thatbined the essences of both the Taoist Way and the Dark Ways. It possessed both the profoundness of the Taoist and the unpredictability of the dark. That was why Ye Qing was able to dodge Huang Kang¡¯s attack with just a few milimeters to spare. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have done it with such minute precision and grace.

    Huang Kang had lost his reason the moment he used his blood ignition art. He could barely tell friend from foe, much less control his fist force. As a result, his punch struck Xu Yingying¡¯s sword instead of Ye Qing.

    Xu Yingying was only an early-stage Astral Refiner, and the sword art she practiced was trash. As a result, Huang Kang¡¯s fist easily punched through her sword and turned her into a fine mist of blood and gore.

    At the same time, a saber shed behind Huang Kang and sent his head flying. At least he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with the shock and regret of killing his own brethren.

    ¡°Brother! Sister! Ahhhhh! I will rip you limb from limb, Ye Qing!¡±

    Li Yun had just reached Ye Qing, and so got a front row view of Huang Kang and Xu Yingying¡¯s horrifying deaths. Eyes bulging with infinite madness and hatred, he leaped into the air and swiped his hands at Ye Qing like a hawk. At the same time, a hawk¡¯s cry pierced through the air, and a handsome red hawk appeared behind his back. A blood rain suddenly started falling as well.

    ¡°When the sky weeps blood, the blood hawk shall rise.¡±

    ¡°The Soaring Hawk Li Yun is ate-stage Astral Refiner and an expert in w arts. He practices the ¡®Blood Eagle Divine w¡¯. It is a martial art that¡¯s best used when attacking from an elevated position. The higher the starting position, and the more power the practitioner built up as he descends from the sky, the stronger the attack would be.¡±

    The simplest and most effective way to dismantle the ¡°Blood Eagle Divine w¡± was to kill Li Yun before he fully charged his attack, so Ye Qing pushed off the ground with an explosive jump and scattered the blood rain surrounding Li Yun in an instant.

    He didn¡¯t hit Li Yun from the bottom, however. Instead, he sucked in a deep breath to renew his energies, swerved around Li Yun¡¯s attack, and took the high ground instead. Now he was the hawk, and Li Yun the prey. Then, he unleashed a devastating punch at Li Yun¡¯s back.

    Li Yun didn¡¯t have Ye Qing¡¯s ability to change his energies mid-jump, nor could he switch up his moves now because the ¡°Blood Eagle Divine w¡± was a one-move technique intended to end the enemy¡¯s life in one strike. As a result, he could only watch helplessly as Ye Qing¡¯s punch broke his spine, shattered his innards, and sent him flying straight toward Zhong Chong.

    Although Zhong Chong was a man, he practiced a lithe and graceful movement art. Thanks to that, he was able to dodge out of the way before Li Yun¡¯s corpse could hit him. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even have the time to thank his own good fortune when the rm bells inside his head suddenly rang loudly. He immediately tried to jump away from Li Yun.

    Unfortunately, it was toote. A man had been clinging to Li Yun¡¯s corpse this whole time, and Zhong Chong failed to notice it until thest second because he had moved too quickly. It was, of course, Ye Qing.

    Toote to dodge out of the way, Zhong Chong changed tactics and swung a flowery whip at Ye Qing instead. Suddenly, Ye Qing felt like he had been teleported into a different world, a world where the wind blew, the rain poured, and the stars and moon were falling straight toward him. He felt as helpless as an ant before the natural disasters.

    ¡°What an illusion!¡± Ye Qing sighed in admiration. The illusion was so perfect that it could fool one¡¯s senses perfectly. Even he would¡¯ve fallen for it if he hadn¡¯t known that Powderfaced Fox was an expert in illusion arts.

    Zhong Chong practiced an extremely rare type of illusion art called the ¡°Heart Clouding Art¡±. It could interfere with one¡¯s senses and create illusions out of nowhere. Moreover, his astral qi was the average grade astral qi, the Mirage Qi, and his Strange Artifact was the Malice-ss Strange Artifact, the Illusion Whip. As a result, his illusions looked almost no different from the real thing.

    That said, illusions were just illusions. No matter how real they looked, they were ultimately fake and so couldn¡¯t do any damage to Ye Qing whatsoever. While there were warriors out there who could turn illusions into reality, Zhong Chong was not yet at that level.

    So, Ye Qing ignored the horrific scene happening around him and threw a punch. So what if the illusions were real? He would still break it all with his fist.

    ¡°Break Through¡±

    Like a knife, his fist severed the illusion in half and brought him back to the real world. It felt incredibly soothing as the wind, rain, and falling celestial objects abruptly disappeared, and the world was filled with light and warmth once more.

    Zhong Chong was going to run away while Ye Qing was trapped in his illusion. When he looked down, he saw that a massive hole had appeared on his abdomen, and the wound was so smooth that not a drop of blood could be seen. It was because the Burning Wind had boiled all of his blood in an instant.

    The next second, Zhong Chong hit the ground and shattered into several pieces like dry wood.

    On paper, it looked like the battle had been ongoing for a few minutes at least. In reality, only a few breaths had passed. It was only now the ¡°Mountain Tiger¡± Zhang An and the ¡°Night Bat¡± Tu Sheng recovered their wits and realized that they were the only ones left.

    Obviously, they had lost desire to fight Ye Qing. They immediately took off in different directions. Considering the circumstances, it was a victory if even one of them managed to escape.

    ¡°What makes you think you can outrun me?¡± Ye Qing chuckled and spat Lightning Bolt at Tu Sheng. Not even bothering to check his kill, he dashed after Zhang An like a ghost.

    The reason Zhang An was nicknamed the ¡°Mountain Tiger¡± was because of his explosive speed and strength. Out of the seven of them, no one could sprint faster than him.

    Unfortunately for him, Ye Qing was even faster. One breath ago, both men had crossed over fifty meters of distance. One breathter, Ye Qing was already behind Zhang An¡¯s back.

    Zhang An did not look back or even react to Ye Qing¡¯s presence, however. It was as if he couldn¡¯t sense the young man and all. Another ten meters or soter, he abruptly dropped to the ground and died just like that. Ye Qing also stopped in his tracks and put away his curved saber.

    ¡°I told you you can¡¯t outrun me!¡±

    Ye Qing lifted Zhang An¡¯s body over his shoulder and went back to his battlefield. Not far away, Tu Sheng was lying on the ground with a leek-sized hole on his forehead. The wound was also crawling with lightning.

    ¡°Phew! That¡¯s seven bodies in a single day, and a total of thirty five in the past seven days. Why do they value their lives so little?¡± Ye Qing said with a sneer as he looted the bodies like he had done this a hundred times already. Which he had.

    It had been seven days since he and Tang Shi had cooked up a devious n, and during these seven days he had been attacked twenty three times. Each time, he would purposely create an opening so that these wannabe assassins would attack him, die, and donate him their valuables. It was a wonderful week.

    All thirty five attackers were Astral Refiners, and fifteen of them were powerfulte-stage Astral Refiners with a terrible reputation in their respective counties ormanderies. He had handpicked them himself after Tang Shi had provided him with a list. The reason he chose them was because they were weak, possess a narrow skillset, and have no background. It took him little to no difficulty to kill them all.

    Unfortunately, he also noticed that the number of people who attacked him since yesterday or the day before had decreased drastically. This meant that the jianghu warriors were beginning to suspect foul y and even Tang Shi himself. Today could very well be thest day he reeled in easy prey before the real predators began to show their faces. Things would get dangerous then.

    That was what he was hoping to happen though. These jianghu warriors would do anything for profit, sure, but most of them were bullies who only targeted the weak. When they realized that he wasn¡¯t the small fry they thought he was, they would fear him, they would hesitate, and they would eventually leave him alone. When that happened, his enemies¡¯ n would fail, and his crisis would resolve on his own.

    That was why he wasn¡¯t lying to Tang Shi when he said he wanted to stop this farce permanently. Him making a killing in the process was just the side benefit.

 Chapter 241: We Donâ€™t Resent Nor Hate

    Chapter 241: We Don¡¯t Resent Nor Hate

    ¡°Useless! All of them, useless! Cough! Cough¡­¡±

    Inside his room, a pale-faced Wang Luori was swearing up a storm after listening to Wen Zai¡¯s report, or at least he tried to before he identally triggered his wounds and coughed violently. When he finally recovered, he swore again, ¡°What the fuck is wrong with these brainless idiots? I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re lining up like a bunch of goodie-two-shoes so that Ye Qing can kill them one by one! Am I crazy, or has the world gone crazy?¡±

    ¡°Please calm yourself, father,¡± Wen Zai said while wearing his trademark smile.

    ¡°How can I? If these idiots continue to attack Ye Qing one by one like the idiots they are, I¡¯d never get the opportunity to ambush Ye Qing as we¡¯ve nned!¡±

    Wang Luori red at his adopted son and said in an unfriendly voice, ¡°Is your n really going to work, Zai? If not, then stop wasting my time and leave me to my rest already!¡±

    Wen Zai didn¡¯t get angry, however. He replied slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, father. Don¡¯t you see? This is happening because of Ye Qing¡¯s plot!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wang Luori frowned.

    Wen Zai answered, ¡°You¡¯ve fished before, father. That is what Ye Qing is doing right now, except that he¡¯s using himself as bait. He¡¯s baiting those greedy jianghu warriors into his trap so he could clean them up one by one.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange that, instead of surrounding himself with a plethora of Pacification Sentinels or staying inside the Pacification Bureau, Ye Qing would asionally go off on his own? Even though he knew that countless people wereing for him?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, the timing and ce he chose to pull his stunt is very suspicious. It was either the dead of the night where no one was around, or remote ces where it was all too easy to ambush him. It¡¯s clearly because he wanted to avoid hurting innocents when a fight breaks out.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, the locations he chose were very strategic as well. It¡¯s either near the Pacification Bureau, or the administrative division, or the ck Feathers Guards¡¯ base, or the White Horse Academy. If his enemies turned out to be stronger than expected, then he could escape to these locations and seek shelter.¡±

    ¡°A coincidence can happen once, twice, or even five times in a row. But ten? Twenty? It can only be a conspiracy.¡±

    Wen Zai dered confidently, ¡°That is how I know that Ye Qing is fishing.¡±

    ¡°These poor fools believe that they¡¯re the fishermen reeling in the delicious prey that was Ye Qing, when in reality it was the other way around. The slightest wag of the bait is enough to make them rush blindly like a bull and be the prey. How pitiful is that?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! What a cunning brat!¡± Wang Luori eximed in realization before growing disgruntled. ¡°What should we do then? Should we wait some more, or¡­?¡±

    Wen Zai shook his head. ¡°It would be pointless. It¡¯s been a while since Ye Qing inflicted the wrath of the heavens on those people, and their heads are slowly cooling down as well. Jianghu warriors are bullies who only know how to target the weak. When Ye Qing¡¯s strength had fully imprinted itself on their soul, they would fear, they wouldpromise, and they would eventually give up on hunting him altogether. No matter how enticing the reward is, they can¡¯t enjoy it if they¡¯re dead.¡±

    ¡°At this rate, these jianghu warriors would leave Luo Shui, and less and less people would attack Ye Qing. In short, our n would end inplete failure if we do nothing.¡±

    ¡°Dammit! What should we do then?¡± Wang Luori huffed in frustration. ¡°Are we really just going to give up like that?¡±

    Wen Zai smiled mysteriously. ¡°Of course not. Why give up when a small tweak is all it takes to set things back on track?¡±

    Pleasantly surprised, Wang Luori urged, ¡°What¡¯s this tweak? Tell me already.¡±

    Wen Zai replied, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. We simply need to expose the fact that Ye Qing is fishing.¡±

    ¡°Jianghu people aren¡¯t just greedy bullies who prey on the weak. They¡¯re also excessively concerned about their pride.¡±

    ¡°If we expose this fact, the jianghu warriors will be humiliated and furious. Ye Qing is strong, but he¡¯s not so strong that they couldn¡¯t even muster the courage to defend their pride.¡±

    Wang Luori mulled over the n and found it desirable. He immediately exploded with excitement, ¡°That¡¯s a great n! Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    But Wen Zai said unhurriedly, ¡°Calm, father. I haven¡¯t finished yet.¡±

    ¡°Although this would ruin Ye Qing¡¯s efforts, it¡¯s still not enough to push him to the brink.¡±

    ¡°That is why we also need a fire that would burn all of his options into ash.¡±

    Wang Luori frowned. He was starting to realize that smart people weren¡¯t just dirty in the heart, but they also loved keeping their audience in suspense. They could have summarized their whole n in one breath, but no, they just had to break it down to many segments and drag it out as long as possible!

    Noticing Wang Luori¡¯s displeasure, Wen Zai jumped straight into his exnation, ¡°As you say, the jianghu people are fools. Not only do we need to give them motivation, we also need to improve their strategy a little. If they continue to attack Ye Qing as they are, we¡¯ll just be repeating the cycle.¡±

    ¡°Instead, we can advise them to disrupt thew and order of Luo Shui and cause public unrest. We¡¯ll then me it all on Ye Qing. When the time is right, we can force the Pacification Bureau to surrender Ye Qing, expel him, or exile him from Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the unrest alone isn¡¯t enough to force the Pacification Bureau to take action. But we have nts in the Pacification Bureau, the administrative division, and the ck Feathers Guard. There are also many people who disliked the Pacification Bureau in general. We can use them all to apply pressure on Gu Suitang. He will cave eventually unless he wishes to go up against the entire Luo Shui.¡±

    But Wang Luori shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Gu Suitang is a a stubborn mule. Forget Luo Shui, the whole world can press him to submit, and it¡¯s still a coin flip if he will do so.¡±

    Wen Zai smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the point. If therees a day where the entire world disagrees with Gu Suitang¡¯s decision, can Gu Suitang really go up against the will of the many?¡±

    ¡°That said, your point makes a lot of sense. Gu Suitang would most likely not surrender Ye Qing to the dogs. After all, it¡¯s not just his pride that¡¯s on the line. The Pacification Bureau itself would be a joke if he caved in to his wrongdoers¡¯ demands.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, he would most likely try to sneak Ye Qing out of Luo Shui instead. After all, this would only end if Ye Qing is gone. This way, he could end this farce and shield Ye Qing from criticism.¡±

    ¡°And that will be our opportunity. Once Ye Qing is out of Luo Shui, you¡¯ll have all the time in the world to capture him, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s a magnificent idea!¡± Wang Luori pped the table and burst outughing. ¡°Thank goodness I have you, Zai.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you then. Don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. Everything will go smoothly.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Have you heard, Brother Li? A poisoning happened at Chui Restaurant just yesterday. Thirty six guests, three employees and the shopkeeper himself were all killed!¡±

    Two waiters were chatting with each other.

    ¡°Of course I have. I heard that their bodies rotted so thoroughly that their families didn¡¯t even have a body to bury. It¡¯s terrible,¡± replied the other waiter with a sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s all that Ye Qing¡¯s fault. No one would be hurt if he hadn¡¯t pissed off those jianghu people. What a bastard!¡±

    ¡°I know right? This is the ninth incident in the past five days. That Ye Qing is literally a harbinger at this moment. Disaster follows him no matter where he goes. Innocents have died, and countless properties had been damaged because of him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all. I heard that many Pacification Sentinels, bailiffs and ck Feathers Guard have died as well. It¡¯s a shame!¡±

    ¡°Dammit, why must we suffer for his sin?¡±

    ¡°We should just surrender that harbinger to the jianghu people. Heavens only know when this would end otherwise!¡±

    It was at this moment the shopkeeper¡ªan old man with a spotty white beard¡ªstepped out and saw his employees cking. ¡°What the hell are you two doing? Get off yourzy asses and get to work already!¡±

    One of the waitersined, ¡°Do what, exactly? We¡¯ve cleaned the tables and chairs so many times it¡¯s practically shining, but not a single customer had shown up so far.¡±

    ¡°Did I give you permission to talk back against me?¡± The shopkeeper scolded, but he let out a long sigh when he looked at his empty establishment and the empty street outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s all that Ye Qing¡¯s fault. No one¡¯s visiting our restaurant because they¡¯re afraid to go out, and they¡¯re afraid to go out because of Ye Qing. At this rate, we¡¯re all going to starve to death,¡± the other waiterined.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The shopkeeper rebuked him angrily, ¡°This is anything but Lord Ye¡¯s fault! Lord Ye eliminated the cultists and saved Luo Shui from disaster. We would already be dead if it wasn¡¯t for him! How can you be so ungrateful?¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s anyone that is to me in this situation, it¡¯s the Taiping cultists and those so-called warriors who would do anything to achieve their goals!¡±

    ¡°How could you deny a person¡¯s good for the wrongs of an evildoer? How could you resent a good person for the evils of another? That is unfair to Lord Ye and all good people in this world.¡±

    ¡°What difference is there between us and those evildoers if we wouldmit such an act? Who else in this world would be willing to be good if that¡¯s the case? So don¡¯t resent, and don¡¯t hate.¡±

    ¡°But boss¡ª¡±

    The waiter was going to argue further, but the shopkeeper cut him off firmly, ¡°Enough of this. If you have time to talk, then you have time to work.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this world isn¡¯t that hopeless yet. Good people will be repaid with good. You, me, and Lord Ye will have our due.¡±

    At the entrance, Ye Qing stopped in his tracks and stared at the old shopkeeper who had added a few wrinkles and white hair because of theck of business for a moment. Guilt and anger began welling in his heart.

    He felt guilt because it was a fact that he was at the center of the incident that cost many innocent lives.

    And he felt angry because of the unfeeling actions of the jianghu people and the mastermind behind it all.

    A few days ago, after the fact that he was baiting his attackers into suiciding themselves into him was exposed, the jianghu warriors were humiliated and angry as a matter of course. They swore they would take revenge against him. They conveniently forgot the fact that they were the ones who attacked him in the first ce.

    Not only that, they hadpletely changed their method of attack as well. Before this, they were careful not to cause any harm to their surroundings. But now? They were still cautious, but they were slowly but surely getting bolder and bolder in their attempt. They no longer cared to minimize casualties or property damage. In fact, they actively used the lives of others to threaten him.

    If Luo Shui was under control despite the flood of jianghu warriors who entered Luo Shui before, now it was under siege by chaos and disorder. Countless people¡¯s lives were affected, and most of them resented him and him alone.

    It wasughable and sorrowful how quickly he went from the hero of Luo Shui to the most hated person in themandery.

    Could Ye Qing fault them for their resentment? Of course not. It was a fact that he was the reason they had lost their homes and be separated from their friends and family, sometimes forever.

    If there was anyone who was deserving of his hate, it was those unscrupulous jianghu warriors and the mastermind behind all this, Wen Zai.

    The only other person who knew about his n was Tang Shi, and there was no reason for Tang Shi to screw himself over.

    Therefore, Wen Zai, the Deceitful Schr, the bastard who had been watching this whole thing y out from outside the chess board, was the only one who had the means and the motive to pull this off.

    Sure, he had no proof. It was all instinct. But he was sure it was Wen Zai, and no one could change his mind.

    ¡°Huh? Lord Ye! Are you here for a drink? Come in,e in. I just opened a few jars of old wine a few days ago. Doe in and enjoy our brew if you¡¯re free.¡±

    It was at this moment the old shopkeeper spotted Ye Qing. He didn¡¯t hesitate to walk up to him and wee him just as warmly and sincerely as ever.

    Ye Qing saluted the shopkeeper and politely turned him down. ¡°I would love to, but I still have business at the Pacification Bureau. Perhaps another day.¡±

    The old shopkeeper replied, ¡°In that case, I shan¡¯t keep you. But please, don¡¯t hesitate to pay us a visit if you¡¯re free, or if you¡¯re dying for a drink.¡±

    ¡°My restaurant and wine will always be open for you, Lord Ye.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted him again. ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s a promise.¡±

    The old shopkeeper smiled brightly. ¡°Indeed, it is a promise.¡±

    ¡°And Lord Ye? We don¡¯t resent nor hate you. Truly.¡±

    ¡°I will remember. See you some time.¡±

    Ye Qing turned away and took a moment to look at the sky. It was especially bright, clear, and sunny today¡ªjust like his feelings.

    This incident started because of me. It will end with me not just for those I care about, but also those who care about me.

 Chapter 242: Echoes of Agreement

    Chapter 242: Echoes of Agreement

    Lin Yuhuai stepped into Gu Suitang¡¯s room and reported, ¡°Chief, the Flying Dragon Officer Lin Zhao, the Chief Enforcer Ding Bumian, the Administrative Division[1] Right Minister Song Yushu, the Chief Constable Li Lang, the Left Guard Captain of the ck Feather Guards Pang Kun, the Little Commander Xue Shiwu, the Deputy Head of Blood Shadow Pce Jiang Huanjian, and the second patriarch of the Bai n Bai Xinhu are requesting a meeting.¡±

    ¡°Have they finally reached their limits?¡± Gu Suitang set down his file with a sneer.

    Lin Yuhuai said worriedly, ¡°I don¡¯t think theye bearing good news, chief.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. They wouldn¡¯t be here if it¡¯s good news.¡±

    Gu Suitang smirked and ced his legs on top of his table. He then saidzily, ¡°Bring them in.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai left to carry out his order. A momentter, he returned with the eight guests in tow.

    ¡°We greet you, Chief Gu,¡± The eight guests saluted Gu Suitang after they came in.

    Gu Suitang asked in an uncaring voice, ¡°Why have youe to see me?¡±

    The Left Guard Captain of the ck Feather Guards, Pang Kun was a hot-tempered man about 1.6 meters tall. When he saw how rude Gu Suitang was acting¡ªforget inviting them to take a seat or serving them tea, the guy even put his legs on the table¡ªhe said angrily, ¡°You know why we¡¯re here. We¡¯re here to talk about Ye Qing.¡±

    Gu Suitang smiled. ¡°Okay. What¡¯s up with him?¡±

    Pang Kun scoffed, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know what we¡¯re talking about! One way or another, you will give us a proper answer today!¡±

    Gu Suitang repeated, ¡°No seriously, what¡¯s up with him? Did he raid your food or burn your house or something?¡±

    Pang Kun was just about to blow his top when the Administrative Division Right Minister, Song Yushu took one step forward and stopped Pang Kun from talking. He then saluted Gu Suitang and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be frank, Chief Gu. Luo Shui has been turned upside down in the past few weeks or so because of the incident regarding Ye Qing. Much damage has been incurred, and the people are both terrified and disturbed. At this rate, the consequences would be severe to say the least.¡±

    ¡°Constable Li, would you please report everything that has happened to Chief Gu?¡±

    ¡°As youmand,¡± Li Lang replied reluctantly. Frankly, he didn¡¯t want toe here at all. When the people up top were politicking, those beneath them were usually the ones who suffered the consequences. However, Song Yushu was his boss, and the Administrative Division Right Minister was responsible for regting behavior and enforcing order in Luo Shui. He couldn¡¯t get out of the position he was put in even if he wanted to.

    ¡°On May 3rd,between 7 to 7.30 am, the two siblings, ¡°Ghost Sword¡± Han Ping and ¡°Soul Saber¡± Han Ling attacked Ye Qing at Pingan Alley, destroying six civilian residences and three restaurants, injuring fifteen and killing three.¡±

    ¡°On May 4th, between 4 to 4.30 am, the twelve leaders of the Blue Wolf Bandits attacked Ye Qing at Changning Boat, injuring thirty six and killing ten. The property damage is innumerable.¡±

    ¡°On May 5th, between 5.30 to 6 am, the four siblings collectively known as ¡°Death Upon Sight¡± controlled fifty three civilians using the Spider of Yearning to threaten Ye Qing, seriously injuring seventeen and killing thirty six.¡±

    ¡°On the same day, between 11 to 11.30 am¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Gu Suitang cut off Li Lang¡¯s report. Not only did he already know this, the Pacification Bureau¡¯s report was far more detailed than the administrative division¡¯s. ¡°These jianghu bastards publicly attacked an imperial official and injured the people. They deserve to die. Why are you wasting your time here instead of apprehending the suspects?¡±

    Li Lang replied awkwardly, ¡°Er¡­ Lord Ye has already killed them all.¡±

    Gu Suitang¡¯s tone turned light and provocative, ¡°I see now! Are you here to thank us for doing your jobs?¡±

    ¡°Like hell we are!¡± Song Yushu suppressed his anger and said in an even tone, ¡°It¡¯s true that these jianghu warriors broke thew, Chief Gu, but they wouldn¡¯t have done it if Ye Qing hadn¡¯t set up a trap for them. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t have taken it this far with little regard for coteral damage.¡±

    ¡°That is why Ye Qing is the culprit behind it all.¡±

    Gu Suitang side-eyed Song Yushu imperiously. ¡°Excuse me? Are you kidding me right now?¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s fine that those jianghu warriors use every dirty trick in the book to kill Ye Qing, but Ye Qing isn¡¯t allowed toy a trap for his would-be murderers? What kind of logic is that?¡±

    ¡°Also, the true culprit here is the Way of Taiping. They¡¯re the ones who put a bounty on Ye Qing¡¯s head and caused every idiot and their mothers to go after him. If you really want to solve this problem once and for all, you should go and destroy the Way of Taiping!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Song Yushu couldn¡¯t say a thing. If I¡¯m strong enough to destroy the Way of Taiping, I would be the next emperor of Chu already!

    ¡°You guys do realize that Ye Qing is the one who ruined the Way of Taiping¡¯s ns and saved Luo Shui from destruction, right? That he¡¯s the one who saved your lives? It hasn¡¯t even been a month since that day, and now you¡¯ve alle together to sell him out? Have you fed your conscience to the dogs?¡±

    Gu Suitang started firing spittle at their faces. ¡°A man without a conscience is no different from a Stranger! Is your position really so important to you that you would sacrifice a hero who saved your life, you fucking ingrate?¡±

    ¡°Like I care about my position! I¡¯m doing this for the people of Luo Shui!¡± Song Yushu argued. ¡°It is true that Ye Qing saved Luo Shui, but it is also true that his presence is causing havoc and ruining people''s lives at this very moment! If we don¡¯t find a solution soon, if the unrest esctes into violent riots, then you and I will be responsible for countless more deaths!¡±

    ¡°Well, Right Minister Song ims he¡¯s doing this for the people of Luo Shui, and to be fair, it is his job to keep the order, his ipetence notwithstanding. But what about the rest of you? Pang Kun, Jiang Huanjian, Bai Xinhu? You¡¯re not about to feed me the same bullshit, are you?¡±

    Xue Shiwu took a step forward and spoke up arrogantly, ¡°Of course we¡¯re doing this for the people of Luo Shui. I¡ª¡±

    Gu Suitang roared, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking to you! Who the fuck do you think you are to interrupt me?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Xue Shiwu turned beet red and pointed a finger at Gu Suitang. He was furious, but he ultimately didn¡¯t dare to say anything.

    ¡°You what? Keep pointing that finger at me, and I promise I¡¯ll break all your fingers!¡± Gu Suitang said coldly, ¡°Even your dad Xue Beikun wouldn¡¯t dare to point his finger at me. Seriously, who the fuck do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°I dare you toy a finger on the Little Commander, Gu Suitang!¡±

    Pang Kun blocked in front of Xue Shiwu and red at the deputy chief like a tiger.

    ¡°Do you really think I won¡¯t, barbarian?¡± Gu Suitang sneered and rose to his feet. He looked thin and weather-beaten, but everyone¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat as if they were staring at an insurmountable mountain.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Song Yushu waved his sleeve and yed the mediator. ¡°Captain Pang, we are here to solve the problem, not cause even more problems for ourselves.¡±

    Jiang Huanjian and Bai Xinhu were also persuading Pang Kun to back down.

    ¡°Okay then! I¡¯ll talk about Ye Qing!¡± Pang Kun pushed hispanions away. ¡°As soldiers, it is our natural duty to defend our nation and protect the people. Since Ye Qing¡¯s presence is disrupting Luo Shui and costing innocent lives right now, it is my responsibility to stop this from continuing any further than it already has.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, dozens of ck Feather Guards have died because they were dragged into Ye Qing¡¯s mess. As the Left Guard Captain, I must have an answer for their deaths.¡±

    Gu Suitang taunted, ¡°Oh my heavens, since when did the barbarian be literate? You must have practiced really hard to say all that without missing a word!¡±

    ¡°What about you, Bai Xinhu?¡±

    Bai Xinhu was a short and plump middle-aged man who wore a smile that seemed to be permanently affixed to his face. ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, so I¡¯m just going to speak from my perspective as a businessman. Much of our properties were damaged by Ye Qing¡¯s battles with the jianghu warriors.¡±

    ¡°But of course, this is just a small loss. The real losses from the fact that countless people are afraid to leave their houses because of Lord Ye. Already, the decreased traffic is costing us a lot of money. At this rate, the Bai n may not be able to recoup our losses. That is why we wish for this matter to be settled as quickly as possible.¡±

    The Bai n and the Luo n were both major ns in Luo Shui, but unlike the Luo n, the Bai n¡¯s main businesses were restaurants, gambling dens, brothels and so on. It was a fact that the decrease in traffic would damage their businesses greatly.

    Gu Suitang didn¡¯t give him an answer. He turned to Jiang Huanjian and asked, ¡°What about you?¡±

    The Deputy Head of Blood Shadow Pce was a thin but hale man who was dressed like a Taoist. He carried a sword behind his back and looked very serious.

    Jiang Huanjian saluted Gu Suitang and answered, ¡°Chief Gu, our reasoning is more or less the same as Bai Xinhu¡¯s. Blood Shadow Pce can¡¯t operate on empty stomachs, and Lord Ye¡¯s presence has damaged much of our businesses and properties. That is why I have no choice but toe here.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Gu Suitang and swept his gaze across the crowd. ¡°What would you have me do then? Do you want me to kill Ye Qing? Surrender him to those jianghu warriors? Or give him to you?¡±

    ¡°That would be going too far, Lord Gu. Of course we couldn¡¯t surrender him to those jianghu people, much less kill him.¡± Song Yushu shook his head. ¡°Ye Qing had made a major contribution to Luo Shui and Chu after all.¡±

    ¡°And here I thought you¡¯ve forgotten all about it,¡± said Gu Suitang with a sneer, but everyone pretended not to notice this remark.

    Xue Shiwu gave Pang Kun¡¯s sleeve a tug, and the Left Guard Captain spoke up, ¡°If we can¡¯t kill him or surrender him to those jianghu warriors, then why don¡¯t we exile him from Luo Shui? Those jianghu warriors will leave if he leaves, and peace will return to Luo Shui.¡±

    Song Yushu disagreed. ¡°That¡¯s uneptable. If we exile Ye Qing from Luo Shui, then that means we¡¯re submitting to those heartless bastards. This would damage both the Pacification Bureau and Chu¡¯s name. Uneptable.¡±

    Pang Kun said impatiently, ¡°What the hell can we do then?¡±

    Song Yushu fell silent for a moment. ¡°Your n isn¡¯t good, but there is one thing you¡¯re right about. If Ye Qing leaves Luo Shui, then our troubles would leave with him, and Luo Shui would regain its peace.¡±

    ¡°How about this: We¡¯ll send Ye Qing away by transferring him to another location or sending him on a mission. We¡¯ll keep this a secret for a few days before making an announcement. When the jianghu warriors realized that Ye Qing truly had left Luo Shui, they would have no choice but to leave the ce.¡±

    ¡°This way, we¡¯ll be able to protect Ye Qing, defend the imperial court¡¯s honor, and return peace to Luo Shui. It would be killing three birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°What do you think, Chief Gu?¡±

    Instead of answering him immediately, Gu Suitang looked at the others. ¡°What does the rest of you think?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like a great n,¡± Bai Xinhu nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s eptable,¡± Jiang Huanjian agreed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have an opinion,¡± Pang Kun answered without thinking.

    Xue Shiwu frowned but didn¡¯t say anything. He was disappointed that he couldn¡¯t push for Ye Qing¡¯s death, but the final oue was eptable. His objective would be achieved so long as Ye Qing was out of Luo Shui.

    ¡°What about you two?¡± Gu Suitang looked at the Flying Dragon Officer Lin Zhao and the Chief Enforcer Ding Bumian. The two men hadn¡¯t said a word since entering the room. ¡°You¡¯re members of the Pacification Bureau. Do you agree with their suggestion?¡±

    The two men exchanged a nce with each other, and Ding Bumian started, ¡°Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau, and his service could only be described as exemry. Logically, we have a responsibility to keep him safe. We¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut the crap and get to the point already!¡± Gu Suitang interrupted rudely.

    Ding Bumian took a moment to swallow his unsaid words back into his stomach. Then, he said, ¡°However, it is a fact that Ye Qing¡¯s presence had cost many Pacification Sentinels¡¯ lives, and it¡¯s gotten to the point where we can¡¯t even carry out some of our daily activities.¡±

    ¡°So yes, we agree with Lord Song¡¯s suggestion.¡±

    1. This bears repeating, but the administrative division is the government of a county and above. But specifically, the administrative division of Luo Shui is themandery hall. I rarely usemandery hall simply because I don¡¯t want to confuse it with the building itself. ?

 Chapter 243: I Will Be The One To End This

    Chapter 243: I Will Be The One To End This

    ¡°Since you¡¯re all in agreement,¡± Gu Suitang¡¯s mouth slowly curled into a smirk as swept his gaze across the crowd, ¡°I disagree.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s gr¡ªwait, what?¡±

    Song Shuyu looked bbergasted. He wasn¡¯t expecting Gu Suitang to disagree at all. ¡°You¡­ disagree? Why, Chief Gu?¡±

    Pang Kun straight up cursed the deputy chief, ¡°The hell do you mean by that, Gu Suitang?¡±

    Gu Suitang red at them. ¡°It means that everything you say is bullshit to my ears. It means that I do not and will notpromise in any way.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± Song Shuyu blurted in confusion and disbelief.

    ¡°Why, you ask? Because Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau, because he had served Chu well, and because he had bled for the people. Also, I¡¯m the one who should be asking why you lot are shitting your pants just because some irredeemable fucks decide to escte things, so much so that you¡¯re going to sacrifice your fucking savior to appease them. You might be shameless, but neither the Pacification Bureau nor I, Gu Suitang can stand for such dishonor!¡±

    ¡°nder, Gu Suitang! When have we been afraid of opposition and resistance? We are doing this for the stability of Luo Shui and the safety of the people!¡± Song Yushu argued.

    Gu Suitang snorted out loud. ¡°For the people? Cut the bullcrap already. You¡¯re growing pimples on your face, but instead of trying to treat it, your n is to cover it up with powder. But even if you dump a kilogram worth of powder on your face, it won¡¯t change the fact you¡¯re now a pockface because you didn¡¯t bother to cure the disease. It¡¯s like trying to scratch an itch on your foot without taking off your bootspletely useless.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to hear the real solution? The real solution is to mobilize the ck Feathers Guard, search every household, and exterminate every rat that¡¯s hiding in Luo Shui to thest! They¡¯re already causing trouble, so we might as well destroy them right here and now. It¡¯s such a simple thing to solve, and yet you just had to find the most convoluted way to go about it. Do you take off your pants before you fart as well?¡±

    ¡°Solving murder with murder is not the right way. Stopping violence with violence is only going to make things worse and earn us the ire of the entire jianghu!¡± Song Yushu argued.

    Gu Suitang snorted again. ¡°It will only make things worse? Bullshit! That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t kill enough of them! Back then, our founder mustered an army of millions and crushed anyone and anything who dared to stand in his way. Countless sects were ughtered, and rivers of blood were bled. Did any sect dare to challenge his rule? Did any jianghu warrior so much as fart in the wrong direction?¡±

    ¡°Besides that, you do understand the saying, ¡®indulging your enemy will only bring trouble¡¯, right? If you bow your head to your enemies today, they will stick a finger up your nose the next day and piss on your head the day after! Forget the imperial court¡¯s dignity, we would have lost everything when all is said and done!¡±

    ¡°There is only one way to handle this, and that is to kill them until they¡¯re afraid; kill them until they etch the consequences of antagonizing Chu into their souls. Only then will glory belong to Chu!¡±

    Song Yushu frowned deeply. ¡°Chief Gu, the benevolent should be filled with love. It is precisely because this country was founded atop a mountain of corpses that we must defend it with benevolence. What difference is there between you and those heartless jianghu warriors if you do this?¡±

    ¡°At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t be a coward who pisses my pants every time someone threatens me!¡±

    Gu Suitang scoffed. ¡°At the very least, I wouldn¡¯t be a schr who pissed away all of Chu¡¯s glory and honor with your so-called ¡®benevolence¡¯!¡±

    ¡°How dare you nder the Way of our sages, Gu Suitang?¡± Song Yushu grew angry for the first time since he entered this room. ¡°You are a barbarian who can¡¯t be negotiated with!¡±

    Gu Suitangughed. ¡°That¡¯s right. I am a barbarian. When I¡¯m angry, blood is the only thing that can appease my rage! It doese with some caveats, I admit, but at least I have bigger balls than you lot. Also, you think I can¡¯t be negotiated with? I don¡¯t even want to talk to you scaredy cats.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, if anyoneys a finger on Ye Qing, they''re dead. It¡¯s that simple. Now get out of my sight!¡±

    ¡°You uncultured barbarian! You make no sense whatsoever!¡± Song Yushu yelled in anger. Pang Kun, Jiang Huanjian, Bai Xinhu and everyone else looked angry as well.

    ¡°Oh? Is that a threat I hear? I am perfectly happy to send you out on a stretcher if that is your wish.¡±

    Gu Suitang sneered. ¡°The Pacification Bureau doesn¡¯t wee you. Get the hint and get the fuck out already.¡±

    ¡°You would threaten us, Gu Suitang?¡± Pang Kun roared and released his killing intent. It was thick and unsettling as expected of a captain who had killed his way to the top.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    But as soon as Pang Kun finished his sentence, Gu Suitang abruptly appeared in front of him and punched him right in the chest. The captain let out a muffled groan as he crashed through the door andnded in the courtyard.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Pang Kun had just opened his mouth when his senses caught up to him. Every bone in his body felt broken, and his vigor was churning chaotically like a storm. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

    Pang Kun was angry, but he was even more shocked and afraid. Not only was he ate-stage Spirit Purifier, his cultivation was built atop a mountain of corpses. He was far, far stronger than those useless Spirit Purifiers who hade into their power through cultivation pills. However, he couldn¡¯t even take a single hit from Gu Suitang.

    ¡°You dare attack a fellow colleague, Gu Suitang?!¡± Song Yushu and the others hurriedly rushed out of the building. They sighed in relief only after they confirmed that Pang Kun was fine, rtively speaking.

    Gu Suitang crossed his arms and said coldly, ¡°What did you think I just did? Waste any more of my time, and I will punch out every tooth in your mouth. Get. Lost!¡±

    ¡°This is how it¡¯s going to be, Gu Suitang? Very well! I will be reporting this to the governor! We will see what he has to say about this!¡± Song Yushu turned around and left after that.

    ¡°I won¡¯t forget this, Gu Suitang. Let¡¯s go!¡± Pang Kun also took his leave after shooting Gu Suitang a fierce re.

    Jiang Huanjian and Bai Xinhu were gone as well.

    After everyone was gone, the only two people who were left, Lin Zhao and Ding Bumian, looked at Gu Suitang and tried to exin, ¡°Chief, we¡¯re only doing this for the Pacification Bureau¡ª¡±

    Song Yushu and the others could just pat their bums and leave, but they could not.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you two either. Out!¡± Gu Suitang interrupted them.

    Knowing that Gu Suitang was pissed right now, they didn¡¯t say anything and took their leave just like that.

    Outside, Song Yushu¡¯s group had just exited the Pacification Bureau¡¯s gates when they saw an unexpected face. ¡°Ye Qing?¡±

    Ye Qing stared at the ashen-faced group and the bleeding Pang Kun with a strange expression. Did these guys butt heads with the deputy chief or something?

    ¡°Do you know your crimes, Ye Qing?¡± Song Yushu snapped as soon as he realized that another opportunity had presented itself.

    ¡°What crimes?¡± Ye Qing had never met Song Yushu before, but he had read his profile. He even knew that he was good friends with Li Yuechun.

    Song Yushu immediatelyunched into a righteous tirade, ¡°Youid a trap for the jianghu warriors and pissed them off. That is why they are damaging properties, killing innocents, and generally making life difficult for everyone in Luo Shui. How can you not know about your crimes?¡±

    ¡°I see. What are you going to do about it, Lord Song? Are you going to capture me or kill me?¡± Ye Qing crossed his arms smilingly.

    Song Yushu choked a little, but he quickly recovered himself and said, ¡°That is going too far. Why would we ever do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°However, it is a fact that the people of Luo Shui will continue to suffer so long as this matter isn¡¯t resolved.¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, you should leave Luo Shui as soon as possible. This farce would resolve itself once you¡¯re out of Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Qing said thoughtfully, ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea. If I¡¯m gone, my troubles would leave with me. Luo Shui would be safe, and the rest of you can rest easy as well.¡±

    ¡°Will you leave Luo Shui then?¡± Song Yushu and the others eximed in pleasant surprise.

    But Ye Qing cocked his head to one side and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea, but why should I agree to it?¡±

    ¡°Your lives are valuable, the people¡¯s lives are valuable, but what about my life? Are you saying that my life deserves to be trampled?¡±

    Xue Shiwu sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought this on yourself. Shouldn¡¯t you suffer the consequences of your own actions?¡±

    ¡°Hah! Someone conveniently forgot the fact that my action is the only reason you¡¯re still standing and breathing right now!¡±

    Ye Qing clicked his tongue tauntingly, ¡°I already knew this, but some people only look like humans on the outside. In that case, why not just surrender to your instincts and act like the dogs you are?¡±

    ¡°The fuck you just said!?¡± Xue Shiwu looked furious.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying¡­¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°That the me is not mine to bear, and I don¡¯t care to listen to the barks of dogs.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye!¡±

    Ye Qing stepped past them and entered the Pacification Bureau just like that.

    ¡°Barbaric! How barbaric!¡±

    Song Yushu flew into a rage, but his expletives were seriouslycking in variety. He could only repeat the same words over and over again. They weren¡¯t expecting Ye qing¡¯s response to be more or less the same as Gu Suitang¡¯s.

    ¡°What do we do, Lord Song, Captain Pang?¡± Bai Xinhu looked to Song Yushu and Pang Kun for directions.

    Pang Kun answered, ¡°I¡¯m going to report this to themander.¡±

    Song Yushu added in an equally irritated voice. ¡°Me too. I¡¯m going to ask the governor to step in and have a deep discussion with Chief Fang. Ye Qing¡¯s matter must be taken care of as soon as possible. He must leave in order to return peace and order to Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Gu Suitang asked smilingly after Ye Qing entered his room and told him what happened at the entrance, ¡°You ran into them on your way in? What did they say?¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°They told me to leave Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was what they ¡®suggested¡¯ to me as well. Aren¡¯t you curious what my answer is?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°You turned them down, of course. Their faces wouldn¡¯t be as colorful as they were, and they wouldn¡¯t have stopped me to give me their spiel or try to guilt me into leaving Luo Shui otherwise.¡±

    Gu Suitang rebuked him good-naturedly, ¡°Smartass. Don¡¯t worry. So long as you¡¯re still in the Pacification Bureau, they will never be able to oust you. Plus, they aren¡¯t just targeting you. They¡¯re targeting my Pacification Bureau as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, chief.¡± Ye Qing saluted Gu Suitang before adding, ¡°But I would like to handle this myself.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And how are you going to handle this?¡± Gu Suitang asked curiously.

    ¡°Easy. I¡¯m just going to kill them all.¡± Ye Qing bared his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill them until they¡¯re thoroughly terrified of me, until the mere mention of my name is give them nightmares. The problem will resolve itself then, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Gu Suitang looked surprised for a second. Then, he burst outughing and pped Ye Qing across the shoulder repeatedly, ¡°Well said, well said! That is how the Pacification Bureau became what it is today, and that is how its members should carry themselves! Compromise? Understanding? It¡¯s all bullshit! It¡¯s our way or nothing!¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you must to solve this. Put a hole in the sky of Luo Shui if you have to. No matter what happens, I will always be there to defend you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hit me that hard.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his numb shoulder but felt much better than he was before. ¡°Thank you, chief. I would like your full cooperation then.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Gu Suitang withdrew his hand and asked, ¡°Now tell me: what is your n?¡±

    Gu Suitang frowned and fell into thought for a moment after listening to Ye Qing¡¯s n. He asked, ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too dangerous?¡±

    Ye Qing looked at Gu Suitang calmly yet unwaveringly. ¡°This matter started because of me. It¡¯s only natural that I should be the one to end it. I don¡¯t want those who don¡¯t resent me for what I¡¯ve brought to shoulder any more burden than they already have.¡±

    ¡°Very well. You may do as you please.¡± Gu Suitang chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll live to tell the tale at least.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± That¡­ doesn¡¯t sound like a blessing.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, chief. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted Gu Suitang and left. The sun was strong, bright, and shining through the entrance. It cast a long, long shadow that promised woe to all who would dare to wrong him.

    ¡°Chief, this is getting a little out of hand, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    After Ye Qing was gone, Lin Yuhuai stepped out of the back hall and asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I was hoping for.¡±

    Gu Suitang was smiling, but the look in his eyes could only be described as chilly. ¡°If this matter hadn¡¯t gotten as ridiculous as it was, the clowns wouldn¡¯t have shown themselves, would they?¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for this matter, I wouldn¡¯t know that there are traitors in the Pacification Bureau, I wouldn¡¯t know that there are so many officials who are colluding with outsiders, and I wouldn¡¯t know that there are so many people in Luo Shui who are displeased with us.¡±

    ¡°The Great Levee is ruined by an ant nest. This would be a good opportunity to exterminate these roots and leeches.¡±

    ¡°Plus, the Pacification Bureau is a de that ys all demons and Strangers, upholds the emperor¡¯s authority, and protects the people. We are no one these people could trifle with.¡±

    ¡°It is time we test our de against those who do us wrong.¡±

 Chapter 244: I Will Face Them Alone

    Chapter 244: I Will Face Them Alone

    ¡°Something big is happening! We need to go now!¡±

    ¡°What? What is it?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard? Lord Ye is challenging everyone who wishes to kill him to face him in an arena! He promises that the Pacification Bureau will not pass judgment on anyone who manages to kill him fair and square in the arena!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not kidding me, are you? Would Lord Ye really risk his life like this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one hundred percent real! It¡¯s confirmed by Deputy Chief Gu himself!¡±

    ¡°Huh. Lord Ye is a real man after all. Well, what are you waiting for? Lead the way!¡±

    ¡°This way!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Themandery hall, the Hall of Thought.

    ¡°What on earth is Ye Qing nning, and what on earth is Gu Suitang thinking? Why would he allow Ye Qing to pull a stunt like this?¡±

    Song Yushu voiced his doubts before looking to themandery governor of Luo Shui, Jiang Muyang for instructions. ¡°Should I round up the men and stop this, my lord?¡±

    Jiang Muyang was a schrly man in his forties. He had a thin figure, a long beard, and a gentle temperament. One might say that hecked the sharp, intimidating presence that most leaders would have.

    Jiang Muyang set down his book and looked at Song Yushu. ¡°Yushu, an official must never allow their personal grievances to affect their work.¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau and the administrative division are two sides of the same coin. If they are united, then they are strong. If not, then they are weak. What you did yesterday was impulsive to say the least.¡±

    Song Yushu hurriedly defended himself, ¡°My lord, I¡¯m doing this for the people of Luo Shui!¡±

    Jiang Muyang¡¯s expression was still gentle, but his voice was unquestionably stern. ¡°Yushu, I know that you are good friends with Yuechun, and I know that you have connections to Xue Beikun. However, they shouldn¡¯t be a concern in your duties. If you allow your private interests to get in the way of your public duties or worse, use your position to fulfill your private interests, then you may be executed for your crimes.¡±

    Song Yushu broke out in a cold sweat when he heard this. ¡°My lord¡­ I¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need me to tell you if what I say is true.¡± Jiang Muyang cut him off before he could exin further. ¡°The administrative division will not be doing anything regarding this matter. We will simply wait and see what happens.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord.¡±

    Defiance and fear waged a war in Song Yushu¡¯s heart, and in the end, fear won out.

    ¡­¡­

    At the main camp of the ck Feather Guards, Pang Kun asked a tall, muscr man d in ck armor who exuded a bloody aura, ¡°Commander, what do you think those two fuckers are plotting?¡±

    The man was Xue Beikun, Commander of the ten thousand ck Feathers Guards of Luo Shui. Xue Beikun was currently sitting on the floor and eating a rare leg ofmb. His mouth was clearly tinged with blood.

    Xue Beikun took a bite from the leg ofmb and chewed it slowly, blood trickling down his lips and creating a bloody stench. However, Xue Beikun didn¡¯t seem to notice it. He looked like he was having the time of his life.

    Xue Beikun answered after he finally swallowed the chunk of meat, ¡°Who cares what they¡¯re plotting? All we need to do is to keep applying pressure on the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not going to work, is it?¡± Pang Kun asked, puzzled.

    Xue Beikun answered, ¡°That¡¯s not the goal. The goal is to check out the Pacification Bureau¡¯s stance on this matter and take them down a peg if possible. If the Pacification Bureaupromised, then they would be theughingstock of Luo Shui. If not, then they would be painting a bullseye on their back.¡±

    ¡°No matter what happens, the Pacification Bureau will be the loser of this battle.¡±

    ¡°Should we do anything with this arena nonsense?¡± Pang Kun asked.

    Xue Beikun answered, ¡°No. It doesn¡¯t matter what they do. It is as futile as lighting amp for a blind man.¡±

    ¡°See, if the jianghu warriors managed to kill Ye Qing, then the Pacification Bureau¡¯s reputation would suffer a huge blow. If not, nothing would change. Ye Qing and the Pacification Bureau would still be the object of Luo Shui¡¯s ire.¡±

    ¡°So we don¡¯t need to do anything. We simply need to wait for the results.¡±

    ¡°As youmand,mander,¡± Pang Kun replied firmly.

    ¡°Oh right, I want you to bring a message to Wang Luori and Wen Zai. I don¡¯t mind cooperating with them, but if they use my idiot son for their schemes again, then I will make them regret everything.¡±

    ¡°Also, execute the traitors who collude with outsiders by chariot splitting. The ck Feather Guards have no need for traitors.¡±

    ¡°You may leave. I would like to enjoy my food in peace.¡±

    By the time Pang Kun left the tent, his back was already drenched in cold sweat.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? I¡¯m right here.¡±

    At the center of Luo Shui river, there was a Luo Shui Arena where famous songstresses, performers and courtesans of the Eighteen Boats performed for all to admire. But today, it had be the ce where Ye Qing would soon challenge the warriors of jianghu.

    Ye Qing was crossing his arms and staring at the massive crowd surrounding both sides of the river and the bridges with a disdainful smile on his face. ¡°I thought you guys were going to kill me? Well, I¡¯m here now. You may attack me to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone showing up? Oh, I know! It¡¯s because you guys are cowards who can only defeat an opponent who¡¯s weaker than you, or a prey who¡¯s caught in your trap. You¡¯ve never won a fair fight, and you never will.¡±

    ¡°Trash! Useless! Garbage! You should go home and suck on your mother¡¯s tits if you¡¯re this scared!¡±

    Suddenly, a monotonous, listless voice cut through the air. ¡°Hmph! Do you think we¡¯re stupid? We all know that this is a trap you and Gu Suitang had set up to catch us all in one fell swoop!¡±

    Ye Qing looked. The speaker was an ordinary old man in his sixties. Judging from his nk eyes and monotonous speech, it was obvious that he was being controlled by someone.

    Ye Qing pulsed his spirit. He quickly discovered the jianghu warrior who was controlling the old man. He was hiding amidst the crowd and holding a doll. Every time the doll made a move, the old man would move as well.

    ¡°Rx. I, Gu Suitang, am beneath such tactics, and I would never put the Pacification Bureau¡¯s reputation at risk.¡±

    Gu Suitang leaped onto the arena and swept his stern gaze across the area. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t harm innocents, and as long as you keep to the jianghu code and fight fair and square, you have my word that the Pacification Bureau would not interfere.¡±

    ¡°If you are strong enough to kill Ye Qing in a one on one, then you deserve the kill. I am not so petty that I would take revenge against the warrior who defeated him fair and square.¡±

    Gu Suitang left after saying that.

    After Gu Suitang was gone, Ye Qing swept his gaze across the crowd, ¡°So? Do you believe me now? Unlike you people, the Pacification Bureau does not go back on their promises or break their code whenever it suits them.¡±

    Ye Qing waited a while longer, but still no one stepped forth to challenge him. So, he started taunting, ¡°Still nothing? I¡¯m literally delivering myself to your doorsteps, and still no one would ept my challenge? See, I knew you guys are chickenshits. Even my grandma can beat you up in a fight!¡±

    ¡°You know what? You should all change your names to Mouse. In fact, you don¡¯t deserve human names. Just call yourself Dog Balls or Cucked Dogs or something. You guys act like mice and dogs anyway, so why not?¡±

    ¡°Cease your arrogance, Ye Qing! I¡¯ll face you!¡±

    A short, thin, and gloomy-looking man finally couldn¡¯t handle the insults any longer¡ªor maybe he just wanted to be the first¡ªand leaped onto the arena. ¡°I am the ¡°Five Tigers Saber¡± Peng San, a middle-stage Astral Refiner. Show me what you¡¯re made of!¡±

    Ye Qing side-eyed him imperiously. ¡°Spare me the introductions. I have no interest in a dead man¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°You will regret your boast!¡± Peng San snarled in anger. But as soon as he finished, Ye Qing¡¯s silhouette abruptly grew transparent.

    ¡°An illusion?¡± Peng San¡¯s eyes widened in shock. He tried to react, his fingers had just wrapped around the hilt of his saber when his neck hurt, and his vision rapidly turned ck. A momentter, he was dead.

    Ye Qing withdrew his arm and kicked Peng San¡¯s headless corpse into the river. There wasn¡¯t a single drop of blood on his hand. He sped his hands behind his back and snorted. ¡°What did I say? Trash. Next!¡±

    ¡°My turn.¡±

    The next moment, a huge, muscr man wielding an equally massive shield let out a might roar and leaped high up into the sky. Such was his strength that the bricks beneath his feet shattered like tofu. When he had reached the highest point, he inclined downward and fell toward Ye Qing with his shield in front of him. It looked like he was nning to squash the young man like a meteor.

    ¡°Well met!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a bark ofughter and leaped into the air as well. He mmed his elbow into the guy¡¯s shield like a hammer and exploded it into pieces just like that. Then, he mmed into the man and turned him into a shower of blood and gore as well.

    Ye Qingnded lightly on the arena looking like he just squashed a fly. Then, he grinned at the audience and said, ¡°Trash. Next!¡±

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡±

    The jianghu warriors hiding amidst the crowd gasped at the oue of the battle. Peng San was famous for his fast saber and his saber art, the Five Tigers Soul Severing Saber. He was supposed to be as fast as the wind and could cut both humans and ghosts like nothing. However, Ye Qing had killed him before he could even draw his saber.

    Of course, one could argue that Ye Qing had attacked Peng San by surprise. In fact, many of them thought exactly that. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the shieldbearer, however. The shieldbearer¡¯s name was Wang Dun, and he was a middle-stage Astral Refiner who was born with supernatural strength. He had crushed countless enemies with his shield and brute strength, and he was so strong that somete-stage Astral Refiners didn¡¯t dare to sh against him head on. However, Ye Qing had shattered both his shield and his body in one strike. Just how strong was the young man¡¯s body?

    ¡°Look at him showing off. He¡¯s already famous, but after today? The entire realm is going to know his name,¡± Chu Nianjiu joked.

    At the top floor of a restaurant, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai, Wei Yueshan, Xu Banren and more were sharing the same table and observing the fight from above.

    Wei Yueshan looked both impressed and envious. Most people wouldn¡¯t know the intricacies, but he was a body-tempering warrior himself. He knew exactly how powerful Ye Qing¡¯s body was. His toughness wasn¡¯t the only factor either. The way he manipted his force during the sh was so exquisite that most warriors wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate it.

    ¡°Xuang, Runyu, Feiyu, you came?¡±

    It was at this moment a couple more people joined them. Fang Xuang and An Runyu were none other than the two warriors who had assisted Ye Qing during the zombie outbreak incident, and Luo Feiliu was one of the Four Gentlemen of Luo Shui.

    ¡°How can we miss a show like this?¡± The first thing Fang Xuang did after reaching the table was to grab Chu Nianjiu¡¯s wine jar and take a deep gulp. ¡°Delicious!¡±

    An Runyu greeted everyone cordially before voicing his worry, ¡°I¡¯ve only met Brother Ye once, but he didn¡¯t give off the impression of a reckless fellow. Why would he take such a terrible risk this time?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai smiled, but didn¡¯t give him an answer. Chu Nianjiu snatched his wine back from Fang Xuang and snorted. ¡°What can a bunch of mice do to Joyless? They could attack him together, and he can still defeat them all with one punch.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s an exaggeration if I ever heard one.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu had just finished talking when a cold hmph came from the stairs. The next moment, Xue Shiwu, Wen Zai and Xu Wushang[1] stepped into view.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Xue Shiwu?¡± Chu Nianjiu said in a displeased voice as he set down his jar.

    ¡°Is this restaurant yours? No? Then why can¡¯t I be here?¡± Xue Shiwu sneered. ¡°Also, this is the perfect spot to enjoy the death of a certain idiot.¡±

    ¡°Haha! You can¡¯t defeat Ye Qing, so you¡¯re hoping that someone would do your dirty work for you? Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I expect from a chickenshit like you,¡± Chu Nianjiu taunted. ¡°Your pipedream is going to remain a pipedream though. I could¡¯ve in these mice by myself, much less Joyless!¡±

    ¡°We will see.¡± Xue Shi hmphed again before taking a seat on the opposite table. Wen Zai greeted the group cordially, but their response was indifferent at best and hostile at worst. He paid it no heed and sat down beside Xue Shiwu.

    ¡°By the way, where is Brother Chen?¡± Fang Xuang asked.

    ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not his nanny.¡± Chu Nianjiu shrugged while leaning against his armrest. ¡°That guy is obsessed with training, so I bet he¡¯s practicing his sword somewhere. I also heard that he¡¯s still investigating his younger brother¡¯s[2] death.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not get into details though. Look! Another guy is about tomit suicide.¡±

    1. He¡¯s the Little Sword King who tried to capture Ye Qing when he first arrived at Luo Shui. ?

    2. After over two hundred chapters, finally¡­ ?

 Chapter 245: Attack Me Together

    Chapter 245: Attack Me Together

    Tap, tap¡­

    A blind old man carrying a bamboo stick slowly stepped out of the crowd. As he tapped the ground, the crowd automatically opened up a path as if the sound of his taps was magical.

    Tap, tap¡­

    The old man walked very, very slowly as if his legs were damaged, but there was some sort of special rhythm behind his footsteps and taps. It drew one¡¯s attention almost like music.

    ¡°Blind Old Man? I wasn¡¯t expecting to see him here.¡± A hint of seriousness entered Chu Nianjiu¡¯szy expression when he saw him.

    ¡°Blind Old Man? Is he famous?¡± Wei Yueshan asked.

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°Very much, and he deserves his reputation. The Blind Old Man normally operates around Hejian and Guangping[1], and he¡¯s a famous killer who would kill anyone for money. Not much is known about his killing methods, only that his victims¡¯ foreheads normally have a red dot on them. That is why he is also known as the ¡®Red Dot¡¯. He shouldn¡¯t be here, but I guess greed is a powerful motivator.¡±

    ¡°Is he really that strong?¡± Wei Yueshan muttered to himself before looking at the old man. After the Astral Refiner had reached the shoreline, he surprised everyone by stepping on the water and continuing forward as if he was walking on solid ground.

    When Blind Old Man tapped the water with his bamboo stick, eighteen water swords suddenly appeared in the air and shot toward Ye Qing. Ye Qing easily swatted them out of existence with a casual wave of his hand, but Blind Old Man ignored the failure and continued what he was doing. First it was eighteen swords, then it was thirty six. Seventy two swords followed afterward, and then it was one hundred and eight.

    ¡°The Thousand Change Gui Water Qi and the Water Maniption True Sutra,¡± Fang Xuangmented after seeing this.

    The Thousand Change Gui Water Qi was one of the seventy two average grade astral qis and a type of Gui Water. As its name might suggest, it could be transformed into anything.

    The Water Maniption True Sutra was the Water Maniption Pce¡¯s ultimate art. It could control water like one¡¯s limbs and fingers.

    ¡°Is Blind Old Man a disciple of the Water Maniption Pce?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± An Runyu shook his head.

    In the arena,Ye Qing either pped or swept the endless rain of water swords with his sleeves. Not a single one managed to get within one meter of him before they were evaporated by his Burning Wind Qi. The shockwaves of his defense even caused a wave to swell in Blind Old Man¡¯s direction.

    Still, Blind Old Man paid it no heed. He stepped over the wave like it was nothing more but an obstacle. When he finally set foot on the arena, Blind Old Man abruptly crossed thirty meters of distance in the blink of an eye and thrust the bamboo stick straight toward Ye Qing¡¯s forehead.

    The attack was sharp and swift as lightning. The attack was simple, but it was unstoppable. It sliced through the water mist and even the thick astral qi surrounding Ye Qing as easily as tofu.

    Blind Old Man¡¯s greatest martial art was neither the rain of swords nor the Water Maniption True Sutra. It was the simple thrust he had practiced countless times in his life.

    A human only lived once. Just the same, one hit in the right ce was all it took to take a person¡¯s life. That was why he had practiced one and only one move since he picked up the sword: the straight thrust. He didn¡¯t include any unnecessary changes or movements to the attack. There was only speed, uracy, sharpness and ruthlessness.

    ¡°What a swift and potent attack! No wonder his victims only had a single red dot on their forehead!¡±

    The audience gasped in shock when they saw the attack. Most of them didn¡¯t think they would be able to stop the attack from connecting, and even if they could, they would have to pay a severe price to do so.

    What shocked them even more, however, was the fact that Ye Qing had stopped the bamboo stick dead in its tracks with just two fingers. It was like he was catching a strand of noodle. It refused to move forward no matter how hard Blind Old Man pushed.

    Crack!

    Ye Qing squeezed and crushed the bamboo stick with his fingers. The thin sword hidden within the stick also shattered into pieces.

    The second the thin sword shattered, Blind Old Man immediately backed away from Ye Qing. He was moving even faster than when he suddenly charged toward Ye Qing in a sudden burst of speed. Unfortunately¡­

    Swoosh!

    He had just reached the edge of the arena when he suddenly wobbled on his feet. It was because a red dot had appeared on his forehead just like all the people he had killed until now. Even more ironic was the fact that he was killed by his own sword. Ye Qing had flicked a metal fragment at him. It was as pitiful as it was ironic.

    Ye Qing sneered without even looking at Blind Old Man¡¯s corpse. ¡°Another trash. Next!¡±

    For a time, there was only dead silence inside and outside the Luo Shui River. After waiting for a bit and finding no more willing victims, Ye Qing engaged his taunt mode once more.

    ¡°Is that it? Is this really the extent of your strength and courage? And you shit eaters thought you could kill me like this? How disappointing!

    ¡°You know what? Fine. I give you permission to attack me many-on-one. Nowe get me!¡±

    Ye Qing crossed his arms and bent his head forty five degrees toward the sky. His expression was carefully arranged into a look of abject scorn and arrogance as well. It was super effective.

    ¡°The arrogance!¡±

    ¡°You are courting death, boy!¡±

    ¡°He thought he could look down on us just because he killed a few people?¡±

    ¡°You dare underestimate the warriors of jianghu? Get him, brothers and sisters!¡±

    Maybe it was because Ye Qing¡¯s attitude and words were too insulting, maybe Ye Qing¡¯s permission spurred them into thinking that they stood a chance if they attacked him together, or maybe it was both. Regardless, at least a dozen jianghu warriorsunched themselves toward Ye Qing from every direction.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°The Crying Boy, Lady Pear Blossom, Growth and Wither, Ghastly Willow¡­¡±

    At the restaurant, Chu Nianjiu and the others turned pale. ¡°Has Joyless gone insane!?¡±

    Every name he recited was a famous and powerfulte-stage Astral Refiner in Tian Yong. While the rest of the group were weaker, even the weakest of them was an Astral Refiner. Forget an Astral Refiner, even a Spirit Purifier would have to get out of harm¡¯s way.

    With that in mind, what the hell was Ye Qing thinking? Did his victories get into his head, or were the attackers hired actors or something?

    Lin Yuhuai, Fang Xuang, An Runyun and more all looked worried and puzzled.

    ¡°Hahaha! He thought he¡¯s invincible just because he killed a few useless pieces of trash!¡± On the other side, Xue Shiwu let out a bark ofughter. ¡°He overestimates his power[2]!¡±

    Wen Zai looked like he was smiling, but the veins popping on the back of his hand betrayed his true feelings. He wanted Ye Qing dead, but only if Wang Luori was the killer. If Ye Qing died in another person¡¯s hands, then Wang Luori would surely punish him for it.

    What the fuck is wrong with this guy? Is he really so reckless and arrogant that he couldn¡¯t recognize the sheer folly of his actions?

    Some people were happy, and some people were worried. Ye Qing himself was perfectly calm, however.

    He opened his mouth and spat out Lightning Bolt. One of the attackers were immediately crushed into bits.

    While Lightning Bolt was cutting through the air, Ye Qing charged toward his opponents and grabbed the head of a swordsman, crushing it like a watermelon.

    That was all he managed to do before a spear, a halberd, a hook and a battle axe attacked him from four different directions.

    The spear was known as the Sorrowful Spear. The wind howled mournfully as it thrust toward Ye Qing.

    The halberd was known as the Joyful Halberd. When it cut through the air, it sounded like someone wasughing on top of their lungs.

    The hook was known as the Parting Hook. It was shaped like a crescent, and it was both fast and unexpected. One second you were saying goodbye, and the next your head had already left your shoulders.

    The battle axe was the Union Axe. The axe style was fluid and majestic.

    The four attackers were the four famous brothers, Sorrow, Joy, Parting and Union. They were also quadruplets. Their cooperation was perfect because they shared a sixth sense with each other, and theirbined attack cut off any possible retreat for Ye Qing.

    However, Ye Qing¡¯s silhouette flickered in multiple directions as if it was splitting apart before four Ye Qings appeared behind the four brothers. A swing of the saberter, and all four brothers were beheaded just like that.

    ¡°Haha¡­ trash!¡±

    Ye Qing flicked his de once before splitting into even more afterimages. They appeared up, down, left, right, behind someone, beside someone, or even above their heads. For a time, it looked like they were fighting an army of Ye Qings. One thing for certain, every time his saber shed, someone would drop to the ground and died.

    And so everyone watched in astonishment as Ye Qing cut down his attackers like they were nothing more but wheats. Luo Shui was packed with people, but now only a handful of them were still standing. The rest had copsed on the ground or into the river, dying the bluish green waters red.

    ¡°He can¡¯t have much energy left! Let¡¯s get him together!¡±

    Crying Boy, Lady Pear Blossom, Growth and Wither, and Ghastly Willow hadn¡¯t participated in the attack because they didn¡¯t want to appear dishonorable in public, but now? Now, there was no time to consider such things. Someone growled out the order, and Ghastly Willow attacked first by waving his willow branch and growing multiple willow trees on the arena.

    The willow trees were grayish ck in color, and their twisted branches looked like snarling faces. It was the Hatred-ss Stranger, the Ghost Willow. When the trees dissolved into nothing, their branches and leaves were scattered all over the ce.

    Amidst the willow leaves, Lady Pear Blossom danced as elegantly as a celestial from the moon. The way her limbs twisted and turned with supernatural grace, her sleeves flew elegantly across the air, and the pear blossoms clinging to her curvaceous body allbined into a potent poison that could easily suck out the soul of a weak-willed man.

    ¡°Sky Demon Dance¡±

    But Ye Qing was neither weak-willed nor unprepared for a mental attack. While visualizing the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to protect his mind from her influence, he made a beeline for her. All the willow branches and leaves in his path were crushed with insulting ease.

    The Ghost Willow¡¯s strengthy in its willow branches and leaves. It could turn intangible, pass into a person¡¯s body, and fill up their insides to suffocate them. It was an excellent assassination tool, but not so much against someone who was prepared against it.

    When Lady Pear Blossom saw that Ye Qing was rushing her, she twirled on her feet and surrounded herself inyers uponyers of force. When Ye Qing entered its range, he suddenly felt like he was wading through a swamp.

    ¡°Hoo¡­¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t back down, however. Sucking in a deep breath, he focused his qi, essence and spirit and threw a punch. No one and nothing could stand in his way!

    ¡°Break Through¡±

    The punch force punched through both theyers of force and Lady Pear Blossom¡¯s torso. It was like they were made of paper!

    1. Both are counties of Tianyong. ?

    2. I totally didn¡¯t trante this thinking of a certain meme. ?

 Chapter 246: Like Winter Killing A Plain

    Chapter 246: Like Winter Killing A in

    Ye Qing¡¯s vigor was temporarily spent after unleashing that punch. It was at this moment a Ghost Willow behind his back suddenly withered to reveal an old man with hair that was half-ck and half-white, and a face that was half-full and half-aged. Hended a palm strike against his back, and the healthy half of the old man¡¯s body abruptly started withering at a rapid rate. A rotten, withering energy poured into Ye Qing¡¯s body and withered his flesh and blood as well.

    ¡°The Growth Wither Palm? You¡¯re Growth and Wither?¡± Ye Qing staggered a little as he asked.

    ¡°It is I. Allow me to send you to the king of hell,¡± Growth and Wither answered. As it turned out, his voice was half youthful and half ancient as well. It was odd to say the least.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me! Kekeke¡­¡±

    A boy wearing a red burial shirt and a white burial hat appeared on top of Ye Qing and struck him with a mourning stick. He was Crying Boy.

    Bang!

    Ye Qing struggled to regain his bnce as his mind wobbled, and his consciousness grew dim. At the same time, Growth and Wither seized the opportunity tounch another palm strike at Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing¡¯s eyes suddenly erupted with brilliant light. He caught Growth and Wither¡¯s arm before the attack couldnd and pulled him toward him. While the old man was stumbling toward him, Ye Qing mmed his elbow into his chest and ripped his arm right off the socket. While Growth and Wither was screaming in pain, Ye Qing swung the arm at Crying Boy¡¯s head¡ªthe Astral Refiner was attempting to ambush him from behind¡ªand burst it like a watermelon. His body flew back and hit the ground with a dull thud.

    ¡°Pooh!¡±

    Ye Qing spat out a blood spittle and grinned. ¡°Clearly, your head isn¡¯t as tough as mine.¡±

    After Crying Boy was dead, Ye Qing looked at Ghastly Willow slowly backing away from him with a look of utter shock on his face. ¡°Would you like to test the hardness of my head as well?¡±

    Ghastly Willow was a pale-looking young man in the first ce, but now he looked as pale as a ghost. After giving Ye Qing a smile that looked uglier than a cry, he abruptly turned around and took off like a rabbit.

    ¡°Hahaha! Cough! Cough¡­¡± Ye Qingughed maniacally even as he coughed up blood. He looked as fearless as he was unrestrained.

    ¡°Is there anyone else? Cough! Cough! Bunch of trash. I already look like this, and still you didn¡¯t dare to attack me. I truly feel ashamed for y¡¯all.¡±

    Ye Qingughed wantonly and arrogantly. ¡°Chickenshits like you should go back home and feed the pigs instead of staining the jianghu with your presence!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is he doing? Is he actually suicidal?¡± Chu Nianjiu eximed in shock and worry.

    ¡°He¡¯s obviously on hisst legs. Let¡¯s get him together, people!¡± Someone shouted all of a sudden, and Ye Qing purposely stumbled to add fuel to fire. It was enough to spur even more jianghu warriors to act. An even bigger group from before leaped over to the arena and filled it with no time. Ye Qing looked like a grain of sand that was about to be washed away by the tidal wave of people at any moment.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    It was at this moment an explosive roar and a flood of bloodthirst erupted from the middle of the crowd. A shter, every single warrior in the arena abruptly split into two. It was like the winter engulfing a in and killing every flora and fauna in it.

    BOOM

    The light mmed into the river and kicked up a tidal wave that was over fifty meters tall. When it settled, Ye Qing was the only one still standing on the tform. Everyone else was as dead as a dodo, and some of the weaker ones were annihted so thoroughly that they didn¡¯t even leave a body behind.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    For a time, no one could say anything. They could only stared at the man wearing a bronze mask in stunned silence. It was an understandable sentiment. How could anyone form the words to express their shock right now? If anything, speechlessness was probably the truest expression of their feelings.

    ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± Ye Qing took off the Bronze Tiger Head and asked with bloodshot eyes, ¡°Dogs and chickens, all of them. Can¡¯t even take a hit from me.¡±

    ¡°Is there anyone else who would like to face me?¡± ¡°ANYONE?¡±

    Ye Qing slowly swept his gaze across the crowd. Everyone who met his eyes shivered and subconsciously backed away from him.

    ¡°Is there no one? Hehehe¡­¡±

    Every time Ye Qing¡¯s blood dripped onto the Bronze Tiger Head in his head, it would evaporate and turn into an invisible yet unstoppable ripple of bloodthirst. Combined with the countless bodies in the arena, it made Ye Qing looked like a god or demon incarnate.

    ¡°I¡¯m grievously injured, my vigor is stuttering, and true qi is mostly depleted right now. All in all, I am already at my limit. Are you sure you guys don¡¯t want to give it another go?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe the next jianghu warrior will be able to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Think about it. If you kill me, the Spirit Purification stage martial art, pill and Hatred-ss Strange Artifact will all go to you. Oh, I have a lot of good stuff on my person as well. I have many Astral Refinement stage martial arts, Hatred-ss strange Artifacts and more. If you kill me, then it will all be all yours.¡±

    Ye Qing kept enticing the shitless jianghu warriors like a bonafide demon. ¡°Are you tempted? Come get me then. You won¡¯t get a better opportunity than this. What are you waiting for? Come get me!¡±

    ¡°Wow, you guys are bores. If you guys aren¡¯t going to attack me, then I¡¯m just going to leave.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m taking a step! I¡¯m taking another step! Oh no, the edge is getting closer and closer!¡±

    Fucking leave already! Do you really think we¡¯re stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice? Just quit trying to trick us and leave already!

    Everyone rolled their eyes at Ye Qing¡¯s antics, but some people were tempted to test their luck. What if he really was on hisst legs, right?

    Buzz¡­

    Suddenly, every sword in the vicinity¡ªthe ones lying on the ground, the river, the scabbard and even those that were being held¡ªstarted shaking unnaturally.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Why is my sword reacting on its own?¡±

    Everyone exchanged confused nces with each other. The next moment, the swords abruptly soared into the sky and formed a metallic bridge that connected the shore to the arena.

    A young man wearing a blood red robe and carrying a blood red sword stepped out of the crowd. When he stepped on the bridge, the swords immediately vibrated like they were weing his arrival.

    ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± Chu Nianjiu abruptly shot to his feet. ¡°He can¡¯t possibly be¡­?¡±

    ¡°The Sword Gentleman!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Sword Gentleman!¡±

    ¡°Why is Chen Cang here?¡±

    ¡°He¡­ wants to kill Ye Qing? But why? Is he aiming for the bounty as well? Or does he have some other objective?¡±

    A cacophony of chatter filled the restaurant then. Chen Cang, the Sword Gentleman, was a legendary figure in Luo Shui as a matter of course. Despite his humble beginnings, he was an Innate Immacte Swordsmaster who was born to wield the sword in both mind and body. The head of the Blood Shadow Pce himself had discovered him and taken him as an inner disciple.

    Obsessed with the sword, he lived his whole life with only the sword as hispanion. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he lived and died for the sword. He was also praised as a once-in-a-century genius in the Way of the Sword.

    Chen Cang was incredibly difficult to find not just because he was reclusive, but also because he spent most of his time training in the mountains. Naturally, he rarely mingled with the masses, much less took part in a noisy event like this, which added to the mysticism surrounding his person. No one except maybe Fang Xuang expected him to show up for this showdown.

    ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯m going to ask him what the hell he¡¯s plotting.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu pped the table and tried to leap off the building. However, Xue Shiwu blocked his way as soon as he made a move. ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that, Lord Chu.¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Xue Shiwu?¡± Chu Nianjiu frowned deeply.

    Xue Shiwu replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good, Lord Chu. Chief Gu himself had given his word that the Pacification Bureau won¡¯t interfere with this showdown in any way. You¡¯re not going to break his word and besmirch the reputation of the Pacification Bureau, are you?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu wanted to say something, but Lin Yuhuai pulled him back and said, ¡°Calm down, Nianjiu. Let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡±

    The Wine Gentleman grunted but returned to his seat. Xue Shiwu let out a boisterous, arrogantugh.

    ¡°Sword Gentleman Chen Cang?¡± Ye Qing was a bit surprised to see him here. There was no reason for the man to be here unless¡­ Is he here for his brother, Chen Zheng?

    Chen Zheng was the one and only intersection point between him and Chen Cang. Otherwise, they had never even met each other until now. Considering Chen Cang¡¯s temperament, he probably wasn¡¯t the type of person to let others do his dirty work, meaning that he was most likely here for Chen Zheng.

    But how did Chen Cang figure out that he was behind Chen Zheng¡¯s death? It was the perfect crime!

    Chen Cang asked with a cool, icy expression, ¡°I am Chen Cang. Are you Ye Qing?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± You¡¯re stepping on this tform when you don¡¯t even recognize me?

    ¡°Are you from August Hill Vige?¡± Chen Cang continued before Ye Qing could answer.

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly denied, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Chen Cang replied slowly, ¡°There¡¯s no point denying it. I know that you¡¯re Ye Qing of August Hill Vige.¡±

    ¡°I investigated August Hill Vige¡¯s household register before, and there is a Ye Qing in it. You appeared in Anyang not long after a disaster befell August Hill Vige. It¡¯s quite the coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Ye Qing is a great name, but it¡¯s hardly an umon name. Luo Shui alone probably has a couple hundred Ye Qings. What on earth makes you think that I am Ye Qing of August Hill Vige? Don¡¯t you think that your deduction is a little too flimsy, Brother Chen?¡±

    Chen Cang remained expressionless. ¡°That is why I made a point to visit Little August Vige. The vige was destroyed, but Little August Hill is still around. That is why I went there and interrogated a few intelligent Strangers. And guess what? Some of them have seen you before. They even drew me a portrait so I can identify you.¡±

    ¡°You are a perfect match with the man in the portrait, so you must be Ye Qing of August Hill Vige.¡±

    Ah shit, I can¡¯t believe I forgot about that! Ye Qing rubbed his nose before asking, ¡°So what if I hail from August Hill Vige? Is that a crime?¡±

    Chen Cang nodded. ¡°Your admission is all I need. I have a younger brother named Chen Zheng. He¡¯s dead.¡±

    ¡°So? What does it have to do with me?¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    Chen Cang said coldly, ¡°ording to Windcatcher Chu Nianjiu, you were with my brother when he passed away. But somehow, you¡¯re still alive. Do you think that¡¯s fair?¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t be bothered to defend himself at this point, so he taunted, ¡°What do you mean ¡®that¡¯s fair¡¯? I lived because I was lucky, while Chen Zheng died because he was unlucky enough to run into a powerful Stranger. It¡¯s that simple.¡±

    Chen Cang shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Chen Zheng was killed by a Stranger. All I know is that he¡¯s dead, and you are still alive.¡±

    ¡°Whether or not you¡¯re telling the truth, you were there when he died. Therefore, you should¡¯ve died with him.¡±

    ¡°The reason I¡¯m here is to rectify that mistake!¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ they shouldn¡¯t have named you the Sword Gentleman. Crazy Bastard fits you much better!¡± Ye Qing sneered. ¡°Come get me then. From the moment you set foot in this arena, there is only life or death!¡±

    Chen Cang didn¡¯t get angry despite Ye Qing¡¯s taunt. He replied indifferently, ¡°This is how my Way and sword is, and I don¡¯t think I am wrong. So, die.¡±

 Chapter 247: Rising To The Clouds, Challenging the Gates Of The Sky

    Chapter 247: Rising To The Clouds, Challenging the Gates Of The Sky

    ¡°Ye Qing¡­ is that Ye Qing?!¡±

    Ye Qing and Chen Cang hadn¡¯t tried to keep their conversation private, so everyone could hear it as clear as day.

    Most people looked confused due to theck of details, but not Chu Nianjiu. He was the only one who knew exactly what the duo were talking about. He was having trouble equating this Ye Qing to the goodie-two-shoes he encountered back at August Hill Vige though.

    When he met Ye Qing at August Hill Vige, he was still a no-name Qi Invoker. Not even a year had passed, and the young man was now a famous hero in Luo Shui. Who would believe him even if he told them the truth?

    This was the reason Chu Nianjiu thought that Ye Qing looked a bit familiar, but never put two and two together. It made him feel really stupid, so stupid that he didn¡¯t recover even though the duo were already shing against one another.

    In the arena, Chen Cang was thrusting his sword toward Ye Qing. It was neither fast, urgent, unpredictable nor treacherous like the sword style the disciples of Blood Shadow Pce normally practiced. That wasn¡¯t to say that Chen Cang¡¯s attack wascking, however. Quite the contrary, his sword qi was washing out of his body like an inferno, and they carved through the tough stone of the arena as easily as tofu.

    Chen Cang¡¯s astral qi was one of the thirty six superior grade astral qis, the Taibai Gengjin Sword Qi. It fell under Metal of the Five Elements, and it was sharp enough to cut through anything.

    The Taibai Gengjin Sword Qi didn¡¯t possess any other qualities besides unparalleled sharpness, but this alone made it one of the most suitable astral qis for a swordsman.

    After all, a swordsman wielding a sharp de was all that was needed to cut the sky and divide the earth!

    Even with Ye Qing¡¯s physique, he couldn¡¯t help but feel chilled all over as Chen Cang¡¯s impossibly sharp astral qi washed over him. It easily shredded his Burning Wind and left dozens of flesh wounds on his body.

    The good news was that it only looked bad. None of the wounds were deep enough to impact his ability to fight.

    The arena was only so big, and the sword qi was blowing everywhere. It made it impossible for Ye Qing to use ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±. But he wasn¡¯t nning to. Since he came to this world, he had never been afraid to engage an enemy in a battle of brute force.

    While bleeding like a pig, Ye Qing threw punch after punch at Chen Cang. Strong as a dragon elephant and possessed by rock solid determination, Ye Qing kept marching forward each time his fist force shattered a swath of sword qis.

    However, his momentum came to a halt when he was about three meters away from Chen Cang. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked like he was being pushed hard by a strong gale. But from Ye Qing¡¯s perspective, it felt like he was trying to push through a mountain. The sword qis were so dense they were practically solid, and there were zero weaknesses that he could spot. The only way to continue forward¡­ was to break through the mountain of sword qi by force.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ strong!¡±

    At the restaurant, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and more were staring at the sh of sword qi and fist force with varying looks of astonishment. It felt like a disaster was taking ce at the center of the arena, not a fight.

    Both Ye Qing and Chen Cang werete-stage Astral Refiners, and yet their sh didn¡¯t look like it at all. They would have believed it if their senses were blocked, and someone told them that it was a sh between Spirit Purifiers.

    A short whileter, Chu Nianjiu said with a frown, ¡°Joyless is in danger.¡±

    ¡°Why? They¡¯re still locked in a stalemate, aren¡¯t they?¡± Wei Yueshan tore himself away from the magnificent battle and looked at Chu Nianjiu, puzzled.

    Chu Nianjiu replied, ¡°I¡¯ve sparred with the sword maniac many times in the past, so I know exactly how strong he is.¡±

    ¡°Chen Cang¡¯s vessel augmentation is perfect, so his reservoir of astral qi is greater than most. He currently cultivates a cultivation art called the ¡®Five Green Peaks¡¯ that uses the weight of five hills to nurture one¡¯s sword qi. As a result, the thickness and volume of his sword qi is several times greater than your average Astral Refiner. It excels in prolonged fights and could supposedly keep the practitioner in tip-top shape even after three days of fighting.¡±

    ¡°However, Joyless just fought a terrible battle, so he is exhausted both physically and mentally. It hasn¡¯t been long since he entered thete-stage of the Astral Refinement stage either. On the other hand, Chen Cang is an endurance-type warrior and a veterante-stage Astral Refiner. He has spent several years honing himself at this cultivation level and could be counted as a Half-Step Spirit Purifier.¡±

    ¡°You can see why I say that Joyless is in danger.¡±

    As if on cue, the flood of sword qi started pushing Ye Qing back little by little. And every time he took a step back, Chen Cang would push forward, and the sword qi would grow just a little thicker.

    Three stepster, the sword qi converged into one giant cloud in the sky, and Chen Cang thrust his sword forward. Like water pouring out of a broken dam, the sword qi gushed toward Ye Qing like an unstoppable tide.

    ¡°Five Blue Peak: Rush¡±

    After unleashing the attack, Chen Cang withdrew his sword and watched quietly as the flood of sword qi threatened to overwhelm Ye Qing. A cold glint flickered behind his eyes.

    It¡¯s over.

    Honestly, he wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to be able to force out his full strength despite all the battles he had fought earlier. It would be a good death if nothing else.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered with inspiration as he stared at the river of sword qi surging toward him. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, clenched the energies inside and outside his body, and gathered his aura. Then, he punched the ground in front of him. A whole chunk of the arena floor flipped into the air and divided the stream of sword qi at the center.

    ¡°Divide¡±

    Then, the torrent of sword qi poured back to Chen Cang faster and more furious than before.

    Boom!

    Caught off guard, Chen Cang wasn¡¯t able to defend himself before his own sword qi mmed into himself. The mountain of sword qi protecting him immediately shook unsteadily.

    As soon as the flood of sword qi ended, Ye Qing ran up to Chen Cang and threw a punch.

    ¡°Break Through¡±

    If his fist could punch through formations, then of course it could break a mountain as well.

    ¡°Break Through¡± only had one move, but that was enough. It emphasized on focusing all of one¡¯s strength and spirit into one point to shatter anything and everything in its path.

    If the mountain of sword qi hadn¡¯t suffered a powerful blow earlier, then maybe it could¡¯ve blocked this attack. As it was, Ye Qing¡¯s fist force pierced right through and was headed straight toward Chen Cang¡¯s chest.

    To Chen Cang¡¯s credit, his reaction speed was top-notch. He raised his sword and was able to block the fist force at thest second. Despite this, Ye Qing¡¯s dragon elephant strength and enormous force still shook his whole body like a drum and sent him stumbling backward.

    Every time he took a step, hisplexion would redden just a tad. His energies were jumping all over the ce, and he was steaming like a kettle.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    While Chen Cang was busy stabilizing his energies,Ye Qing rushed forward like a river andnded a powerful punch on Chen Cang¡¯s stomach. He followed up the attack with many, many more punches until Chen Cang finally flew over the edge and crashed into the river. The wave he kicked up was just as tall as the one caused by the Bronze Tiger Head earlier, though the water evaporated into mist before it could fall back into the river.

    Plop!

    A few breathster, a man jumped out of the river andnded on a nearby rooftop. He was none other than Chen Cang. Drenched, weakened, and severely injured, he looked like he needed medical attention even more than Ye Qing.

    ¡°I underestimated you, Ye Qing, so this is my loss. However, I must have revenge for my younger brother, so wait for me. I will see you again.¡±

    With that said, Chen Cang left without looking back.

    ¡°He¡­ lost? The Sword Gentleman lost!¡±

    ¡°Chen Cang actually lost to Ye Qing!¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Everyone felt like they were dreaming. This wasn¡¯t a random jianghu warrior they were talking about. Chen Cang was one of the four Gentlemen of Luo Shui and strongest warriors in the younger generation of Luo Shui. Despite this, Ye Qing still managed to defeat him with one decisive strike.

    It wasn¡¯t like Chen Cang was undeserving of his reputation. The fact that he managed to walk away alive proved that he was a cut above all the others who had fought Ye Qing before him.

    ¡°The sword maniac is hurt! Grievously hurt!¡±

    At the restaurant, Chu Nianjiu was beyond astonished as well. He was in Ye Qing¡¯s corner as a matter of course, but he never thought that Chen Cang would lose considering the circumstances. Moreover, Chen Cang was a man who would never give up on his objective unless he had no other choice. He was as stubborn as he was obsessed with the sword. The fact that he gave up and ran away proved that he was truly pushed to his limits.

    ¡°Lord Ye¡­ what a formidable man he is!¡± Fang Xuang praised and sipped his wine, eyes burning with fighting spirit.

    On the other side, Xue Shiwu was ashen-faced with anger, hatred¡­ and wariness. Ye Qing¡¯s prowess had exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations.

    Wen Zai was hiding a sigh of relief even though he was the one who indirectly caused all this.

    A shame. If only he is as stupid as he¡¯s insane! Ye Qing thought in disappointment. He could have forcefully pushed through Chen Cang¡¯s sword qi at the beginning, but he decided to y up his weakness so that the swordsman would underestimate him. He was hoping that the element of surprise would be enough to seal Chen Cang¡¯s demise.

    Unfortunately, Chen Cang was stronger than he looked. Not only did he withstand the barrage, he didn¡¯t hesitate to book it as soon as he realized that he would not be able to win. It was almost unimaginable that this was the same guy who wanted to kill him just because he happened to be at the same ce and time as his brother.

    Well, his unexpected interference is helpful though, so I shan¡¯t resent him too much.

    Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into an evil smirk.

    ¡°So? Is there anyone else who would like to kill me?¡±

    He wiped the blood on his mouth and bared his teeth. ¡°You can attack me together or try and tire me out one by one. I don¡¯t mind. Come get me!¡±

    ¡°No one? Well, there¡¯s still time, so don¡¯t hurry on my ount. I need to collect my loot anyway.¡±

    He then bent down and started looting the bodies as if there wasn¡¯t an entire throng of crowd watching him from all sides. You could practically smell the jealousy and awkwardness as they watched him putting away the Nature¡¯s Shell, Strange Artifacts, martial arts manuals and more.

    When Ye Qing had looted all the bodies, he wiped his hand¡¯s on a corpse¡¯s shirt and stood up. Face arranged into an expression of abject disappointment, he asked, ¡°Will no one give me the defeat I so sought? How disappointing!¡±

    ¡°Jianghu, they say¡­ hehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Warriors, they im¡­ tsk tsk¡­¡±

    Ye Qing sped his hands behind his back and slowly circled the arena as he bared his disdain for all to see.

    ¡°I suddenly feel like punching him myself,¡± Chu Nianjiu rolled his eyes when he saw this. His sentiment was shared by everyone at the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s impressive though, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lin Yuhuai smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t we all dream of bing a warrior like this someday?¡±

    ¡°To challenge it all with courage higher than the heavens,

    To drink blood and wine, y evil and end unwanted ties,

    To rise to the clouds and challenge the gate of the sky,

    And to be known as a warrior and a hero of the ages.

    If this isn¡¯t the dream, then what is?¡±

    ¡°The dream indeed! This deserves to be celebrated with a full cup of wine!¡± Chu Nianjiu, An Runyu and the others smiled widely as they echoed in agreement. They looked as happy as Xue Shiwu was furious.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand that brat. Do you wanna go teach him a lesson, Brother Zhou?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Brother Zhou. That kid must be way past his limits after so many battles. If you jump in now, you might just be able to lob off the fucker¡¯s head. When that happens, the Way of Taiping¡¯s reward will go to you, and you¡¯ll be known as the man who defeated the infamous Patrolman. What¡¯s not to like?¡±

    Inside a boat, a couple of jianghu warriors were trying to goad a man wearing dirty, tattered robes into attacking Ye Qing. He looked very youthful despite his grayish white hair, and he was dozing off on his chair right now.

    ¡°Oh really? Why don¡¯t you guys go get him then? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± The dirty-looking man yawned. ¡°Even Chen Cang, the Sword Gentleman is no match for him. Even in his current state, he could absolutely eat me for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°I, Zhou Mengdie, am an expert in killing someone in their sleep, not dreaming so hard that I would confuse it with reality.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Lei Zhao? You were cheering on your fellow idiots pretty hard just now. Why don¡¯t you try throwing your Thunder God Bomb onto the arena. Who knows, it might just be thest straw that kills him.¡±

    Lei Zhao was a quiet man with a square, honest-looking face. He shook his head and immediately started bullshitting, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my bombs today. Why don¡¯t you go, Ghost Whisperer? You recently reached the adept level in the ¡®Ghost Whispering Sutra¡¯, didn¡¯t you? Just invoke a Ghost King and annihte the brat.¡±

    Ghost Whisperer was a small, thin man with a massive, millstone-sized head. While shaking his head from side to side, he replied in a strange voice, ¡°Nah. I checked the calendar this morning, and it says that my luck is bad today. It would be embarrassing if I went on stage and failed to invite a Ghost King, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Tsk. You can¡¯t evene up with a convincing excuse, and you think you can goad me into fighting Ye Qing? Eat shit, you fuckers.¡± Zhou Mengdie clicked his tongue disdainfully before shutting his eyes once more.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was still taunting everyone in the arena, ¡°Tian Yong is such a big ce, and yet there isn¡¯t a single person out there who can kill me? Chickens and dogs, all of you!¡±

    ¡°What an absurd jianghu this is! Hahaha! Just absurd!¡±

    When the time was right, Ye Qing taunted the crowd onest time before leaping off the arena. The people subconsciously opened up a path and stayed well out of Ye Qing¡¯s way. Not a single person dared to make so much as a squeak as the young man slowly walked toward the distance.

    Ye Qing was about halfway down the road when suddenly, he turned limp and copsed on the floor, unconscious.

 Chapter 248: End Murder With Murder

    Chapter 248: End Murder With Murder

    ¡°Not good!¡±

    ¡°We need to save him!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu¡¯s table was silent for an instant. Then, they shot to their feet and tried to rush to Ye Qing¡¯s rescue. However, Xue Shiwu¡¯s table ¡°coincidentally¡± got in the way and prevented them from getting to Ye Qing in time.

    At the same time, three jianghu warriors suddenly pounced toward unconscious Ye Qing with every intention to kill him.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    They had just reached Ye Qing when a man suddenly appeared over the Patrolman and waved his hand casually. The attackers immediately exploded into showers of blood and gore.

    He was none other than Gu Suitang.

    Gu Suitang lifted Ye Qing by the scruff of his neck and cast a cold look at the surrounding people. ¡°You were given every opportunity to kill him just now, but you were too scaredy-cat to meet in the arena. Now that he¡¯s out of the arena and unconscious, you guys immediately jumped on him like a pack of hyenas. Spineless cowards, that¡¯s who you are.¡±

    ¡°What happens in the arena stays in the arena, but what happens outside the arena falls under the Pacification Bureau¡¯s jurisdiction. Starting now, I will tear anyone who so much as lifts a finger in the wrong direction to pieces. Just try me.¡±

    The only response he got was dead silence.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Gu Suitang left with the unconscious Ye Qing after that.

    After he returned to the Pacification Bureau, Gu Suitang dropped Ye Qing on the ground and saidzily, ¡°There¡¯s no one around. You can stop pretending now.¡±

    ¡°Come on, chief. I¡¯m hurt from head to toe, you know?¡± Ye Qing grimaced as he climbed back to his feet and sat down beside a nearby chair.

    ¡°You brought this on yourself.¡± Gu Suitang rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Anyway, are you really going to leave Luo Shui? The me doesn¡¯t lie with you, you know. So long as you are still in the Pacification Bureau, I, Gu Suitang, swear on my name that no one cany a finger on you or force you to do anything you dislike.¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled, but it sounded mirthless and resigned. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know I¡¯m meless, but the people of Luo Shui are also innocent. Right now, I¡¯m a typhoon who puts everyone around me in trouble whether I like it or not. The only way to protect the people¡­ is if I leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°Plus, I¡¯ve already taken out my frustration on my wrongdoers and squeezed them for all their worth. There is no need to y with these idiots any longer. I just need to leave Luo Shui and wait a year or two for the matter to die down, and Luo Shui will be open to me once more.¡±

    ¡°Fair. Unnecessary risk is unnecessary.¡±

    Gu Suitang nodded. ¡°But are you sure you want to leave tonight? Isn¡¯t that a little too soon?¡±

    A smirk crossed Ye Qing¡¯s lips as he leanedzily against the chair. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s just right.¡±

    ¡°Everyone saw me falling unconscious in public today. They would never think that I would leave Luo Shui tonight. By the time they caught on to our ruse, the trail would¡¯ve turned cold a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Heh. You¡¯re ying all of Luo Shui and the jianghu like a fiddle. I have no doubt you¡¯ll be a man to be reckoned with if you survive this tribtion, Joyless,¡± Gu Suitang praised from the bottom of his heart.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t really care about that, but I do know that I¡¯m an exceptionally narrow-minded person. When I¡¯m strong enough, I¡¯m going to murder every single one of these chickenshits to thest person.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You sure dream big for someone so young. Let¡¯s focus on your survival first, shall we?¡± Gu Suitang shook his head before saying, ¡°Go rest up in our secret room. I¡¯ll make the announcement and arrange your departure.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, chief,¡± Ye Qing said before following Gu Suitang into the Pacification Bureau¡¯s secret room.

    A silhouette outside the window disappeared after they were gone.

    ¡­¡­

    Inside the secret room, Ye Qing asked, ¡°Are you sure the spy will send the message, chief?¡±

    Gu Suitang confirmed, ¡°He definitely will. He¡¯s the one who leaked what you did at Sky Gate Abyss to your enemies. I see no reason why he wouldn¡¯t do the same this time.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this though? It¡¯s even riskier than your crazy arena idea!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked a smirk that didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not the one who started this. If they want to y, then I¡¯ll y. It¡¯s the only way to end this farce once and for all.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough though. I need to go and make some preparations. Please cover my exit, chief.¡±

    Gu Suitang pped him on the back of his head and rebuked him jokingly, ¡°Who do you think you are? I¡¯m your boss, dammit!¡±

    Every time I take one of these ps, I feel like I lost more than a few brain cells. No wonder Wei Yueshan is so dumb.

    Ye Qing grumbled internally as he put on a cheeky smile. ¡°I can¡¯t help it that you¡¯re so capable, chief! Plus, I¡¯m doing this for the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    Gu Suitang sneered. ¡°Sure, keep telling yourself that. Anyway, do whatever you want. It¡¯s not like I can stop you once you¡¯ve set your mind on something. Just make sure you don¡¯t identally throw away your life in the process.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you worry about that. I cherish my life more than you think.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Inside a small diner, Tang Shi eximed in surprise, ¡°Lord Ye? You¡¯re not dead?¡±

    Ye Qing had donned a disguise before he exited the Pacification Bureau, but Tang Shi had very sharp eyes. He saw through the disguise practically the minute he saw him.

    ¡°No. But you might be dead if you don¡¯t control your mouth,¡± Ye Qing red at the stall owner. He was this close to saying fuck it and murder the guy.

    ¡°Ahem. Sorry.¡± Tang Shi coughed to cover up his embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s just that everyone and their mothers said that you¡¯re dead. Some people said that you died before you returned to the Pacification Bureau because of the wounds you took from the Sword Gentleman, some said that you were in a deepa, and it¡¯s uncertain if you¡¯ll ever awake, and some even said that the Pacification Bureau is in the process of preparing your funeral¡­¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Old Gu sure is a fast and efficient worker.

    Obviously, Gu Suitang was the one behind this. It was so that they could carry out the next step of their n.

    ¡°Are you¡­ truly fine, Lord Ye?¡± Tang Shi looked Ye Qing up and down like he was looking at a monster. And how could he not? Ye Qing had killed at least dozens ofte-stage Astral Refiners and even defeated the famous Sword Gentleman Chen Cang, and yet the man was sitting opposite of him and drinking tea like he was perfectly fine.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ye Qing sipped his tea to wet his throat before continuing, ¡°And let¡¯s cut to the chase. I came to ask for your help with something.¡±

    ¡°Okay? What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving Luo Shui tonight.¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving Luo Shui?¡± Tang Shi blurted.

    ¡°I dare you to scream that again.¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Tang Shi before confirming, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Tang Shi let out an awkwardugh even as he realized that he wasn¡¯t acting like himself. Thank goodness this diner was mostly empty and somewhat out of the way, or this would be a very awkward conversation indeed. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Although you managed to intimidate the jianghu for now, the human heart is a fickle thing. Who knows when these people would find their courage and try again?¡±

    ¡°But why are you telling me this? Wait, you¡¯re not nning to¡­¡±

    A terrifying possibility suddenly urred to Tang Shi. He¡¯s not nning to silence me, is he?

    Tang Shi broke out in cold sweat as he grabbed a talisman. He looked like he might take off if Ye Qing so much as twitch in the wrong direction.

    ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Ye Qing realized what Tang Shi was misunderstanding and rolled his eyes. Do I look like the type who kills anyone without reason?

    ¡°I want you to spread the fact that I¡¯m leaving tonight.¡±

    ¡°You what?¡± Tang Shi felt like his surprise was neverending. ¡°I apologize for what I¡¯m about to say, but have you gone mad?¡±

    Ye Qing replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°No, I¡¯m not crazy. In any case, all you need to do is to spread the rumor.¡±

    Tang Shi wrestled with the insane idea for a bit. Then, realization struck him like thunder. ¡°Are you plotting something bad again, my lord?¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes again. Why do you have to make it sound like that? I¡¯m just trying to save my own life, okay?

    ¡°Just focus on what I want you to do, okay? This is your reward.¡±

    Ye Qing tossed three Malice-ss Strange Artifacts into Tang Shi¡¯s hands and rose to his feet. ¡°There¡¯s something else I need to do, so this is where we part ways.¡±

    ¡°Also, you¡¯re footing the bill.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    At the central hall of the Heavenly Heart Clinic, Feng Qingyou poured a cup of tea and smiled at Ye Qing. ¡°You¡¯re not dead, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Did Tang Shi teach you that? He totally did, didn¡¯t he?

    ¡°No time for jokes, Qingyou. I came to ask for a favor.¡±

    ¡°A favor?¡± Feng Qingyou handed the tea to Ye Qing while smirking. ¡°But you¡¯re the man who defeated the warriors of the jianghu singlehandedly. What can this humble doctor possibly do to help you?¡±

    ¡°Warriors? More like the rabble!¡± Ye Qing scoffed. ¡°Seriously though, I really need your help with something.¡±

    Feng Qingyou finally stopped joking and asked, ¡°What can I help you with?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°May I know what cultivation level is Uncle Feng? Is he a Spirit Master at least?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Feng Qingyou shot him a meaningful look. ¡°You must be plotting something bad, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Okay, she definitely learned that from Tang Shi.

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°Yes, I am. I¡¯m nning a big heist tonight. I¡¯m going to rob everyone and anyone who wants to kill me of their lives.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. And how do you n to do that?¡± Feng Qingyou asked curiously.

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°It¡¯s like this. I¡¯m going to leave Luo Shui tonight, but not for real, of course. I¡¯m putting myself out there as bait so that I could draw them all in one ce.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already done the necessary preparations and spread the rumors. I¡¯ve already humiliated the jianghu warriors during the day, but now I¡¯m faking weakness and plotting to escape from right under their noses as well. What do you think they¡¯ll do when they hear this?¡±

    ¡°These so-called warriors have no skill but plenty of excess pride. I have no doubt that they¡¯lle after me when they learn that I¡¯m ying them like a fiddle. Add to the fact that I¡¯m not protected by the Pacification Bureau outside of Luo Shui, and I have no doubt that they¡¯lle out in full force. The mastermind behind all this would definitely show themselves as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve alreadymunicated my n with Chief Gu. He will follow me in secret and join in on the fun when the time is right. We¡¯ll crush all the dissidents and unsavory elements in one fell swoop.¡±

    This was Ye Qing¡¯s true n, the upgraded version of his original n so to speak. At the beginning, he was just catching the small prey. Now, he was fishing for the big ones. Everything he did until now was in preparation for this ultimate n.

    The reason he challenged the jianghu warriors at the Luo Shui Arena wasn¡¯t just to fan the mes, but also to make sure that they woulde after him when he pretended to leave Luo Shui. The part where he killed his attackers and profited from their deaths were just the side benefits.

    He and Gu Suitang had purposely discussed their fake n out in the open to trick the traitor into bringing false information back to the mastermind, namely Wen Zai and Wang Luori. However, he didn¡¯t just want to catch the two bastards. After all, it felt unsatisfactory to end things with just Wang Luori and Wen Zai¡¯s deaths after all the trouble he had gone through.

    Why fish with a fishing rod when you can catch them all with a?

    Also, acting was far more tiring than people thought. If he could minimize the number of times he had to put on an act, then why not?

    That was why he told Tang Shi to leak the fact that he was leaving Luo Shui tonight to the jianghu warriors. There was no way they wouldn¡¯te after him after realizing that he had yed them like a fiddle, and he would be able to catch all the fishes in one go. Only then could he resolve this farce once and for all.

    The thought of running away had never crossed his mind.

    The only true way to end this, was to kill everyone who would do him harm.

 Chapter 249: The Calm Before The Storm

    Chapter 249: The Calm Before The Storm

    ¡°Good idea.¡±

    Feng Qingyouplimented him smilingly, ¡°You¡¯re nning to kill dozens or even hundreds of people with just the two of you. Your courage certainly deservesmendation.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I know it¡¯s risky. That¡¯s why I came to borrow Uncle Feng!¡±

    Although Gu Suitang promised that nothing could go wrong, Ye Qing still didn¡¯t feel very secure. That was why he decided to seek out Feng Qingyou.

    He might be a bold man, but he was infinitely cautious when his life was on the line. It was always better safe than sorry.

    The reason he sought out Feng Qingyou was because the only champions he knew in Luo Shui were Gu Suitang, Fang Xiaoman, and Uncle Feng.

    Of the three, Uncle Feng was the only one whose strength he couldn¡¯t fathom at his current level. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Uncle Feng was probably stronger than Gu Suitang, which was why he decided to seek out Uncle Feng.

    ¡°Can you tell me what cultivation level Uncle Feng is, Qingyou?¡±

    Feng Qingyou side-eyed him and sipped her own tea. ¡°He¡¯s quite strong.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And how strong is he, exactly? Is he stronger than even Chief Gu?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°He is. He is more than enough to be your bodyguard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Ye Qing pped his thigh and rubbed his hands. ¡°So, can I borrow Uncle Feng for the night?¡±

    She caressed her jade cup elegantly as she answered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make the decision for Uncle Feng. You¡¯ll have to ask him yourself.¡±

    ¡°Uncle Feng? Can youe in please?¡±

    As soon as she said this, Uncle Feng abruptly appeared inside the hall. He gave her a bow and greeted, ¡°Miss.¡±

    It was like he was a ghost. Ye Qing hadn¡¯t sensed his presence from the start until the end. The guy could be shadowing right behind him, and he would never notice until he turned around.

    ¡°You have something to ask Uncle Feng, right Joyless?¡± Feng Qingyou jolted Ye Qing out of his reverie.

    ¡°Right!¡± Ye Qing looked at the old man who seemed no different from your friendly elderly neighbor and started, ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±

    After Ye Qing had finished narrating his n, he said, ¡°And that is why I¡¯d like to ask for your help, Uncle Feng.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to show yourself from the start. Just stay hidden until the pressure is too much for me, or if something unexpected happens.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t ask you to work for free. When this matter is settled, I¡¯ll treat you to five jars of thirty years old Pear Blossom wine. What do you say?¡±

    Ye Qing knew that Uncle Feng loved drinking wine. It was why he always brought at least one or two jars of wine and enjoyed a drink with Uncle Feng whenever he visited the Heavenly Heart Clinic.

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise and disappointment, Uncle Feng shook his head. Just when he thought Uncle Feng was going to turn him down, the old man said, ¡°Five isn¡¯t enough. I want ten.¡±

    Ye Qing eximed in delight, ¡°That¡¯s fine! It¡¯ll be a riot!¡±

    Uncle Feng shook his head again. ¡°Are you going to drink with me? If so, then that is uneptable. After all, it¡¯s still going to be five jars if we split it half-half.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s make it twenty then.¡±

    Uncle Feng grinned and revealed his yellowed teeth. ¡°Good.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, Uncle Feng.¡± Ye Qing smiled widely. ¡°Now, all that¡¯s left to do is to wait for the fishes to take the bait.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Father, our spy in the Pacification Bureau just sent word saying that Ye Qing is nning to leave Luo Shui tonight!¡± Wen Zai reported as soon as he rushed into Wang Luo¡¯s room.

    ¡°Ye Qing is leaving Luo Shui? But why? Isn¡¯t he grievously injured and in aa right now?¡± Wang Luori opened his eyes and voiced his puzzlement.

    Wen Zai exined, ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s a ploy Ye Qing and Gu Suitang concocted. By putting on an act and convincing everyone that he¡¯s incapacitated, no one would think that he is really nning to sneak out of Luo Shui tonight.¡±

    ¡°That cunning brat! He almost fooled us all!¡± Wang Luori pped his table angrily. ¡°That old fucker is no better than his underling.¡±

    ¡°I want all eyes on the Pacification Bureau and Ye Qing, Zai. As soon as Ye Qing leaves Luo Shui, I¡¯m going to rip him into a million pieces.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°My lord, that brat is nning to leave Luo Shui tonight.¡±

    ¡°Is he now? Send someone to keep an eye on him. When the time is right, kill him. Yuechun was my schoolmate and a close friend, but this brat ruined his life and his reputation. There is no way I will stand for this!¡±

    ¡°Yuechun will have his vengeance, and his death is the only thing that will solve Luo Shui¡¯s plight once and for all and appease the people.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°He¡¯s leaving Luo Shui? What wonderful news! As soon as he leaves Luo Shui, I¡¯m going to make him wish he was dead. Pang Kun, gather the men. We¡¯re going to leave the city immediately andy in ambush. I must have this bastard¡¯s skin to appease this rage in my chest!¡±

    ¡°At once. And do not worry, Little Commander. He won¡¯t escape.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, we need to disguise ourselves as jianghu warriors. It¡¯s still not yet time to go to war with the Pacification Bureau. This way, we would be able to kill Ye Qing, humiliate the Pacification Bureau, and give ourselves an alibi.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. A wise decision, Little Commander.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°A plot? You¡¯re saying that everything that happened today is a plot? Ye Qing is nning to book it?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. I spent a lot of money to buy this information. There can be no mistake.¡±

    ¡°That cunning sonuvabitch! He¡¯s ying us like a monkey! We need to tell our brothers and sisters, no, everyone about this. We¡¯re going to kill Ye Qing as soon as he leaves the city!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Who does he think he is? I¡¯m gonna dice his corpse until there¡¯s nothing left of him!¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s talking about him right now. If we managed to kill him, then we would gain both fame and fortune. What¡¯s not to like?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Simr scenes were taking ce all over Luo Shui. Be it for fame, profit, vengeance, hatred, or pure curiosity, everyone began to mobilize. It was the calm before the storm.

    When nighttime arrived, a middle-aged man with waxy yellowplexion and perfectly ordinary appearance rode a carriage out of the city. He waspletely inconspicuous just like all the other ordinary people who were leaving the city.

    Once out, the middle-aged man casually steered the horses onto a marked route and went to heavens-no-where at a trotting pace. From time to time, he would sing an off-tune folk song and startle countless birds.

    The man, the carriage and the birds cast a long, long shadow under the dying rays of sunset. It looked positively dreamlike.

    However, the middle-aged man didn¡¯t seem to notice that a ton of jianghu warriors in disguise left the city not long after he did. He also didn¡¯t notice the suspicious silhouettes hiding amidst the shadows where the sunset rays couldn¡¯t reach. Their weapons gleamed like the teeth of Strangers in the darkness.

    The sunset was very beautiful, but beautiful things tended to disappear quickly. Just five kilometerster, thest ray of light bade goodbye to the world and left behind only pitch ck darkness.

    Man, these guys are way too cautious. I¡¯m more than far away enough from the city, and still they¡¯re not attacking me, thought the middle-aged man while swinging his horse whip in boredom. He was none other than Ye Qing in disguise.

    It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t understand their worries. They were afraid that themotion would draw the Pacification Bureau¡¯s attention. However, they were over five kilometers away from Luo Shui already. At this rate, he was going to get lost before they attacked him.

    Swoosh!

    As if on cue, a whistling sound suddenly entered his ears. Ye Qing immediately waved his horse whip and caught a throwing knife that was flying straight toward him. A swingter, the throwing knife flew back where it came even faster than before.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± A muffled groan came from the darkness.

    Beneath the carriage, there was a man clinging to the bottom like a spider. More urately, he was clinging to a thick and massive spider web.

    There was no telling when the man or the spider web had appeared, only that they harbored malicious intentions for Ye Qing. The man¡¯s cheeks inted and deted as he spat out what looked like a ck egg onto the spider web. He would repeat this until the entire web was covered in ck eggs.

    Crack crack crack¡­

    When he spat a mouthful of ck qi onto the eggs, they immediately hatched into small, ck spiders. They climbed up the carriage and swarmed toward Ye Qing like a stream.

    ¡°What is this? Spiders?¡±

    Two or three breathster, Ye Qing eximed in surprise and released a surge of Burning Wind. It instantly turned the swarm of spiders into ash.

    Beneath the carriage, the man climbed out into the open and crossed his arms. Countless spider silk flew out from his back and surrounded Ye Qing from every direction.

    ¡°ck Spider?¡± Ye Qing threw a punch and burned the spider silk into ash, but ck Spider was able to make an impossible twist and dodge the fist force by a hair¡¯s breadth. Like a phantom, hended on a nearby tree and chuckled. ¡°Kekeke¡­ you won¡¯t escape, Ye Qing.¡±

    Ye Qing pretended to flinch and shake his head. ¡°Who¡¯s Ye Qing? You got the wrong person.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke. It¡¯s pointless to deny it. You are Ye Qing.¡± ck Spider cackled. ¡°You must think you¡¯re so smart ying us like a fiddle. This time though, you overreached yourself.¡±

    ¡°Today is the day you die.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You think you can kill me alone?¡± Ye Qing harrumphed in disdain.

    ¡°Of course not. But I¡¯m not alone, am I?¡± ck Spider grinned from ear to ear.

    ¡°No you¡¯re not.¡±

    A dwarf-sized man who was a little over one meter tall but incredibly buff stepped out into the open.

    ¡°I am here.¡±

    A middle-aged man with a blue snake encircled around his tall hat followed.

    ¡°I¡¯m here too.¡±

    A strange old man with unkempt hair and tattered robes walked out from the shadows as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me.¡±

    A woman with an hourss figure sashayed out to greet Ye Qing. Strangely, she didn¡¯t have a head.

    ¡°Amitabha¡­¡±

    A monk carrying Buddha beads emerged. He looked even stranger than the woman because his lower half waspletely devoid of flesh.

    ¡­¡­

    More and more people stepped out of the shadows. Some looked strange, some looked fierce, and some looked demonic. They all shared onemonality, however. They all hated Ye Qing and wanted him dead.

 Chapter 250: The Show Has Just Begun

    Chapter 250: The Show Has Just Begun

    ¡°Vajra Boy¡±

    ¡°Snake Whisperer¡±

    ¡°Old Man Hemp¡±

    ¡°Headless Maiden¡±

    ¡°Bone Monk¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing whispered some of the names he recognized under his breath. Every single one of them were infamous criminals andte-stage Astral Refiners. Besides that, there were many, many more middle-stage Astral Refiners, early-stage Astral Refiners, Vessel Augmentors and more. There had to be at least a hundred of them.

    ¡°Do you think we have enough numbers to kill you now?¡± ck Spider chuckled darkly.

    ¡°Impossible. How did you all know that I¡¯m leaving the city tonight?¡± Ye Qing uttered in a grave voice.

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s a bad habit that you¡¯re the only smart person in this world, and you¡¯re a little too young to fool us veterans,¡± Snake Whisperer sneered. The blue snake on his hat also hissed and added to the horror.

    ¡°Impossible! My n was perfect! There is no way this could happen!¡± Ye Qing growled like a cornered animal, eyes bloodshot and limbs shaking with fury and fear.

    ¡°Perfect? The fact that you think that there¡¯s such a thing as a perfect n proves that you¡¯re an idiot,¡± Old Man Hemp said with a grin. ¡°You thought you were being smart, but it was a mistake to leave Luo Shui and the Pacification Bureau. Today is the day you die, Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau? That¡¯s right! The Pacification Bureau! Someone in the Pacification Bureau must have leaked my ns! Who told you about this? Who!?¡± Ye Qing roared.

    ¡°Amitabha. You are an incredibly insolent and reckless man, benefactor[1]. You must have offended someone and are now suffering the consequences of your actions.¡±

    In short, it was karmic justice.

    Bone Monk performed a deep bow before taking a step forward. ¡°Besides, your hands are stained with blood. You have killed so many people that the only way to cleanse your sins is to repent in Av¨©ci[2], and so I shall.¡±

    As he finished his sentence, Bone Monk¡¯s mouth abruptly split open and revealed rows and rows of sharp teeth. He also had a forked tongue that was clearly tinged in blood even in the darkness. He looked far more demonic than he was human.

    Headless Maiden spoke up with a giggle, ¡°You can kill him, but make sure you don¡¯t hurt his head. I love heads, and he has a smart and tough head on his shoulders. I think it¡¯ll be a good fit for me.¡±

    Headless Maiden suddenly grabbed a female servant¡¯s head and ripped it right off her shoulders. Then, she ced it over her own neck. Countless scarlet flesh buds immediately reached out and connected the head to the neck.

    Headless Maiden shook the head left and right, and for a moment it looked like everything was normal. But a few breathster, the servant¡¯s head suddenly started rotting and pitting at a visible rate. It wasn¡¯t long before the head had bepletely unusable.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use! Give me your head, Ye Qing! Give me your head!¡±

    Headless Maiden abruptly ripped off the head and shrieked shrilly at Ye Qing. There was now a note of urgency in her voice.

    Everyone else looked eager to get the action started as well.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re all here to kill me.¡± Ye Qing slowly swept his gaze across the crowd, and everyone who met his bloodshot eyes felt an uncontroble chill creeping up their spine. ¡°But have you figured out how many lives you¡¯ll need to bury me?¡±

    ¡°Is it ten?¡±

    ¡°Fifty?¡±

    ¡°A hundred?¡±

    Every time Ye Qing said a number, his grin would widen just a little further. His face was full of scorn and disdain when he ended with, ¡°Or all of you?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s worth it if I can take you all to the grave with me, actually. What do you think?¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    It might be worth it for you, but it sure as hell isn¡¯t worth it for the rest of us.

    Regardless, the crowd was intimidated. The fact that Ye Qing had killed over a hundred jianghu warriors and still managed to defeat the Sword Gentleman Chen Cang was still fresh in everyone¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I can see you don¡¯t want to die. To be honest, I don¡¯t want to die either.¡±

    ¡°The reason you¡¯re targeting me is because you want my cultivation manuals and Strange Artifacts, right? I have plenty of those. Why don¡¯t I give them to you, and you let me go? That way, you don¡¯t have to die, and I don¡¯t have to die either. It¡¯ll be a win-win for everyone, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    His suggestion was tempting. They imed that the reason they chased Ye Qing out of the city was to defend their honor, but really, the value of honor could be quite fluid depending on the circumstances. The one thing that wasn¡¯t fluid was their greed for Ye Qing¡¯s head and his valuables.

    Suddenly, a simple and honest-sounding voice broke the silence, ¡°He¡¯s right, master! If we do as he says, then we¡¯ll get something out of this without having to fight him.¡±

    ¡°Lower your voice, idiot!¡± rebuked a somewhat ancient voice. ¡°And right my ass! When will you grow a brain inside that empty head of yours? That boy is incredibly cunning. Who can say that he isn¡¯t trying to trick us?¡±

    ¡°What if he gave us fake, useless stuff and ran away while we weren¡¯t looking? What if his n is to provoke us into fighting and killing each other?¡±

    The speaker was an old Taoist wearing a set of tattered robes. He was standing at the farthest edge of the group, and he was only a Vessel Augmentor. His disciple was a young man with a muscr stature but a dumb, innocent-looking face. He too was just a Vessel Augmentor.

    The old Taoist had lowered his voice to a whisper, but therge majority of the jianghu warriors around him were Astral Refiners. Naturally, they had caught onto every word.

    Vajra Boy, Old Man Hemp and more couldn¡¯t help but nce at Ye Qing suspiciously after hearing this. In response, Ye Qing looked up at the sky and pretended he couldn¡¯t hear anything. On the inside though, he was swearing and shelving his n A.

    Meanwhile, the old Taoist was still reprimanding his disciple, ¡°Also, what if he poisoned the items? And even if he¡¯s telling the truth, what if he returns in the future and hunts us down one by one? He never said he wouldn¡¯t take revenge against us, did he?¡±

    The more the old Taoist spoke, the uglier the jianghu warriors¡¯ expressions became. Even Ye Qing was ring at the old Taoist as well. Are you the fucking worm in my brain, mate? Or a Detective Conan who must expound every part of the whole conspiracy for everyone to hear?

    In fact, he had poisoned the items he was nning to give to his attackers. It was aplementary part of n A. Unfortunately, it was snuffed out before he could even execute it.

    The Old Taoist still wasn¡¯t done, however. ¡°Though to be fair, these jianghu warriors are incredibly stupid. I can hardly believe how easily they were thrown off the track by the boy. They had gathered a small army to kill him, and they thought this could be settled peacefully? Dream on! If they¡¯re stupid enough to let the boy go tonight, I¡¯m willing to bet my meager possession that he will take it all back plus interest by tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Also, did they forget that killing him would give them everything he has plus the Way of Taiping¡¯s reward? Why settle for less when they could get so much more?¡±

    ¡°Master, we¡¯re jianghu warriors as well. Are you also saying that we¡¯re stupid?¡± His dumb disciple asked, puzzled.

    ¡°I said all that, and that¡¯s what caught your attention!?¡± The old Taoist jumped on his feet and smacked his disciple on the back of his head, hard. ¡°Of course we¡¯re not the same as these dumb shits! We¡¯re above them!¡±

    This time, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the only one who looked like he would strangle the old man. Who the fuck you¡¯re calling a dumb shit, old man? We can totally kill you first before we kill Ye Qing, you know?

    His dumb disciple didn¡¯t even look like he felt the blows, however. ¡°You¡¯re right, master. What would you do if you were them?¡±

    The old Taoist immediately did a one-eighty and raised his head arrogantly. ¡°Now that¡¯s a good question. If it was me, I would agree to the boy¡¯s suggestion and wait until he rxes his guard. Then, I¡¯ll rush him before he can enact any one of his cunning ns.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression immediately turned a shade darker than it already was. Just how dirty is his heart? I can totally kill you first before I kill the others, you know?

    ¡°But something doesn¡¯t feel right. The boy doesn¡¯t feel like the type to give up without a fight. He must be plotting something, but what?¡± The old Taoist scratched his nose as he tried to figure out the source of his unease.

    ¡°It probably has something to do with your face turning ck, master!¡± His dumb disciple answered honestly while staring at his master¡¯s face. ¡°Your face looks so ck it¡¯s like the bottom of a frying pan. Or did you learn a trick or two from an opera actor? I love operas!¡±

    ¡°My face is¡­ ck?¡± the old Taoist touched his face in confusion before realizing something. ¡°Your face ispletely ck as well!¡±

    ¡°Is it poison? Are we poisoned?¡± ¡°We are poisoned! Someone is trying to kill us with poison!¡±

    ¡°Poison?¡±

    This caught everyone¡¯s attention. When they looked around, they realized that the old Taoist and his disciple weren¡¯t the only ones who had pitch ck faces. The stronger ones still looked okay, but the weaker ones had already turnedpletely ck in the face. It was just that the night was too dark, and they were putting most of their attention on Ye Qing and not themselves. If it wasn¡¯t for the old Taoist¡¯s discovery, they would still be in the dark even now.

    Thump! Thump! Thump!

    As if on cue, some Qi Invokers and Vessel Augmentors copsed to the ground and died.

    ¡°Pwack! This poison is horrifying!¡±

    Some people tried to channel their cultivation art to expel the poison, but the second they mustered their true qi, their blood vessels exploded as if they couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure.

    ¡°Ye Qing! You¡¯re the one who did this?!¡±

    Old Man Hemp, Bone Monk and everyone else¡¯s faces had turned a shade darker as well. They red at Ye Qing with fury as they channeled their martial arts to suppress the poison.

    They were stupid, but they weren¡¯t that stupid that they would mistake the culprit behind the poisoning. Only one person would benefit from this, and that person was Ye Qing.

    ¡°Hehe. Yep! It was me.¡± Ye Qing broke into a grin. ¡°You realized it toote.¡±

    This was his true trump card and the reason he even bothered to waste his breath on these people.

    The poison afflicting the jianghu warriors was the Hundred Poison of Blue Demon Hand. Although it was only a Red-ss strange Artifact, the Hundred Poison was still an incredibly potent weapon. It was colorless, odorless, and extremely deadly. Even an Astral Refiner would take huge damage if they inhaled too much of it.

    From the moment he was surrounded, Ye Qing had unleashed the Hundred Poison and bought time for the poison to umte.

    The reason he wanted to incite the jianghu warriors into fighting themselves was to elerate the poison¡¯s effects. They wouldn¡¯t even find out that he was the one behind the poison because anyone could¡¯ve released it at that point. Ideally, he could¡¯ve destroyed them all without too much effort. Unfortunately, his grand n was ruined by the Taoist who was too smart for his own good.

    It was fine though. The Hundred Poison was just the appetizer, and the show had just begun.

    1. Once again, reminder that benefactor means different when spoken by a monk. ?

    2. Av¨©ci or Avici is one of the hells in Buddhism andter Hinduism. ?

 Chapter 251: Corpse Suppression Nail

    Chapter 251: Corpse Suppression Nail

    Boom!

    Ye Qing pressed a hand against his carriage and shattered it into a million pieces. The fragments fanned out toward the group and skewered at least a dozen people they could react. Cries of shock and pain immediately filled the air.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, Ye Qing!¡±

    A dwarf-sized man rushed toward Ye Qing. Despite his small stature, he shook the ground with every step he took. The fragments that should have skewered him like des exploded into bits when they hit his body.

    It was none other than the Vajra Boy.

    When Vajra Boy reached Ye Qing, he raised his fists above his head before lowering them slowly. It was as if he was pulling the sky down as the patch of sky directly above Ye Qing¡¯s head copsed in earnest.

    ¡°The Boy Prays the Buddha¡±

    Although Vajra Boy was a small man, he cultivated one of the strongest and toughest body-tempering cultivation arts in the Vajra Temple known as the ¡°Vajra Boy Sutra¡±. As its name might suggest, it was a cultivation art that must be learned since childhood. The practitioner would have to suffer through tribtions of water, fire, wind, lightning and so on, and it was both painful and dangerous to say the least. The slightest mistake could result in death, and even sess didn¡¯te without a curse: the practitioner would be stuck with a child¡¯s body forever.

    That said, an aplished practitioner would gain enormous strength and be impervious to all kinds of weapons and elements.

    ¡°The Boy Prays to the Buddha¡± was the ultimate technique of the cultivation art. When the boy prays to the Buddha, the Buddha shall descend and help him smite all gods and demons.

    ¡°Die!¡± Vajra Boy roared.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t dodge out of the way, however. Instead, hended a hook punch on his attacker¡¯s fists. Vajra Boy blinked in disbelief when an unbelievable amount of strength dismantled his fists like nothing and left him wide open. The next moment, Ye Qing threw his arm forward like it was a hammer, caved in Vajra Boy¡¯s chest, and sent him flying toward the crowd.

    Some of the jianghu warriors were bowled over and killed just like that because they were too poisoned to get out of the way or protect themselves adequately.

    Old Man Hemp and the rest of thete-stage Astral Refiners tried to rescue Vajra Boy, but Ye Qing was faster and was able to slip into the crowd first. He caught Vajra Boy¡¯s leg before he could react and swung him around like a weapon. Four warriors were crushed into bits before they could even scream.

    What happened next could only be described as carnage. Like a tiger wreaking havoc in a pen of sheeps, Ye Qing continued to use Vajra Boy as a weapon and smashed anyone and everyone who was unfortunate enough to stand in his path. It was easily one of the bloodiest fights these jianghu warriors had ever experienced in their lives.

    Therge majority of them were pretty weak, not to mention that the poison had robbed them of most of their strength. They just never stood a chance. Dozens of people were killed in just ten or so breaths.

    Everyone here had witnessed Ye Qing massacring the shit out of his enemies in the Luo Shui Arena, but even that was nothingpared to what he was doing right now. Violent, brutal and ruthless, Ye Qing resembled a demon god from the lowest depths of hell. They were like ants and grass that he could ughter as he pleased.

    ¡°He¡¯s a monster!¡±

    ¡°Run! Run!¡±

    At some point, the remaining survivors finally lost it and scattered in every direction, all the while screaming their lungs out.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you running?¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t go after the small fries. Instead, he turned around and grinned toothily at Old Man Hemp, Bone Monk, Headless Maiden and the rest of thete-stage Astral Refiners.

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡±

    His bloody grin was so disturbing that even these hardened, moderately insane criminals couldn¡¯t suppress a chill. In fact, they were starting to regret their decision toe after Ye Qing.

    To be fair, they all thought that Ye Qing was hurt or tired even if his unconsciousness during the day was faked, especially since he fought the Sword Gentleman, Chen Cang. In reality, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t just perfectly fine, he was even stronger than he was in the arena.

    This meant that Ye Qing had never fought with his full strength during the day. They saw exactly what the Patrolman wanted them to see and nothing else. Even now, it was impossible to tell if he was going all out.

    How could they not be afraid?

    ¡°Still not running? Okay then. I¡¯ll personally deliver y¡¯all to hell.¡±

    Ye Qing sneered at their disy of indecision and raised Vajra Boy, who at this point was barely clinging to life. Then, he tossed the warrior straight at Old Man Hemp.

    Old Man Hemp immediately erged his sleeves and swung it at Vajra Boy. It caught Vajra Boy safely and neutralized his momentum. Then, the hem shirt he was wearing grewrger andrger until it was the size of a massive building, no, a hill. As soon as the shirt had reached fifty meters in height, it brought down its sleeves and attempted to squash Ye Qing like a bug.

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re all show and no substance!¡± Ye Qing scoffed and responded with a punch. The Burning Wind whistled, and the fist force threatened to seal the sky itself.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    His fist could shake the sky and earth and vaporize anything and everything. Why would he fear a mere sleeve?

    At first, the sleeves pped wildly as if they were being blown by a strong gust of wind. Then, they began dissolving into ash.

    It was at this moment a giant maw emerged from the hole in the shirt and devoured Ye Qing before he could react. After that, the hem shirt slowly shrank and revealed a small blue snake wrapped around a thick tree. Its breath smelled absolutely disgusting.

    ¡°Hahaha! Well done, baby.¡±

    Snake Whisperer walked up to the blue snake and patted its head gently. In response, the blue snake rubbed its head across his palm like it understood what it was saying.

    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s dead, Brother Snake? The kid¡¯s no joke!¡± Old Man Hemp warned while inspecting his hem shirt with a look of hurt in his eyes.

    Snake Whisperer dered proudly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Hem. My baby possess the bloodline of an ancient Blue Hui[1], and it is said that the Blue Hui¡¯s poison is so potent that a single drop of blood could rot metal, and a drop of venom could massacre an entire city. There are few creatures that are as venomous as the Blue Hui.¡±

    ¡°Although my baby isn¡¯t that powerful, its venom can still easily corrode flesh like nothing. Ye Qing¡¯s probably pus water by now, hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh! I told you to leave me his head, Snake Whisperer! How could you let your snake eat him whole? Give me back his head, you bastard!¡± Headless Maiden cried and strode up to Snake Whisperer menacingly.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, I totally forgot,¡± Snake Whisperer apologized quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, deardy. How about Ipensate your loss with a hundred heads in the future? I promise that they¡¯ll all be young and beautiful.¡±

    ¡°You promised! Don¡¯t me me for falling out with you if you break your word!¡± Headless Maiden hmphed cutely.

    Snake Whisperer chuckled. ¡°I would never. Ye Qing is¡ªwas a member of Luo Shui, right? I¡¯ll head there in a moment and gather your heads for you, hahaha¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Snake Whisperer turned to his snake and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, baby?¡±

    He was still congratting himself when suddenly, he felt a wave of pain and uneaseing from his pet. Since he and his blue snake were connected by his heart¡¯s blood, he could sense what it could sense.

    It was at this moment the blue snake suddenly let out a bloodcurdling screech and split in half[2]. Since there was no warning, both Snake Whisperer and Headless Maiden were drenched from head to toe in its blood.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!¡±

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!¡±

    Disturbing sizzling noises filled the night air as both Astral Refiners started smoking and melting at an insane rate. Their screams of pain onlysted a short while because their vocal cords were melted, but their soundless screams made the scene even more horrifying.

    The Blue Hui was one of the most venomous snakes in the world. Although this blue snake wasn¡¯t nearly as venomous as its ancestor, its venom was by no means gentle. It was nigh impossible for a flesh-and-blood creature to withstand it unless they were powerful body-tempering warriors like Vajra Boy and Ye Qing.

    Just a momentter, Snake Whisperer and Headless Maiden had melted into a pile of white bones. Any nt that was touched by the blood was melted, and even the ground where most of the venom was had visibly depressed.

    ¡°Were you celebrating my death? So sorry to disappoint you.¡±

    Ye Qing was standing at the center of the venom with the Bronze Tiger Head on. Behind him, a fiendish general wielding a Green Dragon Crescent de brimmed with bloodlust.

    ¡°It¡¯s my turn now¡­¡± Ye Qing chuckled ominously and sent a mentalmand. The general immediately swung his Green Dragon Crescent de eight times in a row. His movements were fluid, powerful, and surprisingly gorgeous. It was like all of spring and autumn were contained within the eight strikes.

    ¡°Eight Swings of Spring and Autumn¡±

    Thick, powerful de forces surrounded Old Man Hem and the Bone Monk from all sides, carving up the ground like tofu as they pressed closer. Neither man died, but it was clear they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold their ground for long. Old Man Hem¡¯s hem shirt was growing increasingly tattered, and his face looked as pale as a sheet. Multiple de wounds were blooming across his skin like crimson flowers as well.

    Bone Monk looked less strained than Old Man Hem probably because he was still in top shape. He wielded a bony saber and used a strange saber art that kept fluctuating back and forth between righteousness and deviousness, benevolence and cruelty from time to time. It was like that saying, ¡°Good or evil lies in a single thought.¡±

    As he danced, bony Buddhas appeared around Bone Monk and kept the deadly de qis at bay.

    ¡°Bone Taboo Breaker¡±

    It looked like Bone Monk might be able to hold on until the de qis were spent, but he himself knew that was impossible. Something needed to change now, or both him and Old Man Hem were going to die.

    There was nothing he could do though. It was taking all of his energy and concentration just to keep the de qis at bay.

    ¡°These useless pieces of trash! They outnumbered Ye Qing one hundred to one, and it looks like Ye Qing is going to win anyway!¡±

    Somewhere in the darkness, Xue Shiwu couldn¡¯t help but curse under his breath as he watched the ensuing battle.

    ¡°Calm down, Little Commander. The battle¡¯s not over yet.¡± Pang Kun chuckled. ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t underestimate the jianghu people. They can be quite annoying to deal with if you don¡¯t defeat them as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which¡­¡±

    Five nails abruptly appeared in the sky. There were shaped like a square cone and covered in bloodstains. They were also giving off an incredible amount of yin qi.

    ¡°Corpse Suppression Nails?¡± Pang Kun looked surprised. ¡°Now this is interesting.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Xue Shiwu asked.

    Pang Kun exined, ¡°The Corpse Suppression Nail is a kind of Strange Artifact developed by the Corpse Suppression Sect. It is specifically designed to counter corpse qi, resentment and so on.¡±

    ¡°As the Corpse Suppression Sect thrives on refining corpses, they often steal bodies from tombs and graveyards. In order to avoid the corpses from transforming into walkers or creating ghosts, vengeful spirits and so on, they would often use the Corpse Suppression Nails to suppress the corpse¡¯s unnatural energies. Generally speaking, four of the five nails were nailed into the limbs, and thest nail is nailed into the head or more urately, the mind.¡±

    ¡°Since the Strange Artifact Ye Qing is using channels a simr energy, the Corpse Suppression Nail is the bane of its existence. It¡¯s going to be destroyed very soon.¡±

    Xue Shiwu grunted. ¡°I guess they¡¯re notpletely stupid after all.¡±

    1. A mythical venomous snake. ?

    2. Certified Alien moment right here. ?

 Chapter 252: The Main Cast Appears

    Chapter 252: The Main Cast Appears

    While Xue Shiwu and Pang Kun were talking, four nails flew toward the general and entered his limbs.

    The general was just a manifestation of killing intent and so didn¡¯t have a physical body. However, the four nails still managed to embed themselves into his limbs as if they possessed the ability to touch the intangible.

    The second the nails sank into the general¡¯s limb, he immediately froze as if someone had cast a spell on him. Ye Qing too felt a sudden stiffness overtaking him as the Bronze Tiger Head shook violently.

    When the final nail entered the general¡¯s forehead, he abruptly dissipated into nothing. At the same time, the Bronze Tiger Head started breaking all over like it was porcin, and crimson blood seeped out of the cracks. Ye Qing also felt a surge of violent energy pouring uncontrobly into his body.

    A rebound?

    More specifically, the Bronze Tiger Head had gone out of control after its physical body was destroyed.

    Ye Qing grabbed the mask and ripped it off his face, but the blood still clung to him like glue. It reminded him of The Mask, except that there was nothing friendly or sassy about his mask whatsoever. Not only that, angry, howling faces kept surfacing from the stretched blood and discharged even more killing intent.

    ¡°Hahaha! Karmic justice is upon you! Now die!¡± Bone Monk barked out augh and swung his saber at Ye Qing. However, a gloomy voice interrupted him before he could do so,

    ¡°That boy is mine, Bone Monk! You would be wise not to take my kill!¡±

    Bone Monk stopped in his tracks and scoffed, ¡°You think he¡¯s yours just because you threw a handful of nails? How delusional! He¡¯s not anyone¡¯s kill until he¡¯s dead!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s not even dead yet, and already you¡¯re calling dibs! Why don¡¯t you say that the world is yours then? You¡¯re just an opportunist who¡¯s all bark and no bite!¡± Another jianghu warrior chimed in.

    ¡°It¡¯s firste first serve only.¡±

    ¡°Get out of my way! I¡¯ll kill anyone who dares to take my kill!¡±

    Many more jianghu warriors started rushing toward Ye Qing, and everyone of them was as strong as Bone Monk and Old Man Hem. There was the Corpse Puppeteer Ying Xian, the Windfire Thunderbolt Lei Zhao, the Strange Sword Xiao Yue, the Demonic Cook Fei Yiguo, the Gut Cutter Shi Hanzhao and more.

    ¡­¡­

    Pang Kun was muttering the attackers¡¯ names when suddenly, he saw something surprising. ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s Paper Celestial, Dog King, Husband and Wife! It looks like the Way of Taiping has decided to join in on the fun.¡±

    ¡°The Way of Taiping? Perfect. Once they took out Ye Qing, we¡¯ll kill them and earn ourselves some credit.¡± Xue Shiwu licked his lips greedily.

    ¡°A wise decision, Little Commander. The Way of Taiping deserves to be exterminated anyway,¡± Pang Kunplimented.

    Meanwhile, one of the jianghu warriors who had stepped out to confront Ye Qing at the beginning¡ªa small man with a millstone-sized head¡ªwas scoffing at his fellow brethren, ¡°Idiots. You can run as fast as you like, but you¡¯ll never outrun my ghosts.¡±

    He took a human heart that was covered in twisted, demonic patterns from his shirt. It was throbbing loudly as if it was alive. Then, he closed his eyes, danced a strange dance and muttered, ¡°Tian ling ling, di ling ling. Ghost Gods of Fengdu, heed my call! I wish to summon a Ghost King whose magic applies to the nine heavens, whose maw could swallow the waters of the Yellow Spring, whose hands could block the sun and moon, whose feet step on a path of corpse and bones, and whose head carries a banner of ghosts and darkness! With this heart as the sacrifice, I humbly request a Ghost King to descend to this world! To this world!¡±

    The thin man knelt three times and kowtowed nine times. Then, he crushed the heart in his hands.

    Flesh and blood scattered everywhere, but they didn¡¯t fall on the ground. Instead, they disappeared into thin air as if devoured by some sort of invisible power.

    The next moment, a strong gust of yin wind converged in the sky. A massive hand then appeared out of nowhere and made a grab for Ye Qing.

    ¡°You think you can snatch my prize from right under my nose, Ghost Whisperer? Dream on!¡±

    Ying Xian roared and spat out a mouthful of disgusting purge fluid. Everything that it touched¡ªeven the air itself¡ªsizzled due to how corrosive it was.

    Part of the purge fluid sshed arge chunk the ghastly arm and yin wind and corroded them in the blink of an eye. The other part had sshed on Ye Qing instead.

    However, Bone Monkughed tauntingly when he saw this. ¡°The boy is tough enough to survive even the Blue Hui¡¯s poison, and you think your purge fluid can kill him? Thank you for the donation!¡±

    As soon as he finished, Bone Monk¡¯s flesh and blood suddenly plopped on the ground and left him with only bones. When his bone saber burst into cold, white mes, and he swung the weapon down like a general giving amand, the bony Buddhas immediately charged toward Ye Qing while chanting evil sutras.

    ¡°And you¡¯re dreaming a little too hard for a pile of bones! Go pick your bone elsewhere, Bone Monk!¡±

    A short, fat man taunted before producing a ck pot from his back and tossed it at Ye Qing. It was none other than the Demonic Cook, Fei Yiguo.

    The ck pot turned red hot after it left Demonic Cook¡¯s hands. At the same time, it started bubbling with boiling hot oil.

    The ck pot took a detour and crushed the bony Buddhas rushing toward Ye Qing first. It pissed Bone Monk off so much that he couldn¡¯t stop spouting a bunch of unmonk-like expletives for a time.

    ¡°Demonic Cook, you¡¯re already filled to the brim with oil. You should learn restraint unless you want to kill yourself.¡±

    Strange Sword Xiao Yue, Gut cutter Shi Hanzhao and everyone else showed off their ultimate techniques as well. It wasn¡¯t just to kill Ye Qing, but also to stop the others from scoring the kill.

    There was only one Ye Qing and one bounty after all. There literally wasn¡¯t enough reward for all of them.

    Everyone was a miser before the promise of great riches.

    When the jianghu warriors were less than three meters away from Ye Qing, golden light suddenly burst out of his body. Lotuses started falling from the sky, and Buddhist chants filled everyone¡¯s ears.

    At the center of the golden light, a savage-looking Buddha let out a disturbing cackle and asked, ¡°Keke. I havee. Are you all ready to die?¡±

    The fiendish aura and killing intent pinning down Ye Qing immediately disappeared into thin air. As if on cue, the Bronze Tiger Head shattered into a million pieces.

    Since Corpse Puppeteer Ying Xian and Bone Monk were at the forefront of the group, they were the first to suffer the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s wrath. Both warriors screamed out in pain as their bodies started melting like candles.

    The ghastly arm in the sky had be much more transparent because of the sudden burst of Buddha light as well. One could even hear a painful, angry roaring from somewhere.

    Ghost Whisperer¡¯s fate was even worse. As the one who summoned the Ghost God into the world, he let out a muffled groan and bled from every orifice after the ghastly arm was damaged. Not only that, an invisible force suddenly ripped off his arm and bit down on it like it was a leg ofmb. His painful screams, the crunching noises, and the stter of blood and gore painted a horrifying scene.

    Dang! Dang! Dang!

    Before anyone could react, a series of gong beats suddenly filled their ears. An invisible power rippled out and blurred everyone¡¯s consciousness. It would continue for a while until all the forces in the air had dissipated into nothing, the natural qi in the air were flowing around haphazardly, and everyone was clutching their heads in pain and bleeding from every orifice.

    When the gong sound finally came to a stop, Ye Qing summoned a crescent saber into his hand and swung it once. Demonic red lotuses immediately filled the sky and illuminated everyone¡¯s sins.

    ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±

    There wasn¡¯t a single person in the area whose hands weren¡¯t coated in blood, whose sins couldn¡¯t fill an entire book, and whose karmic hindrance would forever prevent them from attaining enlightenment¡ªat least in the Buddhist sense. It was why it only took an instant for demonic red mes to start shooting out of their pores, and the mes kept growing bigger over time.

    The hellfire would never fade until their sins and karmic hindrance had been burned awaypletely. Everyone looked like human torches as they screamed, struggled, and begged for mercy. It was futile though. Death was their only release, and die they did.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Red Lotus Hellfire!¡± Pang Kun eximed in shock. He was at least fifty meters away from the scene, and he still felt his dark desires swelling uncontrobly, and tiny wisps of mes bursting into existence from them. It was potent to say the least.

    ¡°A Spirit Purification stage saber art!¡±

    Greed flickered in Pang Kun¡¯s eyes. Although he was a Spirit Purifier and a key personnel in the ck Feather Guards, he only had one Spirit Purification stage martial art. It was a generic one too andpletely iparable to the saber art Ye Qing was using to y his enemies; a true peak Spirit Purification martial art.

    Besides that, the two Strange Artifacts Ye Qing used earlier were extremely incredibly potent. The gong was a Strange Artifact that could affect the mind, a quality that was incredibly rare among Hatred-ss Strange Artifacts. As for the Strange Artifact that filled the ce with Buddhist light, it was obviously a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. As if that wasn¡¯t impressive enough, it was clearly sapient.

    The boy has a sapient Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact?

    Pang Kun almost lost control of his greed there and then. There were only a handful of those in the entire Luo Shui. If he could obtain it, he would be one of the strongest warriors of Luo Shui immediately.

    So far, it looked like Ye Qing possessed a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, a Spirit Purification stage saber art, and all the loot he had acquired from his attackers. At this point, the boy was far more valuable than the reward the Way of Taiping offered. And if he could obtain them both, then all the better.

    Xue Shiwu shared more or less the same thoughts as Pang Kun. While licking his lips, Xue Shiwu urged, ¡°Pang Kun, Ye Qing is almost at his limit. We should go now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The duo immediately rushed forward to engage the weakened, seemingly exhausted Ye Qing.

    ¡°Hahaha! I can¡¯t believe it!¡±

    ¡°A Spirit Purification-stage saber art and a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact? This is it!¡±

    ¡°I can hardly believe it. If I can get them all¡­ hahaha! It¡¯s mine! It¡¯s all mine!¡±

    In the shadows, countless powerful and greedy warriors finally couldn¡¯t wait any longer and rushed toward Ye Qing as well.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°A Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact? A sapient Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact no less?¡±

    Atop a small hill, Wang Luori¡¯s eyes were turning bloodshot with greed and envy. Such was his shock that he didn¡¯t even notice the ground beneath his feet crumbling a little from the pressure he was putting on it.

    He never imagined that Ye Qing would have a sentient Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. To say that this was a pleasant surprise would be a gross understatement. In the past, Sunset Hill¡¯s greatest Strange Artifact was the Eastern Purple Cloud Stele, a non-sentient Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. If he could obtain it and the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±, then Sunset Hill would be stronger than it had ever been.

    When the time came, he would be able to thrash White Horse Academy and that so-called Sage¡¯s Notes like nothing.

    Ye Qing¡¯s Spirit Purification-stage martial art didn¡¯t draw Wang Luori¡¯s eyes. It was because Sunset Hill wasn¡¯tcking in top-tier Spirit Purification-stage martial arts.

    Wang Luori was going to take action when Wen Zai raised a hand to stop him. ¡°Calm, father!¡±

    The Hill Lord asked in a displeased tone, ¡°Why are you stopping me?¡±

    Wen Zai exined, ¡°It¡¯s because something doesn¡¯t feel right about this. We knew Ye Qing was leaving because we had a spy in the Pacification Bureau, but how did these jianghu warriors find out? I just can¡¯t shake the feeling that someone¡¯s hand is behind all this. Until we figure this out, I believe that it¡¯s best if we act with caution.¡±

    But Wang Luori disagreed. ¡°If we can nt spies in the Pacification Bureau, then why not others?¡±

    ¡°Also, Ye Qing is an arrogant young man who stood out way too much for his own good. It¡¯s entirely possible that someone in the Pacification Bureau holds a grudge against him and decides to leak the news.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this, Zai.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Wen Zai still felt uneasy, but Wang Luori continued, ¡°A warrior should n like he¡¯s walking on thin ice, but act like he has no tomorrow. It is good that you are cautious, but if you hesitate and second guess yourself when it is time to take action, then it is not caution, but cowardice.¡±

    ¡°Cowardice ispletely detrimental to one¡¯s advancement in the martial way, and this is doubly true for people like us. If you¡¯re not going to fight to better yourself, then you might as well go home and be a farmer.¡±

    Wen Zai saluted him deeply. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, father. I shall remember this.¡±

    ¡°But I still don¡¯t think you need to go now, father. There are still many more Spirit Purification-stage warriors in hiding, and I have no doubt that they¡¯ll attack Ye Qing to obtain the rewards. Why don¡¯t you wait until both sides have sufficiently worn themselves down until you act? You¡¯ll be able to get it all then.¡±

    ¡°Why be the snipe or the m when you can be the fisherman?¡±

    Wang Luori looked tempted, but in the end he still shook his head. It was because he wasn¡¯t just aiming to obtain Ye Qing¡¯s Strange Artifacts and the bounty, but also the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. If anything, the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± was his primary objective; his key to entering the Spirit Master Realm. That was why Ye Qing couldn¡¯t die yet, at least not until he surrendered his prize.

    The reason he had taken action sooner was because he knew that the Astral Refiners wouldn¡¯t be able to deal any real damage to Ye Qing. But now, Spirit Purifiers were joining in on the fight as well. He simply couldn¡¯t risk those people killing Ye Qing by ident.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Something unexpected might happen if we dilly-dally for too long. Stay here. I¡¯lle back in a moment.¡±

    Wang Luori jumped down the hill and disappeared just like that.

    Wen Zai narrowed his eyes as he stared at the spot where Wang Luori was a moment ago. Why did he have this feeling that Wang Luori was hiding something from him?

 Chapter 253: Why Would We Do That?

    Chapter 253: Why Would We Do That?

    ¡°To think you¡¯re so ruthless at your age, Ye Qing! You must die to secure peace for the wulin!¡±

    A man appeared in front of Ye Qing like a ghost and unleashed a palm strike.

    ¡°Smite!¡±

    The man¡¯s palm turned as white as jade. It was translucent, warm, and perfectly wless.

    Boom!

    But right before his hand would hit Ye Qing¡¯s skull, a long saber descended toward the man¡¯s head. He was forced to cancel his attack and block the sudden attack with his palm.

    His palm should be made of flesh and blood, and yet there was a metallic ng when it shed against the saber. There was a shockwave as the two men backed a step away from each other.

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you stopping me?¡± The man withdrew his palm and stared at Pang Kun with a deep frown.

    Of course, no one recognized Pang Kun because he was wearing a mask right now.

    ¡°Ye Qing killed my nephew, so I must take his life with my own hands,¡± Pang Kun made up a random excuse. ¡°I would advise you to stay out of this, Fang Baiyu.¡±

    Pang Kun was apanied by eighteen armored soldiers. As if on cue, they took a step forward and assumed what looked like a formation.

    The eighteen soldiers were ck Feather Guard soldiers, of course. In fact, they were his personal guards. Although they were only Half-Step Astral Refiners, their formation was powerful enough to keep Fang Baiyu upied. And if he were to join the battle, then he could even kill Fang Baiyu.

    Of course, Pang Kun didn¡¯t want to sh against Fang Baiyu unless he had no other choice. White Jade Hand Fang Baiyu was a Spirit Purifier just like him, but unlike him the warrior was famous throughout the jianghu. It would be folly to underestimate him.

    ¡°Kakaka! Your nephew, you say? What a joke! I can say that Ye Qing killed my son too in that case!¡±

    Pang Kun had just finished speaking when a man wearing ck robes stepped out into the open. He was surrounded by countless ck crows that were cawing with inauspiciousness and death.

    ¡°Just say that you want his valuables. Lying about your intentions is only going to make you a hypocrite.¡±

    ¡°Ipletely agree, Crow Superior. There is nothing more I loathe than two-faced bastards.¡±

    A woman wearing bright-colored clothes and gold and silver jewelry walked out as well. Her head was covered in flowers. You would think that someone like this would be incredibly beautiful, but in reality she was as fat as a pig and as ugly as a mud fence.

    ¡°Lady FLower?¡± Crow Superior eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Why are you here, Lady Flower?¡± Fang Baiyu frowned.

    ¡°The fuck do you mean by that? If you can target Ye Qing, then why not me?¡± Lady Flower retorted while side-eying Fang Baiyu.

    Fang Baiyu kept silent. Lady Flower might be ugly and foul-mouthed, but she was very, very strong.

    ¡°Hmph! Coward!¡± Lady Flower spat on the ground before sneering at all three men standing in her way. ¡°Now get the fuck out of my sight. The boy¡¯s head and his items are mine.¡±

    ¡°You can stand to be a little less overbearing, Lady Flower!¡± Pang Kun said in an unfriendly tone.

    ¡°Overbearing?¡± Lady Flower sneered before closing the distance between them faster than Pang Kun could blink. Then, she unleashed a palm strike.

    Pang Kun raised his saber to block the attack, but the blood drained away from his face when the palm strike connected. He felt as if a mountain had crashed into his body as he flew backward like a rag doll. Even his eighteen personal guards were no exception.

    ¡°Trash. So what if I¡¯m overbearing? What can you possibly do to stop me?¡±

    ¡°You¡ªPwack!¡± Pang Kun spat out a mouthful of blood before he could say more than a single word.

    ¡°You may be strong, Lady Flower, but you¡¯re only one person. If we work together, not even you will be able to walk away from this unscathed.¡±

    Crow Superior threatened in a gloomy voice, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want us to walk away with your spoils, would you?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me, Crow Superior?¡± Lady Flower¡¯s cheeks shook violently as she huffed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a threat. It¡¯s just a fact.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t ck Superior who answered her. A group of three men and one woman slowly stepped out of the darkness. One man looked as white as a sheet and was covered from head to toe in paper dolls. The rustling of the paper dolls sounded like whisperings.

    One man looked like an old farmer wearing a g that was sewn from dog skin. He was also carrying a puppy in his arms. He was followed by a ferocious-looking, four-headed mastiff that was as big as a calf.

    Thest man and woman were the most eye-catching of the four. The man¡¯s face was covered in scars, and he looked ugly as sin. On the other hand, the woman was gentle, demure, and extremely beautiful.

    Right now, the couple were holding each other and staring into each other¡¯s eyes with eyes full of love and sweetness. They seemed unwilling to part for a moment.

    ¡°Paper Celestial, Dog King, Husband and Wife? What are you doing here?¡± Lady Flower asked in an unfriendly tone.

    The four warriors were none other than the Twelve Fiends of Taiping. Paper Celestial and Dog King were onlyte-stage Astral Refiners, so Lady Flower could afford to ignore them. Husband and Wife were bonafide Spirit Purifiers, however. Although they were only in the early stage, they were godlike in terms of cooperation and joint attacks, so much so that they could go up against ate-stage Spirit Purifier.

    ¡°What do you think? This brat is the reason our boss, Actor, Matchmaker, Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 are killed. He also ruined the grand n our holy faith has been plotting for years,¡± Paper Celestial answered. ¡°He is our sworn enemy, and we must have our revenge.¡±

    ¡°Revenge?¡± Lady Flower scoffed in disdain. ¡°I think you just want his items. You guys are seriously hypocritical, you know that?¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Husband and Wife? You¡¯re the one who set up the bounty to hunt down Ye Qing, and now you¡¯re going to im it yourself? Is this a game to you?¡± Fang Baiyu rebuked them with an ugly expression.

    The gentleness on Husband and Wife¡¯s faces was reced by cold ruthlessness when they looked up. ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell us what to do. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll get out of our way and stop us from taking revenge. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to answer to the Way of Taiping.¡±

    ¡°You will be theughingstock of the jianghu if you do this!¡± Crow Superior voiced his dissatisfaction.

    Wife simply cracked a gentle smile and said, ¡°And why would we care about the opinions of the secr world? What I do know, is that the Yellow God would punish you if you dare to offend us!¡±

    She was now threatening them outright. Everyone nched and cursed under their breaths when they heard this, but there was nothing they could do. Everyone knew that the Way of Taiping were a bunch of maniacs, and to argue jianghu morality with them was like trying to bring the dead back to life¡ªimpossible. If they attacked Husband and Wife today, the Way of Taiping would attack them tomorrow. Heck, they might even put their bounties right next to Ye Qing¡¯s.

    There was one way to stop this, and that was to kill Husband and Wife, Paper Celestial and Dog King. But could they really?

    Of course, they weren¡¯t willing to give up either. Despite their earlier disy of hostility, Lady Flower, Crow Superior and Fang Baiyu moved closer to each other.

    ¡°Oh? Is that a threat I sense?¡± Paper Celestial sneered. ¡°Well, you can certainly try.¡±

    That was what he said, but of course they would rather not fight the Spirit Purifiers if possible. Why fight if they could be convinced to back down?

    The two groups were locked in a stalemate when suddenly, they all sensed something and looked to the distance. It was at this moment they saw a masked man wearing a ck robe stepping out of the darkness.

    Every time the ck-robed man took a step, their bodies would shake a little. It felt like the sun was descending from the sky and squeezing their lungs bit by bit.

    ¡°Half-Step Divine Master?¡±

    Everyone nched when they saw this.

    Technically, a Half-Step Spirit Master was ate-stage Spirit Purifier who was very close to entering the Spirit Master Realm. In reality, all of thembined still might not be enough to defeat a Half-Step Spirit Master.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Husband and Wife stopped flirting with each other and red at the ck-robed man.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am. You only need to know that I am taking Ye Qing with me!¡± The ck-robed man said slowly.

    ¡°And why would we let you do that?¡± Lady Flower asked coldly.

    She had thrown a simr line at Fang Baiyu, Crow Superior and Pang Kun earlier, and it had certainly felt very good. But it didn¡¯t feel good at all to be on the receiving end.

    The ck-robed man answered, ¡°Because I¡¯m stronger than all of youbined.¡±

    As soon as he said this, he abruptly appeared in front of Lady Flower like he had teleported. Shocked but not paralyzed, Lady Flower tried to defend herself only to sense an unimaginable power pressing down on her from above. At the same time, nine suns appeared inside her mental space.

    The world inside Lady Flower¡¯s head was torn asunder, and mes ravaged every corner of her mind. It wasn¡¯t long before her spirit was depleted, and her mind was extinguished.

    Thud!

    The ck-robed man casually dropped Lady Flower¡¯s body on the ground and looked at the rest of them. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be enemies with you. I only want Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°Now consider carefully if some riches you will never get are worth your life.¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡± He said he doesn¡¯t want to be enemies with us after killing one of our strongest? Is he joking right now?

    No one said a word for a time.

    Then, a cheery voice shattered the gloomy atmosphere. ¡°Hahaha, even a Half-Step Spirit Master wants me dead. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯m this valuable!¡±

    They looked. Ye Qing was leaning against a tree and watching them with a face full of scorn. ¡°Well, don¡¯t mind me. Feel free to discuss among yourself until you¡¯ve decided on the pecking order.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to die. Aren¡¯t you afraid at all?¡± The ck-robed man couldn¡¯t help but voice his doubt when he saw Ye Qing¡¯s fearless smile. He had killed many people in his life and seen just as many dying faces. Some people wept like no tomorrow, some people looked like they had lost their soul, and some wouldn¡¯t stop wailing and begging for mercy. However, he had never seen someone who was so calm.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m so scared I could die!¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°And it¡¯s all thanks to you, Hill Lord Wang!¡±

    ¡°Hill Lord Wang?¡± ¡°Wang Luori?¡±

    His words stunned the others for a second. Then, they all looked at the ck-robed man in realization.

    ¡°How did you find out?¡± The ck-robed man a.k.a Wang Luori asked curiously. He did not deny the usation.

    ¡°What? It¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re the only Half-Step Spirit Master who holds a grudge against me in Luo Shui. Who else could it be if not you?¡± Ye Qing smiled a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eyes. ¡°Only an idiot would fail to figure that out.¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡± Who are you calling an idiot?

    Ye Qing then looked at Crow Superior, Fang Baiyu, Husband and Wife with a disdainful smile on his face. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? Do you think Hill Lord Wang would let you go now that you know his identity? I may have left Luo Shui, but I¡¯m still a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau, you know? Hehe¡­¡±

    Everyone¡¯s hearts sank because it was the truth. It was one thing if they didn¡¯t know who Wang Luori was, but now that they did, the only way Wang Luori could stop them from telling everyone that he killed Ye Qing was to silence them.

    After all, the only person who could be trusted to keep a secret in this world was a dead person, and Wang Luori most definitely possessed the strength to see it through.

 Chapter 254: Words Can Take A Life

    Chapter 254: Words Can Take A Life

    Whoosh!

    Everyone looked at Wang Luori with wary eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think we don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing! You¡¯re just trying to sow dissension and take us to the grave with you!¡±

    Husband suddenly spoke up, ¡°You killed our brothers and sisters and ruined our grand n for Luo Shui. If Hill Lord Wang kills you, we¡¯d only be infinitely grateful for him for redeeming our sect¡¯s dignity. Why would we ever sell out his secret?¡±

    ¡°Besides, we would be a direct participant in your murder. If the news is leaked, the Pacification Bureau woulde after us as well. Why would we put our own lives in danger?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s totally right!¡±

    Fang Baiyu and the others hurriedly nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s one thing if someone else says it, but you? A Taiping cultist?¡± Ye Qing snorted out loud. ¡°Is there anyone in the world who doesn¡¯t know how the Way of Taiping operates? If Hill Lord Wang lets you go free, I¡¯m one hundred percent certain you¡¯ll hold my murder over his head and order him around like a ve. It would be a worse fate than even the Pacification Bureau finding out about this!¡±

    ¡°Am I right, Hill Lord Wang?¡±

    Wang Luori didn¡¯t say anything. No one could say what he was thinking as his face was covered.

    ¡°Oh, right! Allow me to enlighten you all on another secret.¡±

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t know this, but Hill Lord Wang is the true mastermind behind all this. You see, he¡¯s the one who spread the news that I ruined the Way of Taiping¡¯s ns, and if I¡¯m not mistaken, the one who designed the bounty as well. The Way of Taiping allowed it only because it suited their needs.¡±

    Ye Qing then looked at Fang Baiyu and Crow Superior. ¡°As for you guys, you were the idiots who were tricked into attacking me. It¡¯s because he wants me dead, of course! Incredible, isn¡¯t it? Hill Lord Wang sure put a lot of thought and effort into killing me!¡±

    ¡°How did you find out about this?¡± A steely glint flickered behind Wang Luori¡¯s eyes. The absence of denial was basically an admission.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Husband, Wife, Paper Celestial and Dog King exchanged a nce with each other before breaking into a run.

    Fang Baiyu and Crow Superior took off in different directions as well.

    If before, there was still a chance they might be able to persuade Wang Luori into letting them go, now it was outright impossible.

    Wang Luori had manipted the Way of Taiping for his goals. What would they do if they found out about this? They would hunt him, his family, his sect and everyone else rted to him to the ends of the earth!

    Wang Luori had tricked the people of the jianghu for his objective. What would they do if they found out about this?

    He would be the target of the entire jianghu!

    Some things in the jianghu could be done, but not said.

    After all, saying it usually resulted in a bloody feud or the annihtion of an entire sect or n.

    Sure, Ye Qing was the one who said those secrets, but from the moment they entered their ears, there was no turning back. It was them or Wang Luori.

    The moment the four Taiping cultists made their move, so did Wang Luori. He used Earth Contraction to get in front of them and threw out a punch that resembled a sunset.

    A powerful force locked down the space surrounding them at the same time as his fist intent swelled like the sun. Every nt within tens of meters of the Hill Lord instantly turned into ash, while the soil and stone turned ashen ck.

    Dog King and Paper Celestial were no match for him. Their faces instantly turned bright red, and their skin cracked from how dry it was. They staggered backward.

    The only reason they hadn¡¯t died yet was because their two early-stage Spirit Purifiers, Husband and Wife, were bearing the brunt of the attack. But just barely. A Half-Step Spirit Master was someone who had entered the Spirit Master Realm in terms of qi, power, and will. Had his mind and spirit entered the Spirit Master Realm as well, then he would be a Spirit Master already.

    ¡°Are you really going to make an enemy out of the Way of Taiping, Wang Luori?¡±

    Husband and Wife were miffed to say the least. Everyone was running, but Wang Luori chose them instead of the others. Was he implying that they were easier to kill?

    ¡°Even if you managed to kill us, those jianghu warriors would still tell everyone the truth. When that happens, you¡¯ll be hunted by both the jianghu and the Way of Taiping!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. No one is making it out of this ce alive,¡± Wang Luori sneered and slowed his attack just a tad so they could figure out what he was talking about.

    It was only now Husband and Wife realized that Fang Baiyu and Crow Superior were being held back by a group of neen. Although that group only had one Spirit Purifier¡ªand that Spirit Purifier was keeping Crow Superior busy right now¡ªthe rest operated like a single entity. Individually, the eighteen warriors were just Half-Step Astral Refiners. But together, they somehow managed to pin down Fang Baiyu, a Spirit Purifier.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Husband and Wife¡¯s eyes widened, but not because the group managed to pin down two Spirit Purifiers. It was the fact that they were helping Wang Luori at all. Were they crazy, or were they a part of Wang Luori¡¯s schemes?

    ¡°See that? You may rest in peace now!¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s voice rang like a death knell as the strength of his fist force abruptly skyrocketed. Nine suns appeared behind the Hill Lord and threatened to burn the world into dust.

    Unable to hang on any longer, Paper Celestial and Dog King burst into golden mes and died screaming. The next moment, Wang Luori appeared in front of Husband and Wife and threw a punch each at the duo.

    Bang! Bang!

    The two Spirit Purifiers hurriedly blocked the attack, but there was just no way they could withstand the full might of a Half-Step Spirit Master. Their arms broke, and the zing fist force ravaged both their insides and their mind.

    The duo staggered backward. Each time they took a step, a part of their body would burst into mes. Just three stepster, both Husband and Wife had turned into charcoal, and their surroundings transformed into a sea of mes.

    All the blood drained away from Crow Superior and Fang Baiyu¡¯s face when they saw this. They knew Wang Luori was strong, but this was beyond their imagination. It was toote to escape now, and the chances they might defeat him was less than zero. Thankfully, they had onest card up their sleeves. They hadn¡¯t survived the jianghu so far by being stupid after all.

    Crow Superior yelled, ¡°I¡¯m willing to join Sunset Hill, Hill Lord Wang. All I ask is that you spare my life.¡±

    ¡°Me too. I swear on my heart demon that I will not reveal anything that has happened today. If I do, may my heart demon devour me, and reincarnation forever denied to me.¡±

    ¡°Tempting, but¡­ I don¡¯t need you two.¡±

    Wang Luori closed the distance between them while they were talking and grabbed their skulls. When the great sun entered their mental space, their minds were extinguished, and their bodies were burned into charcoal instantly.

    ¡°They¡¯re both powerful Spirit Purifiers, Brother Wang. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit of a waste to kill them?¡± Pang Kun said regretfully as he stared at the two charred corpses.

    Wang Luori replied indifferently, ¡°They might be useful, but only dead people can keep a secret, no?¡±

    Pang Kun chuckled. ¡°Oh? Does that mean you¡¯re going to kill us as well?¡±

    ¡°You are joking, Brother Pang. I¡¯m not so undiscriminating or foolish.¡±

    Wang Luori saluted the captain. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for your assistance, I would¡¯ve been beset by endless trouble. I will forever remember this favor.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m ttered, but I just happened to be at the right ce at the right time.¡± Pang Kun guffawed. ¡°Plus, we¡¯ve been allies for a long time. Why would I abandon you during your time of need?¡± ¡°Thank you, Brother Pang.¡±

    Pang Kun could be lying through his teeth, but it was a fact that Pang Kun had done him a solid. As soon as Ye Qing had divulged the truth, Pang Kun had immediately revealed his identity via sound transmission and helped him. At the very least, he owed the captain a thanks.

    As for silencing Pang Kun, the thought had of course crossed his mind. However, Pang Kun was different from these jianghu warriors or the Way of Taiping. These jianghu warriors had no background, while the Way of Taiping¡¯s main force[1] was far, far away from Luo Shui. However, Pang Kun was backed by the ck Feather Guards and Xue Beikun, and who was to say he didn¡¯t have someone keeping an eye on the battle from somewhere?

    Besides that, Sunset Hill and the ck Feather Guards were allies. If this incident could solidify their alliance into true friendship, then why not?

    ¡°Oh right, Ye Qing killed my favorite disciple, so I must bring him back to Sunset Hill and execute him before Yang¡¯er¡¯s grave. Only then his soul may rest in peace. Don¡¯t worry, you may have his Spirit Purification-stage saber art and Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. It is my thanks for what you¡¯ve done for me.¡±

    Give and take is the way of the world. Although he sorely wanted to im the Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact for himself, the situation wouldn¡¯t allow him to make such a choice.

    Plus, a Strange Artifact was just a weapon, while his strength was his own.

    ¡°Hahaha! I shan¡¯t turn down your gift, Brother Wang!¡± Pang Kun guffawed. Not far away, Xue Shiwu was walking over with a delighted expression on his face as well.

    The entire reason they showed themselves was to obtain the Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact and the Spirit Purification-stage saber art. When the jianghu Spirit Purifiers blocked their way, they thought for sure that their dream was going to end in failure. In the end though, they were ultimately able to achieve their goal. It was a happy ending for everyone.

    They didn¡¯t care that Wang Luori wanted to execute Ye Qing personally. As long as the young man was dead, then all was well.

    ¡°Tsk tsk! I was thinking who in their right mind would help Hill Lord Wang. To think it was Captain Pang and Little Commander of the ck Feather Guards!¡± It was at this moment Ye Qing whistled and drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Have youe to kill me as well?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re imperial officers, but you¡¯re colluding with a jianghu sect to murder a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau? Are you two crazy?¡±

    ¡°How about this: work with me to kill Wang Luori, and I give you my word that the Pacification Bureau will forget this transgression. I¡¯m a Patrolman, I have the power.¡±

    ¡°Also, you can dispatch an army to wipe out Sunset Hill on the basis that Wang Luori is colluding with the Way of Taiping to kill an imperial official. Everything on that hill will be yours. Surely that is worth more than the trash I¡¯m hoarding, right?¡±

    Wang Luori: ¡°...¡± Is he seriously negotiating my murder right in front of my face?

    ¡°What a silver-tongued bastard you are. You wasted your talent bing a warrior instead of a storyteller!¡± Xue Shiwu sneered in disdain. ¡°Too bad for you, there¡¯s no one I loathe more than silver-tongued bastards.¡±

    Wang Luori said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Little Commander. I will pull out his tongue so you may cook it over a pot of soup.¡±

    Ye Qing dropped his smile immediately. Holy fuck, man. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little too hardcore?

    ¡°There¡¯s no point trying to drive a wedge between us, Ye Qing. Give up your stuff now, and I might just grant you a swift death.¡± Xue Shiwu licked his lips with naked greed.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame, really!¡± Ye Qing said regretfully, ¡°You could¡¯ve had a bright future, but you just have to choose the path that leads to hell, dontcha?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not gonna stop you. You cane out now, Old Gu!¡±

    ¡°Old¡­ who?¡±

    The blood drained away from everyone¡¯s face as they heart skipped a beat. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­ Gu Suitang!?¡±

    Wang Luori, Pang Kun and Xue Shiwu looked around nervously, but no one showed up after they waited a while.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± What¡¯s happening? Did Old Gu fuck up? Or is he dissatisfied with my summoning ritual?

    ¡°Chief Gu!¡± Ye Qing shouted loud enough to shake the whole in, but still no one showed up.

    ¡°He¡¯s just trying to trick us!¡± The group immediately red at him murderously.

    ¡°Damn. Old Gu really fucked up?¡± Ye Qing pouted. As if on cue, he heard a loud explosion that kicked up a ton of trees from the forest about fifty meters away.

    1. Mind you, the forces in Luo Shui are just that, the forces in Luo Shui. ?

 Chapter 255: Golden Cock

    Chapter 255: Golden Cock

    ¡°Who are you people? How dare you block my way?¡±

    Gu Suitang¡¯s furious voice suddenly boomed out from the forest.

    Gu Suitang was currently being attacked by four people wearing ck outfits, though it would be more urate to say that they were tying him up so he wouldn¡¯t be able to rescue Ye Qing.

    They were threete-stage Spirit Purifiers and one Spirit Master. The Spirit Master was the pivot of the group, and the threete-stage Spirit Purifiers their support.

    Gu Suitang was extremely powerful. His fists were as heavy as a mountain, his intent was as tall as the sky itself, and every punch he threw seemed capable of rocking a mountain and tearing down an entire chunk of a city. However, the Spirit Master he was facing wasn¡¯t weak either. They used a martial art that was theplete opposite of Gu Suitang¡¯s fist art in that it was soft, transient, flexible and unpredictable. No matter how powerful Gui Suitang¡¯s punches were, he could always render them harmless.

    Perhaps Gu Suitang could¡¯ve broken through by force if the Spirit Master wasn¡¯t aided by three Spirit Purifiers, but they were, so he was unable to break free no matter what he tried.

    ¡°The Flowing Cloud Sanda[1]? You¡¯re Xue Beikun?¡± Gu Suitang erupted in anger when he recognized the martial art.

    The Spirit Master a.k.a Xue Beikun didn¡¯t acknowledge Gu Suitang¡¯s usation, of course. Short of capturing or killing him, then there was nothing the Deputy Chief of Bureau could do about it.

    To be honest, he didn¡¯t want to show himself. It wasn¡¯t time yet to go to war against the Pacification Bureau after all. However, his foolish son had fallen for Ye Qing¡¯s bait hook, line and sinker. If he was caught by Gu Suitang, then the ck Feather Guards would have an all-out war in their hands.

    Although Xue Shiwu¡¯s identity was exposed, he wasn¡¯t caught yet. As long as it remained that way, then everything was fine. The court was a ¡°wonderful¡± ce where nothing was certain unless you had every piece of evidence lined up. Sometimes, not even that was enough to secure what should be an open-and-shut case.

    If Gu Suitang dared to use the ck Feather Guards colluding with Sunset Hill to assassinate Ye Qing without evidence, then he would dare to use the Pacification Bureau for nder due to personal bias.

    His mouth was his anyway. He was free to say whatever the hell he wanted.

    Besides that, Xue Shiwu was his only son. It would be terrible if he was killed by Gu Suitang. He didn¡¯t want to suffer the same fate as Wang Luori and lose his only son long before his time was up. That was why he stepped up no matter how much he didn¡¯t want to.

    Meanwhile, Gu Suitang guessed that the Spirit Purifiers were Bai Xinhu of the Bai n, Song Yushu of the administrative division, and Jiang Huanjian of Blood Shadow Pce.

    ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t figure out your identity just because you¡¯re staying quiet, Xue Beikun? You were a member of the Flowing Cloud Vi before you joined the army, and the Flowing Cloud Sanda is their ultimate technique. Do you seriously think I wouldn¡¯t know that?¡±

    When Xue Beikun wordlessly rushed Gu Suitang again, the deputy chief yelled, ¡°Are you really going to go to war with the Pacification Bureau, Xue Beikun?¡±

    ¡°And you three! I don¡¯t care who you are, but I, Gu Suitang, will never forgive you for transgressing against the Pacification Bureau!¡±

    The four men remained as silent as ever as they continued to stop him from reaching Ye Qing.

    ¡°Graaaaagh!¡±

    Gu Suitang roared again and again, but he just couldn¡¯t break through his enemies no matter what he tried.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Gu Suitang is actually here¡­¡±

    Wang Luori, Xue Shiwu, Pang Kun and the soldiers broke out in cold sweat when they heard Gu Suitang¡¯s angry roars. They finally figured out the true extent of Ye Qing¡¯s ns.

    ¡°I underestimated you, Ye Qing. To think that you were nning to deal with all of us in one go!¡± Wang Luori uttered with a low, angry growl.

    He was plotting against Ye Qing, but Ye Qing was plotting against him as well. Or rather, he was plotting against everyone who harbored malicious designs toward him. If Xue Beikun hadn¡¯t shown up, then there was a real chance he could have died here.

    The best case scenario was already out of reach. Even if he managed to kill Ye Qing today, Gu Suitang already found out that it was him who masterminded everything. He might not have the evidence to take real action against him, but he absolutely could make his life a living hell after he returned to the Pacification Bureau.

    It was toote for regrets though, and he wasn¡¯t going to give up when his prize was right in front of his eyes. Worst case scenario, he could join Xue Beikun. The Pacification Bureau probably wouldn¡¯tunch an all-out war against the ck Feather Guards over a dead man.

    Ye Qing was a genius, sure, but a dead genius held no value. To some people, a dead genius might be worth less than even a pile of shit.

    Finally, Gu Suitang might not necessarily be able to threaten after he entered the Spirit Master Realm. As a Spirit Master, he was confident that he would be able to fight the deputy chief to a standstill at least.

    ¡°Kill him now so we may leave, Brother Wang.¡± Pang Kun wore a dark look on his face as well. At this point, he knew that he had been tricked by Ye Qing. Xue Beikun was even forced to show himself to stop Gu Suitang from entering the scene and sending everything into the worst case scenario. It was already guaranteed that he was going to receive a stern punishment when he returned, the least he could do was to stop the situation from worsening any further than it already was.

    Xue Shiwu¡¯splexion kept alternating between blue and white as all sorts of emotions flitted across his face. In the end, they all culminated into pure, unbridled anger and bloodthirst. He looked like he wanted to swallow Ye Qing alive.

    ¡°Heh. I knew it wasn¡¯t safe to have only Old Gu as my safety.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged as he listened to the shesing from the forest. When he noticed the killing intent in Wang Luori, Pang Kun and Xue Shiwu¡¯s eyes, his grin grew wider and wider. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. You¡¯re the one who did this to yourselves.¡±

    ¡°How much longer are you going to smile like that?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile felt unbelievably offensive to Xue Shiwu. ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be smiling for much longer.¡±

    Ye Qing shifted to a morefortable position before replying, ¡°Am I? I suppose that¡¯s true. After all, you¡¯re all going to die in a moment.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t actually think that Old Gu is my only trump card, do you?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± A terrible sense of unease suddenly gripped all of them.

    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is...¡± Ye Qing yed up the tension until it reached a crescendo. Then, he let out a sigh and looked behind the trio. ¡°You¡¯vee, Uncle Feng!¡±

    ¡°Are you serious? Like anyone would fall for such a simple¡ª¡± Wang Luo scoffed. He thought that Ye Qing was trying to pull the good ol¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s that behind you?¡± and try to escape, but suddenly, he noticed that Pang Kun and Xue Shiwu were staring behind themselves with a look of shock on their faces. As if on cue, an amiable greeting came from behind his back:

    ¡°Good evening, Scion Ye¡­¡±

    ¡°When did he¡ª?¡± Wang Luori¡¯s eyes widened. He never noticed the old man until he appeared behind his back.

    Wang Luori immediately took action, but instead of attacking Uncle Feng, he chose to make a grab for Ye Qing.

    Wang Luori¡¯s reaction was definitely quick. He knew that this ¡°Uncle Feng¡± was here to rescue Ye Qing, and he couldn¡¯t tell how strong he was. In that case, the best course of action was to capture Ye Qing. As long as Ye Qing was in his hands, the advantage would be his no matter what.

    I will never lose!

    Wang Luori was only three meters away from Ye Qing, so it would only take him an instant to catch the young man. His hand was an inch away from Ye Qing¡¯s skull when suddenly, he saw a shower of blood and his right arm flying into the air.

    He cut my arm?! Wang Luori thought in shock before the pain hit him.

    ¡°Aaaaaaargh!¡± Wang Luori let out a bloodcurdling scream, but the pain also drove him to further violence. He pushed away the pain and continued to charge toward Ye Qing. The enemy was just too strong. Only by taking Ye Qing hostage would he stand a chance at surviving this.

    ¡°You¡¯re too hasty, young man. You should learn to be patient.¡±

    Wang Luori had just twitched a muscle when Uncle Feng¡¯s voice rang behind him. It sounded so clear it was as if the old man was standing right behind his back. In fact, he was.

    Wang Luori wasn¡¯t looking, but Ye Qing could see Uncle Feng standing less than a third of a meter behind his back. In fact, there was an Uncle Feng standing behind Pang Kun, Xue Shiwu, and the eighteen personal guards each. They all looked identical to the real thing.

    Ye Qing¡¯s mouth fell open a little. Not even his spirit could tell him which one was the real Uncle Feng, and which wasn¡¯t.

    Wang Luori, Pang Kun, Xue Shiwu and the eighteen guards felt death breathing down their necks then. They tried to resist only to find an invisible power trapping them in ce.

    The next moment, Uncle Feng lifted a finger and caused a bloody line to appear on everyone¡¯s necks.

    Neen heads rolled to the ground then. Wang Luori and Xue Shiwu were the only ones who survived the attack. Wang Luori¡¯s body rapidly turned transparent until it disappeared into nothing, and a wooden doll appeared where he used to be.

    A cock suddenly appeared in front of Xue Shiwu and crowed loudly. Then, itid a golden egg[2]. The bloody line that should¡¯ve beheaded Xue Shiwu was somehow transferred to the golden egg and shattered it instead. Blood instead of yolk spilled out of its shell.

    ¡°In¡­ Incredible!¡± Ye Qing gulped audibly with bulging eyes. He already had an inkling that Uncle Feng was strong, but his strength still exceeded his imagination. Uncle Feng had nearly killed everyone with a single move, and Wang Luori, a Half-Step Spirit Master was unable to resist at all.

    Now he was certain that Uncle Feng was absolutely stronger than Gu Suitang. Wang Luori at least managed to put up a struggle before Gu Suitang, but he wasn¡¯t able to do anything before Uncle Feng.

    ¡°A Golden Cock? Did your guardian give you that to protect your life?¡±

    ¡°Golden Cock?¡± Ye Qing jolted out of his shock and stared at the big cock still crowing on top of its lungs and running around without a care for the world. He had heard of the Golden Cock from Wawa before, but this was the first time he saw one with his own eyes.

    The Golden Cock was a very special Stranger. Although it was only a Malice-ss Stranger with little to no ability to defend itself, it possessed a very special ability. No, it wasn¡¯t its ability toy eggs and crow like a hen, though that in itself was certainly unusual. It was its ability toy a golden egg that could block any and all disasters for its owner exactly once in its life.

    The Golden Cock¡¯s golden egg was even more useful than the Scapedoll because it could protect its owner from dangerous environments as well. Besides that, the golden egg was said to possess the ability to harmonize the yin and yang energy in one¡¯s body. It was the reason the Golden Cock couldy eggs despite being male.

    If someone were to consume the golden egg, then they would be a hermaphrodite. They would literally be able to give birth to life by themselves.

    This was just a legend, of course. After all, no one had ever dared to verify it.

    ¡°Perfect. I heard that a Golden Crow¡¯s flesh is sweet, juicy, and tender, and it could be simmer-fried, steamed or roasted. It¡¯ll be a perfectplement for the wine you promised me, Scion Ye,¡± Uncle Feng said with a delighted smile while beckoning the Golden Crow toe to him.

    ¡°Cock-a-doodle!¡±

    Unaware of the grim fate that awaited it, the Golden Crow crowed and ran up to Uncle Feng.

    Ye Qing shook his head wryly. ¡°He¡¯s going to eat you, you fool. Well, that¡¯s not a bad quality though. Just look at the smartasses. They¡¯re just about ready to shit their pants.¡±

    1. Sanda, formerly Sanshou, also known as Chinese boxing or Chinese kickboxing, is the official Chinese kickboxing full-contactbat sport. ?

    2. Yes, a cockid an egg. It¡¯ll be exinedter. ?

 Chapter 256: The Demons Tomb Appears

    Chapter 256: The Demon''s Tomb Appears

    ¡°Who¡­ Who are you?¡±

    Wang Luori and Xue Shiwu were white-faced with terror as they stared at Uncle Feng.

    Uncle Feng chuckled. ¡°Me? I¡¯m just a servant. My name doesn¡¯t deserve mention.¡±

    ¡°A servant?¡± Like hell we¡¯ll believe that!

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know who you are, but my father is Xue Beikun and themander of the ck Feather Guards. You can¡¯t kill me!¡± Xue Shiwu gulped audibly while trembling like a leaf.

    Uncle Feng shook his head and gave him a warm smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know any Xue Beikun or ck Feather Guards. All I know is that someone wants to kill Scion Ye, and my job is to kill them all.¡±

    Wang Luori and Xue Shiwu booked it immediately. The old man had made it abundantly clear that there was no talking their way out of this. However, they soon realized that they were moving in reverse. No matter how hard they ran, they just kept getting closer and closer to Uncle Feng; to death.

    ¡°No! No! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Xue Shiwu finally lost his shit and howled on top of his lungs.

    Wang Luori looked like he was in utter despair as well.

    ¡­¡­

    Some distance away, Xue Beikun noticed that his son was in danger and ordered, ¡°Keep Gu Suitang busy!¡± Then, he drove Gu Suitang back with a palm strike and raced toward Uncle Feng.

    ¡°Hahaha! Do you think you can run, Xue Beikun?¡±

    Gu Suitang wasn¡¯t going to allow this, of course. Karma is such a bitch, isn¡¯t she? Well, it¡¯s my turn now!

    Gu Suitangughed boisterously as he sent Bai Xinhu, Jiang Huanjian and Song Yushu flying with a casual flick of his hand. Then, he caught up to Xue Beikun and aimed a devastating punch at his back.

    Xue Beikun didn¡¯t react, however. He allowed Gu Suitang¡¯s punch to strike its target and used the momentum to push himself even faster toward Uncle Feng.

    ¡°Fuck! He got me!¡±

    Gu Suitang cursed under his breath and got ready to give chase. However, the three Spirit Purifiers got in his way and caused him to miss his chance.

    Meanwhile, countless bloody clouds were gathering above Xue Beikun. At the center of the clouds was a bloody star that looked like the epitome of ughter and disaster, and entrenched above the star was a ck wolf.

    The ck wolf was incredibly huge and had a horn on its forehead. Its eyes were crimson red, its fur was shiny ck, and its limbs were muscr yet perfectly bnced. It looked both beautiful and strong.

    Even scarier was the fact that it was covered in ominous-looking mes. They were overflowing violence and disaster.

    When the ck wolf let out an angry roar, an unspeakable aura filled the world in an instant. It was so grandiose and all-epassing that it felt like the power of nature itself. All living beings within tens of meters of the Spirit Master abruptly prostrated themselves and trembled with fear.

    Ye Qing, Wang Luori and Xue Shiwu were no exception. An unbelievable pressure and fear were pressing down on their bodies all the way to their souls. They felt like they were an ordinary human being who was suddenly tossed into a battlefield of the ages, and the only thing they wanted to do was to crawl under a mountain of corpses and hide. Resistance was near impossible.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Greedy Wolf¡­¡±

    Ye Qing forced down the unnatural fear in his soul and slowly raised his head to look at the ck wolf in the sky. The ck wolf was none other than the legendary Greedy Wolf, and it was a symbol of killing, disaster, and all that was ominous and bloody.

    The Greedy Wolf in the sky wasn¡¯t created from astral qi, but it wasn¡¯t an illusion either. It was a Yin God.

    A Yin God was the refined form of one¡¯s mind. When a Spirit Purifier had sufficiently refined their mind, they would be able to create a Yin God and enter the Spirit Master Realm.

    A Yin God could leave their mortal shell behind and explore the world freely like a ghost. So long as the Yin God still existed, the warrior would never die.

    In fact, one must create a Yin God before they could be considered a master of the martial ways.

    A Yin God didn¡¯t necessarily need to be a humanoid shape. It could take any form and any power depending on the warrior¡¯s martial arts and personality. In that sense, everything in the world could be a Yin God.

    A Yin God was a ¡°spirit that was perfectlypatible with heaven and earth¡± ording to the ancient texts. Therefore, a warrior would be able to use their Yin God to cultivate dharma magic, perceive origin qi, and change the weather itself. They could literally summon rain and thunder upon their enemies if they wanted to.

    This was why Spirit Masters were so, so much stronger than Spirit Purifiers. One could say that the gap between the two was like an adult and a baby.

    A Spirit Master¡­ Can Uncle Feng stop him?

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    Xue Beikun summoned a spear into his hands and executed a downward thrust.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    The Greedy Wolf howled in response and also descended from above. It rode atop a star that was surrounded by thick, bloody clouds. It looked like a sky river from down below.

    Even before the river or the Greedy Wolf could reach Uncle Feng, a bloody rain fell from the sky first. The wind howled, and the rain reeked of blood stench. It was also overflowing with an air of tyranny and balefulness. The ground was quickly dyed red as every nt in the vicinity withered and died.

    Uncle Feng didn¡¯t seem to notice the Greedy Wolf or the river of blood, however. Still wearing a warm smile on his face, he waited until the Greedy Wolf and the river were close before raising his thin right arm. He said, ¡°The ¡®Seven Killing Spears of Greedy Wolf¡¯? What a coincidence. You know, I was the one who killed the Greedy Wolf.¡±

    As soon as he waved his sleeve, both the Greedy Wolf and the river rapidly shrank and slipped into his sleeve. The ominous blood rain and smelly wind disappeared just like that, and the world returned to normal once more. It was like nothing had ever happened.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Xe Beikun couldn¡¯t help but throw up a mouthful of blood after his Yin God took damage. The blood drained away from his face, and the light in his eyes grew dim.

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    The ember of hope that Xue Beikun had lit in Wang Luori and Xue Shiwu¡¯s hearts extinguished just like that. Even Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise.

    He knew that Uncle Feng was very strong, but every time he increased his expectations, the old man surpassed it like it was nothing. What kind of warrior did it take to defeat a Spirit Master who had already grasped their dharma magic in one move?

    Could Uncle Feng be a Grandmaster?

    It would certainly exin how ridiculously powerful he was!

    Man, when can I be a Grandmaster like Uncle Feng and looney-toon my enemy like that? I still have a long, long way to go.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes brimmed with envy and admiration.

    ¡°¡®A world inside a sleeve, a sun inside a jar¡¯¡­ the World Sleeve?¡±

    Xue Beikun groaned out in shock and pain when he recalled something, ¡°You¡¯re the World Sleeve Feng Liunian? I thought you were dead?¡±

    ¡°Am I? I guess so!¡± Uncle Feng hid his hands behind his sleeves and hunched down a little. Right here and now, he certainly didn¡¯t look like the legend he was at all.

    ¡°Feng Liunian is long dead. There is only an old man called Uncle Feng now.¡±

    ¡°To think that the suave, dashing and bold World Sleeve would turn into this! How pitiful! How ironic!¡± Xue Beikun taunted before bolting away all of a sudden. Themander was actually leaving his son for dead!

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape, Uncle Feng!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly shouted. He had to admit that Xue Beikun was more decisive than he thought. As soon as he realized that the situation was irredeemable, he immediately abandoned his son to save himself.

    ¡°He won¡¯t escape!¡± Uncle Feng bared his yellow teeth and grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Romance and freedom are but reflections in water. Ebb and flow is the true state of humanity. You don¡¯t understand this, and you never will!¡±

    Because you¡¯re about to die.

    Uncle Feng suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Xue Beikun. Then, he made a grab for the man¡¯s head. At thest moment, Xue Beikun dodged left and took the attack with his left shoulder instead.

    St!

    Xue Beikun¡¯s left shoulder was ripped off just like that. Blood immediately rained from above.

    Before themander could react, Uncle Feng swung his sleeve and smashed Xue Beikun toward the ground.

    Rumble!

    As soon as Xue Beikun¡¯s head hit the ground, the earth within several meters of him copsed soundlessly to reveal a bottomless pit that seemed to reach all the way to the Nine Nethers itself.

    Ye Qing¡¯s jaw hit the floor when he saw this. This¡­ is too much even for a Grandmaster, isn¡¯t it? Is Xue Beikun¡¯s head that hard? Is the ground actually made of tofu? Or is Uncle Feng even greater than Grandmaster!?

    Ye Qing realized that wasn¡¯t the case when he looked up though. It was because Uncle Feng was wearing the same stupefied expression as him.

    While both of them were trying to figure out what was going on, the pit was still growing bigger and bigger. What looked like an infinite amount of demonic qi gushed into the surface and blotted out the moon and the stars. At the same time, one could vaguely see a giant standing in the sky, infinite and eternal.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes bled, and his mind shook unsteadily when he took one look at the giant. He quickly looked away. The silhouette in the sky could not be observed, but there was no denying that it existed.

    ¡°When the moon and stars lose their light, when the demon stands in the sky, when heaven and earth falls into darkness, the Demon¡¯s Tomb shall appear.¡± Uncle Feng lost his smile and said seriously, ¡°Be careful, Scion Ye. The Demon¡¯s Tomb is about to appear in our world!¡±

    ¡°Demon¡¯s Tomb?¡± Ye Qing blinked. ¡°You dug out the Demon¡¯s Tomb with one sleeve?¡±

    No wonder he was called the World Sleeve! He¡¯s too OP!

    ¡°Wait, the Demon¡¯s Tomb? Did you mean that Demon¡¯s Tomb?¡± Ye Qing finally recalled what Paper Taoist had told him earlier. ¡°And here I thought that guy was lying.¡±

    Paper Taoist once told him that the Demon¡¯s Tomb would appear in Luo Shui within a month or two. He thought the Stranger was just spouting bullshit to save his own skin, but it turned out that it was the truth after all.

    ¡°Could that giant be the legendary Rahu then?¡±

    ording to Paper Taoist, the Demon¡¯s Tomb was the resting ce of the Progenitor Demon. It would exin how a mere projection could be so terrifying.

    Suddenly, Uncle Feng called out to him, ¡°Scion Ye! Watch out!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ye Qing had just returned to earth when his surroundings suddenly turned pitch ck. He looked up and saw the giant swaying a little and seemingly looking down on the earth.

    His skin turned ice cold, and every hair on his body stood on end. He felt like the giant was looking straight at him. His heart threatened to leap out of his chest.

    Before Ye Qing could react, the giant¡ªit was almost as if it was conscious¡ªsnapped his finger.

    Buzz!

    Space vibrated, and the ground where Ye Qing was standing abruptly dissolved into nothing.

    ¡°You sonuvabitch! What did I do to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡­¡±

    By the time Ye Qing realized what was happening, he had already disappeared into the bottomless pit below, his annoyed, helpless scream reverberating across the in for a long time.

    ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡± Uncle Feng scratched his head, puzzled. The giant had acted too quickly for him to act, though he doubted there was anything he could do even if he had reacted in time. It was obvious that he waspletely unmatched.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that the demon¡¯s projection has a mind of its own, so why did it do that? Did Scion Ye piss it off somehow?¡±

 Chapter 257: Beginning of Chaos

    Chapter 257: Beginning of Chaos

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡±

    Gu Suitang ran up to Uncle Feng while carrying a slumped Bai Xinhu. He looked back and forth between the demonic giant in the sky and the spreading void with obvious nervousness.

    Uncle Feng replied, ¡°The Demon¡¯s Tomb is appearing. These are the signs before it officially opens.¡±

    ¡°Shit!¡± Gu Suitang obviously knew what the Demon¡¯s Tomb was. ¡°Why did it appear in Luo Shui of all ces? Wait, Old Man Turtle mentioned that Luo Shui would be facing a terrible tribtion in recent times. Was he not just referring to the Way of Taiping? This is bad!¡±

    When the Demon¡¯s Tomb appeared, everything within several kilometers of the giant would be shrouded in eternal darkness, and the earth would transform into the void. Anyone and anything within its range would be dragged into the Demon¡¯s Tomb as well.

    Even worse, theck of light would draw countless Strangers toward the Demon¡¯s Tomb. This meant that Luo Shui would be facing a massive influx of Strangers very soon.

    The silver lining was that the Demon¡¯s Tomb hadn¡¯t manifested inside the city. Otherwise, the entire city would be dragged into it. It would¡¯ve been a terrible tragedy.

    The Demon¡¯s Tomb was an opportunity-of-a-lifetime for some warriors, but it was only a disaster for the ordinary people.

    ¡°Oh right, where¡¯s Joyless?¡± Gu Suitang asked.

    Uncle Feng replied, ¡°He was dragged into the Demon¡¯s Tomb.¡±

    The deputy chief frowned. ¡°Unlucky bastard. The passage to the Demon¡¯s Tomb is extremely unstable when it initially appears. It¡¯s possible he will die before he ever reaches the bottom.¡±

    That was what he said, but he wasn¡¯t really that worried mainly because there was nothing he could do even if he did worry himself to death. Besides that, Ye Qing was a journeyman body-tempering warrior with a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. He should be able to survive until the end. If not¡­ such was life!

    ¡°Speaking of which, thank you for your timely assistance, senior.¡± Gu Suitang looked away from the bottomless pit and said, ¡°If you¡¯re free, would you like toe with me to the Pacification Bureau and enjoy a meal with me? I would like to thank you properly.¡±

    Uncle Feng narrowed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re wee, but I still have other things to do. I shan¡¯t take up your time.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    It was a shame he couldn¡¯t recruit Feng Liunian¡¯s aid¡ªthe city would be so much safer otherwise¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t like he could force a possible Grandmaster to do anything, so he saluted the old man and said, ¡°I need to go now. I¡¯ll visit you some other day, senior.¡±

    He needed to head back and notify the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau, Jiang Muyang and more about the appearance of the Demon¡¯s Tomb as soon as possible. The sooner the preparations wereplete, the more they could minimize its damage to Luo Shui and the surrounding settlements.

    Uncle Feng smiled. ¡°Do as you please. You have my deepest respect for choosing to protect the people when you could¡¯ve entered the Demon¡¯s Tomb to seek out your opportunity.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, senior.¡± Gu Suitang said smilingly but seriously, ¡°I am the deputy chief of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. It is my responsibility to protect the people. Also, I¡¯m a human before I¡¯m a warrior.¡±

    He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t tempted to venture into the Demon¡¯s Tomb and seek out his opportunity. He was a warrior after all. But as the deputy chief of the Pacification Bureau, he carried the entire Luo Shui on his shoulders. It was his duty and responsibility to protect Luo Shui before anything else. That was why he needed to return to the city and oversee things as quickly as possible.

    ¡°I will take my leave now. See you someday, senior.¡± Gu Suitang left after onest salute.

    After Gu Suitang left, Feng Qingyou appeared behind Uncle Feng like a ghost and remarked, ¡°Gu Suitang is a man alright. He¡¯s as daring as he is responsible. He has a bright future ahead of him.¡±

    Uncle Feng nodded. ¡°I agree. Are we entering the Demon¡¯s Tomb now, Miss?¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°Things will getplicated when more people show up, so yes. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Miss,¡± said Uncle Feng before whistling. A whinny sound could be heard as three handsome horses pulling a bronze carriage emerged from the space. When they came to a stop in front of Uncle Feng, one of the horses rubbed its head affectionately against Uncle Feng¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Let us ride, Miss!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

    Feng Qingyou entered the carriage first, and Uncle Feng second. Right before he would slip through the entrance, he nced in a certain direction and broke into a small, enigmatic grin. A loud crackter, the three bronze horses roared and galloped straight into the void that was the entrance leading to the Demon¡¯s Tomb. In fact,rge patches of the void were scattered, and the horse carriage slipped through the hole between the void.

    The world returned to rtive silence after Feng Qingyou and Uncle Feng were gone. For a time, there was only the howling demonic qi and the not-so-intact void that was still growing every second. The sky waspletely blotted, and the darkness was eternal.

    Suddenly, a naive-sounding voice broke the silence,

    ¡°You truly are a master diviner, master. How did you know that the Demon¡¯s Tomb would appear at this location?¡±

    Beneath a pile of corpses, a silhouette suddenly pushed away one of the bodies and sat up.

    ¡°Master? Are you okay, master?¡±

    After calling out to his master and hearing no answer, the naive-sounding man grew worried and pulled away the bodies as quickly as he could. Then, he dragged out an old man whose hair and beard were drenched in blood.

    He was none other than the old Taoist who unintentionally ruined much of Ye Qing¡¯s ns earlier, and the naive-sounding man his disciple.

    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ cough! Cough¡­¡±

    The old Taoist took a couple of deep breaths before he was seized by a series of hacking coughs. When his breathing finally returned to normal, he pped his disciple on the back of his head and swore, ¡°You fucking brat! Were you trying to suffocate me? Did you want my inheritance so badly? Traitorous disciple! Traitorous disciple!¡±

    ¡°You should stop, master. Your hand is all red and sore,¡± his disciple advised while scratching his head. ¡°Also, you¡¯re the one who said we should pile a couple more bodies on top of ourselves to minimize our chances of being discovered.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And since when you¡¯re so obedient? You never listened to me when I told you to eat less, did you?¡±

    The old Taoist rubbed his sore palm and muttered a bunch of expletives under his breath before saying, ¡°Your brain isn¡¯t just for show. Use it.¡±

    ¡°Kay.¡± His disciple scratched his head again before saying, ¡°Oh right. I think that old senior who went into the Demon¡¯s Tomb noticed us. He nced at us right before he went inside.¡±

    ¡°He noticed you, not me!¡± The old Taoist scoffed. ¡°¡®World Sleeve¡¯ Feng Liunian was no less famous than me back then. Of course he noticed that you were ying dead!¡±

    ¡°Really? Senior Feng must be incredibly strong then!¡± His disciple mused with envy and admiration. ¡°Who¡¯s stronger between you two, master?¡±

    Caught off guard, The old Taoist let out an embarrassed cough. ¡°I-I said he¡¯s no less famous than me! What do you think?¡±

    His disciple thought for a moment before eximing in realization, ¡°That senior must be stronger than you! You wouldn¡¯t need to y dead if you were just as strong as him, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right that you¡¯re an absolute retard!¡± The old Taoist couldn¡¯t stop himself from pping his disciple again despite his sore hand. ¡°Fighting is for brutes and one of the worst ways to survive in the jianghu. We, the Temple of Divination, use divination to invite luck and avoid misfortune. In other words, we use our brains to survive in this world, not brawn!¡±

    ¡°Take this for example. Could you have found the Demon¡¯s Tomb without me?¡±

    ¡°But master, you also said that we warriors depend on our fists to survive in this jianghu,¡± His disciple questioned.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you?¡± The old Taoist fumed. I wanna hit him, but my hands are seriously sore. What should I do?

    As if he could read his master¡¯s mind, his disciple said, ¡°You can kick me if you want, master. You won¡¯t hurt your hands that way.¡±

    Old Taoist: ¡°...¡± What a filial disciple you are! But kicking you is still going to hurt my legs!

    ¡°The Demon¡¯s Tomb only opens for three days. If we miss the deadline, then we¡¯ll never leave. The early bird catches the worm, so let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it, ¡®The early worm gets eaten by the bird¡¯?¡±

    Old Taoist: ¡°...¡± Why did I take him in as my disciple again? Sigh!

    The old Taoist ignored his dumb disciple

    The old Taoist decided to ignore his dumb disciple and focus on the present. He made a hand gesture and muttered, ¡°The path of divination opens to those who believe. I bestow these coins with the power to guide us away from misfortune and toward fortune!¡±

    The old man threw three coins into the air. Instead of falling, they flew in a certain pattern and drew what looked like a profound-looking picture. He wore a serious expression as his fingers danced across the air rhythmically and created all manners of illusions.

    A momentter, the old Taoist made a swiping motion and caught the three bronze coins. He said smilingly, ¡°Three is on the left, and five is on the right[1]. The trigram has shifted, but not so much that it is folly to venture into the Demon¡¯s Tomb. There is fortune in danger; life in death.¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, our journey in the Demon¡¯s Tomb will be daunting but without mishaps. You may take the lead, disciple.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± His dumb disciple never questioned why his master told him to take the lead. He simply walked over to the spot the old Taoist was pointing and jumped down.

    A few breathster, when the old Taoist confirmed that he couldn¡¯t sense anything amiss, he nodded. ¡°Mm. Looks like there is no danger.¡±

    Then, he jumped down into the pit from the same spot as well.

    Time passed, and dawn broke. The world should¡¯ve been basked in warming light, but the city and its surroundings were still as dark as the night. The celestial bodies were all invisible, and a demonic giant cast a massive shadow across the ground. It was like he was a god looking down on the world, cold and unfeeling.

    By now, thend within several kilometers of the giant to the south of themandery of Luo Shui had transformed into the void. The demonic qi shrouding the area looked like a ck, imprable sea that was filled with mystery, unknown and danger.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ it really is the Demon¡¯s Tomb. The Demon¡¯s Tomb had finally surfaced once more.¡±

    Space shook, and a cold light glittered in the darkness. It was a coffin flying through the sky until it was directly above the Demon¡¯s Tomb. Whoever was lying inside the coffin was letting out a sinister cackle.

    ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s a human city here? Oh, there are quite a lot of humans as well. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve feasted on human flesh and soul. Oh, I¡¯m so hungry.¡±

    The coffin lid shifted to one side, and an unbelievably thin arm reached out of the coffin. When the owner of the arm made a grab for the city, a giant palm bigger than the city itself suddenly manifested right on top of it. It looked like the person inside the coffin was nning to kill all living things in Luo Shui in one strike.

    ¡°How dare you, Demon of Unliving!¡±

    Right before the demonic palm wouldnd, the light of a sword suddenly shot through the sky. It easily sliced the demonic palm in half and caused it to crumble away like dust.

    1. ording to my research, this is some sort of calction based on the Nine Halls Diagram. Here¡¯s a link for those who are interested: Luoshu Square - Wikipedia ?

 Chapter 258: Intimidation Tactic 101

    Chapter 258: Intimidation Tactic 101

    ¡°Why are you getting in my way, Song Xi[1]? What did I ever do to you?¡± Demon of Unliving raged after his attack was crushed.

    ¡°Hmph! You were going to ughter hundreds of thousands of people, and you¡¯re asking me why I stopped you?¡±

    A handsome man with a sharp, imposing aura appeared in the sky. He had white hair and wore a white outfit. Before Demon of Unliving could react, Song Suyu unleashed a sword thrust and left a thin crack on the coffin. The next moment, an unbelievable amount of sword intent erupted from inside the coffin.

    Boom!

    After the coffin was destroyed, a scrawny, bony and freaky-looking man tumbled into view. He looked ragged and ckened probably because the explosion had done a number on him.

    ¡°Song Xi, you piece of¡ª¡±

    ¡°You-you-you-you-you what, you ugly sonuvabitch? No wonder you always hide yourself in a coffin. If I was you, I would¡¯ve hanged myself a long time ago!¡±

    A different voice interrupted Demon of Unliving before he could finish. The next moment, a sloppily-dressed Taoist appeared behind him and unleashed a palm strike.

    An image of Yin and Yang appeared in the sky and rotated slowly. Everything within the image such as Demon of Unliving and the surrounding space were immediately crushed like grains in a millstone. His body was twisted like a rope, and blood spurted from multiple parts of his body. It looked like the invisible force might crush Demon of Unliving into powder at any moment.

    ¡°Your Yin Yang Millstone Hand deserves its reputation, Yellow Dragon Trueman!¡±

    Suddenly, a giant sun that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world of darkness rose into the sky. At the same time, a crescent moon fell into the horizon. There was a blur as if the corner of space where Demon of Unliving was was being distorted, and the warrior abruptly vanished into thin air.

    Some distance away, the artificial sun and moon abruptly extinguished as if it was crushed by some sort of invisible force.

    ¡°The Heavenly Body Switching Art? I didn¡¯t think you woulde, Old Ding!¡± Yellow Dragon Trueman withdrew his right hand and looked at the spot where Demon of Unliving was transferred to.

    There was a short, thin man standing next to Demon of Unliving. His eyes looked like soybeans, and a pair of buck teeth were sticking out of his mouth. He also had a goat beard. The guy looked just like a rat.

    While stroking his beard, Old Ding greeted Song Xi and Yellow Dragon Trueman, ¡°Hail, Brother Song. Hail, Yellow Dragon Trueman.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to fight us, Ding Qiu?¡± Sword intent billowed like the autumn wind as Song Xi side-eyed Old Ding.

    Ding Qiu¡¯s beady eyes narrowed into lines as he denied the usation in a hurry, ¡°Of course not! It¡¯s just that we¡¯re allpatriots here. Why fight among ourselves when cooperation would benefit us more?¡±

    ¡°Benefactor Ding is right. There¡¯s no need to sour the peace over a small issue.¡±

    A bald, fat monk with his stomach exposed like Budai[2] and shrouded in golden light floated over on a golden lotus. Despite his appearance, he was actually quite young.

    ¡°A small issue? You call the attempted ughter of hundreds of thousands of people a small issue, Laughing Buddha?¡± Song Xi said coldly. He looked like he might cut the monk down to size if he so much as breathed another word.

    It was at this moment a feminine giggle interrupted their spat. ¡°Guys, the Demon¡¯s Tomb is only going to appear for three days. Are you sure you want to waste your time on pointless arguments? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to murder each other after you¡¯ve left the Demon¡¯s Tomb?¡±

    The giggle sounded like it came from a few kilometers, but less than a secondter, a litter appeared right before their eyes.

    No one was carrying the litter, but it didn¡¯t need a carrier because it had four human legs. It also had a giant mouth and a tongue that was hanging outside the lips. For whatever reason, it was panting like a dog.

    A woman sat inside the litter, and her face waspletely masked from view. However, the curtains covering the litter were just transparent enough to reveal an hourss figure.

    The woman inside the litter suddenly looked and Song Xi and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you greeting your ex-lover, Xi?¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Song Xi grunted but didn¡¯t say anything[3].

    The woman suddenly let out a mournful sigh that drew everyone¡¯s sympathy even though they had no idea what was the story between her and Song Xi. ¡°How heartless. Back then¡­ Actually, I¡¯d prefer not to recall those woeful days, and you probably don¡¯t want to see me anyway. See youter, everyone.¡±

    The next moment, the litter ran into the void leading to the Demon¡¯s Tomb and disappeared.

    Yellow Dragon Trueman couldn¡¯t help but move closer to Song Xi and asked, ¡°Ahem¡­ Xi? Did you¡­ actually have an affair with the Saintess of Yin Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Song Xi¡¯s face darkened as he unsheathed his sword half an inch. An incredible amount of sword qi immediately filled the sky.

    ¡°Ahem. The saintess is right. The Demon¡¯s Tomb is only going to appear for three days, so¡­ goodbye, y¡¯all!¡± Ding Qiu flinched at the disy of power and slipped into the void with Demon of Unliving just like that.

    Song Xi harrumphed, but he didn¡¯t try to stop them. Ding Qiu was a Thief¡¯s Sect elite, and no sect was better than the Thief¡¯s Sect when it came to making a run for it. Like a rat, it was impossible to stop Ding Qiu from escaping even if he wanted to.

    ¡°Amitabha. This poor monk shall be taking his leave as well,¡± Laughing Buddha said with a smile before entering the void on his golden lotus.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ Let¡¯s go, Xi.¡±

    After Laughing Buddha and the others were gone, Yellow Dragon Trueman beckoned Song Xi to him and put some of his disciples into his sleeves[4]. ¡°Xi, I don¡¯t want to reprimand you for your habits, but you already have Junior Sister Bai, you know? When will you learn to appreciate what you have and stop womanizing¡­ ahem. Looks like Junior Sister Bai is here. Good luck, brother!¡±

    Song Xi subconsciously looked in the direction where he sensed a pocket of auras. He saw a flying boat that seemed to be made from white jade flying toward him, and standing on the bow was a woman with a chilling expression and presence. She was like a winter plum who stood proudly in the winter.

    Song Xi immediately pulled a handful of Purity Sword disciples into his sleeves as well. Then, he put a hole in the void and slipped inside faster than one could blink.

    A few breathster, when the boat finally arrived at the scene, a woman walked over to the cold woman and asked, ¡°Was that Senior Brother Song, senior sister? Why didn¡¯t he wait for us?¡±

    The woman replied coldly, ¡°He¡¯s just a coward, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The boat dove into the void and disappeared as well.

    More and more people showed up. Some of them were alone, and some of them brought disciples with them. Regardless of theirpany orck thereof, they were all here to enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb.

    ¡°I had no idea that Song Xi had a fling with the girl from Yin Mountain Pce. That gossip alone is worth the trip.¡±

    Inside a tower overseeing the phenomenon that had taken over an entire chunk ofnd, a man was lying in his chair and enjoying some melon seeds. He was wearing azy smile on his face.

    Fang Xiaoman, the Chief of Bureau, and Gu Suitang, the Deputy Chief of Bureau, were standing on his left and right side. Gu Suitang looked worried, while Fang Xiaoman was shoving one shaobing[5]

    ¡°Hmm? A Stranger ising,¡± Fang Xiaoman mumbled suddenly. As if on cue, a Stranger bearing a coffin and surrounded by crows slowly appeared from the horizon[6].

    ¡°That¡¯s the Pallbearer!¡±

    Gu Suitang looked at the Stranger walking toward the Demon¡¯s Tomb and asked, ¡°Should we kill him?¡±

    The man on the chair cracked open a melon seed and replied, ¡°Nah, he¡¯s too weak. It wouldn¡¯t achieve the intended effect.¡±

    ¡°What about that one?¡±

    A few breathster, a Stranger with a tiger¡¯s head and an ox¡¯s body showed up. Over six meters in height, it had four hooves that were literally on fire, three eyes, and a pair of long, sharp horns that looked as crooked as the Yellow River itself. The horns were pitch ck and emanated some sort of eerie light. For some reason, the gap between the horns almost looked like a gateway that was connected to another world. There were also children running back and forth through the gap repeatedly[7].

    The man took one look and said, ¡°That one¡¯s definitely not weak. I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±

    Gu Suitang answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m too weak.¡±

    The man abruptly threw the melon seeds on the ground and swore, ¡°Then what the fuck makes you think I can beat it? That¡¯s fucking Tubo, man, Tubo! I don¡¯t think even two of me can kick its ass, much less kill it!¡±

    ¡°Besides, Tubo is no irredeemably evil Stranger. Why the fuck would I provoke such a Stranger? It¡¯s just unnecessary!¡±

    While the man was swearing up and down, a couple more Strangers and jianghu warriors entered the Demon¡¯s Tomb. Usually, they would be murdering the hell out of each other, but this time everyone shared an unspoken agreement. There would be no fighting until they had entered the Strange Realm.

    ¡°Finally! A suitable prey arrives!¡±

    Suddenly, the man leaped into the sky and pushed his hands in front of him. A draconic roar shook the world, and a golden dragon at least three hundred meters long burst into existence. It flew straight toward a mountain that was hundreds of meters tall.

    The mountain was no normal mountain. For one, it was floating in the air. Second, it was covered in all kinds of bones from head to toe. In fact, it looked like the entire mountain was made of bones.

    It was the Bone Mountain, a Disaster-ss Stranger[8]

    tter tter tter¡­

    As if sensing the danger, the bones on the mountain came together to form a pain of massive hands. It grabbed toward the golden dragon like it was catching a worm, but the dragon easily shattered the hands into pieces with the flick of a tail.

    The next moment, the golden dragon swooped down and let out another roar. The massive Bone Mountain was shattered just like that.

    ¡°The Dragon Wars In the Wilderness¡±

    Not done yet, the man roared and unleashed another three golden dragons. They trapped the rain of bones before they could hit the ground and crushed them over and over like a grinder. They didn¡¯t stop until every single bone that made up the Bone Mountain was fine powder.

    After the Bone Mountain was killed, the man sped his hands behind his back and dered with a booming voice, ¡°Just because the Pacification Bureau didn¡¯t take action doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯re sick kittens, you walking pieces of garbage!¡±

    ¡°I am Hong Jianglong, a member of the Pacification Bureau. You are free to enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb, but anyone who damages thend or the people of Luo Shui will share Bone Mountain¡¯s fate.¡±

    ¡°Just try me if you dare. I promise it¡¯ll be thest thing you ever do in your life!¡±

    For a time, everyone hiding in the shadows be it those who were nning to enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb or exploit this opportunity to cause trouble was speechless with shock. Hong Jianglong was formally titled the ¡°Revered Dragonbane¡±, and he was one of the four champions of the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau. A Grandmaster who was famous for his brutality, there were few warriors or even Strangers who hadn¡¯t heard of his name.

    Hong Jianglong was here obviously to support the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau and warn those humans or Strangers who harbored malicious designs for Luo Shui.

    The reason he killed Bone Mountain was to make a show of force. It didn¡¯t necessarily have to be Bone Mountain, it just happened to be at the wrong ce at the wrong time. The poor thing.

    ¡°Fuck, that damn mountain is harder than I thought.¡±

    A whileter, Hong Jianglong returned to the city and shook his sore hands. Then, he looked at Gu Suitang and Fang Xiaoman and said, ¡°I¡¯ve scared the chickenshits for you. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone who¡¯s dumb or ballsy enough to attack Luo Shui in the next three days.¡±

    But Gu Suitang shook his head and said, ¡°You should¡¯ve discussed your n with us, my lord. I would have asked you to hide yourself until we¡¯ve baited all of our would-be-attackers into showing themselves. That would¡¯ve earned us months, maybe even years of peace for Luo Shui instead of days.¡±

    Hong Jianglong looked at Gu Suitang in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s only been a few months since we met. When did you be such a bad boy, Old Gu?¡±

    As far as he remembered, Gu Suitang was an honest, straightforward man. He was smart, but he never thought that the deputy chief had it in him toe up with such a devious¡ªbut admittedly great¡ªn. He was basically suggesting to use everyone in Luo Shui as bait to take out all of their enemies in one go.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Gu Suitang felt a little embarrassed. ¡°I learned it from a brat who has more courage than sense.¡±

    ¡°Well, that brat has a bright future ahead of him,¡± Hong Jianglong praised him before sighing. ¡°It¡¯s toote though. Also, I¡¯m going to enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb with a couple of hopefuls myself, so I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stay in Luo Shui for long anyway.¡±

    ¡°Still, Luo Shui should be safe for the next few days, so rest easy. I¡¯m going to sneak away now. I trust the two of you to keep the peace while I¡¯m gone!¡±

    ¡°Wait! If you run into a young man named Ye Qing during your exploration, please keep him safe. He¡¯s our Patrolman,¡± Gu Suitang said suddenly.

    ¡°Ye Qing? Got it,¡± Hong Jianglong responded before vanishing into thin air.

    ¡°I hope everything will turn out fine.¡± Gu Suitang looked at the ck sky above his head and sighed.

    ¡°Me too,¡± Fang Xiaoman replied.

    May Luo Shui, its people, and even that brat be safe!

    1. I don¡¯t remember the chapter number, but ¡°Sword From The West¡± Song Xi was mentioned before. He was the one who massacred Amorous Nun¡¯s sect for sucking his disciple to death. ?

    2. Also known as the Laughing Buddha or the Fat Buddha. ?

    3. Okay, I¡¯m starting to think that this guy is Batman, but he kills. ?

    4. No, this isn¡¯t a mistrantion. In fact, you¡¯ve seen Uncle Feng do this on a much bigger scale. I wish there¡¯s a better way to describe this, but I can¡¯t think of any. ?

    5. Also called huoshao, is a type of baked, unleavened,yered tbread in northern Chinese cuisine. ?

    6. Say hello to an old friend. ?

    7. A lot of old friends are showing up today. ?

    8. First debut of Disaster-ss Strangers! ?

 Chapter 259: Natureâ€™s Water

    Chapter 259: Nature¡¯s Water

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Where am I?¡± Ye Qing shook off his dizziness and nced at his surroundings. A secondter, he massaged his forehead and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m inside the Demon¡¯s Tomb, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    He was currently inside a lush forest filled with all kinds of fruits. There were pears, peaches, apples and more.

    This would be a perfectly ordinary sight in a perfectly ordinary orchard if not for the fact that there were also strawberries and watermelons on the trees. I know my strawberries and watermelons, bro, and I can tell you that they definitely do not grow on trees!

    But of course, this was a magical world. What was abnormal in his previous life could be perfectly normal in this one.

    Ye Qing let out a small sigh of relief after observing his surroundings for a bit and finding no danger. There was a non-zero chance he could have fallen right into the middle of trouble and turn into a coffin as a result. That would have sucked to say the least.

    He didn¡¯t touch the fruits on the trees, of course. The Demon¡¯s Tomb was a strange and perilous ce. He didn¡¯t want to attract trouble or throw his life away just because of a moment¡¯s gluttony. Caution was the default mode until he left this ce.

    After resting for a bit and returning to optimal condition, Ye Qing finally started plotting his next move. Honestly, he didn¡¯t really care for the Demon¡¯s Tomb¡¯s so-called fortunes or opportunities because he had the Annon Sutra. He had never nned on entering this dangerous ce either.

    Unfortunately, the demonic giant decided that he was ¡°special¡± or something and literally finger-snapped him into this ce. There was just nothing he could do to resist.

    In any case, his first order of business was to find the exit. He had checked the files regarding the Demon¡¯s Tomb before, so he knew that it normally appeared for only three days before disappearing. If he couldn¡¯t locate the exit or a spatial rift that connected to the real world in time, then the Demon¡¯s Tomb would sink back into the void. He would never be able to leave if that happened.

    Opportunities and fortunes could wait until he had secured his escape.

    His mind made up, Ye Qing produced the Annon Sutra and asked, ¡°Where is the exit?¡±

    Ye Qing spat a couple mouthfuls of blood on the vellum. A short whileter, the Annon Sutra gave its answer: ¡°Journey to the north.¡±

    ¡°Journey to the north? Is that a wordy on journey to the w¡ªahem. I mustn¡¯t jinx myself.¡±

    Thankfully, the Annon Sutra¡¯s answer was fairly clear this time. Instead of making him solve a poem or a riddle, it outright told him to journey to the north.

    Ye Qing put away the Annon Sutra and got ready to leave. It was at this moment a red apple fell from above and hit him squarely on his head.

    Ye Qing subconsciously picked up the apple from the ground and gave it a look. It didn¡¯t look any different from your ordinary apple. ¡°Looks good. I wonder how it tastes?¡±

    Ye Qing was just about to take a bite when suddenly, the apple started wriggling on its own. A pair of big, round eyes appeared on its surface, and a pair of arms and legs grew out of its sides.

    For a time, the man and the apple could only stare incredulously at each other. Is he the man who¡¯s going to eat me? The small apple thought. The next second,rge, beady tears started falling profusely from its eyes.

    ¡°Ohe on, I haven¡¯t even eaten you yet!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes. It wasn¡¯t long before his palm waspletely drenched in tears.

    Strangely, the apple¡¯s tears smelled fragrant instead of salty. It stirred his appetite before he realized it.

    I wonder if its tears taste just as sweet?

    When the apple saw Ye Qing unconsciously licking his lips, it grew even more afraid and bawled loudly. ¡°Uwah! I¡¯m scared! I¡¯m scared!¡±

    The apple¡¯s voice was that of a small child, but it resounded inside Ye Qing¡¯s head instead of his ears.

    It can speak? No, it¡¯s some sort of telepathy. Ye Qing immediately replied telepathically, ¡°Stop crying.¡±

    If the apple was alive, then it was very possible that every other fruit on the trees were alive as well, meaning that they were all Strangers. That was why he told the apple to stop crying¡ªthest thing he wanted was the fruit Strangers attacking him because he was at the wrong ce at the wrong time.

    He had thought of crushing the apple outright, but he was afraid that the act of murder would trigger the fruits as well.

    The apple continued to sob despite his order, so Ye Qing threatened, ¡°Cry some more, and I will eat you whole including your core.¡±

    ¡°...¡± My core? What a monster!

    The apple immediately stopped sobbing and mped its tiny hands around its mouth. At the same time, Ye Qing felt a pulse of spirit. ¡°Don¡¯t eat me! Don¡¯t eat me! I¡¯m not fully mature yet, so I¡¯m not tasty! And my core is definitely worse!¡±

    ¡°Sure. I won¡¯t eat you as long as you don¡¯t cry,¡± replied Ye Qing with his spirit.

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re a good person, big guy!¡± The apple¡¯s eyes turned into crescents, and Ye Qing could clearly sense a pulse of joy from it.

    ¡°Big guy?¡± Well, I suppose I am way bigger than it is.

    ¡°Oh right! Are you hungry, big guy? You don¡¯t need to eat me! I know a ce where you can eat a fragrant thing until your tummy is full!¡±

    ¡°Fragrant thing? What¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing asked for rification.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a fragrant thing?¡± The apple tilted its head in confusion. A fragrant thing is a fragrant thing. What else can it be?

    The apple leaped down Ye Qing¡¯s hand and beckoned him to follow. ¡°Come! I¡¯ll take you there!¡±

    Ye Qing noticed that the apple was heading toward the north. Since that was the direction he was going anyway, he decided that there was no harm in following it.

    The apple walked surprisingly fast despite its thin, short limbs. It wasn¡¯t long before they arrived at a puddle. Strangely, the puddle was floating about a meter above the ground, and the water were golden yellow in color. Bright, translucent, and unbelievably fragrant, it looked like the coalescence of countless essences of life.

    A single whiff of its scent was enough to make Ye Qing feel like his soul had sublimated. All the fatigue and seque he had umted after days of non-stop fighting was wiped clean in an instant.

    ¡°Is this¡­ Nature''s Water?¡±

    Also known as the Water of Life, Nature¡¯s Water was a product of the essences of life. It could only be found in ces that were overflowing with nature and rich in energy, and it took tens of thousands of years to take form. A true product of nature, it was why it was called Nature''s Water.

    Nature¡¯s Water contained an immense amount of life essences and the power of nature. Any nt that made contact with it would automatically grow a soul, any animal that saw it would immediately be sapient, and any human who ate it would be changed forever.

    To put it simply, a human who drank Nature¡¯s Water would be better in every way imaginable. Their blood vessels would be unlocked, their marrow would be purified, their body would be strong, their soul would be sublimated, their lifespan would increase and so on. It was

    the power to transform one¡¯s lifepletely all contained in a puddle.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I hit the jackpot right from the get go! Hahaha!¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t stopughing himself silly for a time. He didn¡¯t even notice his saliva dripping down his mouth.

    For a warrior, Nature¡¯s Water could only be described as a holy grail. Even a single drop of Nature¡¯s Water could transform a warriorpletely, much less an entire puddle. Forget him, even a Grandmaster would be salivating out of their minds.

    ¡°It¡¯s mine. It¡¯s mine. It¡¯s all mine!¡±

    ¡°Let me up! Let me up! I wanna drink the fragrant thing too!¡±

    The small apple jumped up and down anxiously, but it was just too short to reach the puddle. When it tried calling out to Ye Qing, it discovered that the young man waspletely drunk with wild joy. He hadn¡¯t heard the apple at all.

    Seeing this, the apple puffed up its cheeks and thought of a n. It climbed up Ye Qing¡¯s clothes until it reached his shoulder. Then, it leaped into the puddle like a professional swimmer.

    ¡°Glug glug glug¡­¡± It began chugging down the water like no tomorrow.

    The apple¡¯s action jolted Ye Qing back to reality. After observing for a moment and finding no danger that he could see, Ye Qing hurriedly produced some porcin bottles from his Nature¡¯s Shell and filled them up with Nature¡¯s Water.

    He quickly ran into a problem though. All the porcin bottles he got were pill bottles, so they could only store so much water. Besides that, he only had so many bottles. They were all full in a moment.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Ye Qing frowned in thought until he nced at the apple. It was currently swimming around the puddle and blowing bubbles as it did so. The answer immediately came to him then: My stomach is way bigger than these bottles!

    Ye Qing immediately bent down and drank from the puddle. The moment the water entered his stomach, he felt a tremendous energy spreading throughout his whole body. The power wasn¡¯t violent, however. Instead, it nourished him like the rain and sunlight of spring, smooth yet of-so-satisfying. His internal organs, his blood vessels, his bodily points, his bones, his flesh, his blood, his mind and his spirit were all undergoing an experience.

    ¡°Uwu¡­ my fragrant thing¡­¡±

    The apple immediately panicked when it saw the puddle decreasing at a visible rate. It was like a certain man¡¯s mouth was a vortex that was sucking everything dry. While whining cutely, it opened its mouth wider and chugged down the water as quickly as it could. It knew the puddle of Nature¡¯s Water would be all gone in a moment.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Disciple, my divination is telling me that a great opportunity awaits inside this forest.¡±

    At the edge of a fruit forest, an old Taoist was holding a luopan[1] and pointing straight ahead.

    The brawny, simple-looking man beside him stared at the delicious fruits on the trees and licked his lips hungrily. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, master. Can I eat some of the fruits?¡±

    ¡°Eat, eat, eat! Would it kill you to eat less, you glutton?¡± The old Taoist yelled but felt a bit thirsty himself, so he changed his tune and said, ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m feeling a little thirsty myself, so go.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Just give me a minute, master,¡± His disciple chirped excitedly before running up to a fruit tree. He was just about to pluck a fruit when suddenly, the tree started withering at a visible rate. Its yellowed leaves fell on top of the disciple like the rain, and the fresh, juicy fruits also rotted and fell to the floor.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    The disciple scratched his head, puzzled. When he looked around, he discovered that the fruit tree wasn¡¯t the only tree that was withering. Every tree within his vicinity was withering at an insane rate as well. What was a lively forest quickly turned deathly and ill-looking.

    ¡°Come back, Longxiang!¡±

    At the distance, the old Taoist called for his disciple to return after noticing the oddity. He flinched when he counted his finger. ¡°Shit! Someone is stealing our opportunity! We need to go now before it¡¯s toote!¡±

    The old Taoist grabbed his disciple and rushed into the forest. They were gone just like that.

    1. The luopan or geomanticpass is a Chinese maicpass, also known as a feng shuipass. ?

 Chapter 260: Hill Mover Bell

    Chapter 260: Hill Mover Bell

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing and the red apple had almost drained the puddle of Nature¡¯s Waterpletely. The red apple wasn¡¯t a red apple anymore. It was now shining gold from head to toe. Ye Qing himself was the same. His skin looked as smooth as jade, and his pores were discharging golden air that was overflowing with life. If he cut his hair, he would look just like a golden Buddha.

    It was because the water contained too much power. He wasn¡¯t able to absorb and refine it before it was released from his body.

    Ye Qing could feel that his body and his soul had undergone a fundamental transformation. His mind was solid and perfectly transparent, his reservoir of spirit was enormous, and all impurities within his body had been removed. In fact, his body had gone from a nurtured body to a natural body, meaning that he was now what they called a one-in-a-million martial genius.

    Even better, his strength was now the equivalent of four dragon elephants. Thanks to Gu Suitang¡¯s training a while ago, he was able to hone his strength further and hit the ceiling of one dragon elephant. However, any progress after this point would require an enormous amount of precious resources.

    Luckily for him, Nature¡¯s Water was exactly that. It contained so much power that it outright quadrupled his body strength even though he wasn¡¯t able to refine all of it. If he did, he might even be able to hit five or even six dragon elephants.

    ¡°Phew¡­ it¡¯s so worth it¡­¡±

    Ye Qing kept drinking until he couldn¡¯t anymore. It was only then he stood up and let out a loud, golden burp.

    The apple was also floating inside the puddle and burping loudly. It looked so happy and at peace that it might ascend to the heavens at any moment. From time to time, he could also hear it pulsing, ¡°Fragrant¡­ so fragrant¡­¡±

    ¡°Glutton,¡± Ye Qing chided it jokingly before rubbing his own swollen belly.

    I feel like peeing, but that would be a waste!

    Suddenly, an icy voice entered his ears, ¡°Are you the thieves who stole my Nature¡¯s Water?¡±

    Ye Qing flinched and wheeled around. He immediately saw an old man with white hair and beard ring at them.

    Before Ye Qing could say anything, the apple hurriedly climbed to its feet and protested loudly, ¡°Uwu¡­ it¡¯s him! He¡¯s the one who forced me to bring him to the fragrant thing!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to, but I¡¯m just a kid! What can I do?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing immediately red at the apple. You couldn¡¯t even wait a second before selling me out? Also, you¡¯re the mastermind here, okay? I didn¡¯t even know the water was here until you brought me over, and now you¡¯re using me of coercion? Shameless!

    ¡°Senior, I¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing was going to put his silver tongue to use when the old man mmed his wooden stick on the ground. As if sensing his fury, the earth abruptly swelled like a tidal wave and threatened to bury him alive.

    ¡°Not even going to let me exin myself? Come on!¡±

    Clearly, the old man was nning to kill him. Ye Qing stomped the ground with the strength of four dragon elephants. The ground shook violently, and the avnche was blown apart just like that.

    ¡°Time to go!¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate and took off immediately. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the old man was the spirit of this forest and something like the Mountain God or a River God. He was unkible and immensely powerful so long as he remained inside this forest. Therefore, his only chance of surviving was to leave the forest as soon as possible.

    Ye Qing was fifty meters away from his original location in just the blink of an eye. His speed after his recent improvement was insane.

    ¡°You think you can escape after drinking my Nature¡¯s Water? I will bury you alive, thief!¡± The old man let out an angry roar that literally shook the mountains. The wind howled, and the tree branches twisted and iled all over the ce.

    It was clear that both the old man and the forest were angry. Or rather, the forest was the old man.

    Ye Qing was unafraid, however. He surrounded himself in astral qi and unleashed his newfound strength. Like a brute, he sprinted toward the north while crushing every branch and root that tried to stop him. They were unable to impede him for even an instant.

    ¡°Rarrgh!¡±

    Seeing that the usual method was unable to stop Ye Qing, the old man roared again and caused all the fruits to open their eyes. Their colors weren¡¯t nearly as bright and clear as the small apple¡¯s, however. They were blood red in color, and their center split apart to reveal rows and rows of sharp teeth.

    There were strawberry giants who were made of countless strawberries and spat poisonous strawberry juices at him, pears that grew holes that released a sickly sweet mist that was dark green in color, watermelons that grew ck wings that flew up to Ye Qing before exploding and more. Every nt and fruit in the forest had be Ye Qing¡¯s enemy.

    ¡°shy but useless,¡± Ye Qing sneered in disdain. His physique was stronger than ever, and he was immune to all poison. Such attacks wouldn¡¯t even be able to tickle him, much less threaten his life.

    Suddenly, a crack appeared right underneath his feet. ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    He fell inside, and the crack mmed shut as if it would crush him alive.

    Boom!

    The earth exploded, and Ye Qing was back on the surface. However, he had just leaped into the air when a massive hand that was made of mud smacked him right back toward the ground.

    At thest second, Ye Qing mmed his palm against the earth and swiped backward. He immediately shot forward like an arrow.

    Hmph! Did he think this is enough to¡ª

    Bang!

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t even finished his thought when he mmed head first into a craggy hill. Literally half of his body was stuck in its sides.

    ¡°Poo! Poo! Ptooey! The fuck? When was there a hill at this location?¡± Ye Qingined after pulling his head out and spitting out the soil inside his mouth.

    His answer came a secondter. When he looked around, he saw the ground swelling into countless hills, and they were all moving in his direction.

    ¡°Okay, this is getting annoying¡­¡±

    Ye Qing hmphed coldly and stomped the ground. After the hills copsed from the shockwave, he continued to sprint toward the distance.

    ¡°You cannot escape¡­¡±

    ¡°You cannot escape¡­¡±

    Unfortunately, he had only taken a few steps when a loud, invisible, yet all-epassing voice enveloped the world. More hills rose all around him and surrounded him from every direction like prison bars.

    Shit shit shit! This is bad!

    Ye Qing frowned as he stared as theyers uponyers of hill blocking his way. Despite his newfound power, It was just too difficult to go up against a whole forest.

    Ah, I regret everything. I shouldn¡¯t have allowed that cunning little apple to tempt me. I wouldn¡¯t be in this situation if it wasn¡¯t for it¡­

    ¡°This way, brother!¡±

    Ye Qing was getting ready to fight for his life when suddenly, the hills parted to reveal a small path. He then saw an old Taoist holding what looked like a silver ox horn bell standing in the middle of the path and calling out to him. Standing behind him was a brawny, simple-looking man.

    It¡¯s them? How did they survive?

    Ye Qing immediately recognized the old Taoist. He was none other than the bastard who, together with his disciples, exposed most of his schemes to his enemies.

    What was strange was that he clearly remembered smashing Vajra Boy into his simple-minded disciple¡¯s chest and sending both him and the old Taoist flying. Logically speaking, there was no chance they could¡¯ve survived the attack, but not only did the old Taoist look alive, he looked quite healthy.

    He had a feeling that the old Taoist didn¡¯t recognize him though. After all, his whole body including his face was shining like a light bulb right now. It wasn¡¯t impossible to see through all this light, but if the old man knew who he was he most likely wouldn¡¯t have tried to save him.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, brother? You¡¯ve be the forest¡¯s enemy! If you don¡¯t leave now, then you¡¯ll never leave!¡± The old Taoist urged.

    ¡°Right. I¡¯ming.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to run over to the old Taoist. The guy could¡¯ve saved him out of kindness, or he could be scheming something. Regardless, the politicking could wait until he had left the forest!

    It took Ye Qing only one step to appear next to the old Taoist. The old Taoist immediately turned around and said, ¡°This way!¡±

    Ye Qing and the simple-minded disciple and Ye Qing followed closely behind the old Taoist. Whenever a hill or ten rose to crush them, the old Taoist would shake his bell to emit some sort of strange energy. The hills would immediately move out of the way like meekmbs.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up with curiosity. It wasn¡¯t every day you saw such an interesting Strange Artifact.

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Hill Mover Bell and one of my master¡¯s treasures. It possesses the power to move hills and is quite powerful,¡± the simple-minded disciple exined after hearing Ye Qing¡¯s question.

    ¡°It has a fitting name alright,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. No wonder the old Taoist dared to rescue him. With the Hill Mover Bell in hand, no hill could possibly stand in his path.

    ¡°Ignore the idiot. My Hill Mover Bell can move hills and only hills. We still need your help to push through the nts, brother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only fair,¡± Ye Qing agreed without hesitation.

    Ye Qing was treated to a show after that. Every time the old Taoist waved his bell, the hills would either move out of the way or crumble where they stood, crushing the unfortunate nts who happened to be underfoot. It could even fill up the fissures on the ground, which was most appreciated.

    The bad news was that the Hill Mover Bell only worked on the hills and not the nts, and the good news was that nts were thest thing Ye Qing was afraid of. And so he and the Taoist¡¯s disciple worked together to crush every nt and fruit that tried to attack them. It wasn¡¯t long before the trio had stepped out of the forest.

    The trio felt a burden lifting from their shoulders as soon as they left the first. At the same time, a reluctant, hateful and angry voice deafened their ears. When they looked behind, they saw a giant silhouette floating above the forest and roaring at them again and again.There was nothing he could do though. He could only watch helplessly as the trio got farther and farther away from them.

    The trio wasn¡¯t stupid enough to linger at the edge of the forest. They continued running until they were far, far away from the forest.

    ¡°I¡¯m done. I need a break. We should be safe anyway, so let¡¯s take a break, shall we?¡±

    The old Taoist¡¯s stamina was the worst of the three of them, so he was sweating bullets and panting like a dog after just a bit of running.

    On the other hand, his disciple lookedpletely unperturbed. His breathing wasn¡¯t even disturbed in the slightest.

    Ye Qing had noticed something abnormal with Li Longxiang even before they left the forest. He was definitely a Vessel Augmentor, but his vigor was unnaturally rich, and his physique was awe-inspiring to say the least. This was high praiseing from a cheat like him.

    ¡°Yes, we should be fine now. I don¡¯t think the forest spirit ising after us,¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement after pulsing his spirit.

    Mountain Gods, River Gods, spirits of and and more were Strangers who were born from the essence of their nature. Inside their territory, they could borrow the power of thend and unleash power that were several times greater than their own. But outside their territory, they were much weaker just like the officials of Chu.

    The spirit of the forest was wise to not chase them down. If he did, Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t mind delivering him to the afterlife.

 Chapter 261: This Isnâ€™t Good

    Chapter 261: This Isn¡¯t Good

    ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Reverend.¡±

    A short restter, after confirming that they were truly out of danger, Ye Qing saluted and thanked the old man.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I just happen to be at the right ce at the right time.¡±

    On a wooden log, the old Taoist regained his graceful poise after his disciple helped him into an upright posture. ¡°Also, please don¡¯t address me as a Reverend. It¡¯s such an estranged term, don¡¯t you think? Just call me Yi Pin[1].¡±

    ¡°Well met, Reverend Yi Pin,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    Yi Pin paid it no heed and asked curiously, ¡°Brother, I have a question. How did you anger the spirit of that forest? Generally speaking, the spirit of and is very gentle. Unless you do something that threatens the entire forest or something else on that scale, they wouldn¡¯t even bother showing themselves, much less fly into a murderous rage.¡±

    ¡°So, what on earth did you do to it, brother?¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Ye Qing scratched his nose embarrassedly. ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I was tricked by an apple?¡±

    Hmm? I was tricked, but I didn¡¯t lose anything. In fact, I got one of the best rewards I could ever ask for. Does that still count as being tricked? Hmm¡­

    ¡°A likely joke, brother.¡± Yi Pin shook his head wryly. ¡°Since you¡¯re unwilling to tell me, I shan¡¯t press further.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. I was telling the truth though. Not my fault you didn¡¯t believe me.

    ¡°Oh right, do you feel tired or sleepy, brother? We¡¯ve run for a while, haven¡¯t we?¡± Yi Pin asked suddenly.

    His question came out of nowhere, but Ye Qing suddenly felt a wave of fatigue washing over him. He immediately fell into a deep sleep.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Yi Pin let out a proud chuckle when he saw this. ¡°You¡¯re still a little too young to trick me, boy.¡±

    ¡°What happened to him, master? Why is he asleep?¡±

    Beside him, Li Longxiang looked at Ye Qing in confusion. ¡°Should I wake him, master? This ce is dangerous.¡±

    Yi Pin rolled his eyes and gave his disciple a kick[2]. ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m the one who put him to sleep using my Hypnosis.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Li Longxiang scratched his head dumbly. ¡°You¡¯re the one who put him to sleep? When? How did I not know about this? And why have you never taught me this spell, master?¡±

    ¡°Teach you? With that half-baked brain that¡¯s half water and half flour of yours?¡± Yi Pin shot him a disdainful look before exining, ¡°Hypnosis is a technique that I invented. To be specific, it¡¯s abination of the Dreamy Flower¡¯s pollen and the Dream spell. Once the victim has inhaled the Dreamy Flower¡¯s pollen, I could put him to sleep no matter what cultivation level they are any time I want to. It¡¯s impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Ir eally is!¡± Li Longxiang praised with shining eyes.

    Yi Pin was clearly very pleased with his disciple¡¯s honestpliment. ¡°Do you know when he inhaled the Dreamy Flower¡¯s pollen? Actually, forget it. With brains like yours, it''s a miracle that you know anything.¡±

    Li Longxiang: ¡°...¡± You¡¯re the one who asked me that question despite knowing that I¡¯m stupid.

    Unaware of his disciple¡¯s monologue, Yi Pin continued, ¡°I did it when we were escaping the forest. It was pure chaos, and we were all busy escaping for our lives. That was when I released the pollen. Considering the situation, there is no way he could have anticipated it, haha!¡±

    ¡°You truly are a devious bastard, master!¡± Li Longxiang said what he thought was apliment.

    Yi Pin¡¯s smile dropped instantly. Who are you calling a devious bastard, brat? Whoever told you that that¡¯s apliment?

    Li Longxiang didn¡¯t notice his master¡¯s right leg was twitching again. Instead, he scratched his head and asked, ¡°But why did you put him to sleep, master?¡±

    Yi Pin was used to his disciple¡¯s stupidness, but this was so stupid that even he was speechless for a moment. How did I, a man of unparalleled genius and looks, have a disciple like him? I really was too young back then. I saw all this potential inside him but failed to realize that it also came with an ocean of stupidness!

    Instead of answering immediately, Yi Pin asked, ¡°Do you know why the spirit of the forest was chasing him?¡±

    Li Longxiang scratched his head. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say that he was t¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough. Just listen to me.¡± I can feel myself getting stupider just listening to you.

    Yi Pin began, ¡°The reason the spirit of the forest chased him was very simple. It was because he stole its most priceless treasure, Nature¡¯s Water.¡±

    And judging from how bright the sonuvabitch is shining, most of it is inside its stomach. I¡¯m surprised his belly hasn¡¯t exploded yet.

    ¡°Nature¡¯s Water? What is it used for?¡± Li Longxiang asked.

    ¡°Nature¡¯s Water is a product of nature and time. It possesses many miraculous abilities.¡± Yi Pin¡¯s eyes turned distant for a moment. ¡°I spent half my life searching for the Demon¡¯s Tomb because I knew it contains the Nature¡¯s Water. It¡¯s also why I rushed over as soon as I divined its location. The bad news is that we¡¯re a little toote. The good news is that we¡¯re not toote.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Li Longxiang finally understood what Yi Pin was saying but frowned deeply. ¡°This isn¡¯t right.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t right?¡± Yi Pin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Are you saying that I shouldn¡¯t be resorting to such despicable methods to get what I want?¡±

    Li Longxiang nodded. ¡°You taught me to be an honest and upright person since I was young. This is definitely not honest or upright.¡±

    Yi Pin narrowed his eyes. ¡°And if I tell you that I was searching for Nature¡¯s Water for you? Do you still think that what I¡¯m doing is wrong?¡±

    Li Longxiang took a moment to chew on his words. In the end, he said, ¡°No. If I was the reason you went against your principles, then¡­ I would rather not have it.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Yi Pin got angry and raised a hand to p his disciple. But when his hand fell down, he caressed Li Longxiang¡¯s head instead and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. We should lead an honest and upright life. We should live without any regrets.¡±

    ¡°But once you¡¯ve fallen into this pool of mud we call the jianghu, there¡¯s no escaping its corruption, boy. And if you¡¯re not corrupt, then you would just be dead.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still young. You¡¯ll get it someday.¡±

    Li Longxiang clutched his sleeves tightly and bowed his head. ¡°Will you kill him, master?¡±

    Yi Pin shot Li Longxiang a smile. ¡°Do you want me to kill him?¡±

    Li Longxiang mulled over the question seriously before shaking his head. ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°And if I tell you that he wille back for revenge if you don¡¯t kill him today, will you still choose to let him live?¡±

    Li Longxiang shook his head again. ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Okay. Then we won¡¯t kill him.¡±

    Yi Pinughed. ¡°Plus, have you ever seen me taking a single life? I have divined the world my whole life, and I have never killed a single person. I¡¯m hardly going to start now. I just want a bit of Nature¡¯s Water, that¡¯s all.¡±

    After that, Yi Pin walked over to Ye Qing and said, ¡°Please don¡¯t me me for this, brother. All meetings in life are destined, and it¡¯s perfectly fair to share something with your person of destiny, right?¡±

    Yi Pin reached out to grab Ye Qing¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell. He could clearly sense the aura of Nature¡¯s Water from it, meaning that the young man hadn¡¯t just drunk the water until he was full. He had stored a lot of Nature¡¯s Water as well.

    How greedy! How ruthless! It would certainly exin why the spirit of the forest was so pissed!

    This was good though. He didn¡¯t want to bleed the guy and get his hands dirty.

    ¡°Hey Reverend. It¡¯s stealing to take without asking for permission from the owner, you know that?¡±

    Yi Pin¡¯s hand was about halfway to Ye Qing when suddenly, he saw a hand catching his wrist in a vice grip. He instinctively looked at Ye Qing and saw that the young man was grinning at him.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Yi Pin asked subconsciously.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Ye Qing was on his guard the moment he recognized the duo. Even if they were strangers, he wouldn¡¯t have let down his guard. The Strangers and Anomalies of the Demon¡¯s Tomb were scary, but the human heart shouldn¡¯t be underestimated either. It was why people said that one should never let their guard down around anyone.

    From the moment he saw Yi Pin, Ye Qing had been using the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to protect his mind. That was why he noticed what happened as soon as Yi Pin used his Hypnosis[3].

    The reason he didn¡¯t blow his top immediately was because he wanted to know what Yi Pin was plotting. The Hill Mover Bell was an interesting Strange Artifact, and if Yi Pin hadn¡¯t saved his life, then he might have been tempted to make the first move. But Yi Pin did save his life even though his motive was impure, so he was going to give the old man a second chance. If Yi Pin tried to kill him, he would have the perfect justification to kill him in return. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

    Ye Qing changed his mind after listening to the duo¡¯s conversation though. He was going to say something when suddenly, the old Taoist disappeared with a pop, leaving only his clothes behind.

    ¡°You killed my master!¡± Li Longxiang roared in shock and outrage. He thought Ye Qing had killed his master, so he immediately jumped to his feet and charged toward Ye Qing.

    As soon as Li Longxiang came within range, Ye Qing grabbed him by his shoulder and pushed. The disciple was driven into the ground like a stake.

    If Li Longxiang was an ordinary warrior, this move alone would have incapacitated him. However, Li Longxiang didn¡¯t seem to feel anything. He continued to struggle with such strength that even Ye Qing at his current level was surprised by it.

    ¡°What an incredible innate physique!¡±

    He could see that Li Longxiang had never cultivated any body tempering martial arts in his life. His super strength waspletely natural.

    After struggling for a long time to no avail, Li Longxiang¡¯s eyes slowly turned bloodshot. Mysterious, demonic-looking patterns started appearing on his face, and the skin on both sides of his head split apart to grow a pair of crescent horns. The horns burst into bright, bloody mes, and scales started sprouting all over his body. His whole appearance promised unbridled murder and bloodthirst.

    ¡°RAAAAAAAAAARGH!¡±

    Li Longxiang let out a titanic roar that wasn¡¯t quite like anything Ye Qing had ever heard. It was so loud that Ye Qing¡¯s eardrums hurt, and the surrounding nts were annihted by the shockwave.

    The next moment, Ye Qing felt a power greater than a dragon elephant pushing back against him. Such was his strength that the ground beneath Li Longxiang¡¯s feet were breaking under pressure.

    ¡°This is¡­ the appearance of an ancient Crimson Dragon Demon Ox? You have the bloodline of a Crimson Dragon Demon Ox in you?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    The Crimson Dragon Demon Ox was an extremely powerful Stranger in ancient times. It had an ox¡¯s head and a dragon¡¯s body. Its roar sounded almost like a dragon¡¯s, and it fed on evil spirits and drank from the Yellow Spring. Impossibly strong, it could wrestle gods and demons with pure strength.

    The bloodline of the Crimson Dragon Demon Ox was incredibly potent. So potent, that Li Longxiang actually gained the strength of a dragon elephant, and the power to go up against an Astral Refiner despite being a Vessel Augmentor only.

    However, Li Longxiang¡¯s cultivation level was too low. As soon as he activated his bloodline, he immediately lost his mind and reason.

    If his bloodline wasn¡¯t suppressed quickly, Li Longxiang¡¯s personality might disappear just like that. He would transform into a mindless puppet who knew only murder.

    ¡°Stop, you stupid boy! Are you trying to kill yourself?¡±

    Yi Pin was gone, but he suddenly reappeared with the Hill Mover Bell in hand. He did a little wave and summoned the silhouettes of several hills above Li Longxiang¡¯s head. It looked like he was nning to suppress his disciple, but Li Longxiang merely roared and burst into mes. As he pushed out with both arms, the hills wobbled once and crumbled into nothing.

    The next moment, Li Longxiang threw a devastating punch at Ye Qing. Such was the punch that the wind howled, and space itself shattered like ss.

    ¡°Dodge! You won¡¯t be able to block it!¡± A pale-faced Yi Pin hurriedly shouted while shoving a pill that recovers true qi into his mouth. He was going to use the Hill Mover Bell again to suppress Li Longxiang.

    1. Treat this guy like Chinese Gandalf. ?

    2. He learned his lesson. ?

    3. Cool. Apparently the pollen didn¡¯t count as poison, which makes sense. Otherwise, one can argue that oxygen is poison. ?

 Chapter 262: Settling Scores

    Chapter 262: Settling Scores

    Yi Pin had just raised his hand about halfway when his jaw suddenly hit the floor. It was because Li Longxiang¡¯s punch¡ªa punch that could¡¯ve shattered a hill¡ªwas caught firmly in Ye Qing¡¯s palm. He made it look so easy it was like he was catching an apple.

    Then, Ye Qing took one step forward and mped his right hand down on Li Longxiang¡¯s shoulder, causing his legs to sink into the ground just like before.

    ¡°What were you saying, Reverend?¡± Ye Qing shot Yi Pin a knowing smile.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± Did I say something? Nah, I didn¡¯t!

    After Li Longxiang was immobilized, Yi Pin ran up to the young man and conjured a wine ss. It wasn¡¯t wine inside the ss, however. It was wisps of refreshing qi.

    The qi was bluish and pure, light and gentle. It was also giving off some sort of air of Dao.

    Yi Pin swirled the ss until a wisp of qi floated out of the container and into Li Longxiang¡¯s mouth. The demonic patterns on his face and the horns on his head immediately started vanishing bit by bit, and the violent aura permeating the young man gradually faded as well. It wasn¡¯t long before reason returned to his eyes.

    ¡°Phew¡­ thank goodness.¡± Yi Pin let out a sigh of relief before pping Li Longxiang on the back of his head with an uracy that came with countless practice, yelling, ¡°You little shit! How many times have I told you not to get angry or let your impulse get to you? But you just won¡¯t listen! That¡¯s another Qi of Ultimate Purity that I have to waste because of you! I¡¯m going to beat you to death, you little shit!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, master!¡± Li Longxiang dropped his head and allowed Yi Pin to beat and scold him as he pleased. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re fine, master.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Yi Pin¡¯s anger abruptly disappeared when he heard his disciple¡¯s heartfelt words. In the end, he could only let out a dejected sigh.

    That was the Qi of Ultimate Purity? Ye Qing was surprised to hear this. The Qi of Ultimate Purity was a natural spiritual qi and possessed the ability to calm one¡¯s mind, ward off the Demon¡¯s Temptation, and maintain one¡¯s rity of mind. It didn¡¯t sound like much, but in reality it was the opposite. To a warrior, their heart demon and umted karmic hindrance¡ªwhich were known together as the Demon¡¯s Temptation¡ªwas one of the greatest obstacles in their paths.

    The higher one¡¯s cultivation level, the harder it was to eliminate the Demon¡¯s Temptation. It was all too easy to be seized by one¡¯s heart demon or be hindered by one¡¯s karmic hindrance while cultivating. A warrior who was obstructed by their Demon¡¯s Temptation would be unable to make any progress at best, or fall to depravity and transform into the puppet of their heart demon at worst.

    However, the Qi of Ultimate Purity could eliminate the Demon¡¯s Temptation. So long as there was even a wisp of Qi of Ultimate Purity, they would be able to calm their mind, ward off the Demon¡¯s Temptation, and protect themselves from all evils.

    Besides that, the Qi of Ultimate Purity could restore a confused or insane person back to normal so long as their mind was still alive. This was why the Qi of Ultimate Purity was so valuable. It was particrly priceless for warriors of higher cultivation.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t think that Yi Pin would be willing to sacrifice a Qi of Ultimate Purity to suppress Li Longxiang¡¯s rampaging bloodline and restore his mind. Clearly, Yi Pin cared deeply for his disciple despite his endlessints about the young man.

    ¡°Heh. Are you done, Reverend Yi Pin? If you are, then let us settle some scores, shall we?¡± Ye Qing said while putting a hand on Li Longxiang¡¯s shoulder, smiling.

    Yi Pin was just grabbing a talisman and getting ready to escape. When he saw this, he temporarily extinguished the thought and put on a fake smile. ¡°Settle some scores? Oh, right! Thank you so much for saving my disciple¡¯s life, brother!¡±

    ¡°Reverend, you know there¡¯s no point in pretending, right?¡± Ye Qing patted Li Longxiang¡¯s shoulder, and Li Longxiang shot him a simple smile in return.

    Knowing that there was no way he could escape so long as Ye Qing was holding Li Longxiang hostage, Yi Pin let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°Fine. I admit that I rescued you and put you to sleep because I wanted to get my hands on your Nature¡¯s Water. However, please trust me when I say that I wasn¡¯t nning to harm you. If I did, I would¡¯ve used something far more deadlier, wouldn¡¯t I? The Dreamy Flower¡¯s pollen and the Dream spell would only put you to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, I purposely chose a resting spot that is devoid of all spiritual energy, meaning that no Stranger would frequent this ce. You would¡¯ve been safe even if you were vulnerable for a time.¡±

    ¡°I believe you.¡± Ye Qing smiled. If he did not, he would¡¯ve attacked them already. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you were plotting against me. So, how are you going topensate me?¡±

    I may have chosen not to kill you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to take this attack lying down!

    ¡°Haha! You have a big heart, brother. I am very impressed by your generosity,¡± said Yi Pin, realizing that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t nning on killing them. ¡°As you wish, I shall speak scores with you then.¡±

    ¡°It is true that I harbored malicious intentions toward you, but it is also a fact that I saved your life.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that a life debt is bigger than the heavens. If we really want to nitpick, then you¡¯re the one who owes me a huge favor, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Had you died, then you wouldn¡¯t be able to make use of your Nature¡¯s Water. You could have had all the treasure in the world, and it¡¯ll still bepletely pointless. Surely your life is worth at least a couple of bottles of Nature¡¯s Water, right?¡±

    ¡°But since I am your elder, I shan¡¯t take advantage of you. Just give me eight or so bottles of Nature¡¯s Water, and I¡¯ll be fine. In fact, I insist that you give no more than ten bottles!¡±

    Yi Pin ended his speech and sped his hand behind his back in a pretentious manner.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Li Longxiang: ¡°...¡±

    Li Longxiang¡¯s mouth opened and shut repeatedly for a moment. In the end, he could only bow his head in shame and thought, I don¡¯t know this guy. My master isn¡¯t someone like this.

    Ye Qing wanted tough. The guy had tried to rob him, and instead of repenting his actions he flipped it around and imed that he was the one who shouldpensate them. He wanted tough so bad his hair was standing on end, and his heart was throbbing with the desire to pound someone¡¯s head into the dust.

    ¡°If that is how you want to y it, then so be it. You said that I saved your life, but I also saved your disciple¡¯s life. Plus, you didn¡¯t exactly save me for altruistic reasons, did you? I¡¯m pretty sure we don¡¯t owe each other!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? My Qi of Ultimate Purity is what saved my disciple¡¯s life. Your role in the rescue attempt was minor at best.¡±

    ¡°That is not to say that your assistance isn¡¯t appreciated, of course. I suppose I can give you a 30% discount. Just give me five bottles of Nature¡¯s Water, and we¡¯re settled. Am I not the most reasonable person you¡¯ve ever met?¡±

    More like the most shameless bastard ever.

    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking about semantics, are we? Okay! You did save my life, I admit, but did I really need you to lend me a hand? I could have saved myself without your aid, you know.¡±

    When he saw the skeptical look in Yi Pin¡¯s eyes, Ye Qing chuckled and leaked the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s presence just a smidge.

    ¡°You have a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact?!¡± Yi Pin eximed in surprise.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Yi Pin stroked his beard irritatedly. ¡°You¡¯re right. With a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact at hand, you definitely don¡¯t need my aid.¡±

    Of course, he could¡¯ve argued that it didn¡¯t change the fact that he still saved Ye Qing¡¯s life. The problem was that Ye Qing hadn¡¯t really revealed his Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact to argue that fact. He was doing it to tell him to shut it, or else. So he did. He was fairly confident he could escape with his disciple given the right opportunity, but a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact as well? Now that was risky.

    ¡°Good. So the score is settled then.¡± Satisfied with Yi Pin¡¯s reply, Ye Qing said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about another score then.¡±

    ¡°What score?¡± Yi Pin looked confused.

    ¡°Do you know who I am, Reverend?¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°Oh right! I haven¡¯t even asked for your name! Who are you, brother?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    Ye Qing slowly withdrew the golden light masking his face and said, ¡°I am Ye Qing. You may also call me Joyless!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you!?¡± Yi Pin¡¯s eyes bulged in shock and disbelief. He was having a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Good. You do recognize me.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°If I remember correctly, you were plotting to kill me just like those jianghu warriors, but you managed to escape with your life. Regardless, you¡¯re the one who owes me a life debt now.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the bastard who told you that? Who!?¡± Yi Pin looked livid as he defended himself, ¡°I¡¯m a humble, cultured, and upright Taoist. Why would I ever try to hurt a respected and patriotic hero like you, Lord Ye? I was there to protect you, not kill you!¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a chuckle and stomped the ground suddenly. It caused a small wave that shattered a ball of light that just appeared underneath Yi Pin¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Reverend, I don¡¯t mind you lying to my face, but please don¡¯t move your legs willy-nilly.¡±

    Just now, Yi Pin had tried to draw a rune from right under his nose. He would¡¯ve missed it if his spirit wasn¡¯t as strong as it was. The old man was one cunning bastard for sure.

    ¡°Hehehe. I wasn¡¯t lying though! Everything I said came straight from the heart!¡± Yi Pin didn¡¯t look frustrated even though Ye Qing had foiled his escape attempt. In fact, he was pretending like nothing had ever happened.

    ¡°Haha! Well, it¡¯s your right to lie to my face, just as it is my right to disregard all of them.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smirk turned a smidgen devious. ¡°Right now, all I care about is that you now owe me a life debt. What were you saying just now? A life debt is bigger than the heavens. So, how are you going to repay this debt? Will you give me your money or your life?¡±

    Yi Pin opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t say anything for a time. For once, the hunted had triumphed over the hunter. Why did he get greedy and try to swindle the bastard? Why didn¡¯t he just admit his mistake and apologize? He could¡¯ve gotten away with it with minimal loss, but now he was going to cut a hole in his wallet. What a fool he was!

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, his stupid disciple still didn¡¯t realize that he was being held hostage, and histest trick had just been dismantled. He literally couldn¡¯t leave even if he wanted to. No wonder people said we ourselves are our worst enemies!

    Oh, screw it. I¡¯ll juste clean and see what he wants. Not even my face is thick enough to keep up this charade.

    ¡°What do you want, my lord?¡±

    ¡°Your Hill Mover Bell looks like a fine Strange Artifact, and your Qi of Ultimate Purity ain¡¯t too bad either. Just give me one to two hundred wisps, and we¡¯re settled. In fact, I insist that you give no more than two hundred wisps!¡± Ye Qing beamed.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± The Hill Mover Bell? You might as well kill me. One to two hundred wisps of Qi of Ultimate Purity? Do you think they grow like cabbages or something? How about one or two hundred ps to your smug face?

    Dammit, if only I have the courage and more importantly, strength to say it to his face!

    ¡°Please be serious, my lord.¡± Yi Pin let out a wry chuckle. ¡°The Hill Mover Bell is my temple¡¯s legacy relic, and it must never go to an outsider¡¯s hands. Moreover, it takes a special imprint to use it properly. You wouldn¡¯t be able to use it even if I gave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be satisfied with just one to two hundred Qi of Ultimate Purity.¡± Ye Qing wasn¡¯t disappointed. He never really expected Yi Pin to give it in the first ce. It would be like someone telling him to give up the Annon Sutra.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have one to two hundred wisps of Qi of Ultimate Purity either.¡± Yi Pin produced the wine bottle that held the qi and handed it to Ye Qing. ¡°To be precise, I only have six left. If you think it¡¯s eptable, then take it. If not, then feel free to take my life.¡±

    There was a kind of fatalistic determination in Yi Pin¡¯s voice. He was even shaking it slightly as if to say that he wouldn¡¯t mind breaking the bottle and wasting the qi if Ye Qing decided to push the issue.

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t push the issue. Some lines couldn¡¯t be uncrossed once they had been crossed. Moreover, he had this strange feeling that Yi Pin was hiding his strength. He was almost certain that he wasn¡¯t ¡°just¡± a Vessel Augmentor.

    After all, how could an ordinary Vessel Augmentor possibly own a priceless treasure like the Hill Mover Bell or the Qi of Ultimate Purity? And how stupid would he have to be to enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb as a Vessel Augmentor?

    The simplest and most reasonable exnation was that Yi Pin was hiding his strength. If not, he at least had a trump card that would guarantee his safety. Ye Qing had zero intentions of risking his life unnecessarily.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯ll keep your promise, Lord Ye.¡± Yi Pin handed the wine bottle to Ye Qing with a reluctant look on his face.

    Ye Qing put it into his Nature¡¯s Shell and released Li Longxiang as promised.

    ¡°Alright. If there is nothing else, then I¡¯ll be taking my leave. May we meet again, Reverend, Brother Li!¡±

    There was no reason for him to say now that he had gotten what he wanted. He also needed to find a safe ce to refine his Nature¡¯s Water and to find the exit. As usual, there was no rest for the wicked.

 Chapter 263: Cooperation

    Chapter 263: Cooperation

    ¡°Brother, wait!¡±

    Ye Qing had just lifted his foot when Yi Pin suddenly called out to him.

    ¡°What? Oh, are you feeling guilty because you feel like you underpaid me or something?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glittered with humor. ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m the kind of guy who¡¯s satisfied with what he has. I appreciate the gesture, but really, you don¡¯t have to!¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± Can we have some shame, please?

    He had to admit that the brat was the spitting image of him in terms of shamelessness though.

    Yi Pin said, ¡°Well, what can I do? I¡¯m a humble, cultured and upright Taoist, but because I was too weak to help you when we were outside, you mistook me as one of your murderers. That is why I want to negotiate a deal with you to make up for it. I promise you it¡¯s a win-win situation for everyone.¡±

    ¡°A deal? Tell me,¡± Ye Qing replied curiously.

    Yi Pin smiled. ¡°You may not know this, but I have a skill that allows me to observe the stars, divine qi, measure heaven and earth, and search for treasures. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that I am here. I came because I knew there would be a treasure in this ce.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Ye Qing looked unimpressed.

    Yi Pin continued, ¡°So, I want to team up with you. I am a walking treasure seeker, and you are a destroyer. If we work together, our profits will be sizable to say the least. What do you say, my lord?¡±

    Destroyer, he says. He really just wants a bodyguard. Does he think I¡¯m stupid?

    Ye Qing shrugged and replied, ¡°Not interested.¡± It¡¯s way too dangerous. Searching the exit is far more important.

    Besides, he already had the Qi of Ultimate Purity and Nature¡¯s Water. A man should be satisfied with what he had.

    ¡°Not interested?¡± Yi Pin looked surprised. Considering the young man¡¯s personality, he never thought that he would turn him down. ¡°But why?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled politely. ¡°I think life is more valuable than opportunities and treasures.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Yi Pin wasn¡¯t his stupid disciple, so he understood Ye Qing¡¯s meaning immediately. ¡°That makes sense. There are a surprising number of people who would risk their lives over some opportunities and treasures. They might appear brave, but they¡¯re really just shortening their lifespan. What are treasures and opportunities if you can¡¯t live to enjoy it?¡±

    ¡°Remember this lesson, my stupid disciple. If you can¡¯t control your anger and impulse, then you¡¯re going to live a short, unhappy life.¡±

    ¡°Got it master.¡± Li Longxiang scratched his head smilingly. It was impossible to say if he understood his master¡¯s advice, or if he was just pretending to.

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d we are in agreement. If there¡¯s nothing else, I shall take my leave.¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute, will you? I¡¯m not finished yet!¡± Yi Pin grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s sleeve and said, ¡°If you¡¯re worried about finding the exit, you have nothing to worry about. I made a divination after entering this ce, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that it lies to the north. So long as you proceed toward the north, you will find the exit eventually.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? The north?¡± Ye Qing wore a dubious expression, but he was really surprised on the inside. He didn¡¯t think that Yi Pin¡¯s answer would be exactly the same as the Annon Sutra¡¯s. This proved that Yi Pin wasn¡¯t an ordinary Vessel Augmentor¡ªbut then again, of course someone who dared to enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb wouldn¡¯t be ordinary.

    Now that he thought about it, they were running toward the north when they were escaping the Demon¡¯s Tomb earlier. He had thought it was a coincidence, but now he knew it was a deliberate move.

    ¡°Do you understand now? You don¡¯t need to worry about being unable to leave the Demon¡¯s Tomb. We can seek out our treasures and opportunities as we move toward the north, killing two birds with one stone. What¡¯s not to like?¡±

    Yi Pin asked in a tempting tone, ¡°So? What do you say, my lord?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± Ye Qing pretended to hesitate.

    Seeing that Ye Qing was tempted, Yi Pin hurriedly said, ¡°Of course not! Why would I lie about this when my own life is at risk?¡±

    ¡°My lord, some opportunities will nevere again once you miss them, so don¡¯t let it escape! Do you agree to a fifty-fifty split?¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before answering, ¡°Very well.¡±

    He had no qualms earning a quick buck while on his way toward his primary objective, and if he remembered correctly, the silver page he got from the Strangers was rted to a so-called Demon Lord¡¯s inheritance somehow. If he could run into it on the way out, then why not?

    ¡°Haha! Smartd! You won¡¯t regret this!¡± Yi Pinughed loudly while hiding his smugness. I knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist temptation. No way I was going to let him go scot free after robbing my Qi of Ultimate Purity!

    ¡°Without further ado, let¡¯s go!¡± Yi Pin urged.

    ¡°Patience. Give me a moment to deal with my condition. You don¡¯t want me to attract every human and Stranger within ten kilometers of me, do you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s true. You¡¯re way too conspicuous right now. A concealment Strange Artifact should do the trick,¡± Yi Pin echoed in agreement.

    ¡°A concealment Strange Artifact? Nah. Just give me a moment.¡±

    Ye Qing identified a suitably big rock and sat on top of it. Then, he began refining the Nature¡¯s Water.

    What is he thinking? It¡¯ll be days before he fully refines its power. At that point, we¡¯ll have to make a beeline for the exit or risk being trapped here forever!

    Disapproving of Ye Qing¡¯s decision, Yi Pin stepped forward to persuade him out of his folly. However, his words died in his throat when he heard a series of thunderous pops from Ye Qing¡¯s body and saw his muscles and vigor flowing in a rhythmic yet harmonious manner.

    The golden light shrouding Ye Qing¡¯s body began vanishing at a visible rate, while his cultivation level rose slowly.

    ¡°What the¡­ his body is insanely strong! It¡¯s a living furnace capable of refining anything and everything!¡± Yi Pin¡¯s mouth fell open. Even considering Nature''s Water¡¯s gentle qualities, it took a truly powerful body to refine this much power in a short time. An ordinary warrior would have to refine it bit by bit or risk blowing up their blood vessels and bodily points. Those who pushed themselves too far would be crippled at best or killed at worst.

    ¡°This boy is destined for greatness assuming he survives the way there.¡±

    Yi Pin sighed and nced at Li Longxiang, who was looking at Ye Qing with envy and admiration. ¡°You don¡¯t need to envy him. With your Crimson Dragon Demon Ox bloodline and innate Dragon Elephant Physique, your starting point is so much better than most. Assuming that I could find that item for you, then your future would be just as bright as the boy¡¯s, if not brighter.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Thanks, master.¡± Li Longxiang let out a simple chuckle. ¡°I don¡¯t really care about growing stronger though. I just want to keep youpany until you die.¡±

    Mentally, Yi Pin knew that he meant well. Emotionally, he felt like his disciple was cursing him to an early grave. ¡°What the fuck do you mean by that? Do you want me to die? Are you vying for my inheritance, You little shit?¡±

    Yi Pin was so pissed he kicked Li Longxiang in the thigh only to gasp in pain. It was like kicking a block of steel. Seriously, this boy!

    An incense stickter, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes and discharged a terrific shockwave. Caught off guard, both Yi Pin and Li Longxiang were pushed tens of meters away from him. The trees were snapped in half, and a massive clump of earth was kicked into the air. It was like the scene of an explosion.

    A few breathster, when the gale finally stopped, Ye Qing slowly walked over to the duo. His skin was as milky as a baby¡¯s and as smooth as silk. There was also a tinge of gold that made him look like he was covered in a curtain of morning sun. From Yi Pin¡¯s perspective, every muscle and every organ in Ye Qing¡¯s body looked like the most perfect creation of the world.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t possess particrly huge muscles or arge physique, but there was so much power contained within his average frame that the earth seemed to tremble a little every time he took a step. His body also seemed to be in perfect harmony with the energies of yin and yang and his surroundings.

    ¡°Perfect harmony with nature, yin and yang? If you don¡¯t mind me asking, Lord Ye, but how strong is your boy right now?¡± Yi Pin gulped and asked instinctively.

    Ye Qing replied blithely, ¡°Five Dragon Elephants, and I¡¯ve reached the pinnacle of thete-stage Astral Refinement stage. I could have achieved six dragon elephants if the spirit of the forest hadn¡¯t interrupted me, but eh! Can¡¯tin about it.¡±

    When he got back, he would find a way to enter the Spirit Purification stage.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± Five dragon elephants? That¡¯s stronger than some Spirit Masters and even Grandmasters. Are you a monster?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Reverend?¡± Ye Qing asked when the silence stretched.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk because I¡¯m feeling a little depressed. Is that illegal?¡± Yi Pin rolled his eyes at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t stay here forever. You can be depressed on the way toward the exit. Which way?¡± I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m too strong.

    Yi Pin sucked in a deep breath and calmed himself. If he envied everyone who ever got an opportunity or fortune he didn¡¯t get, then he would be crushed by his jealousy a long time ago. One should always focus on what they could get.

    ¡°This way. I did a little calction and observed the weather earlier. The clouds about five kilometers ahead of us are wispy, and the geography is solid. It¡¯s a great fengshui location, which probably means there is something good there. It¡¯s probably worth it to take a look.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see a problem with that,¡± Ye Qing replied affirmatively. ¡°Oh right, you don¡¯t need to address me as ¡®my lord¡¯ or ¡®Lord Ye¡¯. Just call me Joyless.¡±

    Yi Pinughed. ¡°In that case, I shall simply address you as brother. Feel free to do the same. Longxiang,e greet your senior uncle properly, will you?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t fast forward in time, did I?

    ¡°Senior uncle!¡± Li Longxiang greeted Ye Qing as requested. Not a sliver of dissatisfaction could be detected in his voice whatsoever.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go, Brother Ye!¡± Yi Pin smiled and took the lead.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Master, why does that flower look like a rock?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it. That¡¯s the Stone Grass. It might look like a rock, but it¡¯s really a type of nt. It could be used as a medicinal ingredient, but it must be foraged through a physical object. If you touch it with your flesh and blood, you will turn into a rock as well.¡±

    ¡°Master, that rock looks incredible!¡±

    ¡°Keep your hands to yourself, you little shit! That¡¯s the Tear Rock. It might look pretty, but you will cry non-stop if you get within a meter of it, so stay away!¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay. What is that strange cloud up there? Do clouds normally have wings?¡±

    ¡°Idiot. That¡¯s the Hatred-ss Stranger called the Winged Cloud. It has a pair of wings that allows it to travel hundreds of kilometers in a single day, and it normally does not attack a human of its own volition. But if you provoke it, then it will fly above your head and drop rain and thunder on you. I guarantee that you will hate it long before it¡¯s done with you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat that! Are you a hungry ghost incarnate or something? That¡¯s called the Bitterest Fruit. It might smell fragrant, but I promise that you will vomit your gut out as soon as your tongue touches it. It is that bitter. Give it to me. I¡¯ll make a Bitterest Pill with it and feed it to that old fuck Heartless when I¡¯m back. He deserves to taste the bitterest taste of humanity for stealing my wine.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Once again, Ye Qing was treated to a glimpse of Yi Pin¡¯s greatness. He possessed a wealth of knowledge and experience that was so massive that it impressed even him, a man who had Wawa to cheat for him. He could always identify a Stranger or a strange object and give a brief but urate summary of their background. He could always identify an iing danger and avoid it no matter how well hidden it was. Forget Li Longxiang, even he felt like he was learning a lot just listening to him ranting away like a tour guide.

    Suddenly, Li Longxiang pointed at a point above theke that was shrouded by fog, ¡°Master, look! Thatke is shining all of a sudden. Does that mean a treasure is about to appear?¡±

 Chapter 264: Seven Star Blue Lotus

    Chapter 264: Seven Star Blue Lotus

    Ye Qing had seen the odd phenomenon before Li Longxiang. There was a giantke where the phenomenon was happening. Because it was shrouded by thick fog, it was impossible to say how big it was. Blue lotuses were floating on its surface.

    A gigantic blue lotus was floating in the air at the center of theke. It was also blooming. Literally, it was in the middle of unfolding its petals while the rest of the blue lotuses followed suit. It was a beautiful, calming sight that soothed the soul just looking at it, not to mention the sweet floral scent that filled the air.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Seven Star Blue Lotus?¡± Yi Pin took a look at the massive lotus and sucked in a deep breath. When he felt his fatigue being washed away like a dream, he confirmed, ¡°It has seven petals with starry patterns on it. It¡¯s definitely the Seven Star Blue Lotus.¡±

    ¡°Is that the nt that could strengthen one¡¯s God and increase one¡¯s spirituality?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Strengthen one¡¯s God¡± meant strengthening one¡¯s Yin God, while increasing one¡¯s spirituality meant purifying and strengthening the spirit and mind. Both were things that all Spirit Purifiers and Spirit Masters sought.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite knowledgeable yourself, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s right!¡± Yi Pin said excitedly, ¡°The Seven Star Blue Lotus only grows in clean, pure ces with great spiritual qi. It takes forty nine years to grow its leaves, and another forty nine years to grow its flower. However, it takes only a single day to go from full bloom to wither. When a day has passed, every lotus flower in theke would wither, and the pocket of spiritual qi around it would dissipatepletely. It¡¯s literally the opportunity of a lifetime!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded understandingly. Obviously, the Seven Star Blue Lotus could only be harvested when it was in full bloom. If it withered, then it would lose its effects.

    ¡°So, should we go, master, senior uncle?¡± Li Longxiang asked.

    ¡°What do you think, Brother Ye?¡± Yi Pin looked at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°It¡¯s bad karma to reject a gift from the heavens. I see no reason to pass over it.¡±

    ¡°That said, there¡¯s no hurry. We can make our move after someone has done the scouting for us.¡±

    ¡°Good idea!¡± Yi Pinughed.

    ¡°The Seven Star Blue Lotus! It¡¯s the Seven Star Blue Lotus!¡±

    As if on cue, a couple of warriors suddenly rushed out into the open and toward the Seven Star Blue Lotus. When they got close to each other, a man in ck outfit yelled, ¡°Fuck off! You scums dare to covet the Seven Star Blue Lotus?¡±

    A ck light flew out of his sleeve and beheaded three jianghu warriors before they could react. It was a saber. The only person who managed to block it was a white-robed schr who wielded a fan. When the saber force got close, he tapped it with his fan and shattered it into pieces.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you went a little too far, Wei Yifang?¡± The schr rebuked the man in ck outfit with an unfriendly tone.

    Although the man in ck outfit didn¡¯t follow up the attack, he scoffed disdainfully, ¡°Quit pretending. Your body count is no less than mine, Yu Shuiqing.¡±

    ¡°The Seven Star Blue Lotus is mine, so you better stay the fuck away from me. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for whates next.¡±

    Wei Yifang took off toward the center of theke after leaving behind that threat.

    For a time, Yu Shuiqing simply stared at Wei Yifang¡¯s back with cooling eyes. Then, he nced at the three bodies on the ground and flipped open their shirts to reveal the Nature¡¯s Shell. He didn¡¯t im it, however. He simply let out a cold chuckle before dashing into the fog.

    ¡°Man oh man, no wonder they say that schrs are the worst scums of them all. Watch and learn, silly boy,¡± Yi Pin clicked his tongue disdainfully.

    ¡°Learn what?¡± Li Longxiang didn¡¯t understand.

    This time, Yi Pin didn¡¯t give him an answer. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a moment.¡±

    ¡°Do you recognize those two, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked. The two warriors were bothte-stage Astral Refiners, and they were both pretty strong.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yi Pin exined, ¡°The guy in ck is called Wei Yifang, and he is the only son of Wei Tiang, a Grandmaster. He is famous for his ¡®Eight Sabers of the Heavenly Wolf¡¯ and is nicknamed the ¡®Little Wolf King¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The schr is called Yu Shuiqing, and he is a scion of the Yu n of Qing He[1]. The Yu n styled themselves a literary n and the students of Confucianism, but in reality every single member in that n is more devious than thest.¡±

    ¡°Herees five unfortunate bastards.¡±

    Five men wearing form-fitting outfits appeared as soon as Yi Pin said this.

    ¡°Boss, we have bodies,¡± said one of the guys while staring at the three corpses warily.

    ¡°Huh? They still have their Nature¡¯s Shells.¡±

    ¡°Whoever killed them probably forgot to take them or was in a hurry. That¡¯s good for us,¡± said another guy before walking over to grab the Nature¡¯s Shell. However, as soon as his hand touched the Strange Artifact, he abruptly let out a bloodcurdling scream.

    His entire palm ckened in an instant, and the three bodies suddenly exploded at the same time. As the group of five was standing too close to the bodies, everyone was caught in the shower of blood and gore. The next moment, every body part that was touched by the flesh and blood started ckening as well.

    There was no miracle. As they screamed, the ck spots spread wider and wider until it covered their entire body. They were dead in just a matter of breaths, and when a breeze blew past them, they abruptly crumbled into ck dust. The only proof of their existence was their clothes, their weapons, and their Nature¡¯s Shells.

    ¡°Master¡­ what¡­¡± Li Longxiang couldn¡¯t help but swallow loudly. Hisplexion was as pale as a sheet.

    Yi Pin chuckled. ¡°See? Now you know how dangerous the jianghu is.¡±

    ¡°Remember this lesson well, Longjiang. There is no such thing as a free lunch in his world. If there is, then it¡¯s either a trap ores with strings attached. You must be careful.¡±

    ¡°I will remember your teachings, master.¡± Li Longxiang nodded solemnly.

    Yi Pin sighed. ¡°I wonder how many more people are going to fall for this? The ck Fiend Poison isn¡¯t something that¡¯ll dissipate with just a few deaths. Anyone who gets greedy will save themselves a burial or a cremation, though that is certainly not something to be proud about.¡±

    A few breathster, a strange cackle suddenly broke the silence. ¡°Kekeke! The Seven Star Blue Lotus? Today must be my lucky day!¡±

    The strange cackle belonged to an old man covered in dark green phosphorous fire and flying atop a human skull. Yes, a human skull. As he was passing by the Nature¡¯s Shells that was poisoned with ck Fiend Poison, he eximed with excitement, ¡°Oooh, ck Fiend Poison! I haven¡¯t tasted one for a very long time! What a great day today is turning out to be!¡±

    The old man pulled the Nature¡¯s Shells into his hands¡ªthe poison seemingly having no effect on him whatsoever¡ªand held them in front of his face. Then, he inhaled deeply. What looked like a wisps of ck smoke immediately flew out of the Strange Artifacts and into his nostrils. Not only did he lookpletely fine, he looked intoxicated as if the ck Fiend Poison wasn¡¯t poison, but fine wine.

    ¡°Ah, shit. This bastard¡¯s here too? This is going to be troublesome.¡± Yi Pin frowned when he saw the old man.

    ¡°You recognize him, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked again.

    The old Taoist exined in a worried tone, ¡°That¡¯s the Poisoner, Tong She. He¡¯s an independent middle-stage Spirit Purifier with no background. The reason he came to be so powerful is because he identally came across the ultimate art of the Myriad Poison Pce, the ¡®Myriad Poison True Scripture¡¯, and cultivated a Body of Myriad Poisons. As its name might suggest, he is a bag of poison in human shape and not someone you want to trifle with.¡±

    It was clear that Yi Pin was incredibly wary of Tong She.

    ¡°Master¡ª¡±

    Li Longxiang wanted to ask a question, but he never managed to finish it. It was because Poisoner suddenly turned toward their hiding spot and chuckled. ¡°Oh? There are some mice over there.¡±

    As soon as he said this, he unleashed a palm strike in their direction. The dark green mes immediately formed a gigantic palm that gave off a sickly sweet stench and killed every nt that was even remotely close to it. It was clear that the attack was deadly poisonous.

    ¡°Shit! Get away from it!¡± Yi Pin yelled and grabbed Li Longxiang¡¯s shoulder.

    Before he could move away though, Ye Qing said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± While pinning the duo in ce so they wouldn¡¯t run off somewhere he couldn¡¯t protect them, Ye Qing swept his sleeve at the iing attack.

    Buzz!

    Space shook, and the clouds parted. A powerful gale appeared out of nowhere and trapped the entire area inside an invisible furnace. As the Burning Wind swayed, the dark green mes that were less than ten meters away from the trio suddenly disintegrated into nothing. Then, it surged toward Poisoner while crushing everything in its path.

    At the distance, Poisoner nched when he felt the torrent of Burning Wind surging toward him. The counter attack hadn¡¯t even reached him yet, and already his blood was boiling, and his mind was quaking in terror. He didn¡¯t hesitate to turn around and plunge head first into the fog. After Poisoner was gone, Ye Qing clenched his hand and canceled his power just like that. ¡°Spirit Purifier my ass. What a coward!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, senior uncle!¡± Li Longxiang eximed with heartfelt amazement.

    ¡°You¡¯re a goddamn monster, you know that?¡± Yi Pin shook his head. Unlike Li Longxiang, he knew exactly why Poisoner had decided to retreat. It was because Ye Qing¡¯s counterattack was as strong as a middle-stage or evente-stage Spirit Purifier¡¯s full-powered attack. It was unthinkable that Ye Qing was still an Astral Refiner.

    Of course, the world wasn¡¯tcking in geniuses. It was entirely possible that there was a monster out there whose cultivation in astral qi was greater than Ye Qing. However, Ye Qing didn¡¯t just possess an unbelievable amount of astral qi, his body was stupidly strong as well. Five dragon elephants, man. Is he actually a dragon elephant in disguise?

    The trio decided to wait a little while longer, and a dozen more people entered theke during this time. But for some reason, they could not hear or felt anything from theke. It was almost as if the jianghu warriors had vanished into thin air.

    A moment of considerationter, Ye Qing decided to stop waiting. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It would be annoying if someone actually got the blue lotus before us.¡±

    Theke was pretty huge, and the jianghu warriors could¡¯ve left from the opposite direction for all he knew. Assuming one of them took the Seven Star Blue Lotus, what were the chances that they would go back the way they came and risk running into a fellowpetitor? It was nice to dream about getting the drop on a stupid warrior, but a dream was a dream. In the end, the only real way to obtain the Seven Star Blue Lotus was to venture into theke themselves.

    The reason he hadn¡¯t entered theke immediately was one, he wasn¡¯t sure if theke was safe, and two, there was still some time before it reached its full bloom. If they went in too early, there was a high chance they might have to sh against multiple jianghu warriors. There was just no need to take such a risk.

    For now, it looked like theke was safe, and it was about time the Seven Star Blue Lotus had reached its full bloom. If they waited any longer, then they would truly miss their treasure.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Yi Pin nodded in agreement as well. After they reached the edge of theke, Yi Pin produced a paper boat from his sleeve and tossed it into the water. The paper boat swelled in size and became as big as a normal boat in just one breath.

    ¡°Hop on!¡± Yi Pin beckoned before jumping onto the paper boat first. Ye Qing and Li Longxiang were right behind him. After everyone was aboard, the paper boat moved toward the center of theke on its own.

    The fog shrouding theke was incredibly thick. At first, they could still see a distant object. But as the fog grew thicker, not even Ye Qing could see through the fogpletely.

    Strangely, the deeper they went into theke, the colder and deader the environment became. The lotus leaves were either withering or outright rotten, and the stems were pitch ck in color. The way they were strewn haphazardly across the surface of theke felt both oppressive and unsettling.

    ¡°Something isn¡¯t right. Keep your eyes open.¡±

    Yi Pin too noticed the oddities and frowned. ¡°When a Seven Star Blue Lotus blooms, you should be able to smell its fragrant scent from far, far away. The nts would sway as if rejoicing, and the animals would roar with joy. It makes no sense for this ce to be so cold and silent.¡±

    ¡°Strange. How strange!¡±

    1. Amandery. ?

 Chapter 265: Sky Devouring Fish

    Chapter 265: Sky Devouring Fish

    Li Longxiang was leaning against the edge of the paper boat and observing everything around him. It was at this moment he noticed something strange and chirped in excitement, ¡°Master, there are fishes inside theke! But er, they all look pretty strange!¡±

    ¡°Of course there would be fishes inside ake.¡± Yi Pin didn¡¯t notice the strange way his disciple had worded his discovery because he was still absorbed inside his own thoughts. ¡°Catch two for dinnerter, will you?¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    Li Longxiang replied affirmatively before reaching out to catch a fish from theke. He was about halfway there when suddenly Ye Qing caught his hand and warned, ¡°Stop. Those are Snake Fishes. They¡¯re inedible.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Snake Fishes?¡± Yi Pin jolted back to reality when he heard this. ¡°You¡¯re right! But how can there be Snake Fishes in thiske?¡±

    A Snake Fish was a Malice-ss Stranger with a fish¡¯s head but a snake¡¯s body. It was covered in spots and ssified as a kind of parasitic fish. Unlike a normal fish, it couldn¡¯t be found in a river or ake. It was born inside the maws of a giant creature and fed on the remains stuck inside the creature¡¯s mouth to live, effectively acting as its mouth cleaner.

    This was why Yi Pin was puzzled, and Ye Qing was wearing a deep frown on his face. The atmosphere aboard the boat was solemn as no one said a thing for a time.

    The paper boat sailed forward some more, and Li Longxiang cried out, ¡°Master, senior uncle, look! There are people ahead of us.¡±

    Ye Qing looked. As Li Longxiang said, a lot of people seemed to be standing just above theke.

    ¡°Should we be careful?¡± Yi Pin asked warily.

    ¡°No.¡± Ye Qing closed and opened his eyes before shaking his head. ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡±

    Due to how thick the fog was, it wasn¡¯t until they got close that they saw exactly the warriors had died. They were skewered by lotus stems from bottom to top and hung above the waters like tanghulu, every single one of them. That was why they looked like they were standing on theke.

    ¡°These people¡­ died not long ago, I think. Even their bodies are still warm,¡± Ye Qingmented after a moment of observation.

    Yi Pin nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. Look over there. Those are the warriors we saw heading into theke earlier. Yu Qingshui is over there.¡±

    A thought urred to Ye Qing, and he urged immediately, ¡°Oh shit. We need to go. We need to go now! This is a trap!¡±

    Since the beginning, he had thought that something was off. Normally, the appearance of such a treasure would draw countless Strangers to it. However, he hadn¡¯t seen any Stranger besides the Snake Fishes, which shouldn¡¯t be here in the first ce.

    There were only three possibilities. One, the Seven Star Blue Lotus was a fake. Second, thiske was the dwelling of a terribly powerful Stranger. Or third, it was all of the above.

    Judging from theke¡¯s unusual oddities and the dead people, Ye Qing was certain that it was the third possibility. As Yi Pin said, there was no way a ce that could give birth to the Seven Star Blue Lotus could be overflowing with taint and evil. In other words, a tainted and evil ce could never give birth to the Seven Star Blue Lotus.

    That was why this was a trap, a trap that a Stranger had set up for its prey.

    Besides that, the presence of the Snake Fishes were giving him a bad, bad feeling about this whole thing. If he was right, then they were in big trouble.

    Ye Qing had just finished speaking when theke water suddenly trembled unnaturally. Then, the people hanging above theke slowly turned around to look at them. The people who should¡¯ve been dead.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Ye Qing growled, grabbed Li Longxiang¡¯s shoulder, and tossed him into the air before jumping himself. Yi Pin didn¡¯t hesitate to jump as well.

    As if on cue, countless lotus stems pierced through the paper boat. They looked soft, but in reality they were as sharp as des. They continued to stretch upward and chased after the trio.

    Clearly, this was how the people before them were killed.

    Ye Qing punched down in an attempt to crush the lotus stems into smithereens, but it was his force that was torn apart as easily as paper. Forget crushing them, it couldn¡¯t even dy their advance even a bit. His Burning Wind was the only thing that could deal some damage.

    ¡°These things are afraid of fire!¡± Ye Qing warned before sucking in a deep breath. Then, he threw a punch that was overflowing with astral qi.

    ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±

    Boom!

    Fifty meters of water abruptly disappeared as if a giant spoon had scooped them out of theke. Theke boiled, the steam disced the fog, and countless lotus stems burst into invisible mes and withered.

    Yi Pin brought out a horsetail whisk andunched silver lightning at the lotus stems. Surprisingly, it did just as much damage as Ye Qing¡¯s Burning Wind.

    Whoosh whoosh!

    Unfortunately, their resistance seemed to have angered theke. A loud, terrifying noise shook the whole ce, followed by a series of loud booms. At the same time, theke water rose from every direction and pressed toward the trio like tidal waves. A gigantic shadow also seemed to be lurking underneath theke.

    ¡°STAY CLOSE TO ME!¡±

    Ye Qing shivered involuntarily as a kind of primordial fear gripped him. While holding Li Longxiang with one hand and Yi Pin with the other, he pushed ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± to its limits and flew toward the entrance.

    ¡°Brother Ye, stop! This is too dangerous!¡±

    Yi Pin¡¯s eyes widened in shock and terror as the giant wave came closer and closer. He could already imagine how the wave was going to crush them.

    Ye Qing paid the impending danger no heed, however. He continued to sprint across theke like he was running onnd; his footsteps only leaving behind faint ripples.

    When he was about six meters away from the wave, Ye Qing abruptly tossed the duo forward.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    Both Yi Pin and Li Longxiang screamed uncontrobly as they flew helplessly toward death. Was Ye Qing sacrificing them so he could escape himself!?

    Yi Pin¡¯s eyes abruptly turned purple. No one saw it, but it looked like it could destroy the world itself.

    Suddenly, the unnatural purple and the power that threatened to burst out of Yi Pin¡¯s body abruptly faded into nothing. The next moment, Ye Qing dashed past them at top speed. His intent and force was at their peak, his vigor and astral qi were circting rapidly throughout his body, and he let loose a bestial roar that sounded like it came from a dragon elephant. Then, he threw his fist.

    His dragon elephant strength was fully activated, his astral qi was fully unleashed, and his mind and spirit were flying together with his fist force.

    ¡°Break Through¡±

    Yi Pin and Li Longxiang looked stunned as Ye Qing punched a massive hole through the tidal wave. Not only did theke water fail to fill up the hole, it was expanding at a visible rate.

    The trio flew through the hole and hit the ground. Such was their momentum that they couldn¡¯t arrest themselves until they had rolled across the ground for tens of meters.

    Meanwhile, the giant waves finally copsed and caused a noise that sounded like a massive avnche. Then, the trio was treated to a sight that stole their breath away before they could even let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°What¡­ the hell is that?¡±

    As it turned out, theke wasn¡¯t ake at all. It was a giant maw so wide it was scarcely imaginable how big the actual creature was. The ke water¡± was really just the creature¡¯s saliva, and the ¡°tidal waves¡± were caused by the creature closing its mouth.

    The giant maw was still closing when the earth started shaking and breaking apart violently, revealing pitch ck scales that were as big as hills and covered in light. They also saw long, massive tendrils that were as big as giant pirs wriggling underneath the earth.

    ¡°Are those its¡­ whiskers?¡± Yi Pin asked in a fearful, trembling voice.

    ¡°I¡­ think so?¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t be certain either. After all, he had never seen a fish whose whiskers were as thick as a pir of heavens.

    ¡°Wait, I think I know what it is! It must be the legendary Sky Devouring Fish!¡± Yi Pin abruptly blurted in realization.

    ¡°The Sky Devouring Fish?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°ording to the ancient text ¡®Records of the Mountains and the Sea¡¯, there exists a strange, indescribably huge fish who lives underground. It is pitch ck like coal, and it dreams of devourings the celestial bodies. When it turns, an earthquake would happen, and when it opens its mouth, it would form argeke. Hence, it is named the Sky Devouring Fish.¡±

    ¡°The Sky Devouring Fish is slothful by nature and so prefers to stay idle as much as possible. Its preferred method of hunting is opening its mouth to make ake and conjure all sorts of auspicious treasures to draw prey to it. When a sufficient number of prey has gathered, it would close its mouth and devour them all.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, I have never seen the Sky Devouring Fish before, but what we¡¯re seeing fits what is recorded in the record. There is good reason to believe that the creature before us is the Sky Devouring Fish.¡±

    ¡°The Sky Devouring Fish indeed!¡± sighed Ye Qing as he wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead. This would exin why there were Snake Fishes inside the so-called ke¡±. To think that they had been fooling around inside the Sky Devouring Fish¡¯s mouth this whole time! If they hadn¡¯t escaped quickly¡­

    Meanwhile, the fish¡¯s mouth had shrunk to just tens of meters in radius. As it swallowed, it unintentionally revealed a ton of sharp teeth that were shaped like spikes and as big as mountain peaks. It was horrifying to look at to put it mildly.

    ¡°Kekeke! You¡¯ll need more than that to devour me!¡±

    It was at this moment an old man covered in dark green mes suddenly flew out of the water. He was alsoughing like a madman. The reason he was able to escape was because his phosphorous mes were burning the lotus stems¡ªor more urately, the Sky Devouring Fish¡¯s organ¡ªto charcoal. He was none other that the Poisoner, Tong She.

    Despite his triumphant words, he didn¡¯t look nearly as triumphant. The skull he was riding on was nowhere to be seen, his clothes were tattered rags, and his presence was incredibly weak.

    ¡°Poisoner? I can¡¯t believe that old fuck managed to survive the Sky Devouring Fish¡­¡± Yi Pin mumbled in disappointment. Poisoner wasn¡¯tpletely out of danger yet, but it looked like he would make it out before the Sky Devouring Fish could close its maw. He should¡¯ve done us all a favor and just die.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s going to die in a moment.¡± ¡°What?¡±

    Yi Pin turned around to ask what Ye Qing meant, but he abruptly realized that the Ye Qing next to him was an illusion. The man himself was gone before he knew it.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost there!¡± Poisoner let out another cackle after striking down a bunch of tentacles that were trying to block his way. His tone was full of delight and relief. He was so close to escaping this death trap. So close¡­

    ¡°You can¡¯t escape.¡±

    It was at this moment an indifferent voice rang above him. It sounded determined, confident and certain like it was stating an irrefutable fact.

    The next thing he knew, he felt a tremendous fist force pouring down on him like a waterfall.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! But why?¡±

    Poisoner was really just hanging to life by a thread. Horribly weakened and caughtpletely by surprise, there was nothing he could do but be pushed back into the maw.

    ¡°Seriously? Do you really not know why I¡¯m doing this?¡±

    Ye Qing watched as the Sky Devouring Fish¡¯s tentacles wrapped around Poisoner and dragged him into the eternal shadow below. Then, he dodged the tentacles flying toward him and returned to the shore.

    I didn¡¯t provoke you, and yet you tried to kill me. So why on earth would I let you live?

 Chapter 266: Bird of Riddles

    Chapter 266: Bird of Riddles

    ¡°Remember this, disciple. A man should be careful with their words and conduct. Take Poisoner for example. If he hadn¡¯t tried to kill us and pissed off Ye Qing earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have died today.¡±

    ¡°I will remember, master.¡±

    ¡°Also, a man should be kind, generous, and forgiving. It¡¯s not good to be petty and calcting in everything like your senior uncle.¡±

    ¡°I will remember, master.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± I don¡¯t mind you teaching your disciple, but why are you using me as a negative example?

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±

    When Ye Qing showed himself, Yi Pin abruptly stopped talking and ran up to him with an obsequious smile. ¡°Well done, brother! Poisoner is an absolute bastard whomitted countless crimes when he was still alive. You saved the people much pain and suffering by taking him out.¡±

    ¡°Har har¡­¡± Ye Qing let out a monotonousugh and went over to Li Longxiang. Then, he said, ¡°Longxiang, allow me to teach you a life lesson today.¡±

    ¡°Do tell, senior uncle!¡± Li Longxiang hurriedly straightened up and saluted Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing nced at Yi Pin meaningfully and began, ¡°A man should practice as they preach, meaning that they shouldn¡¯t talk behind someone¡¯s back. A man should especially avoid being sanctimonious, high-sounding, two-faced, despicable, shameless, juvenile¡ª¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± I was just teaching my disciple, bro. Sure, you were caught in the crossfire, but do you have to p all those negative adjectives on my person?

    ¡°Ahem, that¡¯s enough. Just¡­ remember what your senior uncle said, disciple,¡± Yi Pin interrupted with a disgruntled expression before changing the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the Sky Devouring Fish, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡±

    Ye ¡°Petty¡± Qing felt much better aftermbasting a certain old man indirectly. Since Yi Pin thought he was petty, he decided to oblige him. That was what he wanted, right?

    Of course, Ye Qing knew better than to push things too far. He stopped prodding Yi Pin and gazed into the distance.

    The Sky Devouring Fish slowly opened its mouth after devouring its prey. It wasn¡¯t long before a massive, bottomless pit appeared before their eyes. A short whileter, saliva started rising from the bottom of the pit. When the pit waspletely filled, the clearke they had seen earlier appeared before their eyes once more.

    Had it not been for his earlier experience and what was happening right before his eyes, he would never have believed that theke was the Sky Devouring Fish¡¯s mouth and saliva.

    This wasn¡¯t the end, however. After the ke¡± was formed, the Sky Devouring Fish started manifesting an illusion. This time, it didn¡¯t create the Seven Star Blue Lotus and the lotus flowers. Instead, it manifested a small ind that was covered in jujube trees. The jujube fruits were as big as a human¡¯s fist and fiery red in color. It looked extremely enticing and smelled very fragrant.

    ¡°Fire Jujube?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. The jujube fruits on the ind were called the Fire Jujube, and the Fire Jujube was a kind of fruit that flowered and fruited only once every one century. It was even rarer than the Seven Star Blue Lotus.

    It was said that a mature Fire Jujube could be consumed by humans, animals, and spirits alike. A single fruit could increase their cultivation by ten years and save them ten years of hard work. It was a priceless treasure to say the least.

    There were at least a dozen Fire Jujube Trees on the ind and hundreds of Fire Jujubes. If they were real, there might be enough Fire Jujubes to create a Grandmaster. Ye Qing had no doubt that thiske was going to be a hotspot for the next three days toe.

    ¡°Damn¡­ this Sky Devouring Fish sure knows how toy a bait,¡± Ye Qing said with a sigh. He could already imagine the conflict that was going to happen, and how it would all benefit the Sky Devouring Fish in the end.

    The Stranger was clearly intelligent. The best thing they could do was to get the hell away from this ce as soon as possible.

    He said as such, ¡°Let¡¯s leave. There is nothing for us here.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Yi Pin¡¯s eyelids were twitching violently from what he just saw. He did not hesitate to grab his disciple¡¯s hand and walked away. It was just too dangerous to linger.

    On their way away from this ce, Ye Qing asked with a dubious tone, ¡°Brother, was the Seven Star Blue Lotus the so-called opportunity you divined earlier?¡±

    If it was, then Yi Pin¡¯s so-called ability to ¡°observe the stars, divine qi, measure heaven and earth, and search for treasures¡± was unreliable at best and deadly at worst. He would have to consider leaving their group.

    Knowing what Ye Qing was implying, Yi Pin shot him a reassuring smile. ¡°Of course not. Theke isn¡¯t the location I divined where the treasure should be, so rx. I¡¯m not trying to trick you.¡±

    The fact that a trickster like you is telling me that only makes me even more suspicious!

    ¡°Help! Help!¡±

    They had just circled around theke that was the Sky Devouring Fish and approached a forest when suddenly, a man bolted out of the forest. He made a beeline for them as soon as he caught sight of them.

    Ye Qing frowned. It was clear that the guy was trying to lead whatever was chasing him to them.

    The good news was that the guy never got close. A strange bird with a human¡¯s face abruptly descended on top of the guy and clung to his head.

    The strange bird was about the size of a goshawk and had hook-like ws. Its feathers were a mix of ck and white. However, a closer inspection would reveal that the ck patterns on its feathers were really tiny scripts. It looked ancient and full of meaning.

    As soon as the strange birdnded on the man¡¯s head, he abruptly stopped moving as if a spell had been cast on him. His energies disappeared into nothing, and the only thing he could move was his head.

    ¡°Please, brothers! Please save me!¡± The man begged Ye Qing, Yi Pin and Li Longxiang with a terrified expression.

    ¡°Coo coo¡­¡±

    Before the trio could react, the Stranger cooed twice and spoke using a human¡¯snguage, ¡°Five brothers live together in a house. Their names and heights are different. What are they? Coo coo¡­¡±

    The man started trembling involuntarily. Large beads of sweat slid down his forehead and dripped off his chin. His lips were shaking, but he didn¡¯t dare to make any sound whatsoever.

    ¡°Coo coo¡­¡±

    Seemingly impatient, the strange bird cooed at him. Even more sweat pooled on the man¡¯s forehead, and his face waspletely contorted from how afraid he was. There was even more confusion and despair on his face, however. He seemed to have no idea what to do.

    ¡°Coo coo!¡± The strange bird cried out again as if giving the man a final warning, but still he didn¡¯t say a word. Seemingly furious, he abruptly split the man¡¯s head in half and stretched its thin, long tongue into his brain. Then, it started suck his brain juice like its tongue was a straw.

    ¡°Heavens¡­ that can¡¯t be tasty, can it?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself while scratching his nose.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡±

    Li Longxiang: ¡°...¡±

    Is this the time to think about such things? Actually, there¡¯s never a time to think about sucking brain juice, is there?

    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s leave while the Stranger is still distracted!¡± Yi Pin muttered while feeling sweat pooling on his forehead himself.

    The strange bird¡¯s abilities were just too strange. Not only could it freeze someone bynding on their head, it could also speak like a human. Besides that, it seemed to want an answer from its victim, but how could they give it an answer when its question made no sense to them whatsoever?

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. Look.¡±

    Ye Qing motioned with his eyes, and Yi Pin subconsciously followed his gaze. He immediately saw a tree that was crawling with countless human-faced birds. They were all looking at them, and Yi Pin could practically hear the threat that was implied: Take a single step, and we¡¯ll rip y¡¯all to pieces!

    Yi Pin immediately broke out in cold sweat. This was a scene straight out of a nightmare!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. These birds are a kind of Hatred-ss Stranger called the Bird of Riddles,¡± Ye Qing said.

    He was trying to assure Yi Pin, but his assurance only caused the old Taoist to panic even harder. Don¡¯t be afraid? With these numbers, they could threaten Spirit Purifiers and even Spirit Masters. How can I not be afraid?

    ¡°The Bird of Riddles is a human-faced goshawk who is capable of human speech and flying at extreme speeds. When it encounters a human, it would descend on their head, freeze them in ce, and ask them a riddle. If you can answer the riddle, then they would leave alone. If not, or if you choose not to answer the riddle, then the Bird of Riddles would rip your head open and suck on your brain juice.¡±

    Ye Qing continued in a casual tone, ¡°The guy just now didn¡¯t dare to speak, probably because one of hispanions gave the wrong answer and was killed as a result. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know that keeping silent would result in his death as well.¡±

    ¡°In any case, we have nothing to worry about. We only need to answer its riddles to be able to escape safely.¡±

    ¡°The Bird of Riddles?¡± Yi Pin eximed in realization, ¡°Now that I think about it, the bird was asking that poor guy a riddle earlier. You¡¯re seriously knowledgeable, brother!¡±

    Phew. I should be able to answer a riddle without problems.

    Ye Qing smiled. Every time he was idle, he would ask Wawa to recite to him books regarding Strangers. That was why his knowledge wasn¡¯t necessarily poorer than those experts who had researched Strangers their whole lives.

    ¡°Coo coo¡­¡±

    After the Bird of Riddles was done sucking the guy¡¯s brain, it appeared on top of Ye Qing in the blink of an eye and asked, ¡°I have a face but no mouth, legs but no hands, and I cannot walk despite having four legs. What am I? Coo coo¡­¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a second before answering, ¡°A table.¡±

    ¡°Coo coo¡­¡±

    The Bird of Riddles cooed in satisfaction. Then, it flew over to Li Longxiang¡¯s head and asked another riddle, ¡°A girl is born in a pool of water. She is dressed in pink and sitting on a green boat. What is she?¡±

    Li Longxiang immediately scrunched together into a deep frown.

    ¡°Idiot, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Yi Pin was just about to tell Li Longxiang the answer when the Bird of Riddles abruptly looked at him and spat. Its salivanded squarely in Yi Pin¡¯s mouth and filled his nostrils with a disgusting stench.

    ¡°aaaaaargh!¡± Yi Pin immediately started throwing up uncontrobly. It was clear that the Bird of Riddles was punishing him for trying to spoil the answer.

    It took the old Taoist a while before he finally recovered. As soon as he recalled the situation, he immediately looked at his disciple with panic. Spoiling the answer was a no-go, and he doubted that a hint would fly with the Bird of Riddles either. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, he couldn¡¯t risk it. After all, there was an entire horde of Birds of Riddles watching from the sidelines.

    But if he didn¡¯t try to give a hint, could his stupid disciple really answer the question?

    The next moment, Li Longxiang suddenly broke into a grin and said, ¡°It¡¯s a lotus flower!¡±

    Yi Pin nked out for a moment. When did Li Longxiang be smart? Or did his ancestor suddenlye back to life and send him a revtion?

    ¡°Coo coo¡­¡±

    The Bird of Riddles cooed in satisfaction and took the sky once more. However, it didn¡¯tnd on Yi Pin¡¯s head. It simply flew circles around him for a bit before flying back to its brethren.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Did it go away because Yi Pin smells horrible?

    After the Bird of Riddles was out of earshot, Yi Pin immediately flew into a rage, ¡°How dare you overlook me, you stupid bird!¡±

    Also, you¡¯re the one who spit on me! You should¡¯ve reaped what you sowed!

    After he was done ranting, Yi Pin looked at Li Longxiang and Ye Qing¡ªthe two men were currently standing far, far away from the old Taoist due to how smelly he was¡ªand asked curiously, ¡°Did you figure out the answer yourself, stupid boy?¡±

    Li Longxiang shook his head. ¡°No? Senior uncle¡¯s the one who told me!¡±

    ¡°He did? I didn¡¯t hear anything though?¡± Yi Pin looked confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s because he told me the answer through sound transmission, master!¡±

    ¡°Sound transmission?¡± Yi Pin stared nkly at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing smirked as he exined, ¡°Oh, I totally forgot to say this, but you cannot interfere with a riddle or even speak until it¡¯s over. Otherwise, it would spit on you as punishment. That said, the Bird of Riddles¡¯ intelligence is limited, so it could be fooled via sound transmission.¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± And why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? You¡¯re totally doing this for revenge, aren¡¯t you?

    Ye Qing ignored Yin Pin¡¯s resentful gaze and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. The Bird of Riddles¡¯ saliva is harmless, so you¡¯re in no danger of dying. At worst, you¡¯ll stink for the next two or three days.¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± He absolutely did this for revenge.

    I apologize for everything.

 Chapter 267: Bones Beneath The Flowers, The Four Seasons of Reincarnation

    Chapter 267: Bones Beneath The Flowers, The Four Seasons of Reincarnation

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, brother.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked when he saw Yi Pin looking gloomy. ¡°The stink you¡¯re currently afflicted with is more useful than you think.¡±

    ¡°Not only can the stink of a Bird of Riddles¡¯ saliva keep most Strangers away, it could keep the Bird of Riddles itself away.¡±

    ¡°The location where we might find an opportunity is in this forest, isn¡¯t it? And this forest is filled with the Bird of Riddles. It would be suicide for almost anyone else to venture into this ce, but you can waltz right in like you own it. We would be able to search for this opportunity without their interference. How good is that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Yi Pin agreed before realizing something. ¡°Wait a second. You haven¡¯t nned this from the beginning, have you?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s just your destiny to be our¡­ walking repent today.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad! It¡¯s for the better good, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? Then why don¡¯t you let the Bird of Riddles spit you in the mouth?¡± Yi Pin grunted.

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to smell, duh!¡± Ye Qing answered matter-of-factly. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no need for a second repent, is there? Thanks for the trouble, brother!¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the trouble, master!¡± Li Longxiang echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Get lost! What are you butting in for?!¡± Yi Pin scolded Li Longxiang before looking at the forestful of birds uncertainly. ¡°Are you sure it would work, brother?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, then we can just leave. After all, we won¡¯t get the chance to regret it once we enter the forest.¡± Ye Qing wanted to give Yi Pin an assuring pat on the shoulder until he recalled the smell and gave up immediately. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine though, so c¡¯mon!¡±

    Ye Qing had long since sealed off his sense of smell to avoid catching a whiff of the stench. He had also covered himself in a sheen of light to prevent the smell from clinging to him. The stench of a Bird of Riddles¡¯ saliva was that bad.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± His words are sweet, but his actions are treacherous. Men!

    After repeated urgings, Yi Pin eventually took the lead and slowly walked toward the forest. When they were about ten meters away, the Birds of Riddles grew restless and started cooing and pping their wings like crazy. When Yi Pin forced himself to control his fear and took a couple more steps forward, the Birds of Riddles abruptly scattered and flew away.

    Ye Qing immediately reached out and caught a handful of ck-and-white feathers that looked to be of excellent quality. When Yi Pin saw this, he asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Ye Qing gave him a vague answer. ¡°The feathers of a Bird of Riddles is an excellent material that can be used to sew clothes, cloaks, fans and more.¡±

    The real answer was that it was one of the main ingredients to make the Incense of Misfortune.

    Yi Pin curled his lips in disdain as if he couldn¡¯t stand Ye Qing¡¯s miserly behavior, but as soon as Ye Qing turned away, he kicked his disciple in the leg tomand him to pick up the rest of the feathers. After that, they ventured deeper into the forest.

    As Ye Qing imed, every animal and Stranger they came across stayed far, far away from Yi Pin because the stench was horrible. About half a teatimeter, they arrived at a garden of flowers.

    The flower garden was about 666 square meters wide and covered in fragrant, colorful flowers. A single shed stood in the middle of the field.

    ¡°Is this the opportunity you speak of, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked. ¡°I believe so.¡± Yi Pin nodded after a moment of observation. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is the resting ce of a powerful warrior or something.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement. ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who found this ce, you may explore it first.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, it is all thanks to you that we were able to make it this far. Of course the privilege of exploration goes to you first, brother.¡±

    Four eyes met, and two men chuckled. Li Longxiang was the only one who didn¡¯t get what was going on.

    Ptooey! You think you can manipte me into being your mine sweeper? Think again!

    Hmph! You¡¯re not very generous, are you kid?

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we observe the ce first? Who knows, there might be unseen danger!¡± Ye Qing coughed.

    ¡°Yes, that seems like the best idea,¡± Yi Pin echoed in agreement as if that was his n all along.

    In fact, Ye Qing was pretty damn sure that there was invisible danger lurking right around the corner. This ce looked like a small slice of paradise, but they were inside the Demon''s Tomb. True paradise might exist somewhere, but it shouldn¡¯t be found in the depths of hell. Even if it did, it should¡¯ve been destroyed by the Strangers living in the forest a long time ago. However, the garden in front of them looked perfectly pristine.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, master, senior uncle? This way!¡±

    The two men were still observing the surroundings for dangers when suddenly, they heard Li Longxiang calling out to them. When they looked, they saw Li Longxiang standing in the middle of a small path leading toward the shed. They had no idea when the path had appeared or how Li Longxiang had stepped on it without them noticing.

    ¡°Are you trying to kill yourself, idiot? Get back here!¡± Yi Pin shouted as the blood drained away from his face.

    ¡°What do you mean, master? It¡¯s safe here!¡± Li Longxiang scratched his head, puzzled.

    ¡°Calm down, brother. He seems to be fine for now,¡± Ye Qing also chimed in.

    Yi Pin calmed down after confirming that Li Longxiang really was fine. He sighed both in exasperation and relief, ¡°You brat¡­¡±

    He was just about to rebuke his disciple when suddenly, a silhouette shot out of the forest and toward the shed at high speed. It was a man, and he wore a delighted expression on his face.

    He was able to elude the Birds of Riddles¡¯ senses using Wood Escape, and he had arrived at this field of flowers way earlier than the trio. However, he didn¡¯t dare to venture deeper because he was afraid that some unseen danger might lurk in the field of flowers. But seeing as Li Longxiang was able to walk through the flowers safely, he believed that that meant that there was no danger. Unable to hold back his greed any longer, he made a beeline for the shed hoping to obtain whatever treasurey within it before anyone else.

    Just like Ye Qing and Yi Pin, the man hade to the conclusion that this was the resting ce of a powerful warrior or Stranger. This meant that the shed most likely contained the deceased¡¯s possessions and even inheritance. At his level, even the leftovers were more than enough to empower him. And assuming that it was an inheritance, then this could be the moment where his life was changed forever for the better.

    Naturally, he couldn¡¯t allow anyone else to im it before him.

    Afraid for his disciple¡¯s safety, Yi Pin intended to rush into the field of flowers himself. However, he had just raised his foot when Ye Qing stopped him.

    ¡°Wait, brother. Look!¡±

    Yi Pin looked. He observed how the mannded both feet on the flower every time he ran out of energy, but only bent its petals slightly. It was as if he was as light as a feather. Then, he would kick off andunch himself even faster toward the shed.

    ¡°¡®Swallow Taps The Water Three Times¡¯? He¡¯s probably a Swallow Bandit, but why should I care about his background?¡±

    ¡°I never said to look at the guy! I¡¯m talking about the flowers!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±Yi Pin scratched his nose to conceal his embarrassment and did as Ye Qing said. As the man ventured deeper into the garden, the flowers started growing brighter and more colorful. But at some point, they slowly withered as if they were going through the seasons. When summer came, the flowers bloomed their brightest. When autumn came, they all started to wither.

    The flowers weren¡¯t the only things that changed, however. The man¡¯s qi, essence and spirit had changed as well. At first, his energies became stronger than ever before as if he was entering his prime. Then, it weakened drastically as if he had aged decades in but a moment. In fact, he had aged decades and turned into an old man with bby skin and white hair.

    The flowers fully withered and started dying en masse. It was as if they had entered the winter.

    The man realized something was wrong as soon as his energies started changing against his will, but by the time he tried to leave, he had already transformed into a weak, decrepit old man whose vigor could barely keep himself alive, much less leave where he came. As he fell toward the ground, his body started rotting as if time moved far faster for him than it was everyone else. His flesh turned to bones, and his bones eroded into ash as he fell from the sky.

    That still wasn¡¯t the end of Ye Qing and Yi Pin¡¯s shock, however. When the ash was seconds away from hitting the ground, a breeze blew past it and scattered it all across the garden. Countless saplings started bursting out of the earth, and the spring wind turned into a rain that nourished their growth. The saplings fed on the nutrients contained within the ash and rain and grew at an exponential rate. It wasn¡¯t long before the whole garden was filled with lush leaves and colorful flowers once more.

    It was like the garden had undergone all four seasons in just a matter of breaths. They went from life to death, then from death to life as if emting the eternal cycle of reincarnation.

    It was both beautiful¡­ and utterly horrifying to Ye Qing and Yi Pin. They had just witnessed a man aging to death right before their eyes, and his ash was used to reborn the flower garden anew. It was a stunning sight to say the least.

    Ye Qing had only witnessed this method of death once in his life, and it was when the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging killed a guard right before his eyes. The only difference between the two was that the Heptachromatic Fog of Aging aged only one way, and only when it changed colors, while this field of flowers went through the cycles again and again.

    ¡°I believe this field of flowers is affected by the power of time, brother.¡± Ye Qing subconsciously took a few steps away from the garden.

    Yi Pin did the same thing and replied in a hesitant voice, ¡°I think so too. The way the guy died wouldn¡¯t make sense otherwise. Thank goodness we didn¡¯t step in willy-nilly.¡±

    ¡°Your disciple did though. Wait a second. Why is he¡­?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s voice grew puzzled.

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Yi Pin finally recalled his disciple and looked. Right now, Li Longxiang lookedpletely gripped by fear and confusion, which was understandable considering what he just saw. He was about to make his way out of the garden when Yi Pin hurriedly stopped him, ¡°Don¡¯t move! Just stay there!¡±

    After he was done cating Li Longxiang, Yi Pin frowned and voiced his doubts, ¡°But why is Longxiang unaffected by its power?¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I have no idea what¡¯s going on here. Maybe we can ask him to walk around for a bit and see what happens?¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯s a dog? Why don¡¯t you walk into the field yourself then?¡±

    Yi Pin rolled his eyes at Ye Qing and returned his focus to the flowers. A whileter, Yi Pin suddenly jumped on his feet and cried, ¡°I got it! It¡¯s the Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons!¡±

 Chapter 268: The Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons

    Chapter 268: The Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons

    ¡°The Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons?¡± Ye Qing repeated with a frown. He had never heard of it.

    Yi Pin didn¡¯t keep him in suspense. ¡°I heard this from an acquaintance, but the Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons is a nt-type Stranger that is left unssified due to how special it was. It possesses the power of the four seasons of reincarnation and is supposedly immortal and eternal. Literally, it will never die unless a certain condition is met.¡±

    ¡°If a sinful, impure, and unworthy being were to make contact with the Reincarnating Flower of the Four Seasons, then it would wither and die. The people who made contact with it would also be afflicted with the power of time and reincarnation and perish along with the flowers.¡±

    ¡°Once they are dead, the flower would be reborn from their ashes and undergo a new cycle of reincarnation. It was said that every death creates a new Reincarnating Flower of the Four Seasons. Since there are enough flowers here to make up a whole field, that means¡­¡±

    Ye Qing understood his meaning. There had to be thousands of flowers in this garden, meaning that at least thousands of living creatures had died here. Now he understood why there were no Strangers in the area. Everyone who got close had died and be a flower themselves.

    Ye Qing and Yi Pin exchanged a nce and saw the severity in each other¡¯s eyes. There was no way they were getting close to this flower, ever.

    ¡°By the way, you said that only sinful, impure, and unworthy beings who made contact with the Reincarnating Flower of the Four Seasons would die, right? Does that mean the opposite kind of person would be safe from its power?¡±

    Ye Qing abruptly caught onto Yi Pin¡¯s subtler point.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Yi Pin confirmed, ¡°Longxiang is fine, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Despite having experienced the jianghu with me, Longxiang remained childlike and pure-hearted because he was born with an impaired mind. Forgetmitting a crime, he had helped many others during his journey. That¡¯s most likely why he wasn¡¯t affected by the flowers¡¯ power of reincarnation.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in agreement when a devious idea suddenly urred to him. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re a man who is untouched by the mortal coil, right? I am sure you wouldn¡¯t be affected by the flower¡¯s power of reincarnation either. You should go ahead and join your disciple.¡±

    Does he think I¡¯m stupid!?

    Yi Pin hurriedly shook his head and argued, ¡°Oh no, I don¡¯t fit the bill at all. It is true that I¡¯m a handsome, well-respected and greatly loved man who often lent a hand to those in need and performed countless good deeds, but I was also a young fool whomitted many sins that I came to regret when I¡¯m older. I may be a good person now, but I certainly didn''t fit the bill when I was younger, so no, I dare not test the flowers.¡±

    ¡°You though, you¡¯re a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau who had in countless evils, protected the people, and saved not one, but two territories from disaster. I am sure that a noble and pure-hearted man like you would be safe from the flowers. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and keep my disciplepany?¡±

    Handsome, well-respected and greatly loved? More like sanctimonious and fake as hell! Ye Qing thought scornfully, but he said, ¡°You arepletely right, of course, but my hands are also coated in blood. Sinful blood, mind you, everyone I killed is deserving of death and worse, but a sin is a sin, so I don¡¯t think that the flowers would overlook my sin of murder. It is a shame, but I will have to give up on this opportunity.¡±

    How can someone be so shameless? Yi Pin thought scornfully as he met Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. The duo stared at each other for a moment before exchanging a smile and backing a few steps more away from the garden. No one here was stupid enough to fall for the obvious.

    Meanwhile, Li Longxiang finally couldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer and cried out, ¡°Master! Senior uncle! What should I do? Should I leave?¡±

    Can you guys stop chatting and focus on more important things? Like me?

    ¡°Should I tell him toe out?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    ¡°No, wait.¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°The owner of the shed is obviously the one who nted the Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons, and their goal is to protect the shed. But if it¡¯s really just a normal shed, then there is no reason for them to enact such a¡­ robust security. Therefore, I¡¯m guessing that the shed is the owner¡¯s grave and/or the ce where he left his inheritance.¡±

    ¡°Since Longxiang isn¡¯t affected by the Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons, we should let him enter the shed. Who knows, that might be where his opportunity lies.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Yi Pin hesitated. On one hand, he was worried for his disciple¡¯s safety. On the other hand, he didn¡¯t want his disciple to miss his opportunity simply because he was overly cautious.

    More importantly, Ye Qing was here. He didn¡¯t mind giving up his opportunity to his disciple, but could Ye Qing bear to do the same?

    Ye Qing knew what Yi Pin was worried about, of course. He assured the old Taoist, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, brother. I have no interest in this particr opportunity. Just consider whether the risk is worth the reward for you and Longxiang.¡±

    Yi Pin wrangled with himself a while longer before finally deciding that the reward was worth the risk. He didn¡¯t tell Li Longxiang to head in immediately, however. Instead, he sat down on the floor and brought out his three magical Tongbao coins.

    The three Tongbao coins were round-shaped with a square hole at the center. Their shape and size were almost the same as the strand Chu Tongbao coin, but these three were inscribed with ancient scripts and overflowing with an air of Dao. Anyone could tell that they were extraordinary.

    Even better, there were a pair of invisible, cloud-like wings floating about the edges of the coins. They might be invisible to the mortal eye, but Ye Qing could see them as clear as day. The wings themselves were covered in mysterious runes that reminded Ye Qing of the Eight Trigrams or the Luoshu Square.

    After the three coins manifested into existence, the wings pped, and they slowly floated into the air. Yi Pin wore a serious expression on his face as he performed all series of hand gestures. The gestures made no sense to Ye Qing, but he could tell that there was a certain cadence and order to it. He was also mumbling something that sounded like some sort of edict of calction.

    The three coins began ringing and vibrating slightly as a profound energy spread across the air. They quickly formed the shape of a mysterious trigram and disyed the threads of fate itself. Theoretically, anything and everything could be divined from it.

    Ye Qing took one look and felt unbelievably dizzy. He felt like he was caught a glimpse of some sort of book that contained an infinite amount of information.

    Yi Pin didn¡¯t break eye contact with the trigram, however. By now, his hands were moving so fast that they were a blur even for Ye Qing. However, the divination attempt seemed to take a lot out of Yi Pin because his eyes were bleeding, and his face had turned as white as a sheet in just a matter of minutes.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    In the end, Yi Pin spat out a mouthful of blood, and the trigram abruptly shattered into pieces. The three coins also fell to the floor looking far less profound than they were before.

    ¡°Are you alright, brother?¡± Ye Qing voiced his concern.

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ I am fine.¡± Yi Pin waved him off and put away the three coins on the ground. ¡°I was trying to divine the oue of this encounter using Thirty Six Methods To Divine Fate, and¡­¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°I got nothing. This ce ispletely shrouded from the rivers of fate, and I am unable to divine if the house contains some sort of danger.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± You put on a fabulous light show and even spat blood in the end, and all you got for your pains is nothing? Are you serious right now?

    ¡°Cough¡­ That is why I changed my method and calcted Longxiang¡¯s destiny next. This time, it told me that it will be a frightening but ultimately harmless experience,¡± Yi Pin continued.

    ¡°Huh. You can divine a person¡¯s destiny and even look into the rivers of fate? I¡¯m impressed, brother!¡± Ye Qing ttered.

    ¡°It is nothing, nothing!¡± Yi Pin replied humbly, but it was obvious from his expression that he was proud of his abilities. Then, he seemed to recall a certain memory and grew forlorn all of a sudden. ¡°To be honest, divination is just the ability to catch a glimpse of one or several ways the future might unfold. It is hardly omniscient, much less omnipotent. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be the saying, ¡®One mustn¡¯t look into fate, just as one mustn¡¯t peer into one¡¯s destiny¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I and all others pursuing this art are but ants who are trying to catch a peek at the skies. But even if we seed, how can an ant trulyprehend the totality of the sky?¡±

    ¡°Brother¡­¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. He could tell that Yi Pin was a man with a past. He was about to give him some words of constion when Yi Pin returned to his casual self and waved him off, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. My age is getting to me, is all.¡±

    He then rose to his feet and called out to Li Longxiang, ¡°You may enter the shed and check out if there¡¯s anything good, disciple! But remember! If you find a person¡¯s remains or a grave, you must kneel three times, kowtow nine times, and perform a junior¡¯s salute wholeheartedly. Two, you may take what is out in the open, but not those that are hidden within. Three, you must never damage any items inside the shed.¡±

    ¡°Finally, just be careful. Don¡¯t hesitate to leave if anything feels even remotely off.¡±

    ¡°I will remember!¡± Li Longxiang responded obediently. He had always listened to his master¡¯s words faithfully, so he obediently walked up to the shed and put a hand on the wooden door. But before he could even exert his strength, the wooden door abruptly opened on its own. Then, a gigantic hand reached out of the darkness, grabbed Li Longxiang, and pulled him into the shed! The door mmed shut right after that.

    ¡°Longxiang!¡±

    Outside the garden, Yi Pin turned as white as a sheet when he saw this. He was about to charge in and fuck the consequences when Ye Qing stopped him and forcefully turned the old Taoist toward him. ¡°Longxiang is fine! I couldn¡¯t sense any killing intent from the giant hand, and if it really wanted Longxiang dead, it could have crushed him on the spot. There is no need for it to pull him into the shed, is there?¡±

    ¡°Also, didn¡¯t you say it yourself that Longxiang will have a frightening but ultimately harmless experience? There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Yi Pin still looked scared and worried.

    ¡°No buts. Even if we assume the worst case scenario, this whole ce is surrounded by Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons. If you charge in, you would only lose your life. Do you think your disciple would want that?¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Yi Pin looked like he was burning with anxiety. ¡°Are we really just going to do nothing and wait for Longxiang toe out?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, yes. That is all we can do from the looks of it,¡± Ye Qing said with a sigh.

    He didn¡¯t really have any evidence to back up his theory, but Ye Qing strongly believed that Li Longxiang would be fine. In fact, he was certain that the disciple woulde out with an opportunity that would earn everyone¡¯s envy. The only reason Yi Pin hadn¡¯t figured it out himself was because his emotions had gotten the better of him.

    ¡°Rx. Longxiang is a pure-hearted man. The heavens will not punish such a person.¡±

    Finally, Yi Pin calmed down and stared at the shed for a moment. Then, he let out a sigh and said, ¡°I hope so¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Creak¡­

    About half a teatimeter, the wooden door suddenly creaked open. Yi Pin, who had been stewing in anxiety this whole time, immediately looked to the entrance.

    Two or three breathster, a brawny figure swayed out of the entrance like he was drunk. He was also carrying a few items. He was Li Longxiang of course.

    As soon as his foot left the threshold, the door swung shut once more. Li Longxiang ced the items he got on the ground, faced toward the shed, and kowtowed three times with respect. He said, ¡°Thank you, senior.¡±

    After he was done, he picked up the items and slowly made his way out following a small path; a path that did not exist until he was about to set foot in the flowers.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Yi Pin rushed forward and asked with a voice that was full of concern after Li Longxiang finally left the garden.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for the concern, master.¡± Li Longxiang shot him a simple smile before praising him, ¡°You truly are a master diviner, master. Senior¡¯s deceased body is inside the shed, and once I performed a junior¡¯s salute as per you told me, those items suddenly appeared in front of me!¡±

 Chapter 269: The Nine Impetus of Tai Chi

    Chapter 269: The Nine Impetus of Tai Chi

    ¡°Oh! What did you get? Show me.¡±

    Yi Pin rxed considerably after confirming that Li Longxiang was safe and sound.

    ¡°This is everything. I got a bottle of pills, a sword, a martial arts manual and a cultivation art.¡±

    Like a child eager to share his spoils, Li Longxiang revealed everything. ¡°There were more items in the shed that looked quite extraordinary, but I remembered your teachings and only took those that were out in the open.¡±

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    Yi Pin nodded in satisfaction and checked out the bottle of pills first. When he pulled out the stopper and took a sniff, he eximed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s the Jade Skin Bone Purifying Pill! And just look how round, unblemished and translucent the pills are. They are of superior quality for sure.¡±

    The Jade Skin Bone Purifying Pill was used to temper the body both inside and outside. It could make one¡¯s skin as wless as jade and purify their bones. Hence the name.

    After handing the pill bottle back to Li Longxiang, Yi Pin picked up the sword next to examine it.

    The sword¡¯s making was quite old judging from its shape. It had a wooden hilt with a bit of jade mixed in it, and the word ¡°Pine¡± was etched on its surface.

    As soon as Yi Pin unsheathed the sword, a rich amount of vibrant, greenish energy immediately gushed out into the open. As it spread, the nts around them started growing like crazy, and even Yi Pin¡¯s arm was sprouting greenish buds as well. Ye Qing immediately stepped forward and mmed the sword back into its scabbard, stemming the flow and causing the energy to slowly fade into nothing.

    ¡°Phew¡­ that was close. Thanks, brother.¡±

    The unnatural greenness and growth covering Yi Pin¡¯s arm also returned to normal after a while.

    ¡°Unless I¡¯m gravely mistaken, this sword is at least a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact,¡± Yi Pinmented while stroking the sword from the tip all the way to the pommel. ¡°It¡¯s around 101 centimeters long, and its whole body is forged from a kind of wood called the Verdant Jade Pine. Speaking of which, the de is imbued with the power of the Verdant Yi Wood. It definitely deserves its name.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a Verdant Jade Pine, master?¡± Li Longxiang asked.

    Yi Pin responded, ¡°The Yi Wood Jade Pine is a strange tree that can only be found on the peak of the tallest and most perilous mountains. Born from the spiritual qi of Yi Wood, it is shaped like a normal pine but is greenish jade in color. It is impervious to wind, frost, fire and even lightning.¡±

    ¡°It takes sixty years to grow a single inch, meaning that it takes thousands and thousands of years to reach full maturity. I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you how valuable this sword is.¡±

    Ye Qing added, ¡°This sword is potent, but its limitations are pretty significant as well. If the wielder is unable to withstand its Verdant Qi, they would be corrupted and assimted like your master just now.¡±

    ¡°You are absolutely right.¡± Yi Pin wiped away the beads of cold sweat on his forehead and sighed in relief. ¡°But if you can withstand it, then it will be a sword like none other.¡±

    ¡°What about this martial arts manual, master? I tried reading it earlier, but I don¡¯t recognize the words. They¡¯re shaped like tadpoles for some reason,¡± said Li Longxiang while handing over the martial arts manual.

    The martial arts manual was only a dozen or so pages thick. Its paper wasn¡¯t paper, but some sort of skin that not even Yi Pin with his wealth of knowledge could identify. It remained pristine and free from erosion despite having been here for god knows how many years.

    ¡°That¡¯s the tadpole script, an ancient script that ispatible with the Great Way itself. It¡¯s natural that you don¡¯t recognize it.¡±

    Yi Pin was brimming with excitement as he flipped through the pages quickly, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ This is the ¡®Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡¯... Those who practice Tai Chi are bnced in both yin and yang. Yin is born where yang is the strongest, and yang is born where yin is the strongest¡­ Yin and Yang is the essence of all things, hence all things contain yin and yang¡­ heaven and earth may switch ces, life and death border one another, action and inaction are two sides of the same coin, water and fire may mingle in harmony given the right circumstances¡­ a person¡¯s qi too can be split into yin and yang. Clear qi will rise because it is light, and murky qi will fall because it is dense¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh heavens, this is incredibly difficult to read¡­¡±

    Yi Pin was positively sweating after just tranting two or three lines of the book. After reciting a couple more lines, he looked no different from when he attempted to look into the rivers of fate earlier; pale and exhausted. ¡°Nope, can¡¯t do it. These tadpole scripts are too hard to read. Not even I recognize all the words.¡±

    ¡°Can I take a look?¡± Ye Qing was quite curious himself, so he took the manual from Yi Pin and skimmed through the pages. A few secondster, he nodded and mmed the book shut. Yep, I only recognize a handful of words, and that¡¯s only thanks to my education.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a Taoist martial art. If it can be tranted, then it will serve its practitioner well,¡± Yi Pin said, which was a massive understatement. A martial arts manual written using the ancient tadpole script could not be ordinary.

    Ye Qing nodded in agreement before asking, ¡°Longxiang, you said that the senior also gave you a cultivation art, right? What is it?¡± It wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch to assume that the martial art and the cultivation art were somehow rted to one another.

    ¡°Right, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­¡± Li Longxiang was about to answer when he suddenly cut himself off. He looked like he wanted to say something, but an invisible hand was mped around his mouth. Such was his confusion and frustration that his face turned beet red. Eventually, he blurted, ¡°I can¡¯t say it, senior uncle.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, you can¡¯t say it?¡± Ye Qing asked, ¡°Just show us the manual.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a manual.¡± Li Longxiang shook his head in frustration. ¡°It¡¯s a cultivation art that appeared in my head after the senior tapped me once in the forehead.¡±

    ¡°I can remember every word of the cultivation art, but for some reason, I just can¡¯t say it out loud.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happened to me, master, senior uncle? Is it dangerous?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ inherited a true martial arts inheritance from the senior?¡± Ye Qing and Yi Pin exchanged a nce with each other. Yi Pin in particr looked like he was about to burst with joy. If Ye Qing wasn¡¯t around, he would be guffawing at the top of his lungs already.

    The fact that the person in the room had imparted his true martial arts inheritance to Li Longxiang meant that he viewed the young man as his disciple. The cultivation art must be pretty impressive as well seeing as the senior purposely set up a restriction that forbade Li Longxiang from passing it down to anyone verbally. In fact, Ye Qing reckoned that it couldn¡¯t be passed down in any way.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be fine, right master?¡± Li Longxiang asked worriedly.

    Yi Pin barely managed to suppress his silly grin and shook his head. ¡°Of course you¡¯re going to be fine, you silly, lucky boy.¡±

    There was a reason why the saying, ¡°Blind luck follows dumb people¡± existed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to force yourself to say it. Just make sure you cultivate hard and live up to that senior¡¯s expectations,¡± Ye Qing advised. He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t envious, but that was how things turned out sometimes.

    ¡°I understand, senior uncle.¡± Li Longxiang shot him a grin.

    Yi Pin epted the loot from Li Longxiang and handed it all to Ye Qing, ¡°As per our agreement earlier, we¡¯ll split the spoils fifty-fifty based on our needs. The cultivation art Longxiang obtained is obviously the most valuable of the lot, so you may have the rest of the loot.¡±

    He was reluctant to give up the items as a matter of course, but they already had the lion¡¯s share of the loot. If he allowed his greed to ovee him, then their partnership would be forever tainted by it. That could be lethal considering where they were right now.

    It was important to have ambition, but it was equally important to be satisfied with what you have.

    Ye Qing smiled and waved the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± he was holding. ¡°Just give me this martial arts manual, and we¡¯re square.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ sure about this?¡± Yi Pin was caught off guard because he wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to turn down the offer. He had explored the jianghu for countless years, and he had seen even father and son turning against one another over something valuable, much less everyone else. This was literally the first time he encountered someone who gave up not one, but multiple valuables that he rightfully deserved.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have a feeling that this ¡®Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡¯ is almost as valuable as Longxiang¡¯s cultivation art.¡±

    Yi Pin kept to his word, so Ye Qing wasn¡¯t willing to take advantage of him. Besides that, he could tell that Yi Pin was a true hidden master, and Li Longxiang had a bright future ahead of him thanks to the inheritance he obtained from the senior in the shed. He didn¡¯t mind forging some good karmic bonds in this jianghu.

    ¡°Besides, Longxiang is the reason we got anything in the first ce. Without him, it¡¯s entirely possible that I would have walked away from this opportunity empty-handed. That¡¯s why I¡¯m grateful with just this.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Yi Pin hesitated.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Quit it. Are you the but man or what? If you need me to give you some concrete reasons, then sure. First, I don¡¯t use a sword, so Pine is useless to me. I¡¯m also notcking in Strange Artifacts right now. Second, look at me. Do you seriously think I need the Jade Skin Bone Purifying Pill?¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡±

    I should be happy that he¡¯s giving up the majority of the spoils to me, but why do I feel like a beggar epting charity from a rich man?

    Then again, Ye Qing really had no use for the items. This was the guy who had screwed over countless jianghu warriors and obtained a mountain of loot as a result, and even had a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. It was no wonder he didn¡¯t value a weapon that he couldn¡¯t use. As for the Jade Skin Bone Purifying Pill, the guy had a body that was as strong as five dragon elephants right now. The Jade Skin Bone Purifying Pill was as useful to him as a ss of water¡ªdelicious, but that was it.

    What a fucking monster this guy is.

    In the end, Yi Pin obeyed his desires and thanked Ye Qing, ¡°In that case, I shall kindly ept your generosity.¡±

    Why y coy with a guy who wasn''tcking in anything?

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve gotten what we needed, let us leave. There¡¯s no need to disturb our senior¡¯s eternal slumber any longer than necessary,¡± Ye Qing put away the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± and said.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Yi Pin nodded and peered at the sky through the tree leaves. ¡°And this ce isn¡¯t safe anyway. The sky¡¯s about to turn dark, and we need to find a suitable resting spot as soon as possible.¡±

    Ye Qing checked out the dimming sky as well and asked curiously, ¡°There¡¯s day and night in the Demon¡¯s Tomb?¡±

    ¡°Yes. And here in the Demon¡¯s Tomb, it¡¯s far more dangerous at night than it is during the day.¡±

    ¡°Danger? What danger?¡± Ye Qing could tell from Yi Pin¡¯s tone that he was absolutely serious about this.

    Yi Pin answered, ¡°I¡¯m not too sure myself; but there was a passage in a book that I read that went something like this: ¡®There exists the Red Sun and the Blood Moon, and they are manifestations of Rahu¡¯s eyes, the Progenitor Demon. Its left eye is the Red Sun, and its right eye is the Blood Moon. When the Red Sun falls, and the Blood Moon rises into the sky, the demonic qi in the Demon¡¯s Tomb shall increase drastically. Demonic thoughts shall run free, and all kinds of Anomalies, Strangers, and dangers in general shall appear. A single mistake can damn you for eternity, and fates worse than death lies at every corner.¡±

    ¡°In short, it is best if we hole up in a good hiding spot when night time arrives. Alternatively, we can seek out ces with a lot of people or start arge fire to generaterge amounts of yang energy. That should be enough to keep most evils at bay.¡±

    Yi Pin continued after a break, ¡°Of course, I have no idea if what I read in the book is true, but I¡¯d rather rely on superstition than nothing at all. It¡¯s still early, so let¡¯s try and find a suitable resting spot first. We can decide afterward if that n is a no-go.¡±

    ¡°If it turns out that it is all superstition, and the nights of Demon¡¯s Tomb are as safe as it is during the day, then all is well. If not, then our preparations would be well worth it. What do you say?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a good n. Let¡¯s go, brother.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    To be honest, the shed would be the perfect ce to tuck in for the night. Unfortunately, it was surrounded by Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons, and Li Longxiang was the only one who could enter the shed safely. It was a shame, really.

 Chapter 270: The Sword Blots Out The Iridescent Clouds

    Chapter 270: The Sword Blots Out The Iridescent Clouds

    After they were out of the forest, Yi Pin performed a divination and obtained a general direction where they might be safe. They immediately headed in that direction.

    They didn¡¯t go far before the sky slowly turned dim. The red sun suspended high in the middle of the sky slowly sank into the western horizons, its dying rays looking as red as blood. Iridescent light painted both the sky and the ground in rainbow, dreamlike colors.

    This was a scene straight out of a painting, but Ye Qing felt ufortable and stifled. His spirit revealed to him that what looked like demonic qi was slowly increasing. The clear qi was fading, and the murky air was rising. Then, he saw countless magnificent, divine and bizarre illusions appearing all across thendscape.

    He saw Buddhas and celestials making pilgrimages to the Great Way;

    He saw gods and demons battling each other until both sky and earth were torn asunder;

    He saw auspicious beasts dancing in the sky and what looked like pces peeking through the clouds;

    He saw countless ghosts and demons parading through the night;

    ¡­¡­

    Well, this confirms that the Demon¡¯s Tomb is most dangerous at night.

    Ye Qing continued watching the illusions for a bit until a bloody tear flowed down his cheek, and his mind felt like a dibobted mess. It wasn¡¯t until he looked away that his symptoms improved.

    ¡°Are you alright, brother?¡± Yi Pin also noticed Ye Qing¡¯s reaction and advised, ¡°These things are mirages created from demonic qi and one¡¯s desires. Just concentrate your mind and clear your heart, and you will be immune to their effects.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the advice, brother,¡± Ye Qing saluted him. ¡°Anyway, the night of the Demon¡¯s Tomb is definitely unusual. We need to find a hiding spot as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ There is no escape, children. Just give me your possessions, and I might yet consider letting you live.¡±

    ¡°We are disciples of Purity Sword, Demon of Unliving. Hurt us, and the consequences will be severe!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Have you forgotten the lesson Elder Song taught you earlier already? Touch a single hair on our bodies, and Elder Song will chase you to the ends of the earth!¡±

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ it is true that Song Xi and especially Purity Sword are way, way out of my reach, but your elder isn¡¯t here, and we are not at Purity Sword, are we? Who would know that I¡¯m the one who killed you?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, Song Xi humiliated me quite badly back at Luo Shui, and you guys are the perfect fodder to vent my frustrations on. If you must me someone for your misfortune, me Song Xi, kekeke!¡±

    Ye Qing, Yi Pin and Li Longxiang were still searching for a hiding spot when a series of strange cackles suddenly interrupted their search. When they looked, they saw a man wearing ck robes and surrounded by demonic qi chasing down five people. They were a group of three men and two women, and they were all dressed in white. The cor of their shirt and their sleeves were embroidered with clouds and flowers. It was a simple yet elegant design.

    The group looked miserable, however. Their clothes were in tatters and drenched in blood, and their energies were all over the ce. They looked battered and exhausted.

    It wasn¡¯t like their group was made up of weaklings. The leader of the group was a Spirit Purifier, whereas everyone else was ate-stage Astral Refiner. It was simply because the ck-robed man chasing after them was stronger than the five of thembined.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Demon of Unliving! And he seems to be chasing after the disciples of Purity Sword!¡± Yi Pin took one look and nched a little. ¡°We need to leave, brother. And please don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re nning to save them.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m not crazy,¡± said Ye Qing while shaking his head. Demon of Unliving was obviously a bad guy, but his aura was so powerful it quashed any unnecessary thought Ye Qing might have had.

    It was never a bad thing to help others in need, but only if it was within one¡¯s ability to do so. Otherwise, it would be futile at best or detrimental at worst. In this case, it would be suicide.

    Ye Qing was a man of action, so he immediately grabbed hispanions and darted toward the distance like the wind. He made no sound when he kicked off the ground, and he was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°They¡¯re pretty fast.¡±

    The trio noticed Demon of Unliving, so of course the ck-robed man noticed them as well. He was just going to squish the three ants when they abruptly darted out of his range.

    ¡°Still, you can¡¯t escape. I¡¯lle for you as soon as I¡¯m done with these small fries,¡± said Demon of Unliving with a cackle.

    His voice wasn¡¯t loud, but Ye Qing, Yi Pin and Li Longxiang all heard it loud and clear despite the fact that they were almost a hundred meters away from the ck-robed man. Not only that, his voice seemed to possess some sort of mind-bending quality that screwed with their heads and made them hallucinate all sorts of things.

    ¡°Shit! I was hoping he¡¯d be too busy to bother with us,¡± Ye Qing cursed. More importantly, the guy managed to affect his mind with a single cackle from a hundred meters away. This was bad. Very bad!

    As Ye Qing forced himself to calm down and devoted even more strength into his legs, Yi Pin suddenly said, ¡°You can stop now, brother. The cavalry¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°What? Who?¡± Ye Qing skidded to a stop.

    ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®Sword From The West¡¯...¡± Yi Pin replied indifferently, ¡°Song Xi.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ I¡¯m in a hurry, so goodbye!¡±

    On the other side, Demon of Unliving looked back at the five Purity Sword disciples and unleashed a palm strike. The surrounding demonic qi converged into a ghastly face and flew straight toward them. If no help arrived, then the five disciples would surely be devoured by it.

    ¡°You dare, Demon of Unliving!¡±

    It was at this moment a furious cry reached them, and dazzling white light lit up the darkening sky. For a time, it almost felt like it was daytime once more.

    The light was so bright and sharp that it shattered not just the darkness, but light as well. For a time, no one could see anything.

    Shiing!

    There was the metallic singing of a sword, and everyone¡¯s skin pricked as if they were stabbed by countless needles. When the sound finally faded, and everyone¡¯s vision had returned to normal, they discovered that Demon of Unliving was nowhere to be found. There was only a floor of holes and jagged marks, and the sword intent lingering in them were intimidating to say the least.

    The five Purity Sword disciples were perfectly unharmed, however. Despite the devastation around them, not a hair on their person was harmed.

    ¡°What terrifying power! What exquisite control!¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but exim in shock. Just now, Song Jiai had unleashed such a terrific amount of sword qi that the entire sky was blotted from view. Despite this, the swordsman was able to control his power such that it would only harm Demon of Unliving and not his disciples. It was incredible to say the least.

    ¡°He¡¯s called the ¡®Sword From The West¡¯ for a reason,¡± Yi Pin replied with a sigh, his gaze a kaleidoscope of emotions that couldn¡¯t be deciphered.

    ¡°Cough! Cough! How are you here, Song Xi? I thought you were¡ª¡±

    The two men were basking in their emotions when an angry, puzzled shout jolted them out of their ruminations. As it turned out, Demon of Unliving was still alive!

    ¡°You thought yourpatriot managed to lure me away?¡± Song Xi interrupted rudely and tossed a head into the air. Its face was frozen in shock, confusion, and terror.

    Demon of Unliving eximed in shock and disbelief when recognition hit him, ¡°You killed Old Ding? But how!?¡±

    ¡°With my sword, duh. What¡¯s so strange about it?¡± Song Xi sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re worried that he¡¯s going to be lonely in the afterlife, don¡¯t. You¡¯ll be joining him very soon.¡±

    Demon of Unliving tried to threaten the swordsman, ¡°Push me, and I swear I¡¯ll do everything in my power to make you regret this, Song Xi!¡±

    ¡°You can try. Back at Luo Shui, you had tried to murder an entiremandery of people. You only survived my wrath because of Old Ding. Now, you¡¯re trying to murder my disciples. I just cannot see any reason to let you live whatsoever!¡±

    His sword descended, and a pir of light severed the sky and the demonic qi surrounding Demon of Unliving in half. Knowing that there was no way he could talk his way out of this, the ck-robed man let out a frustrated howl and scattered into countless silhouettes.

    Despite his earlier threat, he didn¡¯t dare to fight the swordsman at all.

    ¡°Really? You think you would seed when even yourpatriot failed to escape me?¡±

    Song Xi thrust his sword forward and unleashed a torrent of sword qis that shredded most of the silhouettes. However, Demon of Unliving was creating more silhouettes by the second, and he wasmanding countless ghosts to attack Song Xi as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the grave if it¡¯s thest thing I do, Song Xi! Graaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!¡±

    Song Xi¡¯s sword could sever the sky, and his sword qis swam through the sky like rivers of heavens. However, Demon of Unliving¡¯s martial arts were as unpredictable as they were demonic. Although the upper hand was firmly in Song Xi¡¯s grasp, he was having trouble ending the bastard¡¯s life once and for all.

    Such was their sh that the entire sky was dyed in ck and white. The earth shook, and the wind howled. It felt like the apocalypse was upon them as the two colors vied for dominance.

    ¡°So this is the sh between Grandmasters? I still have a long, long way to go!¡± Ye Qing sighed with admiration as he watched the battle.

    ¡°Song Xi is okay,¡± Yi Pin snorted, ¡°but trust me when I say that Demon of Unliving doesn¡¯t live up to his cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing chuckled and shot Yi Pin a meaningful look.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing caught sight of something and asked, ¡°Hmm? What is that cloud doing over there?¡±

    The sh between the two Grandmasters was such that everything and anything between and around them were annihted down to the atoms. However, a fiery red cloud had somehow barged into the battlefield before he knew it.

    The next moment, the cloud transformed into a woman clothed in iridescent light. When she lifted her hand and waved, the light grew much brighter and slowly spread to the surroundings.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAARGGHHHH!¡±

    Demon of Unliving let out a bloodcurdling scream as both his body and his demonic qi slowly transformed into fiery red light. Try as he might, there was nothing he could do to resist. He eventually dissolved into the lightpletely.

    It wasn¡¯t just him either. Everything that was basked by the light¡ªthe flora, the fauna, the Strangers, and thendscape itself¡ªall dissolved into fiery red light.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Lady of Iridescence?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock and horror.

    ¡°I think so¡­?¡± Yi Pin replied uncertainly.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We can¡¯t let the light hit us.¡± Ye Qing grabbed Li Longxiang and ran all the way to the back of a hill, Yi Pin following closely behind them. Once they were safely tucked in, they peeked out and continued observing the battle.

    ¡°What is a Lady of Iridescence?¡± Li Longxiang asked while Yi Pin gulped beside him.

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°The Lady of Iridescence is a Disaster-ss Stranger born from the essence of iridescent light. She normally appears when the sun is setting, and disappears after the sky has darkenedpletely. The equal of a human Grandmaster, everything within her light¡¯s reach¡ªrtively speaking, of course¡ªwould be corrupted and assimted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s terrifying!¡± Li Longxiang eximed in shock.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s terrifying! Demon of Unliving, a Half-Step Grandmaster wasn¡¯t able to put up any sort of resistance at all!¡± Yi Pin pped Li Longxiang on the back of his head as he said this.

    ¡°Do you think Song Xi would be fine, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. It was because he couldn¡¯t find the swordsman anywhere.

    Yi Pin nodded his head firmly. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s going to be fine. Unlike Demon of Unliving, he¡¯s a bonafide Grandmaster.¡±

    As if on cue, a dazzling sword beam sliced the curtain of iridescent light in half and crushed the Lady of Iridescence to bits. However, the Stranger was a creature of iridescent light and clouds. So long as the two elements still existed, she would never die.

    By now, the iridescent clouds and light had almost spread across the entire sky. It looked like the heavens were on fire.

    ¡°Over here!¡±

    Realizing that their hiding spot wouldn¡¯t be safe for long, Ye Qing punched a massive hole in the hillside and slipped in. Li Longxiang and Yi Pin were right behind him.

    Outside, Song Xi scoffed at the disy of power. ¡°Hmph! A mere Lady of Iridescence thinks she can y me?¡±

    Song Xi flicked his de, and a metallic ringing resounded throughout the sky. The next moment, an impossible span of sword qi manifested into existence and blotted out the iridescent light like lead gray clouds.

 Chapter 271: No One Has It Worse Than Me

    Chapter 271: No One Has It Worse Than Me

    After blotting out the iridescent light, Song Xi looked at the five Purity Sword disciples and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. There¡¯s a temple not far away in that direction. I want you to take your junior brothers and sisters and take shelter there, Chengyun.¡±

    ¡°Remember. Never head out when it¡¯s nighttime.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, elder,¡± said the Spirit Purifier with a salute. ¡°We will take our leave now. Take care, elder.¡±

    ¡°I will be fine. Just keep your junior brothers and sisters safe,¡± Song Xi replied indifferently.

    ¡°I will,¡± Xie Chengyun promised before taking off in the direction Song Xi had pointed him to immediately.

    ¡°Phew¡­ We should leave as well.¡± Yi Pin urged as he crawled out of the hole, ¡°Song Xi is strong, but even he cannot y the Lady of Iridescence in short order. We need to be away from here while he¡¯s still blocking the iridescent light with his sword qi.¡±

    ¡°Besides, you heard what Song Xi said earlier. We now know for certain that the nights of Demon¡¯s Tomb are dangerous. We¡¯ve already been dyed by Demon of Unliving, we can¡¯t afford to dilly-dally any longer.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ye Qing agreed before looking at the five Purity Sword disciples. ¡°We¡¯re going to follow them.¡±

    Song Xi mentioned a temple just now. Since the swordsman was confident enough to instruct his disciples to hide inside the temple, that must mean that it was a safe ce. At the very least, it would allow them to survive the night.

    ¡°Great idea, brother! It will save us a lot of trouble!¡± Yi Pin let out a vulgar chuckle before trailing behind the group of five.

    Meanwhile, one of the male disciples nced back at Ye Qing, Yi Pin and Li Longxiang with a frown on his face. ¡°Senior brother, those three are following us.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! They must be nning to follow us to the temple,¡± another disciple said. ¡°Should we chase them away, senior brother?¡±

    Xie Chengyun replied coldly, ¡°The sky¡¯s about to turn dark. Don¡¯t cause trouble.¡±

    ¡°But senior brother, they were going to leave us for dead just now. Instead of being ashamed of what they did, they¡¯re going to enter our safe ce uninvited! How is this eptable?¡±

    Xie Chengyun shot her a cold look. ¡°And why should they help us? It is our own weakness that led to our situation, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°As warriors, we practice martial arts and cultivate the heart. We ourselves should be enough to handle anything the world throws at us. If we were strong enough to defend ourselves against Demon of Undying, then their help would¡¯ve been unnecessary. And if we were so weak then we were in by the enemy, then it is the result of our own weakness, is it not? How do others factor in the equation?¡±

    ¡°Rather than bemoaning others, you should ruminate on what you could¡¯ve done better and train harder.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, senior brother.¡± The four disciples were disgruntled, but they didn¡¯t show their true emotions on their faces in the slightest. It was because they feared Xie Chengyun deeply.

    Meanwhile, a smiling Yi Pin moved closer to Ye Qing and said, ¡°I think they noticed us.¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Heh. So what if they did? It¡¯s not like they¡¯re the ones who built this road or that temple. This is the Demon¡¯s Tomb after all. They are in for a big surprise if they think they can oust us.¡±

    They were following the group openly, so of course the five Purity Sword disciples noticed them. The reason they hadn¡¯t tried to conceal themselves was because they didn¡¯t want the group to misunderstand that they were plotting something.

    An incense stickter, they arrived at a small, ancient-looking Taoist temple that was painted ck and white. It was built atop a small hill and surrounded by a bunch of pine trees. Whoever chose this ce to build the temple had chosen well because it looked rather impressive despite its current state and size.

    Around ten to twenty people were gathered at the foot of the hill. They were separated into several groups, and they were all watching one another warily.

    ¡°Huh. There¡¯s a surprising number of smart people around here,¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    Yi Pin disagreed. ¡°Not necessarily. I bet some of them simply came because they thought that the temple might contain a treasure or two.¡±

    Ye Qing scratched his nose as the corner of his lips curled into a smirk. ¡°To be fair, what is a Taoist temple doing inside the Demon¡¯s Tomb?¡±

    Yi Pin shrugged before voicing his puzzlement, ¡°Why aren¡¯t they entering the temple? They can¡¯t be here to wee us, can they?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡±

    A number of gazesnded on Ye Qing¡¯s group for a moment, but they quickly moved onto the five Purity Sword disciples. Compared to three nobodies, the five Purity Sword disciples obviously deserved more attention.

    ¡°They¡¯re Purity Sword disciples¡­¡±

    ¡°Their leader¡­ that¡¯s Xie Chengyun the ¡®Cloud Sword¡¯...¡±

    ¡°Fuck! What is that fiend doing here? I¡¯m starting to regreting to this ce¡­¡±

    ¡°Heh. You can leave if you want to!¡±

    ¡°And why aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s a high chance this temple is the resting ce of a former champion. Like hell I¡¯m going to give up on their inheritance or possessions!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who said you regreting to this ce!¡±

    Everyone was murmuring to one another while watching Xie Chengyun¡¯s group warily. The swordsman himself paid them no heed and went over to a small path at the foot of the hill.

    Xie Chengyun¡¯s group didn¡¯t understand why the band of warriors were lingering at the foot of the hill, but one male disciple thought that they were just cowards. He let out a disdainful chuckle before stepping onto the path.

    ¡°Wow. This guy¡¯s an idiot, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°This will be entertaining.¡±

    Crackle!

    The band of warriors cracked enigmatic, expectant grins on their faces, and what happened next did not betray their expectations. As soon as the disciple set his foot on the first step, he abruptly froze like a mountain had suddenly appeared on his back. The next moment, a bolt of lightning struck him squarely in the chest and threw him backward.

    ¡°Are you okay, Zhong Ming?¡± Xie Chengyun hurriedly caught the disciple and asked concernedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­ just¡­ a¡­ little¡­ numb¡­¡± Zhong Ming stuttered as lightning rippled across his body. ¡°In¡­ fact¡­ it feels¡­ kindafortable[1]?¡±

    Xie Chengyun: ¡°...¡±

    The swordsman trained his gaze on the nearby warriors¡ªhe had noticed their looks of schadenfreude, of course¡ªand asked in a stern voice, ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± The unfortunate man who caught his gaze shivered and exined in a hurry, ¡°It¡¯s very simple, Brother Xie. This temple can only be entered during the night. Look.¡±

    The man pointed at a broken stone b with a few lines of blurry text etched on it. It stated:

    ¡°Enter during the night,

    Or suffer a lightning bolt.

    Offer a prayer before entering,

    Or protection you shall not receive.¡±

    The reason the group hadn¡¯t noticed it before was because it was almostpletely covered in grass.

    ¡°Hmph! If you knew this was here, then why didn¡¯t you tell us sooner?¡± A Purity Sword disciple asked angrily while ring at the warriors.

    A man snorted loudly. ¡°Heh! Did you ask us? No? Then why should we tell you anything? Even if we did, would you have believed us, you snob?¡±

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Xie Chengyun stepped in and rebuked the disciple, ¡°We are not here to stir up trouble.¡±

    The swordsman¡¯s reprimand sounded harsh, but it was nothingpared to the steely gaze he showered upon the outsiders. ¡°We are here to rest for the night. Nothing more, nothing less. I hope we can co-exist in peace until tomorrowes.¡±

    ¡°One more thing. The Demon¡¯s Tomb is exceptionally dangerous during the night. I would advise you to stay the night inside the temple if you wish to live.¡±

    His advice got varying responses from the group. Some people looked solemn, some looked suspicious, and some didn¡¯t take his advice to heart at all. Xie Chengyun didn¡¯t care about their reactions though. He was just doing what he thought was right. He returned to his group after saying that.

    Some distance away, Yi Pin bumped Ye Qing on the shoulder and said in a soft voice, ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that Xie Chengyun is a softie on the inside? Not that it¡¯s a bad thing, of course.¡±

    He is an elite disciple of a famous sect. It makes sense that he has a bigger heart than most,¡± Ye Qing replied just as softly. ¡°This is good for us though. With Xie Chengyun keeping the peace, the night would be quieter than it could¡¯ve been.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so!¡± Yi Pin crossed his arms and chuckled.

    Suddenly, someone looked up at the sky and muttered, ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s raining.¡±

    ¡°It rains inside the Demon¡¯s Tomb?¡±

    ¡°Why not? This is the Demon¡¯s Tomb we¡¯re talking about. It could rain des, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised in the slightest.¡±

    ¡°True. This is the resting ce of Rahu, the Progenitor Demon. Sigh. I wonder when we¡¯re going to be an almighty power like him?¡±

    ¡°Are you stupid? We¡¯re average warriors with only a modicum of talent and no background to speak of. We¡¯ll never reach the heights he reached, man.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s impossible. Just impossible.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ why wasn¡¯t I born in a famous martial n? Why wasn¡¯t my mother or father a powerful warrior? Just why?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s all because we¡¯re too useless.¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ I can¡¯t believe how useless and miserable we are! Just unbelievable!¡±

    As they chatted, a mood of mncholy and self-hatred slowly spread throughout the crowd like a disease. Slowly but surely, everyone started feeling sad and depressed.

    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m an old man already, but I¡¯m still just a Vessel Augmentor. I wasn¡¯t able to make a name for myself in the jianghu, nor was I able to revitalize my sect. I¡¯m so useless, so useless! A dog could¡¯ve lived my life better than I had! Ahhhhh, I¡¯m so ashamed!¡± Yi Pin couldn¡¯t hold back his tears any longer and started weeping openly.

    ¡°My life is terrible! I¡¯m over fifty years old, and I still haven¡¯t achieved anything! Why do I even live? I should die. I should die!¡±

    A man was sobbing uncontrobly to himself when his sorrow and despair finally reached the limit. He abruptly hit himself in the head and killed himself.

    ¡°My life is worse! I was an orphan, and I never found a friend or a family to rely on. As if that isn¡¯t bad enough, I have no fame or wealth to speak of. Heck, I didn¡¯t even have a woman to warm my bed! Uuuu¡­¡±

    The man abruptly mmed his head against a nearby rock and sttered his brain matter all over its surface after saying that.

    ¡°Uwaaaah! You thought your life was more miserable than mine? I was born a bringer of all things ill and disastrous. I indirectly killed my dad when I was three, my mother when I was five, and my older brother and his wife when I was seven. I had married thirteen wives and sowed twenty sons my whole life, but they all left me eventually. What a miserable life it was!¡±

    Pssh!

    The man cut open his neck andmitted suicide as well.

    ¡°You think you have it worse than me? No one has it worse than me! When I was three, my brother and I peeked at my neighbor in her bath only to get discovered. My older brother managed to escape because he had longer legs, but I was caught and beaten up real bad.¡±

    ¡°When I was ten, my older sister and I yed with fire and identally burned up our house. When I was fifteen, I joined the Mind Altar Sect and served them faithfully as a servant for a decade, but they threw me out in the end because my talent is trash. I risked my life trying to survive the jianghu and finally obtained a martial arts manual, but my best friend stole it and ditched me the next day. I married fifteen wives and had thirty children my whole life, but none of them is my seed. Uwaaaaaaah! No one has it worse than me!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re so miserable, so useless. Our mere existence is a waste of this realm¡¯s resources. Every grain we eat is a waste; every breath of air we draw is a waste. We should just¡­ die.¡±

    ¡°Yes, death is the refuge we deserve. It¡¯s just too hard to keep living.¡±

    Pssh! Squelch! Thud!

    For a time, countless peoplemented how miserable their lives were, and countless peoplemitted suicide as a result of it.

    1. Masochist no. 2 peeks his face. ?

 Chapter 272: The Rain of Misery

    <h4>Chapter 272: The Rain of Misery </h4>

    Ye Qing too was filled with sorrow. When he recalled his birth, he thought about how humble and lonely he was. When he recalled the recent fiasco at Luo Shui, he thought about how he saved Luo Shui from disaster and saved the people from danger, but all he earned for his efforts was hatred, jealousy, and enmity. He was the man with the Annon Sutra, but there was barely a day where he wasn¡¯t fighting to protect his status and his life. Surely he was the worst performing protagonist of all the web novels out there?

    The more he thought about his past, the more he became infused with thoughts of mncholy and despair. He... He wanted to die.

    ¡°Sigh. Why even live when I¡¯m so miserable and useless?¡±

    Without hesitation, Ye Qing headbutted a rock behind his back. There was a loud bang, and the rock shattered. His head remained perfectly intact, however. There wasn¡¯t even a scratch on his forehead.

    Unwilling to give up, Ye Qing went up to a tree and headbutted it. Once again, it was the tree that snapped in half, not him.

    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m so miserable I can¡¯t evenmit suicide. What a terrible life this is!¡±

    Tears streamed down his cheeks as Ye Qing stared nkly at the broken tree in front of him. He was just about to grab his saber and cut off his neck when suddenly, the Annon Sutra glowed and basked his entire body in a chilly sensation. Finally, he jolted back to reality.

    ¡°Huh? What was I doing?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his forehead as he recalled what he just did. ¡°What the fuck? Did I just try tomit suicide?¡±

    ¡°There is no fucking way that was me. I must have been influenced by a Stranger of something!¡±

    ¡°Senior uncle! Thank heavens you¡¯re awake! Please help me! I can¡¯t keep master from killing himself much longer!¡±

    Ye Qing was still rubbing his forehead when he heard Li Longxiang crying for help. He turned and saw the young man clutching Yi Pin¡¯s waist with a death grip while the old Taoist struggled with all his might. He looked like he was nning to headbutt the stele at the foot of the hill.

    ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯m so miserable and useless! I deserve to die!¡±

    Ye Qing pushed off the ground and appeared in front of Yi Pin in the blink of an eye. While pinning the old Taoist down with his right hand, he raised his left hand and gave him a powerful p across the face.

    <i>p!</i>

    The p was hard enough to leave a palm print on Yi Pin¡¯s face and stupefy him for a couple of seconds. However, he soon broke into a louder sob while saying, ¡°Oh, how miserable I am! I can¡¯t even kill myself without someone pping me in the face! I want to die! Don¡¯t stop me, please!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, senior uncle. Maybe try hitting him harder?¡± Li Longxiang suggested. He was still holding onto Yi Pin just in case.

    Ye Qing coughed awkwardly. ¡°Ahem... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the issue here.¡±

    He had pped Yi Pin hard enough to wake even aa patient, so pain wasn¡¯t the answer here. Now that he thought about it, he had headbutted a rock and a tree earlier and still couldn¡¯t break free from the spell. Those were easily more painful than a p to the face.

    <i>If it¡¯s not a disease of the body, then it¡¯s most likely something that affects the mind and spirit, </i>Ye Qing thought. The only reason he regained his consciousness was because the Annon Sutra had jolted his mind with its chilly energy.

    Ye Qing pressed his fingers to his forehead and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. Then, he roared with power and spirit, ¡°WAKE UP!¡±

    His voice was so loud that the rain cloud in the sky literally scattered into nothing. The weaker warriors were disoriented and bleeding from all orifices.

    ¡°What the...¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Why are those people dead?¡±

    The warriors started waking up one after another. At first, they were too disoriented to remember what had happened. When they did, shock and terror immediately overtook them.

    ¡°What the fuck was influencing us?¡±

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t like this ce. We should leave as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Brother... Brother Xie, you''re a well-read, well-traveled man, right? Do you know what just happened to us?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Brother Xie. What should we do in this situation?¡±

    Everyone subconsciously looked to Xie Chengyun¡ªthe warrior with the highest cultivation level in their group¡ªfor directions.

    ¡°My apologies, but I don¡¯t know what just influenced us either.¡± Xie Chengyun shook his head. ¡°Honestly, I myself was seconds away from killing myself.¡±

    ¡°What... What should we do then? We broke out of its spell once, but... but...¡±

    Panic and fear started spreading among the group. Thankfully, a voice spoke up before the warriors could crumble into full-blown panic, ¡°The Rain of Misery. If I¡¯m not mistaken, we were affected by the Rain of Misery.¡±

    Xie Chengyun and the others looked. An old Taoist wearing disheveled robes and carrying a bright red, swollen cheek was the one who spoke up. He was also activating a talisman and covering himself in a sheen of golden light that prevented a single raindrop from hitting him. He was, of course, Yi Pin.

    Yi Pin puffed up his chest and sped his hand behind his back when he noticed that everyone was staring at him. He would¡¯ve looked pretty cool if it wasn¡¯t for his swollen cheek and the bright red palm print on his face.

    ¡°If I may ask, Reverend, what is the Rain of Misery?¡± Xie Chengyun saluted him.

    Yi Pin didn¡¯t keep them in suspense. ¡°The Rain of Misery is a rare Stranger that is left unssified because no one can agree on whether it¡¯s a Phenomenon-ss Stranger or a Disaster-ss Stranger. The Rain of Misery looks no different from a normal rain, but unlike a normal rain, it does not sink into the ground or merge with other waters. Instead, it converges at low-lying areas and forms a Lake of Misery.¡±

    Yi Pin motioned at their feet as he said this. As he said, the rainwater floated just above the ground as if it was insted by some sort of invisible barrier. Moreover, the rainwater was flowing toward low-lying areas.

    ¡°The Rain of Misery could afflict anyone who makes contact with it with mncholy and sorrow. If you don¡¯t shield yourself against it, you would recall all kinds of sorrowful and miserable memories until you grow despondent enough tomit suicide. Moreover, the Rain of Misery is particrly effective against people with an active,plex mind.¡±

    ¡°No wonder!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. He was wondering why Li Longxiang, the weakest of all of them, wasn¡¯t affected by the Rain of Misery. It was because he was pure and simple-minded.

    Yi Pin continued, ¡°Few people noticed the Rain of Misery¡¯s effects until it was toote because of its simrity to ordinary rain. Throughout history, there have been plenty of incidents where a settlement and even an entire territory was caught by the Rain of Misery and perished as a result. If the Rain of Misery rained long enough to form a massive flood, well... I don¡¯t need to tell you what a disaster that would be.¡±

    ¡°This is also why some people argued that it should be ssified as a Disaster-ss Stranger.¡±

    ¡°Oh, heavens... a Disaster-ss Stranger? Doesn¡¯t that mean we¡¯re dead?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die, I...¡±

    Please save me, Reverend! Please!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Worry not, everyone.¡± Yi Pin beamed as everyone begged him for a solution. He seemed to be enjoying the attention a lot. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite simple to shield yourself from its effects.¡±

    ¡°What do we do, Reverend? Please, tell us!¡±

    ¡°Please, Reverend! I can feel it changing me again!¡±

    ¡°We will forever remember your kindness if you save our lives, Reverend!¡±

    ¡°Heh, there is no need to beg me, everyone. We are all part of the <i>jianghu. </i>It¡¯s only natural to watch each other¡¯s backs, no?¡±

    Yi Pin stroked his beard as he revealed the answer, ¡°As I said earlier, the Rain of Misery only affects those who make contact with it. In other words, you simply need to dry your clothes with astral qi and shield yourself from the rain, and you will be fine. Alternatively, you can also find a shelter. You will be fine as long as you don¡¯t make contact with the rain.¡±

    ¡°Got it, got it...¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for the advice, Reverend!¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for saving our lives, Reverend!¡±

    The warriors immediatelyunched into action as they thanked Yi Pin. Some people protected themselves with astral qi as Yi Pin advised, and some brought out their Strange Artifacts to shield themselves from the rain. There was even one guy who grew a massive tree to block the whole area from the rain.

    After Yi Pin was done speaking, Ye Qing walked up to the old Taoist and praised, ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at social maniption, brother!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t quite the carrot and the stick, but the logic was the same. Yi Pin had given them a scare by describing how horrifying the Rain of Misery was before revealing the solution. It was a much more effective method at earning the warriors¡¯ goodwill then just telling the answer from the get go.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing this out of altruistic reasons. I¡¯m hoping that these people will remember what I did for them when they decide to stir up trouble inside the templeter,¡± Yi Pin exined.

    Yi Pin noticed that Ye Qing had already protected himself from the Rain of Misery¡¯s influence. He couldn¡¯t sense any fluctuation in his astral qi, but the Rain of Misery automatically evaporated into air as soon as it got close to the young man. The air surrounding him felt incredibly hot and dry as well.

    ¡°Were you the one who woke us up, brother?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t deny it.

    ¡°You love doing good deeds anonymously, don¡¯t you? If you told them what happened, they would probably be kissing your feet in worship right now!¡± Yi Pin chuckled.

    ¡°And why on earth would I want anyone to kiss my feet? Anyway, I prefer to keep a low profile.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°It¡¯s your choice!¡± Yi Pin shrugged back before recalling something. ¡°Oh right, did you know what happened to my face, brother? Why do I feel like someone pped me real hard in the cheek?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, I don¡¯t know, it wasn¡¯t me!¡± Ye Qing instinctively executed his triple-denial protocol. When he noticed the dubious look on Yi Pin¡¯s eyes, he let out an awkward cough and added, ¡°I mean, it has to be yourself, wasn¡¯t it? You were trying tomit suicide via face-pping.¡±

    ¡°Really? But I don¡¯t remember being strong enough to¡ªooh, that really stings.¡± Yi Pin turned to his disciple next and asked, ¡°Was it you, Longxiang?¡±

    Li Longxiang hurriedly shook his head. Feeling Ye Qing¡¯s hot, passionate gaze burning a hole in his face, the young man forced himself to lie, ¡°Senior uncle is telling the truth. You were going so hard at it I literally couldn¡¯t stop you.¡±

    <i>Sorry, master. I think senior uncle would kill me if I told you the truth.</i>

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Yi Pin frowned and nced back and forth between the duo. He was out of his mind, so he supposed he could have hit himself harder than he intended. But why did he still feel like something was off?

    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on the past, shall we brother?¡±

    Afraid that Yi Pin would find out the truth if they dwelled on this any longer, Ye Qing hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°The sky¡¯s dark already. We should be able to enter the temple now, right? This darkness is giving the creeps.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Yi Pin nodded and checked out the sky. ¡°I <i>think </i>we should be able to enter now, but... do you want to give it a try?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not. Do I look like I love getting struck by lightning?¡± Ye Qing shook his head without hesitation.

    So, Yi Pin looked at Li Longxiang and ordered, ¡°Longxiang, you try.¡±

    Li Longxiang: ¡°...¡± <i>Can I not? I don¡¯t like getting struck by lightning either.</i>

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid. We know it¡¯s non-lethal, and didn¡¯t that guy from Purity Sword say that it was actually quitefortable?¡± Yi Pin urged when he noted Li Longxiang¡¯s hesitation. ¡°Rx. Best case scenario, nothing happens. Worst case scenario, you enjoy a shock massage. It¡¯s a win-win either way, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Li Longxiang: ¡°......¡± <i>Oh yeah? Then why don¡¯t you try it?</i>

    Unfortunately, his master wouldn¡¯t be denied, and he was feeling a bit of guilt after lying to his master. So, Li Longxiang ultimately forced himself to walk up to the stairs.

    Upon reaching his destination, Li Longxiang sucked in a couple deep breaths before extending his right foot. He braced himself when he nted his foot on the step, but... nothing happened.

    Li Longxiang wanted to gather himself some more before moving his left foot, but Yi Pin had already lost his patience. ¡°Quit dilly-dallying and get it over with already!¡± the old Taoist said before kicking Li Longxiang right in the butt. Caught off guard, the young man staggered forward until he caught himself. Before he knew it, he was standing on the fourth and fifth step of the stairs already.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone else: ¡°...¡±

    <i>There¡¯s no doubt about it. They¡¯re one hundred percent master and disciple.</i>

    Seeing that Li Longxiang was neither stopped nor sent flying by a bolt of lightning, Yi Pin beckoned Ye Qing over with a straight face. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re clear to enter the temple. Let¡¯s go, brother.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    And so the duo walked up the stairs, and everyone else was right behind them.

 Chapter 273: Anomalous

    <h4>Chapter 273: Anomalous </h4>

    ¡°Do you feel like a pressure has suddenly lifted from your shoulders?¡±

    ¡°In fact, I did. It felt kinda suffocating earlier, but it¡¯s much better now.¡±

    ¡°Same.¡±

    As soon as the people set foot on the stairs, they suddenly felt a little lighter than before. It was as if some sort of invisible object had left their bodies.

    Most of them could only feel the sensation, but Ye Qing could ¡°see¡± it clearly. Through his spirit, he saw countless wisps of strange demonic qi leaving their bodies and dissipating into the air as soon as they set foot on the small path.

    Yi Pin and Xie Chengyun¡ªboth of them extraordinary warriors in their own right¡ªnoticed the same thing as well.

    ¡°I knew something wasn''t right with this temple,¡± Yi Pin muttered under his breath.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter so long as the effect is positive,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly, though in reality he was feeling quite worried on the inside. Even with his spirit, he hadn¡¯t sensed the demonic qi clinging to his body until now, much less the others. He didn¡¯t even know if he hade into contact with the demonic qi during the day or the night.

    He had no intention of dying without even knowing what killed him. He would have to be even more careful in the future.

    ¡°Hmm? Where¡¯s Brother Wu?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably still loitering at the bottom. I¡¯ll call him. Brother Wu! What the hell are you doing down there?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, no need to wait for me. We¡¯re all fishes in the same <i>jianghu</i>, so my bleeding heart can¡¯t bear to see my fellow warriors left in the open, you see. I¡¯lle up as soon as I bury all the bodies.¡±

    <i>Bastard! He talks a good game, but he¡¯s really just looting the bodies! I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t think about it myself!</i>

    Brother Wu wasn¡¯t the only one who was looting the bodies. There were a couple others who were doing the same thing. Unwilling to let go of the opportunity, a couple of warriors immediately raced down the hill to join them.

    ¡°Stop.¡±

    However, Xie Chengyun stopped the warriors before they could take more than a couple of steps.

    ¡°Brother Xie, we just want to¡ª¡±

    They tried to exin that they weren¡¯t heading down because of their greed, but the swordsman interrupted them before they could finish. ¡°Look behind their backs.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    His remark drew everyone¡¯s attention. When they looked, a couple of people fell to the ground from sheer shock and horror. ¡°What... What the hell is that?¡±

    How had they not noticed it sooner? There were currently four people looting the bodies at the foot of the hill, and every single one of them was carrying a ¡°person¡± behind their backs. The entities had long hair that covered up their faces and swayed lightly behind the warriors¡¯ necks. They gave off a strange and evil feeling to say the least.

    Strangely, the warriors didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary. They were still going through the bodies with clear excitement.

    ¡°Are those... humans?¡± Li Longxiang stuttered in fear.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Yi Pin rolled his eyes at his disciple.

    ¡°B-Brother Wu! Come back quickly!¡± One of the Purity Sword disciples finally regained his senses and shouted at his friend.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to take long, man. Stop pushing!¡± Brother Wu brushed off this advice.

    ¡°You fucking idiot! There¡¯s a Stranger behind your back! Get up the hill before it¡¯s toote!¡± The disciple lost his patience and shouted.

    ¡°Stranger? What Stranger?¡±

    The four on the ground couldn¡¯t help but stop whatever they were doing and look behind their backs. But instead of being horrified, the warriors merely looked confused. They couldn¡¯t seem to see anything.

    What happened next was almost too terrifying to describe. The warriors¡¯ flesh started falling off their bodies chunk by chunk like fully ripe persimmons. Even scarier was the fact that the four Strangers they were carrying slowly raised their heads and stared at the group on the hill. When their faces were fully revealed, it turned out that they looked exactly the same as their victims. Then, their lips curled into a horrifying grin.

    Countless people gasped as a terrible chill shot up from their feet and straight into their skull, but that wasn¡¯t the end of the horror. They suddenly heard a great number of footsteps¡ªit sounded like countless people were stepping on rainwater¡ªand soon, arge group of <i>jianghu </i>warriors emerged from the darkness. They were rotten and decayed just like the four, and they were all carrying a Stranger behind their backs, one who shared the same face as them.

    The Strangers then looked up at the group and shot them a toothy white grin as well.

    ¡°Ma... Master... tho... those Strangers aren¡¯t going toe after us... are they?¡± Li Longxiang stuttered while trembling with fear.

    Ye Qing[1] said while rubbing his nose, ¡°I doubt it. If they were going to attack us, they would¡¯ve done it already. It¡¯s probably because this temple is special somehow.¡±

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the demonic qi that left their bodies after they entered the temple had something to do with these Strangers. Had they dilly-dallied like the poor fucks on the ground, they would¡¯ve suffered the same fate.

    ¡°What the hell are these things, brother?¡± Yi Pin gulped in fear. He had never seen or heard such a Stranger in his life.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. I¡¯m not omniscient.¡± Ye Qing was also licking his lips nervously. ¡°I can tell you one thing though. The nights of the Demon¡¯s Tomb aren¡¯t just dangerous. They¡¯re anomalous as fuck.¡±

    ¡°At least they aren¡¯t attacking us. Thank the heavens we chose to follow Purity Sword to this temple.¡± Yi Pin sighed in relief.

    ¡°There¡¯s no saving those people, so let¡¯s focus on saving ourselves. C¡¯mon!¡± Ye Qing turned around and resumed his stride toward the temple. He never looked back. This ce was way too dangerous, and the temple was the only ce that looked a little safer.

    Yi Pin hurriedly caught up to him while calling out to his disciple, ¡°What are you waiting for, Longxiang? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Right, right!¡± Li Longxiang hurriedly responded and ran up to the duo.

    ¡°What should we do, senior brother?¡± A Purity Sword disciple looked to Xie Chengyun for instructions.

    ¡°We go up,¡± Xie Chengyun replied simply before ncing at the dazed crowd around him. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t safe. If you would listen to my advice,head up the hill as soon as possible.¡±

    Xie Chengyun didn¡¯t wait for a response. He turned around and hiked up the hill with his junior brothers and sisters.

    ¡°R-Right! Thank you for the advice, Brother Xie.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Brother Xie.¡±

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Are you deaf? We follow them and get the fuck out of here! You guys can stay here if you want to.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Same.¡±

    ¡°Wait for me, dammit! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re just trying to get first dibs on whatever is inside the temple!¡±

    ......

    As everyone was racing up the hill, no one noticed that the Strangers on the ground were grinning wider and wider. They didn¡¯t stop until their cheeks were split wide open, and the soil beneath them were drenched in blood.

    For whatever reason, every Stranger on the ground was grinning from ear to ear. It was a wanton, arrogant, taunting, and evil grin. The blood-drenched ghoulsughed at them all.

    ......

    ¡°Dao births one, one births two, two births three, and three births everything.¡±

    ¡°One incense stick, two incense sticks, three incense sticks for the divine.¡±

    Outside the temple, Yi Pin was admiring a couplet set above the entrance curiously. ¡°What an interesting couplet this is. The first line reveals the truth and essence of Taoism, and the second line exposes the desire of all celestials and gods. Yes, yes, I like this a lot.¡±

    ¡°The horizontal scroll is even better: Sincerity begets all.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose smilingly. ¡°Sincerity is a must when seeking freedom and Dao. It is the same when praying to celestials and gods.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Well said, brother!¡± Yi Pin guffawed as he stepped into the temple.

    The first thing they saw was a courtyard. The floor was smooth limestone with not a speck of unwanted weed or branch anywhere. There was a small temple hall in the middle of the courtyard where a mud statue was enshrined. It was also the only ce in the temple where one could take shelter from the rain.

    The mud statue was a tall, thin Taoist with blurry facial features. He was carrying a horsetail whisk over the crook of his arm and wielding a spell sword[2]. He was also standing on a patch of clouds.

    The group quickly split into three groups after they entered the temple hall. Ye Qing, Yi Pin and Li Longxiang were together as a matter of course, and Xie Chengyun with his junior brothers and sisters. Thest group was made up of six <i>jianghu </i>warriors.

    That¡¯s right. There were over twenty <i>jianghu </i>warriors at the beginning, but now only six of them were left. That was why they were huddling together even though they didn¡¯t necessarily see eye to eye with each other.

    ¡°Hmm? The fruits on this incense burner table are... fresh?¡±

    There was only one piece of furniture inside the temple hall, and it was the incense burner table set in front of the mud statue. The incense burner was nothing to write home about, but the offerings¡ªthe fruits to be exact¡ªwere still fresh.

    ¡°Wait a second... These aren¡¯t your normal fruits! These are spirit fruits! The Langgan Golden Flower Fruits to be exact!¡± A man suddenly eximed in surprise.

    ¡°What? Are you sure, Brother Xiao?¡±

    ¡°I could never mistake it! Just look! You can almost see the pattern of a golden flower on its surface. It¡¯s obviously the Langgan Golden Flower Fruits!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right! Hahaha!¡±

    It was at this moment Xie Chengyun spoke up, ¡°I¡¯d advise you not to touch those spirit fruits. Think about it. We are the first group of people to enter this temple. So who could have ced those fruits there?¡±

    His words poured over the <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ heads like a bucket of cold ice. It cooled them down so much that cold sweat was breaking out of their foreheads.

    ¡°Do you mean we¡¯re not alone in the temple? That¡¯s... that¡¯s not possible, right?¡± A man stuttered.

    ¡°Impossible. This temple is quite small, and there is no ce to hide at all.¡±

    ¡°Where did this Langgan Golden Flower Fruitse from then?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking me? I¡¯m just as clueless as you are!¡±

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re the belongings of the deceased? You know, the master of this temple?¡±

    ¡°That... makes sense, actually!¡±

    Despite Xie Chengyun¡¯s warning, their greed gradually overcame their fear. The six <i>jianghu </i>warriors began eying the Langgan Golden Flower Fruits with greed once more.

    ¡°What are you doing? My senior brother told you to keep your hands off the fruits!¡±

    A Purity Sword disciple said angrily when he saw this, ¡°If you want tomit suicide, at least do it somewhere else! Your actions could very well doom us all!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You keep saying that it¡¯s dangerous to take the fruits, but in my opinion, you just want to keep them for yourselves!¡± A vicious-looking man with a muscr figure and arms so long that it reached past the knees scoffed.

    1. Not a typo. He just answered before Yi Pin could. ?

    2. An item a Taoist normally uses during exorcisms. ?

 Chapter 274: the Spirit Ape Pays His Respect

    <h4>Chapter 274: the Spirit Ape Pays His Respect </h4>

    The man¡¯s name was Kou Xiong, and he was a Half-Step Spirit Purifier and the strongest of the six.

    ¡°Rx, we won¡¯t take it all for ourselves. There are fourteen of us here, and it so happens that there are exactly fourteen Langgan Golden Flower Fruits on the table. There is enough to share.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want the Langgan Golden Flower Fruits! I just want to survive the night! What¡¯s so difficult to understand about that?¡± The Purity Sword disciple exploded. As if sensing its master¡¯s anger, his sword began stirring and ringing.

    He wasn¡¯t alone in this. The other three Purity Sword disciples had grabbed their swords as well. Xie Chengyun was the only one who remained seated.

    The six <i>jianghu </i>warriors subconsciously grabbed their weapons and watched the Purity Sword group warily. Xie Chengyun raised an arm to stop any conflict from breaking out before asking in a cool voice, ¡°As you say, there are fourteen of us, and it so happens that there are fourteen Langgan Golden Flower Fruits on the table. Don¡¯t you find that strange at all?¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯s so strange about it? The master of this temple must have been a warrior like no other. It would be far stranger if we encountered nothing strange in his temple,¡± Kou Xiong argued. ¡°Brother Xie, we¡¯re not privileged like you. We¡¯re not disciples of a major sect where we have a master to guide us and resources to squander as we please. We simply cannot allow a free opportunity like this to slip through our grasp!¡±

    ¡°In that case, there¡¯s nothing to say.¡± Xie Chengyun narrowed his eyes and grabbed his sword. Killing intent immediately filled the hall.

    Suddenly, a ridiculing voice interrupted the tension. ¡°Heh. There¡¯s no need to fight. There¡¯s actually a very easy solution to your conundrum, you know?¡±

    Xie Chengyun and Kou Xiong subconsciously nced at the direction of the voice, and they found a young man leaning against the wall and sipping his wine at leisure.

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Xie Chengyun asked. Although the young man was only ate-stage Astral Refiner, Xie Chengyun had a feeling that he was the greatest threat out of everyone present.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Brother Kou wants to partake in these Langgan Golden Flower Fruits, whereas Brother Xie just wants to survive the night safely. In that case, why don¡¯t you both make apromise? Brother Kou, can you wait until the night is over before you take the fruits? This way, we can ensure that nothing will happen during the night.¡±

    ¡°Brother Xie, can you promise not to harass Brother Kou and his acquaintances when tomorrowes? After all, you just want to get through the night safely, right? You should have no qualms with them taking the fruits after the night is over.¡±

    Kou Xiong replied immediately, ¡°That¡¯s... That¡¯s a good idea. I will give you face, brother. What says you, Brother Xie?¡±

    Although Kou Xiong wanted to take the fruit as quickly as possible¡ªafter all, the longer this dragged out, the higher the chance something might happen and cost him the opportunity¡ªhe didn¡¯t want to offend Xie Chengyun even more. If the swordsman really made up his mind to attack them, they would be lucky to escape this ce alive, much less obtain the Langgan Golden Flower Fruits.

    On the other hand, Ye Qing¡¯s suggestion offered the best of both worlds, and assuming that the Purity Sword group really didn¡¯t want the Langgan Golden Flower Fruits, he would be able to nab a couple more fruits. All things considered, why not?

    ¡°That sounds agreeable. Very well,¡± Xie Chengyun replied, though he wasn¡¯t looking at Kou Xiong. He stared at Ye Qing for a moment before asking, ¡°May I know your name, brother?¡±

    Ye Qing lied, ¡°My name is Ye Shi[1]. I¡¯m just a nobody.¡±

    In fact, Ye Qing didn¡¯t even look like himself. As a powerful body tempering warrior, he could manipte his bones and muscles as he pleased. Therefore, it was all too easy for him to alter his appearance.

    He was famous throughout Luo Shui and even Tian Yong right now. Thest thing he wanted was to be chased by his bounty hunters while he was still in danger. Just because he wasn¡¯t afraid of trouble didn¡¯t mean he actively wanted to get into one.

    ¡°Well met, Brother Ye. I am Xie Chengyun,¡± replied Xie Chengyun with a nod. He had a feeling that Ye Qing had given him a fake name, but it was fine. He wasn¡¯t willing to press the young man for it.

    ¡°Well met, Brother Xie,¡± Ye Qing returned. Another nodter, Xie Chengyun closed his eyes and returned to his meditation once more.

    <i>He¡¯s a proud one, </i>Ye Qing thought to himself. He thought the swordsman would at least make some small talk before excusing himself, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Ye Qing was okay with this though. After taking another sip of wine, he slowly rose to his feet and walked up to the incense burner table. Then, he stared at the mud statue.

    A short whileter, Ye Qing produced a bright yellow incense stick and snapped his finger. He then lit the incense stick with an invisible me. A fragrant scent immediately permeated the hall.

    ¡°What are you doing, brother?¡± Yi Pin asked curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m offering my respects. What else?¡± Ye Qing replied simply before straightening his posture and bowing his head deeply three times. Finally, he ced the incense stick inside the incense burner.

    ¡°In a temple, it is only natural to offer a prayer. Brother, Longxiang, you should pay your respects as well.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true, especially since I¡¯m a Taoist myself.¡±

    Yi Pin stepped in front of the table after a moment¡¯s thought and sped his hands in a prayer. He bowed respectfully to the statue and said, ¡°Disciple Yi Pin pays his respect to his better. This disciple may not have an incense stick to offer, but his truth is as heavy as a thousand mountains. This disciple humbly requests you to provide him your protection and shield him from all evils.¡±

    Yi Pin was a true Taoist, so his gestures, tone, and even expression were far more convincing than Ye Qing¡¯s.

    Li Longxiang emted his master¡¯s behavior, but went even further and kowtowed to the statue a few times.

    After Ye Qing went back to his seat, he suddenly looked at Xie Chengyun and asked, ¡°Would you like to offer your respects as well, Brother Xie?¡±

    Xie Chengyun opened his eyes and answered, ¡°I appreciate your advice, Brother Ye, but we swordsmen only believe in ourselves and our sword.¡±

    ¡°I know right? Why would anyone practice martial arts if praying to the gods is enough to give us a good life?¡± A <i>jianghu </i>warrior sitting next to Kou Xiong chimed in ridiculingly.

    ¡°Seriously, Brother Ye. Everyone but ordinary people knows that a mud statue is just that, mud. Why are you taking this so seriously?¡± Kou Xiong himself guffawed in agreement. He could not help but find Ye Qing and Yi Pin¡¯s solemn prayer absolutely ridiculous.

    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s just a mud statue. I can literally shatter it in one punch. If you¡¯re going to pray to such a thing, then you might as well pray to me!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t intentional, but the atmosphere was considerably lighter after Ye Qing¡¯s actions. Sure, theughter were mocking and unkind, but it was still better than the razor sharp tension that existed a moment ago.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t take offense despite the provocation. He simply gave them a small smile and said, ¡°Well, there are true deities in this world, even if they aren¡¯t quite what we expect. Better safe than sorry, right?¡±

    After that, he slowly leaned against the wall and half-closed his eyes as if he was catching a break.

    ¡°By the way, brother, the incense stick you used isn¡¯t normal, is it?¡± Yi Pin asked curiously after taking a seat beside Ye Qing.

    He couldn¡¯t say for the others, but as a Taoist who often paid his respects to all kinds of deities, he knew more about prayer items than most. It was how he noticed that the incense stick Ye Qing used wasn¡¯t just of superior quality, its smoke had a firm shape, and its scent was thick but not irritating. More importantly, he could feel an indescribable air within the smoke. It was anything but ordinary.

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Incense of Worship, a toy I developed during my free time. It¡¯s nothing to write home about,¡± Ye Qing said casually.

    ¡°You¡¯re a funny one, brother. That incense stick is anything but a toy.¡±

    Yi Pin didn¡¯t press Ye Qing since it was obvious the young man wasn¡¯t willing to spill. Instead, he moved onto the topic he really wanted to talk about. ¡°Say, you found something, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing took a sip of wine and admitted readily, ¡°I¡¯m not really sure, but I¡¯d rather be safe than sorry. Remember the stele at the foot of the mountain and the couplet we saw at the entrance?¡±

    ¡°Sure. What about them?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    ¡°The stele said, ¡®Offer a prayer before entering, or protection you shall not receive,¡¯ and the couplet said, ¡®One incense stick, two incense sticks, three incense sticks for the divine.¡¯ Both items state that he who visits this temple must pay their respects and prayers to a deity. I don¡¯t believe that it¡¯s a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a cowardly man who treasures my life a lot, you see. That is why I decided to offer up an incense stick. I won¡¯t deny that I could be overthinking this, of course.¡±

    Yi Pin grew solemn as he stroked his beard. ¡°No, no you¡¯re not overthinking this. This is the Demon¡¯s Tomb we¡¯re talking about. There is no such thing as too much caution. If anything, I¡¯m the one who was careless.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m feeling a little sleepy. Can you take the first watch, brother? I¡¯ll rece you when it¡¯s past midnight.¡±

    Yi Pin didn¡¯t give Ye Qing the chance to say yes. He plopped down on the floor and fell asleep just like that.

    Nearly everyone in the temple was still engaging each other in friendly conversation, but as time passed, they started feeling tired and began engaging in other activities. Some people fell into meditation, some peopley down on the floor and slept just like Yi Pin, and some people cultivated. For a time, it was pure silence inside the temple.

    As time passed, the sky grew darker and darker. There wasn¡¯t a single ray of light outside the temple besides the bloody moon. As for sound, there was only the sound of the rain dripping against the roof tiles and the limestone floor. As unsettling as its origins might be, it at least chased away some of the oppressive darkness and silence hanging above the temple.

    <i>Plop.</i>

    Suddenly, a soft noise came from the courtyard. It sounded like an object hitting the floor or someone stepping on the floor and kicking up a small ssh of water.

    <i>Plop plop plop.</i>

    The noise came closer and closer at a rapid pace. It sounded like something was approaching the temple hall at high speed.

    The noise disappeared a moment before it would enter the temple hall. For a few breaths, there was only eerie silence until¡ª

    <i>Creak...</i>

    The wooden door slowly swung inward. It looked like someone had grabbed the handle and gently pushed open the door, but strangely, no one was outside the door. Even stranger was the fact that the noise¡ªas soft as it was¡ªsounded unbelievably loud considering how quiet it was. It should¡¯ve jolted everyone in the temple hall awake, and yet no one did.

    <i>Plop.</i>

    <i>Plop.</i>

    The footsteps resumed and got closer to the incense burner table. One could vaguely see the outline of something paying their respects to the statue. Then, the transparent figure slowly revealed its existence.

    It was a spirit ape wearing a Taoist robe. It was about as tall as the average human being, and its hair was tied up in a Taoist hair bun. Its arms were spread t across the floor as it kowtowed deeply and reverently toward the statue. Its gestures were ancient, natural, and almost spiritual.

    It was at this moment clear, dreamy light rippled out of the statue. When the spirit ape had assumed a meditative position¡ªits palms, soles, and the top of its head all pointed toward the top¡ªit inhaled and sucked the dreamy light into its mouth. It was almost like it was cultivating.

    A few breathster, the dreamy light disappeared. The spirit ape¡¯s hair shed with divine luster from time to time.

    After the spirit ape was done cultivating, it rose to its feet and observed the people in the temple hall for a bit. As it closed its eyes, the skin on its forehead slowly split open to reveal a single eye that looked pure, clear, and transparent, yet seemingly contained an infinite amount of spirituality and essence of Dao.

    As the third eye slowly swept its gaze across the room, everyone suddenly started glowing subtly. Some people¡¯s lights were bright and clear, while some were dark and murky.

    1. You probably didn¡¯t notice, but Ye Qing pulled a Tang Shi here. Tang Shi¡¯s name means honest when the man himself is theplete opposite. ?

 Chapter 275: The Spirit Ape of Dao

    <h4>Chapter 275: The Spirit Ape of Dao </h4>

    To be specific, Ye Qing, Yi Pin and Li Longxiang¡¯s light were bright and pure.

    The Purity Sword disciples¡¯ lights were weaker but untainted.

    And finally, Kou Xiong and the five <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ light were dim and tainted.

    When the spirit ape looked at the trio with his third eye, a smile crossed his lips as if it was happy and approving of them.

    When it looked at Xie Chengyun and his junior brothers and sisters, its face smoothed into a look of indifference.

    And when it looked at Kou Xiong and the five <i>jianghu </i>warriors, its face warped into a look of anger and disgust. Wisps of spiritual light shone out of its pupil and hit the six men, and semi-transparent silhouettes floated out of their bodies. It was none other than the six men¡¯s souls.

    At first, the six souls were dazed and confused. They had no idea what just happened to them. When they saw the spirit ape, their souls began quaking with shock and terror. They tried to struggle, resist, or escape, but because they were just souls, they couldn¡¯t produce so much as a squeak, much less break free from their confines.

    The spirit ape opened its real eyes and grinned provocatively at the terrified men. Then¡ª

    <i>Slurp!</i>

    It inhaled them all into its mouth. Pops and cracks resounded from its cheeks as it crunched down on the souls. They sounded surprisingly chewy considering that they were intangible blobs.

    After the spirit ape had devoured the six men¡¯s souls, it walked up to Ye Qing, Yi Pin and Li Longxiang and examined them for a moment. Then, it turned its palm upward and produced a pair of peaches.

    The peaches were surrounded by a faint purple mist that sparkled like it contained a neb or stars. If the trio were awake, they would¡¯ve recognized the fruits as the famous Neb Peach.

    The Neb Peach was created from the apotheosis of the power of the stars. An extremely rare purify one¡¯s mind and improve one¡¯s spirit, it was far more valuable than the Langgan Golden Flower Fruits on the incense burner table.

    The spirit ape ced the fruits beside Yi Pin and Li Longxiang. When it moved over to Ye Qing, its third eye shone a clear, warm light as if it was trying to see through his very soul.

    A whileter, the spirit ape carried Ye Qing beneath its arm pit and leaped out of the temple hall. After returning to the courtyard, it pushed off the floor with both legs and leaped all the way to the path outside the temple.

    ¡°Huhu...¡±

    The spirit ape shot Ye Qing a mysterious grin afternding on the ground. It was almost as if it knew that Ye Qing was pretending to be asleep.

    That¡¯s right, Ye Qing had been awake for a while, though not from the beginning. Specifically, he awoke while the spirit ape was devouring Kou Xiong and the five <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ souls.

    He didn¡¯t know when or how he fell asleep. In fact, he had never nned on sleeping considering that he was in an unfamiliar and dangerous environment. His original n was to meditate and keep his spirit expanded so he would be able to detect any unusual activity at a moment¡¯s notice, but before he knew it, he was asleep. It was a deep, dreamless slumber as well. It was almost as if the temple possessed some sort of magical power that could rx one¡¯s nerves no matter how taut and put them to sleep.

    He had been jolted awake by a series of strange crunching noises. When he cracked a slit and saw the spirit ape devouring the six <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ souls, he immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

    Some people might wonder why he hadn¡¯t put up a fight. It was because he recognized the spirit ape. Forget him, everyone in the temple hallbined would still be no match for the spirit ape.

    The spirit ape was a Disaster-ss Stranger called the Spirit Ape of Dao. Born with a body that was both yin and yang, it could switch between tangible and intangible forms and create life on its own. Naturally close to Dao and born to pursue the Dao, it loved nothing more than visiting Taoist temples, praying to Taoist icons, and worshiping the sun and moon. As its third eye contained the essence of Dao, it could observe the flow of energies of the world, see through the darkness of the Nine Nethers, and distinguish one¡¯s true nature. It was also why it was known as the Three-Eyed Spirit Ape.

    The Spirit Ape of Dao adored good and loathed evil. It especially loathed people who sphemed a deity. It would capture the souls of sphemers with its third eye and consume them.

    It wasn¡¯t that Ye Qing was a coward. The enemy was just so strong that he couldn¡¯t muster even the slightest bit of desire to engage in some good ol¡¯ heroism.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t particrly worried that the spirit ape would do him harm, however. The reason the Spirit Ape of Dao had consumed the six <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ souls was obvious: they had sphemed against the deity of this temple and were disrespectful toward deities in general. It was only natural that the Spirit Ape of Dao would be furious with them.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t too worried about himself though. He had paid the deity of this temple its due respect and even offered it an Incense of Worship. Therefore, he was pretty sure he would be fine.

    At first, the script went more or less as he expected. Not only did the Spirit Ape of Dao not harm Yi Pin or Li Longxiang, it had even given them a Neb Peach each. In a sense, they were being rewarded for doing nothing.

    Yi Pin and Li Longxiang were just tagalongs, but they were given the Neb Peach. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but anticipate what he, the guy who presented the Incense of Worship, was going to get.

    The next thing he knew, he was tucked under the spirit ape¡¯s armpit and taken away to heavens-know-where.

    He wondered what went wrong. Seriously, why the fuck was this happening? Why was he, the guy who did all the hard work, being carried away to an unknown fate while Yi Pin and Li Longxiang got freebies while they were sleeping?

    <i>Is it going to steam me in broth, simmer fry me, or turn me into preserved meat? Eeeeeeek!</i>

    He couldn¡¯t struggle though, at least not now. The spirit ape was a Disaster-ss Stranger. There was zero chance he would survive if he tried to put up a fight. If he waited, an opportunity might present itself. So, he kept his eyes closed and continued to pretend that he was asleep.

    The Spirit Ape of Dao knew that Ye Qing was pretending to be asleep but paid him no heed. It turned back toward the front and jumped down the hill.

    Rustling noises assaulted their ears as soon as theynded. It was caused by the Strangers Ye Qing and the others had witnessed earlier. Still lying on top of the dead men¡¯s backs, they all stared at Ye Qing with greedy eyes.

    Disgust entered the Spirit Ape of Dao¡¯s eyes. When it snorted, two streams of air exited its nostrils and swept across the area like a pair of swords. The Strangers¡¯ heads shattered into pieces, and not a single one of them could take even a single hit. The Strangers then transformed into a pile of bones.

    The Spirit Ape of Dao paid no attention to their plight. Perhaps their existence was no different from ants to the Strangers. It broke into a run and ventured into the darkness.

    As mentioned before, the Spirit Ape of Dao possessed a yin and yang body that could turn tangible or intangible. This included the objects it was carrying such as Ye Qing. What this meant was that it didn¡¯t need to slow down for anything. It could pass through mountains, rivers, and more like it was nothing. Naturally, its speed was nothing to scoff at. The Spirit Ape of Dao had covered over a hundred kilometers of distance in just ten or so breaths.

    The Spirit Ape of Dao eventually came to a stop before a strange mountain. First, it was suspended about thirty meters above the ground. Second, it was broad at the top and narrow at the bottom as if it was upside down.

    After they arrived at the mountain, the spirit ape leaped tens of meters into the air before catching a hanging rock with one hand. It swung about half a circle in the air to generate momentum before throwing himself further up the mountain. It would repeat this a number of times until it finally reached the top.

    The top of the mountain was as t as it was broad. If Ye Qing didn¡¯t know better, he would think that he was still on the ground. That wasn¡¯t what caught his attention, however. It was the fact that the whole ce was littered with tombstones.

    The Spirit Ape of Dao dropped Ye Qing on the ground, and at this point, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep up his act. He just stared at the scene before him in utter shock.

    <i>Why... Why are there so many tombstones at this ce? Could it be...? </i>Realization struck him. <i>Is this the graveyard of all those super champions who came here in search for a resting ce?</i>

    The reason the Demon¡¯s Tomb was called the Demon¡¯s Tomb was twofold. One, it was the resting ce of the Progenitor Demon, Rahu. Second, it was also the resting ce of countless titans of the Dark Ways.

    Unless he was mistaken, this graveyard could very well be <i>the </i>graveyard of those titans.

    As for who made the gravestones, the answer was simple. It was the champions themselves. Even on death¡¯s bed, they were still some of the most powerful warriors or Strangers in the world. It was all too easy for them to make themselves a grave.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When he looked up, he saw a white deer carrying an old man walking toward him.

    The old man had a big forehead and pure white hair. He had a kind, benign-looking face and carried a bronze mirror in his hand. He looked just like a celestial who had descended from the heavens.

    The white deer he was riding was perfectly clean and white. There wasn¡¯t so much as a speck of ck or any other color on its body. It had a pair of massive, rainbow-colored horns that stretched out like a pair of plum trees, and a boy and a girl were sitting on each side of the horns.

    The two children were really paper dolls, and they looked no different from the legendary Golden Boy and Jade Maiden people usually burned when conducting a sacrificial ritual. Their cheeks were painted red, and they both wore an eerie smile on their faces.

    The children carried a whitentern with a lit white candle each. they cast an eerie light upon their surroundings. When Ye Qing narrowed his eyes, he could vaguely see the ghosts of several children running around, ying andughing with each other.

    Before the old man could reach Ye Qing though, a person abruptly leaped out of the clouds andnded on the peak. At the same time, they burst outughing, ¡°Hahaha! I finally found it! I finally found the graveyard where all the demons are buried! Hahahaha!¡±

    Suddenly, they noticed the old man and the white deer.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± The person scoffed in disdain before waving their hand. Thunder cracked, and a cascade of lightning fell down from the sky. It was like they were the god of thunder bring down their wrath upon the old man.

    The person looked arrogant, but they used their ultimate move from the get go.

    The old man was unmoved, however. His only response was to raise his bronze mirror.

    There was a sh of ck-and-white light, and the skyful of lightning abruptly disappeared into nothing. The person was frozen in ce for a moment before slowly, they started growing transparent. Eventually, they too disappearedpletely from view.

    Ye Qing could hardly begin to describe just how shocked and afraid he was. It was because the person hadn¡¯t turned invisible or executed some sort of technique to escape. It was the old man literally wiping their existence from the world somehow. He knew because his senses told him that the person¡¯s life force and energies hadpletely vanished from the world. This was true annihtion in every sense of the word.

 Chapter 276: Lu You

    <h4>Chapter 276: Lu You </h4>

    ¡°Lu You...¡±

    Ye Qing felt like his blood had turned into ice as he stared at the old man.

    The Lu You was an unssified Stranger. Appearance wise, he looked like an old man with white hair and a white beard. He wielded a Soul Mirror and rode a white deer whose horns carried a pair of children carrying whitenterns.

    Nothing was known about the Lu You¡¯s origin, only that he was often sighted at the graves of champions. He lived in a small hut of his own making and acted as a gravekeeper. He didn¡¯t harm innocents, and he didn¡¯t involve himself with the secr world. If he ran into malicious people or Strangers, he would shine his Soul Mirror on them and annihte them in both body and soul.

    The Lu You only guarded graves of champions, and there was more than one Lu You in the world. Generally speaking, the stronger the deceased, the greater the Lu You who would be guarding that grave. The deceased must be a Grandmaster or above to attract a Lu You¡¯s attention, and the Stranger was at least as strong as the deceased. This meant that even the weakest Lu You in the world was still a Disaster-ss Stranger.

    The fact that a Lu You was guarding this ce proved that this was definitely the fabled burial ground of champions. Not only that, Ye Qing counted hundreds of gravestones at first nce, meaning that at least hundreds of champions were buried in this ce.

    With that in mind, just how strong was this Lu You?

    That warrior from before was at least a Spirit Master, but they had died so easily you would think that the Lu You was just squishing an ant. He never even managed to react, much less resist.

    The Lu You paid no attention to the warrior he just killed. He simply resumed his stride toward Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing stiffened and subconsciously took a step backward. Then, he took two steps to the left and hid behind the Spirit Ape of Dao.

    <i>You¡¯re the one who brought me here, so it¡¯s your responsibility to keep me safe, right?</i>

    The Spirit Ape of Dao turned around and ced a furry hand on Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder. Then, it cracked a grin at him.

    Ye Qing blinked in confusion and puzzlement. <i>What is this bad feeling I¡¯m getting?</i>

    His fear was proven true just a secondter. The Spirit Ape of Dao dropped to its knees and gave the Lu You a solemn bow. Then, it leaped over the edge and disappeared into the sea of clouds below, leaving a sad, sad boy behind.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving me!? At least take me with you!¡±

    Ye Qing wanted to cry, really. Instead, he dashed toward the edge and attempted to jump down the mountain as well.

    <i>You¡¯re not the only one who can run, bastard! I¡¯m way too young to be talking about the meaning of life with the Lu You!</i>

    Like a phantom, Ye Qing reached the edge in just a breath. He had never been so thankful that he had learned the Astral Refinement stage movement art, Illusionist¡¯s Grace. Just one more step, and he¡¯d be able to leave the peak and return to safety. Hopefully. Surely the Lu You had no interest in a weakling who had zero interest in the graveyard, right?

    But right before he would take that final step, a furry fist abruptly entered his view. Caught off guard, Ye Qing split into multiple images in an attempt to dodge the attack. But no matter how fast he moved, he just couldn¡¯t get away from the fist no matter what. In his eyes, it kept growing bigger and closer.

    As Ye Qing despaired about the hopelessness of his situation, the fist abruptly extended a middle finger and flicked him on his forehead.

    ¡°You motherf¡ª¡±

    The world spun round and round as a massive force sent him flying all the way back to where he started. An instant before that, he caught the glimpse of a furry face staring at him with a shit eating grin.

    Ye Qing was so pissed he couldn¡¯t speak. <i>Did I steal your food or rob your ancestor¡¯s grave or something? Why are you doing this to me?!</i>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The second Ye Qing¡¯s back hit the ground, he immediately pushed himself off and took off in a different direction.

    <i>I¡¯m going in a different direction. Surely that fucking ape isn¡¯t going to stop me a second time, right?</i>

    Unfortunately, he was toote. The Lu You abruptly raised his Soul Mirror and fired a beam of light at him.

    ¡°FUCK!¡±

    The beam of light moved faster than he expected, so fast that it felt like it had teleported in front of him. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Ye Qing felt that the light would¡¯ve hit him even if that fucking ape hadn¡¯t bonked him back to where he started. It was absolutely undodgeable.

    Knowing that it was do or die, Ye Qing arrested his momentum and gathered his strength. A solemn-looking Buddha that was wrapped in chains immediately appeared in front of him.

    <i>tter tter tter...</i>

    The Moko Boundless Chains fell off, and what felt like an infinite amount of demonic qi gushed out of the Buddha¡¯s body. The cloud of energy literally blotted out the sky itself.

    The Buddha wore a merciful smile on his face. He was holding a swastika mudra with his left hand, and an exorcism mudra on his right. However, the energy surrounding him was a mixture of the Buddha¡¯s light and demonic qi. While a million Buddhas were praying to the sky and chanting Buddhist mantras in the light, a sea of flesh, blood and bones were peeking through the demonic qi. It was like a glimpse of the Kingdom of Buddha and hell itself. At the same time, a grandiose and formless voice filled the air,

    <strong>¡°MARA BUDDHA¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°MARA BUDDHA¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°MARA BUDDHA¡±</strong>

    ¡°Kekeke! You finally let me out for fresh air, boy! By the way, didn¡¯t you promise me that you would treat me to delicious meals and run to the brothel three times per day? Instead, I¡¯ve been cooped up since the day you received me, you liar!¡±

    An evil voice came from within the demonic qi. It sounded so loud and obnoxious it was almost like it was trying to overwhelm its wielder, Ye Qing himself. But before it could do anything, a wisp of clear light began disintegrating the sea of demonic qi rapidly.

    ¡°What is¡ªthe Lu You!? What the fuck did you do? Why did you provoke the Lu You!?¡±

    All the jolly in the voice transformed into fear and anger as the Buddha lowered his palm. The swastika mudra in his hand inverted, and the light of the Buddha and the demonic qi joined into one.

    As soon as the swastika mudra was inverted, the Kingdom of Buddha transformed into the Kingdom of Mara. All of the Buddhas turned into demons, and they served the Mara now. That wasn¡¯t the end though. The palm continued to descend as if it would transform all of humanity into the Kingdom of Mara as well.

    Ye Qing let out a small sigh of relief when he sensed the godly power contained with that palm. The Buddha floating in the air was of course the Boundless Mara Buddha, and the voice was the Fog Demon.

    The Fog Demon was now the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s Artifact Spirit or Anima, and this allowed the Stranger to use the Boundless Mara Buddha on Ye Qing¡¯s behalf. This insted Ye Qing from its side effects and allowed him to unleash the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s maximum power without repercussions. To put it in simpler words, Ye Qing no longer had to worry for his life every time he used the Strange Artifact.

    However, the Fog Demon wasn¡¯t the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s natural Artifact Spirit. He was Nine Nethers Demon who was absolutely going to exploit every loophole avable to screw Ye Qing over if given the opportunity. Unwilling to watch his back all the time, Ye Qing went with the obvious solution and signed a Oath of Burden with the Fog Demon.

    That¡¯s right, it was the same master-servant contract he had signed with Faceless, but with some added details considering the elusive nature of a Nine Nethers Demon. With this arrangement, the Fog Demon could be the most cunning Stranger in the world, and there was still no way it would be able to squirm its way out of this. Since then, it had be Ye Qing¡¯s faithful servant.

    If Ye Qing wanted the Fog Demon dead, a single thought was all he needed to kill it no matter where he was. Unwilling to die, the Fog Demon could only allow Ye Qing to use him as he pleased.

    Having witnessed the power of the Soul Mirror just now, Ye Qing harbored no illusions that he would be able to block the attack without going all out. That was why hemanded the Fog Demon to unleash the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s full power from the get go. Not only that, he himself sucked in a deep breath and circted his energies until they were exactly where he wanted to be. When his presence had be as thick and solid as a mountain, he punched the ground diagonally like he would sever a river.

    <i>¡°Divide¡±</i>

    The fist force transformed into a wall¡ªwell, more like a tidal wave really¡ªas soon as it struck the floor. Divide was a powerful technique that could operate both offensively and defensively. The intercepted ¡°river¡± could both be used to attack the enemy or defend oneself.

    Ye Qing waited after that. He had erected the greatest defense he could put up with his current abilities. If this still wasn¡¯t enough to block the iing light, then... he supposed he was going to die.

    The Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s palm strike was as strong as ate-stage Spirit Purifier¡¯s full-powered attack, but like snow basking under a zing sun, it melted into nothing almost all too quickly. It showed just how powerful the beam of light was.

    That said, the palm strike wasn¡¯t useless. Ye Qing could clearly sense the light¡¯s power weakening as it ate through the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s palm.

    By the time it finally disintegrated the entire palm and reached Ye Qing¡¯s Divide, it had already dimmed down considerably.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing¡¯s Divide was nowhere as strong as the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s palm. The beam of light chewed through his fist force almost as easily as before.

    Realizing that he was at a pivotal moment, Ye Qing stepped forward instead of retreating and threw a one-inch punch. The dense wall of fist force abruptly broke like a dam and crashed down on the beam of light.

    <i>BOOOOOOOM!</i>

    The earth shook, and the howling wind seemed like it would never end. In the end, Ye Qing was able to dispel the Soul Mirror¡¯s light a third of a meter before it would hit his fist.

    Ye Qing was only gripped by even greater fear and despair, however. It had taken him everything he got to block just a single beam of light. If the Lu You were to attack him again...

    But to his pleasant surprise, the Lu You didn¡¯t follow up the attack after the beam of light disappeared. Instead, he put away the Soul Mirror and shot him a warm smile. A kind and benevolent voice rang inside his mind, ¡°You may enter.¡±

    The voice clearly belonged to the Lu You, and Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised to hear it. It would be Stranger if such a powerful Stranger couldn¡¯t master something as simple as humannguage.

    <i>What did he mean by ¡°enter¡± though?</i>

    <i>Is he talking about the graveyard?!</i>

    That was most likely the truth. As far as he could tell, the graveyard was the only notable site on the mountain peak, and the Lu You was only concerned with the graveyard.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the Spirit Ape of Dao¡¯s reward for him was most likely the right to enter the graveyard. It would certainly exin its strange actions. As for the Lu You¡¯s earlier attack, that was most likely a test. Only those who overcame his test were allowed to enter the graveyard.

    Those who failed would just die, of course.

    ¡°Should I go in? Or should I not?¡±

    Ye Qing was feeling very conflicted right now. It was obvious that the graveyard contained all sorts of opportunities and valuables. After all, this was the graveyard of many titans of the Dark Ways after all. Possessions and inheritances were just the start. He imagined that even a <i>fingernail </i>would be enough to make him happy for a long time toe.

    However, risk and reward were two sides of the same coin. He had no doubt that grave dangers and monsters resided within this graveyard as well. He simply needed to look at Lu ¡°Da Boss¡± You to know that.

    Even if there were, for whatever reason, no Strangers in the graveyard, he mustn¡¯t forget that the people buried here were monsters or greater monsters. He couldn¡¯t im that every single one of them was an inhuman scum who deserved the worst punishments hell could offer to them, but they had to be ruthless, wanton motherfuckers who acted as they lived at the very least. Would someone like that prepare a death trap for their would-be grave robbers? Most likely. One small mistake, and his life would go poof just like that. It was scary to even think about.

    <i>But I¡¯m already here, and this feels like the opportunity of a lifetime. Am I really going to give up without even trying?</i>

    Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t be able to arrive at a decision until a voice interrupted him, ¡°What are you waiting for, boy? Let¡¯s leave already! This ce is too dangerous!¡±

    A mist suddenly appeared around Ye Qing, and it said, ¡°That Lu You is way too powerful for us to handle, and something about this ce gives me the creeps. It¡¯s terrifying.¡±

    The speaker was the Fog Demon, of course.

    Ye Qing retrieved the Boundless Mara Buddha and wrapped it in the Moko Boundless Chains once more, returning it to its usual appearance. He taunted the Fog Demon, ¡°You¡¯re scared? I thought there¡¯s nothing in the world you¡¯re afraid of?¡±

    ¡°Tsk! There <i>is </i>nothing in the world that I¡¯m afraid of. But if you die, then I die as well! Do you know how weak you are, you weakling?¡± The Fog Demon scoffed disdainfully.

    Ye Qing ignored its provocations and asked, ¡°By the way, when you said that something about this ce gives me the creeps, were you talking about the graveyard?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m talking about the graveyard!¡± The Fog Demon rolled its eyes. ¡°Everyone buried in that graveyard is a powerful warrior. They were at least as powerful as I was in my prime. If you wanna survive, then listen to me and get the fuck out of this ce already!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes right back. <i>As powerful as I was in my prime, my butt!</i>

    He agreed with the Fog Demon¡¯s assessment though. This ce really was exceedingly dangerous.

 Chapter 277: The Graveyard of Demons

    <h4>Chapter 277: The Graveyard of Demons </h4>

    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run, you old bald donkey!¡±

    Ye Qing never arrived at a decision before a booming voice brought him back to reality. The loud, resounding roar of a dragon caused him to look over to the edge, and he saw a golden dragon breaking through the clouds and chasing after a ray of golden light. Both were headed straight toward the peak.

    Aughter broke out from the ray of golden light. ¡°Amitabha, there is no need to press me like this, Benefactor Hong!¡±

    A boorish voice replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯re a bald donkey, so what could the Dragon Holds Stone possibly do for you? None of your martial arts have anything to do with a true dragon, and you have no need to study the essence of a true dragon! Just give it to me already!¡±

    ¡°Amitabha! I got the Dragon Holds Stone via my own power! Why should I give it to you?¡± The golden light¡ªor rather, the monk riding the golden light argued, ¡°Plus, who said that the Maitreya Sect doesn¡¯t have martial arts rting to a true dragon? Our ¡®Mahayana Twelve Wyverns Sutra¡¯ is exactly that, and it requires studying the essence of a true dragon to attain true mastery. So please give up your obsession, benefactor!¡±

    ¡°Your ¡®Mahayana Twelve Wyverns Sutra¡¯ is literal garbage. You¡¯re not missing anything even if you do not achieve mastery in it. Rather than wasting the Dragon Holds Stone on such garbage, you should give it to me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who decides whether or not it¡¯s a waste, and the fact that this treasure is in my hands proves that I am destined for it, not you. Just give it up, benefactor!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know about that. If I managed to take it from you, that means that I¡¯m the one who¡¯s truly destined for it, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    The golden dragon roared and took a swipe at the golden light.

    ¡°Amitabha! Things that you take by force are resentment, not destiny!¡±

    The monk lifted his hand lightly like he was picking up a flower. He gave the iing w a gentle tap, and the entire dragon shattered into pieces.

    A boorish-looking man with thick eyebrows andrge eyes emerged from the shattered dragon. He thrust both of his hands forward and shattered the golden light surrounding the monk in return, exposing him for all to see.

    The monk had a big head and fat ears. He was wearing a red monk¡¯s robe with the front parts loosely draped over his round belly. He also wore a wide smile on his face.

    Surprisingly, the monk wasn¡¯t alone. A young, graceful-looking monk was sitting in a meditative position next to him.

    ¡°Fine, fine, I yield. You may observe this Dragon Holds Stone three times,¡± The older monk finally conceded with an exasperated shake of his head.

    ¡°Haha! You should have just said so from the beginning, Laughing Buddha[1]!¡± The boorish-looking manughed. ¡°My time is precious, man! Don¡¯t waste it!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just as shameless as ever, Hong Jianglong.¡± Laughing Buddha shook his head again.

    ¡°Says the bald donkey with the fattest face of us all! Have some shame, you!¡± Hong Jianglong retorted.

    Laughing Buddha¡¯s grin widened as he rubbed his tummy. ¡°I might change my mind if you keep attacking me, benefactor!¡±

    ¡°Nooo, I was wrong! Please don¡¯t change your mind, Venerable Bhante!¡± Hong Jianglong instantly pulled a one-eighty.

    ¡°Haha! Anyway, we¡¯re finally at the Graveyard of Demons, so let¡¯s cut the childish act already, hmm? You don¡¯t want our senior and juniors to think less of us, do you?¡±

    The monk and his plus one disappeared and reappeared on the mountain peak, and Hong Jianglong was right behind them.

    ¡°Senior.¡±

    ¡°Senior.¡±

    Both Laughing Buddha and Hong Jianglong saluted the Lu You as soon as theynded on the mountain peak.

    The Lu You nodded in acknowledgement but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Wait, what? Someone actually reached this ce before us?¡± It was at this moment Hong Jianglong found Ye Qing and examined him curiously. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re young and just ate-stage Astral Refiner. How are you not dead, boy?¡±

    Ye Qing grimaced. <i>You couldn¡¯t ask that in a more polite fashion?</i>

    He didn¡¯t hesitate to salute the two men, however. ¡°My name is Ye Shi. Pleased to meet you both, seniors.¡±

    Unless he was gravely mistaken, these two men were at least as strong as Song Xi, if not stronger. He wasn¡¯t going to offend someone like that.

    ¡°Ye Shi (Honest)? You couldn¡¯t havee up with a less dishonest name, boy!¡± Hong Jianglong joked.

    ¡°Haha, please don¡¯t make fun of me, senior,¡± replied Ye Qing with a stiffugh. For some reason, he felt like Hong Jianglong had seen through himpletely.

    ¡°Hey kid, I think he noticed me,¡± the Fog Demon spoke inside Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t withdrawn the Fog Demon. Right now, it was swimming around him like ayer of mist. Barring a warrior with an exceptionally powerful spirit, it was basically impossible to detect the Stranger. However, Hong Jianglong had noticed its existence at first nce.

    ¡°Have more confidence and take out ¡®I think¡¯ from your sentence,¡± Ye Qing replied expressionlessly.

    Thankfully, Hong Jianglong paid him no heed after that. Instead, he waved his sleeves and produced three men and women out of nowhere.

    ¡°Lord Hong, is this... the fabled Graveyard of Demons?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Hong Jianglong nodded beforeunching into an exnation, ¡°As you might have inferred, the Graveyard of Demons is where all followers of the Dark Ways are buried.¡±

    ¡°ording to the legend, when Rahu, the Progenitor Demon finally met his end, his eyes transformed into the sun and moon, his blood transformed into rivers, his muscles and bones transformed into hills and mountains, his hair transformed into nts, and his essence transformed into this floating, upside-down mountain. That is why this mountain is also known as the Rahu Mountain or the Mountain of Demons. To a follower of the Dark Ways, this mountain is known as the Holy Mountain.¡±

    ¡°Lord Hong, we already know about this,¡± a young man voiced his puzzlement.

    ¡°I know that you already know about this. I just want to repeat the legend. Is that a crime?¡±

    Hong Jianglong rolled his eyes at the youngster before continuing, ¡°Anyway, the followers of the Dark Ways believe that their souls would go to Rahu if they bury themselves in the Mountain of Demons, and they all view it as an unparalleled honor. But of course, only those who are truly strong are qualified to bury their bones here. Over time, this ce was known as the Graveyard of Demons.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯ve brought you here?¡± Hong Jianglong asked after finishing his exnation.

    ¡°Yes chief!¡± The group of five responded affirmatively.

    ¡°Good. I am now going to repeat myself.¡±

    The group of five: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The reason I brought you here is because everyone buried here is a champion of some sort, and most of them engraved their martial intent to their gravestones while creating their graves. These are greatly beneficial to your cultivation as a matter of course.¡±

    ¡°There were even people who left behind entire inheritances because they were unwilling to let their legacy end with them. If you manage to obtain them, then your future will be brighter than ever before.¡±

    The five warriors¡¯ eyes lit up. This was the main reason they had entered the Demon¡¯s Tomb. It was to enter the Graveyard of Demons and obtain a suitable inheritance. The martial intent was nice, but it was a low priority at best.

    <i>I see! </i>Ye Qing thought in realization. If he wasn¡¯t tempted before¡ªwhich he was¡ªnow he was <i>sorely </i>tempted to enter the ce.

    He wouldn¡¯t have been moved if the treasures inside the graveyard were just natural resources or the sort. With the Annon Sutra, there was probably no natural resource he couldn¡¯t get so long as he was strong enough to survive the journey. But a martial inheritance? That was a temptation he found difficult to resist. And to be fair, what kind of warrior wouldn¡¯t be interested in a martial inheritance?

    If he could obtain a martial inheritance, then he would reach the heavens in a single bound. At the very least, he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about finding good martial arts for a long time toe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember you being a long-winded man, Benefactor Hong.¡± Laughing Buddha shot Hong Jianglong a strange look before urging, ¡°If your hopefuls aren¡¯t going to go first, then mine will. You don¡¯t want to keep senior waiting, do you?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Sorry, I sometimes forget myself when I roley a teacher. Do as you please,¡± said Hong Jianglong with a guffaw. ¡°Watch the test carefully, kids. I know you¡¯re qualified, but you don¡¯t want to screw up because you were arrogant, do you?¡±

    ¡°Yes chief.¡±

    Meanwhile, the young monk Laughing Buddha brought had walked up to the Lu You and gave him a solemn bow.

    Hong Jianglong walked over to Laughing Buddha and joked, ¡°Is your Holy Son a mute or something, Laughing Buddha? Why isn¡¯t he speaking at all?¡±

    To his surprise, the monk said, ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s cultivating the Vow of Silence I taught him.¡±

    ¡°The Vow of Silence? That is one of the hardest ultimate arts your Maitreya Sect possesses, isn''t it? Those who cultivate it must not say a single word for ten years, or you would have to start all over again. It is said to be the art that only a person of great willpower and courage could cultivate. Is your Holy Son stupid or retarded?¡±

    Hong Jianglong jeered before asking, ¡°How long has he been practicing the Vow of Silence?¡±

    Laughing Buddha didn¡¯t get angry despite Hong Jianglong¡¯s provocation. He simply said, ¡°Amitabha, I¡¯m not telling you!¡±

    Hong Jianglong: ¡°...¡± <i>When did you be so naughty, monk?</i>

    While the duo were conversing, the Luo You had already raised his Soul Mirror and fired a beam of light at the young monk. The Holy Son of Maitreya didn¡¯t attempt to dodge out of the way, however. In fact, it was like he couldn¡¯t see the beam of light at all. A moment before the bright, translucent light would hit him, he whispered, ¡°Disperse all evils.¡±

    As soon as he said this, a strange energy rippled out like an edict of heaven. The beam of light grew weaker and weaker under its effects until it waspletely gone.

    ¡°Amitabha...¡±

    The Holy Son of Maitreya chanted before walking back to Laughing Buddha.

    <i>That¡¯s insane! </i>Ye Qing¡¯s pupil contracted in disbelief. The young monk was only a Spirit Purifier, but he felt stronger than the unfortunate bastard who was annihted by the Lu You earlier.

    ¡°He... he... he alreadypleted the Vow of Silence?!¡±

    Hong Jianglong stared at the Holy Son of Maitreya in disbelief before looking back at Laughing Buddha. ¡°Tell me I¡¯m dreaming, bald donkey. This can¡¯t be true, is it?¡±

    Laughing Buddha ignored the rude nickname and replied amiably, ¡°You¡¯re not that old that your eyes and ears would deceive you. Yes, our Holy Son haspleted the Vow of Silence.¡±

    ¡°Born with a Buddhist¡¯s heart, our Holy Son is a devotee of great willpower and courage. He had begun practicing the Vow of Silence since twelve, and today is the day his ten-year silencees to an end.¡±

    A long timeter, Hong Jianglong finally voiced his wholehearted admiration. ¡°Incredible. Truly incredible! A Buddhist¡¯s heart, great willpower and courage. If the practitioner iscking in any one of these qualities, then they would not seed. But all who seeded could verballymand power and repel all opposition. What were the heavens thinking? What did your sect do to deserve a genius?¡±

    Laughing Buddha nced at a stern-faced young man with cloth wrapped around his hand and carrying a long saber behind his back. ¡°You speak as if your Pacification Bureau doesn¡¯t have its own fair share of geniuses. That young man over there is the famous ¡°Tyrant de¡± Luo Zhan, am I right? To have attained such power and skill at his age, he has a bright future ahead of him.¡±

    Luo Zhan nodded in acknowledgement, but that was all. He remained unmoved despite the praise.

    Hong Jianglong smiled. ¡°He¡¯s just okay. Speaking of which, you may take your turn now, Luo Zhan.¡±

    ¡°Yes chief,¡± Luo Zhan responded before walking toward the Lu You. When he walked past the young monk though, he shot him a taunting look.

    1. Just a moniker. Unless expressly stated, don¡¯t treat them like the real thing, just like how ¡®Demon of Unliving¡¯ isn¡¯t actually a demon... though I myself was rather unsure untilter. >_> ?

 Chapter 278: In Death, They Would Never Be Forgotten

    <h4>Chapter 278: In Death, They Would Never Be Forgotten </h4>

    Luo Zhan walked up to the Lu You and saluted him respectfully. ¡°Please enlighten me, senior!¡±

    The Lu You smiled and raised his Soul Mirror. He then fired a beam of light just like before.

    Luo Zhan wasn¡¯t a defensive warrior like the Holy Son of Maitreya. As soon as the light left the mirror, he gripped his saber and seemingly underwent a drastic change in personality. When before he was cold and indifferent, now he looked like he was a tyrant ready to strike down heaven and earth.

    ¡°Begone!¡±

    His saber escaped his sheath, and a terrifying, seemingly all-epassing saber intent enveloped everyone. If the sky stood in his path, then he would cut a path through the sky. If the ground blocked his way, then he would sunder the earth itself. Such was his power that the beam of light waspletely overwhelmed by the saber force.

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance!¡±

    Luo Zhan sheathed his saber and returned to Hong Jianglong¡¯s side after the deed was done. The ground where the saber force had passed through looked like it had been dug up by a bulldozer.

    <i>No wonder he¡¯s called the Tyrant de</i>, Ye Qing thought with a gulp. Was Luo Zhan¡¯s technique particrly exquisite or refined? Not even close. However, his overwhelming power and unstoppable will were more than enough to make it for it.

    ¡°Amitabha! It looks like Young Benefactor Luo has mastered a third of the essence of the Tyrant de. His future too is limitless,¡± Laughing Buddha praised from the bottom of his heart.

    ¡°Hahaha! He¡¯s okay! Just okay!¡± Hong Jianglong¡¯s words were humble, but his expression was anything but. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, Qing Feng.¡±

    ¡°Yes chief,¡± A woman responded and stepped out of the group. She wore a purple, form-fitting outfit and tied her hair into a bun like a man. Her features weren¡¯t masculine, but they were sharp, strong, and full of spirit. She might not be a man, but her spirit was greater than many men.

    Qing Feng walked up to the Lu You and saluted him just like Luo Zhan. Once she was ready, the Lu You pointed his Soul Mirror and fired a beam of light at her.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Qing Feng raised her eyebrows when she sensed its power. When she took a step forward, her eyes abruptly turned purple, and a silhouette wearing an emperor¡¯s robe and a crown of sun and moon manifested in the world. A terrific presence immediately enveloped the world.

    As soon as the silhouette appeared, a feeling and oppression and fear immediately engulfed everyone. They felt like ants facing the wrath of heavens, and they were unable to muster even the slightest will to resist.

    ¡°The ¡®Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡¯? Could she be...?¡± For the first time, a hint of surprise was mixed into Laughing Buddha¡¯s ever present smile.

    ¡°Ahem! No need to point it out, bald donkey! It¡¯s a secret!¡± Hong Jianglong hurriedly interrupted Laughing Buddha.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Back to the battle, the silhouette of the Son of Heaven threw a punch at the same time Qing Feng threw hers. The Lu You¡¯s eyes flickered with a hint of surprise. Not only did the fist force shatter the beam of light, it managed to keep its form and continue sailing toward him.

    The Lu You raised his wooden staff and tapped the ground once. The Golden Boy sitting on the deer¡¯s horn immediately grinned and summoned a pale white me from his whitentern. wing and writhing about like a beast, the restless me let out a ghastly cackle and wrapped around the fist force.

    The first force immediately melted like ice, but that wasn¡¯t all. It traveled along the fist force all the way to the silhouette and engulfed his whole body. The blink of an eyeter, the silhouette crumbled into nothing, leaving behind only a stream of white mes.

    ¡°Thank you for your mercy, senior!¡± Qing Feng hurriedly thanked the Lu You. She hadn¡¯t expected the Stranger to be this powerful.

    The Lu You smiled and tapped the ground once more. The white me abruptly condensed into a whitentern with a small me before flying into Qing Feng¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Er...¡± Qing Feng stared at thentern with confusion.

    Hong Jianglong said smilingly, ¡°You should thank Senior Lu You, Qing Feng? The whitentern contains a wisp of his Soul Illuminating me, and it acts as a protective charm that will shield you from some Strangers and ghosts. You will be a lot safer thanks to it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, senior!¡± Having realized the function of the whitentern, Qing Feng gave Lu You a deep bow before returning to Hong Jianglong¡¯s side.

    <i>You can get extra benefits for surpassing expectations? Figures. Geniuses get extra privileges no matter where they go, </i>Ye Qing thought enviously. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Both the Holy Son of Maitreya and Luo Zhan were shooting the young woman envious looks as well.

    The test continued as normal after that. The two men were called Gao Ningan and Ge Xin, and the other young woman was called Sui Yan. They weren¡¯t weak, but they were clearly iparable to the likes of Qing Feng, Luo Zhan and the Holy Son of Maitreya. They just barely overcame their test.

    ¡°Alright, you can all go in now.¡±

    After everyone had passed through the test, Hong Jianglong advised, ¡°Remember, there are three taboos one must abide by after entering the Graveyard of Demons. One, you mustn¡¯t damage anything in the graveyard. Two, if an opportunity is yours, then it is yours. If not, never<i> </i>force the issue. And three, you must exit the graveyard before daybreak. Otherwise, you¡¯ll never leave.¡±

    ¡°Also, there exists all kinds of Strangers and Anomalies in the graveyard. Always be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yes chief!¡± The group of five nodded affirmatively.

    ¡°Finally¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ahem... Benefactor Hong? You do remember that the Graveyard of Demons disappears during the day, right? At this rate, they might as well not enter the graveyard,¡± Laughing Buddha interrupted when it looked like Hong Jianglong was going to rant on and on without end. <i>He wasn¡¯t this long-winded before. Did he change his sex or something?</i>

    ¡°Hahaha! You know how dangerous the graveyard is. Only with proper guidance could they navigate it safely,¡± Hong Jianglong said dismissively.

    ¡°But chief... you already told us about this before,¡± Luo Zhan spoke up.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying all this for your own good, and this is what I get?¡± Hong Jianglong shot Luo Zhan a re before waving him away impatiently. ¡°Get lost then! It¡¯s not like I want to repeat myself either!¡±

    Luo Zhan: ¡°...¡± <i>You were though?</i>

    ¡°Chief, Venerable Bhante, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±

    The group of five saluted Hong Jianglong and Laughing Buddha before walking into the graveyard. The Holy Son of Maitreya too paid his respects to the duo before leaving.

    After the six warriors were gone, Ye Qing finally saluted Hong Jianglong from afar to express his thanks.

    By now, Ye Qing had figured out that Hong Jianglong¡¯s words were really meant for him. Earlier, Laughing Buddha had mentioned that Hong Jianglong was a member of the Pacification Bureau. Adding that to his strange behavior, it was very likely that Hong Jianglong had guessed his identity. That was why he purposely recited what he knew about the Graveyard of Demons even though his men already knew them. It was so that Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t lose his life.

    Of course, there was also the possibility that Hong Jianglong really was a nagging mom on the inside, but whatever the truth might be, there was no doubt that he was a great help to Ye Qing. A simple thank you was the least he could do to repay the man. It was only then he entered the graveyard.

    ¡°Hong Jianglong, you were really speaking to that young man, weren¡¯t you?¡± Laughing Buddha asked after Ye Qing was out of earshot.

    Hong Jianglong feigned ignorance. ¡°Was I? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter!¡±

    Laughing Buddha smiled but didn¡¯t expose Hong Jianglong¡¯s shoddy acting.

    ¡°Hmm! Someone¡¯sing.¡± Hong Jianglong suddenly looked over the edge of the peak. ¡°Scratch that, a <i>lot </i>of people areing this way.¡±

    ¡°This is the Graveyard of Demons; the center of the Demon¡¯s Tomb¡¯s opportunities. I can only hope that the bloodshed will be kept to a minimum!¡± Laughing Buddha sighed.

    ¡°Eh. Those who fear for their lives shouldn¡¯te here.¡± Hong Jianglong shrugged before letting out a sinister chuckle. ¡°Say, do you wanna get rich, bald donkey?¡±

    Laughing Buddha shot Hong Jianglong a puzzled look. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Hong Jianglong exined, ¡°It¡¯s very simple. I¡¯m sure there are self-styled fishermen who¡¯d be lying in ambush for my men and your disciple when they exit the graveyard. My suggestion is that we hide ourselves and show them how you really y the fisherman. What do you say?¡±

    Once again, Laughing Buddha¡¯s expression turned strange. <i>Seriously, when did you be so smart? So dirty?</i>

    ¡°Amitabha, that¡¯s not very benevolent, is it?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, this isn¡¯t benevolent? These people are bandits who wanted all the spoils with none of the effort. It¡¯s not like these people are kind-hearted souls either. You and I both know that at least eighty percent of the people who enter the Demon¡¯s Tomb are irredeemable monsters who deserve to be eradicated. We¡¯re doing the world a favor by eradicating these vermins, understand?¡±

    Laughing Buddha asked suspiciously, ¡°You are Hong Jianglong, right? Since when did you be so... cunning?¡± It was an eye-opening experience to hear such shameless words from such an honest face.

    <i>You¡¯ve changed, Hong Jianglong! You¡¯re not the simpleton you used to be anymore!</i>

    ¡°Fuck you! People can improve for the better, okay? I learned this tactic from a very interesting junior.¡± Hong Jianglong scoffed at Laughing Buddha. ¡°Also, you can quit the good monk act now. An outsider might fall for the act, but I know exactly what kind of scum you are. Let¡¯s go already!¡±

    ¡°Amitabha, that is nder.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m ndering your good name, you ck-hearted monk. Nowe on!¡±

    ......

    A cold, oppressive sensation pressed down on Ye Qing as soon as he stepped inside the graveyard. He felt like the rows and rows of gravestones were alive, and they were all gazing at him coldly. It was an unsettling feeling to say the least.

    <i>¡°Revered Crimson Sun¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Old Yellow Sand¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Skydevourer Ghoul¡±</i>

    <i>¡°¡®Sky Spanning Sword Qi¡¯ Zhao Wuji¡±</i>

    <i>"¡¯Moon and Cloud Catcher¡¯ Chu Tachun¡±</i>

    <i>¡°¡®Granny ckheart¡¯ Wu Chunhua¡ªKekeke, I have devoured countless human hearts my whole life, so I can dere with absolute certainty that all human hearts are delicious, kekeke...¡±</i>

    <i>¡°¡®Seven Killing Gentleman¡¯ Qisha Wuqing¡ªI started practicing martial arts when I was five, graduated at ten, challenged countless elites at fifteen and met no match. When I was twenty, I stepped into the </i>jianghu <i>and trained a hundred fists, practiced a thousand martial arts, and met a million people. Eventually, I invented the ¡®Seven Killing Fists¡¯.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°When I was thirty, I challenged the greatest champions and again met no match. It is quite lonely at the top, isn¡¯t it? When I was forty, I founded the Seven Killing Sect, wiped out all opposition, and imed an entire territory for myself. For a time, there was no one who didn¡¯t know the Seven Killing Sect. When I was fifty, I discovered that my martial attainment had hit a wall, but money, soft power and sex all felt meaningless to me, so I exiled myself from my sect and journeyed the </i>jianghu <i>just like when I was younger. Thanks to this decision, my fists attained perfection, and my cultivation improved like never before...¡±</i>

    <i>¡°At a hundred years old, I sought out the Demon¡¯s Tomb and buried myself here. My life was an exciting and satisfying one, and my death will be one without regrets orints as well!¡±</i>

    ......

    Some of these gravestones werepletely nk, some only had a name on it, and some was filled to the brim with their life¡¯s journey. Regardless, each and every gravestone emanated an enormous presence and power that wouldn¡¯t be denied.

    Some gravestones reminded Ye Qing of the bright sun,

    Some reminded him of a cold moon,

    Some possessed a sword qi so sharp that it pierced through the nine heavens,

    Some possessed a saber glow that spread everywhere freely and without a care,

    Some brimmed with demonic qi that cast hallucinations of blood and death into his mind,

    Some brimmed with such evil that it seemed to touch the living even after it was long gone...

    ......

    Through these gravestones, Ye Qing could almost see those warriors who were once proud, arrogant, free, unchained and more. Once upon a time, these were people who had turned the <i>jianghu </i>upside down and left their marks in the world.

    In life, they had cemented their legends in the <i>jianghu. </i>In death, their existence would still be remembered for eternity!

 Chapter 279: Void Fly

    <h4>Chapter 279: Void Fly </h4>

    Every one of the gravestones was imbued with the deceased¡¯s extraordinary martial spirit and intent. Curious, Ye Qing decided to probe a nk, seemingly ordinary gravestone with his spirit.

    What happened next was decidedly <i>not </i>ordinary. A pitch ck saber force suddenly appeared inside his mental space, and everything it touched turned ck and deathly as well. It was going to disintegrate his mind and spirit!

    Shocked, Ye Qing hurriedly visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. It wasn¡¯t until thest moment that he barely blocked the surprise attack.

    ¡°That was too close, too close...¡±

    After the ominous saber force was gone, a pale-faced Ye Qing staggered away from the nk gravestone and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead.

    If he hadn¡¯t received all those boons in the past, if his spirit wasn¡¯t so strong that it rivaled somete-stage Spirit Purifiers, that one attack could¡¯ve annihted his mind just like that. This was after he examined the gravestones carefully and selected the most ordinary-looking one of them all. What kind of stupid ce is this?

    <i>Oh right, it¡¯s the graveyard of demons and champions. Fuck my life.</i>

    No wonder Hong Jianglong told him not to ¡°strong-arm¡± an opportunity into hisp. It would just be suicide.

    Gao Ningan¡ªone of the five people Hong Jianglong had brought with him¡ªnoticed his situation and advised him kindly, ¡°Friend, try to avoid probing anything in the graveyard with your spirit. Otherwise, there¡¯s a chance you might trigger its martial intent. Weak and eroded by time they may be, they were left behind by powers we can scarcely imagine. Best case scenario, you might get away with some minor injuries. Worst case scenario, your mental space and mind might be shattered into pieces.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the advice, Brother Gao,¡± Ye Qing said before taking the opportunity to ask, ¡°If I can¡¯t probe anything with my spirit, then how might I locate my so-called opportunity?¡±

    Gao Ningan was obviously a chatty person as he answered Ye Qing¡¯s question without any hint of impatience, ¡°If you sense something, then it¡¯s probably your opportunity. If not, that is fine too. Your opportunity may lie elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it¡¯s all up to luck?¡± Ye Qing chuckled amiably.

    ¡°That is exactly correct, my friend! If you think about it, all opportunities have some element of luck in it, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gao Ninganughed.

    It was at this moment Ge Xin interrupted with a displeased look, ¡°Stop wasting time, Ningan. We only have one night.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all fishes in the same pond. There¡¯s no need to be so heartless, is there?¡± Gan Ningan said uncaringly, ¡°Plus, it doesn¡¯t matter if I hurry or not. Opportunities are luck-based. If I¡¯m destined for one, then it¡¯lle to me eventually. If not, I could search the whole world for it and end up with nothing, no?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Do as you please.¡± Ge Xin shook his head.

    The deeper they went, the heavier and darker the air became. Even with their eyesight, they were unable to see anything farther than six to ten meters clearly.

    ¡°Gao Ningan, what are you¡ª¡±

    Ge Xin was walking past the gravestones when suddenly, he felt someone patting him on the shoulder. He was about to rebuke hispatriot for making unnecessary contact in such a ce when suddenly, he recalled that they had split up a while ago.

    The graveyard was ridiculously big, and the graves were put down haphazardly. There were hundreds and hundreds of small paths that could all be leading somewhere, which made it nigh impossible to explore the graveyard in an orderly fashion. That was why the group had eventually decided to split up and go their own ways.

    But of course, they weren¡¯t that stupid as to split uppletely. They all agreed to maintain a certain distance with each other so they coulde to each other¡¯s aid should the need arose.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gao Ningan called out from nearby when he heard Ge Xin¡¯s voice.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Ge Xin shook his head thinking that he was hallucinating because of the ominous environment. Not even warriors were immune to self-doubts and delusions after all. He resumed his stride.

    <i>Tap.</i>

    It wasn¡¯t a hallucination, however. He had only taken a few steps when he felt someone tapping him on the shoulder a second time. This time, he could feel it as clear as day.

    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Ge Xin spun around and yelled, but he couldn¡¯t find anyone. Forget a person, he couldn¡¯t even spot a ghost.

    Ge Xin¡¯s expression turned ugly and worried. He was absolutely certain that someone had tapped him on the shoulder just now, and yet he couldn¡¯t see anything. <i>It¡¯s not an actual ghost, is it?</i>

    Ge Xin frowned. Despite finding nothing at all, he instinctively knew that he might be in trouble. He channeled his energies and concentrated fully on his surroundings.

    That said, he wasn¡¯t nning on giving up just because something was off. It hadn¡¯t been easy making it to the Demon¡¯s Tomb and the Graveyard of Demons even with Hong Jianglong¡¯s protection, and he still hadn¡¯t found anything. He couldn¡¯t possibly leave empty-handed, could he?

    Ge Xin spread out his spirit and kept a close eye on his surroundings. Then, he continued forward once more.

    <i>Tap.</i>

    A short whileter, he felt something tapping him on the shoulder once more, but this time the ¡°hand¡± didn¡¯t move away. Instead, it clung to his shoulder like it would squeeze it into ribbons, and a deep, prating chill seeped all the way to his core.

    A terrible chill gripped Ge Xin then. Every hair on his body stood on end, andrge beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead. Even scarier was the fact that he had lost control over his true qi. He had no idea when it happened, only that he was almost fully paralyzed from the neck down.

    Teeth chattering, Ge Xin slowly and painfully turned his head around. When he finally saw the thing that was pinning him down, his eyes bulged, his face turned as white as a sheet, and his mouth opened to let out a terrified scream.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    ......

    <i>Buzz buzz...</i>

    On the other side of the Demon¡¯s Tomb, Ye Qing was wearing a deep frown on his face. He couldn¡¯t see anything, but he could clearly hear an incessant buzzing in his ears. It was like a swarm of flies were flying round and round his ears.

    When the buzzing grew closer and closer, his heart skipped a bit, and his sixth sense warned him of danger. He immediately let loose a burst of invisible mes that temporarily dispelled the buzzing noise.

    It was only temporary though. His spirit was telling him that the invisible mes conjured by the Burning Wind dealt no real damage to whatever the hell was causing that buzzing.

    As expected, the buzzing noise began once more, and it was definitely louder than before. His head pounded, and he was gripped by a kind of frustration and anger that he couldn¡¯t fully dispel even with the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. He felt like grabbing someone and battling them to the death.

    The buzzing noise had appeared not long after he split up with the group, and at first, he paid it no attention. But over time, it kept growing closer and louder until he grew certain that he was in danger.

    The problem was that everything he tried to stop the buzzing¡ªor more urately, the Strangers that were causing the noise¡ªsuch as sealing his hearing, using a Strange Artifact and more didn¡¯t work. He was certain that the noise was caused by a Stranger, he just couldn¡¯t see them for some reason.

    ¡°This is beyond annoying!¡±

    As the buzzing noise continued toe closer, Ye Qing opened his mouth and spat out Lightning Bolt. Pure white lightning lit up the gloomy graveyard for a moment, and the buzzing noise disappeared like it never was. But as soon as he withdrew his Strange Artifact, the noise resumed once more.

    ¡°What the hell is this thing?¡± Ye Qing growled as he struggled increasingly hard to restrain his irritation and desire to inflict violence upon someone.

    It was at this moment the mist surrounding him wobbled a little, and the Fog Demon spoke up, ¡°Quit wasting your energy, boy. You¡¯re being harassed by the Void Flies, and as far as I¡¯m aware, there is nothing you have that can kill them!¡±

    ¡°Void Flies? That¡¯s it!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    ¡°You know about the Void Flies?¡± The Fog Demon sounded surprised.

    ¡°Are you looking down on me?¡± Ye Qing recalled what he knew about the Void Fly and recited, ¡°The Void Fly is a void born Stranger that normally exists in a state of nothingness. Despite being formless, intangible and invisible, it makes a buzzing noise when it flies.¡±

    ¡°As the Void Fly is a creature of the void, it can pass through any tangible or intangible objects. Impervious to the elements and conventional weapons, it enjoys infesting a flesh-and-blood creature¡¯s head and feeding on their brains.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly knowledgeable, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Fog Demon voiced its amazement.

    ¡°I¡¯m a schr,¡± Ye Qing said smugly.

    The Fog Demon let out a demonic cackle. ¡°What are you going to do then, schr?¡±

    As Ye Qing had said himself, the Void Flies were creatures of the void. Trying to attack them with weapons or elements was like trying to attack air. Forget killing them, he couldn¡¯t even deal any damage to them. That was why the Void Flies were extremely dangerous.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled confidently and examined his surroundings for a bit. Then, he bent down before a small shoot of grass.

    The grass was light blue in color and had two leaves, two flowers, and two fruits. The two leaves were elongated like a human¡¯s arm, and the fruits were hanging below them like a pair of mininterns.

    Ye Qing gently pushed the grass with a finger. The fruits immediately lit up and illuminated the surroundings with dark blue light.

    At first, the Void Flies were circling around him like bees who had caught the scent of honey. But when the blue light shone, they suddenly left his side and flew toward the grass. Ye Qing clearly saw five¡ªno, six flies the size of a fingernail slowly manifesting into existence. They were none other than the Void Flies.

    A Void Fly shared more or less the same shape and size as a normal fly. It just looked semi-transparent as if it didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°Got you.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked cruelly and snapped his finger. Everything within ten meters of him suddenly turned as hot as a volcano. The Void Flies caught on fire and disintegrated into ash in just the blink of an eye. In fact, even the ash disintegrated into nothing before it could hit the ground.

    The grass remained untouched though. He wasn¡¯t going to hurt the nt that just saved his life.

    ¡°And that¡¯s a wrap.¡±

    Ye Qing pushed the grass again, and the two fruits dimmed immediately almost as if he had flipped their off button.

    ¡°Hmph. I suppose I underestimated you,¡± The Fog Demon remarked.

    ¡°Heh, no need to sing my praises. A man¡¯s gotta be humble and all that,¡± said Ye Qing with a smirk.

    All things in life were born with an antithesis, and the seemingly ordinary grass was the bane of the Void Flies.

    A kind of grass called the Darklight Grass normally grew where the Void Flies could be found. In the morning, it was as ordinary as any other grass. But at night, touching them would cause its two fruits to emit a dark blue light that was fatally attractive to the void Flies because it elerated their growth. However, they were unable to maintain their intangible form until the light was gone.

    When a Void Fly was tangible, it was as fragile as an ordinary fly. Naturally, killing it only took a single thought.

    ¡°Say, how did <i>you </i>know about the Void Flies?¡± Ye Qing asked the Fog Demon curiously.

    The stranger answered, ¡°Oh, I know a lot of things. All kinds of Strangers are born in the Nine Nethers, and the Void Fly is one of its mostmon Strangers. In fact, I¡¯ve witnessed many, many more Strangers than all of you humansbined.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t believe it.

    The Fog Demon didn¡¯t care that Ye Qing didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You can pretend I haven¡¯t said anything if you think I¡¯m lying.¡±

    ¡°Heh. My apologies. I¡¯ll be counting on you to enrich my knowledge from now on,¡± Ye Qing said with a smirk.

    The Fog Demon harrumphed. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t go on dates with people I¡¯m not familiar with.¡±

    Ye Qing was going to harass the Stranger some more when suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced through the darkness.

    ¡°That¡¯s Ge Xin¡¯s voice. Did something happen?¡± Ye Qing looked up and gazed to the distance. ¡°I better go check it out.¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to get involved when he had just escaped his own predicament, but Ge Xin¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t far away from his location. In the end, he couldn¡¯t suppress his curiosity and broke off into a run. Hopefully, he wasn¡¯t toote.

 Chapter 280: Bloody Handprint

    <h4>Chapter 280: Bloody Handprint </h4>

    Ye Qing slunk through the dark, lifeless tomb of death, swift and silent as a ghost. It wasn¡¯t long before he arrived at the spot where Ge Xin had screamed.

    From afar, Ye Qing saw a person standing frozen like a statue, unmoving. He was none other than Ge Xin.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead?!¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes. He could tell that Ge Xin was dead because he couldn¡¯t sense even a hint of life from his body.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t rush forward recklessly. Instead, he examined his surroundings carefully for dangers or abnormalities until he was certain it looked safe. Only then did he step forward to examine the body.

    Ge Xin was frozen with his head turned to the back as if he was looking at something behind him. His eyes were bulging, his pupils were dted, and his mouth were agape with unbridled terror. It looked like something had scared him to death.

    ¡°That... might actually be what happened.¡±

    Ye Qing circled around Ge Xin twice but couldn¡¯t find any injury or signs of struggle on or around him. There was no denying that he had a fatal scare though.

    <i>What on earth could scare an early-stage Spirit Purifier to death?</i>

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s skin prickled all over. He didn¡¯t hesitate to split into several afterimages that looked exactly like him. Not a moment too soon, starlight fell from the sky and pierced a handful of them.

    The starlight didn¡¯t fade, however. Instead, it kept growing in length until they resembled a belt of stars, glittering. Then, a milky white finger poked the belt gently and caused all the stars to fall earnestly.

    The world shook. It felt like there was nowhere he could run or hide from the starfall. He had no choice but to reveal himself and unleash a one-inch punch.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    If a lone cavalry could punch through a formation, it could put a hole in the sky as well.

    Break Through sted the falling stars into bits and mmed against the finger. Space trembled, and the belt of stars crumbled into nothing. It wasn¡¯t without a cost though. Ye Qing stifled a groan as he staggered backward. Every time he took a step, the ground would rock like a mini earthquake.

    The owner of the finger also floated away from Ye Qing like the wind. When shended, they kicked up a powerful gale that persisted for a time.

    When Ye Qing finally saw the attacker¡¯s face, he sucked in a deep breath, suppressed the instability in his vigor, and exined himself in a hurry, ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, Miss Qingge! I¡¯m not the one who killed him.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Qingge replied indifferently. ¡°You¡¯re definitely ate-stage Astral Refiner, and even though you possessed the strength to kill Ge Xin, there is no way you could¡¯ve killed him instantly and without a struggle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a discerning woman, Miss Qingge.¡±

    That was what he said, but he was rolling his eyes at her method. <i>She attacked me just to test if I could kill Ge Xin without a trace? She¡¯s quite violent despite her appearance, isn¡¯t she?</i>

    That said, Qingge was an extremely powerful warrior. That one attack had made him feel like his life was in grave danger.

    Qingge ignored Ye Qing¡¯s sarcastic tone and answered calmly, ¡°You came before me. Did you see who or what killed Ge Xin?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°No. He was dead by the time I reached him. I didn¡¯t find any injuries on his body or signs of struggles in the surroundings either. In my opinion, I think he felt something, looked behind his back, and was literally scared to death.¡±

    ¡°Scared to death, you say?¡± Qingge examined Ge Xin for a moment. Then, she stepped forward and ripped off his shirt.

    ¡°You¡¯re a bold one, aren''tcha?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. ¡°Did you find anything, Miss Qingge?¡±

    ¡°I did. Look at his shoulder!¡± Qingge pointed.

    Ye Qing stepped forward and saw a bloody handprint on Ge Xin¡¯s shoulder. It was very small like it belonged to a child, but it was drenched in blood and giving off an evil, vicious and resentful feeling.

    ¡°What could possibly have caused this?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose in thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s clearly dangerous,¡± Qingge replied coolly.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Ye Qing frowned.

    ¡°We burn the body.¡±

    As soon as Qingge said this, she tossed out a talisman that consumed Ge Xin¡¯s body in a burst of me. The man turned into ashes in just the blink of an eye.

    Ye Qing thought he understood Qingge¡¯s reasoning. Rather than leaving Ge Xin¡¯s body behind and potentially attracting unwanted trouble, burning it was the safest course of action.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stay here. See youter, Miss Qingge,¡± said Ye Qing with a salute. Qingge¡¯s decision resonated with him, and he wasn¡¯t nning on staying for even a second longer. The bloody handprint on his shoulder also gave him an ominous feeling.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Qingge nodded and walked the other way just like that.

    <i>She¡¯s a decisive one, </i>Ye Qing thought as he walked in the opposite direction.

    Neither Ye Qing nor Qingge managed to go far. He had only walked a few steps when suddenly, his spirit picked up a terrifying st of aura. When he looked back, he saw Qingge surrounding herself in purple qi and looking at her surroundings warily.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Qingge?¡± Ye Qing asked, though he didn¡¯t get close to her. He too was watching his surroundings warily.

    After scanning her surroundings and finding nothing, Qingge replied with a frown, ¡°I felt like someone just tapped me on the shoulder.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ye Qing was frowning as well. He hadn¡¯t seen or sensed anything either. Right now, even Qingge herself wondered if she was just paranoid.

    ¡°Boy, you need to leave now! This ce isn¡¯t safe!¡± It was at this moment the Fog Demon spoke up inside his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe? Do you sense a Stranger? What is it?¡± Ye Qing asked mentally.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know that that girl has caught its attention. If you leave now, you can still get away unharmed. If not, then you won¡¯t be able to escape even if you tried!¡±

    The Fog Demon kept urging, but Ye Qing didn¡¯t move a muscle. Thinking he knew what Ye Qing was thinking, the Fog Demon scoffed, ¡°Hells below, you haven¡¯t fallen for that girl, have you? Are you thinking of saving the damsel? Just give it up, boy. Your cultivation level is weaker than that girl¡¯s, and even she couldn¡¯t identify the Stranger that¡¯s haunting her. What can you possibly do if you stay behind? You¡¯re not a necrophilic, are you?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>What the fuck do you think I am?</i>

    ¡°Get going already! You can daydream some other day!¡± The Fog Demon urged again when it noticed Ye Qing still wasn¡¯t doing anything. <i>You might be suicidal, but I still have much to live for!</i>

    Ye Qing continued to ignore the Fog Demon¡¯s words and called out to Qingge, ¡°Miss Qingge, can you inspect your shoulder?¡±

    Qingge immediately pulled down her shirt and revealed her smooth, milky shoulder. This was the ancient times, so Ye Qing thought she would move to a more secluded location to perform the inspection or tell him to turn around. She really was a bold one.

    Unlike him, Qingge showed no signs of embarrassment or awkwardness whatsoever. She mused, ¡°That¡¯s the right call. There¡¯s a handprint on my shoulder, although it¡¯s much lighter than the one on Ge Xin¡¯s shoulder. It¡¯s not bloody either.¡±

    She pulled her shirt back into position and said calmly, ¡°It looks like the thing that killed Ge Xin has set its sights on me.¡±

    ¡°My shirt is a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, and it possesses the ability to repel most evils and Strangers. However, this Stranger managed to ignore its defenses and leave a handprint on my shoulder. With that in mind, it should be quite easy for it to kill me. So why didn¡¯t it? Strange!¡±

    Ye Qing replied thoughtfully, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you haven¡¯t satisfied the conditions necessary for it to kill you?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it is then?¡± Qingge scrunched up her eyebrows.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    Qingge didn¡¯t fall into disappointment or dejection despite Ye Qing¡¯s words. She replied calmly, ¡°In that case, you should leave.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting this. ording to his experience, she should have asked for his help. Even if it might be pointless, it was better to drag someone to the grave with her than not. That was how the <i>jianghu </i>warriors he knew would have acted.

    As if she could hear his thoughts, Qingge exined, ¡°You and I aren¡¯t even acquaintances. You have no obligation whatsoever to help me, much less sacrifice your life for my sake.¡±

    ¡°Also, if I can¡¯t deal with whatever¡¯s haunting me, then what¡¯s the point of keeping you around?¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes. <i>In the end, she¡¯s looking down on me.</i>

    ¡°But of course, it¡¯s also because I¡¯m confident that I will survive this!¡± The corners of Qingge¡¯s lips suddenly curled up, and it was such a bright, beautiful smile that Ye Qing lost himself in it for a moment. Since the moment he encountered Qingge, the woman had maintained a cold, indifferent straight line on her face. It was like she was apathetic toward anything and everything. But now, her smile was as bright as the sun and moon themselves. It was brilliant, confident, and so bright he almost couldn¡¯t stand to see it directly.

    Itsted only for a breath before Qingge withdrew it. It made him feel like it was a mirage or a dream.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you really going to stay?¡±

    Seeing that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t moving, Qingge urged again, ¡°Really, there¡¯s nothing you can do even if you stay behind. If you really want to do something for me, I would ask you to take my body with you so it can be put to rest properly. It would be even better if you could offer me some wine at my gravestone.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything for a time. Then, he looked Qingge straight in the eye with bright, clear eyes. ¡°Do you trust me, Miss Qingge?¡±

    Qingge was taken aback for a bit. They had known each other for minutes at best, and she didn¡¯t even know his name, his origin, his personality or his nature. So how could she possibly answer that question?

    But when she saw his clear eyes and warm smile on his face, she couldn¡¯t help but answer, ¡°I do.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled wider and said, ¡°Okay. I want you to pretend that everything¡¯s fine and take a couple more steps forward. Let¡¯s see if that thing is going to tap you on the shoulder again.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Qingge didn¡¯t hesitate. She withdrew her energypletely and strode down a certain direction.

    As expected, she came to a stop just a few stepster and said, ¡°That thing just tapped me on the shoulder again.¡±

    This time, Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to walk all the way up to Qingge and asked, ¡°Can you show me your shoulder again?¡±

    Once again, Qingge didn¡¯t hesitate to reveal her bare shoulder. This time, Ye Qing felt perfectly calm since he was prepared for it. He watched the handprint on Qingge¡¯s shoulder closely.

    The handprint was clearer and redder now. It almost looked like blood could seep out of the handprint at any moment. It was brimming with inauspiciousness, viciousness and resentment.

 Chapter 281: Tiny Shoulder Ghost

    <h4>Chapter 281: Tiny Shoulder Ghost </h4>

    ¡°Did you see anything?¡± Qingge asked.

    Ye Qing shook his head. He simply stared at the handprint thoughtfully.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t sensed anything either.¡± Qingge frowned a little. ¡°Tell me your thoughts.¡±

    Ye Qing was about to pull her shirt back again when Ye Qing stopped her. ¡°Wait! I want you to tap me on my shoulder.¡±

    Qingge frowned in puzzlement, but she still did as he said.

    The next moment, she was treated to a stunning sight. As soon as she tapped Ye Qing on the shoulder, the handprint began disappearing at a visible rate.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Qingge eximed in disbelief.

    Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a knowing smile. ¡°I thought this might happen. I think I know what this Stranger is now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Qingge looked at him inquiringly.

    ¡°Not yet. Allow me to perform one more experiment,¡± Ye Qing implored. First, he pulled apart his own shirt and checked his shoulder. As expected, there was now a handprint on it. It was exactly the same as the one on Qingge¡¯s shoulder, and it was as faint as when it appeared on her shoulder for the first time.

    Ye Qing tapped Qingge on the shoulder next. They watched as the handprint on his shoulder slowly disappeared.

    ¡°Heh. Now I know for certain what we¡¯re dealing with!¡± Ye Qing grinned and pped his hands triumphantly.

    Qingge looked at again with her beautiful eyes, and this time he didn¡¯t keep her waiting. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that the Stranger that tapped our shoulders is a type of Tiny Shoulder People.¡±

    ¡°Tiny Shoulder People?¡± Qingge frowned. ¡°You mean the one that taps people¡¯s shoulder for fun? I¡¯m pretty sure they don¡¯t harm humans though, and they definitely didn¡¯t possess such a potent and bizarre power.¡±

    The Tiny Shoulder People Qingge spoke of was a Malice-ss Stranger. It was shaped like an infant with two wings, and it loved nothing more than to tap someone''s shoulder from behind. When the victim turned around, they would make a scary face and attempt to scare them. If the victim was scared, they would fly away with pride and satisfaction. If not, they would roll their eyes at the victim and leave huffing and puffing.

    The Little Shoulder People were pranksters, but their pranks werepletely harmless. They would never harm a human intentionally.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re right, but you¡¯re also wrong.¡± He waited a moment thinking that Qingge would prod him like a proper audience would, but she just stared at him and waited patiently for him to reveal the answer.

    <i>How disappointing. I bet most conversations with her end in awkward silence.</i>

    Disappointed he might be, Ye Qing had no choice but to resume his exnation, ¡°It is true that the average Little Shoulder People is only a Malice-ss Stranger, but there is another kind of Little Shoulder People who can only be found is ces of extreme yin and coldness such as this graveyard. Born from yin energy and resentment, their nature differs drastically from the average Little Shoulder People. Not only that, they are Phenomenon-ss Strangers.¡±

    ¡°In fact, I personally think they should be differentiated from the average Little Shoulder People and named Little Shoulder Ghost, especially since they couldn¡¯t be seen during the night. ording to the legends, only those who could see through yin and yang¡ªsomeone with the Dark Seeing Spell Eyes for example¡ªcould see the Little Shoulder Ghost at night.¡±

    ¡°The Little Shoulder Ghost loves to prank people as well, but they y their games differently from the average Little Shoulder People. If a person is tapped on the shoulder by the Little Shoulder Ghost, they must seek out another person and tap them on the shoulder as soon as possible. This would convince the Little Shoulder Ghost to shift their focus to the other person.¡±

    ¡°If they don¡¯t do so, then the Little Shoulder Ghost would haunt them and tap their shoulders for eternity.¡±

    Ye Qing took a break and gave Qingge another chance to say something like, ¡°Interesting¡± or ¡°go on¡±, but she remained as silent and indifferent as ever. Left with no choice, he continued, ¡°But of course, when I say ¡®eternity¡¯, I really mean three chances. Because the Little Shoulder Ghost is born from yin energy and resentment, they are quite the resentful creatures. If they tapped a victim three times, and the victim still couldn¡¯t find another person to transfer the ¡®curse¡¯ so to speak, they would think that the victim wasn¡¯t willing to y with them and get angry. They would lean across the victim¡¯s shoulder, pin them down and immobilize them.¡±

    ¡°When the victim turns around to look, the Little Shoulder Ghost would transform into their worst nightmare and scare them to death.¡±

    ¡°Ah. That would exin how Ge Xin died,¡± Qingge eximed in realization. ¡°This is the first time I heard such a Stranger. How did you learn this?¡±

    ¡°Haha, I love reading all things rted to Strangers, Anomalies and more, and I happened toe across a folktale regarding the Little Shoulder Ghost in a journal titled ¡®Acquiring The Strange¡¯. The title of the chapter is, ¡®When You Get Tapped On The Shoulder¡¯.¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you discovered the handprint and told me all those clues, or I wouldn¡¯t have figured out the truth either.¡±

    The praise bounced off Qingge¡¯s skin like water off a duck¡¯s back. ¡°So, the Little Shoulder Ghost is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, and it is invisible during the night. The only way to deal with it is to have the Dark-Seeing Spell Eyes, wait until daytime arrives, or... pass its curse to another person.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Well, there¡¯s technically a fourth way. The Little Shoulder Ghost can only take the shape of a victim¡¯s worst nightmare. Theoretically, if you¡¯re a purehearted or fearless person, then there is nothing it can conjure that might scare you to death.¡±

    Qingge fell silent for a moment. ¡°I personally believe that my martial heart is tough, and my will is strong, but the Little Shoulder Ghost is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. I cannot proim with certainty that I will definitely be able to withstand the nightmare it conjures.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence! I think so too.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°But luckily for us, we don¡¯t need to take the risk. We just need to stick together and juggle the curse between us, and the Little Shoulder Ghost wouldn¡¯t be able to harm us. Besides that, an opportunity to remove the curse permanently may reveal itself in the future. Even if that doesn¡¯t happen, the Little Shoulder Ghost is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. Its presence would shield us from much danger and trouble.¡±

    ¡°Very well. We shall go with your n,¡± Qingge agreed after careful consideration.

    She knew what Ye Qing meant by ¡°opportunity¡±, of course. It was simply transferring the curse to someone else that wasn¡¯t them.

    She wasn¡¯t a good-natured woman though, so she had no qualms damning someone else to safeguard her own life.

    On that note, there was a chance Ye Qing might betray her to save himself, but she wasn¡¯t worried that might happen. For one, she thought she had a good enough handle on Ye Qing¡¯s personality, and she was fairly certain that he wouldn¡¯t do so.

    And two, she was stronger than him. The only one who would suffer should he change his mind was misery.

    Ye Qing knew Qingge wouldn¡¯t turn him down. He took the opportunity to introduce himself, ¡°Oh right, my name is Ye... Shi. I¡¯m a member of Luo Shui.¡±

    He was still using his fake name not because he didn¡¯t believe Qingge¡ªshe was one of Hong Jianglong¡¯s, which meant she was probably a member of the Pacification Bureau. However, that didn¡¯t mean he shouldn¡¯t drop his guardpletely. For example, what if she was rted to one of the <i>jianghu </i>warriors he killed? He would be digging his own grave. Sure, it was extremely unlikely that might happen, but better safe than sorry, right?

    ¡°It¡¯s a fake name, but I don¡¯t mind.¡± Qingge replied indifferently, ¡°My name is Qingge. Chu Qingge.¡±

    ¡°Ahem... you jest, Miss Chu.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose awkwardly and changed the subject. ¡°Let¡¯s continue on our journey, shall we? I would like to remove this curse as soon as possible, but it would be a waste to go back now.¡±

    Chu Qingge nodded in agreement. ¡°Agreed. The Graveyard of Demons is the location where the Demon¡¯s Tomb¡¯s biggest opportunities are located. We shouldn¡¯t miss it if possible.¡±

    She then tapped Ye Qing on the shoulder and took the lead.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t find her gesture strange. The Little Shoulder Ghost must¡¯ve tapped her on the shoulder again. He followed closely behind Chu Qingge toward the deeper areas.

    ¡°Oh right, didn¡¯t Senior Lu You give you a paperntern earlier? Where did it go?¡± Ye Qing recalled suddenly.

    ¡°It extinguished,¡± Chu Qingge replied sinctly. ¡°After we separated, I was walking past a grave when a gust of wind blew past me. Its me went out after that.¡±

    ¡°I guess Senior Lu You isn¡¯t as dependable as he looks!¡± Ye Qing curled his lips in disdain. He thought Chu Qingge would be able to explore the graveyard to her heart¡¯s content after receiving a powerful boon from the Lu You, but if a simple gust of wind could dispel it just like that... like what the fuck, bro?

    The barest hint of a smile crossed Chu Qingge¡¯s lips when she heard this. ¡°I¡¯m not finished. It was the Weak Wind.¡±

    ¡°What? The Weak Wind?!¡± <i>You should¡¯ve mentioned that first!</i>

    ording to the ¡°Journal of All Things Strange¡±, there existed a water to the north of Kunlun that was weaker than a speck of dust, and could not keep even a feather afloat. Hence, it was named the Weak Water. The Weak Wind was basically the wind version of the Weak Water.

    If the Weak Wind blew against dust, then the dust would sink to the bottom. If it blew against a leaf, then the leaf would fall to the ground. If it blew against a cloud, then the cloud would drop like a rock. And if it blew against a human, then the human would crumble into a pool of blood and gore. Naturally, it was incredibly dangerous.

    Logically speaking, no whitentern in the world could possibly block the Weak Wind. And yet, the Lu You¡¯s did and saved Chu Qingge¡¯s life. What an item!

    <i>The Lu You can¡¯t hear me from outside, right? I¡¯m so sorry, daddy Lu You. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you.</i>

    Unwilling to subject himself to the shame of being wrong any longer, Ye Qing hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°Ahem. So, are we heading deeper into the graveyard?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Chu Qingge nodded.

    ¡°Why though? Isn¡¯t it safer near the periphery?¡±

    There were fewer and fewer graves the deeper they ventured into the graveyard, but Ye Qing also noticed that those few graves that were present possessed extremely powerful and inexplicable presences. He was feeling suffocated to say the least.

    Chu Qingge exined, ¡°The Graveyard of Demons begins at the center of the Mountain of Demons and spreads outward. ording to the legends, the Mountain of Demons was made of the body, organs and soul of the Progenitor Demon, Rahu, and the center of the graveyard is where his heart and souly. You can also find his air of Dao there.¡±

    ¡°This is why the followers of the Dark Ways believe it to be an honor to be buried in the Mountain of Demons. It was also said that the center of the Mountain of Demons is overflowing with demonic qi and demonic thoughts. Only the strong may venture into it.¡±

    ¡°That is why the closer we got to the center of the mountain, the number of graves we encountered kept decreasing, but the ¡®quality¡¯ of the graves kept increasing so to speak.¡±

    ¡°Although everyone who is buried in the Graveyard of Demons is strong, even the strong can be categorized from the weakest to the strongest. In other words, the ones buried at the center of the mountain are the strongest of the strong.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization before shooting another question, ¡°So, you¡¯re aiming for the center of the Mountain of Demons?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be very familiar with the center of the Mountain of Demons. Would you happen to know who is buried in that ce?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°And where did you get that from? This is my first time ever in the Graveyard of Demons.¡± Chu Qingge retorted. ¡°I know what I know from a senior. He once entered the Graveyard of Demons and explored the center.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to obtain anything from his exploration. In fact, he only survived because he used his ultimate trump card.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, can you go into some details?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°He told me that he saw only one grave at the center of the Mountain of Demons, and it was none other than the grave of the Progenitor Demon himself. However, as soon as he read the name on the gravestone, his eyes exploded, and he began bleeding from every orifice. Hispanions¡¯ minds were snuffed out instantly. The only reason he hadn¡¯t suffered their fate was because he used a secret magic art that barely protected his mind,¡± Chu Qingge exined.

    Chu Qingge made it sound like nothing, but Ye Qing felt cold sweat dripping down his forehead. If Chu Qingge¡¯s senior knew a secret magic art, that must mean that he was a Spirit Master at least. However, he still nearly lost his life after taking one look at the Progenitor Demon¡¯s gravestone. He could only imagine that they would do worse.

    ¡°Er, Miss Chu. Why don¡¯t we go anywhere <i>but </i>the center of the mountain?¡±

    Chu Qingge¡¯s lips curled into a smirk. ¡°What, you scared?¡±

    ¡°A little,¡± Ye Qing answered honestly. <i>How could I not? First there was One Punch Man, now there was One Look Die! This world is terrifying!</i>

    ¡°Rx. You¡¯ll be fine with me by your side,¡± Chu Qingge consoled him while patting his shoulder. It was impossible to say if she really meant the gesture, or if she was just transferring the Little Shoulder Ghost¡¯s curse to him.

    Ye Qing grumbled inside his head, <i>I don¡¯t feel reassured in the slightest, girl!</i>

    ¡°Hmm? I can hear someone talking ahead of us. No wait, they¡¯re not human. Careful!¡± Chu Qingge said suddenly.

 Chapter 282: Word Sprite

    <h4>Chapter 282: Word Sprite </h4>

    Ye Qing released his spirit, and as Chu Qingge said, there were chatteringsing from ahead of them. In fact, the voices sounded quite childish. It was a bunch of children seemingly arguing with each other about something.

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, Thought! It¡¯s all your fault! It¡¯s your fault he got scared and ran away!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! We haven¡¯t had enough fun yet!¡±

    ¡°Why are you ming me only when Sword scared that human as well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! It wasn¡¯t just Sword either. Saber, Fist and Stick were all part of the scare as well!¡±

    ¡°Ghost also turned into a ghost as well.¡±

    ¡°Snow didn¡¯t just scare that human, he even spoke to him directly!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! That human¡¯s just too timid.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a scaredy-cat. He¡¯s even more chicken than I am!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s such a chicken. He¡¯s even more chicken than Small.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not chicken! My name is Small, but my courage is big! Coward is the one real chicken in our group!¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling a chicken? At the very least, I¡¯m not so chicken that I would piss my pants because I got scared!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! That human is seriously chicken. He lost a shoe when he was running away!¡±

    ¡°And he pissed his pants!¡±

    ......

    At first, it sounded like the voices were pinning the me on each other. However, they got distractedter on and started discussing who was the biggest chicken of them all. Then, they got hanged up about the guy they scared off with their antics.

    Strangely, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t see anyone no matter where he looked. He was still looking when Chu Qingge pointed at a nearby gravestone, ¡°Look! That gravestone!¡±

    It was a gravestone that was made white jade, and it was engraved with countless fly-sized ancient scripts. Although the text was small, Ye Qing could tell that they looked strong, elegant, and full of intent. Whoever engraved them must be a master calligrapher.

    At first, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t spot anything amiss. But over time, he realized that the childish conversation came from the ancient scripts themselves.

    ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®Timely Clearing After Snowfall[1]¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Chu Qingge exined, ¡°The gravestone is engraved with a calligraphy art titled ¡®Timely Clearing After Snowfall¡¯. It was crafted by the master calligrapher, the ¡®Sage of Calligraphy¡¯ Wang Donghe, and it was heralded by countless calligraphers and artists as the best calligraphy art of all times.¡±

    ¡°The one engraved on the gravestone obviously isn¡¯t the original, but it is strong, firm, elegant, and imbued with the author¡¯s unique intent. Not only was the author as skilled as Wang Donghe, I believe that his version of ¡®Timely Clearing After Snowfall¡¯ has exceeded the original.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! She praised me! You heard that, people? She praised me!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not praising you, she¡¯s praising us.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not praising us, she¡¯s praising our master.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the same as praising us, you doofus.¡±

    ¡°Well, she is as beautiful as she is discerning, unlike that dumb-looking sucker standing next to her. It¡¯s clear he¡¯s not a very bright person.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he wouldn¡¯t be haunted otherwise. He deserves what he got.¡±

    Ye ¡°I Look Dumb¡± Qing was miffed. <i>You could¡¯ve praised her without ndering me!</i>

    He abruptly realized that the ancient scripts could sense the Little Shoulder Ghost¡¯s presence after that.

    ¡°Enough! She¡¯sing over. Try not to scare her, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    ¡°If there is someone we must scare, it would have to be the sucker next to her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to scare him until he pisses his pants just like that fool from earlier.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will, hehehe...¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>The fuck did I do to you? Did I eat your food or something? Is it a sin to be stupid? Ah ptooey, I¡¯m not stupid! I¡¯m the most intelligent and handsome man in the world!</i>

    ¡°Miss Chu, why are you approaching that gravestone?¡± Ye Qing asked hispanion via sound transmission.

    She replied, ¡°I sense a sword art within that calligraphy art.¡±

    ¡°A sword art?¡± Ye Qing sounded puzzled because he couldn¡¯t sense anything.

    <i>I¡¯m not actually stupid, am I? </i>The young man couldn¡¯t help but fall into a pit of self-doubt.

    Meanwhile, Chu Qingge had reached the gravestone and bent down to inspect the ancient scripts. In Ye Qing¡¯s spirit, he sensed the ancient scripts somehow floating away from the gravestone, stood on top of it, and began demonstrating a set of sword techniques with the blurry image of a snowfall as the backdrop.

    When Ye Qing attempted to get a closer look, everything suddenly disappeared from view. He could barely see or sense Chu Qingge herself.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose in irritation. <i>So, they don¡¯t want to show me the sword art. Who would¡¯ve thought that I would be discriminated against by a bunch of </i>words <i>one day?!</i>

    About half a teatimeter, Chu Qingge abruptly exploded with sword intent. It gave off a mncholic feeling like that of a person stranded in the middle of a snowfall.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really smart! I can¡¯t believe how quickly you grasped master¡¯s sword art and intent!¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s practically as smart as master himself.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. No one is as smart as master. He¡¯s the smartest human in the whole world!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I¡¯m saying that she¡¯s smarter than that sucker.¡±

    ¡°But of course!¡±

    ¡°Why are you stating the obvious?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>They just cannot stop shooting me in the knee, can they?</i>

    ¡°How is it?¡± Ye Qing walked over to Chu Qingge and asked after she opened her eyes.

    Chu Qingge replied honestly, ¡°It¡¯s a sword art called the ¡®Sword of Timely Clearing After Snowfall¡¯. It was a sword art created based on the original calligraphy by Gongsun Yang, a master calligrapher and a swordmaster. It was also his signature martial art.¡±

    Chu Qingge then turned back to the gravestone and performed a disciple¡¯s salute. ¡°Thank you so much for imparting to me your techniques, senior. This junior is eternally grateful for this boon.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to give it a try, Brother Ye?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Ye Qing was tempted after seeing Chu Qingge obtaining a sword art inheritance with barely any effort.

    Unfortunately, his dreams were shattered before he could even get close to the gravestone.

    ¡°Outta my way! I will be the one to make him piss his pants!¡±

    ¡°You get out of my way! You already scared that human from earlier! It¡¯s my turn now!¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! It was Sword, Fist and Stick who scared the human earlier. I haven¡¯t scared anyone yet!¡±

    ¡°Liar! I¡¯m the one who hasn¡¯t scared anyone yet!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you stupid words. We won¡¯t even get to y if you scare him off. Now listen to me. Mouth, Talk and Dialogue, shut your mouths. Dream, Thought and Wish, drag him into a dream on my mark. When that happens, we¡¯ll be able to scare him to our hearts¡¯ content.¡±

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s a great n, Heart! We¡¯ll do that. I¡¯m going to turn into a ghost and scare the shit out of him!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to turn into a sword and cut him into ribbons!¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m going to beat him up until shits his pants!¡±

    ......

    Ye Qing¡¯s mouth twitched uncontrobly. Chu Qingge was smirking a little as well. The young woman had called them a masterpiece of calligraphy art, but in his opinion, they were just naughty children who deserved a long, hard spanking!

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glinted with cunning as he walked up to the gravestone. Right before the ancient scripts could pull their stunt, Ye Qing abruptly walked away while saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Chu, but these words remind me of lying dogs. They¡¯re so ugly I can barely stand to look at them, so I¡¯m not going to.¡±

    Chu Qingge looked surprised for a second. Then, she broke into a wry grin.

    ¡°What did he just say? Was he insulting us?¡±

    ¡°Of course he¡¯s insulting us, you doofus! He¡¯s calling us ugly!¡±

    ¡°Ah... that sucker dares to call us ugly? You¡¯re the ugly one, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°We are cool, strong, and beautiful! You must be blind to think us ugly!¡±

    ¡°Ayaya, don¡¯t stop me! I¡¯m going to cut his dog head off with my sword!¡±

    ¡°Waaaaaaah! Come back if you dare, you sucker! What, you¡¯re bold enough to call us ugly, but not bold enough to face us! Come back, and we promise to blow your top!¡±

    As soon as the ancient scripts realized what happened, they immediately erupted into a cacophony of insults and threats. However, it looked like they were unable to leave the gravestone probably because their existence was bound to it, and their vocabry of expletives was sorelycking probably because they were child-minded.

    ¡°Oh ho? You can¡¯t leave your gravestone, can you? That¡¯s good to know.¡±

    Almost ten meters away, Ye Qing rxed after confirming that the ancient scripts couldn¡¯t leave the gravestone. He was going to take off like a ghost if the ancient scripts could leave the gravestone or attack him, but for once, luck was on his side.

    So, what was he going to do now? He was going to insult the ancient scripts to his heart¡¯s content, of course. He would be a real sucker if he didn¡¯t serve his revenge hot.

    ¡°SIgh, I¡¯ve never seen such ugly words in my life. They¡¯re so ugly I wonder if I was dreaming. I was this close from throwing up yesterday¡¯s dinner.¡±

    Ye Qing crossed his arms and said disdainfully, ¡°Even a three-year-old¡¯s shitty handwriting looks better than this. What a sad, sad gravestone this is.¡±

    The ancient scripts fumed¡ªliterally, white smoke was rising from their top¡ªwith white hot anger when they heard this.

    ¡°He... He dares! Get over here, brat! 1v1 us if you dare! We promise to attack you as a group!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s so ugly that I could throw up!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! In fact, we¡¯re gonna throw up right now! Everyone, on the count of three, one, two¡ªaaaargh!¡±

    ¡°aaaaaargh!¡±

    ¡°argh!¡±

    ¡°Are you words stupid? He can¡¯t hear what we¡¯re saying! We¡¯re just wasting our breaths!¡±

    ¡°Oh right! Come,e, let¡¯s make a word!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Move it!¡±

    The ancient scripts started shifting around the gravestone until they formed a single word, ¡°Ugly¡±.

    ¡°Oh? The words are alive?¡± Ye Qing feigned ignorance and eximed with fake surprise, ¡°Do you see that, Miss Chu? The words themselves knew that they were ugly. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have formed the word ¡®Ugly¡¯.¡±

    ¡°If you know you¡¯re ugly, you shouldn¡¯t show your face around any longer. My advice to you all is to kill yourselves and save us all the embarrassment.¡±

    Ye Qing then sighed and started walking away. ¡°Let us leave, Miss Chu. I can¡¯t bear to stay here for a moment longer. I have a feeling that my eyes are going to turn blind if I stare at them any longer.¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh! I¡¯m angry! I¡¯m so angry!¡±

    ¡°Something is wrong with this guy¡¯s head! The word is obviously meant for him, not us!¡±

    ¡°Come back, you sucker! Come back and fight us for three hundred rounds!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! You¡¯re a chicken if you back down from our challenge!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go, you sucker! Come back! Come back!¡±

    Ye Qing could hear their desperate, rage-filled screams even after he was far, far away from the tombstone. His lips automatically spread into a delighted, rxed grin.

    ¡°That was a little childish, don¡¯t you think? Those Word Sprites have a child¡¯s mind, and I can tell they don¡¯t harbor any real malice. Had you praised them instead, they might have taught the Sword of Timely Clearing After Snowfall,¡± Chu Qingge said after they were out of earshot.

    ¡°Oh, I know they¡¯re children. They¡¯re naughty children who need to be punished.¡± Ye Qing shrugged uncaringly. ¡°Besides, I can tell that those ancient scripts have zero intentions of teaching me the sword art, so just as well.¡±

    Did he have an actual basis to his assumption? Not at all. But sometimes, you just know that you weren¡¯t destined for something. In that case, he would rather teach those naughty children a lesson and get his revenge.

    ¡°It¡¯s your choice!¡± Chu Qingge shook her head.

    ¡°Oh right, are you still going to venture deeper into the Mountain of Demons now that you¡¯ve obtained Wang Donghe¡¯s inheritance, Miss Chu?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Chu Qingge nodded firmly. ¡°But of course. If I was just aiming to obtain a martial art at this level, then I wouldn¡¯t havee to the Demon¡¯s Tomb at all.¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes. If he wasn¡¯t sure before, now he knew they didn¡¯t live in the same world.

    1. It¡¯s an actual calligraphy art. You guys can Google it if you want to. ?

 Chapter 283: Blood Demon

    <h4>Chapter 283: Blood Demon </h4>

    ¡°Wait, Miss Chu.¡±

    After teaching the naughty children a lesson, the duo resumed their journey toward the center of the Mountain of Demons. The deeper they went, the emptier the ce became, and the darker and more oppressive the atmosphere became.

    While they were walking past a gravestone, Ye Qing¡¯s blood abruptly boiled as if attracted by something. At the same time, the inscription on the gravestone started bleeding bright red blood.

    Ye Qing wheeled around immediately. The gravestone was ck in color like most of the gravestones in this graveyard, and the inscriptions were just two short lines. The center of the gravestone was inscribed with the moniker, ¡°Blood Demon¡±, and the bottom right hand corner of the gravestone was inscribed with the name ¡°Shangguan Wuwo¡±.

    The inscription was short, but Ye Qing could feel a terrible, oppressive power from it. It continued to bleed as if a river of blood ran beneath the gravestone, endless and eternal.

    ¡°Blood Demon? Shangguan Wuwo?¡±

    Chu Qingge¡¯s face bloomed with surprise and disgust when she saw the inscription on the gravestone.

    Ye Qing noticed her odd reaction and asked curiously, ¡°Do you know who this Shangguan Wuwo is, Miss Chu?¡±

    The young woman answered, ¡°Shangguan Wuwo the ¡®Blood Demon¡¯ is one of the titans of the Dark Ways six hundred years ago. Shangguan Wuwo was a member of the Blood God Sect of the Nine Demonic Ways, but he couldn¡¯t stand their rules and ultimately left his sect. Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s cultivation art is the ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯, something he invented bybining the Blood God Sect¡¯s ¡®Blood God Sutra¡¯ and the Demon Pce of Kunlun¡¯s ¡®Demons of Mountains and Rivers¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯ is an incredibly powerful cultivation art that enables the practitioner to absorb and control other people¡¯s blood to their heart¡¯s content, pollute one¡¯s mind, and y enemies without a trace. One could also create the ¡®Children of Blood Demon¡¯ and use them like an army. So long as the Children of Blood Demon are alive, the Blood Demon is unkible.¡±

    ¡°At his prime, Shangguan Wuwo created eighty one Children of Blood Demon and annihted the Unliving Sect, one of the thirty six unorthodox sects singlehandedly. He also survived being surrounded and hunted by dozens of Grandmasters. He was incredibly powerful.¡±

    ¡°That sounds amazing!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement and interest. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the reason he was drawn to the Blood Demon¡¯s grave was because of his special blood.

    Chu Qingge shot him a look and said, ¡°Shangguan Wuwo was a man of dual nature. He acts and kills as he pleases. When he¡¯s in a good mood, he could form brotherhoods with weaklings and enjoy long drinks with beggars. When he''s in a bad mood, he could annihte entire ns for the slightest offense. Not even their pets and livestocks are spared from his wrath. That was why he came to be known as the Blood Demon.¡±

    ¡°If you wish to ept his inheritance, my advice for you is to be very, very careful.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile was reced by a deep frown. ¡°Are you saying that Shangguan Wuwo might have prepared a trap for his ¡®sessor¡¯?¡±

    Chu Qingge replied, ¡°I can¡¯t possibly say, but I do know that Shangguan Wuwo was infamously cunning and ruthless. You would be wise to stay on your guard.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯ is a demonic art through and through. Fresh blood is needed for its cultivation, and the longer you cultivate it, the more it will warp your temperament. You may be tyrannical, bloodthirsty, and heartless.¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, my advice for you is to give up on it.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing hesitated a little, but in the end he chose to disregard the advice. ¡°There are no good or evil martial arts, only good or evil men. So long as I stay true to myself, what can it do to me?¡±

    ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no telling if the ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯ is what the Blood Demon left behind. It could be some other martial arts, right?¡±

    ¡°As for the risks, is there anything in the world that doesn¡¯te with risks and consequences? Don¡¯t worry. I will be careful.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your choice. I¡¯m just offering you my advice,¡± Chu Qingge replied indifferently.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    He looked rxed and fearless on the outside, but on the inside he engraved Chu Qingge¡¯s warning into his heart.

    Ye Qing produced an incense stick from his Nature¡¯s Shell, lit it up, and prayed to Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s grave. He muttered under his breath, ¡°Bless me, Brother Incense. Grant me your protection, heavens. Be merciful, senior.¡±

    Finally, he nted the incense stick on the ground.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chu Qingge asked with obvious confusion.

    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just praying to senior and asking for his blessing is all,¡± Ye Qing gave her a random excuse.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you normally use three incense sticks instead of one?¡± Chu Qingge asked suspiciously.

    ¡°I only have one, and I¡¯m sure senior wouldn¡¯t mind as long as my prayer is sincere,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly.

    He hadn¡¯t lit a normal incense stick, of course. It was none other than the Incense of Fortune.

    ¡°Protect me, Fog Demon,¡± Ye Qing thought to the Fog Demon. Although he didn¡¯t think that anyone could harm him while Chu Qingge was around, and his impression of Chu Qingge so far was quite favorable, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

    ¡°Boy, the girl¡¯s right. I can feel a great evil buried in this grave. You might be better off giving up on this opportunity,¡± The Fog Demon advised.

    Only the Fog Demon itself knew if it was handing out the advice out of good will or not, but in any case, Ye Qing¡¯s mind was set. ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Just keep me safe.¡±

    With that, he sat crosslegged on the ground and made contact with the gravestone with his spirit.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s mind shook violently as soon as his spiritual power made contact with the gravestone. A sea of blood abruptly appeared in front of him, and standing above it was an evil, handsome man with an ostentatious and violent aura. He had red hair and wore red clothes.

    Shangguan Wuwo looked down on Ye Qing and guffawed. ¡°Hahaha! I am Shangguan Wuwo! And who might you be?¡±

    The sea of blood stirred violently as heughed.

    Ye Qing hurriedly replied, ¡°This junior is Ye Qing. It is an honor to meet you, senior.¡±

    ¡°You possess a bloodline that is quitepatible with my ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯. Are you willing to be my disciple?¡± Shangguan Wuwo asked amiably.

    <i>I knew it! It really is because of my blood! </i>Ye Qing thought excitedly as he responded, ¡°I am willing, senior. Thank you.¡±

    Only a fool would reject such an opportunity.

    ¡°Hahaha, good. Now open your mind to me and do not resist,¡± Shangguan Wuwo extended a finger to Ye Qing as he said this. The sea of blood immediately surged toward Ye Qing.

    Back in the real world, the Annon Sutra slowly lit up as blood red text appeared on its surface:

    <i>¡°Ye Qing discovered Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s grave and was prepared to receive his inheritance, but he didn¡¯t realize that the Blood Demon had an ulterior motive. Instead of passing down his inheritance to Ye Qing, he was nning to extinguish his mind, take over his body, and be reborn.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°But right before Shangguan Wuwo would seed, a sense of grave danger suddenly enveloped Ye Qing.¡±</i>

    Three silver dragon-serpent runes winked out of existence after thest word appeared.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was ready to lower his mental guard and ept Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s inheritance when suddenly, he was beset by a terrible sense of unease. It was like standing at the edge of a bottomless chasm, or dueling a powerful warrior who was a moment away from killing him. Such was his unease that even his mind was quaking in fear.

    <i>Not good! </i>

    Ye Qing abruptly recognized the danger and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±.

    Right before the blood sea would overwhelm him, the dharma of Emperor Fuxi appeared above the blood sea and cast his golden rays like the sun. The bloody waves evaporated in just the blink of an eye.

    As Shangguan Wuwo was standing at the forefront, he suffered the full brunt of the mental attack and let out a bloodcurdling scream. His expression was savage with anger as he retreated together with the waves, ¡°What... What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be asking you that.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? I just want to pass on my inheritance to you is all. Now lower your defenses and let me in already!¡± Shangguan Wuwo said urgently.

    Ye Qing sneered. ¡°Come now, senior Shangguan. It¡¯s a bit toote for the theatrics, don¡¯t you think? I know you¡¯re plotting to take over my body.¡±

    There was a chance he was just being paranoid, but Ye Qing grew certain that that wasn¡¯t the case after seeing Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s reaction. The guy was just too desperate.

    A few breathster, Shangguan Wuwoughed loudly. ¡°You¡¯re smarter than those idiots who came before you, it seems. As soon as they heard that I was nning to pass them everything I know, they immediately became blinded by greed and were taken over by me without trouble.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, their bodies were too mediocre and untalented. My future would¡¯ve been limited if I took over them permanently.¡±

    ¡°You are a different story though. Your body is so perfect it¡¯s practically a creation of the heavens. Your vigor is rich, your physique is strong, your aptitude is wless, and you bear the blood of the Blood God in you. You are the most perfect specimen I¡¯ve ever encountered in my life.¡±

    ¡°If I could take over your body, I would return to my former glory¡ªno, I would surpass it! I would be a Sage[1] and live forever and ever...¡±

    ¡°When the timees, I will track down those who participated in that hunt back then and annihte them to the nine generations! Ahahahaha...¡±

    Shangguan Wuwoughed like a madman as he narrated his dream. He could practically envision that future already.

    <i>Heh. That¡¯s another bastard who¡¯s lusting after my body, </i>Ye Qing sneered inside his head. It was true that his body was unbelievably OP after it was baptized by the Burning Wind and the Water of Life, but that was not an excuse for these old fuckers to covet it like disgusting perverts!

    <i>Seriously, who the fuck do you think I am? Thest person who coveted my body got refined into my Artifact Spirit, you know that?</i>

    ¡°Surrender and give me your body, boy. If you do, I promise to preserve a sliver of your consciousness.¡±

    Shangguan Wuwo attempted to tempt Ye Qing, ¡°When I have attained Sagehood, I promise to reforge your body and take you as my disciple.¡±

    ¡°You really think I¡¯m stupid, don¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing sneered. Only a total retard would believe such a promise, not to mention that his tone and words were almost the same as the Fog Demon¡¯s. Was this some sort of disease that afflicted all champions regardless of their race?

    ¡°Remember, you¡¯re the one who rejected me. You don¡¯t actually think you can resist me, do you?¡± Shangguan Wuwo scoffed disdainfully, ¡°This is my world. It takes but a sliver of effort for me to kill you.¡±

    As soon as Shangguan Wuwo said this, countless Blood Shadows poured out of the sea of blood, wailing.

    ¡°The Children of Blood Demon...¡±

    The next moment, the Children of Blood Demon rushed toward Ye Qing in unison.

    ¡°Heh. You can certainly try!¡± Ye Qing sneered as he visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± once more. The dharma abruptly shone much brighter until it looked like the sun itself. Like an inferno, its piercing golden rays burned all of the Children of Blood Demon into dust before they could even get close.

    The next moment, the dharma itself cut a brilliant arc through the air and vanished abruptly. Before Shangguan Wuwo could find out where it went, he was crushed into bits by its fiery chariot.

    After the dharma was gone, the sea of blood shuddered and split in half to reveal a bottomless chasm. It was like Moses parting the Red Sea, but with a ssh of gore.

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s spirit was far stronger than what it used to be. Although he hadn¡¯t unlocked his Xuanguan point yet, his spirit was as strong as a Spirit Purifier¡¯s. In fact, it was better than somete-stage Spirit Purifiers.

    Of course, his spirit was iparable to that of a Grandmaster¡¯s, and Shangguan Wuwo was a Grandmaster. However, the Blood Demon only possessed a wisp of soul and consciousness right now, so Ye Qing didn¡¯t believe that he could threaten him overly much.

    1. cultivation level everyone. It¡¯s the one above Half-Sage. ?

 Chapter 284: Coincidence?

    <h4>Chapter 284: Coincidence? </h4>

    That said, there was no need to take risks just because he wasn¡¯t afraid. Ye Qing immediately acted to sever his spiritual connection with the gravestone as soon as he shattered Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul. That was the surefire way to ensure his safety.

    Unfortunately, his hopes were quickly dashed. He discovered that he was unable to sever his connection with the gravestone for some reason. Somehow, he was trapped in this ce.

    ¡°Hahaha! Give it up. You cannot break free, and don¡¯t count on yourpanion to save you. No one will find out about your predicament.¡±

    As if on cue, Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul reappeared atop the sea of blood with a ridiculing expression.

    Ye Qing put a hand to his forehead and visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. The emperor¡¯s dharma reappeared, and Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul melted into a puddle once more. However, he reappeared as soon as the golden light was gone.

    ¡°I am immortal here, boy, but you will eventually run out of spiritual power no matter how strong you are. When the timees, your body will still be mine.¡±

    ¡°So stop resisting already.¡±

    ¡°Stop resisting already.¡±

    Shangguan Wuwo opened his arms wide like he was hugging the world. The sea of blood rose higher and higher behind him until it formed an all-epassing tidal wave. Then, it crashed down on Ye Qing.

    It was like the sky itself had copsed.

    Knowing that he could no longer afford to preserve his strength, Ye Qing used all of his spirit to visualize the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡±. The dharma grew almost solid, and it protected his mind from the relentless assault of the tidal wave of blood.

    ¡°Stubborn fool! Let¡¯s see how long you canst!¡± Shangguan Wuwo roared in anger. He mustered his sea of blood to batter Ye Qing¡¯s defenses again and again, while Ye Qing weathered it all like a boulder splitting the waves. They were locked in a stalemate.

    However, the stalemate was only temporary, and Ye Qing knew that the situation was very much not in his favor. He must have crushed Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul a hundred times with Emperor Fuxi¡¯s dharma, but they showed no signs of weakness whatsoever. It was the same for the sea of blood.

    On the other hand, he was losing spiritual power by the second due to the constant battering. Worse, the guy¡¯s Children of Blood Demon could pollute the mind, which greatly hastened the rate he was depleting his spiritual power.

    Worst of all, there was absolutely nothing he could do to help himself.

    Well, that wasn¡¯t entirely true. He could try to y the enemy using the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±. However, it was ast resort. The saber art consumed a lot of spirit, and he could only execute it once or twice considering how much spirit he had already expended. If that wasn¡¯t enough, then Shangguan Wuwo would win just like that.

    That was why he didn¡¯t want to take the risk, at least not yet. He wasn¡¯t at the point where it was do-or-die yet, and more importantly, he wasn¡¯t alone. He still had Chu Qingge, the Incense of Fortune, and the Annon Sutra. Despite Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s ims, it was possible one of them might notice his predicament and act to save him.

    ......

    Outside, Chu Qingge shot Ye Qing a nce after sensing a brief re of spiritual power. She instinctively felt a little uneasy, but she soon calmed down when she noted that Ye Qing¡¯s expression remained peaceful and at ease.

    ¡°Hmm? Why is the incense stick burning so quickly?¡±

    It was at this moment she noticed something strange. The incense stick in front of the grave suddenly started burning at an elerated rate. In fact, over half of it was gone in just a matter of seconds. Then, a thick, pungent puff of smoke started floating toward somewhere.

    Strangely, the smoke didn¡¯t dissipate like a normal smoke would. The fact that it was moving even though there was no wind was odd as well.

    ¡°Strange.¡± Chu Qingge frowned as her wariness stirred awake once more.

    A whileter, she suddenly heard a series of coughs from afar. It was apanied by some angry yells,

    ¡°Cough! Cough! What the fuck! Why is there smoke here? Is someone burning some offerings or something?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Just how stupid would you have to be to do that[1]?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Who knows? Stupidity is everywhere. Heavens, this smoke is terrible!¡±

    ¡°The smoke¡¯sing from this direction. Cough! Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If I find out that this smoke is really caused by some idiot, I¡¯m absolutely going to snap their necks!¡±

    Chu Qingge squinted slightly as she listened to the conversation, but she didn¡¯t move a muscle. A dozen or so breathster, a group of men and women wearing blood red robes entered her view.

    The men carried themselves with a cold, unfeeling air, whereas the women looked soft and seductive. They quickly spotted Ye Qing, Chu Qingge, and the incense stick that was almost burned out at this point.

    ¡°Were you and yourpanion the one who made that horrible smoke?¡± One man asked Chu Qingge in an unfriendly tone. He looked like the leader of the group.

    She answered indifferently, ¡°No. We are busy right now. Please leave.¡±

    ¡°Heh! You couldn¡¯te up with a better lie? It¡¯s obvious that the smoke hade from the incense stick!¡±

    The guy was about to say something more when suddenly, hispanion cried out in shock and delight, ¡°Senior brother, look, it¡¯s the Blood Demon!¡±

    ¡°What Blood Demon?¡± The man looked very displeased at the interruption.

    ¡°It¡¯s our founder, senior brother! Shangguan Wuwo!¡± The other guy exined.

    ¡°Our founder?¡± The man looked and saw that he was right. ¡°It really is the founder¡¯s grave! Hahahaha! Sometimes, good fortune really does fall into yourp for free! Praise be!¡±

    ¡°Senior brother, I think that boy over there is receiving our founder¡¯s inheritance. What do we do?¡±

    ¡°What else? Shangguan Wuwo is <i>our </i>founder. How can we allow his inheritance to go to an outsider?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We need to kill him now! The founder¡¯s inheritance can only belong to us, the Blood Demon Sect!¡±

    The group immediately acted to rush Ye Qing, but Chu Qingge blocked their way after they had just taken a few steps. She stared at the group with cold eyes as she asked, ¡°Are you the remnants of the Blood Demon Sect?¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling a remnant?¡± The leader of the group said coldly, ¡°Shangguan Wuwo is the founder of the Blood Demon Sect. His inheritance can only go to us. Now get out of our way, or we¡¯ll kill you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, senior brother. It seems like a waste to just kill her. Why don¡¯t you leave her to me? It so happens that I¡¯m looking for an incubator.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence! Me too!¡±

    Everyone¡ªeven the women¡ªstarted chuckling sinisterly. They were all looking at Chu Qingge with malicious eyes.

    Chu Qingge didn¡¯t seem to care about their implied threat, however. Acting as indifferent as she was facing a group of ants, she said, ¡°Thank you for confirming my suspicions. The world has no need for the Blood Demon Sect, so die.¡±

    As soon as she finished, Chu Qingge threw a punch that filled everyone¡¯s ears with a draconic roar. A tyrannical fist force blew past the leader of the group and crushed twote-stage Astral Refiners into bits.

    ¡°How dare you kill our people! Die!¡± The leader uttered viciously as his right hand turned as red as blood and curled into a w. He charged forward and took a swipe at Chu Qingge.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of Chu Qingge because he was a Spirit Purifier just like her. Bloody energy ripped through the air and let out a dissonant cry that disrupted the mind.

    <i>¡°Divine w of Weeping Blood¡±</i>

    Chu Qingge didn¡¯t dodge, however. She simply clenched her right hand and threw another punch. A golden dragon circled around her arm as the tyrannical fist force shattered the crimson w and hit the guy¡¯s palm, breaking his bones with insulting ease.

    The man let out a muffled groan as the blood drained away from his face. He eximed in shock and anger, ¡°The Stunning Dragon Fist? Who are you?¡±

    Chu Qingge remained silent as she shifted to a finger technique. Stars suddenly fell out of the sky and skewered several people through the forehead before they could even react.

    <i>¡°Starfall Finger¡±</i>

    Not done yet, Chu Qingge shifted to a palm technique and unleashed a palm strike that caved in space itself. The Blood Demon Sect disciples who were caught in its range died having their hearts crushed.

    <i>¡°Heart Crushing Palm¡±</i>

    The battle had just begun, and the Blood Demon Sect group had already lost over half of their members. Only a handful of them were still alive.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Realizing that they were no match for her, the leader yelled for everyone to escape and took off to the distance.

    The surviving members of the group also scattered in every direction.

    Chu Qingge didn¡¯t agree with the leader¡¯s n, however. Like a colorful phoenix, she swooped over to several disciples and fired several beams of sword qis from her fingers. They were skewered and killed in just the blink of an eye.

    Then, Chu Qingge took another step¡ªa phoenix¡¯s cry broke out of her body as she did so¡ªand blocked the leader¡¯s way before he could go anywhere. She then threw out a mighty punch.

    <i>¡°Xue Feng wanted to escape, but Chu Qingge had no intentions of allowing him to go free. With the Rainbow Phoenix Step, she cut in front of the disciple and threw a mighty punch.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°However, her foot slipped a little as she was throwing the punch. She was aiming for Xue Feng¡¯s left chest, but the slip caused her to hit his right chest instead.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°The attack caused Xue Feng to fly toward Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s gravestone, and The Fog Demon did nothing to stop him for selfish reasons. As a result, Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s gravestone was snapped in half.¡±</i>

    In Ye Qing¡¯s shirt, lines and lines of blood red text were appearing on the Annon Sutra¡¯s surface. When the words ¡°snapped in half¡± were written, five silver dragon-serpent runes abruptly shattered, and an invisible power permeated the air.

    On the other side, Chu Qingge identally stepped on a slippery stone as she was throwing a punch and hit the leader of the group on the right chest instead. The powerful fist force sent him flying straight toward Ye Qing¡¯s location.

    By the time Chu Qingge realized her mistake, it was already toote. She could only watch as the man crashed into Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s gravestone and snapped it in half.

    ¡°Kekeke... the boy told me to protect him but not the gravestone, so he only has himself to me!¡±

    The Fog Demon could¡¯ve easily intercepted the body if it wanted to, but it didn¡¯t. After all, the stronger Ye Qing became, the lower the chance it might be able to break free from its shackles. If Chu Qingge wasn¡¯t around, it would be pping its hands in apuse already!

    For the first time, Chu Qingge¡¯s expression turned embarrassed and confused. She was aiming for the guy¡¯s heart, so how did she miss so badly and even send him flying over to Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s gravestone?

    Chu Qingge was so puzzled that she didn¡¯t even bother to hunt down the remaining Blood Demon Sect disciples.

    Back in Ye Qing¡¯s headspace, Shangguan Wuwoughed like a madman as he slowly but surely pushed back Ye Qing¡¯s defenses. ¡°I told you you wouldn¡¯t be able to hold for long. Today is the day you die!¡±

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even get to finish hisugh when his infinite sea of blood suddenly began to shrink rapidly as if its source was cut off. His own soul was weakening at a rapid rate.

    ¡°What the hell? What happened?¡±

    Shangguan Wuwo was stunned and terrified by this sudden turn of events.

    ¡°This is my chance!¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what was happening outside, but he knew that this was his chance to break out of his fatal predicament. He immediately focused his spirit into a saber and shed at Shangguan Wuwo.

    Demonic red lotuses began manifesting inside his headspace. As they rained from above, crimson mes that were shaped like lotuses started bursting from Shanguan Wuwo¡¯s body as well.

    At first, the mes were weak and dim. Then, they grew in both size and strength as if fueled by something.

    Shangguan Wuwo wasn¡¯t the only one who had caught on fire. The sea of blood had turned into a sea of inferno as well.

    1. Personally, I find it stranger that no one brought anything to show their respect considering Chinese culture, and the fact that every grave here can be a potential death trap. ?

 Chapter 285: Shake It Together

    <h4>Chapter 285: Shake It Together </h4>

    ¡°Aaaargh! The hellfire? Of all the things, hellfire? Gaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    Shangguan Wuwo screamed in pain and terror, but no matter how hard he struggled, he just couldn¡¯t extinguish the hellfire on his person.

    The hellfire would never fade so long as the sinner still had sins and karmic hindrance. That was how the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art kills its enemies.

    ¡°Mercy, mercy! I can teach you the ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯! All I ask is that you let me live! Ahhhhh...¡±

    Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul continued to weaken under the all-consuming heat of the hellfire, but Ye Qing waspletely unmoved. He was never merciful toward those who tried to kill him, and even if he was, he didn¡¯t possess the ability to extinguish the hellfire. Although Jin Hui had bestowed him his true martial arts inheritance, it hadn¡¯t been long since he grasped the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art, so he hadn¡¯t yet reached the level where he could control the hellfire he had inflicted upon his victim.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh! I was so close! I was so close!¡±

    In the end, Shangguan Wuwo let out onest roar before disintegrating into nothing under the hellfire.

    The sea of blood waspletely burned as well.

    After Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul and the sea of blood were purified, a refined energy began flowing into Ye Qing¡¯s mind and nurturing his weakened spirit. At the same time, he felt a mysterious energy scattering inside his headspace. It felt tattered and disorganized for some reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s... the ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯!¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise when he perceived it and discovered that it was Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s memories and martial truth regarding the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±. However, it was in a broken state as if someone had grabbed a perfectly fine piece of paper and ripped it to shreds. It must have happened when the hellfire had violently annihted Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate. He immediately started studying the memories and martial truth. If he waited, they would eventually disintegrate into nothing, and he would truly have risked his life for nothing.

    A momentter, Ye Qing opened his eyes and let out a long sigh in the real world. His lips were curled into a smile.

    It was then he noticed the broken gravestone in front of him. He blurted, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Ahem. You¡¯re awake, Brother Ye?¡± Chu Qingge coughed twice while wearing a rare look of embarrassment on her face. ¡°It¡¯s like this...¡±

    After Chu Qingge finished exining everything that had happened while he was distracted, she apologized deeply, ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose, Brother Ye. Please ept my sincerest apologies.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization and shot the fully burned Incense of Fortune on the ground. Now he had the full picture.

    He had wondered why Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s soul had suddenly withered for apparently no reason. Now he knew it was because his gravestone had snapped in half.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Shangguan Wuwo must have set up a restriction or something else on his gravestone. So long as the gravestone was intact, he could fuel his soul with some sort of energy and be effectively immortal.

    Since the gravestone was destroyed, his connection with this mysterious source of power was cut off. He became mortal once he could no longer sustain his weak, broken soul with an infinite well of power.

    <i>Thank goodness I had the Incense of Fortune and the Annon Sutra. I would probably be dead if it wasn¡¯t for them.</i>

    Ye Qing was seriously d that he had done his homework beforemunicating with Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s gravestone. The Incense of Fortune had attracted the Blood Demon Sect disciples over, and the Annon Sutra had used the Orbit of Fate to influence Chu Qingge into breaking the gravestone by ident.

    ¡°Sorry, Brother Ye,¡± Chu Qingge apologized again when she noticed that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t saying anything.

    Ye Qing jolted out of his thoughts and waved off her apology. ¡°Oh no, you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should be thanking you for saving my life.¡±

    He proceeded to tell her everything that had happened in his headspace and said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I might have been taken over by Shangguan Wuwo already, so thank you.¡±

    ¡°That happened?¡± Chu Qingge wasn¡¯t expecting this. ¡°Shangguan Wuwo actually tried to possess you?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for him to take over a body in the real world? Why did he do it in the Demon¡¯s Tomb of all ces?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve actually gleaned this from his memory fragments.¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°Shangguan Wuwo was being hunted by his enemies. Although he managed to escape his pursuers after entering the Demon¡¯s Tomb, he was grievously injured with no hope of recovery. That was why he set up this trap in hopes of returning to life one day.¡±

    ¡°That would exin it.¡± Chu Qingge nodded. ¡°It also exins how an Astral Refiner like you managed to survive his devious trap. Shangguan Wuwo was grievously injured, and his mind was fragile. If he was at his prime, there was no way you could¡¯ve held him back long enough for me to break his gravestone by ident.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It was all fated,¡± Ye Qing sighed.

    As Chu Qingge said, Shangguan Wuwo would have overwhelmed him in a matter of seconds if his mind wasn¡¯t frail from the injuries he had sustained when he was still alive. And if he didn¡¯t have the Incense of Fortune or the Annon Sutra, then he would still be dead.

    Truly, it was all fated!

    ¡°Oh right, did you obtain Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯?¡± Chu Qingge asked.

    ¡°I did, but it¡¯s iplete.¡± Ye Qing shook his head reluctantly. ¡°I only managed to glean a portion of the ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯ from Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s memory fragments. To be exact, I only learned how to control, absorb, and refine another person¡¯s blood. I wasn¡¯t able to learn how to refine the Children of Blood Demon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. The Children of Blood Demon is easily the best part of the ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯. In fact, it is the core of the cultivation art.¡± Chu Qingge consoled him, ¡°But maybe this is for the better. The method to create the Children of Blood Demon is abhorring, heartless, and horrifying. The warriors of the Orthodox Way would have attacked you if they knew that you practiced the Children of Blood Demon, and the Blood Demon Sect would personallye after you as well.¡±

    ¡°The Blood Demon Sect?¡± Ye Qing looked at the corpses littered across the ground and asked, ¡°What is the Blood Demon Sect? Is it a sect that Shangguan Wuwo founded?¡±

    Chu Qingge replied, ¡°No, but he was the main reason the sect was founded.¡±

    ¡°A long time ago, Shangguan Wuwo recruited a disciple called Xue Yue and taught him everything about the ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯. After Xue Yue mastered the cultivation art, he used his newfound powers to wreak havoc in the <i>jianghu </i>and founded the Blood Demon Sect. Heter imed that Shangguan Wuwo was the founder of the sect, but Shangguan Wuwo himself had never epted the title.¡±

    ¡°Later, Xue Yue murdered a lot of innocents to create the Children of Blood Demon, which earned him the fury ire of the Orthodox warriors. The sects came together under One Righteous Way, Dragon Tiger Mountain and True Martial Sect and attacked the Blood Demon Sect with the goal of annihting them once and for all.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, not only did the movement fail to eliminate the sectpletely, it was showing signs of life as ofte. These people imed that they are disciples of the Blood Demon Sect, and their martial arts prove that that is the case.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. No wonder Chu Qingge had killed them without mercy.

    It was at this moment Chu Qingge patted Ye Qing on the shoulder. Caught off guard, Ye Qing asked her, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you removed the Little Shoulder Ghost?¡±

    Chu Qingge¡¯s hand froze for half a breath before she replied in an emotionless voice, ¡°I forgot.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Well, we all forget things sometimes.</i>

    ¡°How many people did you let go, how long were they gone, and which direction have they disappeared to?¡± Ye Qing asked suddenly.

    ¡°Five, they weren¡¯t gone for long, and they were headed toward the center.¡± Chu Qingge asked tentatively, ¡°Are you nning to...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what you think.¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°The disciples of the Blood Demon Sect are hopeless criminals anyway, and this is our opportunity to break free from the Little Shoulder Ghost permanently.¡±

    Besides that, these people knew he epted Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s inheritance. If they lived long enough to spread the news, he would¡¯ve gained yet another new enemy.

    Sure, there was a high chance they wouldn¡¯t recognize him since he had altered his appearance, but he would rather be safe than sorry.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Ye Qing dashed down the direction Chu Qingge had pointed him to.

    ¡°It¡¯s an eptable n.¡± Chu Qingge smirked and followed behind him.

    ......

    ¡°Dammit! Who the fuck is that bitch? She¡¯s unbelievably strong!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Thank goodness we managed to escape, or she would¡¯ve killed us all.¡±

    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! If it wasn¡¯t for her, we would have obtained the founder¡¯s inheritance. Fuck!¡±

    ¡°What do we do now? The entire reason we came here is to obtain the founder¡¯s inheritance, but now, it was stolen by a thief. How are we going to exin this to the head?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve memorized that bastard¡¯s appearance. The head would forgive us so long as we carry the information back to him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    It was at this moment someone asked, ¡°By the way, does anyone know where we are right now?¡±

    ¡°The inner area of the Demon¡¯s Tomb. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Someone answered. The guy nched. ¡°Oh shit! We need to leave immediately! I heard that the inner area of the Demon¡¯s Tomb is beyond dangerous! The slightest misstep could cost us our lives!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a chicken. Nothing has happened to us yet, has it?¡± Another disciple replied mockingly.

    As soon as he said this, a strange song suddenly entered their ears:

    ¡°White hat, ck hat, everyone¡¯s a small hat!¡±

    ¡°Red hat, green hat, everyone¡¯s a flower hat!¡±

    ¡°Cyan hat, blue hat, everyone¡¯s a round hat!¡±

    ¡°Lla...¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah...¡±

    ¡°Ya ya ya...¡±

    ¡°Little hat, flower hat, round hat...¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s a beautiful, good hat!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe...¡±

    ¡°Hehehe...¡±

    ¡°Hehehe...¡±

    As the strange song continued, multiple hats flew toward the group from somewhere.

    There were colorful hats that were ck, white, blue, green and more; and shapely hats that were big or small, square or round. But regardless of their color, shape and size, every hat was glowing slightly likenterns and singing with a child¡¯s voice.

    As the childish singing continued, the hats started bobbing up and down, left and right. They were swaying along with the melody.

    Before they knew it, the five Blood Demon Sect disciples started bobbing up and down, left and right together with the tune as well.

    <i>Come, let¡¯s shake it together!</i>

    This continued for a time until their bodies started flickering between colors all of a sudden. Sometimes they were ck, and sometimes they were white. Sometimes they were red, and sometimes they were green.

    Then, their body started shrinking¡ªno,pressed by some sort of magical, inexplicable power. Eventually, they transformed into various hats and joined the troupe of hats, singing and dancing as one.

 Chapter 286: Ghost Song

    <h4>Chapter 286: Ghost Song </h4>

    ¡°Gulp...¡±

    Ye Qing and Chu Qingge arrived just in time to see the five Blood Demon Sect disciples turning into hats.

    There was no gore, no screams, no struggle. They just... transformed into hats as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

    From an observer¡¯s perspective though, well. Ye Qing felt a chill shooting from the bottom of his feet all the way to the top of his skull.

    It wasn¡¯t like those five Blood Demon Sect disciples were weaklings. They were allte-stage Astral Refiners. However, the Stranger¡ªor was it an Anomaly?¡ªstill turned them into hats with almost no effort at all.

    Even worse was the fact that at least twenty hats were floating in the sky. How many of them were humans before?

    ¡°Uwah!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing heard a baby¡¯s cry behind him. At the same time, a baby with red eyes and a pair of wings manifested into existence. It was approaching Ye Qing when it saw the hats in the sky and abruptly burst into tears. Terrified beyond belief, it slipped into the void and disappeared just like that.

    ¡°Was that... the Little Shoulder Ghost? The hats scared off the Little Shoulder Ghost?!¡±

    Clearly, the Little Shoulder Ghost was nning to give him a tap on the shoulder just now. However, the sight of the hats had scared it away.

    Just how scary were the hats?

    ¡°We need to go.¡±

    Next to Ye Qing, Chu Qingge suddenly nched as if she recalled something. ¡°We need to go now. To the center!¡±

    She took off in a burst of speed, and Ye Qing was right behind her. Ye Qing had zero intentions of being anywhere close to the hats, though unlike Chu Qingge, he was nning to escape to the outskirts instead of the center. Since the Little Shoulder Ghost, there was no longer any reason for them to stick together.

    Ye Qing ultimately changed his mind, however. Judging from Chu Qingge¡¯s bloodless face, she probably knew what those hats were. In that case, he must take her words seriously.

    The duo had just made a move when the hats started dancing toward them. They looked slow, but in reality they had covered a long distance in just the blink of an eye. The childish song was growing louder and louder as well.

    Ye Qing¡¯s consciousness immediately blurred when the song grew louder. He started feeling the inexplicable desire to dance ording to the tune.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to the song! Seal your hearing and keep a clear head!¡±

    Chu Qingge immediately noticed Ye Qing¡¯s unusual reaction and shouted on top of her lungs. It was enough to jolt Ye Qing back to reality.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ye Qing mouthed and sealed his hearing immediately. It was only then he felt much better.

    The hats were still gaining on them, however, so he pushed ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± to its limit and dashed to the center of the Mountain of Demons at top speed.

    As it turned out, they weren¡¯t the only ones who were being pursued. Ye Qing and Chu Qingge quickly realized that a number of people were also running toward the center of the Mountain of Demons like beaten dogs, and they were all being chased by a certain number of hats.

    Worse, the hats¡¯ power seemed to increase after they met up with each other. Sealing their hearing had worked for a time, but over, their countermeasure became useless. It was because the childish song appeared directly inside their heads as if it had forged some sort of telepathic connection with them.

    Those with weaker spirits were unable to withstand the song¡¯s corruption for long. One moment they were running, and the next they were swaying left and right. Ye Qing noticed that the time it took for them to transform into all kinds of colorful hats had shortened as well. The weaklings were quickly subsumed into the singing army of hats.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, their numbers just kept growing and growing. It was like this whole graveyard was full of hats. Ye Qing could almost believe that the graveyard was really a theater where countless people and hats were dancing to a catchy tune.

    He felt neither the joy nor the rxation he normally felt in a theater, however. In fact, he was a little out of breath.

    No one was fighting each other right now. They were all running to the center like their lives depended on it.

    Orthodox warriors and unorthodox warriors only red daggers at each other,

    Sworn enemies only scoffed at one another before running off in different directions,

    And friends exchanged bitter chuckles as if saying: Yo! You¡¯re on the run too?

    Right here and now, there was no such thing as orthodoxy or unorthodoxy; grudge or friendship. There was only fast or slow, life or death.

    Those with a fast pair of legs would live, and those without would die!

    About half an incense stickter, the hats finally stopped singing and came to a stop.

    Naturally, everyone else came to a stop as well.

    The hats hadn¡¯t suddenly found their conscience, of course. No, they had just entered a ce where even the hat Strangers were wary of.

    Ye Qing scanned his surroundings quickly and quickly discovered that their location didn¡¯t have a single gravestone. There was only a massive tree.

    It would¡¯ve been better if he hadn¡¯t looked. His and everyone else¡¯s face turned deathly white in an instant.

    The tree was extremely tall and massive. There were vines stretching down from its branches, and hanging at the end of these vines were bodies. Lots and lots of bodies.

    The good news was that the vines weren¡¯t wrapped around the bodies. The bad news was that they were piercing right through the skull. Even worse news was the bodies slowly turning around to face the group as if they were watching them as well. It was a spine-chilling moment to put it mildly.

    Thankfully, the bodies didn¡¯t do anything besides staring at them. Over time, everyone began to rx.

    Most <i>Jianghu </i>warriors possessed great adaptability.

    ¡°Huh? There¡¯s a stele over here!¡± Someone suddenly shouted. That¡¯s right. A stele, not a gravestone. Ye Qing looked and saw what the man was referring to amidst a bunch of tall, dead grass.

    Two lines were engraved to the stele: ¡°Sanctuary of the Mountain of Demons. Keep away.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose as he began to ponder the words¡¯ meaning.

    <i>The sanctuary of the Mountain of Demons probably refers to the center and heart of the Graveyard of Demons. Pretty straightforward. </i>

    <i>The second line is even more straightforward. Keep away. Nothing else needs to be said besides that.</i>

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose again as he nced back and forth between the stele and the sea of hats outside. Now this was what they called stuck between a rock and a hard ce.

    A lot of people shared his sentiment and wore nervous expressions as well.

    It was at this moment a young Taoist wearing an Eight Trigram Daoist robe with a yellow dragon sewn to the sleeves spoke up, ¡°Worry not, everyone. Those hats are the Ghost Song, and they will leave once their patience wears thin. We¡¯ll be able to leave when that happens.¡±

    ¡°Ghost Song? What¡¯s a Ghost Song?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know what a Ghost Song is, and you came to the Demon¡¯s Tomb? You must have a death wish!¡±

    A man with a stern face and carrying a ghost-faced saber scoffed in disdain as soon as the question was asked. The eyes of the skull that made up the saber¡¯s crossguard also lit up and smashed its teeth together to create a strangeugh.

    The inquirer looked like he wanted to mouth a retort, but as soon as he caught sight of the man who insulted him, he immediately fell silent. He seemed to be deathly afraid of the man.

    It was at this moment a cold voice spoke up, ¡°Ghost Song is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger with no fixed shape or form. It loves singing, but anyone who hears its song would be a part of it.¡±

    When Ye Qing looked, he discovered that the speaker was none other than Luo Zhan, one of the Pacification Bureau members Hong Jianglong had brought with him.

    The man carrying the ghost-faced saber seemed displeased, but he ultimately didn¡¯t say anything.

    Luo Zhan ignored him and continued, ¡°The hats you¡¯re seeing are all a part of the Ghost Song.¡±

    The group broke out in cries of shock, fear, or both. Even Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise. He had thought that each hat was an individual Stranger, but Luo Zhan had corrected his misunderstanding.

    ¡°The Ghost Song may only be a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, but it is extremely difficult to kill it or shake it off. The Ghost Song also possesses multiple forms, and the hats we¡¯re seeing are but one of its many forms. This particr form possesses the power to curse all those who listen to its song into a hat.¡±

    ¡°Some forms of Ghost Song could transform humans into all kinds of livestocks, some could afflict them with terrible diseases, some could kill without a trace and more.¡±

    ¡°What... What should we do then?¡± A terrified warrior asked when he heard this.

    ¡°We wait!¡± Luo Zhan dered. ¡°The Ghost Song can only exist for a certain amount of time. When their time is up, they would automatically disappear into nothing. We only need to wait until then to be safe.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Someone asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Hmph! Why are you wasting your breath on these people, Luo Zhan?¡± The man carrying the ghost-faced saber sneered. ¡°You did them a favor, and they don¡¯t even believe you!¡±

    Luo Zhan replied indifferently, ¡°I speak because I chose to speak. Just the same, it is their choice whether to believe me or not. Not that I care even if they didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°...¡± <i>If you don¡¯t care, then why say anything at all?</i>

    The man carrying the ghost-faced saber was Zhong Ji, the ¡°Ghost Saber¡±. He cultivated a cultivation art called the ¡°Ghost King Sutra¡±, which warped him into a gloomy, ruthless, and somewhat twisted person. Zhong Ji himself thought that his personality was pretty twisted, but Luo Zhan had proven to be an even stranger man than he was.

    As Luo Zhan said, the Ghost Song started fading about half a teatimeter. It didn¡¯t fly away or disappear with a poof as Ye qing thought it would, however. Instead, the hats dissolved into colorful fog that converged into a massive, sky-blotting silhouette.

    Judging from its curvy figure, it was probably a woman.

    The woman started singing a sad, ancient song then. Full of longing and sorrow, it sounded like a tune one might y during a funeral. Despite themselves, tears started sliding down everyone¡¯s cheeks uncontrobly.

    Thankfully, the song didn¡¯t seem harmful like the one before. The silhouette and the mournful song eventually disappearedpletely.

    ¡°Alright. The Ghost Song is gone. If you wish to leave, now is the best time to do so,¡± The Taoist from before spoke up. ¡°Also, the Strangers and anomalies within the graveyard would be temporarily inactive before and after its appearance. You shouldn¡¯t encounter any danger along the way.¡±

 Chapter 287: Fungus Tree

    <h4>Chapter 287: Fungus Tree </h4>

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to leave, Brother Huang Yu?¡±

    Everyone let out a sigh of relief when the Ghost Song was gone, but now that threat was over, they were starting to get funny ideas again.

    The young Taoist named Huang Yu smiled but did not respond to their question.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to head deeper, aren¡¯t you? Can you tell us what¡¯s inside the center, Brother Huang?¡± No one here was stupid. They figured out Huang Yu¡¯s n immediately.

    ¡°Brother Huang, this is the Graveyard of Demons. The opportunities in this ce are not yours alone to take. Since you hail from a distinguished sect, surely you¡¯re not nning to im all the profits for yourself, right?¡±

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t! Brother Huang is the disciple of Trueman Yellow Dragon. He wouldn¡¯t sully his own reputation!¡±

    ¡°Indeed! Brother Huang is a kind, big-hearted man. He would never do such a thing!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re right.¡±

    It sounded like everyone was praising Huang Yu, but in reality they were forcing him to reveal what he knew about the center of the Graveyard of Demons. If he refused to divulge his secret, then he would surely be attacked by everyone.

    ¡°May the heavens¡¯ blessing be with you,¡± Huang Yu chanted while performing a salute. Despite knowing that the <i>jianghu </i>warriors were threatening him, he replied amiably, ¡°I¡¯m not keeping it a secret on purpose. I just don¡¯t want you all to lose your lives.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Are you suggesting that the secret is so terrifying that even listening to it might cost us our lives?¡± A brawny, ferocious-looking manughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I, Cheng Pu, don¡¯t believe in superstition!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m no one special, but I¡¯m a bold guy. Why don¡¯t you tell me the secret and see if it can actually scare me to death?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Brother Huang. Just tell us already!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. You mean well, but it looks like everyone think you¡¯re just trying to be selfish, Huang Yu!¡± A woman wearing a half-transparent veil giggled.

    The woman had aely face and a shapely figure. The fact that her robes were thin and revealing did nothing to stop the re of lust that everyone felt when they looked at her.

    ¡°If you won¡¯t say it, then I¡¯ll say it for you.¡±

    ¡°Past this tree is the true center of the Mountain of Demons, the Guixu. Everyone buried there is a champion of champions who once shaped the world with their might. For example, the ¡®Sword Demon¡¯ Gudu Wuxing, the ¡®Joy King¡¯ Luo Qianqiu, the ¡®Demonic Sovereign of Six Desires¡¯ Yu Wuxin, the ¡®Heretical One¡¯ Ying Ruoxu and more.¡±

    Every time she mentioned a name, she would drag it out on purpose as if drawing out the <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ desires. And it worked. Their breathing grew heavier, andplexion grew redder as they clung onto every word. It was because the names she mentioned were so famous that everyone and their mothers knew about them. They might not be invincible under the heavens, but they were still one of a kind.

    For example, the ¡°Sword Demon¡± Gudu Wuxing was a famous swordsman who was never defeated for as long as he lived. One iron sword was all he needed to triumph over the <i>jianghu.</i>

    The ¡°Joy King¡± Luo Qianqiu was a free man who traveled all over the world and got himself involved with all kinds of worldly affairs for fun. He might be no noble, but everyone who knew him thought him as a king of his own right.

    The ¡°Heretical One¡± Ying Ruoxu was a man who did whatever he wanted. There were countless people who hated and resented him to this day, but there were also many who respected and feared him.

    Deeply satisfied with the crowd¡¯s reactions, the woman continued with a giggle, ¡°The Guixu is the true Graveyard of Demons. The graves we encountered outside came after the Guixu.¡±

    ¡°Is she lying or telling the truth?¡± Ye Qing asked Chu Qingge with a whisper.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying,¡± Chu Qingge replied without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anyone from Yin Mountain Pce entering the Guixu, not to mention that they simply don¡¯t possess the strength to do so.¡±

    ¡°Just because you haven¡¯t heard of it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that it isn¡¯t true, does it?¡± Ye Qing asked suspiciously.

    Chu Qingge exined, ¡°The ¡®Sword Demon¡¯ Gudu Wuxing is a member of the Gudu n, and he had died in his n¡¯s Swordsgrave. Therefore, there is no chance he would be buried in the Guixu.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Joy King¡¯ Luo Qianqiu is really the royal descendant of the previous dynasty, and he once colluded with imperial officials and <i>jianghu </i>warriors in hopes of starting a rebellion. He waster captured and imprisoned in the Frozen Pond of Sky Prison for life. He was cremated after he died, and his ashes were scattered across the mountains and rivers. Naturally, Luo Qianqiu didn¡¯t have a grave or a cenotaph, so how could he have a grave in the Demon¡¯s Tomb?¡±

    Ye Qing watched Chu Qingge closely as if trying to discern if she was lying. <i>If what you said is true, then why is everyone believing her?</i>

    Once again, it was like Chu Qingge could read his mind. ¡°None of this information were publicized, so it¡¯s perfectly normal for these ignorant people to know nothing about it. I don¡¯t know if the Demon Sovereign of Six Desires and the Heretical One are buried here though.¡±

    At this point, Ye Qing was almost certain that Chu Qingge was telling him the truth, which meant that that seductive woman was lying out of her ass to fan the mes. What a terrible person!

    ¡°And why are you telling them about all this, Yu Feifei? It¡¯s not like anyone can enter the Guixu, much less these useless pieces of garbage,¡± Zhong Ji sneered.

    Yu Feifei pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and giggled. ¡°Because they want to hear about it. It¡¯s that simple. As for whether they possess the courage and strength to head in, that¡¯s not my problem, is it?¡±

    ¡°You have too much time on your hands!¡± Zhong Ji scoffed. He then strode right past the stele and into the Guixu, disappearing into the darkness in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Hmph! And here I thought it would actually be dangerous. Where¡¯s the danger?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Why would anyone be afraid to enter the Guixu if there¡¯s no danger?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, you guys keep chatting. I¡¯m heading in first.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, bud!¡±

    ¡°Here Ie, seniors!¡±

    It was like someone had unclogged the rock sitting atop their fountain of greed and desire when Zhong Ji had entered the center of the Mountain of Demons safely, not to mention that they could never resist the names ¡°Sword Demon¡±, ¡°Joy King¡±, ¡°Demon Sovereign of Six Desires¡± and more.

    If they could obtain their inheritance or even just a speck of their possessions, they would be set for life.

    They weren¡¯t stupid, of course. They knew that there was likely no chance they would actually obtain what they wished for. Even so, they would rather shoot for the moon than not at all. After all, you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don¡¯t take.

    And who could say they would never seed? One had to get stupidly lucky at least a couple of times in life, right?

    For the sake of their future, for the sake of that what if, they were willing to gamble with their lives.

    ¡°Fools!¡± Chu Qinggemented.

    ¡°Greed is a powerful motivator!¡± Ye Qing shrugged. Hepletely understood the <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ sentiment if nothing else.

    Chu Qingge replied with indifferent eyes, ¡°In this case, it¡¯s going to cost them their lives.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing asked, but he got his answer before Chu Qingge could say anything. A group of <i>jianghu </i>warriors had just reached the tree when suddenly, they scattered about in panic. It was because the bodies hanging on the vines suddenly opened their arms and caught the nearest warriors in a deadly embrace.

    No one here was a weakling¡ªthose who were were already dead¡ªbut those who were caught couldn¡¯t break free no matter how hard they struggled. Even scarier was the fact that the corpses grew countless long, branching, fmentous fungal threads that crawled into their body through the pores, mouth, eyes, ears and more.

    It wasn¡¯t long before fungus of all kinds burst out of their bodies. There were white mushrooms, red mushrooms, tree fungus, lion¡¯s mane, and even lingzhi. It was like they had transformed into a mushroom incubator.

    The <i>jianghu </i>warriors still weren¡¯t dead, however. They were still struggling to break free. But the fiercer their struggle, the faster and more colorful the fungus grew.

    When all of the fungus had reached full maturity, they swelled bigger and bigger until they abruptly exploded into clouds of blood red spores. As the spores touched the surviving <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ skin or entered their body through their mouth and nostrils, fungus began growing on their bodies as well.

    In just a dozen breaths or so, almost everyone waspletely covered in fungus. It looked just like a mushroom farm.

    ¡°Gulp...¡±

    To say that Ye Qing was horrified by this turn of events would be an understatement. The one silver lining was that the red spores wasn¡¯t spreading in their direction. More urately, it looked like some sort of strange power was keeping it from spreading. If that wasn¡¯t the case, he would¡¯ve run off a long time ago.

    It was at this moment Chu Qingge said, ¡°It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    As if on cue, countless vines dropped down from the tree branch and pierced through the <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ skull. Then, it pulled them into the air. Their struggles eventually ceased, and the mushrooms and fungus on their body stopped growing as well. The way they glowed slightly in the dark was both eerie and beautiful.

    ¡°That exins why the previous corpses were covered in mushrooms.¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization as he recalled the withered fungus he saw on the dead bodies.

    ¡°This tree is most likely the Fungus Tree, a rare Stranger,¡± said Chu Qingge after looking away from the body and examining the tree for a bit.

    ¡°This is the Fungus Tree? I¡¯ve read about it, but this is the first time I saw it in person,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    The Fungus Tree was a Stranger that indiscriminately transformed all living creatures within its range be it flora or fauna into its host.

    It was said that the fungus growing on the Fungus Tree was actually edible. In fact, it was the natural food for those people who lived in ces where food sources were scarce.

    However, those Fungus Trees were usually as big as a shrub only. A Fungus Tree that was over fifty meters tall and had a massive tree trunk was practically unheard of.

    ¡°These mushrooms should be pretty delicious!¡± Ye Qing said suddenly while rubbing his nose.

    Chu Qingge replied matter-of-factly, ¡°They¡¯re both delicious and nutritious.¡±

    ¡°The stronger the host, the better the fungus it grows. In fact, these mushrooms are as effective as certain medicines and food, if not more so. It¡¯s why Tai An and some dignitaries privately raised Fungus Trees to farm their mushrooms.¡±

    Ye Qing looked tempted. ¡°Now I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    Luo Zhan: ¡°...¡±

    Huang Yu: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone else: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Are you guys serious?</i>

    <i>If you are, are you guys alright in the head?</i>

    ¡°As you can see, not everyone can enter this ce.¡± Luo Zhan nced at those whogged behind the initial group and so was lucky enough not to get caught in the death trap before adding, ¡°Do as you see fit.¡±

    With that, Luo Zhan strode into the Guixu as well. He didn¡¯t forget to give Chu Qingge an imperceptible nod when he was walking past her.

 Chapter 288: The Giant Carries A Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 288: The Giant Carries A Mountain</h4>

    ¡°Is he suicidal?¡± The survivors were shocked by Luo Zhan¡¯s action, but they were even more shocked by what happened next. It was because the Fungus Tree hadn¡¯t attacked him after he entered its range. In fact, the vines actually moved the corpses away and opened up a path for him.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Everyone looked stunned when Luo Zhan finally stepped out of sight.

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m heading in as well! Have fun!¡± Yu Feifei, the woman who had masterminded the ughter, bade everyone goodbye before entering the Guixu as well. Just like Luo Zhan, she wasn¡¯t attacked by the Fungus Tree.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why aren¡¯t they attacked by the Fungus Tree?¡± The group subconsciously looked to Huang Yu for answers.

    As expected, Huang Yu performed a salute and answered their question, ¡°Guixu is the ce where many seniors and able people are resting in peace. Naturally, not everyone is allowed to enter the ce.¡±

    ¡°The stele says to keep away, but it only refers to those whock the necessary karma and destiny.¡±

    ¡°Karma and destiny?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully.

    Huang Yu exined, ¡°Buddhists speak of karma, Taoists speak of destiny, and even themon people speak of bonds both loose and tight. If you wish to enter the Guixu, then you must possess the necessary karma or destiny with a senior who¡¯s resting inside the ce. In simpler terms, you must be rted to them.¡±

    ¡°For example, someone who possesses a senior¡¯s relic can enter this ce. If you are a senior¡¯s descendant or have received some sort of inheritance from them in the past, then you may enter the ce as well.¡±

    ¡°Since those people weren¡¯t tied to the Guixu in karma or destiny, they were killed. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡±

    ¡°To demand something that isn¡¯t destined for you is to invite tragedy.¡±

    The crowd was silent for a moment. Then, someone yelled at Huang Yu usingly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us this sooner? Those people wouldn¡¯t have died if you had!¡±

    Huang Yu¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter in the slightest. ¡°Would you believe me had I told you about it?¡±

    Some people opened their mouths, but no sound came out. It was because no one could refute his point. Not only would they disbelieve him, they would even think that Huang Yu was lying to im all the spoils for himself.

    Such was human nature. Loyal advice jarred on the ears, and humans wouldn¡¯t truly believe anything until they had experienced something with their own body.

    ¡°Also, I had warned you all beforehand. You just didn¡¯t believe me,¡± Huang Yu put the final nail in the coffin. ¡°So you have no grounds to resent or hate me.¡±

    ¡°May the heavens¡¯ blessing be with you.¡±

    With that, Huang Yu turned around and stepped into the Gui Xu as well.

    After Huang Yu was gone, Chu Qingge looked at Ye Qing and said, ¡°Come. It¡¯s our turn now.¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± Ye Qing blinked. ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay here. I don¡¯t have a death wish, you see?¡±

    Ye Qing was pretty sure that neither he, the interdimensional interloper, nor the original Ye Qing had anything to do with the seniors in this ce whatsoever.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am here.¡±

    Chu Qingge exined, ¡°Just stay close to me and don¡¯t go further than one-third of a meter, and the Fungus Tree wouldn¡¯t attack you.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Are you sure?¡± Ye Qing was surprised to hear that.

    Chu Qingge confirmed. ¡°Yes. So long as you stay within one-third of a meter of me, the Fungus Tree would treat you like an extension of myself and refrain from attacking you.¡±

    ¡°But of course, I won¡¯t press you if you truly have no desire to enter the center.¡±

    Ye Qing considered this for a moment before nodding. ¡°In that case, thank you.¡±

    Of course he didn¡¯t want to miss the opportunity. Even if he got nothing out of this venture, he would rather have lived through the experience than otherwise.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±

    After Chu Qingge took the lead, Ye Qing fell in behind her. One third of a meter wasn¡¯t a long distance at all, so Ye Qing was forced to walk almost directly behind her. They were so close he could smell her elegant, quiet[1] scent clearly.

    Right before they would enter the Fungus Tree¡¯s range, three <i>jianghu </i>warriors abruptly raced forward to attack them.

    <i>Heh. I knew they would do this.</i>

    As if they had predicted this would happen, Ye Qing turned left to face the man who was targeting him, and Chu Qingge turned right to fight the two warriors targeting her.

    Ye Qing¡¯s opponent was a short but muscr early-stage Spirit Purifier. A hint of disdain flickered in his eyes when Ye Qing was reaching out to grab him.

    His name was Lei Meng, and he was born with supernatural strength. An elder of the Mountain Mover Sect took him in as a direct disciple and taught him their ultimate art, the ¡®Moving Mountains¡¯.

    ¡°Moving Mountains¡± was a torturous body-tempering cultivation art that, at the adept level, could imbue the practitioner with the power to move mountains and seas. It was a cultivation art with massive potential.

    Of course, Lei Meng was far from reaching the adept level, but he was still far stronger than any one of his peers. He was an outstanding warrior in the <i>jianghu </i>of Tian Yong<i>, </i>and he was a body-tempering warrior with one dragon elephant strength. He was nicknamed the ¡°King of Moving Mountains¡± because of this.

    This was why Lei Meng was skeptical. Instead of sting him with astral qi or something, Ye Qing was clearly nning to challenge him to a bout of strength. It was like lighting antern in a toiletmiting suicide. Not that he minded, of course.

    Lei Meng hadn¡¯t heard Ye Qing and Chu Qingge¡¯s conversation, but since the young man dared to enter the Guixu, he must possess ¡°something¡± that would allow him to enter the Guixu. If not, he could still use his body to achieve the same oue. If he seeded, then the opportunities, inheritances, treasures and more were all his.

    ¡°Hahaha! You only have your own stupidity to me, boy!¡± He taunted.

    From his perspective, Ye Qing was just ate-stage Astral Refiner, while most of them were Spirit Purifiers. If he was Ye Qing, he would¡¯ve waited until everyone was gone or distracted before slipping into the Guixu. Instead, this guy was waltzing right in like he owned the ce. Just how audacious was he?

    <i>Do you think you¡¯re Luo Zhan or Huang Yu?</i>

    <i>You should¡¯ve known this would happen!</i>

    The other two warriors were most likely plotting the same thing even though their target was the young woman. She too was a Spirit Purifier, but she didn¡¯t really look very strong.

    Right before their hands would touch one another, Lei Meng abruptly changed his move and grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s wrist instead.

    ¡°Get over here!¡± He roared and pulled Ye Qing to his side¡ªor at least, he tried to. Not only did Ye Qing remain exactly where he was, he was the one who staggered a little.

    ¡°Hmph. So you¡¯re strong. But are you stronger than me?!¡±

    Lei Meng grunted and unleashed his full strength. The ground beneath him shattered as he pulled Ye Qing with all his might.

    Once.

    Twice.

    Thrice.

    Lei Meng¡¯s face turned bright red with exertion, and his legs sank all the way to his knees. That was how much strength he was exerting. However, Ye Qing still didn¡¯t budge an inch. To Lei Meng¡¯s senses, Ye Qing was like a massive mountain that he couldn¡¯t move no matter what he tried, which was ironic considering his learned martial art.

    ¡°Is that it? Did you forget to eat dinner before entering the Graveyard of Demons? Who do you think you¡¯re robbing with such pathetic strength? A baby?¡±

    By now, Lei Meng noticed that he had gravely misjudged his opponent. He immediately let go of Ye Qing¡¯s wrist and tried to retreat, but of course Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to let him. As soon as Lei Meng let go, Ye Qing grabbed his wrist and did a little tug, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be sad! Here, I¡¯ll treat you to some mushrooms. They¡¯re very tasty andpletely free.¡±

    An unstoppable strength like nothing Lei Meng had ever felt uprooted him from the ground. The next thing he knew, he was flying through the air and sprouting all kinds of mushrooms and fungus on his body.

    <i>It smells delicious.</i>

    That was Lei Meng¡¯s final thought before his consciousness vanished, and he fell into eternal darkness.

    Meanwhile, Chu Qingge had dealt with her opponents as well. If Ye Qing¡¯s method of dealing with Lei Meng was coarse and brutish, then hers was elegant andely. She unleashed her Stunning Dragon Fist, Qilin Palm, Rainbow Phoenix Step and more and sessfully murdered the two warriors without breaking a sweat. One warrior had his heart shattered, and the other had a hole in his head. They werepletely and utterly dead.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After taking out the two enemies, Chu Qingge dusted her clothes with a finger and resumed her stride. Neither the anger of being ambushed nor the arrogance of killing her ambushers could be spotted from her face. It was like she had just squashed a pair of ants.

    More urately, everyone present was an ant to Chu Qingge.

    Ye Qing shot the crowd onest look. They still looked tempted, but no one dared to do a thing after the ruthless disy of power. He shrugged and followed Chu Qingge into the Guixu.

    This was the <i>jianghu;</i> the strong feeding on the weak!

    And so Ye Qing followed Chu Qingge past the stele and the Fungus Tree. As soon as he passed through the darkness, he felt a chill and a sudden mental shudder.

    As it turned out, the air in the Guixu was filled with thick, refined demonic qi. In fact, they were thick enough to transform into all sorts of mirages such as mountains, seas, clouds, pces and more gorgeous sceneries.

    Strangely, the demonic qi didn¡¯t feel evil or tainted at all. In fact, Ye Qing could sense a sliver of profoundness and Dao from them.

    One might say that the demonic qi outside was but a drop in the true ocean that resided in the Guixu.

    ¡°This ce is practically paradise to a follower of the Dark Ways!¡± Ye Qing sighed. Seriously, he was certain that a demonic warrior could save years of hard work just cultivating here and doing nothing. It was a shame he wasn¡¯t one.

    ¡°Keep a clear head and don¡¯t let your guard down. The demonic qi here is too rich and pure. It might seem harmless, but it can influence your mind and soul without you noticing. If you¡¯re not careful, you would be possessed by demonic thoughts and fall into the Dark Ways.¡±

    Chu Qingge manifested a circle of light that pushed the demonic qi away before continuing, ¡°In fact, there were many people who were corrupted by demonic qi and possessed by demonic thoughts after entering the Demon¡¯s Tomb. They might not realize it at first, but once they return to the real world, the demonic thoughts would feed on their desires and experiences and eventually coerce them off the right path.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Thank you for the warning,¡± replied Ye Qing. In fact, he had visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and protected his mind the second he entered the Guixu. His rxed expression was just a ruse.

    He didn¡¯t do anything to protect his body though. Right now, his body was like a natural furnace with the sun at its core. Any demonic qi that invaded his body would be refined and uprooted instantly.

    Chu Qingge nodded and resumed her stride. Ye Qing followed closely behind her while scanning his surroundings carefully.

    For a time, they didn¡¯t encounter any grave or gravestone. They didn¡¯t run into Luo Zhan, Huang Yu and everyone else who had entered before them either. The ce was deathly silent save for the ever-changing mirages. In just a dozen steps or so, Ye Qing had witnessed the copse of mountains, the drying of rivers and seas, all manners of clouds, the sunrise, the moonfall, and timpses that stretched across centuries, millennia, and maybe even eons.

    Besides that, he also saw all kinds of unlikely yet magnificent sceneries such as floating forests, reverse-flowing rivers, flying mountains and more.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble...</i>

    Suddenly, a series of loud rumbles interrupted the short moment of peace. The mirages shuddered unnaturally, and the clouds scattered into nothing. When the duo looked, they saw an unbelievably tall giant carrying two mountains on his shoulders and running to heavens-know-where.

    1. Usually I would naturalize this, but for some reason I wanna try something authentic this time. I mean, it can¡¯t be weirder than jade skin, right? ?

 Chapter 289: Hill In Lake, The Holy Son Climbs A Hill

    <h4>Chapter 289: Hill In Lake, The Holy Son Climbs A Hill </h4>

    The giant was baring its upper body and wearing animal skin underneath his waist. Easily over fifty meters tall and extremely muscr, he was the definition of animalistic beauty and strength.

    The giant was carrying two steep and tall mountains on its shoulders, but the way he was moving about with ease, Ye Qing would¡¯ve been convinced if someone told him that he was carrying a pair of bricks. They might as well weigh nothing to him.

    The giant was running swiftly. He crossed over two hundred meters of distance every time he took a step. The ground shook, and any hill or river unfortunate enough to stand in his way were crushed into bits. Demonic qi spilled all over the ce.

    At some point, the giant sucked in a deep breath, and the demonic qi flowed into his chest like a river. Speaking of chest, it sounded like a thunderp¡ªno, a series of thunderps every time his heart thudded. It was an experience unlike any other.

    Throughout this time, the giant never stopped in his tracks. He kept running with the two mountains on his shoulders, stepping over hills and rivers.

    Then, the giant was gone just like that. The only proof of his existence was the thunderous rumbles of his heart and the demonic qi he scattered.

    ¡°What just happened, Miss Chu?¡± Ye Qing asked a little nervously while licking his lips.

    Chu Qingge looked at the spot where the giant had disappeared and answered seriously, ¡°That is a wisp of martial consciousness the champion left behind while he was still alive. Or more urately, it is a physical manifestation of their martial truth.¡±

    ¡°A manifestation of their martial truth?¡± Ye Qing repeated. Martial truths were supposed to be an intangible thing, but the giant had been perfectly real if only for a moment. Just how strong was the giant when he was still alive?

    ¡°Assuming I wasn¡¯t mistaken, that giant was probably the one they called the Mountain Bearer!¡±

    Chu Qingge slowly delved into the Mountain Bearer¡¯s history, ¡°Six hundred years ago, a man named Dan Yue hade across the ancient Pangus¡¯[1] ¡®Pan Emperor Mountain Bearing Sutra¡¯ by ident, a cultivation art that specifically honed the body. As a result, he was able to hone his body almost to its ultimate limit. He could be as small as a mosquito that could slip through the smallest cracks, or he could be a giant that could bear mountains on its shoulder. Hence, he was nicknamed the Mountain Bearer.¡±

    ¡°The Mountain Bearer was immeasurably powerful when he was still alive. Although he was a free spirit who did whatever he wanted and so was denounced by the orthodoxy andbeled as a heretic, he wasn¡¯t actually an evil or vicious person. He once moved the two mountains, Kunchi and Yusui away to make way for the people, dropped a mountain on a river to alter its path and prevent a great flood that would¡¯ve flooded many settlements, and more.¡±

    ¡°Mountain Bearer?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. He too was a body-tempering warrior, so he knew better than most just how much strength was needed to lift an entire mountain. He might possess the strength of five dragon elephants right now, butpared to the Mountain Bearer? Let¡¯s just say that the giant could still squish him like an ant.

    ¡°You seem pretty strong. Would you like to try obtaining his inheritance?¡± Chu Qingge suggested after looking Ye Qing up and down.

    Ye Qing looked tempted, but he ultimately shook his head and said, ¡°Nah. The risk is too high.¡±

    There was a non-zero chance that the guy might identally crush him underfoot, not to mention that he literally couldn¡¯t catch up to the giant even if he moved at top speed.

    ¡°It was just a suggestion,¡± Chu Qingge replied indifferently. It was Ye Qing¡¯s choice whether to heed her suggestion or not.

    ¡°Anyway, this is where we say goodbye, Brother Ye. I¡¯ll see youter.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Nani the fuck? Did she just... dump me?</i>

    Chu Qingge exined as if she could Ye Qing¡¯s mind, ¡°I¡¯m carrying a token that would lead me to a certain senior. The reason I came to the Demon¡¯s Tomb is to obtain his inheritance. If you follow me, this might turn out to be a fruitless journey for you. Besides, it would be inconvenient for us both.¡±

    ¡°Everyone has their own destiny, so it¡¯d be best for everyone if we split up here.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. It was unbelievable how forthright she was, but he didn¡¯t dislike her personality. On the contrary, it was quite refreshing and weing.

    ¡°Oh right. This is for you.¡± Cu Qingge produced a palm-sized, luopan-like object[2]. ¡°This is a Star Compass. It is a must-have for you to navigate this ce safely.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± Ye Qing asked. He didn¡¯t really need the Star Compass because he had the Annon Sutra.

    ¡°I have a Star Compass of my own, of course.¡±

    Chu Qing handed the Star Compass to Ye Qing and instructed, ¡°One more thing. The Graveyard of Demons appears during the night and disappears during the day. If you don¡¯t leave while it¡¯s still nighttime, then you will be stuck here for eternity. Never forget the time no matter what you do.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Thank you for everything,¡± said Ye Qing with a salute. He didn¡¯t think Chu Qingge was heartless or anything for leaving him behind. Strictly speaking, they were barely acquaintances who knew each other for an hour or two at most. If she owed him anything, she had already repaid it all by bringing him to the Guixu, and she didn¡¯t. He would be abusing her good will if he insisted that they stayed together, not to mention that he already knew that this was going to happen eventually.

    ¡°May you get what you wish for, Miss Chu,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly.

    ¡°Thank you. Goodbye.¡± Chu Qingge gave him a wave and went away just like that. She truly was a free and decisive soul.

    ¡°Did you allow your lower head to take over you, boy? I can¡¯t believe you woulde to such a ce! We need to leave immediately!¡±

    As soon as Chu Qingge was gone, the Fog Demon ranted, ¡°Come on! It¡¯s not toote yet!¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°It will be fine. Also, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a shame to leave without having explored at least some parts of this ce?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± The Fog Demon was so furious it couldn¡¯t speak for a time. ¡°Are you actually suicidal?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Rx. If it looks like I¡¯m going to die, I promise I¡¯ll take you to the grave with me.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± As irritated as the Fog Demon might be, it could only obey Ye Qing¡¯s whims.

    With a thought, Ye Qing dissipated the mist surrounding him. The Boundless Mara Buddha shed, and the Fog Demon was abruptly sealed inside the Strange Artifact.

    This was a restriction he had specifically requested while the Fog Demon was being added to the Boundless Mara Buddha. It prevented the Stranger from perceiving the outside world and more importantly, his secrets.

    Although he had signed an Oath of Burden with the Fog Demon and could kill the Stranger with a single thought if he wanted to, there was no such thing as too much caution.

    This was especially true regarding the Annon Sutra. This was a secret he must never reveal to anyone.

    After sealing the Fog Demon, Ye Qing took out the Annon Sutra to ask if there was any opportunity for him in the Guixiu. If the answer was yes, he didn¡¯t mind giving it a go. If not, then he would leave immediately. There was no need to risk his life unnecessarily.

    Normally, he kept the Annon Sutra tucked inside his shirt. He was just about to unfurl it when suddenly, he was struck by a deep sense of unease. It was almost as if something bad might happen if he continued with the action. He might die, he might lose something that was incredibly precious to him, or he might suffer some sort of tragic fate. In any case, nothing good woulde from unfurling the Annon Sutra now.

    Ye Qing immediately tucked the Annon Sutra back under his shirt. It was only then the deep sense of unease disappeared.

    Clearly, the strange unease was a warning from the Annon Sutra.

    The Annon Sutra¡¯s origin was a mystery just like the Guixu, and there were countless martial consciousness, fragments of truth, and even soul fragments in this ce. Now that he thought about it, it was possible that using the Annon Sutra might attract a strange, powerful, unstoppable existence to him.

    ¡°Foo...¡±

    Ye Qing exhaled deeply before releasing the Fog Demon from its restriction. As soon as the Stranger appeared, it let out a cackle. ¡°Were you doing something sneaky, boy?¡±

    ¡°No? It was a punishment because you didn¡¯t know when to shut up!¡± Ye Qing changed the subject, ¡°Anyway, cut the bullshit and keep an eye out for any danger.¡±

    <i>Hmph. Mark my words, I will consume your soul and uncover all of your secrets one day!</i>

    The Fog Demon hmphed inside his head knowing that Ye Qing was lying to his face. But of course, he didn¡¯t even dare to say it to the young man¡¯s face or force him to reveal his secret. After all, his life was literally in Ye Qing¡¯s hand.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t read the Fog Demon¡¯s mind, but even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t have paid its foolish thoughts any heed. He randomly picked a direction and strode toward the unknown.

    Since he couldn¡¯t use the Annon Sutra, he decided to explore the periphery of the Guixu. If he got something out of this, then all was well. If not, then he would book it immediately. It was a good n.

    He had just taken a few steps when the Fog Demon suddenly cried, ¡°What a hugeke! Wait, no, it¡¯s just a mirage made of demonic qi.¡±

    Its warning was unnecessary because Ye Qing¡¯s eyes were no less worse than its. The thick demonic qi hade together to form a hugeke that was calm on the surface¡ªit looked as t and still as a river¡ªbut churning at the bottom.

    There was also a spiral-shaped, upside down hill inside theke. The bottom of the hill was sticking to the surface, and the top of the hill was pointed toward theke bottom.

    Strangely, the hill was wrapped in thick,rge chains that glowed darkly in the water. It seemed to be some sort of shackle.

    There was also a temple at the peak of the hill. He could vaguely see an emaciated monk sitting crosslegged inside the temple.

    The Fog Demon spoke up again, ¡°Boy, I think someone is attempting to climb that hill.¡±

    It was true. In fact, when Ye Qing saw the climber¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help but exim in surprise, ¡°That¡¯s the Holy Son of Maitreya!¡±

    There was a row of stairs leading toward the temple, and considering the Holy Son¡¯s strength, he should have zero problems making his way there. In reality, he was moving at a snail¡¯s pace as if he was carrying a mountain or pushing through some sort of invisible barrier.

    Every time he climbed a step, the demonic qi in theke would churn, and the chains surrounding the hills would shake violently.

    <i>Is that temple where his opportunity lies? </i>Ye Qing guessed.

    Although his footsteps were slow, the Holy Son of Maitreya was slowly but surely approaching the peak. The closer he got, the harder the demonic qi stirred, and the more violent the chains shook.

    ¡°Wait... that¡¯s not a hill! That¡¯s¡ª¡±

    When the ¡°hill¡± started shaking, Ye Qing abruptly realized that it was a hill at all. It was... a giant snail that was shaped like a hill!

    The spiraling hill he saw was really the shell, and the snail¡¯s head was hidden within it. That was why he and the Fog Demon thought it was a hill at the beginning.

    The Holy Son¡¯s action seemed to anger the snail because its head abruptly reached out of its shell and attempted to smash the temple built atop of its shell. It was like a second hill had grown out of the original ¡°hill¡±.

    Unfortunately the chains were preventing it from reaching the temple. No matter how hard the snail struggled, it just couldn¡¯t break free no matter what.

    The temple and the emaciated monk inside the temple were keeping it suppressed.

    1. Pangu is supposed to refer to a specific mythological figure, but in this case it¡¯s Pangu the race. ?

    2. Remember, luopan is a Chinesepass. ?

 Chapter 290: The Incense of Fortune Canâ€™t Be Lit!?

    <h4>Chapter 290: The Incense of Fortune Can¡¯t Be Lit!? </h4>

    <i>Oooooooooo...</i>

    A long and futile struggleter, the snail finally switched up its tactic. A strange energy spread across theke bottom as the snail began secreting some sort of thick, slimy fluid.

    The slimy fluid transformed into countless tentacles and reached out for both the temple and the Holy Son of Maitreya. But as soon as its tentacles made contact with the temple, a ripple of golden light immediately melted it all into pitch ck goo. The snail wailed in pain as the goo rained from above.

    Angry and in pain, the snail kept secreting more slime and creating more tentacles. The form of the tentacles was growing increasingly eldritch as well. They surged toward the temple and the Holy Son of Maitreya from every direction.

    <i>¡°Amitabha¡±</i>

    It was at this moment the old, emaciated monk inside the temple joined his hands in prayer. A Buddha appeared above him and shone as brilliantly as the sun itself.

    The Buddha was none other than Vairocana of the Five Tath¨¡gatas. His brilliant light dissolved the sea of tentacles and even evaporated theke of demonic qi in one go. For a time, not a trace of impurity or darkness could be found in that area. There was only light and pure air. It was like a mini Kingdom of Buddha.

    The snail writhed in pain as its tentacles, slime and body rotted under the power of the all-epassing light. A frustrated roarter, the snail ultimately retreated back into its shell.

    After the snail was gone, the turmoil underneath theke finally subsided. The light faded, and demonic qi filled up theke once more.

    The ¡°hill¡± was the same, the temple was the same, and the old monk was the same as well.

    There was one small but notable difference though. A young monk was now standing in front of the old monk and saluting him respectfully.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t done watching, but the old monk suddenly turned his head and stared straight into his eyes. The next thing he knew, he felt like he was staring into the sun itself. He flinched in pain as tears poured out of his tear ducts profusely.

    By the time the pain disappeared, and Ye Qing could open his eyes again, he discovered that both the ¡°hill¡± and the temple were nowhere to be found.

    ¡°I just want to watch, man! What a petty old monk!¡±

    Obviously, the old monk was the one who blinded him and made the snail and the temple go poof somehow. He wondered if the old monk was still alive, or if it was just a remnant of his consciousness. He also wondered why a monk would reside in the Guixu. This was the <i>Demon¡¯s </i>Tomb after all. Surely there were better ces for him to bury his weary bones? In any case, it wasn¡¯t important.

    ¡°Hmm? Why do I feel so itchy all of a sudden?¡±

    Ye Qing was just about to take his leave when suddenly, he was struck by an itchy sensation. When he attempted to scratch the itch, he realized in shock that there was arge bulge in his neck. He had no idea when or how it got there. Even stranger was the fact that it kept growing and shrinking in intervals. It was also wiggling back and forth as if something was trying to push out of his skin.

    ¡°What the fuck is this!?¡±

    Ye Qing had a very, very bad feeling about this. He immediately clenched his neck muscles in an attempt to crush whatever the hell it was into bits.

    It was futile though. Either the strange object was tougher than he thought, or some sort of strange energy was preventing him from exerting his strength on it.

    Right now, he was so strong that he frightened even himself sometimes, but now he was balked by a simple bulge. It was how he knew he was in deep shit.

    Next, Ye Qing awakened his internal energies and attempted to refine the bulge with his body. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work either.

    Not only that, he could feel the bulge growing bigger and bigger. It was to the point where he felt a hint of weight behind his neck.

    Ye Qing hesitated for a moment but knew drastic measures had to be taken. His eyes grew flinty as he grabbed the bulge with his right hand and ripped it right off his neck.

    ¡°Gah!¡±

    Ye Qing gasped as an entire chunk of his neck was ripped off as well, but there was no time to waste. He immediately squeezed the object in his hand with all his might.

    The oue was as expected as it was disappointing. Despite his prodigious strength, he was unable to put even a dent on it, much less crush it.

    Since it was impossible to crush, Ye Qing decided to change his tactic. He attempted to burn it with the Burning Wind.

    As his own flesh and blood turned into ash, he finally saw the object he was holding for what it was. It was a snail that looked exactly the same as the giant snail in theke down to its very pattern. It was just a million times smaller than before.

    The Burning Wind could supposedly burn anything and everything, but the snail looked perfectly fine. Not only that, it was stretching a little as if it was enjoying a sauna bath. At the same time, it stared at Ye Qing with its pitch ck eyes as if mocking him for his impotence.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>The fuck you looking at? Look at me some more, and I¡¯m gonna...</i>

    Despite his irritation, there was nothing he could do against the snail. He could neither crush it, boil it, or burn it to death. Moreover, it looked exactly the same as the giant snail in theke bottom. He was one hundred percent certain that this mini snail was either its offspring or its body double.

    There was only one thing he could do then. Without hesitation, Ye Qing moved his hand back and tossed the snail back to whence it came; theke.

    ¡°And don¡¯te back!¡±

    That wasn¡¯t all. Ye Qing immediately turned in the opposite direction of theke and dashed off using Illusionist¡¯s Grace at full speed. <i>I might not be able to harm it, but surely I can get the fuck away from it?</i>

    He was gone in the blink of an eye.

    Dozens of breathster, a palm-sized snail slowly climbed onto thekeshore and looked in the direction where Ye Qing had run off to, eyes shing with enigmatic emotion and intent. Then, it slowly chased after Ye Qing. Seriously, it was so slow that it was only a little faster than a regr snail.

    ......

    ¡°Hmm? Why is there a snail here?¡±

    It was at this moment a man appeared next to theke and noticed the snail. He sneered, ¡°How slow you are.¡±

    In response, the snail nced at the guy with clear disdain.

    ¡°Huh! It¡¯s a snail with a personality!¡± The man eximed with a raised eyebrow. Then, he stomped down on the snail and even turned his foot back and forth as if to make sure that the snail would be crushedpletely.

    A few secondster, the man finally withdrew his foot and walked away. He never even bothered to check if the snail was still alive.

    As he was walking, he suddenly felt an itchy sensation behind his neck. He felt a big bulge but thought that it was just a particrly huge mosquito bite or something. He continued on his way after scratching the itch.

    But over time, his neck felt heavier and heavier, and the bulge grew bigger and bigger as well. He tried everything he knew but was unable to crush the bulge.

    Eventually, the bulge grew so heavy that his head was drooping, and his back was bent. The bulge itself had be bigger than a human¡¯s head. It was as if the man had grown a second head.

    The man kept trekking forward despite his condition. His eyes grew dimmer and dimmer until finally, he died.

    His body was still moving, however. While carrying a big bulge behind his neck, he slowly but surely chased after Ye Qing...

    ......

    ¡°Phew... I should be safe now, right?¡± Ye Qing exhaled heavily aftering to a stop. He had been running at top speed for a good few minutes.

    <i>It shouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to me. It¡¯s not its true body, and it¡¯s just a snail. </i>

    ¡°I think so. As far as I can tell, there¡¯s nothing behind us,¡± The Fog Demon replied.

    It was only then Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Do you know what the hell is that thing?¡±

    The Fog Demon replied in a severe tone, ¡°No. Not only have I never seen such a Stranger before, I don¡¯t even know when or how it made its way into your body. How strange!¡±

    ¡°In other words, you¡¯re useless,¡± Ye Qingined.

    The Fog Demon rolled its eyes. <i>Says the guy who ran away like a beaten dog? </i>¡°The snail¡¯s most likely rted to that giant snail that¡¯s suppressed under thatke. I would urge you to be careful and keep your eyes to yourself.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t fucking say?¡± Ye Qing retorted and rolled his eyes right back at the Fog Demon. Can¡¯t a man watch a show anymore?

    The Fog Demon egged Ye Qing again, ¡°Also, and I do wish you¡¯ll listen to my advice this time, but this is no ce for little ol¡¯ you or me. The sooner you get out of this ce, the better it is for all of us!¡±

    If Ye Qing died, then it died. It was afraid for its life to say the least.

    ¡°Eh. Just a little longer!¡± Ye Qing shrugged. The snail was eerie, but it wasn¡¯t so dangerous that he must evacuate the ce as soon as possible. At the very least, escaping it was more than doable.

    Ye Qing tossed the matter regarding the snail behind his head and began searching the area for his opportunity once more. That said, the earlier encounter warned him that the Guixu was even stranger and more dangerous than the graveyard outside. One mistake, and he might not live to see another day. That was why he was on full alert even though he didn¡¯t look like it.

    <i>Hmm, it seems very inefficient to roam aimlessly and pray that I would stumble onto something... oh right. I can light another Incense of Fortune.</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart ached¡ªhe only had six Incense of Fortunes, and he had already used three¡ªbut he ultimately produced an Incense of Fortune from his Nature¡¯s Shell and lit it up.

    He was nning to make more as soon as he got home. After all, the Incense of Fortune was exceedingly useful in certain cases. In fact, it saved his worthless life not long ago.

    ¡°Brother Incense, it¡¯s all up to you now.¡± Ye Qing raised the Incense of Fortune and prayed in all four directions. ¡°Please grant me your blessing!¡±

    As soon as he said this, the Incense of Fortune... went out.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>This ce can¡¯t be </i>that <i>cursed, can it? It won¡¯t even let me use the Incense of Fortune?</i>

    Ye Qing frowned and tried lighting it again. However, the me went out practically the next second.

    This time though, Ye Qing found breaking out in cold sweat. The Incense of Fortune wasn¡¯t working not because there was some sort of restriction in the Guixu, but because it was snuffed out. It was like someone standing right behind him and blew it out in a single breath!

    A terrible fear shot up his spine and spread to every corner of his body as soon as he thought this. Gulping, he abruptly unleashed his Burning Wind in every direction and threw an elbow strike behind him like a revolving hammer.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression only turned uglier, however. It was because he hadn¡¯t hit anyone. It was almost as if there had never been anyone behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not paranoid... right?¡± Ye Qing muttered.

    As if on cue, a low, raspy voice stuttered behind him, ¡°Kekeke... have we got everyone we need?¡±

 Chapter 291: Life Size Game of Xiangqi

    <h4>Chapter 291: Life Size Game of Xiangqi </h4>

    [1]

    ¡°What? What?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s scalp turned numb, and every hair on his body stood on end. He immediately turned around and threw a might, cloud vaporizing punch.

    At the same time, hemanded the Fog Demon to attack the mysterious speaker. A seemingly infinite amount of demonic qi burst out of the Boundless Mara Buddha and formed a massive Buddha palm.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    However, both his punch and the Buddha palm suddenly lost their shape and flew toward a certain direction; a person¡¯s mouth to be exact. His fist force, the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s demonic qi, and even the demonic qi in the surroundings were sucked into the mouth, causing a temporary vacuum.

    It was only now Ye Qing saw the mysterious speaker clearly. He was a disheveled old man with white beard and hair and deep craters and crevices on his face. He looked old enough to have one foot in his coffin, though the immense amount of demonic qi leaking out of his body said otherwise.

    Not only that, his eye sockets werepletely empty as if someone¡ªor perhaps himself¡ªhad dug out his eyeballs. His cheeks were stained in blood as well. He looked the picture of a crazy old man, and his presence was equally warped and eerie.

    Finally, he was holding a blood-drenched rope that bound around twenty to thirty humans and Strangers. They were all alive, though considering the circumstances, they might have been better off dead.

    The weakest human among them was an Astral Refiner, and the strongest was a Half-Step Spirit Master.

    The Strangers were pretty strong as well. They ranged from Hatred to Phenomenon.

    In fact, Ye Qing recognized some of the Strangers. The Pallbearer was one of them.

    Both the humans and the Strangers were dozens of times smaller than what they were. In fact, they almost looked like dolls with how they were hanging off the blood-drenched rope and swaying left and right, unmoving and seemingly unconscious.

    Huge beads of sweat popped out of Ye Qing¡¯s forehead, and his back was drenched in cold sweat. He didn¡¯t hesitate to run away immediately.

    Who wouldn¡¯t after witnessing this scene?

    Unfortunately, it was futile. A blood-drenched rope abruptly appeared around his neck, and neither he nor the Fog Demon knew how or when it got there. All he knew was that his astral qi might as well be paper considering how easily the rope had crushed it.

    The rope tightened around his neck, and Ye Qing lost consciousness just like that.

    ......

    ¡°Huh... Where am I?¡±

    An indefinite amount of timeter, Ye Qing opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar environment. He quickly jumped to his feet.

    He seemed to be standing in some sort of battlefield. There were rubbles, bodies, blood and smoke everywhere.

    There were several things that stood out. One, there was a gigantic river directly ahead of him. Two, he was wearing a set of ck armor and holding a long spear. It was like he was a soldier or something. And three, a mysterious power was pinning him in ce and preventing him from moving even a muscle.

    <i>Ooo ooo...</i>

    It was at this moment a war horn sounded, long and ominous. A cold wind blew away the fog and blood stench but brought forth the cold, steel, and the promise of violence.

    Multiple soldiers wearing the exact same soldier outfit as him appeared to his left and right side. Some faces were familiar¡ªthey were the humans who were hanging from the old man¡¯s rope¡ªand some weren¡¯t. He had no doubt they had all been caught by the mysterious old man¡¯ however.

    Most of his fellow soldiers werete-stage Astral Refiners just like him. They were standing in a straight line, though they stood ten or so meters away from each other. If this was a military formation, it was a terribly shitty one. However, they were clearly aligned in some sort of order.

    The space behind their backs was shrouded by a thick fog, though Ye Qing could barely make out several massive silhouettes.

    <i>What the hell is going on here? Where am I?</i>

    Ye Qing was still confused when suddenly, a loud noise ripped a hole in the foggy sky. The next thing he knew, a giant bird descended with a cry andunched itself toward the soldier standing next to him.

    ¡°The Cannon Bird!¡±

    The bird was crimson red and so big that its wings blotted out most of the sky. Disregarding its size, it looked mostly like an ordinary bird except that its beak was cylindrical in shape and hollow at the center. Ye Qing knew from the books he studied that it could inhale a ton of air into its beak and spit out massive air bombs at high speed.

    It was named the Cannon Bird because its attack method was simr to the Demon ying Cannons built by the Craftsman Department, and its beak was shaped like a cannon¡¯s barrel.

    The Cannon Bird¡¯s aura was unbelievably strong. Long before itnded on the ground, it was already inhaling a ton of air. The next moment, it spat out a massive air bomb straight at the soldier.

    The soldier suddenly moved as if it was released from his restriction. Without hesitation, he swung the long spear at the iing air bomb in hopes of slicing it in half.

    The long spear snapped into several pieces, and the soldier himself was blown into a shower of blood and gore. After that, the Cannon Birdnded at his spot and let out a victorious cry.

    At the same time, the Cannon Bird¡¯s aura began weakening bit by bit. In the end, its aura stabilized at the power level of a Soulstealer-ss Stranger. It was still incredibly strong, but nowhere as ridiculous as it was a moment ago.

    Right now, Ye Qing was gripped by great terror and anxiety. He was afraid that the Cannon Bird would give him a fatal spit to the face as well. However, he soon realized that the Cannon Bird was unable to move freely after upying the soldier¡¯s space. Just like him, it too was restricted by some sort of mysterious power.

    Before he could release a sigh of relief, a massive stone pir burst through the sky and ttened the Cannon Bird like a pancake. The ground itself was cracked from how powerful the blow was.

    ¡°Neeeeeeigh!¡±

    After the pir came to a standstill, Ye Qing realized that it wasn¡¯t a pir at all. It was the hoof of an incredibly handsome ck horse.

    The ck horse had a pair of horns and fur that was as ck as the night itself. It was also surrounded by ck, demonic mes that were so hot that the space around it was distorted.

    ¡°Is that the Hell Horse?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. The reason he was surprised was because a Hell Horse was an extremely rare Stranger. It could only be found in gloomy, dusky ces.

    The Hell Horse snorted and gradually weakened just like the Cannon Bird from before. In the end, it too declined into a Soulstealer-ss Stranger.

    It was hardly impossible for a Soulstealer-ss Stranger to kill another Soulstealer-ss Stranger, but to do it in one strike? The circumstances would have to be exceptional for that to happen.

    This meant that some sort of mysterious power had drastically increased the Hell Horse¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Ye Qing was still figuring things out when suddenly, a soldier d in red armor and wielding a huge saber suddenly descended from above. At the same time, Ye Qing felt the mysterious power that was immobilizing him vanishing. Without hesitation, he executed a spear sweep and shed des with the red soldier. The impact pushed him a step backward and caused a huge crack on the floor, but the red soldier was sent flying through the air.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Spirit Purifier... wait, something¡¯s not right.¡±

    His senses were telling him that his opponent was one hundred percent a Spirit Purifier, but the guy had no mastery over his power at all. It was almost as if the power didn¡¯t belong to him, and he was just throwing it around aimlessly like a baby who was granted super strength.

    If he was an ordinaryte-stage Astral Refiner, then the power boost would¡¯ve been more than enough to kill him. But he wasn¡¯t. In fact, he could go toe-to-toe against a true Spirit Purifier.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Ye Qing wanted more time to process what was going on here, but his opponent disagreed. He rushed him again with a savage, murderous expression.

    Ye Qing could tell that his opponent was in full possession of his mental faculties just like him. But why was he so determined to kill him?

    There was no time to think. He nted his spear on the ground and dashed forward to meet his opponent. When his opponent''s saber was descending about halfway toward his head, he executed an arm sweep and struck the hilt of the saber like a war axe.

    His five dragon elephant strength erupted, and the hilt of the crucible steel saber snapped in half just like that. He pushed forward and struck the red soldier right across the chest.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The soldier¡¯s armor shattered into pieces, and his chest caved in. He flew through the air uncontrobly while blood spilled out of his mouth.

    Realizing that he couldn¡¯t beat Ye Qing, the soldier turned around and tried to escape. However, he had only taken his first step when his body started distorting and crumbling bit by bit, causing him to fall to the ground and scream. His painful, bloodcurdling scream wouldst at least dozens of breaths before he finally ceased to exist, his body now a puddle of rotten flesh.

    To say that Ye Qing was shocked and horrified would be an understatement. Before he could recover, he felt a mysterious power enveloping his whole body and pushed him straight toward the river.

    Strangely, the river wasn¡¯t what it seemed to be. He felt like he was treading solid ground as he ran right past it. Moreover, his power kept growing as he charged forward. Eventually, he reached thete stage of the Spirit Purification stage.

    Another soldier in red armor appeared in front of him. Clearly, he was meant to kill him. He had no beef with the soldier and didn¡¯t wish to kill him, but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, a paralyzing fear suddenly gripped his heart. He felt as if he would die if he didn¡¯t kill his opponent. Not only that, he felt like he would die if he tried to run away or back off without good reason, and his death would be just as horrid as the poor man he killed before.

    <i>Is that why the soldier tried so hard to kill me just now? </i>Ye Qing thought with realization. <i>I would be just as desperate if I was in his position... which I am.</i>

    Left with no choice, Ye Qing raced forward to attack his opponent. His opponent was already waiting for him.

    His opponent was just ate-stage Astral Refiner, but he was no ordinary opponent. Had Ye Qing¡¯s strength remained the same as before, he would¡¯ve had to spend quite a bit of time and effort to defeat him. But he was ate-stage Spirit Purifier now, and he was a top-tier Astral Refiner to begin with. As a result, he was able to destroy his opponent in just a few moves.

    Ye Qing tried to show mercy by immobilizing his opponent after defeating him, but as soon as the restrictions took ce, the guy started warping and crumbling just like the soldier from before. In the end, he exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    ......

    ¡°Why do you look so listless, Xiao Feng? Are you bored?¡±

    Inside an old pavilion, two men were sitting opposite each other. The speaker was none other than the eyeball-less[2] old man who had captured Ye Qing earlier.

    A <i>xiangqi </i>boardy between the two men. Unlike an ordinary board, this one had three-dimensional mountains and rivers like it was an actual, miniaturized world of sorts. Inside this world, red and ck pieces were engaging one another in a fierce battle.

    The pieces weren¡¯t ordinary either. Instead of the usual round, wooden pieces, they were humans and Strangers.

    The Soldiers were humans,

    The Chariots and Horses were Strangers,

    The Advisors and Elephants were like demons,

    And the Generals were like gods.

    These two were using an actual world as their game board, and humans and Strangers as their pieces.

    How dare they?

    How could they?

    ¡°How can I <i>not </i>be bored?¡±

    On the opposite side, a devilishly handsome man was propping his hand on the table and sitting in a nted position. He saidzily, ¡°How many years have we yed each other, Xiangqi Demon? One century? Two? And every time, you never fail to lose. How can I be anything <i>but </i>bored?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps the worst part is that your moniker is Xiangqi Demon. With your skill level? Man, I would have offed myself if I were you!¡±

    1. Xiangqi is Chinese chess. ?

    2. I can¡¯t say blind because he¡¯s probably not blind lol. ?

 Chapter 292: Living Pieces

    <h4>Chapter 292: Living Pieces </h4>

    ¡°What''s there to be proud about? You won only because you happened to choose the stronger pieces.¡±

    Xiangqi Demon grumbled as he stared at the devilishly handsome man with his empty eye sockets; the bright red blood on his cheeks reflecting his opponent¡¯s silhouette. ¡°I¡¯m also losing because of the shitty rules you made. It¡¯s perfectly normal in xiangqi to sacrifice Soldiers to gain an advantage, or to have a Horse trample multiple pieces in a row. But no, you just have to make a rule where if the pieces fight each other, then the surviving piece is the one that wins the battle. It¡¯spletely unnecessary if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Heh. We¡¯re using a world as the board, and living beings as the pieces of our game. What makes this game so interesting is that the world itself can change, and the living beings can adapt to their circumstances. The victor of a duel between <i>jianghu </i>elites is never set in stone, and the side with greater numbers may not always triumph over the smaller. After all, it is the same with our world. There were plenty of examples where the weak triumph over the strong, and the smaller numbers triumph over the greater numbers!¡±

    ¡°Fickleness and unpredictability are the true nature of our world. If we¡¯re going to use the world as our board and living beings as our pieces, then it is only right that we submit to the world¡¯s principles as well. It is far more interesting when everything is unknown, uncertain, unclear and undecided until it is, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to stick to the exact same rules as the normal xiangqi, then we might as well y using normal wooden pieces. What¡¯s the point of using living beings if we¡¯re not going to allow them to show off their individuality and ingenuity?¡±

    The devilishly handsome man shrugged. ¡°Also, the pieces might be the ones fighting inside the world, but it is we yers who selected them and yed them outside the world. I won every time because I¡¯m a discerning man who chose the stronger pieces every time. You lost every time because you¡¯re a blind fuck who couldn¡¯t tell left from right.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my apologies. I forgot that you¡¯re blind a second there. It¡¯s been too long since you lost your eyeballs to me. Speaking of which, you¡¯ve lost your heart, your liver, your spleen, your lungs, your kidneys and your ears to me as well. What will you give me when you lose this time? Your head?¡±

    ¡°Kekeke. We can talk about that after I lose. You¡¯re not worried that I might renege on the bet, are you?¡± Xiangqi Demon replied with a cackle. A cackle it might be, it sounded like the sound of a million insects crawling over a human¡¯s body; grating and ufortable.

    The devilishly handsome man let out a chuckle of his own. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. We have sworn an Oath of Rahu after all. I¡¯m just worried that yourst wisp of consciousness would crumble if you keep losing like this.¡±

    ¡°What, you miss me?¡± Xiangqi Demon tilted his head to one side.

    The devilishly handsome man admitted, ¡°But of course! I doubt I¡¯ll ever find another shitty yer like you again.¡±

    ¡°Keke. Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?¡± Xiangqi Demon scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m the one who has the upper hand this time. Don¡¯t you see that my Soldier has crossed the river?¡±

    ¡°Heh. Your shamelessness is exactly why I¡¯m going to miss you.¡± The devilishly handsome man chuckled and dropped a Chariot on the Soldier.

    ......

    Inside the xiangqi board that was a world in itself, Ye Qing was wearing a deep frown on his face. <i>Where am I? What can I do to escape this situation? Who can save me?</i>

    It was at this moment a loud rumble disturbed his thoughts. When he spun toward the direction of the noise where a foresty, he saw a rising cloud of dust and massive trees toppling one after another as if some giant beast was brutishly destroying everything in its path. More importantly, it was headed straight toward him.

    Fear and panic gripped Ye Qing, though the emotions were quickly reced by steely determination. The next moment, a deformed giant finally burst through the foliage.

    The Stranger had a human¡¯s upper body, but it was covered in stitches as if it had been stitched together from countless body parts. It had two faces, four eyes, and four arms. It wielded a saber, a spear, a stick and a mace.

    Its lower half was even stranger. Instead of a human¡¯s or an animal¡¯s legs, it had a pair of chariot wheels. The reason he said this was because the wheels were covered in painful-looking spikes and burning a dark red me. He could hear the vengeful screams of countless ghosts from the wheels.

    ¡°A Ghost Chariot!?¡± Ye Qing blurted. A Ghost Chariot was a Soustealer-ss Stranger that was born in ces with great resentment such as the battlefield. More specifically, it was a vengeful ghost who, unwilling to pass away peacefully, stitched itself an upper body using the corpses on the battlefield, and a soul using the vengeful souls around it. The ming wheels were the manifestation of the souls it collected.

    A Ghost Chariot was violent and bloodthirsty by nature. There was nothing more it enjoyed than feeding on raw flesh and human souls.

    The Ghost Chariot before him was far stronger than the standard Ghost Chariot. Ye Qing reckoned that it was more or less at the level of a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. As soon as it spotted him, it immediately charged him with such speed that the ground split in half, and dark red mes burned on the trail it left behind.

    Ye Qing would¡¯ve loved to see the imagery in an art book, but not so much in reality and especially not when he was in harm¡¯s way. He growled, ¡°Fog Demon!¡±

    A shining Buddha with his hands joined together in a prayer appeared in the sky and shone its cleansing light on the Ghost Chariot. The Stranger immediately howled in pain as its dark red mes abruptly grew much dimmer, and filthy yin qi leaked out of its body. Its aura kept weakening as if the cleansing light of the Buddha was too much for it to bear.

    In fact, it was. The Ghost Chariot was created from a plethora of vengeful souls and ghosts. One might say that it was a creature of absolute yin and filth. On the other hand, the Buddha¡¯s light was one of the strongest yang powers out there and the bane of all things yin and filthy. On top of that, the Boundless Mara Buddha was created from the remnant of Jing Hui, a Grandmaster Buddhist monk. Even in death, his Buddhist power was so pure and immense that the Ghost Chariot was hardpressed to resist it.

    As the Boundless Mara Buddha shone like the sun, cracks and craters started appearing all over the Ghost Chariot¡¯s body. Large chunks of rotten flesh were falling off its body by the second, and its aura had dropped from Phenomenon to Soulstealer. Despite this, it didn¡¯t let up on its attack. It was going to run Ye Qing over if it was thest thing it did.

    It would never get the chance. As soon as the timing was right, Ye Qing took one step forward and unloaded his full force against the Ghost Chariot. A raging river of pure power mmed into its body.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Five Dragon Elephant Strength¡±</i>

    There was a massive explosion as the Ghost Chariot was engulfed in a st of white hot light, heat and wind. The ground itself rippled like sea waves as a result of it.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his right hand exactly half an inch before throwing another punch. His feet sank deep into the ground, and a raging torrent of fist force sent the towering giant flying into the sky.

    While the Ghost Chariot was spinning uncontrobly through the air, Ye Qing appeared beside it like an illusion and threw a third punch. The Burning Wind rushed in from every direction and burned the Stranger, and the ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± surrounded it from every direction and made sure that it wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. It was as if the Stranger was trapped within a furnace of force and fire.

    Finally, Ye Qing leaped over the Ghost Chariot¡¯s head[1] and struck it squarely on the top of its skull. There was a brain-shaking boom, and the Ghost Chariot¡¯s head exploded like a pinata. Countless vengeful ghosts and souls spilled out into the open and dissolved into ash as soon as they made contact with the Burning Wind. The Ghost Chariot itself was smashed deep into the ground.

    ¡°Kraaaaah!¡±

    The Ghost Chariot let out a death-defying roar and attempted to get back on its feet. It was probably plotting to make onest attempt to defeat its opponent. Unfortunately, wisps of invisible mes leaked out its body and robbed it off itsst strength, and its roar was quickly reced by painful screams. Eventually, itpletely dissolved into ash.

    Ye Qing let out a deep sigh of relief when he confirmed that the Ghost Chariot was truly dead. He was seriously lucky that his power and Strange Artifacts countered the Ghost Chariot in nearly every way possible.

    The Ghost Chariot was undeniably powerful. After all, it was a Soulstealer-ss Stranger that was boosted to Phenomenon-ss by a mysterious power. However, it also had two clear weaknesses. One, it was afraid of yang energy. Two, its head was its weak point.

    First, Ye Qing had used the Boundless Mara Buddha to severely damage the Ghost Chariot. While it was hurt and incapacitated, he seized the opportunity to crush its head and release all the vengeful ghosts and souls trapped within it. Its head was what kept its unholy body together, so without it, the Stranger would disappear naturally.

    Besides that, the Ghost Chariot had little to no intelligence. Despite its immense strength, it was an amalgamation of countless vengeful ghosts that only knew ughter. I was so stupid it didn¡¯t even know to dodge or retreat when taking massive damage from the Boundless Mara Buddha. That was the true reason he was able to y it with ease.

    If the Ghost Chariot was an intelligent Stranger, he would¡¯ve been hardpressed to defeat it. At best, his chance of defeating the Ghost Chariot was fifty-fifty. Power was power after all, just like how the bosses in an RPG would absolutely annihte the main character¡¯s party if they were sentient or controlled by another yer.

    ......

    ¡°Hahaha! How¡¯s this, Xiao Feng? Surely you agree that I picked my pieces well this time!¡±

    Inside the old pavilion, Xiangqi Demon wasughing uproariously after witnessing Ye Qing defying the odds and killing the Ghost Chariot. Such was hisughter that the cloud of demonic qi above their heads were scattered.

    ¡°You picked <i>one </i>good piece, sure.¡± The devilishly handsome man remained unperturbed, however. ¡°Who hasn¡¯t gotten stupidly lucky at least once or twice in their lives?¡±

    ¡°Say whatever you want, Xiao Feng! This game is mine!¡± Xiangqi Demonughed and moved a piece. ¡°C two plus four (The Cannon piece on the second line moves four steps forward).¡±

    In the board, a massive, ck-colored Cannon Board flew over the river and crushed a red soldier into bits.

    ¡°When will you learn that there is no such thing as a certain victory until thest move is yed?¡± The devilishly handsome man replied easily. ¡°H two plus three (The Horse piece on the second line moves three steps forward).¡±

    ¡°C1+1¡±

    ¡°R4=5¡±[2]

    ¡°H2-3¡±

    ¡°S5=6¡±[3]

    ¡°S4+1¡±

    ¡°G6+1¡±

    ¡°G5+1¡±

    Slowly but surely, the two xiangqi yers were moving their pieces faster and faster. It was almost as if they had already yed out the scenario in their heads, and they were just going through the motions.

    Outside the game board, neither yer gave an inch to each other.

    And inside the game board, it was like the apocalypse was happening.

    A giant split a mountain in half with their axe,

    An elephant turned a patch ofnd into ake with a single step;

    Soldiers were shing des with each other,

    Horses were threatening camps and dyeing the yellow sand in blood;

    Chariots moved up and down, left and right,

    And Advisors summoned the wind and rain, storm and lightning.

    It was war.

    ......

    Inside the game board, violence and bloodshed were happening everywhere. The mountains shattered, the rivers were dried, the earth was sundered, smoke filled the sky, and enemies were everywhere.

    Ye Qing waspletely drenched in blood, and not all of them belonged to his enemies. Stacked before him were many, many bodies of both humans and Strangers. In the sky, the Boundless Mara Buddha was fully unsealed and filling up the world with demonic qi.

    He wanted to hide his strength, but he couldn¡¯t. It was because he was forced to fight more than a handful of Soulstealer-ss Strangers and Spirit Purifiers since he was dragged into this mess. It had taken him everything he had to defeat his opponents.

    He had a couple things going for him, chief among them the Annon Sutra. It might not be able to answer his questions right now, but he could still pop a dragon-serpent rune or two. So long as he hadn¡¯t run out of dragon-serpent runes, he would be able to replenish his strength and health. Combined with his assortment of powerful Strange Artifacts, he just barely managed to survive the ordeal.

    ¡°The Cannon Bird, the Ghost Chariot, the Hell Horse, the Wildebeest, the Mountain Moving Elephants, the Advisor Spirits and soldiers like me...¡±

    ¡°The Cannon Bird and Ghost Chariot only move in straight lines, the Hell Horse and Wildebeest only move diagonally, soldiers like me can only move one space forward until they crossed the river, and the Mountain Moving Elephants and Advisor Spirits could only move on their side of the river...¡±

    Ye Qing wiped away the blood on his face and murmured, ¡°Assuming that the Cannon Bird is the Cannon, the Ghost Chariot is the Chariot, the Mountain Moving Elephant is the Elephant, and the Advisor Spirits is the Advisor...¡±

    ¡°Am I on a xiangqi board? Am I a piece? Am I a Soldier, the most invisible and expendable piece of them all?¡±

    ¡°That has to be it.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned long and hard before looking up at the sky. ¡°I¡¯m inside a xiangqi board, and I¡¯m a xiangqi piece!¡±

    1. It¡¯s a double jump! ?

    2. The Chariot piece on the fourth line moves five steps horizontally. ?

    3. The Soldier piece on the fifth line moves six steps horizontally. ?

 Chapter 293: Opening The Sky Gate

    <h4>Chapter 293: Opening The Sky Gate </h4>

    ¡°C1=5¡±

    ¡°G5=6¡±

    ¡°G5+1¡±

    ¡°S6=7¡±

    ......

    Outside the xiangqi board, Xiangqi Demon and the devilishly handsome man inevitably slowed down despite the zing start. No move was taken without consideration, and every turnsted at least several minutes long.

    There were far fewer pieces left on the board than before as well. This should be the moment where the battle was winding down, but instead, the heat and tension were higher than ever before. It was because a victor wasn¡¯t decided yet. A single mistake could doom the yer to the point of no return.

    ¡°S five plus one, checkmate!¡±

    Xiangqi Demon moved the Soldier piece that was Ye Qing one step forward and checked his enemy¡¯s General. He looked up and shot Xiangqi Demon a cheeky grin.

    In response, the devilishly handsome man said unhurriedly, ¡°You may have checkmated my General, but the game isn¡¯t over yet, is it?¡±

    Xiangqi Demon raised his eyebrows as crimson blood seeped out of his eye sockets. If this was an ordinary game of xiangqi, then he would¡¯ve won already. But in this game, he could only im victory if Ye Qing managed to defeat the enemy¡¯s General. Otherwise, Ye Qing would die, and the devilishly handsome man would be free to checkmate <i>him.</i>

    Inside the board, Ye Qing was pondering a way to escape the board when suddenly, he was uncontrobly pushed toward a formidable-looking man wearing a set of rainbow-colored Yanling armor[1] and carrying a banner behind his back. The word ¡°General¡± was sewn on the banner.

    <i>Is that the General? If I kill him and win the game, does that mean I would be released from the board? I think so!</i>

    All kinds of thoughts passed through Ye Qing¡¯s head as he ran toward his opponent. At the same time, a mysterious power increased his power to that of ate-stage Spirit Purifier[2].

    Ye Qing was on full alert, however. It was because his opponent was also ate-stage Spirit Purifier, and unlike him, he was the genuine article.

    Finally, he recognized his opponent. He was none other than Zhong Ji, the guy who used an AOE taunt on everyone when they were still outside the Guixu.

    There was a stack of bodies in front of Zhong Ji. There were both humans and Strangers. They looked plenty strong as well. They were, at minimum, Soulstealer-ss Strangers or Spirit Purifiers.

    ording to the rules of this unusual game of xiangqi, if the power level of the twobatants wasn¡¯t equal, then the disadvantaged side would gain a small boost in power. Astral Refiners would be boosted into Spirit Purifiers, Hatred-ss Strangers would be boosted to Soulstealer-ss Strangers and so on.

    Zhong Ji must have run into stronger opponents where he was the disadvantaged side, but he couldn¡¯t be the weak side all the time. Some of his opponents had to have been boosted to Spirit Master or Phenomenon level.

    This meant that Zhong Ji was incredibly strong. So strong that he could defeat a Spirit Master or Phenomenon-ss Stranger as a Spirit Purifier. Sure, they were all faux Spirit Masters and Phenomenon-ss Strangers, but that hardly meant that Zhong Ji was weak.

    Ye Qing¡¯s charge slowed a little. He seemed both hesitant and fearful.

    ¡°A Spirit... no, an Astral Refiner?¡± Zhong Ji scoffed when he saw Ye Qing. ¡°This is getting boring.¡±

    ¡°Die.¡±

    Zhong Ji gripped his ghost-faced saber and unleashed eighteen shes in a row.

    Yin qi boiled, and the world darkened. Every time he executed a sh, a level of hell manifested into existence. By shing eighteen times in a row, Zhong Ji was bringing forth the eighteen levels of hell.

    The Hell of the Mountain of Knives saw sadistic killers climbing literal mountains of knives with their bare bodies;

    The Hell of the Cauldrons of Oil saw rapists, thieves, abusers, and false users being thrown into pots of the boiling oil and fried;

    The Hell of Saw saw hical businessmen and loophole exploiters being tied to wooden stakes and sawed in half;

    The Hell of Mills saw abusers of powers being tossed into giant mills and crushed into itsy bitsy pieces...

    ......

    Zhong Ji cultivated the ¡°Ghost King Sutra¡±, and the ¡°Myriad des of Eighteen Hells¡± was its ultimate technique. It was a bonafide Spirit Purification stage saber art that could manifest the eighteen levels of hell, bring forth the Hundred Ghosts Parade, and transform the human world into an endless hell.

    Speaking of hells, Ye Qing was quickly engulfed by the attack. When Zhong Ji saw this, he scoffed again and put his saber away. ¡°Definitely a useless piece of trash. Be proud that you¡¯re able to die under my ultimate attack.¡±

    The second his energies rxed, he was suddenly struck by a deep sense of unease. By the time he realized something was wrong and tried to resist, a series of disturbing cackles was already assaulting his mind. His headspace shook, and he started hallucinating all kinds of things.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Realizing he was tricked and suffering some sort of mental attack, Zhong Ji growled and summoned a Ghost King inside his head space. The Ghost King let out a mighty roar that drove the disturbing cackle out of his head.

    The damage was already done, however. During the one or two breaths he lost touch with the outside world, a man rushed out of the storm of des that was the ¡°Myriad des of Eighteen Hells¡± like a raging river. Wherever he went, ghosts burned into ash, and yin qi dissipated like he was the sun itself. He was like an unstoppable force punching through the very concept of hell.

    Ye Qing appeared in front of Zhong Ji and reached the peak of his power in an instant. Then, he threw a full-powered punch that dreamed of opening the gates of the sky itself.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    Zhong Ji barely managed to cross his saber in front of his chest before the punch struck him. It snapped his ghost-faced saber in half, crushed his armor, and caved his chest in by several inches. The earth beneath Zhong Ji¡¯s feet rippled like water, and a series of thunderous rumblings came from the underground.

    ¡°You¡ªpwack¡ªimpossible!¡±

    Blood jetted through Zhong Ji¡¯s lips uncontrobly as soon as he opened his mouth. His face started breaking like cracks on a porcin vase, but strangely, he bled some sort of deathly, bluish ck qi instead of blood. It was almost as if he wasn¡¯t human.

    <i>How did he do it?</i>

    <i>Even if his power was boosted to that of a Spirit Purifier, it should be impossible for him to hurt me, much less deal me a serious blow!</i>

    He was confident he could destroy Ye Qing unharmed, but the fact was Ye Qing had nearly killed him in one strike. If he hadn¡¯t cultivated a Body of Ancient Dead, if he wasn¡¯t so resilient that his physique wasparable to that of a ten-thousand-year-old Zombie, that one punch really would have shattered him like porcin!

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Zhong Ji roared on top of his lungs even as ck qi continued to seep out of his wounds. But right as he took his first step, the light in his eyes abruptly dimmed, and his roar turned into a bloodcurdling scream. His pupils slowly contracted until finally, he came to a stop as if his life had departed his bodypletely.

    For a few breaths, the Spirit Purifier stood there unmoving. Then, he suddenly looked up and grinned toothily at Ye Qing. However, his eyes had turned into unfathomable depths of pitch ck darkness, eerie and ominous.

    ¡°Kekeke, I¡¯m going to kill you, boy!¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t perturbed by this disturbing sight, however. In fact, he let out a sigh of relief and said tiredly, ¡°Cut it out, Fog Demon. Now¡¯s not the time for games.¡±

    Yes, Zhong Ji was now the Fog Demon, or more urately, his mind was corrupted and taken over by the Fog Demon. He had now be a puppet that the Fog Demon might control as it pleased.

    As a Nine Nethers Demon, the Fog Demon possessed the ability to corrupt a human¡¯s mind and spirit. If anything, out of everything the Fog Demon had disyed thus far, this was its true ability. It could control anyone who was weak-willed and low-spirited with little effort. Even Ye Qing himself had almost fallen under its control back at Sky Gate Abyss.

    Although Zhong Ji was a powerfulte-stage Spirit Purifier with a strong spirit, he possessed a dark mind and spirit because he cultivated the ¡°Ghost King Sutra¡±. Combined with the fact that Ye Qing had dealt him a serious blow through a surprise attack, and the Fog Demon was able to corrupt him and take over his mind with ease.

    If he didn¡¯t have the Fog Demon, and if Zhong Ji hadn¡¯t severely underestimated his strength, this would¡¯ve been a hard-fought battle.

    As for why he only took control of Zhong Ji instead of killing him, it was because he had designs for him, of course.

    Now that he realized that he was in a xiangqi board, he was constantly thinking of a way to escape this ce. Technically speaking, he should be freed now that he had killed the enemy¡¯s General and won the game, but this wasn¡¯t an ordinary game of xiangqi now, was it? What if killing the General wasn¡¯t the end of the match? What if the old man who most likely tossed him here had other ns for him?

    Zhong Ji was a powerful warrior. Keeping him around was far more useful than allowing the mysterious power to explode him into bits.

    In fact, he had puppeteered his enemies¡¯ bodies a couple of times during his previous battles. The first time he tried this, he discovered that the rules would treat his enemy as dead, and their dead body as his possession. In other words, he could bring them to his next battle.

    Unfortunately, everyone he controlled up until now was, frankly, not very powerful. He was forced to sacrifice them all to gain an advantage over some Strangers.

    Speaking of Strangers, he was hoping to puppeteer some powerful Strangers to aid his battles, but unfortunately the Fog Demon¡¯s ability only worked on humans. Moreover, most of the Strangers he fought were non-sentient and acted purely based on their instincts. They were impossible to control even if it the Fog Demon could corrupt their minds.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    It was at this moment the world started shaking violently. Mountains copsed, rivers flowed in reverse, the earth was torn asunder, and ominous cracks appeared all over the sky. It looked like the final stage of an apocalypse¡ªthe end of all that ever existed.

    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! The world is about to crumble!¡± The Fog Demon cried in shock and horror when he saw this. ¡°We¡¯re going to die!¡±

    ¡°I see it,¡± Ye Qing replied while ring at the sky. To his own surprise, he calmed down despite facing what looked like an utterly hopeless crisis.

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, boy! I told you to leave the Guixu as soon as possible, but you just had to linger, didn''t you? Now, we¡¯re both going to die!¡±

    The Fog Demonined loudly, ¡°I haven¡¯t enjoyed a day of freedom or done something worthwhile since I came to this world, and now I¡¯m going to die? How tragic! Howmentable!¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯re going to die anyway, why don¡¯t you release me and allow me to enjoy a moment of freedom, boy? To catch at least a breath of free air?¡±

    <i>Does he think I¡¯m stupid? </i>Ye Qing scoffed inside his head. The Fog Demon¡¯s n was as clear as day. It just wanted Ye Qing to release it so it could escape.

    The Fog Demon was a Nine Nethers Demon, and a Nine Nethers Demon was notoriously resilient. Ye Qing strongly suspected that the Stranger would survive even if this entire world were damned to oblivion.

    ¡°You and I are bound by a contract, and as your master, I will never abandon you even in death, so rest easy. Master and servant forever, am I right?¡±

    Fog Demon: ¡°...¡± <i>Fuck you and your master and servant forever bullshit! Please abandon me, for fuck¡¯s sake!</i>

    ¡°Attention, Fog Demon. I want you to toss me into the sky with all you got.¡±

    Ye Qing growled suddenly, ¡°Quickly, unless you actually want to go to the afterlife with me!¡±

    The Fog Demon didn¡¯t know what Ye Qing was nning, but it didn¡¯t hesitate to pilot Zhong Ji over and unseal the Boundless Mara Buddha. Together, they pushed Ye Qing into the sky.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    Ye Qing shot into the sky like an arrow, and as he soared, his aura kept growing stronger and stronger. His elbow wasn¡¯t moving, but his forearm¡ªor more urately, his fist¡ªwas raising inch by inch.

    His energies peaked at the same time his fist was pointed toward the sky. His spine straightened, and he thrust his arm upward.

    If the world was going to destroy him, then he would break through the world with his fist!

    1. Which trantes to goose feather armor. Food for thought. ?

    2. Remember, their faux powers disappear after a sh has ended. ?

 Chapter 294: Shoo

    <h4>Chapter 294: Shoo</h4>

    ¡°Kekeke... I won! I finally won!¡±

    Inside the old pavilion, Xiangqi Demon burst outughing after finally winning against the devilishly handsome man. Blood poured down his empty eye sockets and dripped on the floor, causing a crimson ripple that manifested countless red lines into existence. They seemed to cover the interior of the old pavilionpletely.

    ¡°Yes, you finally won. It only took you a couple hundred years is all.¡±

    The devilishly handsome man didn¡¯t seem concerned with the unusual change, however. He askedzily, ¡°So, what do you want?¡±

    Xiangqi Demon stared at him with a crazed, savage expression. ¡°I only have one wish. I hope you¡¯ll ept it.¡±

    ¡°Wait! Let me guess.¡± The devilishly handsome man said unhurriedly, ¡°You want to kill me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Kill you? Oh no no no!¡± Xiangqi Demon shook his head and replied in a flirtatious tone, ¡°How can I bear to kill my partner for hundreds of years? I could never!¡±

    ¡°I just want you to be my artifact spirit!¡±

    ¡°Artifact spirit?¡± The devilishly handsome man raised his eyebrows, narrowed his peach blossom eyes, and curled his lips into a devilish, soul-stealing smile. ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what my dream is?¡±

    Xiangqi Demon didn¡¯t answer him immediately. Instead, he faced toward the outside and stretched his arms wide as if he was nning to embrace the whole world. His voice was full of dreamy and full of yearning as he said, ¡°My dream is to turn the Mountain of Demons into the Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth, the remnant soul and consciousness of every warrior in the Graveyard of Demons into pieces, and the Progenitor Demon¡¯s mind as the soul. With all these elements in ce, I would have forged the greatest Strange Artifact in the world; one that could change the world in every sense of the word.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just one step away frompleting my dream now. If you agree to be the artifact spirit of my Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth, then my dream will finallye true.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± The devilishly handsome man replied before asking, ¡°Is that why you went around hunting and refining the remnant souls and consciousness buried in the Guixu?¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡± Xiangqi Demon sounded surprised.

    The devilishly handsome man shrugged. ¡°Of course I do. Unlike you, I¡¯m not blind.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... they¡¯re already dead, and it¡¯s not like their remnant souls and consciousness are useful for anything. In that case, I might as well use them for my purpose, right?¡± Xiangqi Demonughed so loudly that the demonic qi outside the old pavilion was shaking.

    The devilishly handsome man rubbed his nose, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s a grand n, but I¡¯m pretty sure that forging your world-changing Strange Artifact isn¡¯t your only goal.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Xiangqi Demon narrowed his empty eye sockets into slits and stared at him closely.

    ¡°Let me guess...¡± The devilishly handsome man saidzily, ¡°You wish to steal the Primordial Purple Qi that the Heavenly Way bestows when someone forges a Treasure of the Heavenly Way to resurrect yourself and be immortal, right?¡±

    ¡°At the same time, you¡¯re nning to use the living beings within your Strange Artifact to fuel the reconstruction of your physical body, right?¡±

    How did you know about that!?¡±

    Demonic qi exploded from Xiangqi Demon. He was surprised that the devilishly handsome man found out about his assassination of the warriors¡¯ remnant souls and consciousness within the Guixu, but thistest revtion truly shocked him to the core. It was because it was a secret that he and only he knew about. How on earth did his opponent find out?

    His shock was mixed with a hint of worry as well.

    The devilishly handsome man smiled devilishly. ¡°Oh, I know a lot of things. For starters, I know that you hail from the Earth Gate of the Two Gates of Heaven and Earth. I also know that the Earth Gate possessed a mysterious cultivation art known as the ¡®Infinity Soul Earth Gate True Sutra¡¯. As long as a wisp of your Heaven, Earth, or Man Soul still exists, the cultivation art would allow you to rebirth your Three Heavenly Souls using a wisp of Primordial Purple Qi, and reforge your body using vigor, effectively resurrecting yourself from the dead.¡±

    ¡°And unlike most so-called ¡®resurrection¡¯ techniques where you must ovee countless obstacles as a remnant soul, the ¡®Infinity Soul Earth Gate True Sutra¡¯ bestows its practitioners true resurrection. Not only that, a being whose Three Heavenly Souls are reborn through the Primordial Purple Qi theoretically possesses an imperishable soul that willst as long as the world itself.¡±

    ¡°But of course, its restrictions are just as insane as its benefits. The Primordial Purple Qi is the first ever wisp of purple qi when the world was first created. It had be one with the world since time immemorial, and it didn¡¯t exist anywhere in the world. The Heavenly Way would only bestow it to someone who attained an unparalleled amount of achievements and virtue, or a treasure that could change the world itself.¡±

    ¡°Am I right, Xiangqi Demon?¡±

    ¡°Impossible! Where did you learn about the ¡®Infinity Soul Earth Gate True Sutra¡¯? Who are you?¡± Xiangqi Demon yelled hoarsely. The fact that his demonic qi was quaking proved just how shaken he was.

    He had known andpeted against the devilishly handsome man for hundreds of years, but he realized for the first time that he had never truly known his opponent.

    The devilishly handsome man smirked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is that I¡¯m not a pipe dreamer like you.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why no one has ever lived forever even though the Earth Gate possessed a cultivation art that guarantees eternal life?¡±

    Xiangqi Demon didn¡¯t say anything. He simply stared at the devilishly handsome man and waited for an answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s because living, aging, sickness and death are fundamentalws of the world. The world gave birth to countless creatures to nurture Man, so Man must die to repay the world. But if Man is immortal, then how could they repay the world? And why would the world ever allow this to happen?¡±

    ¡°That is why the ¡®Infinity Soul Earth Gate True Sutra¡¯ is considered a taboo. The world itself forbade Man from cultivating it. Those who tried all met a terrible ending where even their soul waspletely wiped from existence.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s just the excuse of the weak!¡± Xiangqi Demon convulsed with disdainfulughter. ¡°So what if it¡¯s a taboo? So what if the world forbids it? My decisions are my own!¡±

    ¡°Well said.¡± The devilishly handsome man gave him a p. ¡°You are a once-in-a-century genius, and you knew very well that the path you¡¯re trying to walk is most likely going to end in disaster. That is why you decided to use the Demon¡¯s Tomb''s unique qualities to subvert the world¡¯sws, and the Mountain of Demons to forge your world-changing treasure. This way, you¡¯ll gain everything you desire without the downsides.¡±

    ¡°To be honest with you, I do admire your ingenuity. If you seed, then even I would have to give it to you.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you agree?¡± Xiangqi Demon spun toward him with a crazed but hopeful expression.

    The devilishly handsome man shook his head. ¡°I never said that.¡±

    Xiangqi Demon flew into a murderous rage. ¡°But why?! Why do you reject me? It is your honor to be able to witness my ascension to godhood! Plus, I can grant you eternal life after I be a god as eternal as the world itself! Just why?!¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to. Because I believe that being a human is more interesting than being a god. It¡¯s that simple.¡±

    The devilishly handsome man pped his hands and sang,

    ¡°A ss of wine,

    A de of steel.

    What is fame and glory,

    When master of your own destiny, you can be?¡±

    ¡°A cool autumn,

    A bright moon.

    Wind or rain,

    I envy the free and only the free.¡±

    ¡°Foolish. Truly foolish,¡± Xiangqi Demon scoffed in disdain. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do to change your fate though. Absolutely nothing.¡±

    As he cackled, more and more blood poured down his eye sockets until the floor waspletely drenched in blood. ¡°So what if you refuse? You and I swore an Oath of Rahu. If you lose, then you must agree to my request. If not, then you would suffer a demonic tribtion and be annihted.¡±

    ¡°That is why there¡¯s nothing you can do. It won¡¯t be long before I be as immortal and eternal as the world itself! Hahaha! Hahahaha!¡±

    As Xiangqi Demonughed, the crisscrossing threads of blood shone brightly. The entire pavilion was transformed into a pocket world that trapped the devilishly handsome man in ce. However...

    ¡°Did I ever tell you that you have a disgustingugh?¡± Inside the circle, the devilishly handsome man smiledzily and flicked a finger. There was a thunderous boom, and the pocket world was shattered just like that. Naturally, the old pavilion couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and crumbled into thick demonic qi as well[1].

    ¡°You dare resist? You¡¯re just going to aggravate your demonic tribtion even more!¡± Xiangqi Demon eximed in shock and a hint of fear. He didn¡¯t think that the pocket world he spent so long to create would be destroyed so easily.

    ¡°Heh. You think I¡¯m afraid of a mere demonic tribtion? A mere oath?¡± The devilishly handsome man scoffed. ¡°You could be the Progenitor Demon himself, and I¡¯m still going to kick your sorry ass!¡±

    As soon as he finished, Xiangqi Demon abruptly disintegrated as if crushed by some sort of massive, unstoppable force.

    As if on cue, demonic clouds suddenly rolled in from the horizon. Dark lightning shed, and ominous mes burned within the clouds. Then, the elements transformed into an infinite number of Heavenly Demons, all of them formless and intangible, and descended upon the devilishly handsome man.

    At the same time, demonic, disturbing noises engulfed the entire Guixu. Everyone began hallucinating all kinds of things born from one¡¯s Six Desires, Seven Emotions, Eight Bitterness and more.

    The strong-willed ones were still able to resist, but the weak-willed ones were immediately corrupted and plunged into the Dark Ways. Their bodies steamed with demonic qi, and their eyes were bloodshot with demonic power.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Boundless Heavenly Demon Heart Tribtion! Kekeke! You broke the Oath and Rahu, so the Progenitor Demon has sent a demonic tribtion to destroy you! You¡¯re so dead!¡±

    Xiangqi Demon reappeared a far distance away from the devilishly handsome man and stared at the demonic clouds rolling in rapidly,ughing. Hisughter was full of resentment and hatred.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve just allowed me to refine you to an artifact spirit. You should¡¯ve just witnessed my ascension and be eternal yourself! Now, you¡¯re just going to die! Foolish! Foolish!¡±

    The Boundless Heavenly Demon Heart Tribtion was the ninth strongest demonic tribtion of the One Hundred and Eight Worldly Tribtions. Formless and insubstantial, it was apanied by dark lightning and strange fire and possessed the ability to contaminate one¡¯s essence. Xiangqi Demon didn¡¯t believe for a second that Xiao Feng¡ªthe devilishly handsome man¡ªwould be able to survive it.

    To be honest, he was reluctant to lose Xiao Feng to the Boundless Heavenly Demon Heart Tribtion. After all, he was the most criticalponent of his ns. Xiao Feng was exceptionally strong and most suited to be the artifact spirit of his creation. In fact, he had plotted several hundred years just to get closer to him and earn enough trust to swear an Oath of Rahu.

    Unfortunately, he screwed up at thest step and couldn¡¯t convince Xiao Feng to be his creation¡¯s artifact spirit. Not only that, the man had seen right through his ploy.

    Still, what¡¯s done is done. If Xiao Feng wouldn¡¯t aid him, then he must die. He had plotted far too long already, and he wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to ruin it at the final step, especially considering that someone knew his secret.

    Losing Xiao Feng was definitely going to throw a wrench or two into his n and extend the time he needed to be a god, but then again, he had already waited for almost a thousand years. He didn¡¯t mind waiting a couple more centuries to be god.

    <i>Why must you do this, Xiao Feng? Truly, there is no stopping someone frommitting suicide.</i>

    ¡°So noisy.¡±

    The demonic noise was growing louder and louder. It got to the point where the entire Demon¡¯s Tomb was affected by it. Countless people and Stranger were going insane under its effects right now, and even Xiao Feng looked clearly irritated by it. So, he looked up at the sky and roared out a single word, ¡°Shoo!¡±

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Space shattered, and the world shook. The skyful of demonic clouds and Heavenly Demons abruptly disintegrated into nothing, and even the demonic noise was overwhelmed by his shout.

    When the world returned to silence, only a cool breeze and a bright moon remained.

    1. Remember, practically everything in the Guixu is made of demonic qi. ?

 Chapter 295: Boundless Heart Demon

    <h4>Chapter 295: Boundless Heart Demon </h4>

    ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t expose you even though I found out your n a long, long time ago?¡±

    After shattering the demonic tribtion with a single shout, Xiao Feng side-eyed the stupefied Xiangqi Demon and continued, ¡°It¡¯s because your plots and schemes are nothing to me.¡±

    ¡°Also, Guixu is quite the boring ce. The monk hates talking, the barbarian loves running all over the ce, and that sword maniac didn¡¯t even leave behind his consciousness. Seriously, this ce is so boring I could die.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, I couldn¡¯t kill you, at least not right away. And for a time, you have proven to be an interesting and passable ymate.¡±

    ¡°<i>ymate?¡±</i>

    Xiangqi Demon sounded so insulted that his voice turned shrill and distorted. It sounded like someone was scratching a wooden board with their nails. ¡°You think you¡¯ve won? You think I wouldn¡¯t have a back-up n or two after spending centuries preparing for this? Oh no! This is just the beginning!¡±

    ¡°The world is my board, and its denizens are my pawns! Show yourself, Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth!¡±

    Xiangqi Demon¡¯s voice suddenly turned shrill and ominous as if it contained some sort of strange power. The next moment, silver lines appeared across the entire Mountain of Demons. Nine vertical lines and ten horizontal lines joined together to form ny points in total.

    The crisscrossing lines severed the space it epassed without a sound. From an outside perspective, it was as if this part of the world had been cut off from the outside world.

    At the same time, thirty two tall and powerful silhouettes appeared on the points. Each silhouette was so strong that their auras filled up the world, and they resembled gods and demons.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    At the periphery of the Mountain of Demons, Hong Jianglong, Laughing Buddha, Lady of Yin Mountain and more Grnadmasters were looking at the silver lines and towering silhouettes with severe expressions. Each silhouette was as strong as they were, and the silver lines especially made them feel like they were in grave danger.

    One of the Grandmasters decided that it was unsafe to linger and took off, but he had just reached the edge when his body abruptly split into multiple pieces. Not even his mind managed to escape before it was snuffed out like a candle.

    ¡°Amitabha! Stay calm, everyone.¡± Laughing Buddha spoke up, ¡°It would seem that this mountain was ced under some sort of restriction and cut off from the outside world temporarily. Let us wait and see what happens next, shall we?¡±

    The Grandmasters wasn¡¯t the only ones who were stuck, of course. The same thing was happening all over the Mountain of Demons. Some people were shocked, some people were afraid, and some were hacked into pieces by the silver lines...

    ¡°So this is your trump card?¡±

    Xiao Feng smiledzily as he stared at the crisscrossing lines around him. ¡°It certainly looks intimidating.¡±

    Xiangqi Demon ignored his taunt and narrowed his fingers as if he was holding a xiangqi piece. Space shuddered, and the thirty two silhouettes of gods and demons attacked Xiao Feng at the same time.

    One silhouette wielded a saber and let loose a sh that seemed capable of tearing the heavens and the earth asunder,

    Another silhouette wielded a sword that fired a sword beam that drew everything around it into a devastating cyclone,

    A third silhouette spat out a puff of air that brought forth an unstoppable, world-ending storm,

    A fourth silhouette swung his sleeves and caused incessant rumbles throughout the skies. There were celestials standing in two lines to their left and right side as well,

    A fifth silhouette stepped forth and threw a punch that shattered heaven and earth and shook the sun and moon from the sky. It was a punch that could kill anything and everything,

    A six silhouette summoned forth a seal that shattered mountains and rivers, threatened to upend the mortal coil, and blur the fine line between life and death,

    And more.

    ......

    All thirty six silhouettes all used their ultimate moves from the get go. For them, it was do or die.

    ¡°The ¡®Sky Opening sh¡¯ from the Crazed Saber, the ¡®Nine Heavens Gctic Sword¡¯ from the Chief Sword, the ¡®Qi That Moves Mountains and Rivers¡¯ from the Schr of Wind and Rain, the ¡®Flying Immortal Sleeve¡¯ from Celestial Master Zhang, the ¡®Finality Fist¡¯ from the King of Killing, The ¡®Nine Seals of Mortal Coil¡¯ from the Mortal Coil Visitor...¡±

    ¡°Interesting, interesting.¡±

    Xiao Feng was unperturbed despite staring down the ultimate attacks of the thirty six silhouettes. He even had the time to point out everyone¡¯s identity and technique before the attacks finally reached him.

    Xiao Feng opened his mouth and exhaled a breath of fresh air. The breath epassed the entire pocket world in just a single breath.

    A series of indescribable explosions took ce as the saber beam, sword qi, fist force, astral qi and more all shattered into pieces. The silhouettes too crumbled along with their ultimate moves.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± Xiao Feng asked with a dissatisfied frown after the world had returned to normal. It was as if he hadn¡¯t just performed the impossible.

    ¡°No! No! No!¡± Xiangqi Demon¡¯s face was contorted with madness, loss and pain. Blood positively streamed down his empty eye sockets as he screamed in hate and despair, ¡°You ruined a thousand years of hard work! A thousand years! Ahhhhhhhhh!¡±

    It had taken Xiangqi Demon nearly a thousand years to refine the remnant soul, consciousness, martial intent and the like into xiangqi pieces. Each and everyst one of them was a foundational piece of his Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth. However, Xiao Feng had annihted it all in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°I won¡¯t ept this! I refuse!¡± Xiangqi Demon screamed on top of his lungs. Who wouldn¡¯t be angry and hateful after losing a thousand years of hard work?

    The Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth began falling apart. As it crumbled, the demonic qi started stirring, the mountains started copsing, the rivers started drying, the earth started pulling itself asunder, and even space itself began breaking like a cracked mirror.

    ¡°Are you going to destroy the Mountain of Demons?¡±

    For the first time, Xiao Feng lost his smile.

    Xiangqi Demon screamed back, ¡°Why not? You destroyed <i>one thousand years of hard work! </i>The least I can do is to destroy the Mountain of Demons and take you all to the grave with me!¡±

    Xiao Feng scoffed, ¡°Perchance you forgot that we are already dead?<i> </i>You and I are but a wisp of our original self. Even if you destroyed the Mountain of Demons, all you would¡¯ve achieved is destroying our wisps of consciousness.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke! Do you think I¡¯m not aware of the true secret of the Demon¡¯s Tomb? A long time ago, Rahu the Progenitor Demon used his own body to seal off an Extinction-ss Stranger, and the Mountain of Demons is the core of the Demon¡¯s Tomb. Simply destroy the Mountain of Demons, and the Extinction-ss Stranger would be released from its seal.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to destroy the world, really. It¡¯s all your fault! All your fault!¡±

    Xiangqi Demon screamed andughed like a madman, but he didn¡¯t notice that strange, identical faces were appearing all across his body. Their eyes were narrowed into mocking slits, and their lips were curled into disdainful smiles. It was like they were mocking everyone and everything[1].

    ¡°I see! I see now!¡± Xiao Feng eximed in realization. ¡°This exins everything.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you came up with the audacious idea of using the Mountain of Demons as the foundational stone of your Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you were able to assassinate so many remnant souls and consciousness with your pitiful strength.¡±

    ¡°And no wonder you were able to set up something like this in just a few centuries!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because the Heart Demon is the one who has been pulling your strings this whole time. Truly impressive!¡±

    Xiao Feng let out a sigh and shot Xiangqi Demon a look of sympathy. ¡°Truly, there is no one more pitiful than the pawn who thinks of himself as the yer!¡±

    ¡°Pitiful? Whatever do you mean?¡± Xiangqi Demon tilted his head to one side, causing the mocking smiles on his body to tilt to one side as well. Still, the man didn¡¯t notice a thing.

    Xiao Feng answered, ¡°Do you know who the Stranger the Progenitor Demon, Rahu, had sealed inside the Demon¡¯s Tomb is?¡±

    ¡°Have you heard of a formless, intangible and infinite demon who exists beyond the nine heavens? It cannot be seen or perceived, and it excels at toying with a human¡¯s heart and controlling souls. It is why it is named the Boundless Heart Demon.¡±

    ¡°The Demon¡¯s Tomb is a ce where dying people like use to bury our bones, so the Boundless Heart Demon¡¯s influence on us is minimal. But you, you came here not to die, but to enact this grand n of yours. You probably caught its attention as soon as you entered the Demon¡¯s Tomb, and everything you did from then to now was probably influenced by the Boundless Heart Demon in some way. To what end? To destroy the Mountain of Demons and free it, of course.¡±

    ¡°Even if I haven¡¯t stopped you, you were never going to seed in making your Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth. After all, the Boundless Heart Demon just wants to use you to destroy the Mountain of Demons. There is no way it would have allowed you to create a Treasure of Heavenly Way since the Heavenly Way would¡¯ve given it its Primordial Purple Qi and Profound Yellow Mother Qi, which would perfect the naturalws and solidify its boundaries of this ce even more than it already was. That would be counterproductive to its n to escape.¡±

    ¡°This means that you were a pitiful pawn from the start until the end; a piece on a board you never even knew existed.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe...¡±

    As soon as Xiao Feng was finished speaking, the smiling faces on Xiangqi Demon¡¯s body let loose a disturbing cackle. Xiangqi Demon couldn¡¯t seem to hear them, however. He couldn¡¯t ept Xiao Feng¡¯s words either. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! You¡¯re lying to me! You¡¯re lying to me!¡±

    ¡°I will destroy the Mountain of Demons! Destroy it!¡±

    Xiangqi Demon roared, and the Mountain of Demons began crumbling at an elerated rate. Countless crisscrossing lines appeared all around the mountain and shook the world.

    As the Mountain of Demons crumbled bit by bit, a giant face appeared on the ground underneath it[2]. In fact, the face spanned the entire Demon¡¯s Tomb. Thekes were its eyes, the bottomless chasms were its ears, the mountains were its nose, the long, jagged crevices were its mouth and teeth, and the forest was its hair.

    If someone were to look down from above, they would notice that the face was smiling slightly with squinted eyes. It was a cold, evil and mocking smile.

    As soon as the face appeared, the demonic qi within the Graveyard of Demons grew even thicker than before. Most of the warriors and Strangers hiding in what they thought were safe ces went insane as a result.

    ¡°Pitiful!¡±

    Xiao Feng noticed what was going on outside, of course. He immediately reached out and crushed Xiangqi Demon into bits.

    As long as Xiangqi Demon was dead, no one would be able to control the Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth. It was just a matter of suppressing its power after that.

    This was why he was willing to entertain Xiangqi Demon and the mastermind pulling his strings for so long. Not even the most devious plot didn¡¯t matter before absolute strength.

    ... Or it would, if not for the fact that Xiangqi Demon reappeared at a different location. The blood drained away from his face when he realized the implications.

    ¡°Keke... Since you know that I cultivate the ¡®Infinity Soul Earth Gate True Sutra¡¯, you must know that it also contains a secret art called the ¡®Infinity Soul Detachment Art¡¯. It allowed its practitioner to split their soul and attach a soul fragment to an object. So long as my main soul is still alive, I will never die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve hidden my main soul elsewhere a long time ago. The me before you is my subsoul. You can kill me a million times over, and you still wouldn¡¯t be able to change anything.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... No one can stop me! I will take the whole world to the grave with me!¡±

    ¡°Madman.¡±

    For the first time, anger appeared on Xiao Feng¡¯s face. He inhaled, and Xiangqi Demon was sucked into his stomach.

    The crumbling didn¡¯t end even after he had eaten Xiangqi Demon. It was then Xiao Feng confirmed that the bastard was telling the truth.

    ¡°How troublesome.¡± Xiao Feng let out a long sigh and shouted, ¡°Monk, barbarian, you can stop watching from the sidelines now! If the Boundless Heart Demon really breaks out of its confinement, humanity is the one who suffers in the end!¡±

    1. I can¡¯t help but imagine Anonymous when I see this... ?

    2. If you guys remember, the mountain is floating upside down above ground. ?

 Chapter 296: Fate Cannot Be Changed

    <h4>Chapter 296: Fate Cannot Be Changed </h4>

    ¡°You screwed up, didn¡¯t you Xiao Feng? I told you you should¡¯ve snuffed that any sooner. Now, you¡¯ve crushed yourself in the foot!¡±

    A rough, bold, and impertinent voice responded, ¡°Once again, I gotta wipe your ass for you!¡±

    ¡°You did? Strange. I don¡¯t remember such a thing.¡±

    Xiao Feng replied unhurriedly, ¡°In fact, I remember a certain someone making a bet with me on whether the Xiangqi Demon could create his Xiangqi of Heaven and Earth and be immortal. I wonder who it was?¡±

    ¡°It definitely wasn¡¯t me!¡± The bold voice denied immediately. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I hate more than gambling. Anyway, you can wipe your own ass!¡±

    ¡°What do you say, Moonbearer, Wu Wang, Swordlord?¡± Xiao Feng ignored the voice and asked. He didn¡¯t hear any response, however.

    ¡°Hahaha! Not even Sister Tuo Yue and Bai Shuang are gonna help you this time! Looks like you really have to handle this mess yourself!¡± The bold voiceughed.

    ¡°Okay then. Since no one cares, then I don¡¯t care either.¡± Xiao Feng shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m already dead anyway. I was a free soul when I was still alive, and I¡¯m not going to change even after I¡¯m dead. No way I¡¯m going to shackle myself to a responsibility I can¡¯t bear.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, world! It was nice knowing you!¡±

    As soon as Xiao Feng finished, an honest,passionate voice broke out, ¡°Enough ying. The Boundless Heart Demon must not escape its prison.¡±

    ¡°Mountain Bearer, you will strengthen the Mountain of Demons and dy the speed at which it¡¯s falling apart. This poor monk shall suppress the Boundless Heart Demon itself to prevent it from causing any more problems. Xiao Feng, you will find the Xiangqi Demon¡¯s main soul and resolve this as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m only helping you because the bald donkey asked me to, Xiao Feng!¡±

    As soon as the bold voice finished, a giant stepped out of the fog and appeared at the outer edge of the Mountain of Demons in a single step. After poking his gums with its hill-sized fingers, he opened his arms wide and embraced the Mountain of Demons. As he exerted strength into his limbs, the crumbling mountain abruptly froze as if it was pinned by some sort of unknown power.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Not only that, the cracks on the mountain¡¯s surface were gradually healing and returning to normal.

    At the same time, an old, emaciated monk sitting inside the temple perched atop the shell of a snail Stranger opened his eyes. As he rose to his feet, nine shining gold mountains appeared across the Mountain of Demons. Although they looked as small as seeds, they possessed seemingly infinite weight and size.

    A seed could hold Mount Meru[1]. Nine mountains could hold nine worlds. It was also why the old monk¡¯s Dharma name was Nine Mountains; nine Mount Merus to be exact.

    The next moment, the nine mountains fell from the sky and grewrger and heavier. They sat on the giant face¡¯s eyes, ears, mouth, nose, forehead and the top of its skull. A Buddhist chant filled the world, and both the demonic qi in the air and the giant face was temporarily suppressed.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, Xiao Feng? Go look for the Xiangqi Demon¡¯s main soul already! The old monk can¡¯tst too long!¡± Mountain Bearer urged after noticing that Xiao Feng remained unmoved even after the old monk had suppressed the Boundless Heart Demon.

    ¡°Heh. Juste out and say that you¡¯re the one who can¡¯t keep the mountain intact for long.¡± Xiao Feng chuckled before countless images of himself walked out of his body and scattered across the world. They were all searching for the Xiangqi Demon¡¯s main soul.

    ¡°Xiao Feng, Nine Mountains, and Mountain Bearer are all on the move. Demon Lord Wu Wang, Precursor Blood Fiend, Heaven Annihtion, we should make our moves as well. Our master¡¯s escape must not bepromised!¡± A man said inside a hall. He was apanied by three other people.

    ¡°Yes. We must act as soon as possible. Demon Lord Wu Wang, Heaven Annihtion, the two of you will deal with Nine Mountains. Precursor Blood Fiend, you will tackle Mountain Bearer. I will keep Xiao Feng busy.¡±

    An old man wearing a conical bamboo hat said slowly, ¡°Kill them if you can, dy them if you cannot. We simply need to wait until the Mountain of Demons copses.¡±

    ¡°Even the likes of Xiao Feng and Nine Mountains are but ants before our master. Once our master is freed, it will be all over.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve plotted this for so long, and we are so close from seeding. We must not fumble on thest step.¡±

    ¡°The master is infinite.¡±

    ¡°The master is infinite.¡±

    The mes of zealotry burned in their eyes. A disturbing smiling face was also reflected in their pupils.

    Back at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, Xiao Feng was still searching for the Xiangqi Demon¡¯s main soul when suddenly, he sensed his doppelgangers vanishing one after another. He was just wondering what was going on when he saw a decrepit old man slowly making his way toward him. Behind him was an ungodly tidal wave that was so tall it touched the sky itself.

    Every time the old man took a step, the sea wave would inch forward a little. It was as if he was wearing the sea wave as a mantle.

    ¡°Whalerider Demon. You¡¯re the one who destroyed my doppelgangers?¡± Xiao Feng asked with a frown.

    ¡°It is I,¡± Whalerider Demon replied with a smile.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Xiao Feng asked.

    Whalerider Demon let out a low chuckle before asking seriously, ¡°Because you¡¯re trying to prevent our master from breaking free, of course.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the Boundless Heart Demon¡¯spdogs?!¡± Xiao Feng sighed sorrowfully. ¡°You were quite the character when you were still alive. To think that your afterlife would be so pitiful!¡±

    Whalerider Demon didn¡¯t get angry, however. In fact, he seemed proud of his subordination. ¡°It is my honor to be able to serve under my master. Xiao Feng, you should help us. My master will resurrect you as a reward for your service if you do.¡±

    ¡°And why would I be a dog when I can be a human?¡± Xiao Feng scoffed.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Whalerider Demon smiled. ¡°My master is escaping one way or another. It is fate, and fate cannot be changed. In that case, why not choose an option that will benefit you? Here, listen.¡±

    ¡°Heaven Annihtion, Wu Wang, what the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    Whalerider Demon had just finished when Nine Mountains¡¯ furious voice erupted from the horizon.

    Right after that, Mountain Bearer¡¯s voice shattered the clouds. ¡°Ouch! Did you just ambush me, Blood Fiend? You bloody coward!¡±

    The sounds of shes came after that. It was obvious that they were fighting.

    ¡°Wu Wang, Heaven Annihtion and Blood Fiend had be the Boundless Heart Demon¡¯sp dogs too?¡± Xiao Feng let out a long sigh. Only he knew if it was due to pity or helplessness.

    Whalerider Demon dered victoriously, ¡°See? This is fate. Nine Mountains and Mountain Bearer are upied by Wu Wang, Heaven Annihtion and Blood Fiend, and even you are upied by me. No one can stop the Mountain of Demons from crumbling, and our master from escaping.¡±

    ¡°This is fate, and fate cannot be resisted. Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°Fate?¡± Xiao Feng suddenly cracked a confident grin after Whalerider Demon was doneughing. ¡°I have lived my whole life free and unfettered, and fate is the one thing I don¡¯t believe. I only believe in myself.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen a little longer?¡±

    Whalerider Demon was suddenly struck by a bad feeling. It was at this moment the light of a sword streaked across the sky and brightened it so much that it was like daytime.

    A round moon rose from the horizon. A person seemed to be underneath it.

    Finally, white frost enveloped the ground in just the blink of an eye. Such was its color that it was near impossible to distinguish it from the sky.

    ¡°Swordlord, Moonbearer and Frost?!¡± Whalerider Demon murmured in shock.

    When the sword had disappeared, when the moon was gone, and when the frost had melted into water, the sounds of fighting could no longer be heard. There were only nine Mount Merus suppressing the Boundless Heart Demon¡¯s face once more, and Mountain Bearer¡¯s unbridledughter booming across the entire Demon¡¯s Tomb.

    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Xiao Feng asked while shrugging at Whalerider Demon.

    ¡°This was a trap. You were ready for us,¡± dered Whalerider Demon solemnly.

    ¡°But of course,¡± Xiao Feng admitted. ¡°How else could we fish you out of your hidey-holes? Why did you think I kept Xiangqi Demon alive for so long? I¡¯m bored, but I¡¯m not <i>that </i>bored. It was because I knew someone was helping him. He alone could not have assassinated all those remnant souls and consciousness, and he definitely couldn''t have set up an array big enough to destroy the entire Mountain of Demons.¡±

    ¡°Ideally, we would¡¯ve destroyed your group long before you pulled this stunt, but you were a little too good at keeping your true nature hidden. Forget hunting you down, we didn¡¯t even know how many of you are out there.¡±

    ¡°I could kill Xiangqi Demon earlier and avert this crisis, but that would only drive you and your group deeper into your hidey-holes. You would¡¯vee up with a better, more calcted n as well. Rather than watching out for you people for eternity, luring you out with the Xiangqi Demon and destroying you all in one go is a much better n, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Ah... the world has never been more peaceful. Truly, this is¡ªhey dude, why are you leaving when I¡¯m not done talking yet? How rude!¡±

    Whalerider Demon abruptly jumped into his tidal wave and retreated at top speed. Unfortunately, his efforts were futile. Smiling, Xiao Feng waved his sleeve like he was trying to embrace something, and both Whalerider Demon and the towering sea wave disappeared just like that.

    The sun and moon could grow inside a jar, and a world could reside within a person¡¯s sleeves.

    ¡°This is fate, Xiao Feng! You cannot defy it!¡±

    Whalerider Demon left onest cry before thest vestiges of his existence were crushed.

    ¡°Act like a dog, die like a dog.¡± Xiao Feng chuckled devilishly while shaking his bulging sleeve a little.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    His joy didn¡¯tst too long, however. It was because the world was beginning to shake again. Mountain Bearer¡¯s silhouette was starting to turn transparent, and cracks were beginning to split across the Mountain of Demon¡¯s surface once more. The giant face Nine Mountains had forcibly suppressed was also resurfacing bit by bit.

    ¡°Move your fucking ass, Xiao Feng! I really can¡¯t hold on for much longer!¡±

    They were but a figment of their true self after all. As strong as they were, they were nowhere close to their peak.

    Knowing that time was wasting, Xiao Feng sucked in a deep breath and grew a million times bigger and taller than before. Then, he looked down on the entire Mountain of Demons like a god. However, he still couldn¡¯t find Xiangqi Demon¡¯s main soul anywhere.

    As time passed, the cracks grew wider and wider, and the giant face was growing clearer and clearer. The mountains at the periphery were already starting to copse, and avnches were happening everywhere. At the same time, Mountain Bearer and Nine Mountains grew fainter and fainter as if they might disappear into nothing at any moment.

    <i>Is it truly fated that the Boundless Heart Demon would escape and destroy the world? </i>

    Xiao Feng still couldn¡¯t find Xiangqi Demon despite everything. He couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed and dejected.

    He had lived his life as a free soul. He had never bowed his head to another person, nor had he ever submitted to fate. But now, he was powerless to change what was happening in front of him.

    One step. He was literally one step away from ruining the Boundless Heart Demon¡¯s n and sending it back whence it came. However, he just couldn¡¯t do it no matter what.

    Was fate truly unchangeable?

    ¡°I suppose that not even the Demon Lord of Freedom could avoid fate after he died!¡± Xiao Feng chuckled bitterly and self-depreciatingly.

    <i>Crack...</i>

    It was at this moment cracks appeared all across a certain xiangqi board. Then, it exploded into a million pieces. The next second, Ye Qing emerged from within whileughing,

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m finally free!¡±

    1. A sacred mountain in Buddhist and Jain tradition. ?

 Chapter 297: Free Soul

    <h4>Chapter 297: Free Soul </h4>

    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re not getting away. Die!¡±

    Xiao Feng was currently in a heightened state of body and spirit and could perceive everything and anything within the Demon¡¯s Tomb, so Ye Qing¡¯s speech and action had caught his attention immediately. That was how he saw the young man shouting and unleashing a furious punch at an escaping soul fragment after breaking out of the xiangqi board he was trapped in.

    ¡°Xiangqi Demon? That¡¯s... is that its main soul?!¡± Xiao Feng eximed in surprise and delight. It was because the soul fragment Ye Qing was attacking was none other than Xiangqi Demon¡¯s main soul.

    ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t find the bastard even after using the ¡®Soul Scouring Eye of Sky and Earth¡¯! He was hiding in my blind spot this whole time!¡±

    Xiao Feng had to admit that Xiangqi Demon was smarter and more audacious than he gave him credit for. They must have yed their games on that xiangqi board for centuries, which was why he had subconsciously overlooked the object while searching for his main soul.

    Moreover, Xiangqi Demon had intentionally strengthened his subsoul instead of his main soul like most people would. It was to fool him into thinking that his subsoul was his main soul, and the ruse had worked like a charm.

    Of course, he was smarter than Xiangqi Demon. If the circumstances weren¡¯t as desperate as they were, or if he had just a bit more time, he would¡¯ve figured out the ruse eventually. The problem was he didn¡¯t have enough time. By the time he figured it out, the Boundless Heart Demon would¡¯ve broken free from its prison already.

    But then, a variable that no one had ced any significance on¡ªa living piece of their game¡ªhad emerged and ruined it all for Xiangqi Demon. It was such irony that one could almost say that it was, as the cultists of the Boundless Heart Demon loved to put it, fate.

    Xiao Feng¡¯s lips curled into a smile that was both mocking and wistful. ¡°Hahaha! What an unpredictable world this is! What a fateful ending!¡±

    Xiangqi Demon could never dream that he would fall to a nobody after sessfully fooling everyone and everything.

    If he hadn¡¯t captured that youngster and tossed him into their game, the youngster wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to kill him.

    If he had killed the youngster immediately after winning the game, he could¡¯ve avoided the same fate as well.

    Or if he had strengthened his main soul just enough that even ate-stage Astral Refiner couldn''t kill him, then maybe he could¡¯ve averted the worst case scenario.

    The what-ifs were infinite, but there was only one reality.

    That was why people came up with the concept of fate.

    That was why people believed in fate.

    Xiao Feng barked out anotherugh before crushing the silver lines covering the Mountain of Demons with his bare hands. The array couldn¡¯t possibly resist as the one person who could¡¯ve controlled it was no more. As a result, it began crumbling upon itself and spilling demonic qi everywhere.

    The next moment, Xiao Feng moved his hands down and suppressed the origin qi and demonic qi rampaging throughout the world. Then, he directed the energies to heal the cracks covering the entire mountain.

    After the Mountain of Demons had recovered, the gigantic face that was this close from breaking out of its eternal prison slowly subsided back into the ground.

    <strong><i>¡°OooooOoooooOo...¡±</i></strong>

    For the first time, the disturbing smile on the face curled into a sad expression. At the same time, a pair of bloody tears began streaming down its cheeks. A ghastly wail also resounded throughout the Demon¡¯s Tomb. The sky began raining blood, and every human and Stranger under the rain felt sad all of a sudden.

    It didn¡¯t matter if they were sentient or not. Everyone and everything began to feel sad and weep tears of blood as well.

    ¡°Do <i>not </i>make contact with the blood rain, boy. They¡¯re unsafe,¡± The Fog Demon floated out into the open and warned.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Ye Qing wiped away the bloody tears pooling under his tear ducts and expanded his astral qi into a protective cocoon. At the same time, he visualized the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± to protect his mind.

    After the golden light had dispelled the formless, invisible energy affecting his mind, the unnatural sorrow afflicting him subsided considerably.

    <i>What the hell happened in the Guixu? </i>Ye Qing wondered as he stared at the tattered center of the Graveyard of Demons.

    He couldn¡¯t have been trapped in the xiangqi board for more than an hour or two, so why the hell did it feel like the entire world had changed?

    <i>Shit! Surely that old fuck can¡¯t control time, right? What if a century had already passed while I was trapped inside the board...?</i>

    ¡°Screw it. Let¡¯s leave this ce first!¡± Ye Qing decided after thinking for a moment.

    Since he entered the Guixu, almost nothing had gone his way at all. First, he ran into a gigantic snail that almost infected him with a mini snail. Then, he was captured and thrown into a xiangqi board where he had to fight to survive. Worse, he was left to die inside the game world even though he scored the final blow. He had seen the sun crumbling into pieces, the moon sinking into the horizon, the earth being swallowed into a bottomless void piece by piece and more.

    It was a scene straight out of the apocalypse, and he wasn¡¯t equipped to handle it to say the least.

    If he hadn¡¯t picked up that the sky was the weakest part of the unnatural world he was trapped in, if he hadn¡¯tbined his, the Mara Boundless Buddha and Zhong Ji¡¯s strength together and just barely punched a hole in the sky, he would probably be atoms already.

    As if that wasn¡¯t miserable enough, it wasn¡¯t even apletely smooth journey. While he was attacking the sky, a soul fragment had appeared out of nowhere and attempted to stop him, and at first, he almost shat his pants. It was because it shared the same presence as one of the yers outside the xiangqi board, and that presence was so powerful any resistance he could¡¯ve mustered would¡¯ve beenpletely futile.

    When he actually shed against it though, he abruptly realized that the soul fragment was stupidly weak. He didn¡¯t understand why that was the case, but he had no qualms destroying it after he broke out of the strange world.

    Speaking of which, he was fully ready to fight a hopeless battle after returning to reality. Surely the yers wouldn¡¯t be pleased that one of their pieces had broken free, right? He didn¡¯t find anyone around him, however. Instead, he saw a graveyard that looked like it had been ravaged by a bunch of rapists, the ground was shaking like a magnitude 8 earthquake, and the sky was literally weeping blood. This series of discoveries snuffed out any desire he might have had for the Guixu.

    <i>What was I thinking entering this ce? I¡¯m just a small fry, and I don¡¯t feel like dying just yet. I belong anywhere but here.</i>

    He was just about to take his leave when suddenly, someone called out to him from behind, ¡°Leaving already, young friend? Don¡¯t you want to stay here a little longer?¡±

    Ye Qing froze for a second. Every hair on his person stood on end, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat before he knew it. He turned around and saw Xiao Feng smilingly devilishly andzily at him.

    ¡°Hello... senior.¡±

    Ye Qing forced a smile on his stiff face and adjusted his posture to exude as much sincerity as possible. ¡°It¡¯s er, it¡¯s raining right now, so I need to rush home and put away myundry immediately. I¡¯ll see you another day?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Xiao Feng smiled, thinking that Ye Qing¡¯s reaction was quite amusing. He waved his sleeve once, and the blood rain abruptly subsided rapidly. It stoppedpletely just a few secondster. Then, a blood moon rose into the sky, and the demonic qi scattered its light and dyed everything in the Guixu in red.

    ¡°Now you don¡¯t have to hurry home, do you?¡±

    ¡°Ha, haha...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s sweat grew thick enough to slide down his nose. His smile was already stiff in the first ce, but now he was just barely keeping it together. He knew from the start that the mysterious man was extraordinary, but to literally change the weather with a single wave?

    <i>I¡¯M JUST A SMALL FRY DAMMIT. WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME!?</i>

    ¡°T-Thank you, senior, but maybe next time. A-Also, your skill is most impressive. I¡¯d never seen such incredible power.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re a tterer as well?¡± Xiao Feng chuckled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to tter you, senior. I¡¯m telling the truth. In the <i>jianghu, </i>they call me the Honest and Dependable Gentleman or the Man Who Never Tells Lies. It¡¯s how you know I¡¯m telling the pure, unadulterated truth.¡±

    Ye Qing wiped away a bead of sweat and continued in a sincere tone, ¡°Your power and skill aren¡¯t the only things that are impressive either. You¡¯re also one of the most handsome men I¡¯ve ever met. You remind me of a heavenly celestial who descended upon the earth to enjoy the pleasures of the world. I must have used up three lifetimes¡¯ worth of blessing to be rewarded with a meeting with you. I am sure that I will take this memory to the grave.¡±

    To emphasize just how excited and honored he was, Ye Qing even squeezed out a tear from his tear duct.

    ¡°By the Nether, he is even more shameless than I am!¡±

    Inside the Boundless Mara Buddha, the Fog Demon was so disgusted it couldn¡¯t help but make a mental spit. Shamelessness was something that transcended the boundaries of race, but the effect was magnified on someone with an honest-looking face like Ye Qing.

    ¡°You will take this memory to the grave, is it? If that is your wish, then so it shall be!¡± Xiao Feng smiled devilishly and pointed a finger at Ye Qing¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Wa¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes bulged in shock and horror. <i>This isn¡¯t how the script should go! I refuse to be the protagonist whomitted suicide because of excessive bootlicking!</i>

    Ye Qing tried to resist, but he was immobilized practically the instant the thought appeared in his head. He could only watch helplessly as the finger came closer and closer.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    When the finger finally made contact with his forehead, his headspace churned, and his mind wobbled like a leaf caught within a storm. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he copsed on the ground just like that.

    ¡°You actually killed him, Xiao Feng?¡±

    A colossal figure appeared next to Xiao Feng andmented in mock horror, ¡°He¡¯s the man who wiped your sorry ass for you! How could you do this to him? My, I have never seen a more heartless and ungrateful man in my life!¡±

    He was none other than Mountain Bearer.

    Xiao Feng smirked and tapped Ye Qing on the head again. ¡°What can I do? It¡¯s what he asked for.¡±

    Mountain Bearer pped his hands on his cheeks. ¡°Oh my heavens! It¡¯s bad enough you murdered your benefactor, you would desecrate his corpse too? Monster! Monster!¡±

    Then, Ye Qing¡¯s aura began growing stronger and stronger. From time to time, he would emit powerful spiritual shockwaves.

    Mountain Bearer turned serious when he saw this. ¡°You unlocked his Xuanguan point for him? Are you actually going to make him your sessor, Xiao Feng?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who keeps pushing me to repay the favor?¡± Xiao Feng countered.

    It was at this moment Nine Mountains joined the trio. ¡°Amitabha. Have you decided, Xiao Feng?¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± Xiao Feng responded with a smile. ¡°You Buddhists are very concerned with karmic bonds and destiny, aren¡¯t you? Well, to borrow your words, this boy shares a karmic bond with me.¡±

    ¡°Not only did he do us a huge favor, he just so happens to be carrying an item that I left outside[1]. I see no reason not to pass down my signature martial art to him.¡±

    ¡°All arts must not be passed down carelessly, not to mention that your signature martial art is more dangerous than most. You really should consider this carefully.¡± Nine Mountains said with a frown, ¡°Do you know what type of person he is? Do you even know if he¡¯s good? If he¡¯s a viinous monster, then what you¡¯re doing is no different frommitting mass ughter. Are you aware of that?¡±

    Xiao Feng shook his head. ¡°Heavens, you just can¡¯t help but be a goody-two-shoes, can you? When you were alive, you hunted countless evils and protected many from disaster. After you died, you kept watch over the Demon¡¯s Tomb and act as his watchdog. Now, you¡¯re still worrying about the future of humanity. Aren¡¯t you tired, man?¡±

    ¡°Amitabha! My Buddha is merciful!¡± Nine Mountains chanted solemnly in response.

    ¡°Heh. Truly, you and I cannot be anymore different. You¡¯re a Buddhist and a goodie-two-shoes. I¡¯m a demon who does whatever I like. We literally don¡¯t even pee in the same jar.¡± Xiao Feng scoffed. ¡°Seriously, if you hadn''t saved my life back when we were still alive, I wouldn¡¯t even leave a wisp of my consciousness in this ce. I swear, it¡¯s aborious and thankless job.¡±

    ¡°To be free when I was alive, and to be ash after I¡¯m dead. That¡¯s the kind of life I wanted to lead.¡±

    ¡°On behalf of all of humanity, this poor monk thanks you for your selfless service,¡± Nine Mountains saluted him deeply.

    ¡°Save it. That doesn¡¯t work on me.¡± Xiao Feng chuckled. ¡°All I ask is that you stop trying to change my mind. My eardrums are a little sore after all that noise from earlier, you see.¡±

    Knowing that Xiao Feng truly had made up his mind, Nine Mountains shook his head and chanted, ¡°Amitabha.¡±

    ¡°If it helps you rest easier, know that this boy does not cultivate any unsavory martial art. Yes, his bloodthirst is stronger than most, but he isn¡¯t a full blown monster either. He won¡¯t cause the kind of disasters you fear.¡±

    Mountain Bearer interrupted, ¡°You have a good eye for people, Xiao Feng. For someone so young, this boy already possesses a powerful physique and wless talent and aptitude. He¡¯s definitely qualified to be called a once-in-a-century genius. Assuming he doesn¡¯t die young, he¡¯s destined to leave his name in the annals of history. You¡¯re one lucky bastard, Xiao Feng.¡±

    It was clear that Mountain Bearer was jealous.

    Xiao Feng chuckled. ¡°Why are you jealous? You can teach him your skills if you want to. As you say, he¡¯s quitepatible with your ¡®Pan Emperor Mountain Bearing Sutra¡¯, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± Mountain Bearer rubbed his chin as if seriously considering the opinion.

    Then, Nine Mountains interrupted with a cough, ¡°Ahem. Amitabha...¡±

    Mountain Bearer got the hint andughed. ¡°Hahaha... forget it. The monk¡¯s already pretty annoyed that you passed him your signature martial art. If I passed him my signature martial art as well, I¡¯m afraid that he would pass onto the afterlife this instant!¡±

    Nine Mountains said seriously, ¡°Amitabha, I am not annoyed.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I believe you.¡± Mountain Bearerughed again before urging, ¡°Come on, monk. There is still stuff to clean up regarding the Boundless Heart Demon, and I¡¯m sure Xiao Feng could use some peace and quiet.¡±

    ¡°Amitabha...¡± Nine Mountains shot Xiao Feng onestplicated look before taking his leave. Mountain Bearer was gone as well.

    Xiao Feng paid their departure no heed. He simply smiled at Ye Qing¡¯s unconscious figure and tapped his forehead again.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re going to inherit my signature martial art, I consider you my disciple. My name is Xiao Feng, and I was a free soul who toured every walk of life, followed my heart, and changed the world as I pleased. Back in the day, they called me the Demon Lord of Freedom.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care, but try not to forget me as soon as you leave this ce, hahaha...¡±

    1. He¡¯s talking about the silver page. ?

 Chapter 298: When Want Exceeds Supply

    <h4>Chapter 298: When Want Exceeds Supply </h4>

    ¡°... I was a free soul who toured every walk of life, followed my heart, and changed the world as I pleased...¡±

    ¡°Ugh... my head hurts!¡±

    At an unfamiliar pace, Ye Qing mumbled in his dreams before a spike of pain jolted him awake. His head felt full and painful like someone had shoved a pail of shit into his brain.

    ¡°Where am I? I was...¡± Ye Qing shook his head left and right when hisst memory hit him like a train. He immediately jumped to his feet and examined his surroundings warily.

    ¡°I¡¯m... at the foot of the Mountain of Demons?!¡± Ye Qing watched his environment carefully. He vaguely recognized it, but a certain floating mountain was conspicuously missing.

    ¡°Where is... oh. It¡¯s daytime already.¡±

    Ye Qing was still feeling a little slow and dizzy. It took him a while before he finally recalled Hong Jianglong mentioning that the Mountain of Demons only appeared during nighttime. That was why it was missing right now.

    ¡°But I was inside the Guixu, wasn¡¯t I? How did I get here?¡± Ye Qing muttered with a frown. When he looked around and found no danger, he sat back down on the ground and slowly sorted out his dibobted memories.

    ¡°Was it him...?¡±

    Ye Qing eventually recalled his final memory; a devilishly handsome man touching him on the forehead and knocking him out as a result. As soon as he did this, an indescribable melody of Dao began ying in his head, and a ck lotus descended from above.

    The ck lotus had nine petals. As it bloomed, a sense of sublime profoundness enveloped Ye Qing, and the air of Dao was everywhere. It was like the ck lotus was the culmination of all arts and Daos there were.

    Ye Qing nked out, and a pair of ck lotuses appeared in his eyes. As the melody of Dao continued to y not just in his head, but also the outside world, the images of countless gods and demons appeared one after another.

    ......

    ¡°Deaf! Deaf! I think I heard something from over there!¡±

    Not far away from Ye Qing, an old, decrepit woman slowly brought a hand to her ear and kicked an equally old man beside her. ¡°What a beautiful melody it is! It¡¯s like the sound of Dao itself!¡±

    The old man next to her was currently crouching next to a body and clutching a human heart. He was taking bites out of it with an intoxicated expression like it was the most delicious thing in the world.

    When he felt the old woman¡¯s kick, he turned around to face her, grinned, and handed the heart over, asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Blind? Do you want to have a taste?¡±

    ¡°No I don¡¯t, you glutton! Look over there!¡± The old woman kicked him again before pointing at the distance.

    The guy looked at the direction she was pointing, and a second set of pupils abruptly appeared inside his pupils. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what you mean.¡±

    Suddenly, he grew excited. ¡°What a marvelous phenomenon! Is it the birth of a treasure? Let¡¯s head over and take a look, Blind!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s. It would be terrible if someone gets ahead of us!¡± The old woman chirped just as excitedly before bounding in Ye Qing¡¯s direction.

    ......

    ¡°Must you press me so over a Nature¡¯s Shell?¡±

    At a forest, a blood-soaked man was shooting a rather weak threat at his three pursuers.

    ¡°Excuse me? You just happened to be the one we ran into while we¡¯re cleaning out this ce, ck Fox! Do you really think that someone like you deserves our attention?¡± The thin man among the trio retorted.

    The thin man barely counted as a human, really. In fact, all three of them were like this. It was because their eyes werepletely red, the ears were sharp and pointy, their face was covered in yellow fur, and their nails were far longer than what you might see on an average human. Frankly, they looked more like a dog than a human.

    The guy called ck Fox argued, ¡°We¡¯re all scavengers here, and I¡¯m the one who came first. Going by <i>jianghu </i>rules, the items on these bodies should go to me.¡±

    ck Fox really, really didn¡¯t want to fight against the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei if he could. It wasn¡¯t because he wouldn¡¯t be a match for them¡ªhe was a Half-Step Spirit Purifier, while the trio were only middle-stage Astral Refiners¡ªbut because he most likely would walk away in poor shape.

    As their moniker might suggest, the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei wereplete lunatics. They fought withplete disregard of their own lives or injuries. The meek was afraid of the assertive, and the assertive was afraid of the suicidal. It was that simple.

    It was said that the three brothers possessed the bloodline of a Scarlet Wolf. As the blood of a Scarlet Wolf was stronger than most, they were unable to properly control their bloodline after they awoke to it. As the Scarlet Wolf was violent and bloodthirsty by nature, they lost control of their aggression and literally bit their own parents to death. Since then, their personality became twisted and vicious like a beast¡¯s.

    The trio enjoyed eating raw meat, drinking raw blood, and fought without any regard for their own lives whatsoever. They were also mentally unstable in the best of circumstances. To put it simply, they were insane. That was why they came to be known as the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei or the Mad Hounds of Mo Bei.

    ¡°What the hell are you on about? In the <i>jianghu, </i>the strong take all. That is the one and only rule in the <i>jianghu.</i> Now cut the bullshit, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± The trio bared their teeth at the same time, and they were covered in bits of flesh and blood.

    <i>Dammit! Of all the people I could¡¯ve run into! </i>ck Fox cursed inside his head.

    When morning came, and the Mountain of Demons disappeared, nearly everyone who left the mountain was attacked. The attackers were people who wanted the valuables inside the Mountain of Demons, but weren¡¯t willing to risk their lives venturing into the ce themselves. So, theyy in wait outside and ambushed anyone who left the mountain, forcing them to give up their treasures, inheritances or whatever.

    ck Fox was only a Half-Step Spirit Purifier, and he knew full well he didn¡¯t possess the strength or skill to y the oriole. So, he settled for looting corpses and picking up the leftovers of those battles.

    He might not be able to get the best valuables this way, but at least he wouldn¡¯t be leaving empty-handed.

    Unfortunately, he had just gotten his first valuable loot when he ran into the three lunatics. To say that his luck was shit would be an understatement.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡± Suddenly, ck Fox nced behind the trio with a stunned expression on his face.

    The trio subconsciously looked in that direction and immediately saw images of gods and demons and heard the profound melody of Dao. It was definitely not your usual phenomenon.

    ¡°Is that the birth of a treasure, big brother?¡± The third brother asked.

    ¡°I think so. Let¡¯s check it out,¡± the first brother answered.

    It was at this moment the second brother turned around and discovered that ck Fox was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Big brother, ck Fox ran away while we weren¡¯t looking.¡±

    Obviously, the Half-Step Spirit Purifier had run off while they were distracted by the unusual phenomenon.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I already memorized his scent. We can track him down after we obtain the treasure.¡± The first brother sneered.

    ¡°Hehe. I¡¯ve memorized his scent as well.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t escape.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Sigh. Not only did I fail to catch the big fish, my gorgeous face was ruined! Ruined!¡±

    A woman was sighing loudly under a big tree. She had an hourss figure and was wearing a pce dress. Looking at her figure and aura, she was absolutely a beauty that could topple countries. But if you looked at her face, then you would probably throw upst night¡¯s dinner.

    Not only was her face covered in wounds, there were some spots that werepletely devoid of flesh. It was like someone had dug them out with a spoon and exposed the horrifying red and white within. Right now, the woman was holding a mirror andining non-stop while examining her pitted, scarred face.

    When she was finally done, she finally put away the mirror and looked at the tree behind her. Rows and rows of faces were hung on its branches; women faces to be exact. Some of them looked freshly stripped as they were covered in bright red blood.

    The woman grabbed one of the faces and wore it on her face like a mask. It covered up her wounds and made her look normal for a bit.

    ¡°Eh, this one¡¯s ugly!¡± The woman moaned in dissatisfaction after examining herself in the mirror for a bit. She stripped off the face and tossed it away. Then, she grabbed another face.

    ¡°This one¡¯s lips are too thin...¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s face is too round...¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s nose is too t...¡±

    ¡°Heavens, why are there so many wrinkles!?¡±

    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t have double eyelids...¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s eyebrows are too short...¡±

    It was like she was the most nitpicky woman in the entire world. Objectively speaking, none of the faces she wore was ugly, but there was always something that she was dissatisfied about.

    A long timeter, the woman finally found a face that she was okay with, but even then she couldn¡¯t stopining, ¡°Sigh. A dead person¡¯s face just isn''t as lively as a living person¡¯s face. I should pick my faces from living people only from now on!¡±

    Suddenly, the woman looked in a certain direction and eximed in surprise and excitement, ¡°What is that? I see gods and demons, and hear the melody of Dao. It must be the birth of a treasure!¡±

    ¡°I was so sad I couldn¡¯t get anythingst night, but it looks like my fortune is turning around!¡±

    ¡°Wait for me, dearie!¡±

    ......

    ¡°The heck? It¡¯s not a treasure.¡±

    When Deaf arrived at the scene, he was both surprised and disappointed to find that the so-called treasure was really a man.

    ¡°You said it was a treasure!¡± Blind kicked him in the leg when she heard this.

    ¡°The illusions and Dao melody are definitelying from him though,¡± Deaf replied.

    ¡°Wait...¡± The old woman suddenly recalled something and eximed in pleasant surprise, ¡°Maybe he¡¯s one of the people who entered the Mountain of Demons, and he¡¯s currently absorbing the inheritance of a martial champion!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very possible!¡± The man was also brimming with delight. ¡°Hahaha! Our fortune has turned around, Blind! Once we steal his inheritance, we¡¯ll be famous warriors of the <i>jianghu</i>! Hahahaha!¡±

    ¡°Blind, Deaf, you were nearby?¡±

    It was at this moment a beautiful woman entered the scene. She was sashaying, but that didn¡¯t stop her from reaching Deaf and Blind in the blink of an eye.

    ¡®¡°Skin Painter¡¯ Chen Xiaojiao? Why are you here?¡± Deaf immediately eyed her warily.

    ¡°The better question is, why not?¡± Chen Xiaojiao giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that sharing is caring?¡±

    ¡°Well said!¡± Chen Xiaojiao had just finished when the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei showed up. ¡°We want a cut of the pie as well.¡±

    The Three Lunatics of Mo Bei were insane, but they weren¡¯t stupid. If Chen Xiaojiao, Deaf and Blind were weaker than them, they would¡¯ve just killed them all and imed the inheritance for themselves.

    ¡°Hmph! I don¡¯t remember leaving three mad hounds to call the shots!¡±

    The Three Lunatics of Mo Bei had just finished talking when a man wielding a bloody spear and overflowing with bloodthirst stepped in.

    ¡°¡®Blood Spear¡¯ Mu Zheng!?¡±

    Everyone grew nervous when the man entered the fray. There was a cute little proverb that went something like this: One monk would shoulder two buckets of water, two monks would share the load, but add a third and no one would want to fetch water. The moral of the story was very simple: when the want exceeded the supply, problems were bound to happen, not to mention that there were more than three people present at the scene right now.

    At this point, the question became: was there even enough water for everyone?

 Chapter 299: Paranirmitavaavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra

    <h4>Chapter 299: Paranirmitavaavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra </h4>

    ¡°Please give me a moment. I have a suggestion to make.¡±

    Everyone was gearing up for conflict when suddenly, Chen Xiaojiao let out a giggle.

    ¡°The phenomenon this man is giving off is so obvious that it is only a matter of time before more people show up. If one of them is a Spirit Master or something, then we won¡¯t even be able to enjoy the scraps!¡±

    ¡°What do you propose?¡± Blind asked. Everyone else was also waiting for her to continue.

    Chen Xiaojiao beamed. ¡°In my opinion, we should move him somewhere safer than here before forcing him to divulge the inheritance. We can negotiate how we should share it then. What do you say?¡±

    A momentter, everyone nodded in agreement. ¡°Very well.¡±

    Although Chen Xiaojiao¡¯s solution only treated the symptom but not the cause, it did prevent more people from sharing the pie or worse, a true powerhouse who could im it all for themselves. For now, it was the best solution to their problem.

    As for whether they would duke it out or resolve their conundrum peacefully after reaching a safe ce, that was for future them to worry about!

    ¡°In that case, may I make another suggestion? I would like the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei to carry that man. What do you all think?¡± Chen Xiaojiao suggested.

    ¡°I agree.¡± Mo Zheng was the first to figure out Chen Xiaojiao¡¯s meaning.

    ¡°We agree to this arrangement as well,¡± Blind and Deaf voiced their agreement right after.

    They all understood why Chen Xiaojiao had suggested this. The Three Lunatics of Mo Bei were the only middle-stage Astral Refiners of their group. Everyone else was a Spirit Purifier. If a Spirit Purifier were to carry Ye Qing, it would only stir up undue restlessness and suspicion.

    The Three Lunatics of Mo Bei were the weakest of the three of them, and it was extremely unlikely they would be able to pull anything under the watchful eyes of four Spirit Purifiers. If they did, they would only be too happy to trim the fat.

    Also, the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei were as insane as they were fearless. They were the perfect fodder to scout out any potential danger.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do it as long as you don¡¯t forget our share in the end.¡±

    As expected, the trio suspected nothing. They were a moment away from reaching Ye Qing when suddenly, the young man opened his eyes to reveal a pair of pitch ck pupils. They were pure, ruthless, and bottomless.

    A pair of ck lotuses swayed gently in the night ck pupils. They were exceedingly profound and beyond description.

    As Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smile, he tapped the space in front of him with a finger. There was no shockwave of energy or even changes to his aura, but the three Astral Refiners abruptly shuddered as if they were struck by something. Their scarlet pupils slowly contracted into pins and turned ssy. they copsed like puppets whose strings were cut.

    ¡°Not good! Run!¡±

    Chen Xiaojiao, Mu Zheng, Blind and Deaf immediately realized that they were in trouble. They didn¡¯t hesitate to turn around and make a run for it.

    Unfortunately for them, they couldn¡¯t possibly be faster than Ye Qing. He tapped the space in front of him a second time, and they experienced the exact same thing as the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei. Their pupils contracted into pins, their eyes turned ssy, and they all copsed to the ground, dead.

    ¡°The ¡®Paranirmitava?avartin[1] Heavenly Demon Sutra... the Demon Lord of Freedom...¡±

    The ck lotuses slowly faded, and Ye Qing¡¯s eyes slowly returned to normal after he took out the seven warriors. He was currently basking in the shock of his newfound power.

    The ck lotus that appeared in his head earlier was none other than the inheritance of the Demon Lord of Freedom, Xiao Feng. It was a cultivation art that would take him all the way to the Grandmaster stage, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±.

    At the very beginning of time, there existed a Heavenly Demon known as the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon. He was the supreme ruler of the Paranirmitava?avartin, and he disliked living beings who could enter and leave the Three Realms[2] as they pleased, namely warriors, which was why he enjoyed nothing more than harassing warriors and disturbing their cultivation.

    As an expert in manipting one¡¯s senses and perceiving one¡¯s weaknesses, he could attack the heart and lead one astray while beingpletely undetectable. He was formless, shapeless, infinite and chaotic. Hees and goes as he pleases, and there is no one he wouldn¡¯t toy with should they catch his attention.

    The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a supreme art that the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon himself had bestowed upon humanity; a cultivation art that could take a practitioner all the way to the Sage[3] stage. If he cultivated a Demonic Heart, refined a Demonic Body, and identified a Demonic Will, he would reach the adept level and be able to create a Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon dharmak¨¡ya. He would be able to take any form he wished, roam the world with a single thought, and create countless mental tribtions that could wear down even the toughest hearts.

    As the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was too potent and heretical, the world itself was unable to tolerate its existence. As a result, parts of the cultivation art was destroyed, and the path to sagehood was lost forever. One could only be a Yang God Trueman.

    The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was split into three volumes and nine levels. The three volumes were Spirit Purification, Spirit Master and Trueman-stage cultivation arts, whereas the nine levels scrutinized the mini stages of each cultivation level i.e. the early stage of the Spirit Purification stage, middle stage of the Spirit Master stage and so on.

    What this meant was that he now had a guidebook that would take him all the way to the Trueman stage and make him a Grandmaster. All he needed to do was to follow the instructions.

    This wasn¡¯t the only pleasant surprise Xiao Feng had left him. The man had unlocked his Xuanguan point and primordial points inside his forehead for him, meaning that he was now officially a Spirit Purifier.

    Of course, Ye Qing didn¡¯t really need his help. As the practitioner of the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and the owner of a powerful spirit, he was qualified to enter the Spirit Purification stage a long time ago. The reason he hadn¡¯t was because he didn¡¯t have a Spirit Purification stage cultivation art... until now. Xiao Feng had simply saved him the time of doing it himself.

    Since his Xuanguan point was unlocked, and he had received a true martial inheritance from Xiao Feng, it took him little effort to master the first level of the Spirit Purification stage of the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. He also mastered a mental attack technique called the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±.

    The ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± gave Ye Qing the ability to capture a victim¡¯s Three Heavenly Souls and Seven Earthly Souls[4] with a single thought. Yes, it sounded as insane as you might think it was.

    Although Chen Xiaojiao, Blind, Deaf and Mu Zheng were all Spirit Purifiers, they were only early-stage Spirit Purifiers who didn¡¯t even cultivate their mind more than was necessary. As a result, their spiritual power was so-so at best. Ye Qing too was an early-stage Spirit Purifier, but thanks to his constant use of the ¡°Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method¡± and certain fortuitous experiences, his spiritual power was at least as strong as an ordinaryte-stage Spirit Purifier. Naturally, he was able to capture their Three Heavenly Souls and Seven Earthly Souls with ease.

    As for the Three Lunatics of Mo Bei, they weren¡¯t even Spirit Purifiers. Naturally, killing them took less effort than snuffing out a candle.

    To be honest, he only wanted to capture his enemies and assume control over them. That was the true function of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±. However, this was his first time using the technique, so he lost control and identally snuffed out their souls.

    He didn¡¯t mind the failure or the deaths though. They were plotting to kill him anyway.

    ¡°¡®Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡¯... ¡®Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡¯... Demon Lord of Freedom... Xiao Feng...¡±

    Ye Qing rose to his feet and faced toward the Mountain of Demons. Then, he produced a porcin cup, filled it with wine, held it over his head and knelt on the ground.

    ¡°You taught me your cultivation art and martial techniques. Hence, you are my master. Disciple Ye Qing humbly greets his master.¡±

    He then poured the wine on the ground, filled the cup with more wine, and poured it on the ground again. Three timester, Ye Qing put his head on the ground and kowtowed three times.

    ¡°Worry not, master. This disciple will work hard to master your techniques and ensure that I do not sully your reputation.¡±

    Ye Qing then drank three cups of wine himself and bowed to the Mountain of Demons onest time. It was only then he turned around and walked away.

    As he slowly disappeared into the wind, he sang loudly while carrying half a jar of wine in his arm, ¡°The way leads to joy and freedom! Why waste your time when there is pleasure to be found?¡±

    Somewhere in the Guixu, a devilishly handsome man leanedzily against his gravestone and sipped from his wine, eyes peering through manyyers of space andnding on Ye Qing. He cracked a devilishly handsome smile and said, ¡®Well said...¡±

    After Ye Qing had left the mountain, he checked his bearings and continued toward the north.

    He didn¡¯t return to the temple to seek out Yi Pin and Li Longxiang because one, it was very, very far away. By the time he got there, he bet that the duo were long gone. Two, they were just partners of circumstances. He didn¡¯t know them nearly well enough to head back and confirm their safety.

    And three, he was sure that shrewd bastard, Yi Pin was more than capable of keeping himself and his disciple safe.

    That was why his first priority was to find the exit and secure his safety. He had already earned fortunes that would garner the envy of countless people anyway. Therefore, there was no need to linger here any longer.

    About two hours of trekkingter, Ye Qing suddenly heard the sounds of fighting from nearby. When he went over to check it out, he was surprised to see some familiar faces.

    ¡°That¡¯s... Xue Beikun and Xue Shiwu?¡±

    Five men were currently attacking the Xue father and son. Ye Qing didn¡¯t know who the five men were, but their auras were strong, and they were clearly warriors with a lot of blood on their hands. They were all Half-Step Spirit Masters, and their teamwork was pretty impressive.

    Although Xue Beikun was a Spirit Master, he was seriously injured by Uncle Feng when he was outside the Demon¡¯s Tomb. His Yin God was damaged, his left arm was broken, and not nearly enough time had passed for him to recover from his injuries. Add to the fact that Xue Shiwu was nothing but a burden under these circumstances, and he was just barely hanging on right now.

    A spear wielder sessfullynded a stab on Xue Beikun¡¯s shoulder. As the ck Feather Guard Commander staggered away, the spear wielderughed, ¡°Have you ever thought that your sins might catch up to you when you ughtered four hundred and seventy five vigers and imed that we were bandits, Xue Beikun?¡±

    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re the remnants of the ckwind Bandits. You and your band of criminals deserve everything they got!¡± Xue Beikun sneered while driving them back with a powerful spear sweep.

    ¡°Even now, you remain an unrepentant bastard!¡± Another man uttered, ¡°We ckwind Bandits may call ourselves bandits, but we have never attacked our neighbors, and we mostly killed Strangers for a living. But you, not only did you falsely use us as Grave Raiders, you even ughtered all four hundred and seventy five people in our vige including the old, women and children for your own profit. Are you even human, you bastard?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an officer, and you are bandits. Since when is it a crime for an officer to eradicate some bandits?¡± Xue Beikun scoffed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a crime, he says!¡± A manughed madly while his face was contorted by anger and hatred. ¡°No wonder they say officials have two mouths! You distort the truth and invert right and wrong with nary an effort!¡±

    ¡°But karma exists in this world. Just because your retribution hasn¡¯t arrived yet doesn¡¯t mean that it will nevere.¡±

    ¡°Today is the day you pay for your sins. The five of us will kill you and take revenge for the four hundred and seventy five innocent souls who had died that day! You will pay the price of blood, Xue Beikun!¡±

    ¡°The price of blood!¡±

    ¡°The price of blood!¡±

    1. This isn¡¯t an easy word to exin or understand by any means, but for the purpose of this novel, just read it as the Sixth Heaven of the Six Heavens of Desires, or ¡®One Who Enjoys The Pleasure Provided By Others¡¯. ?

    2. Referring to the Desire Realm, the Form Realm and the Formless Realm. ?

    3. I know this contradicts what is mentioned earlier, but trust me, the exnation is further down. ?

    4. A human soul is supposedly made up of both. ?

 Chapter 300: Cocoon Tree

    <h4>Chapter 300: Cocoon Tree </h4>

    ¡°You can try, but I highly doubt it¡¯ll go the way you think it would!¡± Xue Beikun sneered. When the five men rushed him once more, he thrust his spear seven times in a row and summoned a howling gale and a bloody rain. The next moment, a giant blood wolf riding on a star emerged from the sky.

    <i>¡°Seven Killing Spears of Greedy Wolf¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Yin God¡ªGreedy Wolf¡±</i>

    The moment the Greedy Wolf appeared, a seemingly infinite amount of killing intent poured into the battlefield. All five men felt their mind and spirit quaking from the sheer pressure and bloodthirst the Greedy Wolf was exuding. Then¡ª

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    A mighty roar deafened their ears and battered against their mental defenses like a windstorm blowing against a wooden hut. They survived the mental attack, but their guard was also wide open as a result.

    Before neither man could recover, the blood rain¡ªor more urately, a rain of spear qi¡ªskewered their bodies and killed them all. Unfortunately for the men, they were ultimately unable to enact their vengeance.

    Standing behind Xue Beikun, Xue Shiwu¡¯s fear and worry evaporated into nothing as he let out a madugh, ¡°Hahaha! You should¡¯ve known better than to challenge us!¡±

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Xue Beikun didn¡¯t look happy in the slightest, however. In fact, the blood abruptly drained away from his face, and a mouthful of fresh blood burst out of his lips. His Yin God also crumbled into nothing.

    ¡°Dad!? Are you alright?¡± Xue Shiwu hurriedly rushed over and supported his father.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just a rebound,¡± Xue Beikun answered weakly, ¡°Cough! if it wasn¡¯t for Feng Liunian, these walking pieces of garbage wouldn¡¯t even be able to scratch me¡ªcough cough!¡±

    ¡°You should rest, dad. We can think about thatter. When we get out, we¡¯ll make Feng Liunian and Ye Qing pay the price of blood,¡± consoled Xue Shiwu.

    ¡°But of course,¡± Xue Beikun replied sinctly. His eyes were dark and cruel like that of a wolf on the hunt.

    ¡°Yeah! But remember to give me Ye Qing, okay? I must slice and dice him to ribbons to vent my hatred!¡± Xue Shiwu chirped with excitement and bloodthirst.

    However, Xue Beikun shot him a cold look before giving into his temper. ¡°Hmph! If you were strong enough to kill Ye Qing, then none of this would¡¯ve happened! Trash!¡±

    ¡°Worse, Gu Suitang found out who I was. He¡¯s absolutely going to give me hell when we get out of the Demon¡¯s Tomb. You¡¯ve singlehandedly ruined my ns for Luo Shui, you know that?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not my son, I would tear you to a million pieces myself! Trash!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xue Shiwu flinched visibly. He was like a meek, defenseless child before his father. ¡°Anyway, try catching some rest, dad. I¡¯m going to forage for food.¡±

    Xue Beikun didn¡¯t say anything, so Xue Shiwu took it as a yes. After setting his father down underneath a tree, the Little Commander rose to his feet and walked away.

    ......

    ¡°Even now, the bastards are plotting to kill me. Hmph! Should I make the first move and kill <i>them </i>first?¡±

    At his hiding spot, Ye Qing was weighing his chances of sneaking up to Xue Beikun and killing him before he could react.

    Not only did Xue Beikun tolerate his son¡¯s action, he had stopped Gu Suitang froming to his aid earlier. If he hadn¡¯t sought out Feng Liunian and obtained his cooperation beforehand, he would be long dead by now.

    Worse still, Xue Beikun wasn¡¯t afraid of the Pacification Bureau like Wang Luori was. Wang Luori couldn¡¯t attack him directly and could only pull some petty little tricks from behind the scene, but Xue Beikun was themander of the ck Feather Guards. He would and could use every dirty trick in the book to kill him.

    If Xue Beikun lived to escape the Demon¡¯s Tomb, he was certain that he would woe the days that woulde. That was why killing him here and now would be the optimal oue.

    The Demon¡¯s Tomb was the absolute best ce to kill Xue Beikun. The Demon¡¯s Tomb was a highly dangerous ce where even a Grandmaster wasn¡¯t safe. No one would suspect a thing, and the Demon¡¯s Tomb itself would disappear in another two days.

    Besides that, Xue Beikun was severely injured and didn¡¯t seem to possess even a tenth of his usual strength. Normally, not even two of him could give Xue Beikun a run for his money. But now? There really was no better chance for him to kill the man.

    <i>If I miss this opportunity, I¡¯m probably not going to get a better one. Let¡¯s do this!</i>

    Ye Qing made up his mind to kill Xue Beikun, but he didn¡¯t take action immediately. Themander was a veteran Spirit Master with a Yin God after all. He might be severely injured right now, but that was exactly what made him dangerous. One should never underestimate a cornered animal, not to mention that it was entirely possible that he might have onest trick or two up his sleeves. He would if he was in Xue Beikun¡¯s situation. If he rushed in blindly, chances were he was going to lose his life.

    Some people might think that he was just being paranoid, but the five warriors who attacked Xue Beikun earlier were proof that his worries weren¡¯t unfounded. The five warriors had had the upper hand the whole time, and they were absolutely certain that today was the day they avenged their dead brethren. But then, Xue Beikun suddenly turned the tables on them and killed them before they could react.

    No, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    ¡°Hmm, wait. There is Xue Shiwu.¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled Xue Beikun¡¯s worthless son. Despite his terrible vices, Xue Beikun was ironically a good father. Perhaps Xue Shiwu would give him a better vector of attack?

    His mind made up, Ye Qing stealthily left his hiding spot and chased after Xue Shiwu. It wasn¡¯t long before he found the guy picking fruits while mumbling something angrily under his breath. Ye Qing listened in for a bit before his lips pressed into a tight line.

    <i>The bitch! Even now, he¡¯s cussing me out!</i>

    ¡°You¡¯re dead as soon as I¡¯ve no more use for you.¡± Ye Qing grunted and made a mentalmand. A wisp of mist entered Xue Shiwu and clouded his eyes immediately.

    It onlysted for a fraction of a second, however. Xue Shiwu might not be a Spirit Purifier, but he was ate-stage Astral Refiner and apparently carrying a Strange Artifact that protected his mind. That was why the Fog Demon wasn¡¯t able to control him immediately.

    Realizing the danger, Xue Shiwu opened his mouth to scream for help. He might not be the smartest cookie in the world, but he wasn¡¯t that stupid that he didn¡¯t recognize what a dangerous ce the Demon¡¯s Tomb was. As ate-stage Astral Refiner, a bloody gust of wind could mean the end of him, which was why he made sure not to move out of earshot. One cry was all he needed to grab Xue Beikun¡¯s attention.

    Ye Qing knew exactly what Xue Shiwu was nning, of course. Right before the Little Commander could make a sound, Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him with his finger and triggered a sh of invisible power.

    The next moment, Xue Shiwu abruptly nked out and froze in ce. His eyes looked dull and lightless.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    At the same time, Ye Qing appeared beside Xue Shiwu and chopped him in the neck, causing him to turn limp. Ye Qing caught him before he could fall downward and gently set him down on the ground.

    ¡°Phew... it¡¯s done.¡±

    It was only now Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief, and a smile flickered across his face.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just kill him, boy?¡± The Fog Demon asked mentally.

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°He can¡¯t die yet. He¡¯s Xue Beikun¡¯s son, and it¡¯s not impossible that Xue Beikun might have put some sort of detection spell on his son. If Xue Shiwu dies, there¡¯s a huge chance Xue Beikun might sense it and rush over. That¡¯ll ruin my n.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake he did with Chen Zheng.

    ¡°Second, I can use Xue Shiwu as my hostage if my n fails, and Xue Beikun survives.¡±

    His n was to capture Xue Shiwu and assume control of his body, and while the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± was meant to do exactly that, he wasn¡¯t nearly familiar enough with the technique to guarantee sess considering the circumstances.

    If he used too much strength, Xue Shiwu would die. If he used too little strength, Xue Shiwu might be able to warn his father. And just a couple of hours ago, he had identally killed a bunch of Spirit Purifiers when unleashing the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±.

    That was why hemanded the Fog Demon to possess Xue Shiwu first so that he would have enough time to take control over the Little Commander. As for the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± earlier, that was only to temporarily incapacitate Xue Shiwu so he could carry out the actual control part without issues.

    So far, everything was proceeding as nned.

    ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Fog Demon asked. Honestly, it was feeling quite curious right now.

    ¡°You will know in a moment.¡± Ye Qing shot the Stranger an enigmatic smile before he began stripping Xue Shiwu.

    ¡°By the Nether, you¡¯re gay? Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? Tsk tsk...¡± Fog Demon let out a dubious cackle when it saw this.

    ¡°The hell are you talking about?¡± Ye Qing shot it an unfriendly look. <i>I suppose I should¡¯ve expected this from a Nine Nethers Demon, but seriously?</i>

    After Ye Qing had stripped Xue Shiwu, he put on his clothes and began modifying his body. A series of pops and crackster, his physical body looked no different from Xue Shiwu¡¯s. Then, he tweaked his aura to be identical to Xue Shiwu¡¯s as well.

    ¡°I see!¡± Fog Demon let out another cackle after eximing in realization. ¡°I knew you were plotting something devious.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this though. I could¡¯ve disguised your appearance myself!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°This is safer.¡±

    While Fog Demon could disguise him much quicker, it was just an illusion. On the other hand, Xue Beikun was a veteran Spirit Master. It was quite possible that he might notice that the Fog Demon¡¯s illusion was just that, an illusion.

    But if he changed his body and aura to resemble Xue Shiwu and put on his clothes, then it would be far more difficult for Xue Beikun to see through his disguise.

    Things were simple after that. He carried Xue Shiwu and hid him in a safe, secluded spot.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? A cocoon tree?¡±

    Ye Qing was on his way back to Xue Beikun when suddenly, he noticed a curious-looking tree. It was a massive tree with a wide trunk that would take several humans to hug. But instead of fruits, huge, white cocoons were hanging off its branches. Even the smallest cocoon was at least as big as a human adult.

    ¡°What are you cooking now, schemer?¡± Fog Demon asked again.

    ¡°You of all people have no right to call me that!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Fog Demon and ignored it. He circled around the Cocoon Tree twice before a devious smirk crossed his lips.

    Ye Qing abruptly bit on his tongue and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Thick blood stench immediately permeated the air.

    The next moment, the cocoons started shaking as if they were agitated by something. Then, malformed humanoids began tearing their way out of the cocoons.

    They looked human, but that was only if you ignored the colorful wings growing out of their backs. They looked just like a butterfly¡¯s wings, big and colorful. When they pped, they released glittering powders that sparkled beautifully in the sunlight.

    Although their wings were beautiful, the humanoid¡¯s faces were anything but. It was rotten, ugly and dry like that of a dried corpse. Some had eyeballs that were hanging off their eye sockets, and their mouths were covered in small but sharp teeth. They also made these throaty noises that sounded like the wails of a beast.

 Chapter 301: With A Thought

    <h4>Chapter 301: With A Thought </h4>

    ¡°Cocoonoids!¡± An imperceptible smile crossed Ye Qing¡¯s lips.

    The big tree in front of him was called the Cocoon Tree, a Soulstealer-ss stranger. The Cocoon Tree itself was almost harmless, but it could grow cocoons with Strangers in it. The winged humanoids were named Cocoonoids.

    Bloodthirsty by nature, the Cocoonoids awoke to the smell of blood. It would attack any flesh-and-blood being to the death.

    Generally speaking, the Cocoonoids¡¯s power level was more or less the same as the Cocoon Tree[1], meaning that these Cocoonoids were most likely Soulstealer-ss Strangers. This meant that Ye Qing was facing a small army of Soulstealer-ss Strangers right now.

    This was why the Cocoon Tree intimidated even some Phenomenon-ss Strangers.

    After confirming that the Cocoonoids had fully awakened, Ye Qing immediately turned around and ran away. The Strangers gave chase as a matter of course. When the time was right, Ye Qing shouted on top of his lungs, ¡°Help! Help! Save me, dad!¡±

    Meanwhile, Xue Beikun was meditating and recovering his wounds when suddenly, he heard his son crying for help, he immediately broke into a run in that direction.

    By the time he reached his son, Xue Shiwu was already covered in blood and surrounded by a bunch of Cocoonoids. Realizing that his son had seconds at most, Xue Beikun let out an angry shout and thrust his spear forward. Spear-shaped astral qi immediately rained from above and skewered several Cocoonoids into pieces.

    However, Xue Beikun¡¯s action angered the remaining Cocoonoids. They immediately abandoned Xue Shiwu and attacked Xue Beikun instead.

    The Cocoonoids pped their wings and released a cloud of powder that transformed into a sea of mes. At the same time, they opened their mouths and emitted some sort of sound wave. The sound wave couldn¡¯t be heard by the human ear, but it was potent enough to cause spatial tremors. Xue Beikun immediately felt a stabbing pain in his ears and his mind.

    The powder the Cocoonoids released was a substance that caught on fire as soon as they made contact with force. It was also highly poisonous. As for the soundwave, it was something that could attack the mind.

    If Xue Beikun was at his peak, he could¡¯ve handled twice the number of Cocoonoids without trouble. But after suffering a serious blow from Feng Liunian, struggling the entire night to survive the Demon¡¯s Tomb, and having to protect a good-for-nothing like Xue Shiwu, he was exhausted in both body and mind. And after the battle against the remnant of the ckwind Bandits, it would be a stretch to say that he possessed even a tenth of his original strength. As a result, he was struggling against the Cocoonoids.

    Things worsened when the Cocoonoids opened their mouths and emitted the inaudible sound waves together. His headache grew so horrid that he was just barely keeping it together.

    <i>No, no, I need to finish this as soon as possible. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to die here.</i>

    Fatalistic determination flickered in Xue Beikun¡¯s eyes as the pattern of a Greedy Wolf appeared on his forehead. A bloody mist abruptly discharged from his pores, and his skin gradually turned translucent and bright red until he looked like red-hot iron.

    ¡°Graaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    Xue Beikun roared on top of his lungs as veins bulged across his forehead and exposed skin. He looked like he was enduring a lot of pain right now. However, his aura was also strengthening rapidly. It was as if he had returned to peak form in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Die!¡± Xue Bei let out a guttural growl as a violent gust of bloody wind swept across the area. Countless trees were ripped in half just like that, and the Cocoonoids could barely stand against the howling gale.

    The next moment, Xue Beikun raised his bloodied spear and unleashed a series of rapid spear thrusts. He moved so fast it was as if a magical eraser had erased the Cocoonoids from existence. Just like that, the battle was over. The Greedy Wolf howled, and the stench of death was everywhere.

    Except it wasn¡¯t over. Xue Beikun¡¯s bloodthirst only grew after he slew the Cocoonoids, and he started cutting down the nearest forest like a madman. Trees copsed in clumps, rocks flew through the air, and the ground was shaking like an earthquake.

    <i>Motherfucker! Did he lose it? He¡¯s not going to kill me too, is he?</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s scalp was numb with fear as he listened to the swishes and booms happening not far away him. Clearly, Xue Beikun wasn¡¯t in control of himself right now.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Xue Beikun had activated some sort of secret art that would return him to his peak form or even beyond that in the blink of an eye. However, it came at a high price. For starters, it looked like he was barely clinging to the threads of his sanity. Second, Ye Qing had a feeling that Xue Beikun could only maintain this state for a short time. Once his time was up, he would be as weak as a baby.

    <i>I mean, that¡¯s how it goes in most web novels, right?</i>

    At the same time, Ye Qing was patting himself in the back for choosing not to attack Xue Beikun recklessly. Otherwise, he would be in deep shit right now.

    Most warriors were poor as shit, but it made sense that a Spirit Master would have a trump card or two that could turn the tables against his enemies. It could be a Strange Artifact, or it could be a secret art. Regardless, trump cards must never be underestimated.

    ¡°Hah... hah...¡±

    Ye Qing was still congratting himself when a pair of murderous, scarlet eyes abruptly appeared before his eyes. It looked like they might devour him at any moment.

    ¡°D-Dad... Are you... alright...?¡±

    The eyes belonged to Xue Beikun, of course. The man was still brimming with bloodthirst, and his eyes were bloodshot with murder. He was also panting like a wild beast that was just barely holding back the urge to devour Ye qing.

    Ye Qing could¡¯ve attacked Xue Beikun right now, but he forced himself to act scared and worried. This was a good opportunity, but not the best he could strive for.

    ¡°Useless trash.¡±

    A hot, furious insult slipped through Xue Beikun¡¯s teeth. ¡°You can¡¯t even forage food without stumbling into Strangers, you useless trash?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I had to use a secret art to save you. When it wears off, I¡¯ll be incredibly weakened. It will take me a full day to recover, so you must protect me until then. Fail, and we will both die here.¡±

    Ye Qing copied Xue Shiwu¡¯s tone and expression and mumbled helplessly, ¡°Dad... I... What should I do?¡±

    ¡°You useless trash! Just how did I sow a useless son like you!?¡± Xue Beikun grew even angrier when he saw how lost Xue Shiwu looked. Seriously, he would have killed him ages ago if he wasn¡¯t his son.

    ¡°Just stay here and go nowhere. This forest is dominated by a powerful Cocoon Tree, so there shouldn¡¯t be any other Stranger in the area. Just in case, I left behind a potent mark that should ward off most Strangers. So just stay here and protect me to the best of your abilities. When I recover, we will leave this ce immediately.¡±

    ¡°G-Got it!¡± Ye Qing eximed with delight.

    ¡°Hmph! Dig a hole under the Cocoon Tree. That is where we¡¯ll be passing through the night. With luck, we should be able to survive the night safely,¡± Xue Beikun instructed.

    Themander had more to say, but his aura suddenly started weakening slowly. The intimidating red light in his eyes disappeared, and so did his killing intent. A short whileter, he abruptly copsed to the ground.

    ¡°Dad! Are you alright? Dad!¡± Ye Qing called out weakly and sorrowfully like a boy who lost the pir of his life. If he was nominated for an Oscar, this would be the scene they yed on the big screens.

    A few breathster, Ye Qing confirmed that Xue Beikun wasn¡¯t faking his unconsciousness. Not only that, he could sense that little to no energy inside themander¡¯s body. He had used practically everything he had to save his son.

    Slowly, Ye Qing¡¯s panicked and sorrowful expression was reced by a devilish smile. His n had worked perfectly, and now, Xue Beikun was no different from a fish waiting to be dissected on the chopping board.

    Originally, his n was to ambush Xue Beikun as Xue Shiwu. Judging from what he observed, there was no way Xue Beikun would be on guard against his own son. However, the encounter with the Cocoon Tree gave him a better idea, and he decided to use the Cocoonoids to deplete Xue Beikun¡¯s strength first.

    However, Xue Beikun was even weaker than he imagined. He could hardly believe his good luck when themander activated his secret art to wipe out a handful of Cocoonoids. He hadn¡¯t just achieved his objective, he had surpassed every expectation he had set for himself. It literally couldn¡¯t have gone any better than this.

    Ye Qing raised his hand and gently dropped it on Xue Beikun¡¯s head. As soon as contact was made, themander would die, and all of his troubles would be resolved.

    However, Ye Qing stopped himself at thest possible moment. The Fog Demon asked tauntingly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, boy? Did you suddenly find your conscience?¡±

    ¡°The fuck? He wants me dead, and he¡¯s not even a prettydy! Why the fuck would I feel any mercy toward him?¡± Ye Qing snorted. ¡°I just realized that he¡¯s more useful to me alive than he is dead!¡±

    The Fog Demon cackled. ¡°Just spill it already.¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes at the Fog Demon but exined, ¡°Xue Beikun is themander of the ck Feather Guards. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit of a waste to just kill him like this?¡±

    This piqued the Fog Demon¡¯s interest. ¡°It <i>is </i>a waste. Xue Beikun is the regional general of Luo Shui and themander of ten thousand ck Feather Guards. If we can control him, those ck Feather Guards might as well be ours. When that happens, you could be a regional lord yourself and give the Pacification Bureau, Sunset Hill or whatever the middle finger.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, if you can pull the same trick on key members of the Pacification Bureau as well, then you would be the king of Luo Shui in all but name. You want power? All of Luo Shui is yours to see fit. You want women? They would flock to you themselves without trying. You want wealth? Luo Shui <i>is </i>the city of wealth of Chu. You want strength? The Pacification Bureau is yours to plunder. You will obtain <i>everything, </i>kekekeke...¡±

    The Fog Demon¡¯s voice was full of temptation. It seemed to possess the magic to draw out a person¡¯s deepest desires and heart demons.

    In his headspace, Ye Qing saw a profoundly extraordinary seed bobbing up and down and absorbing his desires and heart demons. As it grew stronger, an evil power began emanating inside his headspace.

    The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was powerful, but it was one hundred percent a cultivation art of the Dark Ways. This meant that he must absorb various heart demons and desires such as the Five Poisons, Six Desires, Seven Emotions, Eight Fears, Nine Terrors and more to strengthen his demonic thought.

    At the beginning, the demonic thought was in the shape of a seed. As he nurtured it, it would eventually bloom into a nine-leaf demonic lotus. Each leaf represented a stage in his cultivation level.

    He had just unlocked his Xuanguan point and entered the Spirit Purification stage, and he was just starting to practice the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. Therefore, he hadn¡¯t converted all of his spiritual power into demonic thought yet. That was why his demonic thought was still in the form of a seed.

    As the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± had a peculiar appetite, whatever heart demons and desires the Fog Demon drew out of his mind were turned into its sustenance. Forget tempting him off the right path, he wouldn¡¯t even feel it if he wasn¡¯t constantly monitoring his headspace.

    That wasn¡¯t to say the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± waspletely risk free, however. Quite the contrary, if he failed to maintain a pure mind while practicing the cultivation art, it was entirely possible that his personality would be warped by the very thing he cultivated. The demonic thought could very well warp him into a perverse, ruthless, and heartless man.

    In fact, all martial arts of the Dark Ways possessed this characteristic. They were easy to grasp but hard to master. If you ignored the warning signs and just focused on speed, then your cultivation would most likely suffer in the future.

    The Fog Demon was still prattling while he was absorbed in his thoughts. It was clear that it carried impure motives as it kept drawing out Ye Qing¡¯s greed, wrath, lust and other desires.

    In fact, the Fog Demon was trying to drag Ye Qing into the Dark Ways. It would allow it to slowly take control of Ye Qing and eventually break free from his control.

    1. Note, power level should <i>not be</i> confused with threat level. The Cocoon Tree is powerful, but on its own its threat level is minimal. ?

 Chapter 302: Wind Or Rain, All Shall Bow To My Will

    <h4>Chapter 302: Wind Or Rain, All Shall Bow To My Will </h4>

    Beneficial its useless rants might be, it really grated on the ears, so Ye Qing interrupted the Fog Demon with a sneer, ¡°A king? Why don¡¯t you ask me to be an emperor then? I would be ruling hundreds of times more people, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I have something serious to do right now, so shut up and let me work.¡±

    He knew what the Fog Demon was plotting, but he didn¡¯t expressly forbid it from tempting him because it was more beneficial than not.

    Of course, the Fog Demon had no idea that he was cultivating a powerful cultivation art of the Dark Ways. It knew that he had received a powerful inheritance, it wasn¡¯t sure about the details or even the name of the cultivation art, and he was hardly going to talk.

    The Fog Demon shut up feeling miffed and disappointed. All Nine Nethers Demons were experts at maniption and temptation, but why wasn¡¯t it working on Ye Qing?

    ¡°What are you going to do then?¡±

    Ye Qing answered after a moment of thought, ¡°My n is to use Xue Beikun to bait Wang Luori out into the open. Then, I¡¯ll murder that sonuvabitch.¡±

    Everyone knows that Wang Luori was the one who was targeting the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau now. If the man wished to remain in Luo Shui, then his only option was to join Xue Beikun. Even before they entered the Demon¡¯s Tomb, Ye Qing could already tell that Wang Luori was plotting something like that.

    Therefore, baiting Wang Luori into showing himself with Xue Beikun was absolutely a workable n. He would be able to kill the bastard and end his troubles once and for all.

    ¡°For someone with great power, your dreams sure are puny!¡± The Fog Demon scoffed.

    ¡°Can you control Xue Beikun, Fog Demon?¡± Ye Qing ignored its provocation and asked.

    The Fog Demon answered, ¡°If Xue Beikun was at his peak, then it would be somewhat difficult for me to control him. But now? Just say when.¡±

    ¡°Is there any chance someone might notice you?¡± Ye Qing asked another question.

    It was one thing if Xue Beikun was just an ordinary person, but he was themander of the ck Feathers Guard, a regional general and an imperial official. He would be in deep shit if someone noticed the Fog Demon¡¯s maniptions.

    ¡°Kekeke... rx, boy.¡± The Fog Demon dered arrogantly, ¡°We Nine Nethers Demons are masters of maniption and temptation. We can control anyone and extract their memories without them noticing. As long as you don¡¯t demand me to do something crazy, not even a Grandmaster would be able to detect something amiss.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. He was still concerned despite the Fog Demon¡¯s assurances.

    ¡°I never knew you were such a coward!¡± The Fog Demon taunted Ye Qing before offering a suggestion, ¡°If you¡¯re really that worried, then I can keep his soul alive and infect his mind instead. I will gradually influence his behavior until he subconsciously thinks of you as his master and bes loyal to you. Besides that, he will act and behave exactly the same as before. It will be much harder for anyone to discover that he has been subverted.¡±

    ¡°I like that. Let¡¯s go with the second n,¡± Ye Qing said.

    The Fog Demon cackled delightedly before warning, ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, but both ns would require me to detach a fragment of my soul and control him directly.¡±

    ¡°This is especially true for the second n because I would have to continuously influence him over a long period. Otherwise, there¡¯s a high chance he might break free from my control and return to normal. I wouldn¡¯t be able to take my eyes¡ªor rather, my soul¡ªoff of him until the deed is done.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Even if the Fog Demon detached his soul, that soul fragment would still be under his control. He wasn¡¯t afraid that the Fog Demon might plot something behind his back or break free from his control.

    ¡°Very well!¡± The Fog Demon let out a delightedugh before sending a wisp of mist into Xue Beikun¡¯s mind. A few breathster, a hint of struggle and anger appeared on Xue Beikun¡¯s face. Clearly, he was fighting against the Fog Demon¡¯s corruptive influence.

    Although Xue Beikun was seriously injured, mentally weakened, andpletely unconscious, he was still alive. Of course he would try to fight off a foreign force, even if just subconsciously.

    It was futile though. Just a momentter, his struggle and anger were slowly reced by calm. At the same time, the Fog Demon¡¯s voice resounded in Ye Qing¡¯s head, ¡°Phew! It¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, Xue Beikun¡¯s mind and body were weakened beyond imagination. Hisst bit of consciousness would¡¯ve disappeared if not for my skill.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± Ye Qing replied in a deadpan andpletely insincere voice.

    ¡°Oh right, what do you n to do with the boy now?¡± The Fog Demon asked suddenly.

    It was referring to Xue Shiwu, of course.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose in thought. The reason he kept Xue Shiwu alive was because he didn¡¯t want to alert Xue Beikun until he was ready, and to use him as a bargaining chip should his n end in failure. However, the n had gone better than he could possibly have hoped, and he subverted Xue Beikun with nary an effort.

    What this meant was that Xue Shiwu was useless to him.

    There was no way he would let the guy go. The only thing that would achieve was to make his life harder.

    Taking control of him like Xue Beikun was out of the question as well. There was literally no value to controlling him.

    In that case, there was only one option.

    ¡°Kill him.¡±

    Ye Qing rose to his feet and said, ¡°Also, I want you to create a memory for Xue Beikun. Make him believe that his son was killed by the Strangers of Demon¡¯s Tomb.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke... Mind control the dad, kill the son, and make the dad believe that his son is killed by Strangers? Kekeke...¡± The Fog Demon couldn¡¯t stop cackling.

    ¡°What? You have a problem?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a dangerous smirk.

    ¡°Hehe, not at all! In fact, this is right up my alley!¡± The Fog Demon wasn¡¯t stupid enough to provoke Ye Qing in this situation.

    The young man scoffed and returned to the spot where he had hidden Xue Shiwu. The Little Commander was still unconscious. Shaking his head, Ye Qing said, ¡°Don¡¯t be my enemy in your next life.¡±

    He tapped the space in front of him and extinguished Xue Shiwu¡¯s mind and soul with the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±. Then, he waved a gust of Burning Wind into existence and burned the body into ash.

    Ye Qing had technically killed a defenseless, unconscious man, but he felt precisely zero guilt from it. The loathsome fellow had tried to kill him even before they met in person, and he just kepting like some sort of rabid dog. He was only all too happy to rid him from his life.

    Xue Beikun was still unconscious when he went back to themander. The Fog Demon asked tauntingly, ¡°It¡¯ll take Xue Beikun a full day to wake up, boy. Are you going to wait for him to recover, or will you carry him on his back like a filial son?¡±

    ¡°And why would I do that? I¡¯m not a dumbass like you!¡± Ye Qing retorted. He then produced a bottle containing the Water of Life and fed themander a single drop.

    ¡°Tsk! How generous of you,¡± The Fog Demonmented with clear jealousy. Countless humans and Strangers dreamed of getting the Water of Life, but Ye Qing was feeding it to his <i>enemy </i>like it was nothing. What would people think if they saw this?

    The Water of Life contained a tremendous amount of life force and could, in a sense, reborn a person anew. Therefore, it was exceptionally effective at healing injuries and nurturing one¡¯s spirit. As soon as the droplet entered his throat, Xue Beikun¡¯s injuries began healing at a visible rate. His weak aura began strengthening at a rapid pace as well.

    A momentter, Xue Beikun abruptly opened his eyes. His now powerful aura swept through the area like a typhoon as the silhouette of a Greedy Wolf appeared and howled at the sky. The powerful, constant gale eventually transformed into a bloody moon that painted the world red.

    ¡°He... broke through?!¡±

    Ye Qing was stunned by this sight. He wasn¡¯t expecting a single drop of Water of Life to heal Xue Beikun and even increase his cultivation level to thete-stage of the Spirit Master Realm.

    ¡°It will be fine... right?¡± Ye Qing was feeling a bit nervous, to be honest. He didn¡¯t even want to imagine what would happen if Xue Beikun somehow escaped the Fog Demon¡¯s influence because of his breakthrough.

    ¡°Rx! It will be fine! Do you think my technique is made of sticks and stones or something?¡± The Fog Demon harrumphed. It seemed extremely displeased that Ye Qing would question its abilities.

    A dozen breathster, the unusual phenomenon disappeared, and the Greedy Wolf slipped into Xue Beikun¡¯s head. The terrifying aura surrounding him slowly disappeared as well.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    Xue Beikun then faced Ye Qing and gave him a deferential bow. His expression was reserved and devout.

    ¡°Phew!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief. Although the Fog Demon swore up and down that everything would be fine, he couldn¡¯t help but be worried anyway. Thankfully, it looked like everything had gone without a hitch.

    Ye Qing ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t call me master. Address me by my name when someone is around, and young master when no one is around.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master!¡± Xue Beikun responded with a salute.

    Ye Qing nodded. He then mentally ordered the Fog Demon to influence Xue Beikun into keeping their rtionship a secret as much as possible.

    <i>The sky is tall, the sea is wide. Wind or rain, all shall bow to my will!</i>

    Ye Qing looked up at the sky of the Demon¡¯s Tomb for a moment. A red sun was hanging high and casting blood red rays across the world. It painted an ominous yet undeniably gorgeous image of the world.

    Finally, he dered, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ......

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss?¡±

    Standing in front of row of gravestones, Feng Liunian noticed a flicker of emotion from Feng Qingyou and asked concernedly.

    Feng Qingyou stared at the gravestone in front of her as she replied, ¡°Xue Shiwu¡¯s dead. The Dream Seed I nted on him has dissipated.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± Feng Liunian frowned. ¡°Would this impact your ns?¡±

    She replied indifferently, ¡°It will be fine. He is a pawn I set up to impede or control Xue Beikun, but not all parts of a n will or have to y out as nned. If it works, then it works. If not, then I¡¯ll improvise. His death matters not in the small or grand scheme of things.¡±

    Feng Liunian grinned toothily. ¡°You are as farsighted as ever, Miss. This one is most impressed.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make fun of me, Uncle Feng.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled back. Her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes resembled pools of autumn. ¡°Anyway, this is the Great Dream Origin Hiding Demon Controlling Major Array, so this grave most likely belongs to the Great Dreamer.¡±

    ¡°Nine <i>yao</i> and six <i>gua</i>, four <i>xiang</i> and eight <i>ji</i>... yes, the eye of the array is right here.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Uncle Feng!¡±

    Feng Qingyou began walking toward the gravestone in front of her. As soon as she took a step, the calm space abruptly shattered into a million pieces, and the fragments floated across the air. Each spatial fragment seemed to reflect one corner of the world. There were flowers, grass, mountains, rivers, sun, moon, the mortal coil and everything there was in the world.

    Feng Qingyou was an irregr element that existed outside the reflections of the world, however. Untouched by space or time, she walked through the fragments and slowly made her way toward the grave.

    The gravestone was right in front of her, but she couldn¡¯t reach it no matter how many steps she took. What should be a few meters of distance at most felt like the distance between heaven and earth!

    Feng Qingyou remained unperturbed, however. Sometimes she would walk, and sometimes she would stop for a moment. Sometimes she would go toward the left, and sometimes she would go toward the right. Slowly but surely, she was getting closer and closer toward the grave

    When she was one meter away from the grave, the spatial fragments abruptly disappeared like it was never there. In fact, Feng Qingyou had only taken a single step forward in real life.

    It was like what she experienced earlier was just a dream!

    Feng Qingyou sped her hands behind her back and smiled at the gravestone in front of her. She quietly recited its inscription, ¡°To live is to dream while awake, to sleep is to dream while aslumber¡ªThe Great Dreamer.¡±

 Chapter 303: Humanity Remains the Same

    <h4>Chapter 303: Humanity Remains the Same </h4>

    ¡°Finally. The exit.¡±

    With Xue Beikun, ate-stage Spirit Master to protect him, Ye Qing encountered no more trouble as he journeyed toward the north. Finally, he found the exit before the day turned into night once more.

    The exit was really <i>an </i>exit. It was a rift between space-time that led to the outside world. All he needed to do was to walk into the rift, and he would be back in Luo Shui.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t leave immediately after finding the exit though. Instead, he searched for a safe spot close to the rift and sat down.

    There were a few reasons why he sat here. One, he was hoping to kill Wang Luori. With Xue Beikun under his control, he had a one hundred percent chance of ending Wang Luori if the bastard showed up. Killing him in the Demon¡¯s Tomb would save him a lot of trouble as well.

    But of course, this rift wasn¡¯t the only exit. Not even close. It waspletely up to luck whether Wang Luori would leave the Demon¡¯s Tomb via this exit or not. If he was lucky, then all was well. If not, then it was fine too. He was just giving it a try.

    Two, he wanted to practice the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. He needed to absorb a human¡¯s Five Poisons, Six Desires, Seven Emotions, Eight Fears, Nine Terrors and so on to practice the cultivation art and strengthen his demonic thought, and the Demon¡¯s Tomb was the resting ce of the Progenitor Demon, Rahu and countless more titans of the Dark Ways. The demonic qi of this ce was pure and abundant, which made it the perfect ce to practice the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity.

    After he was ready, Ye Qing ordered Xue Beikun to guard him and keep an eye out for any sign of Wang Luori. Then, he began practicing.

    As soon as he started practicing the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, Ye Qing¡¯s pupils slowly turned as ck as ink, infinite and unfathomable. At the same time, the demonic qi in the air flowed into his body like a typhoon.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s headspace, the demonic seed floating before his mind began spinning lightly. The typhoon happening outside his headspace was happening inside as well. Like a whale, the demonic seed devoured both his spirit and the demonic qi with unbridled gluttony. The patterns on the seed¡¯s surface grew increasinglyplicated and enigmatic as a result.

    The demonic seed¡¯s devouring speed only increased over time. Soon, the typhoon outside his headspace had be so thick they looked like ck rivers.

    Still, the demonic seed devoured it all like a ck hole. It was never satisfied no matter how much demonic qi it devoured. One thing for certain, it kept growing more and more profound.

    If this was anywhere else, Ye Qing would be forced to stop practicing already. There was only so much demonic qi in the air.

    Ye Qing forewent his stray thoughts and focused fully on practicing then.

    Like a whirlpool in the middle of the sea, Ye Qing continued to absorb demonic qi at a prodigious rate. At the same time, he was causing all sorts of strange phenomena. Sometimes, heavenly demons could be seen dancing wildly in the sky. Sometimes, one could hear the whispers of celestials and gods. They were all illusions, but their influence was very real. Desires sprung like a wellspring, and few people in the area could calm their mind. To say that he was causing a scene would be an understatement.

    The phenomenon was such that even Xue Beikun, ate-stage Spirit Master, was unable to withstand its disruptive influence for long. He had to move far, far away.

    ¡°What on earth did the boy get? How is it so terrifying?¡±

    Inside the Boundless Mara Buddha, the Fog Demon was quaking in fear as well. The guy was just <i>practicing, </i>for Nether¡¯s sake. If <i>this </i>was the level of phenomenon he could trigger at rest, just how terrifying he would be when he actually used it in battle?

    ¡°Motherfucker. Just how lucky can he get? And when am I ever going to get the chance to break free?¡±

    When the shock had passed, the Fog Demon felt a deep sense of doom and gloom shrouding over it.

    ......

    ¡°Oh, look! An unusual phenomenon! It must be the birth of a treasure!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, it looks like today is my lucky day. I wasn¡¯t expecting to run into a treasure while I was leaving!¡±

    ¡°Wonderful. I need to get there immediately!¡±

    The phenomenon Ye Qing created didn¡¯t escape the notice of the nearby warriors, of course. They all thought that it was a phenomenon created by the birth of a treasure, and they all homed in on his location like flies to honey.

    But as soon as they got within a certain range, most of the warriors suddenly fell into insanity and began fighting among themselves. It wasn¡¯t long before they killed each other.

    Those who cameter saw the bodies, but not everyone was a believer ofmon sense. Or rather, once you had gained a certain amount of power, the word became so much more vague than what it used to. In any case, countless more rushed to Ye Qing¡¯s location and died.

    There were warriors who were strong to resist the demonic thoughts and illusions, of course, but Xue Beikun was there. He killed them and dumped their bodies among the fallen as well.

    Gradually, people got the message and stoppeding after the ¡°treasure¡±pletely. If only they knew that the so-called treasure was really just a fellow warrior practicing his cultivation art, and the man himself had no idea of the massacre he unwittingly caused.

    Yes, Ye Qing had no idea. Right now, he waspletely focused on practicing the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra. The demonic seed had finally sprouted after all the demonic qi it absorbed, though it was still just a bud.

    Over time, the bud bloomed a single petal. When the petal was fully unfolded, it was like a dam had broken. Demonic thoughts instantly filled half of his headspace like ake, and a single ck lotus floated on top of it. It was overflowed with seemingly infinite power.

    It was at this moment the Fog Demon spoke to him mentally, ¡°You done yet, boy? We need to go now unless you n to stay here for eternity.¡±

    <i>Already? It only felt like a few hours to me. </i>Ye Qing felt a little disappointed, but he couldn¡¯t deny that he had gotten what he wanted.

    Since the demonic seed had bloomed into a demonic lotus with a single petal, this meant he had officially be an initiate of the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. He had converted all of his spiritual power into demonic thought. This would allow him to use ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± much better than before.

    ¡°What are you dilly-dallying about, boy? Do you actually want to grow old in the Demon¡¯s Tomb or what?¡± The Fog Demon urged again since Ye Qing hadn¡¯t responded to it.

    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Ye Qing replied simply before opening his eyes. His pupils were ck as the night, strange and evil-looking, seemingly capable of sucking out a person¡¯s soul with a nce. The phenomenon in the sky grew increasingly dense and scary as his powerful demonic thought scanned his surroundings.

    Ye Qing blinked, and the unnatural ckness and evil in his pupils faded away. The phenomenon also disappeared like it was never there. It was almost as if everything that had happened was a dream.

    Ye Qing looked up. The sun was setting, and the sky was looking a little darker than before. The demonic qi in the air was creating all sorts of strange illusions.

    ¡°Has it been a full day and night already?¡± Ye Qing murmured to himself before hurrying toward the exit. The demon¡¯s Tomb would remain connected to the outside world for three days before slipping to heavens-know-where. If he didn¡¯t get out while he could, this would be a short-lived web novel.

    Not long after he left his hiding spot, Xue Beikun walked up to him and greeted, ¡°Young master.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Why are there so many dead bodies at this ce?¡± Ye Qing suddenly noticed that there were a <i>lot </i>of dead bodies in the surroundings. It looked like they had killed each other as well. Did he miss a war while he was practicing or something?

    ¡°They died because of you, young master!¡± Xue Beikun answered.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing was very confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this...¡± Xue Beikun proceeded to tell him everything that had happened.

    ¡°Holy shit. I had no idea that would happen.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. Who would¡¯ve thought that the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± would cause such amotion?

    The reason was twofold. One, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a mysterious and incredibly potent cultivation art. Two, there was an excessive amount of demonic qi in the Demon¡¯s Tomb.

    He didn¡¯t feel any guilt toward their deaths though. If they hadn¡¯t lost themselves to their greed, they could¡¯ve withdrawn while they still could. In this world, the price of sumbing to one¡¯s greed butcking the power to fulfill it was death.

    ¡°Did you see Wang Luori?¡± Ye Qing tossed the incident out of his mind and asked.

    Xue Beikun shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Forget it then.¡± Ye Qing sighed. He always knew there was a chance that his ploy might fail.

    When they reached the rift, Ye Qing noticed that it had be a lot narrower than before. It was just wide enough for a single person to pass through. Had he arrived even a few minutester, he might not be able to pass through the gap. Xue Beikun certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to.

    Right before he stepped in, Ye Qing took onest look at the fading sunset of the Demon¡¯s Tomb and smiled.

    <i>Goodbye, Demon¡¯s Tomb.</i>

    <i>Goodbye, master!</i>

    With that, he exited the rift and never returned.

    ......

    ¡°Urgh, I feel like I was being spun around in a washing machine...¡±

    ¡°Where is this? Pan Hill? What the hell¡ªright. The Demon¡¯s Tomb.¡±

    An indefinite amount of timeter, Ye Qing finally recovered from his dizziness and scanned his surroundings. It took him a while to identify where he was.

    Pan Hill was a moderate-sized hill about five kilometers from the city. It was famed for its beautiful scenery and rxing environment. Unfortunately, the hill had copsed into rubble, and the rest of the ce looked to be in poor condition as well.

    Pan Hill was hardly the only victim. Entire forests were gone just like that. Lakes and ponds were but dry basins with not a drop of water in them. Bigger mountains than Pan Hill had copsedpletely, and the earth had split into new chasms and caves.

    This happened when the Demon¡¯s Tomb had manifested in Luo Shui. Its unnatural power had warped its surroundings and caused an unthinkable amount of damage.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t linger. He rushed toward Luo Shui after finding his bearings.

    Pan Hill was pretty close to the city, so it only took him a moment to reach it. Obviously, he split up with Xue Beikun on the way to avoid drawing unnecessary suspicion.

    Upon entering the city, Ye Qing found that, despite the destroyednds beyond the walls of Luo Shui, the city itself was just as bustling and prosperous as before. The atmosphere was a little tense, but that was it.

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    A wide smile spread across his face as he said this. Honestly, he was terrified that he woulde back and find a sea of bodies and tortured screams everywhere. Luckily, his fear turned out to be groundless.

    Luo Shui was still Luo Shui,

    And humanity was still humanity.

    Everything was as it should be.

    After restoring his appearance to normal, Ye Qing made a beeline for the Inspection Bureau and confirmed that Wawa, Kung Fu Frog and Faceless were all safe and sound. Then, he ran to the Pacification Bureau.

    ¡°You¡¯re back, Joyless! Are you alright?¡± Gu Suitang strode up to Ye Qing as soon as he saw him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, chief. Thanks for your concern.¡± He could feel just how much Gu Suitang cared about him. He didn¡¯t hesitate to pay the deputy chief his due respect.

    Since cultivating the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, Ye Qing realized that he could now perceive the emotions of the people around him such as joy, anger, sorrow and more.

    ¡°Hahaha! As long as you¡¯re fine!¡± Gu Suitangughed and gave Ye Qing a couple of hard ps across the shoulder.

    The sensation was most familiar to Ye Qing, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t. When Gu Suitang noticed that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t perturbed by the shoulder p in the slightest, he asked curiously, ¡°Did your body grow stronger while you were inside?¡±

    Then, his eyes widened all of a sudden. ¡°Your cultivation is different as well. You¡¯re a Spirit Purifier now?¡±

    ¡°You have sharp eyes, chief,¡± Ye Qing admitted. There was no need to hide this from the deputy chief.

    ¡°It looks like your journey to the Demon¡¯s Tomb was a fruitful one!¡± Gu Suitang guffawed. He truly was happy for Ye Qing from the bottom of his heart. ¡°So, how much dragon-elephant strength do you have now?¡±

    ¡°Around five!¡± Ye Qing answered honestly.

    ¡°Not bad, not¡ªwait, what? Five dragon-elephant strength?¡± Gu Suitang abruptly realized what Ye Qing just said and eximed in shock, ¡°Did I hear you wrong, or did you say it wrong?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°You heard me correctly.¡±

    ¡°But... But you were just a journeyman! How the heck did you suddenly have five dragon-elephant strength?¡±

    Gu Suitang still couldn¡¯t believe his ears despite Ye Qing¡¯s assurance. ¡°Are you sure you went to the Demon¡¯s Tomb and not the Celestial Realm?¡±

    He, Gu Suitang, had never skipped a day of practice unless he was grievously wounded or something. Despite this, it had taken him <i>decades </i>to gain the five dragon-elephant strength. But Ye Qing wasn¡¯t even twenty yet, and he was already on the same level as he was. It made him feel like all those decades of hard work were for naught!

 Chapter 304: Meeting Hong Jianglong Again

    <h4>Chapter 304: Meeting Hong Jianglong Again </h4>

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s like this...¡± Ye Qing told Gu Suitang how he encountered the Water of Life.

    ¡°The <i>Water of Life? </i>And there was enough that you could <i>guzzle it down </i>like it¡¯s cheap wine?¡± Gu Suitang could barely control his voice when Ye Qing reached the end of his story. His breathing grew heavy, and his eyes were bloodshot with envy. Oh, he was so envious he could wring his own neck.

    ¡°You... You truly are a lucky brat!¡± In the end, Gu Suitang could only let it all out as a deep sigh. What else could he do?

    ¡°Haha, I won¡¯t deny that.¡± Ye Qing smiled and handed Gu Suitang a porcin bottle.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The deputy chief epted it with a grunt.

    ¡°The Water of Life.¡±

    ¡°Say <i>what?¡±</i> Gu Suitang¡¯s hand shook, and he nearly tossed the battle away like it was a Stranger. ¡°Repeat yourself!¡±

    <i>You¡¯re the deputy chief, bro. Stop jumping at everything like a kid,</i> Ye Qing thought unkindly before rifying, ¡°The Water of Life. It¡¯s filled to the brim with Water of Life.¡±

    Gu Suitang uncorked the bottle and was immediately treated to a faceful of life force. Its sweet scent alone was enough to make him feel energized and refreshed to the core. He could even feel his invisible injuries tingling as if it was recovering.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely the Water of Life alright.¡±

    Gu Suitang hurriedly corked the bottle and handed it back to Ye Qing. He then said seriously, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t show someone a treasure at this level willy-nilly. There¡¯s a reason why we say that owning something valuable is a sin in itself.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t ept it, however. He said, ¡°This Water of Life is yours, deputy chief.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re... giving this to me?¡± Gu Suitang was stunned for a second. Then, he grew enraged, ¡°Who do you think I am? Do you think I¡¯m the kind of guy to covet my underlings¡¯ fortune? Or are you trying to bribe me?¡±

    ¡°Take it back and get out of my sight!¡±

    Gu Suitang immediately tossed the bottle in Ye Qing¡¯s direction after saying that.

    ¡°You misunderstand, chief! I don¡¯t mean it that way!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly caught the porcin bottle and exined himself, ¡°Since I joined the Pacification Bureau, you¡¯ve constantly had my back and even taught me your martial arts. I¡¯ve always thought of you as my senior and my master.¡±

    ¡°This Water of Life is my way of thanking you for everything you¡¯ve done for me. It is neither a bribe nor an underhanded method to garner your favor. Please don¡¯t misunderstand, and please ept my good will.¡±

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s what you meant!¡± Gu Suitang eximed in realization and guffawed, ¡°Sorry, sorry. For a second there, I thought you¡¯ve picked up those political bullshit and what not.¡±

    ¡°But you said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? I am your senior and your master. It is my responsibility to watch over you and teach you things. The Water of Life is your heaven-given opportunity and a priceless treasure, so you should save it for when you need it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still have plenty,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    ¡°Plenty my ass! The Water of Life doesn¡¯t sprout on trees, boy!¡± Gu Suitang rebuked him jokingly. ¡°Seriously, keep it. I¡¯m the deputy chief of the Pacification Bureau. I¡¯m hardlycking in cultivation resources.¡±

    ¡°No really, I have plenty.¡± Ye Qing knew then that Gu Suitang thought that parts of his story were exaggerated. So, he pulled out a dozen bottles from his Nature¡¯s Shell and said, ¡°Take a look, chief...¡±

    Gu Suitang grew displeased. <i>This boy can be pretty stubborn when he wants to be. </i>¡°I told you to keep it for yourself. Don¡¯t make me¡ª¡±

    But when he saw Ye Qing producing over ten bottles from his Nature¡¯s Shell, hepletely forgot what he was about to say. His eyes widened like saucers as he stammered, ¡°T-They¡¯re all Water of Life?¡±

    <i>I¡¯m just a brute, dude! I would seriously kick your ass if you tell me it¡¯s a joke!</i>

    ¡°Really, I wasn¡¯t exaggerating,¡± Ye Qing emphasized and uncorked two bottles. The room was immediately dyed in gold and filled with a fragrant, rejuvenating scent. ¡°They¡¯re all Water of Life.¡±

    ¡°Also, I drank so much Water of Life that I¡¯ve practically grown immune to its growth effects. Now, I can only use it to heal my injuries. Surely you agree that it¡¯d be a waste to use something as precious as the Water of Life to heal wounds?¡±

    Gu Suitang: ¡°...¡± <i>Drank too much Water of Life? Practically grown immune to its growth effects? A waste to use it to heal wounds? Are you even human, bro?</i>

    <i>Seriously, you¡¯re lucky we¡¯re having this discussion indoors. The heavens would literally smite your smug ass if we were outside.</i>

    He did think that Ye Qing was exaggerating his spoils to trick him into epting the bottle of Water of Life. But as it turned out, the young man really was oozing gold.

    ¡°You get it now, chief? Please, just take it.¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t deny feeling a surge of satisfaction when he saw Gu Suitang¡¯s stupefied expression. The man was so shocked he didn¡¯t even react when Ye Qing gently shoved a bottle of Water of Life into his hands.

    A few secondster, Gu Suitang finally jolted back to reality and blurted, ¡°What, you¡¯re only giving me one bottle?¡±

    Now that he knew how filthy rich Ye Qing was, he no longer had any qualms epting the gift. It was one thing to turn down an expensive gift, and another to turn down an expensive gift from a fucking billionaire.

    ¡°Er...¡± Ye Qing was caught off guard by the sudden one-eighty. <i>That¡¯s a little too abrupt, doncha think?</i>

    ¡°I was just joking. Thank you for the gift.¡±

    Feeling much better after seeing the stupid expression on Ye Qing¡¯s face, Gu Suitang put away the bottle and smiled. ¡°Now put away the rest of the bottles already. No one likes a show-off, you know.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure one is enough?¡± Ye Qing blinked.

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Gu Suitang yelled in jest. ¡°One bottle is enough to fulfill my needs. Its effects would diminish even if you gave me a second bottle.¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled and put away the Water of Life after that. He would¡¯ve given away more Water of Life if Gu Suitang really wanted to, but he didn¡¯t. So, he chose to respect the deputy chief¡¯s wish.

    Gu Suitang warned, ¡°I¡¯m repeating myself, but seriously, don¡¯t reveal your wealth like that ever again. The Water of Life might be nothing to you now, but it¡¯s still a priceless treasure to everyone else. You know the saying, ¡®don¡¯t show off the contents of your wallet when you pay¡¯ and whatnot.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Ye Qing nodded seriously before asking, ¡°By the way, where is Brother Chu, Brother Lin, Yue Shan and the others? I don¡¯t sense them in the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    Gu Suitang answered, ¡°Well, some Strangers thought that the appearance of the Demon¡¯s Tomb was their opportunity to cause some havoc, and attacked a couple of nearby viges. That is why they went away to handle the threat.¡±

    ¡°Will they be fine?¡± Ye Qing asked, but he wasn¡¯t too concerned. If the situation was serious, Gu Suitang wouldn¡¯t be sitting here and doing nothing.

    As expected, Gu Suitang replied easily, ¡°It¡¯s fine. The Strangers are all small fries. Just in case there¡¯s a mastermind behind their backs, Xiaoman himself went out to make sure that everything¡¯s okay, so there¡¯s nothing to be worried about.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± With Fang Xiaoman to oversee things, nothing could possibly go wrong.

    It was at this moment a loud, booming voice came from outside, ¡°I¡¯m back, Old Gu! You didn''t ruin Luo Shui while I was gone, did you?¡±

    Before anyone could react, a tall, muscr figure strode into the room.

    ¡°Lord Hong.¡± Gu Suitang saluted the neer respectfully before answering, ¡°All is well. Thank you for your concern.¡±

    ¡°d to hear that.¡±

    Ye Qing could tell that the neer was the same type of person as Gu Suitang; someone who had little patience and regard for etiquette. Not even bothering to return the salute, he plopped down on the chair and let out a deep sigh of relief. It was at this moment he noticed Ye Qing and eximed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s you? You came out sooner than we did!¡±

    The neer was none other than Hong Jianglong. As if on cue, Chu Qingge, Luo Zhan, Gao Ningan and Sui Yan stepped into the room as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, my lord,¡± Ye Qing replied. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Hong Jianglong was able to recognize him. Although his appearance lookedpletely different from the one he wore in the Demon¡¯s Tomb, Hong Jianglong was a powerful Grandmaster. It was perfectly normal for the guy to see through his disguise.

    Funnily enough, Chu Ningge failed to recognize him despite spending the most time with him.

    ¡°Thank you for helping me at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, my lord,¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°Haha, I was just at the right ce at the right time.¡± Hong Jianglong waved him off with a smile. ¡°Plus, you did me a huge favor as well, so we do not owe each other anything.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡± Ye Qing looked confused. <i>I¡¯m pretty sure I would remember doing a Grandmaster a favor.</i>

    ¡°Er... It¡¯s nothing. No need to dwell on it.¡± Hong Jianglongughed off the question. He could hardly tell Ye Qing that he had emted his strategy and one-upped the fuckers who tried to rob his men as they left the Graveyard of Demons, could he? That kind of behavior was unbing of a Chief of Bureau after all.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re a Spirit Purifier now! You must have gotten a lot out of the Graveyard of Demons, eh?¡± Hong Jianglong changed the subject before anyone could dwell on it.

    Ye Qing replied in a humble tone, ¡°I did, yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, good! Considering your age, your aplishments are truly praiseworthy!¡± Hong Jianglongplimented him.

    It was at this moment Chu Qingge finally eximed in realization, ¡°It¡¯s you, Ye Shi?¡±

    Ye Qing shot her a friendly smile and said, ¡°We meet again, Miss Chu. I am Ye Qing, the Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. My apologies for concealing my identity back at the Demon¡¯s Tomb. I hope that you and your colleagues won''t mind my deception.¡±

    Chu Qingge nodded understandingly. She was aware of Ye Qing¡¯s exploits and conundrums and understood exactly why he needed to conceal his identity.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! I was wondering why you look kinda familiar!¡± Gao Ningan also eximed in realization before showering at Ye Qing with a passionate gaze. ¡°What did you call yourself again? Ye Qing? Would you happen to be Joyless Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing felt a little unsettled by his passionate gaze, but he still answered, ¡°If you¡¯re referring to Ye Qing of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, then yes.¡±

    ¡°It really is you! Hahaha!¡± Gao Ningan exploded with excitement, though his outburst only confused Ye Qing even more. <i>Is he alright? Does he need to see a doctor?</i>

    ¡°You know me, Brother Gao?¡±

    ¡°Know you? You¡¯re practically my idol, brother!¡± Gao Ningan exined, ¡°It seems you¡¯re not aware of this, but you¡¯re famous throughout Tian Yong. They call you the ¡®Wiseman Who Outwitted the Way of Taiping¡¯, the ¡®Fearless Hero Who Is Undaunted By Numbers¡¯, the ¡®Jester Who yed the <i>jianghu </i>Like a Fiddle¡¯ and more. Storytellers havepiled tales of your exploits and spread it to every street and alley of Tian Yong for the people¡¯s pleasure.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand now why I¡¯m so excited? You¡¯re a living legend, my man!¡±

    Ye Qing frowned a little. <i>I didn¡¯t know I was so famous.</i>

    He rubbed his nose and replied in a helpless tone, ¡°Er, it was really just a series of lucky coincidences and unfortunate circumstances.¡±

    The coincidence referred to how he identally upended the Way of Taiping¡¯s conspiracy, and the unfortunate circumstances referred to the <i>jianghu </i>warriorsing after his head and forcing him to take action.

    <i>I didn¡¯t want any of this, I swear!</i>

    ¡°Regardless, it is an immutable fact that your exploits have greatly bolstered the Pacification Bureau¡¯s reputation!¡± Gao Ningan said.

    ¡°Indeed! You did well, Joyless!¡± Hong Jianglong was guffawing. ¡°It was about time we took these idiots down a peg anyway. Give them an inch, and these bastards would not hesitate to ruffle your fur like you¡¯re a pet cat or something! The nerve!¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, you should¡¯ve been more ruthless. If I were you, I would have mustered everyone in the Pacification Bureau and the garrison and massacred these so-called<i> </i>warriors, their families, and their sects. I would be very surprised if anyone else would dare to challenge our authority after we¡¯ve annihted ten or twenty sects or so!¡±

    Ye Qing wiped some non-existent sweat from his shoulder. <i>I thought I was pretty ruthless, but I¡¯m practically a chick before this guy!</i>

    At the side, Gu Suitang sneered approvingly, ¡°I agree, my lord. In fact, once our immediate business is over, I¡¯m going to pay a couple people a personal visit and settle the score.¡±

    ¡°It seems that some parts of the world have forgotten that Strangers aren¡¯t the only things our des can cut down. I¡¯m going to remind them all why the Pacification Bureau is untouchable!¡±

 Chapter 305: The Jixia Academy

    <h4>Chapter 305: The Jixia Academy </h4>

    ¡°So you did have a n? And here I thought a few years of bureaucracy was enough to reduce you into a pussy cat!¡± Hong Jianglong joked.

    Gu Suitang harrumphed. ¡°When have I ever backed down from anything?¡±

    Hong Jianglong broke into a vicious grin. ¡°I look forward to the good news then. And don¡¯t worry about holding back. If you put a hole in the sky, the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau will cover for you. If not, there is still the emperor. No matter what happens, Chu will never be the yground of these <i>jianghu </i>rats!¡±

    ¡°Your support is much appreciated,¡± Gu Suitang replied firmly.

    ¡°Oh right, where¡¯s Xiaoman?¡± Hong Jianglong asked.

    ¡°Some of the viges in Luo Shui were attacked by Strangers due to the Demon¡¯s Tomb¡¯s emergence. Xiaoman is currently handling it with some of my best men,¡± Gu Suitang answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I was nning to enjoy a drink with you two before returning to Tian Yong.¡± Hong Jianglong sighed. ¡°Well, there''s always next time.¡±

    But Gu Suitang exposed him immediately. ¡°Bullshit! You just want to tour the Eighteen Boats of Luo Shui!¡±

    Caught off guard, Hong Jianglong let out an embarrassed cough before dering, ¡°The hell you¡¯re talking about? Do I look like that type of person? You need to change the way you think, Old Gu!¡±

    Unbeknownst to the others, Hong Jianglong was holding another conversation with Gu Suitang via sound transmission, ¡°You fucking bastard! Why are you saying this all of a sudden? Think of the children! How am I supposed to face them in the future?¡±

    Gu Suitang scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t know you care about face so much¡ªbut not enough to quit your vices, evidently. Also, who are you calling a bastard? Every time we visit the Eighteen Boats, it¡¯s always Xiaoman or me who foots the bill! Never you!¡±

    ¡°Ahem... I¡¯m your guest. It¡¯s only natural for the host to treat their guest, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hong Jianglong argued weakly, ¡°Plus, you know how expensive the prices in Tian Yong are. I barely have enough to cover my daily expenses with what I earn.¡±

    Gu Suitang exploded, ¡°As if our sry or cost of living is any better than yours! Anyway, we don¡¯t have the money to treat you to a night with the prostitutes, so forget it! You¡¯ll get a cup of tea, and no more than that!¡±

    ¡°Come now, Old Gu!¡± Hong Jianglong chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m okay with not touring the Boats, but you gotta treat me to some wine at least! The tea you serve barely tastes any different from in water. I have no idea why you stock it at all!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only tea at my ce. If you don¡¯t like it, then you can fuck right off!¡± Gu Suitang harrumphed.

    ¡°So stingy!¡±

    Their conversation was quite heated, but their face fu was impable. No one had a clue that the two Chiefs of Bureau had just had a most inappropriate conversation with each other. No one... except Ye Qing.

    Ever since he practiced the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, and especially since he converted all of his spirit into demonic thought, Ye Qing had be much better at grasping people¡¯s emotions and thoughts. As a result, he was able to eavesdrop on their private conversation even though he didn¡¯t mean to.

    He was surprised to say the least. Both Hong Jianglong and Gu Suitang looked the picture of a man who spurned all women for the sake of their career and self-improvement, but in reality... they were still men. He could barely keep his expression under control when he learned that they often frequented the Eighteen Boats for uh, stress relief purposes. Truly, one couldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover!

    More importantly, just how poor were these fuckers? Why did it sound like <i>he </i>was wealthier than the two of thembined?

    On a more serious note, it was clear that Hong Jianglong, Gu Suitang and Fang Xiaoman shared a close rtionship with each other.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot.¡± Hong Jianglong recalled something. ¡°One monthter on the sixth of June, Tian Yong would be holding the triennial[1] Hidden Dragon Meet. Don¡¯t forget to send your best men.¡±

    <i>Hidden Dragon Meet?</i> Ye Qing frowned. He had never heard something like that.

    Gu Suitang noticed Ye Qing¡¯s expression and exined, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a bunch of overly ambitious and free peoplepeting against each other for meaningless fame and glory.¡±

    ¡°The fuck are you talking about? The Hidden Dragon Meet is hardly meaningless!¡± Hong Jianglong argued, ¡°The Hidden Dragon Meet is a festival the imperial court holds every three years to unearth bright, young talents. The best and brightest of the ns and sects would be gathering at Tian Yong to show off their skills.¡±

    ¡°Barring exceptional circumstances, those who performed outstandingly would not only be famous throughout the <i>jianghu, </i>but also offered the chance to serve the imperial court. It¡¯s the opportunity of a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°Even those who don¡¯t wish to join the imperial court may be the disciple or guest warrior of major ns or sects. They could even be a student in the Jixia Academy[2].¡±

    ¡°The Jixia Academy?¡± Ye Qing was surprised to hear this. The Jixia Academy was an academy created by the founder of Chu himself. It was the center of a thousand years of knowledge, expertise, and all kinds of talents. It was one of the foundational stones of Chu and the academy that had produced many geniuses of the ages.

    The founder¡¯s son, Emperor Jin Run, inherited the throne after his father passed away, but at the time he was too young to possess much political clout. From the beginning, his court was rife with hidden enemies aiming for the throne themselves, and both Yan and Wei were just waiting for an opportunity to invade Chu. However, Bai Xinyue, a Jixia Academy student in his twenties, had stepped up to eradicate the traitors, repel the invaders, strengthen the borders, and save Chu from disaster. He waster heralded as Chu¡¯s greatest prime minister, and he still held that title to this day.

    During the third year of the Tai Kang era (ruled by Emperor Gao Zong of Tai Kang), Yan, Wei and Qi joined forces and attacked Chu¡¯s borders. Despite owning an army of over a million, Chu was unable to hold their borders against thebined might of three nations and lost over half of their territories in three months. When all hope seemed lost, three hundred students of the Jixia Academy entered the battlefield. They initially rushed to the borders and slew over ten thousand enemies. Then, they ran all across the realm destroying many enemy camps and ying countless nemeses of Chu. Somehow, they were able to repel the three nations¡¯ army of millions with just the three hundred of them and protect Chu from destruction. When all was said and done, they were conferred as the The Three Hundred Divine Guardians of Chu by the emperor himself.

    During the fifth year of the Xuan Hua era (ruled by Emperor Ying Zong of Xuan Hua), constant rain beset Chu and caused the rivers andkes to overflow, destroying countless homes and killing countless civilians. It was a natural disaster like nothing Chu had ever experienced. Thankfully, Chen Changfeng of the Jixia Academy stepped up and submitted a proposal called the ¡°Ten Strategies To Treat Water¡± to the imperial court. His irrigation strategies not only saved Chu from the natural disaster, but also greatly improved the livelihoods of the people. In fact, the people of Chu never had to worry about floods again to this day.

    During the Jin An era, a schr named Kong Ru created a national motto for Chu, established a national ideal for the people, paved the road for those who wished to pursue Sagehood, and nted the seeds that could lead to eternal peace for the realm with his books and his sword. He was the one who abolished the old custom where education was a right that only belonged to the privileged, enlightened countless people, and improved the education level of the entire country as a result.

    During the An Ping era, Xu Changan was the single greatest swordsman who was said to have ¡°saved the world¡± singlehandedly. His sword qi was said to span from one end of the world to the other, and he had trounced the enemies of Chu to the north <i>and </i>the south all by himself. No one in the entire world was a greater swordsman than him during that time, and he remained unrivaled until the very end.

    During the Cheng Hua era, a qi practitioner named Shi An also performed many amazing feats in service of Chu. A master diviner and strategist, he often traveled everywhere to set in motion things that would benefit Chu one way or another. Not only that, he was an incredibly powerful warrior who had supposedly severed a Dragon Vein[3] with a single finger from thousands and thousands of kilometers away. He was also the reason Yan and Wei were caught up in turmoil for sixty years straight.

    ......

    When people said that Jixia had left its mark throughout the millennia-long history of the four human countries, they weren¡¯t joking. In fact, their influence and geniuses had long since escaped the boundaries of Chu and epassed Yan, Wei and Qi as well. Some of them were the heads of a prestigious temple or court, some represented the pinnacle of the <i>jianghu, </i>some possessed knowledge that was countless years ahead of their time, and some created art that would be remembered for eternity.

    Over time, the Jixia Academy became <i>the </i>ce to join for all schrs <i>and </i>warriors of Chu. It was so prestigious that even millennia-old sects such as the Two Temples of Buddha or the Three Temples of Dao ranked lower under their priority. There was no one who didn¡¯t take pride in being able to join the Jixia Academy; not even a member of the royal family.

    Although the Jixia Academy epted people of all walks of life, they did have one criteria: anyone they recruited must possess outstanding talent. If you weren¡¯t a genius of some sort, you would not be epted into the Jixia Academy even if you were royalty.

    Back to the present, Gu Suitang popped Ye Qing¡¯s daydream with a scoff, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his bullshit. As if it is that easy to enter the Jixia Academy. Countless people have performed outstandingly in the Hidden Dragon Meet, but how many of them were actually recruited into the Jixia Academy?¡±

    ¡°Not many, but some <i>were </i>recruited into the Jixia Academy,¡± Hong Jianglong retorted. ¡°Seriously, I know you¡¯re still resentful that the Jixia Academy didn¡¯t pick you when you participated in the Hidden Dragon Meet, but that is no excuse to doom your men¡¯s prospects, is it?¡±

    Gu Suitang denied the usation indignantly, ¡°What the fuck are you talking about? I¡¯m not resentful!¡±

    ¡°Come now. You may be able to fool others, but I can read you like a book.¡± Hong Jianglong guffawed. ¡°Anyway, just because you failed doesn¡¯t mean that everyone else is gonna fail as well. Joyless, for example, has a pretty good chance of seeding, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°You tter me, my lord. I hardly think that I¡¯m qualified to join the Jixia Academy.¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t acting humble. One of the main reasons he was able to survive until now was because he had good self-awareness. He was no weakling, but he hardly thought that he was the strongest warrior there was at his level.

    ¡°Why is the meet named ¡®Hidden Dragon¡¯, my lord?¡±

    Gu Suitang answered, ¡°There are two meanings. One, it refers to youngsters with unlimited potential like you. Two, it refers to those whose poor fame didn¡¯t match their incredible skill and power. The Hidden Dragon Meet is intended to bring these people to the light and give them the opportunity to soar to the heavens like the dragons they are.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you for enlightening me, my lord.¡± Ye Qing said.

    Gu Suitang wasn¡¯t looking at him, however. Seeing that Hong Jianglong was gearing up tounch into another long rant, he interrupted, ¡°Anyway, are you done? If you¡¯re done, then get lost already! Unlike you, I still have plenty of work to do!¡±

    ¡°Seriously? You can¡¯t even let me finish a cup of tea?¡± Hong Jianglongined unhappily. ¡°If you were ten years younger, I would definitely kick your ass until you call me daddy.¡±

    Noting that Gu Suitang¡¯s face was turning a fine shade of purple, Hong Jianglong wisely stopped taunting the middle-aged man and dered, ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving now! Don¡¯t forget! The Hidden Dragon Meet will happen a month from now!¡±

    With that, Hong Jianglong rose to his feet and headed toward the exit.

    Gu Suitang could pretend that Hong Jianglong didn¡¯t exist, but not Ye Qing. He hurriedly bade the chief goodbye, ¡°See youter, Lord Hong!¡±

    ¡°Take care, Lord Gu, Brother Ye.¡±

    ¡°Until we meet again, my lord, Brother Ye!¡±

    Luo Zhan, Sui Yan and the others also bade him and Gu Suitang goodbye.

    Gao Ningan even offered, ¡°Joyless, join me for a drink a monthter! My treat!¡±

    ¡°I will if I decide to go to Tian Yong, Brother Gao. Thank you!¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    ¡°Goodbye, Brother Ye.¡± Chu Qingge shot him an indifferent look. ¡°See you at Tian Yong!¡±

    ¡°But... I haven¡¯t decided if I¡¯m going yet...?¡± Ye Qing replied, but Chu Qingge was already gone.

    After everyone was gone, Ye Qing saluted Gu Suitang and bade him goodbye, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯m heading back to the Inspection Bureau, my lord.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Go catch some rest!¡± Gu Suitang nodded.

    Right as Ye Qing was about to cross the threshold, Gu Suitang suddenly asked, ¡°Do you want to join the Hidden Dragon Meet, Ye Qing?¡±

    A pauseter, Ye Qing looked back at the deputy chief and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    ¡°You should join,¡± Gu Suitang said seriously, ¡°You deserve to give yourself a better future.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely think about it, deputy chief. Thanks.¡±

    With that, Ye Qing finally left the room.

    Gu Suitang watched as the young man strode away under the sun. His back looked tall, his footsteps were firm, and he had no one to prove to except himself.

    It reminded him of himself when he was younger.

    1. Once in three years. ?

    2. The Jixia Academy was briefly mentioned in the very early chapters where Ye Qing had asked to know what are the best martial arts out there and nearly bled himself to death because his question was too broad. ?

    3. Dragon Veins are a concept in Feng Shui. It refers to channels of energy flowing through Mountain ranges. They are underground channels of Qi. ?

 Chapter 306: Mara Buddha

    <h4>Chapter 306: Mara Buddha </h4>

    ¡°So? What did you find?¡± Ye Qing beckoned Faceless to his side after returning to the Inspection Bureau.

    Faceless answered, ¡°Wang Luori returned to Sunset Hill about a day ago, young master.¡±

    ¡°I thought that might be the case!¡± Ye Qing sighed. Why couldn¡¯t the bastard do the world a favor and just die?

    Earlier, he had ordered Faceless to head out and gather information on Wang Luori. Although Faceless¡¯ cultivation level was less than satisfactory right now, he still possessed an unrivaled advantage in terms of information gathering thanks to his ability to assume any form he wanted to, making him a good fit in the support role.

    As expected, Faceless didn¡¯t disappoint. He was able to find out what he wanted very quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay though. I can just kill him again,¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    Later, Ye Qing called Kung Fu Frog and Wawa over and gave all three Strangers three bottles of Water of Life. The Water of Life was just as precious to Strangers as it was to humans, so the trio could definitely use it.

    Faceless¡¯ cultivation level was too low right now, so low that he could no longer provide him any aid inbat. In fact, his usefulness as a support was starting to fall off as well. He could only perform some simple tasks that, assuming that Ye Qing had the time, could do way better than him.

    As for Kung Fu Frog and Wawa, they were family. Kung Fu Frog had stayed with him through thick and thin since August Hill Vige, and Wawa since Anyang. Naturally, he wanted them to be as strong as possible. At the very least, they must be strong enough that they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being kidnapped on the streets anymore. No one wanted a repeat of the Gold Toad incident, and the Water of Life was the perfect remedy to that conundrum.

    After he was done basking in Faceless¡¯ infinite gratitude, Kung Fu Frog¡¯s tsun tsun, and Wawa¡¯s girlishughter, Ye Qing went back to his room.

    ¡°How are you going to tackle Wang Luori, boy?¡±

    The Fog Demon flew out of the Boundless Mara Buddha and asked excitedly, ¡°How about youmand Xue Beikun to tten Sunset Hill with ten thousand ck Feather Guards?¡±

    ¡°You just want to see the world burn.¡± Ye Qing saw through the Fog Demon¡¯s scheme immediately. ¡°It¡¯s just Wang Luori. There¡¯s hardly any need to go to such lengths.¡±

    ¡°Timid and boring!¡± The Fog Demonined, ¡°Like seriously, you¡¯re technically a war lord with a small army under yourmand now. Can you at least act like one? It¡¯s shameful to employ petty schemes for someone of your stature!¡±

    ¡°Timid and boring? No, this is called keeping a low profile. Sticking out like a sore thumb is a surefire way to get yourself killed,¡± Ye Qing scoffed. ¡°Plus, why would I go through all that effort when I could achieve the same result with far less?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re just a Nine Nethers Demon. I won¡¯t shame you for your ignorance.¡±

    The Fog Demon: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°So!¡± The Fog Demon pretended that it hadn¡¯t heard the insult and said, ¡°Your n is to bait out Wang Luori with Xue Beikun and y the fisherman. When will you take action?¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to make a move. Wang Luori would visit us himself.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    ¡°Wang Luori had never been friendly with the Pacification Bureau, but now we have concrete proof that he was plotting against a member of the Pacification Bureau, namely me. Old Gu is currently busy dealing with matters regarding the Demon¡¯s Tomb, but as soon as he is freed from his duties, Wang Luori and Sunset Hill would be eradicated. His only chance to survive this is to join Xue Beikun, which is why he would be seeking out the ck Feather Guard Commander as soon as possible.¡±

    Ye Qing dered confidently, ¡°That is why we simply need to wait for him to visit Xue Beikun. It would be less likely to draw suspicion as well.¡±

    ¡°Lastly, what can be more despairing than your savior pushing you into the depths of hell? The guy deserves it after everything he¡¯s put me through.¡±

    ¡°Your heart is as ck as coal, boy!¡± The Fog Demon sighed.

    ¡°Still not as ck as yours, Fog Demon!¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ......

    It was a quiet, starless, and moonless night.

    At the Star Reacher Pavilion of the Star Reacher Restaurant, Wang Luori was toying with his wine ss and tilting his head slightly. It was an evil and unsettling look.

    <i>Creak...</i>

    It was at this moment the door opened, and Xue Beikun stepped into the room.

    ¡°Commander Xue!¡± Wang Luori rose to his feet when he saw Xue Beikun. ¡°Please, take a seat.¡±

    After Xue Beikun sat opposite Wang Luori, he asked, ¡°Why did you invite me to a meeting at this time, Hill Lord Wang?¡±

    Wang Luori leisurely poured Xue Beikun a ss of wine and said with a smile, ¡°There¡¯s no rush. This is the Star Reacher Restaurant¡¯s specialty, a century-old Star Moon Brew. It has a rich and sweet taste. Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡±

    ¡°Did you invite me over for a drink only?¡± Xue Beikun raised the ss and gave it a sniff. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then I shall be taking my leave. One, I only like strong wine, and this one smells weak and probably tastes weak as well. I might as well drink water in that case.¡±

    Themander then poured the wine on the floor and said coldly, ¡°Also, I hate it when someone speaks to me in a pretentious, roundabout way.¡±

    Wang Luori merely smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a direct man, Commander. I respect that.¡±

    ......

    ¡°The fuck? Wang Luori has be a Spirit Master?¡±

    At the building next to Star Reacher Restaurant, Ye Qing rubbed his nose with an odd expression. ¡°And why do I feel like he¡¯s acting kinda odd today?¡±

    Because Xue Beikun was possessed by a fragment of the Fog Demon¡¯s soul, and he could mentallymunicate with the Stranger, he was able to eavesdrop on the duo¡¯s conversation like he was right there with them.

    A day ago, aftering up with the n to kill Wang Luori, Ye Qing practiced the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± in his room while waiting for Xue Beikun to bring him the good news.

    As expected, Xue Beikun soon messaged him stating that Wang Luori had requested a meeting at Star Reacher Restaurant tomorrow night.

    The next day, Ye Qing hid himself in the building next to Star Reacher Restaurant at least several hours ahead of the meeting time. As for why he didn''t just hide in the Star Reacher Restaurant, it was to avoid catching Wang Luori¡¯s attention and drawing his suspicion, of course.

    Originally, he was going to have Wang Luori killed immediately after he showed himself. Xue Beikun was now ate-stage Spirit Master, and he should have zero problems ambushing and killing a mere Half-Step Spirit Master.

    That was until he discovered that Wang Luori had entered the Spirit Master Realm. Not so sure about his chances anymore, Ye Qing decided to tweak his n slightly and have Xue Beikun engage Wang Luori in a conversation for now. When the old man dropped his guard or grew careless, Xue Beikun would take him out in a sh.

    Something seemed strange, however. For some reason, he felt like Wang Luori wasn¡¯t acting like himself today. The way he spoke, the way he acted, and even the way he carried himself were unlike what he knew of the man. It was almost as if he was a different man altogether.

    The Fog Demon echoed in agreement, ¡°It is odd. I don¡¯t know why, but Wang Luori feels... familiar for some reason.¡±

    Ye Qing was surprised to hear this. ¡°borate.¡±

    The Fog Demon said, ¡°I can¡¯t. I myself don¡¯t know <i>why </i>he feels familiar. He just feels... familiar.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. ¡°Never mind. Let¡¯s observe the situation a little longer.¡±

    ......

    Back in the room, Xue Beikun grunted impatiently, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you today? Just spill it already. One more word that¡¯s unrted to business, and I¡¯m out of this room.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! In that case, I shall speak frankly,¡± Wang Luoriplied. ¡°I would like us to be partners, Commander Xue.¡±

    ¡°<i>Partners?</i>¡± Xue Beikun scoffed as if he had heard a funny joke. ¡°You are a <i>jianghu </i>thug, and I¡¯m an imperial officer and themander of the ck Feather Guards. What makes you think you deserve to be my <i>partner</i>?¡±

    Wang Luori didn¡¯t get angry, however. He continued to smile as he said, ¡°You will understand once I tell you everything, Commander Xue.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Tell me then,¡± Xue Beikun urged.

    Wang Luori drank his wine before saying, ¡°You¡¯re a strong and capable man, Commander Xue, and I know that you¡¯ve been searching for a way out of the Pacification Bureau and the administrative division¡¯s control for the longest time. I know you wish to be the crownless king of Luo Shui, and I can help you to fulfill your wish.¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to help me do that, exactly?¡± Xue Beikun squinted as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Your plot against Ye Qing has been exposed, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitange after you. You can¡¯t even protect yourself and the power you¡¯ve built, and you¡¯re saying that you can help me be the ¡®crownless king of Luo Shui¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, no. But my master can,¡± Wang Luo replied unexpectedly.

    ¡°Did I hear you right? Your <i>master? </i>I never knew that you were someone else¡¯s dog,¡± Xue Beikun narrowed his eyes dangerously.

    Still, Wang Luori didn¡¯t get angry. Contrary to his usual self, Wang Luori was as steady as a turtle. ¡°I¡¯m not a dog. I¡¯m just a faithful believer. Namo Maratabha.¡±

    ¡°Faithful... believer? And who do you believe in?¡± Xue Beikun asked.

    ¡°My master, the Mara Buddha.¡±

    Xue Beikun frowned. ¡°Mara who? I¡¯ve never heard of him.¡±

    ......

    Xue Beikun had never heard of the Mara Buddha, but a certain young man in the next building certainly had. He was so startled he nearly jumped when he heard this.

    If Wang Luori hadn¡¯t brought it up, he would¡¯ve forgotten that there was another powerhouse hiding somewhere in Luo Shui. In fact, he had stolen the guy¡¯s Strange Artifact!

    The Fog Demon asked, ¡°Boy, is this Mara Buddha the original owner of the Boundless Mara Buddha?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded affirmatively.

    ¡°No wonder I thought that Wang Luori¡¯s presence felt a little familiar. It¡¯s because I¡¯m sensing my own presence! Pah!¡± The Fog Demon spat. ¡°Who is this Mara Buddha, boy? Is he strong?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re a dude or a gal because I haven¡¯t met them before. What I can tell you is that they are one of, if not the most ck-hearted motherfucker I¡¯ve known to date.¡±

    Anyone who could sacrifice thousands and thousands of people and build that living hell just to create a Strange Artifact could only be ck-hearted.

    He had no doubt that the Mara Buddha was strong. They might not be a Grandmaster, but they must be pretty close.

    The worst part was that the Mara Buddha had hidden himself so well that Ye Qing knew nothing about them except their name. He knew nothing about their current whereabouts, their appearance, their gender, their age, nothing.

    An enemy you knew nothing about was the worst enemy you could go up against.

    What was scarier was the fact that Wang Luori had been converted into their worshiper. He had briefly interacted with Wang Luori prior to entering the Demon¡¯s Tomb, and at the time the Hill Lord was still in control of himself. It had only been three or four days, and Wang Luori had somehow been converted into the Mara Buddha¡¯s worshiper. This was proof that the Mara Buddha was incredibly powerful.

    If the Mara Buddha could convert Wang Luori into their worshiper without anyone knowing, they could certainly do the same to everyone else¡ªanyone who was below Wang Luori¡¯s level, at least. Even he wouldn¡¯t have suspected anything if Wang Luori hadn¡¯t revealed the truth himself?

    With that in mind, how many worshipers did Mara Buddha have in Luo Shui? How much power had they gathered right under Luo Shui¡¯s nose?

    It was terrifying to even think about.

 Chapter 307: Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 307: Conspiracy </h4>

    <strong>Trantor''s Note: Hong Jianglong''s position has been corrected from Chief of Bureau to Pacification Commissioner. Author thought it was appropriate to mention it on chapter 400 even though he appeared as soon as chapter 258 is something I couldn''t have anticipated or remembered, not to mention that Pacification Commissioner (which is a rank below Chief of Bureau like Luo Shui''s Peacemakers, but obviously Hong Jianglong''s way better) wasn''t even a thing until chapter 400, so. Sorry and fixed!</strong>

    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you haven¡¯t heard of my master. They are a humble person who prefers the quiet.¡±

    Wang Luori smiled. ¡°My master possesses immeasurable power, however. You may not know this, but I suffered grievous injuries before I was able to escape the Demon¡¯s Tomb. In fact, I would¡¯ve died if not for my master. Not only did they heal me back to full health, they even fulfilled my lifelong wish and made me a Spirit Master.¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s expression turned fervent and pious when he said this.

    Xue Beikun looked curious. ¡°Oh? Tell me. How is your master going to help me conquer Luo Shui?¡±

    Wang Luori answered, ¡°The main reason you are unable to be the crownless king of Luo Shui are the Pacification Bureau and the administrative division, or more urately, just the Pacification Bureau. Without their support, the administrative division wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±

    ¡°The two central pirs of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau are Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang. If you control the two of them, then Luo Shui would naturally fall under your control.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You make it sound so easy. If Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang are so easy to remove, I would¡¯ve conquered Luo Shui a long time ago!¡±

    Xue Beikun scoffed, ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that your master is strong enough to kill Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang themselves, both powerful Spirit Masters in their own right. What do you think is going to happen when you remove the Chief and Deputy Chief of Bureau? The Pacification Bureau will never let this go. Even if they turn up with nothing, they can just send another Fang Xiaoman or Gu Suitang tomand Luo Shui. In the end, I would still be under someone¡¯s beck and call. What is the point of all this then?¡±

    ¡°Short of wiping the Pacification Bureau from Chu altogether, I would never be able to conquer Luo Shui!¡±

    ¡°You are joking, Commander Xue. My master may possess immeasurable power, but even they would be hardpressed to wipe out the Pacification Bureau from Chu.¡± Wang Luori shook his head.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Xue Beikun scoffed again. It was clear he thought that this was going to be a pointless discussion.

    ¡°Calm down, Commander Xue. I haven¡¯t told you my master¡¯s n yet.¡±

    Wang Luori remainedpletely confident, however. He said, ¡°Do you remember what I said earlier? If you control Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang, then Luo Shui would naturally fall under your control.¡±

    ¡°You want to... <i>control </i>them?¡± Xue Beikun frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Wang Luori exined, ¡°Some people are more useful alive than dead. If my master is able to convert Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang into his worshipers, then you would be free to control the Pacification Bureau as you please and avoid the scrutiny of the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau, effectively killing two birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty bold n.¡± Xue Beikun smiled. ¡°But you still haven¡¯t answered my question: How is your master going to ¡®convert¡¯ Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang, both powerful Spirit Masters in their own right?¡±

    ¡°No worries, Commander Xue. My master has already nned everything.¡±

    Wang Luori broke into a grin. ¡°My fiftieth birthday will be happening in two days, and I will be inviting Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang to my birthday feast. My master will convert them then.¡±

    ¡°And how is he going to do that, exactly?¡± Xue Beikun asked.

    Wang Luori answered, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that, Commander Xue. My master will handle it. Just know that they will not be able to escape the moment they enter Sunset Hill.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very confident,¡± Xue Beikun let out a cold chuckle, ¡°but how do you ensure that Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang would attend your birthday feast?¡±

    Wang Luori answered, ¡°By using Ye Qing. I¡¯ll tell them that I wish to discuss the matter regarding Ye Qing. They will definitely show up.¡±

    Xue Beikun took a moment to think before chuckling again. ¡°It sounds like you and your master have nned out everything. In fact, it sounds like you don¡¯t need me at all. What is my role in all this?¡±

    ¡°One cannot n for everything. My master is sure he has everything under his control, but that doesn¡¯t mean he is infallible. That is why we need you to attend the birthday feast. If anything goes wrong, you will be there to ensure that it doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Ah. And here I thought that your master is omnipotent.¡± Xue Beikun sneered. ¡°Then again, your master wouldn¡¯t need to pull such tricks if they really could handle everything by themselves.¡±

    ¡°Your n sounds good, and I don¡¯t mind lending you a hand. Before I agree to anything though, I must ask one thing: what is your goal? Wealth? Power? I don¡¯t want to find outter that whatever you¡¯re plotting involves my ¡®unfortunate¡¯ death, you see.¡±

    Wang Luori chuckled. ¡°Rx, Commander Xue. My master¡¯s goal is loftier than that. In his opinion, wealth and power¡ªsoft power, at least¡ªare but wisps of nothing that could melt under a ray of sunlight. No, my master¡¯s one and only goal is to gain permission to promote their religion and be able to enlighten the people without government interference.¡±

    ¡°... Is that it?¡± Xue Beikun asked after a pause.

    Wang Luori answered, ¡°It¡¯s that simple. I can swear an Oath of Heaven if you don¡¯t believe me. If I break my oath, may I be smited by lightning, rejected by heaven and earth, and drowned in the Nine Nethers for eternity.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an empty oath. Wang Luori literally extracted some of his heart¡¯s blood and drew certain runes that overflowed with the air of Dao. The words seeminglymuned with the surroundings for a bit before melting into Wang Luori and Xue Beikun¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°I can¡¯t really think of a reason to reject you,¡± Xue Beikun said after a moment of thought, ¡°but I still don¡¯t believe your master can defeat both Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang. If Fang Xiaoman escapes, you and your master are free to run to the ends of the world, but my family, assets and everything are all here. If I agree to your n, and you fail to fulfill your end of the promise, then the only one who¡¯s going to suffer the consequences is me.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe in my master.¡± Wang Luori chuckled.

    Xue Beikun retorted coldly, ¡°Your master didn¡¯t even dare to meet me in person. Why the hell would I believe a rat who¡¯s too scared to reveal himself? Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    Wang Luori remained calm despite the insult. ¡°I can¡¯t deny the logic in your words. Don¡¯t worry. Soon, you will see.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xue Beikun scrunched his eyebrows in puzzlement.

    Wang Luori smiled but didn¡¯t give him a straight answer. ¡°All in due time, Commander Xue.¡±

    Xue Beikun scoffed, ¡°Whatever. In that case, you can hear my answer ¡®in due time¡¯ as well!¡±

    ¡°This is a serious matter. You should take your time to think things through. But I am sure that you will agree to my proposal. After all, some opportunities only appear once in a lifetime.¡±

    Wang Luori was neither angry nor infuriated by Xue Beikun¡¯s hesitation. On the contrary, he would suspect that something was amiss if Xue Beikun had agreed to the n without hesitation.

    ¡°I will decide myself if the opportunity is what you say it is,¡± Xue Beikun said dismissively before asking another question. ¡°There is one thing I¡¯m very curious about.¡±

    Wang Luori held out his hand. ¡°Shoot.¡±

    Xue Beikun smirked and rapped his knuckles on the table. ¡°I am an imperial officer. Aren¡¯t you afraid that I would divulge your n to the Pacification Bureau the second I step out of this door?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Wang Luori guffawed. ¡°There is no hope for reconciliation between you and the Pacification Bureau, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend, is it not? If we work together, then we both stand to gain everything. I am certain that you wouldn¡¯t make such a stupid decision.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Well said. I can definitely feel your sincerity.¡± Xue Beikun smiled and rose to his feet. When he reached the exit, he added, ¡°But as you say, this is something I need to think through. I¡¯ll give you an answer by tomorrow at thetest.¡±

    Wang Luori rose to his feet and bade him goodbye, ¡°Then I shall look forward to the good news, Commander Xue.¡±

    Xue Beikun didn¡¯t bother looking back. ¡°If you give me the good news, maybe.¡±

    After Xue Beikun was gone, Wang Luori downed a ss of wine before bursting into suddenughter. His expression was contorted with madness, and wisps of demonic qi were rising from his pores.

    ¡°Gu Suitang and Fang Xiaoman won¡¯t escape. <i>You </i>won¡¯t escape either, Xue Beikun...¡±

    ......

    ¡°You had the perfect opportunity to end Wang Luori earlier, boy. Why didn¡¯t you do it?¡±

    Inside the next building, the Fog Demon cackled. ¡°Is it because you¡¯ve switched targets to the Mara Buddha?¡±

    ¡°Basically, yeah.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his forehead while suppressing a groan. Why was it always him who ran into this shit? He couldn¡¯t even pretend he hadn¡¯t seen this because it involved Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang, and the Mara Buddha.

    From the perspective of a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau, if something were to happen to Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang, and the Pacification Bureau were to fall into another person¡¯s hands, there was no way he would be exempt from the cmity that woulde.

    From the perspective of himself, Gu Suitang was the man who took him in during his time of crisis, saved his life, and even taught him his martial arts. He also felt good vibes from Fang Xiaoman. No matter what, there was no way he could sit out of this.

    Finally, he had taken the Strange Artifact the Mara Buddha had spent much effort to create. He couldn¡¯t sit out of this even if he wanted to.

    Once again, he was reluctantly pulled into a huge mess he wanted no part of, but it wasn¡¯t all doom and gloom. In fact, Ye Qing saw this as a golden opportunity to end the lives of those who would threaten him once and for all.

    Had the Mara Buddha stayed hidden, he would¡¯ve been hardpressed to do anything against them. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know what gender they were. But they were plotting something big and targeting those he cared about. Even better, they had unknowingly divulged their grand n to him. He wouldn¡¯t get a better chance than this to eliminate the Mara Buddha.

    Wang Luori was probably already dead¡ªthe Wang Luori he knew would¡¯ve scoffed at the very concept of religion, much less worship anyone¡ªbut Ye Qing was still going to take him out together with the Mara Buddha.

    The reason he hadn¡¯t killed the Hill Lord just now was because he didn¡¯t want to draw the Mara Buddha¡¯s attention.

    It was for the same reason he didn¡¯tmand Xue Beikun to agree to the n immediately. Although Xue Beikun waspletely loyal to him, his mind was still alive and well. He would know better than him how to respond in a way that wouldn¡¯t draw Wang Luori¡¯s suspicion. Speaking of which, having Xue Beikun agreeing to Wang Luori¡¯s n too easily would certainly draw his suspicion.

    If his opponent was Wang Luori only, then he wouldn¡¯t have worried about it. Wang Luori was too stupid to save his own life. But the Mara Buddha? That was a threat he must take seriously.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    ¡°Well, Wang Luori is nning to invite us all to his birthday feast. It would be impolite to turn down his invitation, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Ye Qing shot the Fog Demon a mysterious smile. ¡°What I¡¯m really curious is Wang Luori iming that Xue Beikun would ¡®see¡¯ tomorrow. What did he mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Is the Mara Buddha nning to visit Xue Beikun in person? Or are they going to cause some trouble?¡±

    ¡°Why waste the brain cells thinking about something you¡¯re going to find out tomorrow?¡± The Fog Demon repliedzily, ¡°We already know what they¡¯re nning. There is nothing they can do that can surprise us. In that case, why bother with the trifles?¡±

    ¡°True enough.¡± Ye Qing nodded. He knew exactly what the enemy was nning, and even their back-up n, Xue Beikun, was really on his side. What could the Mara Buddha possibly do to turn the tables on him?

    ¡°The jar is empty, and the show¡¯s over. It¡¯s time to go.¡±

    As Ye Qing left, a cool wind blew across the floor and swept up some dust.

 Chapter 308: The Mara Buddhaâ€™s Plot

    <h4>Chapter 308: The Mara Buddha¡¯s Plot </h4>

    It was early morning. Morning sun rays peeked through the clouds and warmed the morning dew in preparation for the day. Bright, beautiful colors scattered everywhere as they hit the translucent liquid.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t lying in bed. He had woken up since the first ray of sun broke. Space trembled as he slowly thrust his fist forward. Soundless it might be, when his arm hadpletely straightened, the shuddering space caved in like ake with its center gouged out by a spoon. The stones on the ground jumped a little in reaction, and dry thunder cracked somewhere in the distance.

    ¡°My lord, my lord!¡±

    It was at this moment Zhou Xi barged into the courtyard with a panicked expression on his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± Ye Qing asked while withdrawing his fist. Zhou Xi was one of the steadiest guys he had ever worked with. Something big must have happened for him to panic like this.

    ¡°My lord...¡± Zhou Xi took a second to catch his breath. ¡°Chief Fang and his men just came back, but they were severely injured!¡±

    ¡°What? Do you know who is injured exactly? What happened?¡± Ye Qing waved for his subordinate to follow him and started toward the headquarters. ¡°Are they at the headquarters right now? Tell me as we walk!¡±

    ¡°Chief Fang, Lord Chu and Lord Lin were covered in blood when they entered the city. Chief Fang threw up some blood and fainted right after that,¡± Zhou Xi replied sinctly.

    Ye Qing was so shocked that he paused in his tracks for an instant. ¡°What did you just say? <i>Chief Fang¡¯s </i>the one who was severely injured? He even <i>fainted </i>at the entrance? How is that possible?¡±

    Zhou Xi ran up to Ye Qing, panting. ¡°That.... That¡¯s what happened though. Even senior Xuanhuang was seriously injured.¡±

    ¡°Chief Fang had<i> Xuanhuang</i> with him, and he was still injured to this extent? Who could have done this? Stranger or human?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned as a bad premonition hit him. ¡°Never mind. You stay here. I¡¯m going ahead to the headquarters.¡±

    ¡°My lord¡ª¡± Zhou Xi was about to say something when he realized that the Ye Qing speaking to him was slowly crumbling into fragments of light. It was just an illusion. The real Ye Qing had been gone before he knew it.

    ¡°How is Chief Fang, deputy chief?¡±

    As soon as Ye Qing barged into the room, he saw Gu Suitang sitting beside a bed and Fang Xiaoman lying on top of it. The Chief of Bureau¡¯s eyes were tightly closed, and hisplexion was as pale as a sheet. If he wasn¡¯t breathing ever so slightly, Ye Qing could¡¯ve believed that he was dead.

    Besides Gu Suitang and Fang Xiaoman, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Wei Yueshan were present in the room as well. They all looked deeply worried.

    ¡°His channels are broken, and his mind is damaged. It¡¯s not good.¡± Gu Suitang rose to his feet with a dark frown on his face. ¡°The good news is that he ate the Pill of Extraordinary Rejuvenation. He should be in no danger of dying, for now.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I fed Chief Fang a Pill of Extraordinary Rejuvenation after the battle,¡± Lin Yuhuai replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s all our fault! Chief Fang wouldn¡¯t have caught even a scratch on his person if he wasn¡¯t trying to protect us!¡± Wei Yueshan growled and mmed the table next to him so hard that it crumbled to the floor. ¡°Dammit!¡±

    ¡°Get out of the room if you want to vent. We have a patient here.¡± Gu Suitang grunted before looking at Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai. ¡°What happened, Nianjiu, Yuhuai? Who are the bastards who hurt Xiaoman?¡±

    Ye Qing subconsciously asked, ¡°Bastards? Was Chief Fang attacked by humans?¡±

    Gu Suitang nodded. ¡°There are nine wounds on Xiaoman¡¯s body. Four of them came from a sword, three from a saber, and one from a fist and another from a palm. The de wounds are superficial though. The punch and the palm strike were the real attacks that put him in this state.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, what the hell happened?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°Frankly, we have no idea why we were attackedter. On the way back to the city after we took out with the Strangers guing the surrounding viges, we were suddenly ambushed by an incredible number of powerful warriors. Each one of them was at least ate-stage Spirit Purifier or a Spirit Master, and the leader in particr was as strong as Chief Fang, if not stronger. It was he who severely injured Chief Fang while he was forced to protect us.¡±

    ¡°Those people were going to kill us all, but Chief Fang used a forbidden art that damaged Xuanhuang¡¯s sentience and somehow broke out of the encirclement. However, it also worsened his injuries, and... you know the rest.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai paused for a second before giving into his guilt and frustration. ¡°If we weren¡¯t there, Chief Fang could¡¯ve easily escaped without too much trouble. We are the reason he¡¯s in this state.¡±

    ¡°Now is not the time for self-me. First things first, we need to identify the fucker who dared to attack the Pacification Bureau.¡± Gu Suitang pressed, ¡°You''ve fought with those people. Did you recognize any of them?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu shook his head. ¡°They were all wearing masks and ck outfits. It¡¯s impossible to tell who is who.¡±

    ¡°What about their martial arts?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu considered this for a moment before shaking his head, ¡°They used all forms of martial arts, and some I¡¯ve never seen before. I¡¯m sorry to say I cannot identify their origin.¡±

    ¡°It is as Chu Nianjiu says.¡± Both Lin Yuhuai and Wei Yueshan shook their heads as well.

    Gu Suitang¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you know nothing about their motive either?¡±

    Once again, everyone shook their heads.

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a powerful warrior of the Dark Ways returning to settle some old scores? Or did Chief Fang offend someone he shouldn¡¯t have in the past?¡± Ye Qing tried.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t feel like it,¡± Lin Yuhuai replied while recalling the details of that battle. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any hatred or desire for vengeance from their eyes. They were just there to kill us. But of course, I could be wrong.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t agree. Sometimes, feelings were urate.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take a step back. Did you offend anyone or encounter anything strange while you were clearing out the Strangers guing those viges?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai muttered absentmindedly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We fought Strangers and only Strangers, and I don¡¯t remember any one of us crossing anyone. Strangers are naturally strange, but... again, I don¡¯t recall anything that particrly stood out to me.¡±

    ¡°No, there is one thing.¡± Chu Nianjiu suddenly spoke up, ¡°Remember Rice Fragrance Vige?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re right! That was pretty strange!¡± Lin Yuhuai eximed in realization.

    ¡°Good. Tell us about it!¡± Ye Qing urged.

    ¡°Ahem...¡± Lin Yuhuai took a moment to clear his throat before starting, ¡°It¡¯s like this. One of the viges we tackled is called Rice Fragrance Vige. It¡¯s a good name, but it¡¯s extremely secluded and rarely visited.¡±

    ¡°While we were dealing with the Stranger guing Rice Fragrance Vige, we noticed that the vigers are all extremely thin, pale, and generally unhealthy. They¡¯re also extremely superstitious, so much so that they neglected their fields. Seriously, every single one of them prayed to a Buddha statue both during the day and the night. It was very unusual.¡±

    ¡°When we informed Chief Fang about this phenomenon, he decided to pay the five or six viges surrounding Rice Fragrance Vige a visit and discovered that they all worshiped the same religion as well. But despite our best efforts, we were unable to find anything useful. The vigers themselves aren¡¯t sure what kind of Buddha they were worshiping, only that their Buddha would protect them from all disasters and misfortunes. As far as I can tell, their faith is absolute.¡±

    ¡°A Buddha statue?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Do you still remember what the Buddha statue looks like? Is there anything particr that caught your attention?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu tried his best to recall the memory. ¡°The statue itself is nothing special, but its appearance gave me an evil feeling for some reason. It¡¯s like... like...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a demonic Buddha, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ye Qing supplied.

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly it!¡± Chu Nianjiu agreed.

    ¡°Do you happen to have a picture of the Buddha statue or something? Something like a portrait or a figurine or something?¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes.

    Wei Yueshan produced a figurine and handed it to Ye Qing. ¡°In fact, we did. It¡¯s a strange-looking Buddha, but we¡¯ve got no idea what it is. Chief Fang inspected it himself but found nothing special about it either.¡±

    Ye Qing epted the figurine. It was a seated Buddha holding a prithvi mudra and wearing a merciful smile on his face. However, the smile was just a little off and gave it an unsettling, devilish charm.

    ¡°I knew it.¡± Ye Qing sneered. He now knew exactly who was behind Fang Xiaoman¡¯s attack. This must be what Wang Luori meant when he said Xue Beikun would seest night. It was all because of the Mara Buddha.

    Another person might not notice anything, but as the owner of the Boundless Mara Buddha, he could clearly sense the aura of the Mara Buddha hidden within the Buddha figurine.

    The Mara Buddha was a shrewd person who had hidden themselves so well that few people were aware of their existence. But this time, they had revealed themselves and even plotted the subversion of the chief and deputy chief of the Pacification Bureau. This clearly went against their normal behavior.

    The Buddha statues erected across those viges exined everything though. Although he didn¡¯t know what the statues were for, it could only be for something bad. The reason the Mara Buddha had chosen to promote his ¡°religion¡± at those viges was because they were so remote that even the Pacification Bureau didn¡¯t visit them frequently.

    Logically speaking, the Mara Buddha could¡¯ve built up his powerbase a little before he was discovered. However, the sudden appearance of the Demon¡¯s Tomb had caused the Pacification Bureau tounch a patrol sooner than expected, and of all the people who could¡¯ve stumbled upon this discovery, it just had to be the Chief of Bureau himself.

    Knowing Fang Xiaoman, there was no way the Chief of Bureau was going to stop investigating this strange religion until he was absolutely certain that it was harmless. This meant that there was a high chance the Mara Buddha would be exposed.

    That was why the Mara Buddha decided to take action. First, they dispatched a group of assassins to ambush Fang Xiaoman¡¯s group. Then, they contacted Xue Beikun to set up a death trap for both Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang.

    If the ambush was sessful, then the Mara Buddha would¡¯ve subverted and taken control of Fang Xiaoman. Gu Suitang would be all alone and powerless to change anything. There would be no need for Wang Luori to hold his so-called birthday feast. They could¡¯ve controlled Gu Suitang¡¯s every action through Fang Xiaoman and effectively taken control of the Pacification Bureau.

    If n A failed, then the assassins were to assassinate or deal Fang Xiaoman a serious blow. Xue Beikun would hear the news and cooperate with them, and they would be weakening the Pacification Bureau as well. When the birthday feast took ce, it would be simply a matter of defeating Gu Suitang.

    Ye Qing had to admit that the n was an incredible one. They would have killed two birds with one stone.

    However, the Mara Buddha had unwittingly exposed the fact thatbat wise, they weren¡¯t too powerful. At the very least, they didn¡¯t possess the strength to kill Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang without considerable sacrifice, or even the confidence to beat them when they were together. There would be no need toe up with such an borate plot otherwise.

    ¡°You knew, what?¡± Everyone was puzzled by Ye Qing¡¯s reaction. From their perspective, it looked like he was having a stroke or something.

    Ye Qing looked at Gu Suitang and asked, ¡°Do you still remember the Mara Buddha, chief?¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha?¡± Gu Suitang took a moment to search through his memories. ¡°You mean that Mara Buddha that corrupted the Grandmaster monk, Jing Hui and created the Boundless Mara Buddha?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°What does this have to do with them?¡± Gu Suitang asked.

    Ye Qing sneered before dering with absolute certainty, ¡°The Mara Buddha is the one behind all this.¡±

 Chapter 309: Counter Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 309: Counter Conspiracy </h4>

    ¡°What do you mean? The Mara Buddha is the one behind everything?¡± Gu Suitang hurriedly asked, ¡°Exin!¡±

    Ye Qing nced outside, and the Pacification Sentinels guarding outside the room wisely took their leave. When they were alone, Ye Qing finally began, ¡°Last night, I...¡±

    Ye Qing told them everything about the meeting between Wang Luori and Xue Beikunst night and how it connected to the attack on Chief Fang and the others.

    ¡°That is why I came to the conclusion that the Mara Buddha is the one behind everything. The Buddha statues the vigers worshiped at Rice Fragrance Vige and the other viges are something the Mara Buddha set up for an unknown purpose, and the ambush on Chief Fang is a ploy to takeplete control of the Pacification Bureau.

    ¡°Can you swear that everything you told us is the truth, Joyless?¡±

    Everyone was shocked and livid when they listened to Ye Qing¡¯s exnation until the end.

    ¡°I solemnly swear.¡± Ye Qing nodded with gravity.

    ¡°I have a question. How did you find out about Wang Luori and Xue Beikun¡¯s conspiracy?¡± Gu Suitang shot him a suspicious look. ¡°Did you eavesdrop on them, or...?¡±

    ¡°Xue Beikun¡¯s the one who told me himself,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    ¡°What? How is that possible? Weren¡¯t the two of you enemies?¡± Gu Suitang grew even more confused.

    Ye Qing had prepared for this exact scenario a while ago. He lied, ¡°Back at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, Xue Beikun and I identally stumbled upon a dangerous zone and were forced to fight side by side with each other. I even saved his lifeter on. As you know, sometimes it¡¯s easier to reconcile than it is to maintain a grudge, and we became friends after the experience.¡±

    ¡°The reason we were enemies in the first ce is purely because of Xue Shiwu. We wouldn¡¯t know each other if it wasn¡¯t for him. Since Xue Shiwu had perished in the Demon¡¯s Tomb, there isn¡¯t really a good reason for us to continue our feud.¡±

    ¡°In fact, Xue Beikun told me about the conspiracy to repay me for saving his life back then.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t going to reveal the fact that he was controlling Xue Beikun using the Fog Demon, of course. Some truths were better left hidden in the shadows. No one knew what really happened in the Demon¡¯s Tomb anyway, so he could control the narrative however he liked.

    ¡°Really?¡± Gu Suitang was still suspicious, however. ¡°Xue Beikun is an ambitious man who¡¯s tried to escape the Pacification Bureau¡¯s control for as long as I''ve known him. I can¡¯t imagine that he would relinquish such a golden opportunity. Are you sure he¡¯s not trying to trick you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! If he wanted to trick me, he wouldn¡¯t tell me about it in the first ce!¡± Ye Qing argued, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s focus on the more important and immediate task at hand. What should we do in light of this new information?¡±

    ¡°What else? We¡¯re going to kill that piece of dog shit who calls himself Mara Buddha!¡± Wei Yueshan was furious. ¡°The bastard¡¯s plotting to take over the Pacification Bureau! How dare they!¡±

    ¡°Master, I''ll round up the men and kill the Mara Buddha and Wang Luori this instant!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai hurriedly stopped him, ¡°We will kill him, but we can¡¯t act recklessly. We need toe up with a proper n first.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wei Yueshan shot him a sullen look.

    Lin Yuhuai exined, ¡°Do you know who the Mara Buddha is? Do you know where he¡¯s hiding? What if he¡¯s not on Sunset Hill? If you act recklessly, the Mara Buddha will only learn of our intentions ahead of time and escape. It would be so much harder to capture them then.¡±

    ¡°That... makes sense.¡± Wei Yueshan admitted and scratched his head.

    ¡°Yuhuai is right. This Mara Buddha is extremely cunning and well hidden. We must end their life in one strike, or they would most likely rebound stronger than ever before,¡± Gu Suitang dered in a heavy tone.

    Chu Nianjiu took a sip of wine and added, ¡°It¡¯s not just the Mara Buddha. It¡¯s highly unlikely that Wang Luori is the only person they¡¯ve converted into their worshiper. We must be ready to contend against not a handful of people, but a small army.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Gu Suitang nodded and looked at Ye Qing. ¡°Do you know who the Mara Buddha is, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, Wang Luori didn¡¯t reveal anything.¡±

    Gu Suitang frowned. ¡°That¡¯s a problem.¡±

    ¡°Not as much as you think, chief.¡± Ye Qing grinned. ¡°I have a n that will allow us to catch the Mara Buddha and his hidden cohort all in one go.¡±

    ¡°Tell us.¡±

    ¡°Alright, huddle up, people. We¡¯re going to do this... and then, we¡¯re gonna...¡±

    ......

    The third day of May was a bright, cloudy day. It was a good day for a wedding, and a bad day for nasty people.

    Every year at this time, Sunset Hill would be covered in festive lights and crowds, and the ce would be bustling with activity. It was almost as if they were celebrating New Year¡¯s Eve or New Year.

    It was because the third day of May was Wang Luori¡¯s birthday.

    Wang Luori was a narcissist. Every year, he would hold a grand feast and invite everyone and their mothers to attend it. Famous or unknown, rich or poor, powerful or weak, anyone who visited Sunset Hill and offeredpliments such as, ¡°Hill Lord Wang is as blessed as the sun suspended in the Nine Heavens¡± or ¡°Hill Lord Wang will live as long as the eternal sun¡± would be able to enjoy a sumptuous meal, mellow wine, and a number of wonderful songs and dances.

    It was why the third day of May was the most energetic time for Sunset Hill. The melody of instruments sounded like it would never end, and the scent of wine could be smelled from fifty kilometers away.

    This year, however, Sunset Hill was quieter than usual. There were fewer lights and colors than usual, and even the traffic was a lot smallerpared to the previous years. The contrast was such that it painted a forlorn and deste picture.

    It was almost as if Sunset Hill was weing a true sunset.

    That said, the quality of its guests had skyrocketed. There were people who attended the birthday feast only once in a blue moon.

    For starters, the patriarch of the Bai n, Bai Xinran and his advisor, Bai Xinhu were present. There was also the Deputy Head of Blood Shadow Pce Jiang Huanjian; the ¡°One-Armed Sabersman¡± Du Yuanwu, a famous warrior of the <i>jianghu </i>of Tian Yong, ¡°Lord of Three Rivers¡± Lu Fanjiang, the head of the Twelve Land and Water Routes of Jiang Huai[1]; themander of the ck Feather Guards Xue Beikun, and the chief and deputy chief of the Pacification Bureau, Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang.

    It was a strange mix of guests. Some of these people were allies of Sunset Hill such as Bai Xinran and Jianghuan Jian, some didn¡¯t seem to share any connection with it such as Du Yuanwu and Lu Fanjiang, and some were even enemies of Sunset Hill, namely the Pacification Bureau.

    This was a group of people who should never appear at the same ce and time unless the heavens themselves arranged a mighty coincidence, but it was a fact that they were all gathered in the Sunset Hall. The atmosphere was awkward to say the least.

    At the main seat, Wang Luori raised his ss and dered joyfully, ¡°Haha... I am most honored to wee such prestigious guests to my birthday today, so allow me to make the first toast. Cheers, everyone!¡±

    ¡°Cheers, Hill Lord Wang!¡±

    Everyone except Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang and Ye Qing raised their ss and drained their wine to thest drop.

    ¡°Chief Fang, Deputy Chief Gu, why aren¡¯t you drinking your wine? Is it not to your taste?¡±

    After Wang Luori had drained his wine, he looked down on Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang and asked with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye.

    ¡°The wine is great, but the people in this hall are disgusting. It¡¯s like trying to enjoy a meal in the sewers. It¡¯s just impossible.¡±

    Gu Suitang rapped his knuckles against the table and nced at the other guests in the hall with ridicule. ¡°You were acquaintances with Warrior Du and Head Lu, Red Bush? I had no idea that you knew this many people.¡±

    ¡°There are many things that you aren¡¯t aware of, Chief Gu, just like you have no idea that all of us would soon be one big family,¡± Wang Luori replied with an enigmatic smirk on his face.

    ¡°One big family? I don¡¯t remember sowing a son like you?¡± Gu Suitang cackled incredulously. ¡°Why don¡¯t you kowtow three times and call me daddy? Perhaps it will jog my memory.¡±

    Wang Luori narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°Gu Suitang... I¡¯m giving you face here. Don¡¯t abuse my good will.¡±

    ¡°Face? Hahaha! Who the fuck do you think you are do give <i>me </i>face?¡± Gu Suitang let out an arrogantugh. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re not here to listen to your nonsense. Wang Luori, you have schemed against the Pacification Bureau and thrown Luo Shui into havoc as a result. Such is your crime that it is unpardonable even if I feel like pardoning you, which I absolutely do not. So, how are you going to make up to the Pacification Bureau and Joyless?¡±

    Wang Luori slowly shifted his gaze from Gu Suitang to Fang Xiaoman, then from Fang Xiaoman to Ye Qing. Then, his lips slowly curled into an evil, spine-chilling smile.

    In response, Ye Qing looked up and responded with a calm, unperturbed smile.

    Despite his transformation, Wang Luori couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of anger when he saw Ye Qing¡¯s smile. It added a tinge of cruelty to his own smile.

    ¡°Hehe, that is exactly why I invited you two to my birthday feast, chiefs. I will give you and everyone a proper answer.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± Gu Suitang leaned against his backrest and crossed his legs with an insufferable expression.

    Wang Luori dered arrogantly and condescendingly, ¡°I will give you one chance to worship my master.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Gu Suitang looked like he wasn¡¯t expecting where this was going at all. ¡°You want us to worship what?¡±

    ¡°Control your mouth, Gu Suitang! You will <i>not </i>address my master as a what!¡± Wang Luori exploded in anger. ¡°My master is the Mara who rules all the Buddhas, and the Buddha who enlightens all the demons. If you worship my master, you will possess the body of the Buddha and the heart of a demon. You would transcend all pain and suffering like the Buddha Himself, but also gain the freedom to soar the Nine Heavens like the Mara.¡±

    ¡°Worship my master, and you shall gain eternal bliss.¡±

    Wang Luori¡¯s expression slowly turned pious and fervent. ¡°Gu Suitang, Fang Xiaoman, my master is offering you the honor of a lifetime. Don¡¯t throw it away.¡±

    ¡°The Mara of Buddhas? The Buddha of demons? The fuck are you talking about?¡± Gu Suitang scoffed. ¡°Wang Luori, you¡¯re a piece of trash, but you used to be your own piece of trash. Why did you lower yourself to the level of a dog?¡±

    ¡°Gu Suitang, I¡¯m presenting you with the obvious good choice here. Don¡¯t be a daft fool and make the wrong choice!¡± Wang Luori harrumphed. ¡°Also, stop spheming my master!¡±

    ¡°Cough... we care nothing for your faith. We don¡¯t care if you want to be a human or a dog either.¡±

    It was at this moment Fang Xiaoman interjected himself in the conversation. He let out a weak cough before continuing, ¡°All we want to hear is your answer. If the answer you give us is satisfactory, then all is well. If not, then you won¡¯t like what happens next.¡±

    ¡°But I already gave you my answer. I want you to worship my master. Is that not the best answer you could possibly receive?¡± Wang Luori tilted his head as if confused.

    ¡°Are you toying with us, Wang Luori?!¡± Gu Suitang exploded and smashed the table next to him.

    ¡°Of course not! As I said, worshiping my master is your honor and opportunity,¡± Wang Luori persuaded the duo with the patience of a preacher. ¡°My master possesses limitless power. If you worship him, I promise him that you¡¯ll be able to fulfill any wish and dream!¡±

    ¡°Haha! If your master is really powerful, why don¡¯t you introduce him to us? A picture is worth a thousand words, isn¡¯t it?¡± Gu Suitang scoffed.

    ¡°Of course! After you finish your wine, that is. It¡¯s really rude to ignore a toast, you know?¡± Wang Luori smiled.

    ¡°I knew it. You were just making things up.¡± Gu Suitang sneered. ¡°Listen here, Red Bush. We don¡¯t fancy the idea of crashing someone¡¯s birthday feast either, but if you don¡¯t tell us what we want to hear, then we don¡¯t mind making your birthday your death anniversary!¡±

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re opting for the suboptimal choice after all. Very well! If that is your wish!¡± Wang Luori let out a devilish chuckle, and the exit of Sunset Hall abruptly mmed shut on its own.

    1. Jiang Huai is probably a territory like Tian Yong. Also his full title is INSANELY long even in Chinese like look at this:½­Â½·­½­ ?

 Chapter 310: My Fists Arenâ€™t Just Meant For Strangers

    <h4>Chapter 310: My Fists Aren¡¯t Just Meant For Strangers </h4>

    ¡°What the fuck is the meaning of this, Red Bush?¡± Gu Suitang narrowed his eyes dangerously.

    Fang Xiaoman and Ye Qing had risen to their feet in rm as well.

    ¡°What else can I mean? My master is merciful, you see. If you worship them, they will ept you. If you refuse, they will ept you nheless!¡±

    Wang Luori rose to his feet and leaned forward slightly. ¡°In other words, no one is leaving this room until they¡¯ve worshiped my master!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! It looks like joining a religion hasn¡¯t made you any brighter. You seriously think that <i>you </i>can force <i>me </i>to do anything?¡± Gu Suitang¡¯s voice dripped with disdain as he took one step forward and abruptly appeared in front of Wang Luori. The Hill Lord crossed his arms defensively as Gu Suitang threw a mighty punch.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Sunset Hall shuddered, and Wang Luori dropped an inch lower. His feet hadn¡¯t moved, but the floor he was standing on had caved in a little.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Spirit Master now, Gu Suitang. Your¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just shut up and fight!¡±

    A look of disdain flickered across Wang Luori¡¯s face, but before he could finish, Gu Suitang cut him off and pped him across the face before he could react. The sound resounded throughout the hall as Wang Luori mmed into a pir and rolled to the floor unceremoniously.

    ¡°So what if you¡¯re a Spirit Master now? You¡¯re still a piece of trash I can crush whenever I feel like it.¡±

    Gu Suitang dusted his hands disdainfully before using Earth Contraction. He appeared in front of Wang Luori and brought his foot to crush Wang Luori¡¯s head into bits.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A deep pit appeared on the tough limestone floor, and stone scattered everywhere like hidden weapons. The hall¡¯smps and furniture were smashed into pieces as a result.

    Wang Luori survived, however. It wasn¡¯t because Wang Luori¡¯s head was particrly tough or because Gu Suitang was holding back his strength. It was because a man had interfered at thest moment. The man had conjured what looked like a dragon¡¯s w from water vapor and pulled Gu Suitang¡¯s foot an inch to the side. That single inch was enough for Wang Luori to escape a gory death.

    ¡°Will you be the Pacification Bureau¡¯s enemy as well, Lu Fanjiang?¡± Gu Suitang red at the forty years old man wearing a white, swirly robe.

    Wang Luori¡¯s rescuer was none other than ¡°Lord of Three Rivers¡± Lu Fanjiang, the head of the Twelve Land and Water Routes of Jiang Huai. The attack he used to shift Gu Suitang¡¯s foot out of position was his signature martial art, the ¡°w That Catches Dragons and Turns Rivers¡±.

    Lu Fanjiang simply smiled at the usation. ¡°Why resist? It is a blessing for both you and me to be able to worship my master.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a worshiper of that whatever the fuck as well!?¡± Gu Suitang pretended to be surprised. ¡°Anyone with half a brain cell would recognize that it¡¯s pure heresy!¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth, Gu Suitang. I would sew your mouth if the master doesn¡¯t still have a use for you.¡± Do Yuanwu¡¯s indifferent expression grew murderous, and his broken saber buzzed ominously.

    ¡°You¡¯re all... part of this so-called religion?¡± Gu Suitang slowly swept his gaze across Bai Xinran, Bai Xinhu, Jiang Huanjian and more. For the first time, he turned grave and solemn.

    ¡°My master is omnipotent, Gu Suitang. Please make the right choice while you still can!¡± Bai Xinran advised.

    ¡°Just how many have this Mara Buddha subverted? They¡¯re definitely a heretic scum alright!¡± Gu Suitang humphed coldly.

    Some time ago, he was surprised that the likes of Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian would dare to pressure the Pacification Bureau. At the time, he thought that they were emboldened by Xue Beikun¡¯s audacity. Now, he realized they were probably acting under the Mara Buddha¡¯s orders. The bastard had seen an opportunity to undermine the Pacification Bureau and took it.

    What surprised him even more was the size of the Mara Buddha¡¯s forces. At the very least, the entire Bai n and the deputy head of Blood Shadow Pce were under their thumb.

    Combined with Sunset Hill, nearly half of the major factions in Luo Shui were under his control, and that was before ounting for outside forces such as Lu Fanjiang and Du Yuanwu.

    Thank goodness the Mara Buddha had exposed themselves. If not, they could¡¯ve controlled the entire Luo Shui without anyone noticing.

    He had been hoping to fish out the true Mara Buddha, but unfortunately, they were still in hiding.

    That was fine though. The dog owner had to show themselves if he murdered every single one of their dogs, right?

    Also, the time for acting wasn¡¯t over yet.

    Gu Suitang turned around and red at Xue Beikun with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Xue Beikun, you¡¯re an imperial officer. Will you collude with these heretics as well?¡±

    ¡°Collude? Oh no. I¡¯m just here to watch the show. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Xue Beikun replied uncaringly while sipping his wine.

    ¡°I knew it! Xue Beikun, the imperial court will have your head for this!¡± Gu Suitang roared.

    Xue Beikun shrugged. ¡°If you make it out of Sunset Hill, sure. You gotta admit that your prospects aren¡¯t looking too good though. Maybe you should consider epting thepromise? It¡¯s better than dying a dog¡¯s death, right?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Gu Suitang burst outughing when he heard this. ¡°You seriously think that these pieces of trash can kill me, Gu Suitang? Allow me to show you that my fists aren¡¯t just meant for Strangers!¡±

    Like a drake rolling around in its slumber, Gu Suitang abruptly wheeled around and threw a devastating punch at Bai Xinhu. The second patriarch was trying to ambush him while he was speaking with Xue Beikun, but instead he got a mouthful of bloody spittle instead.

    Wang Luori managed to take a few blows from Gu Suitang because he was now a Spirit Master, but Bai Xinhu was just ate-stage Spirit Purifier. He was lucky the punch only took half his life.

    ¡°Foolish cur!¡± Du Yuanwu hmphed coldly and shot toward Gu Suitang like lightning. He unleashed thirty six shes before he even reached the deputy chief.

    The thirty six saber forces abruptly came to a halt and snapped in half like an actual de. Gu Suitang hadn¡¯t done anything, however. They had snapped in half on their own. Instead, they abruptly turned invisible and attacked the deputy chief¡¯s thirty six major points from various odd angles.

    Du Yuanwu was called the One-Armed Sabersman because he only had one arm. His saber was also a broken saber named the Life Cutter. He named the saber art he invented himself the Art of Life Cutting, and it was a fusion of the essences of exactly one hundred tricky and diabolical saber arts. No more, no less.

    It was how the storytellers came to describe his technique as such: ¡°When Life Cutter leaves its sheath, a man''s life is cut short without fail.¡±

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re trash, and your saber art is no different!:

    Gu Suitang paid zero attention to the thirty six invisible saber forces flying toward him, however. He merely barked out inughter and charged straight toward Bai Xinhu.

    Out of his five attackers, Bai Xinhu was the weakest of them all. Naturally, he was going to kill him first. In this world, there was a saying that cutting an arm was better than bruising five fingers.

    <i>Dang dang dang!</i>

    The thirty six saber forces struck Gu Suitang, but they failed to leave even a ripple. That was how tough the barrier of astral qi he had surrounded himself in.

    Bai Xinran was Bai Xinhu¡¯s older brother and the patriarch of the Bai n. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t going to allow Gu Suitang to kill Bai Xinhu. While walking like he was tracing the lines of an Eight Trigrams and moving his palms about like he was containing a small world, the silhouette of a dragon abruptly appeared in front of him. The eight forms of the Eight Trigrams: Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Gen, Xun and Dui abruptly manifested into existence and blocked Gu Suitang¡¯s way.

    <i>¡°Eight Trigrams of Roving Dragon¡±</i>[1]

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Gu Suitang punched the eight trigrams blocking his way, causing it to flicker erratically. Just when it looked like it would shatter into pieces, the dragon roared and reflected the attack with even greater force.

    The attack seemed to catch Gu Suitangpletely off guard. A muffled groan escaped his lips as he was flung backward.

    The Bai n¡¯s ¡°Eight Trigrams of Roving Dragon¡± was a powerful force neutralizing technique. An adept practitioner could even reflect the attacker¡¯s force right back at them. Clearly, Bai Xinran had sessfully reached the adept level of the ¡°Eight Trigrams of Roving Dragon¡±.

    Everyone present had heard of the legendary strength behind Gu Suitang¡¯s fists, if not experienced it themselves. Naturally, Gu Suitang was thrown back as quickly as he came at Bai Xinhu.

    In fact, he was thrown back so fast that Jiang Huanjian, the unfortunate guy who happened to be standing in the direct line of collision, just barely managed to jump out of the way.

    However, as Gu Suitang was brushing past the deputy head of Blood Shadow Pce, the deputy chief abruptly kicked out his legs and struck him squarely in the sr plexus.

    <i>¡°Serial Heart Piercing Kick¡±</i>

    The ¡°Serial Heart Piercing Kick¡± was absolutely nothing to write home about. Practically every warrior in the <i>jianghu </i>knew the martial art to a certain extent. Its name wasn¡¯t half-bad, but its techniques were basic and crude. But in Gu Suitang¡¯s hands, Jiang Huanjian found himself unable to dodge or defend against the attack. The reason was very simple. Every kick was as quick as lightning and as heavy as a mountain.

    Jiang Huanjian was spitting blood after taking just a single attack. Three kickster, his heart and lungs were threatening to tear themselves apart.

    At this point, Jiang Huanjian realized that the deputy chief wasn¡¯t targeting Bai Xinhu. No, he was targeting him, the second weakest guy of the group.

    Weakness really was a sin.

    Just when Jiang Huanjian thought he would die, a man riding a tidal wave cut in between the duo and saved his life. It was none other than Lu Fanjiang. He yelled while blocking Gu Suitang¡¯s attacks, ¡°Brother Jiang, attack Fang Xiaoman and that boy with Brother Bai. Leave Gu Suitang to us.¡±

    Jiang Huanjian wasn¡¯t stupid. He understood Lu Fanjiang¡¯s intentions immediately.

    He and Bai Xinhu were a little too weak to be of any help against Gu Suitang, but an injured Fang Xiaoman and Ye Qing, an early-stage Spirit Purifier? They were more than enough.

    Besides that, capturing the two of them would put Gu Suitang under immense pressure, if not force him to capitte outright. It was a sound tactic.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    As expected, Gu Suitang let out a furious roar and punched Lu Fanjiang so hard that the man couldn¡¯t help but retreat with every punch.

    Lu Fanjiang was a middle-stage Spirit Master who cultivated a cultivation art called ¡°Crossing Rivers and Seas¡±. Few people possessed a reservoir of astral qi as massive and potent as his. However, Gu Suitang was pummeling him like he was a boat trying to weather the storm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get him together! No need to hold back!¡± Lu Fanjiang barked out another order as his astral qi condensed into solid waves. At the same time, a river and a blue koi with dragon whiskers appeared in the air. It was none other than his Yin God, the River Crossing Dragon Koi.

    A broken saber appeared above Du Yuanwu¡¯s head. It looked exactly the same as the saber he was wielding, but this one was brimming with deadly saber intent.

    A swordsman cultivated a ¡°sword heart¡± to create their ¡°sword soul¡±. Therefore, most of them had Yin Gods that were shaped like a sword. The sword was all they needed to defeat everything.

    Du Yuawu was a saber, so he cultivated a ¡°saber heart¡± and created a Yin God that was shaped like his saber. With this saber, he could cut through both heaven and earth.

    Bai Xinran¡¯s Yin God was a dragon with the eight trigrams engraved to its body. It was a Roving Dragon of Eight Trigrams and a perfect match with his signature martial art.

    As Du Yuanwu swung out with his saber, clear qi rose into the sky, and murky qi sank to the bottom. It resembled Pangu creating the universe by splitting the Original Chaos into two distinct energies.

    Bai Xinran was far better at defense than offense, so he didn¡¯t bother attacking Gu Suitang. Instead, he had his dragon circle around Gu Suitang and created heaven and earth with Qian and Kun, water and fire with Kan and Li, wind and lightning with Zhen and Gen, and mountains andkes with Xun and Dui. It was like he had created a pocket world that kept Gu Suitang trapped within.

    When a warrior had be a Spirit Master and manifested their Yin God, they couldmune with nature and bring any facade of the world into reality.

    Art is like reality, and reality is like art.

    1. For some reason it was named Eight Trigrams of Roving <i>Tiger </i>in ¡°Wandering Sword¡± the game. I think someone mistranted it lol. ?

 Chapter 311: Namo Maratabha

    <h4>Chapter 311: Namo Maratabha </h4>

    ¡°Haha! Well met!¡± Gu Suitang roared withughter, hair floating like that of a carnivorous king of beasts. He then sucked in a deep breath that caused his stomach to boom like a series of thunderps, his bones to pop like firecrackers, and his height to shoot up several meters. Now, he looked like a literal giant whose muscles bulged with explosive strength.

    <i>¡°Divide¡±</i>

    Gu Suitangunched a punch at the ground in front of him like he was cutting off a river. At the same time, his astral qi hardened into solid walls that prevented Lu Fanjiang, Du Yuanhu and Bai Xinran¡¯s attacks from reaching him.

    His fist moved an inch forward, and the energies attacking him immediately surged back to their owners with the force of a raging tide.

    All three attackers groaned in pain as they were treated to a taste of their own medicine. But before they could respond, Gu Suitang grabbed the edges of the pocket world around him and literally ripped it into shreds.

    The roving dragon that was the core of the pocket world tried to escape, but Gu Suitang was too big and fast for it. Casually, he caught the dragon¡¯s tail, pulled it close, and crumpled it into a ball.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The damage to his Yin God caused Bai Xinran to throw up a mouthful of fresh blood. He staggered away from Gu Suitang as his face turned as pale as a ghost.

    Not done yet, Gu Suitang unleashed a Break Through straight at Lu Fanjiang. In response, Lu Fanjiangunched a series of palm strikes at the same time his River Crossing Dragon Koi summoned a bunch of blue waves.

    Each palm strike and tidal wave was stronger than thest, and nine consecutive palm strikester, the waves looked big and tall enough to flood the Sunset Hill itself. An endless river was suspended high, high up in the sky, and a gigantic koi was swimming proudly at the peak.[1] It looked threatening to say the least.

    <i>¡°The Palm That Crossing Rivers and Seas¡±</i>

    Gu Suitang¡¯s fist force was able to punch through several waves, but they just kepting without end. In fact, the heart of Lu Fanjiang¡¯s ¡°The Palm That Crossing Rivers and Seas¡±y not in its towering stature, but its endless quality. Like a tide, the waves were endless so long as the ocean still existed.

    On the opposite side, Du Yuanwu¡¯s saber intent rippled out like a shockwave as he brought down his saber. Everything in the saber force¡¯s path¡ªwind, dust, and even space itself¡ªwas cut in half. It was an attack that could cut the heavens, cut the earth, cut a soul and a life.

    <i>¡°Art of Life Cutting: To Cut A Life¡±</i>

    Gu Suitang was caught in a deadly pincer attack of two Spirit Masters, but he didn¡¯t seem to be aware of the fact. Growling, he mmed his foot against the floor¡ªthe ground sinking a few inches lower as a result¡ªand gathered so much strength that his arm grew a size bigger. Then, he thrust his fist forward an inch.

    This time, his fist was able to punch through the ceaseless waves. It mmed squarely against Lu Fanjiang¡¯s chest, broke his bones, and caused bits of his internal organs to spray out of his mouth. The man shot backward like a cannonball until he crashed into a wall.

    Gu Suitang managed to ovee Lu Fanjiang, but he was toote to block Du Yuanwu¡¯s ¡°To Cut A Life¡±. As a result, the sabersman was able to score a deep wound that stretched from his left shoulder all the way to his right waist.

    No blood flowed from the wound, however. There were only wiggling muscles.

    Gu Suitang trembled from the impact, but he spun around with impossible speed and smashed his arm into Du Yuanwu¡¯s body like he was swinging a whip. The sabersman¡¯s right shoulder broke just like that, and there was enough force to send him mming into a nearby pir[2]. Such was the impact that entire chunks of the pir were blown away.

    ¡°Hahaha! Spirit Master or not, small fries will always be small fries!¡± Gu Suitang let out a bark ofughter and channeled his vigor. The horrific wound behind his back immediately started healing at a slow pace.

    Gu Suitang¡¯s Yin God was merged with his physical body as he was a body-tempering warrior. As a result, he was unable to conjure a massive tidal wave like Lu Fanjiang or an all-cutting saber like Du Yuanwu. But in exchange, he gained an immense amount of vigor and impossible strength. There was theoretically nothing he couldn¡¯t break with his fists so long as his opponent¡¯s cultivation level didn¡¯t overwhelmingly exceed his.

    ¡°Xinhu, Brother Jiang! What¡¯s taking you so long?¡± Bai Xinran shouted. He was stunned how Gu Suitang was able to ovee and injure all three of them in a single exchange. Deciding that their chances of defeating him by themselves weren¡¯t good, he instinctively looked to Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian for assistance. If the duo could capture Fang Xiaoman, then they would be able to use him as a hostage.

    Fang Xiaoman had taken a huge blow from their master. While the Pacification Bureau wasn¡¯tcking in miraculous medicine and expert doctors, there was no way the Chief of Bureau could recover in just a few days, not to mention that their master assured them that his wounds couldn¡¯t be healed.

    Logically speaking, Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian should¡¯ve captured Fang Xiaoman already. In reality, they were still locked in a struggle for dominance.

    As this was Sunset Hill, Wang Luori had of course arranged for some reinforcements. Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian were doing battle with Fang Xiaoman, while Wang Luori¡¯s three disciples¡ªhis first disciple Lu Yuan, his second disciple Bai Song, and his third disciple Xu Wushang¡ªwere tackling Ye Qing.

    The Chief of Bureau and the Patrolman were outnumbered five to two, but it was the group of five who were at a disadvantage. If Fang Xiaoman was going about even with Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian because of his injuries, then Ye Qing was absolutely crushing his opponents.

    Wang Luori was a terrible man, but he had pretty good luck with his disciples. His first disciple, Lu Yuan was a Half-Step Spirit Purifier and a fist practitioner. His style was aggressive and oppressive, and he had the personality to match it. They called him the ¡°Killer Fist¡±.

    His second disciple, Bai Song was ate-stage Astral Refiner whose personality was theplete opposite of Lu Yuan¡¯s. Humble, polite and mild-tempered, he once passed the imperial examination with flying colors and became a licentiate. He was called the ¡°Silver Flute¡± because it was his signature weapon.

    His third disciple, Xu Wushang needed no introduction. Nicknamed the ¡°Little Sword King¡±, he was the wooden, unsociable swordsman who had tried to intercept Ye Qing when he first arrived at Luo Shui.

    Together with the dead Wang Yang and Xiao Yang, the five of them were known as the Five Heroes of Sunset Hill. Each and every one of them was a genius who possessed the talent to be a Spirit Master in the future, if not better.

    Right now though, the trio was like helpless chicks before Ye Qing. Bai Song had taken a punch to the chest and was currently lying face down on the floor. Only the heavens knew if he was still alive. Xu Wushang had taken a Lightning Bolt to the shoulder and was barely breathing. Lu Yuan was the only one who was still standing, but that was literally all he could do as Ye Qing battered against his defenses. His pride and joy, the ¡°Killer Fist¡± couldn¡¯t even <i>tickle</i> Ye Qing¡¯s protective astral qi, and he looked like he was seconds away from following in Bai Song and Xu Wushang¡¯s footsteps.

    Bai Xinran was surprised, to be honest. He knew that Ye Qing had left the Demon¡¯s Tomb as a Spirit Purifier, but that was like two days ago. Even considering the gulf between cultivation levels, he was sure that the young man couldn¡¯t have grown too strong.

    Reality proved him wrong, however. In fact, Ye Qing was like a whole new person after ascending to the early-stage of the Spirit Purification Realm. In fact, he looked like he could go toe-to-toe against his younger brother, Bai Xinhu, ate-stage Spirit Purifier.

    ¡°You¡¯re stubborn to the very end, old mule! In that case, you shall experience my master¡¯s power firsthand!¡±

    It was at this moment Wang Luori let out a low growl. His eyes slowly turned pitch ck, and dark, demonic rays of light shone out of his person, evil and disturbing. Paradoxically, Wang Luori was wearing a pitying, Buddha-like smile on his face like he was pitying all who was suffering in the mortal coil.

    ¡°The mortal coil is a sea of suffering, and the world of mortals a filthy ce. The only way to break free from the pain is to worship the Mara Buddha! Namo Marakaruna[3]!¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna!¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna!¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna!¡±

    Bai Xinran, Lu Fanjiang and Du Yuanwu all repeated the chant. They too wore a merciful smile on their faces and began emitting a demonic glow. A low, almost imperceptible Buddhist mantra began chanting from somewhere.

    Basking in the light of the Mara Buddha, the trio began healing from their wounds and growing stronger. The light also seemed to strip them of their fear and drove them to attack Gu Suitang with reckless abandon.

    Gu Suitang was never afraid of a good challenge. He shed head on with the four Spirit Masters.

    Before the demonic light and Buddhist chanting had appeared, the four Spirit Masters were like children before Gu Suitang. Now, they were unimaginably stronger. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Gu Suitang quickly noticed that demonic light and the Buddhist chant possessed the ability to disrupt one¡¯s energies and mind. For a time, they were locked in a stalemate.

    Wind blew, forces exploded, and rocks flew all over the ce. What was a grandiose, magnificent-looking hall a while ago was now a shadow of itself. The pirs were broken, some sections of the walls werepletely missing, and everybatant was covered in horrific wounds.

    Wang Luori¡¯s neck spun a hundred and eighty degrees to the back, half of Lu Fanjiang¡¯s body was pulverized, both of Du Yuanwu¡¯s legs were broken, and Bai Xinran¡¯s heart was literally gouged out of his chest.

    In the end, Gu Suitang was able to ovee all odds ande out victorious, but not without a huge cost. Practically every part of his body was covered in wounds so deep you could see his internal organs. He looked like a blood-soaked popsicle to put it mildly, and it was a testament to his resilience that his guts hadn¡¯t spilled out of his stomach. His right arm was spun round and round like mahua[4], and his left elbow all the way up to his hand waspletely missing its flesh.

    This particr injury was caused by Du Yuanhu¡¯s ¡°Art of Filleting¡±. The sabersman¡¯s signature martial art was the ¡°Art of Life Cutting¡±, but that didn¡¯t mean it was the only martial art he knew. The ¡°Art of Filleting¡± was the cruelest and inhuman saber art he practiced. The good news was, he would never practice it again.

    ¡°Hahaha... trash, all of you! You can¡¯t defeat me even after your dog fart of a master gave you powers you don¡¯t deserve! What a waste of time you are!¡±

    Gu Suitang grabbed his right hand with his bony left hand and forcefully twisted his right arm back to normal. One would think that he was just turning a screw as his face showed no signs of pain whatsoever. There was only unlimited arrogance and scorn for his enemies.

    On the other side, Ye Qing was defending Fang Xiaoman from Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian¡¯s attacks. Fang Xiaoman had long since run out of stamina and was currently doing his best to recover his energy, while the three Sunset Hill disciples were lying on the ground, unmoving. It was impossible to say if they were alive or dead.

    Logically, Ye Qing should¡¯ve sumbed to the twote-stage Spirit Purifiers a long time ago. In reality, Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian found him harder to crack than even a fucking tortoise. Although he was only an early-stage Spirit Purifier, his astral qi was immense, his movement art was sublime, his body was strong, and even his spirit was outstanding. He literally didn¡¯t have a single weak point they could exploit.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, they would sometimes fall into a trance and experience all sorts of hallucinations. If they weren¡¯t long-time veterans with a galore ofbat experience, Ye Qing might have defeated them already! An early-stage Spirit Purifier!

    But of course, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t trounce them like he had with the three Sunset Hill disciples either. In fact, he couldn¡¯t have held on for this long if it wasn¡¯t for the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±. There was no denying that he was at a disadvantage right now.

    Having crippled[5] all of his opponents, Gu Suitang finally found the window to lend Ye Qing and Fang Xiaoman a hand. It was at this moment a silhouette appeared behind Ye Qing and reached out to tap his head.

    Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought pulsed fiercely and warned him of the danger. He immediately gathered his astral qi and formed a solid wall around him. However, the unknown intruder¡¯s finger pierced through his defense like paper and made direct contact with the back of his head. He even heard the intruder chuckling, ¡°You¡¯re the thief who stole my Strange Artifact.¡±

    On the outside, it looked like the intruder¡¯s attack was weak and powerless. In reality, a storm was raging inside his headspace. Unholy chants both demonic and Buddhist came together to form the word ¡°Mara Buddha¡±, and it corrupted every inch of headspace in a traceless but unstoppable fashion. His eyes immediately turned murky and out of focus.

    The intruder ignored Ye Qing after incapacitating him. He then grabbed Fang Xiaoman¡¯s skull with his right hand and smiled at Gu Suitang. ¡°Benefactor Gu, there are many people in this world who are drowning in the sea of suffering because they are foolish and clings to attachments. You are one of them. If you don¡¯t worship this poor monk, then you may never break free from the mortal coil.¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    1. Let¡¯s just pretend the author wrote that they busted their way out of the hall while fighting, or that this is an open hall, or that this is a SUPER high hall. ?

    2. Looks like they¡¯re still in the hall. Looks like it¡¯s the most impossible answer of them all, a super high or open hall that might as well be a stadium. I swear, they never make it easy to trante... ?

    3. Meaning the Mara Buddha is merciful. ?

    4. A kind of swirly doughnut, so you can just imagine how bad his arm. ?

    5. Yep! They¡¯re still alive. ?

 Chapter 312: Suppressing the Mara Buddha

    <h4>Chapter 312: Suppressing the Mara Buddha </h4>

    "You''re their master?"

    Gu Suitang stopped in his tracks when he saw the man behind Fang Xiaoman and Ye Qing.

    ¡°It was you?¡±

    If his first exmation was both a question and confirmation, then his second exmation was lined with shock and disbelief. It was because the man standing behind Fang Xiaoman was none other than Wang Luori¡¯s second disciple, the ¡°Silver Flute¡± Bai Song.

    Bai Song wasn¡¯t the most famous or even the strongest disciple among his lot. In fact, he was a moderate, humble, and gentle-natured man who resembled a student of the White Horse Academy far more than what one might expect from Wang Luori¡¯s disciple.

    Wang Luori himself was displeased by this, but Bai Song was deeply loved and respected by the disciples of Sunset Hill. He also enjoyed a great reputation outside Sunset Hill. Even Zhang Lanjiang, the headmaster of White Horse Academy himself, called him a gentleman behind closed doors.

    Earlier, Gu Suitang had tried to figure out who in Sunset Hall might be the Mara Buddha. Almost everyone including Xue Beikun, whom Ye Qing had sworn wasn¡¯t an enemy, was on his list of suspects. The one person he never suspected was Bai Song, but he was wrong.

    Bai Song smiled. ¡°It is I.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, you¡¯re thest person I suspect has anything to do with this!¡± Gu Suitang sneered. ¡°Finally willing to show your face after I took out all your dogs? Who on earth are you?¡±

    Bai Song remained smiling. ¡°I am Mara Buddha.¡±

    ¡°If you are Mara Buddha, then who is Bai Song?¡± Gu Suitang asked.

    Bai Song¡ªor rather Mara Buddha replied, ¡°There has never been a Bai Song. There is only Mara Buddha.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I see. No wonder!¡±

    This meant that Mara Buddha had been hiding at Sunset Hill as Bai Song since the beginning. No wonder he was able to convert Wang Luori into his worshiper. The Hill Lord probably had no idea that Mara Buddha even existed until the veryst moment.

    ¡°Mara Buddha, Mara Buddha. Sounds like a monk, but why do you have hair?¡± Gu Suitang looked Mara Buddha up and down wantonly.

    ¡°The mortal shell is a fickle and transient thing. Those who obsess over their mortal shell may not meet Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha himself, Benefactor Gu.¡±

    Mara Buddha smiled as a thin crack abruptly split from his forehead all the way to the bottom. As the human skin rolled off to each side like fabric, a wrinkly old monk wearing a ck monk¡¯s robe stepped out of the shell that was Bai Song.

    The old monk had a kind face and wore a Buddha¡¯s smile, but the presence he gave off could only be described as evil. Demonic and Buddha light mingled as one as hallucinatory, corruptive ck lotuses descended from above.

    ¡°Attachment is the poison that kills the world and tortures humanity. Take you for example, Benefactor Gu. Had you chosen to worship me from the start, you wouldn¡¯t have needed to suffer such pain, would you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing I can do about my nature. I acknowledge that I¡¯m a shallow guy who only sees things skin deep.¡± Gu Suitang shrugged. ¡°If you were a cutedy, then maybe I might have said yes. But no, you¡¯re an ugly old fuck. The mere idea of being thought of as your worshiper makes me want to puke, much less bing one for real.¡±

    ¡°This is my advice for you, but an ugly fuck like you shouldn¡¯t be going around hurting people. You in particr should just do us all a favor and hang yourself.¡±

    Mara Buddha¡¯s merciful smile slowly turned demonic. ¡°Why must you be stubborn, Benefactor Gu? Benefactor Fang is my hostage, and you are far from being in top shape. There is no chance you might turn things around. Why must you struggle to the bitter end?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Says the cowardly rat who sends his dogs to die instead of challenging me himself! There¡¯s no one I despise more than spineless, balless cowards like you!¡±

    Gu Suitang spat, ¡°Come get me if you can, bitch.¡±

    Mara Buddha¡¯s demonic qi grew thicker and thicker until the entire hall was brimming with it. Shadowy tentacles danced in the air, and a terrifying aura caused the entire hall to tremble like an earthquake. At the same time, a chaotic, warped noise resounded in everyone¡¯s heart.

    ¡°You will join me whether you like it or not.¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    A Buddha with a thousand arms appeared behind Mara Buddha as he chanted. When the Buddha brought down his one thousand arms, countless demons manifested into existence to drag Gu Suitang to hell.

    <i>¡°Demonic Palm of Gautama¡ªAll Ways Lead to Hell¡±</i>

    It was at this moment Fang Xiaoman suddenly broke free from Mara Buddha¡¯s grip andnded a palm strike on his chest.

    <i>THANG!</i>

    It was like he was hitting a massive bronze bell or something. The massive noise would continue to reverberate throughout the hall for tens of seconds.

    The surprise attack had failed to deal any damage to Mara Buddha because a ck ripple had appeared on his skin and hardened it like ck steel. Fang Xiaoman didn¡¯t stop, however. The next moment, he summoned Xuanhuang and attacked Mara Buddha again. The old monk never managed to react because he waspletely and utterly caught off guard.

    Xuanhuang was a longbow, but in Fang Xiaoman¡¯s hands, it was like eighteen weaponsbined into one. He used its limb like a saber or a stick, and its string like a whip or a sword. In less than a second, he cut, carved, smashed, twisted, whipped or strangled Mara Buddha and carved up the whole hall like it was made of tofu.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    When Mara Buddha was sent flying, Fang Xiaoman jumped backward and performed a full draw. Then, he loosed an arrow that was also a golden dragon straight at Mara Buddha.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    A draconic cyclone ripped into Mara Buddha¡¯s body and sted him through a pir, a wall, and finally into the ground. Sunset Hall also copsed after all the abuse it took.

    Fang Xiaoman grabbed Ye Qing and escaped the hall before it could crash down on them. Gu Suitang was right beside him. A massive dust cloud was kicked up in the aftermath.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡± The cloudiness in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes disappeared as he asked.

    When Mara Buddha tapped his head with a finger earlier, he was probably trying to corrupt his mind with his power and control him. And if he was who he was in the past, he might have lost the mental battle and transformed into a religious puppet.

    But the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a cultivation art that fed on desires and dark powers. Not only was Mara Buddha¡¯s mental attackpletely ineffective against him, it even strengthened his demonic thought. He was just faking his reaction so that Mara Buddha wouldn¡¯t pay him any attention or get any funny ideas.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but he¡¯s definitely taken a huge hit,¡± Fang Xiaoman replied slowly.

    As if on cue, there was a mighty st that blew away the dust clouds, revealing Mara Buddha and Xue Beikun.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    A trickle of blood flowed down the corner of his lips as Mara Buddha coughed, but his blood was ckish gold in color. When it hit the floor, it bloomed into ck gold lotus.

    Right now, Mara Buddha was definitely not in a good state. His demonic qi was flying about haphazardly, and there was a fist-sized hole in his chest. No blood was flowing out of the chest wound, however. In fact, Ye Qing could see a gold energy shing against a ck energy inside the hole. Every time the monk¡¯s flesh writhed as if trying to heal itself, the gold energy would destroy the newly grown flesh and force it to restart the cycle anew.

    Clearly, Xuanhuang¡¯s power was preventing it from healing.

    Mara Buddha paid no attention to his wounds, however. He was busy staring at Fang Xiaoman with contracted pupils. ¡°Were you faking your injuries?¡±

    Fang Xiaoman answered, ¡°I was hurt, but I got better.¡±

    There was nothingplicated about his answer, but it was precisely why Mara Buddha couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°Impossible. You took a solid blow from my ¡°Demonic Palm of Gautama¡±, and your internal organs were infected by my demonic qi. There¡¯s no way you could have healed so quickly even if you have ess to the best medicine in the world.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The best <i>man-made </i>medicine in the world couldn¡¯t save me. But a miraculous one? That¡¯s a different story.¡± Fang Xiaoman smiled.

    It was at this moment Mara Buddha sensed something and looked in Gu Suitang¡¯s direction. His eyes widened when the deputy chief suddenly began healing at a visible rate. Even his weakened energies were rapidly recovering.

    ¡°The Water of Life?!¡± Mara Buddha eximed in shock.

    ¡°Surprise! Do you like it?¡± Gu Suitang grinned widely.

    ¡°Impossible! I am certain that the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau doesn¡¯t have the Water of Life.¡± Mara Buddha shook his head as if he was trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Then, he recalled something and looked at Ye Qing. ¡°Unless...¡±

    ¡°Yep! I found some in the Demon¡¯s Tomb and shared it with Chief Fang and Chief Gu,¡± Ye Qing admitted without hesitation.

    This was the reason he was confident that his n would go without a hitch. There was no such thing as cure-all, but the Water of Life was a pretty close one. At the very least, it was good enough to heal Fang Xiaoman to full health, which it had.

    However, Ye Qing had told Fang Xiaoman to feign weakness. It was so that they could fish out Mara Buddha. Although they were certain that Mara Buddha would be present for the birthday feast, they still didn¡¯t know who he was or where he was hiding. Just now at Sunset Hall, they couldn¡¯t even tell if he was hiding in their midst. That was why Fang Xiaoman couldn¡¯t reveal his recovery overly quickly. Otherwise, there was a high chance Mara Buddha would choose to cut his losses and escape.

    It had proven to be a wise decision. Paranoid and cautious, Mara Buddha had waited until all five of his Spirit Masters were dead, Gu Suitang was battered and seriously injured, and he was absolutely certain that his chances of victory were one hundred percent before he finally revealed himself.

    That was fine though. That was also the moment he was most unguarded. As a result, Fang Xiaoman was able to catch him by surprise and even deal him a serious blow. So far, their n was a resounding sess.

    ¡°It was you?¡± Mara Buddha¡¯s eyes glinted dangerously when suddenly, another question urred to him. He looked at Fang Xiaoman and asked, ¡°No, no. If you regained your strength, then why did you hide it? There should be no reason for you to do so.¡±

    ¡°Unless... you already knew that Wang Luori¡¯s birthday feast was a ploy. In fact, you knew of my existence and were waiting for me to show myself! Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have waited until now to act!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. We knew from the start.¡± Fang Xiaoman answered honestly as he was an honest man.

    ¡°But how did you know? The boy might have told you about me, but there is no way you would know that I was hiding in Sunset Hill, much less plotting to capture you all in one fell swoop!¡±

    The answer came to Mara Buddha even as his eyes widened slowly in shock and realization. ¡°There is no way, unless someone leaked my ns to you!¡±

    ¡°It was me[1].¡± Xue Beikun¡¯s voice rang behind Mara Buddha. At the same time, a wolf howl deafened everyone¡¯s ears, and the sky began raining blood. Countless spear forces fell from the sky and engulfed Mara Buddha instantly.

    As if on cue, Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang charged Mara Buddha as well.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    The ground shook, and the wind howled. Words couldn¡¯t describe the battle that took ce afterward.

    If the fully healed Fang Xiaoman was Ye Qing¡¯s first trump card, then Xue Beikun was his second. His role was very simple. When the time was right, Xue Beikun would coordinate with Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang to kill Mara Buddha.

    He refused to believe that Mara Buddha could survive being attacked by three top-tier Spirit Masters in his state.

    <strong>¡°MARA BUDDHA!¡±</strong>

    A few breathster, a mournful and angry voice boomed out from the center of the battlefield. There was a huge explosion, and Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang and Xue Beikun were sent flying into the air. Their faces were white, and their auras were unsteady. Even Ye Qing was pushed backward by the sudden gust of force.

    A huge, ckened pit appeared where the four men had fought earlier. The surrounding buildings hadpletely copsed into rubble as well.

    1. Ironic that it took mind control to unite humanity, isn''t it? Reminds me of Worm. ?

 Chapter 313: The Black Feather Guards

    <h4>Chapter 313: The ck Feather Guards </h4>

    ¡°Is he dead now?¡±

    Ye Qing looked toward the rubble but couldn¡¯t find a corpse. He was unable to sense Mara Buddha¡¯s presence with his demonic thought either.

    ¡°He detonated his mind, so he¡¯s probably dead,¡± Gu Suitang answered.

    Fang Xiaoman pondered for a moment before saying solemnly, ¡°We should still stay on our toes. Mara Buddha is a cunning and cautious man with an unpredictable bag of tricks. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he prepared something in the wake of his death.¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    It was at this moment every elder, disciple, and servant in Sunset Hill suddenly lost their minds and started chanting ¡°Namo Marakaruna¡±. Eyes devoid of the light of reason, they abruptly started charging toward Ye Qing, Gui Suitang and Fang Xiaoman.

    The cacophony of voices sounded like a series of thunderps, and wisps of demonic qi could be seen flying out of their body. They eventually gathered together to form an image of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama himself, but one that was overflowing with malice. His lips were smiling, but his eyes were weeping blood, and his head was bowed.

    The world wept in sorrow when the Buddha bowed his head.

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    ¡°Mara Buddha!¡±

    Chaotic, discordant and demonic voices resounded throughout Sunset Hill as ck clouds gathered in the sky. The world darkened as if hell itself had descended upon the world.

    Despite his cultivation art, Ye Qing felt like his mind was being warped by the sudden onught of dark powers. His desires were spiraling out of control, and his vigor was spiraling out of control. He was actually sliding uncontrobly toward a deviation until his demonic lotus absorbed all of the chaotic, distorting mental energy ravaging his headspace.

    As soon as he returned to normal, he noticed the Sunset Hill elders, disciples and servants growing exponentially stronger in mid-charge. Not only that, the four men Gu Suitang had severely crippled but not killed¡ªBai Xinran, Lu Fanjiang, Du Yuanwu and Wang Luori¡ªhad gotten back on their feet and were charging them as well. They looked like rabid dogs to put it mildly.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ye Qing asked while narrowing his eyes a little. It was clear that these people had been corrupted and controlled by Mara Buddha. He wasn¡¯t surprised, to be honest. Mara Buddha had hidden himself in Sunset Hill since who-knows-when as Bai Song, and even Wang Luori had sumbed to his maniptions in the end. Of course the ordinary disciples wouldn¡¯t be able to resist him.

    ¡°These people have beenpletely corrupted and twisted by Mara Buddha¡¯s power. There¡¯s no saving them.¡± Fang Xiaoman¡¯s eyes flickered with gritty determination. ¡°So, we kill them all.¡±

    ¡°... Very well.¡± Gu Suitang hesitated for an instant but resolved himself immediately. ¡°Evil must be rooted outpletely.¡±

    Most of these people were innocent. If it was possible to save them, they would. Unfortunately, they had been irreversibly warped into mindless beasts who knew nothing but murder. Even if they let them go, they would only bring harm to others. In that case, they could only grant them the mercy of death.

    ¡°Suitang, let¡¯s deal with that false Buddha first.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman stomped the ground and caused the ground to undte outward like a shockwave, causing the Sunset Hill disciples at the forefront to fall to the ground. It caused a chain reaction and dropped the people behind them to the ground as well.

    ¡°Joyless, tell Yuhuai and Nianjiu to get here immediately. They were to kill any Sunset Hill member they ran into!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Ye Qing immediately produced a badge from his Nature¡¯s Shell and activated it. The word ¡°Order¡± appeared in the sky and shone like a second sun.

    Ye Qing ordered, ¡°All Pacification Sentinels, attack Sunset Hill! You are to kill all Sunset Hill members without fail!¡±

    ¡°Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°Kill them all!¡±

    The battle cries of the Pacification Sentinel rang throughout the whole Sunset Hill.

    ¡°Commander Xue, you¡¯ve brought the ck Feather Guards, right?¡± Ye Qing nced at Xue Beikun next.

    Themander replied, ¡°Five thousand ck Feather Guards are already standing by for orders at the foot of the hill.¡±

    ¡°Good. Tell them to cooperate with the Pacification Sentinels and kill any and all Sunset Hill disciples they encounter!¡± Ye Qing ordered in a cold voice. This was a part of his n too, of course.

    ¡°Very well,¡± Xue Beikun responded before flying into the air and shouting, ¡°Right Guard of the ck Feather Guards, attention! Attack Sunset Hill and kill all Sunset Hill members you see! Show no mercy!¡±

    ¡°No mercy!¡±

    ¡°No mercy!¡±

    Ye Qing had to use a Strange Artifact to make his voice heard throughout Sunset Hill. But Xue Beikun? That was pure power.

    ¡°Take care of Wang Luori and the others, Commander Xue. Leave the rest to me.¡±

    Meanwhile, Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang were already battling against Mara Buddha. Wang Luori and the rest of the Spirit Masters were a mere second or two away from reaching them as well.

    ¡°Take care, yo¡ªJoyless!¡± Xue Beikun nodded before turning around and shing against Wang Luori, Lu Fanjiang, Du Yuanwu and Bai Xinran.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    With a single spear sweep, Xue Beikun sent the four Spirit Masters flying where they came like he was sweeping some dry leaves. But that was only because Xue Beikun was ate-stage Spirit Master. If it was him, he would have to summon the Boundless Mara Buddha and unleash its full power at the very least.

    The four Spirit Masters were mindless and crippled, but even so, they were still Spirit Masters. That was why he left them to Xue Beikun and focused on the elders and disciples instead.

    ¡°Happ!¡±

    Ye qing sucked in a deep breath before charging toward the iing Sunset Hill disciples. When they were less than a meter away from him, he unleashed a devastating punch that surged forth like a raging river.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Ye Qing forcefully blew open a hole in the sea of people and escaped the encirclement. Anyone who was unfortunate enough to stand in his way were either sent flying or outright crushed into gory bits.

    As soon as he broke out of the encirclement, a saber that resembled the falling sunset swung toward his back. The sky turned red, and a sea of saber forces descended from above.

    <i>¡°Sunset Saber¡±</i>

    Ye Qing blurred and reached into the red light. The next moment, the sunset disappeared, and Ye Qing¡¯s fingers caught a steel saber that was aimed at his back.

    He tapped his fingers on the de and shattered it like ss. The pieces scattered everywhere and killed a dozen Sunset Hill disciples in an instant.

    There was no reprieve, however. More Sunset Hill disciples stepped over their brethren¡¯s dead bodies and attacked him.

    Ye Qing smirked as a demonic lotus appeared in both his pupils. Then, he tapped the space in front of him with his right hand.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    An invisible ripple of demonic thought washed out of him, and another dozen Sunset Hill disciples died just like that.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    It was at this moment a massive sun descended from above. The entire ce was basked in the fiery light that was sunset.

    At the same time, a crescent emerged from the clouds and shone beams of cold, icy moonlight on the ground. It seemed capable of freezing anything and everything.

    Ye Qing was caught between the manifestation of sun and moon, ice and fire.

    His attackers were a man and a woman, both elders of Sunset Hill. They were both at the middle-stage of the Spirit Purification stage. The man practiced the ¡°Sunset Hill Fist¡±, whereas the woman practiced the ¡°Bright Moon Palm¡±. As they were a man and a woman who cultivated martial arts that were the pr opposites of each other, they were nicknamed the ¡°Old Sun¡± and the ¡°Aged Moon¡±. When they were together, they were known as ¡°Sun and Moon¡± or ¡°Ice and Fire¡±.

    ¡°Not bad.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled despite the dangerous situation he was in. ¡°Fog Demon?¡±

    An eerie cackle and a rattling of chains broke out. The Boundless Mara Buddha appeared in the sky and unleashed a palm strike, the reversed mudra intending to damn his target instead of saving them.

    The sun fell, and the moon vanished back into the clouds. The two Spirit Purifiers were batted away like flies.

    ¡°Deal with them, Fog Demon,¡± Ye Qing instructed before stepping into the crowd. Wherever his fists traveled, people fell, and lives were snuffed out. No one could stand in his way.

    Tens of breathster, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu finally showed up with a troop of Pacification Sentinels. Following right behind them was a bunch of soldiers d in ck armor with cloud patterns on it and wielding Chu sabers. They were also flying a banner with the same symbol. It was simple yet beyond intimidating.

    Every soldier had at least some blood on their sabers. It was clear they had just fought a great battle. However, they maintained an orderly formation and a dignified appearance.

    The ck Feather Guards marched swiftly yet soundlessly toward the Sunset Hill members. The cloud patterns on their armor made them look like ck feathers cruising soundlessly along the wind and clouds.

    In fact, the ck Feather Guards were famed for their speed and unusual armor. Few armies were as suited as them to be a strike force.

    ¡°RAISE SPEARS!¡± A captain wearing a grave expression barked as soon as the troops had reached the peak. The soldiers immediately produced a short spear from their backs and raised it. Their reaction speed was impressive, but what was even more impressive was how they moved with perfect oneness. It was almost as if they were a single entity.

    ¡°THROW!¡±

    The captain waved, and the soldiers tossed their spears at the Sunset Hill disciples.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The rain of forceful spears descended like the judgment of heavens. There were thousands of Sunset Hill disciples at the peak of the hill, and this one volley had taken out at least half of them.

    The short spears were forged from a kind of dense metal. A steel spear of the same shape and size was at least ten times lighter than these spears. Combined with the soldiers¡¯ own strength, there was no chance the Sunset Hill disciples¡¯ protective qi and body could block the spear throw.

    In fact, these short spears were specifically made to make quick work of most <i>jianghu </i>warriors. A single volley from a squad of twenty five soldiers could force back even an Astral Refiner.

    Any other group would have routed already, but these Sunset Hill disciples hadpletely lost their minds. Instead of running away, they continued to charge toward the ck Feather Guards like crazy.

    ¡°CROSSBOWS!¡± The captain ordered unhurriedly, and the soldiers grabbed the hand crossbows hanging on their waist and took aim at the iing horde.

    ¡°LOOSE!¡±

    If the spear volley was a downpair, then the crossbow bolts were a locust swarm. Dozens of Sunset Hill disciples were turned into beehives in an instant.

    That said, the crossbow was much less effective against a <i>jianghu </i>warrior. By the time they loosed a volley, the surviving disciples were already close enough to unleash their own counterattacks.

    ¡°SHIELDS!¡± The captain ordered again, and the vanguard stepped aside to allow the shieldbearers to take the front.

    The shields they used were a little taller than the average human, and it was thick, sturdy, and pitch ck. The shieldbearers split up into two tight rows. One row was crouching on one knee and nting their shields on the ground, whereas the second row was holding their shields above the shields, forming a sturdy shield wall.

    <i>Boom boom boom!</i>

    The Sunset Hill disciples mmed into the shield wall, but the shields didn¡¯t budge even a little. The next moment, numerous des slipped through the gaps between the shields and pierced the warriors directly in front of them.

    The Sunset Hill disciples were mindless, but they hadn¡¯t lost their martial instinct. Some of them jumped into the sky in an attempt to slip in between their ranks and disrupt their formation.

    However, the second row of shieldbearers immediately raised their shields above their heads and stopped the disciples from descending. Then, they thrust their sabers through the gaps and skewered them all.

    ¡°FORWARD!¡±

    The captain ordered, and the shieldbearers began pushing forward while the rest of the soldiers followed closely behind.

    ¡°HU!¡±

    ¡°HU!¡±

    ¡°HU!¡±

    Metal nged against metal, and the soldiers roared as one. Like a ck tide of steel, the ck Feather Guards charged into the enemy group and systematically divided, surrounded, and ughtered everyone.

    Soon, the Sunset Hill disciples were overwhelmed by the ck tide that was the ck Feather Guards.

 Chapter 314: Extermination

    <h4>Chapter 314: Extermination </h4>

    ¡°Scary.¡±

    Ye Qing muttered as he watched the ck Feather Guards ripping through everything with impunity.

    Technically speaking, this wasn¡¯t the first time he saw an organized group fighting against a bunch of <i>jianghu </i>warriors. Back at Sky Gate Abyss, he had witnessed the Pacification Sentinels taking out opponents who were leagues above their level. However, the Pacification Sentinels normally fought in groups of five or ten, not thousands. Naturally, this battle was stunning on a level Ye Qing had never seen.

    The ck Feather Guards operated like a robust yet intricate war machine. They were numerous, fast, aggressive, defensive, and capable of responding to orders at a moment¡¯s notice. Technically speaking, the Sunset Hill disciples were stronger than the ck Feather Guards in terms of cultivation. But in an actual fight, it was a massacrepletely in favor of the ck Feather Guards.

    No wonder there were so few stories of <i>jianghu </i>warriors sessfully resisting a regime. Even the strongest <i>jianghu </i>warrior in the world was just a bigger fish to fry before an endless sea of soldiers.

    The ck Feather Guards weren¡¯t even true elites. They were just the garrison troops of Luo Shui and the cooperators of the Pacification Bureau.

    The true elites of the elites were the armies stationed at the borders facing Yan and Wei such as Dragon Serpent, ck Cavalry, White Horse, Green Wolf and more.

    The Dragon Serpents once slew a Grandmaster of Wei, Zong Zhaotian, with a thousand soldiers.

    The White Horses once slew the Nine Swords of Yan¡ªall of them Grandmasters¡ªwith ten thousand soldiers.

    And the ck Cavalry once exterminated a major sect called the Qianyuan Mountain of the Unbound with fifty thousand soldiers. The sect was guarded by one Sage, two Grandmasters, and over ten thousand disciples.

    When a man got angry, blood was spilled.

    When the Son of Heaven got angry, corpses floated for hundreds and hundreds of kilometers.

    There were no exceptions.

    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that warriors were weak. On the contrary, it was beyond stunning that a warrior could grow strong enough to battle thousands and thousands of soldiers by themselves. It was just that there was only so much one person could do sometimes.

    The ck Feather Guards were pulling their weight. Naturally, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu weren¡¯t going to stand by and do nothing. They each led a troop of Pacification Sentinels and shed against the Sunset Hill elders.

    As more and more Sunset Hill disciples were killed, Mara Buddha grew weaker and weaker as well. In the end, he let out a scream of anger and exploded into countless fragments. While Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang were pushed away, he wrapped his Yin God and soul fragments in multiple gusts of demonic qi and scattered in every direction.

    Fang Xiaoman was ready for this, however. Drawing Xuanhuang until it resembled a full moon, he shot a single arrow into the sky. A breathter, a massive column of light descended from above; each and every ray an arrow that vanquished all evil. Not a single wisp of demonic qi or Yin God was able to escape.

    Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang had vanquished Mara Buddha. Xue Beikun had also killed Wang Luori, Lu Fanjiang, Du Yuanwu and Bai Xinran. Their heads were lined up in a row for all to see.

    In fact, Xue Beikun had messaged Ye Qing in secret and asked him if he wanted to execute Wang Luori by his own hands. However, he wasn¡¯t that type of person. He was fine so long as his vengeance was fulfilled, his enemiesy dead before his feet, and his troubles were resolved. So, he left it to Xue Beikun to finish the job.

    Now that Mara Buddha and the Spirit Masters were dead, there was nothing Sunset Hill could possibly do to turn things around. A short whileter, only a few pockets of Sunset Hill members still eluded annihtion.

    The captain who took charge of the battlefield earlier reported to Xue Beikun, ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve annihted everyone we can find. We lost twenty and suffered a hundred injuries.¡±

    Xue Beikun ordered, ¡°Good. Have a thousand men sweep the battlefield for stragglers. The rest of you may leave the hill and stand by for orders.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The captain withdrew after receiving his orders.

    ¡°Chief.¡±

    ¡°Chief.¡±

    Not far away, Lin Yuhuai and the others were also making reports to Fang Xiaoman and Gui Suitang. When they were done, Gu Suitang said, ¡°¡°Good. Good job, everyone. Yuhuai, go gather some men and coordinate with Commander Xue to annihte the stragglers. No one must be left alive.¡±

    After that, he and Fang Xiaoman made their way to Xue Beikun and saluted him. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your aid that we are able to annihte Mara Buddha. Otherwise, the consequences would¡¯ve been unimaginable. On behalf of the Pacification Bureau and the people of Luo Shui, we solemnly thank you for your service.¡±

    ¡°I am an imperial officer, and it is my duty to eliminate evil and protect the people. Your thanks are unnecessary,¡± Xue Beikun replied coolly.

    ¡°You are a good man, Commander Xue,¡± Fang Xiaoman offered him apliment regardless.

    Gu Suitang added, ¡°Considering your score with the Pacification Bureau fully settled after what you did today, Commander Xue.¡±

    He still thought that something was off with Xue Beikun, but he couldn¡¯t really say what was strange with him either. So, he kept his mouth shut.

    Xue Beikun didn¡¯t even look at Gu Suitang. ¡°Do correct yourself, Chief Gu. There were never any grievances between the Pacification Bureau and I, only Joyless. But since I have reconciled with Joyless, that is a moot point as well. In short, I don¡¯t owe your shit.¡±

    A vein immediately throbbed on Gu Suitang¡¯s forehead. <i>Bitch, if you haven¡¯t done us a huge favor, I swear...</i>

    To be fair, Xue Beikun¡¯s words made a lot of sense. However, the revtion only pissed off Gu Suitang even more.

    Sensing the tension in the air, Ye Qing hurriedly interjected, ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the important matters, shall we? This isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman agreed. ¡°Yes. Mara Buddha is dead, and Sunset Hill is no more, but the co-conspirators are still alive and well. So please apany us for a while longer, Commander Xue.¡±

    Xue Beikun answered simply, ¡°It is my duty.¡±

    When Fang Xiaoman talked about co-conspirators, he was referring to the Bai n and the Blood Shadow Pce. Both of the Bai n¡¯s patriarchs and the deputy head of the Blood Shadow Pce were puppets of Mara Buddha, meaning that there was a chance that some of their members were puppets as well. That was why they needed to pay them a visit and root out the traitors as well.

    The faction Lu Fanjiang belonged to wasn¡¯t in Luo Shui, so they would deal with them at ater date.

    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s visit the Bai n first,¡± Fang Xiaoman beckoned everyone before descending the hill. Before Ye Qing left, he looked back at the mountain of corpses littered across the hill and Wang Luori¡¯s open-eyed head and let out a small sigh.

    Wang Luori deserved what happened to him, but the Sunset Hill disciples including Xu Wushang and Lu Yuan could only be innocent of this matter.

    Unfortunately, this was a world where the pitiful and innocent died every day.

    Sometimes, you could only me it all on fate.

    The sun slowly rose to the center and cast down its bright rays across the world. Despite the massacre that just urred, it all looked as beautiful as a painting.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good day today.¡±

    Ye Qing exhaled slightly before getting off the hill.

    When they walked up the steps, the sky was cloudy, and their footsteps were heavy.

    But now, they were walking briskly in the light.

    ......

    Luo Shui¡¯s wealth mostly came from two ns: The Luo n and the Bai n.

    The Bai n was situated to the south of Luo Shui, and the Luo n to the north. Together, they held nearly half of Luo Shui¡¯s wealth in their grasp. It was why people said that the two ns controlled half of the skies in Luo Shui.

    The Bai n possessed hundreds of acres ofnd, and their residences were overflowing with luxury both inside and outside. They had entire forests full of flora and fauna as their garden, they had small streams running through ornamental bridges, they had towers, pavilions and kiosks of all shapes and sizes, they had everything.

    The extravagance didn¡¯t stick out like a sore thumb either. Somehow, they were a perfect blend of uniqueness and convention.

    Normally, the Bai n was a boisterous ce where countless people visited them to negotiate business, ask for a job, or even to admire their extravagance. But today, it was surrounded with soldiers with their armor coated in dry blood, and their sabers already unsheathed.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡±

    ¡°Look! Chief Fang, Chief Gu and Commander Xue are all present, and the soldiers are a mix of ck Feather Guards and Pacification Sentinels. The Bai n must havemitted a grave crime for all these people to show up at once.¡±

    ¡°One hundred percent.¡±

    ¡°What do you think they did to earn the ire of the Pacification Bureau <i>and </i>the ck Feather Guards?¡±

    ¡°Who cares? It¡¯s not like the Bai n doesn¡¯t deserve it. Everyone here has suffered in their hands in one way or another. They think they can do anything just because they¡¯re rich. They should¡¯ve been wiped out a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, brother!¡±

    Outside the encirclement, countless people were gossiping about the Bai n¡¯s plight. Only a handful of them were sympathizers.

    At the entrance, the Bai n¡¯s steward, Bai Ren, was quaking in his boots. Cold sweat was dripping profusely from his forehead.

    Gu Suitang took a step forward and dered, ¡°Bai Xinran and Bai Xinhu have been found guilty of colluding with demons, entrapping members of the Pacification Bureau, and doing harm to Luo Shui. They had already been executed for their crimes.¡±

    ¡°I am now ordering every member of the Bai n to step out and be interrogated. Anyone who resists will be killed without question.¡±

    ¡°W-what? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Bai Ren¡¯s face turned as pale as a sheet. ¡°My lord has always been a kind andpassionate person. There¡¯s no way he would do such a thing!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Show him!¡± Gu Suitang ordered, and a Pacification Sentinel stepped forth to toss two human heads on the ground.

    When Bai Ren saw the heads¡ªthe heads of Bai Xinran and Bai Xinhu¡ªhe copsed to the ground and screamed, ¡°Ahhhh! My lords! Ah... ah...¡±

    His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fainted just like that.

    ¡°Hmph! Useless.¡± Gu Suitang harrumphed and sucked in a deep breath. His voice boomed across the entire residence. ¡°All Bai n members are to show themselves and ept interrogation this instant! Otherwise, we will kill all of you on sight!¡±

    ¡°Close the gates!¡±

    It was at this moment a shrill voice broke out. Then, the Bai n¡¯s gates mmed shut on its own.

    ¡°How nice of them to confirm our suspicions!¡± Gu Suitang sneered. He then stepped forward and punched the doors with his fist.

    The doors were made of refined steel and weighed at least hundreds of kilograms, but one punch was all he needed to send them flying off their hinges. A few guards and guest warriors who failed to get out of the way in time were ttened like pancakes as a result.

    ¡°The Bai n colluded with demons but refused to repent for their sins. Men! Enter the residence and capture all Bai n members. Don¡¯t allow even a fly to escape your grasp. If anyone resists, kill them.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    ¡°ck Feather Guards, coordinate with the Pacification Sentinels and capture the Bai n members. Kill anyone who resists.¡±

    ¡°Hu!¡±

    ¡°Hu!¡±

    ¡°Hu!¡±

    ......

    The battle ended even faster than the one that had taken ce at Sunset Hill. With Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang and Xue Beikun to suppress the Bai n¡¯s strongestbatants, and thousands and thousands of Pacification Sentinels and ck Feather Guards to sweep every nook and cranny without fail, there was simply nothing the Bai n could do to resist. The battle was over just half a teatimeter.

    This time, both armies only suffered a dozen or so injuries. No one was killed in the process. On the other hand, the Bai n lost over half their numbers. Not only that, they discovered that Bai Xinran and Bai Xinhu¡¯s descendants and a handful of guest warriors had Mara Buddha¡¯s scent on them. Clearly, they had been corrupted and twisted by Mara Buddha.

    Surprisingly¡ªand thankfully¡ªmost of the servants were in the clear. They were still escorted back to the Pacification Bureau for further inspection, but they would be released eventually.

    They wouldn¡¯t have a Bai n to return to, however. Today was the day the Bai n was no more.

    ¡°Come. It¡¯s time to visit the Blood Shadow Pce next.¡±

 Chapter 315: Fu Qianqiu

    <h4>Chapter 315: Fu Qianqiu </h4>

    Blood Shadow Pce was theplete opposite of Sunset Hill in the sense that their sect was located in a valley, not the top of a hill.

    It was a beautiful valley full of lush greenery and colorful flowers. In fact, spring graced this little paradise four seasons a year.

    When Ye Qing followed Fang Xiaoman, Gu Suitang and Xue Beikun to the valley entrance, the head of Blood Shadow Pce, Fu Qianqiu was already waiting for them with all of his elders and disciples. They looked like they were ready for war.

    In response, Gu Suitangmanded the Pacification Sentinels and the ck Feather Guards to stop with the wave of a hand. The sound of armor metal smacking into one another sounded as loud as thunder.

    The Blood Shadow Pce disciples behind Fu Qianqiu looked panicked and afraid. On second thought, they probably weren¡¯t ready for war after all.

    Gu Suitang stepped forward and barked out augh. ¡°Is this a wee ceremony, Head Fu?¡±

    Fu Qianqiu saluted smilingly. ¡°It¡¯s not everyday Chief Fang, Chief Gu and Commander Xue personally pay me a visit. It¡¯s only natural that I should wee you in person.¡±

    Fu Qianqiu was a man in his fifties with a schrly appearance and a long, thin beard. He looked refined despite the dark red robe he wore. His amicable appearance didn¡¯t match Ye Qing¡¯s impression of him, a man who betrayed his master, Fu Xueying, for his personal interests[1].

    ¡°Haha, it is our honor as well.¡± Gu Suitang smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, Head Fu. You should already know why we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°I just received word, yes,¡± Fu Qianqiu admitted. ¡°It would seem that my deputy head, Jiang Huanjian, has colluded with heretics to harm imperial officials and endanger Luo Shui itself. His crimes cannot be pardoned. I and the Blood Shadow Pce are infinitely grateful to Chief Fang, Chief Gu and Commander Xue for eliminating a hidden threat in our sect.¡±

    Behind him, the Blood Shadow Pce disciples also saluted them. ¡°We are grateful!¡±

    Gu Suitang said in a provocative tone, ¡°Oh? It seems you¡¯re suggesting that Jiang Huanjian¡¯s actions have nothing to do with you, Head Fu.¡±

    They weren¡¯t surprised that Fu Qianqiu knew why they were showing at his doorsteps with two armies. Blood Shadow Pce¡¯s reputation as one of the three major sects in Luo Shui would be undeserved otherwise.

    ¡°Of course it has nothing to me,¡± Fu Qianqiu replied calmly as if he didn¡¯t hear the provocation. ¡°As you know, I¡¯ve been secluding myself to heal my injuries since I suffered a deviation a few years ago. Not only that, I only check in on the sect once in a blue moon. Jiang Huanjian was the one who handled everything in Blood Shadow Pce while I was absent, which was why I had no idea about his behavior and actions until now.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman bumped Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Joyless...¡±

    Knowing what he meant, Ye Qing said to Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang via sound transmission, ¡°I cannot sense the Mara Buddha¡¯s aura on Fu Qianqiu. It¡¯s the same for the disciples.¡±

    In fact, they knew that the Blood Shadow Pce was most likely clean except for Fu Qianqiu, his friends and his family. Otherwise, Fu Qianqiu would have shown up at the Sunset Hall himself. There was no reason Mara Buddha would not use Fu Qianqiu, ate-stage Spirit Master for his grand scheme if the option was avable.

    Fu Qianqiu was strong, cunning and ruthless. The reason Mara Buddha hadn¡¯t tried to subvert him was probably because he wasn¡¯t sure he would seed. That was why he only subverted Jiang Huanjian.

    Gu Suitang didn¡¯t speak immediately. As the silence lengthened, the tension grew heavier and heavier until the Blood Shadow Pce disciples grew nervous, and Fu Qianqiu¡¯s back was covered in a sheen of cold sweat.

    Ten breathster, Gu Suitang finally said with a cold glint in his eyes, ¡°I trust you, Head Fu. I trust that you won¡¯t disappoint me. You know what to do, right?¡±

    Fu Qianqiu¡¯s smile looked the same as before, but on the inside he let out a long sigh of relief. ¡°Of course, Chief Gu. Please give me a moment.¡±

    ¡°Bring it over.¡±

    The crowd split in half, and dozens of Blood Shadow Pce disciples stepped out while carrying salvers. Sitting on each salver was a round-shaped object that was covered up by a red cloth.

    Ye Qing sniffed as a hint of shock and coldness flickered through his eyes. The next moment, the disciples pulled away the red cloth to reveal many, many human heads.

    The age and gender of the heads varied, but their expressions were all frozen in fear.

    ¡°Chief Fang, Chief Gu, Commander Xue...¡± Fu Qianqiu walked up to a salver and pointed at a woman¡¯s head. ¡°This here is Jiang Huanjian¡¯s wife.¡±

    He then moved onto the next salver and introduced the next head. ¡°This is his oldest son.¡±

    ¡°This is his youngest son.¡±

    ¡°This is his daughter.¡±

    ¡°This is his first disciple.¡±

    ¡°This is his second disciple.¡±

    ¡°This is his best friend.¡±

    ¡°This is his personal bodyguard.¡±

    ......

    And finally, this is his personal servant.¡±

    Fu Qianqiu patiently introduced every head at the scene before smiling gently. ¡°In summary, I have executed one hundred and fifty three people, and they are Jiang Huanjian¡¯s family, friends, disciples, servants and other rted people. As far as I¡¯m aware, I have not missed anyone.¡±

    ¡°Are you satisfied with this oue?¡±

    <i>Heavens above, what a ruthless motherfucker, </i>Ye Qing thought while inhaling deeply. He should¡¯ve known better than to judge a book by its cover. Fu Qianqiu might look refined, but he was a far harder man than Wang Luori. It was cruel enough that he exterminated Jiang Huanjian¡¯s family to the three generations, his friends, his disciples and even his servants didn¡¯t escape his persecution. There were more than a couple of children¡ªsome only five or six years old at most¡ªmixed among the casualties as well. To call him heartless would be an understatement.

    ¡°You sure are a ruthless man, Head Fu!¡± Gu Suitangmented. It was impossible to say if he was voicing his shock at Fu Qianqiu¡¯s ruthlessness, or sighing for the lives who were lost.

    He only wanted Fu Qianqiu to capture everyone who was rted to Jiang Huanjian and give them to the Pacification Bureau so they could differentiate who was corrupted and who wasn¡¯t. However, Fu Qianqiu took it one step further and killed all of them.

    At least it saved them some time and effort.

    ¡°Heretics deserve no mercy,¡± Fu Qianqiu answered matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Indeed!¡± Gu Suitang barked out augh. ¡°You are a capable man, Head Fu. No wonder you were able to make Blood Shadow Pce the strongest sect in Luo Shui in just a matter of years. I am truly impressed!¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Chief Gu. So long as I meet your expectations,¡± Fu Qianqiu replied.

    ¡°You certainly have,¡± Gu Suitang replied with a nod, ¡°but I¡¯m still going to have to inspect your people just in case.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already gathered everyone here. Do as you wish.¡± Fu Qianqiu waved his hand. Some people might consider it humiliating to submit to the Pacification Bureau¡¯s authority like meek dogs, but he thought this was nothing at allpared to the total annihtion Sunset Hill and the Bai n had suffered.

    An incense stickter, they had inspected everyone in the Blood Shadow Pce including the elders, disciples, servants and more. As expected, no one was controlled by Mara Buddha.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing asked suddenly, ¡°Head Fu, are you sure that everyone in Blood Shadow Pce is here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They are all present.¡± Fu Qianqiu answered Ye Qing dutifully even though he was ¡°just¡± a Patrolman. He didn¡¯t underestimate or look down on the young man.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°No, there is one more person. I¡¯m pretty sure that one of the Four Gentlemen, Chen Cang the Sword Gentleman, is a member of the Blood Shadow Pce. In fact, he is your direct disciple, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t forgotten about Chen Cang. Chen Cang was an insane man who wanted to kill him and take revenge for his younger brother, Chen Zheng. There was no hope for reconciliation between them either. Obviously, he couldn¡¯t kill Chen Cang right in front of Fu Qianqiu, but he could at least make him regret antagonizing him a little.

    Fu Qianqiu replied calmly, ¡°Chen Cang is my disciple, but he had left Luo Shui to explore the <i>jianghu</i> a few days ago. I¡¯m not sure where he is right now.¡±

    ¡°You have my word that he has nothing to do with Jiang Huanjian or the heretics though.¡±

    ¡°He left Luo Shui?¡± Ye Qing stared at Fu Qianqiu dubiously, but the man looked like he was telling the truth. So, he shrugged and nodded. ¡°Very well.¡±

    Fu Qianqiu let out a chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m aware that my disciple and you share a grudge with each other, but it is better to resolve the grudge peacefully than not, don¡¯t you think? That is why I¡¯ve prepared a gift for you. I hope you will ept it and forgive my disciple.¡±

    The head produced an embroidered box from his Nature¡¯s Shell and presented it to Ye Qing.

    ¡°A gift?¡± Ye Qing subconsciously epted it and opened it on the spot. His eyes were immediately attracted to a demonically gorgeous curved saber, a martial arts manual and a lingzhi that was shaped like a full moon.

    The curved saber had a short, scarlet de that was as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing. Its spine was snow white like a translucent white jade. It glowed watery red when it was hit by sunlight, and its de was curved just right like theely waist of a gorgeous woman. It was mysterious yet elegant, beautiful yet deadly.

    Sitting next to the curbed saber was a martial arts manual named the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±. The moon-shaped lingzhi looked pretty awesome as well.

    ¡°What a great saber!¡± Ye Qingplimented from the bottom of his heart. In his eyes, the red saber looked like a gorgeous woman in red: bright as blood, passionate as fire, and beautiful as a painting.

    ¡°I¡¯m very d to hear that.¡± Fu Qianqiu smiled. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re an expert in saber arts, and it so happens that I have a Hatred-ss curved saber and a Spirit Purification-stage saber art. The saber¡¯s name is ¡°Red Sleeve¡±, and it is 66.66 cm long and 175.6 grams heavy[2]. It¡¯s named Red Sleeve as it¡¯s as beautiful as a woman and could be hidden in one¡¯s sleeve. It whistles like a flute and gives off a light but fragrant scent when it swings through the air. It is a bloodthirsty saber, however. If it is drenched in blood, its de would turn redder, and its power would grow stronger.¡±

    ¡°The saber art is called the ¡®Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡¯. Its techniques are long, connected, and gentle as a spring wind and fine rain. So gentle, that your enemies wouldn¡¯t even realize that they were dead until after the fact.¡±

    ¡°If you execute the ¡®Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡¯ with Red Sleeve, it would be like a fiery, gorgeous woman dancing amidst the wind and rain¡ªfiery and passionate, invisible and deadly.¡±

    Fu Qianqiu paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°As for this lingzhi, it is called the ¡®Moon Lingzhi¡¯. It possesses the ability to condense one¡¯s mind and spirit and is greatly beneficial to any Spirit Purifier.¡±

    ¡°On behalf of my disciple, these are my apology gifts to you. I sincerely hope you will ept them.¡±

    Gu Suitangughed. ¡°Hahaha! You sure don¡¯t skimp on gifts, Head Fu. But if I remember correctly, Red Sleeve is a Strange Artifact of unknown origin and mysterious qualities despite its power. In fact, almost everyone who wielded it had met a terrible fate. You¡¯re not trying to curse my Patrolman to an early grave, are you?¡±

    Fu Qianqiu chuckled. ¡°Of course not. Lord Ye is already a dragon among men at his age. The previous saber wielders were unable to hold onto the weapon because they were weak in fate and power, but Lord Ye is the opposite. I am sure that he is deserving of this saber.¡±

    ¡°Also, I simply wish to find a good belonging for Red Sleeve. I don¡¯t mean any harm by it.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I was just joking. No need to take it seriously.¡± Gu Suitangughed again. ¡°I see no reason to spurn Head Fu¡¯s gifts, so feel free to keep them, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Head Fu.¡± Ye Qing obliged and put away the gifts. While had rued a ton of Strange Artifacts and martial arts manuals, he hadn¡¯t been able to find a saber and saber art that suited him. To be fair, the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± was an amazing saber art, but it was best used as a trump card even with his new power. That was why Fu Qianqiu¡¯s gifts were absolutely perfect.

    In fact, he had fallen in love with Red Sleeve at first sight. A Buddhist would say that he and the saber were destined for each other.

    As for Gu Suitang¡¯s warning, he didn¡¯t take it to heart. He had the Annon Sutra after all, and Fu Qianqiu was trying to save his sect and himself from annihtion. It would be counterproductive if he gave him a cursed gift. Not only that, he was pretty sure that Fu Qianqiu still had more to offer.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it.¡± As if on cue, Fu Qianqiu grinned wider and said, ¡°I¡¯ve also prepared a feast and more gifts as thanks for eliminating the hidden threat in my sect, everyone. I humbly invite you all to partake in it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take the gifts, but we won¡¯t be joining the feast,¡± Gu Suitang replied. ¡°Our work isn¡¯t done, you see. We¡¯ll be leaving in a moment.¡±

    Fu Qianqiu saluted him. ¡°In that case, I shan¡¯t hold you back any longer. I will pay you another visit tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I can feel your sincerity, Head Fu,¡± Gu Suitang replied indifferently, ¡°but I must say this regardless. Remember Jiang Huanjian¡¯s downfall and nevermit the mistakes he did. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind turning Blood Shadow Pce into the next Sunset Hill.¡±

    Fu Qianqiu hurriedly replied, ¡°I understand. I will shut off my sect for a year and reorganize things during that time. I promise that my disciples will not misbehave ormit any crimes from now on.¡±

    ¡°Good. I will remember this.¡± Gu Suitang smiled and turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After the Pacification Bureau and the ck Feather Guards left, Fu Qianqiu¡¯s smile disappeared into coldness and ruthlessness. ¡°Toss the bodies to the wilderness. Also, the sect will be shut down for a year starting down. No one is allowed to leave the sect grounds without good reason, or they will be executed without mercy.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    1. Please refer to Chapter 33. ?

    2. I double-checked. Just how light is this thing? ?

 Chapter 316: Buddha Taoist

    <h4>Chapter 316: Buddha Taoist </h4>

    ¡°What did you say? The Pacification Bureau and the ck Feather Guards annihted Sunset Hill, massacred the White n, and forced the Blood Shadow Pce to shut themselves down for a whole year?¡±

    Inside White Horse Academy, the normally calm-looking Zhang Lanjiang was looking at a teacher with a stunned expression. ¡°Do we know why?¡±

    The teacher answered, ¡°I heard it¡¯s because Wang Luori, Bai Xinran and Jiang Huanjian colluded with heretics and were plotting great harm against the people, but the Pacification Bureau and the ck Feather Guards were able to turn it around and smite them where they stood. Sunset Hill, the Bai n and the Blood Shadow Pce were just the coteral damage.¡±

    ¡°As for who these heretics are and what they were plotting, we have no answer yet.¡±

    ¡°Heretics, huh? The heretics are probably just part of the reason they went to such drastic lengths,¡± Zhang Lanjiang said slowly while tapping the table.

    The teacher voiced his confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, headmaster.¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang exined, ¡°The Pacification Bureau is making an example out of Sunset Hill, the Bai n and the Blood Shadow Pce. Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang aren¡¯t normally this ruthless, but the <i>jianghu </i>warriors<i> </i>went way overboard with their attack on Ye Qing. That is why they took the opportunity to tell everyone that they are not to be fucked with. They want everyone to remember what happened today every time they plot against Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the Pacification Bureau would seek us out, headmaster?¡± The teacher asked worriedly.

    ¡°White Horse Academy is a refined, upright and proper academy that practices what we preach! Whatever their n may be, they cannoty a hand on us when we¡¯ve notmitted any offense!¡± Zhang Lanjiang dered imperiously.

    ¡°That¡¯s true enough,¡± the teacher echoed in agreement.

    However, Zhang Lanjiang abruptly changed his tune and said, ¡°That said, you remember what happened with Sunset Hill. The brush is mightier than the sword only when the person wielding the sword is willing to reason with you.¡±

    ¡°I heard that one of our disciples, Wen Zai, shares a close rtionship with Wang Luori. He¡¯s also been spreading rumors and fanning the mes regarding Ye Qing. We would have no choice but to capitte if Gu Suitang decides to attack us through this.¡±

    The teacher understood his meaning immediately and dered in an indignant, sanctimonious tone, ¡°A schr should conduct themselves in a respectful manner showing dignity, self-respect,passion, kindness and honesty. But despite our teachings, Wen Zai is anything but that. For the good of all, I shall expel him from White Horse Academy this instant!¡±

    Zhang Lanjiang didn¡¯t respond immediately. He thought for a few seconds before replying, ¡°It¡¯s one thing if he¡¯s just corrupt and unscrupulous, he has the gall to plot against a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau as well. That is a major crime that cannot be forgiven easily.¡±

    ¡°Wen Xuan, you will round up some men and escort Wen Zai to the Pacification Bureau personally. Do whatever you must to garner the Pacification Bureau¡¯s forgiveness!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± The teacher flinched, but Zhang Lanjiang cut him off before he could say anything, ¡°Go!¡±

    ¡°As you wish, headmaster.¡± The teacher left with his orders.

    After Wen Xuan was gone, Zhang Lanjiang looked out of the window and murmured, ¡°I have no choice but to cooperate with the Pacification Bureau on this matter.¡±

    However, Wen Xuan came back much sooner than expected and reported, ¡°Headmaster, Wen Zai is not in the academy right now. We don¡¯t know where he has gone to.¡±

    ¡°He must have escaped.¡± Zhang Lanjiang massaged his forehead. ¡°Find him immediately. If he cannot be found, then you will head to the Pacification Bureau and ask for Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang¡¯s forgiveness.¡±

    Wen Xuan replied, ¡°Understood, headmaster,¡± but Zhang Lanjiang changed his mind a secondter. ¡°Actually, forget it. If you can¡¯t find him, then I will pay them a visit myself. Also, make an announcement saying that White Horse Academy will be shutting down for a year. Tell the public that we are nning to forge our body, hone our minds, and expand our knowledge.¡±

    It¡¯s not a tactical retreat, it¡¯s called cultivating for a better future.

    ¡°As you wish, headmaster.¡±

    ......

    At themandery hall, Jiang Muyang frowned deeply after listening to Li Lang¡¯s full report. A momentter, he arrived at a decision and ordered, ¡°Send Song Yushu[1] in.¡±

    A whileter, Song Yushu followed Li Lang into themandery hall. As soon as the right minister saw Jiang Muyang, he immediately said in an excited voice, ¡°Governor, the Pacification Bureau mobilized the ck Feather Guards without going through use first. That is a major offense, is it not? I urge you to notify Lord Zhou Mu about this and have Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang punished for their transgression!¡±

    ¡°You want punishment?¡± Jiang Muyang looked at the excited Song Yushu with pity in his eyes. ¡°You may have it.¡±

    ¡°Right Minister Song Yushu, you are found guilty of colluding with the likes of Bai Xinhu and Jiang Huanjian tomit various unforgivable crimes against Chu. Your seal is revoked, your position is no more, and you will be locked up in jail until it is time to transfer you to the Pacification Bureau, which is tomorrow. They shall be the ones to decide your fate!¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡± Song Yushu could hardly believe his ears, but when his seal was ripped out of his robes without resistance, he knew he wasn¡¯t dreaming.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it, my lord! I¡¯m innocent!¡± Song Yushu screamed as he attempted to run up to Jiang Muyang and begged for mercy.

    Jiang Muyang barked harshly, ¡°What are you waiting for, Li Lang? Take him away!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Li Lang immediately stepped forward and apprehended Song Yushu. Then, he dragged the iling, screaming man out of the door.

    Stripped of his seal and position, Song Yushu was no more powerful than an ordinary person. Naturally, he was no match for Li Lang.

    ¡°I¡¯m innocent, my lord! I¡¯m innocent! Please, please!¡±

    The screams grew weaker and weaker until themandery hall fellpletely silent. Jiang Muyang stared in the direction Song Yushu had disappeared to and sighed. ¡°I told you not to provoke the Pacification Bureau, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen to reason.¡±

    ¡°How can I save you now that the Pacification Bureau is making an example out of everyone who had transgressed them?¡±

    ......

    At the Pacification Bureau¡¯s headquarters, every Pacification Bureau member save for a handful of essential personnel were currently gathered at the training grounds.

    Fang Xiaoman and Gu SUitang were standing on an elevated tform, while the Peacemakers¡ªYe Qing, Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and more¡ªwere standing in a line behind them.

    ¡°Zhou Chaosheng, Zhan Yang, Deng Sheng, Jin Chen, Sun Shangwen, Xu Feilong...¡±

    Gu Suitang named twelve people in a row before sweeping his gaze across the Pacification Sentinels and crushing everyone with his aura. For a moment, everyone felt like a wooden raft desperately trying to survive a rainstorm on the sea.

    ¡°Bring them forward.¡±

    The next moment, two dozen Pacification Sentinels dragged the twelve prisoners onto the tform.

    <i>¡°Kneel.¡±</i>

    As Gu Suitangmanded in a murderous tone, the twenty four Pacification Sentinels raised their sabers and smashed the prisoners¡¯ kneecaps into bits, dropping them onto the floor. All twelve men writhed like worms but could only make desperate, whiny noises from their throats. It was because their tongues had already been severed.

    Gu Suitang looked at the confused crowd and sneered. ¡°Do you know what crimes these twelve havemitted? Do you know why I¡¯m making them kneel in front of y¡¯all?¡±

    The crowd was as silent as they were solemn.

    Gu Suitang continued, ¡°It¡¯s very simple, really. As Pacification Sentinels, it is their duty to protect the people and y all those who will threaten Chu. Instead, they betrayed us by colluding with outsiders, selling our secrets, aiding our viins, and generally undermining the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°While we are ying Strangers and heretics and protecting the people, the ones who are supposed to watch our backs are scheming against us and pointing their des at our backs. What do you think they death?¡±

    For a moment, no one could say anything. Then, a man roared, ¡°They deserve death!¡±

    It was like the spark that lit the powder keg. Everyone¡¯s fury was lit, and that fury joined together into a chorus of full-throated shouts,

    ¡°THEY DESERVE DEATH!¡±

    ¡°THEY DESERVE DEATH!¡±

    ¡°THEY DESERVE DEATH!¡±

    When the cries had subsided a little, Gu Suitang uttered, ¡°They do deserve death. ording to thew of Chu, those who collude with heretics, leak our secrets, and plot against their own are to be executed without mercy. So it shall be.¡±

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    Gu Suitang waved his hand, and the sabers were lowered. A secondter, twelve bloody heads were rolling across the floor and dyeing the limestone floor red.

    ¡°Ding Bumian, Lin Zhao, step forth!¡± Gu Suitang ordered next.

    The Chief Enforcer Ding Bumian and the Flying Dragon Officer Lin Zhao stepped out of the crowd with crestfallen expressions.

    ¡°You¡¯re my Chief Enforcer and Flying Dragon Officer, but you failed to recognize the viins right in front of you and were manipted into harming your own colleagues. Do you plead guilty?¡± Gu Suitang said harshly.

    ¡°We plead guilty,¡± The two men admitted without any fanfare.

    It was far toote to defend themselves anyway. Last night, Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang had summoned them and the twelve prisoners before capturing them all in one fell swoop. After they were escorted into a ck site, they were interrogated the whole night and forced to spill everything they should and shouldn¡¯t say. Therefore, there was no point denying their crimes anymore.

    They could try, but they would face the twelve prisoners¡¯ fate. It was that simple.

    ¡°Good. You have brought shame to the Pacification Bureau, but at least you¡¯re taking responsibility for your crimes.¡±

    Gu Suitang dered, ¡°I hereby announce that Chief Enforcer Ding Bumian and Flying Dragon Officer Lin Zhao are stripped of their posts and demoted to Pacification Sentinels.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the mercy, chief.¡± Lin Zhao and Ding Bumian were extremely relieved to hear this. Losing their posts was far more preferable to losing their lives.

    ¡°Remember. As members of the Pacification Bureau, it is our duty to stay true to ourselves, uphold all that is virtuous and just, eliminate the strange, and protect the people.¡±

    Fang Xiaoman then dered in a loud, dignified voice, ¡°Pacification for the people!¡±

    ¡°Pacification for the people!¡±

    ¡°Pacification for the people!¡±

    ¡°Pacification for the people!¡±

    Their loud, passionate cries would not fade until muchter.

    ......

    While every faction in Luo Shui was fearing for their existence, and their bosses their lives, something strange was happening at a vige located at the periphery of Luo Shui.

    Many vigers were flooding into a clearing from every direction and kneeling on the ground. They kept muttering the name ¡°Mara Buddha¡± again and again with empty eyes. Wisps of faith energy flew out of their bodies and gathered at a certain point in the sky, and eventually, it formed the silhouette of a massive, demonic-looking Buddha.

    At the same time, every Mara Buddha statue in the vige slowly crumbled and released wisps of demonic qi. They formed a pitch ck heart at the center of the Buddha¡¯s body.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    <i>Thump!</i>

    Suddenly, the heart started beating slowly. The whole world fell silent, and the demonic Buddha shrank and condensed until it took the form of a young, handsome, and demonic-looking monk.

    It was at this moment dark clouds abruptly flooded in from the horizon and gathered above the monk. The howling wind raged like hurricanes, the rain poured like waterfalls, and lightning as thick as dragons shot through the sky.

    Strangely, there was no thunder. There were only the howling noises of the wind and rain.

    The next moment, silver lightning poured from the ck clouds and struck the demonic monk, spilling demonic qi everywhere. It was a scene that could only be described as brutal. Still, there was no thunder. The sharp contrast between the violent imagery andck of thunder painted a gorgeous picture that was unlike anything the world had ever seen.

    As the soundless lightning hit the demonic monk again and again, his skin began cracking all over the ce like a porcin vase that could break at any moment. His heartbeat was growing slower and quieter as well.

    ¡°Amita Atman[2], is that the Tribtion of Nirvana?¡±

    It was at this moment an old Buddhist monk wearing a Taoist robe appeared in the vige. He was muttering a gatha[3] that was half Taoist and half Buddhist, and so didn¡¯t fit in either religion at all under his breath.

    ¡°He¡¯s using faith energy to forge his golden body and demonic qi to forge his demonic heart. This is how he¡¯s nning toe back to life. No wonder he summoned the Tribtion of Nirvana of all things!¡±

    The half-Taoist, half-Buddhist monk smiled mercifully while holding a horsetail whisk[4] in one hand and prayer beads on the other.

    ¡°A golden body with a demonic heart? What a wonderful seedling. I shan¡¯t allow you to be destroyed by the damned heavens.¡±

    The old man smiled and waved his horsetail whisk. The world shuddered, and every wind and rain within five kilometers of the site flew upward in reverse. It didn¡¯t stop until it annihted the soundless lightning and scattered the ck clouds into nothing, returning light and warmth to the world.

    After the tribtion was destroyed, the demonic monk¡¯s heart started beating once more, and the cracks covering his body began healing slowly. The surrounding demonic qi was also gradually reced by golden light until he resembled a second sun, divine and untouchable.

    A momentter, the monk opened his eyes and slowly looked at the vigers. The vigers immediately dropped to their knees and chanted ¡°Mara Buddha¡± like humble servants.

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna...¡±

    ¡°Namo Marakaruna[5], please allow us to be your followers...¡±

    The demonic monk smiled, and every flower in the mountain where the vige was located bloomed at the same time. However, the vigers began rotting and withering rapidly. Their vitality was vanishing like that of an old tree at death¡¯s door.

    When Buddha smiles, flowers bloom everywhere. When Mara kills, no grass will be left alive.

    After the vigers had all turned into dust, the demonic monk faced toward the old man and knelt on his knees. ¡°Master...¡±

    The old manughed. ¡°Since you¡¯re joining my sect, you should know my name. I am Dao Fo[6]. They call me Buddha Taoist in the <i>jianghu. </i>As the abbot of Little Western Paradise, I grant you the Dharma name, ¡®Demon Heart¡¯.¡±

    The demonic monk bowed deeply. ¡°Demon Heart thanks you for the name, master.¡±

    ¡°Good. Let us go.¡±

    Dao Fo let out a heartyugh before he started singing,

    ¡°Half monk, half Taoist, destined for both,

    Not Buddha, not Tao, not human either.

    Like a demon, like a Buddha,

    Like a God, like a ghost.

    I decide who and what I am, no one else.¡±

    ¡°Amita Atman...¡±

    As the old man sang, the flowers bloomed like spring, and gentle winds blew through the vige, warm and healing. But no one wasn¡¯t there. Humanity was gone.

    1. Just a reminder, but this guy is Li Yuechun¡¯s best friend. Li Yuechun is the guy who tried to escape the zombie outbreak, and also the guy with two Hatred-ss Strangers hiding his residence. ?

    2. meaning ¡°Infinite Buddha of I¡±. Treat it like the chant, ¡°Amitabha¡±. The actual sanskrit only means ¡°Infinite Self¡± but I can¡¯t really slot the word ¡°bha¡± or ¡°Buddha¡± in without making it sound awkward, so. ?

    3. Meaning hymn or verse. ?

    4. An equipment that ismonly used by Taoist. ?

    5. For those who don¡¯t remember, it means, ¡°My Mara Buddha is merciful.¡± ?

    6. He probably named himself, meaning Dao Buddha. ?

 Chapter 317: Martial Tower

    <h4>Chapter 317: Martial Tower </h4>

    After taking out the traitors and spies inside the Pacification Bureau, the matter regarding Mara Buddha and Wang Luori was finally over. There were loose ends, but they weren¡¯t Fang Xiaoman and Gu Suitang¡¯s concerns, not his. That was why Ye Qing was basking in happiness and catharsis right now.

    Mara Buddha was dead, and Wang Luori was no more. Naturally, the rock that had been sitting on his chest this whole time was gone as well. Of course he was ted.

    Besides that, the Pacification Bureau and the ck Feather Guards hade to gather to destroy Sunset Hill, massacre the Bai n, and force the Blood Shadow Pce to shut themselves down for a year. They had set a big example and showed the <i>jianghu </i>of Luo Shui and even the world itself that the Pacification Bureau¡¯s de hadn¡¯t dulled, and their men were still untouchable.

    This meant he would be free from those pesky little <i>jianghu </i>warriors for a long time toe.

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m so happy! It¡¯s been a long time since I felt this good!¡±

    Inside a room, Wei Yueshan took a gulp of wine before bursting outughing. ¡°We destroyed Sunset Hill and massacred the Bai n, and enough heads rolled that their blood could fill up a river. The days where everyone and their mothers thought they could take a poop on our heads is finally over!¡±

    For the past few weeks, countless people had treated the Pacification Bureau like a dewed and defanged tiger. They were mocking them both in front of them and behind their backs. It was no wonder that Wei Yueshan was feeling as ted as he was.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been even better if we took out Blood Shadow Pce though! A shame!¡± Wei Yueshan said regretfully, ¡°I mean, why didn¡¯t we? We were going to set an example anyway.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai answered smilingly, ¡°We couldn¡¯t, but we couldn¡¯t.¡±

    Wei Yueshan looked confused. ¡°Can you speak human, brother?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°What he means is that there¡¯s no need to wipe them out. One, Blood Shadow Pce hadn¡¯t fallenpletely under Mara Buddha¡¯s control like Sunset Hill. Two, Fu Qianqiu was ready for us. It would¡¯ve cost us far more to wipe out Blood Shadow Pce than it was to wipe out Sunset Hill or the Bai n. In fact, it would most likely end up in a stalemate of sorts, so it just isn¡¯t worth it. And three, we don¡¯t want White Horse Academy to be the one biggest sect in Luo Shui. That futurees with its own set of problems.¡±

    ¡°Also, everything is bad in excess, and we¡¯ve set a big enough example already. It would probably backfire on us if we destroyed Blood Shadow Pce as well.¡±

    ¡°Do you guys always think so much every time you do anything?¡± Wei Yueshan scratched his head. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine leading a life as difficult as yours!¡±

    ¡°Difficult? No, you¡¯re just too stupid to understand the simple and obvious!¡±

    It was at this moment Gu Suitang stepped into the room and shot Wei Yueshan a disdainful look. ¡°If everyone in the Pacification Bureau has brains like yours, we would¡¯ve been wiped out a million years ago!¡±

    Wei Yueshan: ¡°...¡± <i>As expected of my master. That insult pierced right through my heart!</i>

    Gu Suitang looked at Ye Qing and said in a grateful tone, ¡°Thanks again for everything, Joyless. If it wasn¡¯t for you, Mara Buddha most likely would¡¯ve seeded in taking over the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, chief. I am sure that you and Chief Fang could¡¯ve protected the Pacification Bureau even if I hadn¡¯t identally stumbled upon the bastard¡¯s conspiracy,¡± Ye Qing replied humbly. ¡°Besides, Commander Xue¡¯s the one who deserves the most credit this time, whereas I was just performing my duty.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to show humility, and another to depreciate self. You deserve thispliment, so just take it.¡± Gu Suitang waved off his show of humility. ¡°By the way, I came to tell you that the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau deeply appreciates what you¡¯ve done for Luo Shui. You have exposed the Taiping cultists¡¯ conspiracy and saved Luo Shui from annihtion. Recently, you¡¯ve uncovered Mara Buddha¡¯s conspiracy and saved the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau from disaster as well. That is why Xiaoman and I have agreed to reward you for your meritorious service. You have two choices.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s curiosity was piqued.

    Gu Suitang exined, ¡°One, we¡¯ll allow you to enter the Tower of Secrets and pick any one Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact as your reward. You would also be awarded two Spirit Purification-stage martial arts manuals and one Qilin Pill, and you would be our Assistant Deputy Chief of Bureau. In Luo Shui, the only people you would answer to are me and Xiaoman.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a post like that?¡± Ye Qing blinked in surprise. He was tempted, but he didn¡¯t make a decision immediately. Instead, he asked, ¡°And what is the second option?¡±

    Gu Suitang replied, ¡°You may cultivate ten days in the Martial Tower.¡±

    ¡°Martial Tower?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what that was.

    ¡°Martial Tower!¡± Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and Wei Yueshan were clearly aware, however. They all wore shocked and envious expressions on their faces.

    Seeing Ye Qing¡¯s confusion, Chu Nianjiu exined, ¡°The Martial Tower is an extremely powerful Strange Artifact that belongs to all Pacification Bureaus in Chu. Legend says that it is the ce where the Martial Emperor hadpleted his Way, and it contains a pocket space that is filled with the air of Dao. Inside this way, anyone below the Grandmaster stage would be able to grow their cultivation, practice their martial arts or perceive magic at least ten times faster than normal.¡±

    ¡°In simpler terms, entering the Martial Tower would save any warrior at least years of hard work. There is a quote that describes its effects perfectly: ¡®Five days in the Martial Tower is equal to one thousand years in the outside world¡¯.¡±

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t heard of the Martial Tower, but he had definitely heard of the Martial Emperor before. The Martial Emperor was a peak champion several thousand years ago, and he was the man who invented and poprized the martial way. To this day, there was a Martial Emperor City in the Eastern Sea, and the lord of the city was titled the Martial Emperor. They were always named warriors in the Heaven Ranking and one of, if not the greatest warriors in the entire world. It was why the Martial Emperor City was also the sanctuary of the martial way.

    ¡°The Martial Tower is located in Luo Shui? I had no idea!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up.

    But Chu Nianjiu shook his head and corrected his misunderstanding, ¡°Yes and no. The true body of the Martial Tower is located at the capital of Chu, specifically the headquarters of the Pacification Bureau. The Martial Tower in our Pacification Bureau is but a Dao projection of the real thing. In fact, we¡¯re not the only ones who have it. Some big prefectures andmanderies were also bestowed with a projection of the Martial Tower for cultivation purposes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, that makes a lot more sense. There¡¯s no way our Pacification Bureau could¡¯ve protected the real thing,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    Gu Suitang: ¡°...¡± <i>Should I teach him a lesson?</i>

    Ye Qing hurriedly changed the subject when he noticed Gu Suitang¡¯s unfriendly gaze. ¡°So er, obviously the projection¡¯s effect isn¡¯t as strong as the original, right?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine before continuing, ¡°But of course. One, the projection only has a tenth of the true Martial Tower¡¯s effects, so its elerating effects are much weaker. That said, you¡¯d still be improving five to six times faster than you normally would. Two, it takes the projection a very, very long time to recover its strength every time someone uses it. It cannot be used infinitely like the true Martial Tower.¡±

    ¡°That is why only those who have done the Pacification Bureau a great service are allowed to enter the projection. Assuming you choose to enter the Martial Tower, I would urge you to cherish every second.¡±

    Gu Suitang asked, ¡°So, what is your choice, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before dering, ¡°I choose to enter the Martial Tower.¡±

    The first option sounded very tempting¡ªhe would gain martial arts, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, and even be the third highest authority in the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau¡ªbut if he really thought about it, he didn¡¯t really need any of it.

    He had amassed an overwhelming number of Strange Artifacts after entrapping and murdering the <i>jianghu </i>warriors who came after him. For example, he had the Soulstealer-ss Boundless Mara Buddha, the Hatred-ss Red Sleeve and Soul Absorbing Gong, and at least dozens of Malice-ss Strange Artifacts. In fact, most of them were molding inside his Nature¡¯s Shells and never seeing use.

    Finally, he could technically rely on the mysterious Annon Sutra to locate anything he wanted, so if he ever felt like obtaining another Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, he could just ask.

    Also, a Strange Artifact was ultimately a power that wasn¡¯t his. He would rather cultivate the powers that belonged to him and him alone.

    He wasn¡¯tcking in martial arts either. The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± wouldst him until the Grandmaster-stage, he had plenty of powerful martial arts such as the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±, the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±, the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±, ¡°Break Through¡±, ¡°Divide¡±, ¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡± and more. Technically, he could upgrade his movement art, ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±, to a Spirit Purification stage one, but was it really necessary?

    This was before mentioning the partial inheritance he received from the ¡°Blood Demon¡± Shangguan Wuwo, and the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± he obtained from the wooden hut surrounded by the Reincarnating Flowers of the Four Seasons...

    He hadn¡¯t even sorted out the martial arts he currently possessed yet. It would be avaricious of him to seek out more.

    As for medicine, it was the one thing he didn¡¯t need to worry about. One of the best medicines one could obtain, the Water of Life, was already useless to him, and if he ever needed something better, he could just consult the Annon Sutra.

    In conclusion, entering the Martial Tower was the best option of the two.

    ¡°Very good.¡± Gu Suitang smiled dly. ¡°External power is great, but internal power is better. It is the foundation of all warriors.¡±

    ¡°Yuhuai, Nianjiu, you will be joining Joyless as well.¡±

    ¡°W-What? Are you sure, chief?¡± Both men were stunned to hear this.

    ¡°But of course!¡± Gu Suitang replied without hesitation. ¡°Both of you are qualified considering your long and meritorious service to the Pacification Bureau, and the Hidden Dragon Meet will be happening in a month, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s been a while since we participated in the event. If we skip it again, someone is going to find something to talk about. That is why I¡¯m nning to send the three of you as participants.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I expect you to perform exceptionally. You have my word that I will beat the crap out of you if you embarrass our Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ¡°That is why I¡¯m sending all of you into the Martial Tower. Train hard and grow your strength as much as possible¡ªespecially you two, Nianjiu, Yuhuai. You are much older than Joyless, but you¡¯re still stuck at thete-stage of the Astral Refinement stage. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed? I expect the two of you to be Spirit Purifiers when you emerge from the Martial Tower.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai nodded with bitter smiles. <i>Meritorious service my ass, you just don¡¯t want us to embarrass you at the Hidden Dragon Meet. And why are youparing us with Ye Qing? The guy is a Stranger in human skin. How the hell are we supposed topete with that?</i>

    Meanwhile, Wei Yueshan finally couldn¡¯t suppress his anxiety any longer and asked, ¡°What about me, master?¡±

    ¡°You, what?¡± Gu Suitang side-eyed at his disciple. The guy was jumping up and down.

    Wei Yueshan immediately said, ¡°I want to enter the Martial Tower and the Hidden Dragon Meet too, master!¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Gu Suitang replied. ¡°Go take a nap, and you will have everything.¡±

    Wei Yueshan: ¡°...¡± <i>Are you sure I¡¯m your disciple?</i>

    ¡°The Hidden Dragon Meet is only meant for dragons. Are you a dragon? No, you¡¯re a worm. You¡¯re only going to embarrass me if you attend!¡± Gu Suitang rebuked his disciple mercilessly. ¡°Instead of practicing diligently, you consistently overestimate your abilities, get carried away by wishful thinking, and bite off more than you can chew. You truly are one of the stupidest, delusional, reckless and suicidal people I¡¯ve ever met!¡±

    Wei Yueshan opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. In the end, he muttered, ¡°You¡¯re a master of adjectives, master!¡±

    Gu Suitang: ¡°...¡± <i>Ah, what did I do to end up with such an idiot disciple?</i>

    ¡°Get out of my sigh before I kick your ass!¡± Gu Suitang pointed at the exit. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m going to train you personally starting tomorrow. If you can¡¯t grow even with my supervision, then you will die. Get ready.¡±

    Wei Yueshan: ¡°...¡± <i>He¡¯s definitely my master alright.</i>

    Gu Suitang looked at the trio after he was done scolding Wei Yueshan. ¡°Joyless, Nianjiu, Yuhuai, the three of you should get ready as well. You¡¯ll be entering the Martial Tower tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°As youmand,¡± they answered with a salute.

 Chapter 318: Mister Nine

    <h4>Chapter 318: Mister Nine </h4>

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hurry back to the Inspection Department after leaving the building. Instead, he went to the Artificing Department.

    ¡°Joyless! You usually don¡¯t visit me at this time. Are you on official business?¡±

    The Artificing Department was the ce where the Pacification Bureau forged, refined, and repaired their Strange Artifacts. As soon as Ye Qing had entered the department, he immediately went up to a steaming workshop where the zing mes were so bright that they overpowered the natural light outside the building.

    A white-haired, spirited-looking old man sitting on a rocking chair inside the building couldn¡¯t seem to feel the heat, however. He was sipping his wine when he saw Ye Qing and called out to him.

    ¡°What, I can¡¯t visit you when I¡¯m free?¡± Ye Qing smiled while handing over a pair of wine jars.

    The old man was none other than the one who had refined the Fog Demon into the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s artifact spirit before, Old Zhang. He might look and feel like a normal person, but in reality he was powerful beyond measure. The workshop was so hot that even he, the guy who was reforged by a fucking ming tornado, was feeling a little ufortable, but Old Zhang couldn¡¯t even seem to feel it.

    Since he cultivated the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, his spiritual power was far greater than before. That was why he could clearly sense the terrifying power hidden within the old man¡¯s seemingly frail body.

    ¡°A thirty-years-old Pear Blossom wine? Wonderful!¡± Old Zhang took a sniff and poured the sweet liquid down his throat twice.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t keep me in suspense. What do you need me for?¡± Old Zhang asked after he had had his fill.

    ¡°Hahaha...¡± Ye Qing took off the Blue Demon Hand and asked, ¡°Can you check if it¡¯s possible to refine this pair of gloves? Upgrade its level so to speak?¡±

    Although the Blue Demon Hand was just a Red-ss Strange Artifact, it had saved Ye Qing¡¯s behind time and again. This was especially true for Hundred Poison, a stealthy and deadly poisonous gas that was useful even to this day. That was why Ye Qing was hoping that Old Zhang, the first or second greatest artificer of Strange Artifacts in Luo Shui, could improve its quality and extend its longevity.

    ¡°Oh? Let me see.¡±

    Old Zhang epted the Blue Demon Hand and gave it a casual nce. He then said, ¡°It¡¯s made from the scalp of the Hatred-ss Stranger, the Blue Demon, tempered with the Hundred Poison, and forged using the Netherme. Judging from the materials used, whoever made this was very ambitious. Unfortunately, their skill is so shoddy that the end product couldn¡¯t even survive the tribtion, which damaged its roots and made it far weaker than it should have been. Shame, shame.¡±

    ¡°Impressive, Old Zhang! I can¡¯t believe how much you figured just by looking at it!¡± Ye Qing praised. It wasn¡¯t an emptypliment. He found out the Blue Demon Hand¡¯s origin only because he had the Annon Sutra. Old Zhang found out through countless years of experience.

    ¡°Keep the bootlicking to yourself. Anyway, you¡¯re lucky that the glove is made using very fine materials, but I¡¯m still going to need a ton of materials to remake it better than what it was. In short, you best prepare your wallet for the worst.¡± Old Zhang set down the Blue Demon Hand and took another gulp of wine.

    Ye Qing smiled and dropped a whole pile of Strange Artifacts and materials on the floor. ¡°Will these work, Old Zhang?¡±

    The pile consisted of countless Malice-ss Strange Artifacts and materials and even four or five Hatred-ss Strange Artifacts. He had gotten it from the <i>jianghu </i>warriors he killed, of course. He had kept a select few that he deemed were useful, but the rest were useless to him.

    He was going to sell them or exchange them for contribution points down the line, but he absolutely didn¡¯t mind spending them on the Blue Demon Hand if that was possible.

    ¡°Oh ho? It looks like you¡¯ve collected quite the pile of useful garbage!¡± Old Zhang chuckled.

    Ye Qing grinned. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re usable, Old Zhang?¡±

    ¡°More or less. I can see a handful of items that will be beneficial to the Blue Demon Hand¡¯s upgrade.¡± Old Zhang dug through the pile a bit before askingzily, ¡°Oh right, didn¡¯t Li¡¯l Xuan give you a scale?¡±

    ¡°Li¡¯l who?¡± Ye Qing was confused.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking about Xuanhuang. Just gimme that scale already!¡± Old Zhang said impatiently.

    ¡°Oh, you mean Brother Xuanhuang?¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization before producing the scale the Xuanhuang Bow had gifted him. ¡°Is this the one?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Old Zhang replied and made a grabbing motion. His hand was nowhere near Ye Qing, but the scale automatically slipped out of Ye Qing¡¯s hand and into his own. ¡°Li¡¯l Xuan is a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact made from the muscles, bones and scales of the Disaster-ss Stranger, the Xuanhuang Drake, and this is a scale from the Xuanhuang Drake itself. It¡¯s naturally an extraordinary artificing material.¡±

    ¡°I asked Li¡¯l Xuan many times for a scale in the past, but that brat just wouldn¡¯t agree no matter what. Hmph!¡±

    <i>Xuanhuang is a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact? No wonder it¡¯s so powerful, </i>Ye Qing thought. ¡°Do you need it to upgrade the Blue Demon Hand?¡±

    The scale contained one full-powered attack of Xuanhuang, so it could save his life at a critical time. That was why he was reluctant to part with it.

    ¡°Yes. With this scale, I am certain I can upgrade the glove to Hatred-ss,¡± Old Zhang answered.

    ¡°Just Hatred-ss?¡± Ye Qing was a bit disappointed.

    ¡°Do you want to upgrade your Strange Artifact or not? If not, then get out of my sight!¡± Old Zhang immediately exploded.

    ¡°Of course I do! I never said I didn¡¯t want to upgrade it!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly begged for forgiveness. ¡°So, how long do you need to reforge the Blue Demon Hand?¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re in a hurry or something?¡± Old Zhang asked.

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°Chief Gu is sending me to Tian Yong to participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet. I¡¯ll have to depart in ten days if I want to make it there in time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the Hidden Dragon Meet? That¡¯s great. I expect to hear good things about you.¡± Old Zhang smiled. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. You cane back ten dayster to grab your Strange Artifact ten dayster.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Old Zhang. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Ye Qing took his leave after thanking Old Zhang.

    The artificer gulped down some more wine and stared at Ye Qing¡¯s back for a bit. He then let out a chuckle and muttered, ¡°The Hidden Dragon Meet, huh? That is thepetition that will decide if you¡¯re a worm or a dragon; if you will soar to the heavens, andy in the mud like the rest of us.¡±

    ¡°Do your best, boy.¡±

    ......

    After Ye Qing left the Artificing Department, he went straight to Heavenly Heart Clinic and caught up with Uncle Feng for a bit. Then, he met up with Feng Qingyou, who had just finished seeing a patient.

    ¡°Are you here for the ¡®Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡¯?¡± A smiling Feng Qingyou asked while pouring him a cup of tea.

    ¡°You¡¯re half-right.¡± Ye Qing gratefully epted the tea and took a sip. The refreshing vors spreading inside his mouth seemed to wipe away the fatigue he had umted for the past few weeks in a sh.

    Two days ago, he had paid the Heavenly Heart Clinic a visit to thank Feng Liunian for his protection and enjoy some quality time with Feng Qingyou as usual. While he was talking about the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, Feng Qingyou mentioned that she could read tadpole script, so he requested her aid to trante the martial arts manual.

    He was entering the Martial Tower tomorrow. If the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± was as good as he believed, he was nning to add it into his training schedule.

    That said, the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± wasn¡¯t the only reason he came to the clinic today.

    ¡°Oh? Before you give me the answer, allow me to venture a guess.¡± Feng Qingyou elegantly sipped her own tea and shot him a pure, tranquil smile. ¡°Are you going to leave Tian Yong and participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet soon?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough...¡± Despite being a Spirit Purifier, Ye Qing was this close from spilling tea through his nose and mouth. He voiced his puzzlement after he collected himself, ¡°How did you know, Qingyou?¡±

    Gu Suitang had only informed him of the decision today. How did Feng Qingyou find out about it so quickly?

    Feng Qingyou smirked. ¡°It¡¯s quite easy to guess, actually. June sixth is when the Hidden Dragon Meet would take ce, and it is a grand festival that is celebrated not just in Tian Yong, but all of Chu. Since the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau is subordinate to Tian Yong, it makes sense that they would send someone to participate in the event. Finally, this year¡¯s Hidden Dragon Meet is slightly specialpared to the ones before.¡±

    ¡°Special?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t understand what she meant.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Chief Gu told you about this? Oh, right. He might not have caught wind of the news yet.¡± Feng Qingyou exined slowly, ¡°I heard that Mister Nine from Jixia Academy would be attending the meet as a spectator.¡±

    ¡°Mister Nine? Who¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing blinked.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t keep up to date with anything, do you?¡± Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes curled into crescents as she chuckled. ¡°Mister Nine is the ninth disciple of the Chief Libationist, also a member of the Jixia Academy. He was the top scorer of both the literary and the martial examinations three years ago, and his name is Chu Wangsun. It is said that the blood of the imperial family flows in his veins.¡±

    ¡°After bing the top scorer of both the literary and the martial examinations and taking the realm by storm, he turned down the major ns'' and sects¡¯ attempts to recruit him and even refused the post offered to him by the emperor himself. Instead, he asked to be the Chief Libationist¡¯s disciple. It was said flocks of birds circled the sky, and extraordinary sights appeared in celebration when this happened. The Chief Libationist took him as his ninth disciple on the spot.¡±

    ¡°Since then, everyone calls him Mister Nine.¡±

    ¡°The Chief Libationist?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. The Chief Libationist<strong> </strong>was the highest authority in the Jixia Academy. In a sense, he was simr to the headmaster of an academy or the head of a sect.

    Not anyone could be the Chief Libationist as a matter of course. Only someone who possessed both a treasure trove of knowledge and immense strength was entrusted with this position. To provide a clear picture, anyone who was the Chief Libationist¡¯s disciple might as well be standing at the center of Chu.

    Besides that, Chu Wangsun sounded like an impressive fellow. Not anyone could be the top scorer of both the martial and the literary examinations of Chu.

    Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°Because Chu Wangsun is attending this meet, this year¡¯s Hidden Dragon Meet is sure to be exceptionally grand. Anyone who catches his eyes would most likely be rmended into the Jixia Academy and rise to the top of the heavens.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Now I get it.¡± Ye Qing asked curiously, ¡°But how did you know about this?¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not really a secret. A lot of people knew about it.¡±

    Ye Qing squinted at her suspiciously. <i>Are you trying to hoodwink me? If ¡°a lot of people knew about it¡±, then why did Old Gu know nothing about it? Or maybe he knew, but didn¡¯t tell me for some reason?</i>

    ¡°If you are participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet, you may put on a good showing and try to join the Jixia Academy. It would not be a bad career path for you,¡± Feng Qingyou ended in an indifferent tone before producing a martial arts manual. ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s the tranted version of the ¡®Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡¯. It¡¯s a Grandmaster-stage martial art.¡±

    ¡°Grandmaster stage?!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this.

    Feng Qingyou took a sip of tea before continuing, ¡°Technically, the ¡®Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡¯ doesn¡¯t count as an offensive-type martial art. It is a martial art about neutralizing and borrowing forces. Someone who grasps the nine impetus¡ªactivity or inactivity, rigidity or flexibility, fast or slow, light or heavy, leisure or urgent, real and unreal, strong and weak, yin or yang, life or death¡ªshall grasp the timing of movement, the theory of weight, the concept of rigidity and flexibility, the idea of what is real and unreal, and finally achieve harmony in both yin and yang, and life and death. They would attain ¡®Tai Chi¡¯ and be impervious to anything and everything.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a defensive-type martial art?¡± Ye Qing asked[1].

    ¡°Yes, and no. You¡¯re half-right.¡± Feng Qingyou returned his earlier words to him.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t figure out her meaning since he didn¡¯t possess her wealth of knowledge or experience. Luckily, he was never ashamed to ask a question.

    Feng Qingyou answered dutifully, ¡°The ¡®Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡¯ is a defensive-type martial art, but it can be used offensively once you have mastered the nine impetus, familiarized yourselves with many martial arts and magic, obtained the keys to yin and yang, understood the power of life and death, and figured out the Way of Change. To put it in simpler terms, you would be able to borrow anyone¡¯s strength as your own and reflect any attack that is thrown at you right back at them. This martial art has amazing potential.¡±

    ¡°What the heck? That¡¯s Star Shift[2]!¡± Ye Qing blurted out without thinking.

    ¡°Star Shift? What¡¯s a Star Shift?¡± Feng Qingyou tilted her head to one side in puzzlement.

    ¡°Ahem... it¡¯s er, it¡¯s also a godlike martial art that could borrow another¡¯s strength and reflect any martial technique right back at the attacker,¡± Ye Qing exined.

    ¡°Hmm? That sounds very simr to the ¡®Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡¯. But why haven¡¯t I heard of it before?¡± It was Feng Qingyou¡¯s turn to scrutinize him now.

    Ye Qing tried tough it off, ¡°There are countless martial arts in this world, haha. It¡¯s perfectly natural that you wouldn¡¯t know about it.¡±

    ¡°Those are reasonable words, but I¡¯ll have you know that I know at least one to two thousand martial arts,¡± Feng Qingyou replied unhurriedly before enjoying a sip of tea.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>I suspect you¡¯re one-upping me, but I didn¡¯t dare to question you because it might actually be the truth!</i>

    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not important.¡± Ye Qing forcefully changed the subject. ¡°What is important, is that anyone who masters this martial art is no one to be scoffed at.¡±

    ¡°Correct. This is a martial art with amazing potential. Here, this is the tranted version. I¡¯ll be keeping the original for myself. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Feng Qingyou asked smilingly while handing over the tranted version of the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±. She knew Ye Qing was changing the subject but didn¡¯t press the matter.

    ¡°No problem. It¡¯s not like I can read the original anyway,¡± Ye Qing answered happily while putting away the martial arts manual. Assuming that what Feng Qingyou said was urate, to say that it had amazing potential would be an understatement. Sure, it was no match for the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, but it was still leagues above your average martial arts.

    The good news was that this martial art was incredible. The bad news was that the pile of martial arts he needed to study after entering the Martial Tower had increased by one. <i>It¡¯s back to school, dammit!</i>

    The duo conversed with each other for a while longer before Ye Qing finally took his leave. He still had to arrange Kung Fu Frog and Wawa ordingly and make his preparations.

    ¡°Would you be attending the Hidden Dragon Meet, Miss?¡± Uncle Feng appeared in the room and asked after Ye Qing was gone.

    Feng Qingyou replied indifferently, ¡°Who knows? I may get involved if it turns out to be interesting.¡±

    Uncle Feng grinned. ¡°Understood. I shall make the preparations then.¡±

    After Uncle Feng was gone, Feng Qingyou caressed her cup and spoke to herself, ¡°Wannabe dragons and tigers will be fighting in the Hidden Dragon Meet. Will they soar to the heavens, or be buried in mud?¡±

    ¡°This should be interesting.¡±

    1. LOL I can literally imagine Feng Qingyou fuming on the inside. ?

    2. A powerful martial art in Jin Yong¡¯s books, able to reflect any attack back at one¡¯s enemy. ?

 Chapter 319: Strange Artifact Tribulation

    <h4>Chapter 319: Strange Artifact Tribtion </h4>

    ¡°<i>This</i> is the Martial Tower?¡±

    Ye Qing sounded puzzled as he stared at the ordinary, old, downright decrepit pagoda in front of him. This was not what he had imagined when he heard about it.

    ¡°Yes, it might look a little... shabby, but it¡¯s definitely the Martial Tower,¡± Lin Yuhuai answered. ¡°A mountain is tall, but you only give it a name if a celestial lives in it. The Martial Tower was an ordinary pagoda until the Martial Emperorpleted his Way in it. That was how it came to be recognized as the Martial Tower.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s stop wasting time,¡± Gu Suitang urged before walking up to an old man sweeping the floor in front of the Martial Tower and saluting him. ¡°Three Pacification Bureau disciples would like to enter the Martial Tower, Old Shen[1]. Can you please open the Martial Tower for them?¡±

    Old Shen slowly turned around and swept his nce across Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai. His old, wrinkly face squeezed into a smile as he asked, ¡°Are they the ones?¡±

    Gu Suitang replied in a respectful tone, ¡°Yes, they are.¡±

    ¡°Not bad. They are all excellent seedlings.¡± Old Shen smiled and shambled his way over to the door. Then, he removed a set of keys from his waist and unlocked the door.

    The instant the door was unlocked, a terrifying spiritual pressure swept out of the Martial Tower like a shockwave. It was like a sick cat had suddenly turned into a ferocious tiger. Ye Qing¡¯s face paled a little, but he quickly recovered. However, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai felt suffocated and nearly dropped to their knees.

    Old Shen stood at the forefront, but he couldn¡¯t seem to feel the shockwave. He pressed a wrinkly hand on the door and slowly pushed it open.

    The more the door opened, the greater the pressure became. If the initial pressure was just a storm, then it was now a raging river.

    ¡°The door is open. You may enter now.¡±

    Old Shen stepped aside and smiled at the trio.

    ¡°The entrance to the Martial Tower is now open. Whether you can enter it and grasp your opportunity... is up to you.¡± Gu Suitang was also smiling at them, though his was a sly, shit-eating grin.

    The trio barely resisted the urge to roll their eyes. <i>You could¡¯ve told us that we would need to be tested before we are allowed to enter the Martial Tower!</i>

    Gu Suitang¡¯s grin widened as he basked in their aggrieved expressions. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m not the one who set the rules. Plus, if you can¡¯t even withstand this amount of pressure, you¡¯re just going to die inside the Martial Tower. I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡±

    <i>Like hell we¡¯re gonna believe your lies, you shitty old man!</i>

    This time, they <i>did </i>roll their eyes. Still, they didn¡¯t hesitate to walk toward the Martial Tower.

    Ye Qing pressed a finger on his forehead and pulsed his demonic lotus. Demonic thought immediately flooded out like a river and neutralized the spiritual pressure permeating the air. Then, he slowly walked toward the Martial Tower like he was taking a leisurely stroll at a beautiful meadow.

    Right before he entered the door, Ye Qing turned back and shot Gu Suitang a smug look. The Martial Tower¡¯s spiritual pressure was strong, but not strong enough to truly pressure him yet.

    ¡°This brat...¡± Gu Suitang shook his head.

    Old Shen¡¯s eyes also flickered with a hint of surprise and curiosity.

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai weren¡¯t Spirit Purifiers, and they didn¡¯t possess a powerful cultivation art that gave them immense mental strength like the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. Therefore, both men were pale-faced and sweating buckets.

    They didn¡¯t give up, however. They slowly but surely made their way toward the entrance.

    Every time Lin Yuhuai took a step, a yellow talisman would fall from the sky and draw ripples

    Every time Chu Nianjiu took a step, snow would fall, and ice would freeze the ground.

    It wasn¡¯t easy, but the duo were ultimately able to make it to the entrance through sheer willpower.

    As soon as Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu entered the building, the door immediately mmed shut behind them. The terrible pressure permeating the air was gone as well.

    ¡°The kids this time are pretty great.¡± Old Shenmented after the door was shut. ¡°That kid named Joyless is especially exceptional.¡±

    ¡°By the way, you wouldn¡¯t happen to know what cultivation art he practices, would you?¡±

    Gu Suitang shook his head.

    Old Shen was surprised by this. ¡°You don¡¯t know? I thought he ascended to the Spirit Purification stage using one of our cultivation arts?¡±

    Gu Suitang answered, ¡°No, he ascended while he was inside the Demon¡¯s Tomb. He probably obtained the inheritance of a venerable senior or something. Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°He entered the Demon¡¯s Tomb? No wonder.¡± Old Shen eximed in realization. ¡°I just noticed that his spiritual power is extremely unorthodox. One might even call it evil.¡±

    Gu Suitang didn¡¯t care. ¡°There is no such thing as an evil skill or martial art, only evil men. So what if he practices a cultivation art of the Dark Ways? So long as he doesn¡¯t use it to harm innocents, then all is well.¡±

    ¡°That may be true, but he¡¯s really young. I¡¯m worried that he would sumb to the temptation of power and stray off the right path,¡± Old Shen replied worriedly.

    Gu Suitang chuckled. ¡°He won¡¯t. If he was anyone else, then I would share your worry. But not Joyless. I believe in him.¡±

    Old Shen shook his head. ¡°As long as you¡¯re confident. I¡¯m just voicing my concern, and it¡¯s not like that the opinion of a lowly watchman matters.¡±

    ¡°A lowly watchman? Your jokes are getting funnier, Old Shen.¡± Gu Suitang smiled, and the conversation ended there.

    Inside the Martial Tower, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai felt much lighter after the door was closed. The terrifying spiritual pressure had also decreased considerably. It wasn¡¯t gone, but it was within their ability to endure.

    The interior of the Martial Tower was surprisingly clean and minimalistic. There were no furniture, and there were only a handful of praying mats on the floor. They were clearly meant to sit on them.

    Despite the minimalist interior, Ye Qing could sense a rich amount of origin energy and spiritual intent flowing inside the Martial Tower. The origin energy was unbelievably pure, and the spiritual intent contained various insights and understanding regarding the martial way and all sorts of martial arts. They were clearly left behind by the Martial Emperor himself.

    Legend says that the Martial Emperor was a one-of-a-kind genius who was a master of all martial arts and magic. Not only that, he was also incredibly well-learned and knowledgeable.

    He understood now why those who entered the Martial Tower experienced incredible growth. With such a potent spiritual intent, it would be impossible not to.

    ¡°You can literally feel the Martial Emperor¡¯s strength just by perceiving this spiritual intent!¡± Chu Nianjiu sighed.

    ¡°Yes, only a champion like the Martial Emperor could leave behind such a miracle,¡± Lin Yuhuai echoed in agreement.

    Ye Qing wanted to voice apliment or two as well, but when the words traveled to his mouth, it turned into, ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s strong as fuck!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu: ¡°...¡±

    Lin Yuhuai: ¡°...¡±

    <i>It might¡¯ve been better if you didn¡¯t speak.</i>

    Ye Qing realized that he had ruined the atmosphere as well and coughed, ¡°Ahem, let¡¯s start training already. Don¡¯t forget that we only have ten days.¡±

    The duo agreed. They quickly sought out a suitable praying mat, sat down, and began their training.

    ......

    <i>Creak...</i>

    When you get absorbed in training, you lose track of time pretty quickly. Ten days came and went in the blink of an eye, and the door of the Martial Tower opened exactly on time. Not long after, Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai reluctantly returned to the real world.

    ¡°Not bad! You¡¯ve both reached the Spirit Purification stage, Nianjiu, Yuhuai! Not bad at all!¡± Gu Suitang¡¯s eyes lit up with delight.

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai were clearly ddened by their own progress. They saluted Gu Suitang deeply and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, chief. We¡¯re d we¡¯re able to meet your expectations.¡±

    Next, Gu Suitang looked at Ye Qing. The young man¡¯s cultivation level hadn¡¯t increased at all, but that didn¡¯t mean that he hadn¡¯t changed. For an instant, he noticed an air around Ye Qing that was as dark as the night and as bottomless as the abyss before it disappeared¡ªno, it was more like it blended with its surroundings so as not to draw attention to itself.

    <i>How strange, </i>Gu Suitang thought to himself but didn¡¯t prod Ye Qing for details as a matter of course. ¡°The three of you may take a day¡¯s break. Tomorrow, you will tarvel to Tian Yong.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow? Isn¡¯t that a little too hasty?¡± Chu Nianjiu.

    ¡°Not at all. It is just right.¡± Gu Suitang answered, ¡°There are twenty or so days left before the Hidden Dragon Meet, and I expect you to hone yourself even more as you make your way to Tian Yong. It will be a true test since Xiaoman and I won¡¯t be shadowing you in secret thi time.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± Now they understood why Gu Suitang had only given them ten days to train in the Martial Tower. He had calcted everything.

    ¡°You may leave now.¡± Gu Suitang waved them away.

    After the trio left the Martial Tower, Ye Qing bade his colleagues goodbye and made a beeline for the Artificing Department. He wanted to check if Old Zhang was done reforging the Blue Demon Hand. But as soon as he reached the entrance, he heard Old Zhang yelling, ¡°Give me your blood essence now, Joyless!¡±

    Ye Qing was speechless for a moment. <i>Ayo, you want my blood the second I stepped through the door? The fuck¡¯s going on in there?</i>

    ¡°Blood essence, now!¡± Old Zhang urged again when he saw that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t moving.

    Realizing that it wasn¡¯t a shitty prank, Ye Qing mustered a mouthful of blood essence in his throat and asked, ¡°Weh wo you want wit?¡±

    It took Old Zhang a second to understand that Ye Qing was asking, ¡°Where do you want me to spit my blood?¡±

    ¡°That thing on that table! Spit on it immediately!¡±

    Ye Qing looked. There was a ck, ashen-colored item on the table. It looked like a glove, but it looked so ugly he could throw up on the spot.

    His eyes bulged. <i>It¡¯s my Blue Demon Hand! My beautiful Blue Demon Hand! What did the old bastard do to you?!</i>

    ¡°Just spit your fucking blood already!¡± Old Zhang was so impatient that he pped Ye Qing in the back, causing him to throw up his fresh blood all over the glove.

    As soon as his blood essence hit the glove, it gradually vanished as if it was being absorbed by the glove. The next moment, the glove shot right through the roof and into the sky.

    At the same time, a dark cloud started gathering above the glove. Thunder cracked, and silver lightning bolts struck the glove again and again.

    Every time a lightning bolt struck, the ckness enveloping the glove would decrease just a little. Then, the glove emitted a ray of bluish ck light, and pitch ck mes rapidly expanded in every direction like clouds, shrouding half the sky. An odorless scent was also spreading from the mes.

    The pitch ck mes were extremely deadly. The buildings directly underneath it began melting and crumbling without a sound, and the surrounding grass and trees started withering rapidly as well. It was a horrifying sight to say the least.

    ¡°Get out, everyone! Do note closer!¡± Old Zhang roared and made a grabbing motion. A restriction was activated, and invisible energies confined the ck mes to a certain area.

    Thankfully, the Artificing Department enjoyed a wide space and was situated at a fairly remote and unpopted area. The artificers seemed to be used to this as well as they evacuated the area in an orderly area. Otherwise, it might have resulted in massive chaos and unnecessary death and destruction.

    ¡°That¡¯s... a Strange Artifact Tribtion?!¡±

    ¡°Old Zhang must be refining something again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a high quality one too from the looks of it!¡±

    ¡°Heh, that depends if it survives its tribtion!¡±

    ¡°True enough. One thing for certain, Old Zhang is going broke again. Look at all that property damage... hehe.¡±

    Outside the affected area, a bunch of Pacification Bureau members and artificers were watching the tribtion and gossiping about it. Some of their voices were full of schadenfreude.

    1. Someone might wonder why I didn¡¯t trante this as elder. It¡¯s very simple. The Pacification Bureau is just way too different from your conventional sect in terms of structure. ?

 Chapter 320: Dragon Sacrifice Bay

    <h4>Chapter 320: Dragon Sacrifice Bay </h4>

    ¡°What¡¯s this, Old Zhang?¡± Ye Qing asked while frowning at the pitch ck mes ravaging the sky.

    Old Zhang replied, ¡°It¡¯s a Strange Artifact Tribtion. Your Blue Demon Hand is considered too anomalous and heretical by the heavens, which was why a tribtion has descended to prevent its birth.¡±

    ¡°Can I do anything?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Old Zhang answered, ¡°No. The Strange Artifact must survive the tribtion via its own power. If it seeds, it will be stronger than ever before. If not, then it will crumble into dust, just like how a butterfly who fails to break out of its cocoon will die.¡±

    ¡°Everything will go well, right?¡± Ye Qing said worriedly.

    Old Zhang shot him an unfriendly look. ¡°What¡¯s that? Are you questioning my artificing skills?¡±

    Ye Qing flinched and replied hurriedly, ¡°Of course not! I was just worried!¡± <i>I should¡¯ve known better than to antagonize my artificer!</i>

    As the dark cloud continued to shoot lightning at the Blue Demon Hand, the amount of ck mes was growing rapidly as well. In response, the tribtion grew stronger until it looked like silver serpents were dancing in the sky.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    ck mes scattered everywhere as the silver lightning struck it again and again. Eventually, the entire sky was shrouded by shing silver and ck. The dark cloud and silver lightning were still growing thicker and thicker.

    ¡°ROAR!¡±

    An indefinite amount of timeter, a furious roar suddenly cut through the roars of lightning, and the pitch ck mes joined together and formed the shape of a serpent. It shot straight toward the cloud despite the barrage of silver lightning pouring down on it.

    If a carp that overcame the Dragon Gate would be a true dragon, then a serpent that overcame the gate of heavens would be a sky dragon.

    When the serpent finalled punched through the clouds and scattered it like dust, a draconic roar resounded throughout heaven and earth. This should be a glorious, uplifting sight, but the world only grew darker and darker. The wind howled, and the rain poured like a waterfall. It was like the world itself was weeping at its failure. Many people couldn¡¯t help but feel sad as well even though they didn¡¯t understand the reason.

    The dragon circled the sky a few times before finally descending toward Ye Qing. When it arrived, the ck mes faded away to reveal a glove that looked as thin as a cicada¡¯s wings. It was bluish ck in color and covered in tiny dragon scales. ck qi swirled around it, and it looked like a mini dragon swimming freely in the air.

    ¡°On top of what the Blue Demon hand already has, I added the Xuanhuang Drake¡¯s scale, the skin of the River Devouring Toad, the Sky Nether Stone, the Azure Purple Gold and other precious materials. Besides that, I forged it using the Netherme and the Cold Spring of Myriad Poison and greatly enhanced its Netherme and Hundred Poison. To make aparison, both abilities are at least dozens of times more potent than they were before. It has other abilities, but let¡¯s just keep it short and say that it¡¯s now a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact.¡±

    Old Zhang looked immensely proud as he stared at the Blue Demon Hand. Ye Qing¡¯s hands shook as he stared at Old Zhang with widened eyes of shock and delight. ¡°A Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Since the Blue Demon Hand is reborn, would you like to give it a new name?¡± Old Zhang asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I still prefer to call it the Blue Demon Hand,¡± said Ye Qing as he put it on his left hand. He could clearly sense the tremendous amount of power contained within its fabric. If he channeled its power right now, he was confident he could burn everything within a sixty-meter radius into dust.

    ¡°I thought you said that you could only upgrade it to a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, Old Zhang?¡± Ye Qing asked while caressing the glove lovingly.

    Old Zhang snorted. ¡°I was just being humble. It¡¯s all too easy for me to forge a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, understand?¡±

    ¡°I do. Thank you, Old Zhang,¡± Ye Qing said sincerely.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Old Zhang waved off the thank you. ¡°Just remember to pay me one thousand contribution points.¡±

    ¡°ONE THOUSAND?!¡± Ye Qing was so appalled that he nearly tossed the Blue Demon Hand back to Old Zhang. Since he joined the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, he had in countless Strangers and made many major contributions including saving Luo Shui from the Way of Taiping and the Pacification Bureau from being controlled by Mara Buddha. Despite this, he had only rued a little over a thousand contribution points. That was how difficult it was to earn contribution points in the Pacification Bureau.

    But now, Old Zhang was asking for a thousand contribution points. That was like asking him to give up half of his entire fortune. No, more than that.

    ¡°Too little? Should I make it two thousand then?¡± Old Zhang shot Ye Qing a disdainful look. ¡°Some of the main materials used to reforge your Blue Demon Hand such as the River Devouring Toad, the Sky Nether Stone, the Cold Spring of Myriad Poison and so on all came from <i>my </i>pockets. Did you seriously think your shitty little glove could be a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact without those materials? Dream on.¡±

    ¡°Without exaggeration, those materials alone are worth over one thousand contribution points, and I didn¡¯t even ask you to pay me thebor cost. The fuck you¡¯re screaming about, huh?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Yes sir. It¡¯s all my fault, sir.</i>

    After Ye Qing paid Old Zhang the contribution points, he got ready to take his leave. It was at this moment the artificer recalled something and called out, ¡°Oh right, I expect you to pay for the destroyed buildings as well.¡±

    ¡°Why me?!¡± Ye Qing burst out, aghast.

    Old Zhang replied matter-of-factly, ¡°It¡¯s <i>your </i>Strange Artifact that destroyed the buildings. Who should pay for them if not you?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>You¡¯re the boss.</i>

    ¡°Onest thing. Make sure you nurture the Blue Demon Hand properly. There is a high chance it might be sentient!¡± The old man finally left after saying that.

    ¡°It might be sentient?!¡± Ye Qing burst out again, but this time it was a cry of pure joy. He was so ted he couldn¡¯t even feel the pain of losing a thousand contribution points anymore. It was because the Blue Demon Hand would have unlimited potential if it became sentient.

    Ye Qing went over to the Pacification Sentinels keeping the order and negotiated with them for a bit. Then, he hurried back to the Inspection Department to test out the Blue Demon Hand¡¯s newfound power.

    ......

    <i>Dang...</i>

    The next day morning, three youngsters left the city as soon as the morning gong rang.

    At the city entrance, Wei Yueshan, Xu Banren, Ugly Monk, Amorous Nun and more stood side by side and called out to the trio, ¡°May you have a safe journey, my lords! May you soar to the heavens!¡±

    ¡°May you have a safe journey, my lords! May you soar to the heavens!¡±

    ¡°May you have a safe journey, my lords! May you soar to the heavens!¡±

    ¡°May you have a safe journey, my lords! May you soar to the heavens!¡±

    The cries sounded like thunder, but instead of intimidation, it was full of hope and expectations.

    Outside the gates, Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai saluted their colleagues before promising solemnly, ¡°We will.¡±

    After they said their goodbyes, the trio made haste for Luo Shui Point. The n was to catch a boat to the south before continuing toward Tian Yong on foot.

    ¡°Is it just me, or are you unhappy about something, Joyless?¡±

    On the way, Chu Nianjiu noticed Ye Qing was looking downcast for some reason and voiced his concern.

    ¡°Am I?¡± Ye Qing shrugged before shooting him a reassuring smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu was right on the mark though. Yesterday, he went to Heavenly Heart Clinic to bid Feng Qingyou goodbye only to learn from a medical student that she and Uncle Feng had left the ce three days ago. The student had no idea where the duo had gone to, nor had they left him a parting message. His disappointment was such that even his joy at acquiring the reborn Blue Demon Hand was washed awaypletely.

    He didn¡¯t know what he was feeling¡ªor rather, it was tooplicated to sum up in one word. It was a mix of sorrow, disappointment, worry, longing and more.

    Chu Nianjiu thought Ye Qing was missing Luo Shui and consoled him, ¡°Come now. We¡¯ll be back as soon as the Hidden Dragon Meet is over. There¡¯s nothing to be sad about.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m fine. Come on.¡± Ye Qing shook off hisplicated feelings and put on a bright smile on his face. The <i>jianghu </i>was big, and the path was long. If fate willed it so, then they would definitely meet each other again.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the trio reached Luo Shui Point. They quickly got on a boat that was headed toward Feng Yang[1]. Once there, they would take the road that passes through He Jian and Guang Ping. After that, it was a one way street into Tian Yong prefecture and the city of Tian Yong.

    The trio chatted on the deck and admired the scenery for a bit after boarding the boat. Then, they returned to their rooms to train.

    Ast-minute effort might not amount to much, but not putting in the effort at all was definitely not going to improve their chances.

    Nighttime soon arrived, and a bright moon shone above Luo Shui. From time to time, a cool breeze would blow over the river and scatter the reflections of the stars and moon.

    Inside his room, Ye Qing was sitting crosslegged on his bed and practicing the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± with his eyes closed. His demonic thought rippled out like waves and manifested all sorts of strange, eerie and disturbing illusions, but they were confined within his room only. Not one bit of the unusual phenomenon leaked out of his room.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing opened his eyes, and the bizarre illusions vanished like they never were. A hint of steel flickered behind his eyes.

    <i>Something¡¯s wrong.</i>

    Ye Qing stepped out of his room and appeared on the deck soon after. When he scanned around, he discovered that the guards, sailors, servants and more hadpletely disappeared for some reason.

    He stretched his demonic thought until it enveloped the entire boat. He let out a sigh of relief when he found that the crew and passengers were all safe and sound, but he frowned when he noticed that they were all holed up inside their rooms with nervous, practically terrified expressions on their faces.

    Normally, some guards would be manning the deck in case a Stranger or some sort of danger showed up. However, these people were neither catching a break or sleeping. They were just hugging themselves and shivering like it was the end of the world. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    It was at this moment an old man stepped out of his room and saw Ye Qing standing on the deck. He immediately rushed over to his side while crying urgently, ¡°Why are you outside, customer? Get back to your room now!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Steward Wu?¡± Ye Qing asked. The old man was a steward on the boat, Wu Zhao.

    ¡°No time for questions. We need to get inside, now!¡±

    Wu Zhao grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s arm and forcefully dragged him into his own room. Wu Zhao was only ate-stage Vessel Augmentor, so Ye Qing could¡¯ve easily dodged his grab or pushed him away. He didn¡¯t though. He wanted to know what Wu Zhao was thinking, or more urately, what was going on with this boat.

    Wu Zhao let out a sigh of relief as soon as he shut the door behind them. He then looked at Ye Qing and rebuked him, ¡°Customer, did we not tell you not to leave your rooms during the night no matter what? Why didn¡¯t you listen to us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I forgot,¡± Ye Qing apologized. He didn¡¯t take offense with Wu Zhao¡¯s harsh words because he could tell that Wu Zhao was just concerned for him. ¡°But what¡¯s going on, Steward Wu? Why can¡¯t we leave during the night?¡±

    Wu Zhao sighed. ¡°Take a seat while I grab you some tea.¡±

    After Wu Zhao poured Ye Qing a cup of tea and took a deep gulp from his own cup, he finally said, ¡°It¡¯s not aplicated story. To put it simply, this part of the river is quite dangerous during the night.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow.

    Wu Zhao sipped his tea again as if to calm his own nerves. ¡°This part of the river is called the Dragon Sacrifice Bay. It was said to be their of an evil dragon who caused much trouble for the residents who lived here a hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°Later, the dragon sent the residents a dream and imed that it would give them its blessing if they perform a ritual sacrifice every month; a boy and a girl to be exact. If they did this, then it would protect their families from harm, promise good weather, ensure that the crops grow well and so on.¡±

    ¡°There was nothing the people could do against the dragon, so they had no choice but to obey its demands. At the beginning, they didn¡¯t truly believe the dragon. They thought it was just a ploy to torment them even more than they already were. However, after they performed the sacrifice, they quickly discovered that the disasters that gued them for the longest time gued them no longer. Not only that, the weather was fine, and their crops were growing finer than ever before. Over time, everyone living at these shores became quite wealthy.¡±

    Wu Zhao let out a deep sigh when he reached this point in the story. ¡°However, wealth gave way to sloth, and sloth gave way to greed. Realizing that they could just sacrifice a pair of children to enjoy a good life, they stopped working altogether and just performed ritual sacrifices in exchange for food and survival.¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t a sustainable way of living, of course. After they ran out of children to sacrifice in their own vige, they began buying children from vers. When the demand eventually outweighed the supply, they took up the ve trade and began kidnapping children themselves. Still, their greed was endless. They went from stealing children in secret to openly kidnapping them in in sight. Their scope of activity kept growing and growing as well.¡±

    ¡°Finally, their heinous actions caught the attention of the local government, and in a fit of righteous rage the government executed every viger that was involved and tossed them into the river. Then, they lured out the evil dragon and slew it once and for all.¡±

    ¡°But it was already toote. So many children were sacrificed at these waters that their umted resentment had transformed into an Anomaly. When the sun set, and nighttime had arrived, those horrible rituals from the past would rey itself like it had never been gone. Anyone who encountered the Anomaly and saw the ritual during the night would be pulled into the Anomaly and turned into a sacrifice themselves. This is why this ce was eventually known as Dragon Sacrifice Bay.¡±

    1. Amandery. ?

 Chapter 321: Their Bodies Became The Evil Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 321: Their Bodies Became The Evil Dragon </h4>

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Pacification Bureau send anyone to handle this?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Wu Zhao answered, ¡°Of course they have, but they just couldn¡¯t eliminate the Anomaly of Dragon Sacrifice Bay no matter what they tried. They even lost a lot of Pacification Sentinels in the attempt.¡±

    ¡°That said, the Anomaly only appears at night, and as long as you stay inside your room and avoid looking at it, then no danger would befall you.¡±

    ¡°That is why I ordered the servants to inform everyone not to leave their rooms no matter what they hear. I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Also, Dragon Sacrifice Bay is just a few kilometers long, which is about half a teatime¡¯s journey. We will be safe once we leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you for telling me this.¡± Ye Qing saluted the steward.

    He didn¡¯t think that Wu Zhao was lying. The reason he came out in the first ce was because he sensed the Anomaly.

    ¡°As long as you understand.¡± Wu Zhao sighed in relief before saying, ¡°Please rest here for a moment. You will be free to leave once we have passed Dragon Sacrifice Bay.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Ye Qing nodded. He saw no reason to ignore sound advice, not to mention that this was a case even the Pacification Bureau wasn¡¯t able to solve. He wasn¡¯t so arrogant that he thought that he could solve this Anomaly by himself.

    After that, Ye Qing spoke to Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai via sound transmission and briefly told them about the Anomaly. Then, he warned them not to leave their rooms no matter what.

    As it turned out, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai already knew about the story. They had served the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau for a long time after all. They knew better than to provoke such an Anomaly.

    Gu Suitang sent them out to test themselves, not tomit suicide.

    <i>Thump thump thump!</i>

    Ten or so breathster, a bunch of gong banging noises suddenly came from outside. Ye Qing could also hear prayers and certain disturbing noises that were best left unsaid. The prayers were basically requests to the evil dragon to protect them from harm and illness, grant them good weather, give them plenty of healthy crops and so on.

    At the same time, Ye Qing sensed an evil, anomalous aura rising from the depths of the river. It quickly enveloped this section of the river and the boat itself.

    Normally, Ye Qing would try to perceive the Anomaly using his demonic thought, but he restrained the impulse. It wasn¡¯t because he was afraid of trouble, but because there were plenty of innocent people aboard the boat. He might be able to escape if the worst were to happen, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for the others.

    Unfortunately, not everyone shared his sensibility. As the prayer and the gong noises grew louder and louder, a group of people finally lost control of their curiosity and stepped out of their room.

    ¡°Dammit! Why won¡¯t they listen to reason?!¡± Wu Zhao eximed in frustration. He had clearly been keeping an ear out for any sign of activity, which was why he reacted immediately when he heard the sound of door creaking.

    Wu Zhao hesitated for a moment before ordering, ¡°Stay inside the room, customer.¡± Then, he rushed out of the door.

    He was the steward of this boat. His passengers¡¯ lives were his responsibility.

    Ye Qing too hesitated for an instant before attaching a wisp of demonic thought on Wu Zhao. The steward was a good man. He would rather keep him alive than not.

    Eyes closed, Wu Zhao rushed out of the room and blocked the three warriors who were just about to climb onto the deck. ¡°Customers, it¡¯s dangerous outside. Please return to your rooms immediately.¡±

    ¡°How dangerous can it be? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re acting a little too scared?¡± A brawny, savage-looking man scoffed.

    All three men were Astral Refiners, which was why they didn¡¯t really feel any respect toward the steward, who was only ate-stage Vessel Augmentor.

    ¡°Yeah, stop getting in our¡ªwait a second. Is that it? Is there a treasure or an opportunity outside? Are you stopping us because you¡¯re nning to im it all for yourselves?¡± A thin man with a pair of beady, mouse-like eyes cackled.

    Huge beads of sweat were forming on Wu Zhao¡¯s forehead. ¡°You misunderstand, customers! This is the Dragon Sacrifice Bay, and an Anomaly is outside! It¡¯s really dangerous right now!¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Just get out of our way.¡± The brawny man pushed Wu Zhao away impatiently before stepping onto the deck. Hispanions were following closely behind him.

    As soon as they made it on the deck, all three men were suddenly struck by a bad premonition. It was at this moment they caught sight of a bizarre illusion at the distant rivershore.

    They saw a group of oddly-dressed civilians praying to an evil-looking dragon with crazed expressions on their faces. A boy and a girl were tied at the bottom of the statue, and their fearful cries could¡¯ve woken up the entire Dragon Sacrifice Bay. Not a single one of the civilians reacted to it, however.

    Standing on a sacrificial altar was an old man wearing a dragon¡¯s mask. He was holding a book and chanting something illegible. When he was done, someone grabbed the bound boy and girl and tossed them into the river.

    The rushing river devoured the two children immediately. All that was left in the air was their final screams.

    The river then churned as if some sort of horror was swimming underneath the murky waters. Then, bright red blood rose from the bottom and dyed the river water red.

    There shouldn¡¯t be anywhere near enough blood for the children to turn the water red, and yet the redness kept spreading until the entire river was red. It was like a literal river of blood.

    That wasn¡¯t the worst part, however. The worst part was that the bloody river in the illusion had somehow spread to the Luo Shui River and turned it bright red as well. It was like their boat was cruising along a river of blood, dark and eerie.

    A chill like nothing they had ever experienced before shot up their spine. Regret came swiftly after. As they weren¡¯t locals, they had no idea about the Anomaly that gued Dragon Sacrifice Bay. When Wu Zhao tried to make them see reason, they were sure that they were strong enough to handle anything. Now, it was toote.

    ¡°We... We need to go now!¡± The brawny man gulped loudly. But just as they were about to leave, the civilians in the illusion abruptly turned their heads and stared straight at them.

    Their bodies stiffened, and their hearts welled with great terror. The next moment, the civilians actually stepped out of the illusion and strode straight toward them.

    The three men turned as pale as a sheet, but they couldn¡¯t even speak, much less move. They could only watch as the civilians came close, grabbed their bodies, and dragged them back into the illusion. Now, they were part of the Anomaly as well.

    After that, the three men were tied up and tossed into the river like livestocks. The river churned, and new blood surged from its depths.

    ¡°And that is why you should listen to people who know better than you.¡±

    Inside the room, Ye Qing had witnessed everything through his demonic thought. He felt no sympathy for the three warriors though. They deserved to die for their idiocy.

    One thing he noted was that the civilians ignored Wu Zhao as if he didn¡¯t exist. It was because he had kept his eyes closed the whole time. This proved that the Anomaly couldn¡¯t touch anyone who didn¡¯t look at it with the naked eye.

    After all, he was technically ¡°seeing¡± with his demonic thought, but he was fine as well.

    ¡°Steward Wu, those guys are already dead. Juste back inside.¡±

    Wu Zhao had his eyes closed, so he didn¡¯t know what had happened to the three warriors. He was thinking if there was still a chance to save them when Ye Qing¡¯s voice abruptly appeared inside his head.

    This startled Wu Zhao as a matter of course, but he quickly realized that a powerful warrior was probably speaking to him. He saluted the air, let out a sigh, and began to walk back to his room.

    It was at this moment a girl about seven or eight years old suddenly rushed out of another room. She was chasing a cat while crying, ¡°Don¡¯t run, White! Don¡¯t run!¡±

    Unfortunately, the girl¡¯s room was close to the deck. By the time Wu Zhao realized what just happened, the girl had already gotten on the deck.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Wu Zhao didn¡¯t think twice. He immediately ran up to the girl, caught her, and attempted to rush back into his room.

    The next moment, Wu Zhao froze in his tracks, and an unspeakable horror paralyzed him from the inside out. He couldn¡¯t move, but he could feel a chill slowly but surely approaching him from behind.

    Wu Zhao never opened his eyes, but the same couldn¡¯t be said for the girl in his arms. It would appear that being too close to someone who saw the Anomaly put them under its effects as well.

    The girl immediately burst out crying when she saw the civilians stepping toward her with maddened grins on their faces. It truly was a sick Anomaly considering that the warriors from before couldn¡¯t even make a sound, and yet it allowed the girl to cry to her heart¡¯s content. Strangely, no sound could be heard even though the girl was clearly crying.

    Meanwhile, anxious noises wereing out of the room where the girl was. It was most likely the girl¡¯s parents realizing that she was gone and getting ready to look for her.

    ¡°Dammit. What a pain!¡± Ye Qing sighed deeply. He could leave the three warriors to die, but how could he allow the same fate to befall Wu Zhao and the little girl?

    He immediately detached a wisp of demonic thought and froze the girl¡¯s parents in ce. It would not do for them to muck up the situation even more than it already was. Then, he tapped the space in front of him and let loose a ripple of demonic thought that popped the civilians walking toward Wu Zhao and the girl like bubbles.

    Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, Ye Qing¡¯s resistance seemed to anger the Anomaly. The blood red waters of the Luo Shui River began boiling ominously as the faces of countless children slowly rose to the surface.

    Soon, the entire river was covered in countless faces. They almost looked like lotus leaves floating on the river.

    A child¡¯s face should be the most innocent, pure and bright face in the world, but the ones floating on the river were utterly warped by resentment, fury and hatred. The already sinister atmosphere grew even more sinister than before.

    <i>Tap!</i>

    Suddenly, a tapping sound that almost sounded like someone tapping a table with their finger appeared. All the evils and anomalies shrouding the boat abruptly melted like snow.

    At the same time, the children¡¯s faces grew even more distorted than before.

    <i>Whoosh whoosh whoosh...</i>

    The boat suddenly began wobbling unsteadily like it was experiencing a massive tidal wave. The river of blood also surged all the way to the sky. By the time the waters fell back into the river, an absolutely terrifying-looking dragon was towering over the boat.

    The dragon was unbelievably huge, but strangely, its body was covered in the faces of children. More urately, the dragon itself was made from the bodies of countless children. The faces Ye Qing saw earlier was but a small, small portion of the dragon¡¯s body.

    ¡°To be eaten by the evil dragon when you were still alive, and to be its body even in death. How terrible.¡±

    Sympathy flickered in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes before he condensed his demonic thought into a saber. Then, he sent a diagonal sh at the dragon. Red lotuses immediately fell from the sky and filled the entire Luo Shui River.

    <i>¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±</i>

    Wisps of hellfire began appearing on the dragon¡¯s body. they swiftly grew in size before joining together to form a massive inferno. The faces on its body grew increasingly contorted as bloodcurdling screams filled the air.

    The hellfire kept burning and purifying the sins of the dragon. The children¡¯s faces gradually turned kind and peaceful as well.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t rx, however. This Anomaly had existed for at least a hundred years. If it was this easy to destroy it, the Pacification Bureau would¡¯ve handled it ages ago.

    As expected, the dragon¡¯s resentment and evil returned almost as soon as the hellfire disappearedpletely. The children¡¯s faces turned savage and murderous once more.

    Thankfully, Ye Qing knew this was going to happen. This was why hemanded the Boundless Mara Buddha to protect the boat with its Buddhist powers and push it forward as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Uwah! Uwaaaah! UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡±

    Suddenly, all the faces on the dragon¡¯s body let out a loud, ear-piercing cry. It overflowed with evil and distorting power. As the man bearing the brunt of the attack, Ye Qing felt like someone had taken a hammer to his head.

    The good news was that the evil power was absorbed by his demonic lotus as soon as it entered his headspace. Painful it might be, it was only strengthening his demonic thought.

    The bad news was that the dragon was chasing after the boat.

 Chapter 322: Lei Martial School

    <h4>Chapter 322: Lei Martial School </h4>

    ¡°Palm Thunder!¡±

    Ye Qing was going to use the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± a second time when suddenly, a cry interrupted his attack. The next moment, a massive palm carrying a pool of pure lightning at the center appeared in the sky before flipping downward on the evil dragon. Massive pirs of lightning immediately shot toward the evil dragon with seemingly enough power to disintegrate it into atoms.

    In reality, the lightning failed to do any damage to the dragon whatsoever. In fact, it only managed to pin down the dragon for a few breaths.

    A few breaths was exactly what the boat needed though. It left Dragon Sacrifice Bay right before the dragon would shake off the lighting shackles, and the next second, the dragon, the insane vigers, the river of blood and more all disappeared into thin air. Moonlight shone down from the sky and washed away all the horror like a ray of cleansing light. It was as if everything that happened before was a dream. Just, a dream.

    ¡°Phew... we¡¯re saved,¡± Wu Zhao let out a huge sigh of relief when he sensed the obvious change in the air. His mouth was dry, and his entire body was drenched in cold sweat. He then recalled something and called out in a hurry, ¡°Thank you for saving my life, senior.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know who was the one who saved him, he had no doubt that he would¡¯ve died a most horrifying death if not for the lotus flowers and the palm thunder.

    He had crossed the Dragon Sacrifice Bay many times during the night, but this was easily the closest he had evere to death. It was terrifying to say the least.

    Wu Zhao felt a little disappointed when he waited for a moment but didn¡¯t hear a response. However, he didn¡¯t dare to urge his benefactor to show up. ¡°This junior regrets the fact that he cannot thank you in person, but he will forever remember this favor. Thank you again, senior.¡±

    ¡°Uuu... daddy, mommy. I want daddy! I want mommy! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah!¡±

    It was at this moment the girl suddenly burst into a full-throated cry and jolted Wu Zhao out of his reverie. He hurriedly consoled the little girl, ¡°It¡¯s fine, everything¡¯s fine now. Uncle will take you to daddy and mommy immediately, alright?¡± Then, he strode straight toward her parent¡¯s room.

    Inside the room, Ye Qing shifted his attention away from the duo as soon as he was sure that everything was back to normal. Then, he traced the vestiges of energies in the air toward the person who helped him earlier.

    What surprised him was that the person who created that pool of lightning that resembled the judgment of the heavens... was just a young, small Taoist.

    The Taoist looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old at most. He was wearing a Taoist robe, and his hair was tied in a Taoist hair bun. His lips were a healthy red, and his teeth were white. He was literally just a kid.

    The young Taoist¡¯s cultivation wasn¡¯t poor at all despite his age, however. He was a middle-stage Spirit Purifier and technically stronger than Ye Qing.

    Right now, the young Taoist was sitting cross-legged on his bed with a blush on his face. He looked like he wanted to say something but was bogged down by deep hesitation. It was cute and amusing.

    <i>This might be the first time I¡¯ve encountered such a timid </i>jianghu <i>warrior, </i>Ye Qing thought in amusement. He could tell that the young Taoist wanted to greet him, but because he was introverted, timid and hesitant, his greeting ultimately died in his throat.

    So, Ye Qing took the initiative and greeted him first, ¡°Thank you for helping me earlier, brother!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t really do much.¡± The young Taoist¡¯s expression visibly brightened when he heard Ye Qing¡¯s mental voice. ¡°I er... My name is Qi Xuanyun. May I know your name, brother?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°My name is Joyless Ye. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Brother Qi.¡±

    The young Taoist replied meekly, ¡°Hello, Brother Ye.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a littlete, so let¡¯s speak tomorrow, shall we?¡± Ye Qing suggested.

    ¡°Oh. Sure!¡± Qi Xuanyun nodded happily. He couldn¡¯t possibly know that Ye Qing could see him through his demonic thought, so who was he nodding to?

    Ye Qing¡¯s amusement grew as he withdrew his demonic thought and left Wu Zhao¡¯s room. But instead of returning to his room, he went to Chu Nianjiu¡¯s room. Lin Yuhuai was present as well.

    ¡°Did you challenge the Anomaly, Joyless?!¡± Chu Nianjiu asked concernedly, ¡°Are you fine?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ye Qing replied easily as he poured a cup of wine for himself, ¡°but it was dicier than I thought it would be. That Anomaly is very strong and highly dangerous.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai agreed, ¡°I can see that. In the Pacification Bureau, the Anomaly of Dragon Sacrifice Bay is only ssified as a Hatred-ss Anomaly because it cannot harm you if you don¡¯t look at it. But if you do look at it, then its danger level would increase drastically.¡±

    ¡°It is truly incredible that you are able to rescue the steward and the girl from the Anomaly.¡±

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s nothing,¡± Ye Qing replied humbly.

    ¡°Oh right, who was the person who helped you just now?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°A young Taoist named Qi Xuanyun.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu exchanged a nce with each other before shaking their heads. ¡°Qi Xuanyun? We¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±

    Chu Nian waved his hand and said, ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Head back to your rooms and catch some rest. We will reach Feng Yang first thing in the morning, and we need to pay Headmaster Lei a visit and congratte him on his birthday.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. We¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡± Ye Qing and Lin Yuhuai nodded before taking their leave.

    After the duo was gone, Chu Nianjiu let out a sigh of relief. Had he not chased away Joyless, that damned boozer, he most likely would¡¯ve found an excuse to engorge himself on his jar of high quality Plum Blossom Brew. <i>Thank goodness I¡¯m so smart, </i>he thought to himself.

    He was wrong. As soon as he nced at the table, he realized that his Plum Blossom Brew was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Joyless!¡± Chu Nianjiu nearly threw up blood right there and then. In the end, he wasn¡¯t save his precious wine from a certain bastard¡¯s gullet!

    ......

    The next day early morning, the boat arrived safely at the ferry point outside Feng Yang. As the trio were getting off the boat, Ye Qing saw a young Taoist carrying a wooden sword behind his back stepping off the boat before them. He drew hispanions¡¯ attention and pointed, ¡°That¡¯s the guy who helped mest night, Qi Xuanyun.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s him? He¡¯s so young!¡± Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai examined the young Taoist. ¡°His cultivation is higher than ours though. It¡¯s obvious that he hails from a prestigious n or sect.¡±

    The young Taoist sensed their gazes and turned around to look at them. Since the trio meant him no harm, they nodded at the young Taoist and shot him a polite smile.

    However, the young Taoist seemed to be even more inexperienced in social situations than Ye Qing thought. He blushed like an apple, turned away, and slipped into the crowd like a fish in water. He was using some sort of movement art that allowed him to navigate the traffic smoothly without bothering anyone.

    ¡°Are we that scary?¡± Chu Nianjiu was confused by the young Taoist¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s not us, it¡¯s you.¡± Ye Qing said seriously, ¡°You have the ugliest mug of the three of us.¡±

    ¡°<i>Excuse me?</i>¡±

    Chu Nianjiu looked to Lin Yuhuai for support, but the talisman master simply gave him a pat on the shoulder and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you <i>are </i>the ugliest of the three of us.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu: ¡°...¡± <i>I would totally dunk their heads in the river and wash their eyes if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I can¡¯t subdue either of them...</i>

    The trio walked very quickly. It wasn¡¯t long before they reached the Lei Martial School.

    The headmaster of the Lei Martial School was called Lei Laohu[ref]Laohu is Tiger.[ref], and he was a good friend of Gu Suitang. Today was Lei Laohu¡¯s fiftieth birthday, so Gu Suitang asked them to visit his friend and give him his congrattions while they were passing through Feng Yang.

    The trio were treated to a shocking sight when they arrived at the Lei Martial School, however. It was because the building had burned down to rubble. They saw broken walls, charred wood, and patches of dark red that could only be blood on the ground. They could even smell some soot from the rubble, which meant that it hadn¡¯t been too long since the ce burned down.

    ¡°Is this the Lei Martial School?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked hesitantly.

    ¡°I think so. This is definitely the address,¡± replied Ye Qing, though he himself looked mired with uncertainty.

    ording to Gu Suitang, Lei Laohu was ate-stage Spirit Purifier and a fairly famous person in Feng Yang thanks to his martial school. What the fuck happened here?

    It was at this moment a middle-aged woman passing through the area called out to them in a hushed voice, ¡°Boys, boys! What are you doing over there? Come here quickly!¡±

    The trio obliged while asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, auntie?¡±

    The middle-aged woman grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s hand and pulled him to the side. It was only then she said in a low voice, ¡°This ce is unsafe. It¡¯s haunted, you see!¡±

    ¡°Haunted?¡± Ye Qing said in confusion before shooting a question, ¡°Is this the Lei Martial School, auntie?¡±

    ¡°But of course!¡± The middle-aged woman replied before jumping backward all of a sudden. It seemed that she finally realized that she was addressing three strangers; three strangers who could very well be behind whatever befell the Lei Martial School. ¡°Wait, who are you people?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not bad people, auntie.¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°Our senior is a friend of Headmaster Lei, Lei Laohu, and we came from Luo Shui to congratte him on his birthday. But what on earth happened here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± The middle-aged woman patted her chest and sighed in relief. ¡°Last night, a big fire suddenly broke out in Lei Martial School and burned down the entire ce.¡±

    ¡°A big fire?¡± Ye Qing pressed, ¡°Where are the survivors?¡±

    ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t speak so loudly!¡± The middle-aged woman nced left and right as if afraid that someone might eavesdrop on the conversation. ¡°There are no survivors. Everyone was burned to death.¡±

    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be right.¡± Chu Nianjiu frowned deeply. ¡°Headmaster Lei had to have survived, right?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, no. Headmaster Lei¡¯s whole family including his thirty or so disciples all burned to death. It was terrible. I heard that the bodies were burned so badly that it took the government a <i>lot </i>of effort to identify them.¡± The middle-aged woman looked both afraid and excited at the same time.

    Ye Qing mulled over the information as he asked, ¡°What is the government¡¯s verdict regarding this fire?¡±

    The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes at him. ¡°What kind of question is that? Why would a lowly civilian like me know what the government is thinking?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    The middle-aged woman suddenly moved closer to Ye Qing and said in a hushed voice, ¡°But if you ask me, I think that the people of the Lei Martial School were murdered.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why do you think that?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked innocently.

    The middle-aged woman answered matter-of-factly, ¡°isn¡¯t it obvious? Headmaster Lei is a powerful warrior. How could he possibly die from a simple fire? Even if the fire was bigger than expected, he could¡¯ve easily escaped on his own, couldn¡¯t he? Someone must have killed Headmaster Lei and the others before burning the ce to eliminate all the evidence.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so smart, auntie.¡±

    The middle-aged woman smirked. ¡°I¡¯m aware. That¡¯s how it¡¯s written in the books, isn¡¯t it? Boy, I can tell that you¡¯re not a schr.¡±

    Chu I-am-not-a-schr Nianjiu replied, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m right!¡± The middle-aged woman dered proudly.

    Ye Qing asked another question, ¡°You mentioned that the ce was haunted, auntie. What do you mean by that?¡±

    The middle-aged woman exined in an enigmatic tone, ¡°You don¡¯t know? Ever since the Lei Martial School burned down, everyone who shared some rtions with the Lei Martial School such as Headmaster Lei¡¯s friends, the disciples who weren¡¯t present during the fire and so on all passed away for one reason or another. It¡¯s obvious that Headmaster Lei¡¯s vengeful soul is searching for his murderer.¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Are you suggesting that one of Headmaster Lei¡¯s friends of disciples burned down the Lei Martial School, auntie?¡±

 Chapter 323: Conflict On The Streets

    <h4>Chapter 323: Conflict On The Streets </h4>

    ¡°But of course! Headmaster Lei¡¯s disciples and friends must have killed him for his wealth. That is why Headmaster Lei¡¯s vengeful spirit is haunting them and seeking revenge!¡± The middle-aged woman dered with absolute certainty.

    ¡°Makes sense. You¡¯re quite the investigator, aren¡¯t you auntie?¡± Ye Qing pped encouragingly.

    ¡°And you¡¯re a discerning man, boy! I can tell you¡¯re a schr!¡± The auntie looked incredibly happy with the praise. ¡°Anyway, I need to leave for the market now. If you would listen to my advice, leave this ce before Headmaster Lei¡¯s vengeful soul haunts you!¡±

    Ye Qing replied smilingly, ¡°Thank you for the warning, auntie.¡±

    After the middle-aged woman was gone, Chu Nianjiu looked at hispanions and asked, ¡°What do you guys think?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°Headmaster Lei and the rest of the victims must have been killed by someone. The auntie is right on the mark about this. But the haunting? That¡¯s just a baseless rumor, though I suspect that it¡¯s spread by the real killers to conceal their involvement.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m of the same opinion,¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Ye Qing thought for a second before answering, ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry about this. Unless everyone in the Feng Yang administration division is an idiot, they should know that Headmaster Lei was murdered as well. I don¡¯t think our presence is going to help the investigation much, so I think we should just leave this case to the Feng Yang government and Chief Gu to handle!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu shrugged. ¡°Makes sense. We still need to go to Tian Yong. We can¡¯t afford to waste time here.¡±

    ¡°I agree. I¡¯ll send a message to Chief Guter. I have no doubt he¡¯ll find out Headmaster Lei¡¯s murderer one way or another.¡± Lin Yuhuai nodded.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s stop wasting time and resume our journey,¡± Ye Qing said.

    The trio was going to leave the city after walking away from Lei Martial School. When they set foot on a main street, they discovered that it was blocked by a massive throng of people.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, brother?¡± Ye Qing grabbed a guy and asked.

    ¡°Someone is challenging Feng Yang Gentleman... I think,¡± he answered uncertainly.

    ¡°Someone is <i>definitely </i>challenging Feng Yang Gentleman,¡± A guy at the front turned back and said.

    ¡°Wow, who are they? In any case, they must be suicidal. Feng Yang Gentleman is a genius whose talent was spotted by an elder of Purity Sword not long ago. He¡¯s now a named disciple.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s quite impressive.¡±

    ¡°Feng Yang Gentleman? Who¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing looked at Chu Nianjiu.

    ¡°Duanmu Yu, Feng Yang Gentleman, hails from the Duanmu n of Feng Yang. Due to his exceptional talent, he was recruited as an inner disciple by a major sect in Feng Yang, the Rainmaker. Since he embarked on the path of martial arts, he had never experienced defeat in Feng Yang. He is without a doubt the strongest warrior of his age in Feng Yang, which is why they call him Feng Yang Gentleman.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine after he finished narrating Duanmu Yu¡¯s achievements. Despite calling the youngster the strongest warrior of his age in Feng Yang, he didn¡¯t seem concerned in the slightest.

    ¡°Not long ago, an elder from Purity Sword had purposelye to Feng Yang to recruit him as a named disciple. He even praised the guy iming that he had the mark of a qilin on him,¡± Lin Yuhuai added.

    ¡°Sounds impressive,¡± Ye Qingmented while rubbing his nose.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®sound¡¯? Our Feng Yang Gentleman is the greatest!¡± A beautiful woman in her twenties frowned slightly when she heard Ye Qing¡¯s remark.

    ¡°Yeah! My Feng Yang Gentleman is the best!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not yours, you slime! He¡¯s mine!¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s mine! Get away from him, you thots!¡±

    The group of women began tearing into each other. It was a riot to put it mildly. Before a conclusion could be reached though, a roar suddenly drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a bush down your crack yet, you <i>children! </i>Feng Yang Gentleman is mine!¡±

    The roar came from a tall, broad woman who reminded Ye Qing of a barn wall. Despite being in her forties or fifties, her roar easily overpowered the girls¡¯ voices and some more.

    When the woman noticed that everyone in the vicinity was looking at her, she immediately put her hands on her waist and threatened, ¡°What are you looking at? Never seen a beautiful woman in your life?¡±

    Everyone quietly turned away and pretended she didn¡¯t exist. <i>You win.</i>

    ¡°Holy shit, just how popr is this Feng Yang Gentleman with the girls?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    The guy from before harrumphed in displeasure, ¡°Hmph! He¡¯s a little more handsome than most, but hecks the rugged maturity of a true man! I just don¡¯t understand what these girls see in him.¡±

    ¡°What did you just say? Did you just nder my Feng Yang?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Feng Yang Gentleman is a handsome, schrly man you¡¯ll neverpare to!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare criticize our baby!¡±

    Just a moment ago, the girls were tearing into each other like they were sworn enemies. Now, they were all united against the guy who ndered their idol.

    The giant woman from before chimed in, ¡°Indeed. You im my Feng Yang Gentleman is immature, but why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself? You¡¯re ck as coal and ugly as sin. You are mature, you¡¯re so mature I can smell the overripeness all the way from here. Now get out of the way and stop blocking my view.¡±

    She shoved the guy out of her way after saying her piece. Then, she bulldozed her way through the crowd all the way to the front. No one could stop her.

    The poor guy exchanged a nce with Ye Qing, and they both wiped the cold sweat on their forehead. A fangirl was already unstoppable, but a fanwoman as broad as the t side of a barn? Only someone with a death wish would dare to stand in her way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go check out the fight.¡±

    Even Lin Yuhuai would rather be anywhere but near these thirsty, thirsty women, so he leaped onto a nearby rooftop to avoid them. Chu Nianjiu and Ye Qing did the same thing and quickly realized that the rooftops were covered in people as well.

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s that young Taoist!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise when he saw the two men standing at the center of the crowd. He wasn¡¯t expecting the young Taoist who called himself Qi Xuanyun to be the one challenging Feng Yang Gentleman.

    Standing on the opposite side of the young Taoist was a tall, handsome man wearing a moon white-colored robe. He looked to be twenty three or four years old. He had to be Feng Yang Gentleman, Duanmu Yu.

    ¡°A middle-stage Spirit Purifier? I see why he¡¯s considered the number one young warrior in Feng Yang,¡± Ye Qingmented while leaning against the eaves and sipping his wine.

    ¡°You first, young Reverend.¡±

    On the street, Duanmu Yu extended a hand right before a cool breeze blew past him and fluttered his clothes, giving him a refined and picturesque appearance.

    ¡°Oh my heavens! He¡¯s so handsome!¡±

    ¡°How graceful! How elegant!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s like a celestial from the heavens! I¡¯m swooning!¡±

    ¡°That little Taoist is pretty cute as well. Look at him blushing like a kid. I just want to pinch his cheeks.¡±

    The crowd couldn¡¯t stop cheering for a time.

    ¡°Al... Alright. I¡¯m going to make my move now,¡± the young Taoist mumbled with reddened cheeks.

    The next moment, the young Taoist pressed his index finger and middle finger together and pointed toward the sky.

    ¡°Command: Lightning!¡±

    Suddenly, a bolt of purple lightning the size of a human¡¯s arm descended toward Duanmu Yu. It was so fast that it reached the Spirit Purifier¡¯s head in just the blink of an eye.

    Surprise flickered in Duanmu Yu¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t anticipating the young Taoist¡¯s purple lightning to be this quick either. Realizing that his opponent wasn¡¯t someone he could underestimate, he immediately raised his left arm and summoned a whirlpool of force above his head.

    The purple lightning disappeared without a trace as soon as it struck the whirlpool. It looked like it didn¡¯t do anything at all.

    ¡°Impressive! It is clear that Feng Yang Gentleman has mastered the essence of the Rainmaker Palm! How impressive!¡± A refined-looking schr on the rooftop praised.

    ¡°Impressive! That lightning attack looks weak, but it contains an unbelievable amount of power! How impressive!¡± Ye Qingplimented the young Taoist in the exact same tone.

    The schr immediately red at Ye Qing. <i>Is that a challenge? And what¡¯s so impressive about that lightning anyway? Didn¡¯t you see Duanmu Yu absorbing it like nothing? He has eyes, but he can¡¯t see Mount Tai!</i>

    The schr was just about to taunt Ye Qing when suddenly, Duanmu Yu¡¯s rxed expression morphed into shock. The next moment, the whirlpool he conjured with his palm force disintegrated and scattered purple lightning everywhere.

    The purple lightning came and went quickly, but the damage it did could only be described as permanent. One second ago, Duanmu Yu was still an elegant gentleman. Now, his clothes had be ashen, his hair was standing like a porcupine¡¯s quills, and he was smoking like he was on fire.

    The uproarious cheers abruptly disappeared into nothing. Even the crowd suddenly froze as if someone had immobilized them with a spell.

    <i>Where am I?</i>

    <i>What happened?</i>

    <i>What did I just see?</i>

    For a time, no one could process what they just saw. Then, the young Taoist said seriously as if he was displeased with Duanmu Yu¡¯s performance, ¡°Can you please be a little more serious, Feng Yang Gentleman? This is a duel.¡±

    Duanmu Yu¡¯s expression turned ugly as something flinty flickered in his eyes. His tone was casual and rxed, however. ¡°You are right, young Reverend. I shan¡¯t take you lightly any longer.¡±

    ¡°Phew! I knew there¡¯s no way Feng Yang Gentleman would fail to block a single lightning bolt. He was just giving the little guy a handicap!¡±

    ¡°But of course! There¡¯s no way Feng Yang Gentleman could fight such a cute little guy seriously, could he?¡±

    ¡°True. But the little guy has proven his worth, and now Feng Yang Gentleman is about to turn serious.¡±

    The spectators thought they figured out the truth and voiced their opinions out loud, not knowing that Duanmu Yu was just barely keeping himself from reacting to them. He was lucky he was too ckened for them to spot the deep blush on his cheeks right now.

    ¡°Come, my sword!¡± Duanmu Yu called out, and a sword flew out of a nearby restaurant and fell into his grip, ringing.

    ¡°This sword is called Rainmaker. Be careful now, young Reverend.¡±

    The next moment, Duanmu Yu thrust his sword forward and fired droplets of light at the young Taoist. It was simr to a downpour, but one that wasing from every direction. Everyone felt a chill when they saw the attack.

    ¡°Hahaha! That''s one of the techniques of the Rainmaker Sword Art, the Rainmaker Sword Will. Judging from how his sword qi is pouring like the rain, it is clear that Feng Yang Gentleman has mastered the technique. Is there anyone who could avoid a downpour?¡±

    This time, the schr was staring at Ye Qing directly while shouting hismentary. Ye Qing ignored him though. He continued to sip his wine as if he couldn¡¯t hear the guy.

    The schr thought that Ye Qing was conceding defeat and became even more arrogant. ¡°That Taoist is going to lose for sure.¡±

    Back on the street, the young Taoist pointed his finger at the iing sword qi and cried, ¡°Command: Five Lightning!¡±

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The clouds gathered, and five divine lightning of differing colors¡ªred, blue, ck, purple and white¡ªshot toward the sword qi like massive serpents. As the rain of sword qi shed against the lightning bolts, the limestone floor cracked and gained countless de marks and scorch marks.

    ¡°The five-colored lightning are divine, potent, and fierce like a dragon. Can rain stop a dragon? I think not.¡± Ye Qing beamed.

    ¡°Hmph! Dragon my ass! More like tiny snakes! Like some piss poor lightning can punch through Feng Yang Gentleman¡¯s technique!¡± The schr retorted in disdain.

    As if on cue, the five-colored lightning joined into one and transformed into a massive dragon. They easily annihted the sword qi headed their way, crushed the limestone floor underfoot, and flew straight toward Duanmu Yu.

    A lightning dragon rises from the street, and no wind and rain could possibly trap it.

 Chapter 324: One Punch Down

    <h4>Chapter 324: One Punch Down </h4>

    Growing a few sizes did not impede the lightning bolt¡¯s speed in the slightest. It was right in front of Duanmu Yu in just the blink of an eye.

    Stunned, the Spirit Purifier stabbed his sword into the ground and gathered his sword qi in front of his chest. As the lightning dragon approached, the sword started to bend, and the ground beneath Duanmu Yu¡¯s feet began crumbling bit by bit. When the dragon was almost one meter away from him, the sword was bent so badly it was a miracle it hadn¡¯t snapped.

    ¡°Rise!¡± Duanmu Yun growled as he pped the t side of the sword with his left hand. The sword instantly straightened and pushed the lightning dragon away from him.

    At the same time, the ground beneath Duanmu Yu¡¯s feet exploded as he rushed toward the young Taoist. By now, he hade to realize that the young Taoist was an expert in lightning arts. If he continued to fight him at long range, he was most likely going to be the loser of this battle.

    The only way he could win was to close the distance.

    ¡°Beautiful! What a beautiful ¡®Lifting A River¡¯! His sword qi truly is unparalleled!¡± The schr shot Ye Qing a taunting look. ¡°And someone said the rain can¡¯t stop the dragon!¡±

    ¡°This is the second move,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    ¡°What?¡± The schr looked confused.

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°The first move is called the ¡®Rainmaker Sword Will¡¯, and it failed to block the lightning dragon. It took the second move, ¡®Lifting A River¡¯ to finally repel the dragon, so the rain can¡¯t stop the dragon after all.¡±

    ¡°Also, the young Taoist hasn¡¯t lost a single exchange yet. Are you sure your eyes are working alright?¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± The schr turned red, but he couldn¡¯t refute Ye Qing¡¯s words. He could only re at him and uttered, ¡°So what? He¡¯s going to lose when Feng Yang Gentleman closes the distance.¡±

    ¡°If he can close the distance, sure.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    Seeing that Duanmu Yu was charging him, the young taoist drew a rune on his left palm with two fingers. He then cried out,

    ¡°Palm Thunder!¡±

    A gigantic palm appeared in the air. Floating at the center of the palm was a pool of pure lightning. The next moment, the palm flipped over and poured it all on top of Duanmu Yu.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    Countless silver lightning bolts slithered across the sky and toward Duanmu Yu. In response, the Spirit Purifier raised his Rainmaker Sword and hacked, shed or thrust the lightning bolt away. He also enveloped himself in ayer of sword qi that blocked all of the lightning bolts that he failed to block.

    Right now, the young Taoist looked like a god whomanded thunder and lightning. With the simple flick of the wrist, he was unleashing a furious lightning storm against the ant-like mortal who dared to challenge his authority.

    Duanmu Yu looked like a tiny boat trying to cut through a storm, though to be fair, he was an extremely sturdy boat. No matter how tall and powerful the waves were, he was able to cut through all of them as he slowly but steadily got closer to the young Taoist.

    The shes of sword qi and lightning damaged much of the street as a matter of course. Fearing their lives, the spectators had long since hidden themselves inside the buildings on both sides of the street.

    Thankfully, the main street was wide enough that the shockwaves of their forces hadn¡¯t hurt anyone.

    <i>I¡¯m close!</i>

    Normally, Duanmu Yu could have crossed sixty meters in a single breath. But the lightning storm pouring down from the sky was so strong that the duration was extended ten times over.

    The schr grew increasingly nervous as Duanmu Yu got closer and closer to the young Taoist. It was almost as if he was the one crossing the storm of lightning, not Duanmu YU.

    When Duanmu Yu was three meters away from the young Taoist, he brought down his sword in a downward swing. A powerful wind blew, and sword qi rose from the ground between his starting position and histest position, joining together to form the shape of a dragon. It pounced straight toward the young Taoist.

    ¡°It is against etiquette not to reciprocate a favor. Since you gave me a five-colored lightning dragon earlier, it is my turn to give you a sword qi dragon. Please ept it,¡± Duan Muyu said with a wide smile despite his paleplexion.

    Every time he took a step, he had left behind a wisp of sword qi. He had waited until he was in front of the young Taoist to finally spring his counterattack.

    ¡°What a beautiful ¡®Sword Qi Clears The Sky¡¯! To reciprocate a favor indeed! As expected of Feng Yang Gentleman!¡± The schrughed boisterously before looking tauntingly at Ye Qing. ¡°What are you going to say now, boy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not over yet,¡± Ye Qing replied unhurriedly.

    The schr scoffed, ¡°Hmph! Stubborn until the bitter end.¡±

    Meanwhile, the sword qi dragon crushed the lightning clouds in the sky before descending toward the young Taoist. But instead of panicking, the young Taoistplimented the attack with bright, pure eyes, ¡°Well met!¡±

    <i>Roar!</i>

    A tiger¡¯s roar abruptly erupted from the young Taoist. Then, he jumped straight toward the sword qi dragon.

    ¡°What? Is he suicidal?¡± The schr eximed in shock, disbelief, and puzzlement. He wasn¡¯t the only one either. Anyone who knew even a bit of martial arts knew just how crazy the action was. Even an ordinary person could sense just how much power was contained within the sword qi dragon. The best way to handle it would be to avoid it altogether. Instead, the young Taoist jumped toward it like he was nning to embrace it. If this wasn¡¯t suicidal, then what was?

    ¡°What do you think, Joyless?¡± Chu Nianjiu nced at Ye Qing.

    ¡°I think with my brain,¡± Ye Qing answered with a straight face.

    ¡°Chu Nianjiu: ¡°...¡±

    Lin Yuhuai: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Ahem...¡± Ye Qing sensed the growing hostility in their gaze and hurriedly answered, ¡°The young Taoist is going to win.¡±

    ¡°Win? Are you dreaming, boy? I will swallow this sword of mine if that young Taoist wins,¡± the schr interrupted before Chu Nianjiu or Lin Yuhuai could speak.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s a bad habit to dere something absolutely until you know for certain that it¡¯s a fact. You¡¯re going to get face-pped like this.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! We will see,¡± the schr scoffed.

    Unfortunately, the schr would find that he was wrong just an instantter. The young Taoist took three steps in total as he jumped toward the sword qi dragon. The first step elicited a tiger¡¯s roar, the second step elicited a dragon¡¯s roar, and the third step manifested both tiger and dragon next to him. Both silhouettes roared at the same time.

    Then, the young Taoist threw a punch. His intent permeated every corner of the sky and infused the earth with the tyranny of a tiger and a dragon, causing everyone to quake in their boots. The sword qi dragon was crushed into bits, and the young Taoist abruptly disappeared from view.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    By the time Duanmu Yu reacted, he felt a terrible pain afflicting his stomach and bending his body like a prawn. Bitter liquid spilled through his lips freely.

    When he looked down, he saw a fist buried in his stomach, and when he looked up, he saw a young, innocent face staring back at him.

    Duanmu Yu¡¯s mouth was overflowing with bitterness, but not because the punch had sent his gastric juice into his mouth. No, it was the taste of defeat. This was the first time ever he lost to a peer since embarking on the path of martial arts.

    He never knew defeat could taste this bad.

    He never knew defeat could unlock a flood of resentment he didn¡¯t know existed in him.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Duanmu Yu opened his mouth to surrender, but he suddenly felt another burst of pain behind his back. Before he knew it, the hard limestone floor on the ground came closer and closer until¡ª

    <i>Crack!</i>

    He heard the sound of the floor breaking and his nose breaking into several pieces. Not only did facent into the floor, he didn¡¯t stop until only his feet were sticking out of the ground. The pain came after the realization.

    ¡°What... what just happened?¡±

    ¡°How could Feng Yang Gentleman lose?¡±

    ¡°This cannot be possible. I must be dreaming. Hey you, p me in the face!¡±

    <i>p!</i>

    ¡°You actually pped me? I¡¯m gonna kill you, you bastard!¡±

    Every set of eyes watching the battle were widened like saucers. They couldn¡¯t believe that the idol they thought to be invincible would be defeated. It wasn¡¯t a close loss or beautiful defeat either. No, it was so, so ugly.

    ¡°Feng Yang Gentleman... lost?¡±

    On the rooftop, the schr was just as speechless as the civilians. He was so shocked that his arrogant smile was still stered on his face.

    ¡°What did I say? He lost.¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°It was such an ugly loss too.¡±

    ¡°How... is this possible? Just how?¡± The schr muttered dazedly. He still couldn¡¯t believe that Feng Yang Gentleman would lose.

    ¡°You lost, friend. I¡¯m waiting for you to swallow your sword.¡± Ye Qing grinned at him. ¡°You can sprinkle some cumin over your sword if you¡¯re worried it might taste bad. I have no problem with that.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The schr jolted back to reality as a hint of embarrassment shed through his face. Then, he let out a cough and dered with a straight face, ¡°I er, I don¡¯t remember ever saying that. In fact, I¡¯m a schr. I would never make a bet with a ruffian like you! Hmph!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I have someundry to put away, so goodbye!¡±

    He then jumped off the rooftop and disappeared into the crowd, giving Ye Qing no chance to react.

    But Ye Qing wasn¡¯t nning to press him in the first ce. He simply stared at the direction the schr had disappeared to with an odd glint in his eyes. ¡°Heh...¡±

    Back on the street, the young Taoist¡¯s determination and bravery were suddenly reced by panic and anxiety as if he just realized what he just did. He looked at Duanmu Yu¡ªthe guy was currently iling his legs in an attempt to wriggle himself free¡ªand asked worriedly, ¡°Are you alright, Scion Duanmu?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough...¡± It took Duanmu Yu some time before he finally wriggled out of the hole. When he looked up at the young Taoist, his eyes were vicious and resentful. ¡°I was going to surrender. Why did you attack me?¡±

    ¡°Ah! Sorry, sorry, I didn¡¯t know!¡± The young Taoist blushed like an apple. ¡°Before I left my mountain, my master told me to always incapacitate my opponents after I¡¯ve defeated them. Otherwise, they might try to trick me.¡±

    ¡°In fact, I encountered a few opponents who tried to ambush me even though I¡¯ve defeated in a duel. They¡¯re terrible.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose, really.¡±

    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s nothing.¡± The darkness in Duanmu Yu¡¯s eyes disappeared after he got back to his feet. He patted away the dust on his shirt and asked nonchntly, ¡°I have lost. Both your lightning art and your fist art are exceptional. May I know what sect you belong to, young Reverend?¡±

    The young Taoist answered awkwardly, ¡°I... I don¡¯t have a sect. I only have my master.¡±

    Duanmu Yu¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°May I know your master¡¯s name then?¡±

    The young Taoist answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my master forbade me from speaking it.¡±

    Duanmu Yu replied, ¡°In that case, I shan¡¯t force you to say it. Oh right, will you be participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet?¡±

    ¡°I will. The reason I journeyed south is to participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet,¡± the young Taoist answered before adding, ¡°My master told me to.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I will challenge you again when the timees. I hope you won¡¯t find mecking.¡± Duanmu Yu nodded.

    ¡°Of course not! You are always wee to challenge me,¡± the young Taoist answered in a hurry.

    ¡°In that case, this is where we part ways.¡± Duanmu Yu saluted the young Taoist before taking his leave.

    When Duanmu Yu arrived at a secluded location, he abruptly clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Hisplexion looked sickly pale.

    ¡°Are you alright, young master?¡± A shadow appeared beside him without a trace and caught his shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just took some damage to my internal organs.¡±

    Duanmu Yu waved away the man¡¯s concern before uttering viciously, ¡°Dark One[1], mobilize our Dark Guards and kill that Taoist.¡±

    1. As in number, not the Dark One. ?

 Chapter 325: Road Blockers

    <h4>Chapter 325: Road Blockers </h4>

    ¡°Are you sure, young master?¡± Dark One frowned.

    Duanmu Yu answered, ¡°No. One, I tried fishing information regarding his background just now. I can confirm that he isn¡¯t from a major n or sect, so no trouble would befall the Duanmu n if we kill him. Two, he¡¯s attending the Hidden Dragon Meet. I don''t need an additional obstacle in my path. And three, he publicly shamed me before everyone. He must die for what he¡¯s done.¡±

    Dark One voiced his worries, ¡°That Taoist is very strong though. Not even you are a match for him. Unless we mobilize our n¡¯s full strength, I don¡¯t believe we are capable of killing him.¡±

    Duanmu Yu sneered. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go that far. Martial art is but one of many ways to kill a person.¡±

    ¡°That young Taoist might be strong, but his <i>jianghu </i>experience is quitecking. That is why I want the Dark Guards to carry out this task. Poisoning, gu arts and curses are your forte, is it not? You should have no trouble killing him.¡±

    This time, Dark One nodded in agreement. ¡°Your word makes sense, young master. Should I give the order now?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Duanmu Yu shook his head. ¡°Suspicion and criticism are sure to happen if that young Taoist were to die in Feng Yang. It would damage the Duanmu n¡¯s reputation and cause unnecessary trouble.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why he must die outside of Feng Yang. Only then can we avoid drawing suspicion.¡±

    ¡°I see you have thought this through, young master. I shall order the Dark Guards to follow him and keep track of his movements right away,¡± Dark One sounded impressed.

    ¡°No.¡± Duanmu Yu shook his head again. ¡°He is very strong. If you follow him, there¡¯s a high chance you will be discovered and be on guard.¡±

    Dark One asked, ¡°What should we do then, young master?¡±

    Duanmu Yu thought for a moment before answering, ¡°There is only one road connecting Tian Yong and our city. You will leave ahead of time and lie in ambush on the road.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I shall make the arrangements right away!¡± Dark One replied before melting into the shadows and vanishing.

    After Dark One was gone, Duanmu Yu sneered and muttered to himself, ¡°I must amaze everyone during the Hidden Dragon Meet. No one will stand in my way.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Have you figured out who that young Taoist is, Yuhuai?¡±

    On a small path outside the city of Feng Yang, Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai were each riding a horse and leisurely making their way toward Tian Yong.

    The horses weren¡¯t real horses. They were created using Lin Yuhuai¡¯s talismans called the Horse Talisman. Not only was a horse created from the Horse Talisman as fast as an ordinary wildebeest or a Fire Qilin Horse, it didn¡¯t need to eat or drink. The w was that it could only function for four to six hours before it ran out of energy.

    This wasn¡¯t a problem though. Lin Yuhuai was a talisman master, so creating a Horse Talisman was not a problem to him whatsoever.

    After the trio was done watching the duel between the young Taoist, Qi Xuanyu and Duanmu Yu, they immediately left the city and continued toward Tian Yong.

    Logically speaking, they had departed early and had more than enough time to make it to their destination. However, no one could anticipate what they might encounter on their way there. That was why it was better to depart early thante.

    Lin Yuhuai answered after thinking for a moment, ¡°Well, the lightning art he used is grand and majestic. It looks very simr to the ¡®Divine Thunder of Zhengyang¡¯ from the Zhengyang Mountain, the ¡®Five True Methods of the Five Thunders¡¯ from the Five Thunder Sect, and the ¡®Five Heavenly Astral Thunder¡± from the Dragon Tiger Mountain.¡±

    ¡°As for his fist art, it is forceful, overwhelming, and apanied by a dragon and a tiger. It reminds me of the ¡®Dragon Tiger Ruyi Fist¡¯ from the Jade Pce, the ¡®Infinite Divine Dragon Fist¡¯ from the Demon Pce of Kunlun, and the ¡®Roaring Tiger, Bellowing Dragon¡¯ from the ¡®Mountain of Mind and Heart[1]¡¯¡±

    ¡°In conclusion?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Lin Yuhuai shrugged. ¡°In conclusion, I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    <i>You said all that only to tell me that you¡¯re not sure? Then why did you waste the breath at all?</i>

    Chu Nianjiu looked at Ye Qing next. ¡°What do you think, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°With my bra¡ª¡± Ye Qing abruptly cut himself off when he heard a series of pops and cracks from Chu Nianjiu¡¯s fists. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. But didn¡¯t that young Taoist say that he belonged to no n or sect, and that he only has one master? How is anyone supposed to guess something like that?¡±

    ¡°Rather than wasting time on such useless thoughts, I¡¯d rather we focus on ourselves!¡±

    ¡°About what? Training?¡± Chu Nianjiu didn¡¯t understand his meaning.

    Ye Qing replied indifferently, ¡°We¡¯re being followed.¡±

    ¡°<i>What?</i>¡± Chu Nianjiu eximed in surprise. ¡°Who? When? Why didn¡¯t I sense anything?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai eximed in realization, ¡°Is it that schr from before?¡±

    Ye Qing turned to look at him in surprise, ¡°You sensed him too, Brother Lin?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai smiled genially. ¡°No, but I know you¡¯re not an impulsive person. During the duel, I thought it odd that you would verbally attack a random schr for seemingly no reason whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°Why is that schr following us?¡± Chu Nianjiu¡¯s eyes glinted something cold. ¡°Wait a second. Could he have something to do with Lei Laohu¡¯s death?¡±

    ¡°I believe so,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m assuming that he hasn¡¯te alone. What is he nning?¡± Chu Nianjiu mumbled.

    Ye Qing thought for a moment. ¡°Do you remember what the auntie said about hauntings?¡±

    ¡°Hauntings?¡± Lin Yuhuai eximed in surprise, ¡°Are you saying that they¡¯reing to kill us?!¡±

    ording to that auntie, anyone who had ties with Lei Laohu started dying inexplicable deaths after the Lei Martial School was burned down. The woman thought it was a haunting, but it was far likelier that it was Lei Laohu¡¯s murderers tying up loose ends.

    And now, those murderers had set their sights on them.

    ¡°Hah! Who would¡¯ve thought they woulde to us when we weren¡¯t even looking for them? Interesting!¡± Chu Nianjiu grinned evilly after sipping his wine. ¡°Are they still following us, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Yep. They¡¯ve been following us since we left the city,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°They are? Why couldn¡¯t I see anyone then?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked, puzzled. <i>We¡¯re both early-stage Spirit Purifiers. Your senses can¡¯t be </i>that <i>strong, can you?</i>

    ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re at least a hundred meters away from us. They¡¯re watching us using those birds circling above our heads.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai looked up instinctively. As Ye Qing said, they saw a bunch of birds circling above their heads. If not for him, they wouldn¡¯t have noticed anything amiss as they looked exactly the same as an ordinary bird.

    ¡°I see. I suppose this level of caution is expected considering they managed to take out an entire martial school. Should we take action now?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked with a smile.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. They wille to us themselves.¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°That schr is just an early-stage Astral Refiner. He made contact with us earlier probably because he wanted to sound out our strength. He should¡¯ve figured out that none of us are weaklings, and since there are three of us, he¡¯s probably going to round up everyone to attack us.¡±

    ¡°That is why it¡¯s better to let theme to us. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll show themselves any moment now.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure the three of us can handle all of them?¡± Lin Yuhuai asked worriedly.

    Ye Qing replied uncaringly, ¡°I am here. It will be fine. This is the perfect opportunity to kill them all in one fell swoop.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu: ¡°...¡±

    Lin Yuhuai: ¡°...¡±

    <i>We suspect you¡¯re showing off, and we have your own confession as evidence.</i>

    They didn¡¯t reject Ye Qing¡¯s suggestion though. After all, they too were powerful warriors in their own right. Worst case scenario, they could simply book it and fight another day.

    And so the trio pretended not to notice anything and continued forward until they arrived at a maple forest tens of kilometers away from Feng Yang. Then, they stopped in their tracks.

    ¡°Here theye.¡±

    Ye Qing looked at the mountain of gorgeous maple leaves and smiled a little. They looked as red as fire... or blood.

    <i>Whoosh whoosh whoosh...</i>

    As soon as Ye Qing said this, the maple leaves suddenly caught on fire. No, it wasn¡¯t just the leaves. The entire forest had burst into mes all of a sudden. The inferno looked hot enough to burn anything and everything into ash.

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not a bad illusion.¡± Ye Qing smiled despite the sea of mes encroaching upon them. In fact, the mes couldn¡¯t even get within one meter of them.

    Ye Qing snapped his fingers, and the zing inferno abruptly froze in ce. Then, it shattered like a painting that was shredded into pieces.

    A muffled groan came from somewhere, and the sea of mes vanished. The maple forest came back as if it had never been burned in the first ce.

    ¡°I suppose it would¡¯ve been too easy,¡± said an ancient voice.

    An old man wearing a fiery red robe stepped out of the forest. He was followed by two men and a woman.

    One of the two men had a cold, unfeeling face and carried at least a dozen sabers on his person. The other guy had a rough face and short hair that stood perfectly straight on his scalp like needles. His arms were wrapped in white bandages that burned a ck me.

    The woman was fat, bloated, and covered in smelly pus that could only be described as disgusting. Strangely, his face looked as pretty as a painting, and the way she carried herself oozed femininity and confidence.

    None of these people were weak. The old man and the woman were Spirit Purifiers, whereas the two men were Half-Step Spirit Purifiers.

    ¡°You¡¯re not too bad yourself. Creating a sea of mes with a single thought is an impressive feat, even if it¡¯s just an illusion,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly. ¡°But why are you blocking our way, strangers?¡±

    ¡°To kill you,¡± the short-haired man said coldly.

    ¡°Kill us?¡± Ye Qing pretended not to understand his hostility. ¡°We don¡¯t know each other, do we?¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡± The old man shook his head.

    ¡°Have we offended you in some way?¡± Ye Qing asked again.

    ¡°No, you have not.¡± The old man shook his head again.

    ¡°Are you after our wealth or looks then?¡± Ye Qing asked seriously.

    The old man and the two younger men lost theirposure for a second. <i>Sorry, but we¡¯re not gay.</i>

    The woman though, she shot the trio a beatific smile and flirted, ¡°Haha, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Ahem... It was a joke.¡± Ye Qing backpedaled immediately when he felt a pair of steely gazes drilling into his back. <i>Sorry, but you are far too heavy and smelly for us.</i>

    ¡°In conclusion, we don¡¯t know each other, we haven¡¯t offended you, and you¡¯re not after our wealth or looks either. So why are you trying to kill us?¡± Ye Qing cocked his head as a devilish smile crossed his lips. ¡°You aren''t sick in the head, are you?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. me the fact that you are Old Lei¡¯s acquaintances!¡± The cold man grabbed a short saber and drew a bloody wound on his arm, but he couldn¡¯t seem to feel the pain at all. ¡°Old Lei killed our young master and our brothers and sisters. So, we¡¯re going to bury him, his friends, and anyone who¡¯s rted to him in dust. It¡¯s that simple.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu exchanged nces with each other. They had suspected this earlier, but now they got confirmation that these people were the ones who burned down the Lei Martial School, killed everyone inside, and went after Lei Laohu¡¯s friends and acquaintancester on.

    They probably mistook them as Lei Laohu¡¯s acquaintances when they saw them visiting the Lei Martial School on his birthday. That was why they wanted to kill them[2].

    ¡°What makes you think we¡¯re acquaintances of Lei Laohu. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you might have gone after the wrong people?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not locals, and you went straight to the Lei Martial School after entering the city. Who <i>wouldn¡¯t </i>think that you¡¯re acquainted with Lei Laohu?¡± The old man said slowly, ¡°And even if you are unaffiliated with Lei Laohu, what does it matter to us? We are the Kimnaras[3] as we would rather kill a hundred innocent people than miss our target.¡±

    ¡°The Kinnaras?¡± Ye Qing frowned. He had never heard of such a name before.

    It was at this moment the woman chided the old man, ¡°Why are you wasting your breath on them, ve of Fire? Let us be done with this already. We still have to debrief the captain, you know? You know how short-tempered he is.¡±

    ¡°Kill!¡± The short-haired man spat exactly one word before charging forward.

    1. This is a reference to a Journey to the West. ?

    2. Look, there are always insane people who don''t think about the consequences <i>especially </i>when you¡¯re drunk on power. ?

    3. A kimnara is a creature from Hindu and Buddhist mythology. They are described as part human and part bird, and have a strong association with music and love. Believed toe from the Himyas, they often watch over the well-being of humans in times of trouble or danger. ?

 Chapter 326: What A Beautiful Saber

    <h4>Chapter 326: What A Beautiful Saber </h4>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The short-haired man pounced forward like a panther on the hunt. He chose Ye Qing as his target because his senses told him that the smiling young man was the most dangerous of them all.

    Since he was dangerous, it made sense that he should be eliminated first[1].

    The short-haired man moved very quickly. By the time a sonic boom could be heard, he had already gotten close enough to Ye Qing to punch him in the head.

    Ye Qing raised his right fist and blocked the iing attack. He tried to grip the short-haired man¡¯s wrist, but the short-haired man tightened his muscles and dropped heavily to the ground.

    The paper horse beneath Ye Qing¡¯s butt was shredded as a result.

    As soon as hended behind Ye Qing, the short-haired man inhaled a new breath of true qi and bent his knees slightly. Then, he shot forward even faster than before to put a hole in Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    Meanwhile, the cold man tossed a pair of knives at Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai while slithering across the ground like a viper. Both men thought that the cold man was targeting them, but he suddenly changed his trajectory and pounced toward Ye Qing instead.

    A moment before the fist would hit Ye Qing¡¯s head, the cold man unsheathed his saber and attacked Ye Qing¡¯s legs.

    This was a pincer attacking from two different directions by two different weapons. Their coordination was almost perfect.

    Ye Qing seemed to know it wasing, however. He tilted his head slightly so that the fist barely brushed his cheek andnded on his shoulder instead. As his legs sank into the ground, the scattering debris shattered the iing saber force and pushed the cold man away.

    The short-haired man was a little caught off guard by this oue. He knew just how heavy his fist was. Depending on where they were hit, even a Spirit Purifier would break a bone or ten if they took a solid hit. However, he felt like he was punching a boulder when his fist struck Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder. He failed to elicit any response from the young man whatsoever.

    The short-haired man didn¡¯t hesitate, however. Swimming along the momentum, he raised his right hand and prepared to bash Ye Qing¡¯s head into bits.

    He refused to believe that the young man¡¯s head was as hard as his shoulder.

    Something unbelievable happened then. his fist had just crossed half the distance when Ye Qing¡¯s tilted head suddenly swung back in his direction. It looked like he was nning to catch his fist with his... neck?

    The short-haired man felt likeughing at the absurdity of the situation. That amusementsted until he felt his fist being caught by what felt like a pair of mountains. His momentum stopped dead, and he was unable to move even a single inch forward.

    nching, the short-haired man channeled his force and attempted to break free. At the same time, violent, pitch ck mes burst out of the white bandage.

    It was at this moment the short-haired man felt a pain in his stomach. The next thing he knew, a terrifying amount of force surged into his body and broke his bones and internal organs bit by bit. Even his blood was being evaporated by a scorching hot astral qi.

    He could feel his life fading from his body as he sailed through the air.

    Meanwhile, the cold man had jumped back to his feet and grabbed a pair of sabers from his body. They spun wildly in his hands before he unleashed a pair of saber forces at Ye Qing.

    The cold man immediately dropped his weapons after unleashing the attack. Then, he grabbed another pair of sabers and did the same thing. Another pair of saber forces sailed toward Ye Qing with enough power to topple a hill. The cold man would continue to do this fifteen times in a row until he literally had no sabers left to use.

    Each saber force was just as swift, powerful, and full of intent as thest. Such was their power that the surrounding maple trees were cut down, the maple leaves were shredded into pieces long before they hit the ground, and the ground was covered in savage-looking marks.

    The cold man smiled just as savagely after he had used up all of his sabers. There was also a hint of relief in his expression.

    He carried a lot of sabers on his person, but in reality he only knew one and only one offensive technique: the simple cut. In fact, the saber art he learned consisted of two techniques only. The first technique was the de Nurturing Technique where he nurtured his saber¡¯s force and intent within its sheath. The second technique was the simple cut that slew his opponents. [2]

    That was why he owned a lot of sabers despite knowing one move and one move only, and why every cut he unleashed was brimming with unstoppable power and intent.

    In the past, he only needed five sabers at most to defeat his opponent. The first hit would snap their weapons, the second, third and fourth hit would destroy their protective qi and expose their body, and the fifth hit would take off their head.

    But this time, he had unleashed fifteen saber forces in a row. He refused to believe his opponent could survive this.

    It was at this moment he heard a strange noise. As a saber user, he instinctively knew that it was one ng, but a series of ngs that happened in such short intervals that they almost sounded like one long, odd-sounding ng. Astonishment flickered across his expression as a bad feeling hit him. <i>He couldn¡¯t have blocked all fifteen attacks at the same time, right?</i>

    <i>Right?</i>

    He knew full well just how swift his saber forces were. He was certain that no one could block all fifteen of them at the same time.

    Unfortunately, the thought had just crossed his mind when his eyes suddenly widened like saucers. He saw his fifteen saber forces bouncing off in multiple directions before disappearing in a shade of crimson and a gust of wind.

    When the shade of crimson disappeared, he saw Ye Qing standing where he was without a single wound on his person. Even his clothes hadn¡¯t been ruffled in the slightest. He was also holding a slightly short red saber that was as gentle and beautiful as a beauty.

    The cold man had seen many sabers in the past, but he had to admit that the one he was seeing right now was the most beautiful of them all. It reminded him of passion and fire, beauty and love.

    ¡°What a beautiful saber,¡± he subconsciously said. But as soon as he spoke up, he suddenly realized that his voice sounded a little strange. His throat was hurting a little as well. In fact, multiple parts of his body were hurting for some reason.

    He looked down and noticed that his body was covered in wounds. He had no idea when they got there, only that there were so many that he couldn¡¯t even count them all.

    It was only then he realized how weak he was. It was the feeling of his life fading from his body.

    ¡°What a swift saber,¡± he spoke onest time before copsing on the ground.

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment,¡± Ye Qing replied with a smile on his face.

    Ye Qing was wielding the Red Sleeve, of course. The saber technique he used to kill the cold man was the first technique of ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±, ¡°Spring Wind¡±.

    The spring wind was a gentle wind,ing and going without a trace. Naturally, it killed without a trace as well.

    It wasn¡¯t quite the same technique though. The original ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡± emphasized on gentleness and ceaselessness; to be as soft and gentle as the spring wind, and to be as unending as a fine rain. But during the training process, he subconsciously added the Soulchasing Saber¡¯s speed into the technique. And so it became what it was today.

    Whoever said that the spring wind and fine rain couldn¡¯t move as swiftly as lightning? Could not behead a man before they realized what was going on?

    The old man, ve of Fire, and the woman hadn¡¯t anticipated this at all. It had all happened so quickly. One moment ago the duo were still attacking Ye Qing, and the next they were both dead on the ground.

    There was no time to ruminate on what just happened, however. It was because Ye Qing was walking toward them. One step, and he went from being twenty meters away to less than one in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Do it now, Gu Lady!¡± ve of Fire growled. Maybe it was because he was too nervous, but his voice sounded hoarser than it should be.

    The smelly pus covering Gu Lady¡¯s body instantly burst open, and all sorts of venomous creatures crawled out of the wounds.There were venomous mosquitos, venomous spiders, venomous centipedes and more. Each and every creature carried a deadly poison in them, and their mere appearance was enough to cause the nearby nts to wither earnestly.

    On the other side, ve of Fire summoned a me-like sword to his hand and executed a wide swing at Ye Qing. The wind howled, and the fire danced as they merged into countless Strangers and pounced toward Ye Qing.

    Some of the Strangers were real, and some weren¡¯t. Most people would have problems distinguishing between the two, much less defend themselves against the attack. It could disrupt a person¡¯s mind as well.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t panic despite facing down a sea of mes and a tide of venomous creatures, however. ck and white astral qi circted in harmony around him with the power to reverse even life and death. When the Strangers and the mes got close to him, they flowed harmlessly past Ye Qing almost as if they were brushed aside by an invisible hand. The mes melted the ground behind him, and the Strangers fell to the ground for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

    Ye Qing alone walked amidst the sea of mes, unhindered and untouched.

    <i>¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±</i>

    A bit of regret welled up in Ye Qing¡¯s heart. Unfortunately, he had so many martial arts he needed to train that even with the power of the Martial Tower, he just barely managed to reach the journeyman level of the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± before his time was up. It would be a long, long time before he incorporated it into his fighting style. Otherwise, he could¡¯ve borrowed strength from the enemy and even reflected their attacks right back at them.

    He had only finished dealing with one threat, however. Gu Lady¡¯s venomous creatures abruptly burst through the mes and attempted to catch him by surprise. In response, the Red Sleeve released a crimson, half-transparent wave that looked as loving as a gust of spring wind and as all-epassing as the fine rain.

    Dancing under the wind and rain was a gorgeous, red beauty. She was so beautiful that hearts could melt, and so did the tidal wave of creatures assaulting Ye Qing. As they melted, the crimson wave grew more and more distinct. An invisible, fragrant scent was also permeating from the wave.

    ve of Fire and Gu Lady inhaled the fragrant scent before they could react. Their eyes grew unfocused, and their movements slowed as if they were entranced by the gentle yet murderous saber force.

    ve of Fire was ultimately a veteran Spirit Purifier. He realized the danger at thest moment and managed to break free from its influence. However, Gu Lady was overwhelmed by the gentle force and killed just like that.

    ve of Fire let out a screech of terror and darted off like a rabbit. Unfortunately, he only made it halfway before Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him with his finger and stole his mind, his spirit, and his soul.

    When the ve of Fire copsed on the ground, the crimson wave finally receded from view and revealed Gu Lady¡¯s charred, tattered body.

    ¡°Keep watch.¡±

    Ye Qing disappeared from view before Chu Nianjiu or Lin Yuhuai could say a word. The two Peacemakers exchanged shocked looks with each other and thought the exact same thing in their heads:

    <i>What a monster.</i>

    On the other side, the schr who antagonized Ye Qing during the duel between the young Taoist and Duamnu Yu earlier was running for his life. He was afraid that he would follow in hispanions¡¯ footsteps if he was too slow.

    In fact, he hadn¡¯t underestimated the trio. That was why he had notified his fourpanions. He was sure that two Spirit Purifiers and two Half-Step Spirit Purifiers would be more than enough to overwhelm Ye Qing¡¯s group, but it was the other way around. Ye Qing alone had annihted his group without so much as breaking a sweat.

    Terrified, he didn¡¯t hesitate to run for his life. He needed to tell the captain what happened as soon as possible.

    Unfortunately for him, he had only taken a few steps when his head suddenly felt heavy. It was as if someone had stolen his mind from his body. His eyes zed over, and his vision abruptly turned pitch ck.

    Right before he fainted, he saw the young man who slew ve of Fire and the others appearing in front of him with a small but devilish smile on his lips.

    1. This isn¡¯t necessarily true. In fact in most cases it is wrong. But this is his belief and doesn¡¯t necessarily need to be urate. ?

    2. It¡¯s kinda like Iaido, but not really. Iaido creates the force through the sh. The way this guy does it, it¡¯s more like firing a revolver with a dozen bullets in the chamber. ?

 Chapter 327: The Eight Legions

    <h4>Chapter 327: The Eight Legions </h4>

    ¡°You thought you could run from me?¡± Ye Qing smirked as he stared at the unconscious schr. He had attached a wisp of demonic thought on his person since the beginning. It was how he sensed him even though he was hundreds of meters away. Unless the wisp of demonic thought was destroyed, the schr would never be able to escape his grasp.

    Ye Qing picked up the schr by the cor and turned back. A few breathster, he appeared beside hispanions and dropped the schr on the ground.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just kill them, Joyless?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    All five people were still alive despite the horrible state they were in.

    ¡°Because this isn¡¯t all of them. Didn¡¯t you hear the woman saying that they needed to debrief a captain or something?¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°We¡¯ll make them take us to their hideout so we can eliminate their whole gang.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Chu Nianjiu shrugged.

    <i>Snap!</i>

    Ye Qing snapped his fingers, and all five warriors awakened slowly. They were unconscious not because their wounds were too severe, but because he had confined their minds using the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±.

    During his time at the Martial Tower, he had focused on training his ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±, ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±, and the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±. Of the three, the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± received the most attention as it was one of his core martial arts. Thanks to his training, he could now tweak the strength of the martial art as he pleased. He could paralyze someone or steal their minds with a single thought.

    Just now, he had stolen the minds of the five warriors, effectively robbing them of their consciousness.

    ¡°Hey, you. You¡¯re finally awake,¡± Ye Qing said while leaning against a maple tree and ying with a maple leaf. ¡°Who are you people, and where is your hideout?¡±

    ¡°I admit that it¡¯s our loss this time, but you would release us if you know what¡¯s good for you. Otherwise¡ªARGH!¡±

    The cold man was sneering and in the middle of threatening Ye Qing when suddenly, he let out a bloodcurdling scream. It was because an icicle had pierced a main artery in his thigh and spilled his blood like a fountain. Before his scream could spread, Lin Yuhuai tossed out a talisman that eliminated the noisepletely.

    ¡°We ask you a question, you give us an answer. That¡¯s all we ask. Break this rule, and the next few icicles will go to your mouth,¡± warned Chu Nianjiu while toying with an icicle and wearing a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eyes.

    The cold man stopped talking. He could tell that Chu Nianjiu would kill him without a thought if he gave him an excuse to do so.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± ve of Fire asked.

    <i>Pssh!</i>

    The second he finished, an icicle pierced his calf.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    ve of Fire¡¯s face contorted with pain and anger, but Chu Nianjiu cut him off before he could say anything, ¡°What did I just say? We ask a question, and you give us an answer, not the other way around.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself a third time. Disobey me again, and you are dead. Get it?¡± asked Chu Nianjiu while slowly sweeping his gaze across the group.

    The five warriors looked disgruntled, but they finally wised up and kept their mouths shut. Satisfied, Chu Nianjiu nodded and asked, ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start with the basics. What are your names?¡±

    ¡°ve of Fire.¡±

    ¡°Gu Lady.¡±

    ¡°Fifteen Saber.¡±

    ¡°Mad Fist.¡±

    ¡°Bird Schr.¡±

    The five warriors answered. Fifteen Saber was the cold man¡¯s moniker, Mad Fist was the short-haired man¡¯s moniker, and Bird Schr was the schr¡¯s moniker.

    ¡°See? You wouldn¡¯t have suffered if you were this cooperative from the beginning, would you?¡± Chu Nianjiu smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Now, who are you people?¡±

    The five warriors exchanged nces with each other. In the end, it was their leader, ve of Fire who spoke up, ¡°We are the Kinnaras.¡±

    ¡°The Kinnaras?¡± They had heard the name before, but they had no idea about the context.

    ¡°Have you heard of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas?¡± ve of Fire asked when he saw their confusion.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    But as soon as he asked the question, an icicle pierced Bird Schr in the arm.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one asking the questions. You just need to tell us what we want to know. Don¡¯t give me that counter question bullshit,¡± Chu Nianjiu said coldly.

    Despite his warning, Bird Schr couldn¡¯t help but ask as he shook with pain, ¡°Why are you stabbing <i>me </i>when <i>he¡¯s</i> the one who asked you a question?¡±

    Now he understood why Fifteen Saber, a hardened veteran who often cut himself with his sabers screamed as loud as he did when he got stabbed earlier. Chu Nianjiu had specifically targeted the frailest and most painful areas of their body. Just because they were warriors didn¡¯t mean they had no weak spots or were immune to pain.

    It was clear that Chu Nianjiu was a master interrogator.

    Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine and answered matter-of-factly, ¡°Because I still need him to answer my questions. I¡¯m sure you can take an icicle or two for your friend¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be the only one to suffer. Every time something uselesses out of his mouth, I will put a hole in one of you people. I¡¯m also skilled enough to turn you all into ice porcupines without you falling unconscious. It¡¯s a fun game. You can give it a try if you want to.¡±

    <i>Are you a monster?</i>

    All five warriors shuddered when they heard this. ve of Fire hurriedlyunched into an exnation, ¡°ording to the Buddhist scriptures, eight groups of deities often seen among the audience addressed by the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas. They are the Devas, the Nagas, the Yaksas, the Gandharvas, the Asuras, the Garudas, the Kimnaras and the Mahoragas[1].¡±

    ¡°Of the eight legions, the Devas and the Nagas¡¯ role was the most important of them all, which is why they are collectively known as the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas.¡±

    ¡°We are the Kimnaras of the Eight Legions.¡±

    ¡°The Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. <i>Why do I feel like my confusion is only growing the more I listen to them?</i>

    Suddenly, Lin Yuhuai recalled something and eximed in surprise, ¡°The Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas, the People of the Divine?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! It is us!¡± A hint of pride flickered across ve of Fire¡¯s face.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing and Chu Nianjiu turned to look at Lin Yuhuai. <i>Why do you know what we don¡¯t? Why are you so smart, huh? Huh?</i>

    Lin Yuhuai exined, ¡°I read about them in a file regarding mysterious factions in the <i>jianghu. </i>They im to be the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas and the People of the Divine. They believe themselves to be the descendants of gods and Buddhas and naturally superior to all other humans.¡±

    ¡°As the guy said, the organization is split into eight groups based on the actual Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas. Technically, the eight groups are equal in status, but in reality the Devas and the Nagas consistently wield the greatest power within the organization.¡±

    ¡°Very little about the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas is known. What is certain is that everyone in the faction is strong, independent, and anti-social in the sense that they only mingle among themselves. They don¡¯t usually mingle with ¡®mortals¡¯, and they do not usually involve themselves in the <i>jianghu. </i>That is why few people are aware of their existence.¡±

    ¡°It looks like the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas prefer to keep a low profile, but that¡¯s because they prefer to be the puppeteer behind the strings. In fact, they were behind many major happenings in the <i>jianghu. </i>They are mysterious, but they are anything but low profile.¡±

    ¡°Did I get it right?¡± Lin Yuhuai looked to the five warriors for confirmation.

    ve of Fire nodded. ¡°You are correct... warrior.¡±

    The two school dropouts[2], Ye Qing and Chu Nianjiu, nodded. In other words, they had offended someone they shouldn¡¯t have.

    ¡°Hmph! At least one of you isn¡¯t aplete fool. Now that you know who we are, release us while you still can!¡± Mad Fist dered arrogantly.

    <i>Pssh!</i>

    Five icicles abruptly pierced his arms and legs. Before he could scream out in pain, countless mini icicles the size of a needle pierced his lips and sewed his mouth shut, causing his screams to turn into muffled groans.

    ¡°That¡¯s the third time. I told you I would sew your mouths shut if you disobey me again, but it looks like none of you actually took me seriously!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu narrowed his eyes dangerously and swept his gaze across the group. ¡°Do you believe me now? Or do I have to kill someone to prove a point?¡±

    ¡°You...!¡±

    The group of five was furious, but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. It was clear that this was their final warning.

    ¡°Good. I love it when you wear that angry yet impotent look on your face,¡± Chu Nianjiu said smilingly while sipping his wine.

    ¡°Who are your aplices?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ve of Fire hesitated, but when he saw Chu Nianjiu twirling an icicle as if he was just waiting for him to give him an excuse to kill him, he gave in. ¡°Our captain, the Radical Fire Captain of the Kimnaras, and a squad of thirty six Fire Guards.¡±

    ¡°Where are they hiding right now?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ve of Fire answered, ¡°They¡¯re hiding at Vicious Tiger River about two point five kilometers south of here. It was upied by a bunch of Grave Raiders until we killed them all.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your captain¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Huo Hao.¡±

    ¡°How strong is he?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s an early-stage Spirit Master.¡±

    ¡°What about the Fire Guards?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all middle-stage Astral Refiners.¡±

    ¡°What are Huo Hao¡¯s hobbies?¡±

    ¡°... Er...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®er¡¯ me and just answer my question. Otherwise, my friend will turn you into an ice porcupine, get it?¡±

    ¡°I guess his hobby is drinking and beautiful women...?¡±

    ¡°What type of woman does he like? Fat, thin, tall, short?¡±

    ¡°Fat.¡±

    ¡°Wow! He¡¯s a unique one, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ......

    ve of Fire had given up resistingpletely. He just answered whatever question Ye Qing threw at him no matter how nonsensical it was.

    ¡°Good. I can tell that you weren¡¯t lying to me.¡±

    Literally, he could tell. Ye Qing had been using his demonic thought to perceive his victims¡¯ emotions this whole time. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s time to get serious.¡±

    ve of Fire: ¡°...¡± <i>Oh, you¡¯re aware?</i>

    ¡°You mentioned that the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas dislike mingling with ¡®mortals¡¯, so how did you get involved with the Lei Martial School to the point where their headmaster even killed your scion?¡±

    ve of Fire was silent for a moment before answering, ¡°Two days ago, our young master drank himself silly at Phoenix Come Restaurant and got into a violent argument with Lei Laohu. It ended with Lei Laohu killing my young master and his subordinates.¡±

    ¡°In the Eight Legions, we believe in repaying any harm or death we take multifold. So, we took revenge for our young master and wiped out his family.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°But why don¡¯t I believe you?¡±

    The group of five paled a little.

    ¡°As I asked earlier, I thought the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas do not mingle with ¡®mortals¡¯, so why would you show up in the city of Feng Yang, and in such numbers no less? Speaking of which, why is your scion there? Their wine can¡¯t possibly be that good, can it?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re here for a vacation. You must have some sort of ulterior motive.¡±

    ve of Fire quietly swallowed the lie he was about to give.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Are you trying toe up with a lie that would fool us?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened. ¡°It better be a good one then, because we¡¯re gonna separate you all and interrogate you in istion. If your lies don¡¯t match, then trust me when I say that you will regret being born in this world.¡±

    Ye Qing waved a hand, and both Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai immediately grabbed a person each and walked a fair distance away from them. Just in case, Lin Yuhuai used a few talismans to ensure that there was absolutely no way anyone could send any sort of signal to ve of Fire.

    <i>He¡¯s a monster too, </i>ve of Fire thought with a shudder<i>. </i>All three of them were monsters. <i>Why oh why did we choose to attack them? It would¡¯ve been fine if we just minded our own business!</i>

    A short silenceter, ve of Fire said with a bitter voice, ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to tell you, warriors. We just can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And why not? Tell us.¡± Ye Qing smiled like a cunning fox.

    ve of Fire took a moment to choose his words. ¡°It¡¯s because we¡¯ve all sworn an Oath of Devas and Nagas. If we reveal anything at all¡ªliterally anything¡ªwe would be burned by the Fire of Deva and damned for eternity.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then watch.¡±

    ¡°We are here to¡ª¡±

    As if on cue, invisible mes suddenly burst out of ve of Fire¡¯s body. Draconic roars could be heard from the mes as well. The fire didn¡¯t look or feel hot, but Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai¡¯s hearts all skipped a beat when they saw it. At the same time, ve of Fire¡¯s soul suddenly emerged a little from his mortal shell and writhed in the invisible mes as if it was being burned alive.

    A few breathster, the invisible mes vanished, and ve of Fire¡¯s soul went back into his body. He immediately copsed on the ground covered in sweat like he had just run a marathon.

    ¡°As you can see, the mere thought of leaking our ns nearly cost me my life. It¡¯s also the one and only warning I¡¯ll get. If I say another word, then the Fire of Deva would annihte my soul. I would die in pain and agony.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth, warriors. I literally cannot say what you wish to hear.¡±

    1. S added at the back of the names since they are a group. Also, the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas are real. ?

    2. Just an expression. They¡¯re not actually dropouts. ?

 Chapter 328: Iâ€™ll Let You Go

    <h4>Chapter 328: I¡¯ll Let You Go </h4>

    ¡°That... sounds kinda troublesome.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose as if he was troubled.

    Sensing an opportunity, ve of Fire persuaded, ¡°Warriors, there are some things in the world that are better left unknown. Since you know who we are, you should be aware of our rules and influence as well. What happened today is just a misunderstanding, and it hasn¡¯t gotten to the point of no return. Why don¡¯t we both take a step back and make peace instead of war?¡±

    ¡°And how do you intend to make peace, exactly?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ve of Fire hurriedly said, ¡°It¡¯s simple. If you let us go, we swear in the name of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas that we will never trouble you again. It would be like this conflict had never happened. What do you say?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°It sounds like a good n, but can you actually keep your word?¡±

    ¡°But of course! We are the descendants of the divine, the Kimnaras. We will never go back on a promise.¡± ve of Fire added in a hurry, ¡°Watch. In the name of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas, I solemnly swear that I will never trouble you for as long as I draw breath.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. ¡°Okay! I trust you. You may leave.¡±

    ¡°You are a smart man, warrior! Hahaha!¡± ve of Fire eximed in excitement. ¡°I promise you won¡¯t regret your decision today.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Ye Qing drew Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai¡¯s attention and said, ¡°You can bring the rest over now.¡±

    After the duo hauled the prisoners over, Chu Nianjiu asked Ye Qing via sound transmission, ¡°Are you seriously going to let them go? That they won¡¯te back and cause us troubleter?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I don¡¯t trust a single word thates out of his mouth.¡± Ye Qing shrugged nonchntly. When ve of Fire solemnly swore he wouldn¡¯t trouble them just now, he could sense a sea of hatred bubbling inside the old man¡¯s heart. He was willing to bet his pinky finger that the group would bring Huo Hao over the second they were out of sight and out of mind.

    To be honest, Ye Qing would have let them go if ve of Fire was actually sincere with his promise. He could tell from the name alone that the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas was no ordinary organization. They might prove to be more troublesome than even the Way of Taiping. He didn¡¯t mind staying out of their way if they would stay out of his.

    But they wouldn¡¯t. ve of Fire¡¯s feelings made it crystal clear. In that case, there was only one thing left to do.

    ¡°Then why are we letting them go?¡± Chu Nianjiu frowned.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t though?¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    Chu Nianjiu put two and two together. ¡°Do you mean...¡±

    ¡°Thenguage of Chu is deep andplex. It¡¯s not my fault they didn¡¯t rify exactly what I mean.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devilish grin as he snapped his fingers, causing the five warriors who foolishly thought that they were going to escape to freeze all of a sudden. Their eyes grew unfocused as several wisps of fog slipped into their heads.

    The Fog Demon¡¯s voice rang inside Ye Qing¡¯s heart, ¡°Kekeke, are you plotting something again, boy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not plotting anything. I¡¯m just protecting myself,¡± Ye Qing mentally replied. ¡°Anyway, cut the bullcrap and take over them already, will you?¡±

    ¡°Easy peasy.¡± The Fog Demon let out an evil cackle.

    A few breathster, the five warriors regained their consciousness. They shook their heads a little and asked Ye Qing with eerie unison, ¡°Kekeke... What is the n, boy?¡±

    ¡°Is that... the Boundless Mara Buddha?¡± Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai quickly put two and two together despite their initial surprise. ¡°Why are you controlling them with the Fog Demon, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Nothing much. I just want to eliminate the threat by the roots, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ......

    Vicious Tiger River was a deep river located in the middle of a mountain. Surrounded by difficult terrain, it was easy to defend but difficult to assault.

    Previously, Vicious Tiger River was upied by a group of Grave Raiders. Led by ate-stage Astral Refiner, they frequently raided traveling merchants, dug graves, andmitted all sorts of crimes. The Feng Yang government had tried multiple times to annihte them to no avail.

    Now, they were all dead. Not a speck of them was left behind in this world¡ªliterally, the Radical Fire Captain had burned them all into dust.

    Huo Hao, Radical Fire Captain of the Kimnaras was a tall, muscr man with a rugged appearance. Bare-torsoed, he was currently sweating buckets in the main hall eating amb leg with one hand and drinking a jar of delicious wine with the other.

    There was no one around him. A closer look would reveal that the temperature inside the main hall was unbelievably hot, and the furniture and pirs holding up the ce were giving off a burned stench.

    The source of the unnatural temperature was none other than Huo Hao. His bared torso was packed with fiery tattoos, and the tattoos were swaying back and forth almost like they were real mes. Not only that, actual mes flickered just above his skin and gave off the choking odor of sulfur. It was where the heat wasing from. Strangely, the wine jar and themb leg he was holding wasn¡¯t affected by the mes or the heat whatsoever.

    ¡°Captain, ve of Fire and the others are back.¡±

    It was at this moment a man in red robes stepped in and gave his report.

    ¡°Finally. What took them so long?¡± Huo Hao knitted his brow before ordering, ¡°Send them in.¡±

    The man left. A short whileter, ve of Fire, Fifteen Saber, Gu Lady, Mad Fist and Bird Schr entered the main hall.

    ¡°Huh. What the hell happened to you guys?¡± Huo Hao took a bite and asked. It was because all five warriors looked like shit.

    ¡°The targets were stronger than expected,¡± ve of Fire replied respectfully.

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you failed to take them out?¡± Huo Hao¡¯s tone immediately turned unfriendly. The mes grew stronger, and the temperature inside the main hall shot up by several degrees.

    The five warriors subconsciously stepped away from Huo Hao while ve of Fire exined in a hurry, ¡°No! The targets are strong, but of course they¡¯re no match for the five of us. We just took some injuries during the fight is all.¡±

    Huo Hao scoffed in disdain, ¡°Hmph! You outnumbered the mortals, and you still got hurt? You¡¯ve brought shame to the Kimnaras. I expect you to gete yourselves ten times when you return to your dwellings.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± No one dared to reject the punishment.

    Huo Hao gulped another mouthful of wine before asking, ¡°Have you taken out everyone who¡¯s rted to Lei Laohu?¡±

    ve of Fire answered, ¡°More or less, captain.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± A vicious, bloodthirsty smile crossed his lips. ¡°How dare these lowly mortals murder our venerable young master. Lei Laohu should count himself lucky that we didn¡¯t have someone who could capture his soul and burn him for eternity.¡±

    ¡°Continue the good work until every man and woman who¡¯s rted to Lei Laohu is dead. Let this be an example to all who would dare to challenge the Eight Legions.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± ve of Fire saluted before producing a few jars of wine from his Nature¡¯s Shell and handing it to Huo Hao. ¡°Captain, we found these in the targets¡¯ Nature¡¯s Shell. They¡¯re all well-aged, high-quality brews. Please ept it.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I appreciate the gesture, ve of Fire!¡± Huo Hao¡¯s eyes lit up. The moment he epted the gift, he immediately removed the seal and poured its contents down his throat.

    ¡°Gulp... Gulp...¡±

    In just a few breaths, the whole jar of wine had entered his stomach.

    ¡°Rich, strong, vorful! Now this is what I call fine wine!¡± Huo Haoplimented before grabbing the next jar and gulping down its contents as well. It took him only a moment to finish all three jars of wine.

    Huo Hao¡¯splexion didn¡¯t change, however. When a warrior had reached a certain level, what would¡¯ve killed an ordinary human wouldn¡¯t faze them in the slightest. It was at this moment Huo Hao noticed that the five warriors hadn¡¯t left yet. He asked with a frown, ¡°Why are you guys still here?¡± ve of Fire slowly approached Huo Hao with an odd smile on his face. ¡°There is one more matter I must report to you, captain. A very important one.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Spill it already!¡± Huo Hao said impatiently.

    ¡°It¡¯s...¡± ve of Fire got closer and closer. ¡°About... sending you to the next life!¡±

    <i>Pssh!</i>

    ¡°What are you doing, ve of Fire?¡±

    Huo Hao roared and punched ve of Fire in the chest, blowing a hole in it and throwing him all the way to the wall.

    And why did he attack his subordinate? It was because his subordinate had stabbed his stomach with a dagger!

    Before Huo Hao¡¯s voice even finished speaking, Gu Lady, Fifteen Saber, Mad Fist and Bird Schr pounced toward Huo Hao as well.

    ¡°Have you all gone mad?¡± Huo Hao¡¯s eyes bulged with shock and anger as the fiery tattoos on his torso suddenly turned bright red. A terrific wave of heat washed out of him and knocked the four warriors away, burning them from head to toe.

    The four warriors couldn¡¯t seem to feel their wounds, however. Even ve of Fire had climbed back to his feet to attack Huo Hao again.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡± Huo Hao roared with fury as the mes joined together to form a massive vortex. It caught the five warriors before they could even approach him and burned them into dust.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    However, Huo Hao abruptly threw up a mouthful of blood and lost control of his technique. The me vortex scattered in every direction and burned down everything except the building itself. His stomach was hurting like someone was twisting a knife in his gut, and his vitality was in a disarray.

    He looked at the blood on the floor. It was ck-colored instead of red.

    ¡°Poison? Was it the wine? Not good!¡± Huo Hao nched immediately. ¡°Fire Guards!¡±

    No one responded to his call, however.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    By now, Huo Hao realized that he was in deep trouble. He sucked in a deep breath, forcefully suppressed the deadly poison ravaging his insides, and rushed out of the main hall.

    It was deathly silent outside the main hall, and all thirty six Fire Guards were lying dead on the floor.

    ¡°Who did this?¡± Huo Hao roared furiously. ¡°How dare you attack the noble Kimnaras! Come out so I can rip you to pieces with my own hands!¡±

    His mes burned so hot that the ground within ten meters of him had melted intova.

    ¡°How does my wine taste, Lord Huo Hao?¡±

    Ye Qing slowly stepped out of the darkness. He was holding an extraordinarily beautiful saber in his left hand, de still dripping with fresh blood.

    At the same time, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai also emerged from their hiding spots from two different directions. They essentially had Huo Hao surrounded.

    The three jars of wine ve of Fire had given Huo Hao contained the deadly poison of the Blue Demon Hand. The idea urred to him as soon as ve of Fire told him that Huo Hao was a wine lover.

    <i>You like wine, don¡¯t you?</i>

    <i>It¡¯ll be yourst supper!</i>

    Huo Hao was a Spirit Master, and the three of them were just early-stage Spirit Purifiers. They might be far stronger than your conventional Spirit Purifier, but they still weren¡¯t confident that they could take Huo Hao on in a straight fight. One simple mistake was all it took to lose their lives.

    That was why he came up with the idea of poisoning Huo Hao through ve of Fire. It was the perfect n as Huo Hao had no reason to suspect ve of Fire of pulling such a stunt whatsoever.

    Ideally, Huo Hao should be writhing on the floor in agony and more or less incapacitated right now. In reality, he still underestimated the vitality of a Spirit Master. The Blue Demon Hand was dozens of times stronger than what it used to be after going through a rebirth, and its poison especially was beyond deadly after it was refined with the Cold Spring of Myriad Poison. Not only could it damage a warrior¡¯s body, it now attacked the mind as well. It could easily snuff out a Spirit Purifier with an average constitution and a weak spirit.

    That was why he thought that the poison should be enough to kill an unguarded Spirit Master, especially since Huo Hao downed all three jars in rapid session. In reality, the guy easily killed his ambushers and even walked out of the grave they had prepared for him, ready to fight his killers to the death.

    The poison wasn¡¯t useless though. He could clearly sense Huo Hao¡¯s energies weakening rapidly by the second.

 Chapter 329: Molten Hell

    <h4>Chapter 329: Molten Hell </h4>

    ¡°Who are you people? How dare you challenge the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas?¡± Huo Hao asked while ring at Ye Qing angrily.

    ¡°Oh? You wanna know?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like telling though!¡±

    ¡°Insolence!¡±

    Huo Hao roared as the moltenva beneath his feet climbed up his feet and covered his whole body. He quickly transformed into a molten giant that was over four to five meters tall. The rapid flow of theva caused the ground to sizzle ominously.

    The next moment, Huo Hao exploded toward Ye Qing and threw out a mighty punch.

    Ye Qing slipped Red Sleeve under his actual sleeve. Then, he clenched his right fist and met the Spirit Master head on.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Two fists met, and the ground within sixty meters of the duo cracked like porcin. Huo Hao¡¯s fist and the moltenva surrounding it exploded into bits, and even his arm was popping and cracking disturbingly at ces.

    Huo Hao cried out in pain and staggered backward. Every time he took a step,rge globs of moltenva would drip from his body.

    His attempt to put some distance between himself and Ye Qing and gather himself was futile, however. Like a phantom, Ye Qing caught up to Huo Hao and threw a second, third, fourth and many, many more punches.

    For a time, it sounded like the punches would never end. Each one was as loud as a bell strike.

    Huo Hao kept retreating, and Ye Qing kept advancing. When Huo Hao¡¯s back was pressed against the wall, Ye Qingnded his final punch.

    <i>BAAAANG!</i>

    A pit appeared on the solid wall behind Huo Hao¡¯s back, and cracks spread out of the edges like a spider¡¯s web. The moltenva covering his body had long since been blown apart by Ye Qing¡¯s fist force, revealing his pale angry face.

    ¡°Graaah! How dare a bunch of ants attack the noble Kinnaras! Not a speck of you would be left by the time I¡¯m done with you!¡±

    Huo Hao could not believe that he was being pushed back by an early-stage Spirit Purifier. Eyes bloodshot, the fiery tattoos on his body burned brightly as he let out an unearthly howl. A terrific amount of energy washed out of his body, and the ground within hundreds of meters away from him began shaking and splitting apart like spider webs. The pungent stench of sulfur rose from the cracks as something terrible was hidden underneath.

    <i>¡°Molten Hell¡±</i>

    ¡°Get back!¡±

    Ye Qing had jumped back as soon as Huo Hao howled like a madman. He also reminded Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu to take evasive actions.

    The trio had just retreated halfway when the ground beneath their feet abruptly exploded into pieces. Gigantic fountains ofva then shot out of the cracks all the way into the air. It was like countless volcanoes erupting at the same time.

    The trio dodged all over the ce. No one wanted to take a faceful ofva.

    When theva reached its highest point, it poured down on the trio like a capsized basin. In the process, theva transformed into countless ghosts and homed in on the trio. Not only that, the thick, sulfuric smoke rising from the depths burned their eyes, choked their lungs, and made them feel like they were burning in hell. There were even malicious, anomalous, mournful wails sting away at their ears in an attempt to bend their mind and spirit to the Spirit Master¡¯s will.

    Ye Qing shielded his mind with his demonic thought and punched away the ghosts flying toward him.

    Chu Nianjiu surrounded himself in an icy qi that froze any and all ghosts who got within a certain range.

    Lin Yuhuai threw out an innumerable number of talismans that merged into a talismanic dragon and crushed all of the ghosts into bits.

    For a time,va poured like rain, and the entire Vicious Tiger River had turned into a burning hell.

    A dozen breathster, the trio rushed out of the burning hell looking as ck as soot. Such was Huo Hao¡¯s ultimate attack that no one managed to escape unscathed.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Huo Hao?¡± Chu Nianjiu looked back at the living purgatory with a sigh of relief and fear.

    ¡°He probably ran away.¡± Lin Yuhuai narrowed his eyes slightly.

    ¡°He most definitely had.¡± Ye Qing dered, ¡°Huo Hao had never nned on fighting us to the death.¡±

    ¡°Tsk! The guy looked arrogant, irritable and stupid, but to think he¡¯s a coward as well.¡±

    ¡°The Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas may be arrogant, but they¡¯re definitely not stupid.¡± Lin Yuhuai smiled. ¡°The guy had most likely nned out everything from the beginning. If his ultimate attack is enough to kill us, then all is well. If not, then he would run away. It¡¯s a good n.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not my concern right now. My concern is that we¡¯d be in deep shit if he manages to escape!¡± Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine and saidzily. Strangely, he didn¡¯t look worried in the slightest even though the risks were very real.

    ¡°Can you track Huo Hao down, Yuhuai?¡±

    A paper crane flew out of Lin Yuhuai¡¯s sleeve and flew a circle around the trio. It shook its head when itnded back on his shoulder almost as if it had a mind of its own.

    Lin Yuhuai put away the paper crane and shook his head as well. ¡°Unfortunately, my paper crane cannot find Huo Hao.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you then, Joyless.¡± Chu Nianjiu looked at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°You seem very confident in my abilities.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am!¡± Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine before answering, ¡°After all, you''ll be the the Eight Legions¡¯ first target if Huo Hao manages to escape.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>As expected of my brother-on-the-surface.</i>

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we get moving already?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can afford to let him stew for a little longer.¡± Ye Qing smiled while staring at the molten hell in front of him.

    ......

    Inside a forest, Huo Hao was running for his life. Large beads of sweat were rolling down his forehead, but they were bluish ck in color. In fact, Huo Hao¡¯s face was bluish ck in color, and even the air he exhaled was bluish ck as well. Death was slowly but surely creeping up on him.

    Huo Hao grabbed a pill from his Nature¡¯s Shell and threw it down his gullet. For an instant, vitality returned to hisplexion before it was devoured by bluish ck once more.

    ¡°Dammit! What the hell is this poison?¡± Huo Hao cursed under his breath. He could clearly sense his bodily functions declining by the second. The poison was ravaging his vigor, his organs, his muscles, and even his mind. His consciousness was starting to blur as well.

    He carried some antidotes with him, but forget eliminating the poison, they couldn¡¯t even suppress it for a short time.

    That was why he was growing weaker and weaker. He wasn¡¯t even sure if he could escape to safety, or if the poison could be removed after that.

    Huo Hao¡¯s fury and hatred burned even hotter when he thought until this point. He was so sure that this trip to Feng Yang would be a milk run, but not only did his carelessness lead to the death of his young master, he himself was teetering on death¡¯s door right now.

    The good news was that his young master was just a coteral rtive of the Kinnara Royals. He could still atone for his sins if hepleted the mission and bring that thing back to the Kinnaras.

    He was going to take out the rats who attacked the Kinnaras before he left this ce, but the rats had turned out to be newborn calves[1]. Not only that, these calves were smart and strong enough to threaten him, a tiger.

    ¡°Hmph! If they hadn¡¯t exploited my blind spot and poisoned me, I could¡¯ve crushed them as easily as ants!¡± Huo Hao growled. It was a mistake. Maybe it was because his disy of anger identally triggered his wounds, but he couldn¡¯t help but throw up a mouthful of fresh blood.

    ¡°It¡¯s not good to get angry when you¡¯re wounded, Captain Huo!¡±

    A yful voice suddenly rang beside his ears.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Shocked, Huo Hao turned his neck to look at the speaker. The instant he did this, he caught a glimpse of something crimson and smelled something fragrant.

    ¡°You¡ªagh¡ªghk...¡±

    The crimson sh vanished, and Ye Qing stood right in front of Huo Hao. The Spirit Master¡¯s eyes bulged as he tried to speak, but he quickly discovered that he couldn¡¯t say anything at all.

    Huo Hao staggered two steps away from Ye Qing as he touched his own neck. But right before his fingers would make contact, a thin, red line appeared from the left and slowly spread toward the right. When it finally reached the end, Huo Hao¡¯s head fell to the ground and rolled a circle like a ripened fruit.

    ¡°Red Sleeve is seriously a great saber.¡± Ye Qingmented as he stared at Huo Hao¡¯s wide-eyed head. The saber slowly consumed the bloodstains covering its de until it looked as good as new. It even gave off a whiff of something fragrant like an incorruptible beauty.

    Just now, he had cut off Huo Hao¡¯s head as soon as he appeared behind Huo Hao¡¯s back. Since the de was impossibly thin and razor sharp, the guy¡¯s head actually remained on his neck for a short time until he jolted it out of position himself.

    He was incredibly satisfied with Red Sleeve¡¯s power to say the least.

    Two or three breathster, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai arrivedte. ¡°Where did he go, Ye Qing?¡±

    ¡°Down here.¡± Ye Qing moved out of the way so they could catch a full view of the body.

    ¡°You killed him?¡± Chu Nianjiu eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Er, duh? Is there a reason I should keep him alive?¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve waited for us to catch up. None of us evennded a hit on the guy, you know?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai exchanged a somewhat bitter look with each other. The three of them had departed together, but Ye Qing eventually sped out of view despite their best efforts. By the time they arrived, Huo Hao was already dead.

    ¡°It feels like we¡¯ve been doing nothing. All we did is torture a few people and kill a few underlings.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like it, you <i>have </i>been doing nothing. Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourselves?¡± Ye Qing joked.

    ¡°Shameless bastard.¡± Chu Nianjiu rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Ah, shit.¡± Ye Qing suddenly pped his own head in frustration.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Yuhuai asked.

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°Ipletely forgot to ask Huo Hao why the Eight Legions had shown up at Feng Yang.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Lin Yuhuai smiled uncaringly. ¡°The Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas is a mysterious faction. Even if we found out what they were nning, dare we involve ourselves in it? For now at least, we¡¯re better off not knowing.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s deal with the corpse and resume our journey, shall we?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    1. In Chinese culture, a newborn calf is said to fear nothing, so he¡¯s saying that what he thought were cowards were the opposite. ?

 Chapter 330: The Nanke Dream

    <h4>Chapter 330: The Nanke Dream </h4>

    ¡°The ¡®Molten Hell Art¡¯? It¡¯s probably the martial art Huo Hao used earlier.¡±

    ¡°Pills for treating all sorts of ailments and injuries. They¡¯re kinda trashy though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this? A door?¡±

    Inside the forest, Ye Qing was looking through Huo Hao¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell after cleaning the crime scene as much as possible. It was at this moment he noticed a strange item.

    The door was pocket-sized and seemingly made from bronze. Strange, twisted patterns were engraved to its double doors[1], and coiled around its frame was a ck snake and a white snake. They stretched from the hinges all the way to the top, and their necks were intertwined and facing toward each other. They looked extremely lifelike.

    ¡°Hiss!¡±

    Suddenly, the two snakes turned toward Ye Qing and stretched forward a little, hissing a little with curiosity.

    ¡°Oho! He¡¯s a cute, sweet and deliciousd, isn¡¯t he?¡± The white snakemented brightly, vertical pupils shing with human-like intelligence and emotion.

    ¡°Yes, he is,¡± the ck snake replied.

    ¡°Where is Huo Hao? Is he dead? Did you kill him? I knew he was a short-lived one. He looked like one of those throwaway viins who dies as soon as he runs into someone who¡¯s even a little stronger than him.¡±

    The white snake spoke very rapidly, though its pronunciation was extremely clear. ¡°But you¡¯re just a Spirit Purifier. How on earth did you kill Huo Hao? Tell us the story, boy! Did you poison him? Stab him in the back? Or seduce him with your good looks? Oh yes oh yes, you definitely seduced him with your good looks. My, I feel like swooning just thinking about it...¡±

    The ck snake simply let out a long, meaningful whistle.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing finally recovered from his shock and subconsciously tossed the double doors away from him. His expression looked wary.

    The doors didn¡¯t fall on the ground, however. It floated in the air while the white snake continued to prattle, ¡°You¡¯re too timid and easily startled, boy! Haven¡¯t you heard that those great people who did great things could face even an avnche of shit with a straight face? You¡¯re cute, handsome, attractive and strong¡ª¡±

    ¡°Just like us,¡± the ck snake interjected.

    ¡°¡ªBut you won¡¯t be able to achieve your full potential if you remain as you are?¡±

    ¡°What are you?¡± Ye Qing asked with a deep frown and even greater caution. He was certain that the snakes weren¡¯t Strangers¡ªthey didn¡¯t exude the vital signs a living being would normally exude¡ªso they could only be Strange Artifacts.¡±

    ¡°As you already noticed, we¡¯re a Strange Artifact! A sentient Strange Artifact!¡± The white snake admitted right away before eximing its surprise, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who we are? Aren¡¯t you one of those robbers who came to steal us?¡±

    ¡°Oh my heavens! He really isn¡¯t here for us! I¡¯m so sad!¡±

    ¡°Uwu!¡±

    The second the white snake said it was sad, the ck snake immediately started weeping sorrowfully. However, its tears appeared and disappeared almost as soon as they left its eyes.

    <i>So they¡¯re the reason Huo Hao came to Feng Yang! </i>Ye Qing thought as realization struck him. He was still on guard against the two snakes though.

    ¡°Wow, no sympathy at all? Not even a little? What a heartless man you are. I bet you don¡¯t have a girlfriend!¡± The white snakeined when it saw that their act failed to elicit any response from Ye Qing whatsoever.

    ¡°Bachelor! Virgin! I bet you go stag wherever you go!¡± The ck snake added mercilessly.

    This time, Ye Qing¡¯s mouth did twitch a little. <i>So what if I¡¯m a bachelor and a virgin, you fucks? One more word, and I¡¯ll spin you like a h hoop!</i>

    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll stop. Don¡¯t re at me like that, you¡¯re scaring me! <i>Men...</i>¡± The white snake flinched, but itsst word made it clear that it was anything but intimidated. ¡°Anyway, allow me to introduce myself. My name is White Lord. You may call me Li¡¯l White or whatever. Mypanion is called ck Lord. Again, you may call it whatever you want. We are the artifact spirits of these doors.¡±

    ¡°This Strange Artifact is called Nanke as per the Buddhist story, the Nanke Dream. Behind the doors of Nanke is a dream thatsts a hundred years, but with actual logic and structure. To put it simply, Nanke can create a dream based on its user¡¯s wish so they may enter and experience that dream. It can be used to practice one¡¯s martial arts and hone their strength.¡±

    ¡°For example, a warrior who wishes to practice a fire-type martial art would probably find a zing hot environment when they enter the dream. A warrior who wishes to practice an ice-type martial art would find the opposite. If they wished to research and expand on an existing martial art, then Nanke would create a dream where hundreds of martial arts could be used as a reference. If they wished to practice their technique and proficiency instead, then it would create countless Strangers and or warriors for the warrior to fight. It could even be used to temper one¡¯s mental fortitude such as creating a world full of beauty and lust to test how well you can resist it...¡±

    ¡°Most importantly, anything you gain inside the dream, you will gain in the real world as well.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, one year in Nanke is only one day in the outside world. In other words, you¡¯re gaining extra time. Such is the Nanke Dream.¡±

    Ye Qing was so stunned that he was speechless for a time. It was because Nanke¡¯s ability was absolutely overpowered. Most people dreamed in their sleep, but they had no hold over their dreams. They could only go with the flow so to speak. A strong-willed <i>jianghu </i>warrior could force themselves not to dream to give themselves the best possible sleep. But to purposely use a dream to train? That was very, very difficult.

    Assuming that the artifact spirits weren¡¯t lying to him, Nanke could create dreams that specifically targeted the area he wanted to focus on. It was extraordinary to say the least. In a sense, it was on par or better than the Martial Tower itself.

    The difference between the two was that the Martial Tower improved one¡¯s cultivation in the real world. Training one day in the Martial Tower was equal to training several years outside. On the other hand, Nanke created a dreamscape out of one¡¯s desires and subconscious where one could train for a hundred years. For example, a ten-minute cat nap in real life could be months or even years could¡¯ve passed inside the dream.

    One Strange Artifact was centered in reality, and the other inside a dream.

    However, the white snake¡ªWhite Lord¡ªshook its head in disappointment. ¡°That¡¯s bitch talk, brother.¡±

    ck Lord helpfully deciphered itspanion¡¯s meaning, ¡°It¡¯s saying that you¡¯re shallow and shortsighted.¡±

    Ye Qing could barely control his facial expression. <i>I don¡¯t need your exnation!</i>

    White Lord cackled. ¡°You can use Nanke to train, but you can also use it to live all kinds of dreams. You can use it to experience what it¡¯s like to be a rich man, a hero, an emperor, or the ruler of everything. Or you can use it to satisfy your more... baser instincts. Oh yeah...¡±

    The ck snake added suggestively, ¡°You¡¯re a man. You understand what we¡¯re saying.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯m just a kid.</i>

    Assuming that White Lord was telling the truth though, then Nanke¡¯s usefulness was immeasurable. One might even say that its usefulness rivaled that of the Annon Sutra, not to mention that theyplemented each other very well.

    The Annon Sutra¡¯s dragon-serpent runes was a great boon in his training, but it could only be used to improve his cultivation or replenish his strength. It couldn¡¯t act as his teacher. Until he met Gu Suitang, he had to learn everything by himself.

    He was lucky that he was pretty gifted and talented in martial arts. Otherwise, he could¡¯ve turned into a warrior with all the power but none of the skill.

    Nanke could fix this though. He no longer had to worry about not having a teacher to show him the right away and fix his mistakes, or not having enough time to grow his strength to the point where he could effectively protect himself from this world. Nanke would create a dream that would give him exactly what he needed and more.

    Of course, Ye Qing kept his emotions well under wraps despite feeling like he was standing on top of the world right now. He said slowly, ¡°That all sounds great, but what are the price and limitations?¡±

    There was no such thing as free lunch especially when it came to Strange Artifacts. The stronger the Strange Artifact, the bigger the price one must pay.

    ¡°A good question! As you know, free breakfast, lunch or dinner don¡¯t exist in this world.¡± White Lord flicked its tongue as if to say it was d that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t too stupid. ¡°If you wish to use Nanke, then you must fulfill ck Lord and my conditions...¡±

    ¡°You must satisfy our demands so to speak,¡± ck Lord added.

    White Lord exined, ¡°Also, the following are Nanke¡¯s limitations. One, you can only use Nanke for a day. Two, once the dream is created, it cannot be controlled in any way. Three, you will leave Nanke as soon as you die in the dream. And four, you cannot enter Nanke immediately if you are ejected from Nanke midway because you died or something. You will have to wait another day before you can use it again.¡±

    Ye Qing fell quiet for a moment before asking, ¡°And what are your demands?¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re all simple demands that you can fulfill.¡±

    ck Lord agreed. ¡°They¡¯re quite simple.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡± Ye Qing pressed.

    White Lord swayed left and right while answering, ¡°For example, I might ask for an authentic apricot blossom brew or sweet and sour carp if I¡¯m feeling hungry. I might ask you to sing a song or dance a tune if I¡¯m bored. Or I might ask you to divulge some of your secrets.¡±

    ¡°One thing for certain, anything we ask of you is within your capabilities. For example, we wouldn¡¯t ask you to assassinate the Emperor of Chu or something.¡±

    ¡°Not like you can do it even if you try,¡± ck Lord added.

    Ye Qing nodded before asking another question, ¡°Do I have the right to refuse your requests?¡±

    White Lord hissed happily. ¡°Naturally! This is a fair trade after all. We would never force you to do something you don¡¯t want. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to use Nanke as well, and the next time youe to us, our requests would be twice as hard to fulfill. The difficulty of our requests would keep doubling if you keep turning down our offer. Get it?¡±

    ¡°Finally, if you refuse our demands five times in a row, then you would have to give up one of your organs to us. Otherwise, we would... kekeke...¡±

    ¡°Of course, if you agree to our requests before that point, or if you gave us an organ during the fifth request, then the difficulty would reset. It¡¯s a very humane system, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Heh...¡± Ye Qing chuckled but didn¡¯t give it a reply. Nanke¡¯s terms, conditions and limitations seemed pretty humane on the surface, but his experience was telling him that there were a lot of pitfalls. White Lord also avoided telling him what would happen if he refused their fifth request, and he was pretty sure that the answer was death!

    ¡°Boy, it¡¯s not a good habit to ¡®heh¡¯ someone in the face,¡± White Lord said slowly.

    ¡°You won¡¯t have friends if you act this way,¡± ck Lord finished the sentence.

    <i>Such kind words! </i>Ye Qing sneered internally. He fell silent for a moment before asking his biggest question, ¡°Why are you telling me these?¡±

    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t <i>you </i>the one who¡¯s asking us the questions?¡± White Lord eximed with mock exaggeration, ¡°Oh my heavens, are you actually experiencing memory problems at your age? How pitiful!¡±

    ¡°Just pitiful,¡± ck Lord added.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know what I really mean.¡± Ye Qing ignored their provocations. ¡°You¡¯re the artifact spirits of Nanke, and you¡¯re both quite intelligent. Generally speaking, artifact spirits have their own character and preferences. For example, some would only attach themselves to a strong or fated owner. If whoever found them doesn¡¯t meet their fancy, they would rather hide themselves and fake mundaneness.¡±

    ¡°With your abilities, I¡¯m sure you could¡¯ve pretended to be a mundane object if you wanted to. I¡¯m just a Spirit Purifier with average strength. Why would you show yourselves to me and tell me all this?¡±

    White Lord and ck Lord intertwined their necks and reached forward in unison. ¡°Because we want you to be our master, duh!¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes dangerously.

    1. I would appreciate help with this. I¡¯m aware that double doors are called double doors, so should they always be referred to as a plural noun, or is there a singr term for double doors? ?

 Chapter 331: All Cattle Inn

    Chapter 331: All Cattle Inn

    Calm down, Im not done yet. Youngsters these days are so impatient. White Lord exined smilingly, The truth isnt asplicated as you think. The reason we want you to be our master is very simple: we think that youre an interesting guy.

    Interesting? Ye Qing frowned.

    White Lords smile turned meaningful. One, you, an early-stage Spirit Purifier, managed to snatch us from the hands of Huo Hao, an early-stage Spirit Master. That proves that you have great potential. Two, you carry a lot of secrets, and frankly some parts of you are an enigma even from us. We are fairly certain that youll make for an interesting master.

    Something flickered behind Ye Qings eyes, but he didnt say anything.

    Aaaaaaand finally, we are just a weak, pitiful Strange Artifact. We are as delicate, frail and helpless as an innocent young girl whom anyone could overwhelm should they so desire. When we fell into Huo Haos hands, we had no choice but to do his bidding. Now, we have to do your bidding.

    White Lord said with a pitiful voice, But only if you feed us properly, of course!

    Ye Qing was silent for a moment. Then, he broke into a sudden grin and said, In that case, Im pleased to make your acquaintance.

    Regardless of whether White Lord was telling him the truth, Nanke undoubtedly represented a golden opportunity. He couldnt think of a real reason to discard it.

    Hahaha Lil White at your service, my dear master! White Lord replied in an exaggerated fashion.

    We promise you wont be disappointed, ck Lord supported itspanion as usual.

    Who are you talking to, Joyless? It was at this moment Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai walked over after hearing an unfamiliar voice. Huh? Whats that?

    Ye Qing put away Nanke and said, Its called Nanke, a rather unique Strange Artifact. Let us walk as we speak.

    On the road, Chu Nianjiu took a sip from his wine gourd to calm himself a little. Holy shit! Ive never heard of such a Strange Artifact! Its practically as good as the Martial Tower!

    Thats what they said, but I wont know if its true until Ive tested it, Ye Qing replied.

    He could have pretended that Nanke was just a mundane object and enjoyed its benefits himself, but one, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai were his friends; two, they had both contributed to him obtaining Nanke; and three, Nanke could be shared with others. Hence, he saw no reason not to share it with his friends.

    Ive heard of Nanke before, Lin Yuhuai said suddenly. The man had been conspicuously quiet until now.

    What do you know, Brother Lin? Ye Qing asked.

    Lin Yuhuai thought for a moment. Youve both heard of the Strange Artifact Register, right?

    Ye Qing and Chu Nianjiu nodded. The Strange Artifact Register was a ranking list distributed by a sect known as the White Jade Capital, and it recorded some of the most famous Strange Artifacts across the world.

    Five towers and twelve cities,

    Look up to find the White Jade Capital.

    White Jade Capital was a mysterious sect in <em>jianghu </em>that supposedly possessed a powerful Strange Artifact known as the Watcher of Heavens. Omniscient in a sense, it automatically recorded the Natural, the Construct, and the Human. The Natural referred to extraordinary objects that were born naturally, the Construct referred to extraordinary objects that were created artificially, and the Human referred to extraordinary humans.

    Thanks to the Watcher of Heavens, White Jade Capital was able to create all kinds of ranking lists such as the Heaven, Earth and Human Champions Ranking that listed the best warriors in the entire world, the Natural Creations Ranking that listed the greatest natural creations of the world, the Strange Artifact Register that recorded some of the most famous Strange Artifacts of the world and more.

    Lin Yuhuai continued, Assuming my memory isnt ying tricks on me, Ive seen Nanke on the Strange Artifact Register before. Its ranked quite highly among its peers too. Its review regarding the Strange Artifact was: One hundred years, a Nanke dream. All to prepare, a life of conflict.

    Er, Im gonna need you to break that down for me, said Ye Qing while scratching his head. He understood the individual parts of the sentence, but he couldnt quite figure out what the whole sentence meant.

    Lin Yuhuai answered, One hundred years, a Nanke dream refers to Nankes ability. Its more or less the same as what you told us.

    All to prepare, a life of conflict referred to the fact that all owners of Nanke were famous warriors who shook the world during their time such as the Young Marquis Huo Wushang from a hundred years ago, the Sky Climbing Qilin'' Xiang Tianling, the ''Absolute Truth'' Fang Xing, the Grand Snow Gentleman'' Yu Tianxing and so on.

    Wait a second. Arent they all warriors who died young because of one reason or another? Chu Nianjiu rubbed his nose.

    Lin Yuhuai nodded. Exactly. That is why it says, all to prepare, a life of conflict at the end. Everyone who owned Nanke was an extraordinary warrior, but their life was also full of turmoil. So much turmoil that, as far as we know, none of them had ever died a peaceful death.

    Thats why you need to be careful, Joyless. In a sense, Nanke is a cursed object.

    Thank you for the warning. I will. Ye Qing smiled. He wasnt too surprised because he had a feeling that this was the case.

    Eh, most Strange Artifacts are cursed objects. As long as youre strong enough to ward off the curse, then theres nothing to be afraid of, Chu Nianjiu dered boldly before sipping his wine. By the way, can we use Nanke?

    Naturally.

    Oh ho! Now were talking! Chu Nianjiu snapped his fingers. Do you want to give it a try tonight?

    Sure. Why not? Both men exchanged wide grins with each other.

    As long as you know what youre doing. Lin Yuhuai shook his head at the duo.

    All Cattle Inn? A gloomy-looking man wearing a tight martial outfit recited the name on the inns roof before speaking to hispanions, This is it. The young Taoist should reach this ce by nightfall, and barring exceptional circumstances, he should stay the night here. This is our chance to eliminate him.

    Okay. What should we do, squad leader? A Dark Guard[1] asked.

    The young Taoist is extremely powerful. It would be folly to attack him directly.

    The leader of the group thought for a moment before saying, Lets do it this way. Well kill everyone inside the inn and pretend to be the innkeeper, the waiters and more. Well poison the food and drink and kill him once hes weakened.

    As youmand, Everyone in the squad responded.

    Its still early though. Why dont we eat lunch at this inn before we kill them? A Dark Guard suggested.

    The man mulled over the suggestion. Sure. I see no reason to make lunch ourselves when we can save ourselves the trouble.

    A wise decision, squad leader.

    The squad had just entered the inn when a woman walked up to greet them. Are you here to eat or to stay, customers?

    The woman was in her thirties,[2] but she was still very beautiful. She also wore a revealing dress that shed her assets just enough to draw a mans gaze, but not enough that it would be immodest. She was like a beautiful wildflower in these barren, dangerousnds.

    For a time, everyone stared at the woman for a good few seconds. Some were even swallowing from how dry their throat was.

    Youre going to embarrass me if you keep staring at me like this, customers. The woman giggled at their wide-eyed reactions.

    Oh! Ahem. You are? The squad leader coughed to cover up his embarrassment.

    I am the innkeeper of All Cattle Inn. You may call me Mrs. Jiao. The woman smiled brightly. Please,e in.

    Mrs. Jiao (Lovely)? A fitting name. One of the Dark Guards licked his lips and allowed his eyes to roam freely across her body. He didnt try to conceal his lust at all.

    Mrs. Jiao didnt seem to feel it, however. She simply beamed at him and said, You have a sweet mouth, customer.

    After the Dark Guards had upied a table, Mrs. Jiao asked, What do you like to eat, customers?

    What do you have? The squad leader asked.

    Mrs. Jiao answered, You might have already figured out from our inns name, but we are an inn that specializes in beef. There isnt a single part of a cattles body that we cannot cook into a delicious meal, and our cook is proficient in all kinds of cooking methods such as stir fry, deep fry, stew, boil and more. As for our signature dishes, we have boiled beef, stir-fried tripe, crystal beef tendon, dried beef head meat, charcoal-grilled short ribs, oxtail soup and more.

    Thats a lot of choices. Im not sure we can arrive at a decision quickly. Do you have a suggestion, innkeeper?

    One man abruptly grabbed her hand and chuckled. It needs to be sweet, tender and smooth.

    Hmm? Are you talking about my hand or the dishes? Mrs. Jiao lightly extracted her hand from the mans grip and suggested, Since there are so many of you, why dont you try out our specialty, the Beef Buffet?

    The Beef Buffet? Ive never heard that before. Sounds like its worth trying. The squad leader then asked, Is your beef fresh?

    Im offended by that question, customer! We ughter our cattle on the spot! Itll be the freshest beef you ever taste! Mrs. Jiao giggled. If you dont believe me, I can take you to the back garden so you may pick a bull yourself.

    Ill go! A Dark Guard who was just as lecherous as he looked hurriedly jumped to his feet. Ille with you to the back garden, innkeeper! Dont worry, brothers! I promise Ill pick a big and strong bull so you may enjoy lunch to your hearts content!

    Lets go, innkeeper!

    Before anyone could react, the guy was already pulling Mrs. Jiao toward the back garden.

    Hmph! Its been a while since he became a Dark Guard, and Yang Yun still couldnt fix his lecherous nature! Hes going to die to a woman someday! A Dark Guard who was just a little too slow to make his move grunted with clear jealousy.

    Thats because hes a rapist who specifically targets married women back in the day. He would never have been epted into the Dark Guards if the young master didnt think highly of his movement art and poisoning skills, another guy echoed in agreement.

    I can hear your jealousy all the way from here. Its only going to get worse when the screaming starts, so you best plug up your ears while you still can! Another guy taunted.

    That lucky bastard. Someone sighed enviously.

    Noticing that the conversation was steadily spiraling out of control, the squad leader decided to rein them in. Enough. The walls have ears. Zhao Lei, Ju Shui, scout out the area and check if theres anyone else staying in the inn besides the staff. I dont want to miss anyone when we clean out the ceter!

    As youmand, two Dark Guards responded before leaving to carry out their orders.

    At the back garden, Yang Yun watched Mrs. Jiaos plump, swaying bottom and felt his mouth growing drier and drier. When they arrived at the cattle pen, Mrs. Jiao said, This is the ce, customer!

    Yang Yun reluctantly removed his gaze from Mrs. Jiaos body and looked at the cattle pen in front of him. He immediately eximed with surprise, Heavens, your cattle pen is massive! The cattle look pretty amazing too! What shiny fur and fat, strong muscles!

    Hahaha! Our cattle are quite famous, you see. A lot of inns and restaurants buy their cattle from us! Mrs. Jiao giggled.

    Yang Yun checked out the feeder tray. I can see why. Your cattle eat better than many people. White mantou, candied fruit, jerkies and even tbreads? No wonder your cattle look as strong as they are.

    Well, the best feed produces the best cattle, dont you agree? Mrs. Jiao smiled. Have you made your selection, customer?

    I sure have. I choose you. Yang Yun chuckled.

    Mrs. Jiao giggled behind her hand. You tter me, customer, but Im asking which bull you want for your lunch!

    Yang Yun took one step forward and embraced her. The bull can wait. Why dont we do something else first?

    Haha! Please dont, customer. It wouldnt be good if someone else sees us! Mrs. Jiao struggled, but she was unable to break out of Yang Yuns iron grip.

    Like theres anyone at this ce at this time, Yang Yun replied while fondling Mrs. Jiao everywhere. And even if there is, I cant wait any longer.

    1. I dont think you guys have forgotten it already, but these guys were nning to assassinate the young Taoist Qi Xuanyun under Duanmu Yus order a few chapters ago.

    2. Imagine someone in her fifties. In this day and age unless youre a warrior you age quite rapidly due to hard work and living conditions.

 Chapter 332: A Tale of Cattle

    Chapter 332: A Tale of Cattle

    Why so hasty, customer? Your brothers are waiting to eat beef, you know? It will be bad if lunch is dyed because of us!

    After struggling a couple more times to no avail, Mrs. Jiao opted for the opposite approach and pressed up against Yang Yuns chest. You can always find me after you finish lunch!

    Hehehe, remember what you said, innkeeper! Yang Yun reluctantly let her go and began looking for a suitable bull in the cattlepen.

    <em>Im not Im help? Why are there words inside the cattlepen?</em>

    Yang Yun had just taken a few steps when he noticed that many of the wooden stakes and feeder trays had strange markings that looked like words. It looked like they had been chewed out with teeth. It took him a long time to recognize just a handful of words, and while he found them to be strange, he didnt really pay attention to them.

    Huh? Why are these cattle crying, innkeeper? Suddenly, Yang Yun noticed a few cattle shedding tears and moving closer to him. It was almost like they were trying to tell him something.

    Well, animals can feel emotions as well. They must realize that one of their own or they themselves are about to die. That is why theyre crying, Mrs. Jiao said with a giggle.

    Youre quite knowledgeable, innkeeper! Yang Yun grinned.

    His grin slowly stiffened on his face, however. It was because he saw one of the crying bulls staring him straight in the eye and writing with its hoof:

    <em>SAVE</em>

    <em>ME</em>

    <em>Save me?</em>

    Yang Yuns heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, he felt like he was caught in an Anomaly. How could a bull write human words? Was it a Stranger? If it was, then why would it ask for help from a human? Maybe it wasnt a Stranger? Maybe it was really a <em>human!</em>

    At the same time, Yang Yun recalled the words he saw on the wooden stakes and feeder tray. Suddenly, the words he couldnt identify before became clear in his head:

    <em>I Im not cattle I Im human Help Help me</em>

    If these cattle were human, then who were they before they were transformed into cattle?

    Could they be the customers who visited the inn?!

    He immediately recalled another oddity he didnt notice until now. He had seen several cartloads of goods parked at the back garden while he was making his way to the cattlepen earlier, so this meant that there should be other people in this inn. However, the dining hall waspletely empty when they entered even though it was lunchtime.

    Besides that, the white mantous, tbreads, candied fruits and jerkies he saw in the feeder tray earlier were obviously traveling rations, but the innkeeper imed that they were fodder for the cattle. Could cattle even eat such things?

    All the signs seemed to be pointing toward one thing.

    Cold sweat began creeping onto his forehead. His back felt ice cold as well.

    Have you done picking a bull, customer? Mrs. Jiao asked in her usual sweet voice, but right now, Yang Yun couldnt feel any attraction toward her at all. In fact, he nearly jumped like she was a walking Anomaly.

    Gulp

    Yang Yun swallowed as quietly as he could and stealthily wiped away the words on the floor with a wisp of force. Then, he forcefully suppressed his fear and feigned nonchnce, Yep! I-Im done picking! I want t-this one!

    N-Now lets get back to my brothers. I-Im sure theyre getting impatient.

    Yang Yun spun around and hurriedly strode toward the exit, but right before he would step out of the cattlepen, Mrs. Jiaos voice came from behind him,

    You saw everything, didnt you?

    W-What? I didnt see anything! Yang Yun knew his cover was blown there and then. He raced forward as quickly as he could while getting ready to cry for help.

    MOO!

    But what came out of his mouth wasnt a human cry, but a bulls moo. Not only that, he realized that his hands had turned into hoofs, thick fur was growing out of his arms and his body, and he was leaning forward uncontrobly as if standing in a vertical position went against his nature.

    The next moment, his bones contorted painfully, and his flesh began warping and swelling into something else. A tail grew out of his butt as well.

    Moo!!!

    It was after the transformation that Yang Yun realized that he had turned into a bull. He was gradually losing his ability to think like a human as well. It might not be long before he turned into an actual bull; cattle that anyone could ughter as they pleased.

    He charged forward with all his might while mooing as loudly as he could. Perhaps hispanions might think that something was amiss if he created a big enough racket. But the second he lifted a hoof, a rope abruptly wrapped around his neck and dragged him away with unstoppable force. He was then tethered to a wooden stake.

    I was going to let you live a little longer, but what can I do when you discover my secret[1]?

    Mrs. Jiao giggled as she sauntered over to Yang Yun. She was holding an exquisite root carving[2] of an old yellow bull and a mill. The bull was currently turning the mill like it was alive, and every time it made a full circle, the mill would release some sort of strange energy that made Yang Yuns consciousness just a bit blurrier than before.

    Its fine though. You will all turn into my cattle eventually.

    Mrs. Jiao circled around Yang Yun a couple of times beforeplimenting him, As I thought, warriors make for good cattle. Just look at that smooth fur, healthy physique, and firm muscles. Anyone can tell that youre top quality livestock. Youre gonna sell for a lot of money, dearie.

    Her delight onlysted for a few seconds, however. Still, how am I going to exin your disappearance to yourpanions? They dont look easy to fool. How troublesome.

    Oh well. I suppose Ill have to do that.

    Mrs. Jiao walked around the cattlepen for a bit. Then, she stopped in front of a ck bull and mumbled, Youre old and thin, so youre not worth much anyway. Very well.

    Mrs. Jiao grabbed the head of her bull carving and turned it backward. The bull carving began turning the mill backward and causing the ck bull to let out a moo of pain. Its body began shrinking, and its fur began receding back into its body. One full revolutionter, the ck bull actually turned back into a human being; a thin, frail old man to be exact.

    The old man was naked and crouching on all fours. He was dripping saliva and wearing a goofy grin on his face.

    Have you be a bull for so long that youve forgotten how to act like a human?

    Mrs. Jiao kicked the old man, but he couldnt seem to feel it. He continued to wear a silly grin on his face.

    This isnt going to work, Mrs. Jiao mumbled to herself before grabbing a cowhide hanging on a drying pole and throwing it over the old man. Then, she grabbed the bull carvings head and turned it again.

    The bull carving let out a displeased moo. Then, it reluctantly turned the mill in reverse again.

    The cowhide started morphing into Yang Yuns appearance. It had his face, his features, everything. Then, it clung to the old mans skin and shrank until the old man looked just like Yang Yun.

    This is much better.

    Mrs. Jiao giggled. Now go. Do not draw that groups suspicion. If you perform well, Ill allow you to remain a human for a bit.

    Hehehe The fake Yang Yun let out a silly grin and slowly rose to a standing position. He began walking back and forth inside the cattle pen as if he was trying to get used to his body.

    Were back, squad leader.

    Zhao Lei and Ju Shui returned to the dining hall and saluted their leader.

    How many people are there in this inn? The squad leader asked.

    No one, actually. Its strange. Theres no one in this inn besides the innkeeper and the cook, Zhao Lei reported with a puzzled voice.

    Whats so strange about that? There are countless inns out there that have zero customers. A guy sipping his wine dismissed his concerns. In fact, this is better for us. Itll save us so much trouble.

    No, thats not what I mean. Zhao Lei shook his head with a frown. Some of the beddings in the guest rooms are disturbed, and I saw parcels and clothes inside the rooms as well. There should be other customers inside this inn, and yet this whole ce is empty besides us. Something doesnt feel right.

    Come now, youre overthinking this. Maybe those customers just left the inn, and the innkeeper didnt have the time to clean the bedding. As for the parcels, maybe theyre gifts for the innkeeper or discarded trash.

    Another Dark Guard chimed in, My Warding Talisman isnt sensing anything. The innkeeper is definitely a human.

    I hope so! Zhao Lei sighed, though his worries hadnt abated much.

    Whats taking Yang Yun so long? Someone asked suddenly.

    You know how that guy is. Im surprised we havent heard the screams yet, The jealous guy from before muttered.

    The squad leader frowned. Someone go get Yang Yun. We have a mission to carry out. I dont care what he does during his free time, but letting loose right before a mission is just unprofessional and risky.

    Ill go! A guy responded. However, he had just risen to his feet when Yang Yun walked out of the entrance leading to the back garden.

    Youve been gone for a long time, Yang Yun. What did you do? A guy asked while winking at Yang Yun.

    I went to pick a bull, hehe Yang Yun said with a silly chuckle.

    Yeah, that smells like bullshit. How long does it take to choose a bull? Tell us, Yang Yun. You fucked the innkeeper, dincha? Someone asked with a lecherous grin on his face.

    Hehe Yang Yuns only response was to chuckle again.

    Do you even need to ask? Just look at his face!

    Seriously? But youve only been gone for like what, ten minutes? You dontst very long, do ya?

    Sure seems like it. Ill introduce you to a good doctor when we get back. He''s been a kidney specialist for sixty years, and his treatments are sugar free. I guarantee youll be fucking like a racehorse after this!

    Hahahahahaha!

    Everyone guffawed, and Yang Yun was still chuckling like an idiot. Everyone thought that Yang Yun was still high from the experience and paid his strange reaction no heed.

    The group continued to chat and drink until the dishes were served. The innkeeper hadnt been joking when she named the feast the Beef Buffet. There were beef tongue, beef liver, beef tail, cuts, chucks, ribs, loins, rounds, nks, tes, briskets and shanks[3]; pan-fried, stir-fried, boiled, friend, steamed, cooked and more. Every dish looked and smelled like heaven on earth.

    For a moment, everyone was transfixed by the heavenly food in front of them. Then, they pounced on top of the table like they had never eaten in their lives and chowed down like no tomorrow. Some people even thought using chopsticks was too troublesome and tossed them away. They grabbed the beef directly with their hands and shoved it all into their mouths.

    Hahaha eat. Eat until you can eat no longer, customers. Only then can you be sold for a good price. Hahaha

    The innkeeper couldnt stop giggling as she watched the group from the sidelines.

    It wasnt long before everyone had reached max capacityliterally. Their stomachs were bulging, and even their intestines were full of beef. Despite this, they continued to shove food into their mouths like they were crazy.

    No one noticed the transformation. First, they started growing thick hair on their body. Then, their arms and legs turned into that of a bulls. Finally, their head transformed into a bulls head as well.

    However, it wasnt until they hadpletely wiped out the dishes, and they hadpletely transformed into fat bulls that they finally noticed their transformation. There were ck, yellow, white, spotted bulls and more.

    Moo moo moo!

    Shocked and horrified, the bulls ran all over the ce in panic. Mrs. Jiao giggled at the sight and called out, Hubby, the cattle are escaping. Come out and catch them before its toote!

    Coming!

    A hunch-backed, ugly man ambled out of the kitchen. A rope flew out of his sleeve and split into several ropes before catching every bull by the neck with unerring precision. As soon as the ropes appeared around their necks, the bulls abruptly calmed down as if by magic. They then followed the man to the back garden with mute obedience.

    Hahaha thats another big haul.

    Mrs. Jiao smiled so wide that wrinkles appeared on her face. She then looked at the fake Yang Yunthe only human of the group who wasnt turned into a bund rebuked him, What are you nking out for, old man? Clean up the items already! It would affect our business if a customer sees this mess!

    Hehe The fake Yang Yun let out a silly chuckle and began licking the dirty tes. The leftovers on the tes were no longer beef, however. They were grass.

    Humans eat meat, and cattle eat grass. But in All Cattle Inn? It was the other way around.

    Hahaha I wonder when the next batch of cattle will show up? Hahaha

    1. This is what shouldve happened to every horror game with this type of plot really.

    2. Root carving is a traditional Chinese art form. It consists of carving and polishing tree roots into various artistic creations.

    3. I took a <em>bit </em>of liberty and just copied the whole list off a beef website instead of tranting them one by one. There are still some stuff that probably only exists in a Chinese menu such as the tongue, liver and tail.

 Chapter 333: So Sad He Canâ€™t Help But Laugh

    Chapter 333: So Sad He Can¡¯t Help But Laugh

    The sun had just crossed the midway point when a drizzle began pouring from the sky. By the time it was almost evening, it was raining cats and dogs.

    Suddenly, the door of All Cattle Inn rattled open. A young man rushed in to avoid the rain.

    Mrs. Jiao was dozing off at the counter until the sudden gust of wet wind jolted her awake. Her eyes lit up when she saw that a customer hade in.

    Are staying or eating, young Reverend?

    The young Reverend, Qi Xuanyun, blushed like an apple when he looked up and saw the scantily-dressed Mrs. Jiao greeting him warmly. He hurriedly looked down and stuttered, B-Both. Im staying for the night.

    Theres no hurry. My inn has many high quality rooms. You can stay here forever if you want to! Mrs. Jiao giggled and took one step toward Qi Xuanyun.

    One night is fine! Qi Xuanyun hurriedly took two steps backward when he caught a whiff of her sweet scent.

    Hahaha! Very well. What would you like to eat, young Reverend? It may be May now, but a rain like this is still going to give you a cold, Mrs. Jiao said concernedly. Youre going to need something warm and fulfilling considering how thin you are.

    What What do you have? Qi Xuanyun asked.

    We serve delicious wine and top quality beef. Our beef especially is to die for. You literally wont find another beef like ours if you miss this chance, so, would you like some beef, young Reverend? Mrs. Jiao suggested.

    Qi Xuanyun rejected her suggestion immediately, No, no! Im a monk[1]. My master forbids me from drinking wine or eating meat.

    Mrs. Jiao giggled. Were in the middle of nowhere, young Reverend. Surely your master wouldnt know if you sneak a bite or two?

    Also, wine and food arent the only sweet things here. I daresay that Im quite sweet myself. Would you like to give it a taste, young Reverend?

    No I I Qi Xuanyun was barely coherent. He was so stunned his head almost hit the floor, much less his jaw.

    Suddenly, a cough broke out from the entrance. Ahem let that young Reverend go! Were the ones youre after!

    Three people stepped into the building then. They were none other than Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai.

    Wee, customers! This way please! Mrs. Jiao immediately stopped teasing Qi Xuanyun and weed them inside. Would you like to eat or stay, customers?

    Were staying, but only for a night. We just want to take shelter from this rain, Chu Nianjiu answered. Wed like dinner as well, and we have no qualms with our food. Anything is eptable.

    He then nced at Qi Xuanyunthe young Taoist was still shocked that a woman hade onto himand added, Since the young Reverend obeys a monks customs, just serve him a few tes of cold vegetables and boil him a pot of tea.

    Sounds great! Please give me a moment, Mrs. Jiao replied cheerfully and sashayed toward the kitchen.

    We meet again, young Reverend! Ye Qing saluted Qi Xuanyun.

    Youre the one on the boat! The young Taoist immediately recognized Ye Qing and eximed with pleasant surprise, Why are you here?

    It is I. Ye Qing confirmed with a smile. We were passing through the area. Honestly, we werent expecting to run into you. Its a mighty coincidence.

    It really is! The young Taoist was incredibly excited before looking at Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu. Thank you both for helping me out earlier. My name is Qi Xuanyun.

    Im Chu Nianjiu!

    Im Lin Yuhuai!

    You already know my name, but Im Joyless Ye.

    Well met, Brother Chu, Brother Lin, Brother Ye! Qi Xuanyun greeted everyone. Just call me Xuanyun. My master and senior brothers all call me that.

    Very well. We shant be Strangers. All three men smiled at his youthful appearance. Lets share a table, Xuanyun.

    Of course! Qi Xuanyun sat down, beaming.

    Hubby, another four cattle just entered our inn. Every single one of them is a top-tier stock, Mrs. Jiao said to the cook as soon as she entered the kitchen. The hunch-backed man was currently lying down on top of a bunch of hay like a bull. Make sure they wont be able to escape, okay?

    You know my cooking skills, dear. They wont. The hunch-backed man grinned a mouthful of yellow teeth at his wife before sitting up and pulling a de of yellow grass from his hay bed. He bent it into the shape of a cut of beef and ced it on a te. Amazingly, the yellow grass transformed into an actual cut of beef that was bubbling with oil and leaking aroma everywhere.

    The hunch-backed man would proceed to weave more dishes such as roast beef, boiled beef, deep-fried nk, crystal shanks and more. Each and every dish looked wonderfully lifelike and perfect in both color and aroma.

    Your skills are getting better and better, hubby, Mrs. Jiaoplimented her husband as she admired the dishes.

    You tter me, dear. The hunch-backed man shot her an honest grin before saying, Go. Its bad service to make our customers impatient.

    Agreed. See you in a bit! Mrs. Jiao replied before cing some of the tes in a tray, lifting them up and carrying them back into the dining hall.

    The foods here! Sorry to make you wait, customers!

    Enjoy, dear customers. There are more in the kitchen, so please give me a moment. Mrs. Jiao gave them a bright smile before returning to the kitchen.

    However, when she returned with another tray of food, she was astonished to find that the table was perfectly empty.

    Customers, what?

    Apologies, innkeeper, but its been days since we ate something, so Chu Nianjiu apologized smilingly.

    But the tes? Mrs. Jiao blinked. Warriors were capable of extraordinary feats, so she wasnt exactly surprised to hear that the trio had devoured their food in less than a minute. But where were the tes? She couldnt spot a single te on the table.

    Yeah. About that. Your dishes are so tasty that we identally swallowed the tes as well. Ye Qing chimed in with a grin. I never knew that tes tasted like fried chicken, crunchy and sweet!

    Hahaha it seems like you are very hungry. Dont worry, the one thing our inn does notck is meat. I promise that you will eat your fill, Mrs. Jiao giggled.

    Thank you very much, innkeeper. Ye Qing smiled back. Oh right, can you please serve my friend his vegetables first? He was real envious when he saw us chowing down like no tomorrow. Look, hes practically shedding tears of frustration.

    Mrs. Jiao looked. Qi Xuanyun was currently covering his mouth with both hands, and his shoulders were shaking from time to time. Although his expression was hidden, she could clearly hear short burst ofughter escaping through his fingers.

    What do you mean hes crying? Hes obviouslyughing! Mrs. Jiao looked puzzled.

    Didnt you know? Some people shed tears when they are at the peak of happiness. Naturally, the opposite can happen as well. Thats whats happening to my friend right now, Ye Qing lied through his teeth beforeforting her, Ah, I suppose an innkeeper wouldnt be very knowledgeable. Your ignorance is forgiven.

    Mrs. Jiao: ...

    Well, what are you waiting for? Go grab our food already? If you take too long, my friend might actually weep<em> and</em>ugh like hes crazy! We wouldnt want that, would we? Ye Qing said seriously.

    Fine, fine. Please give me a moment, customers. I shall return with your food right away. Mrs. Jiao winked flirtatiously at Ye Qing before taking her leave.

    Man, it smells good!

    After Mrs. Jiao was gone, Chu Nianjiu stared at the food in front of him with a pang of hunger. However, he quickly shook away his desires and asked, Are you sure we cant eat this?

    Lin Yuhuai had sealed off his sense of smell, but even the sight of the delicious dishes elicited a pang of hunger in him. He too asked, Are you sure the food is tampered with, Joyless?

    Just now, when the dishes were served, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu suddenly felt hungry beyond imagination even though they werent a moment ago. They felt like shoving everything down their gullet even if their stomach were to burst as a result.

    But right before they would pounce on the food, Ye Qing and Qi Xuanyun got in their way. Then, Ye Qing tossed everything out of the window in the blink of an eye.

    Strangely, they regained their wits as soon as the dishes were thrown out. When the innkeeper returned with a new tray of dishes, their desire began to spiral out of control again.

    Of course theyre tampered with. Ye Qing pressed a finger to his forehead and relied on his demonic lotus to remain clearheaded. What kind of food would drive you crazy?[2]

    Besides, these arent meat. Theyre grass, all of them.

    His colleagues didnt possess his level of spirit, so they couldnt see what he was seeing. In his eyes, the delicious beef wasn''t beef at all. They were grass.

    Seriously? Chu Nianjiu eximed in surprise.

    Brother Ye isnt lying to you two. It really is grass, Qi Xuanyun chimed in with a barely suppressed grin on his face. It was because he was still young, and Ye Qings earlierment tickled him just right. He would beughing out loud if he was used toughing in front of an audience.

    Lingguan, please wash away the evil, clear the mind, and open ones eyes. Go!

    A yellow talisman flew out of his sleeves and pped itself onto the food. The talisman abruptly burst into mes and released a puff of green smoke. When the smoke was gone, the delicious food on the table had turned into piles of grass.

    It really is grass. Is there something special about it? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Its called the Cattle Transformation Grass. Qi Xuanyun exined, Legend says that the Cattle Transformation Grass is created from the vengeful soul of an old bull after it died. Cattle be sapient as they age, as this particr bull resented the fact that humans ate cattle, but cattle could only eat grass. So, its vengeful soul transformed into the Cattle Transformation Grass.

    The Cattle Transformation Grass is irresistible to most humans. Anyone who eats it would transform into cattle. If the victim could protect their mind and maintain their humanity, then they would turn back into a human after a day. But if not, then they would remain as a cow or a bull for the rest of their lives.

    The young Taoist suddenly let out a cold chuckle. I finally found you, you bastards.

    Ye Qing asked curiously, It sounds like youve been searching for this inn for a while.

    It was clear from Qi Xuanyus earlier actions that he was prepared for this.

    Yes, Ive been searching for this inn, Qi Xuanyun admitted honestly. Some time after I left my mountain, I encountered a strange incident where a bunch of people were gued by nightmares every night. They dreamed of cattle with human faces yelling hatefully at them saying, You ate me! You ate me!

    This isnt an isted incident either. A lot of people were gued by the same nightmare. I even stumbled upon a county where almost every man, woman and child were experiencing the same dream.

    Qi Xuanyun fell silent for a moment before continuing, If that was all the harm it did, then maybe I couldve overlooked it. The problem is that everyone who was infected by the nightmare would gradually go insane and think of themselves as cattle. They would even walk on all fours and eat fodder like cattle. In the end, they all died because of their insanity.

    I remember something like this in one of the Pacification Bureaus records, Lin Yuhuai suddenly spoke to Ye Qing and Chu Nianjiu via sound transmission, The case file is named the Nightmare Cattle Incident, and it was ssified as a Phenomenon-ss incident. It was an unresolved case even to this day.

    The Pacification Bureau once mobilized a massive amount of manpower to investigate this case, but they werent able to find anything. It was because the location of the incidents werepletely random, and the clues that we collected were a chaotic mess at best, and useless at worst. It was very strange.

    Now that you remind me, I too have heard of that case before, Chu Nianjiu echoed in agreement.

    Ye Qing was the only one who didnt know jack about this.

    1. Just so you know, monks in Chinese culture are not strictly Buddhist.

    2. It sounds like Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai are asking something obvious and stupid, but remember that theyre currently battling the unnatural mental effects of the meat.

 Chapter 334: Yellow Bull Root Carving

    Chapter 334: Yellow Bull Root Carving

    In fact, this nightmare had imed the lives of many in my hometown, Qi Xuanyuns expression turned sorrowful when he said this. Since then, I swore I would find the one behind this incident no matter what. After many years of investigation, I finally discovered that every single one of these victims had eaten at the same restaurants. Specifically, they had eaten the restaurants beef.

    A little more diggingter, I found out that these restaurants had bought their cattle from the same inn. That inn is none other than All Cattle Inn.

    This one? Ye Qing asked for rification.

    This one, Qi Xuanyun confirmed. The inn itself is abnormal though. It would appear at a location for several days before disappearing for a time. Then, it would appear somewhere else.

    Ive been chasing for a very long time. Finally, I found it.

    Ye Qing fell silent for a moment. Based on what you told us, I believe Ive more or less figured out the whole case.

    Assuming Im not mistaken, the innkeepers use the Cattle Transformation Grass to transform everyone who eats in their inn into cattle. Then, the cattle are sold to nearby restaurants.

    The cattle were formerly humans who ate the Cattle Transformation Grass, so it makes sense that the people who ate them would experience strange, debilitating nightmares and act like cattle.

    That is most likely the truth. Qi Xuanyun said coldly, Tonight is the night I kill these evildoers and end their crimes once and for all.

    Go wild. Im here to help. Ye Qing pped Qi Xuanyuns shoulder.

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai exchanged smiles with each other before dering, We too see no reason to allow this despicable inn to exist any longer.

    The innkeepersing. Do as you see fit, Ye Qing instructed before putting all the dishes on the tablethe Cattle Transformation Grassinto his Natures Shell.

    Your vegetables have arrived, young Reverend, Mrs. Jiaos sweet voice arrived before her person.

    When she saw that the table was empty once again, her eyes widened. Did you guys finish everything again?

    Yep. It is as you see. Ye Qing shrugged. Your beef is so delicious we cannot help but eat the tes again.

    And now, were gonna eat you! Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine and added.

    Ye Qing: ...

    Lin Yuhuai: ...

    <em>Bro, theres an underaged boy right here! Control yourself!</em>

    At this point, even the dimmest bulb in the world wouldve noticed that something was amiss. Mrs. Jiaos smile stiffened as she eximed in realization, You didnt eat the beef?

    HUBBY!

    Mrs. Jiao screeched and tossed her tray at the group. Then, she sprinted toward the kitchen at full speed.

    At the same time, countless ropes slithered out of the floor, and each one had a strap on it. They attempted to catch the group by the neck.

    However, the second the rope emerged from the floor, Ye Qing had already closed the distance and reached out with his left hand to grab Mrs. Jiaos skull.

    Right before he would grab her, Mrs. Jiao abruptly twisted like a snake and dodged the attack by a hairs breadth.

    Not pausing for even a moment, Ye Qing clenched his hand into a fist and thrust in an inch forward. Fire burned, rivers evaporated, and the space around them turned into a scorching hot furnace.

    <em>Cloud Vaporization Style</em>

    The others werent idle, of course. Qi Xuanyun was already shooting a Palm Thunder at Mrs. Jiao, and Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai wereunching their respective attacks as well.

    In response, Mrs. Jiao let out a cute whimper and summoned her bull carving. She pped her hand over the bulls head and forced the disgruntled bull to turn the mill backward.

    As the millstone turned, an anomalous energy rippled out of it. The scorching hot furnace that was Ye Qings fist force shrank back into his fist, Qi Xuanyuns Palm Thunder shrank back into the giant palm in the sky, and everyone elses attacks moved in reverse until they were no more.

    It was like someone was turning the wheel of time in reverse. Everything had returned to what it was before.

    With that done, the bull carving stopped in its tracks and began turning the mill normally. The millstone released a new ripple of energy that attempted to corrupt their mind and spirit.

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuais mind and spirit were the weakest of the four of them. Bull fur began growing on their skin.

    Purple lightning shot out of Qi Xuanyuns body and burned away the bull fur as soon as they exited his pores.

    Ye Qing was the only one who wasnt impressed by the attack. The evil, twisting energy was absorbed and neutralized by his demonic lotus as soon as it entered his mind. Scoffing, he tapped the space in front of him with his fingers and stunned Mrs. Jiao.

    As soon as her eyes grew unfocused, Ye Qing turned on his feet, kicked off the floor, and shot toward Mrs. Jiao like a loose arrow. At the same time, Red Sleeve slipped out of his sleeve and released a curtain of light that looked like a drizzle in springsoft, pleasant, and perfectly deadly.

    At thest possible moment, Mrs. Jiao regained her consciousness and used her Strange Artifact. The bull carving abruptly sprinted around the millstone and caused its light to shine brighter than ever before. It annihted the saber forces before it could carve her up like sushi.

    This was just the beginning though. A sh of crimson appeared right after the curtain of light disappeared. There was a crack, and the root carving abruptly split into two.

    Pwack!

    Mrs. Jiao turned death pale and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Ye Qing was about to press the advantage and kill her when suddenly, he heard a tigers roar and caught a whiff of something horrible. It smelled like the mouth of a bloodthirsty beast. Without hesitation, he activated the Nine Impetus of Tai Chia white fish and a ck fish appeared and swam in a circle around him to form a tai chi symbnd neutralized the tremendous force mming into his back. He turned around to find a massive tiger being flung toward a wall.

    Roar!

    His enemy wasnt relying on a single Stranger to kill him though. A lion that was covered in mes jumped toward him from his blind spot, and the tiger had gotten back on its feet and was rushing him as well.

    Ye Qing reversed his grip on Red Sleeve and did a quick twirl. The saber drew a full moon and sliced both Strangers in two.

    Strangely, they turned into grass when they hit the ground.

    Go, dear! Ill catch up to you in a moment! The hunch-backed man rushed out of the kitchen while weaving all sorts of Strangers with grass. Every time he finished weaving, the Stranger woulde to life and rush Ye Qing. There were tigers, lions, wolves and even dragons.

    You guys deal with Mrs. Jiao! Ye Qing yelled and thrust his left hand forward. The Burning Wind blew, and the Netherme burned brightly. Like day and night intertwined into a beam of pure power, they disintegrated the grass-made Strangers like nothing and shot toward the hunch-backed man.

    The hunch-backed man nched when he felt the unbelievable hat contained within the ck-and-white mes. He hastily jumped away from the all-consuming mesor at least, he tried to.

    <em>Snap!</em>

    Someone snapped their fingers, and he nked out as if someone had pped a lock around his mind. When he regained consciousness, he saw a sh of crimson followed by overwhelming light and darkness. After that, there was only eternal darkness.

    On the other side, Mrs. Jiao had been smashed into smithereens by Qi Xuanyuns lightning as well. Without her root carving, there was just no way she could fend off Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun at the same time.

    One thing Ye Qing noted after the fight was that Mrs. Jiao and her husbands spiritual power was on the same level as him even though they were just early-stage Spirit Purifiers, and ordinary ones at that. He knew this because they had both snapped free from his Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul. It might have something to do with what they were doing, though he would never learn the answer now that they were both dead.

    Youre incredible, Brother Ye! Qi Xuanyun stared at Ye Qing in shock after killing Mrs. Jiao. He knew from the start that the trio were strong, and Ye Qing in particr gave him the heebie-jeebies. Despite this, he was sure that Ye Qing was on Feng Yang Gentlemans level at most and no match for him.

    But after what he just saw, he was starting to think that Ye Qing might actually be stronger than him. Considering that he was just an early-stage Spirit Purifier, this was unbelievable.

    Hehe, Im not bad, I suppose. Ye Qing shrugged. A man should be humble!

    Is there anyone else in this inn, Joyless? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Ye Qing answered, There is one inside the back garden, but hes just an ordinary person.

    He had scanned the entire ce using his demonic thought earlier. The only person in the area besides them and the innkeepers was that man, and he was just an ordinary person who felt[1] like his days were numbered.

    Lets go, Lin Yuhuai said.

    When they arrived at the back garden, they saw a handsome man wearing a silly grin inside the cattle pen. He was dripping saliva and sleeping in the middle of a bunch of cattle.

    Hes definitely just a normal person. Let me wake him up, Ye Qing said. He had just set foot inside the cattle pen when a few cattle swarmed him and mooed at him loudly. At the same time, some of them began writing on the ground with their hoofs.

    Help

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes. As he thought, every bull and cow in this inn was formerly a human.

    The good news was that the cattle swarming him had just eaten the Cattle Transformation Grass a while ago. That was why they were acting so human. But the others there was probably no saving them.

    Calm down. Youre safe now. Just make sure to remember that youre human, and you will return to normal in three days, Ye Qing consoled them. The Cattle Transformation Grass was probably a kind of curse, and he was hardly an expert in this area. There was nothing he could do to help them.

    It was at this moment Qi Xuanyun spoke up, Allow me.

    Eight views approach the firmament and expel the evils. The wind rises

    The young Taoist shook his sleeves once and produced a yellow talisman that was obviously brimming with power between his fingers. At the same time, he chanted a bunch of words that Ye Qing didnt care to make sense of.

    When he was done, the yellow talisman abruptly transformed into a gust of wind and blew past the cattle. Wisps of filthy energies immediately started rising from their bodies.

    When the wind passedpletely, a dozen or so people returned to normal. But only a dozen. The rest remained as they were.

    Its toote for these people. They had turned into cattle for so long that they hadpletely lost their humanity and sapience. Not even my Evil Expelling Talisman can save them now.

    Qi Xuanyun wore a sorrowful look as he spoke. Even if they turned back to normal, they would remain retarded for the rest of their lives.

    Thank you for saving us, heroes! Thank you!

    Some of the victims immediately ran up to the group and thanked them profusely.

    Ye Qing pointed a finger at Qi Xuanyun and said, Youre wee, but the one you should really thank is him. I couldnt have dispelled the curse afflicting you all.

    Thank you for saving our lives, young Reverend!

    Thank you, thank you, thank you

    We will never forget what youve done for us. Never!

    Maybe it was because they were still in shock, but most of the victims werent quite themselves yet. They could only repeat words of gratitude over and over.

    Qi Xuanyun had never experienced a situation like this. Blushing like an apple, he waved his hands repeatedly to indicate Youre wee but was unable to say a single word. In the end, Lin Yuhuai had to step in to save him from his predicament.

    Suddenly, a cry of surprise broke out. You Which one of you is Yang Yun?

    Ye Qing looked and saw a man staring back and forth between the retarded man curled up on the ground and the guy next to him. His expression was panicked and horrified because the two men shared the exact same appearance.

    1. Felt, because aura.

 Chapter 335: Paper Dolls Carrying A Litter

    Chapter 335: Paper Dolls Carrying A Litter

    Which Which one of you is Yang Yun? The few people surrounding Yang Yun backed away from the two identical-looking men, eyes darting about as they tried to distinguish who was real and who was fake.

    Are you guys stupid? Of course Im Yang Yun. That guys the fake.

    When Yang Yun saw the distrustful look in their eyes, he said, Old Zhao, Ju Shui, we visited Unforgettable Scent together. Old Chen, Old Fang, we peeped on Widow Lin while she was bathing. Dont tell me youve forgotten about it!

    Enough! We believe you. Youre definitely Yang Yun. Yang Yuns co-conspirators hurriedly stopped him. Hell was going to break loose if he continued any longer. Speaking of which

    Yang Yun, Old Chen, Old Fang, what the <em>fuck? </em>Havent you heard that you shouldnt lust for a friends wife? Widow Lin is my sister-inw, you fuckers! A ck Guard exploded.

    Old Chen scoffed, Of course we know better than to lust for a friends wife, but is she your wife? No, shes just your sister-inw. Plus, were just peeping on her, not making a move on her. Also, why are you so angry? Youre not nning to cuck yourte brother, are you?

    You piece of shit!

    Enough! The squad leader hurriedly stepped in before things could spiral out of control. <em>Do we only recruit the bottom of the barrel in the Dark Guards? Seriously</em>

    So, what the hell happened to you, Yang Yun? The squad leader asked after things were back under control.

    Yang Yun kicked the guy who looked like him in annoyance before answering, I was picking a bull in the back garden when I discovered the innkeepers ploy. I was just about to warn you guys when she turned me into a bull.

    Later, I saw the innkeeper using a root carving to turn a bull into a human. Sheter put a cowhide on him and turned him into me.

    Hehe The retarded man on the ground chuckled dumbly as if he couldnt feel the pain.

    I see. So the Yang Yun who came back to us was a fake all along. I was wondering why youd turned into a silly git, but I thought you got the innkeeper to give you a Ju Shui abruptly realized that this might not be the best ce to talk about such things and changed the subject. Anyway, what is your n for this guy?

    Im gonna kill him, of course. Yang Yun harrumphed and raised his hand to kill the retard.

    My, as expected of Feng Yang Gentlemans subordinates. You will kill even an old man who had lost his mind, Ye Qing suddenly interrupted from the sidelines.

    Yang Yun visibly stiffened as panic flickered in his eyes. The squad leader looked like he was about to snarl for an instant before he calmed himself. Who is Feng Yang Gentleman? I think you mistook us for someone else, hero.

    Did I? Ye Qing smiled. I highly doubt it.

    This wasnt the first time he saw some of these people. They had been acting as Duanmu Yus bodyguards while he and Qi Xuanyun were dueling each other.

    Youve really gotten the wrong people, hero. We dont know a Feng Yang Gentleman, the squad leader replied calmly. Anyway, since you and your friends saved our lives, its only natural that we obey your wishes. Let him go, Yang Yun.

    Fine, Yang Yun replied reluctantly.

    You know who you are, Ye Qing replied smilingly, and you definitely know what you came here to do.

    Why are you speaking in riddles, hero? I dont get a word youre saying! The squad leader said nonchntly.

    Thats perfectly fine. So long as you get that you dont have the strength to do jack. Ye Qings smile abruptly turned cold and unfeeling. When you get back home, remember to tell a certain someone that such tactics are as futile as they are outdated. Hes lucky that he got away with it this time, but next time he wont be.

    Killing intent shed in the squad leaders eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. We will remember your advice, hero. Goodbye.

    The Dark Guards left after that curt goodbye.

    What was that about, Brother Ye? Why was Feng Yang Gentleman brought up in the conversation? Qi Xuanyun asked in a puzzled tone after the Dark Guards were gone.

    Theyre Feng Yang Gentlemans men, and they were most likely after you! Ye Qing said seriously.

    Qi Xuanyun was inexperienced, but he wasnt stupid. He should be able to figure out his meaning.

    As expected, Qi Xuanyun quickly put two and two together. Are you saying that they were sent by Feng Yang Gentleman to kill me?!

    Yep. Ye Qing shrugged. It would be too much of a coincidence otherwise.

    Although Feng Yang Gentlemans reputation was pretty good, he knew better than anyone that ones reputation didnt equate their character. It had barely been a day since Qi Xuanyun defeated Feng Yang Gentleman, and his men had appeared at Qi Xuanyuns path. Could it really be a coincidence?

    There were many shadows in this world that couldnt withstand sunlight, just as there were many peoples conscience who couldnt stand exposure.

    If thats true, why did you let them leave? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Because it is ultimately just a guess. Ye Qing smiled. Also, this is Xuanyuns decision to make, not mine. They had just left anyway. Xuanyun could easily catch up if he wants to do something about them.

    Its fine. The young Taoist shook his head after thinking for a moment.

    If that is your choice. Ye Qing didnt try to change Qi Xuanyuns mind or give him advice. In this <em>jianghu, </em>one should think for themselves and take responsibility for their own decisions.

    By the time the group of four had fully investigated the inn, the sky had darkenedpletely. Even the downpour hade to a stop.

    The people they saved had already taken their leave. Although Ye Qing assured them that the inn was safe now, the trauma they had suffered wasnt so easily forgotten. It so happened that the inn was just an incense stick away from a vige called Green Water Vige, so they decided to travel full speed toward the vige.

    This was why no one suspected that something was wrong with All Cattle Inn until it was toote. If All Cattle Inn had appeared in the middle of nowhere, then anyone withmon sense would find it suspicious. After all, how could an inn sustain themselves without customers? But an inn located just an incense stick away from a known vige was hardly unusual, even if it didnt exist until a few days ago.

    Well, theyre gone. What about us? Qi Xuanyun asked timidly after only the four of them were left.

    Were staying, of course. The inn is safe now, Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly. As for these poor people[1] well head to Green Water Vige tomorrow and request the local Pacification Bureau to deal with them.

    Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun found no problems with his decision.

    The group of four went to the second floor and chose a room for themselves. A quick chatter, they went back to their rooms to catch a well-deserved rest.

    Ye Qing didnt rest though. Instead, he produced Nanke from his Natures Shell. The two snakes curled around the Strange Artifact greeted him as soon as they emerged,

    Good evening, master. White Lord and ck Lord

    ... At your service, master!

    The two snakes were as lively as ever, it seemed.

    Im going to use Nanke. What is your request? Ye Qing asked directly.

    White Lord smiled widely. Our first request is very simple, master. We want you to sing a song for us loudly!

    You want me to sing? Ye Qings eyes twitched. <em>And loudly too? Dont you know Im tone deaf?</em>

    Its a simple request, isnt it?

    <em>It is simple, but its also quite embarrassing!</em>

    Ye Qing hesitated for a second, but his desire to grow stronger ultimately conquered his embarrassment. Just to rify, but any song is fine, right?

    White Lord smiled. That is correct, master.

    Okay then. Listen well! Ye Qing cleared his throat and began singing at the top of his lungs,

    Two little tigers,

    Two little tigers,

    (They) run very fast,

    (They) run very fast,

    one doesn''t have eyes,

    One doesn''t have a tail,

    How very strange,

    How very strange[2]

    Inside the neighboring room, Qi Xuanyun was meditating on his bed when he was violently jolted back to reality. What is Brother Ye doing?

    Not far away, Chu Nianjiu spat out the wine inside his mouth with a strange expression. No wonder they say that no one is perfect in this world. Joyless Im surprised he can speak normally when his singing is ghastlier than a ghouls scream!

    Even Lin Yuhuai was holding back a grin. It takes a truly unique person to sing a song this poorly. In a sense, its a talent.

    But where did he learn this song? Why have I never heard of it?

    Ye Qing had notified them that he was going to use Nanke before they went into their rooms, so his sudden outburst was probably Nankes request.

    <em>Those foolish artifact spirits must be regretting their life choices right now.</em>

    After Ye Qing was done singing, he looked at ck Lord and White Lord and asked, How is it?

    ck Lord lookedpletely out of it, and White Lord looked like it had a million things to say. In the end, it could only ask, Master, are you sure thats a song?

    Ye Qing tilted his head in confusion. What do you mean? A nursery rhyme is still a song, you know!

    If you think that doesnt qualify, then I can sing another song!

    White Lord hurriedly said, No, no, your song is so wonderful that itll hauI mean resonate in our dreams for a long time toe. If we hear more, Im worried that we wont be able to stomach anything for the next three days toe, so please, stop.

    <em>Why did I make that request? I would strangle past me if I could!</em>

    A pleasure to lubricate your eardrums! Ye Qing smirked before sitting on the bed and closing his eyes.

    The second he did this, Nankes double doors slowly opened to reveal a ck, mysterious and unspeakable void. Then, ck Lord and White Lord moved closer to Ye Qing, opened their mouths, and inhaled a wisp of light out of his forehead.

    On the bed, Ye Qing felt a sudden wave of dizziness as he plunged into a patch of dreamy void. There was only darkness and emptiness wherever he looked.

    The next moment, Ye Qing sensed a giant mysterious eyeball slowly opening amidst the darkness. His consciousness blurred again, and he realized that he was sitting inside a small litter being carried by two people. Also, he was tied up.

    <em>Bondage right from the get go?</em>

    The litter and the rope were made of paper, but when he tried to struggle free, he was surprised to find that he couldnt.

    Even stranger was the fact that the two bearers carrying the litter were paper dolls. They looked just like the Golden Boy and Jade Maiden that were normally burned in a sacrificial ritual. Their cheeks were painted with red circles, and their smiles looked eerie to put it mildly.

    The mountain wind was strong, and the night was cold. The two paper dolls moved very swiftly despite the fact that they were running along a mountain trail.

    As they walked, more and more paper dolls emerged from the mountain forest and fell behind them. Their numbers kept growing as if they were endless. By the time they arrived at a small temple, the mountain trail was absolutely covered in paper dolls with no end in sight. More importantly, they were all looking up at him.

    Even with Ye Qings willpower, he couldnt help but break out in cold sweat.

    1. Hes talking about the human cattle.

    2. Its on par with Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars in terms of reputation. Every Chinese knows this song.

 Chapter 336: Five Viscera Temple

    Chapter 336: Five Viscera Temple

    When the litter finally came to a stop, Ye Qing squinted at the signboard on the temples roof and muttered, The Five Viscera Temple?

    The temple was made from bones, and it looked like a bone giant without a head from the outside. There were five niches[1] ced at the east, south, west, north and center of the temple, but instead of statues, they held a human heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys respectively.

    All five organs looked bloodied and fresh. It was as if they had just been dug out of a living humans body.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes some more. A temple that was shaped like a headless human, and five organs ced in five directions to represent the five phases[2]. This is definitely the Five Viscera Temple.

    Despite Chus best efforts to educate the people, there remained some ces in the realm where the people were particrly ignorant and superstitious. One such superstition involved using the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys to build a Five Viscera Temple and worship the Five Temple God. They believed that they would gain his blessing and protection if they did this, and fresh viscera was the best offering they could give him.

    This was a thing even back in Ye Qings world where the supernatural didnt exist, so of course human sacrifice was still a thing in certain ces. This was particrly prevalent for those who worshiped the Five Temple God where a temple of bones were built, and a living humans internal organs were syed across the floor as offerings.

    <em>Are these paper dolls nning to sacrifice me to the Five Temple God?</em>

    Ye Qing had more or less figured out the Strangers objective at this point. <em>Paper dolls sacrificing humans to worship a deity instead of the other way around? Interesting.</em>

    <em>But why is this dream unfolding this way? I entered Nanke to train, and this doesnt look like training!</em>

    As expected, the two paper dolls dragged him into the temple as soon as they set down the litter. The paper dolls outside the temple had dropped to their knees as well.

    Inside the temple, the two paper dolls summoned a paper knife and severed the paper rope binding him. Then, they got ready to dig out his internal organs.

    The second the paper rope was severed, Ye Qing suddenly realized he could move his limbs and channel his energies like normal. He didnt hesitate to unleash his astral qi and burned the two paper dolls into dust.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    The Five Viscera Temple shook once, and bright red blood began seeping out of the five organs ced at the five phases. At the same time, a loud and imposing voice boomed inside the temple,

    <strong>You dare spheme against a god, mortal?</strong>

    As if on cue, the paper dolls outside the temple swarmed in like locusts.

    Ye Qing threw a punch. The Burning Wind burned dozens of paper dolls into ash in an instant.

    Their numbers were endless, however. As more paper dolls quickly flooded into the temple, Red Sleeve slipped into his hand, and he spun a full circle on his feet. A gentle breeze joined the night, and the de shed crimson.

    <em>Spring Wind</em>

    Love was the graveyard of all heroes. An entire horde of paper dolls dissolved into dust just like that.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing threw Red Sleeve into the air, de facing toward the ground. When it fell, countless saber forces burst out of its body and rained on top of the paper dolls like thin, fine rain.

    <em>Fine Rain</em>

    Ye Qing didnt wait for the attack to hit his enemies. He threw another punch with his left fist.

    <em>Cloud Vaporization Style</em>

    The fine rain was long and seemingly unending. Countless paper dolls were shredded into itsy bitsy pieces by the saber forces. Then, Ye Qings fist force gathered up the remains like a vacuum, plowed into the thick of it like a vacuum, and exploded like a bomb. The invisible mes howled like a hurricane as countless paper dolls were consumed by it.

    The moment didntst, however. Just a few breathsterthe second the invisible mes grew a tad weakermore paper dolls climbed over and around the mes and surrounded Ye Qing.

    <em>Divide</em>

    <em>Break Through</em>

    <em>Flowing Cloud, Flying Sleeve</em>[3]<em></em>

    <em>Illusionists Grace</em>

    <em>Nine Impetus of Tai Chi</em>

    <em>Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art</em>

    Ye Qing danced through the paper dolls like a phantom. Movement art, fist art, saber arthe used it all.

    The paper dolls were only as strong as ate-stage Vessel Augmentor, but the problem was that their numbers seemed infinite. Ye Qing was a Spirit Purifier with an immense amount of astral qi, but hecked the one advantage that put him above all othersthe Annon Sutra.

    For whatever reason, the Annon Sutra didnt exist in the dream, and so he was unable to pop a dragon-serpent rune and restore his strength. As a result, he slowly ran out of astral qi and could only rely on his body to fight against the paper dolls.

    Having depleted his true qi, his techniques were far less powerful than they were before. At first, he still usedplicated and powerful techniques to clear swathes of enemies. However, he quickly realized that the results were subpar, and they cost stamina he couldnt afford to waste to execute.

    His techniques began growing simpler and simpler. In the end, he was killing the paper dolls using basic techniques alone. A straight punch, an elbow strike, a basic kick, a basic sweep; a simple cut, a basic swing, an orthodox block, a standard parry. He was able to hone his techniques to the point where every part of his body had be a weapon.

    Finally, he managed to kill all of the paper dolls before his stamina ran out. But before he could even let out a sigh of relief, the temple suddenly shuddered unnaturally, and the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys flew out and turned into semi-transparent silhouettes.

    <strong>You dare spheme against a god, mortal?</strong>

    Ye Qing looked up at the five silhouettes. One silhouette was holding a Five Fire Cover, another was gripping a Wooden Talisman Sword, a third was wielding a Qilin Shield, a fourth was swinging a White Tiger Truncheon, and thest silhouette was grasping a Water Splitting Battle Axe.

    The next moment, five Vermillion Birds flew out of the Five Fire Cover and covered the sky in crimson fire, the Wooden Talisman Sword turned into the Azure Dragon and caused the forest to grow like crazy, the Qilin Shield turned into an actual Qilin that ripped the earth asunder, the White Tiger truncheon turned into the legendary White Tiger, and the Water Splitting Battle Axe turned into the Dark Tortoise.

    Motherfucker!

    Faced with such an apocalyptic scene, Ye Qing could only let out a furious, impotent cry before a sea of fire and water annihted every atom in his body. The next moment, he opened his eyes and saw Nanke floating in the air, and its bronze double doors slowly swinging shut.

    Youre awake, master, White Lord greeted him smilingly after the doors were shut.

    How much time has passed? Ye Qing asked.

    Seven or eight minutes or so, ck Lord replied.

    Only eight minutes? Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. He had survived over six hours in the dreamscape before the Five Temple God got serious and annihted his ass, but in reality only eight minutes had passed. It really was the Nanke Dream.

    Did you get what you were wishing for, master? White Lord asked.

    I have! Ye Qing answered honestly.

    As the saying went, there was no better teacher than experience. The six-hour long battle was short, but his understanding and mastery of his fist arts, saber arts, movement arts and more had jumped a level. Hisbat experience especially had increased drastically.

    Isted shorter than I expected though. Ye Qing looked at White Lord. Is every dream this difficult?

    Hested six hours only because he was strong. Anyone else at his cultivation level would probablyst three hours at most. If he was a weakling, what improvement could he possibly derive from several minutes ofbat?

    The point was, this wasnt the significant improvement he was promised.

    White Lord exined, Master, your dream is created based on your strength, the martial art you wish to improve in, and many more variables. To put it simply, the difficulty of the dream is directly proportional to your strength, the level of improvement you desire, and the number of martial arts you wish to improve at the same time.

    Realization struck Ye Qing. No wonder the dream was as difficult as it was. When he constructed the dream, his wish was to improve in everything. Since every martial art he practiced was exceptional to a certain degree, it was no wonder he faced the Four fucking Symbols[4] themselves just six hours into the battle.

    The next time he uses Nanke, he should envision one or two martial arts at most. This way, the dream would be more on point, and it wouldnt be so unbelievably difficult that he was booted out just six hours into the dream. That was the best way to maximize the Strange Artifacts effectiveness.

    Why didnt you tell me this before? Ye Qings voice turned a little icy.

    You didnt ask, White Lordined in an aggrieved voice.

    Can I use Nanke again? Ye Qing asked.

    White Lord shook its head. No. Youll need to wait a full day starting now.

    Fine. By the way, may I know what your next request is? Ye Qing asked another question.

    White Lord answered, It doesnt work like that, master. Well only make a request the next time you use Nanke.

    Fine. I shouldve known it would be a waste of breath! Ye Qing grunted.

    Uwu I knew that all men are bastards! White Lord began weeping, When you need me, youll call me baby. But as soon as youre done with me, youll kick me aside like a pair of sandals!

    Despicable! ck Lord spat on the floor.

    Ye Qing: ... <em>Im not even attacking you specifically. You can speak with mywyer if you think that. Why are you acting like Im a yboy who dumps his woman as soon as he gets tired of her?</em>

    In the end, Ye Qing shrugged. If thats what you think, then sure. I dont care to change your opinion. He then put Nanke away before they could make a response.

    <em>Maybe Im a yboy after all. When ites to Strange Artifacts at least, muahahaha!</em>

    After he put Nanke away, Ye Qingy down on the bed and was out like a light.

    Technically speaking, whatever he experienced inside the Nanke Dream wouldnt transmit to reality. But the dream was so real that he felt like he had just fought a six-hour long battle. Naturally, he needed a good sleep to wash away the fatigue.

    It was midnight when it began raining cats and dogs again. The downpour was so strong it was as if the rainwater had merged with the night to form a ck prison.

    Suddenly, a patch of still shadow began to move unnaturally. It was an inn, but it was moving about like it was alive. The walls were wriggling, and a pair of giant eyeballs abruptly appeared to the left and right of the main entrance of the inn. The double doors opened and closed as a puff of hot air was ejected into the surroundings almost like a yawn.

    Then, the inn shook and began rising into the air. What looked like four tortoise legs appeared on the four corners of the inn. The legs stretched and bent for a bit like a man who was stretching his legs, and the giant eyeballs shone with clearfort.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>

    The next moment, the main entrance of the inn swung open, and the walls beside it crumpled inward. The strong wind and the cold rain were sucked into the inn until it grew an entire size.

    Finally, the inn took off into the rain like a horse, except that it was an inn. It crossed mountains and rivers like they were nothing and traveled several kilometers in just the blink of an eye. Strangely, its movement didnt cause any sound whatsoever.

    Mm

    Inside his room, Ye Qing was deep asleep. However, his brows would knit together, and his breathing would turn rapid from time to time. He seemed to be sleeping very poorly for some reason.

    Ye Qing was dreaming himself sleeping in his bed, but instead of getting twice the satisfaction, he dreamed that a pair of giant eyes would flutter open and stare at him from the ceiling every time he closed his eyes. But when he opened his eyes to look, the eyes would disappear like they never existed.

    He knew they existed though. They just wouldnt appear when his eyes were open. It was almost like the pair of eyes was ying peekaboo with him. It was as eerie as it was preposterous.

    1. A shallow recess, especially one in a wall to disy a statue or other ornament.

    2. Coincidentally the same as the five elements, namely wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Or maybe its literally the same thing, just different name.

    3. Man, it has been a while.

    4. Referring to the four divine beasts.

 Chapter 337: Tortoise House

    Chapter 337: Tortoise House

    While Ye Qing was involuntarily ying peekaboo in his dreams, he did not realize that a pair of giant eyes was watching him in real life.

    Every time the giant eyes closed, his dream self would open his eyes and find nothing on the ceiling. When the giant eyes opened, he would fall asleep inside his dreams.

    He thought that the giant eyes were ying peekaboo with him, but in reality, it was just blinking slowly.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, Ye Qing opened his eyes againbut this time in reality. Seemingly caught off guard by Ye Qings sudden awakening, two pairs of eyes of disproportionate sizes stared at each other for a good few seconds.

    <em>They have eyebrows? </em>One human and one Stranger coincidentally thought the exact same thing at the exact same time.

    The moment didntst. The giant eyes began blinking rapidly as it finally recovered from its surprise, and Ye Qing felt an overpowering wave of fatigue pressing down his eyelids. This time though, he was prepared. He protected his mind with his demonic thought, and the demonic lotus dispelled the exhaustion.

    Hmph! Ye Qing grunted and used the Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul, his demonic thought sweeping across the area like a scythe.

    The giant eyes vanished, and the entire inn suddenly shook once. <em>The hell?</em>

    Now fully awake, Ye Qing scanned his surroundings carefully with his demonic thought. However, his brows quickly knitted into a frown. He couldnt find the giant eyes, nor could he sense any anomalous presence inside his room. It was the same for Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyin, though he noticed that their breathing was a little rapid and erratic.

    <em>And here I was hoping for a peaceful night, </em>Ye Qing thought as he mentally called out to everyone, Its time for a spot check, people! Get up!

    What spot check? I didnt do anything![1]

    Did something happen?

    Whats wrong?

    All three men startled awake at the same time.

    Come out. Something has entered the inn! Ye Qing said seriously.

    The three warriors frowned and appeared outside their rooms in the blink of an eye. When they saw Ye Qing standing at the dining hall on the first floor, they went over to him and asked, Whats wrong, Joyless?

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and exined, Like I said, something is in the inn with us. I dreamed of a pair of giant eyes watching me from the ceiling. When I woke up, I noticed that there really was a pair of giant eyes watching me.

    Huh? Did you feel like someones watching you, but when you opened your eyes, you couldnt see anything out of the ordinary?

    When Ye Qing nodded his head, Chu Nianjiu replied with a deep frown, I had the same dream as well.

    Me too.

    Same here.

    Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun also echoed in agreement.

    Do you know whats spying on us, Joyless? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    No. The eyes disappeared when I tried to attack them, Ye Qing shook his head, and I havent found anything so far.

    Lin Yuhuai produced a yellow talisman with an eye drawn on it. It floated into the air of its own ord and scanned the surroundings, blinking.

    Suddenly, the yellow talisman shuddered. Then, a tear slid down the eye.

    The Divine Eye is crying, so something is definitely wrong with this ce. But I dont think theres any danger for now, Lin Yuhuai dered after putting away the talisman.

    The yellow talisman he just used was called the Malefice Detection Talisman. If the Divine Eye didnt move, then the area was considered safe. If the Divine Eye shed tears, then it meant that the area was unusual, but there was no danger. Finally, if the Divine Eye shed tears of blood, then it meant that the area was unusual, and there was grave danger lurking within it.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully. He was still thinking when Qi Xuanyun spoke up, Huh? Why are the windows closed? Im pretty sure some of them were open when we went to bed earlier.

    The windows? Wait a second Ye Qings finger paused when he realized something. He hadnt looked beyond the inn because his attention was all focused on what was inside. He immediately stretched his demonic thought outward to perceive his surroundings, but all he could sense was a nk, empty void.

    As it turned out, the anomaly wasnt in the inn with them. The inn itself was anomalous.

    Ye Qing stepped toward the main entrance and attempted to pull the double doors open. However, they didnt budge in the slightest.

    He wasnt using his full strength as a matter of course, but there was no way a simple wooden door could resist him. Heck, not even a steel door that weighed hundreds of kilograms could resist his strength.

    I thought this might happen. Ye Qing narrowed his eyes and channeled his full strength. His arm muscles bulged, and his vigor raced at top speed. Then, he pulled the doors again.

    <em>Creaaaaaaaak</em>

    The double doors strained under the strength of five dragon elephants, but instead of opening, they simply bent at an odd angle. Even the walls were stretching together with the doors. It wasnt working.

    Try the windows!

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath until his stomach rumbled like thunder, blue veins surfaced on his arms, and his muscles bulged like the roots of a tree. Then, he continued pulling the doors with all his might.

    At the same time, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun went up to a window each and tried to open them. Unsurprisingly, they were sealed shut.

    Shit, I cant open this

    <em>BANG!</em>

    A short whileter, Ye Qing came to the conclusion that the doors wouldnt yield to his strength and gave up reluctantly. The doors and the walls immediately bounced back in position and even shook a little almost like they were flesh, not wood or mud.

    The hard way it is!

    Ye Qing gathered his qi, essence and spirit at one point andunched a devastating punch.

    <em>Break Through</em>

    His fist sank several inches into the door like it was rubber, but that was it.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    When Ye Qing injected more strength into his legs, his feet sank into the floor like it was rubber as well. His spine snapped straight like a dragon, and his fist moved forward another inch.

    One inch was enough to conjure rain and thunder.

    Rumbling noises came from the point between his fist and the door, and even more force poured out of Ye Qings body. The door gave way a couple more inches, but still it refused to open.

    Hmph!

    The next moment, the force rebounded and pushed him away from the door. He stifled a groan as his feet dug a pair of deep gorges across the floor. He didnt stop until he finally mmed into the wall on the opposite end of the room.

    It was like the floor was made of memory foam. It returned to normal almost as soon as Ye Qings feet had left the affected area.

    On the other side, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun were attacking the windows using their martial arts as well, but just like Ye Qing, neither ice, fire, wind or lightning could deal any damage to it at all.

    Glug

    Glug

    It was at this moment the entire inn suddenly shook like it was alive. The walls were squirming, the furniture was warping, and the floor was twisting like it was being molded by an invisible hand.

    At the same time, a strange noise was resounding throughout the inn. It sounded suspiciously simr to the sound of someone clearing their throat.

    Oh shit!

    Ye Qings eyes shed with realization as attempted to cry out a warning. But before he could do so, the double doors abruptly flung open, and all four of them were sucked out of the entrance by an irresistible force. Like dandelion seeds that had left their roots, they could only tumble helplessly through the air until gravity finally pulled them back toward the ground, hard. Even after theynded, they rolled uncontrobly for dozens of revolutions and broke at least a couple of trees before they finally came to a stop.

    Cough! Cough! Spit

    All four men were Spirit Purifiers, so the crash that couldve killed an ordinary person a million times over didnt hurt any of them. The dizziness was no joke, however. It was all they could do not to throw up all the contents in their stomachs, and the soil they identally swallowed certainly didnt help things.

    Achoo!

    Achoo!

    ACHOO!

    It took the group a while to realize that the sneezes werenting from one of them. When they turned and looked, they were immediately greeted by the unbelievable sight of a massive building with giant eyes on the walls sneezing repeatedly. Every time it sneezed, the air it discharged was strong enough to uproot trees and shake the ground like an earthquake.

    Is that All Cattle Inn?! Qi Xuanyun blurted with wide-eyed disbelief.

    It definitely is. Look! The signboard is still up there! Lin Yuhuai pointed.

    Can anyone tell me why All Cattle Inn turned into whatever the hell that is? Chu Nianjiu instinctively reached for his wine gourd only to remember that he had left it inside the inn.

    Tortoise legs, two eyes, a living building Ye Qing murmured as he stared at the sneezing inn intently.

    Joyless? Chu Nianjiu looked at Ye Qing. Do you know what that is?

    Its a Tortoise House! Ye Qing eximed suddenly.

    A Tortoise House? Qi Xuanyun repeated.

    Ye Qing began slowly, I read a book called Jade Dragon Record. It mentioned a mild-tempered Stranger who was shaped like a house and born with two eyes and four legs. It loves living with humans and running, and it usually travels at night and stops during the day. It could usually run hundreds of kilometers in a single night. Since it looked like a tortoise, it was named the Tortoise House.

    The chapter also came attached with the Tortoise Houses characteristics and various stories, but long story short, its almost a perfect match with what we just saw. It has two eyes and four tortoise legs. It enjoys observing the humans living inside its houseor rather, its bodybut doesnt harm them. It also runs like the wind.

    The Tortoise House, you say? Its hard to believe that such a Stranger exists in this world! Chu Nianjiu eximed in wonder. They were lucky that the Tortoise House was a rare gentle Stranger. Any other Stranger would have digested them for turning their insides inside out.

    Assuming Joyless is correct, then this exins how the Jiao husband and wife were able to escape punishment until now, Lin Yuhuai mused thoughtfully.

    All Cattle Inn had existed for many years and harmed countless people in the process, but they were always able to escape thanks to their strange ability to appear at apletely different ce seemingly overnight. They must have a way to manipte the Tortoise House and use it as their mount.

    Agreed. Ye Qing nodded. In fact, an even more incredible Stranger was mentioned in the Jade Dragon Record. Its called the Tortoise City, and as you might infer from its name, it is a tortoise sorge that it could carry an entire city on its back. The Tortoise House is a babypared to it.

    It is said that tens of thousands of people lived in the Tortoise City, and it resembles a small, isted country. As the Tortoise City only lives in ces where sources of water and nts are abundant, its people are well fed and clothed. It is also shielded from all dangers or disasters. It is why the Tortoise City is also nicknamed the Human Paradise.

    Ive heard of the Tortoise City, but this is the first time Ive heardand seenthe Tortoise House, Lin Yuhuai replied.

    Youre incredibly well-informed, Brother Ye! Qi Xuanyun looked impressed.

    Its nothing. You just need to read more, Ye Qing replied humbly.

    The book also mentioned that the Tortoise House was an incredibly useful transportation tool as it could travel hundreds of kilometers in a single night. In fact, it was so steady that he didnt realize that it was moving at all while he was inside it. Still, the Tortoise House was also an immeasurably powerful Stranger. Even his full power could not harm the Tortoise House in the slightest. It was one thing to manipte it like the Jiao husband and wife did, but he imagined that only a truly powerful warrior could truly tame it.

    Achoo!

    Achoo!

    A long distance away, the Tortoise House sneezed another two times before shaking back and forth like a human would shake its head. It shot them a nce before disappearing into the night.

    Phew its finally gone.

    All four men sighed out in relief when they saw this. Although the book imed that the Tortoise House was gentle, whoever said that what was recorded in the books must reflect reality? A simple sneeze from the Stranger could literally uproot trees and cause a mini earthquake. They would be lying if they said they werent wary of it.

    1. 100% Chu Nianjiu lol, probably hiding valuable wine up, down, left, right and center.

 Chapter 338: Coffin Haulier

    Chapter 338: Coffin Haulier

    Ye Qing wiped away the rainwater on his face and said, Its gone, but now we have a new problem to solve.

    What problem? Chu Nianjiu produced a wine jar from his Natures Shell and took a sip.

    Where are we? Ye Qing snatched the wine jar and took a sip as well. Warmth spread inside his stomach and chased away the nights chill.

    Youre right! Where did the Tortoise House drop us? Qi Xuanyun eximed in shock.

    Ye Qing grimaced. A Tortoise House goes wherever it pleases, but normally, it would stop close to a settlement. But since we exited the Tortoise House halfway, this could easily be the middle of nowhere.

    And you didnt think to mention this earlier, brother? Chu Nianjiu red at Ye Qing, though it was mostly because the young man had stolen his wine. Again.

    Ye Qing replied innocently, I just remembered.

    Can we still catch up to it? Qi Xuanyun asked hurriedly.

    Sureif you can move faster than the Tortoise House that is. Ye Qing smirked.

    Oh never mind then. Qi Xuanyun bowed his head in shame. The Tortoise House could supposedly travel hundreds of kilometers in a single night. There was no Spirit Purifier in the world who could catch up to it.

    It was at this moment Lin Yuhuai spoke up, Its around 3.45 am right now. Were still two hours or so away from dawn. If you are right about the Tortoise House traveling at night and stopping during the day, then we simply need to follow its trail for two hours or so to make it to settlement, or at least close to one.

    Smart! Chu Nianjiu snapped his fingers and hung an arm across hispanions shoulders. I knew youd be more reliable than Joyless.

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes. And how am I unreliable, exactly?

    Chu Nianjiu replied matter-of-factly, If you havent made a racket during midnight and even tried to dismantle the Tortoise Houses insides, it wouldnt have spat us out and left us to dry, or should I say, wet. It might even have carried us all the way to Tian Yong if we were lucky.

    So its my fault? Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    Im d you can recognize your own mistakes. Chu Nianjiu gave Ye Qing a pat on the shoulder. Then, he strode off toward the distance and said, Now, let us be off!

    Your face is thicker, so whatever you say. Ye Qing shrugged in Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyuns direction before walking after Chu Nianjiu. They all began following the trail the Tortoise House left behind.

    It was night and raining cats and dogs, but since they were all Spirit Purifiers, the detrimental environment wasnt really an issue. Add to the fact that Lin Yuhuai was using a Horse Talisman, and they had walked almost ten kilometers in just half an hour[1].

    Whats that down there?

    Suddenly, Lin Yuhuaihe was taking the lead since he was the best at navigating out of all of themstopped in his tracks.

    They were currently standing on a small hill. When Ye Qing looked over the cliff, he saw four people carrying a coffin and trekking through the rain without a sound at the bottom.

    Standing on the head of the coffin was arge, magnificent-looking cock. It was pping its wings and crowing from time to time. Standing on the rear end of the coffin was a ck cat with smooth, shiny fur and blue eyes that shone eerily in the night. It was a frightening sight to say the least.

    The coffin looked pretty heavy, and the ground was anything but even. Despite this, the four men overcame the terrain without any difficulties whatsoever.

    It was strange enough to find a group of people carrying a coffin deep in the mountains. The fact that it was past midnight and raining cats and dogs only made things creepier.

    Are they human or Stranger? Qi Xuanyun shivered as purple lightning sparkled within his sleeves.

    Stop. They are human. Ye Qing stopped the young Taoist before he did something he might regret.

    Yes, theyre human. Coffin hauliers to be exact, Chu Nianjiu added. A ck cat, a cock, long robes and masks. Those are the characteristics of a coffin haulier.

    Coffin haulier? Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Chu Nianjiu answered, Coffin haulier is a very special upation, and not just for the reasons you think. Simr to corpse carriers, corpse shepards and coffin raisers, their job is to carry a body that has died in a foreign ce back to their homnd to be buried.

    Coffin hauliers often have to deal with ghosts and evil creatures due to the nature of their trade, so they came to possess a unique set of skills and inheritances. I once interacted with some coffin hauliers by chance and picked up some of their rules and taboos.

    First, not everyone can be a coffin haulier. They must be born between 11.45 am to 12.45 pm, the time where yang energy was the strongest. People who were born at this time possessed strong affinity for yang energy and were naturally resistant toward ghosts, evils, and many taboos.

    There are many rules a coffin haulier must obey. For starters, they must wear a yaksha[2] mask when performing their jobs because a yaksha is amon soldier in the Fengdu. One look at their faces, and the weaker ghosts and evils would be too scared to try anything.

    All coffin hauliers must wear a ck robe called the Fearless Robe. Theyre delivering a coffin at night after all. If they can do this, what other taboo could they possibly fear?

    The cock on the head of the coffin is called the Walker Cock. The Walker Cock must be the strongest and most majestic of cocks, and it must crow every time they had walked a hundred steps. A Walker Cocks crow also possessed the power to intimidate Strangers and repel evils.

    The cat on the rear end of the coffin is called the Omen Cat. Cats are strange creatures who naturally possess the ability to see ghosts, and an Omen Cat is a cat that is raised by a Coffin Haulier. If the cat puffs up its fur, screeches, or runs away, it means that danger or some sort of anomaly is nearby.

    Coffin hauliers normally travel at night and rest during the day to avoid scaring others[3]. It is also advisable not to call out or disturb the coffin hauliers in the middle of a job because bad things are sure to follow. So on and so on.

    How interesting! Ye Qing was deeply engrossed with the tale.

    Chu Nianjiu continued while watching the coffin hauliers from afar, Generally speaking, a coffin haulier only needs to wear a yaksha mask and a Fearless Robe to deliver an ordinary persons corpse. But the coffin these people are hauling is made of golden zhennan wood[4], a wood that is known for its evil suppressing properties, and the pole used to carry the coffin is a century-old Mahogany Pole. The rope is soaked in a ck dogs blood, the knot binding the coffin is a Seven Star Knot, and the four corners of the coffin are nailed by Corpse Suppression Nails, not to mention the Walker Cock and the Omen Cat.

    This is the highest level of precaution a Coffin Haulier could take when delivering a corpse. They call it Carrying the King of Corpses. This means that the body theyre carrying is incredibly dangerous.

    Are you sure? Qi Xuanyun asked somewhat skeptically.

    Chu Nianjius tone turned a tad mncholic. It is very dangerous to carry out a job at this level. Theres an extremely high chance theyre all going to die on the job, which is what happened to my friends back then. Their bodies were never found.

    Qi Xuanyun hurriedly apologized, Sorry, Brother Chu. I didnt know!

    Chu Nianjiu smiled. Its fine. It happened a long time ago.

    Anyway, we can resume our journey now that the coffin hauliers are gone.

    After they got off the hill, Chu Nianjiu looked at the coffin hauliers muddy footprints and said, We can follow their trail. The coffin hauliers can only be headed for a settlement, and generally speaking their trail is less likely to be haunted by Strangers and other evils.

    Meow!

    Meow!!!

    <em>Meeeeooooooooow!!!</em>

    It hadnt been too long since they followed the coffin hauliers trail when suddenly, a terrible cats screech pierced through the night. It sounded shrill and urgent as if it had encountered something absolutely terrifying.

    Somethings wrong! Chu Nianjiu nched and raced toward the source of the noise without thinking. The rest of them didnt hesitate to follow after him.

    They saw the four coffin hauliers just a dozen or so breathster. For some reason, the coffin hauliers were just standing where they were, eyes unfocused and unmoving. The rope binding the coffin had snapped in half, and the ck cat and the cock were nowhere to be found.

    Even eerier was the fact that countless ghosts were floating around the coffin. They seemed to be kneeling on the ground and praying at the coffin. Their movements were perfectly in sync almost as if they had practiced this before.

    <em>Its like a Ghost King, to have hundreds of ghosts kowtowing to it like loyal subjects. Chu Nianjiu isnt kidding about its danger level.</em>

    Ye Qings expression was wary and serious. Individually, the ghosts werent nearly strong enough to threaten them, but quantity was a great equalizer.

    Lin Yuhuai examined his surroundings and said slowly, These are all locust trees which makes it incredibly easy for yin energy to umte. No wonder there are so many ghosts at this ce.

    Locust trees were also known as yin wood or ghost wood among the popce. It was because they often attracted stray ghosts and souls to their side. This ce was full of locust trees, wet, and overflowing with yin qi. It was no wonder there were hundreds of ghosts in this ce even though it was in the middle of nowhere.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    <em>Bang!</em>

    <em>Bang!</em>

    As the ghosts continued to pray, the coffin lid suddenly shook as if someone was trying to bang their way out of the coffin. It was also growing stronger probably because of the ghosts prayer.

    We cannot allow that thing to exit the coffin! Chu Nianjiu turned pale and yelled immediately.

    Lets kill the ghosts first, Ye Qing dered and threw a punch. The Burning Wind burned entire swathes of ghosts into dust but didnt touch a hair on the four coffin hauliers.

    Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun unleashed their powers as well.

    Although the ghosts were numerous, they were Malice-ss Strangers at most. It took the group of four little time to kill them all. Then, Lin Yuhuai dashed over to the coffin and pped a yellow talisman on it.

    <em>Sizzle!</em>

    The coffin fell silent for an instant. Then, the yellow talisman began burning earnestly, and the banging renewed twice as strong and loud as before.

    Ye Qing frowned and ced a hand on the coffin lid. He pushed so hard that the entire thing sank several inches into the ground.

    The shaking was considerably weaker than before, but Ye Qings expression didnt rx in the slightest. Even with five dragon elephant strength, he was just barely keeping the coffin lid in ce. Not only that,yers of frost were creeping up his right hand, and yin qi colder than anything he had ever felt was invading his body and ravaging his insides.

    Save the coffin hauliers first! They would know what to do! Chu Nianjiu yelled and flicked a drop of water at the two coffin hauliers who were closest to him each.

    As soon as the water seeped into the mens foreheads, two ghastly silhouettes immediately floated out of their bodies.

    I knew it. Hmph!

    Chu Nianjiu made a grabbing motion, and the ghastly silhouettes disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    At the same time, two yellow talismans flew out of Lin Yuhuais sleeves and stered themselves on the other two coffin hauliers forehead. When they burned, another two ghosts flew into the open. They didnt get far before two bolts of lightning annihted their existence.

    The four coffin hauliers swiftly regained their consciousness, but there was no time to thank their saviors. They each produced a dark yellow, rusted nail from their pocket, ran up to the four corners of the coffin, and began hammering it in with a wooden hammer.

    <em>Bang! Bang! Bang!</em>

    Their movements were well-practiced and in sync. Every time the nails sank an inch into the coffin, a terrifying burst of yin energy would wash out of the coffin. It turned the ground into ice and killed every nt unfortunate enough to be caught in it.

    Luckily, the tremors also grew weaker and weaker. When all four nails sank fully into the coffin at the same time, the coffin stopped shaking altogether.

    1. Looks like this is I totally forgot that ancient time is 2x modern time chapter. More work for me. Sigh.

    2. NOT to be confused with the Yaksas even though their Chinese characters are the same. A yaksha is some sort of nature spirit.

    3. Okay this rule stands out because of its stupidity. Seriously bro? Ill make everyones life a living hell if it means not having to deliver a body in the middle of the fucking night lol.

    4. Phoebe zhennan in real life. The wood is a bright yellow that looks like gold.

 Chapter 339: Death Knell

    Chapter 339: Death Knell

    All four coffin hauliers sighed in relief when the coffin stopped shakingpletely. One of them turned toward the group and saluted them deeply. Thank you so much for saving our lives, warriors.

    Youre wee. Ye Qing returned the salute.

    Wheres your head? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    The four coffin hauliers immediately stared at him with unfriendly, suspicious eyes.

    It takes five coffin hauliers at minimum to Carry the King of Corpsesfour people to carry the coffin, and one head to scout the route ahead. Chu Nianjiu said slowly, I thought your head was scouting ahead of you, but obviously that isnt the case.

    If they really had a fifth member, the coffin hauliers would not have entered such a dangerous location.

    The coffin hauliers didnt respond to his question. Their gazes were also growing increasingly hostile.

    Haha, calm down, brothers. Were not bad people. Chu Nianjiu chuckled before crossing his fingers together with his thumbs pointing toward the ground. It looked like he was about to kowtow to the coffin hauliers.

    Oh, a friend. The coffin haulier let out an obvious sigh of relief before crossing his fingers in the opposite way, and his thumbs were pointed toward the sky[1]. It looked like he was praying to the heavens.

    These three are my friends. Theyre good people. Chu Nianjiu smiled. My name is Chu Nianjiu.

    The hand gesture he performed earlier was amon greeting between coffin hauliers. A body belonged to the earth, so one must pray to the earth before putting the body in a coffin. That was what his hand gesture symbolized. But a coffin haulier relied on the heavens to grant them safe passage while they carried a body to its destination, so they must pray to the heavens before departing on their journey.

    These hand signals were generally known to coffin hauliers only. That was why very few people knew about it.

    The coffin haulier introduced themselves, My name is Peng Hu, and these three are my brothers. Theyre Peng Lin, Peng Shan and Peng Chuan.

    Youre all Pengs? Would you happen to hail from the Peng n of Jian Nan? Chu Nianjiu asked curiously.

    You heard of my n, brother? Peng Hu eximed in surprise.

    Although the Peng n was considered a major martial n in Jian Nan, few people knew about their ancestral profession.

    Chu Nianjiu smiled. Three years ago, I made the acquaintance of a disciple of the Peng n.

    May I know who that person is? Peng Hu asked.

    His name is Peng Feipao, Chu Nianjiu answered. He imed to be the firstborn of the Peng family, and that it was the biggest misfortune of his life. It was because he had to take care of two useless younger brothers all day and night.

    Hahaha! Youre speaking of Young Master Feipao! Peng Hus smile widened. It would seem that he had tweaked some details of the truth though. For starters, hes not the oldest of our three young masters. He is the youngest.

    Moreover, both of his older brothers are far more capable than Young Master Feipao. They have been slowly taking over the family business and calling the shots in recent years. Young Master Feipao is the one whos an idler with no notable achievements under his belt. He was kicked out of the n a few years ago, so it was probably around that time where you ran into our young master.

    He was expelled from the n? Chu Nianjiu eximed with surprise before chuckling. Everything makes sense now. I wondered why the young master of the Peng n looked worse than a beggar.

    The first time I encountered him, he had been starving for three days. He was so desperate he tried to swindle a little girl into giving him her cotton candy, heh

    Later, when I treated him to a drink, he boasted to me how much of a genius he was and how he was the highest authority in the Peng n save for his father. He even promised to treat me at Jian Nans best brothels such as the Qiqi Brothel, Orchids Shape and more. I guess it was all a lie!

    Hahaha Young Master Feipao is a little Peng Hu scratched his head awkwardly. Even he felt second-hand embarrassment on behalf of Peng Feipao.

    He no longer suspected Chu Nianjiu of foul y though. Only an acquaintance of Peng Feipao would be able to point out his true character and behavior.

    Anyway, lets get serious, shall we? Chu Nianjius gaze turned serious. Can you tell me what happened to your head?

    Peng Hu hesitated for a second before admitting, To be honest with you, our head died some time ago.

    Hes dead? Chu Nianjiu was stunned. The head of the coffin hauliers was normally the strongest and most experienced of them all. These four coffin hauliers were middle-stage Astral Refiners, so their head had to be ate-stage Astral Refiner or even a Spirit Purifier.

    Then why are you still Carrying the King of Corpses? Dont you know thats in suicide? Chu Nianjius voice grew harsh.

    Peng Hu didnt take offense with his tone, however. He let out a bitter chuckle and exined, Thats because the body is one of our n elders. We had to bring him back to the n no matter what.

    A member of the Peng n must be put to rest where their roots are.

    The body is an elder of your n? Chu Nianjiu looked even more confused. How did your elder perish in a foreignnd and turn into this?

    The horror contained within the coffin was no joke. They had all experienced its power.

    Peng Hu took a moment to organize his answer. To be honest, were not very sure ourselves. Our elder went to Tian Yong to help out a friend, but several dayster, we received word that he had died in an uninhabited mountain. His cause of death was unknown. Later, the patriarch ordered us to bring the body back to the family.

    We started the journey with nine people: eight coffin hauliers and one head. The journey to our destination was smooth, and the n elders body looked perfectly normal when we ced him in the coffin. We thought it would be an easy job and carried on with our duties as per standard procedure.

    However, we heard strange noises from the coffin not long after we began our return journey. One of our brothers suddenly turned into a charred corpse, but no signs of fire could be seen around him. We had no idea what happened to him.

    Its not unusual for a coffin haulier to lose a man or two during the journey back, and since we couldnt find what had killed him, we decided that the faster we make it back to the n, the safer we would be. But the next day, another one of one brothers died a strange and inexplicable death. His body was bloated and discolored, and both his nose and his mouth were covered in soil. It was like he had drowned underground.

    A tremor entered Peng Hus voice when he said this, By now, we realized that this wasnt going to be an easy job. Odd noises wereing from the coffin more frequently as well. Our head immediately dered a Carrying the King of Corpses and took the necessary measures.

    It was peaceful for two days. Then, the anomalies resumed.

    First, one brother suddenly shattered into a million pieces while carrying the coffin. Then, someone got caught in a quicksand and died.

    Worse, the thing inside the coffin is growing stronger with each death. At some point, our head had to nail four Corpse Suppressing Nails into the coffin to finally suppress it. It proved to be a temporary measure, however.

    Peng Hus eyes started darting around when he said this. He was also shivering a little.

    Ye Qing frowned. Why didnt you open the coffin and check out whats going on inside?

    Peng Hu shook his head. One of our rules states that a coffin cannot be opened the moment the body is on its way toward its final resting ce. It is unlucky to break this taboo.

    Chu Nianjiu helpfully added, Hes right. While the coffin is being delivered, it cannot be opened barring exceptional circumstances. For one, it is considered disrespectful toward the dead, and two, such an ill-fated act would draw evils and Strangers.

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes mentally. <em>Who gives a shit about the rules when youre dropping like flies?</em>

    Chu Nianjiu asked, What happened to your head?

    Peng Hu said sorrowfully, He passed awayst night. We were passing through a forest, and he was scouting ahead like usual. Suddenly, the coffin made a strange noise, and he slipped and fell into a valley like he was possessed. He was skewered by a bunch of branches and killed.

    Now only four of us are left.

    Chu Nianjiu was silent for a moment. To tell you the truth, the chance that the four of you are going toplete your job is very slim. Its far more likely that youre going to die on the job. Personally, I would advise you to seal the coffin temporarily and message the Peng n to send reinforcements.

    But Peng Hu shook his head stubbornly. Uneptable. The Peng n had already prepared the altar and selected the best time and date to bury the body. We must take the body back on time.

    You are Lin Yuhuai wanted to say something, but in the end he was unable to find the words to describe his exact feelings.

    I know you mean well, but the Peng n has its own rules and principles. Peng Hu looked at them with unwavering determination. Im sorry, but well have to decline your suggestion.

    In that case, I wont try to change your mind. Chu Nianjiu sighed before asking, Oh right, do you know where the closest settlement is from here, Brother Peng? To tell you the truth, were lost!

    Peng Hu answered, Ah, there is a small vige named Auspicious Phoenix Market about ten or so kilometers from here. Head south from there, and youll reach Qing He[2].

    Thanks for the directions. Chu Nianjiu saluted Peng Hu before adding, It looks like youre nning to rest and resupply at Auspicious Phoenix Market as well. If you dont mind, can you lead us there?

    That was what he said, but everyone knew he really wanted to protect the coffin hauliers. He didnt make the decision on his own, however. He looked at hispanions and asked, Are you all okay with that?

    I have no opinion, Lin Yuhuai replied.

    Same here, Qi Xuanyun hurriedly answered.

    Sorry to inconvenience you, Brother Peng! Ye Qing saluted Peng Hu.

    Thats

    Peng Hu knew what they were nning and wanted to turn them down, but Chu Nianjiu cut him off with a smile and said, Feipao is my friend, you know. Surely I can do him a favor?

    Very well! Peng Hu chuckled bitterly and epted the offer. Please give me a moment.

    Peng Hu walked up to the coffin and pulled it out of its hole. Then, hemanded hispanions, Get the ropes!

    Two coffin hauliers immediately pulled out a pair of ropes that were drenched in a ck dogs blood. They tied the two ends of the coffin firmly.

    Like carrying a mountain

    After the coffin was firmly secured, they went under the Mahogany Poles and grabbed it firmly.

    Protect us, gods and Buddhas. Taboos are nothing to us!

    Raise!

    With that, the four men strained their muscles and lifted the coffin into the air. After they gave Ye Qing and the others a nod, they started running forward at a blistering pace.

    Keep up, everyone! Chu Nianjiu yelled and raced after the coffin hauliers.

    Caw! Caw!

    Crows cawing at the dead of the night? This is a little inauspicious, isnt it? Ye Qing remarked unhappily when he heard the caws.

    Theyre just crows, dude. Superstitious much? Chu Nianjiu scoffed.

    Qi Xuanyun corrected him immediately from on top of his paper horse, You are wrong, Brother Chu. If you saw a ck dog digging a grave, a crow cawing during the second half of the night, a stray catughing, a cock flinching, an incense stick that is conspicuously longpared to the other two incense sticks[3], or using a pair of chopsticks upside down during a meal, then you must have encountered some sort of evil. Thats what my master told me.

    What Qi Xuanyun said was, in fact, fairlymon taboos and gathas. If a ck dog pawed at a grave, it meant that a corpse wasing to life. If a crow cawed during midnight, even gods and ghosts would stay out of an area, much less a human. If a stray cat was smiling, it was the screech of a deity or a ghost. If a cock was flinching, then the ghost that scared it must be incredibly scary. If an incense stick was conspicuously longer than the other two incense sticks, then the human who saw it didnt have much longer to live.

    And finally, only a ghost would eat with the butt end of a pair of chopsticks.

    Were these taboos and gatha true? Not necessarily. But in this world, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    1. There are only two ways to cross your fingers. Chu Nianjiu did it the normal way where the fingers are folded over the back of his hands, while these guys have their fingers hanging downward like roots.

    2. Amandery.

    3. Theyre usually served in three.

 Chapter 340: The Dead Kowtows

    Chapter 340: The Dead Kowtows

    Have you actually seen any one of these taboosing true with your own eyes? Chu Nianjiu countered.

    Qi Xuanyun turned a little red. In fact, I have.

    During my journey, I saw a family paying their respects to a dead rtive. For some reason, one of the three incense sticks they burned was conspicuously longpared to the others. They either didnt know about the taboo or didnt take it to heart, but the next day, the whole family of five all died a sudden, inexplicable death.

    Lin Yuhuai smiled. When ites to these things, its better to believe that its real than otherwise. Plus, the gathas arentplete nonsense. Cats, dogs, crows and cocks are all naturally spiritual animals who are especially sensitive toward evils and filth.

    Fine, forget what I said. Chu Nianjiu shrugged.

    They continued to navigate through the forest following Peng Hus group, but as they walked, the crows began cawing again.

    Caw! Caw!

    Caw! Caw!

    Strange. I keep hearing caws, but why cant I see a single crow? Qi Xuanyun muttered under his breath when he heard the caws again.

    What did you just say? Ye Qing abruptly stiffened like a statue.

    B Brother Ye? Whats wrong? His reaction was so intense that it caught Qi Xuanyun off guard.

    I was wondering why I keep feeling like something isnt right. Now I understand.

    Qi Xuanyun was just talking to himself, but his words lifted a strange worry that had been guing Ye Qing since he heard the caws. His eyes abruptly turned pitch ck as he tapped the space in front of him.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    His demonic thought rippled, and the scenery around them abruptly shattered like ss.

    They werent walking in the middle of a forest, rain and vapor. No, they were standing just a few steps away from a cliff.

    As for Peng Hu, the situation was far worse. Half of his foot was sticking out of the cliffs edge. Just one more step, and he would fall straight to his death.

    For some reason, Peng Hu couldnt seem to perceive the danger he was in. He lifted his foot to take another step forward.

    PENG HU! Chu Nianjiu yelled at the top of his lungs.

    Someone moved faster than his voice could travel. Ye Qing abruptly appeared next to Peng Hu like a ghost and caught his shoulder in a firm grip, forcing him to stop.

    Ye Qing looked down and saw a man hanging on the cliff with both hands. His body waspletely broken, his head was shattered so badly that brain matter was leaking all over the ce, and his body was covered in blood and brain matter. Right now, the man was ring at Ye Qing while sticking out his long, long tongue.

    Is this the Cliff Ghost? eximed Lin Yuhuai as he appeared next to Ye Qing.

    Did it blind us with an illusion?! Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Yeah. Ye Qing nodded.

    The Cliff Ghost was a person who fell off a cliff and died, but they refused to pass away into the afterlife due to overwhelming hatred or resentment. So, they turned into an evil ghost.

    A Cliff Ghost normally clung to the cliffside waiting for preys to pass through the area. Then, it would blind its prey with illusions and cause them to fall off a cliff and die.

    The more people it killed, the stronger it would be. The Cliff Ghost in front of them was a Hatred-ss Stranger.

    Uwargh!

    Seeing that its ploy had failed, the Cliff Ghost let out a weird scream and tried to attack Ye Qing.

    <em>Palm Thunder</em>

    But before Ye Qing could even do anything, Qi Xuanyun fired a Palm Thunder at it and removed it from existence.

    Objectively speaking, a Cliff Ghost was terrible in a straight fight. Its true strengthy in its ability to seamlessly trap its victims within its illusions.

    Even Ye Qing didnt realize that something was amiss until Qi Xuanyun had unwittingly given him a sh of inspiration.

    Peng Hu and the other coffin hauliers snapped back to reality after the Cliff Ghost was killed.

    Where are we? What happened? Peng Hu voiced his confusion.

    You were blinded by an illusion just now, Chu Nianjiu exined.

    A Cliff Ghost?! Peng Hu was an experienced coffin haulier. He immediately figured out the truth.

    In fact, most coffin hauliers were just as experienced and knowledgeable as a member of the Pacification Bureau. After all, their job involved carrying dead bodies at night and traveling everywhere under the sun. Bodies were naturally attractive to Strangers and the like, so they couldnt help but be experienced even if they didnt want to.

    Peng Hu looked grateful. Thank you for saving our lives, Brother Chu. That wouldve killed us all.

    Dont thank me. Joyless is the one who saved you. Chu Nianjiu pointed at Ye Qing.

    Thank you, Brother Ye! All four coffin hauliers saluted Ye Qing deeply.

    Dont thank me. Thank it! Ye Qing pointed at a crow perched on top of a crooked tree next to the cliff. A white crow to be exact.

    The Crow of Light?! Peng Hu recognized the white crow immediately.

    Thats right. Ye Qing smiled.

    If say, the Cliff Ghost was an evil Stranger created from the resentful soul of a victim who fell off a cliff, then the Crow of Light was a good Stranger created from that very same soul.

    When the Cliff Ghost blinded someone with its illusions to lure them to their deaths, the Crow of Light would caw repeatedly to warn them of the danger.

    For whatever reason, the Cliff Ghost couldnt create an illusion of the Crow of Light probably because it was its antithesis. It couldnt mask the Strangers caws either.

    The humans were expected to recognize the discrepancy and subsequently the danger they were in.

    Caw! Caw!

    Seeing that everyone was looking at it, the Crow of Light cawed onest time before flying down the cliff and disappearing into the clouds below.

    Wait a second. Why couldnt I hear its caws? Peng Hu suddenly realized something.

    Ye Qing thought for a second. Its probably because of the coffin youre carrying!

    Peng Hu instinctively opened his mouth to refute it, but when he really thought about it, he couldnt deny the possibility at all.

    Thats that. Let us resume our journey! Chu Nianjiu said.

    Peng Hu nodded, and the coffin hauliers lifted the coffin once more. However, they had just left the cliff when suddenly, they heard banging noises from the coffin again. In fact, the very first bang was enough to snap the ropes and cause the coffin to fall to the ground.

    Get the Corpse Suppression Nails! Peng Hu roared when he saw this.

    He had just finished when he saw Peng Chuan kneeling in front of the coffin and clutching his stomach with a pained expression on his face.

    Peng Chuans stomach began swelling bit by bit. Water mixed with bits of sand and soil started leaking from his eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

    Grrrrrrr!

    Peng Chuan clutched his own throat with a death grip. As soon as he opened his mouth, a stream of murky water immediately sshed against the ground.

    Peng Chuan! Peng Hu cried out in shock as produced a line marker[1]. He then threw an ink ck thread at his brothers forehead.

    Unfortunately, the ink ck thread ignited before it even touched Peng Chuans forehead. The line marker he was holding also exploded into smithereens all of a sudden and covered Peng Hu in ink.

    What the

    Peng Hus wide-eyed expression made it clear that he wasnt expecting this. The line marker he used was a signature Strange Artifact among the coffin hauliers. The line marker was made of Thunderstruck Wood, the ink was a ck dogs blood, and the thread was created by the hands of a virgin boy. Thebination of evil suppressing qualities was so potent that it could y half the life of a Hatred-ss Stranger with a single touch. But now, it couldnt even touch Peng Chuan.

    Lin Yuhuais reaction was no slower than Peng Hus. At the same time the coffin hauliers ink marker exploded, he appeared in front of Peng Chuan and attempted to p a yellow talisman on his forehead.

    <em>Crackle!</em>

    Unfortunately, the oue was the same. The yellow talisman was halfway to Peng Chuans forehead when it abruptly burned into ash.

    The coffin!

    Ye Qing chose to tackle the coffin and pped his hand over the body. An unbelievably cold and evil stream of energy immediately poured into his body.

    Using his astral qi as the fuel and his body as the furnace, Ye Qing refined the yin energy pouring into his body and surrounded the coffin in Burning Wind at the same time.

    The Burning Wind was one of the hottest and most yang astral qi in the world. It was slowly but surely neutralizing the yin energy inside the coffin.

    The problem was that Peng Chuan was still leaking muddy water from his orifices. His skin was starting to bloat and turn pale like that of a drowned body.

    What do we do? Peng Hu was so anxious that his eyes were bloodshot.

    We open the coffin! Ye Qing replied without hesitation. He was hoping that suppressing the entity within the coffin would be enough to eliminate Peng Chuans symptoms, but it hadnt worked at all.

    The only way to save Peng Chuan now was to open the coffin and check what the hell was going on inside.

    No! You cant do that! Peng Hu cried.

    Ye Qings eyes glinted dangerously. Who is more important, the living or the dead?

    But thats Peng Hu looked conflicted.

    Are you serious right now? Is preserving tradition more important than saving your brother? Chu Nianjius face looked ugly as well. Are you really going to <em>watch him die!?</em>

    I Peng Hu was paralyzed with indecision.

    Ye Qing didnt care to wait for Peng Hu to arrive at a decision. Every wasted second was a second Peng Chuan came closer to death. He unleashed his force and threw the coffin lid into the air.

    Professionalism was a positive trait, but blind professionalism was just stupid.

    Sometimes, that stupidity could even im a persons life.

    You!

    Shocked and angry, Peng Hu was about to rebuke Ye Qing when he saw what was inside the coffin. Whatever words he was going to say died in his throat.

    He had imagined all kinds of scenarios about what might be inside the coffin. The corpse couldve turned into a zombie, it couldve been possessed by some sort of evil, or it couldve transformed into a Stranger. However, he never imagined that the body would have shifted to a kneeling position.

    When did it happen, and how was this even possible? The coffin was only as tall as a child. It wouldve been impossible for a living adult to kneel inside the coffin, much less a dead one.

    In reality, the body had shifted to a kneeling position. Its joints werepletely bent, and its chest and waist werepressed together by an unknown power, so much so that some of its rib bones were literally sticking out of its chest. That was how it managed to kneel inside the coffin.

    Not only that, the bodys head would knock against the bottom every three breaths three times in a row. Such was its force that its head was shattered, and blood caked the wooden board.

    It was kowtowing. The body was kowtowing toward a paper doll ced at the end of the coffin. It was unusual to say the least.

    How How can this be? Peng Hu and the rest of the coffin hauliers stared at the strange sight, bbergasted.

    The strange bangs we heard earlier is probably the sound of the body kowtowing toward the paper doll, dered Ye Qing while narrowing his eyes. That, and the body shifting to a kneeling position.

    He was one hundred percent certain that the coffin hauliers deaths had something to do with its kowtowing.

    Ye Qings first thought was to control the body, but when his demonic thought wrapped around it, he couldnt sense any anomalous energy from it.

    Is it that paper doll?

    Ye Qing immediately scanned the paper doll with his demonic thought, but the moment he made contact, his mind shook, and he suddenly felt unbelievably hot. He flushed as red as blood as an invisible fire had suddenly burst into life inside his body. His unusual reaction caught everyone by surprise.

    Hmph! Ye Qing grunted and channeled his astral qi to suppress the unnatural heat. Then, he said, Its the paper doll thats causing the problem.

    1. Carpenter''s straight line marker (an inked cord stretched tight then lowered onto timber).

 Chapter 341: Five Phases Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 341: Five Phases Ritual </h4>

    ¡°Paper doll?¡± One of the coffin hauliers, Peng Shan growled and attacked the paper doll with his saber. But the second the de made contact with it, Peng Shan abruptly froze in his tracks, and his face contorted as if he was struggling with something.

    Willow branches began growing out of his skin and sprouting green leaves that swayed gently in the night. They looked beautiful.

    Their growth was fueled by Peng Shan¡¯s vitality, however. He was sucked dry before anyone could do anything. His skin shriveled, and his flesh withered. All that was the lush willow still swaying in the wind.

    ¡°PENG SHAN! YOU BASTARD!¡± Peng Hu roared. Blinded by fury, he too charged toward the paper doll and swung his saber.

    <i>Thang!</i>

    There was a soft sh of metal and a sh of crimson, and Peng Hu¡¯s saber was sent flying. His weapon arm shook uncontrobly as he staggered backward.

    ¡°Calm down.¡± Ye Qing nced at Peng Hu. ¡°You can¡¯t defeat this paper doll.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what it is, Joyless?¡± Chu Nianjiu stared at the paper doll severely.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°All I can tell you is that it¡¯s not a Stranger.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s the Five Phases Ritual,¡± Qi Xuanyun blurted suddenly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain this is the Five Phases Ritual.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what this is, Xuanyun?¡± Everyone looked at the young Taoist immediately.

    Instead of replying, Qi Xuanyun waved his sleeve and sent the kowtowing body flying with a gust of force. As if on cue, the muddy water pouring out of Peng Chuan¡¯s body ceased immediately after the body was swept away.

    Before they could let out a sigh of relief, the paper doll slowly turned its head and looked at them. Its simple, ink drawn eyes were calm, and the corners of its lips were curled up slightly into an eerie smile.

    Everyone including Ye Qing broke out in cold sweat when they saw this.

    Qi Xuanyun wasn¡¯t, however. The next moment, he produced a small cup containing some sort of ck liquid and threw it over the paper doll.

    It was so foul-smelling that everyone¡ªeven the coffin hauliers who were used to foul smells¡ªbacked a few steps away from the coffin. The paper doll sizzled and gave off puffs of green smoke like it was burned before dissolving into dust.

    ¡°Phew! Thank goodness. We¡¯re safe for now.¡± Qi Xuanyun let out an audible sigh of relief after he confirmed that the paper doll was gone.

    ¡°Do you recognize this, Xuanyun?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. The anomalous power imbued within the paper doll was such that even he felt incredibly threatened. That was why it surprised him to see the young Taoist taking it out almost effortlessly.

    Qi Xuanyun answered, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the Five Phases Ritual.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that before. Is that the paper doll¡¯s name?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Qi Xuanyun shook his head. ¡°No, the Five Phases Ritual is a kind of curse. The paper doll is just a medium for the ritual.¡±

    ¡°A curse?¡± Lin Yuhuai sounded surprised.

    ¡°Yes, a curse.¡±

    Qi Xuanyun began his exnation, ¡°The Five Phases Ritual was originally named the Five Punishments Ritual. The punishments themselves are tied to the Five Phases. Someone who is cursed by the ritual would die by Metal, entombed in Wood, burned by Fire, drowned in Water, or buried in Earth.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in realization. No wonder Peng Hu¡¯s head and the other corpse hauliers had died the way they did.

    ¡°It¡¯s very easy to execute the Five Punishments Ritual. All they need is a paper doll to carry the curse and a corpse. So long as the corpse kept kowtowing to the paper doll, the Five Punishments Ritual would be activated. Anyone who shares blood ties with the corpse and made contact with them would die by the ritual, and as long as the paper doll or the body isn¡¯t destroyed, the ritual could theoretically continue for eternity just like the Five Phases. Hence the name.¡±

    Qi Xuanyun took a moment to gather himself before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s quite simple to dismantle the Five Punishments Ritual. One simply needs to damage the paper doll or the body. But of course, there are risks. For one, the paper doll is the medium carrying the curse. Anyone who touches it even indirectly would be cursed by it.¡±

    ¡°That is why one must first stop the body from kowtowing to the paper doll. This would greatly weaken the curse on the paper doll. After that, one simply needs to destroy the paper doll with things of extreme filth such as piss and shit[1].

    ¡°Wait a second... Are you telling me that that liquid you threw just now is piss or shit? Or both?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes bulged in shock and disbelief.

    <i>Have I been doing this wrong the whole time? I should¡¯ve just used piss and shit to smite dem evils?</i>

    ¡°What are you talking about, Brother Ye? This is a potent item my master created using virgin boy piss, horse piss, cow piss, pig piss and a dozen other livestocks and Strangers. It can even contaminate a Strange Artifact. It¡¯s one of my most prized possessions,¡± Qi Xuanyin dered proudly.

    ¡°Ha... haha...¡± It was so, so much worse than he had imagined. ¡°Your master must have a lot of free time in his hands, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Huh? How did you know?¡± Qi Xuanyun sounded surprised.

    <i>Isn¡¯t it obvious? Who else but someone who has too much time in their hands woulde up with something like this?</i>

    Ye Qing chuckled awkwardly and rubbed his nose. ¡°It¡¯s just a guess, considering how... creative your master is.¡±

    ¡°Since this is a curse, someone must be behind this,¡± Lin Yuhuai spoke up suddenly and looked at Peng Hu¡¯s group. ¡°They¡¯re nning to kill you all.¡±

    ¡°They want to kill us?¡± Peng Hu looked puzzled. ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°Someone is definitely targeting you all,¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement. ¡°Xuanyun said that the Five Punishments Ritual only cursed the blood descendants of the afflicted corpse. Since the corpse is your n elder, and he¡¯s rted to you by blood, you must be the target of the ritual.¡±

    ¡°Again, why? We haven¡¯t offended anyone throughout our journey,¡± Peng Hu asked with a deep frown.

    Chu Nianjiu answered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be them, does it? The caster could¡¯ve been targeting the Peng n or the n elder only. Peng Hu and his brothers were just unfortunate enough to be dragged into this mess.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Ye Qing rejected the theory. ¡°If the caster of the curse really was targeting the Peng n, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed Peng Hu¡¯s group to find the corpse. They would¡¯ve snuck the corpse into the Peng n before they execute the Five Punishments Ritual. That would¡¯ve dealt far more damage to the Peng n, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not denying the possibility that someone wants to taunt the Peng n with your deaths. It would be a lot less trouble as well.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Brother Ye.¡± Qi Xuanyun joined in. ¡°Back when I was experiencing the <i>jianghu </i>with master, I once encountered a great tragedy. A man had snuck into the graveyard of a powerful century-old n and used one of the bodies to enact the Five Punishments Ritual for revenge. As a result, all five hundred and sixty one members of that family had died a horrible death, and the one hundred year old n was wiped out just like that.¡±

    ¡°If whoever enacted the ritual really was going after the Peng n, they wouldn¡¯t have done it this way. Just think about it. Peng Hu and the others would¡¯ve died long before they made it back home.¡±

    Peng Hu frowned deeply. ¡°But our n elder is apassionate and easy-going man. He spent most of his time inside the Peng residence as well. I just can¡¯t imagine himmitting something so atrocious that someone would curse him and his family to a terrible death.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say...¡± Ye Qing smacked his lips. Peng Hu might be telling the truth, but kindness andpassion weren¡¯t qualities you would normally find in a warrior of <i>jianghu. </i>And assuming that Peng Hu was wrong about his n elder, it would be perfectly normal for someone to kill the n elder over past grievances.

    ¡°Something still doesn¡¯t quite make sense about this.¡± Lin Yuhuai voiced his question, ¡°You were saying that the caster was only targeting the n elder, right? That the Peng n itself isn¡¯t their target? The n elder is literally dead, so we can assume that they have gotten their vengeance. In that case, why are they targeting the Peng brothers?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re... right.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully.

    ¡°Oh right. Where did you find your n elder¡¯s body, Brother Peng? Did you notice anything strange at the time?¡± Qi Xuanyun asked suddenly.

    Peng Hu didn¡¯t understand why Qi Xuanyun was asking this, but he answered honestly, ¡°We discovered his body at the peak of a lone mountain. He was in a kneeling position with his eyelids were removed, his ears blocked by mud, his nose ttened by a file, his mouth sewn together by threads, and his legs crossed behind his back. He was barefooted, and his feet were covered in wounds. His head was touching the ground as if he was kowtowing to someone.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember which direction he was facing?¡± The young Taoist asked in a hurry.

    ¡°I think it was the west. What¡¯s the matter, young Reverend?¡± Peng Hu looked confused.

    Qi Xuanyun pped his hands triumphantly. ¡°I got it! That has to be it!¡±

    ¡°What did you figure out? Tell us!¡± Chu Nianjiu urged.

    The young Taoist scratched his head and exined, ¡°ording to the ¡®Cloud Profound Dragon Riding Sutra¡¯, the Buddha once traveled to the south of Fengdu and saw a city where everyone¡¯s eyelids were removed, their ears were stuffed with soil, their noses, were ttened, their mouths were sewn, and their arms were crossed behind their backs. They were all climbing a mountain barefooted. The Buddha considered it a strange sight.¡±

    ¡°A deity exined that these people were vile creatures atoning for the sins they havemitted for ten lifetimes. So vile and long were their list of crimes that their eyelids were cut out so they cannot sleep, their ears were stuffed with mud so they cannot hear, the noses were ttened so they cannot smell, their mouths were sewn so they cannot feed, and their arms crossed behind their backs so they cannot use them. Everyday, they must climb a tall mountain barefooted, face toward the west, and touch their heads against the ground to atone for ten lifetimes of sins. Hence, this scene became known as the Punishment of Ten Commandments.¡±

    Ye Qing coughed. ¡°Can you like er, be more direct, Xuanyun? What does this have to do with our current situation? Don¡¯t you see that everyone¡¯s confused?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai: ¡°...¡±

    Chu Nianjiu: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Excuse me? Who are you calling confused? Just admit that you¡¯re the one who don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying!</i>

    ¡°O-Oh, got it.¡± Qi Xuanyun scratched his head and simplified things, ¡°To put it simply, this method of punishment is only meant for people who havemitted grave sins. Your n elder had probably done something that the caster of the curse considered so heinous that it could only be atoned for with the Punishment of Ten Commandments.¡±

    ¡°As for you guys, you weren¡¯t the caster¡¯s target until you moved the body and interrupted the punishment.¡±

    Qi Xuanyun looked at Peng Hu and said, ¡°Did you know how the Five Punishments Ritual got its name, and why the body kowtows to the paper doll when the curse is activated? It looks like someone is kowtowing for forgiveness, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That is why the Five Punishments Ritual also carries the meaning of punishment and apology. Since you moved the corpse without permission, the caster cursed you with the Five Punishments Ritual to punish you.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about this, young Reverend?¡± Peng Hu looked utterly shocked.

    ¡°I think so!¡± Qi Xuanyun hesitated all of a sudden. ¡°It¡¯s just a guess.¡±

    ¡°Xuanyun¡¯s words make a lot of sense. At the very least, it is the most reasonable and sound theory we have at the moment, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Ye Qing looked at Peng Hu.

    ¡°Do you know who killed my n elder, young Reverend? And who¡¯s the one who cursed us with the Five Punishments Ritual?¡± Peng Hu¡¯s eyes turned steely.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I do not know. The Five Punishments Ritual is powerful, mysterious, and rarely seen in the <i>jianghu</i>.¡±

    Qi Xuanyun shook his head when he recalled something. ¡°Oh right, I also heard master saying that there is a mysterious faction in the <i>wulin </i>called Heaven''s Judgment. They love enacting cruel punishments upon others, and they believe that they are enacting the heavens¡¯ will. I believe that the Five Punishments Ritual is one of their exclusive arts.¡±

    ¡°Heaven¡¯s Judgment?¡± Everyone exchanged nces with each other. No one here had heard of it.

    Peng Hu grunted, ¡°Hmph! It doesn¡¯t matter who they are. Anyone who kills a member of the Peng n must pay the price in blood!¡±

    1. You read this right, people. ?

 Chapter 342: Lotus Goat

    Chapter 342: Lotus Goat

    Would the caster find out that the ritual has been destroyed, Xuanyun? Ye Qing suddenly asked a crucial question.

    They would, Qi Xuanyun replied without hesitation.

    How strong is your n elder, Brother Peng? Ye Qing looked at Peng Hu next.

    Hes a Spirit Master. Whats the matter? Peng Hu didnt understand why Ye Qing was asking this.

    Ye Qing rubbed his chin thoughtfully. So, your enemy is strong enough to kill a Spirit Master. Thats a problem. If I were you, I would be thinking how Im going to keep myself alive, not take revenge.

    Youre saying they would show up to silence us all. Peng Hus eyes narrowed.

    Thats definitely a possibility. Ye Qing shrugged. Qi Xuanyun was certain that the caster would find out that the Five Punishments Ritual was destroyed. Naturally, it made sense that the caster would show up to finish the job.

    Of course, there was always the possibility that they wouldnt, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

    Joyless worries are well-founded. Chu Nianjiu nodded. For now, lets leave this ce. Brother Peng Chuan needs his rest too.

    One thing, Brother Peng. You should leave your n elders body behind. The Five Punishments Ritual might not be the only thing the caster has done to it. Ye Qing stopped Peng Hu as he moved to retrieve the corpse.

    Peng Hu rejected the suggestion without hesitation, No coffin haulier worth their salt would ever abandon a body to save their own lives, much less the body of a n elder.

    Chu Nianjiu joined in on the persuasion. Brother Peng, now isnt the time to cling stubbornly to your beliefs. Assuming what Joyless and Xuanyun said is true, we would die as soon as the enemy catches up to us. Youve already lost so many brothers, you dont want Peng Chuan and your remaining brothers to die a meaningless death, do you?

    Peng Hu frowned deeply but didnt say anything.

    Brother Peng, we understand that you have certain rules you must abide by, but rules are dead, and you are alive. The living has to be more important than what is dead, dont you agree? Lin Yuhuai also chimed in. Plus, were not telling you to leave your n elders body in the wilderness. Were telling you to do what you need to do to secure the body first and message the Peng n for reinforcementter. Surely this is a better way than throwing away your lives for nothing? Surely that cannot be the wish of the Peng n?

    Peng Hu was visibly struggling to arrive at a decision. One one hand, breaking the rules would mean breaking the taboo and ruining the reputation his n had upheld for over a hundred years. On the other hand, his brothers lives were in danger. He truly didnt know which was the better choice.

    Brother Peng, remember that were only making guesses. We have no idea if the caster would actuallye after us. Ye Qing advised after choosing his words carefully, Were not far away from Auspicious Phoenix Market. You can afford to secure the n elders body, leave it here, and spy on it from the vige. If a few dayster, you discover that the body is undisturbed, it probably means that the caster hasnt caught up to you. Youd be free to carry it back to the Peng n.

    But if something did happen to the body, this would be your opportunity to find out the truth. Youd be able to find out exactly who is the murderer of your n elder. Assuming help shows up in time, you could even take revenge for your elder and resolve the problem once and for all. This way, you can kill two birds with one stone.

    Obviously, this solution isnt risk free. Assuming the caster shows up, I wont deny that there is a chance they would spot you spying on them in secret. But its still better than sticking to your current course of action and dying meaninglessly, isnt it? What do you think, Brother Peng?

    Thats a wonderful n! I knew youre the most devious of the four of us. Chu Nianjiu pped a hand on Ye Qings shoulder.

    Ill pretend that youreplimenting me. Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    Very well. Well do as you say. This time, Peng Hu agreed to the suggestion without hesitation. Doing as Ye Qing said would allow them to identify their n elders murderer and still carry the body back to its rightful ce. He could not see any reason to turn this down.

    As for danger, they were ready to die for their cause. Why would they be afraid of danger?

    Thank you very much for your guidance, Brother Ye. Peng Hu saluted Ye Qing.

    Youre wee, but lets make haste, shall we? The sooner were away from this ce, the better! Ye Qing warned. He was certain that the caster hadnt caught up to them yethe hadnt sensed any pursuers with his demonic thoughtsbut that could change given enough time.

    Peng Hu wasnt stupid. He too knew the dangers they were courting by lingering too long. So, he immediately produced a new coffin from his Natures Shell, put the body back inside, and began searching a good location to secure the body.

    They were fishing. Of course they should choose a good fishing spot.

    As for Peng Shan[1], they put him to rest the coffin haulier way: cremating him and allowing his ash to return to the world.

    All coffin hauliers possessed unusual birth dates and secret arts that were unique to their profession. As a result, their corpse and soul were attractive to certain Strangers and evils. Besides that, coffin hauliers generally preferred to live on natures gift and return the favor after theyre dead. That was why they were normally cremated and scattered across the world.

    The group trekked toward Auspicious Phoenix Market after dealing with Peng Shangs body. Finally, they found a good ce to secure the n elders body not far away from the vige: a tall cliff.

    They werent the only ones who had the same idea. Some of the recesses and gaps below the cliffside were hanging with coffins.

    Lin Yuhuai exined as he watched the coffins, Those are hanging coffins[2]. Some ces prefer to deposit their loved ones deceased bodies on a cliff or suspend it in the air. Its because they believe that their souls would go to the heavens this way.

    Ye Qing nodded approvingly after observing the location. This is a good ce. The fact that so many people decided to leave their coffins here meant that this location is safe from most Strangers. Since it is close to Auspicious Phoenix Market, you can pretend to be a viger or a traveler and spy on this ce without drawing attention.

    You are absolutely right. Peng Hu was clearly satisfied with this location as well. Very well. We shall leave our n elders body here.

    Meeeeeeh

    Meeeeeeh

    Suddenly, the group heard a goats cry from atop the cliff. When they looked up, they saw a ck goat that wasnt there before.

    The goats fur was as ck and shiny as ink. It had a pair of multi-pronged horns like a deers, and sitting on its forehead was a ck lotus. A palm-sized girl sitting crosslegged at the center of the lotus. Right now, the girl was watching them curiously from above.

    A Stranger?! Chu Nianjiu raised an eyebrow.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose embarrassedly. He just said there were no Stranger, and a Stranger immediately came out to p his face. How embarrassing!

    But Peng Hu let out a sigh of relief. Calm down, everyone. Thats a Lotus Goat. Its harmless to humans.

    A Lotus Goat was a Soulstealer-ss Stranger. Shaped like a goat, it had pitch ck fur and a lotus with a child inside the pistil. As it enjoyed feeding on corpse qi[3], it could often be found in a graveyard and other ces where the dead were plentiful. If it ran into a funeral procession or an abandoned body, it would personally carry the coffin or the body to the graveyard. If it encountered grave robbers, Strangers or people who were nning to steal or damage a body for whatever reason, then they would swallow the offenders whole.

    This is great! If the caster shows up, it would have to go through the Lotus Goat first before it could get to the body. It would give us an easier time to identify them, Ye Qing immediately pounced on the opportunity to cover up his failure.

    Indeed, not to mention that the Lotus Goat would protect the body from danger. There is a problem though. How are we going to retrieve the body afterward? Lin Yuhuai voiced his worry.

    Peng Hu wasnt worried though. He assured them, That, you dont have to worry about. The Peng n knows a secret art thatll allow us to retrieve the body without being attacked by the Lotus Goat.

    Oh, Ive heard that before. Apparently, all coffinmakers, corpse shepards, corpse carriers and more know a kind of secret art that allows them to summon a Lotus Goat to their aid if necessary. The Lotus Goat wouldnt protect them, but it would guard the bodies with its life.

    Chu Nianjiu exined, There are many benefits to having a Lotus Goat guard a body. For one, it is a powerful Soulstealer-ss Stranger who could fend off most Strangers and warriors. Two, it could feed on corpse qi and prevent the bodies from transforming into zombies. After the danger is over, we would retrieve the bodies from the Lotus Goat using our secret art.

    Haha, Brother Chus exnation is right on the mark. Peng Hu smiled. That is why this is the best ce to ce the n elders body.

    Peng Lin?

    Peng Hu nced at Peng Lin, and Peng Lin immediately produced a bone whistle from his sleeve. He then blew it strongly.

    <em>Screeeeeeeeeeeeech!</em>

    The whistle sounded more like the screeching noise of fingernails digging into a piece of wood, or ss rubbing against metal than an actual whistle. The shrill, piercing noise immediately inflicted Ye Qings group with deep nausea.

    Meh! Meh!

    On the other hand, the Lotus Goat started bleating the moment it heard the whistle. Soft and elegant, it waspletely different from the horrible whistling.

    A few bleatster, the Lotus Goat began walking down the cliff with elegant footsteps. The cliff was tall, steep, and impossible for a human to navigate normally, but the Lotus Goat made it look like it was treading on t ground.

    Meh

    After the Lotus Goatnded on the ground, it bleated once at Peng Lin before the girl inside the lotus flower rubbed her nose with great anticipation. Then, she opened her mouth and breathed deeply. A stream of mist-like corpse qi immediately rose from the coffin and entered her mouth.

    The lotus girls cheeks were fully puffed like that of a cute cat as she swallowed the corpse qi inside her mouth bit by bit. She looked so happy and intoxicated it was like she was drinking sweet honey, not corpse qi.

    When she was finally done, the lotus girl let out a big yawn, smiled sweetly, and closed her eyes.

    Meh The Lotus Goat bleated and tapped the ground with its hoof three times. There was a small explosion of dust, and the coffin was thrown into the air and onto its back. Then, the Lotus Goat climbed up the cliffside with just as much ease and grace as before.

    It is done. Lets go. Peng Hu let out a sigh of relief after the matter was settled.

    What is that bone whistle Peng Lin just used? On the way to Auspicious Phoenix Market, Ye Qing voiced his curiosity. Its pretty interesting.

    Er Peng Hu hesitated.

    Chu Nianjiu interrupted, Its better if you dont know.

    What do you mean? Is it a taboo to speak about it? Ye Qing looked puzzled.

    No, but Brother Chu is right. Are you sure you want to hear about this? Peng Hu asked.

    <em>If youre trying to pique my curiosity, then you sure as hell seeded, brother.</em>

    Peng Hu noted Ye Qings expression and sighed. The whistle is called the Human Bone Whistle. Among corpse hauliers, we have a saying called, The living hear the living, and the dead hear the dead. The Human Bone Whistle is a whistle forged from the skull of a dead human. It can be used to interact with some ghosts and Strangers.

    The skull needed to make the whistle is also quite unusual. It is the skull of a baby who is born on a yin year, month and day. The baby cannot be older than nine years old either, and the younger the better.

    This is because people who are born on a yin year, month and day are also born with a greater reservoir of yin qi, so much so that they can see the unseeable. This applies to babies as well as their heart and soul is pure. This is why the Human Bone Whistle possesses the power tomunicate with certain ghosts and Strangers. In a sense, its a Strange Artifact.

    1. The guy who tried to attack the paper doll earlier but died instantly.

    2. Hanging coffins are coffins which have been ced on cliffs. They are practiced by various cultures in China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

    3. Halfman Xu: GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!

 Chapter 343: Yin Market

    Chapter 343: Yin Market

    Ye Qing let out an audible gasp when he heard this. He didnt really mind people making Strange Artifacts out of a persons skull, but to blow[1] it as well? That was going a little too far, wasnt it?

    Peng Hu wasnt done talking, however. He continued, A babys skull is soft because it isnt fully formed yet. Therefore, one baby can only make one Human Bone Whistle at most.

    Of course, the Peng n doesnt murder babies to create our Human Bone Whistles. We only use babies who have already passed away for one reason or another. But there are some heretics out there who use living babies to make the Human Bone Whistle. In fact, they removed the skull and carved out the whistle while the baby was fully conscious.

    They used a secret art to keep the baby from dying so they would continuously umte resentment until they transformed into a Grudge Baby. Once the whistle wasplete, they would seal the Grudge Baby into the Human Bone Whistle.

    It is said that a Human Bone Whistle that was created this way is very powerful. It could summon and control thousands and thousands of ghosts and even Strangers.

    Despicable human scum! Qi Xuanyun was so angry he actually cursed despite his upbringing.

    Thats why a Stranger isnt the most terrifying thing in the world. The human heart is. Chu Nianjiu gave the young Taoist a consoling pat on the shoulder and sipped his wine.

    Time passed quickly as the group continued to make idle chats with each other. They soon arrived at Auspicious Phoenix Market.

    Damn! This Auspicious Phoenix Market is positively flourishing! Ye Qing eximed in admiration as soon as he stepped through the entrance. The streets were jam-packed with people, and the rows and rows of houses were lined up orderly like fish scales. He thought that Auspicious Phoenix Market was just a small, remote vige, but in reality it was just as busy as some of the counties he visited.

    Strange. Auspicious Phoenix Market is a prosperous vige, but I dont remember it being this busy. It literally doesnt have enough houses to fit this many people. Peng Hu was a little confused as well.

    He passed through Auspicious Phoenix Market during one of his runs before, so he knew that Auspicious Phoenix Market was more prosperous than most viges. However, he had never seen the streets as packed as it was today. Literally, you couldnt walk down the road without bumping shoulders with someone.

    Besides that, he noticed that most of the pedestrians were <em>jianghu </em>warriors, and a small portion of them were schrs carrying bamboo baskets on their backs.

    Now that you mentioned it, they dont look like locals. Ye Qing watched his surroundings for a bit before adding, Also, dont you think that the shops are a little strange. Why are there so many shops and stalls selling burial clothes and paper offerings?

    <em>Even if people died in this vige everyday, the supply should still far exceed the demand</em>

    At least five out of ten of the stores on both sides of the main street were selling burial clothes. There were burial clothes designed for male, female, old and young. Even stranger was the fact that each and every shop was jam-packed with customers.

    Three out of the five shops that werent selling burial clothes were selling funeral supplies such as paper dolls, paper offerings and coffins. From time to time, a customer would walk out of the store carrying a Golden Boy and a Jade Maiden with happy faces. Those who bought a set of burial clothes looked even happier.

    Is it okay to look this happy when youve lost a family member? Chu Nianjiu couldnt help but stare at the people with a strange expression.

    Ye Qing replied with ck humor, Maybe its because they lost their wife? Lose a partner to get rich and earn a promotion. Its one of the three happiest things one could experience in life.

    Perhaps, but they cant all have lost their wife, can they? Chu Nianjiuined. What about that woman over there? Dont tell me she lost a wife too.

    Ahem maybe they lost a husband? The proverb should still apply even if the genders are reversed. And who says a woman cant marry another woman? Ye Qing retorted.

    Hehe, makes sense! Chu Nianjiu let out a lecherous chuckle.

    Cut it out, you two. We have a kid with us. Lin Yuhuai interrupted their conversation and nced at Qi Xuanyun. The good news was that the young Taoist didnt seem to get the joke at all. Anyway, keep your eyes open for an inn. Peng Chuan needs his rest as soon as possible.

    Agreed. Come with me. Peng Hu beckoned the group to follow him. He visited Auspicious Phoenix Market before, so he was more familiar with the terrain than the rest of them. It wasnt long before they arrived at an inn.

    Unfortunately, the inn waspletely full, so they had to search for another inn. To their surprise, the next few inns they visited werepletely full as well. Even the wood sheds werepletely packed.

    What is going on here? Peng Hus brows were knitted together in a frown. This makes no sense!

    It probably has something to do with the presence of these <em>jianghu </em>warriors, Peng Lin interrupted. Maybe something like a festival is about to take ce?

    Thats not all. This whole vige is brimming with oddities. Ye Qing rubbed his nose and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

    Why guess when we can just ask a helpful pedestrian? Chu Nianjiu suddenly said with a smirk. The next moment, a ridiculously loud scream burst out beside him, Ahhhhhhhh! Its gonna break! Its gonna break! Mercy!

    Peng Hu turned around and saw Chu Nianjiu grabbing a young mans wrist. The guy was bent like a prawn and crying out in abject pain.

    Is it? Then why did you try to steal my stuff in the first ce? Chu Nianjiu said with a grin. Clearly, the young man had tried to steal the Spirit Purifiers stuff but failed to realize that he was no easy mark. Worse, Chu Nianjiu was an expert torturer.

    Chu Nianjiu must have tightened his grip, because the young mans screams suddenly climbed a whole octave, <em>Aaaaaaargh!</em> Mercy, please! I wont do it again!

    Giant beads of sweat poured down his forehead. He would be rolling on the floor if Chu Nianjiu wasnt holding him tight.

    Chu Nianjiu looked down on the youngster. I can let you go, but youll have to answer some of our questions.

    Anything, boss! Ill even answer a hundred questions if I must! The young man replied in a hurry.

    When Chu Nianjiu let go, the young man immediately snatched his wrist away and rubbed the sore spots.

    Dont be a chicken. I didnt even break your wrist, Chu Nianjiu said nonchntly. What is your name?

    The young man replied meekly, Mank Ee. My name is Mank Ee [2].

    Monkey? A fitting name. Why are so many people gathered in Auspicious Phoenix Market today, Monkey? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Boss! My name is Mank Ee, not monkey! Mank Ee tried to defend his dignity.

    I like Monkey. You dont like Monkey? Chu Nianjiu side-eyed him.

    Whatever you say, boss! Mank Ee wisely changed his mind.

    Answer my question, Chu Nianjiu pressed.

    Mank Ee shot him a surprised look. I thought you were Arent you here for the Yin Market?

    The Yin Market? Whats that? The group exchanged nces with each other. No one knew what the young man was talking about.

    Come on! The Yin Market of Auspicious Vige Market has to be one of the most famous happenings in the realm! How could you know nothing about it?

    Mank Ee scoffed in disdain, but when he noticed the unfriendly look in everyones eyes, he abruptly recalled his position and answered the question in a hurry, The Yin Market is a grand event our vige holds once per year. Do you know why our vige is named Market instead of the standard Vige? Thats because of the Yin Market. It is said that Auspicious Phoenix Market is located at the intersection point between the yin world and the yang world, and every fifteenth of May[3], the two worlds will merge, and our vige will ovep with Fengdu.

    Fengdu? Are you referring to the Yin Market of Fengdu? Qi Xuanyun eximed with surprise.

    Youve heard of it, Reverend? Mank Ee looked at him.

    Qi Xuanyun answered, Fengdu is the city of ghosts located on top of Luo Mountain. ording to volume fifteen of the Derations of the Perfected[4], chapter one of Revealing the Profoundly Faint, Fengdu and Luo Mountain is located to the north of the Nether. It is thend of ghosts and the roots of ckness and death.

    Luo Mountain is thirteen hundred kilometers tall and fifteen thousand kilometers long in circumference. There are six caverns within Luo Mountainthirteen hundred kilometers tall and five thousand kilometers long in circumferenceand they are known as the Six Abodes of Ghost Gods[5] ruled by the Six Ghost Gods.

    The first cavern is called the Tyrant Extinction Abode of Absolute Yin, the second cavern is called the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness, the third cavern is called the Bright Star Abode of Resistance, the fourth cavern is called the Illuminating Abode of Sin, the fifth cavern is called the Sect Spirit Abode of Seven Wrongs, and thest cavern is called the Daring Charge Abode of The Cojoined[6]. Everyone who dies will enter the six abodes.

    Finally, the ruler of the Fengdu is the Great Emperor of Fengdu.

    Youre incredibly knowledgeable, Reverend, Mank Ee praised. He had no idea what the young Taoist was prattling about, but you couldnt go wrong withpliments.

    Ye Qing, Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and the coffin hauliers had heard of Fengdu as a matter of course. Humans had their own world, and so did ghosts. The living governed the yang world, and the Fengdu governed the yin world. Fengdu was where a person went after they died; the afterlife. It was the equivalent of the Hell or the Netherworld Ye Qing knew in his previous life.

    ording to the Pacification Bureaus records, Fengdu had most likely began as the abode or the realm of a godlike champion. It was created for the express purpose of receiving ghosts. The people were superstitious, ignorant, and afraid of death, so they began worshiping Fengdu and all that it entailed. Over time, it became a true Hell or Netherworld and developed its own unique system and operations.

    In simpler terms, Fengdu was an imperial court or organization that specifically took care of ghosts. One could even view them as a sect of sorts.

    But thats impossible! Qi Xuanyun denied his own words. Several centuries ago, when the great You Dynasty was overturned, and everyone was fighting for dominance, Fengdu too opened its unholy gates and attempted to invade the yang world. As a result, Chu, Yan, Wei and Qi united everyone in the world tounch a counter invasion. It ended with the death of the Great Emperor of Fengdu and the Six Ghost Gods. Even if Fengdu itself isntpletely destroyed, it has ceased to exist as a faction for a very, very long time. Did another godlike champion somehow rebuild Fengdu without anyone knowing?

    The group exchanged nces with each other before shrugging. This level of knowledge was way above their pay grade.

    Mank Ee shot Qi Xuanyun a displeased look. What nonsense are you spouting, Reverend? The Fengdu is eternal!

    In response, Ye Qing pped him on the back of his head and said, Tell us more about the Yin Market of Fengdu.

    Yes, yes, Mank Ee replied in a hurry. To put it simply, the Yin Market of Fengdu is a market in the underworld. Every fifteenth of May, the two worlds will merge, and we, the living, will gain ess to the Yin Market for one night and trade with its denizens. As you know, the yin world holds a lot of items that are quite priceless in the yang world. Even if youre not there to trade, who doesnt want to experience apletely different world?

    However, the Yin Market is only essible for a single night, and only once per year. That is why travelers from all across the world would enter our vige during this time of the year.

    In fact, we used to be called Auspicious Phoenix Vige. The people were poor, and the farm yields were just enough to survive. But after the Yin Market appeared, our situation kept getting better and better. Over time, we decided to change our viges name to Auspicious Vige Market.

    One question. The yin world isnt meant for the living. Wont the ghosts of Fengdu tear you to pieces for technically invading their realm? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Of course not! Violence is prohibited in the Yin Market, Mank Ee exined. There are countless yin guards patrolling the market to enforce peace and order. Anyone who tries anything would be captured and thrown into prison immediately.

    1. I think its because the words  could also be interpreted as blowjob in Chinese.

    2. The original isnt this, I took a bit of liberty so that the next line would make sense.

    3. Technically this is Chinese calendar May 15th and not Western calendar May 15th, but from this worlds perspective it makes no sense to convert it to the right date.

    4. An actual series. I shouldnt need to tell you howplicated it is.

    5. Dont ask me why the cavern is as tall as the mountain. Maybe its a volcano with no ceiling.

    6. I have no fucking clue if I tranted this correctly. Even the Chinese literature dont really exin what the fuck each abode does. They once existed, but it was so long ago no one even remembers them except their names.

 Chapter 344: Blue Duckweed Flower

    Chapter 344: Blue Duckweed Flower

    What are those burial clothes for? Is it something you need to enter the Yin Market? Peng Hu pointed a thumb at a stall selling all kinds of burial clothes.

    Duh? Who in their right mind would buy burial clothes and paper offerings looking like they scored first ce in the imperial exams otherwise? Mank Ee stared at Peng Hu dubiously. <em>He doesnt have a screw loose in his head, does he?</em>

    A vein popped on Peng Hus forehead. <em>I would p the shit out of you if you werent so young!</em>

    Ye Qing wasnt an older man, so he had no qualms pping Mank Ee on the back of his head. <em>Huh! It feels surprisingly good. No wonder Gu Suitang and Yi Pin couldnt stop pping their disciples.</em> Ahem what does the burial clothes and paper offering do?

    Mank Ee rubbed his sore spot and answered, The Yin Market is located in Fengdu; the yin world. Naturally, a living person cannot enter it directly. Trying to force ones way in is like mixing water and fire. The weaker element would be overwhelmed, or in this case, ejected from the Yin Market.

    Burial clothes are the clothes of the dead. You only wear it only after you die. Therefore, wearing a set of burial clothes could effectively iste a living persons yang qi and allow safe entry into the Yin Market.

    As for the paper offerings, theyre functionally useless. The only reason people are buying them is to make themselves look better. For example, if you carry two paper dolls with you when you enter the Yin Market, they would transform into the Golden Boy and Jade Maiden and act as your servants. If you carry a paper horse carriage with you, then itll turn into a real horse carriage that you can ride in the Yin Market.

    Thats all though. The items are purely cosmetic, and they wont help you in any way. Mank Ee snorted. But of course, we still sell them because there are always stupid people who cant resist showing off and looking good.

    In fact, I noticed that the poorer someone is, the more they care about their appearances. They might be so poor they couldnt even afford a pair of pants in the yang world, but in the yin market, theyll make themselves look better than even the actual officials who live in Fengdu. Silk clothes, tall hats, a whole parade of ves and so on. Seriously, who are they showing off to?

    You look like youre speaking from experience. Ye Qing raised an eyebrow.

    I am! Mank Ee dered proudly, To tell you the truth, I entered the Yin Market three times! I know it better than I know my own house!

    Very good. I expect you to join us in the Yin Market tomorrow! Ye Qing pped Mank Ee on the shoulder.

    What? Why? No way! Mank Ee immediately rejected the suggestion. It costs a lot of lifespan every time you enter the Yin Market. Theres no way Im entering that ce!

    He was a living person after all. The yin world was full of yin qi, and being in this environment even for a short time was very bad for the body and shortened ones lifespan.

    From the moment you fell into our hands, youve lost the right to refuse our requests! Chu Nianjiu sneered.

    Hmph! So what? Mank Ee puffed up his chest and actually moved closer to Chu Nianjiu. If I enter the Yin Market, Ill lose my lifespan. If I dont, the worst Ill get is a beating. Even an idiot can tell which option is better!

    Feel like beating me up? Then get on with it already!

    Mank Ee dared to challenge Chu Nianjiu because he knew that the guy wouldnt dare to kill him. After all, all he did was to try to steal from him. Besides that, he knew from experience that <em>jianghu </em>warriors loathed getting involved with the government in any way. Therefore, they wouldnt turn him in for his crime either.

    His experience told him that the worst he was going to receive was a beating. In fact, a thief who didnt get beat up at least two or three times per day didnt deserve to call themselves a thief. That was why he wasnt afraid.

    Things didnt go the way Mank Ee anticipated, however. As soon as he finished his sentence, Ye Qing raised his hand and pped him on the back of his head.

    <em>p! p! p!</em>

    Before Ye Qing could hit him a fourth time, Mank Ee clutched the back of his head and ducked. While staring at the young man in disbelief, he asked, You actually hit me?

    Arent you the one who asked for it? Ye Qing said innocently, Honestly, Ive never heard such an insane request in my life. I just cant help but do as you say.

    Come, brothers. Lets beat the shit out of him. No need to go too far, of course. A pair of broken arms and legs should be good enough. And oh, and remind me to hand him over to the administrative division after were done. Nianjiu, youre an official yourself. Please inform the magistrate to lock him up for eight to ten years. Its just harmless theft after all. Its no big crime.

    Mank Ees eyes widened like saucers when he heard this. <em>No need to go too far, just break his arms and legs? Its just harmless theft, eight to ten years in prison should suffice? Are you even human?</em>

    The most important part was Ye Qing calling Chu Nianjiu an official, however. There was no way to know if Ye Qing was lying to him, but if he wasnt, then Chu Nianjiu absolutely possessed the power to punish him as he pleased!

    Sure! Chu Nianjiu grinned and cracked his knuckles. That was the final straw that broke Mank Ees backbone and dropped him to his knees.

    What was I saying just now? Sorry, my heads a little dizzy because I drank some yellow wine. Please dont take what I said earlier seriously. Mank Ee shook his head a few times. What were you saying earlier? Oh right, you want to enter the Yin Market. No problem, good men! Im very familiar with that ce. Im more than willing to guide you if you would ept my service!

    You shouldnt drink on the job, brother! Youre likelier to make mistakes that you cant take back! Ye Qing smiled. Dont worry, we wont make you work for free. Well pay you five silvers after your duty is done.

    Five silvers?! Mank Ees eyes lit up for the first time. How generous! At your service, my lords! <em>You shouldve said it sooner and saved me some brain cells!</em>

    By the way, it looks like you just arrived at our humble vige. You havent found a ce to stay, have you? Mank Ee asked.

    Nope. Ye Qing shook his head. If you find us a ce to say, then this silver is yours.

    Ye Qing tossed a silver ingot into Mank Ees hands. The thief hurriedly caught it and broke into a wide grin. Dont worry, my lords! Just leave this to me! Its true that every inn in our vige is probably full right now, but I have my ways! I take you to a ce where you can eat well and sleep well right away! This way, please!

    Mank Ee sauntered forward and took the lead. Behind him, Ye Qing and Chu Nianjiu exchanged knowing smiles with each other.

    Mank Ee was a local criminal. If they kept beating him with the stick, then it was only a matter of time before he grew resentful and tried to screw them over. On the other hand, a suitable amount of beating plus a carrot would make him as obedient as a donkey. That was why they had put on that little show earlier.

    As expected, Mank Ee didnt disappoint them. He quickly led them to a farmers house.

    This is my sister-inws house, my lords. I guarantee that youll befortable here. Just speak to my sister-inw if you need anything. Ill be leaving to prepare the things you need to enter the Yin Market.

    Mank Ee instructed his sister-inw to prepare them a warm meal as soon as they entered the house. He himself went away to buy them the items they needed to enter the Yin Market.

    Ye Qing wasnt worried that Mank Ee would run. For one, he was a thief, not a warrior. He most likely didnt have the balls to pull a great escape. Second, he was greedy as hell. There was no way he would run until he had gotten the five silvers he was promised.

    Mank Ee didnt go to the market after leaving his sister-inws house. Instead, he strode through a number of winding alleys until he finally arrived at a shabby-looking grocery store.

    Old Hu, you there? Mank Ee rapped the counter table with his knuckles while yelling.

    Mank Ee? What brings you here today? Azy voice came from behind the counter. It was an old man with a head of white hair and a hunched back. He had to be in his fifties at least.

    Mank Ee smiled and answered directly, We got business to do!

    Oh? How fats the prey? Old Hu asked.

    Very. They offered me five silvers like its nothing. What do you think? Mank Ee chuckled.

    Oh! That is quite fat. Old Hu grinned. Where are they staying?

    My sister-inws house.

    Old Hu cocked his head to one side. Thats a daring move. Arent you afraid that your sister-inw might get caught up in this?

    Mank Ee replied in a cool voice, It wont happen. My sister-inw is just an ordinary person. They would never suspect her.

    I need to warn you though. As far as I can tell, everyone in the group is a warrior. You better give it your all!

    Old Hu cracked a yellow-toothed grin at him. Have I ever failed?

    Thats true. Mank Eeughed. I look forward to the good news.

    Before Mank Ee left, he added, By the way, were splitting the spoils fifty-fifty as usual. You better not hide anything!

    Hehe. Do I look like that type of person? Old Hu chuckled.

    You absolutely do. Mank Ee sneered.You think I dont know that you kept a silver ingot to yourself thest time we worked together?

    nder! You were right there with me. How could I have hidden a silver from under your nose? Old Hu protested his innocence. nder me again, and Im not taking this job!

    Fine, fine, I was wrong. Mank Ee sighed. You know, cant youe up with a new tactic to threaten me? Its always the same threat!

    Why fix something that isnt broken? Old Hu chuckled.

    Screw it. I dont have time to argue with you. Mank Ee waved him goodbye and said, Ill give you the stuff at night.

    Sure. I can use the cat nap myself. Old Hu waved Mank Ee off before sitting down on his rocking chair and humming a small tune. He fell asleep soon after.

    It was night. The moon was bright, and the stars were scarce. Auspicious Phoenix Market slowly regained its tranquility after a whole day of hustle and bustle. Ye Qings group had also returned to their rooms after exploring Auspicious Phoenix Market for a bit.

    The first thing Ye Qing did after returning to his room was to take out Nanke. Before he could say anything, White Lord and ck Lord turned their heads toward Ye Qing andined like a resentful housewife, Finally remember your cute little snakes, master?

    Its only been a day! Ye Qing rolled his eyes. <em>These snakes shouldve been born as actors!</em>

    Anyway, whats your request this time? Ye Qing asked directly. Should I sing another song for you?

    No!

    Dont!

    Both snakes blurted at the same time. Most peoples singing deserved at least a coin or two. But Ye Qings singing was the opposite. It robbed his audience of their lifespan!

    What? Do you hate my singing that much? Ye Qing cocked his head smilingly.

    O-Of course not! White Lord racked its brain for a suitable answer. Your singing is too good for this mortal coil, so good that we couldnt forget about it even if we tried. Last nights singing alone is enough tost us for thirty to fifty years, so really, theres no need.

    Yeah, yeah! Also, its almost midnight. You dont want to disturb your neighbors, do you? And what about the nts and livestock? They need their beauty sleep too! ck Lord hurriedly echoed in agreement, its tone was as sincere as it could be.

    In that case fine! Ye Qing shrugged. He was just joking. The first time was just a freebie. He knew that ck Lord and White Lord wouldnt make an easy request this time. So? Whats your request?

    White Lord flicked its tongue and answered, We want a Blue Duckweed Flower.

 Chapter 345: Five Imps of Wealth

    <h4>Chapter 345: Five Imps of Wealth </h4>

    ¡°Duckweed Flower? What¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s brows knitted into a frown. He had never heard of such a nt.

    ¡°Hiss...¡± White Lord flicked its tongue and answered, ¡°A Blue Duckweed Flower is a rootless, stemless nt that floats wherever the river takes it. Its blossom has seven petals, and each petal reflects one color of the rainbow. That is why it¡¯s also nicknamed the Rainbow Duckweed.¡±

    ¡°Where can I find it?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    White Lord replied slowly, ¡°That, is up to you...¡±

    ¡°... My lord.¡± ck Lord finished its sentence.

    ¡°We wish you good luck in your search.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    That was all they said before they shrank back to the bronze door and turned into inanimate objects once more.

    ¡°I still have more questions to ask...¡±

    Ye Qing was miffed, but he had no choice but to put Nanke away.

    ¡°Time to consult the Annon Sutra!¡±

    If he was anyone else, then this might have been a troublesome matter. But for him, it was simply a matter of how many mouthfuls of blood. He had literally gotten used to it at this point.

    Ye Qing asked after pulling out the Annon Sutra. ¡°Where can I find a Duckweed Flower?¡±

    A few mouthfuls of bloodter, the Annon Sutra slowly gave its answer:

    <i>¡°The Yin Market¡±</i>

    Ye Qing was surprised to see this. He had just decided to enter the Yin Market today, and the two snakes asked for an item he could obtain at the Yin Market?

    Was it a coincidence? If not, how did White Lord and ck Lord find out that he was going to enter the Yin Market?

    Ye Qing was a bit worried, but the solution was right in front of him. He asked the Annon Sutra again, ¡°Tell me about Nanke. What functions does it possess?¡±

    He spat a mouthful of blood on the vellum as usual, but this time, he noticed that his blood wasn¡¯t absorbed. Instead, it slid off its smooth surface and dripped on the floor.

    ¡°The Annon Sutra isn¡¯t willing to answer the question?¡± Ye Qing muttered while narrowing his eyes. He knew from experience that the Annon Sutra would not absorb his blood if it wasn¡¯t willing to answer a certain question. It showed how extraordinary and mysterious Nanke was.

    ¡°Oh well. I already made up my mind to use Nanke. Might as well see it through until the end.¡±

    Ye Qing was able to ept his predicament fairly quickly. He carried plenty of dangerous and unusual items on him already. What was one more?

    Besides, he already knew from Lin Yuhuai that Nanke was as mysterious as it was inauspicious. The Annon Sutra¡¯s reaction¡ªor ratherck thereof¡ªwas just additional evidence.

    Chu Nianjiu was right in this case. As long as he kept growing stronger at a fast pace, then no misfortune could catch up to him. Not even Nanke.

    Next, Ye Qing checked out the four golden dragon-serpent runes on the Annon Sutra. He felt much better the second heid his eyes on them.

    When Ye Qing brushed a finger across one of the runes, he immediately felt a pure stream of spiritual power flooding into his headspace. His demonic lotus bobbed up and down like it was floating on ake or a sea. At the same time, the second petal began unfurling at a slow pace.

    Not long after he obtained his first ever golden rune, he found out that it could restore his spiritual power. The gray rune filled him with vigor, the silver rune strengthened his true qi, and the golden rune improved his spiritual power.

    Each rune targeted the three fundamental elements that constituted a human¡ªqi, essence and spirit. To be weak in any one of these elements was to be an iplete human. The body was the root of one¡¯s essence, the qi was the source of one¡¯s strength, and the spirit was the pathway to one¡¯s destiny. Only by cultivating all of them could one truly transcend mortality.

    In more practical terms, the three runes guaranteed that he would be able to enter the Spirit Master Realm without any difficulties whatsoever.

    The first ever golden rune he obtained was when he killed tens of thousands of Vengeful Souls at Sky Gate Abyss. Knowing how precious a golden rune was, he didn¡¯t use it for cultivation. Instead, he kept it as a trump card he might use to save his life at a critical moment. The other three came from killing the Soulstealer-ss Strangers in the Demon¡¯s Tomb.

    From what he could tell, there were only two ways to gain a golden dragon-serpent rune: One, umte enough silver runes for them to merge into a golden run. That required killing a ton of ordinary Strangers. Two, he needed to kill Strangers who were Soulstealer-ss or above.

    Moreover, not every Soulstealer-ss Stranger could yield a golden rune. That was a privilege belonging to the extraordinarily strong and special only.

    That was why he was reluctant to use them¡ªuntil now. They were going to enter the Yin Market tomorrow, and it was impossible to say what kind of danger they might encounter there. He needed to increase his strength now so he could deal with the unknown dangers better.

    A golden dragon-serpent rune was precious, but it was also useless if he didn¡¯t convert it into his own strength.

    Ye Qing closed his eyes tightly and assumed a more serious meditative position; his palms, soles and his skull all facing toward the sky. Then, he channeled the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± and began absorbing and refining the spiritual power in his headspace.

    ......

    ¡°I¡¯m here, Old Hu.¡±

    The moon was tall, round and bright in the sky tonight. Mank Ee was cloaked in its radiance and starlight as he stepped into Old Hu¡¯s grocery store.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Old Hu seemed to be a night owl. He lookedzy and sleepy in the morning, but now, he looked more spirited than ever. His eyes were glowing a faint green as well.

    Old Hu led Mank Ee into a small secret room underneath the back hall. At the center of the room was an altar table, and five bowls of rice were ced on the table besides the usual candles and offerings.

    Hanging on the wall above the table was a painting with five imps. Their stature was thin and short, but their head was unnaturally big. They were carrying a massive ingot of silver each and grinning widely.

    Old Hu looked at Mank Ee. ¡°Have you brought the stuff?¡±

    ¡°Yep. It¡¯s right here.¡± Mank Ee handed a folded handkerchief to Old Hu while staring at the strange painting with obvious greed in his eyes.

    There was a single strand of hair in the handkerchief. When Old Hu saw this, he asked with a frown, ¡°Is this all?¡±

    Mank Eeined, ¡°Come now, that guy is a warrior and extremely cautious. It took me a lot of effort just to obtain this one strand of hair.¡±

    ¡°It would be better if you could obtain his flesh, blood, fingernails or birth date.¡± Old Hu sighed. ¡°But a strand of hair works too, I guess.¡±

    Old Hu walked up to the altar table and ced the hair on the third bowl. After cing the bowls in the east, south, west, north and center position, he walked around like he was drawing the Northern Dipper with his feet while chanting,

    ¡°The sky is big, the earth is vast. Where might the Five Imps be?

    I ask Taigong to bring me the Imps of five directions.

    The imps of wealth from the east,

    The imps of wealth from the west,

    The imps of wealth from the south,

    The imps of wealth from the north,

    And the imps of wealth from the center.¡±

    ¡°Imps are imps, magic overwhelming and power epassing the five directions.

    Masters of wealth and fortune, bring me wealth from the east, west, south, north and center.

    Bring me riches every day, every month, every year.

    Bring me riches from five directions and five ways.

    Let theme, but never away.¡±

    ¡°Imp of wealth from the east, fulfill thymand or face thy retribution!¡±

    Old Hu abruptly opened his eyes, bowed deeply to the bowl toward the east, and stomped his feet.

    ¡°Imp of wealth from the west, fulfill thymand or face thy retribution!¡±

    ¡°Imp of wealth from the north, fulfill thymand or face thy retribution!¡±

    ¡°Imp of wealth from the south, fulfill thymand or face thy retribution!¡±

    The altar table shook all of a sudden, and the rice in all five bowls jumped into the air and buried the hair.

    ¡°Did it work?¡± Mank Ee asked nervously. This wasn¡¯t the first time he witnessed this, but he was still a little nervous.

    Old Hu let out a sigh of relief and grinned. ¡°Phew... it worked. The Five Imps of Wealth have agreed to our request.¡±

    <i>Foo... foo...</i>

    A yin wind blew out of nowhere inside the secret room, causing Old Hu and Mank Ee¡¯s hair to stand on end. They could also hear some strange giggles amidst the wind.Thankfully, it was gone just a secondter, and everything seemed to return to normal.

    The five imps in the painting were nowhere to be seen, however.

    ¡°Your ¡®Five Imps of Wealth Summoning¡¯ never fails to impress me, Old Hu.¡± Mank Ee clicked his tongue with envy.

    Old Hu exined, ¡°This is one of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends¡¯ techniques. It could steal a person¡¯s wealth without opening doors, rming people, or breaking cases. Of course it¡¯s powerful.¡±

    Old Hu was going to say more, but he suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

    ¡°Ahhhhh! Pwack!¡±

    Mank Ee asked nervously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Old Hu?¡±

    ¡°My imps! My imps!¡±

    Old Hu wasn¡¯t looking at Mank Ee, however. He was looking at the painting on the wall. The massive silver ingots in the painting began disappearing bit by bit like they were being erased by someone, and so did Old Hu¡¯s qi, essence and spirit. His skin began sagging and aging, his ck hair began turning white, and hisplexion turned deathly white.

    ¡°My painting! My precious painting! Who¡¯s the bastard who did this?!¡± Old Hu red at the perfectly nk canvas with unbridled fury and swore at the top of his lungs.

    He had obtained the painting of a Five Imps of Wealth by ident. It had taken him countless days and nights of praying and offering to finally awaken a sliver of sentience. That was how he was able tomand them tomit thievery.

    He never imagined that he would lose it all until now.

    ¡°I have other business to attend to, Old Hu! I¡¯ll see you another day!¡± Mank Ee realized he was in deep shit and immediately ran toward the exit.

    ¡°Give me back my painting, you bastard!¡±

    Old Hu screeched like a banshee and gave chase. However, he had only taken a few steps when the painting abruptly floated into the air and grew bigger and bigger. Then, it fell right on top of Old Hu¡¯s head.

    A momentter, the painting flew back to the wall and returned to its original size.

    Strangely, Old Hu was nowhere to be seen. Even stranger was the fact that a person had appeared inside the painting.

    The person was none other than Old Hu.

    ¡°Old Hu? Old Hu? Are you alright?¡±

    A momentter, someone called for the old man from outside the secret room. Inside the painting, Old Hu began turning bit by bit until his back was facing outward. It was as if he didn¡¯t want anyone to see his face.

    ¡°Are you alright, Old Hu?¡±

    When the person received no reply, he peeked his head through the entrance and looked around. He was none other than Mank Ee.

    ¡°Huh? Where is he?¡± Mank Ee scratched his head when he eralized that Old Hu was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Strange.¡±

    ¡°Oh well. It wasn¡¯t my fault.¡±

    Right before Mank Ee would leave the ce, he suddenly saw the painting on the wall.

    ¡°There¡¯s a new person inside the painting! Are the Five Imps fine after all?! They just took their time toe back?¡±

    Mank Ee grew incredibly excited. There was also a sh of greed in his eyes. He stepped forward and plucked the painting from the wall.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made plenty of money in the past few decades, Old Hu. Excess greed is bad, so I¡¯m doing you a favor here, hehe...¡±

 Chapter 346: Yin Token

    <h4>Chapter 346: Yin Token </h4>

    ¡°You¡¯re quite early today, Joyless.¡±

    As soon as the first light broke, Ye Qing got out of his bed and began practicing his fist arts. He had gone through his stances and techniques three times when Chu Nianjiuzily stepped out of the door.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Ye Qing withdrew his fists and replied.

    ¡°Oh right, I thought I heard somethingst night. Is everything fine?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just a bunch of useless imps,¡± Ye Qing replied uncaringly.

    Last night, he was in the middle of training when suddenly, five imps passed through the wall and appeared inside his room. He had taken them out in a single strike.

    ¡°Imps? Why would theye here? This ce is full of yang qi and the energy of the living.¡± Chu Nianjiu was confused.

    ¡°How would I know?¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Oh right, where is Brother Peng? Has he not returned yet?¡±

    ¡°No¡ªwait, here hees.¡± Chu Nianjiu was just about to shake his head when Peng Hu stepped through the gates.

    ¡°Did you find anything, Brother Peng?¡±

    ¡°No. I haven¡¯t seen anyone the whole night.¡± Peng Hu shook his head a little tiredly.

    Last night, after they had settled in, he and Peng Lin had agreed to watch the cliff for the person who cursed their n elder twenty-four-seven. Peng Lin would keep watch during the day, and he during the night.

    ¡°Are you sure you and Peng Lin don¡¯t want to enter the Yin Market?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Peng Hu shook his head. ¡°Yes. Both of us are needed to take care of Peng Chuan and watch over the cliff. Perhaps next time.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    Peng Hu added, ¡°The Yin Market is a dangerous ce. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Brother Peng. We will.¡± Chu Nianjiu and Ye Qing saluted him. ¡°You must be quite tired after staying up the whole night. Please, go catch some rest.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± Peng Hu returned the salute and went back to his room.

    ¡°Do you think that the caster will show up, Joyless?¡± Chu Nianjiu whispered to Ye Qing after Peng Hu had gone into his room.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say,¡± Ye Qing shook his head and said in a serious tone, ¡°but I hope not.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Chu Nianjiu nodded.

    The reason was simple. It was because they most likely wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat whoever the caster was.

    ¡°Say, why is Mank Ee still not back yet? He said he would familiarize us with the process today, didn¡¯t he?¡± Chu Nianjiu changed the subject.

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We still have plenty of time.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    Entering the Yin Market wasn¡¯t as simple as putting on a set of burial clothes and going to the right at night. There was a series of things they had to prepare.

    Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun appeared not long after that. It was after they had eaten breakfast that Mank Ee finally showed up.

    The thief didn¡¯t look good, however. He had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked distracted.

    ¡°You look poorly rested. Were you out doing something badst night?¡± Ye Qing joked.

    ¡°N-No! I didn¡¯t do anything! I was inside my room the whole night!¡± Mank Ee subconsciously blurted when he heard this.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting this. He was just making fun of the thief, but his reaction turned out to be bigger than expected.

    Mank Ee himself realized that he had overreacted. His first impulse upon hearing the joke was that Ye Qing had found out about his ploy, but if that was true, then Ye Qing would¡¯ve kicked his ass already.

    ¡°S-Sorry. I don''t know why, but I had nightmares the whole night. That¡¯s why I¡¯m a little sleepy right now.¡± Mank Ee hurriedly changed the subject.

    This time, he was telling the truth. He was out like a light as soon as he returned home from Old Hu¡¯s grocery store, but in his dreams, he felt like someone was watching him from beside his bed. It felt so real, so terrifying that he awoke with a start, but there was no one around him. When he fell asleep again, the sensation would return as if it never left.

    One time, when he was half-awake and delirious, he even saw a face staring at him from up close. They were so close that their noses were practically touching each other. When he realized what he was looking at, he was so frightened that he nearly fell off his bed. There was no one around him, however. No one except himself. This strange phenomenon would continue until morning broke.

    ¡°Nightmare? Why don¡¯t you tell us about it? We can use the entertainment.¡± Chu Nianjiu chuckled.

    Mank Ee waved it off. ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s nothing. Are you ready, my lords? If you are, then I¡¯ll familiarize you with the process of entering the Yin Market immediately.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then,¡± Ye Qing said while shooting Mank Ee a nce. Something didn¡¯t feel right with the thief, but he saw no reason to pry.

    And so Mank Ee led the group of four out of the house and toward a temple. The temple was named the Judge Temple.

    But unlike a normal temple, this one was built underground. It was a yin temple.

    ording to the ancients, a man was on top, and a woman at the bottom. Yang was on top, and yin was at the bottom. A temple that was built on the surface was meant for the living, whereas a temple built underground was meant for the dead. That was why a surface temple was called a yang temple, and an underground temple was called a yin temple.

    Normally, the living only prayed inside a yang temple, and the dead only prayed inside a yin temple. They weren¡¯t meant to be mixed. A living person who prayed inside a yin temple could easily attract filth and dangers, whereas a ghost who prayed inside a yang temple was courting death. A particrly strong st of yang qi could easily annihte their soul.

    Barring exceptional circumstances, the imperial court generally forbade the construction of yin temples. But not only was there one in Auspicious Phoenix Market, it was pretty big too. More importantly, Mank Ee was leading into the yin temple.

    As they walked down the stairs and into the main hall, they saw a martial judge and a civil judge on the altar. But unlike the ones people normally worshiped in the yang temple, these ones looked darker and gloomier.

    <i>They¡¯re not your normal statues!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s pupils contracted into pins. He could sense a thick amount of yin qi circting around the statues. It was almost as if they were possessed by ghosts. That said, the yin qi did not feel malicious, so it didn¡¯t feel like the aura of a malicious Stranger.

    Mank Ee led them to the statue and turned toward them. ¡°I¡¯ll now tell you the steps we need to go through. First, you need to kowtow three times in front of the Yin Gods. We call it ¡®inviting the Yin Gods¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Your head must touch the ground, and your heart must be pure when you kowtow to the Yin Gods. Not only that, the louder your kowtows, the better they would regard you.¡±

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Ye Qingmented with a smile.

    Mank Ee performed a demonstration for them, and he wasn¡¯t kidding when he said the kowtows needed to be loud. If the floor was made of wood, he would¡¯ve shattered it with how hard he was mming his head against the floor.

    As soon as Mank Ee kowtowed three times, Ye Qing clearly sensed a pair of cold, dark presences possessing the two statues and examining the people inside the temple.

    Next, Mank Ee rose to his feet and walked up to a three-legged brazier. ¡°The second step is to write your birth date and name on a wooden tablet and throw it inside this bronze brazier. It¡¯s called the Yin Entry Register.¡±

    Emerald green mes abruptly appeared out of nowhere and enveloped the wooden tablet as soon as Mank Ee tossed it into the brazier. Not only that, the me felt colder than an icyke in winter. The wooden tablet was quickly burned into ash.

    After the me was gone, Mank Ee stuck his hand into the pile of ash. To their surprise, he fished out a mysterious, exquisite, seemingly brand new token that didn¡¯t look like it was made of metal or wood.

    Mank Ee showed them the token and said, ¡°This is the Yin Token. It proves that the Yin Gods have registered our names and given us permission to enter the Yin Market, and only those with the Yin Token are allowed to roam the Yin Market freely.¡±

    ¡°You <i>must </i>keep your Yin Token safe while you¡¯re still inside the Yin Market. Otherwise, the yin guards will steal your soul and imprison you in the Eighteen Hells on the spot.¡±

    ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Ye Qing took Man Ee¡¯s Yin Token and examined it closely. It was cold to touch and forged from some sort of unknown material. One side of the token was engraved with Mank Ee¡¯s name, and the other with the word ¡°Feng¡±.

    He clearly remembered that the wooden token Mank Ee gave them was made of ordinary willow. How strange!

    ¡°This material seems impressive. I bet it¡¯llst for a long time. Surely you¡¯ve kept some spares since this isn¡¯t the first time you enter the Yin Market?¡± Ye Qing asked, hoping to exploit a loophole.

    Mank Ee shook his head. ¡°You are joking, my lord. The Yin Token will onlyst until the end of the Yin Market. It would automatically crumble into ash once the Yin Market is closed.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing smiled and returned the token to Mank Ee. Then, he looked at hispanions and asked, ¡°So, who¡¯s going first?¡±

    ¡°This looks interesting. I¡¯ll go first,¡± Chu Nianjiu dered with bright eyes before walking up to the statues. Then, he kowtowed three times loudly like Mank Ee.

    But as soon as he finished, the two statues shuddered and made three banging noises. It almost sounded like they were returning the kowtows.

    ¡°Heh...¡± Ye Qing smirked. Thanks to his demonic thought, he ¡°saw¡± something bright yellow flowing out of Chu Nianjiu¡¯s body and taking the form of a dragon. The dragon then let out a mighty roar.

    Two silhouettes also appeared out of the two statues. The reason they returned Chu Nianjiu¡¯s salute was because they were afraid.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the bright yellow energy that came out of Chu Nianjiu¡¯s body was the Will Of The Dragon. The Pacification Sentinels were the Son of Heaven¡¯s personal bodyguards, and Chu Nianjiu was a Peacemaker in the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau. As an official of Chu, of course he was protected by the Will of the Empire and the Will of the Dragon.

    The two silhouettes who attached themselves to the civil and martial judge were most likely yin guards of Fengdu. Since Chu Nianjiu was an official of the yang world, of course they couldn¡¯t receive his kowtows without returning it.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Chu Nianjiu looked confused.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just keep doing what you¡¯re doing.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu rose to his feet and threw the wood tablet into the bronze brazier. A whileter, the wood tablet burned into ash, and Chu Nianjiu fished out a Yin Token from within.

    Lin Yuhuai stepped forward after Chu Nianjiu got his Yin Token. But unlike Chu Nianjiu, his head didn¡¯t touch the ground. Still, the martial and civil judge returned the salute.

    ¡°My lord, your head needs to hit the ground for it to work!¡± Mank Ee said in a hurry.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai must have figured out something because he didn¡¯t hesitate to toss his wooden tablet into the bronze brazier. A short whileter, he walked away with his own Yin Token.

    ¡°Huh...?¡± Mank Ee¡¯s mouth was wide open. Since when were the Yin Gods so generous? Thest time someone tried something like this, they failed to get a Yin Token and fell gravely sick. They were this close from dying and joining the Fengdu, so what was so different about this?

    Qi Xuanyun stepped forward next, but he didn¡¯t fall to his knees. Instead, he bowed his head deeply and said, ¡°The heavens¡¯ blessing be with you. This one has been a part of Taoism since young, and I was taught to kneel only to the Taozu. Forgive me for not paying you the respects you deserve.¡±

    Then, he walked up to the bronze brazier and tossed the wooden tablet inside.

    ¡°Young Reverend! You won¡¯t get the Yin Token like this!¡± Mank Ee couldn¡¯t help but cry out. Lin Yuhuai at least saw through the formalities even though his kowtow wasn¡¯t sincere, but this waspletely against the norm!

    Before he could say anything else, he saw Qi Xuanyun pulling out a Yin Token from the bronze brazier. His eyes immediately widened like saucers, and his jaw hit the floor with a loud ng that only he could hear.

    <i>Do you happen to be blind or sick today, my gods?</i>

 Chapter 347: This Is A Setup, I Say!

    Chapter 347: This Is A Setup, I Say!

    <strong>Trantor''s Note for advanced readers: Hong Jianglong''s position has been corrected from Chief of Bureau to Pacification Commissioner. Author thought it was appropriate to mention it on chapter 400 even though he appeared as soon as chapter 258 is something I couldn''t have anticipated or remembered, not to mention that Pacification Commissioner (which is a rank below Chief of Bureau like Luo Shui''s Peacemakers, but obviously Hong Jianglong''s way better) wasn''t even a thing until chapter 400, so. Sorry and fixed!</strong>

    You can do that? Ye Qing eximed in amazement. <em>I thought my Pacification Bureau buddies are already pretty impressive, but this little guy didnt even need to bend his knees! Impressive, impressive! Is it toote for me to start worshiping the Taozu?</em>

    What are you doing, Joyless? Its your turn! Chu Nianjiu urged when he saw Ye Qing nking out for no reason.

    Right. Coming.

    <em>Eh, screw it. Itd be nice if I dont have to bend my knees, but its not like I care about such things. </em>

    And so Ye Qing walked up to the statue and knelt on the floor. He was going to emte Lin Yuhuai and kowtow ceremonially so to speak, but he had just lowered his head when the sound of something breaking entered his ears. He looked up just in time to see the two statues shattering into smithereens[1].

    What the?

    Everyone was shocked, of course. They couldnt stop ncing back and forth between Ye Qing and the ruined statues.

    Why are you looking at me? Its not my fault! Ye Qing rubbed his nose and protested weakly. They could have broken down after years of disrepair, right?

    Tell me you actually believe that. Chu Nianjiu rolled his eyes.

    I do! I believe it even if none of you do! Ye Qing dered seriously. His sense told him that the two yin guards possessing the statues were gone as well.

    What do I do now? Do I still kowtow to the statues even though theyre gone? Ye Qing asked.

    He looked at Chu Nianjiu, but Chu Nianjiu was calmly sipping his wine. He looked at Lin Yuhuai next, but Lin Yuhuai was looking at Qi Xuanyun with a warm look. When he looked at Qi Xuanyun third, the young Taoist flushed red and turned to Mank Ee for help. When he finally looked at Mank Ee, he could only find utter shock and confusion on the thiefs face. He could practically hear his thoughts: <em>Dont look at me! Ive never encountered such a thing in my life! Who the fuck are you people?</em>

    In the end, it was Chu Nianjiu who spoke up. Ahem since the statues are gone, you can probably skip the kowtowing part. Toss the wooden tablet into the brazier and check if itll work. If not, then lets get the hell out of here before someone else shows up.

    Youre right. Ye Qing hurriedly got to his feet and did as he was told. The second the wooden tablet entered the bronze brazier, a pir of ssy fire at least ten meters tall shot into the air and turned the tablet into ash in an instant. Before Ye Qing could make sense of this, an emerald green token flew into his hands.

    <em>Crack crack crack!</em>

    Suddenly, spider webs started appearing across the bronze braziers surface. Then, it shattered into a million pieces like porcin. Strangely, the pieces burned into ash before they could hit the ground.

    There was a moment of stunned silence. Then, Ye Qing gulped audibly and protested, It really wasnt me!

    <em>How the fuck did something thats made of metal shatter like ss and burn like paper anyway?</em>

    What are you waiting for? Lets get out of here! Chu Nianjiu grabbed Qi Xuanyuans wrist and broke into a run.

    Y-Yeah! Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best! Ye Qing grabbed Mankeys shoulder and <em>flew </em>toward the exit as well.

    <em>Whoosh whoosh!</em>

    Just a few breaths after the group of five left, a gust of yin wind blew within the yin temple. An imposing voice resounded throughout the cavern, Who is the bastard who destroyed my statues and even Fengdus Life Death Brazier? Who?!

    We do not know, An eerie voice answered.

    Useless. The imposing voice uttered, Who are the ones who summoned the Yin Gods and asked for a Yin Token earlier? What is their name and birth date?

    We do not know. Judge Cui is the only one who has that information! The eerie voice answered again.

    Hmph! Truly useless! The imposing voice sounded greatly displeased. I shall visit Judge Cui right away. I must find the killers and strip them of their lifespan to appease my fury!

    <em>Whoosh whoosh!</em>

    The yin wind howled, and the temple returned to normal. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

    What do we do, what do we do?

    After they returned home, Mank Ee couldnt stop walking circles around the courtyard like an old bull turning the millstone. I cant believe we offended the Yin Gods! Were so dead!

    Ye Qing felt dizzy just looking at him. Slow down, you fool! Were the ones whore cursed, not you! I dont know what youre worried about.

    Its not us, its you! Chu Nianjiu corrected him. Youre the one who destroyed the statues <em>and </em>the brazier, not us. Leave us out of it.

    <em>What a good brother you are!</em>

    Hahaha were brothers, arent we? Surely youre not going to leave me to my fate? Ye Qing argued, Plus, you saw what happened. I didnt do shit, and the statues and the brazier suddenly exploded on their own! <em>Im </em>the victim here, okay?!

    He was seriously annoyed. Not only didnt he do anything, he was prepared to pay his respects as per custom. But trouble still found its way to him because fuck him, apparently! <em>This is a setup, I say!</em>

    You can tell that to the yin guards and Yin Gods when they find you. Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine looking like he couldnt wait to enjoy the show when it happened.

    Let theme! Im literally innocent! Ye Qing dered.

    It was at this moment Qi Xuanyun spoke up. It should be fine. Its a mighty coincidence, but it really didnt look like Brother Ye had anything to do with it.

    See?! The truth shall prevail! Ye Qing put an arm on the young Taoists shoulders gratefully.

    So, are you still nning to enter the Yin Market, Joyless? Lin Yuhuai asked.

    Of course I am! I still need to find the Duckweed Flower! Ye Qing replied. He had told them about Nankes request.

    My lord! You cant be serious?! Mank Ee was this close from bursting into tears. <em>There is no way this is going to end well!</em>

    It will be fine, Ye Qing assured him.

    <em>Maybe for you, but not for me! I was there too, you bastard!</em>

    Mank Ee stuttered, B-But

    Enough. If youre so afraid, you dont have toe with us. Just tell us how to enter the Yin Market and what to look out for when were inside. Dont worry, well still pay you your due.

    Really?! Thank you, my lords! Youre all good people! Mank Ee immediately regained his energy when he heard this.

    So, what do we do next?

    Mank Ee answered, Now that you have your Yin Tokens, its time to get your coffins.

    Excuse you? Everyone was surprised to hear this. <em>Were not dead yet, buddy!</em>

    Mank Ee exined, Humans sleep in houses, and ghosts sleep in coffins. That is why you must lie down in a coffin to enter the Yin Market. When the sun has set, lie down in the coffins and close the lid. Stay inside until you hear a cocks crow. Only then can you see the Yin Market.

    Remember that violence is prohibited inside the Yin Market. You may say whatever you want, but you must never use your fist. Also, do not provoke the yin guards or officials. The consequences are severe to say the least.

    You dont need to do anything to leave the Yin Market. When daylightes, youll automatically return to the yang world.

    The sun was just beginning to set, but Auspicious Phoenix Market darkened so fast it was like a giant was pulling a nket across the sky. The yin wind howled in every street and alley, and the bright lights and bustling noises slowly died down like a mirage. Eventually, there was only dead silence, and the entire vige was enveloped in oppressive darkness.

    Cockadoodle!

    Suddenly, a strong, loud cockcrow resounded throughout the vige. Like the drumbeats of the heavens or a sword that cut through the darkness, the darkness in the sky gradually faded to reveal a bright moon in the sky. Something wasnt right, however. The moon was dark green in color instead of white.

    After the darkness had faded, noises and people began appearing in the streets once more. The dead silent vige had returned to life.

    At a certain courtyard, four coffins were lined up in a row. Theybined with the greenish moonlight to paint a dark, eerie picture.

    <em>Creak</em>

    Suddenly, one of the coffins gave off a creaking noise. Then, the coffin lid was pushed away, and a person sat up from the coffin.

    Yawn The person raised both hands and stretched. Its surprisinglyfortable.

    He was none other than Ye Qing.

    Wakey wakey, people! Ye Qing called out to hispanions. A secondter, Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and Qi Xuanyun pushed away their coffin lids and sat up as well.

    I fell asleep just now. What about you guys? Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Everyone nodded. Were the same.

    Thats strange. Chu Nianjiu frowned.

    He had been fully awake when hey down in the coffin. He was nning to observe how the two worlds merge and how the Yin Market manifested itself in Auspicious Phoenix Market.

    The next thing he knew, he had awakened to a cocks crow. He never even knew when he had fallen asleep.

    Are we inside the Yin Market yet, Brother Ye? Qi Xuanyun asked.

    I think so. Ye Qing pointed at their surroundings. Look.

    Their surroundings looked dpidated and lifeless. The walls were tattered, the house behind them looked like it hadnt been maintained for ages, and the big, lush willow tree in the courtyard had witheredpletely. Besides that, the entire residence smelled of death and decay.

    This was Mank Ees sister-inws house. It was clean, lively, and well-maintained. But now, it looked dpidated and rundown. Moreover, Peng Chuan, Peng Lin, Mank Ee and more were nowhere to be found. This could only mean one thing: They had entered the Yin Market.

    Ye Qing guessed, Ghosts do not live in a house that exists in the yang world even if it is reflected in the yin world. Thats probably why it looks like this.

    Anyway, lets go.

    Ye Qing jumped out of the coffin and put on a mask he kept in his shirt. The mask was a paper mask in the yang, but here in the yin world, it was real. The reason they brought a mask was to keep their identity hidden, of course.

    Ye Qing took the lead, and hispanions followed closely behind him. A lot of people were walking out of the residences on both sides of the street. Clearly, they were people who came to visit the Yin Market as well. But unlike them, they looked like the emperor himself attending a parade. Some people wore expensive clothes. Some were riding unbelievably handsome horses that few in the real world could rival, and some were attended to by many ves and beautiful women.

    The contrast was such that they looked like beggars.

    Heavens, Im starting to regret not getting myself some excellent service. Chu Nianjiu clicked his tongue.

    Were here to visit the Yin Market, not entertain the residents of Fengdu like monkeys. Ye Qing snuffed out that desire as easily as he would snuff out a candle.

    They didnt go far before they ran into a traffic jam of sorts. They were closing in on an imposing city, its walls so tall that one literally couldnt see the top even if they bent their necks the whole way. A checkpoint had been set up at the entrance, and two yin guards wearing ck robes were inspecting the visitors Yin Tokens.

    You dare show us a fake token? The audacity!

    The group was waiting for their turn to enter the checkpoint when suddenly, they heard a loud, harsh rebuke.

    1. Annon Sutra pissed off that Ye Qing is considering worshiping another deity when its right there lol. Also, is this suggesting that Annon Sutra is from Fengdu?

 Chapter 348: Qi Eater

    Chapter 348: Qi Eater

    <em>Boom!</em>

    There was a loud boom as two men wearing masks and burial clothes leaped into the air, fleeing from the gates. They were both middle-stage Astral Refiners and pretty strong. But as soon as they leaped into the air, the yin guards threw out a chain each from their sleeve. It moved as quick as lightning and caught the two Astral Refiners with ease.

    This wasnt a scary sight. What was scary was the yin guards pulling out what looked like two semi-transparent silhouettes from the Astral Refiners bodies. It was their souls. Their bodies sailed forward for a bit before dropping to the floor because of momentum, but their souls were still tightly bound by the chains.

    When the two souls saw this, they immediately struggled and begged for mercy with all their might. It was futile though. The yin guards pulled them over and dered, The punishment for forging a Yin Token and attempting to infiltrate Fengdu is a hundred years in the Hell of Mountain of Knives!

    After sweeping their ck, lightless pupils across the crowd, the two yin guards slowly opened their mouths until their cheeks literally split into two. There was no tongue or goozle[1] in their throats, however. Instead, they were treated to the horrifying sights taking ce in various hells such as the Hell of the Cauldrons of Oil, the Hell of the Mountain of Knives, the Hell of Mills and so on. Each and every hell showed countless souls suffering inhuman punishment and screaming on top of their lungs. It was terrifying to look at to say the least.

    The two yin guards threw the still struggling souls into their mouths and slowly closed them. But even after their faces had returned to normal, the crowd could still vaguely hear the two souls screaming in pain and torture. The two yin guards dered coldly, This is Fengdu. Respect ourws, or suffer the consequences!

    Chu Nianjiu chuckled after the show was over. Ah, if its not the age-old tactic our bureau has used countless times to intimidate our enemies!

    So what if its old? Dont fix what isnt broken, Ye Qingmented as he observed the crowd. If the atmosphere was light and rxed just now, now it was tense and silent.

    No one in Ye Qings group took the example to heart. The yin guards might be very powerfulnot to mention that this was their turf where they could unleash their full potentialbut it didnt matter to them, because they were men with a genuine Yin Token.

    Of course, that wasnt to say they hadnt taken anything away from the experience. For starters, their desire to let their impulse run free was way smaller than before. Why suffer in hell when you can live infort?

    As expected, the group passed through the checkpoint smoothly and without trouble. Something happened when it was Ye Qings turn though. When the yin guards saw his Yin Token, a flicker of astonishment appeared in both their eyes. They even saluted him and returned his token to him respectfully.

    Ye Qing was confused by their change in attitude, but he didnt dare to ask them about it.

    What was that about, Joyless? Chu Nianjiu asked Ye Qing after they were inside the city.

    I dont know. Maybe my Yin Token is special? Ye Qing answered while feeling the Yin Token in his pockets. Technically speaking, his Yin Token was a tad different from hispanions. Their tokens were ck in color and somewhat coarse in appearance, while his looked like it was made from ss or jade. At the very least, its looked better than the normal tokens.

    Who are you really, Joyless? You sted a Yin Gods statues and their brazier, and you still got a better token than us? How is that fair? Chu Nianjiu joked.

    Who knows? Maybe Im just handsome. Ye Qing shrugged. He couldnt give an answer because he himself had no idea why he was getting special treatment. If he had to guess, it probably had something to do with the Annon Sutra, but that was a secret he would be taking to his grave.

    Meanwhile, Qi Xuanyun was examining his surroundings curiously and excitedly, So this is the Yin Market. How lively! It doesnt feel too different from a normal market.

    Ye Qing and Chu Nianjiu stopped their conversation and looked. The ce was full of people, shops and stalls lined both sides of the street, all kinds of goods were on disy, and the sheer number of colorfulnterns and banners on disy rivaled that of the Lantern Festival in the yang world, if not more.

    Of course, the atmosphere was a little strange. The items and the people selling them were much stranger than the average human as well. For starters, thenterns hanging on the g poles, eaves and more were pale white in color. The candle me was an eerie green as well.

    The stalls were selling bones, writhing yin souls, bloody organs, dark green eyeballs and more.

    The peopleor more urately, the ghosts selling the items looked far more varied than a human ever was. Some had blue faces and long fangs, some had an animals head despite their humanoid body, some had their guts spilled all over the floor, and some were straight up a ball of nothingness.

    Even the humans roaming the market were wearing jarringly colorful burial clothes that you would never catch them wearing in their own world.

    It was strange, but it definitely fit a humans impression of the yin world.

    At the beginning, everyone was a little tense worried that they might offend one of the ghosts and be eaten like the poor fucks from earlier. However, they soon realized that these horrifying-looking ghosts werent too different from the human merchants in their own world. They boasted their products to stupid levels just like a human merchant would, they haggled over every coin like a human merchant would, and they even lied and pulled all sorts of trickery to scam their customers like a human merchant would. It was all so familiar, and it was that familiarity that allowed them to rx again.

    Whats that?

    How much is this?

    Brother Ye, look! Look!

    Qi Xuanyuns eyes shone brightly as he ran all over the ce admiring the strange products that were on sale like a kid. Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai too felt like their horizons were broadening by the minute.

    A Stranger called Two Halvesit was because his head was two halves of two different heads joined into one[2]was calling for his customers to buy the other halves of his head.

    A saliva ghost was spitting ck water into a wooden basin and drinking from it after it was full. He was literally selling its own saliva.

    A faceless ghost with long hair and an hourss figure was selling clothes and ornaments woven from her own hair.

    A ghost schr with no head was singing from his bare neck and selling his ghastly artworks and poetry.

    A ghost bride wearing a bridal dress and a phoenix cor was selling her own husbands soul.

    There were also bones that were wreathed in ghostfire, a stone that sang in a sweet, feminine voice whenever it felt the wind, a ghost willow branch that could be used to repel stray ghosts, Water of Forgettance that could make one forget their memories on sale.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing hadnt found a Duckweed Flower amidst the stalls. He was a little disappointed.

    Scions, warriors, big brothers, passerby,dies and gentlemen, wanna check out a bottle that can turn breath into gold? Come,e! You dont want to miss this!

    Suddenly, a loud cry drew everyones attention. Ye Qing too got curious and went over to check out the situation. It wasnt long before he saw a thin, long-faced ghost with pointed lips holding a bottle that was literally bigger than him.

    A bottle that turns breath into gold? Youre not kidding, are you? Someone asked.

    The ghost chuckled. Not at all! My bottle is a natural magical item that can turn any breath into gold! All you need to do is to blow into it, and it will spit out a block of gold in return!

    This cant be real, can it? Someone looked dubious.

    Of course its real! Would you like to give it a try, scion? Even if its fake, itll only cost you a single breath anyway. Its a win-win for you no matter how you look at it, dont you think? The ghost urged.

    Why not? Okay. The young man stepped forward and blew into the bottle once. Two breathster, it spat out a block of gold as promised.

    Its real?! The young man picked up the gold, weighed it in his hand, and even bit it with his teeth. He eximed in shock, It really is gold!

    Of course it is! The ghost grinned widely. You can have that, scion. Its yours.

    Is there anyone else who would like to give it a go? Im just doing this for fun. I promise I wont take a single coin for you, but you are free to take the gold my bottle spits out.

    Me! Let me!

    No, let me!

    Stop pushing me! I came here first!

    Fuck you! Im the one who came first!

    Practically everyone who saw the performance went bonkers when they saw that the bottle could actually turn a persons breath into actual gold. No one wanted to miss the opportunity.

    Do you want to give it a try, Joyless? Chu Nianjiu looked tempted.

    Haha. If you think that your life is worth a block of gold, then sure, Ye Qing replied nonchntly.

    Wait, what? What do you mean? Chu Nianjiu frowned.

    Ye Qings lips curled into a smile. Did you notice? The air these poor fools are breathing into the bottle isn''t normal. Specifically, its a breath of pure yang.

    A single breath of pure yang is worth a full year of qi, essence and spirit. Anyone who breathes into the bottle is going to get terribly ill when they return.

    Is that so? Chu Nianjiu suddenly felt far less tempted to give the bottle a go. But a bout of illness is nothing to a warrior, is it? Why did you imply that breathing into that bottle would cost someones lives?

    Because it literally would kill them, Ye Qing sneered.

    If Im not mistaken, that ghost is what they call a Qi Eater[3], Lin Yuhuai said. ording to Hundred Ghosts Record of Fengdu, there exists a ghost who is as thin and small as a child and carries a silver bottle with it all the time. During a full moon after midnight, it would slip into a persons room and feed on their yang qi while they are asleep. Hence, it is called the Qi Eater.

    Every time a Qi Eater feeds on a persons yang qi, the silver bottle would spit out a block of gold that the Qi Eater would ce next to the persons head. If the person epted the gold, the Qi Eater would take it as permission to feed on their qi until they die. Thats what Joyless meant.

    These people shouldve known better. There is no such thing as free lunch in this world. If you take the Qi Eaters gold, then you will die.

    Heavens above! Chu Nianjiu didnt think that it would be so serious. His lips curled into a cold sneer as he asked, What an audacious, vile Stranger!

    This is the Yin Market, you know. What did you expect? Ye Qing wore a smirk that didnt reach the eye. See that ghost whos selling mirrors? Hes called a Mirror Spirit or Mirror Ghost. If you buy his mirror, then you better be careful when you look into the mirror at night. He might just crawl out and consume your soul.

    See that ghost schr giving away his artwork for free? If youre stupid enough to buy his paintings, theres a non-zero chance that the person returning to the yang world wont be you anymore.

    Humans think that ghosts are scary, and ghosts think that humans are cruel and vicious. They are both right. Thest thing you want to do in the Yin Market is to lose sight of the bigger picture.

    Should we get involved? Chu Nianjius eyes glinted dangerously.

    What do you think? Ye Qing sighed. They were the Pacification Bureau after all. They couldnt possibly watch someone throw their lives away and do nothing about it.

    1. Adams apple. Cant really use the word Adam even in narration, sorry.

    2. You guys get what this means, right? Two heads, cut both in half, then join two different halves together? Tell me if theres a better way to describe this.

    3. Breath is sometimes synonymous to qi. Thanks to Demon yer er its less awkward to trante breath as qi these days, but its still best avoided due to howmon the word breath is even in an English original.

 Chapter 349: The Wolf Cries Wolf

    <h4>Chapter 349: The Wolf Cries Wolf </h4>

    ¡°Stop! That¡¯s the Qi Eater! You¡¯re killing yourself!¡±

    Qi Xuanyun was so horrified and angry that he barely waited for Ye Qing to finish before rushing forward to stop the crowd, but...

    ¡°What Qi Eater? Get out of my way, Taoist!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, get lost!¡±

    ¡°Out, out! I¡¯ll kick your ass if you stay here any longer!¡±

    ¡°You guys...¡± Qi Xuanyun froze in ce when the people he was trying to save turned on him instead. He didn¡¯t know what he should do to convince the people that he meant well.

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m a ghost doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m a bad person!¡± The Qi Eater hurriedly fanned the mes. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his bullshit, people! It¡¯s clear this young Taoist just wants to im the gold for himself! Chase him away!¡±

    Qi Xuanyun had never encountered something like this. He truly wanted to save these people from the bottom of his heart, but not only did they not listen, they were turning on him.

    Slowly, a sheen of purple colored over his eyes. His aura turned cold and murderous.

    ¡°He¡¯s still too young and immature!¡± Ye Qing shook his head at this. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    He could tell that Qi Xuanyun wanted to smite these fools with a Palm Thunder. He had no qualms with that, but he was definitely going to draw the yin guards¡¯ attention if he did that. He had to step up before the worst case scenario happened.

    Ye Qing stepped forward and said loudly, ¡°Yeah, shut up, you Taoist! Don¡¯t get in our way, you greedy, selfish prick! Get out get out get out!¡±

    The moment Qi Xuanyun heard Ye Qing¡¯s voice, most of his anger disappeared like it was never there. His shock was another story though. ck-jawed, he stared at Ye Qing and tried to understand what the Spirit Purifier was doing.

    ¡°What¡¯s Joyless doing?¡± Even Chu Nianjiu was a little confused by this opening. ¡°Did he betray us?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯spanions weren¡¯t the only ones who were confused by this. He had stolen the aggressive crowd and the delighted Qi Eater¡¯s wind from their sails as well.

    Ye Qing paid them no attention though. He Jojo-walked his way to Qi Xuanyun and shoved him away mercilessly. ¡°The fuck ya looking at? Look at me again, and I¡¯ll beat you up!¡±

    He then turned toward the Qi Eater and dered imperiously, ¡°I want to use your bottle.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I came¡ª¡±

    The guy who was supposed to go firstined, but Ye Qing tilted his head and red at him. ¡°Excuse me? What were you saying again?¡±

    A powerful aura full of the promise of violence washed over the man. His words immediately died in his throat.

    <i>This guy is stronger than me. Abort, abort!</i>

    Ye Qing waited a moment just in case some other idiot wanted to challenge him. When no one spoke, he beckoned the Qi Eater with a hand and said, ¡°What are you waiting for? Give me the bottle already.¡±

    ¡°Of course, my lord!¡±

    Although the burial clothes Ye Qing was wearing had covered up his yang qi, the Qi Eater could still sense it because it was his nature. Not only was it one of the most refined yang qi it had ever felt, Ye Qing was a virgin too. Yang qi that had never been vented was exceptionally nutritious for a Qi Eater.

    From the ghost¡¯s perspective, Ye Qing was the definition of a big fish. Of course it was excited by this unexpected boon.

    ¡°Alright! Watch me.¡±

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smirk as he stared at the massive bottle. All of a sudden, the Qi Eater felt a bad premonition. Before it could figure out where its source, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and blew into the bottle.

    This time, every hair on the Qi Eate¡¯s body stood on end. Although Ye Qing wasn¡¯t targeting it, it was one hundred percent certain that the puff of yang qi was more than potent enough to kill it.

    Before the Qi Eater could recover from its shock, an ominous series of cracks entered its ears. It looked just in time to see its bottle exploding into smithereens with a bang.

    ¡°Ahhhh! My bottle!¡±

    The Qi Eater let out a horrified scream as its body turned transparent, and its qi weakened drastically all of a sudden. The surrounding crowd was stupefied as well. Most of them had seen this magic trick before, but the Qi Eater¡¯s bottle was huge and hardly ordinary.

    ¡°Ahhhh! My gold!¡± Right after the Qi Eater was done screaming, Ye Qing screamed in the exact same tone.

    Before the Qi Eater could say anything, Ye Qing shouted furiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I would get a block of gold if I blow into your bottle, ghost? Well? Where is it? Where is my fucking gold!?¡±

    ¡°Give me back my gold, you swindler!¡±

    The Qi Eater: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    The wolf was crying wolf.

    ¡°You... it was you who blew up <i>my </i>bottle! You¡¯re the one who shouldpensate me!¡± The Qi Eater was so angry it nearly transcended on the spot. Its savage, contorted expression made one wonder if it was actually possible to anger a ghost so much to death.

    ¡°And why the fuck should Ipensate you anything?¡± Ye Qing harrumphed imperiously and put his hands on his waist. ¡°How could I have known that your shitty bottle is less sturdy than a bloody balloon? No, it¡¯s clear that you were trying to scam me!¡± There¡¯s no way a bottle that big could explode in a single puff, could it?¡±

    ¡°Also, you promised me that I could get a big ass block of gold as long as I blow into the bottle. So? Where is my gold? Where is my gold, you scammer?¡±

    ¡°You better give me my gold, you bastard! Otherwise, I¡¯ll take you to the bloody court, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°You... You...¡± The Qi Eater had never encountered something like this. Such was its fury that his yin qi was simmering like a kettle of boiling water. Even the surrounding crowd was speechless. It was bad enough that he literally blew up the Qi Eater¡¯s bottle, now he was demanding that itpensate him for his ¡°loss¡± as well. Just how shameless could you be?

    ¡°What are you guys doing? We don¡¯t tolerate problems in the Yin Market!¡±

    It was at this moment a yin guard carrying a mourning staff and a long chain wrapped around his waist stepped over with a cold look. The crowd instinctively gave way when his cold, eerie yin qi brushed against their skin.

    The Qi Eater lit up when it heard the yin guard¡¯s voice. It immediately ran up to him and wailed at the top of its lungs, ¡°You must help me, my lord! You must!¡±

    ¡°Fuck off.¡± The yin guard kicked away the Qi Eater who clung to his leg before asking, ¡°What the hell happened? Speak!¡±

    The Qi Eater exined in a hurry, ¡°It¡¯s like this. This guy purposely blew up my bottle, the one thing I rely on to make a living. How can I possibly live without it? You must help me, my lord!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re using your shitty bottle to scam people again?¡± The yin guard scoffed and nced at the crowd.

    Someone eximed in shock, ¡°What? Was the Taoist actually telling the truth?¡±

    The yin guard hadn¡¯t tried to keep his voice low or something when he insulted the Qi Eater, so everyone heard his words loud and clear.

    ¡°Wait, I remember now! The Qi Eater! He¡¯s the Qi Eater! The gold we¡¯re carrying is real, but it¡¯s also permission for the Qi Eater to suck our yang qi dry!¡± Someone cried.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°I was wondering if it¡¯s possible for anyone to be this altruistic. It was aiming to kill us this whole time?¡±

    ¡°How dare you trick us!¡±

    The crowd¡¯s ire was immediately targeted at the Qi Eater.

    The ghost wasn¡¯t afraid, however. It said sarcastically, ¡°Trick you? How could you say that? It¡¯s true that Iid out the lure, but you¡¯re the one who fell for it. I never tried to coerce you into epting the gold. You¡¯re the ones who¡¯re too greedy to see the obvious, hehehe...¡±

    ¡°Bastard!¡± One guy allowed his fury to ovee his good senses and attacked the Qi Eater with his sword.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    He was fast, but the yin guard was faster. The second the guy unsheathed his weapon, the yin guard appeared in front of him and smacked him with his mourning staff.

    The man immediately froze in ce, eyes ssy and unfocused. At the same time, a semi-transparent silhouette left his body. The yin guard had smacked his soul out of his body in one strike.

    After that, the yin guard eyed the surrounding crowd and said frigidly, ¡°This is the Yin Market and the Fengdu. We don¡¯t give second warnings.¡±

    ¡°Besides, the Yin Market is a ce of fair trade. You got what you paid for, did you not? It¡¯s not anyone¡¯s fault you¡¯re too dumb to recognize that the price of the good is your life.¡±

    The victims¡¯ faces were ugly, but they didn¡¯t dare to mouth a retort. For one, the yin guard was incredibly strong. Two, this was the ghost¡¯s home turf. And three, what he said made sense. They were the ones who were too stupid to recognize the Qi Eater¡¯s trick.

    The yin guard hmphed one more time before turning his icy gaze on the Qi Eater. Of course he knew that the Qi Eater had inmed the crowd on purpose.

    ¡°Er...¡± The Qi Eater shivered when it felt the gaze. It immediately put on a crying face again and wailed, ¡°I have always been an honest andw-abiding ghost, my lord! You gotta defend me, my lord!¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Although the yin guard found the Qi Eater¡¯s actions despicable, it was also true that it wasn¡¯t illegal. This was how the Yin Market functioned. Just like the yang fault, you only had yourself to me if you were tricked. Sure, the price of getting tricked in the Yin Market could very well be one¡¯s life, but so what? A human¡¯s death would only benefit Fengdu.

    No, they weren¡¯t stupid enough to encourage such behavior. That was one way to promote the destruction of Fengdu. But the higher-ups certainly saw no reason to forbid it either.

    The yin guard looked at Ye Qing next and ordered, ¡°You look like a malicious human. Show me your Yin Token.¡±

    And finally, the yin guard was a ghost and a member of Fengdu. He might be a neutral party in this case, but he was biased in favor of his kind as a matter of course.

    <i>You can tell I¡¯m a ¡°malicious¡± person even though I¡¯m wearing a mask? Why don¡¯t you p your wings and ascend to the heavens then?</i>

    Knowing better than to antagonize someone who was already biased against him, Ye Qing obediently bided his time while producing his Yin Token. ¡°Over here, my lord.¡±

    At first, the yin guard regarded Ye Qing just like any other human. But when he saw the Yin Token Ye Qing handed him, his eyes flickered with a hint of astonishment, gravity, and envy. He immediately shoved his bias and arrogance to the back of his mind and asked respectfully, ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡±

    ¡°All I ask you to see justice through, my lord. This clearly isn¡¯t my fault,¡± Ye Qing said while mulling over the flickers of emotions he sensed from the yin guard. It would seem that his Yin Token really was an extraordinary item.

    Now was not the time to be distracted, however. Ye Qing gathered his mind and continued, ¡°He said that anyone can blow into his bottle and receive a block of gold, so I did. But not only did the bottle shatter, I didn¡¯t even receive my share of gold. Now, he¡¯s demandingpensation for me? How is that fair?¡±

    ¡°Everyone here is a witness, my lord. You can ask them if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    The yin guard frowned and looked at the Qi Eater. ¡°Is he telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! You know that my bottle is my innate magic! How can anyone blow it up like a balloon? He obviously did something to my bottle I couldn¡¯t see. You can¡¯t fall for his sophistry, my lord!¡± The Qi Eaterined.

    ¡°And what do you have to say to that?¡± The yin guard looked at Ye Qing again.

    ¡°What do you even want me to say? It <i>ims </i>that I did something to his bottle, but it didn¡¯t have any evidence to support it. But I have scores of witnesses who can prove that all I did was blow into the bottle. Surely someone would notice something if I really tried to pull a trick under their noses?¡±

    Ye Qing sneered. ¡°Also, this bastard got it all wrong. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s demandingpensation here, not it.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The yin guard raised an eyebrow.

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°First, all I did was blow into the bottle, and the damn thing suddenly shattered on its own. It said it itself that the bottle is its innate magic. How could I possibly blow it up with my breath alone? It¡¯s obvious that the bastard¡¯s trying to scam me.¡±

    ¡°Second, it promised that anyone who blew into the bottle would be rewarded with a block of gold. I did, but it didn¡¯t give me the gold it promised. Don¡¯t you agree that it owes me a block of gold, my lord?¡±

    ¡°You want the gold?¡± The yin guard narrowed his eyes. <i>I bet you want to be the King of Hell too, don¡¯t you?</i>

    ¡°Of course I do! You¡¯re the one who said that this is a ce of fair trade, isn¡¯t it? I already paid it my breath, but where is my gold?¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Also, this gold is very important to me. It¡¯s the key to world peace, you know?¡±

    ¡°The key... to world peace?¡± The yin guard¡¯s tone turned incredulously. <i>Is he crazy, or am I crazy?</i>

    ¡°Yep! Everyone needs money to build a family, don¡¯t they?¡± Ye Qing scratched his head embarrassedly.

    ¡°And how does that rte to world peace?¡±

    The yin guard wasn¡¯t the only one who waspletely thrown off by Ye Qing¡¯s insane logic. They were all wondering where the hell Ye Qing was going with this.

 Chapter 350: Can One Yin Token Cause A Massacre?

    <h4>Chapter 350: Can One Yin Token Cause A Massacre? </h4>

    ¡°Haha, I can see your confusion. It¡¯s like this!¡± Ye Qing let out a chuckle before he began his exnation,

    ¡°If I don¡¯t have the gold, then I won¡¯t be able to marry the love of my life.

    If I can¡¯t marry the love of my life, then I won¡¯t have children.

    If I don¡¯t have children, then no one will take care of me when I¡¯m old.

    If no one takes care of me when I¡¯m old, then I will be beset by hunger and cold.

    If I¡¯m hungry and cold, then I wouldmit crimes to fulfill my needs.

    If Imit crimes, then public unrest will happen.

    If public unrest happens, then the people will suffer.

    If the people suffer, then they will rebel.

    And if they rebel, then the world will plunge into chaos.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand how important this gold is to me now? How it will affect world peace if I don¡¯t have it?¡±

    <i>We... don¡¯t understand, you madman! </i>Everyone rolled their eyes when they heard this. <i>Who the fuck do you think you are? If your logic works the way you say it is, then the world would¡¯ve been annihted by bachelors a long time ago!</i>

    The yin guard took a moment to bleach the memory out of his mind. When he was ready, he said coldly, ¡°Are you done? If you are, then it¡¯s my turn now.¡±

    ¡°You broke the Qi Eater¡¯s bottle, but the Qi Eater was the one who tried to scam you in the first ce. Since you¡¯re both in the wrong, you should both make apromise and forget about this matter.¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. Ultimately, The Qi Eater was the one who was in the wrong here, and although he was a ghost himself, he didn¡¯t want to be seen as too biased. Most importantly, the Qi Eater had no proof that Ye Qing had done something to its bottle to break it. So, asking both parties to back down was the best way he knew to resolve this matter.

    Of course, he had his own selfish reasons for wanting this matter to go away as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Forget this?¡± The Qi Eater blurted.

    ¡°You want me to just forget my gold?¡± Ye Qing also cried.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t like my decision? How about I throw you both in prison and investigate this matter slowly?¡± The yin guard looked displeased.

    ¡°Oh, fine. Since you¡¯ve given your verdict, I shall be the bigger man here and forgive him,¡± Ye Qing dered with a magnanimous wave.

    This was a better oue than Ye Qing had imagined when he kicked up a fuss. He was fully prepared to be kicked out of the Yin Market. But now, he had killed the Qi Eater¡¯s conspiracy dead, broke its bottle, saved the victims from certain death¡ªwithout the bottle, the gold would lose its ability, and the Qi Eater wouldn¡¯t be able to suck their yang qi dry whenever it felt like it¡ªand he didn¡¯t even have to pay any price for it. It was perfect.

    ¡°Good.¡± The yin guard nodded and looked at the Qi Eater next. ¡°What do you say?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± The Qi Eater was extremely displeased with this oue as a matter of course, but one look at the yin guard¡¯s face was enough to end any protest it might have. He had no doubt that the yin guard would throw him into the Eighteen Hells if he so much as said the word, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± In the end, the Qi Eater caved into the pressure. He could only re impotently at Ye Qing.

    The verdict seemed fair to both parties, but in reality the Qi Eater was the only one who suffered an actual loss. He didn¡¯t understand why this was happening either. Usually, the yin guards were biased towards their fellow ghosts even if the humans were the ones who were in the right. But today, the yin guard had done a one-eighty and favored the human instead.

    <i>Don¡¯t you love us anymore, my lord?</i>

    <i>Heh. You should be thankful this isn¡¯t the yang world. Otherwise, you would be a rune already!</i> Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to return an icy re. <i>re at me some more, and I might make you into a rune anyway!</i>

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Get lost already! Scam another person, and I will throw you into the Hell of Tongue Ripping!¡± The yin guard rebuked the Qi Eater.

    The Qi Eater shot the yin guard a resentful look. <i>You really have changed, my lord! You don¡¯t love us anymore!</i>

    It transformed into a gust of yin wind and disappeared after that.

    ¡°Thank you for your fair words, my lord.¡± Ye Qing thanked the yin guard after the Qi Eater left.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. It is our duty.¡± The yin guard returned the salute and hesitated for a moment. He then began, ¡°Your Yin Token...¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡± <i>I was hoping you would ask! </i>Ye Qing got ready to receive an exnation regarding how special it was, but instead, he received an unexpected question.

    ¡°Would you like to sell it to me?¡± The yin guard asked.

    ¡°You can sell the Yin Token?¡± Ye Qing waspletely caught off guard by this.

    ¡°Normally, no. But I possess the authority to buy it from you,¡± the yin guard replied.

    Ye Qing was puzzled. ¡°But why would you need my Yin Token?¡±

    Something shed behind the yin guard¡¯s eyes as he exined, ¡°I¡¯m a collector of Yin Tokens, and yours is a rare item. That is why I would like to add it to my collection. I¡¯ll pay you a reasonable price, of course. How does one hundred yin gold sound?¡±

    Before Ye Qing could give a response, a deafening, booming voice pierced his ears. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you five hundred yin gold for your Yin Token, human. Would you sell it to me?¡±

    The shout was so loud that even Ye Qing felt like his eardrums were vibrating a little, much less those who were weaker than him. Some of the warriors clutched their heads and screamed the second they heard it.

    The yin guard was about to blow his top when he saw who it was. He then asked in a wary voice, ¡°What are you doing, Loud?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean what I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m trying to buy his Yin Token just like you? Is that a crime?¡± Loud side-eyed the yin guard before turning his attention back to Ye Qing. ¡°Are you selling, human?¡±

    Even the speaker¡¯s normal voice was so loud that it deafened the ears and inflicted a horrible headache upon everyone who was in the vicinity. As for the ghosts, the weakest ones straight up exploded into a puff of yin qi, and those who were lucky enough to survive the noise barrage hurriedly ran away. It was chaos.

    One might imagine that the speaker was a tall, imposing ghost. They could even be a giant for all they knew. But in reality, the speaker was no bigger than a human child. A human boy to be exact.

    The yin guard knew it would be folly to underestimate him because of his size, however. In fact, the ghost boy was as strong as he was famous.

    It seemed obvious, but Loud was very loud. Originally a human child who was killed by lightning, Loud¡¯s voice was as loud as thunder and possessed the ability to tear most ghosts asunder. It was why he was considered a powerhouse even in the yin world.

    Ye Qing had read about Loud before, but this was the first time he saw him with his own eyes. His name definitely fit his volume.

    ¡°I can offer you one cycle of yin lifespan, young man. Will you sell it to me?¡±

    Once again, a voice interrupted Ye Qing¡¯s train of thought. This time, it belonged to a hunch-backed olddy carrying an oilmp that glowed a dark green color. The olddy didn¡¯t have a face, however. More urately, her face was stered at the back of her skull.

    ¡°Granny Lampflower...¡± Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He immediately recalled the Stranger¡¯s description.

    Granny Lampflower was an evil spirit born from the light of amp. Shaped like an olddy, her face was on the back of her skull, not the front. She carried an oilmp that never goes out, and she prefers to manifest herself after midnight when everyone has extinguished their lights. If she encountered someone on the streets, she would offer to guide them home. Once there, she would kill and devour the insides of everyone who lived inside that house.

    Most ghosts were malicious by nature, but Granny Lampflower was vile evenpared to them.

    <i>What¡¯s with this Yin Token? Why is it attractive to these monsters?</i>

    ¡°One cycle of yin lifespan. Are you trading or not?¡± The face behind Granny Lampflower¡¯s skull asked again.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t answer. Granny Lampflower was talking about a person¡¯s lifespan after they died. Yang lifespan was the amount of time someone could live in the yang world, and it was predetermined unless you were a warrior. But yin lifespan was different. It referred to the amount of good fortune, virtues and achievements they had rued, and the longer their yin lifespan, the better the service, status, and respect they would receive after they joined the afterlife. It was why people with long yin lifespans were normally made into official deities after they died.

    Generally speaking, yin lifespan was umted by being virtuous, performing good deeds, and making worthwhile achievements when someone was still alive. The better one¡¯s virtue and achievements, the longer their yin lifespan to be. Evil, horrible people normally possessed a short yin lifespan, so the second they joined the afterlife, they would be thrown into the Eighteen Hells to atone for their sins.

    This was what Granny Lampflower was referring to. It was very attractive to dying people and the ghosts of Fengdu.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t very tempted though. He wasn¡¯t even in his twenties yet. Why would he worry about his life in the afterlife when he still had so much time in the world of the living?

    ¡°Hahaha... are you stupid, Lampflower? He¡¯s young and full of life! Why the heck would he want your yin lifespan?¡± Loud taunted.

    ¡°Human, I¡¯ll pay you a thousand yin gold. Give me the Yin Token.¡± Loud looked at Ye Qing next and threatened, ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good. Countless ghosts have set their sights on your Yin Token, and there is no way you¡¯ll be able to keep it. It¡¯s not worth losing your life over a shitty token, is it?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. As Loud said, he could feel a lot of ghosts watching him from the shadows. There was one problem though. <i>Can someone tell me what the fuck this token is used for? How can I sell something when I don¡¯t even know what it¡¯s used for, much less its value?</i>

    ¡°Loud, Lampflower, can you give me face and leave this token to me?¡± The yin guard asked with a deep frown.

    ¡°And why would we do that?¡± Loud scoffed in disdain. ¡°You look like you wield a lot of authority, but you¡¯re really just a dog. Why would we lower ourselves to your level?¡±

    ¡°You dare!¡± The yin guard lost his cool after receiving a terrible insult in front of so many people. Roaring, his clothes popped like a balloon as he transformed into a blue-faced ghost with huge, long fangs and yin fire spitting out of his mouth. Now over three meters tall, the yin guard raised his millstone-sized foot and stepped on Loud. The ghost boy looked like an antpared to the foot.

    Ye Qing immediately darted a few steps away from the yin guard for fear of getting hit by the attack. Loud had no such qualms, however. His childish face was overflowing with arrogance as he dered, ¡°Out of my way!¡±

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The thunderous shout blew the yin guard¡¯s foot away and annihted the foolish ghosts who stood too close to the battlefield to watch the show. The records hadn¡¯t exaggerated when they said that Loud¡¯s shout possessed the power to tear a hundred ghosts asunder.

    Seeing that the attack had failed, the yin guard roared and swung his Soulstealing Chain¡ªnow as thick as a baby¡¯s arm¡ªat Loud. A hideous, several inches scar erupted from the road, and Loud took some serious damage as well.

    ¡°HAH!¡± Furious, Loud opened his mouth and shouted even louder. It sent the yin guard flying all the way to a stone pir on the far end of the street.

    As the yin guard stifled a groan, his expression suddenly turned ugly when he realized something. A few breathster, he shrank back to his original size and dered, ¡°Stop! We¡¯ve been had!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Loud noticed that something was wrong and stopped in his tracks as well.

    The yin guard was hot-tempered, but he wasn¡¯t a powder keg that might explode at the slightest spark either, much less someone who would break his own rules and fight Loud in the middle of the Yin Market.

    The reason he did was because his anger had spiraled out of control. Specifically, someone had done something to fan his mes of anger into an inferno.

    ¡°It¡¯s Angry Ghost.¡±

    Angry Ghost was a ghost of someone who died while full of anger. Possessed by the anger they felt prior to their deaths, the Angry Ghost loved nothing more than to observe an argument. If someone were to argue in the Angry Ghost¡¯s presence, it would fan their fury until they started fighting.

    Their strange behavior earlier was most likely caused by the Angry Ghost.

    ¡°Shit! Lampflower and that human are gone!¡± Loud suddenly eximed in realization.

 Chapter 351: The Yin Token of Forgettance

    Chapter 351: The Yin Token of Forgettance

    In a dark, secluded alleyway, Ye Qing was shambling behind an old woman with ssy, unfocused eyes.

    The old woman was carrying a dim oilmp, its me swaying hypnotically in the darkness. There was an ancient face behind her skull that was staring fixatedly at Ye Qing with murky eyes.

    <em>Crackle!</em>

    Suddenly, the oilmp in the old womans hands crackled audibly and scattered a ton of sparks. Sparks burst out of the me and bounced everywhere within the ss.

    The spark flickered unnaturally like it was alive. In fact, a translucent silhouette was reflected within each spark. Ye Qings voice could be heard from one of the sparks.

    Ill sell you the Yin Token, Granny Lampflower!

    Is that so? But I dont feel like buying anymore. Granny Lampflower stopped in her tracks and looked down on the oilmp.

    No, I mean Im going to give it to you for free! All I ask is that you let me go! Ye Qings panicked voice echoed inside themp.

    Its fine. I prefer taking what I want with my own hands, Granny Lampflower replied unhurriedly.

    I I Ill do anything as long as you let me go. Please! Ye Qings voice grew increasingly fearful.

    Instead of answering, Granny Lampflower slowly bent down until she was staring directly into the sparks. Her lips slowly split open into a kind smile as she answered, Youre wee, but I prefer reaping the fruits of my ownbor!

    Ye Qing was silent for a moment before asking in a dejected voice, At least tell me one thing before you kill me. What on earth is that Yin Token, and why is everyone fighting for it?

    No. Granny Lampflower said slowly, I loathe monologues and the consequences it brings, you see.

    Granny Lampflower slowly extended her thin, withered hand toward Ye Qing. When her fingers made contact with his chest, it actually went right through like her hand was intangible. There was no mistaking the sensation of her hand closing around his heart, however. Granny Lampflower loved eating a persons insides, but she usually did it without harming their exterior. It was her unique ability. Barring exceptional circumstances, most of her victims looked fine on the outside even though their insides werepletely gone.

    You cant win them all, I suppose.

    Ye Qing suddenly let out a sigh, but it wasnt one of resignation. It was more like an annoyed, I cannot believe you dont appreciate my world ss acting sigh.

    A hint of unease suddenly struck Granny Lampflower. She didnt hesitate to tighten her grip and attempt to pull out Ye Qings heart.

    <em>Ba-thump!</em>

    Ye Qings heart beat once, and Granny Lampflowers hand was struck by a white hot sensation. She felt like she was clutching a chunk of red hot iron, not a human heart.

    She was a ghost. She wasnt supposed to be able to feel anything, but she did. A terrible cry of pain escaped Granny Lampflowers lips as she hurriedly withdrew her hand, but she failed to do so in time before Ye Qings whole body turned into a furnace, and her forearm disintegrated into ash.

    At the same time, her oilmp abruptly exploded into smithereens. Sparks scattered everywhere, and the wails of countless yin souls could be heard from them. They were all trapped within themp until now.

    Argh! Granny Lampflower let out a bloodcurdling scream, though it was impossible to say if it was physical, mental, or both. She immediately glided away from Ye Qing at a speed that didnt fit her apparent age.

    <em>Snap!</em>

    Suddenly, she heard a sound that sounded like someone snapping their fingers. Her consciousness abruptly grew disjointed, and she froze in her tracks. By the time she recovered, she saw a fist growingrger andrger while a fiery, unstoppable force spread like wildfire inside her body.

    Just like that, she burned away into nothingness like paper.

    After killing Granny Lampflower with one punch, Ye Qing took one step to the side and struck a Stranger that had suddenly appeared behind him with his right elbow. When he looked, he saw a face that was contorted in fury.

    One look at the face was enough to make him indescribably livid. He felt like the only way he might vent his anger was to ughter anyone and everyone.

    Thankfully, the sudden emotionsted only an instant. The demonic lotus absorbed it almost as soon as it invaded its headspace.

    The Angry Ghost? No wonder! Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    The Angry Ghost didnt have a body, but its face could draw out the fury in ones heart. That was most likely why the yin guard had suddenly attacked Loud earlier.

    When the yin guard suddenly attacked Loud, Granny Lampflower immediately seized the opportunity to draw his mind into her oilmp. He could have broken free from the unnatural force, but he wanted to figure out why these ghosts were so intent on getting their hands on his Yin Token. That was why he allowed her to kidnap his mind and lead his body into a secluded alleyway.

    He was confident he would be able to trick Granny Lampflower into divulging everything she knew about the Yin Token, but unfortunately, she was a woman of little words. He had no choice but to kill her.

    As for why he didnt leave her half-dead for interrogation, his reasons were simple. One, Granny Lampflower was hardly a weak ghost. If she escaped, he would be in a world of trouble. Two, he was a man of few words as well.

    Back to the present, Ye Qing closed his distance with the Angry Ghost in the blink of an eye and locked the space around it with his left palm. Try as the Angry Ghost might, it was unable to break free before Ye Qing grabbed it and burned it into nothing with the Netherme.

    With that done, Ye Qing immediately got ready to leave. Although he wasnt afraid of trouble, he was hardly a trouble seeker. He didnt want to run into another ghost or be caught by the yin guard or Loud. The sooner he could get the hell away from here, the better. He could always look into his Yin Token elsewhere.

    Hmm?

    He had just taken a few steps when he suddenly sensed something and looked behind him. He saw a woman sitting on a wall not far away from him.

    The woman was dressed in red and wearing an exquisitely crafted ck mask. She was twirling a red oil-paper umbre and kicking her slender legs gently. A pair of bells were tied around her bare feet, and they made crisp, melodious rings as she kicked her legs.

    A dark night, a red umbre, a beautiful woman She reminded Ye Qing of an other shore flower in hell: demonic, dangerous, and beautiful. Yes, she was wearing a mask, but every fiber in his body told him that she was beautiful beyond imagination and just as dangerous.

    She was dangerous because he hadnt sensed her arrival. Besides that, he couldnt see her cultivation level. What he was seeing was just the tip of an iceberg. It was impossible to say just how deep her powers went.

    Hell, he couldnt tell if she was human or ghost.

    Who are you? When did you show up? Ye Qing asked slowly while narrowing his eyes. His bodynguage was rxed, but he was going to attack the woman the second she showed the slightest opening or hostility.

    When did I show up? The woman continued to kick her legs while echoing his question with a voice that sounded as ephemeral as smoke. When you revealed your true strength and killed Granny Lampflower, I suppose.

    You are a bold man, scion. Not many people would dare to kill a ghost in the Yin Market. The yin guards would throw you in the Eighteen Hells if they discovered your crime.

    Who are you? Ye Qing asked grimly while spreading his demonic thought and probing the woman for openings.

    The woman replied while toying with her umbre, It doesnt matter who I am. What matters is that you stay where you are. Im easily frightened, you see. If I dont like what youre doing, I might just cry for help from a yin guard or a vile ghost.

    When Ye Qing continued to watch her seriously, the woman suddenly broke into a giggle and said, Well, I guess I should stop teasing you. I mean you no harm, scion.

    Ye Qing didnt say anything.

    Seeing that Ye Qing was still on guard against her, the womans voice turned a little sad. You dont believe me? You break my heart, scion. Im just a weak little woman.

    Liar, Ye Qing replied bluntly. She was a woman, sure, but weak? Who was she kidding?

    Hahaha! Youre a funny man, scion. She giggled. If you must know why Im following you, its because I saw a cute little idiot foolishly showing off his Yin Token of Forgettance in public. It was so cute I couldnt help but want to follow him and protect him.

    <em>Cute little idiot? Whos she talking about? Well, whoever shes talking about, it cant possibly be me. The truth will remain a lie as long as I dont admit the truth, right?</em> Ye Qing thought to himself.

    He could believe the first half of her sentence, but the second half? Heh. If he was weak, then he was almost certain that this would be a very different conversation.

    What is the Yin Token of Forgettance, Miss?

    You really dont know? You really are a cute little idiot. Are you lucky, or are you foolish? The woman said teasingly while shaking her head. When she noticed Ye Qings cold, unfeeling gaze, she smirked. Im going to fall in love with you if you keep staring at me like that.

    <em>Nani? I have no idea I have such electrifying eyes! I must stare at her until shes hopelessly in love with me!</em>

    Ye Qing widened his eyes a little and continued staring at her. A few breathster, the woman finally sighed. What a wooden man you are. Fine, Ill tell you.

    The Yin Token of Forgettance is the item that allows you to enter the inner market.

    <em>The inner market? Do they do segregation in the yin world too?</em>

    The Yin Market of Fengdu is split into the outer market and the inner market. The woman exined slowly, The outer market is set up for the small fries in both the yin world and the yang world. Anything you might find in the outer market is either ordinary or worthless.

    The inner market is the opposite. The inner market is set up for the big shots. Anyone who possesses the qualifications to enter the inner market is either an official deity in Fengdu, a bigshot in the yang world, or people who are incredibly blessed so to speak. Youll find that the items featured in Fengdu are incredibly precious and rare as well.

    In fact, one might say that the inner market is the true Yin Market of Fengdu. The outer market only exists to fool and swindle the ordinary folk.

    <em>I see. </em>Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully.

    The woman continued, You need the Yin Token of Forgettance to enter the inner market. Naturally, the inner market represents an opportunity of a lifetime for both humans and ghosts.

    You have no idea about the value of the Yin Token, and yet youre showing it off in public. On top of that, your strength is average at best. Of course the yin guard, Granny Lamp and more are targeting you.

    Even if you havent drawn their attention, its only a matter of time before someone else sets their sight on you.

 Chapter 352: River of Forgettance

    Chapter 352: River of Forgettance

    I see! Ye Qing eximed in realization. He finally understood just how valuable the Yin Token of Forgettance was. A short silenceter, he asked, Generally speaking, what kind of people would receive a Yin Token of Forgettance?

    Considering how precious the Yin Token of Forgettance was, he couldnt believe that it would be given away willy-nilly. In reality, he had received one practically by ident. It was unusual to put it mildly.

    The woman answered, The Yin Token of Forgettance is automatically created by the Life Death Brazier. The Life Death Brazier is a godly artifact that possesses the power to evaluate ones good fortune and reverse life and death, yin and yang. Anyone who receives a Yin Token of Forgettance be it human or Stranger generally falls under three categories: the incredibly strong, the exceptionally gifted, and the extraordinarily blessed.

    You probably fall under the third category.

    The woman waved her bamboo umbre a little while smirking. For obvious reasons, you dont fall under the first category. As for the exceptionally gifted, most of them hail from powerful ns or sects and do not need a weak little woman like me to tell them what its for. More importantly, they wouldnt be stupid enough to show it off in public.

    That is why you must belong in the third categorythough I suppose you could fall in the fourth category known as the dogshit lucky category.

    Ye Qing grunted, Never say the word dogshit again, and this conversation might still end in an amiable fashion.

    We will see. The woman giggled.

    Where is the inner market, and how can I join it? Ye Qing asked.

    You want to enter the Yin Market? I thought you dont believe me? Arent you afraid I might send you off to a death trap instead? The woman teased him.

    You would never! Ye Qing dered with a straight face. Im the foolish one who thought you would trick me. A beautiful and kind-hearted woman like you would never send an innocent man to his death, would you?

    You certainly have a sweet mouth, scion! The woman couldnt stop giggling. Its very easy to enter the inner market, but youll have to do me a small favor. Would you ept my request, scion?

    <em>I bloody knew it, </em>Ye Qing thought with a concealed sneer. He knew there was no way the woman would offer him the knowledge for free.

    Why are you looking at me like that?

    The womans expression turned a little unfriendly. I risked my life hiding your murder of Fengdus citizens, answering your questions, and even offering you knowledge that would prevent you from tripping yourself in your future endeavors, and now you would spurn my little request? Surely youre not that ungrateful? You wound me deeply with your stone cold heart, scion.

    Ye Qing was unmoved, however. He said, Why dont you tell me what your request is, and Ill tell you your answer afterward?

    The woman made him sound like an ingrate, but anyone could tell the threat behind her words.

    Rx. I wont ask you for your Yin Token of Forgettance. I already have my own. She produced her Yin Token of Forgettance and gave a little wave. My request is very simple. I want you to join me in the inner market.

    And why would you want that? Ye Qing asked doubtfully.

    Im a weak woman trying to navigate the dangerous waters of the Yin Market, you see. The outer market is already plenty dangerous, and the inner market even more so. If I enter the inner market without sufficient preparation, it is very likely that I wont walk away alive. That is why I want you to apany me.

    Is that it? Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. The womans request wasnt difficult. On the contrary, it was ludicrously easy, so easy that he found it suspicious.

    Yes? Do you want me to make you an impossible request? The woman countered. Surely you wont turn me down, scion?

    Very well. I will ept your request. Ye Qing nodded after a moment of silence. It wasnt like he had the option to refuse anyway.

    You are most kind and magnanimous, scion! I knew you wouldnt spurn me! The woman beamed at him like a flower. Ill be counting on you to protect me, scion.

    Youre wee. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Ye Qing saluted her before asking, But can I speak with mypanions first before I go with you? They would be worried if I disappeared without telling them.

    But of course! I shalle with you, scion. The woman giggled and jumped off the wall. Despite being barefooted, not a speck of dust clung to her sole. Seemingly unguarded, she walked up to him like a fairy, hugged his arm as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and breathed gently, Lets go, husband.

    Ye Qing stiffened, and not because her curves were wholesome. Before he could pull free, the woman whispered, A yin guard ising our way. You dont want him to see you, do you?

    Ye Qing froze right before a couple of yin guards strode into the alleyway. One of them was none other than the yin guard who tried to buy his Yin Token of Forgettance.

    The yin guard was apanied by three other yin guards, and one of them were dressed differently from the others. He was short, fat, and wearing ck robes. What made him stand out among his fellow yin guards was the tall hat he was wearing. The words Peace For All were sewn into the hat.

    Strangely, the yin guards couldnt seem to see him or the woman even though they were standing right in front of them.

    Dont speak, husband. That Impermanence would hear you if you do, the woman whispered into his ear. Ye Qing turned away because her warm breath made him feel ufortable, not to mention that she was anything but his wife despite her words.

    He was going to pull away from her again when the woman held him in ce and said, You must stay within Red Dust, or they will detect you.

    The woman didnt exin what Red Dust was, but Ye Qing instinctively looked at the red umbre covering their heads. He didnt know that it possessed such magical qualities.

    Are you sure that human is carrying the Yin Token of Forgettance, Cheng Yi? The Impermanencethe short, fat yin guard to be exactasked.

    I am certain, my lord, the yin guard who tried to purchase Ye Qings Yin Token of Forgettance answered.

    The Impermanence nodded. If I can obtain that Yin Token, then I will overlook your crime ofmitting violence in the Yin Market and disrupting the order.

    Thank you for your generosity, my lord, Cheng Yi replied in a hurry.

    Strange. I can sense the human and Granny Lampflowers presence in this alley, but where are they? The Impermanence muttered while walking past Ye Qing and the woman. They were just ten or so centimeters from each other, but still the yin guards couldnt sense him.

    After the Impermanence reached the spot where Ye Qing had fought against Granny Lampflower, a long, long tongue stretched out of his mouth and swung around the air for a bit.

    Its not just Granny Lampflower. I sense the Angry Ghosts presence as well. But again, where is it?

    Did you find them, my lord? Cheng Yi asked.

    No. Its like they had suddenly vanished into thin air, the Impermanence replied darkly while withdrawing its tongue. His skin was already pitch ck, but now he looked even cker.

    Maybe Granny Lampflower killed that human and escaped? Cheng Yi suggested cautiously.

    Its possible. The Impermanence grunted with displeasure. Find her. Find her and get the Yin Token of Impermanence. I had waited decades to get my hands on one, and for once, luck is on my side. Its not everyday you encounter an idiot who doesnt recognize the value of the Yin Token of Impermanence, so I must grasp this opportunity no matter what.

    At once, my lord. The yin guards disappeared in a gust of yin wind after saying that.

    <em>Youre the idiot! Your whole family are idiots! </em>Ye Qing red at the Impermanence while swearing a storm inside his head.

    Beside him, the woman giggled behind her hand. Calm down, husband. Let us leave already.

    They had just taken two steps when Ye Qing recalled something he should have questioned earlier. Why are you calling me husband? <em>It scares me like a fickle man being told by his friend-with-benefits that shes pregnant!</em>

    Thats your fault. You didnt tell me your name, so how else can I address you? The woman replied smilingly.

    <em>You didnt tell me your name either, </em>Ye Qing scoffed inside his head before making up a random name, My name is Bluehill Ye. What is your name, Miss?

    Bluehill Ye? Hahaha The woman giggled charmingly. What a coincidence! My name is Greeke Bai. Arent we a perfect match?

    Ye Qing: ... <em>Yeah, right. Im sure you would call yourself Whitecloud if I say my name is ckearth!</em>

    Now that were done, lets go, husband. The woman started pulling him toward the exit.

    Why are you still calling me that? I already told you my name! Ye Qing gritted his teeth.

    Husband sounds better than Bluehill. Greeke giggled. Also, why do you care when I, an unwed maiden, don''t?

    <em>Im an unwed man myself, you know! Not that telling you that is going to make me look good!</em>

    Why are you bringing me here? Ye Qing gulped as he stared at the massive river in front of him.

    After locating Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and Qi Xuanyun, he informed them that he was going somewhere with Greenwater Bai using his demonic thought. He didnt show himself because he was afraid that a yin guard or other Strangers might be keeping an eye on hispanions. After that, Greenwater led him through a series of dizzying twists and turns until they finally arrived at this river.

    The river was so vast he couldnt see the other side of the shore. The water was a murky, bloody yellow, and thick white fog floated above its surface wherever he looked. The waters were also extremely rapid, turbulent and smelly. What really scared him though was the fact that there were countless bodies floating on the river surface and even more unfortunate souls howling beneath the river.

    I-Is this the River of Forgettance? Ye Qing stuttered.

    It is. Youre a smart man, husband, Greenwater smiled brightly.

    Youre not going to tell me that the inner market is past the River of Forgettance, are you? Ye Qing asked nervously. He couldnt care less about how she addressed him right now.

    What do you think? Greenwater asked.

    I think not! Ye Qing shook his head in a hurry.

    It was said that after a human died, their soul must pass through the Gates of Hell and tread the Yellow Spring Road. Whaty between the Yellow Spring Road and Fengdu was the River of Forgettance. Infinitely long and flowing toward the southeast, it was a filthy, dangerous ce that anyone in their right mind would stay far, far away from. It was because those who fell inside would be stuck for eternity, never to enter the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn. Forget escaping, they couldnt even die. It was the worst form of immortality.

    Unfortunately, you are wrong, husband. Greeke smiled gently. Why do you think the Yin Token is called the Yin Token of Forgettance? Are you scared?

    Im not scared <em>My knees are a little weak, thats all!</em>

    Im d to hear that. Theres nothing to worry about anyway. With the Yin Token of Forgettance, you would probably be fine, Greeke consoled him.

    <em>Probably?</em> Ye Qing shot her an incredulous look.

    Well, there is a small chance you might die a horrible, hopeless death. Greeke giggled.

    Youre terrible at consoling others, Ye Qing uttered bitterly. You know what, I suddenly recall theres something I need to speak with my friends about. Ill be back in a moment.

    Im afraid youre toote, husband Greekes smile widened. The ferryman is already here.

 Chapter 353: Money Makes The World Go Round

    Chapter 353: Money Makes The World Go Round

    As soon as Greeke finished, Ye Qing saw a small boat sailing out of the fog.

    The River of Forgettance was rapid, turbulent, and full of deadly souls who wanted nothing more than to drag a foolish soul into the river so that they could partake in their eternal misery. But the boat was cutting right through the waters so steadily it outright defied physics¡ªnot that there were many things in this world that obeyed the physics Ye Qing knew of, of course. Wherever the boat traveled, the wave disintegrated, the smelly wind dissipated, and the ghosts hurried out of its way. It was in every sense of the word, untouchable.

    When the boat came closer, Ye Qing realized with a start that it was a paper boat. A simplentern was hung on the front end of the mast, and its orange light cast a warm glow on the boat.

    The ferryman was a hunch-backed man covered in ck robes. His whole face except his eyes were covered from view. This was probably the ferryman Greeke was talking about. He was holding a setting pole made from bones and pushing the boat ever closer toward the shore.

    His movements looked rxed, and the boat seemed to be moving at a leisurely pace as well. In reality, it reached the duo in just the blink of an eye.

    After the boat had reached the shore, the ferryman slowly turned his head and stared at Ye Qing, eyes glowing like dark green orbs in the darkness.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, husband.¡±

    Ye Qing swallowed, but it was toote for regrets. He had no choice but to harden his resolve and step toward the ferryman.

    The ferryman extended a bony arm toward Ye Qing¡ªliterally, as not a speck of flesh could be found under the man¡¯s sleeve¡ªand Ye Qing handed him the Yin Token of Forgettance. The ferryman rubbed its bony fingers across the token before handing it back to Ye Qing and stepping out of the way.

    ¡°Do you have any yin gold with you, husband? If you do, you should give the ferryman some yin gold,¡± Greeke suddenly whispered beside Ye Qing¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Why?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Greeke replied mysteriously, ¡°Ever heard that money makes the world go round? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not trying to trick you or anything.¡±

    Ye Qing mulled over her suggestion for a moment before producing a gold ingot from his Nature¡¯s Shell. A moment of hesitationter, he produced another two gold ingots from his Nature¡¯s Shell and handed it all to the ferryman.

    It was a cultural tradition to burn paper offerings to provide one''s ancestors with the means to enjoy theforts of what they once had when they were alive, and fake money was of course one of them. However, yin gold wasn¡¯t made of paper. It was actual gold or silver that had been ced inside a coffin for a full night and one of the more valuable currencies in the yin world.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t sure if he wasn¡¯t imagining it, but the ferryman¡¯s attitude seemed to grow a tad warmer after he handed him the ingot.

    ¡°Always sit at the center of the boat¡­¡±

    ¡°Do not waver when crossing the river¡­¡±

    ¡°Never look back after you left the boat¡­¡±

    A low, deep voice suddenly came from behind Ye Qing, prompting him to look back at the ferryman. However, the ferryman wasn¡¯t looking at him. In fact, it looked like he hadn¡¯t spoken at all.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ye Qing saluted him regardless before boarding the boat. On the way, he asked Greeke in a small voice, ¡°What did he mean by that?¡±

    Greeke replied, ¡°It¡¯s exactly what it sounds like. You should always sit at the center of the boat, you mustn¡¯t allow anything to affect you when crossing the river, and you must never look back after getting off the boat.¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s that? The rules must exist for a reason, right?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you. Just remember to follow the rules. Otherwise¡­¡± Greeke shot him a mysterious smile but didn¡¯t continue.

    <em>Smartass. Also, why didn¡¯t she just tell me the rules when she already knew them? Could¡¯ve saved me a few gold ingots.</em>

    Miffed he might be, he didn¡¯t voice hisints of course. It wasn¡¯t like he could ask the ferryman to give back his gold.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t we moving?¡± Ye Qing asked after sitting at the center of the boat and waiting for ten minutes or so. Greeke was sitting next to him.

    ¡°There are probably others who wish to cross the river as well!¡± Greeke answered.

    As if on cue, several people emerged from the distance. They reached the boat very quickly.

    ¡°Oh hells, it stinks like shit!¡± A man wearing a boy mask suddenly eximed loudly. Despite the mask, it was clear from his attire and bald, shiny head that he was a monk.

    ¡°For the good of the people, die, you smelly thing!¡±

    ¡°Mighty Sky Dragon, World Revered K?itigarbha, Great Celestial Spell, Prajna of the Buddhas!¡±

    The monk yelled what sounded like an incantation before shining like the sun. The golden light of the Buddha shone brightly as he attacked a ck-robed man[1] next to him like an angry Vajrapani.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Caught off guard, the ck-robed man was sent flying across the air. His ck robes ripped apart to reveal a middle-aged man who resembled a rotting corpse. His face was scarred, his flesh was rotting, and his whole body was giving off a putrid, rotten stench.

    ¡°Are you sick, Jing Xin?¡± The ck-robed man red angrily at the monk after catching himself.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s sick, monster! No, what am I talking about? You are sick. Not only did you kill your whole family, you killed countless innocents as well! If you aren¡¯t sick, then who is?¡±

    The monk named Jing Xin roared and charged toward the ck-robed man again, ¡°But don¡¯t worry! I shall send you to the Buddha this instant!¡±

    ¡°Why won¡¯t you stop harassing me? Do you think I avoided you because I¡¯m scared of you, Jing Xin?!¡± The ck-robed man tried to threaten the monk.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not scared, then why did you run away every time? Fight me if you¡¯re a man, bitch! If I run, then I give you permission to call me your grandson! Come on! Fight me!¡±

    Jing Xin caught up to the ck-robed man in just a few steps and brought down his massive palm on him.

    ¡°Mighty Sky Dragon, World Revered K?itigarbha¡­¡±

    The ck-robed man crossed his arms in front of him defensively and surrounded himself in thick corpse qi. At the same time, his arms turned greenish ck.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    The ck-robed man grunted and flew another ten meters. This time though, he identally mmed into a group of people.

    ¡°Enough, you crazy monk!¡±

    A neer wearing a God of Longevity mask caught the ck-robed man and rebuked the monk. His index and middle fingers pressed together, he fired a beam of sword qi at him.

    Unfortunately, his sword qi was easily shredded by the Buddha light surrounding Jing Xin.

    ¡°You think you can stop me? I knew at first nce that you are a viin just like that bastard! It¡¯s fine though. Today is the day I send you both to the Buddha!¡±

    ¡°At least choose a better time and ce to go crazy, Crazy Monk! If we miss the boat, it¡¯ll be all your fault!¡± The guy wearing the God of Longevity mask hid his hand under his sleeve. It was because his fingers were shaking.

    A young man¡ªthe only person in the group who wasn¡¯t wearing a mask¡ªdered arrogantly, ¡°Fight to the death if you want. Just don¡¯t get in my way.¡±

    He then looked at the fair, shapely woman standing next to him and said in a much gentler voice, ¡°Let¡¯s get on the boat, Ruyan.¡±

    ¡°Will do, Scion Fu,¡± the woman replied in a sweet voice.

    A wide smile immediately spread on his face.

    Jing Xin red at them angrily. ¡°Hmph! Every single one of you is a cold, selfish, heartless person who doesn¡¯t know right from wrong! I swear I¡¯ll enlighten you all one day[2]!¡±

    Everyone in the group immediately scoffed in disdain. A well-dressed man hugging two beauties and wearing a silver mask immediately taunted, ¡°I thought you want to eliminate us viins, monk? Are you backing down just because we outnumber you? Your Buddha will be so disappointed if he sees you like this.¡±

    ¡°Amitabha, are you stupid! The Buddha himself said that enlightenment cannot be achieved in a single day. Slow and steady is the path to sess!¡± Jing Xin retorted with even greater disdain. ¡°Judging from your behavior, you¡¯re probably a bad person as well! I¡¯ve remembered your face. One day, I will enlighten you!¡±

    <em>I¡¯m crazy, not stupid. Do you really think I¡¯ll charge into a battle I¡¯m sure to lose?</em>

    ¡°The show¡¯s over, it seems. What a shame. Let¡¯s go, girls!¡± The well-dressed man shrugged and walked toward the boat.

    The well-dressed man tossed his Yin Token of Forgettance in the ferryman¡¯s direction and leisurely stepped onto the boat. However, the ferryman raised a hand and blocked his way before he could take another step.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± The well-dressed man asked in azy voice.

    Instead of replying, the ferryman pointed at the two women he was hugging.

    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± The well-dressed man caressed the women¡¯s faces lovingly and sighed. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to bring you with me, beauties. It¡¯s the ferryman who won¡¯t allow you passage. If you must me someone, me him!¡±

    <em>Pop! Pop!</em>

    The next moment, he popped their heads like watermelons and spilled blood and brain fluid everywhere.

    The guy wasn¡¯t disgusted, however. He even licked the blood with an intoxicated expression and said, ¡°What a shame I couldn¡¯t keep my queens of flowers[3]! What a shame, hehehe¡­¡±

    <em>They¡¯re real?</em>

    On the boat, Ye Qing watched the sudden tragedy with a small frown. He had thought that those two were just paper dolls. He didn¡¯t think that they were actually real.

    <em>Ruthless bastard!</em>Almost everyone else was wearing frowns on their faces as well. They didn¡¯t rebuke him for his behavior, however. In fact, they subconsciously took a few steps away from him.

    Even Jing Xin was looking down on the floor and chanting, ¡°Amitabha, the Buddha says to keep calm always, for no one can rece you if you blow your own top. It¡¯s okay if the viin is too strong for now, you will kick his ass eventually¡­¡±

    ¡°That man is called Song Qingyu. He¡¯s a disciple of the demonic sect called ¡®Between Flowers¡¯, and he practices a cultivation art called the ¡®Flower Ripping Scripture¡¯. It is a cultivation art that transforms the practitioner into a heartless, merciless warrior through constant exposure and desensitization. He might look like a romantic on the outside, but he doesn¡¯t have a heart on the inside. It¡¯s why they call him the ¡®Flower Ripper¡¯. You might want to be careful around him.¡±

    Greeke had moved closer to him and whispered, ¡°The crazy monk¡¯s Dharma name is Jing Xin. He is the disciple of master Yuhai, a venerated monk in Gold Mountain Temple. It is said that he has a screw loose in his head because he once caught a grave illness when he was a boy. He is hot-tempered, violently righteous, and quite insane. Hence, people call him ¡®Crazy Monk¡¯.¡±

    <em>Jing Xin (Stay Calm)? Whoever named him certainly had¡­ foresight,</em>Ye Qing mentally rolled his eyes before asking, ¡°Who was the guy Jing Xin attacked earlier?¡±

    ¡°The corpse man? His moniker is ¡®Corpse Vulture¡¯. It is said that he cultivated the ancient Corpse King Sect¡¯s ¡®Supreme Nether Corpse Yin Solution¡¯, but he¡¯s so untalented that he turned into this. He looks scary, but he¡¯s average at best.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize the other three people, but the one wearing the God of Longevity mask seems to be using a martial art called the ¡®Sword of One¡¯. In Tian Yong, the only one who practiced it is ¡®Sword of One¡¯ Lu Hui. He¡¯s strong, but he¡¯s more known for his treachery and deceit.¡±

    ¡°As for thest two people, I have no idea. But I would suggest that you keep an eye on the woman.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that? She looks like an ordinary person,¡± Ye Qing asked via sound transmission.

    ¡°She¡¯s an ordinary person who has a Yin Token of Forgettance and the courage to enter the inner market. If she doesn¡¯t deserve our caution, who does?¡± Greeke countered.

    Ye Qing had to agree with that logic.

    While they were conversing, the group had already boarded the boat. However, they didn¡¯t pay the ferryman his due, so the ferryman didn¡¯t say anything either. He reminded Ye Qing of a lucky cat who only knew how to wave its forelimb.

    ¡°Careful, husband. Herees trouble.¡±

    Ye Qing was thinking about nothing in particr when Greeke¡¯s voice entered his ears. At the same time, he felt a shadow towering over him. Someone was standing right in front of him.

 Chapter 354: Iâ€™m Scared Too

    Chapter 354: I¡¯m Scared Too

    Brother Fu, Ruyan is timid. Ruyan doesnt want to sit here.

    A sweet voice entered Ye Qings ears before he could look up.

    Fine, we wont be sitting there, an arrogant voice cooed before ordering imperiously, Hey you! Get up and give us your seat!

    Ye Qing looked up. As expected, the young man who hadnt worn a mask was looking down on him from above. He turned away after a disinterested nce.

    The boat wasnt big, and Ye Qing and Greeke were sitting in the middle of the boat. Since the rest of the seats were close to the sides of the boat, one could say that they were upying the best seats. It wasnt surprising that someone would have funny ideas.

    Hey, Im talking to you! Are you deaf? The arrogant man frowned when he saw that Ye Qing was ignoring him.

    Are you talking to me? Ye Qing finally responded.

    What do you think? Who else could I be talking to if not you? A ghost? The man harrumphed.

    Oh, sorry. I thought it was the barking of a dog of someone who forgot to keep their dog on a leash, Ye Qing replied uncaringly.

    Theres a dog at this ce? Where? Why cant I see it? Jing Xin, the monk immediately looked left and right as if he was actually searching for a dog.

    The young mansplexion turned ugly. Do you know who I am, boy? How dare you insult me!

    Oh, youre the dog! But arent you a human? Jing Xin eximed in mock realization before Ye Qing could answer.

    The young man flushed red and roared at Jing Xin, Shut up, Crazy Monk!

    My mouth is my own. Why should I shut my mouth because you say so? Jing Xin scratched the back of his head. Also, Im not wrong. Youre not a dog, are you? Unless youre secretly a Stranger wearing human skin?

    Before the young man could react, Jing Xin abruptlyunched an attack at him, Audacious Stranger! How dare you try to infiltrate our ranks! I shall smite you with my Mighty Sky Dragon!

    You really are crazy! The young man was able to block the sudden attack, but he staggered a few steps backward due to how powerful it was. Are you nning to kill us all? Just how insane are you to fight someone on the River of Forgettance?

    He then remembered something and hurriedly added, Also, Im human! Im not a Stranger!

    Dont fight on the boat, you crazy bastard! Everyone else was stunned and ring at Jing Xin as well. For obvious reasons, no one expected a fight to break out on the boat. After all, they were all going to die if the boat capsized. Crazy Monk was even crazier than they thought, however.

    If youre not a Stranger, then why the fuck are you kicking up a fuss? Stop wasting my energy, fool.

    Thankfully, Jing Xin was just crazy, not stupid. He knew it was a bad idea to fight on the boat as well. He sat back down after rebuking the young man.

    The young man: ... <em>So its my fault now?</em>

    Calm down, Brother Fu. Its my fault you were in trouble. Lets forget about this, shall we? Ruyan said meekly while pulling at the young mans sleeves.

    Its fine. Its not your fault, Ruyan.

    After consoling the girl, the young man sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to speak in an amiable tone, I am Fu Hengcong of the Fu n of Tian Yong. Can you give me face, brother?

    I do not know a Fu n or Fu Hengcong, Ye Qing replied indifferently. It was the truth.

    You dont know the Fu n of Qing He[1]? Tsk tsk the Fu n and the prestigious Cui n are known as the Two Jades of Qing He, and Scion Fu is a direct descendant. He is known as the Romantic Warrior, and he once spent tens of thousands of gold just to ransom ady of a brothel. He is a model example we should all strive toward!

    Song Qingyu looked at the woman standing beside Fu Hengcong and said frivolously, In fact, Im willing to bet <em>this </em>is the woman you ransomed. She is as graceful as a willow and as sweet-sounding as sugar. Be sure to keep her safe, Scion Fu.

    The woman ducked behind Fu Hengcong as if embarrassed, and Fu Hengcong harrumphed, I dont need you to tell me that!

    He ignored the guy and turned his attention back to Ye Qing. Im willing to pay for the seat. How much do you want?

    Ye Qing replied indifferently, My apologies, but Im pretty wealthy myself.

    You He exhaled deeply before continuing, Is there anything I can give you that will convince you to give up your seat?

    At the same time, he released a hint of aura as a threat.

    Ye Qing replied, Theres no need. Ill relinquish the seat when we get to the inner market. You are free to use my seat for as long as you want then.

    You dare make fun of me? Fu Hengcongs eyes shed silver.

    So what if I am? Ye Qing sneered as his own eyes turned as ck as ink. A tiny ck lotus could be seen swaying behind his pupils.

    An invisible, formless energy spread out in the sky, and Fu Hengcong suddenly let out a muffled grunt. The blood on his face abruptly drained away, and an iron taste suddenly filled his throat. He gulped down the blood while doing his best to hide his shock.

    Just now, he had employed a mental art that was passed down within his family, the Supreme Yin Soul ying Arrow, to attack Ye Qing. It was one of their ultimate techniques and could annihte a persons Six Souls without a trace. It was as invisible as it was deadly.

    In his senses, Ye Qing was just an early-stage Spirit Purifier. That was why he was confident he could eliminate his Six Souls with a sudden attack. Even if he failed, he was certain it would deal a grievous blow and teach Ye Qing to never cross him again.

    In reality, not only did he lose the exchange, he was this close from losing his life. The Supreme Yin Soul ying Arrow had vanished immediately after it invaded Ye Qings headspace, and right after that, he felt a deadly power that caused every hair on his body to stand on end.

    The only reason he survived Ye Qings counterattack was because the mental imprint his father had left in his headspace had triggered at thest moment. Despite this, he still took some damage from the attack.

    Its fine, Brother Fu. Dont be angry. Ruyan consoled Fu Hengcong before turning to Ye Qing, This is all my fault, mister. Im sorry. All I ask is that you dont get angry with Brother Fu.

    Tsk tsk, a womans crying for you, Scion Fu. How can a member of the Fu n or any man for the matter let such a beauty cry? Song Qingyu interrupted before Fu Hengcong could say anything, I can step up on your behalf if this is too much for you to handle!

    Silence, you cur! Fu Hengcong red at Song Qingyu. He was going to beat a hasty retreat after Ye Qing dealt him a severe blow, but now he could no longer do it withoutpletely embarrassing himself.

    If he had worn a mask, then he couldve pretended that this never happened. Unfortunately, his own disdain had stopped him from donning a mask when entering the Yin Market, so everyone and their mothers knew exactly who he was. He didnt doubt for a second that rumors of his cowardice would spread throughout the yang <em>and </em>the yin world if he backed down now.

    <em>What should I do? </em>Fu Hengcong desperately tried toe up with a solution.

    Meanwhile, something flinty flickered in Ye Qings eyes. On the surface, it sounded like Song Qingyu was just making a casual remark. In reality, the fucker had been fanning the mes since the moment he opened his mouth.

    The woman named Ruyan was no naivedy either. Fu Hengcong himself couldnt see it, but it was obvious that she had himpletely under his thumb. Not only that, she most likely incited this whole conflict because she knew that his and Greekes seat were the safest, proving that Greekes intuition was correct.

    Fu Hengcong might have the word Cong (meaning Intelligent) in his name, but he was as dumb as a pig.

    I dont like your tone, viin. It has treachery and malice riddled all over it, Jing Xin spoke up suddenly.

    What are you talking about, monk? I just dont like seeing a woman cry is all. Song Yushu shrugged.

    Thats <em>his </em>woman, not yours. Even if she cries, its up to him to appease her, not you. Is that it? You want to fuck his woman? Jing Xin harrumphed.

    Shut your trap, monk! Fu Hengcong turned around and red at Jing Xin.

    Im trying to help you, you idiot. Its obvious that this guy is the type of bastard who enjoys stealing another mans woman. But luckily for you, your woman isnt a good person either. After all, what kind of good person would demand another person to give up their seat as soon as they got on a boat? If you ask me, you should let her go before she cucks you.

    Jing Xin chanted an Amitabha before continuing, The Buddha says that one should perform a good deed everyday. No need to thank me, benefactor.

    Why the fuck I would thank you? Youre the cuckold! Your whole family are cuckolds! Fu Hengcong was so angry he could catch a stroke, but then again, what was the point of arguing with a madman, especially one he couldnt beat?

    Ruyan was sobbing quietly and acting like she might burst into tears at any moment.

    <em>This monks a genius! I cant believe drew all the attention away from me in just a few sentences! Hes a good guy! </em>Ye Qings impression of Jing Xin improved considerably. Thanks to the interruption, the tension between him and Fu Hengcong was considerably lesser than before, and Fu Hengcong now had an excuse to call off his stupendously bad idea without bad.

    Honestly, he didnt feel like shing against anyone at the moment, and if this was anywhere else, he wouldve just given up the seat and walked away. However, he couldnt ignore the ferrymans words, not to mention that Fu Hengcongs attitude was loathsome. That was why he didnt give up the seat.

    He wasnt afraid of being recognized either. He was wearing a mask right now. Unless he revealed his own face like an idiot, the guy would never find out his true identity!

    Enough. The boats about to take off.

    It was at this moment Lu Hui interrupted the conversation coldly. He said this because the ferryman was boarding the boat as well.

    The ferryman paid no attention to the group after boarding the boat. He walked up to the front end of the mast and lit anotherntern.

    The twonterns lit the boat as bright as day, though the light it gave off felt cold and unsettling.

    Thats the Human Skin Lantern and the Corpse Oil Candle. Greeke whispered when she noticed Ye Qing examining thenterns curiously. The reason he lit onentern when he came over and twonterns when hes about to head back is a sort of prayer to guarantee safe passage.

    After the secondntern was lit, the ferryman pushed off the shore with his bony setting pole. The boat immediately shot toward the center like a loose arrow.

    The second the boat drifted away from the shore, every ghost in the River of Forgettance immediately swam over like sharks who smelled the scent of blood. As they gathered, they formed several huge waves that only grew bigger as time passed. Each and every ghost was howling on top of their lungs and reaching out toward the passengers with ethereal hands. This was just the beginning, and already it looked like the apocalypse was upon them.

    Bro Brother Fu, I Im scared Ruyan grabbed Fu Hengcongs arm tightly and buried her face into his chest, shaking.

    <em>Im scared too! </em>Fu Hengcong was quaking with fear as well. Still, he forced down his terror and consoled her, Dont dont be afraid. Im here.

    <em>If I die, at least well die together.</em>

    1. Amandery in Tian Yong prefecture.

 Chapter 355: Sinner of Ten Lifetimes

    Chapter 355: Sinner of Ten Lifetimes

    Everyone on the board was scared and afraid. The only person who didnt panic was the ferryman himself. Right before the giant wave would hit them, he raised the bony setting pole and drew a circle in the air like a master painter.

    For a time, time froze like heaven and earth was split in half. Then, there was a pure ringing sound that sounded like it came from a jade bell, and the giant waves abruptly froze in mid-air. The ghastly wails of the ghosts were frozen as well.

    Cracks appeared from the center of the circle and spread outward. When it had spread across every wave surrounding them, the waves abruptly fell vertically and crashed back into the river.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The river was already pretty turbulent to begin with, but the crashing waves caused the boat to be tossed high, high into the air. Still shocked by what just happened, Jing Xin, Lu Hui and Corpse Vulture werepletely unprepared when they were abruptly flung out of the starboard.

    Ye Qing was the fastest out of everyone to react, and he was able to catch Jing Xins hand before he waspletely out of reach. Jing Xin grabbed Lu Huis hand, and Lu Hui grabbed Corpse Vultures hand. It was like they were ying a game or something.

    Ye Qing then exerted his strength and tried to pull them back into the boat, but to his surprise, the line of bodies didnt budge at all. It was like someone was pulling on them from the other end.

    Something is grabbing my feet! Save me! Corpse Vulture screamed.

    Ye Qing looked and saw that Corpse Vultures legs had already sunk into the river. A bunch of filthy, rotten hands were clutching to his legs, and even more ghosts were climbing up his body like ants.

    Pull us back now! Lu Hui and Jing Xin nched and cried in panic.

    Save me! Save me! Corpse Vultures scream grew even louder as the ghosts rapidly crawled up his body.

    I can use some help here! Ye Qing shouted at Song Qingyu, Fu Hengcong and Ruyan. Unlike the others, the trio only fell on their butts because they were lucky enough to be sitting on the port side of the boat.

    Song Qingyu reacted quickly andunched a palm strike that crushed the palms grabbing onto Corpse Vultures legs. However, Fu Hengcong and Ruyan only hugged each other and shivered like leaves. It was like they hadnt heard Ye Qings yell at all.

    Ye Qing exhaled and added a little more strength into his limbs. He had to be careful since he was on a boat after all. The boat sank an inch, and this time, he was able to pull the trio back to the boat.

    Phew thank goodness Im a very lucky monk. I was this close to joining the Buddha! Jing Xin patted his chest repeatedly while venting his fear.

    Lu Hui was voicing his thanks to Ye Qing and Song Qingyu as well.

    But Corpse Vulture

    Save me save me

    The group turned toward the source of the cry and saw Corpse Vulture still struggling on the surface of the River of Forgettance. Countless hands were dragging him slowly but surely into the bottom. There was a problem though.

    If Corpse Vulture is over there then who is <em>this </em>guy? Lu Hui stared at the Corpse Vulture on the boat with a shiver.

    Ye Qing hadnt screwed up. He had pulled everyone who was tossed overboard back into the boat. However, it was a fact that there was a second Corpse Vulture struggling to stay afloat in the River of Forgettance. What was going on here?

    Save me please save me glug

    The moment of indecision was all the ghosts needed to pull the second Corpse Vulture into the river. He was gone just like that.

    Except for the ferryman, even the most hardened person on the boat couldnt resist a shiver and clutched the boat with both hands. No one wanted to follow in Corpse Vultures footsteps. It wasnt long before the boat left the area, and the river turned rtively calm once more. If they didnt know better, if Corpse Vultures corpse wasnt right there with them, they couldve believed that it was just a fever dream.

    Oh. Oh! Now I remember. The one in the river is Corpse Vultures soul. His soul was separated from his corpse!

    Jing Hui abruptly pped his bald head in realization. Anyone who falls into the River of Forgettance of Fengdu will have their body and soul separated. Their body would feed the worms, and the soul would remain in the river forever. That is why we saw two Corpse Vultures just now.

    You couldve said it sooner, monk! Song Qingyu regained his cool and chided him in azy tone. Amitabha, I cant say what I dont remember. Jing Xin shrugged. There was no way we couldve saved the guy anyway. Only a Sage possesses the power to wrestle a soul from the River of Forgettance, and even if I do possess the power to save him, I wasnt going to do it.

    Tsk tsk, thats not something a Buddhist should say. Didnt your Buddha say that saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda?

    So what? Thats what the Buddha thinks, not me.

    Jing Xin stared at Song Qingyu like he was an idiot. Also, my master told me that the Buddha said that line specifically to trick idiots like you. You just confirmed that youre an idiot.

    Personally, I only believe that virtue begets reward, and evil its retribution. If you catch an irredeemable viin, you should always kill them dead so that they can nevermit another evil. Corpse Vulture killed countless innocents just because he could, so he absolutely fell under this category. If you hadn''t stopped me earlier, I wouldve killed him myself, so his death only pleases me, hehehe

    Heh. Did you realize that your temperament fits that of a demonic sect very well? Would you like to join us? Song Qingyu asked in azy tone. If someone were to expose his face right now, they would realize that his eyes were glowing an eerie light that could draw someone away from the right path.

    If you join my sect, youll be able to kill anyone you want, do whatever you want, and live however you like. That would be great, dont you agree?

    You really <em>are </em>stupid. No bloody way Im going to be a heretic! Not only would I get a bad reputation, everyone and their mothers want to kill me! Theres nothing enviable about such a life!

    Jing Hui waspletely unaffected by Song Qingyus spell, however. He scoffed, Also, I already <em>can </em>do whatever the hell I want. Do you know what my master told me? If I ever see someone I dont like, all I need to do is to point a finger at them and cry, Heretic! Evil! Viin!, and everyone will believe me and beat the shit out of them. It is a monks privilege to be able to enlighten anyone I want. Can your sect do that?

    Song Qingyu couldnt say anything for a time. Why did he feel like Master Yu Hai was a greater demon than him, a warrior of the Dark Ways? What kind of Buddhist teaches their disciple like that?

    Song Qingyu sighed. Just now, he tried to use a secret art called Heart Seed to nt a dark seed in Jing Xins heart. It could probe a chink in a persons mental defense and tempt them into the Dark Ways without a trae. More importantly, it allowed him to use his victims as incubators.

    Unfortunately, Crazy Monks mind and way of thinking were different from others. Try as he might, he did not seed.

    It didnt matter though. It wasnt like it cost him anything.

    No one said anything after that. In fact, the atmosphere was fairly tense. They were all clutching the sides of the boat with a death grip to avoid a random wave damning them to a torturous eternity in the River of Forgettance.

    The same couldnt be said for Ye Qing and Greeke. As they were sitting in the middle of the boat, they were the least likely to fall off the boat unless it capsized.

    Tsk tsk, you sure picked a good spot!, brother! Song Qingyu uttered with jealousy when he noticed Ye Qings casual appearance.

    I was just lucky. Ye Qing smirked. <em>Not my fault you didnt pay the ferryman his due.</em>

    What do you think, husband? Your money is well spent, right? Greeke whispered beside his ear.

    Yes, you were right. Ye Qing didnt hesitate to give her a thumbs-up. He finally understood what the ferryman meant when he said, Always sit at the center of the boat.

    At first, everyone was nervous and prepared for anything. However, they eventually realized that what they encountered at the beginning was just an unfortunate ident, and the boat wasnt going to be assaulted by gigantic waves of ghosts all the time. They all let out a sigh of relief.

    The shore grew smaller and smaller behind them. The boat felt like an ant that had sailed head first into the maws of an impossibly huge monster.

    When the boat sailed into the fog, everyones vision became extremely limited. They could only see ten or so meters away from the boat.

    Suddenly, Ruyan let out a cry of surprise and pointed toward the distance. Ah! Brother Fu! What is that?

    When they looked, they saw a massive, upside down mountain. Literally, the bottom of the mountain was narrow, and the top looked like it had blotted out the entire sky. Ye Qing was immediately reminded of the snail Stranger he encountered back in the Demons Tomb.

    This mountain wasnt the snail Stranger though. In fact, it wasnt even a real mountain. It was made up of millions and millions of ghosts. Yes, it was a literal mountain of ghosts.

    Even scarier was the fact that the mountain was moving ever so slowly. When the boat got closer, they realized that there was a man at the bottom of the mountain. He was carrying the mountain and moving somewhere.

    His back was bent almost ny degrees. Countless ghosts were climbing out of the river and onto the mountain, constantly adding to his burden. As if that wasnt enough, all sorts of vermin were clinging to his flesh and biting chunks from time to time.

    Is Is he alive? Fu Hengcong gulped audibly and asked.

    Are you stupid? This is the River of Forgettance! Use your brain for once, for Buddhas sake! Jing Xin rebuked him before answering, Thats the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes.

    Whats a Sinner of Ten Lifetimes? Fu Hengcong asked. He was so stunned by the inhuman sight he forgot he wasnt on good terms with Jing Xin.

    ording to the Lotus Sutra[1], there exists vile men and women in this world whom even the Buddha found difficult to enlighten. It is because they carry ten lifetimes worth of sin on their backs. These people may never reincarnate after they die, and they are damned to suffer an eternity of tribtions in the River of Forgettance. That is why they are called the Sinners of Ten Lifetimes.

    Jing Xin exined, To put it in simpler terms, a Sinner of Ten Lifetimes is the ghost of a vile person whomitted unthinkable atrocities for ten lifetimes straight. Due to how sinful they are, they are unable to join the cycle of reincarnation and start a new life. The Great Emperor of Fengdu himself sentenced them to an eternity in the River of Forgettance. He also made them carry millions of ghosts and suffer countless vermin to serve as a warning to all others who might entertain the idea of living a life of sin.

    That said, it is not impossible for a Sinner of Ten Lifetimes to escape their predicament. Legend says that if the ghosts and vermin could consume all of the sins on the sinners person, then they might yet rejoin the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn.

    <em>Thats surprising. I thought he had a brain of muscles considering how crazy he is! </em>Ye Qing thought to himself.

    They should''ve seen thising. When the boat was passing through the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes, the ghost suddenly looked in their direction.<em></em>Its crimson eyes looked like a pair of fiery torches, and when they looked into his eyes, the desire to do harm suddenly sprung in everyones heart. Their pupils gradually turned crimson, and they began eyeing each other with clear malice in their eyes.

    Namo ratna-trayaya

    Namo ariya-valokite-svaraya

    Bodhi-sattvaya Maha-sattvaya Maha-karunikaya

    Om sarva rabhaye sudhanadasya

    Namo skritva imam

    arya-valokite-svara ramdhava

    Namo narakindi hrih Maha-vadha-sva-me

    Sarva-arthato-subham ajeyam

    Sarva-sata Namo-vasat Namo-vaka mavitato

    Tadyatha[2]

    It was at this moment a grand, dignified voice entered everyones ears. The unnatural crimson in Fu Hengcong, Song Qingyu and more peoples eyes began fading until they returned to normal.

    At the same time, they realized that Jing Xin was sping his hands together in a prayer and chanting a sutra. Golden lotuses were raining around him.

    <em>Its the Great Compassion Dharani Sutra Huh. Who wouldve thought that Crazy Monk had it in him to act like a proper monk?</em>

    The specifics were different, but the thought crossed everyones mind.

    1. The Lotus Stra is one of the most influential and venerated Buddhist Mahyna stras. Youlle to realize that the author uses a LOT of real life references, though I suppose itll be near impossible to tell without my references.

    2. An excerpt from the Great Compassion Dharani Sutra.

 Chapter 356: The Strange Sights of the River of Forgettance

    Chapter 356: The Strange Sights of the River of Forgettance

    A momentter, Jing Xin opened his eyes and eyed the passengers on the boat scornfully.

    See? I know you guys arent good people. One look from the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes, and you viins nearly lost to your own dark desires. Amitabha

    <em>And there he is. We all knew it wouldntst. </em>The group rolled their eyes but decided not to retort on ount of the monk saving their lives.

    It was at this moment Jing Xin noticed that Ye Qing still had his eyes closed. He eximed in surprise, Hmm? Why hasnt he awakened? Is my sutra not effective against him?

    As if on cue, Ye Qing opened his eyes. A pulse of spirit washed out of his body, and his eyes shone like stars at dawn.

    Realization struck Jing Xin. Did you achieve a breakthrough, benefactor?

    Its a small one, but yes. Ye Qing smiled. It is all thanks to your sutra, master. Thank you very much for your assistance.

    Hahaha! If your conscience is clear, and you are true to your heart, then you may meet Tathagata himself! You are extremely gifted, benefactor. I can tell you are destined with the Buddha[1]. Jing Xinughed boisterously before shooting the others a scornful look. Unlike some filthy and treacherous scumbags.

    Everyone except Ye Qing: ... <em>What the hell is your problem? If you wanna praise someone, then praise them! Dont insult us in the same sentence!</em>

    At the same time, the group watched Ye Qing as if seeing him in a new light. <em>Whats with this guy? We nearly lost ourselves to the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes, but he achieved a breakthrough? Is he really that gifted?</em>

    Ye Qing ignored them all and engaged Jing Xin in small talk. From time to time, he would nce at the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes almost as if he wanted the Stranger to look at them again.

    In fact, he did. Contrary to his im, his breakthrough had nothing to do with Jing Xin whatsoever. It was all because the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes had looked at them.

    As expected of the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes who, if the legends were to be trusted,mitted at least ten lifetimes worth of sins, one look was enough to draw out their malice, desire, greed, anger, Five Poisons and more. However, he had the demonic lotus. It had absorbed it all like a sponge and grew stronger.

    He had used a golden rune prior to entering the Yin Market, so he was one step away from fully blooming the demonic lotus second petal. This unexpected boon was just what he needed to enter the middle-stage of the Spirit Purification Realm.

    If the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes shot him a couple more nces, he was sure his cultivation of the Paranirmitavaavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra would advance considerably. Unfortunately, the Stranger couldnt care less about him. He eventually and his mountain of ghosts eventually vanished into the fog.

    It was at this moment Greekes sound transmission entered his head. Husband, your breakthrough has nothing to do with Crazy Monk, am I right?

    Ye Qing smirked. <em>You found out?</em>

    In any case, the encounter was a wakeup call for everyone. They realized that they werentpletely immune to danger even if they stayed firmly inside the boat.

    As the boat sailed deeper into the fog, the things they saw grew increasingly strange, beautiful, and dangerous.

    They saw a fake Tathagata who was half-ss and half-bone, half-Buddha and half-Mara. The good people saw the dark side of the Buddha, and the bad people saw the good side. It was trying to tempt everyone into straying off their chosen path, and it almost seeded.

    They encountered a gigantic baby who was sleeping on the river surface, and its dreams were visible for all to see. When it slept, it dreamed of beautiful, everchanging humanity. When it awoke, the dream world was annihted like it was struck by aet. Some of them almost got pulled into the dream, so that wouldve been bad to put it mildly.

    They saw a great serpent over thousands of meters long and covered in eyeballs swimming at the bottom of the river. Every time it opened or closed its eyes, the waters of the River of Forgettance would turn clear or murky.

    They saw a giantdy with a bulging stomach that gave her the impression of a pregnantdy, and a giant ox with a human head. Both were guzzling down the waters of the River of Forgettance and causing a massive whirlpool as a result.

    They also saw a giant, colorful butterfly flying across the river. When it pped its wings, countless ghosts wailed like it was the end of the world.

    As bizarre, gorgeous, and anomalous these creatures were, no one could deny that it was an eye-opening experience. It was also one that tested the heart. As they ventured deeper still into the River of Forgettance, the smell of blood grew thicker, and they started experiencing all kinds of hallucinations. Their temper had be unnaturally short as well.

    This illuminated Ye Qing on what the ferryman meant by, Do not waver when crossing the river. There existed all kinds of anomalies and temptations within the River of Forgettance. He could easily die or go insane if he didnt steady himself.

    Ruyan was pressed up against Fu Hengcongs chest and sobbing uncontrobly, Uwah Im scared, Brother Fu. Im scared. Are we going to die here? Uwahhh!

    If the group was confident that nothing could threaten them before, now that confidence was nowhere to be seen. No one knew what was going to happen next, or if they were going to die here.

    Hey Does this happen every time someone wants to travel to the inner market? Ye Qing nced at Greeke. He would never have agreed toe here if he knew the journey would be such a thrilling experience.

    I told you that the Yin Market is a ce for champions and geniuses. Anyone who couldnt even ovee such a small obstacle does not deserve to enter the inner market, Greeke replied softly. Honestly, this has been a fairly easy journey so far.

    Ye Qing blinked. <em>Youve got to be kidding me.</em>

    Youre such a cute boy, husband. Im loving you more and more.

    Greekeughed at his reaction. Did you notice? Except for the attack at the beginning, none of the Strangers we encountered so far had tried to attack us. At most, we were affected by the wisps of energies they released by nature or by ident. All we need to do is to steady our mind to ovee them. If this isnt easy, then what is?

    You are right, Ye Qing agreed reluctantly after thinking back on what had happened to them so far.

    Why are you so quiet, Brother Fu?

    Meanwhile, Ruyan finally looked up from Fu Hengcongs chest after sobbing for a bit and failing to elicit any response from her man whatsoever. This was strange considering Fu Hengcong prided himself as Ruyanspdog. It was at this moment she noticed that his eyes were zed, and he was staring into the river with an odd smile on his face.

    Realizing that something was wrong with Fu Hengcong, Ruyan shook him urgently, Brother Fu? Brother Fu! Whats wrong? Dont scare me, Brother Fu!

    Hehe Fu Hengcong abruptly raised his hand in a girly fashion and let out a girlish giggle.

    Somethings not right! Song Qingyu immediately pulled Ruyan away from him.

    Ye Qing and Jing Xin too noticed that something was off with Fu Hengcong, but the danger wasnt apparent at first nce. Fu Hengcong was staring straight into the river and acting like a weirdo, but besides that, he wasnt dying or anything. They couldnt see anything but red and yellow when they looked into the river themselves.

    Strange. Theres nothing down there. What is that idiot looking at? Jing Xin scratched his head in puzzlement before grabbing Fu Hengcongs shoulder with his right hand. Hey you. What are you looking at?

    In response, Fu Hengcong slowly turned toward Jing Xin and made a feminine hand gesture. He then let out a feminine giggle and asked coquettishly, Hehe do I look beautiful?

    By the Buddha! Why is he acting like a girl all of a sudden? Even Jing Xin, the Crazy Monk couldnt handle such a drastic transformation.

    Ye Qing frowned deeply as he scanned Fu Hengcong with his demonic thoughts. However, he couldnt sense any anomalous energy from the young man. What happened to him?

    Brother Fu! Whats gotten into you? Please dont scare Ruyan! Ruyan sobbed loudly. Please save Brother Fu, someone! Please!

    My dear aunt, dont get angry.

    Please listen to what I have to say.

    Su Baotong rebelled against thew,

    And my husband, the emperor''s son-inw, went to the battlefield.

    Knowing our sons reckless nature,

    We locked him in the study with a stone lock.

    But our son is fiery and wilful,

    So he smashed the stone lock and went fishing at Golden Water Bridge

    Fu Hengcang was dancing and singing like he was an opera actor. Not only that, he was ying the famous To Kill Qin Ying[2].

    Fu Hengcong was a tall, handsome, and masculine man, but right now he looked prettier than even a songstress in a theater or brothel in every sense of the word. His dance moves were sexier than a young woman in her prime, and his timbre and intonation were even more seductive than a famous actor.

    By the Buddhas, his singing is better than the Dans[3] of famous troupes. He would be world famous if the world were to discover his talent.

    There was only one man on the boat who could say something that ruined the eerie atmosphere so thoroughly, and he was of course the Crazy Monk, Jing Xin.

    Maybe hes secretly a girl in disguise? Lets see!

    Jing Xin actually made a grab for Fu Hengcongs chest after saying this.

    Everyone: ...

    <em>Are you serious, monk? Whatevers going on with Fu Hengcong, it clearly isnt ordinary. Are you so eager tomit suicide?</em>

    <em>Also, there are countless ways to check someones gender. Why must you grab his boobs? And judging from how practiced your movements are, you must have done this plenty of times in the past, havent you? Are you a fake monk?</em>

    Ye Qing agreed with Jing Xins action, however. He looked like he was acting reckless and crazy as usual, but in reality, he was holding the lion mudra with his left hand. The lion mudra represented self-control and the intent to suppress evils, so Jing Xin was really checking to see if he could awaken Fu Hengcong with the lion mudra. Even if the young man suddenly attacked him, he would be able to respond at first notice.

    The young man froze for a second when Jing Xins hands made contact with his chest. Just when everyone thought he was cured, he started singing again and even caressing Jing Xins face like he was his lover.

    By the Buddhas! Jing Xin flinched back with disgust. He hurriedly took a few steps away from Fu Hengcong and said, I tried everything. I leave it to you guys to find a way?

    Everyone exchanged nces with each other. No one was feeling particrly confident when even a Buddhist monk had failed.

    Ill give it a go, Song Qingyu started, but before he could even make a move, Jing Xins eyes abruptly zed over like he was possessed by something. Just like Fu Hengcong, he let out a silly chuckle before beginning to sing with a loud, powerful voice. The monk was surprisingly talented considering his martial arts usually involved a lot of shouting.

    <em>Jing Xin fell for it too?</em>

    Everyone subconsciously pulled away from Jing Xin. Jing Xin was fine right up till the point he touched Fu Hengcong, meaning that physical contact could cause the condition to spread. Until they found out exactly what the hell was going on here, it was best not to make contact with the patients anymore.

    Unfortunately, the boat was only so big, not to mention that they were in the middle of the River of Forgettance. There was literally nowhere they could go.

    The good news was Jing Xin and Fu Hengcong werent trying to infect them or anything. They just kept singing to themselves. In fact, the singing was pretty amazing. If the situation wasnt so abnormal, Ye Qing wouldnt mind returning to his seat and enjoying the show.

    As they continued, the two suddenly-opera-actors stopped singing their own songs anymore. They came together and performed a two-man show where Fu Hengcong yed the female lead, and Jing Xin the male lead. They looked so absorbed in the act they looked like they could do this forever.

    What what do we do? Ruyan stuttered.

    You said you wanted to give it a go? What are you waiting for? Ye Qing looked at Song Qingyu.

    Er how about we just toss them into the river and forget this ever happened? Song Qingyu was going to try and save Fu Hengcong with his mental art, but he changed his mind after what happened to Jingxin.

    I believe thats a good idea. Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    You cant do this! Please save Brother Fu and Master Jing Xin! Ruyan begged loudly when she heard this.

    Its just a joke. Ye Qing waved her off. Of course he wouldnt do that unless he had no other option.

    But how was he going to wake them from their stupor?

    Why dont we observe this for a little while longer, Lu Hui suggested.

    Why not? Song Qingyu didnt really care.

    Sounds like a n. It was getting a little boring. Ye Qing shrugged.

    If he was alone, he could try asking the Annon Sutra for a solution. But he was surrounded by both humans and ghosts right now, so the only option now was to wait and see what happened next.

    At first, things were rtively normalif you pretended that two people suddenly singing and dancing in the middle of the River of Forgettance was normal that wasbut eventually, inevitably, things took a turn for the sinister. The duo werent performing lively, cheerful-sounding operas anymore. No, they were performing operas that could only be described as fit for a ghost; dark and sinister.

    1. Hes destined with many Buddhas some more unnatural than others. XD

    2. I tranted the lyrics myself, but the Chinese opera is very real. Dont ask me what its about though.

    3. Dan is the general name for female roles in Chinese opera, often referring to leading roles. They may be yed by male or female actors.

 Chapter 357: Ghost Opera

    <h4>Chapter 357: Ghost Opera </h4>

    ¡°What the heck are they ying? It¡¯s giving me the goosebumps!¡± Song Qingyu rubbed his arms firmly.

    ¡°A Ghost Opera! It has to be a Ghost Opera!¡± Suddenly, Lu Hui eximed in realization and fear.

    ¡°Ghost Opera?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s brows raised visibly. He too recognized the term.

    ¡°Wha... What¡¯s a Ghost Opera, senior?¡± Ruyan stuttered.

    Lu Hui said seriously, ¡°It is what it sounds like. A Ghost Opera is an opera that is sung by ghosts for ghosts. It is not meant to be enjoyed by the living. That is why their performance makes us feel cold and ufortable.¡±

    ¡°Will... Will there be any danger?¡± Ruyan asked.

    ¡°If ghosts start singing, away away the living must be, lest it blind the heart and confound the soul.¡±

    Ye Qing chimed in, ¡°What this means is that it¡¯s okay to listen to a ghost opera in the short term, but any longer than that, and you would begin to lose focus, and the stability of your soul would weaken considerably. The likelihood that you might encounter some sort of evil would be much higher, and the slightest scare could cause your soul to leave your body.¡±

    ¡°Of course, this isn¡¯t a big problem for us warriors. The big problem is that a Ghost Opera is highly attractive to ghosts. Look.¡±

    Ye Qing pointed at the river, and Ruyan followed his finger. She immediately saw that rings and rings of ghosts had surrounded the boat. Even now, more ghosts were swimming over from every direction.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Ruyan was so frightened that she identally slipped on her feet. She was about to fall into the river when Song Qingyu stepped forward and caught her in his embrace. He said in a soothing and gentle voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, beauty. I am here.¡±

    He then looked at Ye Qing and Lu Hui and asked, ¡°What should we do now, my friends?¡±

    ¡°You said you are here, aren¡¯t you? You do something about it.¡± Ye Qing side-eyed the flirt. <i>If you¡¯re going to save your princess right in front of our faces, then you can fight the bloody dragon as well!</i>

    ¡°Let me think. I have no idea what is possessing these two, and physical contact seems to spread the condition. In other words, they are already lost to this world.¡±

    The corners of Song Qingyu¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smirk. ¡°In that case, the best thing to do is to toss them into a river. Our conundrum should solve itself as well.¡±

    ¡°No! You can¡¯t do that! I beg you, please save Brother Fu!¡± Ruyan struggled free from Song Qingyu¡¯s embrace and begged with teary eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything if you can save Brother Fu!¡±

    ¡°Anything?¡± Song Qingyu¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Does that include you?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Ruyan bit her bottom lip, hesitating. ¡°If you can save Brother Fu, then... yes.¡±

    ¡°Good, good! They all say that prostitutes are heartless, and actors are faithless[1]. But you are clearly neither! You have my respect!¡±

    Song Qingyu praised before shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s too bad...¡±

    ¡°Too bad, what?¡± Ruyan asked in a hurry.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad I don¡¯t know how to save your man.¡± Song Qingyu shrugged.

    Everyone: ¡°...¡± <i>Then why the fuck did you act like you do? What a waste of time this is!</i>

    ¡°Senior, warrior, do you have a solution? Please?¡± Ruyan looked at Lu Hui and Ye Qing and begged.

    Lu Hui was frowning deeply and not saying anything.

    Ye Qing¡¯s bangs were covering his eyes. He seemed to be contemting something.

    ¡°Give it up, beauty. There is no saving them.¡± Song Qingyu smiled. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Your Brother Fu may be gone, but you still have a Brother Song. I promise I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡±

    Ruyan¡¯s eyes dimmed as if she had lost her soul. She was even swaying on her feet like she might copse at any moment.

    ¡°So? Who¡¯s going to do it? Me or you?¡± Song Qingyu asked Ye Qing and Lu Hui. When both men remained silent, Song Qingyu chuckled. ¡°I guess you wouldn¡¯t want to dirty your hands. I¡¯ll do it then.¡±

    Right before he would send a gust of force at the duo, Ye Qing suddenly called out, ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you going to stop me?¡± Song Qingyu¡¯s tone turned a little cold.

    ¡°Calm. I have a n I¡¯d like to try.¡± Ye Qing paid his tone no heed.

    ¡°You think you can save them?¡± Both Song Qingyu and Lu Hui looked at Ye Qing in unison. If Lu Hui¡¯s eyes were suspicious, then Song Qingyu¡¯s eyes were outright scornful. Neither men believed Ye Qing could do it.

    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m just giving it a try,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly. Then, to their surprise, Ye Qing walked straight toward the ferryman.

    <i>What is he doing? </i>The thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind.

    Ye Qing bowed to the ferryman first. Then he muttered a little something and handed him five yin gold.

    The trio¡¯s eyes widened when they saw the ferryman epting the yin gold and even nodding to Ye Qing. They honestly thought he was just a puppet since he did nothing besides inspecting the Yin Token, sailing the boat, and protecting it from danger.

    The next moment, the ferryman raised his bony setting pole and tapped the river surface lightly, causing the surrounding ghosts to scatter in every direction. At the same time, a massive shadow appeared right underneath their boat.

    It was a man¡ªor more urately, a ghost¡ªwearing an opera outfit and opera makeup. He was floating face-up on the river and clinging to the bottom of the boat. His lips were moving as if he was reciting lines, and he was wearing an odd smile on his face.

    ¡°The Ghost Actor?!¡± Lu Hui eximed in shock and gulped audibly.

    Before Lu Hui could say anything else, the ferryman raised his setting pole again and tapped the end on Ghost Actor¡¯s forehead. The Ghost Actor immediately started fading like he was a mirage. After that, a mournful, eerie singing spread across the river, and the two men who had been singing and dancing this whole time abruptly copsed to the floor like puppets whose strings were cut.

    The good news was that they were just exhausted. Their lives weren¡¯t in danger.

    Ye Qing thanked the ferryman for his service and turned back toward the trio. He beamed at them. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°What did you do? Why would the ferryman help us?¡± Lu Hui asked.

    ¡°I just paid him some yin gold and asked him for help, that¡¯s all,¡± Ye Qing exined.

    ¡°You can do that?¡± Song Qingyu eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Why not? Haven¡¯t you heard that money makes the world go round, much less a ghost?¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°Yes, but seriously?¡± Lu Hui and Song Qingyu exchanged nces with each other.

    ¡°But of course!¡± Ye Qing replied affirmatively.

    Did he know for certain that the ferryman could save the duo? Of course not. It was just a moment of inspiration. Thankfully, it worked.

    ¡°Are you suggesting that we can just... pay the ferryman to resolve whatever danger we might encounter on the river?¡±

    ¡°I believe so.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. Lu Hui was asking too many questions, but his sentiment was understandable.

    ¡°Heavens above! All this time we did our damndest to resist the anomalies and influences of the River of Forgettance, and you¡¯re telling me that we could¡¯ve saved all that pain and effort by bribing the ferryman? Come on!¡±

    Song Qingyuined loudly before looking at Ye Qing. ¡°But wait, how did you know it¡¯s possible to bribe the ferryman with yin gold?¡±

    ¡°I <i>didn¡¯t </i>know. I was just giving it a try,¡± Ye Qing lied. Of course he wasn¡¯t going to tell Song Qingyu that he had bribed the ferryman from the beginning.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Song Qingyu didn¡¯t look like he believed him, but he didn¡¯t press further.

    ¡°Brother Fu, you¡¯re awake!¡± It was at this moment Ruyan eximed joyously. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Both Fu Hengcong and Jing Xin had awakened at more or less the same time.

    ¡°I¡¯m... fine? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Fu Hengcong shook his head lightly. His mind felt nk and a little painful for some reason. He then noticed that his voice was raspy. ¡°Why do I sound like this?¡±

    ¡°Because you used it for too long,¡± Song Qingyu repliedzily. It would be stranger if the guy¡¯s voice was fine after he sang multiple difficult tunes for so long.

    ¡°Huh? Did I heal you after all? Wait, no, I¡¯m sure I failed. In fact, I felt like I fell for the same evil as well. But why can¡¯t I remember it? And why does my head feel a little confused?¡± Jing Xin said while pping his own head repeatedly.

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Ye Qing grabbed Jing Xin¡¯s hand before he could hit himself any further. The monk didn¡¯t look very smart in the first ce. If he kept this up, he was going to be even stupider and crazier than he already was.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this...¡± Ye Qing proceeded to tell them what just happened.

    ¡°Oh, I see. You saved my life again, benefactor,¡± Jing Xin said gratefully after listening to the full story. ¡°This is the second time I owe you a life debt. From now on, if you ever need me to burn a house or take a life, please don¡¯t hesitate to seek me out!¡±

    ¡°Haha... sure.¡± Ye Qing replied a little stiffly. <i>Burn a house? Take a life? And you call yourself a monk, bro?</i>

    Fu Hengcong also thanked Ye Qing for his help after hearing the whole story, but his attitude was as annoying as ever. He made it sound like it was Ye Qing¡¯s honor to be able to save his life.

    ¡°Hehe, no need to thank me. Just pay me my due, and we¡¯re square,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly. If his impression of Jing Xin was good because he was a good person despite his somewhat insane behavior, then his impression of Fu Hengcong could only be described as loathsome.

    And what do you do when you have no choice but to interact with people you loathe? You add cash to dilute the taste, of course.

    ¡°How much do you want?¡± Fu Hengcong asked arrogantly.

    ¡°Five hundred yin gold,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough...¡± Lu Hui immediately started coughing uncontrobly.

    Song Qingyu spat out the water he just drank.

    <i>We all heard that you paid the ferryman five yin gold, and now you¡¯re demanding one hundred times the price?! Where is your shame, brother?</i>

    ¡°That many?¡± Even Fu Hengcong was taken aback a little.

    ¡°Do you think your life isn¡¯t worth five hundred yin gold?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s just five hundred yin gold. Here.¡± Fu Hengcong harrumphed and tossed a bag of yin gold into Ye Qing¡¯s hands.

    Of course, Fu Hengcong was really bleeding on the inside even though he pretended that it was nothing. Five hundred yin gold wasn¡¯t a small number even for him. However, he had already promised that he would pay Ye Qing for saving his life. He would look bad if he went back against his own word, and to Fu Hengcong, nothing was more important than looking good. So, he swallowed the loss like the real man he was.

    Lu Hui and Song Qingyu shook their heads but said nothing. They had no interest in getting involved in the first ce, and Fu Hengcong¡¯s act made them even less interested to help him. Only a total fool would tell a rich person to save his money.

    Ruyan opened her mouth to say something, but she quickly closed it when she saw Ye Qing shooting her a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye.

    <i>Phew, I got back everything I lost and more! </i>Ye Qing put away the five hundred yin gold, grinning.

    1. And Ruyan is both because she¡¯s both an actor and a prostitute. In the old brothels, theater usuallyes with prostitution service as well. ?

 Chapter 358: Donâ€™t Look Back

    <h4>Chapter 358: Don¡¯t Look Back </h4>

    After putting away the yin gold, Ye Qing once again surprised everyone by walking toward the ferryman. A saluteter, he handed half of the yin gold he received to the Stranger.

    Didn¡¯t he want to keep the five hundred yin gold to himself? Of course he did. But objectively speaking, the ferryman was the one who did all of the work. More importantly, he was still on the boat and the River of Forgettance right now. Dare he risk the ferryman¡¯s ire in his territory? Not at all.

    This was why he decided to give up half of the yin gold. It was still a massive profit all things considered.

    The ferryman looked at the bag of yin gold in silence. In the end, he decided not to assassinate Ye Qing and take all of the yin gold for himself. Ye Qing¡¯s worries had been spot on.

    <i>He¡¯s a good guy, and I did all the hard work. I definitely deserve this yin gold. </i>The ferryman epted his pay with a clear conscience.

    At the same time, another idea entered the ferryman¡¯s mind. <i>This feels like a long-term strategy to make money. Should I discuss this with the other ferrymen? Yes, I think I should.</i>

    Ye Qing had no idea that he had unwittingly inspired the ferryman, of course. All he knew was that the unsettling feeling that had been guing him since receiving the five hundred yin gold was gone, and that was all he wanted.

    When he returned to his seat, he was met with Song Qingyu and Lu Hui¡¯s impressed faces, and Fu Hengcong and Jing Xin¡¯s confused looks.

    ¡°What was that about?¡± Fu Hengcong frowned deeply.

    ¡°Paying the ferryman his due,¡± Ye Qing answered matter-of-factly. ¡°I asked him to do me a favor, and he did. Shouldn¡¯t I thank him for his troubles?¡±

    At this point, Fu Hengcong figured out that he had been scammed by Ye Qing. However, it was far toote to get back his money, not to mention that he couldn¡¯t possibly bring himself to do such a shameful thing.

    So, Fu Hengcong could only re impotently at Ye Qing to convey his dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Hehe...¡± Ye Qing could sense Fu Hengcong¡¯s dissatisfaction and malice, of course. A devious idea suddenly urred to him, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to set it in motion immediately. ¡°Say, Scion Fu. The ferryman is the one who really saved your life. Shouldn¡¯t you show him your sincerity?¡±

    Ye Qing nced at the ferryman and winked. <i>Herees money, brother.</i>

    The ferryman was so stunned that his movements paused for a brief moment. <i>You can do that? He¡¯s a fucking genius!</i>

    The ferryman then realized that Ye Qing was hinting at him to take action and stared straight at Fu Hengcong.

    ¡°You...!¡±

    Fu Hengcong wanted to rip Ye Qing to shreds. This was a level of shamelessness beyond anything he had ever experienced. But when he sensed the ferryman¡¯s death stare, he had no choice but to swallow his words. He had witnessed time and again just how powerful the ferryman was. He might be arrogant and stupid, but he wasn¡¯t so stupid that he couldn¡¯t recognize the folly of antagonizing someone way stronger than him.

    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Fu Hengcong forced himself to spit out while enduring anger and the pain of loss in his heart.

    As he walked up to the ferryman and produced him a yin gold, Ye Qing¡¯s voice came again like a curse. ¡°Best not be stingy, Scion Fu. I¡¯m just theckey, but the ferryman is the one who did all of the hard work.¡±

    ¡°You mother¡ª¡± Fu Hengcong stumbled on his feet. He was this close from bursting into a loud, angry tirade. He was going to pay only three or five yin gold since he already forked five hundred, but now he had to pay at least a hundred yin gold to thank the ferryman. Otherwise, he would lose face <i>and </i>offend the ferryman.

    ¡°Thank you <i>so much </i>for the reminder,¡± Fu Hengcong uttered through gritted teeth.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. We cultivate one hundred years of good karma to share a boat journey with someone[1], don¡¯t we? It¡¯s all destiny.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. <i>I scammed him in his face and even made him thank me for it. Good karma indeed!</i>

    Song Qingyu and the others barely suppressed a shiver. <i>Destiny? I would rather be single forever if this is the kind of destiny I get!</i>

    Fu Hengcong sucked in a deep breath to suppress the urge to vomit blood on the spot. Then, he reluctantly produced one hundred yin gold from his Nature¡¯s Shell and handed it to the ferryman.

    The ferryman didn¡¯t ept the yin gold or say anything, however. He simply watched Fu Hengcong in silence. It was because Ye Qing had shown him the light.

    <i>You gave him five hundred yin gold just because he pped his mouth, while I¡¯m the one who actually saved your life. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed with yourself? Or do you think I¡¯m a beggar?</i>

    Truly, the ferryman had been enlightened. If you wanna make money, then you gotta be shameless. That was a universal truth.

    Fu Hengcong felt a shiver as the wordless stare bore into his body and soul. Realizing what the ferryman wanted, he shakily produced another four hundred yin gold from his Nature¡¯s Shell and practically sobbed, ¡°T-Thank you very much f-for saving my life, senior.¡±

    <i>Please, senior, please! I only have so much money!</i>

    Thankfully, the ferryman didn¡¯t press further. He epted the yin gold and nodded at Ye Qing. He never even looked at Fu Hengcong.

    Fu Hengcong felt like tearing his hair out. <i>The money you received was all mine, but you¡¯re thanking the bastard who scammed me? Are you even human?</i>

    <i>Fuck, he isn¡¯t human.</i>

    Jing Xin scratched his bald head as Fu Hengcong stomped his way back to his seat. ¡°The ferryman also saved me. Should I pay him as a show of thanks? But I¡¯m a monk. I have no money.¡±

    ¡°Oh right! Benefactor Fu, you seem like a wealthy man. Can you give me a couple hundred yin gold so I can thank my savior properly?¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Fu Hengcong screamed. <i>Does he think I''m a pushover? And where the fuck am I going to get you that money when I have nothing myself?</i>

    ¡°Amitabha, you don¡¯t need to get that angry. Just say you don¡¯t want to help me.¡±

    Jing Xin rubbed his head in confusion. ¡°Also, I technically count as your savior as well. Sure, I failed to save you, but the Buddha said that as long as you¡¯ve tried, then it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind that you don¡¯t want to help me, but why did you scream at me? The word ingrate suits you perfectly. I knew you weren¡¯t a good person from the start.¡±

    Fu Hengcong narrowed his eyes at Ye Qing and Jing Xin. <i>Very good. You both think I¡¯m easy to bully, is that it? Just you wait.</i>

    ¡°He has a screw loose in his head, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Jing Xinined to Ye Qing when he saw that Fu Hengcong wasn¡¯t answering.

    ¡°The better question is, why split hairs over a sick man? Just leave him to his misery,¡± Ye Qing advised.

    ¡°Yes, you are absolutely right. Amitabha...¡±

    Fu Hengcong: ¡°...¡±<i> I feel like murdering someone. What should I do?</i>

    Maybe it was because the ferryman earned a lot of money today, but the next part of the journey was perfectly smooth and without trouble. It wasn¡¯t long before they passed through the fog and saw the distant shore and a small city. It had to be the inner market.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡±

    Everyone rejoiced when they saw the city. After all, it meant that they no longer had to be on their toes anymore.

    After the ferryman parked the boat at the ferry point, he waved a wooden nk that connected the railing and the shore into existence. Then, he waved again to motion for his passengers to get off the boat.

    Suddenly Ye Qing warned, ¡°Don¡¯t look back when you get off the boat, people.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Someone asked in confusion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Just do as I say.¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t exin himself.

    ¡°Heh. And why should we listen to your words?¡± Fu Hengcong red at him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to listen to me. You¡¯re free to do whatever you want. Goodbye.¡± Ye Qing smirked before getting off the boat with Greeke.

    Everyone still on the boat thought to themselves, <i>Hmph. What a pretentious man.</i>

    <i>Ding ding!</i>

    <i>Dong dong!</i>

    <i>Chiang chiang!</i>

    As it turned out, their tribtion wasn¡¯t over yet. The moment they set foot on the wooden nk, the group suddenly heard a bunch of drumming, ringing and gong noises from behind. At the same time, their surroundings suddenly became impossibly dark, and the wooden nk beneath their feet became impossibly long. The shore was still in front of them, but it felt like they would never reach it.

    Ye Qing swore inside his head, <i>I fucking knew there was going to be onest bullshit. I really shouldn¡¯t havee here.</i>

    After he made the ferryman a lot of money, he could feel the Stranger sneaking nces at him from time to time. It didn¡¯t feel normal or altruistic either.

    His senses told him that the ferryman was plotting to entrap him somehow and turn him into his money tree. That was why he was in such a hurry to leave the boat. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t fast enough.

    <i>Ding ding dong dong qiang qiang bam!</i>

    The instrumental sound grew louder and louder, but strangely, it wasn¡¯t annoying. On the contrary, it possessed some sort of strange quality that made them want to look back and check out what was going on.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look back!¡±

    Ye Qing forced down the unnatural desire and growled another warning. He didn¡¯t know if the others had heard him, but he was hardly going to look back and check. He continued forward.

    Strangely, the instrumental sound actually grew louder, clearer, and more tempting the further he progressed along the nk.

    ¡°Ye Qing...¡±

    ¡°Joyless...¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing...¡±

    ¡°Joyless...¡±

    At the same time, he heard people whispering his name repeatedly in order to draw his attention, and the voices traveled into his ears and all the way into his heart. It was as if someone was tickling the insides of his heart with a feather. The desire to respond or look back grew bigger and bigger as time passed.

    <i>Wait, this is a form of desire... which is good for me, isn¡¯t it?</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. As if on cue, the demonic lotus in his headspace stirred to life like a butterfly who caught the scent of honey. Excited beyond words, it quickly absorbed the impulse and desire entangling around his heart.

    <i>Give me more! More! </i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t in such a hurry to leave anymore. He was forced to miss the Sinner of Ten Lifetimes earlier, and there was nothing he could do about it. This time though, he wasn¡¯t going to let the opportunity slip through his grasp.

    But as soon as he stopped in his tracks, Fu Hengcong¡¯s voice came urgent and shivering, ¡°Hey you... why are you stopping? Keep going! Are you trying to kill us?!¡±

    ¡°Benefactor, why are you stopping?¡± Even Jing Xin was urging him.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Fuck my life. I just want a moment to cultivate is all. Is that too much to ask for?</i>

    He couldn¡¯t help but resent his past self. <i>You idiot! Why did you leave the boat first? Why? It¡¯s all the ferryman¡¯s fault. If he isn¡¯t lusting after me, I would not have gotten off the boat first, would I?</i>

    <i>Also, you couldn¡¯t make your walking nk a little wider? There¡¯s barely enough for a single person to walk through!</i>

    ¡°Come on, man! Go!¡± Fu Hengcong urged again. He was deathly afraid for his life as a matter of course. The whispers in his ears felt like they possessed a tangible form. They kept muddying his mind and tempting him to look behind him. If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Qing¡¯s earlier warning and the mental protection his father left inside his head, he would¡¯ve lost control a long time ago.

    ¡°Brother... stay... stay away... I didn''t want to kill you... I had no choice!¡±

    Lu Hui was thest person in the line. He suddenly closed his ears and screamed like he had gone insane, ¡°Hahaha! It was your fault! All your fault! Why must the good things all go to you? Why must you be smarter and more capable than I am in every way? Why must father and mother favor you? Even Rou¡¯er, the love of my life chose you over me! If I must live in your shadow my whole life, then I would rather you die!¡±

    ¡°Father... mother... I didn¡¯t kill you on purpose... I swear I didn¡¯t...¡±

    ¡°No... No... It¡¯s not my fault... It¡¯s your fault, you hear me? All your fault! We are both your children, so why did big brother always get the best gifts? Why did he get to wear new clothes, while I can only wear his leftovers? Why did he get to eat meat, while I can only eat buns? Why is he always right, and why am I always wrong? Why is there nothing I can do to please you? Why can you never say anything good about me?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me me for killing you... You deserve to die, you all deserve to die...¡±

    1. Meaning that one should cherish the opportunity to build rtionships. ?

 Chapter 359: The Coffin

    <h4>Chapter 359: The Coffin </h4>

    ¡°This isn¡¯t right. This isn¡¯t right! You¡¯re already dead!¡±

    Lu Hui suddenly came back to his senses and let out a furious roar. Astral qi washed out of his body as he eyes grew bloodshot. ¡°Who the fuck is pretending to be my family and making me hear all these? Show yourself!¡±

    Lu Hui abruptly turned around and looked behind him, but neither his father, mother and brother were there. There was only the fog.

    <i>Ding ding dong dong chiang chiang bam!</i>

    Suddenly, the familiar noise of instruments came from the fog. A bunch of imps stepped into the open. Some of them were beating the drum, some were hitting the gong, and some were dancing a strange dance that Lu Hui didn¡¯t recognize.

    Behind the imps were another group of imps, but these ones were blue-faced, long-fanged, and extremely muscr. They were carrying a coffin that was much bigger than your usual coffin, and it was constantly changing shape as if it was made of fog.

    When Lu Hui looked at the coffin, many faces suddenly appeared on its surface. They were all wearing a wide, contorted grin on their faces, but he still recognized them as his parents, his brother, his sister-inw, his nephew, and his niece. Every single face was a family member he had killed with his own hands.

    ¡°Come to your father, Hui¡¯er. Come to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I saw you, Hui¡¯er. Show mother how big you¡¯ve grown.¡±

    ¡°Uncle... Uncle... Ying¡¯er really missed you!¡±

    ¡°Brother Lu, I thought we¡¯re going for a drink at Ruyi? Come on, man!¡±

    The faces kept calling out to him. Lu Hui was snarling, but his eyes were full of fear. ¡°No... No... You¡¯re all dead. You¡¯re already dead. I¡¯m not scared of you! I¡¯m not scared of you!¡±

    <i>Creak!</i>

    Suddenly, the coffin lid was pushed away with a creak, and an arm covered in white hair reached out from within. As soon as the arm appeared, Lu Hui felt as if he was dunked in a pool of ice. Fear flooded every part of his body, and he wanted to turn around and run as far away from the arm as possible. He found himself frozen in ce, however. He couldn¡¯t move a muscle.

    The hairy hand pointed a finger at him, and his vision abruptly turned pitch ck. When next he opened his eyes, he found himself lying inside a small, narrow, airtight space.

    ¡°Am... Am I inside a coffin?¡± Lu Hui touched his surroundings until the horrifying truth dawned upon him. ¡°I am inside a coffin. Am I inside that coffin?!¡±

    Lu Hui pushed the coffin lid with all his might, but it didn¡¯t budge in the slightest.

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    He sucked in a deep breath and attempted to cut the coffin in half with his sword qi, but all he did was cut the surrounding fog in half. The coffin itself remained perfectly intact.

    ¡°Ah! It hurts!¡±

    ¡°It hurts so bad... so bad...¡±

    ¡°Why did you attack us, Hui¡¯er?¡±

    The next moment, a bunch of faces appeared on the coffin. It was his father, mother, brother, sister-inw, family and more.

    ¡°You... You.. No... Let me out! Let me out of here!¡±

    Lu Hui¡¯s face turned deathly pale as he swung his fingers all over the ce. His sword qi cut the faces into pieces, but it only took a moment for them to reform.

    ¡°Why did you kill us, Hui¡¯er?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to leave? Don¡¯t you want to be together with your friends and family?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Stay with us!¡±

    ¡°Stay with us...¡±

    ¡°Stay with us...¡±

    The faces smiled from ear to ear before pouncing toward Lu Hui.

    ¡°Stay away! Stay away!!!¡±

    Forgive me! Forgive me! No... no...¡±

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    ......

    ¡°I... I can¡¯t hear anything anymore. Is he...?¡±

    At the front, Fu Hengcong gulped audibly and stuttered out a question.

    ¡°Who knows? Do you want to take a look?¡± Song Qingyu taunted.

    ¡°Hmph. You can take a look yourself!¡± Fu Hengcong grunted. If he was suspicious of Ye Qing¡¯s words before, now those suspicions had fully evaporated.

    ¡°Brother... Brother Fu... Let¡¯s not talk and keep going, please?¡± Ruyan hugged Fu Hengcong tightly with her eyes closed.

    ¡°Of course, of course. Don¡¯t worry. It will be fine,¡± Fu Hengcong consoled her before looking at Ye Qing and asking, ¡°Hey you. If you know we shouldn¡¯t look back when we¡¯re getting off the boat, you must know how we can leave this ce, right?¡±

    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no idea.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. In fact, he didn¡¯t want to leave the boat so quickly. He wanted to stay for another eight to ten hours.

    ¡°You... You¡¯re not lying to us, are you? Trying to kill us all before going off on your own?¡± Fu Hengcong couldn¡¯t help but question.

    ¡°Kill you?¡± Ye Qing let out a cold chuckle. ¡°If that was the n, I wouldn¡¯t have warned you earlier. Use your brain for once.¡±

    ¡°What... What should we do then?¡± Fu Hengcong stuttered with pale lips.

    ¡°Amitabha, you are dumb as shit. He already said he doesn¡¯t know where the exit is. Why do you think he can answer that question?¡±

    Jing Xin chanted ¡°Amitabha¡± under his breath before adding, ¡°Stop shaking! You¡¯re shaking the piss out of my dder! Be a man, will you?¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m scared!¡± Fu Hengcong argued.

    ¡°Coward!¡± Jing Xin rebuked him before dering, ¡°I¡¯m scared too! So keep moving!¡±

    In the end, they had no choice but to suppress their fear and temptation and keep walking forward.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, just when everyone thought that they were stuck in this hopeless ce for eternity, their surroundings suddenly brightened considerably. The fog faded, the ferry point and city came into view, and the deathly whispers and instrumental noises ringing in their ears were gone.

    ¡°We... We¡¯re safe?¡± Fu Hengcong eximed with unbridled joy and relief.

    ¡°Phew... Buddha be praised! I knew I¡¯m a lucky monk.¡± Jing Xin wasughing loudly as well.

    Out of everyone, Ye Qing was the only one who hid a sigh of disappointment. <i>Dammit, that¡¯s too fast!</i>

    ¡°Lu Hui is gone!¡± Greeke walked up to Ye Qing and whispered into his ear.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone?¡± Ye Qing looked back. Of course, he only did it because he knew it was safe now.

    Both the boat and the ferryman were nowhere to be seen. The River of Forgettance had also returned to its normal appearance: turbulent, smelly, and covered in fog. So long as he didn¡¯t set foot into the river himself, its dangers could no longer touch him. It was almost as if everything had returned to normal.

    It wasn¡¯t though. Corpse Vulture was taken by the River of Forgettance, and Lu Hui had vanished into thin air. He at least knew what happened to Corpse Vulture, but he had no idea what happened to Lu Hui. One moment he was screaming about his dead family, and the next, there was nothing. The man hadn¡¯t even left behind a body. It was scary to say the least.

    <i>Speaking of which, I don¡¯t see Corpse Vulture¡¯s body anywhere... is it still on the boat? </i>Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully. He had a feeling that the ferryman was plotting to do something with the body.

    ......

    At the River of Forgettance, the ferryman wasn¡¯t standing in front of the boat and pushing the boat forward as usual. Instead, he was sitting crosslegged on the bow with his setting pole ced on top of his legs.

    Right now, the ferryman was tilting his head and looking at Corpse Vulture¡¯s body quietly. Only he knew what he was thinking about.

    The ferryman muttered to himself. ¡°What a shame I couldn¡¯t trap that cunning boy. Otherwise, he could¡¯ve made me so much money. What a shame!¡±

    He regretted being stupid enough to tell the boy the rules of the River of Forgettance. If not for that, the boy might¡¯ve died, and he could¡¯ve exploited his soul for his own use.

    ¡°Stupid mouth, stupid mouth, stupid mouth...¡±

    The ferryman grew so frustrated he pped his own mouth again and again.

    ¡°Wait a second. I might not have the boy, but I can find someone else to y his role!¡±

    Suddenly, the ferryman¡¯s eyes burned much brighter. ¡°Yeah! I can find someone to beg for my help when the real passengers are in danger. They¡¯ll pretend to pay me and prod the others to do the same.¡±

    ¡°This way, I¡¯ll be able to earn money much faster without having to break the rules! It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that. I¡¯m a fucking genius, hahaha!¡±

    The ferryman extended a bony hand, grabbed a soul from the River of Forgettance, and tossed it into Corpse Vulture¡¯s body. A few breathster, Corpse Vulture suddenly opened his eyes and wobbled to his feet. He thanked the ferryman profusely, ¡°Thank you, my lord! Thank you for saving me! Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Save it. I have things I need you to help me with. If you perform well, I can send you to the cycle of reincarnation sooner. If not, I¡¯ll leave you to rot forever in the River of Forgettance. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Whatever you say, my lord!¡± Corpse Vulture answered in a hurry.

    ¡°Now, I want you to do this... and that... and then... Did you get everything?¡±

    ¡°You idiot! I¡¯ll repeat one more time. Like this... and this... no, not like that!¡±

    ¡°Do you get it now? Good, good. Without further ado, let¡¯s go make some money!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... I¡¯m a fucking genius[1]...¡±

    ......

    ¡°What do we do now?¡±

    After they entered the city, Fu Hengcong, Song Qingyu, Jingxin and Ruyan said their goodbyes and left, and unlike the outer market, the inner market seemed as dead as a dodo. That was why Ye Qing looked to Greeke for directions.

    ¡°No worries. Follow me.¡± Greeke smiled mysteriously before walking up to a stone lion beside the street. Then, she held out a hand toward Ye Qing and said,

    ¡°Give me a yin gold please, husband.¡±

    ¡°Why do you need it?¡± Ye Qing asked with a frown. <i>Are you so poor you couldn¡¯t even afford a yin gold?</i>

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a moment.¡± Greeke smiled seductively at him.

    Despite his annoyance, Ye Qing still handed Greeke a yin gold. She put it inside the stone lion¡¯s mouth, and¡ª

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Ye Qing watched in shock as the stone lion abruptly opened its tightly shut eyes and crushed the yin gold between its teeth. After swallowing the ingot in one gulp, it boomed in a cold, stiff and thunderous voice,

    ¡°Ask away!¡±

    ¡°It... what the fuck... it can speak?!¡± Ye Qing blinked rapidly. His senses were telling him that the stone lion was one hundred percent an inanimate object, and yet it somehow swallowed his yin gold and spoke out loud. Just how was this possible?

    ¡°What shops are open in the inner market tonight?¡± Greeke asked.

    ¡°Ten yin gold,¡± The stone replied.

    Greeke looked at Ye Qing, and Ye Qing looked at his poor wallet. <i>Why me?</i>

    His mind was rebelling, but his body was honest. He took ten yin gold from his wallet and ced it in the stone lion¡¯s mouth.

    <i>Crack! Crack!</i>

    Ye Qing was honestly impressed. The yin gold were metal ingots, and the stone lion was made of stone. Despite this, it was chewing through the metal like it was chicken, crunchy and delicious.

    When the stone lion was done, it answered Greeke¡¯s question dutifully, ¡°A total of thirty six shops are open in the inner market tonight. They are the Yin Lifespan Gambling House, Ruyi Haunt, Ghost Tower, Pawn Shop No. 8[2], Bank of Heaven and Earth, Feng Park...¡±

    1. Once again, Ye Qing made life for all others who came after him worse. ?

    2. Dum dum dum! ?

 Chapter 360: Ghost Tower

    <h4>Chapter 360: Ghost Tower </h4>

    Chapter 360: Ghost Tower

    ¡°Pawn Shop No. 8?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened when he heard the familiar name. <i>I thought Fang Xiaoman shot the crap out of Pawn Shop No. 8 and its owner? How the heck does it still exist?</i>

    ¡°You know about Pawn Shop No. 8, husband?¡± Greeke seemed surprised by this.

    <i>Are you looking down on me? Not only do I know about it, I¡¯ve visited it before. And not only have I visited it before, I¡¯m the one who orchestrated its downfall, even though it was byplete ident! Are you impressed?</i>

    Of course, Ye Qing didn¡¯t actually voice those thoughts. Instead, he asked, ¡°Are there multiple Pawn Shop No. 8s? I first heard about it at the Strange Market.¡±

    Greeke didn¡¯t suspect his words. ¡°There is only one true Pawn Shop No. 8, but it has many projections. No one knows where the true Pawn Shop No. 8 is, only that it is eternal and imperishable.¡±

    ¡°Legend says that Pawn Shop No. 8 is born from all the human desires in the world. Unless the world is unified, and humanity has lost its desirespletely, or Pawn Shop No. 8 will never go away.¡±

    <i>So, what Fang Xiaoman destroyed was just a projection of Pawn Shop No. 8, </i>Ye Qing thought.

    ¡°You seem pretty interested in Pawn Shop No. 8, husband. Would you like to pay it a visit? Supposedly, you can realize any wish in that shop, and I personally haven¡¯t visited it yet.¡± Greeke looked at Ye Qing, giggling.

    ¡°Haha, forget it. What¡¯s so interesting about that ce? Plus, its ims are obviously fake,¡± Ye Qing hurriedly rejected the suggestion. He was probably on Pawn Shop No. 8¡¯s cklist due to what he did. It would be suicide to visit the ce.

    ¡°As you wish, husband.¡± Greeke smiled meaningfully almost as if she could see through his thoughts. ¡°So, where would you like to go, husband?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose. ¡°Er... tell me about the other shops.¡±

    Greeke answered dutifully, ¡°Yin Lifespan Gambling House is, as the name implies, a gambling house. But instead of waging money, the participants wager their yin lifespan.¡±

    ¡°Ruyi House is a brothel. Yes, it¡¯s no different from a brothel in the yang world.¡±

    ¡°There are brothels in the yin world?¡± Ye Qing was quite surprised to hear this.

    ¡°Of course it has. Lust doesn¡¯t disappear just because you¡¯ve be a ghost.¡± Greeke chuckled. ¡°In fact, one might say that a female ghost knows a few tricks that a human woman could never pull off. There are a lot of humans who love female ghosts because of their ability to transform and bend their body beyond humanprehension. Would you like to give it a try, husband?¡±

    ¡°Ahem...¡± Ye Qing coughed and rubbed his nose furiously. <i>I¡¯m a prim and proper gentleman! Don¡¯t tempt me!</i>

    ¡°What¡¯s the price to enter the Ruyi House? I¡¯m just curious, of course. I¡¯m not actually interested in visiting the ce. Trust me.¡±

    The corners of Greeke¡¯s lips slowly turned upward. ¡°You don¡¯t need to pay any yin gold to use the Ruyi House.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s free?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. <i>What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!</i>

    ¡°I never said it¡¯s free. Instead of yin gold, they ept lifespan.¡± Greeke¡¯s smirk grew positively devious. ¡°But you¡¯re a warrior, so a few years off your total lifespan may as well be nothing. Would you like to pay it a visit, husband? I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Ye Qing immediately dered in a righteous tone, ¡°Do I look like that type of person? I¡¯ve never visited a brothel in my life[1]!¡± <i>Dammit, I knew it couldn¡¯t be easy to be a ghost rider</i>[2]<i>!</i>

    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t visit such a ce, husband. You¡¯re a moral man after all.¡± Greke giggled before resuming her exnation, ¡°Ghost Tower is said to be the establishment of a bigshot in Fengdu. They mostly trade all kinds of strange items, precious treasures, and unusual ghosts. That is why it is named Ghost Tower.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve probably heard of the Bank of Heaven and Earth. It is a bank that you can find and use anywhere, anytime. That is why it is given its name. It¡¯s mainly used to store or exchange money. For example, if you urgently need some yin gold right now, you can trade them certain goods and receive an equal number of yin gold. You can even trade yourself to the Bank of Heaven and Earth if you want to.¡±

    ¡°If you bought some items in the inner market but do not feel safe enough to carry it on your person, then you can store it in the Bank of Heaven and Earth as well. Once you¡¯re safe, you can retrieve them from any branch.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. He did know about the Bank of Heaven and Earth. It was an immensely powerful bank that could be found throughout the world. Its origins were a mystery, however.

    ¡°As for the Feng Park, it is a recreational area where the bigshots of Fengdu went to y and rx. It is said that the Feng Park is filled with incredible and unique flora and fauna, and every step you take shows you a new scenery. The bigshots also love to debate and discuss their understanding of Way in the Feng Park. You are free to listen if you¡¯re lucky enough to happen upon such a debate,¡± Greeke exined.

    ¡°Really?¡± No wonder she said that the inner market was where the real opportunitiesy. This was exactly the kind of discussion that could enlighten a warrior and put them on the right path.

    ¡°I bet it¡¯s not easy to enter the Feng Park though, is it?¡± Ye Qing asked. There were no free lunches in the world after all.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, actually. You only need to pay a hundred yin gold to enter the Feng Park,¡± Greeke corrected him. ¡°The question is, are you lucky enough to encounter such a discussion while you¡¯re there? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s happening twenty-four seven, and not every champion enjoys such recreational activities.¡±

    ¡°Bah! I knew it was a scam,¡± Ye Qing¡¯s interest declined drastically as he muttered under his breath. To put it simply, it was up to luck.

    Greeke introduced the rest of the shops[3] before asking, ¡°Have you decided where you want to go, husband?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the Ghost Tower first,¡± Ye Qing answered after a moment¡¯s thought. The main reason he entered the Yin Market was to obtain the Duckweed Flower. He couldn¡¯t enter Pawn Shop No. 8 as a matter of course, Ruyi House wouldn¡¯t help him in that regard, the Bank of Heaven and Earth only offered money, and the Feng Park sold a chance to learn from a bigshot. No matter how he thought about it, the Ghost Tower was the best ce to look for his item.

    If he still had time after he bought his stuff, then he might visit the Feng Park. His luck was better than most after all.

    ¡°As you wish, husband,¡± Greeke agreed.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but squint at her a little. Greeke couldn¡¯t have entered the inner market just to act as his tour guide, but so far, she hadn¡¯t disyed any malice. In fact, she had been very helpful on multiple asions. That was why he couldn¡¯t figure out what her objective was.

    On the way, Ye Qing suddenly recalled something he had been wanting to ask about. ¡°Is that stone lion a kind of Stranger?¡±

    ¡°It is a Stranger, or more urately, a part of a Stranger,¡± Greeke answered.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s curiosity was piqued.

    Greeke exined, ¡°It is said that there exists a guest Stranger in the Bank of Heaven and Earth called the Earth Listener. It has a pair of ears that are as big as fans, and it can hear anything that¡¯s happening in the yang world, the yin world, and the heavens. The stone lion we saw is a strand of hair of the Earth Listener, and you can see them in every branch of the Bank of Heaven and Earth. While the stone lion isn¡¯t nearly as omniscient as the Earth Listener is, it is still an excellent eavesdropper and information gatherer.¡±

    ¡°Buying concrete information from the Earth Listener¡¯s avatar saves much more time and effort than walking around aimlessly, is it not?¡±

    ¡°The Earth Listener? I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock. He had heard of the legendary Earth Listener, of course. It was said to be the bloodline descendant of the ancient Stranger, Diting, which was why it inherited a portion of its power. The Diting could supposedly listen in on anything and everything that was happening in all three worlds <i>and </i>the Six Paths[4].

    However, he heard that the Earth Listener was a proud Stranger that rarely showed itself in the mortal coil. He never imagined that one of its kind would work for a bank and act as its ears, literally. <i>How far have you fallen, Earth Listener?</i>

    Meanwhile, the duo finally arrived at the Ghost Tower. The Ghost Tower, as its name implied, was a tower, and Ye Qing had imagined it to be tall, big, morous and unique. In reality, it was the opposite. The doors looked like they had seen better days, the windows were mottled, the paint was fading, and there were dust and cobwebs everywhere. Even the signboard was nted and looked like it could fall at any moment.

    <i>Whoosh whoosh!</i>

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, cold yin wind would blow across the building from time to time, threatening the signboard¡¯s integrity and causing the doors and windows to creak ominously. He even saw ghosts flitting here and there inside the building and letting out eerie, spine-chilling cackles.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the two words ¡°Ghost Tower¡± etched into the signboard, Ye Qing would never have believed that this was the ce that supposedly sold countless treasures and ghosts.

    ¡°This is the Ghost Tower?¡± <i>It looks more like a haunted house that¡¯s been abandoned for decades!</i>

    ¡°Yes. It lives up to its name, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Greeke smirked.

    ¡°Are we going in?¡± Ye Qing licked his lips nervously. No matter how he looked at it, this was thest ce you wanted to conduct any sort of business.

    ¡°We¡¯re already here, so why not?¡± Greeke grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s arm and gently led him toward the entrance.

    As soon as they stepped through the shabby door, a yin wind and a gloomy voice brushed against their bodies. ¡°Do you need anything, customers?¡±

    Ye Qing turned around and saw a man wearing a rotten face and hem garments shooting thema friendly smile. He shouldn¡¯t be able to tell that the ghost was smiling considering that his face waspletely rotten, and yet he did for some reason.

    ¡°I am Ghost Six. Please tell me if you need anything. I will make sure to perform it up to your satisfaction,¡± the ghost said humbly while giving them a deep bow.

    <i>Oh heavens, your eyeballs are falling off your eye sockets. Pick them up, you maniac! Also, can you stop smiling? Your flesh is literally falling off your face because of the strain. Do you know how disgusting that is?</i>

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t stop ranting inside his head. At the same time, he wondered if the owner of the Ghost Tower had a screw loose. The building was already shabby enough, but the servants looked horrific as well. Surely a pretty female ghost or two would attract more customers than a rotting corpse?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start by telling us what the Ghost Tower offers?¡± Greeke asked normally as if she didn¡¯t notice the abnormalities.

    ¡°Of course! For starters, the first floor sells all sorts of ghosts. This way, please.¡±

    Ghost Six led Ye Qing and Greeke to an antique rack and said, ¡°This is the Hundred Ghosts Rack, and the items are all ced on the rack. Please, have a look.¡±

    <i>Hundred Ghosts Rack? I thought it was someone¡¯s discarded furniture! </i>Ye Qing mentally rolled his eyes when he saw the dusty, cobweb-covered rack. His eyes widened when he saw the goods, however.

    1. Lying through his teeth because a LOT of restaurants in ancient China are brothel/restaurants. ?

    2. You¡¯ll never see Ghost Rider in the same way again. ?

    3. I just realized that the park counts as a shop too since it technically offers a product... just inconsistently... ?

    4. The Six Paths in Buddhist cosmology are the six worlds where sentient beings are reincarnated based on their karma, which is linked to their actions in previous lives. ?

 Chapter 361: Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost

    Chapter 361: Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost

    The rack was made up of countless squares. Each square was only several inches wide, but the space behind them was impossibly vast. Ye Qing saw giant mountains, frozen snond, sea of fire and more behind those squares, and each square contained a rare ghost-type Stranger.

    Ghost Six pointed at a square and introduced, Please check this out, customer. This is the Snow Soul, the ghost of a Show Woman. She is incorporeal and intangible, and she possesses the ability to control wind and snow.

    The square was showing a frozen snond, and within the snond was a semi-transparent woman. Not only was shepletely unperturbed by the frigid temperature, the wind and snow themselves were her bodyguards. They could assume any shape they wanted, and they were currently dancing around the woman and keeping her entertained with their transformation ability.

    As soon as Ye Qing looked away and trained his gaze on another square, Ghost Sixunched into another introduction, This is the Bone Rakshasa, a vile ghost that was born from ughter. It lives on bones and is immortal and imperishable.

    Bone Rakshasa? Where is it? Ye Qing asked.

    The space contained a sea of bones. Wherever he looked, there were only white, perfectly unblemished bones, and at the center of the space of bones was a small hill. However, Ye Qing couldnt see the Bone Rakshasa anywhere.

    Ghost Six smiled and gave the square a tap. The square immediately rippled like water, and the space of bones started shaking like an earthquake. The earth split asunder, and the bones wouldnt stop ttering.

    It was at this moment the hill of bones slowly grew taller. Scratch that, it was the Bone Rakshasa. As it rose to full height, it let out an earthshaking roar as if angry that someone had disturbed its slumber and damaged its world. It was over hundreds of meters tall, maybe even a thousand.

    Although they didnt exist in the same space, Ye Qing still felt chilled to the core.

    Ghost Six smiled as he watched Ye Qing. Do you see it now, customer? That is the Bone Rakshasa.

    ...

    What else could Ye Qing say? He could only shoot him an impressed look.

    This is the Ghost of Hundred Eyes

    This is the Void Prison

    This is the Hundred Mouth Woman

    This is the Mountain Bearing Ghost

    Every time Ye Qing checked out a square, Ghost Six would give him a detailed introduction of the Stranger that resided within. The ghost seemed to possess infinite patience.

    While passing by a rackthere were multiple Hundred Ghosts Racks on the first floora certain square drew Ye Qings attention. It was a massive peach blossom forest in full bloom, and a woman was standing in the middle of the forest. She was holding a branch with her back facing toward him.

    Sigh

    He was just wondering why the woman was hiding her face when he heard a sigh. Then, she slowly turned around to face him.

    Ye Qings eyes lost their focus the moment he heard the sigh. As the woman turned around, he unconsciously leaned closer to get a better look.

    Beside him, Ghost Sixs smile grew increasingly eerie.

    Greeke didnt seem to notice his abnormal reaction as well.

    Ye Qing could almost see her profile now. Not only that, his face was an inch away from the rack. Right before he would make contact with the rack, a cool sensation abruptly spread out from his chest and jolted him back to reality.

    <em>Ahhhhhhhhhhh!</em>

    The moment he snapped out of the trance, theely woman abruptly screamed and wheeled around to face him. One side of the face was as smooth and wless as jade, while the other was dry and withered like a dead tree. It was a perfect depiction of the contrast between life and death, beautiful and ugly.

    Even scarier was the fact that the peach blossom forest had withered the instant she let out a scream. Countless faces appeared on the tree trunks and screamed as well. They all looked just like the woman.

    Phew

    Caught off guard, Ye Qing staggered away from the rack. A hint of disappointment flickered within Ghost Sixs eyes, but he asked in a concerned voice, Are you alright, customer? There is nothing to be scared of. This is the Peach Blossom Ghost, and it can only confound people with its illusions. It cannot hurt you in any way. In fact, no harm will befall you while youre inside our establishment.

    Is that so? Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and shot Ghost Six a smile. If he was an honest guy, then maybe he wouldve believed him. Unfortunately, he wasnt.

    The ghost inside the square was very simr to the Peach Blossom Ghost, but it was really the Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost. The difference between the two Strangers despite the simrity in their names was like night and day.

    The peach blossom is beautiful, and so is the beauty.

    But look not when the beauty turns around,

    Or the soul shall be forever gone.

    The Peach Blossom Ghost was just an ordinary Stranger, whereas the Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost was both powerful and anomalous. Born from the resentment of someone who was doomed by love, the Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost was a ghost-type Stranger who turned its back on someone as a hunting strategy. Once its back had caught a preys attention, the Stranger would slowly turn around so as not to rm its prey until it was facing thempletely. If the victim didnt break out of their trance before it was toote, then they would lose their soul.

    Ye Qing was certain that Ghost Six was trying to kill him. Everything he did until now was to lower his guard. He shouldve known that the Yin Market was a dangerous ce no matter the segregation. If he wasnt careful, then he would lose everything.

    Am I wrong? Ghost Six countered.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes. It was too bad he didnt have evidence, not that he dared to try anything even if he did. This was Ghost Sixs turf after all. The best thing to do here was to pretend that nothing had ever happened. Just because you found the truth didnt mean you must reveal it for all to know. Some truths carried severe consequences, and in this case the only one who was going to suffer was him.

    That was why Ye Qing cracked a grin and nodded. No, youre right.

    By the way, I heard that the Ghost Tower also sells all sorts of precious treasures besides ghosts. Is that true?

    He was going to tour the ce a little longer, but since its employee had bared its fangs, it was in his best interest to finish his business and get the hell out as soon as possible.

    Thats correct. The Ghost Tower collects all kinds of precious treasures for sale. What do you need, customer? Ghost Six asked.

    Do you sell Duckweed Flowers? Ye Qing went straight to the point.

    Duckweed Flower? Ghost Six frowned and caused another chunk of flesh to fall off his face. Are you talking about the Duckweed Flower that is found in the River of Forgettance?

    Thats right. Ye Qing nodded. Do you have it?

    Ghost Sixs frown deepened. We do, but we cannot sell it to you.

    Whys that? Do you think Im poor? Ye Qing asked casually.

    Thats not it. Ghost Six exined, The Duckweed Flower is born in the River of Forgettance, and the River of Forgettance is a dangerous ce for both man and ghost. Not only that, the Duckweed Flower takes sixty years to grow its leaf, and another sixty years to bloom. Its flower onlysts a single day, but if it is plucked before its time is up, then it will never wither.

    The Duckweed Flower can only be plucked by a ferryman, which is why it is beyond valuable. We do have a Duckweed Flower, but it is reserved for the auction. That is why we cannot sell it to you.

    The auction? Ye Qing asked curiously, You do auctions as well?

    Ghost Six replied smilingly, That is correct. Every year, when the Yin Market oveps with the yang world, we will auction our collection of treasures and the items our customers had entrusted to us. They are all precious and valuable items.

    The auction hasnt started yet, has it? Ye Qing asked worriedly.

    Not yet, but it will happen soon, Ghost Six rified.

    Can we participate in the auction? Ye Qing asked another question.

    You can. Anyone can participate in the Ghost Towers auction. But Ghost Six hesitated for a moment. You do need to fulfill a small condition.

    A small condition, you say? What is it? Ye Qing asked.

    Ghost Six replied, You must spend six hundred and sixty six yin gold buying our items before you are allowed to participate.

    Ye Qing let out a gasp despite his self-control. How could he not? It was like the government stating that he was free to im his lottery prize, but they must tax fifty percent of his winnings. <em>Why dont you go rob the Bank of Heaven and Earth while youre at it, you greedy fucks?</em>

    He only had a total of one thousand plus yin gold including the money he scammed from Fu Hengcong. If he paid the price, did he have enough to bid for the Duckweed Flower with his remaining money? He didn''t think he could even afford a single petal!

    The worst part was that he could have afforded the price. He just didnt think to prepare for it. He thought that the Duckweed Flower was just an ordinary item, and the main reason he came to the Yin Market was just to broaden his horizons. That was why he didnt bring too many yin gold with him. It was a mistake.

    Whats wrong, customer? Ghost Six asked. The ghosts smile hadnt changed, but Ye Qing could sense a hint of ridicule and disdain from it. <em>You sonuvabitch, I will exchange my yin gold into Tongbao coins and bury you in it!</em>

    Ahem Why did you make it six hundred and sixty six gold instead of a round number? Ye Qing tried to change the subject.

    Thats because that number is a lucky number for ghosts. And because its what our owner wants, Ghost Six replied.

    Thats surprisingly human of your owne! Ye Qing let out a dryugh. He was weighing his chances of winning the Duckweed Flower after paying the entrance fee.

    Ghost Six said suddenly, Im not implying anything, but assuming yourecking in cash, there is another way to enter the auction.

    Okay? <em>Then why didnt you say it sooner? He really is a piece of shit.</em>

    Ghost Six exined, You can sign a contract with us. When you pass away, you will join Fengdu and work for us for sixty years.

    Of course, we will not disturb you before you pass away naturally, so you have nothing to worry about. Your life will also be much more convenient with our imprint. For starters, you can enter the Ghost Tower at any time and purchase anything you want. Besides that, we also offer discounts, coupons and more during holidays.

    Haha that sounds pretty good! A small smirk crossed Ye Qings face. Fine!

    A wise decision! Ill bring you the contract immediately, customer! Ghost Six eximed with delight. Although he failed to kill Ye Qing earlier, the oue was the same if he could convince the young man into signing the contract.

    After all, anyone who owned a Yin Token of Forgettance was either a genius, blessed, or both. The Ghost Tower was always in need of such talent.

 Chapter 362: Money Makes The World Go Round

    Chapter 362: Money Makes The World Go Round

    ¡°Yes, I will¡­ head home and think about it,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°You¡ªwhat?¡± Ghost Six¡¯s eyes bulged before falling out of their eye sockets again. It took him a second to realize that Ye Qing was toying with him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not going to force me into a contract, are you? Is this how the Ghost Tower operates?¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°Of course not. We¡¯re all about consent and fairness,¡± Ghost Six replied, but his smile was gone. At this point, it was clear that Ye Qing was neither going to buy their products nor sign a contract. In that case, why would he offer him a smile? It wasn¡¯t exactly easy stering his flesh back to his face, you know!

    ¡°Goodbye. You can walk yourself to the exit,¡± Ghost Six added coldly before turning away.

    ¡°He¡¯s looking down on you, husband!¡± Greeke chuckled beside Ye Qing. He had no idea when she was there, though it didn¡¯t matter.

    Ye Qing shrugged uncaringly. Both his fists and his wallet were smaller than the Ghost Tower¡¯s. It was natural that they would look down on him.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I shall retrieve your dignity for you!¡± Greeke beamed at him.

    ¡°Oh really? How? Are you going to curse him or something?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what Greeke was nning, but he had to admit that he was a little touched. He advised her, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not worth it.¡±

    After all, the price of failure was, of course, death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Greeke returned with a yful smirk before pulling Ye Qing to the counter where Ghost Six was standing.

    ¡°Back already, customers?¡± Ghost Six said tauntingly when he saw that they had returned.

    Greeke smiled politely. ¡°We never left in the first ce. We just needed some time to discuss what we wanted to buy. After all, your products are pretty good.¡±

    ¡°But of course! Ghost Tower only sells quality goods!¡± Ghost Six dered proudly before side-eying Ye Qing. ¡°Unfortunately, that also means not everyone can afford it.¡±

    ¡°What should we buy, husband?¡± Greeke ignored the subtle jab at her ¡°husband¡± and voiced her conundrum. ¡°Should we buy it all, or should we just buy half of it?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Just er, just take it easy, okay?¡± Ye Qing nearly choked on his own spit.<em>Buy it all, or buy half of it? Now that¡¯s a boast if I ever heard one!</em>

    ¡°I see, you don¡¯t think that these items are a good fit with your stature. Very well. There is no point in buying items you don¡¯t need,¡± Greeke said gently. ¡°That said, it¡¯s not everyday you can visit the Yin Market. We can¡¯t possibly leave empty-handed, can we? We¡¯ll just buy eight or ten items, okay?¡±

    <em>Did I say anything? I didn¡¯t say anything! Why are you doing this?</em>Ye Qing blinked rapidly while desperately trying to think of a solution that wouldn¡¯t smear his face in mud.

    Ghost Six simply crossed his arms and watched the duo disdainfully.<em>Keep talking. You¡¯re only digging a bigger grave for yourself.</em>

    Greeke pointed toward the racks and said casually, ¡°Let¡¯s see, I want the Void Prison, Void Stealer, Bone Rakshasa, Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost, Yin Fire Ghost Bull, Three-lived Boy, Shadow Dancer, Smoke Veil and Yaksha of Evening. That¡¯s enough for now.¡±

    <em>Heh¡­ she has a discerning eye for value at least,</em>Ghost Six sneered mentally. The ghosts she chose seemingly at random were some of the most valuable ghosts they had. Of course, they were also the most expensive. Herees the question: Could she actually afford it?

    Suddenly, an idea urred to Ghost Six. He put on a bright smile on his face and produced a handful of exquisite-looking boxes seemingly out of thin air. Then, he somehow pulled a square space out of the Hundred Ghosts Racks as if it was a physical object and put it into a wooden box. He would repeat this until every ghost Greeke had ordered was packed.

    After that, he pushed the boxes in front of Greeke and said, ¡°Here¡¯s the stuff you ordered, customer. That would be five thousand yin gold, please.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ that¡­ we¡­¡± Ye Qing gasped again.Five thousand<em>yin gold? My poor heart!</em>

    Ye Qing was going to say that it was just a joke, but Ghost Six interrupted as if he had anticipated his answer, ¡°Just a reminder, but we don¡¯t do takebacks. Once the good is removed from the shelf, you¡¯re expected to pay for it one way or another.¡±

    Ghost Six¡¯s smile turned cruel. He looked like a fisherman who saw a big fish entering his of its own volition.

    He didn¡¯t believe that Ye Qing or Greeke could pay five thousand yin gold. The second they admitted that they couldn¡¯t produce the money necessary to purchase the ghosts, he would use them of making a fool out of their business, kill them, and transform them into the Ghost Tower¡¯s ves. It was buy one get two free!

    Ye Qing side-eyed Greeke.<em>Well, we¡¯re in deep shit now. What are you going to do?</em>

    Ye Qing was already channeling his energies in secret. The second Greeke showed weakness, he was going to get the hell out of here. If that failed, then he was going to¡­ surrender, of course. What else was he supposed to do?

    ¡°Five thousand? That¡¯s cheaper than I expected.¡±

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Greeke smiled and produced a huge bag of yin gold. She dropped it on the floor and said, ¡°Here it is. Please check if the numbers are correct.¡±

    Ghost Six: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <em>You actually have five thousand yin gold? It has to be fake, right?!</em>

    A few seconds of stunned silenceter, Greeke side-eyed Ghost Six and urged, ¡°What are you doing? Count it already!¡±

    ¡°R-Right¡­¡± Ghost Six crouched on the floor in a daze and began counting the ingots. A long timeter, he finally rose back to his feet and answered numbly, ¡°There are¡­ There are eight thousand yin gold, dear customer. You¡­ You overpaid!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s fine. You can keep it,¡± Greeke said uncaringly.

    Both of Ghost Six¡¯s eyeballs tumbled to the floor for the third time. He had encountered a customer who gave away three thousand yin gold as<em>tips</em>his whole life. He literally couldn¡¯t make three thousand yin gold even if he ved away at the Ghost Tower for centuries.<em>If this is a dream, I don¡¯t ever want to wake up!</em>

    Ghost Six struggled not to burst with delight¡ªpossibly literally¡ªwhile replying perfunctorily, ¡°It¡¯s okay, dear customer. It¡¯s my honor to be able to serve you.¡±

    He was trained to turn down the tip at first and ept itter as a show of courtesy. It was a mistake.

    ¡°Is that so? You don¡¯t want the money? Fine,¡± Greeke replied and took back the three thousand yin gold.

    <em>What?</em>

    It took him a second to process her words. Then, his mind exploded like a million gxies.

    <em>What did I just do? What. did. I. JUST. DO?!</em>

    He was just trying to be polite! But because of that, three thousand yin gold flew out of his hands!

    Words couldn¡¯t describe the turmoil he was feeling when he saw Greeke putting the three thousand yin gold back into her Nature¡¯s Shell. His breathing stopped, and his ghastly heart had literally stopped beating as a result. If he knew the woman was like this, he would never have bothered with courtesy. If he got a second chance, he would have just dropped to his knees and yelled, ¡°THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BOSS!¡±

    But there was no cure for regret. When the pile of yin gold was gone, a pair of tears slid down his cheeks and hit the dusty floor soundlessly. He looked like he had lost his soul.

    <em>Once upon a time</em>

    <em>I had a chance to take</em>

    <em>Three thousand yin gold</em>

    <em>But it flew away</em>

    <em>Because I didn¡¯t cherish it</em>

    <em>Fuck my life</em>

    <em>Written by Ghost Six</em>

    <em>P.S. Seriously, fuck my life</em>[1]

    While Ghost Six was questioning the meaning of life, Ye Qing was wondering if he was transported into another dimension. Again.

    <em>I thought you were faking it! You even made me pay for you repeatedly! How am I supposed to process this?</em>

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing left to see on the first floor, husband. Let¡¯s go to the second floor. The second floor is where they sell all kinds of precious treasures. Some might capture your fancy,¡± Greeke said before grabbing Ye Qing¡¯s arm and dragging toward the stairs.

    What happened next could only be described as a fever dream. For Ye Qing and Ghost Six at least.

    ¡°This thousand-year-old Ghost Bracken is pretty cute. I want it.¡±

    ¡°This Ghost-faced Sunflower is pretty cute as well. Pack it up.¡±

    ¡°Huh, the Evergreen Fu Ling Grass? They say it¡¯s literally green all the time, and it gives off a fragrant, refreshing scent. I can use one in the living room.¡±

    ¡°Yellow Spring Rock Milk? I can boil it for tea. Ghost Six!¡±

    ¡°The Resentful Tear and the Hateful Heartstone? Now that¡¯s a pair. I can use it to make a pair of earrings.¡±

    ¡°A ten-thousand-year-old Clear Sky Wood? Yes, it can be made into furniture¡­¡±

    Ghost Six couldn¡¯t stop picking chunks of his face from the floor as he listened to Greeke¡¯sments.

    <em>The Ghost-faced Sunflower looks like a ghost in the middle of a scream, and you think it¡¯s cute?</em>

    <em>The Evergreen Fu Ling Grass can save a Spirit Purifier ten years of hard training, and you¡¯re going to raise it like a house nt?</em>

    <em>A single drop of Yellow Spring Rock Milk can repair soul damage and extend one¡¯s lifespan, and you¡¯re going to use it to boil tea?</em>

    <em>The ten-thousand-year-old Clear Sky Wood is a prime material for forging Strange Artifacts, and it is itself a potent Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, but you¡¯re going to turn it into furniture?</em>

    <em>Just because you have money doesn¡¯t mean you can waste it like that! Do you think money makes the world go round?</em>

    Ghost Six was swearing like a sailor on the inside, but on the outside he was acting like Greeke¡¯s loyal servant. He smiled as brightly as he could and gave his 120 percent to satisfy Greeke¡¯s needs.

    <em>Okay fine, money can make the world go round. Bury me in yin gold, please!</em>

    It was at this moment Greeke shot Ye Qing a look¡ªthis whole time, the guy had been standing there with his jaw on the floor, unmoving¡ªand chided him, ¡°Husband, don¡¯t just stand there and do nothing. Pick something you like too! My mouth is getting dry here!¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ are you rich?¡± Ye Qing gulped audibly before sending her a sound transmission.

    ¡°My family is doing okay, I suppose,¡± Greeke replied uncaringly. ¡°We have five gold mines, several hundred stores, and thousands of servants. It¡¯s not really impressive.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what to say.<em>Your family own not one, but five GOLD MINES, and you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s not really impressive? Are you kidding me right now?</em>

    ¡°Is there anything you want, dear customer?¡± Ghost Six asked Ye Qing carefully.

    Just now, he had lost three thousand yin gold because he was a fucking idiot. That was why he was treating Ye Qing with the utmost respect even though it was clear who wore the pants in the household. Each saleted him a small percentage of profit, and at the rate Greeke was going through their wares, he was going to be a very rich ghost regardless. If Ye Qing would join in the shopping spree, then even better.

    In any case, there was no harm in licking the boots of such wealthy customers. What? He tried to kill them earlier? Bullshit! The thought had never crossed his mind!

    Back to the moment, Greeke called out to Ghost Six again, ¡°Oh, my husband just told me that he¡¯s toozy to choose. Just give me that whole cab of wares over there, will you?¡±

    ¡°No problem! Just give me a moment!¡± Today was eyeball tumbling day, it seemed. Ghost Six didn¡¯t mind it though. Not in the slightest.

    <em>Did I say anything? I didn¡¯t say anything!</em>Ye Qing nced back and forth between Ghost Six and Greeke, stupefied.

    ¡°Are you happy now, husband?¡± Greeke asked gently while beaming at him.

    ¡°Is this what you meant when you said you¡¯re gonna¡­ retrieve my dignity for me?¡± Ye Qing blinked. As satisfying as it sounded, he wasn¡¯t sure that burying his enemy in a literal pile of money was the way to go.

    ¡°But of course! As your wife, it¡¯s only natural for me to defend your honor, isn¡¯t it?¡± Greeke replied sweetly. ¡°If you think it¡¯s not enough, I can buy that cab over there as well.¡±

    ¡°No, no! It¡¯s enough!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly stopped her. Although Greeke was doing it for his sake, and he himself hadn¡¯t forked a single yin gold since entering the store, it was still too much. The rate Greeke was throwing money, he literally felt like she was exhaling gold with every breath.<em>Next time, just give me that money!</em>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, husband. This really is nothing. I¡¯m willing to pay the world if it means making you happy.¡± Greeke watched him with warm, loving eyes.

    ¡°Ahaha¡­ thanks, but seriously, you didn¡¯t need to go this far.¡± Ye Qing looked away and coughed. He might have believed she was sincere if it wasn¡¯t the fact that they had met each other less than an hour[2] ago.

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy.¡± Greeke smiled again and said, ¡°The auction¡¯s about to start, right Ghost Six? Can you take us there?¡±

    ¡°But of course, dear customer.¡± Ghost Six held out his hand and dered, ¡°This way, please.¡±

 Chapter 363: Seventh Young Master

    Chapter 363: Seventh Young Master

    The auction house was located on the third floor of the Ghost Tower. It looked just as wretched as the first and second floor.

    There was a shabby old tform at the center surrounded by square tables and round chairs. It was practically the same setup as some theaters except that the walls were cracked and broken, the curtains and other fabrics were stained by blood, and even the floors creaked ominously when someone put their weight on the wrong nk. It was rundown and eerie.

    A fair number of people had already gathered on the third floor. To Ye Qings surprise, not only was their appearance fully maskedto his eyes and demonic thought, they were like everchanging blobs of somethinghe couldnt even tell if they were weak or strong. It was as if they existed in a separate spacetime.

    Ghost Six spoke up as if he could hear Ye Qings thoughts, Dont worry, dear customer. We value customer privacy very much. Your identity is fully protected throughout the bidding process, and once you are done, you may teleport away directly. Rest assured that you are never in danger.

    That is a good setup. Ye Qing nodded in approval.

    Please take a seat wherever you like. I shall be taking my leave since the auction will begin shortly. Ghost Six bade them goodbye after that.

    After he got off the third floor, a ghost moved closer to him and said enviously, Did you run into a benefactor, Ghost Six?

    I was lucky, Ghost Six replied humbly, though he couldnt conceal his jubnce no matter what he tried.

    How much did you earn this time? Another ghost moved over and asked.

    Not much. Just three to four hundred yin gold[1]. Ghost Six waved his hand casually.

    Gasp!

    Hells

    A bunch of gasps broke out from everywhere.

    A momentter, a ghost said with dripping jealousy, <em>Just </em>three to four hundred yin gold? Thats almost ten years of sry!

    Today might just be the luckiest day of your life.

    Assuming they still have enough yin gold to bid on the third floor, your bonus is going to be even bigger. Im so jealous

    Hahaha, its not much. It really isnt that much money, people. If its two or three thousand yin gold, then were talking, Ghost Six dered arrogantly. He dearly enjoyed the feeling of being admired.

    Heh. If you ask me, luck is all Ghost Six has. How often does anyone run into such idiots? A ghost said sharply and unkindly, Ghost Six almost killed them, but instead of screwing him over, they even gave him a ton of money. If they arent the dumbest fucks in the world, then who is?

    An old ghost disagreed, So? If it wasnt for these dumb fucks, none of us would ever be rich. It wouldve taken us forever to be able to earn enough money to buy our way back to the cycle of reincarnation.

    He then looked at Ghost Six and asked, By the way, why didnt they give you a tip? Considering how rich and generous they are.

    Ghost Six: ... <em>If you shut up about the tip starting now, then we can still be friends.</em>

    They did, but I didnt ept it. Im a rule-abiding member of the Ghost Tower, you see. I cant possibly ept a customers tip! Ghost Six dered.

    Tsk Everyone clicked their tongues at the same time.

    One ghost suddenly sighed in frustration. I wonder why the owner allows us to trick our customers through our products, but forbids us from attacking them directly. Thats like a prostitute pretending that its her first time.

    Yeah, its like taking off your pants to take a farpletely unnecessary, another ghost echoed in agreement.

    Silence! Are you crazy? Criticizing the owner is a death sentence! An old ghost rebuked the two ghosts in shock and terror.

    Whats there to be scared about? The owner isnt here right now, Someone scoffed.

    What are you guys talking about?

    Suddenly, an attractive and melodious voice came from somewhere. A voice like this should awe and delight anyone like theing of spring, but instead the ghosts fell silent and shivered like leaves.

    Why did you all fall silent all of a sudden? Am I that scary?

    No one knew when the woman appeared. She was very attractive even though she was wearing a white jade mask. The lump on her throat revealed her true gender, however.

    Seventh Young Master The group greeted him fearfully.

    You. Answer me. Am I scary? Seventh Young Master asked in a sweet voice.

    No No? The ghost stuttered.

    Oh? So youre saying Im not worthy of your fear? Seventh Young Master chuckled and extended a hand. A mouth suddenly opened on his smooth, white palm.

    I misspoke, Seventh Young Master! Mercy, please, mercy! The ghost screamed in shock and horror, but Seventh Young Master was unmoved by his screams. He grabbed the ghosts skull, and

    Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

    The ghost let out a bloodcurdling scream. His facial features were literally shifting out of ce due to how much pain he was in. However, he was unable to move a muscle. It was almost as if someone had cast a freezing spell on him.

    A series of sickening crunches noises paralyzed everyones limbs as the mouth on Seventh Young Masters palm ate the ghost bit by bit. His screamssted at least a dozen breaths before he waspletely eaten.

    After Seventh Young Master was done eating the ghost, he produced a handkerchief and wiped away the stains on the mouth while asking casually, Lets try again. Am I scary?

    Yes Yes No one dared to say otherwise after witnessing the bloody execution with their own eyes.

    Oh? So youre saying Im a cold, unfeeling ghost who doesnt know how to care for my subordinates? Seventh Young Master smiled at one of the ghosts who spoke.

    No! No! I meanAhhhhhhhhhh! When the ghost saw Seventh Young Master reaching out for him, he lost control and transformed into a gust of yin wind, trying to escape.

    Hahaha Do you think you can escape me?

    The mouth on Seventh Young Masters palm suddenly opened wide, and a long, barbed tongue shot toward the yin wind like lightning. It easily caught the ghost in its deadly embrace.

    The next moment, the ghost disappeared into Seventh Young Masters mouth, leaving behind only a reverberating scream.

    Burp!

    The mouth let out a burp after swallowing another ghost. Seventh Young Master shook his head wistfully. Sigh I wasnt expecting my dogs to disobey my orders. Whatever shall I do?

    You mustnt emte their bad behavior, okay?

    Y-Yes. Every ghost bowed their head and trembled.

    Alright, lets try again. Am I scary? Seventh Young Master asked gently.

    The ghosts shook like leaves when they heard the damned question again. If they said yes, then they would die. If they said no, then they would still die. What should they do?

    There was only one answer. They stayed quiet and said nothing at all.

    The tension sat on their chests like a mountain. They felt suffocated even though they didnt need to breathe.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    Some timeter, a ghost couldnt withstand the pressure any longer andmitted suicide. He destroyed his own yin soul.

    As a ghost, to lose ones yin soul was to experience true death. They would never enter the cycle of reincarnation. Even so, it was a far better fate than being devoured by Seventh Young Master.

    Seventh Young Master was the seventh adopted son of the owner of the Ghost Tower. He was a Soul Devourer who consumed ghosts and human souls as food. Anyone he devoured would be his eternal puppet with no hope of escape. They couldnt live, nor could they die. That was why the ghost thought it was better tomit suicide.

    The ghosts action was like a signal. A couple more ghosts emted his behavior and killed themselves as well.

    Not everyone possessed their courage and determination, however. In fact, most ghosts would rather live like a ve than suffer true death.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, when everyone thought that today was the day they all died, Seventh Young Master suddenly let out a chuckle and asked, Do you know why they died?

    ...

    Its because they said the wrong thing. Ghost Eight told a lie, so he must die. Ghost Ten told a truth I dislike, so he died as well.

    The ghosts trembled, but didnt dare to make even a squeak.

    This is nice, isnt it? Just zip your mouths, and nothing bad will happen. Seventh Young Master nodded as if very pleased with their reaction. Here in the Ghost Tower, the dogs should bark if and only if their owner tells them to do so. Not even when the owner isnt around. Otherwise, they will die a horrible death. Understand?

    The ghosts hurriedly nodded. By now, everyone figured out that Seventh Young Master was warning them not to backbite their masters. Otherwise, damnation was the only oue.

    Alright. You may leave. Our business must go on. Seventh Young Master waved his hand, and everyone scattered in every direction like mice.

    Ghost Six, stay with me.

    Ghost Six was about to run off as well when suddenly, Seventh Young Master called out to him. Ghost Six froze for a second before his face turned deathly white, and his body shook like a leaf. His fellow ghosts could only shoot him sympathizing gazes before running off even faster.

    Young Seventh Young Master? Ghost Six stuttered almost hysterically. <em>Hes not going to tell me that he hasnt had his fill yet, is he?</em>

    Rx. Im already full, and you make a poor meal anyway. Your flesh stinks like trash, and your bones are anything but crunchy. Seventh Young Master smiled. I have some questions for you.

    <em>So, he wouldve eaten me if I </em>am <em>crunchy?</em>

    Ghost Six had never been so d that he was a Rotting Ghost. What do you want to know, Seventh Young Master? Ill answer to the best of my abilities.

    Seventh Young Master asked, I heard that two wealthy customers showed up just now. Is that true?

    That is correct, Ghost Six answered honestly even though he didnt know why he was asking this.

    How rich are we talking about? Seventh Young Master prodded.

    Ghost Six answered, Very. They spent over ten thousand yin gold in one sitting, and theyre currently participating in the auction right now.

    Ten thousand yin gold, and they still have enough to participate in the auction? That is quite impressive.

    Seventh Young Master asked another question, How strong are they?

    Ghost Six answered, Er, the guy isnt very strong. The Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost almost seeded in stealing his soul. Im not sure about the woman, but considering that theyre married, she cant be too strong[2].

    Also, both their auras are incredibly young. I dont think theyre old monsters pretending to be young. Theyre probably prodigals of major ns who knew nothing about the world.

    Is that so? That sounds fantastic. Seventh Young Masters voice grew increasingly sweet. I want you to keep an eye on them. When they leave, find out where they go and inform me about it.

    What are you nning Seventh Young Master? Ghost Six gulped.

    You already know, dont you? Seventh Young Master smiled kindly. There are kids roaming the streets while carrying bags of gold. What do you think Im nning to do?

    But Ghost Six hesitated.

    Ghost Six, Fengdu is no different from the human world in the sense that the weak are meat, and the strong do eat. The big fish eats the small fish, the small fish eats the shrimps and so on.

    Seventh Young Master said slowly, If the small fish and shrimp are smart, they would hide in their holes and never show themselves. But they did, so its their own fault that they risk being eaten.

    Its been a long time since I tasted human flesh, especially the flesh of a genius. Do you know that they taste like theyve been fermented in honey? The skin is thin, the flesh is delicious, and the juice is everywhere when you bite into it. Ah, that sweet taste

    I cant wait!

    1. Customer service truly sucks. Even the ferryman with his new tactic earns more than that in one sitting.

    2. In Chinese culture (in fact in most cultures) if the male and female arent equal in some ways, chances are theyre just going to break up because of the inequality. This is doubly true for marriage.

 Chapter 364: Auction

    Chapter 364: Auction

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the Ghost Tower, kekeke¡­ I¡¯m the host for today¡¯s auction, Fire Skull¡­¡±

    On the third floor, a skull that was shrouded in ck mes was floating above the tform and making small talk with the audience.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take too much of your time. In fact, we¡¯ll get right to the meat in a couple more sentences!¡±

    Fire Skull wasn¡¯t loud, but his voice was extremely clear. It was also soothing like the cool breeze after a downpour.

    ¡°One, your activity will be restricted after the auction begins, and you are not allowed to disturb others during the auction.¡±

    ¡°Two, your mouths are the only organ you are expected to p during the auction. Fighting is strictly forbidden.¡±

    ¡°Three, yin gold is the currency we¡¯ll be using for all our transactions. Once the money is paid, and the goods are received, then the business is considered to be over and done with. We don¡¯t ept refunds. If you don¡¯t have enough yin gold, you can make up for the deficit by paying a treasure of the appropriate value.¡±

    ¡°Four, at the end of the auction, you have one incense stick to interact with your fellow bidders and trade with them if you want to.¡±

    ¡°And five, no one is allowed to disrupt the auction in any way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say, folks. Let the auction begin!¡±

    A jade te with a pair of transparent wings flew out from behind the curtains and stopped in front of Fire Skull. It was carrying something that was covered in a red cloth. ¡°To kick things off, the first item we¡¯re going to auction is¡­¡±

    Fire Skull dragged out the moment for a second or two before his mes turned into a pair of hands, and he pulled away the cloth covering the item. ¡°The Yin God Bone Changing Fruit!¡±

    Someone whistled from beneath the stage and said, ¡°They¡¯re showing us the good stuff right off the bat?¡±

    Fire Skull ignored him and continued, ¡°The Yin God Bone Changing Fruit is the fruit of the Yin God Tree and could only be found at Resting Mountain, and the Yin God Tree is a nt that could only be birthed from the yin qi of Fengdu. It takes a hundred years for the Yin God Tree to grow to full maturity, another hundred years to flower, and<em>another</em>hundred years to conceive a fruit! Moreover, the tree only conceives one fruit its whole life. It will wither once the fruit has fallen off its branch.¡±

    ¡°The Yin God Bone Changing Fruit is said to be capable of transforming a person so thoroughly it might as well be a rebirth, and whoever said it wasn¡¯t kidding in the slightest. If a ghost eats the Yin God Bone Changing Fruit, they would grow flesh and blood and be human. If a human eats it, they would be freed from their mortal shell and gain an imperishable soul.¡±

    Loud murmurs began resounding throughout the room. It was clear that many people were interested in the fruit.

    Beneath the stage, Ye Qing curled his lips in disdain. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ As expected of the Ghost Tower. I can smell their nonsense all the way from here!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Did he lie?¡± Greeke asked smilingly.

    ¡°No, but it did hide some key information,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°It is true that the Yin God Bone Changing Fruit could reverse yin and yang, life and death, but it only works for an ordinary human who¡¯s never practiced martial arts or a weak ghost. Anyone who¡¯s even a little stronger would find their energies shing against the fruit¡¯s energies. Best case scenario, they would experience a deviation and turn into a cripple. Worst case scenario, their mind and soul would crumble, and they would experience true death.¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, this item ispletely useless to us warriors. If it worked on warriors, the Ghost Tower would¡¯ve kept it to themselves.¡±

    ¡°You are quite knowledgeable, husband. I am very impressed,¡± praised Greeke while watching him with gentle eyes.

    Ye Qing simply smiled and said nothing.

    ¡°The starting bid for this treasure is one hundred yin gold. Every bid must be at least fifty yin gold higher than the previous number.¡±

    Fire Skull wasted some time after that in order to fan the bidders¡¯ impatience. When it thought that the time was right, it finally dered, ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°Two hundred yin gold!¡±

    ¡°Three hundred yin gold!¡±

    ¡°You seriously thought you can buy a treasure like this for three hundred yin gold? Five hundred yin gold!¡±

    ¡°Is that it? Eight hundred yin gold!¡±

    For a time, it sounded like the bidding would never end.

    At a seat not far away from Ye Qing¡¯s, a cute thirteen or fourteen year old boy who was dressed like a student scoffed at the bidders.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they¡¯re fighting over a useless fruit. Pitiful. Truly pitiful.¡±

    Sitting opposite the young man, a, young handsome schr who was reading a book seriously said, ¡°Sixue, to know but not expand on what you know is the same as not knowing, and to be wealthy but not share what you have with others is the same as being poor. You know the truth, and yet you chose to ridicule the ignorant instead of illuminating them on the truth. That kind of behavior is deplorable.¡±

    ¡°You are correct, teacher. I will think on my mistakes.¡± The student hurriedly rose to his feet and saluted the schr deeply. ¡°Should I tell them the truth then, teacher?¡±

    Still reading his book, the schr replied calmly, ¡°No. Rules are rules. We are guests of the Ghost Tower, so we should follow the rules they set.¡±

    ¡°Besides, one only learns from one¡¯s mistakes. They may have wasted their yin gold, but the knowledge they would gain from this experience would teach them to be better<em>jianghu</em>warriors[1].¡±

    ¡°You are right, teacher. I shall remember your teachings,¡± The student answered primly.

    ¡°Enough with the ceremonies. Sit,¡± the young man said gently.

    ¡°Yes, teacher.¡± The student returned to his seat and stuck out his tongue when he thought the schr wasn¡¯t looking.

    Meanwhile, the bidding had finally ended on two thousand yin gold.

    ¡°Congrattions on obtaining the Yin God Bone Changing Fruit, dear customer. Now then, our second item is¡­¡±

    This time, a gorgeous female ghost wearing a semi-transparent dress stepped onto the stage while carrying a stone bowl.

    ¡°The Mengpo Soup! That¡¯s right! It¡¯s<em>the</em>Mengpo Soup! One mouthful from this bowl will make you forget everything you have experienced up until that point. In other words, this soup will grant you a fresh start.¡±

    ¡°Just like the Yin God Bone Changing Fruit, the starting price is one hundred yin gold, and every bid must be at least fifty yin gold higher than the previous number.¡±

    ¡°The bidding starts¡­ now!¡±

    ¡°The Mengpo Soup? Who on earth would need such a thing?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose in confusion. It waspletely useless to most people unless it was fed to others, and even then its usefulness was very situational.

    As expected, few people bid for the Mengpo Soup. In the end, it went to Greeke for five hundred yin gold.

    ¡°Why on earth did you bid for the Mengpo Soup?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Greeke smiled. ¡°I got it for myself. If one day you abandon me and go away, I will need it to cure my sorrows.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you do you.¡± Ye Qing ended the conversation on the spot.

    ¡°Now then, our third item is¡­ the Three-Lived Grass!¡±

    Fire Skull pointed at a bright red grass with three flowers and three leaves and began its introduction, ¡°You¡¯ve all heard of the Three Lived Stone, haven¡¯t you? The Three Lived Stone is a godly artifact of my Fengdu, and it can reveal someone¡¯s past, present, and future lives.¡±

    ¡°The Three Lived Grass is born next to the Three Lived Stone, which is why it possessed some of its power.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the Three Lived Grass is no Three Lived Stone. It can only reveal glimpses of one¡¯s past, present, and future lives.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ trash and more trash. This Ghost Tower sure isn¡¯t afraid to scam the shit out of their customers!¡± Ye Qing shook his head. That said, the Three Lived Stone was definitely more valuable than the Mengpo Soup, and it was especially valuable who dabbled in fortune telling and the like. It should sell for a lot of money.

    As expected, the audience was quite enamored with the item, and the Three Lived Grass was ultimately sold for five thousand yin gold.

    The next few items that were brought on stage were actual treasures, and some of them were quite attractive for Ye Qing. For example, there was the Yin Fire Eternal Sand that could be used to temper one¡¯s spirit, a Cloak of True Invisibility, a cultivation art meant for ghost warriors called the ¡°Myriad Ghosts Sutra¡±, a bottle of Bone Jade Marrow that could greatly increase the chance of a Strange Artifact growing an artifact spirit and so on.

    He had to let them go though. After all, he was poor as dirt.

    Greeke bought a lot of things though. It truly was the privilege of the wealthy.

    ¡°The next item we have here is a flower that can grow even without roots. Born in the River of Forgettance, it is the beautiful Duckweed Flower!¡±

    As soon as Fire Skull finished, an imp jumped onto the stage while carrying a vase on top of its head. Inside the vase was a bright, colorful, fragrant, and dreamlike flower.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the Duckweed Flower¡­¡± Ye Qing immediately devoted his full attention to the stage.

    ¡°The Duckweed Flower can only be found in the River of Forgettance. It takes sixty years to grow its leaves, and another sixty years to flower. The flower only blooms for a day, but it may never wither for ten thousand years.¡±

    Fire Skull was doing his best to hype up the item, but most people paid it no heed. It was true that the Duckweed Flower was beautiful and rare, but it could neither be used as medicine nor provide any sort of practical function. Ady might be interested in such things, but even they would be hardpressed to convince themselves to pay money that could be better spent elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°They treat sand like treasure, and actual treasure like sand. Truly pitiful.¡±

    The student couldn¡¯t help but scoff at the bidders again, ¡°The River of Forgettance is a dead river full of taint and yin energy, but where there is yin, there must be yang and vice versa. Born from a ce of absolute filth, the Duckweed Flower is the purest and brightest flower of them all.¡±

    ¡°The Duckweed Flower is full of Great Yang Qi. Once you obtain it, you¡¯ll reach the adept level of the Thousand Autumns Art.¡±

    ¡°To travel a thousand kilometers with a single breath of Greatness! How amazing would that be?¡±

    Still not looking up from his book, the schr said, ¡°Sixue. What did I say earlier?¡±

    ¡°Er, right. I will repent, teacher.¡± The student stuck out his tongue.

    ¡°And yet you are decidedly not. When we get back, you will copy the chapter ¡®Regarding The Heart¡¯ of the ¡®Analects¡¯ three times.¡±

    ¡°Yes, teacher,¡± The student responded obediently before adding, ¡°But can we talk about my punishmentter? The bidding has already begun. If you don¡¯t bid now, it might just go to another bidder.¡±

    ¡°How many times have I told you that impatience clouds the mind, and a clouded mind can do nothing? You will copy the ¡®Heart Sutra¡¯ three times as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll do that when we get back. But for now, let me bid for you, okay?¡±

    The student shouted, ¡°Three thousand yin gold.¡±

    ¡°It looks like one bidder is offering three thousand yin gold to buy the Duckweed Flower! Are there any takers? If not, then this priceless treasure will go to them!¡± Fire Skull yelled.

    ¡°Three thousand? Rich people,¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath. He thought he would be able to obtain the Duckweed Flower for cheap considering that not many people were interested in it, but suddenly, it cost three times more than he could afford. He strongly suspected that the Ghost Tower had fake bidders upping the price to make sure they wouldn¡¯t make a deficit.

    ¡°Do you want the Duckweed Flower, husband?¡± Greeke heard his mutter and asked smilingly.

    ¡°Yes, but I can¡¯t afford it,¡± Ye Qing replied honestly. It wasn¡¯t that he could afford the price¡ªhe had plenty of Strange Artifacts he could trade to the Ghost Tower to make up for the yin gold he didn¡¯t have¡ªbut all that for one Duckweed Flower? It just wasn¡¯t worth it.

    ¡°If that is your desire, then I shall grant it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s f¡ª¡±

    Greeke raised her hand before he could finish and called out, ¡°Six thousand yin gold!¡±

    1. If you haven¡¯t figured it out yet, this guy is bullshitting. As Ye Qing already told you, those who eat the fruit straight up die or be a cripple. ?

 Chapter 365: Confrontation

    <h4>Chapter 365: Confrontation </h4>

    ¡°W-What? Six thousand?¡±

    The student never thought that anyone would spend this much money. He wasn¡¯t able to say a word for a time.

    ¡°Hahaha... we have six thousand yin gold, people! Is there anyone who¡¯s willing to challenge this bid? If not, then this Duckweed Flower will go to our honored customer over there!¡± Fire Skull dered with clear delight in his voice. He thought for sure that the Duckweed Flower was going to be undersold, but the situation suddenly took a drastic turn.

    After the student recovered his wits, he wrinkled his brows and called out, ¡°Seven thousand yin gold.¡±

    But as soon as he finished talking, Greeke called out, ¡°Fourteen thousand yin gold.¡±

    ¡°Four... <i>Fourteen thousand?! </i>Are you ill?¡± The student burst out in shock and anger. Most people bid for their item bit by bit, but this woman[1] doubled the existing bid every time. If they weren¡¯t crazy, then who was?

    ¡°I¡¯m not ill, but I am rich,¡± Greeke replied matter-of-factly.

    ¡°You... very good! I wonder how much money you really have?¡± The student¡¯s cute face flushed red. ¡°Fifteen thousand yin gold!¡±

    ¡°Twenty thousand yin gold,¡± Greeke replied indifferently.

    ¡°Twenty one thousand yin gold...¡± The student uttered through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Thirty thousand yin gold,¡± Greeke said in the exact same tone.

    ¡°You... You¡¯re one-upping me on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± The student flew into a rage. <i>This is absolutely bullshit!</i>

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. I¡¯m rich, and I¡¯m willing to pay any price to obtain what I want. That¡¯s all,¡± Greeke responded. ¡°If you¡¯re done, then this Duckweed Flower will be going to my husband.¡±

    ¡°You... How dare you! Do you know who my teacher is? You¡¯ll give him the Duckweed Flower if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± The student yelled.

    ¡°So sorry, but I don¡¯t know who your teacher is,¡± Greeke replied.

    ¡°Yeah! Who is your teacher? Does he have a big face? Or does <i>she </i>have a big ass?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Why don¡¯t you bring your teacher out for a walk? I want to know if he or she has three heads and six arms!¡±

    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re a kid, kid. You haven¡¯t weaned off your momma¡¯s tits, have you? This is the Ghost Tower, not your house. If you¡¯re gonna throw a tantrum, then go back to your momma. We don¡¯t need to hear your whines.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Bid if you have the money, get lost if you don¡¯t. Stop wasting my time, brat.¡±

    In just an instant, the student had be the subject of everyone¡¯s ridicule. His expression ugly, he pped the table and shot to his feet. ¡°Who the fuck do you people think you are? How dare you insult my teacher!¡±

    The student abruptly turned in Greeke and Ye Qing¡¯s direction and pointed a finger at Greeke. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! Not only are you taking my teacher¡¯s item, you¡¯re even shaming him in public! You must die to make up for your sin!¡±

    A storm of sword qi manifested into existence and swept toward the duo, but neither Ye Qing nor Greeke reacted to the attack. It was because Fire Skull let out an angry roar, ¡°How dare you attack another in the Ghost Tower!¡±

    Pitch ck mes transformed into a giant palm and crushed the sword qi threatening the student. Countless ghosts could be seen wailing and roaring within those mes.

    ¡°The Soul Devouring Yin Fire!¡± The student¡¯s face turned deathly pale in an instant.

    The Soul Devouring Yin Fire was a kind of me that consumed the soul. If a soul was consumed by it, they would be a part of the me and suffer the agony of being burned alive for eternity.

    ¡°Teacher, save me!¡±

    ¡°The sage says that a person of honor and uprightness shall be impervious to all evils,¡± said a gentle voice at a critical moment. The Soul Devouring Yin Fire flooding toward the student immediately melted like snow and vanished into nothing.

    For the first time, the young man looked up from his book and said slowly, ¡°It is true that my rude student has broken a rule of the Ghost Tower, but he is so very young. Can you forgive him on ount of his youth, auctioneer?¡±

    ¡°Youth is no excuse,¡± Fire Skull uttered in a dark tone. ¡°I said from the beginning that fighting is strictly forbidden once the auction begins. Did you think it was empty talk? Those who break our rule must be punished.¡±

    ¡°Without rules, nothing can be done,¡± The young man said amiably. ¡°So, how would you like to punish my student?¡±

    Fire Skull answered, ¡°I will destroy his body and leave him in the Dark Volcano. He will burn in its Yin Fire for a hundred years before he is released.¡±

    The student turned as pale as a sheet. ¡°No! Teacher, I, I don¡¯t want to be burned by the YIn Fire! Save me!¡±

    ¡°I told you many times that you must be calm and patient in all circumstances, or you may harm others and yourself, but you just wouldn¡¯t listen.¡± The young man looked at his student with a disappointed expression. ¡°Still, I won¡¯t let you suffer the Yin Fire. Deserved it may be, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to endure it.¡±

    The student thought his teacher was going to save him and burst out in delight, ¡°Thank you, teacher! Thank you!¡±

    ¡°However, nothing can be done without rules. The rules must be protected at all costs,¡± The young man dered expressionlessly. ¡°Since you have broken a rule, you must be punished.¡±

    As soon as he said this, the student¡¯s body began disintegrating like sand. In just the blink of an eye, all that was left of him was his soul.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now, auctioneer?¡± The young man looked at Fire Skull inquiringly.

    Fire Skull remained unmoved. ¡°I said I¡¯m going to leave his soul in the Dark Volcano. You may have destroyed his body, but you haven¡¯t given me his soul yet. Do that, and I will be satisfied.¡±

    As soon as it was done speaking, its mes turned into a massive hand and reached out toward the student¡¯s soul.

    The young man waved his hand like he was waving off some dust. The next moment, the fiery hand was destroyed in an instant.

    ¡°You dare stop me? Will you make an enemy out of the Ghost Tower?¡± Fire Skull raged. On the inside though, it was shocked by how easy the young man had dispelled his attack. It hadn¡¯t even seen how he did it.

    It didn¡¯t back off though. One, the rules of the Ghost Tower must be obeyed, and two, the student¡¯s soul looked as beautiful as refined jade, pure and translucent. Master would be very happy if it gave it to him.

    The entire Ghost Tower burst into cold, dark mes as if responding to Fire Skull¡¯s fury. The walls began seeping blood, ugly faces began surfacing from the blood, and a terrifying, twisted and evil presence enveloped the entire building.

    The young man couldn¡¯t seem to feel the presence, however. Calmly, he flicked a finger and erased his student¡¯s soul from existence.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now, auctioneer?¡±

    <i>What a ruthless man, </i>everyone on the floor thought with a frown. The young man hadn¡¯t just killed his own student, he had given him true death. There was no such thing as reincarnation when even the soul was erased from existence.

    What confused them was why the young man didn¡¯t just give Fire Skull the soul. He already went so far as to kill his student, he might as well surrender his soul to the Ghost Tower and appease their anger. Why did he purposely wipe out his student¡¯s soul and antagonize the Ghost Tower?

    ¡°You wiped out his soul?¡± Fire Skull eximed in disbelief after a few seconds of stunned silence.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The young man said indifferently, ¡°Are you satisfied now, auctioneer?¡±

    ¡°He broke our rule, so he should be ours to punish. What is the meaning of this?!¡± Fire Skull was seriously angry this time. Its goal was to capture the student¡¯s soul so it could present it to its master. Its im that it would burn it in the Dark Volcano for a hundred years was just an excuse. However, the young man had ruined its n and provoked the Ghost Tower at one stroke. How could it not be furious?

    Seemingly picking up on Fire Skull¡¯s anger, a terrifying silhouette abruptly appeared behind its back. It carried seemingly enough power to turn this whole ce into rubble with the snap of a finger.

    ¡°That must be the master of the Ghost Tower!¡± Ye Qing nched a little. Obviously, the silhouette wasn¡¯t the real thing. He was just a wisp of the master¡¯s spirit. Even so, he felt that the silhouette was impossible to defeat.

    ¡°He is my student and my subordinate first before he transgressed against the Ghost Tower. Even if he broke your rule, I¡¯m the one who gets to punish him first. Only then is it your turn to punish him. Such is the natural order of things.¡±

    The young man remained unperturbed despite the silhouette¡¯s power, however. ¡°Not only that, I had dealt him a punishment that is objectively worse than what you had nned for him. I¡¯ve also apologized to you on his behalf. What else are you dissatisfied about?¡±

    ¡°The sage says that those in the right cannot be defied.¡±

    The silhouette of a schr wearing a Confucian¡¯s ceremonial robe and carrying a book manifested behind the young man. As soon as it appeared, sounds of recitation resounded throughout the Ghost Tower, and countless essays and poems transformed into the wind and rain. It swept away the evil, twisted presence of the tower in an instant.

    ¡°The Dharma of the Wise Sage?! He has the potential to enter the Sage Realm...¡±

    Several people in the Ghost Tower began leaking filthy, ck qi as the wind and rain continued. They felt like they were dying just being in the presence of the young man.

    ¡°Hmph! Who on earth is this guy? I cannot believe he¡¯s grasped the essence of Confucianism and cultivated the Dharma of the Wise Sage. He is most likely going to be a Confucian sage in the future.¡±

    A man covered from head to toe in ck rubbed the back of his hand and identally stripped off an entire chunk of flesh. He muttered, ¡°This man must die, or he will be a major obstacle in the Dark Ways in the future.¡±

    Fire Skull was stunned by the silhouette standing behind the young man as well. It was because he could sense a hint of fear and wariness from his master¡¯s spirit.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now, auctioneer?[2]¡± The young man asked indifferently. He waspletely unperturbed by themotion and damage he had caused.

    Fire Skull was starting to question the young man¡¯s background, and it didn¡¯t want to blow up the matter and cancel the auction prematurely. In the end, it had no choice but to concede and say, ¡°Fine, but there are no second chances. If this happens again, then we will take action.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± The young man replied as the silhouette slowly returned to his body. Then, he sat down and began reading his book once more.

    After the young man sat down, Fire Skull also dispelled his silhouette and returned his attention to the audience. ¡°Apologies for the disruption, everyone. Now that the matter is resolved, let us continue the auction.¡±

    ¡°So, what we¡¯ve shown you just now is just the appetizer. The main dish ising up right now. The main theme of today¡¯s auction is natural treasures, godly martial arts, and arts that should¡¯ve been extinct. Are you interested?¡±

    ¡°Cut the bullcrap and get on with it already!¡± Someone said impatiently.

    ¡°Hahaha, don¡¯t worry, customer. The auction will resume, now!¡±

    Fire Skull pped its hands, and a female ghost carrying a wooden box floated up the stage. Fire Skull opened the wooden box to reveal a few paper pages.

    ¡°This is a martial art. It is called the Earthfire Mirror,¡± it dered.

    ¡°The Earthfire Mirror? Is it <i>the </i>Earthfire Mirror belonging to the Mountain of Mind and Heart?¡± Someone eximed in shock.

    ¡°You are quite knowledgeable, customer! That¡¯s right! It is none other than the Earthfire Mirror belonging to the Mountain of Mind and Heart!¡± Fire Skull confirmed.

    ¡°Impossible! The Earthfire Mirror was lost over a century ago! How can it be here?¡± Another voice eximed.

    Ye Qing was quite shocked himself. ¡°The Earthfire Mirror? The Mountain of Mind and Heart had two godly martial arts, and they are the Skyfire Mirror and the Earthfire Mirror. Could it really be the genuine article?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps!¡± Greeke replied.

    The Skyfire could burn the sky, and the Earthfire could boil thend. Together, they form the foundation of one of the greatest sects in the world. Unfortunately, the Mountain of Mind and Heart lost the Earthfire Mirror over a hundred years ago, and they had declined into a second-rate sect as a result.¡±

    Ye Qing recalled the files regarding the Mountain of Mind and Heart he read in the Pacification Bureau and smirked. ¡°If this is the genuine article, the Mountain of Mind and Heart is going to go crazy. I wonder if one of them is sitting in this room right now?¡±

    If they were, this was going to be a very interesting auction.

    1. Why he can identify her voice will be exined in the next chapter. ?

    2. Yes, he asked the same question four times. Guy¡¯s a boss. ?

 Chapter 366: The Earthfire Mirror

    Chapter 366: The Earthfire Mirror

    ¡°Do you know why the Mountain of Mind and Heart lost the Earthfire Mirror, dear customers?¡±

    Fire Skull exined smilingly, ¡°A hundred years ago, the Mountain of Mind and Heart had a disciple called Tian Yizi[1]. He was the disciple of the Lord of the Mountain and the most gifted warrior in the sect. He was supposed to seed his master and be the next Lord of the Mountain, but for whatever reason, the Lord of the Mountain chose a nobody to be his sessor instead.¡±

    ¡°Furious, Tian Yizi turned traitor and stole the bronze mirror carrying the martial art. Then, he escaped and never returned. Since then, the Mountain of Mind and Heart lost the Earthfire Mirror.¡±

    ¡°What we¡¯re showing you is Tian Yizi¡¯s handwritten notes and insights into the Earthfire Mirror. Sure, it¡¯s not the original, and it can¡¯t hold a candle to the true Earthfire Mirror, but rest assured that the difference isn¡¯t too big.¡±

    As soon as Fire Skull finished speaking, an old voice spoke angrily, ¡°How did you have Tian Yizi¡¯s handwritten notes? Did he give it to you himself, or did you kill him?¡±

    ¡°My apologies, but we cannot tell you,¡± Fire Skull replied unhurriedly. ¡°It is against the rules to tell anyone about the origins of the auctioned items. If you¡¯re willing to buy it, then please submit a bid. If not, then please remain quiet.¡±

    ¡°Now then, let the bidding begin! The starting bid for the Earthfire Mirror is three thousand yin gold. Every bid must be at least five hundred yin gold higher than the previous number.¡±

    Before anyone could make a bid, the old voice from before spoke up again, ¡°Everyone, the Earthfire Mirror is an important item belonging to the Mountain of Mind and Heart. We must obtain it no matter what. We humbly beseech you to give us face[ref]NEVER do this in real life, btw. This is easily one of the stupidest moments of the story.[/[ref].¡±

    ¡°There really was someone from Mountain of Mind and Heart. This is going to be fun.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°The speaker is probably the great elder of Mountain of Mind and Heart, Cang Jun,¡± Greeke whispered to him.

    <em>She identified him just from his voice? That¡¯s impressive,</em>Ye Qing thought to himself.

    Meanwhile, Cang Jun made his bid, ¡°Three thousand and five hundred yin gold.¡±

    ¡°Five thousand yin gold,¡± A childish voice rang immediately after that.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Six Yins? What is the meaning of this?¡± Cang Jun must recognize the second bidder because he identified his voice right away.

    Logically speaking, even the weakest warrior present was a Spirit Purifier like Ye Qing, so it was child¡¯s y for anyone to alter their voice, not to mention that the Ghost Tower went to great lengths to conceal their identity. However, this ¡°Six Yins¡± obviously didn¡¯t bother to hide his identity.

    ¡°Are you seriously asking that question, Cang Jun? Forget that the Earthfire Mirror is the foundation of your Mountain of Mind and Heart, the Earthfire Mirror on its own is a Grandmaster-stage martial art. Did you actually think you can buy it for three thousand and five hundred yin gold?¡± Six Yins Superior replied in a mocking tone.

    ¡°Six Yins Superior is right. This old man would like to make a bid as well. Six thousand yin gold.¡±

    ¡°In that case, this gentleman can¡¯t stay quiet either. Eight thousand yin gold!¡±

    ¡°You stingy bastards, you¡¯re really going to pay a couple thousand yin gold for a Grandmaster-stage martial art? How shameful! I¡¯ll raise eight thousand and one yin gold!¡±

    The crowd saw an opportunity to ridicule Mountain of Mind and Heart and did not hesitate to pounce on it.

    ¡°Ten thousand yin gold,¡± Cang Jun sucked in a deep breath to calm himself. Furious he might be, he recognized some of the speakers as titans of the Dark Ways; people he couldn¡¯t afford to offend for short. That was why he didn¡¯t dare to say anything against them.

    ¡°Eleven thousand,¡± Six Yins Superior saidzily.

    ¡°Twelve thousand,¡± Cang Jun dered.

    ¡°Thirteen thousand,¡± Six Yins Superior continued to bid up.

    Six Yins Superior would continue to bid up exactly one thousand every time Cang Jun made his bid. Everyone knew that Six Yins Superior was doing this on purpose.

    Finally, Cang Jun could stand this farce no longer and threatened, ¡°Enough, Six Yins! Are you really going to make an enemy out of the Mountain of Mind and Heart?¡±

    ¡°Enough? Why didn¡¯t you think that when your sect chased me all over the ce back then? Now that the tables have finally turned, you suddenly think it¡¯s too much?¡± Six Yins Superior retorted loudly. Ye Qing could almost imagine the guy¡¯s spittle flying all over the ce.

    Cang Jun argued, ¡°You were the one who broke the rules back then. You only have yourself to me for the consequences!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Six Yins chuckled coldly. ¡°What I¡¯m going to do next is within the rules, so you best don¡¯t me me for what¡¯s about to happen. Fifty thousand yin gold!¡±

    ¡°You¡ª!¡± Cang Jun nearly fainted from sheer fury there and then.

    ¡°Hehehe, you dead yet, old man? If you¡¯re not, then you best make your bid. Otherwise, I¡¯m going to use your precious Earthfire Mirror to wipe my ass when I get it!¡± Six Yins Superior said with a boisterousugh.

    He had wanted to take revenge against these hypocrites for the longest time, and today was the perfect opportunity to do so. The Earthfire Mirror and the Skyfire Mirror were the cornerstones of their whole sect, so they would never give it up no matter what price they had to pay.

    ¡°Fifty one thousand yin gold¡­¡± An ashen-faced, bloodshot Cang Jun uttered with volcanic fury.

    ¡°Sixty thousand!¡± Six Yins chuckled.

    On the stage, Fire Skull was ecstatic at how sessful their scheme had been. From the moment they got their hands on the Earthfire Mirror, they had immediately leaked the news to Mountain of Mind and Heart and their enemies. The Mountain of Mind and Heart would never give up on the item, while their enemies would do their utmost to impede them. Naturally, this would maximize their profit. So far, the scheme had been a resounding sess.

    In the end, Cang Jun won the handwritten notes of the Earthfire Mirror for the tall, tall price of one hundred thousand yin gold. Cang Jun left immediately after obtaining the goods. It was because he was afraid that he would lose control and murder Six Yins Superior and Fire Skull for what they had done to him.

    <em>Despicable bastards,</em>Ye Qing and many other people thought at the same time. The Ghost Tower¡¯s ploy was obvious to all but the dimmest.

    Fire Skull moved onto the next item. ¡°Alright, our next item is even better than the Earthfire Mirror. It is a Strange Artifact who could supposedlymand thousands and thousands troops with a single blow, the Call To Arms!¡±

    A horn that was shaped like a rhino¡¯s horn was carried up the stage. It was covered inplex and mysterious runes.

    ¡°Is that the Call To Arms belonging to the Call To Arms Sect from three hundred years ago?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°That is correct! For those who didn¡¯t know, it is a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact!¡±

    Fire Skull exined, ¡°The Call To Arms is made from the horn of the ck Jade Spirit Rhino. The ck Jade Spirit Rhino possessed the ability tomunicate yin and yang, which is why the Call To Arms also possessed the same power. Anyone who blows the horn can borrow tens of thousands of yin soldiers from the underworld andmand them as they pleased.¡±

    ¡°The Call To Arms was how the Call To Arms Sect became a major sect during its halcyon days, but unfortunately, they never learned how to live without it. From the day they lost the item, they grew weaker and weaker until they disappeared altogether.¡±

    ¡°Now then, let the show begin, shall we? The starting bid for the Call To Arms is ten thousand yin gold, and every bid must be at least five hundred yin gold higher than the previous number. Begin!¡±

    ¡°Fifteen thousand yin gold!¡±

    ¡°Sixteen thousand.¡±

    ¡°Twenty thousand!¡±

    Who didn¡¯t want a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact? The price quickly shot up to eighty thousand yin gold. In the end, Greeke bought it for a total of ny thousand yin gold.

    To this, Ye Qing could only say, ¡°Money makes the world go round.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions to our dear customer for winning this item! Now then, our next item is¡­ a drop of blood.¡±

    After a female ghost carried a porcin bottle up the stage, Fire Skull uncorked it and released what looked like a puff of pure white air. Such was its power that it instantly covered the entire floor in frost and entombed the female ghost who carried it up the stage in ice.

    ¡°A Stranger¡¯s aura?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned as he attempted to perceive the strange energy. It was highly potent, evil, and anomalous. The Ghost Tower¡¯s presence must have suppressed it to a certain extent, or this puff of air alone could¡¯ve turned everything within several hundred meters into a frozen wastnd.

    Fire Skull¡¯s mes were threatening to go out as well, so it quickly corked the bottle and dered, ¡°It looks like some of you have figured out the answer. That¡¯s right! This is the blood essence of a Stranger, the Disaster-ss Stranger Snow Maitreya to be exact!¡±

    ¡°The blood essence of the Snow Maitreya?!¡± Countless people eximed in surprise. The Snow Maitreya was an extremely powerful Stranger that naturally caused an ice storm just by existing. It was clear that the blood was no ordinary blood essence either. It was the heart¡¯s blood of the Snow Maitreya, what they felt just now was a glimpse of its power.

    This made the blood essence so much more valuable than what it would¡¯ve been. To a Stranger, the blood essence could strengthen their bloodline and ss. To a warrior, it could be used to greatly enhance their power if they cultivated a martial art of a simr attribute, create medicine, forge Strange Artifacts and more.

    As soon as Fire Skull finished, countless people began bidding for the blood essence, and among them were some Strangers. As far as his senses could tell, Ye Qing could sense at least six Strangers participating in the bidding. In the end, a Stranger managed to win the blood essence at the hefty price of one hundred and fifteen thousand yin gold.

    Fire Skull wasn¡¯t done yet, however. It showed off the iplete scroll of the ¡°Divine Art of Nine Deaths¡± next.

    ¡°The ¡°Divine Art of Nine Deaths¡± was a godly martial art a warrior nicknamed the ¡°Old Man of Nine Deaths¡± created based on the ¡°Nine Metamorphosis of the Heavenly Silkworm¡± three hundred years ago. Every time the practitioner died, their power would multiply by leaps and bounds. Nine deathster, they would be a Sage, immortal and imperishable. That was why it was also known as the martial art that could turn anyone into a Sage in nine deaths.

    Of course, the deaths mentioned in the martial art wasn¡¯t true death or even the death of one¡¯s mortal shell. It was referring to a near death experience. The near death experience couldn¡¯t be staged either, or it wouldn¡¯t count.

    Naturally, the ¡°Divine Art of Nine Deaths¡± was an extremely difficult martial art to practice. It was all too easy for a near death experience to result in true death. It was said that the Old Man of Nine Deaths himself failed to reach the adept level of the martial art before he died.

    Moreover, the one being auctioned on the stage wasn¡¯t even the full version of the martial art. It was just an iplete scroll. Otherwise, there was no chance it would be auctioned.

    That said, the ¡°Divine Art of Nine Deaths¡± was still a Sage-stage martial art. In the end, someone bought it for ny thousand yin gold. It wasn¡¯t too high or too low a price.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for the climax and final item we¡¯ll be auctioning today. I¡¯m sure that many of you are here for this item.¡±

    Fire Skull took a moment to build up the hype before revealing, ¡°Thest item we¡¯re auctioning is¡­ the martial inheritance of the Dark Overlord, Li Hentian!¡±

    ¡°<em>What?</em>The martial inheritance of the Dark Overlord?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t be real! There is no way the Ghost Tower would be willing to put it up for auction if it is real!¡±

    ¡°Are you toying with us, Fire Skull?!¡±

    As soon as Fire Skull finished, the loudest murmurs yet of the auction broke out. Shock, suspicion, impatience, greed¡­ countless emotions swirled within the floor.

    1. Literally Son of Heaven¡¯s Will. Not sure if moniker, but he doesn¡¯t appear again so whatever. ?

 Chapter 367: The Dark Overlordâ€™s Inheritance

    <h4>Chapter 367: The Dark Overlord¡¯s Inheritance </h4>

    Ye Qing was shocked too, so much so that he nearly fell off his chair. It wasn¡¯t because he was easily startled. It was because the name ¡°Dark Overlord¡± carried that much weight.

    The Dark Overlord Li Hentian was the greatest warrior in the entire world eight hundred years ago. Unparalleled and unmatched, he had singlehandedly dominated the four realms and the <i>jianghu. </i>

    Once upon a time, he slew five kilometers of peach blossoms with his sword and forced Dragon Tiger Mountain to stay out of secr matters for a hundred years.

    Once upon a time, he brought a flower and a Go board up Lotus Peak and challenged the sect leader of True Martial Sect to a debate of Dao. When the flowers fell, and the game was over, the sect master achieved enlightenment and passed away there and then.

    Once upon a time, he marched up to Lanke Temple, shouted away the Bodhisattva and the Buddha, and sent a thousand-kilometer-long Kingdom of Buddha plummeting from the heavens with his fists. As a result, the Kingdom of Buddha in the heavens fell to humanity.

    Once upon a time, he entered the city of Ling Xiao and Fengdu alone and cut a thousand heads with his saber while drunk. Humans, celestials, ghosts and gods. All bowed before his might for fear they were next.

    ......

    The long story short was that the Dark Overlord Lin Hentian was <i>the </i>protagonist of this world eight hundred years ago. He had singlehandedly dominated every <i>jianghu </i>for over a century, and no one¡ªthe Orthodoxy, the Dark Ways, the Buddhists, the Confucianists, the ns, the nobles and more¡ªdared to stand in his way. He was the one and only hegemon in the heavens, the human world, <i>and </i>the underworld, and the Buddhas, the Sages, the celestials, the gods and the demons were like shadowspared to him.

    Once upon a time, the White Jade Capital even made a remark that would be remembered by the <i>jianghu </i>for eternity: ¡°The <i>jianghu </i>is evesting, but there may be one and only Li Hentian.¡±

    Unfortunately, the Dark Overlord¡¯s fall was just as meteoric as his rise. One day, Li Hentian suddenly went missing and was never heard of again.

    Some people said that Li Hentian was ganged up on by the champions of the Orthodoxy and the Dark Ways and killed,

    Some people said that Li Hentian had shattered the barrier between worlds and ventured into the unknown in search for the pinnacle of martial arts,

    Some people said that Li Hentian had attained enlightenment and passed away because there was no one and nothing in this world that interested him anymore,

    Some people said that Li Hentian was still roaming the <i>jianghu </i>with his lovers, albeit under a different name and moniker,

    So on and so forth.

    The rumors were just rumors, however. No one knew exactly why the Dark Overlord had suddenly disappeared without a trace, and it remained one of the biggest mysteries of the <i>jianghu </i>and <i>wulin.</i>

    Despite this, the legend of Li Hentian remained one of the most popr topics of the <i>jianghu. </i>He remained an untouchable, invincible legend even to this day.

    That was why Ye Qing was so shocked when Fire Skull mentioned his name. His inheritance? If Fire Skull didn¡¯t look so confident, he would¡¯ve imed that it was impossible.

    It wasn¡¯t just him. Countless others were just as shell-shocked as he was.

    Deeply satisfied with the audience¡¯s reactions, Fire Skull said slowly, ¡°Hahaha... some of you have guessed correctly. We don¡¯t have the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance in our possession. It should not need to be said, but not anyone could attain the legendary warrior¡¯s inheritance.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re admitting that you¡¯re toying with us?¡±

    A lofty, icy voice spoke up, and the entire Ghost Tower shook all of a sudden. The me surrounding Fire Skull suddenly extinguished, and cracks began appearing throughout its body.

    ¡°Customer, please, be patient! I¡¯m not finished yet!¡± Fire Skull blurted in a hurry. Such was the voice¡¯s power that he felt like an ant about to be trampled by a god or a demon, helpless and puny.

    ¡°Keep talking then. If you cannot give me a satisfactory response, you will die.¡± The voice spoke again. ¡°Mark my words, not even your owner will be able to save you then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± Fire Skull could tell that the owner of the voice was telling the truth. After all, the person had suppressed the restrictions of the Ghost Tower and the wisp of spirit its master had bestowed with just words<i>. </i>It had no doubt that the person could crush it like a bug if it wanted to.

    Too afraid to build up the hype like it normally did, Fire Skull hurriedly got to the point, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Some time ago, we came upon one of the Dark Overlord¡¯s artwork by ident, and a poem was written on it. My master figured that it most likely had something to do with the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance.¡±

    ¡°Artwork? What artwork? Show it to us. It¡¯s the only way we can know if you¡¯re lying to us or not,¡± Someone demanded.

    ¡°Haha, but of course, customer. The Ghost Tower has always been an advocate of fair trade.¡± Fire Skull dered without a shred of shame.

    <i>Tsk. </i>Everyone clicked their tongues mentally, but no one said a word because they didn¡¯t want to dy the appearance of the artwork even a little.

    A few breathster, an ugly-looking ghost carried a covered painting onto the stage. Ye Qing could tell that the ghost was at least a Phenomenon-ss Stranger.

    The ghost removed the cover to reveal a beautiful painting of mountains, rivers, flowers and birds. Although the artist¡¯s skill was clearly sublime, that wasn¡¯t what made it special. It was the fact that it gave off a strange energy as soon as the cover was removed, and the elements of the painting slowly started moving as if they were alive. They could see the mountain spring flowing along a sinuous path. They could hear the wind blowing gently across the air. They could even smell the refreshing scent of trees and flowers. Yellow birds were chirping, and colorful butterflies were flying around and seeking honey.

    The artist¡¯s technique had transcended the concept of technique itself. At this level, it was almost a Dao in itself. Their senses hadn¡¯t been warped by some sort of anomalous energy. The contents in the painting were, in a sense, alive. It was as if someone had sealed a corner of the world into a nk canvas.

    ¡°This is definitely an artwork by the hands of the Dark Overlord himself. I can sense vestiges of his martial truth in it,¡± someone said.

    A feminine voice spoke up urgently, ¡°Indeed, it is a painting made by the Dark Overlord himself. This painting is named the ¡®Window to Flowers, Birds and A Stream¡¯, and it was mentioned in the records of my Li Hentian Pce. This is also the final piece of artwork Lord Li had created before he went missing. Though... the painting was supposed to have disappeared with him.¡±

    <i>There are people from Li Hentian Pce too?! </i>Ye Qing rubbed his noise thoughtfully. The Dark Overlord¡¯s name was Li Hentian, and the sect was named Li Hentian Pce. Obviously, they were intricately tied to the Dark Overlord.

    <i> </i>Li Hentian Pce was one of the Nine Demonic Ways, and it was rumored to be founded by one of his thirteen concubines, Yan Qingyan.

    Despite being invincible across the three worlds, the Dark Overlord Li Hentian hadn¡¯t founded a sect. Yan Qingyan had founded it after he went missing using the manpower and resources he left behind to found the Li Hentian Pce. Thanks to centuries of development and the Dark Overlord¡¯s reputation, they were able to be a prominent sect of the <i>jianghu.</i>

    ¡°Clear streams flow in the dark,

    Where Death Sea lies an overlord,

    Martial arts is necessary to explore Bei Mo,

    Inheritance one shall find in their dreams.¡±

    At the top of the painting was a... doggerel? Actually, it might not even qualify as a doggerel. No one dared to say it outloud, but even a novice could tell that it was just a bunch of words that were cobbled together to look like a poem.

    <i>The Dark Overlord¡¯s artwork is beyond the world, but his poem is very... mortal. It¡¯s practically on the same level as our ¡°poems¡±, </i>everyone thought. At the same time, there was this sense that the man didn¡¯t really fit his legend.

    ¡°Ahem, what did the Dark Overlord¡¯s messa¡ªer, I mean poem have to do with an inheritance?¡± Someone asked.

    Amusement rippled across the audience. <i>Heh. I knew I wasn¡¯t the only one who thought the same thing. Just admit that it isn¡¯t a poem, brother.</i>

    ¡°Take a closer look, customers. The key is within the poem.¡± Fire Skull continued to keep them in suspense.

    ¡°Are you referring to the words ¡®Dark Overlord martial inheritance¡¯ in the poem?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°What? What are you talking about? I don¡¯t see it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, stop keeping us in suspense and tell us already, friend!¡± [1]

    Some people had already figured it out, but some... well, there was a reason the stereotype of a warrior was all muscle and no brains. In any case, Ye Qing saw no reason to keep this a secret and answered, ¡°Thest two words of the first two lines are ¡®dark¡¯ and ¡®overlord¡¯, whereas the first two words of thest two lines are ¡®martial¡¯ and ¡®inheritance¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Dark, Overlord, martial, inheritance... Hey, you¡¯re right!¡± Exmations of realization broke out everywhere.

    ¡°Very smart, husband. You solved the riddle immediately,¡± Greekeplimented Ye Qing.

    ¡°Well, duh. I¡¯m a professional riddle solver.¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    Someone thought that this was not enough evidence to confirm that the painting was hinting toward an inheritance, however. ¡°Is this all you have to make your im, Fire Skull? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too... flimsy?¡±

    ¡°It is not, dear customer. First, the Dark Overlord¡¯s artistic skill and poetry skill are equally famous. Do you really believe that he would create such an awkward poem?¡±

    Fire Skull exined smilingly. ¡°Besides, the two locations mentioned in the poem exist in real life.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Death Sea and Bei Mo?¡± the champion asked for rification.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Fire Skull confirmed. ¡°The Death Sea happens to be located at Bei Mo, andbining that with the hint... isn¡¯t that enough to make a verdict?¡±

    <i>The Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance lies in Bei Mo? </i>The same thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Although the Death Sea is a dangerous ce that only appears once every sixty years, there are plenty of warriors who have visited it to a certain extent. If the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance really lies in the Death Sea, it should¡¯ve been discovered already, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question!¡± Fire Skull agreed. ¡°And that, is the crux of our auction.¡±

    ¡°Besides the painting, we also discovered a token with flower and bird patterns and the words ¡®Dark Overlord¡¯ on it. It was forged from meteorite, and it contains the Dark Overlord¡¯s aura. That is why my owner reckoned that the reason those who ventured into the Death Sea before didn¡¯t discover the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance is because they didn¡¯t have the token.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, my owner also named it the Dark Overlord Token.¡±

    Fire Skull produced a token about the size of a baby¡¯s palm. It was square-shaped andpletely ck, and the words ¡°Dark Overlord¡± were engraved to its surface.

    The mere sight of the words alone ced a terrible pressure on everyone¡¯s shoulder. It was a hegemonistic, noble aura that couldn¡¯t be mistaken as anything but a hegemon¡¯s aura.

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely Lord Li¡¯s aura alright,¡± the woman from Li Hentian Pce said. ¡°Where did you get these items?¡±

    ¡°That will be our secret to keep.¡± Fire Skull smiled. ¡°Of course, I must make a disimer that everything you heard so far is just a one-sided theory from my master. You are the ones who must decide whether it¡¯s real or not.¡±

    <i>Disimer my ass! Every sign suggests that the painting and the token are real, and the inheritance being the real thing! </i>Everyone rolled their eyes.

    Frankly, Fire Skull could have made up a total lie with no real evidence to support the lie, and it would still foretell a bloody storm in the <i>jianghu. </i>That was how attractive the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was.

    ¡°How much is this Dark Sovereign Token? The Li Hentian Pce will be buying it,¡± the woman from Li Hentian Pce said.

    ¡°Excuse me? Did you forget that this is an <i>auction</i>, Mistress Qu?¡± Someone retorted immediately.

    The Li Hentian Pce was ruled by a Headmistress, and below the Headmistress were six Mistresses. The woman was one of the six Mistresses of Li Hentian Pce.

    ¡°Lord Li is the founder of the Li Hentian Pce, and I just want to reim our rightful inheritance. What¡¯s so wrong about that?¡± Mistress Qu countered.

    1. It¡¯s actually a lot more difficult to spot it in Chinese, like imagine the keywords being scrambled to look like something else. Unfortunately that¡¯s not really doable in English, or at least I don¡¯t have the brains to create a literal cipher for the poem, so you¡¯ll have to make do with this dumber version. I also modified the next paragraph a little for it to make sense ?

 Chapter 368: The Ghost Towerâ€™s Scheme

    <h4>Chapter 368: The Ghost Tower¡¯s Scheme </h4>

    A childish voice spoke up, ¡°What a joke! Your Li Hentian Pce didn¡¯t exist until the Dark Overlord disappeared, did it? How the hell is the Dark Overlord your founder? If you¡¯re going to do this, then why not im that the Taozu Lu Chunyang or the True Celestial Qi Xuanzhen are your founders as well?¡±

    The speaker was none other than Six Yins Superior.

    ¡°Yeah! Also, the actual founder of your Li Hentian Pce is a woman, right? Since when was the Dark Overlord a woman?¡±

    ¡°Li Hentian Pce may be yours, but the Dark Overlord is his own man. More importantly, his inheritance belongs to everyone. Surely you bitches can understand such simple logic?¡±

    Countless ridicule broke out from all over the ce. Mistress Qu abruptly shot to her feet and raised her voice, ¡°You dare shame Lord Li and Li Hentian Pce with your words? Are you courting death?¡±

    ¡°Shame the Dark Overlord? Not at all. The only ones we¡¯re shaming are your Li Hentian Pce.¡±

    An impudent, arrogant voice said unhurriedly, ¡°You¡¯re just a bunch of thots who climbed to your current position with your tits and ass. If not for the Dark Overlord¡¯s legend and the fact that you¡¯re all women, did you seriously think that Li Hentian Pce could¡¯ve made it as one of the Nine Demonic Ways? Someone would¡¯ve finished you off a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°How dare you!¡± Mistress Qu¡¯s face was flushed from how angry she was, but thankfully, she hadn¡¯tpletely lost her wits. She knew it would be a bad idea to attack her detractors in the Ghost Tower.

    ¡°Come at me, bitch! I swear on my mother¡¯s grave I won¡¯t lift a finger to protect myself. If you couldn¡¯t kill me, then you¡¯re my grands¡ªexcuse me, I mean granddaugh¡ªhmm, that¡¯s not right either. Why in the world would I want an expired thot to be my granddaughter? That would shame me more than it shames you!¡±

    The guy muttered under his breath for a bit before yelling, ¡°Oh, screw it! Juste and kill me already!¡±

    ¡°You... You...!¡± Mistress Qi felt like she was this close from blowing her top, literally. If it wasn¡¯t for the Ghost Tower¡¯s rules, she would¡¯ve ripped the speaker to pieces already.

    ¡°Hehehe, I knew you wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything.¡± The man grew increasingly disdainful when he saw that Mistress Qu didn¡¯t dare to attack him. ¡°You bitches don¡¯t know shit besides fucking men on the bed.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Dare you tell me your name so I may pay you a visit in the future, or are you all bark and no bite?¡± Mistress Qu uttered hatefully.

    ¡°Hahaha! I am Madman Chu. Feel free toe after me after the auction if you dare. Oh wait, you wouldn¡¯t dare because you¡¯re too <i>weak </i>and <i>cowardly. </i>Your Headmistress is the only one who might have a chance atying her finger against me.¡±

    Madman Chu continued to taunt Mistress Qu with zero restraint, ¡°You know what? I give you permission to rally your whole sect <i>and </i>your lovers to attack me. If I take even a step backward, then you have full permission to call me your son.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, well said, Brother Chu!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve loathed these bitches for a long time.¡±

    ¡°Heaven knows where these <i>heretics </i>find the gall to put themselves out in the open!¡±

    ......

    ¡°What the hell is Ghost Tower thinking?¡± Ye Qing tilted his head in Greeke¡¯s direction and asked.

    This was the Dark Overlord Li Hentian¡¯s inheritance they were talking about. Forget them, even a Sage or the Buddha himself would be tempted to get their hands on it.

    The problem was that the Ghost Tower only had one Dark Overlord Token. It was one thing if they sold it to a single bidder in secret, but instead they chose to tell everyone about it.

    It was guaranteed everyone would fight over the Dark Overlord Token to the death, but the matter wasn¡¯t done even after the auction was over. The winner of the token would have a target painted on their backs, and they would have to worry about the participants leaking the fact that they possessed the token to others.

    In this scenario, the winner must kill everyone present in order to hide the fact that they possessed the Dark Overlord Token. Otherwise, they would be chased and hunted to the ends of the earth. Not even the Li Hentian Pce, one of the Nine Demonic Ways, could possibly the entire <i>jianghu </i>attacking them for the Dark Overlord Token.

    Best case scenario, the winner and whatever sect they belonged to would be no more. Worst case scenario, a sea of blood involving the entire <i>jianghu </i>would be shed due to the conflicts that resulted from this.

    But of course, there was no one present who possessed the power to kill everyone on the floor singlehandedly. Even if there was, there was still the Ghost Tower. Who could im that the Ghost Tower wouldn¡¯t leak the news to others? Humans were untrustworthy enough, much less ghosts, so they would have to wipe out the Ghost Tower as well. Was that doable? Of course not.

    The point was, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t see how the Ghost Tower might benefit from this. Sure, they might make more money as a result of their machinations, but they could just as easily lose control and offend everyone present. No one who possessed the qualifications to enter the inner market was simple. They were either people with big bosses to back them up or the big bosses themselves, and it was absolutely not worth it to offend them over some extra yin gold.

    Of course, there was the possibility that the Ghost Tower was aiming to turn the <i>jianghu </i>upside down through them and profit from the fallout, but if he could figure out the scheme, then surely the rest of the audience could figure it out as well. He didn¡¯t think he was <i>that </i>smart.

    <i>Seriously, what the hell is the Ghost Tower thinking?</i>

    Greeke knew what he was thinking and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t think the Ghost Tower would be this stupid. This must be some sort of setup for their real ploy.¡±

    Ye Qing neither agreed nor disagreed with her statement. He waited to see how the Ghost Tower was going to handle this.

    ¡°Enough, Madman Chu. I don¡¯t care how you behave, but do it after this auction is over.¡± The warrior who suppressed the Ghost Tower¡¯s restrictions and Fire Skull earlier finally spoke up. ¡°

    ¡°Hehehe...¡± Madman Chu chuckled and shrugged.

    Mistress Qu was still furious, but she stopped talking as well. Clearly, she was wary of the warrior.

    Besides, she heard that Madman Chu was a Grandmaster. He said whatever he wanted and did as he pleased. To provoke him was to make life difficult for oneself.

    ¡°What about the Dark Overlord Token, Sun Sovereign?¡± Mistress Qu asked.

    The warrior, Sun Sovereign replied, ¡°There is no way you can monopolize the Dark Overlord Token, and neither can your Li Hentian Pce.¡±

    Mistress Qu thought the Sun Sovereign wished to monopolize the Dark Overlord Token for himself and fell silent for a moment. Then, she said sarcastically, ¡°This junior wouldn¡¯t dare to stop you if you wish to take the Dark Overlord Token, senior. Please, have at it.¡±

    ¡°No need to be sarcastic with me, girl. I can¡¯t monopolize it either. No one on this floor can.¡±

    Sun Sovereign turned to Fire Skull and ordered, ¡°Speak, Fire Skull. What is your goal here? Please don¡¯t tell me you wish to use the Dark Overlord Token to turn the world upside down. Forget the Ghost Tower, not even the Great Emperor of Fengdu would dare to do such a thing. You haven¡¯t forgotten what befell Fengdu several centuries ago, have you?¡±

    The Sun Sovereign was referring to that time the Nether was breached, and Fengdu was destroyed, of course. Back then, Fengdu had opened the gates of hell and attempted to invade the yang world. As a result, Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei came together tounch a counterattack against Fengdu. As a result, the Great Emperor of Fengdu and the Six Ghosts and Gods were in.

    ¡°Hahaha... You tter us, customer. How would we even do such a thing?¡± Fire Skull let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°The truth is quite simple: there are more than one Dark Overlord Token.¡±

    ¡°After we found the first Dark Overlord Token, we suspected that there were more and began searching everywhere for it. As expected, there were more Dark Overlord Tokens out there. In total, we have thirty Dark Overlord Tokens.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re auctioning not one, but thirty Dark Overlord Tokens?¡± Madman Chu was the first to protest, ¡°You should¡¯ve said it sooner, you sonuvabitch? Do you think we¡¯re circus monkeys or something?¡±

    Fire Skullined, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! There was just no room for me to interrupt just now!¡±

    <i>Bull-fucking-shit! You think we didn¡¯t see you snickering away while Mistress Qu and Madman Chu were arguing with each other? </i>Everyone thought while rolling their eyes. Thankfully, the knowledge that there were thirty Dark Overlord Tokens significantly improved the mood and loosened the tension¡ªfor now.

    Fire Skull continued, ¡°In fact, my master had prepared for everything. If the number of bidders present at the auction exceeds our expectations, then we would sell the Dark Overlord Tokens covertly. It would be an invitation for disaster otherwise. However, the number of people we have right now is just right. Assuming you can afford it, everyone present can obtain at least one Dark Overlord Token. This will incentivize you not to leak the news and throw the <i>jianghu </i>upside down.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! At least you¡¯re aware of the consequences!¡± The Sun Sovereign grunted. ¡°Speak. How are you nning to auction the Dark Overlord Tokens?¡±

    Fire Skull answered, ¡°First, in order to ensure that everyone present can obtain at least one Dark Overlord Token, we will not be auctioning it right away. Instead, you can pay fifty thousand yin gold right now to obtain one. However, you can only buy one.¡±

    ¡°Once everyone who can afford it had bought a Dark Overlord Token, the rest of you will bid for the remaining tokens with a starting bid of fifty thousand yin gold.¡±

    ¡°Finally, everyone in possession of a Dark Overlord Token including my Ghost Tower must swear an Oath of Burden to not leak the news of the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance to others or steal another person¡¯s token in any way.¡±

    ¡°So, do you approve of our arrangements?¡±

    ¡°The Ghost Tower sure knows how to conduct business. Very well!¡± The Sun Sovereign agreed.

    Over half of the audience had already left the auction for one reason or another. Cang Jun, the great elder of the Mountain of Mind and Heart was one such example. Fifty thousand yin gold per token sounded like a hefty price, but it really wasn¡¯t considering what was on the line. Besides that, everyone who stayed behind were basically wealthy people. Even if they weren¡¯t, they would pawn off everything to make up fifty thousand yin gold. No one would or could resist the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance.

    By doing it this way, the Ghost Tower could make a huge profit and still ensure that no one would leak the news of the inheritance. After all, everyone who possessed a Dark Overlord Token would be in grave danger once the news were spread. No one was stupid enough to pay fifty thousand yin gold just to put themselves in mortal danger. But just in case stupidity or greed overtookmon sense, the Oath of Burden guaranteed that the secret would remain a secret.

    The rest of the Dark Overlord Tokens were auctioned because the Ghost Tower knew that most of them wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with just one. After all, owning more than one token meant they could bring one or multiple helpers with them on their journey. For obvious reasons, a party of warriors stood a much greater chance of obtaining the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance than just one.

    At the same time, the Ghost Tower could earn an even bigger profit and kill multiple birds with one stone. So far, the Ghost Tower seemed to have considered everything and made the best out of it.

    ¡°The master of the Ghost Tower is a smart man,¡± Ye Qingmented smilingly.

    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t dare to sell the Dark Overlord Tokens otherwise,¡± Greeke replied gently.

    ¡°Say, do you think that thirty Dark Overlord Tokens is all they have?¡± An interesting question suddenly urred to Ye Qing.

    ¡°What kind of question is that? You just said that the master of the Ghost Tower is a smart person,¡± Greeke countered.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Ye Qing conceded.

    Suddenly, a far more urgent question urred to Ye Qing. <i>I don¡¯t have enough money! I only stayed because I wanted to enjoy the show!</i>

    He literally couldn¡¯t not buy the Dark Overlord Token because he was already made aware of the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance. If he refused, he didn¡¯t doubt that the people present would silence him in a heartbeat. Plus, he did want the Dark Overlord Token.

    <i>What do I do, Google? </i>

    ¡°Er, Miss Bai...¡± In the end, Ye Qing had no choice but to ask Greeke for help. If she could lend him some money, then all was well. If not, then he would have to pawn off some stuff.

    Be it Strange Artifacts or martial arts, he carried a lot of good stuff with him. He had more than enough to gather fifty thousand yin gold. But of course, he didn¡¯t want to do that if possible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, husband. I understand.¡±

    Greeke smiled as if she knew he was going to ask her for help. ¡°It¡¯s just a hundred thousand yin gold. I can afford it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Miss Bai. When we¡¯re back in the yang world, I promise to pay back what I owe immediately,¡± Ye Qing solemnly promised.

    ¡°What are you saying, husband? You and I are one in mind and body. What¡¯s mine is yours, isn¡¯t it?¡± Greeke beamed.

    <i>You¡¯re not serious, are you? </i>Ye Qing blinked. <i>I¡¯m not gonna stop you if you insist on screwing yourself over!</i>

 Chapter 369: Right and Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 369: Right and Wrong </h4>

    The Ghost Tower was anything but perfectly, but in regards to Dark Overlord Tokens, they were able to achieve a perfect conclusion.

    Everyone was satisfied with what they got.

    Ye Qing was poor, so he was out of the fight as soon as he bought his first and only Dark Overlord Token. But the rest of the bidders? Oh boy.

    Everyone on the floor was a reputable person in some way. Normally, they went to great lengths to maintain an air of untouchability. But for the sake of getting an extra Dark Overlord Token or two, they talked favors, brought up their background, feigned weakness to garner sympathy, intimidated others and more. Like amon housewife in the market, they rip and tore through theirpetitors without a care for their reputation whatsoever.

    Every Dark Overlord Token besides the first was sold at a ridiculous price. The highest-priced token was sold at a whopping three hundred thousand yin gold. It was easily one of the most entertaining shows Ye Qing had ever watched in his life.

    Since Greeke was a wealthy woman, she too bought an extra Dark Overlord Token for one hundred and fifty thousand yin gold.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After the auction was finally over, Ye Qing and Greeke got ready to take their leave. However, a young man stopped them before they could do so. It was none other than the schr who had killed his own student a while ago.

    ¡°Leaving already?¡± The young man said indifferently.

    ¡°What? Do you have business with us, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Business, no. But I do have something to inform you two.¡± The young man looked at the duo and said, ¡°You¡¯ve caused the death of my student. You should make up for it.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing thought he heard wrongly. ¡°You must be joking. The Ghost Tower is the one who insisted punishment upon your student, and you are the one who killed him with your own hands. What does his death have anything to do with us?¡±

    ¡°The Ghost Tower isn¡¯t wrong for defending their own rules, and I¡¯m not wrong since I haven¡¯t broken any rules myself. But you definitely have a hand in his death. He wouldn¡¯t have died if you hadn''t fought him over the Duckweed Flower,¡± the schr dered.

    The schr seemed perfectly calm, but in Ye Qing¡¯s opinion, it was the cruel and heartless kind of calm.

    ¡°Hah! So, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re the only one who can bid for the Duckweed Flower?¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    ¡°You can bid for it, but you don''t need to be so aggressive that my student lost control and broke the Ghost Tower¡¯s rule,¡± The young man continued calmly. ¡°You¡¯re notpletely at fault, but you must bear a certain amount of responsibility.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying it¡¯s all our fault?¡± Ye Qing was so angry he couldugh. What the guy said made a certain amount of sense, but if you really thought about it, he was just making excuses for himself while making their ¡°crime¡± seem way more serious than it actually was. His dog had tried to bite them, but he failed and got himself killed by his own owner. Instead of ming himself or his dog, he was ming the victims who were just defending themselves.

    What kind of logic was that?

    ¡°Of course, I have to bear some responsibility as well. One, I didn¡¯t bring enough money with me. Two, my student is hot-tempered and impatient because I didn¡¯t teach him well enough. Three, I didn¡¯t stop him in time when he was enraged,¡± The schr said indifferently. ¡°I have made mistakes, and I admit all of them.¡±

    ¡°But just the same, you have made some mistakes as well, and mistakes must be punished in order to avoid the same thing from repeating in the future.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And how do you n on punishing us, pray tell? Will you kill us?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. <i>He¡¯s not insane after all. This is all setup so he can pressure us into giving up the Duckweed Flower or more.</i>

    ¡°You are at fault, but not the biggest wrongdoers of this incident, so I won¡¯t kill you,¡± The schr said seriously. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t need to pay for your crimes.¡±

    The schr looked at Greeke. ¡°You will be my student.¡±

    He then turned to Ye Qing and said, ¡°And you will be my servant.¡±

    ¡°You will serve me for three years to atone for your sins.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? What about you then? Your responsibility is much bigger than ours. How will you punish yourself?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°I will personally visit his family and beg them for their forgiveness. If they believe that killing me is the only way for me to atone for my sins, then so be it. If not, I will do my best to take care of them like they are my own parents until they die.¡±

    The schr concluded his statement with a question, ¡°Do you understand now?¡±

    ¡°By the heavens, just how sick are you in the head?¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. How could such a person exist in the world? When people said zero tolerance, they didn¡¯t truly mean zero tolerance. It was because there were always exceptional circumstances. But this guy didn¡¯t care about that. All he cared about was punishing the wrong no matter the circumstances, and not even he himself was excluded from the punishment. It was so insane Ye Qing didn¡¯t even know how to make a counterpoint.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be out and about, dude. Go see a doctor and treat your mental illness, alright?¡±

    For the first time, the schr frowned. ¡°I take it that you¡¯re refusing punishment.¡± He seemed incredibly displeased that his wishes were being denied.

    ¡°What about you? Will you refuse your punishment as well?¡± The schr turned to look at Greeke.

    ¡°I will obey my husband,¡± Greeke said gently.

    ¡°To be aware of your mistakes and make no attempt to correct them is tomit a bigger mistake. If you won¡¯t obey, then I will force you to.¡±

    The schr narrowed his eyes and pointed a finger at the duo.

    As soon as he did this, Ye Qing felthis energies stuttering as if his channels had suddenly be constricted. His mind was flickering like he could ck out at any moment as well. Space shattered, and the finger descended from above, overwhelming and forceful. It looked like the finger of an omnipotent god threatening to annihte humanity in one stroke.

    ¡°Not even a warning? Go fuck yourself!¡± Ye Qing yelled. When the schr¡¯s finger descended an inch, Ye Qing broke free from the supernatural influence and threw a punch at him. His counterattack was fast but not weak in the slightest.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    Fist met finger, and there was a dull crack that sounded like a thunderp. Ye Qing swayed back and forth like a de of grass that was being blown by the wind as he bled from all orifices.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re not nning to take revenge for your student at all! You just want to take our Dark Overlord Tokens, don''t you?!¡±

    Two swayster, Ye Qing sessfully neutralized the force inside his body and straightened his hand. Then, he swung it diagonally at the schr.

    <i>¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±</i>

    Red lotuses descended from the sky, and demonic mes burst out of the schr¡¯s body. However, he simply frowned and swiped away the hellfire almost like it was nothing more but dust.

    Ye Qing¡¯s pupils contracted into pins. For the first time, the hellfire hadpletely failed to harm its foe.

    Ye Qing¡¯s action must have angered the schr, because he dered, ¡°You stubbornly cling to your mistakes and seek to abscond all responsibilities. What difference is there between you and a heretic?¡±

    Like the rising sun, pure white light shone out of his body. The entire floor was filled with light in an instant.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t see anything but the light. Even his demonic thought was suppressed by it. Still, he could tell that it contained an enormous amount of power.

    ¡°My husband is right. You really are quite sick, Mister Nine. I hope your doctor will be able to treat you.¡±

    Ye Qing was still thinking a way out of this when suddenly, the Ghost Tower shook slightly. The next moment, he felt Greeke grabbing his elbow, and he abruptly lost track of his surroundings.

    When the white light was gone, Ye Qing and Greeke were nowhere to be seen. There was only the schr standing where he was with his brows creased in murder. ¡°The Supreme Origin Hidden Star Demonic Implement Sutra? I knew they were heretics.¡±

    It was at this moment Fire Skull spoke up, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, customer?¡±

    The schr¡¯s expression returned to normal as he turned to look at Fire Skull. ¡°Fighting is forbidden during the auction, but the auction is already over, isn¡¯t it? I haven¡¯t broken your rules.¡±

    The mes on Fire Skull¡¯s body swayed ominously. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m not talking about.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you thought I was trying to steal their Dark Overlord Token?¡± The schr understood Fire Skull¡¯s meaning immediately. ¡°That is not the case. I was just trying to take revenge for my student, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°If I really was plotting to steal their tokens, the Oath of Burden would¡¯ve held me ountable already, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Fire Skull couldn¡¯t say anything against that.

    ¡°My conscience is always clear.¡± The schr saluted Fire Skull before saying, ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    With that, he took one step forward and disappeared from the Ghost Tower.

    ¡°Hehe, I can see why they say it¡¯s better to see something with your eyes! Mister Nine is truly one of a kind!¡±

    ¡°The way he does things is seriously outrageous! He calls us heretics, but I think he¡¯s far more heretical than us!¡±

    ¡°Agreed!¡±

    ¡°People like him are terrifying. Perfectly impartial and selfless, one might say that he is born with a Saint¡¯s Heart. But what is a saint who isn¡¯t a saint yet? A demon!¡±

    ......

    ¡°Seventh Young Master! They just left.¡±

    Inside a room, Ghost Six was reporting Ye Qing and Greeke¡¯s whereabouts to Seventh Young Master.

    ¡°Good. Where are they?¡± Seventh Young Master asked.

    ¡°Northeast about one kilometer away from here,¡± Ghost Six answered.

    A teleportation array was installed on the third floor of the Ghost Tower. Anyone who wished to leave after the auction was over could just step inside it and teleport away. The destination of every teleport was random so as to ensure the customers¡¯ privacy and safety, but since the Ghost Tower was the one who installed the teleportation array, of course they had a way to check them.

    ¡°One kilometer? That¡¯s not far away,¡± Seventh Young Master smiled like a flower. ¡°You did well. You will be rewarded for your service.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Seventh Young Master. It is my honor to be able to serve you,¡± Ghost Six said in a hurry.

    ¡°I need you to do something for me, however,¡± Seventh Young Master continued.

    ¡°Just give me the order, and it will be done, Seventh Young Master.¡± Ghost Six dered and bowed as servilely as he could.

    ¡°It ddens me to hear that.¡± Seventh Young Master stopped wiping his right hand, and the mouth on his palm slowly opened. A tongue emerged from the center and licked around the palm.

    ¡°Seventh Young Master, what... are you doing?¡± A bad premonition suddenly struck Ghost Six.

    ¡°I promised you I would give you a reward, didn¡¯t I? Here¡¯s your reward.¡± Seventh Young Master¡¯s smile grew increasingly beautiful and demonic as he tilted his head. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want it?¡±

    ¡°Mercy, Seventh Young Master! You also said you wouldn¡¯t eat me!¡± Ghost Six eximed in horror and tried to run toward the exit. He never imagined that Seventh Young Master would try to kill him.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    He didn¡¯t stand a chance. The tongue shot out like lightning and wrapped around his body. Then, it dragged him straight into the mouth.

    As Seventh Young Master wiped his palm with a handkerchief, he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you either. But what can I do when you¡¯ve learned too much?¡±

    ¡°Ugh... the flesh of a Rotten Ghost truly is disgusting. Oh hells, I¡¯m gonna vomit. Why can¡¯t a Rotten Ghost¡¯s flesh be like stinky tofu, smelly but tasty? Sigh...¡±

    ¡°I need to eat something and wash this foul taste in my mouth as soon as possible. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to eat anything for the next three days...¡±

    His voice still reverberated inside the room, but he was already gone.

 Chapter 370: We Meet Again

    <h4>Chapter 370: We Meet Again </h4>

    ¡°Phew... that man is terrifying.¡±

    On a street, Ye Qing was wiping away the blood on his face with lingering trepidation.

    That man had felt stronger than even Gu Suitang. There was absolutely no way he could defeat him as he was.

    ¡°He¡¯s Mister Nine. Of course he¡¯s powerful.¡± Greeke produced a handkerchief and gently aided Ye Qing with his efforts.

    ¡°Mister Nine? Who¡¯s that? He sounds pretty familiar for some reason,¡± Ye Qing replied without thought until realization struck him. ¡°Wait... you¡¯re not talking about that Mister Nine, are you?¡±

    ¡°There may be more than one Mister Nine in the world, but as far as I know, the only one who possess such power is him.¡± Greeke¡¯s eyes twinkled. ¡°The one who scored first ce in both the martial and civil examination of Chu and the disciple of the Chief Libationist of Jixia Academy, ¡®Mister Nine¡¯ Chu Wangsun.¡±

    ¡°You gotta be kidding me! It can¡¯t be him!¡±

    Ye Qing waved his hands in denial. He just couldn¡¯t believe that the top scorer of Chu and the disciple of the Chief Libationist could be such a person. But when Greeke continued to watch him in silence, he gradually lost his smile and asked, ¡°He really is Chu Wangsun?¡±

    Greeke nodded. ¡°In the flesh.¡±

    ¡°That guy is the ¡®Mister Nine¡¯ Chu Wangsun? But that¡¯s...¡± Ye Qing was torn and in disbelief. The legend and pride of Chu... was a madman?

    ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, isn¡¯t it?¡± Greeke smiled understandingly.

    ¡°To put it mildly, yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement before asking, ¡°How did someone like him manage to be the top scorer of both the civil and the martial examination of Chu <i>and </i>the disciple of the Chief Libationist?¡±

    Did the emperor and the Chief Libationist of Jixia Academy had a screw loose in their head as well? Or was there some sort of scheme that he wasn¡¯t seeing here?

    Greeke exined patiently, ¡°Chu Wangsun may be like this, but he is a true genius, one so extraordinary that it garnered even the envy of the heavens.¡±

    ¡°From the moment he was born, Chu Wangsun was already extraordinary. When he was born, Literary Birds descended from the heavens to celebrate it. He was literate at the age of three, capable of singing poems and making couplets at the age of five, grasped the Hundred Schools of Thought at the age of ten, and cultivated a Literary Heart at the age of fifteen.¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t just a genius in the ways of literature either. He was born with all of his bodily points already unlocked, and he could grasp any martial art in a single nce. He¡¯s not even twenty yet, and he¡¯s already a Spirit Master¡ªa Half-Step Grandmaster to be exact.¡±

    ¡°As you¡¯ve seen at the Ghost Tower, he has also cultivated the Dharma of the Wise Sage. If he wanted to, he could¡¯ve be a Grandmaster already. He¡¯s probably holding back just to refine his cultivation even further.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Is this what they mean by, ¡°There is a fine line between genius and madness¡±? Well, they were right.</i>

    Greeke continued, ¡°I also heard that Chu Wangsun was born with a Saint¡¯s Heart, and as far as I could tell, the rumors are correct. His behavior and actions are the spitting image of the saints of the old. He follows a perfectly straight path that will ept no deviation. If he encounters a mistake, he would strive to correct it, and if someone does something wrong, he would mete out the appropriate punishment. He is perfectly impartial, righteous, and selfless.¡±

    ¡°Him? A saint?¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Greeke smiled. ¡°Do you really think what he said and did earlier was wrong, husband?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°If we look at the matter regarding the Duckweed Flower alone, then he would be perfectly right. It is true that we y a small but undeniable role in the student¡¯s death. We aren¡¯t at fault, but we do bear some measure of responsibility.¡±

    Greeke continued, ¡°To correct a mistake when he sees a mistake, to punish a wrong if he encounters a wrong. Not even he himself is exempt from his own rules. He is perfectly impartial, righteous, and selfless, is he not?¡±

    ¡°Heh. You may be right, but there is no absolute right or wrong in this world, is there?¡±

    Ye Qing let out a cold chuckle. ¡°From his point of view, we are part of the reason his student died, and he would be correct. But from our point of view, we were just obeying the Ghost Tower¡¯s rules. Are we wrong to do so? In fact, from the Ghost Tower or anyone else¡¯s point of view, we definitely aren¡¯t in the wrong.¡±

    ¡°Killing is wrong, but is killing one to save many wrong as well?¡±

    ¡°You are correct, husband.¡± Greeke nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t believe we were wrong either. We were wrong only because the student happens to be his student.¡±

    ¡°Now that, is a rationale I can ept.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    Suddenly, Greeke let out a wistful giggle. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re stupid, husband?¡±

    ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± Ye Qing shot her a confused look.

    ¡°Chu Wangsun is the disciple of the Chief Libationist of Jixia Academy. There are countless people who dreamed of bing his student and servant. However, we rejected the opportunity even though it was delivered right into ourp. It¡¯s quite the stupid decision, isn¡¯t it?¡± Greeke exined.

    ¡°Now that you mentioned it, it kinda is. It¡¯s toote for regrets though.¡± Ye Qing shrugged again. They had fought the guy and called him crazy to his face. There was no chance of a reconciliation at this point.

    Suddenly, a terrible realization struck Ye Qing. <i>Wait a second... Chu Wangsun is attending the Hidden Dragon Meet too, isn¡¯t he?</i>

    <i>Is it toote to apologize to him and make up for past mistakes?</i>

    <i>What am I gonna do?!</i>

    Ye Qing was still trying to think of a solution when Greeke called out to him, ¡°Before I forget, this is yours, husband.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing epted the Nature¡¯s Shell and poked his demonic thought into it. He found the Duckweed Flower, the Dark Overlord Token, and some of the treasures Greeke had bought on the first and second floor.

    ¡°You¡¯re giving all these to me?¡± Ye Qing asked incredulously.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Greeke nodded.

    ¡°But most of these... aren¡¯t the stuff I ordered.¡± The Duckweed Flower and Dark Overlord Token were his, sure, but what about the rest of the treasures? Did she seriously think of him as her husband? <i>Do I have a sugar momma now?</i>

    ¡°True, but it is what you deserve,¡± Greeke said smilingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s what I deserve?¡± Ye Qing suddenly had a bad feeling about this. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have bought these items if not to show that shop assistant that you¡¯re not poor. Naturally, you deserve these items, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Greeke grinned.

    ¡°Haha, I think not.¡± Ye Qing said with obvious suspicion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it if he doesn¡¯t want them,¡± A feminine voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. Then, an incredibly attractive woman stepped out of the darkness.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking the items. In fact, I¡¯m taking you two with me.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ye Qing watched the approaching woman warily. She¡ªor he¡ªwas none other than Seventh Young Master.

    ¡°That¡¯s a tricky question.¡± Seventh Young Master giggled. ¡°Eight hundred years ago, I was a man. Now? I¡¯m just a ghost.¡±

    ¡°Are you from Ghost Tower?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Oh? And how did you figure that out?¡± Seventh Young Master asked curiously.

    ¡°I guessed,¡± Ye Qing replied, though it wasn¡¯t that difficult a guess. The Ghost Tower¡¯s teleportation array was supposed to teleport them to apletely random location. However, this guy had tracked them down just minutes after they left the Ghost Tower. The only one with the capabilities to do so was the Ghost Tower, though he wouldn¡¯t deny there was a small chance that this was just an unlucky coincidence.

    ¡°You guessed? Can you guess what I¡¯m going to do next?¡± Seventh Young Master giggled.

    ¡°Can you guess whether I¡¯m going to make a guess?¡± Ye Qing smirked and tapped the space in front of him.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    There was a soft knock, and Seventh Young Master abruptly froze in ce. At the same time, Ye Qing appeared behind him and threw a mighty punch.

    Seventh Young Master popped like a bubble and dissolved into a gust of yin qi, but Ye Qing did not rx his stance. In fact, he was wearing a severe expression on his face.

    <i>p! p! p!</i>

    As expected, a series of slow ps broke out from an alley. Another Seventh Young Master stepped out of the darkness.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad at all! Your body looks perfectly bnced and firm, so I bet your flesh must be very chewy. Your vigor is like a flood, so I bet your blood will taste just as sweet...¡±

    He sounded like a food connoisseur making remarks about a delicious-looking dish before he sank his teeth on it. ¡°Now, all that is left is a despairing soul.¡±

    ¡°If a soul is like a cup of wine, then despair is the passage of time. Without despair, a soul just isn¡¯t as tasty as it could be.¡±

    ¡°Now... please struggle to your heart¡¯s content, my delicious souls! Hahahahaha!¡±

    Seventh Young Master slowly removed his mask, but instead of a feminine, exquisite countenance, it was a mouth; a mouth that upied his whole face.

    ¡°A Soul Devourer?¡± Ye Qing uttered in a dark tone.

    A pair of arms appeared out of the mouth as if they were trying to pry it open. Then, more and more arms appeared until the mouth was fully open, and countless ghosts and souls surged out of it. They were all rushing toward Ye Qing and Greeke.

    The world was even darker than normal as yin wind blew, and the ghosts howled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep these ghosts at bay. You go find his true body!¡± Ye Qing yelled at Greeke.

    These ghosts were the unfortunate humans and ghosts Seventh Young Master had devoured. They were controlled by him, but they weren¡¯t his true body. So long as his true body wasn¡¯t destroyed, the tide of ghosts would never end.

    That was why the only way to kill a Soul Devourer was to destroy their true body.

    Ye Qing stepped toward the iing tide and threw out a punch. Burning Wind roared, and the world turned into a furnace.

    <i>¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±</i>

    It was like a mountain was erected in front of Ye Qing. All the ghosts did by mming into it was to bowl themselves over and dissolve into ash.

    Right after that, a golden Buddha appeared behind Ye Qing and release its purifying light.

    <i>¡°Boundless Mara Buddha¡±</i>

    While the Buddha¡¯s light stymied the tidal wave of ghosts, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and jumped right into it. He ripped through the ghosts like nothing and crushed all who would stand in his way. It wasn''t long before he was face to face with Seventh Young Master once more.

    The duo stared at each other for a moment. Both men were stunned by how easy Ye Qing had defeated the tidal wave of ghosts.

    ¡°Hi! We meet again!¡±

    Ye Qing grinned and threw a punch at Seventh Young Master¡¯s face. He didn¡¯t know if the one before him was the real thing, but there was also no reason to leave him alive.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±</i>

    Realizing that the attack would most likely kill him, Seventh Young Master activated his secret art and escaped¡ªor at least, he tried to. He was in the middle of channeling his energies when all of sudden, they vanished into nothing.

    Seemingly sensing something, he looked up and saw a red umbre floating above his head. He had no idea when or how it got there.

    ¡°I see,¡± Seventh Young Master murmured. He finally understood everything.

    Unfortunately, it was toote.

    The unholy mes of the Red Lotus hellfire consumed him.

 Chapter 371: I Am Ye Qing, And Iâ€™m About To Die

    <h4>Chapter 371: I Am Ye Qing, And I¡¯m About To Die </h4>

    Right before Seventh Young Master would die, a sack suddenly appeared in the air and sucked him into it. Once he was inside, the red string around the opening tightened, and the sack kept shrinking with every passing second. By the time the sacknded in Greeke¡¯s hand, it had transformed into the size of a purse.

    ¡°Why did you keep him alive?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°He can¡¯t die, at least not now.¡± Greeke exined smilingly, ¡°He¡¯s a member of the Ghost Tower, and he¡¯s both strong and wields enough authority to check our location. We¡¯re in the yin world right now. If we kill him now, there¡¯s a good chance the master of the Ghost Tower would find out about our transgression. That would be very bad.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Ye Qing nodded before asking, ¡°You helped me, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Seventh Young Master might have experienced a swift defeat, but he wasn¡¯t actually weak. In fact, he was a powerful Phenomenon-ss Stranger. Although Ye Qing wasn¡¯t a normal Spirit Purifier himself, and his strongest abilities just so happened to be the bane of ghosts, it still should¡¯ve taken him a lot of energy to defeat him on his own.

    Ye Qing keenly sensed the ghosts Seventh Young Master were controlling were far weaker than they should be. It was like someone was keeping their powers suppressed. Seventh Young Master himself just stood there like a training dummy when he unleashed his ultimate attack. Since he had nothing to do with it, it could only be Greeke.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have mattered if you weren¡¯t strong enough to end things swiftly,¡± Greeke admitted honestly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talkter. We need to leave the Yin Market first,¡± Ye Qing dered. Killing Seventh Young Master would most likely alert the Ghost Tower that something was wrong, but there was no saying that capturing him wouldn¡¯t result in the same thing. Besides, if there was a Seventh Young Master, who was to say that there wasn¡¯t a Young Master Eight or Nine lusting after their riches as well? The sooner they got out of this pce, the better.

    Greeke replied with a gentle smile, ¡°As you wish, husband.¡±

    ¡°But how are we going to do that?¡± Another question urred to Ye Qing.

    He knew that everyone would automatically be ejected from the Yin Market as soon as dawn broke, but that was the only method he knew. Considering the circumstances, he seriously didn¡¯t want to leave his fate to luck and hope for the best.

    ¡°How about we take off our clothes?¡±

    He remembered Mank Ee saying that the reason one must wear a set of burial clothes before entering the Yin Market was because yin and yang were natural opposites that repelled each other. If he tried to enter the Yin Market without it, it wouldn¡¯t have worked. Maybe the same principle would work here.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Greeke was dumbfounded for a moment. Then, she began shaking a little with amusement. ¡°Oh, husband. You¡¯re not trying to eject yourself out of the Yin Market by exposing your yang qi, are you?¡±

    ¡°Er... I¡¯m assuming it doesn''t work?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    ¡°When someone crosses into the yin world, they must wear a set of burial clothes to prevent the sh between yin or yang from ejecting back into the yang world. But after you entered the Yin Market, the boundaries between the two worlds became solid once more. Naturally, you won¡¯t be able to cross it via mundane means.¡±

    Greeke teased him, ¡°In other words, you won¡¯t be able to make it out even if you strip down to your underwear.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Thank you for answering my question.¡± Ye Qing forced down his embarrassment and feigned calmness. <i>Embarrassment is just a condition! If I have no shame, then no one can embarrass me! </i>¡°In that case, do you know a way to leave the Yin Market immediately? I would rather not wait until the Ghost Tower or the yin guards search us en masse.¡±

    ¡°You really are a cute man, husband.¡± Greeke chuckled and handed him a yellow talisman. ¡°This is a Void Breaching Talisman. It can breach the barrier between the two worlds. You can use it to return to the yang world immediately.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Miss Bai.¡± Ye Qing epted the talisman without hesitation. What was one more debt when he was already neck deep in them?

    ¡°One thing, Miss Bai. I don¡¯t like to take without giving anything in return, so whatever your intentions are, I cannot ept these items. Also I will pay you back what I owe when next we meet,¡± Ye Qing dered and tried to give back the Nature¡¯s Shell Greeke had given him earlier.

    But Greeke didn¡¯t ept it. She grumbled, ¡°Aren¡¯t we husband and wife? What is mine is yours, right? Wait, did you find a new lover when I wasn¡¯t looking?¡±

    ¡°Sigh... It is natural for the new to rece the old, but I had hoped that our love wouldst longer than that. You are a cruel man, husband.¡±

    To say that was Ye Qing was confused by her reaction would be an understatement. <i>What¡¯s with this overreaction, sister? I just want to give you back </i>your <i>stuff!</i>

    ¡°They say that one day of marriage is equal to a hundred-day rtionship, but to think that you¡¯d be so cold, so cruel, so heartless. In that case, I shan¡¯t stay here any longer.¡±

    Greeke uttered in an aggrieved tone, ¡°Yes, I shall leave. I shall make space for you and your vixen. Hmph!¡±

    Greeke then ripped apart her own yellow talisman and turned transparent. She looked like she might leave this ce at any moment.

    Before she left, she gave him a final warning, ¡°But although you¡¯re an unqualified husband, I shan¡¯t be an unworthy wife. I would advise you to leave Auspicious Phoenix Market as soon as possible, husband. Trust me, you won¡¯t want to be around.¡±

    ¡°Wait! At least exin what the heck you mean before you leave! Who are you?¡± Ye Qing hurriedly shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m Greeke Bai, husband. Goodbye.¡±

    The next moment, Greeke disappeared into thin air, leaving behind only her gentle voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned deeply. He just could not understand what Greeke was thinking or what she was trying to do.

    ¡°Oh well. I can think after I get out of this ce.¡±

    Ye Qing ripped the Void Breaching Talisman, and a strange power erupted from it and surrounded him. The next moment, vertigo struck him with the force of a jackhammer. It onlysted for an instant though. When light hit his eyes, he abruptly realized that he had left the Yin Market.

    He wasn¡¯t at Mank Ee¡¯s residence though. He was standing on top of a mountain. To the east, he saw a hint of white peeking out of the horizon. It was going to be daybreak very soon.

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    Ye Qing immediately searched for Greeke after checking out the horizon. For some reason, he felt like she was setting him up. Unfortunately, he was unable to find her despite searching the nearby area thoroughly.

    ¡°Hmm? Why is this on my person?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing discovered a purse hanging on his waist. It was none other than the purse that Greeke had used to capture Seventh Young Master.

    ¡°Something definitely isn¡¯t right about this.¡±

    His fingers clenched around the purse as he licked his lips. His sense of unease was growing stronger and stronger.

    A moment of thoughtter, Ye Qing took out the Annon Sutra and asked, ¡°Is someone plotting to hurt me?¡±

    Ye Qing spat a mouthful of blood on the Annon Sutra, but to his surprise, the blood slid right off the vellum¡¯s smooth surface.

    ¡°It won¡¯t answer?!¡±

    Ye Qing frowned before realizing that his question was probably too broad. He had many enemies, and even those he never offended wished him harm for one reason or another. That was probably why the Annon Sutra didn¡¯t answer his question.

    ¡°Is Greeke Bai trying to set me up?¡± This time, Ye Qing specified the name before spitting another mouthful of blood. The blood slowly seeped into the vellum, but no words appeared.

    ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    This was normal. This reaction meant that the Annon Sutra could answer the question, but he would need to offer more blood before he could do so.

    Ye Qing proceeded to spit a dozen mouthfuls of blood essence before the Annon Sutra¡¯s bloody words slowly emerged into view.

    <i>¡°I am Ye Qing, and I¡¯m about to die. Why? It¡¯s because someone has framed me for a most heinous crime. And who is the person who set me up? It was none other than a woman named Greeke Bai. However, is that really her name?¡±</i>

    ¡°Motherfucker! I knew there was a conspiracy!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s gaze turned cold and steely. ¡°But what did it mean by ¡®framing me for a most heinous crime¡¯?

    ¡°What is Greeke plotting?¡± Ye Qing spat some blood and asked another question, but this time, his blood slid off the vellum again.

    ¡°What is it now? Is it because Greeke isn¡¯t her real name?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply.

    To be honest, he still hadn¡¯t figured out how the Annon Sutra decided which question it could answer, and what it couldn¡¯t. Sometimes, it felt like he knew why the Annon Sutra wouldn¡¯t answer a certain question¡ªperhaps it was because the question was too broad, or because the question involved someone way above his power level etc¡ªbut honestly, he was just guessing.

    Sometimes, the Annon Sutra gave him an answer instantly. Sometimes, it took a lot of wrangling before he got the answer he wanted. And sometimes, it just outright ignored him.

    To put it simply, it was all up to the Annon Sutra¡¯s mood.

    He was certain about one thing, however. The Annon Sutra had never told him a lie. Everything it told up until this point was the truth.

    ¡°What is Greeke¡¯s true name? And where is she right now?¡± Ye Qing asked tentatively, and this time it properly absorbed his blood. Delighted, Ye Qing hurriedly spat out a dozen mouthfuls of blood essences.

    Bloody words slowly appeared on the vellum¡¯s surface:

    <i>¡°I knew a woman in the Yin Market. I told her that my name is Bluehill Ye, and she told me that her name is Greeke Bai. But is that really her name?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Clearly, it isn¡¯t. I gave her a fake name, so she must have given me a fake name as well.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°In fact, her real name is Bai Xiao¡ª¡±</i>

    The message abruptly stopped at the word ¡®Xiao¡¯. In fact, the word ¡®Xiao¡¯ kept appearing and disappearing like the Annon Sutra had run into some sort of obstacle.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± This was the first time he saw the Annon Sutra reacting like this. ¡°Is something stopping it from deducing Greeke¡¯s true name?¡±

    The next moment, a thick coat of bright red blood enveloped the entire vellum.

    ......

    At an unknown location beneath a peach tree, Greeke was holding up a mirror. There was a ck silhouette inside the mirror that was crouching down and throwing up ck water.

    As the vomit was trapped within the mirror, the mirror slowly but surely grew darker and dirtier.

    ¡°Who¡¯s trying to look into my information and location?¡±

    Greeke furrowed her brows slightly as she examined her mirror. ¡°Did Ghost Tower discover the theft already? It couldn¡¯t be. It¡¯s not time yet.¡±

    ¡°Is it my convenient husband? Or is it my dear senior uncles, brothers and sisters?¡±

    ¡°rgh... rgh...¡±

    Inside the mirror, the ck silhouette was still throwing up ck water. It eventually grew to the point where ck fog was rising inside the mirror, and the mirror itself was deteriorating at a visible rate.

    For the first time, Greeke¡¯s expression grew severe. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. I can¡¯t believe there exists a diviner who can push my Soul Hiding Mirror to this extent.¡±

    ......

    Back to Ye Qing, the Annon Sutra was still leaking blood. In fact, so much blood had leaked that every inch of ground within twenty meters of the vellum was covered in blood.

    Ye Qing was standing beyond the circle of blood and struggling not to panic. This had definitely <i>never </i>happened before.

    The next moment, the word ¡°FUCK OFF¡± appeared on the Annon Sutra¡¯s surface, and the blood began shaking violently. It was like the Strange Artifact was livid with anger.

 Chapter 372: Theft

    <h4>Chapter 372: Theft </h4>

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Greeke¡¯s Soul hiding Mirror shook once before the ck silhouette inside the mirror abruptly exploded into ck water. The mirror itself turned old, tattered and ordinary as if it had lost all of its power.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Greeke frowned at a ckened mirror for a moment before breaking into a calm smile. ¡°It looks like someone misses me dearly. That¡¯s not a good thing, is it? Hahaha...¡±

    Greeke put away the Soul Hiding Mirror and opened her red umbre. Then, she slowly disappeared into the darkness.

    ......

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    Ye Qing watched as the massive pool of blood slowly receded back into the Annon Sutra¡¯s body. The words previously on its surface were nowhere to be seen as well.

    ¡°I wonder if it won or lost against whatever it was?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself.

    As soon as he said this, the blood on the Annon Sutra converged to form a massive, gold-emzoned word:

    <strong>¡°VICTORY!¡±</strong>

    It was an incredibly mboyant reaction. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°Are you boasting about your sess?¡±

    As he killed more Strangers and fed the Annon Sutra more blood, he noticed that the Strange Artifact was growing increasingly sapient. Or more urately, it was regaining what sapience it had before. He didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, but for now, he was d that his buddy was growing better and stronger.

    The word ¡°Victory¡± was still shining on the piece of vellum, and Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but tease it a little, ¡°Since you¡¯ve defeated your opposition, can you tell me what Greeke Bai¡¯s true name is and where she is right now?¡±

    Before this, he had to cough up copious amounts of blood essence just to ask it one question. It wasn¡¯t even enthusiastic about it, if the varied responses it gave him was any indication. But now, it was exerting itself without any prompting whatsoever.

    <i>¡°Get lost¡±</i>

    He should¡¯ve expected this, but the word ¡°Victory¡± had turned into ¡°Get lost¡±. The only way it could be clearer with its meaning was if it turned into a middle finger.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>It¡¯s quite short-tempered, isn¡¯t it?</i>

    But of course, he understood what the Annon Sutra was implying. It was saying that those two questions were best left unanswered.

    He thought for a while longer before asking, ¡°How can I survive this crisis?¡±

    Since he couldn¡¯t figure out Greeke¡¯s identity or scheme, then he should focus on saving himself.

    Ye Qing spat a mouthful of blood essence on the Annon Sutra as usual, but it wasn¡¯t absorbed. Instead, the word ¡°get lost¡± transformed into:

    <i>¡°Get the fuck out¡±</i>

    Ye Qing furrowed his brows deeply when he saw this. <i>If you don¡¯t want to answer, then just don¡¯t answer. Why are you cussing me out, man?</i>

    Ye Qing unhappily put away the Annon Sutra and got ready to return to Auspicious Phoenix Market when suddenly, he realized that the Annon Sutra wasn¡¯t necessarily cussing him out, at least notpletely. It was telling to get the fuck away from here if he wished to survive.

    It made sense. The Ghost Tower wasing after him, and Auspicious Phoenix Market was the first ce they would search as soon as they discovered whatever timebomb Greeke had left him. Naturally, he should be away from here as soon as possible. Death couldn¡¯t kill him if it couldn¡¯t catch up to him, right?

    It was too bad he still hadn¡¯t figured out what Greeke had done, and what crime she had framed him for. If he could figure out the truth, then maybe he would be able to save himself without needing to run away.

    ¡°Fuck. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have entered the Yin Market,¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath before starting toward Auspicious Phoenix Market once more. Once hispanions were out, and he had told them about the situation, he would go as far away from this vige as possible.

    ......

    At the Ghost Tower, Fire Skull was floating back and forth while singing an eerie song that was only fit for a ghost. It looked incredibly happy and excited.

    Not only had the auction ended with resounding sess, their expected profit was well above their expected profit. Of course it was very happy with this oue.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Suddenly, an imp barged into the room in a panic. ¡°Ma, manager!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to knock?¡± Fire Skull¡¯s mes shot a couple inches taller as it turned around to look at the imp.

    ¡°S... sorry,¡± the imp apologized in a hurry before rushing ahead, ¡°but you need to hear this!¡±

    ¡°What is it now?¡± Fire Skull joked. ¡°Did your newly wed concubine cuck you, or did you cuck her?¡±

    Fire Skull generally didn¡¯t like cracking jokes, but it was in a fantastic mood today.

    ¡°No! Someone broke into our vault. We got robbed!¡± The imp hurriedly replied.

    ¡°WHAT?¡±

    Fire Skull¡¯s joy was snuffed out in an instant. It abruptly flew closer to the imp and asked urgently, ¡°I will <i>destroy </i>you if this is a joke. What treasure did we lose?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t lose any treasure.¡± the imp rified, ¡°It¡¯s the yin gold we just moved in the vault today that we lost.¡±

    ¡°The yin gold?¡± The mes on Fire Skull¡¯s body exploded. It was this close from losing control and killing the imp by ident. ¡°How much did we lose?¡±

    The imp stuttered, ¡°Two hundred and fifty thousand yin gold, manager.¡±

    ¡°Two hundred and fifty thousand...?¡± The mes surrounding Fire Skull abruptly froze. It was like someone had stopped its time.

    ¡°Manager? Manager?¡± The imp called out to him cautiously.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The next moment, the mes returned to normal, and Fire Skull vanished in a sh of light.

    ¡°Manager, you¡¯re finally here!¡±

    At the vault, a short, fat Stranger covered in bronze coins was pacing back and forth with a walking stick anxiously. It looked like it was moments away from a full-blown panic attack when Fire Skull finally showed up. Its features immediately lit up like it saw its savior.

    ¡°What the hell happened, Yin Toad? How did we lose our yin gold?¡± Fire Skull demanded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, manager!¡± Yin Toad answered in a hurry. ¡° I closed the vault as soon as I moved today¡¯s money into the vault. But when I came back to perform a routine inspection, I discovered that two hundred and fifty thousand yin gold had suddenly gone missing!¡±

    ¡°Did we lose anything else?¡± Fire Skull asked.

    ¡°N-No. Only the yin gold is missing,¡± Yin Toad replied despairingly before begging, ¡°You gotta save me, manager! I swear I have nothing to do with this! You have to save me!¡±

    ¡°Silence!¡± Fire Skull shouted down Yin Toad while nursing a throbbing headache. ¡°Tell me everything from the start until the end. Don¡¯t leave out even a single detail!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Yin Toad began retelling everything it did after the auction was over. After it was done, it startedmenting its fate, ¡°I carried out the process as I always did, and it has never failed me before. Why is this happening now? Why am I so unlucky?¡±

    ¡°Stop whining! You¡¯re annoying me!¡± Fire Skull yelled impatiently, ¡°Did you find anything while you were carrying out your inspection? Anything at all?¡±

    Yin Toad shook its head dejectedly. ¡°No. The doors were intact, and none of the restrictions and arrays were triggered. It¡¯s almost as if the yin gold had vanished into thin air.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! There¡¯s no way that could happen. Someone must have stolen it!¡± Fire Skull was furious. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you one more time, but are you absolutely sure that you¡¯ve checked everything? Can you swear on your life that you haven¡¯t missed anything?¡±

    ¡°I swear it, manager,¡± Yin Toad dered with absolute certainty. ¡°In fact, the first thing I did after discovering that the yin gold was missing was to lock the vault. No other ghost had entered the vault besides me, so everything is exactly the same as it was before. You can check it yourself if you want to.¡±

    Fire Skull did just that and went through the entire vault with a fine toothb. However, it failed to find anything just like Yin Toad.

    ¡°Did you find anything, manager?¡± Yin Toad asked carefully as Fire Skull pondered in silence. ¡°Do you think that a powerful senior could¡¯ve carried out the theft?¡±

    Fire Skull shot Yin Toad a nce but said nothing.

    Yin Toad continued, ¡°The vault is the most heavily guarded ce in the Ghost Tower. For someone to steal the yin gold it holds without disturbing any of its restrictions and breaking its locks... I just can¡¯t imagine a normal warrior or Stranger carrying out such a feat. It has to be a super powerful senior or something.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that has to be it. In fact, they must be on par with master at the very least. After all, master is the one who installed those restrictions himself. I just can¡¯t imagine anyone weaker than him entering and leaving the vault like it¡¯s their own house.¡±

    However, Fire Skull remarked after a moment of thought, ¡°That¡¯s very unlikely.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Yin Toad blurted. It took it a lot of brain cells toe up with the likeliest possibility, but Fire Skull had rejected it all too quickly.

    ¡°Use your brain, fool. If the thief really is as strong as you say, why would they steal the yin gold instead of the more valuable treasures? Pretend that master is the thief for a second. Did he really need that yin gold? This is but a small percentage of his total wealth. Why would he ever lower himself to do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that your theory is impossible. It¡¯s just improbable.¡±

    ¡°But if it¡¯s not a powerful senior, then who? Who could possibly steal from our vault without being detected?¡± Yin Toad frowned deeply.

    ¡°There is, in fact, one type of person who could steal from our vault without being detected,¡± Fire Skull answered.

    ¡°Who?¡± Yin Toad asked.

    ¡°An insider,¡± Fire Skull said slowly. ¡°Someone like you and me.¡±

    ¡°W-What? You think it¡¯s embezzlement?!¡± Yin Toad frowned. ¡°But you and I are the only ones who can enter the vault... Wait, you¡¯re not suspecting me, are you? I didn¡¯t do it, manager! I¡¯m innocent!¡±

    Yin Toad abruptly shrieked in terror. It looked like it was seconds away from dropping on its knees and begging for mercy.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was you! You don¡¯t have the guts to do such a thing!¡± Fire Skull said coldly.

    ¡°Yes, yes, you know me well, manager! I wouldn¡¯t dare do such a thing even if someone lent me the courage of ten men!¡± Yin Toad smiled obsequiously before continuing, ¡°But if it¡¯s not you or me, then who? There¡¯s no one else who can enter the vault, is there?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Fire Skull said slowly. ¡°The master and the young masters can enter the vault.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Yin Toad eximed in surprise. ¡°That can¡¯t be right!¡±

    ¡°Why not? As you say, who else can infiltrate our vault and steal our stuff without being detected?¡±

    Fire Skull¡¯s tone grew icy. ¡°Or are you admitting that you embezzled the yin gold after all?¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not! I would never!¡± Yin Toad shook its head in panic. ¡°O-Oh! I remember now! Seventh Young Master came to the Ghost Tower today. He even killed a few ghosts who disobeyed him. Do you think it was him who stole the yin gold? But why though?¡±

    ¡°And how the fuck would I know that? His reasons are his own, and for now, it¡¯s the best theory I can think of,¡± Fire Skull said coldly. ¡°This would also exin why the thief only stole some yin gold instead of the priceless treasures.¡±

    ¡°Phew... Does that mean we¡¯re safe?¡± Yin Toad let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°We¡¯re safe? Are you stupid?¡± Fire Skull sneered. ¡°The young masters may have the right to enter the vault, but Ghost Tower is master¡¯s property. Without his express permission, no one is allowed to remove a rock or even a speck of dust from the vault. No one.¡±

    ¡°Maybe master would forgive Seventh Young Master for taking the yin gold without permission, but you and I would definitely be charged with dereliction of duty! Worst case scenario, we might even be executed for our ¡®crimes¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Ahh! What... What do we do then? I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Yin Toad panicked again. ¡°Should we hide this from master then?¡±

    ¡°Fool!¡± Fire Skull spat. ¡°There is a small chance we might survive if we hide this from master, but we are dead the second he finds out about it. You canmit suicide if you want to, but I¡¯m not dying or living in fear for the rest of my life!¡±

    Yin Toad realized that Fire Skull had a n and asked urgently, ¡°Do you have a n, manager? Tell me, please!¡±

    ¡°What other n is there? We need to find Seventh Young Master as soon as possible,¡± Fire Skull dered.

    ¡°Right, right! The sooner we locate Seventh Young Master and ask him why he sto¡ªI mean, took the yin gold, the sooner we¡¯ll be saved! If we can take back the yin gold from him, then even better!¡± Yin Toad eximed in excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll send everyone to search for Seventh Young Master immediately!¡±

    But Fire Skull chided him immediately, ¡°Fool! Do you want everyone and their mothers to know about the theft? By the way, how many people know about this?¡±

    ¡°O-Only three people. You, me, and my subordinate,¡± Yin Toad answered.

    ¡°Thank goodness. Find a handful of people we can absolutely trust and have them search for Seventh Young Master. I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you, but the search must be conducted with absolute secrecy. If the master finds out about this, you and I are both going to die, understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. You¡¯re a wise ghost, manager,¡± Yin Toad ttered.

    ¡°No time for bootlicking. Go get it done now,¡± Fire Skull ordered. ¡°And remember, we¡¯re against the clock here. There is only so long I can keep this hidden, understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I understand!¡± Yin Toad hurriedly nodded and left the ce to carry out its orders.

    ¡°I hope it really is Seventh Young Master who stole the item!¡±

    After Yin Toad was gone, Fire Skull looked up and sighed deeply. ¡°Otherwise... sigh...¡±

 Chapter 373: The Missing Mank Ee

    <h4>Chapter 373: The Missing Mank Ee </h4>

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving? What happened?¡± Lin Yuhuai asked.

    Not long after they got out of their coffins, Ye Qing had beckoned them to his side and expressed his desire to leave Auspicious Phoenix Market immediately.

    ¡°Well, how should I put it...¡± Ye Qing tried to keep his exnation as brief as possible. ¡°I encountered some trouble after entering the inner market, and I identally offended a... bigshot. They¡¯re probably going toe find me very soon. That is why I need to leave as soon as possible.¡±

    It would take too long if he told them everything that had happened at the Ghost Tower. It was also best if they didn¡¯t hear about the details. He didn¡¯t want to drag them into his situation.

    ¡°Bigshot, huh? How big are we talking about?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    ¡°Big enough that they could take on all of us with room to spare,¡± Ye Qing replied. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say that he offended the Ghost Tower <i>and </i>Mister Nine as well.

    ¡°You just can¡¯t stop attracting trouble wherever you go, can you Joyless?¡± Chu Nianjiu teased.

    ¡°Do you think I want this?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose in disgruntlement. Greeke seriously screwed him over. The prettier they were, the deadlier the poison.

    ¡°In that case, let us take our leave immediately,¡± Lin Yuhuai dered.

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m saying that I¡¯m leaving alone. We¡¯ll be going our separate ways,¡± Ye Qing rified.

    ¡°What? Why?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Did you forget about the Peng brothers? What if the person who executed the Five Punishments Ritual shows up? They need you. You¡¯re all needed here.¡±

    There was a chance the Ghost Tower might decide to take it out on hispanions, but honestly, he wasn¡¯t very worried. For one, they might not necessarily figure out that they were affiliated with him. Even if they did, this wasn¡¯t the yin world anymore. They would only ruin themselves if they tried something here.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Lin Yuhuai frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. In fact, I¡¯ll be safer if I travel alone!¡± Ye Qing answered honestly. ¡°I¡¯m a middle-stage Spirit Purifier now.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai: ¡°...¡±

    Chu Nianjiu: ¡°...¡±

    Both men felt offended and looked down upon, but they had to admit that Ye Qing was safer alone. If he was attacked, there was a higher chance that they would drag him down than they were of help. So, they agreed to his suggestion, ¡°Fine!¡±

    ¡°Very well. I shall be taking my leave now. It¡¯s unfortunate that Peng Hu hasn¡¯t returned here, but do give him my well wishes. See you allter!¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled something. ¡°Oh right. Where is Xuanyun?¡± The young Taoist was already gone by the time he returned to Auspicious Phoenix Market.

    ¡°He went to Mank Ee¡¯s house[1]!¡± Chu Nianjiu replied.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Lin Yuhuai replied, ¡°As soon as we came back, Mank Ee¡¯s sister-inw came to us and said that Mank Ee had gone missing. Xuanyun decided to head over and check it out first. We were just about to join him.¡±

    ¡°Well, it so happens that their residence is close to the exit, so I¡¯ll join you. I would like to bid Xuanyuan goodbye as well.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    On the way there, Ye Qing asked, ¡°So, give me the details. Why did Mank Ee suddenly go missing?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai answered, ¡°We¡¯re not sure. This early morning, his sister-inw knocked on his door to deliver him breakfast, but no one answered. Confused, she went inside his room but found no one. Later, she searched the whole residence but still couldn¡¯t find Mank Ee.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really strange, is it? Knowing the kind of person he is, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Mank Ee disappears for a whole day or two.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°We thought the same thing, but she insisted that that isn¡¯t the case. However, she was a little too panicked to exin things clearly, so Xuanyuan went with her before we could get the full story out of her.¡±

    They arrived at Mank Ee¡¯s house. As soon as they stepped through the door, they saw Mrs. Hour weeping and the young Taoist doing his best to console her.

    ¡°Did you find anything, Xuanyun?¡± Ye Qing asked while scanning the whole ce. He couldn¡¯t find anything besides a faint mist of yin qi, and this yin qi was most likely the remnant of the two worlds ovepping with each other. While prolonged exposure would harm an ordinary person, it would naturally disappear once the sun was fully up.

    ¡°Brother Ye, Brother Chu, Brother Lin, you¡¯re here!¡± Qi Xuanyun greeted them all before saying seriously, ¡°Mrs. Hou[2] is right. Mank Ee is definitely missing.¡±

    ¡°And how would you know that? Maybe he¡¯s still out there somewhere, or maybe he went out before dawn broke,¡± Chu Nianjiu said.

    ¡°No, Mank Ee was definitely in the house. He didn¡¯t leave in the morning either.¡± The young Taoist led them to Mank Ee¡¯s room and pointed at his bed. ¡°Look.¡±

    ¡°His bed is disturbed, and his clothes are thrown over his bed. Even his shoes are still on the floor. Mrs. Hou mentioned that these were the clothes he wore when he came backst night, so obviously, he must havee backst night.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t really prove anything. He could¡¯ve put on a new set of clothes and left earlier in the morning, right?¡± Lin Yuhuai argued.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± The young Taoist dered. ¡°Mank Ee is single, so Mrs. Hou is the one who usually tidies his clothes. She can tell you with absolute certainty that not a single piece of his clothing is missing from the house.¡±

    ¡°Not even one? Are you sure about this, Mrs. Hou?¡± Ye Qing realized his point as well.

    ¡°I am sure!¡± Mrs. Hou sobbed.

    ¡°Mank Ee¡¯s clothes and shoes are right here. What are the chances he left his house naked?¡± Qi Xuanyun said seriously. ¡°Just in case, I checked the doors and windows. They¡¯re all locked from the inside, and there are no secret passages anywhere. That is why I¡¯m certain that Mank Ee went missing right here inside his house.¡±

    It was at this moment Lin Yuhuai stepped into the room. He dered, ¡°I just checked the ce. It is as Xuanyun said.¡±

    ¡°But I can¡¯t sense anything out of the ordinary. Just how did Mank Ee go missing?¡± Chu Nianjiu sipped his wine, frowning.

    ¡°I want you guys to spread out and search the ce again. Maybe we missed something. I¡¯ll stay here and ask Mrs. Hou a couple more questions,¡± Ye Qing ordered after thinking for a moment.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    After the trio stepped out of the room, Ye Qing pulled a chair over and sat down next to Mrs. Hou.

    ¡°Have you found any clues regarding my Mank Ee, scion?¡± Mrs. Hou asked urgently.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re still looking.¡± Ye Qing shook his head before asking, ¡°Mrs. Hou, I have a couple of questions for you. Please answer them as truthfully as you can. Mank Ee¡¯s life is on the line here.¡±

    ¡°Yes... of course...¡± Mrs. Hou forced down her worry and impatience and asked, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±

    Ye Qing said, ¡°It¡¯s like this. Why are you so certain that Mank Ee had gone missing? I mean, it hasn¡¯t even been twenty four hours yet.¡± <i>Not that that kind of logic operates in this world, </i>Ye Qing chided himself mentally. ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t jump to that kind of conclusion so quickly, you know?¡±

    The reason Qi Xuanyun and his colleagues were able to confirm the truth this quickly was because they were warriors. Their senses were far sharper than your ordinary person. However, Mrs. Hou was just an ordinary person. It was almost like she knew something they didn¡¯t.

    Mrs. Hou answered, ¡°That¡¯s... That¡¯s because Mank Ee was acting weird the whole day yesterday. It was like his mind was elsewhere. When he came backst night, he was horribly drunk and muttering, ¡®I¡¯m haunted, I¡¯m haunted¡¯ non-stop, and I know he didn¡¯t have a good night¡¯s sleep because I could hear him tossing and turning around all the way from my room. That¡¯s why... I¡¯m certain that happened to him when I couldn¡¯t find him this morning.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing nodded in understanding. ¡°Mank Ee did mention that he had a poor night¡¯s sleep yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Mrs. Hou answered, ¡°After he helped you guys and returned home, he asked me to boil him a sleep-well soup. He went to sleep as soon as he finished the soup.¡±

    ¡°I was washing his clothes at his house at the time, so I know that he slept very, very poorly. He startled awake at least a couple times during the short time I was there, and each time he was covered in sweat and looking as pale as a sheet.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply.

    ¡°You have to save Mank Ee, scion. My... My husband died early, and Mank Ee is the sole ricewinner[3] of our whole family. If something happened to him as well, then... then... what are we going to do?¡±

    Mrs. Hou wiped her tears away and begged, ¡°Please save him, please! I¡¯ll even go on my knees if that¡¯s what it takes!¡±

    ¡°Please, Mrs. Hou. You don¡¯t need to do this!¡± Ye Qing stopped her before she could fall on her knees and consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Hou. I promise you that we will do our best.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay. Thank you, scion. Thank you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    It was at this moment Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and Qi Xuanyun came back from their search. They all shook their heads when they saw Ye Qing. It looked like no one had found anything.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sense any anomalous energy, nor could I find any signs of struggle. It¡¯s almost like Mank Ee suddenly vanished into thin air while he was lying in bed,¡± Lin Yuhuai told Ye Qing.

    ¡°What are the chances Mank Ee offended someone far above his stature and got kidnapped?¡± Qi Xuanyun asked.

    ¡°I doubt it. You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? The doors and windows all look intact, and Lin Yuhuai just said he couldn¡¯t find any signs of struggle. If someone did kidnap him, there is no way they could do it without a trace,¡± Chu Nianjiu answered.

    ¡°In that case... It has to be a Stranger!¡± Qi Xuanyun muttered.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and told them everything Mrs. Hou said earlier.

    ¡°How is it, scions? Where is my Mank Ee?¡± Mrs. Hou asked urgently after all four of them fell silent.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t found him yet, but don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Hou. It¡¯s only a matter of time,¡± Ye Qing consoled her before saying, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go home first, Mrs. Hou? I¡¯m sure you have things to do. Leave Hou Er to us.¡±

    ¡°Well... okay. Thank you very much, scions! Thank you! I¡¯ll be heading back then!¡± Mrs. Hou thanked them profusely before taking her leave.

    ¡°Sigh...¡±

    After she was gone, all four men exchanged nces with each other before sighing deeply. Although they promised the woman that they would do their best to find Hou Er, they knew that the chances that he still lived were very, very low. Assuming that he did have a run-in with a Stranger, Hou Er was most likely dead already.

    Therefore, the only realistic thing they could do was to find the Stranger and take revenge for Hou Er. It was to prevent more people from falling victim to the threat as well.

    ¡°You can leave first, Joyless. Leave this to us.¡± Lin Yuhuai patted Ye Qing on the shoulder.

    ¡°Leave? Are you going somewhere, Brother Ye?¡± Qi Xuanyun asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I need to leave for some business.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°In fact, I came here to say goodbye.¡±

    ¡°Ah... does that mean you won¡¯t be traveling to Tian Yong with us?¡± Qi Xuanyun asked.

    ¡°Yeah, I have something important I need to take care of.¡± Ye Qing gave him a pat on the shoulder. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll see you all at Tian Yong.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this business you need to take care of? I can help you if you want!¡± Qi Xuanyun offered.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can handle this myself.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving now.¡±

    ¡°Take care, Brother Ye!¡± Qi Xuanyun said seriously.

    ¡°I will. Thank you,¡± Ye Qing replied. ¡°You should be careful as well. Auspicious Phoenix Market is not a safe ce. Once you¡¯ve wrapped up your business, I would advise you to take your leave as soon as you are able.¡±

    As the four men stepped out of Mank Ee¡¯s room, the painting hung at the center of the room suddenly swayed twice. Then, the two men in the painting slowly turned around to look at the group. They were both wearing strange grins on their faces.

    The man to the left was Old Hu,

    And the man to the right was Mank Ee.

    [4]

    1. Just to rify since the author did a poor job stating this clearly, but Mank Ee does NOT live together with his sister-inw. He has his own house. ?

    2. I know it sounds kinda awkward, but technically she IS a Mrs. Hou. Also the author never mentioned her name, and Sister-In-Law Hou is way too long-winded, so Mrs. Hou it is. ?

    3. y on words on breadwinner. ?

    4. Sometimes, not even the protagonist can stop the evil... ?

 Chapter 374: Corpse Child

    <h4>Chapter 374: Corpse Child </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s been a whole day. A whole day! Have we not located Seventh Young Master yet?¡±

    Inside the Ghost Tower, Fire Skull was ring down on Yin Toad from above, its mes ring and shrinking erratically as if it was doing its best to control its temper.

    ¡°Not... Not yet,¡± Yin Toad answered fearfully.

    ¡°Trash!¡± Fire Skull yelled.

    Yin Toad argued, ¡°This... this isn¡¯t my fault. I did my best!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve mobilized at least several hundred ghosts and kin to search for Seventh Young Master and turned nearly the entire Fengdu upside down, but there¡¯s just no sign of him anywhere! Not even a hint!¡±

    ¡°I... I really did my best!¡±

    ¡°If your best isn¡¯t enough, then do better! If you can¡¯t find Seventh Young Master, then both you and I are going to die!¡±

    Fire Skull raged. ¡°Now go!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, manager.¡±

    Yin Toad transformed into a gust of yin wind and flew toward the exit. It was halfway there when suddenly, it let out a bloodcurdling scream. The yin wind that was yin toad suddenly began decaying and rotting as if it was being eroded by something. The stench of death immediately filled the room.

    Yin Toad was already dead, and it didn¡¯t even have a physical body, not to mention that it was just a gust of wind right now. However, there was no denying that it was rotting somehow. As Yin Toad transformed uncontrobly back to its normal self, bluish purple spots began appearing on its body as well.

    The more they spread, the weaker Yin Toad¡¯s screams became. When its whole body had be discolored, Yin Toad stopped screaming and vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the terrible stench of rot.

    ¡°You can stop now.¡±

    An old, calm voice rang inside the room. Fire Skull shuddered, and a bluish purple spot appeared on its me, causing it to decay rapidly.

    ¡°First... First Young Master... why are you here?¡±

    ¡°How much longer are you going to keep this hidden?¡± The voice spoke, and a pool of disgusting corpse water seeped out of the floor. Multiple bodies were floating inside the pool.

    A dead child crawled out of the pool. He was wearing a ck burial shirt and a round skullcap. He had a long ponytail behind his head.

    Although he looked like a child, every part of his body except his face was covered in bluish purple spots. His body reeked of the stench of corpses as well.

    ¡°First... First Young Master...¡± Fire Skull greeted the child shakily, ¡°I... I don¡¯t understand what you mean?¡±

    ¡°No, you know exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡± First Young Master said slowly, ¡°Yin Toad died because it failed in its duty and tried to conceal its failure from the master. Are you going to make its mistake, Fire Skull?¡±

    ¡°I was wrong! I was wrong! Forgive me, First Young Master! I would never do it again!¡± Fire Skull dropped from the air and hit the ground repeatedly with its head, kowtowing[1].

    First Young Master was a Corpse Child[2] who fed on corpses to sustain himself. His death qi was so potent it could corrode anything and everything be it animate, inanimate, tangible or intangible.

    ¡°You lost the master¡¯s property, tried to cover up the crime, and you were stupid beyond hope. Any one of these crimes is punishable by death. Can you give me a single reason why I shouldn¡¯t kill you?¡± Corpse Child asked unhurriedly.

    Fire Skull shivered and answered as quickly as it could, ¡°First... First Young Master, I already figured out who is the one who took the yin gold. Just give me time, and the yin gold will be back before you know it.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that Seventh is the one who stole the money?¡± asked Corpse Child as he looked down on Fire Skull scornfully, but the Stranger couldn¡¯t see his face. Fire Skull exined its reasoning in a hurry,

    ¡°Yes, it has to be him. I already dispatched the men to look for him. They will find him very soon.¡±

    ¡°This is why I said you¡¯re stupid beyond hope,¡± Corpse Child said slowly.

    By now, Fire Skull realized that Corpse Child was ridiculing him. It looked up in confusion and asked, ¡°Am... Am I wrong, First Young Master?¡±

    ¡°You are <ipletely </i>wrong,¡± Corpse Child dered. ¡°Seventh is a bold child, but he would never, ever dare to steal from the vault without father¡¯s permission.¡±

    ¡°But... who could possibly steal the yin gold without a trace then?¡± Fire Skull was stunned. <i>My brilliant deduction was all... wrong? </i>¡°Could it really be a senior?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that you¡¯re stupid, but you like to think you¡¯re smart too. How on earth did you be the manager of Ghost Tower?¡±

    Corpse Child sighed. ¡°You thought that someone must have entered the vault and stole the yin gold, but why didn¡¯t you consider the possibility that the yin gold was already lost before they entered the vault?¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Fire Skull rejected the possibility immediately. ¡°I had personally checked the yin gold several times before they entered the vault. I am certain that not a single gold piece was missing!¡±

    ¡°Nothing is impossible.There are plenty of things in this world that are beyond your paltry imagination,¡± Corpse Child said slowly. ¡°In fact, the true responsibility of this failure lies not on Yin Toad, but you.¡±

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saving First Young Master,¡± Fire Skull replied in an aggrieved tone.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m wronging you?¡± Corpse Child scoffed and enveloped Fire Skull with his corpse pool. Then, Corpse Child, Fire Skull and the corpse pool all vanished into the floor.

    The next moment, the duo appeared inside the vault.

    ¡°Have you inspected the vault yet?¡± Corpse Child asked.

    ¡°I have. Everything is fine inside the vault. The locks are intact, and the restrictions aren¡¯t triggered,¡± Fire Skull answered.

    Corpse Child countered, ¡°Is that so? Didn¡¯t you notice there is something inside the vault that isn¡¯t there before?¡±

    ¡°W-What? What is it?¡± Fire Skull asked.

    Corpse Child walked up to the carcass of several insects and said, ¡°Look. There are insects inside the vault now.¡±

    ¡°Insects?¡± Fire Skull floated up to the carcass and eximed in astonishment, ¡°You¡¯re right! But this can¡¯t be! The vault is protected by all sorts of restrictions. There is no way any insect can make it inside the vault!¡±

    The vault was where they stored all kinds of precious treasures. Naturally, it was installed with restrictions that were specifically meant to keep out insects and other vermin. It would be terrible if a vermin damaged a precious treasure otherwise.

    The reason Fire Skull and Yin Toad hadn¡¯t discovered it sooner was because the carcasses were incredibly tiny, and they were scattered in different ces.

    ¡°It is strange that these insects somehow appeared inside the vault,¡± Fire Skull voiced its puzzlement. ¡°Perhaps they have something to do with the missing yin gold?¡±

    Corpse Child replied, ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. They are the culprits behind the disappearing yin gold. Do you know what they are, Fire Skull?¡±

    Fire Skull couldn¡¯t say anything for a time. When it finally recovered, it stuttered, ¡°Wha... What is it?¡±

    ¡°These insects are called the Gold Insect. It is an extremely rare Stranger in the yang world,¡± Corpse Child answered. ¡°You might have inferred from its name, but it is a type of insect that can transform into gold.¡±

    ¡°The Gold Insect is pitifully weak and in possession of no offensive powers whatsoever, but it can transform into gold. Moreover, its disguise is impossible to see through.¡±

    ¡°Of course, all things in the world have their weaknesses, and the Gold Insect¡¯s weaknesses are quite distinct. One, it can only turn into gold for a short time. Two, it can only turn into gold once in a lifetime. Once its transformation runs out, and it turns back into an insect, it would die.¡±

    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s not the only Stranger of its kind. There is the Silver Insect and more.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand why I said it¡¯s your fault now?¡±

    ¡°Mercy, young master! I... I was wrong. Please, mercy!¡± Fire Skull began shaking violently.

    ¡°Tell me, what were your mistakes?¡± Corpse Child asked.

    Fire Skull stuttered, ¡°I... Someone used the Gold Insects to buy our goods and services, but I never realized it. After the fake yin gold entered the vault, the Gold Insects returned to normal. When Yin Toad entered the vault to inspect the items, he thought that someone had broken into the vault and stolen our yin gold.¡±

    ¡°As the manager of Ghost Tower, I failed to discover the culprit¡¯s ruse and lost our yin gold. That¡¯s my first mistake. After the yin gold was stolen, I failed to inspect the vault thoroughly[3] and instead made my investigation based on empty conjectures. That¡¯s my second mistake. And finally, I failed to inform master about this as soon as possible and even tried to keep this from it. That¡¯s my third mistake.¡±

    ¡°Good. Perhaps there is hope yet to cure your stupidity,¡± Corpse Child nodded in approval. ¡°You know you deserve death thrice over, but do you know why you¡¯re still alive, while Yin Toad is dead?¡±

    ¡°I... don¡¯t know?¡± Fire Skull replied fearfully. Now that it thought about it, Yin Toad wasn¡¯t really to me for this incident because the yin gold had already been switched when it entered the vault. It might have failed to identify the Gold Insects, but the same could be said for it. In fact, if Fire Skull couldn¡¯t identify the Gold Insects, then there was no chance Yin Toad, a weaker Stranger, could hope to do better. However, the meless Yin Toad was executed, while it was still alive. It really didn¡¯t understand why.

    ¡°The answer is very simple. The reason you¡¯re still alive is because you haven¡¯t submitted to me or my dear brothers. You are loyal to father and the Ghost Tower alone. However, Yin Toad had submitted to another. Do you understand now?¡± Corpse Child answered in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°I... understand. I understand!¡± Fire Skull bowed its head even more. It was both afraid and thankful that it had made at least one wise decision in its life.

    The master of the Ghost Tower had seven adopted sons, and of course every one of them had their own powerbases. It was perfectly normal for someone in the Ghost Tower to secretly pledge their fealty to one of the young masters to solidify their own position. However, Fire Skull was one of the few ghosts who never found a backer for itself. It wasn¡¯t because no one had tried to recruit it, nor was it because it was absolutely loyal to the master. It would be lying if it said it was never tempted by the offer. It just thought that the Ghost Tower belonged to the master, and the master was the greatest of them all. Why on earth would it swear its fealty to someone below the master when it could be serving the master itself?

    It didn¡¯t think that its caution would save its life today.

    ¡°Remember this well, Fire Skull. The Ghost Tower is father, and you are all father¡¯s dogs. My father can tolerate a stupid,zy dog, but he can never tolerate one who betrays his trust.¡± Corpse Child¡¯s mouth spread into an eerie grin. ¡°That is why you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! Thank you for your mercy, First Young Master! Thank you for master¡¯s mercy! I am forever loyal to master and the Ghost Tower!¡± Fire Skull kowtowed repeatedly.

    ¡°Enough. Get up.¡± Corpse Child dered, ¡°We still have things to do.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Fire Skull floated into the air.

    Corpse Child continued, ¡°Two hundred and fifty thousand yin gold is but a drop in the bucket, but the crime of tricking the Ghost Tower is terribly grave. The culprit who dares to impugn our reputation must be brought to justice.¡±

    ¡°But... we have a lot of customers today, and most of them concealed their identity as a matter of course. How are we going to find them?¡± Fire Skull asked.

    Corpse Child replied calmly, ¡°The Gold Insect is an extremely rare Stranger. Even considering the caliber of our customers, few among them would possess it. There is a high chance the culprit was only one person.¡±

    ¡°Check our ount books and find out who had spent at least two hundred and fifty thousand yin gold today. They are most likely the culprit.¡±

    ¡°A wise deduction, First Young Master. I shall check the ount books immediately!¡± Fire Skull¡¯s eyes lit up and flew away. A short whileter, it returned with a disappointed expression, ¡°First Young Master, I¡¯m sorry to say that no one has spent at least two hundred and fifty thousand yin gold today.¡±

    ¡°There is none?¡± Corpse Child thought for a moment before answering, ¡°The culprit is cautious, it seems. They must have spent some real yin gold so we wouldn¡¯t be able to identify them immediately.¡±

    ¡°Even so, they couldn¡¯t possibly spend too much real yin gold. That would be defeating the point. Check who has spent almost two hundred and fifty thousand yin gold, Fire Skull.¡±

    1. Remember that it¡¯s basically a floating head, so... ?

    2. Name of a Stranger. ?

    3. It did, but that would only make it sound worse lol. ?

 Chapter 375: Head

    <h4>Chapter 375: Head </h4>

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    Fire Skull produced an ount book and flipped through it carefully. A whileter, it replied, ¡°There are three people who spent around two hundred and fifty yin gold, First Young Master. However, we never register the names of our customers when we carry out a transaction, young master. There are only numbers in the ount book. How are we going to identify the culprit like this?¡±

    Instead of answering, Corpse Child took the ount book from Fire Skull and brushed his finger across the three unnamed transactions. The next moment, three silhouettes appeared above the ount book. They were all donning burial clothes and wearing masks, and they could be seen making purchases in the Ghost Tower.

    If Ye Qing was here, he would recognize himself among the silhouettes. However, Greeke was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°It¡¯s them.¡± Fire Skull nodded before frowning at Ye Qing¡¯s silhouette. ¡°But I thought... I¡¯m sure he...¡±

    It thought that something was off with Ye Qing¡¯s silhouette, but it couldn¡¯t really pinpoint the source of that strange feeling. It was almost like it had forgotten something.

    ¡°You may leave and go about your normal business. Leave the rest to me,¡± Corpse Child instructed before sinking into his corpse pool.

    After he was gone, Fire Skull shook its head and muttered, ¡°Strange. I keep having this feeling that I¡¯ve forgotten something.¡±

    A pool of corpse water appeared on the seventh floor of Ghost Tower. Corpse Child quickly emerged from it.

    Most people thought that the Ghost Tower only had three floors. In fact, it had nine. It was just that the floors above the third floor weren¡¯t open to outsiders because they were sealed with all kinds of evil and terrifying Strangers and Strange Artifacts. The higher the floor, the stronger they were.

    After appearing on the seventh floor, Corpse Child opened a door and stepped inside. The room was empty besides a single jar. The jar held half a human brain, or at least it looked like it. It was soaked within some sort of smelly, yellowish liquid.

    Corpse Child waved his hand while staring at the brain, and a youngster abruptly plopped down on the floor. It was a living human.

    ¡°Who... who are you? What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± The youngster fired off some hollow threats after he recovered from his shock. ¡°Do you know who I am? I¡¯m a member of the Manor of Dragons! You¡¯d let me go if you know what¡¯s good for you! The Manor of Dragons will never forget this transgression!¡±

    Corpse Child paid no attention to his threats, of course. He walked up to the jar, opened it, and grabbed the brain. Then, he walked back toward the youngster.

    ¡°W-What are you doing? No. Don¡¯te closer! Don¡¯te closer!¡± The youngster screamed on top of his lungs as Corpse Child came closer and closer, but the pool of corpse water beneath his feet kept him pinned. He was unable to move a step no matter how hard he struggled.

    When Corpse Child finally reached the youngster, he pped the half a brain on top of his head.

    The second the brain made contact with the youngster¡¯s skull, it immediately twitched once as if it hade alive. Then, it began pulling the youngster¡¯s head apart.

    ¡°What are you doing?! Let me go! Let me go!!!¡±

    The strange head bobbed up and down with exertion. It wasn¡¯t long before the youngster¡¯s head slowly split into two like it was cut open by a knife.

    The youngster was still alive, however. He was howling with rage and terror. He could clearly feel his skin being torn apart, his skull snapping in half and a tingling sensation that suggested that his brain was exposed in the air, but there was nothing he could do to save himself, nothing at all. The fear, helplessness and despair drove him into madness.

    After the youngster¡¯s head was exposed, the brain threw the youngster¡¯s brain out of his head as if disgusted before taking over the space. The split head began healing slowly until not a single wound was left behind. If it wasn¡¯t for the blood and brain fluid sttered all over the youngster¡¯s hair, face and shoulders, it would be as if nothing had ever happened.

    As if on cue, the youngster stopped screaming. The fear and despair etched on his face was reced by an eerie smile. Then, he greeted Corpse Child teasingly, ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s you, Corpse Child? You¡¯re not dead yet?¡±

    ¡°Why would I die before you die?¡± Corpse Child replied expressionlessly. ¡°Cut the nonsense, or I¡¯ll toss you back into your jar.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so scared, hahaha...¡± The youngster patted his chest andughed mockingly. ¡°But you clearly need me for something, or you wouldn¡¯t have released me. Feel free to put me back if I¡¯m wrong. I¡¯m fine either way.¡±

    Corpse Child couldn¡¯t be bothered to waste his breath on the youngster and produced an ount book. ¡°The Ghost Tower lost some items, and I need you to identify the thief, his background, and his current location.¡±

    ¡°Oh. My. Hells! The Ghost Tower actually lost stuff? Unbelievable, truly unbelievable...¡± The youngster remarked with a mad cackle. His expression was full of ridicule and schadenfreude. ¡°Let me see, let me see. Oh, you didn¡¯t lose your items, you were scammed! Ahahahahaha! The scammer finally got scammed for once, and by their favorite victim no less! Oh no no no no, how embarrassing it is for the Ghost Tower, how embarrassing!¡±

    ¡°Say, did this anger the crap out of that little bitch? Did it piss him off so much that he jumped out of his coffin?¡±

    ¡°Insult father again, and you will regret it.¡± Corpse Child narrowed his eyes, and a deathly energy spread throughout the room. Bluish ck spots began to appear on the youngster¡¯s body, but...

    ¡°Hahahaha! Are you serious right now? Come on then, kill me dead! If you can¡¯t, then I am your father, and that little bitch your mother!¡±

    The youngster wasn¡¯t intimidated in the slightest. ¡°Seriously, we both know it¡¯s the truth. Your so-called father is neither a woman, a man, or even a hermaphrodite! He¡¯s just a freak of nature who got the short end of every deal, kakakakaka!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you know, but back in the day, that bitch was so submissive when I got him under my... alright alright, I¡¯ll stop. Man, youngsters these days can¡¯t hold a joke!¡±

    The youngster finally shut his mouth when the bluish purple spots on his body exceeded a certain threshold, and he started feeling like an old man.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Who is the one who stole our items, what is his background, and where is he right now?¡± Corpse Child repeated.

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s quite easy for me to answer those questions, but you know the rules, don¡¯t you?¡± The youngster replied.

    ¡°I do,¡± Corpse Child answered. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared ten thousand yin souls as your payment.

    ¡°Hahaha... I love interacting with people with direct personalities like you!¡± The youngster cackled. He sucked in a deep breath, and the three silhouettes were pulled into his mouth.

    ......

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    Inside a dpidated temple, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot, and bloodthirst rolled off his body like a tidal wave. There was a red sh that looked like the spring wind and fine rain, and suddenly, crisscrossing cuts appeared on the temple¡¯s walls, roof, floor and more. The bird singing and insect chirping happening outside the temple instantly disappeared like they were dead.

    A fog appeared inside the temple, and there was a vague silhouette inside the fog. ¡°What kind of nightmare did he have? He just barely stopped himself from cutting this poor temple into bits. Strange!¡±

    The next moment, the redness in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes faded, and his killing intent was pulled back into his body. Then, he let out a deep sigh and put on a refreshing smile on his face.

    ¡°What the hell did you dream, boy? It felt like you just crawled out from under a pile of dead bodies!¡± Although Ye Qing looked no different from normal, the Fog Demon felt like he was different for some reason.

    ¡°You guessed right. I had just crawled out from under a pile of corpses!¡± Ye Qing sighed again and stepped out of the temple. As he stared at the bright sun outside the temple and basked in its warmth, his smile widened. ¡°I¡¯m so d I could see the sun again!¡±

    ¡°You look like you¡¯ve lost more than a few brain cells, boy!¡± The Fog Demon floated over to Ye Qing and mocked him.

    ¡°I did. In fact, I almost went insane.¡±

    Ye Qing felt a shiver when he recalled what happenedst night. After arriving at this temple, he had asked the Fog Demon to protect him and used Nanke. Although it was clear from Chu Wangsun¡¯s actions that the Duckweed Flower was far more valuable than most people seemed to believe, whatever power it might bestow him would arrive far toote to aid him with his current predicament. He needed power now, and Nanke was the only Strange Artifact that could do so.

    This time, he didn¡¯t get greedy and try to hone all of his martial arts at once. Instead, he focused on the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±, ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±, and the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±.

    He chose to hone his saber art to improve his offense, his movement art to improve his ability to escape, and his defensive art to improve his defense. These three martial arts he needed to hone to maximize his growth given the amount of time he had.

    He had considered improving his fist art of course, but he had reached a bottleneck. It would be difficult for him to break through it even with the help of Nanke, and he didn¡¯t want to risk dying inside the dream and getting ejected prematurely again.

    On the other hand, the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡± was new to him and still had a ton of potential to uncover. That was why he chose to hone it after careful consideration.

    In this dream, he was a greenhorn participating in his first war, and he was just an early-stage Vessel Augmentor. The martial arts he knew were none other than the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±, the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±, and the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±.

    His martial arts were incredibly powerful, but at the beginning, he had actually performed worse than an ordinary veteran. He nearly died multiple times on the battlefield either because he was too kind, too careless, or ced in a situation where his martial arts were less than useful.

    After barely surviving his first major battle, he was forced to fight almost everyday. He had fought in a forest, a mountain, a desert, a river and more, and he had participated in all kinds of operations such as assassinations, raids, sieges, wipeouts and more, sometimes as the receiving party. Barring exceptional circumstances, he had encountered almost everything a soldier might encounter on the battlefield.

    Life was cheap, and the fight was endless. Hisrades kept dying, the enemies kepting, the battlefield was littered with countless broken bodies, and the end seemed as far away as eternity itself. Such were his hardships that he nearly broke down and lost his mind inside the dream.

    He didn¡¯t know how long he spent inside the dream, only that he went from a greenhorn to a veteran whose spirit was just as old and scared as his body. As his friends and allies disappeared from his life one after another, his heart slowly turned numb, and his blood gradually turned as cold as ice.

    In the end, after killing several hundred people during a siege andpletely exhausting himself, a crossbow bolt finally hit him in the head and ended his life.

    That was why he was overflowing with killing intent when he awoke just now. Luckily for him, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was excellent at curbing one¡¯s emotions. Otherwise, he strongly suspected that he would¡¯ve suffered a mental breakdown and turned into a madman.

    This was probably one of the hidden dangers of Nanke.

 Chapter 376: Heartless Brain

    <h4>Chapter 376: Heartless Brain </h4>

    The dream was hyper realistic and beyond terrifying, but thankfully, its effects were just as extraordinary. First, he had reached the adept level in the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±. He had grasped its intent, understood its impetus, mastered its moves, and even eliminated some unnecessary moves from its saber art. Finally, he managed tobine it with the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡± and turned it into a three-move attack.

    The first move was the spring wind, the second move was the fine rain, and the third move was the soulchasing saber.

    The ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± was just an Astral Refinement-stage movement art, and he had gotten it first before the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡± or the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±. Even before he entered the dream, he was close to grasping the essence of the martial art. After he entered Nanke and honed it repeatedly, he had fully mastered the movement art. He could now move about like a shadow, a dream, a demon, or a god. He could conjure a maximum of nine illusions that were near impossible to distinguish from the real thing.

    As for the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, it was a Trueman-stage martial art for a reason. Despite the long dream, he was only able to grasp the various forms of all nine impetuses and enter the journeyman level. He was still far, far away from being able to master the techniques and entering the adept level.

    Besides his cultivation level, hisbat experience, intuition and perception when battling against all sorts of enemies and in all sorts of environments had improved drastically. More importantly, his willpower and mental strength had be stronger and more tenacious than before.

    In conclusion, this one dream had improved his strength in every way. He was at least twenty or thirty percent stronger than he was before he entered Nanke.

    Twenty or thirty percent didn¡¯t sound like much, but he was a Spirit Purifier. At this stage, even a small step forward was enough to make him seem like a new man.

    At his current level, and adding in powerful Strange Artifacts such as the Blue Demon Hand and Boundless Mara Buddha into the picture, he was confident he could go up against Half-Step Spirit Masters and even weaker Spirit Masters.

    Even if he assumed that he had overestimated himself, he was confident that he would be able to escape to safety.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Right after Ye Qing stepped out of the temple, a small breeze abruptly caused the entire building to crumble. Not only that, it transformed into fine dust almost as if they had been eroded by the passage of time.

    It was because of the attack Ye Qing had identally unleashed when he woke up, of course. The saber qi had destroyed the whole ce, and it was a miracle it had held up until now.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Didn¡¯t mean to make life difficult for the travelers who woulde after me.¡± Ye Qing shrugged as he watched the copsed temple. It wasn¡¯t on purpose.

    Fog Demon couldn¡¯t stand his smug face and criticized him, ¡°Quit showing off, boy. There¡¯s no one here to see it.¡±

    <i>This brat is growing way too quickly. At this rate, how am I going to make my escape?</i>

    ¡°True. What¡¯s the point of showing off to an artifact spirit?¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    Fog Demon: ¡°...¡± <i>Ah, I feel very offended.</i>

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ye Qing had just taken two steps when suddenly, he sensed something. He withdrew Fog Demon back into the Mara Buddha and pulled out the Annon Sutra.

    The Annon Sutra was leaking blood just like thest time. Ye Qing hurriedly unfolded it andid it on the ground. More and more blood leaked out of the piece of vellum, but this time it didn¡¯t spread out until it was the size of ake. Instead, it formed rows and rows of text on its surface:

    <i>¡°My name is Ye Qing, moniker ¡°Joyless¡±. If you see this, that means I¡¯m in trouble.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Right now, the Heartless Brain is divining my name, background and location. If it seeds, I¡¯m not the only one who will be in danger. My friends and family will be in danger as well.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°After all, the Ghost Tower wouldn¡¯t attack me only.They would kill everyone I loved to set an example to all who might emte me!¡±</i>

    ¡°The Heartless Brain? It¡¯s helping the Ghost Tower to divine my name, background and location?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what the hell a Heartless Brain was, but there was no doubt that the Ghost Tower was behind it all.

    ¡°Dammit. I knew this was going to to happen.¡±

    The Annon Sutra wasn¡¯t done messaging, however.

    <i>¡°Thankfully, luck is on my side. While the Heartless Brain was performing its divination, it suddenly slipped on the corpse fluid it was standing on and broke its head. As a result, its brain fell into the deadly corpse fluid and died.¡±</i>

    While the Annon Sutra was manifesting the words, ¡°and died¡±, it suddenly shook as it hit some sort of wall. The words disappeared, and a new line appeared:

    <i>¡°... and it only managed to divine my location.¡±</i>

    The moment this happened, the Annon Sutra began shaking again. The line kept surfacing and fading as if it was struggling to manifest.

    It was at this moment a golden dragon-serpent rune suddenly crumbled into dust. A wave of anomalous energy washed out of the Annon Sutra, and the line of text solidified.

    A horrified scream broke out, ¡°My... My golden dragon-serpent rune! Damn you, Ghost Tower! Damn you, Greeke!¡±

    ......

    On the seventh floor of the Ghost Tower, a youngster was muttering something under his breath and walking about the room like a true diviner. As he walked, the walls began wriggling like it was alive, and all kinds of people appeared on the wall. As the images became clearer, small passages of text appeared beside them as well.

    It was at this moment an ident happened. The youngster was walking past Corpse Child when he identally slipped on the corpse fluid pooling around the Stranger¡¯s feet and fell backward. His head hit the floor so hard that it sttered into pieces, and the half-a-brain fell into the corpse fluid.

    The images on the walls immediately became distorted as if its process had been disrupted. Only one person¡¯s silhouette remained clearer than the others.

    Corpse Child couldn¡¯t be bothered to check out the information on the wall, however. He hurriedly picked up the brain from the corpse fluid.

    At first, the brain was still pulsing rhythmically. But a few secondster, it stoppedpletely as if its life was spent.

    Corpse Child frowned and summoned another living human into the room. Then, he pped the brain over the man¡¯s skull and let it do its thing.

    After the brain had taken over the body, Corpse Child asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°What happened? You happened! If it wasn¡¯t for that stinking pool beneath your feet, I would never have slipped!¡± The manunched into a furious rant the second he came back to life. ¡°What¡¯s so cool about standing in a pool of stinking water anyway? If I didn¡¯t know better, I would¡¯ve thought that you wet your pants! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?¡±

    Corpse Child paid his rant no heed, however. He simply asked, ¡°Did you find him?¡±

    ¡°I did, but the information is deeply wed.¡± The man looked at the clearer silhouette on the wall and said, ¡°I could only divine his location.¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Corpse Child looked displeased.

    ¡°Are you seriously asking me that? I could¡¯ve divined it all, but your fucking pool made me slip at the most critical moment!¡± The man grumbled.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just perform your divination again?¡± Corpse Child asked.

    ¡°What the fuck do you think divination is? I can¡¯t just piss out the answer whenever I want!¡± The man scoffed disdainfully. ¡°Still, you can find him now that you have his location. You can interrogate the information you need out of him yourself.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t worth ten thousand yin souls,¡± Corpse Child said expressionlessly.

    ¡°<i>Excuse me? </i>I did what you asked for, and you¡¯re going back on your promise? Just how immoral can you get?¡± The man raged loudly, ¡°Also, I could¡¯ve performed my divination wlessly, but <i>someone </i>doesn¡¯t know the meaning of hygiene! It¡¯s <i>your </i>fault my divination failed partially, and now you¡¯re ming me for the consequences of your own actions?¡±

    ¡°Where is your fucking shame, dude? I thought that bitch was shameless enough, but you¡¯re even more shameless than he is! Fucking shameless, despicable, nasty piece of...¡±

    Corpse Child waited until Heartless Brain was done swearing. Then, he said, ¡°Are you done? Then it¡¯s my turn now. You divined the thief¡¯s location, but they¡¯re alive, not dead. They wouldn¡¯t stay in one ce. If we get there, and they¡¯re already gone, then it would be aplete waste of time and energy, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°So what? It¡¯s not my fault!¡± The man argued.

    ¡°But it is.¡± Corpse Child said, ¡°If you managed to divine their name and background, we could¡¯ve tracked down their friends and family and used them as hostages even if they managed to elude us. However, not only did you fail to do that, the one clue you provided didn¡¯t offer any real value either.¡±

    ¡°That is why it¡¯s not worth ten thousand yin souls. It¡¯s not worth even one yin soul.¡±

    ¡°Uwah... You¡¯re too shameless Corpse Child! How can you bully an old man like this! This isn¡¯t right, this isn¡¯t right!¡± The man abruptly fell on his butt and started iling his limbs about like a child whose candy was stolen. However, Corpse Child remained unperturbed no matter how loud a tantrum he threw.

    After he got tired, he asked in an aggrieved voice, ¡°You could¡¯ve consoled me, you bastard.¡±

    Corpse Child didn¡¯t even react to him.

    ¡°Fine, fine, so boring.¡± The man climbed back to his feet and looked down on Corpse Child. ¡°Tell me, what do I need to do to satisfy you?¡±

    Corpse Child answered, ¡°Find me the thief.¡±

    The man replied slowly, ¡°Let¡¯s see. You know I can only use my ability once per month, so if you want me to divine his full information again, then you¡¯ll have to wait another month.¡±

    Corpse Child: ¡°...¡± <i>Everything would be over by then! I might as well stuff you back into your jar and do it myself!</i>

    The man savored Corpse Child¡¯s expression until the Stranger was about to speak. Then, he interrupted, ¡°Of course, it would be toote by then. The Ghost Tower¡¯s reputation would be in tatters. That is why I offer you an alternative.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Corpse Child asked.

    The man answered, ¡°It¡¯s true I can¡¯t divine anything rting to that thief until a monthter, but since I did manage to divine their location, it means that there is now a bond of destiny between me and them, however weak it might be. So long as I¡¯m within a certain range of that thief, I¡¯d be able to sense their presence. Theoretically speaking, I can find them even if they escape to the ends of the earth.¡±

    ¡°So, you want me to bring you with me.¡± Corpse Child looked thoughtful.

    ¡°You can find them yourself if you want to. At worst, I¡¯ll give up on that ten thousand yin souls.¡± The man crossed his arms, fearless.

    Corpse Child narrowed his eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t a ploy for you to make your escape, is it?¡± The man raged immediately, ¡°Do I look like that type of person? Do you think everyone is as untrustworthy as you and that bitch?¡±

    ¡°Bring me if you want to, get lost if you don¡¯t. You¡¯ve bothered me enough, you piece of shit!¡±

    Corpse Child fell silent for a moment. ¡°Very well, I can bring you with me. But if you dare to escape, trust me when I say that I¡¯ll leave you in your jar for eternity.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The man harrumphed loudly before saying, ¡°Since you begged for my help so sincerely, I suppose I can lend you a hand. C¡¯mon.¡±

    But as soon as he finished, the corpse fluid on the ground abruptly formed a hand and stabbed into the man¡¯s skull from behind. It ripped out the brain and shoved it back into the jar.

    ¡°Yes, but I think you¡¯re better off inside the jar for now. I¡¯ll let you out after we reached our location.¡±

    Corpse Child grabbed the jar and took a few steps forward. Then, he sank into the pool of corpse fluid and disappeared.

 Chapter 377: When Yin Soldiers Walk During The Day

    Chapter 377: When Yin Soldiers Walk During The Day<h4>Chapter 377: When Yin Soldiers Walk During The Day </h4>

    ¡°Huh... Why did the sky turn dark all of a sudden?¡±

    At Auspicious Phoenix Market, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai had just left a residence when suddenly, the bright, sunny sky was covered by thick, dark clouds, and the wind howled like it might turn into a rainstorm at any moment.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± Lin Yuhuai remarked with a frown.

    <i>Whoosh whoosh whoosh!</i>

    The world grew darker and darker, and the howling wind grew increasingly powerful and icy. It wasn¡¯t long before it got to the point where it was impossible to see anything without squinting.

    A troop of yin soldiers abruptly marched out of the yin wind. Such was their yin qi that it overshadowed even the yang qi of the sun itself. Despite this, their march did not elicit any sound whatsoever. The ordinary citizens couldn¡¯t see them either. Only warriors like Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai could.

    ¡°Yin soldiers appearing during the day? Is the Fengdu nning to invade the yang world again?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai exchanged severe looks with each other. This was a lot worse than yin soldiers appearing during the night because only a yin soldier who was sufficiently powerful could manifest during the day. This meant that their strength was such that even they felt threatened to an extent.

    Even worse, this was a whole toon of yin soldiers. Such were their numbers that their yin qi could blot out the sun and change the weather itself. It was terrifying to say the least.

    Thankfully, the yin soldiers disappeared as quickly as they came. They were gone in just the blink of an eye.

    After the yin soldiers were gone, the yin wind and yin clouds slowly faded, and the clear sky and hot sun were revealed once more. An ordinary person would¡¯ve thought that it was just a passing storm.

    ¡°Should we inform the Feng Yang Pacification Bureau about this?¡± Chu Nianjiu took a sip of wine to calm his nerves.

    ¡°Unless everyone in the Feng Yang Pacification Bureau is blind, they should¡¯ve seen the yin soldiers as clearly as we had. There¡¯s no need to tell them about it.¡± Lin Yuhuai frowned deeply. ¡°What worries me is something else.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence. We may be worrying about the same thing.¡± Chu Nianjiu rubbed his chin as he sent Lin Yuhuai a sound transmission. ¡°You don¡¯t think they¡¯re after Joyless, are they?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lin Yuhuai also replied via sound transmission. ¡°Joyless didn¡¯t tell us exactly what he did this time, but judging from his history, I¡¯d say that it is very likely.¡±

    ¡°Should we notify Joyless about this?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Yuhuai shook his head. ¡°Assuming that this really is Joyless¡¯ doing, he would have anticipated it and made the appropriate preparations already. I don¡¯t want to risk sending him a letter and having it intercepted by his enemies.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Chu Nianjiu nodded. ¡°We have our own problems to take care of anyway. We haven¡¯t even found Hou Er yet, and another two people have gone missing. What a pain.¡±

    A day and night had passed since Ye Qing left, and they looked into Hou Er¡¯s disappearance. Another two people had gone missing in the exact same way.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The two Peacemakers exchanged a nce with each other before leaving.

    They didn¡¯t need to worry about Qi Xuanyun at least. The young Taoist had no idea why Ye Qing had left and where he went.

    ......

    At a location where the two Peacemakers couldn¡¯t see, Corpse Child was standing on top of a one-horned giant¡¯s shoulder and looking at Auspicious Phoenix Market from the distance.

    Suddenly, a tall, brawny, ghastly general covered in tattered armor and smoking ck qi appeared in front of Corpse Child and saluted him. ¡°Young master, I have intercepted nine letters and caught three people who were leaving Auspicious Phoenix Market.¡±

    ¡°Speak. Did you find any useful information?¡± Corpse Child asked.

    ¡°None,¡± The ghost general responded in a muffled voice, ¡°After interrogating the suspects, I discovered that two of them were Patrolmen leaving Auspicious Phoenix Market on official business, and the third man was just a paranoid man thinking that something is about to befall Auspicious Phoenix Market because of our ascent[1].¡±

    ¡°Good job. Keep a garrison of yin soldiers in Auspicious Phoenix Market. Inform me immediately if you find anything suspicious,¡± Corpse Child instructed. ¡°You may leave.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± The ghost general saluted. The earth beneath him split in half and devoured him whole.

    ¡°What are you thinking, big brother?¡± The one-horned giant underneath Corpse Child asked after the ghost general was gone. When he talked, countless sparks spilled out of his mouth and burned the ground it touched. His voice was also loud and reverberating.

    Corpse Child said slowly, ¡°Although the thief had left Auspicious Phoenix Market, who is to say that they don¡¯t have an aplice or two? That¡¯s why I tried beating the bush to check if there are snakes still hiding in here. If they sent the thief a letter or something, then it would lead us straight to the thief and give us some bargaining chips.¡±

    ¡°Since no one sent a letter just now, does that mean that the thief has no aplices?¡± The one-horned giant asked.

    ¡°Maybe. Or maybe, the snakes are just extremely smart. That is why I left behind some men just in case,¡± Corpse Child replied while taking a seat.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be so troublesome, brother. Just let me eat them all, and you¡¯ll know everything you need to know,¡± the one-horned giantined.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Corpse Child shook his head. ¡°This is the human¡¯s world, not Fengdu. There are rules we must obey, or there will be great trouble.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t like this.¡± The one-horned giant looked down and muttered, ¡°Human flesh is so tasty.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you...¡± Corpse Child patted the one-horned giant¡¯s head like he was consoling a child. ¡°You may eat to your heart¡¯s content when we find the thief.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only one person. They won¡¯t even fill the gap between my teeth,¡± the one-horned giant grumbled.

    ¡°I never said that. You¡¯ll get to eat his family and friends as well. You may eat all of them. Surely that would be enough?¡± Corpse Child asked.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great! I¡¯m so happy!¡± The one-horned giant cheered, scarlet mes rushing out of its mouth and turning everything around him into ash.

    ¡°You really are a kid.¡± Corpse Child chuckled and extinguished the mes with some of his corpse fluid. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go and eat some meat...¡±

    The one-horned giant took off, but its footsteps made no sound whatsoever. It was gone in the blink of an eye.

    ......

    ¡°Young master, this is the ce Heartless Brain had divined earlier,¡± Ghost General appeared beside Corpse Child and reported.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sense any living human¡¯s presence in the area. They¡¯re probably gone. But just in case, have the soldiers scour the ce for any signs of abnormality,¡± Corpse Child ordered from atop the one-horned giant¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°As youmand.¡± The ghost general waved his hand, and the yin soldiers split into several squads and vanished into the trees.

    Just a short whileter, the ghost general reappeared and reported, ¡°We found something, young master.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    The green mes in the ghost general¡¯s eyes flickered a little. ¡°Come with me, young master.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Corpse Child didn¡¯t understand why his subordinate didn¡¯t just report the situation to him, but he said, ¡°Lead the way!¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡±

    The ghost general led Corpse Child to what looked like a huge pile of sand, and on top of the sand was a wooden board with a couple of words scribbled on it.

    The one-horned giant crouched down and recited the words loudly, ¡°You think you can catch me, Ghost Tower? Eat shit!¡±

    Both Corpse Child and the ghost general had to resist pping their own faces. <i>Are you trying to spread our shame?</i>

    ¡°They found out that we wereing after him?¡± Corpse Child muttered, ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Eat shit... big brother, they¡¯re telling us to eat shit? Are they swearing at us?¡± The one-horned giant finally processed the words.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Corpse Child narrowed his eyes a little.

    ¡°Ah? He¡¯s actually swearing at us?! Ahhhh! I¡¯m going to kill them!¡± The one-horned giant¡¯s fist-sized eyes turned red, and it brought its feet down on the wooden board.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    As soon as the wooden board was crushed, a huge explosion consumed the one-horned giant and the ghost general before they could react. It sounded like the sky itself had copsed as lightning and fire engulfed everything within tens of meters of the center. The explosion was such that the trees, the rocks, and the earth closest to the center were sted into smithereens, and many yin soldiers were annihted just like that.

    ¡°Raaaarrrghh!¡±

    It was at this moment a thunderous roar ripped through the sea of lightning and fire. An axe ripped through the overpowering heat and light and struck the ground, causing it to split apart. The massive crack was at least tens of meters long and several inches deep, and burning within the crack was a line of crimson mes.

    The next moment, the one-horned giant, Corpse Child and the ghost general rushed out of the sea of mes. However, the one-horned giant had lost half of its foot, and the ghost general¡¯s armor was barely clinging to his body. A copious amount of yin qi was seeping out of the cracks as well.

    Countless yin soldiers rushed over to their location. They had heard the explosion as well.

    ¡°How dare this scum set a trap for us!¡± Corpse Child rarely showed emotion, but this time, there was clear anger on his face. The surrounding nts immediately began to wither earnestly[2].

    ¡°Grrr... I¡¯m going to kill them! I¡¯m going to kill them!¡± The one-horned giant also let out a throaty roar. The yin wind he discharged sent some of the mes into the air, and countless ghosts roared from the yin wind.

    ¡°Earth Ghost, tally our losses and give me a report,¡± Corpse Child ordered the ghost general while waiting for the one-horned giant to vent its fury.

    Earth Ghost received his order and rounded up their remaining troops. But before he could do anything else, the yin soldiers suddenly started crumbling like burned paper.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Earth Ghost nched as well. It was because he noticed that a strange energy was rapidly corroding his yin body and soul.

    ¡°Poison?!¡±

    Corpse Child¡¯s face turned ugly as a coin-sized spot on his face grew bigger and bigger until it covered his whole face. At the same time, he emanated a strange energy that felt rotten, decayed, and dead. A short whileter, Corpse Child spat out a glob of ck liquid, and the liquid instantly eroded the ground in front of him.

    Earth Ghost was lying on the ground and shoving soil into his mouth non-stop. It wasn¡¯t long before he had dug a deep pit. As more and more soil entered his mouth, Earth Ghost also grew increasingly solid. Soon, he looked just like an earth golem.

    A whileter, the earth surrounding his body crumbled, and Earth Ghost regained his normal appearance. However, the chunks of earth he discarded were pitch ck in color.

    ¡°What are you doing, big brother? What happened to them?¡± The one-horned giant asked. It was the only one who didn¡¯t get what Corpse Child and Earth Ghost were doing. He didn¡¯t understand why the yin soldiers had suddenly disintegrated into nothing either.

    ¡°Young master, the soldiers?¡± Earth Ghost asked Corpse Child urgently after he returned to normal.

    1. Because they ascended from the underworld, get it? ?

    2. I realized that the nts had it the worst in this world more than anyone else lol. At the rate they¡¯re dying I¡¯m surprised this isn¡¯t a wastnd already. ?

 Chapter 378: Relentless

    Chapter 378: Relentless<h4>Chapter 378: Relentless </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± Corpse Child said in a low, emotionless tone. ¡°This is the Fruit of Death¡¯s poison[1]. It is poisonous enough that it could rot the body and contaminate the mind. It is especially effective against ghosts like us as we don¡¯t have a physical form to split the damage. There is no ordinary ghost that could survive it.¡±

    ¡°Our yin soldiers may be powerful veterans, but even they cannot withstand the corrosion. Since their minds are gone, of course there¡¯s no saving them.¡±

    Earth Ghost was silent for a moment. His body was shaking and the ghastly orbs in his eyes were flickering erratically. Suddenly, it let out a full-throated roar full of rage and sorrow.

    When he was still alive, he was the general of a small country. These yin soldiers were the very same soldiers who served him back then. Forged from countless battles, and one might say that their bond was deeper than blood. Unfortunately, they were so good at their jobs that their emperor became wary of them. As a result, they were killed by a conspiracy concocted by their very own sovereign[2].

    Their resentment was such that their souls turned into ghosts after they died. Together, he and his soldiers wandered Fengdu for over a century before the Ghost Tower finally recruited them.

    Although most of the yin soldiers didn¡¯t possess any sapience whatsoever¡ªall that remained in their ghastly self was their resentment¡ªthey had still apanied Earth Ghost for countless years. But because of the thief¡¯s trap, over half of them were wiped out before his eyes. How could he not be saddened by this?

    ¡°We must kill the thief, young master. We must take revenge for myrades!¡± Earth Ghost looked at Corpse Child and roared.

    ¡°He won¡¯t escape. He angered me too,¡± Corpse Child said indifferently. He sounded perfectly calm, but the bluish purple spots on his face kept increasing in size. Anyone who was familiar with Corpse Child would know that he was truly angry.

    It was at this moment the one-horned giant interrupted, ¡°What are you guys talking about, big brother? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± It didn¡¯t seem to be interrupted by the Fruit of Death¡¯s poison in the slightest.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand. You only need to know that I am very angry right now,¡± Corpse Child said slowly. ¡°So angry that I need to kill something as soon as possible.¡±

    Corpse Child produced the jar holding the Heartless Brain and a living human. Then, he pressed the Heartless Brain against the human¡¯s skull until it had taken over the body.

    ¡°Hahaha! You sure took your time, Corpse Child!¡± The Heartless Brain cackled. ¡°Oh my, this fresh air... It¡¯s been too long since I returned to the yang world!¡±

    ¡°So? Did you find the thief yet?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Corpse Child retorted.

    ¡°Your face says obviously not, hahahaha! Let me see...¡± The Heartless Brain swayed back and forth for a bit before bursting out inughter again. ¡°The thief actually tricked you? They killed so many of your yin soldiers before you even caught a glimpse of their face? Ahahahaha! I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t! You never thought this would happen to you, did you? Hahahaha...¡±

    The Heartless Brainughed so hard that he was rolling on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m not feeling good right now. If you¡¯re done, then let¡¯s get serious!¡± Corpse Child said emotionlessly.

    ¡°But I am being serious! I¡¯m seriouslyughing right now! Ahahahaha!¡± The Heartless Brain continued tough.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The next second, the one-horned giant abruptly ripped off the Heartless Brain¡¯s arm and began chewing ravenously. The pain was so sudden and overwhelming that the Stranger couldn¡¯t help but writhe in pain.

    The Heartless Brain was a unique Stranger who could take over any body and use it like its own, but at the same time, it also inherited all of the body¡¯s senses such as pain, fatigue, hunger and more.

    ¡°Are you doneughing now?¡± Corpse Child asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m done, I¡¯m done. I swear, youngsters these days are so rude.¡± The Heartless Brain staggered to his feet while holding his bleeding stump. ¡°Well? What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°I want you to locate the thief,¡± Corpse Child answered.

    ¡°You could¡¯ve just said that from the beginning!¡± The Heartless Brain harrumphed and closed his eyes. A few breathster, he opened them again.

    ¡°How did it go? Did you find them?¡± Earth Ghost asked in a hurry.

    ¡°Of course I did! Who do you think I am?¡± The Heartless Brain puffed up his chest with pride.

    ¡°Cut the bullshit and tell us where they are already,¡± Corpse Child said with displeasure.

    ¡°They went this way.¡± The Heartless Brain pointed in a certain direction while letting out a strange cackle. ¡°In fact, they just left a while ago. Had you let me out sooner, you might have caught they already. Youngsters these days are too clever for their own good.¡±

    ¡°This is a bold one,¡± said Corpse Child while narrowing his eyes. He never thought that the thief would be bold enough to hide in the area.

    ¡°Heartless Brain, I can give you this body, but you¡¯ll have to help us catch the thief as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, you finally wised up, Corpse Child! No problem!¡± The Heartless Brain eximed with delight. ¡°However, you need to get me some food first. I don¡¯t ask for too much, I just want a steamedmb, steamed bear w, braised duck, sauced chicken, cured meat, braised pork with pine nut, deep-fried dried pork, sausages, meat te, smoked chicken, steamed babao pork and marinated duck with glutinous rice... Just get me one of everything, and I¡¯ll be satisfied.¡±

    In response, Corpse Child said coldly, ¡°One Horn, eat his arm if he breathes another word of nonsense. If he tries to run away, you may eat him whole.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± The one-horned giant licked its lips hungrily until it recalled something. ¡°But he only has one arm left. What should I do if he breathes more nonsense after I eat his arm?¡±

    Corpse Child answered, ¡°No problem. You can just move onto his legs, his ears, his eyes, his nose...¡±

    ¡°Okay! Okay!¡± The one-horned giant chirped excitedly before staring at the Heartless Brain, salivating.

    For the first time, the Heartless Brain¡¯s grin turned into a frown. He swore mentally: <i>Stupid giant. It¡¯s your own fault Corpse Child made you into his ve!</i>

    <i>On that note, who¡¯s the bastard who screwed Corpse Child over? If you¡¯re going to set up a trap, at least make one that¡¯s powerful enough to kill them all! Seriously, what¡¯s the point of taking out the small fries only? </i>

    <i>Unreliable. Youngsters these days are just unreliable.</i>

    ......

    ¡°Ridiculous. These ghosts are fucking ridiculous. I used five Thunder me Bombs and a whole pack of poison made from the Fruits of Death, and it barely scratched the big bosses? Come on!¡±

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was swearing under his breath while galloping away on a paper horse created from a Horse Talisman. The Thunder me Bombs he used to set up the trap had been looted from the <i>jianghu </i>warriors he killed back in Luo Shui. It was a powerful explosive created by the Thunderp Hall using a specificbination of ck powder, secret art and restrictions.

    The Thunder me Bomb was a restricted weapon because just one could destroy a small hill. Even its creators, the Thunderp Hall, were forced to cooperate with the imperial court. But of course, a small supply of Thunder me Bombs still circted within the <i>jianghu, </i>and those warriors who got their hands on it normally used it as a trump card.

    Ye Qing had looted a total of five Thunder me Bombs from his kills, and he had saved them until now. He wasn¡¯t willing to spend them when he was fighting against the <i>jianghu </i>warriors or even struggling to survive in the Demon¡¯s Tomb.

    Today, he used it all and even added the poison Feng Qingyou had made for him into the mix. It was because he was hoping to kill all of his pursuers in one fell swoop. His n was very simple. He just ced the bombs and the poison underneath the wooden board. The bombs would explode if a small amount of pressure was applied to it, which was why he wrote those words on the wooden board.

    He was certain that anyone who wasn¡¯t a Bodhisattva or a saint would fly off their handle and destroy the wooden board. That would cause the Thunder me Bombs to explode at the same time. Combined with the poison made from the Fruits of Death, and anyone below the Spirit Master stage should be dead.

    Even if they weren¡¯t, he imagined that they would take severe damage. That was why he stayed behind. He wanted to deal thest hit.

    His imagination was pretty, and his n went perfectly. The only problem was that he had grossly underestimated the Ghost Tower¡¯s strength.

    The one-horned giant, the child sitting on his shoulder and the ghost general were one hundred percent Phenomenon-ss Strangers. In fact, they were so strong that five Thunder me Bombs plus the poison of the Fruits of Death barely tickled them.

    What could he do in this situation? Why, he could only run, of course?

    The moment he confirmed that the three Strangers were far beyond his ability to defeat, Ye Qing had run away without a second thought. He was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape at all if he was too slow.

    The silver lining was that it wasn¡¯t a fruitless endeavor. For one, he more or less figured out how strong his pursuers were. Second, the yin soldiers who died provided him a heft number of dragon-serpent runes.

    The yin soldiers were quite strong, and even the weakest among them was a Malice-ss Stranger. The explosion and the poison had killed at least a hundred yin soldiers, and he had earned just as many silver runes.

    It was still a loss in his opinion though. More importantly, how on earth was he going to save himself? There was no way the Ghost Tower would ept a surrender now even if he was willing. What if he hid himself for five to six years and came out of hiding after he was much stronger? Yeah, that wasn¡¯t going to work either.

    His enemy had already found him once. It was entirely possible for them to find him twice. Short of hiding in the Pacification Bureau and never setting foot outside the headquarters, they woulde after him by hook or by crook.

    More importantly, hiding in the Pacification Bureau wouldn¡¯t work not because the Ghost Tower had the balls to challenge the Pacification Bureau, but because they would find out his identity eventually and target his acquaintances, friends and family. This was thest thing he wished to happen.

    In the end, there was only one way. He must kill all of his pursuers somehow.

    <i>But how am I going to do that?</i>

    The yin soldiers were one thing, but he couldn¡¯t defeat even one of the Phenomenon-ss Strangers, much less the three of them together.

    In the end, Ye Qing let out a sigh. <i>Oh well. I¡¯ll decide when the timees.</i>

    That time came sooner than he hoped. Ye Qing¡¯s paper horse had galloped about tens of kilometers when suddenly, the sky above his head began darkening at a visible rate. Yin wind howled like a rainstorm might happen at any moment.

    ¡°That fast? I didn¡¯t even get to sip my wine yet. This confirms that someone among them has the ability to track me down.¡± Ye Qing scrunched his eyebrows together.

    How could he shake off his pursuers if they could track him down this quickly?

    Just because he had expected this didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t troubled by it.

    Ye Qing massaged his forehead and produced a paper doll. Then, he blew at it.

    The next moment, the paper doll quickly grew bigger and turned into Ye Qing. It saluted him before running off in a certain direction.

    After the paper doll was gone, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and withdrew his energiespletely. Then, he took off in the opposite direction of the paper doll, moving so quickly that he left behind several afterimages. By the time the afterimages disappeared, he was already gone.

    1. Fruit of Death from Chapter 157 says hello, I bet y¡¯all had all forgotten about me. ?

    2. This is EXTREMELYmon in old Asia, somon they say that if you¡¯re an aplished general, you will never have a good ending. You either die because you¡¯re too good at your job (which makes you a threat to the throne), or you be a conqueror who couldn¡¯t make head and tails about how to rule a country and die anyway. ?

 Chapter 379: Strange Village

    Chapter 379: Strange Vige

    Just dozens of breathster, the one-horned giant, Corpse Child, Earth Ghost and the Heartless Brain appeared at the exact spot where Ye Qing was earlier.

    The one-horned giant was holding the Heartless Brain by the head. As soon as he let go, the Heartless Brain immediately dropped to his knees and began throwing up non-stop. But because his ¡°allies¡± didn¡¯t give him any food, the only thing that came out of his mouth was stomach acid.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Corpse Child looked at the Heartless Brain and asked.

    ¡°Can I have a moment to breathe, please?¡± The Heartless Brainined in between vomits. ¡°That ¡®ride¡¯ was so bumpy I could throw up my intestines!¡±

    ¡°Intestines? Where? I love intestines!¡± The one-horned giant asked eagerly.

    Corpse Child ignored the one-horned giant and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡±

    ¡°Youngsters these days have no civility whatsoever,¡± the Heartless Brain grumbled before pointing in the direction where the paper doll had disappeared to. ¡°They were here, and they went that way. Assuming their speed hasn¡¯t changed, we should catch up to them very soon.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Corpse Child ordered without hesitation.

    As the one-horned giant picked the Heartless Brain up by the head again, the Heartless Brain looked in the real direction Ye Qing had escaped to with an odd smile on his face.

    <em>Hopefully, this will buy them some time.</em>

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing was currently running across a barren mountain as swift as lightning. At the speed he was going, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he sounded as loud as a jet, but in reality his run was perfectly silent.

    He was using the ¡°Illusionist''s Grace¡± instead of the Horse Talisman. Although the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± was more suited for evading attacks within a small area, its top speed was way higher than the Horse Talisman at full mastery.

    The paper doll Ye Qing used just now was called the Shaping Talisman. It was a very special talisman that could take the appearance of anyone who blew a puff of pure yang qi on it. For a short time, the paper doll would possess the exact same presence and energy as the person.

    The main reason he used the Shaping Talisman was to lure the Ghost Tower away from him. However, the talisman would onlyst an incense stick, so he needed to put as much distance from him and his pursuers as possible before it expired.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I should have shaken them off for now, right?¡±

    Ye Qing finally took a break two hourster. He had run almost two hundred kilometers, and during this time he had used nearly every trick in the book to confuse his enemies and lead them astray. If even this wasn¡¯t enough to shake off his pursuers, then he might as well give up right now.

    He was lucky he had a strong body and the dragon-serpent runes to replenish his stamina and astral qi. Another person would bepletely exhausted by now.

    ¡°My lead won¡¯tst more than a couple more hours though. I still need to kill them somehow.¡±

    Ye Qing was quite troubled to say the least. He had considered requesting help from the Pacification Bureau, but three Phenomenon-ss Strangers weren¡¯t a threat any county-level Pacification Bureau couldbat. Gu Suitang and Fang Xiaoman could help him, but there was no way they could make it here in time.<em>Man, what a pain.</em>

    It was at this moment Ye Qing noticed something downhill. ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s a vige up ahead. I might as well buy some food here and prepare for the long haul.¡±

    With his body, he could go three to five days without eating or drinking. But why stress himself when he didn¡¯t need to?

    A few breathster, he arrived at the vige entrance. His senses immediately prickled with unease, however. Something about the ce felt very off, lifeless and lethargic. He couldn¡¯t spot any guard in the vicinity either.

    After he entered the vige, he discovered that it was almost empty. There was barely anyone on the streets even though it was broad daylight, and everyone he saw was shockingly thin as if they hadn¡¯t eaten for days. Even stranger was the fact that they were all carrying a round stomach like they were ten months pregnant be it men, women, old or young[1].

    ¡°Strange?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brows. He went up to a skinny, emaciated man and asked, ¡°Brother, can I¡ª¡±

    The man was gone before he even finished his question. It was as if he hadn¡¯t heard him at all.

    ¡°Elder¡­¡±

    ¡°Lady¡­¡±

    He tried getting a couple more people¡¯s attention, but not a single one of them responded to his inquiries. The most he got out of them was a lethargic, lifeless nce.

    ¡°What are you doing here, youngster?¡±

    He was in the middle of the street when suddenly, someone called out to him from behind. When he turned around, he saw an old man with white hair and a long beard looking at him with kind-looking eyes. He was apanied by six armed men with hostile expressions.

    In fact, Ye Qing had noticed them a long time ago. They seemed to be the only people in the vige who were normal. Their stomachs weren¡¯t bulging, for starters.

    ¡°Oh, good day to you, elder. I¡¯m visiting a rtive at Qing He, and I was going to rest my feet in your vige.¡± Ye Qing saluted the old man and asked, ¡°I hope my presence here isn¡¯t too much of a problem?¡±

    ¡°I see! Not at all!¡± The old man responded in a kind voice, ¡°I¡¯m the vige chief. Please,e with me.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, elder.¡± Ye Qing walked up to the old man and looked at the vigers around him with a bit of fear and puzzlement. ¡°Elder, what¡¯s wrong with those vigers? Why do they look like¡­ that? Are they ill?¡±

    The vige chief¡¯s expression turned severe. ¡°They are. To tell you the truth, people who live in this vige will catch a strange disease we call the Big Belly, and as they grow older the illness would get worse. I wonder what sins our vigemitted to suffer such a curse, sigh¡­¡±

    ¡°What do the doctors say?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    The vige chief sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s no use. We¡¯ve invited countless famous doctors, miracle doctors, and even the Pacification Bureau to treat them, but no one could help us. Since then, everyone stayed away from our vige like it was struck by a gue. I could hardly me them. Those poor children!¡±

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not dwell on such depressing matters any longer. We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    The vige chief led Ye Qing to a house that was bigger and more luxurious than any other house in the vige. He then said, ¡°Please,e in.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, elder.¡±

    Ye Qing quickly discovered that the interior of the building was just as exquisite as the exterior. The decor was quite tasteful and elegant as well.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you brother? Would you like to have a meal before you resume your journey?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s too much trouble!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly turned him down.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s been a while since there are visitors in Red Sand Vige. I would love it if you would enjoy a drink with me.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ Er¡­¡± Ye Qing hesitated.

    The vige chief chuckled. ¡°Just ept my offer. I can tell you were on the road for a long time. You must be pretty thirsty and hungry, aren¡¯t you? How can you continue your journey if you don¡¯t have strength?¡±

    In the end, Ye Qing agreed. ¡°In that case, I shall impose on you, elder.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, good!¡± The vige chief guffawed loudly.

    A whileter, a bunch of servants filled the dining table with delicious food and fine wine.

    ¡°Please take a seat, young one.¡± The vige chief offered with a hand.

    ¡°Oh my heavens, this is incredible!¡± Ye Qing chirped with excitement.

    ¡°Hahaha! As long as you¡¯re happy. Come, let us drink!¡± The vige chief dered and filled Ye Qing¡¯s ss with wine.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you again for the food, elder.¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to down the wine in one gulp.

    Something flickered within the vige chief¡¯s eyes as he watched Ye Qing. ¡°Good! Good! I can see you¡¯re quite the drinker, young one. Now, let us enjoy the food, shall we?¡±

    Ye Qing did, but just two bitester, his eyes abruptly rolled to the back of his head, and he copsed on his back.

    ¡°Young one? Young one?¡± The vige chief cried out twice. When Ye Qing didn¡¯t wake, a cold expression reced his warm smile from before.

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    ¡°Is it done, boss?¡± A voice called out from outside.

    ¡°It is done. Come in,¡± the vige chief dered.

    The men who apanied him before filed into the room. One man kicked Ye Qing hard in the ribs while saying, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s obvious he¡¯s just an ordinary person. We could¡¯ve just captured him on the spot. You really didn¡¯t need to waste all this food.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always better to be safe than sorry.¡± The vige chief shook his head.

    ¡°And I think you are too cautious, boss.¡± Another man chuckled. ¡°So, are we going to turn him into a Human Pill?¡±

    ¡°What else are we going to do if not that?¡± A third man scoffed.

    The man answered, ¡°Well, he¡¯s quite young and handsome, isn¡¯t he? It¡¯ll be a shame to turn him into a Human Pill when we keep him around for¡­ you know.¡±

    ¡°Fuck, Ipletely forgot that you¡¯re gay! No wonder you kept poking me with your thing when we were in bedst night! You ruined me!¡± Another guy yelled.

    The vige chief chuckled. ¡°Enough. I¡¯m aware that you¡¯ve been holding it in this whole time. You may have him. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t turn him into a Human Pill after you¡¯re done with him.¡±

    ¡°Our current batch will turn into pills very soon. I expect you to carry out your duties to perfection, understand?¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Everyone said.

    The one guy who was gay thanked the vige chief profusely, ¡°Thank you very much, boss! I won¡¯t forget this!¡± He then strode toward Ye Qing with obvious lust in his eyes.

    <em>Snap!</em>

    Suddenly, the sound of a finger snap resounded throughout the room. Everyone¡¯s eyes lost their focus in an instant.

    On the floor, Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes and rose to his feet. He stared at the man who tried toy his hands on him with dripping disdain as he scoffed, ¡°I would rather fuck an old woman than be touched by the likes of you!¡±

    Then, he looked at the vige chief with frigid eyes. ¡°Making Human Pills out of people? What an audacious, heinous n!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re fine?¡± The vige chief abruptly startled awake and stared at Ye Qing incredulously. He had broken free from Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± using some sort of secret art.

    ¡°You seriously thought that tiny bit of knockout drug is going to knock me out? Come now.¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    ¡°Knockout¡± was an extremely powerful knockout drug. A single gulp was all it took to knock out anyone below the Astral Refinement stage. It was so potent that even a Spirit Purifier would have a hard time trying to stay conscious, much less fight.

    Too bad for his attackers, he was immune to poison.

    ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t normal.¡± The vige chief¡¯s face looked ugly. ¡°You saw through us from the start, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You can say that.¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Everyone in the vige is carrying a big belly except you seven. Everyone looked emaciated and lifeless, but you guys are practically the picture of health. Besides that, your subordinates are clearly skilled and reeked of blood. It was obvious that you lot had a lot of blood on your hands.¡±

    ¡°Finally, you imed that it had been a long time since Red Sand Vige saw an outsider, but I saw a few people who obviously looked like outsiders, not to mention that there were escort carts and merchant carts at the entrance. So yeah, you can say I saw through you somewhat.¡±

    The vige chief: ¡°...¡±<em>Somewhat? You noticed that something is amiss practically the moment you entered the vige?</em>

    ¡°No wonder they say that all heroes are young!¡± The vige chief fell silent for a moment. ¡°You may leave now that you¡¯ve enjoyed my hospitality.¡±

    ¡°Leave? And why would I do that?¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I thought you guys are making Human Pills? I¡¯ve never seen one before. Why don¡¯t you show it to me?¡±

    ¡°Some things are better left unsaid, boy.¡±

    The vige chief¡¯s face slowly turned cold and stiff. ¡°I gave you an out. You could¡¯ve walked away and pretended that none of this had ever happened. But now, it¡¯s toote for you.¡±

    1. Holy shit. If this was a Japanese novel¡­ ?

 Chapter 380: The Chaos Heaven Brigands

    Chapter 380: The Chaos Heaven Brigands

    Is that so? Ye Qing smiled. I wonder. I personally believe that its never toote until Im dead.

    Dont worry. Youre going to die very soon. The vige chief sneered. ck, pungent smoke abruptly flowed out of his nostrils, and a soft sword abruptly slid out of the vige chiefs sleeve. Like a viper, he unleashed a double thrust at Ye Qings throat and heart that was somehow menacing and perfectly soundless at the same time.

    The soft sword pierced Ye Qings throat, but the vige chief was the one who flinched. It was because the young man had popped like a bubble.

    Shit! Its a fake!

    The vige chief withdrew his sword and jumped away faster than when he attacked Ye Qing. He appeared outside the building in just an instant and unleashed thirty six thrusts while doing so. The sword thrustsbined into a powerful gale that turned the entire building into a crumbling pincushion in an instant. The sword art was named the Thirty Six Gale Swords.

    Dude, that was a perfectly good house. Its such a waste to destroy it.

    The vige chief had just caught his bnce. He didnt even have time to draw his breath when a regretful voice came from behind. Every hair on his skin stood on end, but before he could make a move, an icy hand grabbed his shoulder and froze him in ce. No, he wasnt actually encased in ice or anything. He just knew that something horrifying would happen if he so much as twitched a muscle.

    W-Warrior, i-its all a misunderstanding, The vige chief stuttered as the blood drained away from his face. His well-groomed hair was drenched in sweat right now.

    A misunderstanding? You drugged my wine and plotted to turn me into a Human Pill, and youre telling me that its a misunderstanding? Ye Qing smirked. Okay, lets pretend that its a misunderstanding. But whats this about turning an entire vige of people and the merchants and escorts who came to this ce into Human Pills? Do you think that the local government and Pacification Bureau will treat this as a misunderstanding if they hear about this?

    Large beads of sweat appeared on the vige chiefs forehead. Mercy, warrior! It was just a momentarypse of judgment! I know I deserve death, but please, mercy?

    Oh my, it isnt everyday I encounter someone with a sliver of self-awareness. But then again, maybe Im wrong. After all, what kind of self-aware person would do such a heinous thing? Arent you afraid that karma will catch up to you?

    Ye Qing was smiling, but his eyes grew colder by the second. A Human Pill was, as the name might suggest, a pill that was made from humans. A pill seed was imnted in the victims body, and the victims qi, essence and spirit were used to nourish the pill seed until it became a pill through the use of a horrifying secret art. This was the reason the victims belly kept growingrger, but their bodies were skinny and emaciated.

    When the pill had fully ripened, the pill would fall out of the victims stomach like a fruit. Of course, the victim whose everything waspletely absorbed by the pill would die.

    This pill creation method was so cruel, heretical, and inhumane that it was unanimously rejected by both the imperial court and the people of the <em>jianghu. </em>Anyone who was discovered to have done such a thing would be exterminated to the nine generations.

    However, there were many benefits in creating pills this way. For starters, it took less time than creating pills via fire or water. It was also easier to create the pill. Not only that, a Human Pill contained the essence, qi and spirit of a person, so it contained a tremendous amount of refined energy. Consuming such a pill would not only improve ones cultivation drastically, but also increased their lifespan. Naturally, there were plenty of inhuman bastards who created Human Pills in secret despite the risks.

    Ye Qing had learned of Human Pills while he was living at Luo Shui, but he had never actually encountered such an incident until now. In fact, he was sure he would never encounter such an incident simply because he refused to believe that humanity would stoop so low. Of course, reality proved that there was no such thing as the lowest, only lower.

    I was wrong! I was foolish! I could tell that my death is near, and in my fear and panic drove me tomitting such a heinous crime! I deserve to die! The vige chief weeped. Please take me to the authorities, warrior. Im willing to confess my crimes and submit to their judgment!

    Oh? Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. Nah, I dont think you actually want to submit to anyones judgment. Youre just stalling for reinforcements.

    I I dont understand what youre saying. the vige chief looked confused.

    No, you understand exactly what Im saying. Ye Qing loomed over the vige chief like the executioner as he spoke, You repeatedly refer to yourself as the vige chief, and that you made the Human Pills because the end of your lifespan is near, and youre afraid to die. In reality, its all bullshit.

    One, I can tell that youre quite the vigorous bastard despite your white hair. You have at least twenty more years before you actually approach the end of your lifespan.

    Two, youre not the vige chief. There is no Half-Step Spirit Purifier in the world who would choose tonguish in a small mountain vige, and if you really are who you im you are, you would never dare to turn the entire vige into a Human Pill farm.

    And three, you are not alone, because there is no one person who can turn an entire vige into a Human Pill farm and somehow keep it hidden from the Pacification Bureau. Therefore, you must have aplices.

    That is why your so-called confession and regret are all bullshit. Youre just hoping that your aplices will save you while I deliver you to the authorities. Am I right?

    You are a discerning man, warrior. The vige chief shuddered, and hatred flickered in his eyes for just a moment. Then, he roared angrily, Since you already figured out the truth, then theres no point in hiding it any longer. Me and my subordinates are members of the Chaos Heaven Brigands. The Chaos Heaven Brigands?!

    That surprised Ye Qing a little. Generally speaking, criminals could be broken down into three categories. The small-time criminals were called thieves, the middling ones were called bandits, and the actual threats were known as brigands.

    In Chu, there were a total of thirteen infamous brigand groups. Their numbers were great, and their members were as strong as they were ruthless. Murders, piges, raids and more, there was no evil under the sun that they wouldntmit. Despite Chus many attempts to eradicate these brigands, they were never quite able to seed. Over time, they came to be known as the Thirteen Brigands.

    The Chaos Heaven Brigands were one of them. The leader of the Chaos Heaven Brigands was a Half-Step Grandmaster named Chen Ah Sheng, and he called himself the Chaos Heaven King. He was supported by Four Protectors, Eight Vajrapanis, and thirteen armies. The Four Protectors were Spirit Purifiers, the Eight Vajrapanis were Astral Refiners, and the thirteen armies consisted of five thousand and eight hundred warriors[1].

    With this amount of forces, the Chaos Heaven Brigands could go up against any county in Chu and potentially win. Despite this, the Chaos Heaven Brigands ranked near the bottom of the Thirteen Brigands. In fact, they were the second weakest brigand group of the thirteen.

    Thats right. The vige chief nodded before his expression grew sorrowful. To tell you the truth, my family was murdered by the Chaos Heaven Brigands. We used to run an escort agency until Chen Ah Sheng set his eyes on us. Not only did he steal our merchandise, he even killed my younger brother and and cooked my wife and son alive. That bastard!

    The vige chief uttered through gritted teeth. I only survived because I pretended to be dead. Later, I joined the Chaos Heaven Brigands in order to find an opportunity to kill Chen Ah Sheng and take revenge for my family once and for all. Unfortunately, Chen Ah Sheng is cunning as he is strong. I never found my chance even to this day.

    Is that so? Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. It was true that Chen Ah Sheng had the horrific hobby of cooking humans alive and eating them. He had read about it while going through the Pacification Bureaus files. As for the vige chiefs story, he had to admit that it sounded pretty tragic.

    So, you decided to join your sworn enemy because you couldnt defeat them?

    No, I was forced to. The vige chief uttered bitterly. I am a human as well. I dont want to turn humans into Human Pills either. But what can I do except obeying Chen Ah Sheng? If I dont do it, then they would just kill me and send someone else. In that case, I might as well do it myself. At the very least, Id be able to save some innocent people.

    So, youre saying that youre a good person? Ye Qing smirked.

    A good person? Of course not! How can someone whose hands are covered in blood like me be a good person? The vige chief let out a bitter chuckle. But now now, I have a chance to atone for my sins.

    Chen Ah Sheng had taken some of the vigers to his mountain. If you wish to rescue them, then you need to act fast. I can lead you up the mountain. I can help you save the vigers. You may do whatever you want with me after that. Just please give me a chance.

    Ye Qing let out a soft chuckle. Ah, your offer is appreciated, but I dont think Ill be taking you anywhere. I dont want someone to stab me in the back, you see. Your story is surprisingly borate, and I gotta admit that I almost believed you for a second there. But too bad for you, Im not a three-year-old.

    Warrior Im telling you the truth! The vige chief flinched.

    Ye Qings lips curled into a devilish smile. Maybe, maybe not. Ill know the truth very soon.

    The vige chiefs eyes abruptly grew cloudy and unfocused. A few breathster, it regained its light, and a devilish cackle escaped his lips. Kekeke, how interesting! Do you know, boy?

    Do I know, what? Ye Qing asked.

    The reason Ye Qing was willing to waste his breath on the vige chief was because he was waiting for the Fog Demon to dominate his mind. Normally, the Stranger could do it in just a matter of seconds, but more time was necessary since Ye Qing didnt want the Fog Demon to damage the vige chiefs memories.

    In the future, when his mastery of Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul had reached the adept level, he would be able to capture his enemys mind in an instant and view their memories himself.

    This guy was actually telling you the truth. A modified version of it, at least. The Fog Demon couldnt stop cackling. He was part of an escort agency, and Chen Ah Sheng was part of the reason his family died. He was running an escort mission when Chen Ah Sheng took out his men and captured him. In order to survive, he murdered his own young brother, cooked his own wife and son, and served their flesh to Chen Ah Sheng. Now this is one bastard I can stand behind, kekeke!

    Ye Qings eyes flickered with scorn and killing intent. Heh. Such is human nature. When ones life is on the line, some people will give up their lives to save a total stranger, while some would sacrifice their own loved ones just to live a second longer. To be human on the outside, but a Stranger on the inside. Howmentable.

    Anyway, did you get Chen Ah Shengs location and information from his memories?

    But of course! You know, this guy is no joke. His name is Hu Fengsan, and hes one of the Eight Vajrapanis. The reason hes creating Human Pills is because Chen Ah Sheng is nning on entering the Grandmaster stage. Naturally, Chen Ah Sheng himself is based not far away from here. Look.

    The Fog Demon and Ye Qing shared an eternal contract, so they could easily share memories with one another. It took the Fog Demon only a moment to share Chen Ah Shengs location with Ye Qing.

    A whileter, Ye Qing rubbed his nose and fell silent. He remained like this for a while until the Fog Demon grew impatient and asked, What are you nking out for, boy? You saved who you needed to save and killed who you needed to kill. All thats left is to send a message to the Pacification Bureau, so get it done already. You havent forgotten that youre being hunted, have you?

    What do you think will happen if we go to Chen Ah Sheng? Ye Qing asked suddenly.

    Excuse me? Do you have a death wish? The Fog Demon was stunned. <em>Im not done living yet, human!</em>

    I dont have a death wish. On the contrary, I think its my only chance to live. Ye Qing wore an enigmatic smirk as he beckoned the Fog Demon to follow him. Come on.

    Where are we going?

    Were going to get justice for the innocents, and a way out for myself.

    1. Jesus, there are another TWELVE MORE GROUPS like this? I mean sure its kinda impossible to oversee everything considering that everyone can be superhuman, but seriously, Chu,e on.

 Chapter 381: Chen Ah Sheng

    Chapter 381: Chen Ah Sheng

    Shrouded Range, Chaos Heaven Mountain.

    Shrouded Range was a difficult mountain range that was shrouded by fog all year long. The ordinary people wondered if there were celestials living in the mountain range, and warriors couldnt help but look at it with dread. It was how Shrouded Range got its name, and why it was considered to be a highly strategic location.

    No one knew if there were actually celestials living in the Shrouded Range, just like no one knew that the Chaos Heaven Brigands had turned it into their base. More urately, they were based at its tallest mountain, the Chaos Heaven Mountain.

    Chaos Heaven Mountain didnt have a name. It was after the Chaos Heaven Brigands moved it that it got its name.

    Of course, Chaos Heaven Mountain was just one of the Chaos Heaven Brigands many bases. Even a crafty rabbit has three burrows, much less a notorious brigand group like the Chaos Heaven Brigands. In fact, Chaos Heaven Brigands had a total of six such bases.

    Chen Ah Sheng loved living at Chaos Heaven Mountain. It might even be his favorite ce of all the ces he had been to. It was because the fog and clouds gave it the impression of a paradise-on-earth, not to mention that there were legends of celestials living in this ce. When he lived here, he felt like he was one of those immortal celestials. This was why Chen Ah Sheng would spend some time here at least once every year to satisfy his vanity.

    But of course, he wasnt a real celestial. He would grow old and die just like everyone else. Chen Ah Sheng was over fifty years old, but since he was a Half-Step Grandmaster, he had a lifespan of one hundred and twenty years. Technically, he wasnt even halfway until the end yet.

    He was a long, long away from dying from old age, but he could die from murder very soon. It was because a prey who was lucky enough to escape his grasp some time ago was also lucky enough to obtain a champions inheritance. He was able to enter the Trueman stage and be a Grandmaster.

    As a result, the tables were turned, and this prey-turned-predator was currently hunting him, the bastard who had killed his father, mother, wife, son and friends. He had to use every trick in the book to evade his pursuer and escape to Chaos Heaven Mountain, and for the moment, he was safe.

    That safety was temporary, however. The only way to end this endless pursuit was to kill his pursuer. But how could he, a Half-Step Grandmaster, kill a Grandmaster?

    He could rally his troops and slowly ground his enemy to death via sheer numbers, but it wasnt as good of a n as it might sound. It wasnt that he was unwilling to make some sacrificehell he would sacrifice his whole brigand group if it meant killing his enemy. After all, he was the soul of the Chaos Heaven Brigands, not his people. So long as he was still alive, the Chaos Heaven Brigands would always rise again.

    The problem was that his enemy was hardly a mindless puppet. It was entirely possible that he would run away as soon as he found the situation unfavorable, and neither Chen Ah Sheng nor his troops possessed the strength to stop him. Worse, he would have sacrificed his men for nothing.

    No, the only way he could kill his opponent and end his threat once and for all was to be a Grandmaster as well. Only then would his numbers advantage actually mean something. That was why he was hiding here in Chaos Heaven Mountain. He would turn the people in the nearby vige, Red Sand Vige into Human Pills. Then, he would eat those pills and enter the Trueman stage in one fell swoop.

    Now, the Human Pills were almostplete. Just two more days, and he would be a Grandmaster.

    But today, Chen Ah Sheng wasnt happy at all. It was because he had been gued by a faint sense of unease the whole day. He kept feeling like something bad was about to happen, but he couldnt pinpoint the source of that feeling.

    Is it because of the Human Pills? He muttered to himself. He didnt think that his unease was just baseless worry. At a certain warrior, a warrior could intuit the workings of fate and perceive dangers. Some people called it the sixth or seventh sense.

    In fact, when someone became a Sage and built the World Bridge, merging their mind with heaven and earth, they could even perceive someone calling their name from hundreds and hundreds of kilometers away.

    Fang Wei! Chen Ah Sheng looked at the door and shouted.

    Boss? A brawny man with a square face stepped in.

    I want you to take some men and pay Red Sand Vige a visit, Chen Ah Sheng ordered.

    The Human Pills were a matter of life and death. He couldnt allow anything to go wrong.

    Red Sand Vige? I thought Fengsans watching the ce? Youre worrying too much, boss. Fang Wei said uncaringly.

    Just do as I say! Chen Ah Sheng roared. Chen Ah Sheng had a weak-sounding name, but the man himself was anything but weak. Standing at 2.3 meters long, he was a hairy man with purplish ck skin, a wide nose and arge mouth that resembled a lions. Fang Wei was a tall, muscr adult, but he looked like a childpared to Chen Ah Sheng. That was why the entire house shook, and Fang Wei stumbled away from him with obvious terror when Chen Ah Sheng roared.

    Y-Yes, boss! Ill head over immediately! Fang Wei replied in a hurry. He might be one of the Eight Vajrapanis of the Chaos Heaven Brigands, but he knew that he was barely any different from the small fries in Chen Ah Shengs eyes. If he wanted to, he couldve killed them all without batting an eyelid.

    Before Fang Wei took his leave, he suddenly recalled something and said, Oh right, your Child Soup is ready, boss. Would you like it to be served now, or?

    The Child Soup was, as its name might imply, a soup made from a child''s body. First, the child was disemboweled, and their intestines were removed. Then, their stomachs were filled with rice, water, and condiments. The body was then ced inside a steamer and steamed for a full day.

    The meal must be eaten hot, or the taste would suffer. Chen Ah Sheng was the one who had invented this cooking method, of course. In fact, the Child Soup was his favorite dish.

    What are you waiting for? Bring it up already! Chen Ah Sheng broke into a grin for the first time of the day. Nothing was more important than food.

    Enemy attack! Enemy attack!

    It was at this moment a bunch of noises came from outside.

    We are being attacked! Kill them all, brothers!

    Go get them, brothers!

    Kill!

    Kill!

    The battle cries sounded like it wasing from everywhere.

    Whats going on? Chen Ah Shengs heart skipped a beat as he rushed out of the building. He immediately saw fire, yin wind, and chaos breaking out not far away from him. The sounds of screaming and shing des seemed like it would never end.

    This yin qi is no joke. Chen Ah Sheng frowned and bent his knees a little. The ground beneath his feet cracked, and he leaped into the air. He soon descended at the center of the battlefield like a meteor.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Arge pit appeared where Chen Ah Sheng hadnded. Such was the force of his descent that the brigands and yin soldiers within the area were killed instantly.

    Whats going on? roared Chen Ah Sheng while looking around. His eyes were as round as bells, and his bloodthirst formed a scarlet wind around him.

    Boss, they discovered the secret! A man whose face was covered in blood yelled angrily.

    Chen Ah Sheng looked at the speaker and recognized them immediately. He was one of his Eight Vajrapanis, the Patrolling Vajrapani Jiang Chongshan.

    Inside the yin wind, Corpse Child was sitting on the one-horned giants shoulder. He looked at the Heartless Brain and asked, Is it him?

    Its him, the Heartless Brain confirmed while looking straight at Jiang Chongshan.

    No wonder a small fry like him dared to steal from my Ghost Tower! It was because someone was following orders! Corpse Child sneered and looked at Chen Ah Sheng. You are an audacious man!

    You guys are pretty audacious yourselves. How dare you ruin my n! Chen Ah Sheng looked livid. The Human Pills were a matter of life and death after all. Now that it was found out, there was a huge chance his n was already ruined. How could he not be furious by this?

    If it wasnt for the fact that the two ghosts were pretty strong, he wouldve charged forward and destroyed them already. A persons courage only weakens with age.

    Good. It looks like youre definitely the man behind it all, Corpse Child said indifferently.

    So what if I am? Chen Ah Sheng roared.

    Then you die, of course, Corpse Child replied.

    You think the two of you can kill me? Chen Ah Sheng scoffed.

    Why are you wasting your breath on them, boss? These idiots are foolish enough to attack us in our base! This is our chance to wipe them all out! Jiang Chongshan shouted.

    <em>Boom! Boom!</em>

    Jiang Chongshan had just finished when suddenly, a series of explosions rippled throughout Chaos Heaven Mountain. Fire and smoke immediately filled the sky.

    Boss, thats thats the direction of the granary and treasury! Jiang Chongshan looked like he might faint from sheer anger.

    Boss, watch out!

    Chen Ah Sheng was still distracted by the sudden news when Jiang Chongshan blocked in front of him. Before he could figure out what was going on, Jiang Chongshans chest abruptly caved in, and all four of his limbs were bent at a crooked angle. Bright red blood jetted out of his orifices like fountains.

    The next moment, Jiang Chongshans head was turned a hundred and eighty degrees around and facing toward Chen Ah Sheng. During his final moments, Jiang Chongshan gasped, Take care boss

    Then, he crumpled on the ground and died just like that.

    AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! IM GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU!

    The death of Jiang Chongshan, the destruction of his granary and treasury, and the ruination of his Human Pills and years of nning finally pushed Chen Ah Sheng beyond the brink. He let out a beastial roar of rage and hatred and charged straight toward Corpse Child.

    Chen Ah Sheng was like a rampaging beast. The yin soldiers might as well be made of paper as he ran right through them without pause.

    Ill fight you! Earth Ghost yelled and lifted his palm. A massive saber with a ghost head at the hilt extended out of the ground.

    Die!

    Earth Ghost grabbed the saber with both hands, took one step forward, and executed an upward swing.

    A saber was a forceful weapon. Most sabersmen attacked their enemies with downward swings or diagonal shes as if they would split heaven and earth in half. Few would execute an upward swing because it was a lot weaker.

    Earth Ghosts attack didnt split the sky, but it did lift the earth, literally. The ground beneath his foot rippled and grew taller and taller as it surged toward Chen Ah Sheng like a tidal wave. It reached the height of thirty meters in just the blink of an eye, and from Chen Ah Shengs point of view, it looked like it would cover up the sky itself.

    Chen Ah Sheng was unafraid, however. His energies condensed tightly around his body, he mmed his shoulder against the wave of earth. The false sky shattered into smithereens just like that.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    After the wave of earth was destroyed, Chen Ah Sheng resumed his charge, but with his right shoulder still pointed toward the front. His footsteps looked like that of a drunkards, but he wasnt falling on his feet.

    Caught off guard by Chen Ah Shengs strength, Earth Ghost had no choice but to hold his saber defensively in front of his chest. Arge amount of yin qi gathered around the saber, and the howls of a hundred ghosts could be heard from it.

    The next moment, Chen Ah Shengs shoulder mmed into the pool of yin qi. Chen Ah Sheng was massive, but he was like a pebble dropped in a pool of water. All his attack did was create a ripple.

    But whoever said a ripple couldnt destroy a pool? The pool of yin qi, the saber and Earth Ghost himself abruptly scattered into pieces.

 Chapter 382: Chaos Demon Ape

    Chapter 382: Chaos Demon Ape

    Hahaha, you are weak! Kill them all! Chen Ah Shengughed haughtily before looking up at Corpse Child and the one-horned giant with a snarl.

    Corpse Child floated off the one-horned giants shoulder and ordered, You go, One Horn. Earth Ghost is no match for him.

    Raaaaah! Its finally my turn! Can I eat him? The one-horned giant asked excitedly.

    Yes. In fact, you can eat anyone you want in this ce. Dont hold back on my ount, Corpse Child replied.

    Ohh! Thats wonderful! I cant believe I can finally eat things! The one-horned giant pattedits chest happily and leaped down from the yin wind. Three of Chen Ah Shengs Vajrapanis tried to attack the giant, but it easily pped them away with its millstone-sized hands.

    After itnded on the ground, the one-horned giant grabbed a couple of brigands and shoved them into its mouth. Bright red blood spurted as it chewed.

    Tasty so tasty

    After it was done eating, the one-horned giant looked at Chen Ah Sheng and dered, Im going to eat you. Their meat is not as chewy as yours!

    Careful now! You might break a tooth on my skin! Chen Ah Shengughed savagely before charging toward the one-horned giant.

    The one-horned giant brought down its hands repeatedly and attempted to m Chen Ah Sheng into the ground. Every time it hit the ground, a massive, scorching pit would be left behind.

    Not a single one of its attacks hit, however. Chen Ah Sheng looked rough and brutish, but his movement art was anything but that. Darting all over the ce like a monkey, he always managed to dodge the palms of death by a hairs breadth.

    Chen Ah Sheng closed the distance between himself and the one-horned giant in the blink of an eye. Then, he punched the ghosts left knee with all he got.

    For one, the one-horned giant was so tall that the knee was the only spot he could realistically reach. Two, giants generally had weaker lower body, and the bigger they were, the harder they fell.

    There was one small problem with his n, however. His full-powered punch only shook the one-horned giant a little. Forget falling over, it didnt even take a single step backward.

    Youre so weak. It doesnt hurt at all! The one-horned giantughed like a child and grabbed Chen Ah Sheng before he could recover himself. Then, it squeezed hard like it would pop Chen Ah Sheng like a meat balloon.

    However, the one-horned giant soon discovered that its fingers were slowly but surely being pushed outward. It then saw something ck and hairy growing bigger and bigger until it couldnt fit in its hand anymore.

    In just a few breaths, Chen Ah Sheng had transformed into a thirty meter tall, ape-like creature that was covered in ck fur. One could vaguely see his face through the mass of ck hair. Youre not very strong yourself, bud!

    Chen Ah Shengs cultivation art was called the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra. It was the ultimate art of the Chaos Demon Tempering Sect, one of the thirty six unorthodox sects. It was a unique cultivation art that focused on cultivating the body only, and at the adept level, one could transform into the Chaos Demon Ape and gain incredible strength.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    With his new form, Chen Ah Sheng was just as tall as the one-horned giant was. With a mighty swing of his arms, he sent the ghost flying through the air and crashing through a couple of buildings.

    Haha! Im so happy youre so big. Now I can actually eat until Im full! Im going to cut you into pieces!

    The copsed buildings abruptly burst into a sea of mes. The earth and stone melted like the one-horned giant was a walking volcano. When it swung its giant axe, the ground split in half and burst into mes even before it could hit its target.

    You think you can stop me?

    Chen Ah Sheng threw a punch and shattered the line of fire slithering in his direction. Then, he pushed off the ground, blocked the attack with his right arm, and punched the one-horned giant in its stomach.

    A gasp of pain and wisps of scarlet mes escaped the one-horned giants lips. It then kicked Chen Ah Sheng in retaliation.

    In his Chaos Demon Ape form, every part of Chen Ah Shengs body had turned into a weapon. His normal punches felt like lightning strikes, his elbow swings felt like they could put a hole in the sky, and it was a testament to the mountains resilience that his legs hadnt crushed it like a sand castle and triggered an avnche. As if that wasnt enough, he possessed the agility of an ape as well. He was a literal hill of muscle that could crush an enemy faster than they could blink.

    The one-horned giant was a Rakshasha Ghoul born in the depths of the Ghostfire Hell. Naturally sturdy and highly resistant to de, lightning and fire, it could topple a hill with a simple swing of the arm.

    Like two titans of legends, the human and ghost waged war of pure strength against each other. Their fight was so epic that it was beyond the ability of words to describe.

    Beside Corpse Child, the Heartless Brain asked, Arent you going to help out that idiot?

    And whos going to watch you if I join the fight? Corpse Child nced at the Heartless Brain. Anyone who attempted to get within a certain range of the ghost would immediately start rotting until they were nothing more but a pool of corpse fluid. No one here except Chen Ah Sheng was strong enough to resist its terrifying influence.

    Are you kidding me right now? What the fuck can I do with this body? The Heartless Brain scoffed. The body you gave me is so weak I can barely run a few steps without having to catch my breath! How far can I go even if you give me a head start?

    Also, you can probably tell that that idiot cant defeat that guy by itself.

    Corpse Child grunted. Lets hope that self-awareness will hold until the end of this fight. Stay here while I help One Horn. Otherwise, I will turn you into a smear of blood on the ground.

    The Heartless Brain was an extremely cunning Stranger. He was certain that he was plotting something. However, the circumstances didnt allow for him to stay his hand. It might look like One Horn was going even against Chen Ah Sheng right now, but Corpse Child knew that the stalemate was going to be broken pretty soon. The human was even stronger than he thought.

    Besides, Chen Ah Sheng wasnt the only threat he needed to watch out for. He had a couple of powerful subordinates and thousands of small fries. On the outside, Corpse Child acted like he could wipe out this whole base with the snap of a finger. In reality, he knew that this fight could still go either way.

    Corpse Child squinted as a pool of corpse fluid appeared underneath his feet. He slowly sank into the corpse fluid. A momentter, he appeared behind a man who looked as skinny as a monkey.

    The skinny man had an unassuming appearance, but he wielded a Qimei Stick that summoned wind and thunder with every swing. The lightning strikes easily annihted entire groups of yin soldiers. He was none other than the Lightning Dragon Saint Hou Zhen and one of the Four Protectors of the Chaos Heaven Brigands.

    Hou Zhen noticed Corpse Child the second he emerged from the corpse fluid. He let out a strange cry, half-twisted his waist, and swung his weapon horizontally at Corpse Child.

    Hou Zhen was overflowing with energy. Every time his stick traveled an inch, the lightning surrounding his stick would grow just a little thicker. By the time the stick had moved behind his back, it had transformed into a massive lightning dragon with gnarly horns on its head.

    In response, Corpse Child took one step forward and reached out with his right hand. He pierced through the curtain of lightning and stabbed the lightning dragon seven inches below its head.

    The dragons roar abruptly died, and its energies snuffed out like a candle. Hou Zhen could only watch in horror as bluish ck spots began appearing all over its body. Despite being made of lightning, it somehow aged rapidly until it finally met its end.

    The lightning dragon was a product of Hou Zhens Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, the Qimei Stick, and right now it looked like it was a bad swing away from crumbling into dust. At the same time, the pool beneath Corpse Childs feet was slowly making its way toward Hou Zhen.

    Save me, Old Zhuang!

    Hou Zhen didnt hesitate to drop his weapon and cry for help. The man he was calling for help from was a tall, slender old man with a silver face[1] and a white beard. He was surrounded by a thickyer of silver astral qi that could assume the shape of all kinds of creatures, and it devoured any and every yin soldier who was unfortunate enough to get close to him.

    He was the Silverfaced Wanderer Zhuang Chi and one of the Four Protectors.

    Zhuang Chi was about ten meters away from Hou Zhen when he heard his cry for help. With just one step, he appeared between Hou Zhen and Corpse Child. His silver astral qi made it difficult for the pool of corpse fluid to advance further.

    My One Meter Astral Qi[2] resists all arts. Im afraid that your disgusting water wont be able to get through.

    Zhuang Chi let out a bark ofughter. Let us work together to eliminate this shortie, Hou Zhen.

    Hahaha! Thats exactly what I was hoping for! Hou Zhenughed before charging toward Corpse Child.

    Shortie? A hint of anger flickered in Corpse Childs eyes, and the bluish ck spots on his face suddenly spread rapidly. At the same time, a rotten, sickly stench emanated from his body.

    Both Hou Zhen and Zhuang Chi nched in mid-charge. It was because they discovered that bluish purple spots were rapidly growing on their skin. Every time a new spot appeared, they could clearly sense their physical body aging. Even their mind and spirit were aging bit by bit as well.

    If the unnatural condition were to overtake thempletely

    Retreat! Both men backed away at the exact same time, but by then, it was already toote. The ground within tens of meters around Corpse Child was flooded by corpse fluid, and everyone including the yin soldiers fell right into it.

    At first, there were sshes in the pool as if someone was trying to escape. However, it gradually quieted when Corpse Childs power overtook thempletely.

    Raaagh! You are courting death, ghost!

    Chen Ah Sheng had just smashed the one-horned giant into the ground when he looked to the side just in time to see his Protectors dying a horrible death in Corpse Childs hands. Furiously, he leaped into the sky, crossed a hundred meters in an instant, and brought his hands down right on top of Corpse Child.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Chen Ah Shengs speed was formidable, and his gigantic fists covered arge enough area that there was no chance Corpse Child could have dodged out of the way. But that wasnt the n anyway. He simply allowed Chen Ah Sheng to smash him into the ground.

    The ground caved in like he was punching a biscuit, but Chen Ah Sheng wasnt done yet. He raised his right foot and stomped the pit where Corpse Child was with everything he got. There was an ungodly explosion, and the earth copsed even further. When the dust clouds settled, Chen Ah Sheng was standing in the middle of a deep, massive crater, and Corpse Child was nowhere to be seen. With that done, he beat his chest like an ape and let out a full-throated victory cry.

    Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

    Chen Ah Sheng thought he had in all of his enemies, but he didnt notice the ck water flowing into the crater from every direction. By the time he realized something was off and tried to jump out, countless pale hands had reached out from the water and grabbed him, preventing him from escaping.

    In his current form, Chen Ah Sheng couldve broken free eventually. But of course, Corpse Child wasnt going to let him. The corpse fluid quickly filled up the crater and drowned Chen Ah Sheng.

    After Chen Ah Shengs head had disappeared under the ck water, Corpse Child emerged from the corpse fluid. The bluish ck spots on his face began expanding rapidly.

    1. Nope, not a mistake.

    2. This name sounded a little cooler in Chinese, but not much.

 Chapter 383: Infinite Resurrection?

    Chapter 383: Infinite Resurrection?

    Roar!

    An angry roar erupted from the bottom of theke of corpse fluid, and something protruded out of its surface. In fact, Chen Ah Sheng was trying to push his way out of the ckke with both hands.

    Corpse Child abruptly disappeared from the edge of theke and reappeared right above Chen Ah Shengs head. Before the Half-Step Grandmaster could react, he raised his right foot and brought it down gently.

    Corpse Childs stomp was not even close to being as powerful as Chen Ah Shengs stomp earlier, but it still possessed the strength of many mountains. It pushed the Half-Step Grandmaster all the way back to the bottom of the crater.

    Corpse Childs face waspletely bluish purple at this point, and the world around him seemed to be decaying by the second. But although the ckke was calming down, Corpse Childs face was growing increasingly severe.

    A few breathster, a series of pops and cracks came from the bottom of the ckke. It grew louder and louder until it sounded like a thunderstorm.

    A pair of arms punched through the surface of the corpse fluid again, and this time, it was unable to maintain its form. It split away in multiple directions and exposed Chen Ah Sheng at the center.

    Chen Ah Sheng was currently covered in bluish purple spots and reeked of the stench of death, but as soon as he broke free from the corpse fluid, they began disappearing at a visible rate.

    The Chaos Demon Ape was strong, resilient, wless, and overflowing with vitality. As a result, not even the life-killing corpse fluid was able to affect it overly much.

    After Chen Ah Sheng had broken free from the corpse fluid, he threw a mighty punch that ripped apart the astral wind surrounding Corpse Child and shattered him into bits.

    It was a wasted effort though. Another Corpse Child floated out of a pool of corpse fluid, and he looked perfectly unharmed.

    I bet you cant resurrect indefinitely! Chen Ah Sheng snarled and raced toward Corpse Child, but he was only halfway there when the one-horned giant appeared and mmed into his side, hard. Like a pair of meteors, they crashed into a nearby cliff so hard it nearly fell apart.

    Graaaaahhhh! Just die! Chen Ah Sheng grabbed the one-horned giants horn with one hand and his left arm with the other. Then, he ripped its arm right out of its sockets.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    Blood flew everywhere and caught on fire as soon as it made contact with the ground. Screaming in pain, the one-horned giant ripped its head out of Chen Ah Shengs grasp and mmed its horn into his chest.

    The sharp pain brought out Chen Ah Shengs violent impulse in full force, and he caught the one-horned giant by the neck before it could withdraw. Then, he began twisting his body as if he would rip One Horns head right out of its neck.

    One Horn sensed his intentions and struggled with all its might. However, it was unable to break free because its horn was still lodged inside Chen Ah Shengs chest.

    RAAAAAAAAAAGH!

    Chen Ah Sheng let out a full-throated roar and pressed down on the one-horned giants arms, causing his head to move downward. At the same time, Chen Ah Sheng kneed him in the face with all his might.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    The attack flung the one-horned giants head upward, and caused its horn to slice right through Chen Ah Shengs flesh. However, it quickly came to a stop when it got caught in between his tough rib cage. Sensing an opportunity, Chen Ah Sheng kneed the one-horned giant a couple more times until the horn snapped in half, and the one-horned giant was sent flying.

    Is that all you got, small fries?!

    Chen Ah Sheng pulled out the horn lodged in his body andughed madly. Then, he chased after the one-horned giant to dish out the final blow.

    It was at this moment a sea of corpse fluid blocked his path, and countless rotten corpses rose from the ck water. Chen Ah Sheng recognized some of the bodies. He saw Hou Zhen, Zhuang Chi, and many more faces that belonged to the Chaos Heaven Brigands. More importantly, even the weakest among them possessed the strength of an Astral Refiner.

    Corpse Child was a literal one-man army.

    Chen Ah Sheng was fearless, however. Like a true demon ape, he threw a flurry of powerful, brutish, and fearless punches at Corpse Child. So what if a sea of dead stood in his way? He would break them all with his fists. So what if the world stood in his way? He would shatter the world and forge a path with its remains!

    <em>Chaos Demon Ape Fist</em>

    Every punch crushed countless corpses, and every kick or stomp crushed even more. It looked like he was gaining the upper hand, but he didnt notice that a bluish ck spot would appear on his body every time he destroyed a corpse. More importantly, these spots didnt disappear like the ones that had afflicted him earlier.

    The corpses rising from the ck sea seemed endless. Every time he took out a horde, a new horde would emerge. As if that wasnt enough, the one-horned giant had recovered enough to attack him once more. Although the one-horned giant had lost a horn and an arm, it was also fighting harder than ever before. Its whole body was bursting with crimson mes hot enough to melt earth and rock intova, and it swung its axe wildly and viciously as a hurricane. The fact that the axe was also covered in mes certainly didnt help Chen Ah Sheng one bit.

    The one human and two ghosts were all Spirit Masters, so their battle was more than enough to change the weather and thendscape itself. Wherever they went, the sky changed, the wind howled, and the ground gave away like sand. They were leaving behind literal wastnds in their wake.

    At first, Chen Ah Sheng was able to ovee Corpse Child and the one-horned giant with the powerful physique and vitality of the Chaos Demon Ape. But as Corpse Childs strange power eroded his strength more and more, the scales slowly tipped in the two ghosts favor.

    That said, the so-called upper hand was so slight that it easily couldve gone either way. If one side was even a tiny bit careless, the other side couldve easily exploited that carelessness and turned the tables around.

    Luckily for Corpse Child, he never underestimated Chen Ah Sheng. He kept a tight rein over the situation and never let up. In the end, Chen Ah Sheng shattered the one-horned giants head with his fist, but the one-horned giant also managed to chop his heart to bits with his axe. Corpse Child seized the opportunity to extinguish Chen Ah Shengs mind with his strange power and finally ending this epic battle.

    Chen Ah Sheng had died, but their victory was almost just as hollow. The Chaos Heaven Brigands had lost two Protectors, five Vajrapanis, and most of their forces. The only reason the other two Protectors and three Vajrapanis still lived wasnt because they were strong, but because they were currently away on business. Otherwise, they wouldve died as well.

    Corpse Childs losses were just as bad. One Horn and Earth Ghost were both dead, and the two thousand yin soldiers he brought with him to the yang world were annihted. Corpse Child himself was exhausted and injured, and this was evident from his appearance. For starters, he no longer looked like a child. His hair was withered, his skin was sagging and wrinkled, and he was covered in bluish purple spots. The corpse fluid beneath his feet was also incredibly shallow and barely the size of a puddle. It looked like it could dry up at any moment.

    Tsk tsk to think you could have a day like this, Corpse Child. What a rejuvenating sight this is.

    The Heartless Brain emerged from the woods and stared at the weakened Corpse Child tauntingly.

    Im surprised you didnt run away. Then again, youve always been a smart one, Corpse Child shot the Heartless Brain a baleful look.

    Haha, you see, Im the kind of guyI mean, ghost who keeps my promises, unlike that bitch who calls himself your dad!

    The Heartless Brain let out a strange cackle. But I wonder if that bitch will appreciate your effort. After all, you lost everyone including that stupid giant of yours. Do you think that that bitch would blow his top and die when he hears about this? Hed certainly be doing everyone a favor! Ah, I cant wait to see his face!

    Sorry to disappoint you, but my father would be very happy with this oue. Corpse Child said slowly, Our objective is to identify and y the culprit who stole the yin gold, but we managed to get the mastermind behind the theft as well. In that sense, the mission waspleted perfectly.

    One Horn is a Rakshasha Ghoul, immortal and undying. Given enough time, it would be reborn in the Ghost Reservoir of the Yellow Spring.

    As for Earth Ghost and the yin soldiers, the one thing Fengdu doesntck is ghosts. Itll take us little time and effort to rebuild our forces.

    Therefore, your fake worry is unfounded. Not only did weplete our mission sessfully, Im sure that father will reward us handsomely for our efforts.

    The Heartless Brain pped his head incredulously, Reward you? Your brain hasnt been powdered one too many times, has it?

    Corpse Child tilted his head to one side. This group is known as the Chaos Heaven Brigands, and they are one of the Thirteen Brigands who gues Chu. The Chaos Heaven Brigands in particr have caused quite a lot of havoc in Tian Yong, Northern Xinjiang, and other prefectures. That doesnt concern us though. What does concern us is the fact that they had amassed a massive amount of wealth and treasures. What makes you think father wouldnt reward me if I present him these loot?

    Oh, right. Money is the only thing that matters to that bitch. I dont even know why a ghost would need that much money, but to each their own, I suppose, the Heartless Brain eximed in realization.

    Are you done? If youre done, then were heading back to Fengdu, Corpse Child said.

    What is the meaning of this, Corpse Child? The Heartless Brain immediately figured out what Corpse Child was nning when the Stranger began walking toward him. I gave you everything you need and helped you to the best of my abilities, and this is the payment I get? Another eternity inside my jar? Just how shameless can you get, you ungrateful, backstabbing bastard!

    What do you mean? I let you live and talk to your hearts content for a whole day. You might not agree, but Ive shown you plenty of benevolence already. Corpse Child continued to walk toward the Heartless Brain. Plus, you already received your payment. I dont see how Im being shameless or ungrateful.

    The Heartless Brain shuffled backward, but it was nowhere as fast as Corpse Child. Aw dudee on, man! Let me stay here a little longer! If not, can you at least get me a bottle of wine before you pack me away? Too much? What about a sip? Not even a sip? Can I at least smell the alcohol?

    The Heartless Brain begged, but Corpse Child was unmoved. Seeing this, the Heartless Brain shrugged helpless before breaking into a sudden smile. Theres no helping it, I suppose. Remember, youre the one who asked for this.

    Hmm? Corpse Child paused in his tracks as a bad premonition suddenly struck him. The next moment, he felt the puddle of corpse fluid underneath his feet bubbling like boiling water and evaporating in just the blink of an eye. He nched.

    Realizing that he was in mortal danger, Corpse Child didnt hesitate to jump to the side. Someone was faster than him, however. He grabbed Corpse Childs head and mmed it into the ground.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The hardened ground cracked from how much force tha man exerted, but he was just starting. He lifted Corpse Childs head and mmed it back into the ground.

    <em>Boom! Boom! Boom!</em>

    Suddenly, Corpse Child melted into a puddle of corpse fluid and seeped into the earth. Seeing this, the man sneered and said, Seriously?

    He lifted his right foot exactly half an inch and brought it down. On the surface, it looked like the stomp did nothing at all, but under the ground, it was havoc. The corpse fluid was immediately pushed back onto the surface.

    After the ck puddle transformed back to Corpse Child, he said with a severe expression, Its you?!

    The man standing before him was none other than Jiang Chongshanthe thief that shouldve died a while ago.

    Its me! Are you surprised? Jiang Chongshan patted away the dust on his palms and grinned.

    It was all a ploy from the start. You got me. Corpse Childs pupils contracted into pins.

    From the moment he saw Jiang Chongshan, Corpse Child realized that he had been fooled. No wonder he felt like something was off even before the battle began. The Chaos Heaven Brigands granary and treasury had caught on fire, but he wasnt the one who ordered the sabotage. Jiang Chongshan had died a sudden death, but no one on his side had actuallyid a finger on him.

    It was all to enrage Chen Ah Sheng into battling them to the death. It was all so that Jiang Chongshan, the fisherman, would win it all.

    Thank you for your praise, but Im just average. Jiang Chongshans grin widened.

    You Youre not one of the Chaos Heaven Brigands, are you? Corpse Child asked suddenly.

    Huh! Youre definitely a smart one! Im d I didnt give you a chance to think! Jiang Chongshan remarked, but the absence of denial was itself an admission.

 Chapter 384: When Man And Ghost Schemes

    Chapter 384: When Man And Ghost Schemes

    Jiang Chongshan was, of course, Ye Qing.

    From the moment he extracted everything Hu Fengsan knew about the Chaos Heaven Brigands, the n to pit the Ghost Tower against them had urred to him.

    To put it simply, he was going to make his pursuers and the Chaos Heaven Brigand fight each other, ideally to the death. He would watch from the sidelines to ensure that everything went to n.

    Of course, it was simpler said than done. To begin with, how could he pit his enemies against one another when they shared no grudge with each other?

    So, Ye Qing infiltrated the Chaos Heaven Mountain and assassinated the real Jiang Chongshan while he was alone. Then, he took on his appearance and pretended to be Jiang Chongshan.

    As for why he chose Jiang Chongshan, it was because the man was one of the Eight Vajrapanis of Chen Ah Sheng, the Patrolling Vajrapani. He possessed the authority to go wherever he pleased in Chaos Heaven Mountain, and he was unlikely to draw Corpse Child¡¯s attention.

    When Corpse Child and his troops had ascended the mountain, Ye Qing immediately ordered his men to sh against them. The goal was to create bloodshed and make it so that there was no chance that the two sides could arrive at a peaceful ord. The good thing about pretending to be Jiang Chongshan was that he could order the Chaos Heaven Brigand¡¯s soldiers around as he pleased. Besides that, Chen Ah Sheng had no reason to question his words.

    He was going to trigger the explosive talismans he had buried in the granary and treasury when Chen Ah Sheng and Corpse Child were conversing with each other, but to his utmost delight, their dialogue somehow coincided with one another even though they were talking aboutpletely different things. This allowed him to trigger the talismans after Corpse Child dered his intention to kill Chen Ah Sheng, making it seemed like the sabotage was done by Corpse Child, and pretend to die right before Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s eyes.

    This ensured that Chen Ah Sheng would fly into a rage and attack Corpse Child, and once the fight began, there was no stopping until one side had perished. It didn¡¯t matter who lived or died because whoever survived would think that he was already ¡°dead¡± and forget about himpletely, hence freeing him from his crisis. At the same time, he would be able to eliminate a threat to the people, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Corpse Child asked coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to die anyway. What¡¯s the point of telling you anything?¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°You think you can kill me?¡± Corpse Child scoffed.

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t? You were grievously wounded in your battle against Chen Ah Sheng, and without your corpse fluid, you cannot revive. Forget me, even that weakling over there could kill you,¡± Ye Qing said while pointing at the Heartless Brain.

    The Heartless Brain: ¡°...¡±<em>It¡¯s the truth, but I still feel insulted.</em>

    ¡°You told him?¡± Corpse Child turned to look at the Heartless Brain.

    The Stranger chuckled deviously. ¡°But of course! Your innate magic is a secret to most, but I know exactly how it works. You can use it to kill your enemies and revive yourself. So long as there is a drop of corpse fluid on the battlefield, you are technically unkible.¡±

    ¡°That is why the only way to kill you is to take out the corpse fluid first. Once done, you are no different from a tiger who was defanged. You might look scary on the outside, but anyone can finish you off in your current state. Am I right, little Corpse Child?¡±

    ¡°When did you start colluding with one another?¡± Corpse Child asked after a short silence.

    ¡°Collude? Well said. It makes me sound like a bad guy, and I<em>love</em>being the bad guy.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his palms together. ¡°But unlike most viins, I¡¯m aware of the folly of excessive monologues, so I¡¯m not going to tell you shit.¡±

    As soon as he finished, Ye Qing¡¯s figure melted away like a mirage. Corpse Child¡¯s instincts warned him of grave danger, but all he only managed to do given the time he had was to tilt his head sideways. The next moment, bits of red light blew past him like the spring wind and fine rain. Corpse Child¡¯s body immediately split into perfectly identical blocks like tofu carved by a master chef.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing punched down toward the little blocks that was Corpse Child. Like a millstone, his astral qi spun rapidly and ground the little blocks into paste. Then, the heat burned most of it into ash.

    The remaining meat paste dissolved into corpse fluid and tried to seep into the ground again, but how could the ploy work when it had already failed once? Before the corpse fluid could go anywhere, Ye Qing plunged his arm into the earth and enclosed the area with his energy. Then, he sucked in a deep breath and pulled so hard that veins were bulging on his arm. It looked like he was lifting a mountain.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    When Ye Qing¡¯s hand finally left the earthpletely, he was holding a tiny pool of corpse fluid in his hand. No matter how much the Corpse Fluid bounced around, it was unable to break free from Ye Qing¡¯s grasp.

    ¡°You may kill me, but you won¡¯t escape us,¡± said Corpse Child as his face emerged from the corpse fluid. Although he was ring at Ye Qing, his expression remained calm. ¡°My foster father is the master of the Ghost Tower and one of the Six Ghost Gods of Fengdu. Specifically, he is the master of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness. If you kill me, you will die.¡±

    The Six Ghost Gods?¡± Ye Qing frowned a little. Nicknamed the Six Heavens of Luofeng, the so-called Six Ghost Gods possessed the power to judge the life, death, fortunes and tragedies that happened in the human world. Together, they ruled over the Tyrant Extinction Abode of Absolute Yin, the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness, the Bright Star Abode of Resistance, the Illuminating Abode of Sin, the Sect Spirit Abode of Seven Wrongs, and the Daring Charge Abode of The Cojoined.

    They were revered in the Fengdu and on par with the Ghost Kings of Five Directions and King Yans of Ten Halls. They definitely counted as a bigshot in Fengdu. Ye Qing had no idea that the master of Fengdu was this powerful.

    ¡°You want to live, and I don¡¯t want to die either.¡±

    Sensing Ye Qing¡¯s hesitation, Corpse Child persuaded, ¡°If you let me go, I can shift the me onto the Chaos Heaven Brigand and absolve you from all responsibilities. I promise I wouldn¡¯te after you, and it would be like we have never known each other. What do you say?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned as he mulled over the possibility.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his lies. The Ghost Tower¡¯s master is not one of the Six Ghost Gods, he¡¯s just a concubine of the nominal head of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness; a bitch. The guy is a useless coward who only knows how to use his connections to intimidate people. You have nothing to worry about while I¡¯m still around.¡±

    ¡°Also, Corpse Child is a devious, cunning bastard who lies as easily as he breathes. You mustn¡¯t believe a word thates out of his mouth. If you let him go today, I swear on my soul that he would murder your whole family tomorrow. Stop dragging this out and kill him already.¡±

    ¡°Silence! You¡¯re just a ghost my Ghost Tower raised, and you¡¯ve yourself to be an oathbreaker and a backstabber by turning against me. It¡¯s clear who¡¯s the one who¡¯s the untrustworthy one between the two of us.¡±

    Corpse Child grunted before saying calmly, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to differentiate between truth and falsehood, risk and reward. Is it better to make an enemy out of my foster father, or is it better that we stay out of each other¡¯s business from now on? I urge you to take your time to consider it all.¡±

    <em>Pop!</em>

    As soon as Corpse Child finished, Ye Qing clenched his fist and summoned the Netherme. The corpse fluid that was the Stranger¡¯s true body immediately bubbled like boiling water.

    ¡°Why?!¡± Corpse Child snarled in horror and shock. He had made it clear which path was better for Ye Qing, so why on earth would he choose the one that was obviously worse?

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just don¡¯t like entrusting my fate to others is all,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently.

    Just as the Heartless Brain said, if he chose to believe Corpse Child¡¯s words and set him free, then the Stranger would bepletely out of his control. It would be the same as handing Corpse Child his ability to choose and his life. If Corpse Child kept his promise, then he would be safe and sound. But if Corpse Child went back on his promise, then he would regret everything. He had no intention of gambling his life away.

    On the other hand, the Heartless Brain was in the same boat as Ye Qing was. He could be lying through his ass, but he was an element he could control. If the worstes to the worst, then he could simply kill the Heartless Brain and find another way. The same couldn¡¯t be said for Corpse Child.

    Besides, from the tidbits he heard about Corpse Child¡¯s foster father, there was a good chance the guy wouldn¡¯t realize that his adopted son was dead until it was toote.

    ¡°You will regret this!¡± Corpse Child roared hisst words knowing that Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t change his mind.

    Ye Qing clenched his fist harder, and the Stranger finally burned into ash.

    While the Heartless Brain wasn¡¯t paying attention, Ye Qing turned around and quickly checked the Annon Sutra. He let out a sigh of relief only when he saw that a golden dragon-serpent rune had appeared on its surface. This proved that Corpse Child was well and truly dead.

    ¡°Well done,d! I knew that you¡¯re a smart man!¡± The Heartless Brain didn¡¯t notice what Ye Qing was doing. He was too busy celebrating Corpse Child¡¯s death.

    The next moment, the Stranger abruptly flew backward and mmed into a cliffside like a broken kite. Right after he let out a gasp of pain, Ye Qing appeared in front of him, grabbed his throat, and mmed him even deeper into the cliffside. Stones rained down from above as the cliff shuddered unsteadily.

    ¡°L-Lad? What is the meaning of this? I just saved your life! Even if you¡¯re going to turn on me, don¡¯t you think this is a little too soon?¡± The Heartless Brain cried out in pain and confusion.

    It looked like he had suffered quite a huge injury, but in reality Ye Qing had taken care to control his strength. Otherwise, he would be dead already. His body was that feeble.

    It still hurt like a bitch though.

    ¡°Save me? If you hadn''t forced me to show myself, I would be free already. But because of you, I may have a bigger, badder enemy I have to watch out for in the future!¡± Ye Qing uttered frigidly.

    In fact, his n only went as far as faking his death and running away. He wasn¡¯t nning on ending all of his enemies here because it was unrealistic and risky. Unfortunately, the Heartless Brain saw through Ye Qing¡¯s scheme and proposed that they worked together to free him from Corpse Child¡¯s control. Otherwise, he would expose Ye Qing¡¯s ploy prematurely and cause his death.

    He didn¡¯t want to agree to the n, and he had been looking for an opportunity to end the Heartless Brain while Corpse Child and his troops were battling against Chen Ah Sheng. Unfortunately, Corpse Child¡¯s attention never left the Heartless Brain even once throughout the battle. Had he acted, it would ruin everything. Left with no choice, he agreed to the Heartless Brain¡¯s n.

    That was why the Heartless Brain¡¯s im that he had helped him wasplete bullshit. It was the other way around, not to mention that it wasn¡¯t voluntary. The Heartless Brain should be thankful that he hadn¡¯t crushed his throat yet.

    ¡°Calm down,d!¡± The Heartless Brain shook his head left and right with a grimace. ¡°Hehe, you don¡¯t think that Corpse Child is that stupid, do you? Do you think you can escape just by faking your death? Remember, some humans may turn into ghosts after they die. Considering how many people died here, there is no way Corpse Child would let such them go to waste. What do you think will happen when he interrogates a ghost, and he discovers the truth? Your n was always doomed to fail.¡±

    ¡°Do you see how I saved your life now?¡±

    Ye Qing sneered but said nothing. While he had to admit that the Heartless Brain had a point¡ªthat was one thing he had missed whileing up with this n¡ªit was no excuse for the Heartless Brain to threaten him.

 Chapter 385: Dear Brother

    <h4>Chapter 385: Dear Brother </h4>

    ¡°Plus, this wasn¡¯t the only time I helped you, you know?¡± The Heartless Brain grinned.

    ¡°Exin,¡± Ye Qing ordered with a frown.

    The Heartless Brain did just that. ¡°Earlier, you used a paper doll to mislead us and buy yourself some time, didn¡¯t you? Well, I saw through your effort instantly. Despite this, I feigned ignorance and led Corpse Child and his goons on a small wild goose chase. Otherwise, you¡¯d never have the time to prepare your n. Surely you can¡¯t deny my merit in this matter?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. Assuming the Heartless Brain was telling the truth, then it was definitely something he couldn¡¯t overlook. Of course, this didn¡¯t change the fact that the Heartless Brain was just using him for his own scheme. In fact, the Heartless Brain was the reason his enemies were able to track him in the first ce.

    ¡°Hmph. I won¡¯t deny that you did me a favor, but in the end, you were just using me to break free from the Ghost Tower¡¯s control. At most, we¡¯re fellow coborators,¡± Ye Qing replied emotionlessly.

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s fine. As long as we¡¯re both free, then who cares about the minor details?¡± The Heartless Brain chuckled.

    ¡°True.¡± Ye Qing lowered his head a little to hide the sh of killing intent in his eyes. ¡°But this oue isn¡¯t too satisfactory, I feel.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, that is true. After all, that bitch will definitely learn of Corpse Child¡¯s death. A bitch he may be, he¡¯s not someone you want to trifle with.¡± The Heartless Brain chuckled. He noticed Ye Qing¡¯s killing intent, of course. He knew he was a loose end, and Ye Qing was plotting to end the risk he represented. The only reason he was still breathing now was because the young man still wanted to hear what he had to say. If he proved that he possessed no value whatsoever, Ye Qing would kill him without a second thought.

    The Heartless Brain wasn¡¯t afraid though. He wasn¡¯t just valuable, he was extremely valuable.

    ¡°But you have nothing to worry about,d. I can take care of this problem for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And how do you n to do that?¡± Ye Qing asked slowly.

    ¡°Hehehe, that bitch is stuck at Fengdu, and he cannot leave without a good reason. If he wishes to find out the killer of Corpse Child, he could only divine the rivers of fate through the Great Flow, Purple Star, karma hunting and other divination methods.¡±

    The Heartless Brain dered proudly, ¡°I¡¯m not good at most things, but when ites to muddying the rivers of fate, I dare say that no one is better than me in all of Fengdu... Well, fine, I might be exaggerating a little, but seriously, even ten of that bitch is no match for one of me.¡±

    ¡°In other words, that bitch will never find you so long as I¡¯m by your side.¡±

    ¡°Why should I trust you? What¡¯s stopping you from selling me out the second I turn my back on you?¡± Ye Qing pressed. He believed that the Heartless Brain possessed the ability to muddy the rivers of fate. After all, a diviner who could force the Annon Sutra to waste a golden dragon-serpent rune to protect him was no joke.

    His ability had nothing to do with his capacity for betrayal, however. A human was untrustworthy enough, much less a ghost.

    ¡°Come on. I¡¯m not <i>that </i>untrustworthy.¡± the Heartless Brain sighed helplessly.

    ¡°It hasn''t even been ten minutes since you worked with me to backstab your owner,¡± Ye Qing said coldly.

    ¡°Think,d, think! How will it possibly benefit me to betray you right now? We¡¯re grasshoppers tied to the same rope. If I betray you, it¡¯s only a matter of time before that bitch captures me. I just escaped from that hellhole, I have no intentions of returning ever again.¡±

    The Heartless Brain sighed. ¡°Plus, I¡¯mpletely defenseless right now. Lying to you at this juncture is akin tomit suicide.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything and simply watched the Heartless Brain coolly. Everything the Heartless Brain said was true, but he wasn¡¯t agreeing to anything unless the Heartless Brain gave him something that wasn¡¯t empty words.

    ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll swear a Dao Oath or an Oath of Burden with you. If I lied to you, then may the heavens smite me where I stand. That okay with you?¡± The Heartless Brain said with a helpless sigh.

    To be honest, he didn¡¯t want to do this as a matter of course, but Ye Qing had proven to be way too paranoid. He could tell that it was impossible to dispel his paranoia with just words, and if he couldn¡¯t dispel his paranoia, then he might die here.

    So, swearing an oath was his only way out of this.

    ¡°Very well. We will swear an Oath of Burden, but I want to add a few extra terms. One, you must never harm me in any way. If I need your help, then you will give me your all. You will not hold back for any reason.¡± Ye Qing cracked a victorious smile. <i>This is what I¡¯ve been waiting for.</i>

    He didn¡¯t force the Heartless Brain to sign a master-servant contract with him. All extremes are bad, and the Heartless Brain was no Faceless. He had a feeling that the Stranger would make him regret his decision if he pushed him too far.

    One or two additional terms though? That was perfectly eptable.

    ¡°You wound me,d! I would¡¯ve fulfilled those terms even without the oath!¡±

    The Heartless Brain looked deeply hurt, but when he met Ye Qing¡¯s emotionless gaze, he sighed. ¡°Fine, fine. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t spurn my brother¡¯s wishes.¡±

    Ye Qing ignored the Heartless Brain and performed the ritual necessary to summon the Oathbearer. Once done, their minds immediately shot through the nine heavens, and they appeared before a massive tortoise who was the size of a.

    ¡°We meet again, my young friend!¡± An old man stepped out of the void and greeted him kindly.

    ¡°Well met, senior!¡± Ye Qing saluted him. The old man was none other than Fu Tian, the one who helped him sign his first ever Oath of Burden.

    There were more than one Oathbearer in this world. As the master of all oaths, a single Oathbearer couldn¡¯t possibly shoulder all the oaths in the world after all. However, Ye Qing realized that the one who answered his call was always Fu Tian. He wondered if it was a coincidence, or something else.

    This was good news though. Fu Tian was obviously fond of him. With him witnessing the oath, he didn¡¯t need to worry about being screwed over by some sort of loophole.

    ¡°It has only been a while since west met, and you¡¯ve already grown so much. Congrattions, young friend.¡± Fu Tian smiled kindly.

    ¡°You tter me, senior. It isn¡¯t that big of an improvement.¡± Ye Qing saluted back brightly.

    At the side, the Heartless Brain was staring at the conversing duo in stunned silence. <i>Since when is an Oathbearer so friendly? And judging from their conversation, they seemed to be acquaintances! Was I cooped up in the jar for so long that the world had changed, or I¡¯ve turned senile?</i>

    He knew the answer, of course. The world hadn¡¯t changed, and he hadn¡¯t turned senile. The man before him was just that unusual.

    Realizing that there was absolutely no room for him to try something here, the Heartless Brain gave up his schemes and waited patiently for the duo to catch up with each other. Once they were done, he swore a perfectly honest Oath of Burden with Ye Qing.

    After their minds had returned to their bodies, the Heartless Brain grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s hands and breathed emotionally, ¡°Brother Ye...¡±

    ¡°Brother...¡± Ye Qing squeezed back and breathed just as emotionally. It was as if they were actual brothers and not twoplete strangers who were moments away from killing each other a while ago.

    They had given their true names when swearing the Oath of Burden earlier. Naturally, the Heartless Brain was aware of Ye Qing¡¯s real name.

    The two men stared into each other¡¯s eyes a while longer before the Heartless Brain said suddenly, ¡°Oh right, Brother Ye. Can I ask for your help with something?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ye Qing withdrew his hands and said indifferently.

    The Heartless Brain: ¡°...¡± <i>Bro, can you be any more pragmatic?</i>

    The Heartless Brain shook off his incredulity and asked, ¡°Can you get a new body?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing thought he heard wrong for a second. The human desire was infinite, and he had heard plenty of strange requests. This was the first time someone asked him for a new body though.

    <i>Is this body too masculine for you? Do you want to be my sister?</i>

    ¡°You might have inferred from my name, but my true form is a brain. Without a body, I can only hibernate until I get a new body, or I die.¡±

    The Heartless Brain revealed everything truthfully, ¡°Corpse Child, that cunning bastard, gave me this weak body because he was afraid that I might pull something on the road. As a result, my abilities are greatly restricted.¡±

    ¡°This body is going to fall apart very soon. If I don¡¯t switch into a stronger body soon, then I might not be able to protect you when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Plus, this body is so weak there is practically nothing I can do to defend myself. In times of danger, I can only rely on you to protect me. That would be quite troublesome for the both of us.¡±

    The Heartless Brain knew that Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t release him in the short term, at least not until he was sure he waspletely safe. This was perfectly understandable. In his position, he would¡¯ve done the same thing.

    He wasn¡¯t worried that Ye Qing would deny his request either. They had sworn an Oath of Burden, and he couldn¡¯t even muster the thought of harming Ye Qing without risking death. Even if Ye Qing suspected that he was plotting something, there should be no reason for the young man to reject him.

    Plus, he wasn¡¯t lying. The stronger the body, the better he could exert his abilities.

    For example, Corpse Child had given him a strong body¡ªthe body of an early-stage Spirit Purifier to be exact¡ªwhen he was divining Ye Qing¡¯s location and identity. It wasn¡¯t anything impressive, but it certainly wasn¡¯t weak.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Ye Qing agreed after just a few seconds of thinking.

    ¡°Thank you very much for your assistance, brother!¡± The Heartless Brain thanked Ye Qing in an exaggerated fashion.

    ¡°But I remember from a book that a Heartless Brain can only infest a living human¡¯s body, right?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the experienced and knowledgeable warrior, Brother Ye. I am impressed!¡± The Heartless Brain praised before growing worried. ¡°Er, you¡¯re okay with me infesting a living human, right?¡±

    Ye Qing was a human after all. It made sense that he would loathe a hostile act against his own kind.

    ¡°Rx, I¡¯m not one of those pretentious, w-abiding¡¯ pricks who can¡¯t think out of their own asshole. Plus, there are people who only look like humans on the outside, but are less than animals on the inside. The Chaos Heaven Brigands are a perfect example of that. Do you really think I care if they lived or died?¡±

    As if he could read the Heartless Brain¡¯s mind, Ye Qing let out a dark chuckle. ¡°Everyone on this mountain is going to die eventually. I won¡¯t let them live because they don¡¯t deserve to live.¡±

    <i>What bloodthirst!</i>

    The Heartless Brain felt a chill as Ye Qing¡¯s bloodthirst washed over him.

    Ye Qing ordered, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll go find you a brigand.¡±

    The Heartless Brain snapped out of his daze and said in a hurry, ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need. There¡¯s a suitable body right here.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ye Qing followed the Stranger¡¯s gaze and saw that he was looking at the deceased Chen Ah Sheng. Surprised, he asked for rification, ¡°You want Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s body?¡±

    The Heartless Brain smiled. ¡°Everyone thinks that a Heartless Brain can only upy a living body, but in reality it was a misunderstanding. The reason we usually choose a host that is alive to infest is because their bodily functions are intact. Theoretically, we can infest any body that hasn¡¯t broken down in some way.¡±

    ¡°Chen Ah Sheng is a Half-Step Grandmaster and a body-tempering warrior no less. His body is so strong that even after his brain has died, his body is still perfectly intact. To give you a picture, it would¡¯ve taken years for the body to start rotting.¡±

    ¡°More importantly, Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s consciousness is long gone. It will take me no effort to upy this body whatsoever.¡±

 Chapter 386: Switching Brains

    <h4>Chapter 386: Switching Brains</h4>

    [1]

    ¡°You have quite the appetite, don¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing wore a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eyes.

    ¡°Hahaha... I¡¯m just lucky. Plus, Chen Ah Sheng is pretty strong. If I can upy his body, then I can help you, can¡¯t I?¡±

    The Heartless Brain pretended that he couldn¡¯t notice the evil eye Ye Qing was giving him and continued, ¡°If I became Chen Ah Sheng, I can help you with many things. For example, I can help you locate the rest of the Chaos Heaven Brigands¡¯ treasuries and treasures. This is but one of the many bases they have after all. I also know you offended a bigshot in the Ghost Tower, and no, I¡¯m not talking about that bitch. I am much more helpful as a Spirit Master than a weakling, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°How did you know that?¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little. The Heartless Brain should not know anything about his quarrel with Mister Nine.

    The Heartless Brain chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s my innate magic. All things in this world are connected by karma, and I can view the threads of karma to a certain extent. I simply need to read the threads to find out a certain event that has happened a short time ago.¡±

    ¡°Can you see everything as long as it happened within a certain timeframe?¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock. If that was true, then it was a bullshit ability, almost as bullshit as the Annon Sutra itself.

    ¡°Nah,¡± the Heartless Brain denied while scratching his head. ¡°The simpler the matter, and the weaker the strength of the people who are involved in the matter, the clearer I can view a certain event, and vice versa. This is especially true if one or more people in the event is blessed with great destiny. People like them can muddy the rivers of fate andplicate the web of events so much that even I can¡¯t make sense of it.¡±

    ¡°Besides, my innate magic exhausts me greatly. I can¡¯t use it whenever I want to. Otherwise, I would be the strongest Stranger in the world already.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the reason you can find me is because I¡¯m an ordinary person?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose, insulted.

    The Heartless Brain knew better than to answer that and continued his exnation, ¡°Take your conflict with that bigshot for example. I could neither see his face nor obtain any information because the threads of karma surrounding that man are tooplex. He is definitely a man of great destiny and is protected by the world itself. If I try to glean into his fate, then I will pay a hefty price.¡±

    Scarlet tears abruptly slid down the Heartless Brain¡¯s cheeks. ¡°See this? I just tried to take one nce at the man¡¯s threads of karma, and already I¡¯m pushing it.¡±

    An idea suddenly urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Do you see a woman in that event?¡±

    ¡°Woman? What woman?¡± The Heartless Brain looked confused.

    Ye Qing hesitated for a moment before telling the Heartless Brain about Greeke and how she framed him for the theft of the yin gold. Earlier, he already asked the Stranger why the Ghost Tower hade after him.

    It wasn¡¯t the proudest moment in Ye Qing¡¯s life for sure, but if he looked at the result alone, he couldn¡¯t say that he hade out shorn. If the Heartless Brain could help him locate Greeke and take revenge, then even better.

    ¡°I see, I see now!¡± The Heartless Brain murmured with quiet realization and disbelief. ¡°I noticed that one of your threads of karma is missing, but I didn¡¯t think much of it at the time. It¡¯s because someone had removed it!¡±

    ¡°Can you find her?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try,¡± The Heartless Brain replied before he started walking. He looked like he was following a certain pattern that only he recognized, and transparent threads began appearing in his eyes. One look at the threads caused Ye Qing to feel dizzy and sore like he had stayed up the whole night ying games in front of his desktop.

    The next moment, the Heartless Brain let out a bloodcurdling scream and copsed to his knees. His eyeballs abruptly exploded into gooey bits, and blood sprayed out of every orifice. Disturbing cracks also spread all across his skin like a spider web and leaked blood.

    ¡°Are you alright?!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly supported the Stranger.

    ¡°Take... Take my brain out and press it against Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s head... quickly!¡± The Heartless Brain gasped out while clutching Ye Qing¡¯s hand.

    ¡°You want me to... remove your brain? Are you sure?¡± Ye Qing blinked. <i>No seriously, brother, are you sure about this?</i>

    ¡°Quick!¡± The Heartless Brain urged again, and this time Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate. He grabbed the Stranger¡¯s skull and spat out a tiny bit of force from his palm. Slowly, he peeled away the skull without hurting the brain like he was peeling a rambutan or lychee.

    If this was a few days ago, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to pull this off. However, his force control had increased by leaps and bounds thanks to the Nanke Dream. Danger was everywhere on the battlefield, and any power he managed to conserve now might contribute to his survivalter. Like a miser, he came to learn how to spend no more power than what was absolutely necessary to achieve his goals. If he could spend ten percent power to aplish a certain objective, then he wouldn¡¯t spend eleven. If one sh was enough to kill an enemy, he wouldn¡¯t sh twice. Efficiency was the key to everything.

    Of course, efficiency didn¡¯t matter much if his effectiveness was shit, so he learned how to identify the most effective action in a given set of circumstances and apply it perfectly. Inside the dream, he had continuously fine-tuned his movements and decision-making until it was practically magic even in the eyes of a warrior. If he could kill two birds with one stone, then he would strive for three. If he could kill three birds with one stone, then he would strive for ten. So on and so on.

    That was how he managed to survive the endless battles; how he managed tost until the end of the dream.

    After he had sessfully pried open the man¡¯s skull, a brain slid right out of the hole and into his hand. It was twitching rhythmically, but each twitch was just a little weaker than before. It was only a matter of time before it ceased moving entirely.

    This brain was the Heartless Brain¡¯s true body. In this state, it was so weak that even a child could stomp it to death.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t rush to save the Heartless Brain, however. Instead, he rubbed his nose as if he was contemting something.

    A few secondster, he produced the Annon Sutra and sprayed his blood on it. When he had gotten what he wanted, his eyes lit up, and he wrapped the vellum around the Heartless Brain. It was only then he pressed the Stranger against Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s head.

    Ye Qing watched with great curiosity as Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s skull abruptly split open on its own. Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s shot out of his head, and the Heartless Brain upied the space where it was before. The gap closed after the Stranger was in ce, and he couldn¡¯t see a single wound on Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s skull whatsoever.

    Ye Qing was pretty impressed. Chen Ah Sheng was a Half-Step Grandmaster. An ordinary human would never be able to hack open his skull even if he was dead. However, the Heartless Brain could make it split open and heal back on its own. Not only that, he would gain the body¡¯s abilities as soon as he upied the body, meaning that he was now a Half-Step Grandmaster, one who was a body-tempering warrior no less.

    Two or three Ye Qings wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him. Four or five Ye Qings would be a different story, but the point was that there was no way Ye Qing could defeat the Heartless Brain right now.

    So why did he agree to the Heartless Brain¡¯s proposal despite the risks? It was because the Stranger¡¯s n was sound, of course. When he ran into Chu Wangsun at Tian Yong, he no longer had to fear for his life. Besides that, he could see how the Heartless Brain¡¯s innate magic could be useful in certain situations.

    Most importantly, he wasn¡¯t worried that the Heartless Brain would slip out of his control after taking over Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s body. When they signed Oath of Burden, he had specified that the Heartless Brain to help him to his fullest capabilities. Through the Annon Sutra, he had also learned of the Heartless Brain¡¯s incredible power and magic. There was no way he was going to let such a useful helper go without having exploited its abilities to the fullest.

    On top of that, he had prepared some insurances just in case the Heartless Brain had second thoughts. If the Stranger decided to exploit a loophole or two, he would find himself regretting the decision. Worst case scenario, he might even cease to be altogether. So no, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest.

    A whileter, Chen Ah Sheng abruptly opened his eyes and panted heavily for a moment. A whileter, he pped the ground with both hands and caused a massive ripple that shook everything within two hundred meters of him and shattered the dead bodies on the ground to bits, causing blood and flesh to rain from the sky.

    ¡°Hahahaha! I love this body!¡± Chen Ah Sheng got on his feet and let out a powerful roar. Then, he opened his mouth and sucked all the yin souls created from the dead brigands into his stomach.

    Not done yet, Chen Ah Sheng dashed through a couple of buildings and destroyed them in the process. A series of rumblester, the Half-Step Grandmaster was nowhere to be found.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t try to chase Chen Ah Sheng down or stop him, however. He simply crossed his arms and waited patiently.

    About half a teatimeter, another thunderous roar broke out from deep within the forest. It sounded like it came from far, far away, but by the time the roar faded, a man descended from the sky andnded right in front of Ye Qing.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Once again, the ground rippled like water from the sheer force of Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s descent.

    ¡°Hahaha! Hahahahaha!¡± Chen Ah Sheng, or more urately, the Heartless Brain threw a couple skewers of heads[2] to the ground and dered, ¡°I¡¯ve located and killed all the Chaos Heaven Brigands who escaped for you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. That saved me a lot of time and effort.¡± Ye Qing nodded approvingly while examining the heads for a bit. He could tell that the Heartless Brain had ripped their heads right off their shoulders, and everyone¡¯s faces were frozen in varying expressions of shock, pain, and terror.

    Some of the heads belonged to prominent figures in the Chaos Heaven Brigands such as the ¡°Formidable Vajrapani¡± Hu Yanzhuo, the generals of the Thirteen Armies and so on.

    ¡°Hehe, aren¡¯t you worried that I would run away, brother?¡± The Heartless Brain asked while shaking his head and cracking his neck.

    ¡°We are brothers, aren¡¯t we? I believe you won¡¯t do such a thing.¡± Ye Qing smiled confidently. ¡°Would you?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... of course not! As you say, we are brothers now. Why would I do such an unbrotherly thing?¡± The Heartless Brain guffawed, though he was swearing on the inside.

    In fact, he was plotting to run away. When they made the oath, Ye Qing had not specified that he must stay by his side. He only specified that he must never harm him in any way, and that he must help him to his fullest capabilities when he needed him.

    The crux of this matter was awareness. If Ye Qing needed him to save his life, then he would need to do everything in his power to save Ye Qing. If Ye Qing needed him to serve him wine, then he would need to perform to the best of his abilities. However, this was only possible if he was aware that Ye Qing needed his help. If Ye Qing was, say, a thousand kilometers away from him, and the young man couldn¡¯t contact him during his time of need for whatever reason, then it was hardly his fault that he couldn¡¯t help Ye Qing, right?

    This was a loophole the Heartless Brain identified immediately when he swore the oath to the Oathbearer. Theoretically, he could go into hiding far, far away from Ye Qing, and he wouldn¡¯t need to do anything for the young man. It wouldn¡¯t count as breaking his oath.

    Of course, the odds were nted against him because Ye Qing and the Oathbearer shared a good rtionship with each other. If the Oathbearer decided to be biased and punish him, then he would be a sad, sad Stranger. Still, he thought that his freedom was worth a gamble.

    But no more. When he left just now, he had used his innate magic to check if Ye Qing had done something to him while he was switching bodies. Strangely, he couldn¡¯t find anything not because Ye Qing hadn¡¯t done anything, but because the rivers of fate werepletely muddied. He couldn¡¯t glimpse into that particr time and ce at all.

    This was very, very bad. If he was able to glimpse into the rivers of fate, then he wouldn¡¯t be nearly as worried. He was certain he would be able to resolve whatever insurance Ye Qing had nted in him to control him. But since he couldn¡¯t see anything at all, he had no idea what kind of insurance Ye Qing had nted in him, or if he had done anything to him at all.

    There was nothing scarier in this world than the unknown. If he knew what Ye Qing had done to him, then he could be working to solve it. Where there''s a will, there''s a way. But how could he solve something he knew nothing about? It was simply impossible.

    Unwilling to gamble against unknown odds, the Heartless Brain had no choice but to return to Ye Qing¡¯s side. At the same time, his evaluation of Ye Qing had climbed to a new level. The young man¡¯s intelligence and methods were all above average, leaving him no choice but to treat him with the utmost caution and respect.

    1. I¡¯ll try to avoid confusion, but remember that the Heartless Brain is technically only HALF a brain, not the whole thing. I think he squeezes out the back half of the victim¡¯s brain and upies it, which is why he can adapt to a body immediately. ?

    2. You read that right. ?

 Chapter 387: Severing Karma

    Chapter 387: Severing Karma

    ¡°Oh? What perfect timing! That bitch is finally divining Corpse Child¡¯s cause of death.¡±

    Suddenly, Heartless Brain let out an odd, somewhat crazed cackle. This was easily the most excited Ye Qing had ever seen him. ¡°Hehehe¡­ the payback is gonna be sweet.¡±

    Countless transparent threads appeared in the Heartless Brain¡¯s eyes, interweaving and changing all the time. A few breathster, the Heartless Brain raised his palm and swung it downward like he was wielding a de.

    The hand knife looked weak, but the world shuddered a little as if someone had touched on its foundation. At the same time, Ye Qing sensed something indescribable vanishing from his body.

    Meanwhile, inside an extravagant pce, a handsome young man with long hair was lyingzily in between a pair of scantily-dressed, extremely sexy women. He was wearing a dark green-colored long robe.

    He was fondling one woman¡¯s breast with one hand and moving his fingers rapidly with the other. He looked like he was calcting something.

    The woman he was fondling was blushing so hard that her entire face was red. Her eyes were full of lust and desire as well. Her lips parted slightly like she might moan at any moment, but she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound for fear of interrupting the young man.

    Suddenly, the young man froze and turned blue and white in the face. A secondter, he abruptly spat a mouthful of reddish ck blood right against one of the women, dying her milky white skin red like a begonia.

    ¡°Are you alright, Mistress?¡±

    ¡°Do you need help, Mistress?¡±

    Both women immediately looked at the young man[1] with concern.

    ¡°Who could sever all karma rting to Corpse Child and muddy the rivers of fate in an instant?¡±

    The young man¡¯s face took a tinge of wine red color after throwing up the blood. Like ayer of makeup, it temporarily concealed his masculine features and gave him a feminine look instead.

    ¡°It takes a powerful being to perform such a deed, but Corpse Child isn¡¯t a brainless retard. He would never provoke a formidable enemy of his own ord.¡±

    The young man sneered. ¡°This means that the Heartless Brain is most likely the suspect. Did he manage to kill Corpse Child and One Horn? Interesting¡­ Still, did you really think you could escape me?¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Back at Chaos Heaven Mountain, the Heartless Brain yelled excitedly after making the cutting motion, ¡°Hahaha! I bet that bitch is spitting blood right now! No way he could take a rebound from the rivers of fate without suffering some damage!¡±

    ¡°Say, would you like him to suffer some more?¡± Ye Qing asked with a devilish grin.

    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± The Stranger immediately looked at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing produced the purse Greeke had given him and asked, ¡°You recognize what is inside this purse, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The Seventh Young Master?!¡± The Heartless Brain eximed in pleasant surprise. ¡°What is your n?¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°That bitch doesn¡¯t know that his so-called son, a Soul Eater, is in our hands, right? What do you think he will do if I kill him?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll try to divine why he died, of course!¡± The Heartless Brain blurted out.

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Exactly. This means you get to screw that bitch over a second time.¡±

    ¡°A wonderful idea! Kill him now!¡± The Heartless Brain urged.

    ¡°As you wish.¡±

    Ye Qing opened the purse, and the Soul Eater who was the Seventh Young Master immediately tried to escape. But of course, his effort waspletely futile. Using his hand like a saber, Ye Qing executed the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± and caused him to burst into mes immediately.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The Soul Eater let out a bloodcurdling scream and dissolved into ash just like that. He never even managed to leave behind some parting words.

    Ye Qing smiled after killing the Seventh Young Master. He was just wondering how he should deal with this hot potato when the solution fell into hisp. He loved it when everything was going his way.

    ¡°Here hees! He¡¯sing back for another dicking!¡±

    The Heartless Brain¡¯s face was red with excitement as he drew out the moment for a dozen breaths or so. Ye Qing could hear him muttering to himself, ¡°Stay cool, me. Stay cool. I¡¯ll wait until thest possible moment before severing the threads of karma. How satisfying it would be for me, and how frustrating it would be for him when he was denied release at thest moment? Hehehehehehehe!¡±

    The Heartless Brain¡¯s pervertedughter resounded throughout the mountains for a time.

    ¡­¡­

    Inside the pce, the young man¡¯s face had returned to normal. He waszing about when suddenly, he started counting on one hand again. ¡°Strange? Seventh is dead as well.¡±

    ¡°Who is the bastard who murdered my son? They must pay the price.¡±

    The young man¡¯s fingers moved quickly as some sort of indescribable energy rippled out of his hand again and again. A small smile crossed his lips as his divination approached the final stage.

    Suddenly, his smile stiffened, and his face turned as white as paper. Then¡ª

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The young man started bleeding pitch ck blood from every orifice. His smooth, tender skin began withering like a nt that someone had forgotten to water for days, his hair turned white at an astonishing rate, his face was covered in wrinkles in just the blink of an eye, and his hands turned as thin as twigs.

    The temperature inside the pce had nosedived in an instant as well, so much so that the floor was covered in a thickyer of frost.

    ¡°Mistress!¡±

    ¡°Mistress!¡±

    Both women flew into panic. They had no idea what they should do.

    <em>Seventh¡¯s threads of karma are severed as well? Is it the Heartless Brain again? But no, that can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no reason for them to be together.</em>

    The young man who was young no longerpletely lost hisckadaisical atttitude. He looked angry and overflowing with the promise of violence. But instead of sumbing to his impulses, he grabbed one of the panicking women and let out a strange cackle, ¡°No need to be afraid, pretty¡­¡±

    The young man ignored the woman¡¯s struggles and kissed her in the lips. She began aging rapidly. Her flesh grew soft and thin, her skin turned saggy, and her hair turned gray at an astonishing rate. On the other hand, the young man was turning young again. It was like someone was reversing his time while elerating the woman¡¯s.

    A short whileter, the woman had turned into a white-haired grandma who had lost most of her teeth. She was still alive, however. The young man now looked like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties. His skin was still wrinkled and saggy, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as it was before.

    The young man dropped the old woman on the floor and looked at the other woman. The woman finally snapped out of her shock, screamed, and ran toward the exit.

    ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t have done that. Bad girls get punished, you know?¡± The young man said with a chuckle. His voice was full of allure, temptation, and something else. It was because the woman suddenly stopped in her tracks, turned around, and slowly shambled her way back to the young man as if someone had stolen her mind.

    When she finally went back to the bed, the young man kissed her and sucked her life force much, much faster than when he sucked the first woman. Just a few breathster, the woman had turned into a skeleton.

    The young man now looked like an adult in his thirties. A careless person might even say he looked exactly the same as before, though a closer look would reveal that there were strands of silver in his jet ck hair, and hisplexion was unnaturally red.

    ¡°Second!¡± The young man dropped the skeleton to the ground and called out. There was a painting hung on the wall of the pce, and it showcased a man and a woman. The man was devilishly handsome, and the woman was angelically beautiful. They were standing with their backs facing toward each other.

    The pose wasn¡¯t particrly unusual, but what was definitely strange was the fact that their backs were joined together. It was as if they were conjoined twins sharing the same body.

    When the man and woman heard the young man¡¯s cry, they turned their heads and walked out of the painting. The man was at the front, and the woman at the back.

    The moment they left the painting, the picturesque background of the painting¡ªlush trees, colorful flowers, vibrant beasts and free birds¡ªbegan withering at an rming rate. The nts wilted, the animals rotted, the mountains turned barren, the river dried, and ghosts were everywhere.

    It was as if the world inside the painting had plunged into hell in an instant.

    ¡°Father!¡±

    The conjoined man and woman saluted the young man respectfully after they stepped out of the painting.

    ¡°Second, I need you to head to the yang world and grab me some women. Remember, they must be pure ying in nature, and they should be young and beautiful. I¡¯ll be able to recover faster that way,¡± the young man instructed.

    ¡°As youmand, father,¡± The two ghosts replied.

    ¡°Also, lock down Jade Splendor Pce immediately. No one, not even the head may enter without my permission. Just say that I¡¯m currently unavable because I¡¯m in closed door cultivation. I will not let those bitches see me like this.¡±

    ¡°Be quick.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± Both man and woman answered at the same time. The way their voices ovepped with each other made it sound like they were singing a tune.

    ¡°I have full confidence in you, Second.¡± The young man smiled. ¡°Also, your older brother, Corpse Child is dead. That means you¡¯re my First now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, father,¡± the two people replied, though their voices were devoid of emotion.

    ¡°Good. Now go. Don¡¯t make me wait too long,¡± The young man said a bit tiredly and waved them away.

    After saluting their father, the man and woman walked toward the painting once more. This time, it was the woman who led the way.

    After they returned to the painting, they kept walking until they werepletely gone from the painting. It was almost as if the painting wasn¡¯t a painting, but a portal to another world.

    ¡°Hmph! No one gets to kill my children and get away with it. They will pay the price eventually,¡± the young man uttered while caressing his dull-looking skin. His voice was full of hatred and the promise of vengeance.

    ¡°And I will get whoever did this to me.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Ahahahaha! That bitch lost three sons[2] in a row and still failed to track us down! Do you think he¡¯d do us a favor and die from sheer anger?¡±

    The Heartless Brain was giggling like he was crazy. ¡°Nah, that would be asking too much. That bitch is a coward who treasures his life more than anything else. He won¡¯t die, but he¡¯s definitely going to throw up a lot of blood and grow old and wrinkly. Wahahahaha! It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t be there to witness his decline myself, or this would be the perfect ending.¡±

    Ye Qing paid no attention to the Heartless Brain¡¯s antics. After scanning the mountain and confirming that there was no human or ghost in the area except him and the Heartless Brain, he brought down his left hand and summoned the Netherme.

    The Netherme could burn anything and everything. It couldn¡¯t be extinguished by wind or water either. It wasn¡¯t long before it burned all of the corpses on the mountain into ash.

    After that, Ye Qing walked around the mountain[3] and scanned the areas beyond the mountain just in case he missed someone. When he confirmed that all was well, he finally returned to the Heartless Brain and said, ¡°Alright, we can leave now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! We should find an inn and celebrate our victory!¡± The Heartless Brain chirped happily.

    However, the Stranger had just taken a few steps when a thought urred to him, ¡°Wait, we can¡¯t leave yet! We haven¡¯t paid the Chaos Heaven Brigand¡¯s treasury a visit! It¡¯ll be a waste to leave now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    1. For those who forgot, the master of the Ghost Tower is basically gender fluid. Or if you ask the Heartless Brain, someone who¡¯s neither man enough to be a man or woman enough to be a woman. ?

    2. I think One Horn is included in it even though it wasn¡¯t expressly said that One Horn is one of his sons. ?

    3. Remember, a warrior can cover a lot of distance with one step, so even though he¡¯s walking he¡¯s still moving very quickly. ?

 Chapter 388: Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra

    Chapter 388: Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra

    ¡°Have you¡­ been to the treasury already?¡± The Heartless Brain eximed in surprise.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    Of course he had visited the treasury already. While the Heartless Brain was hunting down the stragglers, he got bored and decided to pay the treasury a visit and swipe everyst valuable inside it. And thanks to Hu Fengsan¡¯s memories, the looting didn¡¯t take much time at all.

    The explosive talismans he set were powerful enough to set the granary and the treasury on fire, but not nearly enough to blow up the whole thing. This was especially true for the treasury where the Chaos Heaven Brigands¡¯ greatest treasures were stored. Naturally, nothing of real value was harmed.

    Although the Chaos Heaven Mountain was just one of the Chaos Heaven Brigands¡¯ bases and not their real headquarters, there was a surprising amount of good stuff in here such as Strange Artifacts, various tools and equipment, money, provisions, pills, martial arts manuals and more.

    Ye Qing had zero interest in the provisions, tools and mundane equipment. He took only the Strange Artifacts, martial arts manuals, pills, money and other valuables.

    Of course, Ye Qing didn¡¯t possess nearly enough Nature¡¯s Shells to store all of the items. Heck, the money alone could fill up an entire Nature¡¯s Shell and more. Luckily, Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell had a big enough space to store all of the items.

    Ye Qing had swiped Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell while he was moving the Heartless Brain over to his body. In fact, he had stripped off his gloves, which was a Strange Artifact, and other valuables as well. By now, he had looted enough bodies that the work felt like second nature to him.

    On a rted note, Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell was no ordinary Nature¡¯s Shell. In fact, it was one of the best Strange Artifacts Ye Qing had ever obtained. He called it ¡°a¡± Nature¡¯s Shell, when in reality it was nine Nature¡¯s Shells bound together by a chain bracelet. Each Nature¡¯s Shell was a superior-grade Nature¡¯s Shell with a space that was dozens of times bigger than the best Nature¡¯s Shell Ye Qing possessed. Its value couldn¡¯t be understated.

    The bracelet¡¯s name was Nine Heavens. It was probably referring to the fact that the owner of the bracelet might never run out of ce to store their items.

    With Nine Heavens, Ye Qing only needed to use three Nature¡¯s Shell to store everything he took from the treasury.

    To be fair though, the items inside the treasury were nothing to write home about. The really, really good stuff were already stored in Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s Nine Heavens. Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s Trueman-stage cultivation art, the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±, was an obvious example. There were various Spirit Purification stage to Spirit Master stage martial arts such as the ¡°Sky Piercing Fist of the Sage¡±, the ¡°Staff That Overturns Rivers and Seas¡±, and the ¡°Sky Star Palm¡±.

    As for medicine, the Temptation Breaching Pill of Heavens and the Water of Insight could aid a Spirit Master in entering the Trueman stage. Chen Ah Sheng also had a couple of Hatred-ss Strange Artifacts. Finally, the guy had a mountain of silvers, properties, deeds and more.

    Ye Qing could tell that Chen Ah Sheng had made a lot of preparations to enter the Trueman stage and be a Grandmaster. Too bad for the fucker, it all belonged to Ye Qing now.

    ¡°Brother Ye, you¡­ are a very fast man, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Heartless Brain sighed helplessly after a long moment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a greedy man. I¡¯ll give you the reward you deserve when I¡¯m done tallying everything,¡± Ye Qing said with a smirk.

    <em>If you¡¯re going to do that, then you wouldn¡¯t have taken Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s stuff!</em>The Heartless Brainined inside his own head. Since he took over Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s brain, he naturally inherited his memories as well. As such, he knew very well that the Half-Step Grandmaster¡¯s Nine Heavens was where the greatest valuables of the Chaos Heaven Brigands were stored.

    If he still had the Nine Heavens, then he most likely could¡¯ve kept the best items to himself. But now, it was toote. He couldn¡¯t ask Ye Qing for the items because the young man had already allowed him to upy Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s body. If he made such a request, it would make him look greedy and ungrateful.

    It might look like he and Ye Qing shared a cooperative rtionship right now, but in reality he was subordinate to him. In fact, his life was partially in Ye Qing¡¯s hands. He had to be careful. It wasn¡¯t worth risking death over some items.

    ¡°There¡¯s one thing you should know if you really are nning to reward me. Although I can use Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s power, I am not him in terms of body and mind. Therefore, it is impossible for me to cultivate my strength and be stronger, meaning that martial arts manuals and the like are useless to me. Therefore, you should give me Strange Artifacts that I may use to protect myself or attack my enemies and some money. It¡¯s been a long time since I enjoyed the food and wine of humanity, and even longer since I fuc¡­ ahem¡­¡±

    The Heartless Brain trailed off with an awkward cough before he could say something he would regret.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t worry. Chen Ah Sheng didn¡¯t have much stuff[1], but the one thing he didn¡¯tck was money. I promise you you¡¯ll be able to eat and drink to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Good, good!¡± The Heartless Brain guffawed. ¡°Oh right, now that I¡¯m technically a human, I should have a human name as well. What do you think I should call myself, Brother Ye? I¡¯d like to have an awe-inspiring name, but ah, please don¡¯t give me a name like ¡®Batian¡¯ (Dominate The Heavens) or ¡®Wudi¡¯ (Invincible). It¡¯s too overt and distasteful, you see.¡±

    Ye Qing mulled over the matter for a moment before answering, ¡°The body¡¯s surname is Chen, and your original name has ¡®Wuxin¡¯ (Heartless) in it. How does Chen Wuxin sound?¡±

    ¡°Chen Wuxin? The world is heartless, and so am I! Very well!¡± The Heartless Brainughed heartily. ¡°From now on, my name is Chen Wuxin!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    <em>¡°The crux of the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯ lies in the word ¡®tempering¡¯. And how do you temper oneself? You do it by going through the stances and practicing the fists. You will use your fist to vitalize your blood, nurture your body, hone your muscles, and toughen your bones. When you have honed every part of your body to perfection, then you would have entered the adept level.¡±</em>

    Inside a guest room, Ye Qing was recalling the passages inside the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± and walking around in measured, precise steps. Sometimes, he would lie down on the floor. Sometimes, he would dash from wall to wall. Sometimes, he would climb up a furniture or two, and sometimes, he would hang off the ceiling. To put it simply, he was acting like an ape.

    When he was still, he was so still that someone could walk into the room and not see him unless he happened to be right in front of them. When he was moving, it was like the heavens had called down the thunder. He was perfectly in control of his actions and could flow from form to form like water. It was quite the graceful sight.

    Ye Qing was currently practicing the stances of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±. The ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Stance¡± was a moving stance that required him to be moving constantly instead of holding a pose like a normal stance.

    Three repetitionster, sweat was rising off Ye Qing¡¯s skin like steam. His blood flow was so loud that it was like a train was running through his veins.

    The next moment, Ye Qing threw a punch at the empty air in front of him like a spirit ape who was battling a mortal enemy. He would cut, sh, strangle, smash, w or even headbutt his imaginary enemy like a wild beast, and there was no part of his body that he wouldn¡¯t use to gain the upper hand.

    Over time, Ye Qing¡¯s movements grew faster, wilder and more aggressive. After all, he didn¡¯t want to be a spirit ape. He wanted to be a spirit ape who had transformed into a demon ape, one who would transform order into chaos, turn the world upside down, and even restart it anew with pure violence and bloodthirst.

    Considering how powerful and aggressive his movements were, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he identally or intentionally tore the whole ce down. In reality, not a single piece of furniture or brick was harmed.

    What Ye Qing was practicing now was a fist art that came attached with the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±. It was called the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡±.

    There were nine forms and thirty six variations in the martial art. Each form targeted the skin, flesh, bone and internal organs with purpose and precision and honed a practitioner from outside to inside.

    Obviously, the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡± could also be used to battle against foes. Earlier, Chen Ah Sheng had transformed into the Chaos Demon Ape and used the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡± to rip the one-horned giant to shreds and deal Corpse Child a grievous blow. Had luck been on his side, he might even be able to kill both ghosts and im the victory.

    But of course, the main application of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡± was still the tempering of one¡¯s body. Assuming he reached the end of this cultivation art, his body would enter the Trueman stage, and he would gain the ability to transform into the Chaos Demon Ape[2]. He would be impervious to most weapons, immune to water and fire, and overflowing with strength and vitality.

    The ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡± could not reach its full potential unless the practitioner had transformed into the Chaos Demon Ape. In other words, the Chaos Demon Ape was the foundation, and the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡± the art.

    The reason Ye Qing was practicing the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± was to forge his own Chaos Demon Ape Body.

    Since entering the<em>jianghu,</em>he had stumbled across all kinds of opportunities and forged a body that was stronger than most body-tempering warriors. However, he had never trained using a pure body-tempering cultivation art.

    He had wanted to obtain a body-tempering cultivation art for a long time. Sure, his strength and bodily control were no weaker than a pure body-tempering warrior¡¯s, but ultimately, he was relying on his gifted body and his instincts to do most of the hard work. He had never truly trained in the ways of a body-tempering warrior, and what Gu Suitang taught him were techniques, not cultivation. As such, he was unable to unleash the full potential of his body like an actual body-tempering warrior could. He was like an uneducated miser who had no idea how to spend the mountain of wealth he possessed properly.

    Moreover, his body had hit a bottleneck a while ago. It would take a tremendous amount of effort and time to progress to the next stage. Like a piece of refined steel that had been refined countless times already, the only way it might be refined further was to find a better cksmith, a bigger hammer, and a hotter me.

    A suitable body-tempering cultivation art was the cksmith, hammer and me all wrapped up in one. The better the body-tempering cultivation art, the bigger the boost.

    The ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± was the ultimate art of the Chaos Demon Tempering Sect, one of the thirty six unorthodox sects. It was a cultivation art that could carry a warrior all the way to the Trueman stage and make them a Grandmaster. Once they had sessfully forged their Chaos Demon Ape Body, they could supposedly carry mountains, wield an entire hill as a weapon, cut rivers and so on. Long story short, it was incredibly powerful.

    The ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± was how Chen Ah Sheng went from a perfectly ordinary refugee to one of the most notorious brigands in the<em>jianghu.</em>

    Out of all the valuables Chen Ah Sheng possessed, the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± was easily the most valuable of them all. It was why he didn¡¯t hesitate to study the cultivation art as soon as he got his hands on it.

    The entry level of the cultivation art was entry level, but the farther the practitioner got, the bigger the cost became. It took an obscene amount of natural treasures to sustain it.

    As the leader of the Chaos Heaven Brigands, Chen Ah Sheng had obtained a lot of natural treasures through countless raids and plunderings. Despite this, he never managed to enter the adept level of the cultivation art before he died. Because of this, the Chaos Demon Ape Body he transformed into wasn¡¯t perfect, and he wasn¡¯t able to be a Grandmaster either. Otherwise, his battle with Corpse Child would¡¯ve turned out very differently.

    This problem was nothing to Ye Qing, however. Everything he might need was right inside his cheat, the Annon Sutra. The gray runes replenished his vigor, and the silver runes replenished his true qi. The runes were better than natural treasures in every way not only because they were tailored to a specific aspect of the body, but also because he didn¡¯t need to run all over the world to collect them. He simply needed to kill Strangers to gather more. In short, they were perfect to cultivate the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±.

    Thanks to the dragon-serpent runes, it took him only ten or so days to enter the journeyman level. Not only that, he now had the strength of seven dragon elephants.

    Of course, part of the reason he was improving so quickly was because his body was incredibly strong. It was only natural that he improved quickly.

    Chen Ah Sheng had taken five years to reach the journeyman stage. If he knew that Ye Qing had reached the milestone in just ten days, he would probably retire and return home to be a farmer on the spot.

    <em>Pop pop pop pop pop!</em>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s bones popped like a series of thunderps, and the silhouettes, fist intent and force within the room disappeared like they were never there. Standing at the center of the room, Ye Qing sucked all of the air inside the room into his stomach like a dragon.

    1. Yes, he¡¯s lying through his teeth. ?

    2. Before anyone asks, partial or imperfect transformation is possible. ?

 Chapter 389: Monk, Taoist, Woman and Child

    Chapter 389: Monk, Taoist, Woman and Child

    ¡°This ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯ really is quite something.¡±

    Satisfaction and delight danced in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes when he opened them. He was now at least twice as strong as he was ten days ago.

    It was already bright outside when he opened the windows. Ye Qing half-lidded his eyes and basked in the warmth of the sun, the delicious scent of food, and the sight of people traveling along the street.

    ¡°Brother Chu and Brother Lin should arrive today or tomorrow.¡±

    After he left Chaos Heaven Mountain, he had written an anonymous letter and reported the Human Pill incident of Red Sand Vige to the local Pacification Bureau. Then, he traveled south, bypassing Qing He and He Jian [1], and reached Tian Yong.

    With Chen Wuxin guarding him, he didn¡¯t encounter any danger or people stupid enough to challenge a Half-Step Grandmaster. They were able to reach Tian Yong without any troubles.

    They were currently staying in one of the cities located next to Tian Yong City known as West Yong. It was named so because it was located to the northwest of Tian Yong City. It was a very prosperous city.

    In fact, they had arrived at West Yong two days ago. The reason they hadn¡¯t entered Tian Yong City yet was because Chen Wuxin caught wind of the so-called Three Musts of West Yong and insisted that they enjoyed them all. Ye Qing was thinking that it was safer to meet up with his threepanions in West Yong than Tian Yong City as well, which was why he ultimately decided to stay for a bit.

    The so-called Three Musts of West Yong was one, the roasted squab pigeon of Yong He Inn; two, the tea and wine of Clear Heart Teahouse; and three, the Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers Dance of the Beauty Pageant Pce.

    Ye Qing had tried out the roasted squab pigeon, the tea and the wine with Chen Wuxin already. He had to admit that they more than deserved their fame. He didn¡¯t watch the Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers Dance, however. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to broaden his horizons, but because the show was way, way too popr.

    As the day of the Hidden Dragon Meet grew closer and closer, more and more people were flooding into Tian Yong and its surrounding cities. There were independent warriors, sect elites, n disciples, strange people practicing entric arts, schrs and more.

    It wasn¡¯t every day these people traveled to distantnds, so of course they wanted to enjoy everything those distantnds had to offer. This was why the queue of people wanting to watch the Raiment of Rainbows and Feathers Dance stretched from the entrance of Beauty Pageant Pce all the way to the city entrance.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, every single attendee was a wealthy and authoritative figure, so he literally couldn¡¯t abuse his status and cut the line even if he wanted to. By the time it was his turn, the Hidden Dragon Meet would have begun already. That was why he chose to opt out of the show.

    Chen Wuxin didn¡¯t care about the wait though. He was willing to wait for days if it meant watching the dance, or more urately, the gorgeous beauties performing the dance.

    He didn¡¯t know how badly Chen Wuxin had suffered in Fengdu, but he cut himself loosepletely after arriving at civilization. To say that he ate, drank, and yed to his heart¡¯s content would be an understatement. It was like he was trying to make up for all the suffering he had endured in Fengdu. As such, he had spent over one thousand silvers in just ten days. If they didn¡¯t have the money from the Chaos Heaven Brigands, Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t have been able to sustain his lifestyle.

    ¡°Time to eat!¡±

    Ye Qing was feeling a little hungry since he had been practicing the whole night. So, he went downstairs to grab some food.

    The dining hall was already jam-packed with people when he arrived. It was loud and noisy.

    Ye Qing swept his gaze across the area but could not find any empty table. In fact, there were only a handful of empty seats, and there was a reason why those seats had remained empty.

    The table near the window to the southeast corner was upied by a monk with a broad head andrge ears. He looked like a friendly dude, but the bloody monk¡¯s knifeid on the table told a different story. The food on the table wasn¡¯t vegetarian either. They were all fish and meat. Not a speck of green could be spotted anywhere.

    Seated at the table next to the monk was a mother and her son. It was impossible to tell the woman¡¯s age since her face was covered up by a veil, but she had an hourss figure that drew plenty of gazes anyway. The child was about seven or eight years old, and he looked as cute and adorable as one might imagine.

    A schr was upying an entire table to the north wall. No one tried to share his table because hisplexion was sickly yellow, and he kept coughing like he was gripped by some sort of terrible disease. His saliva and snot were all over the table and the food.

    The schr didn¡¯t care though. He continued to eat his food at a leisurely pace.

    Finally, an elderly Taoist was seated at the table at the corner of the west wall. A small banner with the words, ¡°Unerring Predictions¡± written on the g was set against the wall. Strangely, three additional sets of tware besides the Taoist¡¯s were set on the table. There was rice, vegetables and meat in the bowls as well. The end of the chopsticks were facing toward the seat instead of the other way around[2].

    Generally speaking, there was one taboo most warriors obeyed no matter their affiliation and beliefs: Stay away from monks, Taoists, women and children unless absolutely necessary. It was because these four types of people usually didn¡¯t get involved with the<em>jianghu.</em>If they did, then they most likely possessed strength to protect themselves; the power to make an aggressor regret their decision should they choose to attack them.

    Currently, three of the four tables were upied by the type of people Ye Qing should theoretically stay away at all costs. Thest table was upied by a schr, but that schr was obviously ill and coughing so hard that his spittle and snot were all over the table. Forget sharing a table with him, even looking at his table was enough to diminish Ye Qing¡¯s appetite.

    A moment of considerationter, Ye Qing walked up to the monk and saluted him respectfully. ¡°Venerable Bhante, it would seem that there are no avable tables at the moment. May I share a table with you?¡±

    There was zero chance he was sharing a table with the schr, and the Taoist¡¯s table looked¡­ upied. However, it didn¡¯t feel right to share a table with the woman and her son either, so Ye Qing ultimately chose to impose on the monk.

    ¡°I don¡¯t own this inn. Feel free to sit wherever you please,¡± the monk replied without looking up from his food.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ye Qing sat down on a chair and asked with a smile, ¡°My surname is Ye. May I know your dharma name, Venerable Bhante?¡±

    ¡°Boy, I came here to eat, not to make chit-chat. Haven¡¯t you heard that all troubles in the world originate from the mouth?¡± The monk replied impatiently.

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right. My apologies, Venerable Bhante,¡± Ye Qing apologized. He didn¡¯t take offense because the monk was right. They were here to eat, not to make friends. He was only being polite.

    A momentter, the waiter served Ye Qing the food and wine he ordered. He drank as he ate and was generally having the time of his life.

    Suddenly, the monk sitting opposite him spoke up. ¡°What wine is that? It smells pretty nice. Do you mind offering me a cup?¡±

    ¡°Do you drink too, Venerable Bhante?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m eating meat, aren¡¯t I? Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to drink?¡± The monk dered uncaringly. ¡°Now give me some wine, will you?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Ye Qing poured the monk a cup of wine. The monk licked his lips happily after downing it in one gulp. Hemented, ¡°The wine is strong but not dry. It has a smooth, rich taste as well. How fine!¡±

    ¡°Give me another cup¡ªno, a cup is too small. It justcks a punch. Give me a full bowl, please.¡±

    Ye Qing nced back and forth between his jar and the monk¡¯s ridiculouslyrge bowl. He was pretty sure that he could pour the whole thing in and not fill up even half of the bowl. So, he said, ¡°Since you enjoy this wine so much, you may have it all. Take it as my thanks for allowing me to share a table with you.¡± ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re a good one, boy!¡± The monk dered and epted the wine without any hesitation. Then, he drank greedily directly from the jar.

    It took the monk only a few gulps to down the whole jar of wine into his stomach. Once done, he let out an alcoholic breath and dered, ¡°It truly is a fine wine! It¡¯s too bad there¡¯s only one jar, but eh, whatever.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I shan¡¯t bully you any longer. Take this as payment for your wine.¡±

    The monk tossed something in Ye Qing¡¯s direction. When Ye Qing caught it and took a look, he noticed that it was a jade thumb ring; an incredibly rare emerald green jade too. It felt smooth and warm to touch. Clearly, it was a well-worn ring.

    Ye Qing tried to return the ring. ¡°This is too much. I can¡¯t possibly ept this.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it when people reject it. I gave it to you, so just take it!¡± The monk snarled while staring at Ye Qing with hisrge, bloodshot eyes. Such was his demeanor that Ye Qing wondered if the monk would attack him if he insisted on rejecting the gift.

    ¡°In that case¡­ thank you very much, Venerable Bhante,¡± Ye Qing replied with a wry chuckle. Plenty of people had tried to rob him, but this was the first time someone forced him to ept a gift.

    Ye Qing put the thumb ring into his shirt instead of Nine Heavens. There was no reason to show off the Nature¡¯s Shell and garner unnecessary attention. It was at this moment he heard a loud voice asking,

    ¡°Are you a fortune teller, Taoist?¡±

    Ye Qing looked. Two slightly drunken<em>jianghu</em>warriors were standing next to the old Taoist.

    ¡°Would you like me to tell your fortune?¡± The old Taoist looked up from his food and asked.

    ¡°What else? It¡¯s not like you have wine to share with us!¡± A man with a thick, gnarly beard grunted with a loud burp. ¡°I want you to check if the two of us are going to wow the world and be famous in the Hidden Dragon Meet.¡±

    ¡°You can do that, but are you aware of my rule?¡± The fortune teller asked.

    ¡°Rule? What rule?¡± The bearded man abruptly swept the other three sets of tware to the floor and exploded, ¡°Just tell us our fortune already! Otherwise, I will punch out all the teeth in your mouth!¡±

    ¡°Quickly,¡± the thin, small man standing next to the bearded man also urged.

    ¡°Fortune and misfortune are perfectly objective. It is the man who decides what befalls them. Since you must find out your fortune, then find out I shall.¡±

    The fortune teller didn¡¯t get angry with the guy¡¯s rude behavior, however. He examined his facial features for a moment before starting, ¡°You have arge forehead, and that is usually a lucky sign. However, your center is spread out in a way that suggests that you are unable to keep your fortune despite being born fortunate. From this, I can infer that you are born in a powerful, wealthy family, butter in life, your family experienced a major decline, and you are forced to set out and make a living for yourself.¡±

    The bearded man turned beet red and shouted,¡°Shut up! I asked you if we¡¯re going to be famous in the Hidden Dragon Meet, not dig up my past!¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, no. Neither of you will not be able to make a ssh in the Hidden Dragon Meet.¡± The fortune teller said, ¡°In fact, there is a dark spot that spans the center of your foreheads. This means that disaster awaits you two if you leave your abode.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, you stinking Taoist?¡± The small man immediately seized the old Taoist¡¯s cor and uttered angrily, ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to have a disaster if you keep talking nonsense!¡±

    ¡°I am just doing my job. It¡¯s not my problem if you don¡¯t believe my fortune telling.¡± The fortune teller gave a push, and the small man let go of his cor before he realized it.

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve told your fortune, it is your turn to fulfill your promise.¡±

    ¡°Promise? Since when did I promise you anything?¡± The bearded man looked confused.

    The Taoist picked up the banner he set against the wall and turned it around. As it turned out, the other side of the banner stated:

    ¡°A life for a fortune.¡±

    ¡°A life for a life? What does that mean?¡± The bearded man asked.

    ¡°It means that if you want me to tell your fortune, then you¡¯ll have to kill someone for me. A life for a fortune. It¡¯s not so difficult to understand, is it?¡± The fortune teller said slowly, ¡°Since I¡¯ve told your fortune, you now must kill someone for me.¡±

    ¡°You want me to kill someone for you? Dammit, you¡¯re not a fortune teller, you¡¯re just a crazy person!¡± The bearded manughed while shaking his head. ¡°What terrible luck. Oh well, I¡¯m feeling good today, so I shan¡¯t stain my mood with murder. Let¡¯s go, Si¡¯er.¡±

    The bearded man sneered and started toward the exit.

    In response, the fortune teller shook his head. ¡°Why me others when you won¡¯t save your own life.¡±

    As soon as the duo stepped out of the inn, the small man abruptly drew his knife. Then, he plunged it into the bearded man¡¯s back. He would do this a couple more times until his face was covered in blood.

    1. Both aremanderies. I initially thought they would be the same as their real life counterparts (which are counties) but that¡¯s not the case. ?

    2. If you couldn¡¯t tell from the clues, this most likely meant that the seats were upied by ghosts. ?

 Chapter 390: The Intelligence Department

    Chapter 390: The Intelligence Department

    [1]

    ¡°What are you doing, Guo Si? Have you gone mad?¡± The bearded man looked around and stared at the small man in shock and horror.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s mad, you vile, heartless murderer. Who¡¯s the one who killed his adopted brother for just a hundred gold, huh?¡± Guo Si snarled.

    ¡°How did you¡­ Who are you?¡± The bearded man¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°You want to know? You can ask those people you¡¯ve killed when you''ve gone to hell!¡± Guo Si snarled while plunging his knife into the bearded man¡¯s sr plexus once more.

    Unwilling to go down without a fight, the bearded man threw a palm strike at Guo Si¡¯s head. However, Guo Si easily dodged the attack and pulled his knife downward, eviscerating the bearded man and causing his intestines to spill all across the road.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ Someone¡­ Someone save me¡­¡±

    Desperation, regret, hatred and all kinds of emotions flitted across the bearded man¡¯s face as he extended a hand toward the inn entrance. He only managed two steps before the light in his eyes disappeared, and he copsed lifelessly on the floor.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ father, mother, I finally got revenge for you!¡± Guo Siughed loudly as he stared at the bearded man¡¯s corpse. Once done, he leaped into the air and tried to leave.

    He was in mid-air when suddenly, two crossbow bolts pierced through his legs and elicited a bloodcurdling scream from him. He immediately fell from the sky like a bird whose wings were clipped.

    The next moment, dozens of masked men wearing dark red, form-fitting outfits rushed out of the streets and rooftops. It took them no time to surround the inn.

    The group was pretty strong. The weakest of them was a Vessel Augmentor, and they were all pointing Astral Breaking Crossbows at the inn.

    The sudden incident terrified everyone, of course. No one seemed to know what to do.

    There were countless<em>jianghu</em>warriors who used a bow, but a crossbow was apletely different story. It was because crossbows were strictly regted weapons that only imperial officials were allowed to wield. If you ran into someone who uses a crossbow, chances were they were an imperial official.

    The people surrounding the inn all wielded Astral Breaking Crossbows, a type of weapon that could pierce through astral qi like paper. There was no doubt that they were members of the imperial court.

    This was the true reason everyone in the inn was panicking.

    <em>p! p! p!</em>

    Suddenly, a series of ps came from the second floor. Then, someone said, ¡°Unerring predictions, a life for a life. Your ability to tell fortunes is quite impressive, Fortune Taoist! But are you aware that you are also going to face a disaster today?¡±

    The people looked up. They saw a young man with somewhat feminine features smiling down on the Fortune Taoist from the stairs. He seemed to be in his twenties.

    Standing behind him were two men and a woman. One guy was plump, honest-looking, and full of smiles. He was the kind of person you take one look at and feel like smiling as well. The other guy was as skinny as a bamboo and looked like he hadn¡¯t eaten for days. He had long arms that reached down to his knees, and his finger bones were exceptionally t and wide. His hands were covered in calluses as well.

    The woman was in her thirties and looked fairly beautiful. However, she was dressed like a Taoist. She was wearing a Taoist robe, and her hair was tied up like a Taoist. She carried a sword behind her back and looked cold and indifferent.

    ¡°Doctors can¡¯t treat themselves, and people can¡¯t judge themselves objectively. Naturally, I never tell my own fortune,¡± the old Taoist named Fortune Taoist said slowly. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m a good man who always does good deeds. Why would I need to worry about disaster?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The young man looked on with amusement. ¡°You call taking a life for every life you save a good deed?¡¯

    ¡°You call killing an imperial official and stealing their wealth a good deed?¡±

    ¡°You call wiping out an entire family down to their animals a good deed?¡±

    ¡°You seriously think that a vile, monstrous murderer like you has any good karma?¡±

    ¡°I killed that official because he is corrupt and abuses thew for his own benefit. I stole his gold because he didn¡¯t use them in the right ce. And I killed his whole family because there isn¡¯t a single soul in that family who is good.¡±

    ¡°I killed those who deserved to die, made sure that the evil wouldn¡¯t spread, and did what is right. If this isn¡¯t good karma, then what is?¡± Fortune Taoist countered.

    ¡°What absolute nonsense and sophistry,¡± The young man scoffed. ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that everything you said is true. Even so, it is up to the imperial court to decide that official¡¯s fate, not you.¡±

    ¡°Imperial court? What could they possibly do?¡±

    Before the Fortune Taoist could react, the monk sitting opposite Ye Qing shoved a drumstick into his mouth and crushed both the flesh and the bones between his teeth. ¡°By the time the imperial court takes action, everyone in the realm would¡¯ve starved to death already.¡±

    ¡°The imperial court doesn¡¯t give a shit about corrupt officials. In that case, we¡¯ll take matters into our own hands!¡±

    ¡°All who are corrupt and abuse thew must die!¡±

    ¡°All who are selfish and malevolent must die!¡±

    ¡°All demons and monsters must die!¡±

    ¡°And all evils and dark spirits must die!¡±

    ¡°No wonder they call you the Killer Monk. Your bloodthirst is quite something.¡±

    The young man¡¯s scorn didn¡¯t change. ¡°But you¡¯re just a nobody. How dare you criticize the ways of the imperial court? You know nothing!¡±

    ¡°That¡ª<em>cough! Cough!</em>¡ªis wrong. The realm belongs not to the emperor or you. It belongs to the people. As the masters of this country, why can¡¯t we criticize the imperial court when they make a mistake?¡±

    ¡°You push us around as you please, but you won¡¯t allow us to criticize your behavior?¡±

    ¡°You turn a blind eye on a corrupt official, but you won¡¯t stand for it when we take matters into our own hands?¡±

    ¡°What kind of logic is that? Cough! Cough¡­¡±

    The schr argued between violent coughs. He sounded like he might cough out a heart or lung at any moment.

    ¡°More nonsense and sophistry! A family has family rules, and a country has countryws. That is how order is kept. If anyone can stick their nose into any business and do as they please, then what is the point ofw? How can order be maintained?¡± The young man narrowed his eyes. ¡°If we do things your way, then this realm would have plunged into chaos long ago!¡±

    ¡°You im that you¡¯re doing it for the people and good karma, but if that is true, you would¡¯ve reported those so-called corrupt officials to the imperial court and let them take action. You wouldn¡¯t take matters into your own hands, break thews, and disrupt the order.¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, you¡¯re just doing this to grow your fame and status.¡±

    ¡°Merchants chase profit, and warriors chase fame. Both are flies chasing after a pile of shit.¡± The young man let out a cold chuckle as he yed with his silk handkerchief. ¡°¡®The monk, Taoist and schr will deal with all the injustices in the world¡¯. It¡¯s a good slogan, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re just a bunch of deceivers and murderers.¡±

    The plump man standing behind the young man added smilingly, ¡°You¡¯re like whores trying to pretend that they haven¡¯t lost their chastity.¡±

    ¡°¡®The monk, Taoist and schr will deal with all the injustices in the world¡¯? It¡¯s them?¡±

    It would seem that the slogan was quite famous in Tian Yong, because subdued murmurs immediately broke out inside the inn.

    ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? The monk refers to Killer Monk, Bu Jie. He¡¯s a hot-tempered and fiercely righteous monk who would fly off his handle as soon as he sees injustice. The Taoist is Fortune Taoist, and he is incredibly good at telling one¡¯s fortune. However, he has a rule where in exchange for his service, his customers must help him in taking a life. Hence the slogan, ¡®A life for a fortune¡¯. The schr is the Sick Schr[2]. He calls himself the disciple of a sage, though no one knows if it¡¯s actually true. There is no one he hates more than a corrupt official, and he will kill any corrupt official he runs into.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re talking about them! I heard them annihting the Feng n of Qing He[3] and the newly appointed governor just a few days ago. How crazy are they to show up at West Yong of all ces?¡±

    ¡°The Feng n? I thought that the Feng n is a literary family? Why did they annihte the whole n including the women and the children?¡±

    ¡°This is just a rumor, but I heard that the Feng n colluded with the governor to raise the price of goods and bully theirpetitors around. Whatever their deal is, it isn¡¯t good.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then they did a good thing.¡±

    ¡°I agree, but annihting the whole n is a bit extreme, don¡¯t you think? What about the children? Surely they must be innocent?¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Fuck you and your bullshit! You officials are all as bad as each other! I will kill you and rid this world of your sins!¡±

    Bu Jie flew into a rage as soon as he heard the young man and the plump man¡¯s insults. Pushing off the floor with a might crack, he shot straight toward the young man like an arrow and swung his knife straight at his face. The de of the knife shone so brightly that it blinded most people.

    <em>ng!</em>

    There was a soft twang, and the power surrounding Bu Jie¡¯s knife disappeared. At the same time, Bu Jie was flung back even faster than when he charged the young man. After hended on the ground, he staggered backward and left behind footprints that were several inches deep and reeking some sort of cold energy. Bu Jie¡¯s weapon arm and knife was also covered in a thickyer of frost.

    ¡°The Great Supreme Yin Hand?! Who are you?¡±

    Fortune Taoist¡¯s expression grew a little severe. Bu Jie was a veteran Spirit Purifier, but the young man had dealt him a heavy blow in a single exchange. Clearly, their situation was more dire than he thought.

    The young man elegantly wiped his hand with his handkerchief while answering, ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I haven¡¯t introduced myself, have I? I am the inspector general of Tian Yong, Chu Renhe.¡±

    ¡°Inspector general? You¡¯re a member of the Intelligence Department?!¡± Fortune Taoist nched.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Chu Renhe chuckled.

    The murmurs inside the inn immediately rose an octave.

    <em>The Intelligence Department?</em>

    Ye Qing was caught off guard as well. Just like the Pacification Bureau, the Intelligence Department was the other department that answered directly to the emperor. But unlike the Pacification Bureau, they didn¡¯t deal with Strangers. Their main function was to keep a close eye on the nine provinces and four seas, handle all intelligence matters within the realm, and deal with<em>jianghu</em>matters.

    Everyone in the Intelligence Department was an elite just like the Pacification Bureau. However, they were far more enigmatic and secretive byparison. They had branches inmanderies and prefectures only, but not allmanderies had a branch. A branch was established only in territories that hosted a vast number of factions or was gued byplex circumstances.

    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that the Intelligence Department didn¡¯t have personnel nted in ces that didn¡¯t have a branch. There was a reason the Intelligence Department boasted that they knew what was going on in the nine provinces and the four seas at all times. Naturally, they had spies everywhere. They could be a peddler, a soldier, a helpless schr, a wealthy merchant, a powerful official, a famous warrior; your acquaintance, your best friend, or even your spouse.

    In fact, arge number of Pacification Sentinels were really spies nted by the Intelligence Department. Ye Qing wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if Gu Suitang and Fang Xiaoman told him one day that they were really members of the Intelligence Department.

    1. If you guys remember, this is the department that supposedly is one equal footing with the Pacification Bureau. You know what that means. ?

    2. Not to be confused with the one way back in Luo Yang even though they share the same moniker.. ?

    3. Pretty sure it¡¯s the Feng n whose young master tried to have Qi Xuanyun killed because he beat him. ?

 Chapter 391: Fierce Battle

    <h4>Chapter 391: Fierce Battle </h4>

    At the beginning, the first Chu emperor had established the Intelligence Department just to supervise corrupt officials and those who abused the people. Later, it was further developed by the Martial Emperor, Emperor Tai Kang and Emperor Xuan Hua to concentrate their power and undermine the ns, despots and sects guing their rule. Because of this, the Intelligence Department kept growing in power until they became one of the most powerful departments in Chu.

    Within the realm, they were responsible for supervising all officials and keeping an eye out for any signs of discord and unrest. Outside the realm, they spied on the empire¡¯s greatestpetitors: Yan, Qi and Wei.

    The Martial Emperor had ttened all the ns who might challenge the imperial court¡¯s rule within the realm, Emperor Gao Zong had silenced the <i>jianghu</i> with his sword, and Emperor Ying Zong repelled the invaders and established the roots of Chu. The Intelligence Department lurked in all of their shadows.

    One could say that the Intelligence Department was the emperor of Chu¡¯s eyes and ears. They were responsible for supervising the realm, keeping an eye on Chu¡¯s enemies, and knowing what was going on in the world. Their influence could be seen among the officials, the <i>jianghu </i>and the people, and one could even say that the Intelligence possessed the authority to stick their nose into anyone¡¯s business so long that they were human.

    As they were the emperor¡¯s personal guard and answered directly to him, they too were bestowed the power to be the judge, jury and executioner just like the Pacification Bureau. They could appeal directly to the emperor as well.

    Naturally, the Intelligence Department was loathed and feared by the <i>jianghu</i>, their fellow officials, and even the people.

    Since the Intelligence Department was derived from the supervisory authority the founder had established at the beginning, the old titles were maintained to this day. From top to bottom, the upper first rank title was called the Head of Intelligence, the upper second rank title was called the Minister of Works, the upper third rank title was called the Judicial Commissioner, the lower fourth rank title was called the Inspector General, and the lower fifth rank title was called the Inspector. Below that, there were shadow guards, spies, intelligencers and more.[1]

    These were just the official titles. There were unofficial titles that wielded tremendous authority but wasn¡¯t made known to the public. Not even Ye Qing, someone who should be in the know, knew too much about them.

    The young man imed that he was an Inspector General, so he was a lower upper fourth rank official. Since the Intelligence Department was directly subordinate to the emperor, all officials working for the Intelligence Department should be treated as if they were one rank higher than their actual rank, meaning that the young man should be treated as a lower third rank official. It would not be an exaggeration to say that hemanded thousands and thousands of people.

    <i>The Intelligence Department? No wonder they found us so quickly, </i>Fortune Taoist thought to himself. It was one thing if they were contending with bailiffs andmon bailiffs. They were confident they coulde and go as they pleased. But the Intelligence Department? Not at all.

    They weren¡¯t called one of the most powerful departments of Chu for nothing.

    Even if they managed to survive this crisis, what about the next? Attracting the Intelligence Department¡¯s attention was like attracting the attention of the King of Hell himself. If the King of Hellmanded someone to be executed by midnight, who would dare wait until dawn?

    ¡°Hehehe. Surrender now while you can. Otherwise, you will regret your decision,¡± The plump man behind Chu Renhe chuckled.

    Fortune Taoist decided to make apromise, ¡°My lord, would you believe me if I told you that we killed the Feng n¡¯s patriarch and the governor of Qing He? I swear that the annihtion of the n has nothing to do with us.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that you killed not one, but two officials. That is a death sentence.¡± Chu Renhe sneered. ¡°Plus, the Feng n isn¡¯t the only one you destroyed. Three years ago, you robbed three hundred thousand coins at He Xi and killed the one hundred and twenty five soldiers escorting the hoard. Two years ago, you killed thirty onemon bailiffs and the governor of Chang Shan. And one year ago, you intercepted the Zhong Yuan Escort Agency¡¯s escort cart and stole nine Northern Sea Pearls, which were presents for the Harmony King¡¯s birthday...¡±

    ¡°Horseshit! We stole the coins, but we never killed anyone. We did kill that corrupt official and his goons at Chang Shan, but I¡¯ve never heard of a Northern Sea Pearl. That wasn¡¯t us!¡± Killer Monk huffed angrily.

    ¡°That¡¯s what a criminal would say.¡± Chu Renhe sneered disdainfully. ¡°There is a mountain of evidence that proves that you have, indeed,mitted those crimes. You¡¯re not talking your way out of this!¡±

    ¡°Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist, Sick Schr, you have one chance to surrender to thew. Submit now, and you may die a painless death!¡±

    ¡°If you want to condemn someone, any pretext is fine, right?¡± Fortune Taoist¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Very well then. Come at us.¡±

    ¡°Scatter, my friends!¡±

    Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr had cooperated with each other for a long time. As soon as Fortune Taoist gave the order, all three of them immediately scattered in different directions.

    While escaping, Fortune Taoist waved his sleeve and summoned a gust of smoke. It swiftly spread throughout the entire inn until nothing could be seen.

    ¡°Stubborn curs!¡± Seeing this, Chu Renhe sneered andmanded his three subordinates to chase after the trio.

    Halfway toward the exits, Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr suddenly turned back and raced toward Chu Renhe. It was said that the best way to defeat a group of enemies was to kill their leader first. The inn waspletely surrounded, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to know that their chances of breaking through were pretty slim. But if they could capture Chu Renhe, then they might yet get out of this situation alive.

    Chun Renhe must have quite the background to be a lower fourth rank official at his age. His colleagues wouldn¡¯t dare to attack them if they could use him as a hostage.

    However, Chu Renhe was a formidable warrior, and his three lieutenants weren¡¯t weaklings either. It would be incredibly difficult for them to capture him.

    That was why Fortune Taoist decided to y a little trick. First, he created a smokescreen and announced that they were going to run for it. Naturally, Chu Renhe¡¯s three lieutenants were going to leave his side. This would give them the opening to attack him three on one.

    Besides that, the smoke he released was no ordinary smoke. It was the incense smokemonly found in temples and other ces of worship. Smoke that was mixed with the people¡¯s power of wishes could only only blind one¡¯s eyes, but also disrupt one¡¯s energies and nk out one¡¯s spirit senses.

    Chu Renhe might be a formidable warrior, but he would not be expecting them to turn back and ambush him. His youth also suggested that he might becking in <i>jianghu </i>experience. And finally, it was clear that Chu Renhe looked down on them and underestimated them greatly. That kind of mentality would only improve their chances of sess. There should be no reason the three of them couldn¡¯t kidnap a child with too much power for his own good.

    Sometimes, power wasn¡¯t everything.

    Sometimes, you gotta use your brain as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s a smart n. Too bad...¡±

    Ye Qing poured himself some wine despite the ongoing battle and smoke. He was looking at Chu Renhe¡¯s direction almost as if the smokescreen couldn¡¯t affect him at all.

    Meanwhile, Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr had reached Chu Renhe. As they reached out to grab the man, the inspector general suddenly raised his eyebrows, sneered, andunched a series of palm strikes. As his hands had turned as white as jade, the flurry of attacks looked like a blooming white lotus.

    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>

    Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr stifled a groan as they were struck back whence they came. There was a pitch ck palm mark on all of their chests, andyers of frost were seeping out of it.

    The matter wasn¡¯t over, however. While the trio were flung backward, Chu Renhe¡¯s three lieutenants dashed toward them and unleashed their respective attacks.

    The plump manunched a hail of hidden weapons at Fortune Taoist from less than ten meters away.

    The thin man appeared behind Killer Monk like a phantom and swung his hand diagonally at the monk¡¯s neck to behead him.

    And the Taoist nun pointed her fingers at Sick Schr and caused her sword to shoot toward his heart.

    At thest possible moment, Fortune Taoist¡¯s robes billowed on its own and bounced off all of the hidden weapons.

    The surprise attack had failed, but the plump man ignored his failure and moved his hands so fast it looked like he had a thousand hands. He threw what looked like a stream of silver needles, poisonous sand, iron tribuluses[2], locust stones, willow darts and more.

    By the time the storm of hidden weapons finally ended, Fortune Taoist¡¯s robe looked like a beggar¡¯s rags, and his whole body was covered in wounds. It was terrible.

    Killer Monk manifested a golden light around his body that was shaped like a bell. When the thin man¡¯s hand struck the light, it actually elicited a loud bell ring.

    Unperturbed, the thin man pressed harder and cut a hole in Killer Monk¡¯s golden bell. He might have failed to take his head off, but he ws able to leave a deep gash on the monk¡¯s back.

    Sick Schr let out a violent cough that blew the sword flying toward his heart away. However, the Taoist nun let out a cold bark and sliced the air with her fingers. The sword moved as if she was holding it and cut off the Sick Schr¡¯s arm before he could react.

    Not only had their ploy failed miserably, they all took a massive amount of damage.

    They thought they were tricking Chu Renhe, but Chu Renhe was tricking them as well.

    Fortune Taoist used the incense smoke to mask his group¡¯s true intentions, but Chu Renhe saw through it and sent his lieutenants away on purpose. It was so that they could deal the trio a deadly blow.

    The incense smoke didn¡¯t just neutralize their enemies¡¯ senses, but also their own. Therefore, they had no idea that Chu Renhe¡¯s lieutenants were lying in ambush.

    The stroke of genius had also turned out to be the engineer of their defeat.

    ¡°So? Are you going to struggle some more?¡± Chu Renhe raised a hand to stop his lieutenants¡¯ attacks before looking at Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr.

    Fortune Taoist looked up at Chu Renhe from the floor and uttered with a bitter expression, ¡°You¡¯re smarter than we gave you credit, Lord Chu!¡±

    He knew from the moment he got ambushed that his opponent had seen through his ploy. Now, their chances of escaping were lower than ever.

    ¡°Not at all. You¡¯re just too stupid.¡± Chu Renhe wiped his fingers with his silk handkerchief. ¡°Why would I set up an ambush without figuring out all of your tricks first?¡±

    ¡°As expected of the Intelligence Department. Your reputation is well deserved.¡±

    Fortune Taoist sighed and looked at the plump man, the thin man, and the Taoist nun one by one. He asked, ¡°The three of you are the ¡®Laughing Shura¡¯ Tang Chuan, the ¡®Iron Man¡¯ Yu Shi, and the ¡®Grim Rakshasa¡¯ Luo Changbing, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Looks like fortune telling isn¡¯t your only expertise, Reverend!¡± The plump man dered with a sunny smile.

    ¡°Cough! Cough... You were famous warriors of the <i>jianghu </i>back then. Why did you be the imperial court¡¯s dogs?¡± asked Sick Schr with a violent cough. Maybe it was because he lost an arm and bled too much, but he looked as pale as a sheet right now. One could mistake him for a ghost.

    1. Took the most time to trante even though I know none of you would actually read this. ?

    2. It¡¯s basically is the Chinese version of a shuriken. ?

 Chapter 392: I Donâ€™t Care

    <h4>Chapter 392: I Don¡¯t Care </h4>

    The ¡°Smiling Asura¡± Tang Chuan was an early-stage Spirit Purifier and, if the rumors were to be believed, the disciple of Sichuan Tangmen[1]. Notorious for his hidden weapons, he could toss out hundreds of hidden weapons and kill just as many in a single breath. Since he often smiled when he killed his enemies, he came to be known as the Smiling Asura. He had a gray moralpass and could kill as easily as he save a life.

    The ¡°Iron Man¡± Yu Shu was also an early-stage Spirit Purifier, but he belonged to no one until he joined the Intelligence Department. He was a woodcutter until he stumbled upon a martial arts manual named the ¡°Art of Eating Iron¡±. By eating and drinking all kinds of metal, he was able to make his body as tough as iron. That was why he was able to cut through Killer Monk¡¯s Golden Bell Shield with his bare hands.

    The ¡°Grim Rakshasa¡± was also an early-stage Spirit Purifier. The scion of a prestigious n, she was naturally cold and aloof. Her family wanted to marry her off to a worthless, hedonistic son of another powerful n for political reasons, so she castrated him during her wedding night and left her family to be a Taoist nun. She mastered a sword art called the Supreme Pce Swordkinesis and could mentally control her sword without losing any potency.

    These three had made a small name for themselves until one day, they suddenly vanished from the <i>jianghu</i>. Now, it would seem that they had joined the Intelligence Department.

    ¡°We just left for greener pastures,¡± Tang Chuan said smilingly. ¡°Only a fool like you would nder us as dogs.¡±

    ¡°You seem to believe that you¡¯re heroes, but a true hero would not resort to killing innocents to achieve their goals. I would rather be a dog¡ªwhich I¡¯m not¡ªthan a hypocritical, delusional ¡®hero¡¯ like you.¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough! And I would never be a dog who only knows how to wag its tail to please its master. As expected, you¡¯ve be dogs so long that you couldn¡¯t even differentiate ck and white, right from wrong anymore. How pitiful! Howughable!¡± Sick Schr shook his head regretfully.

    ¡°No wonder they say that a schr''s tongue may rival a warrior¡¯s sword. I wonder if your tongue will remain so sharp when you¡¯re inside our prison?¡± Tang Chuan was still smiling, but his words were clearly a threat.

    ¡°You think you¡¯ve won? Cough...¡± Sick Schr said indifferently while looking at Chu Renhe and Tang Chuan.

    ¡°Oh? Sounds like you have a n to turn things around. Do show us what you¡¯re made of,¡± Tang Chuan retorted sarcastically.

    Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr were on the same level as the lieutenants. If they were in top form, then it would be a coin toss which side ended up victorious. However, they weren¡¯t alone, and all three of them were seriously injured. Tang Chuan just couldn¡¯t see how they might get out of this alive.

    ¡°Cough cough... you never know until you try.¡± Sick Schr¡¯s eyes were growing a shade of dark yellow, and his voice was turning raspy. ¡°You said you were prepared for us, right? Then you should know why I¡¯m called the Sick Schr.¡±

    Chu Renhe and his lieutenants frowned, puzzled.

    ¡°The reason I¡¯m called Sick Schr is because I¡¯m gravely ill, but you probably don¡¯t know why I¡¯m gravely ill, do you? Cough! Cough... This is the reason I¡¯m sick...¡±

    Sick Schr coughed another two times and spat out a glob of bright red blood. An unnatural redness overtaking hisplexion. By now, the incense smoke was fading, and everyone¡¯s vision was returning to normal.

    When they looked down on Sick Schr¡¯s bloody fingers, they noticed that the pool of blood on the ground was wriggling like it was alive. More urately, there was something inside the blood that was writhing incessantly.

    It was at this moment they realized that the blood was full of worms. They looked disgusting, strange and horrifying.

    ¡°Gu worms?!¡±

    Chu Renhe paled a bit. ¡°You practice the ¡®Feed The Worms Art¡¯?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a knowledgeable man, Lord Chu.¡± Sick Schr covered his mouth and coughed again.

    ¡°Hmph. So what? You don¡¯t think that the gu worms are enough to stop us, do you?¡±

    Chu Renhe regained hisposure quickly. The reason he turned pale wasn¡¯t because he was afraid of the cultivation art, but because its method and process were so cruel and inhumane that even he couldn¡¯t stand it.

    The ¡°Feed The Worms Art¡± was a cultivation art that allowed the practitioner to control gu worms, but it was even crueler, sinister, and inhumane than most gu insect cultivation arts. The practitioner essentially turned their own body into a breeding ground for gu worms and fed them their own flesh and blood to fuel their growth and reproduction.

    If the practitioner sessfully reached the adept level of the ¡°Feed The Worms Art¡±, their body would consist entirely of the insects. They could manipte the worms like their own limb, alter their form as they pleased, and kill anyone with ease. Moreover, they no longer had any weakness or vital spot because their flesh and blood had been fully reced by gu worms. They could lose most of their body and still live to fight another day.

    Despite the strengths of the ¡°Feed The Worms Art¡±, few people chose to practice it due to how torturous the method and process were. After all, you were basically feeding your body to the worms in exchange for power. To say that the pain was unbearable would be an understatement. One must endure being fed on by the worms practically every second of the day. Most people broke long before they reached the adept level, and those who gave up would immediately be consumed by the gu worms they cultivated. It was a literal do-or-die cultivation art.

    Practitioners of this cultivation art either died or went crazy. Adept or not, no one could endure decades of non-stop torture and not go insane.

    Chu Renhe didn¡¯t know that the Sick Schr cultivated the ¡°Feed The Worms Art¡±. Even so, he didn¡¯t think it was a problem. While the cultivation art was immensely powerful, the gu worms posed no threat to him.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not afraid of the gu worms. Your dogs are immune to my worms as well. But what about the others?¡±

    The corners of Sick Schr¡¯s lips curled into a sick, disgusting grin. ¡°Since you managed to identify my cultivation art, I assume that you¡¯re aware of its characteristics as well. My gu worms are everywhere inside my body including my blood.¡±

    ¡°When Warrior Luo cut off my arm just now, I took the opportunity to spread them across the whole inn while the incense smoke still existed.¡±

    ¡°In other words, most of the people inside this inn are infected with my gu worms.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°You are lying, Sick Schr!¡±

    The spectators inside the inn immediately erupted in shock and disbelief. It was bad enough that they were dragged into the Intelligence Department¡¯s business, now they were infected by flesh-eating gu worms as well? What the fuck!

    ¡°I am not. Cough! Cough... I never lie.¡± Sick Schr coughed and pointed at an Intelligence Guard standing close to the entrance. An Intelligence Guard referred to the Intelligence Department¡¯s private soldiers and guards.

    The guard¡¯s facial features abruptly contorted with pain when Sick Schr pointed a finger at him. A secondter, he clutched his stomach and dropped to the floor, rolling back and forth from sheer pain.

    ¡°You see that?¡± Sick Schr withdrew his finger with a smirk.

    No one could pretend that Sick Schr was lying after seeing this. They all red at him and questioned, ¡°What are you nning, Sick Schr?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much. I just want to live, that¡¯s all.¡± Sick Schr looked at Chu Renhe and said, ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can remove my gu insects. You get what I¡¯m saying, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Chu Renhe immediately figured out his ploy. He was using everyone in the inn as hostages.

    ¡°You can say that. You call yourself an imperial official, right? Surely you wouldn¡¯t abandon the people to their fate, Lord Chu?¡± Sick Schr asked.

    ¡°Hah! You turn your fellow warriors and innocent people into hostages, and you call yourself a hero of the people?¡± Tang Chuan scoffed.

    ¡°You can¡¯t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.¡± Sick Schr replied unhurriedly, ¡°Plus, you¡¯re the reason I have no choice but to do this. Otherwise, why on earth would I resort to such a method?¡±

    ¡°So? What do you say, Lord Chu?¡±

    ¡°I think¡ª¡± Chu Renhe uttered through gritted teeth before dashing forward all of a sudden. He appeared in front of Sick Schr in the blink of an eye and crushed his whole body with a devastating palm strike.

    The attack was useless though. The Sick Schr immediately broke down into countless gu worms and crawled away in every direction.

    Chu Renhe sneered and attacked again. His cold energy flooded the room and froze all of the gu worms. After hended on his feet, Chu Renhe swung his sleeve and scattered all of the frozen worms into nothing.

    ¡°I think I don¡¯t care. No one threatens me, you see,¡± dered Chu Renhe while sweeping an arrogant gaze across the inn.

    ¡°I see you don¡¯t care about the lives of these people. Thank you for confirming that you care nothing for our or the people¡¯s lives.¡±

    Before Chu Renhe finished speaking, Sick Schr reappeared next to Fortune Taoist. However, he was many times smaller than he was originally. He was also wearing a sick grin as if he knew Chu Renhe would do this from the beginning.

    ¡°You see that, my brothers and sisters? These so-called officials don¡¯t think of us as humans. They only see us as stepping stones that will propel them to greater status and authority. Cough! Cough cough... Rather than putting your fates in the hands of someone who will never save you, why don¡¯t you save yourself? If you help us escape this ce, I swear in the name of the sages that I will cure you all.¡±

    ¡°But if I die, well... I don¡¯t need to tell you what¡¯s going to happen, do I? Cough cough...¡±

    ¡°Lies and trickery! Kill him!¡± Chu Renhe¡¯s face darkened as he barked out the order. Tang Chuan, Yu Shi and Luo Changbing immediately rushed forward to kill the trio.

    But as soon as they made a move, a huge saber descended from above and mmed into the floor between the three lieutenants and the trio.

    ¡°Wait!¡± A loud voice resounded. ¡°Let¡¯s talk this out, shall we?¡±

    Tang Chuan, Yu Shi and Luo Changbing ignored the speaker and continued their charge. Seeing that they would not listen, a couple more people rushed out of the crowd and blocked in front of them, saying, ¡°Please wait, my lords.¡±

    ¡°You dare stop us? Do you know that the punishment for obstructing the Intelligence Department is death?¡± Tang Chuan yelled when he saw this.

    One of the warriors said stiffly, ¡°We¡¯re not trying to obstruct you, my lords. We just want to talk.¡±

    Yu Shi abruptly charged him and swung his right arm. As the trio were only Astral Refiners, his attack easily sent them flying into the air and forced blood out of their lips.

    1. A sect. ?

 Chapter 393: Gut Worm

    <h4>Chapter 393: Gut Worm </h4>

    ¡°The Intelligence Department really doesn¡¯t think of us as humans. We might as well fight them as save ourselves!¡± A lot of <i>jianghu </i>warriors grew angry when they saw this[1].

    They didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with Sick Schr, but they had to protect him because he held the key to their survival.

    But now, they were pissed off with the Intelligence Department as well. How could they side with an organization who would leave them for dead for their own objective? An organization who, at least on surface, was supposed to protect the people?

    ¡°He¡¯s right. You should all be well aware of the Intelligence Department¡¯s behavior and conduct. They never cared about our lives, and they would rather kill an innocent than let a criminal escape. You know they¡¯re going to lock us up and interrogate us even after they killed the trio simply because we happen to be in the wrong ce at the wrong time. Could we even leave the ce alive?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯d rather fight them to the death than go down like this!¡±

    ¡°To the death!¡±

    ¡°To the death!¡±

    As the Hidden Dragon Meet was near, most of the people dining in the inn were<i> </i>warriors. In this <i>jianghu, </i>who hadn¡¯t taken at least one or two lives? If they submitted to the Intelligence Department, they would be guilty even if they weren¡¯t.

    If before there was a chance the Intelligence Department would simply leave after capturing the trio, now they no longer had an option. Unless they did as Sick Schr told, they were all going to suffer agonizing deaths.

    The tension in the inn turned razor sharp in an instant. Everyone was staring at Chu Renhe and waiting for him to respond.

    ¡°Obstructing the Intelligence Department is akin to rebelling against Chu. Are you nning to rebel?¡± Chu Renhe¡¯s expression was so dark it painted a stark contrast with his pale skin. A terrible aura quickly epassed the entire inn.

    Earlier, Sick Schr had purposely baited Chu Renhe into attacking him. As a result, the Intelligence Department suddenly found themselves pitted against the entire inn. <i>Jianghu </i>warriors were notoriously cowardly, so they would never allow Sick Schr to be killed or captured until their affliction was cured. Add to the fact that some idiots had fanned the mes, and capturing the trio suddenly became a much harder task than before, much less killing them.

    If Chu Renhe persisted in his ways, then a river of blood was sure to flow in this inn.

    ¡°Rebel?¡± A <i>jianghu </i>warrior snorted. ¡°So what if we are? Kill us all if you can, <i>boy</i>.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s your duty to eliminate rebels, no? I dare you to kill us all!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, you don¡¯t dare, do you? Intelligence Department or not, imperial officials are all talk and no bite!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±

    For a time, most <i>jianghu </i>warriorsughed scornfully. They didn¡¯t believe that the Intelligence Department had the balls to act considering the situation.

    ¡°You want to die?¡± Chu Renhe¡¯s dark expression slowly spread into a cold, malicious grin. ¡°As you wish!¡±

    ¡°I said this before, and I¡¯ll say it again. No one threatens me or the Intelligence Department.¡±

    ¡°Intelligence Guards! Kill them all!¡±

    <i>Whoosh whoosh whoosh!</i>

    As soon as the orders were given, wooden clicks could be heard, and crossbow bolts poured in from every direction like the rain.

    Tang Chuan, Yu Shi and Luo Changbing also rushed forward and attacked the closest warriors without hesitation.

    The Intelligence Department¡¯s audacity was such that the <i>jianghu </i>warriors werepletely caught off guard. They were so shocked that they even forgot to dodge or block the attacks.

    ¡°They¡¯re too green!¡±

    At the corner, Ye Qing shook his head at the <i>jianghu </i>warriors¡¯ foolishness and inexperience. They had no idea who they were dealing with. As the emperor¡¯s guardian, the Intelligence Department wielded near absolute authority that only the Pacification Bureau and the emperor himself could match. In fact, they were ruthless, pitiless, and even more audacious than even the Pacification Bureau because their main responsibilities involved people, not Strangers. Negotiation was a foreign concept to them even toward other empires, much less a ragtag band of <i>jianghu </i>warriors.

    Not only that, it was obvious that the young Inspector General was not the type of person who could be negotiated with, and these <i>jianghu </i>warriors were literally challenging him to kill them all. It was akin to lighting antern inside the toilet.

    Sighing, Ye Qing slowly disappeared from his seat like a mirage. The next moment, he appeared at the center of the dining hall and summoned a storm of wind that swept away all of the crossbow bolts in an instant.

    Before anyone could react, Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him and executed the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±. A wave of demonic thought immediately washed over everyone.

    The Spirit Purifiers¡ªChu Renhe, Tang Chuan, Yu Shi, Luo Changbing; Fortune Taoist, Killer Monk and Sick Schr¡ªreacted the quickest out of everyone. As soon as Ye Qing appeared and sent the crossbow bolts flying, they immediately got ready to take action. Then, the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± robbed them of their consciousness and froze them in ce.

    Ye Qing took one step forward and appeared behind Fortune Taoist, Killer Monk and Sick Schr. He then knocked them all out with a hand knife to the neck.

    Killer Monk in particr lost his Golden Bell Shieldpletely and let out a muffled groan. Such was Ye Qing¡¯s strength that his knees sank into the ground, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s senses warned him of danger. Like a dragon, he immediately twisted around and threw a mighty punch.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was a loud impact, but Ye Qing didn¡¯t move a step. The thinyer of frost on his fist quickly melted at a visible rate.

    On the other hand, his attacker, Chu Renhe, was smoking like he was on fire and staggering backward. Every time he took a step, he would leave behind a scorched footprint. He caught himself only after he had taken nine steps.

    ¡°Who are you? Will you go against the Intelligence Department as well?¡± asked Chu Renhe grimly after sucking in a deep breath. His arm was shaking a little, his fingers were broken, and his elbow looked bruised. This was nothingpared to the fact that he felt like he was being barbecued over an inferno, however. His blood, true qi and mind were boiling, and he was experiencing major difficulties trying to gather his energies. It was ufortable to say the least.

    The punch hadn¡¯t broken his arm and scattered his energies, it injected a tremendous amount of astral qi into his body and injured both his insides and his mind.

    ¡°Excuse me. I identally used too much strength.¡± Ye Qing smiled apologetically.

    It was at this moment Tang Chuan, Yu Shi and Luo Changbing broke out of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±. When they noticed that Ye Qing was standing off against Chu Renhe, they immediately rushed forward to surround him.

    Right after that, the <i>jianghu </i>warriors also snapped out of their stupor. Although they didn¡¯t know what happened, why Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr were all lying on the floor, and who the guy standing off against Chu Renhe was, it didn¡¯t stop them from taking a step forward and ring at the duo. At the same time, they shot the Intelligence Guards outside the inn nervous look and threatened rather impotently, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, Lord Chu? Do you really want to go down with us?¡±

    Chu Renhe ignored the <i>jianghu </i>warriors and stared at Ye Qing intently. ¡°Who are you, warrior? At your level, I doubt you¡¯ve been infected with the gu worms. Why are you getting involved?¡±

    He raised a hand to stop the Intelligence Guards from approaching further before continuing, ¡°This is between me and these murderers. It has nothing to do with you. I would advise you to stay out of it unless you want to implicate yourself, your friends and your family.¡±

    Tang Chuan, Yu Shi and Luo Changbing shot him a look of shock and disbelief. Chu Renhe¡¯s words sounded forceful and threatening, but they could tell that it was the opposite. Their normally upromising leader was actually offering apromise.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not trying to stop you from carrying out your business, and I¡¯m definitely not nning to be your enemy. I just want to lend you a hand.¡± Ye Qing spread his arms wide to show that he didn¡¯t mean harm.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± A cold glint flickered behind his phoenix eyes as he squinted a little. ¡°In that case, do you mind handing over the criminals to me?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t! We¡¯re all dead if you hand them to him!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! These officials clearly don¡¯t give a shit about our lives! Don¡¯t listen to him!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re right, brother. These bastards are nning to kill us all. We should take these three with us and break out of this ce.¡±

    ¡°Get ready to fight these dogshit bastards to the death, brothers and sisters!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! They think they can do whatever they want? We¡¯ll show them!¡±

    The <i>jianghu </i>warriors grew restless as soon as Chu Renhe spoke up. Blood and death were their norm after all. To call them short-tempered would be an understatement. Chu Renhe had literally ordered their deaths earlier, so why on earth would they stand around and submit to their fate?

    About a dozen <i>jianghu </i>warriors didn¡¯t even bother to waste their breath. They charged straight toward the nearest Intelligence Guards, prompting thetter to draw their crossbows again.

    ¡°Seriously, give me a break.¡±

    Ye Qing raised his foot half an inch and stomped the ground, eliciting a terrific boom that sounded like a thunderp. The <i>jianghu </i>warriors and the Intelligence Guards immediately lost their footing and fell to the floor.

    ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing and listen to me.¡±

    It was like a second thunderp had erupted beside their ears. The yell had punched through their mental defenses, disoriented them and dispelled their energies.

    There were a handful of people in the inn who managed to endure the disabling attack, but even they were looking at Ye Qing with shocked expressions. If they channeled their full strength, they could stomp the floor hard enough to shake the entire inn as well. But Ye Qing before them had done it without hurting the floor and knocked over everybatant in the area. This was unbelievable considering that even the weakest among them were Vessel Augmentors.

    Besides that, the yell had dispelled their energies like nothing but did not real harm to them. This was definitely beyond their ability.

    ¡°Have you all calmed down?¡± Ye Qing asked while sweeping his gaze across the crowd. This time, the inn was as silent as a morgue.

    ¡°Good. Now listen to me.¡±

    Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°No side is in the wrong in this matter except these three bastards. You don¡¯t really hold a grudge against one another either. Therefore, there is no need to resort to violence.¡±

    ¡°And how are we supposed to solve this conundrum without violence?¡± Chu Renhe asked coldly.

    ¡°The true reason you are butting heads with each other is the Sick Schr. You want him because you want to live,¡± Ye Qing looked at the <i>jianghu </i>warriors before ncing at Chu Renhe, ¡°and you want him because of the crimes he and his cohortsmitted. However, your needs are not actually in conflict with one another.¡±

    ¡°There is only one Sick Schr, but we both want him. Why wouldn¡¯t there be conflict between our sides?¡± Chu Renhe asked ridiculingly. He had returned to his usual arrogant and cruel self.

    ¡°The reason they want Sick Schr is because they were infected by his gu worms. As far as they know, the only way they could be cured is to save him. You want Sick Schr himself because they broke thews of Chu.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t actually want the same thing. One side wants the cure, and the other wants the person. Naturally, it¡¯s possible to solve this without conflict.¡±

    Chu Renhe narrowed his eyes. ¡°Really now? And how are we going to solve this, pray tell?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°Sick Schr is under my control right now. After I get the cure from him and save my <i>jianghu </i>brethren, you may apprehend Sick Schr and take him to your headquarters. It¡¯s that simple.¡±

    A mor of murmurs broke out immediately. Assuming that the situation could be resolved as easily as Ye Qing imed, then of course they would rather do it his way.

    1. Who would¡¯ve thought that inquisitors are loathsome? ?

 Chapter 394: Stomach Worm

    <h4>Chapter 394: Stomach Worm </h4>

    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t have a cure?¡± A <i>jianghu </i>warrior voiced his doubt. ¡°Sick Schr isn¡¯t stupid. If he¡¯s audacious enough to hold an entire inn of people hostage, then I¡¯m sure he would¡¯ve hidden the cure at a secure location.¡±

    But Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°There is no reason for Sick Schr to hide the cure since he has no idea that the Intelligence Department wasing. That is why I¡¯m fairly sure that the cure is on his person.¡±

    Ye Qing grabbed Sick Schr¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell and wiped away the Spirit Purifier¡¯s mental imprint with his demonic thought. Then, he searched the Strange Artifact for the cure.

    A few breathster, Ye Qing looked up at the <i>jianghu </i>warriors and let out an awkwardugh. ¡°Ahem... it looks like I was wrong. He didn¡¯t have the cure after all.¡±

    The crowd¡¯s gaze immediately turned disdainful, but there was even more disappointment.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem though.¡± Ye Qing moved on casually as if he hadn¡¯t just eaten his own words. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the gu insect inside Sick Schr¡¯s body is most likely the Gut Worm. This means that you are all infected by the Gut Worms.¡±

    ¡°Gut Worm? What¡¯s that?¡± Someone asked.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t keep them in suspense. ¡°A Gut Worm is a Malice-ss Stranger that infests a person¡¯s guts after entering their body. If it is not taken out in time, it could consume your whole gut and kill you.¡±

    Ye Qing suddenly looked down on Sick Schr and asked, ¡°Am I right, Sick Schr?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the knowledgeable man, warrior. You have my respect.¡± Sick Schr opened his eyes and let out a quiet cough. He pushed himself to a sitting position and continued, ¡°Since you know about the Gut Worm, you should also know that it¡¯s near impossible to remove the Gut Worm from a victim¡¯s body without the proper solution. Trying to pull it out by force is akin to disemboweling yourself. Hence the name.¡±

    ¡°Cough cough... therefore, I would advise you not to extract the Gut Worm by force. It will be a dangerous endeavor to say the least.¡±

    Countless people¡¯s faces turned ugly when they heard this. Someone uttered through gritted teeth, ¡°You deserve death, Sick Schr.¡±

    Sick Schr¡¯s grin grew increasingly manic. ¡°I do, but if I¡¯m dying, then you¡¯re alling with me. It would be a worthy death.¡±

    However, Ye Qing chuckled and pped Sick Schr at the back of their head. ¡°No one¡¯s dying today except you, brother.¡±

    Sick Schr froze and withdrew his grin. He looked up at Ye Qing with cold calction and iron scrutiny as he said, ¡°It sounds like you have a way to save them? You better move quickly then. It won¡¯t be long before the Gut Worms eat through their intestines and spill out of their stomachs.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the reminder.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened. ¡°But I¡¯m not worried. After all, it¡¯s quite easy to cure the Gut Worm.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do tell,¡± Sick Schr challenged.

    ¡°You just need the Stomach Worm, am I right?¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°You¡ªhow did you know about that?¡± Sick Schr¡¯s face turned ugly and panicked all of a sudden.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I know about the Stomach Worm?¡± Ye Qing countered. ¡°Here¡¯s a quote from ¡®On Picking Up Strangers¡¯: The gut and the stomach are like a pair of crazed lovers. They desire each other like a couple who are madly in love.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed when he saw the confusion on most people¡¯s faces. <i>This is why you study, people!</i>

    ¡°The ¡®gut¡¯ and the ¡®stomach¡¯ in the passage refers to the Gut Worm and the Stomach Worm. The Gut Worm is male, and the Stomach Worm is female. If they sense their counterpart¡¯s presence, they would strive to meet up with them no matter the cost,¡± Ye Qing exined.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true... then we can draw out the Gut Worms with the Stomach Worm!¡± Chu Renhe eximed in realization.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Am I correct, Sick Schr?¡±

    ¡°You are,¡± Sick Schr regained his cool and replied in a calm voice.

    His admission caused a smile to appear on everyone¡¯s face, but Sick Schr immediately wiped it away with a taunt. ¡°So what? A Stomach Worm is even rarer than a Gut Worm. By the time you found it, everyone here would be a pile of blood and skeleton already.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the Intelligence Department is powerful. If they¡¯re willing to help, then you might be able to make it.¡±

    ¡°But wait, you just threatened to kill them where they stand. I wonder if these heartless officials would do anything to help you. Cough cough...¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Still trying to sow dissension? You should¡¯ve be a storyteller with a mouth like yours.¡±

    ¡°Dissension? Is that what they call the truth these days?¡± Sick Schr said scornfully. ¡°I¡¯m sure my <i>jianghu </i>brethren know better than me what kind of <i>monsters</i> these so-called ¡®officials¡¯ are. Tell me, brothers and sisters. Do you seriously think that the Intelligence Department will save you?¡±

    ¡°Not all officials are bad people, just like not all so-called ¡®heroes¡¯ are good,¡± Ye Qing remarked casually. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s no need to trouble them. The Stomach Worm may be rare, but it isn¡¯t difficult to obtain.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? If something is rare, then how can it be easy to obtain?¡± Sick Schr taunted.

    Ye Qing looked down on him and smiled widely. ¡°Of course it¡¯s easy. After all, there¡¯s one on your person, isn''t there?¡±

    Sick Schr nched and looked away from Ye Qing as if to hide his shock. At the same time, he coughed so loudly it was a miracle he hadn¡¯t coughed up a lung yet.

    ¡°Stop coughing. Your Gut Worms are useless against me,¡± Ye Qing wrinkled his nose in disgust. He could tell that countless Gut Worms so tiny that they were practically invisible spilled out of the Sick Schr¡¯s mouth every time he coughed. Of course, they were turned into ash long before they got close to Ye Qing.

    Seemingly realizing the same thing, Sick Schr abruptly lifted his hand and plunged it toward his heart, eyes burning with fatalistic determination. However, his fingers had just made contact with his skin when he suddenly froze, and his face became warped with fury and hatred. His body was shaking a little as well.

    It was because arge hole had appeared on his chest before he knew it. His heart was also conspicuously missing.

    ¡°So, you were hiding it inside your heart,¡± said a taunting voice.

    Sick Schr looked up. Ye Qing was clutching his still beating heart. Unlike a normal heart, Sick Schr¡¯s heart was absolutely riddled with small holes. Slimyrvae could be seen curled up within the small holes, and even more adult Gut Worms were crawling in and out of the heart.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± Sick Schr red at Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°There arervae and eggs in your spittle. I mentioned earlier that a Gut Worm is a male Stranger, and so it can¡¯t reproduce on its own. But since there arervae and eggs inside your body, clearly there is a Stomach Worm inside your body.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, your ¡®Feed The Worms Art¡¯ begins by imnting a Stomach Worm in your body. Then, you follow up with a Gut Worm so they may copte and produce even more Gut Worms. This method drastically cuts down on the time you need to practice the cultivation art and prevents the Gut Worms from betraying you because of the Stomach Worm.¡±

    Ye Qing tightened his grip over the heart a little, and thervae and eggs were stripped offyer byyer. Eventually, a big, fat worm was exposed for all to see.

    The worm was about one meter long and was as thick as a baby¡¯s arm. It was light red in color and covered in barbs. At least one Gut Worm was clinging to each barb, which painted a strange and horrifying picture.

    ¡°So this is the Stomach Worm!¡± Ye Qing remarked while examining it curiously. He had read about the worm, but this was the first time he saw it for real.

    Sick Schr didn¡¯t say anything. He simply red at Ye Qin with burning hatred.

    ¡°You were trying to kill the Stomach Worm, weren''t you? It¡¯s too bad I¡¯m faster than you.¡± Ye Qing ignored his stare and chuckled. ¡°And thanks to you, I don¡¯t need to dirty my hands to look for it.¡±

    Sick Schr was without a doubt a ruthless man. The moment he pointed out that he possessed the Stomach Worm, he immediately tried to kill the Stomach Worm. Although it would drastically increase the amount of time he needed to practice the ¡°Feed The Worms Art¡±, it would have allowed him to maintain his hold over the <i>jianghu </i>warriors. Too bad for him, Ye Qing had been waiting for this.

    In fact, Ye Qing had purposely provoked Sick Schr. Although he knew that the Stomach Worm was inside his body, he didn¡¯t know where it was exactly. That was why he provoked Sick Schr into revealing its location himself.

    ¡°I see... you...¡± Sick Schr deted after he understood everything. It looked like he hadpletely given up on hope after Ye Qing had ruined his final gambit.

    ¡°Can you save us now that you have the Stomach Worm, warrior?¡± ¡°Yes, please!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be eternally grateful if you can save us, warrior!¡±

    Contrary to Sick Schr¡¯s mood, everyone was brimming with joy and excitement when they saw the Stomach Worm.

    ¡°Give me a moment.¡± Ye Qing smiled and removed the Gut Worms clinging to the Stomach Worm¡¯s fleshy barbs. Then, he gently pinched the Stomach Worm twice, causing it to swell up and give off a light red-colored scent.

    A few breathster, the <i>jianghu </i>warriors standing closest to Ye Qing suddenly started vomiting for seemingly no reason whatsoever. However, there were Gut Worms swimming in the puddle of vomit. They were so small that they were barely the size of a cow¡¯s hair.

    After the Gut Worms had emerged into the open, they immediately started wriggling toward Ye Qing. A clear wind blew, and they all dissolved into ash.

    ¡°rgh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh...¡±

    At the same time, more and more people began throwing up the contents of their stomach. Strange noises and a disgusting stench immediately permeated the inn.

    Ye Qing had expected this, so he sealed his sense of smell long before the first man began vomiting. Chu Renhe and the others weren¡¯t so lucky. Theirplexion turned green when the horrible stench hit their noses.

    Some of the Gut Worms were crushed by the furious <i>jianghu </i>warriors, and some were burned to ash by Ye Qing¡¯s Burning Wind.

 Chapter 395: You Wanna Pull Rank? Ok

    Chapter 395: You Wanna Pull Rank? Ok

    ¡°Argh!!!¡±

    Suddenly, Sick Schr let out a bloodcurdling scream. Countless Gut Worms were pouring out of the hole in his chest and his bloody stump of an arm, and they were all moving toward Ye Qing. As a result, Sick Schr deted like a balloon in just the blink of an eye.

    Ye Qing frowned a little and stomped the floor, burning all of the Gut Worms heading toward him. By the end of it, Sick Schr was literally just skin and bones, dead.

    ¡°I see. He brought this upon himself.¡± Ye Qing sighed when realization struck him.

    There were many benefits to practicing the ¡°Feed The Worms Art¡± using the Stomach Worm and Gut Worm, but it also had a fatal w. If the practitioner lost the Stomach Worm for whatever reason, then the Gut Worm would rebel and consume them alive.

    If Sick Schr reached the adept level before that point, then this wouldn¡¯t be an issue. But since he didn¡¯t, well¡­ such was the fate of a man who chose to walk the razor¡¯s edge for power.

    ¡°Pah! He deserves this.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, he should¡¯ve suffered more.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If it wasn¡¯t for our hero here, we would have fallen for his evil scheme hook, line and sinker.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, thank you so much for saving our lives, hero.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, hero.¡±

    ¡°We will never forget what you¡¯ve done today, hero.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may we know your name, hero? I¡¯m sure that some of us would like to pay back the favor in the future.¡±

    No one was saddened by Sick Schr¡¯s death, of course. If anything, it was the best damn thing they had seen since their day suddenly turned to shit. After they were done cursing Sick Schr, they turned to Ye Qing and gave him their thanks.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, everyone. I just happened to be at the right ce at the right time.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t take their words of gratitude seriously, of course. Therge majority of them didn¡¯t actually mean what they said. They just didn¡¯t want to look ungrateful was all. Frankly, expecting true gratitude from<em>jianghu</em>warriors was like expecting your first love to be requited¡ªquit dreaming already, brother.

    In fact, Ye Qing sensed a couple of people slipping out of the back door after their Gut Worms were dealt with. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, they were the ones who attempted to incite their<em>jianghu</em>brethren into war with the Intelligence Department.

    Chu Renhe was no weakling, so he sensed the same thing as Ye Qing did. He secretly ordered Tang Chuan, Yu Shi and Luo Changbing to deal with them.

    Those people couldn¡¯t resist Sick Schr¡¯s Gut Worms, so they most likely hadn¡¯t entered the Spirit Purification stage yet. Ye Qing had no doubt that Tang Chuan, Yu Shi and Luo Changbing would destroy them without any problems whatsoever.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t pity them, however. Sick Schr deserved to die, but these people were not far behind. If he hadn¡¯t stepped out, this incident most likely would¡¯ve resulted in unnecessary conflict and bloodshed.

    There were several reasons he decided to step up. One, he recognized the Gut Worm and was fairly confident that he could deal with it. Two, it would¡¯ve been a disaster had the two sides fought. He wouldn¡¯t be able to pluck himself out of the shitshow, and if the Intelligence Departmentbeled him a traitor or something, then even he, a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau, would be in quite the conundrum.

    That was just the kind of power the Intelligence Department wielded.

    After nearly everyone in the restaurant was gone, Chu Renhe walked up to Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Well handled, brother. May I inquire into your name and background?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Ye Qing. I¡¯m just a nobody.¡± Ye Qing saluted.

    ¡°Ye Qing, is it? Very well. Please, follow us.¡±

    As soon as Chu Renhe said this, the Intelligence Guards lying in ambush outside the restaurant immediately flooded in with their Chu sabers gripped tightly in their hand. They quickly surrounded Ye Qing tighter than a fish¡¯s arse.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Lord Chu?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brows with displeasure. ¡°I just assisted you in solving a troublesome case, avoiding a bloodbath, and even capturing these three criminals. You wouldn¡¯t even wait until the next day to pretend I haven¡¯t done you a huge favor?¡±

    Chu Renhe sneered. ¡°Just to be clear, I never asked for your help. You¡¯re the one who chose to stick your nose into our business. Second, we would¡¯ve handled them even without your intervention.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend that I was meddling in a business I don¡¯t belong to then. On what grounds are you detaining me?¡±

    Ye Qing was seriously getting annoyed. He had heard rumors that the Intelligence was as tyrannical as they were arrogant, but he always thought it was just nder or radical remarks by people who didn¡¯t know better. But now, it was clear that the rumors had understated their tyranny. They had turned on him the moment the incident was resolved!

    ¡°That¡¯s simple. I suspect that you are affiliated with these criminals!¡± Chu Renhe let out a cold chuckle. ¡°And don¡¯t say that I¡¯m making baseless usations. I saw with my own eyes you sharing a table with Killer Monk and enjoying a pleasant conversation with him. How are you going to exin this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence. If you saw me sharing a table with him, then surely you¡¯ve heard our conversation as well,¡± Ye Qing countered.

    ¡°That may be true, but what you see and hear may not necessarily be the truth. Besides, how do I know if the two of you aren¡¯t putting up an act?¡±

    Chu Renhe added meaningfully while wiping his fingers. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t Killer Monk give you a jade thumb ring?¡±

    ¡°You mean this?¡± Ye Qing produced the thumb ring and exined, ¡°Killer Monk gave me as a gift for giving him my wine, but so what?¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± An eerie, ridiculing smile spread across Chu Renhe¡¯s lips. ¡°Do you know how much that thumb ring you¡¯re holding is worth? It was forged using the emerald jade of Chang Shan, and an inch of emerald jade is worth as much as an inch of gold. If you consider thebor cost, then this thumb ring is worth at least ten thousand gold.¡±

    ¡°Now tell me, do you think your wine is worth ten thousand gold?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. He had no idea that the thumb ring Killer Monk gave him was this valuable.

    ¡°Do you know who this thumb ring belongs to?¡± Chu Renhe continued.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Ye Qing answered honestly.

    ¡°This thumb ring belongs to Feng Yixing, and Feng Yixing is the patriarch of the Feng n of Qing He.¡± Chu Renhe asked another question, ¡°On top of that, Feng Yixing has a second identity. Do you know what it is?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head again. He was getting a bad feeling about this.

    Chu Renhe narrowed his eyes into slits, and his voice grew low and soft like the spring waters of March. ¡°Feng Yixing is also an Inspector in the Intelligence Department, and the thumb ring is none other than his proof of authority.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand how precious it is now?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He had envisioned many possibilities, but this was even worse than he thought. No one could¡¯ve predicted that Killer Monk, Fortune Taoist and Sick Schr would kill an Inspector. No wonder the Intelligence Department was out in force.

    This was bad.<em>Very</em>bad. By pure coincidence, he had somehow gotten involved with a bunch of crazies who assassinated a member of the Intelligence Department. Knowing the Intelligence Department, there was no way they would allow anyone who was even remotely connected to the trio to escape. He thought he was steering himself out of a tight mess, but instead he was stuck deeper than he could possibly imagine.

    ¡°With all that said, why did Killer Monk give you a jade thumb ring that¡¯s worth over ten thousand gold?¡± Chu Renhe sneered.

    ¡°How would I know? You should ask him, not me.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed and let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°Look, it really is an ident. I¡¯ve never even heard of a Killer Monk until today, and I¡¯ve just arrived at Tian Yong two days ago. You can check it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    ¡°We will look into the matter. If you are innocent, then you won¡¯t be harmed.¡± Chu Renhe said calmly and forcefully, ¡°But for now, you¡¯ll have toe with us.¡±

    ¡°Just in case you think we¡¯re targeting you on purpose¡ªeven though it is a fact that you¡¯re more suspicious than most¡ªwe¡¯re not. Everyone in this building will be taken into custody for questioning.¡±

    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t go with you?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure you don¡¯t have the strength to stop me.¡±

    Chu Renhe asked coldly, ¡°Are you resisting arrest? Do you know what happens to those who make an enemy out of the Intelligence Department?¡±

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Ye Qing said fearlessly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re against the Intelligence Department, then you¡¯re a rebel. If you¡¯re a rebel, you will be exterminated to the nine generations. It¡¯s not just you either. Your friends, families, neighbors and more will be implicated as well.¡±

    Chu Renhe¡¯s cold eyes turned cruel and bloodthirsty. Ye Qing even spotted a glimmer of excitement amidst the emotions. ¡°Would you like to give it a try?¡±

    Ye Qing scoffed, ¡°A rebel? Straight for the capital offense, huh? But I doubt even the Intelligence Department has the power to make that decision!¡±

    ¡°That is where you¡¯re wrong. Outside of Chu, our eyes and ears are everywhere. Inside Chu, we are thew itself.¡± Chu Renhe said slowly, ¡°If I say that you¡¯re a good citizen, then you¡¯re a good citizen. If I say you¡¯re a rebel, then you are a rebel.¡±

    ¡°No wonder they say that the Intelligence Department is fair and righteous.¡± Ye Qing said sarcastically. The Intelligence Department was literally more tyrannical than the Pacification Bureau.

    ¡°And you better remember that. Nowe on.¡± Chu Renhe knew that Ye Qing was being sarcastic of course, but he didn¡¯t mind. Once they returned to their headquarters, he had all the time in the world to make him eat his words. He would learn to keep his mouth shut and stick his nose well out of the Intelligence Department¡¯s business.

    ¡°So sorry to disappoint you, but I¡¯m on official business myself. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to oblige with your demands.¡± Ye Qing sighed. In the end, it hade to this.

    ¡°Hmm? Official business?¡± Chu Renhe was caught off guard by this. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I am the Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, Ye Qing,¡± Ye Qing introduced himself. ¡°Well met, Lord Chu.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a member of the Pacification Bureau?¡± Chu Renhe¡¯s eyebrows rose imperceptibly.

    The Intelligence Department and the Pacification Bureau were both departments that only answered to the emperor. Generally speaking, they rarely interacted with each other because their scope of work was different. However, two siblings could turn on each other for the family fortune, and two tigers definitely couldn¡¯t share the same hill. It was why the Intelligence Department and the Pacification Bureau shared a poor rtionship with each other.

    On the surface, it looked like they were all one big family. But beneath the waters, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if one department stabbed the other in the back. Of course, they weren¡¯t at the point where they were waging an all-out war against each other, but honestly, that point wasn¡¯t too far away.

    ¡°Yessir, this is my badge.¡± Ye Qing handed over his badge to Chu Renhe for inspection.

    Chu Renhe asked after ncing at the badge. ¡°What is the Patrolman of Luo Shui doing in Tian Yong?¡±

    ¡°My boss ordered me to participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau¡­ Ye Qing¡­¡± Chu Renhe¡¯s pupils contracted suddenly as if he just recalled something. ¡°Are you the Qing Emperor Junior, Ye Qing?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.<em>What the fuck is that nickname?</em>

 Chapter 396: Warrioress

    Chapter 396: Warrioress

    At Anyang, you exposed the Nether Lords ploy and saved it from annihtion. At Sky Gate Abyss, you foiled the Way of Taipings conspiracy and saved the people from disaster. At the Luo Shui Arena, you issued the <em>jianghu </em>warriors a challenge and defeated everyone who set foot on the arena, and at Sunset Hill, you saw through the Mara Buddhas scheme and trounced him soundly.

    Chu Renhe said with a smile that didnt reach the eye. Your fame is such that even I have heard about it, Qing Emperor Junior. Now that I have witnessed you firsthand, I can tell that you definitely deserve your title.

    You tter me. As an official, it is my natural duty that I safeguard the people, Ye Qing responded with a salute. <em>Qing Emperor Junior is definitely me. But when did I get such a nickname?</em>

    Dont be humble, Lord Ye. You hail from August Hill Vige, a ce that might as well be a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things, but you were able to ascend from the Vessel Augmentation stage to the Spirit Purification stage, and a civilian official to the Patrolman of Luo Shui in a little over a year. We are all quite impressed with your achievements, Chu Renhe dered.

    Really, I was just lucky, Ye Qing replied humbly again. He looked calm on the outside, but he was really shocked on the inside. How did the Intelligence Department know so much about him? Considering the amount of information Chu Renhe just revealed, he wouldnt be surprised if he told him that they had investigated his entire lineage as well. Why on earth would the Intelligence Department pay so much attention to a small fry like him? Were they really that bored, or were they scheming something.

    Luck too is a part of strength. Chu Renhe said slowly, But back to our earlier dialogue, I really need you toe with us, Lord Ye. The Intelligence Departments secrets are involved, and it is my duty to investigate this incident to the best of my abilities. Since youre an imperial official yourself, you should know the importance of abiding by thew better than anyone.

    You still dont believe me, Lord Chu? Ye Qings lips pursed into a stiff line.

    Its not that I dont believe you, my personal beliefs have nothing to do with my duty. But dont worry. We, the Intelligence Department, are the impartial arbiters of thew. Once our investigation isplete, and we confirm that this incident really has nothing to do with you, we will release you immediately, Chu Renhe said.

    In that case, how about you capture me after you finish your investigation?

    Ye Qing was seriously angry. <em>I already told you who I am, and you still wont budge? Do you think Im a pushover or something?</em>

    He disliked trouble, but he wasnt afraid of trouble.

    Are you going to break thew, Lord Ye? Chu Renhes tone grew icy.

    Break thew? When? Youre going to arrest me just because I happened to share a table with Killer Monk, speak with him, and ept a jade thumb ring from him? Ye Qing replied just as icily. You dont have any real proof, and youre going to assume that Im affiliated with these fools and throw me in prison? Just how sloppy can you get?

    Im not throwing you into prison, Im taking you to our headquarters to assist with our investigation. Thew of Chu dictates that everyone is obligated to assist the Intelligence Department in an investigation. If you dont cooperate, then you will be punished, Chu Renhe dered.

    Trying to coerce me using thew? Okay! Lets talk about thew. It is true that thew of Chu dictates that everyone is obligated to assist the Intelligence Department in an investigation, but it didnt say that I must follow you back to the headquarters, did it? In fact, there isnt a singlew that states that I must follow you back to the headquarters!

    Ye Qing continued with a smirk, Also, Im a member of the Pacification Bureau. Thew dictates that any case involving the Pacification Bureau must be reviewed jointly by the Three Judicial Offices and judged by the emperor himself. Are you the emperor? No? Then you dont get to judge a member of the Pacification Bureau!

    What audacity! As expected of the Pacification Bureau! Chu Renhe sneered.

    We may be audacious, but were certainly notwbreakers like the Intelligence Department! Ye Qing didnt give an inch.

    You definitely have a silver tongue, Lord Ye. Chu Renhes tone was frigid at this point.

    Oh, its nothingpared to yours, Lord Chu. I wouldnt be able to invert ck and white and distort the truth the way you did. Ye Qing shrugged arrogantly. Anyway, feel free to speak with my bureau and have them arrest me when you have actual evidence. Otherwise, please get out of my sight and leave me to my lunch. I havent finished yet.

    Good, very good. Its been a long time since someone dared to speak to me like this. Thest person who tried it was fed to the fishes.

    Chu Renhe was smiling, but his eyes were as cold as the ice of the coldest winter. He suddenly lowered his voice and whispered, Most people are afraid of the Pacification Bureau, but not us. Do you really think I canty a hand on you just because youre a member of the Pacification Bureau, and youre a little famous now?

    The next moment, Chu Renhe crushed the Pacification Badge Ye Qing had given him like it was made of dough. Of course, the truth couldnt be any more different. A Pacification Badge was forged from cemented carbide and was incredibly tough. It was highly resistant to conventional weapons and elements. However, Chu Renhe had turned it into fine powder with his bare hands. It showed that he was incredibly strong.

    Ye Qing tensed up when he saw this. As expected, Chu Renhe abruptly dered loudly and angrily, You dare pretend to be an official of the imperial court? You deserve death! Kill him!

    As soon as he finished, he condensed his bloodthirst and killing intent into a sword andunched it at Ye Qing. Even being close to the attack shriveled ones mind and weakened ones energies.

    At the same time, the dark red robe he was wearing unleashed a blood red halo of light. A closer looked revealed that they were countless red threads as thin as an oxs hair, but they were packed so tightly that they looked like blood.

    The threads wrapped around Ye Qing like a cocoon, but Chu Renhe nched. It was because the real Ye Qing was standing behind him and throwing out a punch.

    A sheen of red energy appeared behind Chu Renhes back. The next second, it caved inward like someone had thrown a massive rock into a pond. A gale of astral qi washed out to the surroundings and threw a good number of Intelligent Guards into the air. Some mmed painfully into their colleagues and screamed in pain.

    Chu Renhes bones popped and cracked like they were under great pressure. Bright red blood began pouring out of his orifices.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    Launched forward like an arrow, he mmed into a pir so hard that cracks spread all across the stone, causing the entire inn to shake worryingly.

    Hmm?

    Ye Qing didnt press his advantage, however. Instead, he looked down on his fist. It was covered in countless tiny holes that looked like pinholes, and there were threads of blood lingering around the wounds. They were crawling into his flesh like they were alive.

    They all say that Qing Emperor Juniors mastery of the fist is godlike. I can see that they werent exaggerating. Chu Renhe spat out some blood and looked down on his robe. Its color was a tad dimmer than before.

    Although Ye Qing had gotten one over him before, he hadnt thought much of it. After all, he hadnt employed his full strength at the time, and they were both middle-stage Spirit Purifiers. In a straight fight, he didnt believe that he would be outmatched by a peer, much less someone from the backwaters.

    But now, he could only stare at Ye Qing with astonishment and jealousy. He had gone all out and even used his trump card, the Strange Artifact called the Golden Bloodmaking Silkworm Robe.

    The Golden Bloodmaking Silkworm Robe was the very robe he was wearing. It was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact weaved by the Golden Bloodmaking Silkworms and possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities. The silk created by the Stranger was incredibly sharp, resilient, and impervious to most weapons and elements.

    Besides that, the silk possessed the power to cut through qi, and the wearer couldmand thousands and thousands of silk threads to attack their enemies. The silk could even invade the victims body through the wounds it inflicted and automatically attack their internal organs. It was powerful to put it mildly.

    Despite this, Chu Renhe had failed to block the attackpletely. The amount of force contained within that punch hadpletely surpassed his expectations and overwhelmed even the Golden Bloodmaking Silkworm Robes defense, causing his internal organs to shift out of ce, and his energies to fall into disarray.

    He had no doubt that the punch would leave him half-dead if he didnt have the Strange Artifact.

    How does my Golden Bloodmaking Silk Thread feel?

    That said, it wasnt like Ye Qing hade off the attackpletely unharmed. A savage smile crossed Chu Renhes lips as he stared at the bloody pinholes covering Ye Qings fist.

    Eh, its okay.

    Ye Qing raised his fist and clenched strongly and suddenly. There was a soft pop, followed by a thunderp that left everyones eardrums ringing. Chu Renhe could only watch in shock when the threads that had slithered into the wound were forced out and burned into dust. Not only that, the wound itself healed back to normal in no time.

    Is that all you got? I suppose that this is the extent of the Intelligence Departments power! Ye Qing chuckled while shaking his wrists.

    Suddenly, a cold, ancient voice entered his ears. You dare look down on my Intelligence Department? Lets see how strong you really are, boy!

    Ye Qing immediately raised his arm to block an attack that came from his nk. There was a loud boom, and he skidded a fair distance across the dining hall. The pair of scars his feet cut across the floor were at least several inches deep.

    Ye Qings face was serious as he felt the burning pain on his arm. He then looked up at his attacker. It was none other than the woman who upied a whole table with her son earlier[1].

    Youre a member of the Intelligence Department? Ye Qing eximed in surprise. At the same time, he realized that he couldnt sense any life force from the woman whatsoever. She was as yin, cold and lifeless as a dead person. This was strange because she had felt perfectly human until this point.

    The woman didnt answer him. Instead, she rushed forward like lightning and unleashed a colorful, positively gorgeous punch that looked like a blooming flower.

    The problem with beautiful things, however, was that they usually hid thorns.

    Sensing some sort of unknown danger from her fist, Ye Qing decided not to take it and sidestepped out of the way. Then, he split into three illusions that looked exactly like him.

    The womans fist continued forward and crushed two of the illusions. Ye Qing himself appeared on her right and threw a punch at her temple.

    The woman moved very, very quickly. As soon as the punch missed, she spun toward Ye Qing and flung her arm at his head like it was a staff. It looked like she was nning to trade wounds with him.

    The womans strength was at least on par with his, and Ye Qing didnt think his head was tougher than her fist. Left with no choice, he changed his n and struck her on her wrist instead.

    The wrist was the weakest point of the arm, so his attack sent her arm flying despite her tremendous strength. While she was open, Ye Qing stepped forward and mmed an elbow into her chest.

    <em>Chaos Demon Ape FistThe Demon Ape Rams A Mountain</em>

    He didnt hold back. The elbow strike smashed the woman right through the inns wall.

    1. Just to rify for those who already forgot, there were four tables with empty seats when Ye Qing went down for lunch earlier. As it turned out, every single one of them was a death trap. Thats the life a protagonist leads.

 Chapter 397: When The Frogs Cry

    <h4>Chapter 397: When The Frogs Cry </h4>

    The next moment, the woman returned even faster than before and retaliated with another punch. It was like a whole garden of flowers blooming at the same time: awe-inspiring, beautiful, and spring-like. Her fist intent looked like it would epass everything under the heavens.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t dare to treat it lightly. Manifesting the silhouette of a demonic ape around him, he roared at the top of his lungs and swung both his fists like he was throwing a mountain.

    Their fists and astral qi met and mingled for an instant. Then, every piece of furniture in the dining hall crumbled into fine powder.

    Both Ye Qing and the woman were sent flying, but they quickly met at the center and shed once more. Now, the entire inn was in serious danger of crumbling.

    The woman¡¯s fist art was a gorgeous spectacle. Each punch was like the flowers of spring, colorful, bright and weing. But despite the mboyant disy, its power wasn¡¯t weak in the slightest. Her techniques were exquisite, her fist force was overwhelming, and her fist intent seemed almost endless. He supposed he should¡¯ve expected this. Spring was the season that chased away winter after all.

    Like a demonic ape, Ye Qing darted all over the ce and threw punch after punch with wanton regard and animalistic fervor. His attacks were brutish and forceful, but his incredible agility more than made up for it. For a time, the duo was locked in a stalemate.

    Ye Qing knew that he was no match for the woman, however. There were multiple reasons. For one, the woman was also a body tempering warrior. Two, she was a Spirit Master. And three, her mastery of her fist art and her fist intent exceeded his by a considerable margin.

    Despite this, he still managed to fight her temporarily stalemate because he wasn¡¯t a pure body tempering warrior. He didn¡¯t walk the path of one power oveing everything. On top of that, he possessed a prodigious amount of astral qi and spiritual power, so he was overall more nimble than his opponent.

    Speaking of movement, something wasn¡¯t quite right about the woman. Her fist art and fist intent were as strong as they came, but her movements felt a little stiff and robotic for some reason. It was almost like she was fighting with just the battle instincts that were drilled into his body for untold years. That was the other reason he was able to hold out for so long.

    That said, it was only a matter of time before she overwhelmed him. Even if she didn¡¯t, there was no way he could oust a Spirit Master.

    Iron determination flickered in his eyes as he executed ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± and split into nine illusions. They all charged toward the woman at the same time.

    In response, the woman clenched her fists and threw nine punches at each illusion. From a distance, it looked like nine blooming lotuses.

    Eight of the silhouettes popped out of existence like bubbles. The real Ye Qing tanked the punch flying toward him head on.

    There was a muffled thud as the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± was dispelled, and his entire body wobbled. Web-like cracks spread out from his feet.

    ¡°I knew it!¡±

    Despite this, Ye Qing was delighted. Her strength was prodigious, but since she had to throw nine consecutive punches to ensure that she didn¡¯t miss her target, it was inevitable that each individual punch was a lot weaker than before. Thanks to the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± and his tough body, he was able to take the one punch without any issue.

    There was a lull between the woman¡¯s movements after she dished out her attack. While she was still recovering, Ye Qing closed the distance and hit her right in the stomach.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    The lone cavalry charges the army. It was do or die.

    The woman bent like a prawn as her muscles and bones popped ominously. It was the most effective strike he hadnded since fighting her. A faithful believer of kicking a dog when it was down, he appeared behind her, punched her in the spine, and smashed her at least one meter deep into the floor.

    Strangely, the woman never made a sound even after receiving the deadly blow. Surely even a mute would¡¯ve let out a grunt of pain or something, right?

    Ye Qing was still trying to figure out the woman when a frog¡¯s cry suddenly resounded inside his headspace. The frog cry quickly grew into a chorus of cries and disoriented him.

    Farmers often said that one could hear loud frog cries from the paddy fields if it was a harvest year. To them, a frog¡¯s cry was something to be celebrated.

    But right here and now, it was a noise that would rob Ye Qing of his life if he didn¡¯t defend against it with all his might.

    The frog cries felt like a sharp de trying to slit his mind in half. The pain was so bad that his control slipped a little, and wisps of his astral qi shot here and there.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    He threw up a mouthful of fresh blood as he pressed a hand to his forehand. He cycled the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± at full force and slowly but surely suppressed the frog cries ravaging his headspace.

    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re a genius alright. Not only do you have a strong body, your spirit is strong enough to withstand my Frog Cry of the Reaper. However, you offended Lord Chu and even injured my darling. No one will be able to save you today, boy.¡±

    It was at this moment the cold, ancient voice spoke up again. The next moment, the frog cries he just suppressed began growing in strength once more.

    Ye Qing furrowed his brows and tapped the space in front of him. An invisible shockwave washed out as he executed the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±.

    If he couldn¡¯t defend against the attack, then he might as well trade wounds with his attacker.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    Invisible energies shed and rippled within the inn. In an instant, a dozen or so Intelligence Guards shuddered, bled from all orifices, and died.

    ¡°You are dead!¡±

    An angry shout erupted and caused the inn to groan ominously. Then, a massive frog appeared in the air. Strangely, the frog didn¡¯t have eyes. Blood was flowing out of its pitch ck, empty sockets.

    There were strange patterns behind the frog¡¯s back. They looked like the face of aughing ghost. In fact, the face wasughing right now.

    On its stomach was a mouth full of rows and rows of sharp teeth.

    The frog¡¯s belly swelled and deted. Then, a booming croak sted Ye Qing in body, mind, and spirit.

    <i>¡°CROAK!¡±</i>

    The interior of the inn turned ghastly and dark. His brain felt like someone was twisting a knife in it, his mind threatened to tear sunder, his vigor churned like a sea storm, and another mouthful of blood sprayed out of his lips.

    <i>Another Spirit Master?</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his heart was heavy as he considered his circumstances. If the woman was a half-baked Spirit Master, then whoever was attacking him with his Yin God was a Spirit Master through and through.

    That¡¯s right, the ghastly frog in front of him was the manifestation of a Spirit Master¡¯s Yin God. Although his spirit was far out of the ordinary, he still wasn¡¯t strong enough to go up against a Spirit Master who had created their Yin God. As a result, the single exchange had suppressed his demonic thought.

    <i>¡°CROAK!¡±</i>

    Unrelenting, the ghastly frog let loose another booming crack that caused blood to seep out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Hisplexion was as pale as a sheet, and his face looked like he had pulled a couple of all-nighters.

    That wasn¡¯t all. Four ugly ghosts with twin horns on their heads and shrouded by a ghastly white me swung their swords straight at him.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Ye Qing growled and swung his hands at the ghosts like sabers.

    <i>¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±</i>

    Red lotuses descended from above as his hand knives cleaved through the ghosts faster than they could kill him. Hellish red mes seeped out of their wounds and turned them into ash in an instant.

    At the same time, a moderate-sized wound appeared on the frog¡¯s stomach. Yin qi mixed with wisps of Red Lotus Hellfire poured out of the wound like smoke.

    The ghost frog tried to extinguish the mes with its yin qi, but it just refused to die no matter what. Its face was contorted with pain and anger.

    Ye qing wasn¡¯t doing so hot, however. His head was hurting like a bitch because he had used up all of his spiritual power in one go.

    Compared to ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±, the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± obviously did more damage against yin creatures and ghosts. That was why he chose to attack the ghosts with it.

    The effects were obvious. The attack was such that even the Yin God suffered a moderate wound.

    <i>Time to go!</i>

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to dash toward the exit.

    There was no reason to stay and fight an opponent he couldn¡¯t defeat.

    As expected, crossbow bolts flew toward him the second he dashed out of the building.

    He didn¡¯t need to dodge them though. A ck astral qi and a white astral qi appeared around his body and formed a tai chi circle. It altered the trajectory of the crossbow bolts and caused them to smack into one another. Someone who didn¡¯t know what was going on might even think that the Intelligence Guards had purposely missed Ye Qing.

    The Astral Breaking Crossbow was a fearsome weapon, but it failed to stop Ye Qing even a little.

    It was at this moment someone suddenly burst out of the ground, grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s legs, and pulled him downward.

    It was none other than the warrioress he fought earlier.

    The woman¡¯s veil was nowhere to be seen. It had probably been destroyed by Ye Qing¡¯s final blow.

    Her face didn¡¯t look human. Not exactly. Her eyes were lifeless, her pupils were dted, and Ye Qing could sense no air flowing in or out of her nose or mouth. Her face was covered in white fur, and there were a pair of fangs on the corners of her mouth.

    ¡°A Vampire[1]...¡±

    Ye Qing finally understood what she was when he saw her appearance.

    The woman was probably a body tempering Spirit Master when she was still alive. After she died, someone refined her body into a weapon. That was why she possessed the body and strength of a Spirit Master, but none of the intelligence or awareness a Spirit Master should possess. It would also exin why her fist art seemed a little stiff and unnatural.

    Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about such things though. He needed to get out as soon as possible.

    Ye Qing detonated his astral qi and forced her to loosen her grip. Once he was out, he kicked her in the head and sent her crashing to the street like a meteor. At the same time, the momentum pushed him further toward safety.

    Unfortunately, he had just traveled ten meters or so when a boy about five or six years old appeared on the rooftop directly in front of him. He was wearing a cold smile on his face.

    ¡°You think you can run?¡± The boy asked, but his voice sounded nothing like a child¡¯s.

    He was the other Spirit Master Ye Qing had fought briefly. He was also the boy sitting next to the woman earlier in the inn.

    Clearly, the boy wasn¡¯t a real boy. He was an old monster.

    That short pause was all the woman needed to get up from the ground and catch up with him.

    Clearly, she was the boy¡¯s puppet.

    ¡°What is your name, senior?¡± Ye Qing sighed. No one wanted to be stuck between an old man and a dead woman, not to mention that Chu Renhe and a truck load of Intelligence Guards were watching from the sidelines. This escape was looking impossible.

    ¡°Hehehe! I¡¯ll tell you after you¡¯re dead!¡± The boy let out a harsh, evilugh before he and the woman pounced toward Ye Qing at the same time.

    The boy was a keeper of the Intelligence Department, Tong Zhen. He thought his puppet alone would be enough to kill Ye Qing, but the young man had wildly surpassed his expectations. Not only did he manage to repel his puppet, he even dealt a moderate wound to his Yin God.

    That was why he showed himself. It was to kill Ye Qing for certain.

    His name might be Tong Zhen (Childish Innocence), but he wasn¡¯t childish or innocent at all. He wasn¡¯t going to make the stupid mistake of talking too much and giving Ye Qing the time to call for help or something.

    In fact, he went for the killing blow as soon as he was done speaking.

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°You done watching, Brother Chen? If you are, then get your ass over already. If not, I¡¯ll take you to the grave with me.¡±

    ¡°Your trickery won¡¯t work on me!¡± Tong Zhen sneered. He moved faster and shot five powerful beams of force at Ye Qing.

    Tong Zhen himself moved even faster than his attack, however. By the time Ye Qing neutralized the force beams with his ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, Tong Zhen was already on top of him and moving to crush his skull.

    ¡°Wayayaya! Who dares to attack my Brother Ye? Are you courting death?!¡±

    It was at this moment a ridiculous shout broke out from the distance. There was a low rumble, and a massive hand grabbed Tong Zhen¡¯s whole body from behind. At the same time, the man swung his left elbow and smashed the woman so hard that she left a ten-meter long mark on the floor.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother! No one can harm a hair on your person as long as I¡¯m around!¡± The man dered and shot Ye Qing a sincere-looking smile.

    1. Chinese vampire. Basically zombie sh vampire. ?

 Chapter 398: Lei Xiaodan

    <h4>Chapter 398: Lei Xiaodan </h4>

    ¡°Har har. Did you enjoy the show, Brother Chen?¡± Ye Qing side-eyed Chen Wuxin with a knowing, ridiculing smile on his face.

    Chen Wuxin wasnguishing away at the Beauty Pageant Pce, and the pce wasn¡¯t far away from Ye Qing¡¯s inn. He refused to believe that Chen Wuxin hadn¡¯t sensed anything considering themotion the Intelligence Department had caused. In fact, he knew for certain that the guy was hiding amidst the onlookers and enjoying the show.

    ¡°Enjoy the show? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking about! I just came back, you see!¡± Chen Wuxin feigned ignorance.

    ¡°Who are you? Unhand me this instant!¡±

    Meanwhile, Tong Zhen was struggling furiously to break out of Chen Wuxin¡¯s grip. Despite flinging his astral qi and mental art at the huge man with all his might, he failed to inflict even the slightest wound on the man.

    Chen Wuxin¡¯s true identity was the Heartless Brain, and he was piloting the body of the Half-Step Grandmaster, Chen Ah Sheng. Not only that, the Heartless Brain could sever even the threads of karma itself, so of course he wouldn¡¯t be affected by a puny mental art.

    The woman Chen Wuxin had smashed out of the way rushed over as if she sensed that Tong Zhen was in danger. As she ran, her energies kept climbing until they reached the absolute peak. Once in front of Chen Wuxin, she threw a punch that could shatter a whole mountain.

    Chen Wuxin paid her no heed, however. He simply lifted his left hand, caught the woman¡¯s wrist, and severed her fist force in mid-release. Then, grabbed her head before she could react, pushed over half of her body into the ground, and stepped on her back to keep her pinned. She was unable to break free no matter how hard she struggled.

    Throughout the process, Chen Wuxin never even looked at the woman. He kept chit-chatting with Ye Qing without a care in the world.

    Stunned by Chen Wuxin¡¯s strength, Tong Zhen threatened impotently, ¡°I am Tong Zhen, a keeper serving the Intelligence Department! Let me go, and I will let bygones be bygones! Otherwise, you will regret this!¡±

    ¡°Like I give a damn who you are. Anyone who hurts my brother must die!¡± Chen Wuxin turned to look at Tong Zhen and smiled savagely. He then tried to crush Tong Zhen with his bare hand.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    It was at this moment a fierce cry came from afar. It sounded incredibly weak and distant at the beginning, but when it reached them it was as loud as a thunderp. Following the sound were five lightning bolts¡ªwhite, cyan, blue, red and yellow¡ªstriking straight toward the duo.

    Even before the lightning came, every hair on Ye Qing¡¯s body was already standing on end. Even scarier was the fact that the surrounding space were filled with mini lightning that paralyzed both him and Chen Wuxin and prevented them from gathering their force. They were unable to leave even if they wanted to.

    Ye Qing and Chen Wuxin exchanged a bitter smile with each other. It was clear that this neer was someone far beyond their ability to resist.

    ¡°You dare attack a member of the Pacification Bureau, Lei Xiaodan? Are you courting death?¡±

    At thest moment, a man leaped out of the crowd and made a grab for the five lightning bolts. As if his hand was made of metal, the five lightning bolts abruptly changed course and flew into his palm. Over time, they slowly condensed into a ball of lightning.

    ¡°We meet again, Joyless,¡± The man looked at Ye Qing and greeted him animably.

    ¡°Well met, Lord Hong! Thank you so much for saving our lives!¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise and saluted his savior in a hurry.

    The man was none other than Hong Jianglong.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. Like I would ever allow the Intelligence Bureau to bully the Pacification Bureau!¡± Hong Jianglong dered fearlessly before looking in a certain direction and yelling, ¡°Show your face, Lei Xiaodan!¡±

    Hong Jianglong¡¯s voice was so loud it wasparable to that of Gu Suitang¡¯s. Ye Qing¡¯s eardrums were ringing a little from how loud it was. Despite this, no one showed up.

    ¡°Not gonna show up, are you? Okay! I dare you to hide in your shell your whole life.¡± Hong Jianglong sneered and tossed the ball of lightning in Chu Renhe¡¯s direction. The condensed lightning was as harmless as an actual ball in Hong Jianglong¡¯s hand, but as soon as it left his palm, it immediately returned to its violent, destructive self. The five lightning roared like they would smite anything and everything in their way. Chu Renhe turned as pale as a sheet when he realized what was happening.

    A gentle, amiable voice rang right before the lightning bolts would kill Chu Renhe. ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait a moment? And why are you taking out your frustration on a child?¡±

    The lightning bolts abruptly froze in mid-air. At the same time, a man in his forties stepped out into the open. He was an ordinary-looking old man with yellowish, sparse hair and a crooked back. He was also wearing a set of white, starched clothes. He looked no different from an ordinary citizen whose individuality and backbone had beenpletely crushed by the hardships of life.

    There was one thing about him that stood out, however. He had six fingers on both hands. That definitely wasn¡¯t a characteristic that you saw everyday.

    His hands were hanging beside his waist, and he was wearing a genial smile as he stepped out of the corner of a street.

    The man looked like he was moving slowly, but in reality he reached Chu Renhe in just a few steps. The five lightning bolts danced around him as soon as he got close, and Ye Qing actually picked up a hint of joy from the lightning bolts.

    The man raised his hand, and the lightning bolts slithered into his sleeve. They were gone just like that.

    ¡°You sure took your time, Lei Xiaodan! And here I thought you care nothing for your disciple¡¯s life!¡± Hong Jianglong taunted.

    Lei Xiaodan seemed to care nothing for Hong Jianglong¡¯s sass, however. Still wearing an honest smile on his face, he asked, ¡°What are you doing, Brother Hong? Why possessed you to attack a junior? Even if my junior is foolish, you could¡¯ve just taught him a lesson! There is no need to kill him, is there?¡±

    Hong Jianglong sneered, ¡°You¡¯re just as shameless as ever, Lei Xiaodan. It is your men who attacked my men first. I¡¯m just retaliating appropriately.¡±

    ¡°Your men? Are you talking about these two?¡± Lei Xiaodan eximed in astonishment before looking at Ye Qing and Chen Wuxin. ¡°What an unfortunate coincidence! I thought you were just viins who were trying to take out my men! That was why I acted in haste.¡±

    ¡°But now, I see that it¡¯s all a misunderstanding. Please ept my apologies, you two. If I wasn¡¯t so old and blind, I would not havemitted such a rookie mistake! So sorry.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan was acting surprisingly humble considering that he was a Grandmaster.

    ¡°My name is Lei Xiaodan. I am the Judicial Commissioner of the Tian Yong Intelligence Department. May I know your names, please?¡±

    ¡°Well met, Lord Lei,¡± Ye Qing replied with a hint of surprise. A Judicial Commissioner was an upper rank official and on the same level as the Chief of Bureau. He was a rank higher than even Hong Jianglong, a Pacification Commissioner.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t believe Lei Xiaodan¡¯s im that it was an unfortunate mistake in the slightest, but he didn¡¯t dare to say it. The guy was a Grandmaster after all.

    Hong Jianglong might have dared to insult the guy despite being a rank lower, but that was because he was a Grandmaster himself. As a puny Spirit Purifier and Peacemaker, Ye Qing had no intentions of making an enemy out of Lei Xiaodan if possible. ¡°I am Ye Qing, and this over here is my friend, Chen Wuxin.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the famous Qing Emperor Junior?¡± Lei Xiaodan wore a smile of pure surprise and delight when he heard this. ¡°Your reputation is like thunder piercing the ear, and now that I¡¯ve met you in person, I can tell that you definitely deserve it! It is the imperial court, Chu and the people¡¯s fortune for the Pacification Bureau to obtain a dragon-in-human-skin like you!¡±

    ¡°You tter me, my lord.¡± Ye Qing replied with a salute, but he didn¡¯t let down his guard. There was no way that a Grandmaster and an upper third rank Judicial Commissioner of the Intelligence Department would lick his boots for no reason. Frankly, he was feeling quite worried and anxious here.

    ¡°My Intelligence Department came here today to capture some rebels. How did they sh with you, Qing Emperor Junior?¡± Lei Xiaodan asked concernedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, master¡ª¡± Chu Renhe tried to pre-empt Ye Qing and get his version of the story out in the open first, but Lei Xiaodan interrupted him before he could say anything. ¡°I¡¯m asking Qing Emperor Junior right now. Stop interrupting, you rude child!¡±

    Chu Renhe seemed to be very afraid of his own master because he fell silent immediately. He was still ring coldly at Ye Qing though.

    ¡°Speak, Qing Emperor Junior!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to address me by my title, my lord. Just address me directly,¡± Ye Qing said. He literally hadn¡¯t heard of the nickname until today, and while he found it to be a rather cool nickname, he didn¡¯t really need to hear it from the mouth of the Judicial Commissioner himself.

    ¡°Sure. Humility is a good thing. I shall address you as Young Ye instead.¡± Lei Xiaodan continued smilingly, ¡°Speak, Young Ye.¡±

    ¡°Very well. It¡¯s like this.¡± Ye Qing got ready to retell the story. He wasn¡¯t in the wrong anyway, so he wasn¡¯t afraid of telling the truth as it was.

    But right before he could tell his story, Lei Xiaodan looked at Chen Wuxin and said, ¡°Can you put Brother Tong down first, Brother Chen? He looks like he¡¯s about to run out of breath.¡±

    Chen Wuxin did as he said. The big boss had arrived, so there was no chance he could kill Tong Zhen if he wanted to. More importantly, Lei Xiaodan made him feel like a chick before a cat. He saw no reason to offend someone who was way stronger than him.

    ¡°Thank you, Brother Chen.¡± Lei Xiaodan thanked him before continuing, ¡°You are a powerful body-tempering warrior whose fist art is peerless, Brother Chen. I am sure that you have a great future ahead of you if you manage to be a Grandmaster.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you cultivate the Chaos Demon Tempering Sect¡¯s ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯, right? It so happens that their sect master and I are acquaintances. From what I know, there are only a handful of people who managed to practice the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯ to the extent you did.¡±

    ¡°Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t Chen Ah Sheng, the leader of the Chaos Heaven Brigands, practice the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯ as well? I heard that his attainment in the cultivation art was pretty advanced too. You know, your surname is Chen, and your appearance resembles his. I even heard that Chen Ah Sheng recently escaped to Tian Yong to escape his pursuers. It¡¯s a mighty coincidence, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Haha, it is pretty coincidental,¡± Chen Wuxin¡¯s eyelids twitched as he replied.

    Hong Jianglong realized something and rebuked Lei Xiaodan, ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be talking about what happened between your disciple and Joyless, Lei Xiaodan! Stop getting off topic!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re just as hasty as ever, Brother Hong! I was just about to get right into it!¡± Lei Xiaodan replied amiably and looked at Ye Qing. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that a notorious, wicked evildoer like Chen Ah Sheng could not possibly appear at West Yong, right Young Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing stared into Lei Xiaodan¡¯s eyes for a long time before smiling as well. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Lord Lei.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe. Where were we? Oh right! How did you and Renhe sh against each other? If Renhe is in the wrong, then I¡¯ll have him offer you a sincere apology!¡±

    Lei Xiaodan beamed at Ye Qing as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Young Ye. Tell me the truth and only the truth!¡±

 Chapter 399: Aim For The Heart

    <h4>Chapter 399: Aim For The Heart </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small misunderstanding, sir. Lord Chu mistook me for one of the rebels, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s really my fault for not rifying things sooner,¡± Ye Qing replied with a warm smile. But on the inside, he was cursing Lei Xiaodan¡¯s foxiness.

    On the outside, Lei Xiaodan was encouraging him to tell the truth. But on the inside, he was really threatening him to gloss over the matter, or he would expose Chen Wuxin for who he was. Chen Ah Sheng was one of the leaders of the Thirteen Brigands, and unlike your petty criminal, he was so notorious that even the imperial court had a hefty bounty on his head. Anyone who colluded with him would be punished severely.

    The reason Lei Xiaodan revealed the fact that he recognized Chen Ah Sheng but didn¡¯t call him out for who he was was to warn Ye Qing to say anything but the truth. Otherwise, he would not hesitate to drag him down with him.

    Technically, there was no harm in revealing the truth. After all, there was nothing shameful about destroying the Chaos Heaven Brigands. The problem was that he couldn¡¯t reveal his deeds without exining about his involvement with the Ghost Tower, and if his involvement with the Ghost Tower was revealed, then everything he did to shake them off would be for naught.

    Besides that, the Thirteen Brigands were united in spirit. If they or Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s friends and family learned that he was the one behind the destruction of the Chaos Heaven Brigands, then he wouldn¡¯t survive very long at all, not unless he hid behind the Pacification Bureau¡¯s skirt forever.

    Without the necessary strength, fame and glory were nothing more but death sentences.

    Maybe it was because Lei Xiaodan didn¡¯t want to provoke the Pacification Bureau or Hong Jianglong, or maybe it was because he wasn¡¯t sure why Chen Ah Sheng was standing together with Ye Qing. In the end, he only chose to threaten him subtly.

    Ye Qing understood his meaning, which was why he ultimately didn¡¯t reveal the full extent of Chu Renhe¡¯s actions and behavior. The way he glossed over it, you would think that they hadn¡¯t fought at all.

    ¡°It was just a misunderstanding? That¡¯s great! Even so, the right attitude is necessary to resolve a misunderstanding.¡± Lei Xiaodan acted as a mediator and beckoned Chu Renhe over, ¡°Come, Renhe. Apologize to Young Ye.¡±

    A cold glint flickered in Chu Renhe¡¯s eyes as he apologized, ¡°I apologize for my recklessness, Brother Ye. I hope you will forgive me.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t fully in the right either. I hope you will overlook my behavior,¡± replied Ye Qing with a smile.

    ¡°This is good, isn¡¯t it? A family should always be in harmony,¡± Lei Xiaodan chuckled, ¡°and youngsters like you two should get to know each other better.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Chu Renhe grunted but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°As you can see, Brother Hong, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Should we overlook this matter now?¡± Lei Xiaodan looked at Hong Jianglong.

    Hong Jianglong sneered. ¡°It¡¯s not like I can say anything else since both sides don¡¯t wish to pursue this matter any longer, can¡¯t I? A fair warning though, Lei Xiaodan. I don¡¯t care what you and your ilk do in the norm, but never plot against or heaven forbid,y a finger on the Pacification Bureau. Otherwise, we will retaliate in full force.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Brother Hong? The Intelligence Department and the Pacification Bureau are the right and left hand of the Son of Heaven. We are united in our purpose to serve the emperor and the people, aren''t we? Why would we ever scheme against our own?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan dered in a fearful voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you know me, Old Hong? I can¡¯t say for everyone, but you know that I would never do such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Good. You best remember what you said today and act like it.¡± Hong Jianglong dered imperiously. ¡°This is the end of today¡¯s incident. There won¡¯t be an aftermath, and I better not hear anything untoward regarding Joyless and the Pacification Bureau in the near future, understand?¡±

    ¡°But of course,¡± Lei Xiaodan said with an obsequious smile. ¡°You know what, I have some time today. Why don¡¯t I negotiate a table with the Beauty Pageant Pce and treat Young Ye to a proper weing ceremony? It would make for a good apology, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Forget it. Unlike you, the Pacification Bureau has a lot of work to do.¡± Hong Jianglong nced at Ye Qing and ordered, ¡°Join me, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°As youmand,¡± Ye Qing replied before saluting Lei Xiaodan again. ¡°I shall be taking my leave, Lord Lei.¡±

    Ye Qing wanted nothing more than to stay far, far away from Lei Xiaodan. However, some amount of pretenses were still necessary.

    ¡°Off you go, Young Ye. Do visit the Intelligence Department when you have time. I¡¯d like nothing more than to spend some time with you,¡± Lei Xiaodan said affectionately.

    <i>I think not, you suspicious old man! </i>Ye Qing barely suppressed his impulse to break out in goosebumps as he replied, ¡°Sure. I will make time.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan guffawed. ¡°Hahaha... I look forward to your arrival, Young Ye.¡±

    ¡°Be seeing you, Lord Lei,¡± Ye Qing said onest time before falling behind Hong Jianglong.

    As the duo left, Lei Xiaodan called out to Hong Jianglong, ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink when you have time, Brother Hong!¡±

    The Pacification Commissioner did not reply.

    After Hong Jianglong and Ye Qing were gone, Chu Renhe¡¯s expression suddenly morphed into an angry, vengeful snarl.

    ¡°Are you angry that I didn¡¯t take revenge for you, Renhe?¡± Lei Xiaodan turned to look at his disciple.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Chu Renhe replied.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you are angry.¡± Lei Xiaodan didn¡¯t get angry despite his answer.

    Chu Renhe hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°I¡¯m not angry for myself, master. I¡¯m angry for you.¡±

    ¡°You are the Judicial Commissioner of the Intelligence Department. Both your rank and your strength are greater than Hong Jianglong¡¯s, not to mention that the Intelligence Department isn¡¯t inferior to the Pacification Bureau in any way. Why must you always... always...¡±

    ¡°Act like a meek servant, am I right?¡± Lei Xiaodan smiled.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Chu Renhe replied again.

    ¡°You don¡¯t really think I¡¯m cowardly just because my name is Lei Xiaodan (Surname: Thunder, Name: Cowardly), do you?¡± Lei Xiaodan let out a chuckle. ¡°I just think that most face aren¡¯t worth fighting for, that¡¯s all. Let¡¯s say that I dominated Hong Jianglong in a verbal spar and trampled all over his face. Would that really help me? Would it really hurt Hong Jianglong? Nay, it wouldn¡¯t. It would just be a waste of time and energy.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill a snake, aim for the spot seven inches below its head. If you¡¯re going to kill a man, aim for the heart or the brain. If you¡¯re going tomit to something, you should make sure that said action is as effective as it is permanent.¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, forget killing the snake, all you¡¯re going to do is to alert it. On top of that, you might give it the chance to bite you¡ªjust like what you did today.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan looked at Chu Renhe sternly. ¡°You acted recklessly and didn¡¯t investigate if Ye Qing is alone or has a lot of backing. As a result, you not only failed to kill him, but also took a massive loss in return. Am I wrong?¡±

    Chu Renhe opened his mouth, but he couldn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°You¡¯re still too young. Too impatient.¡± Lei Xiaodan gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder.

    Chu Renhe sucked in a deep breath and saluted Lei Xiaodan. ¡°This disciple recognizes his mistake, master.¡±

    ¡°And if you can fix it, then it is all worth it.¡± Lei Xiaodan smiled. ¡°You¡¯re still young. You still have plenty of room to make mistakes. What is scary is not fixing your mistakes despite knowing them.¡±

    ¡°Only those who are brave enough to recognize their shame, ept it, and never forget it may wash away their shame one day.¡±

    ¡°I will remember this, master.¡± Chu Renhe bowed his head deeply.

    ¡°Good. Now lead our men back to their posts, and remember topensate those who were injured or killed properly. We mustn¡¯t maltreat those who serve us faithfully.¡± Lei Xiaodan patted Chu Renhe¡¯s shoulder onest time before he slowly turned transparent. A paper doll fell from the center of his silhouette and burst into mes before it hit the ground.

    Chu Renhe was stunned and in disbelief. He had no idea that his master had been a paper doll this whole time.

    ¡°Is this... the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s magic, the Paper Doll Art?!¡± Tong Zhen was just as shocked as Chu Renhe was. ¡°To think that the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s magic could fool even Hong Jianglong. He must have gotten stronger.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Chu Renhe replied enviously before ordering, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s clean up the scene and go home!¡±

    Tong Zhen looked at the ruined inn and the warrioress who was still stuck in the ground, hurt and spent. Hisplexion slowly darkened as he asked, ¡°Are we going to overlook this, Renhe?¡±

    ¡°Overlook?¡± Chu Renhe¡¯s expression turned cold and cruel. ¡°I have never suffered such humiliation in my life, and you¡¯re asking me that?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± As one of his long-time subordinates, Tong Zhen wasn¡¯t surprised by Chu Renhe¡¯s answer in the slightest.

    ¡°We will see!¡± Chu Renhe said coldly.

    An idea suddenly urred to Tong Zhen. ¡°ording to the Judicial Commissioner, the guy who protected Ye Qing is most likely Chen Ah Sheng. We can use that to our advantage, can¡¯t we? Chen Ah Shen is a member of the Thirteen Brigands, and we all know that it¡¯s a death sentence to collude with one of their ilk. If we expose this, no one can save Ye Qing even if he is a member of the Pacification Bureau, right?¡±

    Chu Renhe¡¯s eyes lit up for an instant before dimming again. ¡°No, no. Master didn¡¯t expose Ye Qing despite knowing who Chen Ah Sheng was. He must have his reasons. Besides, master promised Hong Jianglong that this is the end of today¡¯s incident, and bringing up Chen Ah Sheng would be to reopen old wounds and worse, bring shame to master.¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you the consequences of annoying master, should I?¡±

    Tong Zhen gulped and turned as white as a sheet. The Judicial Commissioner might be the picture of kindness and benevolence in the norm, but when he gets angry, it was like an inner demon had awakened inside him. Not only that, Lei Xiaodan had the peculiar hobby of researching ancient punishments and applying them on his victims. He especially enjoyed the cruelest and most inhuman punishments such as Death By A Thousand Cuts, Human Swine[1], Wax Boiling[2] and more.

    In fact, many of these Human Swines and wax statues decorated the interior of the Intelligence Department.

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Tong Zhen asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. We have plenty of time toe up with a perfect solution.¡± Chu Renhe¡¯s expression loosened into a feminine, cruel grin. ¡°Master is right. If you¡¯re going to kill a snake, aim for the spot seven inches below its head. If you¡¯re going to kill a man, aim for the heart or the brain.¡±

    ¡°When next we strike, death will be his only fate!¡±

    .......

    ¡°That was a hell of a ¡®pleasant surprise¡¯ you brought me, Joyless!¡±

    On the way to the headquarters, Hong Jianglong teased Ye Qing while feeling both shocked and impressed at the same time.

    When he first saw Ye Qing, he was still ate-stage Astral Refiner. Later, he entered the Spirit Purification stage after emerging from the Demon¡¯s Tomb. Less than a month after that, he had entered the middle-stage of the Spirit Purification stage, and not as an empty shell that forsook everything for speed either. His senses told him that his spirit was potent and vast, and his vigor felt as strong as a mini sun. He had no idea how the young man managed to grow so strong in so short a time.

    Forget Luo Zhan, even Chu Qingge might be no match for him anymore. This was just insane.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want this either. I was just looking to eat lunch,¡± Ye Qing argued with a bitter chuckle. He had told Hong Jianglong everything that truly happened in the restaurant earlier, so he knew that the guy was just making fun of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine though. The Intelligence Department more than anyone else needs someone to spank them once in a while. If they dare to provoke you in the future, don¡¯t hesitate to beat the shit out of their assholes. I will shield you from all consequences.¡± Hong Jianglong waved his hand.

    ¡°My lord is strong,¡± Ye Qing ttered before asking, ¡°by the way, how did you know I was in trouble?¡±

    Hong Jianglong scoffed, ¡°What, you think that the Intelligence Department is the only one who has spies? Besides, themotion you caused is loud enough to wake even the dead.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my turn to ask you a question. Who is he? Is he really Chen Ah Sheng?¡± Hong Jianglong abruptly nced at Chen Wuxin with a severe look.

    1. ... She then had Concubine Qi''s limbs chopped off, blinded her by gouging out her eyes, cut off her tongue, cut off her nose, cut off her ears, forced her to drink a potion that made her mute, made her dumb with toxins, and locked her in the pigsty, and called her a "human swine" (ÈËåé)... ?

    2. A slow and agonizing punishment, this method traditionally saw the victim gradually lowered ¡ª feet-first ¡ª into wax. ?

 Chapter 400: Hidden Dragon Meet

    <h4>Chapter 400: Hidden Dragon Meet </h4>

    ¡°He was, but no longer,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°Cut the bullshit and just give it to me straight!¡±

    Hong Jianglong¡¯s voice grew harsh. ¡°Are you aware that anyone who colluded with the Thirteen Brigands will be sentenced to death? The Pacification Bureau may be open to drastic measures from time to time, but we will never tolerate a monstrous, vile criminal like him in our ranks. If you cannot give me a proper exnation, then I will have to mete out the appropriate punishment as ourw dictates!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my lord. I know what is right and what is wrong. I will never collude with a criminal who is heinous beyond any redemption.¡± Ye Qing turned serious and began telling his story. ¡°It¡¯s like this...¡±

    Ye Qing told Hong Jianglong about the Yin Market, the Ghost Tower, and Chen Ah Sheng. He even told him how he offended Chu Wangsun because he trusted Hong Jianglong to keep a secret.

    But of course, he didn¡¯t tell Hong Jianglong about the Dark Overlord Token because that would kill him.

    ¡°You¡¯re... quite the troublemaker, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hong Jianglong remarked with aplicated expression after Ye Qing had finally reached the end of the story. In half a month¡¯s time, the young man had punched the Eight Legions in the eye, kicked the Ghost Tower in the butt, pissed on Mister Nine¡¯s dignity, and shat on the Thirteen Brigands¡¯ face. Oh, and let¡¯s not forget that he had offended the Intelligence Department as well.

    If he added the Nether Lord[1] and the Way of Taiping into the mix as well, then that was almost half of Chu¡¯s <i>jianghu.</i>

    It was one thing if the factions he offended were inferior and insignificant, but no, each one was scarier than thest.

    Even scarier was the fact that Ye Qing was still alive. No one could chalk it up as luck at this point.

    ¡°It¡¯s really just a series of unfortunate idents.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a sigh of frustration. He wanted to lead a quiet life killing Strangers, training martial arts, and discussing the intricacies of life with a pretty girl as well, but trouble just wouldn¡¯t stop barging through his doors, windows, and even mice holes. What could he do? Give up and wait for death to im him?

    ¡°Hmph! Most people wouldn¡¯t encounter so many ¡®idents¡¯ their whole lives even if they tried, you know that?¡± Hong Jianglong snorted. ¡°What are you going to do now? By killing Chen Ah Sheng, you¡¯ve eliminated the Chaos Heaven Brigands as well. If you report your achievement, you should be able to rise at least two or three ranks.¡±

    ¡°Forget it. All I ask is that you keep this a secret.¡±Ye Qing shook his head.

    ¡°Heh. Good to see that you haven¡¯t let fame and glory blind you.¡± Hong Jianglong nodded in approval. ¡°Fame and glory are like houses suspended in the air. They will fall and crush you if not supported by an unbreakable amount of strength. Be it in the court or the <i>jianghu, </i>there are countless people who lost their lives and future for fame and glory.¡±

    ¡°If it was me, forget killing Chen Ah Sheng, I could annihte the Way of Taiping itself, and no one would dare to say a thing about it. But not you. Right now, such an achievement would only earn you death, and the knife might even note from the front.¡±

    ¡°Nothing is more important than strength, understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand, my lord. Thank you for your guidance,¡± Ye Qing thanked Hong Jianglong, though his expression was a little strange. It was because he felt like the Pacification Commissioner was boasting even though he was telling the truth. <i>Annihte the Way of Taiping? Why not say you¡¯re going to dominate the Nine Heavens as well?</i>

    ¡°Good.¡± Hong Jianglong smiled. ¡°That said, the Pacification Bureau isn¡¯t a ce that doesn¡¯t reward hard work. I may not be able to grant you a higher rank, but I can reward you with Strange Artifacts, pills, martial arts, magics and more. Just tell me what you want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise. ¡°In that case... Can I enter the Martial Tower again?¡±

    Ye Qing considered what he wanted carefully. He had an abundant number of martial arts and Strange Artifacts. He also didn¡¯t need pills thanks to the Water of Life. The only thing he really needed was time.

    Technically, Nanke was all the time he needed, but the Martial Tower was obviously the safer and more convenient solution.

    ¡°You wish to enter the Martial Tower?¡± Hong Jianglong shot Ye Qing a meaningful look before smiling. ¡°It looks like you have plenty of good stuff on your person. That¡¯s good though. Strange Artifacts are ultimately external power. It will never be as reliable as your own strength and power.¡±

    ¡°I must warn you though. You¡¯ll only get a few days in the Martial Tower since the Hidden Dragon Meet is soon to begin. Is that okay with you?¡±

    ¡°It is. Please,¡± Ye Qing replied without any hesitation.

    ¡°Good. I will make the arrangements as soon as we return to the headquarters.¡± Hong Jianglong nodded.

    ¡°Oh right, do you know why Lord Lei didn¡¯t expose Chen Ah Sheng even though he recognized him, my lord?¡± Ye Qing suddenly recalled what happened earlier and asked curiously.

    ¡°Lei Xiaodan is a man of his name, you see. Careful to the point of cowardice, he does not act unless he¡¯s one hundred percent certain about his chances. Although he recognized Chen Ah Sheng, he didn¡¯t know why the guy was with you. That is why he decided to hold back.¡±

    Hong Jianglong added, ¡°You must be careful of him though. He might look harmless and even obsequious on the outside, but in reality he is a cunning and ruthless bastard. If he doesn¡¯t act, then all is well. If he does act, then you most likely wouldn¡¯t live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun.¡±

    ¡°Would he try and start something with Chen Ah Sheng in the future?¡± Ye Qing asked worriedly.

    Hong Jianglong shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. Lei Xiaodan may be devious, but he¡¯s surprisingly good at keeping promises. Since he promised that this is the end of the incident, he won¡¯t bring up Chen Ah Sheng again.¡±

    ¡°But of course, this isn¡¯t an excuse not to prepare against betrayal. I will prepare Chen Ah Sheng a proper identity when we get back.¡±

    Pleasantly surprised, Chen Wuxin hurriedly bowed in Hong Jianglong¡¯s direction and thanked him profusely, ¡°Thank you, my lord! I won¡¯t forget what you did for me!¡±

    Hong Jianglong looked at Chen Wuxin and said, ¡°You are a ghost, and we are humans. Normally, I would kill you as soon as Iy my eyes on you. But since you helped Joyless, I can let you live.¡±

    ¡°But now that you¡¯re a human, you best act like one. If you dare to flout thew,mit crimes, and conspire against humanity, then I will ensure that you will never get a second chance in anything.¡±

    ¡°I understand, my lord! I swear I will be aw-abiding and helpful citizen of humanity!¡± Chen Wuxin dered while patting his chest.

    Hong Jianglong knew better than to take Chen Wuxin¡¯s promise seriously, of course. He simply said, ¡°Protect Joyless well.¡±

    Chen Wuxin guffawed. ¡°Brother Ye and I have been like brothers from the moment we first met. Of course I will protect him to the best of my abilities!¡±

    <i>Brothers my ass. More like fake brothers! </i>Ye Qing rolled his eyes mentally.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. You should watch out for Chu Renhe and Tong Zhen, that midget as well, Joyless.¡± Hong Jianglong looked at Ye Qing and said seriously, ¡°Its easy to stand before the King of Hell, but not so easy to handle the smaller demons. Lei Xiaodan wouldn¡¯t lower himself to attack you, but neither Chu Renhe nor Tong Zhen are broad-minded, tolerant people. Beware of them.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. Hong Jianglong¡¯s warning was really unnecessary because he was already on guard against them. In fact, he wasn¡¯t really worried about them because both of them seemed to have shit for brains. No, the one he was really worried about was Chu Wangsun.

    <i>First Chu Wangsun, now Chu Renhe. How troublesome.</i>

    <i>Oh well. I hope I¡¯ll ovee this just like I ovee my past tribtions.</i>

    ......

    June sixth, the Tiankuang Festival.

    Every sixth of June, the people celebrated the Tiankuang Festival. During the reign of Emperor Zhen Zong, he dreamed of receiving nine scriptures from heaven which showed "a wise ruler, an enlightened emperor could govern the country and bring peace to everyone". The emperor then set the day he received this sacred revtion to be a holiday and built the Tiankuang Hall tomemorate it.

    Over time, the Tiankuang Festival became a longtime tradition that everyone in the realm celebrated. Every sixth of June, they would eat food made from wheat flour and syrup believing that it would bless them with good health and well-being. Some ces would even organize all kinds of celebratory events. It was quite wonderful.

    The Tiankuang Festival wasn¡¯t celebrated this year, however. Or rather, it was celebrated less because the triennial Hidden Dragon Meet would take ce on the same day.

    The Hidden Dragon Meet would be held at Flying Dragon Mount, and it was already jam-packed with people first thing in the morning.

    The meet wasn¡¯t held in the city of Tian Yong as a matter of course. More famous than even the triennial prefectural exam, countless people traveled from all across the world to witness the next rising stars and possible entrants of the Jixia Academy. It couldn¡¯t be held in the city because the city couldn¡¯t amodate this many people.

    Flying Dragon Mount was a massive mountain about four hundred meters tall. It was quite dangerous not just because of its steep terrain, but also because it was shrouded by clouds all year long.

    The reason Flying Dragon Mount was given its name was because it was a precipitous straight line from the bottom all the way to the top, giving it the appearance of a dragon that was about to soar to the heavens. Besides that, people used to imagine that its deep, seemingly bottomless ravines were their of dragons, and that they would one day emerge from their hideout and astound the world.

    The first stage of thepetition was very simple. The participants were requested to scale the mountains in twelve hours. Anyone who reached the peak during this time would advance to the next stage.

    The second stage of thepetition was even simpler. The surviving participants would duel each other in the Hidden Dragon Arena to decide a champion. The top three participants would receive a generous reward and be renowned throughout the world.

    The peak of the Flying Dragon Mount was perfectly t and smooth like someone had cut it off with a sword. At the center of the massive tform was a square-shaped hole surrounded byplex and mysterious runes.

    A number of small kiosks surrounded the tform, and each kiosk were upied by one or two people.

    The spectators would quake in their boots if they could see the upants. It was because everyone in the kiosk was a famous, influential person in Tian Yong. For example, there was Hong Jianglong, the Pacification Commissioner of the North; Lei Xiaodan, the Judicial Commissioner of the Tian Yong Intelligence Department, Mr. Nine, the ninth disciple of the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy, the Harmony King and his crown prince, an imperial envoy specifically dispatched to attend the Hidden Dragon Meet, Song Xi of Purity Sword and more.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Shall we begin now?¡± A handsome, awe-inspiring man wearing long robes asked.

    The man had an intimidating appearance, but he carried himself like iris and orchid, elegant and weing, and spoke in a gentle and refined manner that invoked a favorable impression instead of fear.

    The speaker was the imperial envoy dispatched by the imperial court to attend the Hidden Dragon Meet. The original purpose of the Hidden Dragon Meet was to unearth and recruit hidden talents into the ranks of Chu after all. Even if the current court might think otherwise, they couldn¡¯t possibly ignore it altogether.

    The imperial envoy this time was the eldest son of the Grand Mentor. His name was Fang Muyun. One of the Three Dukes, the Grand Mentor, Fang Zhiyong was famed for his infinite wisdom. He had mentored the current emperor when he was young, eliminated the traitors, purged the rtives who would challenge his im, and more or less carried him to the throne singlehandedly.

    Emperor Jin Run[2] was still young when he took the throne, so he was beset by both internal strife and external conflict. The only reason he wasn¡¯t dethroned prematurely was thanks to Fang Zhiyong somehow pulling off the herculean effort of uniting the realm and repelling the invading forces.

    After Emperor Jin Run reached adulthood, Fang Zhiyong returned the power vested in him to the emperor without any reservation whatsoever. He knew the dangers of being more powerful and aplished than your liege after all. He himself returned to his hometown to retire in peace¡ªor at least he tried to, but was stopped by the emperor himself on ount of everything he had done for him.

    Fang Zhiyong had no choice but to obey, but he still excused himself from all court matters using his age as the excuse and opened a school instead. He would teach many students and nurture many talents for the imperial court.

    Fang Muyun was somewhat famous for his age, but his ambitionsy not in bing an official or entering the imperial court. Instead, he assisted his father in putting the school into order and teaching the students. Over time, he came to be known as Mister Farseeing.

    This was why Fang Muyun was considered to be loftier and more important than most imperial officials despite not being one himself.

    ¡°What do you say, Lord Hong?¡± Fang Muyun looked to Hong Jianglong for approval.

    ¡°It is time. What do you say, Mister Nine?¡± Hong Jjianglong looked at Chu Wangsun, who was sitting next to Fang Muyun. Fang Muyun had studied under the Jixia Academy and the Chief Libationist before. Although he hadn¡¯t be the Chief Libationist¡¯s disciple, they treated each other as fellow disciples.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Chu Wangsun replied indifferently, eyes firmly affixed to his books.

    1. Evergreen Ivy¡¯s boss if you guys forgot ?

    2. Not to be confused with the other Emperor Jin Run, who... so happened to experience more or less the same problem as the first Emperor Jin Run. ?

 Chapter 401: Climbing

    <h4> Chapter 401: Climbing</h4>

    <strong>Trantor¡¯s Note: Upon further review, Judicial Censor (Lei Xiaodan''s post) has been corrected Judicial Commissioner. </strong>

    ¡°Since Mister Farseeing and Mister Nine have both given their consent, let us begin the Hidden Dragon Meet.¡±

    Hong Jianglong dered, ¡°Lord Lei, Brother Song, please lend me a hand.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    ¡°It is our duty.¡±

    Hong Jianglong rose to his feet and produced a small brazier. Then, he tossed it toward the square-shaped hole at the center of the tform.

    The brazier kept growing bigger and bigger until itnded inside the hole. It was a perfect fit where not the slightest gap could be seen.

    The brazier was called the Hidden Dragon Brazier, and it was the key to unlocking the Flying Dragon Mount¡¯s array.

    From a distance, Lei Xiaodan, Song Xi and Hong Jiani injected their astral qi into the brazier, causing the mysterious runes to grow brighter and brighter. When all of the runes had lit up, a massive golden dragon flew out of the brazier, punched through the clouds, soared through the nine heavens.

    <i>¡°ROAR¡±</i>

    The golden dragon circled in the sky and scattered all the clouds directly above Flying Dragon Mount. Its roar was such that it shook all four directions.

    The <i>jianghu </i>warriors standing at the foot of the mountain and waiting for the meet to begin saw the golden dragon as a matter of course. Excited chatter broke out throughout the Hidden Dragon Meet.

    They knew that the Hidden Dragon Meet was about to begin.

    Some people were excited, and some people were calm. There was a small group of warriors that was extremely agitated, however.

    ¡°What is Joyless doing? The Hidden Dragon Meet will begin any minute now!¡±

    They were none other than Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun.

    The trio arrived at Tian Yong two days ago, and upon arrival, they were told that they missed Ye Qing because he had entered the Martial Tower. This wasn¡¯t a problem of course, they thought for sure that he would show his face two dayster. But now, he was still nowhere to be seen. He couldn¡¯t be so absorbed in his training that he forgot about the Hidden Dragon Meet, could he?

    ¡°Dammit, if I¡¯m qualified to train in the Martial Tower, I wouldn¡¯t participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet either. What dogshit luck did Joyless step on this time?¡± Chu Nianjiu sighed while sipping his wine, but it didn¡¯t feel as fragrant as it should be.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He will show up eventually,¡± Gao Ningan consoled him.

    Gao Ningan was apanied by Luo Zhan, Sui Yan, Chu Qingge and the rest of the rising stars of the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau. This included themanderies and counties subordinate to Tian Yong as well. Of course, they were all youngsters.

    ¡°He knew that the Hidden Dragon Meet is starting today, and he didn¡¯t even show up for attendance? The Qing Emperor Junior sure is an arrogant bastard!¡± Someone taunted.

    ¡°If you¡¯re as strong as him, then you can be arrogant as well.¡±

    ¡°The question is, is he the real thing, or is he all bark and no bite?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. The one thing this world doesn¡¯tck are deceivers and pretenders!¡±

    Countless others joined in on the ridicule as well.

    An unhappy-looking Qi Xuanyun wanted to argue with the haters, but Lin Yuhuai grabbed him and said, ¡°Ignore them. They¡¯re just feeling jealous is all.¡±

    The haters were the Pacification Bureau representatives from the counties andmanderies of TIan Yong. As they were young and impulsive, it was natural that they were envious of Ye Qing¡¯s fame. Add to the fact that Ye Qing was given a second chance to enter the Martial Tower, and it was no wonder that they were spouting sour grapes.

    In fact, Lin Yuhuai had a few choice words himself if he wasn¡¯t friends with Ye Qing.

    <i>We¡¯re all humans here. What makes you so special, huh? Huh?</i>

    <i>¡°ROAR¡±</i>

    It was at this moment the golden dragon roared again. A terrifying amount of pressure swept across the world, and beams of light descended from the sky. When the golden dragon shot upward and punched through the final cloud and darkness, a massive sun emerged into view and washed away all of the darkness and gloom.

    ¡°The Hidden Dragon Meet begins now!¡±

    Hong Jianglong¡¯s powerful voice resounded from the peak.

    ¡°Go! Go!¡±

    Before Hong Jianglong even finished talking, countless participants rushed toward Flying Dragon Mount. It took only a moment before the traffic had decreased by more than half. Those who remained were either fully confident in their strength and so didn¡¯t mind losing some time, or were just spectators.

    ¡°Brother Chu, Brother Lin, let¡¯s go. We¡¯re not actually going to wait until everyone is gone, are we?¡± Gao Ningan said after the initial rush had subsided.

    They only had twelve hours or half a day to make it to the peak. If they missed it, then they would fail the first stage. Gao Ningan wasn¡¯t very confident in his own strength, and so he didn¡¯t want to waste time as much as possible.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Yuhuai. Let¡¯s go,¡± Chu Nianjiu echoed in agreement. ¡°Knowing Joyless¡¯ strength, climbing the mountain is nothing to him. It will be fine even if he¡¯s a littlete. Why wait for him here when we can do the same on the peak?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Yuhuai nodded. He then followed Gao Ningan and the others up Flying Dragon Mount.

    As soon as he entered the mountain, Lin Yuhuai discovered that hispanions were nowhere to be seen. His body felt heavier than normal, and the air permeating the area felt gloomy and strange.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t going to be this easy. If the first stage was purely about climbing, forget a four-hundred-meter tall mountain, they could climb even a four-thousand-meter tall mountain with ease.

    A massive array was set across the Flying Dragon Mount. As soon as someone set foot in the mountain, they would be separated from theirpanions. The journey to the top was a lonely one where no one was allowed to help or cooperate with each other. They would encounter all kinds of dangers as well. Broken cliffs and precipitous walls were the kiddies¡¯ challenges. The real challenge was the traps, restrictions, Strangers and Anomalies that littered the ce. One misstep, and the challengers could be disqualified or even killed.

    This was why the Hidden Dragon Meet was never a childish, meaningless stage show. It was a true life-or-death trial where countless people were injured or killed.

    After all, a dragon who couldn¡¯t even ovee the challenges of the pits didn¡¯t deserve to rise to the heavens.

    Lin Yuhuai had memorized all the rules of the Hidden Dragon Meet, so he knew what to expect. He kept a focused mind and slowly began his ent.

    ......

    ¡°Yo, that guy¡¯s pretty quick! He¡¯s reached the one hundredth meter mark already.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? That kid¡¯s not bad either. He killed a Malice-ss Stranger in one strike.¡±

    ¡°Is that guy aedian or something? The task is to climb the mountain, and he¡¯s sitting there and enjoying a pic? Just how hungry is he?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that girl is quite something. Not only is she strong and agile, she looks dignified, stylish, graceful,dylike...¡±

    The peak of Flying Dragon Mount had turned as transparent as a mirror. It disyed all the participants who were climbing the mountain.

    Inside a kiosk, a doddering old man was staring at the screens and cheering those he supported, and booing those he didn¡¯t like like a kid. From time to time, he would sip from his wine jar.

    ¡°Father, that¡¯s sis you¡¯replimenting.¡±

    A frail-looking young man reeking of alcohol and lyingzily in thep of a servant girl remarked.

    ¡°And? Why wouldn¡¯t Ipliment her?¡± The old man shot him an incredulous look.

    ¡°Because she hasn¡¯t done anything praiseworthy yet?¡± The young man opened his mouth, and a servant girl fed him arge grape. He looked like he was enjoying the time of his life.

    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. Who am I going to praise if not her? You? A sloppy, ignorant and ipetent fool I have the misfortune to call my son?¡± The old man ranted.

    ¡°I¡¯m just warning you against celebrating prematurely. It¡¯s not yet certain if sis could make it to the top, you know?¡± The young man repliedzily.

    ¡°Pooh! Shut your trap, you jinx! Do you think that Qingge is like you? With her strength, it would take her no effort to make it to the top!¡± The old man snarled. ¡°Am I right, Jianglong?¡±

    ¡°You are correct, Your Highness. It won¡¯t be a problem for Qingge to make it to the top,¡± Hong Jianglong answered.

    The old man might act like a kid, but he was the emperor¡¯s rtive, his uncle to be exact. His name was Chu Yufeng, and he was conferred the Harmony King by the previous emperor. His fiefdom was located in Tian Yong.

    When the Harmony King was young, he was a graceful, distinguished gentleman who enjoyed nothing more than to win the heart of a beautifuldy. After age caught up to him, his personality changed drastically as if he had regressed into a child.

    Although the Harmony King had plenty of concubines and lovers in his life, he only had two children in his life; a boy and a girl to be exact. In fact, he was almost past the age he could realistically sow a child when Chu Qingge and Chu Qingli¡ªthe young manzing next to him right now¡ªwere finally born.

    That was why he pampered his children to the death. If he carried them in his arms, he was afraid that they would catch a chill. If he held them in his mouth, he was afraid that they would melt¡ªor so went the metaphor. That was how much he cared for them. It was also why Chu Qingli grew up to be an arrogant,wless and hedonistic young noble with exactly zero achievement to speak of¡ªunless you count being infamous for frequenting brothels to the point of debility and poor health was an achievement, of course.

    Surprisingly, the Harmony King¡¯s daughter, Chu Qingge, was neither like her father nor her older brother. Extremely talented, humble and studious, she was quite aplished in both literature and martial arts. After she joined the Pacification Bureau, she was well-liked and highly respected for herpetence as well.

    ¡°Do you hear that, you unfilial son?¡± The Harmony King broke into a wide grin and taunted his son after hearing Hong Jianglong¡¯s words.

    ¡°Fine, pretend I haven¡¯t said anything. Just keep watching your show and stop bothering me.¡± Chu Qingge sipped his wine and closed his eyes as if he could fall asleep at any moment.

    ¡°Unfilial son! Unfilial son!¡± The Harmony King cursed his son angrily, but was reluctant to beat him up for real. In the end, that was all he said.

    After stewing in anger for a bit, the Harmony King turned to Hong Jianglong and asked curiously, ¡°Are there any other good seeds in this Hidden Dragon Meet besides my Qingge, Jianglong?¡±

    ¡°There are. For example,there is the young lord of the Flying Dragon Stronghold, the ¡®Jade-faced Dragon¡¯ Chen Shaoyu, Zhao Lan and Zhao Lu of the Ragged Vi, the four brothers ¡®Wine¡¯, ¡®Sex¡¯, ¡®Wealth¡¯ and ¡®Poprity¡¯ of the Tower of Wealth, four strange warriors operating in Guang Ping and Zhong Shan called ¡®Eat¡¯, ¡®Drink¡¯, ¡®Fuck¡¯ and ¡®Gamble¡¯, Lord Lei¡¯s disciple Chu Renhe and more,¡± Hong Jianglong replied.

    The Harmony King looked at Lei Xiaodan. ¡°Your disciple is participating too, Xiaodan? He¡¯s already an inspector general, why would he need to participate in the Hidden Dragon Meet?¡±

    ¡°You were young once. You know how they like to show off their strength.¡± Lei Xiaodan chuckled. ¡°This is a good opportunity though. Renhe needs to recognize his peers so he won¡¯t ever let his power get to his head.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, I think you left out someone, Brother Hong!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Who¡¯s that?¡± The Harmony King asked curiously.

    Lei Xiaodan smiled. ¡°Why, I¡¯m talking about the Qing Emperor Junior of Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, Ye Qing of course!¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Qing Emperor Junior¡¯ Ye Qing? I¡¯ve heard of him! Is he here? Which one is he?¡± The Harmony King prodded excitedly.

    Hong Jianglong replied awkwardly, ¡°He hase to Tian Yong, but er, he was dyed by something. He hasn¡¯t begun to climb the mountain yet.¡±

    ¡°What? If he isn¡¯t climbing now, then he¡¯ll never make it!¡± The Harmony King sighed in disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s a shame. I wanted to witness his power.¡±

    ¡°And what is dying Young Ye, Brother Hong?¡± Lei Xiaodan asked curiously.

    The Pacification Commissioner shot him a nce and said nothing, but Lei Xiaodan didn¡¯t take offense. He simply smiled and pretended as if he had never asked the question.

    Inside a different kiosk, one man asked hispanion, ¡°Who¡¯s the Qing Emperor Junior, Brother Zhang? Is he the Qing Emperor¡¯s disciple?¡±

    The second guy shook his head smilingly. ¡°You really don¡¯t pay attention to anything, do you? How could you not know about the Qing Emperor Junior?¡±

    The first guy was the patriarch of the Yang n, Yang Shixiu, and the second guy was the patriarch of the Zhang n, Zhang Huai¡¯en. They were both prominent ns in Tian Yong.

    No one here on the peak was a nobody.

    ¡°You know I wasn¡¯t around until the past few days, Brother Zhang. I only know so much. Stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me already!¡± Yang Shixiu prodded.

 Chapter 402: Give Your All, And Earth Might Turn Into Gold

    <h4>Chapter 402: Give Your All, And Earth Might Turn Into Gold </h4>

    ¡°Fine, fine.¡±

    Zhang Huai¡¯en began, ¡°First things first, the Qing Emperor Junior isn¡¯t the Qing Emperor¡¯s disciple. He is the Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°What? That doesn¡¯t sound very... reliable. Are you sure you¡¯re not ying me for a fool?¡± Yang Shixiu said skeptically.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know once I tell you Ye Qing¡¯s deeds.¡± Zhang Huai¡¯en proceeded to tell Yang Shixiu all of Ye Qing¡¯s achievements. ¡°The Qing Emperor began from humble beginnings. After he joined the Pacification Bureau, he aplished many legendary feats and eventually became one of the strongest warriors in the entire world. Ye Qing¡¯s rise is pretty simr to the Qing Emperor¡¯s, hence the nickname.¡±

    ¡°I see. He is quite the upstart,¡± Yang Shixiu eximed in realization before voicing his doubts, ¡°But the Qing Emperor is the Qing Emperor. It¡¯s been centuries, but he is the one and only to this day. It sounds like someone wants to elevate Ye Qing to a height he cannot survive before dropping him. Do you know who¡¯s the one behind his nickname?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Ye Qing offended too many people, you see.¡± Zhang Huai¡¯en shook his head smilingly. ¡°However, it is inevitable that a person who fights to improve will make a name for themselves. If he cannot survive even a nickname like this, then he is no more than a fake who rose too quickly to fame for his own good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Yang Shixiu smiled. ¡°The <i>jianghu </i>is nevercking in genius, but only a genius who survived can truly be called a genius.¡±

    It was at this moment the Harmony King pointed at a cold-looking youngster wearingyers andyers of cloth around his arms and asked, ¡°Xiaodan, Xiaodan! Who is that guy?¡±

    The youngster was currently surrounded by a dozen or so Mud Bulls. A Mud Bull was a Hatred-ss Stranger. Created from mud and shaped like a bull, it enjoyed suffocating a human to death with mud.

    Individually, a Mud Bull was pretty weak. But because it was a social Stranger, it often appeared in a group of ten upward to a group of a hundred. Even a Spirit Purifier would want to stay out of its way.

    In fact, the best way to deal with the Mud Bull was to run away from it. It was because the Stranger¡¯s speed was quite poor. Any warrior who wasn¡¯t crippled below the waist should be able to escape it without trouble.

    The youngster on the screen did the opposite thing, however. Instead of avoiding the Mud Bull, he threw a punch when the first bull was almost on top of him.

    The Mud Bull¡¯s head exploded like it was made of paper, but the fist force wasn¡¯t spent after the first attack. It pierced through the second Mud Bull, the third Mud Bull, the fourth...

    The youngster¡¯s fist force was like an arrow. Once it was released, it didn¡¯t look back. The punch eventually pierced through the entire herd and allowed him to leave unimpeded.

    ¡°Your Highness, This youngster is probably Fu Chaogang of the Little Fist Sect. He¡¯s a middle-stage Spirit Purifier who practices the fist art called the Unwavering Fist. The key to the Unwavering Fist is to throw a punch with all one¡¯s heart, and to have no regrets no matter what the oue might be. In less metaphorical terms, it means throwing a prating, all-crushing punch with a single breath of qi.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan answered, ¡°Despite his young age, Fu Chaogang has already reached the adept level. He has a bright future ahead of him.¡±

    ¡°Interesting, interesting.¡±

    The Harmony King nodded and nced at therge brazier at the center of the tform. There was a name list floating above it, and the name ¡°Jian Wusheng¡± was the highest of them all. He was currently the first ce holder of this stage. ¡°Who is this Jian Wusheng?¡±

    Once again, Lei Xiaodanunched into a detailed exnation, ¡°Jian Wusheng was originally called Jian Wusheng (Sound). Ate-stage Spirit Purifier, he was a Purity Sword disciple until he was expelled for breaking a sectw. Luckily for him, he obtained Gentleman Wusheng¡¯s (Life) inheritance and learned the sword art called ¡®No Life, No I¡¯. That was why he changed the word ¡®Sheng (Sound)¡¯ in his name to ¡®Sheng (Life)¡¯ to symbolize rebirth. He is famous throughout Guang Ping and Qing He.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, Jian Wusheng is ranked ny-eightieth on the Human Champions Ranking. They call him ¡®Wusheng Swordsman¡¯ Jian Wusheng.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s ranked? No wonder he¡¯s so strong,¡± the Harmony King eximed in shock while watching the young man ughtering his way through all obstacles with his sword.

    However, the old man quickly lost interest and looked at the second ce holder, Luo Zhan. ¡°Jianglong, Luo Zhan is one of yours, right? The one called the ¡®Tyrant de¡¯. Judging from the tyranny of his saber art, he deserves his name.¡±

    Hong Jianglong watched Luo Zhan cutting down all the trees and rocks within a hundred of meters of him in one strike before shaking his head. ¡°Nah, he still has a long way to go. He has tyranny, but not the indomitable spirit of a tyrant. It will be some time before he grasps the essence of the Tyrant de.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan chuckled. ¡°You ask too much, Brother Hong. Luo Zhan is still very young. If anything, it is impressive he managed toe so far in so short a time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah! You can¡¯t ask too much from youngsters,¡± the Harmony King echoed in agreement.

    When the Harmony King saw that the third ce holder was none other than his daughter, Chu Qingge, he immediately bragged loudly and radiantly to his son, ¡°You see that, brat? Your sister¡¯s at third ce! Never mind, there¡¯s no point talking to you. If you have even a sliver of your sister¡¯s abilities, I would be able to rest in peace, you useless, ipetent prodigal.¡±

    Chu Qingli: ¡°...¡± <i>Did I say anything? Why am I getting attacked for no reason?</i>

    Chu Renhe was the fourth ce holder, and the names following Chu Renhe were all unfamiliar names. The Harmony King asked about them all.

    As expected of the Judicial Commissioner, Lei Xiaodan was able to answer all of his questions. He knew everyone and everything like they were his juniors.

    Time passed slowly, and soon it was afternoon. Over six hours had passed, and fewer and fewer people were still climbing the mountain.

    Some people forfeited believing that they could climb no further.

    Some people suffered serious injuries and had no choice but to give up.

    And some died in the middle of climbing.

    Less than one-third of the original participants were left, but everyone who was still climbing was an elite.

    The ranking had also undergone a massive change as a matter of course. For starters, the first ce holder was no longer Jian Wusheng. It was a strange man called Tou Jiao[1].

    Despite the rarity of his name, that wasn¡¯t what the spectators found strange. No, it was appearance and fighting style.

    Tou Jiao was ate-stage Spirit Purifier in his thirties. He had a baby fist-sized wart on his forehead that gave him a savage, monstrous look. His weapon was a three-pronged fork, and his martial arts looked ruthless and brutal. He seemed to be incredibly strong.

    The second ce holder was a man who was older than he looked. His name was Wei Bo, and he too was ate-stage Spirit Purifier. He used a palm art that wasn¡¯t really all that impressive, but had the strange effect of aging whatever it hit slowly.

    The third ce holder was Chu Qingge, and the fourth ce holder was Jian Wusheng. The fifth ce holder was a woman nicknamed ¡°Flower Butterfly¡±, and just like her moniker, she was apanied by a swarm of colorful butterflies at all times. Wherever she went, Strangers dropped dead without warning. The sixth ce holder was Qi Xuanyun.

    Luo Zhan and Chu Renhe might have fallen off their original ranking, but they were still on the ranking list. The warriors Hong Jianglong mentioned earlier such as Chen Shaoyu,

    Zhao Lan, the four brothers Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity, and the strange quartet Eat, Drink, Fuck and Gamble were also ranked.

    Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu, Gao Ningan and more were still on the mountain, but they were more or less sitting at the bottom of the list.

    It was worth noting that the first ce holder, Tou Jiao, had alreadypleted two-thirds of the journey. The second to fifth ce holders weren¡¯t too far behind him either. One could say that they were one step away frompleting their journey.

    This one step was like the chasm between heaven and earth, however. Why? Because almost everyone had run into a major obstacle.

    Tou Jiao¡¯s obstacle was a grave. Ghosts were flying out of the grave to impede him, and every time he slew them, the grave would spawn new ghosts. Their numbers might as well be infinite.

    Tou Jiao wasn¡¯t stupid, of course. He knew that destroying the grave was the only way to stop the endless tide of ghosts and so charged toward it.

    There was just one problem. As soon as he made his intentions clear, the grave suddenly grew a pair of legs and took off into a run. It was ridiculously fast too.

    Tou Jiao was stunned to say the least, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it. When he gave up chasing the grave and tried to change course, it would return and harass him with its ghosts again. It was miserable. It would be a while yet before Tou Jiao finally escaped from the grave.

    Wei Bo ran into a waterfall, one that flowed upward instead of downward. Realizing that something was amiss, he turned away and attempted to leave and find another way. But before he could do so, the waterfall opened its mouth and spat a mouthful of water at Wei Bo, pushing him far, far away from the waterfall. Before he could seize the opportunity to escape, the water reversed and brought him all the way back to the waterfall. Then, the harassment began anew.

    Wei Bo¡¯s palm art was incredible for many things, but water? For a time, he was stuck trying to break free from the waterfall¡¯s saliva.

    The Stranger Chu Qingge ran into was also plenty strange. It was a skinless man who looked like he had been skinned alive. Red muscles fully exposed and bleeding all over the ce, he was easily one of the most horrifying Strangers the young woman had ever faced.

    Its ability was even more anomalous. As soon as she entered a certain range, she must stare into his eyes without blinking. She couldn¡¯t look away, and she definitely couldn¡¯t close her eyes. If she closed her eyes or looked away from the skinned man¡¯s eyes for a moment, her skin would rip as if some sort of energy was trying to skin her alive.

    Worse still, getting close to her opponent would result in the same thing. And so she was stuck between a rock and a hard ce.

    Luo Zhan, Chu Renhe and everyone else had encountered a different, but equally troublesome obstacle as well. Their climb speed suffered greatly as a result.

    ¡°Come,e, it¡¯s time to gamble! Who will get the first ce? The odds of Tou Jiao winning is one-to-one, the odds of Wei Bo winning is one point two-to-one, the odds of Chu Qingge winning is two-to-one, the odds of Jian Wusheng winning is three-to-one...¡±

    A ranking list was also disyed at the foot of Flying Dragon Mount. Although they couldn¡¯t see the participantspeting live like those at the peak, they could see their ranking. It was why there was a huge crowd sitting around the ranking list. Naturally, there was a makeshift gambling den as well.

    This happened all the time, so no one gave two shits about it. The house was a man named ck Tai Sui [2] and the owner of the famous gambling house, Tai Sui Gambling House. As the gambling den was well-reputed and never reneged on their customers¡¯ winnings, a lot of people were participating in the gamble.

    Someone yelled, ¡°One hundred silver on Tou Jiao! Tou Jiao used to be the right hand man of the Eighteen Chain Docks and nicknamed the Three-Headed Hydra! His Eighteen Forms of Mad Hydra is incredibly powerful, and his <i>jianghu </i>experience is top-notch! There is no way the rest of the inexperienced fools could best him!¡±

    ¡°What use is <i>jianghu </i>experience? At most, he ate a couple more bowls of rice than us! I think Wei Bo can make it to the top, so three hundred silvers on Wei Bo!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the ones who are inexperienced. Flying Dragon Mount is littered with Strangers, and who knows Strangers best? The Pacification Bureau, of course! Two hundred silvers on Chu Qingge!¡±

    Someone jeered, ¡°What¡¯s the point of betting on these people? Even if you win, your winnings will be insignificant. Work hard enough, and a cart may turn into a carriage. Give your all, and earth may turn into gold. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to bet... one hundred silver on Luo Zhan!¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡±

    Everyone who heard the guy clicked their tongues at the same time. Luo Zhan was also one of the hot contenders to reach the peak of Flying Dragon Mount first. The pot calling the kettle ck much?

    It was at this moment a loud voice cut through themotion like a hot knife through butter. ¡°Well said, brother! Work hard enough, and a cart may turn into a carriage. Give your all, and earth may turn into gold! I bet ten thousand silver that Ye Qing will win!¡±

    A huge man that dropped an entire sack of silvers in ck Tai Sui¡¯s hands.

    1. î×òÔ ?

    2. Tai Sui, God of the year; archaic name for the Jupiter ?

 Chapter 403: Bet

    <h4>Chapter 403: Bet </h4>

    ¡°Ten thousand silver?¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing?¡±

    The crowd looked and saw a tall, muscr man that resembled a tower in human form. His mere stature was enough to cow most of the crowd into a stunned, temporary silence.

    He was, of course, Chen Wuxin.

    <i>What a big man, </i>they all thought at the same time.

    ¡°Who is Ye Qing?¡± Someone scanned the ranking list from top to bottom but couldn¡¯t find the name anywhere. ¡°I don¡¯t see a Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°Not yet, but very soon,¡± Chen Wuxin dered calmly.

    ¡°Very soon?¡±

    ¡°It means that Ye Qing will show up right about... now.¡±

    As soon as he finished, a silhouette suddenly flickered across the crowd¡¯s eyes. Before they knew it, it was gone.

    ¡°Did... Did someone just dash past us?¡±

    ¡°I think so, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was hallucinating! It was real?¡±

    ¡°Hey look, the name Ye Qing suddenly popped up on the ranking list!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°Down there! The one at the bottom of the list.¡±

    ¡°... It can¡¯t be the guy that just ran past us, right?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Are you guys joking? Of course it¡¯s the guy who ran past us just now! The name appeared only after he entered the mountain!¡±

    An uproar immediately broke out.

    ¡°What is he thinking? It¡¯s been over six hours since the climb began! He didn¡¯t think he could make it, did he?¡± Someone snorted.

    ¡°I know right? And someone actually bet ten thousand silvers on him to win! Ten thousand!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s it? They must have a screw loose in their head.¡±

    ¡°Shh! It¡¯s that big guy over there, so you might wanna keep it down!¡± Someone pointed at Chen Wuxin.

    ¡°Man, there are more and more crazy people these days,¡± the guy lowered his voice as he sighed. ¡°The worst part is, he¡¯s fucking rich too. Like how is this fair?¡±

    The hushed conversations didn¡¯t escape ck Tai Sui¡¯s ears, of course. He looked at Chen Wuxin and asked for confirmation, ¡°Are you sure you want to bet on Ye Qing, brother?¡±

    Chen Wuxin crossed his arms and smirked. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should ask you if you dare to ept my bet.¡±

    ¡°Heh. why wouldn¡¯t I? His odds of winning is one hundred-to-one.¡± ck Tai Sui guffawed. ¡°So? Is there anyone who would like to bet on Ye Qing?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Do you I look dumb to you?¡±

    ¡°Today must be ck Tai Sui¡¯s lucky day. I can¡¯t believe someone is willing to donate ten thousand silver on him! Why can¡¯t I be as lucky as him?¡±

    ¡°You? I haven¡¯t forgotten that time you choked on water. You¡¯re better off killing yourself and reincarnating into a better life.¡±

    Suddenly, someone cried, ¡°Stop arguing. Look! Ye Qing¡¯s rank just went up.¡±

    The crowd looked, and they saw Ye Qing surpassing the secondst ranker and taking his ce.

    Someone scoffed, ¡°So, he overtook the previousst person on the ranking list. So what? That¡¯s pretty much noth¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish, another person cried out, ¡°Look, his rank just went up again!¡±

    The hater looked, and Ye Qing¡¯s name was now sitting at the thirdst spot. Just a few breathster, Ye Qing¡¯s rank shot up again.

    Slowly, the jeering, noisy crowd fell into stunned silence as Ye Qing shot up the ranks like he was on steroids. In just four hours, he had gone from deadst to the thirteenth spot!

    But of course, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t maintain this speed forever. As he slowed down, ck Tai Sui¡¯s heart slowly lowered back into his chest cavity.

    If Ye Qing actually reached the peak first, the amount of money he was going to loose could only be described as astronomical. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he would have to give up even his underwear.

    Even so, no one dared to question Ye Qing¡¯s qualification anymore. In just four hours, the guy had surpassed countless others who had twice the amount of time he had. It was unbelievable to say the least.

    ¡°Say, do you think that this Ye Qing is <i>that </i>Ye Qing?¡± Someone finally found their voice.

    ¡°Which Ye Qing? Don¡¯t keep us in suspense! Just say it already!¡±

    ¡°You know, the one from Luo Shui, the Qing Emperor Junior?¡±

    ¡°The Qing Emperor Junior? You¡¯re right! It has to be him.¡±

    ¡°If he¡¯s really the Qing Emperor Junior, then it all makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Is he the Qing Emperor Junior?¡± asked ck Tai Shui while looking at Chen Wuxin.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to burst into tears if I say yes, are you?¡± Chen Wuxin joked.

    ¡°A man doesn¡¯t cry. He only bleeds.¡± ck Tai Sui dered bravely before asking another in a hushed voice, ¡°Can I give you back your ten thousand silvers?¡±

    ck Tai Sui had heard of the ¡°Qing Emperor Junior¡± Ye Qing as well. It was why he couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    ¡°Of course not. A man may die, but he must never be a pauper,¡± Chen Wuxin dered.

    ck Tai Sui¡¯s face crumpled.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t actually too worried that Ye Qing would get first ce. After all, the guy had literally missed the first half of thepetition. But as the saying goes, just because it''s improbable doesn''t mean it''s impossible. ck Tai Sui could only pray that the leading participants wouldn¡¯t disappoint him.

    The people on the ground weren¡¯t the only ones who were discussing Ye Qing. The smaller, but much more important crowd at the peak were discussing him as well.

    ¡°Jianglong, that boy is the Qing Emperor Junior of Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, right?¡± The Harmony King eximed while watching the young man who surpassed most of the remaining participants in just four hours with astonishment.

    It wasn¡¯t just the Harmony King. Fang Muyun, Song Xi, Zhang Huai¡¯en, Yang Shixiu and more were watching Ye Qing as well. Even Chu Wangsun had set down his book to examine the young man, though unlike the others, he was far contemtive, not shocked.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Wangsun?¡± Fang Muyun asked after sensing his strange reaction.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel like I recognize this Ye Qing from somewhere,¡± Chu Wangsun replied expressionlessly. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure yet. I¡¯ll tell you about itter.¡±

    Fang Muyun nodded and didn¡¯t press him for rification. He knew Chu Wangsun well, and he knew that the schr would never share something he was unwilling to share.

    Hong Jianglong wasn¡¯t aware of Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun¡¯s conversation. He was focused on answering the Harmony King¡¯s question, ¡°You are correct, Your Highness. His name is Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing? A good name! I can tell that he deserves his moniker!¡± The Harmony King stared fixatedly at the screen while saying, ¡°In the future, he might be the second Qing Emperor.¡±

    The Harmony King didn¡¯t mean anything by it, but everyone who heard hisment was taken aback and contemtive.

    ¡°Hahaha, please, Your Highness. There is no way Ye Qing canpare to the Qing Emperor. He would be lucky if he was even half as aplished as him.¡± Hong Jianglong tried tough it off.

    ¡°It is the natural order for the young to rece the old, Lord Hong. No one knows how Young Ye would do in the future. Personally, I¡¯m pretty confident in his chances,¡± Lei Xiaodan chimed in casually.

    Hong Jianglong shot him a nce but said nothing.

    Fame was a double-edged sword. It could lift as much as it could drop someone. But then again, those who wished to bear the crown must also be able to carry its weight. This was a trial Ye Qing must face whether he liked it or not.

    ¡°Do you guys think the Qing Emperor Junior can reach the top first?¡± Someone asked suddenly.

    ¡°I definitely think well of his chances of making it to the top, but first? That seems unlikely.¡±

    ¡°It would be difficult. He started veryte after all. Meanwhile, Yang Zhao isn¡¯t far away from the peak.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it looks like Nephew Yang will be the champion of this stage. Congrattions, Brother Yang,¡± said Zhang Huai¡¯en to Yang Shixiu.

    Yang Zhao was Yang Shixiu¡¯s eldest son. Extraordinarily talented, he was already ate-stage Spirit Purifier at his age and the ny-second warrior on the Human Champions Ranking. They called him the Silver Flute Schr.

    ¡°Haha, Nephew Zhang isn¡¯t doing bad either. With luck, who is to say he couldn¡¯t surpass expectations?¡± Yang Shixiu replied politely. He was talking about Zhang Huai¡¯en¡¯s son, Zhang Tiancheng, of course. Zhang Tiancheng was currently at ninth ce.

    While the duo were busyplimenting each other, Lei Xiaodan chimed in casually, ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that. Considering Young Ye¡¯s speed, it¡¯s not impossible for him to make it to the top first.¡±

    ¡°No way! The higher you climb, the stronger the Strangers you¡¯ll run into. Even with the Qing Emperor Junior¡¯s strength, there is no way he can maintain this speed. There is no chance he¡¯ll reach the peak first.¡± The Harmony King shook his head firmly.

    ¡°Everything is possible, Your Highness. You best not underestimate the young,¡± Lei Xiaodan dered smilingly.

    ¡°Hehe, it sounds like you don¡¯t believe me, Xiaodan. That¡¯s fine. Dare you make a bet with me?¡± The Harmony King challenged Lei Xiaodan.

    ¡°A bet? I wanna join too!¡± Chu Qingli abruptly jolted awake from his slumber and yelled.

    ¡°Get lost! Like you have anything you can bet that isn¡¯t mine!¡± The Harmony King shot his son a re before turning back to Lei Xiaodan. ¡°So? What do you say, Xiaodan?¡±

    ¡°If that is your desire,then this one will oblige,¡± Lei Xiaodan answered.

    ¡°Good, good! You¡¯re not such a wet nket after all, Xiaodan!¡± The Harmony King eximed in excitement. ¡°But first, what are the stakes?¡±

    ¡°What do you want, Your Highness?¡± Lei Xiaodan asked.

    The Harmony King answered without hesitation almost as if he was waiting for this. ¡°I heard that you have a Golden Celestial Offering Censer. I want it!¡±

    Lei Xiaodan broke out in surprisedughter. ¡°I see you¡¯ve set your eyes on my precious treasure!¡±

    The Golden Celestial Offering Censer was a special censer where the smoke of the incense would form a lifelike picture of celestials offering birthday gifts and felicitations. Besides that, the incense smoke could improve sleep quality and extend one¡¯s lifespan.

    ¡°So? Will you bet your censer?¡± The Harmony King asked.

    ¡°Sure, I will. What about you, Your Highness? What will be your stake?¡± Lei Xiaodan asked.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± The Harmony King barely resisted the urge to let out a whoop when Lei Xiaodan agreed.

    The Judicial Commissioner thought for a moment before replying, ¡°I know that you have a strange book that records all kinds of extraordinary events. At night, one can experience any one of the scenarios via dreaming...¡±

    ¡°You want my ¡®Strange Encounters¡¯? Nope! Absolutely not! Forget it!¡± The Harmony King rejected Lei Xiaodan¡¯s demand immediately and watched the Judicial Commissioner warily.

    ¡°Calm down, Your Highness. I¡¯m not done talking yet.¡± Lei Xiaodan let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°I just want to borrow it for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine.¡± It was only then the Harmony King rxed his guard and said, ¡°Alright. If I win, you will give me the Golden Celestial Offering Censer. If you win, I will lend you the ¡®Strange Encounters¡¯ for seven days.¡±

    ¡°You are most kind, Your Highness,¡± Lei Xiaodan replied. He didn¡¯t seem worried that he would lose in the slightest.

    The Harmony King wasn¡¯t done yet, however. He looked at the rest of the group and challenged, ¡°Hehe, is there anyone else who¡¯d like to ce your bets? Time is limited, so don¡¯t wait until it¡¯s toote!¡±

    Everyone shook their heads. Everyone, except Hong Jianglong. ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like to bet on Ye Qing to win!¡±

 Chapter 404: Reverse Waterfall, Ghost In The Grave

    <h4>Chapter 404: Reverse Waterfall, Ghost In The Grave </h4>

    ¡°Did someone bonk you in the head as well?¡± The Harmony King nced at Hong Jianglong in astonishment.

    ¡°Ahem...¡± Hong Jianglong pretended he didn¡¯t hear the insult and said, ¡°I see no harm in indulging in a bit of gambling, not to mention that Ye Qing is a member of my Pacification Bureau. I¡¯m obligated to show my support.¡±

    ¡°What is your stake then?¡± The Harmony King broke into a wide grin. ¡°I don¡¯t ept bets without stakes.¡±

    Hong Jianglong replied, ¡°I have a Luan and Phoenix Chirping painting that is drawn by the ¡®Art Celestial¡¯ Zhang Baiduan himself. That will be my stake. My request is the same as Lord Lei. I would like to borrow your ¡®Strange Encounters¡¯ for a couple of days.¡±

    The Harmony King¡¯s eyes glittered like stars when he heard this. He replied in a hurry as if afraid that Hong Jianglong would change his mind. ¡°It¡¯s a deal then! The betting is closed!¡±

    When the Harmony King turned back to Ye Qing¡¯s screen, he noticed something and burst outughing. ¡°Hahahaha! You guys are losing for sure! Look at what Ye Qing ran into!¡±

    When the crowd looked, they saw Ye Qing running into the waterfall that had trapped Wei Bo for a significant amount of time a while ago. The not-so-young young man had been forced to use some sort of secret art to finally break free from the waterfall, but he had to shave a few years off his lifespan and add a couple more wrinkles on his face to do it.

    Now, it was Ye Qing¡¯s turn to face the waterfall. The Harmony King didn¡¯t believe for a second that the young man would be able to ovee it with ease. The rest of the group looked expectant as well.

    Ye Qing pped them all in the face just a secondter. On the screen, the young man suddenly turned around and walked backward toward the waterfall. For whatever reason, the waterfall paid no attention to him and allowed him to get close. When he was right in front of the waterfall, the waterfall pushed Ye Qing to the top and...

    There was no and. Ye Qing left the area just like that.

    ¡°What just happened?¡±

    ¡°How did he do that?¡±

    Many people looked stunned and confused.

    ¡°Is he cheating, Jianglong?¡± The Harmony King red at Hong Jianglong with bulging eyes. He looked like he might strangle the Pacification Commissioner to death if he didn¡¯t give him a proper exnation.

    ¡°Hahaha, calm down, Your Highness,¡± said Lei Xiaodan catingly beforeunching into an exnation. ¡°The reason Young Ye wasn¡¯t attacked by the waterfall wasn¡¯t because Brother Hong was cheating for him, but because it¡¯s the Reverse Waterfall.¡±

    The exnation sessfully distracted the Harmony King. ¡°What¡¯s a Reverse Waterfall?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan answered, ¡°People climb upward, whereas water flows downward. A Reverse Waterfall is an incredibly rare Stranger where its waters flow upward instead. The Reverse Waterfall is extremely powerful, and even its mostmon variant is a Soulstealer-ss Stranger. If a human walks toward it with the intention of getting on top of the watefall, then it would get hostile and harass them endlessly.¡±

    ¡°However, the Reverse Waterfall has an exploitable weakness¡ªor should I say, nature¡ªas long as your back is facing toward the waterfall, and you walk backward toward it, then it wouldn¡¯t get hostile. That is how Young Ye is able to ovee the Reverse Waterfall without any difficulties.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± The Harmony King eximed in realization.

    A whileter, the Harmony Kingughed again. ¡°Look! Ye Qing ran into that grave that troubled Tou Jiao so that he lost his lead! It¡¯s over for Ye Qing!¡±

    The Harmony King was understating it. The grave had harassed Tou Jiao with an endless army of ghosts, run away when Tou Jiao tried to hunt it down, and gone right back to harassing him again as soon as he gave up. It was an incredibly intelligent Stranger, and there was absolutely nothing Tou Jiao could do against it. In the end, the warrior had to activate his secret art and push himself beyond his limits to finally catch up to the grave and kill it.

    Unfortunately, the cost was too great. After the art had ended, he became so weak and fatigued that his climbing speed suffered greatly. As a result, he had fallen all the way to tenth ce.

    Everyone was watching Ye Qing¡¯s screen intently. They wondered how Ye Qing was going to deal with the strange grave.

    The start of the encounter went more or less the same as Tou Jiao¡¯s. As soon as Ye Qing stumbled upon the grave, a bunch of ghosts immediately emerged from the grave and pounced toward him.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t panic, however. He produced a single incense stick, lit it, and prayed toward the grave.

    To everyone¡¯s astonishment, the ghosts suddenly stopped in their tracks. When Ye Qing started toward the grave, the ghosts didn¡¯t try to stop him, and the grave didn¡¯t try to run away either. It allowed Ye Qing to move closer to it.

    When Ye Qing was right in front of the grave, he bowed three times before nting the incense stick on the grave.

    The next moment, the incense stick began burning rapidly. The cloud of smoke it produced floated about halfway toward the grave before vanishing all of a sudden. It was almost as if some invisible entity had inhaled the smoke.

    That was exactly what happened. On the screen, an old, deathly pale face suddenly appeared on top of the grave and inhaled the smoke into its mouth greedily. It looked absolutely intoxicated by its taste.

    While the face was busy enjoying the smoke, Ye Qing walked past the grave and took his leave. This was not the epic battle they had envisioned.

    ¡°What... What is that?¡± The Harmony King eximed in shock.

    He looked to Lei Xiaodan for answers again, but this time the Judicial Commissioner threw his hands up in surrender. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I don¡¯t know what he did either. You¡¯ll have to ask Brother Hong for this.¡±

    Hong Jianglong rubbed his nose and exined, ¡°The grave is a Soulstealer-ss Stranger called the Ghost In The Grave. It is not as rare as the Reverse Waterfall, but still pretty rare. A human lives in a house, and a ghost in a grave. A grave is basically a ghost¡¯s dwelling. However, some ghosts didn¡¯t have a grave because their deaths are sudden, and they are forced to take shelter in the nearest abandoned grave to avoid the sun and the astral winds. Over time, it formed the Ghost In The Grave. They can normally be found in the wilderness.¡±

    ¡°Since the Ghost In The Grave were made up of a bunch of lost, forgotten ghosts, and the grave itself was abandoned a long time ago, there is no one who offers sacrifices to them. If someone passes by a Ghost In The Grave, it would show itself and demand offerings from them.¡±

    ¡°If the person refuses to fulfill its request or attacks it, the Ghost In The Grave would fight back, drag them into the grave, and feast on their body and soul.¡±

    The Harmony King thought for a moment. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you can get a Ghost In The Grave to release you if you give it the offering it desires.¡±

    Hong Jianglong shook its head. ¡°All ghosts are greedy, so it¡¯s highly unlikely that an average offering can satisfy its demand. And if you can¡¯t satisfy their demand, it''s still going to drag you into its grave.

    ¡°If I have to guess, the incense stick Joyless offered the Ghost In The Grave is no ordinary incense stick. That¡¯s why the Stranger allowed him to leave.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Lei Xiaodan chimed in. ¡°No wonder Young Ye¡¯s incense stick look divine and potent.¡±

    ¡°The incense stick is secondary. The man is the real reason he is able to ovee this obstacle without trouble.¡± Song Xi suddenly broke his long-standing silence. ¡°The young are oftencking in knowledge, but not Ye Qing. On top of that, he is cool-headed enough to identify the Stranger he¡¯s dealing with ande up with the appropriate solution immediately. It¡¯s quite impressive.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! He was just lucky. There¡¯s no way the brat can remain this lucky!¡± The Harmony King replied sullenly.

    Despite the Harmony King¡¯s hopes, Ye Qing continued to climb the mountain at a blistering pace. If he encountered a weak Stranger, then he would crush them via brute force and continue along his way. If he encountered a strong Stranger, then he would appease them using all sorts of bizarre solutions. Even if the danger couldn¡¯t be resolved peacefully, he would still find a way to deal with it in the shortest amount of time possible.

    Because of this, Ye Qing quickly surpassed Tou Jiao, Chu Renhe, Wine, Sex, Wealth, Poprity, Eat, Drink, Fuck, Gamble and more and rose to the seventh spot. He was only behind Yang Zhao, Chu Qingge, Wei Bo, Luo Zhan, Qi Xuanyun and more now.

    Almost everyone had nothing but praises for Ye Qing. The Harmony King was the only one whose face grew cker over time. In the end, he huffed in frustration, ¡°You¡¯re still saying your brat isn¡¯t cheating, Jianglong? You must have told him the behavior of all the Strangers living in Flying Dragon Mount beforehand!¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have even if I wanted to, Your Highness,¡± Hong Jianglong replied with a wry chuckle. He knew that the Harmony King was justining. He wasn¡¯t really using him of cheating.

    The Flying Dragon Mount was a Strange Artifact that could generate a massive biome with all kinds of flora and fauna in it. That was why the Strangers who appeared in the Hidden Dragon meet were different every time. As the Flying Dragon Mount was only open during the Hidden Dragon Meet, it was impossible to say what Strangers might be lurking in the mountain until thepetition had begun. That was why Hong Jianglong said he couldn¡¯t cheat for Ye Qing even if he wanted to.

    The Harmony King¡¯s frustration was understandable though. After all, Ye Qing¡¯s performance might as well be cheating. He even managed to deal with the skinless man who severely wounded Chu Qingge using an unbelievable method that seemed so simple in hindsight. He simply used a paper doll and had it stare at the skinless man as he snuck away.

    The Harmony King could not bring himself to me his daughter for not arriving at a simr solution, but that didn¡¯t stop him from feeling pissed and annoyed.

    Someone consoled the Harmony King, ¡°Chin up, Your Highness. Look! Ye Qing just ran into the Treant of Much Drivels. We all know that this Stranger can¡¯t be circumvented easily.¡±

    ¡°The Treant of Much Drivel?¡± The Harmonyy King looked up and saw Ye Qing being surrounded by two massive Treant of Much Drivels. They seemed to be talking non-stop to Ye Qing.

    The Harmony King¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. ¡°Quick! Quick! Make it so we can hear their conversation, Jianglong! Let¡¯s see how this brat is gonna solve <i>this </i>crisis!¡±

    Hong Jianglong hid a sigh and looked at Lei Xiaodan and Song Xi. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan and Song Xi exchanged a helpless look with each other as well.

    While it was possible to tweak the Flying Dragon Mount¡¯s restrictions and array to eavesdrop on a certain person on a mountain, such an action would cost a certain amount of energy. However, they couldn¡¯t deny the Harmony King¡¯s request either, so they had no choice but to exert themselves.

    Hong Jianglong, Lei Xiaodan and Song Xi came together and injected their astral qi and spiritual power into the brazier. A secondter, they could suddenly hear the Treant of Much Drivel¡¯s voice.

    One of the Treant of Much Drivel looked at Ye Qing and dered proudly, ¡°I¡¯m incredibly rich. Every day, I awake from a bed that is woven entirely from gold. When I open my eyes, I am greeted by a ceiling full of night pearls from the Eastern Sea. Thousands of maids assist me in gargling my mouth using mango pomelo sago, and washing my face using the Spring of Eternal Life. I wear clothes that are woven using thousand-year-old natural silk, and ride to lunch on a once-in-a-century Dragon Horse.¡±

    ¡°My main course is a dragon¡¯s liver and a phoenix¡¯s marrow, and my soup is bejeweled nectar. I eat only one bite from each dish, and when I¡¯m full, I realize that I haven¡¯t even touched every dish on a single table corner.¡±

    ¡°After I¡¯m done, I walked in a straight line for about four hours to digest my food, but I realized that I haven¡¯t even left my own courtyard.¡±

    ¡°After the food in my belly has fully digested, I get ready to head out for work only to realize that I don''t need to work. After all, every coin in the world belongs to me. Bored, I decided to visit some of my childhood friends to pass the time. I entered a carriage and let my driver drive me there, but by the time I left the main entrance, my friends had long since died of old age, and I myself am in my twilight years.¡±

    ¡°Can you be richer than me?¡±

 Chapter 405: The Treant of Much Drivel

    Chapter 405: The Treant of Much Drivel

    At the peak, everyone¡¯s jaws hit the floor after listening to the Treant of Much Drivel¡¯s boasting. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they had never heard such a boast in their lives!

    The Treant of Much Drivel was an incredibly unusual Stranger. Nicknamed the Boastful Treant, it was a humanoid-shaped tree that was insanely powerful. It was said that even the weakest Treant of Much Drivel was at least a Phenomenon-ss Stranger.

    Despite its tremendous strength, the Treant of Much Drivel actually loathed hurting humans. In that sense, it was practically harmless. What it did enjoy was spouting nonsense and bragging like its life depended on it. That was why it was nicknamed the Boastful Treant. If it encountered a human, it would brag about something and expect the human to outbrag it. If the human failed, then it would detain them and spout even more drivel out of its wooden mouth. The human wouldn¡¯t be able to leave until they had outbragged the Treant of Much Drivel.

    Once upon a time, a poor guy was caught by the Treant of Much Drivel and went insane because of it.

    The problem was that the Treant of Much Drivel was extremely good at spouting nonsense and boasting. No one knew where it learned its ¡°techniques¡±, only that few people ever managed to outtalk the Treant of Much Drivel.

    In short, it was a major pain in the ass for anyone who had the misfortune of running into it.

    ¡°Hahaha! I wonder what his answer would be?¡± The Harmony Kingughed. ¡°Personally, I wouldn¡¯t know how to get through this! Nephew Fang, if you are Ye Qing, how would you answer the Treant of Much Drivel?¡±

    Fang Muyun replied in a gentle voice, ¡°I¡¯m a schr. I never lie.¡±

    The Harmony King fell silent for a brief moment.<em>That¡­ sounds like a lie though?</em>[1]

    ¡°What about you, Mister Nine?¡± The Harmony King asked Chu Wangsun next.

    The schr answered without looking up from his book, ¡°I would say, ¡®You¡¯re actually penniless.¡¯¡±

    The Harmony King: ¡°...¡±

    Fang Muyun: ¡°...¡±

    Lei Xiaodan: ¡°...¡±

    <em>The homework is to make a boast, and your answer is¡­ truth and dare? Seriously?</em>

    ¡°Well, what about you, Jianglong?¡± The Harmony King looked at Hong Jianglong next.

    Hong Jianglong coughed. ¡°Ahem, I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness, but I can¡¯t answer that question. I¡¯ve never been rich, so I don¡¯t even know how it feels like to be rich.¡±

    When Lei Xiaodan sensed the Harmony King¡¯s gaze, he hurriedly added, ¡°I can¡¯t answer that question either, Your Highness. I too am a pauper.¡±

    ¡°Boring!¡± The Harmony Kingined before directing his attention back to Ye Qing.

    On the screen, Ye Qing was bowing his head and looking thoughtful. Then, he said slowly, ¡°I¡¯m not very rich myself, but when are you paying me back the money you owe?¡±

    The Treant of Much Drivel fell silent.

    The Harmony King fell silent.

    Everyone on the mountain fell silent.

    The answer¡­ was perfect. No matter how wealthy you are, how could you possibly be wealthier than your creditor?

    Sensing its brethren¡¯s defeat, the second Treant of Much Drivel stepped up and started, ¡°I¡¯m very powerful. When I yawn, clear qi rises to the sky, murky qi sink to the earth, and Original Chaos is created. When I open my eyes, the sun rises, the moon falls, and the world is filled with light. When I make a small turn, the earth rips asunder, and the heavens weep in sorrow. When I lose a few strands of hair, nts flourish, and mountains undte. When I take a piss, it bes a raging sea that threatens to flood the world. When I sigh, the wind howls, and nowhere is safe from my breath. When I fall asleep, the moon rises, the sun falls, and the world sinks into darkness.¡±

    ¡°Are you more powerful than me?¡±

    ¡°Heavens above! It might as well call itself the great Pangu!¡± The Harmony King shook his head in disbelief and tried toe up with an answer. Just a few secondster, he shook his head again and gave up.

    However, he quickly perked up when he recalled that he wanted Ye Qing to<em>lose.</em>¡°There¡¯s no way he can solve<em>this</em>, can he?!¡±

    The rest of the spectators were watching Ye Qing curiously as well.

    On the screen, Ye Qing smirked and answered unhurriedly, ¡°First there was the Treant of Much Drivel, then the world. Now go and pour me a cup of tea, disciple.¡±

    The Treant of Much Drivel: ¡°...¡±<em>How did I suddenly be his junior?</em>

    The Harmony King pped his thighs in realization and guffawed. ¡°That¡¯s it! Of course the master is greater than the disciple! And just in case the Treant of Much Drivel argues that the disciple may surpass the master, he intentionally affirmed its drivel that it came before the world! So what if the Treant of Much Drivel created the world? He would still be the one who created the one who created the world! What an interesting brat, hahaha!¡±

    Lei Xiaodan echoed in agreement. ¡°Young Ye¡¯s answer is definitely interesting.¡±

    Ye Qing had no idea that he was being watched by a bunch of big bosses. After soundly trouncing the two Treants of Much Drivel, he lifted his head and dered haughtily, ¡°You¡¯re a hundred years too early to outbrag me, you talking trees!¡±

    Then, he swaggered away amidst the treant¡¯s look of adoration.

    After he waspletely out of the Strangers¡¯ view, Ye Qing finally allowed himself to break out in cold sweat. To be honest, victory had note to him nearly as easy as he made it looked. The problem was that the Treant of Much Drivel could boast just about anything and everything. Had they boasted about something he had little to no knowledge about, it would¡¯ve been so much harder for him to think of a winning solution.

    More importantly, if he was disqualified from thepetition because he ran out of time, Gu Suitang would definitely throw him into a cooking pot and boil him for dinner!

    That was why Ye Qing ran like his life depended on it as soon as he escaped from the Treants of Much Drivel. He only had two or so hours left now. He had to give it his all.

    It wasn¡¯t even his fault that he waste. Prior to entering the Martial Tower, Ye Qing had given the old watchman five jars of delicious wine on the condition that he let him out exactly two hours before the Hidden Dragon Meet began. However, the old man got drunk and only recalled the promise six bloody hours after the tournament began! He even had the gall to say that it was<em>his</em>fault for giving him wine that was ¡°too good for his ilk¡±!

    He was so pissed he almost jumped the old man, damn the consequences. Luckily, the consequences and the fact that the old man would wipe the floor with him kept him from doing the stupid. Even so, he was over six hourste by the time he finally arrived at the scene, so he had no choice but to make his climb as quickly as possible.

    Luckily for him, most of the Strangers he encountered so far were present in the books he read. He was able to exploit their behavior and weaknesses and ovee them in the shortest amount of time possible.

    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Ye Qing suddenly realized something, ¡°I¡¯m near the finish line even though I¡¯m six hourste. That must mean that most people have already crossed the finish line. No, no! I need to go faster!¡±

    Desperate, Ye Qing mustered his vigor and pushed himself even more.

    At the peak, the Harmony King and everyone else were stunned when Ye Qing suddenly sped up even more. ¡°He could go faster? Did he eat a pill when we weren¡¯t looking?¡±

    If they knew what Ye Qing was thinking, they would¡¯ve called him crazy.

    Thanks to this new burst of speed, Ye Qing caught up to Yang Zhao, Luo Zhan, Jian Wusheng, Chu Qingge, Qi Xuanyun and the other top contenders in just half a teatime. At this point of the climb, they were just one step away from reaching the peak.

    The final obstacle they faced was worthy of its title, however. Yang Zhao ran into a stone giant called the Rock Giant, a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. It was impervious to most weapons and the elements, and its strength was quite formidable. Even if Yang Zhao managed to crush one part of its body, it simply needed to roll across the rocky floor to heal its injuries. It was an incredibly formidable opponent.

    Luo Zhan¡¯s opponent was a strange quagmire with pale, bloated bodies floating on its surface. As soon as he got within a certain range, the corpses would open their eyes and stare at him, and he would experience various symptoms of drowning. For example, his body slowly grew bloated and waterlogged. The closer he got to the quagmire, the worse the phenomenon became.

    The good news was that he returned to normal as soon as he left the quagmire¡¯s influence. The bad news was that the quagmire wasrge enough that circumventing it would take a considerable amount of time; long enough that he wasn¡¯t sure if he could reach the peak in time.

    This meant that the only way forward was to face the dangers head on and cross the quagmire by force.

    Jian Wusheng¡¯s final obstacle was a Sword Golem. A fairly rare Stranger, a Sword Golem is created when their sword spirit takes control of the deceased warrior¡¯s body as pilot it like a puppet. The deceased warrior is usually a champion in the Way of the Sword.

    A Sword Golem usually retained its previous cultivation, insight and understanding of the sword, which was why it was incredibly powerful. It was obsessed with dueling people to the death and honing its sword intent.

    The Sword Golemn Jian Wusheng ran into was a Spirit Master in life, so the Sword Golemn was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. As its sword intent was surprisingly simr to Jian Wusheng¡¯s, the duo were like sworn enemies from the moment they met.

    The Sword Golem possessed a stronger cultivation and powerful sword intent, but its movements were pretty stiff because its body was dead.

    Jian Wusheng¡¯s sword art was nimble and exquisite, but he was one cultivation stage weaker than the Sword Golem.

    Both sides had their advantages and disadvantages, so they were locked in a stalemate for the moment.

    Chu Qingge didn¡¯t run into a Stranger. Instead, she was trapped inside a great array. She had to navigate through the array while braving deadly attacks of wind, lightning, water and fire. The dangers were everywhere.

    But luckily for her, the dangers of the array were overt and direct. They were neither strange nor unpredictable. That was why she was currently the most hopeful of them all to reach the peak first.

    Qi Xuanyun was being stalled by a river. A river he couldn¡¯t seem to pass no matter what he tried.

    The river was only three meters wide. Even an ordinary person can easily jump such a distance. But no matter how hard Qi Xuanyun jumped, he alwaysnded right at the center of the river.

    Not only that, he started sinking as soon as he fell into the river. It had nothing to do with his ability to swim. Any action he took that wasn¡¯t swimming back to the shore would only cause him to sink faster.

    Ordinary vessels and Strange Artifacts didn¡¯t work either. They sank as soon as they made contact with the water. It was pretty simr to the Weak Water[2].

    After a number of futile attempts, Qi Xuanyun decided to walk around the river since he couldn¡¯t cross it. But again, he couldn¡¯t find the source even though the river didn¡¯t look very big at all. His cute face scrunched up like he might break into tears, the poor Taoist was currently sitting by the riverside and racking his brain for an idea.

    As for Ye Qing, he ran into a singing woman. She was gorgeous like she was the embodiment of all that was perfect in the world, and her singing was so melodious one could drown in it.

    Ye Qing nched when he saw her, however. His face had never looked this ugly since he began climbing the mountain.

    At the peak, Hong Jianglong and Lei Xiaodan nched as well. They hurriedly blocked out the woman¡¯s phantasmal voice.

    ¡°What are you doing, Jianglong? This is the first time I heard such a beautiful voice! I wanted to listen to her song until the end!¡± The Harmony King raged.

    The others also echoed in agreement. ¡°Yeah. It almost feels like it doesn¡¯t belong in this world.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the kind of singing that will soothe the ears for at least three days straight.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a spoilsport, Jianglong.¡±

    In response, Hong Jianglong sneered. ¡°You certainly won¡¯t remain in this world for much longer if we hadn¡¯t blocked out her voice.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ What do you mean?¡± Someone asked when they realized that Hong Jianglong wasn¡¯t ying around.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Age Songstress, isn¡¯t she?¡± Fang Muyun spoke up suddenly.

    Hong Jianglong shot him a surprised look. ¡°A good answer, Mister Farseeing. That is the Age Songstress.¡±

    ¡°Age Songstress?¡± The Harmony King asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That woman¡¯s an Age Songstress,¡± Fang Muyun answered. ¡°However, I¡¯ve only read it in a book before. Do correct me if I make a mistake, Lord Hong.¡±

    ¡°You are too humble, Mister Farseeing. Please, speak away,¡± Hong Jianglong replied.

    Fang Muyun began his exnation, ¡°The Age Songstress is a powerful Stranger who possesses an inhumanly beautiful appearance and a voice to die for, literally. She can usually be found singing at the peak of a mountain. Those who heard her singing would be hypnotized by it, and they would gradually grow old until they die.¡±

    ¡°In the book, there is a quote that went something like this: A song rides the wind, jubnt and free. But listen not to this song, for each verse brings you one step closer to death.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why Lord Hong blocked out the sound. It¡¯s to save everyone¡¯s lives.¡±

    The Harmony King gasped audibly, ¡°Is¡­ Is Nephew Fang telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°It is exactly as Mister Farseeing says,¡± Hong Jianglong confirmed. ¡°In fact, the Age Songstress¡¯ singing is a powerful curse. Those who heard her singing would continuously lose their life force and lifespan until they die.¡±

    ¡°Heavens above!¡± The Harmony King eximed in horror before touching his face and worrying that he might have grown some wrinkles.

    Although the Harmony King was almost fifty[3], his skin was as smooth as a babe. It was because he took great care of his skin, and as a member of the royal family had ess to all kinds of life-extending treasures. He let out a sigh of relief only when he found none.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. We heard the singing through an array, so it¡¯s already weaker than normal. And since Brother Hong blocked it out at first notice, the most you should feel is a bit of fatigue,¡± Lei Xiaodan consoled.

    ¡°I see! No wonder I¡¯m suddenly aching all over,¡± the Harmony King eximed in realization.

    1. For those who might not get the nuances, it¡¯s also a viable answer because it is pure-fucking-bullshit. ?

    2. Refer to Chapter 281. ?

    3. Huh. I thought he was older because the author kept describing him as old, but he¡¯s not even fifty? Well, we¡¯ll see if I have to correct this to sixty or something. ?

 Chapter 406: The Song That Ages

    Chapter 406: The Song That Ages

    That one has nothing to do with the songstress. Its simply because you sat for too long, Chu Qingli retorted before looking back at the woman on the screen and sighing wistfully. What a beauty. If only I can enjoy a kiss and a night with her.

    Are you crazy, boy? Shes a Stranger! The Harmony King kicked Chu Qingli hard to vent his annoyance. The boy was basically saying that he wouldnt mind dying if he could spend a night with the Stranger!

    So what? Its better to die underneath such beauty than on a deathbed, Chu Qingli said distractedly, and I certainly wouldnt mind shaving decades of my lifespan for this woman

    You unfilial son! Why must you anger me so? Im going to spank your butt in front of everyone! The Harmony King huffed out and raised his hand as if getting ready to hit Chu Qingli, but the young man paid him no heed whatsoever. Knowing that he couldnt get through his sons thick skin, the Harmony King ultimately gave up and returned his attention back to the Age Songstress.

    How do you fight an Age Songstress, Jianglong? Can I shut her song out if I block my ears? The Harmony King asked.

    Hong Jianglong answered while wearing a severe expression, No. The Age Songstress song is really a spiritual curse of sorts. You will hear it even if you seal off your hearing.

    Dealing with it is quite simple though. You run. Although the Age Songstress is quite terrifying, she only acts within a certain area. If you leave the area, then youll be able to escape to safety.

    Hahaha thats good to hear. The boy would not be able to take first ce! The Harmony King guffawed loudly when he heard this. If Ye Qing was forced to circumvent the Age Songstress, the chance that he would be able to surpass his peers became next to nothing.

    Unfortunately for him, Ye Qing pped him in the face in the next second. Instead of running away, the young man chose to take the curse head on and charge toward the Age Songstress.

    Every time Ye Qing took a step forward, a new wrinkle would appear on his face. When he was around seventeen meters to the Stranger, his face looked like that of a middle-aged man, and his hair was graying in certain areas. His progress suffered greatly as a result.

    What is he thinking? A grim-faced Hong Jianlong red at the screen.

    This is a little too reckless even for Young Ye, Lei Xiaodan also said seemingly with worry.

    The Age Songstress was deadly because her curse was practically unstoppable. Assuming the victim wasnt bewitched by her song, the best way to deal with it was to run as far away as possible.

    It wasnt impossible to kill her, of course. It just took a tremendous cost. The closer one got to the Age Songstress, the more powerful the curse would be. This meant that the victim would be aging faster as well. Worse still, one wouldnt regain their lost vitality and lifespan even if they killed the Age Songstress. While they could be replenished with natural treasures in the future, it would threaten ones martial foundation and cost them a lot of time. It was detrimental to ones cultivation to say the least.

    This was why few people would try to kill an Age Songstress unless they were strong enough to resist her curse. For example, a Grandmaster-stage warrior waspletely immune to it.

    Ye Qing wasnt a Grandmaster-stage warrior, however. In fact, he was way weaker than the Age Songstress.

    He must have thought that his body was strong enough to resist the curse! The fool! Hong Jianglong abruptly rose to his feet with an ugly expression.

    What are you doing, Lord Hong? An official immediately raised his voice when he saw this. This is against the rules!

    Are you the worm in my belly or something? I havent done anything yet, and youre calling me a rulebreaker? Hong Jianglong red at the official.

    Its obvious you want to save that young man, Lord Hong, but ording to the rules, no one can interfere with thepetition unless something that absolutely requires our intervention urs. Do you think this counts as one, Lord Hong? Countless participants were injured or killed earlier, but you didnt lend them a hand, did you? Another official said sarcastically.

    The reason the official had no sympathy for Hong Jianglong whatsoever was because the Pacification Bureau and the Intelligence Department monopolized most of the stars of the Hidden Dragon Meet even though they were supposed to be shared evenly across the imperial court. As if that wasnt enough, the talents they got were average at best and mediocre at worst. And finally, he loathed Hong Jianglongs tyrannical methods and double standards.

    Mister Nine and Mister Farseeing are present as well. Why dont we consult their opinion? The official gestured in Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyuns direction.

    The rules must not be broken, Chu Wangsun looked at Hong Jianglong and said calmly, his tone making it clear that he wouldnt ept no as an answer.

    Fang Muyun stepped up to smooth things over. Calm down, Lord Jing. Perhaps you misunderstood Lord Hong after all. He is the host of this years Hidden Dragon Meet. Why would he smear his own reputation? Right, Lord Hong?

    Hong Jianglong stared coldly at Lord Jing for a moment. Then, he let out a boisterousugh. Im just stretching my limbs a little because Ive been sitting for too long. That counts as breaking the rules to you, Lord Jing? Your children must hate you with all their fiber then.

    You! Lord Jings face turned red with anger. Anyone who wasnt stupid or blind could see that Hong Jianglong was going to intervene in thepetition and save Ye Qing.

    Enough. Jianglong already said he was just stretching. I do that when Ive been seated for too long, so stop overthinking things and enjoy the show, okay? The Harmony King also chimed in.

    Fang Muyun added with finality, Sit down, Lord Jing.

    Lord Jinghis full name was Jing Huangknew that he had lost the fight then. As you wish, Your Highness, Mister Farseeing, he said reluctantly. It would be folly to go against the Harmony Kings wishes. If he knew this would happen, he wouldve waited until after Hong Jianglong had taken action. Now, he had to back down and stew in frustration instead. How frustrating!

    The argument was over, but Ye Qings troubles had just begun. On the screen, Ye Qing was still struggling to get closer to the Age Songstress. Since he entered the ten-meter range, his face and hair would age with every step he took. It was clear that the curse was getting worse.

    When he was in the six-meter range, his hair was fully white, his flesh was weak and smelly like an old mans, and his whole body would shake every time he took a shambling step. He looked like a man in his eighties.

    Everyone on the mountain could tell that Ye Qing had reached his limit, but still the young man refused to back down. He continued to walk toward the Age Songstress.

    The stubborn mule! Why is he still pushing forward?! The Harmony King abruptly pped the table furiously. Ye Qing was now decades older than even him. He was angry that the young man didnt appreciate his own life, and even angrier than a genius like Ye Qing was going to lose his life like this. His own petty grievances aside, the loss of Ye Qing wouldnt undoubtedly be a great loss for Chu.

    I thought that the Qing Emperor Junior is supposed to be wise beyond his age? What the hell is this? Someone asked in a low tone.

    Yeah, I dont know whats going on with him either. Where there''s life, there''s hope. But if you insist on throwing it away, then no one can help you. At this point, it would be meaningless even if he could reach the top first.

    As if he could do that in his current state! Look at him! Hes moments away from death. Even if the Age Songstress dies this instant, and nothing else stands in his way, I doubt hell be able to reach the peak.

    Stubborn and foolish, some of the worst possible traits you might find in a man. What a shame.

    Beside Song Xi, a muscr man carrying a steel ruler on his waist asked, What do you think, Xi?

    He was one of the two legendary constables serving in the administration division of Tian Yong, the Ruler of Justice Tie Wuying.

    Song Xi replied indifferently, Ive never seen Ye Qing in my life[1], but I have heard of his exploits. I dont think that someone who can see through the Nether Lords ploy, foil the Way of Taipings conspiracy, and ruin the Mara Buddhas n would be a reckless fool.

    Tie Wuying asked, Youre saying that he still has something up his sleeves?

    Song Xi nodded. I believe so.

    Tie Wuying shook his head. I disagree. Hes be so weak that he has to rely on his Strange Artifacts to push forward. Its clear that hes on hisst legs. Qing Emperor Junior? He doesnt deserve his fame!

    It wasnt just Song Xi and Tie Wuying. Almost everyone was pointing fingers andmenting on Ye Qings final struggle.

    Dont listen to their nonsense, Brother Hong. I dont think that Young Ye is a reckless fool either. He must have a n of sorts, Lei Xiaodan said to Hong Jianglong because he was afraid that the Pacification Commissioner would try and pull some sort of stunt.

    Do I look like Im worried? If he wants to die, then its his choice! Hong Jianglong grunted and drained his cup of wine in one gulp.

    If someone were to pay close attention to his face, they would notice that he was no longer worried or frustrated. Instead, he looked puzzled.

    <em>What is that boy plotting? </em>Hong Jianglong thought while caressing a finger across his cup.

    He had allowed his emotion to get the better of him earlier, but he too noticed something off after he calmed down and regained his wits.

    One, Ye Qing was anything but reckless and foolish. There was no way he would drive himself into a dead end.

    Two, he knew of Ye Qings strength more than anyone present. He was already a middle-stage Spirit Purifier prior to entering the Martial Tower, and he was currently cultivating Chen Ah Shengs Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra. His strength was equal to seven dragon elephants, and his vitality and vigor were far, far greater than yourmon warrior. Even if he assumed that Ye Qing had made no progress in the Martial Tower whatsoever, he shouldnt be struggling this badly.

    And third, he knew that Ye Qing was in possession of a powerful Strange Artifact. However, the young man hadnt used it even now. Surely he wouldve used it already if he truly was on hisst legs?

    Could it be Heh, that brat Suddenly, Hong Jianglong remembered something and broke out in a wry chuckle.

    Have you gone mad, Jianglong?! The Harmony King noticed the chuckle and blurted, Youreughing when Ye Qing is about to die?

    Everyone else was shooting him strange looks as well.

    Oh, I wouldnt be so sure about that. Hong Jianglong grinned.

    <em>Ah, he really has gone mad, </em>everyone thought at the same time when they saw his grin.

    If you really are sick, then you should go visit a doctor, Jianglong. Dont force yourself, the Harmony King advised kindly. The reason he said this was simple. He just couldnt see any chance of Ye Qing turning this around. On the screen, Ye Qing was approaching the two-meter mark, but he had be so old that it was positively horrible to look at. His head waspletely bald, his teeth had fallen out of their gums, his flesh looked like a piece of dead wood, and it was a miracle that he was still clinging to life at all.

    As if on cue, Ye Qing took another step and stumbled on his feet. He fell on all fours, and he wasnt able to climb back to his feet.

    Still, Ye Qing didnt give up. He slowly crawled toward the Age Songstress. It was both amusing and pitiful like an ant who was trying to reach the sky.

    1. LOL Ye Qing didnt even register as a blip on his radar during their previous meeting apparently.

 Chapter 407: How Did You

    <h4>Chapter 407: How Did You </h4>

    <i>Tap. Tap. Tap.</i>

    Ye Qing slowly, very slowly crawled his way toward the Age Songstress. Like a man who was seconds away from death but was unwilling to give up just like that, he was putting on a final struggle. What should¡¯ve been a trivial distance for him to cross had now be an impassable chasm.

    When Ye Qing was one meter away from the Age Songstress, his pupils dted, and his head and raised right hand abruptly fell to the ground. At the same time, his breathing ceasedpletely.

    He was dead.

    ¡°Sigh. It didn¡¯t need to be like this.¡±

    On the peak, everyone felt a hint of pity and regret for the dead man. But of course, some people also felt the opposite emotion. To them, it was <i>good </i>that Ye Qing had perished. After all, it meant that their juniors, rtives, descendants and more had one lesspetitor. Besides, everyone on the peak was a bigshot with a vast amount of life experiences. It would be an understatement to say that they had witnessed far too many geniuses who rose like a star and fell like a meteor already.

    When you were too familiar with something, you became desensitized. It was just a fact of life.

    As expected, theirmentations disappeared into thin air just a few breathster. They then shifted their attention to the rest of thepetitors.

    Chu Qingge had reached the end stage of the array. Fearless despite the storm of elements pouring down on her, she surrounded herself in purple qi and defended herself with an impressive variety of martial arts such as fist, palm, sword and finger. She intercepted water and fire and struck down wind and lightning like a war goddess.

    Luo Zhan had reached the center of the quagmire. While carrying a pale, bloated body and leaking blood from all orifices, he did battle against a giant corpse made out of countless drowned bodies. His tyrannical, pitch ck saber sundered the earth and filled the sky with intent.

    The battle between Jian Wusheng and the sword puppet had reached the finale as well. Not only was Jian Wusheng covered from head to toe in blood, the gaping hole in his abdomen looked particrly scary. Deadly sword intent could be seen ravaging his insides. The sword puppet wasn¡¯t doing much better either. Its left arm was missing, and half of its head was gone and leaking ck qi.

    The head wound hade from Jian Wusheng¡¯s ultimate technique, ¡°I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death[1]¡±. If it was a human, it would¡¯ve died long ago. But because the sword puppet wasn¡¯t alive in the first ce, it was still functional. A winner would be decided any minute now.

    It was the same for Yang Zhao. He was ranked even higher than Jian Wusheng on the Human Champions Ranking and a member of a prominent n, so of course he was a powerful warrior in his own right. His fight against the rock giant had also reached the end stage, and speaking of the rock giant, it was at least twice as small as it was before. Shattered rock and fine sand could be seen everywhere.

    The young Taoist Qi Xuanyun had finally seen through the secret of the river as well. He had willingly thrown himself to the bottom of the river and was currently fighting a fairly one-sided battle against a humanoid Stranger with a fish¡¯s head. His powerful lightning was making it sing like a canary.

    But despite their strong performance, none of them were in the lead right now. No, the lead was currently being held by two other warriors.

    The first warrior in the lead was a cold-faced, red-eyed man wielding a spear and wearing a ck armor. His spear techniques were brutal, terrifying and bloodthirsty, and he had in every single Stranger he encountered since he began climbing the mountain. He was fearless and relentless even when going up against a Stranger who was stronger than him.

    The man¡¯s name was Xu Rulin. He served in the army, so his spear technique was honed by the horrors of the battlefield. Right now, Xu Rulin was battling against a tentacle Stranger called Mang Mang because it unleashed a highly toxic gas every time it cried, ¡°Mang Mang!¡± It was an extremely dangerous foe, but Xu Rulin was pushing it back with his violent spear techniques.

    If not for the fact that Xu Rulin was keeping it from escaping¡ªhe wanted to kill it just like all the Strangers he had encountered before¡ªthe battle would¡¯ve been long over.

    The second warrior in the lead was an extraordinarily ugly woman. Not only was her face jam packed with pimples like a toad¡¯s back, she was almost as tall as she was broad. When she moved, it looked like a giant rock with legs was moving across the terrain.

    Her power was no joke despite her ugliness, however. The woman had a gentle, melodious name called Wen Xiaonuan[2], but for whatever reason, she was overflowing with decadence, loss, sorrow and despair. Her fighting style was quite bizarre as well. She fought like she was trying tomit suicide, and she always targeted the enemy¡¯s biggest weakness. Despite this, she was still alive, and every Stranger who tried to stand in her way had died.

    Right now, Wen Xiaonuan was facing off against a cliff with countless arms hanging from the top. They looked like vines the way they iled back and forth to the wind.

    The cliff Stranger was called Cliff Arms for obvious reasons. It was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. It wasn¡¯t affected by Wen Xiaonuan¡¯s aura of despair because it didn¡¯t have a mind. Despite this, Wen Xiaonuan had snapped off over half of its arms, and the cliff itself was covered in cracks. It was clear that it was on itsst legs.

    Wen Xiaonuan looked at the web of arms flying her way with a sorrowful and despairing expression. Then, she leaped into the air and straight into the arms.

    It looked like she was the prey and the cliff Stranger the predator, but right before the arms would catch her, they abruptly shattered into pieces and fell like the rain. Then, Wen Xiaonuan mmed head first into the cliff and shattered it into a million pieces.

    Wen Xiaonuan didn¡¯t look happy despite her sess in killing the Cliff Arms, however. She simply sighed in dejection and continued toward the peak at an even pace.

    At nearly the same time, Xu Rulin killed Mang Mang and strode toward the peak as well.

    On the peak, the same thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind:<i> It looks like the first ce goes to Wen Xiaonuan, and the second ce Xu Rulin.</i>

    Then, the Harmony King jumped and cheered like a kid, ¡°Hahaha! I won! I won!¡±

    Although he was slightly disgruntled that Chu Qingge wouldn¡¯t be the champion of the first stage, the thought of getting the Golden Celestial Offering Censer and the Luan and Phoenix Chirping painting drawn by Zhang Baiduan cheered him up in no time.

    ¡°Xiaodan, Jianglong, prepare the items. I expect it to be delivered to my residence as soon as we get off this mountain. And you better not go back on your bet, you hear?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan let out a bitter chuckle. ¡°You bet, you pay. Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. You will have your winnings.¡±

    ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± The Harmony King let loose a roaringugh.

    Suddenly, hisughter ceased like a chicken that was caught by the neck. It was because the person who climbed up the mountain was neither Wen Xiaonuan nor Xu Rulin. No, it was someone no one had expected to see again¡ªYe Qing!

    ¡°How did you get up here?¡± The Harmony King blurted out as his eyes widened like saucers.

    The cry caught Ye Qing off guard and stupefied him before he could even catch his breath. When he looked in the direction of the voice and found an old man d in luxurious clothing staring at him, he replied instinctively, ¡°I... ran? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    When he looked around, he noticed that almost everyone was looking at him with varying expressions of shock and surprise as well.

    ¡°How are you not dead?¡± The old man blurted again and stunning Ye Qing even more.

    ¡°<i>Excuse you? </i>Why would I be dead, pray tell?¡± Ye Qing subconsciously retorted at the rude remark. <i>The fuck is going on here? Why is someone cursing me as soon as I reach the peak?</i>

    ¡°Control yourself, Joyless! This is the Harmony King you¡¯re speaking to!¡± Hong Jianglong interrupted before Ye Qing could offend the man even more.

    ¡°T-The Harmony King?¡± Ye Qing started in shock before taking a bow in a hurry. ¡°This one greets you, Your Highness!¡±

    ¡°Well met.¡± The Harmony King looked Ye Qing up and down with a deep frown. ¡°We saw the Age Songstress killing you with our own eyes, so how did youe back to life?¡±

    Not only that, Ye Qing looked just as young as he was before. Just how was this possible?

    ¡°You¡¯re not a ghost, are you?!¡±

    Ye Qing felt a vein throbbing in his forehead. <i>Who are you calling a ghost? Don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to take this lying down just because you¡¯re the... on second thought, never mind.</i>

    By now, Ye Qing had noticed the screens floating on the peak and showing variouspetitors. Realizing what the Harmony King meant, he exined, ¡°Your Highness, I was just pretending. I wasn¡¯t actually killed by the Age Songstress.¡±

    ¡°You were just pretending?¡± The Harmony King repeated in confusion.

    ¡°Look over here, Your Highness!¡± Ye Qing was just about to exin himself when Hong Jianglong interrupted the conversation. When he turned to look, he saw Hong Jianglong waving a screen out of therge brazier at the center of the peak. It was showing the final moment of the battle between Ye Qing and the Age Songstress.

    Ye Qing was stunned to say the least. <i>I¡¯m already shocked that this world has livestreams, but reys too? WTF?</i>

    On the screen, Ye Qing was lying on the ground perfectly still looking like he was dead. The Age Songstress certainly thought that was the case as she stopped singing and turned around to leave.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing leaped into the air and closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Then a crimson light shed and beheaded the Stranger.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing clenched his left fist and summoned a tidal wave of Netherme into existence, burning the Age Songstress¡¯ head and body into ash before it could do anything. His movements were so smooth it was like he had practiced this a thousand times.

    After he confirmed that the Age Songstress was dead, Ye Qing whistled triumphantly and slowly returned to normal. His thin, frail body began filling up with muscles, and ck hair began covering his head once more. He transformed back to his former appearance in just the blink of an eye.

    Then, he raced toward the peak at top speed once more.

    That was how the battle between Ye Qing and the Age Songstress had ended. However, most people stopped paying attention to him because they thought he was dead and so missed the epicebackpletely.

    ¡°I thought the Age Songstress is a powerful Stranger. Even if you caught her by surprise, how did you kill her like it was nothing?¡± The Harmony King voiced his puzzlement.

    ¡°Joyless, exin!¡± Hong Jianglong ordered.

    ¡°As youmand,missioner.¡± Ye Qing performed a salute. ¡°Your Highness, the Age Songstress¡¯ greatest strength is her cursed song. However, that¡¯s all she has. Her actual body is so fragile that even the average Hatred-ss Stranger is tougher than her. That is why killing the Age Songstress is simply a matter of getting close to her.¡±

    ¡°But of course, the Age Songstress is an intelligent Stranger. I didn¡¯t want to waste time chasing her around like a buffoon while she slowly ages me with her song. So, I pretended that I was rapidly sumbing to her curse while slowly closing the distance between us. Finally, I pretended to be dead and waited until she stopped singing before killing her.¡±

    Ye Qing made it sound oh-so-easy, but everyone present knew just how dangerous the situation was. Not everyone could act, and in this case, not everyone couldst long enough to deceive the Age Songstress. A weaker warrior might¡¯ve fumbled and turned the act into a real tragedy.

    ¡°Hmph! Intelligence Stranger my ass! I can¡¯t believe she got fooled by such a simple trick! Useless!¡± The Harmony King harrumphed with disdain.

    <i>Says the guy who was tricked by the same act? Shameless much? </i>Ye Qing threw the Harmony King a meaningful look.

    ¡°Hmph! What are you looking at? You have an honest face, but you use it to deceive a lowly Stranger? How shameless! How inhuman!¡± The Harmony King harrumphed again.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>I didn¡¯t even say anything yet!</i>

    It was at this moment Hong Jianglong let out a cough. ¡°You bet, you pay, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± The Harmony King red daggers at Ye Qing before sitting down angrily and looking away. He looked like a petnt child.

    1. Cuz ¡°No I¡±. ?

    2. meaning ¡°Small Warmth¡± ?

 Chapter 408: Itâ€™s Just A Misunderstanding!

    <h4>Chapter 408: It¡¯s Just A Misunderstanding! </h4>

    Fang Muyun praised Ye Qing with a warm smile on his face, ¡°You¡¯re Ye Qing, right? The proverb ¡®heroes are often young¡¯ shines in you.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, my lord,¡± Ye Qing replied politely. Although he didn¡¯t recognize the young man, he doubted that there was anyone present who was a small fry. At the very least, there was no harm in addressing the young man as ¡°my lord¡±. ¡°I just got lucky. If anything, I am most ashamed of my performance.¡±

    ¡°Ashamed?¡± Fang Muyun tilted his head in confusion.

    ¡°Yes. If I wasn¡¯t dyed by something, I¡¯m sure I could¡¯ve done so much better,¡± Ye Qing replied with deep regret. Although he wasn¡¯t eliminated, he was certain that his ranking was pathetic considering that he started sote. He didn¡¯t even want to imagine what Gu Suitang would do when he heard about this.

    Everyone fell silent and stared at him oddly as soon as he said this. It was such a strange reaction that Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head in confusion. <i>What? Is it a sin to be humble?</i>

    ¡°Hmph! Youngsters these days are arrogant beyond imagination!¡± Jing Huang scoffed with dripping disdain. Ye Qing had reached the peak first in half the time everyone else took, and he said he was ashamed? If this wasn¡¯t arrogance, then what was?

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Bruh, how much more humble do I need to be? I¡¯m probably thest fucking person to make it up this mountain! </i>

    Someone tried to smooth things over. ¡°Hahaha... and where are you going to find a genius who¡¯s humble, one as capable as the Qing Emperor Junior no less? Would you prefer him to act like a gloomy old man like us?¡±

    His words only irked Ye Qing more, however.<i>Did your math teacher teach yournguage ss? I¡¯m as fucking humble as I could be! Is everyone here an illiterate idiot?</i>

    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s right. For the past few decades, every genius who became the champion in such a short time is arrogant beyond imagination. Sixty years ago, the ¡®Sword Qi Savant¡¯ Sun Tzufu ascended the Flying Dragon Mount in sixteen hours[1] and dered everyone who came after him to be trash. Forty five years ago, the ¡®Vast Blue Sky¡¯ Ren Tianya ascended the mountain in twelve hours and dered mockingly that he lived in the Dark Age of Spring and Autumn period. And thirty years ago, the Qing Emperor ascended the mountain in six hours and dered that only he left his name in the annals of history while everyone else in a centurynguished in mediocrity...¡±

    Lei Xiaodan ended his statement with a chuckle. ¡°It is fine to be arrogant so long as you have the strength to support it.¡±

    ¡°It so happens that Ye Qing is nicknamed the Qing Emperor Junior. Once upon a time, the Qing Emperor ascended the heavens in six steps. Today, the Qing Emperor Junior repeated his feat by starting during halftime. It makes for a great legend, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Fang Muyun said smilingly before looking at Chu Wangsun. ¡°What do you think, Wangsun?¡±

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Chu Wangsun replied indifferently, though his eyes were flickering with unknown meaning.

    ¡°You tter him, Mister Farseeing, Mister Nine. He still has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same sentence as the Qing Emperor,¡± Hong Jianglong said smilingly. ¡°Besides, calling him a champion is too much. Just because he reached the peak first doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that he will conquer the tribtions ahead. Please don¡¯t tter him too much and give him a big head.¡±

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was feeling like he had been transported to a parallel universe. By now, he realized that he had misunderstood something, but he still couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Er, excuse me, but I thought I was thest participant to reach the peak?¡±

    ¡°Who told you that? You are the <i>first </i>person to make it to the peak!¡± Hong Jianglong shot him an incredulous look. Did the Age Songstress¡¯ curse lingered in him after all? Was it why Ye Qing was acting like a buffoon?

    ¡°I¡¯m the first?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes bulged in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter under his breath, ¡°I started six hourste, and I¡¯m still the first person to make it to the peak? Just how useless are this year¡¯s participants?¡±

    As if on cue, Wen Xiaonuan and Xu Rulin reached the peak from two different directions at the same time. Of course, they heard Ye Qing¡¯s mutterings.

    Xu Rulin¡¯s eyes had just returned to normal, but Ye Qing¡¯s words immediately turned them red and infused him with fighting spirit again. Wen Xiaonuan let out a deep sigh and looked even more depressed than before.

    ¡°The arrogance! But I think you should save those words until after you be the champion,¡± the Harmony King scoffed. He was pissed off because he lost the bet, and Ye Qing had unwittingly insulted his dearest daughter with his careless words. How could he not be angered by this?

    The rest of the group looked annoyed and angry as well. They were fine with his earlier disy of arrogance, but this was going a step too far. After all, their juniors were participating in thepetition as well, and Ye Qing had just called them useless.

    ¡°Joyless! Where are your manners?¡± Hong Jianglong rebuked Ye Qing.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry! I misspoke! Please forgive me, my lords!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly apologized with a bitter smile on his face. It was just a careless remark, but he really should¡¯ve known better. ¡°I never¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing was just about tounch into a passionate exnation when Fang Muyun said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. For now, please move to the side so you won¡¯t disturb the meet. The same goes for the rest of you.¡±

    ¡°Sure, just let me fi¡ª¡± Ye Qing tried to exin himself again, but Hong Jianglong interrupted, ¡°Cut the bullcrap and move to the side already!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>If you would just give me one heavens damned minute to exin myself...</i>

    He couldn¡¯t ignore the order though. If he did, he would only leave an even worse impression. So, Ye Qing said, ¡°Yes,missioner,¡± and went to stand on the sidelines with Xu Rulin and Wen Xiaonuan.

    ¡°My name is Ye Qing. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you both,¡± Ye Qing greeted the two warriors after standing still. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking when I said what I said earlier. I hope you won¡¯t take offense.¡±

    ¡°Unthinking words are the truest words in your heart,¡± Wen Xiaonuan said dejectedly. ¡°Plus, you were speaking the truth. I failed to reach the peak first, so I am trash.¡±

    ¡°You misunderstand, miss. I wasn¡¯t talking about you two,¡± Ye Qing tried to exin.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the others? But so what? There is no difference between me and them,¡± Wen Xiaonuan sighed and pressed her chin against her chest.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Ye Qing tried again.

    ¡°And what do you mean, exactly? Are you saying that we are worse than trash? Sigh...¡± Wen Xiaonuan grew even sadder.

    <i>She¡¯s fucking with me, right? </i>Ye Qing barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he turned to the¡ªhopefully¡ªsaner one of the duo. ¡°Brother¡ª¡±

    ¡°No need to say anything. We will see who is truly strong on the battlefield,¡± Xu Rulin said coldly.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>What was that saying again? If you have yellow mud in your pants, then you might as well pretend that you¡¯ve shat yourself because no one would believe otherwise. Sigh.</i>

    <i>... Fucking dammit! Why the fuck is this happening to me? I was six hourste! I didn¡¯t want to get first ce! Motherfucking...</i>

    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t get through the two blockheads, Ye Qing gave up trying to defend his innocence.

    It was at this moment the fourth person showed up. It was none other than Chu Qingge.

    Chu Qingge looked injured and tired, but mentally, she was actually doing quite fantastic. After reaching the peak and performing a salute, she walked up to Ye Qing and greeted him cordially.

    The fifth warrior to ascend the peak was Yang Zhao, but unlike Chu Qingge, he looked clean and untouched almost as if he hadn¡¯t fought a great battle earlier.

    His smile froze a little when he spotted Ye Qing and the others, but it quickly turned back to normal. He was able to make a good impression just by smiling warmly.

    The sixth warrior to make it was Jian Wusheng, though he looked way worse than Yang Zhao as a matter of course. His body was covered in wounds and bloodstain, and there were hostile sword qi lurking in some of the wounds as well.

    The seventh warrior to make it was Luo Zhan, and he looked even worse than Jian Wusheng was. His body was sickly white and bloated like that of a drowned corpse, and he was literally soaked to the bone. Even now, mud and blood were slowly pouring out of his orifices. It was terrible.

    The eighth warrior to make it was Qi Xuanyun. He looked pale, but he was mostly fine. He greeted Ye Qing excitedly when he saw him.

    The ninth warrior to make it was Wei Bo. Wei Bo was simrly uninjured, though he felt like he had one foot in the grave.

    The tenth warrior to make it was Chu Renhe. He was covered in frost and snow as if he just braved a blizzard, and his lips looked as white as snow. He grew even colder when he saw Ye Qing and the others.

    As the time limit approached, more and more people ascended the peak. There were Tou Jiao, Zhang Tiancheng, Chen Shaoyu, Zhao Lan, Zhao Lu; Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity; Eat, Drink, Fuck and Gamble; and more.

    A moment before the time was up, Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu, Gao Ningan and more made it up the peak as well. Although they looked like they had just fought a war, at least they weren¡¯t disqualified in the first round.

    When the time was up, the golden dragon circling above the nine heavens abruptly roared and swooped toward the ground. Such was its pressure that everyone felt suffocated and repressed.

    Thankfully, the golden dragon disappeared just as quickly as it came. It mmed into the great array surrounding the peak and caused a golden ripple to spread across the whole mountain in an instant. Everyone who was still climbing was immediately flung out by it. To those watching from the foot of the mountain, it looked like the mountain was shooting golden meteors. It looked mighty impressive.

    Of course, the warriors wrapped inside the golden light were unharmed despite the great height they fell from.

    ¡°This marks the end of the first round of the Hidden Dragon Meet.¡±

    After the golden dragon hadpleted its descent, Hong Jianglong rose to his feet and looked at the group of participants. ¡°Good. A total of sixty five of you managed to make it to the peak in the allotted time. I won¡¯t congratte you though, and you shouldn¡¯t be celebrating just yet. This is but the beginning of your journey to be a dragon. Will you rise to the heavens as a dragon, or will you fall to the ground like a worm? That all depends on your next performance.¡±

    ¡°I will give you one piece of advice. Don¡¯t let arrogance or impatience get to your head.¡±

    Everyone bowed respectfully to Hong Jianglong. ¡°We will remember your advice, my lord.¡±

    Ye Qing was the only one who thought that Hong Jianglong¡¯s advice was specifically targeted at him.

    ¡°Mister Farseeing, is there anything you would like to share with them?¡± Hong Jianglong looked to Fang Muyun next.

    Fang Muyun rose to his feet and said in a refined manner, ¡°You¡¯ve said all that needs to be said, so I shan¡¯t bore them any longer. Everyone, you are all young geniuses with a bright future ahead of you. I wish you all good luck in tomorrow¡¯s tournament.¡±

    The group saluted again. ¡°Thank you, Mister Farseeing.¡±

    ¡°Wangsun, there are many people here who attended this meet for you. Would you like to speak with them?¡± Fang Muyun asked smilingly after noticing a lot of people staring at Chu Wangsun, who was sitting right next to him.

    It was a harmless remark. He knew full well that his friend had exactly zero interest in addressing the crowd. He wasn¡¯t even expecting him to say a single word.

    That was why he was greatly surprised when Chu Wangsun actually rose to his feet and walked toward the crowd.

    1. It looks like the time limit is gradually shortened over time, because this year¡¯spetition is only twelve hours long. ?

 Chapter 409: A Common Man

    <h4>Chapter 409: A Common Man </h4>

    Chu Wangsun¡¯s action stunned everyone. Since the moment he showed up at the peak, he hadn¡¯t engaged anyone in conversation except Fang Muyun. When someone else tried to speak with him, he would finish the conversation in as few words as possible. He looked extremely disinterested and barely paid attention to the climbers at all.

    But now, he was walking toward the participants of his own ord. Did someone catch his eyes?

    Nearly everyone in the group grew excited when they saw this. Even Jian Wusheng, Chu Renhe and Chu Qingge looked expectant and hopeful.

    As Fang Muyun had mentioned earlier, most of the participants were attending the Hidden Dragon Meet for Chu Wangsun. If the schr decided to bring them into the Jixia Academy, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that their lives would be transformed forever.

    Out of everyone present, there was only one person who wanted to be anywhere but here. He was none other than Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing had a feeling that Chu Wangsun wasing for him. He wasn¡¯t nning to stick out in the Hidden Dragon Meet, but somehow he managed to achieve theplete opposite instead. He thought that the one silver lining to this situation was the fact that Chu Wangsun didn¡¯t seem to recognize him, but he was wrong. Knowing how heartless the schr really was, the fact that he was walking toward him could only mean...

    Chu Wangsun ignored everyone¡¯s gaze and walked right up to Ye Qing. Then, he stared at him in silence and contemtion.

    Cold sweat immediately broke out of Ye Qing¡¯s back. It took him an incredible amount of willpower to control himself and reveal not a hint of trepidation on his face or bodynguage as he said, ¡°Well met, Mister Nine.¡±

    Instead of answering, Chu Wangsun reached out to grab Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder.

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart leaped to his throat in an instant. At this point, there was no denying that Chu Wangsun had sensed something, and he was acting to confirm his suspicions. After all, he had fought against the schr at the Ghost Tower before.

    <i>What should I do? Should I run or beg on my knees? I need help immediately!</i>

    ¡°Hahaha... are you nning to invite Joyless to the Jixia Academy, Mister Nine?¡±

    At thest moment, Hong Jianglong suddenly appeared next to Chu Wangsun and hugged his shoulders. Naturally, this caused Chu Wangsun to pause his movement.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, Joyless? Thank Mister Nine now!¡±

    Ye Qing understood that Hong Jianglong was helping him. He immediately took a few steps backward and saluted Chu Wangsun. ¡°Thank you, Mister Nine.¡±

    Chu Wangsun was obviously displeased with the sudden contact. It could also be that he wasn¡¯t used to affectionate gestures like this. Furrowing his brows a little, he channeled his force and pushed Hong Jianglong away from him.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry! I got a little too excited there.¡±

    Hong Jianglong seamlessly inserted himself between Ye Qing and Chu Wangsun as he mouthed an apology, ¡°It was my deepest regrets for failing to grasp the opportunity to join the Jixia Academy back in the day, so I got a little too excited. I hope you won¡¯t take offense, Mister Nine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Chu Wangsun replied indifferently. ¡°Also, you are mistaken. I don¡¯t have the power to decide if someone can enter the Jixia Academy. Anyway, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°What, you can¡¯t? That¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Chu Wangsun obviously wanted to say something else, but Hong Jianglong interrupted him before he could begin. Ye Qing cooperatively put on a disappointed expression as well. ¡°In that case, do you mind taking a gander at the rest of my people? They¡¯re all geniuses of their time. Step forth and greet Mister Nine, Luo Zhan, Qingge, Nianjiu, Yuhuai and Ningan.¡±

    ¡°Yes,missioner. Well met, Mister Nine.¡± Everyone he called out hurriedly stepped forward and saluted Chu Wangsun.

    ¡°What do you think of them, Mister Nine?¡± Hong Jianglong asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re okay,¡± Chu Wangsun replied.

    ¡°Can they enter the Jixia Academy?¡± Hong Jianglong shot another question.

    ¡°In the future, maybe,¡± Chu Wangsun answered again with a hint of impatience. His meaning was very simple. The future was one thing, but they definitely weren¡¯t getting into the Jixia Academy now.

    ¡°A shame...¡± Hong Jianglong sighed in disappointment before moving on. ¡°If they¡¯re not qualified, what about Lord Lei¡¯s disciple? Oh, the disciple of one of the four legendary constables of Tian Yong, Constable Bai Tou possesses a lot of potential as well. What do you think?¡±

    This time, Chu Wangsun didn¡¯t say anything. He turned around and walked away.

    ¡°A shame. It looks like you all need to work harder,¡± said Hong Jianglong with a regretful shake of the head. After Chu Wangsun had returned to his seat, the Pacification Commissioner looked at Fang Muyun and said, ¡°Mister Farseeing, it¡¯s gettingte. I believe we should send the participants home so they may recover fully for tomorrow¡¯spetition.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I see no problems with that,¡± Fang Muyun replied indifferently.

    Hong Jianglong immediately addressed the group, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte, so feel free to head home and catch some well-deserved rest. Tomorrow, I expect to see you all here at 6 am sharp.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Everyone replied affirmatively. Despite the grandness of the Hidden Dragon Meet, it was only a few days long.

    The first day required the participants to reach the peak of the Flying Dragon Mount within the allotted time.

    The second day was where they drew lots and began the preliminaries.

    And a few days after that, they would fight it out all the way until the end to decide the quarter-finalists, semi-finalists, the runner-ups and the champion.

    All in all, it was a verypactpetition.

    After Hong Jianglong was done, he waved his hand and weaved the golden light into a golden road that stretched from the peak all the way to the bottom. Naturally, it was to save the participants the time and effort of having to brave the dangers of the Flying Dragon Mount all over again when they took their leave. In fact, they were expected to use this road for the next few days toe.

    The golden road was nicknamed the Rising Dragon Road. Only those who weren¡¯t disqualified on the first round were permitted to use it.

    After saluting the bigshots onest time, Ye Qing and all other participants slowly left the mountain via the Rising Dragon Road. The road was softer and lighter than anything they had ever experienced probably because it was made of light. Every time they took a step forward, a step would appear right underneath their foot. It was a miraculous construct to say the least.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so interested in Ye Qing, Brother Chu.¡±

    While the participants were leaving, Fang Muyun looked at Chu Wangsun and joked, ¡°Are you actually nning to invite him to the Jixia Academy?¡±

    Chu Wangsun¡¯s earlier action was seriously strange. It didn¡¯t fit his usual behavior at all.

    Chu Wangsun pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°He¡¯s the one who caused Sixue¡¯s death.¡±

    The schr frowned immediately after he said this, however. It was because he recalled that there was someone else besides Ye Qing. He couldn¡¯t quite remember it though.

    ¡°... Are you sure?¡± Fang Muyun¡¯s smile slowly withered like a dying flower.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure before, but now I¡¯m certain,¡± Chu Wangsun replied. ¡°His aura felt a little familiar, but I couldn¡¯t be sure if it was him. However, he was too calm when I acted to test him.¡±

    A glint shed in Fang Muyun¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. You are the famous Mister Nine. Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to contain themselves when they are graced by your attention. Someone who doesn¡¯t react to your presence is eitherpletely devoid of ambition... or guilty.¡±

    Chu Wangsun continued, ¡°Besides that, Hong Jianglong reacted quite strangely just now. He interrupted me again and again probably because he didn¡¯t want me to test Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Fang Muyun smiled. ¡°I was wondering why Hong Jianglong was acting the way he did. Hong Jianglong was hostile toward the Jixia Academy for the longest time because he failed to join it. BUt today, he was acting like you and him were best friends. Yes, I do believe you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°I will give you a proper closure, Farseeing,¡± Chu Wangsun turned to Fang Muyun and said seriously.

    Fang Muyun smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Sixue is my younger brother. If Ye Qing really is the reason he died, then I would deal with him myself.¡±

    Chu Wangsun acquiesced. ¡°Very well. Still, don¡¯t hesitate to ask for my help if you need it. The responsibility of Sixue¡¯s death is mine to bear.¡±

    Fang Muyun sighed. ¡°The sage says that one must be mindful of their behavior and conduct in order to protect themselves. However, Sixue was flighty, irritable, and impatient. Despite having studied the scriptures, he wasn¡¯t able to embody their teachings at all. It was always a matter of time before he encountered a deadly threat and lost his life. Father entrusted Sixue to you because he was hoping that you would be able to influence him for the better, but circumstances beyond your control took over before you were able to change him. It is not your fault.¡±

    ¡°Plus, you¡¯ve already offered father a humble apology, and father has already afforded you your forgiveness. Hence, you don¡¯t need to feel guilty or responsible.¡±

    Fang Muyun let out a self-derisive chuckle then. ¡°I study the text of the sages and call myself a disciple of the sage, but in the end, I¡¯m still just amon man. It was Sixue¡¯s own fault that he died, and logically speaking, I shouldn¡¯t bear any resentment or grudge. However, my emotion and love for my brother says otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Not even a sage could remain fair when their own children are involved, which was why they chose to leave their children¡¯s education in another¡¯s hands. Amon man like me can only do worse. Sixue is my younger brother, and my father was forced to bear the pain of losing a son. No matter what, I must see this matter to the end and do what must be done.¡±

    ¡°For Sixue and my father¡¯s sake, I will have retribution.¡±

    Chu Wangsun asked, ¡°What will you do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m amon man, so I shall act as amon man does.¡± Fang Muyun smiled as softly as the spring wind and the fine rain. ¡°His sin doesn¡¯t deserve death, but he refused the life sentence you gave him, didn¡¯t he? In that case, I have no choice but to mete out the death sentence.¡±

    ¡°A debt must be paid, and a blood debt has to be paid by blood. This... is natural.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Is that Ye Qing?¡± ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s the guy they call the Qing Emperor Junior?¡±

    ¡°Qing Emperor Junior? How preposterous! That¡¯s not a title anyone can bear!¡±

    ¡°He climbed the Flying Dragon Mount in six hours. If he doesn¡¯t deserve the title, who is?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! The Qing Emperor Junior is the undisputed champion of the realm, but he is also a humble, magnanimous man. On the other hand, Ye Qing is just an arrogant bastard with some power and no virtue. To call him Qing Emperor Junior is to shame the Qing Emperor!¡±

    ......

    The next day early morning, Ye Qing became the center of attention as soon as he entered the people¡¯s eyes as a matter of course. There were envy, jealousy, and even more hatred. It was all because he identally offended everyone with his careless remark.

    ¡°You¡¯re famous again, Joyless!¡± Chu Nianjiu gave Ye Qing a p on the shoulder and wore a shit-eating grin on his face.

    However, Ye Qing simply shrugged and said, ¡°I¡¯m used to it. Even if I haven¡¯t slipped up, they would still be talking shit about me. Such is the fate of a star.¡±

    He knew this would happen the moment he made that careless remark. Only the bigshots had heard of the remark, and technically speaking, a bigshot shouldn¡¯t be so petty as to nder a junior way younger than them. However, even the most important person in the world was just a human. Some of them had loose mouths, and some of them outright disliked him. It was perfectly natural for these people to leak his remark and paint a bullseye on his back.

    In any case, it was far toote to change anything. The only thing he could do now was to have a thick skin and feign indifference.

    It was his own bloody fault he was in this situation. It was only natural that he bore the consequences.

    The good news was that no amount of backbiting could hurt him physically or mentally. He didn¡¯t even care about maintaining a good reputation. Power was what brought the rice home, not reputation.

    What he was really worried about was Chu Wangsun. It was clear that the schr suspected something yesterday, and if it wasn¡¯t for Hong Jianglong¡¯s intervention, he might have exposed himself already. And even then, who was to say that Chu Wangsun wouldn¡¯t continue to harass him in the future?

    In fact, there was literally no bigger threat than Chu Wangsun right now.

 Chapter 410: Midnight Hunt

    <h4>Chapter 410: Midnight Hunt </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re almost as shameless as me,¡± Gao Ningan joked.

    ¡°Haha...¡± Ye Qing shrugged nomittally. He certainly agreed that he was no more shameless than the guy who wore the tag proudly on his shoulder.

    Suddenly a cold voice came from behind a group of gossipers, ¡°Backbiting is something only a coward would do. Defeat Ye Qing fair and square, or you¡¯re no more but the useless trash he ims you to be.¡±

    ¡°The fuck? Who the fuck are you to¡ª¡± One guy turned around to yell at the owner of the voice, but his words died in his throat when a pair of crimson eyes stabbed into his vision. He suddenly felt as if he was drowning in a sea of blood and corpses.

    By the time he snapped out of the illusion, his whole body was drenched in cold sweat. The rest of hispanions were white-faced and shaking in fear as well.

    ¡°Xu... Xu Rulin...¡± One man gulped as he recognized the speaker.

    Xu Rulin stared at the group for a moment. His eyes were cold and emotionless like he was staring at a bunch of corpses.

    ¡°Come now, Brother Xu. We are all <i>jianghu </i>brethren here.¡±

    Right as the group felt like they were sinking into the abyss, a warm voice reached them and melted the unnatural chill gripping their body and limbs. When they looked up, they saw Yang Zhao, Zhang Tian, and a dozen other warriors walking toward them. They were all participants who had qualified for the second round of the Hidden Dragon Meet.

    ¡°I am Yang Zhao. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Brother Xu!¡± Yang Zhao greeted.

    Xu Rulin paid him no attention though. He simply turned around and walked toward the exit.

    As he was passing by Ye Qing, Xu Rulin uttered, ¡°I will defeat you.¡± He was gone before Ye Qing could react to the statement of challenge.

    ¡°Phew... what terrific bloodthirst. I can hardly believe that his bloodthirst is stronger than someone who fights Strangers all year long like us,¡± mused Chu Nianjiu stared at Xu Rulin¡¯s back thoughtfully. ¡°Do you know who Xu Rulin is, Ningan?¡±

    Gao Ningan shook his head. ¡°I only know that he¡¯s part of the border troops.¡±

    ¡°The border troops? That exins a lot!¡± Cu Nianjiu eximed in realization before looking at Ye Qing. ¡°Joyless, you¡¯re ate-stage Spirit Purifier now. Do you think you can beat him?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t know until we fight.¡±

    Yes, Ye Qing was ate-stage Spirit Purifier now. He had made the breakthrough while he was training in the Martial Tower. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t expecting to enter thete stage of the Spirit Purification stage so soon, but the Martial Tower of Tian Yong turned out to be better than expected. The power imbued in it was greater than the one in the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, so his training speed was faster as well. Before he knew it, he had achieved a breakthrough.

    He couldn¡¯t help that he was so gifted.

    ¡°Yang Zhao ising our way!¡± Lin Yuhuai warned suddenly.

    As if on cue, Yang Zhao appeared and greeted them with a smile, ¡°I am Yang Zhao. A pleasure to meet you, Brother Ye.¡±

    Yang Zhao was wearing a schr¡¯s robe and a schr¡¯s hat. A silver flute was hanging on his waist. He looked cultured, refined, and friendly.

    ¡°Your name precedes you, Brother Ye, and I¡¯ve been looking forward to meeting you for the longest time. I am very happy to learn that you are even greater than what your name suggests.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Brother Yang. The rumors are just rumors, and I hardly think that my reputation is greater than yours, the Silver Flute Schr,¡± Ye Qing replied and saluted Yang Zhao politely.

    ¡°No need to be humble, Brother Ye. There is only one other person in the past century who has scaled the Flying Dragon Mount in six hours, and that person isn¡¯t me. Believe me when I say that you have my deepest admiration,¡± Yang Zhao sighed. He looked so sincere that one couldn¡¯t help but believe that his admiration was true.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°I was just lucky. As a member of the Pacification Bureau, it is my bread and butter to deal with Strangers. Because of that, I recognized almost every Stranger I ran into during the climb. That is why I was able to do the almost impossible.¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, I have no confidence that I¡¯ll be able to achieve the same feat if we were to ascend the mountain again. In fact, I¡¯d be very lucky to reach the peak on time again.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... You¡¯re quite the joker, Brother Ye,¡± Yang Zhao remarked before turning to face Ye Qing¡¯spanions. ¡°The three of you must be Reverend Qi, Brother Chu and Brother Lin, right?¡±

    ¡°You are correct,¡± all three men responded.

    ¡°It is an honor to be able to meet you all. I¡¯d like to treat you all to a drink at Beauty Pageant Pce after the meet is over. I hope you won¡¯t spurn my invitation?¡± Yang Zhao asked.

    ¡°Of course not. We will be there,¡± the whole group saluted the man.

    ¡°Good, good! I look forward to it!¡± Yang Zhao returned the salute with a bright smile. ¡°I shan¡¯t take up your time any longer. See youter, everyone!¡±

    Yang Zhao left with his men after saying that. It looked like he really just came to greet them.

    ¡°Yang Zhao is not someone to be underestimated!¡± Chu Nianjiu sighed after Yang Zhao was gone.

    ¡°He¡¯s a named champion on the Human Champions Ranking. Of course he cannot be underestimated,¡± Lin Yuhuai replied.

    The group continued to make conversation as more and more people ascended the Flying Dragon Mount. There were Chen Shaoyu, the two Zhao brothers, Jian Wusheng, Wei Bo and more. Without exception, every single one of them afforded Ye Qing at least a nce of scorn, gravity, disgust, anger, hostility, cordiality and more.

    Not only that, there were people who wished to make the acquaintance of Ye Qing or even recruit them into their faction. Ye Qing had no choice but to deal with them all.

    Of course, no one tried to give him trouble. No one who made it into the second round was an idiot after all. No matter how displeased they were with Ye Qing, it was pure folly to harass him at this point of time. Best case scenario, they might expose Ye Qing for the braggart he really was, but worst case scenario, they could humiliate themselves and even disqualify themselves from thepetition. The risk just wasn¡¯t worth the reward.

    A whileter, Hong Jianglong, Lei Xiaodan, Fang Muyun, Chu Wangsun, Song Xi and more ascended the mountain as well. The peak instantly fell quiet, and everyone saluted the bigshots.

    After the bigshots had taken their seats, Hong Jianglong swept his gaze across the crowd and nodded. ¡°It looks like all sixty five of you are present, and none of you arete. Very good.¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. Why did he feel like the remark was directed at him?

    ¡°Now then. Let¡¯s get the show going!¡± Hong Jianglong dered before lifting his hand. The mountain shook, and rumbling noises red for a moment. Themotion was such that the great array epassing the entire peak flickered on and off. As the golden light glowed brightly, eight tforms were slowly raised from the ground.

    After the tforms were fully raised, Hong Jianglong dered, ¡°The rules are simple. Two of you will be duking it out on each tform until someone surrenders or dies. All methods are permitted, and the winner will advance to the next match.¡±

    A low murmur broke out among the participants when Hong Jianglong finished his statement. A no-holds-barred tournament where it was eptable to win a fight by killing their opponent? This was a little too much, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°What if someone cheats, my lord?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Cheating is also a form of skill. If you can do it, then feel free,¡± Hong Jianglong answered indifferently.

    ¡°What if someone intentionally fights with the intention of maiming or killing their opponent?¡± another participant asked.

    ¡°This is the Hidden Dragon Meet, not a children¡¯s yground where we hold your hands and make sure that you don¡¯t catch a scratch in the wrong ces. From the moment you set foot on this tform, death bes a very real possibility. If you¡¯re afraid, then you shouldn¡¯t be participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet in the first ce. Chu does not need a bunch of cowards who can¡¯t put their life on the line when it matters.¡±

    No one could say a word for a time.

    ¡°Are there any questions?¡± Hong Jianglong asked loudly. His eyes were ring like a tiger¡¯s and full of pressure.

    After waiting for a few seconds and receiving no reply, Hong Jianglong nodded in satisfaction and continued, ¡°Good. I like that no one here is a fool. I was going to throw out the next person who asked me a stupid question.¡±

    ¡°Without further ado, let¡¯s draw the lots.¡±

    Hong Jianglong pped therge brazier beside him and caused a loud, resonant ringing that felt like it wouldst until eternity. Then, the brazier spat out a bunch of lights that flew into the participants¡¯ hands.

    Ye Qing looked down on the glob of light in his palm. It was a draconic token made of golden light with the number ¡°3¡± on it. Unless he was gravely mistaken, it meant that he was the number 3 participant.

    ¡°Have you all gotten your tokens? Good. The one who shares your number is your opponent,¡± Hong Jianglong dered.

    Suddenly, Chu Qingge asked, ¡°Why is my token nk, my lord?¡±

    Hong Jianglong smiled. ¡°There are a total of sixty five participants this time, so one person is allowed to advance immediately to the next match. Congrattions, you are that lucky winner.¡±

    ¡°Many thanks, my lord.¡± Chu Qingge saluted him, though her expression was indifferent. She looked less affected than many participants who were shooting her envious looks. Good luck was enviable after all.

    The Harmony King in particr was brimming with excitement and joy for his daughter.

    ¡°The preliminaries will begin now. Contestants number one to number eight, please step onto your tforms!¡± Hong Jianglong dered.

    As soon as Hong Jianglong finished, Ye Qing¡¯s token shone brightly and enveloped him in a sheen of golden light. When it disappeared, Ye Qing found himself standing atop a small rooftop with a dark sky looming ominously over his head.

    <i>A rooftop? What¡¯s this, a duel atop the Forbidden City</i>[1]<i>? </i>Ye Qing snickered at his private joke.

    In fact, the so-called ¡°tform¡± wasn¡¯t really a tform, but a small, isted space where the battleground could be anything and everything. Some participants found themselves standing on opposite sides of a river. Some found themselves standing in the middle of a street. One pair found themselves baking in the middle of a desert, and another found themselves surrounded by a forest of lush, green trees.

    Some environments were extremely advantageous to certain participants, but the opposite was equally true. It waspletely up to fate whether the participant would get lucky or not. But then again, luck was also a kind of strength.

    This was no secret. In fact, almost everyone participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet was aware of this.

    Ye Qing¡¯s participant muttered, ¡°How unlucky!¡± when he saw who his opponent was. Thanks to Ye Qing¡¯s screw up, there was no one on this peak who hadn¡¯t heard of his name.

    ¡°I am Han Zhou. It¡¯s an honor, Brother Ye,¡± Han Zhou raised a hand and greeted him.

    It was a ruse. As soon as he raised his hand, something dark flew out of his sleeve straight toward Ye Qing.

    The pitch ck object was as fast as it was soundless. It was nighttime on this tform as well, so the hidden weapon was anything but conspicuous. It was one of Han Zhou¡¯s killer move, Midnight Hunt.

    Midnight Hunt was a hidden weapon and a Strange Artifact that was shaped like a dart. At night, it was perfectly invisible and untraceable. That was why the technique was named the Midnight Hunt.

    Hao Zhou was well aware that he was no match for Ye Qing in a straight fight. That was why he distracted him with a greeting and used the cover of the night to unleash Midnight Hunt.

    The good news was that Ye Qing caught the dart right before it would hit him in the forehead. The bad news was Han Zhou smiling as if he got Ye Qing right where he wanted him. The dart abruptly bloomed like a lotus and fired countless ox hair-sized needles straight at Ye Qing.

    As it turned out, the dart was also a ruse. The needles concealed within the dart were the real trap. That was why the dart was named ¡°Midnight¡±, and the needles were named ¡°Hunt¡±. Together, they were undodgeable and indefensible.

    Excitement shed across Han Zhou¡¯s face when he thought that Ye Qing was going to perish under his Midnight Hunt.

    1. This is a reference to the movie ¡°Top on the Forbidden City¡±. ?

 Chapter 411: Preliminaries

    Chapter 411: Preliminaries

    ¡°An illusion?¡±

    The next second, Han Zhou¡¯s smile stiffened. It was because Ye Qing abruptly popped out of existence like a bubble.

    As if on cue, a taunting voice appeared behind him, ¡°¡®Midnight Hunt¡¯ Han Zhou, huh? Your fame is well-deserved!¡±

    Shocked, Han Zhou immediately crouched down and dashed away in the opposite direction at top speed. At the same time, he sent a number of Midnight Hunts spiraling toward the voice and yelled, ¡°Erupt!¡±

    The Midnight Hunts exploded, and needles scattered everywhere like a storm. Of course, a small number were flying in Han Zhou¡¯s direction as well. The warrior was ready for this, however. Surrounding himself in a cyclone of force and spinning like a top, he reflected the needles flying his way back to Ye Qing. A fair number of bricks and tiles were caught up in the rush of energy as well. They were all streaking toward Ye Qing at the strength and speed of a hidden weapon.

    For a time, a ck storm ravaged the rooftop. Over half of the structure copsed due to how powerful the counterattack was. By the time it finally subsided, the whole ce was in tatters, and massive cracks and tiny pinholes littered nearly every brick and tile.

    Despite this, Han Zhou looked as white as a sheet. It was because a bluish ck hand was gripping his shoulder and freezing him in ce.

    Behind him, Ye Qing asked with a small smile on his face, ¡°Are we still fighting?¡±

    The warrior let out a bitterugh and shook his head. ¡°I¡­ surrender!¡±

    Han Zhou was only a middle-stage Spirit Purifier, so he knew from the start that he was probably going to lose this battle. However, he didn¡¯t expect the gap between them to be so huge. He never found the real Ye Qing from the start until the end.

    ¡°As expected of the Qing Emperor Junior. You have my deepest respect,¡± Han Zhou sighed.

    ¡°You tter me, Brother Han. It was a good fight!¡± Ye Qing relinquished his grip and saluted the warrior just as politely.

    After Han Zhou surrendered the fight, a sh of golden light teleported them away from the tform.

    Back on the ground, those who hadn¡¯t been called to fight yet were all watching Ye Qing with deep wariness and apprehension.

    ¡°He¡¯s plenty strong already, but his movement art is quite outstanding as well.¡±

    Zhang Tiancheng said with a severe expression, ¡°The intel I collected stated that Ye Qing is a cultivator of the Burning Wind and an expert of the fist arts. He also possessed a powerful body and a Spirit Purification stage martial art that had something to do with the hellfire of the Buddhists. Combined with an outstanding movement art, one might say that he has no weaknesses at all. He¡¯s a formidable foe.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can beat him, Brother Yang?¡±

    Yang Zhao was silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. As you say, he is not a foe to be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°Big brother, Ye Qing seems ridiculously strong!¡±

    Standing on the opposite side, two disheveled-looking men who were dressed in rags were also staring at Ye Qing with equal wariness and apprehension. They were none other than Zhao Lan and Zhao Lu of the Ragged Vi, and they were both powerfulte-stage Spirit Purifiers.

    ¡°Yeah. He won¡¯t be easy to beat.¡± Zhao Lan nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Do you think you can beat him, big brother?¡± Zhao Lu asked.

    Zhao Lan replied, ¡°I won¡¯t know until I fight him myself, but we are not weaklings, are we?¡±

    Zhao Lu nodded and smiled confidently. ¡°Yeah. This is our chance to spread our fame across the<em>jianghu¡­</em>It¡¯s a shame that Han Zhou was so useless that Ye Qing defeated him with just his movement art though. Otherwise, I would feel more confident about our chances.¡±

    Zhou Lan smiled. ¡°Yeah. Speaking of which, we should watch Jian Wusheng¡¯s fight now. He¡¯s a formidable foe as well.¡±

    Yang Zhao, Zhang Tiancheng, Zhou Lu and Zhao Lan weren¡¯t the only ones gossiping about Ye Qing¡¯s performance. A lot of people werementing on the fight as well.

    Hao Zhou wasn¡¯t actually weak. It was Ye Qing who surpassed everyone¡¯s expectations. Han Zhou was fairly famous in Tian Yong, and many formidable foes had perished under his Midnight Hunt. However, Han Zhou wasn¡¯t able to harm a hair on his person at all. Of course they couldn¡¯t help but be astonished by it.

    Ye Qing¡¯s fight only took less than a minute, so a lot of people were still fighting when he emerged. He scanned the other tforms and saw a couple of familiar faces¡ªor more urately, people he decided was worth paying attention to in this Hidden Dragon Meet.

    In fact, most of his information came from Gao Ningan. As a local snake and a member of the Pacification Bureau, Gao Ningan naturally had his ownwork. Some of the major gambling dens in Tian Yong also possessed a lot of intel on the contestants, but they were mostly superficial such as their names, backgrounds, origins and more. Gao Ningan¡¯s information was more valuable, however. He knew their martial origins, their habits, their preferred methods and more.

    This was why he was able to defeat Han Zhou so quickly. It was a ssic case of knowing one¡¯s enemy well enough that one didn¡¯t fear the oue of a hundred battles.

    Out of all the matches that were happening on the tforms, three were of particr note to Ye Qing. They were Jian Wusheng, Wen Xiaonuan, and Wine¡¯s fights.

    Jian Wusheng was fighting against ate-stage Spirit Purifier called Xu Songgao. He was a disciple of the Iron Sword Sect and a swordsman as well. But unlike Jian Wusheng, whose fighting style was bloodthirsty and focused on sword qi, Xu Songgao¡¯s was basic, old-fashioned, and heavy. His iron sword was nothing special as well.

    However, just because his sword style was simple didn¡¯t mean that it was weak. After all, all swords began from the basics. Jian Wusheng¡¯s sword was vicious and deadly, but Xu Songgao was always able to neutralize them with basic but effective blocks, parries, and counterattacks.

    It looked like they were locked in a stalemate, but those with a discerning eye could tell that Xu Songgao was the one at a disadvantage. It was because Jian Wusheng was the one who was doing most of the attacking.

    No one could hold a defense forever, and offense was almost always better than defense. As expected, after a brief stalemate, Jian Wusheng abruptly let out a shout and lifted his sword like he would split a river in half. His fearsome sword qi and sword intent didn¡¯t just blow through Xu Songgao¡¯s defense, but also sent him flying through the air. Even the street they were fighting at was cut in half by the sword qi.

    After that, Jian Wusheng rushed forward and thrust his sword at Xu Songgao with unrelenting determination. The buildings to his sides were either corroded by his sword intent or sliced into fine dust by his sword qi, and the ground was cracked like an ongoing earthquake.

    No I, no you, no life, and no death. That was the kind of sword intent Jian Wusheng cultivated. Such was his power that the thrust shredded the web of sword qi Xu Songgao had set up before he was sent flying and hit the t side of his de.

    <em>DING!</em>

    An invisible storm of sword qi absolutely shredded the street and all of the buildings within the affected area. Inside the eye of the storm, Jian Wusheng withdrew his sword a few breathster and said, ¡°Well fought.¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­¡± Xu Songgao coughed out a mouthful of blood and a gust of sword qi as soon as he opened his mouth. When he finally recovered, he saluted Jian Wusheng and replied, ¡°Thank you for showing me mercy, Brother Jian.¡±

    Xu Songgao looked dejected as a matter of course. The spectators looked sympathetic as well. Despite his defeat, Xu Songgao was undoubtedly a powerful swordsman. If he hadn¡¯t run into Jian Wusheng on his very first battle, he absolutely could¡¯ve ced better. It was just how life rolled sometimes.

    His efforts weren¡¯t futile though. His performance had caught the eye of some bigshots.

    Although Jian Wusheng and Xu Songgao¡¯s fight had ended almost as quickly as Ye Qing¡¯s, it was way more interesting and satisfying to watch. Everyone including Ye Qing himself enjoyed the fight a lot.

    Next to Jian Wusheng and Xu Songgao¡¯s tform, Wen Xiaonuan was fighting against a man named Shi Lei. Their fight was the opposite of interesting with some horror elements mixed in it. Wen Xiaonuan was hanging her head and looking depressed as usual, but the depression didn¡¯t affect just her. Before Shi Lei could so much lift a finger, he became depressed as well and lost the will to fightpletely. It allowed Wen Xiaonuan to walk up to him and knock him out of the tform with a single palm strike.

    The truly entertaining match where both sides were evenly-matched was the one happening on tform number 8, the battle between Wine and Eat.

    Wine was Wine of Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity, and Eat was Eat of Eat, Drink, Fuck and Gamble.

    Their real names were known to no one but themselves. Everyone called them Wine and Eat.

    In fact, Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity and Eat, Drink, Fuck and Gamble shared a rtionship with each other. It was said that Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity¡¯s master and Eat, Drink, Fuck and Gamble¡¯s masters used to be senior brothers until they turned against each other over a woman. As a result, their disciples were hostile toward one another as well, which was why Wine and Eat were going at it with red hot killing intent.

    Wine was a sloppy, sleepy-looking, rosacea-faced man in his forties, and his astral qi was created from wine. Constantly surrounded by a pocket of alcoholic vapor, a single inhale was enough to knock someone who was weak to alcohol unconscious.

    You would think that Eat was a fatty who was broader than a barn¡¯s side, but no, he was thin, tall, and frail-looking. It looked like a gentle breeze could knock him to the ground.

    In reality, Eat was carrying a ck pan that was bigger than him and swinging it around with such force the spectators could almost feel the gale it produced. Giving off a delicious aroma, roasted chickens, roasted ducks, roasted goose and more food flew out of the pan from time to time.

    When the food hit the wine and alcoholic vapor surrounding Wine, they would explode and scatter all over the ce. It was so anime that Ye Qing and many others thought it looked more like a culinary exchange than an actual fight. A lot of people felt hungry just watching the fight.

    Near the end of the fight, Wine decided to use his signature martial art, the Drunken Fist. His attacks became wholly unpredictable, and his movements were unstable at best. He looked like a drunkard, but one who could beat someone into a pulp with his fists.

    Eat also unveiled his trump card, the Gluttonous Palm, and swiped the air in front of him wildly. The way he fought resembled a hungry ghost who was grabbing every food he couldy his hands on.

    The fist art was strange, and the palm art was stranger. There was no denying their power, however. The section of the forest they were fighting in were swiftly ttened by the sheer ferocity of their attacks.

    It was a difficult fight, and both men suffered serious injuries. In the end, it was Wine who stole the win with a surprise wine arrow from the mouth.

    The rest of the matches weren¡¯t all that interesting, but thankfully, they all ended rtively quickly. It was time for the second group to start their fights.

    As it turned out, the second group¡¯s matches were far more entertaining than the first. Xu Rulin, Luo Zhan, Chu Renhe, Tou Jiao, Chen Shaoyu and Yang Zhao were all fighting.

    Out of all of the fights, Xu Rulin and Tou Jiao¡¯s fight was the most entertaining. They were both polearm wielders, and their techniques were quite the sight to behold. As expected of the Three-Headed Hydra, his Eighteen Forms of Mad Hydra turned his astral qi into countless hydras. They were as deadly as they were fearsome.

    Xu Rulin¡¯s spear techniquescked the tyranny or forcefulness of the Eighteen Forms of Mad Hydra, but it did have an unparalleled amount of bloodthirst. It was also simple and deadly effective like what you might expect from a soldier on the battlefield.

    Moreover, Xu Rulin was no ordinary soldier. He was a border soldier who possessed a kind of tenacity, bravery, and determination that most<em>jianghu</em>warriorscked. At first, You Jiao was able to go even with Xu Rulin, but as both men rued more and more injuries, Xu Rulin¡¯s inner violence was slowly brought out into the open. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his attacks grew increasingly aggressive as he traded wound for wound, life for life.

    Unable to hold, Tou Jiao was pushed back repeatedly until he finally took a spear thrust to the chest. The battle ended with a surrender, though it could¡¯ve easily been a death if Tou Jiao hadn¡¯t surrendered quickly.

    Luo Zhan, Chu Renhe, Chen Shaoyu and Yang Zhao won their matches one-sidedly.

 Chapter 412: Yonghe Lake

    Chapter 412: Yonghe Lake

    The third group included Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu, and Gao Ningan. Chu Nianjiu was unfortunate enough to be matched up against Zhao Lu and defeated, but Lin Yuhuai and Gao Ningan both won their matches by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    During the fourth group¡¯s matches, Qi Xuanyun fought Wealth of Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity. Wealth was a stout man who was as wealthy as his name might suggest. Literally every piece of clothing on his body was a Strange Artifact. Even his shoes were Strange Artifacts. In a sense, he was covered from head to toe in money.

    Unfortunately, he was only an early-stage Spirit Purifier, and Qi Xuanyun was quite powerful. Even so, he managed tost dozens of exchanges before losing.

    Wealth didn¡¯t get angry despite losing. Instead, he saluted Qi Xuanyun smilingly before taking his leave.

    Fu Chaogang¡¯s opponent was a woman in her twenties named Henshui (Hating Water). It sounded like a man¡¯s name, but Zhuo Henshui was definitely a woman.

    Fu Chaogang practiced a do-or-die fist art where all of his power was invested into his fists. It was why his first strike was usually his strongest, and why the best way to defeat him was to avoid his first punch and stall him out.

    However, Zhuo Henshui chose to meet him at his strongest. Not only that, she threw a punch just like he did.

    Fu Chaogang lost. Zhuo Henshui¡¯s first punch broke his arm, her second punch copsed half of his chest, and her third punch shattered his head.

    As a result, Fu Chaogang became the first casualty of the Hidden Dragon Meet. He wasn¡¯t a nobody either.

    ¡°Who is this Zhuo Henshui, Jianglong? Why is she so ruthless?¡±

    Inside his kiosk, the Harmony King was watching Zhuo Henshui with a deep frown on his face. Hong Jianglong answered, ¡°ording to our intel, Zhuo Henshui hails from the Zhuo n from the capital.¡±

    ¡°The Zhuo n?¡± The Harmony King furrowed his brows in thought. ¡°Do we have a Zhuo n? I¡¯m pretty sure I haven¡¯t heard of it before.¡±

    Hong Jianglong rified, ¡°It¡¯s a small n. One of their ancestors was an Attendant Gentleman[1].¡±

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re just a small n?¡± The Harmony King remarked before asking, ¡°So, what¡¯s up with this Zhuo Henshui?¡±

    Hong Jianglong shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it was said that Zhuo Henshui was trained under an unknown master. But whoever they are, they must be quite powerful to have raised such a student.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± The Harmony King rolled his eyes. He returned his attention to the tforms since Hong Jianglong wasn¡¯t able to provide a satisfactory answer.

    Wei Bo and Flower Butterfly also sessfully advanced into the next match. After all thirty two matches were over, Hong Jianglong gave everyone a four-hour rest. After that, the participants drew lots again to find out who their opponents were.

    As there was still an odd number of participants, one person was allowed to advance to the next match without fighting again. This time, it was Lin Yuhuai who got dogshit lucky and qualified for the Top 16 without needing to lift a finger.

    Ye Qing had to fight, of course. In fact, his next opponent was much stronger than Han Zhou. It was Zhao Lu of the Ragged Vi.

    The Ragged Vi was a strange ce where only people wearing rags were allowed to enter. If your clothes were a little too tidy or intact, then you would be barred from entry. As a result, everyone in the Ragged Vi looked like beggars.

    It was said that the founder of the Ragged Vi was, in fact, a beggar. He was also extremely hostile toward well-dressed people who looked down on those who were poor or poorly dressed. That was how the strange rule came to be.

    The two Zhao brothers were the disciples of the current head of Ragged Vi. As the founder served under the Beggar¡¯s Gang before he left to create his own gang, their martial arts were also rather simr. The Ragged Vi boasted two signature martial arts, and they were the¡± Eight Directions Art of Begging¡± and the ¡°Dog Beating Stick Technique¡±[2].

    The ¡°Eight Directions Art of Begging¡± was a powerful cultivation art that honed all three majorponents of the body, the qi, essence and spirit. A beggar must survive not just a cruel environment and horrible living conditions, but also the harassment of their own kind. Hence, they must possess a strong body that could withstand both nature and violence.

    On top of that, a beggar must endure pain that most could not, and hardships that would break most men. Hence, they must possess an iron will and determination as well.

    This was why the ¡°Eight Directions Art of Begging¡± honed the qi, essence and spirit. Those who grasped it not only possessed a tough body that could withstand most beating, but also gained the Eight Directions Begging Astral Qi, an astral qi that was exceptionally good at recovery. Besides that, they also attained a powerful spirit that could bebined with ¡°Lotus Fall¡± to hamper an opponent¡¯s mind.

    As for the ¡°Dog Beating Stick Technique¡±, it was an exquisite martial art that didn¡¯t deserve its cheap-sounding name. It thrived on striking, misleading, tripping and binding one¡¯s foe, and every technique targeted a vital spot on the human body. In addition, sessful strikes could scatter the vitality in that part of the body, which was why it was such a powerful martial art.

    That was why Ye Qing¡¯s fight against Zhao Lu was a battle of endurance. No matter how many times Ye Qing crushed the warrior¡¯s arms or broke his ribs, he was always able to recover in a very short time. Not only that, Zhao Lu was constantly singing the ¡°Lotus Fall¡± to hamper his mind while attacking him with the ¡°Dog Beating Stick Technique¡±.

    Of course, Ye Qing hadn¡¯t gone all out either. For starters, he wasn¡¯t using the Boundless Mara Buddha, the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±, the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±, or the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡±. He was fighting Zhao Lu purely with his body and his fists. That was what most people thought he was good at.

    This wasn¡¯t the finals after all, so it was very important to hold his cards close to his chest. Besides, Ye Qing seriously didn¡¯t want to stand out anymore than was necessary.

    When almost everyone had finished their matches, Ye Qing unleashed his full seven dragon elephant strength and destroyed half of Zhao Lu¡¯s body with one punch. The injury was severe enough that there was no way Zhao Lu could repair the wound fast enough to fend off Ye Qing¡¯s final attack.

    However, Ye Qing misjudged Zhao Lu¡¯s desire to win the battle. The warrior actually activated a secret art and detonated his Hatred-ss Strange Artifact, the Dog Beating Stick. The explosion of a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact was equal to the full-powered attack of a peak Spirit Purifier, so Ye Qing¡¯s whole body was covered in blood when he walked out of the explosion.

    Furious, Ye Qing punched Zhao Lu again and knocked him out on the tform. If he wanted to, he absolutely could¡¯ve killed the bastard.

    After he left the tform, he saw Zhao Lan holding Zhao Lu close and shooting Ye Qing a cold look. The man then left with his young brother.

    Xu Rulin was matched up against Fuck of Eat, Drink, Fuck and Gamble. Obviously, he won.

    Luo Zhan¡¯s opponent was Chen Shaoyu, and both men suffered serious injuries from their duel. In the end, Luo Zhan proved himself superior and defeated Chen Shaoyu.

    Chu Qingge ran into Poprity of Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity. She too won her fight dominantly and decisively.

    Yang Zhao also trounced Gamble with little effort.

    Gao Ningan was unfortunately matched up against Wen Xiaonuan, and the oue surprised absolutely no one. He wouldter tell his friends that it was one of the most confounding losses of his life.

    Wine expended too much strength trying to defeat Eat and was unable to recoverpletely before his next fight. As a result, he was disqualified as well.

    Zhang Tiancheng, Chu Renhe and Jian Wusheng all sessfully won their fights.

    And so the Top 16 were born, and they were Ye Qing, Luo Zhan, Chu Qingge, Yang Zhao, Xu Rulin, Wen Xiaonuan, Jian Wusheng, Chu Renhe, Chen Shaoyu, Zhao Lan, Zhao Bu¡¯er, Zhang Tiancheng, Zhuo Henshui, Wei Bo, Flower Butterfly, Qi Xuanyun, and Lin Yuhuai, the dogshit lucky bastard this time to qualify without fighting. Only seventeen people were left now[3].

    Now that the fight to enter the Top 16 was over, the pace of the Hidden Dragon Meet was finally slowing down. After all, even the strongest warriors needed some time to rest and recuperate. Therefore, the fight to enter the quarter finals would be held the day after tomorrow so that everyone would have a full day to rest.

    Since Chu Nianjiu and Gao Ningan had lost their fights, they felt no qualms cutting themselves loose. The next day, they were gone doing heavens-knows-what at the crack of dawn.

    It was evening when someone suddenly messaged Ye Qing iming that he was a waiter working at the Wine Are Songs Boat. Apparently, Gao Ningan and Chu Nianjiu had booked a fish head banquet at Yonghe Lake and were inviting Ye Qing to join them.

    The fish head banquet was a famous dish in Tian Yong, and the Wine Are Songs Boat was the only establishment who could make them. Everyone wanted to taste it, but the Wine Are Songs Boat only served them once a month. Rarity begets desire, and the fish head banquet became ridiculously famous.

    In addition, Wine Are Songs Boat was also a pleasure boat where songs and dances were performed, it was highly rmended by the gentlemen of letters and elegant taste of Tian Yong. Who wouldn¡¯t want to eat delicious food, drink fine wine, listen to melodious songs, and enjoy gorgeous dances every once in a while?

    Ye Qing had heard of the fish head banquet, but he had never tried it before. Naturally, his interest was piqued. Yesterday¡¯s matches didn¡¯t really tax him anyway, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to ept the invitation.

    He should be resting right now, but whoever said one couldn¡¯t rest in thepany of delicious food, beautiful music, and fine women?

    As expected of an establishment as famous as the Wine Are Songs Boat, the quality of their service awed even Ye Qing. They had prepared a luxurious carriage with a silk carpet on the floor and a fragrant incense that soothed the nerves to transport him to the venue. On top of that, they had prepared some snacks and hot tea as well. If this didn¡¯t count as first ss service, he didn¡¯t know what was.

    ¡°You guys sure know how to pamper your customers!¡± Ye Qing remarked.

    The waiter, Ah Fu, answered smilingly, ¡°As long as you¡¯re happy, Lord Ye.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, do you know how Gao Ningan and Chu Nianjiu managed to book a table? It¡¯s famously difficult to book a table for the fish head banquet. I know that there are many wealthy and influential people who tried repeatedly to book a table to no avail,¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Ah Fu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s because Lord Gao and our steward are friends. Half a month ago, he already booked a table saying that he would like to hold a weing ceremony for his friend.¡±

    ¡°I see! No wonder,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. No wonder Gao Ningan told him that he had a pleasant surprise for him before he left this morning, but refused to say what it was when he asked him about it. It was the fish head banquet.

    ¡°I heard that you use over a hundred types of fish to create the fish head banquet. Is it true?¡± Ye Qing asked another question. This was the reason why the Wine Are Songs Boat could only hold the fish head banquet once per month. The amount of time and effort necessary to catch the fishes alone, much less create enough dishes to serve thousands of customers, all of them different, must be mind-boggling.

    ¡°You truly are erudite and well-informed, Lord Ye. That is correct.¡± Ah Fu exined smilingly, ¡°The reason this is possible is because we upy the Yonghe Lake. The Yonghe Lake is Tian Yong¡¯s biggestke, and its waters are rich enough to host at least hundreds of kinds of fish, most of them as edible as they are tasty. That is why we are able toe up with the fish head banquet. Otherwise, it would¡¯ve remained an impossible dream.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before the duo arrived at Yonghe Lake. At first nce, wisps of white vapor could be seen floating whimsically across the mirror-like waters. This was just the edge, and already they were treated to a great sight. This was why Yonghe Lake was also a famous scenic spot of Tian Yong.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your boat? I don¡¯t see it,¡± Ye Qing voiced his confusion after looking around and finding nothing.

    Ah Fu exined, ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s parked at the center of theke. Please, follow me.¡±

    Ah Fu led Ye Qing to a ck-topped boat. Then, he pushed off the shore and slowly rowed to the center of theke.

    It bore repeating that the Yonghe Lake was a famous scenic spot in Tian Yong. It was crowded even during the quietest times, much less the middle of the Hidden Dragon Meet. Therefore, countless people could be seen sitting on their own pleasure boats or rowing small boats on theke, all enjoying the beauty theke offered them to their heart¡¯s content.

    Ye Qing was having a great time as well. He sipped his wine while leisurely taking in the sights around him. Now this, was life.

    ¡°Hmm? Why did it get misty all of a sudden?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing noticed that theke had turned misty before he knew it. At the bow, Ah Fuunched into another exnation, ¡°It¡¯s a normal phenomenon. Yonghe Lake is warm and humid, so it tends to mist up every once in a while. It¡¯s also one of the reasons Yonghe Lake is as famous as it is.¡±

    ¡°The great poet Wang Zengse once made a poem that went something like this: ¡®O¡¯ beautifulke, your mist reminds me of faint sorrow, like a white veil masking an otherworldly beauty¡¯. And is it not true that ourke is beautiful in a different way when peered through a white curtain?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Ye Qing nodded smilingly. As Ah Fu said, the people, the boats, and theke itself looked different in the mist, but not in a bad way.

    As the boat sailed deeper and deeper toward the center of theke, the mist thickened until it became near impossible to peer through. Puzzled, Ye Qing looked at Ah Fu and asked, ¡°Why is the mist getting thicker?¡±

    His heart skipped a beat then. There was no one on the bow. Ah Fu was just chatting with him a moment ago, and suddenly, the man was gone like he was never there. He never felt the man leaving even with his spirit. He didn¡¯t know if he existed in the first ce.

    Ah Fu wasn¡¯t the only one who had gone missing. The boats around him had vanished without a trace as well.

    The entireke was as silent as death itself.

    [4]

    1. Based on The Dictionary by Harvard University, Attendant Gentleman, in Han the 2nd highest of 3 categories in which Court Gentlemen were divided, with status below Inner Gentlemen but above Gentlemen of the Interior; rank=400 bushels. ?

    2. I¡¯m not even going toment on the first martial art, but the second one is literally just changing Staff to Stick. I¡¯m surprised this sect is still standing after all the giarism theymitted lol. ?

    3. Don¡¯t ask me why there can be seventeen people in the Top 16. I¡¯m sure there are real life examples out there but I can¡¯t be arsed to search for it LOL. ?

    4. So, how many of you saw thising? ?

 Chapter 413: Pipa Player

    Chapter 413: Pipa yer

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Ye Qing expanded his demonic thoughts in an attempt to perceive his surroundings, but while his power was working as normal, he couldn¡¯t sense anything living or dead.

    It was as if he had suddenly be the only person left in this world.

    Ye Qing walked over to the bow and looked around, but of course he couldn¡¯t see anything. The fog was so thick that he could barely see past three to six meters.

    He lifted an eyebrow and threw out a punch. The Burning Wind roared and annihted the fog within sixty meters of him.

    ¡°There¡¯s a¡­ no¡­ multiple bodies?!¡±

    The next moment, Ye Qing found an unbelievable number of dead bodies floating at the periphery of his vision. There had to be hundreds of them. What was eerie was the fact that the corpses¡¯ heads were all pointing toward the same direction: him.

    The next moment, the fog rolled back in and covered the corpses once more.

    ¡°Yeaaaaaaaaaaah I don¡¯t think I want to be here. Time to leave.¡±

    Ye Qing had no intentions of braving whatever dangers lurked at this ce, but when he got ready to row the boat, he abruptly realized that the oar was nowhere to be seen as well.

    ¡°Motherfucker¡­¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath and channeled his internal energies. The next moment, astral qi wrapped around the boat and pushed it back the way he came from.

    At least the corpses weren¡¯t blocking his way back to the shore. Otherwise, he would have to row around them or row through the corpses, both of which were inferior options with a considerable amount of risk attached to them.

    Ye Qing¡¯s relief didn¡¯tst long, however. The boat shot through the waters at high speed, but he couldn¡¯t see the shore despite traveling for some time. He couldn¡¯t even see the boat or the people he passed by earlier.

    Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve reached the shore at least several minutes ago. In reality, he hadn¡¯t. It spelled trouble.

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before trying out a couple other directions. Yonghe Lake was ake, so he should be able to make it to the shore no matter which direction he rowed. But once again, he found himself disappointed.

    If he wasn¡¯t sure before, he now knew that he was in deep trouble.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± he muttered to himself. Should he try crying for help? But he literally couldn¡¯t find the shore, and he hadn¡¯t seen a single soul since stumbling onto this situation. Who could possiblye to his aid?

    A momentter, Ye Qing threw another punch and blew away the fog once more. As soon as the fog cleared up, he spotted something that should be impossible. He spotted the hundreds of corpses floating in the water earlier.

    ¡°How could this be? Have I been running in circles this whole time? But that¡¯s impossible!¡± Ye Qing frowned when a possibility urred to him. ¡°Or maybe¡­ they¡¯re following me!¡±

    Chilled at the thought, Ye Qing stared closely at the corpses to see if his assumption was true. However, he was disappointed to find that the corpses hadn¡¯t moved at all. Even the surface of theke was perfectly still.

    A dozen breathster, the fog rolled back in and blocked his sight once more. Just in case, Ye Qing threw another punch and blew it away again.

    This time, every hair on Ye Qing¡¯s body stood on end. It was because the corpses had gotten much, much closer during the instant theke was covered, even though his eyes still told him that the corpses hadn¡¯t so much as twitched in the wrong direction.

    <em>They¡¯re not swimming. Are they moving using the fog as a medium?</em>Ye Qing thought.

    This time, Ye Qing purposely allowed the fog to cover up the corpses before he dispelled it with a third punch. As expected, the corpses had gotten closer yet again.

    Despite the eerie situation, Ye Qing actually felt better now that he had figured out the corpses¡¯ pattern. Now, he had to make another choice.

    He was unable to find the shore no matter which direction he traveled. There was one direction he hadn¡¯t checked, however: the direction where the corpsesid.

    Obviously, he was afraid that the corpses were dangerous. However, it would seem that he had no other options.

    The thought had just passed through his mind when a corpse floated past his boat. Despite this, its movement didn¡¯t elicit any ripple at all.

    The next moment, more and more corpses entered Ye Qing''s view. They were so numerous it looked like they were queuing up to float past his boat.

    Ye Qing channeled his energies and got ready for anything. Thankfully, nothing happened yet even though the number of corpses in theke kept increasing.

    Suddenly, a massive object appeared in the distance. It was arge ship. There were lights shining out of its windows and entrances, and overall it looked like an ordinary ship. The throng of corpses surrounding it made it clear that wasn¡¯t the case, however. It almost looked like the corpses were protecting this ship.

    As the ship came closer, the fog grew thicker as well. It was also mixed with a strange scent.

    The ship came to a stop when it was around sixteen meters away from Ye Qing. Then, the corpses surrounding his boat came together to form a path that led straight to the ship.

    Ye Qing looked at the thick fog around him and hesitated for a moment. Then, he jumped off the boat and soared toward the ship like a swift.

    Sixteen meters was nothing to him. It certainly wasn¡¯t a distance worth stepping on the eerie path of corpses.

    After hended on the deck, Ye Qing spread out his demonic thought like a spider web and scanned his surroundings. However, he still couldn¡¯t perceive any anomalous energy.

    He subconsciously looked behind him and felt his heart skipping a beat. It was because the bodies that were facing down had faced up before he knew it, and they were all wearing a strange, eerie smile on their face.

    As for his boat, it was nowhere to be seen.

    There was no going back now.

    After taking a moment to steady himself, Ye Qing stepped inside the ship. It was incredibly big and extravagantly furnished. However, it was alsopletely devoid of life.

    Every once in a while, Ye Qing wouldb through his surroundings with his demonic thought. However, there was nothing and no one. While studying the ship¡¯syout, he discovered that there was a tform surrounded by tables and chairs at the center of the ship. There were also boxes and theaters on the higher floors, which meant that this ship was probably a pleasure boat.

    Something felt off with the furniture¡¯s cement, however. He just couldn¡¯t tell what.

    <em>Twang! Twang!</em>

    Suddenly, a short twang of pipa came from the stage. It sounded like the warm-up session before a performerunched into their performance.

    But how could there be a pipa twang when there was no one here?

    Ye Qing looked and felt his heart skipping another beat. A woman had appeared on the stage before he knew it. Her face was veiled, and she was carrying a pipa and stroking its strings gently.

    ¡°I am Hua Mei. I am very happy that you¡¯ve alle to listen to my performance today.¡±

    This time, Ye Qing broke out in cold sweat and goosebumps. As soon as the woman finished, people appeared on the empty tables in the blink of an eye as if magic. That wasn¡¯t the strangest or most frightening thing, however. It was the fact that he recognized most of these people. They were none other than the corpses he saw on theke surface earlier.

    He knew this for certain because he had memorized some of their faces when they faced up earlier.

    Something was different though. The people sitting at the tables seemed to be alive. ¡°Seemed¡±, because they felt alive to his demonic thought even though it was the opposite when he was outside the ship.

    Suddenly, the woman on the stage looked at Ye Qing and greeted him, ¡°Please take a seat, dear customer!¡±

    Her warm, soothing voice sounded like the March wind of spring, but Ye Qing felt chilled to the core. It was because his instincts screamed that something very, very bad would happen if he refused her. So, he obediently walked over to an empty chair and took his seat.

    After Ye Qing took his seat, the pipa yer withdrew her gaze and began ying her pipa. A beautiful, melodious cadence began resonating inside the ship.

    The music sounded as soft, warm, and soothing as the spring wind. One could practically hear the beauty and hope contained within the notes. Even a musically illiterate person like Ye Qing found himself awed by the wonderful music.

    But of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten his situation. He was keeping an eye on his surroundings at all times. Just a short whileter, Ye Qing suddenly noticed that everyone was bleeding through their eyes, ears, nose and mouth. Everyone was so enraptured by the performance that they didn¡¯t seem to notice their unusual condition, however.

    Internally, Ye Qing snorted.<em>Music so good you¡¯ll bleed from all orifices! Come get your tickets while you still can!</em>

    It was at this moment he felt something warm and sticky flowing out of his own eyes, nose and ears. When he wiped the liquid away and took a look, he confirmed that it was blood.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± Ye Qing was stunned. He couldn¡¯t speak for the others, but how the hell was he bleeding? And when was he hit by this spell?

    <em>Was it the music?</em>Ye Qing looked up at the pipa yer. It was the only possibility.

    He tried to get on his feet and get the hell out of here, but the pipa yer abruptly stared at him with her round, charming eyes. Large beads of cold sweat began rolling off Ye Qing¡¯s forehead. A few secondster, he slowly sat back down on the chair.

    It was only then the pipa yer looked away, and Ye Qing let out a huge sigh of relief. His entire body was covered in cold sweat. During that few seconds the pipa yer was staring at him, he felt like a million knives were pressed up against his body. If he dared to leave his seat, he had no doubt that he would die a horrible death. The feeling was so strong that it almost felt like he had already died once.

    Left with no choice, Ye Qing could only remain at his seat and listen to the murderous performance. At least it was just bleeding. Blood was the one thing he wasn¡¯t afraid to lose.

    Ye Qing soon cursed his naivete, however. At a certain point, the music took a turn and became sorrowful. Gut wrenchingly so. Ye Qing began feeling his intestines twisting and stretching until they literally snapped into pieces.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one. He could clearly hear countless people¡¯s intestines snapping inside their bodies as well. It sounded so crisp it was almost as if they had cucumbers in their stomach, not intestines.

    This was the first time Ye Qing heard and felt his intestines snapping in his stomach, ever. To say that the pain and horror were indescribable would be an understatement. The only silver lining to this situation was that he was resilient and full of vitality, so the wound healed almost immediately after intestines snapped in half.

    The bad news was that the music was still ongoing, so his intestines broke down again, and again, and again.

    And so began one of the worst tortures Ye Qing had ever experienced in his life. The worst part was that he couldn¡¯t leave because it would result in certain death. Not even blocking his hearing helped because the music was no mere music. It seemed to ignore the boundaries of the physical and seep into his very soul.

    There was nothing he could do besides gritting his teeth and enduring it. The performance had to end eventually. He just needed to hold on until then.

    An unknown amount of timeter, the sorrowful song finally came to an end, and so did the unnatural power twisting and snapping his intestines like twigs. But before he could let out a sigh of relief, the tune grew passionate and rapid. He felt like he was on a battlefield ready to fight the biggest war of his life.

    His heart began beating much, much faster. In fact, it was beating at the same tempo as the pipa, which was to say, very fast.

 Chapter 414: Fog

    Chapter 414: Fog

    Ye Qing could feel his heart straining to maintain the breakneck pace. It was bearable at the beginning, but it eventually grew to the point where his heart was starting to hurt a little.

    Luckily for Ye Qing, his body was powerful, and he had long since reached the point where he could control his body down to the finest detail. For now, he could still endure the pressure.

    The same couldnt be said for the rest of the crowd, however. Ye Qing saw with his own eyes some peoples chest heaving up and down like there was something trying to push its way out before their heart literally burst out of their chest. Even more peoples hearts exploded inside their chest and caused blood to shoot out of their orifices like a fountain.

    Despite the horrifying phenomenon, no one moved a muscle. They were still wearing enraptured smiles on their faces.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, when Ye Qing was starting to lose control, the music finally hit a diminuendo and slowed down.

    By now, Ye Qings heart was covered in cracks. Had the tune continued for another minute or so, it wouldve exploded just like the others.

    The heart wasnt the intestines. He could heal his intestines as many times as was necessary, but he would be lucky to survive an exploding heart.

    Knowing that he had no time to waste, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and hurriedly channeled his enormous vitality to heal his damaged heart. At the same time, he paid close attention to the pipa yer with his demonic thought.

    <em>What the fuck is she going to y next?</em>

    On the stage, the pipa tune abruptly took a nosedive toward absolute silence. It was like falling from the sky all the way to the ground. It was such a dive that everyone felt weak and sleepy all of a sudden.

    Then, the pipa yer stretched the strings to the absolute limits before letting go.

    <em>Twang!</em>

    A loud, shrill, high-pitched noise stunned the world. It was like a thunderp that jolted the dreamers back to reality.

    Blood jetted out of Ye Qings orifices instantly, and his head hurt like it would split apart at any second.

    In fact, some peoples heads did explode into a shower of red and white like overripe melons.

    It took Ye Qing a good while to recover his wits, and when he did, he was terrified by what couldve been. If he hadnt been on his guard this whole time, it couldve been him who lost his head and mind.

    The pipa yer wasnt done, however. Oh no, she wasnt even halfway through her performance. She would continue to y through multiple tunes of different styles and subject her audience to many, many different kinds of torture.

    Sometimes, her tune was as fiery as fire.

    Sometimes, it was as cold as ice.

    Sometimes, it was as intense as a war.

    Sometimes, it was as forlorn as the rain.

    Sometimes, it was as hushed as a whisper.

    Sometimes, it was as noisy as a downpour

    Each tune came with its own unique effects. Some people suddenlybusted into mes even though there was no fire around, and some people became encased in ice even though there was no ice. Some people exploded into a million pieces, some people were sliced and diced into a million cubes, and some people took thousands and thousands of arrows in the heart.

    It was like a showcase of the one million ways to die. Some timeter, the only one who was still sitting on his chair and still looked like a human was Ye Qing.

    More time passedwas it an instant, or was it an eternity?and the pipa sound suddenly vanished. Ye Qing didnt notice it at first because he was in a daze. There was a quiet sigh, and he heard someone whispering beside his ear almost like they were standing right next to him,

    Watch out for the fog. Go the second floor and hide

    Ye Qing jolted awake and looked left and right. He couldnt find the speaker, however. Not only that, the pipa yer was gone, and the seats werepletely empty. The ship had also returned to silence. It was like everything that just happened was a dream.

    <em>Was it a dream?</em>

    Ye Qing didnt know. The pain and injuries he suffered were very real, however. Had he failed to endure until the end, Ye Qing was certain that he wouldve died.

    Sucking in a deep breath, Ye Qing cycled his astral qi and executed the Paranirmitavaavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra to repair his tattered body and spirit. Everything was fine for a dozen or so breaths when suddenly, he felt a bone-chilling iciness pressing him from all sides. When he opened his eyes, he saw that a thick fog had spilled into the interior of the ship from all sides. He could also see indistinct shadow pacing here and there in the fog.

    His senses told him that the fog was extremely dangerous. It was at least as dangerous as the pipa yer that put him through hell earlier. He was certain that his fate would be a grim one if it caught up to him.

    It was then Ye Qing recalled the whisper he heard earlier. Watch out for the fog. Go to the second floor and hide

    <em>It wasnt just my imagination? If so, who was the one who warned me? Was it her? </em>Ye Qings eyes narrowed. <em>Watch out for the fog, she said. Is it because of the strange silhouettes lurking within the fog? She also told me to go to the second floor and hide. Hide from the fog? Its possible.</em>

    <em>But what if it was a ploy? What if the fog is actually where the exit is? What if</em>

    There was no time. The fog was almost upon him already. Despite how close they were, he still couldnt identify or even sense the silhouettes lurking within the fog. One thing for certain, his instincts were screaming louder and louder for him to <em>run.</em>

    Lets hope I didnt make the wrong choice.

    In the end, Ye Qing chose to trust the pipa yer. If he entered the fog, there was a huge chance he might die. If he listened to the pipa yers advice, he might yet survive this.

    His mind made up, Ye Qing blurred and reappeared on the stage. He was about to leap to the second floor when suddenly, he discovered a pipa set on a table on the stage. It was none other than the pipa the pipa yer was using earlier.

    There was no time to think. He grabbed the pipa and leaped up the second floor.

    As soon as hended on the second floor, the fog engulfed the central hallpletely. Not only that, it was rapidly surging up the second floor as well.

    Not about to wait for the fog to catch up to him, Ye Qing immediately ran up to the nearest room. On the way, he noticed that the door was locked by a rusted bronze luck. It looked so frail that even an ordinary person could probably rip it apart without too much trouble.

    Ye Qing didnt hesitate to grab the bronze lock and rip it apart.

    The next moment, every hair on Ye Qings body stood on end. It was because a pair of arms had reached out from the gap and grabbed his wrist in the blink of an eye.

    The hands were thin and slender. There was no doubt they belonged to a woman. However, the hands were also ghastly white and as cold as ice.

    The next moment, the hands pulled Ye Qing toward the entrance with unbelievable strength. Even with his body, he staggered and identally ced half a foot into the room.

    As soon as his foot passed the threshold, something ck rose from the floor and wrapped around his ankle. Then, it pulled him toward the room as well.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Ye Qings muscles bulged as he pulled back with titanic strength. Caught off guard, the thing grabbing his wrist and his ankle were dragged out partially.

    As expected, the person was a woman. She had a gorgeous face with a shapely nose, slender eyebrows, round eyes, perky lips, and smooth white skin.

    She only had a face. Everything below her chin was a ck mass of hair. In fact, it looked like the entire room was filled with hair. It was what was clinging to his ankle right now.

    After Ye Qing dragged the woman out of the room, a vicious snarl overcame her beautiful features. More hair crawled out of the room and wrapped around his arms, legs and torso, pulling him toward the room with all their might.

    This time, Ye Qing pulled with all his might and unleashed his Burning Wind to destroy the hair, but to his shock, it failed. Not only that, his seven dragon elephant strength was more or less equal to the womans. As a result, they became locked in a temporary stalemate.

    How troublesome! Ye Qing spat. He could see out of the corner of his eyes that the fog had already surged up the second floor.

    Some quick thinkingter, Ye Qing condensed his demonic thought into a saber and shed out using the Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art. As soon as the hair that resisted even the Burning Wind made contact with the red lotuses created from the saber art, they immediately burst into mes and spread out at an incredible rate.

    As the hair disintegrated, the womans face became contorted in pain. It would appear that the hellfire had sessfully dealt some damage. She instinctively let go and withdrew back into the room.

    The Red Lotus Hellfire extinguished bit by bit after the woman returned to the room. She red at Ye Qing with hatred and fury amidst a sea of hair.

    The next moment, countless hair burst out of the entrance and surged toward Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing wasnt going to wait, of course. He didnt have the time to fight against the woman. As soon as he severed the hair binding him, he immediately dashed down the corridor at top speed.

    Ye Qing looked left and right for a room he could enter and hide, but so far every room he saw was locked. He didnt dare to force his way through just in case they were hiding a terrifying Stranger like the one encountered earlier. He couldnt afford to get entangled with another Stranger at this juncture.

    But if I cant enter these rooms, then how the fuck am I going to avoid the fog? Ye Qing frowned deeply. Its not a trick, is it? Is she trying to trick me into opening these rooms and releasing the Strangers for whatever reason? Cant say thats not a possibility

    ARGH!

    It was at this moment a bloodcurdling scream interrupted his train of thought. When he looked behind his back, he saw that the screamer was none other than the female Stranger he fought earlier.

    The female Stranger had been chasing him. Maybe it was her size, but the fog caught up to her before she could enact her revenge. Her ck hair iled all over the ce as she struggled to escape with all her might, but the silhouettes in the fog were keeping her pinned.

    The silhouettes were just pacing back and forth around the woman. They werent doing anything at all. Despite this, the woman was screaming in pain and horror as if she was subjected to some sort of unimaginable horror. Eventually, her voice grew weaker, and her silhouette grew blurrier. Then, she abruptly vanished into the fog as if something had dragged her away.

    I need to find a room now!

    Ye Qing made up his mind after witnessing the female Strangers downfall. Whatever the pipa yer was nning, it was better than being caught by this strange fog. Worst case scenario, he would just drag one of the Strangers out into the open, kill them, and take their room via brute force.

    There was still time though. Ye Qing kept running forward in hopes of finding something that might help with his predicament.

    Theres exactly one room that isnt locked!

    After circling around the second floor once, Ye Qing found exactly one unlocked room. Every other room was locked tight.

    Is this the room she wanted me to hide inside?

    Ye Qing hesitated for a moment before giving the door a push. He tensed up as the door swung open, but to his surprise, nothing attacked him. His demonic thought told him that everything inside the room looked normal as well. This is it! He eximed with relief before stepping inside.

    He didnt have a choice anyway. The fog was less than a meter away from him now. At this range, he could even feel its coldness and anomalous energy. He would die if he didnt enter the room.

    <em>Creak</em>

    As soon as he stepped inside, the door behind him closed shut of its own ord.

 Chapter 415: The Woman Inside The Mirror

    Chapter 415: The Woman Inside The Mirror

    After the door closed, the anomalous energy and iciness clinging to his skin vanished into nothing. An invisible weight that Ye Qing hadnt sensed before also lifted from his shoulders.

    He didnt rx though. While paying close attention to the strange fog that was only kept away by a thin piece of wood, he carefully scanned the room he was in.

    The rooms decor was simple but elegant. There was also a faint, sweet scent in the air. At first nce, it looked like a womans boudoir.

    There was another room partially located deeper inside the room. The entrance was partially covered by a curtain of beads, but he could vaguely tell that there was a bed and a dressing table.

    When his eyes swept across the dressing table, a gasp nearly escaped his throat. There was a person. A woman. It looked like she wasbing her hair. She wasnt sitting in front of the dressing table, however. No, she was inside the bronze mirror. A reflection of someone who didnt exist in reality.

    Cold sweat broke out of Ye Qings back. He was immediately struck by the impulse to turn around and get out.

    Of course, he didnt do that. If he opened the door, then he would die for sure. If he stayed inside, he might yet live to see another day.

    Ye Qing hid his aura as best he could while watching the woman inside the mirror warily. He didnt want to draw her attention one bit. It was at this moment he saw the woman slowly raising her arm and reaching forward. To Ye Qings shock, the arm actually poked out of the bronze mirror and into the real world before waving in his direction. She seemed to be beckoning him toe closer?

    An incredulous thought shed through his mind. <em>No fucking way! I aint going there if its thest thing I do! If you want me so bad, then you cane to me instead!</em>

    The woman waved again, but Ye Qing didnt move as a matter of course. His refusal must have angered her, because bright red blood abruptly seeped out of the bronze mirror, and the temperature inside the room dropped ten degrees in an instant.

    The blood on the mirror slowly came together to form five words:

    <em>Do you want to die?</em>

    Of course Ye Qing didnt want to die, so he obediently walked over to the dressing table. After he arrived, the words turned into a single word:

    <em>Sit.</em>

    Ye Qing did as she ordered.

    <em>Comb my hair!</em>

    What? Ye Qing blurted instinctively. <em>And how am I supposed to do that? Youre inside the mirror, and Im not crazy enough to climb inside no matter how strong you are!</em>

    Before Ye Qing could think of anything else, the woman pulled her head off her neck and thrust it into the real world.

    Ye Qing: ...

    <em>Oh. So this is how it is.</em>

    Ye Qing had a choice then. Should he ept the head and do as the woman asked, or should he sent it flying like a ser ball?

    Unfortunately, this room was the womans turf. He was almost certain that his head would fly off his neck the second after he kicked her head.

    The woman in the mirror felt as strong as the pipa yer he encountered earlier. This meant that it was impossible for him to settle this via brute force. Left with no choice, he caved to her demand and epted the human head, cing it on the dressing table and allowing her hair to hang loosely at the sides.

    After the headless body on the other side of the mirror handed him a woodenb, Ye Qing beganbing the womans hair.

    Ye Qing shuddered as soon as theb made contact with the womans hair. It was because an evil, indescribable energy had invaded his body. As theb slowly slid down her soft hair, Ye Qings eyes lost all focus, and his mind plunged into a dark nightmare.

    Despite having lost his consciousness, Ye Qings movements didnt stop. As if his body had a mind of its own, he continued tob the womans hair stiffly and mechanically like a puppet.

    Slowly, hair began growing out of the arm he used tob the womans hair. His skin was also growing pale and stiff like its vitality was drained away by something.

    Even worse, the paleness and the unnatural hair was growing rapidly and spreading to the other parts of his body. More specifically, they spread every time hebed the womans hair once.

    At this rate, the unusual phenomenon would overtake his bodypletely. The moment he lost all of his vitality was the moment he transformed into a puppet.

    An unknown amount of timeter, a light suddenly shone out of Ye Qings unfocused eyes like a star. He then began coughing violently.

    Every time he coughed, a thick ball of hair would fly out of his mouth. It was endless, however. No matter how many times he coughed, he could never empty his stomachpletely.

    The woman was cackling evilly on the dressing table, and the bronze mirror was leaking blood non-stop. He was starting to see all sorts of terrible and inexplicable illusions.

    Worse still, the paleness and the hair were still spreading even though he had stoppedbing the womans hair. Knowing that he couldnt wait any longer, Ye Qing spat out another ball of hair before growling out, Break!

    <em>"Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul</em>

    As he tapped the space in front of him, demonic thoughts rippled out like waves. The hair, the paleness, the cackling head, the bleeding mirror, and the rest of the illusions immediately disappeared like a bubble.

    The next moment, Ye Qing found himself sitting in front of the dressing table andbing the womans hair. In fact, he had justpleted exactly one stroke.

    Ye Qing broke out in cold sweat. If the Paranirmitavaavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra wasnt such a godly cultivation art, if his demonic thoughts and the demonic lotus in his head werent naturally resistant to illusions, he wouldve perished inside his nightmare already. The death of ones spirit was no different from true death.

    <em>Continue.</em>

    A bloody word appeared on the mirror.

    <em>First it was death by music, now it was death bybing? Why the hell am I so unlucky today?</em>

    The bloody word on the mirror felt just as threatening as the pipa yers gaze when he tried to leave earlier. He had no doubt that something terrible would happen if he refused the order.

    So, Ye Qing gritted his teeth, shielded his mind with his demonic thought, and picked up the woodenb once more. Then, he began his grim task anew.

    As theb slid down the womans head, a familiar, terrible sensation assaulted him once more.

    Hah hah

    In front of the dressing table, Ye Qing was breathing heavily and sweating like crazy. His face was also as pale as a sheet. This was the fifth time hebed the womans hair, and each time he would experience a nightmare that was filled with endless horror and despair, pain and hopelessness.

    The illusions felt so real that even with his foreknowledge and power, he was just barely able to snap out of it. If he wasnt practicing the Paranirmitavaavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra, and if his willpower hadnt been tempered by Nanke, he wouldve sumbed to the nightmares already.

    He was mentally exhausted, however. He could only do this a couple more times before he was finally spent.

    <em>Continue.</em>

    The bronze mirror was as relentless as ever, but this time, Ye Qing didnt obey themand. Instead, he lowered his head thoughtfully.

    <em>Continue.</em>

    A few secondster, when the woman saw that Ye Qing wasnt moving, her headless body slowly raised its hands and reached out of the bronze mirror. The bloody word started bleeding profusely, and a cold, strange, terrifying aura gushed out of the bronze mirror and caused the room temperature to nosedive.

    It was so cold that ayer of ice appeared on Ye Qings body. Even his blood seemed to be frozen in his veins. The womans arms reached for his neck as if she would strangle him to death.

    Despite the crisis, Ye Qing still refused to move a muscle. When the womans hands were an inch away from his neck, he suddenly broke into a grin and dered, This too is an illusion.

    Begone!

    His demonic thought-infusedmand broke out like a thunderp in spring. As if on cue, the pair of arms slowly faded away like sand, and his very surroundings flickered like the disturbed surface of a previously calmke. Then, the bleeding mirror, the headless body inside the mirror, the head on the dressing table and even Ye Qing himself scattered into nothing like a bubble. The real Ye Qing was still standing at the entrance, and there was no one inside the bedroom. The dressing table was empty, and there was no womanbing her hair inside the mirror.

    It was almost as if everything he experienced before was just a dream.

    A nightmare was terrible, but what could it do when the dreamer had awakened back to reality?

    Phew that was way too close, Ye Qing muttered under his breath.

    He had figured out everything. From the moment he set foot inside the room, he was struck by some sort of anomalous power and pulled into an illusion. Everything he experienced afterward was just that, an illusion. In reality, he had never even taken a single step away from the door.

    Had he failed to recognize that the reality where he was forced tob the womans hair again and again was also an illusion, he would never have snapped out of it. He would have been forced to repeat the illusion until he went crazy, or he angered the woman and was strangled to death. It was death either way.

    The only reason Ye Qing managed to figure out his situation was all thanks to the Annon Sutra. The illusion itself was quite impressive, and it managed to replicate practically everything on his person except one: the Annon Sutra.

    At first, he didnt notice that he was still trapped in an illusion. But when he realized that the bronze mirror would never stop asking him tob the womans hair, he realized he needed to do something.

    His first thought was to seek help from the Annon Sutra, but when he looked inward, he realized in shock that he couldnt find it anywhere. The Annon Sutra was Ye Qings most treasured item, which was why he kept it close to his chest instead of storing it inside the Nine Heavens.

    At first, he thought he somehow lost the Annon Sutra and panicked a little. But after he calmed down, he realized that that was impossible. He realized that he was still trapped inside an illusion. The anomalous power that dragged him into the illusion probably failed to replicate it because it was too special.

    In the end, he was able to return to reality, but Ye Qing couldnt feel happy at all. After all, he still had no idea when or how he got dragged into the illusion in the first ce. The killer fog was still outside the room, and now he knew that an unknown horror lurked inside the room. How could he possibly rx under these circumstances?

    Now that he thought about it, he had probably sumbed to the illusion when he looked at the dressing tableor more urately, the bronze mirror set on top of the dressing table.

    Ye Qing split his attention between the dressing table and the fog outside the room, ready for anything. It was deathly silent both inside and outside the room.

    Once, Ye Qing tried to poke his demonic thought outside the room, but he immediately and involuntarily tensed up like he had caught the attention of something monstrous. He didnt hesitate to dispel his demonic thought and gave up trying to find out what was happening outside.

    A long contemtionter, Ye Qing ultimately chose to remain inside the room, terrified as he was. Each minute felt as long as a year.

    Thankfully, nothing else happened after he broke out of the illusion. When he was certain that he was safe for the moment, he finally allowed himself a small sigh of relief.

 Chapter 416: Corpse Ship

    Chapter 416: Corpse Ship

    <em>RrrRrrRrrRrr¡­</em>

    Over two hourster, a strange noise suddenly broke the silence of the room. Ye Qing hadn¡¯t rxed for a moment since he snapped out of the illusion, and the urrence was so sudden that he nearly jumped on his feet. He immediately clenched his fists and channeled his energies, ready to react at first notice.

    When he looked at the source of the noise, he realized that the bronze mirror had rolled off the dressing table. It was headed straight toward him.

    Ye Qing¡¯s nerves grew taut. If the bronze mirror came too close, he was absolutely going to send it flying with his fists, to hell with the consequences.

    He didn¡¯t think he was being overly sensitive or cautious. Even now, he couldn¡¯t help but recall his experience two hours ago with trepidation and fear, and the culprit behind it all was headed straight toward him. Of course he was nervous about it.

    It was then Ye Qing noticed something shocking. As the bronze mirror continued to roll toward him, the surroundings began changing drastically. The furniture aged, the floor grew tattered, the beads on the curtain turned dim and dirty. Dust and cobwebs were everywhere.

    Ye Qing realized with a start that the room wasn¡¯t what it seemed to be. From the start, everything he saw¡­ was an illusion?!

    Ye Qing swallowed as he did his best to wrestle his shock. He felt tense enough to break a muscle.

    The bronze mirror stopped when it was about one meter away from Ye Qing. Then, it fell to the ground face up and produced a line of bloody words on its surface:

    <em>¡°Take the mirror and head to the third floor.¡±</em>

    <em>Not again. Please don¡¯t tell me that I¡¯m caught in an illusion again!</em>

    Ye Qing frowned deeply as he caressed his chest. He let out a sigh of relief when he felt the Annon Sutra.

    <em>But why is it telling me to go to the third floor? Is the fog gone?</em>

    Ye Qing hesitated for a moment before poking his demonic thought out of the door. He was right. The fog had disappeared before he knew it.

    As Ye Qing let out another sigh of relief, a rebellious thought suddenly entered his mind:<em>should I try to run away from this mirror now that the coast is clear?</em>

    Unfortunately, the bronze mirror formed a new line of bloody words before he could take action. It was as if it could read his thoughts:

    <em>¡°If you wish to live, take the mirror and head to the third floor.¡±</em>

    Ye Qing bowed his head thoughtfully for a moment. In the end, he decided to obey the mirror¡¯smand and picked it up with his left hand.

    The bronze mirror felt a little cold to touch, and it looked shiny and new like it was cleaned very often.

    His thoughts were simple. One, he wanted to live very much. Two, the pipa yer¡¯s advice, while not entirely truthful, did help him survive a fatal crisis. He was inclined to believe that the bronze mirror wasn¡¯t asking him to leave this safe room for nothing. And three, after everything he had experienced so far, he was fairly sure the bronze mirror could kill him with ease. To reject its offer was tomit suicide.

    His earlier impulse to give the bronze mirror the slip was just that, an impulse.

    With that in mind, Ye Qing put away the bronze mirror and cautiously opened the door. When he looked left and right and confirmed that the fog had indeed disappeared, he let out a third sigh of relief and stepped out.

    The rooms on the second floor didn¡¯t look too different from what he remembered. Most of them were locked, and not a peep could be heard just like as before.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hurry to the third floor. Instead, he went back to the room he forced open earlier and peeked inside.

    It looked like a mini war had been waged inside the room. The furniture and items were all crushed, the walls were covered in deep marks, and there were a few strands of ck hair on the ground. It must¡¯ve been quite the fierce struggle.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡±

    Having satisfied his curiosity, Ye Qing turned a corner and found a staircase leading up to the third floor. However, he was certain it didn¡¯t exist when he ran around the second floor a couple hours ago.

    He sent his demonic thought over to the staircase, but he wasn¡¯t able to sense anything out of the ordinary. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by this. Since arriving at this ce, his demonic thought had be far less effective than what it used to be. For example, he had scanned the bronze mirror¡¯s room thoroughly as soon as he entered the ce, but he never saw through the illusion until the mirror lifted the spell itself.

    Ye Qing still didn¡¯t go to the third floor even though the way was open to him. Instead, he leaped back down to the stage, dashed through the exit, and appeared on the deck. Who knows, maybe there was another way out.

    It was dark and foggy outside of the ship, but the fog itself felt different from the one that flooded into the ship. Although it was still terrible and icy, itcked the anomalous, rotten, evil energy that it exuded earlier.

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and threw a punch. The Burning Wind roared and scatteredrge patches of fog. The corpses floating on theke were revealed once more.

    Nothing had changed. The corpses were still floating face up, and they were still wearing an eerie, bone-chilling smile on their face.

    ¡°Should I ask the Annon Sutra about this?¡±

    Unfortunately, as soon as his fingers made contact with the piece of vellum, his heart immediately started racing unnaturally. When he removed his hand, the strange sensation disappeared immediately.

    Ye Qing understood why. It meant that the ship contained one or multiple Strangers who were powerful enough to sense the Annon Sutra should he use it. If he ignored its warning, he would most likely lose the Annon Sutra and his life.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged, but he wasn¡¯t too disappointed. He figured this might be the case since almost everything he encountered in this ce seemed capable of killing him.

    <em>What should I do? Is there really no other option but to go to the third floor?</em>Ye Qing frowned deeply while staring at theke.

    Reluctant to give up, he was just about to take another spin around the ship when suddenly, he saw a thick fog rising from the bottom of the ship. There were silhouettes pacing back and forth inside the fog.

    ¡°Again?!¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath and dashed back into the ship immediately. He jumped to the second floor and dashed down the corridor to hide in the bronze mirror¡¯s room, but¡­

    ¡°What the fuck?¡±

    The room was gone. Literally, gone. Ye Qing found himself staring at a nk wall where there should¡¯ve been a room. He swore loudly, ¡°Motherfucker! She¡¯s forcing me to go to the third floor!¡±

    Ye Qing had no doubt that the female Stranger had hidden the room to prevent him from going back in.

    ¡°Fine, dammit!¡± Ye Qing uttered through gritted teeth and ran up to the staircase leading up to the third floor. By now, the first floor waspletely engulfed, and the fog was pouring up the second floor rapidly. Ye Qing nced at it once before dashing up the third floor.

    Unlike the second floor, the third floor only had one room. The board set on top of the room looked pretty intact, and the words ¡°Eternal Longing¡± were etched on it. It was an excellent name.

    In this world, there were certain tunes that shared amon name, and ¡°Eternal Longing¡± was one such name. It was interesting that the owner of this room had decided to name their room this way.

    Ye Qing was dashing toward the room when he suddenly skidded to a halt. It was because the room was pitch ck until he got to a certain range, and it suddenly lit up like someone had lit the candles.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, scion? Come in!¡±

    A warm, gentle voice came from inside the room. It was as graceful as the spring wind blowing across green waters, and as crisp and refreshing as a mountain spring. If this was anywhere else, Ye Qing would¡¯ve thought that the speaker was a soft woman so devastatingly beautiful that she could topple states and countries with her looks alone.

    But this was a ghost ship. He would sooner believe that the speaker was a pink skeleton than an actual human. Even if she was human, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she was a monstrous man-eater. Possibly literally.

    Indecision gripped Ye Qing for a moment. The woman inside the room didn¡¯t urge him to make a decision either. She patiently waited for him to make up his mind.

    Unfortunately, time wasn¡¯t on his side. Already, the fog was pouring up the third floor and creeping toward him.

    <em>Screw it! If this kills me, then so be it!</em>

    Throwing all caution to the wind, Ye Qing pushed the door open and stepped inside. But to his surprise, he didn¡¯t find a pink skeleton or a blue-faced ghost. What he found¡­ was a painting.

    A painting that was floating in the air.

    There was a woman inside the painting. She wore a white dress and held a peach flower in her hands. She was standing next to a blooming peach blossom forest where countless pink petals fell.

    Her white dress looked like snow, and the peach flower fire. The blend was as phantasmal as it was beautiful.

    The woman was showing only half her face. Even so, Ye Qing could tell that she was incredibly beautiful.

    ¡°Please take a seat, scion!¡± The woman in the painting offered.

    ¡°Dare I ask who you are, miss?¡± Ye Qing saluted her and asked warily.

    ¡°I am Longing. It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Scion Ye.¡± Longing gave him a small bow and repeated gently, ¡°Please, take a seat. I promise I will tell you everything that¡¯s happening on this ship.¡±

    This time, Ye Qing did as she requested and asked another question, ¡°You know who I am, Miss Longing?¡±

    Longing answered, ¡°Your name is known to me from the moment you set foot in the Boat of Longing, Scion Ye.¡±

    ¡°The Boat of Longing? A good name,¡± Ye Qing paid the woman apliment.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Longing smiled gently. ¡°However, the Boat of Longing has a different, more notorious name. You might even recognize it.¡±

    That piqued Ye Qing¡¯s curiosity. ¡°Oh? What is it?¡±

    Longing said slowly, ¡°The Corpse Ship.¡±

    ¡°The Corpse Ship?¡± Ye Qing frowned for a second. Then, his eyes gradually widened into saucers, and disbelief colored his expression. He was so shocked that he shot to his feet and blurted, ¡°This is the Corpse Ship?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Longing confirmed.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ inside the Corpse Ship?!¡± Ye Qing repeated stupidly. That was how shocked he was.

    The Corpse Ship was both a ship and an Anomaly. It was ranked pretty highly in the Pacification Bureau¡¯s case files, and it was named the ¡°Corpse Ship Incident¡±.

    The reason it was named the ¡°Corpse Ship Incident¡± was because witnesses imed to see a huge ship surrounded by an entourage of corpses. Often found in rivers andkes, a huge fog would spread, and anyone who was unfortunate enough to be caught inside the fog would disappear every time it manifested. When next it reappeared, the victims could be found swimming among the sea of corpses as one of them. That was why it came to be known as the Corpse Ship.

    The Corpse Ship¡¯s threat level and anomaly level was extremely high. It had vanished entire towns and viges in the past. Although the Pacification Bureau spared no effort to search for the Corpse Ship and end its threat once and for all, the results were mediocre at best.

    For one, the appearance of the Corpse Ship waspletely random. It didn¡¯t appear at the same location either. Anywhere with ake or a river could be visited by the Corpse Ship. Although the Corpse Ship¡¯s appearance was always apanied by a thick fog and endless bodies, it hardly helped the Pacification Bureau to narrow their search at all.

    Two, the Corpse Ship was beyond dangerous. Countless Pacification Bureau elites had ventured into the Corpse Ship identally or intentionally, but no one had ever lived to tell the tale. It was a huge loss to say the least.

    The Pacification Bureau had tried dispatching Grandmasters to resolve the case before, but when they entered the fog, they couldn¡¯t find the Corpse Ship no matter what they tried. It was almost as if the ship was intentionally hiding from them.

    As a result, the strong couldn¡¯t find the ship, and the weaklings weren¡¯t strong enough to solve the case. Over time, it became a cold case that not even the Pacification Bureau could do anything about.

    Ye Qing was shocked because he had read about the case before. He was especially horrified learning that he had stumbled into an Anomaly that had supposedly no survivors.

 Chapter 417: Request

    Chapter 417: Request

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, scion.¡±

    Longing noticed Ye Qing¡¯s pallidplexion and shot him a gentle, soothing smile. ¡°I can help you leave this ce.¡±

    Her words surprised Ye Qing, but he didn¡¯t allow himself to get overly excited. Instead, he calmed down and said, ¡°You must have a request for me then.¡±

    ¡°Astutely observed, scion.¡± Longing smiled widened like a blooming flower. ¡°You are correct. I do have a request for you.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ would like you to save me and my sisters,¡± Longing said with a half-bow.

    ¡°Please rise.¡± Ye Qing made a lifting gesture. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me what is going on first? If it is within my capabilities to help you, then I shall.¡±

    Not that he could turn her down even if he wanted to.

    ¡°You are a kind man, scion. I thank you on behalf of my sisters.¡± Longing saluted him again before beginning, ¡°Are you aware how the corpse ship came to be, scion?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. Since it wasn¡¯t written in the files, he doubted that there was anyone in the Pacification Bureau who knew about it either.

    Longing lifted her head a little and gazed to the distance with a forlorn, reminiscing look. ¡°As I¡¯ve told you before, the Corpse Ship used to be called the Boat of Longing. Eternal Longing is the greatest form of longing, which is why this room is named Eternal Longing, and I, its master, am the leader of this ship.¡±

    ¡°The Boat of Longing used to be a pleasure boat that was famed for its song, dance, and entertainment. We have visited everynd and water under the heavens, and it is not an exaggeration to say that we were famous throughout the world. But then, we encountered a terrifying incident forty years ago.¡±

    ¡°That day, we were passing through Jin River on our way to Jin Xiu[1] when one of our crew spotted a drowned body in the river. I was a wanderer who traveled wherever I pleased, which was why I couldn¡¯t tolerate seeing a body being fed by fishes and prawns. So, I ordered my men to fish out the body so we may bury it at a proper ceter.¡±

    ¡°Little did I know, my goodwill had unwittingly damned the whole ship.¡±

    Fear and regret flickered across Longing¡¯s face. ¡°Ever since we fished the body up the boat, it began leaking a strange fog that quickly enveloped the whole ship.¡±

    ¡°No matter which direction we traveled, and no matter what method we tried, we were unable to go beyond the boundaries of the fog or reach the pier. Moreover, one or more crew would go missing when the fog floods into the ship¡¯s hold every night.¡±

    ¡°Luckily, I had acquired a wide set of skills thanks to my travels, so I set up a restriction in every room that prevented the fog from entering. That was how we were able to survive its threat¡­ for a time.¡±

    ¡°At first, the fog flooded into the ship only once every two or three weeks, but over time, the intervals kept getting shorter and shorter. It went from half a month to several days, then several days to every day, then a day to every few hours. Even now, that time is still getting shorter.¡±

    ¡°Add to the fact that the ship was unable to leave the fog, and our food reserves were declining every day, the crew inevitably slid into fear, starvation and despair. Some people sumbed to despair andmitted suicide, some people turned cruel and robbed their fellow sisters of their food. When there was literally nothing left to take, they even feasted on human flesh. Some people charged into the fog in hopes of finding a way out, and I don¡¯t need to tell you what happened to them¡­ even the handful who survived gradually lost their minds and humanity to the fog and transformed into Stranger-like creatures.¡±

    Longing paused for a moment to recover from her heartache. The peach flower she was holding had withered before Ye Qing knew it. ¡°Left with no choice, I chose to lock them up and seal them inside their rooms. The Stranger you ran into on the second floor was my servant, scion.¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly apologized, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that she was your servant. I¡¯m very sorry that my recklessness resulted in the fog trapping her and killing her. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to apologize, scion,¡± Longing said sadly. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know if I made the right choice back then. Maybe it would¡¯ve been better if they died.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much for your understanding.¡± Not wanting to dwell on the subject of death any longer than was necessary, Ye Qing hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°So, how did you manage to preserve your consciousness, miss?¡±

    Longing shot him a tragic smile. ¡°Having observed the fog for a long time, I came to realize that it only reacted toward the living. During my travels, I picked up a secret art named the ¡®Soul Detachment and Attachment Art¡¯ that allowed me to abandon my flesh and blood and attach my soul to a physical object and decided to learn it as ast resort. Of course, the object we attach our souls to must share a deep bond with us, or our souls would perish very quickly.¡±

    ¡°Pushed to the brink, me and few remaining sisters decided to give up our bodies and attach our soul to a cherished object. The painting you see is what I had attached myself to.¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a second before producing the pipa and the bronze mirror from Nine Heavens. ¡°In that case, these items must be the objects your sisters have attached their souls to.¡±

    As soon as Ye Qing said this, two silhouettes appeared on the pipa and the bronze mirror. The first silhouette was none other than the pipa yer he saw on the first floor, and the second silhouette was a woman with a cool and elegant appearance. She was the woman inside the bronze mirror.

    ¡°I am Hua Mei. A pleasure to meet you, scion,¡± The pipa yer bowed and introduced herself.

    ¡°I am Jue Yan,¡± The woman on the bronze mirror also introduced herself.

    After the introductions were over, Longing said gently, ¡°Hua Mei and Hue Yan were testing your strength earlier. It was my idea that they check if you are strong enough to help us. I hope you will forgive us for our transgression.¡±

    Hua Mei and Jue Yan bowed again to express their apology.

    ¡°I ept your apology, so please, raise your heads.¡± Ye Qing returned the salute. ¡°It is my honor to be able to help you three, so, what do you need me to do?¡±

    Longing didn¡¯t keep him in suspense. ¡°We would like you to help us eliminate this fog.¡±

    There was a moment of incredulous silence as Ye Qing scratched his nose. He knew that Longing¡¯s request couldn¡¯t be simple, but this? She might as well ask him tomit suicide!

    Ye Qing let out a bitter chuckle and said, ¡°I have no qualms carrying out your request, but don¡¯t you think you¡¯re asking for the moon? All three of you are much stronger than me, but even you are unable to eliminate the fog. How can I possibly do what you cannot?¡±

    He knew from experience that Hua Mei and Jue Yan possessed the strength to snuff him out like a bug, and he was willing to bet Longing was even stronger. Despite this, they were unable to break the fog¡¯s spell. How on earth was he going to seed where they had failed?

    ¡°Patience, scion. Allow me to tell you my n.¡±

    Longing began her exnation, ¡°To tell you the truth, my sisters and I were just ordinary people who knew a number of small tricks to protect ourselves when we were still alive. We weren¡¯t even Vessel Augmentors back then. The reason we became so strong today is all because of the fog.¡±

    ¡°We were able to survive after giving up our physical bodies, but the ¡®Soul Detachment and Attachment Art¡¯ has a major w. We would never be able to leave this ship and especially the three objects our souls are attached to. The further we are away from our objects, the weaker we be.¡±

    ¡°At first, we were so weak we couldn¡¯t even leave our rooms. However, the fog took over the ship and traveled to all sorts of ces to consume more prey. For whatever reason, we too grew in strength until we were finally able to affect the ship to a certain extent. That is why you were able to board our ship.¡±

    A short pauseter, Longing continued, ¡°Despite this, we were unable to eliminate the fog once and for all. And so long as the fog persists, we will never be truly free.¡±

    ¡°Where is this foging from?¡± Ye Qing asked, but the answer urred to him before Longing could answer. ¡°Was it that corpse you fished out of the river?¡±

    ¡°An intelligent deduction. That is correct.¡± Longing nodded. ¡°The corpse is the root of everything.¡±

    ¡°So, this would all end if it¡¯s destroyed, right?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°We believe so. But¡­¡± Longing exined, ¡°Maybe it was because our existence is simr to the fog¡¯s, but we would lose our direction as soon as we forced our way in. If we stay inside it for too long, we would even lose consciousness and be assimted with it. Although we knew exactly where the corpse was left behind on the ship¡ªthe orlop deck[2]¡ªwe were unable to locate it no matter what we tried. Naturally, we were unable to end the fog at its roots.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, I highly suspect that the corpse possesses some level of consciousness. Part of the reason we couldn¡¯t find it is because it¡¯s hiding from us. In our opinion, it is proof that the corpse is afraid of our strength. If we can find it, we could most likely kill it and end our misery permanently.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully. ording to the Pacification Bureau¡¯s case files, the biggest reason their Grandmasters were unable to end the threat was because they couldn¡¯t find the Corpse Ship even after they entered the fog it created. This seemed to support Longing¡¯s im that the corpse possessed a will.

    ¡°So, you want me to locate the corpse for you?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°That is correct.¡± This time, it was Hua Mei who spoke up. ¡°ording to our observation, all warriors possessed some measure of resistance toward the fog. In the short term, we believe you can enter the fog without losing your way or be corrupted by it.¡±

    ¡°We want you to store the items that host our souls inside your Nature¡¯s Shell so that the fog could not detect our presence. Once you have located the corpse, you may release us into the open. We¡¯ll deal with it ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Of course, we promise a generous reward if the corpse is destroyed. You will be free to leave the ship as well.¡±

    Ye Qing remained silent for a moment before chuckling. ¡°It can¡¯t be that easy, can it?¡±

    If it was really that easy, the trio would¡¯ve saved themselves a long time ago. The one thing this world didn¡¯tck was warriors.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Longing didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°As I told you, the corpse in the orlop deck possesses some level of consciousness. It knows when it is in danger and strives to avoid it. If someone beyond its ability were to enter its fog, it would sense it and run away immediately. That is why we can only send warriors below a certain level of strength into the fog.¡±

    ¡°However, everyone we asked for help so far was devoured, assimted, and transformed into the fog¡¯s puppet all too quickly. You are the only one we have encountered so far that was both beneath the corpse¡¯s notice and resistant to the fog¡¯s corruption. That is why we invited you to help us.¡±

    <em>Invite? More like kidnap,</em>Ye Qing grumbled inside his head.

    Longing couldn¡¯t hear Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts, of course. She continued, ¡°I won¡¯t lie and tell you that you¡¯ll be able to approach the corpse smoothly even though you don¡¯t draw its attention though. In fact, it may prove to be one of the hardest journeys of your life.¡±

    ¡°First, the corpse is constantly surrounded by a thick fog, and the puppets and Strangers it controls are everywhere. Second, the fog itself is overflowing with anomalous energies of rot, corruption, and death, so if you are weak in body or spirit, the fog will corrupt you very quickly. If you¡¯re lucky, you might get away with just a damaged mind. If you¡¯re not, your mind would be extinguished, and your body would be puppeteered for eternity. Worse still, the fog and corruption grows stronger the closer you get to the corpse.¡±

    ¡°Third, the fog also possesses incredible hallucinatory effects. What you see inside the fog may not necessarily be the truth. For example, you might think you had found the corpse, but it could be just a hallucination in your mind or an illusion created by the fog. That is why our chosen warrior must possess not just a strong spirit, willpower, and acumen, but also the ability to pierce illusions.¡±

    ¡°Finally, we are unable to help you in any way before you truly find the corpse. If even a hint of our presence is leaked, the corpse would be alerted to our ploy, and we would all be in danger. In other words, you only have one shot at this.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, no ordinary warrior could aplish this. However, you have more than proven your strength by oveing both Hua Mei and Hue Yan¡¯s tests with ease. I am certain that you are the one who will free us from this eternal misery.¡±

 Chapter 418: Soaring Celestial Silk

    Chapter 418: Soaring Celestial Silk

    ¡°You tter me, Miss Longing.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled politely. Now that she mentioned it, Hua Mei was probably testing his physical strength with her pipa performance, and Jue Yan his mental strength and ability to pierce illusions.

    It was all to confirm if he was qualified to venture into the fog and help them.

    Had he failed either one of the tests and proven himself unworthy, he would probably be dead already. And judging from how practiced their methods were, he had no doubt that they had tested countless warriors for heaven-knows-how-many years.

    Obviously, those people were long dead.

    ¡°Besides that, we are running out of time. The corpse is growing stronger with each person it devoured using the Boat of Longing and the fog. We can tell that it is slowly but surely catching up to us. It won¡¯t be long before the corpse revives, and when that happens, me and my sisters will surely perish, and humanity will suffer a great cmity. We beg you not just to free us, but also save those who would fall victim to this monster from tragedy.¡±

    All three women bowed to him again with pleading in their eyes.

    ¡°But of course. It is my natural responsibility to save fair maidens such as you three and prevent a cmity from befalling my people,¡± Ye Qing dered with a solemn expression.

    That was what he said, but if he had a choice, he would never help them in a million years. The way they phrased their words, you would almost think that they hadn¡¯t kidnapped him, threatened his life with their ¡°tests¡±, and were now sending him off to his death. In the end, they were just doing this for themselves. He was just the tool they were using to achieve their goals.

    Of course, he had no choice but to agree to their n. It might look like they were treating him cordially right now, but that was only because they needed him to save themselves. If he dared to reject him, he had no doubt they would kill him faster than he could say, ¡°Fuck you!¡±

    That was just the way it was. This was doubly true since he was no match for either one of them, much less the three of them together.

    It was also why he had agreed to their request in such a sanctimonious tone. He was doing this one way or another, so he might as well make himself sound as agreeable as possible. Dropping pretenses at this point of time wouldn¡¯t help anyone.

    All three women wore grateful looks on their faces. ¡°What a benevolent man! If you really can save us, then we swear to repay your kindness a hundred fold.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Like I said, it is my natural responsibility.¡± Ye Qing waved his hand before asking, ¡°So, we will begin the mission after the fog is gone, right?¡±

    To his surprise, Longing shook his head and said, ¡°No. We begin now.¡±

    ¡°Now? But that killer fog is everywhere right now!¡± Ye Qing frowned. Although it was only a matter of time before he ran into the fog, it was obviously easier and safer to find the corpse after the fog was gone, right?

    Jue Yan replied, ¡°Unfortunately, you won¡¯t be able to find the corpse if the fog is gone.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ye Qing voiced his puzzlement. ¡°You said you left it in the orlop deck, right?¡± Even considering how big this vessel was, it wouldn¡¯t take him more than ten minutes to scour the whole area.

    ¡°Yes, and no.¡± Longing gave him an enigmatic answer. ¡°It is true that we had ced the body at the orlop deck, and we had, in fact, tried to search for it multiple times while the fog was missing, but for whatever reason, it was nowhere to be found.¡±

    ¡°Over time, we came to realize that the corpse only appears when the fog is present. If the fog fades, the corpse would disappear with it.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing frowned deeper. In other words, the corpse only existed in its self-made space, the fog. This was looking dicier and dicier.

    He had no choice though. It was his only chance at escaping this ce.

    ¡°Very well, but can I have a moment to rest and recuperate?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°But of course.¡± Longing smiled before swinging her sleeve, causing a few items to fly out of the painting andnd in front of Ye Qing. ¡°These items may be of use to you. Please ept them.¡±

    Longing had given him a total of five items. They were two Strange Artifacts, two pills and a piece of silk.

    ¡°What are they?¡± Ye Qing could tell that they were extraordinary just by probing them with his demonic thought.

    Longing began her exnation, ¡°These two Strange Artifacts are Hatred-ss Strange Artifacts. The crown is called the Mao Day Crown, and the essory is called the Heart Moon. They¡¯re both protective equipment that can clear the mind and protect the soul.¡±

    ¡°The two pills are known as Resurrection and Renewal. Resurrection can heal any physical injuries and restore your vitality, whereas Renewal can restore your spiritual power.¡±

    ¡°Resurrection and Renewal?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock. Created exclusively by the sect known as the Valley of the Medicine God, both medicinal pills were outstanding medicines that sold for at least thousands of gold a pop. They were also so rare that only the wealthiest and most influential could get their hands on them.

    Resurrection, as its name might imply, could heal even the worst injuries in just a short time so long as the person was still alive. Hence the name. Renewal could not just restore one¡¯s spiritual power, but also heal their mind if it was damaged. This effect was so rare that it was far more precious than even Resurrection.

    ¡°This piece of silk is called the Soaring Celestial Silk. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of its name.¡±

    When Longing introduced the final item, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes bulged like he was stunned beyond words. In fact, he was.

    Legend has it that the Soaring Celestial Silk was woven by the famous female sword celestial, the Flying Snow Sword Celestial three hundred years ago. There were twelve in total, and it was said that each silk contained a wisp of the Flying Snow Sword Celestial¡¯s sword intent and a single sword technique of the ¡°Soaring Celestial Sword Sutra¡±. Back in the day, the ¡°Soaring Celestial Sword Sutra¡± was the sword art she had used to dominate every<em>jianghu</em>in the world and be the greatest warrior of them all.

    The White Jade Capital had even made a historical remark that was remembered to this day: What does gender matter when your sword triumphs above all?

    The Flying Snow Sword Celestial wasn¡¯t just stronger than any man or woman, her heart was bigger than most as well. Before she passed away, she inscribed her life¡¯s work and insight into twelve pieces of silk so that everyone else in the future could benefit from it.

    As mentioned before, each silk contained exactly one wisp of sword intent and one sword technique of the ¡°Soaring Celestial Sword Sutra¡±. Those who grasped both the technique and the intent would be the owner of one of the twelve sword techniques. If someone was lucky enough to obtain all twelve Soaring Celestial Silks, then they would have a shot at mastering the sword art that once took the world by storm.

    The Flying Snow Sword Celestial had intended for everyone to learn her sword art and create a Golden Age of martial arts. Unfortunately, the world wasn¡¯t nearly as open-minded and ahead of her time as she was, and instead of prosperity, her inheritance caused a bloody massacre that ultimately resulted in the twelve Soaring Celestial Silks being separated and lost in the annals of the<em>jianghu.</em>

    But every once in a while, the Soaring Celestial Silks would resurface every once in a while and trigger yet another bloody massacre.

    Sometimes, the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

    Ye Qing never thought that Longing would own a Soaring Celestial Silk. Considering what she told him earlier, it had most likely been ¡°donated¡± to her by one of the unlucky bastards who were kidnapped to this ce.

    ¡°As I thought, you¡¯ve already heard of the Soaring Celestial Silk. In that case, I won''t waste your time.¡± Longing smiled. ¡°The sword intent contained within this silk can suppress the fog to a certain extent as well.¡±

    ¡°On a rted note, this Soaring Celestial Silk will be part of your reward if you seed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you kindly for your generosity.¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to ept all the goods. He was doing their dirty work after all. It was only natural that they paid him appropriately for his services.

    After that, Ye Qing sat down and meditated right in front of the three women. He wasn¡¯t worried that they would try anything.

    Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan exchanged a nce with each other. No one said anything.

    A little over an hourter, Ye Qing finally opened his eyes. His earlier fatigue waspletely gone.

    Longing floated up to Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Have you recovered, Scion Ye?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°Now, please tell me how the Boat of Longing is structured, where the corpse is supposedly located, and anything I might need to know to ensure the sess of this mission in detail.¡±

    ¡°But of course,¡± Longing replied with a small bow. All three women would spend the next ten minutes or so telling Ye Qing everything he needed to know.

    At the end of their exnation, Longing added, ¡°Be warned that the fog is anomalous and everchanging. We cannot promise that what we told you is absolutely true. You¡¯ll need to be ready for anything.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Ye Qing nodded and took a moment to digest everything he heard. Finally, he said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then let us depart.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, scion Ye.¡± Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan gave him a solemn bow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will be done.¡± Ye Qing gestured. ¡°If you may¡­¡±

    The three women nodded and flew back into their objects. Then, Ye Qing stored the pipa, the bronze mirror and the painting inside his Nine Heavens.

    After he put away the items, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and mustered his courage. Then, he opened the door and stepped out of the room.

    As soon as Ye Qing left the room, the fog flushed in and caught him in its disgusting embrace. It felt cold, humid, and evil. His skin hurt like it was being eaten by acid, and the rotten stench ravaging his nasal cavity was vomit-inducing to put it mildly. Even his mind felt a little slower and blurrier than normal. Clearly, he was suffering from minor corruption.

    If he was weaker, there was a huge chance he might be corrupted and decayed as soon as he entered the fog. He would lose his consciousness and perish just like that.

    The good news was that this much was within his limits to endure. Besides that, he noticed that the filthy energies in the fog was somewhat beneficial to his demonic thought.

    The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a demonic art, and it grew stronger by feeding one a person¡¯s negative emotions. Negative emotions also greatly elerated the practitioner¡¯s cultivation speed and the power of one¡¯s demonic thought.

    However, Ye Qing had a small cache of golden dragon-serpent runes. That was why he rarely cultivated the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± this way besides that one time at the Demon¡¯s Tomb. There wasn¡¯t nearly enough negative emotions in his surroundings for him to grow his strength in a meaningful way anyway.

    That said, the energies within the fog were too varied, confused, and full of madness. Only a small portion of it could actually be used to improve his cultivation art. The rest weren¡¯t just useless, but a grave threat to the purity of his mind and soul. That was why he didn¡¯t dare to refine it willy-nilly.

    While he couldn¡¯t refine the fog for his own use, this discovery meant that his resistance was much higher than another warrior¡¯s. He certainly wasn¡¯t going toin about it.

    Ye Qing stepped deeper into the fog while maintaining a tight shield of demonic thought around his person. However, he had just taken a few steps when countless silhouettes appeared in the distance and rushed him without warning. They were incredibly fast!

    Although the silhouettes were right in front of him, Ye Qing still couldn¡¯t see their faces. That was because they didn¡¯t have a face. They were merely indistinct shadows.

    Not stupid enough to underestimate the silhouettes, Ye Qing lifted Red Sleeve and executed a saber technique. Crimson light manifested into existence before splitting into a thousand lines like the spring wind spreading out across thend, gentle and soothing. The lines then passed right through the shadow¡¯s necks.

    This was one of the three ultimate moves he created using the ¡°Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain¡± as the foundation, and the ¡°Soulchasing Saber¡± and his own martial insight as the supplement. Its name was ¡°Spring Wind¡±.

    However, the saber force failed to inflict any damage to the silhouettes whatsoever. It was almost as if they didn¡¯t exist. They continued to charge him unimpeded and unharmed.

    Caught off guard, one of the silhouettes managed to grab Ye Qing by the shoulder.

 Chapter 419: Danger At Every Step

    <h4>Chapter 419: Danger At Every Step </h4>

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The grab didn¡¯t injure his shoulder, but Ye Qing felt so much pain that his face was contorted, and veins were bulging on his forehead.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    Gritting his teeth, Ye Qing clenched his fingers and knocked the space in front of him. A ripple of demonic thought immediately washed out and destroyed all of the silhouettes attacking him, turning back into fog.

    ¡°Heavens, these damn shadows are quite dangerous.¡±

    It took a couple deep breaths before Ye Qing¡¯s face finally returned to normal. Hisplexion was pale though.

    As it turned out, the silhouettes attacked the soul, not the body. When the silhouette grabbed his shoulder, he felt like his soul was being torn apart. The pain was such that he would prefer if the silhouette had ripped his arm off his sockets, not to mention that the attack had also inflicted a small amount of corruption inside his soul.

    Besides that, the silhouettes seemed immune to conventional weapons and even astral qi. It could only be damaged by spiritual power.

    Had he known this, he would¡¯ve made preparations for it. What a ¡°great¡± start this was.

    ¡°Bloody bitches. I can¡¯t believe they didn¡¯t tell me something this important. If only I can just leave them in the fog...¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath.

    The idea had entered his mind as soon as Longing mentioned that they would lose their way as soon as they entered the fog. If necessary, he could just leave them in the fog and escape.

    It was just a fleeting thought though. He wasn¡¯t actually nning on doing it. For one, it was possible that Longing was lying to him. Even if it was true, he still couldn¡¯t leave this fucking ce because of the fog. He would be pissing off the only people who¡ªassuming they were telling the truth¡ªmight be able to release him from this hell.

    Tempted as he was, Ye Qing ultimately pushed down the desire and marched on.

    Now that he knew how the silhouettes functioned, they no longer constituted a threat to him. Every time one or more of them got close, he could destroy them with the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±.

    Unfortunately, the fog grew thicker when he got to the second floor. The number of silhouettes lurking in the fog were steadily increasing as well. Ye Qing frowned. Although the silhouettes weren¡¯t difficult to handle, it was going to take forever to get to the orlop deck at this rate. Moreover, Longing mentioned that some of the silhouettes were stronger than most. It would be bad if he killed too many of them and caught the attention of a powerful silhouette.

    ¡°Oh right. Maybe I can do it that way?¡±

    Suddenly, a light bulb appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s head. Longing also mentioned that the fog was only interested in living things¡ªor more urately, the life force present in all living things. If he isted his life force, then he shouldn¡¯t attract their attention anymore.

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing produced a pair of cloth shoes from Nine Heavens. It looked old, dusty, and tattered. There was even some soil clinging to its fabric.

    Something wasn¡¯t right about the soil though. For one, it reeked of deathly energy. Two, it appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s hands as soon as he touched the shoes.

    After Ye Qing put on the pair of cloth shoes, patches of soil slithered up his legs rapidly until it covered his whole body. It wasn¡¯t long before he looked like a zombie who just climbed out of the ground.

    The cloth shoes were named the Grave Dirt Shoes. Despite its rather unpleasant name, it was a bonafide Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. He had obtained it from the <i>jianghu </i>warriors he tricked and killed at Luo Shui.

    As its name implied, the Grave Dirt Shoes were a pair of shoes that were covered in grave dirt. Anyone who wore it would slowly be covered in grave dirt. Its deathly energy was very effective in concealing one¡¯s life force, and in that sense it functioned the same as the Burial Shirt Of The Dead. However, its concealment effect was much stronger.

    Of course, its side effects were that much worse. Its deathly energy wore away at the wearer much faster than the Burial Shirt Of The Dead. If the wearer didn¡¯t possess the tool or resilience to resist its eroding effects, then they would be buried and turned into a grave.

    Ye Qing had kept this Strange Artifact because he fancied its ability to conceal one¡¯s life force. Now, it had finallye into use.

    As expected, the silhouettes immediately lost interest in him after his life force was isted. So long as he didn¡¯t intentionally block their way like a nuisance, they wouldn¡¯t pay any attention to him.

    Delighted at the sess, Ye Qing avoided the silhouettes and slowly made his way toward the first floor.

    He was standing on top of the staircase leading to the first floor and about to take a step when suddenly, he recalled something. Then, he gingerly withdrew his right leg.

    When he jumped up the second floor earlier, he clearly remembered the stairs being on his right, not his left. Something was off.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him, and the staircase slowly faded away like a mirage. As expected, it was an illusion created by the fog. Had he taken that step, he would¡¯ve fallen right off the floor... and into the gaping maw of a Stranger.

    Yes, there was a Stranger lying in ambush on the first floor. Through the thick fog, Ye Qing saw that it had a humanoid body. However, it had four legs instead of two arms and two legs. It looked like a square-shaped, four-legged bench the way it was crouching on all fours with its belly facing upward.

    The Stranger¡¯s belly was split open from the belly button all the way to the neck. Inside that crack was rows and rows of sharp teeth. Thezy bastard was waiting for its prey to fall right into its stomach.

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    Ye Qing broke out in cold sweat. The maw gave him a bad, bad feeling. If he fell into it, chances were he wasn¡¯t going toe out again.

    ¡°No wonder Longing said that the illusions and hallucinations are the greatest danger of it all, not the Strangers.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and shelved the sliver of arrogance that had been affecting his judgment. He had been perceiving his surroundings with his demonic thought this whole time, but the fog still almost caught him off guard. He thought that his demonic thought would be able to suppress any and all illusions he might experience inside the fog, but clearly he was mistaken. The fog was even more anomalous and dangerous than he thought.

    The problem was that not everything he saw with his eyes or felt with his demonic thought was necessarily true or false. The mixture between truth and falsehood, reality and illusion made him so much more susceptible to being tricked. One misstep, and he might never live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun.

    ¡°Should have known better. I nearly misstepped both figuratively and literally,¡± Ye Qing chided himself softly.

    Luckily for him, the Stranger on the first floor didn¡¯t notice him for some reason. Ye Qing hid a sigh of relief before turning around and leaving toward the opposite direction.

    ... Or at least, he tried to. No matter how hard he looked, he was unable to find the staircase in his memories.

    ¡°Should I... jump?¡±

    Earlier, he had jumped up the second floor using his movement art. So long as he chose a spot that wasn¡¯t the bench Stranger to jump down, he should be fine.

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Ye Qing picked a spot with the least number of silhouettes and jumped over the handrail. But as soon as he plummeted toward the ground, the scenery before his eyes abruptly transformed into a bottomless abyss.

    The wind howled beside his ears, and he felt chilled to the bone as weightlessness gripped him. Helplessness, panic and fear assaulted him all at once.

    He knew this was yet an illusion, but the sensation was so real that it was impossible not to feel afraid.

    One breath, two breaths, three breaths...

    At first, Ye Qing thought the illusion would end very quickly. After all, there was only so much height between the first floor and the second floor. It would take him one or two breaths at most to reach the floor. But dozens of breaths quickly passed, and still he was plummeting toward the abyss. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was moving faster and panicking harder by the second.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    Realizing that something was amiss, Ye Qing executed his martial art and shattered the abyss like ss. After the illusion faded, he realized that an unnaturally long, boneless arm was wrapped several times around his waist.

    At the end of the arm was a milky, feminine palm, and at the center of the palm was an eye staring intently at him. The eyes were blinking and transmitting intermittent bursts of filthy light into his eyes non-stop.

    On the other end of the arm was another arm. It looked like the Stranger was made of two conjoined arms. The other arm was wrapped around a pir on the second floor and swinging him back and forth like a yoyo.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±

    No wonder he couldn¡¯t reach the first floor no matter how long he waited. This piece of shit was screwing with him!

    Luckily for him, his senses told him that the arm was pretty weak despite its bizarre ability. A burst of force was all he needed to break the arm wrapped around his waist into several pieces.

    The eye at the center of the palm widened in abject terror. It tried to escape, but a pair of demonic lotuses appeared in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. A momentter, the Stranger¡¯s eyes exploded into pieces as well.

    The Stranger still wasn¡¯t dead, however¡ªor maybe it was abination of three different Strangers? In any case, the second arm wrapped around the pir realized that it was in grave danger and slithered into the fog like a snake. It was gone in the blink of an eye.

    This time, Ye Qingnded on the first floor without any issue. He looked back at the spot where the second arm had disappeared to and exhaled slowly.

    He wasn¡¯t expecting to run into yet another Stranger soon. Just how many Strangers and anomalies were hiding inside this fog? He would have to be even more careful from now on.

    He pushed his feelings to the back of his mind and began moving toward his destination as Longing had instructed him. The entrance to the lower decks was located at the stern, and this time, he executed ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± once every few steps. Despite this, it still took him a full incense stick to reach the door, a distance of two dozen steps at most.

    This was because he kept deviating from his path even though he was moving in a straight line inside his mind. He had no choice but to waste a tremendous amount of time and expend a lot of spirit to adjust his direction again and again.

    The fog was even thicker after he stepped out of the central hall. If before he could see three to six meters away from him, now he could see nothing but white, plus the dark silhouettes still walking here and there inside the fog.

    He kept to the ship¡¯s railing and carefully made his way toward the stern. If things were normal, he would¡¯ve covered such a short distance in less than a second. But once again, it took him over half an hour to finally reach the entrance.

    ¡°This is troublesome.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned for the umpteenth time when he arrived at the entrance. It was because the ce was jam-packed with silhouettes.

    While his Grave Dirt Shoes isted his life force and prevented him from being detected, there were so many silhouettes blocking the entrance that it would be near impossible to slip in. What should he do?

    Some quick thinkingter, Ye Qing threw out a Shaping Talisman. The Shaping Talisman would transform into him and emte his energies for a short time, so he could use it to lure the silhouettes away.

    It worked. As soon as the fake Ye Qing raced down the deck toward the bow of the ship, the mindless swarm immediately gave chase. The massive crowd blocking the entrance was gone in the blink of an eye, allowing Ye Qing to dash out of his hiding spot, reach the entrance, and open the door.

 Chapter 420: Spidermen

    <h4>Chapter 420: Spidermen </h4>

    As soon as Ye Qing opened the door leading down to the lower decks, he was sted by a disgusting, vomit-inducing stench. Not only that, his exposed skin immediately turned red and cracked, and eyeballs grew within those cracks. When they moved, they leaked smelly yellow pus.

    ¡°What a crazy level of corruption.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned as he channeled his vigor. There was a surge of vitality, and the nasty power attempting to take root inside his body was destroyed in an instant. The unnatural eyes popped like pus before the scarring and healing process returned his skin to normal.

    After that, Ye Qing sealed his sense of smell and walked down the wet, rotten stairs.

    <i>Cobwebs! So many cobwebs. Are there spiders in this ce? </i>Ye Qing thought. The first thing he noticed upon reaching the first lower deck was that it was covered in cobwebs. The ship had three upper levels and three lower levels, so he needed to go down another two levels if he wished to reach the orlop deck.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little and fired a wisp of force from his index finger, severing three spider threads. <i>It¡¯s no ordinary spider silk, </i>he immediately arrived at a conclusion. <i>It¡¯s tough and overflowing with corruption. I need to avoid it as much as possible.</i>

    Ye Qing slowly stepped into a patch of shadow and waited for a bit, but nothing happened. Remaining patient, he summoned Red Sleeve into his hand.

    A dreamy red sh cut through a massive amount of cobwebs and opened up just enough space for him to walk across the chamber unhindered. He still didn¡¯t move, however. He remained perfectly still in his hiding spot.

    <i>Rustle rustle...</i>

    A few breathster, a bunch of rustling noises came from deeper within the chamber. Then, a dozen or so half-humanoid Strangers with a spider¡¯s legs and bodies crawled out of the wall, the ceiling and more.

    The spidermen crawled up to the spot where the cobwebs were severed and made a series of strange hissing noises, but they weren¡¯t able to find the culprit who did it. A few secondster, they spat spider silk from their mouths to reseal this section of the chamber before treading into the darkness once more.

    <i>I knew it.</i>

    After the spidermen left, Ye Qing finally stepped out of the shadows and smacked his lips.

    The cobwebs couldn¡¯t have appeared out of nowhere, but he didn¡¯t think a normal spider could survive in this ce. He was right.

    <i>It looks like these spidermen sense their prey through web-borne vibration just like a normal spider, but only if I do too much damage to their webs. Otherwise, I shouldn¡¯t draw their attention.</i>

    The spidermen hadn¡¯t appeared when he cut just three spider threads. They only appeared after he cut down a bunch of cobwebs. So in theory, he could advance forward without rming the spidermen so long as he snapped only two or three strands at a time.

    It would be slow going, but he would be safe. Although the spidermen were only Hatred-ss Strangers, he had no way of knowing how many there were or if there was a stronger down the line. It was better to be safe than sorry.

    And so Ye Qing slowly made his way down the stairs while cutting three spider threads with Red Sleeve at a time. He made sure to wait several breaths before cutting another three. After all, he was still going to draw the spidermen¡¯s attention if he cut down the cobwebs too quickly.

    Just half a teatimeter, Ye Qing found the wooden door leading to the second level. A smile crossed his lips. For once, things were going his way.

    He should¡¯ve known better. When he reached out to open the door, his body abruptly stiffened, his eyes lost their focus, and his face abruptly became contorted in pain.

    Inside his headspace, countless invisible spider threads were wrapped tightly around his mind. They were attempting to drag his mind out of his headspace!

    Every time the spider threads pulled, his headspace would shake and roar like an avnche or a tsunami. His mind would groan, and his consciousness would flicker ominously.

    <i>What the fuck? How did the spider threads appear inside my head?!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression was ugly. He was being as careful as he could be, and still he failed to avoid whatever trap this was!

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    While defending his mind with the demonic lotus, Ye Qing executed the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± in an attempt to sever the spider threads. A ripple of demonic thought washed out, shaking the spider threads and causing them to give off a strange, vibrating noise. It caused his headspace to churn violently, and cracks to form across his mind.

    ¡°Hmm!¡± Ye Qing let out a muffled grunt as blood poured out of his orifices. The spider threads were still intact though. For the first time, ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± had failed him.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re tougher than you look, huh? What about this?!¡±

    Cold ruthlessness flickered in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he honed his spirit into a de, and his consciousness into the edge. Then, he shed diagonally at the spider threads.

    <i>¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±</i>

    A long saber immediately manifested inside his headspace and shed upward like it split open the heavens, severing the spider threads without a sound. At the same time, red lotuses rained from above and burned the filthy energy infesting his headspace into ash.

    The second the spider threads were destroyed, Ye Qing opened his eyes just in time to see an ugly face. Its face was human, but it had eight eyes like that of a spider¡¯s. The eyes were also blinking rapidly and constantly spreading some sort of invisible spider threads to the surroundings.

    Not only that, the face was opening its mouth and plunging what looked like a mosquito¡¯s proboscis into his neck. Then, it injected filthy liquid directly into his body, causing countless pustules to grow all over his body. When the pustules popped, spider eyeballs grew out of them.

    Throughout the process, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t feel the slightest pain. He must be under some sort of numbing spell, or the disgusting liquid it was pumping into his body contained some sort of numbing agent.

    Knowing that his life was in grave danger, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t care less about keeping things quiet anymore. He focused his qi, essence and spirit into one point and punched the ugly motherfucker in the face with all his might.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    A lone cavalry could cut through an army of thousands. The full-powered punch shattered the face into pieces, and the giant body behind the face staggered backward and scattered the thick fog behind it.

    It was only now Ye Qing noticed that his attacker was a gigantic spider. It was so big that it was nearly as tall as the chamber itself.

    Ye Qing¡¯s senses returned to him after he shattered the face. He immediately sensed that the whole chamber was jam-packed with invisible threads.

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. The visible threads were just a distraction. The real threat was the invisible threads that could hurt his mind directly!

    ¡°Uwargh!¡±

    Frustrated at being thwarted, the gigantic spiderman let out a strange shriek. As it turned out, the spiderman had more than one head, and three more heads spun around to shriek at Ye Qing as well. At the same time, a dozen or so smaller spidermen crawled out of the shadows and pounced toward him.

    Ye Qing turned his wrist and summoned Red Sleeve. As he swung the weapon, a crimson light wobbled in the air like thousands and thousands of red leaves riding the spring wind, charming and beautiful. It was quickly joined by a fine drizzle and a red beauty dancing at the center of it all. It painted a gorgeous, soul-stealing image that the weak would only live to see once.

    The spring wind was a saber. The fine rain were an innumerable number of saber. For a time, sabers were everywhere.

    The smaller spidermen split into countless cubes of rotten, smelly flesh and puss long before they got close. The massive one though, it charged right through the spring wind and fine rain of sabers like they were nothing and brought down a pir-sized leg on top of Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing rooted himself on the floor and swung Red Sleeve upward. The scattered storm of saber forces immediately rolled back to Red Sleeve to form a massive energy saber. It met the falling foot head on.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    There was a loud, echoing boom as the energy saber dispersed into nothing. Two joints in the spider¡¯s legs snapped like twigs, but there was so much weight behind the attack that Ye Qing''s bones popped and cracked ominously, and his whole body felt numb. He also lost consciousness for an instant.

    That instant was all the opening the spiderman needed to swing one of its legs and sent Ye Qing flying like a rag doll. He mmed into the wall so hard that it dented a little.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Blood flowed freely down Ye Qing¡¯s lips as he talked. The blow was so powerful that even his internal organs were hurting a little. There was no time to care for his injuries though. He could see an inescapable web of invisible spider silk flying all over his vision.

    The massive spiderman wasn¡¯t just strong, its legs were covered in those anomalous spider threads as well. That one blow hadn¡¯t just thrown his energies into disorder, it also allowed more spider threads to invade his headspace and entangle his mind, again. Ye Qing had no choice but to execute the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± once more to sever them.

    As soon as he took care of the spider threads inside his mind, Ye Qing rolled to the side just in time to avoid a spider leg from ttening him like a pancake.

    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>

    Several more spider legs descended in an attempt to crush Ye Qing, but this time he was able to dodge them all with ease. ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± was at its best when its practitioner employed it to avoid enemy attacks by a hair¡¯s breadth, not to mention that Ye Qing had mastered the movement art a long time ago. While there wasn''t much room for maneuver inside the chamber, it was still quite easy for him to dodge the attacks, so much so that he had the time to open Nine Heavens and consume a drop of Nature¡¯s Water to restore his tired spirit and injured mind.

    He could have consumed Longing¡¯s Renewal, but he was afraid that it was poisoned or something. What if she imnted a curse in the medicine so that she could use it to control him when all this was done? It was better to be safe than sorry, not to mention that Nature¡¯s Water was more potent than Renewal.

    Seven spider legs rained down on Ye Qing like a downpour. There were many smaller spidermen who couldn¡¯t get out of the way in time and were ttened like a pancake. However, the human it was targeting remained perfectly unharmed. The heads on the spiderman¡¯s body were so angry at their inability to hit Ye Qing that they screeched again and again.

    It looked like Ye Qing was dodging aimlessly, but a closer look would reveal that he was slowly closing the distance between himself and the Stranger.

    When he was several inches away from the spiderman¡¯s body, Ye Qing abruptly split into nine silhouettes and spread out. Each silhouette fired a crimson sh at its heads.

    Sensing the danger, the heads spat out a bunch of spider webs at the Ye Qings. Most of them were crushed, but none of them were the real thing.

    The next moment, the spiderman¡¯s screech came to an abrupt stop. Then, its four heads rolled off its shoulders and hit the floor lifelessly. Right after that, his back facing toward the spiderman, the real Ye Qing faded into existence and slowly put away Red Sleeve.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    The spiderman¡¯s headless body shook twice before it hit the floor with a loud thump. It would never move again. A small smirk crossed Ye Qing¡¯s lips as he slowly turned around to face the lifeless spiderman.

    The gigantic spiderman was probably a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. Not only did it possess immense strength, its spider threads were near impossible to defend against even when he knew it wasing.

    However, he came to realize that the spiderman¡¯s heads were its weakness while he was killing the small fries. That was why he utilized the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± to close the distance before ending the fight in one strike.

    It sounded simple, but of course it was so, so much more difficult to pull off in reality.

    The spiderman¡¯s four heads were covered in invisible spider threads just like its legs. Had he been careless, it would have been him lying lifelessly on the floor. That was why he had severed the invisible threads with the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± first before cutting off its heads with Red Sleeve.

    After ending the giant spiderman¡¯s life, Ye Qing took a moment to cleanse the filthy energy inside his body and recover. It was only after he returned to peak form that he opened the wooden door and stepped down into the second level.

 Chapter 421: The Lightless Silverfish

    <h4>Chapter 421: The Lightless Silverfish </h4>

    Ye Qing became even more careful after his harrowing experience on the first floor. Upon crossing the threshold, he executed ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± to check for dangers first before walking down the stairs.

    While ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± wasn¡¯t as deadly as the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±, it was far more invisible and untraceable. It was the safest way to probe his surroundings without drawing the attention of the second floor¡¯s inhabitants.

    It was even smellier on the second level than it was on the first level. Not only that, the air felt humid and slimy, and every corner of the ce¡ªthe stairs, the handrails, the walls and more¡ªwere covered in some sort of slimy liquid. It was beyond disgusting.

    When Ye Qing reached the second level, he was bbergasted to find that the ce was flooded. No, it wasn¡¯t an illusion. The level really was flooded with some sort of smelly, murky, and acidic water. Bubbles were popping on the water¡¯s surface, and his exposed skin was stinging and festering just being close to the water.

    Ye Qing¡¯s brows were tightly knitted. If the ¡°theme¡± of the first level was corruption, then the ¡°theme¡± of the second level was corrosion.

    ¡°What a pain,¡± Ye Qing muttered in annoyance while rubbing his nose habitually. ording to theyout the girls showed him, the entrance to the third and final level was situated at the lower right hand corner of the chamber. It was also directly opposite the staircase he was at. In other words, he must cross the pool of acidic water if he wished to make it to his destination, the orlop deck.

    Honestly, Ye Qing wanted nothing more than to punch a hole in the floor and forge his own path, but that was impossible. It was because every part of the ship had be unnaturally tough since bing a part of an Anomaly. The gigantic spiderman he killed earlier was incredibly strong, but even its attacks failed to leave a single scratch on the floor. As much as he wanted to take a shortcut, it just couldn¡¯t be done.

    Ye Qing thought on how he should advance for a moment before tossing out a yellow talisman. It transformed into a small boat andnded snugly on the waters. The n was to cross the waters on the boat, but the acidic water easily ate through the hull and caused it to turn back into a paper talisman. It dissolved into nothing almost all too quickly.

    ¡°I guess an ordinary talisman wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it,¡± Ye Qing sighed. To be honest, the quality of his talismans weren¡¯t at fault here. The acidic water was just too corrosive.

    ¡°If a talisman won¡¯t work, then what about a Strange Artifact?¡±

    This time, Ye Qing produced an emerald green bamboo raft from Nine Heavens. It was emerald green like it was made from young bamboo. There were also green shoots and leaves growing out of its joints.

    The bamboo raft was called the Blue Wave Green Bamboo Raft. It was a Malice-ss Strange Artifact made from the Blue Wave Green Bamboo. As the Blue Wave Green Bamboo was born in water, it was naturally buoyant and an excellent material for making vessel-type Strange Artifacts.

    Besides that, the Blue Wave Green Bamboo possessed a powerful life force. It wouldn¡¯t die even after it was chopped and made into a vessel. So long as there was water, it could theoretically live forever.

    Ye Qing gingerly ced the Blue Wave Green Bamboo Raft into the acidic water. It quickly grew until it could fit one or two passengers. Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw the bamboos slowly turning grayish and spotty like it was dying. Its branches and leaves also withered and fell off its body.

    Luckily, that was the end of its degradation. It didn¡¯t dissolve into nothing and sink like the yellow talisman did. Ye Qing allowed himself to let out a small sigh of relief.

    After boarding the raft and confirming that it wouldn¡¯t sink, Ye Qing used his astral qi to push the raft toward the entrance to the third floor.

    At first, everything was normal. He was about halfway there when his surroundings gradually turned dark like something was devouring the light. Then, darkness.

    It was nighttime, it was foggy, and he was deep within the belly of the Boat of Longing. He had expected his surroundings to be pitch ck. With his eyesight, he could see six to ten meters in front of him even in this pitch ck darkness.

    But now? He couldn¡¯t see anything. The darkness was so absolute he literally couldn¡¯t see his hand in front of his face. Not only that, his demonic thought was blind as well. For some reason, he could sense darkness and only darkness.

    <i>Snap!</i>

    Ye Qing snapped his fingers and produced a small me on his fingertip. However, he could neither see its light nor perceive it with his demonic thought. If not for the hot temperature on his fingertip, he would¡¯ve thought he had failed to ignite the me at all.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him and produced a wave of demonic thought. However, his surroundings remained exactly the same.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Perhaps the illusion was too strong for the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± to pierce. Ye Qing made a hand knife with his left hand and swung it diagonally in front of him.

    Demonic red lotuses fell all around him, but still the nket of darkness was unbreachable.

    ¡°It¡¯s... not an illusion?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned deeply. This was the first time both the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± and the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± had failed him.

    ¡°I should turn back.¡±

    Unsure what was going on here, Ye Qing decided that the best course of action for now was to return to the staircase and figure out the situation. So, he channeled his astral qi and pushed the bamboo raft back to where it started.

    But there was nothing. It was the same situation as when he first stumbled upon the fog at Yonghe Lake. No matter which direction he sailed, he was unable to return to the staircase or touch the walls of a chamber. It was like he was stranded in the middle of an ocean.

    Worse still, he was far more bewildered than when he was stranded in the fog. At least he could still see things at the time. But right here and now, it was like he had gonepletely blind in every way. He could see and feel nothing but pitch ck darkness.

    The darkness didn¡¯t just herald loneliness and the unknown. It was heralded fear.

    Unwilling to give up, Ye Qing made several more attempts to break out of this ck hell using his spiritual power, pure astral qi, and even his physical strength. Unfortunately, it all ended up being futile.

    ¡°Am I going to die here?¡± A moment of doubt gripped Ye Qing as he whispered.

    ¡°No. I refuse to give up! Fog Demon!¡± Determination shed in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he produced the Boundless Mara Buddha and loosened the Moko Boundless Chains. A demonic Buddha immediately appeared in the air.

    ¡°Kekeke... finally willing to let me out, boy?¡± The Fog Demon let out its signature cackle before realizing something was amiss. ¡°Huh? Where is this ce? Why can¡¯t I see anything?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Anyway, I want you to unleash your full strength,¡± Ye Qing ordered icily.

    ¡°Okay. Against what?¡± The Fog Demon was confused.

    ¡°Anything is fine! Just trash the ce!¡± Ye Qing yelled.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Another cackleter, the demonic Buddha mustered its demonic energies and let loose an evil and anomalous noise. Then, heunched a palm strike against the acidic waters while mountains of corpses, sea of blood, and the eternal kingdom of demons appeared behind his back.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The palm strike caused a massive wave that threw the bamboo raft high, high into the air. It was a long time before it finallynded back in the water.

    Some of the water sshed onto the bamboo raft and Ye Qing and caused a sizzling noise. Ye Qing could clearly feel his skin and astral qi being eroded by the acidic water.

    He didn¡¯t look like he felt the pain though. In fact, he was smiling widely like he finally figured out something.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The Boundless Mara Buddha hit the acidic waters again, kicking up a gigantic wave that surged toward Ye Qing and the bamboo raft like a waterfall.

    Right before the wave would engulf Ye Qing and the bamboo raft, he suddenly threw a punch and destroyed it in the blink of an eye. Then, he yelled, ¡°Fog Demon, stop!¡±

    The Boundless Mara Buddha halted its third attack midway, and the Fog Demon grumbled with displeasure, ¡°What the hell do you want, kid? Do you want me to trash up the ce or not[1]?¡±

    ¡°I think I know where we are now!¡± Ye Qing eximed with delight.

    The Fog Demon was still grumbling, ¡°Where, what? What the hell are you talking about, boy?¡±

    Ye Qing ignored it and said, ¡°I believe we are inside the stomach of the Lightless Silverfish.¡±

    ¡°The Lightless Silverfish? What¡¯s that?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°ording to the ¡®Records of the Mountains and the Sea¡¯, there exists a fish in the eastern sea that is shaped like a waterskin and has ck scales. Its mouth is as big as a mountain, its body is perfectly ck and reflects no light. That is why it cannot be seen or perceived by the spirit, and why it is named the Lightless Silverfish.¡±

    ¡°Usually, the Lightless Silverfish feeds by opening its mouth at a river mouth and swallowing any and all living prey that flows into its mouth. Any creature no matter what size would shrink to the size of a grain of sand and fall into a world of eternal darkness. Tormented by helplessness, despair and fear, most of them are fated to be corroded by its stomach acid and consumed.¡±

    ¡°The Lightless Silverfish, you say? But how can you be sure that we are inside its belly?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°For one, it¡¯s perfectly lightless inside the Lightless Silverfish. It¡¯s impossible to see with your eyes or perceive your surroundings with your spirit. That is exactly what we¡¯re experiencing, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Next, any living beings that fall into the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s stomach would unknowingly shrink down to the size of a grain of sand. Since it¡¯s impossible to perceive the Lightless Silverfish from the outside, there¡¯s almost no way to avoid this fate until it¡¯s toote.¡±

    ¡°This exins why I can¡¯t leave this ce even though I know I¡¯m not trapped in an illusion. It would also exin why a pool of water could produce a massive wave almost like we are trapped in the sea. It¡¯s because we have shrunk down to the size of a grain of sand.¡±

    ¡°At our current size, nearly any body of water would appear like a sea to us.¡±

    He only realized this when the Fog Demon hit the water so hard that it kicked up a wave that was at least a hundred meters tall. Although he hadn¡¯t measured the depth of the acidic pool in the chamber, there was no way it contained enough water to kick up a wave that was over a hundred meters tall. Heck, the ship itself wasn¡¯t that tall.

    When the clues finally came together inside his head, Ye Qing suddenly recalled a small story regarding the Lightless Silverfish he read in the ¡®Records of the Mountains and the Sea¡¯.

    The story spoke of a warrior who identally entered the belly of the Lightless Silverfish while he was sailing. Having no idea that his body had shrunk, the warrior simply thought that he had identally strayed into a bizarre part of the ocean and struggled with all his might to survive. Without divine intervention, it was likely that he would never leave the ce alive.

    Luckily for him, a champion who happened to be passing through the area noticed something amiss and killed the Lightless Silverfish. That was how the warrior was rescued, and just in time as well. It was because his whole body had eroded to the point where some of his bones were showing. Later, the warrior would learn that the bizarre sea that he struggled to survive was just the stomach acid of the Lightless Silverfish.

    That was how Ye Qing was able to put two and two together. But of course, it was just a theory. He wouldn¡¯t know if it was right until tested it.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s assume that you¡¯re right. How are we going to escape this ce?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°You.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± The Fog Demon sounded confused.

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°The reason the Lightless Silverfish had the word ¡®lightless¡¯ in its name isn¡¯t just because it¡¯s perfectly ck, but also because it loathes light.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, I need you to reseal the Boundless Mara Buddha and unleash its Buddha light as much as you can. This would annoy the Lightless Silverfish enough to spit us out of its stomach.¡±

    1. If you can¡¯t tell, the Fog Demon just tried to indirectly kill Ye Qing lol. ?

 Chapter 422: The Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 422: The Corpse </h4>

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The Fog Demon said doubtfully.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll find out, won¡¯t we?¡±

    To be honest, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t as confident as he pretended to be, but it was the only lead he had. He would rather try and fail than not trying at all. If he failed, then he would die. That was all there was to it.

    The Moko Boundless Chains ttered and wrapped around the Boundless Mara Buddha once more, causing its thick demonic qi to shrink back into his body. Its evil, vicious expression slowly turned calm and merciful as it emitted the light and the sound of the Buddha.

    For the first time, a faint glow pierced through the thick nket of darkness. Ye Qing could actually see his Strange Artifact. It wasn¡¯t enough, however.

    ¡°More, Fog Demon. Give me more light,¡± Ye Qing ordered.

    The Fog Demon obeyed, and the Boundless Mara Buddha shone brighter. Not only that, it grew bigger and bigger until it looked like the sun in the sky.

    Ye Qing himself didn¡¯t stay idle. After he crouched down and touched the acidic water with his left hand, bluish ck fire abruptly burst into existence and spread to a hundred meters in radius in just the blink of an eye. Ye Qing didn¡¯t hold back and kept pushing the mes to spread further.

    The me was the Netherme, of course. Now that the Blue Demon Hand was a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, the Netherme was ten times, no, a hundred times stronger than what it was before. Although the Netherme was a yin-type fire, it still produced light. It might be bluish ck in color, but it would still disgust the Lightless Silverfish.

    Now, two Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifacts were unleashing their full power. The Boundless Mara Buddha was shining like the sun above, while bluish ck mes burned hundreds of kilometers at the bottom like a reflection of its true nature.

    If the Buddha¡¯s light was vast, overwhelming, and capable of piercing all evils, then the Netherme was irremovable, inescapable, and capable of burning everything. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the light and the me were working in perfect harmony like taichi because they belonged to Ye Qing and served his will.

    Because of this, the acidic water began boiling furiously. In fact, thebined power of the two Strange Artifacts evaporated every drop of liquid within its range. From a bird¡¯s eye point of view, it would look like someone had dipped a gigantic, invisible finger into the waters.

    About a teatimeter, the Fog Demon grew impatient. ¡°Are you <i>sure </i>this is going to work, boy?¡±

    ¡°Be patient. We need to let it burn a little longer,¡± Ye Qing replied unhurriedly.

    As mentioned earlier, there was nothing the Lightless Silverfish loathed more than light. If they were out in the real world, a simple candlelight was all they needed to repel it. However, they were inside the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s belly and shrank to the size of a grain of sand. The light they were generating might look massive from their perspective, but from the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s perspective, it was probably smaller than a firefly¡¯s glow. Of course the Lightless Silverfish wasn¡¯t going to notice it immediately.

    The Lightless Silverfish might not register a small blip on its radar, but it was only a matter of time before it realized that the blip was really a fish bone stuck in its throat. When that happened, it would be all too happy to spit them out of its stomach.

    Another half an incense stick passed, and the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s light began fading bit by bit. The Netherme scorching the surface of the acidic water had grown weaker as well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like repeating myself, but are you really, really sure that this is going to work, boy?¡± The Fog Demon asked weakly, though Ye Qing looked even worse. Bluish ck smoke was rising from his body, and Netherme seeped out of its pores every once in a while. His aura was weak, and hisplexion looked ill.

    The reason Ye Qing looked like this was because he was suffering from the Blue Demon Hand¡¯s rebound. Since the Blue Demon Hand was upgraded into a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, it was at least a hundred times stronger than before. However, its requirements and rebound were also a hundred times worse. Prolonged use of the Myriad Poison[1] or Netherme were sure to cause damage to his body.

    If he wasn¡¯t extraordinarily vigorous and immune to poison, if he didn¡¯t have the Nature¡¯s Water or the dragon-serpent runes to constantly recharge his astral qi and spiritual power, he would¡¯ve run out of strength a long time ago.

    Even so, the fatigue was getting to him. More importantly, his self-doubt was getting to him. If he was wrong about them being stuck inside the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s belly, then all of this would be for naught. While he had known that this was a possibility, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointment and despair.

    ¡°Continue...¡± Ye Qing forcefully pushed aways his feelings and uttered through gritted teeth.

    Even so, he couldn¡¯t quit now. The absolute worst thing he could do now was to quit halfway. Even if he was wrong, he must follow through on his decision until the very end.

    Another teatime passed, and Ye Qing was moments away from giving up and falling into despair. Suddenly, the acidic water began shaking violently, and the darkness writhed like countless ck tentacles. A loud, muffled noise emerged from the distance and hit Ye Qing so hard that it nearly knocked him to his feet, followed by a st of a putrid, rotten stench. The next thing he knew, the waters began flowing in reverse toward a certain direction and pulling the bamboo raft and Ye Qing with it.

    The Blue Wave Green Bamboo Raft had performed admirably, but it was only a matter of time before it broke under the massive waves and powerful gale. When it broke, Ye Qing inevitably fell into the highly corrosive water.

    The water ate through his protective astral qi and his body and caused disturbing sizzling noises, but instead of panicking, Ye Qing looked happier than ever.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone insane, have you boy? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯reughing in this situation!¡± The Fog Demon said. Ye Qing was currently clinging to the Boundless Mara Buddha with his right arm.

    ¡°I¡¯mughing because my guess is correct,¡± Ye Qing replied using his demonic thought. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before we¡¯re out of this ce.¡±

    Earlier, he was losing hope because his efforts had failed to elicit any reaction. But now, something was clearly happening. This crazy turbulence, more than anything, was the proof that his theory was true.

    ¡°I don¡¯t read many books, so you better not be lying to me!¡± The Fog Demon grumbled, ¡°I have no intentions of growing old in this horrible, lightless ce, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not done living myself.¡± Ye Qing chuckled and put the Boundless Mara Buddha back into Nine Heavens. Then, he concentrated on protecting his body and staying afloat with his body.

    The water moved so rapidly that even with his physique, he was beset by severe dizziness and motion sickness. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, but at some point he heard a strange ptooey noise and found himself sailing through the air. A secondter, he hit solid ground with a thud, and rays of weak light beamed into his vision.

    Ye Qing was immediately alert. He leaped to his feet and scanned his surroundings carefully.

    ¡°This is... the chamber on the first level?!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up, and a boisterousugh escaped his lips uncontrobly. ¡°I¡¯m out! I¡¯m out! Hahahahaha!¡±

    He was right after all. He really was dealing with the Lightless Silverfish. Looking down the staircase leading to the second level, he reckoned that the entrance leading to the third level was also the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s mouth, and the pool of acidic water he found was the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s stomach acid. That was why he was spat back to the first level chamber.

    Since he was out of the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s stomach, his body had returned to its normal size as well.

    After figuring out the whole truth, Ye Qing finally examined his body for wounds. Right now, he was covered in smelly, slimy fluid, and there were holes all over his Green Ink Shirt. The stomach acid had almost chewed through the Strange Artifactpletely.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe I lost two Strange Artifacts in a row. What a shame.¡±

    Ye Qing burned the slimy fluid and the Green Ink Shirt into ash with a burst of astral qi. He sighed as he put on a new set of clothes.

    The Blue Wave Green Bamboo Raft was nowhere to be seen. It was probably melting inside the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s stomach right now.

    After taking a moment to recover his astral qi and spiritual power, Ye Qing walked down the staircase once more. About halfway to the entrance, he raised his left hand and summoned the Netherme once more. It burned as brightly as a torch.

    The entrance shook a little before Ye Qing saw a massive shadow retreating into the distance. It was so strong that it actually ripped the staircase he was standing on in half.

    The Lightless Silverfish loathed all light. That was why it usually stayed far, far away from it. However, it didn¡¯t mean that it feared the light. The Lightless Silverfish was incredibly strong. If someone or something pissed it off or threatened its life, it wouldn¡¯t hesitate to show them who¡¯s boss.

    That was why Ye Qing had no ns to kill the Lightless Silverfish. He simply chased it away so he could continue onward to the third level.

    Ye Qing jumped over the gap and entered the second level chamber, and this time, he didn¡¯t find a pool of acidic water. Not far away from him, he saw a massive, sack-like object lying on the floor. It was impossible to make out its appearancepletely even though he was looking at it directly.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Lightless Silverfish? It¡¯s smaller than I thought!¡± The Fog Demon appeared from the Boundless Mara Buddha andmented.

    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s still terrifying, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ye Qing replied while watching the Stranger warily. How could he not, when the ¡°small¡± fish had nearly imed his life?

    Ye Qing kept his left hand in front of him while retreating to the far corner opposite of the Lightless Silverfish. Then, he carefully made his way to the entrance to the third level.

    The one good thing about the Lightless Silverfish was that its presence chased away most other Strangers. It was why Ye Qing had little trouble making it to the entrance to the third level. He hesitated when his fingers touched the floorboard, however[2]

    On the first level, he had been ambushed by a terrifying predator and almost killed. On the second level, he was nearly trapped inside the Lightless Silverfish¡¯s belly for eternity. Could he really survive the third level¡ªthe orlop deck¡ªwhere the corpse was supposedly kept?

    A momentter, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and lifted the floorboard. It was far toote for second thoughts at this point. The only way forward was to see through this until the end.

    He knew that the third level would be dangerous, but he couldn¡¯t have anticipated how early things would turn awry. As soon as he lifted the floorboard, several human corpses poured out of the gap like trash!

    Ye Qing hurriedly jumped back as five or six deformed corpses spilled out into the open. They barely looked human due to how deformed they were. It looked like they had been squeezed into a small space and left there for heavens-knows-how-long.

    After observing the corpses for a moment and discovering that they weren¡¯t Strangers, Ye Qing stepped a little closer and scrutinized the corpses some more. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to pick up any clues from it. With that done, he began removing the corpses from the entrance. They were blocking the way after all.

    One body, three bodies, five bodies, ten bodies...

    In just a moment, Ye Qing had removed sixteen bodies from the entrance. It was only then he finally saw the staircase leading to the third and bottom-most level of the ship¡ªthe orlop deck. Without further ado, Ye Qing descended deeper into the darkness.

    As soon as Ye Qing entered the third level chamber, his eyes immediately widened like saucers. The fog in the chamber was so thick that he could barely see anything, but not thick enough to conceal the hill-like shadows that could be found everywhere in the room. They were bodies, all of them. Men, women, old and young. It was horrifying to say the least.

    Ye Qing could tell that they were all real. He thought that the bodies surrounding the Corpse Ship were numerous enough, but this was insane. So many corpses were packed into the space that there was barely enough room for a single person to squeeze through, and thank the heavens for that. He didn¡¯t know what he would do if the ce was literally jam-packed with corpses.

    Ye Qing instinctively knew that the corpse he was searching for wasn¡¯t among the ungodly piles of corpses. ording to Longing, the corpse had been deposited inside a coffin and left at the center of the third floor chamber. There was a chance that the coffin was buried under one of the piles of corpses, but that seemed very unlikely.

    Mustering his courage, Ye Qing gingerly stepped inside the one-man passage. From time to time, he was forced to twist his body to avoid making contact with the bodies. He was so close he could even see the pores and hair on their skin. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the bodies were innocent people the Corpse Ship had kidnapped throughout the years.

    Speaking of which, this was the second time he was in such close proximity with this many corpses. His first time was when he entered the temple of corpses in the Thousand Buddhas Grotto. It was a good thing, because the experience meant that the unholy crawl induced more anxiety than fear.

    1. I¡¯m pretty sure this was mentioned before, but Hundred Poison has been upgraded to Myriad Poison. ?

    2. This is a ship, so it¡¯s not surprising that the entrance was on the floor. Think of it as a basement of sorts. ?

 Chapter 423: Nowhere To Run

    Chapter 423: Nowhere To Run

    The fog grew thicker as he continued forward. It didn¡¯t need to be said how terrifying it was to walk amidst piles and piles of bodies, all of them more than close enough to touch. The fact that they were partially covered by the fog only added to the horror.

    ¡°I sure hope these corpses aren¡¯t dangerous¡­¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but mutter under his breath.

    ¡°Wait¡­ did that corpse just move?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing took two steps backward and stared intently at a particr corpse. He thought he saw its arm moving when he was ncing in that direction, but when he actually stared at it, it waspletely motionless.

    ¡°Was my eyes ying tricks on me?¡±

    Ye Qing licked his lips nervously and slowly approached the corpse, wanting to observe it at close range and confirm if it was dead or alive.

    ¡°!?¡±

    The corpse¡¯s eyes abruptly fluttered open when he was standing in front of it.

    It wasn¡¯t the only one. Every corpse had abruptly opened their eyes to stare straight at him.

    ¡°Motherf¡ª!¡±

    Every hair on Ye Qing¡¯s body stood on end as he tried to withdraw. However, he had just taken two steps when he felt his back bumping into something soft. He turned around and saw a pile of corpses that was supposed to be several meters away from him pressed up against his back.

    It didn¡¯t need to be said just how horrifying it was to be stared at and squeezed by countless dead bodies from multiple directions. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, more corpses were dogpiling toward him from all sides.

    Without hesitation, Ye Qing leaped into the air in an attempt to avoid being piled on by the corpses. However, a bunch of bodies suddenly rained down from above right as his feet left the floor. The closest pile of corpses also copsed on top of him before he could react.

    There was just no room for maneuver or even time to react. Before he knew it, he was buried under hundreds and hundreds of bodies.

    That wasn¡¯t all. As if they were puppeteered by an invisible power, the bodies kept piling on top of Ye Qing while oozing bright red blood and disgusting corpse wax at the same time. This should be impossible considering that these corpses had been left to dry for heavens-know-how-many-years, but it was happening anyway. It would seem that they were trying to squeeze or suffocate Ye qing to death.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The next moment, a terrific boom scattered the hill of corpses in every direction, revealing a blood-soaked Ye Qing who looked incredibly pissed off. As more corpses raced toward him to dogpile him again, Ye Qing charged forward and unleashed a violent, tyrannical burst of energy. It felt like the birth of a Chaos Demon Ape.

    <em>¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±</em>

    <em>Boom boom boom!</em>

    Every corpse pile that was foolish enough to block his way was crushed into bits. Flesh, blood and bones scattered everywhere. In just the span of a few breaths, Ye Qing was able to run through the corpses and cover ten meters of distance.

    There was no turning back now that violence had been engaged. He was going to give everything he could to make it to the center of the chamber and locate the corpse behind it all.

    <em>Is that the coffin Longing and the others spoke of?!</em>

    After running through a couple more corpse piles, Ye Qing burst into a clearing and saw a wooden coffin directly in front of him. It was covered up, and an insane amount of fog was pouring out of it at all times.

    Ye Qing slowed down and approached the coffin carefully. The closer he got, the more nervous and anxious he became. He couldn¡¯t help but recall everything Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan had told him earlier.

    He should¡¯ve known this would happen, and it did. The coffin was only two or so meters away from him, but now matter how much he ran, he just couldn¡¯t get close to it no matter what. That short distance felt like the chasm between heaven and earth.

    <em>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</em>

    ¡°Destroy!¡±

    Ye Qing yelled as he tapped the space in front of him. A wave of demonic thought washed out, and the space around him abruptly shattered like ss.

    Not about to waste this golden opportunity, Ye Qing crossed the distance in one step and looked inside the coffin.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    The moment he looked inside the coffin, a pair of pale, murky eyes opened amidst the fog. A terrible fear unlike anything he ever felt before enveloped Ye Qing in that instant. He felt like an ant facing off against the world, the moon, or even the sun itself. He felt like he would never be able to close the gap between himself at the corpse. Its presence alone was so powerful, terrible and vast that he felt like his body and mind were being crushed. His thoughts were stuttering to a halt, and the blood in his veins were frozen like ice.

    His body began decaying bit by bit under the eyes¡¯ watchful gaze. His flesh began falling off his bones, his blood began decaying at an elerated rate, and even his mind was dying bit by bit.

    He knew that he would die if this continued, but for some reason, he just couldn¡¯t muster the courage to resist or escape. He felt like thend of the dead was where he truly belonged.

    <em>No! No! I don¡¯t want to die! I refuse!</em>

    Ye Qing roared inside his head and circted the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. The demonic lotus that was so close from withering abruptly gained new life and unfurled its three petals. Slowly but surely, the unopposable fear and despair clutching his mind in a death grip were slowly absorbed by it.

    The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a demonic art, and it fed on the Five Poisons, Six Desires, Seven Emotions, Eight Fears, Nine Terrors and more negative emotions to grow stronger. In other words, the fear and despair afflicting him right now was the perfect fodder for it.

    Eventually, Ye Qing regained control of his body and tapped the space in front of him without hesitation.

    <em>Thud!</em>

    Space rippled, and it was like someone had tossed a rock into a calmke. A massive amount of fog was pushed away just like that.

    When the fog scattered, Ye Qing abruptly realized that there was no coffin in front of him. There were no eyes of death staring into his soul earlier. In fact, the coffin was still several meters away from him.

    The fog inside the chamber grew ever thicker.

    ¡°It was all an illusion?!¡±

    Ye Qing furrowed his brows deeply as he wiped the sweat on his forehead.

    ¡°That was terrifying, but still, at least I don¡¯t have to deal with other Strangers.¡±

    He really shouldn¡¯t have said that. As soon as the words slipped out of his tongue, countless silhouettes suddenly emerged from the fog. He saw the spidermen he had fought earlier, a giant corpse Stranger that was made up of countless corpses, a giant skull that was sewn from countless skulls and more. He also sensed powerful, dangerous presences lurking deeper within the fog where he couldn¡¯t see. To say that he was in deep shit would be an understatement.

    ¡°You fucking idiot! Why did you jinx yourself?¡± Ye Qing swore. That was all he managed to do before the Strangers rushed him.

    Red Sleeve slipped into his hand as he shed diagonally at the closest Strangers. The Red Lotus hellfire immediately immted them and dissolved them into fog.

    Before the Red Lotus hellfire could run its course, nine silhouettes descended on top of the gigantic, four-headed spiderman and beheaded him in the blink of an eye. Growling, Ye Qing pushed against the floor and detonated its body like a bomb. The violent outburst of force and astral qi mmed into several spidermen and bowled them over.

    There was no time to catch a breath though. Already, the giant skull made of countless human skulls were descending on top of him like a waterfall.

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and shot up a full meter in height. Small clumps of ck fur grew out of his exposed skin, and a violent, tyrannical aura filled the sky.

    Ye Qing had reached the journeyman level in the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± and the Chaos Demon Ape Body some time ago. Although he couldn¡¯t transform fully into the Chaos Demon Ape like Chen Ah Sheng had, a minor transformation was more than doable.

    After transforming into the Chaos Demon Ape, Ye Qing let out a lung-bursting roar that scattered the thick fog surrounding him. Then, he punched up at the giant skull descending toward him.

    <em>¡°Divide¡±</em>

    There was a loud bang that sounded like a very, very loud gunshot, and Ye Qing¡¯s fist punched right through the gigantic skull. Even the waterfall of human skulls streaming behind it were scattered and pushed back where they came from.

    After defeating the giant skull, Ye Qing crossed his arms above his head like he was guarding the gate of heavens. The next moment, a gigantic arm smashed into his guard and elicited a dull grunt from him. Even in his current form, his knees bent a little as if the weight was too much.

    This was just the beginning. The giant made of countless corpses punched him in his guard again.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    One of Ye Qing¡¯s knees mmed into the floor like a thunderp.

    The corpse giant wasn¡¯t going to let up its assault, of course. It pressed down with both arms like it was going to crush him to death.

    Ye Qing¡¯s face warped into a savage snarl as he let out an animalistic roar. His muscles and bones popped ominously, and his aura grew even stronger. Slowly but surely, he pushed back the corpse giant¡¯s arms and climbed back to his feet.

    ¡°RAAAAAARGH!¡±

    Ye Qing roared again as he pushed up with all he got, throwing the corpse giant¡¯s arms upward and leaving him wide open. While the corpse giant was still catching its bnce, Ye Qing took one step forward and mmed his elbow into its body.

    It was like a giant knocking over the heavens so hard that the reverberations could be felt throughout the nine provinces.The corpse giant was sent flying just like that.

    Ye Qing thought that the crisis was temporarily over, but he had just let out a sigh of relief when many, many more Strangers rushed out of the fog.

    His face turned ugly. This was getting ridiculous.

    ¡°Wait, something¡¯s wrong. There¡¯s no way this chamber could hold this many Strangers, not to mention that some of them are so massive there¡¯s no way they could¡¯ve fit in the corridors. Are they illusions, or am I hallucinating?¡± Ye Qing suddenly realized something. Then, he shook his head and muttered to himself, ¡°No, it¡¯s possible. Supposedly, the corpse is located in the orlop deck. In reality, it really exists in its own created space. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for such a space to contain this many Strangers.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no point fighting them though. It¡¯ll take way too much time and effort. I should focus on the corpse and cut it at its roots!¡±

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing circted the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡± and dashed forward using the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±. For a time, he was able to slip past the Strangers as easily as he was ying in his own backyard. On the rare asion the enemies managed tond a hit on him, the attack would be misdirected to another Stranger instead. Thebination of the two arts was absolutely exquisite.

    Ye Qing reached the coffin very quickly, and it looked like he needed only one step to get close to it. However, he just couldn¡¯t close that final step no matter what he tried. He even used the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± and the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± multiple times thinking that it was an illusion again to no avail.

    Worse still, Strangers were still pouring out of the fog and attacking him from every direction. He had no choice but to fight off the Strangers while trying every way he could think of to get close to the coffin.

    The number of Strangers kept growing, and Ye Qing inevitably received many wounds in the process. However, the distance between himself and the coffin only grew over time.

    Eyes bloodshot, Ye Qing clenched his fingers and smashed the ground with his left first. The Netherme immediately spread out like a tidal wave and burned countless Strangers into ash. The attack managed to clear out every Stranger within ten meters of him and bought himself some time.

 Chapter 424: The Fog Demonâ€™s Ploy

    Chapter 424: The Fog Demon¡¯s Ploy

    ¡°Phew¡­¡± A rotten, anomalous breath escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips. He had to give his head a strong shake to preserve his rity of mind.

    After fighting in this debilitating fog for such a long time, he was tired in both body and spirit. It was to the point where he could no longer tell if a certain object in front of him was an illusion. Although the Nature¡¯s Water and the golden dragon-serpent runes could restore him to peak form immediately, the problem was that the doubt was really starting to get to him. He was starting to think that he would never find the corpse.

    At this rate, he would run out of Nature¡¯s Water and golden dragon-serpent runes eventually. When that happened, he would die.

    Worse still, he still had no idea how to get the corpse or confirm that it was real. Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan¡¯s suggestions and advices werepletely useless here.

    <em>Should I let them out?</em>Ye Qing considered the option for a moment. Perhaps the girls would have a way to track down the corpse or bring forth some sort of beneficial change. Worst case scenario, at least they would be dying together.

    However, letting them out was thest resort. If he did it, there would truly be no turning back, not to mention that there was a huge chance the girls would attack him because of his failure. The mere thought of the three women ganging up on him¡ªand not in the oh yeah way¡ªsent shivers up his spine.

    <em>Heavens dammit, I should never havee to Tian Yong. I should¡¯ve just stayed at Luo Shui and grind weak Strangers like a good boy. Practically nothing has gone smoothly since I embarked on this journey, and now, I might even lose my life. The adventure wasn¡¯t worth it at all.</em>

    Regret and helplessness flitted across his features.

    In fact, he had a secondst resort. He could bring out the Annon Sutra to lure the corpse out into the open before pitting the three women against it. It would give him the opportunity to escape.

    The Annon Sutra¡¯s earlier reaction proved that revealing it would most likely draw the attention of a powerful, terrible existence, and on this ship, the only ones who fit the bill were Longing, Hua Mei, Jue Yan, and the mysterious corpse.

    However, this was an unreliablest resort at best. For one, he wasn¡¯t willing to give up the Annon Sutra. Two, there was a non-zero chance the Annon Sutra would y dead and refuse to reveal its power. His effort would bepletely useless.

    Therefore, this could only be the truest resort. He could only enact this n if the three women proved useless after he released them.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not over yet. I¡¯ll make that decision when I¡¯m truly out of options.¡± Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and patched up his wavering determination. He had experienced many dangers and led a full life of conflict and strife in the Nanke Dream, so he was no longer the naive and weak-minded young man he used to be. He would never give up until the very end.

    Suddenly, the Fog Demon¡¯s voice rang beside Ye Qing¡¯s ears. ¡°Kekeke¡­ you¡¯ll never find the coffin like this, boy.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing asked while punching a few Strangers away with his fists. It sounded like the Fog Demon knew something. ¡°What do you know?¡±

    ¡°I must say that you''re a very smart person, boy,¡± the Fog Demon said leisurely.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m smart, but there are better times to lick my boots. Get to the point!¡± Ye Qing chided the Fog Demon impatiently. What made it think that a life-and-death battle was a good ce to lick his boots?

    ¡°Pooh! What makes you think I¡¯m licking your boots? When I was ruling over the Nine Nethers, you were just a brat ying mud with your dick hanging out of your pants!¡± The Fog Demon scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to say that your intelligence, while a good trait in most circumstances, is the very reason you¡¯re caught in this quicksand right now!¡±

    ¡°Be more specific.¡± Ye Qing was confused by its statement.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that you are too cunning, and think too much.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ still don¡¯t see the problem here.¡± It was always better to be careful than careless; safe than sorry. How could that be a mistake?

    The Fog Demon didn¡¯t keep him in suspense. ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a good trait in most circumstances. But here on this level? It can only be a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, what the fuck are you talking about?¡± He was only getting more and more confused.

    ¡°Excuse you? Is that how you beg for help from someone?¡± The Fog Demon harrumphed imperiously.

    ¡°Ahem. Senior, would you please exin it in a way that this junior can understand?¡±<em>Ooh, I¡¯m going to do such terrible things to it once it tells me what I want to hear.</em>

    Seemingly satisfied with Ye Qing¡¯s response, the Fog Demon said seriously, ¡°This ce is strange.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±<em>On second thought, I¡¯m going to torture its foggy ass right now.</em>

    Unaware of Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts, the Fog Demon continued, ¡°Did you notice? Ever since you entered this chamber, every danger you encountered has something to do with your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°You were worried that the corpses woulde back to life, and lo and behold, they did. You wanted to find that corpse, so the coffin appeared before you. You were sure that the corpse inside the coffin was dangerous, so it opened its eyes and nearly killed you. You wondered if there are Strangers lurking within the fog, and as if on cue, the Strangers came. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ right!¡± Ye Qing thought back to what happened before and concluded that the Fog Demon was telling the truth. ¡°Are these all illusions then?¡±

    The Fog Demon denied it. ¡°Not at all. They were all real. Your thoughts have made them a reality.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that anything that I imagine in this ce wille true?¡±

    The Fog Demon shook its head. ¡°No, no, only your fears and your worries woulde true. To put it in human terms, it¡¯s like your heart demon is made manifest. The more you think, worry, and fear, the worse your situation will be.¡±

    ¡°I see. In other words, this ce could theoretically be perfectly safe so long as I keep a tight rein over my thoughts,¡± Ye Qing mused thoughtfully.

    ¡°Correct,¡± The Fog Demon confirmed. ¡°The smarter and moreplex you are, the greater the dangers you will face in this ce. On the other hand, someone who is pure in heart, stupid or retarded are far less likely to run into danger.¡±

    ¡°But how can I find that corpse?¡± Ye Qing asked and killed several charging Strangers with a stomp of his foot. At the same time, he reined in his mind and focused solely on what was in front of him.

    ¡°This is one strange corpse you have here, and the fog makes it so much worse. In my opinion, the greater your desire to find the corpse, the harder it is you¡¯ll be able to find it.¡± The Fog Demon exined, ¡°Therefore, the only way to find the corpse is clear your mind and enter a state of nirvana¡ªno desire, no love, and no wish. Only then can you find the corpse.¡±

    Before Ye Qing could react, the Fog Demon continued, ¡°However, this is near impossible for you humans. This is doubly true for smart people like you.¡±

    ¡°All humans possess desires, love, and wishes. Even your Buddhist monks, Taoists, Bodhisattvas and Buddhas cannot truly rid themselves of their mortal restraints, much less a heretical boy like you. Your mind is some of the most devilish I met, and you even cultivated the ¡®Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡¯, a demonic art. As a result, your heart demon and desires are much stronger than most. You of all people have the least chance of entering a state of nirvana, keke!¡±

    Ye Qing frowned, but he couldn¡¯t deny the truth in the Fog Demon¡¯s words. The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± fed on negative emotions to grow his demonic thought, so his heart demon and thoughts were greater than average. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he could easily suffer a deviation and potentially perish. That was why he made sure not to cultivate his power too quickly.

    In fact, this was amon characteristic of all martial arts of the Dark Ways. While fast to progress and incredibly powerful, martial arts of the Dark Ways possessed clear, oftentimes severe ws as well.

    ¡°How did you know about this?¡± Ye Qing ignored the Fog Demon¡¯s insult and asked doubtfully.

    ¡°Who do you think I am? I¡¯m a glorious Fog Demon of the Nine Nethers! I¡¯ve eaten more salt than you have rice, and I have witnessed countless fools falling for the same trap as you!¡± The Fog Demon dered arrogantly.

    There was no way the Fog Demon was going to admit that it was the one who fell into the trap and almost died as a result.

    ¡°Well, you are definitely a knowledgeable and perspicacious Stranger, senior,¡± Ye Qing mused thoughtfully. ¡°I¡¯m assuming that you know a solution for this?¡±

    The Fog Demon grinned. ¡°I do, but you¡¯ll have to beg me if you want my help.¡±

    ¡°Sure! Please help me, senior!¡± Ye Qing begged without hesitation.

    Fog Demon: ¡°...¡±<em>Where¡¯s your shame, man? Where¡¯s your dignity?</em>

    The Fog Demon was hoping to see Ye Qing beg him with an ugly, humiliated expression, so it was a little miffed. Still, it had given its word, so it replied, ¡°I¡¯m a Nine Nethers Demon, and my expertise lies in toying and controlling with the human heart. If you lower your guard and open your mind to me, I promise I¡¯ll conceal your heart demon and desires well enough to find that corpse.¡±

    ¡°Really now? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Hmph. You and I are grasshoppers bound by the same rope. If you die, I die as well. Why would I lie to you at this juncture?¡± The Fog Demon scoffed with displeasure.

    ¡°True.¡± Ye Qing nodded, though there was a cold glint in his eyes the Fog Demon didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Hmph. Guess you¡¯re not an ingrate after all. If not for the fact that my life is bound to yours, and you¡¯re not the worst master I ever served, I would never have made you the offer,¡± the Fog Demon said disdainfully.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it pains you so much to help me. In that case, allow me to try my method first.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smirk.

    ¡°W-What? You¡¯re not actually suicidal, are you?¡± The Fog Demon was caught off guard by this deration.

    ¡°Of course not. I still have much to live for. But like I said, let me try my method first,¡± Ye Qing said while killing the Strangers one by one.

    It would appear that the Fog Demon was telling the truth. After he focused his thoughts and stopped his imagination from running wild, no more Strangers appeared while he slew the existing ones.

    Of course, the same couldn¡¯t be said for its so-called method. No, he wasn¡¯t doubting its efficacy. As the Fog Demon said, its life was on the line as well. However, that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t harbor some sort of ulterior motive.

    In fact, he reckoned that the Fog Demon had figured out the trick behind the fog a long time ago. However, it chose not to tell him about it immediately because one, it wanted to see him struggle, and two, it wanted to offer him the solution after he had fallen into despair. Theoretically, he would be too distraught to consider the dangers of opening his mind to a Nine Nethers Demon and allowing it to do as it pleased.

    The Fog Demon itself imed that it was an expert in toying and controlling with the human heart, and Ye Qing always knew that it harbored malicious intent toward him. He would be in deep shit if the Fog Demon tried something while it was in control of his mind.

    Plus, he wasn¡¯t lying when he told the Fog Demon that he had his own method. Why would he resort to the risky method when he wasn¡¯t out of ideas yet?

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to crack a joke, boy. You may be suicidal, but I don¡¯t want to die yet!¡± The Fog Demon wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to reject him. Assuming the boy really wasn¡¯t joking, then everything he did would be for naught.

    Although its life was in Ye Qing¡¯s hands from the moment it became his artifact spirit¡ªin fact, its situation was little better than the other Strangers who signed an Oath of Burden with Ye Qing¡ªbut as a Nine Nethers Demon, it had ways to circumvent its death.

    For example, it could corrupt and control Ye Qing just like it had done to Xue Beikun. No one would notice anything amiss because the boy¡¯s mind and energies were still intact. He just wouldn¡¯t be the absolute authority of himself anymore.

    While the Fog Demon was sure that Ye Qing would be on guard against foul y, it was confident that it could find an opportunity to corrupt and control Ye Qing once he opened his mind to him. Even if it failed, it could leave behind some suggestions that would tempt Ye Qing into the Dark Ways. Once he fell, it was only a matter of time before he became its puppet.

    If that failed as well, then it could still unearth Ye Qing¡¯s deepest secrets or weaknesses.

    However, Ye Qing was saying that he didn¡¯t need it. If it couldn¡¯t gain ess to his mind, then all of its nning would be for naught.

    <em>I thought for sure he¡¯s desperate enough to try anything. Did he notice something?</em>The Fog Demon couldn¡¯t help but feel disgruntled.

 Chapter 425: Qi of Ultimate Purity

    Chapter 425: Qi of Ultimate Purity

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I live, you live.¡± Ye Qing smiled confidently.

    The subtext was if he dies, the Fog Demon dies as well.

    ¡°Ho-hum. Let¡¯s see what you got then. You better note crying to me for help when your method failster!¡± The Fog Demon harrumphed. It was definitely going to make Ye Qing regret his decisionter!

    ¡°Trust me, you won¡¯t be disappointed.¡±

    Right after Ye Qing said that, he charged into a group of Strangers while yin and yang energy circted around him. A bunch of rumblingster, the ce waspletely cleared out of Strangers.

    Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief deeply before consuming a drop of Nature¡¯s Water and restoring himself to peak condition. Then, a goblet appeared in his hand. It was filled with wisps of clear qi instead of wine, however.

    The clear qi was bluish in color and perfectly pure. Light and ephemeral, it also emanated the air and intent of dao.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Qi of Ultimate Purity?!¡± The Fog Demon eximed in surprise. Itpletely forgot that Ye Qing possessed the item.

    Ye Qing had used it to intimidate Yi Pin when he was extorting the item, so the Fog Demon was aware of the item. It just forgot about it until now.

    ¡°The Qi of Ultimate Purity should help clear my thoughts and put me in a state of nirvana, no?¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    The Qi of Ultimate Purity was one of the primordial spiritual qi and possessed the ability to calm one¡¯s mind, solidify one¡¯s spirit, eliminate one¡¯s karmic hindrance, and purify their thoughts. To put it in simpler terms, it could bestow someone perfect rity of the mind and protect them from any negative influence. It was the perfect solution to his current situation.

    ¡°Of course the Qi of Ultimate Purity can protect you from the fog¡¯s influence, but are you sure you want to waste such a valuable treasure in this ce?¡± The Fog Demon replied reluctantly.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°A valuable treasure is only valuable if you use it. Plus, what use is it to me if I¡¯m dead?¡±

    Without further ado, Ye Qing inhaled deeply. A wisp of Qi of Ultimate Purity, bluish and dreamlike, rose from the goblet like smoke and entered his nostrils.

    As soon as the Qi of Ultimate Purity entered his body, Ye Qing felt a gentle and refreshing energy spreading inside his body. It felt like bathing inside a cool mountain spring, soothing and calming. His stray thoughts, his worries, his distress and more, they all disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Like still water, his heart was devoid of desire or emotions, and like a mirror, his mind was perfectly clean and unblemished.

    Despite the strange state, Ye Qing was perfectly aware of himself and his surroundings. Like an indifferent god who had broken free from the chains of mortality, his consciousness sat loftier than the nine heavens themselves. He felt like everything and nothing at the same time.

    Ye Qing put away the goblet and stepped forward. He had no aim, no thoughts, no desire he must fulfill no matter what. He just¡­ walked.

    The world around him began fizzling out like a TV with poor or no signal, but far more unusual, colorful, and dreamlike. Ye Qing paid no attention to them, however.

    If I do not see, then it doesn¡¯t exist.

    If I do not think, then it is not there.

    The strange and colorful reality began crumbling upon itself. When it waspletely gone, a grayish, narrow chamber appeared around him, and at the center of the chamber¡­ was a coffin.

    The coffin didn¡¯t look too different from the fake one he saw earlier. It was the same shape and size, and it wasn¡¯t lidded. However, no fog was pouring out of the coffin, nor was there a pair of eyes threatening to crush him where he stood.

    There was only a corpse. A bloated, rotten corpse. A corpse that looked just like any other drowned corpse that was submerged in water for too long.

    Something was odd, however. Wisps of fog would exit its mouth and nose from time to time. It almost looked like it was breathing.

    Ye Qing came to a stop when he was one meter away from the coffin. He didn¡¯t go further because he had a feeling that something bad would happen if he got any closer to it.

    Without hesitation, Ye Qing pulled Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan¡¯s objects out of his Nine Heavens, causing the three women to appear one after another.

    When they saw the coffin and the corpse inside it, shock, joy, surprise, anger, hatred, disgust, fear and more emotions flitted across their features in an instant. Then, they charged the corpse without even looking at Ye Qing.

    Longing¡¯s painting rapidly grew in size, and the peach blossom trees grew out of the painting and filled the entire chamber with pink petals.

    Jue Yan¡¯s bronze mirror spat out a seemingly endless amount of ck hair that towered over the corpse like a ck tide.

    And Hua Mei¡¯s pipa yed a loud and forceful war song that was furious, hateful and bloodthirsty all at the same time.

    Sensing danger, the fog flowing out of the corpse¡¯s mouth and nose abruptly thickened significantly. It was also far more anomalous and dangerous than before.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to jump away from the fog. As it spread out, the fog ripped through the peach blossom forest and tidal wave of ck hair like nothing, and threw the pipa song into disarray. Then, it engulfed all three women before they could react.

    That wasn¡¯t all. More fog began pouring in from everywhere. It looked like the corpse was withdrawing it unto itself, the source of its strength.

    In the end, the fog was so thick it was almost solid. Although Ye Qing was just a meter away from the battlefield, he couldn¡¯t see what was going on inside of it.

    That said, the fog would disperse from time to time and leak a gust of aura that could only be described as terrifying. Clearly, Longing, Hua Mei and Hue Yan were fighting against the corpse.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t try to intervene because he knew full well that there was nothing he could do to help the girls. To rush into the fog was tomit suicide.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    A dozen or so breathster, the ball of fog abruptly exploded, exposing the three girls and the corpse at the center.

    It looked like the girls had won. The coffin had exploded into smithereens, and the corpse had been ripped apart into several pieces. Its head was being held by Longing, its feet by Hua Mei, and its arms by Jue Yan. Only its torso was left on the floor.

    That said, the girls weren¡¯t faring much better. Longing¡¯s painting looked like someone had taken a knife to it, and the gorgeous peach blossom forest inside the painting waspletely withered. Strange wisps of fog could be seen slithering between the trees and adding to the eerie atmosphere.

    Deep within the forest, Longing was barefooted and stepping on the corpse¡¯s head.

    Jue Yan¡¯s bronze mirror waspletely covered in cracks, and fog was slipping out of it all the time. Inside the mirror, Jue Yan¡¯s sea of ck hair had turned into a sea of gray hair instead. Ye Qing could vaguely see a pair of legs being trapped within the hair.

    As for Hua Mei¡¯s pipa, the strings werepletely snapped. There were severed fingers curled around the broken strings, and blood was dripping out of the stumps.

    All three items were floating in the air, unmoving. It looked like Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan were suppressing parts of the corpse¡¯s body inside their objects.

    Suddenly, a massive amount of fog poured out of the torso where its head, arms and legs used to be. Instead of dispersing, it wrapped tightly around the torso.

    Longing cried urgently from inside her painting, ¡°Scion Ye, you need to destroy the torso now! If it manages to escape, then we would be back to square one!¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little but didn¡¯t act immediately.

    ¡°Scion Ye, we¡¯re using all of our power to suppress its head and limbs right now. We literally cannot spare the strength to suppress its torso as well. Moreover, it¡¯s no longer in danger after it abandoned its head and limbs!¡± Longing said hurriedly. ¡°Please, Scion Ye! It¡¯s going to escape any second now! If you don¡¯t act now, then it would be toote!¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Ye Qing finally epted her n and took one step forward, appearing right in front of the fog-shrouded torso. Then, he clenched his left fist and punched the torso with all his might.

    The Netherme spread, and the Burning Wind howled. Fire was stronger when in the presence of the wind, so the Netherme quickly transformed into a fiery cyclone and pressed against the fog from all sides.

    Some of the fog were pulled into the cyclone and burned into nothing. In fact, it fueled the Netherme and made it even stronger. However, Ye Qing noticed that the torso at the eye of the storm was still fine. Any Netherme that got too close to the corpse would gradually disappear as if some sort of invisible power was protecting it.

    Frowning, Ye Qing swung his arm downward and split the cyclone in half. A crimson light fell straight toward the corpse.

    However, a clump of fog caught the saber force before it could hit its target. Then, it gradually disappeared. At the same time, the fog surrounding the torso grew thicker and smaller over time.

    Technically, the fog wasn¡¯t growing smaller. It was the torso slowly moving away from Ye Qing and into a different space with the fog. That was why it looked like it was shrinking.

    As for how it was doing this, Ye Qing had no idea.

    ¡°Scion Ye, quick! That corpse is about to escape! There¡¯s no time!¡± Longing pressed with deep urgency and fear.

    ¡°You can¡¯t let it escape, Scion Ye! Otherwise, everything would be for naught!¡±

    ¡°Kill it now!¡±

    Hua Mei and Jue Yan¡¯s urgent voice reached him as well.

    Ye Qing understood the folly of allowing your enemy to escape, of course. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the torso at top speed.

    His first two attacks were just probing attacks, and it confirmed that the corpse was much weaker than it used to be. Losing its head and its limbs had robbed it of most of its strength.

    It looked like the torso was only a single step away from him, but in reality, he wasn¡¯t able to reach it even after dashing after it for a few breaths. Not only that, the torsounched another clump of fog at him in an attempt to stall him.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t try to dodge out of the way. He simply swung Red Sleeve and cut the fog in half using the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±. The attack had failed to slow him even a little.

    A few breathster, Ye Qing finally reached the torso. He made a grab with his left hand, and a torrent of Netherme crashed onto his target. Even as the fog kept the Netherme at bay, the torso was withering rapidly like it couldn¡¯t withstand the supernatural temperature of the Netherme.

    Unfortunately, the corpse shrank yet again and somehow broke out of the Netherme¡¯s range. It was still moving toward some sort of unknown space.

    Unwilling to let it go, Ye Qing raced forward and caught up to the torso once more. Then, he abruptly clenched his fingers into a fist.

    The space around the torso exploded, and the withering body finally crumbled piece by piece. As it disintegrated, Ye Qing unleashed another wave of Netherme and burned it all into ash.

    ¡°Boy, watch out!¡±

    Ye Qing thought it was finally over when suddenly, the Fog Demon shouted beside his ears. Sensing something amiss, Ye Qing immediately backpedaled as quickly as it could. However, he had just moved a muscle when a wisp of fog¡ªdarker, stranger and more evil than any other fog Ye Qing had seen to date¡ªburst out of the Netherme and flew toward Ye Qing faster than he could retreat.

    Growling, Ye Qing unleashed Divide and summoned a mountain of fist force in front of himself. At the same time, he surrounded his body in thick energies of yin and yang.

    Not only that, the Mara Buddha appeared behind Ye Qing, roared, and made a grab for the wisp of fog.

    It was all futile. As if it was existing in a different space, the fog easily passed through the astral qi, the Mara Buddha¡¯s palm, and the yin and yang energies before entering Ye Qing¡¯s body.

 Chapter 426: Blood Demon Sutra

    Chapter 426: Blood Demon Sutra

    The fog spread rapidly as soon as it entered Ye Qing¡¯s body. In just the blink of an eye, it had spread to every corner of his body through his veins, flesh and blood. Faint mist could be seen seeping out of his pores.

    If this was all the fog did, then Ye Qing had a million and one ways to eliminate it from his body. The problem was that the fog was slowly corrupting and assimting him from the inside. Forget expelling the fog from his body, his astral qi was slowly being consumed and assimted as well.

    A few breathster, the fog appeared inside his headspace as well. He could vaguely see a torso suspended in the middle of the thick fog.

    ¡°It¡¯s trying to take over my body!¡± Ye Qing frowned. If he didn¡¯te up with a solution soon, he would be the corpse¡¯s new host.

    ¡°Open your mind and let me in to protect your mind, boy! I might be able to resist this fog!¡± The Fog Demon¡¯s voice rang beside Ye Qing¡¯s ears urgently. When he saw that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t reacting, it urged again, ¡°We¡¯re past the time for caution, boy! Do you really want to die?¡±

    The Fog Demon wasn¡¯t plotting something this time. If Ye Qing died, it would die as well. For once, it truly wanted to save Ye Qing from the bottom of its heart, even though it was because it viewed Ye Qing as its personal prey and couldn¡¯t stand anyone else taking that glory from it.

    ¡°Are you sure you can stop it?¡± Ye Qing mentally asked the Fog Demon. Maybe it was because he was still under the effects of the Qi of Ultimate Purity, but the life-or-death crisis only cooled his head even more.

    ¡°Honestly? I¡¯m not sure. I can only say that I¡¯ll do my best,¡± the Fog Demon answered.

    Ye Qing furrowed his brows and didn¡¯t give the Fog Demon an answer. Inside his headspace, he condensed his demonic thought into a saber and executed the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± and the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± repeatedly. However, all that did was to slow the fog¡¯s progress slightly. It wasn¡¯t enough to eliminate the fogpletely.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, boy? Let me in already!¡± The Fog Demon urged again.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t stray from his current course of action, however. He remained calm and tried everything he thought might work against the fog one by one.

    He wasn¡¯t worried that the Fog Demon might screw him over. After all, their lives were on the line here. If there was one thing about the Fog Demon he could trust, it would be its desire to live. The only reason he hadn¡¯t let the Fog Demon in was because the Fog Demon itself wasn¡¯t certain if it could handle the fog, which made the option high risk and low reward. There was no simply reason to pick it until all other options had been exhausted.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing noticed something. The fog attacking his blood was failing to corrupt it. Not only that, his blood was actually devouring the fog in turn!

    After his blood had devoured the fog, Ye Qing was struck by a sudden pang of desire and hunger. It had been a long time since he felt this sensation¡ªspecifically after he began cultivating the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±.

    It had been so long that hepletely forgot that he had consumed a drop of strange blood belonging to a powerful, unknown existence residing at the Jade Dragon Lake. As a result, his blood underwent a mutation and gained the ability to devour other people¡¯s blood as well. Technically speaking, he was now a Strangerkin.

    At the beginning, he was too weak to master the powerful bloodpletely. From time to time, he would be struck by the urge to feed on fresh blood. However, he soon grew strong enough to wrestle down the urge with ease, and after he cultivated Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±, the urge waspletely gone... until now.

    The ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± was a martial art of blood control. It enabled the practitioner to absorb and refine other people¡¯s blood for their own use and improve their fine control over their own blood. That was how he resolved the hidden threat posed by his own blood.

    He didn¡¯t realize that his blood could devour the fog until after the fact, however. Where there''s a will, there''s a way. Of course, there was the possibility that devouring the fog might threaten his life down the line, but he was dying now. Even if his fears were proven true, he would deal with it in the future.

    ¡°Guard me, Fog Demon. Do not allow anyone to approach me,¡± Ye Qing ordered.

    ¡°Did you find a solution, boy?¡± The Fog Demon felt its non-existent heart sliding back into its chest.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently before focusing on cycling the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±. He began mobilizing every drop of blood in his body to devour the fog.

    His blood stirred like a hibernating beast awakening to extreme starvation. It pounced on top of the fog and consumed everyst wisp of it.

    Inside Ye Qing¡¯s headspace, the fog sensed the danger and quickly gathered itself to escape. Ye Qing sneered disdainfully when he saw this. ¡°You think you cane and go as you please? Stay!¡±

    The blood in his body took the form of arge hand. It caught the fog in a death grip before it could go anywhere.

    Of course, a good amount of fog simply slipped through the bloody hand¡¯s fingers and continued its escape, but it barely traveled a few inches before the invisible Blood Shadows trapped it and began consuming it as well.

    The fog grew thinner and thinner over time. Eventually, it disappearedpletely. The blood hand crumbled and returned to its original form after that.

    Ye Qing¡¯s face didn¡¯t rx, however. It was because his blood was the one stirring up trouble this time. Like a tidal wave, it mmed against his blood vessels, nerves and internal organs again and again. Even with his tenacity, the pain was slowly but surely growing.

    It looked even worse from the outside. His blood vessels were swollen and bulging out of every part of his body. It was almost to the point where his skin looked transparent. They looked like they could burst at any moment.

    Not only was he bleeding from every orifice, tiny beads of blood were leaking out of his pores as well. More importantly, the blood was giving off thick fog as well. His face was also warped to the point where it was nearly indistinguishable.

    It was at this moment a painting, a bronze mirror and a pipa flew over to Ye Qing. They were about ten meters away when a massive demonic Buddha manifested in the air and blocked their way. ¡°Halt, you three.¡±

    The items stopped, and the three women appeared one after another.

    ¡°We mean no harm. We simply wish to assist Scion Ye,¡± Longing exined as she gauged the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s strength. ¡°Scion Ye has been invaded by the corpse¡¯s original fog. If we don¡¯t help him now, his life would be in grave danger.¡±

    ¡°Can you help him?¡± The Fog Demon asked while watching the trio warily.

    Longing replied, ¡°Our power originates from the fog, so we can suppress it to a certain extent. I believe we can be of help to Scion Ye.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke...¡± The Fog Demon suddenly let out a strange cackle. ¡°You¡¯re wee, but this brat never throws himself into something he isn¡¯t sure about. I¡¯ll ask for your help only if the fog turns out to be too much for him to handle.¡±

    As a Nine Nethers Demon and an expert in toying with the human heart, it could tell that Longing¡¯s offer was only half true.

    It was true that she and her sisters possessed the power to quell the fog inside Ye Qing¡¯s body, but she was lying when she said it was to save Ye Qing. They were simply coveting the fog currently inside his body.

    ¡°You¡¯re an artifact spirit, aren¡¯t you? This one greets you, senior.¡± Longing bowed politely to the Fog Demon before pleading, ¡°Scion Ye saved us, senior. We would never turn against our savior and liberator, so please, allow us to return the favor.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s clear that Scion Ye can lose his life at any moment. Surely you don¡¯t want that to happen?¡±

    Longing was about to say more when suddenly, Hua Mei spoke up, ¡°Sister, I personally think that Scion Ye can resolve his own situation. Why don¡¯t we give him some time?¡±

    ¡°Hua Mei?¡± Longing nced at Hua Mei in surprise.

    Jue Yan pondered for a moment before voicing her agreement as well. ¡°I agree with Hua Mei. Let us wait and see what happens.¡±

    ¡°... If that is what you think, then I shall drop this matter.¡± Longing stopped insisting and nodded. ¡°But again, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask for our help should you deem it necessary, senior. We promise that we will do everything in our power to save Scion Ye.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± The Fog Demon cackled uncaringly before thinking to itself:<em>Interesting. It looks like they¡¯re not of one mind.</em>

    Its thoughts quickly turned back to worry though. If Ye Qing really couldn¡¯t handle the fog ravaging his body, then it would have no choice but to let the three women take over.

    Ye Qing¡¯s situation only seemed to worsen over time. His skin began cracking like ss, and some of his blood vessels literally burst from how much pressure they were subjected to.

    Just when everyone including the Fog Demon thought that Ye Qing would falter, the young man¡¯s lips abruptly curled into a strange, somewhat unsettling smirk.

    The next moment, they watched in astonishment as the blood pouring out of his wounds began flowing back in reverse. His wounds slowly began healing as well. At the same time, his astral qi, his vigor and the fog began intermingling with each other and forming a small cyclone around Ye Qing.

    A teatimeter, Ye Qing slowly rose to his feet. However, the Fog Demon quickly noticed that it wasn¡¯t Ye Qing at all. No, it was just some sort of silhouette. The real Ye Qing was still seated on the floor.

    Whatever the silhouette was, it hade out of Ye Qing¡¯s body. Although it was right in front of it, the Fog Demon couldn¡¯t see its face at all. It was covered in fog and looked quite mysterious.

    The next moment, the cyclone of qi, vigor and fog merged into the silhouette. It was only then its face was revealed to the Fog Demon and the three girls. It was a humanoid creature that waspletely made of fog. Its features were constantly changing and shifting, and there were wisps of red mixed with the white fog.

    Shocked, Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan immediately charged the fog person. It was because they sensed the original fog in the fog person and thought that the corpse had returned to life.

    ¡°Calm down, Misses.¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing opened his eyes and climbed to his feet with a smile. From their point of view, it looked like the fog person had ovepped with Ye Qing to give him a misty, light red appearance. The fact he was smiling also added to the unsettling atmosphere.

    ¡°Is it you, Scion Ye?¡± The three women stopped in their tracks and stared at Ye Qing intently. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Ye Qing took two steps forward and passed through the fog person. He then replied cordially, ¡°Thank you for your concern. I am fine.¡±

    ¡°What... What is that fog person behind you, Scion Ye?¡± Longing asked concernedly.

    Ye Qing took two steps to the side so they could have a full view of the fog person. ¡°Oh, this? This is the fog that tried to corrupt me earlier. But don¡¯t worry, I now have full control over it. It is no longer a threat to anyone.¡±

    As he said this, the fog person crumbled into wisps and flowed into Ye Qing¡¯s body.

    After probing Ye Qing with her senses carefully and confirming that he really had be the master of the original fog, Longingplimented him with a mixed expression on her face, ¡°You truly are a genius, Scion Ye. I don¡¯t mean any slight, but I still can¡¯t believe that you actually managed to control the original fog with your own strength. You have my deepest respect.¡±

    They knew more than anyone just how terrible the original fog was. Even with their power, they had no choice but to split the body into four parts and suppress three of them inside their objects. Even so, the effort had consumed nearly every sliver of power they possessed. That was why they didn¡¯t think that Ye Qing could truly deal with the torso and the original fog inside his body at all. When Longing had asked Ye Qing to destroy the torso, she really just wanted him to buy enough time for them to properly suppress the body parts and original fog inside their objects beforeing to his aid.

    They had misjudged his power, however. Against all expectations, Ye Qing had saved himself.

 Chapter 427: Fang Muyunâ€™s Ploy

    <h4>Chapter 427: Fang Muyun¡¯s Ploy </h4>

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate that. But honestly, I just got lucky. I just happened to have a martial art that is a good counter to this fog,¡± Ye Qing smiled and spoke a half-truth.

    His blood had quelled the fog, but his martial art, the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±, was what suppressed the violent reaction at the end.

    The core of ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± wasposed of two martial arts. The first one was the ¡°Art of Blood Control¡±, a martial art where the practitioner absorbed and refined another person¡¯s blood for their own use. The second one was the art that creates the Children of Blood Demon, the ¡°Art of Blood Demon¡±.

    Of the two, the art to create the Children of Blood Demon was the more important one. It was also the one the people of the <i>jianghu </i>feared the most.

    He had learned the way to create the Children of Blood Demon back when he obtained Shangguan Wuwo¡¯s ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± in the Demon¡¯s Tomb. However, Chu Qingge clearly loathed the Children of Blood Demon, and he didn¡¯t know her well enough to trust that she wouldn¡¯t turn on him at the time. That was why he chose to hide the fact from her.

    When he was busy suppressing his fog-possessed blood, he suddenly recalled the ¡°Art of Blood Demon¡± and the Children of Blood Demon. The ¡°Art of Blood Demon¡± could transform one¡¯s blood into the Children of Blood Demon, so why not try it on the fog?

    Sure, the ¡°Art of Blood Demon¡± only worked on blood, but the fog had been subsumed into his blood. Logically speaking, there should be no problems for him to impose the ¡°Art of Blood Demon¡± on it. So, he used the ¡°Art of Blood Demon¡± and created exactly one Child of Blood Demon. The violent reaction ravaging his insides was gone after that.

    Since his blood was mixed within the fog, the Child of Blood Demon was a mixture of both blood and fog. It was why it looked light red in color.

    ¡°We are very happy to see that you¡¯re fine, Scion Ye,¡± Hua Mei said while hugging her pipa. ¡°Earlier, our mistake had nearly cost you your life. You only survived because you are as strong as you are blessed. We are truly sorry for what happened to you, and we can only hope that you can forgive us for our grave mistake.¡±

    ¡°You exaggerate, Miss Hua Mei. I am fine, am I not?¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°By the way, can I ask you a question?¡±

    ¡°By all means, ask away,¡± Hua Mei replied.

    Ye Qing took a moment topose his words before starting, ¡°After I took control of the fog, I noticed that I now share a connection with the Boat of Longing. Why did this happen? Is it something I need to watch out about?¡±

    A gentle smiled crossed Hua Mei¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, Scion Ye. The fog is the reason the Boat of Longing turned into an Anomaly. Now that you¡¯ve refined a wisp of the corpse¡¯s original fog, you have gained partial ownership of the Boat of Longing. That is why you share a connection with it. It is perfectly harmless.¡±

    ¡°In fact, the reason we¡¯re suppressing the corpse¡¯s head and limbs inside our objects despite the danger is to obtain the original fog. Only then can we take control of the Boat of Longing.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing nodded in understanding, though he already had an inkling that that was the case. He then apologized to the three girls, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know that the fog is so important to you. You may have it back if you so wish.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need, Scion Ye. You misunderstand me.¡± Hua Mei stopped him. ¡°You are the one who saved and liberated us from our eternal misery. We are not so greedy that we would deny you your just reward, not to mention that the fog belongs to no one.¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, you¡¯ve be one of the masters of the Boat of Longing. If the need arises, you may summon us and the Boat of Longing to anywhere with arge body of water such as a river or ake. We will answer your summons no matter what.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, though I must rify that I was just fighting to fulfill my promise to you, and to save my own life,¡± Ye Qing replied with a salute.

    He offered to return the original fog to the three girls not because he didn¡¯t want it¡ªon the contrary, he was extremely reluctant to give up the unique Child of Blood Demon he created using it¡ªbut now that they no longer shared amon enemy, it was possible that the girls might turn on him. On the off chance they harbored such thoughts, he was hoping that his show of goodwill would appease them.

    Thankfully, they turned out to be better people than he thought.

    ¡°What you did for us is a favor we may never repay for eternity. As Hua Mei says, don¡¯t hesitate to call for our help if you need us. We will be there for you,¡± Longing also echoed in agreement.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to y coy with us, Scion Ye,¡± Jue Yan replied in a cold tone, though it was clear that that was just the way she spoke.

    Ye Qing smiled wider. ¡°In that case, I shall happily ept your gift. Also, allow me to extend the same offer. If you ever need my help again, just send me a message, and I promise I¡¯ll be there for you as well.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Scion Ye.¡± Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan returned smilingly.

    A brief conversationter, Ye Qing bade the three girls goodbye. For one, he had been stranded in the Boat of Longing for almost the entire midnight. To say he was tired in both mind and body would be an understatement. He needed a well-deserved rest as soon as possible.

    While he could just rest in the Boat of Longing, the Yonghe Lake was located inside the city of Tian Yong. If someone like, for example, the Pacification Bureau noticed their existence and decided to take action, it would be troublesome to say the least.

    And third, the three girls were in pretty rough shape themselves. They still hadn¡¯t dealt with the body parts suppressed inside their objectspletely. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t stupid enough to impose on them any longer.

    Right before Ye Qing left, he suddenly recalled something and voiced his curiosity, ¡°Oh right, Miss Longing. Can I ask you something? There were many other people who toured Yonghe Lake at this time. Why did you pick me out of everyone you could¡¯ve chosen?¡±

    ¡°Every time the Hidden Dragon Conference takes ce, the three of us woulde to Yonghe Lake and seek out young geniuses like you to help us,¡± Hua Mei replied honestly. ¡°Yesterday, we sensed your power almost as soon as you entered Yonghe Lake. That was why we invited you onto the ship.¡±

    ¡°Just to rify, but you didn¡¯t know who I was until then, right? You only sensed me after I entered Yonghe Lake?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Hua Mei confirmed.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°In that case, do you know Ah Fu?¡±

    Longing shook her head. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°He¡¯s my boat rower. Do you recognize him?¡±

    Hua Mei looked confused. ¡°No, we don¡¯t. I thought he¡¯s one of yours? Is there something wrong?¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes some more before he rxed into a smile and gave them a wave. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Have a good night, girls.¡±

    He turned around and left. Since he obtained the corpse¡¯s original fog, he was a partial owner of the Boat of Longing. Naturally, the fog permeating theke could no longer entrap him. In fact, the corpses floating on theke automatically formed a path that led all the way to the shore for him. It was almost insultingly easy considering everything he had suffered to escape the ship, but hey, he wasn¡¯tining.

    ¡°Take care, Scion Ye.¡±

    On the Boat of Longing, Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan said with bright smiles on their faces.

    ¡°You too!¡± Ye Qing gave them another wave.

    The next second, a thick fog surged from theke and shrouded the entire ship. Then, the Boat of Longing slowly sailed away until it was gone.

    Despite this, Ye Qing could still sense a faint thread between himself and the ship. If he wanted to, he could reach out and summon it to his side anywhere, anytime.

    ¡°This is an Anomaly we¡¯re talking about, boy. Are you sure this is the right thing to do?¡±

    While Ye Qing was watching the ship leave, the Fog Demon¡¯s voice rang beside his ears, ¡°Their words are pretty, but surely you didn¡¯t forget that they were using you from the start until the end, have you? Besides, they were exhausted after the battle against the corpse. If you acted just now, you might have been able to kill them all, take revenge, and im the credit for solving a case that not even a Grandmaster was able to solve. You could¡¯ve killed two birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°Heh. You make it sound easy, but Longing and the girls are quite formidable. It¡¯s far more likely that I would go for wool ande back shorn,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently. ¡°Besides, what¡¯s so bad about my current circumstances? I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ve made some useful friends, and I¡¯ve even gained partial control of an Anomaly. There is simply no reason to ruin such a perfect ending with my greed.¡±

    ¡°Friends, you said? Are you sure you¡¯re a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau? If someone finds out that the Qing Emperor Junior is ¡®friends¡¯ with an Anomaly, hehehe...¡± The Fog Demon cackled.

    ¡°So what? All I need to do is to make sure that my secret isn¡¯t leaked, right?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Also, I have better things to focus on right now. For starters, who¡¯s that Ah Fu? Someone is trying to kill me.¡±

    He was certain that Ah Fu was a human being. Barring a few exceptions, no Stranger would dare to waltz into the Pacification Bureau like it was their own residence. That was why he suspected that something was amiss from the very beginning. His suspicion only grew stronger after he obtained his answers from the girls.

    Whoever was plotting his death, they somehow knew that the Corpse Ship would appear at Yonghe Lake beforehand. That was why they lured him to Yonghe Lake and tried to kill him using the Corpse Ship.

    ¡°Do you know who might be behind this?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    ¡°Not in the slightest,¡± Ye Qing shook his head, ¡°but just because I don¡¯t have a clue now, doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t have a clue in the future.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not dilly-dally any longer. It¡¯s time to head back to the Pacification Bureau.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Why did you help Ye Qing and even gave him the original fog, sister?¡±

    Back inside the Boat of Longing, Longing voiced her puzzlement to Hua Mei after they left the shores.

    ¡°I¡¯m not helping him, sister. I¡¯m helping ourselves,¡± Hua Mei replied calmly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Longing asked.

    Hua Mei exined, ¡°First, we were all injured and exhausted after the battle against the corpse, and Scion Ye is no ordinary warrior. He was also protected by a powerful Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. I¡¯m not confident that we would win if we chose to sh against him.¡±

    ¡°Second, Scion Ye is a dragon among humans. He has a bright future ahead of him. I see no harm in befriending such a person.¡±

    ¡°And third, most of the original fog went to us, which makes us the unshakeable masters of the Boat of Longing. Although Scion Ye also owns a portion of the original fog, his share isn¡¯t nearly big enough to threaten us in any way.¡±

    ¡°In conclusion, I see far more benefits to befriending Scion Ye than antagonizing him. What do you think, sister?¡±

    Longing pondered her words for a moment before nodding. ¡°Your words make a lot of sense, sister. I am d you managed to stop me before I made an irrational decision. Thank you.¡±

    Hua Mei smiled. ¡°Why are you thanking me? We¡¯re sisters, aren¡¯t we? Anyway, let¡¯s master the original fog immediately. Our sisters have suffered long enough. It is time to save them all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Jue Yan nodded.

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ......

    Inside an elegantly furnished study, Fang Muyun was reading the ¡°Annotations of the Analects¡± with a serious expression on his face.

    Suddenly, the candle me illuminating the room flickered a little.

    ¡°How did it go, Fugong[1]?¡±

    A voice answered, ¡°Mister. Ye Qing came back from the Corpse Ship alive.¡±

    A man slowly stepped out of the darkness. He was a rotund and genial-looking man with a long beard. He wore a square hat and a baggy red robe with the word ¡°Fortune¡± sewn at the center. He looked like he was celebrating the New Year, jubnt and festive.

    ¡°He came back alive? He deserves his fame after all.¡± Fang Muyun set down his book with a surprised look on his face.

    ¡°I could have killed him myself, mister. Why didn¡¯t you send me to deal with him?¡± Fugong asked with a grin.

    Fang Muyun picked up his book again and replied, ¡°We are in Tian Yong, and Ye Qing is a Patrolman. Anyone can kill him, but not us.¡±

    ¡°After all, it¡¯s not easy to wash the blood out of your hands.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Fugong nodded.

    Fang Muyun asked another question, ¡°Did you clean up properly?¡±

    Fugong chuckled. ¡°But of course, mister. All the witnesses, evidence and such have been dealt with. Even if Ye Qing suspects something, the only ones he can suspect are the ¡®Wine Are Songs Boat¡¯ and the real Ah Fu who works there. Too bad for him, the real Ah Fu is forever gone.¡±

    ¡°Well done,¡± Fang Muyun replied.

    Fugong voiced his worries, ¡°Still, we have alerted the snake in the bush. Ye Qing is on his guard now, and it¡¯s going to be so much harder to kill him in the future.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Fang Muyun smiled as his eyes reflected the warm light of the candles. ¡°Preparation is the key to sess. So long as we prepare ordingly, then we will seed, won¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a n, mister?¡± Fugong¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Fang Muyun responded to his question with a question of his own, ¡°Do you know who¡¯s the real owner of Wine Are Songs Boat?¡±

    Fugong shook his head. ¡°Please enlighten me, mister.¡±

    Fang Muyun answered, ¡°It belongs to the Harmony King¡¯s son.¡±

    Realization shed across Fugong¡¯s face. ¡°Are you nning to pit the Harmony King against the Pacification Bureau, mister?¡±

    But Fugong shook his head immediately after he finished. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. Hong Jianglong and the Harmony King shared a good rtionship with each other, and the Harmony King is infamous for his slothfulness. He wouldn¡¯t sour his rtionship with the Pacification Bureau over a mere pleasure boat.¡±

    ¡°You should expand your horizons more, Fugong.¡± Fang Muyun shook his head smilingly. ¡°I¡¯m not aiming to sow dissent between the pacification Bureau and the Harmony King. That¡¯spletely meaningless.¡±

    ¡°My real goal is Ye Qing and Chu Qingli.¡±

    His answer only confused Fugong even more. ¡°My apologies, mister, but I don¡¯t understand your meaning.¡±

    Fugong looked up at Fugong with warm eyes that were as ck and infinite as the night. ¡°And you don¡¯t need to. You only need to understand that I¡¯ve never failed at what I set out to do.¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing will not walk out of Tian Yong alive.¡±

    1. Meaning Elder of Blessing/Fortune, but I didn¡¯t name him that because it sounds bad. Priest of Blessing might be more urate but I try to avoid the word ¡°Priest¡± due to its many, many connotations. ?

 Chapter 428: A Deliberate Show of Strength

    <h4>Chapter 428: A Deliberate Show of Strength </h4>

    The next day, on the way to Flying Dragon Mount, Ye Qing moved closer to Hong Jianglong and asked in a low voice, ¡°How did it go, Lord Hong?¡±

    After he went back to the Pacification Bureau, the first thing he did was to tell Hong Jianglong everything that happened and his suspicion that someone was trying to kill him.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t reveal the fact that he aided Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan. He only described how he barely managed to escape the Corpse Ship after a harrowing experience. It might not be the whole truth, but it was the truth.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of beating the grass and startling the snake. In fact, he wanted to startle the snake.

    The enemy had already tried to kill him once, but he had no idea who they were. Not only that, they were as dangerous as they were well hidden. He knew this because not even the Annon Sutra could tell him who that fake Ah Fu really was.

    On his own, his chances of unmasking the mastermind was less than zero. Moreover, his silence could easily be mistaken as weakness and submission. He somehow survived the first assassination attempt, but what about the second, third, and forth?

    No, staying silent would be a mistake. What he needed to do now was to make a show of strength and intimidate his enemy. If he could force them into making a mistake, then even better.

    He told Hong Jianglong about the assassination attempt because the man possessed the power to blow this up as much as possible. For one, the Pacification Bureau was one of the most powerful departments in Chu. There was a chance they might be able to unearth that fake Ah Fu¡¯s identity. Two, he wanted his enemy to know that the Pacification Bureau had decided to intervene in this matter, and that any further attempts would be an attack against the Pacification Bureau itself.

    The reason people usually avoided beating the bush and startling the snake was because it would cause the snake to hide even deeper inside the bush, but it was still a better oue than being bitten by the snake.

    ¡°Unfortunately, no. By the time we make it to Yonghe Lake, the Corpse Ship is nowhere to be seen,¡± Hong Jianglong replied with cold eyes and a hint of bloodthirst.

    For the past few years, a couple of geniuses participating in the Hidden Dragon Conference would often go missing for no reason. However, he always thought that they were murders caused by vengeance orpetition, something that happened everyday in the <i>jianghu. </i>Besides that, <i>jianghu </i>matters didn¡¯t fall under the Pacification Bureau¡¯s jurisdiction, and not enough people disappeared every Hidden Dragon Meet for them to change their opinion and consider if it might be rted to the supernatural.

    But now, Hong Jianglong was almost certain that the disappearances were tied to the Corpse Ship. If Ye Qing hadn¡¯t survived the Anomaly, he would still have no idea to this day.

    To think that an Anomaly had been kidnapping people right under their nose for years! To say that this was a huge p to the Pacification Bureau¡¯s face would be an understatement. Heavens only know what the people would say if they found out about this!

    ¡°How is the investigation into Ah Fu?¡± Ye Qing asked. He didn¡¯t care about the Corpse Ship. He only cared about the mastermind behind Ah Fu.

    Hong Jianglong replied, ¡°My men reported that there is a waiter named Ah Fu in Wine Are Songs Boat, but he has been missing since noon today.¡±

    Ye Qing furrowed his brows and bowed his head. He already knew that the real Ah Fu was dead thanks to the Annon Sutra. He was hoping that Hong Jianglong would find something about the fake Ah Fu, but it was clear that they had failed.

    ¡°Do you think that this has something to do with Wine Are Songs Boat?¡± Ye Qing asked after pondering for a moment.

    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Hong Jianglong shook his head. ¡°The true owner of Wine Are Songs Boat is Chu Qingli, and he doesn¡¯t know you at all besides watching you fight during the first stage of the Hidden Dragon Meet. Why on earth would he try to kill you?¡±

    ¡°The Harmony King¡¯s son?!¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement, but the dead end only confused him even more.

    ¡°That said, that doesn¡¯t mean that the employees arepletely innocent. We¡¯ve already rounded up everyone and brought them back to the Pacification Bureau. We will interrogate them all and find out if any of them has something to do with your attempted murder,¡± Hong Jianglong ended in a cold voice.

    Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°I haven¡¯t been in Tian Yong long enough to feud with anyone. But if I must use someone, I suppose there¡¯s one person who fits the bill.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about Chu Renhe?¡± Hong Jianglong nced at Ye Qing. ¡°It¡¯s definitely possible, and the way you were tricked does remind me of Lei Xiaodan. However, they¡¯re hardly the only suspects. You¡¯ve offended a lot of people such as the Way of Taiping or the Nether Lord. It¡¯s possible that one of their agents had pulled off this stunt.¡±

    Hong Jianglong grunted with a hint of helplessness and resignation, ¡°There are just too many people who want to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Ahem... so, about Ah Fu...¡± Ye Qing hurriedly changed the subject. <i>I don¡¯t want to offend those forces either, okay?! Trouble just has its way of finding me!</i>

    ¡°Just leave it to me and focus on performing well in the Hidden Dragon Meet. You have my word thatst night¡¯s assassination attempt will be thest.¡± Hong Jianglong¡¯s voice turned grim and frigid.

    ¡°When the Hidden Dragon Meet ends, I promise that I and the Pacification Bureau will give you a proper answer.¡±

    ¡°Anyone who dares toy a hand on the Pacification Bureau and harm our people without reason must pay the price!¡±

    Ye Qing pressed his fist to his palm. ¡°Thank you, my lord.¡±

    As soon as Ye Qing¡¯s group made it to the peak, Lei Xiaodan walked over with a smile on his face and said, ¡°I heard that you shut down Wine Are Songs Boat, Brother Hong! Did something happen?¡±

    Hong Jianglong taunted him, ¡°Your ears are sharper than a dog¡¯s, Lord Lei.¡±

    ¡°You tter me. My skills are nothingpared to yours,¡± Lei Xiaodan replied as if he couldn¡¯t understand Hong Jianglong¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me about it if it¡¯s an important matter, of course. But I must warn you that the Harmony King would like to have words with you.¡±

    ¡°None of your business. I can handle myself,¡± Hong Jianglong replied indifferently.

    ¡°Did you have a good rest, Young Ye?¡± Lei Xiaodan ignored Hong Jianglong and turned to Ye Qing instead.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, my lord. I am fine,¡± Ye Qing replied with a salute. Lei Xiaodan might look amiable, but Ye Qing could never stand in his presence without feeling threatened and ufortable. It was why he was unwilling to interact with the Judicial Commissioner if at all possible.

    ¡°Are you confident that you¡¯ll be the champion of the Hidden Dragon Meet?¡± Lei Xiaodan asked another question.

    Ye Qing replied smilingly while rubbing his nose, ¡°You tter me, my lord. There are countless geniuses who are participating in this Hidden Dragon Meet. I wouldn¡¯t dream of taking first ce. Top ten is good enough for me.¡±

    The corners of Hong Jianglong¡¯s lips curled downward when he heard this, however. ¡°The fuck did you just say? If you¡¯re not here to be the champion, then why are you participating at all?¡±

    The Pacification Commissioner pped his shoulder hard before threatening, ¡°You better not bring shame to the Pacification Bureau, or I¡¯ll break your legs with my own hands!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Bro, I was just acting humble. Why are you treating it as real?</i>

    Lei Xiaodan noticed Ye Qing¡¯s dumbfounded expression and chuckled. ¡°Young Ye was just being humble, Brother Hong. With his strength, I¡¯m certain he would be able to obtain a good cement. Right, Young Ye?¡±

    Hong Jianglong was still ring at him, so Ye Qing had no choice but to nod his head mechanically.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Hong Jianglong hmphed loudly.

    ¡°Why do you sound so annoyed, Hong Jianglong? Is it because you don¡¯t want to see me?¡± A powerful voice suddenly came from the distance. Then, a pissed off Harmony King strode into view.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Your Highness...¡± Hong Jianglong¡¯s annoyed expression immediately melted into an awkward smile.

    ¡°What is it then?¡± The Harmony King pressed. He might be a full head shorter than Hong Jianglong, but he wasn¡¯t afraid to give him a piece of his mind at all. ¡°Why did you shut down Qingli¡¯s Wine Are Songs Boat, Hong Jianglong? You even detained all the employees!¡±

    ¡°Give me a moment to exin, Your Highness!¡± Hong Jianglong pleaded.

    ¡°You better! Otherwise, I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll...¡± The Harmony King thought for a moment before threatening, ¡°I¡¯m gonna stay rent free at your headquarters!¡±

    Hong Jianglong felt a small headacheing onto him. ¡° We recently discovered that the Wine Are Songs Boat was involved with an Anomaly. That¡¯s why we¡¯re performing a detailed investigation on everyone working in Wine Are Songs Boat. Of course, they¡¯ll be released once their innocence is confirmed.¡±

    ¡°An Anomaly? What Anomaly?¡± The Harmony King blinked. The moment he heard about this, he shoved his anger to the back of his head and focused on indulging his curiosity instead.

    ¡°The Corpse Ship Incident,¡± Hong Jianglong rified.

    ¡°The Corpse Ship Incident? If I remember correctly, it¡¯s one of the most concerning Anomaly cases in the Pacification Bureau, right?¡± The Harmony King asked.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Hong Jianglong responded.

    ¡°To think it would actually be the Corpse Ship!¡± The Harmony King eximed in surprise. ¡°Where is it right now? Have you dealt with it?¡±

    Hong Jianglong shook his head. ¡°No. By the time we noticed its presence and dispatched a squad, the Corpse Ship was long gone. Luckily for us, it didn¡¯t cause too much trouble. One of the waiters working in Wine Are Songs Boat was involved in the incident. That is why we¡¯re detaining everyone working in the boat and interrogating them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. My stupid son was at the pleasure boatst night. If the Corpse Ship had gotten to him...¡± The Harmony King patted his chest a couple of times to calm himself before cursing, ¡°I can¡¯t believe he didn¡¯t tell me about it!¡±

    The Harmony King was referring to Chu Qingli, of course. Hong Jianglong apologized, ¡°Sorry. I should¡¯ve exined things to him properlyst night.¡±

    Chu Qingli was drinking at Wine Are Songs Boat when he left to shut down the establishmentst night. They even had a minor scuffle because of it.

    The Harmony King waved off his apology. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Your action makes perfect sense considering that an Anomaly was involved.¡±

    ¡°But Jianglong, you are the Pacification Commissioner of the North. You should¡¯ve noticed the Corpse Ship as soon as it appeared in Tian Yong. Had something terrible happened, the responsibility and the consequences would¡¯ve fallen squarely on your shoulders. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Hong Jianglong saluted the Harmony King and promised, ¡°You¡¯re right. I should¡¯ve done better. I promise to be more careful in the future so that nothing like this will happen again.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± The Harmony King nodded before checking the time. ¡°It¡¯s almost time. I shan¡¯t keep you from your duties any longer.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness.¡± Hong Jianglong saluted the Harmony King again before turning around to face Ye Qing¡¯s group and offering a few pieces of advice. Then, he went away to attend to his responsibilities.

    The Harmony King and Hong Jianglong hadn¡¯t tried to hide their conversation, so everyone present heard it loud and clear. A murmur broke out as soon as Hong Jianglong was out of sight.

    The Corpse Ship was an infamous Anomaly after all.

    Inside a kiosk, Chu Wangsun shot Fang Muyun a nce. Fang Muyun responded with a small, careless smile that suggested everything was under his control.

    An hourter, Hong Jianglong¡¯s voice boomed across the ce. ¡°The battle to enter the quarter finals begins now!¡±

    Silence immediately enveloped the peak.

    ¡°Draw your lots. As per before, one person will be able to advance to the next round without fighting.¡±

    Hong Jianglong pped therge brazier beside him, and glowing tokens flew out of its mouth and into everyone¡¯s hands.

    Ye Qing took a look at his token and noted that his number was eight. He sighed. It would seem that luck was not on his side.

 Chapter 429: Stunning Dragon, Tiger Roar

    Chapter 429: Stunning Dragon, Tiger Roar

    ¡°Congrattions, Brother Yang!¡±

    After receiving their tokens, the participants wasted no time in seeking out and identifying their opponents. It was at this moment Yang Zhao heard Zhang Tiancheng¡¯s voice in his head.

    ¡°Haha, I was just lucky,¡± Yang Zhao replied in a warm and gentle voice. Clearly, he was the lucky winner who got to advance to the next round without fighting this time.

    ¡°Congrattions, Brother Yang.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    Zhao Lan, Chen Shaoyu, Chu Renhe, Jian Wusheng and more all congratted Yang Zhao. Everyone was at least a little envious of his luck.

    ¡°Do your best, everyone. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the quarter finals.¡± Yang Zhao saluted everyone with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Sigh. Why is it always someone else who gets to skip a battle? Why is my luck so terrible? I¡¯m truly born under a lucky star, sigh!¡± Wen Xiaonuanined while staring at Yang Zhao forlornly. An aura of sorrow, despair, and depression immediately washed out of her like a wave.

    Ye Qing, Xu Rulin, Wei Bo, Qi Xuanyun and every other participant immediately took a few steps away from her. No one wanted to be infected by her power.

    ¡°Sigh. Not even the rest of you can stand my presence? I guess I¡¯m not just unlucky, I¡¯m a failure of a human being as well¡­¡± Wen Xiaonuan sighed at this sight, and her debilitating aura became even stronger than before.

    ¡°Ahem. I just got lucky, Mis Wen. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t need luck to advance to the next round,¡± Yang Zhao coughed twice and tried to console her.

    He wasn¡¯t lying. Whatever Wen Xiaonuan might think, she was among the strongest warriors out of everyone. Yang Zhao consoled her because he was hoping that he could build a good rtionship with her and potentially recruit her into the Yang n.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to console me. I couldn¡¯t even make it to the peak of Flying Dragon Mount first, much less be the champion of the Hidden Dragon Meet.¡± Wen Xiaonuan sighed. ¡°Qing Emperor Junior is right. I am just a useless trash.¡±

    Everyone subconsciously turned around and looked at Ye Qing. Their gaze was disdainful, disgusted, murderous and more.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±<em>What did I do?</em>

    Lin YUhuai gave Ye Qing a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Sometimes, misfortune just falls from the sky out nowhere!

    ¡°All participants, please enter your tform right now¡­¡±

    Luckily for Ye Qing, Hong Jianglong saved him with a timely announcement. Since Ye Qing¡¯s token was number eight, he immediately strode over to the eighth tform. He was slightly taken aback when he saw his opponent. It was none other than Chu Qingge.

    ¡°Miss Qingge¡­¡± Ye Qing knew that it was only a matter of time before he ran into a familiar face, but this was still sooner than he expected. He couldn¡¯t help but have mixed feelings about this.

    For one, they had fought together at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, and two, Chu Qingge was one of the few people who legitimately possessed the strength to defeat him.

    ¡°Brother Ye¡­¡± Chu Qingge was much less perturbed than Ye Qing was. She saluted him candidly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to this battle, Qing Emperor Junior. Please, offer me your guidance.¡±

    In just two sentences, Chu Qingge chased away the awkward feeling guing Ye Qing¡¯s heart. He lifted an eyebrow and broke into a small smile. ¡°You too, Miss Qing.¡±

    Chu Qingge was truly a refreshingly candid and carefree woman. He couldn¡¯t help but admire her a little.

    The battlefield was set in a desert. The duo looked good standing under the yellow sand and evening sun. However, that beauty was shattered when Ye Qing abruptly faded like a mirage, and the real Ye Qing appeared behind Chu Qingge to throw a surprise punch.

    Outside the tform, the Harmony King abruptly shot to his feet and yelled, ¡°I cannot believe that brat would ambush a girl like that! Where is his shame! His shame!¡±

    Everyone was used to his antics by this point. They ignored him and continued watching the duel between Ye Qing and Chu Qingge.

    Chu Qingge seemed aware that this would happen, however. Her surrounding force abruptly flowed in an unnatural manner, and the image of a ck Tortoise appeared in the air. Watery ripples slowly spread out of the image and enveloped Chu Qinggepletely.

    When Ye Qing¡¯s fistnded on Chu Qingge, he felt like he was punching air. Not only that, the force surrounding Chu Qingge was like an invisible quagmire that slowed down his whole body after his fist entered a certain range. Even his reaction speed was a few beats slower than before.

    In a battle between warriors, a few beats of difference could mean the difference between life and death.

    Before Ye Qing could pull free, Chu Qingge took a step backward and leaned into Ye Qing¡¯s chest like he was her lover. Ye Qing didn¡¯t look happy in the slightest, however. As soon as Chu Qingge leaned into his chest, she threw her elbows backward like she was swinging a pair of hammers into his chest.

    Ye Qing raised his left arm and blocked the double attack. Right before the duo would separate from one another, Chu Qingge raised her leg and attempted to kick Ye Qing in the calf. At the same time, she dropped and lifted her left shoulder like she was carrying a mountain andunched a shoulder strike.

    Ye Qing bent his knees a little and took Chu Qingge¡¯s kick head on, refusing to budge even a little. Then, he brought down his left arm and met Chu Qingge¡¯s shoulder strike with a cascade of pure power.

    <em>Boom!</em>The dune they were standing on abruptly crumbled, and both warriors fell. That didn¡¯t mean that the battle was interrupted, however. Throughout the fall, Chu Qingge kept attacking Ye Qing with her shoulders, elbows and legs, while Ye Qing defended against her attacks. The sounds of impact were deafening to say the least.

    When the two warriors finallynded on solid ground, Chu Qingge abruptly dashed away from Ye Qing. On the other hand, Ye Qing simply stood there with a smile on his face.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s winning?¡± The Harmony King asked urgently while his eyes were glued to the screen.

    ¡°It¡¯s too early to say who¡¯s winning yet,¡± Lei Xiaodan began slowly, ¡°but Miss Chu lost the exchange by a small margin.¡±

    The duo had only been fighting for a few breaths, but to a spectator, every move looked like it was a move that could end the battle and even the participant¡¯s life.

    ¡°She lost? How?¡± The Harmony King asked worriedly and urgently.

    Lei Xiaodan exined, ¡°Ye Qing¡¯s cultivation level is equal to Miss Chu¡¯s, and theirbat experience and reaction speed are almost the same. While Miss Chu holds the advantage in terms of technique, Ye Qing is the superior one in terms of physical tenacity and strength. In meleebat, the greatest factors that decide the victor is body, reaction, and experience, which is why Miss Chu lost the exchange¡ªbut only slightly. She can easily turn it around at ater time.¡±

    ¡°For now, I can¡¯t say who¡¯s going to win this battle.¡±

    The Harmony King rxed a little and let out a hmph. ¡°I can tell at first nce that that boy is all brawn and no brain. He¡¯s still a long way away from being able to defeat Qingge.¡±

    Everyone paying attention to Ye Qing and Chu Qingge¡¯s battle smiled nomittally and maintained their silence.

    Back in the desert, a hint of astonishment and respect flickered in Chu Qingge¡¯s eyes. ¡°You truly are a genius, Brother Ye. You have my utmost respect.¡±

    When they first met at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, Ye Qing was just ate-stage Astral Refiner. Strong as he was, there was no chance he could have defeated her back then. A month had passed then, and not only was he almost at the same cultivation level as she was, his strength and skill were at least on par with hers, if not better.

    It was one thing if he only ascended the cultivation levels quickly. There were plenty of natural treasures out there that could quickly increase a warrior¡¯s cultivation level in a short time. It wasn¡¯t really something to be proud about.

    Hisbat knowledge and experience was a whole different story, however. As the daughter of the Harmony King, she had received aprehensive education from famous tutors since young. She also fought in the army for a time before joining the Pacification Bureau. Since Hong Jianglong spared no effort in teaching her, there was almost no one at her age whosebat knowledge and experience was a match for her.

    However, Ye Qing had caught up to her despite all of her advantages. No, that wasn¡¯t right. He had surpassed her. His reputation was well-deserved.

    ¡°You tter me, Miss Qingge. You¡¯re quite the warrioress yourself,¡± Ye Qing returned thepliment wholeheartedly. He had already witnessed her strength back at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, and at the time she was only a middle-stage Spirit Purifier. Now that she had entered thete stage, he could tell that she was at least twice as strong as she was before. If it wasn¡¯t for the lifelong training he experienced inside the Nanke Dream, she could¡¯ve put him at a disadvantage in a single exchange.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Chu Qingge shot him a dazzling smile. ¡°Here Ie!¡±

    As soon as she finished, Chu Qingge pointed a finger at Ye Qing and summoned a sky of stars.

    <em>¡°Starfall Finger¡±</em>

    The sky shuddered, and the stars rained down on Ye Qing like the apocalypse. The power behind the martial art was such that it shook the world.

    ¡°Well met!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled at this sight and took off with a loud boom. Every time he moved three meters, his energy would grow just a tad stronger. By the time the finger beams got close, his fist intent was as tall as a mountain. He punched forward.

    The Burning Wind howled, and a mini sandstorm overtook the battlefield. Heaven and earth cooked like the whole world was a furnace.

    <em>¡°Cloud Vaporization Style¡±</em>

    The stars resisted valiantly against the melting heat, but in the end, they all melted into nothing. At the same time, the Burning Wind mixed with a ton of sand overwhelmed Chu Qinggepletely.

    <em>Scree!</em>

    Suddenly, a high-pitched, resonant cry of a vermillion bird pierced through the air. A pentacolored vermillion bird appeared in the sky and swam between the Burning Wind, the sand and its own mes.

    There was a sh of colors, and Ye Qing suddenly felt every hair on his body standing on end. Without hesitation, he surrounded himself in yin and yang energy, moved his right foot forward diagonally, and spun around so fast it defied logic. Remember that he was running at high speed before he executed the maneuver. He then punched the ground with his fist.

    His astral qi mixed with the yellow sand rolled back to his side and took the shape of a wall, all the while flowing rapidly like a river.

    <em>¡°Divide¡±</em>

    The instant after ¡°Divide¡± appeared, a draconic cry deafened everyone¡¯s ears and punched a hole in the raging river. Ye Qing could only watch as a silky smooth fist grew bigger and bigger in his eyes until it finally hit him in the face.

    A wave of dizziness overcame him. Chu Qingge¡¯s punch was so powerful that he actually staggered nine steps away from her.

    Every time his foot smashed into the sand, it was like a drake was rolling on its back.

    Chu Qingge wasn¡¯t one to let go of such an excellent opportunity, of course. A vermillion bird cry pierced the air, and the image of a penta-colored vermillion bird appeared around her body in a sh. Leaning forward, she sprinted toward Ye Qing like a bolt of lightning and swiped both hands at Ye Qing like a starved predator.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    That wasn¡¯t all. A fiendish, incredibly handsome white tiger appeared in the sky as Chu Qingge swooped down on Ye Qing. It felt as terrible as it was invincible. When it let out a roar, everyone including those standing outside the tform felt their minds wobbling, and their heads pounding like someone had taken a hammer to it.

    When the tiger descends from its mountain, its roar resounds across the Nether.

    Right here and now, Ye Qing looked as helpless as amb. Chu Qingge was able tond a pair of palm strikes on his chest and sent him crashing into a nearby sand dune. The sand dune crumbled, and Ye Qing was buried underneath.

    ¡°Hahaha! I told y¡¯all that that boy only has brawn! There is no way he could defeat Qingge!¡±

    The Harmony King¡¯s nervousness was wiped clean by an onught of pure ecstasy. He was so delighted by Chu Qingge¡¯s sessful attack that he was dancing on his feet.

    ¡°Miss Chu is definitely gifted.¡±

    Even Fang Muyun was paying her apliment, ¡°She¡¯s still very young, but she has already mastered the ¡®Four Symbols of Supremacy¡¯ to the point where she could execute it with grace and disy its essence. She has a bright future ahead of her.¡±

    The ¡°Four Symbols of Supremacy¡± was an ultimate martial art that only a member of the imperial family of Chu could learn. In fact, only those who bore the Will of the Dragon could unleash its true strength.

    As its name might suggest, the ¡°Four Symbols of Supremacy¡± was made up of four ultimate martial arts. They were called the Stunning Dragon Fist, the Vermillion Bird Step, the White Tiger Palm and the ck Tortoise Force.

    The Stunning Dragon Fist was an aural martial art derived from the Azure Dragon of the east. When the practitioner executed the Stunning Dragon Fist, the Nine Heavens were stunned, and the dragon could soar thousands and thousands of kilometers without end.

    The White Tiger Palm was an offensive martial art derived from the White Tiger of the west. It was especially effective against the mind. Its roar could sever the mind, and its palm the body.

    The Vermillion Bird Step was an evasive martial art derived from the Vermillion Bird of the south. Speed was its greatest strength, and it bestowed upon its practitioner a pair of colorful wings that granted incredible speed.

    The ck Tortoise Force was a defensive martial art derived from the ck Tortoise of the north. Its defensive capabilities were said to rival an abyss that could amodate a hundred rivers. The force could freely change between the tangible and the intangible, making it very difficult for enemies to breach through its defense.

    Offense, defense, movement, and mental. The four martial arts epassed everything a warrior might need. If the martial practitioner reached the adept level in all four martial arts, they would achieve a union and be even stronger than they already were.

 Chapter 430: The Sword Rises, Azure Dragon Soars

    Chapter 430: The Sword Rises, Azure Dragon Soars

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you have a discerning eye, Farseeing!¡±

    The Harmony King¡¯s joy doubled when he heard Fang Muyun¡¯spliment. He was even happier than if Fang Muyun had praised him instead. He then looked in Hong Jianglong¡¯s direction and bragged, ¡°So what if he¡¯s the Qing Emperor Junior? He¡¯s still lousier than my daughter, right Jianglong?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Your Highness.¡± Hong Jianglong smiled but didn¡¯t argue against him.

    ¡°It¡¯s too soon to make a verdict.¡±

    The Harmony King was just about to let out a boisterousugh when Chu Wangsun set down his book and said in an indifferent tone, ¡°Ye Qing may have lost this exchange, but he hasn¡¯t actually taken any damage. The battle may yet swing either way.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­¡± The Harmony King swallowed hisughter.<em>What a killjoy!</em>

    Hong Jianglong, Lei Xiaodan and Song Xi shot Chu Wangsun an astonished look. At their level, of course they could see that Chu Qingge¡¯s attack, while fierce, was mostly neutralized by the yin and yang energies surrounding Ye Qing¡¯s body. That was why the young man had only taken a minimum amount of damage. However, the Harmony King was a member of the royal family, and his martial cultivation and insight were so lousy that arguing with him was like talking semantics with ayman¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t understand even if theyid things out for him piece by piece. That was why most of them just agreed with the Harmony King¡¯s opinions.

    However, Chu Wangsun had revealed the truth bluntly. It soured the mood a little.

    Most people were just surprised by Chu Wangsun¡¯s statement¡ªthe young schr had proven himself to be a very taciturn person for the past few days¡ªbut Hong Jianglong knew that Chu Wangsun held a grudge against Ye Qing. He wondered if the schr had a goal when he talked up Ye Qing.

    Everyone thought that Chu Wangsun had more to say, but he didn¡¯t. He simply returned to his book and left behind a confused crowd.

    Back in the desert, Chu Qingge was frowning as well. As the one fighting against Ye Qing, she knew that she hadn¡¯t dealt any effective damage better than those who were watching from the sidelines. Both her fist force and her palm force were mostly neutralized by the yin and yang energies surrounding Ye Qing¡¯s body. He looked like he was in a sorry state, but he wasn¡¯t. Not even close.

    She supposed she would have to try harder then.

    As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Chu Qingge stepped toward Ye Qing and moved her right hand behind her back. Every time she took a step forward, her hand would raise just a tad, and the yellow sand behind her would grow taller.

    By the time she had taken three steps, Chu Qingge¡¯s hand was held above her head, and the sand behind her was hundreds, if not thousands of meters tall. It looked like it was touching the heavens themselves.

    When she was ten meters away from Ye Qing, Chu Qingge brought down her palm in one smooth motion. The gigantic wave of sand immediately crashed down on the young man like an avnche.

    ¡°It looks like the river of heavens crashing down on the world itself! Wonderfully executed! Miss Chu¡¯s ¡®Hand of Yellow Sand¡¯ pales inparison to Brother Luo¡¯s as a matter of course, but this is still quite impressive!¡± Lei Xiaodan nodded approvingly at the awe-inspiring attack taking ce on the tform before looking at Hong Jianglong. ¡°Color me surprised. I didn¡¯t think Brother Luo would teach this to her!¡±

    ¡°I agree. I had no idea that the old bastard had taught her one of his trump cards until now,¡± Hong Jianglong replied with knitted brows.

    The Brother Luo they were speaking of was the Pacification Commissioner of the South, Luo Sa. He practiced a cultivation art known as the ¡°True Canon of Yellow Sand¡±.

    The ¡°True Cannon of Yellow Sand¡± could steal the water existing in the practitioner¡¯s surroundings and transform hundreds of acres ofnd into a barren, yellow desert. It was ridiculously powerful to say the least. One of the martial art¡¯s ultimate techniques, the ¡°Hand of Yellow Sand¡± could summon a river of yellow sand to crash down on one¡¯s enemies. Obviously, the technique was even more powerful in a desert.

    Luo Sa was a proud loner with no friends, family, or even disciples. Most people thought him to be a cold and unpleasant person, which was why Lei Xiaodan and Hong Jianglong were surprised to learn that the man had taught Chu Qingge one of the ultimate techniques of the ¡°True Canon of Yellow Sand¡±. Moreover, it was clear from her mastery that she had been practicing the technique for some time.

    ¡°Young Ye isn¡¯t going to like this one.¡± Lei Xiaodan chuckled. The ¡°Hand of Yellow Sand¡± was especially powerful in an advantageous terrain, and it so happened that they were fighting in a desert. Therefore, Chu Qingge held a powerful advantage in this exchange.

    ¡°A powerful advantage doesn¡¯t necessarily decide the oue of a fight, and this is doubly true against an opponent like Ye Qing,¡± Hong Jianglong said indifferently. ¡°Also, you might want to pay attention to your own disciple. He¡¯s going to lose any minute now.¡±

    On the fifth tform, Chu Renhe had fallen into aplete disadvantage. His opponent was Zhao Bu¡¯er, also a middle-stage Spirit Purifier. Zhao Bu¡¯er wasn¡¯t just stronger than Chu Renhe, his martial arts were extremely unorthodox. His movement art was as swift and unpredictable as a phantom, and his weapon was an ordinary razor. In fact, the razor looked rusted and dirty.

    The main reason Chu Renhe was having trouble was thanks to his movement art. The warrior kept flitting about Chu Renhe like an actual phantom, and Chu Renhe was unable to detect Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s energies, grasp his movement patterns, or catch up to his speed at all. Naturally, it was impossible for him tond a hit on Zhao Bu¡¯er.

    Every time Zhao Bu¡¯er dashed past Chu Renhe, he would shave a clump of hair from Chu Renhe¡¯s head. And every time this happened, a sliver of resentment would attach itself to Chu Renhe¡¯s body and diminish his strength.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fight, Zhao Bu¡¯er! Face me fair and square!¡± The longer the battle went on, the more frustrated Chu Renhe became. It was bad enough that he failed tond even a single hit on Zhao Bu¡¯er, but the bastard had shaved off therge majority of his hair as well. His partially shaved head looked ugly to say the least.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a barber, and shaving is all I know. This is the only way I know to defeat you, my lord,¡± Zhao Bu¡¯er responded with a bumpkin smile and didn¡¯t change his fighting smile in the slightest. Chu Renhe was pissed off like you wouldn¡¯t believe, but there was nothing he could do to force Zhao Bu¡¯er into a straight fight.

    ¡°A win is a win, and a loss is a learning experience. This¡¯ll teach him that there are always greater foes out there,¡± Lei Xiaodan said smilingly. ¡°On a rted note, have you figured out Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s background, Brother Hong?¡±

    Hong Jianglong said in a ridiculing tone, ¡°Why are you asking me? I thought it¡¯s the Intelligence Department¡¯s responsibility to oversee the matters of the<em>jianghu</em>?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan didn¡¯t take offense. ¡°I¡¯m just a man of humble talent and shallow learning. Of course my intelligence can¡¯tpare to yours, Brother Hong.¡±

    ¡°You truly are a pretentious bastard,¡± Hong Jianglong remarked indifferently. ¡°I know nothing about Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s movement art, but I do recognize the razor he¡¯s using. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s the ny-third Strange Artifact on the Strange Artifact Register, the Ghost Razor.¡±

    ¡°A Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, it is said that the Ghost Razor was made from the skull of a terrible sinner. The sinner looks like an honest, down-to-earth barber, but in reality they are a homicidal maniac who killed hundreds of people while pretending to shave their heads. That is why resentment clings to them like a thick, putrid fog, and why their skull could be made into the Ghost Razor.¡±

    ¡°Every time the Ghost Razor cuts a clump of hair, it afflicts resentment upon their target and weakens them. If the target¡¯s head was fully shaved, then they would either lose their heads or be a puppet of the Ghost Razor.¡±

    ¡°At this rate, your disciple is going to lose horribly.¡±

    ¡°The Ghost Razor?¡± Lei Xiaodan eximed in surprise as if he didn¡¯t already know about this information. ¡°The Ghost Razor is the signature weapon of the Barber, the eighteenth warrior on the ck List.[1] Could Zhao Bu¡¯er be a disciple of the Barber?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Hong Jianglong shook his head. ¡°The Barber might be named on the ck List, but he is neither a despicable scumbag nor an irredeemable scoundrel, so it doesn¡¯t matter to me if there is a connection between the two or not.¡±

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right.¡± Lei Xiaodan chuckled.

    While the duo were conversing, Chu Renhe lost a couple more clumps of hair and became even weaker as a result. It looked like it was only a matter of time before he lost.

    ¡°Renhe lost his cool. I don¡¯t think there is a chance for him to make aeback either.¡± Lei Xiaodan watched the battle for a little longer before shaking his head. ¡°He¡¯s still too young. Young Luo, on the other hand, hasn¡¯t fallen into a disadvantage despite facing off a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, Jian Wusheng. He¡¯s way better than Renhe in that regard.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan was talking about Luo Zhan. The battle between Luo Zhan and Jian Wusheng was far more interesting than the one-sided fight between Zhao Bu¡¯er and Chu Renhe.

    The two men were fighting on a cliff covered in misty clouds. The cliffside was steep and lofty like a sword, and it was the perfect backdrop for both Luo Zhan and Jian Wusheng.

    Luo Zhan was a sabersman who fought using a forceful fighting style. The Tyrant de in particr was one of the most forceful saber arts under the heavens. Theoretically, there was nothing the Tyrant de couldn¡¯t cut; no obstacle too difficult to ovee. It was a saber art that thrived on being unstoppable, indefensible, and invincible.

    Jian Wusheng was a swordsman who fought using a risky fighting style, and ¡°No Life, No I¡± was the riskiest and most extreme sword art in the<em>jianghu</em>bar none<em>.</em>The wielder was supposed to dedicate it all to the sword to the point where self-preservation was a moot point. The will came first, and the man second. The wielder must bepletely fearless, and their sights must be set solely on victory. If they lost a body part or died in the process, then so be it.

    One might say that Luo Zhan and Jian Wusheng were born to be rivals. No one was willing to give an inch to the other person.

    Luo Zhan wielded his saber with both hands, and his techniques were basic and nothing to write home about. The power behind those techniques was a different story, however. His horizontal sh felt like it could cut a hole in the sky, and his downward swings felt like it would split the ground in half. His saber force epassed both heaven and earth.

    Jian Wusheng was devoid of fear despite facing off against a seam of saber beams that could easily rip him into shreds. Sword and body as one, he rushed forward as his sword intent circled around his sword like a dragon. Wherever it traveled, the saber beams were destroyed like nothing.

    Luo Zhan was running toward Jian Wusheng as well, swinging his saber every time he took a step. This time though, the saber beam didn¡¯t fly toward Jian Wusheng. Instead, it gathered in the sky like a river of heaven.

    When the two participants were three meters away from each other, it was Luo Zhan who came to a stop first. His muscles bulged as he raised his saber above his head and brought it down with all his might.

    The river of saber force suspended in the air transformed into a giant saber that pierced through the heavens. Then, it crashed down on top of Jian Wusheng. Such was its power that the weather turned stormy and violent.

    Jian Wusheng moved closer to Luo Zhan while holding his sword in front of him. Then, he unsheathed his sword by a single inch, summoning an Azure Dragon out of seemingly nowhere.

    <em>You may have a saber that splits heaven and earth,</em>

    <em>But I too have an Azure Dragon that defends humanity from all harm.</em>

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The Azure Dragon of sword qi and giant saber of saber qi shed against each other. The storm that resulted from the impact was so powerful that the topmostyer of the cliff was shaved away just like that, leaving behind countless scars.

    <em>Ding!</em>

    Suddenly, a crisp, metallic ringing pierced through the eardrums. It was somehow clearer than the massive explosion that was still going on.

    As soon as this happened, the violent storm of sword and saber qi froze as if someone had cast a freezing spell on them. At the eye of the storm, Jian Wusheng and Luo Zhan were standing just two meters away from each other.

    The tip of Jian Wusheng¡¯s sword was pressed against the tip of Luo Zhan¡¯s saber. The ringing sound hade from the sh.

    Both man and weapon werepletely motionless for a time, but outside the tform, Hong Jianglong let out a small sigh. ¡°Luo Zhan lost.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. Jian Wusheng¡¯s cultivation level and understanding of the sword are both a tad higher than Young Luo¡¯s.¡± Lei Xiaodan chuckled. ¡°If anything, the fact that Young Luo managed to fight Jian Wusheng to this extent and even dealt him a heavy blow shows just how talented he is.¡±

    ¡°He lost. There¡¯s no need to justify it,¡± Hong Jianglong replied unconcernedly, ¡°No one can win forever. He just needs to make it up with a victory in the future.¡±

    ¡°Jian Wusheng is undoubtedly an excellent talent though. The Pacification Bureau will have him.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I think he suits the Intelligence Department better,¡± Lei Xiaodan argued smilingly.

    ¡°Bullshit. A genius like this should join the Pacification Bureau, fight Strangers, and protect the people from danger. If he joins the Intelligence Department, all he¡¯ll ever do in his life are underhanded, loathsome things that can never see the light,¡± Hong Jianglong scoffed disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that your job is unnecessary, but it¡¯d be aplete waste of his talent.¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau fights against the Strangers, and the Intelligence Department oversees the<em>jianghu.</em>In the end, we are both serving the needs of the realm, the imperial court, and the people. As long as our objective is achieved, then all is well.¡± Lei Xiaodan didn¡¯t take offense despite Hong Jianglong¡¯s taunt. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s not up to the Pacification Bureau to choose which department Jian Wusheng wants to join. Who knows, he might think that he¡¯s a better fit with the Intelligence Department?¡±

    Hong Jianglong hmphed. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    While the two men were fighting over Jian Wushen, the two participants still hadn¡¯t made a move. One would almost think that they were frozen in time if not for the fact that the ground was splitting under their feet like a spider web.

    As soon as the cracks appeared, Luo Zhan abruptly staggered and stepped away from Jian Wusheng. Every time he took a step, blood would flow out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth and drip toward the ground. But before it hit the ground, the blood would explode soundlessly and leave tiny sword marks on the ground.

    It was clear that his blood had been infected with a terrifying amount of sword intent.

    Nine stepster, Luo Zhan was positively bathed in blood. He saluted Jian Wusheng and said, ¡°The victory is yours.¡±

    ¡°Only because you let me,¡± said Jian Wusheng before returning the gesture. Judging from his shaking arms and paleplexion, it was obvious that Luo Zhan hadn¡¯t lost without leaving his mark on the swordsman.

    Both participants were teleported out of the tform after Luo Zhan surrendered.

 Chapter 431: Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art

    <h4>Chapter 431: Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art </h4>

    ¡°Qingge, watch out!¡± The Harmony cried out suddenly and drew everyone¡¯s attention. When they looked, they saw Ye Qing piercing through a river of yellow sand with a single punch.

    Like a lone cavalry, Ye Qing continued forward despite the ungodly amount of sand crashing down on him. Why would he fear some sand when he didn¡¯t fear even an army of thousands?

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    The technique pierced throughyer afteryer of sand and brought Ye Qing to Chu Qingge as swift as the wind. Chu Qingge couldn¡¯t help but frown a little when she saw this. Her senses were telling her that Ye Qing¡¯s energies were weak, and his essence was inconspicuous. If not for the fact that he was piercing through her sand like it was paper, she could¡¯ve mistaken him for an ordinary person.

    ¡°Rise!¡± Chu Qinggemanded and raised her arms. The ground shook, and the yellow sand churned like a drake rolling on his back.

    The shaking ground did nothing to stop Ye Qing¡¯s rush, however. He continued to race forward like he was treading on tnd. That was because the rolling sand would calm down right before his foot would hit the ground. It was as if he had cast some sort of suppression magic on his feet.

    When he was about twenty meters away from Chu Qingge, Ye Qing abruptly leaned forward and kicked off the ground with both feet. His jump was so powerful that the sand within three meters of him deted and inted like it was a cushion.

    Chu Qingge flinched when Ye Qing took his leap. It was because she couldn¡¯t see Ye Qing anywhere.

    Chu Qingge instinctively wanted to put some distance between herself and Ye Qing, but she had just taken a step backward when suddenly, she froze and zoned out like her consciousness just suddenly decided to take a break. At the sametime, Ye Qing reappeared in front of Chu Qingge and threw a powerful punch that broke down the ck Tortoise Force surrounding her like paper.

    ¡°Break Through¡± was the best technique he possessed when going up against a powerful defense. Ye Qing had already been caught off guard by the ¡°ck Tortoise Force¡± once. He wasn¡¯t the type of person to make the same mistake a second time.

    The punch was infused with his qi, essence and spirit, and they were all focused on a single point. A set of metal armor could block a sword strike with ease, but not a bullet. The ¡°ck Tortoise Force¡¯s¡± ability to switch states made it incredibly difficult to ovee, but not even it could defend against a full-powered attack that was focused on a single point.

    After the punch pierced through Chu Qingge¡¯s ¡°ck Tortoise Force¡±, Ye Qing suddenly withdrew most of his strength. His full-powered punch could potentially overwhelm even an ordinary Spirit Master, much less ate-stage Spirit Purifier. Chu Qingge was strong, but she wasn¡¯t a body-tempering warrior. Her physical strength was average at best. If she took a full-powered punch from him, she would be lucky to escape with her life.

    They were colleagues working for the same department, and they had fought together at the Demon¡¯s Tomb before. Of course she didn¡¯t want to kill her or put her in a bad spot. That was why he withdrew most of his strength and left just enough to scatter the energies in her body and incapacitate her.

    He flinched when his fist finally touched Chu Qingge¡¯s body, however. An invisible ripple suddenly washed out of the warrioress, and the next thing he knew, his force had been reflected right back at him!

    A muffled grunt escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips as he staggered away from Chu Qingge. Every time he took a step, the sand beneath his foot would shudder a little.

    As if on cue, Chu Qingge¡¯s eyes regained their focus as she said, ¡°Thank you for showing mercy, Brother Ye.¡±

    She didn¡¯t press the attack, and she wore a meaningful smirk on her face as she briefly nced at the ground.

    ¡°Heh. You too,¡± Ye Qing replied just as meaningfully while hanging his arms close to his body.

    Chu Qingge was talking about the fact that he had withdrawn his strength at thest minute, and Ye Qing was talking about the fact that Chu Qingge hadn¡¯t pressed the attack while he was recovering. That was just the surface-level subtexts, however, and both participants knew about it.

    Chu Qingge must have broken out of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± since nearly the beginning, but she pretended that she hadn¡¯t to bait him into attacking her with all his might. If he hadn¡¯t pulled his punch, he would probably be rolling back and forth on the ground and screaming in pain right now.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing withdrew his strength at thest moment and unintentionally saved himself from much self-inflicted pain. Otherwise, it would¡¯ve been very bad for him.

    Chu Qingge wasn¡¯t the only one who had set up a trap for their opponent, however. After Ye Qing was pushed back by his own force, he neutralized the reflected attack by redirecting it toward the underground using the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±. While doing so, he put on a convincing act of weakness to bait Chu Qingge into pressing the attack. Had she fallen for his ruse, Ye Qing would¡¯ve dealt her a huge blow and potentially won the fight there and then.

    ¡°You¡¯re already an extraordinary warrior, but that Strange Artifact makes you outright invincible.¡± Ye Qing sighed. ¡°It looks like this is where my journey ends.¡±

    ¡°No need to test me, Brother Ye,¡± Chu Qingge said with clear eyes that looked like they could see through any deception. ¡°The Strange Artifact I used to reflect your attack is called Reflection. It is a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact that can reflect any attack below the Spirit Master stage back to my enemies.¡±

    ¡°However, I can only use it once every half a teatime, so you don¡¯t need to worry about it, at least not now.¡±

    ¡°Ahem... Is that so?¡± Ye Qing coughed. He was trying to sound out Chu Qingge earlier, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to just divulge her secret so easily. In fact, he had heard of Reflection before and suspected that that was the Strange Artifact she used to reflect his attack back to him, so he knew for certain that she hadn¡¯t lied. ¡°I suppose I can struggle a little longer then.¡±

    Chu Qingge bloomed into a bright, dazzling smile when she heard his reply. ¡°Good, because I¡¯m going to turn serious now, Brother Ye. Don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    As soon as she finished, Chu Qingge stomped the ground. The force Ye Qing had redirected underground immediately exploded into a shower of sand.

    At the same time, Chu Qingge and Ye Qing charged into the sand. The sand that just fell to the ground were blown up so high that it blotted out the sun.

    The silhouette of a majestic-looking man wearing a tall crown and a dragon robe appeared into view. It was the silhouette of the Son of Heaven himself.

    As soon as it appeared, a vast, majestic aura epassed both heaven and earth.

    When the emperor descends, the four seas shall bow to his might.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The silhouette made a fist and threw a punch. The sand scattered like panicking civilians hurrying away from the Son of Heaven¡¯s wrath and revealed Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing¡¯s energies were being suppressed by the terrifying silhouette. His mind was quaking against his will as well. Having no time toe up with a n, he had no choice but to force himself to unleash ¡°Break Through¡±.

    As soon as their forces met, Ye Qing¡¯s fist force crumbled like an egg against a rock. The powerful punch sent him flying to the distance.

    ¡°The ¡®Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡¯?!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a woman, and yet she managed to master the ¡®Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡¯ to this extent? Unbelievable!¡±

    ¡°Indeed. She¡¯s a true genius!¡±

    Outside the tform, everyone who saw the silhouette of the Son of Heaven¡ªso solid that it might as well be real¡ªwas stunned. Some people had even risen to their feet before they knew it.

    They weren¡¯t overreacting. If the ¡°Four Symbols of Supremacy¡± was a secret art that only members of the imperial family could learn, then the ¡°Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡± was a forbidden art that only a handful of imperial members were allowed to learn. Specifically, only those who shared blood with the emperor were allowed to learn it.

    The reason wasn¡¯t just political but also practical. Only those who shared blood with the emperor were blessed with a rich amount of the Will of the Dragon and protected by the Will of the Empire. They were also the only ones who could withstand the cost of executing the ¡°Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡± and unleash its full power.

    For obvious reasons, therge majority of people who managed to grasp the ¡°Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡± were male. But not only did Chu Qingge manage to learn the martial art, she could even manifest the Son of Heaven¡¯s silhouette.

    Forget the others, even Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun were astonished by Chu Qingge¡¯s aplishment. Although Chu Wangsun was also a member of the imperial family, he was born under a coteral family and one of the disciples of the Chief Libationist, head of the Jixia Academy. Therefore, even he didn¡¯t qualify to learn the martial art.

    ¡°When the Son of Heaven observes qi, it is like he is there in person. The four seas are calm, and the world is at peace.¡± Fang Muyun nced at the Harmony King and sighed. ¡°Miss Chu truly is one of a kind. Congrattions, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, Your Highness.¡±

    Everyone else was congratting theHarmony King with mixed expressions as well.

    Although the Harmony King was a marquis and the current emperor¡¯s uncle, he was considered ipetent and powerless. His only son was also ignorant, ipetent, slothful, and generally unbing of a marquis¡¯ son. That was why a lot of people looked down on him in secret.

    Chu Qingge¡¯s performance was starting to change minds, however. It was rare for a woman to grasp the ¡°Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡± to this extent. Barring exceptional circumstances, Emperor Jin Run was bound to regard her highly. To say that her future was bright would be an understatement. So long as Chu Qingge was still present, the court of the Harmony King would remain strong for at least a century.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡±

    The Harmony King was all smiles. He had no idea what the people were thinking, of course. He was just happy that his colleagues wereplimenting his daughter.

    Suddenly, someone eximed in surprise, ¡°Huh? The Qing Emperor Junior is charging Chu Qingge. That¡¯s not very smart, is it?¡±

    On the screen, Ye Qing kicked off the ground and charged even faster toward the Son of Heaven¡¯s silhouette as soon as hended on his feet. Such was his strength that a pit appeared where he was standing.

    The ¡°Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡± was a grand, orthodox martial art belonging to the imperial family. Anyone within its influence would be severely weakened because the emperor stood above all strata. Thest thing it feared was a head-on battle, which was why the best way to deal with the ¡°Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡± was usually avoiding it.

    Instead, Ye Qing was rushing forward to meet Chu Qingge at the center. It confused the spectators to say the least.

    On the way, Ye Qing kept growing bigger and bigger whilerge patches of ck fur grew out of his face, his arms and other parts of his body. At the same time, a violent, bloodthirsty, and maverick aura washed out and pushed back against the Son of Heaven¡¯s majestic aura.

    The contrast was stark. If the Son of Heaven¡¯s silhouette bespoke of greatness and majesty, wisdom and courage, then Ye Qing¡¯s aura was one thousand percent that of awless, unfettered rebel.

    Chu Qingge sensed Ye Qing¡¯s aura, of course. She clenched her fists and threw a straight punch in his direction. In the sky, the Son of Heaven¡¯s silhouette did the same thing, except that there were dragons swimming around his body, and a terrible pressure epassed both heaven and earth. Anyone and anything within its range wished to submit to the emperor.

    Chu Qingge was executing the Stunning Dragon Fist, but the difference before and after she manifested the Son of Heaven¡¯s silhouette was like night and day. This punch felt like it could stun the nine heavens and suppress the four seas.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t afraid, however. As he responded to the attack with his own punch, a demonic ape appeared behind him, let out a thunderous roar, and threw a punch as well.

    <i>BOOM!!!</i>

    Wind and thunder erupted from the point of impact. The ground where they were standing copsed, and astral qi spun the surrounding sand into a yellow cyclone that was at least sixty meters tall. The world shook like it would fall apart at any moment.

    The first sh went to Chu Qingge. She didn¡¯t move an inch, but Ye Qing was pushed back a few steps.

    Ye Qing was relentless, however. He let out another full-throated roar, bent his knees slightly, and leaped into the air with his fists sped together and raised over his head. He brought down his hand as if he would tten Chu Qingge like a pancake.

    The Son of Heaven raised with his right hand and gathered the surrounding energies. He was able to catch Ye Qing¡¯s wrists at thest second.

    Then, the silhouette exerted its strength and smashed Ye Qing into the ground instead.

    Before the Son of Heaven could withdraw his arm, Ye Qing abruptly leaped out of the deep pit he had created and caught the arm. Then, he pulled the silhouette toward him before smashing his shoulder into his chest.

 Chapter 432: The Demonic Ape VS The Son of Heaven

    Chapter 432: The Demonic Ape VS The Son of Heaven

    The demonic apes footsteps shook the nine provinces, and the shoulder charge felt like it could topple the heavens themselves. The Son of Heavens silhouette staggered back as purple qi leaked out of his body, and he grew a little more transparent than before.

    Chu Qingges face turned white, and a trail of blood flowed down her cheeks. Despite this, her eyes were filled with fighting spirit. She made a hand seal before bringing her hands down in one smooth motion.

    An imperial seal appeared in the heavens. It was square-shaped and facing toward the four directions. The heavens and the earth formed its surfaces, and nine dragons were swimming around them. The words inscribed on the seal was, The sea is calm, all is peaceful under the heavens.

    <em>Peace Under Heaven Seal</em>

    The nine dragons acted as guards as the seal descended. The image of a peaceful world where the people lived in peace appeared.

    Wind ceased, clouds paused, and qi stopped. The chaotic energies in the air, the rampaging gale, and the dancing sand all came to a halt at the same time.

    For a time, the only thing that was moving was the seal, and it was brimming with the might of the world itself.

    Under the seal, Ye Qing felt his energies dissipating, and his mind quaking like an earthquake. Before he could react, the seal mmed into him and sent him flying for a good distance.

    He immediately climbed back to his feet and charged toward Chu Qingge again, however. It was as if the seal dealt no damage to him whatsoever.

    Not one to shy away from battle, Chu Qingge too clenched her fists and charged forward. The duo was quickly locked in an epic battle.

    Chu Qingges Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art was powerful, orthodox, and grand. It was like she had be the avatar of an Emperor of the Ages[1]

    On the other hand, Ye Qing was a Chaos Demon Ape that heralded chaos and rebellion. Haughty and unruly, brutal and chaotic, his existence was meant to spread chaos and turn the world upside down. He was the rebel who would change the face of humanity forever; give the sun and the moon a new make-up.

    For a time, the duo were locked in a stalemate.

    What

    Outside the tform, the Harmony King was utterly bbergasted by this. He didnt think that Chu Qingge would fail to defeat Ye Qing even after she executed the Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art.

    Thats the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra, isnt it? Someone eximed in astonishment as they watched Ye Qing wreaking havoc on the tform.

    Yep, someone echoed in agreement.

    Isnt that the martial art of one of the Thirteen Brigands, Chen Ah Sheng? Where did the Qing Emperor Juniore by this martial art, Lord Hong? Someone asked.

    Hong Jianglong had done his homework, so he wasnt perturbed in the slightest. He exined, Joyless is practicing the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra, but it has nothing to do with Chen Ah Sheng.

    Chen Ah Sheng hails from the Chaos Demon Tempering Sect of the thirty-six unorthodox sects, and the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutras ultimate martial art is the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra. While Chen Ah Sheng is infamous for it, its hardly a martial art that only he knows.

    One of my seniors shares a good rtionship with the Chaos Demon Tempering Sect because he once did them a huge favor. As thanks, they decided to give him a copy of the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra. Later, he submitted it to the Tower of Secrets.

    Unfortunately, it takes an insane amount of effort and natural treasures to practice the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra, which is why very few people decided to pick it up despite its strengths. It is also why few people know that we own a copy of the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra.

    I see! Everyone oohed and aahed at his answer. Lei Xiaodan was the only one who shot him a meaningful look.

    Hong Jianglong paid him no attention. So what if Lei Xiaodan knew he was bullshitting out of his mouth? He could never prove it.

    He and Ye Qing hade up with this exnation after Ye Qing told him about the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra a few days ago. After all, as a participant of the Hidden Dragon Meet, Ye Qing was going to have to reveal one or more of his trump cards eventually. If they didnte up with a proper excuse beforehand, it was highly likely that an evildoer would try to make use of this opening. The exnation prevented such a thing from happening and allowed Ye Qing to use the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra as much as he pleased from now on.

    That said, not even Hong Jianglong knew that Ye Qing had cultivated the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra to this extent until today. Somehow, the Patrolman somehow created his Chaos Demon Ape Body already.

    Ye Qings progres was so unbelievable that Hong Jianglong couldnt help but wonder if he was still dreaming or something. It hadnt even been half a month since Ye Qing came upon the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra. Although the Martial Tower could greatly elerate a warriors martial progress, it was hardly a miracle worker. There was no way it could enable a warrior to hit the journeyman level of the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra in just a couple of days.

    If it could, their grunts would be Grandmasters, and their heads would be Sages already.

    <em>The boy is hiding some other amazing treasure. Hmph! </em>Hong Jianglong harrumphed mentally but took care to keep his bodynguage perfectly unreadable.

    On the tform, Ye Qing and Chu Qingges battle had reached the climax. Chu Qingge had sent Ye Qing flying with the Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art dozens of times at this point, and one only needed to look at the blood-soaked Ye Qing to know how much damage she dealt.

    However, Ye Qing refused to stay down. His eyes were bloodshot, and his bloodthirst was so strong that it was almost visible. No matter how many times he was blown back and dealt a severe blow, he always climbed back to his feet and charged Chu Qingge again like a fearless berserker.

    A shame. It looks like this is Miss Chus defeat Lei Xiaodan sighed.

    What nonsense are you talking about? The Harmony King retorted instantly. Qingge has been kicking that brats ass this whole time! Theres no way she would lose! You might want to get your eyes checked out, Xiaodan!

    Lei Xiaodan smiled. Would you like to make a bet, Your Highness?

    Of course not! Im not falling for this a second time, you cunning man! The Harmony King dered with surprising wisdom before returning his attention back to the tform.

    Back in the battlefield, Ye Qing staggered back after receiving a powerful punch from the Son of Heavens silhouette. But instead of worry, his eyes lit up with delight and triumph. This is my chance!

    Chu Qingges Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art was scarily powerful. The silhouette she manifested not only possessed a potent aura that weakened him just by existing near him, every technique it unleashed carried an unbelievable amount of power and pressure. It could even suppress his energies and stun the mind.

    As if that wasnt enough, the silhouette could see through all deceptions and identify the weak spots in his energies as well, so despite having entered the journeyman level in the Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra, he was unable to gain any advantage whatsoever. His energies were suppressed to the point where he was operating at half of his normal strength, and every technique he executed be it a physical technique such as Divide and Break Through, or a mental technique like Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul, was predicted and dismantled by Chu Qingge in the best way possible. It was easily one of the most passive and frustrating battles he had ever fought.

    However, the Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art had one major weakness. It ate away at the warriors stamina like a gluttonous demon. On the other hand, the Chaos Demon Ape Body was strong, tenacious, and capable of rapid regeneration. Thest thing it was afraid of was energy cost.

    In Ye Qings opinion, the only way to defeat Chu Qingge while the Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art was active was to deplete her stamina. That was why he transformed into the Chaos Demon Ape and attacked her with wild abandon. This way, she would be forced to use up her astral qi and spirit whether she liked it or not.

    As expected, he got his ass kicked by Chu Qingge at the beginning. After that one sessful counterattack at the beginning, he was unable to get a single attack in for the longest time. However, the Son of Heavens silhouette grew weaker and weaker over time. For example, the punch just now was at least several times weaker than what it was at the beginning. He knew this because it only pushed him back a few steps instead of sending him flying through the air like before. Besides that, his demonic thought told him that Chu Qingge looked a little dazed. It was an expression he would never see on the womans face unless she was so exhausted she couldnt even maintain her focus.

    Some opportunities only knock once. Sucking in a deep breath, Ye Qing grew another meter in height and pushed away the surrounding sand with a burst of vigor. Then, he raised his fists into the sky and hammered the ground with all his might. Like a calmke that was suddenly struck by a giant rock, the ground shook violently and caused Chu Qingge to stagger on her feet.

    At the same time, Ye Qing appeared in front of the Son of Heavens silhouette in the blink of an eye using Earth Contraction Magic, grabbing his head with one hand and his fist with the other. Then, he squeezed and pulled with all his might.

    RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

    A terrible bellow escaped Ye Qings lungs as multiple veins popped on his muscles, and blood oozed out of his pores. The Son of Heavens head was crushed, and his right arm was ripped off his sockets just like that.

    Pwack!

    The second the silhouettes head was crushed, the blood abruptly drained away from Chu Qingges face. A mouthful of blood burst out of her lips as she wobbled unsteadily on her feet.

    Ye Qings bones and muscles cracked like fireworks as he slowly shrank back down to human size. Blood was pouring out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth, but instead of tending to his own wounds, he ran over to Chu Qingge and fed her a pill.

    As soon as the pill entered her mouth, a bit of reddishness returned to Chu Qingges deathly pale face, and her eyes slowly regained their focus as well. She asked weakly, Is this Renewal?

    That it is, Miss Qingge. Your mind is as keen as ever. How do you feel? Ye Qing smiled and let go of Chu Qingges head. Then, he let out a sigh of relief.

    After he destroyed the Son of Heavens silhouette, Ye Qing immediately sensed disorder and signs of a rebound in Chu Qingges spirit. If he allowed the rebound to ur, he had no doubt that her mind would suffer a tremendous amount of damage. That was why he fed her the Renewal he received from Longing as soon as he returned to normal.

    Although Nature''s Water was a tad more effective than Renewal, and he didnt mind sharing it with Chu Qingge, it was too valuable to reveal in front of an audience. He already had plenty of powerful enemies. He didnt need to create more for himself.

    Im fine now. Thank you, Brother Ye. Chu Qingge thanked him sincerely. My mind wouldve suffered quite the damage if not for your Renewal. Ill be sure to repay your kindnesster.

    Youre wee, Miss Qingge, but its just a Renewal. Your safety is far more important, Ye Qing replied before teasing her a little, After all, I doubt Ill be able to walk away from this mountain alive if something bad were to happen to you.

    Ye Qings face was covered in blood, but his smile was bright and pure. Infected by his smile, the small sliver of regret gripping Chu Qingges insides for having lost to Ye Qing vanished like smoke. She said smilingly, You exaggerate. This is a no-holds-barred duel where killing your opponents is allowed. Of course one or both of the duelists are going to walk away with some injuries. On that note, congrattions on your victory, Brother Ye.

    Ye Qing replied humbly, I was just lucky. You would probably win if you managed to hold out a little longer.

    No need to act humble, Brother Ye. A win is a win. Even if I did manage to hold out, youre still a long way from reaching your limits yet, arent you? Chu Qingge replied candidly.

    During the battle, she had used the Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, Reflection, in an attempt to catch Ye Qing off guard, while Ye Qing hadnt used a single Strange Artifact from the start until the end. It was clear that he hadnt gone all out, and that her defeat was well-deserved.

    Im going to win our next duel, though. Chu Qingge dered confidently.

    Oh yeah? I look forward to it. Ye Qing smiled back.

    The sun was setting, and the yellow sand was dancing freely in the wind. It was a beautiful, fantastical moment.

    How could this be? Why did Qingge lose?

    Outside the arena, the Harmony King was quite panicked when he saw that Chu Qingge was injured. He let out a sigh of relief only after he confirmed that she was fine. However, he still couldnt understand why Qingge had lost.

    Shes had the upper hand the entire time after she used the Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art, so how did she lose?

    1. The original text is , meaning the One Emperor to be remembered for the ages. In our world, most people agree that the only one who fits the bill is Qin Shi Huang, the man who united the continent and became the first emperor of China.

 Chapter 433: Dream Butterfly

    Chapter 433: Dream Butterfly

    ¡°Miss Chu is extremely gifted, and the ¡®Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡¯ is a godlike martial art, Your Highness. However, she is ultimately too young. She simply cannot maintain the ¡®Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡¯ for too long.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan exined, ¡°On the other hand, Young Ye had reached the journeyman level in the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯ and forged an imperfect Chaos Demon Ape Body. In this form, he possesses an incredible amount of vigor and regeneration. That is why he attacked Miss Chu again and again even though he was no match for her. It is to force her to deplete her stamina until she is too weak to defend against his final counterattack.¡±

    ¡°I see! So that bastard only won because he cheated!¡± The Harmony King nodded and eximed in realization.

    ¡°Er¡­ that¡¯s not entirely true, Your Highness. I suppose you can interpret it as cheating, but it¡¯smon sense to strike the enemy¡¯s weak spot with one¡¯s strength, so¡ª¡±

    Lei Xiaodan tried to exin himself, but the Harmony King cut him off before he could continue. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Ipletely understand what you mean. He¡¯s a man, and he couldn¡¯t even fight a girl without resorting to cheap tactics and cowardly strategy. There is not a shred of manliness in him whatsoever.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan: ¡°...¡±<em>Is that what I mean? Then why do I think otherwise?</em>

    The Harmony King continued with dripping disdain, ¡°As if that¡¯s not enough, he¡¯s a pretentious bastard who¡¯s trying to worm his way into Qingge¡¯s good graces. The nerve of him! I¡¯ve never met a more shameless bastard in my life!¡±

    The sight of Ye Qing and his daughter chatting happily away with each other annoyed the Harmony King. Chu Qingge was born with an apathetic personality, and she rarely interacted with any men. Even as her dad, he rarely saw her opening herself up to someone the way she was currently doing with Ye Qing, much less anyone else. That was why he couldn¡¯t help but feel increasingly jealous and annoyed with Ye Qing.

    ¡°I¡¯m warning you now, Jianglong, but you better keep that bastard away from my Qingge,¡± the Harmony King abruptly looked at Hong Jianglong and uttered.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ sure, Your Highness,¡± Hong Jianglong replied awkwardly.<em>I thought he was angry that his daughter lost, and he was, but it¡¯s the possibility that his Qingge might fall for an undeserving guy that scares him even more¡­</em>

    Personally, Hong Jianglong didn¡¯t think that Ye Qing was a poor match for Qingge though. They were both young geniuses with a bright future ahead of them. However, he could understand why a dad would find it difficult to ept this, much less someone like the Harmony King¡­

    It was at this moment Ye Qing and Chu Qingge teleported out of the tform at the same time.

    ¡°Are you okay, Qingge?¡± The Harmony King immediately went up to his daughter and asked concernedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, father. You don¡¯t need to worry about me,¡± Chu Qingge responded with a smile.

    ¡°Good, good.¡± The Harmony King consoled her. ¡°Losing a duel once in a while is perfectly normal. It¡¯s not like you went all out. Nothing is more important than your health, so don¡¯t be angry, and definitely don¡¯t be sad, alright?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I¡¯m not sad or angry. Also, I have no qualms with this defeat. Ye Qing is definitely the better warrior between the two of us,¡± Chu Qing replied while shooting Ye Qing a nce.

    The Harmony King¡¯s wariness shot up to a hundred when he saw this. ¡°Daughter, it¡¯s important to protect oneself when you¡¯re away from the safety of your home. It is especially important to avoid shady people who look like something on the outside, but are really arrogant, boastful, and cheating bastards on the inside¡­¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±<em>I don¡¯t care how you educate your daughter, but why the fuck are you looking in my direction as you speak?</em>

    ¡°I understand, father.¡± Chu Qingge smirked a little. Of course she understood what the Harmony King was implying.

    When the Harmony King noticed that Ye Qing was standing far too close for hisfort, he immediately shooed him away like a dog, ¡°What are you looking at, boy? I¡¯m talking to my daughter here! Stop eavesdropping and get out of my sight!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±<em>Eavesdropping? You¡¯re so loud I could¡¯ve heard you from twenty meters away!</em>

    ¡°As youmand, Your Highness,¡± Ye Qing replied while rubbing his nose. He didn¡¯t know why, but it was clear that the Harmony King was hostile toward him. Best not to provoke the man if he could help it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave, Miss Qingge.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. See you in a bit.¡± Chu Qingge nodded.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I say? Get. Lost!¡± The Harmony King blocked in front of Chu Qingge and red at Ye Qing angrily.

    Ye Qing wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew better than to indulge the impulse. After looking around for a bit, he went over to Luo Zhan, Gao Ningan and Chu Nianjiu.

    Although they had all been disqualified, they were still allowed to observe the matches.

    ¡°Congrattions, Joyless!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Joyless. I can¡¯t believe you managed to beat Qingge!¡±

    Both Gao Ningan and Chu Nianjiu congratted him.

    Even Luo Zhan stopped meditating temporarily and opened his eyes. ¡°Congrattions, brother.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ye Qing responded politely before observing Luo Zhan¡¯s pallidplexion and weak energy. ¡°Did you win, Brother Luo?¡±

    ¡°No. I lost to Jian Wusheng,¡± Luo Zhan answered frankly and without shame. ¡°His ¡®No Life, No I¡¯ is incredibly strong. Assuming you¡¯re matched up with him in the future, be sure to keep an eye out for it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the advice, Brother Luo. I will.¡± Ye Qing sat down beside Gao Ningan and Chu Nianjiu before asking, ¡°So, how are the rest of the matches going? Who won and who lost?¡±

    Zhao Bu¡¯er, Chu Renhe, Xu Rulin and Zhang Tiancheng had finished their matches already. The only matches that were Wen Xiaonuan and Flower Butterfly on the second tform, Qi Xuanyun and Wei Bo on the third tform, Zhuo Henshui and Chen Shaoyu on the sixth tform, and Zhao Lan and Lin Yuhuai on the seventh tform.

    ¡°Zhao Bu¡¯er defeated Chu Renhe, and Xu Rulin defeated Zhang Tiancheng,¡± Chu Nianjiu replied in a sint manner.

    ¡°Zhao Bu¡¯er won?¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Xu Rulin could beat Zhang Tiancheng. After all, his cultivation level,bat experience and strength were all superior to his opponent¡¯s. However, the oue of the match between Chu Renhe and Zhao Bu¡¯er definitely surprised him.

    As someone who fought Chu Renhe before, he knew very well that the inspector general was anything but a weakling. He also owned a Strange Artifact that possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities. That was why he wasn¡¯t expecting him to lose to Zhao Bu¡¯er, a peer in terms of cultivation level.

    ¡°Oh yes. Not only did he defeat Chu Renhe, he kicked his ass harder than anyone else in this tournament. Just look at Chu Renhe¡¯s head!¡± Gao Ningan eximed with a good dose of schadenfreude in his voice.

    Ye Qing looked. Right now, the inspector general¡¯s head was as bald and shiny as a light bulb. The corners of his lips turned up uncontrobly as he eximed, ¡°Holy shit! What the heck happened to him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡±

    Gao Ningan proceeded to tell Ye Qing everything about the fight between Zhao Bu¡¯er and Chu Renhe. When he was done, he nced at Chu Renhe and snickered. ¡°It¡¯s a shame you didn¡¯t end your match sooner. When he left the tform, his head looked like a dog had chewed on it, and his face was so ck you would think that his father just died. Ooh, it was a riot!¡±

    <em>He still looks like he lost his dad, frankly,</em>Ye Qing thought to himself before looking in Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s direction. He was curious about the warrior¡¯s tactics and his unique weapon.

    Zhao Bu¡¯er was sitting quite far away from them, but he still turned around and shot Ye Qing a pure, honest smile. Ye Qing nodded in acknowledgement but secretly upped his evaluation of Zhao Bu¡¯er by a level. The warrior must possess a lot of spiritual power to sense his gaze from so far away.

    ¡°What do you think Zhao Lan is doing, Joyless?¡± Chu Nianjiu furrowed his brows while looking at the seventh tform. There, Lin Yuhuai and Zhao Lan were still fighting aaginst each other.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little and muttered, ¡°That bastard is toying with Brother Lin.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Chu Nianjiu blurted while sipping his wine. To be honest, it didn¡¯t look like Zhao Lan was toying with Lin Yuhuai, but the fact that he, ate-stage Spirit Purifier and a proven candidate of the Hidden Dragon Meet, didn¡¯t immediately crush Lin Yuhuai, an early-stage Spirit Purifier, proved that something was amiss.

    If Chu Nianjiu wasn¡¯t sure that Lin Yuhuai didn¡¯t know Zhao Lan at all before the Hidden Dragon Meet, he would have suspected that the man was Lin Yuhuai¡¯s hired actor!

    Chu Nianjiu¡¯s martial insight might be too low to discern what was happening, but not Ye Qing. Zhao Lan could¡¯ve defeated Lin Yuhuai at any time, but he purposely restrained his strength and revealed some openings from time to time so that Lin Yuhuai believed that he still had a chance. Like a cat toying with a mouse, he kept feeding the talisman expert false hope for some unknown purpose.

    ¡°What on earth is this Zhao Lan plotting?¡± Chu Nianjiu frowned deeply.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    Gao Ningan waved off their concerns uncaringly. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Brother Lin is a member of the Pacification Bureau. Unless the guy is crazy, he wouldn¡¯t hurt Brother Lin too badly.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned but didn¡¯t deny Gao Ningan¡¯s statement.

    ¡°What is your opinion regarding the rest of the matches, Brother Ye? Who do you think would win?¡± Luo Zhan suddenly joined in on the conversation.

    Ye Qing observed the other matches for a bit before answering, ¡°I think that Wen Xiaonuan, Wei Bo and Zhuo Henshui would win!¡±

    Wen Xiaonuan and Flower Butterfly¡¯s duel was a battle between joy and sorrow, literally. If Wen Xiaonuan was overflowing with negative energies such as listlessness, sorrow and despair, then Flower Butterfly was the opposite. As her moniker might suggest, Flower Butterfly was a beautiful woman surrounded by swarms of colorful butterflies. The woman herself was dancing gracefully in the middle of the horde as if she was participating in a performance and not a duel, her bells ringing melodiously with every twitch of the limb.

    The butterflies flew toward Wen Xiaonuan as she danced, but they all died before they got close to her. As soon as the butterflies hit the ground, they abruptly burst into mes and gave off some sort of white smoke.

    The butterflies Flower Butterflymanded were no ordinary butterflies. They were Malice-ss Strangers known as the Dream Butterflies. A type of social insect, it was said the Dream Butterflies were created from a person¡¯s most beautiful hopes and dreams. Normally found in ces with lots of nts and especially flowers, they possessed the power to draw a living person into a perfect dream where everything they ever dreamed of came true. They would awake when the Dream Butterflies left their side.

    If the Dream Butterfly died, then it would transform into a puff of smoke that would turn that wonderful dream into their worst nightmare. They would be subjected to the worst imaginable horrors, fears, and more. The moment they woke up was also the moment they died.

    That was why the books describing the Dream Butterfly included a quote like this:

    ¡°Life and death in a single dream,

    Joy and anger, pleasure and sorrow in a single butterfly.¡±

    To put it simply, a living Dream Butterfly would grant a person the most wonderful dreams without harming a hair on their person, but a dead Dream Butterfly would inflict them with the worst nightmares until they died.

    The Dream Butterflies were a potent weapon in the right hands, but for some reason, Wen Xiaonuan waspletely unaffected by their effects. They were unable to draw her into a dream at all, much less kill her through said dream.

    On the other hand, Flower Butterfly was growing paler and paler over time. Even the melodious ringing of her bells were starting to lose their rhythm. It was clear who held the upper hand in this battle. If she didn¡¯t have another trump card, then this battle would end in her defeat for sure.

    ¡°Flower Butterfly is probably the disciple of the Butterfly Keeper. It was said that the Butterfly Keeper was descended from the Butterfly Fairy of the Nanjiang Gu King Abode, and the Butterfly Fairy¡¯s lineage specializes in raising gu butterflies. Their signature cultivation art, ¡®Butterfly Fairy Sutra¡¯, teaches two martial arts known as the ¡®Butterfly Fairy Dance¡¯ and the ¡®Bewitching Bell¡¯. The ¡®Butterfly Fairy Dance¡¯ is used to control the gu butterflies, and the ¡®Bewitching Bell¡¯ is used to muddle the mind.¡±

    Luo Zhan gave them a lengthy exnation before concluding, ¡°Neither the ¡®Butterfly Fairy Dance¡¯ nor the ¡®Bewitching Bell¡¯ is working on Wen Xiaonuan. I can see why she is going to lose.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about Qi Xuanyun and Wei Bo though. On one hand, Brother Qi wields a repertoire of powerful lightning spells. On the other hand, Wei Bo uses an unusual palm art. So far, they¡¯re locked in a stalemate, so why are you so certain that Wei Bo would win, Brother Ye?¡±

 Chapter 434: Blue Dragons In Sleeve

    Chapter 434: Blue Dragons In Sleeve

    ¡°What he said.¡± Chu Nianjiu agreed with Luo Zhan¡¯s assessment. ¡°In fact, It looks to me that Xuanyun is holding the upper hand. How can he lose?¡±

    ¡°Lightning arts are powerful, but they arecking in sustainability due to how much energy they consume.¡± Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°Look carefully. While Wei Bo was on the defensive this whole time, Wei Bo managed to minimize the amount of effective damage he took. As a result, Wei Bo still has a good amount of energy in reserve, but Xuanyun is near exhaustion.¡±

    ¡°Xuanyun is dancing to Wei Bo¡¯s rhythm right now. The moment he runs out of strength is the moment Wei Bounches his counterattack.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that this battle is going to end up like your match with Qingge?¡± Gao Ningan asked.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ I guess so.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    A lot of people were paying attention to Qi Xuanyun and Wei Bo¡¯s match. Visually speaking, it was definitely more exciting and attractive than the battle between Wen Xiaonuan and Flower Butterfly, Xu Rulin and Zhang Tiancheng.

    Qi Xuanyun was an expert in lightning arts and talismanic arts, and he could summon lightning with the flick of a wrist like a lightning god who governed all thunder and lightning in the world. It was awe-inspiring to put it mildly.

    However, Wei Bo¡¯s palm art was nothing to scoff at either. His techniques looked nd and basic, but assuming the lightning didn¡¯t slip past his guard, he could always defend against Qi Xuanyun¡¯s attacks perfectly.

    Not only that, Wei Bo¡¯s movement art was quite the strange one as well. He hobbled and staggered around like an old man with one foot in the grave, and yet he always managed to avoid Qi Xuanyun¡¯s lightning at thest possible moment. Few warriors could¡¯ve dodged the young Taoist¡¯s lightning as easily as he did.

    Worse still, Qi Xuanyun¡¯s face was turning wrinkly and haggard. It was like he was aging as he fought Wei Bo.

    ¡°Wind, fire, thunder, lightning!¡±

    Knowing that he was in trouble, Qi Xuanyun abruptly growled out a short mantra and performed a number of hand seals in rapid session. Four talismans appeared in front of him immediately.

    A green talisman with the word ¡°Wind¡± written on it summoned a powerful gust of wind.

    A red talisman with the word ¡°Fire¡± written on it conjured a zing inferno.

    A purple talisman with the word ¡°Thunder¡± written on it let loose a series of deafening thunderps.

    And a blue talisman with the word ¡°Lightning¡± written on it crackled with deadly lightning.

    As soon as the four talismans appeared, Qi Xuanyun pointed at Wei Bo and barked, ¡°Go!¡±

    The four talismans flew forward and filled the world with wind, fire, thunder and lightning. The wind strengthened the fire, the fire empowered the thunder, and the lightning engulfed everything with enough power to destroy it all.

    The four talismans engulfed everything within a hundred meter radius, leaving Wei Bo with nowhere to run. The warrior vanished under the elements in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Awesome!¡±

    ¡°Well done!¡±

    Chu Nianjiu and Gao Ningan paid apliment after witnessing the impressive attack. There were many spectators who were oohing and aahing in amazement as well.

    Luo Zhan shared a different opinion, however. He shook his head and said, ¡°Qi Xuanyun lost his cool.¡±

    ¡°No, he just wanted to make one final gambit,¡± Ye Qing said softly.

    At the center of the raging elements, Wei Bo sucked in a deep breath and manifested a pair of oilmps on his shoulders. Wisps of dark yellow wind spun within themp before transforming into a long robe. It was surrounded by even more dark yellow wind, and it gave off an air of ancientness and impermanence.

    As soon as Qi Xuanyun¡¯s ultimate attack made contact with the dark yellow wind, its power abruptly took a nosedive. It was a powerful defense that warded off Qi Xuanyun¡¯s final gambit perfectly.

    ¡°The Divine Astral Robe of the Aging Wind¡­? Is Wei Bo that old monster¡¯s disciple?¡± Hong Jianglong pped his thigh and eximed in shock.

    Lei Xiaodan said, ¡°The Divine Astral Robe of the Aging Wind is an ultimate art that only he knows. There is also a marked resemnce between his martial arts and that senior¡¯s, so I definitely think that he is his disciple.¡±

    ¡°Old monster? Senior? What are you talking about?¡± The Harmony King asked curiously. Hong Jianglong and Lei Xiaodan hadn¡¯t lowered their voices, so their conversation was overheard by the Harmony King.

    ¡°You tell him.¡± Hong Jianglong nced at Lei Xiaodan.

    Lei Xiaodan smiled andunched into an exnation, ¡°Your Highness, the senior we were talking about is an old warrior who supposedly lived for a very, very long time. They call him the Undying Celestial.¡±

    ¡°The Undying Celestial¡­?¡± Varying expressions of shock and realization rippled through the crowd. The Harmony King remained confused, however. ¡°Who is the Undying Celestial? Is he strong?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan exined, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say he¡¯s too strong. He is just a Trueman. However, if the rumors were to be believed, the Undying Celestial is over four hundred years old right now; a feat that should be impossible. That is why they call him the Undying Celestial.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ over four hundred years old?!¡± The Harmony King¡¯s eyes widened like saucers. Although he was a lousy warrior at best, that didn¡¯t mean that he was wholly ignorant. He knew that a warrior would gain sixty years of lifespan when they reached the Grandmaster stage, and another one hundred years after they reached the Sage stage. There was also the Immortal stage that only existed in myths, but that was a different story.

    Assuming that a human could live to a hundred years old, a Grandmaster would meet their end at a hundred and sixty, and a Sage at two hundred and sixty. Even if they devoted most of their time and energy into recuperating and extending their lifespan, the most they could add to their lifespan was thirty to fifty years. Therefore, the maximum expected lifespan of a Grandmaster was two hundred years old, and a little over three hundred years for a Sage.

    The Undying Celestial was a Trueman, the equivalent of a Grandmaster. However, Lei Xiaodan was iming that he was over four hundred years old, meaning that he was older than even the oldest Sage. It was shocking to say the least.

    ¡°How¡­ How did he do it?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan shook his head. ¡°That is a secret only he knows. Some people believed that he stole another person¡¯s body using a demonic art, some people believed that he transferred his soul into a suitable object or body using a Taoist art, some people believed that he was the reincarnation of a Buddha, some people believed that it was the wisdom of Confucianism, some people believed that he consumed a priceless treasure that gave him eternal life, some people thought he knew the secret arts to extend one¡¯s life and more. But in the end, they are all guesses.¡±

    ¡°For obvious reasons, countless people wished to learn the secrets behind the Undying Celestial¡¯s immortality. However, no one had ever found it because the man couldn¡¯t be found. Literally, no one had ever found the Undying Celestial unless he wanted to be found. Every once in a while, he would resurface and prove that he is still alive.¡±

    ¡°A shame. I was hoping to discuss the various ways of maintaining good health with the Undying Celestial. It looks like it will remain a pipe dream.¡±

    The Harmony King sighed, but he wasn¡¯t obsessed with immortality. He easily moved onto the next subject and asked, ¡°So, how do you know that Wei Bo is the Undying Celestial¡¯s disciple?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan answered, ¡°There are three characteristics about the Undying Celestial that the people loved to talk about. The first is his immortality, the second is his fondness for helping others, and the third is his unusual martial arts.¡±

    ¡°The third characteristic is how we arrive at this conclusion. It is said that those who fought against the Undying Celestial would often age for seemingly no reason whatsoever, and the Divine Astral Robe of the Aging Wind in particr was his signature martial art. Capable of both offense and defense, it is a powerful robe created from the Divine Astral Qi of Aging Wind.¡±

    ¡°This is why Jianglong and I think that Wei Bo might be the Undying Celestial¡¯s disciple.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± The Harmony King eximed in realization before returning his full attention back to the battle between Qi Xuanyun and Wei Bo.

    ¡°Wei Bo is the Undying Celestial¡¯s disciple? I can hardly believe it¡­¡± Gao Ningan clicked his tongue in amazement. ¡°It¡¯s kinda interesting that the Undying Celestial is immortal, but Wei Bo looks like he might keel over at the young age of twenty. By the way, do you know what the Divine Astral Qi of Aging Wind is, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°As the name implies, the Divine Astral Qi of Aging Wind is a type of astral qi possessing the power of time. If it touches a flower, the flower would wilt. If it touches the grass, the grass would wither. If it touches a puddle, the water would dry. If it touches a stone, the stone would crack. If it touches a human, the human would age¡­ I don¡¯t need to tell you how deadly it is.¡±

    ¡°I see. No wonder Qi Xuanyun¡¯s lightning couldn¡¯t reach Wei Bo.¡± Gao Ningan frowned. ¡°Does this mean that nothing can ovee Wei Bo¡¯s defense?¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t give him an answer. He simply returned his attention to the tform.

    On the tform, Wei Bo was strolling through the raging elements of wind, fire, thunder and lightning like they were nothing more but a light breeze. Anything that got within a few meters of him would be blown apart by the Divine Astral Qi of Aging Wind.

    It looked like Wei Bo was wasting his time and relishing in his superiority, but in reality he was gathering his strength and getting closer and closer to Qi Xuanyun.

    Just several breathster, Qi Xuanyun could no longer maintain his ultimate attack. He barely had enough energy left to keep fighting. Without a source to feed it energy, the rampaging elements slowly began to weaken.

    It was at this moment Wei Bo charged forward and unleashed a series of palm strikes that surrounded Qi Xuanyun from all sides, sealing off all avenues of escape. A look of delight flickered across Wei Bo¡¯s face. He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

    However, he quickly noticed that he wasn¡¯t the only one who was smiling. His opponent, sickly pale as he was, was smiling brightly as well. A bad feeling immediately came over him.

    ¡°Blue Dragons¡­ In Sleeve¡­!¡±

    Qi Xuanyun grinned so widely that his shiny white teeth were bare for all to see. At the same time, a pair of Blue Dragons flew out of his sleeves and let out a mighty roar that deafened the ears and shook the sky itself.

    The ball of lightning surrounding the two dragons rapidly grew in size in almost no time at all. Caughtpletely off guard, Wei Bo could only watch as the blue dragons and the ball of lightning engulfed him and everything within thirty meters of Qi Xuanyun, deadly power churning violently like the raging sea.

    Right here and now, Qi Xuanyun looked more like the god of lightning and thunder than ever.

    ¡°Heavens! Qi Xuanyun had onest move to make?¡± Chu Nianjiu gulped as he eximed in shock.

    The exhaustion that came over Qi Xuanyun after he unleashed his ultimate attack was very real. It was why no one thought that he had onest surprise for Wei Bo.

    ¡°Looks like you got it wrong, Joyless. Qi Xuanyun won after all.¡± Gao Ningan snickered while making faces at Ye Qing.

    ¡°He used his weakness to draw Wei Bo in and attacked him when his guard was at its lowest. I must admit that Xuanyun has grown a lot since we first met him.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s still not enough.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? He¡¯s already won!¡± Gao Ningan eximed in confusion.

    As soon as he said, a powerful palm strike abruptly split the pool of lightning in half and revealed Wei Bo. Right now, his Divine Astral Robe of the Aging Wind was in tatters, and he waspletely covered in soot. Not only that, he looked like he had aged a decade in a matter of minutes. His face was covered in wrinkles, and he looked like an old man with one foot in the grave.

    ¡°I underestimated you, Reverend,¡± Wei Bo said slowly and indifferently. It would seem that his aging wasn¡¯t just physical because only an old man who had experienced all there was to experience in the world could speak in such a tone.

    ¡°You tter me.¡± Qi Xuanyun¡¯s cheeks were unnaturally red as he bowed to Wei Bo. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have withstood my Blue Dragons In Sleeve at melee range and remained standing, and for that, you have my deepest respect, Benefactor Wei.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Shall we resume our match?¡±

    Wei Bo threw his shoulders back slightly, and the depleted oilmps on his shoulders ignited once more. The wisps of Aging Wind they gave off joined together to form yet another Divine Astral Robe of the Aging Wind around his body.

    When Qi Xuanyun saw this, he smiled and sped his fists. ¡°You are the better warrior, Benefactor Wei. I surrender.¡±

    ¡°... Thank you. You fought well.¡± Wei Bo wasn¡¯t expecting Qi Xuanyun to throw in the towel so easily, so his response was a tad dyed. Both men were teleported out of the tform after that.

    After Qi Xuanyun went over to Ye Qing and the others, he bowed his head and said dejectedly, ¡°Sorry, Brother Ye. I lost.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You did the best you could, and you were incredible.¡± Ye Qing rose to his feet and gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder. ¡°You might have lost the fight, but you also dealt Wei Bo a severe blow. Your final attack especially was most impressive, so stand tall.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu chimed in, ¡°Ye Qing¡¯s right. Who would¡¯ve thought that Wei Bo could survive a point-nk hit like that even after you caught him with his pants down? If it was your Brother Gao on the stage just now, he would be a pile of ash already. So be proud, my friend.¡±

    Gao Ningan: ¡°...¡±<em>I¡¯m right here, you bastard.</em>

    Qi Xuanyun beamed. ¡°Yeah. Thank you, Brother Ye, Brother Chu.¡±

    ¡°Now sit down and recover your strength already. You don¡¯t want to catch a hidden injury, do you?¡± Ye Qing instructed.

    ¡°Will do, Brother Ye.¡± Qi Xuanyun did as he said and entered into a meditative state quickly.

 Chapter 435: Iâ€™ll Kill You First And Your Clan Later

    Chapter 435: I¡¯ll Kill You First And Your n Later

    While Qi Xuanyun was meditating, Luo Zhan said suddenly, ¡°Chen Shaoyu is about to lose.¡±

    Ye Qing turned around just in time to see Zhuo Henshui sending Chen Shaoyu flying with a punch.

    Chen Shaoyu was still in the air when Zhuo Henshui took one step forward and appeared beside him like a phantom. Then, she threw another punch.

    In the air, there was nothing Chen Shaoyu could possibly do to dodge the attack. He had no choice but to cross his arms in front of his chest.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    The punch broke his arms and caused a jet of blood to spill through his lips. He then crashed into a nearby hill even faster than before. The hill copsed, and Chen Shaoyu was buried under it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost,¡± Zhuo Henshui remarked indifferently while looking down on her opponent.

    ¡°Ptooey!¡± Chen Shaoyu spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. He was lying spread eagle on the ground, and even the slightest movement triggered a terrible pain that epassed his whole body. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone told him that he had broken bones everywhere.

    A savage grin spread across his face, however. ¡°I lost? Do you know who I am, girl? I¡¯m the heir of the Flying Dragon Stronghold, the one they call the Jade-faced Dragon. Who do you think you are to call for my surrender?¡±

    As he spoke, he stared at Zhuo Henshui with cold eyes that resembled a man-devouring viper.

    The Flying Dragon Stronghold was a Lulin[1] faction, and at the beginning, they imed that they were a faction who meted out justice on behalf of the heavens. In reality, they were just brigands and murderers who would do anything to further their self-interests. Later, General Heng Shan of Tian Yong convinced them into submitting to Chu, and they were officially recognized as a sect of Chu.

    Joining the empire didn¡¯t change their nature, however. They were still crazy brigands and murderers who would annihte entire sects and exterminate ns to the nine generations at the slightest provocations. To say that they had a poor reputation would be an understatement.

    But of course, they weren¡¯t stupid enough tomit their crimes overtly. Add to the fact that they were backed by General Heng Shan, and the government more or less turned a blind eye to their activities.

    Chen Shaoyu was the heir of the Flying Dragon Stronghold, so of course he had plenty of blood on his hands as well. He was used to getting his way all the time, and he had already looked into Zhuo Henshui¡¯s background. Although she hailed from the capital, her n was small, insignificant, and backed by no one. It was absolutely iparable to the Flying Dragon Stronghold, which was why he didn¡¯t care about Zhuo Henshui at all.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t surrender, then you will die,¡± Zhuo Henshui dered with cold indifference.

    ¡°Die? Hahahaha! You¡¯re certainly wee to try, girl!¡± Chen Shaoyuughed uncontrobly despite his horrible condition. ¡°But are you sure you want to kill me? If you kill me, then your family, rtives and friends will all go to the grave with me. Are you sure you can bear the consequences?¡±

    Zhuo Henshui didn¡¯t say anything. Her face was calm, but a ck current was churning behind her eyes.

    Chen Shaoyu didn¡¯t notice this, not that he would care even if he did. Taking Zhuo Henshui¡¯s silence as an admission of weakness, he became even more arrogant. ¡°Heh! Have you realized your mistake? It¡¯s already toote though. After all, you¡¯ve caught my attention. When I return home, I¡¯ll make sure to give you and your family my warmest regards.¡±

    ¡°How dare he, an official of Chu, threaten innocent lives in broad daylight! Who does he think he is?¡±

    Chen Shaoyu¡¯s behavior didn¡¯t escape the spectators¡¯ notice, of course. One official was so angry that he shot to his feet.

    ¡°I¡¯d heard that Flying Dragon Stronghold tantly disregards thew and does whatever they please, but I thought it was just an exaggeration. It would seem it was real after all,¡± another official echoed the sentiment.

    ¡°An audacious bastard who cares nothing for the lives of people like him does not deserve to live in this world.¡± Jing Huang looked extremely displeased as well. ¡°It¡¯s not just him. Everyone in the Flying Dragon Stronghold is just as corrupt and bloodthirsty as he is. The sooner we are rid of their loathsome existence, the better!¡±

    Almost everyone present was wearing looks of displeasure on their face as well.

    ¡°Hmph. This is a no-holds-barred tournament where killing your opponent is allowed. Whoever says that Chen Shaoyu cannot attack his opponent psychologically and force them into submission? Also, are you suggesting that we kill someone just because they say they¡¯re going tomit a crime? Who are the audacious bastards who''re trying to harm an innocent person here?¡±

    It was at this moment a brawny, fearsome-looking man said disdainfully, ¡°Also, you im that Flying Dragon Stronghold is corrupt and disregards thew, but where is your evidence? If you have none, then stop bitching like a woman and shut your traps!¡±

    ¡°Sophistry, Yu Yuanshan. Everyone knows how the Flying Dragon Stronghold is.¡± Jing Huang dered in a righteous voice. ¡°Not only that, we all know that you¡¯re their lord¡¯s son-inw. You¡¯re a nest of rats and snakes colluding with each other!¡±

    ¡°Shut your filthy mouth, Jing Huang!¡± Yu Yuanshan looked like he might spit fire out of his eyes. ¡°You think you¡¯re immune just because you¡¯re the Aide of the Regional Inspection Office? Just try pissing me off! I promise your office won¡¯t live to see another day!¡±

    ¡°Control yourself, Commandant Yu!¡±

    ¡°Did you just say you would destroy the Administrator¡¯s Office? Have you lost your mind, Commandant Yu?¡±

    ¡°I smell a rebel in our midst. Not even General Hengshan would dare to openly threaten a fellow imperial, and you¡¯re just a punymandant! Who do you think you are?¡±

    The civil officials belonging to the Regional Inspection Office immediately retorted with baleful res.

    ¡°So what if I¡¯m threatening you? Do you think you scare me? You so-called schrs know nothing except pinning bullshit on those you consider barbaric and illiterate. Someone needs to remind you that the world doesn¡¯t revolve around you!¡±

    Some of Yu Yuanshan¡¯s took that as a cue and rose to their feet. Some even rolled up their sleeves and began walking in Jing Huang¡¯s direction. ¡°Pooh! I never liked these fuckers. You think you can walk all over us? Today¡¯s the day we remind them ¡®troublees from a loose tongue¡¯ means, brothers!¡±

    ¡°Ooh, is this an extra fight?! I sure hope it is!¡± Gao Ningan¡¯s eyes lit up with clear anticipation.

    Ye Qing knew it wouldn¡¯t happen, however. Jing Huang was the Aide of the Regional Inspection Office of Tian Yong. He was a civil official.

    Yu Yuanshan was the Commandant of the Hengshan Army serving under General Hengshan. He was a military officer.

    Tian Yong was a resourceful ce located in the hintend of Chu. That was why it was overflowing with all sorts of factions. It was also where the central headquarters of Purity Sword, one of the Five Profound Sects, was based. To say the faction rtions here wereplex would be a massive understatement.

    This was why the imperial court specifically assigned a general and army to Tian Yong. Ostensibly, they were supposed to assist the local Regional Inspection Office in handling violent affairs such as banditry. In reality, their job was to assist the Intelligence Department in dealing with<em>jianghu</em>matters. The Regional Inspection Office held no power over them at all.

    Tian Yong was governed by three great powers: the Regional Inspection Office, the Pacification Bureau, and the Intelligence Department. The Intelligence Department was a depostic department possessing the power to take arbitrary actions without consulting the imperial court, and the Hengshan Army was the military force to suppress or annihte rebels or dissidents. Sometimes, a civil official would be implicated as well. Naturally, this pissed off the civil officials and drove them into taking retaliatory measures. One thing led to another, and the two factions came to hate each other¡¯s guts.

    Of course, the faction the Regional Inspection Office really hated was the Intelligence Department, but the Intelligence Department represented the face of the emperor. They could hardly p the emperor in the face, could they? So, they vented their anger and frustrations on the Hengshan Army instead.

    It was cats versus dogs every time the two factions ran into each other. They would argue and even fight over the smallest matter.

    If this was any other asion, Hong Jianglong would be all too happy to let them beat the shit out of each other. However, the Pacification Bureau was the host of this year¡¯s Hidden Dragon Meet. If this argument devolved into a full on brawl, then the Pacification Bureau¡¯s reputation would suffer.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    As expected, Hong Jianglong rose to his feet and interrupted the quarrel with a booming roar. ¡°This is the Flying Dragon Mount, not a market! I don¡¯t care if you bash each other¡¯s heads in, but if you disrupt the Hidden Dragon Meet, then the consequences will be severe!¡±

    Both sides fell silent, but they were still ring at each other.

    ¡°Lord Hong is right. The Hidden Dragon Meet must proceed smoothly. Please restrain yourselves, my lords,¡± Fang Muyun added.

    Even Lei Xiaodan stepped in to mediate things. ¡°Yes, yes, what they said. You¡¯re all imperial officials, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s embarrassing arguing in front of a bunch of juniors? Sit down, please.¡±

    Fang Muyun might not be an imperial official, but he was a schr with an impressive reputation. As they were schrs themselves, Jing Huang and the others couldn¡¯t ignore his words.

    Lei Xiaodan was Yu Yuanshan¡¯s boss. One word from the man was all it took to shut him up and return him to his seat.

    After everyone had settled down, Hong Jianglong swept his gaze imperiously across the crowd and dered icily, ¡°Hmph! This is my first and final warning, but the next time someone disrupts the Hidden Dragon Meet, I<em>will</em>teach them a lesson. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Aw man. I was hoping to see some action,¡± Gao Ningan said with a regretful shrug after Hong Jianglong quelled the argument.

    ¡°Watch the matches,¡± Luo Zhan said with a cold nce that caused Gao Ningan to flinch. The guy was quite afraid of Luo Zhan for some reason.

    On the tform, Chen Shaoyu stared at Zhuo Henshui for a moment before breaking into a lustful grin. ¡°Now that I got a good look at you, you don¡¯t look half bad. It just so happens that Ick a bed warmer right now. If your service is satisfactory, I promise to forgive your family. What do you say?¡±

    Zhuo Henshui wasn¡¯t the prettiest woman in the world, but she was tall, strong and attractive. Her cold nature only added to her charm. Chen Shaoyu couldn¡¯t help a surge of lust when he imagined her writhing under him in pleasure.

    Despite Chen Shaoyu¡¯s behavior, he wasn¡¯t bad-looking himself. His teeth were perfectly white, his lips were a pair of healthy red, and he had a pair of peach blossom eyes. On the surface at least, he looked like the perfect gentleman. It was why he was called the Jade-faced Dragon in the<em>jianghu</em>.

    ¡°Heavens above! What a scumbag!¡± Gao Ningan spat when he heard this. ¡°People like him don¡¯t deserve to live in this world.¡±

    Ye Qing was hiding a hint of killing intent behind his frown as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re the heir of the Flying Dragon Stronghold of Pan Long[2]?¡± Zhuo Henshui asked.

    ¡°Yeah? Why are you asking? Are you so eager to deepen our bond that you¡¯re asking about my family already?¡± Chen Shaoyu chuckled at his tasteless joke.

    Zhuo Henshui remained expressionless. ¡°And your father is the ¡®Divine Sky Dragon¡¯ Chen Wuchou?¡±

    ¡°Yep? Are you scared?¡± Chen Shaoyu grinned evilly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you obey me, then nothing bad will happen to you.¡±

    ¡°I got the right person then.¡± Zhuo Henshui nodded before saying seriously, ¡°After I kill you, I¡¯m going to kill your father. Then, I¡¯m going to wipe out the Flying Dragon Stronghold.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Chen Shaoyu¡¯s smile faltered for a second. ¡°Did you just say you want to kill me, my dad, and the Flying Dragon Stronghold?¡±

    ¡°You heard me right,¡± Zhuo Henshui said calmly. ¡°You want to kill my family, so I¡¯m going to kill yours.¡±

    ¡°You think you can kill my family? You? Haha! Hahahaha!¡± Chen Shaoyuughed uncontrobly like he just heard the funniest joke in the world. However, hisughter abruptly ceased when the ground shook, and Zhuo Henshui appeared in front of him. She then grabbed his face.

    ¡°W-What are you doing?¡± Zhuo Henshui¡¯s grip tightened, and for the first time, Chen Shaoyu realized that Zhuo Henshui might not be joking. She might actually kill him.

    ¡°I¡¯m killing you,¡± Zhuo Henshui said indifferently before increasing her strength. There was a disturbing crunching noise, and Chen Shaoyu¡¯s head exploded like an overripe apple. Not done yet, she brought her foot down and crushed both body and mind.

    ¡°I never tell a lie.¡±

    ¡°She¡­ actually did it?¡± Gao Ningan¡¯s eyes widened like saucers when he saw this. Everyone else couldn¡¯t believe that Zhuo Henshui actually killed Chen Shaoyu as well. Therge majority of people on the peak strongly believed that the world was better off without Chen Shaoyu, but none of them would dare to put their thoughts into action, at least not in public. The Flying Dragon Stronghold was hardly a weak faction after all.

    This was doubly true for the current lord of the Flying Dragon Stronghold, the ¡°Divine Sky Dragon¡± Chen Wuchou. He was a Half-Step Grandmaster who was as petty, narrow-minded and vengeful as he was strong. Once, he had annihted a person¡¯s family, rtives and friends to thest just because they called him cruel and ck-hearted behind his back.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Chen Shaoyu was Chen Wuchou¡¯s only son, and he had high hopes for him. If he learned that Zhou Henshui had killed his son, he was going to fly off the handle one hundred percent.

 Chapter 436: Ghost Clap

    Chapter 436: Ghost p

    ¡°How dare you kill Shaoyu! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    When the moment of shock finally passed, Yu Yuanshan suddenly bellowed a furious roar and swung his saber at Zhuo Henshui. The young woman was unprepared to defend against such an attack as she had just teleported out of the tform, not that she could¡¯ve done anything to defend herself against a Half-Step Grandmaster.

    The attack was bloodthirsty, efficient, and ruthless exactly like a military officer who had seen countless battles. It betrayed just how angry he was at Zhuo Henshui.

    Yu Yuanshan had married Chen Wuchou¡¯s younger sister. He wasn¡¯t just Chen Wuchou¡¯s rtive, their interests were closely aligned to each other. One of the biggest reasons Chen Wuchou and the Flying Dragon Stronghold dared to act as they pleased was because of him.

    The reason Chen Wuchou sent his son to attend the Hidden Dragon Meet was to grow his son¡¯s fame and improve his prospects when he entered the Hengshan Army in the future. He believed it would greatly benefit Flying Dragon Stronghold, his son, and his own standings.

    Besides that, Chen Wuchou wished to whitewash Flying Dragon Strongholdpletely through Chen Shaoyu. It was why he had very high hopes for him.

    But now, Chen Shaoyu was dead. How on earth was he going to justify this to Chen Wuchou? He could only pray that killing his son¡¯s murderer, Zhuo Heshui would be enough to cate the man.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Suddenly, a furious roar that sounded like it came from a dragon itself shattered the saber force and bloodthirst. Yu Yuanshan himself was struck by a powerful wave of dizziness.

    ¡°Does my warning mean nothing to you?!¡±

    A cold, furious voice rang beside Yu Yuanshan¡¯s ear and snapped out of his daze. nching, he was just about to defend himself when a massive palm hit him so hard that he copsed on the floor, and a leg stepped on his back so hard that he couldn¡¯t push free.

    ¡°Lord Hong, what are you doing?! Let Commandant Yu go!¡±

    Some of Yu Yuanshan¡¯s subordinates raced forward to save their superior, but a golden dragon flew out of Hong Jianglong¡¯s body, roared, and swung its tail at the iing group. They were immediately sent flying through the air.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Bright red blood burst out of their throats as soon as they hit the floor. They couldn¡¯t help but stare at Hong Jianglong with shock and fear in their eyes.

    ¡°Did I not just mention that I wouldn¡¯t forgive anyone who disrupts the Hidden Dragon Meet again?¡± Hong Jianglong uttered icily while injecting more strength into his foot. Yu Yuanshan immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°You¡­ You did¡­¡± Yu Yuanshan forced through the pain and answered.

    Hong Jianlong looked down on Yu Yuanshan. ¡°Then why did you ignore my words?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Yu Yuanshan tried to push himself to his feet, but Hong Jianglong¡¯s strength proved to be indomitable. ¡°She¡­ She killed Shaoyu!¡±

    ¡°This is a no-holds-barred tournament where killing your opponent is allowed. It¡¯s his fault for being too weak to protect his own life,¡± Hong Jianglong uttered coldly. ¡°If you wanted him to live, then you shouldn¡¯t send him to this tournament in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ Zhuo Henshui killed him even though Shaoyu was already out of the fight. This is murder!¡± Yu Yuanshan argued through gritted teeth.

    Hong Jianglong snorted. ¡°That is the consequences of his own actions. Did Zhuo Henshui not offer him surrender at the beginning? Did he not spurn her goodwill and even threatened to kill her whole family? I would¡¯ve killed him if I was her.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Yu Yuanshan couldn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Our general was going to promote Chen Shaoyu after this Hidden Dragon Meet. How are we going to justify this to him when he learns about this?¡±

    ¡°Did you just try to threaten me with Zhou Hengshan?¡± Hong Jianglong raised his eyebrows. His aura grew to the point where even the surrounding people felt suffocated, much less Yu Yuanshan. ¡°I don¡¯t know what delusions you¡¯re toiling under, but I assure you that that threat will<em>not</em>work.¡±

    Zhou Hengshan was the general of the Hengshan Army. People called him General Hengshan.

    ¡°Now roll.¡±

    Hong Jianglong meant it literally. He kicked Yu Yuanshan in the ribs and caused him to roll all the way to a staircase leading up to a kiosk. A jet of blood escaped the military officer¡¯s throat before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he fell unconscious.

    One of Yu Yuanshan¡¯s subordinates stammered out, ¡°Lord Hong! Commandant Yu is an imperial official! Do you think that the imperial court when they learn that you¡¯ve beaten up a valued member of Chu?¡±

    The rest of Yu Yuanshan¡¯s cohort was ring at Hong Jianglong as well. They didn¡¯t think that Hong Jianglong would dare to deal Yu Yuanshan a serious blow.

    ¡°So what if I did? What can you do about it?¡± Hong Jianglong scoffed. ¡°Might I remind you that it¡¯s a<em>death sentence</em>to disrupt the Hidden Dragon Meet? He should be thanking his lucky stars that I haven¡¯t killed him outright.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I get it. You think I didn¡¯t punish him hard enough, is it? You want me to kill him and you lot so that justice can be fully restored, right? If that is what you wish¡­¡±

    Yu Yuanshan¡¯s subordinates could hardly believe what they were hearing, but no one dared to say another word. They could tell from Hong Jianglong¡¯s aura that he wasn¡¯t just making empty threats. He would actually kill them if they dared to prod him again.

    ¡°Before I forget, tell Zhou Hengshan that Zhuo Henshui is a member of the Pacification Bureau. If something happens to her in the future, I will personally pay him a visit and hang him for it. Understand?¡± A pair of golden dragons swam behind Hong Jianglong¡¯s eyes. ¡°Now get lost!¡±

    ¡°... We will bring your message to the general word for word, Lord Hong.¡±

    Yu Yuanshan¡¯s cohort gritted their teeth in anger, but they ultimately didn¡¯t dare to challenge Hong Jianglong. They quickly lifted the unconscious Yu Yuanshan over their shoulders before leaving the peak.

    When they were gone, Hong Jianglong looked at Zhuo Henshui and dered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. So long as I¡¯m still around, no one would dare toy a hand on you. Just continue your journey in the Hidden Dragon Meet as you do.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Hong,¡± Zhuo Henshui said with a salute, though her face remained as impassive as ever.

    Hong Jianglong nodded and raised his voice, ¡°It looks like some of you people are deaf, so I¡¯m going to repeat myself one more time. Disrupt the Hidden Dragon Meet, and you will be treated as an enemy of the imperial court and the Pacification Bureau. I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you what the consequences were, should I?¡±

    The silence stretched for a few seconds, and Hong Jianglong finally turned at Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun and apologized, ¡°My apologies for the unsightly behavior, Mister Farseeing, Mister Nine.¡±

    Fang Muyun smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Your impartiality and decisiveness are most impressive.¡±

    Chu Wangsun didn¡¯t say anything. He hadn¡¯t even raised his head.

    Hong Jianglong saluted them again before returning to his kiosk. As he passed by Lei Xiaodan, he shot the man a strange look. The Hengshan Army was subordinate to the Intelligence Department, so he was surprised that Lei Xiaodan hadn¡¯t tried to defend them.

    His look didn¡¯t escape the Judicial Commissioner¡¯s notice, of course. He returned a smile and said, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? They made a mistake, so they should pay for it.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡± Hong Jianglong replied in a clearly unconvinced tone but didn¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°Lord Hong is a tyrant alright.¡± Ye Qing sighed. He could see why he and Gu Suitang were friends. He could even believe that they were blood brothers if they shared the same surname.

    Gao Ningan said wistfully, ¡°Haha. It¡¯s not like he wants to be a tyrant, you know? It¡¯s just that some bastards would happily piss on your head if you give them an inch. Such is life.¡±

    While they were conversing with each other, Wen Xiaonuan and Flower Butterfly¡¯s battle had finallye to an end. As expected, Wen Xiaonuan was the victor.

    Now, there was only one match left. It was the match between Zhao Lan and Lin Yuhuai.

    ¡°Say Joyless, what the fuck is that Zhao Lan doing? Is he really dragging this out just to toy with Yuhuai?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked with a deep frown.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡±

    He was certain that Zhao Lan wasn¡¯t just toying with Yuhuai, however.

    ¡°It looks like your friend is in big trouble.¡± They were still trying to figure out the truth when Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s voice suddenly entered their ears. They turned and saw the warrior walking up to them and greeting them with a wave of his hand.

    ¡°Hello, Brother Zhao.¡± Ye Qing returned the greeting before asking, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Zhao Bu¡¯er replied frankly, ¡°Did you notice? Every once in a while, Zhao Lan would p Lin Yuhuai here and there.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but so what?¡± Gao Ningan interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s so weak it can¡¯t even kill a mosquito.¡±

    ¡°Stop interrupting and listen to what Brother Zhao has to say,¡± Ye Qing chided him.

    Zhao Bu¡¯er exined, ¡°It looks like it couldn¡¯t kill a mosquito, sure, but it¡¯s actually an extremely insidious martial art. It is called the Ghost p.¡±

    ¡°Is that the signature move of the fiftieth warrior on the ck List, Lingling the Invisible Killer?¡± Luo Zhan asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it? Then I guess my warning is unnecessary after all,¡± Zhao Bu¡¯er replied with a friendly smile.

    ¡°Tell me more about this Ghost p,¡± Ye Qing urged.

    He was aware of the ck List. Just like the Heaven, Earth and Human Champions Ranking, the ck List was also a ranking list announced by the White Jade Capital. But while the former rankings ranked the warriors by their strength, the ck List listed only heretics, notorious viins and the like. The people on the list might not necessarily be bad people per se, but they definitely were not good people either.

    On a rted note, the counterpart of the ck List was the White List. It listed righteous and heroic warriors who were famous for their good deeds or subjugated a lot of demons, heretics and the like. When mentioned in the same line, people usually called the two lists the ck and White Lists.

    As the ck and White Lists didn¡¯t necessarily rank their candidates based on strength and so was not as reliable as the Heaven, Earth and Human Champions Ranking in that regard, they were still something to watch out for. It was generally believed that those in the top fifty of the ck and White Lists were, at the minimum, a Grandmaster and a named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking.

    For example, Lingling the Invisible Killer was the fiftieth warrior on the ck List and the ny-eighth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking. He might be the thirdst warrior on the ranking, but a Grandmaster was a Grandmaster.

    Ye Qing had heard of the Lingling the Invisible Killer, a Grandmaster who was famous for his invisible killing methods. However, Ye Qing had never heard of the Ghost p.

    The ¡®Ghost p¡¯ is Shi Lingling¡¯s signature martial art. It earned its name for being so light, soundless and undetectable it was as if the p was done by a ghost.¡±

    Zhao Bu¡¯er exined, ¡°The ¡®Ghost p¡¯ looks useless on the surface, but in reality it allows the practitioner to secretly inject their force into a victim¡¯s body without being detected. When the amount of rued force exceeds a certain threshold, it would detonate and destroy the victim¡¯s internal organs and blood vessels, killing them.¡±

    ¡°On the surface, it looks like the victim ispletely fine. In reality, their insides arepletely ruined. That is why he is called the Invisible Killer.¡±

    ¡°You are sure that Zhao Lan is using the Ghost p?¡± Ye Qing asked with a deep frown on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain. I¡¯ve met Shi Lingling in person when I was adventuring with my master in the past,¡± Zhao Bu¡¯er confirmed.

    On a rted note, Shi Lingling was a man even though his name sounded like a woman¡¯s.

    ¡°Zhao Lan isn¡¯t plotting to kill Yuhuai, is he?¡± Chu Nianjiu nched. ¡°They don¡¯t even know each other until recently! Why on earth would Zhao Lan do such a thing?!¡±

    Ye Qing uttered with an ugly expression, ¡°It¡¯s probably because of me.¡±

    ¡°What do you¡ª¡± The answer came to Chu Nianjiu before he could finish. ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s because you wounded Zhao Lu earlier?¡±

    ¡°I think so,¡± Ye Qing answered. He could see no other reason why Zhao Lan would want to target Lin Yuhuai.

    ¡°What a repulsive bastard!¡± Chu Nianjiu swore. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s not like we can interfere with the match. There is a silver lining though. Zhao Lan wouldn¡¯t dare to kill Brother Lin,¡± Ye Qing dered.

    Technically, Zhao Lan<em>could</em>kill Lin Yuhuai, but he wouldn¡¯t. After all, Lin Yuhuai was a member of the Pacification Bureau. He would be signing his and his brother¡¯s death sentence if he did so.

    That didn¡¯t mean he could make Lin Yuhuai¡¯s life hell, however.

    On the tform, Lin Yuhuai still had no idea what Zhao Lan had done to him, but he realized that something was amiss as well. Lin Yuhuai was a smart and decisive man, and he was satisfied with being able to make it to the Top 16. So, he surrendered immediately.

 Chapter 437: I Will Kill You

    Chapter 437: I Will Kill You

    Lin Yuhuai was teleported out of the tform as soon as he surrendered the battle. At the same time, Ye Qing pushed ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± to its limits and appeared beside the talisman expert in an instant.

    ¡°Joyless, what¡ª¡± Lin Yuhuai didn¡¯t understand what was going on, of course. He was just about to ask a question when suddenly, the blood drained away from his face, and a strange energy exploded inside his body. His internal organs were damaged immediately.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai fell limp as blood spilled out of his lips.

    <em>Dammit. I¡¯m toote.</em>

    Ye Qing was hoping to neutralize Ghost p before it detonated, but in the end, he just wasn¡¯t fast enough. The good news was that the foreign force damaged Lin Yuhuai¡¯s internal organs, blood vessels and more, but not so much that it would threaten his life. As he predicted, Zhao Lan didn¡¯t have the guts to kill Lin Yuhuai.

    This didn¡¯t mean that Lin Yuhuai¡¯s injuries were light, however. His muscles were ripped into shreds, his bones were broken, his internal organs were bruised, and his blood vessels were damaged. Normally, it would take him months to recover from a severe injury like this. Worst case scenario, it could even damage his martial foundation.

    ¡°Rx. He won¡¯t die from this.¡±

    After Zhao Lan was teleported out of the tform, he walked up to Ye Qing with an odd smile of ridicule and cruelty. ¡°So? How does it feel to watch your friend getting hurt?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ye Qing asked in a cold voice.

    ¡°Hahaha! Why? You ask why?¡± Zhao Lan¡¯s eyes shed cruelly. ¡°Because of you, my brother is going to spend the next few months in bed. That¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes grew colder and colder.

    ¡°Do I need another reason?¡± Zhao Lan¡¯s eyes turned red like an animal¡¯s. ¡°Zhao Lu isn¡¯t just my younger brother. He is the only family I have. When he was freezing in the cold, I was freezing with him. When I was starving, he was starving right beside him. And when someone attacks us, they attack us both. Once, my brother nearly died to protect me. After I began learning martial arts, I swore I would never allow him to get hurt again.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t just hurt my brother. You damaged his martial foundation as well.¡±

    ¡°Did you know how much my heart ached when I saw his injuries? Know that his future might never be as bright as it could be because of one sonuvabitch?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who hurt your brother, so why are you attacking innocents instead of me?¡± Ye Qing asked coldly.

    ¡°Oh no no no,¡± Zhao Lan shook his head while wearing a demented grin on his face, ¡°that¡¯s not how it works. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I¡¯ll have you taste the exact same pain and misery I felt.¡±

    ¡°So? How does it feel? It tastes bitter, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It is pretty bitter.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    Zhao Lan suddenly moved closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. ¡°You should be thankful that you and your friends are members of the Pacification Bureau. Otherwise, I would have killed every friend and family you ever have. All of them.¡±

    ¡°Only then can you truly understand my pain.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m d.¡± Ye Qing suddenly broke into a wide smile. ¡°I hope I¡¯ll run into you during my next match.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Lan was puzzled.

    Ye Qing grinned. ¡°I want to kill you with my own hands.¡±

    ¡°You want to kill me?¡± Zhao Lan paused for a full second before the corners of his lips turned up uncontrobly. In the end, he couldn¡¯t control himself and let loose a maniacalugh. ¡°What a coincidence! I could say the exact same thing! Ahahahahahaha!¡±

    Zhao Lan walked away after that. Ye Qing¡¯s gaze was cold and indifferent as he stared at the warrior¡¯s back.

    He had no qualms with Zhao Lan targeting him because of Zhao Lu. It was a sentiment that he agreed wholeheartedly.

    However, Zhao Lan should never, ever have vented his anger on Lin Yuhuai. If his friend didn¡¯t so happen to be a member of the Pacification Bureau, he would be dead already.

    To say he was angry would be an understatement.

    Even if he let this go, he didn¡¯t think that Zhao Lan would stop things here. So be it. He would grant Zhao Lan the death he so desired.

    After Zhao Lan left, Ye Qing produced Resurrection from Nine Heavens and fed it to Lin Yuhuai. The talisman expert¡¯s aura quickly stabilized thanks to it.

    ¡°How¡¯s Yuhuai, Joyless?¡± Chu Nianjiu and Gao Ningan caught up to them and asked urgently. Both men were looking at the unconscious Lin Yuhuai with clear worry in their eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When he wakes up, he¡¯ll feel as good as new,¡± Ye Qing assured them.

    Resurrection could restore anyone to full health so long as they were still breathing. Therefore, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried for Lin Yuhuai. Not only that, the talisman expert would return stronger than ever before due to the nurturing effects of the medicine, so this incident, while extremely unfortunate, was really a boon for him.

    ¡°What were you and Zhao Lan talking about just now?¡± Gao Ningan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just a casual chat.¡± Ye Qing waved off his curiosity.

    ¡°Yeah, right. Like anyone would believe that.¡± Gao Ningan pouted.

    Ye Qing ignored him and nodded in Chu Nianjiu¡¯s direction. ¡°Today¡¯s matches are over, so please take Brother Lin back to his room, Brother Chu.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Chu Nianjiu shot Ye Qing a long look but said nothing. He knew Ye Qing would never leave it at this, but he didn¡¯t ask any questions. He simply nodded, carried Lin Yuhuai to his shoulder, and left the scene.

    ¡°The next round is going to be interesting.¡± Lei Xiaodan withdrew his gaze and shot Hong Jianglong a smile.

    ¡°Hmph! The fool¡¯s already dead, he just doesn¡¯t know it yet.¡± Hong Jianglong snorted. He too recognized Ghost p and knew what Zhao Lan was plotting, though he couldn¡¯t interfere because he was the host of the Hidden Dragon Meet. Of course, he was also sure that Zhao Lan wouldn¡¯t dare to kill Lin Yuhuai, and he was right.

    After all the matches were over, Hong Jianglong rose to his feet and dered, ¡°Today¡¯s matches have ended, and the nine people who will be entering the quarterfinals are Xu Rulin, Zhao Lan, Wen Xiaonuan, Wei Bo, Jian Wusheng, Zhao Bu¡¯er, Zhuo Henshui, Ye Qing, and Yang Zhao!¡±

    ¡°Congrattions to all quarterfinalists. You will be awarded the title ¡®Hidden Dragon¡¯ and receive a reward for your achievements.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡± Ye Qing, Yang Zhao, Xu Rulin, Jian Wusheng and more replied in unison. Ye Qing and Zhuo Henshui were silent, but everyone else could hardly suppress their delight.

    The reward was something, but what really delighted them was the title. On the surface, it seemed like a meaningless title with no weight behind it. In reality, it represented the approval of the imperial court and a tremendous boost to their fame. It would be much easier for them to walk the<em>jianghu</em>,gain recognition, obtain a post, earn merits, and generally weave a better, brighter future for themselves.

    The reason they took part in the Hidden Dragon Meet in the first ce was to gain fame and profit.

    Hong Jianglong continued, ¡°The quarter finals will take ce three dayster. We will still be drawing lots to determine your opponents. Anyone who arriveste or is absent for whatever reason will be disqualified, so please remember to arrive on time. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Everyone replied.

    ¡°Good. I hope you will perform even better during the next round. Be the Hidden Dragon we believe you can be!¡± Hong Jianglong dered.

    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Everyone replied louder and in unison.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    A golden dragon flew away from the peak and into the clouds. Once again, golden light descended like a waterfall and illuminated the world.

    ¡­¡­

    Three days came and went in the blink of an eye. Having learned his lesson fromst time, Ye Qing spent all three days inside the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau. He didn¡¯t go anywhere besides eating, training, and sleeping. Thest thing he wanted was giving his would-be murderers another chance to kill him.

    The three days came and went peacefully. Absolutely nothing had happened within the confines of the Pacification Bureau. The same couldn¡¯t be said for the city, however.

    First, Zhao Bu¡¯er had suffered multiple assassination attempts. His assassins imed that they were attacking him to take revenge against his master, the Barber, though only they knew if that was the truth or not.

    Second, the head of the Little Fist Sect and ate-stage Spirit Master, Lu Youwang gathered a troop of elites and attacked Zhuo Henshui by the Yong River. This was because Zhuo Henshui had killed Fu Chaogang, Lu Youwang¡¯s direct disciple and the future Little Fist Sect.

    The oue defied all expectations, however. Despite being outnumbered and outssed, Zhuo Henshui, ate-stage Spirit Purifier, grievously injured Lu Youwang and killed the dozens of elites he brought with him. It was said that the blood she drew dyed five kilometers ofke water red that day[1].

    No one was surprised by Lu Youwang¡¯s actions. It was perfectly understandable that the head of the Little Fist Sect would want to take revenge for his disciple. What was curious was how they managed to learn about the news and even make it to Tian Yong within three days even though they were situated at He Dong, a faraway prefecture.

    That evening, Hong Jianglong personally paid General Hengshan a visit. It was said that the residence was filled with draconic roars and tiger howls for an entire hour. Obviously, a certain Pacification Commissioner had decided to make good his threat after hearing what had happened to Zhuo Henshui.

    None of these two incidents couldpare to the third incident, however. It was impossible to say who leaked the news that Wei Bo was the disciple of the Undying Celestial, but the wave it caused was like chucking a massive rock into a pond. As a result, many warriors who were nearing the end of their lifespan slipped into Tian Yong with the intention of kidnapping Wei Bo. They all wanted to interrogate the location of the Undying Celestial from his mouth and the secrets to immortality.

    Among them were some old monsters who were thought to be dead such as the seventy-third warrior on the ck List, Wu Xingyun the Rainwalker; the eighty-fifth warrior on the White List ¡®Create Something From Nothing¡¯ Wu Bushuo, and more.

    These two warriors in particr weren¡¯t just named on the ck and White List, but also the Human Champions Ranking. Long story short, countless people beat the crap out of each other to steal Wei Bo for their own benefit, and Wei Bo suffered terrible injuries as a result of that conflict.

    This wasn¡¯t the end of the story, however. When most of the<em>jianghu</em>warriors were injured or killed, Lei Xiaodan suddenly appeared with a troop of shadow guards and apprehended everyone in the name of disrupting the order and hurting the innocent. In the process, he also grievously wounded Wu Xingyun, Wu Bushuo and several other warriors without giving them a chance to defend themselves.

    Long story short, nearly no one had benefited from this conflict, and the biggest winner was, of course, the Intelligence Department.

    Gossip was everyone¡¯s favorite pastime. When the participants and imperial officials returned to the peak of the Flying Dragon Mount once more, they still couldn¡¯t stop talking about Zhao Bu¡¯er, Zhuo Henshui and Wei Bo. They stopped only when Hong Jianglong, Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun arrived.

    It was 6 am sharp when Hong Jianglong announced the start of the quarter finals, also known as the Battle of the Eight Hidden Dragons.

    The participants would bepeting with each other to decide the winners and losers bracket, and just like before, multiple matches were held at the same time. The losers of the winners bracket would enter the losers bracket, draw lots, and fight against the winners of the losers bracket.

    When the champion of the winners bracket and the losers bracket had been decided, the two champions would engage each other in onest match. That was how the Hidden Dragon Meet decided the final ranking.

    1. I triple-checked this, and I can confirm that this is NOT a mistake. The MC isn¡¯t the only one who can fight way above his weight ss appraently. ?

 Chapter 438: Sword Qi Rains From The Nine Heavens

    Chapter 438: Sword Qi Rains From The Nine Heavens

    ¡°Hmm? Where is Wei Bo?¡±

    After dering the start of the quarter finals, the participants stepped forward to draw lots. However, Wei Bo was nowhere to be seen. His absence was noticed and discussed immediately.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Wei Bo?¡± Hong Jianglong asked while sweeping his gaze across his fellow colleagues. It looked like he was asking them where Wei Bo was, but his question was specifically directed at Lei Xiaodan.

    The Intelligence Department was the one who wrapped up the matter regarding the assault on Wei Bo. In fact, Lei Xiaodan had personally taken Wei Bo back to the Intelligence Department. Naturally, he had to know how the warrior was doing.

    ¡°Young Wei¡¯s mind took some damage during yesterday¡¯s incident, and he still hadn¡¯t recovered from his injuries. Unfortunately, he won¡¯t be able to participate in today¡¯s match,¡± Lei Xiaodan answered with a genial smile on his face.

    <em>Young Wei?</em>Ye Qing¡¯s mouth twitched when he heard this. For whatever reason, Lei Xiaodan<em>loved</em>adding the word ¡°young¡± in front of their surnames and addressing them that way.<em>It can¡¯t be because his name had a Xiao (Young) in it, right? Who am I kidding, of course it is.</em>

    ¡°Very well. As per the rules of the Hidden Dragon Meet, Wei Bo has forfeited this tournament.¡±

    Hong Jianglong pped the brazier beside him, and beams of light flew into the eight participants¡¯ hands.

    ¡°Please enter the tform as shown by the number on your token¡­¡±

    Ye Qing nced at his token before turning to look at Zhao Lan. It so happened that the warrior was looking at him as well.

    Zhao Lan cracked a demented grin before swiping a finger across his neck.

    Ye Qing merely smiled and headed toward the second tform.

    His surroundings warped after he entered the second tform. A momentter, Ye Qing found himself standing on a bamboo raft that was flowing downstream.

    Another bamboo raft flowed out of the mist from the opposite side, and standing on top of it was a silhouette who stood as straight as a sword. His face wasn¡¯t visible yet, but the sky of sword qi above him already revealed who he was.

    ¡°A shame¡­¡±

    Ye Qing was a little disappointed. He was hoping to fight Zhao Lan, but s, his opponent was Jian Wusheng.

    The bamboo raft stopped about thirty meters away from Ye Qing¡¯s. His de pointed toward the bottom, Jian Wusheng sped his fist and greeted him cordially, ¡°Hail, Brother Ye.¡±

    ¡°Well met, Brother Wusheng.¡± Ye Qing returned the salute. He didn¡¯t address Jian Wusheng as Brother Jian because the word Jian (Sword) could be read as Jian (Scum). He could be overthinking this, but he would rather not offend Jian Wusheng if he could.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about you, Brother Wusheng, and I can tell that you more than deserve your reputation. Please go easy on me.¡±

    Jian Wusheng replied calmly, ¡°You tter me, Brother Ye. I have heard a lot about you as well. It is my honor to be able to fight against you.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to your instructions.¡±

    ¡°And I you.¡±

    After the two men were done paying each other their respect, the rafts abruptly sped toward each other. Every time they traveled a third of a meter, Ye Qing¡¯s energies would thicken, and Jian Wusheng¡¯s sword qi would grow a little sharper.

    When the two rafts were ten meters away from each other, Jian Wusheng thrust his sword in Ye Qing¡¯s direction and summoned seventy-two sword qi from the river. Each sword qi looked sharp enough to cut through flesh and blood like nothing.

    Ye Qing stomped his bamboo raft and caused it to sink a little. A wall of water flew into the air and mmed into the seventy two sword qi.

    The seventy two sword qi sliced and diced the wall of water into droplets, but the wall of water also crushed many of their numbers.

    Before the water droplets could fall back into the river, Jian Wusheng crouched a little and leaned forward. A fearless, unyielding, lifeless, deathless, egoless and invincible sword intent immediately permeated the air.

    The next moment, Jian Wusheng¡¯s sword sliced through the air.

    <em>¡°I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death¡±</em>

    The water in the sky was split into two. The bamboo raft Ye Qing was standing on was split into two. Even the river itself was split into two.

    Jian Wusheng frowned, however. It was because his attack had missed.

    <em>¡°I do not stand in a sea of death; a sea of death lies where I am not.¡±</em>One of the ultimate moves in ¡°No Life, No I¡±, ¡°I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death¡± was a deadly, one-move technique that demanded sword-and-body unity, fearlessness, speed, uracy, and ruthlessness from its wielder. It should not need to be said, but few people possessed the skill to dodge his killer move.

    The reason he used ¡°I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death¡± right from the get go was because he wanted to end the match as quickly as possible. Ye Qing deeply worried him even though he was inferior to him in both cultivation level and reputation.

    He had watched Ye Qing and Chu Qingge¡¯s match from the start until the end, and while he was confident in his strength, he didn¡¯t think he would¡¯ve been able to defeat Chu Qingge¡¯s ¡°Son of Heaven Qi Observing Art¡±. But not only did Ye Qing do what he believed to be impossible, his Chaos Demon Ape Body had left a deep impression on him.

    The Chaos Demon Ape Body was famed for its enormous strength and ridiculous resilience. Although ¡°No Life, No I¡± was a hyper-offensive martial art, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could beat Ye Qing immediately if the young man managed to close the distance. He might even lose if Ye Qing managed to drag out the fight like he did with Chu Qingge.

    That was why he kicked off the match with one of his strongest moves, ¡°I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death¡± immediately. Best case scenario, he could end the match immediately.

    Unfortunately, he missed. Not only that, Ye Qing had somehow disappeared from his senses.

    Jian Wusheng remained as cool as a golem, however. He tightened his grip and executed a horizontal sweep that summoned a ball of sword qi to rise from the river like the moon. The water surface was alight with sword qi as well.

    <em>¡°The Moon Illuminates The Western River¡±</em>

    ¡°The Moon Illuminates The Western River¡± wasn¡¯t a technique in ¡°No Light, No I¡±, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was inferior. On the contrary, it was a powerful attack that, as its name implied, covered an insane range rivaling that of moonlight.

    Since Ye Qing was nowhere to be seen, he must be hiding somewhere in the shadows and waiting for an opportunity to act. Jian Wusheng decided not to give him the chance and used ¡°The Moon Illuminates The Western River¡± to force him out into the open.

    However, his ploy failed. The sword qi swept every inch of the river surface and dispelled the surrounding mistpletely, but Ye Qing was still nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°He¡¯s underneath the river!¡±

    Realization struck Jian Wusheng then. If Ye Qing was on the river surface, then ¡°The Moon Illuminates The Western River¡± would¡¯ve hit him. Since it hadn¡¯t, the young man could only be hiding under the water!

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t one to let such an opportunity slip through his grasp. By the time Jian Wusheng recognized the danger, Ye Qing had soundlessly poked his fist out of the water until it touched the sole of Jian Wusheng¡¯s right foot.

    The gesture lookedpletely harmless, but everything within ten meters of Jian Wusheng abruptly exploded like a bomb. The protective sword qi Jian Wusheng wrapped himself in ripped into shreds, and his bones and muscles popped ominously as he was thrown into the sky.

    At the same time, Ye Qing burst out of the water and charged toward Jian Wusheng.

    Jian Wusheng was wary of Ye Qing, but Ye Qing was just as wary of him. After all, he was a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking and the man who defeated Luo Zhan. He would have to be crazy to underestimate one such as him.

    That was why Ye Qing had long since researched Jian Wusheng¡¯s techniques and imagined what he would do if Jian Wusheng was his opponent. He was sure that Jian Wusheng had researched him as well.

    [1]

    He tried cing himself in Jian Wusheng¡¯s position. What would he do if he was Jian Wusheng? He concluded that he would try to end the fight as quickly as possible and avoid being pulled into a war of attrition. He also concluded that he would probably use ¡°I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death¡± to achieve this goal.

    Thanks to his preparations, Ye Qing was able to avoid the killer move. Despite this, he failed to get away unscathed, Jian Wusheng¡¯s sword qi and sword intent dealing some damage to his mind. He was lucky that his spirit was as strong as it was, or the consequences would be unimaginable.

    After dodging the surprise attack, Ye Qing decided to hide inside the water and wait for an opportunity to give Jian Wusheng a taste of his own medicine. He seeded. Since his force was carefully contained within his fist, his attack seemed perfectly harmless until the moment he made contact with Jian Wusheng¡¯s sole. Not even the swordsman could walk away from this without suffering some injuries!

    The best time to press the advantage was after the enemy was caught by surprise, so Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to go after Jian Wusheng. However, he had just crossed ten meters of distance when Jian Wusheng raised his scabbard high with his left hand, spun sideways, and discharged a st of force upward.

    His force surged, and the air vibrated like thunder. Jian Wusheng was able to correct his posture with his efforts and face toward Ye Qing. Gripping his sword with both hands, he slowly thrust his sword at him.

    Sword qi washed out of Jian Wusheng and sealed the space surrounding him and his target. Every time his sword traveled an inch, the surrounding sword qi would solidify a little more. By the time his sword had traveled a meter, it was like the sky itself was pressing down on Ye Qing.

    His energies suppressed, Ye Qing was pushed back where he came from. Even before he hit the river, the patch of water directly below Ye Qing depressed bit by bit as if a gigantic, invisible hand was pressing down on it.

    ¡°What a ¡®Sword Qi Rains From The Nine Heavens¡¯! It¡¯s not a sword technique in ¡®No Life, No I¡¯, but it still embodies its force and intent! In fact, it¡¯s no weaker than any existing technique in ¡®No Life, No I¡¯!¡±

    Lei Xiaodan couldn¡¯t help but voice apliment when he saw Jian Wusheng¡¯s sword qi raining ceaselessly from above like the judgment of heavens. ¡°His talent in the way of the sword is truly outstanding!¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, the student surpasses the master. It certainly looks like Jian Wusheng¡¯s achievements is going to surpass Gentleman Wusheng¡¯s.¡± Hong Jianglong nodded in agreement before looking in Song Xi¡¯s direction. ¡°Are you interested, Brother Song?¡±

    Song Xi hailed from Purity Sword, and Purity Sword was famous for their sword arts. They also had extremely strict requirements¡ªso strict, in fact, that they only recruited those who were exceptionally gifted or talented with the sword only. Hong Jianglong was sure that Song Xi would be interested in Jian Wusheng.

    Song Xi replied calmly, ¡°One of my elders has already taken Jian Wusheng as a family disciple[2].¡±

    ¡°Damn! You guys sure work fast!¡± Hong Jianglong teased with a sliver of regret.

    Purity Sword had three elders named ¡°Cleansed Sword¡±, ¡°Tempered Sword¡±, and ¡°Sword Executor¡±. They were the highest authority in the sect besides the head himself. Song Xi was the Sword Executor, and Jian Wusheng was taken in by the Cleansed Sword. It showed just how much they valued the young warrior.

    ¡°The early bird gets the worm.¡± Song Xi shot Hong Jianglong and Lei Xiaodan a nce before cracking a rare joke. ¡°The rest of you should make your move as quickly as possible as well. With Brother Hong and Brother Lei around, it¡¯s only a matter of time all the talents worth recruiting are taken.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± Everyoneughed when they heard that.

    ¡°Brother Song, I can see that Purity Sword values Jian Wusheng highly. Do you think he can be the champion of this Hidden Dragon Meet?¡± Someone asked.

    Song Xi thought for a moment before answering seriously, ¡°That depends on whether he can defeat Qing Emperor Junior.¡±

    ¡°In that case, Jian Wusheng is definitely going to be the champion.¡± Someoneughed. ¡°Jian Wusheng has already seized the upper hand. It won¡¯t be long before he takes the match.¡±

    ¡°How can you say that? Qing Emperor Junior may have fallen into a disadvantage, but he¡¯s still full of energy. The match can still go either way,¡± someone retorted.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. Qing Emperor Junior is definitely a formidable warrior, but Jian Wusheng is a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, and his cultivation level is higher. It¡¯s one thing if Qing Emperor Junior still holds the advantage, but now that the tables have turned, it would be very difficult for him to turn things around.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Not only that, they¡¯re fighting on a river right now. Qing Emperor Junior¡¯s Chaos Demon Ape Body wouldn¡¯t be able to unleash its full power on such a terrain. I just can¡¯t see how he might win against Jian Wusheng.¡±

    ¡°No, I disagree. A battle between warriors can swing in any direction in an instant. It might look like Jian Wusheng is holding the advantage right now, but that can easily change in the next moment. That is why it¡¯s so hard to predict the oue of a battle!¡±

    The bigshots in the kiosks weren¡¯t the only ones who were talking about the match. The spectators standing beneath the tform were in deep discussion as well.

    Xu Rulin and Yang Zhao were fighting on the first tform, Ye Qing and Jian Wusheng were fighting on the second tform, Zhuo Henshui and Wen Xiaonuan were fighting on the third tform, and Zhao Lan and Zhao Bu¡¯er were fighting on the fourth tform.

    Although each and every participant on the tform was a genius in their own right, and the fact that they were evenly-matched made the battles even more interesting than usual, most of them were still sounding out their opponents and holding back their strength. On the other hand, Ye Qing and Jian Wusheng had jumped straight to the climax since the match kicked off, and it didn¡¯t look like it was going to end anytime soon. Naturally, everyone¡¯s eyes were set on their battle.

    1. Completely unrted, but it¡¯s truly a shame Jian Wusheng didn¡¯t have a skill that says, ¡°I Am The Storm That Is Approaching¡±. ?

    2. Literally what it means. The master takes the disciple and treats him like his own son, which is why there is the idiom, ¡°A master for a day, a father for a lifetime¡±. ?

 Chapter 439: A Dance That Breaks The Soul

    Chapter 439: A Dance That Breaks The Soul

    Who do you think would win, Xiaodan?

    The Harmony King was too poor a warrior to determine who between the two would win, but why rely on his wits when he could just ask the answer from someone?

    Lei Xiaodan replied smilingly, Its too hard to say right now, but I believe its going to be a pyrrhic victory.

    The Harmony King frowned. Say it in a way that I can understand.

    Sitting next to him, Chu Qingge exined, Lord Lei means that Joyless and Jian Wusheng are evenly-matched. Whoever wins must pay a hefty price to do so.

    Lei Xiaodan nodded approvingly. A fine exnation, Miss Chu.

    Joyless? The Harmony Kings attention was no longer on the oue of the battle, however. Since when are you and that brat so close?

    Chu Qingge replied calmly, We both serve the Pacification Bureau. Of course were close.

    Hmph! The Harmony King didnt believe her words. That brat is losing for sure.

    Chu Qingge merely smiled and kept her silence.

    Back on the tform, The circr recess caused by Jian Wushengs sword qi in the middle of the river was now tens of meters deep. At the center of it was Ye Qing.

    As soon as Ye Qings feet made contact with the waters, the entire river shook violently like a living creature. Then, the waves crashed down with a vengeance and wiped him from the surface of the river.

    While this was happening, Jian Wusheng was still standing in the sky and swinging his sword repeatedly. He looked like a sword celestial practicing his sword in the heavens, his sword qi illuminated the false world like a second sun.

    When Jian Wusheng held his sword, he was one with his weapon. When his sword qi entered the river, he was one with the river as well. The river began churning and bubbling like boiling oil.

    This is bad.

    Outside the tform, Luo Zhan muttered with a severe expression on his face.

    What do you mean? Gao Ningan asked. Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai were looking at him with concern as well.

    Luo Zhan exined, Jian Wusheng didnt just drive Brother Ye into the river, he also injected the sword qi and sword intent of No Life, No I into the river. Right now, the river <em>is </em>his sword. It wont be easy for Brother Ye to break freeassuming he could do it at all.

    What? Are you suggesting that Joyless would lose? Gao Ningans eyes bugged out. I bet one thousand silvers on him earlier! Its literally everything I have! If Joyless loses, then I wont have any money left to marry a wife!

    I too ced a five hundred silvers bet on him. I shouldve bet on Jian Wusheng instead. Chu Nianjiu also sighed deeply.

    I know right? The regret, the regret! Gao Ningan scratched his head with both hands.

    Luo Zhan: ...

    Lin Yuhuai: ...

    <em>Brothers-on-the-surface, indeed.</em>

    Hahaha! What did I say? I knew that boy would lose! The Harmony King cackled while ncing at his daughter.

    In response, Chu Qingge smiled and said simply, I trust Joyless.

    As if on cue, a new reaction overtook the river. The waters slowly but surely bulged as if a giant was lifting pushing it from the bottom.

    In the sky, Jian Wusheng frowned a little and held his sword horizontally in front of his chest. While gripping the handle with one hand and pinching the tip with the other, he slowly pushed his sword downward and smoothened the bulge on the river.

    It didnt work, at least not for long. Just a few breathster, the bulge returned and became bigger than ever before. Jian Wushengs whole body shook like he was straining against some sort of unimaginable pressure, and his sword slowly bent upward until it looked like a crescent. Then

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The bulge exploded and created a massive tidal wave headed straight for Jian Wusheng. As he glided away from it, the swordsman released the tip of his sword and flicked the de with a finger.

    As if struck by some some sort of massive, invisible force, the tidal wave abruptly scattered into a million bits and fell back into the river like the rain.

    The fine rain looked beautiful and dreamlike, but Jian Wusheng flinched like someone had punched him in the face. Ripples kept appearing on theyer of sword qi surrounding his body almost as if each and every droplet contained a wisp of saber force.

    At the same time, a crimson sh appeared before his eyes. It was as enchanting as it was deadly.

    Sudden fear gripped Jian Wushengs limbs and froze his thoughts. He knew he had to get a grip as soon as possible unless he wanted to die right here and now.

    <em>No I, No Limit</em>

    Jian Wusheng pointed his de toward the ground as fabrics of light folded around his body like an extra cloak. It instantly dispelled the fear that was paralyzing him.

    No Sword, No I was a hyper-offensive martial art where 99% of its moves were offensive. No I, No Limit was one of the very few defensive techniques it featured; one that guarded both the body and the mind. Not only that, it automatically fired sword beams at the attacker if the practitioner received a hit, which made perfect sense considering the theme of No Sword, No I.

    As soon as the cloak of sword qi took form, Jian Wusheng suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his chest. When he looked down, he saw a bloody hole in his right chest deep enough to expose the bones.

    Fast! Jian Wusheng knitted his brows tightly. He had reacted instantly, and still the saber force hit him before No I, No Limit could fully take form.

    I had no idea that your saber mastery is on par with your fist mastery, Brother Ye! Jian Wusheng remarked.

    You tter me, Brother Wusheng. Im just paying back what you did unto me. Ye Qing appeared behind Jian Wusheng while holding a long saber in his hand.

    The saber was as slender and enchanting as a beauty, but the wielder himself cut quite the sorry figure. Ye Qings clothes were shredded and covered in blood. There were also cuts all over his body like he was tortured. Wisps of sword qi could be seen lurking within each wound.

    Just now, Jian Wusheng had exploited his moment of carelessness and pushed him into the river. Then, the swordsman injected his sword qi into the river and used it to trap him like a cage. The river was his sword, and the sword was the river. There was literally nowhere he could run even if he tried.

    Left with no choice, Ye Qing pushed his way out of Jian Wushengs cage of sword qi via brute force. He seeded, but it came at a hefty cost. The swordsmans sword qi had inflicted countless wounds on his body before seeping deeper into his flesh. Even with his physique, he was unable to expel them immediately. That was why he was still bleeding profusely.

    Ye Qing knew then that it was unlikely he would be able to defeat Jian Wusheng with his fist art and the Chaos Demon Ape Body alone. He would have to unveil some of his trump cards.

    His Chaos Demon Ape Body couldnt unleash its full potential in this terrain because strengthes from the ground, and they were fighting on a river where there was little to nond at all. That was why he chose to use Red Sleeve and the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain.

    If nothing else, it would be poetic to defeat a sword with a saber.

    After he made up his mind, Ye Qing decided to deliver Jian Wusheng a meeting gift. The swordsman was kind enough to give him a river of sword qi and an innumerable number of wounds. It would only be right to reciprocate the favor.

    That was why he used Soulchasing as soon as he broke out of the cage of sword qi, one of the finishers in the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain.

    Soulchasing was a speedy technique. In fact, it was faster than even Jian Wushengs I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death. Combined with the element of surprise, Ye Qing was able tond an effective blow on Jian Wusheng.

    Unfortunately, Jian Wushengs reaction speed was top notch. Soulchasing ultimately failed to steal his soul like it was meant to.

    That said, Soulchasing was just the meeting the gift. The real gift was whates next.

    Careful now, Brother Wusheng.

    Ye Qings warning was still reverberating in the air when he sped toward Jian Wusheng using Illusionists Grace. Before he and his illusions even got close, the sky was already filled with spring wind and the radiance of saber.

    In response, Jian Wusheng unleashed a series of rapid thrusts and sword beams. They were as biting and frigid as the cold.

    Jian Wushengs sword was fast, unfettered by forms, and everchanging. However, Ye Qings saber was equally fast and free.

    The wind had no form, and the cloud was everchanging. That was the best way to describe their duel. Their techniques werent just sly and multifaceted, they sprung forth into existence directly from the art itself. If the world was a paper, and their hearts the brush, then they were master artists who weaved the wind and rain, ghosts and gods, heaven and hell into existence as they pleased.

    For a time, the sky was filled with sword and saber qi. Literally, it was impossible to see the sun itself.

    But of course, the two warriors style wasnt entirely the same. Jian Wushengs No Life, No I was a direct, bloodthirsty, and hyper-offensive sword art that strived to kill its enemies before they killed its practitioner. One mightpare it to an iron-willed hero who would rather break than bend.

    On the other hand, Ye Qings Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain concealed its killing intent within a nket of love and tenderness. Its brilliant, dazzling red resembled a red-robed beauty dancing in the middle of a spring rain, and it was as deadly as it was enchanting.

    Its killing intent couldnt be seen, but it was also everywhere.

    In the middle of a spring rain, a red beauty danced a dance that could break the soul.

    What a beautiful saber! What a beautiful woman!

    Outside the tform, therge majority of spectators watching the duel between Ye Qing and Jian Wusheng werepletely entranced by Ye Qings Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain.

    ... Gasp! What an unnatural saber art!

    Inside a kiosk, Yang Shixiu snapped back into reality after a burst of sword energy shed in his eyes. Beside him, Zhao Huaien also broke out of the spell at the same time.

    The two men exchanged a shocked, wary look with each other. They were both patriarchs of a reputable n in Tian Yong. Although their ns were no martial ns, they were still Half-Step Grandmasters.

    Despite this, they had temporarily lost themselves in Ye Qings saber art. It was just a breath, but a breath could mean everything in a battle between warriors.

    The fact that Ye Qings saber art could affect them showed just how scary it was.

    It is quite unnatural, Zhang Huaien echoed in agreement. Ye Qings techniques looked tender and loving like a womans dance, but its really brimming with killing intent. Not only that, it can bewitch the mind and cause its victims to lose sight of themselves. One misstep, and its exquisite redness will fade into the darkness of death.

    Have you figured out what that saber art is, Brother Yang?

    Yang Shixiu shook his head. I only know that its a Spirit Purification stage saber art. I have never seen it before.

    Zhang Huaien shook his head wryly. The young will always rece the old, but even so, youngsters these days are quite something, arent they?

    Indeed. Yang Shixiu chuckled.

    Wake up!

    Suddenly, a loud, draconic roar erupted from somewhere. It hurt the eardrums, but everyone who was bewitched by the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain immediately jolted back to reality.

    Hong Jianglong then swept his gaze across the area and warned simply, Guard your mind.

    Unbelievable! What on earth is that saber art?

    Yeah, I cant believe it actually bewitched me!

    Do you think it might be the Mind Stealing Saber of the All Sky Alliance?

    You must be joking! Its true that the Mind Stealing Saber is famous for its evil, mind-bending qualities, but those who were bewitched by it would also turn into walking corpses! Were obviously still alive, and the saber art the Qing Emperor Junior is using is anything but evil! It cant be the Mind Stealing Saber!

    I think its because of his weapon.

    What a coincidence! I think so too.

    For a time, the peak of Flying Dragon Mount was buried under an excited murmur.

 Chapter 440: Spring Wind and Fine Rain

    Chapter 440: Spring Wind and Fine Rain

    Young Ye is an expert in saber arts too? He sure knows how to keep his skills hidden.

    Lei Xiaodan looked in Hong Jianglongs direction. Thats Red Sleeve and the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain, isnt it?

    Er I think so? Hong Jianglong rubbed his nose.

    Lei Xiaodan noticed Hong Jianglongs strange expression and eximed in surprise, You didnt know, Brother Hong?

    Ahem of course I know! I just didnt recall it until just now. Hong Jianglong coughed.

    It technically wasnt a lie. Ye Qing did mention to him that he had dabbled in the way of the saber before. He took it as the whole truth and didnt prod deeper.

    Now, Hong Jianglong realized that Ye Qing was humoring him. <em>Dabbler my ass! With that level of mastery, he could open a school if he wanted to! </em>

    Is the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain very famous or something, Xiaodan? The Harmony King asked curiously.

    Lei Xiaodan noticed that Hong Jianglong was lying through his teeth but didnt expose him. Instead, he focused on answering the Harmony Kings question, The Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain is a Spirit Purification stage saber art that was supposedly invented by a warrioress. Loving and tender like a womans touch, it is a superior grade martial art with exquisite techniques.

    But of course, it is iparable to Jian Wushengs No Life, No I.

    Huh? The Harmony King looked confused. If thats true, then how is Ye Qing going even against Jian Wusheng?

    Thats because Young Ye had improved it considerably.

    Lei Xiaodan exined, Young Ye is using a modified version of Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain that is infused with his own understanding and insights. While retaining the originals style and concept, he cut away what he considered unnecessary and made it faster, more urate, more exquisite, and more powerful than what it was before.

    More importantly, Young Yes Spirit Purification stage cultivation art seems quite unusual. This is just an observation, but it looks like his spirit could induce hallucinations and captivate the mind. Combined with the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain and Red Sleeve, he can mentally attack his opponents with every swing of the de.

    You could say that Young Yes Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain is very different from the original. It is now as strong as Jian Wushengs No Life, No I.

    On a rted note, Young Yes Spirit Purification stage cultivation art really is quite something. It is stranger than the Six Desires Demon Sutra of the Demonic Abode of Six Desires, greater than the Boundless Heart Demon Art of West Kulun, and more profound than the Canon of the Manifestation of Red Dust of Red Dust Tribtion. When the mind moves, it leaves no traces behind. When the thought stirs, it cannot be perceived. It is bewitching, enchanting, and seemingly the perfect union between profoundness, anomaly, spirit, surreality, anomaly and deception. It is incredible.

    Lei Xiaodan looked at Hong Jianglong again and asked, Do you know what Spirit Purification stage Young Ye is using, Brother Hong?

    Hong Jianglong shot him a baleful look. No.

    Is it because you dont know the answer? Lei Xiaodan teased.

    The Pacification Commissioner wasnt smiling though. A warriors cultivation art is their greatest secret. Even a lowly <em>jianghu </em>warrior knows better than to pry into another warriors cultivation art. Are you seriously telling me such basicmon sense eludes you, Lei Xiaodan?

    Oh! Sorry, sorry. My curiosity blinded me for a moment there. I hope you wont take offense. Lei Xiaodan apologized in a hurry. In any case, it looks like congrattions are in order, Brother Hong. Young Ye should win this match.

    Hong Jianglong shot Lei Xiaodan another look but didnt say anything.

    What? The brat is going to win? Thats impossible! The Harmony King eximed in shock when he heard Lei Xiaodans final statement. That brat cant be that strong! Xi, what do you think?

    Song Xi replied expressionlessly, Hes right. Wusheng will lose very soon.

    How is that possible? Jian Wusheng is a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking! He was even kicking that brats ass earlier! I dont believe this! The Harmony King raged.

    No Life, No I is a sword art that demands its practitioner to abandon their ego and fear. Only a swordsman with a pure sword heart can be unrivaled in sword intent. However, you can see from the way Wusheng fights that he is no longer free from fear and hesitation as he once was, Song Xi exined. I would give him a teatime at most before he loses this fight.

    Are you sure about this? The Harmony King still looked doubtful.

    Then, someone no one expected to say anything spoke up, No, it will take half a teatime at most!

    Everyone turned to look at Chu Wangsun in surprise. Last time, the schr was silent the entire round. What possessed him to speak up this time?

    Of course, just because Chu Wangsun said something didnt mean that he had suddenly turned into a chatterbox. The schr fell silent without exining anything.

    Everyone understood his meaning though. Chu Wangsun was saying that Joyless would defeat Jian Wusheng in half a teatime.

    Im d you think so highly of Joyless, Mister Nine, but Jian Wusheng is an aplished swordsman. Can you exin why youre so certain the Joyless will defeat him in half a teatime? Hong Jianglong asked with a wide smile on his face.

    Unnecessary. You will see very soon, Chu Wangsun answered without even looking up from his book.

    Hong Jianglong narrowed his eyes a little. He couldnt understand what Chu Wangsun was thinking. Was he actually praising Ye Qing from the bottom of his heart, or was he trying to paint a bigger target on his back? His efforts didnt seem nearly enough if it was thetter though.

    Hong Jianglong tried to prod Chu Wangsun into speaking his thoughts, but the schr refused to cooperate with him. Now, he was saddled with a heavy mind and even heavier heart.

    <em>Why must I duel wits with Chu Wangsun? Joyless, that heavens damned troublemaker. Im sending him home as soon as this tournament is over.</em>

    Back on the tform, Jian Wusheng was feeling just as heavy as Hong Jianglong was, if not heavier. Since the day he grasped No Life, No I, he had never encountered a peer whose tempo was faster than his until now.

    Ye Qings saber art might look slow on the outside due to its tender, pampering outlook, but in reality it was a tad faster than even No Life, No I. Not only that, Ye Qings saber insight was surprisingly deep, and his techniques didnt conform to what he learned from the manual. He fought as if he was the embodiment of the saber art itself, natural and perfect. As a result, he was unable to find a way to pierce it.

    He could still handle it if this was all the saber art was. The problem was that every move, every gesture Ye Qing performed disrupted his concentration and bewitched the mind as well. Even with his willpower, he didnt doubt he would be ensnared if he let his guard down for even an instant.

    If No Life, No I was a hot-blooded, iron-willed hero, then the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain was a seductress who could tempt a realm into damnation. It was often said that a hero was rarely immune to the charms of a woman, and right here and now, it certainly looked like No Life, No I was outmatched by the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain.

    Over time, Jian Wusheng was pushed harder and harder until all he could do was defend himself. More and more chinks appeared in his once wless swordwork, and so did the number of wounds on his body.

    <em>No, no! Im a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, while he is just a nobody! Am I actually going to lose to him?</em>

    Slowly but surely, Jian Wusheng was sumbing to his own anxiety, anger, and frustration, which in turn impacted his sword art even more. The deeper he plunged into the well of emotions, the more his sword art deteriorated, and the worse his situation became.

    No! I wont lose!

    Jian Wusheng suddenly growled and drove back the meandering red light with a burst of sword qi. During the respite, he achieved unity in body and sword and charged toward Ye Qing. Sword qi filled the air, and a blinding white light split the river in half.

    <em>I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death</em>

    Its slow.

    Outside the tform, Luo Zhanmented with frown after witnessing Jian Wushengs finisher.

    What do you mean? Gao Ningan and the others didnt understand his meaning.

    Jian Wushengs I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death is slower than normal. Luo Zhan exined, The move looks like its as strong as ever, but his sword heart is clouded, and his sword intent is in shambles. Its much slower than the I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death he executed at the start of this match.

    While Luo Zhan was talking, Jian Wusheng and Ye Qing had already shed des with each other. The impact was such that the waters directly underneath them pushed outward and formed massive tsunamis that were almost a hundred meters tall.

    The waves didnt fall back into the river and reveal the duo until a dozen or so breathster. The tip of Jian Wushengs sword was a mere inch away from Ye Qings forehead, and thetters skin was broken and bleeding a little.

    That single inch might as well be an eternity, however. Why? Because Ye Qing was grabbing the de with his left hand and holding it in ce, and his right hand was pressing a saber against Jian Wushengs neck.

    The swordsman looked shocked and as white as a ghost. He couldnt bring himself to believe that his strongest, swiftest attack had been dismantled in this manner.

    He knew that I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death wasnt invincible. He had met warriors who dodged it using a movement art, shed against it with their own finisher, or neutralized it through cunning. But to grab it with his bare hand?!

    I lost, he whispered like he had lost his soul.

    Only because you let me[1]. Ye Qing let go of Jian Wushengs sword and removed Red Sleeve from his neck. Please do not be too concerned about this, Brother Wusheng. The glove Im wearing is called the Blue Demon Hand, and its a powerful Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. Without it, I would never dare to catch your sword with my bare hands.

    You dont need to console me, Brother Ye. A loss is a loss. It has nothing to do with the Strange Artifacts we use, Jian Wusheng said dejectedly before saluting Ye Qing and teleporting out of the battlefield.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a bit of exasperation. <em>Oh man, hes not going to lose his drive and turn into an asshole because of this, is he?</em>

    The Paranirmitavaavartin Heavenly Demon Sutra fed on a persons negative emotions to grow its strength, and the demonic thought it created could mess with a persons heart and disturb their mind. It could easily lead someone astray or put a chink in their mental armor without leaving a trace. At the adept level, it could assault the mind in a million ways with a single thought.

    Of course, he was a far cry from reaching that level. The reason Jian Wushengs final I Do Not Stand In A Sea Of Death had be so weak was because he had destabilized Jian Wushengs mind using the demonic thought imbued in the Saber of Spring Wind and Fine Rain and the Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul. Of course the swordsman wasnt able to bring out the full strength of his finisher with a clouded sword heart and an impure sword intent.

    Unfortunately, it looked like the defeat had also left a debilitating, potentiallysting impression in Jian Wusheng. If he couldnt recover from this

    After Jian Wusheng left the tform, he walked up to Song Xi and whispered dejectedly, I lost, senior uncle.

    Dont bow. Raise your head, Song Xi ordered coolly.

    Jian Wusheng subconsciously obeyed the order. As soon as he met Song Xis eyes, he blinked like someone had stabbed him in the eyes. Song Xi wasnt doing anything, but his sword intent was so sharp that it pierced the heavens without him trying to. As for his sword heart, well, Jian Wusheng thought he was looking at a sword for a second there.

    Mind shaken and eyes blinking away tears, Jian Wusheng bowed his head yet again.

    Are you bowing your head, or your heart? Song Xi asked.

    I dont understand? Jian Wusheng sounded confused.

    If youre just bowing your head, then youre still a disciple of Purity Sword.

    Song Xi said coldly, But if youre bowing your heart as well, then you may leave this mountain this instant.

    Jian Wusheng shuddered as fear and panic gripped him.

    1. This is a polite way of saying Youre wee.

 Chapter 441: Mad Demon Spear

    <h4>Chapter 441: Mad Demon Spear </h4>

    ¡°Losing isn¡¯t scary. What¡¯s scary is losing heart.¡±

    Song Xi said while watching Jian Wusheng, ¡°Like a sword, a swordsman¡¯s body will break before it bends[1]. Like a sword, a swordman¡¯s heart will plow ahead no matter the opposition.¡±

    ¡°To have a sword without a heart is like having no sword at all.¡±

    ¡°But if your heart is there, then your sword will never falter even if you don¡¯t wield a sword.¡±

    ¡°We swordsmen may bow our heads from time to time, but never our hearts.¡±

    Song Xi raised his voice, ¡°Tell me. Is your heart still there?¡±

    ¡°It is!¡± Jian Wusheng replied loudly.

    ¡°Did it fall?¡±

    ¡°Never!¡±

    ¡°Did it bend?¡±

    ¡°Never!¡±

    It was like someone had shown Jian Wusheng the light. His lost, dejected eyes slowly regained their previous rity, and determination returned to his face once more. The dust covering his sword was removed, and its gleam was bright enough to pierce the nine heavens.

    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, senior uncle. Wusheng understands now.¡±

    ¡°If your heart hasn¡¯t fallen or bent, then your sword should advance courageously as well. If a man stands in your way, kill him. If a Buddha stands in your way, kill him as well.¡±

    ¡°I understand, senior uncle!¡±

    Ye Qing heard Song Xi¡¯s counsel as soon as he left the tform. When he saw Jian Wusheng regaining his previous confidence, he too let out a sigh of relief.

    Assuming he heard their dialogue correctly, Jian Wusheng must have joined Purity Sword. In fact, Song Xi was his senior uncle. Purity Sword would have skinned him alive had Jian Wusheng been unable to recover from this setback, so he was very happy with this oue to say the least.

    ¡°Congrattions, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Not bad at all, Joyless! To think you would ovee even Jian Wusheng.¡±

    ¡°Thank the heavens you managed to win, man. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve lost everything!¡±

    His friends congratted him immediately after he walked up to them. Qi Xuanyun also congratted him excitedly, ¡°Congrattions, Brother Ye! Now that you¡¯ve defeated Jian Wusheng, you¡¯re officially the ny-eighth warrior on the Human Champions Ranking!¡±

    ¡°Oh right! He is, isn¡¯t he? You better treat us to dinnerter, man.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! For almost twenty years, you were just a nobody. Now, everyone and their mothers would soon know your name. If this isn¡¯t worth celebrating, what is?¡±

    Gao Ningan and Chu Nianjiu teased Ye Qing relentlessly. The spectators nearby were shooting him envious looks as well.

    If someone managed to defeat a named warrior on the Heaven, Earth and Human Champions Ranking, then the victor would take over their rank, and the loser would fall one rank lower.

    If the ranker was killed, then their name would automatically disappear from the list.

    Since Ye Qing defeated Jian Wusheng fair and square, he was now the new ny-eighth warrior on the Human Champions Ranking. Jian Wusheng became the new ny-ninth ranker, the previous ny-ninth ranker became the new one hundredth ranker, and the previous one hundredth ranker fell out of the ranking listpletely.

    Ye Qing had zero interest in climbing the Human Champions Ranking, however. He even thought it was a massive pain in the ass.

    Establishments seek power, and <i>jianghu </i>warriors seek fame. One of the fastest ways to be famous was to enter the Heaven, Earth and Human Champions Ranking. Countless people fought each other to the death for the chance to enter the ranking lists, and this was doubly true for the Human Champions Ranking.

    The Heaven Champions Ranking was dominated by Sages, and the Earth Champions Ranking by Grandmasters. These two ranking lists were usually quite stable.

    The same couldn¡¯t be said for the Human Champions Ranking, however. Some people went to extreme lengths to enter the ranking list and be famous such as issuing challenge requests or assassinating a certain target. The ranking list was refreshed so frequently that it could lookpletely different just a few weekster.

    This was doubly true for thest few spots on the Human Champions Ranking. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that everyone wanted a piece of them, and the things they would do to achieve that goal could only be described as heinous.

    That was why the cement wasn¡¯t a good thing to Ye Qing at all. To him, it represented an endless source of trouble.

    ¡°Congrattions, Brother Ye.¡±

    It was at this moment Jian Wusheng walked over and congratted him. His expression was sincere, and his eyes were crystal clear.

    ¡°Thank you, Brother Wusheng,¡± Ye Qing replied politely.

    To be honest, Ye Qing found such interactions irksome, but he didn¡¯t express it as a matter of course. That would just be assholish.

    ¡°But I will win our next match,¡± Jian Wusheng dered seriously.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

    They talked idly with each other for a bit before Jian Wusheng bade Ye Qing goodbye, but he didn¡¯t take his leave immediately. Instead, he spoke with Luo Zhan, Qi Xuanyun and everyone else.

    While this was happening, the rest of the matches began growing more and more heated probably because they were finally past the probing stage.

    On the first tform, Xu Rulin and Yang Zhao¡¯s fight were growing bloodier and bloodier.

    Xu Rulin was a border soldier, so his spear techniques were full of killing intent. He fought to kill the enemy in front of him no matter the price.

    Yang Zhao was a noble gentleman from the Yang n of Tian Yong famed for his kindness and amiability. He tried to be courteous by avoiding lethal techniques and fighting only with the intention to win, not to maim or kill Xu Rulin.

    However, Xu Rulin relentlessly exploited his courtesy and nearly dealt him a serious blow multiple times. Even a Buddha can get angry, much less a mere mortal. So, Yang Zhao went on the offensive and began wielding his silver flute like a shortsword. He moved like the wind and targeted Xu Rulin¡¯s vital spots with every strike.

    Not only that, Yang Zhao¡¯s silver flute would release a melodious tune that could disrupt the mind from time to time. It wasn¡¯t long before the gentleman put a couple of bloody holes in Xu Rulin¡¯s body.

    The injuries didn¡¯t intimidate Xu Rulin, however. On the contrary, it brought out his bloodthirst in full force. He abruptly twisted his spear in the middle and split it into two short spears.

    Now that he was wielding two short spears, his spear techniques were much, much different from before. If before his spear technique was like that of a general¡¯s, strong, heavy, and powerful, now it was like he was wielding a pair of vipers. Vicious and cunning, his attacks seemed to follow no discernible form or pattern whatsoever. There were only doing whatever it took to kill the enemy.

    ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡±

    Eyes bloodshot and killing intent spilling out of his body like a fountain, Xu Rulin charged toward Yang Zhao with exactly zero regard for his life. He looked like a ghoul of Fengdu who wanted nothing more than to drag Yang Zhao to the grave with him.

    ¡°What... What a monster.¡±

    Even those watching from outside felt intimidated and suffocated by his crazed behavior. Those who were weak-willed were pale-faced and shaking already.

    Turning a little white, the Harmony King wiped some sweat from his forehead and asked, ¡°What is that spear technique?¡±

    The Harmony King was by no means an aplished man in any area. Even so, his royal background still gave him a broader horizon and a stronger backbone than most. That was why he was surprised to feel a not insignificant amount of pressure from Xu Rulin¡¯s spear technique.

    Hong Jianglong sat up straight and narrowed his eyes a little. ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®Mad Demon Spear¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Mad Demon Spear¡¯ of the Northern Spearn King, Xu Xiu?¡± Someone asked. ¡°Yes, it must be him! The Northern Spear King is the battalionmander of the Silver Spears of Northern Xinjiang, and Xu Rulin is a border soldier. Is he a member of the Silver Spears?!¡±

    ¡°Xu Xiu? Are you talking about Madman Xu?¡± The Harmony King asked.

    ¡°Ahem... that is correct, Your Highness.¡± Lei Xiaodan coughed.

    The Northern Spear King Xu Xiu was born in a literary n in the capital. After realizing that the pen could govern the realm, but it was the sword that protected the realm from harm, he gave up his original calling and embarked on the martial way instead. He changed his name and joined the border troops at Northern Xinjiang as a lowly conscript. In less than twenty years, he became a battalionmander with a string of meritorious aplishments under his belt.

    Despite his background, Xu Xiu was courageous, fierce, and extremely bloodthirsty. He was always the man who led the charge during battle, and he took pleasure in killing his enemies. The number of times he was caught behind enemy lines was too numerous to count, but each time he was able to crawl back to the living to fight another day. Over time, people came to know him as Madman Xu.

    Xu Buxiu was a martial genius. He had never learned martial arts until he joined the border army, but it took him only a decade or so to be a Grandmaster and invent his own spear art. That was why they also called him the Northern Spear King.

    The Mad Demon Spear was a spear art Xu Xu invented after fighting countless battles, and the best way to describe it was madness and death incarnate. Once battle was engaged, the only way to stop the Mad Demon Spear was to kill its wielder, or be killed by it. The words promise¡± and ¡°peaceful resolution¡± didn¡¯t exist in its dictionary. Hence the name.

    Xu Xiu was the battalionmander of the Silver Spears, and everyone who joined the battalion must learn the Mad Demon Spear. Not all practitioners of the Mad Demon Spear were Silver Spears, but all Silver Spears were practitioners of the Mad Demon Spear.

    It was all thanks to the Mad Demon Spear that the Silver Spears were able to dominate the battlefield. Their allies called them the Battalion of Hundred Victories, whereas their enemies called them the Mad Army.

    Although the Mad Demon Spear was pretty widespread, few people actually dared to learn it. The Mad Demon Spear was an insanely bloodthirsty spear art that only those with great willpower and fearlessness could withstand. Otherwise, the killing intent would eventually erode their mind and turn them into crazy, bloodthirsty monsters who knew nothing but murder.

    ¡°If he serves under Madman Xu, then it all makes sense,¡± The Harmony King remarked. He once saw Xu Xiu in a morning meeting at the capital. It was just a careless look from a far distance, but Xu Xiu¡¯s killing intent and bloodthirst still scared him so that he nearly cked out on the spot. That very same day, he would fall ill and spend days in bed before he finally recovered.

    Back on the tform, Xu Rulin managed to catch Yang Zhao off guard and turn it into an insurmountable advantage. Just a short timeter, the gentleman took a spear in the sr plexus and was forced to surrender.

    Of course, Xu Rulin himself wasn¡¯t doing very well. His left arm was ripped off the sockets from a counterattack, and his forehead was cut deep enough to reveal the skull.

    All things considered, Xu Rulin¡¯s injuries were actually much more severe than Yang Zhao even though he was the victor. It was because Yang Zhao cherished his life, and Xu Rulin did not.

    Yang Zhao most likely could have won the match if he just gritted his teeth and soldiered on, but he would have to pay a hefty price to do so. That price might even include his future, so what was the point?

    Xu Rulin¡¯s victory over Yang Zhao was celebrated even louder than Ye Qing¡¯s victory over Jian Wusheng. It was because Yang Zhao was the ny-second warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, whereas Xu Rulin was a true nobody who was even less known than Ye Qing. At least Ye Qing was famous for his meritorious deeds and known as the ¡°Qing Emperor Junior¡±. But Xu Rulin? There was nothing remarkable about him besides the fact that he was a Silver Spear.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Yang Zhao actually lost.¡± Someone sighed.

    ¡°Indeed. Who would¡¯ve thought that only two people in the Human Champions Ranking would fail to make it to the end of the Hidden Dragon Meet?¡± Someone chuckled. From time to time, they would look in Jian Wusheng¡¯s direction. The swordsman waspletely unperturbed by their meaningful looks and words, however.

    ¡°Yang Zhao lost only because he was caught off guard. He¡¯s really much stronger than Xu Rulin. Assuming they fought again, Xu Rulin would lose for sure,¡± Jian Wushengmented.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement. Even they wouldn¡¯t fare much better assuming they were encountering Xu Rulin¡¯s Mad Demon Spear for the first time.

    ¡°Yang Zhao would have won had he chosen to keep fighting.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Luo Zhan shook his head.

    ¡°Indeed. It isn¡¯t worth it.¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    Even if Yang Zhao won, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. Depending on the injuries he suffered, it was highly unlikely he would be able to advance further in the Hidden Dragon Meet. But now, he still wasn¡¯t out of the Hidden Dragon Meet. With Yang Zhao¡¯s strength, it was entirely possible for him to sweep the whole losers bracket and even be the champion.

    Yang Zhao had chosen wisely. If he was in his position, he would have made the same choice.

    1. Yeah I don¡¯t know what the fuck he¡¯s talking about a sword, especially Chinese sword, thrives on being flexible. ?

 Chapter 442: Zhao Lanâ€™s Worry

    Chapter 442: Zhao Lan¡¯s Worry

    Yao Zhao and Xu Rulin teleported out of the tform at the same time.

    Yang Zhao was pressing one hand to his chest wound, but he gave to Xu Rulin and the surrounding crowd a bow just like a primp and proper gentleman before returning to Yang Shixiu¡¯s side.

    On the other hand, Xu Rulin only took two steps before he suddenly copsed on the ground and spilled his blood everywhere.

    While everyone was panicking, three people appeared in front of Xu Rulin at the same time. The first person was Hong Jianglong, the second was Lei Xiaodan, and the third was a fat, ugly man who was almost as broad as he was tall.

    When hended on the floor, it felt like the entire mountain was shaking a little.

    No one dared tough in his face, however. He was Zhou Hengshan, themander-in-chief of the Hengshan Army.

    Hong Jianglong nced at the duo before crouching on one knee and cing a finger on Xu Rulin¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Lei Xiaodan asked.

    He¡¯s hurt very badly. His mind in particr is tethering on the brink of copse,¡± Hong Jianglong said seriously. ¡°He needs immediate medical treatment.¡±

    ¡°Xu Rulin is a soldier. Leave him to me,¡± Zhou Hengshan dered in a tone that wouldn¡¯t ept any other answer.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Hong Jianglong didn¡¯t stop him. Every second counted considering Xu Rulin¡¯s condition.

    Zhou Hengshan ordered his men to take Xu Rulin away. The surrounding murmurs only subsided after Xu Rulin was out of sight and out of mind.

    ¡°I knew it. Can Xu Rulin even recover in time to take part in the next round?¡± Luo Zhan wondered out loud.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Ye Qing shrugged. He was happy though. If Xu Rulin really was too injured to participate in the next round, that was one lesspetitor standing in his way of bing the champion. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the remaining matches, shall we?¡±

    Two matches were still in progress, and one of them was the match between Zhao Lan and Zhao Bu¡¯er. After so much time had passed, their battle was nearing its end. From the start until the end, Zhao Lan was able to stay a step ahead of Zhao Bu¡¯er using the sheer resilience and recovery speed of the Eight Directions Art of Begging. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Zhao Bu¡¯er didn¡¯t put up a good fight. With the Ghost Razor, he was able tounch multiple counterattacks that could¡¯ve downed Zhao Lan if not for his cultivation art. At the very end, he even shaved his own head using the Ghost Razor and allowed himself to be possessed by hundreds of ghosts in hopes of making the ultimateeback.

    Unfortunately for Zhao Bu¡¯er, it still wasn¡¯t enough. That was what ultimately cemented his defeat.

    Zhuo Henshui and Wen Xiaonuan¡¯s battle was far more one-sided, but it was very different from what most people had imagined. Almost everyone thought that Wen Xiaonuan would easily defeat Zhuo Henshui with her aura of depression and despair, but in reality, it was the other way around.

    Just yesterday, the head of the Little Fist Sect and his men had attacked Zhuo Henshui to take revenge for his disciple. While Zhuo Henshui astounded everyone by oveing not just numbers, but an entire cultivation level by grievously wounding Lu Youwang, ate-stage Spirit Master, there was no way she could¡¯ve done it without a terrible price. They all expected her to lose going into the match.

    They were wrong, however. From the start until the end, Zhuo Henshui was kicking Wen Xiaonuan¡¯s ass like nobody¡¯s business. For whatever reason, Wen Xiaonuan¡¯s debilitating aura was unable to affect Zhuo Henshui one bit, and it was the same for her bizarre, almost suicidal martial art.

    In fact, Zhuo Henshuid dealt with everything Wen Xiaonuan threw at her with one move: a simple punch. Her techniques were neither profound nor impressive, but each punch seemed powerful enough to shatter a mountain or split a river.

    When Wen Xiaonuan attacked her from range, she crushed all of the projectiles with her bare fists.

    When Wen Xiaonuan tried to get close, Zhuo Henshui sent her flying with a single punch.

    No matter what Wen Xiaonuan tried to do, she needed only one punch to dismantle it all.

    Naturally, it was only a matter of time before Wen Xiaonuan lost.

    A teatimeter, the curtains fell on both matches. As expected, the victors were Zhao Lan and Zhuo Henshui.

    After the quarter finals was over, the participants were once again given three days of rest. The four participants in the losers group would be duking it out with each other first to decide two victors and two losers, and the two losers would duke it out to decide the seventh and eighth ce. After that, the two victors would fight against the two losers who faltered in the winner¡¯s bracket to decide the sixth and fifth ce.

    Everyone left the mountain after Hong Jianglong dered the end of the quarter finals.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°You defeated a formidable opponent today, Brother Zhao. Do you want to go grab a drink and celebrate a little?¡±

    ¡°Do you even need to ask? It¡¯s my treat tonight! How does Beauty Pageant Pce sound?¡±

    ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    At the foot of Flying Dragon Mountain, Zhao Lan was walking back to the city while surrounded by a bunch of people.

    Zhao Lan shook his head. ¡°Thank you very much for the offer, but I need to head back and take care of my younger brother. So please, count me out.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Brother Zhao! Your younger brother¡¯s only banged up a little, not dying! Surely he doesn¡¯t need his older brother to take care of him!¡± Someone snorted.

    However, Zhao Lan¡¯s expression abruptly turned cold, and he grabbed the man¡¯s neck before he could react. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Urgh¡­ khh¡­¡± The guy¡¯s face turned purple in just a matter of seconds. No matter how hard he struggled, he was unable to break free from Zhao Lan¡¯s grasp.

    Zhao Lan¡¯s grip kept tightening as his eyes burned with killing intent. ¡°Who are you to make fun of my younger brother? Who the hell do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Brother Zhao!¡±

    ¡°Deng Zhen was just making a joke, man! He didn¡¯t mean anything by it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Brother Zhao! We¡¯re all brothers here. Don¡¯t let a harmless joke put a rift between us!¡±

    The rest of the group hurriedly tried to talk Zhao Lan down.

    For a time, Zhao Lan simply red at Deng Zhen with bloodshot eyes, his acquaintances¡¯ advice seemingly falling on deaf ears. Just when everyone thought that Deng Zhen was going to be strangled to death, Zhao Lan slowly let go of the man and swept his gaze across the group. ¡°This is your first and only warning. Never,<em>ever,</em>make fun of my younger brother, get it? Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for what happens next.¡±

    With that said, Zhao Lan walked away just like that.

    Zhao Lan didn¡¯t return to the city after leaving his group. Instead, he twisted and turned until he arrived at a shabby-looking temple.

    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re back, boss?¡±

    Inside the temple, a bunch of beggars automatically opened up a path for Zhao Lan while watching him with fear in their eyes.

    ¡°How is my brother?¡± Zhao Lan asked.

    ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s doing okay. We did everything you asked us to,¡± a beggar answered stutteringly.

    ¡°Good.¡± Zhao Lan nodded and walked toward the only side room in the temple. He never even looked at the beggars.

    As soon as he stepped through the entrance, the thick smell of medicine entered his nostrils. Lying on a bed was a pale-faced, frail-looking Zhao Lu.

    ¡°Big brother¡ªcough! Cough¡­¡±

    Zhao Lu struggled to sit up as soon as he saw Zhao Lan. The older brother hurriedly ran forward to support him before gently setting him down on the headboard. He then asked concernedly, ¡°How do you feel, brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Dough! I¡¯m doing much better.¡± Zhao Lu shot him a weak smile before asking, ¡°How is your match today, brother?¡±

    Zhao Lan answered simply, ¡°I won.¡±

    Zhao Lu cheered, ¡°I knew you¡¯d be able to win, big brother! You¡¯ve always been so¡ªcough! Cough!¡±

    Zhao Lu patted his back gently while injecting wisps of internal energy into his body. He chided Zhao Lu, ¡°You know better than to let your emotions run out of control while you¡¯re this hurt.¡±

    Zhao Lu chuckled. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help but be happy for you!¡±

    Zhao Lu¡¯s weakness ignited an ember of hatred in Zhao Lan¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all because of that Ye Qing. If it wasn¡¯t for him, you wouldn¡¯t be hurt like this.¡±

    ¡°This was supposed to be our chance to be renowned throughout the<em>jianghu,</em>a moment to be remembered for eternity for the two of us. And yet, Ye Qing had ruined it all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all his fault!¡±

    Zhao Lu hurriedly advised, ¡°Calm down, big brother. Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau and a strong foe. Please don¡¯t get reckless because of me.¡±

    The hard lines on Zhao Lan¡¯s face softened as he consoled Zhao Lu, ¡°Rx. I know what to do.¡±

    Zhao Lu let out a sigh of relief before deting a bit. ¡°Sigh. It¡¯s my fault for being so weak. I didn¡¯t want to worry you like this.¡±

    Zhao Lan patted his head and said gently, ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re my brother. If I don¡¯t worry about you, who will?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, you should catch some rest. The sooner you heal, the better it is for everyone. Leave the rest to me!¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Zhao Lu nodded. ¡°You should catch some rest too, big brother. You just came back from outside.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Zhao Lan tucked Zhao Lu back into bed and straightened out his nket for him. Then, he quietly left the side room.

    After he returned to the main hall, he nced at the beggars and ordered in a cold, unfeeling tone, ¡°I¡¯m heading out for a bit. Take care of my brother. I will take your heads if he loses a single hair on his body, understand?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes boss! We swear we¡¯ll take good care of your brother!¡± Every beggar stammered with terror.

    After he exited the temple, Zhao Lan suddenly let out a small cough, and blood trickled down a corner of his lips. He looked disturbed.

    Although he had dominated the fight against Zhao Bu¡¯er from the start until the end, the warrior¡¯s final counterattack still hurt him a little.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the point. He could heal from such an injury easily. The point was that he was unable to win against Zhao Bu¡¯er, a middle-stage Spirit Purifier without suffering some injuries, while Ye Qing had defeated Jian Wusheng, a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking with rtively few wounds.

    Although he hadn¡¯t watched Ye Qing and Jian Wusheng¡¯s battle, he heard enough to piece together more or less everything that had happened in that fight. The long story short was that Ye Qing had defeated Jian Wusheng fair and square.

    Zhao Lan was very confident in his abilities, but he wasn¡¯t that confident that he thought he could defeat Jian Wusheng. However, Ye Qing had done the impossible. It surprised him as much as it disgusted him. Jealousy and anger threatened to rip him apart from the inside.

    Ye Qing had hurt his younger brother so badly that his martial foundation was damaged. Without a great boon, his future as a warrior was more or less ruined. How could he not resent Ye Qing for it? Loath him for it?

    He must have revenge for his younger brother. That was why he had purposely injured Ye Qing¡¯s friend.

    Because of this, Ye Qing too wanted to kill him. Compromise was impossible. The only way they would be satisfied was if the other party died.

    Before, he didn¡¯t think much of Ye Qing. He was sure he could cripple the bastard fair and square and take revenge for his younger brother. Not even the Pacification Bureau would dare to interfere with the oue of a match of the Hidden Dragon Meet. But now, things had changed. Ye Qing had surpassed his expectations and defeated Jian Wusheng. He was a real threat he couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate even a little.

    If he lost, and Ye Qing killed him, there was a not insignificant chance the bastard might kill Zhao Lu as well. After all, it wasmon sense to wipe out one¡¯s enemies when they could. The mere thought of his brother dying caused waves of worry and anger in his head.

    It was at this moment a young man appeared at the distance. ¡°Brother Zhao! You¡¯re here? Man, it sure is difficult to find you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your business with me, Ding Xuan?¡± Zhao Lan red at Ding Xuan unhappily. Right now, he felt like killing someone to vent his frustrations.

    As if he couldn¡¯t feel Zhao Lan¡¯s unfriendly gaze, Ding Xuan said excitedly, ¡°I have good news, Brother Zhao! There might be a way to save your brother!¡±

    ¡°What? What did you say?¡± Zhao Lan appeared in front of Ding Xuan and grabbed his shoulders tightly.

 Chapter 443: Hanba Blood Essence

    <h4>Chapter 443: Hanba Blood Essence </h4>

    ¡°I heard that the champion of the Hidden Dragon Meet would receive a Profound Fruit of Nature,¡± Ding Xuan began. ¡°You¡¯ve heard of the Profound Fruit of Nature, right? It¡¯s a powerful treasure that can purify the body, repair hidden wounds, and improve one¡¯s martial talent.¡±

    ¡°Your younger brother¡¯s martial foundation was damaged by Ye Qing, right? The Profound Fruit of Nature wouldn¡¯t just heal him back to full health, it would purify his body and improve his martial talent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure about this?!¡± Zhao Lan said in a hushed voice, barely able to control his excitement. His grip on Ding Xuan¡¯s shoulders increased to the point where veins were clearly popping on his arms.

    ¡°Ow ow ow! You¡¯re gonna break my shoulders, man!¡± Ding Xuan yelped in pain.

    ¡°Sorry. I got too excited.¡± Zhao Lan let go of Ding Xuan¡¯s shoulder before asking again, ¡°You¡¯re sure about this? You¡¯re not lying to me?¡±

    Ding Xuan smiled. ¡°Of course I¡¯m not lying to you! I have a rtive who works in the Pacification Bureau. He¡¯s the one who told me about this.¡±

    ¡°Thank the heavens! My brother will recover from this ordeal!¡± Zhao Lan eximed with pure joy.

    The Ding n wasn¡¯t a noble n in Tian Yong, but they were a noble n in Chang Shan. They were also quite powerful, so Zhao Lan wasn¡¯t surprised that they had someone inside the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau.

    Zhao Lan¡¯s delight onlysted for a few seconds, however. In fact, his expression soured the more he really thought about this.

    Ding Xuan noticed his mood and aahed knowingly. ¡°You¡¯re worried that you won¡¯t be able to win the Hidden Dragon Meet, right?¡±

    Zhao Lan nodded without a word.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I have a n!¡± Ding Xuan dered confidently.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhao Lan watched Ding Xuan with suspicion.

    ¡°Take a look at this, Brother Zhao.¡±

    Ding Xuan produced a porcin bottle from his shirt and slowly opened it. As soon as the cork was removed, a scalding, violent, and terrible aura spilled out of the bottle. Whatever was inside the bottle, it was so potent that its aura alone was enough to warp the space around them, wither the nts, and dry the ground.

    Even a powerful warrior like Zhao Lan felt stifled by its aura.

    The blood drained away from Ding Xuan¡¯s face as he hurriedly corked the bottle once more. It was only then the terrible aura slowly dissipated.

    ¡°What is this item?¡± Zhao Lan asked seriously.

    ¡°This is the blood essence of the Hanba. It is said that a dead body that is destined to transform into a Hanba will never rot, that its grave will be devoid of grass, that its gravestone will be soaked in water, and that the ce where it is buried would be beset by sessive, severe droughts. If left untouched, it would transform into a Hanba a centuryter.¡±

    ¡°A Hanba is a naked, humanoid-shaped Stranger between six to ten meters tall. Its eyes were grown on the top of its skull, and it is capable of moving like the wind. Any realm itys its eyes on would be struck by a severe drought, and anywhere it sets foot on would turn into a scorching hot, unlivablend as far as the eyes can see. All mature Hanbas are Disaster-ss Strangers.¡±

    Ding Xuan ended his exnation before saying, ¡°I have three drops of Hanba blood essences with me. They¡¯re not the blood essences of a mature Hanba, but it¡¯s still incredibly potent. I¡¯m not exaggerating when I say that each drop contains that power of a Half-Step Grandmaster at least.¡±

    ¡°If you encounter a foe that you cannot beat, you only need to consume a single drop to temporarily gain the power of a Hanba. No one will be able to stand in your way.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to give all three blood essences to me?!¡± Zhao Lan¡¯s eyes flickered with even deeper suspicion. ¡°There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a gifted warrior, and your younger brother is no less talented. You both have a bright future ahead of you,¡± Ding Xuan said frankly. ¡°I want the two of you to join my n. Consider these blood essences my down payment to buy your lifelong servitude.¡±

    Zhao Lan bowed his head and didn¡¯t say anything for a time. Seeing this, Ding Xuan smiled and said, ¡°But of course, I won¡¯t force you into anything you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m happy just befriending you as well.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine with your terms,¡± Zhao Lan replied. ¡°If I can obtain the Profound Fruit of Nature, and if it really can heal my brother back to full health, then you have my word that I will join the Ding n.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Ding Xuan eximed in excitement. ¡°With your strength and the Hanba blood essence, taking first ce in the Hidden Dragon Meet will be child¡¯s y for you!¡±

    ¡°I certainly hope so,¡± Zhao Lan replied and epted the porcin bottle containing the Hanba blood essences.

    ¡°Oh right, the Hanba blood essence is strong, but it can only empower you for a short time. Not only that, it will damage your body to a certain extent. You must be careful,¡± Ding Xuan advised.

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I shan¡¯t disturb your rest any longer.¡± Ding Xuan saluted Zhao Lan. ¡°Be seeing you.¡±

    ¡°You too.¡± Zhao Lan returned the salute.

    After Ding Xuan left, Zhao Lan stared the porcin bottle in his hand for a bit before bursting into a madugh.

    A far distance away, Ding Xuan heard Zhao Lan¡¯sughter and felt his lips curling into a strange smile as well.

    ¡°You best not disappoint my mister, Zhao Lan.¡±

    ......

    Three dayster, the Hidden Dragon Meet resumed with the losers group tournament first. After everyone had drawn their lots, it was determined that Yang Zhao would fight against Wen Xiaonuan, and Jian Wusheng against Zhao Bu¡¯er.

    Yang Zhao was a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, and Xu Rulin was lucky to be able to beat him. Wen Xiaonuan didn¡¯t possess such luck.

    The second the battle kicked off, Yang Zhao immediately unleashed his full power and blew a ¡°Spring Blossoms On The Moonlit River¡± with his silver flute. The tune was as beautiful as it was terrifying. The sheer astral qi and spirit contained within the flute somehow recreated the fantastical scene as described in the tune and pinned Wen Xiaonuan in ce, making it difficult for her to take even a single step. Until the end, the warrioress never managed to enter within three meters of Yang Zhao.

    This was the first time Yang Zhao showed everyone the true strength of a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking and why he was called the Silver Flute Schr.

    The battle between Jian Wusheng and Zhao Bu¡¯er was even more predictable. During the battle against Zhao Lan, Zhao Bu¡¯er had shaved his own head using the Ghost Razor and allowed himself to be possessed in hopes of making an ultimateeback. He failed, and he remained exhausted even after three days of recovery. Rather than fighting to win, it was more like he was showing courtesy to his opponent. After a few exchanges, he threw in the towel and left the tform.

    The next day, the winners group tournament was held. Ye Qing, Xu Rulin, Zhuo Henshui and Zhao Lan were supposed topete against each other, but Xu Rulin forfeited the match because his condition was even worse than Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s.

    After drawing lots, Zhuo Henshui became the lucky winner to advance to the next round without having to fight anyone, leaving Ye Qing and Zhao Lan to duke it out with each other.

    ¡°Haha, this is going to be a show,¡± Lei Xiaodanmented with a chuckle after the lots were drawn. Yang Shixiu, Zhang Huai¡¯en and the others looked interested as well.

    Almost everyone present was aware of the grudge between Ye Qing and Zhao Lan. Ye Qing had whispered, ¡°I want to kill you with my own hands.¡± His voice might be too low for most of the participants to hear, but not them.

    They didn¡¯t know if Ye Qing was just being emotional, but the grudge between the two warriors was very real. They might not duel each other to the death, but they certainly weren¡¯t going to hold back against each other.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried at all, Brother Hong?¡± Lei Xiaodan noticed Hong Jianglong¡¯s calm expression and teased.

    Hong Jianglong replied, ¡°What can I do? This is their fight, not mine.¡±

    ¡°Lord Hong, the point of the Hidden Dragon Meet is to seek out the future pirs who will support the imperial court. Any death incurred during this tournament is a huge loss for Chu, so if it¡¯s possible to resolve this situation with peace, then why not?¡± Fang Muyun advised.

    ¡°I agree, Mister Farseeing,¡± Hong Jianglong echoed in agreement before shrugging. ¡°But this is a no-holds-barred tournament where killing is permitted. It truly is out of my hands.¡±

    Fang Muyun sighed but didn¡¯t say anything more.

    While they were conversing, Ye Qing and Zhao Lan had already entered the tform. Their surroundings warped until it took the form of an old-styled town. The eveningnterns were just lit, and everything seemed peaceful and tranquil in the town. The only two people in the town were smiling as well.

    But of course, their smiles were anything but friendly.

    ¡°You probably have no idea how much I anticipated this moment.¡±

    Zhao Lan wore an odd smile on his face as he stared at Ye Qing.

    ¡°From the day you hurt my brother, I¡¯d spent every second thinking how best to teach you my pain.¡±

    ¡°That is why I hurt your friend, but it¡¯s not enough. After all, you healed him all too quickly, while my brother is still lying in bed. How is that fair? How is that fair?!¡±

    Zhao Lan¡¯s face grew contorted. ¡°Did you know? I wanted to say damn the consequences and cut you into many pieces back then. It is the only way I could vent this hatred inside me.¡±

    ¡°But on second thought, I realized that killing you would be too easy; too good for the likes of you. So, I came up with a better n.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to hear about it?¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything. His lips were curled into a small, seemingly uncaring smile. And yet, it seemed to contain all the disdain there was in the world.

    It wasn¡¯t an aggressive smile, but it certainly was a scornful one.

    Noting Ye Qing¡¯s disdainful expression, Zhao Lan¡¯s anger and hatred burned even brighter. ¡°I¡¯m going to break your bones and rip it off your sockets piece by piece. I¡¯m going to snap every tendon in your arms and limbs. And I¡¯m going to break your dantian and every point inside your body.¡±

    ¡°I want you to be a cripple forever. I want you to spend the rest of your life in bed.¡±

    ¡°That is the only way I can vent my hatred. Do you agree?¡±

    ¡°Are you done bullshitting?¡± Ye Qing said unhurriedly, ¡°If you are, then I¡¯m going to send you to hell now!¡±

    ¡°You think you can¡ª¡± Zhao Lan sneered, but Ye Qing abruptly split into nine silhouettes and charged him before he could finish. In response, Zhao Lan thrust his bamboo stick forward and surrounded himself in a flurry of stick afterimages.

    <i>¡°Dog Beating Stick Technique: Eight Directions Beating¡±</i>

    All nine silhouettes were crushed by the technique, but Zhao Lan flinched. It was because he felt pain erupting from multiple parts of his body. When he looked down, he saw a thin, long wound on his chest, his arms, his legs and more parts of his body. There were nine wounds in total.

    At the same time, Ye Qing appeared behind Zhao Lan with a long, slender saber held lightly beside his waist. Clearly, Zhao Lan¡¯s defense waspletely useless. Ye Qing had dished out nine cut andnded all of them.

    Zhao Lan sneered and fell backward. In the process, he struck the floor with his bamboo stick like the rain pitter-pattering against a banana leaf. The stone split apart, and the cracks spread toward Ye Qing from multiple directions.

    Treating the floor like a gong, Ye Qing stomped it so hard that dust was flung into the air, and the entire town shook a little.

    Using the dust cloud as cover, Ye Qing disappeared and reappeared in front of Zhao Lan. The ragged warrior quickly found himself gaining a couple more wounds.

    ¡°Your saber is seriously fast,¡± Zhao Lan looked down on his wounds again with a sneer, ¡°but it¡¯s no use.¡±

    Even as he spoke, his wounds began healing slowly. Recovery was the theme of the ¡°Eight Directions Art of Begging¡±.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing mused indifferently. ¡°If one cut isn¡¯t enough, then two cuts will do it. If two cuts aren¡¯t enough, then ten cuts will do it. If ten cuts aren¡¯t enough, then a hundred cuts will do it.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how much blood you can bleed before you die? Show me.¡±

    Ye Qing charged toward Zhao Lan again, and this time his illusions seemed to be anywhere and everywhere at the same time. His silhouettes looked like the leaves of autumn raining endlessly from the trees.

    It looked like Ye Qing was moving randomly, but in reality his movements were perfectlypatible with the nature around him. The profoundness of dao and the strangeness of the dark could both be found in his technique.

    Zhao Lan could only endure the beating one-sidedly like a grass weathering the storm.

 Chapter 444: Hanba

    <h4>Chapter 444: Hanba</h4>

    The wounds kept appearing on Zhao Lan¡¯s body.

    The blood kept blossoming in the air and the floor.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Zhao Lan was covered in blood from head to toe. The ground within ten meters of him was dyed red with his own blood, and his energies weren¡¯t nearly as strong as it was at the beginning.

    ¡°Face me directly if you dare, Ye Qing! Fight me fair and square!¡±

    Zhao Lan roared with bloodshot eyes. ¡°I thought you wanted to kill me? Come on, then! Come on!¡±

    ¡°Nah. Your idea about cutting me into pieces and crippling me yada yada sounds pretty good, so I¡¯ve decided to reciprocate the favor. I¡¯m going to bleed you until you have no more blood to bleed. What do you say? Nothing? I¡¯ll take that as a yes then.¡±

    Even as he spoke, more wounds were appearing on Zhao Lan¡¯s body. When the spectators saw Ye Qing trouncing Zhao Lan like an adult beating up a defenseless child, they couldn¡¯t help butin,

    ¡°Howe Zhao Lan couldn¡¯t put up a fight at all? I thought he was better than this!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He thought he could take revenge for his brother like this? He would have a better chance begging for Ye Qing¡¯s mercy!¡±

    The disparagingments kept getting worse and worse, so Yang Zhao decided to put an end to it and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that Zhao Lan is too weak. It¡¯s just that the Qing Emperor Junior¡¯s martial arts just so happens to counter Zhao Lan¡¯s perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Zhao Lan has poor mobility, but that¡¯s fine because his fighting style is a defensive one. He wins his battles by being on the defense and ousting his opponents.¡±

    ¡°However, not only is the Qing Emperor Junior¡¯s movement art profound, his saber is as swift and unpredictable as a phantom. He is the antithesis of Zhao Lan¡¯s fighting style, which is why Zhao Lan is unable to put up a fight at all.¡±

    Someone recalled Zhao Lan and Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s match and voiced his doubts, ¡°That¡¯s not right. Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s movement art is pretty strong as well, but he wasn¡¯t able to defeat Zhao Lan. Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°There are two reasons. One, Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s cultivation level is slightly lower than Zhao Lan¡¯s. Two, Zhao Bu¡¯er¡¯s movement art is strong, but he attacks far too slowly to take advantage of it, not to mention that his Ghost Razor couldn¡¯t leave a scratch on Zhao Lan. That is why he ultimately lost his battle.¡±

    Enlightened by Yang Zhao¡¯s exnation, someone asked, ¡°At this rate, Zhao Lan is going to lose, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°If this is the extent of Zhao Lan¡¯s skill, then yes, he will lose for sure,¡± Yang Zhao answered.

    As Yang Zhao predicted, Zhao Lan gained dozens more wounds in just a dozen or so breaths. Each wound was deep enough to reveal the bones.

    By now, Zhao Lan¡¯s ¡°Eight Directions Art of Begging¡± could no longer keep up with the rate he was receiving wounds.

    Zhao Lan felt himself getting weaker and weaker. This was natural considering that he was losing too much blood. But the weaker he got, the more excited he became. His bloodshot eyes were positively shining with madness.

    After all, the stronger his foe, the more pleasurable it would be to ruin himter.

    ¡°Hahaha... good, very good, Ye Qing! I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t disappoint me!¡±

    Zhao Lanughed madly. ¡°I was worried that you might be too weak to withstsand what I¡¯m about to do to you. That would¡¯ve sucked out the fun and diminished my vengeance. But now? Hahaha! Hahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°Has Zhao Lan gone insane? Did he seriously think he can still turn things around considering his condition?¡± Chu Nianjiu scoffed when he heard Zhao Lan¡¯s taunt. He wasn¡¯t the only one. Most people thought the same thing as well.

    But not Ye Qing. He was one of the few people who suddenly felt a bad, bad feeling about this. Pushing off the air and rounding back toward Zhao Lan like a returning swift, he swung Red Sleeve with the intent to slice the warrior into two halves.

    Ye Qing could have ended this much sooner. The only reason he dragged it out was to pay back Zhao Lan for what he did to Lin Yuhuai. But now that the situation had changed, he didn¡¯t hesitate to attack with the intent to kill.

    ¡°Hahaha... Are you ready to receive my gift?¡±

    But as Ye Qing got close, he noticed an unnatural redness creeping over Zhao Lan¡¯s face. Blue and ck veins criss-crossed his face and gave him the impression of a ghoul.

    The next moment, Zhao Lan opened his mouth and let loose a mighty roar. A terrible, scorching hot heat wave swept across the entire battlefield and turned the town into a sea of fire. But unlike a normal fire, this one was filled with death, epidemic, filth and squalor.

    And Ye Qing was caught in the middle of it.

    ¡°Gasp! What the...¡±

    ¡°What an evil presence!¡±

    To say that the sudden turn of events caught everyone by surprise would be an understatement. Even Hong Jianglong had shot up to his feet.

    <i>A Disaster-ss Stranger?! </i>Hong Jianglong¡¯s thoughts raced. <i>Did Zhao Lan use a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact or swallow the blood essence of a Disaster-ss Stranger?</i>

    <i>No, that can¡¯t be right. There is no way Zhao Lan can endure the rebound of a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact or the blood essence of a Disaster-ss Stranger. He can¡¯t be that stupid, can he?</i>

    One thing for certain, Ye Qing was in danger. The auraing from the tform felt threatening even to him, much less anyone else.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    A furious roar erupted from the tform, and the sea of fire grew even fiercer. Some parts of the dry, sundered ground actually turned into moltenva as a silhouette slowly stepped out of the sea of fire.

    The silhouette was about ten meters tall, and his face still bore some resemnce to Zhao Lan. However, he waspletely bare and withered like a corpse. A sheen of dark light covered his body, and a scarlet eyeball had grown out of the top of its head. It rotated here and there like it was alive.

    The ground Zhao Lan stepped on was cracked and melted. He was also giving off an inauspicious, burning aura of death, epidemic, filth and squalor.

    Forget Ye Qing, even those outside the tform felt hot and ufortable. Everyone was losing water rapidly as the corrupted energy invaded their bodies.

    ¡°The noble man says that those who keep to the straight path shall be immune to all evils!¡±

    When Fang Muyun saw this, he waved his sleeve and summoned a gust of wind through the peak. Like a soothing breeze in the middle of a hot summer, the breeze took away the heat and suffocationpletely and left behind only refreshment and calm.

    ¡°Thank you, Mister Farseeing.¡±

    Everyone bowed in Fang Muyun¡¯s direction and thanked him.

    ¡°Is that the legendary Hanba?¡± Lei Xiaodan spoke up.

    ¡°Hanba?¡± Surprise overcame Yang Shixiu. ¡°Do you mean the legendary Hanba whose gaze can curse any realm with a terrible drought, and whose footsteps can turn anynd into a scorching wastnd that spans at least hundreds of kilometers?!¡±

    Hanba was a drought ghost born from a dead body[1]. It possessed a baleful aura because its appearance always heralded theing of death and disaster.

    ¡°Does this mean that Zhao Lan consumed the Hanba¡¯s blood essence?¡± Zhang Tiancheng eximed in shock. ¡°The Hanba is a Disaster-ss Stranger. Even a single drop of blood essence contains an unimaginable amount of power, and... it looks like Zhao Lan consumed an undiluted drop of blood essence? Is he suicidal?¡±

    Hong Jianglong frowned even harder and took a step forward. However, Zhou Hengshan immediately blocked his way.

    ¡°What are you doing, Lord Hong? You¡¯re not nning on breaking the rules of the Hidden Dragon Meet, are you?¡± A hint of ridicule shed within Zhou Hengshan¡¯s narrow, bby eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Lord Hong. Are you really going to break the rules when you¡¯re the host of this tournament?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Lord Hong!¡±

    A couple of people joined in and taunted Hong Jianglong as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. The Hanba is a Disaster-ss Stranger, and Zhao Lan is nowhere strong enough to endure its power. He is absolutely going to sumb to its power and transform into a Stranger.¡±

    Hong Jianglong replied coldly, ¡°If Zhao Lan turns into a Stranger¡ªa Hanba¡ªI shouldn¡¯t need to tell you what¡¯s going to happen, do I? Do you really want to see Tian Yong burn?¡±

    ¡°You exaggerate, Lord Hong!¡± Someoneughed unkindly. ¡°There are at least five Grandmasters present at the scene. Surely you¡¯re not telling me that a puny Stranger like that can burn Tian Yong?¡±

    ¡°A puny Stranger? You don¡¯t understand shit.¡± Hong Jianglong retorted mercilessly. ¡°Do you know why we call them Disaster-ss Strangers? Every time they appear, their energies would mingle and alter the world around it. Usually, it manifests itself as some sort of destructive phenomenon; a cmity.¡±

    ¡°Even if you managed to kill the Disaster-ss Stranger instantly, the disaster that results from its appearance would not disappear until it has run its course. To say it¡¯s a pain in the ass to deal with would be an understatement.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, Zhao Lan consumed the blood essence of a Hanba, one of the most terrifying Disaster-ss Strangers out there. Zhao Lan wouldn¡¯t possess its full strength as a matter of course, there is a chance that his transformation may trigger some sort of disaster. If it did happen, and innocents were harmed as a result, who¡¯s going to take responsibility for it? Me, or you?¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± This time, no one could say a word against Hong Jianglong. His concerns were valid after all.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Hong Jianglong took a step forward and mmed into Zhou Hengshan. There was a soundless rumble, and the entire mountain seemed to shudder a little.

    ¡°Wait, Lord Hong.¡±

    Chu Wangsun suddenly broke his silence. ¡°I am ddened by your concern for the people, but look closely. Although Zhao Lan possessed the aura of a Disaster-ss Stranger, he didn¡¯t possess its power. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the blood essence Zhao Lan consumed probably belonged to an immature Hanba, and even at its strongest, an immature Hanba is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger at most. Theoretically speaking, this power should still be within Zhao Lan¡¯s control, so you don¡¯t need to worry too much about it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Brother Hong. The situation is not as bad as you think,¡± Lei Xiaodan also advised.

    Hong Jianglong narrowed his eyes and perceived Zhao Lan¡¯s aura carefully. A momentter, his expression turned ugly.

    He was hoping to interfere with the match on ount of exceptional circumstances to one, prevent the worst case scenario he feared from happening, and two, to save Ye Qing. But if Zhao Lan really could control the blood essence he consumed, then his intervention would be viewed as interfering with the Hidden Dragon Meet. The consequences would be severe to put it mildly.

    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to say, Lord Hong?¡± Zhou Hengshan asked with an ugly smirk that made his already ugly face even uglier than before.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Although Hong Jianglong was anxious, he had no choice but to return to his kiosk.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Zhou Hengshanughed a little before pouring salt on the wound. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Hong. The Qing Emperor Junior is a member of the Pacification Bureau. I doubt that Zhao Lan would dare to kill him. At worst, he¡¯s going to cripple him, so rx, okay? Hahahahaha!¡±

    Zhou Hengshan wasughing, and Hong Jianglong was grim and silent. Everyone else was silent because they weren¡¯t foolish enough to draw the Grandmasters¡¯ attention. They could only set their sights on the tform once more.

    On the tform, the Hanba Zhao Lan had transformed to looked around for a bit before charging into the sea of fire. There was a loud explosion and a scattering of mes, and a man rushed out of the fire. It was none other than Ye Qing.

    Right now, the young man cut quite the sorry figure. He waspletely covered in soot, and he looked like he had taken quite the blow.

    While he was flying away from Zhao Lan, he swung his sleeve to change his trajectory and fall back toward the ground. He had just steadied himself when a shadow suddenly loomed over him. A millstone-sized hand was descending from above to grab him.

    The second his right foot touched the scorched earth, he kicked off and leaned forward almost parallel to the ground. He just barely avoided Zhao Lan¡¯s grab.

    1. Seriously, they really should have just cremated the bodies lol. All of them. ?

 Chapter 445: Life and Death Struggle

    <h4>Chapter 445: Life and Death Struggle </h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The hand struck the ground where Ye Qing was a moment ago and left behind a deep pit. The earth melted, and the resulting shockwave was so hot that Ye Qing¡¯s skin turned bright red in color.

    Ye Qing kicked off the ground and pushed ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± to the maximum, crossing sixty meters in an instant. But as he reached the end of his spurt, a roaring Zhao Lan rushed out of the sea of mes and reached him in the blink of an eye. He punched him before he could do anything.

    Like a rock, Ye Qing punched through dozens of burning buildings before he finally mmed into a cliffside. Cracks spread out all around him like a spider web.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Ye Qing spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, but it evaporated into nothing before it even hit the ground. His whole body was burning and in pain, his blood was boiling like oil, and his headspace was overflowing with filthy aura. His head felt like a lead weight, and it was pounding like a jackhammer.

    ¡°The Hanba...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s pupils contracted as a scorching aura of death, epidemic, drought and filth burned all around him. Zhao Lan¡¯s appearance and aura now resembled the legendary Stranger perfectly.

    The Hanba was synonymous to drought, famine, epidemic and death. Just by existing, it could turn every square inch ofnd within hundreds of kilometers into a barren wastnd. It was a Disaster-ss Stranger through and through.

    ¡°A Disaster-ss Stranger, huh...?¡±

    Powerlessness welled inside Ye Qing as the horrifying aura pressed against his skin from every direction, but he quickly pushed the feeling away. If he had the time to be afraid, then he had time to find a way to survive this.

    Surrender was impossible not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because it couldn¡¯t be done. The teleportation that urred after someone called for surrender wasn¡¯t instantaneous. There was a lull before the participant was teleported away. If the participant attacked or was attacked during that time, then the teleportation would be canceled.

    Death was a shadow that apanied every duel. In fact, many people had used duels as a justification to kill their opponents for whatever reason. It wasn¡¯t explicitly mentioned, but this was permitted in the Hidden Dragon Meet as well.

    In other words, the only way he might survive this was to kill Zhao Lan.

    The reason Zhao Lan turned into the Hanba could only be because he had consumed its blood essence. It wasmonly known that consuming the blood essence of a powerful Stranger could grant a warrior a tremendous boost in power. However, doing this greatly taxed the body, and the boost was only temporary. Moreover, the more potent the blood essence, the greater the warrior¡¯s physique and cultivation level must be to endure its power. The amount of time the boost wouldst was dependent on the same factors as well.

    Zhao Lan had consumed the blood essence of a Hanba, a monstrous existence that sat on the top rung even among Disaster-ss Strangers. He had no idea how Zhao Lan, a mere middle-stage Spirit Purifier, managed to consume the blood essence without exploding or losing his mind in an instant, but there was no way he could maintain this transformation for long.

    This meant that he could endure until the Hanba¡¯s blood essence had run its course, or until Zhao Lan¡¯s body broke down from the pressure.

    Ye Qing came up with a n very quickly. As the cliff walls shook ominously around him, he leaned forward and kicked off the ground like a bolt of lightning. The second he was gone, Zhaon appeared from above and punched the spot where Ye Qing was a while ago. The cliff wall exploded and scattered rocks everywhere.

    This time though, Zhao Lan was ready. As soon as his punch missed, Zhao Lan twisted around and kicked off the cliff walls with both legs. His speed was such that he split apart the sea of fire with a deafening sonic boom.

    Ye Qing had just picked up Zhao Lan with his demonic thought when the Hanba incarnate reached him and pped him in the back. His protective yin and yang energy crumbled into pieces as he skipped across the ground like a skipping rock. Every time he hit the ground, a deep pit would be left behind.

    After rolling uncontrobly for about fifty meters or so, Ye Qing abruptly kicked off the ground and shot toward a different direction. However, Zhao Lan immediately appeared beside him and punched him into the ground with his millstone-sized fists.

    Before Ye Qing could resist, Zhao Lan stepped on his back and pushed him further into the pit. The ground ten meters around him crumbled and turned into moltenva.

    ¡°You have a good movement art, don¡¯t you? You like to run, don¡¯t you? Keep running then!¡±

    Zhao Lan rotated his foot left and right, and the ground crumbled a couple more meters deeper.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    After grinding Ye Qing several times with his soles, Zhao Lan raised his foot and stomped on Ye Qing again, and again, and again. Every time he did this, Zhao Lan would let out an exultant, violent roar. Heaven and earth shook as moltenva continuously poured into the deep pit.

    ¡°Ru¡ª¡±

    Zhao Lan was about to bring his foot down again when a fist thrust out of the pool ofva and smashed into his calf, causing him to stagger backward. At the same time, a giant ape burst out into the open, caught Zhao Lan by the waist, and mmed his back into a protruding rock.

    The rock shattered, and the two men copsed on the ground. A vicious snarl escaping his throat, the Chaos Demon Ape Ye Qing had transformed into sat on top of Zhao Lan¡¯s body and punched him in the head again and again.

    He wasn¡¯t going to stop until the sonuvabitch was dead.

    Every punch pushed Zhao Lan¡¯s head deeper into the ground. The Hanba was as fast as the wind, so Zhao Lan was much faster than before even though he was originally a slowpoke. Moreover, the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± was really an evasion art that functioned best within a certain range, not a long-distance movement art. If he stuck to his previous course of action, forget getting away from Zhao Lan, he would be lucky tost even thirty seconds.

    Since running away wasn¡¯t an option, then he would fight Zhao Lan head on. The bastard wasn¡¯t the only one who could transform!

    Ye Qing threw at least thirty punches in just the span of a few breaths. It was like he was ying the drum, not fighting for his life.

    Suddenly, Zhao Lan caught Ye Qing¡¯s fists with both hands and slowly pulled them away from his face. In response, Ye Qing snarled and did everything he could to resist the unnatural strength. The contest of strength was such that the ground beneath them cracked everywhere like a giant spider web.

    The next moment, Zhao Lan lifted his head and smashed his skull into Ye Qing¡¯s face. Caughtpletely off guard, Ye Qing felt like a meteor just punched him in the face. It damned near knocked the lights out of his head and made him see stars.

    Before Ye Qing could recover his wits, Zhao Lan roared and smashed his head into Ye Qing¡¯s face again. And again. And again. Several hitster, the young man¡¯s face was barely recognizable. A final, deafening hit sent him crashing into the ground and leaving behind a long, deep trail.

    Freed from his bindings, Zhao Lan immediately leaped to his feet and stepped on Ye Qing¡¯s chest with his right foot. A crazedugh escaped his chest as he said, ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t disappoint me! Keep it up, Ye Qing! The more you struggle, the happier you¡¯ll make me! Hahahahaha!¡±

    As heughed, Zhao Lan grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s left arm with both hands and pulled with all his might.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a bloodcurdling scream as his entire arm was ripped free from its sockets. As he was in his giant form, the amount of blood he spilled seemed great enough to fill ake.

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Brother Ye!¡±

    Everyone outside the tform nched when they saw this. Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu and Qi Xuanyun could stand this no longer and charged toward the tform.

    ¡°Tsk tsk, how cruel.¡± Zhou Hengshan clicked his tongue without bothering to hide his evil grin at all. ¡°But cruelty is my rice and soup[1], so it¡¯s perfect.¡±

    ¡°Oh right. Interfering with the Hidden Dragon Meet is a serious crime, Lord Hong. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stop your subordinates before it¡¯s toote?¡±

    ¡°Back off! Anyone who interferes with the Hidden Dragon Meet will be punished by thew!¡± a grim-faced Hong Jianglong growled at Chu Nianjiu and Qi Xuanyun.

    ¡°But my lord! Joyless is¡ª¡± Lin Yuhuai tried to argue.

    ¡°I said, back off!¡± A terrific aura abruptly burst out of Hong Jianglong¡¯s body. His energies were such that the peak was covered in ck clouds and white lightning in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Remember. This is a no-holds-barred tournament where killing is permitted.¡±

    Left with no choice, the trio reluctantly returned to their original spots.

    ¡°Hahaha, well said, Lord Hong! You truly are a fair and righteous official! Hahaha...¡± Zhou Hengshanughed loudly and tauntingly.

    Hong Jianglong didn¡¯t say anything.

    Some people looked worried, some people looked delighted, some people were uncaring, and some people looked sympathetic. For a time, all sorts of expressions could be found on everyone¡¯s face.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯m going to cripple you, and this is just the beginning! Hahahahaha!¡±

    Back on the tform, Zhao Lan was grabbing Ye Qing¡¯s ripped arm andughing crazily.

    ¡°Fog Demon!¡±

    On the ground, Ye Qing¡¯splexion was pallid and dull, but his eyes looked as calm as ever. A gigantic demonic Buddha abruptly appeared in the sky with one hand pointed toward the sky, and the other pointed toward the earth. It was a silent yet arrogant deration that the demon stood above both heaven and earth.

    By the time Zhao Lan saw it, it was already toote. The demonic Buddha sent him flying with a single punch.

    ¡°Hahaha! Good, good! Keep struggling! It wouldn¡¯t be fun otherwise!¡±

    However, Zhao Lan returned even faster and returned the gesture with a punch of his own, and unlike Zhao Lan, the demonic Buddha was much, much frailer. One punch was all the Hanba incarnate needed to dissolve it into a cloud of demonic qi.

    This was just the beginning though. The Buddhist chanting in the air grew louder as the thick cloud of demonic qi surrounded Zhao Lan from all sides. At the same time, the Moko Boundless Chains wrapped around his body and attempted to pin him in ce.

    ¡°Hahaha! You think you can stop me with just this?¡±

    Zhao Lanughed again and unleashed a terrible shockwave. The earth was baked, cracked, and melted instantly like nine suns had suddenly appeared in the sky.

    The chains were snapped like twigs, and so much of demonic qi was blown away that the Boundless Mara Buddha was exposed.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Not one to let go of an opportunity, Zhao Lan appeared in front of the Boundless Mara Buddha and threw a devastating punch.

    The Boundless Mara Buddha shook violently as its chains ttered, and its demonic qi scattered everywhere. Despite the terrible blow, it valiantly manifested the Kingdom of Buddha and Hell and attempted to exorcise Zhao Lan with darkness.

    The Boundless Mara Buddha was forged from Jing Hui¡¯s corpse, and Jing Hui was a Grandmaster. Therefore, Zhao Lan wasn¡¯t able to shatter it in a single hit.

    However, the Boundless Mara Buddha was also just a Soustealer-ss Strange Artifact. It was nowhere as powerful as Zhao Lan in his current form. Just a few breathster, Zhao Lan was able to dismantle both its offense and defense andnd another devastating punch.

    The Boundless Mara Buddha fell like a meteor, but the Fog Demon quickly regained control and blocked Zhao Lan¡¯s way yet again.

    Maybe it was because he was getting impatient with the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s incessant harassment, but Zhao Lan decided that enough was enough. Roaring, he charged toward Ye Qing as soon as he sent it flying for a third time.

    <i>Now is the time!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glittered like the stars as Zhao Lan closed the distance between them. At the same time, a thick fog gushed out of his body and enveloped both him and Zhao Lan.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with that fog? I can¡¯t see anything!¡±

    ¡°How strange. I can¡¯t pierce through the fog even with my spirit!¡±

    The people outside the tform lost sight of Ye Qing and Zhao Lan as soon as the fog spread. Not only that, their spirit was unable to pierce the fog and see what was happening as well.

    The next moment, a series of terrible shockwaves and waves of fire burst out of the center of the battlefield. It was apanied by a series of angry roars and bloodcurdling screams.

    ¡°Sigh, what a shame...¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it is a terrible loss for Chu.¡±

    ¡°The Qing Emperor Junior is destined for greatness. It¡¯s too bad that his luck ran out too soon.¡±

    ¡°Of all the people the Qing Emperor Junior could fight, it just had to be Zhao Lan. But then again, who would¡¯ve thought that Zhao Lan would obtain the blood essence of a Hanba?¡±

    ¡°There is something seriously wrong with Zhao Lan¡¯s head. Who in their right mind would go to such lengths over a petty grudge?¡±

    As the shockwaves washing out of the fog grew weaker and weaker, everyone thought that the battle was approaching its end. Not a single person on the peak thought well of Ye Qing¡¯s chances.

    But when the fog faded away, and a single silhouette came into view, their eyes and their mouths slowly widened into huge Os. For a few seconds, no one could say anything. Then, explosive cries of astonishment and disbelief broke out at the same time.

    ¡°Impossible! Impossible!¡±

    ¡°My eyes must be ying tricks on me!¡±

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±

    ¡°How is Ye Qing still alive?¡±

    1. My made-up equivalent for bread and butter ?

 Chapter 446: I Won, Brother

    <h4>Chapter 446: I Won, Brother </h4>

    Everyone was expecting Zhao Lan to be the one left standing on the tform, but no, it was Ye Qing. His face was a right mess, blood was jutting out of his stump like a fountain, and his whole body was covered in blood. Anyone could tell that he was in a terrible condition.

    But he was alive.

    And Zhao Lan was nowhere to be seen.

    As impossible as it might seem, Ye Qing¡¯s survival could only mean Zhao Lan¡¯s death.

    But how?

    How did Ye Qing do the impossible?

    They had envisioned all kinds of possibilities while the fog covered up thest bits of the battle. They had imagined Zhao Lan ripping Ye Qing¡¯s remaining limbs off, Zhao Lan destroying Ye Qing¡¯s dantian and meridians, even Zhao Lan beating Ye Qing to death with his bare hands.

    The one thing they didn¡¯t expect was Ye Qing to live, and Zhao Lan to die.

    For a time, the entire peak was engulfed in a strange, oppressive silence. Even Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun were looking at Ye Qing with indecipherable expressions on their faces.

    ¡°How... How on earth did Zhao Lan lose? I thought he consumed the Hanba¡¯s blood essence?¡± The Harmony King rubbed his eyes furiously, but Ye Qing¡¯s silhouette didn¡¯t waver. Zhao Lan didn¡¯t just lose the battle, he was so dead they couldn¡¯t even find a speck of him on the battlefield.

    ¡°Incredible. He is everything we hope to find in our youth and more,¡± Lei Xiaodan showered Ye Qing with praise after a long exhtion.

    ¡°Do you know what happened, Xiaodan? Tell us already!¡± The Harmony King immediately spun on the Judicial Commissioner. Everyone else looked curious as well.

    Lei Xiaodan began his exnation, ¡°After consuming the Hanba¡¯s blood essence, Zhao Lan was as strong as a Half-Step Grandmaster. This poweres with a huge w, however. It¡¯s only a temporary power boost. As soon as the blood essence had run out of power, Zhao Lan would be weaker than he ever was.¡±

    ¡°Young Ye knew this, which was why he fought to drag out the battle as much as possible. In fact, Zhao Lan¡¯s power was already declining when he was fighting against Young Ye¡¯s Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. Zhao Lan himself noticed this, which was why he stopped wasting time on the Strange Artifact and went for Young Ye.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately for him, Young Ye was ultimately stronger than him. He used that strange fog and something to kill Zhao Lan and win the match.¡±

    Everyone fell silent for a time. Lei Xiaodan made it easy, but Zhao Lan was as strong as a Half-Step Grandmaster after he consumed the Hanba¡¯s blood essence. Forget ate-stage Spirit Purifier like Ye Qing, not even some of them could im that they could definitely drag out the fight long enough to kill Zhao Lan.

    Despite the massive gap in power, Ye Qing had kept his cool, figured out the way to defeat Zhao Lan, used his strength to dy Zhao Lan long enough for him to start weakening, and even killed Zhao Lan at the very end. What a monster!

    If before they thought that the nickname ¡°Qing Emperor Junior¡± was just the ramblings of the foolish and ignorant, now they were really starting to think that Ye Qing deserved it.

    ¡°Forgive my ignorance, but do you know what sort of method or technique the Qing Emperor Junior used to turn the tables around, Lord Lei?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan shook his head. ¡°My apologies, but I would like to know that answer myself. Mayhaps Lord Hong can answer our question?¡±

    Everyone turned to look at Hong Jianglong, but the man was grim-faced and unmoving like a statue. He clearly had no intention of entertaining their question.

    There was a golden sh, and Ye Qing was finally teleported out of the tform.

    ¡°Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Are you okay, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°What medicine do you need?¡±

    Lin Yuhuai, Chu Nianjiu, Qi Xuanyun, Gao Ningan and more had been waiting for him. They immediately swarmed the young man and showered him with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ye Qing raised his head with difficulty and shot them a smile, though it was difficult to tell since his face had taken a literal pounding from a pseudo Disaster-ss Stranger.

    He then looked at Lin Yuhuai and dered in a solemn voice, ¡°I won, brother.¡±

    ¡°Joyless...¡± Tears welled in Lin Yuhuai¡¯s eyes. Although he wasn¡¯t the reason Ye Qing and Zhao Lan shed¡ªhe was just an unfortunate victim who was caught in an insane man¡¯s scheme¡ªbut it was a fact that Ye Qing tried to kill Zhao Lan because the bastard had hurt him. If it wasn¡¯t for him, there was a chance this wouldn¡¯t devolve into a life-or-death struggle, small as it was.

    But before Lin Yuhuai could say anything, Ye Qing continued, ¡°Hehe, thank the <i>heavens </i>I bloody won, man! I bet ten thousand silvers that I would kick that bastard¡¯s ass! Had I lost, I would bepletely broke! I swear, my heart had never raced harder than just now!¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± Lin Yuhuai swallowed whatever words he wanted to say back down his throat. It looked like he was touched for nothing.

    ¡°So? What do you all think?¡± Ye Qing winked at hispanions proudly and arrogantly. ¡°I¡¯m super strong, aren¡¯t I? Do you want to know I turned the tables around and killed Zhao Lan in the end?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Xuanyun replied honestly like the good boy he was. The surrounding people couldn¡¯t help but incline their ears in his direction as well.

    ¡°Hehe, the answer is... I¡¯ll tell youter!¡± Ye Qing cackled.

    ¡°You and your jokes! Well, at least that proves that you¡¯re okay.¡± Chu Nianjiu let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m okay. I¡¯ll be better than okay if someone can give me some of his wine!¡± Ye Qing grinned.

    ¡°Keep dreaming, bud. Can you even open your mouth right now?¡± Chu Nianjiu rejected the request mercilessly.

    ¡°Heavens, my friend is so heartless he wouldn¡¯t offer me a drink even when I¡¯m on the brink of death.¡± Ye Qing sighed sorrowfully. ¡°What¡¯s even the point of living anymore? I think I¡¯ll just die.¡±

    As soon as he said this, Ye Qing copsed on the floor. He wasn¡¯t moving.

    ¡°Joyless?!¡±

    ¡°Brother Ye!¡±

    Lin Yuhuai and Qi Xuanyun eximed in shock and horror.

    Chu Nianjiu¡¯s wine gourd slipped out of his hand and hit the ground as he blurted, ¡°You gotta be kidding me! You¡¯re actually dying because I didn¡¯t give you my wine?!¡±

    It was at this moment Hong Jianglong appeared next to Ye Qing and checked his pulse. A few secondster, his expression turned extremely ugly. ¡°Hmph! What was he thinking acting like he was fine when he¡¯s anything but?¡±

    ¡°Is Joyless okay, my lord?¡± Lin Yuhuai asked worriedly.

    ¡°His spirit is spent, his mind is damaged, his internal organs are covered in wounds, his blood vessels are damaged, and he¡¯s missing an arm. He¡¯s not dead yet, but he¡¯s going to die if we don¡¯t get him treatment soon,¡± Hong Jianglong uttered coldly. ¡°What the hell are you guys still standing here for? Take him to the Pacification Bureau already!¡±

    ¡°R-Right! At once!¡± Everyone responded.

    ¡°Actually, never mind. I¡¯ll take him there myself.¡± Suddenly, Hong Jianglong changed his tune. ¡°Mister Farseeing, can you take over as the host for a bit? I¡¯ll return as soon as I take him to the Pacification Bureau. His condition can¡¯t wait.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more important to save lives. Please do as you wish, Lord Hong,¡± Fang Muyun replied quietly.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡± Hong Jianglong nodded and carried Ye Qing into his arms. A shter, he was soaring down the peak.

    ......

    After Hong Jianglong reached the foot of Flying Dragon Mount, Hong Jianglong suddenly said, ¡°There¡¯s no one here. You can stop pretending now.¡±

    ¡°My lord...¡± Ye Qing opened his eyes and coughed a little.

    ¡°So? What did you want to talk about?¡± Hong Jianglong asked. He was the one who checked Ye Qing¡¯s pulse after he copsed, so he knew that the young man was faking unconsciousness. The reason he did this was because he had something to tell him.

    ¡°Can you please find out where Zhao Lan got the Hanba¡¯s blood essence?¡± Ye Qing asked weakly.

    Hong Jianglong understood his meaning immediately. ¡°You think that someone gave Zhao Lan the Hanba¡¯s blood essence to kill you? Maybe the same one who lured you to the Corpse Shipst time?¡±

    ¡°Got it in one.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°Do you have evidence?¡± Hong Jianglong asked.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s just a feeling, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m wrong. You know as I do how precious a Hanba¡¯s blood essence is, and I highly doubt anyone from Ragged Vi can afford such a thing. Even if they could, they wouldn¡¯t waste it on a disciple.¡±

    A Stranger¡¯s blood essence had many uses. It could be used to forge Strange Artifacts, create pills, cultivate martial arts, and even nurture or awaken a Stranger¡¯s bloodline. It was as valuable as a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, if not more. It made little sense that the Ragged Vi would give Zhao Lan a Hanba¡¯s blood essence just to win the Hidden Dragon Meet.

    Of course, there was a chance Zhao Lan hade across the blood essence on his journey, but it was worth looking into regardless.

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Hong Jianglong agreed with Ye Qing¡¯s assessment. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to investigate Zhao Lan¡¯s residence and everyone he has contact with as soon as possible.¡±

    Another question urred to Hong Jianglong afterward. ¡°If you suspect that Zhao Lan did note by the Hanba¡¯s blood essence by ident, then why didn¡¯t you keep him alive for interrogation?¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I want to. But had I held back during that match, then I wouldn¡¯t be here to speak to you at all. Cough! Cough!¡±

    When Zhao Lan sensed that the blood essence was running out of power and charged him, Ye Qing immediately used the Child of Blood Demon to blind Zhao Lan in both sight and spiritual perception. It was to buy more time and deplete the blood essence¡¯s power even more.

    The Child of Blood Demon was created from the original fog he obtained from the Corpse Ship, so of course it inherited its anomalous qualities as well. Besides disrupting one¡¯s senses, it could also induce hallucinations in his target.

    When Zhao Lan¡¯s power had declined to a certain degree, Ye Qing used up all of his spiritual power and executed a full-powered ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±.

    Zhao Lan wasn¡¯t just ungodly strong after transforming into a Hanba, he was impervious to all physical damage as well. At the very least, his fist art, saber art and more couldn¡¯t get through at his current level. Therefore, he could only attack Zhao Lan¡¯s mind.

    The ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± had less application than the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±, but it was deadlier. Sin and karmic hindrance also fueled its power, and the Hanba was <i>the </i>representative of disaster and cmity. It would take more than several books to detail the sheer amount of sin and karmic hindrance a Hanba had rued in a lifetime, much less all of them. Therefore, the Hanba was the perfect prey for the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±.

    As expected, the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± was able to inflict serious damage to Zhao Lan on the first strike, but he wasn¡¯t dead yet. So, Ye Qing consumed a golden dragon-serpent rune to restore his spirit to the max before unleashing ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± a second time. It was only then the Hanba incarnate finally burned to ash.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t make a single mistake or show a shred of mercy throughout the process. He couldn¡¯t. After all, one misstep was all it took to ruin it all, and the price of failure was death.

    Of course, the other reason he used the Child of Blood Demon was to prevent the spectators¡ªor more specifically, Chu Wangsun¡ªfrom finding out that he could use the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±.

    Chu Wangsun already suspected that he was the ¡°thief¡± who took his Duckweed Flower and forced him to kill his student back then, and he had used the saber art against him before. To reveal the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± right now would be the same as admitting he was guilty. Heavens only know how much trouble he would be in.

    He had no intention of entering the frying pan so soon after he leaped out of the fire. He just knew that it was going to be a most miserable experience.

 Chapter 447: Food Is Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 447: Food Is Heaven </h4>

    ¡°It was a joke. It¡¯s already a miracle you managed to survive considering the circumstances.¡± Hong Jianglong sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re a great man, my lord.¡± Ye Qing paid the Pacification Commissioner apliment.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to spend your energy licking my boots?¡± Hong Jianglong snorted. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s going to take between ten to fifteen days to treat your injuries. Moreover, it¡¯s imperative that they are treated as soon as possible, or the seque will haunt you for a very, very long time. It¡¯s unfortunate, but I think your journey in the Hidden Dragon Meet ends here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m satisfied with just being a quarter finalist.¡± Ye Qing smiled. He was already nning to throw in the towel after killing Zhao Lan anyway. The fact that Zhao Lan went super saiyan on him just made things easier. He preferred keeping a low profile much more than the opposite.

    ¡°Hmph! A young man shouldn¡¯t be this unambitious! You disappoint me!¡± Hong Jianglong ranted.

    ¡°Hehe¡ªcough! Cough!¡± Ye Qing spat out bloody spittle before saying, ¡°By the way, and I apologize for my rudeness, but can you move as we speak, my lord? I¡¯m seriously gonna die if you keep standing here and doing nothing!¡±

    ¡°Hah! The good die young, and the bad lives forever. Seeing how talkative you are, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll live for another thousand years!¡± Hong Jianglong sneered.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Cursing a patient is bad form, bud.</i>

    ......

    The duel between Ye Qing and Zhao Lan spread like wildfire throughout Tian Yong in just a matter of days, and everyone was talking about the Qing Emperor Junior.

    Some people praised that Zhuo Henshui and Ye Qing were once-in-a-century geniuses. Rare even among the geniuses of the Hidden Dragon Meet, they were expected to surpass the likes of Yang Zhao and Jian Wusheng in terms of aplishments very soon.

    Their expectations were well justified. Zhuo Henshui, ate-stage Spirit Purifier, had fought the thete-stage Spirit Master in a one-on-one duel and defeated him resoundingly, whereas Ye Qing, also ate-stage Spirit Purifier, had killed Zhao Lan after he consumed the Hanba¡¯s blood essence and temporarily gained the power of a Half-Step Grandmaster.

    Since ancient times, everyone loved a good the-weak-defeat-the-strong story, much less two of them.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing¡¯s injuries were too severe to continue participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet after his battle with Zhao Lan. This disappointed many of his supporters.

    Since Ye Qing had forfeited the tournament, Zhuo Henshui automatically became the champion of the winners group. This made her one of, if not the luckiest Hidden Dragon Meet participant to date.

    Several dayster, the rankings in the losers group were decided as well.

    Zhao Bu¡¯er was pit against Wen Xiaonuan. Since Wen Xiaonuan won, Zhao Bu¡¯er was ranked at the eighth ce, and Wen Xiaonuan the seventh ce.

    The fifth and sixth ce should¡¯ve been decided by the battle between the loser of the winners group and the winner of the winners group. However, Xu Rulin and Ye Qing both had to forfeit the tournament due to severe injuries, and Zhao Lan was straight up dead. As a result, Yang Zhao and Jian Wusheng advanced to the next round by default.

    Based on the participants¡¯ performance and when they were eliminated from the tournament, it was decided that Xu Rulin was the sixth ce, Zhao Lan was the fifth, and Ye Qing the fourth.

    Although Zhao Lan died, his name wasn¡¯t removed from the ranking list. This was a rule the Hidden Dragon Meet had been practicing since a long time ago.

    After that, Jian Wusheng and Yang Zhao fought to decide who was the second and first runner-up. This was a battle between the ny-ninth and the ny-second named warriors of the Human Champions Ranking, and both men were quite famous due to their youth, strength, and aplishments. Naturally, it was a most entertaining fight.

    Maybe it was because Jian Wusheng was enlightened after his duel against Ye Qing, or maybe it was because Song Xi had taught him a thing or two, but Jian Wusheng¡¯s ¡°No Life, No I¡± was obviously greater than what it was before. His sword heart was clear, his qi was strong, and his intent was like an unending river. Despite the gap between their cement, he was able to give Yang Zhao a serious challenge.

    However, Yang Zhao had also grown stronger since his battle against Xu Rulin. There was nothing Jian Wusheng could throw at him to catch him off guard or knock him off his stride. Like an unshakeable mountain, he ultimately ousted Jian Wusheng with a bigger reservoir of astral qi and spirit and became the champion of the losers group.

    And so only one match was left; the match between the champion of the winners group and the champion of the losers group. Everyone was looking forward to it.

    The people debated who would be the ultimate champion of the Hidden Dragon meet as a matter of course, and at the beginning, the debates were fairly harmless. But over time, it grew more and more heated until people were literally fighting each other to prove that they were right, never mind that it waspletely pointless. The major gambling dens in Tian Yong were having the time of their lives epting bets from anyone and everyone. When the betting window was finally closed, the final prize pools were staggering to put it mildly.

    ¡°Who do you think would win, Joyless? Zhuo Henshui or Yang Zhao?¡±

    Ye Qing, Chu Nianjiu, Lin Yuhuai and Gao Ningan were currently dining in a restaurant called Food Is Heaven. As everyone and their mothers were discussing the battle between Zhuo Henshui and Yang Zhao and predicting the oue, Chu Nianjiu couldn¡¯t help but look to Ye Qing to obtain his opinion.

    Speaking of Ye Qing, he looked much better than the day he stepped off the tform. His face was back to normal, and his arm had regrown as well. It was almost as if he had never been injured in the first ce.

    While his injuries were quite severe, his flesh wounds were just that, flesh wounds. Losing an arm would be a crippling injury for most warriors, not to mention that his internal organs, muscles, meridians, bodily points and more were severely injured as well. However, his vitality was many times stronger than most since he possessed the Chaos Demon Ape Body. He could literallye back to life from a single drop of blood, not to mention that the Nature¡¯s Water was a miraculous elixir that could treat most wounds. It was why it only took him a while to recover physically.

    But only physically. The Hanba¡¯s energies were filled with curses of epidemic, disaster, filth and more, and they were deeply entrenched in every corner of his body like maggots. The worst part was that they constantly attacked his mind and spirit, forcing him to mentally shield himself every second of the day. It was mentally exhausting to say the least.

    Not even the Nature¡¯s Water or golden dragon-serpent runes could eliminate the energies entirely, leaving him with no choice but to root them out bit by bit. To this day, he had only eliminated about seventy or eighty percent of the energies.

    That was why he and his friends were here at Food Is Heaven today. He caught wind that Food Is Heaven wasunching a strange dish recently that was, assuming it wasn¡¯t pure advertisement, beneficial to his recovery.

    Food Is Heaven was both a restaurant and a massive, enigmatic faction in the <i>jianghu. </i>It had branches in many ces, and they cook strange cuisines for a living.

    A strange cuisine was, as its name implied, a cuisine that were based on Strangers.

    There were Strangers of all shapes, sizes, and abilities out there, so of course a meal made from their body parts contained all sorts of effects as well. Some could heal injuries, improve one¡¯s martial talent, increase one¡¯s realm and more. Not only that, they were almost as potent as a specialized pill or a natural treasure. It was why <i>jianghu </i>warriors greatly enjoyed strange cuisines.

    As a matter of course, most Strangers were born from filth or anomalies and so were harmful or outright lethal to eat directly. However, all things in life had an antithesis. Through the proper mixing, blending and processing of various ingredients, one could convert the negative effects into positives.

    Obviously, this required a treasure trove of knowledge and great expertise. It wasn¡¯t a job anyone could perform as they pleased.

    A person who cooked strange cuisines was called a strange cook. It was a profession like any other, but there were much less strange cooks than there were doctors, pillmakers, talisman masters and more.

    All strange cooks were revered in the <i>jianghu. </i>They were considered honored guests even among influential officials and noble ns.

    Food Is Heaven was a major business that specifically served strange dishes to customers. They owned a tremendous number of strange cooks, and a small percentage of them were considered gods or demons of cooking in the entire <i>jianghu. </i>They were a powerful faction few dared to offend to put it mildly.

    But why would such a massive, popr establishment be considered enigmatic? It was because the identity of the owner was aplete mystery. Some people thought that Food Is Heaven didn¡¯t have an owner at all, and that they were just a loose coalition of strange cooks helping with each other¡¯s needs. Regardless, the truth remained a mystery to this day.

    Of course, none of this concerned Ye Qing¡¯s group at all. Today, they were here to feast.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care,¡± Ye Qing answered while lyingzily against his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t have a stake in this, so why would I care?¡±

    ¡°But I did, so please?¡± Gao Ningan urged.

    Instead of answering his question, Ye Qing looked at Gao Ningan and asked, ¡°Who did you ce your bets on?¡±

    ¡°Zhuo Henshui, of course!¡± Gao Ningan replied.

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. ¡°Of course, he says. If you¡¯re so sure, then why even ask for my opinion?¡±

    Gao Ningan replied matter-of-factly, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m not entirely confident in my insight, duh! You¡¯re a much better warrior than me, so your insight is more trustworthy than my own. So? Who do you think is gonna win?¡±

    Ye Qing mulled it over seriously before answering, ¡°I think Zhuo Henshui would win as well.¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Chu Nianjiu asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling.¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°It¡¯s been several years since Yang Zhao entered the Human Champions Ranking, and everyone has more or less figured out his abilities. On the other hand, Zhuo Henshui was a nobody until she had a meteoric rise to fame. No one knows how strong she is or what her abilities are, but one thing for certain, she¡¯s kicked the ass of ate-stage Spirit Master before. With that in mind, I believe Zhuo Henshui has a better chance of bing the champion.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think so too.¡± Lin Yuhuai also nodded in agreement. ¡°Yang Zhao has been famous for a long time, but I never heard that he was strong enough to take down ate-stage Spirit Master. On the other hand, Zhuo Henshui defeated Lu Youwang fair and square, so I think Zhuo Henshui had a bigger chance of winning as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that!¡± Gao Ningan patted his chest. ¡°When I get back, I¡¯m gonna bet every coin in my secret stash on Zhuo Henshui. If she wins, I¡¯ll have enough money to marry not one, not two, but three concubines at the very least!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Gao Ningan before shooting him down mercilessly, ¡°Why don¡¯t you start by getting a girlfriend before you dream about getting a concubine, virgin.¡±

    Gao Ningan: ¡°...¡± <i>You didn¡¯t need to stab me in the heart like that.</i>

    ¡°Apologies for the wait, customers, but your food has arrived.¡±

    While they were speaking, a man wearing a fiery red robe came over with arge tray. It was one of the waiters of Food Is Heaven. The word ¡°Food¡± surrounded by a circle sewn to the center of the robe. It was a design unique to the waiters of Food Is Heaven.

    Therge tray was square-shaped and absolutely massive. It was filled with several different dishes.

    The waiter was moving quite quickly, but his hand was perfectly stable. Not a drop of oil had spilled out of the containers. Clearly, the waiters of Food Is Heaven possessed a certain level of cultivation.

    ¡°Bathing Beauty, simmer-fried koi, Blooming Wealth, Eveughing and Where Goes The Soul. That¡¯s everything you ordered, am I right?¡± The waiter recited.

    Most of the dishes had a wonderful, poetic name, but the appearance of the dishes... Well, they were unique to say the least.

 Chapter 448: Strange Cuisine

    <h4>Chapter 448: Strange Cuisine </h4>

    ¡°Bathing Beauty?¡±

    Chu Nianjiu stared wide-eyed at the strange dish named ¡°Bathing Beauty¡±, blurting, ¡°But where¡¯s the beauty?¡±

    Bathing Beauty was a stick, milky white soup that looked suspiciously like snot. It was filled with clumps of ck hair. No one could understand why it was called Bathing Beauty when it should rightfully be called Snot and Hair.

    ¡°This soup is made from the honey of the Cotton Rose Flower and the roots of the Beauty Grass. It can invigorate the mind and strengthen the foundation.¡±

    The waiter waspletely unperturbed by their reactions. It was clear that he was used to such a scene. ¡°Since the honey is the water, and the grass is the beauty, there is nothing wrong with naming it the Bathing Beauty, is there?¡±

    The Cotton Rose Flower was a Red-ss Stranger whose honey tasted surprisingly delicious and refreshing despite its viscosity. However, it couldn¡¯t be eaten raw because it was poisonous. The Beauty Grass was a Malice-ss Stranger with grass that looked as lithe as a beauty, and roots that resembled a woman¡¯s fine hair. That was why it was named the Beauty Grass. Just like the honey of the Cotton Rose Flower, its roots were highly poisonous.

    Few people at this table thought it was possible to neutralize the ingredients¡¯ poison and turn it into food, but Food Is Heaven clearly proved them wrong.

    ¡°Okay. What about this simmer-fried koi?¡± Chu Nianjiu looked at the fish next.

    The koi was a real koi, and it was definitely simmer-fried¡ªhe could tell just by inhaling its unique, delicious aroma¡ªbut why oh why was the fish iling its body back and forth like it was alive? Scratch that, it was alive!

    The waiter exined patiently, ¡°This simmer-fried koi was cooked using a River Climbing Koi. A River Climbing Koi is an exceptionally vigorous koi that can survive being burned by fire or boiled inside a pot of oil. That is why we decided to simmer fried it via a certain method. This way, it will be the freshest fish you ever tasted even though its flesh is fully cooked.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right. The simmer-fried koi is one of the signature dishes of Food Is Heaven. I would seriously urge you all to give it a taste,¡± Gao Ningan echoed in agreement.

    Gao Ningan was a local, and he frequented Food Is Heaven almost every first and fifteenth of each month to enjoy a fulfilling meal.

    <i>I understand the logic, but don¡¯t you think this too cruel a way to die even for a Stranger? </i>Chu Nianjiu couldn¡¯t help but think.

    ¡°What about this Blooming Wealth?¡± Lin Yuhuai pointed at the next dish.

    Blooming Wealth sounded like a fantastic, wealthy dish, but once again, its appearance sent chills up everyone¡¯s spine. The dish was a humanoid head¡ªit wasn¡¯t an actual human¡¯s head, of course. That would be illegal to say the least¡ªwith its skull removed to expose its fleshy white brains. Blooming flowers could be seen floating on the brain fluid.

    Despite its horrifying appearance, the aroma it gave off was thick and delicious. Their stomachs growled involuntarily even though their minds were reeling from the horrific scene.

    This time, Gao Ningan took over the exnation, ¡°This is yet another signature dish in Food Is Heaven. This is the head of the Wealth Monkey, and the flowers floating around its brains are called the Brain Flowers. That is why it¡¯s called the Blooming Wealth.¡±

    ¡°First, the skull of the Wealth Monkey is removed. Then, the seeds of the Brain Flower are nted inside its brain. The Brain Flower got its name because it grows on brains, not soil. Throughout the process, it would release enough heat to cook the brainpletely and produce a rich aroma.¡±

    ¡°This cooking method requires no seasoning whatsoever. The brain would retain most of its original vor, and the Brain Flowers would neutralize any unsavory taste and add a sweet scent to the dish. Superbly rich in vor, aroma, and appearance, it is as rare as it is precious. You simply <i>must </i>try it out.¡±

    Gao Ningan licked his lips greedily after he finished his exnation, unaware that his friends were looking at him like he was insane. If the guy thought that his exnation would improve their impression of the dish, then he couldn¡¯t be any more wrong!

    The worst part was his ims that the dish was ¡°superbly rich in vor, aroma and appearance¡±. Maybe they could agree with the vor and aroma part, but appearance? It looked just like a human head! What the hell was he talking about?

    ¡°This is the Eveughing Mushroom, right?¡± Ye Qing removed his gaze from the horrifying-looking dish and looked at the te set next to it. ¡°Is that why the dish is called Eveughing?¡±

    Shaped like a human smile, the Eveughing Mushroom was highly poisonous. Ingesting it would induce an unstoppableughter that will only cease when the victim has perished. Hence the name.

    The waiter immediately paid him apliment, ¡°You¡¯re quite the knowledgeable one, aren¡¯t you customer? That¡¯s right. This dish is based on the Eveughing Mushroom.¡±

    ¡°Okay... but what about the maggots?¡± Ye Qing asked with barely concealed disgust. He could handle mushrooms, but why the flying <i>fuck </i>were there maggots in his mushrooms?

    The waiter exined smilingly, ¡°If you know of the Eveughing Mushroom, then you must know that it is highly poisonous. Ingesting directly is akin tomitting suicide.¡±

    ¡°These maggots are known as the Poison Eating Maggots. As its name implied, they are maggots that feed on toxins and the like. This removes all of the poison in the Eveughing Mushrooms and make them edible.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai tried to hold it in, he really did. But in the end, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°But why didn¡¯t you remove the maggots afterward?¡±

    Was Food Is Heaven trying to kill their customer¡¯s appetite? If so, they were certainly seeding.

    The waiter continued to smile. ¡°Ah, I understand your confusion. You see, the Poison Eating Maggots themselves are a top-ss delicacy. The Poison Eating Maggot can consume <i>and </i>neutralize the poison it eats. That is why it is perfectly safe to eat. In fact, the stronger the poison it consumes, the tastier its flesh bes. A lot of people enjoy it.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai was normally a refined man, but he couldn¡¯t help but think to himself: <i>And where are these people, exactly? I dare you to point out a single person who enjoys eating maggots! </i>

    As if on cue, Gao Ningan spoke up, ¡°The waiter is right, you know. The Poison Eating Maggot is exceptionally delicious. Despite its appearance, it is absolutely worth a taste.¡±

    Lin Yuhuai rolled his eyes at him. <i>Ah. Damn. Is it toote to cut ties with him?</i>

    The waiter continued, ¡°If you¡¯re wondering where we source our Poison Eating Maggots, then you have nothing to worry about. We raise our own Poison Eating Maggots in specialized farms. We swear on our honor that they are absolutely clean and safe for consumption.¡±

    <i>You say that, but it¡¯s still a maggot, bro! </i>The same thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind at the same time. Who would eat <i>maggots </i>if they could help it? Not counting Gao Ningan, of course.

    ¡°Enough about the maggots. Let¡¯s talk about this Where Goes The Soul. You¡¯re you sure my soul won¡¯t depart for the heavens after I drink it?¡± Ye Qing said sarcastically as he set his gaze on the final dish.

    The previous four dishes looked horrendous, but at least they smelled delicious. But Where Goes The Soul? It looked and smelled like something the imps of hell used to torture its sinners.

    Where Goes The Soul was a soup, but it was pitch ck in color and covered in smelly yellow oil stains, toads, centipedes, spiders and more stuff that did <i>not </i>belong on the dining table. It was also bubbling like a fire was lit under its arse. Every time a bubble popped, a ghastly scream would pierce the ears, and a rotten, disgusting stench would permeate the air.

    Forget drinking it, the mere sight of it made Ye Qing feel dead on the inside. If this was what Food Is Heaven meant when they named the dish Where Goes The Soul, then they sure as hell seeded.

    Personally, he would name it Drink And Die.

    This wasn¡¯t the worst part, however. The worst part was that Where Goes The Soul was <i>the </i>strange dish he heard could elerate his recovery. For the past few days, he and his friends heard that Food Is Heaven hadunched a new strange dish that could eliminate filth, strengthen the foundation, and restore a damaged mind. It was apparently so effective that it was sold out everyday. That was why he decided to give it a try.

    Now, Ye Qing regretted everything. If he could turn back time, he would sooner kill Gao Ningan before he agreed to this venture.

    ¡°You jest, customer.¡± The waiter took the barb like it was nothing. ¡°Where Goes The Soul is the signature dish of our new strange chef. The main ingredients are the Gilted Toad of Fortune, Bluewood Centipede, Blue Jade Scorpion, Fiery Snake of Red Ribbons and the Coarse Earth Stone Spider, and the auxiliary ingredient is the dew of the Resentful Woman Flower.¡±

    ¡°Each one of the five Strangers belongs to one element of the Five Poisons and the Five Phases, and they are cooked based on the fact that the elements both give birth and destroy each other. The Civil Martial me is used to remove all the poison and leave behind only the essence. The soup can purify the filth in one¡¯s body, restore one¡¯s mental damage, and strengthen the foundation. It is absolutely one of the most outstanding strange dishes we offer.¡±

    ¡°This is not a boast, customer, but Where Goes The Soul is sold out everyday since the day weunched it. Moreover, everyone who ever drank it all wept tears of joy.¡±

    ¡°Har har...¡± Ye Qing deadpanned. <i>Tears of joy? Are you sure they¡¯re not tears of misery?</i>

    ¡°Joyless, the entire reason we¡¯re here is for this Where Goes The Soul, and it costs a thousand silver per dish. You better not waste it,¡± Chu Nianjiu said with an evil smirk.

    ¡°I understand your feelings, Joyless, I truly do. But this dish might be beneficial to your recovery. It would be remiss to waste it,¡± Lin Yuhuai also advised.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be afraid of, Joyless. Who knows, maybe this dish smells bad but tastes incredibly just like stinky tofu?¡± Gao Ningan chuckled.

    ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qing asked doubtfully while watching the bubbling bowl of soup.

    The waiter said smilingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, customer. Food Is Heaven only serves world ss strange cuisine. Of course, a small number of our dishes have a unique taste, but we guarantee that you won¡¯t die from it, so just rx and enjoy.¡±

    ¡°So, your bottom line is that I won¡¯t die? That doesn¡¯t assure me at all!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose furiously.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve dilly-dallied long enough. If there¡¯s nothing else, then I shall return to my duties.¡± The waiter left after saying that.

 Chapter 449: Where Goes The Soul

    <h4>Chapter 449: Where Goes The Soul </h4>

    ¡°Enough stalling and drink it already, Joyless! What if it tastes worse after it¡¯s turned cold?¡± Gao Ningan urged.

    ¡°What a good friend you are, you bastard.¡± Ye Qing sighed but surrendered to his fate. He scooped a spoonful of Where Goes The Soul, closed his eyes, and poured it into his mouth.

    As soon as the soup entered his mouth, an indescribable taste immediately erupted across his taste buds. It tasted like leftovers that had been submerged in sewage waters for a whole night, and it flowed down his throat like a million stinking vermin struggling to find a way out of his insides. The portion that flowed into his stomach was chewing away at his stomach walls, and the portion that surged into his brain was ripping into his brains.

    Tears immediately streamed down Ye Qing¡¯s face. If he could turn back time...

    The indescribable sensationsted for a dozen or so breaths when suddenly, they disappeared all at once. It was reced by an indescribably refreshing feeling that seeped not just throughout his body, but also the soul. Like a pool of clear water, it washed away the filth entrenched inside his body and soothed his injuries. His mind felt cool andfortable like he was bathing under a mountain stream.

    Just like that, he found the strength to live again.

    ¡°How is it, Joyless?¡± Hispanions asked in a hurry after Ye Qing opened his eyes.

    ¡°For one moment, I was in hell. Then, paradise,¡± Ye Qing replied honestly.

    He now understood why the dish was named Where Goes The Soul. For one moment, he felt like he was being tortured in hell. The next, he found himself in the Kingdom of Buddha, enlightened and refreshed. It was aptly named.

    ¡°What does that mean? I¡¯m asking you about the taste!¡± Gao Ningan pressed.

    Ye Qing shot Gao Ningan a look. Then, he smirked and pointed at his tear-covered cheeks, saying, ¡°I shed tears of joy just like the waiter said I would. What do you think? Is there anyone who would like to give it a try?¡±

    ¡°Hah! Like we would fall for that!¡± Gao Ningan sneered. ¡°If it¡¯s that tasty, then you should keep it to yourself. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no other dishes on the table.¡±

    ¡°Does it help your injuries, Joyless?¡± Lin Yuhuai asked concernedly.

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Yes, it helps a little.¡±

    ¡°Good, good! You should drink more of it when you¡¯re ready!¡± Lin Yuhuai eximed with delight.

    Disappointed that Ye Qing hadn¡¯t embarrassed himself, Gao Ningan returned to his seat and beckoned, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to eat. These Poison Eating Maggots are extremely delicious, so don¡¯t waste it. Oh, we should eat the Wealth Monkey¡¯s brain while it¡¯s still hot. It¡¯s not as good after it turns cold.¡±

    At the beginning, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai were understandably wary of the suspicious-looking food. But when they saw Gao Ningan engorging himself like no tomorrow, they couldn¡¯t help but give it a taste as well. For one moment, their eyes widened like saucers. Then, they went to town on the food just like Gao Ningan as well.

    Noting their enthusiasm, Ye Qing gave the rest of the dishes a try. The moment he took the first bite, he realized that everything he ate until this point in life was trash.

    The strange dishes might have a horrifying appearance, but they were delicacies unlike anything he had ever tasted. The Cotton Rose Flower¡¯s honey was sweet and fragrant, the Beauty Grass¡¯ roots were crisp and crunchy, the River Climbing Koi¡¯s meat was impossibly fresh, and the Eveughing Mushrooms were unbelievably delicious.

    What surprised him the most was the Poison Eating Maggots, however. The way its flesh burst inside his mouth and filled it with delicious juice... it was a taste that he would remember for a lifetime.

    Each dish had its own special vor and characteristics, but one thing for certain, they all tasted divine. Not only that, they contained a tremendous amount of origin energy. For an ordinary person, the dishes could strengthen their body and increase their lifespan. For a warrior, they could solidify their foundation and make them stronger. The benefits were substantial even for warriors at their level.

    Now they understood why strange chefs were so popr in the <i>jianghu. </i>Even ignoring the solid benefits it offered, the taste alone was worth the money.

    Of course, the strange food was as expensive as it was extraordinary. For example, the five dishes on their table cost almost four thousand silvers. Where Goes The Soul alone was worth a thousand silvers. It was no different from eating money.

    Forget the ordinary citizens, even a fairly wealthy man like Ye Qing couldn¡¯t afford to visit this ce everyday. If he did, he would be begging on the streets in a couple of weeks tops. The strange cuisine was definitely worth its price though.

    And so the food quickly disappeared into everyone¡¯s stomachs. As for Where Goes The Soul, most of it vanished into Ye Qing¡¯s stomach.

    It wasn¡¯t because Ye Qing was unwilling to share it with his friends. In fact, he very, very much wanted them to experience how it felt to fall to hell for a moment, and then ascend to the Kingdom of Buddha in the next. Unfortunately, they cried uncle as soon as they sampled the dish. When he tried to goad them, they actually ganged up on him and came within a hair¡¯s breadth of beating the shit out of him. He obediently drank his soup after that.

    When dinner was finally over, all four men leanedzily against their chairs with satisfied looks on their faces. Even Ye Qing was closing his eyes and allowing the soothing, wonderful sensation that permeated both body and soul to wash away all of his fatigue and worries. He was as satisfied and rxed as he could be.

    From the day he arrived at Tian Yong, a series of unfortunate events had been slowly but surely wearing him down to the brink of copse. This was doubly true since he learned that there was a mysterious mastermind out there who was plotting to take his life.

    The biggest problem was the fact that he still had no idea who was trying to kill him. Not even a little. The employees of the Wine Are Songs Boat had failed to yield any information whatsoever, and it was the same for Zhao Lu. The only thing they learned from questioning the younger brother was the fact that Zhao Lan didn¡¯t have the Hanba¡¯s blood essence until recently, which was as they suspected. However, he knew nothing regarding the origin of the blood essence, the circumstances surrounding it and more, meaning that this lead was yet another dead end.

    All it proved was that Ye Qing was right that Zhao Lan¡¯s transformation was yet another conspiracy to kill him. Honestly, he would rather not know about it since it added to his worries but did nothing to solve it.

    Just who was the bastard who was trying so hard to kill him[1]? Their strategy was only getting deadlier and more refined as time passed. If he wasn¡¯t one lucky sonuvabitch, the weed before his grave would be over one meter tall already.

    That was why he had been gued by worry and anxiety for the past few days. It was so bad that he even lost some hair. Today was one of the rare moments he was able to forget all his troubles¡ªif only for a moment¡ªand enjoy a moment of peace.

    s...

    ¡°Hmph. Looks like you¡¯re having a great time here!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyelids stirred a little. His demonic thought told him that someone was approaching their table, and that they harbored malicious intent. His fears were proven true just a secondter.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± Ye Qing, Gao Ningan, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai all rose to their feet and saluted the neer. He was none other than the Harmony King¡¯s son, Chu Qingli.

    Chu Qingli was apanied by several youngsters with unsteady feet and slightly paleplexion. It was clear that they were wastrels who ruined their health through wine and sex just like Chu Qingli.

    ¡°Your Highness? Oh no, I couldn¡¯t possibly ept that title.¡± Chu Qingli said scornfully, ¡°In your eyes, I¡¯m probably lower than a dog, aren¡¯t I? In fact, you probably thought the same thing about my dad too, am I right?!¡±

    ¡°You jest, Your Highness,¡± Ye Qing replied politely. It sounded like Chu Qingli was disparaging the Pacification Bureau, but he was really targeting him only. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was probably because of what happened to the employees of the Wine Are Songs Boat.

    ¡°A jest? Your Pacification Bureau shut down my Wine Are Songs Boat without warning and took my employees for interrogation, and I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re alive or dead! You tell me if the Pacification Bureau takes me seriously or not!¡± Chu Qingly said with a cold sneer.

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°You don¡¯t know this, Your Highness, but the Wine Are Songs Boat was involved with the Corpse Ship incident. That is what we¡¯re investigating right now. We will release your people as soon as we confirm that they are unrted to the incident.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? When will you finish your investigation then? When will you release my men?¡± Chu Qingge said aggressively. ¡°It¡¯s been over a week since the investigation began. If there was anything to find, then surely you would¡¯ve found it already?¡±

    ¡°We will release them when it¡¯s time to release them, Your Highness,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    ¡°You¡¯ll release them when it¡¯s time to release them!¡± Chu Qingli suddenly burst outughing. ¡°You may be young, but the way you speak sounds just like a seasoned official!¡±

    ¡°Well, it makes sense. If I can point my finger at someone or something, say ¡®Anomaly!¡¯ or ¡®Corpse Ship!¡¯, and get them arrested or shut down, then I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to resist such power myself. And judging from how fast you shut down my pleasure boat, I bet you must have had a lot of practice, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned and said seriously, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ve crossed the line. Please control yourself.¡±

    1. For those who missed the line in the previous chapters, he already tried using the Annon Sutra to find out the mastermind to no avail. ?

 Chapter 450: The Beginning Of The End

    <h4>Chapter 450: The Beginning Of The End </h4>

    ¡°Control myself? Hah! I know what you¡¯re thinking. Oh yes, I¡¯ve met countless people like you. You just want a bribe, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Chu Qingli stared directly into Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he took a step forward. ¡°How much do you want? A hundred silvers? Two hundred silvers?¡±

    Every time he announced a price, Chu Qingli would toss a silver certificate at Ye Qing¡¯s face. The gesture was as arrogant as it was disparaging.

    ¡°Is it too little? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got plenty of money. Three hundred, four hundred, five hundred. I¡¯m nothing in a lot of things, but the one thing I have is money!¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau has always handled its affairs impartially. We don¡¯t tolerate bribes and definitely not corruption. What do you think you¡¯re doing, Your Highness?¡± Gao Ningan said coldly while taking a step forward.

    ¡°Am I talking to you? No? Then get the fuck out of my sight!¡± Chu Qingli sent spittle flying all over Gao Ningan¡¯s face before turning back to Ye Qing. He said haughtily, ¡°When you get back, I expect you to release my men and kowtow to me at my residence. Otherwise, you will learn what it means to make an enemy out of a prince! Understand?¡±

    ¡°No can do, Your Highness.¡± Something inexplicable shed in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°No can do?¡± Chu Qingli¡¯s voice rose an octave as if he heard a funny joke. Then, he let out a disdainful scoff. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the Qing Emperor just because they call you the Qing Emperor Junior? Hahaha! I don¡¯t know what you think you are, but you¡¯re lesser than a fart to me! A fart could at least make some noise and entertain a crowd, but you couldn¡¯t even do that! Hahaha...¡±

    The hedonistic youngsters apanying Chu Qingli wereughing as well.

    They were sitting in a public space, so of course the rest of the customers noticed themotion and were pointing fingers at them. No one had any intention of stepping in, of course. After all, it was a conflict between the Pacification Bureau and a prince. <i>Jianghu </i>warriors or not, to get involved in this matter was no different frommitting suicide.

    ¡°You are going too far, Your Highness!¡± Lin Yuhuai raised his voice as well.

    ¡°Am I? So what if I am? What are you gonna do about it?¡± Chu Qingli dered arrogantly. ¡°Plus, am I not telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just amoner who popped out of the butt end of nowhere and learned some shitty ass martial arts, and he thinks he deserves to be called the Qing Emperor Junior? Who does he think he is? What do you guys think?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re totally right, Your Highness.¡±

    His followers echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Stay away from my sister, you piece of shit. How dare a shitstain like you dare to lust after her.¡± Chu Qingli suddenly moved closer and lowered his voice. ¡°If I ever see you around my sister again, if you so much as say a single word to her, I swear I will snuff you out like an ant. Understand?¡±

    As Chu Qingli said this, he raised his hand and hit Ye Qing¡¯s face lightly. It wasn¡¯t a p, but it was crisp and loud enough to be heard throughout the restaurant.

    Everyone flinched when they saw this. The gesture wasn¡¯t even painful, but it was degrading to the highest degree.

    The next moment, Chu Qingli¡¯s hand suddenly froze in the air. His arrogant face stiffened, his eyes slowly widened, and his pupils slowly contracted little by little.

    At the same time, blood slowly dripped on the floor and scattered like blooming flowers.

    ¡°You... you...¡±

    Chu Qingli staggered away from Ye Qing as he pointed a finger at Ye Qing. Every time he took a step, intestines would spill out of his stomach and onto the ground. A few stepster, he copsed on the floor and fell limp.

    He was dead.

    ¡°Ah... ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    The youngsters apanying Chu Qingli suddenly screamed on top of their lungs. Some grew weak at the knees and copsed to the ground, and some literally pissed their own pants.

    There was a huge cut spanning from Chu Qingli¡¯s chest all the way to the belly button, and Ye Qing was holding a slender, beautiful saber. There was no mistake. The Patrolman had disemboweled the prince and spilled his internal organs and intestines everywhere.

    ¡°Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Joyless, why did you...?¡±

    Gao Ningan, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai¡¯s mouths were wide open. It was like lightning had struck them all. No one had any idea what to do.

    Out of all the things they had anticipated from this conflict, Ye Qing killing Chu Qingge was thest thing they expected.

    He just couldn¡¯t!

    He wouldn¡¯t dare even if he wanted to!

    Yes, Chu Qingli¡¯s words were beyond insulting. In his position, they would¡¯ve lost their cool as well.

    However, the worst they would do to Chu Qingli was to beat the shit out of him. Killing him was absolutely out of the question!

    It was one thing if Chu Qingli was just your average person, but the prince was anything but average. He was a <i>prince, </i>for heavens sake! The son of the Harmony King and a member of the imperial family itself! He was naturally above them from the moment he was born! Hell, he couldmit <i>treason, </i>and they still wouldn¡¯t have the authority to punish him!

    ording to thews of Chu, if a member of the imperial familymitted a crime, they must be tried at the Three Judicial Offices, and only the Son of Heaven possessed the authority to judge him. Anyone who killed a member of the imperial family without permission would be exterminated to the nine generations without question.

    Naturally, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t exempt from thisw. Gu Suitang couldn¡¯t protect him. Hong Jianglong couldn¡¯t protect him. Not even the Bureau Chief General[1] of the Capital Pacification Bureau, Sifeng Wudi could protect him. No one could.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Chu Qingli was the Harmony King¡¯s only son, and everyone who knew him knew just how much he adored his son. If, no, when he hears about this, he was going to flip Tian Yong upside down and rip Ye Qing to shreds!

    Tian Yong... was about to experience a major turning point in its history!

    ¡°What... What am I...¡±

    As if he just regained his senses, a dazed Ye Qing slowly turned toward hispanions and asked, ¡°What... did I do?¡±

    When he looked down and saw Red Sleeve in his hand, and Chu Qingli¡¯s body on the floor, his pupils abruptly contracted into pins. ¡°How did this happen?¡±

    ¡°No... It wasn¡¯t me... I didn¡¯t...¡±

    ¡°My prince!¡±

    ¡°Your Highness!¡±

    It was at this moment three men wearing embroidered robes burst into the restaurant. The blood drained away from their face when they saw Chu Qingli¡¯s lifeless body on the floor.

    They were Chu Qingli¡¯s shadow guards, and it was their responsibility to keep him safe from the shadows. But because Chu Qingli was a prince, and they were in public right now, no one thought that a member of the Pacification Bureau would dare to kill Chu Qingli. By the time the unthinkable happened, it was already toote.

    ¡°You killed the prince! You will pay for it with your life!¡±

    One shadow guardunched a furious palm strike at Ye Qing. Chu Qingli was their responsibility, and now their charge was dead. They had no doubt in their minds that they and maybe even their families were going to pay for the mistake. At the very least, the Harmony King would see them dead for this dereliction of duty. With that in mind, how could they not loathe Ye Qing for what he did?

    Seemingly in a daze, Ye Qing didn¡¯t respond to the sudden attack. Moreover, the shadow guard was pretty strong, and the two men were standing just a few meters away from each other. By the time Gao Ningan, Chu Nianjiu and Lin Yuhuai tried to react, it was already toote. They could only watch as the palm strikended squarely on Ye Qing¡¯s forehead.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The shadow guard was an early-stage Spirit Purifier, and he was angry beyond imagination. Naturally, his full-powered attack possessed enough power to crush a head like a watermelon.

    The shadow guard nched, however. Ye Qing had taken the full brunt of his attack, but he could feel his force sinking into what felt like a bottomless pit. It failed to do any damage to Ye Qing whatsoever.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it... that¡¯s not it either... wait. Was it that Where Goes The Soul?!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing looked up and brushed off the shadow guard. The man staggered backward as an indescribable power scattered his energiespletely. He could only watch Ye Qing with shock and disbelief.

    Ye Qing never looked at the shadow guard. In fact, the guy didn¡¯t even register as a blip in his mind. All his whole focus was on what the hell had just happened to him.

    When Chu Qingli had humiliated him, his anger and bloodthirst began growing at an unstoppable rate. When they hit the absolute peak, his mind suddenly nked out for a brief moment. When he came to, Chu Qingli was already dead by his hands.

    He was angry with Chu Qingli, of course. It was also true he felt the impulse to kill the man. The problem was, why on earth had he allowed his emotions to overtake him? Or more urately, how did his emotions swell to the point where hepletely lost his head?

    He was a careful, calctive man. Normally, Chu Qingli could humiliate him a hundred times worse than this, and he would still brush it off like it was no more than a feather. Even if he felt like killing the bastard, he would never do it in front of everyone. He wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew just like everyone else what the consequences of killing a prince was.

    This should never have happened, and yet it had. This could only mean that an external force was in y.

    All things in this world are connected. Nothing can happen without a reason. So, what was the reason he lost control and killed Chu Qingli?

    1. Hey to whoever it was who wanted to change Chief of Bureau to Bureau Chief, you finally got your wish! Kinda! ?

 Chapter 451: You Win

    Chapter 451: You Win

    Life truly was fickle. One thing could change everything.

    He didn¡¯t think that it was a human, at least not directly. Gao Ningan, Lin Yuhuai and Chu Nianjiu were out of the question not just because he knew them like the back of his hand, but also because theycked the strength or ability to do this.

    Chu Qingli¡¯s followers couldn¡¯t be the ones either. They were weak enough that he saw through them with ease.

    As for the<em>jianghu</em>warriors eating in the restaurant, their tables were far enough that he would¡¯ve noticed if they had tried something.

    It could be the doing of an exceptionally powerful warrior, but if they were that strong, then they wouldn¡¯t need to go through the trouble. They could just snuff him out like an ant.

    If it wasn¡¯t a person, then it could only be an object. His intuition immediately pointed him toward the strange food he ate, specifically Where Goes The Soul.

    The reason he arrived at this conclusion was because hispanions had partaken in every strange dish on the table except Where Goes The Soul. More urately, they had exactly one spoonful of the soup.

    That was most likely the reason why he was the only one who had sumbed to the influence.

    <em>Was it the waiter?</em>Assuming that the dish was tampered with, then the waiter who brought them the dishes was the most suspect.

    Ye Qing immediately dashed toward the back kitchens.

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to run away! Stop him!¡±

    The three shadow guards thought Ye Qing was trying to escape and blocked his path immediately. However, Ye Qing easily knocked them out by tapping the space in front of him with his finger.

    Ye Qing found the waiter immediately after he entered the back kitchens. He rushed forward and grabbed him by the shoulder.

    ¡°Customer?¡± The waiter recognized him and asked in a puzzled voice, ¡°Can I help you with something?¡±

    The back kitchens were a fair distance away from the dining hall. Clearly, neither he nor the kitchen staff was aware that a prince had just died in their establishment.

    Ye Qing frowned. His demonic thought told him that the waiter wasn¡¯t really feeling anything, and he especially couldn¡¯t sense a shred of fear, worry or guilt from him. It didn¡¯t fit the mentality of a person harboring malicious designs at all.

    He couldn¡¯t say he was surprised. If the waiter really was the culprit, then he would¡¯ve booked it a long time ago. He wouldn¡¯t be staying here and waiting for Ye Qing to catch him.

    ¡°Did you encounter anyone when you were carrying that Where Goes The Soul to my table? Or did something unusual happen?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Answer me!¡± Ye Qing raised his voice and released his aura.

    Blood draining away from his face, the waiter stuttered, ¡°N-No, warrior. I-I mean, I carried the Where Goes The Soul to you as soon as it was ready. I did walk past a few waiters on the way, but as far as I¡¯m aware, nothing out of the ordinary had happened.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s brows knitted deeper. ¡°Who¡¯s the chef of this dish? Where is he right now?¡±

    Besides the waiter, the only one who had many opportunities to make contact with the dish without arousing suspicion was the chef themselves.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­ Chef Yun Wu. He¡¯s working in Kitchen No. 9 right now,¡± the waiter answered.

    Every strange chef had their own signature dish, and they hoarded the recipes and cooking methods like their own life for obvious reasons. That was why they were afforded individual kitchens to work at.

    Ye Qing let go of the waiter and appeared at Kitchen No. 9. As expected, it was conspicuously empty.

    <em>Got you!</em>

    Ye Qing¡¯s triumph onlysted an instant, however. This discovery confirmed that his guess was true, and that this was yet another attempt to take his life. But so what? The culprit was already long gone. Moreover, the fact that this person dared to conspire against him and the prince meant that he must be fully prepared. The chance he would leave behind some sort of clue for him to pursue was exactly zero.

    Yun Wu was obviously a fake name. Even his appearance could be fake. He could be a she for all he knew.

    Since the culprit had joined Food Is Heaven just a few days ago, he highly doubted that they knew much about his background either.

    He might have figured out how his enemy had put him in this situation, but it didn¡¯t help his predicament one bit.

    It reminded him of the day the Corpse Ship had kidnapped him, and the moment Zhao Lan had suddenly transformed into the Hanba. Both dangers had happened without warning, and there were no clues left behind to be traced afterward.

    This incident reeked of the same modus operandi. Yes, he was certain that this was done by the same person behind the two incidents.

    ¡°What a careful, devious bastard,¡± Ye Qing muttered darkly. He looked calm on the outside, but on the inside he was a raging sea of shock, indignation, and cold fury.

    A web of cause and effect slowly appeared in his head. The mastermind wanted to kill him through Zhao Lan, but he defied everyone¡¯s expectations and sessfully overcame the crisis. So, they came up with a different n.

    The mastermind was well-studied in the potency and effects of the Hanba¡¯s blood essence. They also knew what kind of damage it inflicted upon its victims. That was why they secretly joined Food Is Heaven to spread the news about Where Goes The Soul, a strange dish that could supposedly treat such wounds. They knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist if he heard about the news, and he had fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

    Was it a coincidence or a deliberate effort that Chu Qingli had died in his hands? Having experienced the mastermind¡¯s death traps not once, but twice during the short time he was participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet, he had to believe that it was thetter.

    The mastermind had learned of the Corpse Ship¡¯s appearance at Yonghe Lake before the Pacification Bureau. They also yed Zhao Lan like a fiddle. If he was anyone else, he would be dead already, and even then, the real reason he survived those two ordeals was, frankly, luck.

    Considering how meticulous the mastermind was, there was no reason to believe that Chu Qingli had appeared here by chance. In fact, the whole n was to manipte him into killing Chu Qingli, son of the Harmony King, in public and earning himself the death sentence.

    Despite knowing full well that someone was conspiring against him, he didn¡¯t have a shred of evidence to support his theory whatsoever. His opponent was like a veteran strange hunter who concealed themselves perfectly in the shadows whileying bait after bait to lure their preys into their death traps. No matter what choice they made, they were always moving toward a death trap that would rip their bodies into pieces. They weren¡¯t even given the satisfaction of knowing who their killer was before their souls were delivered to the Western Paradise.

    He had been lucky enough to survive the hunter¡¯s first two death traps. He didn¡¯t know if he would survive a third. He truly didn¡¯t.

    Hong Jianglong would believe him because he was a member of the Pacification Bureau. But what about the others?

    Would the Harmony King believe that he was innocent?

    Would Lei Xiaodan believe that he was innocent?

    The people only believed in what they saw, and at least a hundred pairs of eyes had seen him killing Chu Qingli with his own two hands. He couldmit suicide this instant, and he still wouldn¡¯t be able to clear his name.

    ¡°You win.¡±

    Ye Qing looked up and exhaled deeply.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    Someone kicked open the door to the back kitchen. The next moment, a troop of soldiers filed through the entrance. They were wearing heavy armor and wielding a heavy shield and a heavy crossbow.

    When the squad leader spotted Ye Qing, he yelled harshly, ¡°The punishment for killing a prince is death! Kill him!¡±

    <em>Twang twang twang!</em>

    The soldiers pulled the triggers and sent a hail of crossbow bolts sailing through the air. The kitchen staff was still in the kitchen, but the soldiers couldn¡¯t care less about them. Every room, every piece of furniture in the back kitchen was turned into pincushions, and everyone except Ye Qing died not because they were guilty, but because they were simply at the wrong ce at the wrong time.

    ¡°The Hengshan Army?!¡±

    Ye Qing slowly thrust his fist forward. Space shook, and the crossbow bolts flying toward him abruptly changed directions and nted themselves in the floor.

    These soldiers belonged to the Hengshan Army, and his demonic thought told him that the whole restaurant was surrounded. Considering that it had only been minutes since the prince died, their appearance clearly wasn¡¯t a coincidence. This must be another one of the mastermind¡¯s gifts.

    The Hengshan Army wasn¡¯t originally part of the city patrol, but the Regional Inspection Office was running low on manpower due to the sheer number of<em>jianghu</em>warriors flooding into Tian Yong for the Hidden Dragon Meet. That was why the Hengshan Army was brought back to keep them in line and preserve the order.

    The mastermind had included the Hengshan Army into their scheme. They certainly nned for everything and left nothing to chance.

    On a rted note, the Hengshan Army had tried to kill him as soon as they saw him. There were only two possibilities. One, the mastermind was part of the Hengshan Army. Two, the Hengshan Army was driven by their hatred for the Pacification Bureau. Hong Jianglong had rubbed their faces on the floor not long ago, and Zhou Hengshan made it crystal clear that he was against Hong Jianglong and the Pacification Bureau. Now that a golden opportunity to take the Pacification Bureau down a peg had fallen into theirps, of course they were going to wring it for all its worth.

    Whatever the truth might be, he was in a terrible spot. Surrender wasn¡¯t an option, so the only path left for him was to escape.

 Chapter 452: A Blood Debt Can Only Be Repaid With Blood

    Chapter 452: A Blood Debt Can Only Be Repaid With Blood

    No time like the present.

    After blowing away the crossbow bolts, Ye Qing bulldozed through the wall beside him and out of Food Is Heaven like a dragon-elephant.

    Loose!

    A loud cry pierced through the air, and even more crossbow bolts sailed toward Ye Qing from every direction. It was like the worlds biggest and deadliest downpour.

    Thanks to the Nine Impetus of Tai Chi, none of the crossbow bolts managed to hit him. They missed him by mere inches almost as if the soldiers had intentionally missed their shots.

    Not only that, he knew exactly how the troops were positioned thanks to his demonic thought. That was why he chose to escape through a narrow gap set between two toons. When they fired their crossbows, they inevitably shot their own men.

    Bloodcurdling screams filled the air in an instant. At least a dozen soldiers were turned into pincushions, and the rest of the troops fell into disarray.

    Ye Qing immediately seized the opportunity to charge toward a different toon. His heavy footsteps shook the ground like an earthquake, and the soldiers were knocked off their feet long before he even got close.

    As for the rest of the toons, they had learned from their lesson. No one dared to fire their crossbows willy-nilly anymore.

    Using the soldiers themselves as cover, Ye Qing was able to slip through their ranks like a phantom. Before they knew it, he was almost out of the encirclement.

    Right before he would break out of the encirclement, a dazzling saber force shed from above and flew straight toward Ye Qings head.

    Instead of slowing down, Ye Qing waited until the saber force was almost directly on top of him. Then, he raised his left hand, crushed the attack with his bare hand, and moved his clenched fist upward by another inch.

    <em>Bang! </em>A soldier was sent flying into an iing squad. They immediately bowled over like bowling pins.

    That moment of distraction was all Ye Qing needed to break out of the encirclement. He was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    Dammit! The garrisonmandment that Ye Qing sent flying just now swore when he saw that his target had escaped. While clutching his sunken chest, he spat out a mouthful of blood before ordering, Notify all patrolling units that Ye Qing had killed Chu Qingli, prince and son of the Harmony King! Not only that, he resisted arrest and injured a good number of our people! They are to kill him on sight!

    Also, I want men on every route leading to the Pacification Bureau! He must not be allowed to escape back to his hideout!

    At once! Someone answered. A re was soon shot into the sky.

    Not far away, Ye Qing also saw the re. Despite knowing what it meant, he remained calm and took a moment to manipte his body and aura until he looked like apletely different person. Then, he resumed his great escape.

    He didnt try escaping toward the Pacification Bureau because he was certain that the routes were guarded and booby-trapped to the max. To escape in that direction was to deliver himself to the ughter. Even if that wasnt the case, he didnt think that the Pacification Bureau would be able to defend him this time. This was nothing like the time where Gu Suitang had pushed back against all opposition in Luo Shui. In fact, there was a distinct possibility that the Pacification Bureau might cave to external pressure and surrender him to his killers. He couldnt and wouldnt take that chance.

    This meant that there was only one way he might survive this.

    He must escape from Tian Yong.

    What, my son died?

    At his residence, the Harmony King was fishing beside a pond. It was his favorite activity of the day. Every noon after he finished his lunch, he would go to his pond to feed his fishes or fish them.

    The Harmony King let out a careless chuckle and shifted to a morefortable position after listening to the shadow guard leaders report. He saidzily, Thats great news! Its about time the heavens strike him in the ass and teach him a lesson in life!

    So? What did he do this time? Did he lose a bet and beat up his debtors? Did he kidnap a young woman that caught his fancy? Or did he rob a house like the bandit he is?

    Im not joking, Your Highness. The prince really is dead. He was murdered.

    The shadow guard leader was wearing a golden mask, so it was impossible to see his expression. Even so, his voice was clearly marked with gravity and austerity. I just received word that the prince was caught up in an argument with Ye Qing of the Pacification Bureau at Food Is Heaven. That argument ended up with Ye Qing killing him in a fit of rage.

    ... Are you serious? Youre not ying me, are you? The Harmony King slowly rose to his feet when he realized that his shadow guard leader wasnt joking. My son is dead?

    Im sorry, Your Highness, but its true. He died on the spot after Ye Qing disemboweled him, the shadow guard leader replied.

    The Harmony King stumbled and nearly copsed on the ground. His maids caught him in time and asked worriedly, Are you alright, Your Highness?

    My son is dead? My son is dead? The Harmony King muttered in distraught as the blood slowly drained away from his face.

    Whats wrong, father? It was at this moment Chu Qingge walked up to her disfather and asked, What happened?

    Chu Qingges voice injected some life back into his shaking body. The Harmony King staggered toward her, grabbed her arms and burst into tears. Qingge Qingge! Your brother is dead! He was murdered!

    My brothers dead? How is that possible? Chu Qingge too wobbled on her feet, though she recovered much faster than her father had. The gleam in her eyes turned murderous as she asked, Who killed my brother?

    Right. Right! Who killed my son? Who killed Qingli?! The Harmony King suddenly looked up and red at the shadow guard leader with crazed, bloodshot eyes. I will rip them to pieces! I will scatter their ashes across the world! I will make it so that they will never be reborn!!!

    Its Ye Qing, sir. Ye Qing of the Pacification Bureau, the shadow guard leader repeated.

    Joyless? That caught Chu Qinggepletely off guard. Impossible! There has to be a misunderstanding!

    The shadow guard leader shook his head. Its him. Everyone in Food Is Heaven saw it when it happened.

    The prince was going to Food Is Heaven for lunch when he saw Ye Qing. He decided to provoke the man because of what happened to Wine Are Songs Boat. As a result, Ye Qing lost his head and killed him.

    Ye Qing killed Qingli over such a petty matter?! The Harmony King screamed. T-The shadow guards! What were the shadow guards doing when Ye Qing killed my son? Why didnt they do anything?!

    It happened all too suddenly, Your Highness. The prince was dead before they could react, the shadow guard leader reported.

    Useless! Useless! They will die for this failure! The Harmony King roared. What about Ye Qing? Have they caught him yet?

    The shadow guard leader shook his head. No, Your Highness. The shadow guards protecting the prince was no match for him. But do not worry. The Hengshan Army happened to be patrolling the area at the time. They will surely apprehend him.

    Meanwhile, Chu Qingge was shaking her head. Joyless is not an impulsive man. I cannot believe that he would kill my brother over a petty conflict. There has to be some sort of misunderstanding.

    I dont care! The Harmony King uttered through gritted teeth. He killed Qingli, so he must die! Thats all there is to it!

    Chu Hao, you have my permission to mobilize every shadow guard and keeper in my court. I dont care what you do, but you will bring Ye Qing before me no matter the cost, dead or alive!

    At once. The shadow guard leader saluted the Harmony King and prepared to leave, but Chu Qingli stopped him.

    Wait. Father, please allow me to go with uncle.

    Very well. Qingge, promise me you will catch Ye Qing? Promise me you will take revenge for your brother? The Harmony King asked with lightless, reddened eyes. He looked like he had aged a decade in an instant, and he was clutching Chu Qingges hands with a death grip. He would probably never let go if Chu Qingge didnt agree to his request.

    Dont worry, father. I will find the true murderer and take revenge for big brother, Chu Qingge replied solemnly.

    Good girl. Good girl. The Harmony King finally let go of Chu Qingges hand, and in that moment, it was like all life had left his body. His eyes were dim and unfocused, and he shambled away like a dying man with one foot on his grave.

    Pain and sorrow gripped Chu Qingges heart like death itself as she stared at her fathers back. The Harmony King might not be a good person, but he was definitely a good father. He gave them everything he had from the moment they were born, and he loved them more than he cherished his own life.

    Her older brother was also the best brother she could ask for. To others, Chu Qingli was a spoiled, unambitious brat who did far more harm than he ever did good. But to her, he was a dear brother who cherished her deeply and was protective of her almost as much as their father. He would sooner see the world die than let her suffer even the slightest bit of grievances.

    But now, one of the two most important people in her life was dead, and the other was crushed by grief. To make things worse, the killer was none other than her own friend. To say that Chu Qingge was currently gripped by a kaleidoscope of emotions would be an understatement. She desperately needed an outlet for her sorrow, guilt, regret, anger and other emotions.

    I will give you and brother the justice you deserve, father.

    Determination flickered in her eyes as Chu Qingge nced at the azure sky above her head.

 Chapter 453: Iâ€™ll Play With You

    <h4>Chapter 453: I¡¯ll y With You </h4>

    At the general¡¯s headquarters, Zhou Hengshan was listening to his subordinate¡¯s report. His fat cheeks kept twitching harder and harder until he burst outughing like a madman. ¡°Hahahaha! This is the best news I¡¯ve heard all year long! So, have we caught him yet?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. Ye Qing is no ordinary warrior. He injured a dozen or so men and escaped in the end,¡± a deputy general replied.

    ¡°Useless! Over one hundred men, and still you fail to catch Ye Qing? Truly useless!¡± Zhou Hengshan grunted. ¡°Spread the news that Ye Qing killed the prince and our men when we tried to arrest him. He is to be treated as a rebel and killed on sight.¡±

    ¡°General, don¡¯t you think we¡¯re going a little too far?¡± The deputy general hesitated.

    ¡°Too far?¡± Zhou Hengshan leaned forward and looked down on the deputy general. ¡°Ye Qing killed the Harmony King¡¯s son, a prince of Chu. That¡¯s a death sentence, isn¡¯t it? He also killed members of the Hengshan Army and escaped. That¡¯s treason, isn¡¯t it? What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±

    ¡°One more thing. Tell our people that those who imed Ye Qing¡¯s head will receive a three-rank promotion and ten thousand silvers.¡±

    ¡°At once.¡± The deputy general nodded and left the room.

    ¡°Humiliating me has a price, Hong Jianglong. Today¡¯s the day I pay back what you did to me tenfold!¡±

    Zhou Hengshan¡¯s madughter resounded throughout the room. ¡°Hahahahahahahaha...¡±

    ......

    ¡°Ye Qing killed the Harmony King¡¯s son? Are you sure about this?¡±

    At the Punishment Hall in the Intelligence Department, Lei Xiaodan was gently and carefully caring for his treasures. They weren¡¯t valuable antiques, paintings or the like, however. They were living people that were being subjected to all kinds of horrible torture.

    One man was encased in wax. Another was turned into a human swine[1]. A third man¡¯s hands and legs were swapped. A woman had her limbs reced with a Stranger¡¯s. There was a skinless man and a boneless woman chained to a nearby wall.

    His collection was numerous, and all of them inhuman. The fact that the victims were all alive¡ªscreaming in pain or cursing their tormentor¡¯s name from time to time¡ªonly added to the horror.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Nearly everyone in Food Is Heaven saw it when it happened. The duo were butting heads until Ye Qing killed the prince in a fit of rage,¡± Chu Renhe said with a hint of excitement.

    While carefully wiping away the dust on one of his ¡°treasures¡±, Lei Xiaodan asked casually, ¡°Do you have a hand in this incident?¡±

    The question didn¡¯t register in Chu Renhe¡¯s head at first. Then, he broke out in cold sweat and denied the usation immediately, ¡°Absolutely not. This has nothing to do with me.¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting that Ye Qing hadn¡¯t killed the prince out of rage, master?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s pretend you are Ye Qing for a second. Do you think you would lose your cool and kill the prince in a fit of rage?¡± Lei Xiaodan countered.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe I would,¡± Chu Renhe replied.

    ¡°If even you wouldn¡¯t sumb to such base impulses, why would Ye Qing? Someone must be behind this incident. But if it¡¯s not you, then who else wants to kill Ye Qing?¡±

    When Lei Xiaodan rose to his feet, Chu Renhe hurriedly received the cloth he was using to wipe down his ¡°treasures¡±. After waiting for a bit and hearing no other response from his master, Chu Renhe said quietly, ¡°What should we do, master?¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Lei Xiaodan smiled at Chu Renhe.

    ¡°Ye Qing killed the prince in public. That¡¯s obviously a death sentence. We are the Intelligence Department, so we have a duty to...¡± Chu Renhe hurriedly voiced the justification he had prepared a while ago, but he trailed off when his master continued to smile at him as if he knew his ns already. He slowly bowed his head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you want me to do, master.¡±

    ¡°I know what you seek. You want to eliminate Ye Qing, do you not?¡± Lei Xiaodan shook his head with a wry smile. ¡°However, we can¡¯t be too proactive in this matter, at least not now.¡±

    ¡°Why not, master?¡± Chu Renhe asked.

    ¡°If we are too proactive, then the Pacification Bureau would think that we¡¯re the ones behind this incident. The reward is not worth the risk.¡±

    ¡°Besides, Ye Qing killed the prince in broad daylight. Knowing the Harmony King, I¡¯m sure he would spare no effort to apprehend or kill him. Besides, the Hengshan Army is getting involved as well, so there is nowhere Ye Qing could run. Why expend the effort when it ispletely unnecessary?¡±

    ¡°All we need to do is to watch from the sidelines.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Joyless killed the Harmony King¡¯s son?¡±

    At the Pacification Bureau, Hong Jianglong felt like the sky had fallen after hearing the news from Gao Ningan.

    ¡°Could it be...¡±

    Suddenly, Hong Jianglong recalled the hidden de that had tried to drive Ye Qing into a dead end repeatedly. He was almost certain that they were behind this incident as well.

    Knowing that there was no time to waste, Hong Jianglong hurriedly got up and strode toward the exit.

    ¡°Where are you going, Jianglong?¡±

    He had just stepped out of the door when a grave, authoritative voice entered his ears.

    Hong Jianglong felt a twitch in his left eyelid as he turned around to face the speaker. ¡°Chief! I need to head out for something.¡±

    The neer wore a soap green-colored robe and a tall hat. Not a speck of dust could be seen on his clothes, and not a piece of fabric was out of ce. He also possessed a stern, rigid countenance.

    He was the Chief of Bureau of the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau, Tu Yulei.

    Tu Yulei looked to be in his forties, but in reality he was almost a hundred years old. He had ascended to his position several decades ago, and he had rued such power and prestige that even the unruly, fearless Hong Jianglong respected him deeply.

    But unlike most Chief of Bureaus, Tu Yulei once studied in the Yuelu Academy. He also worked both as a student and a teacher in many Confucianist academies. As a result, he came to cultivate a severe, conscientious, and meticulous personality. In more secr terms, he was a rigid, inflexible man. If he was going to use someone of a crime, he must have evidence. If he was going to carry out a certain action, he would abide by the rules andws to the letter. He was averse toward unruly, showy, and highly independent people like say, Ye Qing.

    Besides that, Tu Yulei valued the Pacification Bureau¡¯s reputation more than even most Chiefs of Bureau. If a member of the Pacification Bureau dared to abuse their authority or threaten their department¡¯s reputation for whatever reason, then he would put them through hell to put it mildly.

    That was why Hong Jianglong didn¡¯t really want to tell Tu Yulei about Ye Qing¡¯s predicament. If he did, he would have to exin the ins and outs of the situation, and if he exined the ins and outs of the situation, there was a high chance Tu Yulei would actually stop him to preserve the Pacification Bureau¡¯s reputation. Even if he didn¡¯t, the dy could mean the difference between life and death for Ye Qing.

    Zhou Hengshan was a petty, vengeful man. It hadn¡¯t been long since he disparaged Zhou Hengshan¡¯s man and even shamed him in his own headquarters, and he had no doubt that the general would take out his frustrations on Ye Qing. He might even kill the young man.

    Zhou Hengshan wasn¡¯t the only threat either. The Harmony King would spare no effort to see his son avenged. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Ye Qing was currently facing the greatest danger of his life.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to save Ye Qing, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tu Yulei asked calmly.

    Hong Jianglong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°You found out, chief?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Tu Yulei snorted.

    Hong Jianglong hurriedly began, ¡°Before you say anything, please listen to my exnation. It¡¯s like¡ª¡±

    Tu Yulei interrupted him before he could finish. ¡°Go. Make sure you bring him back safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°... What?¡± Shock and disbelief appeared on Hong Jianglong¡¯s face. Of all the responses he expected from Tu Yulei, this was the absolutest one on the list. ¡°Chief, you...¡±

    Tu Yulei said expressionlessly, ¡°You thought I would stop you, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Hong Jianglong didn¡¯t say anything, but his silence was basically a form of admission.

    Tu Yulei didn¡¯t take offense. He exined seriously, ¡°I believe in your eye for people, and I believe that the man who fought for the people and saved the realm multiple times cannot be a viin or an idiot. I am certain that there is a conspiracy behind this.¡±

    ¡°So go. Go and bring him back to us.¡±

    Heartened, Hong Jianglong dered solemnly, ¡°Thank you, chief! I swear I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡±

    ¡°One more thing. You are a member of the Pacification Bureau, and as a member of the Pacification Bureau, you bow to no one except the emperor himself. If someone dares to stand in your way, beat the crap out of them. I will bear any and all consequences that may stem from it, so don¡¯t hold back on my ount!¡± Tu Yulei dered in a harsh voice.

    ¡°Understood, chief!¡± Hong Jianglong turned around, took two steps toward the exit, before turning back to Tu Yulei again. ¡°I never knew you¡¯re such a wise and manly man, chief! I hope to work with you for many more seasons toe!¡±

    With that, Hong Jianglong finally took off and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    After the Pacification Commissioner was gone, Tu Yulei stroked his beard and smiled elegantly. ¡°Why is he stating the obvious? I¡¯ve always been a wise and manly man.¡±

    ......

    <i>Pop!</i>

    A re streaked across the sky like a meteor before exploding with a blinding sh.

    ¡°Traces of Ye Qing have been found at the southside of the city, Wolf Commander.¡±

    At the Azure Dragon Street, a man with loose hair and long, narrow eyes that resembled a wolf was sitting in the middle of the street. He was wearing a set of bright pixiu armor[2], and he was currently rolling a human head back and forth with his right foot. A dozen or so corpses were lined up on the edge of the street.

    Suddenly, the head exploded into chunks of red and white. After themander climbed back to his feet, he walked over to one end of the and began stomping on every head in his path. It was almost like he was ying a game or something.

    The soldier who brought the news didn¡¯t dare to urge hismander. He remained in his half-kneeling posture and kept his head low.

    The Hengshan Army had two assistant regionalmanders under the general, and four battalionmanders under the two assistant regionalmanders. The four battalionmanders were in charge of the Tiger Battalion, Leopard Battalion, Wolf Battalion and Dog Battalion.

    The Tiger Battalion was made up of Zhou Hengshan¡¯s personal guards, and they were responsible for keeping him safe. The Leopard Battalion was made up of heavy cavalry, and they were normally deployed in wide ins and gueri warfare. The Wolf Battalion was made up of heavy infantry and were normally deployed in mountainous terrains. They were the main force and meat grinder of the Hengshan Army. Finally, the Dog Battalion was made up of light cavalry. Their main responsibility was scouting, spying, and collecting intelligence.

    The man before the soldier was the Wolf Commander,mander of the ruthless and bloodthirsty Wolf Battalion. His name was Fei Chuan.

    ¡°The south, huh?¡±

    After Fei Chuan stomped every head to bits, he finally looked up with a hint of scarlet in his dark pupils. He asked slowly, ¡°Have they caught him yet?¡±

    ¡°No. They¡¯ve only discovered traces of him,¡± the soldier answered.

    ¡°I see. How useless,¡± Fei Chuan said lightly. His voice was fairly low-pitched, and it made him sound like a viper baring its fangs at its prey from the shadows. It was terrifying to say the least.

    ¡°Continue the search. Ye Qing must be caught no matter what.¡± Fei Chuan licked his lips and chuckled darkly. ¡°I will not fail the general. If I did, then you will all lose your heads. Understand?¡±

    ¡°We understand. We will carry out your orders without fail, Wolf Commander!¡± The surrounding soldiers dropped to one knee and dered.

    ¡°Good. Now go.¡± Fei Chuan waved them away.

    After the men were gone, Fei Chuan looked at the corpse beneath his foot and sighed. ¡°Hang these uncooperative, unruly <i>jianghu </i>warriors where everyone can see. Let¡¯s hope that¡¯ll be enough to keep the rest of their ilk out of our way.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± A soldier saluted. He then organized some men to hang the headless bodies on stakes. From a distance, the bodies almost looked like meat skewers.

    It was at this moment another re lit up in the sky.

    ¡°We found more traces of Ye Qing in the east, Wolf Commander,¡± someone reported. ¡°However, we still haven¡¯t managed to catch him. Commandant Sun is investigating right now.¡±

    ¡°The east?¡± Feng Chan rubbed his clean, hairless chin and said, ¡°Ye Qing must have figured out that we¡¯ve prepared a death trap for him to the east. He¡¯s nning to escape the city!¡±

    ¡°I guess he¡¯s not too stupid. He knows that the only way he might survive this is to escape Tian Yong!¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll y with you. Let¡¯s see how tenacious you are, hmm?¡±

    ¡°Ye Qing won¡¯t go to the north since that is where our main force is garrisoned. Therefore, Ye Qing can only leave through the east, south and west gates. In that case...¡± Feng Chuan let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Send word to the gatemander to close the gates. If anyone tries to pass through the gates, kill them.¡±

    ¡°Also, have Brigade One, Two and Three perform a thorough search of the east, south and west side of the city starting from Azure Dragon Street all the way to the gates. Don¡¯t miss even a single fly.¡±

    ¡°Brigade Four will remain here and operate aspanies. You will search the north just in case Ye Qing decides to pull a fast one on us.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    The cries of acknowledgement shook the clouds above.

    1. All limbs cut off. ?

    2. Pixiu is a Chinese mythical hybrid creature. Pixiu are considered powerful protectors of the souls of the dead, xian, and feng shui practitioners, and resemble strong, winged lions. ?

 Chapter 454: Black Water Cavalry

    <h4>Chapter 454: ck Water Cavalry </h4>

    At the northside of the city, a squad of Hengshan soldiers wielding heavy sabers were searching for Ye Qing. Some of them were dragging their des across the floor and sending sparks everywhere.

    Maybe it was because the boredom got to him, but one soldier suddenly spoke up, ¡°Why do you guys think Ye Qing killed Lord Chu? Did he lose his mind or something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s either that, or he¡¯s in stupid. Even if he wants the guy dead, he should have done it in a no man¡¯snd. Instead, he killed him under broad daylight. If he¡¯s not stupid, then who is?¡±

    ¡°I know right? Qing Emperor Junior my ass. His nickname sounds impressive, but we know now that he¡¯s just a brainless idiot.¡±

    ¡°Shut up and stay alert. Ye Qing is no ordinary warrior. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you if he snuck up on you and killed you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re afraid of, captain. The whole city is surrounded by our army. There is no way Ye Qing can escape us even if he has three heads and six arms.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, captain. You worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Have you already forgotten about the general¡¯s order? Never let your guard down no matter what. Also, do you want that three-rank promotion and ten thousand silver or not? Because you are not getting that reward the way you¡¯re acting right now.¡±

    ¡°You must be joking, captain. Ye Qing is stupid, but he¡¯s not <i>that </i>stupid. He knows thating to the northside of the city is suicide. Brigade One and Two lucked out big time.¡±

    ¡°Did they? Promotion and money are great things, but what¡¯s the point if you¡¯re not alive to enjoy them? The Qing Emperor Junior is hardly a girl in the Beauty Pageant Pce, soft and easy to push down.¡±

    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying, but at least they have a shot at a better life. We don¡¯t even get that choice. If I can kill Ye Qing, I don¡¯t even want the three-rank promotion. I just want that ten thousand silver so I can build a wonderful family with a dozen beauties.¡±

    ¡°You and your loins. One day, you¡¯re gonna die on top of a woman. As for me, I want that three-rank promotion. After all, money and womene easy when you¡¯re an official.¡±

    ¡°Arrest this man, captain! He just admitted that he wants to be a corrupt official!¡±

    The captain snorted. ¡°Alright, enough with the crap. If you really want to get rich and get promoted, then focus on the job. With the way you guys are behaving, Ye Qing could bare his neck to you, and you¡¯re still going to miss the target.¡±

    Despite what he said, the captain himself didn¡¯t believe that Ye Qing would show up in the northside of the city. It just didn¡¯t make sense.

    He was wrong. Just a few secondster, he suddenly realized that his men hadn¡¯t responded to his words. In fact, his surroundings werepletely silent. Realizing something, he abruptly gripped his saber with both hands, drove his left foot into the ground, and unleashed a mighty horizontal sweep.

    <i>¡°Total Decimation¡±</i>

    The Wolf Battalion wore heavy armor and wielded a heavy saber and a heavy shield. What theycked in mobility, they made up with sheer destructive power and immovability. The bottom half of their saber was narrow, and the top half was broad. It was a straight de that was several times wider and heavier than the standard heng saber and Yanling saber. It could literally split open a rock assuming the soldier knew what he was doing.

    ¡°Total Decimation¡± was a technique the captain had practiced thousands of times during his training. Combined with his heavy saber, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he could cut down every soul within his range like grass.

    However, the attack came to an abrupt stop when the saber had just reached the halfway point. It was because the de was caught firmly between a pair of fingers.

    The technique could¡¯ve split a rock like butter, but the fingers had caught it so easily you would think that he was holding a weightless feather, not a heavy saber.

    The captain nched again when a young, smiling face entered his vision. He also noticed his fourrades staring nkly into the distance and doing nothing like puppets.

    ¡°Ye Qing?!¡± The captain gulped as thest drop of blood drained away from his face.

    ¡°You got it. I can¡¯t give you a promotion or my silver, but I can give you a me. Here you go.¡±

    Ye Qing snapped his fingers, and the captain¡¯s eyes zed over just like the rest of the soldiers. Then, he burst into mes and crumbled into a pile of ash in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°You have quite the valuable head on your shoulders, don¡¯t you boy?¡± A voice full of schadenfreude suddenly rang beside his ears. ¡°A three-rank promotion and ten thousand silver? Tsk tsk...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my head that¡¯s valuable. It¡¯s Chu Qingli¡¯s head and the Pacification Bureau¡¯s reputation that¡¯s valuable.¡±

    ¡°By the way, what <i>are </i>you doinging here? I thought you were nning to escape from Tian Yong, but instead you ran to the east, the west and now the northside of the city? Have you finally gotten tired of living or something?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    At the beginning, Ye Qing purposely showed his face at the east side of the city. Then, he ran to the south. He thought Ye Qing was luring the Hengshan Army away so he would encounter less opposition when he made his great escape, but once again he purposely revealed himself to his enemies. Finally, he ran all the way to the north before the Hengshan Army could form an encirclement. Just what the hell was he thinking?

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to exin it in a way that you can understand,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently.

    ¡°I can tell you¡¯re insulting me, boy!¡± The Fog Demon bubbled with displeasure. ¡°You¡¯re gonna regret it when I turn my back on you!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a back,¡± Ye Qing retorted before asking, ¡°Are you done controlling the four men yet? We¡¯re wasting time here.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? I might not be fully recovered, but it¡¯s child¡¯s y for me to control a couple of Vessel Augmentors,¡± The Fog Demon scoffed. ¡°Speaking of which, why the hell am I controlling a bunch of useless trash? Why didn¡¯t we just kill them and dispose of the body?¡±

    Ye Qing replied calmly, ¡°I have use for them, of course.¡±

    Ye Qing began stripping off the captain¡¯s heavy armor. Once he donned the armor, he morphed his body and assumed the man¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Ohh! I get it now! You¡¯re nning to disguise yourself as a member of the Hengshan Army, infiltrate their headquarters, and slip through the northern gate!¡±

    The Fog Demon eximed in realization, ¡°That¡¯s why you showed yourself in the east and south side of the city earlier! You wanted to trick them into thinking that you¡¯re nning to escape through the eastern or southern gate and draw the majority of their forces to those locations. They wouldn¡¯t think that you would dare to leave through the northern gate, so this is your opportunity to leave through the northern gate while they are undermanned!¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly but didn¡¯t confirm the Fog Demon¡¯s theory.

    ¡°You can¡¯t hide your ns from me! I¡¯m the Fog Demon of the Nine Nethers!¡± The Fog Demon dered proudly before a question hit him. ¡°But wait, why are you subverting this squad when you can just disguise yourself and infiltrate their base alone? It would be easier, and it would be less likely for you to expose yourself, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. The Hengshan Army usually operates in a five-man squad, and they are never apart from each other barring exceptional circumstances. This is the ironw of the Hengshan Army. Had I operated alone, they would most likely notice that something is amiss,¡± Ye Qing exined. This was why he killed only the captain and left the other four soldiers alive.

    At first, he was able to slip past multiplepanies with his movement art, his ability to change his appearance, and his ability to conceal his aura with ease. He was hoping that n A¡ªgetting out of Tian Yong before the Hengshan Army or the Harmony King¡¯s men could react¡ªwould work.

    Unfortunately, he quickly found that he had underestimated the Hengshan Army¡¯s control over Tian Yong. In less than half a teatime, they had set up all sorts of roadblocks in various key locations. They carefully vetted everyone who passed through these roadblocks and started a city-wide search at the same time.

    This meant that it was impossible to leave Tian Yong city via normal means. He would have to find some other way. Currently, his n B was to masquerade as a member of the Hengshan Army and escape from right under their noses.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Just make them follow me and don¡¯t try anything. Leave the acting to me.¡±

    After he was ready, Ye Qing openly appeared on the street and walked toward the northern gate. To avoid drawing suspicion, he pretended to search the surrounding area thoroughly before moving onto the next area. Slowly but surely, he was able to get closer to his destination while passing through several roadblocks unhindered.

    ¡°Halt! Which brigade do you belong to?¡±

    Ye Qing had just passed through a roadblock when a guard of cavalrymen showed up and blocked his path. They numbered around one hundred and twenty five men.

    The cavalrymen wore heavy armor with leopard heads on the shoulder area, and their faces were covered by masks. The Scale Horses they rode were also covered in thick, ck-colored scale armor. Sparks flew when their hoofs smashed against the floor.

    The Scale Horse was a Red-ss Stranger that was shaped like a horse, but instead of fur, they were covered in thick scale armor that were shaped like fish scales. In terms of toughness, the scales could rival that of metal. It galloped as swift as the wind, and it was one of the rare Strangers that could be tamed.

    That said, the sess rate of taming a Scale Horse was mind-bogglingly low, so low that the ck Water Cavalry of the Leopard Battalion was the only brigade in the entire Hengshan Army that had Scale Horses as mounts.

    The ck Water Cavalry was given its name because they wore ck armor, wore ck masks, and rode the ck Scale Horses. When they mounted a charge, it was like a tide of ck water washing over thend and dyeing everything ck. Hence the name.

    Clearly, the guard of cavalrymen before him belonged to the ck Water Cavalry.

 Chapter 455: I Feel Like Dying Today

    Chapter 455: I Feel Like Dying Today

    ¡°We belong to Brigade Four of the Wolf Battalion, my lord. Our orders are to search north for Ye Qing,¡± Ye Qing bowed his head and replied calmly.

    ¡°So, you haven¡¯t found Ye Qing yet? Hah¡­ trash.¡± The garrisonmandant snorted.

    Ye Qing kept his head low and didn¡¯t respond.

    When the garrisonmandant¡ªhis name was Wu Jian¡ªheard no response from Ye Qing, he slowly added, ¡°Oh, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not calling you trash. I¡¯m saying that everyone in the Wolf Battalion is trash.¡±

    His men burst outughing as well. With that, Wu Jian waved his hand and dered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The guard of ck Water Cavalry trotted past Ye Qing¡¯spany, some of them stillughing and muttering insults under their breaths.

    However, the cavalry had just traveled a short distance when suddenly, Wu Jian looked back at Ye Qing and said, ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. Tell yourmandant, Wang Xiu, that I¡¯m inviting him for a drink at Apricot Inn tomorrow night. If he doesn¡¯t show up, then I won¡¯t be paying him back the one hundred tael I owe him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my lord, but ourmandant isn¡¯t called Wang Xiu!¡± Ye Qing replied while scoffing mentally. He was certain that themandant of Brigade Four wasn¡¯t named Wang Xiu. If he answered affirmatively, then Wu Jian would know that he was, in fact, a fake. He had witnessed this trick way too many times both in real life and TV to fall for it.

    Besides, Wang Xiu was obviously a girl¡¯s name. What kind of parents would name their son Wang Xiu? The guy thought he could trick him when he couldn¡¯t even be bothered toe up with a better name? What azy piece of shit! Hmph!

    ¡°What?¡± But to Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, Wu Jian suddenly turned around with a look of confusion on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t know your ownmandant¡¯s name? Are you a new guy, or¡­ are you not one of us?¡±

    Realization struck him as he blurted, ¡°You¡¯re¡ª!¡±

    Before Wu Jian could say anything else, his eyes suddenly grew unfocused, and whatever he was going to say was forgotten. At the same time, he fell right off his horse.

    ¡°Commandant!¡±

    ¡°Commandant, what¡¯s wrong?!¡±

    Things had happened so quickly that most of the cavalrymen didn¡¯t notice anything amiss until their garrisonmandant fell over. Panic and confusion gripped them for a moment.

    Then, Wu Jian abruptly snapped out of his daze, pushed himself back to his feet, and roared on top of his lungs, ¡°Kill him! He¡¯s Ye Qing!¡±

    Wu Jian¡¯s heart thudded inside his chest like a drum. If he didn¡¯t have a Mind Shielding Jade, he would be dead already. But after he regained his calm, a hint of excitement began budding inside his heart. If he could kill Ye Qing here, he would gain a three-rank promotion and ten thousand silver. It was the opportunity of a lifetime!

    ¡°Kill him now!¡±

    The ck Water Cavalry immediately spun around and charged him. The sound of the Scale Horses¡¯ hoofs thudding against the ground reminded Ye Qing of a raging thunderstorm.

    ¡°What the hell was that, boy?¡±

    The Fog Demon appeared next to Ye Qing and needled him mercilessly for the mistake.

    ¡°I thought that he was testing me! Who would¡¯ve thought that there are still honest scumbags in this day and age!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose aggrievedly.

    As soon as he noticed his mistake, Ye Qing had executed ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± to kill his opponent. He was hoping to run away while the cavalrymen were panicking. However, luck truly wasn¡¯t on his side today. Wu Jian had a mind shielding Strange Artifact that saved his life and ruined even his backup n.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    ¡°What else?¡± Ye Qing stared at the iing cavalrymen with narrowed eyes.

    <em>Rumble rumble rumble!</em>

    Some people would choose to run when facing down a cavalry charge. Since they were in a city, it wasn¡¯t a bad n. However, Ye Qing remained exactly where he was. The ck Water Cavalry was famous for their speed, and hundreds of thembined created a rumbling tide that shook the entire street and the buildings around them.

    When the nearest cavalryman was merely three inches away from him, Ye Qing abruptly took a step forward. The shaking street quieted immediately like an invisible hand had forcibly quelled its shaking. More importantly, the foremost cavalrymen abruptly lost their footing and crashed to the ground.

    Caughtpletely off guard, the cavalrymen at the back were unable to stop in time and crashed into their fallenrades. They too crashed to the ground and tripped up the rest of the guys behind them. What was a devastating charge had turned into a self-sabotaging stampede that no one could stop.

    While the ck Water Cavalry was struggling to regain control, Ye Qing leaped into the air andnded on top of the skull of a cavalryman like a meteor.

    <em>Thud!</em>

    There was a soft thud, and the cavalryman¡¯s eyes abruptly turned ssy and lifeless. At the same time, the Scale Horse beneath him let out a mournful cry. Its hoofs sank into the ground like it was tofu, and its body abruptly exploded into chunks of flesh and blood. The chunks were traveling at such velocity that the nearest cavalrymen were skewered and killed.

    Their frontline was folding on top of itself, and now their backline had lost their integrity as well. It was ironic. They numbered over a hundred cavalrymen, and yet it felt like they were the ones who were trapped with Ye Qing. Scratch that, they<em>were</em>trapped with him.

    As themandant, Wu Jian knew full well that his men had more or less been incapacitated. They were no more but prey that Ye Qing could toy with as he pleased.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    White-faced but overflowing with anger and hatred, Wu Jian didn¡¯t hesitate to kick off the ground and escape in the opposite direction of the battle. However, he had just covered about half the distance when he heard a whistling noise from behind his back. The next thing he knew, a long saber pierced his stomach from behind,unched him forward, and nailed him to a wooden door.

    ¡°Hah! Hah! Hah!¡±

    His vision grew blurry, and blood slowly trickled down his lips. Wu Jian could feel his life slowly draining away from his body. He regretted his decision. He shouldn¡¯t have allowed his greed to get the better of him. As soon as he discovered Ye Qing, he should¡¯ve shot a re and stalled the battle out until reinforcements showed up. Had he done that, he might still live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun. Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret.

    ¡°No! There¡¯s still one thing I can do. I will take you to the grave with me if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡±

    Eyes bloodshot, Wu Jian gritted his teeth and pped his fingers on the re token inside his sleeves. A red re immediately shot up to the sky and exploded.

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re dead, Ye Qing! Dead!¡±

    Wu Jianughed like a madman when hisst ditch effort seeded.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t seem to notice his action, however. Red Sleeve resting snugly in his palm, he continued to cut down the ck Water Cavalry like a gust of spring wind that bloomed countless red flowers.

    Words couldn¡¯t describe how angry Wu Jian felt when he saw his men falling one after another. He roared, ¡°You¡¯re a monster, Ye Qing! A monster!¡±

    ¡°You done yelling?¡± A few breathster, Ye Qing appeared in front of Wu Jian with a grin on his face. ¡°Rx, I didn¡¯t kill all of your men. I kept some of them alive since living people are more useful than dead people.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What does that mean?¡± Wu Jian suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just recycling the trash, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t escape, Ye Qing! I¡¯ve already shot a re! When the rest of the Hengshan Army shows up, not even the heavens could save you from death!¡±

    Wu Jian didn¡¯t know what Ye Qing was nning, but he was certain that there was nothing the young man could do to avert his demise. ¡°You will not escape, Ye Qing!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for me to worry about, not you. Goodbye.¡± Ye Qing tapped Wu Jian on the throat, and every bone in his neck shattered into smithereens. The garrisonmandant was dead in the blink of an eye.

    After Wu Jian was dead, Ye Qing¡¯s smile was reced by grim determination.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him, boy?¡± The Fog Demon appeared beside Ye Qing and asked.

    ¡°He was too fast,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± The Fog Demon sneered. ¡°I know you sensed his actions earlier. You absolutely could¡¯ve stopped him if you wanted to. What on earth are you nning? You¡¯re not actually nning tomit suicide, are you?¡±

    ¡°In fact, I am. I¡¯m tired of living like this, so¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s facial muscles rxed as an enigmatic smile bloomed across his face. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna die now!¡±

 Chapter 456: Leopard Commander

    Chapter 456: Leopard Commander

    <em>Swoosh swoosh!</em>

    Several people fell from the sky andnded in front of the defeated guard that was the ck Water Cavalry. The leader of the group was none other than the Harmony King¡¯s shadow guard leader, Chu Hao.

    Chu Hao was followed by an old woman, an old dwarf, and Chu Qingge.

    Complex, indecipherable throughs flitted across Chu Hao¡¯s eyes as he stared at the pile of bloody mess in front of him. He appeared in front of an unconscious cavalryman and tapped on several bodily points. Once the man was awake, he asked, ¡°I am Chu Hao, the shadow guard leader who serves the Harmony King. What happened?¡±

    The cavalryman was seriously injured. He replied weakly, ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s Ye Qing¡­ He¡­ pretended to be one of us and¡­¡±

    He fainted before he could finish his sentence, but everyone understood his meaning anyway.

    ¡°Ye Qing disguised himself as a member of the Hengshan Army and tried to escape through the northern gate? He¡¯s an audacious one, isn¡¯t he?¡± The old dwarf stood next to Chu Hao and stroked his beard. He was short and fat, and his hair and beard werepletely white.

    ¡°He created a diversion and lured the main bulk of his enemies away. Then, he struck their headquarters while they¡¯re undermanned. The Qing Emperor Junior truly deserves his fame!¡± the old womanmented.

    The old woman had spotty, yellowish hair, a wrinkly face, and a crooked back. However, her dark, anomalous aura made it clear that she was no one to be trifled with.

    ¡°Whose side are you on, old hag? How can you praise our enemy and undermine our own?¡± The old dwarf seemed quite displeased with the old woman¡¯sment.

    ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth,¡± Granny Ghost replied. ¡°Ye Qing yed Fei Chuan and us like a fiddle. Am I supposed to underestimate him and treat him lightly?¡±

    ¡°Joy¡ªYe Qing is definitely not someone we can afford to underestimate. You mustn¡¯t be careless, Grandpa Wasp,¡± Chu Qingge chimed in, though it was clear that her focus wasn¡¯t on their argument. She was furrowing her brows and thinking about something.

    The old dwarf harrumphed but didn¡¯t deny their words. ¡°So, what should we do now, lead¡ª¡±

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    Before Grandpa Wasp could finish, Chu Hao suddenly blocked in front of him and grabbed an arrow that would¡¯ve shot through the old dwarf¡¯s head with his bare hands.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    Chu Hao didn¡¯t budge from his spot, but the spreading cracks beneath his feet showed just how powerful the shot was. It was only now they heard the sharp whistle of an arrow.

    Somehow, the arrow moved faster than sound itself.

    ¡°An arrow that moves faster than sound itself and so may as well be soundless? It¡¯s Duan Zipao¡¯s Soundless Shot,¡± Chu Hao muttered while staring at the arrow he just caught.

    As soon as he finished, the ground began shaking unnaturally. It was quickly followed by the sound of hoofs thudding against the floor. A terrible, powerful ck tide quickly approached from the distance.

    When the ck tide was ten meters away from Chu Hao¡¯s group, it abruptly stopped as if an invisible wall was blocking their way. Even the rumbling noises had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    Now that the ck tide had stopped, the group could finally see them for who they were. They were a group of ck-armored, ck-masked soldiers riding Scale Horses. They were none other than the ck Water Cavalry.

    But unlike the dead or injured cavalrymen on the ground, this group wore armor with darker and more exquisite patterns on it. Their presence was generally stronger as well. Their energiesbined to form the gigantic, howling silhouette of a leopard above their heads.

    These were the elites of the ck Water Cavalrymanded by the Leopard Commander, Duan Zipao himself.

    The elites numbered only three hundred, but each and every cavalryman was an elite who had fought at least a hundred battles. Powerful and experienced, they could give even an ordinary Half-Step Grandmaster a run for their money.

    ¡°Leopard Commander.¡±

    Chu Hao saluted the cavalryman riding at the forefront of the group.

    The Leopard Commander wore the same armor as his elites, but his Scale Horse was obviously bigger, stronger, and almost a head taller than an ordinary Scale Horse. There was also a huge, swollen bump at the top of his head.

    When a Scale Horse had matured to a certain degree, it would start growing a horn on its head. If it was sessful, then it would evolve from a Red-ss Scale Horse to a Malice-ss Unihorn Scale Horse.

    A huge bow with a limb as thick as a baby¡¯s arm was hanging on one side of the Unihorn Scale Horse. Clearly, this was the bow Duan Zipao had used to shoot the arrow earlier.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Chu Hao?¡± Duan Zipao shot the shadow guard leader a look before scanning the dead and wounded around him. A hint of murder entered his eyes as he asked, ¡°Did you do this?¡±

    ¡°You misunderstand, Commander Duan. It is Ye Qing who did this. You can question your own men if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Chu Hao answered calmly.

    ¡°Ye Qing? You¡¯re really telling me that Ye Qing can kill an entire guard of ck Water Cavalry all by himself?¡± Duan Zipao didn¡¯t look like he believed Chu Hao. The ck Water Cavalry was considered an elite unit even in the Hengshan Army, and a full guard¡ªone hundred and twenty five cavalrymen in total¡ªcould threaten even a Spirit Master. However, it hadn¡¯t even been half a teatime since he received the call for help. Was it really possible for Ye Qing to trounce an entire guard in such a short time?

    ¡°Question the survivors.¡±

    Duan Zipao waved his hand, and several ck Water Cavalry elites dismounted and did as he ordered. A short whileter, they confirmed that Chu Hao was telling the truth.

    ¡°How many did we lose?¡± It looked like a storm was brewing between Duan Zipao¡¯s brows.

    ¡°Commander! We have seventy five men killed, twenty five seriously wounded, and twenty six lightly wounded. Garrison Commandant Wu Jian was also killed in action,¡± one of the elites reported.

    ¡°Good. Good! How dare he kill so many of mine! He¡¯s going to wish that he was dead!¡± Duan Zipao¡¯s eyes turned crimson as he let out a guttural growl. As if infected by theirmander¡¯s bloodthirst, the three hundred Dark Water Cavalry elites also roared with bloodlust,

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    For a moment, it felt like the terrible battle cry would never end.

    It was at this moment Fei Chuan showed up at the scene with a group of men. His face turned ugly when he saw the dead and wounded on the ground.

    ¡°The general ordered you to capture Ye Qing, and this is how you do it, Fei Chuan?¡± Duan Zipao immediately questioned his colleague when he saw him.

    ¡°That¡¯s my business, not yours,¡± Fei Chuan retorted. Despite his cold exterior, the Wolf Commander was feeling like shit right now. He could not imagine that he, a brigademander of the Hengshan Army, had been yed by a nobody like a fiddle. Even if they caught Ye Qing and executed him this instant, his reputation was already damaged.

    ¡°Not my business? Ye Qing came to my territory and killed my men because you couldn¡¯t catch him, and you say it¡¯s not my business?¡± The temperature at the scene dropped several degrees lower. ¡°It¡¯s not your call anymore. From now on, I¡¯m joining in the hunt for Ye Qing as well.¡±

    ¡°The general ordered me to search for Ye Qing, Duan Zipao. Are you going to disobey his order?¡± Fei Chuan said with an unfriendly expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh.¡±

    Duan Zipao wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest, however. ¡°Not only did you fail to capture Ye Qing, you allowed him to infiltrate our territory and massacre our men. You¡¯re the one who should be trying to cover your ass. I bet the general would dearly like to hear what you have to say regarding your<em>failure.</em>¡±

    A steely glint entered Fei Chuan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Once again, that¡¯s none of your business. Stay out of this, or else.¡±

    Duan Zipao didn¡¯t give an inch. ¡°Or else, what?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t argue among yourselves, my lords. Right now, our first priority is catching Ye Qing. You can discuss the trivialties after our duty is done, no?¡±

    It was at this moment Chu Hao stepped forward and acted as the mediator. ¡°If Ye Qing manages to escape, then your general would be furious at both of you. Surely you don¡¯t want that to happen?¡±

    Chu Hao didn¡¯t care who caught Ye Qing. All he cared about was taking Ye Qing¡¯s head back to the Harmony King.

    ¡°The northside of the city is the Hengshan Army¡¯s territory. Not even the King of Heavens can make us submit, much less Ye Qing!¡± Duan Zipao scoffed. ¡°Mobilize the rest of the Dark Water Cavalry and begin searching for Ye Qing! I will have revenge for our fallen brothers even if I have to turn every inch of ground in Tian Yong to do so!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Someone left to carry out his orders.

    ¡°Onepany of men will stay behind to treat our wounded and collect the dead. The rest of you, follow me!¡±

    Duan Zipao left the scene as soon as he was done barking orders. He never even nced in Fei Chuan¡¯s direction.

    While ring daggers at Duan Zipao¡¯s back, Fei Chuan ordered icily, ¡°Inform everyone that they are to capture Ye Qing before Duan Zipao no matter what. Kill him if you must.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡± Sensing the barely controlled wrath rolling off their leader¡¯s body, Fei Chuan¡¯s men hurriedly left to carry out their orders.

    After Duan Zipao and Fei Chuan were both gone, Chu Hao turned to the old dwarf and said, ¡°Grandpa Wasp, can you please inform all shadow guards toe to the northside of the city and search for Ye Qing? The sooner we find him, the less chance there is that something will go wrong.¡±

    Grandpa Wasp repliedzily, ¡°Duan Zipao is an ass, but he¡¯s right that the northside is the Hengshan Army¡¯s territory. There¡¯s no way Ye Qing can escape even if he has three heads and six arms, so you really don¡¯t need to be so tense,mander.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always better to be safe than sorry,¡± Chu Hao replied.

    ¡°Cut the bullshit and just do what you¡¯re told, Grandpa Wasp,¡± Granny Ghost interrupted.

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Grandpa Wasp grumbled and produced a palm-sized bronze mirror from his sleeve. He wrote a few lines of words on the mirror that didn¡¯t fade until he was done writing. Then, the words disappeared into the bronze mirror.

    ¡°Done. I¡¯ve notified the men with the Thousand Kilometer Mirror. They should show up very soon.¡±

 Chapter 457: Where Is Ye Qing

    <h4>Chapter 457: Where Is Ye Qing </h4>

    Chu Hao nodded and turned to Granny Ghost next. ¡°Can you please divine Ye Qing¡¯s current location, Granny Ghost?¡±

    Granny Ghost nodded and sat on the ground. She then closed her eyes and produced a pair of eyeballs from a sack. The eyeballs were rolling about like they were alive, and when they were caught by the old woman, glimmers of anxiety, terror, begging and more emotions actually shone through their pupils.

    Granny Ghost paid them no heed, however. She shoved the two eyeballs into her mouth and began chewing them earnestly, spilling blood everywhere. A few secondster, she spat both the flesh and the blood on the ground.

    The flesh began wriggling slowly. A tiny, badly mangled ghost crawled out of one of the flesh chunks before it began consuming the vessel that held its existence. It wasn¡¯t long before every chunk of flesh was gone, and its bellies looked as round and big as a pregnant woman¡¯s belly.

    After the ghost was done feeding, it let out a burp and looked at Granny Ghost. It then began waving its hands about and making these indecipherable noises that only she could understand.

    Suddenly, it froze as if some sort of power hade over him. Then, it started writhing and screaming in pain. It immediately threw itself onto Granny Ghost and began feeding on her flesh.

    ¡°Granny Ghost!¡±

    ¡°You okay, old hag?!¡±

    Grandpa Wasp, Chu Qingge and Chu Hao flinched a little when they saw this. They were just about to intervene when Granny Ghost shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just leave it.¡±

    By the time the little ghost was finally satisfied, there was almost no spot on her person that looked intact. The little ghost then transformed back into a pool of flesh and blood.

    ¡°Are you alright, Granny Ghost?¡± Chu Qingge asked worriedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. It was just a small rebound,¡± Granny Ghost replied in a raspy voice.

    ¡°You must have failed to divine Ye Qing¡¯s location, didn¡¯t you?¡± Grandpa Wasp taunted.

    Granny Ghost ignored him and said to Chu Qingge and Chu Hao, ¡°My deepest apologies, but I failed to divine Ye Qing¡¯s location. I reckon that he has some sort of fate concealing Strange Artifact that allows him to disrupt my Ghost Divination and allow him to avoid detection.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I knew that your Ghost Divination is fake, old hag! It¡¯s totally useless!¡± Grandpa Wasp taunted again.

    ¡°Can you shut the hell up? I¡¯m not done talking yet!¡± Granny Ghost finally lost her patience and rebuked Grandpa Wasp.

    ¡°What, I can¡¯t criticize you even though you suck?¡± Grandpa Wasp muttered under his breath.

    Unwilling to engage Grandpa Wasp any longer, Granny Ghost looked at Chu Qingge and Chu Hao again and said, ¡°However, my ghost servant told me that Ye Qing is somewhere within five hundred meters from our current location.¡±

    ¡°Five hundred meters? It looks like Ye Qing hasn¡¯t gone far. That¡¯s good.¡±

    Chu Qingge said quietly, ¡°Grandpa Wasp, you can cover a five-hundred-meter radius with your Poison Wasps, right? Plus, this part of the city doesn¡¯t have many tall buildings or people because it¡¯s where the Hengshan Army is based. It should be very difficult for Ye Qing to find a proper hiding spot. Please keep an eye out for anyone who¡¯s operating alone. There is a huge chance that they might be Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll get it done, Your Highness!¡± Grandpa Wasp stroked his beard and swayed on his feet. Then, wasps the size of a human thumb began crawling out of his sleeves.

    The sky was filled with buzzing noises in just the blink of an eye. Grandpa Wasp waspletely covered in wasps as well.

    ¡°Go, my babies!¡±

    Grandpa Wasp waved, and the wasps scattered in every direction.

    Grandpa Wasp looked much, much thinner without his wasps. In fact, one could vaguely see that his body was riddled with hexagonal holes underneath his wide, ck robe. There were plenty ofrvae crawling in and out of the holes as well.

    Some time passed, and dozens of men wearing embroidered robes joined the group from multiple directions. They then saluted Chu Qingge and Chu Hao and greeted, ¡°Your Highness. Commander.¡±

    ¡°At ease. Pair up and search the northern area within one kilometer from this location. If you find anyone who piques your suspicion, don¡¯t hesitate to message me immediately,¡± Chu Hao instructed.

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The shadow guards received their orders before disappearing without a sound like smoke.

    ¡°Are you sure searching the northern area alone is okay,mander? What if Ye Qing tries to pull the same trick as before?¡± Grandpa Wasp asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa Wasp. Fei Chuan isn¡¯t an idiot. He won¡¯t make the same mistake a second time,¡± Chu Qingge replied. ¡°Also, the east, south, and westside of the city are under the Hengshan Army¡¯s full control right now. It would be suicide if Ye Qing tries to pull the same trick, and I¡¯m sure he knows about this.¡±

    ¡°The only thing he can do now is to walk his chosen path until the end.¡±

    ¡°I see. Intelligently deduced, Your Highness,¡± Granny Wasp eximed in realization and paid Chu Qingge apliment at the same time.

    ¡°Of course Her Highness is intelligent. Unlike you, her head isn¡¯t one-half water and one-half flour,¡± Granny Ghost sneered.

    Surprisingly, Grandpa Wasp didn¡¯t argue this point. ¡°Sure. Of course I¡¯m not as intelligent as Her Highness.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Granny Ghost, Grandpa Wasp. I just want to find Ye Qing and give my father and my brother an answer as soon as possible.¡±

    Chu Qingge gazed into the distance with indifferent eyes, but hiding behind the veil of indifference was a simmering pot of emotions as unstable as the ever shifting clouds in the sky.

    ......

    Half a teatimeter, Grandpa Wasp asked whilemunicating with his Poison Wasps, ¡°Are you sure you performed your Ghost Divination correctly, old hag? My babies have already searched every nook and cranny within a five-hundred-meter radius from here, but Ye Qing is still nowhere to be found.¡±

    ¡°Of course. My Ghost Divination may fail, but it¡¯s never incorrect,¡± Granny Ghost dered with certainty.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on then. He¡¯s not just missing, I can¡¯t find anything that¡¯s even remotely out of ce. It¡¯s like he¡¯s disappeared into thin air.¡± Grandpa Wasp scratched his head with a deep frown on his face. ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just us. The Hengshan Army hasn¡¯t been able to find anything either.¡± Chu Hao¡¯s brows were locked tightly as well.

    ¡°I know right? It¡¯s one thing if we couldn¡¯t find him. There¡¯s only a handful of us after all. But the Hengshan Army?¡±

    Grandpa Waspined, ¡°My babies told me that the Hengshan Army is everywhere right now. Literally. There¡¯s a post every five steps, and a sentry every ten steps. Forget a human, they could¡¯ve flushed out every ant and rat in the city. Even if Ye Qing has three heads and six arms, it shouldn¡¯t be possible for him to elude his pursuers so thoroughly?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, just where did Ye Qing go? Is he hiding in the underground like a mole, or did he die and ascend to the heavens?¡±

    ¡°What did you just say, Grandpa Wasp?¡± Chu Qingge suddenly nced in the old dwarf¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Grandpa Wasp was startled out of his rant. ¡°I¡¯m just talking nonsense, Your Highness. Please don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not nonsense. Ye Qing is dead, though he didn¡¯t ascend to the heavens.¡± Chu Qingge¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out his n.¡±

    She looked at Chu Hao and said, ¡°Uncle Chu, please notify Fei Chuan and Duan Zipao and tell them to stop the carts transporting the dead ck Water Cavalry out of the city right now. Ye Qing is hiding among the bodies.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, are you saying that...¡± Chu Hao¡¯s pupils contracted slowly as realization struck him. Assuming Chu Qingge was correct, Ye Qing had disguised himself as one of the dead bodies so that the Hengshan Army would carry him out of the city themselves.

    The n looked extremely risky, but in reality it was both intelligent and safe. A normal person would¡¯ve run as far away from the scene of the crime as possible after killing the guard of Dark Water Cavalry. However, Ye Qing chose to hide right under their noses. No one noticed this because it was a blindspot, not to mention that none of them were in their best state of mind right now.

    This would exin why Granny Ghost¡¯s Ghost Divination told her that Ye Qing was within five hundred meters of them. In fact, he was right there with them until the soldiers carried him away.

    This would also exin why Ye Qing was able to remain hidden even though the northside of the city was crawling with his pursuers right now. After all, who would try to spot a living person among the dead? They hadn¡¯t thought about it, and definitely not the Hengshan Army.

    Ye Qing¡¯s n wasn¡¯t just audacious, he knew exactly how they would act under these circumstances and exploited their weakness to the fullest. What a scary man.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time, Uncle Chu. Please notify Fei Chuan and Duan Zipao now,¡± Chu Qingge urged Chu Hao again when she noticed that the guy was still processing what she told him. Then, she vanished into the distance in a puff of purple qi.

    After Chu Hao snapped out of his thoughts, he ordered, ¡°Granny Ghost, Grandpa Wasp, follow her. Make sure you protect her with your life.¡±

    Then, he channeled a terrible amount of power and shot into the sky like an arrow.

 Chapter 458: The Flames of War Horn Blows

    <h4>Chapter 458: The mes of War Horn Blows </h4>

    The northside of the city, ck Tortoise Street. Squadrons of Hengshan soldiers wielding sabers, spears, swords and more were crawling through the streets like ants. The atmosphere was solemn, and the light reflecting off their armor and weapon was ice cold.

    Right now, five ck Water Cavalry elites were riding side by side on the street, their mounts drawing five creaky wooden carts behind them. The carts were filled with heaps and heaps of dead bodies. As the bodies were still fresh, their blood seeped through the cracks and painted red winter plums on the limestone floor. Despite their grim work, they almost looked rxedpared to the rest of their colleagues.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we found the bodies. Why is it so quiet? Is the Leopard Commander still searching for Ye Qing?¡± One of the elites nced at the Hengshan infantry still searching for signs of Ye Qing and asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? If he had found Ye Qing, we would have heard or seen somemotion already,¡± hisrade answered.

    ¡°Where on earth is he hiding?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Ye Qing is already a dead man. The general has issued the kill order, and both the Leopard Commander and the Wolf Commander are involved. He could be a god, and there is still no way he can escape this situation alive.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Killing him would be too easy a punishment. Did you see how many he killed? If I was the general, I would skin him alive, rip out his bones, and light his soul on fire so he may atone for his sins for eternity.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. And what¡¯s the point? Will torturing him bring back our dead brothers?¡±

    ¡°Everyone who dons this armor knows that they will die someday. It¡¯s just a matter of when. You¡¯ve been a soldier for more than half a lifetime, and you still can¡¯t get over this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about me! I¡¯m thinking about our brothers! As a soldier, we can die for our country, the people, and our families. But to die in the hands of nobody? How can that be an honorable death?¡±

    ¡°Enough. The dead are dead. Let¡¯s just focus on putting them to rest, shall we?¡±

    The five men fell silent and continued toward the exit.

    The Hengshan Army¡¯s headquarters was located within the city, but their morgue was located outside the city. There were several reasons. One, it made collecting their dead more convenient. Two, it was easier to bury or cremate the bodies outside the city. And three, no harm woulde to the popce if an epidemic or other idents were to break out.

    Right now, the five elites were transporting the bodies to the morgue outside the city. They would notify the families and bury the bodiester.

    <i>Creak... creak...</i>

    The wooden carts made creaky noises as they got closer and closer to the northern gate. Then¡ª

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    Five soldiers stepped away from the gates and blocked their way.

    ¡°Identify yourselves and state the reason you¡¯re leaving the city!¡±

    One of the elites handed his identity tag to the soldiers while exining, ¡°We are the elite units of the ck Water Cavalry, and we serve the Leopard Commander. Our orders are to transport our dead brothers to the morgue outside the city.¡±

    The soldier checked the identity tag closely. After he confirmed that the identity was genuine, he returned it to the cavalryman and waved his hand. ¡°You may pass!¡±

    <i>Shuffle shuffle...</i>

    The soldiers guarding the gate immediately stepped away so that the five carts could pass through unhindered. The ck Water Cavalry elite nodded and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Since the Hengshan Army¡¯s headquarters was located at the northside of the city, they were in charge of guarding the northern gate as a matter of course. Since they were a military unit, there were strict rules and rigid protocol one must follow to use the northern gate. This applied even to the Hengshan Army themselves.

    The five cavalrymen slowly walked along the long, narrow passage under the gate soldiers¡¯ watchful gaze. They were about halfway there when suddenly¡ª

    <i>OoooOOooooOoOOO!</i>

    The long, low-pitched, deste sound of a war horn deafened the ears and shook heaven and earth. The clouds above the city stirred ominously as if the invisible smoke of war was disturbing its formation, and millions of soldiers were fighting each other on the ground.

    ¡°That¡¯s the mes of War Horn!¡±

    The blood drained away from every soldier¡¯s face when they heard the war horn. The gatemandant immediately shouted, ¡°¡°The mes of War Horn is blown! All units, close the gate immediately! Starting now, no one is to enter or leave the city without the general¡¯s order! Anyone who disobeys this order will be executed without mercy!¡±

    The mes of War Horn was blown only and only during situations of grave importance. When it was blown, it meant that something terrible had happened, and all Hengshan soldiers must don their armor and enter a battle ready state immediately. The northern gate must also be shut at first notice, and no one was allowed to pass through it without permission. Those who disobeyed would die.

    Tian Yong was the hintend of Chu, so the mes of War Horn was used only three times since the Hengshan Army was formed. However, every incident that triggered the horn was as serious as it could get.

    The first time the mes of War Horn was used, the current Grand Mentor was patrolling the realm on the emperor¡¯s orders. When he reached Tian Yong, he encountered an assassination attempt. The Hengshan Army used the mes of War Horn to mobilize all their soldiers and y a total of seventy eight assassins.

    The second time it was used was a decade ago. Constant rain had resulted in a devastating flood that hadn¡¯t happened to Tian Yong in a century, and at least hundreds of thousands of civilians lost their homes.

    The refugees traveled to the city to seek refuge, but evil cults such as the Way of Taiping and the Unliving Sect took the opportunity to sow dissent among the people and cause chaos. In the end, the Hengshan Army used the mes of War Horn, suppressed the budding rebellion in its nascency and slew hundreds of cultists.

    The third time it was used was three years ago. Thirty six factions in Tian Yong hade together for a rare meeting with the intention of forming a coalition, so the Intelligence Departmentmanded the Hengshan Army to cooperate with them. The blood ran like rivers, and the bodies piled like hills that day. It was a stunning, terrifying incident that was still remembered to this day.

    That was why the gatemandant didn¡¯t hesitate to order the gate shut as soon as he heard the horn blow. If something bad were to happen because of his inaction, he could be beheaded ten times and still not atone for his sins.

    The five ck Water Cavalry elites that had just reached the gate came to a stop as well. Just like the gatemandant, they knew full well what the mes of Warn Horn meant. Surprised they might be, they didn¡¯t hesitate to turn their Scale Horses around and get ready to return into the city.

    It was at this moment the pile of corpses lying in the foremost cart suddenly flew into the air and scattered in every direction. There was no sound, but their momentum was so great that the soldiers getting ready to close the gate were knocked off their feet.

    At the same time, a single man rose from the center and glided toward the gate like a phantom.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Ye Qing!¡±

    ¡°Message themanders now! Quickly!¡± A ck Water Cavalry elite shouted when he finally snapped out of his shock.

    Standing on top of the city gate, the gatemandant quickly figured out why the mes of War Horn was sounded as well. Someone must have figured out that Ye Qing was hiding among the bodies, but they were unable to get the information through in time because the time was too short, and they were too far away. So, they used the mes of War Horn in hopes of shutting the gate before Ye Qing could slip through.

    It was a great idea. Unfortunately, they were still a step toote.

    There was one silver lining though. When the mes of War Horn was sounded, the cart Ye Qing was hiding in still hadn¡¯t left the city yet. Otherwise, the trail would be cold long before reinforcements showed up, and they would be med for whatever shitshow that might result from their ¡°failure¡±, never mind that they had reacted as well as they could have.

    But right now, it still wasn¡¯t toote. They could still capture Ye Qing and make up for their mistake.

    ¡°We must capture Ye Qing! To me!¡± The gatemandant dered before racing out of the gate before anyone else.

    ......

    Outside the city, Ye Qing felt as if an invisible weight had lifted off his heart.

    <i>That was cutting it a little close there, but I ain¡¯tining.</i>

    Although things hadn¡¯t gone exactly to n, he was ultimately able to escape the city. Originally, he wanted to disguise himself as a Hengshan soldier and slip out of the city without anyone the wiser, but as the saying goes, the bestid ns of mice and men often go awry. A guard of ck Water Cavalry had seen through his disguise because they were too honest for their own good. He had no choice but to destroy them.

    Ye Qing knew there was no way he could keep things under wraps of so many no matter how powerful he was. The moment the Hengshan Army discovered the bodies, his escape n would be snuffed out faster than he could say oops. Moreover, the northside of the city was where the Hengshan Army¡¯s headquarters was situated, so he had no doubt that the danger he was currently facing was ten, no, a hundred times worse than what it was before.

    Trying to skulk his way back to the other gates wasn¡¯t an option either. He had already tricked the Hengshan Army once, and the thought that they might make the same mistake and allow him to fool them a second time was unthinkable.

    Hiding definitely wasn¡¯t an option. Tian Yong was huge, and its poption was massive. He was certain he could hide for a day or two without being discovered. However, it would be no different from drinking blood to stave off one¡¯s thirst. Once Tian Yong entered a state of total lockdown, it was only a matter of time before the Hengshan Army or the Harmony King dragged him out of his hidey-hole and killed him.

    Therefore, the only way left for him was to pretend to be dead. During one of their idle conversations, Gao Ningan had briefly told him about the Hengshan Army and how they functioned. So, he knew that the Hengshan Army had a morgue outside the city that they used to keep their dead temporarily. That was why he decided to disguise himself as one of the bodies and let the Hengshan Army themselves deliver him to freedom.

    To this end, he purposely left some of the ck Water Cavalry alive and left the area right in front of their eyes. He wanted them to think that he had escaped elsewhere and mislead theirrades. After he snuck back to the crime scene, he destroyed one of the bodies and assumed their identity.

    He was hoping to leave Tian Yong without anyone noticing, but his enemy had seen through his ploy faster than he expected. Luckily for him, he was already at the gate when it happened, so he was ultimately able to escape the city.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried even though he was discovered. So long as he managed to escape the death trap that was the city, he was certain he would survive one way or another.

    <i>Swoosh!</i>

    Ye Qing had just taken two steps when suddenly, his instincts warned him of danger. He dashed sideways just in time to avoid an arrow putting a deep hole in the ground. It was after the fact that he heard the sound of an arrow whistling through the air.

    A bad feeling suddenly gripped Ye Qing. He looked back and saw a ck-armored, ck-masked man looking down on him from the top of the gate like he was an ant. He was carrying a huge bow.

    ¡°Duan Zipao...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart sank bit by bit. This... wasn¡¯t the n.

    The next moment, the earth trembled, and the noise of hoofs thudding against the ground entered his ears. A massive ck tide emerged from the distance and rushed toward him with great speed and power. When it was about thirty meters away from him, it split into two and surrounded him in a tight circle.

    ¡°The ck Water Cavalry...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart sankpletely.

 Chapter 459: One Man Versus An Army

    <h4>Chapter 459: One Man Versus An Army </h4>

    ¡°You like to run, don¡¯t you? Go on! Run,¡± Duan Zipao taunted while looking down on his surrounded prey.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything. He simply frowned as if he was trying to figure something out.

    ¡°Are you wondering why I¡¯m here?¡± Duan Zipao asked as if he wanted to listen to Ye Qing¡¯s theories, but answered his own question before the young man could react. ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. Rather than running about like headless chickens, I thought that lying in wait at a location you must pass through is much more effective. And I was right.¡±

    Ye Qing was still silent, so Duan Zipao continued, ¡°So, how does it feel? To fall to hell, ascend to the Kingdom of Buddha, then fall to hell again? It¡¯s quite vorful, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say? Or are you the type who has nothing to say when your end is near?¡±

    ¡°I would advise you to say something though. Anything is fine. It¡¯ll be yourst will in this world after all.¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow and scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re a talkative one, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing disappeared before he finished speaking and charged toward a group of ck Water Cavalry.

    A cavalry¡¯s greatest weapon was their charge, and they were especially deadly when they sped up to the point where they were the human equivalent of an avnche.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the ck Water Cavalry in front of him were the cream of the crop. Not only were they stronger than the cavalrymen he fought earlier, there were twice as many as them, if not more.

    Therefore, the best way to deal with cavalry was to attack them first. One should disrupt their momentum, suppress their strength, and confuse their minds before they couldunch a charge. A cavalry troop that couldn¡¯t charge was sometimes easier to handle than even a group of infantry.

    Ye Qing had been searching for a weak point in the ck Water Cavalry¡¯s formation while Duan Zipao was busy talking to himself. Unfortunately, everyone here was a battle-hardened veteran. The encirclement was as tight as it was wless.

    That was fine though. If there were no ws in his enemy¡¯s formation, then he just needed to make one himself.

    Ye Qing¡¯s energies washed out of him like a fountain as he rushed toward a group of cavalrymen.

    ¡°Raise spears!¡±

    The cavalrymen facing toward him didn¡¯t panic. They simply obeyed their captain¡¯s orders and raised their spears.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    The cavalrymen moved perfectly in sync. They looked like a patch of ck cloud when their shoulder tes ttered against theirrades¡¯.

    If the ck cloud decided to bear down on a city, it might even seed and crush it.

    ¡°Throw!¡±

    The next moment, a rain of short spears whistled through the sky as swift as the wind, falling toward Ye Qing like a downpour of steel. Whoever said that only the heavens couldmand the weather?

    The short spears were forged from heavy metal. They were incredibly sharp, impossibly heavy, and capable of cutting through astral qi. It was why most <i>jianghu </i>warriors wouldn¡¯t choose to take such an attack head on.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t have a choice, however. If he withdrew here, he would never break out of this encirclement. While still charging at high speed, he surrounded himself in energies of yin and yang, ck and white, hard and soft. Whenever a short spear hit the two energies, they would deflect away from Ye Qing¡¯s body as harmlessly as a falling leaf. But of course, the short spears were anything but harmless. The spears plowed into the ground beside his feet almost all the way to the end, and they were still pouring down on him from every direction.

    But still Ye Qing ran like the wind, the ck spearfall failing to slow him down even a little, much less wound him. It was like a schr stepping through a blooming garden with no path, but not a single leaf or petal was able to ruffle up his appearance. If a painter were to draw a painting of this scene, it would probably be famous and be remembered for a long, long time toe.

    Every time Ye Qing¡¯s feet hit the ground, the ground would shake a little, and the spears would wobble a little. When he was three meters away from his target, he sucked in a deep breath and brought down his foot with all his might.

    At that moment, the world shook. It was like an invisible force had gripped all nine provinces by the throat and shaking them left and right. Every short spear nted in the ground was ejected into the sky, and when Ye Qing raised an arm and clenched his fist, there was a deafening bang that sounded like heaven and earth colliding with each other. The next moment, the sky of spears flipped around and took aim at the ck Water Cavalry.

    Ye Qing threw a punch, and the floating spears shot back toward their throwers.

    ¡°Mountain Range Formation, now!¡±

    ¡°Raise shield!¡±

    nching, the leader of the group hurriedly barked out a series ofmands. The cavalrymen facing toward Ye Qing immediately turned their mounts sideways and stacked their shields on top of each other. It was as if a multyered mountain range had sprung into existence in an instant.

    If Ye Qing did nothing, then the ck Water Cavalry woulde out of his attack with minimal damage. So, he threw another punch.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    Like a lone cavalry aiming to cut through the sea of troops in front of him, Break Through shattered the shields, the Scale Horses, and the cavalrymen closest to him. It was like a giant beast had mmed into their formation at full force. As if on cue, the short spears finally descended from the sky¡ª

    <i>Pssh pssh pssh!</i>

    Dozens of cavalrymen were turned into pincushions just like that.

    Unfortunately, that was the end of Ye Qing¡¯s attack. The Mountain Range Formation was a defensive formation the ck Water Cavalry specifically trained to guard against cavalry charges. If the Scale Horses were the base of the mountain range, then the shields were the mountains. No matter how powerful the tsunami was, it couldn¡¯t ovee a multyered mountain range and flood it all.

    What this meant was that Ye Qing¡¯s Break Through had petered out after punching through just a coupleyers of ¡°mountains¡±, and the spearfall was also spent after the one attack.

    As soon the fist force was gone, and the rain had ceased, the gap Ye Qing had tried so hard to pry open was immediately filled up by new cavalrymen.

    ¡°de Mountain Formation, now!¡±

    When the order was given, the ring of cavalrymen closest to Ye Qing immediately drew their long sabers and attacked him from every direction.

    Ye Qing deflected the attacks with a punch, but before he could do anything else, his attackers retreated deeper into their ranks, and the secondyer of cavalrymen rushed forward to swing their sabers at him.

    The yin and yang energies surrounding Ye Qing shuddered a little, but they still managed to redirect the sabers away from his body. But once again, his attackers retreated after the one attack so that the nextyer of cavalrymen could unleash their attacks.

    Ye Qing frowned. At this rate, they would wring him dry long before he managed to break out of the encirclement.

    This time, Ye Qing swung his sleeves and caught the falling sabers in a bundle of force instead of bouncing them away from him. Then, he pulled the weapons toward him.

    Caught off guard, the cavalrymen reacted decisively and abandoned their weapons. However, that slight dy was all Ye Qing needed. Before they could retreat into their ranks, Ye Qing swung his sleeves again and spun the sabers around him like a hurricane, skewering their torsos with their own sabers. Before anyone could react, he pulled several Scale Horses and sent them flying toward his enemies.

    The Scale Horses weighed at least hundreds of kilograms. If they hit, they were going to do a ton of damage. So, the captain barked another order,

    ¡°Saber out! ck Water sh!¡±

    Every cavalryman unsheathed their sabers and swung at the Scale Horses. Their saber forces merged together to form several ck scars in the air that cut the Scale Horses into bits.

    The Scale Horses weren¡¯t the only gifts Ye Qing prepared for them, however. The second the Scale Horses split into many tiny chunks, the force hidden within their flesh immediately exploded outward like a hail of arrows. Caughtpletely off guard, the foremost cavalrymen were skewered and killed just like that.

    While the ck Water Cavalry struggled to regain control, Ye Qing leaped into the air and tried to escape. However, his senses suddenly warned him of danger, and he hurriedly gathered his energy and punched directly above his head.

    It was at this moment an arrow fell from the sky like the judgment of the heavens. There was no sound, but the arrow was imbued with so much power that it easily tore through his fist force like paper. Then, it continued its course and mmed into Ye Qing¡¯s fist.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was a loud boom, and Ye Qing felt a tremendous amount of foreign energy spreading throughout his body and scattering his energies. Then, he was sent crashing back to the ground. The impact was such that a shallow pit spanning about ten meters had taken form around him. It was like a mini meteor had struck the ground.

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression looked ugly as he gathered himself. When his energies had cycled once throughout his body, and a mouthful of murky breath escaped his lips, the foreign energies wreaking havoc inside his body were fully dispelled.

    Obviously, Duan Zipao was the one who shot the arrow. Duan Zipao was ate-stage Spirit Master, so the shot was incredibly powerful as a matter of course.

    The good news was that the shot failed to harm him despite its power. The bad news was that the ck Water Cavalry had regained control and surrounded him once more.

    Duan Zipao didn¡¯t make another move after shooting that arrow. He was back to roleying a curious spectator once more.

    ¡°Flood Dragon Formation, now!¡±

    The cavalrymen surrounding Ye Qing suddenly split away from each other just enough to reveal two narrow gaps. At the same time, two squads formed up at the end of the gap and charged toward Ye Qing. It was like a flood dragon attempting to skewer him alive with its horns.

    Both squads were only ten-man squads, but the threat they represented were unmistakable.

    Ye Qing knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to break out of the encirclement then, not while Duan Zipao was still watching from the sidelines. Not only that, it was clear that Duan Zipao treated this battle like a clown show. He wanted to wear him down with his ck Water Cavalry before killing him like a clown.

    <i>If I can¡¯t escape... then I will fight.</i>

    <i>Let¡¯s see if you can still clown about after I¡¯ve annihted your whole army!</i>

 Chapter 460: I Will Kill Ye Qing Myself

    <h4>Chapter 460: I Will Kill Ye Qing Myself </h4>

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and sucked in what felt like a cyclone¡¯s worth of air into his stomach. For a moment, his abdomen thudded like thunder.

    When he bent his knees slightly, his feet slowly sank into the ground as if it couldn¡¯t bear his weight.

    Right before the two cavalry squads would hit him like two mini avnches, Ye Qing stretched his arms in front of him and caught the heads of the two foremost Scale Horses.

    His muscles groaned, and his bones cracked and popped like fireworks. The ground beneath his feet also undted like it was made of water, not earth.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t budge an inch from his spot, however. Like an unshakeable mountain, he had stopped the avnche via sheer strength. He then pressed both Scale Horses to the ground.

    The squads following closely behind the two lead cavalrymen couldn¡¯t stop their charge in time. They immediately bowled themselves over and fell all over the ce.

    ¡°Grr...¡±

    A guttural growl escaped Ye Qing¡¯s throat as ck fur grew out of his face, and his body grew much bigger and taller than before. Before anyone could react, he raised his elbow and mmed into the pile of fallen cavalrymen with all his might.

    What happens if you punch a snowball? The snowball would scatter into countless pieces, though in this case it was a shower of flesh and blood instead of pure, white snow.

    Ye Qing was just starting, however. After annihting two squads of cavalrymen with a shoulder charge, he continued forward and plunged deep into the enemy ranks.

    Ye Qing was much stronger and immune to most weapons after transforming into the Chaos Demon Ape. Against the ck Water Cavalry, he was like a tiger in a den of sheep. Every part of his body was a deadly weapon his enemies couldn¡¯t defend against, and even the most casual gesture could send scores of cavalrymen flying through the air. Without hesitation, he punched, kicked, mmed, smashed, and scratched every cavalryman in his range into pieces.

    Faced with such an unusual opponent, the ck Water Cavalry¡¯s formation immediately fell into disarray. Their blood ran like rivers, and their screams seemed like it would never end.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Atop the northern gate, Duan Zipao¡¯s expression went from gleeful to ugly in an instant. If everything had gone ording to n, his three hundred strong elite ck Water Cavalry would keep Ye Qing pinned down like a fish in the barrel, while he would deal with any shenanigans the young man might pull to escape his predicament. He wanted to deplete Ye Qing¡¯s strength bit by bit and subject him to the worst possible torment and despair for as long as possible before finally killing him. Only then could his hatred be quenched.

    At first, things did go as he imagined it would. Although his elite ck Water Cavalry suffered some damage, it was well within his predictions and tolerance. Then, things went straight to hell.

    Already, his elite ck Water Cavalry was incurring losses that were far beyond his ability to endure. He had personally chosen and trained each and every one of his elites, and in that sense, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that they were his babies. He would¡¯ve been depressed for half a day if even one of them was killed in action, but for them to be harvested like wheat by the enemy? How could he stand this? How could he not be furious?

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Duan Zipao roared and leaped down from the gate. The second hended, the ground within ten meters of him copsed and split into many pieces. As dust clouds surrounded his person, he raised his bow and loosed an arrow straight at Ye Qing.

    A massive leopard suddenly appeared in the air. Its footsteps were perfectly silent, but it ran so fast it was almost impossible for the eyes to catch it. Like the wind of the heavens, it reached Ye Qing in just the blink of an eye.

    Ye Qing failed to react to the attack in time, and the massive leopard knocked him to the ground. Everyone saw an arrow stuck deep inside his right shoulder when the dust clouds faded a little, and Ye Qing climbed out of the ape-shaped pit he made himself.

    Ye Qing grabbed the arrow and ripped it out of his shoulder. The arrowhead was barbed, so he also ripped out an entire chunk of flesh in the process. Despite this, the young man grinned savagely as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain. Then, he looked away from Duan Zipao and charged into another group of cavalrymen.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    Duan Zipao nearly blew his top when he saw this. He kicked off the ground and dashed straight toward Ye Qing like a leopard.

    ¡°I was waiting for you.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devilish grin as he dered, ¡°Come forth, Child of Blood Demon!¡±

    A thick fog immediately surged out of Ye Qing¡¯s body. It moved supernaturally quick and enveloped hundreds of meters ofnd in just the blink of an eye. This included every cavalrymen and the gate soldiers on the gate.

    Unperturbed, Duan Zipao charged straight toward Ye Qing and swung his massive bow like it was a saber. The young man immediately exploded into a shower of gore.

    ¡°What the...?!¡±

    Suddenly, Duan Zipao noticed that the man he killed wasn¡¯t Ye Qing. It was a ck Water Cavalry elite.

    ¡°Ye Qing is over here! Form up and kill him!¡±

    Before he could figure out what the hell just happened, a cavalry squad rushed out of the fog and charged straight toward him.

    ¡°Are you blind? It¡¯s me!¡± Duan Zipao roared at his foolish men, but it was as if they couldn¡¯t see or hear him at all. They continued to charge him at full speed.

    Anger flickered in his eyes like twin mes as he opened his mouth and let out a mighty roar. The cavalry squad immediately lost their cohesion and fell to the ground, their energies scattered and blood pouring out of every orifice.

    Duan Zipao didn¡¯t kill them. They were his after all.

    ¡°Ye Qing is here! Kill him!¡±

    ¡°We must have revenge for our brothers! Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Battle cries were erupting from everywhere. From time to time, they were mixed with screams of pain.

    Something about this felt off to Duan Zipao. He nced at a random direction just in time to see a group of cavalrymen fighting against the gate soldiers.

    ¡°Have you all lost your minds?!¡±

    Duan Zipao shouted at the same time he cut in between the two groups and released a wave of force that disarmed everyone.

    ¡°Wh... what happened?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Leopard Commander...¡±

    The soldiers immediately jolted back to reality. Everyone wore looks of confusion on their faces.

    ¡°I just saw Ye Qing at this spot a moment ago! Where did he go?¡±

    ¡°I did too. It¡¯s like he¡¯s suddenly vanished into thin air!¡±

    His cavalrymen reported somewhat haphazardly.

    ¡°Is it the fog?¡± Duan Zipao stared at the surrounding fog severely. ¡°Something¡¯s not right with this fog. All units, protect your mind as much as possible and retreat from this fog immediately!¡±

    ¡°What about you,mander?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°I will kill Ye Qing myself!¡±

    Right now, Duan Zipao¡¯s face was so dark you would think a storm was brewing inside him. The elite ck Water Cavalry was his greatest force, but now they were dying in droves because of Ye Qing. His heart ached so much he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was actually bleeding inside.

    He already hated Ye Qing to begin with, but now? Not even killing Ye Qing a million times would be enough to appease his anger.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    A terrible, chilly, dark aura slowly poured out of Duan Zipao¡¯s body. When he roared, the fog within several hundred meters of him was dispelled for a moment, and a giant leopard appeared behind his back.

    The leopard had night ck fur and azure blue eyes. ck water filled with countless malicious ghosts were swimming around it. It was Duan Zipao¡¯s yin god, the Ghost Leopard of Winnowing Waters.

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    Duan Zipao¡¯s eyes concentrated in a certain direction, and a malicious grin shed on his face. He took off in a tremendous burst of speed.

    While the Ghost Leopard of Winnowing Waters was descending from the sky, the ghosts swimming inside the ck stream also spilled out into the open. Blue-faced and long-fanged, they donned battle armor and rode skeletal horses. Like veteran soldiers who had fought countless battles, they formed an entourage around Duan Zipao and charged forward with fearless abandon.

    Duan Zipao might be one man, but he was also an army. His yin god, the Ghost Leopard of Winnowing Waters, possessed the ability to convert dying people¡¯s souls into Chang ghosts that he mightmand as he pleased.

    Seemingly in awe of Duan Zipao¡¯s power, Ye Qing didn¡¯t move from his spot. When themander was about six meters away from him, Ye Qing abruptly shot him a strange, devilish smirk.

    ¡°Took you long enough.¡±

    A bad feeling suddenly gripped Duan Zipao. Before he could puzzle out what it was, Ye Qing took one step backward and disappeared into the thick fog. Not only that, a familiar rumble could be heard from behind the thick fog.

    ¡°What¡ª¡±

    A terrible ck stream churned out thick fog. It was headed straight for Duan Zipao. By the time themander realized what was happening, it was already toote. He could only watch as his ghosts mmed head first into the squad of ck Water Cavalry elites.

    The ghosts were smashed apart like nothing, but the souls of the cavalrymen were also snuffed out like a candle.

 Chapter 461: I Regret Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 461: I Regret Nothing </h4>

    Although the elite cavalrymen were already dead, they continued to travel toward Duan Zipao due to inertia. They mmed full force into him and sent him flying through the air.

    His consciousness was flickering, and blood was spilling through his lips. Before Duan Zipao could recover his wits, a gigantic silhouette reached him with surprising agility and swung its palm. The silhouette was, of course, Ye Qing.

    Red lotuses began appearing in Duan Zipao¡¯s headspace. Demonic hellfire burned his mind and seeped out of his pores.

    Unfortunately, Duan Zipao was ate-stage Spirit Master who had forged his Yin God. There was a burst of spiritual power, and the Ghost Leopard of Winnowing Waters let out a mighty roar. Both the red lotuses attempting to take root in his mind and the hellfire spreading throughout his body were annihted in an instant. At the same time, Duan Zipao snapped back to reality.

    That wasn¡¯t the only move Ye Qing had prepared for him, however. The second he regained his consciousness, Duan Zipao found a slender saber flying straight toward his neck. It was as red as it was lethal.

    <i>Pssh!</i>

    de sank into flesh, and for a moment, it looked like Ye Qing had won. However, the young man¡¯s expression darkened. It was because the killer move that should¡¯ve beheaded Duan Zipao was blocked. Somehow, the Leopard Commander¡¯s armor had melted into streams of liquid and blocked his attack.

    ¡°Hahahaha! You think you can kill me?¡±

    Duan Zipao let out a madugh, but his eyes were overflowing with murder and just a hint of fear.

    At this point, even he had to admit that Ye Qing possessed outstanding intelligence, cunning, and adaptability. First, he used the fog to obstruct his spiritual senses. Then, he tricked him into killing against his own cavalrymen and incurring some serious damage as a result of it.

    Although he was a Spirit Master, he wasn¡¯t a body-tempering warrior. Not even he could take the cavalry charge of a guard of elite cavalrymen[1] head on.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Ye Qing hadunched his ambush right after his energies were scattered, and before new energy was born. His nning, his decision-making, and his timing were definitely praiseworthy. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the armor he was wearing was a Strange Artifact called ck Water, he could very well be dead already.

    Anger and fear joined together to form a sea of bloodthirst. Duan Zipao¡¯s palm abruptly turned as ck as ink, and he aimed a cold, vicious, and destructive palm strike at Ye Qing¡¯s chest.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    There was a low, dull sound of impact, and the yin and yang energies protecting Ye Qing werepletely destroyed. Not only that, the palm continued forward and struck Ye Qing right on the chest.

    <i>Pop pop pop!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s insides began popping and cracking incessantly like fireworks. Duan Zipao was surprised for an instant before he burst outughing, ¡°You actually took my ck Sky Divine Palm head on? What a fool!¡±

    He just wanted to force Ye Qing away when he executed the move. He never thought that Ye Qing would choose to bear the attack. An ultimate technique of the ck Sky Divine Pce, the ck Sky Divine Palm was an insidious, vicious palm strike that injected soft, cold poison into the target¡¯s body. It spread quickly throughout the body and broke the bones, destroyed the internal organs, damaged the bodily points, and threw one¡¯s pulse intoplete disarray.

    Depending on how tough the victim was, ck Sky Divine Palm could literally destroy a person¡¯s bones and internal organs in one hit. It was best used against warriors with a tough body.

    The palm force was incredibly difficult to remove as it seeped deep into one¡¯s body, and as if that wasn¡¯t evil enough already, it also inflicted long-term, unbearable pain upon its victims. The pain would not disappear until the palm force was fully eradicated, and it was bad enough that even a tough-as-nail warrior couldn¡¯t endure it for long.

    This was why the ck Sky Divine Palm was known together with the Three Splits Mind Killing Palm, the Absolute Yin Hand, the Finger That Castrates, the Insect Feast Palm and more as some of the most insidious and brutal palm arts in the entire world.

    Duan Zipao didn¡¯t expect Ye Qing to take the ck Sky Divine Palm head on, nor did he understand why the young man would make such a foolish choice. Regardless, he didn¡¯t hesitate to rotate his palm half a circle and pushed a tidal wave of ck palm force into Ye Qing¡¯s body.

    The palm force swiftly spread throughout Ye Qing¡¯s body from the chest. In just the blink of an eye, Ye Qing¡¯splexion had turned a shade of ck, and ck blood was pouring from every orifice.

    Ye Qing was smiling, however. While Duan Zipao was busy injecting as much palm force into his body as possible, he flipped his hand and caught themander¡¯s wrist in a death grip.

    Realizing that he was in danger, Duan Zipao tried to withdraw his hand only to realize that his opponent was as immovable as a mountain itself. The next moment, an even bigger force pulled him uncontrobly into Ye Qing¡¯sp.

    Duan Zipao nched. He was currently spent because he had injected all of his energies into Ye Qing earlier. He hurriedly sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to gather new energy inside him.

    He was toote. Ye Qing grabbed his left arm as well and headbutted him[2].

    Although his armor blocked the headbutt for him, it couldn¡¯t stop the anomalous burst of spiritual power invading his headspace. It instantly destabilized his mind and dimmed his consciousness. As a result, the energy he was channeling immediately crumbled into nothing.

    Before Duan Zipao could regain his wits, Ye Qing tightened his grip into a bear hug and jumped. The ground shook, and they both shot toward the walls of Tian Yong like an arrow.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    A massive pit with spreading cracks on the fringes appeared on the wall. The next moment, Ye Qing clenched his fists and began punching Duan Zipao¡¯s stomach.

    The armor was still protecting the Leopard Commander, but Ye Qing didn¡¯t care. He kept throwing punch after punch with wanton abandon. Every time Duan Zipao regained his consciousness and got ready tounch a counterattack, Ye Qing would headbutt him and execute ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± to break his train of thought.

    Although Duan Zipao was ate-stage Spirit Master with a Yin God, the cavalry charge from earlier had done him a serious amount of damage and drained much of his spiritual power. Not only that, Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± also damaged his Yin God. Finally, Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± was nothing like Duan Zipao had ever encountered, so he wasn¡¯t able to counteract it immediately.

    Like a tireless cksmith, Ye Qing pounded Duan Zipao with his fists again and again. A dozen or so punchester, the armor finally exceeded its limit and exploded into smithereens.

    The second the armor exploded, Ye Qing threw his left elbow forward and struck Duan Zipao squarely in the neck. It was such a powerful strike that themander¡¯s neck sank a full meter into the wall. Not done yet, Ye Qing raised his right arm andnded two quick strikes on Duan Zipao¡¯s elbows. There was a bloodcurdling scream, and the man¡¯s bones ripped right out of his flesh.

    Now that the man was mostly disabled, Ye Qing no longer had anything to be afraid of. He began pounding away Duan Zipao¡¯s stomach like a drum once more.

    Debris flew everywhere as Duan Zipao sank deeper and deeper into the wall. His eyes were bulging, blood was pouring out of every orifice, and his energies kept growing weaker and weaker.

    Dozens of punchester, Ye Qing abruptly stopped his assault. As if on cue, his energies suddenly plummeted like an avnche.

    If someone were to look at the exposed parts of his arms and neck, they would notice that his skin had turned bluish ck in color. His eyebrows and hair were also frozen as if he was standing in the coldest winter. His aura was beyond chilly, and a pool of ice was spreading underneath his feet.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Ye Qing covered his mouth and coughed a little. Despite this, he couldn¡¯t stop a trickle of ck blood from pouring through his fingers. Every part of his body was hurting like a bitch.

    Duan Zipao¡¯s palm strike hadn¡¯t just jolted his internal organs out of position, broke his muscles and bones, and damaged his veins. The insidious palm force had also spread throughout his body and made him feel like he was standing naked in the coldest wintend. To say he was beyond ufortable would be the understatement of the century.

    Even so, Ye Qing didn¡¯t regret taking the palm strike. Everything he had done until this point was to kill Duan Zipao.

    Duan Zipao was the greatest obstacle standing between him and freedom. He could never escape unless themander was taken out of the picture. That was why he had been searching for a way to kill Duan Zipao from the moment he used the Child of Blood Demon.

    First, he used the original fog to obstruct his enemies¡¯ senses and pit them against each other. While Duan Zipao was at his weakest state, he would ambush themander and hopefully kill him.

    Everything had gone perfectly until Duan Zipao¡¯s armor suddenly came to life and blocked what should¡¯ve been a killing blow. The lull gave Duan Zipao just enough breathing room to unleash the ck Sky Divine Palm.

    Ye Qing could¡¯ve dodged the attack, but he knew that Duan Zipao just wanted to drive him away and buy himself even more time to recover. That was precisely why he couldn¡¯t back off.

    If he retreated, Duan Zipao would be able to recover his strength, and as ate-stage Spirit Master, themander had all the tools he needed to turn this into a battle of attrition. There were only two possible oues if the fight did turn into a battle of attrition. One, he runs out of strength and dies. Two, reinforcements show up, save Duan Zipao and kill him.

    Duan Zipao could afford to drag out the battle, but not him. That was why he could only bear the attack head on and fight with his life on the line. Moreover, Dan Zipao wasn¡¯t a body-tempering warrior. His astral qi and spirit were powerful, but his body was perfectly average. He of all people feared trading wound for wound, life for life.

    Ye Qing was the opposite. His body was strong, but his astral qi and spirit were weaker than Duan Zipao¡¯s.

    In a battle between warriors, the only path to victory was to attack the enemy¡¯s weakness with your strength. Besides, Ye Qing was confident he could take the ck Sky Divine Palm and still defeat Duan Zipao.

    In the end, he won, and Duan Zipao lost. So, he regretted nothing.

    1. Reminder that ¡°a guard¡± here is over 100 people. ?

    2. Never say that the MC can¡¯t pick up skills from his foes. This one is contributed by Zhao Lan. ?

 Chapter 462: Intimidation

    <h4>Chapter 462: Intimidation </h4>

    ¡°Cough... It¡¯s your victory.¡±

    Viscous, bright red blood dripped down Duan Zipao¡¯s lips as he coughed. His aura was so weak it felt like a breeze could snuff it out.

    There was no fear on the Leopard Commander¡¯s face, however. He said, ¡°You won¡¯t kill me though. After all, I¡¯m your only ticket out of this mess.¡±

    Ye Qing too was coughing incessantly because of the ck Sky Divine Palm. He was trying to heal his injuries using his powerful vigor and vitality, but the effects were minimal.

    ¡°If you kill me, you won¡¯t escape. But if you keep me alive, there are many ways I can be useful,¡± Duan Zipao dered. ¡°Release me, and I will help you escape Tian Yong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re... right.¡± Ye Qing covered his mouth and coughed again.

    An arrogant, disdainful smile appeared on Duan Zipao¡¯s face. That was his final expression before a thin red line appeared on his neck.

    The Leopard Commander¡¯s head fell right off his shoulders and rolled several times on the ground like a watermelon. When it came to a stop, his widened, frozen eyes were staring straight at Ye Qing.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t need you.¡±

    Ye Qing never even bothered to look at Duan Zipao. With the wave of his hand, he withdrew the original fog back into his body.

    When the fog cleared, and weak sunlight through the clouded sky, a field of corpses greeted countless eyeballs.

    Most of these people were just obeying orders.

    Most of them were perfectly innocent.

    But they tried to kill him, so he killed them in return.

    That was all there was to it.

    There was no such thing as an innocent enemy.

    <i>tter tter tter!</i>

    It was at this momentpanies of men filed out of the city gate. They looked as numerous and endless as the sea itself.

    It wasn¡¯t long before they skidded to a halt, however. Why?

    Because everyone on the battlefield except one was dead.

    Because so much blood was pooling on the battlefield that it looked like ake of blood.

    Because Duan Zipao was embedded deep within the city walls, headless.

    And because standing opposite of them was a pale-looking young man whose spine stood as straight as a sword.

    Veteran or greenhorn, the blood drained away from everyone¡¯s face. Words couldn¡¯t describe how they felt at this moment.

    ¡°Ye Qing...¡± A white-facedmandant asked the young man slowly.

    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±

    Ye Qing slowly focused his gaze on themandant and caused him to grow even whiter.

    ¡°Did you... kill them?¡± Themandant asked with a shiver.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time he saw a field of corpses, but never from the loser¡¯s perspective. This was definitely the first time he lost so manyrades.

    It was an unfamiliar, infuriating, and terrifying feeling.

    ¡°I did. And not just them. I killed your Leopard Commander as well,¡± Ye Qing dered with a smile. He looked like a white me in a dark night; pale but brilliant.

    ¡°You cannot escape. Surrender and die.¡±

    Themandant was themandant for a reason. He slowly suppressed his emotions, found the killing intent nesting within his heart, and growled, ¡°Draw your weapons, men!¡±

    His order snapped the shocked and terrified soldiers out of their reverie. They hurriedly unsheathed their weapons as per ordered, but their movements were disjointed, and some of them even broke out in whimpers.

    It was clear they were shaken by what they saw.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes slowly turned red and translucent like amber. He raised his right arm and made a grabbing motion.

    In that moment, every drop of blood on the battlefield slowly floated into the sky and formed a literal river of blood. As the river kept growing, the bodies slowly shrank, and the ground returned to its natural color.

    What happened next was something that would haunt their dreams for many, many years toe. Ye Qing opened his mouth, and the river of blood poured into his stomach.

    He, a mere man, had devoured an entire river.

    Ye Qing¡¯s aura shot through the roof. If his presence was a candle me before, now it was a forest fire that dyed everything within several hundred meters of him red.

    The Hengshan soldiers felt suffocated in mind and body. Their blood was bumping against their blood vessels as if it had a mind of its own, and their energies were all over the ce.

    <i>Thump! Thump! Thump!</i>

    Those weak in cultivation or willpower even copsed to their knees or cked out on the spot.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t follow me if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s curled into a bright, refreshing smile. But because of the hellish background, it looked like the smile of the most horrendous demon.

    ¡°But if you did, I would wee you with open arms. I can always add more bodies to my grave.¡±

    A light chuckle escaped his lips, and the unholy light churned like a tidal wave. His hands sped behind his back, Ye Qing turned around and slowly walked away.

    They didn¡¯t give chase. They didn¡¯t even dare to make a sound. They simply stared at Ye Qing¡¯s back as if they weren¡¯t watching a human, but a demon.

    The Hengshan Army was famous for their discipline and fearlessness, but right here and now, they looked like a broken quail.

    Themandant gripped his saber so hard that veins were popping on the back of his hand. His lips were quivering as if he was desperate to open his mouth.

    In the end though, he didn¡¯t raise his saber, nor did he say the words he thought he wanted to say.

    When Ye Qing waspletely gone, and the red space enveloping the world finally faded away like a mirage, every soldier let out a sigh of relief and copsed on the ground. They felt weary beyond imagination despite not having done anything.

    Themandant slowly closed his eyes and let go of his weapon. When he sighed, it looked like he had aged a decade in an instant.

    He couldn¡¯t believe it, but Ye Qing had intimidated them all. They outnumbered him several hundred to one, and even the greenest among them was a war veteran who would not hesitate to throw their lives away on the battlefield. And yet Ye Qing still managed to scare them into inaction with just words.

    What a joke!

    It was at this moment three silhouettes dashed out from inside the city. They were none other than Chu Qingge, Granny Ghost and Grandpa Wasp.

    ¡°Did... Did Ye Qing do all this?¡± Grandpa Wasp eximed in disbelief when he saw the field of corpses. His eyes widened even more when he saw Duan Zipao¡¯s headless torso and wide-eyed head. ¡°He killed even the Leopard...?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Themandant nodded stiffly.

    ¡°What happened to the bodies?¡± asked Granny Ghost with a small quiver in her voice. She noticed that every corpse on the battlefield except Duan Zipao¡¯s head had shriveled as if their blood was sucked dry.

    Was it a coincidence? Or did Ye Qing skip Duan Zipao¡¯s head on purpose?

    ¡°The ¡®Blood Demon Sutra¡¯?!¡± Chu Qingge mumbled while furrowing her brows a little.

    The others might not know what martial art Ye Qing had used to drain the bodies dry, but not her. She was there when he received the inheritance after all, and as far as she was aware, it was the only martial art he possessed that could perform such a feat.

    Ye Qing had told her that he only received a small portion of the Blood Demon¡¯s inheritance, but now, it would seem that he hadn¡¯t told her the truth.

    ¡°What did you say, Your Highness?¡± Grandpa Wasp snapped out of his daze and asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Chu Qingge shook her head and asked themandant, ¡°Where is Ye Qing?¡±

    The man answered woodenly, ¡°He left.¡±

    He didn¡¯t escape. He left.

    ¡°He left?!¡± Grandpa Wasp erupted in anger and disbelief. ¡°What are you waiting for then? Let¡¯s pursue him already!¡±

    Themandant simply bowed his head and said nothing.

    ¡°When did Ye Qing leave?¡± Chu Qingge asked, ¡°Which direction did he go?¡±

    Themandant pointed and answered, ¡°He left just a short while ago.¡±

    ¡°The Yong River? Is he trying to escape by water?¡± Chu Qingge¡¯s voice gained a note of urgency. ¡°Grandpa Wasp, Granny Ghost, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Themandant hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Your Highness, Ye Qing is a formidable foe. Even the Leopard Commander had perished in his hands. I would strongly urge you to wait until the general has arrived before you go after him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Ye Qing couldn''t have defeated the Leopard Commander without suffering some grievous injuries. I doubt he has the strength to handle all three of usbined,¡± said Chu Qingge while ncing at themandant. Then, she took off in the direction Ye Qing had left while Granny Ghost and Grandpa Wasp were following closely behind.

    ¡°Grievous injuries?¡±

    Themandant wouldn¡¯t stop repeating the words like he was ill even after Chu Qingge was long gone.

 Chapter 463: Waiting

    <h4>Chapter 463: Waiting </h4>

    A faint mist was brushing against the shores of Yong River, but it wasn¡¯t nearly thick enough to obscure the endless expanse of blue stretching from end to end. Embedded in between two mountainous terrain, it looked like the world¡¯s biggest and prettiest blue ribbon.

    The Fog Demon was floating beside Ye Qing and sighing, ¡°We finally arrived. Well done, boy.¡±

    Honestly, there was a moment¡ªquite the long moment, in fact¡ªwhere the Fog Demon honestly thought that they were going to die in the city. However, Ye Qing had ultimately defied all odds and escaped alive. It was such an impressive feat that even it had to pay him a sincerepliment; a rare thinging from its kind.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything. When the Fog Demon looked, it suddenly noticed wounds appearing on Ye Qing¡¯s skin like cracks on a porcin vase. Blood was seeping out of them.

    ¡°Are you okay, boy?¡± The Fog Demon asked urgently when it saw this.

    ¡°Rx. This won¡¯t kill me,¡± Ye Qing replied with a smirk. Unfortunately, he used a little too much force and caused a wound on his cheek to split wide open like the Joker. A stream of bright red blood jetted out of the wound so hard that it left a hole on the ground.

    ¡°I just consumed a little too much blood, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Earlier, he had consumed several hundred bodies¡¯ worth of blood using the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± including the blood of thete-stage Spirit Master, Duan Zipao, to cow the Hengshan Army into submission. As a result, the power of those blood was spilling out of his body like a flood bursting out of a broken dam.

    It would¡¯ve been very difficult for him to keep this amount of power contained even if he was in tiptop condition, and right now his body was afflicted by Duan Zipao¡¯s ck Sky Divine Palm. It was a miracle he hadn¡¯t exploded into a shower of blood and gore. Like a performer with a sword inserted all the way into his stomach, a single misstep might see him torn to shreds.

    He didn¡¯t let go of the power, however. He still needed it for now. A dangerous weapon could definitely harm its wielder, but it would harm his enemies so much more.

    The Fog Demon rxed when it saw that Ye Qing was calm enough to crack a joke. ¡°Heh! You and your undying passion for theatrics!¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my theatrics, how am I supposed to cow those people into submission?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my theatrics, I doubt I would be able to make it here alive.¡±

    ¡°What is your n now?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    ¡°We wait,¡± Ye Qing said calmly, ¡°we wait for our ride and for some people to show up.¡±

    By ride, he was referring to the Corpse Ship, of course. The Boat of Longing, a.k.a the Corpse Ship, was his final trump card.

    Leaving the city wasn¡¯t enough to keep him alive. Not even close. Even leaving the prefecture altogether was just a start.

    He had killed the Harmony King¡¯s son and a prince of Chu. There was no doubt that this matter would reach the emperor¡¯s ears. There was a reason people said that the Son of Heaven¡¯s wrath could kill millions, and he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he ended up having to leave Chu altogether.

    Of course, this <i>might </i>be an exaggeration. The imperial court was lofty, but the <i>jianghu </i>was far and wide. No matter how powerful the emperor was, there was no way he could oversee the entire realm all the time.

    He would definitely die if he stayed in the regions where the emperor wielded the most power though, and Tian Yong was definitely one of those regions. That was why he needed to get the hell out as soon as possible.

    Without help, it would¡¯ve been nigh impossible for him to leave Tian Yong behind. But with the Boat of Longing, it was practically trivial.

    The Boat of Longing was an Anomaly that specialized in concealment. Few people could perceive its existence, and not even Grandmasters could navigate its fog without being misdirected. It also possessed the ability to traverse any body of water such as rivers andkes.

    He was a partial owner of the Boat of Longing, so he could summon it to his side at any body of water. Besides that, Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan owed him a favor. Therefore, leaving Tian Yong wasn¡¯t an issue.

    He could¡¯ve left the city at Yonghe Lake, but the Boat of Longing¡¯s appearance at Yonghe Lake had greatly embarrassed the Pacification Bureau. Furious, they set up a Dust of Falling Blue Great Array that could iste any and all Strangers. As a result, he was unable to perceive the Boat of Longing from Yonghe Lake. That was why he had to leave the city.

    The good news was that the northside of Tian Yong was close to the famous scenic spot, the Yong River. This was the real reason he tried everything in the book to leave the city through the northern gate.

    The process had been convoluted and fraught with difficulties, but thankfully, he made it in the end. He had summoned the Boat of Longing as soon as he neared the Yong River. Now, he only needed to wait for it to show up.

    ¡°We¡¯re just going to... wait?¡±

    The Fog Demon repeated Ye Qing¡¯s words like a confused child. <i>Shouldn¡¯t we hide ourselves at least? Are you sure it¡¯s a good idea to stand out here in the open? What would your pursuers think if they saw you like this? Shouldn¡¯t you care for their fragile hearts?</i>

    ¡°Who are you waiting for?¡±

    ¡°Someone I owe,¡± Ye Qing stared at the calm waters with equally calm eyes¡ªor was it? Was that a lightning storm brewing behind those deceptively calm windows to the soul? ¡°And another who owes me.¡±

    Dozens of breathster, Ye Qing slowly turned around and said, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±

    Before he even finished, Chu Qingge, Granny Ghost and Grandpa Wasp entered his view.

    ¡°We finally caught you, you murderous rebel!¡± Grandpa Wasp¡¯s eyes widened with delight the second he caught sight of Ye Qing. A swarm of venomous wasps immediately flew out of his body and toward Ye Qing like a storm. ¡°Now die!¡±

    The wasps he raised were named the Poison Wasps. Although it was just a Red-ss Stranger, what itcked in quality, it made up for it with quantity. The barb of a Poison Wasp was highly venomous and could inflict massive pain upon its victims. If enough toxin was injected into the victim¡¯s body, then it could even melt their flesh and blood into a pool of screaming goo.

    Right now, Ye Qing looked like a broken vase that was stitched together with glue. It proved that he had sustained grievous injuries during his battle against Duan Zipao. Grandpa Wasp was confident that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop his Poison Wasps.

    His expectations were defied immediately. The ck cloud that was the Poison Wasps didn¡¯t even manage to get close to Ye Qing before he clenched his fist. The air around the swarm abruptly let out a deafening pop, and every single Poison Wasp died just like that.

    ¡°Ahhh! My babies!¡± Grandpa Wasp let out a bloodcurdling scream. His shock was greater than even the pain of losing his wasps, however.

    Anyone could see that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t in a good condition. Not even close. So how did he still possess so much power? The power he used to destroy the Poison Wasps intimidated even him, a Spirit Master. Sure, he was less of a warrior and more of a waspkeeper, but he was still a Spirit Master!

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing covered his mouth and let out a couple of violent coughs. Pitch ck blood spurted through his fingers, and the cracks on his body abruptly widened and spilled even more blood.

    Grandpa Wasp saw this as a good sign. He immediately released more wasps while shouting, ¡°He¡¯s on hisst legs, old hag! Let¡¯s attack him together and take revenge for the prince!¡±

    Granny Ghost wordlessly stepped forward and discharged a ring of ghastly energy. It quickly took the form of a small ghost. Then, she bit off half of her tongue and spat both the tongue and her blood essence onto the ghost.

    The blood essence spun in the air for a bit before transforming into an evil-looking talisman. When the talisman pressed itself on the little ghost¡¯s forehead, power swiftly spread throughout its body and made it many, many times stronger than it was before. Even its aura had be anomalous and imperceptible.

    The next moment, the ghost abruptly appeared atop Ye Qing as if it had teleported and clung to his skull with a death grip. Then, it sucked in a deep breath.

    Rich vitality immediately poured into the little ghost¡¯s mouth. At the same time, tendrils of ck qi seeped into Ye Qing¡¯s flesh.

    It was at this moment blood qi suddenly erupted from Ye Qing¡¯s body like the sun. it was so forceful that even the sky above his head was dyed red. Like a snowball that was thrown into the frying pan, the little ghost screamed and disintegrated into nothing just like that. The same thing happened to the Poison Wasps as well.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The death of the little ghost caused Granny Ghost to spit out a mouthful of fresh blood. At the same time, a bizarre-looking, bright red rune enveloped her whole body and seemingly subjected her to an unimaginable amount of pain. Considering that she hadn¡¯t batted an eyelid when the little ghost was feasting on her flesh earlier, one could only imagine what pain she was suffering right now. Herplexion was pallid, and her ancient back grew even more crooked than before.

    Her pain was nothingpared to her shock, however. She had executed a secret art called the Ghost Curse, and anyone who was cursed by it would be haunted by vicious ghosts. It was a powerful curse not even a Spirit Master could remove easily. However, Ye Qing had dispelled it and inflicted a rebound on her like nothing.

    <i>How is a grievously injured man this strong? How is it even possible for a Spirit Purifier to disy such power?</i>

    <i>What a monster!</i>

    Grandpa Wasp didn¡¯t know what to do either. His Poisonous Wasps were the one and only weapon he possessed in his arsenal, and Ye Qing just slew them all.

    For a time, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

    Then, Chu Qingge broke her silence and slowly walked toward Ye Qing.

 Chapter 464: Canâ€™t Go Back

    <h4>Chapter 464: Can¡¯t Go Back </h4>

    ¡°Stop, Your Highness! I¡¯m not sure how, but his power far exceeds that of a Spirit Purifier right now! You mustn¡¯t let your anger overtake you!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Your Highness! Don¡¯t tempt Ye Qing¡¯s ruthlessness and brutality! Run while Grandpa Wasp and I hold him back!¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, please stop! Come back!¡±

    Grandpa Wasp and Granny Ghost turned as pale as a sheet when they saw Chu Qingge walking toward Ye Qing.

    Chu Qingge wasn¡¯t deterred, however. She assured them, ¡°It will be fine,¡± before resuming her walk toward Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing smiled. He never attacked her even as she got closer and closer. A momentter, he began, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would catch up to me first... unless you¡¯re the one who saw through my escape n?¡±

    ¡°It was me,¡± Chu Qingge confirmed as she stopped three steps away from Ye Qing. Her expression was calm, and her eyes looked as clear as a mirror.

    ... No, there was something lurking behind those clear eyes. A hint of an indescribable, indecipherable emotion, like white clouds and invisible wind stirring what was a perfectly blue sky.

    A cloud didn¡¯t understand the meaning of sorrow, and the wind was everchanging.

    ¡°Why?¡± Chu Qingge asked.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I didn¡¯t do it?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t answer immediately.

    ¡°I would.¡± Chu Qingge fell silent for a moment. ¡°So, did you do it?¡±

    <i>I believe you didn¡¯t do it, but did you do it?</i>

    <i>Did you betray my trust?</i>

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me,¡± Ye Qing dered. ¡°Or rather, I did kill your brother, but I wasn¡¯t myself at the time. I was set up.¡±

    ¡°You may not know this, but about two weeks ago, I nearly died inside the Corpse Ship. Someone had purposely led me to the Anomaly so it would kill me, and that person had disguised himself as a waiter of Wine Are Songs Boat. That is why Lord Hong had the ce shut down.¡±

    ¡°A few days ago, I almost died again because Zhao Lan somehow consumed the Hanba¡¯s blood essence and temporarily gained the power of a Half-Step Grandmaster. But ording to Lord Hong¡¯s investigation, Zhao Lan never had the Hanba¡¯s blood essence until someone gave it to him a day before our match. Clearly, the same person tried to have me killed through Zhao Lan.¡±

    ¡°I survived both assassination attempts only because I was incredibly lucky. This time though... my luck finally ran out.¡±

    Rare shock crept onto Chu Qingge¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know who this killer is?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head bitterly. ¡°No.¡±

    There were just too many people who wanted to see him dead.

    Chu Qingge stayed quiet for a moment. ¡°I trust you, so pleasee back with me. I promise I will right the wrongs that have been done to you, and give my father and my brother the proper closure they deserve.¡±

    A sardonic smirk crossed his lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Qingge. I can¡¯t go with you.¡±

    Chu Qingge asked slowly, ¡°... You don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I trust you more than most.¡± Ye Qing began slowly, ¡°But would Zhou Hengshan believe you? Would the Harmony King believe you? Would the imperial court believe you?¡±

    ¡°Besides, I just killed several hundred people including Duan Zipao to escape. Zhou Hengshan would never let this go, and I doubt that the imperial court could overlook such a challenge to their authority either. More importantly, the mastermind behind all this would never stop until I¡¯m dead.¡±

    ¡°If I go back with you, I will die. I would also be dragging you into my mess.¡±

    ¡°I wish it wouldn¡¯t turn out this way, but... I can¡¯t go back anymore.¡±

    Chu Qingge fell silent. She knew that Ye Qing was speaking the truth, and the truth was often harsh and unchangeable.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you must run,¡± Chu Qingge said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ye Qing admitted. ¡°I can neither prove my innocence nor give you the proper answer you seek if I¡¯m dead. So I must run.¡±

    ¡°Will you ce your trust in me, Qingge? Will you give me the time I need to give you and your family the answer and closure you deserve?¡±

    Chu Qingge stared at him with aplicated expression on her face. ¡°Is this why you stayed behind when you should be focusing on escaping Tian Yong? To tell me all this?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I believe that both you and the Harmony King deserve to know what¡¯s going on¡ªand when the timees, receive the answers and closure you deserve.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I believe you,¡± Chu Qingge replied. ¡°I believe you will give me a proper answer.¡±

    ¡°Thank you... for believing in me.¡±

    It was like an invisible weight was lifted from his shoulders. When Ye Qing smiled again, it was far brighter and carefree than before.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    It was at this moment a thunderp erupted from the distance. The wind howled, and ck clouds rolled in with surprising speed and blotted out the clear, sunny sky in just a few breaths.

    A giant hand emerged from the dark clouds. It was like a god had decided to descend judgment upon the sinner. Ye Qing felt as tiny and powerless as an ant as the giant hand moved straight toward him.

    ¡°General Zhou, stop!¡±

    A shocked and furious cry cut through the air, followed by a sword beam that pierced through the heavens. The sword beam was bright yellow in color and exuded great nobility. It was also overbearing and brimming with power as if the Son of Heaven himself had arrived.

    The sword beam struck the giant hand in full force, but it was unable to stop its descent in the slightest. A momentter, it disintegrated into nothing.

    All the while, the giant hand continued to fall toward Ye Qing, unstoppable and inescapable.

    Despite this, Ye Qing remained calm and collected. It was almost as if he couldn¡¯t perceive the attack.

    It was at this moment a draconic roar filled the sky. The world shook as a golden dragon descended from above, crushed the storm of ck clouds, and mmed head first into the giant hand.

    The sword beam had failed to slow the giant hand a little, but the golden dragon was able to smash it into pieces. The scattering force whipped across thendscape like a gale and returned sunlight back to the world once more.

    The next moment, three people appeared at the rivershore at the same time. The first one was a stout and angry man brimming with bloodthirst. He was Zhou Hengshan.

    The second person was a man wearing a golden robe and a golden mask. He was Chu Hao.

    And the third person was a tall and muscr man whose very presence screamed indomitable power. He was Hong Jianglong.

    The second Zhou Hengshan appeared, he immediately pounced toward Ye Qing at top speed. His jump caused the origin qi in the air to quiver, and the earth to shake like an earthquake.

    Unfortunately for him, Hong Jianglong moved faster and blocked directly in front of his path. As if on cue, they both took half a step to the side and locked shoulders with each other.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The golden dragon swimming around Hong Jianglong¡¯s body disintegrated, and the ground behind him undted unnaturally like a tidal wave.

    Zhou Hengshan stumbled backward three steps before he managed to catch himself, and each time he took a step, his fat would shake like crazy, and the ground beneath his feet would crumble into dust.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Hong Jianglong? Are you trying to defend the killer?¡± Zhou Hengshan red at Hong Jianglong hatefully.

    ¡°It is still too early to decide if Ye Qing is the killer.¡± Hong Jianglong inhaled an insane amount of air into his abdomen and returned to peak strength in an instant. ¡°Also, Her Highness is standing next to Ye Qing. Are you trying to kill her as well?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to kill our princess, General Zhou?¡± said Chu Hao in an unfriendly voice while ring at Zhou Hengshan. Thank the heavens that Hong Jianglong was here, or he could only imagine the consequences that would follow.

    ¡°You misunderstand, Commander Chu.¡±

    Zhou Hengshan shifted his re to Ye Qing. ¡°I simply lost my cool when I saw the bastard who killed my battalionmander and my men right in front of me. It¡¯s my mistake, and I promise that I will pay the Harmony King a visit and apologize to himter. But right now, we should kill this bastard and take revenge for the prince first.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the power to decide if Ye Qing is the one who killed the prince,¡± Hong Jianglong said disdainfully. ¡°Also, you seem to be in a little <i>too </i>much hurry to kill Ye Qing. Are you sure you don¡¯t have a confession to make?¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? First, there are dozens, maybe even a hundred witnesses who saw Ye Qing killing the prince with their own eyes. Second, the bastard killed <i>my </i>men and <i>my </i>battalionmander. To say that his crimes are unforgivable would be an understatement!¡±

    Right now, Zhou Hengshan was so angry that his body fat was quivering non-stop like the tide. It wasn¡¯t an act. He truly hated Ye Qing to the bone.

    When he first heard about the incident, he thought it was an opportunity to kick the Pacification Bureau down a notch and regain some of the face he lost to Hong Jianglong earlier. He thought for sure that everything would go smoothly without a hitch. Instead, he lost several hundred soldiers and even his Leopard Commander to Ye Qing.

    This was bad enough, but the damage this failure would do to his reputation was worse. He would be the first general ever to lose his battalionmander and hundreds of soldiers to a single <i>jianghu </i>warrior in recent history. Unless he somehow covered up for this failure with a greater achievement¡ªwhich was nearly impossible to do during peacetime¡ªhe would be remembered his whole life as a joke. He might never be able to stand tall in the imperial court or the <i>jianghu </i>again.

    As a general, he was naturally thick-skinned. However, there was a difference between ignoring the asional barbs and having your worst mistake beingughed at your whole life.

    So yes, he absolutely wanted to tear Ye Qing from limb to limb. He wanted to scatter his ashes so he might never be reborn. If he could somehow implicate Hong Jianglong for Ye Qing¡¯s crimes and ruin his life as well, then even better.

    ¡°Why are you defending this reprehensible criminal, Hong Jianglong? Are you really going to break thew?¡±

 Chapter 465: I Will Handle My Own Problems

    Chapter 465: I Will Handle My Own Problems

    Reprehensible criminal? Break thew? As if you know a thing about thew! Hong Jianglong scoffed. If I didnt know better, I would think that youre the one who wrote them!

    First things first, Ye Qing hasnt been trialed by the Three Judicial Offices and the Imperial n Court[1]. Until he is convicted, he is just a suspect.

    Second, it was entirely your own fault that your men died in Ye Qings hands. He isnt convicted yet, and yet you used him of treason and dispatched your whole fucking army to kill him. Of course he was going to defend himself!

    You Zhou Hengshan couldnt say anything against that because it was true, and that caused his blood pressure to rise even more than it already was. This argument is pointless. Im just going to ask you one question: Are you getting out of my way, or not?

    Ooh, Im so scared! Hong Jianglong sneered. No. What are you going to do about it?

    So be it! A terrible power emanated from Zhou Hengshan. His aura shot through the heavens and seemingly warped his very surroundings into a cold, merciless battlefield. It almost felt like armies would pour in at any moment.

    The rage of a Grandmaster could literally change the world.

    Hah! Like Im scared of you. Hong Jianglongughed as his aura began skyrocketing as well. Ive been wanting to test your Men of War. Today is the perfect opportunity to do so!

    Ill keep Hong Jianglong busy. You go kill Ye Qing, Commander Chu, Zhou Hengshan ordered.

    Although Chu Hao was displeased with Zhou Hengshans earlier action, he knew that capturing Ye Qing took priority. That was the task the Harmony King had entrusted to him.

    I dare you to make a move, Chu Hao.

    But before the shadow guardmander could make a move, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Hong Jianglongs energy had locked onto him, and it felt as if someone had pressed a sword to his neck.

    Are you seriously going to fight the two of us together, Hong Jianglong? Zhou Hengshan scoffed. He and Hong Jianglong were more or less at the same level, and while Chu Hao wasnt a Grandmaster, he was only half a step away from entering that stage. Therefore, there was no way Hong Jianglong could win against them.

    Also, my men will be arriving any moment now. There is no way you can protect him, Hong Jianglong. Just surrender him already so we may be done with this farce.

    Hong Jianglong wasnt intimidated in the slightest. No, you shut up ande at me, he dered as his energies stirred the surrounding air and origin qi like a golden dragon.

    Are you really going to make an enemy out of the Harmony King and the imperial family, Lord Hong? Chu Hao asked in an unfriendly tone as well.

    Heavens above, why cant you people just shut up and fight me? Fine, Ill waste some breath on you. Until Ye Qing is convicted, he is still a member of the Pacification Bureau, and youre discussing his murder <em>right in front of me. </em>Do I look like a pushover to you?

    Hong Jianglong dered in a tone that would ept no rebuke. If you wish to kill him, then you can go through the official process. If, and only if the Three Judicial Courts and the Imperial n Court determine that his crimes are punishable by death, then you may kill him. Until then, he is still a member of the Pacification Bureau, and you have no right toy judgment on him.

    Youre the one who insists on shaming yourself, Hong Jianglong! Zhou Hengshan roared with bloodshot eyes, and the noises of war grew louder.

    Right back at you, fatty. Hong Jianglong sneered. Stop peeing in your own face. Its unsightly.

    Heaven and earth began to stir ominously. A great battle would soon break out between two Grandmasters.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing took a step forward and dered, Please stop, my lord. There is no need for this.

    Chu Qingge also looked at Chu Hao and ordered, Uncle Chu, stay your hand.

    Hong Jianglong looked back at Ye Qing and said, Dont worry, Joyless. I swear I will get to the bottom of this and clear your name. Until then, no one will harm a hair on your person.

    I am eternally grateful for your trust, my lord, Ye Qing replied with wholehearted sincerity. He didnt expect Hong Jianglong to defend him even when things hade to this. He would be lying if he said he wasnt moved by it. But that was precisely why he couldnt drag Hong Jianglong down with him.

    He knew very well that he was in deep shit. The crime of killing Chu Qingli was unforgivable, but he also killed hundreds of Hengshan soldiers and a battalionmander. Although he was set up, there was no way he could have absolved without some consequences even if he had all the evidence he needed to clear his name, which he didnt, not to mention that neither the evidence nor the truth always mattered.

    At this point, everyone in the <em>jianghu</em> would have heard of his exploits. This was no longer just a matter of the Harmony King or Zhou Hengshan taking revenge against Ye Qing. This had escted into a situation where the dignity of the imperial family and the military itself was on the line.

    No business was too insignificant, and no slight was too slight when the Son of Heaven was involved.

    Hong Jianglong might be able to protect him for a time, but the price was his own life and maybe even the Pacification Bureau itself. At the very least, the consequences would be severe and far-reaching.

    The Pacification Bureau had been nothing but good to him. How could he possibly repay kindness with suffering?

    This was neither his style nor his way.

    He would not and could not be the reason Hong Jianglong was brought low.

    That was why he looked at Hong Jianglong and said seriously, But its fine. You dont have to help me.

    What do you mean, Joyless? Hong Jianglong furrowed his brows. If youre worried that Im not strong enough to protect you, dont.

    He nced meaningfully at Zhou Hengshan and Chu Hao as he dered, I, Hong Jianglong, fear nothing and no one.

    You dont have to tell me that, Ye Qing said with a gentle smile on his face. However, there are some things in life that only I can do. I dont wish to borrow anothers hand or entrust my life to another.

    What are you trying to say, Joyless? Hong Jianglongs confusion only grew at Ye Qings puzzling words.

    Im saying that I will clear my own name, im the vengeance I am owed, and handle my own problems by my own hands.

    Ye Qing looked at Hong Jianglong and dered firmly, I officially resign from the Pacification Bureau. From now on, my actions and behavior no longer have anything to do with the Pacification Bureau, and the Pacification Bureau no longer holds any power over me. So please, dont meddle in my affairs any longer, Lord Hong.

    Hong Jianglong shuddered. That was how shocked he was to hear Ye Qings sudden deration. Joyless, you

    Hahahahaha! Zhou Hengshan interrupted the conversation with a crazed, ridiculingugh. See, Hong Jianglong? He doesnt appreciate your kindness at all! How does it feel to waste your feelings on an ingrate!?

    What do you care? Its my business! Hong Jianglong retorted.

    Trye. I couldnt care less about you. Zhou Hengshansugh subsided into a sinister grin. So you best stay out of my business as well.

    As soon as he said this, a deafening boom rocked the world, and Zhou Hengshan abruptly pounced toward Ye Qing. For someone so fat, he moved as fast as a lightning bolt.

    Hong Jianglong was going to block the generals way again, but this time Chu Hao predicted his movement and fired a violent, storm-like sword beam from his fingers. Although Chu Hao was just a Half-Step Grandmaster, the attack wasnt something he could just ignore. So, he turned his palm around and pressed toward the ground.

    Hong Jianglongs palm was only several inches long, but it was like an entire world was contained within it. Inside that world was a golden dragon that opened its mouth and absorbed every wisp of the storm-like sword qi. As powerful as the attack was, it could not harm even a hair on his person.

    The Pacification Commissioner took a step forward and blew Chu Hao away like a cotton in the wind.

    Chu Hao was stunned. He knew he was no match for Hong Jianglong, but the gap was far bigger than he expected. The man had defeated his sword qi with a single palm, and pushed him back in a single step.

    That wasnt to say Chu Haos hindrance was useless. Try as he might, Hong Jianglong ultimately was one step toote to cut in front of Zhou Hengshan. The general swiftly closed the distance between himself and Ye Qing.

    Zhou Hengshan! You dare?! Hong Jianglong roared.

    Hahaha! Why wouldnt I?! Zhou Hengshanughed savagely while overflowing with murderous intent. Im going to kill him right in front of you! What are you going to do about it?

    It was at this moment Chu Qingge took a step forward and released a tremendous amount of purple qi. As the Son of Heavens imposing silhouette took form in the sky, she dered, General, please wait and listen to me.

    Zhou Hengshan didnt expect this reaction from Chu Qingge, and with so many eyes watching him, he didnt have the courage to kill the princess. He was forced to withdraw therge majority of his energies.

    As a Grandmaster, he could release and withdraw his energies as he pleased. Any other warrior below this stage would have suffered at least some damage.

    How dare you use the princess as your shield! Princess, watch out! Zhou Hengshan shouted so loudly that no one could hear what Chu Qingge was saying. At the same time, he grabbed her shoulder, sealed her energies so she couldnt resist, and tossed her out of the way like nothing.

    With Chu Qingge out of the way, Zhou Hengshan continued to advance toward Ye Qing.

 Chapter 466: My Name Is Ye Qing, And I Always Keep My Promises

    Chapter 466: My Name Is Ye Qing, And I Always Keep My Promises

    You killed the prince, and now youre plotting to kill the princess as well? Audacious, reprehensible criminal! You deserve death!

    The first thing Zhou Hengshan did after removing Chu Qingge from the equation was to nder the crap out of Ye Qing. Then, he threw a punch faster than the eyes could blink. The mes and smokes of war rose to the sky, and the battle cries of men filled the ears. It felt like they were in the middle of a war zone.

    It is easy to find a stick to beat a dog, Ye Qing sneered despite his pallidplexion and tearing flesh. Then, an unbelievable amount of blood and qi poured out of his wounds. They felt as terrible and forceful as Zhou Hengshans Men of War.

    As Ye Qing became taller, and iron-like fur grew out of his skin, the wounds too widened until they looked like cracks on a wall. One could see clearly into his body and his bright red blood roaring swiftly like moltenva. Right here and now, he resembled a human-shaped volcano.

    When Ye Qing threw his own punch, it was like a volcano was erupting. The heavens turned crimson, and the ground tore itself asunder. Then, the powers shed. Red and ck dominated one half of the sky like yin and yang, evening and twilight.

    Although Chu Qingges sudden appearance forced Zhou Hengshan to withdraw therge majority of his energies, and he was in so much hurry to kill Ye Qing that he didnt bother regathering his power, he was still a Grandmaster. Just a few breathster, the red energy began crumbling and receding toward Ye Qing.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    There was a loud explosion, and the red energy abruptly shattered into smithereens. The resulting shockwave tossed ye Qing backward as helplessly as a rag doll.

    You think you can fight me with your heretical magic? Foolish scum. Zhou Hengshan sneered disdainfully after sending Ye Qing flying.

    He was a Grandmaster and a war veteran, so of course he recognized that Ye Qing had temporarily boosted his power using some sort of heretical art. He didnt care though. No matter how bright the firefly shone, it could neverpare to the moon.

    Zhou Hengshan rushed forward to finish the job, but he had just taken a single step when his sixth sense suddenly warned him of danger. Before he could identify what it was, a pair of explosions even greater than the one earlier erupted directly beneath his feet. Like ss, everything within hundreds of meters of the general abruptly shattered into pieces.

    This was just the beginning, however. A greater power burst out of the earth and transformed the whole ce into a sea of fire and moltenva. Unlike a normal fire, this one was filled with the aura of death, epidermic, destion and more.

    Hong Jianglong and Chu Hao took no damage because they were standing far enough to react to the sudden explosion. They hurriedly shielded Chu Qingge, Granny Ghost and Grandpa Wasp from harm and withdrew to safety.

    However, Zhou Hengshen was caught off guard and standing right at the center of the explosions. He was engulfed before he could react in any way.

    The Hanbas blood essence?

    Chu Hao nched a little as he identified its source. If it was him standing at the center of the explosion instead of Zhou Hengshan, he didnt think he would live to see tomorrows sun. At the very least, he would be grievously wounded for months, maybe even years toe.

    <em>How did Ye Qinge by the Hanbas blood essence?</em>

    The same question crossed everyones mind, but no one could answer it. They could only stare at the sea of fire andva with varying expressions on their faces.

    A shame, Hong Jianglong suddenly spoke up and shook his head with regret.

    Shame, what? Chu Hao asked, puzzled.

    Hong Jianglong answered, The explosion generated by two drops of Hanba blood essence wouldve been powerful enough to kill you, but that fatty? It is not enough.

    Chu Hao: ... <em>You didnt need to insult me.</em>

    As Hong Jianglong said, a furious roar suddenly broke out from the center and scattered the sea of me andva in an instant. When Zhou Hengshan came into view once more, he looked as ck as a charred piece of meat. Judging from how his aura was fluctuating up and down uncontrobly, it was clear that he had taken some serious injuries.

    He couldnt care less about that at the moment, however. He might have dispel the Hanbas insidious mes with his power, but it failed to quell the towering rage burning inside his heart one bit.

    I will tear you limb from limb and scatter your ashes, Ye Qing!

    Get in line. Youre hardly the first person who wants me dead.

    Ye Qing was currently standing on top of the river. He was covered in blood, but he paid no attention to his sorry state. While staring at the fuming Zhou Hengshan, he shook his head regretfully and said, A shame that wasnt enough to kill you, you fucking fatty.

    The two drops of Hanba blood essence he used to ambush Zhou Hengshan came from Zhao Lan, of course. After he slew the warrior, he had taken his Natures Shell because one, he was hoping to find some clues that might lead him to the mastermind, and two, it was his rightful loot.

    He didnt find any clues, but he did find two drops of Hanba blood essence. The mastermind mustve given Zhao Lan three drops of Hanba blood essence in total as insurance[1], but the warrior had died before he could consume the remaining drops. As a result, he was the one who benefited in the end.

    The Hanbas blood essence was notoriously unstable. It could only be preserved using a special container. Otherwise, it was liable to explode at the slightest jolt of impact. In that sense, it was simr to a Sky Thunder or Thunder Bomb.

    Before Chu Qingge and her subordinates showed up, he had buried both droplets and one Thunder Fire Talisman in the ground precisely to ambush Zhou Hengshan. Of course, it didnt have to be Zhou Hengshan. He was perfectly happy to send the generalsmanders such as Fei Chuan to the next life as well.

    He knew that his enemies would do everything in their power to kill him, no matter the cost. That was why he had prepared this gift for them.

    First, he borrowed Chu Qingges presence to keep Zhou Hengshan from being able to unleash his full power. Then, he attacked him to further deplete his energies.

    While Zhou Hengshans energies was at a low point, he detonated the Thunder Fire Talisman to destroy the container holding the Hanbas blood essence and trigger them to explode.

    One might argue that he was risking Chu Qingges life with his ploy, but he wasnt worried. He was certain that Zhou Hengshan wouldnt kill Chu Qingge, and that he would throw her as far away from him as possible so she wouldnt get in his way. On the off chance his prediction was off, he could just not detonate the Thunder Fire Talisman.

    Thankfully, everything went ording to n.

    In fact, Ye Qing knew that two drops of Hanba blood essence wasnt enough to kill Zhou Hengshan even when his guard was down. It probably wouldve been better if he saved the blood essences instead of wasting it on an ambush that was doomed to fail.

    He didnt want to though. He wanted to retaliate against his evildoers at least once.

    He didnt do anything wrong, so why must he suffer being hunted like a helpless criminal? Why must he run all over the ce to escape his pursuers and hide like a frightened mouse?

    Was it the weaks fate to suffer in the hands of the strong? Could he not put up even a token of resistance without receiving the capital punishment?

    He refused to believe that was the truth. He rejected it wholeheartedly.

    He wanted Zhou Hengshan and the mastermind who had been watching from behind the curtains all this time to know that he, Ye Qing, was no ill cat they might toy as they pleased. No, he was a tiger. A man-eating tiger.

    Ye Qing!

    Zhou Hengshan uttered through gritted teeth and slowly made his way toward Ye Qing once more. When he nted his right foot on the waters, it slowly climbed taller and taller into the sky.

    Ye Qing paid it no heed, however. As Zhou Hengshan came closer and closer, Ye Qing smiled and dered strongly, I once swore that I would make all my evildoers pay their dues.

    This is just the down payment, Zhou Hengshan. One day, I will make you pay for everything.

    Remember this well. My name is Ye Qing, and I always keep my promises.

    You think you have a future?

    Zhou Hengshan raised both hands, and the blue waves stood parallel with the sky itself.

    You wont have a future. You wont even have a next life!

    Zhou Hengshan brought his arms down, and the waves finally crashed down on Ye Qing.

    Sorry to disappoint you then.

    Smirking, Ye Qing took one step backward and disappeared into a white fog. When did the fog appear? The waves crashed down on the spot where Ye Qing was a moment ago like a tsunami, but it was unable to scatter the thick fog.

    Hmm?

    That wasnt all. Zhou Hengshan realized with a frown that he was unable to peer through the fog with his eyes or his senses, much less locate Ye Qing.

    Suddenly, a swarm of corpses entered his view. They slowly floated on the river, eerie and unsettling.

    Fog? Corpses? Could it be the Corpse Ship?! Zhou Hengshan realized something and eximed in shock.

    The next moment, he felt the fog slowly receding toward the distance.

    1. Ye Qing seriously wouldve died if he had chosen to stall out that fight until Zhao Lan ran out of steam lol.

 Chapter 198: The Boundless Mara Buddha

    Chapter 198: The Boundless Mara Buddha

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna suck me dry one day, bud.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sigh and proceeded to spit out a dozen mouthfuls of blood. Blood donation had never been this easy and exhausting. If he wasn¡¯t as vigorous as he was, he would¡¯ve reached his limit in a couple mouthfuls at most.

    Finally, the familiar blood red text appeared:

    ¡°The Boundless Mara Buddha is a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. It is created from the remains of the enlightened monk and Trueman-stage warrior of Thousand Buddhas Temple, Jing Hui, the power of the Mara Buddha, and the Moko Boundless Chains. To put it simply, the body is the foundation, the Mara Buddha¡¯s power is the core, and the Moko Boundless Chains are theplement. Together, they form the Mara Boundless Buddha.¡±

    ¡°The Mara Boundless Buddha contains both Buddhist and demonic powers. In its sealed state, it is a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. It possesses the power of a Buddha as it is created from the remains of an enlightened monk and a Buddhist artifact. It can be used to steady one¡¯s mind, calm one¡¯s spirit, and protect one¡¯s soul. It can also be used to suppress and exorcise many evils.¡±

    ¡°In its unsealed state, the Boundless Mara Buddha is a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact that can unleash the power of the Mara Buddha. The Boundless Mara Qi can be used to corrupt body and soul and manifest a demonic domain.¡±

    ¡°However, the wielder of the Boundless Mara Buddha may be corrupted and turned into a mindless puppet by its Boundless Mara Qi if their willpower is weak.¡±

    The blood text ended here.

    ¡°A Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact? I can hardly believe it! Hahaha! Hahahaha!¡±

    Ye Qing tried really hard to suppress his mad cackle, but in the end he just couldn¡¯t help himself. Finally, he had something that would allow him to give Wang Luori the middle finger and taunt, ¡°Come at me, bitch!¡±

    Generally speaking, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact was as potent as a Spirit Purifier. In fact, it was usually stronger because the ingredients and conditions necessary to create such a Strange Artifact was far more stringent than it was to create a Spirit Purifier. Take the Boundless Mara Buddha for example, it had been created from the remains of a Trueman. Trueman was the cultivation level above Spirit Master, and it requiredbining one¡¯s Yin God, astral qi, and physical body into one to form the Yang God. Trueman warriors were also known as Grandmasters.

    This was why even the most ordinary Strange Artifact was usually greater than its warrior counterpart. In fact, they could often threaten a warrior at a higher cultivation level. Therefore, in terms of potency alone, a Soulstealer-ss strange Artifact absolutely could threaten ate-stage Spirit Purifier and even a Half-Step Spirit Master. If it was sentient, then it could even threaten a Spirit Master¡ªassuming that it could unleash its full power, of course. In fact, most warriors could never unleash the full potential of their Strange Artifact due to its various restrictions and side effects.

    Even so, Ye Qing definitely possessed the right to stand against Wang Luori now. At the very least, the Half-Step Spirit Master could no longer threaten his life just by ring daggers at him like thest time.

    ording to the Annon Sutra, the Boundless Mara Buddha could be used in two ways. In its sealed state, it was a support-type Strange Artifact that could be used to protect his mind, spirit and soul. It would safeguard him against the tricks and ambushes of say, an illusion-type Stranger.

    In its unsealed state, the Boundless Mara Buddha would transform into an offensive-type Strange Artifact that supposedly possessed incredible potency. While the description didn¡¯t really do a good job at exining how he should use it or how powerful it waspared to your conventional Spirit Purifier, he could always test it out after he went back to his residence.

    As for the risk of using the Boundless Mara Buddhas in its unsealed state, Ye Qing decided to overlook it for now. To worry about it now was like fussing over the watermelon seeds inside a juicy watermelon. For now, the benefits seemed to outweigh the risks.

    ¡°Hoooh, hehehe¡­¡±

    After that, Ye Qing put away the Annon Sutra and admired his new toy. From time to time, he would even let out a sillyugh. He just couldn¡¯t have enough of it. He would do this for the next six hours toe.

    He hadn¡¯t gone insane, of course. He was waiting to see if danger would show up.

    He hadn¡¯t forgotten what Jing Hui said earlier. The monk had transformed into a Strange Artifact only because he was corrupted and refined by a person who called himself ¡°Mara Buddha¡±, and Ye Qing had just stolen the fruit he spent much time and effort to cultivate.

    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Mara Buddha had left behind some sort of rm to alert him just in case something had gone awry. What if Mara Buddha came over to take a look, found Ye Qing with his Strange Artifact, said, ¡°I am fated with this item¡±, and ughtered his ass to reim it?

    After all, Mara Buddha was the man who built a temple of corpses to refine the remains of a Trueman into a Strange Artifact. There was no way a guy like this would be weak, and this time he no longer had Wang Yang to act as his meat shield.

    This was why Ye Qing had chosen to hide himself instead of cultivating his astral qi immediately. It would be most awkward if Mara Buddha showed up and stumbled upon him in the middle of his cultivation.

    If Mara Buddha did show up, he would find no one and think that the thief had already escaped with his Strange Artifact. If Mara Buddha did not show up, then even better.

    In this world, it was always better to be safe than sorry.

    ¡­¡­

    Far, far away, a young man cultivating at the edge of a cliff slowly opened his eyes. The dark light circting in his pupils took the shape of a Buddha, but it was an evil-looking Buddha filled with demonic power. It painted a stark contrast with the gentle and merciful smile on his face.

    ¡°Huh! Someone took the item I kept in the Thousand Buddhas Temple.¡±

    The young man closed his eyes and counted with his fingers, but he quickly frowned and muttered, ¡°Strange. Who is it? Not only did they wipe out the strand of mind I imbued on the item, I couldn¡¯t calcte their exact location with my Southern Dipper Calction. Are they that strong, or do they possess a powerful artifact that could conceal their fate from scrutiny?¡±

    The young man spent a moment longer trying to identify the thief to no avail. He didn¡¯t take the failure to heart though. In fact, he smiled a little and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You may keep my item for a while longer. All things in the world are bound together by fate. I will find you one day.¡±

    ¡°Senior brother! Senior brother!¡±

    It was at this moment an anxious voice interrupted his train of thoughts. A young disciple was rushing up the cliff and calling out to him.

    When the young man turned around, the demonic Buddha in his pupils vanished like it was never there. He watched the young disciple with warm eyes and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Take your time.¡±

    The young disciple felt his anxiety subsiding a little when he heard the young man¡¯s gentle voice. He took two breaths to calm himself further before saying, ¡°The Hill Lord is looking for you, senior brother.¡±

    ¡°Master wants to see me? Did he say why?¡±

    The disciple looked a little pale as he shook his head. ¡°The Hill Lord didn¡¯t say, but¡­ he looked incredibly angry. He had already killed a handful of servants and maids. You should be careful when you meet himter, senior brother. You wouldn¡¯t want to provoke his ire right now.¡±

    The young man smiled. ¡°Thank you for the warning. I will be careful. By the way, please take this Yellow Dragon Pill. It will aid you when you attempt to enter the Astral Refinement stage.¡±

    ¡°The Yellow Dragon Pill? I can¡¯t possibly ept that! It¡¯s too valuable!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. The sooner you enter the Astral Refinement stage, the better you¡¯ll be able to serve the sect. Please don¡¯t turn down my gift, junior brother.¡±

    ¡°O¡­ Okay. Thanks, senior brother. I swear I won¡¯t betray your expectations.¡±

    ¡°Cultivate well. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing waited for almost nine hours before he was finally certain that Mara Buddha would not be visiting the ce. It was only then he crawled out of his hiding spot and returned to the Thousand Buddhas Temple. After finding a suitable spot and taking a seat, he took out the Star Lotus and swallowed it in one gulp.

    The Star Lotus melted as soon as it made contact with his tongue and filled his mouth with a sweet, fragrant scent. Before Ye Qing could enjoy its taste, a calm, gentle energy seeped out of the liquid and flowed straight into his dantian.

    The energy was neither turbulent nor immense. It was like a calm stream or a wispy cloud that entered his dantian before he knew it. It wrapped around the isted Burning Wind and true qi inside his dantian and fused them seamlessly.

    This was the power of the Star Lotus. It could blend astral qi and true qi into one instantly.

    While the Star Lotus was still in effect, Ye Qing hurriedly channeled the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡± and pulled in a copious amount of Burning Wind. It quickly merged into one with his true qi and became indistinguishable from one another.

    Every time Ye Qing ran out of true qi, he would absorb a silver dragon-serpent rune and replenish it immediately. He made sure to maintain the speed at which he was refining the Burning Wind, and the speed at which it was merging with his true qi at the same level.

    Over time, a terrifying molten hurricane had taken form around Ye Qing. It was so hot that the stone and soil on the ground were melted into moltenva.

    Ye Qing was sitting dead center in this pool ofva, but he wasn¡¯t moving at all. In fact, his aura kept growing stronger, and his body and even his hair slowly turned dark red in color. Wisps of dark red mes were pouring out of his pores, giving him the appearance of a molten mold or a fire spirit.

    An incense stickter, when Ye Qing felt that his body had umted the maximum amount of astral qi it could umte, he immediately took out the Blood Jade Lotus.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t swallow the Blood Jade Lotus in one gulp like the Star Lotus because one, it was too big, and two, it would be wasteful to consume it this way. Instead, he tore off one petal and swallowed it slowly. After it entered his stomach, it transformed into a ball of red energy that spread to every corner of his body.

    He could feel the Blood Jade Lotus¡¯ power seeping into his dantian and spreading out like manyyers of invisible web. Then, it began filtering out all of the impurities and filth inside his astral qi.

    Ye Qing was surprised to see the dark red astral qi turning as ck as the night. He thought that this was its true color at its purest, but he was wrong. More time passed, and his astral qi gradually shedded its ck color. This would continue until his astral qi had bepletely transparent and seemingly non-existent.

    There was no denying the sheer power contained within this ¡°nothingness¡±, however.

    It was then Ye Qing had a revtion: wind was invisible and formless in the first ce. That was why the Burning Wind¡¯s purest form was invisible and formless as well.

    ¡°PHew¡­¡±

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and spat out an invisible wisp of Burning Wind. Everything within several meters of him instantly became distorted with heat, and an entire patch of Burning Wind blowing in from the opening was blown apart with ease.

    ¡°So this is the Burning Wind¡¯s true power!¡± Ye Qing eximed happily. But it was too soon to be happy just yet. The power of the Star Lotus and the Blood Jade Lotus hadn¡¯t faded yet, and there were still more work to be done. He immediately threw himself into his cultivation once more.

    Every time the Blood Jade Lotus filtered out arge amount of impurities, the volume of astral qi inside his dantian would decrease. As a result, he could absorb more Burning Wind from his surroundings and blend them with his true qi all over again. Once he had reached his limit, he would consume another petal and remove all of the impurities.

    Time passed little by little. The winds of the Thousand Buddhas Temple were as noisy as ever, and yet this moment felt surprisingly peaceful.

    White Horse Academy only wished they could say the same.

 Chapter 467: Dividing A River

    <h4>Chapter 467: Dividing A River </h4>

    ¡°He¡¯s going to escape!¡±

    There was no time to figure out why the Corpse Ship was here and how Ye Qing was connected to it. All Zhou Hengshan knew was that his cooked duck was moments away from flying out of his grasp[1].

    If Ye Qing really was involved with the Corpse Ship, then he might actually escape this ce alive, and that was one oue he absolutely couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t tolerate.

    Eyes bulging with shock, disbelief, and volcanic fury, Zhou Hengshan rushed headlong into the thick fog. However, he wasn¡¯t able to find anything besides a field of corpses.

    ¡°I thought you want to kill me, Ye Qing? I¡¯m right here!¡± Zhou Hengshan shouted while running across the waters like it was solid ground. Every time he took a step, the river surface would cave inward like silken fabric, and dull thunder would resound from the bottom of the river.

    In just a few breaths, he had checked every space within the fog. However, he clearly missed something because he still couldn¡¯t see the Corpse Ship or Ye Qing.

    ¡°Come out, Ye Qing! Come out here right now!¡±

    Zhou Hengshan¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he raised his hand and roared, ¡°To me!¡±

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    There was a strange buzz, and space itself was split apart like it was made of fabric. A gigantic saber was literally cutting through the sky and zooming straight toward Zhou Hengshan.

    The saber had a broad de that was bony white in color. Its t sides were also covered in hooked barbs not unlike a spinal cord. In fact, it was the spinal cord of a Stranger.

    The moment the white saber appeared, the weather grew violent, and what felt like the veil of death itself converged upon the saber, violent and bloodthirsty. The world fell as silent as death as it streaked toward Zhou Hengshan, shrinking until it was finally small enough to fit in the general¡¯s hand. Its aura hadn¡¯t diminished in the slightest, however. On the contrary, the scent of death grew even purer, and blood leaked out of the de as if it was just barely keeping its own powerpressed in such a tiny form.

    The saber¡¯s name was the ughterer of Ten Thousand. It was Zhou Hengshan¡¯s main weapon and a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact.

    If you killed a fellow human, then you are just a murderer. But if you kill ten thousand humans, then you are known as a hero. The ughterer of Ten Thousand, as its name implied, was a vicious saber that had in at least ten thousand humans.

    The ughterer of Ten Thousand was forged from the spinal cord of a Rakshasa of The Dead of War, and a Rakshasa of The Dead of War was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger that was born from the wastnds created by war. It ate the flesh of the dead, drank their blood, and puppeteered their souls for its own use. Whenever it appeared, the Hundred Ghosts Parade woulde to life, and deadly gues would reap all those who were living. Any country unfortunate enough to be haunted by it would suffer unending wars and other cmities.

    The ughterer of Ten Thousand was created after the spinal cord of the Rakshasa of The Dead of War was used to y ten thousand people so it might feast on their flesh and soul. The day the saber attained perfection, the sky wept blood, and thousands and thousands of ghosts roamed thend of the living. It was one hundred percent a cursed saber.

    Zhou Hengshan had used the ughterer of Ten Thousand to suppress the Southern Sea Rebellion and massacre several countries with the weapon. It was how he permanently cemented his name in infamy. Without the ughterer of Ten Thousand, Zhou Hengshan might never be what he became today.

    As he gripped the ughterer of Ten Thousand, Zhou Hengshan¡¯s murderous aura grew so powerful that it shot through the heavens like a column of ck light, stirring heaven and earth alike. Then, he swung the weapon with all his might.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    The ughterer of Ten Thousand was the deadliest manying weapons in the world. In just one stroke, he split the world in front of him into two. A gigantic crack had opened up in the middle of the Yong River, and the waters poured into the bottomless chasm. The river had literally been divided in half, and every living creature in the river¡ªthe fish, the shrimps, the nts, the Strangers and more¡ªperished to the saber¡¯s deathly aura.

    Just like that, a river stretching tens of kilometers were divided in two.

    Just like that, millions and millions of living creatures were dead.

    It took a dozen or so breaths before the river water finally filled up the gap and seemingly returned to normal. However, the creatures living inside the river were utterly extinct, and it would be three to five years before any life finally returned to the river.

    That was how potent the ughterer of Ten Thousand was.

    Zhou Hengshan didn¡¯t look happy, however. His weapon arm was shaking, his forehead was bulging with veins, and his eyes were bloodshot with anger.

    His attack had split the Yong River and annihted all living creatures living inside its waters, yes, but... he wasn¡¯t sure if he killed Ye Qing.

    It was because the Corpse Ship¡¯s unnatural fog was still rolling away from him at high speed.

    He didn¡¯t give chase. He knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to it.

    If he could, the Corpse Ship Incident would¡¯ve been resolved a long time ago.

    A few breathster, not even a speck of the fog could be seen anymore. Zhou Hengshan finally looked away from the river, walked up to Hong Jianglong, and red at the man with savage, bloodshot eyes. ¡°You owe me an exnation, Hong Jianglong.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? You already killed Ye Qing, and I haven¡¯t lifted a finger to stop you from start until the end. I don¡¯t see how I owe you anything. Did your saber¡¯s aura damage your brain or something?¡± Hong Jianglong scoffed.

    ¡°Dead? You know better than I do if Ye Qing is dead,¡± Zhou Hengshan said coldly. ¡°Ye Qing is obviously cooperating with the Corpse Ship. He¡¯s going to use its power to escape the prefecture. Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau, and yet he¡¯s colluding with an Anomaly. As his superior, don¡¯t you think you owe me an answer?¡±

    ¡°First things first, I have no idea what you mean. I thought you have full confidence in the power of the ughterer of Ten Thousand? In fact, you <i>have </i>killed every living creature in the Yong River with that strike. I don¡¯t understand why you think that Ye Qing would somehow survive it.¡±

    ¡°Second, you im that Ye Qing is colluding with the Anomaly, but where is your proof? Also, it¡¯s not like Ye Qing¡¯s the only one on the river. You were there too. Who knows, maybe <i>you¡¯re </i>the one who¡¯s colluding with the Corpse Ship. There is also the chance that it has always been in the area until your battle jolted it into action.¡±

    Hong Jianglong continued in a disdainful tone, ¡°And don¡¯t tell me that the proof is Ye Qing disappearing as soon as the Corpse Ship appears. Everyone knows that the Corpse Ship kidnaps people from time to time. It is entirely possible that Ye Qing just happened to be its target this time.¡±

    ¡°Finally, I must remind you that Ye Qing is no longer a member of the Pacification Bureau. So what if he¡¯s colluding with an Anomaly? It¡¯s no longer my or the Pacification Bureau¡¯s business. If you want Ye Qing this badly, then you can look into the Corpse Ship yourself.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what am I talking? Ye Qing is already dead. The only way you can meet him now is to slit your own throat. If you get to work now, you might still catch up to his ghost before it departs!¡±

    Zhou Hengshan could barely control his rage. ¡°What a load of bullshit. Just you wait. I will definitely report this matter to the imperial court and request the emperor toy his judgment!¡±

    Hong Jianglong folded his arms over one another and replied uncaringly, ¡°Do whatever you want. This is no longer a Pacification Bureau business anyway.¡±

    He then looked at Chu Hao and Chu Qingge and said, ¡°Qingge, the murderer of your brother, Ye Qing is dead. I assume that your father and your brother have obtained the closure they seek. If there¡¯s nothing else, let us return together and speak with the Harmony King.¡±

    ¡°This matter isn¡¯t settled though. I will continue to look into the true reason behind the prince¡¯s death. I promise I will find the truth for you and the Harmony King.¡±

    Chu Qingge nodded. ¡°On behalf of my father and my brother, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Is Ye Qing truly dead, Lord Hong?¡± Chu Hao asked.

    It sounded like there was a bigger conspiracy behind Chu Qianli¡¯s death, but Chu Hao didn¡¯t care about that. He only cared about fulfilling his duty, and right now that duty was to capture or kill Ye Qing.

    Hong Jianglong replied uncaringly, ¡°Why are you asking me? The fatty over there would know better than me.¡±

    Zhou Hengshan¡¯s eyes were still bloodshot. In fact, they were redder, darker and more violent than before. ¡°I beg to differ. Ye Qing is a member of the Pacification Bureau, and all members of the Pacification Bureau are required to leave behind a soul imprint in a Soul Lamp so that the organization could check in on their status from time to time.¡±

    Due to the risky nature of the work, everyone serving in the Pacification Bureau was required to leave a soul imprint in a Soul Lamp. If themp was lit, then the personl was still alive. If themp went out, then the Pacification Bureau would know that they had died and respond ordingly.

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay to Luo Shui Pacification Bureau a visit. We don¡¯t have Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp.¡± Hong Jianglong shrugged.

    ¡°Apologies, Your Highness, but I need to dispatch some men to the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau and check if Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp is still lit,¡± Chu Hao said immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll see youter, Lord Hong, General Zhou.¡±

    Chu Hao leaped into the sky and quickly vanished into the distance.

    1. Meaning that what should¡¯ve been a 100% thing suddenly became uncertain. ?

 Chapter 468: The Soul Lamp Burns No More

    <h4>Chapter 468: The Soul Lamp Burns No More </h4>

    ¡°Time to go, Qingge.¡±

    After Chu Hao was gone, Hong Jianglong beckoned Chu Qingge to follow him and turned toward the city. He was just about to take off when suddenly, Zhou Hengshan blocked his way and dered, ¡°You can¡¯t leave yet.¡±

    ¡°Zhou Hengshan, you¡¯re really starting to piss me off.¡± A storm came over Hong Jianglong¡¯s face. ¡°Do you actually think I won¡¯t beat the shit out of you?¡±

    ¡°Of course you would,¡± Zhou Hengshan replied neutrally, but it was clear from the fact that he was still holding the ughterer of Ten Thousand that he had no intentions of moving out of the way. ¡°But please wait.¡±

    ¡°Fatty, oh fatty...¡± Hong Jianglong dragged out his voice like someone dragging a sword across the floor. It was chilling to say the least.

    <i>Clop clop clop!</i>

    It was at this moment the sound of hooves came from the distance. Soon, the Hengshan Army appeared from the horizon with swords and sabers, grim-faced and just about ready for anything.

    Two people were leading the army. The one to the left was a stern, gritty-looking man wearing a set of white tiger armor. He was the battalionmander of the Tiger Battalion, Zhao Peihu. The one to the right was a harsh, cruel-looking man wearing a set of blue wolf armor. He was the battalionmander of the Wolf Battalion, Fei Chuan.

    This also meant that the army following behind them was the Tiger Battalion and the Wolf Battalion.

    When Zhang Peihu and Fei Chuan came to a stop in front of Zhou Hengshan, Hong Jianglong and Chu Qingge, the army behind them came to a stop as well. The two battalionmanders dismounted and saluted their general respectfully, ¡°General.¡± The rest of the troops also dropped to one knee without saying anything. The sounds of their armor pieces nging against one another resonated throughout the whole ins.

    Zhou Hengshan paid them no heed, however. He simply stared at Hong Jianglong and repeated his words, ¡°Please wait here, Hong Jianglong.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. You think you can intimidate me?¡± Hong Jianglong narrowed his eyes slightly while sneering. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. You¡¯re worried that I would try and mess with Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp, right? Fine then! I¡¯ll wait. I have done nothing wrong, and I have nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    To be honest, Hong Jianglong wasn¡¯t sure if Ye Qing was alive or dead either. That was why he wanted to rush back to the Pacification Bureau and notify Fang Xiaoman or Gu Suitang to check up on Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp. If it was extinguished, then Ye Qing was dead. Everything would be over, and there would be nothing to worry about. If it was lit, then he would order them to extinguish themp. After all, Ye Qing was far better off ¡°dead¡± than alive right now. Assuming he was still alive, his only chance of escaping his pursuers¡¯ attention was to fake his death.

    It was why he repeatedly emphasized that Ye Qing was dead. It was also why he wanted to head back and tamper with Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Zhou Hengshan saw through his ploy and stopped him, and now it was toote. Knowing Chu Hao¡¯s abilities, it would take the man less than half a teatime to gain the information. Even if he managed to force his way out¡ªand that was a big if considering that he would have to fight the Hengshan Army as well¡ªit was impossible to do so without harming the Hengshan Army. His enemies would have the perfect excuse to use the Pacification Bureau of corruption and drag them into a right mess then.

    If he was just Hong Jianglong, a Grandmaster with no ties to anything whatsoever, then he wouldn¡¯t hesitate even a second to do what was necessary to protect those he cared about. However, he was the Pacification Commissioner of the Pacification Bureau. Everything he did represented the will of the Pacification Bureau, and he couldn¡¯t act without considering the ramifications and consequences to his faction first.

    Furthermore, he would be wasting Ye Qing¡¯s efforts to draw a line between himself and the Pacification Bureau. It was a lose-lose scenario no matter how he looked at it. So, he had no choice but to wait as per Zhou Hengshan¡¯s demand.

    About half a teatimeter, a shadow guard belonging to the Harmony King showed up. After saluting Hong Jianglong, Zhou Hengshan and Chu Qingge, he reported, ¡°Themander ordered me to inform you that Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp went out exactly half a teatime ago.¡±

    Zhou Hengshan narrowed his eyes. That was the moment he used the ughterer of Ten Thousand and split open the Yong River. Was Ye Qing truly dead then?

    Hong Jianglong¡¯s hand trembled a little when he heard this, but he maintained hisposure and looked at Zhou Hengshan. ¡°Hmph. Can I leave now, fatty?¡±

    ¡°Do as you please.¡± Zhou Hengshan stepped out of the way.

    It looked like the matter was finally over, but Zhou Hengshan suddenly spoke up again after Hong Jianglong had taken a few steps. ¡°You know, you don¡¯t look saddened at all.¡±

    Anyone with eyes could tell that Hong Jianglong cared deeply for Ye Qing. Just now, he was going to fight the entire world to defend him. However, he neither reacted nor pressed the shadow guard for answers after hearing that Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp was extinguished. Was it because he knew that Ye Qing was still alive?

    Right after Zhou Hengshan said that, he suddenly raised his saber as if sensing danger. However, a hand grabbed the hilt of the weapon and forced it down before he could react, and Zhou Hengshan himself stumbled backward. Each time he nted his foot on the ground, the earth would shake. Nine stepster, he finally caught himself and stood still at the rivershore. Behind him, a massive wave suddenly surged from the dead waters of Yong River and rolled toward the opposite shore.

    ¡°General!¡± ¡°General!¡±

    Zhang Peihu and Fei Chuan hurriedly charged Hong Jianglong when they saw this, but they mmed into some sort of invisible wall and were flung back even faster.

    Still grabbing the ughterer of Ten Thousand and standing right in front of Zhou Hengshan, Hong Jianglong stared into the general¡¯s eyes and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t mistake my tolerance for fear, Zhou Hengshan. I told you that Ye Qing is no longer a member of the Pacification Bureau. Provoke me and the Pacification Bureau again, and I will kill you. Understand?¡±

    Hong Jianglong let go of the saber and turned away. When he saw that the Hengshan Army was blocking his way, a hint of disdain flickered in his eyes. ¡°Are you going to stop me?¡±

    He infused his power into thest word, and every Hengshan soldier trembled like they were facing down a demon god.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Zhou Hengshan grunted and broke Hong Jianglong¡¯s spell over his soldiers with a shout. ¡°Let him go.¡±

    When the Hengshan soldiers came to, they realized that their undershirt was soaked through, and their armor felt cold because of their sweat. No one dared to say a thing. They meekly opened up a way and allowed Hong Jianglong to leave the scene with Chu Qingge. He never even favored them a single nce.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    After Hong Jianglong was gone, Zhou Hengshan abruptly spat out a glob of blood. The bony white ughterer of Ten Thousand suddenly turned a shade of bright red, and blood began pouring profusely down its edges. The saber also emitted a strange buzz that sounded like a ghastly wail.

    ¡°General! Are you... alright?¡±

    Zhang Peihu and Fei Chuan hurried forward, but they turned as white as a sheet when they got too close to Zhou Hengshan. They felt like Zhou Hengshan had suddenly turned into an avatar of hell itself, brutal and terrifying.

    ¡°Bring them,¡± Zhou Hengshan uttered shakingly. His eyes were bloodshot, his whole body was shaking, and it strained him greatly just to say a single word.

    ¡°Bring me the death row prisoners.¡±

    Zhang Peihu looked at a deputy general, and the man waved over a troop of Hengshan soldiers escorting a group of death row prisoners. They numbered at least several hundred.

    As soon as heid his eyes on the death row prisoners, Zhou Hengshan immediately rushed forward like a thirsty man who found an oasis in the desert. As soon as he reached the nearest prisoner, he raised the ughterer of Ten Thousand and cut them in half.

    Crimson blood sttered across Zhou Hengshan¡¯s face, but not only did he not feel disgusted by it, he actually licked them off his lips with a satisfied, intoxicated look on his face. He immediately moved onto the next prisoner and beheaded them, cut off the limbs of the third, eviscerated the fourth...

    Just a momentter, every death row prisoner on the scene was killed. Their heads littered the floor like trinkets at a market stall, and their blood ran freely like a river.

    It was only then the unnatural redness covering Zhou Hengshan¡¯s eyes faded. The ughterer of Ten Thousand also stopped shaking and returned to normal.

    ¡°Are you okay, general?¡± Zhang Peihu asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Zhou Hengshan put away the weapon and shook his head.

    Just now, he was suffering from the ughterer of Ten Thousand¡¯s rebound. As an infamous, deadly tool of ughter, the ughterer of Ten Thousand was as powerful as it was cursed. For starters, the wielder was constantly beset by bloodthirst and the desire to kill for as long as they wielded the weapon. Second, it must y a certain number of people after unleashing its power to quench its bloodthirst. If not, the consequences were severe.

    Usually, Zhou Hengshan could wield the ughterer of Ten Thousand without paying any price. His power was enough to keep him in check. However, Ye Qing¡¯s trap had injured him somewhat, and his attempt to kill Ye Qing using the ughterer of Ten Thousand had further depleted his energies. The hit from Hong Jianglong was the final straw. Unable to suppress the saber¡¯s rebound anymore, he had no choice but to kill a couple hundred death row prisoners to finally vent both his and the saber¡¯s bloodthirst.

    Zhou Hengshan then looked at Zhang Peihu and ordered in a harsh voice, ¡°Peihu, message Wugou and have him return to Tian Yong this instant. I want him to mobilize the ck Dog Brigade and search along the Yong River until Ye Qing and the Corpse Ship are found. I will have that bastard¡¯s corpse if it¡¯s thest thing I do.¡±

 Chapter 469: Hey There, Black Fatty

    <h4>Chapter 469: Hey There, ck Fatty </h4>

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Harmony King¡¯s shadow guard say that Ye Qing is dead, general?¡± Fei Chuan asked after a moment of hesitation.

    The ck Dog Brigade was the elite of the Dog Battalion. They were stronger than his Azure Wolf Guards, Duan Zipao¡¯s elite ck Water Cavalry, and Zhang Peihu¡¯s Tiger Defense Force.

    Every member in the ck Dog Brigade was highly trained in tracking, investigation, and stealth. They were the best scouts in the entire Hengshan Army. However, the ck Dog Brigade was usually deployed only during extremely important missions, and Fei Chuan really didn¡¯t think that a dead man¡ªone as insignificant as Ye Qing no less¡ªcounted as a matter of grave importance.

    Zhou Hengshan abruptly spun on Fei Chuan and said coldly, ¡°The shadow guard said that his Soul Lamp is out, yes, but just because the Soul Lamp is out doesn¡¯t mean that the person linked to it is dead. There are plenty of ways in this world to fake one¡¯s death, and I do <i>not </i>want a Ye Qing who is only pretending to be dead, understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± A bead of sweat formed on Fei Chuan¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°You understand? If you really do understand, then you wouldn¡¯t have allowed Ye Qing to escape the city!¡± Zhou Hengshan abruptly stepped forward and pped Fei Chuan in the face. Caughtpletely off guard, the Wolf Commander hit the ground hard and rolled twice before he caught himself. The bruised half of his face looked so bloody it was like he had been hit by a horse.

    Fei Chuan paid his wound no attention, however. He quickly sat up and crawled up to Zhou Hengshan on all fours, begging, ¡°I beg your forgiveness, general.¡±

    ¡°Forgiveness? You dare beg for forgiveness when your ipetence shamed me so that I could barely lift my head before Hong Jianglong?¡± Zhou Hengshan kicked Fei Chuan on his back before stomping on his chest, breaking it and causing themander to spit out a glob of blood.

    ¡°Never in my life have my pride been trampled so, and it¡¯s all because of you!¡±

    He didn¡¯t mind losing Duan Zipao. He didn¡¯t mind losing most of his ck Water Cavalry either. Their failure proved that they were worthless trash, and trash deserved to be thrown out. Plus, the one thing this world didn¡¯tck was people.

    What he couldn¡¯t stand was his pride and reputation being dragged through the mud.

    ¡°Mercy... general... it is true... I have failed my duty... I... am willing to... ept my punishment...¡± Fei Chuan wheezed.

    ¡°General, Commander Fei¡¯s carelessness had ruined your ns and your reputation. You have every right to punish him for it.¡± Zhang Peihu dropped to one knee. ¡°However, it is also true that Ye Qing is a cunning trickster. It isn¡¯tpletely Fei Chuan¡¯s fault that Ye Qing was able to slip past him and the Wolf Battalion.¡±

    ¡°Commander Fei had served you faithfully and tirelessly for many years. Can you please forgive him on ount of everything he has done for the Hengshan Army? Give him a chance to redeem himself?¡±

    A long timeter, Zhou Hengshan finally withdrew his leg and grunted. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I cannot recall a single moment where you were disloyal to me. Otherwise, I would take your life for sure.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, general.¡± Both Zhang Peihu and Fei Chuan bowed their heads deeply.

    ¡°You may not die, but you will atone for your crimes. When you return to your battalion, you will receive eight hundred blows of flogging and be demoted three ranks.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± Fei Chuan nodded and finally allowed himself a sigh of relief. His back waspletely drenched in cold sweat. For a moment there, he really thought that Zhou Hengshan was going to kill him.

    ¡°Fei Chuan, have some men clean up this mess. Peihu, take the rest back to their respective camps,¡± Zhou Hengshan ordered before flying away.

    Zhou Hengshan didn¡¯t return to his headquarters immediately after flying back to Tian Yong. Instead, he went to the Harmony King¡¯s residence. Everyone with an important post attached to their name was already gathered at the main hall.

    There was Tu Yulei, the Chief of the Tian Yong Pacification Bureau,

    Hong Jianglong, the Pacification Commissioner of the North,

    An Yifang, Regional Inspector of the Tian Yong administration division,

    Tie Wuying, one of the two legendary constables of the Tian Yong administration division and a fourth rank Blue Shirt Constable,

    And finally, Lei Xiaodan, Judicial Commissioner of the Tian Yong Intelligence Department.

    ¡°General Zhou,¡± Lei Xiaodan greeted the man after he stepped into the main hall. Everyone else paid him no attention whatsoever.

    Zhou Hengshan gave Lei Xiaodan a nod of acknowledgement. Then, he looked at the Harmony King¡ªthe old man was currently sitting at the seat of honor and looking drained in every way possible¡ªand sped his hands in apology. ¡°I havee to apologize for my crimes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Have you not in the murderer of my son, Ye Qing? What crimes are you talking about?¡± A trickle of energy returned to the Harmony King¡¯s eyes when he looked at Zhou Hengshan.

    The general replied, ¡°There are two. First, I had nearly injured the princess in my eagerness to capture Ye Qing. Second, I¡¯m not actually sure if Ye Qing is dead.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± The Harmony King straightened up and stared at Zhou Hengshan intently. ¡°Chu Hao has already confirmed that Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp is out. That is clear proof that he is dead, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Zhou Hengshan shook his head. ¡°The Soul Lamp is the Soul Lamp, and Ye Qing is Ye Qing. Just because the Soul Lamp is out doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that Ye Qing is dead.¡±

    ¡°There are many ways to fake death and deceive the Soul Lamp. We cannot disregard the possibility that someone had snuffed it out on purpose to conceal Ye Qing¡¯s survival either. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience say that Ye Qing is certainly dead!¡±

    ¡°Did you just suggest that the Pacification Bureau purposely extinguished Ye Qing¡¯s Soul Lamp to protect him, fatty?¡± Hong Jianglong red at him angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m just stating facts,¡± Zhou Hengshan replied.

    ¡°Stating facts my ass! I think you just want to nder the Pacification Bureau, and this is hardly the first time you¡¯ve done this! Do you really think you can toy with us as you please?¡± Hong Jianglong shot to his feet and strode toward Zhou Hengshan.

    ¡°Stand down, Jianglong.¡± Tu Yulei raised a hand to stop him. ¡°Ye Qing was a member of the Pacification Bureau. Considering the severity of the crimes hemitted, it¡¯s perfectly natural for someone to suspect that foul y was involved.¡±

    He then turned to Zhou Hengshan and stared him directly in the eye. ¡°That said, an usation like this is quite severe, General Zhou. Do you have proof? If you do, then I am perfectly willing to ept our due punishment. But if you don¡¯t, then don¡¯t me me for bringing this up to the emperor and use you of nder!¡±

    ¡°The Pacification Bureau will not tolerate any besmirchment to its good name!¡±

    Zhou Hengshan flinched. Tu Yulei was a model schr who valued promises and obeyed the rules to a fault. Generally speaking, he always meant what he said. The Pacification Bureau was the designated right hand of the Son of Heaven, and the emperor valued their opinions greatly. If Tu Yulei brought this up to the emperor, and the emperor decided that his crime was true, then he was going to be in deep shit to say the least.

    Lei Xiaodan hurriedly yed the mediator. ¡°General Zhou is a straightforward man, and he is simply eager to confirm if the prince¡¯s murderer has been executed. He didn¡¯t mean to nder the Pacification Bureau. Please forgive him on ount of the Harmony King and my presence.¡±

    ¡°General Zhou, what are you waiting for? Apologize to Chief Tu already.¡±

    ¡°Forget it,¡± Tu Yulei interrupted before Zhou Hengshan could react. ¡°This is your first and final warning. If you make the same mistake again, then I will take the appropriate measures.¡±

    ¡°Xiaodan. Is Ye Qing truly still alive? Cough! Cough...¡± The Harmony King asked urgently.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say at the moment,¡± Lei Xiaodan replied, ¡°but I have brought a Strange Artifact that might resolve this conundrum.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± The Harmony King asked.

    ¡°Renhe!¡± Lei Xiaodan called out, and Chu Renhe stepped in with a bronze box in his hands. The young man bowed his head in salute.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness, my lords,¡± said the inspector general before he finally handed the box to Lei Xiaodan.

    After Lei Xiaodan received the box, he sent away the servants and maids before saying, ¡°Before we start, I must say that this Strange Artifact is an unusual one. You may find yourself offended by whateveres next. I would urge you not to.¡±

    ¡°Pretentious bastard,¡± Hong Jianglong muttered under his breath.

    ¡°It will be fine. Let us begin,¡± Tu Yulei replied, and everyone else had no qualms with this either.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Lei Xiaodan nodded and performed a hand gesture. He then struck the bronze box lightly and caused the runes on its surface to light up slowly. A secondter, the box slowly flipped open to reveal its contents.

    ¡°Wahaha! We meet again, two-faced tiger! How¡¯s your dad? Your mum? Your second uncle¡¯s wife¡¯s sister¡¯s husband¡¯s older sister¡¯s distant rtive? And what other questions do you have for me?¡±

    The second the blue box opened a crack, a prattling voice immediately emerged from within. When the box was finally open, they saw that the speaker was a little person just a little over three inches tall. It had two faces¡ªliterally, one half of its face was rosy and healthy, while the other half was withered and dead¡ªand its arms and legs were spread out and nailed to a wooden cross. It looked odd to put it mildly.

    ¡°Oho? It¡¯s not just you this time! Look at the crowd!¡±

    The little person didn¡¯t seem to have a neck bone because its head kept spinning round and round in excitement. ¡°Nice to meet you, ck fatty! Has anyone ever told you that you look like a pig? Oops, sorry, I usually speak before I think. What I really mean to say is, to call you a pig would be an insult to pigs because there are no pigs in the world who are as fat as you, seriously! How the hell are you so fat, man?¡±

    Zhou Hengshan¡¯s face darkened. There was only one person in this room who fit the little person¡¯s description, of course.

 Chapter 470: Tattletale

    <h4>Chapter 470: Tattletale </h4>

    ¡°Oh, you pitiful child. You must have been an orphan when you were younger not because your parents didn¡¯t want to raise you, but because you ate so much of their food that they had no choice but to let you go. That was a mistake though. Clearly, you had no problems inconveniencing others to fatten yourself!¡±

    ¡°If I was your dad, I would have dropped you inside atrine pit and saved the world from a fatty-induced famine. Looking at you now, I can say with absolute certainty that you were a waste of good food.¡±

    Zhou Hengshan was so angry that his face was purple, and veins were bulging on the back of his hands. Tu Yulei, An Yifang and more were desperately trying to hold back theirughter as well. They were schrs who studied the texts of the sages after all. It would be unbing of them tough at another¡¯s misfortune¡ªunless they couldn¡¯t hold it in, of course.

    Hong Jianglong had no such qualms, however. Heughed boisterously and without restraint.

    ¡°What are youughing at, boy? Hells, it looks like your cheeks are split from side to side.¡±

    The little person wheeled its head and stared at Hong Jianglong. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re better than the ck fatty? In terms of spirit, the two of you are practically peas in a pod!¡±

    Hong Jianglong¡¯sughter abruptly cut short.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Yes, I¡¯m talking about you, you shit-for-brains. You¡¯re pretty big, but it doesn¡¯t take a genius to know that you¡¯re all brawns and no brains. In fact, I personally think that you¡¯re shittier than that ck fatty. He¡¯s a waste of food and space, but at least he has a brain on top of his shoulders, peanut-sized it might be. You? Your head is massive alright, but there¡¯s absolute nada inside it. It¡¯s literally taking up space for nothing! What a failure of a human being you are!¡±

    The little person¡¯s remarks were impossibly scathing. Hong Jianglong clenched his fists so hard that the joints popped.

    Zhou Hengshan was the same. <i>You could¡¯ve called him names without dragging me into it!</i>

    Deeply pleased with Hong Jianglong¡¯s expression, the little person taunted, ¡°Oh? You want to hit me? Come on then! Beat my little ass! If you don¡¯te, then I¡¯m your daddy!¡±

    ¡°Lei Xiaodan? Do I have your permission?¡± Hong Jianglong uttered through gritted teeth. He was seriously about to blow his top here.

    ¡°Calm down, Brother Hong.¡± Lei Xiaodan said with a bitter chuckle.

    ¡°Yeah, Jianglong. There¡¯s no point getting offended by a Strange Artifact.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just harmless words. Just brush it off.¡±

    Tu Yulei and An Yifang also chimed in.

    ¡°Heh. Did I ask for your help? No? Then why are you getting involved, you sanctimonious, pretentious hypocrites?¡±

    The little person didn¡¯t appreciate their interference at all, however. It began attacking them as well, ¡°He¡¯s just a severely disabled idiot with a hollow head. I can tie my hands <i>and </i>legs behind my back and still headbutt the shit out of his butthole!¡±

    Tu Yulei: ¡°...¡±

    An Yifang: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Did I say I was a schr? Jianglong, bite!</i>

    It was such an amusing scene that even the Harmony King had temporarily forgotten his sorrow. He poked Lei Xiaodan in the arm and asked in a hushed voice, ¡°Ahem... what on earth is this thing, Xiaodan?¡±

    ¡°You are a thing! Your whole family¡¯s a thing!¡±

    Although the Harmony King did his best to control his volume, the little person still heard his question. ¡°Also, are you a man or what? A man should speak loudly and clearly instead of whimpering like a bitch! Are you sick or something?¡±

    ¡°Oho, you look like the type to overindulge in carnal pleasures. That would exin why you¡¯re such a weak bitch.¡±

    ¡°You must be seventy or eighty years old, aren¡¯t you? You don¡¯t look strong enough to cross a street without someone to support you, so I wonder if you can even still indulge your lower head. I bet you can¡¯t get it up even when the prettiest woman in the world is presenting herself to you, am i right?¡±

    If you ask me, you should just do us all a favor and buy yourself a coffin already. Leave the plowing and sowing to youngsters like us, kay old man?¡±

    Everyone in the room gasped at nearly the same time. This little person wasn¡¯t just sharp-tongued, every word it breathed was a deadly barb that pierced right through the heart!

    The Harmony King turned beet red in an instant. If not for Lei Xiaodan holding him back, he would be pounding on the Strange Artifact right now. ¡°Argh! Don¡¯t stop me, Xiaodan! I swear I¡¯m going to wreck this piece of trash if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡±

    ¡°Ahem... calm down, Your Highness. Let¡¯s not forget what we¡¯re here for, shall we?¡± Lei Xiaodan sighed. It took him a while before he finally managed to calm the Harmony King.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is Tattletale, right?¡± Tu Yulei suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re an old man unting a young face like a pervert, but at least you have a good pair of eyes on you. That¡¯s right! I am Tattletale!¡± The little person in the box dered proudly.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Tattletale?¡± Hong Jianglong asked.

    Before Tu Yulei could answer, the Tattletale wheeled on Hong Jianglong with shock and disbelief, ¡°You haven¡¯t heard of my name? You really do have shit for brains!¡±

    ¡°On second thought, why am I expecting a shit-for-brains to know anything? It¡¯s not your fault you¡¯re born a retard, so I forgive you.¡±

    ¡°Tell him who I am, pervert. Show him the light that is me!¡±

    He was referring to Tu Yulei, of course. The Chief of Bureau sucked in a deep breath and slowly moved his hands behind his back so he wouldn¡¯t be tempted to follow in the Harmony King¡¯s footsteps. ¡°Tattletale is ninth rank Disaster-ss Strange Artifact of the twelve in the possession of the Intelligence Department. It is said to be capable of peering into the heavens, deciphering yin and yang, and knowing all there is to know in this world.¡±

    ¡°A Disaster-ss Strange Artifact?¡± Everyone eximed in surprise before shooting the little person a strange look. It sure didn¡¯t look like it.

    <i>No wait, its mouth is definitely Disaster-ss. I can¡¯t even imagine the havoc it would cause if it¡¯s released into the world.</i>

    ¡°You motherfuckers! How dare you look down on me!¡± Tattletale suddenly erupted in anger as if it could sense their disdain. ¡°ck fatty! When you were nine, you peeped on your neighbor¡¯s widow while she was bathing. When you were thirteen, you abandoned yourpanion and caused his death to escape a tiger when the two of you were foraging herbs in the mountains. When you were eighteen, on your very first year you joined the army, you backstabbed yourpanion again so you can im his merits as your own¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Zhou Hengshan exploded as if Tattletale had exposed his deepest secrets.

    ¡°Tsk tsk, you¡¯re such a vile man, ck fatty. I adore people like you.¡±

    Tattletale didn¡¯t press further and turned to Hong Jianglong next. ¡°It annoys me, but I must admit that you¡¯re a righteous man. Generally speaking, you have never done anything that went against your good conscience.¡±

    ¡°But of course! I¡¯m as moral as my back is straight, unlike a certain pus who should¡¯ve been eradicated ages ago!¡± Hong Jianglong dered proudly.

    ¡°<i>That said, </i>a year ago you got kicked out of Little Phoenix Celestial because you used ate their food, drank their wine, and fucked their prostitutes without paying. The very next day, you went right back like nothing had ever happened and even called yourself Lei Xiaodan. I couldn¡¯t havee up with the idea of freeloading under another person¡¯s name, so truly, you are the example we should all strive for! Also¡ª¡±

    The grinning Tattletale still had more to say, but Hong Jianglong cut him off immediately. ¡°Enough! You¡¯re the boss! I shouldn¡¯t have questioned you, so stop it already!¡±

    Tu Yulei and An Yifang shot Hong Jianglong disdainful looks, but on the inside they were quite impressed. <i>You can do that? Why didn¡¯t I think about it first?</i>

    On the other hand, Lei Xiaodan was far less impressed. A year ago, there was a rumor iming that a man named Lei Xiaodan had used Little Phoenix Immortal¡¯s services without paying a single coin, and for a time he couldn¡¯t use his real name without having people giving him strange, judgmental looks. At the time, he thought that it was a plot against him¡ªand he was right! What kind of despicable scumbag would do such a thing? This one!

    ¡°Ahem... it¡¯s just a misunderstanding, Lord Lei. Just a misunderstanding.¡± Hong Jianglong smiled awkwardly when he noticed Lei Xiaodan staring daggers at him.

    The Judicial Commissioner harrumphed but didn¡¯t press further.

    Tattletale turned to Tu Yulei and An Yifang next, and both men immediately sped their hands respectfully. ¡°You really do know everything, Tattletale. We are most impressed.¡±

    A schr who doesn¡¯t know when to submit to circumstances is a failure of a schr.

    ¡°Hmph! You better!¡± Tattletale huffed with its nose high.

    ¡°Can we start now, Lord Lei?¡± An Yifang coughed. At this rate, everyone¡¯s dark history was going to beid bare.

    ¡°Let¡¯s. But before I start, I must warn you all about something.¡± Lei Xiaodan surveyed the crowd once before saying, ¡°Although Tattletale can find out just about anything and everything, it requires a hefty price to do so.¡±

    ¡°What price?¡± Everyone turned serious.

    Lei Xiaodan took a moment to choose his words. ¡°As you know, it is said that one must never attempt to decipher the threads of fate. Those who do would be punished by the heavens.¡±

    ¡°To put it in more secr terms, everyone in this room will receive some sort of misfortune every time we ask Tattletale a question. That is the punishment we will receive for learning something we shouldn¡¯t learn.¡±

 Chapter 471: Deciphering the Threads of Fate

    <h4>Chapter 471: Deciphering the Threads of Fate </h4>

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Everyone frowned upon hearing this. An Yifang asked, ¡°Apologies, but can you tell us exactly what ¡®misfortune¡¯ means in this context?¡±

    Misfortune could mean many things. It could mean tripping on nothing while you were walking, or dying because of a freak ident. If the price was too severe, then he would rather seek out other methods to confirm Ye Qing¡¯s status.

    After all, their lives were a million times more valuable than a criminal who might already be dead.

    ¡°It depends,¡± Lei Xiaodan answered vaguely. ¡°It could be as minor as a flu, or it could be as severe as death. The severity of the punishment hingespletely on the question that is asked. If the question you ask is perfectly trivial, then the punishment you receive would be inconsequential. But if the question can, say, change the fate of Chu itself, then the punishment could easily be fatal.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m certain that inquiring about Ye Qing¡¯s status would not incur a severe punishment, not to mention that everyone here possesses more than enough power to protect yourselves. I¡¯m certain that you have nothing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°In that case, you can just ask the question yourself and tell us the resultter, right? Why do you need all of us?¡± Hong Jianglong¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, then the chief and I will be taking our leave!¡±

    Lei Xiaodan smiled. ¡°Wait, Brother Hong. This matter rtes to the Pacification Bureau, so your presence is necessary. Besides, the more people are present when Tattletale is used, the milder the punishment each person would receive would be. That¡¯s because the misfortune is split between all of us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that anyone¡¯s fine. It must be someone who¡¯s rted to the question that will be asked. So please.¡±

    <i>You think you can run away after using my name to freeload in a brothel? Don¡¯t even think about it.</i>

    Chu Qingge saluted everyone on behalf of her father. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, my lords. On behalf of my father and my brother, I thank you all for lending us a hand today.¡±

    The Harmony King also chimed in, ¡°Please, help us.¡±

    ¡°There is no need for such courtesy, Your Highness! It¡¯s our natural duty,¡± Everyone else replied politely as well.

    ¡°Fine. Let us begin then,¡± Hong Jianglong acquiesced.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Lei Xiaodan looked at Tattletale and asked, ¡°We would like to know if Ye Qing, the Patrolman of the Luo Shui Pacification Bureau, is still alive.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? Considering how much you bitches were humming and hawing, I thought you guys had something deadly important to ask. What a waste of my feelings.¡±

    Tattletale harrumphed with displeasure before beginning, ¡°He¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªHuh? Strange.¡± Tattletale¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious. As it shook its head left and right, its face began alternating between good and evil, yin and yang rapidly.

    Tattletale¡¯s expression only grew more serious after a few breaths. It gritted its teeth and uttered, ¡°No fucking way I¡¯m going to fail here.¡±

    ¡°Decipher the threads of fate, peer into yin and yang...¡± Tattletale chanted as ancient runes began appearing on its face. They looked both enigmatic and profound.

    The word ¡°Yang¡± was protruding on the yang side of Tattletale¡¯s face. It looked majestic and grand.

    The word ¡°Yin¡± was sunken in the yin side of Tattletale¡¯s face. It looked evil and bizarre.

    The lines of the word ¡°Yang¡± slowly came together into an eyeball and moved to the center of Tattletale¡¯s forehead. It shone as bright and clear as the sun and moon, and it was looking upward at the heavens.

    The lines of the word ¡°Yin¡± writhed like worms before joining into an eyeball as well. Dark and murky like the abyss, It moved to the bottom of Tattletale¡¯s chin and looked downward into the Nine Nethers.

    When the eyeballs swept past Hong Jianglong, Tu Yulei, Zhou Hengshan, An Yifang and Tie Wuying, everyone felt exposed all of a sudden. It was as if the pair of eyes had seen through thempletely; grasped the very essence of their being.

    ¡°Tattletale possesses a yang face and a yin face. The yang face peers into the living, and the yin face probes into the underworld. That is how it is able to find out everything,¡± Lei Xiaodan exined with a smile.

    His smile didn¡¯tst, however. The longer Tattletale took, the sterner his expression became.

    Tattletale was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, and Ye Qing was just ate-stage Spirit Purifier. Under normal circumstances, it should be able to find out Ye Qing¡¯s fate in just a matter of breaths.

    In reality, Tattletale wasn¡¯t able to do so even after activating its yin and yang face. This was bad.

    Throughout his career, he had witnessed many cases where someone asked a question that incurred a punishment that was far greater than they believed. One time, the Intelligence Department wanted to look into the whereabouts of a Grandmaster, and Tatttletale took half a teatime to find out the answer. After that, everyone present at the scene mysteriously vanished and was never found.

    Another time, a deputy head of the Intelligence Department¡ªa Half-Step Sage¡ªasked Tattletale about an ancient secret, and it took the Strange Artifact three whole days to find out the answer. However, Tattletale had just said three words when a lightning tribtion manifested and smote the deputy head into dust.

    Generally speaking, the longer it took Tattletale to decipher the threads of fate, the worse the punishment the inquirers would receive. Naturally, he was getting worried.

    He couldn¡¯t interrupt Tattletale from its work, however. Once the process had begun, it couldn¡¯t be stopped until it had run its course. If they did, then they would suffer the punishment <i>and </i>the rebound.

    About half a teatimeter, Tattletale suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream at the same time its supernatural eyeballs exploded. The resulting shockwave was such that the entire room disintegrated into dust in an instant.

    Luckily, nearly everyone in the room was a powerful warrior. The Harmony King and Chu Qingge were also unharmed thanks to their protection.

    ¡°What just happened, Xiaodan?¡± The Harmony King asked with trepidation. Was this the heavens¡¯ punishment? Did it normally appear so suddenly?

    ¡°Give me a moment, Your Highness.¡± Lei Xiaodan consoled the Harmony King distractedly while staring at Tattletale. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Tattletale¡¯s eyeballs were deted and bleeding profusely right now. To say it was not enjoying a good time would be an understatement. When it heard Lei Xiaodan¡¯s question, it immediately flew into a rage, ¡°Two-faced tiger, you fucking liar! Who <i>really </i>is this guy you want me to look into? You nearly got me killed because of it!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. He¡¯s just an ordinary person,¡± Lei Xiaodan replied.

    ¡°An ordinary person?¡± Tattletale grew even angrier. ¡°Are you kidding me? If he¡¯s really an ordinary person, then how the fuck did I fail to find anything about him?! Not even a speck!¡±

    ¡°You... don¡¯t know if he¡¯s alive or dead, then?¡± Lei Xiaodan eximed with surprise.

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t! But it¡¯s not my fault!¡± Tattletale continued arrogantly despite its failure, ¡°Either that Ye Qing is greatly entrenched in the rivers of fate, or some champion is obscuring his fate threads from view, or he possesses a powerful Strange Artifact that is at <i>least </i>in the same ss as me. You¡¯re telling me that someone like that is an ¡®ordinary person¡¯? Really?¡±

    ¡°Impossible. Ye Qing is just a small Patrolman. He is quite talented, but as far as I¡¯m aware, his background is anything but extraordinary. You should be able to find his fate threads no matter what.¡±

    Lei Xiaodan frowned and subconsciously shot Tu Yulei a nce, and the Chief of Bureau didn¡¯t miss it. He asked, ¡°Are you suspecting that the Pacification Bureau may have something to do with this, Lord Lei?¡±

    Lei Xiaodan hurriedly denied it. ¡°You misunderstand, Chief Tu. That isn¡¯t what I think at all.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t do it anyway. Someone who can obscure Ye Qing¡¯s fate threads from me is at <i>least </i>a Sage, and he is nowhere close to that level.¡± Tattletale said bluntly, ¡°None of you are close to that level.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not all bad news though. You may have failed to obtain the answer you wish, but at least you don¡¯t have to worry about being punished by the heavens, right? Always look for silver linings, people!¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡± <i>If you¡¯re expecting thanks, then I¡¯m sorry to say that you¡¯re going to be disappointed.</i>

    ¡°My deepest apologies for failing to be of help, Your Highness,¡± Lei Xiaodan apologized to the Harmony King before putting away Tattletale.

    The Harmony King waved dejectedly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just how it is sometimes.¡±

    ¡°If we can¡¯t confirm Ye Qing¡¯s status, then what should we do?¡± An Yifang frowned.

    ¡°If he¡¯s alive, I want to see his person. If he¡¯s dead, I want to see his corpse. Since we can¡¯t confirm if Ye Qing¡¯s alive or dead, then we should treat him as if he¡¯s alive and issue a nation-wide bounty for his head,¡± said Zhou Hengshan.

    Suddenly, a servant stepped into the room and said, ¡°That would be unwise.¡±

 Chapter 472: Directorate of Ceremonial, Zhou Dongchao

    <h4>Chapter 472: Directorate of Ceremonial, Zhou Dongchao </h4>

    ¡°Who are you? How dares you eavesdrop on our conversation! Get lost!¡± Zhou Hengshan yelled at the servant. It was bad enough that the servant had eavesdropped on their conversation, but he had criticized his decision as well. If this was his headquarters, he would¡¯ve killed him already. What kind ofwless servant was this?

    ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry, General Zhou. The reason I came is because I have an imperial edict to share with you all,¡± the ve replied amiably.

    ¡°Wait a second, an imperial edict?¡± An Yifang, Tu Yulei and everyone else suddenly felt that something was amiss. ¡°Who are you... honored one?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me that, it is too much for the likes of me. I am Zhou Dongchao. A pleasure to meet you all, Your Highnesses, my lords,¡± The servant greeted them with a deep bow.

    ¡°Zhou Dongchao?¡± Tu Yulei and An Yifang exchanged a look of growing astonishment with each other. ¡°If I may ask, are you Director Zhou of the Directorate of Ceremonial?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me director. I¡¯m just a ve who¡¯s currently acting as a messenger for his master,¡± the servant replied smilingly but didn¡¯t object to the inquiry.

    The atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Tu Yulei, An Yifang, Hong Jianglong, Lei Xiaodan and everyone else immediately shot to their feet and bowed deeply. ¡°Well met, Director Zhou!¡±

    Zhou Hengshan nearly dropped to his knees when he realized who he just offended. His face was white as a sheet, and his back was drenched in cold sweat.

    Zhou Dongchao was the Seal-holding Director of Chu¡¯s Directorate of Ceremonial. One of the twelve eunuch Directorates, the Directorate of Ceremonial was the de-facto chief of the imperial household staff and responsible for all eunuch-rted matters such asposing the emperor¡¯s answers to his subjects¡¯ queries, issuing an imperial edict on behalf of the emperor and so on. They were also known as the ¡°First Directorate¡±.

    There were many posts in the Directorate of Ceremonial such as the Seal-holding Director, Superintendent, Secretary Eunuch[1], Assistant Secretary Eunuch and so on. The Seal-holding Director was the head of the directorate.

    Although the Directorate of Ceremonial belonged to the Inner Court and forbidden from involving themselves in politics, they were the inner attendants of the Son of Heaven himself. No one could question their authority and status. The current Grand Mentor of Chu once said this: The Seal-holding Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial was to be treated with the utmost respect just like a Principal Support[2] of the Outer Court.[3]

    Forget the likes of Tu Yulei, An Yifang or Zhou Hengshan, even the Grand Secretariat, the Three Dukes or the Nine Chambeins wouldn¡¯t dare to offend the Seal-holding Director.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Zhou Dongchao was no ordinary Seal-holding Director. He had been serving Emperor Jin Run long before he ascended the throne. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that he had helped the emperor to put on his clothes, led his horse, stopped all kinds of disasters from befalling the emperor, and performed many meritorious services for the emperor and the realm. He was one of Emperor Jin Run¡¯s most trusted aides.

    Zhou Dongchao might have called himself a ¡°ve who¡¯s currently acting as a messenger for his master¡±, but no one took him seriously as a matter of course.

    ¡°Please rise. I cannot possibly receive your salutes.¡± Zhou Dongchao waved his hand a little, and everyone rose back to full height involuntarily.

    The powerful warriors in the room had to hide their shock. They were all Grandmasters, and yet Zhou Dongchao had magicked them into standing up straight with the wave of a hand. Not only that, he did it in a way that didn¡¯t feel forceful in the slightest.

    The wind felt gentle, but the thunderps bespoke the true power of the distant storm.

    An Yifang and Tu Yulei were the only ones in the room who had met Zhou Dongchao before, and only briefly. It was because the Seal-holding Director spent most of his time serving the emperor inside the pce. Most people knew that he was a trusted aide of the Son of Heaven and wielded a ton of power, but few knew that he was a powerful warrior as well.

    As for how strong he really was, only those in the know could answer that question. He could be a Great Grandmaster or a Half-Sage. He could even be a true Sage¡ªa god or celestial-on-earth.

    The reason for this was very simple. Zhou Dongchao rarely revealed his power, and when he did, those in the know usually ended up dead.

    ¡°I have offended you with my reckless words, Lord Director. I hope you will forgive me.¡± Zhou Hengshan knelt on the floor again and apologized. He might be a general with a powerful army under hismand, and as a third-rank official he was technically an equal of Zhou Dongchao, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to disrespect the eunuch intentionally. If Zhou Dongchao wanted to, he could remove him without lifting a finger. Literally, the eunuch could make a carelessment to the emperor, and he would no longer be a general.

    There was a n known as the Luo n of Jin Xiu. Back then, their power was unmatched by no one except the emperor because they had two Marquises in the family. During the day, their front entrance was packed with wealthy and influential people who wanted to curry favor with them, and during the night, the melodious sounds of songs and instruments were neverending.

    Seeing this, Zhou Dongchao made a single remark, ¡°Instead of investing their fortune on the people, they instead blow it all on songs and dances every night.¡± He wasmenting the fact that the Luo n was more focused on indulging themselves than serving their country.

    He never even mentioned their name, but the very next day, countless memorials flooded the Sun-facing Pce, and every official suddenly had something toin about the Luo n. A total of one thousand eight hundred and eight crimes ranging from something as minor as oppressing the meek to something as serious as forming cliques to further their self-interests were reported, and Emperor Ji Run demoted their Marquises tomoners on the spot.

    In just one day, the proud and noble Luo n of Jin Rui had gone from a prestigious n with two Marquises to a powerlessmoner family. Where they were pleasuring themselves from night to day before, now their front entrance was as silent and empty as a wastnd. Not only that, they couldn¡¯t take one foot out of their doorsteps without being attacked like mice.

    If even a n with two Marquises could copse overnight, why wouldn¡¯t Zhou Dongchao be able to ruin a mere general like him?

    ¡°It is just a small matter, General Zhou. You don¡¯t need to think too much about it,¡± Zhou Dongchao replied amiably. ¡°Besides, I was at fault. I shouldn¡¯t have eavesdropped on your conversation without announcing myself.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, Director,¡± everyone responded.

    ¡°So, why have youe today, Director Zhou?¡± the Harmony King asked.

    ¡°Oh, right. I nearly forgot what I came here for. Time really is a relentless killer. Please forgive me for wasting your time, Your Highness.¡± Zhou Dongchao apologized before continuing, ¡°My master has a message for you and everyone else in this room.¡±

    Zhou Dongchao was referring to Emperor Jin Run, of course. Everyone dropped to their knees and touched their foreheads against the floor, saying, ¡°We humbly receive the eternal emperor¡¯s message!¡±

    ¡°The customs are quite tedious, aren¡¯t they? Let¡¯s skip it.¡±

    Zhou Dongchao personally lifted the Harmony King to his feet before motioning for the others to rise as well. It was only then he said, ¡°My master has four lines for you all. One, the dignity of the heavens is absolute, so Ye Qing must die. Two, this matter should be handled discreetly as it involves the Pacification Bureau, the Hengshan Army and the Harmony King. Three, His Majesty offers you his deepest condolences, Your Highness. And four, he entrusts the matter to the Intelligence Department and the Intelligence Department only. No one is to interfere with their work, or the consequences will be severe.¡±

    ¡°Have you understood, my lords?¡±

    Tu Yulei, An Yifang and Lei Xiaodan were old foxes who had dabbled in the court for ages. It only took them a second to fully understand Zhou Dongchao¡¯s message.

    The first line was exactly what it sounded like. Ye Qing must die to preserve the Son of Heaven¡¯s dignity.

    The second line was saying that this matter had started with Ye Qing, and it would end with him. They were not to use this incident as an excuse to start some other trouble.

    It made sense. Ye Qing was a member of the Pacification Bureau, but he had killed an imperial prince, massacred hundreds of Hengshan soldiers including a battalionmander, and ultimately seeded in escaping from Tian Yong.

    This was embarrassing enough, but if Zhou Hengshan suspected that the Pacification Bureau was behind Ye Qing¡¯s escape and decided to take it out on them¡ªand obviously the Pacification Bureau wasn¡¯t going to take it lying down¡ªthen this was going to devolve into a bigger shitshow than it already was. When that happened, the Pacification Bureau, the Hengshan Army and even the imperial court¡¯s face would be dragged through the mud, and that was in uneptable.

    That was why the emperor ordered the matter to be handled discreetly.

    The third line sounded like nothing special, but it was really a warning. The emperor was warning the Harmony King not to take out his son¡¯s death on the Pacification Bureau.

    As for the final line, it was a warning to the Pacification Bureau and the Hengshan Army to stay out of the matter. The Pacification Bureau especially mustn¡¯t help Ye Qing in secret, or else.

    In conclusion, Ye Qing was the reason behind Chu Qingli, Duan Zipao and the Hengshan soldiers¡¯ deaths, and so they would settle this with his death. Nothing else.

    As for whether there were more hidden meanings behind the message¡ªfor example, the emperor was really doing this to cover up some sort of secret¡ªit wasn¡¯t entirely out of the realm of possibility. After all, this incident was serious, but was it really that serious that Zhou Dongchao himself had to y the messenger?

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the Son of Heaven had responded to this incident at first notice. The implications were unsettling to say the least.

    But Zhou Dongchao didn¡¯t tell them why, and so they didn¡¯t ask.

    There were some things in life that must never be questioned.

    In fact, there were some things that one shouldn¡¯t even think about.

    In the end, one man bore it all alone.

    1. I couldn¡¯t find the official trantion for this and so have to make one up myself. The job of the secretary Eunuch is one,posing the edicts, two, deciding which report or memorial may enter the emperor¡¯s purview, and three, allowing or rejecting a proposal sometimes without needing the emperor¡¯s input. ?

    2.mon unofficial reference to a paramount executive official of the central government such as a Counselor-in-chief, a Grand Councilor or a senior Grand Secretary. ?

    3. Once again, shit that took me so long to trante even though there are official trantions, but none of you would actually read. Argh! ?

 Chapter 473: The Clouds Look Like Fire

    <h4>Chapter 473: The Clouds Look Like Fire </h4>

    ¡°Eunuch Zhou, I need to speak to you about Ye¡ª¡±

    Chu Qingge stepped forward with a determined look on her face, but the Harmony King interrupted her before she could finish, ¡°The adults are talking, Qingge. Return to your ce.¡±

    The Harmony King¡¯s eyes were normally clouded with indulgence and foolishness, but right here and now, it was perfectly clear. He was also wearing a strong, dignified expression on his face.

    Tu Yulei and Hong Jianglong were also shaking their heads at Chu Qingge. Since Zhou Dongchao had shown up with a personal message from Emperor Jin Run himself, it meant that they wouldn¡¯t ept any deviations to the n. Bringing up the fact that Ye Qing was framed would be akin to objecting to the n and potentially provoking Zhou Dongchao into taking action.

    Zhou Dongchao paid no attention to their soundless gestures. He simply smiled and greeted Chu Qingge, ¡°Long time no see, Your Highness. The first time I met you, you were just a wee little girl running round and round master like a cute little kitten. Time really does fly.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. Master also told me to inform Your Highnesses to pay him a visit at the capital when you¡¯re free.¡±

    ¡°We are honored by His Majesty¡¯s concern,¡± Both the Harmony King and Chu Qingge thanked him.

    Everyone knew that this was the emperor¡¯spensation to his uncle.

    Suddenly, Zhou Hengshan asked, ¡°If I may ask, do you know if Ye Qing is alive or dead, director?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no idea.¡± Zhou Dongchao shot Lei Xiaodan a smile. ¡°But I¡¯m sure that Lord Lei would find out the truth.¡±

    ¡°I will carry out my duty,¡± Lei Xiaodan responded with a salute.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve wasted enough time here. It¡¯s almost lunchtime, and I need to head back and serve my master. I shan¡¯t bother you all any longer.¡± Zhou Dongchao saluted everyone. ¡°See you another day, everyone.¡±

    ¡°Until then, director!¡± Everyone in the room returned the salute.

    A kind, ordinary-looking old man abruptly stepped out of the servant¡¯s body. Then, he leaped into the sky. Every time he took a step, a blue cloud would appear underneath his feet. Just a few breathster, he had vanished into the horizon.

    ¡°His will touches the heavens, and his feet cross the horizon in the span of one thought. He must be a Sage, isn¡¯t he?¡± An Yifang eximed in surprise.

    ¡°I would think so,¡± Tu Yulei responded.

    ¡°Please return to the earth, people. What shall we do with Ye Qing?¡± Lei Xiaodan looked at the group and asked.

    ¡°Director Zhou has given you full power over the matter and forbidden us from getting involved, so just do as you please, Lord Lei,¡± An Yifang replied.

    ¡°As he says, you may do whatever you want with Ye Qing. We, the Pacification Bureau, promise that we won¡¯t get involved,¡± Tu Yulei replied in an indifferent tone while sping his hands behind his back.

    ¡°Your Highness?¡± Lei Xiaodan looked at the Harmony King next.

    The Harmony King sighed. ¡°I will obey Eunuch Zhou¡¯s will.¡±

    Zhou Hengshan shook his head as well. He was unwilling to leave things at this, but he didn¡¯t dare to defy an order from the emperor himself either. He turned around and left the room without a room.

    Lei Xiaodan nodded. ¡°In that case, I shall be taking my leave. Goodbye, everyone.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    ¡°See youter, Lord Lei.¡±

    ......

    The Hidden Dragon Meet and the final match that would decide its champion had been the main gossip of the entire prefecture for the past couple days. But not anymore. A certain incident had reced itpletely, and it was none other than the murder of Chu Qingli.

    On one hand, Ye Qing was the Qing Emperor Junior and the rising star of the Pacification Bureau.

    On the other hand, Chu Qingli was an imperial prince and the son of the Harmony King himself.

    Their paths should never have crossed one another¡¯s, and yet somehow they did and created an epic storm.

    Ye Qing had killed Chu Qingli. The Qing Emperor Junior had killed the son of the Harmony King.

    The reason behind this wasn¡¯t a secret either. The Intelligence Department stated that it was because the two had an argument regarding the incident where the Wine Are Songs Boat was shut down, and Ye Qing lost control after one too many scathing insults from the prince.

    Since neither the Harmony King nor the Pacification Bureau objected to this answer, it meant that they agreed with this version of the story as well.

    Knowing the cause and effect, it was easy to decide his punishment. ording to thews of Chu, Ye Qing not only killed a prince by ident, but also resisted arrest. Normally, he and his family would be exterminated to the nine generations, but since he performed brilliantly in service for the people during his time in the Pacification Bureau, he and only he was sentenced to death. He was also stripped of his position as the Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau.

    For the public, almost everyone was satisfied with this sentence. Although few people had a good impression of Chu Qingli¡ªthe guy was just an ignorant, ipetent and hedonistic good-for-nothing, and it was he who taunted Ye Qing first¡ªit was also a fact that Ye Qing had killed him. As Chu Qingli was a member of the imperial family, it was perfectly normal for his murderer, Ye Qing, to be executed for his crimes.

    Equality did not exist in this world. Some people were higher than most, and some murders carried more weight than other murders.

    If anything, the people actually liked the fact that the emperor had not gone through with the nine familial exterminations even though that was the expected capital punishment for the crime of murdering a member of the imperial family.

    Of course, some peoplemented the fact that a rising star with a bright future ahead of him was damned because of the actions of a hedonistic bastard.

    Most people were kind, but they were also cowardly. It was one thing to talk about this in a private setting, but no one actually dared to do anything about it.

    There were also rumors saying that Ye Qing was actually framed, and that he had killed a lot of Hengshan soldiers during his escape, but they were suppressed almost as soon as they appeared. As a result, they failed to leave an impression whatsoever.

    Wine must be drunk, food must be eaten, and life must go on. The incident had started with Chu Qingli and Ye Qing, and it had ended with just the two of them as well. Nothing more, nothing less.

    ......

    ¡°These people are so stupid you can¡¯t help but sympathize with them. It¡¯s one thing to listen to such rumors, but to believe it?¡±

    At the Western Wind Restaurant, a smiling Fugong remarked while listening in on the gossip of the diners at the lower floors.

    ¡°Most people are foolish,¡± Fang Muyun said in a clear, silvery voice after sipping his tea, ¡°but there¡¯s nothing wrong with being foolish. If anything, a fool often leads an easier and happier life.¡±

    ¡°Besides, this situation is probably his design. From his perspective, it would be an affront to his dignity if the matter is blown up. That is why he made it so that this incident begins and ends with Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°You see, there is no one in the entire world who cares more about his reputation and dignity than him.¡±

    Fugong smiled but didn¡¯t say anything. That man wasn¡¯t someone he could remark on. So, he changed the subject, ¡°You know, it¡¯s surprising that not a single person in this restaurant¡ªand probably everywhere else for that matter¡ªis asking if Ye Qing is actually dead.¡±

    Fang Muyun said slowly, ¡°That¡¯s because everyone thinks that Ye Qing is already dead.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The Hengshan Army had caused a hugemotion and mobilized hundreds of men yesterday, and Ye Qing was just a Spirit Purifier. It was unthinkable that there could be any other oue.

    In reality, Ye Qing was still alive, and Fang Muyun knew this because the Blood Bond Grass in hisp was still alive.

    ¡°To be connected in flesh and blood, to live and die together.¡± That was how the people described the Blood Bond Grass. A Hatred-ss Stranger, it could form an invisible bond with the person whose blood it ate. If the person lives, then it would live. If the person dies, then it would die as well.

    Not only that, the Blood Bond Grass could detect its bonded person¡¯s location almost like they were physically tethered to each other. Hence the name.

    As the imperial envoy of the Hidden Dragon Meet, it was all too easy for him to acquire a drop of Ye Qing¡¯s blood. If not for the Blood Bond Grass, he would¡¯ve believed that Ye Qing had died as well. After all, who could imagine that the young man, a mere Spirit Purifier, could escape the death trap the city hadid for him and even survive Zhou Hengshan, a Grandmaster? As if that wasn¡¯t enough, almost everyone had fallen for his trick and believed that he was dead.

    Ye Qing¡¯s strength and cunning both impressed and shocked him. If managed to grow into his full potential, then his only limit would be the infinite skies.

    Unfortunately for him, he made an enemy out of Fang Muyun.

    A firefly was pretty, but how could it ever hope topare with the bright moon?

    Therefore, Ye Qing would never grow into his full potential. He would join his fellow mud and dirt and be squashed underfoot.

    ¡°I wonder what their expressions would look like if they learn that Ye Qing is still alive. The Intelligence Department would lose a lot of face, wouldn¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t.¡±

    Fang Muyun looked out of the window where the clouds were floating without a care for the world. ¡°Lei Xiaodan is a cautious, meticulous man. Every time he does something, he always makes sure to leave himself an out. If you read the official statement closely, you would notice that it only says that Ye Qing is sentenced to death. Nowhere did it say that Ye Qing has already been executed for his crimes.¡±

    ¡°If Ye Qing is dead, then all is well. If not, then they can track him down in secret and kill him. Should they fail to capture him, and the fact that Ye Qing is still alive somehow gets to the public, he can argue semantics and im that he never said that Ye Qing is already dead. This would still damage the Intelligence Department¡¯s reputation to an extent, of course, but it wouldn¡¯t be a crippling blow or even a serious one.¡±

    ¡°Lei Xiaodan truly is a formidable man,¡± Fugong paid apliment before asking, ¡°Should we inform him that Ye Qing is still alive and tell him his whereabouts? Ye Qing could not survive the Intelligence Department, and this would keep our hands clean.¡±

    ¡°He is already doing our dirty work for us, isn¡¯t he? It would be folly to press him further.¡±

    Fang Muyun exined, ¡°You said it yourself that Lei Xiaodan is a formidable man. I¡¯m sure he already suspects that Ye Qing¡¯s murder of Chu Qingli is not as simple as it seems. Besides, don¡¯t forget that we¡¯ve tried to kill Ye Qing twice. Although we haven¡¯t left behind any clues, Hong Jianglong and the Pacification Bureau must be investigating this in secret. If we inform Lei Xiaodan about Ye Qing¡¯s status and whereabouts now, then it would confirm that Ye Qing is indeed framed, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Lei Xiaodan is not to be trifled with, and the Intelligence Department even more so. It would be troublesome if they were to turn their ire on us.¡±

    ¡°The situation is already fixed. We should allow it to run its course peacefully.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I should¡¯ve known better.¡± Fugong saluted Fang Muyun once before asking, ¡°What do we do about Ye Qing then? Are we going to just ignore him?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Fang Muyun shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to dirty my hands earlier because he is the rising star of the Pacification Bureau, but he is no longer that, is he? Now, he is just a mouse that anyone can kill.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you, Fugong. Please kill Ye Qing for me.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, mister.¡± Fugong sped his hands solemnly.

    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t rm the Intelligence Department,¡± Fang Muyun said while continuing to admire the distant clouds. ¡°Everyone already thinks that Ye Qing is dead. He might as well disappear from this world forever.¡±

    The sun was setting near the horizon. The clouds looked as orange as fire and as red as blood.

    And with that, we''ve arrived at the end of our first arc, and I present to you... a new cover page!

    Here''s also a version where the first and second cover page arebined!

    Many, many thanks for <strong>Yuuko</strong> foring up with this amazing art! She''s the cover artist for WW, and without her I could never have engineered the AI to produce a cover art that is even remotely close to what I wanted. For that, I am eternally grateful!

    For those who want the full resolution cover pages, do contact me on discord.

    Also, obviously the cover page won''t actually be up until the free readers catch up. It would be spoiler otherwise, yeah?

    One thing I really want to point out now that we''re at this point of the novel, is that this ending... <i>didn''t have </i>to be Ye Qing''s ending. If Chu had treated him fairly, he could''ve gone on to marry Chu Qingge and be royalty. There is obviously great chemistry and attraction between the two, especially since Ye Qing was not-so-subtly turned down by Feng Qingyou. He could''ve be the greatest warrior Chu has ever seen and secured their dynasty for the next thousand years toe.

    But in the end, human nature ruined it all. The royal (literally) road was shut down because Chu Wangsun couldn''t look past his pp for a second, and Fang Muyun decided that his personal vengeance was worth the fate of the entire realm. After all, no matter how talented Ye Qing was, he''s just amoner. A Spirit Purifier. A lowlife. Scum of the earth.

    They drove him into the abyss. They seeded.

    And soon, the abyss is going stare back.

    I''ll leave it to you all to figure out what the moon in the cover page means. I promise it''s quite simple.

 Chapter 474: Longing Leaves

    <h4>Chapter 474: Longing Leaves </h4>

    <i>Knock knock knock!</i>

    ¡°Scion Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing opened his eyes. They looked as ck and deep as the night. Floating in the middle of the darkness was a pair of ck lotuses, and invisible ripples were washing out of the petals and into the real world. As a result, the room he was sleeping in was filled with profound, inexplicable, and anomalous mirages.

    A few breathster, the ck lotuses in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes sank deeper into the darkness. It wasn¡¯t long before it waspletely gone. However, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes remained as ck as the abyss.

    ¡°Cough... cough... Come in, Miss Longing!¡±

    Ye Qing coughed twice, and cracks suddenly spread open on his porcin white face and oozed blood. Strangely, the blood felt frigid, murderous, and oozing with deadly saber intent.

    ¡°Are you okay, Scion Ye?¡±

    A bone-chilling sensation gripped Longing as soon as she stepped into the room. The power Ye Qing¡¯s blood gave off intimidated even her, an Anomaly.

    She couldn¡¯t help but recall the attack that had split open the river five days prior. The attack didn¡¯t just divide the Yong River in half, it had nearly crushed the Boat of Longing into pieces as well. If Ye Qing hadn¡¯t defended the ship with all his might, it would have.

    Unfortunately, he had to pay a huge price to do so. Since he had blocked the attack with his own body, the saber force and intent seeped deep into his body and ravaged his insides. At the time, his physical body looked like a porcin vase that had bounced off the stairs a couple of times, his aura were barely stronger than the ambient energies, and his consciousness flickered like the me of a dying candle.

    Longing honestly thought that Ye Qing would never wake up, but to her surprise, he did just two dayster. He would spend the next three days recuperating on his bed, never even taking a step out of his room.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Miss Longing. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Cough!¡± Ye Qing tried to smile at her.

    ¡°Okay?¡± Longing snapped out of her memories and replied with aplicated look on her face. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such severe injuries¡±

    When she first met Ye Qing, his strength was many times greater than a dragon elephant, his vigor was as full and round as the sun and moon, his muscles and bones looked like the finest and most enduring marble, and his shoulders looked like they could carry ten thousand mountains of des with ease.

    But now, his physical condition was as precarious as a bunch of eggs stacked on top of each other, his vitality felt as weak as a dying candle, and even the act of smiling caused his flesh to rip apart like rotten cloth, much less talking. It was beyond pitiful and terrible.

    ¡°Haha, you say that, but I was way worse two days ago, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Ye Qing consoled her even though he was the one who was ailing miserably. ¡°I¡¯m still alive, and that¡¯s enough for me.¡±

    Considering the sheer power behind Zhou Hengshan¡¯s final attack, he was seriously grateful that he was alive at all. Even with his powers temporarily boosted by the blood he consumed, even with the Boundless Mara Buddha doing everything in its power to protect him, the attack still nearly killed him. The power of a Grandmaster truly was nothing to scoff at.

    Someone might say that he would be better off dead though. For starters, Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber force and intent had invaded his body. After all the punishment it had endured, the saber intent had nearly shattered his physical body like ss.

    That was nothingpared to the bloodthirst and killing intent within the saber intent, however. That had nearly extinguished his mind and soul in one stroke. The only reason he survived was thanks to the Fog Demon giving it his all to defend his mind with the Boundless Mara Buddha.

    Worse still, not even the most potent healing items he possessed such as the Nature¡¯s Water or the dragon-serpent runes were able to treat his wounds. Duan Zipao¡¯s ck Sky Divine Palm and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber force and intent were constantly destroying his body from the inside, and the Nature¡¯s Water and the dragon-serpent runes¡¯ recuperative powers were just barely enough to outpace their destruction. He was in a precarious position to say the least.

    The first step to recovering was to root out the ck Sky Divine Palm¡¯s energy and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent from his body. Unfortunately, it was easier said than done. The Back Sky Divine Palm was infamous for its insidious and tyrannical qualities, but what really confounded him was Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent; the saber intent of a Grandmaster.

    Right now, his body was barely keeping it together like a broken vase that was put together with weak glue. If he was in tiptop condition, then he could definitely root out the two powers using violent, self-harming methods. But in his current state? To do so would be tomit suicide.

    Therefore, the only way to root out the palm force and the saber intent was to eliminate them slowly. Very, very slowly. Assuming he could only make do with what he currently had¡ªthe Nature¡¯s Water, the dragon-serpent runes and the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±¡ªit would take him three to five years<i> at</i> least to return to his former strength.

    Three to five years didn¡¯t sound like a lot of time for a warrior, but that wasn¡¯t the case for him. He was a murderer, a fugitive. He wasn¡¯t sure if his faked death had managed to fool his enemies either. It was something he hade up with on the fly after he reached the Yong River.

    If it worked, then he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about pursuers or be on the run constantly. If it failed, it wasn¡¯t like his situation could get any worse. That was why he had provoked Zhou Hengshan on purpose. Make no mistake, he absolutely wanted to sucker punch the fatso in the face, but inciting the Grandmaster into attacking him with all he got also made his death so much more believable.

    He miscalcted Zhou Hengshan¡¯s strength and underestimated the man¡¯s determination to kill him though. He had been a fine line away from dying for real.

    But how did he manage to extinguish his Soul Lamp? That was because he had contacted Faceless prior using the Longing Leaves.

    The Longing Leaves were a Strange Artifact created from the leaves of a Longing Tree. The Longing Tree was a Hatred-ss Stranger with a ck leaf and a white leaf. Symbolizing yin and yang, the two leaves literally couldn¡¯t live without the other. If either leaf was plucked first, then the other leaf would wither and die. Only by plucking them at the same time could both leaves be preserved.

    The ck leaf and the white leaf were known together as the Longing Leaves, and they each possessed a unique power of their own. The ck leaf was yin in nature, so if its holder were to speak to it during nighttime, the white leaf holder would be able to hear their words. This would work even if the two holders were hundreds and hundreds of kilometers away from each other.

    The white leaf was yang in nature, so its holder could write words on its surface and have it appear on the ck leaf instantly. Again, this worked even if the two holders were far apart from each other.

    The Longing Leaves were naturalmunication devices, and it was one of the loot he obtained from the <i>jianghu </i>warriors he killed. He gave the ck Longing Leaf to Faceless and kept the white Longing Leaf for himself. After learning that he was going to attend the Hidden Dragon Meet, he came up with this arrangement so he could stay up to date on the happenings of Luo Shui even when he was away.

    Then, things went to hell, and he had to contact Faceless to extinguish his Soul Lamp. He even made sure to time his ¡°death¡± properly so it would coincide with the time the Soul Lamp was extinguished.

    He had done everything in his power to fake his death. All he could do now was to pray and recover his strength as soon as possible.

    Right now, his body was akin to a pile of rubble. He was a long way away from rebuilding it into a tower.

    It wasn¡¯t all bad news though. His mind and the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± had grown by leaps and bounds thanks to his affliction. The bloodthirst and killing intent contained within Zhou Hengshan¡¯s attack counted as negative emotions, which was why he had spent the past few days cycling the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± to refine the saber intent inside his headspace.

    Every time his spirit ran dry, he would restore it with a golden dragon-serpent rune and resume his task tirelessly. Three days and nightster, he finally managed to refine the saber intent, grow his mind, and advance his cultivation of the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±.

    Now, his spirit was as strong as a Spirit Master who had formed their Yin God.

    For now, there was no point in honing his spirit further. The only way he could improve now was to create his Yin God and be a Spirit Master.

    As usual, he needed a martial art toplete the next step. Depending on the martial art, the shape and power of his Yin God could bepletely different. There was one thing that didn¡¯t change, however. The stronger the martial art he used to create a Yin God, the greater his Yin God and his potential would be.

 Chapter 475: May Your Journey Be Safe And Sound

    <h4>Chapter 475: May Your Journey Be Safe And Sound </h4>

    Right now, he had two martial arts that could aid him in creating a Yin God.

    The first one was the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±. The Yin God it created was called the Blood Demon.

    When the Blood Demon appeared in the world, all blood would boil without question. Capable of boiling one¡¯s blood, changing their properties, and generally manipting blood to y its foes, the Blood Demon was definitely a powerful Yin God.

    It was even described in the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± that the Blood Demon could turn tens of thousands of bodies into withered bones and startle gods and ghosts into hiding.

    The second martial art that could make him a Yin God was the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. The Yin God it created was called the ¡°Heavenly Demon of Freedom¡±.

    The Heavenly Demon of Freedom could destroy all who lived with a single thought. It could summon a person¡¯s heart demon, greed, annoyance, foolishness, delusion, happiness, sorrow, anger and joy with a single thought. It could trap them in an infinite sea of desire, heart demon and karmic hindrance. It could kill without anyone knowing that it had killed.

    Both the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± and the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± were Grandmaster-stage martial arts. Either one could guide him all the way to the Grandmaster stage.

    Difficulty wise, the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± was obviously easier to cultivate. All he needed was an ample amount of fresh blood, and he could create a Blood Demon in a very short time.

    On the other hand, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was clearly more mysterious and powerful. The Heavenly Demon of Freedom seemed to possess greater potential as well.

    That was why Ye Qing ultimately chose to cultivate the Heavenly Demon of Freedom.

    Besides that, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was his main cultivation art. Compared to the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±, which he cultivated during his leisure only as a supplementary martial art, he was much more familiar with the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. While the speed at which he cultivated the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡± was no less slower than the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± thanks to his unique blood, thetter martial art just suited him better.

    He hadn¡¯t just been focusing on recovering for the past few days. He had been cultivating the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±¡¯s method to create a Yin God as well. Thanks to his massive reservoir of spiritual power and potent demonic thought, his Yin God was already beginning to take shape.

    Of course, he was still a ways away from creating a Heavenly Demon of Freedom, but the advancement meant that he was no longer as defenseless as before.

    Longing couldn¡¯t help but praise him, ¡°You have a strong heart, scion Ye. Longing is most impressed.¡±

    Not anyone could withstand such a terrible blow and still maintain a bright smile on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me, Miss Longing. I¡¯m just finding the silver lining, that¡¯s all,¡± Ye Qing replied easily.

    His present looked grim, and his future looked grimmer. Even so, life must go on, right?

    Rather than glooming over his situation, he would rather smile andugh to his heart¡¯s content¡ªeven if that smile was a bitter one.

    ¡°Have we reached our destination, Miss Longing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We have left Tian Yong. Once you pass through Carefree Mountain Range, you¡¯ll enter Northern Xinjiang.¡±

    Longing¡¯s tone grew a tad apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry we can¡¯t carry you further, Scion Ye.¡±

    ¡°You have nothing to apologize for. You¡¯ve already taken a risk by saving my life and bringing me all the way here. I cannot possibly ask more of you.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted her. ¡°Besides, the Boat of Longing wouldn¡¯t be damaged in the first ce if it wasn¡¯t for me. I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing to you.¡±

    The Boat of Longing could travel to any location with a body of water, but Zhou Hengshan¡¯s final attack had severely damaged the Anomaly. As a result, its power became impaired, and just ferrying him out of Tian Yong had pushed it to its limits.

    Of course, the Boat of Longing was an Anomaly, and an Anomaly was eternal. Given enough time, it would naturally recover and be as good as new.

    It didn¡¯t change the fact that he was the reason it took damage in the first ce though.

    ¡°What a ludicrous statement. Did you not save us from our eternal torment earlier? It is only right that we aid you in your time of need,¡± Miss Longing said gently.

    ¡°Haha! I saved you before, and you saved me today, so let¡¯s just say that the score is even and skip the pleasantries, okay?¡± Ye Qingughed, but his movement caused his cheeks to rip open and bleed profusely again.

    ¡°As you wish.¡± Long smiled gently. ¡°On an unrted note, you should stopughing, scion Ye. Or smiling in general.¡±

    <i>You look so much worse when you smile.</i>

    ¡°Eh, I¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡± Ye Qing shrugged even as the wound on his face began healing once more.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve arrived at our destination, I suppose it¡¯s time I leave,¡± Ye Qing dered and rose to his feet.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay with us a little longer? I¡¯m sure you can use the rest,¡± Longing suggested.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Thank you for the offer. but I can¡¯t. For one, my body is in such a state that a few extra days of rest practically amounts to nothing. I need to find a way to treat my body, and staying here won¡¯t help with that.¡±

    ¡°Second, my time is short. The longer I stay in one ce, the higher the chance my enemies will be able to find me.¡±

    Longing acquiesced, ¡°Very well, but Hua Mei and Jue Yan are currently away to gather information. Will you stay with me until they return?¡±

    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s not a problem.¡± Ye Qing nodded. Time is life, but he could afford to waste a bit of time.

    Tian Yong city was far, far away from the border of Northern Xinjiang. An ordinary person would have to travel between three to five months to make it there, and even a warrior using a transportation Strange Artifact would be on the road for at least a month. However, the Boat of Longing had passed through Guang Ping, Chang Shan, Zhong Shan and moremanderies and arrived at the border separating Tian Yong and Northern Xinjiang in just five days. It showed just how powerful it was.

    It was impossible to guess where the Boat of Longing was headed to or what their destination was, so even if Chu did announce a nation-wide bounty for his head, they shouldn¡¯t be able to locate him immediately. Besides, he couldn¡¯t make the most optimal decision without knowing the imperial court¡¯s final verdict, how they nned to deal with him and so on.

    He would¡¯ve tried to gather the information himself if Hua Mei and Jue Yan weren¡¯t already on the job. He was d that they were doing it for him and saving him much time.

    About half a teatimeter, Hua Mei and Jue Yan returned one after another with some news. After they told him about the official statement issued by the Intelligence Department, he fell silent for a moment and let out a sigh.

    The official statement didn¡¯t mention him massacring the Hengshan Army or the fact that he was framed. All it mentioned was his conflict with Chu Qingli. Clearly, the imperial court was nning to pin all the me on him and minimize the negative effects of the situation.

    In the end, he was made a scapegoat.

    Of course, he was prepared for this oue. He was neither too surprised nor saddened to see his predictione true.

    ¡°It looks like your n to fake your death is a sess, scion Ye!¡± Longing didn¡¯t think as deeply as Ye Qing and congratted him innocently, ¡°Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Eh. It¡¯s half-sessful, I guess.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into disdain.

    Longing looked puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°Nowhere was it stated in the statement that I was dead. Of course, it didn¡¯t say that I was alive either, but clearly they have their suspicions. Therefore, my n is only half-sessful.¡±

    ¡°So... you¡¯re still not out of danger?¡± The three girls exchanged a worried nce with each other.

    ¡°No one is an idiot. Of course it wouldn¡¯t be easy to fool them. I¡¯m happy with this oue though. It could¡¯ve been so much worse,¡± Ye Qing replied in a lighthearted tone.

    Looking at the statement, the Intelligence Department wasn¡¯t able to announce a nation-wide bounty for his head because they weren¡¯t sure if he was still alive. The fact that the statement was issued by the Intelligence Department instead of the Three Judicial Offices and the Imperial n Court also meant that the imperial court had decided to leave it all in their hands, and that the local governments and military wouldn¡¯t be getting involved.

    The Intelligence Department was a monster of an organization, but being hunted by them was still better than being hunted by the entire realm.

    Besides that, judging from how ambiguous the statement read, it looked like the Intelligence Department wouldn¡¯t be dispatching a million agents to scour the entire realm for him or something. They would only be making inquiries and visiting certain ces to find out if he was still alive. However, it was no easy feat to find a single person in the entire realm, not to mention that they weren¡¯t sure if he was still alive. Theoretically, he only needed to lie low long enough for the Intelligence Department to believe that he was truly dead.

    ¡°Thank you for gathering this information for me, Miss Hua Mei, Miss Jue Yan. This one is most grateful,¡± Ye Qing thanked the two girls.

    They replied in unison, ¡°You¡¯re wee, scion Ye.¡±

    ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s nothing else, then I shall be taking my leave.¡± Ye Qing rose to his feet and began walking toward the exit.

    As usual, the Boat of Longing was surrounded by thick fog. However, it was thinner than before, and there were far less corpses on the waters than usual. Still, the corpses formed a path for Ye Qing to walk all the way to the rivershore.

    After Ye Qing¡¯s feet were standing on solid ground, he turned back toward the Boat of Longing and saluted Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan, ¡°The mountains are tall, and the waters are endless. May we meet again in the <i>jianghu, </i>Misses.¡±

    Longing, Hua Mei and Jue Yan too bowed to Ye Qing with respect. ¡°The journey is long, so we surely will, scion Ye. Take care.¡±

    The mountains are tall, the waters are endless.

    May the sun watch over you during the day,

    May the stars and moon be yourpanions during the night,

    And may the wind, rain and cloud guide you away from all dangers.

    Be safe,

    Be free,

    And may we meet again, in the <i>jianghu.</i>

 Chapter 476: Carefree Pass At Carefree Mountain Range

    <h4>Chapter 476: Carefree Pass At Carefree Mountain Range </h4>

    Carefree Mountain Range was a massive mountain range that spanned hundreds of kilometers from one end to another. Located between Tian Yong and Northern Xinjiang, it was a natural barrier that kept the two prefectures separate.

    There was a saying regarding Carefree Mountain Range that went something like this: The Carefree Celestial lives on Carefree Mountain Range, and those beneath the mountains pray for peace.

    Legend says that a thousand years ago, after the You Dynasty had fallen into decline, countless warlords waged war for power, fame and glory. The world was in chaos, and the people were suffering.

    Noticing the abundance of the southernnds, the northern warlords decided to invade them and lead their armies south. When a celestial who was passing through the area saw this, he decided to raise a massive mountain range from the ground and stopped the invasion dead in its tracks. Countless people were saved and were able to live carefree lives as a result.

    In order tomemorate this celestial, the people decided to name the mountain ¡°Carefree Mountain Range¡± and build a shrine named ¡°Carefree Shrine¡± for him. They called him the ¡°Carefree Celestial¡±. That was how the quote: ¡°The Carefree Celestial lives on Carefree Mountain Range, and those beneath the mountains pray for peace¡± came to be.

    Of course, the story was just a legend. It was impossible to say if it was real. One thing for certain, it was a symbol of the people¡¯s yearning for a peaceful and carefree life.

    At the foot of Carefree Mountain Range was a huge pass named Carefree Pass. Pass through its gates, and you would have officially entered Northern Xinjiang.

    To the north of Carefree Passy sixteenmanderies, to its southy the Country of Heaven[1] itself. Someone who passed through Carefree Pass would be able to travel straight to the heart of Chu. That was why Carefree Pass was also considered the final frontier between northern Chu and its enemies.

    In the 16th year of the Yuanyou era, after Emperor Yuanyou had passed away, Chu was embroiled in civil war because thete emperor¡¯s nine sons were fighting each other for the throne. Yan seized this opportunity to raise a million soldiers and stormed Qing Wu, Xuan Hua, Huai Shuo, Bei You and more territories of Northern Xinjiang. It wasn¡¯t long before they were threatening the heart of Chu itself.

    At a critical moment, with just an advantageous terrain, thirty thousand soldiers and a hundred thousand untrained militia, Li Liren, guardmander of Carefree Pass, somehow held the pass for a little over ten days until reinforcements finally arrived to beat back the Yan army of one million. In the end, the Country of Heaven was saved from being ravaged by the mes of war.

    Had the Yan army seeded in breaching Carefree Pass, they would be free to roam anywhere they pleased and conquer everything in their sight. They could even make a beeline straight for the capital of Chu. The consequences would¡¯ve been unimaginable.

    Since then, all future emperors of Chu learned from their predecessor¡¯s lesson and stationed a significant amount of troops at Carefree Pass. They also developed it into a military stronghold.

    Carefree Pass became more important than after the Heavenly Martial Emperor ascended the throne of Yan. Overflowing with ambition, the emperor was like a starving beast eyeing the delicious piece of meat that was Chu. He constantly created all sorts of conflict and chaos at the borders of Northern Xinjiang in hopes of starting a new war, and in response, Emperor Jin Run stationed a significant amount of troops in themanderies and passes of Northern Xinjiang as well.

    Although Carefree Pass wasn¡¯t located at the frontier, it still enjoyed a ludicrous amount of troops due to the significance of its location. If rumors were to be believed, the small pass had a standing army of one hundred thousand and reserve troops of fifty thousand.

    Of course, the security in Carefree Pass was very tight since it was a military stronghold. For starters, everyone who wishes to pass through it must own a travel pass.

    Inside the Garrison Office of Carefree Pass, a man was sitting at the seat of honor and listening to his aide¡¯s report. After the report wasplete, he waved his subordinate away and rubbed his forehead in irritation, muttering, ¡°Damn it all. Why do I have to look for some random person when I¡¯m busy enough already? How troublesome.¡±

    The man was in his forties. He had a muscr figure and a dark shade of skin that was distinct to a man of northern Chu.

    He was themandant of Carefree Pass, Deng Quan, and his responsibility entailed patrolling the pass, keeping safety and order, interrogating and processing everyone who enters or leaves Carefree Pass and so on.

    His position wasn¡¯t high, but he wielded a lot of authority. He also earned a sizable ie despite not having to do much.

    Deng Quan wasn¡¯t having a good timetely, however. He couldn¡¯t sleep well, he couldn¡¯t eat well, he couldn¡¯t even drink well or fuck the women of Wind and Moon without being burdened in the mind.

    It was because he recently received an order to investigate every person who wished to pass through Carefree Pass into Northern Xinjiang carefully. Specifically, he was to look out for a man named Ye Qing.

    There was just a teensy-weensy problem with the order. One, the higher-ups had no idea if the guy was alive or dead. Two, they had no idea how long the order would stand.

    ¡°When will this finally be over?¡±

    Suddenly, an icy voice rang from the inner hall. ¡°From the moment you enter the Intelligence Department, you don¡¯tin about life or death. You should still remember the rules, no?¡±

    Startled, Deng Quan shot to his feet. He gathered his energies and grabbed his saber from the table, yelling, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Spirits and demons watch the monsters in the morning...¡±

    The icy voice rang once more.

    Deng Quan subconsciously replied, ¡°Sprites and fairies watch the nine provinces at night.¡±

    ¡°Sprite Thirty Six greets you, my lord!¡±

    The couplet was a code that only the intelligencer and their handler would know, and ¡°Sprite 36¡± was his code name.

    There were four ranks among the intelligencers of the Intelligence Department: Spirit, Demon, Sprite and Fairy, and Deng Quan was a Sprite-rank intelligencer.

    36 was just a number to separate him from the other Intelligencers. It didn¡¯t mean that he was the thirty-sixth Sprite-rank intelligencer. Moreover, all Sprite-rank intelligencers were equal in status. Barring exceptional circumstances, they usually didn¡¯tmunicate with each other and kept unaware of each other¡¯s existence.

    All Sprite-rank intelligencers answered to Sprite 1, and only Sprite 1 knew everyone¡¯s identity. Therefore, the person speaking to him right now was most likely Sprite 1, his superior. He was most likely the one who gave him the order to look for Ye Qing as well.

    The icy voice said, ¡°As a member of the Intelligence Department, you must never forget who you are and what your duties are. If you are found to be derelict in your duties, then you will be punished by our rules. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Perfectly, my lord. Please forgive me,¡± Deng Quan bowed his head and replied fearfully.

    ¡°This is your first andst chance. Don¡¯t fail me again.¡± Sprite 1 continued, ¡°How goes the investigation? Did you find anyone suspicious?¡±

    Deng Quan answered, ¡°No, my lord. There were some suspicious people, but I can confirm that none of them are Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°Understood, but don¡¯t let your guard down,¡± Sprite 1 said.

    ¡°As youmand,¡± Deng Quan responded before hesitating a little. ¡°Can I say something, my lord?¡±

    Sprite 1manded, ¡°Speak.¡±

    Deng Quan took a moment to consider his words. ¡°Assuming that Ye Qing is still alive, how do we know that he will pass through Carefree Pass to enter Northern Xinjiang?¡±

    Sprite 1 answered, ¡°A total of five prefectures borders Tian Yong such as Northern Xinjiang, Long Xi, He Dong and so on. Every single one of these territories besides Northern Xinjiang are close to the capital and firmly under the control of the imperial court. If Ye Qing wishes to survive, he can only depart for prefectures far away from the imperial court such as Northern Xinjiang, Tian Liang, Jian Nan and more. That¡¯s because these ces haveplex power structures and an abundance of all sorts of factions. Since Northern Xinjiang borders Tian Yong, it should be his top choice.¡±

    ¡°Second, Ye Qing might be connected to the Corpse Ship. The Corpse Shp could appear on any body of water, and it so happens that Yong River originates from Carefree Mountain Range. That is why I have good reason to believe that Ye Qing has already arrived at Carefree Mountain, and why we need to be especially alert for the next few days toe.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you for answering my questions, my lord.¡± Deng Quan sped his hands in salute. A short silenceter, he asked another question, ¡°Do we have a specific timeframe, my lord? I¡¯m worried that someone might notice something wrong with my behavior and discover my identity.¡±

    His identity as an intelligencer of the Intelligence Department was one that could never see the light. If he was exposed, not only would he lose his position, he might even be executed for his troubles.

    Be it in the court or the <i>jianghu</i>, absolutely no one liked a spy in their midst.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t take too long.¡± Sprite 1 answered, ¡°What I said are just conjectures. If Ye Qing really is connected to the Corpse Ship, he has the option to escape to a ce we couldn¡¯t even dream of. He could be traveling in the opposite direction, he might already be inside Northern Xinjiang, or he might already be dead. That said, that is no excuse to be negligent.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a responsible and diligent person, my lord. Color me impressed,¡± replied Deng Quan while mentally sighing in relief. He felt a lot less stressed now that he knew that this situation wouldn¡¯tst forever.

    ¡°If you find anything, you know what to do. Find me at Wind and Moon, and I will speak with you,¡± Sprite 1 instructed before saying, ¡°We keep the peace of the world and observe the rise and fall of the nine provinces.¡±

    ¡°We y the evils of the Four Seas and protect the people¡¯s happiness.¡±

    Deng Quan sped his hands and replied solemnly, ¡°Until another day.¡±

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    When the voice subsided, Deng Quan found that the inner hall waspletely empty. Clearly, Sprite 1 was gone like a phantom.

    ¡°Men!¡± Deng Quan called out while massaging his forehead.

    ¡°Your orders, my lord?¡± A subordinate stepped into the room.

    ¡°Assistant Commander Cui, tell the men to increase security and investigate anyone who enters or leaves Carefree Pass carefully. Don¡¯t hesitate to report to me as soon as you find someone suspicious.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± The assistantmander didn¡¯t understand why, but he left to carry out his order without asking anything.

    After the assistantmander was gone, Deng Quan muttered under his breath, ¡°Ye Qing... what a pain in the ass... the reason I became an intelligencer is to protect my country, my family and the people, not to get saddled with stupid shit like this.¡±

    A savage expression flitted across his face. ¡°If you¡¯re dead, then whatever. But if you¡¯re alive, I¡¯ll make you regret making my life miserable, Ye Qing.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know that Ye Qing hadn¡¯te to Carefree Pass.

    Instead, Ye Qing had climbed up Carefree Mountain Range and paid the Carefree Shrine a visit.

    1. meaning the center of Chu. In our world, it¡¯s referring to Chengdu. Like I said the author uses many real life references. ?

 Chapter 477: Night Walker

    <h4>Chapter 477: Night Walker </h4>

    Carefree Shrine was a living shrine[1] the people of Carefree Pass had created tomemorate the Carefree Celestial.

    When Carefree Shrine was initially founded, it was said to enjoy an overwhelming amount of worship. Thousands and thousands of people came to pay their respects including schrs and other men of culture. They left behind many memorable, famous verses such as, ¡°A mountain sprung where the celestial points and free humanity from the mortal coil forevermore,¡± or ¡°A celestial and a mountain saved a people, granting them evesting happiness and freedom.¡±

    s, the march of time was unstoppable. As the dynasties changed, Carefree Shrine endured all kinds of disasters and was even scorched by the mes of war. In the end, the shrine lost all of its former glory and became abandoned.

    Right now, Ye Qing was standing in front of Carefree Shrine and supporting himself with a wooden stick. He was wearing a mask and coughing non-stop.

    The shrine¡¯s walls were bent, the roof was leaking, and it looked like it was suffocating amidst a floor of dead leaves and overgrown weeds. When the mountain wind blew across the area, it made this whiny, mournful noise that gave the shrine a ghastly atmosphere.

    Once upon a time, the incense smoke of this shrine was thick enough to pierce through the nine heavens. Today, it was as lifeless as it was abandoned. What an ironic and terrible fate it was.

    Of course, Ye Qing was a warrior. He wasn¡¯t the type to reminisce about past glories, much less weep for some lost history. He hade here today not because he wished to pay a worthy predecessor his respect, but because he had business to do.

    After his cough subsided, and he no longer felt like he might copse on his feet at any moment, Ye Qing tossed the wooden stick away and stepped into the shrine.

    In the past, there were multiple statues depicting the Carefree Celestial inside the shrine so as to amodate its many worshippers. Today, only one mud statue was still intact.

    The mud statue looked surprisingly pristine considering the condition of the shrine. It was shaped like a Taoist carrying a horsetail whisk and pointing forward with his right hand, his middle and index finger pressed together. It was a very celestial-like pose.

    The statue¡¯s face was blurry and unclear, however. The two small gs nted on his left and right nk were also tattered beyond imagination. Ye Qing could barely read the words, ¡°The celestial touches your head¡± and ¡°Bless you with boundless life and happiness¡± on the gs.

    The corners of Ye Qing''s lips turned up when he saw the Taoist statue. He turned his wrists and produced three incense sticks. After the incense sticks ignited on their own, he pointed them upside down and bowed three times.

    The first bow was to invite the Night Walker.

    The second bow was to request the gods and demons to open a path.

    And the third bow was to bless his legs with the ability to tread between yin and yang.

    Each time he bowed toward the statue, one of the incense sticks would burn outpletely. When all three incense sticks had gone out, the smoke they produced poured down to the floor and spread across the whole shrine. They didn¡¯t rise to the sky or fade away like a normal smoke would.

    Then, Ye Qing stomped his foot and dered in a loud voice, ¡°Wind and rain cannot block the path between yin and yang, gods and demons cannot stop the Night Walker! The offerings are ready, so please show yourself, Night Walker!¡±

    As soon as he was finished speaking, the smoke abruptly sank into the floor and vanished into nothing.

    Nine breathster, a puff of smoke emerged from the underground and formed a single word: ¡°Wait.¡±

    It disappeared a secondter.

    ¡°Phew...¡± Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief and smiled when he saw this. Everything he did earlier was to request a Night Walker to show himself.

    The Night Walkers were a part of a mysterious transportation organization of the <i>jianghu. </i>His colleagues were the Traveling Celestial, the Yin Coachman, the Ghost Ferry.

    Technically, their job was no different from their human counterpart. They transported goods and passengers from one location to another just like a horse carriage, a litter, a ferry and so on. They didn¡¯t serve themon people, however. Their services were only provided to <i>jianghu </i>people, the wealthy and influential, Strangers and Anomalies.

    That¡¯s right. The Night Walkers, Traveling Celestials, Yin Coachmen and Ghost Ferries didn¡¯t just provide their services to humans. They were perfectly okay with serving Strangers as well. They didn¡¯t support one side or another, and they didn¡¯t care if you were good or bad, right or wrong, human or Stranger. So long as you paid them a worthy price¡ªit could be in the form of money, treasures, or even your life¡ªthey would transport you anywhere you desired without leaving a trace behind.

    The organization served only profit and possessed next to no principles, so their services had resulted in some major disasters. As a result, they were branded as heretics by the imperial court and the orthodox sects of the <i>jianghu </i>in all four realms. However, the demands for their services were endless, and their unnatural abilities made them incredibly difficult to detect, much less capture. That was why they were still in business to this day.

    Of course, they weren¡¯t able to operate as openly and wantonly after they became wanted in all four realms, so they dipped under the radar and operated much more carefully than before. These days, not many people had even heard of their existence.

    Although the Night Walkers, Traveling Celestials, Yin Coachmen and Ghost Ferries were all service providers, their target audience and the price they demanded were very different from one another.

    A Night Walker mainly provided his services to humans, and he didn¡¯t care if they were male, female, good, evil, orthodox or heretic. Just pay him his due, and he would carry you anywhere you wanted to go.

    A Traveling Celestial mainly provided his services to Strangers, and just like a Night Walker, he didn¡¯t care if his customer was intelligent or non-intelligent, neutral or hopelessly evil[2]. But unlike a Night Walker, he didn¡¯t ept cash. He demanded natural treasures of all kinds, Stranger materials and the like.

    A Yin Coachman mainly provided his services to yin creatures such as ghosts, yin guards, yin judges and so on. He mainly requestedher artifacts¡ªor to put it in more secr terms, funerary items.

    Finally, a Ghost Ferry mainly provided water transportation services to humans and Strangers who needed to travel or transport their goods by water. They epted anything, be it money or treasures.

    The one Ye Qing chose to summon was a Night Walker, and Carefree Shrine was one of his bases of operations. All a customer needed to do was to light three incense sticks, worship the ground instead of the sky, and say the words necessary to invite a Night Walker. If the corresponding Night Walker agreed to the request, then it would provide some form of response. If not, the smoke would dissipate like a normal smoke would.

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t learned this trick from the books. Chen Wuxin¡ªthe Heartless Brain¡ªwas the one who told him about it. Since the Heartless Brain had upied Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s brain, it naturally inherited the man¡¯s memories as well.

    Before Chen Ah Sheng moved to Chaos Heaven Mountain, he was operating in Bei You of Northern Xinjiang. He traveled south because his nemesis was hunting him like a relentless hound. A Night Walker was how he was able to slip past Carefree Pass without being detected.

    Although the Corpse Ship had provided him with the perfect cover, and the Intelligence Department was unable to ascertain his location or his status, Ye Qing didn¡¯t dare to let down his guard in the slightest. The Intelligence Department was notorious for having eyes and ears in every part of the world, so it was entirely possible that they had moles working in Carefree Pass as well. They might even have an entire team of spies keeping watch at the garrison right now. If he tried to slip into Northern Xinjiang through Carefree Pass thinking that everything would be fine, he might very well pay the price for his arrogance and optimism.

    That was why he decided to employ a Night Walker¡¯s services.

    ¡°Wind and rain cannot block the path between yin and yang, gods and demons cannot stop the Night Walker.¡± What this line really meant was that a Night Walker possessed the incredible ability to cross freely between the yin and yang world and deliver his customers to their destination without leaving behind a trace.

    That said, a Night Walker usually operated within the span of amandery or severalmanderies only. That was because each Night Walker was assigned a territory, and no one was allowed to infringe upon another Night Walker¡¯s territory barring exceptional circumstances.

    For example, the Night Walker Ye Qing was summoning strictly dealt with customers within Carefree Pass only. If he left the region, he would have to seek out a different Night Walker or find other ways to escape his pursuers.

    Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts ran free for about three incense sticks until suddenly, a powerful gale swept into the shrine and flung the dead leaves everywhere. Right after then, four people carrying a litter appeared from the horizon and ran straight toward him.

    The mountainous terrain didn¡¯t seem to slow them in the slightest, and they crossed a hundred meters in the blink of an eye even though their movements suggested otherwise.

    All four men were wearing ck, form-fitting outfits and wearing square hats. They were also wearing a traditional-looking mask with the word ¡°Night Walker¡± written at the center.

    A closer look would reveal that only the guy standing at the forefront had a heartbeat and a pulse. The other three people were as lifeless as an inanimate object.

    The litter they were carrying had a pyramid-shaped roof like a bridal sedan, but it was pitch-ck in color and radiating a dark light. It didn¡¯t look like it belonged to this world, and it didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Greetings, dear customer. I am the Night Walker.¡±

    After the four men stopped in front of Ye Qing and set down the litter, the Night Walker with a heartbeat raised his hands and greeted Ye Qing politely.

    Ye Qing returned the gesture and said, ¡°A pleasure to meet you as well, Night Walker.¡±

    1. Worship of the living is the worship of living people practiced in the East Asian cultural sphere. There are two types of enshrinement: the enshrinement of the spirit of a living person who has made a significant contribution, and the enshrinement of one''s own spirit. ?

    2. Because there are extremely few good Strangers in the world. Take Wawa for example, the requirements necessary for her birth are so stringent it¡¯s a miracle she exists at all. ?

 Chapter 478: Yin Yang Litter

    <h4>Chapter 478: Yin Yang Litter </h4>

    ¡°Your presence is unfamiliar to me. I¡¯m assuming this is your first time, customer?¡± The Night Walker asked while looking Ye Qing up and down.

    ¡°I thought it¡¯s one of your motto to serve any paying customer without asking unnecessary questions?¡± Ye Qing said coldly.

    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re right. I apologize for overstepping my bounds,¡± the Night Walker didn¡¯t take offense and replied cordially. ¡°So, where would you like to go?¡±

    ¡°Homesick Pavilion!¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The Night Walker smiled. ¡°Homesick Pavilion¡¯s a wonderful ce located at the junction between Bei You, Xuan Hua, Huai Shuo and Wu You[1]. Well connected and overflowing with merchants, it is one of the most prosperous ces in Northern Xinjiang.¡±

    ¡°Are you there to visit a friend or rtive, dear customer?¡±

    Ye Qing side-eyed the Night Walker and said nothing. As if he just realized his mistake, the Night Walker let out an embarrassed chuckle. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t believe I forgot my rule again. Much apologies, customer. I hope you won¡¯t take offense.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I require a payment of ten thousand silver if you wish to travel to Homesick Pavilion,¡± the Night Walker made a ridiculous request.

    ¡°Ten thousand silver?¡± Ye Qing fell silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°eptable.¡±

    <i>What¡¯s this? A cash cow with more money than sense?!</i>

    A stupidly wide grin suddenly appeared on the Night Walker¡¯s face. His mask was hiding his expression, but his trembling arms and clenched fists still betrayed how happy he was.

    Doing business was never easy, and easy prey showed up only once in a blue moon. How could he not be delighted by this discovery?

    ¡°Ah, my apologies for not exining myself clearly, customer. What I really mean to say is that passing through Carefree Pass alone costs ten thousand silver. Traveling from Carefree Pass to Homesick Pavilion requires another ten thousand silver.¡±

    Behind his mask, Ye Qing¡¯s lips slowly curled into a devilish smirk. He could sense the Night Walker¡¯s emotions, of course. Some people just couldn¡¯t control their greed, could they?

    ¡°Twenty thousand silver? I can afford that.¡± Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°But dare you ept it?¡±

    Ye Qing lifted a finger as soon as he was done speaking.

    A bad feeling suddenly overcame the Night Walker, and the three men standing behind him abruptly burst into cold, green mes. Then, they surrounded Ye Qing using the Three Powers Formation[2] and charged toward him.

    Unfortunately for the Night Walker, there was no chance hisckeys could move faster than Ye Qing could tap the space in front of him. Demonic thought rippled out like a wave, and the three men abruptly froze in ce.

    The Night Walker nched. Somehow, Ye Qing had severed his connection to hisckeys.

    The three men were, in fact, not real people. They were puppets named the Suspended Puppets of Yin and Yang. The Suspended Puppets of Yin and Yang were created from corpses who were born on a yang year, a yang month, a yin day and a yin hour. Their dual nature allowed someone in the know to refine them into corpse puppets that neither feared yang energy, yin energy, and most evils. They could traverse freely between yin and yang, and even most Strangers would choose to avoid them than engage them in a fight.

    The Night Walker had received his puppets from an expert corpse craftsman within his ranks, and he literally manipted them like puppets on strings using threads of spirit. As strong as an early-stage Spirit Purifier, the three puppets could even give ate-stage Spirit Purifier a run for their money when using the Three Powers Formation. They were the source of his confidence.

    The other reason he dared to scam Ye Qing was because he could sense how weak his body was. His body was frail, and his vigor was as weak as a candle me.

    In his opinion, Ye Qing must be the stupid, hedonistic son of some big n. Somehow, he discovered the secret of the Carefree Shrine and decided to give it a try. The Night Walker was certain that he could trick him into coughing up big bags of cash using abination of the carrot and the stick.

    He wasn¡¯t going to kill Ye Qing, of course. There were rules within their group, and one of them explicitly stated that they could do anything to increase their profits except killing. Those who did would have their martial arts destroyed and expelled from the Night Walkers.

    He wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to attack him before they even began the negotiations, however, and he definitely wasn¡¯t expecting him to sever the threads he used to control his Suspended Puppets of Yin and Yang¡ªalso his biggest trump card¡ªwith a single flick of his finger.

    Speechless, the Night Walker didn¡¯t hesitate to slip into the ck litter behind him. The transport immediately started shining brightly and growing translucent as if it was entering a different world.

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    While examining the abnormal changes overtaking the ck litter with his senses, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes turned ck as the night, and a pair of ck lotus slowly surfaced into view. He then lifted his finger and tapped the space in front of him again.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    Heaven and earth trembled once,

    The wind stopped blowing,

    The clouds stopped moving,

    And all sound ceased to exist.

    The space surrounding the ck litter folded upon itself like a piece of fabric, and the ck litter turned solid once more.

    Ye Qing lifted his finger a third time, but the Night Walker didn¡¯t wait for him to finish his move. He stumbled out of the litter and copsed on his knees in front of Ye Qing, begging, ¡°Please stop, my lord! I was wrong, I was wrong so please!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t want your money anymore?¡± Ye Qing teased him.

    ¡°No! No! I shouldn¡¯t have allowed my greed to overtake my good senses! Please have mercy, my lord!¡±

    The Night Walker was white-faced and shaking like a leaf. He never imagined that Ye Qing¡¯s spirit would be strong enough to affect even his transport. The ck litter was called the Yin Yang Litter, and it was a miraculous Strange Artifact that allowed him to travel between the cracks of yin and yang. To be more specific, there existed a strange space that was neither yin nor yang between the gaps of the yin and yang world.

    It was how the Night Walkers were able to deliver a customer from one ce to another without being detected.

    The Yin Yang Litter was the Night Walker¡¯s livelihood. It was also their final insurance. If, for whatever reason, they found themselves facing down a life-threatening threat, they could escape into the litter and slip into the cracks between yin and yang to live another day. In fact, he had escaped many ill-intentioned people who wished him harm using this exact method, and some of them were even Half-Step Grandmasters.

    The Night Walker didn¡¯t expect Ye Qing to use some sort of spirit art to pull him back into reality, however. The sheer power of his spirit and the profoundness of his secret art were terrifying to say the least.

    He thought that Ye Qing was a young, stupid and hedonistic noble, but it was the opposite. He was certain that the young man was really an old monster pretending to be a young fool. He could even be a ruthless master of the Dark Ways.

    <i>Why is a powerful, prestigious champion like you pretending to be a small fry? Is it fun to tease us actual small fries like that?</i>

    The Night Walker felt like crying right now. Scratch that, he was crying.

    ¡°Please spare me, my lord! If you do, I swear to carry you safely to Homesick Pavilion for free!¡±

    For a moment, Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything. Silence slowly cut away at the Night Walker¡¯s mental defense like a sharp de until he was shaking all over by the end of it.

    What felt like a few yearster¡ªjust when the Night Walker was sure that he would perish¡ªYe Qing finally said, ¡°Stand.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my lord! Thank you!¡± The Night Walker let out a huge sigh of relief. It had been too long since he felt death breathing down his neck, but he could confirm that he still hated it with every fiber of his body.

    ¡°You must have a death wish to try and scam <i>me. </i>You would¡¯ve paid the price of death if I didn¡¯t have urgent business at Homesick Pavilion.¡±

    Ye Qing pretended to speak like an old monster the Night Walker misunderstood him to be. ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, but try your little tricks again when we¡¯re moving to Homesick Pavilion, and you will wish that you were dead.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± The Night Walker nodded like a parrot.

    Seeing that the time was right, Ye Qing finally showed the Night Walker the carrot. ¡°However, I am not an unreasonable man. If you do a good job, then I will pay you ten thousand silver.¡±

    Ye Qing had never nned to kill the Night Walker. After all, he needed the guy to take him through Carefree Pass, not to mention that he was a man-on-the-run. He hardly wanted to make an enemy out of a group who was notorious for their ability to appear anywhere, anytime.

    The Night Walker didn¡¯t have any principles. Or rather, they would do anything in the name of profit. Even if the Night Walker didn¡¯t scam him earlier, Ye Qing was certain that the guy would intentionally make trouble for him on the way to his destination. Rather than suffer the trivialitiester, he chose to intimidate the guy now and teach him that he was no one to be trifled with.

    That said, pure intimidation would only breed resentment, so he promised to pay the Night Walker the ten thousand silver he requested at the beginning. If applied properly, there was nothing the carrot and the stick couldn¡¯t do.

    ¡°Thank you, my lord! You are a generous and a magnanimous man!¡± The Night Walker immediatelyplimented Ye Qing. The budding resentment and defiance in his heart also evaporated into thin air.

    ¡°Enough ttery. Did you forget that I have urgent business to attend to? Take me there already,¡± Ye Qing ordered.

    ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± The Night Walker peeled away the curtains covering the entrance and said with an obsequious smile, ¡°Please enter, my lord.¡±

    Ye Qing stepped into the litter. It was exquisitely decorated, and even the floor was covered with an animal carpet. It was far morefortable than it looked from outside.

    Outside the litter, the Night Walker waved his hand and rebuilt his connection with the three Suspended Puppets of Yin and Yang. After the puppets moved into position and lifted the litter, the Night Walker called out, ¡°Sit tight, my lord! We¡¯re departing right away!¡±

    ¡°Wind and rain cannot block the path between yin and yang, gods and demons cannot stop the Night Walker! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    A powerful gale blew through the mountains, and the Night Walkers began running deeper into the mountains. Both the Night Walkers and the Yin Yang Litter grew increasingly transparent until they werepletely gone.

    When the wind subsided, the dead leaves returned to the ground, peace and tranquility returned to Carefree Shrine. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

    1. Carefree, but amandery. All four ces mentioned aremanderies as well. ?

    2. If you guys remember, this formation was used during chapter 200+ or something. ?

 Chapter 479: The Gap Between Yin and Yang

    <h4>Chapter 479: The Gap Between Yin and Yang </h4>

    There existed a ce that was neither yin nor yang, life or death. People called it the Yin Yang Gap.

    To put it in simple terms, the Yin Yang Gap was the ce where yin and yang blended together into a chaotic space where nothing was what it seemed, and logic didn¡¯t exist as a concept. There were rivers that flowed upward, mountains that floated in the sky, rainbow clouds that sat on the ground, forests that hung upside down on the sky, celestial bodies that were actually close enough to touch should you fly high enough and more. It was a bizarre and anomalous ce to say the least.

    Generally speaking, a yin creature could only live in the yin world, and a yang being could only live in the yang world. Since neither energy was dominant in the Yin Yang Gap, neither the living nor the dead could survive in the Yin Yang Gap without a secret art.

    But of course, the same rule couldn¡¯t be applied to Strangers. Many anomalous and powerful Strangers lived in the Yin Yang Gap, and Ye Qing saw a lot just minutes into his journey. He saw a Stranger with a bull or goat-like body, but the head of a tiger, a leopard and a wolf. The three heads could spit a gale strong enough to uproot trees, a snowfall that was practically an avnche, and water that could corrode stone.

    There was a giantke flying in the sky with a pair of wings. It was so big that it blotted out the sky, and gigantic aquatic creatures could be seen jumping out of its surface and forming a colorful ¡°bridge¡± that connected heaven and earth.

    He also saw clouds that spanned from one end of the sky to another. When they exhaled, the wind would howl, and thunder would deafen the ears. When they inhaled, the world would roar like a sandstorm, and mountains and rivers would be pulled into the clouds.

    ......

    The sights dazzled and terrified Ye Qing, but not the Night Walker. On the contrary, he easily navigated through the unusual terrain and bizarre Strangers withposure and control.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of these Strangers?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    The Night Walker answered smilingly, ¡°These Strangers look scary, but they¡¯re all unintelligent and can only act based on their instincts. So long as you keep your presence well under wraps, they wouldn¡¯t even notice your existence.¡±

    ¡°We Night Walkers know a secret art that allows us to conceal our and our customers¡¯ presence, so these Strangers are annoying obstacles at best. There is nothing to be worried about.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded approvingly. The Night Walkers definitely possessed some skills.

    The Night Walker asked a question, ¡°In fact, the Strangers aren¡¯t the biggest dangers in the Yin Yang Gap. Care to venture a guess, my lord?¡±

    Ye Qing said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t like suspenses. Speak!¡±

    The Night Walker let out a chuckle. ¡°The biggest dangers in the Yin Yang Gap are an avnche, a flood, an earthquake and so on. It is the neverending natural disasters that happen without warning anywhere, anytime.¡±

    ¡°Natural disasters?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brows. He was just about to say something when he saw a pair of floating mountains crashing into each other with such force that it reminded Ye Qing of the world-ending meteor that had wiped out the dinosaurs. As an ominous groan resounded throughout the world, and the mountains began crumbling into pieces,rge chunks of rocks crashed into a floating river below.

    The river had been flowing smoothly and peacefully when suddenly, the rocks cut it in half. Its waters and the rocks immediately spilled down the sides, crushing or drowning countless unsuspecting Strangers.

    Not only that, the flood was heading straight toward them like a tidal wave.

    The Night Walker lookedpletely unperturbed, however. He continued to run toward the iing waters.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid, my lord?¡± The Night Walker asked smilingly.

    ¡°Why would I be afraid when you are not?¡± Ye Qing replied in an indifferent tone. He was really about to piss his pants on the inside, but if he wasn¡¯t about to appear weak before the Night Walker.

    ¡°Not everyone can face down such a scene and remain calm, my lord. You¡¯re a true warrior,¡± the Night Walker ttered.

    <i>Bro, now is not the time to be licking my boots. You may be suicidal, but I¡¯m certainly not!</i>

    Ye Qing remained outwardly calm despite the growing panic inside his heart. They were seconds away from running into the all-consuming flood when the Night Walker sang loudly, ¡°I do not fear the dangers of humanity, for I have the power to rise up to the blue sky! Up, up we go!¡±

    The Night Walker¡¯s feet began shining with a ck light, and both him and the litter began rising to the sky. Right before the rocks and flood would crash into them, they abruptly disappeared into thin air.

    <i>We¡¯re back? I see!</i>

    When the scenery around them suddenly turned into a lush green forest, Ye Qing realized that they had returned to the yang world. He should¡¯ve realized this sooner since their ability to traverse between the worlds formed the very basis of their transportation business.

    ¡°The Yin Yang Gap exists between the two worlds, and it is overflowing with yin and yang energy. Naturally, it is a highly unstable space where even the slightest fluctuations could create all kinds of terrifying natural disasters. For example, when it is daytime in the yang world, and yang energy is at its strongest, wildfires, windstorms, rainstorms and the like would manifest in the Yin Yang Gap. When it is nighttime in the yang world, and yin energy was at its strongest, snowstorms, hailstorms and so on would appear instead.¡±

    ¡°Yin energy and yang energy are opposing elements that cannot coexist in the same space. If they do, it would be like adding water into a pot of oil. All sorts of destructive natural phenomena such as avnches, earthquakes, floods and more would happen. That is why I consider them far more dangerous than the Strangers.¡±

    The Night Walker smiled. ¡°But of course, the natural phenomena created in Yin Yang Gap cannot affect the yang world, and the Strangers definitely cannot pass into reality. No matter what kind of danger we encounter, we simply need to return to the yang world to avoid it.¡±

    ¡°That is why I personally think that the Yin Yang Gap is a better ce than the yang world.¡±

    Ye Qing neither agreed or disagreed with his statement. From the Night Walker¡¯s perspective, of course the Yin Yang Gap was an awesome ce. After all, he could leave it behind whenever he wanted to. But for someone like him? If he ever found himself stranded in the Yin Yang Gap, he should probably do himself a favor and kill himself.

    The Night Walker didn¡¯t take Ye Qing¡¯s refusal to heart and continued to run past the trees like the wind. A teatimeter, he took them back into the Yin Yang Gap. The horrifying disaster from before was nowhere to be seen.

    As the Night Walker said, natural disasters were constantly happening in the Yin Yang Gap, and they were as dangerous as they were unpredictable. In just six hours or so, he had witnessed more mountains crashing into each other, rivers falling from the sky like a burst dam, an inferno that swept through both heaven and earth, windstorms and hailstorms that felt like it could tten the ground like a pancake, earthquakes that felt like the apocalypse was upon them and so on.

    If their troubles were just confined to the Yin Yang Gap, then so be it. The problem was that the sun had set in the yang world, and all sorts of Strangers and Anomalies began showing their faces. He saw a mountain god marrying a bride, yin soldiers marching to heavens-know-where, a Resentful Fog that was notorious for its cruelty, a bizarre Bird of Ill Omen, a vicious Monkey Demon, a terrifying Old Man of the Mountain and so on.

    They were never in any real danger thanks to the Night Walker¡¯s ability to traverse between the two worlds, however. When they ran into danger in the Yin Yang Gap, they would escape into the yang world. When they ran into danger in the yang world, then they would return to the Yin Yang Gap. If both worlds happened to be gued by danger at the same time, fear not, for there was still the yin world to escape to.

    The ability was so OP that even Ye Qing felt tempted to kill the Night Walker and steal his secret art, magic, Strange Artifacts, everything. It was just a passing thought though. The Night Walker¡¯s magic and secret arts required a special bloodline and body to master. There were also fail-safes in their souls that prevented them from revealing the details. If they tried, the fail-safes would immediately trigger and kill them. Soul searching and soul stealing wouldn¡¯t work either. It would simply result in soul destruction.

    Besides that, the Night Walkers were a mysterious and powerful group who shared ties with certain sects and major ns; especially those that were branded heretics. If you killed a Night Walker over personal grievances, the most they would do was to cklist you and never provide you their services again. But if you killed them because you coveted the very thing that made them what they were today, then every Night Walker in the world would hunt you to the ends of the earth.

    Obviously, some people had tried to steal the Night Walker¡¯s secret arts before. A good number of them were prominent sects and ns as well. Once upon a time, the Hill of Hanging Moon, one of the thirty six unorthodox sects, actively hunted down Night Walkers in hopes of obtaining their secret arts. Angered, they wiped out the sect to theirst animal in a single night. Since then, no one dared to target the Night Walkers ever again.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t think he could seed where countless had failed.

 Chapter 480: The Nine Dragons And The Coffin

    <h4>Chapter 480: The Nine Dragons And The Coffin </h4>

    ¡°Where are we now?¡±

    Ye Qing asked.

    Day and night didn¡¯t exist in the Yin Yang Gap. There was only an endless line of horror shows. That was why it was incredibly easy to lose track of time and direction while traversing the Yin Yang Gap. However, this didn¡¯t apply to the Night Walkers because they knew a system of methods that allowed them to keep track of time and direction without fail.

    ¡°We¡¯re deep inside Carefree Mountain Range right now. It should take us another two to four hours at most to pass through the areapletely,¡± the Night Walker answered.

    ¡°That fast?¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment.

    Carefree Mountain Range spanned over fifty kilometers in width, not to mention that countless dangers resided within the mountains. Even if there was no danger, it should¡¯ve taken them at least ten to fifteen days to pass through the mountain range. Generally speaking, it took around three to five <i>months </i>to cross over Carefree Mountain Range.

    It had only been eight hours at most since they began their journey, and already they were almost through the region. It was miraculous to say the least.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of the saying: ¡®When yin is long, yang is short. When yang is long, yin is short¡¯, my lord?¡± The Night Walker asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    ¡°There is a story in ¡®On Picking Up Strangers¡¯ that goes something like this. Once upon a time, there was a schr named Wang Sheng who was enjoying a night walk. However, something startled him and caused his soul to be separate from his body. In his delirious state, he somehow appeared hundreds and hundreds of kilometers away from his body.¡±

    ¡°Luckily for him, a kind Taoist who happened to be roaming the area with his Yin God noticed his soul and escorted him all the way back to his body. When Wang Sheng regained his consciousness, he realized what he did when he was a soul and asked the Taoist how on earth it was possible for his soul to travel hundreds of kilometers in a single night. The Taoist answered, ¡®When yang is long, yin is short. When yin is long, yang is short. Such is the profoundness of our world.¡±

    After he was done narrating the origin story of the saying, the Night Walker exined, ¡°To put it in simple terms, the spacetime interval of the yang world and the yin world is different. Some ces in the yang world are very far apart from each other, but in the yin world, they could be within walking distance of each other. The opposite is the same.¡±

    ¡°The Yin Yang Gap also has its own unique spacetime interval. We Night Walkers know a secret art that would allow us to determine the spacetime interval gap between the yang world and the Yin Yang Gap. We then exploit this knowledge to drastically reduce the amount of time we need to carry our customers from one location to the next. That is why we are almost through Carefree Mountain Range in such a short amount of time.¡±

    ¡°When yang is long, yin is short. When yin is long, yang is short, huh? It really is incredible,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    <i>Rumble rumble!</i>

    A loud rumble came from in front of the litter while they were chatting. Thinking that they had run into yet another natural disaster, Ye Qing looked through the gap between the curtains to see what it was. It wasn¡¯t. What he saw stunned him so much that words failed him for a moment.

    He saw nine massive Strangers in front of him. Each was one shaped differently from another. One had a dragon¡¯s head but a snake¡¯s body, another had a dragon¡¯s head and a jackal¡¯s body; the third Stranger was shaped like a lion, the fourth Stranger was shaped like a giant turtle and carrying a stele on its back, the fifth Stranger had a dragon¡¯s head but a tiger¡¯s body...

    Each Stranger gave off an unbelievable amount of pressure. He knew at first nce that he could never defeat them as he was.

    ¡°Is that... the Dragon¡¯s Nine Sons?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened. Not only did he recognize the Nine Strangers, he actually knew them from his previous life. More urately, they looked quite simr to the nine creatures depicted in the Legend of the Dragon¡¯s Nine Sons: Qiuniu, Yazi, Chaofeng, Po, Suanni, Baxia, Bi¡¯an, Fuxi, and Chiwen.

    Qiuniu possessed a dragon¡¯s head and a snake¡¯s body. It loved music.

    Yazi possessed a dragon¡¯s head and a jackal¡¯s body. It was aggressive and enjoyed fighting.

    Chaofeng resembled a mix between a phoenix and a dragon. It was extremely fond of adventuring.

    Po was shaped like a dragon, but smaller in size. It loved roaring a lot.

    Suanni was shaped like a lion and was fond of smoke and fire.

    Baxia was shaped like a turtle and loved to carry heavy objects.

    Bi¡¯an possessed a tiger¡¯s head and a dragon¡¯s body. He enjoyed litigation and upholding justice for others.

    Fuxi was shaped like a long dragon and loved words.

    And finally, Chiwen was shaped like a lizard without a tail. It enjoyed swallowing fire.

    What stunned Ye Qing even more than witnessing the legendary creatures themselves was the fact that they were covered in chains and dragging a coffin behind them. Not only that, the coffin made him feel worse than even the nine sons of the dragon.

    He took one nce at the coffin¡ªjust one¡ªand suddenly, he found his mind shaking like a leaf, and blood pouring out of the corners of his eyes.

    ¡°What kind of coffin requires nine dragons to pull it?!¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly closed his eyes and tried to control his trembling. Inexplicable fear gripped every part of his body.

    ¡°We need to¡ª¡±

    He couldn¡¯t finish before the Night Walker suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. His demonic thought told him that the man was clutching his face, and blood was pouring profusely down his eyes.

    ¡°Return to the yang world, now!¡±

    Ye Qing soothed the man¡¯s fear and panic with his demonic thought before yelling again.

    The Night Walker¡¯s terror abruptly disappeared like it was never there. Knowing that they were at a critical moment, he shouted as soon as he collected himself, ¡°Wind and rain cannot block the path between yin and yang, gods and demons cannot stop the Night Walker!¡±

    The Yin Yang Litter swerved upward and grew transparent. They were rapidly transitioning into the yang world.

    When familiar darkness assaulted his senses, Ye Qing could barely stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief. They were back in the yang world.

    <i>That was a little too close.</i>

    To say that the coffin and the nine dragons had left him a deep impression would be an understatement. Just now, he felt like he had one foot in the grave. Even now, he almost felt like he could hear the metallic clinks of the chains binding the nine dragons and the coffin together.

    <i>Wait... it¡¯s not a hallucination! I can really hear it!</i>

    The blood drained away from Ye Qing¡¯s face as the nine dragons and the coffin appeared before his eyes once more. This time though, something was different. A man¡ªor more urately, a withered, pale-faced corpse¡ªwas sitting crosslegged atop the coffin, and despite his obviously dead state, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but feel terrified. He felt like he was in the presence of something many, many times greater than he was.

    Suddenly, the corpse slowly raised his head. Space began shivering lightly as if a titan was pushing the sky upward.

    <i>¡°When I bow my head, the sky is barely taller than me.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°When I look up, the world can no longer fit me.¡±</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes bulged, and his mind shuddered like a leaf.

    He wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth.

    He wanted to move, but his body was stiff all over.

    Even his thoughts felt infinitely more sluggish than normal.

    His scalp turned numb when he noticed that the corpse was looking straight at him.

    Its eyes were empty and ssy. Paradoxically, it felt both distant and close at the same time. But one thing for certain, it was definitely staring at him.

    For a moment, they were silently staring at each other. Then, the corners of the corpse¡¯s lips slowly turned up.

    A human¡¯s smile was generally weing, but the smile of the dead could only be terrifying.

    As soon as the corpse¡¯s smile spread to full length, darkness abruptly overtook Ye Qing¡¯s senses. He cked out.

    ......

    ¡°Phew, that was too close, my lord?¡±

    The Night Walker had temporarily stopped his vehicle to catch his breath and wipe the blood on his face. There was lingering fear and trepidation on his face and he said, ¡°What on earth is that thing? It¡¯s terrifying!¡±

    He waited for a moment but heard no answer from Ye Qing. While his customer wasn¡¯t the most talkative man, the Night Walker thought that anyone would speak up after experiencing whatever the hell that was.

    ¡°My lord? My lord?¡±

    The Night Walker called out twice and still received no response from Ye Qing. He thought with increasing puzzlement, <i>is he still in shock or something?</i>

    ¡°Are you alright, my lord?¡±

    The Night Walker slowly lifted the curtains. ¡°My lord, what¡ª¡±

    His eyes bulged, and his mouth turned into an O-shape before he could finish.

    It was because the Yin Yang Litter waspletely empty.

    Ye Qing was nowhere to be seen.

    <i>Where is he?</i>

    <i>He couldn¡¯t have disappeared without me noticing, right?</i>

    <i>What the fuck?</i>

    <i>......</i>

    ¡°Who am I?¡±

    ¡°Where am I?¡±

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±

    His head felt heavy. Ye Qing massaged his forehead furiously as he opened his eyes and saw... darkness.

    He jumped to his feet. Maybe it was because his movement was too abrupt, but multiple wounds split open on his body.

    He paid them no attention, however. He was too busy examining the unfamiliar environment around him.

    It looked like he was shut inside a small, narrow room. He could literally touch the walls and the ceiling from where he stood. Judging from the coldness and somewhat coarse texture brushing against his skin, the room was probably carved out of some sort of bluestone.

    There was a door in front of him, but he didn¡¯t open it immediately. Instead, he performed a thorough inspection on himself. A whileter, he concluded that he hadn¡¯t lost anything or gained some sort of new affliction while he was unconscious.

    ¡°I remember... I remember seeing nine dragons and a coffin...¡±

    Ye Qing slowly recalled what happened prior to his ck out. He remembered seeing nine dragons dragging a coffin behind them, a corpse suddenly appearing on top of the coffin, the corpse smiling at him and...

    That was it.

 Chapter 481: Deadly Mantra

    <h4>Chapter 481: Deadly Mantra </h4>

    ¡°Where did that corpse take me to?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows were locked tight as he scanned his surroundings with his demonic thought. Thankfully, he couldn¡¯t sense any danger within the room.

    He was unable to poke his demonic thought beyond the boundaries of the room, however. Whatever this bluestone was, it could inste his demonic thought and prevent him from sensing beyond.

    Besides that, Ye Qing could sense a mysterious power permeating the room. He couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it, but it was profound in a way that was beneficial toward one¡¯s meditation and cultivation.

    Obviously, Ye Qing was in no mood to cultivate right now, and he wouldn¡¯t be until he was sure he was safe. A brief moment of hesitationter, he gingerly reached out and grabbed the door handle.

    The second he pulled open the door, every hair on his body suddenly stood on end. His senses were warning him that something terrible would happen if he so much as poked his toes out of the threshold.

    He hesitated again, but he ultimately steeled his resolve and walked forward. As soon as he stepped out of the room, a terrible chill gripped his body, and a Buddha abruptly appeared in the distance.

    The Buddha had three heads and six arms, and the arms wielded a monk knife, prayer bead, golden alms bowl, monk staff, wooden fish, and seal each. He was radiating a Buddha¡¯s light throughout his body like a sun, and each time his foot left the floor, sweet spring water would gush forth and spill lotuses everywhere.

    This would be a most pleasing sight if not for the fact that the Buddha had no face. All three faces of the Buddha werepletely nk. Strangely, Ye Qing could tell that the Buddha was wearing a merciful expression even though he didn¡¯t have a face.

    Buddhist mantras bounced off the corridor as the Buddha walked toward an unknown destination. Ye Qing could vaguely identify the famous quote, ¡°The sea of bitterness has no bounds, turn your head to see the shore. Lay down the butcher''s knife, be a Buddha on the spot¡± within the chant.

    The Buddhist quote was meant to persuade people to abandon evil and strive for goodness, but the strange Buddha kept changing his pitch and volume. Sometimes it was loud, and sometimes it was soft. Sometimes it was high-pitched, and sometimes it was low. As a result, the peaceful quote sounded strange and disturbing.

    When Ye Qing heard the quote, guilt suddenly welled inside his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but regret everything he ever did to the point he wanted to kill himself.

    Realizing that something was amiss, Ye Qing hurriedly shielded his mind with his demonic thought. Once his demonic lotus wobbled a little and eliminated the unnatural emotions that were taking root inside his heart, he immediately returned to normal.

    It was then Ye Qing saw five or six people stepping out of the darkness. There were men, women, old, young, weak and strong. The strongest warrior he spotted was a Spirit Purifier, whereas the weakest was a Vessel Augmentor.

    They all shared onemon trait, however. Their expressions were dazed, and they were all walking toward the faceless Buddha. Once they had reached the entity, they abruptly dropped to their knees and began bawling their hearts out. That wasn¡¯t all. One person began severing his own veins, another began mming her head against the floor, a third drew his saber and cut his own neck...

    Just secondster, every single one of these warriors were dead.

    The faceless Buddha didn¡¯t react toward their deaths whatsoever. He continued to walk in Ye Qing¡¯s direction. As the chanting grew louder, guilt and regret began welling inside his heart once more.

    <i>What the hell is this thing? </i>

    Shocked and wary of the entity¡¯s power, Ye Qing was just about to beat a hasty retreat when suddenly, he heard a familiar voice, ¡°It¡¯s you, brother! Thank the heavens!¡±

    Ye Qing turned and saw a head poking out of a nearby room. He eximed in astonishment, ¡°Yi Pin?!¡±

    The person was none other than the cunning Taoist he had journeyed with at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, Yi Pin. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting to find a familiar face in this ce at all.

    ¡°What are you standing there for? Come in already! Before the Faceless Buddha gets us!¡± Yi Pin urged.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate this time. He immediately dashed toward Yi Pin¡¯s room.

    Y Pin mmed the door shut as soon as he entered the room. He looked worried and fearful.

    Yi Pin¡¯s room was no bigger than his own, so it was fairly cramped all things considered.

    ¡°What is this ce, brother? And why are you here?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Shh!¡± Yi Pin shushed him with a stern expression. At the same time, the Buddhist mantra began growing louder and louder. Clearly, the faceless Buddha was walking straight toward them.

    <i>¡°The sea of bitterness has no bounds</i>

    <i>Turn your head to see the shore</i>

    <i>Lay down the butcher''s knife</i>

    <i>Be a Buddha on the spot¡±</i>

    The bizarre mantra kept changing in pitch and volume, and Ye Qing¡¯s mind wobbled with it. He began feeling like everything he did since arriving in this world was wrong. His weakness had resulted in the destruction of August Hill Vige, his involvement had caused many deaths in Anyang, his presence had caused many Luo Shui citizens to suffer, and his mistake had plunged Tian Yong city into chaos.

    Wrong...

    Wrong...

    Wrong...

    It was bad enough that everything he did was wrong, but his hands were covered in blood as well.

    His killing of Strangers showed how little he regarded life,

    His murder of humans showed how little he cared for his kindred;

    The fact that innocents were dragged into his mess proved hisck of ethics,

    And the fact that he practiced a heretical art proved his inability to differentiate right from wrong.

    Regret...

    Regret...

    Regret...

    As guilt, regret, and all sorts of negative emotions took root inside his heart, the blurry silhouette of a faceless Buddha radiating a Buddha¡¯s light appeared before his eyes.

    <i>... The Buddha is merciful. Lay down the butcher''s knife, and be a Buddha on the spot...</i>

    Ye Qing felt the urge to kneel before the Buddha and repent. He felt the urge to cut open his own neck and atone for his sins.

    ¡°No. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°I do not regret a thing either.¡±

    ¡°Why should I atone when I did no wrong, and I regret none of my decisions?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him with his fingers. The image of the faceless Buddha wobbled, but it didn¡¯t shatter. The Buddhist mantra grew stronger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t worship the Buddha, so why are you disturbing me?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes slowly turned as dark as the night. Inside his headspace, the demonic lotus with only three unfurled petals began bobbing up and down and absorbing all of the negative emotions that had taken root inside his mind. Once they had been converted into refined demonic qi, a blurry silhouette slowly appeared atop the lotus.

    The silhouette was his Yin God. It looked blurry, fluid and indistinct because he had just begun to create his Yin God.

    ¡°There is no Buddha in me, so how can you bind me?¡±

    ¡°Begone!¡±

    The Yin God floating atop the demonic lotus lowered his fingers, and Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought transformed into a razor sharp de. It swung down on the faceless Buddha and divided it into two instantly.

    The Buddhist mantra that pressed him to kill himself immediately vanished.

    ¡°Oooo... I¡¯m useless...¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh... I am guilty. I failed to bring glory to my sect. I do deserve to die...¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing heard a sobbing noiseing from beside him. It would seem that Yi Pin was also affected by the Buddhist mantra because he was kneeling on the floor and weeping uncontrobly.

    At first, Ye Qing was worried that Yi Pin would rush out of the room andmit suicide in front of the Faceless Buddha just like the warriors he saw earlier. However, he slowly realized that Yi Pin was only crying and screaming to the world how useless and worthless he was. Seeing as he showed no signs ofmitting suicide, Yi Pin clearly knew a way to shield himself from the mantra¡¯s deadlier effects.

    It was at this moment the Buddhist mantra restarted anew. Seeing that Yi Pin was fine, Ye Qing concentrated on himself and fought back against the anomalous mantra. At the same time, he watched the door closely just in case the faceless Buddha decided to barge into the room.

    Time passed slowly, and the Buddhist mantra outside his doorsteps only grew stronger. Luckily for him, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a profound cultivation art that not only shielded his mind from its mental influence, but also absorbed the negative emotions sprouting inside his heart to fuel its growth. Even so, he slipped bit by bit as time passed, and his concentration began to falter.

    As for Yi Pin, his tears had runpletely dry. He was dry sobbing and screaming incoherently.

    The only silver lining was the fact that the faceless Buddha hadn¡¯t rushed into the room. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, when Ye Qing felt like he was floating inside a dream, the volume of the Buddhist mantra finally began to weaken. It felt like the faceless Buddha was slowly walking away from their room.

    A dozen or so breathster, the Buddhist mantra disappearedpletely, and silence finally returned to the room. Or at least, it would have if Yi Pin wasn¡¯t still dry sobbing at the top of his lungs.

    ¡°You can stop screaming now, brother,¡± said Ye Qing while hitting Yi Pin¡¯s face lightly. <i>You think this is a funeral or something?</i>

    To be honest, Ye Qing really wanted to dish Yi Pin a hard p just like that time at the Demon¡¯s Tomb. To say that that p was one of the most pleasing experiences of his life would be an understatement. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have a scapegoat this time, so had no choice but to hold himself back.

    ¡°Is the Faceless Buddha gone?¡± Yi Pin asked as soon as he snapped out of his incoherent state.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Ye Qing asked, ¡°Do you know what that thing is?¡±

    Yi Pin wiped away the snot and tears on his face and exhaled deeply. Then, he sat down on the floor with his legs syed and said, ¡°That¡¯s the Faceless Buddha and the Deadly Mantra.¡±

    ¡°Faceless Buddha? Deadly Mantra?¡± Ye Qing asked with a frown.

    Yi Pin answered, ¡°The Faceless Buddha is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger with the appearance of a Buddha, but the heart of a wretched monster. Born from the dark side of a senior Buddhist monk who passed away, everything thete monk ever learned would transform into a Deadly Mantra that tempts its victims into death. Those who are weak-willed would feel such unbearable guilt and regret that they had no choice but to kill themselves to atone for their sins and partake in the Buddha¡¯s light.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in understanding.

 Chapter 482: The Earthly Sovereignâ€™s Coffin

    <h4>Chapter 482: The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin </h4>

    ¡°By the way, where is this ce?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Yi Pin looked at him with surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    Ye Qing countered, ¡°Is there a reason I should know about this ce?¡±

    Yi Pin pped his forehead as if he just remembered something. ¡°No, you¡¯re right. I should¡¯ve known from the dumb look on your face that you got roped into this by ident just like me.¡±

    ¡°Quit keeping me in suspense and tell me already. Just where is this ce?¡± <i>It sounds like you¡¯re patronizing me, but I¡¯ll forgive you temporarily since I¡¯m a magnanimous man.</i>

    Yi Pin answered, ¡°We¡¯re currently trapped in a blessed and cursed ce.¡±

    ¡°A blessed and cursed ce? What?¡± Ye Qing frowned harder. <i>Dude, I just told you not to keep me in suspense!</i>

    Instead of answering, Yi Pin asked Ye Qing a question, ¡°You came here after you saw nine dragons pulling a coffin, am I right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    Yi Pin replied, ¡°We¡¯re inside that coffin right now.¡±

    ¡°Right. That makes sense.¡± Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised. He suspected it was something like this after recalling what had happened to him. ¡°So, what do you know about this coffin?¡±

    Yi Pin fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°Have you heard of the Earthly Sovereign, brother?¡±

    ¡°Earthly Sovereign?¡± Ye Qing blinked. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t a name he had heard before.

    ¡°Legend says that the Earth Sovereign was an almighty being who was born with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in him. Immortal since birth, he, the Heavenly Sovereign and the Human Sovereign were known as the Three Sovereigns. In ancient times where the evils seemed infinite, and Strangers were everywhere, the Three Sovereigns were born to save the human race from extinction.¡±

    ¡°The Heavenly Sovereignmanded the heavens, the Earth Sovereign reigned the earth, and the Human Sovereign governed the humans. Together, they killed the Strangers, repelled the evils, and slew the demons to give this barbaric world a heart, establish a life for the weak and powerless, and forge asting peace for humanity. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that they are the reason humans still exist¡ªand even thriving¡ªtens of thousands of yearster.¡±

    Yi Pin continued, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t need to be said, but humanity and the world itself owes the Three Sovereigns a great deal. As such, they are blessed by the world, worshiped by the people, and respected as indomitable supremes by everyone.¡±

    ¡°When the Earth Sovereign passed away, it was said that heaven and earth wept, and countless races mourned for his death. He was so virtuous that the sons of the ancient dragon volunteered to protect his body and pull his coffin so he might explore the world he fought so hard to protect for eternity. Henceforth, the coffin was named the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin.¡±

    ¡°The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin?¡± Ye Qing was astonished. He had no idea this coffin had such an ancient and prestigious origin. ¡°But why are we dragged into this coffin?¡±

    Yi Pin didn¡¯t answer his question, however. He smirked and curled his index finger at him. ¡°My throat¡¯s feeling a little dry. Care to offer your storyteller a jar of wine?¡±

    ¡°And you call yourself a Taoist?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t hesitate to toss Yi Pin a jar of wine.

    After Yi Pin caught the wine jar and enjoyed two deep gulps, he defended himself, ¡°My Temple of Divination only cares about the cultivation of the heart, not the mouth. As long as the heart is pure, we don¡¯t restrict our members from doing anything. We can even get married and have kids if we want to, much less something as mild as drinking wine!¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue about this. ¡°Sure, whatever. Can you answer my question now?¡±

    Yi Pin took another two gulps before finally answering, ¡°Obviously, the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin is imbued with great power, and as I¡¯ve told you, it is always exploring the world and traveling everywhere. If someone who was adored by the world, protected by great karma, and blessed with incredible luck were to run into the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, then they have a chance of entering its inner space and obtaining its opportunities.¡±

    ¡°To put it in simpler terms, this is the gift the Earthly Sovereign had left behind for humanity¡¯s future.¡±

    ¡°... A gift? Are you sure?¡± Ye Qing seriously doubted Yi Pin¡¯s words. <i>The gift of death, maybe.</i>

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long since we parted, has it? Since when did you be so impatient? If you¡¯re going to interrupt me like this, then I would rather not finish my answer!¡± Yi Pinined.

    ¡°Fine, fine, I was wrong,¡± Ye Qing grumbled while motioning Yi Pin to continue.

    ¡°It is said that everything in the world is predestined. If you want something, then you must give something in return,¡± Yi Pin said. ¡°In this case, everyone who wishes to receive the Earthly Sovereign Coffin¡¯s blessing must ovee its trials.¡±

    ¡°So, the Faceless Buddha we encountered earlier is the trial?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Correct. To be specific, that Faceless Buddha¡¯s is today¡¯s trial.¡± Yi Pin exined, ¡°Every twenty four hours, the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin would test its participants with a random trial. It could be a Stranger, an illusion meant to test a certain quality, so on and so forth. Those who ovee its trials¡ªand by that, I mean survive¡ªwould receive a reward, and those who don¡¯t... would just die.¡±

    ¡°That is why I called this ce a blessed and cursed ce.¡±

    Ye Qing looked thoughtful. It was an apt description. Those who survived would see this as a blessed ce that keeps giving, and those who died would of course view this ce as cursed.

    ¡°Oh right. What is the reward you¡¯ll receive for oveing its trials?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°The Profound Yellow Qi!¡± Yi Pin answered.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Profound Yellow Qi?¡± <i>Sorry, never heard of it.</i>

    Yi Pin exined, ¡°As I told you earlier, the Earthly Sovereign is said to be born with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in him. The earth is yellow, and the heaven is a profound color that can¡¯t be described. The Profound Yellow Mother Qi is a type of karmic qi that is derived from the creation of heaven and earth. It is the origin of all qis and the mother of all creations, so you can imagine just how strong its karma is, and how profound.¡±

    ¡°It is said that a single wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi can transform a mortal with no foundation or cultivation whatsoever into a Sage and grant them eternal life. Their body would be wless, undying, impervious to the natural elements, and immune to all tribtions. Those who obtained it would be able to reach the dao in a single step.¡±

    ¡°But of course, the Profound Yellow Mother Qi is extremely rare since it is born from heaven and earth. Only those with great karma and destiny may obtain it.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit...¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but gasp when he heard this. A kind of qi that could transform an ant into a Sage? Just how overpowered was that? If only he could get his hands on some of that shit...

    ¡°What is the rtion between the Profound Yellow Qi and the Profound Yellow Mother Qi?¡±

    Yi Pin answered, ¡°The Earthly Sovereign was born with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in him, so his body remains unchanged even long after he is dead. The qi leaking from his body is the Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, the Profound Yellow Qi isn¡¯t nearly as potent as the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. It cannot transform you into a Sage in the blink of an eye. Even so, it is nothing to scoff at. As it is derived from the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, it is overflowing with karma and possesses a near infinite amount of uses. You can use it to improve your cultivation, forge Strange Artifacts and more.¡±

    ¡°A strange Artifact created using the Profound Yellow Qi can protect one¡¯s luck, defend the body, and shield them from all tribtions. If you cultivate using the Profound Yellow Qi, you¡¯ll receive twice the results for only half the effort. It is especially useful at nurturing the body.¡±

    ¡°The Profound Yellow Qi can nurture the body?¡± That got Ye Qing¡¯s attention.

    ¡°But of course!¡± Yi Pin replied, ¡°The Profound Yellow Mother Qi is born from heaven and earth, but it is far more rooted in the earth than the heavens. A wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi can turn a mortal into a Sage and grant them eternal life, so of course the Profound Yellow Qi, while far, far weaker in terms of potency, possesses a simr effect.¡±

    ¡°The Profound Yellow Qi can purify one¡¯s marrows, improve one¡¯s foundation, nurture one¡¯s vigor, temper one¡¯s body and more. It is a priceless treasure.¡±

    ¡°Legend says that the descendants of the Earthly Sovereign know of a body-tempering divine art called the ¡®Profound Yellow Art of Heaven and Earth¡¯ that specifically uses the Profound Yellow Qi to temper one¡¯s body. At the adept level, the practitioner would gain a body known as the ¡®Profound Yellow Body of Heaven and Earth¡¯ that was adored by the world, overflowing with good karma, impervious to evils and immune to tribtions. In other words, they would gain a body that resembled a Sage¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°So long as their feet remain in contact with the ground, they would enjoy titanic strength and infinite endurance. If they somehow find a way to revert the Profound Yellow Qi into the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, then they could even be a Sage on the spot.¡±

    Ye Qing was overjoyed when he heard this. Assuming that Yi Pin wasn¡¯t exaggerating the effects of the Profound Yellow Qi, then this might just be exactly what he needed to treat his ailments.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re here, brother? You¡¯vee to obtain the Profound Yellow Qi?¡± Ye Qing forced himself to calm down and asked.

    To his surprise, Yi Pin grimaced like he had swallowed a piece of shit. ¡°Not at all. In fact, the Profound Yellow Qi ispletely useless to me. For almost everyone else, this ce is and of opportunity assuming they are strong enough to survive its trials. But for me? It might as well be the gates of hell itself.¡±

 Chapter 483: Profound Yellow Qi

    <h4>Chapter 483: Profound Yellow Qi </h4>

    ¡°What?¡± Ye Qing blinked in confusion. This wasn¡¯t the reaction he was expecting at all.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I was whisked to this ce against my will?¡± Yi Pin asked in an aggrieved tone, ¡°I was foraging herbs in the mountains that day. After I reached the peak, I decided to catch a break and enjoy the passing clouds in the sky. Oh, it was such a great time.¡±

    ¡°Suddenly, the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin appeared in the sky, and I cked out. The next thing I know, I was trapped in this heavens-forsaken ce!¡±

    If he had a choice, he would nevere to this ce. After all, who in their right mind would choose death and suffering when they could be enjoying tea in their courtyard, or reading palms or faces for cute girls and sexy housewives?

    <i>I was wronged, brother!</i>

    Ye Qing felt a sliver of sympathy for the old man. He thought Yi Pin had voluntarily entered this ce considering how much he knew, but no, he was ¡°volunteered¡± into this ce just like him!

    Yi Pin had it worse than him though. He didn¡¯t know why, but apparently the Profound Yellow Qi was useless to him. This meant the old Taoist was literally suffering for nothing. On the other hand, he desperately needed a miracle to treat his wounds, and the Profound Yellow Qi sounded exactly like what he needed.

    ¡°You came here by ident too, didn¡¯t you brother?¡± Yi Pin asked, hoping that Ye Qing was a fellowrade who could partake in his sorrow.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ye Qing nodded, ¡°but I¡¯m starting to think that this ce isn¡¯t too bad.¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>You¡¯ve changed, brother!</i>

    ¡°Now that I think about it, you are a body-tempering warrior. The Profound Yellow Qi is very beneficial for you.¡±

    It was then Yi Pin noticed something and eximed in astonishment, ¡°You¡¯re hurt, brother?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t noticed earlier because of the predicament they were in, but now he realized that Ye Qing¡¯s aura was weak, his vigor was in decline, and his body was covered in various wounds. There were also traces of blood on his clothes and body, blood that reeked of a kind of vicious, tyrannical energy.

    ¡°You fought a Grandmaster? Are you crazy, brother?!¡±

    He immediately realized that the foreign energy belonged to a Grandmaster.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Who taught you how to talk? You¡¯re crazy, your whole family¡¯s crazy!</i>

    ¡°Ahem... my apologies.¡± Yi Pin noticed the sh of annoyance on Ye Qing¡¯s face and asked hurriedly, ¡°So, who¡¯s the one who injured you, brother?¡±

    <i>It must be quite the juicy gossip!</i>

    Ye Qing shot Yi Pin a nce before replying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that. All you need to know is that I¡¯m still alive.¡±

    ¡°Haha, fair enough. I¡¯m impressed that you managed to survive a Grandmaster.¡± Yi Pin wisely changed the subject. ¡°Your injuries are quite serious. If you don¡¯t receive treatment in time, there is a good chance your martial foundation would be damaged. But luckily for you¡ªseriously, your luck is some of the best I¡¯ve ever seen¡ªthe Profound Yellow Qi is exactly what you need to heal your wounds and recover your body.¡±

    ¡°Where can I get the Profound Yellow Qi, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Yi Pin smiled mysteriously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll find out in a moment.¡±

    <i>You¡¯ve gotten a lot naughtier since thest time we met, haven¡¯t you? </i>Ye Qing rolled his eyes but didn¡¯t press for an answer. After all, Yi Pin¡¯s reply seemed to suggest that he would find out very soon.

    A dozen or so breathster, Ye QIng suddenly felt that the air inside the room was heavier than usual, but not in an unpleasant manner. His demonic thought told him that two wisps of dark yellow colored energies were swimming round and round inside the room like a dragon-serpent. As they swam, the air turned heavy and dark yellow almost like they were sitting in the middle of a yellow sandstorm.

    ¡°This is the Profound Yellow Qi,¡± Yi Pin said. ¡°You should refine them now, brother. I¡¯ll guard you.¡±

    ¡°There are two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi though. Are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡± Ye Qing shot Yi Pin a meaningful look. Generosity was <i>not </i>a trait the Yi Pin he knew possessed.

    ¡°I told you earlier that this ispletely useless to me. I would rather have a sip of wine.¡± Yi Pin waved his hand uncaringly. ¡°Anyway, just ignore me and refine the qi already. You¡¯re going to regret it if you take too long.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You make it sound like there are other dangers in this ce.¡± Ye Qing frowned. Yi Pin mentioned that the trials would happen only once every twenty four hours, so he thought that the ce would be safe after the trial was over. It would seem that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Yi Pin let out a cold chuckle. ¡°But of course! You and I aren¡¯t the only ones who are receiving the Earthly Sovereign Coffin¡¯s trials, you know.¡±

    ¡°There are other humans in this ce besides you and me?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Naturally.¡± Yi Pin exined, ¡°Each time a survivor survives the trial, they would receive a wisp of Profound Yellow Qi. It¡¯s a handsome reward, but greed is bottomless. That is why some people decided to rob their fellow humans to enrich themselves. There is no low they wouldn¡¯t stoop to, the bastards!¡±

    Yi Pin was gritting his teeth when he said this. He sounded like he had gone through the experience first hand.

    ¡°Did someone steal your Profound Yellow Qi?¡± Ye Qing asked with a poorly suppressed smirk.

    ¡°Naw! Never! Who do you think I am?¡± Yi Pin immediately executed his triple denial protocol. ¡°Who in their right mind would dare steal my stuff?¡±

    His words sounded confident, but they weren¡¯t convincinging from the mouth of a Vessel Augmentor at all.

    ¡°Sure. I believe you,¡± Ye Qing dered with faux seriousness. ¡°You said that there is no low they wouldn¡¯t stoop to. Can you describe their methods to me? So I can be ready when theye for me?¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>You think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re plotting? You just want to get my story andugh at my misery, you bastard!</i>

    Yi Pin grunted. ¡°What else? They used threats and promises, of course.¡±

    Ye Qing stopped teasing Yi Pin and asked seriously, ¡°Who among these people are worth paying attention to? How strong are they?¡±

    Yi Pin thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for two days, so my knowledge may not beprehensive. There are three people who robbed the others for their Profound Yellow Qi. The first one was a young Spirit Master named Sun Xuanzhen. He hails from a ce to the north called Sword King City, and they all call him the Little Sword King. The second person is the current Fire Princess of the Earthfire Pce of Demons. She¡¯s also a Spirit Master, and her name is Huo Linglong.¡±

    ¡°Thest person is just a Half-Step Spirit Master, but that doesn¡¯t mean he doesn¡¯t deserve our attention. On the contrary, he is a bigger problem than the two Spirit Mastersbined.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. Who is he? What is his origin?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°His name is Yue Juejiang, and he is a descendant of the Earthly Sovereign Hall,¡± Yi Pin answered. ¡°As its name might imply, the Earthly Sovereign Hall is a sectposed of the descendants of the Earthly Sovereign. The ancient blood of the Earthly Sovereign flows in their veins, and most of the power in the sect is held in the ones with the surname Yue. It is said that the Earthly Sovereign Hall has existed since ancient times.¡±

    ¡°The Earthly Sovereign Hall?¡± Ye Qing muttered under his breath.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Yi Pin continued, ¡°Of course, no one knows if they are actually the descendants of the Earthly Sovereign. Such things can be easily fabricated after all. However, it is true that the sect has existed for a very, very long time.¡±

    ¡°The Earthly Sovereign Hall views the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin as their sacred object, and they would die before they allow an outsider to ¡®defile¡¯ it so to speak. To put it in more secr terms, they view the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin as their exclusive property and refuse to share its Profound Yellow Qi with anyone. Since ancient times, the Earthly Sovereign Hall has never stopped trying to assume control over the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin and monopolize the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s body, the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and the Profound Yellow Qi. However, they never seeded because of the immense power the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin possesses.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t stop them from viewing the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin as their exclusive property and forbidding everyone fromying their hands on its Profound Yellow Qi though. Earlier, that Half-Step Spirit Master fought Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong precisely for this reason. Surprisingly, he was strong enough to fight two Spirit Masters to a standstill, but of course he wasn¡¯t able to get the upper hand either. Since he couldn¡¯t defeat his opponents, he had no choice but to allow them to im a share of the Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in understanding with a serious expression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. Worsees to worst, we can just give up our Profound Yellow Qi to them.¡± Yi Pin noticed the serious expression on Ye Qing¡¯s face and consoled him, ¡°The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin only bestows the Profound Yellow Qi to the living, so if they kill us all, they¡¯ll only obtain one wisp of Profound Yellow Qi per trial. They have a vested interest in our survival.¡±

    ¡°In certain cases, assuming that their lives won¡¯t be in danger, they would even protect the weak so they could obtain even more Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

 Chapter 484: With Great Virtue Comes The Strength To Bear it All

    <h4>Chapter 484: With Great Virtue Comes The Strength To Bear it All </h4>

    ¡°Right. In short, they¡¯re livestocks to be farmed.¡± Ye Qing nodded in understanding before asking, ¡°But why didn''t they gather everyone in one ce? Wouldn¡¯t it make the process easier?¡±

    Humans kept livestocks in a pen so it would be easier to protect them from predators and to farm them. The same logic applies here.

    ¡°Oh, they would¡¯ve done it if it was possible.¡± Yi Pin sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve already felt it, but the trials of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin are beyond dangerous. The rooms are the one ce that can shield us from its deadly effects to a certain extent, which is why it is imperative to stay inside a room when a trial is ongoing.¡±

    ¡°However, you can see for yourself how big this room is. At most, you can fit three people in here. Not only that, every additional person in a room doubles the level of threat they face and the chance they might perish. That is why it is much better to have one person per room.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in understanding before noticing something. The corners of his lips turned up as he said, ¡°You just said that each additional person in a room would double the amount of threat they faced. Does that mean that the trials would be significantly easier to ovee if I return to my room?¡±

    <i>Oh crap! I can¡¯t believe I let slip such an important piece of information! This guy¡¯s a little fox who will exploit anything and everything to his advantage!</i>

    Yi Pin tried to deny the allegation, ¡°Did I say that? Nah, I don¡¯t think so. You must have misheard, brother.¡±

    ¡°Har har...¡± Ye Qing chuckled. <i>Go on. Let¡¯s see how long you can keep this up.</i>

    ¡°Fine, fine. You¡¯re right.¡± Yi Pin knew there was no tricking Ye Qing after seeing his expression. ¡°But having an extra person also means getting an extra wisp of Profound Yellow Qi, right? You are seriously injured right now, and the Profound Yellow Qi is exactly what you need to treat your wounds. I¡¯m doing this for your own good, brother!¡±

    The old Taoist even faked a hurtful expression to guilt trip Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing sneered mentally while replying, ¡°Har har. Thanks, but no thanks. I prefer to live alone.¡±

    Now he understood why Yi Pin had given him the Profound Yellow Qi without any fanfare. Usually, the guy would have demanded the world for the single wisp of Profound Yellow Qi. The reason he did this was because he wanted Ye Qing to be his bodyguard!

    It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t understand his reason. The Earthly Sovereign Coffin¡¯s trials were definitely dangerous, and Yi Pin was just a Vessel Augmentor. Sure, the old Taoist wasn¡¯t as simple as he looked, butbat was definitely not one of his strengths. Without someone to act as his meatshield, there was a high chance he was going to die in this ce. That was why he chose Ye Qing to be that sucker.

    Yi Pin eximed in horror, ¡°No, brother! Haven¡¯t we been through thick and thin in the Demon¡¯s Tomb? Do we not share a strong, unbreakable bond with each other? I¡¯ve also given you a ton of useful information, so surely you won¡¯t abandon me during my time of need?!¡±

    <i>Strong, unbreakable bond my butt. Who even wants to share an unbreakable bond with an old man like you? </i>Ye Qing¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly. He left the guy hanging for a bit to tease him before he finally said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    As Yi Pin said, he needed as many Profound Yellow Qi as possible to heal his wounds. It was also true that Yi Pin had proven himself to be a¡ªrtively speaking¡ªreliablepanion during the short time they journeyed together at the Demon¡¯s Tomb. Plus, Yi Pin was a wise, cunning, and knowledgeable old man with many secrets, so he was sure he would be useful at a critical moment.

    ¡°Haha, I know you have a good heart in you, brother!¡± Yi Pin chirped excitedly.

    ¡°Oh right, when can we leave this ce?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You just need to survive nine days,¡± Yi Pin answered.

    Ye Qing looked down. So, he had to survive another eight trials before he could leave.

    ¡°What are you thinking about, brother?¡± Yi Pin asked in confusion since Ye Qing had fallen silent.

    ¡°Nothing. Just wondering how I¡¯m gonna survive this ce while a good-for-nothing is dragging my ankles,¡± Ye Qing replied uncaringly.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>Excuse you? Even a cat¡¯s paw has its pride, okay?</i>

    ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    ¡°Refine the Profound Yellow Qi,¡± Ye Qing answered without hesitation.

    Right now, there was no one he could truly rely on except himself. Therefore, the sooner he regained his strength, the greater his chances of survival would be.

    As for surrendering his Profound Yellow Qi for the sake of survival, heh, that was what people called drinking poison to quench your thirst. In this ce, the strong would always be strong, and the weak would always be weak. More importantly, the weak would die.

    He didn¡¯t want to grow weak and die, so he was going to fight to be strong with all his might. That was all there was to it.

    Sure, there were going to be consequences for his decision, but he honestly wasn¡¯t too afraid. He didn¡¯t like trouble, but he didn¡¯t fear trouble either. Who knows, he might evene out on top.

    Having affirmed his decision, Ye Qing looked at Yi Pin and said, ¡°Please protect me while I refine these two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    He also summoned the Fog Demon as extra insurance. The Fog Demon had taken quite the heavy damage to shield his mind from Zhou Hengshan¡¯s attack that day, but it was also an artifact spirit. So long as the Strange Artifact wasn¡¯t damaged, it was only a matter of time before it recovered in full. It had regained some strength after a few days of rest.

    ¡°Haha, sure,¡± Yi Pin¡¯s eyelid twitched once as he replied. <i>Motherfucker! He has another Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact? Just how many good stuff did he have?</i>

    The Fog Demon could¡¯ve concealed its presence perfectly, but Ye Qing had ordered it to reveal a hint of its aura. It was to intimidate Yi Pin, of course. Although he was counting on the old Taoist to protect him, that didn¡¯t mean he could surrender his back to him without reservation. What if Yi Pin was plotting something he didn¡¯t know? What if he ¡°identally¡± pulled something while he was cultivating? When all was said and done, he was the one who had to bear all the consequences.

    That was why he gave the order. It was a subtle warning to Yi Pin not to attempt any funny business while he was busy.

    With that done, Ye Qing sat cross-legged on the floor, mustered his demonic thought, and drew the Profound Yellow Qi still circting in the air into his body.

    The Profound Yellow Qi entered his body like a river that was overflowing with life and possibilities. It was thick, heavy, vast, and absolute. It felt like nature itself was filling him up as it spread throughout his entire body.

    The power was thick but not forceful, vast but not aggressive, deep but not unrelenting. It felt like the world was protecting him and nurturing him like a parent would to their children.

    The heavens never run out of energy to orbit round and round, so just like them, one should always strive to better themselves.

    The earth is vast and all-epting, so just like it, one should strive to bear all there is to life with virtue.

    Like a drnd that weed its first rain in a long while, Ye Qing¡¯s body greedily absorbed this generous, kind power. The ck Sky Divine Palm force and saber intent inside his body began dissipating bit by bit, and his tattered body also began recovering little by little.

    This was the first time since he suffered those injuries that he felt so rxed and at ease. He felt like a baby nesting in his mother¡¯s warm arms, calm and peaceful.

    <i>This Profound Yellow Qi is seriously amazing.</i>

    Delighted, Ye Qing hurriedly chased away his stray thoughts and cycled the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± with all he got. Slowly but surely, he began refining the Profound Yellow Qi he had absorbed into his body.

    An incense stickter, Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes and exhaled a thick, dirty puff of air. It almost looked like it was alive as it writhed back and forth like a serpent. The temperature inside the room began to nosedive, and the air quickly became choked with violence and bloodthirst. Bits of stone were sent flying when the puff of air brushed against the floor and the walls.

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    Startled, Yi Pin hurriedly backed a few steps and surrounded himself in the silhouette of a giant bell. When the puff of air struck the bell, it caused a resonant, metallic ng that wouldn¡¯t fade for a long while.

    Cowering at a corner, Yi Pin patted his chest and muttered to himself, ¡°Thank goodness I have the Hill Mover Bell, or that puff of air would¡¯ve been the death of me.¡±

 Chapter 485: This Item And I Are Destined For Each Other

    <h4>Chapter 485: This Item And I Are Destined For Each Other </h4>

    ¡°What kind of saber intent is this? Vicious, ruthless, bloodthirsty. Only a saber that had ughtered thousands, no, tens of thousands of people could produce such an aura. Could it be... the ughterer of Ten Thousand? That¡¯s Zhou Hengshan¡¯s Strange Artifact, and Zhou Hengshan happens to be a Grandmaster. Did he take a hit from Zhou Hengshan?¡±

    ¡°Besides that, there¡¯s a cold, yin energy that reminds me of the ck Sky Divine Palm. It¡¯s the signature martial art of the ck Sky Divine Pce, and it can only be learned by a true disciple. If I remember correctly, Zhou Hengshan has a subordinate who¡¯s a member of the ck Sky Divine Pce.¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly, this guy is the Patrolman of Luo Shui. The Hidden Dragon Meet is being held in Tian Yong right now, and there¡¯s a high chance he was a participant. The Hengshan Army is Tian Yong¡¯s main military force, so that¡¯s a match. Did he really provoke Zhou Hengshan?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, knowing how good this guy is at drawing trouble, it¡¯s definitely not out of the realm of possibility. I wonder what happened to him? Whatever it was, it must be so bad that even my ridiculous encounter with the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin looks paltry inparison. That makes me feel so much better.¡±

    Yi Pin indulged in schadenfreude for a moment before sighing, ¡°Still, to survive Zhou Hengshan as ate-stage Spirit Purifier... youngsters these days are seriously something.¡±

    Ye Qing had no idea that a certain Taoist had almost figured out the whole truth after he drove out a sliver of Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent and the ck Sky Divine Palm¡¯s palm force from his body. He was too busy healing his broken body after all. After the sessful attempt, he opened his mouth and inhaled the second wisp of Profound Yellow Qi into his stomach as well.

    The possibilities were endless when the Profound Yellow Qi resided in one¡¯s stomach. As vast, thick energy began circting inside his body once more, the vicious, gloomy energies writhing inside the room were destroyed, and Ye Qing shone like a yellow sun.

    ......

    <i>Bang!</i>

    About two hourster, the door was suddenly flung open by a brawny, violent-looking man. The first thing he did was to yell at Yi Pin, ¡°Where is your Profound Yellow Qi, Taoist?!¡±

    Then, he noticed that there was a second person inside the room, and he was shining like a mini sun. His eyes bulged with surprise as he questioned, ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on here? Where is the Profound Yellow Qi?¡±

    Cowering at a corner, Yi Pin didn¡¯t hesitate to put Ye Qing in harm¡¯s way immediately. ¡°What else? I got robbed. If you want the Profound Yellow Qi, then go get him. I¡¯ve got nothing for you.¡±

    <i>I don¡¯t have your Profound Yellow Qi~</i>

    <i>And I ain¡¯t giving you my life~</i>

    <i>If you want the Profound Yellow Qi~</i>

    <i>Then go fuck up the guy who fucked me over~</i>

    <i>Whatever happens next is between you~ and him~</i>

    <i>Sincerely,</i>

    <i>Yi Pin</i>

    Enraged, the brawny man immediately threw a punch at Ye Qing¡¯s head. ¡°Nauseating filth! How dare you steal what belongs to my master! You deserve death!¡±

    The brawny man was a middle-stage Spirit Purifier, and his fist resembled a giant boulder rolling down a steep cliff. It kept growing faster and deadlier like an avnche.

    <i>¡°Rolling Boulder Fist¡±</i>

    The brawny man¡¯s name was Han Meng. He might be huge, but that didn¡¯t mean his brain was the size of a peanut. He knew that no one in this ce was a small fry because the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin itself had deemed them worthy of receiving its trials. That was why he went all out right from the start.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Excitement and glee well up inside Han Meng¡¯s heart as his fist got closer and closer to Ye Qing¡¯s head. It was bad enough he was kidnapped to this ce and subjected to life-or-death trials, but a stronger warrior had enved him into doing his bidding as well. To say he was frustrated would be an understatement.

    Frustration must be vent, and killing was the best way to vent one¡¯s frustration. He grew so excited imagining Ye Qing¡¯s head exploding into a shower of gore that his eyes turned bloodshot.

    His fist was exactly an inch away from Ye Qing¡¯s head when suddenly, it came to a stop.

    He hadn¡¯t stopped because he wanted to. It was because someone had caught his fist as easily as a gangster catching the fist of a weak, powerless girl.

    Unfortunately for him, he was the weak, powerless girl in that scenario.

    Realizing that the person he thought was prey was actually far stronger than he was, he immediately tried to struggle and break free. But no matter what he tried, forget wrenching himself free, he couldn¡¯t even move his opponent¡¯s arm. It was like his fist was trapped inside a mountain.

    ¡°My master is the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s¡ª!¡±

    Han Meng immediately tried to bring up his patron in hopes of cowering Ye Qing into leaving him alive. However, Ye Qing opened his eyes before he could finish. His eyes looked as deep as the night, as enigmatic as a god, and as eerie as a demon.

    Han Meng¡¯s voice abruptly cut short, and his eyes gradually turned empty and lifeless. It wasn¡¯t long before he was dead.

    ¡°What were you saying just now, brother?¡± Ye Qing turned toward Yi Pin after killing Han Meng.

    The moment Yi Pin saw Ye Qing¡¯s eyes, his mind shook like a leaf, and his soul felt like it had fallen into the lowest depths of hell. He hurriedly looked away, mmed the door shut as quick as lightning, and said in an urgent voice, ¡°You screwed up, brother.¡±

    ¡°I did?¡± Ye Qing nced at the lifeless Han Meng. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about him, I¡¯m talking about his patron!¡±

    Yi Pin exined as quickly as he could, ¡°This guy is a servant of the Earthly Sovereign Hall¡¯s descendant I told you before, Yue Juejiang. He¡¯s here to collect the Profound Yellow Qi for him.¡±

    In Yi Pin¡¯s imagination, Ye Qing was supposed to reveal the fact that he was a Half-Step Spirit Master and scare off Han Meng. When Han Meng brought the news back to his master, Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong would have no choice but to ept this because fighting Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worth the two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi.

    This was also why he didn¡¯t stop Ye Qing from refining the Profound Yellow Qi earlier. The stronger Ye Qing was, the safer he would be.

    However, Ye Qing went off script and killed Han Meng right from the get go. Now, they had made an enemy of Yue Juejiang.

    <i>This was </i>not <i>the n, dammit!</i>

    ¡°He¡¯s the collector?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Does that mean he has a lot of Profound Yellow Qi with him right now?¡±

    Yi Pin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. <i>Did I make another mistake?</i>

    Ye Qing looked Han Meng up and down a couple times before setting his gaze on a bright yellow cbash on the man¡¯s waist. He grabbed it while asking, ¡°Is this it?¡±

    The bright yellow cbash was barely big enough to fit on a person¡¯s palm, but it was surprisingly heavy. Before Yi Pin could say anything, Ye Qing uncorked the cbash and caused a stream of thick yellow qi to gush out of the opening. The entire room was dyed dark yellow in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Oh my, five wisps of Profound Yellow Qi?!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes shone even brighter than before.

    ¡°What are you nning, brother?¡± Yi Pin gulped.

    ¡°Nothing? I just think that these Profound Yellow Qi and I are destined for each other,¡± Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Are you seriously going to rob Yue Juejiang?!¡± Yi Pin eximed in shock and horror. <i>Think thrice before you act, brother! Don¡¯t let your greed ovee your good senses!</i>

    ¡°Who are you calling a robber? Like I said, these Profound Yellow Qi and I are destined for each other. If that¡¯s not true, then why would they set foot on my doorstep of their own ord?¡± Ye Qing argued.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>It¡¯s bad enough that you killed the guy and looted his stuff, now you¡¯re going to call it destiny as well? You really are the most shameless person in the world.</i>

 Chapter 486: Youâ€™re in A Boat, Iâ€™m In A Boat, Weâ€™re All In The Same Boat

    <h4>Chapter 486: You¡¯re in A Boat, I¡¯m In A Boat, We¡¯re All In The Same Boat </h4>

    ¡°Er, maybe you didn¡¯t hear me clearly earlier, but this guy is the Earthly Sovereign Hall descendant¡¯s servant.¡±

    ¡°I heard you. So what?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    ¡°So what? First you killed his subordinate, now you¡¯re taking his Profound Yellow Qi! Do you really want to fight Yue Juejiang to the death?!¡±

    Yi Pin said urgently, ¡°It¡¯s one thing if you¡¯re not injured, but just look at the state of you! Fighting him now would be like an old man eating poison to live longer! So please, put down that cbash already. It¡¯ll be better for everyone.¡±

    <i>You might have a death wish, but I don¡¯t!</i>

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t give him an answer immediately. ¡°Heh. Can I ask you a question, brother? What kind of person is Yue Juejiang?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s arrogant and domineering,¡± Yi Pin replied. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Exactly as I imagined him to be then. People like him cannot tolerate even the slightest defiance. Even if his servant is no more than a dog in his eyes, he is still the dog¡¯s master. As such, he will never allow this slight to go unpunished,¡± Ye Qing exined. ¡°From the moment we killed him, Yue Juejiang has be our sworn enemy.¡±

    ¡°Excuse you? You¡¯re the one who did everything! I¡¯ve got nothing to do with this!¡± Yi Pin corrected, though he had to admit that Ye Qing¡¯s argument held a grain of truth.

    ¡°Haha, let¡¯s not fuss over the details, shall we? My point is, the situation can¡¯t get any worse than it already is, so why not make the best out of it?¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Besides, if you move fast enough, then the danger won¡¯t be able to catch up to us.¡±

    Yi Pin lookedpletely confused. <i>The hell are you talking about?</i>

    Ye Qing ignored him and waved his left hand. The Netherme immediately gushed out and turned Han Meng into a pile of ash.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m eliminating the evidence,¡± Ye Qing answered before waving his hand again and scattering the ashes. Now, not even a trace of Han Meng¡¯s existence was left in this world.

    ¡°Eliminating the evidence?¡± Yi Pin repeated numbly like a parrot.

    <i>He must have done this many times in the past, </i>Yi Pin thought. <i>Just look at how casual and practiced his movements are.</i>

    <i>Wait, that¡¯s not the point. The point is, this is a useless act.</i>

    ¡°Brother, destroying the body isn¡¯t going to help anyone. After all, the cbash is still here. It¡¯s called the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash, an exclusive Strange Artifact that the Earthly Sovereign Hall had specifically created to store the Profound Yellow Qi. I¡¯m certain Yue Juejian has left a mental imprint on it, so trying to hide it is just dying the inevitable. The only thing you can do is to destroy it.¡±

    ¡°However, the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash is grown from a Innate Spirit Root Profound Yellow Vine. It is impervious to the elements and tough as steel. At our current strength, it¡¯s literally impossible to destroy it.¡±

    Yi Pin let out a depressed sigh when an idea urred to him. ¡°Wait a second. I have a n! We can simply throw it away! That way, Yue Juejiang won¡¯t be able to trace it back to us!¡±

    Han Meng was gone in every sense of the word. It should be impossible for Yue Juejiang to identify his murderer, nor was it worth the time and effort. It was highly unlikely that Yue Juejiang would turn the ce upside down over the death of a single dog unless the Profound Yellow Qi in the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash was used.

    The Profound Yellow Qi was an object of nature. There were only a handful of spiritual objects such as the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash that could contain it, which made it impossible to store and hide the Profound Yellow Qi for future use.

    Refining it wasn¡¯t an option either since the Profound Yellow Qi wasn¡¯t something that could be fully refined on the spot. It took at least one to two incense sticks to refine it to a level where it was almost invisible to another¡¯s senses. Five?

    It wouldn¡¯t take much longer before Yue Juejiang noticed that something was amiss. There was no way Ye Qing could fully refine and absorb five wisps of Profound Yellow Qi before the man acted. If he was found out, things most likely wouldn¡¯t end well.

    Therefore, killing Yue Juejiang¡¯s dog was fine, but stealing his Profound Yellow Qi was absolutely uneptable.

    ¡°Throw it away? Never.¡±

    Ye Qing let down Yi Pin with a shake of his head, however. He was going to hold onto this cbash for life.

    The Profound Yellow Qi was extremely beneficial to his injuries. Just the two he absorbed earlier had eliminated some of the saber intent and ck Sky Divine Palm force wreaking havoc inside his body. Already, he was feeling much sturdier than before.

    It wasn¡¯t enough, however. Not even close. He needed a lot more Profound Yellow Qi to heal himself, and five of them had just been delivered to his doorstep. He would die before he let them slip through his grasp.

    Besides, his present situation wasn¡¯t the only danger he had to contend with. In the future, he would have to sh against the Intelligence Department and the bastard who put him in this situation in the first ce. He desperately needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible, damn the risks.

    It was his only way to survive the future.

    ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen, brother?¡± Yi Pin felt like pulling his hair out.

    ¡°Rx. I know a way to stop Yue Juejiang from sensing his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash,¡± Ye Qing replied calmly.

    ¡°You do? How?¡± Yi Pin looked astonished.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Ye Qing smiled mysteriously. ¡°Anyway, no one was outside when I killed the guy earlier, so make sure you say that he took our Profound Yellow Qi and left, and that we don¡¯t know anything, okay? It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll attack us ¡®livestocks¡¯, so it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    As he said this, Ye Qing¡¯s body morphed into apletely different appearance. He also suppressed the presence of the Profound Yellow Qi he just refined using his demonic thought and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent. Finally, he altered his cultivation level to appear weaker than he was.

    On a rted note, the two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi he absorbed had been fully refined and absorbed into his muscles and bones. A small bit of tweaking was all he needed to conceal their presence perfectly.

    There were several reasons why he made such a thorough preparation. One, he didn¡¯t want to risk others recognizing him as Ye Qing. That was a whole can of worms he wasn¡¯t eager to open now or forever. Second, his new appearance would make it easier for Yue Juejiang to believe his story.

    And finally, he lowered his cultivation level to avoid drawing attention. Right now, caution and low key was the name of the game.

    He wasn¡¯t worried that someone might see through his disguise and ruin his whole n. The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a miraculous martial art that could easily alter his presence and conceal his cultivation level. Barring certain exceptions, not even ate-stage Spirit Master or a Half-Step Grandmaster would be able to see through his disguise.

    Yi Pin hadn¡¯t specified Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong¡¯s cultivation level earlier, but he was almost certain that they were early-stage Spirit Masters. As for Yue Tongjiang, the guy was just a Half-Step Spirit Master, so he was even less of an issue.

    In conclusion, everything was under his control, and there was nothing to be afraid of.

    At the side, Yi Pin watched as Ye Qing physically and mentally transformed himself into an early-stage Spirit Purifier with a dark, psychopathic appearance. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to say something only to discover that he had nothing to say.

    One thing Yi Pin noticed was how Ye Qing was able to conceal his true cultivation level and the Profound Yellow Qi he just refined perfectly even from his eyes. He had to admit that it was quite impressive.

    So, what should he do with Ye Qing¡¯s n? Should he agree or disagree?

    He agreed, of course. He literally had no other option.

    If he disagreed, the first person Ye Qing was going to kill was him as he was the one person who knew his whole n. Plus, he needed Ye Qing to survive this ce.

    As for pretending to agree to Ye Qing¡¯s n and inform the others about itter, the thought did cross his mind, but that was all. He might suck at martial arts, but he was a good judge of character. Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong were one thing, but Yue Juejiang didn¡¯t think of anyone else as human. In his eyes, he was just a tool to collect the Profound Yellow Qi and an ant he could kill any time he wanted to.

    Even if his betrayal had gone perfectly, all he would earn for his efforts was nothing. He might as well help Ye Qing out and ensure that his insane n seeded.

    He was in Ye Qing¡¯s boat whether he liked it or not.

    There was one more reason he believed that helping Ye Qing was the right option. Inside the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, the threads of fate were blurry and impossible to divine. However, he was the descendant of the Temple of Divination. He might not be able to divine an exact answer, but his sixth sense still told him that Ye Qing would be fine, just like how he knew that he wouldn¡¯t die here.

    After all, Ye Qing came not long after he was trapped in this heavens-forsaken ce, didn''t he?

    So, he surrendered to Ye Qing¡¯s whims and did whatever he wanted.

    ......

    ¡°Hmm? Something went wrong?¡±

    Inside a different room, a handsome youngster in his twenties was meditating in silence. He wore a dark yellow robe that oozed with nobility, and his posture bespoke cultivated grace and power.

    Suddenly, he opened his eyes. The walls shook like a thunderp had erupted inside the room.

    ¡°An ant dares to covet my Profound Yellow Qi Cbash? They must die!¡±

    The young man was none other than Yue Juejiang, and just now, his connection to the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash suddenly disappeared into thin air.

    As Yue Juejiang rose to his feet, it was like a mountain was slowly rising from the ground. The air groaned as if it couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure.

    After he left his room, he stomped the floor so hard that the surrounding air rippled outward like a tidal wave. Then, he roared, ¡°All of you, show yourself this instant!¡±

    The air was already whipping about in a chaotic and disorderly fashion, but his roar literally tore it asunder.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the bastard who¡¯s shouting like a madman? Do you want to die?¡±

    One man mmed open his door and rushed out into the open, but the blood drained away from his face when he realized his mistake. Yue Juejiang threw a punch, and he mmed into the bluestone wall behind him. His limbs were spread wide, and blood poured out of every orifice.

    Those who just left their rooms turned as silent as death when they saw this.

 Chapter 487: Splitting Mountains

    <h4>Chapter 487: Splitting Mountains </h4>

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dearie? Why are you so angry?¡±

    Suddenly, a gentle, seductive voice rang. Then, a sexy woman wearing a fiery red dress stepped out into the open.

    Her long dress looked like fire, and her skin as white as snow. She also had the face of an angel and the body of a siren. Her mere presence naturally ignited a bonfire in everyone¡¯s heart.

    Even Yue Juejiang was staring at the woman with naked lust and desire. He didn¡¯t bother concealing it.

    ¡°Haha... you¡¯re going to make me embarrassed if you keep staring at me like that, dearie,¡± the woman in red said with a giggle. The fire grew stronger when they heard her sweet, melodious voice. The weak-willed ones were literally steaming as if they were being roasted on top of a fire. It looked like they might burn into a crisp at any moment.

    <i>Shing!</i>

    It was at this moment the metallic ringing deafened the ears. It also severed the woman¡¯s influence over the people like a sword. When they calmed down and could think properly again, they all stared at the woman in red with fear and trepidation in their eyes.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the sword ringing, they might have burned into a pile of ash for real.

    The woman in red was none other than Huo Linglong. She was the current Fire Princess of the Earthfire Pce of Demons, and she practiced a martial art that was exclusive to the Fire Princess of each generation known as the ¡°mes of Desire¡±. Every gesture, every smile she performed could draw out the lust submerged in the bottom of one¡¯s heart and turn it into a mind-scorching fire. For the weak-willed, they wouldn¡¯t even realize they were dying until it was toote.

    ¡°Stop fooling around, Huo Linglong.¡±

    Another handsome youngster stepped out of his room. He wore a set of white robes and looked cold and lofty.

    He wasn¡¯t holding a sword, but his whole body was covered in sword qi. The way it pricked against one¡¯s skin like a needle sent chills up their spine.

    ¡°Are you jealous, Brother Sun?¡± Huo Linglong giggled and moved closer to Sun Xuanzhen.

    ¡°They¡¯re still useful,¡± The white swordsman, Sun Xuanzhen replied indifferently.

    Those who felt grateful toward Sun Xuanzhen immediately felt chilled to the bone. Humanity wasn¡¯t worth it, man!

    It was their own fault for expecting good things from Sun Xuanzhen though. They all knew that he was a member of the Sword King City, and they were a gray faction that could do good as much as they did evil. While they weren¡¯t as evil as the Earthfire Pce of Demons, they were anything but a virtuous faction.

    Sun Xuanzhen paid them no heed. He looked straight at Yue Juejiang and asked, ¡°Why have you called us out, Brother Yue?¡±

    Yue Juejiang swept his gaze across the crowd but couldn¡¯t find his servant or sense his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash anywhere. He asked while frowning deeply, ¡°Did you steal my Profound Yellow Qi Cbash, Sun Xuanzhen?¡±

    ¡°Watch what you say, Brother Yue.¡± Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s gaze immediately turned steely.

    Yue Juejiang¡¯s gaze was no less hostile. ¡°Who else could it be besides you and that woman? The two of you are the only ones who would dare to steal my stuff.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sick.¡± Sun Xuanzhen scoffed with disdain.

    ¡°What did you say? I dare you to say it again.¡± Yue Juejiang furrowed his brows as the air grew heavy and solid all of a sudden. It pressed down on Sun Xuanzhen like a mountain.

    ¡°I said, you¡¯re sick.¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen wasn¡¯t afraid, however. Yue Juejiang was strong, but he wasn¡¯t weak either. Besides, the fact that he was talking was already a show of restraint. If he was anyone else, he would have attacked them already.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡± Yue Juejiang erupted. As the descendant of the Earthly Sovereign Hall, he was used to being treated with absolute deference, and he had never encountered anyone who spoke to him like this until now. Enraged, Yue Juejiang threw a punch at Sun Xuanzhen.

    The punch was basic and nothing special, but it was as thick and heavy as several mountains.

    In response, Sun Xuanzhen took half a step to the right and pressed his index and middle fingers together. Then, he swung them diagonally in front of him.

    So what if Yue Juejiang had multiple mountains? He was still going to cut it all with his sword.

    His sword qi abruptly swelled like a dragon. The mountains were divided in half just like that.

    After the image was destroyed, Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s fingers shed against Yue Juejiang¡¯s fist.

    Flesh met flesh, but the noise they made sounded like a dull thunderp more than anything else. The staggering sh caused everyone except Huo Linglong to turn white and stumble backward.

    Sun Xuanzhen stepped back from Yue Juejiang after the sh had run its course. His face looked unchanged, but the fingers he hid behind his back were shaking a little.

    A bloody wound appeared on Yue Juejiang¡¯s fist as well, though it quickly disappeared in the next moment.

    ¡°What are you guys doing? If you have a disagreement, then just talk it out. Do you want to draw out the dangers in this coffin and fight them to the death?¡± Huo Linglong chose this moment to step in between the two men and say, ¡°Give me face and stop fighting, okay? Speaking of which, what happened to you, dearie? We can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t tell us what happened.¡±

    Yue Juejiang affixed Sun Xuanzhen with a cold re, but he ultimately wrestled down his murderous desires a few breathster. For one, Sun Xuanzhen was anything but a weakling. Even if he managed to kill the swordsman, there was no way he would be able to walk away unscathed.

    Two, there was Huo Linglong to consider. She might be ying the mediator right now, but if the circumstances were any different, she would be all too happy to y the fisherman and im the spoils from their cold, dead body. The only reason she didn¡¯t was because the trials weren¡¯t the only dangers in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. If they lingered outside their rooms for too long, or if they fought each other with wanton abandon, there was a chance they might trigger some sort of danger that none of them were equipped to handle.

    Finally, he hadn¡¯t found the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash or the Profound Yellow Qi yet. It would be unwise to the extreme to fight the man before he even found his items.

    Yue Juejiang humphed imperiously before lowering his fists. He then exined, ¡°I instructed Han Meng to collect the Profound Yellow Qi using the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash just now. However, I suddenly lost contact with my Strange Artifact, and Han Meng has gone missing. Someone must have killed him and taken my item.¡±

    ¡°Han Meng is a middle-stage Spirit Purifier, and there are only a handful of people here who have the gall and the strength to kill him.¡±

    Although Yue Juejiang hadn¡¯t stated who he suspected to have stolen his Strange Artifact, his gaze mostly lingered on Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong as he said this. It was clear who he suspected to be the culprit.

    ¡°How can you wrong us like that, dearie. You¡¯re going to make me cry.¡±

    Huo Linglong blinked sorrowfully at Yue Juejiang. ¡°Just think about it. Why would we take your Profound Yellow Qi when we couldn¡¯t even finish refining what we currently have? There are a lot of people in this gloomy ce, you know.¡±

    ¡°You can search me if you don¡¯t believe me. I promise I won¡¯t move a muscle.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard this. <i>I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll even pay you to do it! </i>

    Yue Juejiang snorted but said nothing. He stepped past Huo Linglong and Sun Xuanzhen and inspected their rooms carefully. He couldn¡¯t find anything.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡± Sun Xuanzhen harrumphed.

    ¡°Show me the contents of your Nature¡¯s Shells,¡± Yue Juejiang demanded suddenly.

    ¡°You¡¯re crossing the line, Yue Juejiang.¡± Sun Xuanzhen lifted his eyebrow dangerously. It was like he was lifting a sword.

    ¡°Show me!¡± Yue Juejiang repeated in a tone that wouldn¡¯t ept no as an answer.

    Sun Xuanzhen was seriously starting to lose his patience. His face darkened as he channeled his sword qi. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m afraid of you, Yue Juejiang?¡±

    ¡°Show me!¡± Yue Juejiang repeated a third time, and this time his whole body was surrounded in a sheen of dark yellow energy, one that felt as heavy as suffocating as a mountain.

    ¡°If dearie wants to see it, then let him, Brother Sun.¡± Once again, Huo Linglong yed the mediator. ¡°It¡¯s not like you or I are guilty, right? Here, I¡¯ll do it first.¡±

    Huo Linglong unlocked her Nature¡¯s Shell and handed it to Yue Juejiang. After he went through its contents and found nothing, he affixed Sun Xuanzhen with a wordless stare. The swordsman hmphed, but he ultimately acquiesced and allowed Yue Juejiang to check his Nature¡¯s Shell as well.

    After Yue Juejiang was done with his inspection, Sun Xuanzhen hmphed again and left the scene immediately.

    Yue Juejiang didn¡¯t say anything. Naturally, he didn¡¯t find his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash in either Nature¡¯s Shell.

    The Profound Yellow Qi Cbash was a valuable treasure of the Earthly Sovereign Hall, and it was imprinted with his spirit and his sect¡¯s secret art. Logically speaking, he should be able to sense the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash at such a close range. Since he couldn¡¯t, he automatically assumed that the only ones who knew about the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash¡¯s ability and possessed the strength to conceal its presence were Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong. Besides, they were the only ones who had the balls to take his stuff anyway.

    But now, he wasn¡¯t so sure. Did he guess wrong?

    ¡°I told you we''re not the culprit, dearie,¡± Huo Linglong said gently.

    ¡°Who else could¡¯ve done it if not you two?¡± Yue Juejiang asked grimly.

 Chapter 488: Whereâ€™s My Head

    <h4>Chapter 488: Where¡¯s My Head </h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. Perhaps a tiger has slipped into our ranks before we know it?¡±

    Smiling, Huo Linglong slowly swept her gaze across the crowd. ¡°If a tiger ate a man, its mouth would surely be covered in bloodstains. Why don¡¯t you check everyone else¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell as well? Who knows, you might find what you seek.¡±

    Yue Juejiang looked at the crowd and ordered, ¡°Show me your Nature¡¯s Shells.¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen wasn¡¯t around, and Huo Linglong was the one who suggested Yue Juejiang to check their Nature¡¯s Shell in the first ce. Left with no choice, everyone opened their Nature¡¯s Shell and allowed Yue Juejiang to inspect its contents.

    Yue Juejiang¡¯s expression only grew darker as he scanned each and every Nature¡¯s Shell with his spirit. It was because he couldn¡¯t detect the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash at all.

    Not only that, since everyone¡¯s door was wide open right now, he could see and feel everything inside the room. He found no traces of his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash, Han Meng¡¯s body, or even signs that a fight had taken ce. There were no clues for him to pursue at all.

    ¡°Who among you have seen Han Meng?¡± Yue Juejiang asked.

    ¡°I did... he left after collecting my Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for the two of us. Han Meng left after collecting our Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    Everyone including Yi Pin and Ye Qing answered.

    Suddenly, Yue Juejiang appeared in front of a man and grabbed his throat. He uttered, ¡°You¡¯re lying. I can sense the Profound Yellow Qi in you. Did you do it?¡±

    The man he caught slowly turned beet red in the face. He tried to struggle, but he could barely draw breath. It was like a mountain was sitting on top of his chest. ¡°I... I don¡¯t understand what you mean!¡±

    ¡°I sensed the Profound Yellow Qi in you. It proves that you had just refined a wisp of Profound Yellow Qi. How is it possible for Han Meng to collect from you if it¡¯s already gone?¡±

    Yue Juejiang tightened his grip, and the man¡¯s bones creaked ominously. The man¡¯s face was starting to turn purple as he squeezed out, ¡°I... did not... kill... Han Meng!¡±

    Yue Juejiang loosened his grip a little, and the man coughed a couple of times to catch his breath. Once he was ready, he exined himself in a hurry, ¡°The Faceless Buddha hurt me very badly today. If I didn¡¯t refine the Profound Yellow Qi, I would¡¯ve died. That is why I did it.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Han Meng, nor did I steal your Profound Yellow Qi Cbash. I swear it.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why did you lie to me?¡± Yue Juejiang asked coldly.

    ¡°I... I just...¡±

    Before the man could finish, Yue Juejiang interrupted, ¡°There is nothing more I hate than liars.¡±

    <i>Crack!</i>

    There was a disturbing crack, and he ripped off the man¡¯s head from his shoulders just like that. The poor man¡¯s face slowly spread into an expression of shock and horror before it became frozen for eternity.

    Everyone subconsciously took a step backward and stared at Yue Juejiang with fear. The young man slowly swept his gaze across the crowd while still clutching the man¡¯s head, saying, ¡°I don¡¯t care who among you had stolen my item. Return it to me, and I shall let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, you will end up like this stupid bastard over here.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°So, you will squander yourst chance?¡±

    A few secondster, when no one stepped forward or said a thing, Yue Juejiang¡¯s aura hit a new low. ¡°Okay then. You can all die.¡±

    Before he even finished talking, Yue Juejiang was already throwing his palm in their direction. A gigantic, dark yellow-colored hand appeared in the air, though the center of its palm was rugged like a mountain and sinuous like a river.

    <i>¡°Mountain River God Palm¡±</i>

    Terrible pressure enveloped the group, and everyone turned as white as a sheet. They felt like a literal mountain and river were crashing down on them.

    The palm locked the surrounding space and forbade them from escaping to safety. As the palm force washed over them, some people began throwing up copious amounts of blood.

    At a critical moment, Huo Linglong suddenly appeared in front of Yue Juejiang and brushed her hand across his wrist like she was ying a string instrument. His hand wobbled, and the giant palm in the air abruptly crumbled into nothing because it was cut off from its energy source.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already searched them. Surely you don¡¯t need to kill them as well?¡± Huo Linglong said gently. ¡°Maybe they really didn¡¯t take your Strange Artifact. The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin is a dangerous and anomalous ce. Perhaps it was one such danger that killed Han Meng and took your treasure? If that¡¯s true, then you would¡¯ve killed them for nothing.¡±

    Yue Juejiang stared at Huo Linglong coldly, but the woman wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest. ¡°It may be toote to retrieve your Profound Yellow Qi Cbash, but these people can still give us a hefty amount of Profound Yellow Qi. It would be a shame to kill them all, no? Surely you aren¡¯t nning to suffer through the trials for a measly one qi per day?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, dearie?¡±

    Yue Juejiang was still quiet. Judging from his expression, he was either considering Huo Linglong¡¯s words, scorning her reasoning, or both.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The atmosphere was razor sharp with tension when suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air. When they looked, they saw the man Yue Juejiang had just killed a while ago grabbing a woman from behind. Yes, the headless man was somehow moving despite not having a head. Even now, bright red blood was gushing out of the opening and drenching the woman from shoulder to toe.

    After the woman had recovered her wits, she let loose a st of astral qi and shook off the headless man. Surprisingly, the man exploded into a shower of gore like he was a water-filled balloon, not a human.

    Caught off guard, some people were sshed by the blood and gore before they could get away. Naturally, the woman caught the worst of it.

    ¡°Phew, thank goodness.¡± The woman sighed in relief, but when she looked up, she noticed that everyone was staring at her in shock. She subconsciously took a step backward and asked, ¡°Wha... what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Realizing that they were staring at her body, she looked down and saw the blood wriggling like it was alive and taking the form of many tiny faces. The face belonged to the man who just died, of course.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my head?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s my head?¡¯

    ¡°Where¡¯s my head?¡±

    The faces asked very seriously while looking left and right for their head.

    The woman screamed and tried to st the blood away with another surge of astral qi, but...

    ¡°Argh! It hurts!¡±

    ¡°It hurts so bad...¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh...¡±

    The faces were sted into smithereens, but they reformed almost just as quickly. As they mumbled or groaned in pain, the blood slowly moved upward until it covered the woman¡¯s facepletely. Her terrified screams slowly turned more masculine, and her struggles grew weaker and weaker as well.

    ¡°Where is my head?¡±

    ¡°Where is my head?¡±

    ¡°Where is my head?¡±

    The woman wasn¡¯t the only one who was afflicted by this strange phenomenon. The blood on the two men who were caught in the blood shower earlier were turning into faces and crying, ¡°Where is my head?¡± as well.

    The next moment, every face suddenly homed in on Yue Juejiang and the head he was holding. Then, they let out a monstrous cry and charged him.

    ¡°Hmph. Foolish cur.¡±

    Yue Juejiang remained calm despite the sudden situation. He clenched his fist, and the three victims abruptly exploded into showers of gore.

    This time, everyone was ready for it. They backed away from the victims, dodged the scattering bits of flesh and blood, and surrounded their whole bodies in astral qi.

    Yue Juejiang scoffed at their reaction, but before he could do anything else, the smatterings of gore on the floor writhed slowly joined together to form a ball of flesh. Many faces were appearing on the surface of the ball, and this time, it wasn¡¯t just the face of the man he killed earlier. There was the poor woman and the two men as well.

    Each and every face was crying savagely,

    ¡°Where is my head?¡±

    ¡°Why did no one save me?¡±

    ¡°Why did you kill me?¡±

    Their cries weren¡¯t harmless either. Theybined to form some sort of chaotic, anomalous sound wave that was magnified many times by the confined space of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. Some people clutched their heads and began wailing in pain.

    ¡°Get out of my sight!¡±

    A steely glint flickered in Yue Juejiang¡¯s eyes. Realizing that he couldn¡¯t underestimate whatever the hell this thing was, he turned serious and brought down his palm again. The meatball was literally ttened into a meat cake.

    Yue Juejiang was frowning, however. It was because his Mountain River God Palm had failed to crush the meatball into a meat paste. In fact, it was wriggling and screaming the entire time,

    ¡°It hurts...¡±

    ¡°It hurts so bad...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hurting...¡±

    The screams were shrill, terrible, and unholy. It pierced everyone¡¯s mind like knives and caused them to bleed from every orifice.

    <i>Pang! Pang! Pang pang!</i>

    It was at this moment a new sound entered the fray.

 Chapter 489: Soul Collector

    <h4>Chapter 489: Soul Collector </h4>

    The sudden noise sounded like the banging of a night watchman¡¯s rattle¡ªcrisp, melodious, and rhythmic. It wasn¡¯t particrly loud or soft, and yet it somehow overcame the shrill, chaotic, and deafening screams currently filling the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin and entered everyone¡¯s ears.

    It was because the banging sound had appeared directly inside their head.

    Inexplicable terror gripped everyone¡¯s heart. Even the faces had temporarily stopped their screaming.

    ¡°He¡¯s here...¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡±

    The next moment, the faces cried out in abject horror. It was as if who¡ªor whatever was making this sound was the bane of their existence.

    <i>Pang! Pang! Pang pang!</i>

    The banging sound appeared again, and it was a little louder than before. It was almost as if the thing or creature making the noise... had gotten a little closer to them.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Soul Collector! Return to your rooms and stay perfectly quiet and still unless you want to die! Now!¡± shouted Huo Linglong in a hurry before darting into a nearby room. She was so anxious that she dropped her coy actpletely.

    As she was talking, Ye Qing grabbed Yi Pin¡¯s shoulder and rolled into the nearest room. Then, he mmed the door shut.

    His spirit was probably the strongest out of everyone present, so an indescribable terror struck him the second he heard the sound. Even before Huo Linglong identified the Stranger, he already grabbed Yi Pin¡¯s sleeve and covertly pulled him to the nearest entrance. As a result, they were able to duck into a room at the same time as Huo Linglong, if not faster.

    Meanwhile, the crowd finally reacted and dashed toward the nearest rooms as well.

    ¡°Out of my way!¡±

    Yue Juejiang didn¡¯t dare to dilly-dally either. He bent his knees and jumped toward a room to his left, bowling over several unfortunate warriors in the process.

    <i>Pang! Pang! Pang pang!</i>

    The banging sound appeared a third time, and this time, it wasn¡¯t nearly as harmless as before. There were two warriors who were still outside when suddenly, they froze as if someone had cast a spell on them.

    The meatball screaming and attempting to roll away to safety abruptly ceased all activities as well. The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin abruptly turned as silent as death.

    An old man with a stooped back emerged from the darkness. He was wearing rags and holding a rattle.

    The old man looked incredibly old. His hair was grayish white, and his face was covered in age spots. He was so thin that his cheek bones were sticking out, and his body looked like it was just skin and bones.

    The old man looked beyond poor. His clothes were tattered rags woven from the coarsest fabric. He looked like a man whose back was permanently broken by the indomitable concept known as life.

    He looked like he was carrying the heaviest burden. It took him ages to take a single step, and every step he took felt like it would shake the ground from the sheer weight of his invisible burden.

    The abyss hung behind him like a curtain, and despair stood in front of him like a permanent fixture.

    Naturally, there was only incurable numbness and lifelessness in the old man¡¯s eyes.

    As the old man came closer, the darkness hanging behind him abruptly spread out in every direction. It looked infinite and immeasurable.

    Countless souls were struggling and wailing amidst the darkness, but strangely, there was no sound.

    The two unfortunate warriors who failed to duck into a room in time abruptly slumped on the ground. Then, their souls floated out of their bodies and into the darkness.

    When the old man walked past the meatball, the soul of the man whose neck was ripped off by Yue Juejiang, the soul of the woman he killed after he underwent a transformation, and two other souls were devoured by the darkness as well.

    The old man didn¡¯t look like he noticed anything. He continued to step forward while enveloped in infinite darkness.

    The one and only thing that could pierce it was the banging sound of his rattle, incessant and rhythmic. asionally, a soul would fly out one of the rooms and join the darkness.

    The souls kept struggling, but they would never seed, nor would anyone hear their unearthly wails.

    ......

    Inside the room, a white-faced Ye Qing and Yi Pin were clinging to the wall corner like their lives depended on it. Forget moving, they didn¡¯t even dare to breathe audibly. They remained as still as puppets.

    Although he couldn¡¯t see what was happening outside, Ye Qing¡¯s heart was thumping with indescribable terror and panic. His limbs felt as stiff as wood, and his mind shook like a leaf.

    There were only two Strangers in his life who had inflicted such terror on him. The first one was the terrifying existence who destroyed August Hill Vige, and the second was the Nether Lord Evergreen Ivy nearly summoned to destroy Luo Shui.

    He was an ant at the time, and those two existences had felt as vast and infinite as the sky itself.

    He was now dozens, no, hundreds of times stronger than who he was before, but he still feltpletely powerless before such existences. It felt like he would never evene close to narrowing the gap between their powers, much less catch up to them.

    An unknown amount of timeter, the stifling, soul rattling presence outside the room finally disappeared bit by bit. When it waspletely gone, both Ye Qing and Yi Pin slumped on the floor like mud.

    A wry smile flickered across their faces when their eyes happened to meet each other. They were both happy and grateful to be alive.

    After he recollected himself, Ye Qing asked Yi Pin, ¡°What on earth was that, brother?¡±

    Yi Pin wiped away the sweat on his forehead and answered, ¡°That¡¯s the Soul Collector.¡±

    ¡°The Soul Collector?¡± Ye Qing shook his head to indicate that he hadn¡¯t heard of it before.

    ¡°Have you heard of the Night Watch, brother?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes at him. That was like asking if he knew what rice was.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about the ordinary night watchmen who patrol the night and remind everyone to be careful with their fire,¡± Yi Pin guessed Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts and corrected him smilingly. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Night Watch of Yan.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. Simr to the Night Patrol of Wei, the Demon Suppression Office of Qi, or the Pacification Bureau of Chu, the Night Watch of Yan were the government organization responsible for dealing with Stranger matters in a country.

    ¡°It is said that the Night Watch of Yan is a prestigious lineage descended from the ancient Night Watchers,¡± Yi Pin began slowly. ¡°In ancient times, Strangers were everywhere, and demons and monsters killed and destroyed as they pleased. The Night Watchers were born to patrol the night, eliminate the Strangers, and protect the people from harm.¡±

    ¡°The leader of the Night Watchers was none other than the Earthly Sovereign himself, and the Soul Collector was said to be the vice leader. He was so loyal to the Earthly Sovereign that he willingly buried himself in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin to protect his resting ce.¡±

    ¡°The Soul Collector is the second most terrible existence in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin besides the Earthly Sovereign himself. Any human or Stranger who dares to disturb his rest shall have their souls taken by the Soul Collector.¡±

    ¡°The reason he showed up is most likely because Yue Juejiang caused too big amotion, and we stayed outside our rooms longer than usual.¡±

    ¡°Why did he let us live?¡± Ye Qing asked, puzzled. He refused to believe that this shitty room¡ªor any room for that matter¡ªcould keep such a terrible existence at bay.

    ¡°The Soul Collector is the protector of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. He would not tolerate any act of sphemy against his lord or his resting ce. Anyone who speaks or moves wantonly in his presence shall be treated as a sphemer and have their souls collected,¡± Yi Pin exined.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that it will be fine if we don¡¯t speak or move when he¡¯s around?¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. No wonder the first thing Yi Pin told him after they escaped into their room was to stay quiet and stay still. Huo Linglong had mentioned something like this as well.

    ¡°You can say that,¡± Yi Pin confirmed.

    ¡°If it¡¯s that easy, then why do we need to hide inside a room?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Yi Pin shot Ye Qing an incredulous look. ¡°Because it¡¯s safe, of course. The Soul Collector is a champion from ancient times. A single wisp of his aura can damage our minds if you¡¯re lucky, or extinguish it outright if you¡¯re not. These rooms are constructed from special stones that can neutralize the Soul Collector¡¯s aura and pressure to a certain extent. That is the only reason you and I are still alive right now.¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t refute Yi Pin. It was a stupid question. He fell silent, and for a time, no one said anything.

 Chapter 490: Flower Turtle

    <h4>Chapter 490: Flower Turtle </h4>

    ¡°Is the Soul Collector alive or dead?¡± Ye Qing asked suddenly after a moment of silence.

    ¡°Of course he¡¯s¡ª¡±

    Yi Pin wanted to say that the Soul Collector was dead since those days were long, long behind them. But then, he recalled the fact that warriors from those times were on apletely different level, so who was to say that some of them hadn¡¯t transcended death itself?

    In the end, Yi Pin shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    He could be alive or dead. Only the Soul Collector himself knew for sure.

    For the two of them, the appearance of the Soul Collector was just a harmless scare. However, it reminded them that they were just guests of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin; ants that the entities of this ce could crush like nothing if they really wanted to. So long as they were still in this ce, they must never let their guard down.

    That said, the appearance of the Soul Collector was a good thing for Ye Qing. It had stopped Yue Juejiang¡¯s search and prevented him from pulling drastic measures to retrieve his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash.

    This was proven when Yue Juejiang called everyone out again, but only fired off a few puny threats and collected a few wisps of Profound Yellow Qi. He left them alone after that.

    ¡°Phew. So d that¡¯s finally behind us.¡± Yi Pin let out a sigh of relief after they returned to their own rooms. He then looked at Ye Qing curiously and asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid when Yue Juejiang tried to kill us earlier? It would¡¯ve been pretty bad if the Soul Collector hadn¡¯t shown up.¡±

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Ye Qing replied calmly. ¡°It was just an intimidation tactic, and even if it wasn¡¯t, neither Huo Linglong nor Sun Xuanzhen would allow it.¡±

    The reason the three warriors kept them alive was to use them to acquire more Profound Yellow Qi. Killing them would be like killing the goose for the golden egg. Even if Yue Juejiang managed to retrieve the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash, it would have been a loss for him, not to mention Huo Linglong and Sun Xuanzhen. Those two would have lost an entire ¡°crop¡± of Profound Yellow Qi for nothing.

    Earlier, Yue Juejiang tried everything but still failed to locate the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash. He acted like his anger had gone to his head, and that he was going to make the thief pay by hook or by crook. In reality, he probably knew better than everyone that killing them wouldn¡¯t help him retrieve his lost treasure. He was just trying to scare the thief into panicking and exposing themselves.

    To be fair, it was a good n. Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to keep their cool in a life-or-death situation. Unfortunately for him, Ye Qing had experienced too much to be intimidated by a mere Half-Step Spirit Master. Besides, he knew exactly what Yue Juejiang was thinking, and he was certain that the young man wouldn¡¯t kill them.

    ¡°Why are you asking me though? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already figured this out.¡± Ye Qing smirked at Yi Pin. If he could figure this out, then surely the cunning old Taoist would have arrived at the same conclusion as well.

    ¡°Hahaha! I have, but as you know, a person only grows more timid with age. Despite my knowledge, I was honestly afraid that that simple-minded mule would say damn the consequences and kill us all. Luckily, everything went as you predicted. I¡¯m fairly sure Yue Juejiang now believe Huo Linglong¡¯s im that the mysterious powers of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin stole his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash, so you should be in the clear now.¡±

    Yi Pin let out a chuckle before asking a question, ¡°I''m really curious though. How on earth did you manage to stop Yue Juejiang from sensing his Strange Artifact? And where on earth did you hide it?¡±

    This was what really confounded him.

    ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a secret.¡± Ye Qing smirked and politely refused to answer.

    It wasn¡¯t anything special, really. All he did was to wrap the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash inside the Annon Sutra. The Annon Sutra was a powerful, enigmatic existence. When it wasn¡¯t using its power, not even the strongest, most anomalous existence could detect its presence, much less a mere human.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time he used the Annon Sutra to cover up an item¡¯s presence, so he knew it would work. Of course, he was also lucky that the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash was small enough to be wrapped inside the piece of vellum. After that, he simply deposited the item inside Nine Heavens.

    In his imagination, Yue Juejiang¡¯s attention would be mostly on powerful warriors such as Huo Linglong and Sun Xuanzhen. He would never look through the Nature¡¯s Shell of a ¡°puny early-stage Spirit Purifier¡± like him too thoroughly no matter how much he wanted to retrieve his treasure. And he was right. The guy hadn¡¯t even conducted a thorough inspection. He had simply brushed his spirit across their Nature¡¯s Shells.

    But of course, he still had to thank the Soul Collector for interrupting the search prematurely. Otherwise, there was no way Yue Juejiang would have let things go so easily.

    ¡°Guard me, brother.¡±

    Now that it was safe, it was time to convert the Profound Yellow Qi into his strength. In order to prevent Yi Pin from detecting something or someone barging into their room suddenly and finding something amiss, Ye Qing surrounded himself inside the thick, spirit-isting fog that was his Child of Blood Demon. But of course, he didn¡¯t wrap Yi Pin inside his fog.

    With that done, he summoned a wisp of Profound Yellow Qi from his Nine Heavens, swallowed it, and began his cultivation.

    ¡°Heh, he¡¯s so careful that he doesn¡¯t feel like a youngster. Then again, only careful people can live just a little longer in this world.¡±

    Yi Pin chuckled and examined the fog permeating the room a little. Then, he leaned against the wall and sipped his wine without a care for the world.

    ......

    Darkness and silence, mystery and fear seemed to be the permanent themes of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. Darkness produced mystery, and silence elicited fear. Considering how dominant these themes were, it almost felt like light was the biggest taboo of this ce.

    That misconception was shattered when wisps of light suddenly chased away the eternal darkness that shrouded the coffin. In fact, the light looked colorful and dreamlike.

    At the center of the penta-colored light were a bunch of flowers. They were shaped like orchids and had pure white petals. Their pistils were also penta-colored and swaying gently even though there was no wind inside the coffin. The light it emitted was as fanciful as a kaleidoscope.

    The colorful, bright orchids slowly came closer to the rooms. At first, it looked like the orchids were floating in the middle of the darkness. But when they got closer, it became clear that they were attached to the back of a turtle[1].

    The turtle was pitch ck and about as big as a millstone. Its shell was absolutely covered in flowers. It was like a mini garden of sorts.

    Every time the turtle took a step forward, the flowers would shake a little and spill more light into the surroundings. The fragrant scent of the flowers was a match for its phantasmal light and colors.

    The beautiful, flower-covered turtle seemed to be the antithesis of the coffin¡¯s darkness. It brought a sliver of liveliness, happiness, tranquility and auspiciousness into this ce of death.

    ¡°Yawn...¡±

    ¡°Haap...¡±

    ¡°So sleepy...¡±

    It was as if the tranquil and auspicious light was infectious. A wave of sleepiness washed over everyone before they knew it.

    As if responding to their drowsiness, the flowers on the turtle¡¯s back grew increasingly colorful and fragrant as well. From time to time, the turtle would turn back and consume the brightest, most colorful and fragrant flower of them all.

    Those who were already asleep fell into a deeper slumber.

    ¡°Yawn...¡±

    Ye Qing was meditating and yawning inside the room. He was so drowsy he nearly lost control of his energy cirction.

    ¡°What the heck? Why am I so sleepy...¡±

    The world spun before his eyes as heavy waves of sleepiness assaulted his mind again and again. He kept nodding off like a chick no matter how much he tried to keep his posture straight, and his eyelids were so heavy that he was unable to open them no matter what.

    ¡°Snore... snore...¡±

    Beside him, Yi Pin was already out like a light. His snores were loud, and there were saliva trickling down the corner of his lips. It looked like he was having a great dream.

    The old Taoist¡¯s snores only caused Ye Qing¡¯s eyelids to grow heavier. His consciousness was starting to blur as well.

    <i>No... something¡¯s not right about this...</i>

    Ye Qing shook his head strongly in an attempt to regain his rity of mind. With his mental fortitude, he could go two weeks straight without sleep and still be more awake than this. Something was definitely wrong about the situation.

    His head cleared up for a breath or so, but a new wave of drowsiness threatened to dye his vision ck once more.

    ¡°<i>I mustn¡¯t fall asleep!</i>

    Determination flickered in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he bit the tip of his tongue. The sudden outburst of pain immediately pushed away the wave of drowsiness and woke him uppletely.

    ¡°Brother! Wake up! Brother!¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly walked up to Yi Pin and shook his shoulder persistently, but it was like someone had turned off the consciousness switch in his mind. No matter how hard he shook the old Taoist and cried out his name, he refused to wake up no matter what.

    1. It¡¯s a turtle. Exnation in the next chapter. ?

 Chapter 491: The Turtle of Sleep

    <h4>Chapter 491: The Turtle of Sleep </h4>

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before raising his hand and pping Yi Pin across the face, leaving behind a bright red palm print. When Yi Pin didn¡¯t wake up, he pped his other cheek with the same amount of strength as before. Now this was what he called symmetry.

    ¡°Brother! Wake up!¡±

    <i>p!</i>

    ¡°Wake up! Brother!¡±

    <i>p!</i>

    Every time Ye Qing called out to Yi Pin, he would p him in the face. It was easily the most fun he had in a while.

    ¡°Ugh... whas goinon, rada...?¡±

    A few breathster, Yi Pin slowly opened his eyes. He flinched when he saw Ye Qing raising his hand as if he was going to p him at any moment.

    Ye Qing stopped hitting Yi Pin and tilted his head to one side. It took him a second to recognize that Yi Pin was saying, ¡°What¡¯s going on, brother?¡± because his face was swollen.

    While he was talking, Yi Pin¡¯s head and eyelids began drooping again.

    <i>p!</i>

    This time, Ye Qing didn¡¯t hesitate to p him to full wakefulness. By now, he could do this all day with eyes closed.

    ¡°What are you hitting me for?!¡± Yi Pin yelled angrily at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Get up, brother.¡± Ye Qing pulled Yi Pin to a sitting position before asking, ¡°Don¡¯t you realize yet? Something is off.¡±

    Even as he said this, Ye Qing was forced to bite the tip of his tongue to chase away his drowsiness.

    Yi Pin was a veteran of the <i>jianghu. </i>He too noticed that something was amiss and immediately produced a giant bell from his sleeves. There was a melodious ringing, and Ye Qing felt the drowsiness pressing down on his mind lifting a little.

    ¡°Do you know what this is, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Yi Pin wore a severe expression as he looked left and right and sniffed the air. Then, the blood drained away from his face, ¡°A creature that inflicts drowsiness and smells of flowers... Is it the Turtle of Sleep? Yes, it has to be!¡±

    ¡°The Turtle of Sleep?¡± Ye Qing was shocked to hear this. ¡°But I thought this Stranger could only be found in the deep sea?¡±

    He knew of the Turtle of Sleep, of course. The Turtle of Sleep was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger that lived tens of thousands of meters underneath the sea. Shaped like a giant turtle, it had a shell that was covered in colorful, fragrant flowers.

    The Turtle of Sleep enjoyed floating on the sea surface and exposing its flowers in the open. If a merchant ship or fisherman boat happened to be passing through the area, and its passengers saw its flower and smelled its scent, they would immediately fall aslumber.

    The deeper one slept, the brighter and more fragrant the flowers would be. At a certain point, the Turtle of Sleep would consume the best flower on its back. When this happened, the most afflicted person would fall into eternal slumber, never to awaken again.

    As if frozen in time, the victim would not perish even if they didn¡¯t eat or drink, nor would they age like a normal human being. They just wouldn¡¯t wake up, that¡¯s all.

    In fact, there were old people who were reluctant to die despite nearing the end of their lifespan who willingly subjected themselves to the Turtle of Sleep¡¯s spell to dy their death indefinitely. They hoped that one day someone would be able to awaken them and increase their lifespan.

    Unfortunately, no one had found a way to break the Turtle of Sleep¡¯s spell to this day.

    If someone were to run into the Turtle of Sleep, they must do everything in their power to resist falling asleep. If they failed, then theirpanions must wake them as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the victim would fall into an eternal slumber that was no different from death.

    ¡°Who knows? This is the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. Anything can happen in this ce.¡±

    Yi Pin said, ¡°If one of us falls asleep, then the other person must wake them up at first notice. Otherwise, we will die.¡±

    There were two ways to handle the Turtle of Sleep. The first was to kill the Turtle of Sleep and end the spell at its source. The second was to stay awake.

    Killing the Turtle of Sleep was obviously the optimal solution, but it was one of the absolute strongest Phenomenon-ss Strangers out there. It would take a not insignificant amount of effort to defeat it. Not only that, they were inside the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin right now. If they caused too big amotion or attracted the attention of a far greater danger such as the Soul Collector, then it would truly be over for them.

    This meant that they could only weather the storm until the Turtle of Sleep was gone.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Ye Qing nodded solemnly.

    ¡°By the way, did you hit me just now?¡±

    It was only now Yi Pin noticed the burning pain on his cheeks. They were as swollen as a bun.

    ¡°Hit you? No, I was saving your life.¡± Ye Qing defended himself, ¡°If I haven¡¯t smacked you awake, you might be dead already, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>Yeah, I don¡¯t think so.</i>

    As they were talking, a new wave of drowsiness assaulted Yi Pin¡¯s eyelids and blurred his vision. Despite this, he could see a p descending from above like the judgment of the heavens.

    ¡°I¡¯m still awake!¡±

    The shock was enough to jolt Yi Pin back to reality. When his eyes cleared, and he noticed that Ye Qing¡¯s hand was inches away from his face, he couldn¡¯t help but break out in cold sweat.

    ¡°Aw man...¡± Ye Qing withdrew his hand a little disappointedly.

    Yi Pin was speechless for a moment. ¡°Just how much do you want to p me, you asshole?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, brother? Do I look like that kind of person to you? I was saving your life!¡± Ye Qing said seriously, ¡°You¡¯re the one who said I should wake you at first notice if you fall asleep, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡± <i>I can¡¯t refute that, but there has to be a more civilized way to wake someone up!</i>

    Yi Pin ranted in his head before saying just as seriously, ¡°In that case, you better not me me for returning the favor if you fall asleep, alright?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Ye Qing nodded. <i>You will never get the chance.</i>

    At first, the two men were able to stave away their sleepiness using the Hill Mover Bell. However, its effects kept diminishing until it eventually becamepletely useless. So, the duo began mutting themselves.

    Ye Qing bit his tongue to keep himself awake with pain, and at first, Yi Pin copied his tactic and also bit his tongue to stay awake. The problem was that Yi Pin couldn¡¯t recover as quickly as Ye Qing even though the young man was injured, so it wasn¡¯t long before he was forced to stop. If he kept going, he was going to bite off his own tongue for real.

    That wasn¡¯t the worst part of it. The drowsiness kept growing stronger¡ªor maybe his body had adapted to the pain¡ªbut he discovered that the method¡¯s effectiveness was diminishing over time anyway.

    At some point, Yi Pin said while he was smacking his own head, ¡°There has to be a better way to stay awake, brother.¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°Is that so? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°We can use a Strange Artifact or an item that specifically clears the mind,¡± Yi Pin suggested meaningfully.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what you mean. But I¡¯m a simple and honest man, you see. I¡¯d rather stick to the lousier way,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    The second Yi Pin opened his mouth, Ye Qing knew that he was coveting his limited supply of Qi of Ultimate Purity. The item gave its user absolute rity of the mind, and it was definitely the perfect answer to their situation. Since Yi Pin was the one who gave him the Qi of Ultimate Purity in the first ce, of course he was aware of its effects.

    <i>Simple and honest?! Have some shame, you shameless liar! </i>Yi Pin cursed mentally.

    In the old Taoist¡¯s script, Ye Qing would ask him what item or Strange Artifact could possibly shield their mind from the Turtle of Sleep¡¯s power, and he would reveal the answer. When that happened, Ye Qing would have no choice but to produce the Qi of Ultimate Purity. After all, the young man had promised to keep him alive for as long as they were stuck in this hellhole, and refusing to give him the Qi of Ultimate Purity would go against that promise.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing saw through his ploy and ended the conversation before it even began. He really was as cunning as a fox.

    Luckily for himself, he was a worldly man. He still had plenty more tricks up his sleeves.

    Yi Pin let out a cough and sighed deeply. ¡°Oh, how I regret this life. If only I knew that I would be whisked away into the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin and encounter the Turtle of Sleep, then I would have carried all my Qi of Ultimate Purity with me. I think I still have a couple dozen in my secret ce?¡±

    ¡°A shame, man, a shame. If I die here, all that Qi of Ultimate Purity would go to waste. I was going to give them to you if I managed to survive this ce, brother, but now, I guess they¡¯ll just have to rot in my secret ce for eternity.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up at that. <i>Now we¡¯re talking!</i>

 Chapter 492: Dueling With Sleepiness

    <h4>Chapter 492: Dueling With Sleepiness </h4>

    Ye Qing smacked his own head as if he just recalled something and fished out a bottle from his Nine Heavens. ¡°The Qi of Ultimate Purity? I toooooooootally would¡¯ve forgotten about it if you didn¡¯t bring it up. It just so happens that I have a couple with me¡ªthey¡¯re the ones you gave me back at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, remember?¡±

    Yi Pin had given him six wisps of Qi of Ultimate Purity in total, but now there were only four since he had to use two back on the Boat of Longing.

    Yi Pin also eximed with feigned realization, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right! I can¡¯t believe I forgot about it myself! Are you sure you want to give it to me though? They¡¯re quite valuable, you know?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? It could be the most valuable treasure in the world, and it still wouldn¡¯t be worth your life!¡± Ye Qing feigned a look of shock and horror. ¡°Besides, I know you¡¯re a generous soul! You¡¯ll make it worth my trouble, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Yi Pinughed drily. ¡°Hahaha... Thank you, brother. Assuming I manage to get out of this ce alive, I¡¯ll be sure to reward you handsomely.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re too kind. We¡¯re brothers, aren¡¯t we?¡± Ye Qing grinned widely. ¡°But of course, I shan¡¯t turn down a gift from you. I¡¯ll be fine with just eight or ten wisps of Qi of Ultimate Purity. Anymore than that, and I¡¯ll take it as an insult, okay?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, what a good brother you are!¡± Yi Pin deadpanned. <i>If I didn¡¯t mention that I still have a lot of Qi of Ultimate Purity with me, there is no way this brat would¡¯ve agreed to help me so easily. Truly, he is the best of brothers!</i>

    Despite his scorn, Yi Pin was confident that Ye Qing would use the Qi of Ultimate Purity to save him if he was moments of dying¡ªand not a moment earlier. That was why he promised the young man a reward. He was way, way, <i>way </i>too old to choose self-muttion, fear, and all that nonsense when the option to be freed from his suffering this instant existed.

    ¡°Of course I am.¡± Ye Qing held the bottle in front of Yi Pin¡¯s face and urged him, ¡°No time to waste. Inhale now.¡±

    Yi Pin bent down and inhaled a wisp of Qi of Ultimate Purity. As soon as the qi entered his abdomen, a surge of pure energy rushed into his head, and the drowsiness sinking its talons into his mind was expelled in an instant. For the first time in a long while, he feltpletely conscious and in control of himself. No longer could the Turtle of Sleep¡¯s evil influence touch him.

    Yi Pin thought that Ye Qing was going to inhale a wisp of Qi of Ultimate Purity as well, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he put the bottle away.

    The old Taoist furrowed his brows in confusion. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you using it, brother?¡±

    Ye Qing answered honestly, ¡°It¡¯s too wasteful.¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>Well, at least he¡¯s honest this time.</i>

    The reason Ye Qing didn¡¯t use the Qi of Ultimate Purity was because of several reasons. One, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a profound martial art that could resist the Turtle of Sleep¡¯s influence to a certain extent. He was nowhere close to hitting his limit, so he saw no reason to use the Qi of Ultimate Purity so soon. In fact, he saw this as an opportunity to temper his demonic thought and create his Yin God.

    Two, he really wasn¡¯t willing to waste the Qi of Ultimate Purity like this. It was a priceless treasure with many incredible uses. In some cases, it could even make the difference between life and death. Rather than using it now even though he didn¡¯t really need it, he would rather save it for the future.

    Now that he was protected by the Qi of Ultimate Purity, Yi Pin was no longer afraid. He even began humming a little tune.

    As for Ye Qing, he began tempering his demonic thought and Yin God while resisting the Turtle of Sleep¡¯s hypnotic influence.

    ......

    Inside a room, Sun Xuanzhen was sitting crosslegged on the floor with his fingers pressed together. Whenever he felt like he was about to sumb to the unnatural sleepiness, he would tap himself in the forehead, the sr plexus and the bellybutton. His whole body would shake like he was convulsing,rge beads of sweat would appear on his forehead, and the blood would drain away from his face.

    His eyes gleamed as sharp as a sword and as bright as stars, however. Sun Xuanzhen was using a Sword King City secret art known as the Three Swords of Punishment. The first strike severed one¡¯s blood flow, the second strike sealed one¡¯s meridians, and the third strike threw one¡¯s qi flow into disarray. It was a terrifying secret art that was often employed in punishments and interrogations.

    The first and second strikebined could seal away one¡¯s vigor, rob them of their strength, and prevent them from using their astral qi. If all three strikes were applied, they could reverse one¡¯s vigor and qi flow and throw their force into disarray. The pain that resulted from it was worse than death itself.

    That was what he was doing to himself. He was inflicting the full might of the Three Swords of Punishment upon himself and keeping the sleepiness at bay with terrible pain.

    ......

    ¡°Yawn. I really don¡¯t want to eat this. What should I do?¡±

    A scantily-dressed Huo Linglong was currently lying down on a bed with a frown on her face. She was staring at a flower pot on the floor.

    The flower pot was perfectly ordinary, but its contents were a different story. Instead of soil, it was filled with rotten flesh and a vibrant green vine.

    The vine looked extremely lush and healthy, but the fruits growing out of its thick body were rotten, moldy, dry, and covered in white hair. It was horrifying to say the least.

    ¡°Yawn...¡±

    A momentter, Huo Linglong yawned and felt herself hitting the limits of her endurance. Left with no choice, she reached out and plucked a molding fruit from the vine.

    As soon as the fruit was removed, the vine withered at a visible rate. Yellow spots began appearing on its body.

    Huo Linglong hesitated for a second before consuming the fruit. Her dainty face immediately scrunched up in a grimace.

    ¡°Heavens, it¡¯s so disgusting!¡±

    The fruit she just consumed was called the Rotten Fruit, and as its name implied, it was a fruit grown from the rotten flesh of a Stranger.

    The Rotten Fruit was rotten and absolutely disgusting to eat, but it possessed the strange power to clear one¡¯s mind and maintain one¡¯s consciousness. It was quite the rare and valuable spirit fruit despite its horrible taste.

    The Rotten Fruit Huo Linglong was eating was nurtured from the rotten flesh of a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, so it was even more potent than your average Rotten Fruit. It could definitely keep her awake until the Turtle of Sleep had passed.

    She just had to stop herself from throwing up...

    ......

    Compared to Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong, Yue Juejiang was far moreposed. He was sitting crosslegged on the floor and staying so still it was almost like he was dead.

    A stone mirror was floating above his head, and inside the mirror was another Yue Juejiang. The mirror Yue Juejiang was also sitting crosslegged on the floor, but unlike the physical Yue Juejiang, this one had his eyes open and were looking about curiously. It was almost as if the Yue Juejiang outside the mirror was a fake, and the one inside the mirror was the real thing.

    The mirror was called the Soul Disying Mirror, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. Forged from the Soul Illuminating Stone and the bones of a Soulstealer-ss Stranger called the Soul Beckoner, the Soul Disying Mirror could suck the Three Heavenly Souls and Seven Earthly Souls of any living being it was pointed at unto itself. Hence the name.

    The Strange Artifact was meant to be used against one¡¯s enemies, but this time Yue Juejiang used it on himself. Since his Three Heavenly Souls and Seven Earthly Souls currently existed in a different reality, the hypnotic influence permeating the outside world couldn¡¯t affect him one bit. He simply needed to wait until the Turtle of Sleep was gone before returning to his body.

    But of course, this method had a huge w. The connection between his body and his soul was currently severed, so if someone happened to barge it at this very moment, they could easily destroy his body or the Soul Disying Mirror to kill him.

    Luckily for him, no one knew that he possessed a Soul Disying Mirror, and no one dared to enter his room.

    ......

    Right now, everyone in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin was using all sorts of methods to fend off the unnatural sleepiness threatening to put them into an eternal slumber.

    Some of them were seeding, and some of them fell unconscious before they knew it. It wasn¡¯t guaranteed that their slumber was permanent¡ªafter all, the Turtle of Sleep only consumed one flower at a time, and only the person in the deepest sleep would be affected by this¡ªbut their chances were grim as a matter of course.

    About six hourster, the unnatural sleepiness permeating the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin finally faded slowly.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Ye Qing opened his eyes with a reluctant look on his face. Considering the circumstances, Yi Pin couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at him.

    <i>What¡¯s with that slight tinge of disappointment in your voice, man? Are you crazy?</i>

    He had to admit he was impressed, however. He knew firsthand just how powerful the Turtle of sleep¡¯s hypnotic powers were. Even a Grandmaster could sumb to its influence if they were careless. At first, he thought that Ye Qing would be able to stay awake for one or two incense sticks at most before he was forced to use the Qi of Ultimate Purity. However, six hours came and went, and Ye Qing was still awake.

    What was truly impressive about this feat was that Ye Qing had not used a Strange Artifact or item to keep himself awake. He had done it through sheer willpower.

    At the beginning, Ye Qing bit his tongue from time to time to keep himself awake. When his body had adapted to the pain, he began breaking his fingers one by one, reconnecting them after he ran out of fingers, then breaking them all over again. When even the pain of broken fingers wasn¡¯t enough to keep the sleepiness at bay, he began crushing his finger bones.

    The second-hand pain alone was enough to turn Yi Pin¡¯s face white, but Ye Qing lookedpletely unperturbed. In the end, he seemed to have adapted to the Turtle of Sleep¡¯s power and no longer needed to mutte himself to keep himself awake. He was able to resist it through willpower and only willpower.

 Chapter 493: I Want To Live

    <h4>Chapter 493: I Want To Live </h4>

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this, brother,¡± said Yi Pin with a sigh while Ye Qing used a drop of Nature¡¯s Water to restore his crushed fingers back to normal. Was this really necessary?

    ¡°I have to if I want to live,¡± Ye Qing replied enigmatically while smiling casually. It was a smile that was equal parts helpless and defiant.

    ¡°What on earth happened to you, brother?¡±

    Yi Pin didn¡¯t know what happened to Ye Qing, but it had to be something big for the young man to say something like this.

    ¡°You really want to know?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile turned yful.

    ¡°Eh? Did I say something just now? I can¡¯t remember a thing for some reason. How strange!¡± Yi Pin immediately feigned ignorance and scratched his head. He knew that Zhou Hengshan, a Grandmaster, was involved, and there could be bigger fishes in the pond. Considering that he was just a puny little Vessel Augmentor, the knowledge could only be harmful to him. That was why he immediately changed his mind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell you everything once we get out of this ce alive,¡± Ye Qing dered with a devious smirk on his face.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± Yi Pin replied seriously while shaking his head.

    ¡°Yes you do.¡± Ye Qing insisted with the same smirk. <i>You will learn even if you don¡¯t want to.</i>

    Knowing then that he couldn¡¯t change Ye Qing¡¯s mind, Yi Pin felt like giving himself a couple ps to the face. <i>Why are you so curious, mouth? Now, we¡¯re both in trouble!</i>

    ¡°But that¡¯s a topic for another day. You¡¯re a worldly man, right brother? How many people do you recognize in this ce?¡± Ye Qing pretended he didn¡¯t notice Yi Pin¡¯s look of deep regret and changed the subject.

    A jolt immediately came over Yi Pin. <i>He¡¯s not scheming something again, is he?! </i>He watched Ye Qing warily as he asked, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just want to know about their background, that¡¯s all.¡± Ye Qing smiled mysteriously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize any of them.¡± Yi Pin shook his head and showered Ye Qing with a look of deeper suspicion. <i>Like hell I¡¯ll believe that! You¡¯re one of the baddest kids I¡¯ve ever met!</i>

    ¡°No, you do,¡± refuted Ye Qing with a smile.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we justy low and survive our predicament <i>peacefully</i>, brother?¡± Yi Pin sighed. He couldn¡¯t understand why Ye Qing insisted on courting death when life was an option.

    ¡°I am lying low. I just want to know who they are, that¡¯s all.¡± Ye Qing blinked innocently.

    ¡°You... ah, screw it.¡± Yi Pin suddenly let out a deep sigh. ¡°Do whatever you want. Just make sure you don¡¯t involve me in your schemes. I¡¯m not nning on dying anytime soon, understand?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You will live so long as I live, brother,¡± Ye Qing dered confidently.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t instill any confidence in me whatsoever, <i>brother</i>,¡± Yi Pinined before turning serious. ¡°Besides Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong, I think I recognize another eight warriors in total.¡±

    ¡°Just eight?¡± Ye Qing frowned in dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m an omniscient god or something? If anything, you should be impressed that I was able to identify this many people just from their clothes and their martial arts!¡± Yi Pin turned angry. ¡°If you think this isn¡¯t good enough, then you can identify them yourself!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. Please continue, brother.¡± Ye Qing hurriedly cated the guy while adopting a respectful posture. Yi Pin was a little scary when he got angry.

    Huffing, Yi Pin began slowly, ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s begin. Do you remember the short, muscr guy with a scar on his face? He¡¯s from Mount Dikui, one of the thirty six unorthodox sects. Legend says that Mount Dikui was a sub-branch of the Heavenly Kuixing Sect, and they specialize in the arts of Dikui, a form of body-tempering martial art...¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that honest-looking, farmer-like middle-aged man is really the one they call the Heart Eater, one of the Eight Ghouls of the Mountain Mover Brigand. You¡¯re aware that the Mountain Mover Brigand is one of the Thirteen Brigands, right? Good. He might look timid and ordinary on the outside, but he¡¯s easily the most vicious bastard of the Eight Ghouls. As his name implies, he enjoys eating human hearts and especially a baby¡¯s heart...¡±

    ......

    It wasn¡¯t long before Yi Pin had told him all he knew about the eight warriors. As if on cue, two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi appeared inside the room.

    Ye Qing nced at the Profound Yellow Qi but didn¡¯t use them as he did before. Instead, he went over to the door and pushed it open slightly. The gap was so small that it was impossible to notice unless someone was standing close to it. It definitely wasn¡¯t big enough for Ye Qing to look outside and scan the area either. That was fine though, as he was perceiving his surroundings with his demonic thought, not his eyes.

    ¡°What are you doing, brother?¡± Yi Pin asked curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m peeping,¡± Ye Qing said with a devious smirk. Yi Pin rolled his eyes at the answer and sarcastically thought that Ye Qing had a bright future ahead of him.

    A dozen or so breathster, Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong left their rooms one after another. He could see Huo Linglong greeting the two men with a bright smile on her face. The two men nodded back at her.

    It was at this moment Sun Xuanzhen remembered something and looked at Yue Juejiang, ¡°This is the first time you¡¯re collecting the Profound Yellow Qi yourself, isn¡¯t it? What a rare sight.¡±

    ¡°Your point?¡± Yue Juejiang¡¯s expression turned ugly when he heard this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. I¡¯m just making an observation, that¡¯s all,¡± Sun Xuanzhen replied with a raised eyebrow beforeughing all of a sudden. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    ¡°What are youughing about?¡± Yue Juejiang asked coldly.

    ¡°I¡¯m just in a good mood today. What, am I not allowed tough in this ce?¡± Sun Xuanzhen asked with a wide grin.

    Yesterday, Yue Juejiang had forced him to show him the contents of his Nature¡¯s Shell. It had been a frustrating and humiliating day to say the least. However, Yue Juejiang ultimately failed to find his treasure and was now forced to collect his Profound Yellow Qi personally just like him and Huo Linglong. The mere thought made Sun Xuanzhen feel as delighted as downing a ss of iced water during a particrly sunny day.

    In the past, Yue Juejiang left it to his subordinate to collect the Profound Yellow Qi for him. Besides the first time, he never even showed his face during their regr meetings. The Profound Yellow Qi Cbash allowed him to collect dozens of wisps of Profound Yellow Qi with ease, and while he had never tried to cheat them, the inequality still grated at Sun Xuanzhen like nails on a chalkboard. They were all humans, so why did Yue Juejiang alone get to act like he was better than the rest of them?

    But now, Yue Juejiang had lost the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash. Without the ability to store the Profound Yellow Qi, he had no choice but to visit each warrior personally and store their Profound Yellow Qi in his abdomen before refining them slowly in his room.

    In other words, the show-off had finally gotten his karma.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna go collect my Profound Yellow Qi now, so see y¡¯allter. Hahahahahahaha!¡± Sun Xuanzhenughed even harder when he saw that Yue Juejiang¡¯splexion had turned as ck as coal. He turned his back on the Earthly Sovereign Hall¡¯s descendant and slowly walked away.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Yue Juejiang red daggers at Sun Xuanzhen¡¯ back and clenched his fists so hard that veins were popping on the back of his hand. He wanted nothing more than to kill Sun Xuanzhen right here and now.

    ¡°Haha... don¡¯t be mad, dearie. You haven¡¯t forgotten why we¡¯re here, have you?¡±

    It was at this moment Huo Linglong stepped forward and squeezed Yue Juejiang¡¯s arms between her breasts. She propped her chin on top of his shoulder and breathed, ¡°If you really<i> </i>can¡¯t let it go, then I¡¯ll help you get revenge once we¡¯re out of this ce. What do you say?¡±

    The warm breath that tickled his ear, the seductive voice that bewitched the mind, the faint scent that seemed sweeter than even the freshest air, and the hourss body that invoked endless imagination slithered into Yue Juejiang¡¯s heart like tiny mes. When theybined, they abruptly transformed into a zing inferno.

    The young man¡¯s eyes slowly turned bloodshot, and his breathing grew heavier and heavier. He slowly turned to stare at Huo Linglong like he might devour her alive. However, Huo Linglong didn¡¯t seem afraid in the slightest, her smile only growing more seductive as time passed. She looked like a fire in the darkest night, and anyone who set their eyes on her wanted to throw themselves into her mes even at the cost of their lives.

    Suddenly, a humanoid, doll-like creature made of some sort of skin flew out of Yue Juejiang¡¯s clothes. Floating in the air, it assumed a horse stance, spun its right arm in a circle twice, and bent sideways about a hundred and eighty degrees before finallynding a powerful p on Yue Juejiang¡¯s face.

    <i>p!</i>

    It was such a loud and crisp p that noise resounded throughout the entire Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. Not only that, Yue Juejiang was sent flying through the air before he hit the wall behind him, hard.

    ¡°Holy mother of...¡±

    Ye Qing had been peeping on the trio this whole time, and his eyes widened in astonishment and approval when he saw this. <i>This skin doll¡¯s p is almost as good as mine!</i>

    On a more serious note, the skin doll was probably some sort of special Strange Artifact, and it just saved Yue Juejiang¡¯s life.

    As expected of a practitioner of the Dark Ways, Huo Linglong¡¯s martial art was as devilish as it was unpredictable. She could stir her target¡¯s lust and bend them to her will with even the most harmless of gestures.

    Yue Juejiang had let down his guard for one second, and he nearly lost himself to lust and sumbed to whatever wicked designs Huo Linglong had prepared for him. Luckily for him, the skin doll appeared at a critical moment and awoke him with a p to the face.

    After Yue Juejiang climbed back to his feet, he red at Huo Linglong hatefully and asked, ¡°What did you do to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a frail woman. What can I possibly do to you?¡± Huo Linglong giggled innocently. The sight of her trembling curves sparked a new me in his heart, but when the skin doll rubbed its hands together as if anticipating another p, Yue Juejiang snapped out of it and hurriedly put it away. He shot Huo Linglong one final look before walking away.

    ¡°Hahaha... this is fun.¡± Huo Linglong giggled onest time before walking toward a room herself.

 Chapter 494: Nope, I Definitely Got The Right Person

    <h4>Chapter 494: Nope, I Definitely Got The Right Person </h4>

    Inside his room, Ye Qing thought to himself, <i>Hmph! What a hussy. I¡¯ll get you eventually.</i>

    He already knew this, but Huo Linglong definitely wasn¡¯t someone he could afford to underestimate. A few breathster, Sun Xuanzhen, Yue Juejiang and Huo Linglong stepped out of their respective rooms with the aura of the Profound Yellow Qi. They would repeat this a couple more times before finally returning to their rooms.

    <i>I thought this might be the case. Yesterday, they imed three wisps of Profound Yellow Qi from their ¡°livestock¡± before returning to their rooms as well. This confirms that three is their absolute limit.</i>

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. <i>And judging from yesterday¡¯s observation, it will take them between four to six hours to refine it all. Good. It¡¯s my turn now.</i>

    Ye Qing looked behind his back and informed Yi Pin, ¡°I¡¯m heading out, brother. Be back in a jiffy.¡±

    ¡°Sure, whatever,¡± Yi Pin replied with a depressed look. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that Ye Qing was plotting something, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only turn a blind eye and pretend that everything would be fine.

    The moment Ye Qing left the room, a thick fog washed out of his body and concealed his appearance. He looked left and right once before walking toward a room, smiling. ¡°Let¡¯s start with you.¡±

    He pushed open the door and stepped inside the room before its resident could react. Then, he closed the door behind him.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The resident of the room was an honest-looking, farmer-like middle-aged man. As soon as Ye Qing stepped in, he pressed himself against a corner of the wall with fear and panic.

    On the surface, the farmer lookedpletely harmless. In reality, he was clenching every muscle in his body so he could react to any sudden movement at first notice.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t seem to notice this. He simply asked with a genial smile on his face, ¡°Are you the Heart Eater, one of the Eight Ghouls of the Mountain Mover Brigand?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? I¡¯ve never heard of those names before. Did you get the wrong person?¡± The farmer replied meekly and obsequiously.

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up slightly. ¡°No, I definitely got the right person.¡±

    To be fair, Heart Eater¡¯s acting was near perfect. If he hadn¡¯t practiced the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, then he might¡¯ve had second thoughts about this. However, he picked up a huge surge of malice and killing intent from the man when he exposed his identity, so he knew for certain that he was right.

    As expected, the farmer abruptly pounced toward Ye Qing with his fingers curled like talons. In fact, cold, deadly metal had protruded from his fingers as he reached out for Ye Qing¡¯s chest.

    Ye Qing had no doubt that the attack would disembowel an ordinary person as easily as cutting air. But too bad for Heart Eater, he was neither ordinary nor suicidal. He tapped the air in front of him, and the warrior abruptly stopped in his tracks with a zed look in his eyes.

    The next moment, Ye Qing wiped a hand across Heart Eater¡¯s face and kicked him behind the knee and caused him to fall to the ground. Due to his posture, it looked like the man was asleep.

    ¡°That¡¯s one down.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked and produced the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash. After he stored Heart Eater¡¯s Profound Yellow Qi, he reopened the door and left the scene.

    Next, Ye Qing arrived at another room and stepped inside unannounced just like before.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    A man and a woman resided in the room. The man was incredibly handsome with red, inviting lips and perfect white teeth. In fact, he was even prettier than the woman that made hispany.

    The woman¡¯s appearance was theplete opposite of the man¡¯s. Her face was ugly, and her figure resembled an oval-shaped ball. However, her voice was sweeter than even the chirp of a ck-naped oriole. Ye QIng knew this because she was the one who spoke just now.

    ¡°Are you the ¡®Jade-faced yboy¡¯ Jun Dingchong, and the ¡®Vile Witch¡¯ Huang Yingying?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Jun Dingchong and Huang Yingying were husband and wife. It was obvious from their monikers alone that they were vile human beings.

    Jun Dingchong was an infamous yboy who exploited his good looks to seduce innocent virgins and beautiful housewives alike into debauchery. He was also a disgusting rapist who had snuck into countless homes, raped many women and ruined their lives.

    The ¡®Vile Witch¡¯ Huang Yingying was no better than her husband. While many people would argue that one shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover, Huang Yingying was one of those people whose heart was exactly as ugly as her appearance. Vicious and overflowing with jealousy, her inability to keep her husband¡¯s dick in his pants drove her to vent her frustration on other women. Anyone she thought was prettier than her and coveted Jun Dingchong would suffer the vilest torment. Ruining her victim¡¯s face, spoiling her figure, and tainting her purity were just the beginning. There was nothing she couldn¡¯t do in the name of vengeance, and each act was only viler than thest.

    It shouldn¡¯t need to be said, but the two warriors enjoyed a loathsome reputation in the <i>jianghu. </i>Unfortunately, it was far too easy to disguise oneself and sneak under the radar in this world, so they were still atrge to this day.

    ¡°Yes, you are them,¡± Ye Qing continued without waiting for the duo to reply. Once again, he tapped the space in front of him.

    Jun Dingchong and Huang Yingying were early-stage Spirit Purifiers, but they had spent most of their effort honing their art of disguise and escape. As a result, they cked out before they could muster even a whimper of resistance.

    Just like before, Ye Qing closed their eyes and adjusted their posture so that they looked like they were deep in slumber. He left after retrieving the two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi floating in the air.

    Ye Qing would repeat the same thing for another two rooms before he finally went back to Yi Pin.

    ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Yi Pin greeted him after Ye Qing stepped through the door. He tried to restrain himself, but in the end his curiosity got the better of him. ¡°What did you do, brother?¡±

    Ye Qing answered nonchntly, ¡°Nothing much. Just did some good for the world and got a little wealthier in the process, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Yi Pin didn¡¯t understand the young man¡¯s cryptic words at first, but it wasn¡¯t long before he puzzled out his meaning. ¡°You killed them?!¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes. ¡°Why did you have to put it that way? All I did was righting some wrongs and exterminating some vermin that should have been exterminated a long time ago.¡±

    Yi Pin gulped and asked carefully, ¡°You... you didn¡¯t kill all of them, did you?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t referring Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang, of course.

    ¡°Of course not. Do I look like the type who would kill innocents for my own self-interest?¡± Ye Qing side-eyed Yi Pin and grinned. ¡°Like I said, I only killed those who deserved it.¡±

    ¡°Is... Is that why you asked me about their background earlier?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    ¡°What else?¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    Yi Pin let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±

    By now, Yi Pin had mostly figured out Ye Qing¡¯s n. To put it simply, he was exploiting the rule that only the living would be rewarded with a wisp of Profound Yellow Qi to his own advantage. While Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang were busy refining their own Profound Yellow Qi, he snuck out, killed those who deserved to die, and stole their Profound Yellow Qi. When the trio checked on these people, they wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing as it would appear as if they had died because they had failed to ovee the Earthly Sovereign Coffin¡¯s trial.

    In fact, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the first person to try this. However, those people were unable to conceal the aura of the Profound Yellow Qi perfectly, nor did they have a way to deal with Yue Juejiang¡¯s Profound Yellow Qi Cbash[1]. A couple of murderster, no one dared to cheat the trio again.

    However, the Profound Yellow Cbash was currently in Ye Qing¡¯s hands, and he possessed the ability to conceal the aura of the Profound Yellow Qi perfectly. Therefore, he was able to pull what those people could not.

    Meanwhile, Yi Pin was thankful that Ye Qing hadn¡¯t killed everyone he pointed out to obtain the Profound Yellow Qi. There were several reasons. One, Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong were sure to be suspicious if too many people died in a trial. Second, it meant there was a real chance Ye Qing, having forsaken his conscience, might kill him to further his own self-interest.

    Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t the case. Ye Qing only killed those who deserved to die for their sins.

    Suddenly, Yi Pin recalled something and reminded Ye Qing, ¡°Oh right, are you sure you disguised their deaths properly? The Turtle of Sleep¡¯s ability makes its victims fall into an eternal slumber.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know.¡±

    As his cultivation grew stronger, his demonic thought became more powerful than ever before. Besides that, he had Nanke to drastically improve his understanding and mastery of the ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±. He could now wipe out a person¡¯s soul from existence, capture their Three Heavenly Souls and Seven Earthly Souls, search their memories with a fine toothb, or simply pin them in ce all with a single thought.

    Just now, he had captured his victims¡¯ Bright Spirit and Quiet Spirit¡ªthe two Heavenly Souls responsible for one¡¯s dominant consciousness¡ªand left behind only the Light of Fetus.

    The three Heavenly Souls of a human were called the Light of Fetus, the Bright Spirit and the Quiet Spirit. To put it in very simple terms, the Light of Fetus represented a person¡¯s life, the Bright Spirit represented their consciousness, and the Quiet Spirit represented their sentience.

    By stealing his victims¡¯ Bright Spirit and Quiet Spirit, he had basically eliminated their consciousness and their sentience. The body that was left behind was still alive thanks to the Light of Fetus, but they were no different from vegetables in their current state.

    Only those who were experts of the mind and soul and in possession of a powerful spirit would notice what Ye Qing had done to these people.

    The reason he did this was to make it look like they had fallen into an eternal slumber due to the Turtle of Sleep. Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang wouldn¡¯t suspect a thing.

    As for how he knew where these people were residing, it was very simple. He had memorized everyone¡¯s rooms after Yue Juejiang called them out a second time to give them his impotent warning.

    1. In case there are those who don¡¯t understand why, this is because Yue Juejiang normally uses the Strange Artifact to collect all the Profound Yellow Qi at once before splitting it with Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong. ?

 Chapter 495: The Man Is About To Cook

    <h4>Chapter 495: The Man Is About To Cook </h4>

    Ye Qing dared not say that his n was perfect, but he did believe that it was pretty secure.

    The only shame about it was that Yi Pin only knew eight people.

    Out of the eight people the old Taoist recognized, four of them were bad people. However, he only managed to obtain three wisps of Profound Yellow Qi because thest person he visited had actually fallen into an eternal slumber. He felt that his cunning ploy was wasted on such a paltry reward.

    Moreover, he could only employ this method once. After all, there were only so many bad people in this ce.

    He had no qualms killing criminals who deserved to die a hundred times over for their sins, but he could never bring himself to kill an innocent.

    Humans were humans because they had principles and lines they would never cross. If he defied his own principles and crossed his lines, then what was the difference between him and a Stranger; an animal?

    ¡°So, what are you going to do with our portion of the Profound Yellow Qi?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    Ye Qing waved his hand and moved one of the Profound Yellow Qi into the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash. Then, he swallowed the other wisp before answering, ¡°I¡¯m keeping it for myself, of course.¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to exin its disappearance when Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen or Huo Linglong show up?¡± Yi Pin asked worriedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± Ye Qing replied casually, ¡°If Yue Juejiang came, then we¡¯ll tell them that Sun Xuanzhen took it. If Sun Xuanzhen came, we¡¯ll tell him that Yue Juejiang took it. If Huo Linglong came, then we¡¯ll tell her that Yue Juejiang or Sun Xuanzhen took it.¡±

    ¡°Hah! It¡¯s not a bad n, but what if all three of them show up at the same time?¡± Yi Pin rolled his eyes at him.

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°I observed them yesterday, and I can confirm that the speed at which they refine the Profound Yellow Qi is different from each other. They will never show up in the same room at the same time, so don¡¯t worry about it!¡±

    ¡°Heh... as long as you¡¯re confident.¡± Yi Pin shook his head, but it wasn¡¯t because he was worried that Ye Qing might screw up. No, he was simply pitying Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong for not realizing that their Profound Yellow Qi was already gone.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t read Yi Pin¡¯s thoughts, nor did he care to. He was busy refining the wisp of Profound Yellow Qi he just absorbed.

    Yesterday, he had refined four wisps of Profound Yellow Qi in total. Two of them were the reward he and Yi Pin received for surviving the Earthly Sovereign Coffin¡¯s trial, and another two came from the Profound Yellow Qi Cbash. That was all it took to treat a small portion of his injuries. His damaged internal organs, meridians, and bodily points were almost fully restored, though the ck Sky Divine Palm force and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent entrenched inside his body were as difficult to remove as ever.

    That said, he had a sense that he only needed to refine another six or seven wisps of Profound Yellow Qi to grind away and eliminate the foreign energiespletely. When that happened, he would return to full strength and be even stronger than before.

    That was why there was no longer any need to take any risks. He should just focus on converting his current hoard of Profound Yellow Qi into his own power.

    What happened next went exactly as Ye Qing predicted. Neither Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen nor Huo Linglong suspected that foul y was involved with the three warriors¡¯ death. Not only that, because the trio¡¯s refinement speed was different from each other, he also seeded in fudging the truth regarding his Profound Yellow Qi when they came visiting. Once he confirmed that all three warriors had returned to their rooms, he immediately produced a wisp of Profound Yellow Qi and began the process anew.

    On a rted note, Yue Juejiang, Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong always refined three wisps of Profound Yellow Qi at a time because it was more efficient, but Ye Qing only refined one because he needed to make sure he would always finish ahead of them. Otherwise, there was a chance they might catch him while he was still refining the Profound Yellow Qi.

    Time passed slowly as Ye Qing yed hide-and-seek with his enemies.

    ......

    ¡°Do you feel it, brother?¡±

    At a certain point in time, Yi Pin suddenly asked.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s gotten hotter,¡± replied Ye Qing while opening his eyes.

    Having learned from yesterday¡¯s lesson, Ye Qing didn¡¯t dare to let down his guard for even a second. Even when he was training, he made sure to keep a wisp of demonic thought out so he could detect any abnormalities at first notice.

    ¡°Indeed. The room temperature has been rising non-stop since a while ago.¡± Yi Pin ced a palm on the floor and said seriously, ¡°The floor was cold, but now it¡¯s warm.¡±

    ¡°In any case, get ready for anything.¡±

    Ye Qing and Yi Pin rose to their feet and examined their surroundings cautiously as the room temperature continued to rise. Ye Qing was doing fine since he possessed a powerful body. Besides, he had been subjected to far worse temperatures when he was still practicing the ¡°Nirvana Sutra of Burning Wind¡±. Heat resistance was his strong suit.

    The same couldn¡¯t be said for Yi Pin though. He was sweating like a dog, and white steam could be seen rising from his head.

    In just a dozen breaths or so, the floor and the stone walls began turning red like heated steel. It was as if the entire room had turned into a furnace.

    Despite the protection of the Mountain Mover Bell, it wasn¡¯t long before Yi Pin¡¯s clothes and shoes began smoking with fire. A scorched smell permeated the air as his hair curled like a clump of wilting grass, and his skin began cracking and reddening in response.

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m reaching my limit here! At this rate, I¡¯m literally going to cook alive!¡±

    In an attempt to wet his mouth, Yi Pin smacked his lips only for them to be stered together. After wrestling through the pain and ripping his lips away from each other, he said, ¡°That¡¯s it! I¡¯m getting out of this heavens forsaken ce!¡±

    Yi Pin turned toward the exit, but Ye Qing grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his side. ¡°Calm down. The heat might be worse outside the room.¡±

    Ye Qing raised his left hand and summoned the Netherme. The temperature inside the room immediately nosedived. The Netherme was a type of yin fire, so it was frigidly cold even though it could burn anything.

    The temperature was still sky high, but at least it was no longer unbearable.

    Unfortunately, this state of events didn¡¯tst. Just a momentter, the Netherme that could theoretically burn forever so long as there was something to burn gradually disappeared into nothing. Instead, it was reced by some sort of purple me that Ye Qing had never seen before.

    Ye Qing gritted his teeth and reluctantly handed Yi Pin a bottle of Nature¡¯s Water. ¡°This is a bottle of Nature¡¯s Water. If the heat gets unbearable, a single drop will restore you back to full health.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, brother!¡± Yi Pin didn¡¯t hesitate to ept the gift. He immediately drank a drop of Nature¡¯s Water and saw his burn wounds disappearing like they never were.

    They weren¡¯t the only ones who were struggling to withstand the ridiculous heat. Inside a different room, a woman finally lost it and pushed the door open, screaming, ¡°Ahh! I can¡¯t stand this any longer! I need to¡ª¡±

    However, the second she stepped out of her room, she abruptly froze in her tracks and stared at the space above her with widened eyes. A moth the size of a hawk was flying in the sky, and it was covered from head to toe in a strange, purple me. The me was dark on the inside but bright on the outside, and it was emitting a brilliant purple light. The moth¡¯s wings were covered in blinding, mysterious runes, and what looked like the silhouette of a sun was floating above its head. Even more light was shining down from the false sun.

    The burning moth flew under the burning sun like a graceful dancer. Like a king of mes, the creature looked beyond noble, elegant, and mysterious.

    The woman¡¯s shocked expression onlysted an instant. The next moment, her body and even her soul abruptly burst into mes and disintegrated into a pile of ashes.

    ¡°Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!¡±

    Still flying freely in the air, the moth let out this long, whistling sound that sounded like the melodious chirp of a bird, but not really. More urately, it sounded like thebined chirpings of hundreds of songbirds, and the end result could only be described as a heavenly, otherworldly tune.

    Inside their rooms, Sun Xuanzhen heard the chirping, Huo Linglong heard the chirping, Yue Juejiang heard the chirping, Ye Qing and Yi Pin heard the chirping as well. Nearly everyone heard the chirping loud and clear, and they all looked enchanted by it.

    They didn¡¯t notice that their body and soul were burning up like a bunch of dry sticks, however. Some of them never did until they burned into a pile of ash.

    Ye Qing¡¯s headspace was currently engulfed by a sea of purple mes. While the mes were spreading, a silhouette within the demonic lotus abruptly opened his eyes and swept the area with a powerful wave of demonic thought. The purple mes immediately extinguished into nothing, and Ye Qing jolted back to reality.

    As soon as his vision refocused, he noticed that Yi Pin had already burst into mes.

 Chapter 496: Purple Sun Trueflame

    <h4>Chapter 496: Purple Sun Trueme </h4>

    Purple mes covered Yi Pin from head to toe. The one silver lining about this situation was that he hadn¡¯t burned into a pile of ash yet.

    Ye Qing rushed forward and extinguished the mes eating away at the old Taoist¡¯s body with the wave of his hand. At the same time, he tapped Yi Pin¡¯s forehead in an attempt to extinguish the mes burning inside his headspace with his demonic thought.

    Suddenly, Yi Pin opened his eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t¡ª!¡±

    Unfortunately, he was toote. Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought had already invaded Yi Pin¡¯s headspace as smoothly and easily as the spring rain. What the young man saw next wasn¡¯t what he expected at all.

    Generally speaking, a warrior who hadn¡¯t begun to temper their spirit and refine their mind possessed a headspace that looked mostly like a bunch of nonsense. It was simr to Primal Chaos where heaven and earth weren¡¯t yet defined, and everything was blended together.

    However, Yi Pin¡¯s headspace looked like a vast, infinite universe. He saw countless stars and invisible threads floating inside it. The only problem was that the stars were dim and broken, and the invisible threads were either severed or bundled together in a chaotic fashion.

    His headspace was also perfectly quiet and devoid of any semnce of life.

    The purple me he thought was ravaging Yi Pin¡¯s headspace was also nowhere to be found.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    Ye Qing was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on when a bolt of lightning pierced emerged from the darkness of Yi Pin¡¯s headspace and shot straight toward his demonic thought. It was overflowing with such enormous, destructive power that stars crumbled into nothing, and the heavens shuddered like breaking steel.

    Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought was annihted before he could even react. He could vaguely hear the sound of thunder inside his own headspace as well. Blood immediately gushed out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth, and his head hurt like it had been split open.

    ¡°What the...¡±

    Ye Qing was unable to contain his shock even as he was rubbing his forehead and doing his best to calm his damaged mind. Never in a million years did he imagine that Yi Pin¡¯s headspace would look like that, and what in the world was that lightning?

    He knew a long time ago that Yi Pin wasn¡¯t what he seemed, but it was only now he realized that he still grossly underestimated the old Taoist.

    ¡°Sorry, brother. I tried to warn you,¡± Yi Pin coughed and said with an innocent expression.

    ¡°Brother, your headspace...¡± Ye Qing asked tentatively.

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll have to stop you right there.¡± Yi Pin shook his head with a forlorn, helpless expression. ¡°All you need to know is this, brother. Once upon a time, I thought I stood at the peak of the world. But when I looked up, I realized that I was just a frog in a well.¡±

    He put a hand on Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder and said seriously, ¡°Remember this, brother. Never think that you¡¯re strong enough, for there will always be a sky above your head.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything. He knew very well that he was nowhere strong enough to be arrogant or satisfied. As he was now, he was a slightly bigger ant at most. And as long as he stayed an ant, he could never topple the tree or ovee the heavens.

    ¡°Er, brother? I don¡¯t want to interrupt your mncholy, but I can use another bottle of Nature¡¯s Water. I¡¯m about to be cooked alive here!¡±

    Ye Qing was still thinking when Yi Pin interrupted his train of thoughts. When he looked up, he saw that Yi Pin was steaming all over and looking as red as a lobster. Not only that, the guy was giving off a smell that reminded him of roasted chicken[1]. The old man definitely wasn¡¯t exaggerating his condition.

    ¡°You already used up the Nature¡¯s Water I gave you?¡± Ye Qing eximed in disbelief.

    ¡°Of course I did! I¡¯m not so thick-skinned that I can withstand the Purple Sun Trueme of the Fire God Moth!¡± Yi Pin replied matter-of-factly.

    It felt like Yi Pin was subtly insulting him, but Ye Qing ultimately handed the guy a bottle of Nature¡¯s Water.

    ¡°Come on, brother. You¡¯ve gotten a glimpse of my true identity, and you now know that I was a legendary warrior in the past. Shouldn¡¯t you give me a dozen bottles of Nature¡¯s Water to show your piety or something?¡± Yi Pinined but didn¡¯t hesitate to grab the bottle and poured a single drop of Nature¡¯s Water into his mouth.

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes. The old Taoist¡¯s shamelessness was definitely legendary alright. Pretending that Yi Pin hadn¡¯t said anything, he asked, ¡°You mentioned something about a Fire God Moth just now. Care to exin?¡±

    ¡°Right. Remember that chirping noise that set us both on fire? That¡¯s the chirp of a Fire God Moth.¡±

    SexyMatureTaoist is online. ¡°The Fire God Moth is a Disaster-ss Stranger. Legend says that it possesses the Purple Sun Trueme because it somehow acquired the bloodline of the ancient Sun Bird, and its chirps sound like the chirps of a hundred songbirds, beautiful and passionate.¡±

    ¡°The Fire God Moth usually resides at the tallest peaks, and its favorite hobby is chasing the sun. Every time it appears in our world, it would cause a massive inferno and a terrible famine that ims countless lives.¡±

    ¡°The Fire God Moth, the Purple Sun Trueme...¡± Ye Qing licked his dry lips with a stunned expression. He had never heard of the Fire God Moth, but he had heard of the Purple Sun Trueme before.

    The purple qi rising from the east at the break of dawn was the Purple Sun Trueme, the golden me the sun gave off during the middle of noon was called the Supreme Sun Trueme, and the gorgeous crimson that dyed the ground red when the sun sets at the horizon was known as the Crimson Sun Trueme.

    The Purple Sun Trueme, Supreme Sun Trueme and Crimson Sun Trueme were some of the hottest, fiercest, and most potent mes of yang in the entire world. The Supreme Sun Trueme in particr was nicknamed the Original me. It was said that a warrior who perfected their cultivation of the Supreme Sun Trueme could even set heaven and earth aze with a snap of the finger.

    Although the Purple Sun Trueme was inferior to the Supreme Sun Trueme, its power couldn¡¯t be understated. After all, it was mentioned in the same sentence as the ultimate yang me.

    Thanks to the Profound Yellow Qi he absorbed, Ye Qing recovered just enough to be able to resist the Purple Sun Trueme¡¯s power, albeit just barely. Otherwise, he would be cooking in the furnace just like Yi Pin.

    ¡°Hmm. Brother, I have a suggestion for you.¡± A light bulb suddenly appeared on Yi Pin¡¯s head. ¡°The Purple Sun Trueme is some of the fiercest yang mes in the world. Few evils could withstand its might. Since the ck Sky Divine Palm force and the saber intent of the ughterer of Ten Thousand are yin type energies, why not try and use the Purple Sun Trueme to root them from your body?¡±

    ¡°You possess a tenacious body and powerful recovery treasures such as the Nature¡¯s Water and the Profound Yellow Qi, so you should be able to survive the process without much trouble. The Purple Sun Trueme is going to seep into your body one way or another, so you might as well use it to treat your ailments, right? I guarantee that it will work better than the Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You knew?¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little. He didn¡¯t know that Yi Pin had already figured out the source of his woes.

    ¡°I <i>am </i>a senior after all. I may have lost my powers, but not my insight,¡± Yi Pin dered arrogantly. He tried to stroke his beard to enhance the impression, but when his hand touched only thin air, he realized that his beard had burned into a crisp a long time ago.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t mind that Yi Pin knew about the source of his injuries. ¡°Are you sure it would work?¡±

    Yi Pin replied in a tone of absolute certainty, ¡°Am I sure? Are <i>you </i>sure you want to question my judgment? If you miss this opportunity, you won¡¯t get another one!¡±

    Ye Qing still wasn¡¯t sure about this, or rather, Yi Pin being excessively confident actually made him wonder if the old Taoist was pulling the wool on him. That said, he had to admit that Yi Pin¡¯s logic made a certain degree of sense, so a few seconds of hesitationter, he nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±

    Worst case scenario, there was still the Nature¡¯s Water and the Profound Yellow Qi. He should survive no matter what.

    Having made his decision, Ye Qing sat down on the floor[2] despite its scorching heat and slowly opened his mouth. Then, he inhaled a single wisp of Purple Sun Trueme into his mouth.

    Ye Qing was well aware that the Purple Sun Trueme was deadly. That was why he only inhaled a single wisp of it. Even so, he felt like he was an ordinary person attempting to swallow a block of red hot coal. His throat burned like it was being ripped apart, and he could smell his burned flesh from inside his mouth. He knew at that moment that his throat had turned into a ck crisp.

    While doing his best to endure the pain, Ye Qing continued to swallow until the Purple Sun Trueme finally settled in his abdomen. As soon as this happened, every drop of water in his flesh and blood evaporated into nothing, his internal organs instantly charred into a crisp, and tiny mes could be seen seeping out of his pores. His hair caught on fire, his flesh began to wither, and his skin sagged at a visible rate.

    In just a second, Ye Qing looked barely better than a charred corpse. It was like he had swallowed the sun itself¡ªwhich wasn¡¯t entirely inurate considering the origin of the Purple Sun Trueme.

    ¡°Heavens above! He... he¡¯s not dead, is he?¡± Yi Pin was stunned by Ye Qing¡¯s transformation to say the least. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault if you die, okay brother? I was just trying to help you!¡±

    Theoretically, his n was viable. But of course, he had never tried to consume the Purple Sun Trueme before, so he couldn¡¯t possibly anticipate the degree of damage it might cause. Despite this, Yi Pin still urged Ye Qing to try because one, the faster Ye Qing regained his strength, the sooner he would be able to live these fearful days behind. Even if Ye Qing fucked up and got them exposed, they wouldn¡¯t bepletely exposed.

    And two, Ye Qing absorbing the Purple Sun Trueme into his body¡ªeven if it was just a sliver¡ªwould reduce the room temperature by a significant amount. He was an old man. If possible, of course he was going to pick the choice that resulted in less pain and suffering.

    Sure, he couldn¡¯t deny that his n was born from selfish intent, but as long as the oue was good, then it was fine, right?

    On the off chance things ended poorly, at least his intentions were good, right? Surely Ye Qing¡¯s ghost wouldn¡¯t haunt him to the ends of the earth, right? Right?

    1. The author only said that it was a delicious scent, but I distinctly remembered how my own eyeballs smelled like when my doctor was shootingsers into it. Suffice to say, it left an impression to this day. ?

    2. Dear god... can you imagine the floor burning your butthole and your balls into coal? ?

 Chapter 497: The Fuck Youâ€™re Looking At, Old Man?

    <h4>Chapter 497: The Fuck You¡¯re Looking At, Old Man? </h4>

    While Yi Pin was muttering under his ck, the charred half-corpse that was Ye Qing suddenly opened his mouth and exhaled a puff of blue smoke. A tiny pulse of vitality also washed out from his body.

    ¡°Oh, thank the heavens he¡¯s still alive! That really gave me a scare.¡±

    Yi Pin let out a sigh of relief before downing a drop of Nature¡¯s Water to celebrate.

    It wasn¡¯t all good news though. Although this confirmed that Ye Qing was still alive, his vitality had felt as weak as a dying candle. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it was snuffed out by a particrly strong gust of wind. Besides that, Yi Pin had no way of checking Ye Qing¡¯s current condition without disturbing his concentration.

    Thankfully, things took a turn for the better. Slowly, Yi Pin realized that the Purple Sun Trueme inside the room was gathering toward Ye Qing. His surroundings slowly turned hotter and brighter until he was shining like a purple sun.

    Even better, only the spot where Ye Qing was sitting was particrly hot. The rest of the room were much, much cooler than before.

    Yi Pin¡¯s eyes lit up as he let out a huge sigh of relief, ¡°Phew! Looks like everything is going to be just fine.¡± It would be terribly sinful and disadvantageous for his survival if he identally killed Ye Qing.

    Time passed slowly. Some two hourster, a supernatural chirp resounded throughout the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin onest time before the outside temperature abruptly nosedived. The temperature inside everyone¡¯s room slowly began to drop as well. For a time, everyone was basking in refreshing coolness and the joy of having survived another trial.

    Everyone, except one old Taoist. The reason was simple. Instead of cooling, his room was growing hotter and hotter.

    He could no longer see Ye Qing with his eyes. No, his eyes were perfectly fine, but Ye Qing¡¯s whole body was submerged by what looked like a gigantic purple fireball. Looking more like a purple sun than ever, he was giving off so much heat and light that Yi Pin could feel himself cooking alive again.

    This was just a pale imitation of the real thing. The real purple sun could¡¯ve killed millions with its sun rays.

    ¡°I know I dug myself into this hole, bute on! How could I have known that this was going to happen?!¡± Yi Pin moaned in pain and self-loathing. One moment ago, he was still praising his own intelligence. The next moment, reality was pping him hard in the face. His poor face! But what could he do? The only one who could bear the consequences of his actions was himself!

    ¡°This is too much. I need to get out of this ce right now.¡±

    A momentter, Yi Pin finally couldn¡¯t stand the heat any longer and raced for the exit. Although it was dangerous to hang outside one¡¯s room for too long, he was going to cook alive <i>now </i>if he stayed.

    After Yi Pin left the room, he made sure to shut the door tight so that no one would notice that a purple sun was burning inside. Even through the door, he could still feel the insane heat inside the room.

    The space outside the room was still hot since the Purple Sun Trueme just disappeared a while ago, but it was far cooler inparison.

    ¡°Phew... this is much better!¡±

    Yi Pin let out a huge sigh of relief and produced a bottle of fine wine from his Nature¡¯s Shell. Then, he began drinking greedily.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Unfortunately, he had just taken two sips when a man suddenly barged out of the opposite room. He waspletely naked, and not a single hair could be spotted on his person. Every part of his body was charred and steaming, and Yi Pin could vaguely smell the scent of roasted flesh. It was clear that today was a bad day for the warrior.

    The warrior¡¯s name was Zhang Jun, and he was ate-stage Spirit Purifier. He was a member of Endless Sand, the most powerful gang of the northernnds. It was said that Endless Sand was where the heroes of the entire realm were gathered, and their numbers were so numerous they could give the sand of a desert a run for its money. The metaphor might have been an exaggeration, but their numbers were certainly most impressive.

    Zhang Jun was a genius among his sea of peers in the Endless Sand. That was why he never imagined that he would be in such a weakened, embarrassing state until now. If it wasn¡¯t for his Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, the fire would have burned him into a pile of ash already. Even so, he was horribly injured and looking more dead than alive right now.

    After somehow surviving the Fire God Moth¡¯s ungodly mes, he decided to leave the room because it was too hot and suffocating inside. He didn¡¯t grab himself a new set of clothes before heading out because one, his room was literally hotter than hell at the moment, and two, he was sure that everyone else would be recuperating inside their rooms at the moment, so no one would catch him in his embarrassing state.

    He was wrong. As soon as he rushed out of the door, he was met with the sight of a well-dressed, celestial-like Taoist enjoying a delicious bottle of wine. To say that the old man looked like he was enjoying the time of his life would be an understatement.

    Jealousy sank its talons into Zhang Jun instantly. <i>We both went through the same trial, so why do I look like this, and why do you look like that?!</i>

    At first, Zhang Jun thought that the old Taoist was a senior he couldn¡¯t afford to provoke or something. When he probed him with his senses though, he discovered that the old Taoist was just a Vessel Augmentor.

    This old Taoist was a small fry he could crush with a finger, but right now he was smiling at him and drinking his wine like he was a clown. To say that he felt humiliated and angry would be an understatement.

    <i>How dare he revel in my misery! How dare he look fine while I¡¯m not! Is there anyone in my position who could swallow this indignity without retaliation? Nay, nay I say!</i>

    And so Zhang Jun allowed his evil side to get the better of him. ¡°The fuck you¡¯re looking at, old man?¡±

    Yi Pin waspletely confused. He just gave the man a look, that¡¯s all. Why was he so angry?

    Still, he was a worldly, magnanimous senior, so Yi Pin decided not to take offense and looked away. <i>If he doesn¡¯t want me to look at him, then sure. Like I would want to look at a naked man who¡¯s as burned as coal, </i>he thought while enjoying another delicious sip of wine.

    <i>I knew it! </i>Unbeknownst to Yi Pin, Zhang Jun took his submissive gesture as a sign of weakness. He was angry, but he wasn¡¯t that angry that he would start a fight without doing some probing. It might look like Yi Pin was a Vessel Augmentor, but who could say that he wasn¡¯t a powerful warrior who was just pretending to be weak? That was why he had issued a verbal challenge.

    His words weren¡¯t particrly insulting, but it could definitely be taken as an insult. Assuming that Yi Pin was hiding his strength, then he would definitely retort against him.

    Zhang Jun was very confident in his strength. He believed that he was the strongest warrior in this ce besides Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang, so even if Yi Pin was hiding his strength, he couldn¡¯t possibly be stronger than him. At most, he was his equal. If that turned out to be the case, then Zhang Jun was going to let bygones be bygones, apologize, and put this matter behind them.

    However, if Yi Pin really was just a Vessel Augmentor, then he wouldn¡¯t dare to mouth a retort. That would be his cue to vent his frustrations.

    On a rted note, he was surprised that a Vessel Augmentor was able to survive such high temperatures with nary a scratch on his person. After the trial was over, he even had the leisure to enjoy some wine. This could only mean that he possessed a valuable treasure or two. If he could obtain whatever treasure the old Taoist was holding, then the pain and suffering he endured since being kidnapped into this ce would be worth it.

    Zhang Jun¡¯s heart became inmed with greed when he thought of this.

    His decision made, Zhang Jun grinned savagely at Yi Pin and asked, ¡°Why are you looking away, old man? Are you lookin¡¯ down on me?¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>You hate it when I¡¯m looking at you, but when I look away, you say that I¡¯m looking down on you. What do you want then, boy? You obviously have something against me.</i>

    <i>Fine. I can¡¯t beat you, but I can definitely hide from you, can¡¯t I?</i>

    So, Yi Pin rose to his feet without a word and got ready to return to his room.

    ¡°You think you can run?¡± Zhang Jun felt even more confident when he saw Yi Pin¡¯s reaction. ¡°You¡¯re dead, old man. No one looks down on me and gets away with it!¡±

    Zhang Jun immediately gave chase, but he purposely slowed down a little because he didn¡¯t want to kill Yi Pin out in the open. Someone could be spying on them after all.

    As soon as Yi Pin opened the door and stepped inside, Zhang Jun crossed over the threshold like a lightning bolt while yelling arrogantly, ¡°Nowhere left to run, old¡ª¡±

    The next moment, he felt an unbelievable wave of heat washing over him. It almost felt like he had jumped into a pool ofva.

    When his mind caught up to his eyes, he realized that he was looking at a fireball. A massive, purple fireball that might as well be a mini sun.

    <i>A fireball? Why is there a massive fireball inside the room? And why is it purple-colored as well? </i>Zhang Jun¡¯s mind raced. <i>Wait, why did I use the words ¡°as well¡±?</i>

    He didn¡¯t have the time to think. The next moment, the old Taoist shouted at the fireball, ¡°Brother, save me!¡±

    ¡°Did you just call a fireball your brother? Are you crazy, or am I crazy?¡± Zhang Jun couldn¡¯t help but blurt out. This was all so ridiculous he couldugh, but for some reason, he could sense a tinge of fear and panic in his voice. <i>Why? Why am I worried?</i>

    ¡°Quit pretending and just die already, old man!¡±

    Zhang Jun¡¯s anxiety was getting to him. His instincts told him to get away from this room as soon as possible, but the realization also made him embarrassed and angry. So, he reached out to grab Yi Pin.

    His arm was about halfway there when suddenly, something pitch ck and charcoal-like reached out of the fireball and grabbed his arm. It was such an unexpected and ludicrous thing that Zhang Jun was unable to process what he was seeing for a time.

    The object was ckened like a burnt tree branch and covered in purple mes. There were five shoots at the end of the branch, and despite the scratchy, scorching sensation pricking against his skin, they felt like a... hand.

    <i>A hand?</i>

    <i>A burnt hand?</i>

    <i>A burnt hand caught my arm?</i>

    The triple confusion protocol self-executed inside Zhang Jun¡¯s brain.

    <i>A burnt hand just grabbed my arm. What should I do? Can someone give me the answer like, right now?</i>

 Chapter 498: You Will Never Have Me

    <h4>Chapter 498: You Will Never Have Me </h4>

    Zhang Jun was still hesitating when he suddenly felt a heart-wrenching pain from his hand. It was because his wrist had turned into charcoal, and the purple mes covering the burning man were crawling up his arm.

    Wherever the purple me went, water evaporated into nothing, and flesh turned ashen ck. At the same time, he felt himself steaming and turning red like he was a piece of metal inside a furnace.

    ¡°Argh!¡± Zhang Jun let out a terrified scream. Only he knew if it was because of the pain, the fear, or both.

    To be fair, his decision-making and reaction speed while under pressure were top-notch. He brought down his palm like a knife and cut off the afflicted arm in one smooth motion. Ignoring the pain, he immediately raced toward the exit. If he could escape this ce, then he might yet have a chance to survive.

    Unfortunately, his left hand had just touched the door when the unknown person within the purple fireball gently clenched his fist. As if lightning had struck the room, a deafening, space-shaking boom broke out and knocked Zhang Jun on one knee. His ears hurt, and stars were floating inside his head.

    Zhang Jun wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was dizzy or hallucinating, but he saw kes of charcoal flying off the ashen fist and revealing smooth, ss-like skin. Before he could make sense of it, his vision darkened, and his entire body popped and cracked ominously like he was being squeezed by a gigantic, invisible hand. However, purple me gushed out of his orifices instead of blood.

    ¡°ARGH!¡±

    This time, Zhang Jun definitely screamed because of the pain. He felt like someone was grinding his body with a millstone, and the pain was so terrible that he wished he was dead.

    ¡°Mercy... I¡¯m...¡±

    But Zhang Jun didn¡¯t want to die, so he tried to beg the known person for mercy. There was none. Purple mes shot out of the purple fireball and burned him into a pile of ash just like that.

    After Zhang Jun had perished, the purple fireball gradually shrank in size not because it was disappearing, but because something was absorbing it. Eventually, the purple mes vanishedpletely, leaving only an ashen ck figure behind.

    Yi Pin looked shell-shocked as the ck substance covering the humanoid figure began peeling off bit by bit like egg shells, revealing a perfectly sculpted body within.

    Sparkling, pure and almost translucent, the body looked as perfect as zed ss. Every curve of its bones, every fiber of its muscles, and every blood vessel underneath the skin could be seen clearly. Besides that, the body was exactly the right size and shape for the person. If someone pped a pound of flesh onto the body, then it would¡¯ve appeared just a tad bloated. If someone removed a pound of flesh from the body, then it would¡¯ve appeared too thin. Hence, perfection. Words could not describe how beautiful and strong it looked.

    At first, the body lookedpletely pale and transparent. It almost looked like it was made of marble, not flesh and blood. Then, the body began humming with vigor and vitality, and itsplexion slowly turned back to normal. In the end, Ye Qing opened his eyes.

    The first thing Ye Qing saw after opening his eyes was Yi Pin staring at his bare ass with one-tenth admiration, one-tenth intoxication, one-tenth envy, and seven-tenth jealousy. It was aplicated look to say the least.

    <i>He¡¯s not gay, is he?</i>

    A shiver ran up Ye Qing¡¯s spine, and Ye Qing immediately produced a set of clothes from Nine Heavens and put it on at lightning speed. Sure, Yi Pin had already seen everything there was to see, but that didn¡¯t mean he was going to endure the old man¡¯s passionate gaze for even a second longer. Then, he watched Yi Pin warily and suspiciously.

    ¡°Your body is quite beautiful,¡± Yi Pin reluctantly withdrew his gaze and sighed after Ye Qing put his clothes back on.

    <i>I¡¯m aware, but you will never have me, so don¡¯t even think about it, alright?</i> Ye Qing ranted mentally even as he subconsciously backed away from Yi Pin. His eyes were only growing more suspicious over time.

    Finally, Yi Pin noticed Ye Qing¡¯s strange gaze and asked in puzzlement, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    Something clicked inside his head, and Yi Pin¡¯s eyebrows knitted together in annoyance and exasperation. ¡°Are you stupid? I was just admiring how strong your body¡¯s be and thinking that you have a bright future ahead of you, especially considering your age. I don¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±

    ¡°Also, I like women, alright? I like beautiful women. I like beautiful, sexy women.¡±

    Important matters should be repeated three times.

    ¡°Ahem... I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything. You¡¯re the one who seems to be thinking too much,¡± Ye Qing feigned innocence.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>Oh, so it¡¯s my fault for pointing out your reaction?</i>

    ¡°Ahem... so like, who is that guy just now? Why did he try to kill you?¡± Ye Qing hurriedly changed the subject when he noticed that a storm was gathering on Yi Pin¡¯s face.

    Yi Pin shook his head disgruntledly. ¡°That¡¯s <i>my </i>question as well. I took one look at him¡ªseriously, just one look!¡ªand suddenly, the guy went bonkers and tried to kill me!¡±

    Ye Qing recalled the times he almost died because he happened to look at the wrong things. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t sympathize with your plight. This world is seriously bonkers.¡±

    ¡°By the way, your body looked as wless as zed ss just now. Dare I say that you¡¯vepletely recovered?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    Ye Qing smiled at that. ¡°You are correct. Thanks to you, I am fully recovered.¡±

    It was no wonder the Purple Sun Trueme was recognized as one of the fiercest and most yang fires in the world. Just a single wisp of the me was enough to wipe out most of the ck Sky Divine Palm force inside his body.

    That said, without the ck Sky Divine Palm force and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent¡ªespecially Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent¡ªhe would¡¯ve perished trying to take the Purple Sun Trueme into his body.

    Zhou Hengshan was a Grandmaster, and the ughterer of Ten Thousand was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. The saber intent they created were beyond deadly and yin enough to freeze a river to say the least. Together with the Profound Yellow Qi and the Nature¡¯s Water, he just barely avoided being burned into a crisp the second he swallowed the Purple Sun Trueme into his abdomen.

    Even so, the heat of the me had evaporated every drop of water inside his body and burned his flesh into a crisp in an instant. He only survived because he was protecting his major organs, meridians and other vital areas with the Profound Yellow Qi. Once he was certain that he was in no danger of dying, he slowly began directing the Purple Sun Trueme against the palm force and the saber intent. After his body began adapting to the Purple Sun Trueme, he absorbed even more me to hasten the process.

    There was no denying the potency of Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent, but metaphorically speaking, it was a pond trying to weather the unrelenting, unending heat of the sun. In the end, it was broken down and eliminated entirely from Ye Qing¡¯s body.

    Not only that, the process had further increased Ye Qing¡¯s power. His body had already been nurtured by several wisps of Profound Yellow Qi, but the Purple Sun Trueme had brought him to near death as well. Like a phoenix who was reborn from ash, Ye Qing came back stronger than ever before. Now, he was eight dragon elephants strong.

    Ye Qing felt better than he ever had in his life. He was confident he could kill ten Yi Pins in one punch.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would work,¡± Yi Pin murmured, and Ye Qing¡¯s smile immediately turned into a frown. <i>I thought you said it¡¯s definitely going to work?!</i>

    ¡°Ahem... moving on,¡± Yi Pin noticed his slip-of-the-tongue as well and hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°You were manipting the Purple Sun Trueme just now, weren¡¯t you? How did you do it?¡±

    Ye Qing rxed. Right now, his euphoria was too strong for his annoyance to ovee. ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. I just refined the Purple Sun Trueme I absorbed.¡±

    After he was done eliminating the foreign forces inside his body, Ye Qing thought it would be a waste to expel the Purple Sun Trueme just like that. So, he tried to absorb and refine it into his own power.

    For most other people, the attempt would only result in spontaneousbustion and immediate death. After all, the Purple Sun Trueme was one of the three strongest yang mes in the world. One misstep was all it took for someone to burn into a pile of ash.

    This wasn¡¯t too big of a problem for Ye Qing though. For one, his body had already grown used to the Purple Sun Trueme to a certain extent. Even without the ck Sky Divine Palm force and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent to keep it suppressed, the me couldn¡¯t consume himpletely.

 Chapter 499: Jealousy Needs No Reason

    <h4>Chapter 499: Jealousy Needs No Reason </h4>

    Of course, it was beyond painful to be burned alive, but Ye Qing was a man on a mission. While keeping the pain at bay and maintaining rity of mind, he began his refinement process by targeting the weakest portions of the Purple Sun Trueme¡ªthose that had been weakened by their sh against the ck Sky Divine Palm force and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent. It was only after he mastered thempletely that he began to refine the rest of the Purple Sun Trueme.

    The process sounded easy on paper, but only he knew just how dangerous it had been. One single mistake, and he would¡¯ve died just like that.

    In the past, he might have chosen a different, safer course of action. But today, he no longer had that option.

    Only by bing stronger could he survive¡ªno, <i>live</i> in this world.

    The good news was, he seeded.

    There was now a mysterious, noble, and unfathomable purple me floating inside his dantian. Surrounded by an entourage of Burning Wind, it illuminated every inch of Ye Qing¡¯s dantian and sea of qi like a king.

    ¡°What? You refined the Purple Sun Trueme?¡± Yi Pin eximed in shock. ¡°You¡¯re not kidding me, are you?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing smirked and flipped his palm upward. A wisp of purple me immediately appeared at the center.

    The moment the Purple Sun Trueme appeared, the room temperature skyrocketed, the air distorted, and Yi Pin felt like he was cooking alive just like when the trial was still ongoing.

    ¡°P-put it away!¡± Yi Pin said in a hurry. It was only after Ye Qing had put away the Purple Sun Trueme that the old Taoist sighed with trepidation and relief. ¡°Do you want to kill me, brother?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who didn¡¯t believe me, so I decided to give you a lesson in seeing is believing.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    Yi Pin sighed again and stared at Ye Qing. His voice was brimming with jealousy as he remarked, ¡°You¡¯re truly a lucky guy, brother.¡±

    His jealousy was well-founded. The Purple Sun Trueme was one of the fiercest and most yang fire in the world. Strangers feared it, and evils stayed well out of its way. Not only that, it was powerful and could be used for countless purposes.

    Although Ye Qing had only refined a small amount of Purple Sun Trueme and so could not literally boil a sea or transform a corner of the world into a scorched wastnd like the Fire God Moth, it was still nothing to scoff at.

    Ye Qing could go up against a Spirit Master right now, and he could probably deal them a crippling blow on the first strike assuming that he managed to catch them off guard with the Purple Sun Trueme.

    Unfortunately, this was the extent of Ye Qing¡¯s cultivation of the Purple Sun Trueme unless he stumbled upon another grand opportunity. Although the Purple Sun Trueme was the mes of dawn, which theoretically meant that the sun itself was an infinite source in which he could harvest the purple qi of dawn from¡ªa raw substance that he could condense into the Purple Sun Trueme¡ªreality wasn¡¯t so simple.

    The sun was suspended higher than the nine heavens themselves, so by the time its rays reached the human world, they would have be infinitely weak and contaminated. Assuming that he was trying to refine a single wisp of Purple Sun Trueme from the purple qi of dawn emitted by the sun alone, it would have taken him between thirty to fifty years to aplish the feat.

    Alternatively, he could fly above the nine heavens, breach the astral winds, and get as close to the sun as possible to absorb its pure rays, but it would take at least a Grandmaster to perform such a feat.

    Besides that, he would need a cultivation art that could extract the purple qi of dawn and convert it into Purple Sun Trueme. However, it was an exclusive secret kept by certain noble ns and powerful sects, and it was very difficult for amon man to obtain it.

    He could seek out Strangers or ces that contained the Purple Sun Trueme, but obviously, such a venture came with considerable risks. Even if there was no danger, the process of refining the Purple Sun Trueme was, as Ye Qing could attest with his own experience, incredibly dangerous. One misstep, and all that would be left of him was ash.

    Absolutely everything must swing in his favor if he wished to refine the Purple Sun Trueme.

    For reasons that should be obvious, Yi Pin had <i>not </i>intended for Ye Qing to refine the Purple Sun Trueme. He just thought it was a good idea to use an object of supreme yang to counteract another object of supreme yin. The fact that Ye Qing possessed the Profound Yellow Qi and the Nature¡¯s Water made his chances of sess far higher than most.

    He underestimated the young man¡¯s audacity, however. Not only did he refine the Purple Sun Trueme right after he eliminated the ck Sky Divine Palm force and saber intent, he actually seeded. He seriously was one lucky bastard. <i>Oh, how envious I am!</i>

    Of course, Yi Pin was equally aware that luck was hardly the only factor Ye Qing had seeded in his risky endeavor. If he didn¡¯t possess an unbelievably tough body, if his willpower wavered for even a second while he was on fire, if the foreign forces ravaging his body didn¡¯t happen to be objects of absolute yin, and if he didn¡¯t possess a sufficient number of Profound Yellow Qi and Nature¡¯s Water, then he would¡¯ve failed to refine the Purple Sun Trueme. The process had been as painful as it was risky.

    One might say that nine out of ten of the warriors in Ye Qing¡¯s position would have died today, and probably none would be able to walk away unscathed.

    Sometimes, luck just favored a person. And sometimes, someone made their own luck. Ye Qing seeded because he was abination of both.

    <i>I¡¯m still jealous though! What, do I need a reason to be jealous? Not in the slightest! At least not me!</i>

    Despite his jealousy, Yi Pin soon arrived at an important decision. From now on, he was going to befriend Ye Qing seriously and cease screwing him over for his self-interestpletely. Judging from the sheer potential and dogshit luck Ye Qing disyed today¡ªhells, he would believe it if Ye Qing told him that he was really the heavens¡¯ favorite son¡ªbefriending the young man could only bring fortuitous tidings.

    What? He wasn¡¯t trying to curry favor with the guy! He was just trying to befriend him, okay?

    Oh, shut up. He was a goddamn senior; a lofty champion in the past. Even if he <i>was </i>trying to curry favor with the guy, which he totally wasn¡¯t, you gotta word it in a more sophisticated, friendlier fashion, get it?

    Ye Qing teased him. ¡°I have you to thank for my sess, you know. If it wasn¡¯t for your ¡®idea¡¯, I would never have had such a boon.¡±

    Ye Qing purposely put some weight behind the word ¡°idea¡±.

    It was a mistake. Instead of feeling shame, Yi Pin dered with a perfectly straight face, ¡°What are you talking about, brother? We¡¯re brothers! It¡¯s only natural that a brother would help out his brother, right brother?¡±

    ¡°Har har... whatever you say, <i>brother.</i>¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a bit of irritation. What could you do when the person you were trying to embarrass had embodied the teaching, ¡°If I¡¯m shameless, then no one can shame me¡± to its core? Ye Qing¡¯s own face was pretty thick, but he had to give it to the old man. No one was more shameless than him!

    Two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi had appeared inside the room while the two of them were conversing. Yi Pin took one look at the qi before asking, ¡°So, now that you¡¯ve recovered, what are you going to do now?¡±

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smirk. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep ying the game, of course.¡±

    And by that, he meant he was going to keep stealing Profound Yellow Qi.

    ¡°But how? You already took out all the bad guys yesterday.¡± Yi Pin advised, ¡°Now that you¡¯re strong enough to butt heads with Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Ye Juejiang, my advice for you is to show your strength and intimidate into giving you a share.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are more wolves than meat in this ce.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°There are now less than twenty people left in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, and people are dying almost everyday. For now, there is just enough Profound Yellow Qi for three people to share, but a fourth? Do you really think they would ept this oue?¡±

    Yi Pin frowned a little. He had to admit that Ye Qing¡¯s words made a lot of sense. Not only that, if Ye Qing showed himself now, there was a high chance the three warriors would join hands to eliminate the newpetitor from the equation. Ye Qing might not fear any one of them at his current strength, but it was a different story if they attacked him together.

    ¡°Besides, Yue Juejiang would figure out that I¡¯m the one who stole his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash as soon as I revealed my true strength. Things would get even more troublesome then.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll admit that that¡¯s not my main concern though. I just don¡¯t like sharing the current stock of Profound Yellow Qi with four people.¡±

    Yi Pin rolled his eyes. In the end, it all came back to greed.

    ¡°So? How do you want to y this? Snatch them by force?¡± Yi Pin asked.

    Could he do it? The rewards were great as a matter of course, but could he really weather the dangers?

    Ye Qing smiled confidently. ¡°Snatching is such a barbaric, primitive method. Do I look like a primitive or a barbarian to you?¡±

    That was what he said, but the main reason he didn''t resort to brute force was because he wasn¡¯t ready yet. It was almost guaranteed that there was going to be a huge battle between Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong, Yue Juejiang and himself in the end, but he didn¡¯t want to bring forward the final battle so soon. At the very least, he would consider it only after he had converted all of the Profound Yellow Qi currently in his possession into power.

    He really, really, <i>really </i>didn¡¯t fancy the idea of getting injured again.

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <i>Is he trying to imply that I¡¯m stupid?</i>

    ¡°Great minds think alike, it seems. I was thinking the exact same thing.¡± Yi Pin echoed in agreement so he wouldn¡¯t seem like an idiot. Unfortunately, he was unable to hold his silence for more than a couple more seconds before he betrayed his intellectual deficiency. ¡°So, did you have a n, brother?¡±

    ¡°I do now.¡± An enigmatic smirk crossed his expression. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡±

 Chapter 500: Iâ€™ll Pray For You

    <h4>Chapter 500: I¡¯ll Pray For You </h4>

    Just like before, Ye Qing opened the door slightly before peeking outside with his demonic thought. A few breathster, Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang left their rooms to collect their Profound Yellow Qi as normal.

    Something was different, however. Compared tost time, the trio looked quite fatigued and tired. Clearly, even they had trouble weathering the Fire God Moth and the Purple Sun Trueme.

    Huo Linglong looked the worst out of all of them. Her sect was called Earthfire Pce of Demons, and her martial arts were all tied to fire to a certain extent. Normally, fire was thest thing she was afraid of. However, as a practitioner of the Dark Ways, her martial arts were as yin and evil as they could get, whereas the Purple Sun Trueme was theplete opposite. In fact, one could say that it was the bane of her existence.

    That was why her ¡°mes of Desire¡± was breached practically the minute the room started turning hot. If she didn¡¯t happen to have an emergency item that could protect her under these circumstances, she would be one with the air already.

    Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang looked much better than her, though they had used up a lot of energy as well. It was why the trio didn¡¯t speak to each other this time. They went straight to the rooms to collect their due.

    A lot of people died this time, so the trio visited quite a lot of rooms before they finally managed to gather three wisps of Profound Yellow Qi each. Only then did they return to their rooms to cultivate.

    This time, Ye Qing and Yi Pin weren¡¯t able to protect their Profound Yellow Qi. Too many people had died this time, and after searching a few rooms to no avail, Huo Linglong eventually made it to their room. And since the three of them were acting at the same time, the excuse Ye Qing prepared earlier was useless. Since he didn¡¯t want to reveal his identity, he had no choice but to allow Huo Linglong to inhale the two Profound Yellow Qi into her stomach.

    When Huo Linglong was leaving the room, she shot Yi Pin and Ye Qing a meaningful look and giggled, ¡°Interesting.¡± It was only then she sashayed out of the room.

    ¡°What did she mean by that?¡± Yi Pin asked after Huo Linglong was gone. ¡°Do you think she suspects something?¡±

    ¡°Have a little more confidence and remove ¡®do you think¡¯ from your sentence. She definitely suspects that something is afoot,¡± Ye Qing dered confidently.

    ¡°Why would she? We acted no different from how we acted before.¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re too weak, of course.¡± Ye Qing said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯re a Vessel Augmentor, and I appear to be an early-stage Spirit Purifier. Many people who are stronger than us had died, and yet we weaklings are still alive. You especially look perfectly healthy and do not have a single scratch on your person. I would¡¯ve suspected you if I were her.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s my fault?¡± Yi Pin rubbed his nose. While Ye Qing¡¯s words made sense, he absolutely refused to bear the me alone. After all, the young man himself looked perfectly unharmed. ¡°You don¡¯t look worried though.¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°That¡¯s because Huo Linglong only suspects that we are hiding our strength, or we have some sort of treasure that shielded us from harm. No matter what it is, she is confident that we won¡¯t be able to harm her. That is why she won¡¯t raise the rm or do anything to us¡ªfor now.¡±

    In the future, Huo Linglong was definitely going to take some measures against them. That was fine though. When tomorrow came, there was a good chance that their roles would be reversed.

    After the trio returned to their rooms, Ye Qing waited for about an hour before slipping out of his room and arriving at Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s doorsteps. Then, he produced a single incense stick from Nine Heavens, ignited it, and waved it a few times. Finally, he nted the incense stick in a gap between the floor tiles.

    ¡°My respect for your power, brother Incense. Please,¡± Ye Qint muttered under his breath as he stared at the incense stick intently.

    The incense stick burned and emitted a thick cloud of blue smoke. It circled around the air for a bit before slipping into Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s room.

    ¡°Thanks, brother Incense!¡± Ye Qing rxed when he saw this.

    The incense stick he just lit was the Incense of Misfortune, of course. He would repeat the process and ce another two Incense of Misfortune in front of Yue Juejiang and Huo Linglong¡¯s door. After that, he went back to his room.

    ¡°You said you have a n, and your n is to take a stroll in front of their doors, brother?¡± Yi Pin asked in puzzlement after Ye Qing returned.

    Ye Qing was shrouded by ayer of fog when he was outside, so Yi Pin couldn¡¯t see what he was doing.

    The corners of his lips curled into a devilish smirk. ¡°Take a stroll? I suppose I had, but that¡¯s not all I did. I also gave them a heartfelt gift.¡±

    ......

    Inside his room, Sun Xuanzhen was refining the Profound Yellow Qi. He was at a critical moment of his refinement when suddenly, his nose suddenly became horribly itchy. It was so terrible that he couldn¡¯t stop himself from sneezing.

    Unfortunately, the sneeze also caused his energies to fall into disarray, and his vigor to surge chaotically. Before he knew it, he had spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and everything he did to refine the Profound Yellow Qi was reset. He had no choice but to start over.

    Sun Xuanzhen shook his head in annoyance and frustration, but what was done was done. He began soothing his energies and quelling his vigor.

    He was about halfway done when suddenly, his stomach started hurting a little. It felt like he was having a stomach ache, but how was that possible when he hadn¡¯t eaten anything?

    A Spirit Master hadn¡¯t yet transcended mortality, so he still needed to eat every once in a while. Even so, he could go half a month without a single drop of water.

    He hadn¡¯t eaten a single grain since he entered the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. He did enjoy a sip of wine here and there, but that was it. It should be impossible for him to have a stomach ache.

    <i>Groooooooooooowl!</i>

    He was still trying to puzzle things out when suddenly, his stomach started growling and rumbling like a series of mini thunderps. Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s face immediately turned ugly. It was because he felt like taking a shit.

    He was a Spirit Master and a swordsman. His willpower was tougher than most warriors, and the fact that he withstood the pain of the Three Swords of Punishment proved that. The stomach ache could have gued him for days, no, weeks, and he might not even notice it until it made a noise.

    Holding a shit was <i>not </i>the same, however. It was unbearable in apletely different way.

    Sun Xuanzhen couldn¡¯t understand why this was happening to him. Logically speaking, a Spirit Master could passively and actively control their qi, essence and spirit and prevent even illnesses from ailing them, much less the urge to shit. So what the hell was going on here?

    His nonprehension didn¡¯t stop his stomach getting worse over time. It was to the point whererge beads of sweat were rolling off his forehead.

    Sun Xuanzhen hurriedly grabbed a couple of healing pills from his Nature¡¯s Shell and swallowed them. This was <i>not </i>the way they were intended to be used, but who knows, it might help with his symptoms?

    He was wrong. Almost as soon as the pills entered his stomach, the growling doubled in both volume and intensity. His face grew increasingly purple and contorted.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it any longer!¡±

    In the end, Sun Xuanzhen finally caved and grabbed a Strange Artifact that looked like a porcin bottle from his Nature¡¯s Shell. As soon as the Strange Artifact expanded in size, Sun Xunzhen pounced on it like it was his final lifeline.

    And so the Strange Artifact suffered a kind of indignity it should never have suffered.

    A teatime passed, and Sun Xuanzhen rubbed his tummy with an obvious sigh of relief. Sure, an indescribable smell was currently permeating the room, but it was an eptable state of affairspared to having to hold his shit in.

    Unfortunately, right after Sun Xuanzhen cleaned up everything and got ready to resume his cultivation, his stomach began rumbling once more.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s face turned ugly again.

    ......

    Inside her room, Huo Linglong was refining the Profound Yellow Qi and using it to nurse her injuries. She had just started for a moment when suddenly, she felt a little thirsty. In a daze, she opened her Nature¡¯s Shell, grabbed a jar, and drank directly from the mouth.

    She had just downed a few gulps when suddenly, she realized that the water didn¡¯t taste right. When she looked down, she realized that it wasn¡¯t water, but an extremely valuable poison.

    The poison was named Peach Blossom Smile. It was a poetic name, but its substance was vicious beyond imagination. Colorless and odorless, the poison was capable of killing even a Spirit Master.

    First, the victim¡¯s body would be covered in small, fluid-filled blisters. If the victim failed to consume the antidote in time, then the blisters would pop, and the poison would seep into the victim¡¯s body. They would die in two hours max. The bright red pus it left on the victim¡¯s skin after the blisters popped left red markings that looked like blooming peach blossoms, which was why it was named Peach Blossom Smile.

    In just the blink of an eye, Huo Linglong¡¯s entire body was covered in reddish blisters. It looked horrifying to say the least.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Stunned, Huo Linglong hurriedly grabbed the antidote and consumed it. She didn¡¯t rx though. She immediately grabbed a mirror and started squeezing the blisters on her face.

    Besides being poisonous enough to kill a Spirit Master, the Peach Blossom Smile possessed another difficult trait. Eating the antidote would cure the victim of the poison inside their body, but not the blisters on their face. If the victim didn¡¯t squeeze out the poison and treat the blisters in time, they would transform into pus and leave pot-holes on the victim¡¯s face at best, or disfigure them permanently at the worst.

    A man might not care if they were disfigured or not, but Huo Linglong was a woman; a beautiful woman no less. There was no way she would allow even the slightest scratch on her face.

    Someone might argue that she should focus on refining the Profound Yellow Qi right now as it was the opportunity of a lifetime. In her opinion, those people could go fuck themselves. The world could burn this instant, and her first priority would still be treating her face.

    Power was ephemeral, but beauty was forever.

 Chapter 501: The Laughter In The Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 501: The Laughter In The Darkness </h4>

    ¡°Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, brother, but is your n really to take a stroll outside every once in a while and pretend to be a quiet beauty for the rest of the time?¡± Yi Pin asked with a doubtful look on his face.

    Every four to six hours or so, Ye Qing would head out and linger in front of Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juezhen¡¯s door for a bit. Then, he would return to his room, sit in his corner, and do absolutely nada. It was puzzling to say the least.

    <i>I thought you said you want to use your brain to snatch some Profound Yellow Qi? So why aren¡¯t you doing anything? Are you waiting for the Profound Yellow Qi to waltz into your room or something?</i>

    <i>If this is what you call using your brain, then I could¡¯ve done it myself. Like seriously, even a baby could do this so long as they didn¡¯t trip and fall on the way!</i>

    Ye Qing opened his eyes and shot the old Taoist a mysterious smile. ¡°It is time.¡±

    He then rose to his feet.

    Yi Pin rose to his feet as well and asked, ¡°What is?¡±

    ¡°The time hase for me to take my Profound Yellow Qi,¡± Ye Qing replied enigmatically before heading out once more.

    ¡°Brother, wa¡ªwow!¡± Yi Pin was just about to follow him when the door mmed shut and nearly hit him in the nose. Then, he heard Ye Qing¡¯s voice beside his ears, saying, ¡°Stay inside the room, brother.¡±

    ¡°Come on, brother! Don¡¯t be so stingy. I wouldn¡¯t make fun of you even if you were just pretending,¡± Yi Pin taunted. He really thought that Ye Qing was just putting on a show, and that he prevented him from following because he didn¡¯t want his act to be exposed.

    Ye Qing ignored the old Taoist¡¯s taunt and went to Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang¡¯s room as usual, nting a new Incense of Misfortune in front of their doors. Then, he transformed into Yue Juejiang and entered a room.

    A few breathster, he came out and entered a different room. Once again, he was able to procure the resident¡¯s Profound Yellow Qi with this.

    This would happen a few more times before he transformed into Sun Xuanzhen next. Then, he repeated the process all over again. It wasn¡¯t long before he had visited every room in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin except the trio¡¯s. In total, he had collected ten wisps of Profound Yellow Qi.

    His n was very simple. He used the Incense of Misfortune to gue Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang with a continuous string of ill fortunes. While they were busy fending for themselves, he would collect the Profound Yellow Qi at his leisure.

    This was why he visited their rooms every once in a while. It was to nt a new Incense of Misfortune in front of their door after the previous one had run out. It would ensure that they had no choice but to stay inside their rooms.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t know if the Incense of Misfortune was powerful enough to affect a Spirit Master, which was why he waited almost eighteen hours before he finally took action[1]. Since the trio hadn¡¯t set foot outside of their rooms even once throughout this time, it proved that the Incense of Misfortune could affect them.

    The three Incense of Misfortune he just lit wouldst until the next trial began. They hadn¡¯t set foot out of their rooms before, so they definitely weren¡¯t going to do so now. He was free to im his prize.

    When all was said and done, they would only think that the other two people had taken the Profound Yellow Qi. They would never suspect that a fourth party was secretly screwing them over.

    The n wasn¡¯t foolproof, of course. If Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong or Yue Juejiang conversed with each other and mentioned how unlucky they had been for the past day, then they would almost certainly notice that something was amiss. But knowing how prideful the trio were, he was fairly certain that they wouldn¡¯t bring up the matter of their own ord.

    That might change when a sufficient amount of time had passed, but for now, his secret was safe.

    Even if he was wrong, he wasn¡¯t worried. After all, he had already imed his prize. Ten wisps of Profound Yellow Qi was enough to increase his strength drastically. When the time came, he was certain he could 1v3 them without issues.

    ¡°Wait a second, I have another idea...¡±

    Ye Qing was just about to return to his room when he caught sight of the Incense of Misfortune out of the corner of his eyes.

    What if he lit an Incense of Misfortune for the trio right before the trial began?

    It would be a very entertaining experience, wouldn¡¯t it?

    It was only a matter of time before he shed against the trio anyway. If he could exploit the trial to weaken them, then why not?

    If he could take them out in one fell swoop, then even better.

    Of course, he knew that this was unlikely to happen. The Incense of Misfortune didn¡¯t kill no matter how unlucky it made its victims.

    Even so, he was fairly certain that thebination was going to weaken them by a significant amount.

    Assuming that everything went as nned, he didn¡¯t need to wait for them to pay him a visit any longer. He could pay them a visit himself.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve made up my mind,¡± Ye Qing dered with a snap of the finger.

    If his ploy seeded, he could probably conserve his Incense of Misfortune tomorrow. If not, well, the night was still young.

    In any case, there was no harm having extra insurance whatsoever.

    After Ye Qing returned to his room and made idle chat with Yi Pin, he began refining the Profound Yellow Qi and practicing the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±.

    Now that he was no longer gued by his injuries, and the Profound Yellow Qi was basically a miracle elixir for tempering one¡¯s body, of course he was going to use it to boost his cultivation in the martial art. Hopefully, he could make significant progress with his Chaos Demon Ape Body.

    After he was done refining a wisp of Profound Yellow Qi, Ye Qing calcted the time and set out. Then, he ignited a new Incense of Misfortune for Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang again. They shouldst until the end of the trial.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, Brother Incense.¡± Ye Qing bowed to the incense sticks as usual and got ready to return to his room. It was at this moment the silence outside was broken by a peal ofughter.

    Theughter came from the darkness, and it sounded sweet and melodious. This was the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, however. All it elicited in him was fear and trepidation.

    As soon as theughter appeared, Ye Qing felt an indescribable, unstoppable chill spreading throughout the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. With his physique, he could stand naked in a frozen snond and feel almost nothing. But right now, the chill was such that it seeped into his very bones. It was even worse than when he was fighting against the ck Sky Divine Palm force and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent.

    To be fair, there were some differences between this chill and those two energies. The ck Sky Divine Palm force and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s saber intent were naturally cold because of their yin nature, but this chill was pure coldness without any other energy mixed within it. Like the incarnation of coldness itself, it chilled both his body and soul to the very core.

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    Another peal ofughter came, and this time it sounded much, much closer. At the same time, Ye Qing felt someone tugging at his sleeve.

    When he looked down, he saw a young girl standing behind him and tugging at his sleeve timidly. She looked around five or six years old, and she was barefooted. Cute, innocent and healthy, she looked as perfect as a doll.

    The young girl was wearing an innocent smile on her face and looking up to Ye Qing with a giggle. When their eyes met, Ye Qing felt an indescribable chill spreading out of his core and threatening to encase his body and soul in eternal ice.

    In fact, frost was growing on the floor, the walls, and his body at a visible rate. He was going to turn into an ice sculpture if he didn¡¯t act soon.

    Right before the frost would spread throughout his body, purple me washed out of his body and enveloped him like a robe.

    <i>¡°Purple Sun Trueme¡±</i>

    It was like the sun itself was crashing down on humanity. The temperature within the coffin instantly shot up and melted the ice into steam.

    ¡°Uwah!¡±

    Behind him, the girl let out a wail and melted into a puddle in just the blink of an eye. Then, the puddle itself evaporated into steam.

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression only grew more severe, however. It was because a worse chill was pouring forth from the darkness.

    The next moment, thick crusts of blue frost emerged from the walls, the floor, and the ceiling and transformed the entire Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin into a world of ice.

    Then, a tiger-like Stranger elegantly stepped out of the darkness.

    1. It looks like the guy has made a lot more Incense of Misfortune since thest time. That¡¯s like nine incense sticks he used at the minimum. ?

 Chapter 502: Children of the Frost

    <h4>Chapter 502: Children of the Frost </h4>

    The strange tiger was as big as a calf, and it had a deer¡¯s horn, a tiger¡¯s head, a goat¡¯s body and an ox¡¯s tail. It looked like it was carved from the prettiest indigo crystal, translucent and blue, and there were a couple of crystalline children running on top of its back and ying with each other. They looked incredibly happy.

    ¡°The Children of the Frost?!¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. He turned around and raced straight toward his room without hesitation.

    The Children of the Frost was a Disaster-ss Stranger. Together with the Snow Maitreya, they were known as the Disastrous Frost and Snow. It shouldn¡¯t need to be said, but they were terrifying existences. When the Snow Matreiya appeared, a terrible snowstormsting several months would descend upon the world. When the Children of the Frost appeared, hundreds of kilometers ofnd would transform into an icy hell.

    Obviously, this wasn¡¯t a Stranger he could handle at his current level. If he hadn¡¯t refined the Purple Sun Trueme yesterday, their very first sh would¡¯ve resulted in some injuries. He wouldn¡¯t die, but it wouldn¡¯t be fun trying to purge the energy of a Disaster-ss Stranger from his body.

    That was also why he needed to run back to his room now. Although his Purple Sun Trueme was a supreme me of yang, its current quantity and quality were ultimately subpar. It could nullify a casual attack with ease, but it was nowhere strong enough to do battle against the Children of the Frost. His me was nothingpared to the Fire God Moth¡¯s.

    The children ying on top of the tiger giggled when they saw Ye Qing run. Maybe it was because he triggered their predatory instincts, or maybe they loathed the fact that he possessed a power that was theplete opposite of theirs, but they abruptly charged him in unison. A terrible chill immediately spread toward him from every direction.

    Ye Qing flicked a single wisp of Purple Sun Trueme at the children, causing them to let out a strange cry and evaporate into nothing. The terrible chill also receded in an instant. However, they soon reappeared on top of the tiger¡¯s back, giggling and ying like nothing had ever happened.

    Although its name was Children of the Frost, its true body was the strange tiger. The frost children were just frost spirits the tiger Stranger conjured. So long as it was still alive, the frost children would never die.

    Blocking the frost children with the Purple Sun Trueme bought him about a breath¡¯s time. That was enough for him to escape back into his room.

    As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Yi Pin hugging himself tightly and shivering like a leaf at a corner. The interior had already been coated in ice, though it melted as soon as it made contact with his red hot aura.

    Yi Pin felt like crying. One moment it was a frozen hell, and next it was a molten purgatory. It was fire and ice at its worst.

    Ye Qing too realized that he had screwed up and hurriedly dialed down the Purple Sun Trueme emanating from his body. When only a single wisp of me resided on his palm, the room temperature quickly decreased until it was just right.

    Yi Pin let out a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Is it the Children of the Frost?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded. Yi Pin¡¯s correct guess didn¡¯t surprise him considering the old Taoist¡¯s wealth of knowledge and experience.

    ¡°The Children of the Frost, huh. Yesterday it was the Fire God Moth, and today it¡¯s the Children of the Frost. The ice and fire treatment, eh? Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin sure knows how to y with its victims!¡±

    Yi Pin sneered audibly before letting out another sigh. ¡°Thank goodness you refined the Purple Sun Truemest night, or today¡¯s going to be another hell.¡±

    ¡°I guess,¡± Ye Qing replied distractedly. He was worried that the Children of the Frost would try to force its way into their room because of him. That would be very bad.

    Thankfully, the room ultimately proved itself reliable. The Children of the Frost lingered outside their door for a moment but eventually left the area.

    After the Stranger was gone, Ye Qing finally let out a sigh of relief. Then, he sighed. ¡°A shame.¡±

    ¡°What about?¡± Yi Pin asked, puzzled.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    He wasmenting over his wasted Incense of Misfortune, of course. If the Stranger that was to be their trial was anyone but the Children of the Frost, then maybe it would¡¯ve been fine. However, the Children of the Frost was notorious for freezing hundreds and hundreds of kilometers ofnd as soon as it made its appearance. There was no way his three Incense of Misfortune were still burning.

    <i>I should start refining the Profound Yellow Qi, </i>Ye Qing thought to himself. With the Purple Sun Trueme to protect him, the Children of the Frost couldn¡¯t threaten him with its frost powers. In that case, he might as well use this opportunity to refine the Profound Yellow Qi he collected and improve his strength.

    Ye Qing flicked a wisp of Purple Sun Trueme to the floor. It didn¡¯t disappear even though it was resting atop the stone floor. Then, he adopted a meditative stance and began cultivating.

    Time passed little by little. When Ye Qing had absorbed and refined his third wisp of Profound Yellow Qi, the chill outside the room began fading slowly. It meant that the Children of the Frost was gone. So, Ye Qing opened his mouth and inhaled the wisp of Purple Sun Trueme on the floor down his gullet.

    As soon as he retrieved the Purple Sun Trueme, Yi Pin stretched his back and let out a huge yawn, asking, ¡°Is it done?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Did you have a good night¡¯s sleep, brother?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping.¡± Yi Pin sipped some wine to wet his throat. ¡°I was just taking a nap.¡±

    <i>... That¡¯s still sleeping, bro. Don¡¯t think you can fool me just because I don¡¯t read a lot of books.</i>

    ¡°Anyway, I need to discuss something with you. Huo Linglong already suspected somethingst time. If she sees that we¡¯re unharmed again, then she will definitely know that something is amiss.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s simple.¡± Yi Pin produced three silver needles out of thin air and pierced three major bodily points: Shenfu, Huangting and Yunhai. The blood immediately drained away from his face, his eyes zed over, and his aura nosedived in the blink of an eye. Right now, he looked like a man on his deathbed.

    ¡°Not bad, brother.¡± Ye Qing was impressed. Even with the strength of his spirit, he was unable to tell that Yi Pin was faking it. It really looked like the old man was on his deathbed.

    Yi Pin lifted his head a little higher. ¡°Heh. This is the Three Needles Soul Sealing Art. Do you want to give it a try?¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I have my own ways.¡± Ye Qing morphed his body and aura to mimic that of a gravely ill man. Once his disguise wasplete, he went to the door, opened a tiny gap, and waited patiently for Sun Xuanzhen, Huo Linglong and Yue Juejiang to show up.

    This time, the trio took around half a teatime to show up, and they all looked a little weaker than normal. Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang looked as pale as a ghost, and Huo Linglong was wearing a dark red mask on her face.

    ¡°Haha, why do you both look like you¡¯ve had your vitality sucked out of your body? Did you do something while I wasn¡¯t lookingst night?¡±

    Huo Linglong teased them when she noticed their paleplexions, ¡°I can be your partner if you¡¯re that lonely.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks,¡± Sun Xuanzhen replied in an emotionless voice.

    <i>Prod all you want, but I will never tell you that I¡¯m pale because I was shitting all day yesterday.</i>

    Yue Juejiang too grunted with an annoyed look on his face. He didn¡¯t know why, but he was supremely unluckyst night. When he drank water, the liquid somehow got caught between his teeth. When he ate, he somehow choked on his food. When he meditated, he somehow dozed off and wasted his time, and even when he was cultivating, he somehow screwed up his qi cirction and wasted even more time and effort. The memory alone made him feel like punching a hole in the wall.

    That wasn¡¯t even the worst thing that happened to him. He was in the middle of cultivating when suddenly, he thought of Huo Linglong and suddenly found himself drowning in uncontroble lust. Unable to concentrate in the slightest, he had no choice but to produce arge jar and jump inside.

    Therge jar was a Strange Artifact filled with the Frost Spring of Far North. It was a kind of spring that could only be found in the far north, and it was extremely cold to put it mildly. He was hoping to cool down his body and his mind with its iciness. However, not long after he entered the jar, the Children of the Frost appeared and froze the Frost Spring of Far North faster than he could blink. As a result, he was trapped inside the block of ice and unable to move a single muscle. It was easily one of the most excruciating experiences of his life. If he wasn¡¯t as tough and vigorous as he was, he could¡¯ve easily frozen to death.

    Huo Linglong¡¯s teasing might have been harmless, but Yue Juejiang couldn¡¯t help but think that she was making fun of his misery.

    ¡°Why are you wearing a mask today, Fire Princess?¡± Sun Xuanzhen stared at her mask and asked curiously.

    Huo Linglong giggled. ¡°I feel like ying the mysterious woman today. If you¡¯re curious, we can... interact with each other tonight. What do you say?¡±

    Huo Linglong walked up to him and drew circles on his chest.

 Chapter 503: Thousand Hand Bodhisattva

    <h4>Chapter 503: Thousand Hand Bodhisattva </h4>

    Suddenly, Huo Linglong wrinkled her nose and asked, ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that smell, Brother Sun? It smells kinda... weird.¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen grimaced immediately. <i>Never speak of this again, and we might still be friends!</i>

    ¡°I¡¯m going to collect the Profound Yellow Qi now. Goodbye,¡± dered the swordsman before departing toward a room immediately.

    Yue Juejiang left without saying a word as well.

    ¡°Interesting!¡± Huo Linglong chuckled to herself before walking toward a room as well.

    After collecting two wisps ofProfound Yellow Qi, Huo Linglong suddenly recalled something and went straight for Ye Qing and Yi Pin¡¯s room. ¡°I almost forgot. This room is a bag of curiosity as well.¡±

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a small smirk when he saw Huo Linglong walking straight toward them. He supposed it was too much to hope that she would forget all about them. Luckily for them, they had prepared for this exact scenario.

    Without a word, Ye Qing closed the doorpletely and waited patiently for Huo Linglong to show up.

    A few breathster, Huo Linglong entered the room. When she saw that Ye Qing and Yi Pin had one foot in the grave, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh in disappointment. ¡°Oh, dammit. This is boring.¡±

    She inhaled the two wisps of Profound Yellow Qi in the air and got ready to leave. She was at the entrance when suddenly, she curled a finger within her sleeve and flicked. An invisible wisp of spiritual power immediately shot toward Yi Pin.

    <i>Ah, shit.</i>

    A steely glint flickered in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he brought down a finger. A ripple of demonic thought immediately washed out.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    The ripple annihted the spiritual power Huo Linglong fired at Yi Pin and temporarily detained her mind at the same time. Her eyes immediately zed over.

    At the same time, Ye Qing leaped into the air, produced a de of dreamy crimson from his sleeve, and swung it straight at Huo Linglong¡¯s neck.

    <i>¡°Soulchasing¡±</i>

    He didn¡¯t hold back. Since they were found out, he might as well eliminate one of the major threats to his well being right here and now.

    Right before Huo Linglong would be decapitated, a pair of slender fingers suddenly blocked in front of the sh of crimson and pressed downward.

    <i>Ding!</i>

    The crisp ringing of metal resounded throughout the room, and the crimson sh disappeared into nothing. Huo Linglong had caught Ye Qing¡¯s Red Sleeve with just her fingers.

    ¡°Haha! You would kill me without even talking to me? How brutish.¡±

    A drop of blood slid down the de of Red Sleeve, and it somehow burst into a wisp of pink me. A strange power spread throughout the room immediately. Ye Qing immediately felt hot, restless, and brimming with lust. He felt as if some sort of invisible me was flowing out of his heart and cooking him from the inside out.

    Beside him, Yi Pin looked as red as a lobster. Wisps of pink mes were literally seeping out of his pores and proving that his feelings were no hallucination.

    ¡°Hahaha! You look fairly handsome, dearie. There¡¯s no one I love more than beautiful people.¡±

    Huo Linglong giggled and reached out to caress Ye Qing¡¯s cheek, but at thest possible moment, the rm bells inside her head suddenly rang at full force, and every hair on her body stood on end. Pink mes immediately surged out of her body and took the form of a female Bodhisattva, except this one looked anything but prim and dignified. She oozed femininity, sexiness and lust, and she had an unbelievable number of arms. They were covered in pink mes as well.

    The next moment, the Bodhisattva brought down its one thousand arms and filled the air with disruptive, mind-bending noises. The entire room was on fire.

    <i>¡°Magia: Thousand Hand Bodhisattva¡±</i>

    When a warrior had sessfully created their Yin God, their mind would form a direct connection with the world around them, and their will would respond to the tiniest changes in nature. This pathway between their being and the world around them was called ¡°Magia¡±. That was how a Spirit Master was able to channel their surroundings, summon rain and storm, and even warp the reality around them.

    Magia was something only a Spirit Master who had created their Yin God could learn. It was stronger than your average ultimate technique, killer move, spiritual secret art and more. Generally speaking, no one underneath the Spirit Master stage could survive a Magia without resorting to special methods.

    The Thousand Hand Bodhisattva was a Magia technique stated in the ¡°mes of Desire¡±. Whenbined with her Yin God, the Fire Bodhisattva, it was like a Thousand Hand Bodhisattva had descended to the earth to spread her chaotic, lustful ways like a wildfire.

    At the beginning Huo Linglong just wanted to y with Ye Qing. Even if he had hidden his strength, she didn¡¯t believe Ye Qing could threaten her unless she actively tried to kill herself.

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin was a supremely boring ce for someone like her, and it was rare to find someone who would dare to raise his hand against her. It was no wonder she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to toy with Ye Qing a little.

    However, the harmless sheep turned out to be a big, bad wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Her senses warned her that Ye Qing could pose a serious threat against her, and she had no intention of dying here.

    She loathed those who would defy her. So, she was going to kill Ye Qing for his transgression.

    ¡°Hahaha... what a disobedient boy you are,¡± giggled Huo Linglong as the Thousand Hand Bodhisattva bore down her arms on Ye Qing.

    At thest moment, Ye Qing spat out a wisp of purple me from his mouth. As soon as it appeared, the one thousand arms vanished, and the pink mes disintegrated bit by bit. A vacuum of unbearable, murderous heat immediately enveloped the whole room.

    ¡°Ah! The Purple Sun Trueme?!¡±

    Huo Linglong nched. Her Yin God trembled, and her energies immediately plummeted like crazy.

    There was nothing more a practitioner of the ¡°mes of Desire¡± feared more than a supreme me of yang. In the presence of the Purple Sun Trueme, she would be lucky to be able to unleash even half her original strength.

    ¡°Hahaha... It looks like I¡¯ve miscalcted. can hardly believe that someone like you has been lurking under my nose this whole time.¡±

    Huo Linglong looked dazed as she stared at Ye Qing and his me blocking in front of the exit, but she quickly regained her calm and smiled brightly.

    ¡°Let us negotiate, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s negotiate then.¡± Ye Qing smirked right back at her.

    At first nce, it looked like the upper hand was his. After all, he was controlling the exit, and she clearly feared his Purple Sun Trueme. In reality, they were on equal footing¡ªno, he was the one who was at a slight disadvantage. He had been from the moment he failed to ambush and kill Huo Linglong.

    Yes, his Purple Sun Trueme seemed to be the bane of Huo Linglong¡¯s existence, and yes, killing Huo Linglong wouldn¡¯t take too much time and effort. The problem was he couldn¡¯t do it without alerting those around him.

    The rooms in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin could inste one¡¯s spirit perfectly, but not sound and energy. If they caused too big amotion and drew Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang¡¯s attention, then he would be in serious trouble.

    Moreover, the room was only so big. Yi Pin was almost certainly going to get caught up in their fight. Although Yi Pin was a former champion of unknown heights, his past two days of observation told him that his glory days were far behind him. The old Taoist might be knowledgeable, experienced, and shameless, but he was also weak as shit. He was almost certainly going to die if he chose to fight Huo Linglong to the death. Considering the circumstances, negotiating with Huo Linglong was his only option.

    It was the same for Huo Linglong as well. She could make Ye Qing pay, but he could certainly make her pay with the Purple Sun Trueme as well. Unless she wanted tomit double suicide with him and let the spoils go to Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang, she had no choice but to negotiate with him.

    ¡°Hahaha! I love smart people.¡± Huo Linglong giggled and waved away the pink mes still burning here and there inside the room. Then, she looked Ye Qing up and down with deep interest and curiosity, ¡°You¡¯ve hidden yourself very well, dearie. You were this close from fooling uspletely.¡±

    ¡°You are strong, and yet you¡¯re willing to lie low and surrender your share of the Profound Yellow Qi to us. Either the Profound Yellow Qi is useless to you, or you¡¯re plotting something.¡±

    ¡°However, the Profound Yellow Qi is useful to everyone. I cannot believe that someone would relinquish it willingly, especially one as strong as you. So, you must be plotting something. But what is it?¡±

    Behind her mask, Huo Linglong rubbed her smooth chin and smiled wider. ¡°Now that I think about it, Yue Juejiang lost his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash on the first day you showed up. It can¡¯t be a coincidence. You must be the one who stole his Strange Artifact, am I right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m seriously impressed by your audacity, dearie. Yue Juejiang is a member of the Earthly Sovereign Hall, you know?¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything, and hisck of response was no different from admission.

 Chapter 504: Demon Planting Art of Mercury

    <h4>Chapter 504: Demon nting Art of Mercury </h4>

    ¡°What else is amiss? Oh right. On your second day here, there were a lot of more dead people than normal. Some of them must¡¯ve been killed by you, right?¡±

    Some things couldn¡¯t bear to fall under scrutiny. If they did, then their lies would be exposed instantly.

    Huo Linglong continued to walk down the memoryne when suddenly, her smile stiffened. ¡°Wait... was it you who did that to me yesterday?!¡±

    Yesterday was one of, if not the unluckiest days of her life. First, she had mistaken the Peach Blossom Smile for water and drank it. Then, when she was busy treating the blisters on her face, her back couldn¡¯t stop aching, her concentration kept slipping here and there, and she couldn¡¯t stop making one mistake after another. As a result, what should¡¯ve been a one-hour task at most had taken up a whole day...

    Then, she realized another thing. Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang had looked very odd today, and she wasn¡¯t able to leave her room at all yesterday because of the string of ill fortunes. Assuming that Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang had experienced the same thing as her, assuming they hadn¡¯t left their rooms as well because they didn¡¯t have time to refine the Profound Yellow Qi they had already absorbed...

    That would exin why they looked somewhat weak today, and why the aura of their Profound Yellow Qi wasn¡¯t as thick as she expected.

    This would also mean that yesterday¡¯s stock of Profound Yellow Qi had all fallen into Ye Qing¡¯s hands.

    When she realized this, a kaleidoscope of emotions struck Huo Linglong. She felt shock, astonishment, suspicion, fear, trepidation and more.

    Who would¡¯ve thought that someone had been stealing their Profound Yellow Qi from right under their nose this whole time?

    Who could¡¯ve thought that none of them would notice it?

    If she hadn¡¯t acted on a whim today, heavens only know how much longer she would have been kept in the dark. Had Ye Qing¡¯s n gone perfectly, he could¡¯ve killed all of them, and they might not even know who their killer was until the very end.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all me,¡± Ye Qing admitted without hesitation. ¡°What else do you want to know?¡±

    Huo Linglong was taken aback for a second. She wasn¡¯t expecting Ye Qing to admit it so frankly, so for a moment she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    A short whileter, Huo Linglong finally gathered herself and smiled like a subus. ¡°Hahaha... For now, I want to know your name. I¡¯ve never met a man who could y me and my peers like a fiddle. I feel like swooning just being in your presence.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the first woman who fell in love with me, so let¡¯s move on already, shall we?¡± Ye Qing said indifferently while sneering on the inside. <i>Thest person to call me hubby betrayed me as soon as she was done with me. Women!</i>

    His indifferent reaction was unexpected, but Huo Linglong quickly recovered and giggled again. ¡°I love confident, manly men like you, dearie. It makes me feel very at ease... So, how do you want to do this?¡±

    Ye Qing made his offer without any fanfare. ¡°Let¡¯s work together to eliminate Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang. Once they¡¯re dead, we¡¯ll split the Profound Yellow Qi between the two of us.¡±

    ¡°You truly are an audacious man, dearie. Sun Xuanzhen is the direct disciple of the leader of the Sword King City, and Yue Juejiang is a descendant of the Earthly Sovereign Hall. Aren¡¯t you worried that these two factions wille after you?¡± Huo Linglong asked smilingly.

    ¡°Sure I am. But they won¡¯t know who killed their precious junior, would they?¡± Ye Qing countered. Here in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, they existed in an isted space where they werepletely hidden from the rivers of fate. There was no way they would ever find out the truth.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. But even if you don¡¯t fear their factions, you must know that Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang aren¡¯t easy foes. Are you sure the two of us will be able to kill them?¡± Huo Linglong voiced her worries. ¡°It would be most troublesome if we fail to end them in one strike.¡±

    ¡°Worry not. They have no idea that we¡¯reing for them. So long as we n properly, there is no chance they will survive our ambush,¡± Ye Qing dered confidently.

    ¡°It sounds like a good idea, but how will this cooperation benefit me?¡± Huo Linglong asked.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ll only have to share the Profound Yellow Qi with me. Isn¡¯t that good enough? Besides, cooperation is your only choice unless you wish to fight me to the death and give up all the spoils to Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang. Surely you don¡¯t want that to happen?¡±

    ¡°Your argument makes a lot of sense.¡± Huo Linglong nodded seriously but changed her tune suddenly. ¡°But I still think it¡¯s too risky. You can make light of it all you want, but in the end, killing Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang is no easy feat. Not only that, no one knows who you are, so you can just pat your bum and walk away when all is said and done. But me? They know exactly who I am. Assuming the ambush goes poorly, I¡¯m the one who has to suffer all the consequences.¡±

    ¡°What do you want then?¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by this. It would be far more suspicious if Huo Linglong epted his offer without arguing to better her position. This was a negotiation after all.

    Huo Linglong pretended to think for a moment before saying, ¡°You know, you don¡¯t actually need<i> </i>to kill them to get what you want. I have a n that will allow grant us our wishes without having to take Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°Tell me.¡± Murder was just a tool to Ye Qing. If it was possible to obtain the Profound Yellow Qi without killing, then why not?

    Huo Linglong exined, ¡°I have a secret art that can make Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang submit per se. All I ask is that you help me in capturing them.¡±

    ¡°This way, we can obtain more Profound Yellow Qi without risking the wrath of the Sword King City and Earthly Sovereign Hall, effectively killing two birds with one stone. Isn¡¯t that nice?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s much harder to capture two people instead of killing them,¡± Ye Qing said with a frown. He had a feeling that Huo Linglong was plotting something, though he couldn¡¯t say what.

    Huo Linglong giggled. ¡°Perhaps, but it¡¯s much safer than killing them outright, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ye Qing fell silent for a moment before asking, ¡°How reliable is this secret art of yours?¡±

    Huo Linglong giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dearie. I can swear on my soul that my secret art is perfect.¡±

    Suddenly, a new voice interjected, ¡°Ahem. The Earthfire Pce of Demons has a secret art called the ¡®Demon nting Art of Mercury¡¯. It nts a demonic seed in its victims and transforms them into living incubators that are hopelessly in love with the person who imnted the seed. In other words, she would be gaining two subordinates who are eternally loyal to her.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, the demonic seed could awaken the victims¡¯ potential and drastically improve their cultivation speed. Am I right, Fire Princess?¡±

    Yi Pin was the speaker, of course. He had been ying dead until this moment.

    ¡°Who are you, Reverend? How do you know my sect¡¯s secret?¡± Huo Linglong looked at him in astonishment.

    She knew that the old Taoist was awake from the beginning. She just didn¡¯t pay him any attention because he was clearly a small fry. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have sumbed to her ¡°mes of Desire¡± at the first exchange.

    She was clearly wrong. Not only did the old Taoist know about the ¡°Demon nting Art of Mercury¡±, he was clearly well-versed with it. In fact, the secret art was a taboo and an absolute secret even within the faction itself, and only the head, the Fire Princess, and a handful of influential figures of the Earthfire Pce of Demons knew about it. Most of them had never even heard of the name ¡°Demon nting Art of Mercury¡±, much less outsiders.

    Naturally, she was stunned that this seemingly useless Taoist knew so much about her secret art.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a small fry and a nobody. You have nothing to worry about.¡± Yi Pin stroked his beard to give himself airs. ¡°I just happened to hear about the Demon nting Art of Mercury from a friend, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Huo Linglong frowned. She was now taking Yi Pin much more seriously, so much so that she was weighing if the risk of silencing the old Taoist was worth the reward.

    The way the old Taoist put it, the ¡°Demon nting Art of Mercury¡± wasn¡¯t a heretical martial art. In fact, maniptive martial arts like this were a dime a dozen in the <i>jianghu. </i>Some people might even <i>want </i>to be an incubator since it would awaken their potential and drastically improve their cultivation speed. All it would cost was their love and loyalty, so why not?

    However, that wasn¡¯t all the ¡°Demon nting Art of Mercury¡± could do. When the demonic seed within the incubator had matured, the imnter only needed to fuck the incubator once to obtain all of their cultivation and martial arts. Of course, the incubator would lose everything and turn into a powerless cripple.

    This was why the ¡°Demon nting Art of Mercury¡± was considered a taboo. This was why it was kept a secret even within the faction itself. The reason the heads, Fire Princesses and other influential figures in the Earthfire Pce of Demons progressed unnaturally swift in their cultivation was because they harvested the genius warriors of the <i>jianghu</i>, and their own disciples for their selfish desires.

    If this secret were to be made public, the Earthfire Pce of Demons would be in serious trouble to say the least. They might not be attacked by the entire <i>jianghu</i>, but their lives would certainly be a lot more difficult than before.

 Chapter 505: Yi Pin Was Like Holy Mother Of

    <h4>Chapter 505: Yi Pin Was Like Holy Mother Of </h4>

    ¡°Worry not, Miss Huo. If I really wanted to spread this news, I wouldn¡¯t have waited until today. Do I look like someone who is foolish or strong enough to threaten the Earthfire Pce of Demons? I have no desire to be hunted all over the realm by your old monsters.¡±

    As if he could guess Huo Linglong¡¯s thoughts, Yi Pin continued with a calm smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m just giving my brother a heads-up so he won''t overthink things and ruin what could be a safe and profitable partnership.¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. It was clear that Yi Pin and Huo Linglong had hidden something regarding the "Demon nting Art of Mercury"; something crucial. It was that secret that caused Huo Linglong to be nervous and awakened her desire to kill Yi Pin.

    He didn¡¯t ask about it though. He simply locked onto Huo Linglong and let his energies do all the talking.

    Huo Linglong hesitated for a moment, but she said, ¡°Haha... you¡¯re a senior, Reverend. Why wouldn¡¯t I believe your words?¡±

    In the end, she decided against killing Yi Pin because one, he wasn¡¯t trying to cheat her. The fact that he hadn¡¯t revealed everything there was to know about the "Demon nting Art of Mercury" was proof of his sincerity. Two, she could feel Ye Qing¡¯s gaze boring into her sides like daggers. She might not seed even if she tried to kill Yi Pin.

    ¡°It is as the Reverend says, Taoist. The secret art I will be using is the "Demon nting Art of Mercury", and I promise that it is perfect for its intended purpose.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I agree with your n.¡± Ye Qing nodded but changed his tune suddenly, ¡°However, I demand that we change our prior conditions.¡±

    Huo Linglong blinked as Ye Qing¡¯s silhouette became reflected in her pitch ck pupils. ¡°Oh? And what do you want to change, dearie?¡±

    Ye Qing dered, ¡°I can help you capture Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang, but in return, every wisp of Profound Yellow Qi will belong to me.¡±

    Huo Linglong¡¯s lips parted slightly. She couldn¡¯t believe how greedy Ye Qing was. The corners of her lips curled into a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye as she spoke, ¡°You¡¯re quite the greedy one, aren¡¯t you dearie?¡±

    Ye Qing replied calmly, ¡°Those two are far more valuable than a few wisps of Profound Yellow Qi, are they not?¡±

    ording to Yi Pin, the "Demon nting Art of Mercury" could convert Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang into her undying supporters. In other words, she would be gaining two powerful subordinates who would die to serve her, not to mention that the "Demon nting Art of Mercury" had other hidden uses.

    If Huo Linglong walked away from the negotiation table with just Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang and nothing else, it would¡¯ve been worth it for her. That was how valuable they were to her. Knowing this, Ye Qing would be aplete idiot to let her get away with half of the Profound Yellow Qi as well.

    ¡°How heartless of you. You already have the meat, but you will have the soup as well[1], dearie?¡± Huo Linglongined with faux grievance. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I would betray you to mypanions as soon as I exit this door?¡±

    ¡°First, this is a fair deal. It is true that I want the meat to myself, but I am throwing you a bone, am I not? To you, a few wisps of Profound Yellow Qi are not worth having Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang as your incubators.¡±

    Ye Qing continued indifferently, ¡°Second, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve figured out that I am your best chance to obtain Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang. Without me, chances are you won¡¯t be walking away with anyone or anything. But if you cooperate with me, then both of us will be happy with the oue. I hope you¡¯ll make the right choice, Miss Huo.¡±

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin was cut off from the river of fate, so oaths such as the Oath of Burden or the Dao Oath of Heart Demon were useless here. He could only make the best offer he could make, word his argument so it would seem that his way was the only way, and gamble that Huo Linglong would see it that way as well.

    It was true that Huo Linglong could betray him and work together with Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang to kill him as soon as she left this room. However, she should know from their brief sh that killing him would prove to be a much harder task than anticipated than it was for the two of them to work together and ambush Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang.

    Second, Yi Pin¡¯s timely interruption had made Huo Linglong second guessed his strength. Ye Qing knew with every fiber in his body that the old Taoist was a weakling right now, but Huo Linglong didn¡¯t. What if it wasn¡¯t a three versus one, but a three versus two? In any case, she had to admit that betrayal was a far less ptable option than cooperation.

    ¡°If you really wish to make an enemy out of me, then I can only say that I wee it. It won¡¯t be an easy fight, I admit, but I am confident that I will emerge victorious in the end. But what about you? Are you confident that you can defeat me?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me, dearie?¡± Huo Linglong beamed.

    ¡°No, I am simply stating facts,¡± Ye Qing replied calmly. ¡°As you¡¯re aware, there can be no cooperation without some measure of honesty and forthrightness.¡±

    ¡°You know, that is exactly what I want toin about. You know everything about me, but I know nothing about you. How is that being honest and forthright?¡± Huo Linglong argued. ¡°If you spread the news about what happened today, then I would be in serious trouble. Worse, I couldn¡¯t even seek you out and demand retribution. That isn¡¯t fair, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°So tell me who you are. You know exactly who I am on the inside, so allow me to discover the depth and breadth of your character as well. Only by baring ourselves to each other can we trust the other personpletely, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    <i>I think you¡¯re just jumping on the opportunity to make advances at me. </i>Ye Qing rolled his eyes internally and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, I¡¯m not in a position to reveal my identity to anyone right now. That is why I¡¯m donning a disguise. And even if I did tell you my identity, would you really believe me?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way. This guy here is my non-blood brother. His name is Yi Pin, and he is the head of the Temple of Divination. If today¡¯s matter is somehow exposed to the world, then you have my full permission to pay him a visit and take his life.¡±

    Huo Linglong: ¡°...¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡±

    At that moment, a million of gxies exploded in Yi Pin¡¯s head. <i>Holy mother of heavens are you kidding me right now?! I did everything in my power to help you, and you betray me as soon as it costs you something? Is this what people call selling out your teammates, stabbing your brother in the back, destroying the bridge after crossing the river, ughtering the donkey after the grinding is done, better you die than I die???</i>

    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re...¡±

    Yi Pin had no words to describe what just happened or what he was feeling right now. No words.

    Ye Qing patted him on the shoulder and consoled, ¡°Brother, you realized that she already saw your face, right? If Miss Huo wants to, it¡¯s only a matter of time before she discovers who you are. In that case, you might as well tell her the truth now and trust in her to protect your identity, and I¡¯m sure she will considering that she has more to lose than you in this matter.¡±

    ¡°Your logic is so impable that I¡¯m speechless,¡± blurted Yi Pin while staring at Ye Qing incredulously. He couldn¡¯t believe that someone so shameless actually existed in this world. <i>The bastard¡¯s almost as shameless as me¡ªptooey! What am I thinking? He </i>is <i>more shameless than I am!</i>

    In fact, Yi Pin had considered and epted the possibility that he might be exposed the moment he spoke about the "Demon nting Art of Mercury". However, it was one thing to let it happen naturally, and another for his brother to sell him out for his own fucking convenience!

    Noticing that Yi Pin was on the verge of exploding, Ye Qing hurriedly whispered under his breath, ¡°Do me this favor, and your debt¡ªthe Qi of Ultimate Purity¡ªto me is canceled, okay?¡±

    Yi Pin¡¯s expression only grew uglier. <i>You¡¯re going to bribe me with my own Qi of Ultimate Purity? Have some shame, you sonuvabitch! Also, I wasn¡¯t going to give you shit in the first ce, so screw you!</i>

    ¡°Oh! Are you the one they say could see life and death in one nce, and identify past and future in one divination, Reverend Yi Pin?¡± Huo Linglong suddenly interrupted their argument. ¡°I have heard much of you, Reverend. It is an honor to meet you in person.¡±

    ¡°You know me?¡± Yi Pin eximed in surprise. Then, he recalled something and asked, ¡°Yurong is the one who told you about me, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    Huo Linglong saluted him. ¡°She is my master.¡±

    Yurong was Huo Linglong¡¯s master and the previous Fire Princess, Shangguan Yurong. Right now, she was the Great Elder of the Earthfire Pce of Demons and a Grandmaster.

    ¡°It¡¯s been decades since west saw each other. How is she?¡± Yi Pin reminisced.

    Huo Linglong replied, ¡°She is doing great, Reverend. She is the Great Elder of the Earthfire Pce of Demons right now. She often spoke to me about you, and that you were the one who divined her future and helped her to avoid a tragic fate.¡±

    ¡°Divination may reveal the future, but it is up to the person to decide their own fate.¡± Yi Pin sighed. ¡°Yurong was the one who had the courage and determination to give up the seat of Sect Master at her highest moment. That is why she and she alone survived that tragedy. If I was in her position, I couldn¡¯t have made the same choice as her!¡±

    Huo Linglong said sincerely, ¡°You are being humble, Reverend. Without your guidance, my master would never have known about the grave threat looming over her shoulders; that she had a life-changing decision to make before it was toote. It¡¯s why my master always said that you are her greatest benefactor.¡±

    She was telling the truth. Back then, Shangguan Yurong waspeting against Luo Nanfeng, the current head of the Earthfire Pce of Demons, for the position of Sect Master. In fact, her master was the one who held the upper hand against herpetitor the entire time with great power and numerous supporters. She had been one step away from bing the Sect Master.

    Shangguan Yurong and Yi Pin were good friends, and one day she decided to pay her old friend a visit. When the old Taoist saw Shanguan Yurong, he shook his head and said with a sigh, ¡°The brightest radiance may end in a single moment, a smallpromise may secure a boundless future.¡±

    ¡°Take care, Yurong.¡±

    1. A Chinese idiom meaning to take everything, though depending on the wording it could also mean, ¡°You already have the main portion of the pie, it¡¯s okay to give up the crumbs. ?

 Chapter 506: Yo, Do You Feel Like Shit Today?

    <h4>Chapter 506: Yo, Do You Feel Like Shit Today? </h4>

    After Shangguan Yurong returned to her sect, she immediately resigned from her position (Fire Princess) and beat a hasty retreat. She gave up everything and stoppedpeting for the position of Sect Master altogether. At the time, everyone thought that Shangguan Yurong had gone insane and showered her with insults and ridicule.

    On the day of the session, Luo Nanfeng shocked everyone by suddenly turning the tables against his opponents and ughtering them all. Shangguan Yurong was the only one who survived because of her decisive withdrawal, and Luo Nanfeng respected her decisiveness and prescience so much that he decided to make her his right hand. To this day, she remained one of the most influential figures of the Earthfire Pce of Demons.

    ¡°The brightest radiance may end in a single moment, a smallpromise may secure a boundless future.¡± Yi Pin¡¯s prophecy had been spot on. If Shangguan Yurong had chosen to ignore his words, she might not be alive today. It was why she viewed him as her benefactor, respected him as a senior, and cherished her memories of him to this day.

    Some sects received the hereticalbel because their core philosophy or methodologies didn¡¯t align with the orthodoxy, but the Earthfire Pce of Demons was a demonic sect through and through. Everyone was constantly trying to deceive the other person, and everyone had a heart of stone. In their world, the concept of truth, kindness, good faith, sincerity and more were the lowest of lows, and that was a belief Shangguan Yurong shared as well.

    There was an exception, however. The only time Shangguan Yurong acted wholly different from her beliefs was when she spoke of Yi Pin. When the old Taoist entered the conversation, her smile was bright, and her expression was sunny. No one else¡ªnot even Huo Linglong, her disciple¡ªcould elicit such a smile from her.

    Huo Linglong returned from her memoryne and asked puzzledly, ¡°But what happened to you, Reverend? Why are you...¡±

    ording to Shangguan Yurong, Yi Pin was a handsome, elegant and refined man whose cultivation was deeper than the sea itself. The old man before her was, well, old, but she supposed her master wasn¡¯t exaggerating since could spot vestiges of his former looks here and there. His cultivation though? To say it was shallow would be an understatement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about my cultivation,¡± Yi Pin cut her off curtly before changing the subject. ¡°Please bring Yurong my greetings when you return to your sect.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m sure she will be very happy to hear about you.¡± Huo Linglong smiled.

    ¡°Oh right, I have a question, Linglong. How did you figure out that we were just pretending to be hurt just now? I thought our disguise was perfect,¡± Yi Pin asked.

    Huo Linglong giggled at that. ¡°And it is a pretty good disguise. The problem is that neither of you should be alive at all. There is no reason for a Vessel Augmentor and an early-stage Spirit Purifier to be able to survive the Fire God Moth and the Children of the Frost in a row, you know? That was the biggest hole in your facade.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, the Children of the Frost was the Stranger who showed upst night. Assuming you were hurt during the trial, you should be covered in frostbites or something, no? However, neither of you look frozen in the slightest. That is why I suspected that you were feigning weakness.¡±

    ¡°But of course, I couldn¡¯t be sure that my deductions were true, which is why I chose to attack you. If I was wrong, then whatever. If I was right, then I was right. Speaking of which, I hope you won¡¯t take offense with this junior¡¯s actions.¡±

    Realization struck both Ye Qing and Yi Pin. They had definitely gotten careless at the end there. ¡°Of course not. Your master chose well, Linglong. You are as smart and aplished as her when she was younger.¡±

    ¡°Ahem. Since you know Yi Pin, you can definitely rest easy now, can you not?¡± Ye Qing coughed. He had no idea that Yi Pin and Huo Linglong¡¯s master were old acquaintances. In fact, it sounded like they were... very close. No wonder the old lecher dared to divulge the Earthfire Pce of Demons¡¯ greatest secret like it was nothing.

    This was a good thing, of course. There was now some actual trust in their cooperation.

    As he spoke, Ye Qing blinked rapidly at Yi Pin. <i>The fuck you¡¯re waiting for? Help me!</i>

    Yi Pin blinked back. <i>You sold me just now, and you want me to be your spokesperson? Dream on!</i>

    Ye Qing blinked again. <i>We¡¯re brothers, aren¡¯t we? There is no wrong that we can¡¯t settle on the spot. What if I give you a bottle of Nature¡¯s Water?</i>

    Yi Pin arranged his features into dripping disdain. <i>You think you can heal my wounded heart with just a bottle of Nature¡¯s Water? Dream on!</i>

    Ye Qing blinked. <i>Two bottles then!</i>

    Yi Pin remained unmoved.

    Blink blink. <i>Three bottles!</i>

    Yi Pin pretended he couldn¡¯t see anything.

    Ye Qing frowned deeply before gritting his teeth. <i>Four bottles, and that¡¯s my final offer!</i>

    Yi Pin merely scoffed at him.

    In the end, Ye Qing caved to the pressure. <i>Fine! I¡¯ll give you five! You better not push me any further!</i>

    Finally, Yi Pin broke into a smile. <i>Deal.</i>

    Ye Qing sighed in relief. It was the same feeling; the same form. Thank goodness the bastard was still the same shitstain he knew.

    Yi Pin took a moment to clear his throat before starting, ¡°Ahem. Linglong? This boy may be insidious, vicious, shameless, brazen, greedy and insatiable, but he is a man of his word. I swear on my honor that he won¡¯t reveal what happened today, and if something did go wrong, then you have my permission to seek me out and receive your due, okay?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t feel angry when he heard this. In fact, he felt likeughing out loud. <i>That doesn¡¯t sound like me at all! That sounds like </i>you, <i>old man!</i>

    Huo Linglong ignored their interaction and giggled. ¡°You¡¯re my master¡¯s benefactor, Reverend. Of course I have faith in your promise. I look forward to work with you, dearie.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Same here.¡±

    Huo Linglong asked, ¡°So, are we going to act now, or...?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°No. We¡¯ll wait until tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow? Why¡¯s that?¡± Huo Linglong looked puzzled.

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Because our chances of sess will be higher, of course.¡±

    ......

    Another day passed, and Sun Xuanzhen was really starting to wonder if his streak of bad luck was a sign of something... unnatural.

    He thought his woes were over after he pooped all day the day before yesterday, but no, it was just the beginning. For starters, he was gued by a terrible headache the whole day yesterday. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, yesterday¡¯s trial was none other than the infamous Smelly Wind.

    As its name implied, the Smelly Wind was an extremely smelly wind. It was a kind of stench no one had ever known until they smelled it, and it couldn¡¯t be isted even if one sealed their sense of smellpletely.

    Whenever the Smelly Wind appeared, nine out of ten households including the animals usually suffocated to death. The Smelly Wind wasn¡¯t a Stranger, but depending on the circumstances, it could be worse than even a Disaster-ss Stranger.

    Not only that, he felt like the Smelly Wind was specifically targeting him for some reason. It kept blowing into his room until he felt likemitting suicide. Seriously.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the pills he knew could help him resist the Smelly Wind suddenly went missing, and his Strange Artifacts he brought out suddenly malfunctioned for whatever reason. After the Smelly Wind was gone, his pills reappeared, and his Strange Artifacts suddenly returned to normal. How annoying was that?

    As a result, he felt both mentally and physically exhausted. He was barely aware of what was happening when he left his room to carry out his usual rounds.

    He wasn¡¯t too distracted to notice that Yue Juejiang and Huo Linglong looked just as pale and tired as him, however. Schadenfreude immediately rejuvenated him a little. <i>Yo! Do you guys feel like shit as well?</i>

    Suddenly, Sun Xuanzhen heard Huo Linglong muttering to herself, ¡°What on earth is going on? It¡¯s been bad luck after bad luck recently.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What did you just say?¡± Sun Xuanzhen had thought that something was off since the first day his luck went to shit, but now it had evolved into full blown suspicion. ¡°Did you just say you were incredibly unlucky as ofte, Fire Princess?¡±

    ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Huo Linglong looked disgruntled. ¡°Are you happy that I¡¯m on an unlucky streak?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m on an unlucky streak myself,¡± Sun Xuanzhen said seriously.

    Yue Juejiang was walking away because he was too tired for human interaction today, but he immediately returned upon hearing their conversation. ¡°Wait a second. It¡¯s the same for me!¡±

    ¡°You too?¡± Sun Xuanzhen frowned deeply before divulging the truth. ¡°The day before yesterday, I had a terrible stomach ache that kept me in my room the whole day. Yesterday, I had a terrible migraine and was forced to stay inside my room again.¡±

    Yue Juejiang eximed in astonishment, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a stomach ache or a headache, but I too didn¡¯t leave my room for simr reasons!¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡± Huo Linglong nodded simply before nching. ¡°No, no! Something¡¯s very wrong about this!¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± Sun Xuanzhen asked.

    Huo Linglong answered, ¡°Yesterday, when we left to collect the Profound Yellow Qi after the trial, did any of you sense the aura of the Profound Yellow Qi from the people?¡±

    ¡°... No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°Me neither.¡±

    ¡°The day before yesterday, all three of us left our rooms exactly once, right? After that, we were forced to stay inside our rooms because of our bad luck, right? This means that those we weren¡¯t able to visit should¡¯ve absorbed their Profound Yellow Qi. In reality, not a single one of them exude its aura. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s strange?¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen figured out Huo Linglong¡¯s meaning immediately. ¡°You¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a fourth person who stole our Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    It would also exin why all three of them had suddenly be insanely unlucky. Someone was forcing them to stay in their rooms so they could im all the Profound Yellow Qi for themselves.

    But Yue Juejiang said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a chance the worms allowed the Profound Yellow Qi to disappear on its own because they¡¯re too afraid of us, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen: ¡°...¡±

    Huo Linglong: ¡°...¡±

    Anyone with even a single brain cell in their head wouldn¡¯t make such a stupid statement. Or was he so damaged that he sincerely believed that everyone besides his kin was retarded?

    Huo Linglong pretended that she hadn¡¯t heard Yue Juejiang and dered, ¡°All we need to do is to question someone that neither of us had visited the day before yesterday to find out the truth. If they im that they refined the Profound Yellow Qi or allowed it to dissipate, then I suppose we¡¯re just overthinking this. If not, then we will know that someone was stealing our Profound Yellow Qi.¡±

    With that said, Huo Linglong strode toward a room, and both Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang were right behind her.

 Chapter 507: Donâ€™t Worry, He Canâ€™t Escape

    <h4>Chapter 507: Don¡¯t Worry, He Can¡¯t Escape </h4>

    Huo Linglong immediately strode toward a room all three of them hadn¡¯t visited the day before yesterday. After opening the door, she moved aside and motioned for Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang to head in first. The two men didn¡¯t suspect a thing and stepped into the room immediately.

    The room was extremely small and barely big enough to fit a handful of people. After they went inside, there was almost no room for a fourth person. That was probably why Huo Linglong chose to hang outside the door behind them.

    The resident of the room was a somewhat boorish-looking man. Stunned to see Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang barging into his space, he hurriedly shot to his feet and asked in a nervous tone, ¡°W-What do you need from me?¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen asked directly, ¡°What did you do with your Profound Yellow Qi yesterday?¡±

    The man looked confused. ¡°I... gave it to you?¡±

    ¡°Me? Are you sure it was me?¡± Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s voice grew a tad harsher.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± the man looked even more confused.

    ¡°Just answer the question!¡± Yue Juejiang interrupted impatiently.

    Seemingly intimidated by Yue Juejiang, the man answered fearfully, ¡°Of... Of course it was Brother Sun. I saw it with my own eyes.¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang exchanged a nce with each other and thought, <i>there really is a thief among us.</i>

    Neither man noticed the timid man suddenly bending his fingers and tapping the space in front of him. A wave of anomalous energy immediately washed out and robbed them of their consciousness. Thick fog surging out of his body and covering everything with sixty meters of him[1], the man stepped forward and unleashed a pair of punches at Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang¡¯s chest.

    The instant his fists made contact, powerful sword qi suddenly surged out and surrounded Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s body like a barrier, and Yue Juejiang¡¯s skin took on a shade of bronze. It sounded like he was striking a thick chunk of metal instead of flesh.

    The man ignored it all, however. He just kept pressing forward until his right fist shattered Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s sword qi barrier, and his left fist cracked Yue Juejiang¡¯s bronze body. Once done, he withdrew his fist exactly half an inch.

    Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang had already regained their consciousness while he was retracting his fists, and they looked shocked to say the least. The sword qi barrier protecting Sun Xuanzhen was an ultimate technique in the ¡°Sword King Scripture¡± known as the ¡°Sword Qi Protects The Golden Pce¡±. Capable of both offense and defense, the practitioner must hone the ¡°Sword Qi Protects the Golden Pce¡± until their sword heart gained a sixth sense of its own before they could use the technique. In times of crisis, the sword qi would activate on its own and envelop its practitioner in a protective barrier. In times of aggression, it could also be used to attack the enemy.

    The sword technique¡¯s greatest strengthy in the fact that it didn¡¯t require its practitioner¡¯s will to activate. It would automatically protect its owner if it sensed a certain level of danger, and it was powerful enough to block the full-powered attack of a Half-Step Grandmaster and buy time for its practitioner to react.

    Not this time though. Somehow, the unknown man had shattered his ¡°Sword Qi Protects The Golden Pce¡± in one punch. Sun Xuanzhen was shocked to put it mildly.

    Yue Juejiang was even more shocked than the swordsman, however. Although he wasn¡¯t a pure body-tempering warrior, the warriors of the Earthly Sovereign Hall were famous for their powerful body. Yue Juejiang had cultivated its ultimate art, the ¡°Profound Yellow Art of Heaven and Earth¡± since young, and he had long since reached the journeyman level and attained a Profound Yellow Bronze Body.

    The three stages of the ¡°Profound Yellow Art of Heaven and Earth¡± were distinguished by the type of body the practitioner achieved, namely the Iron Body, Bronze Body, and Golden Body. A practitioner with an Iron Body was immune to conventional weapons, a Bronze Body feared nothing from the elements, and a Golden Body was impervious to all tribtions because it had achieved sagehood.

    The Profound Yellow Bronze Body was so strong that it allowed him, a Half-Step Spirit Master, to withstand the full-powered attack of Sun Xuanzhen and Huo Linglong without a scratch. It was strong enough to endure even the attacks of ate-stage Spirit Master or a Half-Step Grandmaster for a short time. That was why the two Spirit Masters had treated him as their equal.

    But now, this unknown man had cracked his Profound Yellow Bronze Body in one punch. Such was his strength that his vigor was churning like a seastorm.

    ¡°Insolent cur! Die!¡±

    As shocked as they were, neither Sun Xuanzhen nor Yue Juejiang were greenhorns who would allow their emotions to ovee them in the heat of a battle. As soon as they saw him withdrawing his fists as if he was spent, they immediately recognized it as an opportunity and attacked him together.

    Sun Xuanzhen pressed his fingers together and swung down like he would split apart the gates of heaven themselves.

    <i>¡°Sky Splitting Sword Qi¡±</i>

    Yue Juejiang also unleashed a palm strike that looked and felt like the apoplectic rage of mountains and rivers.

    <i>¡°Mountain River God Palm¡± </i>[2]

    The man didn¡¯t panic, however. He simply extended his fists half an inch forward.

    A storm could blow inside a cup. Half an inch could topple the heavens. Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s ¡°Sky Splitting Sword Qi¡± or Yue Juejiang¡¯s ¡°Mountain River God Palm¡± had just taken form when the man punched them in the chest once more.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A small shudder overcame the two men. Then, half of Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s body exploded into bits, and Yue Juejiang¡¯s chest caved inward. Bright red blood gushed out of every orifice.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    The two men let out a bloodcurdling, fearful scream. Death was breathing down their necks, and they couldn¡¯t help but quake in fear.

    It was at this moment Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s ruthlessness and decisiveness shone. Before Yue Juejiang could recover his wits, he kicked the man and sent him flying toward their attacker. At the same time, he pounced for the exit.

    ¡°Sun Xuanzhen, you...!¡±

    Yue Juejiang¡¯s eyes bulged with shock and fury. He couldn¡¯t believe that Sun Xuanzhen would sacrifice him to buy time for his own escape.

    The young man had grown up sheltered in the Earthly Sovereign Hall. As aplished as he was, he had never experienced the ruthless reality of the <i>jianghu. </i>This was the first time he learned of the dark side of humanity, and unfortunately for him, it might very well be thest.

    Yue Juejiang was still gripped by rage and sorrow when the unknown man caught him by the neck. He was so strong that he was unable to move a muscle at all.

    After Yue Juejiang forged his Profound Yellow Bronze Body, he became as strong as five dragon elephants. However, he was powerless to resist the unknown man like a baby was powerless to throw back the strength of an adult.

    The realization made him afraid, angry, helpless, and hateful. He hated the man, and he hated his betrayer, Sun Xuanzhen, even more.

    As if he could sense his emotions, the corners of the unknown man¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smirk. A small voice resounded inside his mind, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t escape.¡±

    Who was he? Yue Juejiang could think of one and only one man. So, he turned his head and stared at Sun Xuanzhen.

    Meanwhile, Sun Xuanzhen was wearing a pleased smile on his face. The fact that the unknown man had caught Yue Juejiang only filled him with a sense of satisfaction instead of guilt or sorrow. It was because Yue Juejiang¡¯s ¡°valiant¡± sacrifice had bought him a chance to survive.

    Why would he care if Yue Juejiang lived or died? His life was more valuable than all other lives in this world. As for the Earthly Sovereign Hall, he could worry about them after he survived this crisis.

    ¡°Kill him now, Fire Princess! Otherwise, we¡¯re all gonna die!¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen roared while grabbing a pill from his Nature¡¯s Shell. It was called the Sword King Pill, and its main function was to heal one¡¯s physical injuries and restore one¡¯s energies. If he ate it, a bit of time was all he needed to regenerate the exploded half of his body. He would have a shot at turning the tables against the unknown man then.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s back was facing toward Huo Linglong[3], so he didn¡¯t see the scornful smile spreading across her face. Yue Juejiang did though. At that moment, realization struck him like a lightning bolt.

    <i>They¡¯re on the same side!</i>

    Huo Linglong took a step forward and cut off Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s retreat, her upper body pressed snugly against his back. Realizing that something was horribly wrong, the swordsman shouted in shock and panic, ¡°What are you doing, Huo Linglong?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m helping you!¡±

    He tried to react, but it was toote. A ck nail appeared between her fingers, and Huo Linglong stabbed it into his neck with a giggle. <i>See? I¡¯m ensuring that your inevitable downfall would be as painless as possible.</i>

    ¡°You...¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen turned around and red at Huo Linglong. He looked like he would swallow her alive if he could. ¡°The two of you are on the same side?!¡±

    1. Well, the door is open, and there are gaps between the door and the threshold of each room. Otherwise, everyone would just suffocate to death. ?

    2. Once in a while, I feelzy and I¡¯m like, instead of Divine Palm of Mountains and Rivers, let¡¯s just trante it literally because no one gives a shit and this guy is soon to be dead anyway. ?

    3. Remember, he kicked Yue Juejiang toward the unknown man and pushed himself away, so his back was facing the exit this whole time. ?

 Chapter 508: This Is The Jianghu

    <h4>Chapter 508: This Is The Jianghu </h4>

    ¡°You¡¯re such a smart man, Brother Sun,¡± Huo Linglong breathed into Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s ear while hugging his neck intimately. Somehow who didn¡¯t know anything about the circumstances would have thought they were lovers.

    Despite the warmth and softness pressing against his back, Sun Xuanzhen felt like he was submerged in a pool of ice. ¡°It was a setup from the beginning.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just fear that turned his blood ice cold. The nail Huo Linglong had stabbed into his neck was sealing his astral qi and spirit and scattering his strength. He was growing weaker by the second until it became impossibly difficult to move even a finger.

    Right now, the only parts of his body that were still moving were his mouth and his heart.

    The unnatural coldness afflicted upon him by the nail was nothingpared to the coldness in his heart, however. By now, he realized that they had been set up.

    From the moment they were beset by an unlucky streak, the unknown man had begun weaving a massive trap for them. At the same time, his cohort Huo Linglong slowly but deftly led them into this trap.

    He had always thought himself to be a wise man, but now, he realized that he was nothing more but a foolish prey.

    ¡°But why? Why are you doing this?¡±

    There was one thing he didn¡¯t understand, however. Why did Huo Linglong choose to cooperate with this unknown man and entrap them?

    Was it for vengeance? No, that couldn¡¯t be right. They didn¡¯t even know each other until they entered the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, and as far as he could tell they shared no conflicts of interest with each other.

    Was it for faction power? That couldn¡¯t be right either. While the Earthfire Pce of Demons and the Sword King City were both major sects in the northernnds, they made sure to stay out of each other¡¯s way. He hadn¡¯t heard of any deaths or even conflicts between their people.

    Was it for fame then? For self-interest?

    He just couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter what he tried.

    ¡°I did it for you, of course.¡± Huo Linglong giggled while caressing Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s cheeks. She then looked at Yue Juejiang and shot him a wink. ¡°And you as well, Brother Yue.¡±

    A momentter, Sun Xuanzhen said, ¡°I¡¯m the sect leader¡¯s direct disciple, and he left a mental imprint in me. If you kill me, none of you will be able to escape.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes! I¡¯m a descendant of the Earthly Sovereign Hall, and the Discipline Elder is my grandfather. Their bloodline secret art also runs in my veins. If you kill me, the Earthly Sovereign Hall will chase you to the ends of the earth!¡±

    Yue Juejiang finally recalled his own patron and threatened, ¡°You best release me now before it¡¯s toote!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... don¡¯t be like this, dearies. You¡¯re scaring me.¡± Huo Linglong said sweetly, ¡°I never said I would kill you. I could never bear to part ways with cuties like you two.¡±

    ¡°What on earth are you nning?¡± Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s unease only grew.

    Huo Linglong giggled. ¡°He wants the Profound Yellow Qi. As for me, I already told you what I want. I want the two of you.¡±

    The woman was about to say more, but the unknown man interrupted curtly, ¡°Cut the bullcrap and finish what you¡¯re doing already, will you?¡±

    The unknown man was Ye Qing, of course. He got impatient when he noticed that Huo Linglong was going to divulge the entirety of their n like aic book viin. <i>Seriously, why do all viins have the bad habit of monologuing over their victims? Do they get a kick out of showing off to a bunch of defeated losers? Aren¡¯t they afraid that the losers would exploit the information and turn the tables against her?</i>

    As he said this, Ye Qing hit the back of Yue Juejiang¡¯s neck with his palm and shook his body once. Every joint in the young man¡¯s body came apart, and he copsed to the floor like a boneless pile of meat.

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry, dearie?¡± Huo Linglongined with displeasure.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that viins die because they talk too much?¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes.

    Huo Linglong: ¡°...¡± <i>No, I¡¯ve never heard of that saying.</i>

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s eyes bulged with fear when he saw what Ye Qing did to Yue Juejiang, but before he could say anything else, Ye Qing let out a cold, unfeeling grunt and said, ¡°Silence.¡±

    Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s consciousness abruptly blurred and sank into an infinite pool of darkness. At the same time, blood spilled freely out of his orifices like a fountain. The same thing had happened to Yue Juejiang as well.

    Huo Linglong panicked a little when she saw this, but Ye Qing assured her, ¡°Rx. They¡¯re still alive.¡±

    After Huo Linglong checked the two men¡¯s condition and confirmed that Ye Qing was telling the truth, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Even so, Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang¡¯s injuries were anything but insignificant. Sun Xuanzhen was missing half of his body, and Yue Juejiang had a caved chest and an innumerable number of broken joints. Both their minds had received varying degrees of damage as well.

    Their physical injuries were easy to fix despite their horrid appearance. With the right medicine, it was only a matter of time before theypletely recovered. Their mental damage was a different story. It would take at least a year for them to recover in full, if not longer.

    ¡°You went a little too far, dearie,¡± Huo Linglongined.

    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t exactly hold back when my life is on the line. I hope you won¡¯t mind,¡± said Ye Qing with a cating smile on his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Huo Linglong smiled back, though she didn¡¯t really believe him.

    Huo Linglong was willing to give Ye Qing the benefit of the doubt for not being able to hold back during the ambush, but what he did after the two men were already incapacitated could only be described as too much. Moreover, she had a feeling that he had a hand in Yue Juejiang and Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s unusually severe mental injuries, though she didn¡¯t have the proof to use him of foul y.

    That said, she knew exactly why he had done this. He was afraid that she would betray him as soon as she took control of Yue Juejiang and Sun Xuanzhen.

    In fact, the idea had crossed her mind. She had wondered if she could kill Ye Qing or turn him into her incubator after taking control of Yue Juejiang and Sun Xuanzhen. As for Yi Pin, she could just kill him and be done with it. He might be her master¡¯s benefactor, but he wasn¡¯t <i>her </i>benefactor, was he? Even if he was her benefactor, she still would¡¯ve killed him if he proved to be an obstacle.

    Some people might call her treacherous, cruel and heartless. All she had to say to those people was this:

    This is the <i>jianghu</i>, dearie.

    That was before she saw Ye Qing punching Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s sword qi barrier into shreds and cracking Yue Juejiang¡¯s Profound Yellow Bronze Body with his first attack, and annihting half of Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s body and caving Yue Juejiang¡¯s chest with his second attack though.

    The three of them had shed briefly during their first meeting, so she knew exactly how strong Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s ¡°Sword Qi Protects the Golden Pce¡± and Yue Juejiang¡¯s ¡°Profound Yellow Bronze Body¡± was. Despite this, Ye Qing had managed to destroy one of their strongest trump cards in one punch. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Ye Qing had defeated the two men with pure strength slone. He hadn¡¯t used his Strange Artifacts, his Purple Sun Trueme and more. That was all she needed to see to extinguish the thoughtpletely.

    Sure, someone might argue that he had caught them by surprise, but if she was in his position, she didn¡¯t think she would¡¯ve seeded. Even if she did seed, she would have been forced to reveal every trick in her book.

    Power wasn¡¯t the only thing Ye Qing possessed either. He was smart, cunning, and ruthless as well. After all, he had been stealing their Profound Yellow Qi under their nose for days, and not a single one of them had noticed his actions until she ruined it by pure coincidence.

    The n that he crafted to entrap Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang proved that it wasn¡¯t a fluke as well. By now, she had learned that the item he used to give her, Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang bad luck was something called the Incense of Misfortune, and at the beginning, he was only using it to keep them in their rooms and steal their Profound Yellow Qi. But after he acquired her cooperation, he decided to turn it into a full-blown death trap.

    How she should start the conversation, how she should make Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang notice that something was wrong without drawing their suspicion, how she should take control of the conversation so that the situation wouldn¡¯t slip out of their grasp, when and where to spring their trap and so on, nearly every part of the n had been crafted by his truly.

    Ye Qing had given her one and only one job, and that was to act exactly as he ordered. That was all. Frankly, anyone could¡¯ve performed her role if she wasn¡¯t the only other person Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang trusted in this ce.

    The only way to kill someone so formidable was to catch him unawares and kill him in one fell swoop. If that was impossible, then it was better not to offend him in the first ce. Otherwise, a world of misery and pain was sure to befall the attacker.

    Forget that Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang were heavily injured right now, Huo Linglong wasn¡¯t sure she could threaten Ye Qing even when the duo were perfectly unharmed. That was why she gave up on the ideapletely.

    Why would she make a terrifying enemy she couldn¡¯t kill when she could choose not to?

    Better yet, why would she not befriend such a formidable warrior when the option was avable to her?

    In fact, Huo Linglong was the one who should be worried that Ye Qing would turn on <i>her. </i>And she was. What were the chances she could make it out alive if Ye Qing really wanted to silence her?

    She couldn¡¯t bear to make the calction.

    ¡°Say, dearie... you wouldn¡¯t turn on your beloved partner, would you?¡± Huo Linglong asked after a moment of silence.

 Chapter 509: Humanity Is Always Worth It

    <h4>Chapter 509: Humanity Is Always Worth It </h4>

    ¡°Would you?¡± Ye Qing returned the question with a smirk.

    He knew what Hong Linglong was worried about. After all, he was the one who engineered the situation to produce such an effect. The reason he didn¡¯t execute the n immediately after their agreement was because one, to further weaken Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang using the Incense of Misfortune, two, to incite their suspicion naturally and led them into his trap, and three, to buy time so he could refine his Profound Yellow Qi and strengthen himself as much as possible.

    Yesterday, he had refined nine wisps of Profound Yellow Qi in total. As a result, he was now nine dragon-elephants strong and one step away from reaching the adept level of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±.

    The increase from eight dragon elephants worth of strength to nine dragon elephants seemed insignificant, but his enemies would beg to differ. Even Chen Ah Sheng was only nine dragon elephants strong back then.

    That didn¡¯t mean he was now as strong as Chen Ah Sheng though. On the contrary, the dead man would most likely kick his ass like nothing in a straight brawl. Chen Ah Sheng had tempered his body for many years and honed his strength to perfection. In fact, he was one step away from breaking through his physical limit and attaining ten dragon elephants worth of strength¡ªalso known as one sky dragon¡ªwhich would make him a Trueman Grandmaster.

    Besides that, Chen Ah Sheng had long since mastered his body, vigor and strength to perfection and forged a true Chaos Demon Ape Body. Compared to him, Ye Qing was no different from a fat man who hadn¡¯t converted his fat into muscles, or a raw gem that hadn¡¯t been refined into a diamond.

    Thankfully, his opponents were no Chen Ah Sheng. His raw, unrefined strength alone was enough to take down Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang at the same time.

    Finally, the show of strength was also meant to put Huo Linglong in her ce. Considering how cunning and whimsical the woman was, the show of strength was absolutely necessary to keep her in check.

    Technically, he could kill her and end the threat she represented cleanly and permanently, but it was unnecessary. For one, he couldn¡¯t anticipate what kind of secret art her seniors might have nted in her. If he killed her, he could be afflicted with an irremovable curse just like the Bronze Toad of Cornucopia had done back then, or it could be something else that allowed her sect to identify her murderer. In any case, the point of killing her was to remove the risk of discovery, so if that wasn¡¯t possible, then the risk just wasn¡¯t worth the reward.

    Second, she didn¡¯t know who he was, so she couldn¡¯t seek him out and cause him trouble. Moreover, she was the one who stood to lose the most if this matter was exposed. Therefore, there was little harm in leaving her alive. He just needed to make sure that she remained intimidated until their eventual departure from the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Huo Linglong replied smilingly.

    Ye Qing let out an amiable chuckle. ¡°The feeling is mutual. Once again, all I want is the Profound Yellow Qi, so you have nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very d to hear that,¡± said Huo Linglong while patting her voluptuous chest and causing it to wobble outrageously.

    ¡°One more thing. Are you sure no one would find out what we did today?¡±

    ¡°My fog can prevent others from spying with their senses, and the owner of this room had already diedst night. No one will find out about this.¡±

    Ye Qing looked away and said slowly, ¡°Speaking of which, I will be pretending to be Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang and collecting the Profound Yellow Qi for the rest of my time here, so make sure to hide them properly after you return to your room. So as long as the genuine article remains hidden, no one will ever find out what happened today.¡±

    ¡°I get it. I promise I will cherish my cute little treasures.¡± Huo Linglong giggled.

    ¡°Alright. If there¡¯s nothing else, you may return to your room, Miss Huo,¡± Ye Qing dered.

    Huo Linglong said in an aggrieved tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to stay with me a little longer, dearie.¡±

    ¡°Frankly, no,¡± Ye Qing replied bluntly. <i>If you think you¡¯re more attractive than the Profound Yellow Qi, think again.</i>

    ¡°How heartless!¡± gasped Huo Linglong, though it was only in jest. After all, she needed to nt her demonic seeds in Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang as soon as possible. What if the two men were teleported out of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin before she took control of them? The consequences would be unimaginable to put it mildly.

    ¡°Goodbye then, but do know that my door is always open to you, dearie!¡± Huo Linglong said onest time before leaving with Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang.

    After the woman was gone, Ye Qing assumed Sun Xuanzhen¡¯s appearance and walked toward a room.

    <i>Here Ie, my Profound Yellow Qi!</i>

    ......

    ¡°Phew... it¡¯s finally over. I can finally go home!¡±

    Inside a room, Yi Pin let out a huge sigh of relief after the gue Cloud harassing them many hours ago had finally departed. At the same time, a sense of pure joy filled his veins.

    Today was the ninth day he entered the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. It was also hisst day in this ce. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he could finally go home and enjoy his peaceful, carefree life once more.

    The past few days had been absolute hell for Yi Pin. Every time he thought that the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin couldn¡¯t possibly surprise him anymore, it would produce a trial that was even scarier and more anomalous than before. For example, there was the Nightmare Skull that gave its victims endless nightmares and no way to awaken back to the real world, The Air Devourer that could rob an entire region of air and leave only vacuum behind, the Laughing Crying Spores that were smaller than dust and could enter a people¡¯s body through the respiratory system and make themugh or weep like they were crazy, and finally the gue Cloud that could infect them with all kinds of diseases.

    Although Ye Qing¡¯s presence ensured that most of these trials ended in harmless fashion, there was no avoiding the suffering. Even a youngster in his prime could¡¯ve crumbled under such torture, much less an old man like him!

    Thankfully, he could finally leave this heavens-forsaken-ce.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before he could finally have happiness once more!

    ¡°Congrattions, brother!¡± Ye Qing congratted Yi Pin while rising his feet. The simple motion somehow gave Yi Pin the impression that a tall, imposing and massive mountain was growing out of the ground and shaking the world around him.

    Right now, Ye Qing¡¯s skin color didn¡¯t look human. It was a strange mixture of yellow and ck that ended up looking like neither. His skin was covered in crisscrossing lines that gave it the appearance of a withered tree bark, except no tree bark could possibly exude this much vitality and strength. Despite its chaotic-looking patterns, a closer examination gave the impression of enigma, strength and beauty.

    Not only that, the surrounding air hummed low and insistent almost as if they were cowering before his presence when he moved around, and some sort of profound, mysterious power quietly poured out of his pores ording to the flow of his vigor and the movement of his muscles.

    ¡°Congrattions to you as well, brother!¡± Yi Pin sighed. These days, Ye Qing felt less like a human and more like a Stranger d in human skin.

    After he cooperated with Huo Linglong, and Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang were removed from the equation, there was no one left in this anomalous space that could threaten Ye Qing. So, he began training all day and night. Yes, training. Instead of rushing to refine all of the Profound Yellow Qi he had collected, he instead focused on familiarizing himself with his new strength.

    The effects were quite profound. Technically speaking, his physical strength had barely grown since a few days ago. In reality, he was much, much stronger than before. He could now fight ate-stage Spirit Master head on and was practically on the same level as ate-stage body-tempering Spirit Master.

    <i>There are countless body-tempering warriors out there who never reached his heights despite spending half their lifetimes in training, and yet he did it before he¡¯s even, what, twenty? Is he really human? </i>The old man thought to himself while sping his hands together in salute. ¡°Looks like this is goodbye, brother. Thank you for protecting me for the past few days. Not gonna lie, I think I¡¯m actually going to miss our days together.¡±

    ¡°No need to be sad. I¡¯ll be visiting you in Bei You in two days. You¡¯ll be able to see me all you want then.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    The smile Yi Pin stered to his face immediately disappeared. <i>I was just being courteous, you bastard! Can¡¯t you tell?!</i>

    ¡°Ahem... that might be a little too soon, brother. Maybe another day?¡±

    By now, he knew exactly what had happened to Ye Qing. He didn¡¯t want to, but Ye Qing insisted on telling his story regardless of his will. When he listened until the end, he felt enough regret to strangle his past self.

    Right now, Ye Qing was akin to a pile of dog shit. Anyone who happened on him was going to stink like hell. Naturally, Yi Pin wanted to stay as far away from Ye Qing as possible. <i>Get the hell away from me, man!</i>

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s never too soon to visit a brother.¡± Ye Qing mercilessly rejected Yi Pin¡¯s plea.

    The question of what to do with Yi Pin had gued Ye Qing for a long time. Considering that he was on the run, the simplest and best way to protect himself was to kill Yi Pin. In fact, he had had countless chances to do so by his own hands or someone else¡¯s.

    In the end though, he chose not to. Yi Pin might be a little shameless, greedy andzy, but he had never harbored any malicious intent toward him. They had briefly journeyed together in the Demon¡¯s Tomb, and the old Taoist had given him a lot of help during their time in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. No matter how he looked at it, he just couldn¡¯t think of a good reason to kill Yi Pin. He didn¡¯t want to.

    He was a man, not an animal. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to bite the hand who helped him, couldn¡¯t bring himself to betray his conscience, couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill his own heart. Besides, he had interacted with Yi Pin long enough to know that the old Taoist wouldn¡¯t betray him.

    That was why he chose to let Yi Pin live¡ªbut not without some insurance, of course. Believing in someone¡¯s character and letting down his guard were two different things after all. That was why he decided to seek out Yi Pin and stay at his ce for a bit.

    Yi Pin¡¯s Temple of Divination was located at Bei You, and Bei You was a border city seated between Chu and Yan. Although themandery nominally belonged to Chu, in reality it was a no man¡¯snd. Overflowing with independent factions and endless strife, the imperial court¡¯s influence at that location was limited to say the least. That was why it was his best destination for the moment. He would be able to watch Yi Pin and hide from Chu at the same time, so why not?

    The old Taoist entered the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin two days before Ye Qing, so of course he was going to leave two days earlier as well. Two days were a lot of time for Yi Pin to do a lot of things such as informing Chu about his whereabouts, going into hiding, and more.

    Ye Qing was confident that Yi Pin wouldn¡¯t do that though.

    The human heart was some of the mostplex things in the world.

    But sometimes, it was also the simplest.

    It wasn¡¯t worth believing in, and yet it was always worth one¡¯s belief.

    ¡°Fine. If you muste, thene. Just don¡¯t expect me to hold a reception for you!¡± Yi Pin rolled his eyes and sumbed to his fate. From the moment Ye Qing told him about his story, he knew that the young man was going to haunt him like a ghost. That said, he didn¡¯t actually feel much annoyance or resentment toward the young man at all.

    He knew that Ye Qing had had countless opportunities to silence him and end his worries once and for all, but in the end, the young man hadn¡¯t. Not only that, Ye Qing had saved him multiple times from crises that absolutely would¡¯ve killed him if he were alone. Could he really turn his back on the man who had saved his life multiple times? No, he could not.

    In making his decision, Ye Qing had basically ced his life in his hands. It was some of the stupidest decisions he had ever seen in his life.

    And yet... wasn¡¯t a man like him deserving of the deepest respect?

    That was why he wasn¡¯t nning on tattletaling to the Intelligence Department even though the promised rewards were great. That was why he was willing to help Ye Qing even though he knew that it would most likelynd him in deep, potentially fatal trouble.

    He had lived a long life and experienced more or less everything one might experience in this world.

    Even still, he never thought that humanity wasn¡¯t worth it.

    The world was anything but perfect, but some parts of it¡ªsome of its people¡ªwere always, always, worth it.

    ¡°Thank you, brother.¡±

    Ye Qing sped his hands together and gave Yi Pin a deep bow.

    ¡°Take care, brother.¡±

    Yi Pin too smiled and returned the salute.

    There is no end to the abyss, but be like a flower, and always face toward the light.

 Chapter 510: I Finally Found You

    <h4>Chapter 510: I Finally Found You </h4>

    A crescent moon hung in the air while adorned by a sea of stars, bright and dreamlike.

    The wind enveloped mountains and rivers and seeped through every crack, cold and biting.

    Nighttime in Carefree Mountain Range was like a picture with the night as the canvas, the stars and moon as the backdrop, and the icy wind as the colors. Inside the picture were colorful, transparent mushrooms that glowed intermittently like fireflies, shrubberies that glittered like crystals, red butterflies that pped idly through the night air, nt-shaped creatures that were ying about with each other...

    Colorful and magical, it was a fantastical world that belonged to Strangers only.

    Unfortunately, an unexpected guest suddenly barged into the picture and shattered its peace and tranquility. He was a man in his forties wearing a square crown and a red robe. Various auspicious patterns adorned the robe, and there was a big red ¡°Fortune¡± sewn at the center of the fabric. His appearance was extremely jubnt and festive.

    Right after the unexpected guest intruded upon their territory, the glowing mushroom began blooming like a flower and releasing a cloud of spores, barbed vines began snaking out of the crystalline shrubbery, the red butterflies pped their wings and poured red powder from the sky, and the nt-shaped Strangers bared their fangs at him.

    The man didn¡¯t panic, however. He simply produced a bamboo flute from his sleeve, held it close to his mouth, and blew.

    A gentle, mellifluous sound began resounding in the darkness, and the restless Strangers gradually calmed down. The spores flew back into the mushrooms, the barbed vines slithered back into the shrubbery, the butterfliesnded back on the flowers, and the nt-shaped Strangers rxed and went back to their games.

    Everything had returned to normal. It was almost as if the man had never barged into the area in the first ce.

    His eyes narrowed into slits, and a smile stretched across his round, plump face as the man put away his flute. Then, he grabbed a shoot of grass from his shirt. Verdant and small, its roots functioned like legs as it stood on his palm.

    The man caressed the grass gently. Some of its leaves immediately swayed and drooped.

    ¡°If its leaves droop, then its bond must be nearby. Ye Qing should be somewhere around here.¡±

    The man looked left and right as doubt crept onto his plump face. ¡°But why can¡¯t I sense him anywhere?¡±

    The man was none other than Fugong, the assassin who had traveled all the way from Tian Yong to kill Ye Qing, and the grass he was holding was none other than the Blood Bond Grass.

    The Blood Bond Grass could always perceive the person it was connected to. If its bond wasn¡¯t nearby, then its leaves would always point in the direction of its bond. If not, then its leaves would point downward.

    So... where was Ye Qing?

    Slowly, the puzzlement on Fugong¡¯s face turned into anger and bloodthirst. His red robe looked like writhing blood as it pped in the wind.

    On the day Ye Qing escaped Tian Yong, Fang Muyin had ordered him to hunt down Ye Qing. At the time, he had believed it to be an easy task that he couldplete in three to five days at most since Ye Qing was grievously injured, and he had the Blood Bond Grass to guide him.

    But before he knew it, two weeks came and went in the blink of an eye. For the past two weeks, he had chased after Ye Qing with a kind of relentlessness that bordered on zealotry. He ate rations on the road, drank dew from the nts, and slept in the wilderness. By the time he made it to Carefree Pass, he was feeling fairly tired and frustrated to put it mildly.

    Then, something unexpected happened. Instead of passing through Carefree Pass, Ye Qing actually chose to enter the Carefree Mountain Range instead.

    If Ye Qing had died there, then all was well. He would have saved him the trouble of having to kill him himself. But not only was the rebel alive, it looked like he had chosen to stay in the mountains. He even had the strange feeling that the young man was having the time of his life¡ªrtively speaking, of course.

    What else could he do? He had no choice but to venture into the Carefree Mountain Range.

    Luckily for him, he was a strong and lucky man. Not only that, he possessed a powerful Strange Artifact called Peace of Mind. It was the only reason he managed to make it into the inner belly of Carefree Mountain Range alive.

    Peace of Mind was the bamboo flute he blew just now. Forged from the Soulstealer-ss Stranger called the Calming Bamboo, its tune possessed the ability to inflict calm and tranquility upon its targets and reduce their hostility.

    The Strange Artifact wasn¡¯t omnipotent, however. Even with the right equipment and power, his journey through the mountains was rarely peaceful.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, when he finally reached the location the Blood Bond Grass was pointing to, the man he was searching for was nowhere to be found.

    <i>Where could he be? In these mountains, a human would stand out like a sore thumb. He has to be here somewhere!</i>

    This was why Fugong was feeling very angry and depressed right now. What would Fang Muyun say if he went back and told him that his mission was a failure?

    Unwilling to give up just yet, Fugong began searching the area with the Blood Bond Grass in his hand. He looked and looked and looked until finally, he returned to the spot where the Blood Bond Grass was still pointing.

    Still, he couldn¡¯t find Ye Qing anywhere.

    Angry and resigned, Fugong told himself that he would search the area one more time. If he still couldn¡¯t find anything, then he would give up and return to Tian Yong.

    It was at this moment the Blood Bond Grass suddenly shook violently. Then, all of its leaves pointed at something¡ªor more urately, <i>someone</i>¡ªbehind Fugong. The plump man gingerly turned around, and lo and behold, the man he spent days searching for tirelessly was there.

    It was Ye Qing.

    To be fair, Ye Qing didn¡¯t look like Ye Qing be it in shape or size. However, Fugong was one hundred and twenty percent that the unfamiliar man before him was who he was searching for.

    <i>He finally showed up! Thank goodness I didn¡¯t give up until the end.</i>

    Fugong was practically jumping with catharsis and joy.

    ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± Ye Qing asked while watching the grinning man warily.

    Everyone who survived the trials of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin would be transported back to theirst location before they were kidnapped, and that worried Ye Qing deeply because there was a chance the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin could¡¯ve teleported him to the Yin Yang Gap. Thankfully, he had returned to the yang world an instant before the sonuvabitch stole him into his coffin, or he would be in a world of hurt right now.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even have the time to pat his chest in relief when he saw a plump man beaming at him excitedly like he was the love of his life. It was no wonder he was instantly on his guard.

    ¡°I finally found you, Ye Qing.¡±

    Fugong ignored his question. He simply stared at the young man like a big bad wolf coveting a plump, delicious sheep.

    ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± A steely glint flickered in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. He knew practically from the second he set his eyes on Fugong that he wasn¡¯t a good person. It was midnight in the belly of the Carefree Mountain Range, and this strange man was staring at him like he would swallow him alive, not to mention that he had called out his name even though he was still in disguise. He couldn¡¯t imagine that his intentions were anything but good.

    Some quick thinkingter, Ye Qing guessed Fugong¡¯s identity immediately. ¡°You¡¯re the one who set me up!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question. He knew in his bones that Fugong was the one.

    ¡°Yes. We did it,¡± Fugong admitted. And why not? From his perspective, Ye Qing was already a dead man. Besides, considering how much time and effort he had invested into finding Ye Qing, it would be criminal not to confess his achievements at least a little.

    ¡°Why did you do it?¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes. <i>Us, </i>the plump man had said. This proved that it wasn¡¯t the act of a single person, but a group. He had expected this as he didn¡¯t think that any single person¡ªand especially not ate-stage Spirit Master¡ªwould dare to manipte the Pacification Bureau, the Harmony King and the Hengshan Army to achieve their goals. Therefore, this guy was just a pawn serving a mastermind.

    ¡°Do you even have to ask? Don¡¯t you remember what you did and who you offended?¡± Fugong retorted with a wide grin on his face.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°There are too many. You¡¯ll have to narrow it down for me.¡±

    Fugong chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve always believed that dying with regrets is one of the worst ways to go in this world, and I¡¯m a kind, benevolent man. So, I will tell you the truth.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for your generosity,¡± Ye Qing replied with dripping sarcasm.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Fugong waved uncaringly. ¡°So, the reason we set you up is because you killed¡ª¡±

    As soon as he said this, Fugong abruptly floated toward Ye Qing like a leaf and threw a punch at the young man¡¯s face. Seemingly caughtpletely off guard, Ye Qing did nothing and allowed the punch to hit him squarely in the forehead. His head flew backward so hard that the back of his head nearly touched his back.

 Chapter 511: Come And Kill Me

    <h4>Chapter 511: Come And Kill Me </h4>

    ¡°Hehe...¡± Fugong chuckled at his own punch with great satisfaction. He was nning to tell Ye Qing some portions of the truth so he might rest in peace, but he also thought that he shouldn¡¯t underestimate his opponent. That was why he decided to incapacitate the young man first. After that, well, they could talk for as long as they wanted, couldn¡¯t they? One way or another, it was going to end with Ye Qing¡¯s death.

    What can you do? He was a better-safe-than-sorry kind of guy.

    ¡°That¡¯s a low blow, my friend!¡±

    Fugong¡¯s smile stiffened. He watched as Ye Qing slowly lifted his head back into view and gently shook his head left and right, causing the bones to crack a little. His forehead was slightly reddened, but besides that, the young man looked perfectly... fine?

    <i>Impossible!</i>

    The Spirit Master had a bad feeling about this. He immediately curled his toes and jumped away even faster than when he charged Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing lifted his arm and threw a punch at Fugong, and the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes immediately widened. At first, there was no sound at all. Then, it grew into a terrible rumble that enveloped both heaven and earth. The space around him was cracking and falling apart like a mirror, and he was right at the center of it.

    Fugong scrunched his face in abject pain as it felt like his body was being torn apart. He pped his forehead and summoned a humanoid figure above his head.

    The humanoid figure was round, plump, and wearing a fiery red robe. It was also surrounded by an auspicious cloud. It almost looked like Fugong except that it was holding the word ¡°Fortune¡± in its hand instead of wearing it on his torso. Besides that, the word was glowing with a profound spiritual light.

    The humanoid figure was Fugong¡¯s Yin God, the God of Fortune.

    <i>¡°The Heavenly Pce Bestows Fortune¡±</i>

    Fugong muttered something under his breath, and the Yin God tossed the word over his head. The word immediately burst into a shower of light, stuck itself onto his back, and enveloped him in its spiritual light.

    All this time, Fugong was trying to get away from Ye Qing¡¯s attack, but as soon as the spiritual light surrounded him, it was like the heavens themselves were watching over him. Whenever the space around him broke into fragments, he would somehow avoid them by a hair¡¯s breadth. Every time he was caught between a rock and a hard ce, he would always find a solution and escape somehow. Thanks to this, he was able to leave the affected area just a few breathster.

    Fugong let out a sigh of relief. His cultivation art was a martial art passed down from the ancient Heavens called the ¡°Lucky Star¡±. Once upon a time, there existed three gods who were collectively known as the Three Stars¡ªFortune, Prosperity, and Longevity¡ªand ¡°Lucky Star¡± was said to be Fortune¡¯s main cultivation art. As the god who was responsible for managing the flow of fortune of a world, Fortune could bless anyone with a prodigious amount of good luck. If a blessed one tried to do something, it would be done with little to no problem. If they ran into trouble, then they would somehow ovee it no matter how impossible the situation looked.

    It was why he came to be known as Fugong (a Duke of Fortune).

    Of course, the cultivation art Fugong received was iplete and difficult to decipher. The heavens could bless him with another century of lifespan, and he would never be able to reach the heights of Fortune.

    Despite this, what he currently had was quite incredible. The technique he used just now, ¡°The Heavenly Pce Bestows Fortune¡± was a Magia that could bestow him with unparalleled luck for a short time. It was how he was able to avoid the worst of Ye Qing¡¯s punch and escape.

    But how did Ye Qing be so powerful? The young man hadn¡¯t employed any astral qi or spiritual power just now. He had punched him with pure physical strength, and yet the attack was deadlier than even the full-powered attack of ate-stage Spirit Master.

    Also, wasn¡¯t Ye Qing seriously injured? He certainly didn¡¯t look like it right now, and he was so powerful that he wondered if he was dreaming. Maybe the real Ye Qing was dead, and the one currently standing in front of him was a Stranger wearing his skin?

    Fugong¡¯s doubt was such that he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you Ye Qing?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing withdrew his fist and looked down on Fugong scornfully.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t hurt?¡± Fugong himself thought that his question was a bit silly. If a Stranger really had consumed the real Ye Qing, then the Blood Bond Grass would have withered long ago.

    ¡°What does it look like? Like that fatty can ever hurt a hair on my person,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    <i>Liar. </i>Fugong might not have witnessed Ye Qing and Zhou Hengshan¡¯s battle with his own eyes, but he knew that Ye Qing had taken a solid punch from Zhou Hengshan, and that the general had even employed the ughterer of Ten Thousand. No matter how monstrous Ye Qing was, it was simply impossible for ate-stage Spirit Purifier could go through all that without a scratch.

    Ye Qing shrugged and admitted a secondter, ¡°Fine, I was lying. I was hurt, but I recovered and even became much stronger than before. So if you know what¡¯s good for you, you would tell me who your master is and why they set me up. Otherwise, I will kill you.¡±

    Ye Qing was telling the truth, but Fugong narrowed his eyes with uncertainty. It was because his senses told him that Ye Qing was still ate-stage Spirit Purifier.

    <i>There is no way ate-stage Spirit Purifier can push me back, much less kill me. He must have used some sort of secret art or even forbidden art just now, which means that he¡¯s just trying to bluff me into retreating.</i>

    Despite his suspicions, Fugong didn¡¯t rush Ye Qing again. He had always been a cautious man, and he wasn¡¯t able to break the habit now.

    ¡°Is that so? Come and kill me then! I dare you!¡±

    Fugong chose to taunt Ye Qing into attacking him. If Ye Qing dared to approach him, then it would prove that the youngster really did possess the power to challenge him. Otherwise, it would prove that he was just bluffing.

    ¡°I have never heard such a masochistic request in my life.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked ridiculingly and stomped the ground. Mountains shook, and the clouds scattered as if struck by an invisible force. Despite standing tens of meters away from Ye Qing, Fugong immediately lost his footing, and his cirction of energy was disrupted.

    At the same time, Ye Qing leaped into the air and moved his arm backward with his hand stretched wide open. As he descended, he slowly clenched his fist until it felt like he was holding a hurricane between his fingers.

    The moment the fist descended was the moment heaven and earth swapped ces.

    The blood drained away from Fugong¡¯s face as he hurriedly made a hand seal and muttered, ¡°Lucky star above me, sunshine on my way!¡±

    The Yin God above his head quickly swelled in size, and the auspicious clouds came together to form a massive ¡°Fortune¡±. Shining brightly and spinning round and round, the word flew up and took Ye Qing¡¯s punch head on.

    The next moment, the word shattered, and the auspicious clouds scattered into nothing. Fugong was nowhere to be seen, but Ye Qing ignored this and smashed his fist into the ground.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The ground within tens of meters of him abruptly split into multiple chunks like tofu. Fugong reappeared tens of meters away from the center of impact and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Fugong muttered while staring at the ruined earth with shock and horror. Not only was Ye Qing¡¯s second punch stronger than his first, he had damaged his Yin God as well.

    It was at this moment Fugong felt something and instinctively sidestepped to his right. As if on cue, a silhouette burst out of the dust clouds and struck a massive tree behind him.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The tree was so thick that it would¡¯ve taken several people to wrap their arms around it. However, the punch easily went through the tree trunk like it was paper.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t slow down despite missing his target. He pushed through the wood fibre¡ªripping the tree in half in the process¡ªandunched an elbow strike at Fugong.

    Once again, the auspicious clouds surrounding Fugong shed, causing the middle-aged man to ¡°slip¡± and turn a few centimeters to the side. That was enough for him to dodge the devastating blow without a scratch.

    As the elbow strike sailed harmlessly past him, Fugong exhaled a puff of spiritual light that took the form of an auspicious cloud from his nostrils. The next moment, the words ¡°Fortune¡± descended from the cloud, but they were standing upright instead of upside down, and they looked as ck as ink. They also reeked of misfortune, decline and other inauspicious aura. They were all flying toward Ye Qing.

    The word ¡°Fortune¡± wasmonly stered or hung on one¡¯s walls during the New Year, and it wasmonly believed that it should be upside down so that fortune would fall from the heavens toward the household. Otherwise, the household¡¯s fortune would be robbed by the heavens instead.

    Fortune was the god of fortune. Naturally, he could rob one¡¯s fortune as easily as he bestowed them. Hence, the technique Fugong was currently using was another Magia named, ¡°Robbing Fortune¡±.

    If Ye Qing was struck by the ck words, then his good fortune would be robbed by Fugong. He would be so unlucky that even breathing would present a problem to him, much less fighting.

    But once again, Ye Qing defied Fugong¡¯s expectations. When the ck words struck his body, a dark yellow light washed out and melted it all like snow.

 Chapter 512: A Sword On Paper May Flood The World

    <h4>Chapter 512: A Sword On Paper May Flood The World </h4>

    ¡°Wh... wh... wh...¡±

    Fugong was so shocked he couldn¡¯t even get a word out. He could ept that Ye Qing had fully recovered from his injuries. His pride hurt at the thought that Ye Qing had be so strong that he could challenge him, but he could ept that as well. But how the <i>hell </i>did he brush off his Magia like it didn¡¯t even exist?

    <i>You can¡¯t be human. You just can¡¯t!</i>

    His Magia had never failed him. Such was its power that even a Grandmaster would choose to avoid it. But now, it had failed to take effect on a <i>Spirit Purifier. </i>What the fuck was going on?!

    This time, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t hold back a chuckle. <i>Look at his stupid face. He has no idea that my luck is protected by the Profound Yellow Qi!</i>

    As the owner of the Incense of Misfortune, he realized how the ck ¡°Fortune¡± words functioned as soon as they appeared. In fact, he could tell that they were even more potent than the Incense of Misfortune.

    If this was before he entered the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, then he would have taken off faster than Fugong could say, ¡°What?¡± But now? He could tank the debuff with his face, and nothing would happen to him!

    The Profound Yellow Qi was a derivative of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. A type of karmic qi, it possessed the ability to protect one¡¯s luck.

    Of course, the Profound Yellow Qi wasn¡¯t the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, so if the warrior had only refined, say, five or six wisps of Profound Yellow Qi, then its protective effect would be much weaker. This was why the Incense of Misfortune was able to work its magic on Sun Xuanzhen, Yue Juejiang and Huo Linglong. Had he waited a few more days before enacting his n, then it might have been aplete waste of time and effort.

    He was different from them though. After cooperating with Huo Linglong and taking Sun Xuanzhen and Yue Juejiang out of the equation, every wisp of Profound Yellow Qi in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin went to him. Naturally, his luck protection was so much better than the others.

    For the past nine days, he had refined over twenty wisps of Profound Yellow Qi. Of course, that wasn¡¯t even close to the full number of Profound Yellow Qi he collected, but it took hours to refine just a single wisp, not to mention that he spent a good chunk of time mastering his new strength as well. Therge majority of them were stored inside his Profound Yellow Qi Cbash, and he was nning to refine them in the future when his life was less hectic than it was now.

    Even so, twenty plus wisps of Profound Yellow Qi was almost enough to push him to the adept level of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± and attain the strength of nine dragon elephants. At this level, he was strong enough to butt heads against ate-stage Spirit Master and, in this particr situation, be impervious to most evils and misfortune.

    This was why Fugong¡¯s Magia had failed to work on him.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The mountains shook, and Ye Qing shot toward Fugong like a phantom. He was hoping to catch the middle-aged man while he was distracted.

    A cunning glint shed in Fugong¡¯s eyes as Ye Qing¡¯s hand reached out for his face. <i>No one is immune to everything. How about this?</i>

    A white paper flew out of Fugong¡¯s sleeve, and a man holding a sword was drawn on it. The quality of the drawing was frankly, abysmal. The man¡¯s figure waspletely out of proportion, it was missing a lot of details, and the lines were coarse and unsteady. It looked just like the drawing of a three-year-old.

    However, as if the misshapen man had a life of its own, it abruptly stood up from the paper and twirled its ink sword in a ceremonial fashion. Then, it looked up at Ye Qing, held its sword parallel to its body, and thrust upward like it would split the sky in half.

    At that moment, a pitch ck sword beam cut through the air and enveloped heaven and earth. Everything within a hundred meters abruptly transformed into a sea of sword qi.

    A sword on paper might flood the world. That was the sentence used to describe the Strange Artifact known as the Man On Paper.

    The Man on Paper was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact and a random drawing scrawled by one of the strongest existing swordsmen in the world, Mo Jianseng. The drawing contained a wisp of his sword intent, and it eventually gained sentience and transformed into a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact.

    Although Mo Jianseng had the word ¡°seng¡± (Monk) in it, he was anything but merciful. A man with a decidedly gray moralpass, he could be good or evil depending on the circumstances. Since his sword arts overflowed with killing intent and bloodthirst, it was only natural that Man On Paper was a highly destructive Strange Artifact in possession of a great deal of offensive power, and one of the most powerful Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifacts out there.

    The Man On Paper could unleash a sword strike that was as strong as a Half-Step Grandmaster¡¯s full-powered attack. Its biggest w was that it could only be used once per month.

    Fugong rarely used the Man On Paper, but when he did use it, no enemy had ever survived its attack. Therefore, he had no reason to believe that Ye Qing would be the exception.

    Of course, he was mistaken. A pair of ck, hairy fists abruptly manifested in the sky, and Ye Qing began punching the air rapidly like he was ying the drum. His first punch shattered the ck sword light that split the sky, and his second punch shattered the sea of sword qi.

    There was no third punch because it was unnecessary. For the first time ever, Man On Paper had failed to kill its opponent.

    Shellshocked, Fugong could only watch as a demonic ape descended from the sky and pped its gigantic hand over his head. There was a soft thud, and half of the middle-aged man¡¯s body sank into the ground just like that.

    Fugong wasn¡¯t going to give in, of course. The instant his feet began to sink into the earth, he snapped back to reality and got ready to unleash his final resistance. Unfortunately, he had just moved a muscle when a terrible pain suddenly gripped his whole body, and blood spewed out of his mouth before he knew what was happening.

    ¡°You crippled me?!¡± Fugong eximed in a daze as he looked inward and found his headspace in tatters, his Yin God injured, his muscles and bones broken, and his astral qi in chaos. He was now just an ordinary person with no power.

    ¡°You don¡¯t say?¡± Ye Qing smiled at Fugong, but it looked anything butforting as he was in his ape form right now. Even scarier was the fact that the bone-deep sword wounds covering his entire body¡ªinjuries that, in Fugong¡¯s opinion, should absolutely be fatal¡ªbegan wriggling and healing at a visible rate. By the time Ye Qing shrank back down to a human, his injuries werepletely gone.

    ¡°Now then. Do you still think I can¡¯t kill you?¡±

    Fugong didn¡¯t know what to say. What should¡¯ve been an insultingly simple matter had somehow spiraled beyond his wildest imaginations.

    Did he underestimate his enemy? No, he didn¡¯t. He had used every trick in his book to defeat him.

    Did he lose himself to carelessness? That wasn¡¯t it either. He was a cautious man, and he had acted with the appropriate level of cautiousness from the start.

    In conclusion, it wasn¡¯t his fault. His opponent was just too monstrous.

    ¡°Now then, can you tell me who¡¯s the one who ordered you to kill me?¡± Ye Qing crouched on the ground and stared into Fugong¡¯s eyes.

    A moment of silenceter, Fugong suddenly broke into a smile and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know who you¡¯re dealing with, Ye Qing. I may die here, but it won¡¯t be long before you follow me to the underworld. He will take revenge for me!¡±

    A terrifying aura suddenly washed out of Fugong¡¯s body, and Ye Qing snorted. ¡°nning to detonate your Yin God? What a loyal dog you are.¡±

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    One by one, Ye Qing bent his fingers and slowly robbed Fugong of his consciousness and will. The terrifying power washing out of his body slowly subsided until it waspletely gone.

    Fugong was ate-stage Spirit Master who had created his Yin God. At his current level, it should have been quite difficult for him to capture the man¡¯s Yin God. However, his earlier strike had dealt a severe blow to Fugong¡¯s Yin God, so the task was made so much easier.

    Of course, this was the n from the very beginning.

    ¡°Fog Demon, control him and make him submit to me,¡± said Ye Qing while summoning the Fog Demon. Previously, the Stranger had blocked Zhou Hengshan¡¯s attack for him and suffered a tremendous amount of damage as a result, but luckily for it, the Profound Yellow Qi could elerate its recovery to a certain extent. Since Ye Qing had plenty of Profound Yellow Qi right now, he decided to share some of it with the Fog Demon. Today, not only was the Fog Demon fully recovered, it was even stronger than it was before.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill him?¡± The Fog Demon asked.

    ¡°He can¡¯t die.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°For starters, he knows the identity of the bastard who set me up.¡±

    ¡°Second, the mastermind will find out that I¡¯m still alive if I kill him. When that happens, they woulde after me with everything they got, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m strong enough to defend against that.¡±

    ¡°Rather than killing him, I would rather keep him alive and make him my pawn. I want him to return home and tell the mastermind that I¡¯m already dead. This way, I would have one less thing to worry about. Second, I want to use him as my nt and spy on my opponent. Only by knowing my enemy could I secure victory!¡±

    Ye Qing never wanted to kill Fugong in the first ce. It would certainly give him a moment of satisfaction, but a moment of satisfaction wasn¡¯t what he sought after.

    No, he sought to repay blood with blood.

    He promised his enemy that he would have vengeance.

    He was Ye Qing, and he always kept his promises.

 Chapter 513: Light and Dark

    <h4>Chapter 513: Light and Dark </h4>

    ¡°Kekeke, what a devious idea. I like it.¡± The Fog Demon let out an eerie cackle before enveloping Fugong in its fog. An incense stickter, the fog suddenly dissipated, and the Fog Demon said in a slight weary voice, ¡°It¡¯s done. He is now your humble servant. You may ask him anything you wish to know.¡±

    A few breathster, Fugong opened his eyes and looked at Ye Qing with a reverent look on his face. ¡°Master!¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in acknowledgement and said, ¡°Young master is fine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master,¡± Fugong replied carefully.

    Ye Qing began his questioning, ¡°What is your name?¡±

    The middle-aged man answered without hesitation, ¡°My name is Fugong.¡±

    ¡°Huh. You certainly look the part.¡± Ye Qing nodded again before asking, ¡°Who sent you to kill me?¡±

    Fugong answered without hesitation, ¡°Fang Muyun, young master.¡±

    ¡°You mean Fang Muyun, the one they call Mister Farseeing?¡± Ye Qing was taken aback. ¡°He¡¯s the one who set me up?¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master. You killed his younger brother, so he desires your death. However, he does not want to make an enemy out of the Pacification Bureau. Therefore, he came up with a series of schemes to kill you without dirtying his own hands.¡±

    ¡°I killed Fang Muyun¡¯s younger brother? Who even is his younger brother?¡± Ye Qing blinked in puzzlement. ¡°Who is Fang Muyun¡¯s younger brother?¡±

    Fugong answered, ¡°Fang Muyun¡¯s younger brother is called Fang Sixue, and he was Chu Wangsun¡¯s student. Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun are good friends, and he entrusted Fang Sixue to Chu Wangsun to correct his stubborn and obstreperous behavior.¡±

    ¡°Although Fang Suxie¡¯s death is his own fault, Fang Muyun believes that your role in his death is pivotal. That is why he desires to bury you with his younger brother¡¯s ashes.¡±

    ¡°It was him?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. Chu Wangsun must have recognized him during the Hidden Dragon Meet and told Fang Muyun about him. That was how everything began.

    Ye Qing knew that the mastermind could not be a nobody considering that they noticed the Corpse Ship¡¯s presence at Yonghe Lake even before the Pacification Bureau, and they could afford to give Zhao Lan a few drops of the Hanba¡¯s blood essence to assassinate him. It was also why Chu Wangsun was his prime suspect. He and Chu Wangsun had a score to settle with, and the man did not probe him further despite his obvious suspicion during their first encounter at the Hidden Dragon Meet. Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t the type of person to give up so easily, which was why he suspected that he was the one behind it all.

    Later, his suspicion had spread to Lei Xiaodan, Chu Renhe, the Way of Taiping and even Evergreen Ivy. Basically, he suspected every enemy he had ever made since arriving in this world. However, Fang Muyun was never on his suspect list because the schr was practically a stranger to him. He knew the guy about as well as one of the bigshots who oversaw the tournament, which was to say, not at all. It was why the revtion came as a massive shock to him.

    Who could¡¯ve thought that Chu Wangsun¡¯s student was Fang Muyun¡¯s younger brother? What an ill-fated rtionship this was.

    If the mastermind really was Fang Muyun, then he was going to have to consider his revenge at length. Fang Muyun was the eldest son of the current Grand Mentor and one of the Three Dukes of Chu, Fang Zhiyong. He himself was famous for his wisdom and benevolence to the point where he was known as Mister Farseeing. In either case, the schr wasn¡¯t someone he could topple in terms of status or power right now. To sh against him head on was to bash an egg against a rock¡ªsuicide.

    Yes, he would have to take this slow and steady.

    ¡°You must be one of Fang Muyun¡¯s aides considering he trusted you enough to send you after me,¡± Ye Qing said.

    Fugong replied, ¡°Yes, young master. I am Fugong of the Three Stars, and I served him together with Lugong (Duke of Prosperity) and Shougong (Duke of Longevity). Our job is to safeguard him and perform the dirty work he cannot perform himself.¡±

    ¡°Dirty work, eh? It looks like Mister Farseeing isn¡¯t as noble or benevolent as his reputation might suggest!¡± Ye Qing sneered. Even in his world, anyone with a benevolent reputation was usually a scumbag on the inside. It shouldn¡¯t havee as a surprise to him that Mister Farseeing was really a piece of shit who tried to kill him multiple times and treated innocent lives such as Chu Qingli like grass.

    Fugong himself was sneering. ¡°Of course he isn¡¯t. He was born in the capital, the ce where the greatest powers of Chu are concentrated. How many people could live at that ce and still maintain the purity of their heart? I¡¯m not saying that such a person does not exist in the capital, but most of them are just two-faced scumbags who are only spotless on the outside.¡±

    ¡°Fang Muyun may call himself the disciple of the wise sages and enjoy a spotless reputation, but the blood on his hands is as thick as any infamous monster in the <i>jianghu</i>, if not thicker.¡±

    ¡°It really does look like you know a lot about him. Tell me everything you know about Fang Muyun¡¯s personality, strength, hobbies, deeds, rtionships and more. Do not miss a single thing,¡± instructed Ye Qing. The first step to defeating any opponent was to know them like the back of your hand. Only then could one ensure victory.

    ¡°As youmand,¡± replied Fugong beforeunching into a long and detailed exnation. When the middle-aged man was finally done, Ye Qing thought to himself: <i>Fang Muyun is as ruthless as he is formidable.</i>

    When he was a child, Fang Muyun had already learned how to handle political affairs, manage rtionships, and stand his ground in the imperial court, a ce where the slightest weakness could see you killed, under his father, Fang Zhiyong. When he was an adolescent, he became his father¡¯s left and right arm and eliminated many of his political enemies through methods such as invitation, bribery, entrapment and more. Without exaggeration, he was one of the key reasons Fang Zhiyong was able to hold an obscene amount of power in the imperial court for so many years.

    Despite the river of blood he coated his hands with, Fang Muyun appeared to be a noble, generous, materially indifferent, and farsighted disciple of the wise sages to all outsiders. Well respected and loved especially by examination candidates and Confucian schrs, his reputation was such that even Ye Qing waspletely blinded to his true nature.

    Besides that, Fang Muyun was very aplished in the martial way despite his young age. He was ate-stage Spirit Master who walked the way of Confucianism and cultivated the Air of Greatness in his abdomen.

    That said, Fang Muyun was an exceptionally shrewd and tricky man. It was entirely possible that what he told his aide was but the tip of the iceberg. Therefore, Ye Qing did not take Fugong¡¯s words¡ªat least not in regards to Fang Muyun¡¯s cultivation level¡ªas gospel.

    Long story short, Fang Muyun was an exceptionally dangerous man. No amount of caution was too much when he was the enemy. He would have to plot his revenge very, very carefully.

    What? No this isn¡¯t cowardice! This is called caution, understand?

    ¡°What other instructions do you have for me, young master? I shall fulfill it even if it costs me a thousand deaths!¡± Fugong asked while sping his hands together, but the movement jolted his injuries and triggered a series of violent, bloody coughs.

    ¡°This is the Nature¡¯s Water. Use it to recover your injuries,¡± said Ye Qing while throwing a porcin bottle into Fugong¡¯s hands.

    Just now, he had shattered the middle-aged man¡¯s bones, muscles, meridians and more. He had also broken his dantian. Without proper treatment, Fugong would be crippled permanently.

    This wasn¡¯t a problem for Ye Qing though. After all, the Nature¡¯s Water could heal even a cripple back to full health. The reason he hadn¡¯t given Fugong the elixir immediately was because he wasn¡¯t sure if the Fog Demon had fully controlled him.

    ¡°I humbly ept your gift, young master.¡± Fugong epted the bottle gratefully and drank it without any hesitation. Just a dozen or so breathster, the Nature¡¯s Water had restored him to full health. Fugong thanked Ye Qing again with heartfelt gratitude, ¡°Thank you, young master!¡±

    Ye Qing nodded and gave him a new order, ¡°Now that you¡¯re healed, you will head back and continue to act as Fang Muyun¡¯s aide. Observe his every move and report back to me if you find anything important¡ªbut only if it¡¯s urgent. It would be bad if he discovers that you are acting strangely.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master,¡± Fugong replied.

    ¡°What will you say when you get back to him?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Fugong thought for a moment before answering, ¡°I will tell him that I have killed you with my own two hands. I will also make sure that no one knows that you are still alive.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction and looked up at the dark, starry sky.

    <i>Once upon a time, I was the prey, and you the hunter.</i>

    <i>But now, our roles are reversed.</i>

    <i>You better watch your back, Fang Muyun.</i>

 Chapter 514: Bei You

    <h4>Chapter 514: Bei You </h4>

    <i><u>Six dayster</u></i>[1]

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, young master. Please, take care,¡± said Fugong while giving Ye Qing a deep bow.

    ¡°You too,¡± Ye Qing replied before adding, ¡°Remember, your safety is of paramount importance. Never take risks unless I give you the order to do so.¡±

    ¡°As youmand,¡± Fugong responded and bowed to Ye Qing again. It was only then he finally turned around and left.

    After the middle-aged man was gone, Ye Qing said with a smile, ¡°Good work.¡±

    The Fong Demon appeared next to him and taunted him, ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re acting a little too timid, boy?¡±

    ¡°Timid? No, I¡¯m just being cautious. Fugong is a critical part of my n. As I told him, his safety is of paramount importance,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    Today was the sixth day since he encountered Fugong. He could have sent the old man away immediately, but instead, he ordered the Fog Demon to modify Fugong¡¯s consciousness and deepen his loyalty toward him. Six dayster, when the chance that Fugong would somehow regain his former personality and ruin everything was less than zero, Ye Qing finally allowed the middle-aged man to leave.

    As he told the Fog Demon, Fugong was a critical part of his n. In fact, one might say that his life was, at least partially, in Fugong¡¯s hands. He had to be careful no matter what.

    The Fog Demon scoffed, ¡°Keh! You worry too much. My spell is perfect.¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s you that I have to be extra careful.¡±

    ¡°The hell do you mean by that, boy?!¡± The Fog Demon growled.

    ¡°Nothing. I was just praising you,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    ¡°Praising me my ass! How stupid do you think I am? It¡¯s obvious that you were insulting me!¡± The Fog Demon raged. ¡°Have you fed your conscience to the dogs, boy?!¡±

    ¡°No really, I was praising you. Look into my eyes, and you will know the depths of my honesty.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    The Fog Demon harrumphed, but it didn¡¯tin any longer. A whileter, it asked, ¡°So, what are we going to do now, boy? Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°We will pass through Careless Mountain Range,¡± Ye Qing squinted and basked in the spotty sunlight peeking through the tree leaves, ¡°and we will seek out Brother Yi Pin at Bei You.¡±

    The sunlight was warm, and the wind was soothing.

    ......

    Located at the border of Chu and Yan, Bei You nominally belonged to Chu but was really awlessnd no one cared about. It was because it was sandwiched between the Gobi Desert and countless mountains and beset by wind and sand all year long. It was a cold, harsh ce where the weather conditions were terrible, the resources were scarce, and the people lived in destitution. It was neither a strategic location nor a fertilend either, which was why it received little to no attention from the imperial court.

    Bei You¡¯s unique set of circumstances made it highly attractive to fugitives and criminals. It was hardly paradise, but it was still better than being dead. Over time, countless factions were born, and their roots became deeply entrenched in the soil of Bei You.

    By the time the imperial court realized they had screwed up and tried to bring order to themandery, it was toote. The forces in Bei You had be so strong that it would take a great sacrifice to purge the ce and start anew. Lawless, chaotic and neutral, the people of Bei You answered to no one but themselves. As a result, the imperial court had no choice but to ignore it barring truly dire circumstances.

    Ye Qing could tell that Bei You was nothing like Tian Yong, Luo Shui, or any othermandery he had visited until now. Strong wind, yellow sand and destion seemed to be the main theme of this ce, and he couldn¡¯t spot a single speck of green as far as the eyes could see. Everywhere he looked, there was only lifelessness and destion.

    The cold, sand-riddled wind felt ufortable even to him. He imagined that a weaker person would feel like their exposed skin was being cut open by a de. Most of the houses were made from limestone, yellow earth and dead grass, so they were naturally low and simplistic. The delicate structure and refinement so loved by the people of Chu were nowhere to be found.

    The people of Bei You looked very different as well. They looked tall, brawny, and intimidating, and their skin was coarse and dark due to constant exposure to the harsh sunlight. The women were one thing, but every man carried at least one de with them. If the people of Tian Yong and Luo Shui were educated and cultivated gentlemen ordies of a noble family, then the people of Bei You were rugged, bruttish, and unfettered wanderers or ruffians.

    In fact, Bei You were filled with unfettered wanderers who followed only the voice of their own hearts, and cruel bandits who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill a child to rob them of their food. Chaotic andwless described this ce perfectly.

    Ye Qing knew in his head that Bei You was such a ce, but as the saying went, seeing was believing. It hadn¡¯t been long since he set foot in this ce, and already he encountered not one, but several violent incidents. He saw several people pulling their weapons over a minor altercation, and that conflict somehow escted into a full-blown brawl involving dozens of people. The blood ran like a river, and there was no one to collect their cold, dead bodies when all was said and done. Their final fate was to be eaten by vultures, hyenas and Strangers.

    He also saw a sword-wielding wanderer decapitating three bandits who were trying to rob him. Once done, he grabbed their heads by the hair, drank his wine, and sang a brave song as he walked to heavens-no-where.

    He also followed a crowd to a stage where a pair of famous swordsmen were about to duel to the death over a beautiful woman. The winner cut off his opponent¡¯s head, imed his sword as a trophy, and left happily with a beautiful woman in his arms.

    Here in Bei You, every corner could be hiding a deadly de, people settled their scores with violence as easily as they breathed, most women were as beautiful as they were deadly, and men wandered the streets with nothing but a de and a jar of wine. In Ye Qing¡¯s opinion, Bei You¡¯s <i>jianghu </i>was more <i>jianghu</i>-like than either Tian Yong or Luo Shui.

    ¡°What an interesting ce this is.¡±

    After the duel had ended, and the crowd had dispersed, Ye Qing finally followed them into the city. Bei You City was the main city of Bei You, and Yi Pin¡¯s Temple of Divination was somewhere inside the city.

    To be honest, he waste for their appointment. Right after he sent Fugong away, Ye Qing immediately began his trek across Carefree Mountain Range in hopes of reaching Bei You as soon as possible. However, he soon discovered that the mountains were overflowing with Strangers, and a good number of them were powerful enough to temper his strength and improve his mastery over his enhanced body. Not only that, they provided him with a hefty number of dragon-serpent runes.

    Ever since he was seriously injured by Zhou Hengshan, he had been consuming the Nature¡¯s Water and the golden dragon-serpent runes non-stop to keep himself alive. As a result, he had nearly used up every golden dragon-serpent rune in his possession. The golden dragon-serpent runes weren¡¯t just powerful healing items that could keep him alive at a critical time, but also useful resources that could improve his spiritual power and elerate the creation of his Yin God. That was why he changed his mind and began his first proper grind in a long, long time.

    For over a month, he explored nearly every nook and cranny of Carefree Mountain Range and ughtered every Stranger he could find. He didn¡¯t really try to keep count, but he reckoned that he had killed around seventy to eighty Strangers in total. A good number of them were Soulstealer-ss and Phenomenon-ss Strangers too.

    Maybe it was because he killed too many Strangers and caused too big amotion, but a Disaster-ss Stranger called the Old Man of the Mountain actually emerged from its hidey-hole to search for him. He was lucky to escape the Stranger¡¯s attention.

    Realizing that he had overstayed his wee, he ran away with his tail tucked between his legs and was out of Carefree Mountain Range on the same day.

    Despite the unexpected interruption, his gains were something to write home about. After over a month of hard work, he had collected a total of ten golden runes, thirty plus silver runes, and countless gray runes. Finally, he could call himself a ¡°wealthy¡± man.

    Fighting so many Strangers of all shapes of sizes had definitely improved his control over his newfound strength. On top of that, he never stopped refining his stock of Profound Yellow Qi and growing his experience using Nanke. As a result, he was stronger in every way than who he was back at the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin.

    In terms of physical strength and toughness alone, he was now more on less on par with a body-temperingte-stage Spirit Master. However, a body-tempering warrior abandoned the mind and only focused on building up the body. They didn¡¯t have a Yin God either as their way was tobine the essence, qi and spirit all into one perfect body.

    He, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t a pure body-tempering warrior. His demonic thought had be so powerful that he could create a Yin God right now if he wanted to. Although he was still ate-stage Spirit Purifier, he was absolutely stronger than a body-temperingte-stage Spirit Master.

    In short, he was ate-stage Spirit Master wearing the skin of ate-stage Spirit Purifier. <i>Worship me, mortals!</i>

    Anyway, he was dyed for over a month at Carefree Mountain Range, and it had taken him another month to journey to Bei You. All in all, more than two months had passed when he finally arrived at Bei You.

    Yi Pin had given him an address, so it took him little to no effort to reach the Temple of Divination.

    1. This wasn¡¯t in the original raw, but I thought it was worth adding because of how jarring the transition is. ?

 Chapter 515: Longevity Village

    <h4>Chapter 515: Longevity Vige </h4>

    The Temple of Divination was a very small temple. A small, shabby, and remote temple. Yi Pin was a senior and a champion before his fall from grace, so he thought for sure that his temple would be overflowing with riches and worship. Even if it wasn¡¯t, it should be massive and located on a flourishing street or something.

    As usual, reality pped him in the face. If the ugly scrawl on a wooden board at the entrance of the temple didn¡¯t say ¡°Temple of Divination¡±, he could walk past it a hundred times and never realize that it was the ce he was searching for.

    ¡°He was actually telling the truth?¡± muttered Ye Qing as he examined the temple critically.

    Back at the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin, when he said that he was going to pay Temple of Divination a visit, the old Taoist had tried to reject him with all his might. One of the main excuses he gave was that the Temple of Divination was shabby and had bad fengshui. At the time, he thought that the old Taoist was desperate to keep him away from his precious home, but now he realized that he was telling the truth. The temple was anything but presentable.

    So, why did Yi Pin say that his temple had bad fengshui? Why, that was because it was located on the opposite side of a coffin shop. Imagine this: a customer had just finished praying to their deity and receiving a peek into their future, and the first thing they saw after they exited the building was a coffin shop. Was the Taoist implying that they should n their funeral in the near future? Seriously, the only way the temple¡¯s fengshui could be worse was if it was set opposite a graveyard.

    Luckily, Ye Qing didn¡¯t mind the shabby conditions or bad fengshui. He was a fugitive looking to hide from his captors. As long as he had a roof over his head, he had noints to offer.

    The door into the temple was shut, so Ye Qing stepped forward and rapped his knuckles on the door. He waited for a moment, but no one responded to his knocks.

    Ye Qing frowned and released his demonic thought. He quickly discovered that no one was inside the temple.

    <i>I don¡¯t see Yi Pin or Longxiang</i>[1] <i>anywhere. They haven¡¯t actually run away, have they? </i>Ye Qing thought to himself, though it was just a joke to himself. He could see that the temple was littered with daily necessities, and the food inside the kitchen looked fairly fresh. They must have bought it just a while ago. The courtyard looked pretty clean, and there were only a handful of leaves and dust piles here and there. This meant that someone had swept it recently.

    All signs said that someone was living in the Temple of Divination in the past three or four days or so. It had to be Yi Pin and Li Longxiang. If they really wanted to run away, the ce would have been abandoned months ago.

    <i>They¡¯re probably out on a shopping trip or something. I¡¯ll head inside first and wait for them toe back.</i>

    Ye Qing was about to push the door open when suddenly, he lowered his arm and turned around to face the coffin shop. An old man was standing at the entrance and examining him closely.

    Time hadn¡¯t been kind to the old man. His face was covered in wrinkles and age spots, and his figure could only be described as skin and bones. He wore a ragged sheepskin shirt and hid both his hands in his sleeves as if he was cold.

    Despite this, the old man stood with a straighter back than most. He reminded Ye Qing of a sword who would rather break than bend.

    Before Ye Qing could say anything, the old man broke the silence first, ¡°Are you looking for the old Taoist?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m looking for Reverend Yi Pin.¡± Ye Qing nodded affirmatively before asking, ¡°Do you know where he went, mister?¡±

    The old man ignored him and asked another question, ¡°Is your surname Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing noticed that the old man had a very odd way of talking. The intonation of each word and the interval between each word spoken were exactly the same. It was almost like he was speaking to a robot.

    Ye Qing squinted a little and asked, ¡°Did Reverend Yi Pin tell you that?¡±

    ¡°It is you,¡± the old man continued in his stiff, conservative, unhurried tone. ¡°The old Taoist asked me to give you a message.¡±

    ¡°He knew I wasing today?¡± Ye Qing frowned. The old man simply stared at him quietly.

    <i>You don¡¯t want to answer my questions. Fine. </i>Ye Qing ranted mentally before asking, ¡°What is the message?¡±

    The old man answered, ¡°¡®If I do not return in three days,e save me at Longevity Vige.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Longevity Vige?¡± Ye Qing voiced his doubt. ¡°What kind of ce is Longevity Vige? Why did he go there?¡±

    A short silenceter, the old man said, ¡°I¡¯m busy. Wen Shu will tell you everything you need to know.¡± Then, he turned around and went inside his coffin shop.

    ¡°Mister? Mister?!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly called out. <i>I get that you don¡¯t want to talk with me, but you should at least tell me who Wen Shu is and where to find him, don¡¯t you think?!</i>

    Before he could give chase, he heard a youthful,zy voiceing from inside the coffin shop. ¡°What is it, old man? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m practicing the sword?¡±

    ¡°Ow! Oof! S-Stop hitting me, old man! I¡¯m gonna get angry if you hit me one more time¡ªargh!¡±

    ¡°The hell¡¯s gotten into you? I swear I would kick your ass if you aren¡¯t so old!¡±

    A bunch of yellingter, a young man hugging his head ran out of the coffin shop. He looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old, and he wore coarse linen clothes that were little better than rags. He cut a thin, short figure and had coarse, ck skin as if he was malnourished. He carried a wooden sword on his waist.

    ¡°Ahem...¡±

    Outside the coffin shop, the young man continued to yell at the old man when he caught Ye Qing out of the corner of his eyes. He immediately ceased his yelling, coughed, and said without a shred of shame, ¡°I could¡¯ve beaten that old man with a finger. The only reason I didn¡¯t is because I¡¯m a kind, merciful man who respects the old and cherishes the young. You believe me, right?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Sure I do. The whole world can tell me that I¡¯m wrong, and I¡¯ll still believe in you.¡±

    The young man was only a Vessel Augmentor, and that old man felt like an ordinary person, so technically speaking, it wasn¡¯t a lie. Assuming that the old man really was an ordinary person, of course.

    The old man had poor vigor and terrible footing. On the surface, he really looked like an ordinary old man with one foot in the grave. However, his behavior and way of speech seemed to suggest otherwise.

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re a discerning man, friend!¡± The young man was delighted to hear Ye Qing¡¯s reply. He looked like a kid trying to act like an adult as he took two steps forward and saluted Ye QIng. ¡°My name is Wen Shu, and I¡¯m happy to meet you, brother. I am fifteen years old, unmarried, and my dream is to be the greatest swordsman in the world.¡±

    Ye Qing returned the salute. ¡°Well met, Brother Wen. I am Joyless Ye, and I have no big ambitions. My only dream is to be the number one warrior in the world.¡±

    They matched eyes for a moment before bursting into an uproariousugh at the same time. At that moment, both men knew that they had encountered an interesting character.

    A short whileter, when they had both calmed down somewhat, Ye Qing asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s up with Reverend Yi Pin, Brother Wen? And what kind of ce is this Longevity Vige?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about Longevity Vige first.¡± Wen Shu began, ¡°Longevity Vige is a legend in Bei You. A few dozen kilometers to the west from here, it is said that a mysterious vige named Longevity Vige exists in Longevity Mountain. The vige cannot be seen or entered via normal means unless specific conditions were met, but those who were sessful would find their lifespans increased by several times that of an ordinary person¡¯s. That is why the vige came to be known as Longevity Vige.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That sounds too good to be true.¡±

    ¡°It <i>is </i>too good to be true.¡± Wen Shu sneered. ¡°There is no such thing as a free lunch. You cannot gain something without losing something.¡±

    ¡°It is true that those who entered Longevity Vige would have their lifespan increased, but their friends and family will age ten times faster than a normal person. Can you imagine a boy turning into a hunchbacked old man in just a couple of years? Can you imagine a teenage girl turning wrinkly and ugly before she even got to enjoy her maiden years? It¡¯s like they¡¯re fueling their own lifespan with their friends and family¡¯s.¡±

    <i>This is more like it, </i>Ye Qing thought as he nodded. There was no such thing as free lunch even in his world, much less this one. ¡°Is there no way to solve this?¡±

    ¡°No. If there was, I¡¯ve never heard of it. It is said that those who entered Longevity Vige do not remember how they got inside the vige, what they experienced inside the vige, and how they got out. How can you solve something that you know nothing about?¡±

    Wen Shu shook his head. ¡°There were people whomitted suicide to save their friends and family from damnation, but it didn¡¯t work. Some also tried to wait out the curse¡ªas in they waited until all their friends and family were dead before making a new family¡ªbut their descendants still suffered from it.¡±

    ¡°Make no mistake, this so-called ¡®blessing¡¯ is one hundred percent a curse. The person would enjoy a long lifespan, but they can only watch their friends and family wither away like grass. They will never have someone in their life for as long as they live.¡±

    1. Ipletely forgot to mention this, but did you know that Longxiang meant Dragon Elephant? ?

 Chapter 516: White Sand Fort

    <h4>Chapter 516: White Sand Fort </h4>

    A moment of silenceter, Ye Qing asked suddenly, ¡°What would happen if someone who¡¯spletely alone enters Longevity Vige?¡±

    Wen Shu looked surprised for a moment before lighting up. ¡°That¡¯s a bold idea. If you have no friends or family, then the curse can¡¯t take ce, but you will still enjoy an extended lifespan. You¡¯d be killing two birds with one stone! You know, I almost feel like this Longevity Vige is made for me.¡±

    Wen Shu was saying this because he was an orphan.

    Ye Qing smiled but didn¡¯t give him a response. Personally, he didn¡¯t think that things would be so simple. If he coulde up with the idea, why not others?

    Ye Qing pulled the conversation back on track. ¡°So, how did Reverend Yi Pin get involved with the Longevity Vige?¡±

    Wen Shu pped his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe he almost forgot about his original objective. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure about the details myself, but three days ago, a group sought out the Reverend and said he wishes to visit the Longevity Vige or something. Everyone here in Bei You knows that Longevity Vige is <i>not </i>a ce you want to get anywhere near to, and the Reverend was no exception. But for some reason, he changed his mindter on and agreed to guide them.¡±

    ¡°Before he left, he secretly spoke to the old man and asked him to call for help from a friend named Ye if he doesn¡¯t return in three days. He was probably talking about you.¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before shooting another question, ¡°What about Yi Pin¡¯s disciple, Li Longxiang? Where is he, and how is he doing?¡±

    ¡°Longxiang?¡± Wen Shu scratched his head a little. ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I haven¡¯t seen the dunce in a long time. Where <i>is </i>he? Oh! I get it! They must have captured the dunce and used him to force the Reverend into submission! No wonder he changed his mindter on!¡±

    Wen Shu might be young, but he was without a doubt a shrewd boy. He figured out the truth as soon as the words had passed his mouth.

    ¡°That is definitely one possibility,¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Hmph! Those shameless bastards! One day, I will cut them all with my sword and cleanse this <i>jianghu </i>of their filth!¡± Wen Shu unsheathed his wooden sword and swung it a couple of times in anger. ¡°Let¡¯s go, bud! I¡¯ll take you to Longevity Mountain and rescue the Reverend and his dunce!¡±

    ¡°Wait. Give me a moment.¡± Ye Qing caught Wen Shu before the young man could do anything rash and stepped toward the Temple of Divination.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Confused, Wen Shu tried to follow only for Ye Qing to shut the door in his face.

    ¡°Hmph! What¡¯s he trying to hide?¡± Wen Shu sat his butt on the stairs and poked some unfortunate ants who happened to catch his eyes with his wooden sword. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s not like I care about it.¡±

    A dozen or so breathster, the door opened, and Ye Qing stepped out into the open once more. Wen Shu rose to his feet, patted away the sand on his butt and asked, ¡°Can we go now?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. There is one other thing that we need to do,¡± Ye Qing replied with intentional suspense.

    ¡°What is it now?¡± Wen Shu sounded displeased.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a bit.¡± Ye Qing gave him a pat on the head before asking, ¡°Do you know where White Sand Fort is?¡±

    ¡°White Sand Fort?¡±

    Wen Shu was trying futilely to stop Ye Qing from ruining his hairstyle, but the name ¡°White Sand Fort¡± surprised him so much that he froze for a moment. He wrinkled his brows and asked with puzzlement, ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±

    ¡°Because I have something to do, of course,¡± Ye Qing replied. ¡°Just answer my question.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, but...¡± Wen Shu¡¯s eyes slowly widened in shock and horror. ¡°You¡¯re not nning to go there, are you?¡±

    The second Ye Qing nodded his head, Wen Shu immediately cried, ¡°You must be crazy! White Sand Fort is filled with bloodthirsty desert bandits! You¡¯re going to get yourself killed!¡±

    ¡°Quit it with the theatrics and just tell me where it is already!¡± Ye Qing got impatient and flicked him in the forehead.

    Wen Shu yelped in pain and wanted to rebuke Ye Qing for the unwarranted violence, but he immediately covered his forehead with both hands when he saw Ye Qing curled his fingers again. He answered obediently, ¡°White Sand Fort is located at the White Desert to the north. Just travel five kilometers after leaving the city gates, and you will find a desert with sand that looks as white as snow. White Sand Fort is just up ahead.¡±

    ¡°The owner of White Sand Fort is a man named Sha Tongtian. They call him the Lord of White Sand. An early-stage Spirit Master, he...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty well-informed, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing eximed with surprise when Wen Shu was done with his detailed exnation. He only wanted to know where White Sand Fort was, but Wen Shu had told him their head¡¯s identity, his strength, his martial arts, the amount of manpower hemanded, the things he had done and so on. It was definitely a pleasant and wee surprise.

    So, why did he want to know about White Sand Fort? It was because he asked the Annon Sutra about Li Longxiang and Yi Pin¡¯s whereabouts, and the vellum told him that Li Longxiang was at White Sand Fort, and Yi Pin was at Longevity Vige, of course. His n was to save Li Longxiang first before going after Yi Pin. If White Sand Fort really had captured Li Longxiang to coerce Yi Pin into guiding them to the Longevity Vige, then he didn¡¯t mind making them pay the price of blood as well.

    ¡°Of course I know! There is nothing in Bei you that I, the greatest swordsman in the world, don¡¯t know about!¡± Wen Shu dered proudly when he heard Ye Qing¡¯s praise.

    ¡°Yeah, you did a great job. Thank you.¡± Ye Qing gave him another head pat before getting ready to leave.

    ¡°Wait! You¡¯re not bringing me with you?¡± Wen Shu blurted in a hurry when he realized that Ye Qing was going to leave without him.

    ¡°Why would I?¡± Ye Qing turned back and shot him a smirk.

    ¡°Are you looking down on me?!¡± Wen Shu red at him.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing snorted. <i>You¡¯re a Vessel Augmentor, for heavens sake.</i>

    Wen Shu pointed his wooden sword at Ye Qing and dered loudly, ¡°Hmph! How dare you look down on the greatest swordsman in the world! Come! We shall exchange three hundred blows with each other!¡±

    ¡°You can challenge me after you¡¯ve actually be the greatest swordsman in the world.¡± Ye Qing gave him onest head pat before leaving for real.

    Wen Shu tried to give chase, but the distance between them kept growing by leaps and bounds. In just a few steps, the young man had lost track of Ye Qingpletely. Left with no choice, he could only shout his displeasure, ¡°Hmph! Just you wait! I will defeat you one day!¡±

    A secondter, he added, ¡°You bettere back, you bastard! I¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡±

    ......

    ¡°So this is the White Desert. It definitely looks impressive.¡±

    Astonished, Ye Qing took a moment to admire the borderless white desert before his eyes. Pure and white, it almost felt like he was staring at a nk piece of paper. Even the sky was dyed white to the point where he could barely tell where the ends met. It made for one hell of a sight for sure.

    Ye Qing grabbed a handful of sand and let it fall through his fingers. They were fine, soft, and felt no different from normal sand. The only thing that differentiated it from normal sand was its color.

    After he was done admiring the view, Ye Qing took his first step into the desert. To say that he stood out like a sore thumb would be an understatement. Like a drop of ink dripping onto a nk piece of canvas, it was impossible to miss him even from dozens of kilometers away.

    He had just taken a few steps when suddenly, a pair of white silhouettes burst out of the sand and swung their des at his legs. In response, Ye Qing stared straight ahead and lightly stomped his foot.

    The footprint on the sand looked shallow and, frankly, pathetic. A child could probably had left a deeper footprint than him. However, the attackers¡¯ des abruptly shattered into pieces, and they themselves abruptly copsed on the floor, unable to move even a muscle. Both men were looking up at Ye Qing in shock.

    The white silhouettes were human. To be specific, they were desert bandits. The reason they looked indistinguishable from their surroundings until just now was because they wore white outfits, their skin was pale, and even their hair, eyebrows and pupils were white-colored.

 Chapter 517: To Crush A Sand Castle

    <h4>Chapter 517: To Crush A Sand Castle </h4>

    The two men were scouts from White Sand Fort, and they were responsible for monitoring the outskirts of White Desert.

    Due to the uniqueness of White Desert, they could detect any intruder and report back to White Sand Fort at first notice.

    Practically everyone knows that a sand bandit of White Sand Fort wore a white outfit and had white skin, white hair, white eyebrows, white pupils and more.

    They wore a white outfit to make themselves indistinguishable from the white sand around them, and their physical features were white because they had stayed at White Desert for too long.

    The reason White Desert earned its name was because everything within the desert was white. The sand, the rocks, the nts, the Strangers and more; everything in this desert was pure white in color. If an outsider were to linger in the sand for too long, they too would begin to turn white starting from their hair, their eyebrows, their skin, their pupils, and even the blood in their veins.

    No one knew why this was happening, but the change in color was perfectly harmless. As a result, the desert bandits living in this ce could easily conceal themselves or move about the White Desert without being detected. It was a powerful advantage that few could counter and one of the main reasons White Sand Fort was free to do whatever they wanted in Bei You.

    One of the desert bandits finally recovered from their shock and threatened impotently, ¡°Who are you? How dare you enter the White Desert without permission!¡±

    In response, Ye Qing merely said, ¡°Take me to White Sand Fort.¡±

    ¡°Who are you? Do you know who we¡ª¡± The first sand bandit was about to shoot another threat when his voice abruptly ceased to exist. The second sand bandit watched in shock and horror as Ye Qing rapped a finger against his colleagues¡¯ head and exploded it like an overripe watermelon.

    ¡°Looks like he doesn¡¯t want toply with my demand. What about you?¡± Ye Qing withdrew hisi finger and looked at the remaining desert bandit.

    ¡°I will do as you say!¡± The desert bandit nodded immediately. He was terrified that he would follow in his colleague¡¯s footsteps if he was too slow.

    ¡°Good. You¡¯ve already proven yourself to be smarter than the idiot.¡± Ye Qing asked, ¡°What is your name?¡±

    ¡°My name is Wei Sanshi, warrior,¡± the desert bandit answered.

    Ye Qing nodded and motioned for Wei Sanshi to lead the way. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Wei Sanshi obeyed without any objection. His colleague had lost his head because he couldn¡¯t keep his mouth shut. He was hardly going to repeat his mistake.

    At first, Wei Sanshi was perfectly obedient and didn¡¯t dare to cause any trouble whatsoever. Over time, when he noticed that Ye Qing looked rxed it was almost like he was taking a stroll in the park, he began harboring certain ideas.

    He began leading Ye Qing across tightly guarded, boody-trapped routes. He was hoping that Ye Qing would be caught in one of the traps, and his colleagues would exploit the opportunity to save him.

    At first, he was quite pleased with himself, and he was sure that it wouldn¡¯t be long before Ye Qing would pay for his arrogance. However, he soon realized that something was amiss.

    For one, his colleagues didn¡¯t appear to rescue him. The traps were, for whatever reason, not working as well. There were times he saw his colleagues with his own eyes and did everything in his power to catch their attention, but they just ignored him almost as if they had fallen asleep.

    Wen Sanshi wasn¡¯t stupid. A couple encounterster, he realized that his captor must have something to do with it. He also realized that his captor was far, far stronger than he could fathom with his mind, so he dropped his petty little schemespletely and led Ye Qing to White Sand Fort.

    White Sand Fort was a small fort; a defensible town to be exact. Back in the days, White Sand Fort was just a small vige until a bunch of bandits upied it, built the barbicans and watch towers, and transformed it into a fort with offensive and defensive capabilities. They then named it White Sand Fort and used it as their main headquarters.

    By the time they finally reached White Sand Fort, the gates and walls were already filled with people. They were armed and ready to turn to violence at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Standing at the center of the group was a woman in her thirties. She had white features and wore a set of white clothes just like everyone else living in this ce, and despite her aging features it was clear that she was a beautiful woman.

    She didn¡¯t lookpletely human though. She had a pair of vertical slit pupils, and her face and her arms were covered in tiny serpent scales. A white snake the size of a human arm was coiled around her neck as well.

    While supporting the snake¡¯s chin with one hand and caressing its head with the other, she looked down on Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Hiss... If I may dare ask, who are you, and what business do you have with White Sand Fort?¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice sounded unnaturally cold and stiff. It almost felt like he was speaking to an icy stone, not a human. Not only that, a scarlet, forked tongue would flick out of her mouth from time to time.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Sha Tongtian,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    A hairless, browless man with fierce, hardened features standing next to the womanughed loudly. ¡°You want to meet our boss? Then you better tell us your name first. Our boss does not deign to speak with small fries, you see.¡±

    Hisugh abruptly ceased when Ye Qing abruptly disappeared from the ground and reappeared next to him. To say that everyone was caught off guard would be an understatement. They didn¡¯t hesitate to attack Ye Qing, and the woman and the hairless man were the fastest of them all.

    The white snake coiled around the woman¡¯s neck shot toward Ye Qing¡¯s neck like a lightning bolt, and the man aimed a powerful punch at his skull. As his arm stretched forward, white, needle-like hair grew out of his skin and threatened to skewer the young man.

    Ye Qing paid them no attention, however. He simply raised his foot and stomped the floor.

    Thunder roared, and the world shook like an earthquake. An enormous, invisible wave washed over the crowd, and they all copsed on the floor as if someone had cut their strings, groaning. The man¡¯s punch failed to hit anything, and the white snake withdrew back to the woman¡¯s neck even faster than when it pounced toward Ye Qing.

    That wasn¡¯t the end, however. A series of ominous, creaking noises drew their attention, and when they looked down to see what it was, they saw cracks spreading out in every direction like a spider¡¯s web. It wasn¡¯t long before the entire section of the wall was covered in thin, densely-packed cracks, and it looked like the slightest shift of weight would copse it all.

    An unconscious gulp overcame everyone. Their skin color was already pale to begin with, but now it waspletely white. To a certain extent, everyone was wondering if they were dreaming because their walls were made from the strongest cobblestone of the Gobi Desert and a mix of soil and the fresh blood of Hatred-ss Strangers.

    Not only were their walls supernaturally tough and impervious to the harsh elements of the desert, it could also conceal their vitality and prevent them from being attacked by Strangers. On top of that, Sha Tongtian hired many capable craftsmen to carve runes and restrictions into the walls and the fort.

    White Sand Fort was nigh imprable when their defenses were active. In fact, one of the main reasons they were a powerful, unstoppable force in Bei You was thanks to the impregnability of their main headquarters.

    Now, an unknown man had cracked their love and pride with his foot. Literally. If this wasn¡¯t a dream, then what was?

    ¡°My apologies. I identally used a bit too much force there,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly. He meant to cate these people, but his smile only made them even more nervous than before.

    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not here to make trouble for you. I¡¯m just looking for someone,¡± Ye Qing added before looking down at the empty street and called out, ¡°Can I speak with you now, Boss Sha?¡±

    A few breathster, a man emerged from a street corner. He was none other than Sha Tongtian.

    Sha Tongtian was a notorious crime boss in Bei You, but he was only in his forties. For a warrior, one might even say that he was in the prime of his life. He had strong, hardened features and silvery hair. In this desert, it actually made him look rather attractive instead of old.

    ¡°I am here. Will youe down and speak with me?¡± Sha Tongtian said calmly while looking up at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    Ye Qing jumped down to the street. As soon as hended, the white sand across the entire street abruptly stirred unnaturally like the surface of boiling oil. Then, they took the shape of several hundred men and assumed an orderly formation. It was scary to say the least.

 Chapter 518: Wine and Friend

    <h4>Chapter 518: Wine and Friend </h4>

    ¡°Is this how White Sand Fort treats its guests?¡± Ye Qing asked calmly.

    ¡°You show up uninvited and barge into our home without permission. Is this how you treat your hosts?¡± Sha Tongtian waved his arm, and the hundreds of sandmen charged toward Ye Qing at once.

    ¡°Hahaha! Fair enough.¡±

    Ye Qing was chuckling, but the cold glint in his eyes told a different story. There was a soft noise underneath his foot, and he shot toward the formation like an arrow.

    He would challenge an army by himself.

    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>

    Ye Qing and the hundreds of sandmen mmed into each other. When the dust settled, it was Ye Qing who came out on top.

    In just the blink of an eye, Ye Qing had traveled from one end of the street to another. He then grabbed Sha Tongtian by the throat and mmed him into the wall behind him, forming a deep pit and a spider web of cracks.

    Sha Tongtian wasn¡¯t done, however. A sea of sand was soaring in the sky behind him and howling like the end of the world itself. The ground itself was moving rapidly like a tsunami, threatening to swallow him whole.

    Ye Qing ignored it all. Still grabbing Sha Tongtian¡¯s neck, he took one step forward and smashed that section of the wall into bits. Then, he continued forward and smashed through every wall who was unfortunate enough to stand in his way.

    It wasn¡¯t long before he crossed over half of White Sand Fort and arrived at a massive, imposing-looking residence. He stomped the ground again, and suddenly the sandstorm behind him copsed limply as if their invisible strings were cut.

    Ye Qing then tossed Sha Tongtian aside, pped his hands clean of sand, and raised his voice, ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to see me, but I must speak with you, Boss Sha. Will you finally show yourself?¡±

    The Sha Tongtian he just tossed aside crumbled into sand, and the gates creaked open several breathster. Dozens of desert bandits in uniforms rushed out of the residence and surrounded him. The rooftops, the windows, the entrances and more were surrounded by desert bandits wielding des or bows as well. They were all watching him nervously.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t do anything. He simply stood there with a calm, confident smile on his face.

    It was at this moment a low, raspy voice cut through the tension. ¡°Stand down. Brother Ye, pleasee in.¡± It came from inside the residence.

    The desert bandits immediately opened up a way and motioned for Ye Qing to head in.

    There was no reason for Ye Qing to hesitate. He walked through the gates confidently like he owned the ce.

    The first thing he saw after he stepped inside was a massive tree. It was snow white in color and leafless. However, translucent fruits hung on its branches and gave off a faint, delicious scent.

    A middle-aged man was sitting underneath the tree. He looked exactly the same as the fake Sha Tongtian from before. The genuine article.

    From the start, Ye Qing knew that the Sha Tongtian who appeared before his eyes wasn¡¯t real. Not only that, he figured out that Sha Tongtian was not an early-stage Spirit Master like people thought him to be, but ate-stage Spirit Master. He also possessed a sublime martial art and a prodigious amount of spiritual power that allowed him to manipte sand, summon hundreds of sand soldiers, and even create a near perfect copy of himself from several kilometers away. He was a formidable warrior to put it mildly. The rumors regarding the strength of Bei You definitely wasn¡¯t exaggerated.

    This was why Ye Qing hadn¡¯t gone on a killing spree. He was here to rescue Li Longxiang, not make new enemies. He had to reveal some of his skills so that his foes wouldn¡¯t look down on him, but he made sure to avoid taking a life besides the first. if he killed too many people, then this could easily escte into a full-blown war where neither side stood to gain anything.

    ¡°Please have a seat, Brother Ye.¡±

    Sha Tongtian poured Ye Qing a cup of tea and watched him. Ye Qing calmly took his seat, sniffed the tea once and joked, ¡°I¡¯m a guest from distantnds, and you couldn¡¯t even offer me a cup of wine, Boss Sha?¡±

    Sha Tongtian elegantly sipped his own tea and replied, ¡°I just have a habit of treating my friends and family with wine, and my important guests with tea. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Ye Qing drained his tea in one gulp and produced a jar of wine from Nine Heavens. He ced it on the table and dered, ¡°Since you offered me tea, it¡¯s only right that I reciprocate with some wine. I hope you won¡¯t turn me down, Boss Sha?¡±

    <i>You said that you only treat your friends and family with wine, so if you ept my offering, then we will be friends.</i>

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you state your business first?¡± Sha Tongtian set down his cup and asked, ¡°What is your name, and why have youe to White Sand Fort, Brother Ye?¡±

    <i>Tell me your business first so I may know if it¡¯s serious or trivial, friendly or hostile. Only then I¡¯ll tell you if I ept your friendship.</i>

    ¡°Straight to business, eh? Very well.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°My name is Joyless, and I am a friend of Yi Pin.¡±

    Sha Tongtian responded slowly, ¡°So?¡±

    He knew Yi Pin of course. The old Taoist was the head of the Temple of Divination. He was just a small fry though.

    ¡°Yi Pin has a disciple named Li Longxiang, and he is my junior, I suppose.¡± Ye Qing continued, ¡°Your men captured him, and I would kindly request that you release him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? We did?¡± Sha Tongtian furrowed his brows slightly before waving someone over. ¡°Go summon White Snake.¡±

    Ye Qing could tell that Sha Tongtian wasn¡¯t lying. He really didn¡¯t know about Li Longxiang¡¯s capture.

    A short whileter, the woman with the white snake coiled around her neck stepped in. She saluted Sha Tongtian and greeted him, ¡°Boss!¡±

    Sha Tongtian asked directly, ¡°Did you capture a man named Li Longxiang recently? He¡¯s the disciple of Yi Pin, head of the Temple of Divination.¡±

    White Snake thought for a second before answering, ¡°We have.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Hiss... a few days ago, a client offered us one thousand silver to capture Li Longxiang. We do not know why.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who the client is?¡± Sha Tongtian asked.

    White Snake shook her head. ¡°No. They never revealed their identity to us.¡±

    Sha Tongtian was silent for a moment. Then, he dered, ¡°Bring Li Longxiang over.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± White Snake received her order and left immediately.

    After White Snake was gone, Sha Tongtian grabbed the jar of wine and poured himself a cup. After draining its contents in one gulp, he praised, ¡°A superior quality Snowfire? What an excellent wine you have here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d that you enjoy it,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    A momentter, White Snake returned with four brawny men and Li Longxiang. Thick chains were wrapped around the young man¡¯s body, and his shoulder des were pierced by metal. He was also covered in wounds from head to toe.

    Despite his horrible appearance, Li Longxiang himself appeared quite vigorous. In fact, he kept struggling as he walked and caused the four brawny men to stagger from time to time. They probably wouldn¡¯t be able to control him if even one of them was missing.

    Moreover, Li Longxiang¡¯s vigor roared like a flood trapped inside a furnace, and his steps felt as firm and heavy as a dragon. One might say that he was a dragon elephant in human skin. His physical strength was so, so much stronger than what it was back then, and he was now an Astral Refiner.

    This was just his apparent strength. If he activated his Crimson Dragon Demon Ox bloodline, then his strength would be several times greater.

    ¡°Why are you tying him up?¡± Sha Tongtian asked on purpose even though he knew the answer.

    White Snake replied, ¡°This man is incredibly strong, boss. It¡¯ll be incredibly difficult to control him without restraints.¡±

    It was at this moment Li Longxiang spotted Ye Qing and exploded with shock and joy. He immediately rushed toward him while yelling, ¡°Senior uncle! Senior uncle!¡±

    The four men who were restraining him actually lost their footing. They were dragged helplessly behind his back until Li Longxiang finally reached Ye Qing.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re having a good time, bud!¡± Ye Qing ced a hand on Li Longxiang¡¯s shoulder, and the young man that not even four men could control abruptly came to a dead stop.

    ¡°My apologies for my men¡¯s poor treatment of your junior, Brother Ye. I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡±

    Sha Tongtian was surprised by Li Longxiang¡¯s strength, but only a little. After all, he was nothingpared to Ye Qing.

    Li Longxiang¡¯s outburst seemed to confirm that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t lying about their rtionship though.

    ¡°You exaggerate, Boss Sha. This boy is as tenacious as he is strong. He will recover in no time,¡± Ye Qing replied while swiping his hand across Li Longxiang¡¯s chains and snapping them all in half.

    ¡°You are a forgiving man, Brother Ye.¡±

    Sha Tongtian felt his eyelids twitching a little. The chains were forged using Nine Refined Metal, and Ye Qing had snapped it as easily as tofu. What a monster.

 Chapter 519: Water In The Sky, Moon On The Ground

    <h4>Chapter 519: Water In The Sky, Moon On The Ground </h4>

    ¡°They¡¯re bad people, senior uncle!¡± Li Longxiangined to Ye Qing, his ¡°senior uncle¡¯s¡± appearance giving him the courage to voice his displeasure. In his head, his master and his senior uncle were powerful and invincible.

    ¡°Longxiang! Control yourself!¡± Ye Qing rebuked the young man before sping his hands in apology. ¡°He¡¯s still a child. He didn¡¯t really mean his words. I hope you won¡¯t take offense, Boss Sha.¡±

    There was no need to offend Sha Tongtian since White Sand Fort wasn¡¯t the true mastermind behind Li Longxiang¡¯s capture, and the man himself was a powerful warrior.

    Sha Tongtian replied indifferently, ¡°Your junior isn¡¯t wrong. We are bad people. Then again, how many people in Bei You are truly good?¡±

    Ye Qing ignored Sha Tongtian¡¯s musing and said, ¡°Thank you for your benevolence, Boss Sha.¡± He then rose to his feet and bade him goodbye, ¡°My business is done here. If there is nothing else, then we shall take our leave immediately, Boss Sha.¡±

    Sha Tongtian asked, ¡°Are you really in such a hurry, Brother Ye? I¡¯ve already ordered the men to whip us a delicious meal. You might as well stay for a moment and enjoy lunch with me.¡±

    Ye Qing turned him down. ¡°Unfortunately, my next order of business is quite urgent. Perhaps next time, Boss Sha.¡±

    Sha Tongtian sighed regretfully. ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°We are friends already, aren¡¯t we? I might not be able to drink with you this time, but there is always the next time.¡±

    ¡°That is true. In that case, I bid you good luck in your ventures.¡± Sha Tongtian nodded.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. Until another time.¡± Ye Qingughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Longxiang!¡±

    ¡°Yes, senior uncle,¡± Li Longxiang replied obediently and fell behind Ye Qing. The duo began walking toward the exit when suddenly, Ye Qing looked back as if he just recalled something, ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot to ask. Do you know who¡¯s the one who requested the capture of Longxiang, Miss White?¡±

    White Snake shook her head without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t know. They never revealed themselves from the start until the end. They paid us to do a job, so we did the job for them. That is all.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Thank you for rifying, Miss White.¡± Ye Qing smiled and added, ¡°No need to see us off, Boss Sha. Until another day!¡±

    After Ye Qing and Li Longxiang were gone, White Snake began, ¡°Boss...¡±

    Before she could say anything else, Sha Tongtian raised a hand to stop her. Then, he waved his hand once. The surrounding desert bandits picked up on his meaning, saluted him and took their leave immediately.

    After everyone was gone, Sha Tongtian wobbled a little and clutched the tree next to him. His skin began to turn coarse and wrinkly, and sand seemed to be slipping off his face. In just a few breaths, his eyes, ears, nose and mouth disappeared and left behind gaping orifices.

    ¡°Are you okay, boss?¡± White Snake nched and asked worriedly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡± Sha Tongtian waved off her concern. A dozen or so breathster, he sucked in a deep breath, and the sand on the ground flew up and poured into his orifices. It wasn¡¯t long before his face looked normal once more.

    ¡°You wanted to know why I let them go, didn¡¯t you? This is why.¡±

    White Snake was silent for a moment. ¡°Is he really that strong?¡±

    ¡°If we fight to the death, it¡¯s a coin toss whether I win or lose, live or die,¡± Sha Tongtian replied in an indifferent tone. ¡°Why make an enemy out of someone like that when we can be friends instead? Besides, we are trading a useless person for a useful person¡¯s favor. It¡¯s a win no matter how you look at it.¡±

    White Snake said nothing for a moment. ¡°Perhaps, but we have broken the rules of our trade with this act. How are we going to exin this to our client?¡±

    ¡°Rules?¡± Sha Tongtian let out a cold, mirthless chuckle. ¡°The strong make the rules, and the weaklings obey them. I¡¯m the one who made the rules, so of course I can change them whenever I like. If our ¡®client¡¯ is foolish enough to ask us forpensation after they return from their business, then we¡¯ll have the perfect opportunity to kill them all. It¡¯s their fault for being weak, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    White Snake licked her lips and hissed. ¡°You are right, boss. So, what do we do about him?¡±

    Sha Tongtian ordered, ¡°Look into his background, but do it discreetly. I don¡¯t want him to catch a whiff of our operations.¡±

    ¡°Understood, boss.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Why have youe to Bei You, senior uncle?¡±

    Li Longxiang had mostly recovered by the time they left the White Desert. He was currently eyeing his senior uncle with a look of excitement in his eyes.

    ¡°To pay you and your master a visit, of course.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°How did they capture you, Longxiang?¡±

    Li Longxiang scratched his head and answered, ¡°I was buying food at the market when suddenly, a couple of passersby ambushed me and captured me. Then, they took me to White Sand Fort.¡±

    ¡°Did they mention why they captured you?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Li Longxiang shook his head.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t feel disappointed since he had anticipated this answer. ¡°This is where we part ways, Longxiang. I¡¯ll see you another day.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t youe back with me, senior uncle?¡± Li Longxiang asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure master will be very happy to see you!¡±

    ¡°I have something I need to take care of. I¡¯ll visit the two of you in a couple days,¡± replied Ye Qing. Clearly, Li Longxiang had no idea that Yi Pin had left for Longevity Vige with his captors.

    Ye Qing added, ¡°Speaking of which, your master is not at the temple right now. He¡¯s left for some sort of business, so don¡¯t worry about him, alright?¡±

    He told Li Longxiang a white lie because he didn¡¯t want the young man to run off on his own. That would only make it harder to rescue Yi Pin.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Li Longxiang replied without suspecting a thing. Yi Pin must be absent pretty often if this was the young man¡¯s response.

    There was a chance Wen Shu might slip up and tell Li Longxiang the truth, but Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried. Wen Shu was a cunning brat. Even if he hadn¡¯t informed him about this, there should be no chance he wouldmit such a mistake.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Take care, senior uncle,¡± Li Longxiang said.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded and gave him onest instruction, ¡°Stay inside the temple and don¡¯t go anywhere unless absolutely necessary, understand?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Got it.¡± Li Longxiang didn¡¯t question the instruction and nodded obediently. He bowed to Ye Qing again before he finally took off toward the city.

    After Li Longxiang was gone, Ye Qing immediately took off toward Longevity Mountain. Every second he dyed was a second Yi Pin might fall into greater danger.

    ......

    Despite its name, Longevity Mountain was really a series of barren, interconnected hills. Vegetations were sparse, and destion was everywhere.

    No one knew how the mountain came to earn its name. Maybe it was because Longevity Vige came first, and people eventually associated it with the vige. Maybe it was the other way around, or maybe it had originated from something elsepletely. As far as the people and records were concerned, there was a mysterious vige called Longevity Vige in the mountains named Longevity Mountain.

    To reach Longevity Vige, one must first enter the Longevity Mountain. However, not everyone who entered the Longevity Mountain could reach the Longevity Vige. To this day, no one knew an exact way to find and enter Longevity Vige, not even those who had entered the ce before.

    Most people imed that entering Longevity Mountains during the night was the key to finding Longevity Vige, but there were plenty of people who tried that and turned up with nothing. From this, one could deduce that there were some other conditions one must meet before they could enter Longevity Vige, but no one could say for certain what it was.

    Thankfully, Ye Qing knew a way. When in doubt, ask the Annon Sutra!

    Ye Qing pulled out the Annon Sutra and asked, ¡°How do I enter Longevity Vige?¡±

    He then channeled his internal force and spat out multiple globs of blood onto the piece of vellum.

    A short whileter, the blood came together and formed a single line: ¡°Water in the sky, moon on the ground.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned deeply. He recognized each and every word on the vellum, but he couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of them when they were put together in a sentence.

    How could water exist in the sky?

    How could the moon appear on the ground?

    It was one thing if it was the other way around¡ªwater on the ground, moon in the sky¡ªbut this? This made no sense at all.

    ¡°Why must you riddle me so? I know you can give me a straight answer,¡± Ye Qing muttered under his breath as he put the Annon Sutra away. Once done, he began racking his brain for an answer.

 Chapter 520: Longevity In Water

    <h4>Chapter 520: Longevity In Water </h4>

    ¡°Water in the sky, water in the sky...¡±

    Ye Qing thought long and hard while staring nkly at the dark skies above his head and tapping the ground with his fingers.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    It was at this moment he heard a distant thunder. The sky was absolutely jam-packed with ck clouds, and the wind howled like a furious god.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to rain soon,¡± Ye Qing sensed the humidity in the clouds when suddenly, his eyes lit up. ¡°The rain? That¡¯s the ¡®water in the sky¡¯, isn¡¯t it? It has to be!¡±

    He looked down on the ground. ¡°If the first line of the riddle refers to the rain, then the second line must mean the moon¡¯s reflection!¡±

    Sometimes, the answer came very easily once you had gotten your first breakthrough. A new question quickly confounded Ye Qing though. ¡°But what does it <i>mean</i>, really? So, the water in the sky refers to the rain, and the moon on the ground refers to the moon¡¯s reflection in a pool of water. But... how can the moon appear in a clouded sky like this?¡±

    Ye Qing scratched his nose for a moment before snapping his fingers in realization. ¡°I get it! When the rain ends, and the sky clears up, the moon¡¯s reflection will appear in the puddles on the ground. Only then can both conditions be met.¡±

    So, he waited. Rain droplets soon fell from the sky, but unlike the soft,fortable drizzle of Luo Shui, the rain of Northern Xinjiang was violent, wild, and reeked of the earth due to its powerful winds. Unfortunately...

    ¡°The rain¡¯s too small, and this is the peak of the mountain. I won¡¯t find a puddle in this ce.¡±

    Longevity Mountain was a series of barren hills with little vegetation and extremely dry soil, so it was difficult for puddles to umte in the first ce. This was doubly true in tall ces where the rain was at its weakest.

    That was why he needed to travel to the londs where the rain was at its strongest. Only then there was a chance he might find the puddle he was searching for.

    Ye Qing kicked off the ground with his movement art and began speeding toward the center of the ck clouds.

    Luckily for him, he found a suitable spot where the rain was stronger, and the ground was low-lying just a teatimeter. Despite standing in the middle of a raging downpour, his astral qi kept the rain from wetting a single hair on his body. The patch of ground he was standing on was perfectly dry as well.

    The rain of Northern Xinjiang left as quickly as it came. It wasn¡¯t long before the raging downpour came to aplete halt, though the sky remained as clouded as ever.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope there¡¯s going to be a moon tonight!¡± Ye Qing shrugged helplessly as he stared at the thick clouds above his head. He wanted to locate the Longevity Vige and rescue Yi Pin as soon as possible as well, but what could he do if the weather refused to cooperate with him[1]?

    Luckily for Yi Pin, the heavens decided to be less cruel to him today. The dark clouds dispersed just four hourster, and a beautiful moon burst out into the open. The puddles immediately started glittering with light as well, phantasmal and beautiful.

    A few secondster, what looked like a vige appeared in the wobbling puddles. It was well-lit and seemingly peaceful.

    ¡°Is that... Longevity Vige?!¡±

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes.<i> Longevity Vige exists inside the water?! I thought the rumors said that it¡¯s somewhere in the mountains?</i>

    When Ye Qing carefully probed the puddle with his demonic thought, the wobbling abruptly grew much more intense. However, the image of Longevity Vige only grew bigger and clearer as if it was crossing over from a world of illusion into reality. Words couldn¡¯t describe how strange and unusual the process was. It kept growing and growing and growing and finally, a few breathster, a small vige appeared at the center of the hills as if it had always been there.

    ¡°So that¡¯s Longevity Vige!¡±

    Ye Qing watched the vige for a moment. It looked well-lit and very peaceful. Like a light of hope amidst the overwhelming darkness of the night, it was overflowing with vitality, warmth, and the promise offort. His demonic thought couldn¡¯t sense a shred of anomalous or evil energy from the vige either. As far as he could tell, it was a perfectly ordinary vige.

    A moment of observationter, Ye Qing decided that he couldn¡¯t glean anything from where he was standing and began walking toward the vige. It looked like the only way he could rescue Yi Pin was to enter the vige as well.

    As soon as he stepped through the entrance, he felt as if he had entered a different space. The winding hills behind his back suddenly vanished into nothing, and his demonic thought failed to sense the exit that was right behind him until a moment ago.

    It was toote for regrets though, and frankly, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t too worried about his safety. He continued to venture deeper into the vige.

    ¡°Huh? Where are you from, boy? The hell are you doing at our humble vige?¡±

    Suddenly, a childish but strangely mature voice rang beside him. When Ye Qing looked, he saw a boy about twelve to thirteen years old smoking from a pipe and watching him on a stone bench in front of a house.

    ¡°You should speak to your elders politely, boy,¡± Ye Qing chided him while wondering how precocious the children of this region were. It wasn¡¯t every day he met a young boy smoking a pipe like no tomorrow after all.

    ¡°Who are you calling a boy?! I¡¯m old enough to be your dad, <i>boy!</i> How rude can you be?!¡± The boy flew into a rage and pointed his smoking pipe at Ye Qing¡¯s face. He looked like he might smack Ye Qing in the knee at any moment.

    ¡°It sounds like he¡¯s swearing at me, but nah, that can¡¯t be!¡± Ye Qing muttered under his breath before continuing in a kind tone, ¡°Someone as young as you shouldn¡¯t boast, boy. It¡¯s going to be a bad habit in the future.¡± <i>And it¡¯s going to get you an ass-kicking if you¡¯re not careful.</i>

    ¡°Boasting? You think I¡¯m <i>boasting</i>?!¡± The boy turned beet red with anger. ¡°Wait right there!¡±

    He then turned toward the entrance and yelled, ¡°Woman! Will you round up our son and daughter-inw ande out right now?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy! What¡¯s the problem?¡± An impatient voice came from inside the house.

    ¡°Just do as I say, woman! Less words, more action!¡± The boy yelled louder.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Seriously, what¡¯s the hurry?¡± The second voice replied with growing impatience. Then, a girl about twelve to thirteen years old stepped out of the door. She was followed by a younger boy and a girl who looked to be around seven or eight years old.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you, old man? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m cooking?¡± The older girl spat while ring at the boy.

    The younger boy and girl behind her also asked, ¡°Yeah, dad. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    The boy took a puff of smoke and side-eyed Ye Qing with disdain. ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. I just wanna introduce our <i>family </i>to a guest, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Are they your wife, your son and his wife?¡± Ye Qing blinked in disbelief. <i>Surely they¡¯re just ying house!</i>

    ¡°Who else can they be? I¡¯m sixty-nine this year! Of course I have a wife, a son and a daughter-inw! It¡¯s perfectly normal, isn¡¯t it?¡± The boy watched Ye Qing calmly.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Normal?</i>

    <i>I¡¯m an adult, and I don¡¯t even have a girlfriend, and you, a kid, are telling me that you have a wife, a son and even a daughter-inw? Does that make sense to you?</i>

    <i>Wait¡ªsixty-nine?</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s brain started up again. ¡°Did you just say you¡¯re sixty-nine years old?¡±

    ¡°But of course!¡± The boy took another puff of smoke. ¡°I¡¯ll be seventy in a couple more days. It¡¯s also me and my beloved wife¡¯s anniversary!¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling an outsider about this?¡± The girl standing next to him turned a little red and punched him lightly.

    ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a secret!¡± The boy chuckled and held her hand gently. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re free to attend our anniversary if you want to, boy!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <i>This feeling of being one-upped by kids is...</i>

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I look sixty-nine, do you?¡± The boy suddenly let out a chuckle. ¡°Do you know where you are right now?¡±

    ¡°The Longevity Vige!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. This was the Longevity Vige, and anyone who entered this ce would enjoy a lifespan that was several longer than their ordinary counterparts. It made sense that the vigers were just as long-lived, if not more so.

    <i>A sixty-nine years old man who looks like twelve is insane though. Like wow.</i>

    ¡°Ahem... sorry for my poor attitude. I hope you¡¯ll ept my apology,¡± Ye Qing bowed and apologized to the ¡°children¡±.

    Right now, he had no idea what kind of ce Longevity Vige was. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t going to leap into a hissy fit or something, not to mention the children¡ªthe <i>old </i>children¡ªdidn¡¯t seem to harbor any malice toward him. He should lie low and try and squeeze as much information as possible from them.

    1. Yeah, I¡¯m sure we¡¯re all thinking the same thing... bro use your fucking Cloud Vaporization Style or just punch the clouds, really. ?

 Chapter 521: Donâ€™t Go Out When Itâ€™s Bright

    <h4>Chapter 521: Don¡¯t Go Out When It¡¯s Bright </h4>

    ¡°Heh, it looks like you know your manners, so I¡¯ll be the bigger man this time and forgive you.¡± The boyughed boisterously before waving his hand. ¡°My name is Mu Qing. You may call me Old Mu. This is my wife Qin Fang, my son Mu Lin, and my daughter-inw Ding Rui.¡±

    <i>What a coincidence. My name has a Qing in it as well. </i>Ye Qing chuckled and replied, ¡°My name is Joyless Ye. Nice to meet you all, Old Mu, Mrs. Mu, uncle, auntie.¡±

    <i>Oh man, that sounds both weird and embarrassing for some reason.</i>

    ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± They returned the greeting with a nod before Mu Qing asked, ¡°So, why have youe to Longevity Vige, boy? Are you here to extend your lifespan as well?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯m here to find someone.¡±

    ¡°Find someone? Who?¡± Mu Qing asked, puzzled.

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°A group of people should¡¯ve entered Longevity Vige about two or three days ago. I¡¯m looking for them.¡±

    Yi Pin and his unwantedpanions had departed for Longevity Vige about three days ago, but he didn¡¯t know when they entered the vige exactly. He could only give Mu Qing a vague answer.

    ¡°Two or three days ago?¡± Mu Qing looked confused. He nced at his wife, son and daughter-inw and asked, ¡°Did our vige wee a group of visitors in the past couple days?¡±

    They all shook their heads in unison. ¡°Not at all. In fact, we haven¡¯t received any visitors for a very long time.¡±

    Mu Qing looked back at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Are you sure you got the right ce, boy?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. He knew there could be no mistake because the Annon Sutra was the one who told him that Yi Pin was at Longevity Vige. Either Mu Qing and his family were lying to him, or something else was going on here.

    He didn¡¯t think that they were lying to him. Besides their unnatural longevity, Mu Qing and his family felt perfectly ordinary to him. He had also been examining their expression and emotion using his demonic thought while he shot them questions. As far as he could tell, no one was lying to him.

    A skilled liar might be able to control their expression perfectly on the outside, but they had to experience some level of turmoil on the inside. Even if he presumed that some of them possessed the exceptional skill to conceal their expression and their emotions perfectly from scrutiny, it was unlikely that all five of them could pull off the same feat. That was why he did not think that Mu Qing and his family were lying to him.

    That said, reality cared nothing for his opinions, so just in case Ye Qing continued his line of questioning, ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve arrived at Longevity Vige. Are you sure you haven¡¯t missed them? Perhaps you have a faulty memory or something?¡±

    ¡°Screw you! I¡¯m nowhere old enough to have blurry eyes or declining memory! There is no way I would miss it if an outsider really hase to our vige, much less a whole group!¡± Mu Qing huffed.

    ¡°Ahem... that¡¯s not what I meant, Old Mu.¡± <i>Bro, you¡¯re almost seventy years old. If you¡¯re not an old man, then who is?</i>

    Then, Ye Qing noticed Mu Qing¡¯s youthful appearance and changed his mind. <i>On second thought, he has a very good reason to say he¡¯s not old.</i>

    ¡°Hmph! I can tell you don¡¯t believe me. Come! I¡¯ll take you to the others. Maybe one of them has seen your mysterious group, or maybe I¡¯m right! We¡¯ll know in a moment!¡± Mu Qing grunted.

    ¡°Apologies for the trouble, Old Mu.¡± Ye Qing saluted him. He was nning to explore the vige anyway, and Mu Qing as a guide would make things much simpler.

    ¡°Can you prepare an extra meal for this boy while I take him around the vige, woman? I promise we won¡¯t take too long!¡± Mu Qing instructed.

    Ye Qing tried to decline their invitation. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±

    Mu Qing¡¯s wife, Qin Fang merely waved him off and said in a warm tone, ¡°Spare me the courtesy, will you? You must have traveled long and far toe here. No way I¡¯m going to let you starve! Come back soon, you two!¡±

    ¡°I already said we won¡¯t take too long,¡± Mu Qing mumbled before beckoning for Ye Qing to follow him. ¡°Come on!¡±

    And so Mu Qing began leading Ye Qing around the vige and introducing him to various vigers. To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, not only was Mu Qing not the oldest man in the vige, he was among the younger generation. Nearly everyone they met was his senior, and it was awkward to hear him addressing them as big bro, big sis, uncle, auntie and more. <i>If Mu Qing is ¡°Old Mu¡± to me, then what about the others? Should I address them as great uncle A or great auntie B? Maybe even grand uncle C?</i>

    Just like Mu Qing, his uncle and auntie all looked ridiculously young. If you judged them by their appearance alone, you would think that they were only several years apart from each other.

    One thing he noticed while touring the vige was that they were exceptionally friendly. Although he was an outsider, they never failed to enquire solicitously about his wellbeing and invited him to take a seat at their houses.

    The vige wasn¡¯t big, but it wasn¡¯t too small either. It took him over two hours before he finally met with everyone in the vige. Ye Qing¡¯s impression after the tour hade to an end was that one word: paradise.

    Longevity Vige felt like a paradise that should only exist in one¡¯s dreams. Everyone here was freed from pain, anxiety and depression, and everyone was kind, happy and peaceful. If there was such a ce as a utopia, then this was it.

    Despite this, there were oddities that Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but notice. For example, not even the oldest people in this vige looked particrly old. Two, everyone was walking about and doing things even thought it was past midnight. And three, he was the only outsider they had met since a very, very long time.

    One person could concoct a perfect lie. Two people could concoct a perfect lie. It was possible for five or even ten people to concoct a perfect lie. But the entire vige?

    Not only that, Ye Qing had been scanning the vige non-stop while he and Mu Qing traveled from house to house. He was unable to find a trace of Yi Pin anywhere no matter how hard he searched. It was almost as if Yi Pin wasn¡¯t at Longevity Vige, except it couldn¡¯t be. The Annon Sutra had spoken, and its word wasw. He just couldn¡¯t find the old Taoist for some reason.

    Ye Qing was dazed and feeling he had a small headache by the time Mu Qing finally took him back to his house. Not long after, he joined them at the dining table and enjoyed a delicious meal.

    Yi Pin was still nowhere to be found, and he was worried that the food might be drugged or something. He honestly didn¡¯t feel like eating anything. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to spurn the family¡¯s invitation for the tenth time, so he ultimately gave in and... ate so much food that he nearly burst his belly.

    Normally, he was a cautious, highly disciplined professional who would not sumb to temptation. When he did, it was because the temptation was too much. The food itself was nothing special, and there wasn¡¯t even a te of meat on the table. It was just some all-natural honey, fungus, wild vegetables and more. But for some reason, they were some of the most delicious-smelling and tasting food he had ever eaten in his life. Literally, it was better than even the strange food he had eaten at Food Is Heaven some time ago.

    So, yes, he couldn¡¯t hold back¡ªbut he made sure to check that the food was safe, of course. He wasn¡¯t <i>that </i>far gone that he would risk his life over some food.

    After a fulfilling dinner¡ªor was it supper?¡ªhe spent the rest of the night chatting with Mu Qing and his family. Before he knew it, weak beams of sunlight were shining into the living room. Dawn wasing.

    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s almost morning?¡±

    When Mu Qing noticed this, he suddenly yawned and said tiredly, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we weed a visitor, so I couldn¡¯t help but speak a little more than I meant to. I hope you won¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, Old Mu. I¡¯m happy to make your acquaintance,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m d you don¡¯t find me long-winded,¡± Mu Qing chirped happily. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. You should go to bed soon.¡±

    <i>It¡¯s gettingte? Shouldn¡¯t it be the other way around? </i>Ye Qing blinked in confusion as he nced at the growing light.

    ¡°Old Mu, do you guys... sleep in the morning?¡± Ye Qing asked after deciding that there was no point holding back his question.

    ¡°What else?¡± replied Mu Qing while he was halfway to his room. He then added, ¡°Seriously, boy, go catch some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Remember, you must never, ever leave the house when it¡¯s daytime.¡±

 Chapter 522: Thereâ€™s Someone On Your Shoulder

    <h4>Chapter 522: There¡¯s Someone On Your Shoulder </h4>

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing frowned. <i>They go to bed in the morning? I¡¯ve never heard of such a culture before.</i>

    Now he understood why everyone in Longevity Vige was up and about during midnight. It was because they slept during the day!

    But what did he mean by not leaving the house during daytime? Usually, people were advised to stay indoors during nighttime. Why was this flipped around again?

    It was strange. Too strange.

    ¡°But why can¡¯t we go out during the day, Old Mu?¡± Ye Qing voiced his doubt.

    ¡°Because... that is thew of Longevity Vige!¡± Ye Qing wondered if it was his imagination, but the old man¡¯s voice sounded a little odder and eerie than normal. ¡°In any case, never go out during the day!¡±

    Having said that, Mu Qing turned around and walked straight toward his room. Ye Qing had more questions to ask, but the old man ignored his cries almost as if he couldn¡¯t hear them. He was gone in just a moment.

    Ye Qing hesitated, but he ultimately did not try to stop Mu Qing. After all, he couldn¡¯t predict what kind of consequences such an action might bring, not to mention that the Mu Family had never shown an ounce of malice toward him. He didn¡¯t want to endanger them unless absolutely necessary.

    It was almost daytime anyway. Whatever oddity that was afflicting this vige would soon reveal itself. There was no need to start something unnecessary.

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing sat cross-legged on the bed and entered a meditative state. At the same time, he spread out his demonic thought like a web and paid close attention to his surroundings.

    By now, his spiritual power was strong enough to spread his demonic thought across one-fifth of Longevity Vige, and his senses were telling him that the whole vige had fallen silent. If it was as noisy and lively as a market before, now it was as silent as death itself. If it wasn¡¯t for the vigers¡¯ slow breathing¡ªand even then, their breathing was so quiet that he could mistake them for the dead¡ªhe would have thought that the vige was dead.

    That wasn¡¯t all. As time passed, and the darkness slowly gave way to light, Longevity Vige slowly began to transform. As if it was in a timepse video, the vige began falling apart in real time. The buildings started looking old and dpidated, chunks of the walls began falling off its main body, the roof tiles began cracking or powdering into dust, and dead grass was everywhere. It looked both deste and bleak.

    The room Mu Qing had prepared for him was undergoing a transformation as well. Dust bunnies began to spawn like crazy, cobwebs appeared all over the ce, the table, the chairs and his bed were covered in mold, and the air smelled of something rotten. The wisps of light shining through thettice windows only made the decay clearer.

    ¡°Strange!¡±

    Ye Qing was wondering what was going on when suddenly, his eyebrows shot into his hair. The next moment, he disappeared and reappeared in front of Mu Qing¡¯s room.

    He didn¡¯t step inside because he knew that the husband and wife were already gone. In fact, every viger in Longevity Vige had disappeared as if they never were. He knew this because they had all vanished from his demonic thought without warning, though he had no idea how they disappeared or where they went. One moment they were there, and the next, poof.

    ¡°What is going on here?¡±

    He could not fathom Longevity Vige¡¯s transformation at all, the vigers¡¯ sudden disappearance even more so.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡±

    Ye Qing made up his mind to leave after thinking for a moment. Although Longevity Vige¡¯s transformation was strange to say the least, and Mu Qing¡¯s warning implied that he would be in danger if he left the ce, his intuition also told him that this was probably his best chance of finding Yi Pin.

    More importantly, he was confident that he was strong enough to handle any danger.

    As soon as he stepped out of the building, he was sted in the face by a strange gust of air. The sky was bright, but for some reason, it didn¡¯t feel warm or inviting like the morning sunlight should. Instead, it felt cold, biting, and diforting.

    ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s someone here!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing sensed an unfamiliar man entering his sensory range. Ye Qing immediately took off in his direction and appeared in front of him a few breathster.

    The man was caught off guard by Ye Qing¡¯s sudden appearance as a matter of course. Seemingly embarrassed by his own reaction, he yelled, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Ye Qing paid him no attention, however. Standing about six meters away from him, Ye Qing stared at the man with a severe look on his face. Specifically, he was staring at the space above his head.

    A few seconds of tense silenceter, when the man realized that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to answer his question, he raised his voice even further, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    This was not the time for a ssic, ¡°I¡¯m looking at you. Whatcha gonna do about it?¡± So Ye Qing ignored the question and asked a question of his own, ¡°Can¡¯t you see it?¡±

    ¡°See what?¡± The man blurted uncertainly and anxiously. In fact, he noticed that Ye Qing was shooting him a strange look from the very beginning.

    ¡°I guess you can¡¯t,¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself.

    The man swallowed visibly but forced himself to yell again, ¡°What on <i>earth </i>are you talking about, boy? Stop acting enigmatic and give it to me straight already! I¡¯m not scared!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not scared, then why are you shaking?¡± Ye Qing smirked a little before turning serious. ¡°Would you believe me if I tell you that a creature is crouching on top of your head?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t joking. The reason he was staring at the man so intently wasn¡¯t because he was strong and definitely not because he was handsome. It was because a humanoid Stranger was crouching on top of him.

    The Stranger possessed the shape and size of a human child, though it looked anything but cute and innocent. Its skin was bluish ck in color, its face looked ancient and wrinkly, its hair was patchy white, its beard was longer than the length of its head, and its bloodshot eyes were filled with greed, madness and anomaly.

    Right now, the child was hugging the man¡¯s neck with both arms, and its long beard was stuck inside his brain like tentacles. However, the man couldn¡¯t seem to feel it at all.

    While Ye Qing watched the child-like Stranger, the Stranger too was staring at him. If there was any doubt that the emotions brimming in its bloodshot eyes were greed and hunger, the saliva trickling down the corners of its mouth was the decisive evidence. Ye Qing could barely control his disgust when the saliva trickled down its beard and into the man¡¯s brain.

    The man nched when he heard Ye Qing¡¯s words. He subconsciously waved his hands over his shoulders, but of course he couldn¡¯t feel anything. From Ye Qing¡¯s perspective, he saw the man¡¯s hands passing through the child Stranger¡¯s body almost as if it was just an illusion.

    Knowing that one¡¯s senses weren¡¯t always reliable, the man produced a stone mirror from his Nature¡¯s Shell and pointed it toward himself.

    The stone mirror was a Strange Artifact named the Stone Mirror. Despite its nd name, it was a bonafide Hatred-ss Strange Artifact. It could illuminate Strangers and traces that were usually invisible to the human senses.

    The Stone Mirror revealed nothing, however. Thinking that Ye Qing was lying to him, the man let out a sigh of relief and raged, ¡°Why did you trick me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not tricking you. I¡¯m telling you the truth,¡± Ye Qing replied while examining the child-like Stranger curiously. When the man produced the Stone Mirror just now, he clearly saw a sh of disdain on its face. This reaction seemed to suggest that the child-like Stranger was an intelligent Stranger. ¡°Make no mistake, you¡¯re the blind one between the two of us.¡±

    Unable to hold back his anger any longer, the man yelled, ¡°You are courting death!¡± And leaped into the air. Then, he kicked up his legs repeatedly while aiming at Ye Qing¡¯s heart.

    <i>¡°Serial Heart Piercing Kick¡± </i>[1]

    Ye Qing watched the iing attack with calm and indifference. Right before the flurry of kicks would hit him, he waved his hand like he was brushing aside the clouds. At that moment, the flurry of kicks suddenly vanished into nothing, and the man hit the ground in an unceremonious fashion. His eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.

    ¡°You... you...¡±

    In his senses, Ye Qing¡¯s vigor was weak, and his energies barely perceptible. It was why he thought that Ye Qing was just a novice who had identally stumbled upon Longevity Vige. From the start he never thought that Ye Qing amounted to anything.

    Then, the young man dispelled his astral qi and force with a simple flick of the hand. A boy? How could he ever have made such an obvious mistake? He was obviously an old monster!

    Cold sweat appeared on the man¡¯s forehead as Ye Qing dered, ¡°I told you that you¡¯re as blind as a bat. Do you believe me now?¡±

    He took one step forward and loosened his control a little. A torrent of energy immediately flooded out of his body and washed over the man, crumbling his energies and suffocating him where he sat. Pale as a sheet, the man hurriedly begged, ¡°Yes, yes! This junior¡¯s the blind one! Please have mercy and forgive me this once, senior!¡±

    The torrent of energy didn¡¯t stop. The man shook like a leaf as his face grew paler and paler. Just when he thought he was dead, the pressure pinning him to the floor abruptly disappeared, and Ye Qing said, ¡°Taking action against a pitiful Astral Refiner like you would only sully my reputation. Rise.¡±

    1. This martial art was mentioned before, though I don¡¯t remember what chapter. The long story short is that it¡¯s a simple andmon martial art. ?

 Chapter 523: Life, Death, and Human Nature

    <h4>Chapter 523: Life, Death, and Human Nature </h4>

    ¡°Thank you! Thank you for not killing me!¡± The man thanked Ye Qing profusely as he climbed back to his feet.

    ¡°Hmm? I never said I wasn¡¯t going to kill you.¡± Ye Qing suddenly changed his tone and stared at the man with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye. The poor guy had just regained a hint of color when the blood drained away from his face once more.

    ¡°Rx. It¡¯s just a joke,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently.

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    The despairing man let out a huge sigh of relief when he heard this. Right after some color had returned to his face, and he was about to say something, Ye Qing said again, ¡°I can always kill you after you disobey me.¡±

    The man¡¯s heart hadn¡¯t even lowered back into his ribcage before it leaped to his throat once more. For a time, he could only stare at Ye Qing incredulously. <i>If this guy isn¡¯t a bloodthirsty murderer, I¡¯ll wash my hair while doing a headstand!</i>

    ¡°I... I wouldn¡¯t dare, senior. Just give me the order, and I will fulfill it no matter what it is,¡± replied the man in a hurry while bowing deeply to Ye Qing. He was worried that Ye Qing would grow impatient and kill him if he took too long to answer.

    ¡°Good.¡± Ye Qing nodded and asked, ¡°What is your name?¡±

    The man answered carefully, ¡°My name is Zuo Ming, senior. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Zuo Ming (Bright)? What a waste of a good word.¡± Ye Qing shot him a disdainful look.

    Zuo Mingughed dryly. ¡°P-Please don¡¯t make fun of me, senior.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, is this Longevity Vige?¡± Ye Qing finally stopped intimidating the guy and asked.

    Zuo Ming answered obediently, ¡°I¡¯m not sure, senior.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not sure?¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little as the temperature in his voice dropped. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance to ruminate on your answer. There is no one I hate more than liars.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, senior!¡± Cold sweat trickled down his nose like bullets as Zuo Ming exined himself as quickly as he could, ¡°We are here in search for Longevity Vige, but this ce is nothing like what we imagine. That is why I can¡¯t in good conscience say that we¡¯re in the right ce.¡±

    ¡°We? You¡¯re not alone then,¡± Ye Qing stated matter-of-factly.

    Zuo Ming replied obediently, ¡°That is correct, senior. There are seven of us in total.¡±

    ¡°Seven? That¡¯s quite the big group you have!¡± Ye Qing chuckled and caused goosebumps to break out on Zuo Ming¡¯s skin. ¡°And how did you find this ce?¡±

    Zuo Ming didn¡¯t dare to conceal anything. ¡°An... An old Taoist¡¯s the one who led us here.¡±

    <i>Old Taoist? Is it Yi Pin? </i>Ye Qing thought with delight, though he didn¡¯t reveal his emotions on his face in the slightest. He continued in an indifferent tone, ¡°Heh. And you¡¯re sure the old Taoist didn¡¯t lie or mislead you?¡±

    Zuo Ming scoffed, ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare. That old Taoist is a small fry who knows nothing but some divination skills.¡±

    <i>A weakling who only knows some divination skills? It has to be him!</i>

    ¡°Fool. Even a rat will bite when cornered¡ªbut it is not my responsibility to correct your foolishness. Take me to him,¡± Ye Qing dered in a tone that wouldn¡¯t ept no as an answer.

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Zuo Ming neither had the courage nor the strength to resist. ¡°This way please, senior.¡±

    Two stepster, Ye Qing continued his questioning, ¡°Has this vige always looked like this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, senior.¡± Zuo Ming nodded. ¡°The vige looked like it had been abandoned for decades since the moment we set foot in this ce, and as far as I¡¯m aware, nothing has changed during our time here. Not only could we find no one, we couldn¡¯t even spot a single Stranger. It¡¯s quite unusual.¡±

    ¡°Not a single Stranger, you say?¡±mented Ye Qing while side-eyeing the child-like Stranger crouching on top of Zuo Ming at this very moment.

    ¡°I-Is there a problem, senior?¡± Zuo Ming shuddered involuntarily under Ye Qing¡¯s stare.

    ¡°If you think there¡¯s no problem, then sure,¡± Ye Qing replied ambiguously. He didn¡¯t know what the child-like Stranger haunting Zuo Ming was and so didn¡¯t want to act rashly.

    It wasn¡¯t because he was afraid of the Stranger, of course. He just didn¡¯t want to lose his one and only guide at this point of time.

    Zuo Ming grew even more anxious after hearing Ye Qing¡¯s answer, but Ye Qing couldn¡¯t care less about his feelings. He asked another question, ¡°Why are you looking for Longevity Vige?¡±

    Zuo Ming snapped out of his worries and answered, ¡°My master is nearing the end of his lifespan, but he doesn¡¯t want to die just yet. That is why he came here in search for a way to extend his lifespan.¡±

    ¡°Your master?¡± Ye Qing purposely dragged out the word ¡°master¡±.

    Zuo Ming understood his meaning andunched into an exnation, ¡°My master is the patriarch of the Xue n of Mu Yang, Xue Hanshan. We usually address him as Lord Xue.¡±

    ¡°The Xue n of Mu Yang?¡± Ye Qing knew that Mu Yang was the county to the south of Bei You, but he had never heard of a Xue n.

    A short silenceter, Ye Qing said in a ridiculing voice, ¡°It is true that entering the Longevity Vige would increase one¡¯s lifespan, but doesn¡¯t Xue Hanshan know that his boones at the cost of his own friends and family?¡±

    Zuo Ming let out an awkward chuckle. ¡°He is aware, but...¡±

    Zuo Ming didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear enough. There were some people in this world who would sacrifice themselves to save a million lives, but there were also people who would sacrifice millions to save themselves.

    It was just human nature.

    ¡°My oh my... and everyone in the family is fine with this... exchange?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Zuo Ming chuckled a lot more naturally. ¡°Lord Xue kept them in the dark, of course.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡± A meaningful smile flitted across Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re one of Xue Hanshan¡¯s aides, aren¡¯t you? Are you sure he won¡¯t me you for your indiscretion?¡±

    Zuo Ming hurriedly rified his standpoint. ¡°I¡¯m sure Lord Xue will forgive me since it¡¯s a question from you, senior.¡±

    ¡°Heh... I guess you¡¯re not too stupid.¡± Ye Qing chuckled as if satisfied with Zuo Ming¡¯s response. Zuo Ming too let out a sigh of relief.

    The duo continued to chat as they walked. Of course, Ye Qing was the one who did most of the questioning, and it wasn¡¯t because he was bored. He needed to know as much about his enemies as possible so that he coulde up with a surefire n to rescue Yi Pin.

    Very soon, Zuo Ming led Ye Qing to hispanion¡¯s meeting spot. Ye Qing immediately recognized it as one of the residences he and Mu Qing had visitedst night. In his memory, the residence was an elegantly-designed house attached to a beautiful garden filled with gorgeous flowers. However, the house currently in front of him was dpidated and overgrown with weeds. He would never have linked the two houses together if they weren¡¯t at the exact same spot.

    They were dozens of meters away from the house when Qing¡¯s demonic thought picked up an ancient voice, ¡°Reverend Yi Pin, are you sure we¡¯re at Longevity Vige?¡±

    The speaker was a pale, haggard old man who looked like he had one foot in the grave. He was most likely Xue Hanshan.

    There were three other people in the courtyard. One of them was muscr, ugly, and carrying a jagged mace on his shoulder. The second person was wearing a ghost mask and a ck outfit. Inconspicuous and unnoticeable, he was carrying a sword in hisp and standing behind Xue Hanshan like a shadow.

    These two were probably Xue Hanshan¡¯s left and right arm and his most trusted aides, the Tiger and the Hawk. Tiger was the muscr, ferocious-looking man, and Hawk was the one standing in Xue Hanshan¡¯s shadow.

    The third andst person was of course, Yi Pin.

    The good news was that the old Taoist looked unharmed despite the fact that he was a hostage. In fact, Ye Qing would even say that he looked fit and healthy.

    Xue Hanshan was asking Yi Pin a question, and the old Taoist answered in a hurry, ¡°I¡¯m sure. This has to be Longevity Vige.¡±

    Tiger grabbed Yi Pin by the cor and snarled into his face, ¡°Bullshit! We haven¡¯t found a single soul since we set foot in this ce! I bet you¡¯re trying to trick us!¡±

    Yi Pin defended himself, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! As far as my divination is concerned, this ce really is Longevity Vige. It¡¯s not like I came here before, so how would I know it looks like this?¡±

    ¡°Let him go, Tiger. Reverend Yi Pin is a smart man, and a smart man wouldn¡¯t do stupid things,¡± Xue Hanshan said slowly.

    ¡°But of course!¡± Yi Pin forced out a chuckle.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Tiger grunted with displeasure before threatening, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that your disciple is in our hands, old man. If you dare lie to us, then I will rip you and your disciple into pieces.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Yi Pin¡¯s head bobbed up and down like a doll.

    Suddenly, Xue Hanshan looked outside the courtyard as if he had sensed something. He then called out, ¡°You¡¯re back, Zuo Ming. Did you find something?¡±

 Chapter 524: To Punch A Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 524: To Punch A Mountain </h4>

    ¡°Not yet, my lord.¡±

    Zuo Ming pushed open the gates and stepped inside.

    ¡°Then why are you back?¡± Xue Hanshan frowned with clear displeasure when he heard this. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say¡ª¡±

    It was at that moment the old man saw the young man behind Zuo Ming. He never heard his footsteps or felt his presence at all. In fact, he still couldn¡¯t perceive the young man in any way except sight despite the fact that he was right in front of him.

    For obvious reasons, Xue Hanshan¡¯s hair immediately stood on end. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Instead of replying, Ye Qing slowly swept his gaze across the group. Just like Zuo Ming, everyone was carrying a child-like Stranger on their shoulders, and they seemedpletely clueless about it.

    <i>Am I the only one who can see it?</i>

    Ye Qing frowned deeply. It was one thing if the others didn¡¯t notice, but Yi Pin was someone who once reached the peak of the martial way. Could he not see the Stranger as well?

    The other possibility was that Yi Pin could see the Stranger, but he was keeping calm about it because he was plotting something. He wouldn¡¯t know until he interacted further with the group.

    Ye Qing was thinking about the child-like Strangers, but in Xue Hanshan, Tiger and Hawk¡¯s opinion, he was either putting on airs or ignoring them.

    ¡°Are you deaf, boy? My master is asking you a question!¡± Tiger yelled. When Ye Qing still remained quiet, he flew into a rage, ¡°Do you seek death? Very well then!¡±

    Tiger pushed off the ground and pounced toward Ye Qing like a man-eating tiger.

    ¡°Tiger! Stop!¡± Eyes widening, Zuo Ming blurted and tried to stop Tiger. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted to save the man¡¯s life¡ªalthough they were all on the same side, Tiger was hot-tempered, irritable, and bloodthirsty by nature. As a result, almost no one was on good terms with the warrior, and Zuo Ming was no exception¡ªit was because he was afraid that Tiger would provoke Ye Qing into a rage andnd him in trouble as a result.

    He was just about to step forward when he felt a hand grabbing his right shoulder. His energies dissipated into nothing in an instant, and he felt like a mountain was holding in ce. Forget taking a step, he couldn¡¯t even move a muscle.

    Out of the corner of his eyes, Zuo Ming saw a fist flying in Tiger¡¯s direction. It was just a straight punch with no overt shes of energy orplexity whatsoever, and yet it was Tiger who let out a bloodcurdling scream when their fists met at the center. The clothes around his right arm exploded inch by inch, and his muscles were twisted round and round like a braid. So much of his flesh was blown away that one could peer into the bone within. He was sent flying through the air like a rag doll.

    Seeing this, Hawk appeared behind Tiger in an attempt to arrest his momentum. His hands had just made contact with Tiger¡¯s back when a terrific force was transmitted into his body, and Hawk realized that his arm bones were strained to breaking point, and his throat was wet with the taste of iron. It took him seven or eight steps before he finally managed to catch himself.

    Hawk stared at Ye Qing in shock and horror. He could tell that the young man hadn¡¯t used his full power. Both he and Tiger werete-stage Spirit Purifiers, and Tiger in particr possessed a strong body even though he wasn¡¯t a body-tempering warrior. However, the young man was able to break his arm in one punch, and it had taken him everything he had just to neutralize the remnants of his force.

    What would happen if the young man went all out?

    The mere thought of it sent chills up his spine.

    ¡°I apologize for my subordinates¡¯ insolence, good sire. I hope you will forgive their transgression.¡± Xue Hanshan flinched at the disy of power and hurriedly wore an apologetic smile on his face. ¡°If I may ask, what is your name?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who I am,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently. ¡°You simply need to know that I have business with the old Taoist behind you.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s casual dismissal of his question was impolite to say the least, but Xue Hanshan didn¡¯t rise to the provocation. ¡°You¡¯re right. Your business is your own. Are you here for the Longevity Vige as well, sire?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter to you?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°To be honest, I am here for the Longevity Vige as well. If it doesn¡¯t bother you too much, would you like to cooperate with us and discover the true secrets of the Longevity Vige?¡± Xue Hanshan suggested.

    ¡°No thank you. I¡¯m used to working alone.¡± Ye Qing turned him down mercilessly. ¡°I only have a few questions for the old Taoist. I will leave as soon as I¡¯m finished with him.¡±

    ¡°If that is your wish, then so it shall be.¡± Xue Hanshan spoke as kindly as your friendly neighborhood grandpa and stepped aside. ¡°Go on.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything or even nod his head. He simply walked straight toward Yi Pin.

    While he was passing by Xue Hanshan, what felt like a volcano of energy abruptly erupted from the old man¡¯s core. Then, he raised both his hands toward the sky.

    The wind blew away from Xue Hanshan, and origin qi gathered above his head until it took the form of a mountain. When Xue Hanshan sucked in a deep breath, he abruptly swelled to the size of a giant, grabbed the mountain with both hands, and swung it straight at Ye Qing¡¯s skull.

    He wasn¡¯t able to peer through the veil and grasp Ye Qing¡¯s true strength, but that didn¡¯t stop him from pressing the kill button. The reason was simple. He was nearing the end of his lifespan, and he was willing to pay any price to keep the final end at bay. He was currently at the most critical moment of his life, and he wouldn¡¯t allow anything to ruin it.

    Besides, he was confident he could kill the young man. He was named Xue Hanshan (Mountainshaker) not just because he could shake mountains, but also because he could lift them into the air and smash his enemies into paste!

    As if he knew that Xue Hanshan would do this, Ye Qing channeled his vigor and rxed his muscles. Then, he responded to the attack with a backhand.

    Xue Hanshan¡¯s act couldn¡¯t fool him in the slightest because he had already learned of his personality and history while chatting with Zuo Ming. Xue Hanshan might be the patriarch of the Xue n of Mu Yang today, but when he was younger, he was known by a far more notorious title, the Mountain Bearing Raider.

    The Mountain Bearing Raider was a raider and a rapist rolled into one. A monster who had raided countless viges and raped even more women, he was one of the most hated viins of the Northern Xinjiang and ranked seventy-four on the ck List. It wasn¡¯t until he identally killed a disciple of the Sword King Pce, and he feared that the sect woulde for his life that his life as a notorious criminal finally came to an end. He faked his death, traveled to Mu Yang, and transformed himself into a rich man.

    There was a saying that went something like this: ¡°It¡¯s easier to move a mountain than it is to change one¡¯s nature.¡± Xue Hanshan was a heartless man who would sacrifice his own friends and family to extend his own life. Why on earth would he allow a stranger to get the better of him?

    That was why Ye Qing was ready when the old man turned on him. In fact, he was plotting to wipe Xue Hanshan off the face of the earth altogether. There was absolutely no need to leave someone like him alive, which was why his backhand also contained his full power.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    His nine dragon elephants'' worth of strength allowed Ye Qing to cleave through the mountain as easily as a hot knife through butter. Not done yet, his fist continued to travel straight toward Xue Hanshan.

    ¡°Ate-stage Spirit Master?!¡±

    The blood drained away from Xue Hanshan¡¯s face when he saw Ye Qing shattering his mountain into bits like nothing. Judging from the sheer force pricking against his skin, the young man was one hundred percent ate-stage Spirit Master.

    Although Xue Hanshan himself was ate-stage Spirit Master, and his martial art was one of forcefulness and strength, he was at the twilight of his life. He was far weaker than he used to be. Besides that, his instincts warned him that taking the punch head on would most likely kill him, if not cripple him permanently.

    Without hesitation, Xue Hanshan stomped the ground and caused it to ripple like the surface of a body of water. Then, he slipped into the earth and disappeared from view.

    Ye Qing altered the trajectory of his fist and punched the ground with everything he got.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ground within twenty meters of the young man caved inward before shattering into a million pieces. Naturally, the dpidated house next to him copsed into rubble as well.

    After the attack, Ye Qing spread his demonic thought in every direction and quickly locked onto Xue Hanshan, who was currently hiding under the ground. As he stepped toward the old man, the ground vibrated like a drum, and the surrounding houses scattered into dust.

    Nine stepster, Ye Qing¡¯s arms swelled like a balloon, sharp, iron hard fur grew out of his pores, and his muscles rippled with a kind of violent beauty. When the transformation was done, he raised his apish arms and mmed the ground again.

    <i>¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body¡±</i>

    He was close to entering the adept level of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±. Naturally, his Chaos Demon Ape Body was also a lot stronger than before. Now, he could control his transformation as easily as breathing. He could perform a full-body transformation, or he could transform just parts of his body into the Chaos Demon Ape¡¯s.

 Chapter 525: Purple Sun Suppresses Evil

    <h4>Chapter 525: Purple Sun Suppresses Evil </h4>

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    As he punched the ground like a drum, the earth rippled again and again like the sea waves until finally, Xue Hanshan was spat out like a gum into the air.

    The second he appeared, Ye Qing bent his knees slightly¡ªthe earth crumbling beneath his feet as he did this¡ªand appeared in front of Xue Hanshan suddenly. Then, heunched a palm strike straight at his head.

    It looked like the old man was dead when suddenly, every hair on Ye Qing¡¯s body suddenly stood on end. <i>Danger!</i>

    As if on cue, the child-like Stranger on top of Xue Hanshan suddenly raised its head and red at him. Its beard extracted itself from the old man¡¯s head and flew straight toward him.

    It looked just like an ordinary beard, but all of Ye Qing¡¯s senses were screaming danger. He didn¡¯t hesitate to jump away from the hair and summoned a cascade of multyered force in front of him with a diagonal punch.

    <i>¡°Divide¡±</i>

    He flinched when hended on the ground, however. He looked down and saw two strands of facial hair wrapped around his wrist. Not only that, he felt them slowly absorbing some sort of profound and mysterious power from his body.

    ¡°Is it... absorbing my lifespan?!¡± Ye Qing frowned as he discerned the power he was losing.

    Unwilling to treat this lightly as a matter of course, Ye Qing clenched his fist and attempted to snap the two strands of facial hair with sheer strength. However, they only wobbled in ce and showed no signs of breaking whatsoever.

    Frown deepening, he ignited the Netherme next and attempted to burn the hair into ash. Unfortunately, the mes went right through the hair almost as if they didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression grew even more severe. In just a matter of breaths, the facial hair had consumed yet another glob of lifespan. However, two of his greatest strengths were unable to make contact with the hair almost as if they didn¡¯t exist in reality.

    Meanwhile, Tiger and Hawk had finally recovered from the shockwaves of Ye Qing and Xue Hanshan¡¯s battle and saw Ye Qing making strange and pointless gestures like he was a mental patient. Although they couldn¡¯t figure out what the guy was doing, they figured that attacking Ye Qing while he was distracted was their best chance ofnding a hit on him. So, they charged at the same time.

    Tiger crouched on all fours and transformed into a ferocious tiger.

    Hawk jumped to the highest point in the sky, pointed his sword at Ye Qing and descended on top of him like a meteor.

    It was futile. Without even bothering to look at them, Ye Qing bent a finger and made a knocking gesture.

    <i>¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±</i>

    Tiger immediately froze in ce, and Hawk lost momentum and fell from the sky. Both men¡¯s eyes were zed over as if their minds were millions of kilometers away.

    Ye Qing could have killed them, but he didn¡¯t. It was because he was afraid that the act would trigger a reaction from the child-like Strangers crouching on their shoulders just like Xue Hanshan.

    One was already trouble. Three would be an absolute riot where he was the one being stampeded on.

    Meanwhile, more strands of facial hair were flying toward him from Xue Hanshan. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t afford to hold back, Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and spat purple fire from his mouth.

    The second the purple mes appeared, space distorted, and the surrounding temperature shot up like crazy. In less than a second, the area had suddenly transformed into a molten hell.

    <i>¡°Purple Sun Trueme¡±</i>

    It worked. When the illusory facial hair in the sky made contact with the Purple Sun Trueme, they suddenly burst into mes and writhed wildly like they were alive.

    <i>¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!!!¡±</i>

    The child-like Stranger¡¯s face became distorted with pain as it let out a bloodcurdling scream. At the same time, Xue Hanshan started aging at a visible rate. His body grew increasingly thin, the age spots on his face grew increasingly dense, and his nonenal odor became so strong it was almost putrid. If before Xue Hanshan still gave the impression that he was alive despite his age, now he felt no different from the dead.

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression didn¡¯t rx, however. Although the Purple Sun Trueme was effective against the child-like Stranger, it had also pissed it off. Ye Qing could feel its aura getting deeper and terrible as countless white hair slithered in and out of its body. The way they stretched all the way to the sky and iled like an alien god from a certain horror fiction from his old world was beyond scary as well.

    <i>A Disaster-ss Stranger?!</i>

    Ye Qing was astonished to say the least. The aura the child-like Stranger was giving off was on par with the Old Man of the Mountain he encountered some days ago. The child-like Stranger attached to Xue Hanshan was the only one who was attacking him. Neither Tiger nor Hawk¡¯s was interfering with the battle. This seemed to suggest that the child-like Stranger wouldn¡¯t attack him so long as he didn¡¯t try to attack their host with the intention to kill.

    Maybe it was because the child-like Stranger was wary of the Purple Sun Trueme¡¯s power, but it didn¡¯tunch a counterattack immediately. After pondering for a moment, Ye Qing inhaled the Purple Sun Trueme back into his abdomen and appeared next to Yi Pin. He grabbed the old Taoist¡¯s shoulder and dashed off into the distance.

    Although the child-like Stranger on top of Xue Hanshan was ring at Ye Qing¡¯s back hatefully, it didn¡¯t give chase. A few breathster, the swarm of white hair retracted back into its body, and itidzily on top of Xue Hanshan¡¯s shoulders as if it was tired. Its beard wriggled and slithered back into the old man¡¯s head once more.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Xue Hanshan stared at Tiger and Hawk in confusion. Thest thing he remembered was being spat out of the earth by a terrific force and seeing that terrifying young man charging toward him. After that... he couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    The young man had the chance to kill him. Why did he let him go in the end?

    Besides that, his body was obviously older than it was a moment ago. What the hell happened to him?

    Was he crazy, or was the whole world crazy?

    He didn¡¯t know.

    Tiger and Hawk snapped out of their daze and exchanged a nce with each other. Then, they shook their heads at the same time and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know either, my lord.¡±

    ¡°Useless!¡± Xue Hanshan rebuked them. Compared to the mysterious young man, he was far more concerned and afraid of his sudden aging.

    Suddenly, Xue Hanshan noticed something. ¡°Where is Yi Pin?¡±

    The old Taoist was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°That man probably took him,¡± Hawk replied gravely.

    ¡°Should we give chase, my lord?¡± Tiger asked tentatively when Xue Hanshan didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds.

    ¡°Are you stupid or suicidal?¡± Xue Hanshan shot Tiger a disgusted look. The brawny man smiled awkwardly and zipped his own mouth.

    ¡°What do we do now, my lord?¡± Hawk asked.

    Xue Hanshan considered his options for a moment before answering, ¡°Unearthing the secrets of Longevity Vige is more important than confronting those two.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    Both Tiger and Hawk hid a sigh of relief when they heard this. Had Xue Hanshan ordered them to give chase, their only realistic options were to try and change his mind or start a mutiny...

    ......

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here, brother! I miss you so much!¡±

    Outside Mu Qing¡¯s house, as soon as Ye Qing dropped Yi Pin on the ground, the old Taoist immediately jumped to his feet and tried to give Ye Qing a loving embrace.

    Ye Qing took a step away from the old Taoist and grimaced at Yi Pin¡¯s patently false smile. ¡°At least try and squeeze out a few drops of tears before you say that. I can¡¯t even pretend that you¡¯re being sincere right now.¡±

    ¡°Pay no attention to such trivial details, brother!¡± Yi Pin quipped without a shred of shame whatsoever. ¡°Oh right, you were going to kill Xue Hanshan just now, right? Why did you change your mind at thest second? Is something wrong?¡±

    He did not think for a second that Ye Qing had changed his mind because he was feeling merciful. His strange gestures, his use of the Purple Sun Trueme, and his sudden decision to grab him and escape like hell all indicated that something was very wrong about the situation.

    Ye Qing nced at the child-like Stranger on top of Yi Pin and asked, ¡°Would you believe me if I say that a Stranger is crouching on your shoulders right now, brother?¡±

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t scare me, brother! You know I¡¯m too old for this shit!¡± Yi Pin eximed with worry while waving his hands back and forth across his shoulders. Of course, he couldn¡¯t feel anything at all.

    Ye Qing said seriously, ¡°You¡¯ve known me for a while, brother. Have I ever lied to you?¡±

    Yi Pin nodded just as seriously. ¡°You have, and more than once.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Talk about unnecessary truth.</i>

 Chapter 526: Life Leech

    <h4>Chapter 526: Life Leech </h4>

    ¡°Ahem... let¡¯s not get bogged down with the details, shall we?¡± Ye Qing coughed awkwardly before saying, ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth this time. There really is a Stranger on top of you. It¡¯s about the size of a child, but it has bluish ck skin, old face and hair, and a long white beard that¡¯s currently stuck inside your brain like tentacles.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just you. Xue Hanshan, Tiger, Hawk and Zuo Ming all had one on their shoulders as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? The Stranger has a child-like appearance, old face and hair, and a long white beard?!¡± Yi Pin¡¯s expression suddenly turned ugly as if he just realized something.

    ¡°Do you know what it is, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°Now I get it!¡± Yi Pin mumbled to himself as if he couldn¡¯t hear Ye Qing.

    ¡°What did you get, brother?¡± Ye Qing urged. ¡°Come on, man. Don¡¯t keep me in suspense!¡±

    Yi Pin snapped back to reality and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve figured out the truth behind Longevity Vige¡¯s longevity.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of these Strangers?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yi Pin nodded. ¡°They are a type of Phenomenon-ss Stranger called the Life Leech. A life-leeching Stranger, it consumes the lifespan of anyone who interacts with the host to grow stronger and shares a portion of that lifespan with its host. That is why its host lives exponentially longer than a normal human being, whereas those rted to them die several times quicker than usual.¡±

    ¡°¡®Anyone who interacts with the host¡¯? I thought it only affected the friends and family of the host?¡± Ye Qing voiced his puzzlement.

    ¡°That is just a rumor based on a collection of poor and iprehensive observations.¡± Yi Pin scoffed in disdain. ¡°Do you know why the Life Leech shares a portion of its consumed lifespan with its host? It certainly wasn¡¯t out of the goodness of its heart. There is no human in the world who can avoid interacting with other humans while they¡¯re still alive, and everyone who interacts with the host would inevitably be the Life Leech¡¯s prey.¡±

    ¡°That is why the Life Leech keeps its host alive. It allowed it to extend its reach to much, much more prey than otherwise.¡±

    ¡°As for why the general public misunderstood that the Life Leech only consumes the lifespan of one¡¯s friends and family, that¡¯s because those who share a deep bond with the host naturally interact with them a lot more frequently than, say, a random stranger they encountered only once or twice in a lifetime. It takes time for the Life Leech to increase its influence after all. That is why it seems like the Life Leech only targets the family and friends of the host.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. As it turned out, the secret behind Longevity Vige¡¯s longevity was neither a curse nor a natural treasure of some sort. It was a Stranger.

    The young man suddenly nced at the Life Leech again and asked, ¡°Brother, I noticed that the Life Leech possesses a certain level of intelligence. Are you sure it¡¯s okay to talk about them in their face?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Yi Pin assured him, ¡°the Life Leech does possess some semnce of intelligence, but it¡¯s only as smart as a five or six years old child. Not only that, they exist in the illusory world and thus can only see our actions but not hear our words.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second.¡± Yi Pin suddenly realized something. ¡°The Life Leech has a form but no substance as it exists in the illusory world. It is undetectable by the eye or the mind, and it cannot be hurt by ordinary means. In a sense, it¡¯s a more annoying foe than even a Disaster-ss Stranger, so how on earth did you discover it?¡±

    ¡°Would you believe me if I tell you that I¡¯m seeing it with my own eyes?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You <i>saw </i>it? How¡¯s that possible?¡± Yi Pin sounded dubious. ¡°Did you recently gain something like, say, the Delusion Piercing Godeye, the All-Seeing Eye, or the Sky Patrolling Pupils?¡±

    He just couldn¡¯t believe that someone could see the Life Leech with their naked eye otherwise.

    The Life Leech was one of the most mysterious and anomalous Strangers of the world. Having no substance and existing in the illusory world, it was normally imperceptible and untouchable. Otherwise, the truth behind Longevity Vige would¡¯ve been exposed a long time ago.

    ¡°No, I have not.¡± Ye Qing shook his head and guessed, ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I entered a different Longevity Vige earlier?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Yi Pin¡¯s confusion only grew with each word Ye Qing spouted. <i>Since when there are two Longevity Viges?</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± Ye Qing began telling Yi Pin his experience when he first entered the Longevity Vige, his encounter with Mu Qing and the vigers and so on.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t breathe a single word about the Annon Sutra.

    ¡°A Longevity Vige that only exists at night? Are there really two Longevity Viges?¡± Yi Pin was stunned when he listened to Ye Qing¡¯s story to the end.

    Although the way he and Xue Hanshan¡¯s group had entered the Longevity Vige was exactly the same, their experiences werepletely different to say the least.

    The nighttime Longevity Vige Ye Qing visited was a peaceful and quiet ce. It was also inhabited by kind, good-hearted vigers with not a shred of malice in their hearts.

    However, the daytime Longevity Vige he and Xue Hanshan¡¯s group visited was dead and abandoned. Only the Life Leeches inhabited the ce.

    Not only that, Ye Qing imed that he had transitioned from the nighttime Longevity Vige to the daytime Longevity Vige by staying awake until dawn broke, but in his case, the sun never fell during the two days he was here. That¡¯s right. He hadn¡¯t experienced nighttime since the day he entered Longevity Vige. Did this mean that one could never return to the nighttime Longevity Vige once they entered the daytime Longevity Vige?

    ¡°A Longevity Vige that exists during the day, and another during the night? Why are there two Longevity Viges?¡± Yi Pin frowned deeply as he moved his fingers rapidly. He seemed to be performing a divination.

    A short whileter, Yi Pin stopped doing whatever he was doing and turned as white as a sheet. Then, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

    ¡°Brother! Are you alright?¡± Ye Qing asked urgently. For some reason, he felt that Yi Pin had grown a tad older than before.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Divining the threads of fate cost me a few years of lifespan, that¡¯s all,¡± Yi Pin replied tiredly, though his eyes were glimmering with smugness. ¡°I figured out why there are two Longevity Viges.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you were doing?¡± Ye Qing was speechless. <i>I could¡¯ve asked the Annon Sutra and given you the answer myself, and all it would cost me is a few mouthfuls of blood! What kind of idiot spends their </i>lifespan <i>to satisfy their curiosity? It¡¯s not like you have many years left!</i>

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Yi Pin noticed Ye Qing¡¯s look andined.

    ¡°I was just admiring your uh, courage. Please continue, brother.¡± He wasn¡¯t going to voice his thoughts of course. There was no telling if the guy would keel over and die if he pissed him off and shaved a couple more years off his lifespan.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re as bad as they get.¡±

    Yi Pin did not believe a single word that came out of Ye Qing¡¯s mouth, but he couldn¡¯t be bothered to press him about it. ¡°There is only one Longevity Vige. The so-called daytime and nighttime Longevity Vige is really its good and evil side.¡±

    ¡°Good and evil side?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. ¡°Exin.¡±

    Yi Pin began, ¡°The nighttime Longevity Vige you encountered is its good side, whereas the daytime Longevity Vige we¡¯re currently in is its evil side.¡±

    ¡°If someone harbors ill intent or greed when they visit the Longevity Vige¡ªthat is to say, they are here specifically to extend their lifespan¡ªthen they would automatically enter the daytime Longevity Vige and be infested with the Life Leech. They will obtain their wish, but ites at the cost of everyone around them.¡±

    ¡°But if someone visits the Longevity Vige not to increase their lifespan, and they didn¡¯t harbor evil in their heart, then they would enter the nighttime Longevity Vige and encounter its good-hearted vigers. Their lifespan wouldn¡¯t change, but they will receive a different reward.¡±

    ¡°Wow.¡± Ye Qing blinked in amazement. This reminded him of a saying that went something like this, ¡°Hard work isn¡¯t always rewarded, idents aren¡¯t always negative.¡±

    On second thought, the saying didn¡¯t really match his situation. Entering the nighttime Longevity Vige wouldn¡¯t increase his lifespan, and it also caused him to miss Yi Pin for a time.

    ¡°Do you know what that reward is, brother?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Yi Pin shook his head. ¡°It could be a natural treasure, a Strange Artifact, a martial arts manual, anything.¡±

    ¡°But since you didn¡¯t listen to the vigers¡¯ advice and stayed awake until dawn, I¡¯m afraid that...¡±

    Ye Qing caught on his meaning immediately and grimaced. <i>In other words, I got absolutely nada out of this? Come on!</i>

    ¡°I know this is a stupid question, but is there a chance I can return to the nighttime Longevity Vige?¡±

    Yi Pin chuckled with a tinge of schadenfreude. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but night never falls in the daytime Longevity Vige, which means that the process is irreversible.¡±

    ¡°Well, what can I do? Your life is more important than some reward after all.¡± Ye Qing smirked at Yi Pin. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, brother?¡±

 Chapter 527: Rest In Peace

    <h4>Chapter 527: Rest In Peace </h4>

    ¡°Haha... I knew I made a good friend.¡± Yi Pin smiled awkwardly. Ye Qing was saying that he was the reason he lost his reward. ¡°Besides, you might have gotten your reward already. For some reason, you¡¯re able to see the Life Leech with the naked eye, nor did you enter the evil side of Longevity vige with a Life Leech attached to your body, right?¡±

    ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue semantics with Yi Pin. Right now, their first priority was to remove the Life Leech attached to the old Taoist¡¯s body and leave this ce.

    The Life Leech was powerful and anomalous. There was no way he could remove it by force. If things went poorly, then Yi Pin¡¯s life would be in grave danger. Li Hanshan was the perfect example of this. When he had tried to kill the old man earlier, the Life Leech grew so angry that it nearly sucked him dry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s actually quite simple to get rid of the Life Leech,¡± said Yi Pin with an easy chuckle. It was one thing if he had to remove the Stranger without knowing its identity, but now? He knew exactly what he needed to do to get rid of it.

    ¡°Simple?¡± Ye Qing shot Yi Pin a dubious look. As the man who fought the Life Leech firsthand, simple was thest thing he would describe the creature.

    Yi Pin exined, ¡°I told you earlier that the reason a Life Leech attaches itself to a human is to devour the lifespan of all those who interact with them, right? Not only that, they purposely kept their host alive so as to maximize the amount of lifespan they could absorb. However, if there was no lifespan for the Life Leech to absorb, then it would automatically leave its host, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°And how do you n to make that happen, exactly?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°There are several ways. One, I can seclude myself in a mountain and iste myself from all people. Once the Life Leech had absorbed the lifespan of everyone who had interacted with me, and I could no longer offer it any lifespan, then it would automatically detach itself from me and leave. But of course, I would age several times faster than normal and perish without the Life Leech to sustain me.¡±

    Yi Pin paused for a second before continuing, ¡°Two, I can kill myself. If I¡¯m dead, then the Life Leech would have no choice but to leave me, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Neither method sounds viable like, at all.¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes. The first n was inhuman and ultimately futile, whereas the second n was straight up stupid. Where was Yi Pin going with this? ¡°You¡¯re not nning to go with the first method, are you?¡±

    If Yi Pin said yes, then he was going to bring justice upon him. After all, he had interacted with the old Taoist and so counted among the Life Leech¡¯s prey as well, though he should be fine since he was protected by the Purple Sun Trueme.

    ¡°Hmph! Is that what you think of me, brother? I am no saint, but I would never resort to such a method to increase my lifespan, especially since I would die lonely and be a monster.¡± Yi Pin red at him.

    ¡°Hahaha... No need to be so serious, brother. I was just joking.¡± Ye Qing smirked. At the very least, he knew that Yi Pin would never, ever sacrifice Longxiang. ¡°Still, you gotta admit that neither method sounds appealing one bit. We might as well try and kill the Life Leech.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s a stupid idea if I ever heard one.¡± Yi Pin scoffed. ¡°The Life Leech exists in the illusory world and so is normally unseeable and untouchable. Besides that, it is incredibly powerful. Even if you¡¯re strong enough to kill it, it would take its host to the grave with it.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like we don¡¯t have a solution then,¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°You say that only because you¡¯re too young and inexperienced.¡± Yi Pin shook his head.

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up. ¡°Oh yeah? What¡¯s your n then?¡±

    Yi Pin smirked back. ¡°Death has many facades, brother. A false death is also a kind of death as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh! I get it now. Not bad, brother.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up in realization. ording to Yi Pin, the Life Leech would leave if the host is dead. If Yi Pin could fake his death well enough to convince the Life Leech that he was dead and leave, then the problem would resolve itself.

    The Life Leech was only as smart as a five or six years old anyway. How hard could it be for a cunning adult to trick an innocent child?

    Pleased with Ye Qing¡¯s reaction, Yi Pin stroked his beard and said proudly, ¡°Who do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°So, do you wanna start now, or?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Yi Pin shook his head. ¡°No, not yet. What if I got rid of the Life Leech, but another Life Leech finds me? We should find the exit first.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in agreement. ¡°So, do you know how we can leave this vige?¡±

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Yi Pin¡¯s mood took a dip as he shook his head.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here for a little more than two days. Surely you must have found some sort of clue?¡± Ye Qing urged.

    Yi Pin shook his head again. ¡°Xue Hanshan and I had turned the vige upside down since we entered this ce, but we weren¡¯t able to find anything. The vige itself is surrounded by some sort of mysterious power. If you cross through the boundary, then you would reappear on the opposite side of the vige. As far as I know, there is no way out¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply. This was definitely a problem.

    The duo fell silent for a moment when suddenly, Ye Qing spoke up, ¡°Actually, we don¡¯t need to find the exit at all. There are many people who returned from Longevity Vige safely, aren¡¯t there? This means that there are two possibilities. One, we can only remain in Longevity Vige for a certain amount of time. When our time is up, we would automatically return to the real world. Two, the Life Leeches know the way out but didn¡¯t kick us out immediately because they¡¯re waiting for some sort of timing. When the time is right, they will take control of their hosts and leave the vige.¡±

    ¡°In both cases, we don¡¯t need to look for the exit ourselves. We simply need to spy on Xue Hanshan and his goons from a safe ce.¡±

    Yi Pin stroked his beard again and nodded in agreement. ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    Ye Qing looked at Yi Pin again. ¡°But before that, you¡¯ll have to get rid of your Life Leech. Maybe the exit is a portal that¡¯ll appear for only a few minutes. Maybe we¡¯ll be teleported out of this ce in an instant. If we wait until thest moment to get rid of the Life Leech, then we may not have the time to finish the job.¡±

    ¡°On top of that, there is a huge chance we may lose all of our memories regarding the Longevity Vige. We may not even remember that the Life Leeches are the ones causing the strange phenomenon. After all, none of the previous victims remembered what happened, and I don¡¯t believe that we¡¯ll be the exceptions. Worst case scenario, we leave the Longevity Vige without our memories, and I can no longer see the Life Leeches because I don¡¯t know, the ability only works within Longevity Vige or something and so cannot spot anything wrong with you. The consequences would be unimaginable.¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath. ¡°That is why you should deal with the Life Leech attached to your person now. I¡¯ll handle it if we run into another Life Leech in the future.¡±

    He should be able to protect Yi Pin from further infestation with the Purple Sun Trueme.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Yi Pin produced a bottle from his Nature¡¯s Shell and exined, ¡°This medicine is called Together In Life Or Death. When I consume one, I would fall into a state of false death that is no different from true death. I must consume a second pill within an incense stick to break out of this state of false death. Otherwise, I would die for real.¡±

    ¡°The name is fitting.¡± Ye Qing nodded. <i>As usual, this old Taoist owns a ton of good stuff.</i>

    ¡°I¡¯ll be trusting you with my life, brother. Please make sure you save me before my time is up,¡± Yi Pin instructed.

    Ye Qing gave him a pat on the shoulder and dered, ¡°Just entrust everything to me and rest in peace!¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Suddenly, I no longer feel sure about this.</i>

    Yi Pin and Ye Qing spent the next period of time discussing how they should put on a convincing act for the Life Leech. The Stranger might possess the intellect of a child, but not even a child would be stupid enough to fall for their ruse if Yi Pin consumed the pill right in front of its face.

 Chapter 528: Moon In The Well

    <h4>Chapter 528: Moon In The Well </h4>

    That said, they didn¡¯t need toe up with tooplicated an ac to trick a child. First, Ye Qing grabbed a pill and pretended to leave for some business. In reality, he had hid himself in a safe ce. After he was ready, Yi Pin secretly consumed his Together In Life Or Death and immediately started weakening at a rapid pace. Just a few breathster, he copsed on the ground and seemingly fell dead.

    The Life Leech crouching on Yi Pin¡¯s shoulder looked surprised and confused. It circled around Yi Pin as if it couldn¡¯t understand how a perfectly healthy human could drop dead all of a sudden.

    The Life Leech fed on lifespan to survive and grow its strength. When a person dies, both their lifespan and karmic bonds would disappearpletely. Therefore, there was zero reason for the Life Leech to attach itself to a dead body, and it wasn¡¯t smart enough to determine if Yi Pin was faking his death or not. After circling around the old Taoist helplessly a few times, the Life Leech finally withdrew its beard and let out a strange cry. Then, it flew away.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t appear right away after the Life Leech was gone. He remained in his hiding spot for about a teatime when suddenly, the Life Leech returned and examined Yi Pin for a moment. When it couldn¡¯t find anything amiss, it left again.

    Still, Ye Qing didn¡¯t emerge from his hiding spot. Another half a teatime or so, the Life Leech returned yet again and circled around Yi Pin like before. A couple of strange criester, it finally disappeared into the distance for real.

    ¡°Motherfucker, that was cutting it a little close. Who said that a child is easy to trick again? It pretended to leave and came back twice to check on Yi Pin.¡±

    As the observer, Ye Qing saw clearly that the Life Leech was only pretending to leave the first two times. It had been hiding nearby and waiting to see if Yi Pin was faking his death or not. The Life Leech might have fooled him if he couldn¡¯t see it, and that almost certainly would have resulted in a dangerous battle.

    Time was running out. After he was sure that the Life Leech wouldn¡¯t return a third time, Ye Qing hurriedly stepped out of his hiding spot and fed Yi Pin the second Together In Life Or Death. A few breathster, the dead man¡¯s heart began beating, and his blood started flowing again.

    When Yi Pin opened his eyes and saw Ye Qing, he asked, ¡°How did it go, brother?¡±

    Ye Qing pulled him to his feet with a smile. ¡°It worked. The Life Leech¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness!¡± Yi Pin sighed in relief before boasting to Ye Qing, ¡°Do you see how awesome I am now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I am very impressed,¡± Ye Qing replied with zero sincerity whatsoever before checking the time. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s no time to waste. Let¡¯s look for Xue Hanshan and his goons right now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s.¡± Yi Pin nodded and fell behind Ye Qing.

    Locating Xue Hanshan¡¯s group was easy, and spying on them was even easier. Xue Hanshan had taken a serious blow just now, so his spirit wasn¡¯t nearly as perceptive as before. With how strong his demonic thought was, he could easily keep an eye on the old man from a far distance.

    Despite nearly losing his life just a moment ago, Xue Hanshan remained firm in his determination to find a way to extend his life. He spent nearly the entire day trying to unearth the secrets of Longevity Vige, but of course, he turned up with nothing at all.

    It was ironic how he had no idea that the objective he searched so desperately for had been clinging to his shoulders this entire time.

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s... raining?¡±

    On the third day, a drizzle suddenly fell from the sky. Strangely, the skies of Longevity Vige remained as bright and clear as ever. Ye Qing reached out of the window and rubbed the rainwater dripping against his skin a little. It felt cool, wet, and perfectly ordinary.

    It was at this moment Yi Pin drew his attention. ¡°Brother, look.¡±

    Ye Qing too noticed the oddity and turned to look. Xue Hanshan was getting anxious and irritable since he still wasn¡¯t able to unearth the secrets of Longevity Vige. He was about to bark an order when suddenly, his arms fell limp, and he just stood there with a zed look almost as if he was possessed. Then, he slowly began walking toward the exit.

    Tiger and Hawk were the same. They too followed Xue Hanshan out of the residence they were staying in.

    Ye Qing could see that the Life Leeches attached to their bodies were looking pointedly in a certain direction, eyes betraying a glint of eagerness and urgency.

    The trio were walking deeper into the vige. Ye Qing gave Yi Pin a look and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They proceeded to follow behind the trio like ghosts.

    A short whileter, the trio arrived at the center of the vige where the vige well was situated. They were bending over the well and looking inside for some reason.

    ¡°Did you notice anything when you were inspecting the well earlier, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked in a hushed voice when he saw this.

    Yi Pin shook his head. ¡°No, not at all. It¡¯s just an ordinary dead well.¡±

    He and Xue Hanshan¡¯s group had inspected the well earlier. As far as they could tell, there was nothing special about it whatsoever.

    A short whileter, another three people emerged from three separate directions. One of them was none other than Zuo Ming.[1] They too wore a nk expression and a pair of zed eyes on their faces. Once they reached the well, they bent over and looked into it as well.

    It was impossible to say what the six men were trying to do. They painted an eerie sight to say the least.

    Meanwhile, the rain was getting bigger and bigger. What was a drizzle was now a roaring downpour, and all six men were wet all the way down to their breeches. Even so, they continued to stand next to the well like wooden, motionless puppets.

    The rain would continue for a little over two hours, and the well slowly became filled with rainwater. When it was filled uppletely, the downpour abruptly came to a sudden stop. Seriously, it was like someone had pressed the off button on the weather or something.

    After the rain came to a stop, the six men abruptly looked up into the sky.

    ¡°What are they looking at?¡±

    Ye Qing and Yi Pin were raising their heads as well. A bright, round moon slowly appeared in the sky, and its silvery light shone straight toward the well. As soon as its reflection appeared on the waters, all six men immediately jumped into the well.

    The well was neither big nor deep. Frankly, it wasn¡¯t even big enough to fit two men. However, the six men were able to jump into the wall and not cause a single ssh almost like they weren¡¯t six adult men, but six specks of dust.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s senses, the six men disappearedpletely after they leaped into the well. It was almost as if they had been transported into a different world¡ªand that was most likely the truth.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Ye Qing beckoned before dashing out of the house they were sheltering in. A momentter, he stood next to the well and stared at the wavy, beautiful reflection of the moon.

    ¡°The well is the exit?!¡± Yi Pin eximed curiously after he caught up to Ye Qing.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Ye Qing replied. He had no idea that the way to leave Longevity Vige was identical to the way he entered it in the first ce.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    But Yi Pin hesitated. ¡°If we head out now, we will surely stumble onto Xue Hanshan and his goons. Even if they couldn¡¯t remember what happened in the vige, they would never let me go.¡±

    ¡°That is precisely why we need to head out now.¡± Ye Qing smiled, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°You know Xue Hanshan. Does he look like the type of person you can hide from? Assuming he¡¯s regained his consciousness, I¡¯m willing to bet a silver that he¡¯s waiting for you to show up.¡±

    ¡°Even if you could hide from him this time, what about the next time, and the next next time? Even if you could hide from him forever, what about Longxiang? Unless you leave Bei You behind you, Xue Hanshan will never let you go.¡±

    Yi Pin frowned deeply not because Ye Qing was wrong, but because he was right.

    Ye Qing continued, ¡°Therefore, the best way to handle a scumbag like him isn¡¯t to hide, but to kill him and end the threat once and for all¡ªor that is what I would say if he wasn¡¯t infected by a Life Leech. Since that isn¡¯t an option, I say we scare him and his goons into leaving you alone permanently. We¡¯ll teach them a lesson they aren¡¯t liable to forget for the rest of their lives.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like a n. I¡¯ll be counting on you, brother.¡± Yi Pin gave Ye Qing a p on the shoulder.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Yi Pin nodded and jumped into the well first. Ye Qing followed right behind him.

    1. Remember, they were a group of seven including Yi Pin. ?

 Chapter 529: How Much Is Your Face Worth?

    <h4>Chapter 529: How Much Is Your Face Worth? </h4>

    After he leaped into the well, Ye Qing felt his consciousness dissolving into a blur. He was unable to distinguish illusion from reality, nor could he tell where he was right now. At the same time, everything he had experienced in Longevity Vige including the way to enter and leave the ce began disappearing like bubbles.

    It was a bizarre and fearful feeling to feel his memories disappearing bit by bit from his mind. On the other hand, it was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and he couldn¡¯t deny that it was a novel, profound experience. On the other hand, of course he was scared of the fact that his memories were disappearing.

    An unknown amount of timeter¡ªit could be a breath, or it could be countless breaths¡ªhis surroundings slowly began to solidify and stay solidified. A gentle breeze blew past his ears, and humid air brushed gently against his face. He saw a clump of hills, a starry sky and a bright, round moon.

    By the time Ye Qing returned to consciousness, he discovered that he was back in Longevity Mountain. He wasn¡¯t at the valley where he entered the Longevity Vige, however. He was at a different location.

    It was nighttime in Longevity Mountain right now. The hills were but vague silhouettes in the darkness, and a bright, round moon and a sea of stars adorned the sky. The cool air brushing against his skin felt calm and soothing.

    Ye Qing was frowning though. It was because he noticed a nk spot in his memories. It was almost as if some invisible force had reached into his mind and stole away some of his memories.

    He knew that it was his memories regarding what happened in Longevity Vige, and he had anticipated this long before he came to rescue Yi Pin. Even so, he could not help but feel ufortable about it.

    ¡°Brother? ... Are you the one who saved me?¡± It was at this moment Yi Pin¡¯s voice rang beside him. Judging from the old Taoist¡¯s expression, he had clearly forgotten about his experience in Longevity Vige.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°I couldn¡¯t remember what happened inside the vige either.¡±

    Yi Pin was about to reply when an unfriendly voice interrupted their conversation. ¡°Reverend Yi Pin, you¡¯ve finally shown up. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    Xue Hanshan, Tiger, Hawk, Zuo Ming and two more people stepped out of the trees and walked toward them. Yi Pin¡¯s face immediately turned ugly.

    Xue Hanshan noticed Yi Pin¡¯s expression and asked with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Reverend Yi Pin? You don¡¯t seem pleased to see me.¡±

    ¡°You must be mistaken,¡± Yi Pin straightened his expression and replied in a meek voice. Although Ye Qing¡¯s presence gave him strength, Li Longxiang was still in Xue Hanshan¡¯s hands. He had no choice but to act the role of a humble ve.

    ¡°Lord Xue, I¡¯ve taken you to Longevity Vige as you requested. Can you tell me where my disciple is now?¡±

    Xue Hanshan smiled. The way the crevices on his face squeezed together made him look even older than he already was. ¡°What, are you afraid that we would torture your beloved disciple?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I trust in your character,¡± Yi Pin said with a fake smile. ¡°However, my disciple is stupid and cowardly. He needs someone like me to care for him, so I hope you will return him to me as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Your fondness for your disciple is touching. In that case, you should join me. You will meet your disciple eventually,¡± Xue Hanshan said.

    It sounded like Xue Hanshan was offering to take Yi Pin to Li Longxiang, but the old Taoist noticed something off with the way he worded the invitation. ¡°Eventually? What exactly do you mean, Lord Xue?¡±

    Xue Hanshan said slowly, ¡°Nothing? I just want to invite you to my ce for a short stay. You¡¯ve done me a big favor, Reverend, and it¡¯s only right that I repay the favor. Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It is my honor to be able to help you. All I request is that you release my disciple.¡±

    Yi Pin knew exactly what Xue Hanshan was nning, of course. The old bastard wasn¡¯t sure if his lifespan was extended, so he was hoping to imprison him for a time and wait for the results to show itself. If his lifespan was extended, then he would kill Yi Pin and end the potential threat he posed. If not, then he would force Yi Pin to take them into Longevity Vige a second time. No matter what, Yi Pin wasn¡¯t getting out of his predicament.

    ¡°You won¡¯t give me face, Reverend?¡± Xue Hanshan¡¯s smile remained unchanged, but his tone grew a tad darker than normal.

    A frustrated and furious Yi Pin tried to say something, but Ye Qing finally broke his silence and raised a hand to stop Yi Pin. Then, he looked at Xue Hanshan and said in an indifferent tone, ¡°And how much is your face worth?¡±

    ¡°And who are you, young one?¡± Xue Hanshan asked. He had noticed Ye Qing from the start, of course. The young man had exited Longevity Vige with Yi Pin, so he reckoned that he was the old Taoist¡¯s helper.

    His senses told him that the young man wasn¡¯t particrly powerful. His energies were barely perceptible as well. And yet, his instincts were telling him that he was dangerous.

    This was why he was wasting his breath on Yi Pin when he could¡¯ve just taken him by force. He was using that time to observe and figure out Ye Qing.

    It was useless though. He didn¡¯t know this, but he could observe Ye Qing for days and still find nothing at all.

    ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that your face isn¡¯t worth anything.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide how much my face is worth. Reverend Yi Pin does.¡± Xue Hanshan¡¯s smile widened. ¡°So? Do you think my face is worth something, Reverend?¡±

    If he was a couple decades younger, he would have attacked Ye Qing for daring to speak to him like this. But now? The period of peace and idleness had stolen his courage, and time itself had rotten his strength, not to mention that he was injured for some reason. He didn¡¯t remember that Ye Qing was the very person who injured him and nearly killed him.

    The older the <i>jianghu</i>, the more cowardly the fishes that lived within it.

    ¡°I...¡±

    Yi Pin wasn¡¯t afraid of Xue Hanshan. He had a hundred and one ways to escape him if push came to shove. The problem was that Li Longxiang was currently in Xue Hanshan¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Calm, brother.¡± Ye Qing consoled Yi Pin. ¡°You¡¯re worried about Longxiang, right? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already rescued him.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Yi Pin eximed with pleasant surprise.

    ¡°But of course,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    Next to Xue Hanshan, Tiger scoffed in disdain when he heard this. ¡°Quit lying, boy. Do you even know where that kid is right now?¡±

    ¡°White Sand Fort, right?¡± Ye Qing watched Tiger curiously. He could feel a familiar aura from the guy¡¯s broken arm. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, he was the one who broke the guy¡¯s arm in the vige.

    It wasn¡¯t just Tiger. He could feel the same aura from Xue Hanshan and another guy as well. Heck, he might be the one who had injured all of them.

    But why didn¡¯t he kill them all? It was clear he possessed the strength to crush them despite their numbers, and as far as he could tell he waspletely unhurt. Why didn¡¯t he end the threat at its roots?

    <i>This fucking amnesia.</i>

    ¡°You...¡± Tiger blurted as his expression morphed into speechlessness and shock. Xue Hanshan and the rest of the group were the same.

    ¡°Longxiang was at White Sand Fort? You really rescued him from that ce?¡± Yi Pin was stunned as well. He could tell from Xue Hanshan and the others'' expressions that Ye Qing was telling the truth.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    After Tiger recovered from his shock, he thought that Ye Qing <i>had </i>to be lying to them and yelled, ¡°Hmph! You have to be lying! There is no way someone like you can rescue his disciple from White Sand Fort!¡±

    The muscle brain just could not believe that Ye Qing possessed the strength to do such a thing.

    In response, the corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up. He lifted one foot and crossed ten meters of distance just like that.

    Xue Hanshan had been paying close attention to Ye Qing¡¯s every move, so the second his foot twitched, he immediately focused his energies, melded his mind together with the world, and pushed his palms forward.

    Clumps of conjoined mountains immediately manifested in the sky. They looked like they would suppress heaven and earth.

    <i>¡°Mountain Pusher¡±</i>

    Ye Qing paid him no attention, however. He floated amidst the mountains for a bit beforending heavily on the ground.

    It was like a god had mmed a giant mallet against the ground. First, there was a deafening bang that pierced the eardrums. Then, the ground beneath Ye Qing¡¯s feet began crumbling inch by inch. At the same time, Ye Qing threw out a devastating punch that was do or die.

    <i>¡°Break Through¡±</i>

    The mountains Xue Hanshan summoned might as well be rotten wood before his nine-dragon-elephant strength. His fist easily pierced through the mountains and mmed into the old man¡¯s palms.

    The ground was undting like a wave after Ye Qing¡¯snding. When the two powers shed, that part of the ground was sted into smithereens in an instant.

    It was only now Tiger, Hawk, Zuo Ming and the rest of Xue Hanshan¡¯s goons reacted, and it was far, far toote. The shockwave flung them into the air and dealt varying degrees of damage to them all.

    Xue Hanshan flinched. The next moment, his arms exploded in a shower of blood, bone and gore. The old man let out a muffled grunt of pain and allowed the impact to push him away from Ye Qing.

 Chapter 530: Why Donâ€™t You Kill Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 530: Why Don¡¯t You Kill Yourself </h4>

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to let such an excellent opportunity slip through his grasp, but he had just taken a step when suddenly, his instincts screamed at him about danger. It felt as if something bad would happen if he tried to kill the bastards.

    Despite this, Ye Qing didn¡¯t stop in his tracks. Instead, he kept pace with Xue Hanshan from a certain distance.

    Although he didn¡¯t know why he suddenly felt this way, the sense of danger was as loud as it was familiar. It was almost as if this wasn¡¯t the first time he had gone through such an experience.

    Was this why he had allowed Xue Hanshan¡¯s group back at Longevity Vige? Although the old man was ate-stage Spirit Master, he was far weaker than he should be due to his old age and declining health. It should¡¯ve been fairly easy for him to kill the old man, and yet he hadn¡¯t. Ye Qing didn''t think that it was because he had suddenly found the saint that was inside him all along either. Therefore, it had to be some sort of danger.

    While Ye Qing was pondering, the Life Leech was sitting on top of Xue Hanshan¡¯s head and iling its beard about like an oddly-shaped patch of dark cloud. It was also ring at Ye Qing. It was none other than Ye Qing, of course.

    As Ye Qing had predicted, he lost his ability to see the Life Leech as soon as he left Longevity Vige. If the Stranger attacked him now, there was a high chance he wouldn¡¯t even notice anything amiss. Luckily for Ye Qing, the Life Leech didn¡¯t do so despite remembering him as clearly as day. He was the bastard who had nearly killed his host back at Longevity Vige after all, and now he was going to pull the same shit a second time. The hell was wrong with this guy?

    The main reason the Life Leech didn¡¯t attack Ye Qing was because of the Purple Sun Trueme, of course. Ye Qing might have forgotten about it, but the Life Leech hadn¡¯t forgotten about him or the pain he had inflicted upon it during their brief sh. Once bitten, twice shy was true even for Strangers.

    Ye Qing reckoned from Xue Hanshan¡¯s expression and emotion that he had no idea that something inexplicably dangerous was attached to his body either. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t strain himself and run away like his life depended on it.

    Not wanting to waste his energy on Xue Hanshan, Ye Qing let out a cold chuckle and threatened, ¡°You¡¯ve already lost your hands, Lord Xue. Surely you don¡¯t want to lose your legs as well?¡±

    Xue Hanshan abruptly stopped in his tracks, sighed, and turned back to face Ye Qing. ¡°Fine. You got me. What do you want?¡±

    He could tell that his chance of escaping Ye Qing was exactly zero, and the young man hadn¡¯t killed him immediately. Sensing that there was still a chance he might survive this, he decided to stand his ground and see if he could negotiate an out.

    Who would willingly choose death if life was an option?

    ¡°Excuse me? It¡¯s not what I want. It¡¯s you. You¡¯re the one who chose to shut the doors and windows on yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing sped his hands behind his back and countered.

    While ignoring the horrific pain eating away at the broken stumps where his limbs once were, Xue Hanshan replied bitterly, ¡°I am in the wrong here. I am willing to offer you and the Reverend my sincerest apologies!¡±

    ¡°Apologies?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°If the grudges of this world can be swept clean with a simple ¡®sorry¡¯, then there wouldn¡¯t be violence and ughter in this world, would there? What do you think, Lord Xue?¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Xue Hanshan replied curtly while a sheen of cold sweat broke out of his forehead. It was impossible to say if the sweat was caused by pain, fear, or both.

    ¡°The good news, I don¡¯t like killing people. The bad news, I <i>loathe </i>trouble. So what do you think I should do, Lord Xue?¡± Ye Qing asked while shooting Xue Hanshan a toothy grin.

    <i>How the fuck would I know? </i>Xue Hanshan thought grumpily in his head but replied carefully and respectfully, ¡°What do you suggest, warrior?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving it up to me?¡± Ye Qing pretended to think for a few breaths before pping his hands. ¡°I got an idea! Why don¡¯t you kill yourself? This way, I won¡¯t need to bloody my hands, and no trouble would befall me! Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    <i>You don¡¯t like to kill, so you¡¯re going to make your victims kill themselves? What kind of dogshit logic is that?</i>

    A shudder coursed through Xue Hanshanm and hisplexion grew paler. ¡°Please be serious, warrior.¡±

    ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Ye Qing cranked up the wattage of his smile, but all Xue Hanshan could feel was cold malice. Xue Hanshan began trembling despite his will, and all sorts of emotions flitted in his eyes: ferocity, anger, helplessness.

    In the end though, it all turned into surrender. ¡°I¡¯m willing to do anything so long as you let me live, warrior.¡±

    Thoughts of resisting or bringing Ye Qing to the grave with him had crossed his mind, but his desire to live ground it all into dust.

    He had just entered Longevity Vige, and unless he was gravely mistaken, he now had a long, long life ahead of him. That was why he didn¡¯t want to die, and the only way for him to survive this situation was to bow his head and beg.

    ¡°Will you really do anything I ask you to do, Lord Xue?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Xue Hanshan nodded obediently despite the bitterness in his heart. He didn¡¯t dare to show even a sliver of his emotions on his face.

    ¡°I see... what should I make you do, I wonder?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose as he watched Xue Hanshan with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.

    Xue Hanshan felt his scalp turning numb, and his hair standing on end out of sheer terror. Such was his fear that even the pain felt duller than before.

    ¡°I got it!¡± Ye Qing snapped his fingers and said, ¡°From now on, you will not trouble the Temple of Divination in any way. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡± Xue Hanshan looked up in astonishment.

    <i>I was ready to be your ve, and </i>that <i>is your demand?</i>

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t ept?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°I ept! I ept!¡± Xue Hanshan snapped back to reality and replied as quickly as he could. He would have to be insane not to ept such a simple demand.

    ¡°Heh...¡± Ye Qing let out a chuckle but changed his tone suddenly. ¡°Tell me something, Lord Xue. Do you think my request is difficult or easy to fulfill?¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± Xue Hanshan¡¯s heart immediately leaped to his throat again. <i>What now? What is he nning?</i>

    He hesitated for a moment before answering obediently, ¡°It¡¯s easy.¡±

    ¡°If you think it¡¯s easy, then you wouldn¡¯t mind me making another request, right Lord Xue?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Not... not at all!¡± Xue Hanshan felt like going insane. The young man might have a youthful appearance, but his personality and behavior proved to be very flexible and difficult to grasp. It was identical to the disciples of the Dark Ways he interacted with in the past, if not worse.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my second request is just as simple as the first. All I want¡ª¡± Ye Qing purposely paused for a few seconds before finally saying, ¡°¡ªis for you to keep today¡¯s matter a secret. As you already know, I don¡¯t like trouble.¡±

    ¡°I swear on my heart demon that no one else will learn about what happened today. If I break my oath, may I die a horrible death,¡± Xue Hanshan immediately swore an oath.

    ¡°You¡¯re a smart man, Lord Xue. Do you know why I like interacting with smart people, Lord Xue?¡± Ye Qing asked suddenly.

    ¡°N-No? Why¡¯s that?¡± Xue Hanshan didn¡¯t know where Ye Qing was going with this.

    ¡°Because a smart person wouldn¡¯t try to get smart. They wouldn¡¯t try to pull something when the person they¡¯re watching out for turns their backs on them.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened devilishly. ¡°I hope you¡¯re a real smart man, Lord Xue. I hope you won¡¯t shut the doors and windows on yourself a second time.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t! I swear I won¡¯t break my promises!¡± Lord Xue replied in a hurry. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he didn¡¯t have arms right now, he would have raised both of them to show how on board he was.

    In fact, he had considered cating Ye Qing to survive this predicament and plotting his revenge in the future. But now, he had discarded those thoughtspletely.

    Even if the young man wasn¡¯t the disciple of a major sect of the Dark Ways or the heir of an old monster or something, he had more than proven that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with.

    That was why he made up his mind to do exactly as the young manmanded and stay as far away from the Temple of Divination¡ªno, from Bei You City as possible. There was no reason to take any risks considering the circumstances.

    ¡°Good. I believe in you, Lord Xue. As for your subordinates, you may deal with them as you please, but I expect you to handle this perfectly, understand? If you disappoint me...¡± Ye qing threatened.

    Xue Hanshan swore again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, warrior. I promise that their mouths would be zipped one way or another.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction before waving him away. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so go home and catch some rest, Lord Xue. You¡¯ve already lost your arms, and I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want to lose your life as well. I won¡¯t be seeing you off.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Goodbye, warrior.¡± Xue Hanshan heaved a huge sigh of relief and gave Ye Qing a deep bow. Then, he turned around and walked away without looking back.

 Chapter 531: The Buddhist Hall of Joy

    <h4>Chapter 531: The Buddhist Hall of Joy</h4>

    [1]

    After Xue Hanshan was gone, Yi Pin caught up to Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill Xue Hanshan and end the threat for sure, brother?¡±

    The old Taoist hadn¡¯t said a word until just now because Ye Qing had told him to stay quiet and leave it all to him, and as expected, the young man had dealt with the problem beautifully. However, Yi Pin didn¡¯t understand why Ye Qing ultimately let Xue Hanshan go even though all the cards were in his hands. In fact, he would even go as far as to say that Ye Qing¡¯s finish was poor and didn¡¯t fit with his modus operandi.

    Ye Qing looked up at the sky and said, ¡°It¡¯splicated, and I don¡¯t want to stay here all night. Let¡¯s walk as we talk.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Yi Pin responded, and the duo made their way down the mountain.

    ......

    ¡°If what you said is true, then the Life Leech must be responsible for the rumors of longevity behind Longevity Vige as well.¡±

    Ye Qing and Yi Pin were currently basking in the warm sun and enjoying a cup of tea at a tea stall just outside Bei You City.

    It was midnight when they left the Longevity Mountain, andte morning by the time they finally got back to Bei You. At this time, the sunlight was warm and sleep-inducing.

    Ye Qing was fine, but Yi Pin was tired after spending the whole night traveling. So, they decided to catch a small break.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement. After they returned to Bei You, he immediately used the Annon Sutra to find out what was the invisible danger that kept him from killing Xue Hanshan and his goons. Although the vellum didn¡¯t tell him what happened at the Longevity Vige, he knew that the Life Leech must be the reason he hadn¡¯t killed them back in the vige.

    Ye Qing was thankful that he hadn¡¯t done something unnecessary like making Xue Hanshan swear his loyalty to him or something. Such an act would¡¯ve formed a strong karmic bond between him and Xue Hanshan, and his lifespan would have been drained for no good reason.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that the Life Leech actually exists.¡± Yi Pin sipped his tea to suppress his shock. He didn¡¯t know how Ye Qing had found out about this, but he didn¡¯t ask. Everyone had a secret they didn¡¯t wish to divulge to anyone, and probing too deeply into it would turn friends into strangers, and strangers into foes.

    As a veteran of the <i>jianghu</i>, he knew better than to break a cardinal rule like this.

    ¡°In that case, the way you handle the matter was excellent. Xue Hanshan nearly shat his pants after the scare you gave him, so I doubt he would dare to trouble us ever again.¡±

    A sardonic, schadenfreude-filled smile flitted across his face. ¡°A shame about his friends and family though. It is a curse to have a senior like Xue Hanshan.¡±

    Ye Qing leanedzily against a pir and admired the clear, blue sky above their heads. ¡°If you¡¯re such a bleeding heart, you can try spreading the truth about the Life Leech and the fact that Xue Hanshan is sacrificing his rtives to increase his own lifespan in secret. With luck, his rtives or a righteous warrior might do us a favor and kill him.¡±

    ¡°Heh... It¡¯s not a bad idea, but nah. We literally just put this behind us. I have no intentions ofnding us in new trouble.¡±

    Yi Pin shook his head. ¡°Besides, I doubt that Xue Hanshan¡¯s rtives are worth saving. Xue Hanshan was the infamous Mountain Bearing Raider before he went into hiding and gave himself a new identity, and I know for a fact that his descendants are scumbags just like him. I ain¡¯t risking my hide to save people like that.¡±

    ¡°Karma is a bitch, but at least she¡¯s a bitch to everyone. Her judgment may be dyed, but never escaped.¡±

    Ye Qing snorted but said nothing. He knew that Yi Pin was going to say this because he was both weak and cowardly. The day he risked his hide to save someone¡¯s life was the day hell froze over.

    Besides, he was right that the Xue n wasn¡¯t worth saving.

    ¡°The Bodhisattva guides all to the ultimate bliss...¡±

    It was at this moment an obscene tune that one normally heard in the brothel resounded from a distance. Everyone who was resting their legs at the tea stall immediately felt a surge of lust and passion.

    Strangely, the decadent tune also gave off a grand and noble feeling. It was an odd blend of feeling to say the least.

    Several breathster, a group of people emerged from the end of a marked road. The men were handsome and ying their instruments, while the women were sexy and tossing flower petals into the air.

    Both men and women were wearing monk robes. Why were monks putting on such an obscene performance in public?

    At the center of the group were eighteen men carrying a huge litter on their shoulders. Their upper bodies were bare, and their heads were clean shaven. Their bronze skin was marked with tattoos of sky dragons and divine tigers, and their breathing was as steady as their vigor was strong. They looked like Buddhist protectors.

    The litter they were carrying was massive, exquisitely designed, and covered by white curtains. The top of the litter was adorned by intricate statues of Bodhisattvas and celestial women. All in all, the group gave off an atmosphere of auspiciousness, solemnity and serenity¡ªif one pretended that sexual moans weren¡¯ting out of the litter, and there weren¡¯t silhouettes of naked, conjoined bodies behind the curtains, that was.

    It was a given, but nearly everyone at the stall was staring at the litter with varying degrees of lust and desire. Some of them looked like they were barely holding themselves back from pouncing toward the group.

    ¡°Who are those people, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked with a frown. For someone of his strength, the white curtains blocking the view might as well not exist. He could clearly sense that a gorgeous woman was having her way with five handsome men.

    <i>Public sex in broad daylight? The nerve! If you¡¯re a woman, you would let go of those men ande at me!</i>

    Yi Pin tsked as he stared intently at the group. ¡°You really are one lucky sonuvabitch, aren¡¯t you brother? It hasn¡¯t even been a week since you arrived at Bei You City, and you somehow managed to stumble upon the Dana[2] Day. The Buddhist Hall of Joy only holds this once a year, you know.¡±

    ¡°The Buddhist Hall of Joy?¡± Ye Qing inquired.

    Yi Pin asked a question instead of answering, ¡°Have you heard of this saying, brother? ¡®Yellow dragon, cornucopia and endless sand; joy, mistress, and the strange warrior¡¯.¡±

    ¡°No at all. What on earth does it mean?¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s a famous quote everyone in Bei You knows about, and it¡¯s a direct reference to the greatest factions and champions of Bei You.¡±

    Yi Pin exined slowly, ¡°The yellow dragon refers to the Yellow Dragon Brigand, one of the Thirteen Brigands of Chu. The cornucopia refers to the Tower of Cornucopia, a faction that ims that they own all the treasures in the northernnds. Endless sand refers to Endless Sand, the number one gang where all the warriors of the northernnds are supposedly gathered.¡±

    ¡°By the way, did you know that Zhang Jun¡ªyou know, the guy you killed back in the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin¡ªis a member of the Endless Sand?¡±

    ¡°Really now? What a coincidence,¡± Ye Qing replied in a tone that made it clear he didn¡¯t give a shit one bit. ¡°Anyway, what does joy, mistress and the strange warrior refer to?¡±

    ¡°Joy refers to the Joy Bodhisattva, the head of the Buddhist Hall of Joy. Mistress refers to Mistress Bai, the head of the Shade of Scents. And finally, the strange warrior refers to Ouyang De, a wandering warrior who loves doing good and ying heretics but has a very, very peculiar way of doing things.¡±

    Yi Pin sipped his tea to soothe his dry throat. ¡°Endless Sand and the strange warrior Ouyang De are the so-called wful good¡¯ forces¡ªrtively speaking, of course. The Tower of Cornucopia and Shade of Scents are neutral forces who appear to be mere merchants on the outside, but do all sorts of things on the insides.¡±

    ¡°Finally, the Yellow Dragon Brigand and the Buddhist Hall of Joy are heretics through and through. They care nothing forws and customs, and they would do anything to see their goals through. They are the factions you want to stay as far away as possible.¡±

    ¡°But of course, there is no such thing as absolute good or evil in the <i>jianghu. </i>Some factions obey the rules more so than the others, but in the end, self-interest drives all of them. Always be on your toes if you are in their line of sight, brother.¡±

    Yi Pin paused for a second before shaking his head. ¡°Wait, what nonsense am I talking about? Apologies, brother. They¡¯re the ones who should be on their toes, not you.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>A subtle andpletely unnecessary jab, you did.</i>

    Ye Qing decided to be the bigger man and asked, ¡°What is this Dana Day?¡±

    ¡°The Buddhist Hall of Joy practices the Buddhist Way of Joy,¡± Yi Pin started. ¡°The Buddhist Way of Joy is a Vajrayana lineage of Buddhism, and its worshipers worship Nandikeshvara, the Buddha of Pleasure. The symbol of Nandikeshvara is a man¡ªwhich representsw¡ªand a woman¡ªwhich represents wisdom¡ªhugging each other tightly. The union of man and woman,w and wisdom symbolizes infinite wisdom and power.¡±

    ¡°The Buddhist Way of Joy teaches the way of controlling desire with desire, and attaining the wisdom of the Buddha through desire. However, it is easy to create desire, but difficult to suppress it. That was why the Buddhist Way of Joy splintered into two different factions some time after its conception.¡±

    ¡°The first faction stayed true to their teachings and used desire to suppress and void their desires. They are the orthodox faction and Vajrayana lineage of the Buddhist Way of Joy. The second faction seeks to attain ultimate bliss by diving into the deep end of the pleasures of the flesh. To put it in simpler terms, they strive to attain Buddhahood via indulgence. This faction also gave birth to many smaller factions that focus on dual cultivation, which is why they are denounced as pagan by the orthodox faction.¡±

    ¡°The Buddhist Hall of Joy is a sect that practices the unorthodox branch of Buddhist Way of Joy. They strive to attain Buddhahood by indulging in the ultimate pleasure of man.¡±

    [3]

    1. And now we arrive at the mini arc that made me decide to trante Wuhuan as Joyless. ?

    2. Buddhist practice of giving. ?

    3. Nandikeshvara is a real person, and there is such a thing as the ¡°Buddhist Way of Joy¡±¡ªor more urately, Pleasure in history, but uh, obviously don¡¯t take the author¡¯s words as gospel. Reality may be stranger than fiction, but fiction is definitely fictional. ?

 Chapter 532: Reading All The Colors of Humanity

    <h4>Chapter 532: Reading All The Colors of Humanity </h4>

    ¡°And now to your question. Dana Day is something the Buddhist Hall of Joy created themselves. When a normal Buddhist gives away to others, they usually offer items and Buddhist teachings to themon people. As for the Buddhist Hall of Joy, they offer sex so that the masses may experience the essence of their Joyful Way of the Buddha themselves.¡±

    Yi Pin took another pause before continuing, ¡°That is why Dana Day is also known as the Day of Joy or Day of Bliss. Anyone be it men, women, old, young, rich, poor, good, evil, beautiful or ugly may copte with the members of the Buddhist Hall of Joy and partake in humanity¡¯s greatest bliss.¡±

    ¡°They offer their... services this to the women as well?¡± Ye Qing eximed in shock.

    ¡°Er, duh? The Buddhist Hall of Joy doesn¡¯t only have female members, you know. There are men as well!¡±

    Yi Pin shot Ye Qing a disdainful look. ¡°Plus, the Buddhist Hall of Joy preaches a world of equality where both men and women may partake in the ultimate bliss without bias. Forget normal sex, they can ept sex between people of the same gender as well!¡±

    ¡°They allow that?!¡± Ye Qing was well and truly shocked. He had no idea such an open-minded institution existed in this world!

    Yi Pin snickered and winked at Ye Qing. ¡°Why not? Some people prefer it that way!¡±

    ¡°Well, consider me schooled.¡± Ye Qing licked his lips. He should¡¯ve known that the world was big, and nothing was impossible in this world!

    ¡°This Dana Day sounds pretty interesting.¡± Ye Qing looked at Yi Pin and joked, ¡°So, have you received their ah, ¡®giving¡¯ before?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Yi Pin was in the middle of sipping his tea, and the question caught him so off guard that he couldn¡¯t stop coughing for a time. When he finally recovered, he yelled, ¡°What the hell are you talking about? I¡¯m a monk! I would never do such a thing!¡±

    ¡°Besides, I have no intentions of dying young!¡±

    Ye Qing looked at the old Taoist¡¯s gray hair skeptically, but he decided that satisfying his curiosity was the higher priority right now. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    Yi Pin nced at the overly excited customers around them. ¡°You didn¡¯t actually think that the Buddhist Hall of Joy is doing this out of the kindness of their heart, did you?¡±

    ¡°They im that their Joyful Way of the Buddha is the truth of ultimate bliss and the way to be a Buddha through desire, but pragmatically speaking, it is really a dual cultivation method where they harvest their victims¡¯ energies to improve their own. Anyone who coptes with a member of the Buddhist Hall of Joy would have their origin yang, vigor, lifespan and talent stolen from them.¡±

    ¡°Worse still, a weak-willed person may lose sight of themselves and join the Buddhist Hall of Joy as a worshiper. Two fatesy before these people. If their talent is above a certain level, then they may be a proper disciple of the Joyful Way of the Buddha. If not, then they would be ves and incubators that the Buddhist Hall of Joy may use as they please.¡±

    ¡°And no one tried to stop them?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°How, pray tell? This is Bei You, the home to countless independent factions and forces. The one power that could actually do something about this, the imperial court, sits too far away to exert their influence, and the sect itself is hardly a weak sect. Who could possibly unseat the Buddhist Hall of Joy?¡±

    A disdainful snort escaped Yi Pin¡¯s nose. ¡°Besides, the consequences are not at all a secret, and the Buddhist Hall of Joy does not forcefully convert someone into their ranks. They offer, and the people take. It is all consensual. If someone loses themselves to the pleasure, then they only have their own weak will to me, no?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. Why would anyone willingly subject themselves to such a fate?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Your words betray your youth, brother. ¡®Sex is an irresistible killer. The more it hurts you, the more you want it.¡¯ ¡®Better the fertilizer of a bed of flowers than the owner of a barrennd[1].¡¯ Such is the wisdom of the old sages. If even they are not immune to the allure of sex, then how can you expect themon people to do better? ¡®Appetite and lust are only natural¡¯, and some people <i>want </i>to be ¡®eaten¡¯, you know?¡±

    Yi Pin chuckled before continuing, ¡°Also, everyone in the Buddhist Hall of Joy is handsome or beautiful. All the colors of humanity are gathered in their halls, and it is true that the Joyful Way of the Buddha gives a person bliss unlike anything they have ever experienced. What is a few years of lifespanpared to that?¡±

    Ye Qing wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°You know far too much for someone who supposedly never used their services before.¡±

    ¡°W-What? Nonsense! I¡¯m just er, telling you what one of my acquaintances told me! Don¡¯t you know who I am? I¡¯m as straight as they get!¡±

    Yi Pin protested impotently before breaking into ascivious grin. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t miss out on this opportunity, brother. Your body is strong, your vigor is unending, and more importantly, you¡¯re still a virgin, aren¡¯t you? Why not shed your status with one of the most blissful experiences you may have in your life?¡±

    ¡°Heh. Thanks, but no thanks. Let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s not my cup of tea.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    While they were chatting, the entourage had finally made it to the tea stall, and the tangle of bodies behind the curtains and the moans grew clearer than ever. Everyone at the tea stall was staring at the curtains like they could burn a hole in it, gulping down saliva non-stop like they were in the middle of a desert, and wishing that they were the ones fucking inside the litter right now.

    A female disciple of the Buddhist Hall of Joy looked at the customers and said, ¡°The Bodhisattva guides all to the ultimate bliss. All are wee to share in our joy. Today is our annually held Dana Day. If you are willing, our Bodhisattva wees you to partake in the ultimate bliss with her when she is ready.¡±

    ¡°The Bodhisattva guides all to the ultimate bliss...¡±

    ¡°The Bodhisattva guides all to the ultimate bliss...¡±

    The disciples chanted their mantras, and the instruments tickled the people¡¯s hearts. As the litter shook harder and harder, the pants and moansing from the litter grew heavier as well.

    Nine breathster, the chants, the music, and the creakings of the litter came to a sudden stop. The sexual noises too reached their climax beforepsing into silence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, brother.¡±

    From the beginning until the end, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes had remained as clear as ake. It was almost as if he hadn¡¯t just witnessed a sexual performance in public.

    Yi Pin was having the time of his life though. He was sipping a cup of delicious tea and rinsing his eyes and ears with beauty. What¡¯s not to like?

    The old Taoist turned in Ye Qing¡¯s direction in surprise. ¡°The show¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    ¡°So? There¡¯s nothing to watch.¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    Yi Pinined, ¡°You have no appreciation for aesthetics. This only happens once a year, you know? It¡¯s your loss if you miss it.¡±

    Ye Qing joked, ¡°You¡¯re gonna catch a stye[2] at this rate.¡±

    Yi Pin protested, ¡°The hell are you talking about? Only a voyeur would catch a stye. Am I peeping? No, I¡¯m watching this openly!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re... right, I guess.¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes in exasperation. ¡°If there was any doubt that you are a fake Taoist, it¡¯s gone now.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get it. I¡¯m observing the event in front of me with a critical, unbiased eye.¡± Yi Pin began bull-shitting matter-of-factly, ¡°This is cultivation. Observing this event helps me temper my dao heart, understand?¡±

    ¡°Cultivation, my butt. Do you think you can trick me just because I¡¯m less worldly than you?¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes harder.

    It was at this moment an old man sitting at a table a short distance away from themmented, ¡°Your words betray your youth and ignorance, boy. A warrior must always cultivate the heart before the body. Otherwise, they can never be aplished.¡±

    ¡°The temptation of sex is one of the hardest trials of the heart, but also the most beneficial. Only when you have read all the colors of humanity without being swayed by temptation can you truly say that you have obtained an unwavering dao heart.¡±

    The old man looked like he was in his sixties, but hisplexion looked pretty healthy. He was wearing a tattered sheepskin coat and a straw hat. He was currently smoking a pipe and staring at the litter with unblinking eyes.

    Ye Qing let out a deep, exasperated sigh. ¡°You know, I might have believed you if your eyes weren¡¯t glued to the litter this whole time.¡±

    Meanwhile, Yi Pin was beyond happy to find a soul mate. ¡°Well said, brother! You understood what I was trying to say perfectly! I am honored to make your acquaintance!¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Reverend. Your eyes may be tinged with color, but I can tell that your heart is devoid of lust. Anyone can tell at first nce that you are an enlightened one. I¡¯m the one who should say that I am honored to be in your presence,¡± the old man returned with a beaming smile.

    ¡°Now that is ttery if I ever heard one! Undeserved ttery!¡± Yi Pin said that, but he could not contain the wide grin on his face at all. Without hesitation, he shuffled to the side and offered the old man a seat, ¡°Sharing is caring, and it is better to cultivate with others than it is to cultivate alone. Please take a seat so we may trade insights and hone our cultivation further, brother!¡±

    ¡°Why not? It so happens I have a jar of wine with me. It will bnce out the work we must do to improve our cultivation!¡±

    The old man chuckled and appeared beside Yi Pin in a blur. He was also holding a wine jar in his hand even though he wasn¡¯t a moment ago.

    1. Pretty proud of this one. A trantion of Äµµ¤»¨ÏÂËÀ£¬×ö¹íÒ²·çÁ÷, which colloquially means ¡®If I die having fucked the person of my dreams then it would be worth it.¡¯ ?

    2. It¡¯s a Chinese belief that if you peep on others, your eyes are gonna get swollen. ?

 Chapter 533: Joy Bodhisattva

    <h4>Chapter 533: Joy Bodhisattva </h4>

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little. Even before the old man had spoken, he already suspected that he was no ordinary person.

    Most of the people at the stall were staring at the litter with lustful eyes, but the old man was one of the few whose eyes and expression were as calm and tranquil as ake.

    Now, he was even more certain of his assumption. There was a table between them and the old man¡¯s table, and yet he had appeared next to Yi Pin in the blink of an eye. Anyone who possessed such a potent movement art was someone to be respected.

    They said that Bei You was a region of crouching tigers and hidden dragons, and that the random, ordinary-looking guy drinking next to you could be a champion of epic proportions. Ye Qing always thought the im was a bit of an exaggeration until he literally went through that exact experience.

    While Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts were a million kilometers away, Yi Pin and the old man were drinking with each other. If you looked at their straight posture and stern expression only, you might think that they were two esteemed seniors who were deep in discussion about the profound arts. In reality...

    ¡°Look at the third woman on the left side of the litter! Now that¡¯s what I call an hourss figure!¡±

    ¡°The one right in front of her isn¡¯t too bad herself. She might not have the figure, but she¡¯s the epitome of a cute and delicate flower.¡±

    ¡°Look! Look! That¡¯s some of the biggest chests I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±

    <i>Shit. I should¡¯ve moved to a different table.</i>

    While Ye Qing was busy regretting his life choices, a sudden movement caught his attention. A feminine arm was reaching out of the curtains, and it was smooth, slender, and almost glowing. Somehow, it was even paler than even the white curtains covering the litter.

    It was as if the arm was imbued with some sort of magic. As soon as it appeared, the entire ce fell silent, and everyone¡¯s gaze was pulled toward it before they knew it. Even Yi Pin and the old man suddenly dropped their discussion and stared at the arm as if they were hypnotized.

    As the arm slowly pushed away the fabric, and a lovely, awe-inspiring figure slowly rose to a sitting position. Everyone began breathing a little faster before they knew it.

    When the curtains were fully lifted, and a woman stepped out into the open, it was as if the world itself was fading into the background. For a moment, the woman was the only color that existed in this gray-white world, and not even the sun itself could match her brightness. Countless eyes widened to the absolute limit as they stared nkly at the woman. They were in such a stupor that they had forgotten to breathe.

    Even Ye Qing temporarily lost control of his breathing and found himself utterly speechless for a moment.

    The woman had silky smooth ck hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her countenance was noble and holy, and she wore a thin white dress that barely concealed her milky skin. The sex marks, sweat and reddishplexion on her neck and other parts of her body made it crystal clear that she was the main actor of the sexual performance earlier, and yet she did not appear depraved or obscene at all. If anything, it was the opposite.

    ¡°Bodhisattva...¡±

    As soon as the woman appeared, every disciple bowed their heads with reverence.

    ¡°Rise,¡± The woman whispered. As it turned out, the woman didn¡¯t just possess a holy appearance. Her voice was pure, calm, and untainted by the mortal coil as well.

    The woman was barefooted. When she walked, a white lotus would sprout where her foot just left the ground. It truly looked like she was a living goddess who had descended to the world to save the people from suffering.

    The disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy looked increasingly fervent in their worship, and themon men who were blinded by their lust just a moment ago calmed down. In fact, most of them were bowing their heads in shame and looking away from the woman because they felt that the act was sacrilege.

    There were three people who weren¡¯t affected, however. They were the old man, Yi Pin and Ye Qing.

    After she stepped off the litter, the woman calmly walked toward the tea stall. In fact, it looked like she was walking straight toward them.

    Ye Qing furrowed his brows a little. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

    After the woman arrived at their table, she nced at Yi Pin and the old man briefly before turning her attention onto Ye Qing. ¡°Will you be my disciple and study the way of ultimate bliss with me?¡±

    Envy colored everyone¡¯s expression including the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy instantly. They only wished they could be Ye Qing at that moment.

    As for Ye Qing, he was having trouble trying to process what was happening. <i>This is our first meeting, and you¡¯re already inviting me to...? I¡¯m not ready yet!</i>

    Seeing that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t responding, the woman repeated her request, ¡°Will you be my disciple and study the way of ultimate bliss with me?¡±

    ¡°Ahem...¡± Ye Qing finally came back to reality and coughed. ¡°Thank you very much for your kind offer, householder[1], but I am used to being unfettered.¡±

    Almost everyone turned around and red at Ye Qing in shock and anger. The woman herself didn¡¯t seem to anticipate that Ye Qing would reject her. She thought for a moment before asking, ¡°In that case, would you like to study the way of ultimate bliss with me.¡±

    When Ye Qing said he wished to be unfettered, he was implying that he didn¡¯t wish to be her disciple. However, that didn¡¯t apply to thetter half of her offer.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose. ¡°Er, thank you, but no thanks. I¡¯m a schr, and I have not undergone consummation[2]. It wouldn¡¯t be right for me to break tradition.¡±

    The woman wasn¡¯t giving up, however. She thought for a moment before saying, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we marry? You won¡¯t be breaking tradition then.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?!¡± Ye Qing blurted. He just couldn¡¯t hold himself. Yi Pin and the old man¡¯s mouth fell open, and even the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy could scarcely believe their ears.

    This woman was no ordinary person. She was none other than the head of the Buddhist Hall of Joy, Joy Bodhisattva. She was so famous that her title became a part of a famous saying not just in Bei You, but the entire northernnds, and now she was asking a random guy¡¯s hand in marriage?

    What the fuck was going on here?

    The woman¡ªJoy Bodhisattva¡ªreplied, ¡°Of course. I never lie.¡±

    ¡°Ahem, that¡¯s not what I meant. What I¡¯m trying to say is, aren¡¯t you a monk? I thought marriage is forbidden for those who practice monasticism?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva replied, ¡°That may be true for other religions, but not the Buddhist Hall of Joy. If my current status bothers you, I can leave my monastic order and serve as your faithful wife.¡±

    As soon as Joy Bodhisattva said this, the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy dropped to their knees and cried in shock and horror, ¡°Bodhisattva, you can¡¯t!¡±

    In response, she nced at them and said, ¡°Just because I am no longer a monk does not mean I am renouncing the Buddha. Must one convert to embrace the Buddha? Can they not practice his teachings without being a monk?¡±

    ¡°You still have a long way to go before you may free yourselves from the mirages of the mortal coil.¡±

    The disciples bowed their heads in shame. ¡°You are right, Bodhisattva.¡±

    ¡°So, will you be my husband?¡± Joy Bodhisattva turned back to Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing¡¯s mouth opened and closed as he tried to search for the right words. For a long time, they refused toe to him.

    <i>I¡¯m not speaking English, right? I¡¯ve rejected her twice¡ªtwice! So why is she not getting my meaning? Fuck my life!</i>

    Ye Qing coughed again and said as seriously as he could, ¡°Ahem... I am truly sorry, but I am still very young. I don¡¯t n on getting married any time soon.¡±

    Outrage filled the disciples¡¯ eyes once more. From their perspective, a million Ye Qings weren¡¯t worth a single toe on their Bodhisattva, and yet for whatever reason, Joy Bodhisattva had chosen him to be her husband. He should be thanking his entire bloodline for the impossible luck that justnded in hisp, and yet the sonuvabitch dared to reject their Bodhisattva not once, not twice, but three times! His stupidity and arrogance truly knew no bounds!

    Next to Ye Qing, Yi Pin and the old man exchanged an incredulous look with each other while thinking ¡°holy shit¡± inside their heads. They couldn¡¯t believe that Joy Bodhisattva was offering to marry Ye Qing, and they couldn¡¯t believe that Ye Qing dared to reject her. ¡°Holy shit¡± was literally the only words they could describe their feelings right now.

    Ye Qing could feel the furious gazes threatening to burn his body into a crisp, of course, but he could only feign ignorance. What else could he do, really? He hardly wanted this to happen. He was literally a random passerby watching a show when suddenly, the main actor stepped down from the stage and offered him her hand in marriage. Like what the fuck? Why was this happening?

    It was one thing if he knew nothing about her. He could have just turned her down, patted his bum and left the scene without a care for the world. But having heard about the Buddhist Hall of Joy from Yi Pin, having the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy addressing the woman as Bodhisattva, and having felt her vast and unfathomable aura, he would have to aplete idiot not to realize who was standing in front of him.

    It was precisely because he didn¡¯t want to insult one of the most influential figures of Bei You that he came up with various excuses and tried to let her down gently again and again. This way, both of them would be able to walk away with their dignity intact. However, his attempts failed miserably because the woman just would not get the hint. He couldn¡¯t even tell if she was ying him or actually serious because religion could do things to a person¡¯s head, and that was doubly true for those who held a high position.

    Just how was he going to get out of this situation?

    <i>Someone help me!</i>

    Trantor¡¯s Note: I know this scene is meant to be hrious, but imagine that your president, prime minister or whatever suddenly walked up to you and asked you to be his husband on TV. And you know that you might wake up with a bullet the next day if you say no.

    The MC curse truly has no mercy for MCs.

    1. I wanted to copy paste and English definition from Wikipedia but realized they are more focused on the other definitions of ¾ÓÊ¿. In Chinese, it basically means cultivators (real life). Those who study and practice the ways of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism etc. ?

    2. Based on the belief that sex should only happen after marriage. ?

 Chapter 534: God Sealing Curse

    <h4>Chapter 534: God Sealing Curse </h4>

    ¡°I can wait,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied simply.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Why are you so obsessed with me, girl? Exactly what do you like about me? I can change!</i>[1]

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to study the way of ultimate bliss with me, don¡¯t you?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked after waiting for a couple of seconds and receiving no response from Ye Qing.

    ¡°You misunderstand, householder. I just...¡±

    Ye Qing struggled for a moment before giving up with a sigh. ¡°It seems that you want me to speak inly. Very well. Yes, I don¡¯t wish to be together with you¡ª¡±

    Before the crowd¡¯s gaze could burn Ye Qing into a crisp, he continued, ¡°¡ªbecause I¡¯m gay.¡±

    The world fell deathly silent, and for a moment, the crowd¡¯s fury was reced by utter shock and speechlessness. Yi Pin and the old man spat out their wine at each other¡¯s faces, but neither man seemed to notice at all.

    Ye Qing felt much better seeing the stupid expressions on everyone¡¯s faces. <i>How does my ultimate feel? You¡¯re the ones who forced me to do this! Don¡¯t me me if it¡¯s not to your liking!</i>

    Joy Bodhisattva didn¡¯t say anything. She simply watched him quietly with pure, untainted eyes.

    Normally, it was any man¡¯s pleasure to be watched so intently by a beautiful woman. However, every hair on Ye Qing¡¯s body was standing on end. It was because he felt like Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s eyes contained some sort of power thatid bare all of his excuses and pretenses.

    ¡°Pftt.¡±

    Just when Ye Qing felt like squirming under her gaze, Joy Bodhisattva abruptly broke into a smile. At that moment, it felt like a million flowers were blooming, and no color existed in the world except her.

    Her smile was so beautiful that even Ye Qing was temporarily dazed by it. However, he quickly suppressed the unwanted twinge of emotion and regained his cool.

    ¡°You truly are an amazing person, benefactor. If one day you changed your mind, or if you suddenly grew fond of women one day, do know that my doors will always be open to you,¡± Joy Bodhisattva said smilingly.

    With that said, she gave the old man and Yi Pin a nod before walking away.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose. It was clear that Joy Bodhisattva had seen through him. Or rather, she had been feigning ignorance and ying him from the start.

    Then again, he should¡¯ve known better. Joy Bodhisattva was the head of the Buddhist Hall of Joy and a titan that upied one corner of Bei You. If she was a foolish, innocent woman who couldn¡¯t understand something as simple as an excuse, then she would be a footnote in history a long time ago.

    The fact that he was yed left him feeling a little disgruntled, but his relief far outweighed that emotion. It felt good not to be at the center of everyone¡¯s ire.

    As Joy Bodhisattva was turning around and leaving, a muscle in Ye Qing¡¯s forehead suddenly twitched once. nching, he cried out, ¡°Watch out!¡±

    It was toote. By the time he said the word ¡°Watch¡±, several people had already dashed out of the crowd and charged toward Joy Bodhisattva.

    The ambush was so sudden that even Ye Qing hadn¡¯t noticed it until thest moment, but Joy Bodhisattva seemed to have anticipated it. She waved her arm, and white lotuses apanied by celestial music began falling from the sky.

    A mini Bodhisattva who was sitting or lying down on each lotus. Each Bodhisattva was wearing a different outfit, making a different pose, and wearing a different expression, but they were undoubtedly all Joy Bodhisattva herself.

    There was a Buddhist quote that went something like this: A Bodhisattva possesses many forms equal to the number of sand in an eternal river; innumerable and uncountable.

    Innumerable white lotuses and Bodhisattvas descended from the sky to enlighten the world. As soon as the nine ambushers made contact with them, they soundlessly exploded into showers of blood and gore.

    The blend of white lotuses and red gore; pure white and bright scarlet were beautiful beyond words.

    The ambushers were dead, but Joy Bodhisattva frowned for the first time since she revealed herself. Ye Qing was frowning as well.

    The reason was simple. The crisis wasn¡¯t over yet. Or rather, it was just beginning.

    It was at this moment the flesh and blood still floating in the air abruptly joined together to form nine bloody chains covered in unknown, evil-looking runes. Blood was dripping off the chains like a mini rain, but it disappeared almost as soon as it left the chains. A thick blood stench permeated the area in no time at all.

    The next moment, the nine bloody chains surged toward Joy Bodhisattva from every direction. Sensing danger, she furrowed her brow in concentration, pressed her palms together, and caused the Bodhisattvas sitting or lying on the white lotuses to fly into the air. They joined together and formed a Kingdom of Buddha in just the blink of an eye.

    The nine bloody chains werepletely unaffected by the power, however. They passed right through the Kingdom of Buddha and the Bodhisattvas almost as if they didn¡¯t exist and wrapped around Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s body before she could do anything else.

    One end of the chains kept Joy Bodhisattva firmly trapped, while the other end spread out in nine different directions and slipped into the underground. It looked like an array of sorts.

    At the center of the array, Joy Bodhisattva couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Her eyes were also zed over as if she had lost consciousness.

    The Kingdom of Buddha, the Bodhisattvas and the white lotuses disappeared at the same time.

    ¡°The God Sealing Curse? Watch out!¡±

    Yi Pin turned a little pale when he recognized the bloody chains wrapped around Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s body. He quickly grabbed his new pal¡¯s arm and looked like he might dash away at first notice.

    Ye Qing was trying to figure out why Yi Pin was warning him when suddenly, he sensed something and sidestepped to the right. Not a moment too soon, a chain burst out of the ground next to him and attempted to bind him like a snake.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows knitted as he flicked a finger in the chain¡¯s directions. It immediately shattered into pieces and evaporated into a cloud of blood vapor.

    A pair of chains had burst out of the ground next to Yi Pin and the old man as well. However, the old man calmly smacked his smoking pipe on the chains and shattered them into vapor.

    They weren¡¯t the only ones who were attacked by the chains. The same thing was happening everywhere. The red chains sprouted out of the earth like vines and ripped through the mass of bodies like nothing. Some people were skewered like satay, some were wrapped as tightly as a zongzi, some were strangled to death and more.

    At least dozens of people were sucked dry and turned into a dry husk as soon as they made contact with the chains. Just a momentter, only a handful of people were still alive.

    These people were still alive and struggling because they were stronger than most, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before they followed in their brethren¡¯s footsteps. Having consumed so much flesh and blood, the chains¡¯ colors were deepening, and its runes growing increasingly mysterious by the second. At the same time, strange arrange lines were beginning to manifest around Joy Bodhisattva.

    ¡°What is going on, brother?¡± Ye Qing asked while shattering a few bloody chains that were slithering toward him. As the number of survivors decreased, the bloody chains attacking him, Yi Pin and the old man steadily grew in numbers.

    ¡°It¡¯s the God Sealing Curse. Someone¡¯s trying to assassinate Joy Bodhisattva,¡± Yi Pin answered from behind the old man. ¡°We need to leave. These chains wouldn¡¯t stop attacking us otherwise.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. The ones behind these chains are here.¡± The old man inhaled a deep puff of smoke before exhaling it all. The smoke quickly transformed into various birds and mmed into the chains in the sky, snapping them all into bits and turning them into bloody vapor. However, the chains simply reformed a secondter.

    As soon as the old man said this, three people stepped out of a shadowy alley. The chains avoided them as if they had a mind of their own.

    They were two men and one woman. One of the men was in his forties and carried five swords on his back. His sword qi felt cold and biting, and his aura felt very powerful.

    The other guy was a monk with an ugly face and a muscr body. His upper body was bare, and there were naked women tattoos on his body.

    The woman was in her thirties and wearing the exact same attire as Joy Bodhisattva. However, her appearance was far closer to that of a subus than a holy woman, and she oozed sexiness instead of nobility. She could probably steal a man¡¯s heart with a single look.

    ¡°It¡¯s the arhat and the protector!¡±

    ¡°Please save us!¡±

    The few Buddhist Hall of Joy disciples who were still hanging on looked burst out in joy and relief when they saw the monk and the woman. They hurriedly made a beeline toward them.

    As soon as they came within a certain range, the monk let out a savageugh and thrust his palm in the disciples¡¯ direction. They froze for an instant before their heads exploded into pieces.

    1. Heh. ?

 Chapter 535: If I Must Interfere?

    <h4>Chapter 535: If I Must Interfere? </h4>

    ¡°Arhat... you...¡±

    A lucky disciple who happened to be standing farther away from the group stared at the monk and the woman in wide-eyed disbelief. They were the Joy Arhat and Lampholding Protector of the Buddhist Hall of Joy, but they were ughtering their own instead of saving them.

    <i>Aren¡¯t they here to save the Bodhisattva?</i>

    <i>If not, then...</i>

    The disciple felt chilled to the very core of his soul.

    ¡°I am freeing them from the sea of bitterness and delivering them to bliss.¡±

    The Joy Arhat smiled, but it was a smile that resembled a demon¡¯s. ¡°To be one with bliss is to attain eternal life, no?¡±

    The woman¡ªthe Lampholding Protector¡ªdidn¡¯t wait for the monk to finish his sentence. She abruptly appeared behind the disciple and thrust her arm through his chest.

    <i>Pssh! Shhrek!</i>

    The disciple subconsciously looked down. There was now a gaping hole in his chest, and his heart was nowhere to be found.

    He couldn¡¯t even form his final thoughts before he copsed on the ground and perished.

    ¡°Haha... no need to be envious, benefactors. We view all life as equal, and we promise to deliver you to the Land of Bliss[1] as well.¡±

    The Lampholding Protector swept her gaze across the remaining crowd before lifting the still beating heart to her lips. Then, she licked it with an intoxicated expression.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the Buddhist Hall of Joy¡¯s arhat and the protector? What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you betraying your own Bodhisattva?¡± someone asked between gasps of exertion.

    ¡°Betray? Joy Bodhisattva is the one who betrayed the Buddha¡¯s way. We are just cleaning house,¡± the Lampholding Protector replied with a giggle.

    ¡°If you¡¯re cleaning house, then why are you getting us involved? Why are you attacking us even though we have nothing to do with the Buddhist Hall of Joy?¡± Someone demanded impotently.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that our business has nothing to do with you people,¡± the Lampholding Protector nodded in agreement, ¡°but what can we do if you appear at the wrong ce at the wrong time?¡±

    It was at this moment Master of Swords interrupted in a cold voice, ¡°Cut the bullshit and kill them already. It¡¯s on your head if someone throws a rat into our ns and screws things up.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re right, Master of Swords. Senior brother, let¡¯s take out the traitor first, shall we?¡± the Lampholding Protector giggled.

    ¡°Hehe, sure. Today is the day we eradicate the shame of our Buddha.¡± The Joy Arhat let out a sinisterugh as he stared at Joy Bodhisattva, who was still bound at the center of the array.

    ¡°Can you deal with the small fries while my senior brother and I are killing the traitor, Master of Swords?¡± The Lampholding Protector asked while ncing at Master of Swords.

    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Master of Swords replied simply.

    ¡°Scatter!¡± Someone shouted, and every man and woman began running in every direction. It was the right call, but...

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    Master of Swords snorted disdainfully before weaving lines in front of him like he was splitting heaven and earth into evenly-shaped blocks. The next moment, the escaping men and women froze in their tracks, and their heads flew away from their shoulders.

    ¡°Hmm? Who are you, senior?¡±

    Master of Swordsmented while looking in Ye Qing, Yi Pin and the old man¡¯s direction. More urately, he was looking at the old man. It was because the old man had casually shattered his sword qi with the wave of her hand. While he hadn¡¯t employed his full strength, his attack wasn¡¯t something that could be dispelled so easily. Clearly, the old man was no weakling.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his paranoia talking, but the old man also felt familiar for some reason.

    The old man smoked his pipe and chuckled. ¡°Senior? You tter me, Master of Swords.¡±

    ¡°You know me?¡± Master of Swords frowned.

    ¡°You¡¯re Master of Swords, vice leader of Endless Sand and one of the Two Masters, aren¡¯t you? Why wouldn¡¯t I recognize you?¡±

    The old man smiled. ¡°Not only that, I know that the one who cast the God Sealing Curse is none other than Master of Curses, yourpatriot. I was lucky enough to have met your leader a couple of times, you see.¡±

    ¡°Who on earth are you?¡± Master of Swords¡¯ face grew increasingly stern, and even the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector had temporarily stopped in their tracks to look at the old man.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is that the Two Masters of the so-called ¡®righteous¡¯ sect of Bei You are working together with the infamous Joy Arhat and Lampholding Protector, tsk tsk... This is something many thought they would never witness in a lifetime!¡±

    The old man tapped his smoking pipe against the sole of his shoe to clear some of the ash. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re... Ouyang De?!¡± Master of Swords finally recalled a certain memory and eximed in shock.

    ¡°Ouyang De?¡± The Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector exchanged a nce with each other. ¡°You¡¯re the ¡®Strange Warrior¡¯ Ouyang De?!¡±

    ¡°I have no idea that people still remember me! I feel very honored!¡± Ouyang De chuckled.

    ¡°It is an honor to meet you as well, senior Ouyang. I hope you¡¯ll forgive me for my earlier transgression!¡± replied Master of Swords with a salute.

    That was what he said, but Master of Swords didn¡¯t look apologetic in the slightest. There were three Grandmasters in Bei You, and they were the head of the Yellow Dragon Brigand, Huang Tianba; the head of the Endless Sand, Xiong Kuohai, and finally, the ¡®Strange Warrior¡¯ Ouyang De. In fact, Ouyang De was the strongest of the trio.

    Despite this, Master of Swords wasn¡¯t too afraid of Ouyang De. He might be the strongest Grandmaster of Bei You, but he was a lone man with no powerbase under his name. There was only so much a single person could do.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that Master of Swords was willing to antagonize Ouyang De. Not even Endless Sand was willing to make an enemy out of a Grandmaster, much less him.

    ¡°One who errs unknowingly need not be held responsible. I forgive you.¡± Ouyang De waved uncaringly.

    ¡°This junior appreciates your generosity, senior.¡± Master of Swords saluted him again. ¡°If there is nothing else, I humbly request you to take your leave, senior. This junior will make up for his mistake with a proper apologyter.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, that I cannot do.¡± Ouyang De shook his head.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The Joy Arhat interrupted with an unfriendly frown on his face.

    ¡°My meaning is very simple. Can you give me face and abandon your mission, just for today?¡± Ouyang De asked.

    Master of Swords was frowning as well. ¡°Joy Bodhisattva is a monster who hasmitted many crimes and tempt countless off the straight and narrow. As a fellow believer of the right and good, shouldn¡¯t you work with us to eliminate her vile influence on society? Why are you helping her?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Come now. You may be able to fool some children who just entered the <i>jianghu </i>with your passionate speech, but I¡¯ve eaten more salt than you have rice, and walked more bridges than you have roads, so please, save it.¡±

    ¡°If Endless Sand really wishes to right what is wrong, you wouldn¡¯t be working with the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector, both notorious viins of the Buddhist Hall of Joy, and you definitely wouldn¡¯t ughter innocents whose only error is to appear at the wrong ce at the wrong time.¡±

    Ouyang De beamed at the trio. ¡°Also, please never call me a believer of the right and good again unless your goal is to curse me. Everyone knows that no good deed goes unpunished, and good people even more so, and I do not believe I am anywhere strong enough to carry such a title.¡±

    ¡°The Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector have chosen to return to the light, and the redeemed deserve a second chance. On the other hand, these people are clearly bewitched by that demoness. It only makes sense to y them all before they could spread her foul influence.¡±

    Master of Swords made one more attempt to change Ouyang De¡¯s mind. ¡°I will not force you to cooperate with us and y that demoness, but please don¡¯t interfere with our business either.¡±

    The Lampholding Protector chanted, ¡°My Buddha is merciful. This is an internal matter, senior. A lofty, independent warrior like you shouldn¡¯t get involved with the likes of us. You wouldn¡¯t want to be caught in a quagmire of trouble, would you?¡±

    ¡°And if I must interfere?¡± Ouyang De smiled.

    Master of Swords uttered coldly, ¡°If you must take the side of that demoness, then you will be an enemy of Endless Sand. Is that what you wish, senior?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Ouyang Den slowly filled his pipe with fresh powder and ignited it. Two deep and satisfying puffster, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The one thing I don¡¯t fear in life is threats.¡±

    ¡°Is that your decision, senior?¡± Master of Swords slowly gripped one of the swords hanging on his back and gathered his energy. It felt like a cyclone was taking form right before their eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to. Swim long in the <i>jianghu </i>long enough, and it¡¯s only a matter of time before you get pulled into muddy waters!¡± Ouyang De replied without a care for Master of Swords¡¯ threat whatsoever.

    ¡°We gave you a choice, old man! You¡¯re the one who spurned it!¡±

    The Joy Arhat roared and grew a full meter tall in an instant. His muscles rippled like waves, and his vigor ballooned as heunched a palm strike at Ouyang De.

    1. Sukhavati (IAST: Sukh¨¡vat¨©; "Blissful") is the purend of Amit¨¡bha in Mahayana Buddhism. It is also called the Land of Bliss or Western Pure Land and is the most well-known of Buddhist purends due to the poprity of Pure Land Buddhism in East Asia. ?

 Chapter 536: Five Virtue Sword of Star Deities

    <h4>Chapter 536: Five Virtue Sword of Star Deities </h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The air within several meters of thebatantspressed and exploded with a boom, but Ouyang De didn¡¯t panic. While the Joy Arhat¡¯s palm was making its way toward him, he thrust his smoking pipe forward, pierced through theyers of palm force, and tapped it on the Joy Arhat¡¯s wrist.

    There was an old saying called, ¡°Four taels can move five hundred kilograms.¡± Weak strength could surpass greater strength if it was applied properly. With a simple flick and push, Ouyang De was able to stagger the Joy Arhat and caused his palm strike to sail harmlessly past his side. As they were brushing past each other, he then reversed his grip and smacked the monk on the back of his head.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The Joy Arhat hit the ground at the speed of lightning. It was such an impact that he left a deep pit on the ground.

    While Ouyang De was repelling the Joy Arhat, a smooth, slender finger pointed at the center of his forehead. The finger looked a good distance away from its target, but was it? Was it not right in front of its target? Not only that, it looked like it existed in both reality and unreality at the same time. So long as its owner willed it, it could be anything and everything.

    <i>¡°Finger of Whims and Wishes¡±</i>

    At the same time, Master of Swords¡¯ aura had reached its peak. When he swung his sword, a fiery ze hot enough to burn heaven and earth burst into existence, and a fearsome-looking god manifested in the sky. It had three heads and six arms, and it wielded a bow, arrows, two swords and a fire cbash. It was also wearing a golden helm and a golden armor.

    Standing in the middle of the inferno, the god looked as imposing as hell and as ubiquitous as the sea. The next moment, the god executed a cross sh andunched a dragon of pure fire at Ouyang De.

    <i>¡°Sword of the Fire Virtue of the South¡±</i>

    Ouyang De looked like an ant before the god and its fire dragon, but he wasn¡¯t afraid in the slightest. He brought his smoking pipe to his mouth and took a puff, and both entities suddenly lost their cohesion and began shrinking rapidly. Before Master of Swords could do anything, both the god and the fire dragon were sucked into the smoking pipe.

    Whoever said that a smoking pipe could not hold a world, much less a god?

    The next moment, Ouyang De exhaled and spat fire from his smoking pipe. The mes scattered into countless birds and mmed into the slender finger still sailing toward him.

    The Lampholding Protector was exposed as the finger surrounding her dissolved inch by inch. Her face was white with terror as she backpedaled as quickly as her feet would allow.

    A short distance away from her, Master of Swords was forced to back away by the swarm of ming birds as well. He was wearing a severe expression on his face.

    He was a Half-Step Grandmaster, which meant that he was only half a step away from attaining the Grandmaster stage. Besides that, he cultivated the ¡°Five Virtue Sword of Star Deities¡±, a powerful and famous martial art in ancient times.

    In Taoism, there were five star gods known as the Five Virtues or the Five True Lords. They were the Wood Virtue of the East ¡°Hua Xing¡±, the Fire Virtue of the South ¡°Ying Huo¡±, the Metal Virtue of the West ¡°Tai Bai¡±, the Water Virtue of the North ¡°Ci Chen¡±, and the Earth Virtue of the Center ¡°Di Hou¡±.

    Each Virtue wielded a supreme sword, and each sword possessed incredible power. They could even manifest a shadow of the Five Virtues to assist its wielder, each with their own unique qualities.

    The Sword of the Wood Virtue of the East possessed the power of life and could revive and revitalize all living things,

    The Sword of the Fire Virtue of the South possessed the power of destruction and could burn all into ash,

    The Sword of the Metal Virtue of the West possessed the power of killing and could y any foe,

    The Sword of the Water Virtue of the East possessed the power of winter and could turn everything into ice,

    And finally, the Sword of the Earth Virtue of the Center possessed the power of thick virtue and could protect anything and everything.

    Once, Master of Swords had used the ¡°Five Virtue Sword of Star Deities¡± to defeat a recently ascended Grandmaster. Although he didn¡¯t y his opponent, the fact that he defeated him fair and square earned him the title ¡°Master of Swords¡± and the eleventh ce on the Human Champions Ranking.

    Although Ouyang De was the strongest Grandmaster in Bei You, he was only ranked ny-eighth on the Earth Champions Ranking. That was why he naively thought that the power gap between them wasn¡¯t too big. Even if he couldn¡¯t defeat the man, he was sure that the three of them together could go toe to toe against the Grandmaster.

    Then, reality pped him in the face. In just one exchange, Ouyang De had dealt all three of them a serious blow. Not only that, it was clear that the old man hadn¡¯t employed his full strength.

    Just how strong was Ouyang De?

    They couldn¡¯t back down, however. If they missed this opportunity, and Joy Bodhisattva survived to fight another day, then it would be that much harder for them to eliminate her in the future. Endless Sand¡¯s ns to eliminate the Buddhist Hall of Joy and im its rightful ce as the king of Bei You would also fall into tatters.

    Worse still, Joy Bodhisattva would surely transform into their bitterest enemy. Although their factions had never been on the best of terms, the worst they ever did was to back bite and duke it out behind the scenes. They had never shed against each other in public, much less assassinated the other¡¯s leader in broad daylight. If Joy Bodhisattva died, then all was well. If not, then this would turn into a full-blown war.

    Endless Sand would probably win by virtue of being the bigger and stronger faction, but Joy Bodhisattva would make them pay every step of the way. In the end, no one woulde out on top.

    That was why Joy Bodhisattva must die today.

    Master of Swords came to a decision after some quick thinking. He ordered, ¡°Dy Ouyang De as best you can. I¡¯ll kill Joy Bodhisattva in the meantime.¡±

    If Joy Bodhisattva dies, then their grand n would seed. Ouyang De could be a living god, and he still wouldn¡¯t be able to change anything. The power of one only extended so far.

    The Lampholding Protector and the Joy Arhat understood the seriousness of the situation, of course. They had colluded with Endless Sand to murder their own leader, and Joy Bodhisattva had killed for far less. If she lived, they would die. It was as simple as that.

    The two traitors charged toward Ouyang De without hesitation. At the same time, Master of Swords charged toward Joy Bodhisattva at the speed of lightning.

    Seeing this, Ouyang De inhaled until his stomach was bulging before exhaling it all at once. Countless sparks flew out of his smoking pipe like stars.

    The Joy Arhat let out an angry roar, raised his massive fist, and scattered the sea of sparks with a single punch. However, the sparks also burned his flesh and left many ck patches on his body.

    The Lampholding Protector also pointed another finger at Ouyang De and summoned countless semi-transparent fingers into existence. Each finger would halt a spark in its tracks before flicking it away.

    They had just finished dealing with the sea of sparks when they realized that Ouyang De was standing between the two of them. Stunned, the two betrayers subconsciously attacked the old man.

    Ouyang De let out a strange cackle and blocked their attacks with both hands. Then, another pair of hands reached out of his sleeves and pped them in the chest.

    ¡°Can you guess how many hands I have?¡±

    Ouyang De grinned savagely as another two pairs of hands reached out of his cor and his chest and pped the absolute shit out of the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector. Their cheeks swelled like balloons, and their vision was filled with stars. Not done yet, Ouyang lunged forward from an angle that defiedmon sense, grabbed their shoulders, and tossed them over and behind him.

    As the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector were still paralyzed, they were unable to arrest their momentum. Then, a series of firecracker-like pops erupted inside their body.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The two betrayers threw up blood and turned deathly pale at the same time.

    This was Ouyang De¡¯s signature martial art, ¡°Grinning Fist and Impossible Move¡±. The reason the martial art was named this way was because its practitioner used grins to control his force, and its techniques were as unusual as they were unpredictable. Take the way Ouyang De had suppressed the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector just now. Who could anticipate that he would suddenly grow multiple pairs of hands? Surprising enemies with literally impossible techniques and hitting them where their guard was weakest was the epitome of ¡°Grinning Fist and Impossible Move¡±.

    Ouyang De mainly got his moniker due to his unorthodox, unpredictable, and ridiculous behavior, but his signature martial art was also a major part in it.

    Ye Qing and Yi Pin were trying to sneak away from the battlefield when the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protectornded right in front of them. Then, they heard Ouyang De¡¯s voice from afar, ¡°Please handle them while I take care of Master of Swords, young one.¡±

    <i>You sonuvabitch!</i>

    Ye Qing and Yi Pin were speechless to say the least. If Ouyang De wasn¡¯t a Grandmaster who could kick their butts, they would be swearing at full volume already.

    When Master of Swords, the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector appeared, Ye Qing and Yi Pin figured out instantly that this was a sh between two of the biggest forces of Bei You. Neither man had any intention of getting involved in this, which was why they had pretended to be blind and deaf and kept a low profile this whole time. While the trio were fighting against Ouyang De, they immediately saw their opportunity and tried to sneak away as quietly as they were able.

    At first, things went exactly as they had nned. Neitherbatant seemed to have noticed their actions, and they were seconds away from rounding a corner and hopping away like a rabbit.

    Then, the son of a <i>bitch </i>threw the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector over and cut off their path of escape. As a result, any chance they had at escaping this battlefield unscathed had evaporated into thin air.

    ¡°Ahem. Would you believe me if I told you that we were just passing through?¡± Ye Qing tried while watching at the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector warily.

    ¡°Deal with them, senior brother. I¡¯m going to help Master of Swords.¡±

    The Lampholding Protector leaped into the air and dashed toward Master of Swords and Ouyang De¡¯s battlefield.

    The Joy Arhat grunted in agreement and struck the ground with his palm. As it copsed, he leaped into the air and swung his right arm at Ye Qing and Yi Pin like a hammer.

 Chapter 537: Blissful Red Dust

    Chapter 537: Blissful Red Dust

    <em>Boom!</em>

    A deafening boom and a terrible shockwave washed over the area. The explosion was such that an entire chunk of the earth was flung into the air.

    ¡°What the¡­? Did he really need to go that far to kill two small fries?¡±

    The Lampholding Protector was still making her way toward Ouyang De and Master of Swords when the ungodly explosion caused her to flinch a little. She subconsciously looked in the direction of the explosion and saw a single man flying out of the smoke and carving a deep gorge on the ground.

    When her brain clicked, the Lampholding Protector eximed in shock and disbelief, ¡°Senior brother?!¡±

    The person lying on the ground wasn¡¯t either one of the small fries. It was the one person she did not expect to see, the Joy Arhat. There was also a clear fist imprint on his chest.

    Another silhouette slowly stepped out of the smoke. His face was etched with frustration and resignation. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

    When the Joy Arhat saw Ye Qing, he climbed to his feet, let out a furious roar, and charged Ye Qing once more. At this, the young man could only sigh deeply.

    ¡°Why must you force my hand?¡±He was just a small fry, so why must he endure the attention of these big shots time and again?

    When the Joy Arhat got close, Ye Qing sidestepped away from a punch that was aimed at his head and took one step forward. His shoulder mmed hard into the monk¡¯s chest and sent him tumbling across the ground like a tumbleweed.

    The Lampholding Protector changed her mind and appeared behind the Joyful Arhat instead. She used both hands to neutralize the force affecting her senior brother and arrested his momentum with some effort. Then, she blocked the enraged Joy Arhat with a raised hand and watched Ye Qing warily, asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°That line again? Are you people going to say that every time you run into an unexpected obstacle?¡±

    Ye Qing sighed, but he wasn¡¯t referring to the duo specifically. Since he came to Bei You, nearly every foe who tried to push him only to be pushed back hard had asked that exact same question, and for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t understand why. Did they think it would save them from a beating or something?

    Sure, it was partially because he was pretending to be Small Fry A, bute the fuck on!

    ¡°I told you I was just passing through.¡± Ye Qing shrugged helplessly. ¡°But you guys just couldn¡¯t catch a hint.¡±

    The Lampholding Protector couldn¡¯t say anything against that because it was true. A few secondster, she sped her hands in salute and apologized, ¡°We see that now, and we apologize for our mistake. If you don¡¯t mind, please evacuate the scene and leave us to our business. We promise to give you a proper apology when all is said and done.¡±

    Although the young man felt like ate-stage Spirit Purifier, the fact he could sent the Joy Arhat flying with his shoulder proved that his physical strength was at least equal to a body-temperingte-stage Spirit Master, if not more.

    She and the Joy Arhat were onlyte-stage Spirit Masters, and while they could probably kill the young man if they worked together, there was no way they could finish the battle in time for them to reinforce Master of Swords. That was how most battles against a body-tempering Spirit Master with a strong and vigorous body went, not to mention that they were injured right now.

    Ouyang De¡¯s ¡°Grinning Fist and Impossible Move¡± looked weak and harmless on the surface, but it had injured them both to a certain extent. That was why she was attempting to reach an amicable resolution with Ye Qing right now. Once Joy Bodhisattva was dead, they had all the time in the world to settle other matters.

    ¡°I wanted to leave earlier, but you refused to let me go¡­¡± Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°Now? I don¡¯t feel like leaving anymore.¡±

    The Lampholding Protector¡¯s face turned grim and dark. In the end, her worst fears hade to fruition. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±

    <em>You fuckers really thought you could send me off like a dog like you didn¡¯t just try to kill me?</em>

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this either. You¡¯re the ones who forced me into this,¡± Ye Qing replied with a cold chill in his eyes. If he had a choice¡ªa real choice¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t get involved in this shitshow as a matter of course. No one knew better than him that he couldn¡¯t afford a high profile right now. Unfortunately, Ouyang De had already dragged him into this mess, and he seriously disliked the way the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector acted.

    No, he wasn¡¯t referring to the fact that the duo had tried to kill him. To be fair, Endless Sand was clearly nning to kill all witnesses, so of course they weren¡¯t going to allow them to go scot free. However, one look at the Lampholding Protector¡¯s expression, and he knew that they were going toe after him after they were done with their business. She was so bloody obvious he didn¡¯t even need to read her emotions to know that. That was how arrogant she was.

    Naturally, this displeased him greatly. He might not like to get into trouble, but he sure as hell wasn¡¯t scared of trouble. Rather than waiting for his enemies to gang up on him at ater date, he would much rather ruin their n and end their threat right now.

    <em>You fuckers want to kill Joy Bodhisattva, right? Well, that ain¡¯t happening anymore. I wonder if you¡¯ll still have the time to attack li¡¯l old me when Joy Bodhisattva hunts down the two of you like the rats you are?</em>

    Technically, this wasn¡¯t the only option he had. Since Ouyang De had screwed him over as well, he could choose to assist Master of Swords, the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector and ensure that their assassination plot was a sess. However, that would turn Ouyang De into his enemy. The trio didn¡¯t fear Ouyang De because they were backed by Endless Sand, but he was but one man.

    On top of that, Ouyang De clearly had the upper hand right now. Just how stupid would he have to be to help a bunch of losers he didn¡¯t even like?

    Of course, the biggest motivation behind his decision was the fact that his impression of Ouyang De was okay despite the fact that the old man just screwed him over. He didn¡¯t think that Ouyang De would pull an ¡°alright it¡¯s time to silence the witnesses¡± shenanigan when all was said and done. Even if he was wrong, the old man at least injured the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector before tossing them into hisp. That gesture alone was enough to sway him into joining Ouyang De¡¯s side.

    ¡°Junior sister, go help Master of Swords. I¡¯ll keep this brat busy.¡±

    ¡°Forget it. None of you are going anywhere.¡±

    <em>Thud! </em>Ye Qing suddenly vanished in a burst of sound and dust. The next moment, he appeared behind the Lampholding Protector and threw a punch.

    The punch waspletely traceless, but as soon as it made contact with the woman¡¯s back, it triggered a series of ripples. Each ripple contained an image of the Lampholding Protector, and they prevented Ye Qing¡¯s fist force from reaching her true body. In fact, the distance between them was growing by the second.

    It looked like they were standing right next to each other, when in reality the gulf between them could fill up ten thousand bodies of water and mountains.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stop me,¡± The Lampholding Protector dered with an arrogant smile on her face. Her main movement art was called the ¡°Dance of Whims and Wishes¡±. Created based on the Buddhist understanding that all things that existed and would ever exist were transient, it could turn what was real into an illusion, and what was an illusion into reality. Excellent at neutralizing forces and minimizing damage, it was how she was able to neutralize Ye Qing¡¯s punch despite the terrible weight behind it.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. If he couldn¡¯t hit her, then he wouldn¡¯t. His goal wasn¡¯t to kill his opponent anyway. It was to dy them long enough for Ouyang De to finish off Master of Swords.

    A thick fog rushed out of Ye Qing¡¯s body and enveloped everything within a hundred meters of him in the blink of an eye. The Lampholding Protector flinched immediately. It was because she had lost all perception of her surroundings including sound. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would have thought that Ye Qing had somehow teleported her to apletely different location.

    The Lampholding Protector tried to dash in what she thought was where Joy Bodhisattva was located, but she was unable to find her no matter what she tried. It was almost as if the Joy Bodhisattva had disappeared into thin air.

    Frowning, the Lampholding Protector waved her arm and tried to dispel the fog with a powerful gust of wind. She sessfully pushed back the fog for about a meter or so before it swam right back into ce.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t dy any longer,¡± the Lampholding Protector muttered under her breath. At this rate, Ouyang De was going to defeat Master of Swords and rescue Joy Bodhisattva, or Joy Bodhisattva herself was going to break out of her confinement. If either worst case scenario happened, they would all die.

    Having made up her mind, an oilmp slowly emerged from the Lampholding Protector¡¯s head and rose higher. It was exquisitely crafted and adorned with a painting of nine naked women. The Lampholgind Protector then slowly raised her arms and maintained the pose like she was pretending to be a lighthouse.

    A tiny light burned within the oilmp, but within that light was a world of its own. Inside the light, countless male and female bodies were entangled with each other like a scene from the blissful Kingdom of Buddha.

    When the oilmp had risen about halfway into the sky, a seductive woman abruptly appeared in the air, held the oilmp in her hands, and blew.

    A wisp ofmpfire shot out of the oilmp, and the surrounding fog abruptly transformed into a raging inferno.

    The inferno wasn¡¯t just all mes. Naked celestials and Bodhisattvas were dancing amidst the mes while the sounds of sex filled the ears. It was an unusual, fiery sexual fantasy few could dream of.

    The Lampholding Protector¡¯s main cultivation art was called the ¡°Blissful Rebirth Sutra¡±, and her Yin God was none other than the oilmp she released earlier. Themp was called the Blissful Lamp and why she was granted the title ¡°Lampholding Protector¡±.

    The technique she just executed was a Magia in the ¡°Blissful Rebirth Sutra¡± named the ¡°Blissful Red Dust¡±. When the Blissful Lamp appeared, it would manifest a facade of the red dust and the blissful Kingdom of Buddha. It would convert all of humanity into Buddhism.

 Chapter 538: The Purple Sun Overwhelms Bliss

    Chapter 538: The Purple Sun Overwhelms Bliss

    In just the blink of an eye, the ze consumed the surrounding fog and transformed it into the blissful Kingdom of Buddha. Even with Ye Qing¡¯s strength of spirit, his desires were inmed, and his mind swayed by the unnatural power.

    For a moment, his soul felt like it would be sucked into the female celestials dancing in the sky. Then, the demonic lotus entrenched inside his headspace absorbed all of his lust and cleared his mind.

    ¡°I have my own fire. Let¡¯s see if yourmpfire is greater than my Purple Sun Trueme!¡±

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and exhaled a jet of purple me. If the Lampholding Protector¡¯smpfire was beautiful, dreamlike, and seductive, then the Purple Sun Trueme was powerful, ferocious, and indomitable.

    As soon as the Purple Sun Trueme appeared, it was like the morning sun was rising from the east.

    The bliss Kingdom of Buddha, the celestials and the Bodhisattvas¡ªthey all burned into ash in an instant.

    The nine women etched on the surface of the oilmp immediately began screaming at the top of their lungs. The people inside thempfire perished, and the world itself was falling apart.

    The destruction was too much. Cracks appeared all over the oilmp¡¯s surface, and a muffled groan escaped the Lampholding Protector¡¯s lips. Her face looked terribly pale, and bright red blood poured out of her orifices freely. The next moment, the oilmp dissolved into a beam of light and entered the Lampholding Protector¡¯s head.

    At first, her eyes widened as if she couldn¡¯t believe that this was happening. Then, she began clutching her head with both hands and screaming at the top of her lungs. Purple mes could be seen leaking out of her eyes, ears, nose and mouth.The Lampholding Protector fell still a few breathster. She was still alive, but she might as well be dead considering her current state.

    ¡°The Purple Sun Trueme?¡±

    ¡°The Purple Sun Trueme!¡±

    On the other side of the battlefield, both Master of Swords and Ouyang De could clearly see flickers of purple in the sky and feel the Purple Sun Trueme¡¯s terrifying heat.

    ¡°What an unlucky child,¡± Ouyang De muttered under his breath. Although they were enemies, he couldn¡¯t help but empathize with the Lampholding Protector.

    The Lampholding Protector¡¯s ¡°Blissful Rebirth Sutra¡± was a mental illusion art rooted in her Yin God, the Blissful Lamp. Combined with her Dance of Whims and Wishes, it could be used to bewitch the minds of her foes or a distraction tool if the opposition proved too much for her. It was such a powerful cultivation art that it made her nigh invincible against most enemies under the Grandmaster stage.

    Unfortunately for her, the Purple Sun Trueme was one of the fiercest and most yang fires in the world. Impervious to evil and the bane of all things yin and dark, it was the perfect counter to the Lampholding Protector¡¯s ¡°Blissful Rebirth Sutra¡± as the martial art was steeped in the Dark Ways despite its Buddhist origins. Add to the fact that the Lampholding Protector was overly careless and thought that Ye Qing couldn¡¯t harm her through her ¡°Dance of Whims and Wishes¡±, she was incapacitated before she could even use a single strange Artifact.

    The Purple Sun Trueme had severely damaged her Yin God and her ¡°Blissful Rebirth Sutra¡±. She was still alive, but she would never return to her full strength unless she had a fortuitous encounter. But considering the circumstances, it would be a miracle if she lived to see the sunset.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to have a helper this strong, Ouyang De,¡± Master of Swords uttered coldly as an earth yellow sword revolved around him, its sword qi vaguely taking the form of a qilin and protecting him from harm. Not only that, the area within a hundred meters of him had transformed into an icend. This was caused by the Sword of the Water Virtue of the North.

    So far, Master of Swords had employed three swords¡ªthe Sword of the Fire Virtue of the South, the Sword of the Earth Virtue of the Center, and the Sword of the Water Virtue of the North¡ªagainst Ouyang De. The Sword of the Earth Virtue of the Center was his defense, and the other two swords his offense.

    Unfortunately, his assault hadn¡¯t yielded any fruit so far. His attacks tickled Ouyang De at best, while he was rapidly running out of strength.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting this myself,¡± Ouyang De replied honestly.

    The reason he dragged Ye Qing into this mess was because he thought that Ye Qing was one of the helpers Joy Bodhisattva hired to protect herself. And how did he arrive at this conclusion? It was due to their earlier interaction, of course. It was such a nonsensical,edic exchange that it had to be a coded conversation of some sort. There was just no way such a conversation could actually happen in real life, much less between two people who had zero connection with each other until then, right?

    He himself wasn¡¯t here by coincidence. Why would anyone in their right mind willingly stick their nose into Endless Sand and the Buddhist Hall of Joy¡¯s business? He might be weird, but he wasn¡¯t crazy. It was because he owed Joy Bodhisattva a favor, and the woman knew a long time ago that there was a brewing plot against her. It was why she secretly employed him to protect her.

    This was why he had passed the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector to Ye Qing. They were on the ¡°same¡± side after all, so why should he do all the hard work while Ye Qing sat on the sidelines?

    Besides, he could tell that Ye Qing was hiding an unknown amount of strength beneath his weak cultivation. Even if he was no match for the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector, he was sure he could stall them long enough for him to kill Master of Swords. It was the perfect n.

    He never imagined that Ye Qing would take out one of his opponents first before he could wrap up his own battle, however. This was why he adored pleasant surprises.

    ¡°Hmph. You think you¡¯ve won?¡± Master of Swords said coldly.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t we?¡±

    Ouyang De could have ended the battle already, but he did not try to rush things because the upper hand was firmly in his grasp right now. His enemy was the one who needed to kill Joy Bodhisattva as soon as possible, while he only needed to stall long enough for Joy Bodhisattva to break out of her predicament. If Master of Swords himself wasn¡¯t in a hurry, why would he?

    ¡°The Lampholding Protector has lost, and the Joy Arhat is no match for my young friend. Master of Curses can¡¯t join the battle because he needs to maintain the God Sealing Curse. As for you, you only have two swords left. This battle is over once you¡¯ve used them.¡±

    Ouyang De took a puff from his smoking pipe and dered arrogantly, ¡°If you¡¯re in my position, won¡¯t you think that you¡¯ve already won as well?¡±

    ¡°I would.¡± Master of Swords nodded in agreement. Although the ¡°Five Virtue Sword of Star Deities¡± was very powerful, it also consumed a lot of strength to use. At his current strength, five swords was his absolute limit. Once he had unleashed five swords, he would barely have enough energy to make a run for it, much less continue his fight against Ouyang De, so the old man¡¯s deduction was spot on.

    However¡­

    Master of Swords wasn¡¯t a smiling guy, but his lips slowly curled upward as he said, ¡°Your judgment is impable, but you¡¯re wrong about one thing.¡±

    The taste of smoke in Ouyang De¡¯s mouth suddenly became less delicious. ¡°And what might that be?¡±

    ¡°You will know very soon.¡± Master of Swords chuckled.

    The Half-Step Grandmaster made a sword seal with his hands, and another sword shot out of his back and into the sky. This one had an emerald green de and leaves growing out of its hilt. A deity wearing a star crown, a pair of vermillion sandals, and a long robe with green clouds and longevity cranes manifested in the sky. He was holding a jade strip in his hand and carrying a Seven Treasure Sword and a white jade pendant on his waist.

    He was the Wood Virtue of the East, ¡°Hua Xing¡±.

    An unbelievable amount of vitality spread throughout the world. Grass suddenly sprouted out of the barren ground beneath the deity, and the dead trees nearby suddenly gained new life. It was like theing of spring.

    The Wood Virtue of the East, ¡°Hua Xing¡± was the star god that governed the world¡¯s flora. Naturally, he was overflowing with life force.

    The manifestation of Hua Xing gripped his Seven Treasure Sword and swung not at Ouyang De, but at Master of Swords himself. The Half-Step Grandmaster was gging after unleashing three swords, but as soon as the emerald green sword energy entered his body, his energies immediately soared back to the peak once more.

    Not done yet, Master of Swords gripped his final sword slowly moved his hand backward and gripped his final sword. It was none other than the Sword of the Metal Virtue of the West, the sword that was said to possess the power of killing.

    As the sword slowly left its sheath, the world fell cold and silent like autumn. The fresh nts the Sword of the Wood Virtue of the East grew a moment ago instantly withered and died. It was like the reaper himself hade to im Ouyang De.

    Sensing danger from the sword, Ouyang De dropped his yful demeanor and gathered his own energies. His power gradually became thick, vast, unshakeable, and indiscernible from the world itself.

    For a moment, the duo simply stared at each other. Both men were waiting for the other person to make a move first. Then, the terse stand-off was interrupted by a sudden arrival.

    He was a young monk wearing a moon white robe. An actual moon was suspended behind his head, and his aura was warm and soothing like that of an enlightened monk. Every time he took a step, a ray of moonlight would descend from the sky and illuminate the endless facades of the red dust and the infinite variations of the blissful world.

    The monk looked like he was moving at a snail¡¯s pace, but in reality, he crossed over sixty meters of distance in just the blink of an eye. He was headed straight for Joy Bodhisattva!

    ¡°The Wisdom King of Joy?!¡±

    Ouyang De finally realized what Master of Swords meant. He thought that Master of Swords, Master of Curses, the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector were his only enemies, but he was wrong. They had a fifth he wasn¡¯t aware of, and he was the true culprit who masterminded the collusion between Endless Sand and the Buddhist Hall of Joy. The Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector were justckeys.

 Chapter 539: The Demonic Ape Crushes The Arhat

    Chapter 539: The Demonic Ape Crushes The Arhat

    The monk was called the Wisdom King of Joy, and he was the second-inmand of the Buddhist Hall of Joy and a Half-Step Grandmaster. He was the second most powerful person in the sect both in terms of status and power.

    Knowing that the situation had just taken a downward spiral, Ouyang De tried to stop the Wisdom King of Joy from approaching Joy Bodhisattva. However, Master of Swords swung his sword as soon as he twitched a muscle, and a barrage of pure white sword qi descended from the sky and formed an array around him.

    The sword qi was called the Tai Bai Hepta Metal Sword Qi. Known as the sharpest sword qi in the world bar none, killing was its bread and butter. Its mere presence alone filled the world with an air of destion and murder, chilling Ouyang De down to the very bones.

    No wonder Master of Swords was able to defeat a Grandmaster. Even Ouyang De, the strongest Grandmaster in Bei You sensed true danger from the sword qi. He had no choice but to stop in his tracks and defend himself.

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t missed the Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s arrival, of course. He immediately rushed toward the neer in an attempt to stop him.

    It was almost never a good idea to quit halfway after making a decision, and Ye Qing intended to see his through until the end. Joy Bodhisattva must survive no matter what.

    ¡°You killed my junior sister¡­ YOU KILLED MY JUNIOR SISTER! I¡¯M GOING TO KILL YOU!¡±

    Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t even taken a single step when the Joy Arhat suddenly let out a crazed howl and rushed toward him.

    At first, Ye Qing paid the Joy Arhat no attention whatsoever. Generally speaking, body-tempering warriors were clumsy and slow, and the Joy Arhat was a body-tempering warrior who relied on brute strength to overwhelm his enemies. He highly doubted that the monk would be able to catch up to his ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±.However, the brute grew bigger and bigger with each step he took. The tattoos of naked women on his body were also swaying their voluptuous bodies and moaning like they were alive. Then, the tattoos flew away from his body and danced around him, releasingyers of golden light and transforming into runes that covered every inch of the Joy Arhat¡¯s body.

    A few breathster, the Joy Arhat transformed into a ten-meter-tall Golden Arhat with three heads and six arms. Golden light circted throughout his body, and semi-transparent images of celestial women danced around him. The two heads that had sprouted beside his head, and his three right arms were female as well. It was an expression of the belief that men should appear on the left side, and women the right especially during funerals.

    In this form, the Joy Arhat¡¯s aura was no weaker than the Half-Step Grandmaster, Master of Swords.

    Yi Pin¡ªthe old man had been hiding this whole time¡ªcalled out, ¡°That¡¯s the Trailokya[1] Joy Arhat Golden Body! Be careful!¡±

    After his transformation wasplete, the Joy Arhat bent his knees a little and leaped into the sky at unbelievable speed. Such was his force that the ground within sixty meters of his feet crumbled. Once he had reached the highest point, his six arms formed a circle, and his fingers crisscrossed to form the shape of a lotus flower.

    <em>¡°Divine Palm of Trailokya¡±</em>

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The palm strike didn¡¯t even reach Ye Qing yet, and the ground within sixty meters of him abruptly exploded into a massive pit that was shaped like a lotus flower.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t falter, however. Standing as tall as a mountain, he looked up at the Joy Arhat and let out a mighty roar of his own.

    ¡°RAAAAHHHHH!!!¡±

    His body began swelling rapidly in size, and ck fur as tough as steel needles grew out of his skin. He had transformed into a demonic ape in just the blink of an eye.

    As soon as his transformation wasplete, a dark, heavy and demonic aura enveloped the world. The maverick energy shot up into the air and warped the sky itself.

    <em>¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body¡±</em>

    This was the first time he fully unleashed his Chaos Demon Ape Body after nearly entering the adept level of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±. Compared to his previous transformations, his Chaos Demon Ape Body was a lot bigger, stronger, and intimidating than before. Size and strength weren¡¯t the only things he had improved either. Every muscle was exquisitely sculpted, and even his hair possessed enough strength to stab right through a wall.

    Fueled by seemingly infinite strength, Ye Qing felt like there was nothing in the world that he couldn¡¯t crush with his bare hands. <em>So what if you have a Golden Body? I have a Chaos Demon Ape Body myself. Let¡¯s see who will remain standing when all is said and done!</em>

    As the ¡°Divine Palm of Trailokya¡± descended toward him, Ye Qing made a fist and punched up at the sky. He was now a Chaos Demon Ape, and a Chaos Demon Ape was a foolish, fearless being that would dare to give even the sun and the moon a new make-up!

    When his punch took form, the sky darkened, and it felt as if the world itself had been turned upside down. The very fabric of space was punched clean through before his fist mmed into the Joy Arhat¡¯s palm.

    <em>BOOM!</em>

    The resulting impact reminded Ye Qing of the time he traveled in the Yin Yang Gap. It sounded like two mountains crashing into one another at full speed, and the shockwaves it generated were such that even the God Sealing Curse¡¯s chains were shattered into pieces. The thunderous rumbles would spread far, far away and astound ordinary people and warriors alike

    The ground beneath Ye Qing¡¯s feet stretched inward like it was a piece of cloth before exploding into fine powder. Considering the sheer force of the impact, the reaction was all too natural.

    The Joy Arhat shot through the clouds like an arrow and vanished in the blink of an eye. Ye Qing shrank back to his human form and threw up a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Ye Qing was swaying on his feet and looking a little pale. After transforming into a Trailokya Arhat, the Joy Arhat¡¯s strength was almost equal to that of the old Chen Ah Sheng. It was inevitable he sustained some injuries after shing against him head on.

    But of course, the injury wasn¡¯t particrly serious. A single breath was all he needed to heal away most of it.

    One of the biggest advantages of a body-tempering warrior was their insane recovery speed. So long as the injury wasn¡¯t mental or fatal, they could recover from just about anything in a short time.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t rx, however. If anything, his expression looked uglier than ever. It had taken him a few breaths to send the Joy Arhat flying, and that was all the time the Wisdom King of Joy needed to reach Joy Bodhisattva and thrust a finger at her forehead.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    Ouyang De nched. Ye Qing nched.

    Ouyang De was angry at himself for being toox and careless, whereas Ye Qing was thinking how he was going to make his escape with Yi Pin.

    Master of Swords was leaning on his sword for support and panting heavily, but he wasughing triumphantly. And why wouldn¡¯t he? Despite his enemies¡¯ best efforts, they had ultimately seeded.

    Or did they?

    Right before the Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s finger would pierce through Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s forehead, the seemingly unconscious woman abruptly opened her eyes. As if time and space themselves were frozen, his finger immediately stopped dead and refused to move an inch further.

    Joy Bodhisattva watched the Wisdom King of Joy with pure, clear eyes. She said indifferently, ¡°So you¡¯re the one who betrayed me.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s face was as calm as her voice. It was almost as if she was a third party observer and not the person at the center of this assassination plot.

    ¡°It is I.¡±

    Although Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s awakening surprised the Wisdom King of Joy, he didn¡¯t look too worried. It was because she was currently bound by the God Sealing Curse, and the one who cast it was none other than the Master of Curses.

    Just like Master of Swords, Master of Curses was also a vice leader of Endless Sand and a Half-Step Grandmaster. But unlike Master of Swords, Master of Curses earned his fame not through martial power, but his slippery, indefensible curses.

    A curse caster was someone who cursed others through verbal incantations. They could cast horrifying, anomalous curses from the shadows and y their enemies without a trace.

    One of a curse caster¡¯s greatest advantage was their ability to cast a deadly curse without having to make contact with their target in any way. They could simply cast their curses from a safe ce, and rarely anyone could detect it until the curse had fully taken shape.

    Worse still, curses came in all shapes and sizes. It could range from something as minor as flu or ill luck, to a gue or natural disaster that could wipe out an entire region. It was why curses were as enigmatic as they were feared.

    Master of Curses was originally a member of the Curse Sect before he joined Endless Sand. He operated within Yan as a killer-for-hire who would do anything for money. He had cursed countless warriors to death, and even created a gue that annihted a town of tens of thousands just because he felt like it.

    A genius in the way of curses, the Master of Curses was ranked seventeenth on the Human Champions Ranking and seventy-ninth on the ck List. His crimes were so atrocious that the imperial court and the <em>jianghu</em>¡ªboth orthodox and unorthodox¡ªwanted him dead. As a result, Master of Curses had no choice but to book it and escape all the way to Chu. Not long after that, Xiong Kuohai, head of Endless Sand would recruit him into his ranks.

    After joining Endless Sand, Master of Curses kept a much lower profile and nevermitted something as atrocious as killing an entire town again. However, some of Endless Sand¡¯s enemies would asionally drop dead for seemingly no reason whatsoever since his joining. It was entirely possible that Master of Curses had a hand in it.

    Master of Curses knew many bizarre and anomalous curses, and the one he was most familiar with was the God Sealing Curse.

    1. Trailokya literally means "three worlds". It can also refer to "three spheres," "three nes of existence," and "three realms". ?

 Chapter 540: Joy Bodhisattvaâ€™s Plan

    Chapter 540: Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s n

    The God Sealing Curse was a type of blood curse. By using blood as the medium, it could shackle a target¡¯s Three Heavenly Souls and trap their Seven Earthly Souls. It should not need to be said why it was incredibly powerful.

    The nine assassins who attacked Joy Bodhisattva at the beginning were the sacrifices. No one expected them to seed, they were there just so that Joy Bodhisattva would kill them, and their blood would trigger the curses Master of Curses had nted inside them.

    After the God Sealing Curse was activated, it would spawn curse chains that attacked all living beings within a certain range and consumed their blood. The more blood it consumed, the stronger it became.

    In fact, they had purposely leaked Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s exact locations to persons of interest and lured many people over to ensure that the God Sealing Curse would not be wanting in power. That was why there were so many customers in the tea stall just now. Their only purpose was to serve as fodder for the God Sealing Curse.

    The nine assassins were expected to provide the God Sealing Curse with enough power to shackle Joy Bodhisattva for some time, but since she was a Half-Step Grandmaster¡ªone who was even stronger than the Wisdom King of Joy¡ªthey decided to have some insurance in ce.

    The Wisdom King of Joy did not believe that his leader could break free from the God Sealing Curse fast enough to save her own life. It was also why he was fearless despite the fact that Joy Bodhisattva was awake.

    As for why he didn¡¯t show up sooner, it was because one, it looked like Master of Swords, Master of Curses, the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector would be able to handle everything on their own; and two, he would be the next head of the Buddhist Hall of Joy if Joy Bodhisattva was dead. Naturally, he did not want outsiders to know that he had seeded the position only because he colluded with Endless Sand to assassinate his own leader.

    Unfortunately, Joy Bodhisattva had anticipated an attack like this and recruited Ouyang De to serve as her bodyguard. That was why he had no choice but to set foot on the battlefield himself. This would have happened even if Ye Qing wasn¡¯t present.

    ¡°Why?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked.¡°You betrayed our creed,¡± the Wisdom King of Joy replied. He was in no hurry to take her life because he could end her with a single thought at this distance. Ouyang De could literally teleport, and he still wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him.

    He was a vain man. He did not mind boasting to an enemy who would soon perish by his hands.

    ¡°You are our leader, and you worship the Buddha of Joyful Pleasure. But instead of serving our Buddha with ultimate bliss, you suppress desire with desire with the aim of ridding yourself of desirepletely. That ispletely antithetical to our belief and paints you a betrayer of our creed. Naturally, you must die for your sins.¡±

    ¡°No two paths are the exact same, and the same goes with Buddhas. But in the end, all things begin and end the same way. Be it fueling desire with desire or suppressing desire with desire, both ways are Buddha nature that will eventually merge with the one great way, so what betrayal are you talking about?¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied calmly.

    Ye Qing was surprised. Earlier, Yi Pin had exined to him the difference between the Buddha of Joy and the Buddha of Joyful Pleasure. The Buddhist Hall of Joy was an unorthodox sect that practiced the unorthodox Joyful Way of the Buddha and worshiped the Buddha of Joyful Pleasure, but it turned out that their leader, Joy Bodhisattva, was practicing the orthodox way of suppressing her desire through desire to attain enlightenment and be a Buddha.

    ¡°Buddha nature is everywhere, but how can two separate Buddha natures be one, and how can human desire ever be suppressed and extinguished? No, there is only one righteous way, and that is to indulge in our nature and be a Buddha through desire.¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy sighed with pity. ¡°I did not foresee the extent at which you have fallen¡­ However, the Buddha does not enjoy killing. If you promise to return to our fold, I can consider keeping you alive.¡±

    For a brief moment, lust and greed burned in the Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s eyes. He suddenly had a better idea. Keeping Joy Bodhisattva alive might be a better option than killing her. He knew very well that Endless Sand was only helping him so that they could turn him into a puppet leader and assume control over the Buddhist Hall of Joy, and this was not the oue he wanted. After all, what was the difference between serving under Joy Bodhisattva and Endless Sand? He would still be a servant in both scenarios.

    It was a different story if he could make Joy Bodhisattva his subordinate, however. He would be that much confident in his ability to break free from Endless Sand¡¯s control, and he could dual cultivate with her to rapidly improve his strength. And if he became a Grandmaster as a result? Hah! Endless Sand and Xiong Kuohai would trouble him no longer.

    Joy Bodhisattva saw through him in a single nce, however. ¡°You just want to use me to keep Endless Sand in check and assist you in bing a Grandmaster.¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°Stubborn fool. If you desire the Buddha that much, then you shall see him right now.¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy didn¡¯t care that Joy Bodhisattva saw through him. What he cared about was the fact that Master of Swords was within hearing range. If Xiong Kuohai hears of this, then it would be that much harder for him to enact his ns in the future. The only way he could clear his name now was to kill Joy Bodhisattva as quickly as possible.

    But would it matter? The wedge had already been driven. Xiong Kuohai would always be suspicious of him.

    Regret and frustration gripped the Wisdom King of Joy. Why hadn¡¯t he killed Joy Bodhisattva immediately? His desire to gloat at her had backfired on him, hard.

    Eyes burning with killing intent, the Wisdom King of Joy finally stopped holding back and attacked Joy Bodhisattva with the intent to kill. However, he met resistance yet again when his finger was about an inch away from her forehead.

    He thought that the reason he failed at the beginning was because Joy Bodhisattva had one final shred of resistance left in her, but what about this time? What could possibly be stopping him from killing her?

    The Wisdom King of Joy suddenly had a bad feeling about this, and his fears came true just a secondter. His eyes widened in shock and horror as the curse chains wrapped around Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s body suddenly broke off on their own, and the woman slowly rose to full height.

    Unable to maintain his lofty appearance any longer, the moon behind his head abruptly shone so bright that both heaven and earth were dyed in white. At the same time, the image of a Wisdom King manifested into existence.

    However, the moonlight stuttered for a moment, and Joy Bodhisattva abruptly appeared in front of the Wisdom King of Joy. Then, she brushed her slender fingers against his forehead.

    A ripple of invisible energy broke out, and the Wisdom King of Joy was flung back like he had suffered a huge blow. The moon behind his head abruptly shattered into pieces, his Yin God winked out of existence, and blood jetted out of his orifices and drenched his white robes in red.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a¡­!¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy couldn¡¯t care less about his injuries, however. His attention was fully absorbed by the infinite power pressing against him from all sides.

    ¡°Grandmaster?!¡±

    ¡°Grandmaster?!¡±

    Some distance away, Master of Swords and Ouyang De blurted out at the same time. However, Master of Swords¡¯ outburst was filled with fear, whereas Ouyang De¡¯s was simply filled with surprise.

    On the other hand, Ye Qing waspletely confused by the sudden turn of events, so much so that he didn¡¯t even look when the Joy Arhat finally fell down from the sky.

    <em>What the fuck is this double reverse quadruple agent</em>[1]<em> nonsense that¡¯s happening right before my eyes? If you¡¯re a Grandmaster, then just ughter all of your enemies from the get go! There¡¯s no need to make it so convoluted!</em>

    ¡°Correct. My breakthrough happened a little over a month ago.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva suddenly looked in Ye Qing¡¯s direction and raised a finger. It was such an innocent and harmless gesture, and yet the power it exuded was so terrible and all-epassing that the surrounding air froze, and the world shuddered in response. It was as if she could shatter anything and everything with one finger.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t resist, however. It was because the attack wasn¡¯t aimed at him.

    As expected, the finger suddenly appeared at the center of the Joy Arhat¡¯s forehead. The monk was trying to attack Ye Qing while he was distracted, but as soon as the finger struck flesh, his crazed expression stiffened, and his pupils contracted bit by bit. In the end, he copsed on the ground and stopped breathing forever.

    Ye Qing figured out what happened immediately. Joy Bodhisattva had wiped out his mind in a single touch.

    The woman gave Ye Qing a nod before looking back at the Wisdom King of Joy.

    1. Itsa trope. You can Google the details if you want to. ?

 Chapter 541: So?

    Chapter 541: So?

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you never told me about this¡­ which means that you must have already known that I am a traitor. Why didn¡¯t you just kill me then? Why this farce?¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy asked bitterly even as the fight left his body.

    Joy Bodhisattva shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you¡¯re the traitor. I only know that someone within the sect is colluding with outsiders to kill me. So, I decided to put myself out as bait, lure out the traitors and the outsiders, and kill two birds with one stone. That is all.¡±

    Ouyang De coughed. ¡°Ahem¡­ considering that you already have a n, and you have entered the Grandmaster stage, I¡¯m sure you could have dealt with these people yourself. Why did you even bother hiring me to be your bodyguard then?¡±

    It was clear that Ouyang De didn¡¯t know about this either, and he was feeling stupid and annoyed as a result.

    ¡°I hired you to lure out all of my enemies. Otherwise, those who truly mattered might not show themselves. Besides, I prefer to wrap up my business in one go instead of dragging it forever.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva bowed respectfully in Ouyang De¡¯s direction and said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, the Wisdom King of Joy would never have revealed himself. It is thanks to you pressuring them so much that they have no choice but to reveal their full hand. Therefore, not only is your presence necessary, you are the biggest reason that my n is a sess.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ I suppose you¡¯re right.¡±

    Ouyang De was a simple man. A good exnation and a bit of heartfelt ttery was all he needed to hear to forget the fact that he had been kept in the dark.¡°I see. You truly are wise beyond your years, Bodhisattva.¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy nodded and, to everyone¡¯s surprise, dropped to his knees and pressed his head to the floor. ¡°Merciful Bodhisattva, I was blinded by evildoers and tempted into betrayal. Can you forgive me? If you do, I swear to carry out your everymand serve you faithfully for eternity. May I fall into the infinite hells and never reincarnate if I break my promise.¡±

    ¡°Wisdom King of Joy! You spineless coward!¡± Master of Swords raged when he saw the Wisdom King of Joy submitting to Joy Bodhisattva just like that.

    Instead of answering, the Wisdom King of Joy remained exactly where he was with his arms stretched forward, and his forehead pressed against the ground. He was prostrating himself before Joy Bodhisattva like he was praying to Siddhartha Gautama himself.

    The fight was already over. He was injured, Master of Swords couldn¡¯t fight anymore, Master of Curses was most likely suffering from a rebound after the God Sealing Curse was broken, the Lampholding Protector was crippled, and the Joy Arhat was dead. On the other hand, Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s side had just gained <em>another </em>Grandmaster, namely herself. No matter how you looked at it, resistance or escape would only result in death. Therefore, begging for leniency was his only hope of surviving this.

    ¡°Do you know that there is nothing I loathe more than betrayal?¡± Joy Bodhisattva said slowly.

    ¡°I am aware that my sins deserve a thousand deaths. Still, I beg for your forgiveness, Bodhisattva,¡± The Wisdom King of Joy replied while shivering a little. He did not dare to retort or quibble considering the situation. He could only beg harder.

    Joy Bodhisattva did not say anything for a time, and the Wisdom King of Joy remained as silent as death as well. He didn¡¯t dare to say anything for fear of triggering her.

    Just when the Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s anxiety reached a new height, Joy Bodhisattva looked at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°What do you think I should do? Should I kill him, or should I forgive him?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re asking me?¡± Caught off guard, Ye Qing pointed at himself while feeling incredulous and confused at the same time.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Joy Bodhisattva nodded.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ this is your personal business, so you should decide for yourself.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and answered cautiously, ¡°Plus, I¡¯m sure you already have a n, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. I shall do as you say.¡± Joy Bodhisattva nodded.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <em>I didn¡¯t suggest anything though?!</em>

    Joy Bodhisattva suddenly lowered her hand and grabbed the Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s skull. A shudder coursed through his body, but he didn¡¯t dare to resist.

    ¡°You have betrayed me, and I don¡¯t forgive you!¡± Joy Bodhisattva began. ¡°But the Buddha is merciful, so I will give you a chance to make amends.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Bodhisattva!¡±

    His fate had gone up, and down, then up again. The Wisdom King hid a deep sigh of relief. For now, it looked like he would live a little longer.

    Joy Bodhisattva then looked at Master of Swords and said indifferently, ¡°Kill them.¡±

    ¡°... Them?¡± The Wisdom King of Joy looked in Master of Swords¡¯ direction in confusion. The Half-Step Grandmaster was just one person, so who was she referring to, exactly?

    It was at this moment a second Joy Bodhisattva appeared from afar and reached them in just the blink of an eye. When she came to a stop, they finally noticed that she was holding a man by his neck.

    The man looked old and gloomy, and his exposed skin was covered in all sorts of patterns. One look at those patterns sent a chill up everyone¡¯s spine. Right now, he looked sickly pale and listless.

    ¡°Master of Curses!¡± Ouyang De blurted while looking back and forth between the second Joy Bodhisattva and her captive.

    The second Joy Bodhisattva dumped Master of Curses beside Master of Swords. Then, she walked up to the first Joy Bodhisattva and, to everyone¡¯s astonishment, merged into her.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue in amazement. Despite his spiritual power, he was unable to tell who was the real and who was the fake, and he definitely had no idea when the second Joy Bodhisattva appeared, left, and captured Master of Curses without alerting anyone.

    ¡°Kill them, and I will let you live,¡± Joy Bodhisattvamanded.

    ¡°You dare?!¡± Master of Swords eximed in shock and horror. ¡°We¡¯re from Endless Sand!¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied calmly.

    ¡°We are the vice leaders of Endless Sand! If you kill us, our leader will hunt you to the ends of the earth!¡± Master of Swords threatened.

    ¡°So?¡± Joy Bodhisattva repeated.

    ¡°Killing us is simple, but the price for that is endless strife and even destruction! Our two sects will fight to the death, and the fisherman will hunt us both! In the end, you¡¯re the one who will bear all the consequences! So think twice before you threaten us again, Bodhisattva!¡±

    Master of Curses sneered. Despite his sorry state, he appeared to be calm, collected, and utterly fearless. It was because he did not believe for a second that Joy Bodhisattva would actually kill them.

    ¡°So?¡± But Joy Bodhisattva was unmoved. ¡°Wisdom King, kill them.¡±

    Suddenly, Master of Swords had a very bad feeling about this. He tried to threaten Joy Bodhisattva again, ¡°Are you really going to make a sworn enemy out of Endless Sand, Joy Bodhisattva?¡±

    ¡°Bodhisattva?¡± The Wisdom King of Joy himself was hesitating. He wasn¡¯t worried for Joy Bodhisattva or the Buddhist Hall of Joy, of course. No, he was worried for himself. Master of Swords and Master of Curses were no ordinary people. They were the vice leaders of Endless Sand. If he slew them, there would be no reconciliation between him and Endless Sand. Even if he had acted under coercion, they would still chase him to the ends of the earth. It would be a difficult period to say the least.

    ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t want to repent after all. In that case, I will fulfill your wish.¡± Joy Bodhisattva raised her hand emotionlessly.

    ¡°Mercy, Bodhisattva! This monk will do whatever you say!¡± The Wisdom King of Joy said hurriedly. A future of endless harassment was still better than death in the present.

    <em>Damn, she knows what she¡¯s doing.</em>

    Ye Qing sighed mentally. From now on, the Wisdom King of Joy was well and truly Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s ve. Unless a freak ident happened, he would never break free until he died.

    Not only that, Ye Qing was almost certain Endless Sand and the Buddhist Hall of Joy would not go to war with each other even after Master of Swords and Master of Curses were killed. To begin with, Endless Sand was the one at fault for trying to assassinate Joy Bodhisattva in the first ce. No one in their right mind would say that it was wrong to kill the person or faction who tried to kill you.

    Second, Joy Bodhisattva was now a Grandmaster, and the threat she posed was great indeed. Master of Swords and Master of Curses were powerful, but in the end, they were just pawns who were slightly more useful than most. The fate of a pawn was to be tossed away, and while he knew little about Xiong Kuohai, he was sure that the leader would not want to battle Joy Bodhisattva to the death over the loss of two pawns.

    As Master of Curses said himself, such a battle would only make it easy for a third party to kill both of them.

    Finally, Master of Swords and Master of Curses only held value when they were still alive. Once they were dead, well, they could not generate any more value for Endless Sand, could they? What kind of leader would risk the copse of their own empire for the sake of two worthless pawns?

    Sure, some might argue that not retaliating after such a humiliating defeat was shameful and dishonorable, but if it meant that his interests were protected as a result, then¡­ who cares?

    If the voices of opposition within Endless Sand, and Xiong Kuohai was forced to take action despite his own wishes, then Joy Bodhisattva could still toss the Wisdom King of Joy out as a scapegoat and resolve the situation peacefully. He was the one who slew Master of Swords and Master of Curses after all. Xiong Kuohai would also have the perfect excuse to brush off this incident and pretend it had never happened.

    A sliver of pity appeared on Ye Qing''s face as the Wisdom King of Joy slowly approached Master of Swords and Master of Curses.

    This was the <em>jianghu.</em>

 Chapter 542: When In The Jianghu, Do As The Jianghu Does

    Chapter 542: When In The Jianghu, Do As The Jianghu Does

    ¡°Wisdom King of Joy! You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±

    Master of Swords and Master of Curses finally panicked when they saw the Wisdom King of Joy walking toward them. ¡°You can¡¯t kill us, Bodhisattva! Our leader will hunt you down if it¡¯s thest thing he does!¡±

    ¡°Apologies, you two.¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy was unmoved by their plea. He grabbed their skulls with both hands and prepared to crush their heads into bits.

    ¡°Who dares toy their hands on the good people of Endless Sand?¡±

    It was at this moment a loud, forceful shout resounded throughout the area. As soon as it appeared, dark clouds covered the sky, and a terrific sandstorm washed over the area. It was as if the world had plunged into darkness in an instant.

    A gigantic hand reached out of the sandstorm toward the people on the ground. It felt almost as big as the sky itself, and it exuded such pressure that a lesser person would void their bowels in an instant.

    Ye Qing distinctly felt his energy stuttering like its channels were blocked, and his mind trembling violently like a leaf. He felt like an ant facing a natural disaster, and he was utterly helpless in both power and spirit to stop it.

    It wasn¡¯t just him. The Wisdom King of Joy, Master of Swords and Master of Curses were the same.Joy Bodhisattva and Ouyang De were the only ones who seemedpletely unaffected by it.

    ¡°Xiong Kuohai¡­¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva took one step forward and manifested what looked like a silhouette of herself. It shot upward until it looked as tall as the sky itself before flipping its left hand over and producing a mutton-fat jade ksa[1] on its left palm. The ksa was also carrying a vibrant green willow branch. At the same time, her right hand was making an anjali mudra[2].

    When the giant hand got close, the silhouette grabbed the willow branch and gently waved it in the hand¡¯s direction.

    For a moment, there was only silence. Then, the giant hand split into two halves.

    Not done yet, the ksa slowly floated into the air and grew bigger and bigger. Then, the sandstorm blotting out the sky condensed into a hurricane and flew into its opening.

    Sunlight and calm returned to the world, and dancing amidst the light were countless celestials and white lotuses. It looked so auspicious and peaceful it was like they were standing in the middle of a Kingdom of Buddha.

    Standing at the center of it all and carrying her ksa, Joy Bodhisattva stood barefooted on the ground but looked holier and more dignified than ever before.

    It was as the Wisdom King of Joy said earlier. Joy Bodhisattva had abandoned the way of the Buddha of Pleasure and picked the Joyful Way of the Buddha instead, suppressing desire with desire to attain a desireless state. Now, she had be a true Bodhisattva of the Buddhas.

    That was also why the Kingdom of Buddha she manifested was perfectly holy. Not a shred of evil or anomaly could be sensed anywhere.

    Everyone felt relieved when the giant hand and the sandstorm that was choking this section of the city disappeared, but Master of Swords and Master of Curses looked especially happy. Since their sect leader had arrived, there was no way Joy Bodhisattva could kill them anymore. They had survived this ordeal.

    Or did they?

    Suddenly, the Wisdom King of Joy tightened his grip. Their heads exploded, and their headless bodies copsed on the ground just like that.

    Neither Master of Swords nor Master of Curses saw thising at all, so they were dead before they knew what was happening. Even their Yin Gods were annihted before they could detach themselves from their mortal shells and escape.

    ¡°What¡­ what was I¡­?¡± The Wisdom King of Joy murmured as if he had just awoken. When he looked down and saw the headless corpses, he flinched and jumped backward with panic, confusion, and disbelief clearly etched on his face.

    ¡°You will go this far, Bodhisattva?¡±

    It was at this moment a human face took form in the sky. It looked angry, and the entire sky seemed to be shaking because of it.

    The human face belonged to Xiong Kuohai, of course, though he wasn¡¯t here in person. It was a wisp of his spirit. The real person was probably tens of kilometers away. Even so, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the man¡¯s power.

    ¡°A Trueman may lose their life, but not their dignity. They¡¯re the ones who attacked me. Naturally, they must die topensate for their crimes,¡± Joy Bodhisattva said expressionlessly. ¡°Besides, you and I are enemies. I don¡¯t believe there is such a thing as ¡®too far¡¯ between us.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can fight me just because you have be a Trueman, Bodhisattva?¡± Xiong Kuohai asked with a rumbling voice.

    Joy Bodhisattva did not give an inch. ¡°I invite you to try, Leader Xiong!¡±

    Xiong Kuohai did not say anything, though the increasingly violent disturbance in space, howling wind and dark clouds suggested that he was gathering his strength.

    In the end though, Xiong Kuohai didn¡¯t do anything. The reason was simple. At the beginning, he had attacked Joy Bodhisattva as soon as he arrived because he wanted to test her strength. Had Joy Bodhisattva fought like a newly ascended Grandmaster who was still unused to her new powers, then he would do everything in his power to kill her. He would use her death to remind everyone the consequences of upsetting Endless Sand, and he would eliminate apetitor before she could grow strong enough to challenge him.

    Bei You was only so big after all. Every newpetitor, no matter how weak, meant that his share of the pie would be smaller.

    However, Joy Bodhisattva turned out to be stronger than expected despite having be a Grandmaster just a while ago. In fact, she was stronger than some Grandmasters who had years to hone their strength. He was certain he would be able to defeat her, but it woulde at a huge cost.

    Not only that, Joy Bodhisattva was supported by Ouyang De. The old man was notoriously neutral and acted mostly based on his own whims, so it was impossible to say if he would assist her or not. If he did, then attacking Joy Bodhisattva could turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life.

    ¡°I admit that my men are in the wrong. I had no idea they were plotting to assassinate you until just now. Their crimes are severe, and their deaths deserved.¡±

    Xiong Kuohai fell silent for a moment before adding, ¡°However, Endless Sand¡¯s honor must remain intact!¡±

    Xiong Kuohaipromised. Although Master of Swords and Master of Curses¡¯ death wounded him¡ªthey were his left and right hand and extremely powerful warriors in their own right after all¡ªthey were already dead. It just did not make sense to go to war against Joy Bodhisattva and risk everything over two dead men.

    However, he couldn¡¯t just back off without any retaliation either. If the word spread, then both him and Endless Sand would be theughingstock of the <em>jianghu </em>for many years toe. Therefore, he needed an out. He needed Joy Bodhisattva to lend him a flight of stairs to get off this stage he had put himself on.

    He was sure Joy Bodhisattva would understand his meaning.

    ¡°What do you want, Leader Xiong?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked.

    ¡°A life for a life,¡± Xiong Kuohai replied.

    ¡°And who might this person be, Leader Xiong?¡±

    ¡°I want him.¡± Xiong Kuohai abruptly looked at the Wisdom King of Joy. ¡°He¡¯s the one who killed my vice leaders. Naturally, he should pay for his crimes.¡±

    The Wisdom King of Joy turned as white as a sheet. He hurriedly turned to Joy Bodhisattva and cried, ¡°Save me, Bodhisattva! Please!¡±

    Unfortunately, Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s response was, ¡°It¡¯s only right to pay for what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°Bodhisattva!¡± The Wisdom King of Joy eximed in shock and horror. He could not believe that Joy Bodhisattva would betray him without a second thought. ¡°It was you who¡ª!¡±

    Before he could finish, a shudder suddenly coursed through his body, and his pupils began dting bit by bit. Then, he copsed on the ground with shock, horror, reluctance, and fear forever frozen on his face.

    Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought told him that the Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s soul had crumbled, and his mind extinguished in an instant. He was so dead not even a god could save him, and the one who did it was clearly Joy Bodhisattva.

    Ye Qing had anticipated that the Wisdom King of Joy would be turned into a scapegoat, but it still surprised him when it actually happened.

    What amentable yet deserved fate it was.

    Perhaps his fate was sealed from the moment he chose to betray Joy Bodhisattva.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now, Leader Xiong?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked. She never even looked at the Wisdom King of Joy.

    ¡°I am. You truly are wise beyond your years,¡± Xiong Kuohai said. ¡°I have other businesses to attend to, so this is where I take my leave. Please do not hesitate to pay me a visit at Endless Sand when you are free, Bodhisattva. And you as well, senior Ouyang.¡±

    Both Joy Bodhisattva and Ouyang De nodded. The next moment, a gust of wind and sand appeared out of nowhere and enveloped Master of Swords and Master of Curses¡¯ bodies. Then, they vanished into thin air just like that.

    From the start to finish, Xiong Kuohai never even nced at Ye Qing or Yi Pin.

    ¡°Good riddance. It¡¯s a stage performance from the start until the end.¡±

    After Xiong Kuohai was gone, Ouyang De sucked on his smoking pipe and blew out a smoke ring, sighing.

    Both sides had killed, threatened, and made up with each other all in one sitting. To a naive outsider, what happened just now must look like an iprehensible, unrealistic mess.

    There was logic behind each at every action, however. Joy Bodhisattva killed Master of Swords and Master of Curses despite the many resistance she faced not because she desired revenge, but because she wanted to send a message to the sect leader. She was telling him that she was no small fry that he could take out as he pleased, so he should stop provoking her unless he was ready to face the consequences.

    Xiong Kuohai knew that it was toote to salvage the situation, and further conflict would only put his own life and his assets at risk. So, he chose topromise. It wasn¡¯t as simple as raising the white g and calling it a day though. No, it actually took quite a lot of effort and skill to beat a retreat without losing face. That was why he demanded the Wisdom King of Joy¡¯s death.

    They all knew that the Wisdom King of Joy wasn¡¯t really the one who killed Master of Swords and Master of Curses, but so what? The point was to keep up appearances.

    Joy Bodhisattva was showing off her power to disy that she was not someone to be trifled with, but that did not mean she must remain forceful and upromising the whole time. All stick and no carrot made for an unhappy, disobedient donkey after all. That was why she killed the Wisdom King of Joy and gave Xiong Kuohai the flight of stairs he sought.

    As for the Wisdom King of Joy, the guy was just amentable pawn from the start until the end.

    All in all, both sides had suffered a not insignificant amount of losses in this conflict. Not only did Xiong Kuohai fail to assassinate Joy Bodhisattva and take over the Buddhist Hall of Joy as nned, he even lost his two vice leaders, Master of Swords and Master of Curses.

    It looked like the Buddhist Hall of Joy had won, but in reality they had lost the Wisdom King of Joy, the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector. It was hardly a loss they could ignore either.

    ¡°When in the <em>jianghu</em>, do as the <em>jianghu </em>does,¡± Joy Bodhisattva said softly.

    ¡°Indeed. When in the <em>jianghu</em>, do as the <em>jianghu </em>does!¡± Ouyang De took another puff and let out a deep sigh.

    He was the guy who lived most of his life answering to no one but himself, but even he wasn¡¯tpletely free, was he? Take this conflict for instance. He was dragged into it because he owed Joy Bodhisattva a favor, didn¡¯t he?

    When in the <em>jianghu</em>, do as the <em>jianghu </em>does.

    1. Basically a bottle that¡¯smonly associated with Guanyin. ?

    2. I¡¯m guessing, I can¡¯t find any reference regarding Ò»·½Æ½µÈÓ¡ even in Chinese, so I went for the next closest thing. ?

 Chapter 544: Man In The Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 544: Man In The Shadows </h4>

    ¡°Have youe to a decision, scion?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked after dealing with the three traitors and returning to Ye Qing¡¯s side.

    Ye Qing saluted her and said, ¡°I appreciate the offer, Bodhisattva, but my answer is still no.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t like Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s offer was unattractive. He didn¡¯t mind living off a woman either, especially one aspetent as her. Unfortunately, he had reasons that prevented him from epting no matter what.

    Even if he assumed that Joy Bodhisattva waspletely honest and sincere with their deal, he still couldn¡¯t ept her offer. First, he came to Bei You to avoid capture, and to do that, he needed to keep a low profile. Sure, he had shown himself today, but things were still under control. After all, no one would believe that thete-stage Spirit Purifier Ye Qing would gain the power of ate-stage Spirit Master just a little over a month after he was grievously injured by Zhou Hengshan. His pursuers might notice that a new contender had appeared in Bei You, but chances were they wouldn¡¯t think it was him.

    It was apletely different story if he married Joy Bodhisattva, however. The woman was the head of the Buddhist Hall of Joy and a famous warrior in this region. Not only that, her recent ascension to the Grandmaster stage guaranteed that all attention would fall on her.

    If he and Joy Bodhisattva were to marry, everyone in the <i>jianghu </i>would learn about it at first notice, and he would be famous whether he liked it or not. Privacy did not exist for celebrities, and it was doubly true in this world. No matter how careful he was, it was only a matter of time before his identity was exposed.

    Sure, some idiot might say that since the most dangerous ce is the safest ce, it stands to reason that going high profile is actually the safest way to stay low profile h h h. To those people, he could only say, ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    If he was exposed, Joy Bodhisattva might be the very first person to stab him in the back. Even if she proved to be more loyal than expected, she could never keep him safe.

    After all, Fang Muyun wasn¡¯t his only enemy. There was Chu Wangsun, Zhou Hengshan and the Intelligence Department as well. Forget one Joy Bodhisattva, not even five Joy Bodhisattvas would be enough to save his life.

    Second, he wasn¡¯t just trying to hide himself from his enemies. He had more important things to do as well. If he agreed to marry Joy Bodhisattva, he would have to interact with her every day, and she would have full purview of his activities. It would be inconvenient to say the least.

    His heart ached at the thought of saying no, but in the end, it was his only option.

    ¡°If that is your decision, then so it shall be,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied calmly. It was impossible to say if she anticipated his rejection from the start, or if she really had reached a state of zero emotion and desire and so could not feel frustration or annoyance at his rejection. One thing for certain, the woman¡¯s facefu was impable, and she did not ask him why he rejected her offer either.

    ¡°Thank you for understanding, Bodhisattva,¡± Ye Qing replied with a hint of relief. He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t afraid that Joy Bodhisattva would throw caution to the wind and kidnap him by force.

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t wish to be wed with me, I assume you wouldn¡¯t want to join my Buddhist Hall of Joy either,¡± Joy Bodhisattva said indifferently. ¡°In that case, I owe you one.¡±

    Ye Qing replied honestly, ¡°Er, I don¡¯t think so, Bodhisattva. Honestly, you had everything under control with or without my help.¡±

    It was at this moment Joy Bodhisattva said something that caused Ye Qing¡¯s heart to skip a beat. ¡°I do not like owing favors, but I do not like being rejected either. And you, scion Ye, have already rejected me many times today.¡±

    ¡°My deepest apologies, Bodhisattva!¡± Ye Qing replied in a hurry while chiding himself for his carelessness. Since Joy Bodhisattva had been extremely friendly thus far, he nearly forgot that she was a Grandmaster and a warrior of the Dark Ways. Standing before him was a pitiless woman who could kill without batting an eyelid even before she attained her desireless and emotionless state. ¡°In this case, I see no reason to turn you down. Very well.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Joy Bodhisattva seemed very pleased with Ye Qing¡¯s answer. ¡°Seek me out if you ever change your mind. I won¡¯t wait for you for too long though.¡±

    ¡°Thank you again, Bodhisattva. I promise I will consider it seriously,¡± Ye Qing said cautiously.

    ¡°Good. If there is nothing else, then I will take my leave.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva nced at Ye Qing once before slowly dissolving into nothing like a dream.

    ¡°Until next time, Bodhisattva,¡± Ye Qing replied with a salute. It wasn¡¯t until the woman waspletely gone that he finally let out a sigh of relief.

    Grandmasters were still too strong for him right now. He might be as strong as a body-temperingte-stage Spirit Master, but in the eyes of a Grandmaster, he was still little different from an ant. Just look at Master of Swords, Master of Curses and the Wisdom King of Joy. Master of Swords was the only one who managed to put up a fight against Ouyang De, and in the end, he still ended up dead.

    He needed to grow stronger as soon as possible. At the very least, he needed to push his ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± to the adept level and ascend his body to the Grandmaster stage. Only then could he face off against these Grandmasters and not rely on their mercy to live to see another day.

    Meanwhile, Yi Pin finally stopped pretending that he was dead and walked up to Ye Qing with a look of disbelief. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you rejected her, brother! She gave you a flight of stairs that will take you all the way to the heavens, and you actually said no?!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Heh. I won¡¯t deny that, but you know I¡¯m nowhere strong enough to survive the consequences right now. I can easily fall and turn into a smear on the ground if I¡¯m not careful.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but... a shame. A shame.¡±

    Yi Pin shook his head regretfully. He understood Ye Qing¡¯s worriespletely, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t regret the missed opportunities. ¡°Why did she choose you instead of me? I would¡¯ve said yes without hesitation!¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re ugly as sin, duh,¡± Ye Qing shot him a look and scoffed with disdain. <i>Your wrinkles are so deep they might as well be mini mountain ranges. Not even a blind woman would choose you to be their partner!</i>

    ¡°Fuck you! When I was younger, I too was a handsome,petent, and extraordinarily talented youngster who was loved by thousands and thousands of women. You had no idea how many celestials and demonesses wanted me back then!¡±

    Yi Pin scoffed right back. ¡°The only reason I turned them all down is because I couldn¡¯t give them the loyalty they seek, and because I see no reason to turn down a forest for a tree! Otherwise, I would have great great great <i>great </i>grandchildren who are older than you already!¡±

    ¡°Know this, boy. If I was even a decade younger, then our roles would be reversed, understand?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an incredulous eyebrow. ¡°A decade? Are you kidding me right now? With your face, maaaaaaaaaaaybe you can say that if you¡¯re seventy or eighty years younger. Otherwise? Heh!¡±

    ¡°Who the fuck are you calling eighty? I¡¯m only in my fifties! It¡¯s literally impossible for me to be eighty years younger, and even if I can that would bepletely hical!¡± Yi Pin rolled his eyes at Ye Qing. ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t need to stand here and take your nonsense. I¡¯m heading home.¡±

    Yi Pin huffed and began walking away.

    ¡°Alright, alright! I was just kidding. You¡¯re still a handsome begonia who can seduce a woman with a mere curl of your finger, okay?¡±

    Ye Qingughed and followed the old man.

    ......

    Inside a big hall, Xiong Kuohai opened his eyes. Tiny bolts of lightning could be seen flickering here and there.

    It was at this moment his shadow suddenly writhed like it was alive. Then, a voice came from the shadows asking,

    ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Xiong Kuohai hurriedly rose to his feet and faced toward his shadow. He said carefully, ¡°My apologies, Sakyamuni, but there was a small issue.¡±

    The shadow continued to writhe like a glob of insoluble darkness. ¡°A small issue? Are you saying that Joy Bodhisattva is still alive?¡±

    Xiong Kuohai hurriedly exined himself, ¡°Forgive me, Sakyamuni, but Joy Bodhisattva was prepared for us. Not only did she recruit Ouyang De to help her, she ascended to the Grandmaster stage over a month ago. We ultimately failed to kill her because of this.¡±

    ¡°Grandmaster? That is unexpected,¡± the shadow said. Xiong Kuohai let out a sigh of relief, but then the shadow added, ¡°However, the ascension to Grandmaster stage warps the heaven and earth itself. You should have noticed some signs at the very least, and yet you werepletely oblivious. It is your own fault that you aren¡¯t prepared for this. And now, our ns have run aground because of this. Do you admit your guilt?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Xiong Kuohai replied fearfully.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re guilty, you must be punished.¡±

    A silver needle flew out of the shadow, and Xiong Kuohai turned as pale as a sheet when he saw it. He didn¡¯t dare to dodge out of the way, however. He remained where he was and allowed it to hit him.

    As soon as the needle made contact with his forehead, it started wiggling as if it was alive. Then, it slowly crawled into his flesh.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Xiong Kuohai¡¯s mrs were crushed at that moment. His face was deathly pale, his whole body was trembling, and cold sweat was pouring off his forehead like crazy. It looked like he was enduring some sort of unimaginable pain.

    Every time the silver needle crept an inch deeper into Xiong Kuohai¡¯s forehead, the Grandmaster would shudder violently. Hisplexion kept growing paler and paler, and his teeth kept breaking from the sheer amount of force he was exerting on them.

    The silver needle was only three inches long, but it took about half a teatime to fully sink into Xiong Kuohai¡¯s forehead. By now, the Grandmaster was shaking non-stop like a leaf trying weather a windstorm, his clothes werepletely drenched in sweat, his eyes were bloodshot, and veins were bulging all over his face.

    This was just the beginning, however. After the silver needle had entered his forehead, it began moving about his face and scalp like an earthworm.

 Chapter 543: Tool

    Chapter 543: Tool

    Now that the crisis was finally over, Joy Bodhisattva turned to Ouyang De, Ye Qing and Yi Pin and saluted them deeply. ¡°My warmest thanks to senior Ouyang and the two of you. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to invite you all to the Buddhist Hall of Joy, y the host, and repay the favor as best I can.¡±

    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m just paying back a favor I owe. From now on, you and I are in the clear, understand?¡± Ouyang De waved her off impatiently. He never liked <em>jianghu </em>matters, and he would likely never get involved in another if he could help it especially after the very person he was supposed to protect had tricked him.

    His old heart just couldn¡¯t take such excitement anymore.

    ¡°We just happened to be at the right ce at the right time, Bodhisattva. We do not deserve such courtesy from you.¡±

    Although he had helped Joy Bodhisattva, Ye Qing didn¡¯t dare to impose on a Grandmaster and hurriedly returned the salute. He had made a gamble based on the variables he was handed, and he was d he made the right choice.

    That said, he had no intentions of getting involved with Joy Bodhisattva any more than was necessary, at least not now. He was well aware that he didn¡¯t have the strength to get involved in a conflict at this level just yet.

    ¡°Wait a second. I thought you¡¯re one of Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s hired help?¡± eximed Ouyang De in surprise even as realization struck him.

    Ye Qing tilted his head at the old man. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ve only arrived at Bei You a couple of days ago. How could I possibly know the great Joy Bodhisattva?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ouyang De looked back and forth between Ye Qing and Joy Bodhisattva with clear doubt.¡°But of course. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the Bodhisattva herself.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°It was <em>pure coincidence </em>that we were caught up in this.¡±

    Ye Qing purposely emphasized the words ¡°pure coincidence¡± as he spoke. He had more or less figured out why Ouyang De had dragged them into this mess after listening to his words.

    <em>What an unfortunate coincidence it is!</em>

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Ouyang De coughed awkwardly. He didn¡¯t miss Ye Qing¡¯s subtle change in intonation, of course. <em>Heavens, this is embarrassing.</em>

    Ouyang De was sure that Ye Qing was Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s hired help. That was why he threw the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector over to the young man when it looked like the guy was trying to shirk his job. But now, it turned out that Ye Qing was just an innocent bystander, and he had be the asshole who dragged an innocent into a violent, deadly conflict.

    What a blunder!

    Sure, he cared little for trifles when he made up his mind to do something, and sure, some of his actions appeared oundish in the eyes of those who did not understand his greatness, but this? This was well and truly beneath him.

    <em>I can¡¯t believe my wless record is ruined, and it¡¯s not even my fault. What else was I supposed to think when Joy Bodhisattva herself asked this guy for his hand </em>in marriage???<em> Anyone in their right mind would think that they¡¯re in cahoots with each other, right?!</em>

    <em>Damn it all!</em>

    ¡°Er, I still have some business to attend to, so, buh-bye!¡± The old man said rapidly before pushing off the ground. An instantter, he was over a hundred meters away from his original spot. By the time the sound of his movement faded with the wind, Ouyang De was already gone.

    ¡°He runs fast.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. He wasn¡¯t actually nning to demandpensation from Ouyang De, of course. He was just teasing him a little. However, the old man had run away before he could say anything else. He had never encountered such a thin-skinned senior in his life. Yi Pin might as well be a godpared to him!

    Even Joy Bodhisattva was smiling a little. The woman was expressionless most of the time, so it was a rare expression to say the least.

    Her smile was so beautiful that Ye Qing nked out a little. By the time he returned to the earth, he realized that the woman was looking at him. He hurriedly let out a quick cough to cover up his embarrassment before saying, ¡°Senior Ouyang is truly¡­ unpredictable.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason he got his reputation.¡± Joy Bodhisattva chuckled. ¡°Now that he¡¯s gone, let us discuss our business, shall we?¡±

    ¡°... Do we have business with each other?¡± Ye Qing waspletely confused.

    Joy Bodhisattva said, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s about my marriage proposal. Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t even gotten your name yet. May I have the honor of knowing your name?¡±

    ¡°Please, Bodhisattva! You¡¯re killing me here! My name is Joyless. Joyless Ye.¡± Ye Qing saluted her.

    ¡°Joyless Ye? You are definitely destined with my Buddhist Hall of Joy.¡± Joy Bodhisattva nodded.

    ¡°You jest, Bodhisattva.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose while barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. <em>Destined? Joyless and joy sits on the opposite side of the spectrum, okay?</em>

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. I really would like to ask for your hand in marriage. Are you willing to fulfill my wish?¡± Joy Bodhisattva said seriously.

    Realizing that Joy Bodhisattva was actually serious about this, Ye Qing fell silent for a moment. ¡°If I may ask, why on earth would you want to marry this junior?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva answered honestly, ¡°To tell you the truth, my cultivation art transforms desires and emotions into nothing. I have now reached a desireless and emotionless state, but my Buddha is merciful, and he sympathizes with the plight of the people. This state is not the end.¡±

    ¡°If I wish to improve my cultivation, then I must experience all the desires and emotions that exist in the world. It is the only way to reach the state where I can empathize with all living things, and all things living are equal before my eyes.¡±

    ¡°Love is the root of all emotions and desires. That is why I wish to marry you and experience love. I will then transform this love into love for all living things.¡±

    <em>In other words, she just wants me as a cultivation tool, </em>thought Ye Qing while rubbing his nose. He was so sure that it was his extraordinary and unparalleled good looks and aura that made the Bodhisattva fell in love with him at first sight, but as it turned out, it was just his imagination.

    <em>I can¡¯t possibly surrender myself to a woman who doesn¡¯t even want my body, can I?</em>

    ¡°Please don¡¯t make a decision before you hear my terms, scion,¡± Joy Bodhisattva said when she saw that Ye Qing was silent. ¡°I won¡¯t make you help me for free.¡±

    ¡°First, my cultivation art is a dual cultivation art. If we marry, your cultivation is sure to improve by leaps and bounds.¡±

    ¡°Second, you will be the most powerful member in the Buddhist Hall of Joy besides me. The only one you will answer to is me, and you are free to mobilize and utilize the resources of my sect as you please.¡±

    ¡°Finally, you maye to me for help if you have any problem or need regarding your cultivation. I swear that I will not hide anything from you.¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath. To be entirely honest, her terms were extremely good. No, that would be an understatement. It was like those web novels where the protagonist married a sexy,petent CEO and never had to worry about life ever again, rtively speaking.

    Even if Joy Bodhisattva hadn¡¯t offered him these very lucrative terms, the fact that he could count on her and the Buddhist Hall of Joy to act as his shield alone was a tempting offer. It would certainly ease his burden and make it easier for him to take revenge against Fang Muyun and everyone else who wronged him.

    Beside him, Yi Pin was blinking at him rapidly with clear envy in his eyes. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that he wanted Ye Qing to say yes.

    Sure, he would be living off a woman, but so what? Only an idiot would reject apetent, powerful woman, not to mention one as beautiful as Joy Bodhisattva!

    ¡°Ahem¡­ if I may dare ask, why me?¡± Ye Qing took a moment to calm himself before asking.

    If a tool was all she needed, then she could have picked anyone. Surely a willing candidate like say, a disciple of the Buddhist Hall of Joy would cost her far less than a reluctant guy like him?

    Joy Bodhisattva answered honestly, ¡°Because you are incredibly aplished for one so young, and because your looks are good enough to match mine.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe¡­ you have a good pair of eyes on you.¡± The ttery made Ye Qing feel so much better.

    <em>I knew it! Just like fireflies, excellent people would always shine no matter how dark their surroundings are!</em>

    On the inside, Ye Qing was feeling as gleeful as a child. But on the outside, he maintained a humble appearance, ¡°You tter me, Bodhisattva. I cannot possibly deserve such praise.¡±

    Before Ye Qing could finish, Joy Bodhisattva continued, ¡°Of course, the most important factor is that my Buddha has bound our destinies together. After all, it cannot be a coincidence that you have met me at this ce and time.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say anything to that. Buddhist beliefs were steeped in karma and destiny, so it was perfectly normal for Joy Bodhisattva to say and act based on such statements.

    ¡°Please take your time to think. I will deal with them in the meantime,¡± Joy Bodhisattva said while looking at the Wisdom King of Joy, the Joy Arhat and the Lampholding Protector.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    Joy Bodhisattva first walked up to the Joy Arhat and pointed a finger at his body. The man immediately burst into mes and dissolved into ash in no time. She then walked up to the Wisdom King of Joy and the Lampholding Protector and did the same thing.

    The Lampholding Protector was still alive, but Joy Bodhisattva didn¡¯t care to save her. She had delivered the woman straight to the ultimate bliss that was her next life.

 Chapter 545: Meeting Chen Wuxin Again

    Chapter 545: Meeting Chen Wuxin Again

    ¡°AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    At some point, Xiong Kuohai could no longer stand it. He clutched his head and mmed his head into the floor.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    A massive crack appeared on the limestone floor, and blood dripped down Xiong Kuohai¡¯s face. That was how much strength he used. The Grandmaster couldn¡¯t seem to feel the pain, He simply clutched his head tighter and mmed his forehead against the floor again and again.

    A full incense stickter, the silver needle finally crawled out of Xiong Kuohai¡¯s forehead and disappeared into the shadows. The Grandmaster was lying limp on the ground with a bloodless face and a pair of lifeless eyes. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that his chest was still heaving up and down, anyone would think that he was dead.

    ¡°Your punishment is over, and your sin forgiven,¡± the shadow dered.

    Despite his condition, Xiong Kuohai climbed to his feet and knelt in front of the shadow. ¡°Thank you for showing mercy, Sakyamuni.¡±

    ¡°However, Bei You represents a critical part of our ns. Nothing else must go wrong, understand?¡± The shadow said.

    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, Sakyamuni. I promise that everything will go exactly as nned,¡± Xiong Kuohai promised.¡°Good. I do hope you¡¯re a man of your word. Otherwise, not even I can save you from my lord¡¯s wrath.¡± The shadow paused for a moment before handing out the carrot. ¡°But if you do a good job, then rest assured that you will be rewarded handsomely.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Sakyamuni,¡± dered Xiong Kuohai with a salute.

    That was the end of the conversation. The shadow writhed and grew fainter over time. A couple more secondster, it looked no different from a normal shadow.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Xiong Kuohai exhaled deeply before his eyes turned violent and hateful.

    ¡°Dad?! Are you alright?!¡±

    It was at this moment a young man burst into the room. When he saw how sorry Xiong Kuohai looked, he could not help but blurt out in shock and concern.

    ¡°Who allowed you toe inside? I said I don¡¯t want anyone to disturb me while I¡¯m cultivating! Get out!¡± Xiong Kuohai roared like an enraged lion. Such was his wrath that the entire hall shook like it was beset by an earthquake.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry! I was just worried about you, dad!¡± The young man replied in a hurry. He was Xiong Kuohai¡¯s son, Xiong Tianlie.

    ¡°Get out! GET OUT!¡±

    Xiong Kuohai roared, and a terrible power surged toward Xiong Tianlie like a flood. Blood spewed out of the young man¡¯s lips as he was blown out of the hall.

    ¡°JOY BODHISATTVA, YOU BITCH! I SWEAR I¡¯LL KILL YOU IF IT¡¯S THE LAST THING I DO!¡±

    Xiong Kuohai let out another roar, and his expression looked savager than even the vilest ghoul.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Strengthes from the ground, forcees from the body, and willes from the mind¡­¡±

    Inside the Temple of Divination, Ye Qing was sitting on a chair and giving Li Longxiang various instructions. The disciple was currently practicing his fists in the courtyard.

    ¡°Your strength must be concentrated, your force must be condensed, and your will must be strong. You already possess a good powerbase, Longxiang, but your strength is too scattered, and your force is too chaotic. A small fry might be intimidated by your thunder, but they would never fall to your lightning, and that¡¯s just depressing. You want it to be the other way around, understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand, senior uncle.¡± Li Longxiang wiped away some sweat and gave him an honest smile.

    Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good. Now keep training. I want you to repeat Break Through a thousand times.¡±

    ¡°Yes, senior uncle,¡± Li Longxiang responded and resumed his training.

    He was the one who taught Li Longxiang Break Through, of course. The young man might be dumb and simple-minded, but he was pure and innocent like a newborn and extraordinarily talented in martial arts. He was able to reach the journeyman stage of Break Through just two or three days after he learned it.

    Objectively speaking, a good teacher was all Li Longxiang needed to have a bright future. Unfortunately, Yi Pin was the ¡°live and let live¡± type of teacher, so Li Longxiang wasn¡¯t able to live up to his full potential. It irked Ye Qing so much that he eventually got involved in his learning.

    In fact, Li Longxiang wasn¡¯t the only one he taught. Wen Shu, the brat living at the funeral shop, was quite gifted in the martial way as well. Objectively speaking, he was even more gifted than Li Longxiang. If one hint was all Li Longxiang needed to grasp a concept, then Wen Shu could grasp three concepts from the same hint. He was intelligent in a way Li Longxiang could never hope to be.

    Unfortunately, the very intelligence and adaptability that made him so gifted was also his greatest crutch. Hecked perseverance and could not work tirelessly toward a goal like Li Longxiang. He was also impatient and possessed little taste for hardships. He could train hard for a week at most before he ran out of motivation and spent the next two weeks doing nothing in particr. That was why his cultivation was lousy to put it mildly.

    To be honest, Ye Qing was rather fond of Wen Shu. Since he was teaching Li Longxiang anyway, he wanted to elevate Wen Shu to the point where he could stand his ground in Bei You at the very least. Unfortunately, the boy had spurned him in disgust¡ªdisgust!¡ªas soon as he learned that he didn¡¯t know any sword-based martial arts. He refused to learn even the basics and pissed Ye Qing off so much that he kicked the boy in the butt.

    Li Longxiang was much, much better in this regard.

    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit, Longxiang. Keep training, and tell your master that I won¡¯t being back for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Got it, senior uncle,¡± Li Longxiang replied before turning his attention back to his fists.

    After Ye Qing left the Temple of Divination, he spent some time just strolling about and rxing before heading toward the biggest restaurant in the city, Number One. Then, he ordered a jar of wine and slowly drank at his leisure.

    The biggest and most famous restaurant in Bei You was called Number One. It was because they imed that their wine, food, and women were the best in all of Bei You.

    Obviously, this was a slight exaggeration. For starters, everyone acknowledged that the women of Shade of Scents were far more alluring than Number One¡¯s.

    That wasn¡¯t to say that their boast was empty, of course. Their wine, food and women were undoubtedly top ss, which was why the restaurant was already jam-packed with people even though it wasn¡¯t mealtime yet. The alcoholics were drinking, and the gossipers were gossiping. It was a bustling day for Number One as usual.

    Right now, the hottest gossip as ofte was Joy Bodhisattva. No, they weren¡¯t talking about the conflict and enmity between Joy Bodhisattva and Xiong Kuohai. They were discussing the Trueman banquet Joy Bodhisattva would be holding on November 1st¡ªwhich was a little over a month from now¡ªto celebrate the fact that she had be the fourth Grandmaster of Bei You after Ouyang De, Xiong Kuohai and Huang Tianba.

    Everyone was weed to her banquet at the Buddhist Hall of Joy, and aspensation, she would be publicly sharing her knowledge and experience.

    Although some people were still talking about the collusion between Endless Sand the Buddhist Hall of Joy, the conflict between Joy Bodhisattva and Xiong Kuohai, and the deaths of Master of Swords, Master of Curses, the Wisdom King of Joy and more, most of them were just specting. Since both Xiong Kuohai and Joy Bodhisattva had chosen silence regarding the truth of the matter, time was slowly washing away the memories.

    It had been three days since that harrowing day, and for three days straight, everything was peaceful and calm. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

    This was exactly what Ye Qing wanted, of course. Peace, quiet, and some time for himself and only himself.

    When he had downed roughly three cups of wine, a man suddenly sat down opposite Ye Qing and asked tentatively, ¡°Brother Ye?¡±

    Ye Qing looked up and smiled at the neer. ¡°Brother Chen.¡±

    The neer was none other than Chen Wuxin, the Heartless Brain who had taken over Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hah! It really is you. It looks like you¡¯re doing pretty well!¡± Chen Wuxin guffawed at Ye Qing¡¯s reply and poured a cup of wine for himself. He then drained it all in one gulp.

    ¡°Not as well as you, brother. It¡¯s only been a little over a month, and you almost made it all the way to Qi,¡± Ye Qing replied with a smile that did not quite reach the eye.

    That day, after they left Carefree Mountain behind, Ye Qing had found an opportunity to use the Annon Sutra to locate Chen Wuxin and call him to his side, so imagine his surprise when the Annon sutra told him that Chen Wuxin was at a bordermandery between Chu and Qi at the time.

    While he was traveling north, the Stranger had been traveling east this whole time. If he hadn¡¯t checked up on him, the bastard might have run all the way to fucking Qi.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ I was trying to hide from the Intelligence Department, so¡­¡± Chen Wuxin pretended that he didn¡¯t catch Ye Qing¡¯s meaning and asked, ¡°Speaking of which, there¡¯s something I¡¯m really curious about. How did you find me?¡±

 Chapter 546: Ye Qingâ€™s Ambitions

    Chapter 546: Ye Qing¡¯s Ambitions

    Chen Wuxin was seriously puzzled. His true form was the Heartless Brain, and he possessed the ability to mask his karma and sever all karma that was tied to him. Any and all kinds of divination wouldn¡¯t work on him.

    The first thing he did after leaving Tian Yong was to activate his ability and sever all karma that was tied to him. It was both to avoid the Intelligence Department and to hide from Ye Qing.

    He was almost at Qi when Ye Qing¡¯s message found him, and he couldn¡¯t for the life of him figure out how the young man did it. They were tens of thousands of kilometers away from each other, and he had never lingered at a certain spot for more than two or three days. Despite this, Ye Qing still managed to home in on his location with uncanny precision.

    He remembered the day he received Ye Qing¡¯s message as if it was yesterday. It was a bright sunny day. He was enjoying a delicious cup of wine and listening to the wonderful tune of a songstress named Little Red when suddenly, a greenbird normally suddenlynded on his shoulder and said, ¡°Do you still remember the promise of Chaos Heaven, Brother Wuxin? I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the Temple of Divination of Bei You.¡±

    It was such a shock that he nearly lost his hard-on[1].

    The fact that the greenbird was speaking didn¡¯t surprise him in the slightest. The greenbird was a mechanical construct named the Messenger Bird, and it was a messenger tool created by an organization called the Exploitation of the Works of Nature[2]. It was because of the voice and the content of the message. A Strange Artifact of sorts, it came equipped with a Sound Storing Crystal that could be used to record sounds. All the user needed to do was to record their voice using the Sound Storing Crystal, deposit it within the Messenger Bird, and give the receiver¡¯s address to the Exploitation of the Works of Nature, and the Messenger Bird would fly to that exact location.

    As soon as Chen Wuxin heard the voice, he knew it was Ye Qing who sent the message. The fact that he mentioned ¡°the promise of Chaos Heaven¡± confirmed it.

    Ye Qing was the one who gave him the name Chen Wuxin, and the promise of Chaos Heaven referred to the promise they made at Chaos Heaven Mountain.

    Naturally, Chen Wuxin was shocked beyond words. He almost thought that Ye Qing had been trailing behind him this whole time, but that was obviously impossible. Ye Qing had mentioned the Temple of Divination, and heter found out that that was all the way at Bei You. It was clear that Ye Qing had escaped to the north.To say that Chen Wuxin was disgruntled would be an understatement. They had escaped in different cardinal directions, and they were at least tens of thousands of kilometers away from each other, so how the hell did Ye Qing manage to locate him despite this? How was this fair?

    He had considered overlooking the message and sticking to his original escape n, but it was clear that Ye Qing had done something to him. Even if he managed to escape for now, whatever Ye Qing did to him would never disappear. It was only a matter of time before the young man caught up.

    More importantly, there was a huge chance his life would be in danger if he overlooked this message.

    Left with no choice, Chen Wuxin changed course and traveled to Bei You.

    Three days ago, just as he set foot at the border of Northern Xinjiang, he received another Messenger Bird from Ye Qing. The young man wanted them to meet up at Number One.

    This time, Chen Wuxin was more scared than he was astonished. He almost felt like Ye Qing was watching his every move even though it should be impossible. Knowing he could not escape the young man¡¯s grasp, his final defiance fizzled out like a dying candle.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± Ye Qing sipped his wine with a mysterious smile on his face.

    He knew what Chen Wuxin was thinking of course. He just didn¡¯t care to expose him. So how was Ye Qing able to locate Chen Wuxin like a radar? It was thanks to whatever the Annon Sutra did to it when he moved his brain to Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s body, of course. From that point onward, the Heartless Brain was his and his forever.

    He wasn¡¯t going to give Chen Wuxin even a hint regarding his methods though. There were few better checks than the fear of the unknown itself.

    ¡°Fine, you heartless bastard. I journeyed to Bei You without stopping as soon as I received your message, and you couldn¡¯t even share a teeny-weeny bit of information with me. Does trust no longer exist between people anymore?¡±

    Ye Qing deadpanned. ¡°You¡¯re not a person though. You¡¯re just a brain, remember?¡±

    Chen Wuxin: ¡°...¡± <em>I think I¡¯m just gonna¡­ leave.</em>

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking. Here, have some wine.¡±

    Ye Qing poured Chen Wuxin a cup of wine and handed it to Chen Wuxin. Chen Wuxin reached out to grab it. As soon as their hands met, the veins on the back of their hands abruptly bulged, and the wine cup soundlessly crumbled into dust. The wine itself had evaporated before it could hit the floor.

    ¡°That¡¯s a superior quality Snowfire, brother. You shouldn¡¯t waste it if you don¡¯t want it.¡± Ye Qing withdrew his hand and sighed with regret.

    Chen Wuxin¡¯s hand was still extended though. His eyes wide with shock as he sputtered, ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±

    For a time, he wasn¡¯t able toplete a full sentence.

    A whileter, Chen Wuxin finally recovered and blurted in disbelief, ¡°When did your body be so strong, brother?¡±

    Back at Tian Yong, Ye Qing was only seven dragon elephants strong or the equivalent of a body-tempering early-stage Spirit Master. It had been a little over a month since then, and he somehow increased his strength to nine dragon elephants! Sure, he was still weaker than him, but he wasn¡¯t far behind at all. Just how was that possible?

    <em>Did I ck out somewhere in between my great escape? Maybe it¡¯s really been a year instead of a month?</em>

    Except Ye Qing¡¯s progress didn¡¯t sound realistic even if it really had been a year. For starters, Ye Qing took grave injuries when he escaped Tian Yong. Even if he wasn¡¯t injured, it would have taken a normal body-tempering warrior between eight to ten years to be ate-stage Spirit Master. After all, the path of cultivation of a body-tempering warrior only got steeper as they advanced. It was the same as the amount of resources they consumed to strengthen their body.

    And yet, Ye Qing was able to do what most people couldn¡¯t do in a decade in just a month¡¯s time. It wasn¡¯t like he spent the whole month cultivating either. He had to have spent some of his time running away from his pursuers.

    <em>Did your injuries somehow unlock your Ren and Du meridians, or did you run into a grandpa while on the run?</em>

    ¡°I had a fortuitous encounter on my way to Bei You,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    <em>I can see that,</em> Chen Wuxin thought and rolled his eyes so hard his eyeballs temporarily flipped to the back of his skull.

    Ye Qing proceeded to tell Chen Wuxin a summary of his encounter with the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin and how the Profound Yellow Qi was highly beneficial to his wounds. Of course, he did not mention his cooperation with Huo Linglong since it was a secret.

    After Ye Qing reached the end of his story, Chen Wuxin kept quiet for a moment before saying slowly, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ seriously one blessed sonuvabitch, brother.¡±

    Not only did Ye Qing escape Tian Yong, he even benefited from it and shaved an entire decade off his cultivation schedule. If he wasn¡¯t beloved by the heavens, then who was?

    ¡°I was just lucky.¡± Ye Qing waved him off casually.

    Chen Wuxin did not say anything. He didn¡¯t know what to say, frankly. Shock and speechlessness were the only emotions left inside him right now.

    Ye Qing was very satisfied with Chen Wuxin¡¯s reaction. Just now, he had purposely shown off his strength not because he wanted to satisfy his ego, but because he wanted to show Chen Wuxin that he was no one to be trifled with. He wanted to ensure that the Stranger would never try to pull something like his attempted escape to Qi again.

    Now that the forey was over, it was time to get into business. ¡°So, the reason I called you over is because I need your help with something, brother.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me what I need to do, and it shall be done,¡± Chen Wuxin replied listlessly.

    Ye Qing began, ¡°I want you to round up the scattered forces of the Chaos Heaven Brigand, take control of it, and put them under my control.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chen Wuxin looked up in surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what it sounds like.¡± Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°You upied Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s body, so you should know that the roots of Chaos Heaven Brigand are really located at Mount Qi of Northern Xinjiang. The reason Chen Ah Sheng traveled south to the Chaos Heaven Mountain was to avoid his nemesis.¡±

    ¡°Although the Ghost Tower cost the Chaos Heaven Brigand dearly, their roots are still present. You should have no problem consolidating the forces at Mount Qi and retaking control.¡±

    ¡°I know that. What I want to know is, why?¡± Chen Wuxin asked. Half of Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s brain was his, and he knew everything there was to know about the body-tempering warrior. One might even say that he <em>was </em>Chen Ah Sheng with a different ego. Chen Ah Sheng was the leader of the Chaos Heaven Brigand, so of course it was no trouble for him to retake control of the forces based at Northern Xinjiang. However, he did not understand Ye Qing¡¯s motivation for doing this.

    ¡°Because power is everything in this world,¡± Ye Qing replied softly while brushing a finger against his wine cup.

    In the past, he thought he was safe with the Pacification Bureau and the imperial court as his patron. However, the incident in Tian Yong made him realize that some of his so-called patrons were really just profiteers who thought him as a tool, and they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to discard him if they stood to gain from it.

    In the end, the only one he could rely on was himself. Now that he had walked to the opposite side of the imperial court of Chu, his enemies weren¡¯t just the Intelligence Department or Zhou Hengshan anymore. He had to fight against the Fang n, one of the Three Dukes of Chu; and Chu Wangsun, the famous Mister Nine of the Jixia Academy as well.

    If he went up against them himself, well. A kind person would say that he was ambitious. A blunt one would say that he was suicidal and idiotic.

    There were only so many things a single person could do.

    That was why his individual strength wasn¡¯t the only thing he needed to improve. It was time he started building a force of his own. If he did not have a patron, then he would build one.

    The Chaos Heaven Brigand was his first step toward that goal.

    1. You read this right. He¡¯s at a brothel, so. ?

    2. It¡¯s a book in real life btw. ?

 Chapter 547: Two Steps To Build A Powerbase

    Chapter 547: Two Steps To Build A Powerbase

    ¡°Hehehe. Interesting! I like it.¡±

    Chen Wuxin understood Ye Qing¡¯s n immediately and allowed a hint of excitement to appear on his face.

    As a troublemaker, it was ingrained in his blood to start trouble.

    ¡°Taking control of Chaos Heaven Brigand is just the first step. Once you¡¯ve assumed control, I need you to grow its power and influence as quickly and humanly as possible,¡± Ye Qing continued his exnation while rapping his knuckles against the table.

    Over half of Chen Wuxing¡¯s excitement fizzled out just like that. ¡°I don¡¯t foresee any trouble taking over the Chaos Heaven Brigand, but¡­ rapid development is going to be difficult.¡±

    Mount Qi was a massive mountain range spanning hundreds of kilometers to the southwest of Bei You. It epassed threemanderies¡ªXuan Hua, An Ding and Qing Wu¡ªand bordered Yan. Geographically and strategically important, the threemanderies were heavily garrisoned and constantly embroiled in armed conflicts.

    A lot of forces built their bases on Mount Qi due to how vast, defensible, and strategic it was. Unfortunately, most of these forces wereposed of bandits and brigands.

    These brigands relied heavily on the natural stronghold that was Mount Qi to assault civilians and rob merchants. If an opportunity were to present itself, they would even attack the Chu army and rob them of their provisions and siege weapons. Daring and audacious beyond belief, there was no crime they wouldn¡¯tmit.

    The worst part was that there was nothing the imperial court could do against them. Qing Wu, Xuan Hua and An Ding might be protected by not one, but three huge armies, but their main responsibility was to defend the borders. Themanderies possessed immense strategic importance, and Yan was constantly probing their defense line for holes. As a result, they were unable to deploy the number of troops to uproot the brigands once and for all.Of course, every once in a while, there would be a boldmander who had had enough of these bastards and threw caution to the wind. Unfortunately, the brigands would simply scatter like rabbits and retreat into Mount Qi, which was generally enough to foil most extermination attempts.

    On the rare asion amander actually seeded in eradicating the brigands, it usually took a couple of years at most before new brigands infested the area. It was literally impossible to end their ilk in a permanent fashion.

    The brigands of Mount Qi were, without a doubt, a thorn in the border armies¡¯ sides. Although they weren¡¯t a major threat, they were about as annoying as the shitstain on your shoes. No matter how hard you tried to wipe them on the grass or wash them with water, there would always be a faint stench somewhere. They were disgusting to say the least.

    The Chaos Heaven Brigand¡¯s main headquarters was located inside Mount Qi. In fact, the ninth rank Mountain Mover Brigand, the eleventh rank ck Haw Brigand, and the thirteenth rank Green Wolf Brigand were based in Mount Qi as well.

    Besides that, dozens other minor and major factions were entrenched within Mount Qi. Some people imed that Mount Qi boasted one hundred thousand bandits, and it was anything but an exaggeration.

    Most of these factions had solidified territories and circles as well. If you challenged one of them, you challenged all of them.

    In short, the border army was constantly on the lookout for brigands, and the brigands themselves were on the lookout for each other. Therefore, Ye Qing¡¯s dream of expanding the Chaos Heaven Brigand rapidly could very well be just that¡ªa dream.

    ¡°It is difficult, but where there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡±

    Ye Qing said calmly and handed the Boundless Mara Buddha to Chen Wuxin. ¡°You can have this. I¡¯m sure your endeavor would be easier with its aid.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving me the Boundless Mara Buddha? Are you sure?¡± Chen Wuxin epted the Strange Artifact with astonishment.

    As a Half-Step Grandmaster, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact was beneath him. However, a sapient Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact was a different story.

    Moreover, he had witnessed the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s power back at Chaos Heaven Mountain. Not only did it possess incredible offensive and defensive capabilities, its artifact spirit was beyond exceptional. The Fog Demon possessed the ability to bewitch and control minds, extract memories and more. This alone made it impossible to evaluate by its rating.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you. I¡¯m lending it to you. You¡¯re gonna have to give it back when I want it.¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. <em>Is he half-asleep or something? What did he take me for?</em>

    ¡°Stingy bastard.¡± Chen Wuxin pouted, though he couldn¡¯t deny that the Boundless Mara Buddha and especially the Fog Demon would make it much easier for him to carry out his mission.

    Suddenly, Chen Wuxin realized something. ¡°Wait a second. Aren¡¯t youing with me?¡±

    ¡°No. For now, this is the safest ce for me to be.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure you can do this without my help, though you may notify me if you run into some trouble that¡¯s truly beyond your capabilities to resolve, of course.¡±

    ¡°How are you so confident that I can do this when I¡¯m not?¡± Chen Wuxin rolled his eyes before asking, ¡°Do you have a specific n in mind?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Do you really need me to teach you how to do this? Just divide and conquer, everyone has a price, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, power is everything, yada yada h h. And if all else fails, there¡¯s always fleeing is best of the Thirty-Six Stratagems!¡±

    The Heartless Brain wasn¡¯t just an intelligent Stranger, it was exceptionally intelligent even among intelligent Strangers. Ye Qing was sure the guy could pull off much more professional schemes than he could, at least in terms of toying with human hearts.

    Chen Wuxin: ¡°...¡± <em>That¡¯s a sloppy n if I ever heard one.</em>

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve prepared a helper for you.¡± Ye Qing looked at the disgruntled Chen Wuxin.

    ¡°A helper? Who is it?¡± Chen Wuxin asked while putting away the Boundless Mara Buddha.

    ¡°His name is Xue Beikun. He¡¯ll join the Qing Wu garrison as amandant-in-chief in about a month¡¯s time.¡± Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°If he is the de in the light, then you are the knife in the dark. Together, you should be able to surmount most obstacles.¡±

    This was his second step to build his powerbase. A month ago, he sent Xue Beikun a message and ordered him to find a way to transfer himself to Qing Wu, Xuan Hua or An Ding. It was so that he could coordinate with Chen Wuxin.

    He thought that it would take Xue Beikun at least months to pull this off, but in reality, it only took him less than three weeks to wrap up everything. Of course, it wasn¡¯t without a cost. He had to drop almost an entire rank just to obtain the position of amandant-in-chief in the Qing Wu garrison.

    Originally, Xue Beikun was themander of the ck Feather Guards of Luo Shui. In terms of rank, he was the equivalent of a battalionmander of a border army. In ascending order, the military rank of a border army was squad leader, toon leader, garrisonmandant,mandant,mandant-in-chief, battalionmander, general,mander-in-chief and more.

    On a rted note, five soldiers made a squad, five squads made a toon, five toons made a guard, five guards made apany, fivepanies made a brigade, five brigades made a battalion, and five battalions made an army.

    In the border army, amandant-in-chief wasn¡¯t a lousy post by all means, but it definitely wasn¡¯t high either. It was smack dab at the center of the totem pole. Not only that, Xue Beikun enjoyed a leisurely life while he was amander defending the heart of Luo Shui, but a border army must brave the elements, face all kinds of danger, and risk their lives almost every day. It wasn¡¯t the most attractive prospect to put it mildly.

    But of course, serving in a border army promised many benefits. For starters, one could earn merits and promotions faster than almost anywhere else. As long as you were capable andpetent, you could be promoted all the way to the top. Everything was possible.

    In fact, the man nicknamed the King of Northern Xinjiang and themander-in-chief of an army of two hundred thousand was a grassroot.

    This was why Ye Qing didn¡¯t think that he was screwing Xue Beikun over even though he was demoted a full rank. In fact, it was a blessing in disguise. With Chen Wuxin working with him, Xue Beikun could earn the military merits he needed to climb up the ranks at a rapid pace, and Chen Wuxin could expand his forces as well.

    It was killing two birds with one stone, and he fully expected Xue Beikun to surpass his previous position in just a short time. When the time was right, they would be a major help in his grand n.

    His enemies thought they could fuck with him? Okay. He would y.

    ¡°Xue Beikun? Commandant-in-chief? You have connections in the border army?¡± Chen Wuxin was speechless. Every time he thought he had had a grasp of Ye Qing¡¯s abilities, the young man would strive to surpass it. ¡°Is he reliable?¡±

    ¡°He will never betray me,¡± Ye Qing replied simply.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. With his aid, things should be even easier.¡± Chen Wuxin didn¡¯t prod deeper as he doubted that Ye Qing would give him a straight answer. ¡°When and how can I contact him?¡±

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°He will contact you in due time. Just bring the Fog Demon, and he will know that you are one of mine and trust you.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Chen Wuxin nodded.

    ¡°Remember. Always be careful, and keep a low profile as best you can,¡± Ye Qing advised.

    ¡°Like I need you to tell me that!¡± Chen Wuxin shrugged.

    Ye Qing nodded and drank his wine. When he looked up and saw that Chen Wuxin was still there, he asked, ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡±

    ¡°No¡­?¡± Chen Wuxin replied, puzzled.

    ¡°Then what are you waiting for? Get your ass over to Mount Qi already!¡± Ye Qing ordered.

    Chen Wuxin: ¡°...¡± <em>I ran all the way here without stopping just to meet up with you, and you¡¯re kicking me out before I can even enjoy a cup of wine? Are you even human?</em>

    ¡°It¡¯s going to take time for you to muster the Chaos Heaven Brigand and get everything prepared. That is why I need you to depart as soon as possible. This way, you can start as soon as Xue Beikun arrives at Qing Wu.¡±

    As if he could hear Chen Wuxin¡¯s thoughts, Ye Qing poured him a cup of wine and said, ¡°Sorry for the trouble, but I expect great things from you.¡±

    Chen Wuxin epted the cup of wine and drained it all in one gulp. Then he rose to his feet and dered, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll be going now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ye Qing got up to see him off. When Chen Wuxin was at the exit, Ye Qing suddenly called out to him. ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Chen Wuxin turned around with a puzzled look on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ye Qing raised his cup and saluted him. ¡°Take care. I¡¯ll treat you to a drink when you return.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Chen Wuxin suddenly burst into a hearty guffaw. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡±

 Chapter 548: Joy Bodhisattvaâ€™s Invitation

    Chapter 548: Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Invitation

    Chen Wuxin left as quickly as he came. After that, Ye Qing spent the next few days cultivating, cultivating, and even more cultivating.

    Ye Qing¡¯s cultivation n for himself was very simple. During the morning, he would refine the Profound Yellow Qi and cultivate the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± to temper his body. The sooner hepleted the final step of the martial art and ascended his body to the Grandmaster stage, the better.

    At night, he would use Nanke to hone his control over his new strength and body. At the same time, he also cultivated the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± to manifest his Yin God and enter the Spirit Master stage as soon as possible.

    Besides cultivation, Ye Qing would asionally take a stroll around or outside the city, but not to rx or catch some rest. In fact, he wasn¡¯t going to rest until he mastered the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±.

    The reason he went out was to seek out the items Nanke desired in exchange for its services. Thanks to the Annon Sutra, it was generally simple to satisfy ck Lord and White Lord¡¯s demands. In fact, a good number of items could be bought directly from the Tower of Cornucopia¡¯s shops. Sure, most of them were extremely expensive, but as the man who robbed the Chaos Heaven Brigand¡¯s treasury, money was the one thing he didn¡¯tck. Anything that money could solve was not a problem.

    However, not all of the items they requested could be purchased. In fact, some requests did not involve items at all. That was why Ye Qing asionally left the city to hunt certain Strangers or unusual items.

    Speaking of requests that did not involve items, sometimes, the two snakes would make some extremely unusual requests. For example, they would ask him to stay a night at a haunted house, stand under a tree during a thunderstorm for the entire day, run naked around the entire city one time, peep on Widow Wang, his neighbor while she bathed, tell Old Chen that his son¡¯s surname was really Wang[1], dip honey in piss and taste it, so on and so on.

    He did not know what the fuck was wrong with ck Lord and White Lord, but as a bashful man there were certain requests he would never ept. For example, he never epted the request to streak around the city, dip honey in piss and the like. However, there were some requests that his heart said no, but his cultivation said yes such as peeping on Widow Wang while she bathed. What was shame before the allure of power? Nay!

    It definitely wasn¡¯t because he wanted to peep on her himself. Nuh uh.Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for Nanke¡¯s demands, he would have stayed inside the Temple of Divination twenty-four seven. Thankfully, ck Lord and White Lord never gave him a task he couldn¡¯tplete, so overall everything was going as nned.

    Calendars do not exist in a mountain.

    Time flows like an unending stream.

    Beforete autumn was over, Bei You greeted its first big snow.

    The snow looked like goose feathers as they rode the icy wind and leisurely floated down the dark sky. It gave the brownish yellow soil of Northern Xinjiang a silvery make-up and lessened its usual ruggedness and roguishness.

    The pedestrians¡¯ attire had changed overnight as well. Almost everyone was wearing a thick sheepskin coat and hugging themselves tightly to keep warm. The white outfit made them look like a natural part of the wind and snow.

    It was like the spring wind had changed thendscape overnight and filled it with flowers.

    In Northern Xinjiang, snow was asmon as the rain of Tian Yong. It was perfectly normal and nothing to be surprised about. In fact, Yi Pin imed that this year¡¯s snow was actually a lotter than normal. Previously, a days-long snow would appear as soon as September or October, but this year it didn¡¯t snow until November.

    This was Bei You¡¯s first snow of the year and Ye Qing¡¯s first snow since he arrived at Bei You. Yi Pin believed that it was worthmemorating and decided to set up a stove in the courtyard. They just sat there admiring the snow while drinking white and cookingmb meat. It was a rxing, peaceful moment especially for Ye Qing since he had been cultivating almost non-stop until that point.

    Their wine bottles were half-full when a series of knocks came from the entrance.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing set down his cup with a slight frown on his face. ¡°It looks like we have honored guests today. Please greet them, Longxiang.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Longxiang got to his feet, patted away the snow on his outfit, and left to open the front door.

    A beautiful nun was standing outside the entrance. Her head was shaved, but her bald head actually added to her charm instead of diminishing it. Not only that, the somewhat heavy snow didn¡¯t affect her in the slightest. Whenever a snowke was around one meter away from the woman, its speed of descent would suddenly suffer, and it would always fall one meter away from the woman.

    It was as if nature itself was submitting to her.

    ¡°Are Reverend Yi Pin and Warrior Ye around, young man?¡± the woman asked smilingly while sping her hands together in a prayer.

    Li Longxiang nked out for a moment. He had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life.

    The woman did not lose her cool even though Longxiang was so stunned by her appearance that he forgot to speak. ¡°Are Reverend Yi Pin and Warrior Ye around, little reverend?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! Yes, they are!¡± Li Longxiang finally returned to the earth and looked down at his feet while blushing furiously.

    ¡°Please invite her inside, Longxiang,¡± Ye Qing called out while looking at the woman¡¯s general direction. He had a feeling that he knew who she was.

    ¡°Senior uncle has given you permission, so pleasee inside.¡± Li Longxiang stepped out of the way and motioned for the woman to enter.

    ¡°Thank you, little reverend.¡± The woman nodded and stepped into the courtyard. She then saluted Yi Pin and Ye Qing and said, ¡°Greetings, Reverend Yi Pin, Warrior Ye. I am Worriless of the Buddhist Hall of Joy.¡±

    ¡°The Worriless Protector?! To think you would grace our lowly temple with your presence!¡± Yi Pin jumped to his feet and eximed with pleasant surprise before Ye Qing could even say anything. ¡°Please, take a seat.¡±

    Ye Qing sped his own hands and said, ¡°Well met, protector.¡±

    ¡°Please, there is no need to be so courteous,¡± Worriless replied politely and smilingly. ¡°First, I would like to apologize for taking up your time. The reason I came here is to invite the two of you to attend the Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast five dayster. It is her sincerest wish that you would grace her halls with your presence!¡±

    Worriless then produced two golden invitation letters from her sleeves and sent them floating into Ye Qing and Yi Pin¡¯s hands. ¡°These are your invitation letters.¡±

    After the duo epted the invitation letters, Ye Qing said courteously, ¡°The Bodhisattva is too courteous. She did not need to send someone as important as you to be her messenger.¡±

    Worriless smiled at him. ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t find this task to be beneath me. You are the Bodhisattva¡¯s honored guests, and it is my honor to be able to invite you to her Trueman feast.¡±

    ¡°You tter us, protector,¡± Yi Pin said with a wide grin on his face. ¡°Would you like to take a seat? It¡¯s pretty cold today, I¡¯m sure you can use a cup of tea or two to warm up your body.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but I have to return to the Bodhisattva and report thepletion of my mission,¡± Worriless turned him down gently. ¡°Please attend the Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast five dayster.¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± both Ye Qing and Yi Pin replied in unison.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Worriless sped her hands together in prayer, nodded, and took her leave just like that.

    After Worriless was gone, Yi Pin looked at the invitation letter and clicked his tongue in amazement. ¡°I can¡¯t believe Joy Bodhisattva sent a protector just to invite you to her Trueman feast. She seems to value you a lot for some reason!¡±

    ¡°She invited you as well, didn¡¯t she?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re the one she really wants to invite. I¡¯m just the extra,¡± Yi Pin said with a tinge of jealousy.

    Ye Qing nced at him with astonishment. ¡°Sometimes, your self-awareness really surprises me, brother.¡±

    Yi Pin: ¡°...¡± <em>Why do I feel like you¡¯re taking a jab at me?</em>

    ¡°Anyway, are we going or not?¡±

    ¡°Joy Bodhisattva went so far as to send a protector to give me my invitation letter. Do you think I really have the option to say no?¡± Ye Qing sighed.

    To be honest, he really didn¡¯t want to attend the Trueman feast. Why would he go when he could be cultivating within the safety of his own walls? Besides, he had a feeling that he was going to get embroiled in some sort of trouble <em>again </em>if he went.

    Unfortunately, Joy Bodhisattva had sent a protector to invite him almost as if she had anticipated his response. If he did not show up, there was a good chance he would earn her ire andnd himself in even more trouble. All in all, he did not have a choice.

    ¡°What about you, brother?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Yi Pin shook his head without hesitation.

    ¡°You¡¯re not? But why?¡± Ye Qing was caught off guard by his reply. <em>If you didn¡¯t want to go, then why did you say yes just now?</em>

    ¡°One, every big shot in Bei You would be attending Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast. I have no intention of showing my face to these people and embarrassing myself.¡±

    ¡°Two, I promised a client that I would be checking out their <em>fengshui </em>exactly five dayster, so I can¡¯t actually attend the feast.¡±

    Yi Pin then fixed at Ye Qing with a wordless stare and said slowly, ¡°And finally, I have this feeling that being near you in a setting like that is like setting a powder keg next to an inferno. Sorry, but I have no intentions of getting caught up in your troubles. Good luck.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <em>You wound me, brother!</em>

    1. Meaning that Old Wang cucked him. ?

 Chapter 549: Sixth Mouse

    <h4>Chapter 549: Sixth Mouse</h4>

    There was a famous town named Joy Town about fifteen kilometers to the south of Bei You City, and next to the town was a mountain named Blissful Mountain. The Buddhist Hall of Joy was located at its peak.

    A mountain was just a mountain until someone noteworthy and decided to give it a name. That was the case for Blissful Mountain. Blissful Mountain used to be an ordinary, nameless mountain, and Joy Town used to be called something else until Joy Bodhisattva founded the Buddhist Hall of Joy.

    When Ye Qing arrived at Joy Town, the ce was already overflowing with people. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the shirts blotted out the ground, and sweat fell like a rain.

    Most of them weren¡¯t here to attend Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast though. They were just here to partake in the festivities.

    Did they not want to attend Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast? Of course they did. They just weren¡¯t qualified. Those who did had either received an invitation letter from Joy Bodhisattva, or were big shots in their own right. No one else had the right to ascend Blissful Mountain at this time.

    Even so, countless jianghu warriors came to Joy Town to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event. It wasn¡¯t every day a Trueman feast was held, and a Grandmaster offered to share their insight after all. Even if they couldn¡¯t attend the feast itself, there was no harm in witnessing a Trueman¡¯s power and broadening one¡¯s horizon.

    Most importantly, the world itself changed when a Grandmaster decided to share their knowledge in public. It was also highly probable that Joy Town would be caught up in whatever phenomenon the sermon created. If they could gain something from this, then it would be worth it.

    But of course, most of them were really hoping to sneak up Blissful Mountain and slip into the Buddhist Hall of Joy in secret. If they seeded, and they were spotted by a senior or a powerful faction, then their lives would be changed forever.

    There were even some people who were looking to duel with a famous warrior in hopes of bing famous overnight.

    Ye Qing himself saw many unfortunate bastards trying to sneak up Blissful Mountain only to have their asses kicked by the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy and thrown out.

    It was a shameful experience as a matter of course, but since this was a celebration day for the Buddhist Hall of Joy, the disciples did not take anyone¡¯s life. As a result, a lot of people were emboldened to try again and again.

    Ye Qing did not linger overly long because he had departed from the Temple of Divination a littleter than expected. There was only a day left before the Trueman feast was held, so he made his way to the mountain pass as quickly as he was able.

    He had just arrived at the mountain pass when two Buddhist Hall of Joy disciples stopped him in his tracks. He was just about to hand his invitation letter to the disciples when suddenly, it curled up like a snake, slipped out of his hand, hit the ground with a plop, and vanished into the crowd just like that.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ye Qing blinked and nced at the two disciples.

    The female disciple noted his confusion and reminded, ¡°Benefactor, we cannot allow you to enter the mountain if you do not have an invitation letter.¡±

    Ye Qing blinked again and finally snapped back to reality. ¡°Someone stole my invitation letter right in front of your eyes. Aren¡¯t you going to do anything about this?¡±

    The male disciple exined, ¡°Our job is to collect the invitation letters only. We do not take responsibility for anything else.¡±

    ¡°Besides, if you can¡¯t even protect your own invitation letter, then you prove that you have no right to attend our Trueman feast in the first ce.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± That¡¯s very jianghu.

    There were many others who had witnessed the theft, and they were all wearing looks of schadenfreude on their faces. No one was surprised, however. This clearly wasn¡¯t the first time such a thing had happened.

    ¡°My name is Joyless Ye. Can I go in?¡± Ye Qing asked. He did not have an invitation letter at the moment, but perhaps Joy Bodhisattva had informed her disciples about him?

    ¡°My apologies, but we have never heard your name before. What sect do you belong to? Do you have proof?¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± The crowd burst intoughter upon hearing this. Who did he think he was? Did he think he could get inside with his looks or something?

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°Fine. Give me a moment. I¡¯ll be back with my invitation letter very soon.¡±

    n B was a dud as well. Clearly, Joy Bodhisattva had not informed her disciples about him. In that case, he had no choice but to get his invitation letter back.

    Of course, he could say that he knew Joy Bodhisattva and the Worriless Protector, but even if the disciples believed him, everyone would think that he was a useless person who got in purely because of his connections, and that was more than his pride could ept.

    ¡°I just want to keep a low profile. Why is it so difficult?¡± Ye Qing massaged his forehead and turned around.

    The crowd burst intoughter again when they heard Ye Qing¡¯s words. No one believed that he could actually get back his invitation letter. If this was somewhere else and some other time, then sure. However, Joy Town was currently drowning in a sea of limbs right now. The thief only needed to bend their waist and duck into the nearest group to vanish like a mud statue that fell into the sea. It was near impossible to track down anyone like this.

    Even if he could track down the thief, how was he going to catch up to them? Again, the ce was absolutely jam-packed with people. Even walking had be a task that demanded one¡¯s full attention, much less pursuing someone. And if he was too rough when he was shoving someone out of his way, then he would be making enemies for himself.

    Right now, nearly everyone walking the streets of Joy Town was a jianghu warrior, and mild-natured was no one¡¯s middle name. If he enraged someone, then the game of pursuit would suddenly turn into a game of survival¡ªfor Ye Qing.

    In fact, a lot of people had lost their invitation letters for all kinds of reasons, and a good number of them were pretty strong. They had caused quite themotion in their attempt to reim their invitation letter, but not a single one of them had seeded. In fact, some had even died for their rash decision.

    If even those powerful warriors could not seed, what could a weakling like Ye Qing possibly do? His aura was weaker than most of them!

    That wasn¡¯t all. There were a good number of malicious or petty-minded people who purposely moved into Ye Qing¡¯s way and blocked his path. It was to dy the young man and make it even more impossible for him to reim his invitation letter, of course.

    Jianghu warriors were only all too happy to start trouble. We¡¯re so much better than you, and yet we never even got an invitation letter. Why does a weak nobody like you get to have an invitation letter?

    If we can¡¯t have it, then no one can!

    People with such a mentality would never be in the minority. Even as Ye Qing took another step, the throng of people blocking his way grew a little thicker. Their malice was more than palpable.

    Ye Qing paid them no heed, however. He continued to walk forward like they didn¡¯t exist.

    It was at this moment the crowd¡¯s malicious grins suddenly stiffened on their faces. When Ye Qing reached them, they abruptly parted as if a massive, invisible hand was parting them into two. What was strange was that not a single person seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary at all. Their expressions were ckened, and their eyes unfocused as they dumbly moved out of Ye Qing¡¯s way.

    Naturally, Ye Qing¡¯s departure didn¡¯t cause anymotion whatsoever.

    Ye Qing continued to stride forward with confidence and leisure. Wherever he went, people automatically stepped out of the way as if he was Joy Bodhisattva herself. Just a few breathster, Ye Qing saw the back of the thief who stole his invitation letter.

    The thief was an old man with a goatee. He had a slim figure, beady eyes, and syed incisors that gave him the appearance of a mouse.

    Right now, the old man was weaving between the crowd and escaping from the crime scene as quickly as possible. There should be barely any space between the people to move at all, and yet the old man¡¯s movement art was quite impressive. No matter how little space there was, he could always spot a hole and slip through with milimeters to spare. He seriously resembled a mouse.

    The old man¡¯s name was Shu Jianyun (Growing Clouds). Despite having a poetic, elegant name, he neither looked nor acted like such a person. In fact, he was a kleptomaniac and a pervert who stuck to the shadows far more than he ever did in the light. Because he was the sixth child of his family, the jianghu eventually gave him a fitting moniker, Sixth Mouse.

    Despite his terrible moniker and reputation, Shu Jianyun hadn¡¯t lived until old age because he was dogshit lucky. His thieving skills and movement art were so outstanding that he managed to garner some small amount of reputation in Northern Xinjiang. A lot of people even called him, ¡°Senior Mouse¡± when they saw him.

    But of course, Shu Jianyun was nothing before a giant like the Buddhist Hall of Joy. The fact that he didn¡¯t receive an invitation letter was all the proof one needed to see to know what they thought of him.

    Sixth Mouse came to Joy Town today to attend the Trueman feast, of course. Specifically, he was here for the knowledge sharing. He was only one small step away from manifesting his Yin God and entering the Spirit Master stage, and Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s knowledge might just be what he needed to achieve a breakthrough.

    Of course, he had to enter the Buddhist Hall of Joy first, but he did not have an invitation letter, and he wasn¡¯t famous enough to get in with just his face either. What should he do?

 Chapter 550: Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma

    <h4>Chapter 550: Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma </h4>

    The answer was simple. He just needed to steal one. Luckily for him, stealing was his bread and butter, and the Buddhist Hall of Joy did not care who entered their halls so long as they had an invitation letter.

    Things had gone exactly as expected. It took him little trouble to obtain his first invitation letter. Then, Sixth Mouse had a genius idea.

    <i>Why don¡¯t I steal more invitation letters and sell them?</i>

    A lot of people came today to attend Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast and listen to her sermon. This was doubly true for those warriors who were stuck in a bottleneck and were looking to achieve a breakthrough.

    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to sneak past the Buddhist Hall of Joy¡¯s defenses. The fact that no one had seeded at slipping in was the proof of that. Despair was slowly but surely encroaching on these people.

    Now then¡ªwhat would happen if someone were to sell them an invitation letter?

    They would pay anything to have it, of course.

    He would be a much richer man, and he would still be able to enter the Buddhist Hall of Joy. It was killing two birds with one stone.

    Even better, this environment was perfect for slipping away. An ordinary thief could have slipped away with little to no trouble, much less a professional like him. No one would ever be able to catch him.

    And so Sixth Mouse kicked off his lucrative venture, and at first, everything went exactly as nned. It took him little to no trouble to steal a handful of invitation letters and sell them to desperate buyers, and it wasn¡¯t long before his Nature¡¯s Shell was filled with goods and money.

    However, Sixth Mouse soon realized that the stealing part of his n wasn¡¯t efficient. Even before he could try anything, he must decide if his target owned an invitation letter at all, and if they were weak enough that he could steal from them without repercussions. It took too much brain power so to speak.

    Another genius idea came to him then. He could just hang out at the one ce where all letter holders would appear: the entrance to the Buddhist Hall of Joy! Every time someone presented their letter, he would steal it from right under their noses!

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to steal indiscriminately. He only picked on the weaklings. Most of these people were either juniors of a major faction who had received the invitation letters from their seniors, or people who got dogshit lucky.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of offending these people or the factions behind them because of one simple reason: they had to find out who was the one who stole their invitation letter first, and he, Sixth Mouse, was oh-so-sneaky. Even if they found out that it was him, it still wasn¡¯t a problem. Besides stealing, he was an expert in hiding and escaping as well. If worse came to worst, he could simply duck into a forgotten corner and sit out the manhunt.

    And who in the world could find a mouse determined to stay put in its hole?

    Finally, Sixth Mouse was a greedy man, but he was a greedy man who knew that overdoing something was folly. The Trueman feast would begin tomorrow, so he needed to finish processing the invitation letters he currently possessed now.

    Stealing from the young man was his final heist. He would have stopped sooner, but the young man looked so innocent he probably would have lost his invitation letter to other thieves and robbers, so Sixth Mouse decided that he might as well cut his misery short.

    <i>This has been a most profitable heist. When this Trueman feast is over, I¡¯m going to pamper myself like an emperor!</i>

    Sixth Mouse was imagining all kinds of ways to spend his newfound wealth when suddenly, he realized that something was amiss. Specifically, he noticed that many people were looking behind his back. When he sumbed to his curiosity and looked back, his mind abruptly stuttered to a dead stop.

    There was no one behind him. To be more urate, it looked like an invisible hand had pushed the crowd to both sides of the street. At the center of the street was a young man looking like he was taking a stroll in the park and walking straight toward him.

    Their eyes met, and the young man blinked at him. The corners of his mouth were slowly turning up as well.

    Every hair on Sixth Mouse¡¯s body stood on end immediately. He recognized the young man, and he recognized the fact that he needed to escape <i>now </i>before it was toote.

    Unfortunately, he had just twitched a muscle when he caught the young man rapping the space beside his knuckles out of the corner of his eyes. His consciousness immediately grew blurry, and he came to a stop instead of running away as he originally nned.

    Ye Qing casually walked up to Sixth Mouse and grabbed him by the shoulder. When the thief stole his invitation letter, he immediately retaliated by attaching a wisp of demonic thought to his person. From that point onward, there was no way for the thief to escape him no matter how fast or sneaky he was.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing felt something disappearing from his grip. Sixth Mouse had somehow disappeared and left only his shirt behind.

    ¡°Huh. Interesting,¡±mented Ye Qing with a raised eyebrow. The fact that this thief managed to break out of his ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± proved that his spirit was pretty strong.

    The escape was only temporary, however. It didn¡¯t even take half a second for Ye Qing to lock his gaze onto the guy once more.

    To his surprise, the thief had somehow gotten a new set of clothes. His appearance looked drastically different from before as well. If his demonic thought hadn¡¯t been attached to the guy this whole time, there was a real chance he could have lost himpletely.

    Turning a little more serious, Ye Qing gently nted a foot on the ground and caused the entire street to shake soundlessly. Caught off guard, most people lost their footing and stumbled uncontrobly toward the two sides of the street.

    During this time, Ye Qing blurred out of existence and reappeared behind the thief. Then, he reached out to grab his shoulder.

    Meanwhile, Sixth Mouse suddenly discovered that the air around him had grown as thick as sludge. Face turning ugly, he gritted his teeth and let out a growl.

    The next moment, all five fingers on his left hand abruptly exploded into bits. Not a moment sooner, the blood transformed into a giant maw and swallowed Sixth Mouse whole.

    The maw disappeared immediately after that. Just like that, Sixth Mouse escaped once more.

    ¡°He¡¯s quite the slippery one, isn¡¯t he? No wonder he dared to do such a thing!¡±

    Ye Qing clenched his fist, causing a loud pop that sounded like a thunderp of the biggest lightning. Everyone in the vicinity clutched their ears in pain and staggered on their feet.

    A momentter, the invisible space in front of Ye Qing began to ripple. It grew more and more rapid until a strange flesh bag abruptly popped into existence.

    The bag was made of blood and meat. He could see blood vessels crawling all over the thing and scarlet blood dripping from the bottom. It was also expanding and contracting rhythmically almost like it was a human heart or something.

    The next moment, the flesh bag spat something on the ground. It was a man covered in slimy, sticky fluid. Some people failed to get out of the way in time and were covered in the slime as well.

    ¡°BLAAAAAARGHHHHH!!!¡±

    As soon as the smell hit, everyone began throwing up the contents of their stomach like crazy. Even Ye Qing was frowning a little as well. The slime smelled like vomit, but a dozen times worse than normal. It was disgusting to say the least.

    The man the flesh bag had spat out was Sixth Mouse, of course. Right now, he was covered in slime and still bleeding from the stump that was his left hand. It was both a sorry and nauseating sight.

    The man couldn¡¯t care less about his current state, however. He immediately climbed to his feet and ran toward the crowd again.

    Regret, shock and fear like never before was clutching him in a death grip. He had never encountered such a terrifying young man in his life. None of his escape tactics were working, and even his trump card, the flesh bag, had been dismantled with ease.

    The flesh bag was called the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact. As its name implied, it was a Strange Artifact forged from the stomach of the Stranger known as the Finger Eating Grandma.

    The Finger Eating Grandma was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger with a head as tiny as a fist, and a stomach as big as a pregnant woman. She enjoyed feeding on human fingers, and every time it was the middle of the month, she would sneak into a human¡¯s house and feast on their fingers. However, the human would not notice the loss of their fingers until they bled to death.

    The reason the Finger Eating Grandma was ssified as Phenomenon-ss was due to her potent spatial traversal ability. She could hide herself in a different space and avoid detection from most people.

    The Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma was a pocket space that could amodate far more things than a normal human¡¯s stomach. Just like the Stranger it was created from, it too possessed the ability to traverse through space and conceal itself. Its wielder could use it to hide themselves in its pocket space and temporarily disappear from the real world.

 Chapter 551: Is That You, Captain Gui?

    <h4>Chapter 551: Is That You, Captain Gui? </h4>

    Of course, using the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma came at a huge cost.

    First, the user must sacrifice their fingers to use it. The more fingers they sacrificed, the more potent the effects.

    Second, the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma was a living object. Naturally, it was filled with stomach acid and half-digested food. The user must withstand not just its horrible stench, but also the corrosive stomach acid. If they stayed inside the stomach for too long, there was a huge chance they might join the pool of digestive juice themselves.

    That said, the bigger the price paid, the more potent a Strange Artifact became. That was the case for the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma. Not only could it temporarily disappear from the real world, it could even depart the space it had disappeared from without being detected.

    Sixth Mouse had a lot of enemies as a matter of course, and he never failed to escape them using the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma... until now. He had no idea what the young man did, but he somehow forced him out of his pocket space and even dealt him a serious blow.

    Regret like never before gripped Sixth Mouse. He knew the folly of overstaying his wee, didn¡¯t he? He was going to call it a day and go about his merry business, didn¡¯t he? So why oh why did he get greedy and sumb to the temptation of onest heist?

    It sure looked like it was going to be thest heist of his life alright. The dangerous presence behind him was getting closer and closer despite his best efforts to escape, and his face grew whiter and whiter as a result. despair was slowly but surely oveing Sixth Mouse.

    It was at this moment a group of people approached from a distance. The leader of the group was a huge, muscr man that looked more bear than human. He was carrying a massive, blood red axe behind his back. His followers were massive as well. Nearly all of them stood half a body taller than the surrounding crowd, and they were all carrying a massive axe on their shoulders. They reeked of blood and roguishness.

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to know that they were a group of violent murderers who had killed more than they could count.

    Unlike most others, this group did not care if they offended the people around them. Every time someone stood in their way, they would violently shove them out of the way while yelling expletives the entire time. Their attitude was as grant as their actions.

    Furious as they were, their victims took one look at them before choosing to stay silent. Those standing in front of the group also chose to move out of their way before they were moved out of the way.

    Sixth Mouse had a different idea, however. When he saw the group, he immediately pounced toward them like he had found his saviors.

    ¡°Boss Xiong, help! Someone is trying to rob me!¡±

    ¡°What the fuck?!¡±

    Try putting yourself in the leader¡¯s shoes. You were strolling down a street with your head held high when suddenly, a wet, extremely smelly thing suddenly ran toward you at top speed. What would you do in this situation?

    The big man did not even think. He immediately grabbed his axe and swung it at the iing object.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A red light severed heaven and earth. Sixth Mouse never expected his would-be savior to attack him, not to mention that the attack was beyond powerful. The axe force split him in half and killed him before he could react[1].

    The axe force didn¡¯t just split Sixth Mouse in half, or rather, Sixth Mouse was nowhere tough enough to diminish its power in the slightest. It continued forward and severed a couple of unfortunate passersby in half as well.

    Seeing this, Ye Qing dashed forward and blocked in front of the axe force before it could cause any more harm. He then grabbed it with his bare hand, squeezed, and shattered it into smithereens.

    Meanwhile, the big man was ncing left and right with a ferocious look on his face. ¡°What the fuck! Who¡¯s the bastard who tried to ambush me with shit? I swear I¡¯ll tear them a new asshole with my axe!¡±

    ¡°Ahem... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s shit, brother. I think that¡¯s a person,¡± one guy next to the big man spoke up.

    ¡°A person? Are you sure? What kind of person looks and smells like pure shit?¡± The big man did not believe him.

    ¡°No really, look. It has a head, a body, a pair of arms and legs, and even a bunch of intestines!¡± Another guy joined in.

    ¡°Huh. It does look like a person.¡± The big man bent down and looked the body up and down while pinching his nose tightly. ¡°Wait a second. Is it just me, or does he look familiar for some reason?¡±

    ¡°Senior Mouse... I think he¡¯s Senior Mouse!¡± Someone eximed in surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s him alright. Look at the bag behind his back. You never see him without his precious Strange Artifact!¡± A guy echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Sixth Mouse?¡± The big man squinted a little harder. ¡°Huh. It really is that mouse. Who¡¯s the bastard who killed my brother? I¡¯m gonna kill him if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡±

    Someone coughed. ¡°Ahem... boss. You¡¯re the one who killed him.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, I did, didn¡¯t I? Never mind then.¡± The big man scratched his head before voicing his confusion. ¡°But why did Sixth Mouse run into my axe of his own choice? Is he crazy, suicidal, or both?¡±

    ¡°Er, I wasn¡¯t really paying attention, but I think he was crying for help before you killed him, boss,¡± someone answered.

    ¡°Crying for help? Are you sure?¡± The big man continued to scratch his head in puzzlement.

    ¡°I think so, boss.¡± The underling standing next to him nodded.

    ¡°If he¡¯s crying for help, then someone must be trying to kill him.¡±

    The big man¡¯s eyes grew as wide as bronze bells as he mmed the butt of his axe on the ground, causing a huge pit as a result. As he scanned his surroundings with his hawk eyes, he roared, ¡°Who is the bastard who tried to kill my brother? Show yourself so I can send you to his grave!¡±

    A tidal wave of killing intent washed out of him, and it was so thick it was almost tangible. Scalp crawling, the surrounding people immediately backed away from the big man until a clearing appeared. The only one still standing in the clearing was the group... and Ye Qing.

    ¡°Are you the bastard who tried to kill my brother, boy?¡± The big man affixed his gaze on Ye Qing and snarled.

    The big man was three meters tall and as wide as the broad side of a barn[2]. If he was a bear, then Ye Qing was like a littlemb who identally stumbled into the territory of a pack of bears.

    Ye Qing did not react to the big man¡¯s intimidation, however. He simply said slowly, ¡°I was chasing him, yes, but I wasn¡¯t going to kill him. I was just going to take back the item he stole.¡±

    ¡°He stole from you? What did he steal?¡± the big man asked.

    ¡°An invitation letter. You can check his Nature¡¯s Shell if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°You, go check out Sixth Mouse¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell.¡± The big man gestured at one of his followers. His follower obeyed and dug through the goo of blood and vomit withoutint.

    A short whileter, his follower found what he was looking for and checked its content. He confirmed, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s as he said. There really are a bunch of invitation letters inside the Nature¡¯s Shell.¡±

    ¡°No, wait. These are all invitation letters to the Trueman feast!¡± Someone eximed in excitement.

    The big man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s awesome! With these invitation letters, we can bring a couple more brothers with us to the Bodhisattva¡¯s sermon!¡±

    ¡°Ahem...¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting Sixth Mouse to carry this many invitation letters with him either. At a nce, there were at least seven or eight invitation letters in the Nature¡¯s Shell. The problem was that the group was obviously plotting to im the invitation letters for himself, so he coughed and said politely, ¡°Excuse me, can I please have my invitation letter back?¡±

    ¡°Your invitation letter?¡± The big man stared at him with his big eyes. ¡°And what proof do you have that the invitation letter is yours? Will it fly back to your hand if you call its name?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Do you think I¡¯m Sun Wukong or something?</i>

    ¡°My name is Joyless Ye. One of the invitation letters has my name on it,¡± Ye Qing exined patiently. He seriously did not want to get into more trouble if he could help it. He would leave as soon as he reimed his invitation letter.

    ¡°Boss, it¡¯s as he said. His name is on the invitation letter,¡± someone pulled out an invitation letter and said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The big man began furrowing his eyebrows in displeasure. ¡°Who gave you the right to write your name on my invitation letter?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Is that you, Captain Gui? </i>[3]

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°I have other proof that will prove that the invitation letter is mine.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? What is it?¡± The big man asked.

    ¡°Give me the invitation letter, and I¡¯ll show you the proof,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Hah! Do you think I¡¯m stupid? What if I gave you the invitation letter, but you refuse to return it to me?¡± The big man sneered. ¡°Plus, this is <i>my </i>stuff. Why should I give it to you?¡±

    ¡°You leave me no choice then.¡± Ye Qing sighed again. The big man didn¡¯t look like the brightest bulb, so he was hoping that he could trick him into giving up the invitation letter. But now, he had no choice but to take it by force.

    As soon as he finished, Ye Qing blurred and appeared in front of the big man.

    Despite his size, the big man wasn¡¯t slow in the slightest. He immediately swung his axe at Ye Qing. Judging from the sheer power behind the attack, it could split even a boulder in half, much less a flesh-and-blood person.

    Some of the bystanders even looked away because they didn¡¯t want to taint their eyes with the gruesome sight.

    1. The irony is that Ye Qing might have let Sixth Mouse live if he just surrendered and gave up his goods. If you guys ever find yourself in a simr situation¡ªno, I¡¯m not using anyone of thievery, I¡¯m just making an example¡ªremember that a fine and maybe a night in a prison cell beats dying lol. ?

    2. His height isn¡¯t an exaggeration, but his width is. Tell me if I should change it. ?

    3. This is a reference to a character in a 2007 TV series called ¡°The Secret Facility¡±. ?

 Chapter 552: My Name Is Big Bear, and I Am Not Embarrassed

    <h4>Chapter 552: My Name Is Big Bear, and I Am Not Embarrassed </h4>

    The next moment, shock rippled across the crowd like a tidal wave, but it was a different kind of shock.

    There were neither flying limbs nor spraying blood. The cruel murder they had envisioned did not happen at all.

    Instead, they saw two fingers catching the falling de like it was a feather.

    Have you ever seen a child holding up a mountain with two hands?

    It was like that. As stunning as it was ludicrous.

    The big man was no ordinary person. He was the gang boss of the Blood Axe Gang and an early-stage Spirit Master, Big Bear. And no, he did not have a younger brother called Little Bear. What kind of family would that be?

    If cultivation was all Big Bear had, then he wouldn¡¯t be as feared as he was. He was also a Strangerkin with the bloodline of the Mountain Flipping Bear. A Phenomenon-ss Stranger famed for its physical strength and tenacity, it was said to be capable of flipping over a mountain like it was a toy. In fact, the feat was how it got its name in the first ce.

    Since Big Bear possessed the Mountain Flipping Bear¡¯s bloodline, he naturally inherited its abilities as well. He was tall and muscr, tough and strong. His strength in particrpletely exceeded what a normal human warrior should be able to achieve. Once upon a time, he had physically torn a middle-stage Spirit Master in half with his bare hands. To call him monstrously strong would be an understatement.

    But now, a young man had caught his full-powered strike with two fingers. Two. Fingers.

    Was this not shocking?

    Was this not ludicrous?

    Something even more shocking and ludicrous happened then. As Big Bear let out an angry roar, ck fur grew out of its arms, and a pair of fangs from the corners of his mouth. His muscles swelled, and his clothes were ripped apart as he grew an entire size bigger. A violent, terrifying aura washed out into the surroundings, and the ground beneath his feet split into cracks. Right now, he looked just like a demonic, man-eating bear.

    ¡°RAAAAAHHH!!!¡±

    Big Bear roared again and pushed down again with a savage snarl. A ring appeared around their feet before the earth abruptly exploded and formed a deep pit.

    Still, the fingers holding the massive axe did not so much as tremble.

    Still, Big Bear¡¯s axe could not push an inch closer toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°This cannot be happening!¡±

    Big Bear¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as his right hand released its grip on the axe. Then, he raised a fist high into the air before punching the butt of the axe with all he got.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A powerful shockwave kicked up a ton of dust and knocked countless people off their feet. For a time, chaos reigned across the entire street.

    When the chaos finally settled down a little, and the dust clouds had subsidedpletely, the people saw a massive pit at the center of the street.

    Big Bear was the only one in the pit, however. Ye Qing was nowhere to be seen.

    Right now, Big Bear was panting heavily and looking as white as a sheet. The axe was now just a stick since the de had beenpletely obliterated by the punch.

    <i>Is he dead?</i>

    <i>Did Big Bear punch that poor man into oblivion after all?</i>

    Simr thoughts were crossing everyone¡¯s mind, but they immediately wondered why they couldn¡¯t find a sign of the young man anywhere. Even if they assumed that the attack had obliterated the young manpletely, surely he would have left behind at least a drop of blood, right?

    Big Bear¡¯s ugly expression did not resemble an expression of victory either.

    Suddenly, one of Big Bear¡¯s subordinates cried out, ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s the invitation letter? How did it vanish all of a sudden?¡±

    He was the guy holding Ye Qing¡¯s invitation letter. The item had suddenly gone missing after that big attack. How was that possible?

    ¡°Where¡¯s that boy, boss? Did you evaporate him with your punch or something?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Big Bear wheeled around and red at his subordinate furiously like a wounded beast.

    Had he won?

    Of course not. Not even close.

    He had thrown every ounce of strength he possessed into that punch. It was as strong as the full-powered attack of a body-tempering middle-stage Spirit Master. However, the axe was unmoved, and the young man¡¯s fingers remained as stable as a mountain when his fist smashed into the back of the de. For a moment, he felt as powerless as an ant trying to topple a mountain.

    The next moment, his eyes widened in horror. The young man tightened his grip just a bit, and the giant axe¡ªa Strange Artifact he had forged using Blood Copper¡ªshattered into pieces almost as if it was made of rust.

    The young man disappeared after that. He had no idea where he went.

    From the start until the end, he wasn¡¯t able to gain any sort of advantage over the young man whatsoever. No, it was worse. It was like the battle between a child and a full-grown adult. It wasn¡¯t even a fight. It was a one-sided beating, and he was the child on the receiving end of the whip.

    He had never lost so horribly since he awoke his Mountain Flipping Bear bloodline; had never been humiliated this badly until now. But more than his rage and shame, it was overwhelming despair that dominated his thoughts.

    The young man was like an insurmountable mountain. He would never be able to reach its peak, much less ovee it for as long as he lived. There was just no hope for him to defeat the young man whatsoever.

    So, what was he going to do now?

    He wasn¡¯t going to do shit, of course. The young man had already shown him mercy by letting him live. He would have to be crazy to harass him further.

    He might be simple-minded, but he wasn¡¯t stupid!

    After waiting for a while and receiving no furtherments from Big Bear, one of his subordinates asked carefully, ¡°What do we do now, boss?¡±

    ¡°What else? We find a ce and drink some wine to celebrate all the invitation letters we got! C¡¯mon!¡± Big Bear pped his chest and took off in a random direction.

    Did something happen just now? No, not at all.

    He didn¡¯t feel embarrassed either. Embarrassment could only infect you if you allowed it.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Get lost!¡±

    Big Bear waved for the crowd to get out of his way and left with his men just like that.

    As for what happened to Sixth Mouse, again, he did not know who that guy was. If someone wanted to take a gander at that disgusting pool of gore, then that was their prerogative. He wanted nothing to do with it.

    After Big Bear¡¯s group was gone, the crowd suddenly exploded into loud murmurs like a pot of boiling kettle. Everyone was discussing the short battle, taking guesses at Ye Qing¡¯s background and more. It would be a long, long time before the gossiping finally subsided.

    The main character of the incident had no idea about this though. He was already on the way up to the peak of Blissful Mountain.

    Ye Qing did not want to blow up the matter. That was why he left immediately after teaching Big Bear a lesson and reiming his invitation letter.

    Besides that, he had also stolen the Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact known as the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma. He couldn¡¯t possibly walk away from a fight without iming some loot, right?

    He wanted it because of its ability to traverse space and conceal both itself and its user. Sure, it was a little disgusting to use, but it was absolutely one of, if not the best escape-type Strange Artifacts he had seen so far.

    Earlier, he had lost track of Sixth Mousepletely after he used the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma. He had no choice but to employ his full strength and force him back into the open.

    If Sixth Mouse had used this Strange Artifact while he was still a distance away from him, if he hadn¡¯t activated it right in front of his face, he might actually have seeded in running away.

    Unfortunately for Sixth Mouse, what ifs only existed in fiction.

    Since Sixth Mouse was dead in reality, it seemed only right that he, his killer, imed his legacy.

    Back in the present, Ye Qing was pondering how best to utilize the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma while admiring the scenery of Blissful Mountain.

    Blissful Mountain was both massive and beautiful. Clear streams were flowing down the mountain behind the cover of a lush, green forest, and Buddhist temples, towers, pavilions and more were everywhere. It possessed both the solemn dignity of Buddhism and the natural wonders of nature. Picturesque was the perfect adjective to describe it.

    He was about halfway up the mountain when he arrived at a spot where both sides of the road were filled with statues of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and celestial women. A giant gate with the words ¡°Buddhist Hall of Joy¡± hanging at the top loomed over him, and he could tell that the calligraphy was imbued with the air of Buddhism. Profound and potent, one nce was enough to strike him with illusions flying celestials, the endless desires of the red dust, and whispers of joining the Buddhist Hall of Joy to attain ultimate bliss.

    A weak-willed person could have lost themselves to this illusion and convert into a worshiper of the Buddhist Hall of Joy. <i>Advertisement with a dose of mind control? They¡¯re a demonic sect alright.</i>

    If the area before the gate counted as the border between Joy Town and the Buddhist Hall of Joy, then the area past the gate definitely counted as the sect¡¯s territory. There were even more pavilions, halls, towers and temples in this area, and the smoke rising from the buildings and the natural mist shrouding the ce gave it the appearance of Kingdom of Buddha on earth.

    That said, there were noticeably more people past the gate than before as well. Wherever he looked, he saw disciples weing the guests and <i>jianghu </i>warriors greeting their hosts and their fellow people. The noise of humanity greatly diminished the divinity of the ce, but also made it feel a lot moreely and warm.

 Chapter 553: Easy To Enter, Difficult To Leave

    Chapter 553: Easy To Enter, Difficult To Leave

    ¡°Do you need help, warrior?¡±

    As soon as Ye Qing crossed over the threshold, a female disciple immediately came over to wee him.

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°Can you guide me to the Blissful Hall, please?¡±

    ¡°The Blissful Hall?¡± The female disciple looked surprised, but she quickly arranged her expression into something deferential and respectful and asked, ¡°May I take a look at your invitation letter, warrior?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Here you go,¡± Ye Qing replied and handed the invitation letter to the female disciple. After she took a look at its contents, she looked even more respectful as she handed the invitation letter back to Ye Qing and bowed. ¡°My deepest apologies for not anticipating your arrival beforehand, warrior. Miaoyin begs for your forgiveness.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Qing was confused by her reaction and rubbed his nose. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just take me to Blissful Hall, will you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Miaoyin rose back to full height and gestured for him to follow. ¡°This way please, warrior.¡±

    ¡°The Blissful Hall isn¡¯t here?¡± Ye Qing asked. Miaoyin was acting to climb up the mountain, but he noticed that therge majority of the disciples were guiding the guests toward the pavilions next to a public square in the area. They had to be the <em>jianghu </em>warriors participating in this Trueman feast, so why was he moving in a different direction?

    Miaoyin replied respectfully, ¡°This is where the ordinary guests stay, but you are no ordinary guest. That is why you will be staying in the Blissful Hall, the ce where we host our most esteemed guests, and it is located at the peak of Blissful Mountain.¡±¡°Oh, I see,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. Now he understood why Miaoyin¡¯s attitude had changed so suddenly and drastically. ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s go then.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± Miaoyin nodded and led the way.

    The higher they climbed, the bigger and more luxurious the buildings became, and the more beautiful the scenery was. It was also a lot more quiet and peaceful since the number of guests had declined drastically.

    ¡°This is the first time you¡¯re visiting our Buddhist Hall of Joy, am I right?¡± Miaoyin said after noting Ye Qing¡¯s behavior.

    He stopped looking left and right and said, ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s my first time here.¡±

    Miaoyin nodded. ¡°In that case, please allow me to act as your tour guide. There are plenty of scenic spots in the Buddhist Hall of Joy and Blissful Mountain, and there are some that you may never find an equal in a lifetime.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°Sure. Tell me.¡±

    Miaoyin began, ¡°Blissful Mountain is known to have Five Sceneries and Three Wonders. The Five Sceneries refer to Joy Forest, Buddhist Voice Cave, Fallen Moon Pond, Lotus Lake and Cloud Cliff.¡±

    ¡°The Joy Forest is a forest with three thousand Buddha and Bodhisattva sculptures in it. Theye in all shapes and sizes, and one may study to be enlightened in the wonderful ways of the Buddha.¡±

    ¡°The Buddhist Voice Cave is a unique cave where Buddhist chants could be heard when the wind blows into it. It is quite the calming and meditative experience.¡±

    ¡°The Fallen Moon Pond is even more special. Every day during midnight, the moon in the sky would disappear and reappear inside the pond. It is almost as if the moon itself had fallen into the pond. That is why we call it the Fallen Moon Pond.¡±

    ¡°The Lotus Lake is ake where rainbow lotuses are blooming across all seasons. You will never find a wilted flower in thiske.¡±

    ¡°Finally, the Cloud Cliff is a massive cliff that is shrouded by clouds all year long. When you stand on top of the cliff and look down, you will witness a sea of clouds rolling by like an actual sea.¡±

    ¡°Sounds amazing. What about the Three Wonders?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°The first Wonder is the Blissful Kingdom of Buddha. Every time it is a special day, a blissful miracle would take form at the peak of Blissful Mountain. The Buddhas would manifest into existence, the Bodhisattvas would show themselves, the Arhats would align in formation, and the Vajrapanis would descend to the earth. It is like a reflection of the Kingdom of Buddha.¡±

    ¡°Our second Wonder is the Blissful Spring. A single drop of spring water will make you feel like you¡¯re in the heavens and enlighten you on the essence of our blissful ways.¡±

    ¡°Finally, our third Wonder is the Myriad Red Dust. As you know, we cultivate the Joyful Way of the Buddha, but you may not know that we have a pavilion named the Joyful Pavilion. In there, you may enjoy our gifted sons and daughters of heavens and cultivate the Joy Way of the Buddha as well. If you wish, you are more than wee to experience our Myriad Red Dust.¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Ye Qing coughed violently before he managed to rein in his reaction. ¡°Ahem¡­ it¡¯s fine. I would rather attend the Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast first. Business before pleasure, am I right? Right!¡±

    He hadn¡¯t expected the Buddhist Hall of Joy to offer such benefits, like, at all. <em>Holy mother of heavens. This world is insane in more ways than one.</em>

    ¡°As you wish, warrior.¡± Miaoyin covered her mouth and giggled.

    Not wanting to dwell on the subject, Ye Qing immediately began inquiring into other things. The two would continue to chat with each other until they arrived at the Blissful Hall.

    Ye Qing realized immediately why the Blissful Hall was the ce where the Buddhist Hall of Joy hosted their most esteemed guests. The buildings were luxurious and exquisitely built, the environment was quiet and tranquil, and each ¡°room¡± was its own house. Hell, they even came equipped with a courtyard. This made sure that the guests would not be bothering each other unless they went out of their way to do so.

    Not only that, each house was attended to by a household of servants and attendants. They would handle all trivial matters for the guest and even carry certain instructions.

    After they arrived at a residence, Miaoyin said, ¡°This is the Flying Snow Garden. It is not appropriate for someone of your stature, but give me some time, and I will arrange a better amodation for you.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. This is good enough,¡± Ye Qing rejected her offer.

    Flying Snow Garden was a snow-themed residence. It had nts named Edelweiss nted in the courtyard, though it only bloomed during cold weather. Its flower was shaped like a snowke, and when a gust of wind carried an entire bundle of it into the sky, they looked just like falling snow. Not only that, they gave off a quiet, soothing scent that made them feel like a better version of actual snow. So yes, Ye Qing liked this ce a lot.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re satisfied with this ce,¡± Miaoyin said smilingly before looking at the two female attendants standing at the gate entrance. ¡°If you need anything, simply give them an order. They will carry it out to their fullest capabilities.¡±

    ¡°I guess this is it then. Thank you for acting as my guide, Miss Miaoyin.¡± Ye Qing thanked her.

    ¡°It is no trouble at all. I assume you¡¯ve had a long journey, so I shan¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± Miaoyin gave him a bow before ordering the attendants, ¡°Make sure you take good care of our guest. Do not disappoint me.¡±

    ¡°As youmand,¡± the two female attendants responded deferentially.

    ¡°Until next time, warrior.¡± Miaoyin bowed to Ye Qing again.

    ¡°Until next time,¡± Ye Qing replied cordially.

    After Miaoyin was gone, the two female attendants led Ye Qing into the house and asked, ¡°Would you like to rest now, or would you like to enjoy a meal first, warrior?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll rest. I am a little tired,¡± Ye Qing answered. It was the truth. He had been on the road the whole day, and he could definitely use a quick rest.

    ¡°In that case, would you like to take a bath? Our bathrooms draw water from a mountain hot spring, and the water can soothe the muscles and invigorate your blood. There is nothing better to eliminate your fatigue,¡± a female attendant suggested.

    ¡°You have a hot spring? That¡¯s awesome! Please take me to the bathroom!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°This way please.¡±

    The two attendants quickly led Ye Qing to a separate building located next to the main house. Then, they began disrobing.

    ¡°What are you two doing?¡± Ye Qing was not expecting this.

    The attendants answered, ¡°We wish to help you disrobe and give you the best bathing experience, warrior.¡±

    <em>Then why are </em>you <em>taking off </em>your<em> clothes? I¡¯m the one who¡¯s bathing here, not you!</em>

    Ye Qing ranted inside his head while stopping the duo in a hurry, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°Are you not satisfied with our service, warrior?¡± The two female attendants hurriedly dropped to their knees and asked pitifully. They weren¡¯t the most beautiful women Ye Qing had ever seen in his life, but they definitely fell under the cute andely category. This was especially true since they were acting like they had been wronged. Anyone would naturally want tofort them.

    If he was a weak-willed man, he might have sumbed to the temptation. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯m just not used to being¡­ serviced. So please, leave me to my devices. I will call for you if I need anything.¡±

    ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll just be outside. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call for us immediately.¡± The two female attendants weren¡¯t stupid or bold enough to insist, so they rose to their feet and left the premises.

    When the girls left through the door though, Ye Qing could clearly see them shooting him aggrieved nces. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would have thought that he was a scumbag who dumped his girlfriend¡ªno, <em>girlfriends</em>¡ªafter he got tired of them.

    Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief after they were finally gone. <em>Heavens, there is no end to the ¡°pleasant surprises¡± Buddhist Hall of Joy has in store for their guests.</em>

    He had heard rumors that it was easy to walk into the Buddhist Hall of Joy, but difficult to leave. They also said that most guests who left the premises were usually weak-kneed and sloppily-dressed. At the time, he thought it was simply because the Buddhist Hall of Joy was one of the most powerful sects in Bei You and, you know, a demonic sect? But now, he knew it was a different kind of danger. If he dropped his pants every time one or more beautiful women offered to ¡°service¡± him, he would be walking out of their gate with shaky knees and loose clothings as well.

    Ye Qing had a feeling that a lot of boys would be turning into men after this Trueman feast. Heck, a lot of girls<em></em>were going to turn into women after this.

    But of course, this didn¡¯t happen everyday. It was mainly because the Trueman feast was happening. By the time the event was over, a good number of guests were going to turn into guests of honor in various positions. This was also one of the Buddhist Hall of Joy¡¯s main methods of increasing their recruits and guest warriors.

    This all had nothing to do with him though. A fine woman was fine, but he did not have the luxury to enjoy them.

    A moment ofmentationter, Ye Qing focused on washing the day¡¯s fatigue away and rxing in the bath. After he was done, he rejected the two female attendants¡¯ request to sleep with him, sat on the bed, and entered a meditative state.

 Chapter 554: Congratulate The Trueman

    Chapter 554: Congratte The Trueman

    Night came and went. When the first light of dawn broke, the melodious sound of a bell rang throughout the entire Blissful Mountain.

    The bell sound was loud, but it wasn¡¯t deafening or noisy. In fact, it induced a feeling of peace and auspiciousness in its listeners. The minds of those who were blurry from sleep became clear instantly.

    This was the effect of the Mind Waking Bell. It heralded the beginning of a new day and the Trueman feast.

    As expected, two female attendants knocked on Ye Qing¡¯s door a short whileter. After he was done washing up while they attended to his needs, they led him to the venus of the Trueman feast¡ªthe Blissful Peak.

    The Blissful Peak was located at the peak of Blissful Mountain. Constantly shrouded by mist and clouds, traversing the Blissful Peak was akin to walking on a sea of clouds or exploring the celestial realm, blissful and divine.

    The Blissful Peak was also the venue the Buddhist Hall of Joy often used to hold their important events and celebrations. Specifically, they were held in a six-storey Buddhist pagoda with a vast road leading up to it.

    Countless people were already gathered at the Blissful Peak when Ye Qing showed up. However, most of them could only linger at the lower floors as the higher floors were reserved for esteemed guests such as Ye Qing himself.

    Height was the theme of the Blissful Peak. The higher up you were, the greater your status.

    Usually, when the Buddhist Hall of Joy held an in-house event, the first floor would host the ves, servants and attendants, the second floor would host the ordinary disciples, the third floor would host the inner disciples, the fourth floor would host the direct disciples and the middle management, the fifth floor would host the deans, guest warriors, Arhats, protectors and more, and the sixth floor would host the Wisdom Kings, Wisdom Queens, and Joy Bodhisattva herself.Ye Qing could feel countless envious gazes settling on his person as the two female attendants led him to the upper floors. Thankfully, Joy Bodhisattva did not screw him over. Instead of putting him on the sixth floor and effectively painting a bullseye on his back, she instead cing him on the fifth floor.

    Of course, some of the guests on the fifth floor were famous people in Northern Xinjiang, but they were iparable to those residing on the sixth floor. Therefore, he didn¡¯t stand out too much.

    Ye Qing had just taken his seat when a couple of female disciples came over and served him wine, fruits, snacks and more. All around him, people were greeting each other and making small talk. Judging from their conversation, Ye Qing had a sense that they were all prestigious figures from all across Northern Xinjiang. There were sect masters who ruled over a corner of the region, wandering warriors who drifted from ce to ce ording to their whims, orthodox warriors whose sect or behavior was famed for their righteousness, vile heretics whose notoriety preceded them, cultured people whose every word and action was measured with a ruler, thieves and assassins who usually clung to the shadows like their life depended on it, and more.

    At least one representative from every facet of the <em>jianghu </em>was present. Normally, this was a very bad thing. Birds of a feather flock together, and these people most definitely did not belong in the same group or even the side. If this was outside, they would be bringing down the heavens or unleashing hell upon their enemies. But today? It would be too much to im that the atmosphere was joyous and harmonious, but at the very least, they weren¡¯t killing each other. At worst, they pretended that their loathsome enemies did not exist.

    In a sense, it was a miracle.

    This would have been a great opportunity for Ye Qing to make connections and build up rtionships, but s, he did not recognize a single face in this ce. There was no way for him to insert himself into any conversation even if he wanted to.

    Time passed slowly as more and more people gathered at Blissful Peak. When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, dreamy, rainbow-colored halos abruptly manifested into existence.

    All sorts of strange yet fascinating things slowly began to take form amidst the halo. They saw Buddhas holding a mudra and smiling gently at the masses. They saw Bodhisattvas flying across the heavens on a magnificent lotus. They saw Arhats sitting in a lotus position, auspicious beasts and rare birds running or flying across the heavens, jewels and golden light flowing through the clouds like a stream and more.

    It was an illusion of the Kingdom of Buddha, and everyone was entranced by it.

    Clearly, this was one of the Three Wonders Miaoyin had told him yesterday, the Blissful Kingdom of Buddha.

    ording to Miaoyin, the Blissful Kingdom of Buddha only appeared during a special day, but it was up to debate exactly what counted as a special day. Generally speaking, it was rare for the Blissful Kingdom of Buddha to manifest, so he did not think that he would be lucky enough to witness this phenomenon.

    While the Kingdom of Buddha continued to illuminate its radiance upon everyone, Joy Bodhisattva flew into the sky. A dozen or so breathster, the golden light shining down from the sky suddenly doubled in intensity, and a massive golden lotus suddenly descended from the heavens. Sitting on top of the lotus was none other than Joy Bodhisattva herself.

    The light of the Buddha shone brightly above her head as she held a mutton fat ksa in her left hand and an equality mudra in her right. Her eyes were shut lightly, her expression was solemn and dignified.

    When the golden lotusnded on Blissful Peak, Joy Bodhisattva slowly opened her eyes. The Kingdom of Buddha in the sky suddenly froze for an instant, and its deities abruptly grew so solid they might as well be real. Then, something shocking happened. The Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, Vajrapanis and more stepped off the Kingdom of Buddha and walked up to Joy Bodhisattva. Then, they dropped to their knees and prostrated themselves before her.

    The Buddhas were descending from the sky to prostrate themselves before a Bodhisattva on the earth. To say that everyone was stunned would be an understatement. The phenomenon was grand, but not nearly as grand as Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s audacity. It was one thing to manifest the Kingdom of Buddha to entertain their guests, and another to make the Buddhas prostrate before her as if she was the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama himself!

    There was one and only one Buddha in the entire religion who couldpel all Buddhas to his side and listen to his teachings, and he was Siddhartha Gautama. However, Joy Bodhisattva was clearly alluding that she was his equal, no, his better! After all, Siddhartha Gautama had neverpelled his fellow Buddhas to kneel before him, but Joy Bodhisattva took it a step further and made them prostrate before her! This was spheme of the highest order!

    If the orthodox Buddhist sects learned about this, they might very well blow their top and ascend to the heavens prematurely!

    In any case, it was clear that Joy Bodhisattva cared little for their opinion. After the humble ritual wasplete, Joy Bodhisattva opened her palm and waited for the Buddhas to rise to their feet. They slowly shrank to the size of a grain before flying into Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s palm.

    Joy Bodhisattva closed her palm. It felt like a deration that all Buddhas in the world were in her grasp.

    <em>Dang! Dang! Dang!</em>

    As if on cue, the bell rang three times in a row, and the phenomenon abruptly disappeared all at once. At the same time, a man and a woman appeared next to her.

    Ye Qing did not recognize the man, but he recognized the woman. She was Worriless.

    Worriless spoke up, ¡°The Buddhist Hall of Joy is honored to wee all of you and congratte our Bodhisattva in bing a Trueman. Let the Trueman feast begin.¡±

    Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone could hear her as clear as day.

    ¡°Congratte the Trueman¡­¡±

    As soon as the three words were said, divine music filled the entire Blissful Mountain. It truly felt blissful and dreamlike.

    The first event of the Trueman feast was ¡°Congratte the Trueman¡±. To put it simply, it was a congrattory ceremony where the guests announced their background and congratted Joy Bodhisattva.

    This was an opportunity for both sides to unt their status. Joy Bodhisattva would get the honor of being congratted by all these powerful and famous people. The more, the better.

    The guests would get to show their face and announce their sect to the world. They hade a long way to participate in her celebration. It was only natural that she gave them a chance to announce themselves to the world.

    The congrattory ceremony might be extremely boring, but it was also necessary.

    An old man in his fifties with a thin but spirited face immediately rose to his feet. He dered, ¡°I am the Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City, and Ie bearing a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact named the Falling Snow Sword, a block of All Solving Spirit Jade, and a sarira. May auspiciousness always be with you, Bodhisattva.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied. ¡°Please, take your seat.¡±

    Sword King City was considered to be the strongest sect in the northernnds, and the Buddhist Hall of Joy was just a second-rate sect. Although they had only sent a Sword Executor Elder to deliver a gift, it was still a favor to the Buddhist Hall of Joy.

    The gifts were pretty impressive as well. The Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact was one thing, but the All Solving Spirit Jade was a rare natural treasure. It could be used to set up arrays, improve one¡¯s cultivation, forge artifacts and more. As for the sarira, it was the remnant of an enlightened Buddhist monk. Naturally, it was even more valuable and had many applications as well.

    After Sword King City was done, a sexy woman wearing a fiery red dress rose to her feet. She looked to be in her thirties.

    ¡°I am the Vermillion Bird Envoy of Earthfire Pce of Demons, and Ie bearing a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact named the Earthfire Fan, a Spirit Crystal of Crimson me, and a bottle of Infinite Water of Supreme Radiance. May auspiciousness always be with you, Bodhisattva.¡±

    The Earthfire Pce of Demons was the number one demonic sect of the northernnds and no less inferior to the Sword King City. Just like them, they had sent a single envoy to congratte the Buddhist Hall of Joy.

    Of course, the Vermillion Bird Envoy was pretty high-ranked in the Earthfire Pce of Demons as well. She was inferior only to the head and the deputy head.

    The value of their gift was more or less the same as Sword King City as well.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Joy Bodhisattva repeated. ¡°Please, take your seat.¡±

    The third person to rise to their feet after the Vermillion Bird Envoy sat down was a tall, muscr man with a powerful aura.

    He was none other than Xiong Kuohai.

 Chapter 555: Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance

    <h4>Chapter 555: Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance </h4>

    [1]

    ¡°I am Xiong Kuohai of Endless Sand, and Ie bearing one ¡°Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance¡± and a Medicine Guru Pill. On behalf of Endless Sand, I wish you many auspicious days, Bodhisattva,¡± Xiong Kuohai dered.

    ¡°What? The ¡®Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance¡¯ and a Medicine Guru Pill?¡±

    ¡°What generous gifts! Too generous, in fact!¡±

    ¡°I thought they said that Endless Sand and the Buddhist Hall of Joy are at odds with each other. If that¡¯s true, then why on earth would Xiong Kuohai give Joy Bodhisattva such valuable items?¡±

    ¡°Because the rumors are bullshit, duh! Who on earth would give an enemy not one, but two such gifts?¡±

    The crowd immediately burst into loud murmurs as soon as they heard Xiong Kuohai¡¯s deration, and it wasn¡¯t because his gift was too paltry. On the contrary, it was more valuable than even the Sword King City and the Earthfire Pce of Demons¡¯ giftsbined.

    The ¡°Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance¡± was the foundational sutra that transformed the ancient Medicine Buddha into a Buddha. The Medicine Buddha¡ªalso known as the Medicine Guru, the King of Lapis Lazuli Light and more¡ªwas the lord of the Eastern Pure Land of Azure Radiance. He once swore twelve vows upon attaining Enlightenment, and he fulfilled everyone¡¯s wishes, made the imperfect perfect, eliminated diseases and rescued them from disasters. He had worshipers all across the world, and his teachings were known to everyone.

    The ¡°Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance¡± contained the twelve vows the Medicine Buddha Sutra swore upon attaining Enlightenment and his boundless understanding of the Buddha. Those who study it would reach the sagehood of Buddhism, or to put it in simpler terms, be a Sage.

    That¡¯s right. The ¡°Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance¡± was a Sage-stage cultivation art. It could guide a warrior all the way to sagehood, and it was especially valuable to a Buddhist disciple.

    The Medicine Guru Pill was extremely valuable as well. A pill created by the Medicine Buddha himself, it could purify one¡¯s body, and grant them the Foundation of the Medicine Buddha King of Lapis Lazuli Light and his boundless insight.

    To put it in simpler terms, the Medicine Guru Pill was a pill that could purify one¡¯s body and improve one¡¯s martial talent. Even the most talentless person could undergo aplete transformation after consuming the Medicine Guru Pill. Not only that, they would gain the Foundation of the Medicine Buddha King of Lapis Lazuli Light and obtain a portion of his inheritance.

    Given enough time and effort, they might even be able to be a Buddha themselves.

    Centuries ago, a Buddhistnd had, for whatever reason, burst into the world together with the ¡°Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance¡± and eight Medicine Guru Pills. Itspiszuli light had illuminated at least hundreds and hundreds of kilometers ofnd, and everyone who was touched by its light was cured from all pain and diseases. It was like a living Kingdom of Buddha.

    Countless <i>jianghu </i>warriors had fought to obtain his inheritance, but no one was able to obtain anything¡ªor so they thought. As it turned out, the ¡°Sutra of the Vows of the Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Crystal Radiance¡± and at least one Medicine Guru Pill had fallen into Xiong Kuohai¡¯s hands, and now, he was giving it all to Joy Bodhisattva. It was insane. It was so insane that Xiong Kuohai temporarily stole the limelight from both Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons.

    Forget the others, Joy Bodhisattva herself was in disbelief. Just a month ago, they were sworn enemies who would sooner cut off an arm than let the other person leave. Now, Xiong Kuohai was giving her not one, but two of the most valuable gifts a Buddhist could dream of? What was the meaning of this? What on earth was he nning?

    The gift was so valuable that she was actually worried if she could ept it without burning her own hands!

    ¡°Bodhisattva... Bodhisattva!¡±

    When the silence stretched, Worriless called out to Joy Bodhisattva and jolted her out of her reverie. She replied, ¡°Thank you. Please, take your seat.¡±

    After Xiong Kuohai was done, many more factions or champions stood up to present their gifts including the head of the Tower of Cornucopia, Gold Ingot[2]; the head of Shade of Scents, Mistress Ruyi; Five Poison Boy, Sunset Swordsman, One-eyed Master, Plum Thief[3] and more.

    No one¡¯s gift was in any way poor or unbefitting of Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s stature, but after the ¡°pleasant surprise¡± Xiong Kuohai had sprung on all of them, they felt quite inferior regardless.

    The congrattory ceremony was the first agenda of the event. It was also an agenda that wouldst the entire day because, well, there were still a <i>lot </i>of people to go through, weren¡¯t there? Even Ye Qing decided to join in and gave Joy Bodhisattva a wisp of Qi of Ultimate Purity.

    He was a guest. It would be quite embarrassing and potentially insulting if he did not prepare a gift for Joy Bodhisattva.

    By the time ¡°Congratte the Trueman¡± was finally over, it was alreadyte evening. By the time Ye Qing returned to Flying Snow Garden and ate dinner, the sky had darkenedpletely.

    Ye Qing did not feel sleepy, however. On the contrary, he was feeling quite invigorated. He decided to explore Blissful Mountain a bit and check out the Five Sceneries and Three Wonders Miaoyin had told him earlier.

    He didn¡¯t know if he would ever visit this ce again, so of course he couldn¡¯t allow such an opportunity to slip by.

    Once again, he rejected Flower and Snow¡¯s¡ªit was the name of the two female attendants of Flying Snow Garden¡ªrequest to apany him and set out on his own. Then, he began his leisurely, one-man tour of Blissful Mountain.

    There were a lot of people who shared the same idea as him. They were enjoying the night and admiring the moon in groups or two or three. It was a rxing and peaceful time for everyone.

    A snowstorm had taken ce just a few days ago, and the weather was frigid to say the least. This was doubly true during the night where the wind felt like knives crawling across one¡¯s bones.

    That was not the case for Blissful Mountain, however. Here, it felt as warm as spring, and there were beautiful flora and fauna everywhere. The wind was calm, and the sky was bright.

    There were many scenic spots in Blissful Mountain that could only be enjoyed during the day. For example, Joy Forest was basked in golden light when it was midday, and it looked as if the light of the Buddha was protecting the forest and wrapping everyone in its warm, soothing embrace. Its three thousand Buddhist statues looked absolutely divine under the sunlight as well. Sure, the scenic spot was no less different during the night, but it certainly felt less impressive without the entuating sunlight.

    It was the same for the Cloud Cliff. The best time to enjoy it was during dawn. When the sun slowly peeked out of the clouds and dyed both heaven and earth red, it almost felt like you were living inside a dream.

    That said, some scenery such as the Lotus Lake was best enjoyed during the night. The Fallen Moon Pond in particr could only be enjoyed during midnight.

    There was still some time before midnight, so Ye Qing went to Lotus Lake first. There were two sides to Lotus Lake: one during the day, and another during nighttime. In the morning, they shone like rainbows in physical form and exuded nobility and radiance. But during the night, they were tiny, glowing bulbs that radiated calmness and tranquility.

    By the time Ye Qing was done with Lotus Lake, the moon was hanging high up in the sky. This was the perfect hour to visit Fallen Moon Pond. By the time he arrived at the scenic spot, a lot of people were already gathered around the pond.

    The crowd watched as the moon in the sky slowly disappeared as if some invisible force was erasing it from existence. When the moon had disappearedpletely from the sky, another moon slowly rose from the edge of the pond instead. It eventually came to a stop at the center of the moon.

    A small breeze blew across the pond and stirred its waters a little. Then, the moon suddenly spread out until it epassed the entire pond. From a distance, it looked like the moon itself had been embedded on the ground, silvery andrge. It was as gorgeous as it was grand.

    The illusionsted an entire incense stick before it finally ended. When the moon in the pond vanished, so did the moon in the sky reappeared. It was really quite fantastical.

    Everyone wanted to experience the phenomenon again, but it only urred once per night. So, they had no choice but to leave and hope toe back tomorrow.

    Ye Qing lingered at a kiosk set next to the pond and drank to the moon for a bit. It was only then he slowly made his way back to Flying Snow.

    It was between 1 to 3 am now, and most people had already returned to their lodgings and called it a day. As a result, Blissful Mountain was almost devoid of human presence. All that was left was the asional breeze and dreamy night sky.

    Ye Qing was passing through a small forest when suddenly, he noticed a ck silhouette dashing past him at the distance.

    At first, he paid little attention to the silhouette. Everyone on this mountain was a warrior after all. It was perfectly normal for them to be running about and doing whatever it was they were doing even though it was ate hour.

    It was then Ye Qing noticed that the shadow¡¯s movement art was highly extraordinary, so much so they were almost one with their surroundings. If he didn¡¯t happen to be standing on a patch of high ground with a wide field of vision, even he wouldn¡¯t have noticed them.

    What was strange was that they were dressed from head to toe in ck, and their faces were concealed behind a hood. They were also running through hidden and secluded areas only. They weren¡¯t headed for the lodgings or the scenic spots either.

    It was normal to go for a night stroll, and it was understandable that some people might not like to walk a well-trodden path. But if that person was a powerful warrior with an extraordinary movement art, and they were wearing a ck outfit that was perfect for night skulduggery, and they were up at this time but not traveling back to their lodgings to sleep or visiting a scenic spot... that was a little suspicious, don¡¯t you think?

    Ye Qing did not know what possessed him, but before he knew it, he had fallen behind the silhouette like a ghost.

    1. It¡¯s real. Google it if you want to. ?

    2. You can just tell from his name he loves gold to death. ?

    3. Most likely a rapist. ?

 Chapter 556: You Were On The Path To Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 556: You Were On The Path To Heaven </h4>

    The person in ck was moving very quickly, but Ye Qing wasn¡¯t slow himself since he had mastered the ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡±. But of course, he did not follow his quarry too closely. He did not dare to push his movement art to its fullest potential either. He made sure to withdraw his aura as best he could and keep a good distance away from his quarry. This way, he could make his escape even if his quarry somehow discovered that something was amiss.

    The pursuit continued for a bit when suddenly, the person in ck paused for a moment and turned his head sideways. Then, he continued to dash forward as if nothing was amiss.

    Ye Qing took two steps forward when his instincts suddenly screamed at him to stop. It was like someone was pressing a de against his back, or he had entered the sight of some ancient monster.

    Once you had reached a certain level in martial arts, sixth sense was no longer just a superstition. Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little as he recalled the person in ck¡¯s sudden pause and head turn. In and of itself, the movement was perfectly ordinary. But considering the circumstances...

    <i>Did he notice me?!</i>

    As soon as the thought shed through Ye Qing¡¯s mind, three of his left fingers immediately exploded without a sound. His flesh and blood then transformed into a giant maw that swallowed him whole.

    Three breaths after Ye Qing was gone, waves of shadows abruptly crashed into the spot he was a moment before from every direction. For a moment, the darkened forest turned pitch ck, the peace and tranquility of the night disappeared in the blink of an eye, and all light disappeared from the world.

    For a moment, the all-epassing shadow writhed like it was a living being. Then, it abruptly evaporated into thin air. Moonlight shone through the gaps between the leaves and branches, and it was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

    Inside the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma, a pale-faced Ye Qing let out a huge sigh of relief. Despite the Strange Artifact¡¯s disgusting gastric juice and vomit, he was smiling to himself and patting his chest to calm down his racing heart.

    The shadow had felt as deep and unfathomable as the abyss itself. He had no doubt that it would devour and put him in grave danger if he had leaked even a hint of aura.

    He was d he hadn¡¯t hesitated to use the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma or made the wrong choice of running away either. The consequences would have been unimaginable.

    Assuming he chose to run, he was sure he would have run into the shadow no matter which direction he tried to escape to. Its range hadpletely exceeded his expectations. However, not running wasn¡¯t an option either. He would have just died on the spot.

    Luckily for him, he obtained the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma yesterday and did not hesitate to use it when the time was right. Thanks to abination of luck and decisiveness, he was able to survive this potentially fatal crisis.

    Besides that, the shadow attack confirmed one thing for him. The person in ck probably noticed that something was amiss, but he wasn¡¯t sure if someone was following him. That was why he used a massive, wide-ranged attack in an attempt to catch him out.

    The fact that it only remained at the spot for a few breaths proved that it was just a cursory search; an effort to confirm or deny his suspicion. If they knew where he was or even just a rough idea of his location, then it would have lingered in the area for much longer. The person in ck might even show up themselves. Had that happened, he wasn¡¯t sure that the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma could continue concealing him at all.

    <i>Should I continue following them?</i>

    After he had calmed downpletely, Ye Qing reconsidered his decision to follow the person in ck. At this point, he was certain that they were plotting something malicious. They would not have gone so far over a sliver of suspicion otherwise. Moreover, judging from the scope and depth of their power, there was an extremely high chance that they were a Grandmaster.

    He had just survived one fatal crisis. Logically speaking, now was the time he gave up on his impulsive venture, returned to his lodging, and pretended that nothing had ever happened. He was just a partygoer after all. Once the Trueman feast was over, he could just pat his bum and put this all behind him. Whatever happened to the Buddhist Hall of Joy afterward had nothing to do with him.

    But you see, humans were irrational by nature. God could personallyy down a path to heaven for them, and a good number of them would spurn it and challenge the gates of hell instead. That was just how humans were.

    Of course, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t hesitating just because of a moment of irrationality. He had the feeling that whatever the person in ck was plotting would involve him as well. And how did he know that? It was because the person in ck was heading for the Blissful Spring.

    The Blissful Spring was one of the Three Wonders Miaoyin had mentioned to him earlier. It was said that a single drop could induce a feeling of extreme bliss within the drinker.

    Although the Blissful Spring was useless to a warrior¡¯s cultivation, life was about all seeking out new colors and sensations. An item that could produce such an effect was rare and thus valued by many. Luckily for the Buddhist Hall of Joy¡ªor perhaps that had founded their sect at Blissful Mountain precisely because they knew that it possessed such a natural resource¡ªthe Blissful Spring was an endless source of bliss-inducing water. They utilized it well and often served it to their guests.

    Ye Qing knew that the person in ck hadn¡¯t gone to the Blissful Spring to sneak a drink. After all, the Buddhist Hall of Joy would be serving every guest a jar of Blissful Spring tomorrow. If the first day of the Trueman feast was all about the guests congratting the host on their sess and giving her gifts, then the second day was about the host repaying the favors she received. Reciprocity was a key part of any and all rtionships after all.

    Tomorrow, the Buddhist Hall of Joy would serve their guests all sorts of delicious food and drinks and entertain them with all sorts of events. Of them all, the tasting of the Blissful Spring was one of the most important events. Every guest participating in the Trueman feast would get to enjoy the highest quality of Blissful Spring and experience what ultimate bliss felt like.

    Everyone knew this, and so did the person in ck. There was absolutely no need for them to head over to the Blissful Spring and sneak a drink, which meant that they were plotting something else.

    Every guest would be supping on the Blissful Spring tomorrow, and he was no exception. Assuming that the person in ck was plotting to tamper with the spring water, then he would certainly suffer the consequences as well.

    For his own sake, he had to follow the person in ck and find out what the hell they nned to do with the Blissful Spring.

    Finally, if this really turned out to be a massive conspiracy, he could inform Joy Bodhisattva about this. He would be improving his rtionship with her, and she would owe him a huge favor. It would not be anything like the artificial favor she had forced upon him either. It would be a real favor.

    Favor was a timeless currency. It was valuable and applicable across all ces and times. Ye Qing wished to build a faction of his own in Northern Xinjiang, and that journey was guaranteed to be long and thorny. Therefore, every faction he could befriend, every good karma he could create, and every favor he could call upon would ensure that he was one step closer to his goals.

    The reward was massive, but was it really worth the risk? After a moment of careful consideration, Ye Qing believed that the answer was yes.

    For one, he had the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma. He could hide himself and even escape from the area at a moment¡¯s notice, so his chances of being discovered were pretty low.

    Two, the person in ck had already acted upon his suspicion once and found nothing. Even if they were the paranoid type, they would be less paranoid for the moment.

    In summary, he should be safe as long as he didn¡¯t grow careless and screw himself over.

    He thought for a moment longer before sacrificing another two fingers to the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma. Then, he moved the Strange Artifact toward the Blissful Spring without popping back into reality.

    There was no chance he was getting out right now. The stench alone would alert every living creature within five kilometers of his vicinity, much less a Grandmaster. For now, he had no choice but to stay inside the Strange Artifact.

    Luckily for him, the Strange Artifact could theoretically function forever so long as the user provided it with enough fingers, and this drawback wasn¡¯t a drawback for him at all. With his vigor and tenacity, he could regrow even limbs instantaneously, much less a couple of fingers. He could remain inside the Strange Artifact for weeks if he wanted to.

    Although he had lost sight of his quarry due to the dy, it didn¡¯t matter because he already guessed their destination. It took him only a moment to arrive at the valley where Blissful Spring was located.

    The valley pass leading to the Blissful Spring was guarded since it was a precious resource, but the disciples guarding the ce all looked listless, sleepy, and inattentive. It was because what was a rare and invaluable resource to outsiders was nothing to them. After all, they lived here and got to enjoy the spring water every day.

    Besides, they were all exhausted after working non-stop for almost the entire day, so it took Ye Qing almost no effort whatsoever to slip past them. He continued along the path leading to the Blissful Spring until he arrived at a cave entrance. There were no guards inside or outside the cave.

    The cave wasn¡¯t deep. A handful of night pearls and glowstones were embedded into the walls and the ceiling so that it would be fully illuminated even during nighttime.

    It was exactly as Ye Qing had predicted. He saw the person in ck as soon as he entered the cave. They were currently standing in front of the clear, bluish pool and thinking about something.

 Chapter 557: A Strange Heart

    <h4>Chapter 557: A Strange Heart </h4>

    ¡°We may begin, Sakyamuni.¡±

    A few breathster, the person in ck broke the silence. It sounded like he was speaking to someone, but there wasn¡¯t anyone else in the cave, was there?

    It was at this moment Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened. The person in ck¡¯s shadow suddenly started growing darker and darker, writhing as if it was alive. Then, it slowly stood up like a living, breathing person.

    ¡°Sakyamuni...¡±

    The person in ck bowed his head respectfully.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time. Guard me,¡± the shadow ordered.

    ¡°As youmand,¡± the person in ck saluted him and retreated to the cave entrance.

    The shadow stretched its arms wide for a moment before plunging them into its chest. Then, it pulled at its rib cages until a bright red heart was exposed.

    The heart was covered in tentacles, and Ye Qing could see that they were connected to every part of the shadow¡¯s body. It was almost as if they were the shadow¡¯s blood vessels, though of course blood vessels weren¡¯t nearly this big or disturbing-looking. The heart itself was beating rhythmically almost as if it was alive.

    The next moment, the shadow reached into its chest and grabbed the heart tightly. Then, it started pulling with all its might.

    The shadow began shaking violently. It looked like it was enduring some sort of terrible, body-racking pain. The heart¡¯s tentacles were iling about as if it was extremely unwilling to leave its host.

    It took over a dozen breaths before the shadow finally ripped the heart out of its chestpletely. The moment it seeded, the tentacles shrank back into the heart, and the heart stopped beating almost as if it was dead.

    The shadow turned toward the Blissful Spring and tossed the heart into its waters. The heart looked like it was flesh and blood, but the moment it entered the Blissful Spring, it slowly melted like it was snow. It did not dye the waters in gory red either. When all was said and done, not a trace of the heart could be seen everywhere.

    ¡°It is done.¡±

    The shadow said a little tiredly after it was finished with the bizarre ritual.

    ¡°Good work, Sakyamuni.¡± The person in ck stepped back into the cave and ttered the shadow, ¡°With this, our n is guaranteed to seed.¡±

    ¡°Just because we sessfully poisoned the spring with the Burning Heart doesn¡¯t mean that the n is guaranteed to seed. Remember what happenedst time? You thought that your n cannot fail, and yet it did,¡± the shadow chided the person in ck.

    The person in ck promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sakyamuni. I¡¯m willing to swear on my life that everything will go perfectly this time.¡±

    The shadow nodded. ¡°Good. If this n seeds, then you will be rewarded handsomely.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sakyamuni! I promise I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡± the person in ck sounded visibly excited at the shadow¡¯s promise.

    ¡°Good. Now let¡¯s go.¡±

    The shadow abruptly dissolved into a pool of ckness on the ground before entering the person in ck¡¯s shadow. Then, the person in ck leaped out of the cave and disappeared into the darkness.

    <i>It¡¯s him?! </i>

    Inside the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma, Ye Qing was staring at the spot where the person in ck had disappeared to in utter shock.

    The person in ck was none other than Xiong Kuohai.

    Previously, he wasn¡¯t able to identify Xiong Kuohai because it was too dark, and he had to stay a safe distance away from him. But it was as bright as day inside the cave, and Xiong Kuohai had unknowingly walked right up to Ye Qing when the shadow¡ªor more urately, the Sakyamuni masquerading as a shadow¡ªordered him to guard the entrance. Thanks to this, Ye Qing had a 4k view of the man¡¯s face.

    When Xiong Kuohai gifted Joy Bodhisattva what was probably one of, if not the most valuable gifts of her life, even he wondered that the sect leader was looking to make amends with her, much less the outsiders. They thought that Endless Sand and the Buddhist Hall of Joy had somehow gotten in bed before they knew it. Then, Xiong Kuohai did something like this.

    It did not take a genius to figure out that the heart wasn¡¯t a normal heart, that the mysterious Sakyamuni was no ordinary person, and that Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni were plotting something big. Something bad. They wouldn¡¯t be sneaking about in this ungodly hour otherwise.

    One should not judge a book by its cover, and they should definitely not judge a human by their appearance. If someone had an honest face, then they probably had a dirty, dirty heart inside their rib cages.

    On second thought, he should¡¯ve known that Xiong Kuohai was up to something. Just a month ago, Xiong Kuohai had schemed to assassinate Joy Bodhisattva and take control of the Buddhist Hall of Joy. Although Joy Bodhisattva ultimately proved to be the better schemer, and they both agreed to put this matter behind them as quietly as possible, that didn¡¯t mean that the matter was actually over.

    If you fail, try again. That was something even a kid knew, much less a full-grown adult like Xiong Kuohai.

    Although Xiong Kuohai had left, Ye Qing did not rx his guard or show himself. He continued to hide inside the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma and observe his surroundings carefully.

    Two hours came and went in the blink of an eye. Slowly, the silence of the night was broken by a mor of growing noises. The disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy must be getting ready to procure the spring water necessary for the feast that was toe.

    Some people might wonder why the disciples hadn¡¯t prepared the spring water beforehand. That was because the Blissful Spring would slowly lose its efficacy over a period of six to eight hours after it was removed from its source. When that happened, the spring water would be no different from an ordinary mountain spring water.

    Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast was a matter of great importance. Naturally, they could not serve ¡°stale¡± Blissful Spring to their guests. That was why they had to wait until two to four hours before the feast before they could begin the preparations.

    It was now between 5 to 7 am. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the feast began. If they started now, they would be right on time to serve the freshest possible Blissful Spring to their guests.

    Still, Ye Qing remained hidden. It was as if he was waiting for something to happen. Then...

    A shadow slowly stretched out of a dark corner beside the Blissful Spring. Its muttered under its breath, ¡°I guess I was overthinking it after all,¡± before disappearing from the cave. The shadow on the ground was gone as well.

    ¡°Phew... I knew it. I bloody knew it.¡±

    After the shadow was gone, Ye Qing finally let out a sigh of relief. His face was as white as a sheet, but his smile was as bright as the sun itself.

    It was now clear that the shadow¡ªthe mysterious Sakyamuni that Xiong Kuohai spoke of¡ªhadn¡¯t left together with Xiong Kuohai. It had been hiding in the darkness this whole time. In fact, Xiong Kuohai must be hiding somewhere in the valley as well.

    Ye Qing had to admit that both Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni were extremely cautious and cunning.

    If Ye Qing was the careless, honest type, he would have thought that Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni had left. He would have revealed himself and tried to investigate the strange heart they had dropped into the Blissful Spring. After that...

    Well, there wouldn¡¯t be an after that.

    He didn¡¯t know that the Sakyamuni was hiding inside the patch of shadow, of course. He was just putting himself in Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni¡¯s shoes and predicting their behavior.

    If he were them, would he be so careless as to enact a scheme without securing the area at least?

    If he were them, what would he do to make sure that someone wasn¡¯t spying on them in secret? That his feeling earlier wasn¡¯t just a feeling?

    He suddenly recalled the Life Leech that Yi Pin had tricked using a faux suicide pill. If even a Stranger with the mind of a five year old knew how to y pretend and double check if Yi Pin was really dead, could a schemer like Xiong Kuohai and the mysterious Sakyamuni really be stupider than them?

    Finally, he had felt that their brief conversation earlier waspletely unnecessary. Which was safer, leaving right after they poisoned the Blissful Spring or lingering in the area and spouting bullshit, achieving nothing except increasing the chances that they might be exposed?

    Their behavior was obviously abnormal, and such abnormal behavior could only mean that they were plotting something. If he was someone else, he might have been shaken by the tidbits of information they revealed. He would have been driven by an urgency to check the Blissful Spring as quickly as possible after they left the ce.

    Of course, his guesses were ultimately just guesses. Maybe Xiong Kuohai and the mysterious Sakyamuni just had the bad habit of acting like cheap, pretentious viins.

    That said, it was better to be safe than sorry, wasn¡¯t it? His life was on the line after all. That was why Ye Qing ultimately chose to remain hidden inside the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma and not move a muscle.

    Admittedly, there were multiple times where he thought that he was being overly paranoid and was tempted to take his leave, but in the end, his caution won out against his impatience. If he was wrong, then all he lost was a bit of time. But if he was right, then his life could very well be on the line.

    It was obvious what was the right decision to make. So, he chose to tough it out and y the game of patience.

    He was right. The mysterious Sakyamuni really was hiding in the shadows. It really had beenying a trap for any would-be spies to step on. He was right.

    Of course, Ye Qing still didn¡¯t take action immediately. He waited a while longer until he was sure that the cunning bastard wouldn¡¯t pull a double back like the Life Leech before he piloted the Stomach of the Finger Eating Grandma out of the valley.

    Ye Qing did not return to Flying Snow Park after leaving the valley. Instead, he sought out a stream, washed his body until he waspletely clean, and sat down at the rivershore. Then, he looked up at the bright moon in the sky and pondered about Xiong Kuohai and the mysterious Sakyamuni¡¯s ns.

    What on earth were they plotting?

    What was their aim?

    He could note up with a good n unless he figured out his enemies¡¯ ns first.

    Should he leave, or should he stay?

    Should he stay out of the conflict, or should he help out the needy?

 Chapter 558: Ancient Poison, Burning Heart

    <h4>Chapter 558: Ancient Poison, Burning Heart </h4>

    Xiong Kuohai, the mysterious Sakyamuni, the anomalous heart. Everything suggested that Xiong Kuohai and the mysterious Sakyamuni were plotting something big and scary, though he wasn¡¯t able to say what at this point of time. It was because he was stillcking quite a lot of critical information.

    For starters, who was that mysterious Sakyamuni?

    Second, what on earth was that heart? What kind of role did it y in this conspiracy?

    So on and so on. Until he gathered all the clues, not even the smartest man in the world could piece together the truth.

    Luckily for him, gathering the clues was no trouble for him. In fact, he didn¡¯t even need to gather the clues at all. He could unearth Xiong Kuohai¡¯s conspiracy right here and now.

    And how was he going to do that? With the Annon Sutra, of course!

    Ye Qing produced the Annon Sutra and asked his first question, ¡°Who is the Sakyamuni Xiong Kuohai spoke of? What is his background?¡±

    Then, he spat a mouthful of blood on the vellum.

    Unfortunately for him, the blood slid off the piece of vellum without being absorbed. This meant that the Annon Sutra refused to answer the question.

    Ye Qing frowned. The Annon Sutra¡¯s reaction could only mean that the Sakyamuni was extremely powerful. So powerful that it refused to look into their identity for fear of incurring consequences he couldn¡¯t withstand.

    A moment of considerationter, Ye Qing changed the question. ¡°What is Xiong Kuohai plotting?¡±

    He spat another mouthful of blood on the Annon Sutra, and this time, it absorbed his blood.

    ¡°It¡¯s working!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up as he repeated the gesture. A dozen or so mouthfuls of bloodter, a few lines of bloody text appeared on its surface:

    <i>¡°I discovered a conspiracy. A massive conspiracy.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Xiong Kuohai and a mysterious person have poisoned the Blissful Spring with the Burning Heart. They are nning to frame Joy Bodhisattva!¡±</i>

    <i>¡°I feel so depressed right now. What should I do?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Should I expose their conspiracy and y the role of an agent of justice?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Or should I just sneak away and watch the inferno from the sidelines?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Or maybe I can do both and send Joy Bodhisattva a message before sneaking away?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Well, I¡¯m a mature warrior of the </i>jianghu <i>now. I should learn how to handle my own problems instead of relying on a certain cheat to do it for me!¡±</i>

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <i>What a useless piece of advice! It said so many words and cost me so much blood, and yet it might as well have said nothing at all!</i>

    <i>Also, what do you mean I should learn to handle my own problems now that I¡¯m a mature warrior of the </i>jianghu<i>? If you didn¡¯t want to help me, then a simple no would have sufficed! You didn¡¯t need to take a jab at me!</i>

    After Ye Qing wrestled down the urge to punch the vellum and calmed down, he decided that the Annon Sutra¡¯s answer wasn¡¯tpletely useless. There were some useful information in it.

    The first clue was about the object known as the Burning Heart, and the second clue was that they were nning to frame Joy Bodhisattva.

    The Burning Heart was most likely the anomalous heart the duo had dropped into the Blissful Spring, and they were nning to use it to frame Joy Bodhisattva somehow. There should be no fault in his logic here.

    With that in mind, the first thing he should figure out was the Burning Heart¡¯s exact properties and function. Only then could he figure out exactly how the duo were nning to entrap Joy Bodhisattva.

    Ye Qing nced at the Annon Sutra after sorting out his thoughts. The asional jabs aside, he must admit that the Annon Sutra was ever the reliable ally during important moments of his life.

    ¡°What are the effects of the Burning Heart?¡±

    Third time turned out to be the charm as the Annon Sutra neither rejected his question nor gave him an ambiguous answer this time. In fact, its answer was a lot more detailed than usual.

    <i>¡°The Burning Heart is one of the nine ancient poisons</i>[1]<i>. Triggered by suspicion, fear or anger, it draws out the myriad darkness hidden in a person¡¯s heart until it bes the poison that kills them.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°The Burning Heart is colorless and odorless. Touching or ingesting it would not elicit any sort of reaction either. This characteristic makes it nigh impossible to detect without foreknowledge.¡± </i>

    <i>¡°When the victim is angry, afraid, or suspicious about something, the Burning Heart would activate and amplify said emotions infinitely. It would also draw out the darkness inside their heart and drive them to the brink of insanity. It cannot be cured.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°The greater the negative emotions afflicting the person, the worse the Burning Heart would be. In the end, it would turn into a literal inferno that burns both the victim¡¯s body and their mind into ash.¡±</i>

    [2]

    ¡°Heavens...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s back felt as cold as ice as he sucked in a deep breath. This Burning Heart was easily one of the most insidious and terrifying poisons he had ever seen.

    <i>¡°The Burning Heart cannot be treated or cured. The one and only way the victim can be free from its influence is to be perfectly calm and desireless.¡±</i>

    ¡°What a monstrous poison this is,¡± Ye Qing sighed after he finished reading the final sentence. He wasn¡¯t able to calm himself even after a long time.

    He understood why the Burning Heart was famed as one of the nine ancient poisons. Its effects were scary for sure, but the scariest part about it was that it was incurable and untreatable. Sure, one could technically avoid triggering the Burning Heart by staying perfectly calm and having zero desire whatsoever all the time, but at that point, could you even say that you were still alive? A human without emotions or desires might as well be a rock.

    <i>Where the hell did Xiong Kuohai and that Sakyamuni get their hands on something like this? So scary!</i>

    Some timeter, Ye Qing finally put away the Annon Sutra and began piecing the clues together. It was time to figure out Xiong Kuohai¡¯s n.

    ¡°The Burning Heart...¡±

    ¡°Suspicion, fear and anger...¡±

    ¡°The Blissful Spring...¡±

    ¡°Frame... they¡¯re nning to frame Joy Bodhisattva...¡±

    A cool breeze and waning moonlight were his onlypanions as Ye Qing leaned against a rock and tapped a finger against the ground repeatedly, thinking. From time to time, a word or two would pass through his lips as a quiet, iprehensible murmur. The way his face was facing upward suggested that he was looking at the moon, but his eyes were dted and unfocused. His pupils were pools of darkness with unfathomable depths.

    Some timeter, Ye Qing¡¯s finger abruptly stopped tapping the ground. The reflection of the round moon in his pupils were shattered by a ripple of movement as well.

    ¡°I got it. The sandpiper and the m go to war, and the fisherman catches both. So that¡¯s what Xiong Kuohai and the Sakyamuni are nning.¡±

    It took him some time, but Ye Qing was finally able to piece the clues together.

    In and of itself, the n was basic and nothing to write home about. To put it simply, they were going to make the guests think that Joy Bodhisattva had poisoned them and pit them against each other. Then, they would swoop in and im all the spoils.

    The n was extremely simple, but its effects were devastating to say the least. If it seeded, then Joy Bodhisattva would die, and the Buddhist Hall of Joy would be annihted as a result.

    That said, the n wasn¡¯t simple to execute. One mistake, and they would have to go back to the drawing board.

    First, nearly everyone participating in the Trueman feast was a noteworthy person. A good number of them were powerful champions, famous doctors, or even expert poisoners themselves. If even one of them prematurely discovered that something was wrong with the Blissful Spring, then the whole n would fall into shambles. After all, even if they suspected that Joy Bodhisattva was trying to poison them, they would ask questions first and kill herter.

    Besides that, no one participating in the Trueman feast was a true idiot. No matter what happened, it was only a matter of time before they found out that someone was trying to frame Joy Bodhisattva. Joy Bodhisattva would lose face because her security was apparentlyx enough for someone to pull something like this, but ultimately, it wouldn¡¯t cause too big a ssh.

    This meant that the n had two prerequisites: one, the poison must be undetectable even to an expert in this area. Two, the poison must remain undetectable until it was toote.

    The Burning Heart was colorless and odorless. Touching or ingesting it would not elicit any sort of reaction either. It was only when the victim was suspicious, fearful or angry that it would reveal its true colors. It was almost impossible to detect the poison without foreknowledge, meaning that it was the perfect poison for the job.

    So, they had their poison. But how could they make everyone think that Joy Bodhisattva was the poisoner? And how could they pit them against each other?

    The Blissful Spring was the answer. From the beginning, Ye Qing had been wondering why Xiong Kuohai had chosen to poison the Blissful Spring instead of the wells the Buddhist Hall of Joy drew water from. After all, water was food, water was life. Poisoning the wells would ensure that everyone participating in the Trueman feast would be poisoned. Besides that, the wells weren''t guarded like the Blissful Spring was, and they were closer to the lodgings as well.

    It was definitely easier to poison the wells than the Blissful Spring, so why would Xiong Kuohai purposely make things more difficult for himself? The answer was simple. It was to make everyone think that Joy Bodhisattva was the poisoner.

    ording to Ye Qing¡¯s observation, the Blissful Spring was only twenty or so meters wide and not really that deep. Normally, it was more than enough to feed everyone in the sect, but they were nning to treat thousands and thousands of people this time. Not only that, every guest would receive at least one jar of Blissful Spring since it was Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast. Assuming his estimation was correct, there was barely enough spring water in the pool to treat the guests.

    What this meant was that the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy would refrain from drinking the Blissful Spring to avoid depleting its reserve. After all, the guests came first, and they second.

    There were two advantages to poisoning the Blissful Spring. One, the poison would not be discovered prematurely. The disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy would wake earlier than anyone to prepare for the day¡¯s event, so if they poisoned the well water, then it was almost guaranteed that they would disy the symptoms first.

    Although the conditions to trigger the Burning Heart were somewhat stringent, it wasn¡¯t that stringent. As soon as the first victim appeared, Joy Bodhisattva would know that something was amiss.

    1. I¡¯ve been considering changing poison to affliction since it¡¯s the more general term, and I personally believe it¡¯s more urate in terms of meaningpared to the literal trantion, but since I¡¯ve been using poison for most of the novel I decided to keep it as poison. ?

    2. Basically, the Burning Heart turns you into a king/emperor. Once you nt your ass on that throne, suspicion, fear and anger will always be with you. It¡¯s why I can¡¯t understand why some people actively seek out more responsibilities, like are you guys fucking insane the burden of living is heavy enough bro. ?

 Chapter 559: A Nightly Visit

    <h4>Chapter 559: A Nightly Visit </h4>

    [1]

    Two, it would be quite difficult to frame Joy Bodhisattva for poisoning if her own people were poisoned. It just didn¡¯t make logical sense, right?

    All in all, the Blissful Spring was the best option. If they poisoned the Blissful Spring, the guests would be poisoned, but the disciples of the Buddhist hall of Joy and Joy Bodhisattva themselves would not be poisoned. It would appear as if Joy Bodhisattva was the poisoner.

    Moreover, the Burning Heart amplified a victim¡¯s suspicion, fear and anger infinitely. Unable to remain rational and constantly drawn toward their darker instincts, they would go to war against Joy Bodhisattva and the Buddhist Hall of Joy for sure. If that happened, Xiong Kuohai¡¯s conspiracy would end in resounding sess.

    That was assuming the best case scenario, of course. In reality, the ns of mice and men often went awry. But even if Joy Bodhisattva and the disciples were poisoned by the Burning Heart as well, there were countless ways Xiong Kuohai could convince the irrational guests into suspecting their hosts.

    For example, he could im that they were faking their symptoms. The Blissful Spring was one of their prized possessions of the Buddhist Hall of Joy, so there were guards posted in the vicinity. Naturally, Joy Bodhisattva was still the prime suspect. With the Burning Heart in y, all he needed to do was to incite the crowd a bit to make it impossible for Joy Bodhisattva to prove her own innocence.

    It never hurts to be well prepared. It was especially important to have a n B, C, D and Z when n A failed.

    In any case, the oue was always the same: Joy Bodhisattva would die, the Buddhist Hall of Joy would be annihted, and all it cost Xiong Kuohai was the Burning Heart and his breath. What a mastermind!

    But as the saying went, there was always a bigger mountain out there, and unfortunately for Xiong Kuohai, he was that mountain this time.

    <i>I saw through your n effortlessly, criminal!</i>

    ¡°Heh! When ites to intelligence, I dare not say that I¡¯m number one, but no one would dare to call themselves number two either! Hehehehe!¡±

    After indulging in a bit of narcissism, Ye Qing calmed down and began pondering his next move.

    Now that he knew what Xiong Kuohai was nning, what should he do?

    Should he pat his bum and leave?

    Should he inform Joy Bodhisattva about this?

    Or should he inform Joy Bodhisattva about this <i>and </i>leave afterward?

    If he didn¡¯t have the Annon Sutra, then he would have chosen to leave for sure. After all, he neither knew who the person in ck was nor what Xiong Kuohai was nning. If he was feeling particrly generous, then he would inform Joy Bodhisattva and leave. Whatever happened next was none of his business.

    Better safe than sorry, always.

    But things were different now. He knew who the suspect was and what they were nning. Naturally, the best option here was to speak with Joy Bodhisattva.

    This was his chance to earn her favor. He would be remiss to miss it. Having made up his mind, Ye Qing immediately made for the peak.

    Joy Bodhisattva lived in a pavilion called the Bodhisattva Pavilion. Despite being the ce where the Bodhisattva lived, it had few guards and even fewer people. There were two reasons. One, Joy Bodhisattva preferred peace and tranquility and so kept her number of attendants to a minimum. Two, she was a Grandmaster. She was the one her people were counting on to protect them, not the other way around. As a result, it took Ye Qing little effort to infiltrate the ce.

    He could have requested an attendant to send her a message, but he didn¡¯t. First, he didn¡¯t want anyone to know that he hadmunicated with Joy Bodhisattva. If Xiong Kuohai somehow caught wind of the message, or if he had a spy or two in the Buddhist Hall of Joy, then he would be in huge trouble. Second, it was simply faster to notify Joy Bodhisattva himself. There were only four to six hours left before the day began. Every minute counted if they were to prepare against this conspiracy.

    After slipping into the pavilion and probing his surroundings for a bit, Ye Qing entered a small building and let slip a hint of aura. The second he did this, a powerful aura immediately locked onto him. Clearly, Joy Bodhisattva had discovered his presence.

    In reality, the entire pavilion was enveloped in Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s aura. If he was anyone else, she would have discovered them at first notice. The only reason she hadn¡¯t discovered him immediately was because the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was extremely proficient at concealing energies. In fact, he was confident that he could¡¯ve snuck all the way to her doorsteps without being discovered.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t do that because it was both rude and dangerous. It was very possible that Joy Bodhisattva might misunderstand his intentions and attack him out of instinct. Giving Joy Bodhisattva a small scare wasn¡¯t worth losing his life.

    That was why he leaked a wisp of aura after entering the building. It was his greeting so to speak.

    <i>Creak...</i>

    The door where Joy Bodhisattva was at opened on its own, and Ye Qing dashed into the room in one step.

    Despite being the head of the Buddhist Hall of Joy, it would seem that Joy Bodhisattva was a minimalist. There were a bamboo bed, a table, a couple of chairs, a teapot and a few cups inside the room. That was all.

    Right now, Joy Bodhisattva was wearing a thin gown and sitting cross-legged on her bed with her hair draped loosely over her shoulders. A white glow amidst the darkness, she looked so attuned with her surroundings that Ye Qing nked out for a moment. Then, he recovered and began with an apology,

    ¡°My deepest apologies for disturbing you at this hour, Bodhisattva.¡±

    ¡°It is fine. I told you that you are always wee.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva watched Ye Qing with eyes that resembled the infinite night sky. ¡°Have you changed your mind? Are you going to be my husband after all?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting that old topic to be brought up again. ¡°You misunderstand, Bodhisattva. I have a most important matter to discuss with you.¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, nothing is more important than being able to experience the red dust and the love of all that lives right now,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied calmly.

    ¡°Not even if it¡¯s a matter conerning your life and death, Bodhisattva? A matter that may very well result in the destruction of the Buddhist Hall of Joy?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± For the first time, puzzlement seeped into Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s usually emotionless features.

    Ye Qing did not keep her in suspense and jumped straight to his point. ¡°Xiong Kuohai of Endless Sand is conspiring against you, Bodhisattva.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva fell silent for a moment. ¡°And it has been so for the longest time. I am not surprised.¡±

    The subtext was: <i>This better not be everything you have to say.</i>

    Ye Qing stared at her. ¡°Sure, but did you know that he is plotting to kill you during your own Trueman feast?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s pupils contracted a little. ¡°You should understand the consequences of spouting nonsense and ying me for a fool.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva wasn¡¯t angry, but the room was suddenly trembling for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

    Ye Qing paid it no attention, however. He continued calmly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to trick you, Bodhisattva. I swear that every word I said is the truth.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva watched him for a couple more breaths before withdrawing her aura. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this...¡± Ye Qing proceeded to tell her how he discovered Xiong Kuohai by ident, how he followed him all the way to the Blissful Spring, and what he did to it. Then, he recited everything he read about the Burning Heart¡ªwithout mentioning the Annon Sutra, of course.

    ¡°It so happens that I know what that strange heart is because I once read about it in an ancient book. It is called the Burning Heart, and it is one of the nine ancient poisons. Triggered by suspicion, fear or anger, it draws out the myriad darkness hidden in a person¡¯s heart until it bes the poison that kills them.¡±

    ¡°The Burning Heart is colorless and odorless. Touching or ingesting it would not elicit any sort of reaction either. This characteristic makes it nigh impossible to detect without foreknowledge.¡±

    ¡°When the victim is angry, afraid, or suspicious about something, the Burning Heart would activate and amplify said emotions infinitely. It would also draw out the darkness inside their heart and drive them to the brink of insanity. It cannot be cured.¡±

    ¡°The greater the negative emotions afflicting the person, the worse the Burning Heart would be. In the end, it would turn into a literal inferno that burns both the victim¡¯s body and their mind into ash.¡±

    ¡°The Burning Heart?¡± Joy Bodhisattva muttered under her breath while watching Ye Qing with a small frown. Despite her vast knowledge and experience, she had never heard of the Burning Heart before.

    That wasn¡¯t a problem though. There were ways to check if what Ye Qing said was the truth. She was fairly certain that Ye Qing was telling the truth anyway. His eyes looked clear and calm.

    Joy Bodhisattva rose to her feet and walked over to a small container. The small container was filled with clear water, and a single pygmy water-lily floated on its surface. Hanging on the wall above the container was a tiny bamboo that somewhat resembled a little finger. Around three inches long, it was emerald green in color and covered in vibrant-looking leaves.

    Beads of water could be seen dripping down its leaves and into the small container. It caused ripples when it hit the lotus leaves and scattered in every direction.

    1. Get it? Cuz it¡¯s both a nightly and a knightly visit? No? Ok. ?

 Chapter 560: Who Is The Butcherâ€™s Knife

    <h4>Chapter 560: Who Is The Butcher¡¯s Knife </h4>

    ¡°Come in, Cai Le,¡± said Joy Bodhisattva quietly after arriving at the small container. At the same time, she waved her hand and summoned a teacup from the table. She scooped a ss of water from the container.

    A voice came from outside at this moment. ¡°Bodhisattva!¡±

    ¡°Enter,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied.

    A female disciple of the Buddhist Hall of Joy stepped into the room. She was none other than Cai Le.

    A hint of surprise shed across Cai Le¡¯s face when she saw Ye Qing, but she did not say anything. She simply stared at Joy Bodhisattva and awaited her orders quietly.

    ¡°Drink this,¡± said Joy Bodhisattva while handing tea cup to Cai Le. The woman looked confused, but she still did as Joy Bodhisattva said and drank the water in one gulp. At the side, Ye Qing was frowning while a thought shed through his mind.

    After Cai Le drank the water, her eyes gradually grew unfocused, and ecstasy slowly crept onto her features. She looked like she might float into the air at any moment.

    A dozen or so breathster, Cai Le finally snapped back to reality and bowed deeply to Joy Bodhisattva. ¡°Thank you for the gift, Bodhisattva.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I gifted you a cup of Blissful Spring, Cai Le?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked.

    <i>I knew it, </i>Ye Qing thought to himself. The water inside the small container was the Blissful Spring. Joy Bodhisattva must have done something to draw the spring water over to her room.

    Cai Le¡¯s role in this was clear. She was to be the poison tester.

    ¡°I do not know, Bodhisattva. Will you please tell me?¡± Cai Le asked.

    ¡°Because I have poisoned it!¡± Joy Bodhisattva answered.

    ¡°W-What?!¡± Cai Le¡¯s eyes widened a little. She looked astonished, suspicious and afraid all at the same time.

    ¡°Do you know what sin you¡¯vemitted, Cai Le?¡± Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s voice suddenly turned harsh and cold.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t... What did I do, Bodhisattva?¡± Startled, Cai Le hurriedly dropped to her knees and asked fearfully. Her face was white, and she was shaking all over like a leaf.

    As Cai Le¡¯s fear, doubt and worry grew, Ye Qing could clearly sense an anomalous energy feeding off of her emotions and growing swiftly. It was dark and evil like the representation of the darkest, filthiest corner of a person¡¯s heart. Goosebumps broke out of his skin despite himself.

    Joy Bodhisattva was a Grandmaster, so of course she picked up what Ye Qing had picked up herself. However, she remained firm and continued in a stone cold voice, ¡°What sin did youmit, you ask? Do you really think I don¡¯t know that you are the spy Xiong Kuohai had nted in my midst?¡±

    ¡°No! I am not a spy! I am not a spy! I ampletely loyal to you, Bodhisattva! I would never dare to betray you!¡±

    By now, Cai Le¡¯s fear had grown to the point where it was almost tangible. She kept kowtowing to Joy Bodhisattva and begging for mercy, ¡°Mercy, Bodhisattva! Mercy!¡±

    Ye Qing did not know if Joy Bodhisattva was just scaring Cai Le to trigger the Burning Heart, or if the disciple really was a spy Xiong Kuohai had nted at her side. Regardless, her growing fear continued to fuel the anomalous energy inside her body and fueling its growth at a rapid pace. It wasn¡¯t long before it flooded every inch of her body like a broken dam.

    Cai Le herself was growing increasingly incoherent as time passed. Just a few breathster, Cai Le abruptly looked up and fixed a re at Joy Bodhisattva. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was contorted into a visage of hatred, violence, and madness.

    ¡°You wronged me! You¡¯re using me of something I didn¡¯t do! I¡¯m going to kill you. I¡¯m going to kill you both!¡±

    The next moment, Cai Le roared and pounced toward Joy Bodhisattva like an animal. In response, Joy Bodhisattva lowered her hand and unleashed her tremendous power, freezing Cai Le in ce. Despite this, Cai Le continued to struggle with all her might with her teeth bared, and her face contorted like a ghoul from hell.

    Joy Bodhisattva stepped forward and pressed a hand against her head. Then, she poured a rich amount of energy and spirit into her body and attempted to rip out the anomalous energy.

    Just a few secondster, Joy Bodhisattva furrowed her brows a little. She discovered that, despite her vast power, she was unable to uproot the anomalous energy at all. Scratch that, she couldn¡¯t even manipte it. And all this time, the anomalous energy continued to grow at an insane rate.

    ¡°Ahhh! Kill you! Must kill you!¡±

    A couple more breaths passed, and Cai Le suddenly let out a mournful, angry roar. With a burst of abnormal strength, she actually broke out of Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s shackles and swung her arms wildly in front of her. At the same time, wisps of dark mes began seeping out of her pores. Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s face gradually darkened when she saw this.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing appeared in front of Cai Le and pushed her down to the floor. While the woman was pinned, he produced a wine cup with a wisp of clear qi seeping out of it and held it in front of Cai Le¡¯s nose. She inhaled.

    Astoundingly, the redness in Cai Le¡¯s eyes began receding at a visible rate after she inhaled the clear qi. Like a mouse who saw a cat, the anomalous energy swiftly hid itself inside Cai Le¡¯s heart. The woman¡¯s breathing was calming bit by bit as well.

    ¡°The Qi of Ultimate Purity?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked while staring at the wine cup.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°I forgot to tell you this, but the Burning Heart is incurable and untreatable. The only way one could resist its influence and avoid its torment is to remain perfectly calm and desireless.¡±

    ¡°My Qi of Ultimate Purity can suppress it, but it only treats the symptoms and not the roots. Once its effects have passed, the Burning Heart may restart anew.¡±

    ¡°I see. The Burning Heart truly is something.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva narrowed her eyes a little. Even for someone like her, she could not help but feel a sliver of fear toward the Burning Heart.

    ¡°Ugh... What happened to me?¡± It was at this moment Cai Le regained her consciousness. Before she could say anything else, Joy Bodhisattva tapped a finger on her forehead and caused the light in her eyes to wink out like a candle. She abruptly copsed on the ground and died just like that.

    ¡°Bodhisattva...¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. He wasn¡¯t sure why she did this.

    ¡°This secret cannot be known to anyone else but you and me, and you said it yourself that the Burning Heart is incurable, didn¡¯t you? In that case, she no longer has any use for me,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied indifferently. She had recollected herself during the short time she killed Cai Le.

    Ye Qing did not say anything. Once again, he had forgotten that the so-called Bodhisattva before him was a true heretic of the Dark Ways. She might have a holy appearance, but she was really a tyrannical, ruthless ruler on the inside.

    Joy Bodhisattva did not feel anything for her actions whatsoever. In her eyes, Cai Le was probably no more important than an ant. If she dies, she dies. There was no need to feel anything for the servant whatsoever!

    Frowning, Joy Bodhisattva walked around her room twice before bowing to Ye Qing suddenly. ¡°Thank you for telling me this, scion. If it wasn¡¯t for you, both the Buddhist Hall of Joy and I would have met our demise. You have singlehandedly pulled us out of the abyss, and for that, I am deeply grateful.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Bodhisattva. It is simply the right thing to do.¡± Ye Qing hurriedly lifted his hands as if to stop her, but of course he didn¡¯t touch her.

    After Joy Bodhisattva had voiced her thanks, she said, ¡°What do you think Xiong Kuohai is plotting by poisoning the Blissful Spring, scion?¡±

    <i>I¡¯ve been waiting for you to ask this exact question! </i>Ye Qing thought to himself but did not show it on his face. He pretended to mull over the question for a moment before answering, ¡°I believe that Xiong Kuohai is nning to frame you. He is nning to use the <i>jianghu </i>warriors to kill you and destroy the Buddhist Hall of Joy.¡±

    He proceeded to tell Joy Bodhisattva about his assumptions.

    ¡°Of course, these are just my assumptions. Do forgive me if they prove to be incorrect.¡±

    ¡°You are a wise man, scion. I find no fault in your assumption.¡± Joy Bodhisattva nodded. She was no longer looking at Ye Qing like a junior or a younger rtive. Ye Qing could tell that she was, for the first time, speaking to him as if they were equals.

    Joy Bodhisattva added, ¡°That said, there is one thing I¡¯d like to nitpick about.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow. He was sure that his assumptions were near perfect. ¡°Please enlighten me, Bodhisattva.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva answered, ¡°You are right that Xiong Kuohai ns to destroy me and the Buddhist Hall of Joy using the butcher¡¯s knife that is my guest. But that isn¡¯t all he is plotting.¡±

    ¡°The guests participating in my Trueman¡¯s feast are the butcher¡¯s knife, but I am a butcher¡¯s knife myself.¡±

 Chapter 561: Three Solutions To Decide Life Or Death

    ¡°What do you mean, Bodhisattva?¡± Ye Qing voiced his puzzlement.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t think that Xiong Kuohai went so far as to risk the wrath of Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons just to destroy me and the Buddhist Hall of Joy, did you?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva exined slowly, ¡°For the longest time, Xiong Kuohai had plotted to conquer Bei You, which is why he views his greatestpetitors¡ªTower of Cornucopia, Shade of Scents, and my Buddhist Hall of Joy¡ªas the thorns in his side. Long before I became a Grandmaster, Xiong Kuohai had already been scheming to devour us all. To that end, he even colluded with Huang Tianba in secret and enacted multiple crafty plots and machinations, though he hadn¡¯t seeded so far due to one reason or another.¡±

    ¡°This time, all of the heads in Bei You including Gold Ingot of Tower of Cornucopia and Mistress Ruyi of Shade of Scents are gathered at Blissful Mountain. This is his chance to destroy all of us in one go, and Xiong Kuohai isn¡¯t one to let such an opportunity slip through his grasp.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded in realization. Now he understood what she meant.

    Joy Bodhisattva continued, ¡°Therefore, Xiong Kuohai isn¡¯t just plotting to use my guests to eliminate me. He is nning to use me to eliminate the forces of Bei You and especially Gold Ingot and Mistress Ruyi. Assuming that everything went as nned, he could devour the Buddhist Hall of Joy, Tower of Cornucopia and Shade of Scents at once and achieve his dream, all without lifting a finger.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m right, scion?¡±

    Ye Qing replied in an impressed tone, ¡°You are. I didn¡¯t think everything through.¡±

    That was what he said, but it wasn¡¯t really his fault. It had only been weeks since he arrived at Bei You, and he hadn¡¯t figured out theplex rtionships between the major forces of Bei You yet. It was inevitable that his deductions would have holes in it.¡°You are too humble, scion. As an outsider, it is perfectly normal that you aren¡¯t privy to the darkness of our little world.¡± Joy Bodhisattva consoled him before asking another question, ¡°Since you¡¯ve figured out Xiong Kuohai¡¯s n, do you have a solution for it?¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before answering, ¡°Well, I can think of three solutions. I¡¯ll start with the bad solution first.¡±

    ¡°The bad solution is to not treat the guests with the Blissful Spring and feign ignorance. Your goal would be to survive this Trueman feast without anymore ¡®pleasant surprises¡¯ from Xiong Kuohai.¡±

    ¡°The middle solution is to attack Xiong Kuohai first. While he is still unaware that you are onto him, you can mobilize the full power of the Buddhist Hall of Joy and capture or kill Xiong Kuohai in a blitz attack.¡±

    ¡°And finally, the good solution is to give him a taste of his own medicine. Xiong Kuohai thinks he can use your guests to kill you, and you to kill off your guests. But with the right maniption, it is not impossible to turn the guests against him instead.¡±

    All three solutions had their strengths and ws. The bad solution was the safest solution as itpletely neutralized the threat represented by the Burning Heart. Neither the guests nor the Buddhist Hall of Joy would be endangered by the conspiracy, and the Trueman feast would reach its conclusion without a hitch.

    The problem was that there was nothing they could do against Xiong Kuohai either. After all, the poisoning had never happened, so what justification did they have to arrest or kill Xiong Kuohai? The bastard would be able to walk scot free despiteing so close to ruining everyone at once.

    The middle solution treated the ailment at its roots and resolved the threat once and for all, but it was also very risky. On the surface, it looked like Joy Bodhisattva held every advantage since this was her home turf. It would be all too easy for her to mobilize everything she had and y a single Grandmaster.

    However, Xiong Kuohai wasn¡¯t the only person on Blissful Mountain right now. Sword King City, Earthfire Pce of Demons, and the rest of Bei You¡¯s forces were gathered here right now. Would they really allow Joy Bodhisattva to kill Xiong Kuohai? Of course not. An intricate web of interests bound every force in Bei You, and some of them were absolutely against Joy Bodhisattva killing Xiong Kuohai. Be it the fear of a single tyrant ruling all of Bei You with an iron fist, or the outrage of Joy Bodhisattva killing a guest as the host, her guests would surely do everything in their power to stop her.

    Sure, Joy Bodhisattva could tell them about the conspiracy and reveal the fact that Xiong Kuohai was nning to poison them all and wipe out all the major forces of Bei You all at once, but would they believe her?

    They might, but they most likely wouldn¡¯t. It was because Xiong Kuohai had given Joy Bodhisattva an insanely valuable gift just yesterday. It was such a valuable gift that most people in the room thought that Xiong Kuohai and Joy Bodhisattva shared a deep rtionship with each other. What would these people think if Joy Bodhisattva imed that Xiong Kuohai was plotting to kill her?

    They would think that she had gone cuckoo, of course. They might even think that Joy Bodhisattva was a heartless monster who, despite the ¡°deep¡± rtionship she shared with Xiong Kuohai, decided to use this golden opportunity to eliminate her benefactor and im Endless Sand for herself. In the end, the guests would still be outraged and protective of Xiong Kuohai.

    Therefore, the middle solution had clear benefits, but the variables were extremely difficult to control.

    Finally, there was the good solution. It had both great risks and great rewards. By manipting the crowd first and pitting them against Xiong Kuohai, they could give Xiong Kuohai a taste of his own medicine and eliminate his threat once and for all. All Joy Bodhisattva needed to do then was to reap the rewards.

    The good solution was good, but the risks were just as great. First things first, how were they going to manipte the crowd into believing them and acting as their butcher¡¯s knife?

    If they could not convince the crowd that Xiong Kuohai was plotting to pit them against each other so he could y the fisherman, then everything would fall into tatters. Not only that, they would be giving Xiong Kuohai the opportunity to convince the people into believing his version of the story. That would turn out very, very badly for Joy Bodhisattva.

    All three solutions had their strengths and ws, and he was sure that Joy Bodhisattva had already thought of them herself. In the end, it was up to her to decide which solution she wanted to deal with this issue.

    Joy Bodhisattva looked thoughtful for a moment before she asked, ¡°Do you have a detailed n for the good solution, scion?¡±

    <em>I thought she might choose the good solution</em>,<em></em>Ye Qing thought with a mental sigh. Having gotten to know Joy Bodhisattva better, he knew that there was a high chance she would not allow this opportunity to slip through her grasp.

    Sure, the good solution was incredibly risky, but the rewards were equally tempting. If they seeded, then eliminating Xiong Kuohai wouldn¡¯t be the only reward they received. Joy Bodhisattva would be able to enact Xiong Kuohai¡¯s own n and devour Endless Sand, subdue the major forces of Bei You, and be the strongest faction in Bei You in one go. In short, she would be able to conquer Bei You in one fell swoop.

    No leader worth their salt would allow such an opportunity to slip by.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a detailed n yet. All I have are some unripe, poorly thought out threads that barely constitute an idea. If you don¡¯t mind, then I can tell you about it,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    Since Joy Bodhisattva had chosen to go with the good solution, then it was only right that he did everything in his power to ensure that it would seed. After all, they were grasshoppers bound by the same rope right now. If Joy Bodhisattva seeded, then he would benefit from it. But if she failed, then he would suffer.

    ¡°Our objective is to give Xiong Kuohai a taste of his own medicine, right? The crux of this puzzle is how we can convince everyone that Xiong Kuohai is nning to use them before tossing them aside like trash.¡±

    ¡°There is a saying called seeing is believing. We can tell everyone Xiong Kuohai¡¯s n down to thest detail, but it still wouldn¡¯t be as convincing as them seeing it with their own eyes. And what better way there is to do this than to have Xiong Kuohai admit his own n?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you already have a core concept for your idea.¡± Joy Bodhisattva stared at Ye Qing with clear eyes that resembled the celestial bodies of the sky.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ye Qing dered with confidence. ¡°The core concept of my idea is¡­ acting!¡±

    ¡°Acting?¡± Joy Bodhisattva figured out his meaning immediately. ¡°You want me to cooperate with the guests and put on a show for Xiong Kuohai? We would pretend to be afflicted by the Burning Heart and fight each other until Xiong Kuohai decides to step up and im the spoils?¡±

    ¡°You are wise, Bodhisattva. That is exactly what I¡¯m saying,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    However, Joy Bodhisattva shook her head decisively after mulling over Ye Qing¡¯s idea for a moment.

    ¡°What don¡¯t you like about my n, Bodhisattva?¡± Ye Qing was caught off guard by her reaction. For the moment, this was the best idea he could think of. ¡°Or are you unwilling to¡­?¡±

    ¡°Did you think I¡¯m unwilling to ept your idea because I wish to monopolize the rewards for myself?¡± Joy Bodhisattva asked.

    ¡°My apologies, Bodhisattva,¡± replied Ye Qing while sping his hands. His apology made it clear that that was exactly what he thought.

    For an act to seed, all the actors must know the script and the truth of the matter. However, this meant that the Buddhist Hall of Joy could no longer monopolize the pie that was Endless Sand. In fact, they could no longer seize the opportunity to subdue the other forces and dominate Bei You in one fell swoop.

    Ye Qing thought that Joy Bodhisattva was rejecting his idea because she was unwilling to let go of such a golden opportunity.

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I am unwilling to allow such an opportunity to slip through my mask. I won¡¯t deny that I wish to monopolize everything either. However, I am not so foolish as to put my self-interests over my own life.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva did not take offense despite Ye Qing¡¯s doubt. ¡°I am just speaking facts, and the fact is, your idea is too naive, scion.¡±

    [1]

    1. Make no mistake, Joy Bodhisattva is one scary woman. In this world it¡¯s perfectly fine to underestimate a man, a child, grandpas and grandmas, but never underestimate a woman. You¡¯ll learn more in the near future. I¡¯m not entirely sure I can do Joy Bodhisattva justice with my trantion but I¡¯ll do my best. ?

 Chapter 562: Only When Life Meets Death Can Life Face Death

    ¡°Naive? What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing asked while annoyance shed in his eyes.

    ¡°A human heart is aplex thing.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva began her exnation, ¡°First, how can you be sure that Xiong Kuohai did not have allies among the guests? What if one of them tells Xiong Kuohai about it?¡±

    ¡°Even if there isn¡¯t one, their lives would no longer be in danger after they learned about the poison. Why would they help me kill Xiong Kuohai then? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because they owe me their lives. In the <em>jianghu</em>, ingrates who bite the hand that feeds are the majority, not the minority.¡±

    ¡°In theory, it looks like we outnumber Xiong Kuohai many times to one. In reality, how many would lend me their full strength, if they ¡®deign¡¯ to help me at all? Moreover, you mentioned that Xiong Kuohai is aided by a mysterious Sakyamuni, so the variables are even harder to control.¡±

    ¡°If Xiong Kuohai manages to escape this ce, then the consequences would be most severe. There is no room for error. Either we conduct our n with absolute confidence that it will seed, or we do not go through with it at all.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s voice was calm, but it was impossible to mistake the ruthlessness and indifference of her words. ¡°What do you think, scion?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s mouth opened and closed for a moment before he admitted, ¡°You are right, Bodhisattva. I didn¡¯t really think it through properly.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva was right. Between repaying a favor and self-preservation, a <em>jianghu </em>warrior would almost always choose self-preservation.¡°What do you think we should do, Bodhisattva?¡± Ye Qing asked humbly.

    ¡°If life does not know death, why would life strive toward life? If they aren¡¯t driven into a corner, why would they give us their all?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva walked to the door and gazed at the moon in the sky. ¡°If we¡¯re going to borrow their strength, then we must allow someone to hold a knife to their neck and push them into a dead end first.¡±

    ¡°Only when life meets death can life face death.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°You have all traveled a long way to my Buddhist Hall of Joy to participate in my Trueman feast. I am most grateful.¡±

    A new day arrived, and the second day of the Trueman feast began earnestly. Joy Bodhisattva rose from her seat and saluted her guests.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Bodhisattva!¡±

    ¡°It is our honor to be able to participate in your Trueman feast as well!¡±

    The guests rose to their feet and returned the salute as well.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Joy Bodhisattva gestured at the tables of food and wine and said, ¡°I have prepared some food and wine for you all. I hope that you will enjoy it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Bodhisattva. May auspiciousness always be with you,¡± everyone replied in unison. Theirbined voices were so loud that it resounded throughout the Blissful Peak.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Please, take your seats.¡±

    After Joy Bodhisattva motioned for the guests to sit down, bamboo flutes began ying a melodious tune, and countless beautiful women wearing long sleeves and thin white dresses descended from above like celestials. They began dancing and entertaining the guests.

    What was a feast if not delicious food, spicy wine, sweet music, beautiful dances, and goodpany? For a time, the sounds of joy andughter filled the world.

    When the feast neared its end, and even the flute music that seemed like it would never end slowed down a little, the sky was suddenly filled with golden light, and countless white lotuses descended from above.

    The golden light formed a path, and the white lotuses the steps. Together, they formed a stairway of heaven. The guests were trying to figure out what they were plotting when a file of beautiful women, each one of them wearing a white robe and carrying a white jar in their hands, walked down the stairway barefooted like they were the Jiutian Xuann¨¹[1] herself.

    The guests couldn¡¯t care less about the women, however. Their attention was fully drawn by the white jars they were holding.

    It was because the white jar could very well contain the object of their desire¡ªthe true main course of this Trueman feast¡ªthe Blissful Spring.

    The women ced the jars on the tables. They retreated only after every guest had received a jar of wine.

    ¡°My Buddha is joy, and he speaks of bliss after death.¡±

    It was at this moment Joy Bodhisattva spoke up once more. ¡°In order to thank you all for participating in my Trueman feast, I have prepared a jar of Blissful Spring for all of you. May your joy be dreamlike and blissful.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Bodhisattva! May auspiciousness always be with you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Bodhisattva! May auspiciousness always be with you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Bodhisattva! May auspiciousness always be with you!¡±

    Everyone was excited to say the least. If they were just congratting Joy Bodhisattva out of politeness earlier, now they were truly grateful. Well, some of them at least. The rest were too excited to care about anything except the wine jar before them.

    Although the Blissful Spring was useless for one¡¯s cultivation, it was a priceless drink that was readily avable only and only within the Buddhist Hall of Joy. Most of them had heard of its fame but never tasted it as a matter of course. But today, they were all given an entire jar of superior quality Blissful Spring. How could they not be excited by this?

    Even the Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City, Ji Donglei, and the Vermillion Bird Envoy of the Earthfire Pce of Demons, Huo Ruyu, looked eager.

    In fact, a good number of guests were participating in the Trueman feast for the Blissful Spring.

    <em>Let¡¯s hope you can stillugh when this is all over.</em>

    At his table, Ye Qing looked away from the smiling, excited faces and shook his head.

    Ignorance is bliss.

    But ignorance¡­ is also a tragedy.

    Ye Qing could not help but look up to the sixth floor where Xiong Kuohai was at. The honest-looking sect leader was currently sitting primly and staring at the jar of Blissful Spring just as fervently as everyone else around him. It was almost as if he wasn¡¯t the mastermind behind the tragedy that was about to happen very soon.

    <em>Would you look at that world ss acting.</em>

    Ye Qing withdrew his gaze and sighed quietly.

    The Blissful Spring was the Blissful Spring.

    But once it entered the guests¡¯ stomach, it would transform into the incarnation of carnage.

    ¡°A toast to all of you.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva raised her wine cup.

    ¡°You too, Bodhisattva!¡±

    ¡°You too, Bodhisattva!¡±

    ¡°You too, Bodhisattva!¡±

    As soon as the formalities were over, everyone poured a cup of Blissful Spring for themselves, held the cup with both hands, and watched Joy Bodhisattva expectantly.

    ¡°Please, enjoy your drink,¡± Joy Bodhisattva dered before draining the contents of her cup in one gulp.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    The rest of the guests drank their Blissful Spring as well.

    Not long after the sweet liquid entered their mouths, blissful expressions began spreading across everyone¡¯s faces. They looked like they might grow wings and fly on the spot.

    ¡°It is as if I have soared into the heavens for a moment. Wonderful! Most wonderful!¡±

    A few breathster, the Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City, Ji Donglei opened his eyes and sighed with appreciation.

    The Vermillion Bird Envoy of the Earthfire Pce of Demons, Huo Ruyi also let out a giggle. ¡°Haha¡­ the Blissful Spring definitely deserves its fame.¡±

    ¡°It feels like a blissful dream I don¡¯t want to wake up from for as long as possible. No wonder it is one of the Three Wonders.¡±

    Xiong Kuohai exhaled with an intoxicated look on his face. ¡°I dare not waste a single drop of this wonderful drink. Everyone, let us toast to the Bodhisattva once more, shall we? May your power be infinite, and your fortune evesting, Trueman Bodhisattva!¡±

    ¡°May your power be infinite, and your fortune evesting, Trueman Bodhisattva!¡±

    ¡°May your power be infinite, and your fortune evesting, Trueman Bodhisattva!¡±

    ¡°May your power be infinite, and your fortune evesting, Trueman Bodhisattva!¡±

    Everyone echoed in agreement and poured yet another cup of Blissful Spring.

    ¡°Thank you, leader Xiong. Thank you, everyone.¡±

    After Joy Bodhisattva drank her second cup of Blissful Spring, she said, ¡°Please, enjoy yourselves.¡±

    Once again, everyone raised their cups and gulped down its contents.

    Once the ceremony was over, the music and dances began once more. s, the festive mood onlysted a dozen or so breaths before suddenly, someone on the third floor suddenly nched and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m poisoned! It¡¯s poisoned! The Blissful Spring is poisoned!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Cut the nder!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! This is the Buddhist Hall of Joy. Who would dare to do such a thing in this ce? The Buddhist Hall of Joy themselves?¡±

    <em>Yep, the shills are starting.</em>

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow when he heard themotion. He knew at first nce that these people were shills, and he was sure that this was just the beginning.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ something¡¯s not right¡­ I think¡­ I think the Blissful Spring really is poisoned!¡±

    Another person spoke up, and everyone looked. He looked deathly pale, and they could clearly sense an anomalous energy growing inside his body. Although they weren¡¯t the victims¡ªyet¡ªthey could sense just how dark, evil, and strange the energy was. Goosebumps broke out of their skin before they knew it.

    ¡°I¡¯m poisoned too!¡±

    A fourth person nched and screeched as the same type of energy bloomed inside their body.

    ¡°The Blissful Spring is poisoned!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m poisoned as well¡­ help¡­¡±

    More and more people were nching and yelling by the second.

    1. Jiutian Xuann¨¹ is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity in Chinese mythology. ?

 Chapter 563: Blissful Peak Bleeds

    <h4>Chapter 563: Blissful Peak Bleeds </h4>

    There was a saying called, ¡°Three men make a tiger.¡± If one person lied, then it was just a lie. If two people lied, then it was an borate lie. But if three people lied, then someone might believe it to be the truth¡ªeven if it was still objectively a lie.

    That was what was happening to the crowd right now. At first, no one believed that the Blissful Spring was poisoned. But as more and more people started yelling and showing symptoms, their doubt inevitably began to sprout like a seed. As if on cue, a dark and evil energy burst out of their heart and flooded their entire body in an instant.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been poisoned!¡±

    ¡°The Blissful Spring really has been poisoned!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is this poison? Why is my Blue Dragon Pill not working against it?¡±

    ¡°My... My Poison Removing Golden Cicada isn¡¯t working either.¡±

    ¡°Heavens! This poison spreads insanely fast!¡±

    It was like a gue. It wasn¡¯t long before everyone noticed that something wrong with their body, and they were unable to remove the anomalous energy no matter what they tried. As fear, suspicion, anger and more negative emotions sprouted like weeds inside their heart, so did the anomalous energy. Chaos rippled throughout the entire Blissful Peak.

    Ye Qing let out a sigh as he observed the panicking crowd. To be honest, Xiong Kuohai¡¯s method wasn¡¯t all that impressive. All he did was get a few shills to pretend that they were poison and sow the seeds of doubt in the people¡¯s heart. When doubt arose, the Burning Heart would activate. After that, he didn¡¯t need to do anything else. The situation would snowball out of control itself.

    Of course, it was partially thanks to the fact that the shills were professionals. They really were infected by the Burning Heart.

    In fact, Xiong Kuohai¡¯s tactic was pretty stupid. Yes, it would seem that they really were poisoned, but how did the shills know that it was the Blissful Spring that was poisoned and not the food? For that matter, how did they discover the poison sooner than the Grandmasters residing on the sixth floor? So on and so forth.

    It was absolutely possible to poke holes in Xiong Kuohai¡¯s tactic. However, one did not need a perfect or intelligent tactic to get their way. Right now, almost everyone was panicking and freaking out after discovering that they were poisoned. Chaos was everywhere and growing worse by the second. Just who in the world would have the presence of mind to care about the contradictions at this moment?

    Long story short, Xiong Kuohai¡¯s tactic was simple, old-fashioned, and full of holes, but it was effective, and that was enough.

    Not wanting to stand out, Ye Qing emted his fellow guests¡¯ behavior and sat down on the floor. It looked like he was meditating and attempting to expel the poison inside his body when he was really observing the sixth floor.

    It was absolute havoc in the lower floors, but the guests on the fifth and sixth floor were still calm. It was the calm before the storm, however.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Bodhisattva?¡±

    The Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City, Ji Donglei [1] Like a thundersnow, he was ring at Joy Bodhisattva while attempting to suppress the Burning Heart.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, Elder Ji,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t? Is there really any point in pretending at this point, Bodhisattva?¡± The Vermillion Bird Envoy of Earthfire Pce of Demons, Huo Ruyi pressed while burning like a literal vermillion bird who just rose from the ashes. ¡°Why did you poison us?¡±

    ¡°I did not.¡± Joy Bodhisattva attempted to exin, ¡°Just think. What reason do I have to poison any of you?¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, then why are we afflicted, while you and your people are perfectly fine?¡± barked Huo Ruyi while shooting nces at Joy Bodhisattva and the rest of the disciples. It was clear that they were fine.

    ¡°Someone must have poisoned the Blissful Spring. Due to our limited reserves, my disciples and I drank only ordinary water to ensure that every guest in our halls could enjoy our finest. That is why we weren¡¯t poisoned.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva dered with conviction, ¡°Someone must have done this to frame me!¡±

    On the fifth floor, Wei Changhe, the man they called the Sunset Swordsman questioned, ¡°Really? The Blissful Spring is one of the most heavily guarded ces in the Buddhist Hall of Joy, is it not? How could any outsider have slipped in without you noticing?¡±

    ¡°The Blissful Spring is guarded, but warriors from all walks of the <i>jianghu </i>are gathered today. It is perfectly natural for a champion to slip past the guards and poison my Blissful Spring.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva suddenly turned in Xiong Kuohai¡¯s direction and dered, ¡°It¡¯s you. You¡¯ve been scheming to kill me for the longest time, Xiong Kuohai. It has to be you.¡±

    ¡°How could you use me, Joy Bodhisattva?! What did I ever do to you?¡± Xiong Kuohai hurriedly denied the usation.

    ¡°Have some shame, Joy Bodhisattva! Leader Xiong just gave you a massive gift yesterday, and now you¡¯re ndering him? Do you think we¡¯re stupid?!¡±

    A brawny man wearing a bronze half-mask that covered the right side of his face roared, ¡°Cut the bullshit and give us the antidote already! Otherwise, you know what¡¯s going to happen next!¡±

    The speaker was known as Punisher Tang, and just like his name implied, there was nothing he loathed more than evil, and nothing he loved more than punishing evil. He was a famous wanderer of Northern Xinjiang and a half-step Grandmaster.

    ¡°Yeah. Give us the antidote!¡±

    ¡°Give us the antidote!¡±

    ¡°Give us the antidote!¡±

    Punisher Tang¡¯s words immediately triggered the crowd and caused them to charge the peak. The disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy hurriedly barred their way.

    ¡°Calm down. Please think about this. The Buddhist Hall of Joy does not share a hostile rtionship with anyone here. What reason is there for us to poison you?¡± argued Worriless while standing protectively in front of Joy Bodhisattva.

    Beside Punisher Tang, a woman wearing a bronze half-mask covering the left side of her face said harshly, ¡°Reason? Is it not obvious? Everyone here knows that the Buddhist Hall of Joy is a group of vile, murderous heretics who would do anything under the sun to achieve their goals. It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re trying to kill us all in one fell swoop!¡±

    The woman was Punisher Tang¡¯s younger sister. Her name was yer Tang, and she was ate-stage Spirit Master. They were known as the Punisher and the yer in Bei You.

    Once again, her inmmatory words triggered the anger of the crowd.

    ¡°Yes, that has to be it.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re plotting to kill us so they can take Bei You for themselves!¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known better than to believe that a bunch of heretics would uphold the tradition of guest right! ¡°

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t want to die...¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡±

    As suspicion, anger and fear continued to grow in the people¡¯s heart, the Burning Heart fully activated and scorched their minds with all sorts of negative emotions. Unable to hold onto their rationality any longer, one man swung their saber and cut a disciple of the Buddhist Hall of Joy in half. Blood sttered against his clothes and dyed everyone¡¯s eyes red.

    ¡°If the Buddhist Hall of Joy isn¡¯t going to let us live, then we¡¯re not going to let them live either. Let us fight, my brothers and sisters!¡±

    ¡°Let us fight!¡±

    ¡°Kill! Kill the heretics! Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, then follow me! We¡¯re going to kill these heretics to thest! One of them has to have the antidote!¡±

    ¡°Kill them all!¡±

    The disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy weren¡¯t just going to stand there and die, of course. They immediately got into position and engaged the crazed people inbat.

    The fight quickly spread like a spark that consumed the inferno. It only took a couple of breaths for the entire Blissful Peak to be embroiled in battle.

    Although the Blissful Mountain was the Buddhist Hall of Joy¡¯s home territory, everyone participating in the Trueman feast was a powerful warrior in their own right. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, they had the numbers advantage as well. As a result, dozens of disciples were killed in just a dozen or so breaths or so.

    That said, many of these warriors possessed a weak will as well. It wasn¡¯t long before the raging emotions exceeded their limits, causing them to burst into mes and die.

    The terrible deaths were thest straw that unleashed the guests¡¯ fear and fury in full. Combined with the Burning Heart¡¯s influence, and they all charged toward the disciples with suicidal abandon.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning, and I don¡¯t care. Give us the antidote now or suffer the consequences, Joy Bodhisattva,¡± Ji Donglei red at Joy Bodhisattva while clutching his sword tightly.

    If someone were to look closely, they would notice that a bit of crimson was slowly but surely leaking out from the corner of his eyes. Ji Donglei discovered that even he, a Grandmaster, was unable to expel the anomalous energy growing inside his body. Worse, he couldn¡¯t even put a name to the poison. One thing for certain, it was evil, potent, and beyond terrifying. If it wasn¡¯t cured as quickly as possible, then today could very well be the day he died. Those poor people who burned to death just a while ago were the perfect example of that.

    ¡°Elder Ji, I¡ª¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva was about to defend herself further when Punisher Tang interrupted with a rude shout, ¡°Is this the time to be talking right now?! Let¡¯s capture this bastard first!¡±

    Punisher Tang roared and pounced toward Joy Bodhisattva. Moving even faster than him was a meteor descending from the sky and heading straight for Joy Bodhisattva.

    The meteor wasn¡¯t a real meteor, of course. It was a meteor hammer[2] and Punisher Tang¡¯s main weapon. That said, the power behind the attack was so great that it really felt like a meteor was falling toward Joy Bodhisattva.

    Joy Bodhisattva remained calm, however. She pointed her right hand upward and her left hand downward. There existed only her between the gap that was heaven and earth.

    The descending meteor abruptly shattered into smithereens, and Punisher Tang flew backward as if he was struck by a heavy blow. Half of his body exploded into a shower of blood and gore just like that.

    1. Could I have done you all a favor and shortened this to just Ji Donglei? Sure. But knowing the number of names that will be showing up¡ªand disappearing¡ªin the next couple chapters, trust me when I say that the author and I are doing the readers a favor. ?

    2. The meteor hammer, often referred to simply as meteor, is an ancient Chinese weapon, consisting at its most basic level of two weights connected by a rope or chain. ?

 Chapter 564: Killing The Bodhisattva

    <h4>Chapter 564: Killing The Bodhisattva </h4>

    ¡°Big brother! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    yer Tang¡¯s eyes burned with white hot fury when she saw her brother, Punisher Tang, taking a serious injury from Joy Bodhisattva. She immediately pounced toward her.

    ¡°Stop hesitating already, old ghost. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Huo Ruyu shot a nce at Ji Donglei, and both of them charged toward Joy Bodhisattva as well.

    Dark red mes burst out of Huo Ruyu¡¯s body as she rose into the air. The silhouette of a vermillion bird could be seen flickering within the mes, and the air turned as hot as a furnace.

    Unlike his mboyant partner, Ji Donglei simply walked toward Joy Bodhisattva. Every time he took a step, his sword would unsheath exactly a-third of a meter, and ayer of cold, yin frost would appear on the floor. Three stepster, his sword fully left its sheath, and the floor was encased in a meter of ice. It felt like he was standing in the middle of the coldest winter.

    Above, the vermillion bird scorched the sky, and below, the ice froze the ground.

    Huo Ruyu threw a palm strike in Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s direction and caused the vermillion bird to swoop down on her.

    Ji Donglei raised his sword and summoned a frost dragon from the ground. The power of autumn and winter resided within it.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The next moment, a terrific shockwave shook the entire Blissful Peak. The clouds of fire rolled back toward Huo Ruyu, and the wave of ice exploded into bits. At the center of the twin attacks, Joy Bodhisattva stood tall and proud while surrounded by flying celestials and golden lotuses. She lookedpletely unharmed.

    The cloud she was standing on had been crushed into fine powder, however.

    ¡°You just became a Grandmaster several months ago, and you¡¯re already this strong? No wonder you dared toe up with such an outrageous scheme.¡±

    Huo Ruyu and Ji Donglei exchanged a surprised nce with each other. For a newly ascended Grandmaster, Joy Bodhisattva was just as strong as them, people who had be Grandmasters for years. This discovery only increased their determination to kill her, of course.

    ¡°Let¡¯s attack her together. And don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    Ji Donglei narrowed his eyes and thrust his sword forward. A spatial tear immediately appeared and shot countless lightning at the Buddhist mirage surrounding Joy Bodhisattva.

    <i>¡°Sword Form: Thundersnow¡±</i>

    A winter thunder rumbled, and it was murderous and devoid of mercy. The flying celestials were annihted, and the golden lotuses were shattered under the attack. Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Kingdom of Buddha wobbled unsteadily under the barrage of lightning strikes.

    Right after Ji Donglei shed the Kingdom of Buddha open with Thundersnow, Huo Ruyi grew a pair of fire wings from her back and transformed into light. She appeared in front of Joy Bodhisattva in just the blink of an eye and threw a palm strike at her forehead.

    Her palm turned bright red all the way down to the hair after it crossed just three inches of distance. It was like her palm was a mini world in its own right where the pores were volcanoes in the middle of a furious eruption, her palm lines were bottomless abysses overflowing withva, and her flesh were mountain ranges that entrapped both heaven and earth.

    Whoever said that a small object could not hold a world?

    When Huo Ruyu¡¯s palm made contact with Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s forehead, the Bodhisattva shuddered, and the cloud beneath her feet abruptly copsed as if it could not bear the weight of the attack.

    The next moment, streams of golden light poured out of Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s nose and mouth and transformed into a Buddha of Joy with three heads, six arms, and two genders embracing each other tightly. All three Buddha heads wore a furious expression as they clenched their six fists and punched Huo Ruyi at the same time.

    Shaking violently like she had just been struck by lightning, the fire surrounding Huo Ruyi scattered into nothing, and the fiery wings behind her back were snuffed out like a candle me. She staggered backward six steps before she managed to catch herself, but herplexion was wan and yellow like that of an ill patient.

    That said, Joy Bodhisattva wasn¡¯t looking so hot herself. After spitting out the stream of golden light, her wless skin slowly lost its luster, and her aura gradually waned like someone who just lost a ton of life force.

    Seeing this and knowing that Joy Bodhisattva was hurt, Gold Ingot of the Tower of Cornucopia, Mistress Ruyi of the Shade of Scents, Five Poison Boy, Sunset Swordsman and more charged the woman without hesitation.

    Their lives were on the line here. No one dared to hold back.

    Three incense sticks appeared in Mistress Ruyi¡¯s hands. One was greenish like a nt and overflowing with life, another was pitch ck and overflowing with inauspiciousness, and thest incense stick was fiery red and screamed of danger.

    The next moment, the three incense sticks ignited on their own and produced a few puffs of smoke. The smoke of the greenish incense stick flew toward Huo Ruyi and entered her body, restoring her aura andplexion immediately. The smoke of the ck incense stick transformed into many snarling or weeping visages and enveloped Joy Bodhisattva, tainting her with the putrid stench of death.

    And finally, the smoke of the red incense stick bled bright red blood almost as if it was alive. At the same time, wounds started appearing all over Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s body, and blood poured profusely out of her orifices.

    Shade of Scents was famed for their skill in creating incense sticks, and Mistress Ruyi was a famous incense master.

    The three incense sticks she was currently using were her greatest creations. The green incense stick¡¯s theme was life, the ck incense stick¡¯s theme was death, and the red incense stick¡¯s theme was violence.

    Hence, the three incense sticks were named the Incense of Life, the Incense of Death, and the Incense of Violence.

    Five Poison Boy was small and short like a boy, but he carried a massive red cbash behind his back. While most of the warriors were charging Joy Bodhisattva, he instead pped his cbash and caused it to spray all sorts of poisonous or venomous creatures into his surroundings. Among them was none other than the Five Poisons: the centipede, the snake, the spider, the frog, and the lizard.

    This was how Five Poison Boy got his moniker.

    Of course, Five Poison Boy¡¯s Five Poisons were no ordinary creatures. Each and every creature was a highly toxic Soulstealer-ss Stranger. The centipede was a Blue-winged Centipede, the snake was a ck Crown Snake, the spider was a Seven Star Malus Spider, the Frog was a Blood Melting Demonic Frog, and the lizard was a Tailless Ghost Lizard.

    He wasn¡¯t just releasing one of each type of creature either. There were hundreds and hundreds of them.

    The deadly creatures were either crawling toward Joy Bodhisattva or the Buddhist Hall of Joy disciples who were attempting to rescue their leader. Anyone who touched the deadly creatures either turned bluish ck from head to toe, choked as blood filled their eyes and nose, dissolved into a pool of corrosive acid or lost their limbs due to a rapid decay spell. Without exception, all of them died in just a matter of seconds.

    Wei Cahnghe, the Sunset Swordsman was wielding a de that looked neither like a sword nor a saber. He raised it high over his head before bringing it down in one powerful stroke.

    Sword qi roared like a river, and an orange, waning sun slowly descended from the sky. For a moment, the reddish rays of evening transformed the ce into a beautiful painting.

    There were few things more beautiful than a sun slowly falling into a river of swords.

    Wei Changhe¡¯s sword was named Sunset River, and his sword art was called the Sunset River Sword Art.

    Out of everyone who was attacking Joy Bodhisattva, Gold Ingot of the Tower of Cornucopia was the weakest in terms of cultivation. To be specific, he was only ate-stage Spirit Master. However, he was jokingly called the God of Wealth of Bei You because of one and only one reason: he was very, very, <i>very </i>rich.

    Money makes the world go round. Money could also buy all sorts of things that people couldn¡¯t even dream of. For starters, Gold Ingot owned two Half-Step Grandmaster stage corpse puppets.

    Gold Ingot had hired the Corpse King Sect to create these two corpse puppets for him, and the cost was astronomical to put it mildly. However, the power was worth it. Although the corpse puppets were unable to retain their former strength¡ªthey were Grandmasters before they perished, and the puppets fashioned from their corpses were only Half-Step Grandmasters¡ªthey were still much stronger than your conventional Half-Step Grandmaster.

    Besides that, a corpse puppet was immune to normal sensations such as pain and feared nothing at all. When the two corpse puppets work together in tandem, then even a true Grandmaster would have to stay out of their way.

    Besides the two corpse puppets, Gold Ingot was covered from head to toe in Strange Artifacts. They were no ordinary Strange Artifacts either.

    The robe he was wearing was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact called the Primal Origin Demon Suppressing Robe. It could summon a shadow of the Primal Origin Demon Suppressing Heavenly Sovereign and protect him from all dangers for an incense stick. Not even a Grandmaster could hurt him during this time.

    His shoes were a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact called the Meteoric Rise Shoes. In times of danger, he could grow clouds underneath his foot and rise into the sky.

    His hairpin was also a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact called the Twelve Forms of Heavenly Astral. It allowed him to transform into twelve different objects such as nts, rocks, birds, animals, male, female, young or old people.

    Besides that, he hid a dozen or so Life Substitution Talismans, Protection Seals and other life-saving items in his sleeves.

    Gold Ingot¡¯s cultivation level might be poor, but he was easily one of the most powerfulbatants in this room.

    After all, there was nothing in the world that could not be done given enough money.

 Chapter 565: What Is My Aim?

    <h4>Chapter 565: What Is My Aim? </h4>

    Xiong Kuohai hadn¡¯t been idle while Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and more champions were attacking Joy Bodhisattva. He wasn¡¯t part of the attacking group though. No, he was singlehandedly keeping Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s four champions¡ªWorriless, Wisdom Queen, White-faced God and ck-faced Buddha¡ªat bay.

    Worriless and Wisdom Queen were the only Half-Step Grandmasters out of the four. White-faced God and ck-faced Buddha were bothte-stage Spirit Masters.

    If their opponent was anyone else below the Grandmaster-stage, then they would have broken through already. But Xiong Kuohai wasn¡¯t just strong enough to stop them all by himself, he was intentionally drawing out the battle. His aim was obvious: he wanted to save his strength so he could y the fishermanter.

    The group of four weren¡¯t the only champions of the Buddhist Hall of Joy, but the Wisdom King of Joy, the Lampholding Protector and the Joy Arhat had been executed for their troubles, and Joy Bodhisattva excised the rest of the corruption after returning to her sect. She sessfully subdued the foxes in her backyard but lost a lot of quality warriors as a result.

    Normally, this wouldn''t be a problem. After all, Joy Bodhisattva had be a Grandmaster. She alone could protect the entire Buddhist Hall of Joy from harm, and no one dared to draw her ire so soon after she won her previous conflict.

    But now, the w in the arrangement was bared for all to see. With Xiong Kuohai pinning down Worriless, Wisdom Queen, White-faced God and ck-faced Buddha, there was no one else in the sect who was capable of helping Joy Bodhisattva. The ordinary disciples couldn¡¯t even get up the floor without getting annihted by all sorts of attacks.

    To say that the Bodhisattva was caught between a rock and a hard ce would be an understatement. A Grandmaster she might be, there was only so much she could do when she was outnumbered many times to one. A momentter, Ji Donglei managed to seize an opening and destroy her Dharma in one sh. While her energies were scattered, Huo Ruyunded a palm strike against her back and flooded her veins with fire poison, shattering her body as a result.

    Gold Ingot¡¯s corpse puppet endured a finger strike from Joy Bodhisattva in exchange for a punch to the stomach. Even as she staggered backward, Mistress Ruyi, Wei Changhe, and Five Poison Boy¡¯s attacks arrived right on time and injured her even more.

    Unable to weather the barrage of attacks any longer, Joy Bodhisattva fell from the sky and hit the ground with a loud thud. She was bleeding from all orifices and looking as pale as a sheet.

    ¡°Hahaha! She¡¯s hurt!¡±

    ¡°Kekeke... I¡¯m going to kill her...¡±

    ¡°Kill her...¡±

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    Smelling the kill, countless people rushed toward Joy Bodhisattva with crazed, bloodshot eyes.

    <i>¡°ENOUGH!¡±</i>

    It was at this moment a sword beam cut through the air. Some of the attackers charging toward Joy Bodhisattva abruptly stopped in their tracks. Their heads flew into the air like balls, and blood sttered everywhere.

    ¡°What are you doing, Elder Ji?¡± Wei Changhe stared at Ji Donglei as spots of blood slid down his forehead.

    Everyone else was staring at him with unfriendly eyes as well.

    ¡°Joy Bodhisattva cannot die. If she dies, we all die. Just look at those people.¡±

    Ji Donglei nced at a group ofbatants, and they followed their gaze. By now, the entire Blissful Peak was wet with blood. Nearly everyone¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with madness and bloodthirst, and they weren¡¯t just attacking the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy. They had been killing everyone who entered their sights since a while ago.

    Not only that, tiny wisps of mes could be seen seeping out of their pores, and yet not a single one of them could feel the heat. They kept fighting until they eventually burned down into a pile of ash.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already noticed it, but the poison affects our mind as well. If we don¡¯t cure it as soon as possible, their downfall will be our future.¡±

    Ji Donglei kept a tight lid on the negative emotions raging inside his heart as he ended his exnation, ¡°That is why we cannot kill Joy Bodhisattva until she gives us the antidote.¡±

    ¡°Elder Ji is right...¡± Huo Ruyu¡¯s expression was contorted into a vicious snarl, and the flickering light in her eyes made it clear that she was struggling to control herself. ¡°Joy Bodhisattva, give... give us the antidote <i>now.</i>¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva coughed. ¡°Cough... I told you that I¡¯m not the poisoner. Naturally, I don¡¯t have the antidote.¡±

    Her injuries were quite severe. Every time she coughed, countless cracks would spread across her face almost like she was made of porcin, not flesh.

    ¡°Quit being stubborn and give us the antidote already, bitch! Otherwise, you will wish that you were dead!¡± Five Poison Boy screeched as he ran up to Joy Bodhisattva and grabbed her by her throat, his face a vicious snarl no less hateful than Huo Ruyi¡¯s.

    Five Poison Boy looked anything but well right now. His right arm was missing from the shoulder, his chest was caved in, and light green blood was leaking out of his orifices. He had received these injuries while doing battle against Joy Bodhisattva earlier.

    In fact, Five Poison Boy wasn¡¯t the only one who was hurt. Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and everyone else who fought against Joy Bodhisattva had taken varying degrees of injuries as well.

    Although Joy Bodhisattva waspletely isted, and the two Grandmasters, Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu were bearing the brunt of the Bodhisattva¡¯s counterattack, there were two factors that made this battle a lot closer than it should have been. One, the debilitating influence of the Burning Heart could not be understated. They had to fight while keeping the all-consuming me at bay at all times. Two, Joy Bodhisattva was a Grandmaster herself, and a powerful one at that. Since she was fighting for her life, she was able to deal a not insignificant amount of damage against them in return.

    Ji Donglei¡¯s left arm was hanging crookedly by his side, and there was a bloody hole at the center of his stomach.

    Huo Rulei¡¯s mind was damaged since her Vermillion Bird Dharma was shattered into bits during a counterattack.

    Half of Wei Changhe¡¯s skull was crushed into bits by Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s finger, and his Sunset River Sword was in pieces.

    Mistress Ruyi looked deathly pale, and crumbs of dust were falling off her skin just like an incense stick.

    Gold Ingot was fine, but one of his corpse puppets had been sttered across the ground like a smear of meat paste.

    Besides that, a dozen or so corpses were sprawled across the floor as well. They were all people who joined in on the attack sometime after the battle began, but they were weak enough that Joy Bodhisattva were able to y them all.

    ¡°Calm down, Five Poison Boy!¡±

    Wei Changhe hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed Five Poison Boy¡¯s shoulder tightly. He was seriously worried that the warrior would kill Joy Bodhisattva in a fit of rage.

    ¡°Get off of me! I¡¯m killing this bitch if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡±

    Five Poison Boy shook Wei Changhe off before tightening his grip. He was going to snap Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s neck there and then.

    Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream escaped his lips. It was because Joy Bodhisattva had struck him with her sleeves and cut his left arm clean off the shoulders. The warrior was sent flying into the distance.

    The retaliation wasn¡¯t without its cost. Joy Bodhisattva¡¯splexion grew even whiter, and the dense cracks on her face had spread across her whole body.

    ¡°Enough, Joy Bodhisattva. Are you really nning on struggling until thest moment? Just give us the antidote, and we might consider letting you live,¡± Ji Donglei said. He never even looked at Five Poison Boy.

    ¡°Joy Bodhisattva, I don¡¯t see why this has to end in death and tragedy. It¡¯s not like our factions are hostile toward one another. Just give us the antidote already!¡± Gold Ingot also chimed in.

    Despite her condition, Joy Bodhisattva remained fearless. ¡°I did not poison you, so I don¡¯t have the antidote.¡±

    ¡°Stubborn bitch!¡± Huo Ruyu snarled. She could no longer suppress her rage and killing intent at this point. As a practitioner of the Dark Ways, her martial art was powerful and swift to cultivate. Unfortunately, that also meant that her willpower and mental fortitude were weaker than most.

    Already, she was on the brink of insanity as the Burning Heart burned at the final threads of her rationality. If she did not receive the antidote soon, she was going to lose her mind and perish just like the weaker warriors around her.

    ¡°Do you really think I wouldn¡¯t dare to kill you?!¡±

    ¡°You can kill me, but it will be a futile endeavor. As I have told you many times, I do not have the antidote.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s expression slowly turned scornful as she met her would-be-killers¡¯ furious gazes head on. ¡°None of you are idiots. I beseech you to use your brain and open your eyes a little wider. If I really am the poisoner, then what is my aim for doing this? To have you ughter my disciples to thest? Or to have you kill me?¡±

 Chapter 566: Who Said Iâ€™m Alone?

    <h4>Chapter 566: Who Said I¡¯m Alone? </h4>

    ¡°You...¡±

    Ji Donglei and the others looked away from Joy Bodhisattva and stared at the battlefield still happening throughout the Blissful Peak for a moment. They stared at the countless Buddhist Hall of Joy disciples who were being ughtered by the crazed guests, the guests who were ughtering other guests, the mountain of corpses and the river of blood that flowed out of it. Suddenly, no one could say anything.

    Earlier, they weren¡¯t thinking clearly because they were angry, impatient, and desperate to catch Joy Bodhisattva as quickly as possible. But now that they had calmed down a little, they realized that something wasn¡¯t right about their initial assumption.

    As Joy Bodhisattva said, if she really was the one who poisoned them in an attempt to y all the key yers in one go and conquer Bei You, the price she paid was entirely too big. Not only was the Buddhist Hall of Joy destroyed, she herself was on the verge of death.

    It did not matter if someone offered you the world if you weren¡¯t alive to enjoy it. Just the same, it made no sense for Joy Bodhisattva to conquer Bei You at the price of her own life.

    In fact, this was one of the stupidest ns they had ever witnessed. Anyone could tell that no one would benefit from this conflict.

    Was Joy Bodhisattva stupid? Obviously not.

    This could only mean one thing.

    <i>Joy Bodhisattva really isn¡¯t the one who poisoned us?!</i>

    Mistress Ruyi said suddenly, ¡°The sandpiper and m goes to war, and the fisherman catches both?!¡±

    Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and everyone else¡¯s face darkened instantly.

    In hindsight, the answer was ridiculously simple. It was just difficult for those who were contending with the problem to realize it. Now that someone had pointed it out, almost everyone managed to connect the dots in an instant.

    <i>Mistress Ruyi is one of Bodhisattva¡¯s? No wonder!</i>

    On the fifth floor, Ye Qing was pretending to be a corpse on the floor. The corner of his lips curled up a little when he realized something.

    Just now, a somewhat unique scent had entered his nostrils. It felt strangely calming for some reason. He had wondered what it was and where it came from. He was also surprised that Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyi and the others managed to calm down as quickly as they did.

    Of course, one of the reasons they were able to regain theirposure was because everyone on the sixth floor was a champion in their own right. They all possessed an iron will that allowed them to temporarily suppress the Burning Heart and the negative emotions boiling inside their heart.

    The other reason was Mistress Ruyi. Mistress Ruyi was an incense master proficient in creating all sorts of miraculous incense. She could use them to kill or save a life.

    Mistress Ruyi must have ignited an incense stick with a calming effect in secret. That was why Ji Donglei and the others were able to calm down this quickly.

    Not only that, the incense stick was incredibly elusive and subtle. If he wasn¡¯t a dabbler in incense-making himself, if he did not often create the Twelve Incense Sticks of Ghosts and Gods for his own use, he might not have noticed it either.

    The reason Mistress Ruyi did this was obvious. One, it was because she was one of Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s allies. She ignited the incense stick so that Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu wouldn¡¯t lose control and kill Joy Bodhisattva.

    Later, Mistress Ruyi said, ¡°The sandpiper and m goes to war, and the fisherman catches both,¡± to enlighten everyone about the truth in the most sinct manner possible. Joy Bodhisattva wasn¡¯t the culprit, it was someone else.

    It was this line that confirmed to Ye Qing that Mistress Ruyi was on Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s side. Although the calming scent made him suspect that someone among the attackers was Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s ally, he wasn¡¯t sure until Mistress Ruyi revealed herself. He even thought it was Gold Ingot at first because he was the one who suffered the lightest injuries out of everyone present. Of course, he was wrong.

    In hindsight, Mistress Ruyi was probably the only one who could produce such a miraculous incense stick. The fact that she was able to ¡°notice¡± the truth so quickly proved her identity as well.

    He wasn¡¯t surprised that Mistress Ruyi was Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s helper though. If Xiong Kuohai could find a shill or two to assist in his nefarious ns, why not her?

    In any case, now that the truth was revealed, it was about time for Xiong Kuohai to appear on stage.

    It was as Ye Qing had predicted. Realizing that they had been tricked, Ji Donglei immediately ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this ce!¡±

    If Mistress Ruyi was right, and someone really was conspiring to y the fisherman, now would be the time for them to show their face. After all, no one was in a good condition right now. Now would be the perfect time for the fisherman to swoop in, kill everyone, and im the spoils.

    The poison would kill them eventually, but they were going to die now if they didn¡¯t leave. Therefore, their first priority was to get to safety as soon as possible.

    ¡°Take Joy Bodhisattva with us,¡± Ji Donglei added after a pause. It was just in case their assumption was wrong, and it turned out that Joy Bodhisattva was trying to mislead them. He knew that was an incredibly unlikely possibility considering the circumstances, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

    ¡°No need to leave, everyone.¡±

    A masculine voice suddenly interrupted them before they could take action. When they looked, they saw Xiong Kuohai suddenly unleashing a powerful shockwave and sending Worriless, Wisdom Queen, White-faced God and ck-faced Buddha tumbling through the air like a rag doll. The blow was such that they all spat blood and looked as white as a sheet.

    ¡°What do you mean, leader Xiong?¡± Huo Ruyu asked with a frown.

    ¡°What I mean...¡±

    As hended back on the floor, he stomped down on Five Poison Boy¡¯s chest. Caughtpletely off guard, Five Poison Boy failed to put up any sort of resistance before he exploded into a shower of blood and gore.

    While wiping the sole of his shoes against the floor with a disgusted expression on his face, Xiong Kuohai said slowly, ¡°... is that this hall will be your final resting ce.¡±

    ¡°It was you?!¡±

    Even as they eximed in shock, the group noticed that the anomalous energy guing Xiong Kuohai was receding slowly. If they weren¡¯t sure that Xiong Kuohai was the true mastermind behind their poisoning, they were now.

    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Ji Donglei asked in a dark tone.

    ¡°Why?¡± Xiong Kuohair rubbed his hairy chin while replying in a mocking tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you know it already? It¡¯s to kill all of you in one go and conquer Bei You, of course!¡±

    ¡°The Earthfire Pce of Demons and Sword King City will have your head for this, Xiong Kuohai!¡± Huo Ruyu threatened. ¡°You may kill us, but both you and Endless Sand will join us in our graves!¡±

    ¡°Trust me, I know. I know full well that I can¡¯t handle even one of you, much less the two of your factionsbined.¡±

    Xiong Kuohai shrugged before asking in a mocking tone, ¡°But... Joy Bodhisattva is the one who did this, isn¡¯t it? What does it have to do with little ol¡¯ me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a victim too, you know? I just happened to be lucky enough to survive this crisis... unlike you guys.¡±

    ¡°Do you seriously think you can fool our sects?¡± Ji Donglei uttered coldly.

    ¡°Of course I can! Why couldn¡¯t I?¡± Xiong Kuohai smiled. ¡°If you die, then I can shape the narrative however I want! Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°And you think you can kill us all by yourself? Dream on!¡± Huo Ruyu scoffed. Sure, they were both poisoned and injured, but they were hardly helpless. It would be extremely difficult for Xiong Kuohai to kill them all himself.

    ¡°Hehehe... of course I can¡¯t. I know my limits.¡± Xiong Kuohai startedughing louder and louder. It wasn¡¯t long before the entire hall was reverberating with hisughter. ¡°But what on earth makes you think that I¡¯m alone?¡±

    A number of warriors began emerging from every direction. They numbered only thirty or so people, but each and every one of them exuded incredible power. Even the weakest among them was a middle-stage Spirit Master, not to mention that there were four Half-Step Grandmasters.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought my elites with me. Do you think they¡¯re good enough?¡±

    Face contorted into an ugly visage, Ji Donglei did not say anything. If he was in tiptop condition, then this group of thirty might as well not exist. One sh was all he needed to kill them all, if not two shes.

    But now, he was both poisoned and grievously injured from the battle against Joy Bodhisattva. This group of warriors was akin to the final straw: they were just heavy enough to snap their backs like twigs.

 Chapter 567: Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner

    <h4>Chapter 567: Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner </h4>

    ¡°Do you think this is enough people to kill all of you?¡± Xiong Kuohai watched Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°If not, don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s more!¡±

    As soon as Xiong Kuohai said this, a bad feeling suddenly gripped both Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu. As if on cue, Wei Changhe suddenly pointed a finger at Ji Donglei¡¯s back. It looked like he was drawing a straight line, when in reality it was multiple curved lines that joined together to form a sunset. The world was bright orange as the sun slowly sank into the horizon.

    One did not need a brush to draw a sunset. A finger and a canvas of nothing was enough.

    A sword didn¡¯t always need to be a sword either. The sunset could be a sword. The reddened clouds could be a sword as well.

    Next to Huo Ruyu, a gold ingot suddenly flew out of Gold Ingot¡¯s sleeve. Sitting atop the ingot was a barefooted girl.

    The girl¡¯s whole face was covered in eyeballs. When they opened and closed, they emitted a powerful, impure light that slowed everyone¡¯s reaction.

    Grandmasters they might be, neither Ji Donglei nor Huo Ruyu were expecting this at all. Not only that, the impure light was slowing down their reaction as well. As a result, they were a tad toote to defend themselves.

    In battle, losing the initiative could have quite the devastating effect. Wei Changhe¡¯s finger struck Ji Donglei¡¯s unprotected back, and the gold ingot smashed Huo Ruyu in the head.

    A prating, fist-sized hole immediately appeared in Ji Donglei¡¯s chest. Strangely, the wound wasn¡¯t bleeding at all, and it looked shiny almost like some sort of translucent crystal.

    His wound hadn¡¯t turned into some sort of crystal, of course. It was an unbelievable amount of sword qi packed together so tightly that it looked like the wound had crystalized. Clearly, Wei Changhe hadpressed his sword qi to the size of a finger in order to pierce Ji Donglei¡¯s body in one strike.

    That said, Wei Changhe¡¯s sess wasn¡¯t without its cost. Right after he pierced Ji Donglei, the Sword Executor Elder turned his sword around and unleashed an ¡°Annihting Thundersnow¡±. Half of Wei Changhe¡¯s hand was severed before he could pull away from the Grandmaster, and the sword qi continued forward and struck him squarely in the chest.

    For a time, Wei Changhe writhed like a worm as lightning coursed through his veins. A muffled grunt of pain escaped his lips as he was pushed away.

    On the other side, Gold Ingot¡¯s gold ingot smashed into Huo Ruyu¡¯s head and caused a loud, metallic ng. It was almost as if the Grandmaster¡¯s head was made of steel.

    That said, Huo Ruyu was still flesh and blood. Her head exploded as soon as contact was made. It wasn¡¯t brain matter or blood that flew out of her head, however. It was a swarm of birds made of pure fire. The birds chirped melodiously as they surrounded the golden ingot and burned it in the blink of an eye.

    At the same time, a person appeared behind Gold Ingot and threw a palm strike. Thete-stage Spirit Master remained calm as a ripple of blue light escaped his Primal Origin Demon Suppressing Robe before the silhouette of the Primal Origin Demon Suppressing Heavenly Sovereign appeared above him.

    The silhouette waved its horsetail whisk at the attacker¡¯s palm in an attempt to fend off the attack. There was a disturbing buzz and a soundless explosion, and the silhouette of the Primal Origin Demon Suppressing Heavenly Sovereign... lost. Not only was it scattered in one strike, the Primal Origin Demon Suppressing Robe itself lost its magical luster and crumbled into ash like it had aged a million years in an instant.

    Gold Ingot¡¯s face turned ugly when the unexpected happened. Letting out a strange screech, he unleashed countless yellow talismans and Strange Artifacts from his sleeves to slow down the palm still traveling toward his face a little. The stalling tactic bought him just enough time to transform into a mosquito, escape from the attacker¡¯s presence, and fly over to Xiong Kuohai¡¯s side. He could not help but look at his almost-killer with fear and trepidation.

    Gold Ingot¡¯s attacker was, of course, Huo Ruyu. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t look too good right now. Her skin was rosy red in color, her entire body was steaming like she was on fire, and her aura kept fluctuating as if she was having trouble keeping it stable. Clearly, Gold Ingot¡¯s gold ingot had dealt quite a bit of damage to Huo Ruyu.

    Wei Changhe and Gold Ingot weren¡¯t the only ones who had suddenly betrayed theirpatriots. A good number of warriors who hadn¡¯t lost themselves yet had suddenly attacked their closest allies and killed them. At least a dozen warriors were killed just like that.

    Clearly, they served Xiong Kuohai as well.

    ¡°Gold Ingot, Wei Changhe, since when did you be Xiong Kuohai¡¯s dogs?¡± Ji Donglei gripped his sword so tightly that veins were popping on the back of his hand.

    Gold Ingot transformed back into a human and ducked behind Xiong Kuohai with a cheeky grin on his face. ¡°Hehe. I¡¯m a businessman. It¡¯s my natural responsibility to serve the highest paying customer. I hope you won¡¯t fault me for acting ording to my nature, Elder Ji, Vermillion Bird Envoy.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my employer,¡± Wei Changhe responded much more simply and sinctly.

    ¡°So? Do you think this is enough?¡± Xiong Kuohai took one step forward and grinned maliciously at Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu.

    ¡°We need to run!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a run for it together! If we manage to escape from Blissful Peak, then we might yet survive this trap!¡±

    Everyone who was still conscious and in control of themselves immediately rushed down the mountain with wanton abandon.

    At this point, it was clear that staying at Blissful Peak was a death sentence. In that case, they might as well make a run for it and pray for the best.

    ¡°All Sword King City disciples, heed my call! Disengage from battleas soon as possible and escape this instant! The sect must learn of this betrayal!¡± Ji Donglei dered suddenly.

    ¡°All Earthfire Pce of Demons disciples, heed my call! Escape from Blissful Peak and report back to the sect!¡± Huo Ruyu also ordered.

    As long as there were survivors, then it was only a matter of time before Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons learned of this heinous trap. They did not think they would survive, but at least Xiong Kuohai would be joining them in the underworld!

    ¡°You¡¯re dead if even one person manages to make it out of Blissful Mountain, Xiong Kuohai!¡± Huo Ruyu uttered through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m sooo scared!¡±

    Xiong Kuohai did not seem worried at all, however. He continued to grin mockingly at Huo Ruyu while saying, ¡°Here¡¯s a question for you: what if no one makes it out of here alive?¡±

    ¡°Taiping...¡±

    As soon as he said the word ¡°Taiping¡±, a banner abruptly appeared in the sky. Woven from blue and green fabric, one side of the banner was etched with the image of the five sacred beasts¡ªthe Azure Dragon, the Vermillion Bird, the White Tiger, the ck Tortoise and the Qilin¡ªand the other side was etched with the image of three hundred sixty stars. Together, they formed a perfect, harmonious circle.

    ¡°Heaven Sealing...¡±

    Xiong Kuohai made a hand seal, and the banner suddenly grew rapidly in size. It wasn¡¯t long before it blotted out the sky itself and enveloped the world in darkness.

    Three hundred and sixty stars slowly appeared in the ck sky. After that, the Azure Dragon rode the wind to the east, the Vermillion Bird scorched the skies to the south, the White Tiger stood on a patch of clouds to the west, the ck Tortoise rode the waves to the north, and the Qilin ran like the wind at the center.

    ¡°The Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner?!¡± Blurted Ji Donglei as his eyes bulged in disbelief.

    ¡°You have a keen eye, Elder Ji. That¡¯s right. It is none other than the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner.¡± Xiong Kuohaiplimented the old man with a wide smile on his face. ¡°I told you that none of you are leaving. Do you believe me now?¡±

    ¡°The Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner is one of the three sacred treasures of the Way of Taiping! You¡¯re one of them?!¡±

    Ji Donglei was speechless. The Way of Taiping owned three sacred treasures, and they were the Yellow Sky Will Rise Crown, the All Is Well Seal, and the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner. They were all Disaster-ss Strange Artifacts.

    The Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner possessed no offensive capabilities whatsoever, but it was capable of locking down space. The five sacred beasts corresponded to the Five Phases¡ªWood, Fire, Metal, Water and Earth¡ªand the three hundred and sixty stars corresponded to the concept of circle; of wholeness. The Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner was capable of suppressing the Five Phases and the circle, meaning that all things of the Five Phases or the concept of circle weren¡¯t allowed to enter or leave the restricted area. It was beyond powerful to say the least.

    To put it in simpler terms, the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner could lock down an area and cut off all connection to the outside world. Anyone and anything of the Five Phases or the concept of circle would not be able to enter or exit the area. Communication between the two areas were also impossible.

    The only exceptions to the rule were beings who had surpassed the boundaries of the world such as a Sage or a living god, or alien beings who were neither of the Five Phases or the concept of circle. Otherwise, nothing and no one could pierce through its restriction.

    The Way of Taiping had used the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner tomit many, many atrocities. For example, they had used it to assassinate the ninth Grandmaster of the Earth Champions Ranking, the Dao Equal of Heaven; annihted one of the thirty six unorthodox sects, the Ten Directions Pavilion of Annihtion; sealed off an entiremandery of Chu so they could convert its hundreds of thousands of citizens into worshipers of the Way of Taiping; and more.

    As a result, there was no one in the entire <i>jianghu </i>who hadn¡¯t heard of the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner. It was ranked twenty-second on the Strange Artifact Register.

 Chapter 568: Why Fear Death When Death Is Near?

    <h4>Chapter 568: Why Fear Death When Death Is Near? </h4>

    The Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner was the Way of Taiping¡¯s sacred treasure, and yet it was now in Xiong Kuohai¡¯s hands. This could only mean that he was a member of the Way of Taiping.

    It would certainly exin why Xiong Kuohai dared to concoct such a diabolical scheme. Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons were strong, but they were no match for one of the Nine Demonic Ways, the Way of Taiping.

    The Way of Taiping usually operated in southern Chu, and they rarely set foot in Northern Xinjiang. In that sense, they shared a non-aggressive rtionship with each other. No one knew that Way of Taiping had really raised a faction like Endless Sand in Bei You, and now, their puppet was baring their fangs at them. They must be plotting something big for Bei You¡ªor more urately, the entire Northern Xinjiang.

    ¡°Shh! It¡¯s a secret! You can¡¯t tell it to anyone!¡± Xiong Kuohai put a finger to his lips and shushed them. Then, he pped himself in the head and eximed with feigned realization, ¡°Oh wait, you¡¯re all going to die today, and dead men tell no secrets. Never mind then!¡±

    Ji Donglei did not say anything. Huo Ruyu did not say anything. No one across the entire Blissful Peak said a thing for a moment.

    After the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner was activated, the entire Blissful Mountain was cut off from the outside world. No one inside could leave, and no one outside could enter. It was impossible to find out what was happening on Blissful Mountain right now.

    Worse, the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner was a sentient Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. If Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva were in tiptop condition, then theirbined power might be able to breach its restriction. But now, they were all poisoned and grievously injured. Xiong Kuohai could just stand there and do nothing, and they still wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee the restriction.

    Silence originated from fear, and fear gave way to despair. It would seem that it was their fate to die here.

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t want to die... I don¡¯t want to die...¡±

    One man suddenly burst into tears and broke downpletely. The mes leaking out of his pores immediately consumed him and burned him into ash.

    ¡°I... I¡¯ll submit to you, leader Xiong! I¡¯ll join the Endless Sand! All I ask is that you spare me!¡±

    ¡°I submit as well, leader Xiong!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    There existed great fear between the curtains of life and death. When one person dropped to their knees and begged Xiong Kuohai for mercy, countless others sumbed to their fear and dropped to their knees as well.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    Xiong Kuohaiughed arrogantly and scornfully before looking at Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu, and Joy Bodhisattva. ¡°What about you guys? Will you surrender, or will you fight to the death?¡±

    ¡°Dare you ept us even if we did surrender to you?¡± Joy Bodhisattva finally broke her long-standing silence and asked.

    ¡°Hahaha! True.¡± Xiong Kuohai nodded in agreement. The three of them were Grandmasters after all. Although they were on theirst legs, it was impossible to say what kind of trump card they were still hiding up their sleeves. Besides, the only eptable oue regarding his grand n was total sess. One single misstep, and he could end up worse than even his victims. So no, he could never allow the Grandmasters to live.

    The ordinary warriors were one thing, but Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva must die.

    A cruel smile spread across Xiong Kuohai¡¯s face as he nced at the broken warriors who were still begging for mercy. ¡°You wish to live, yes? It¡¯s very simple. Kill Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva, and you will live.¡±

    ¡°Who dares?!¡± Huo Ruyu yelled as soon as she heard this, her powerful aura sweeping through the area and attempting to nip the seeds of betrayal in the bud. However...

    ¡°Hahaha... I thought you people wanted to join me? To live and see another day? If you couldn¡¯t even do this for me, then why should I oblige your wishes?¡±

    Xiong Kuohai was in no hurry whatsoever. He looked down on the crowd like a cat would a mouse.

    ¡°They¡¯re all grievously injured! We can surely kill them if we attack together!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s rush them!¡±

    A few breathster, several people sumbed to their impatience and raced Ji Donglei and the others with bloodshot eyes. Everyone else looked mighty tempted as well.

    ¡°Fools.¡±

    Ji Donglei¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice as he swung his sword diagonally. There was a st of sword qi, and the attackers were sliced in half while they were still in the air. Lightning burned their bodies into ash long before they could even hit the floor.

    The restless crowd immediately turned deathly pale as if someone had poured a bucket of ice over their heads. It was only now they recalled that Ji Donglei was the Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City and a true Grandmaster. Even at his current state, he was still much, much stronger than them. He could have killed everyst one of them without breaking too much sweat, not to mention that Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva were present as well. To charge the trio would be tomit suicide.

    ¡°Fools. Do you really think Xiong Kuohai would allow you to live even if you were sessful? No, he wouldn¡¯t. Didn¡¯t you hear what he said? Dead men tell no secrets.¡±

    Ji Donglei swept an icy gaze across the crowd. ¡°Therefore...¡±

    He did not finish his sentence. Instead, he pounced toward Xiong Kuohai with Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva by his side.

    ¡°Hahaha! Well met!¡±

    Having predicted this reaction, Xiong Kuohai let out a boisterousughter before bending his knees a little. The ground within a hundred meters of him exploded without a sound and came together to form a dragon of sorts. The creature then charged straight toward the trio.

    His attack failed to intimidate the three Grandmasters in the slightest, however. They ignored it as if it did not exist andunched various attacks at Xiong Kuohai.

    ¡°Do you see? Xiong Kuohai never nned to let us live. You can pour your heart out to him, and you¡¯re still going to die.¡±

    Wei Changhe, Gold Ingot and the rest of Xiong Kuohai¡¯s allies were charging toward the three Grandmasters as well. Mistress Ruyi nced at the warriors still kneeling on the ground and said, ¡°There is only one way out of this, and that is to kill Xiong Kuohai.¡±

    It was as if Mistress Ruyi¡¯s voice possessed some sort of magical power. The despairing men and women actually rose their heads with renewed light in their eyes.

    <i>She¡¯s using another incense!</i>

    On the ground, Ye Qing¡¯s nose twitched a little when a new scent entered his nose. This one seemed to be capable of bewitching someone¡¯s mind.

    By now, most people had realized that Xiong Kuohai would never allow them to live. All their submission was going to earn them was death, and the knowledge drove them deep into the pits into despair. Even if Mistress Ruyi hadn¡¯t used her incense, it would have taken little effort to convert that despair into hatred and anger; undying hatred and anger toward Xiong Kuohai.

    The incense was just the spark. Their despair was what finally transformed their hesitation into determination.

    As expected, one man spoke up, ¡°She¡¯s right. If we¡¯re going to die anyway, then we might as well die killing that sonuvawhore.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He thought he could toy with us like monkeys? I¡¯ll kill him!¡±

    ¡°Better to die with honor than without. I may die, but I¡¯m going to tear off a piece of his flesh and drink a mouthful of his blood at the very least!¡±

    ¡°Well said! I never liked Xiong Kuohai and Endless Sand anyway. They¡¯re all a bunch of hypocritical pricks. If I can kill one of them, then it would be worth it. If I can kill two of them, then it would be my victory! Let¡¯s do this!¡±

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    They were all <i>jianghu</i> warriors. Even the most timid among them had some fire in them. At that moment, everyone who was still conscious and in control of themselves charged toward Xiong Kuohai and his allies. Evenpared to the time they attacked the Buddhist Hall of Joy to save themselves, this charge was a lot more fatalistic, determined, and angry.

    Xiong Kuohai easily killed or batted away those who got too close to him, but even more people reced those people who failed. They were like moths flying relentlessly toward the me even though they knew it would kill them.

    Why fear death when death was already in front of you?

 Chapter 569: Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar

    <h4>Chapter 569: Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar </h4>

    ¡°¡®Only when life meets death can life face death¡¯? So this is what she meant!¡±

    Ye Qing finally understood what Joy Bodhisattva meant that day when he saw the <i>jianghu </i>warriors charging toward Xiong Kuohai¡¯s group with reckless abandon, and Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu fighting like every attack might be theirst.

    Only by driving everyone into a dead end could they fight with their lives on the line.

    Only then could they be the sharpest, deadliest des.

    But was it really worth it? Not only did Joy Bodhisattva drive everyone into a dead end, she even used herself and her people¡¯s lives as bait. Was the price really worth the reward?

    Ye Qing looked at the mountain of corpses and river of blood tainting the once wless sight of Blissful Peak for a moment. He then nced at the Buddhist Hall of Joy disciples still battling against the enemies and let out a sigh.

    These poor, poor people. They were giving it their all to protect Joy Bodhisattva and the Buddhist Hall of Joy, not knowing that the Bodhisattva they worshiped was just using them as bait.

    Ye Qing recalled Cai Le, the woman Joy Bodhisattva had killed after using her as a poison tester. In the woman¡¯s eyes, her disciples were probably just pawns she might use as she pleased; ants that she could kill as soon as they ran out of use!

    Ye Qing turned his gaze next on the guests that were charging toward Xiong Kuohai. They were no different from the disciples of the Buddhist Hall of Joy. In the eyes of superiors such as Xiong Kuohai and Joy Bodhisattva, they too were just pawns and ants to be used in their game of conquest and dominance.

    Ye Qing felt some sympathy for these people, but what really moved him was when he imagined himself in their shoes.

    If he hadn¡¯t identally discovered Xiong Kuohai¡¯s ploy beforehand, he would be fighting for his life right next to these pitiful people. He would have been just another pawn and ant!

    In the end, it was all a matter of power.

    A weakling would always be a pawn and an ant. They could never decide their own fate.

    A powerful person would be able to act like a god or a celestial. Not even the heavens would be able to restrict them in any way.

    If he did not want to be someone else¡¯s pawn, if he did not want to be killed like an ant, then he could only be... the strong.

    If he was powerful, then it no longer mattered if someone tried to use, frame, or attack him.

    After all, he could just flip the table.

    He could just put a hole in heaven and earth.

    <i>I could havee up with a better solution. Stopped this senseless ughter from ever happening.</i>

    While Ye Qing wasmenting about life, the battle was growing increasingly desperate and bloody.

    Although the <i>jianghu </i>warriors were now fighting without regard for their own life, Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s side still couldn¡¯t gain an advantage. Or rather, they had been stuck at a disadvantage this whole time.

    First, they had to fight while the Burning Heart was ravaging their insides. Second, everyone was tired and injured to a certain degree since they had fought a battle against the Buddhist Hall of Joy earlier. Xiong Kuohai¡¯s group had no such problems as they knew that this would happen, and they had been saving their strength until now.

    That said, the battle was a lot more even than they had anticipated. After realizing that it was futile to charge Xiong Kuohai, the guests decided to turn their fury and hatred on the Endless Sand elites he brought with him. As they fought with no regard for their health or safety whatsoever, and the intent to take at least one enemy down to the grave with them, his allies inevitably took a lot of casualties.

    Xiong Kuohai paid the losses no heed, however. So what if he lost a couple of men? Everything was still under control.

    So long as the Burning Heart was still in y, the ending of this battle might as well be set in stone.

    Sure, these worthless scum were putting up a good fight, but that was to be expected since it was their final struggle and madness.

    His opinion wasn¡¯t just directed at the <i>jianghu </i>warriors. He thought the exact same thing of Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva as well.

    A phoenix without feathers was just a chicken.

    Xiong Kuohai crossed his arms in front of his chest and wrapped himself in a powerful cyclone. At the same time, the silhouette of a magnificent, intimidating giant appeared in the air.

    The giant looked down with an angry expression.

    <i>¡°Four Symbols of Providence: Wind God¡¯s Fury¡±</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    When the Wind God looked down, the earth shook, and the heavens quaked. There was a terrifying boom, and Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva were all sent flying into the air. A dozen more people exploded into showers of blood and gore just like that.

    ¡°Hahaha! Pathetic weaklings! You can¡¯t even take a hit from me!¡±

    Xiong Kuohai¡¯s arms remained crossed as heughed to his heart¡¯s content.

    The ground beneath Huo Ruyu turned intova as she snarled viciously, ¡°We may die, but you¡¯re not getting away unscathed, Xiong Kuohai!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Are you sure about that?¡± Xiong Kuohai scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re too weak.¡±

    Instead of replying, Huo Ruyu threw her hands up like she was knocking over a brazier and sent a wave of moltenva straight toward Xiong Kuohai. She herself was flying right behind the wave of moltenva and getting ready tounch a different attack.

    Ji Donglei and Joy Bodhisattva joined up with her midway and shed against Xiong Kuohai once more.

    Although he was only one man, Xiong Kuohai was able to handle the three Grandmasters with ease. And at first, he fully intended to toy with the three Grandmasters until he tired of them. After all, it wasn¡¯t everyday you got to toy three Grandmasters at the same time.

    More importantly, he was waiting for the Burning Heart to consume his opponents. The more time passed, the more negative emotions that umted in their hearts, the stronger the Burning Heart would be. When it was time, Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu would automatically burn down into ash whether they liked it or not.

    Joy Bodhisattva might not be poisoned by the Burning Heart, but there was no chance she would be able to turn the tables alone and grievously injured.

    It was also why he was willing to waste his breath on them in the first ce.

    However, Xiong Kuohai gradually realized that something was off. A full teatime had passed since the final battle began, but neither Ji Donglei nor Huo Ruyu were consumed by the Burning Heart as he thought they would. In fact, they seemed to be getting more and more clear-headed as time went on.

    It wasn¡¯t just the two Grandmasters either. The small fries were getting better as well.

    Logically speaking, barring the most powerful and strong-willed of them all, most of these people should¡¯ve burned to death already. This was especially true since he had dealt quite the mental blow to them with his ¡°betrayal¡± and his scathing words, and the Burning Heart was a poison that fed on negative emotions like an insatiable parasite.

    In reality, they were getting better and better.

    <i>What¡¯s going on?!</i>

    After Xiong Kuohai forced back the three Grandmasters with another palm strike, he furrowed his brows and scanned his surroundings carefully. He quickly noticed that everyone¡¯s negative emotions were penned up almost as if they were suppressed by some sort of invisible power. Not only that, he smelled a light, spiritually calming scent in the air.

    He traced the scent and quickly found its origin. It was an altar. Inside the altar was a deity statue, and it wore a peaceful expression and wielded a horsetail whisk. Seated in front of the altar was an incense burner covered in incense sticks, and the smoke they emitted gave the deity statue an ephemeral and mysterious quality.

    Strangely, the smoke didn¡¯t dissipate like a normal smoke would. Instead, they entered the statue almost as if it was absorbed.

    As the statue absorbed the incense smoke, it emitted some sort of five-colored qi thatbined into three colorful flowers. Seated between the three flowers was a single five-colored cloud.

    ¡°Three flowers surrounding a five-colored cloud? Is that the Shade of Scent¡¯s Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar?!¡±

    Xiong Kuohai¡¯s expression darkened when he saw the Buddhist altar next to Mistress Ruyi.

    The Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar was an auxiliary-type Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact belonging to Mistress Ruyi. The deity statue of the altar fed on incense smoke to produce three flowers and an auspicious cloud that had a calming effect on one¡¯s mind, and a suppressive effect on heart demons.

    There was no doubt that the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar was the reason his enemies hadn¡¯t been consumed by the Burning Heart yet.

    <i>Did she recognize the Burning Heart? No, that¡¯s impossible!</i>

    A worrying thought entered his heart, but Xiong Kuohai rejected it immediately. The Burning Heart was one of the nine ancient poisons, and barely anyone knew about them at all. Only those sects and ns with a longsting history or powerful warriors with knowledge of the ancients might have heard of the Burning Heart, and even then, most of them would not know about its effects, much less the way to suppress it.

    Take him for example. He had never heard of the Burning Heart until the Sakyamuni taught him about it.

    <i>It must have been a coincidence!</i>

    Xiong Kuohai narrowed his eyes and charged toward Mistress Ruyi. Coincidence or not, he needed to destroy the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar as soon as possible. Otherwise, this battle was going to be a lot more dicier than he thought.

    His one step felt like a lesser warrior executing an Earth Contraction Magic. He abruptly appeared in front of Mistress Ruyi and threw a punch at her.

 Chapter 570: Opening A Blue Sky

    <h4>Chapter 570: Opening A Blue Sky </h4>

    Mistress Ruyi sneered at Xiong Kuohai before disappearing in a puff of blue smoke. She seemed to have predicted that this would happen.

    Xiong Kuohai didn¡¯t give chase either. After all, his true objective wasn¡¯t Mistress Ruyi, but the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar. The only reason he attacked Mistress Ruyi was to misdirect his enemies. The next moment, his fist mmed into the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar.

    Suddenly, Xiong Kuohai was struck by a bad premonition. Before he could make sense of it, a baby wearing a red dudou flew out of the shattered remains of the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar.

    The baby¡¯s skin was ashen green, and a wrinkly umbilical cord was sticking out of its stomach. Their eyes were lifeless, and their face was warped into a vicious snarl.

    The baby puffed up their cheeks and spat out a strange fog that was neither ck, green, red, gray or blue, yet all of them at the same time. After that, their savage expression slowly faded back into peace and calm.

    Xiong Kuohai nched when he saw the fog, but it was toote. Itnded on his fist and slipped into his body.

    As soon as the fog entered his body, Xiong Kuohai felt as if he was submerged into a ten-thousand-year-old frozen pond. His entire body felt as cold as ice, his blood had literally turned into ice, and a hateful, tainted energy was spreading rapidly inside his body. At the same time, his consciousness was assaulted by a myriad of terrifying and bizarre illusions.

    He saw a pregnant woman strangled to death right as she was about to give birth.

    He saw a bandit disemboweling a pregnant woman and cutting out her heart.

    He saw a jealousdy poisoning a pregnant woman and causing her to lose her baby.

    He saw a pregnant woman being beaten to death and died with her baby.

    And finally, he saw a baby being drowned inside a wooden basin right after they were born.

    ¡°The Cmitous Qi of Five Lifetimes?¡±

    Xiong Kuohai turned even whiter. When a person died, a puff of air would be stuck inside their throats. It was the air of resentment the person had collected for an entire lifetime. People called it the Cmitous Qi.

    The Cmitous Qi was highly poisonous. It could kill a lesser life like a nt upon contact and corrode through tone like nothing. If a person made contact with it, they would suffer a terrible illness at best, or perish at worst.

    The fog the baby spat out was none other than the Cmitous Qi, but it was no ordinary Cmitous Qi. It was five lifetimes worth of Cmitous Qi. ording to his hallucinations, the baby¡¯s mothers had been killed for one reason or another during their first four lifetimes. Naturally, the baby did not survive. During their fifth lifetime, when they finally managed to see the light of the world, someone had cruelly drowned them to death in a wooden basin.

    All the resentment the baby had umted across five lifetimes became stuck inside their throat, never to fade no matter how many deaths they experienced. It did not need to be said how potent the Five Lifetimes Cmitous Qi was.

    Xiong Kuohai was a Grandmaster, but even he could not shake off such a terrible qi like it was nothing. It had corrupted his mind in an instant and caused him to nk out for a brief moment.

    The qi wasn¡¯t what scared him, however. What scared him was the sudden realization that Mistress Ruyi¡¯s resistance might not be a coincidence after all. It might be a premeditated, well thought out trap she had set up for none other than him.

    Mistress Ruyi must have known that he would attack her Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar. That was why she had hidden a Cmitous Child bearing a Five Lifetimes Cmitous Qi inside it. Once he shattered the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar, he would naturally make contact with the Cmitous Child and be infected with their Five Lifetimes Cmitous Qi!

    There was no other exnation as to why she would hide such a cursed object inside her Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar.

    Otherwise, why was Mistress Ruyi so calm when he attacked her by surprise? Why had she escaped without attempting to protect her precious Strange Artifact at all?

    It was almost as if she knew that this would happen, and she did. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action!

    But how did Mistress Ruyi know that he would attack the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar?

    There was only one possibility. Mistress Ruyi must have known that the poison he used was the Burning Heart, and that its effects could be suppressed by medicine or items that produced a calming effect!

    This would exin everything.

    Mistress Ruyi must have known about the Burning Heart. That was why she hid the Cmitous Child inside the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar and even left it out in the open so that he would discover it. The moment he attacked the Strange Artifact, he would be infected by the Five Lifetimes Cmitous Qi.

    The trap was well thought out and wonderfully executed. Short of having foreknowledge, there was never any chance he could¡¯ve avoided it.

    But since when did she find out about the Burning Heart?

    Did she recognize it after he revealed himself?

    Was it after the Burning Heart activated?

    Was it after she drank the Blissful Spring?

    Or was it even earlier than that?

    A ludicrous notion suddenly entered his mind.

    <i>Did Mistress Ruyi know about my n from the start?</i>

    <i>If she did, what about Joy Bodhisattva? What about Ji Donglei? Huo Ruyi?</i>

    <i>Did they all know about this?!</i>

    The ludicrous notion quickly turned into full-blown terror. He could barely breathe at the thought of it.

    If his assumption was correct, then... now would be the time his enemies unveiled their final trap, wouldn¡¯t it?!

    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Xiong Kuohai stopped holding backpletely. With a thought, he summoned four giants into existence. One of them was surrounded by a powerful cyclone, another was embroiled in mes, the third giant was roaring with thunder, and the fourth giant was wrapped in lightning.

    <i>¡°Four Symbols of Providence¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Wind God¡¯s Fury¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Fire God¡¯s Fury¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Thunder God¡¯s Fury¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Lightning God¡¯s Fury¡±</i>

    As soon as the four giants appeared, the illusions and resentment ripping away at his mind abruptly vanished into thin air. Having returned to reality, he opened his eyes...

    ... And saw something that caused every hair on his body to stand on end, and his soul to quake like a leaf.

    Ji Donglei was running toward him while holding his sword in a reverse grip. Then, he executed an upward diagonal sh at Xiong Kuohai.

    As the sword swung upward, Ji Donglei stumbled on his feet almost as if he was being pulled forward by the sword. A deepening straight line appeared on the floor, and it stretched all the way to the sky itself.

    At that moment, the wind crumbled, the clouds scattered, and the blue sky was cut in half.

    <i>¡°Sword King Scripture: Opening A Blue Sky¡±</i>

    The ¡°Sword King Scripture¡± was Sword King City¡¯s ultimate martial art. A Grandmaster-stage martial art, it featured thirteen forms and was capable of both offense and defense. Not only that, it was said that those who sessfully subsumed the thirteen forms and figured out the final fourteenth form would be able to cut through the gates of heaven and be a Sage, so one could even call the ¡°Sword King Scripture¡± a Sage-stage martial art.

    ¡°Opening A Blue Sky¡± was the fastest, most powerful move of the thirteen forms of the ¡°Sword King Scripture¡±. Its one w was that it took time to channel one¡¯s energy and push one¡¯s essence, qi, spirit; body, mind, and intent to the peak. Only then could ¡°Opening A Blue Sky¡± unleash its greatest power.

    Earlier, Xiong Kuohai had nked out for a moment after being infected by the Five Lifetimes Cmitous Qi. Naturally, Ji Donglei wasn¡¯t going to allow such an excellent opportunity to slip through his grasp.

    The attack wasn¡¯t just the most powerful attack he knew of, it also contained everything he had. He did not believe that Xiong Kuohai possessed the ability to dodge it.

    He was right. When Xiong Kuohai opened his eyes, the sword qi was already right in front of him. There was no dodging this one.

    Pupils contracting, Xiong Kuohai made a hand seal and summoned all four of his giants at the same time. They joined together to form a bigger, scarier giant wearing a thunderous crown and a fiery red robe.

    Riding a cyclone and wielding a spear of thunder and lightning, the giant thrust its spear forward and met the sky opening sh head on.

    <i>¡°Four Symbols As One: Providence¡¯s Fury¡±</i>

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    An unspeakable explosion ensued, and the giant¡¯s thunder and lightning abruptly vanished like they were never there. The giant himself froze for a moment before a line began appearing from his forehead. It slowly stretched downward until the giant split into two halves.

    Xiong Kuohai himself was cut by a bone-deep wound that stretched from his forehead all the way to his stomach.

    The Endless Sand leader staggered backward as he looked down at the terrible wound and the shattered Bagua Mirror pressed against his sr plexus, heart beating like a drum. If he hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and correctly, if he didn¡¯t have a Bagua Mirror on his person, he might have been split in half just like his giant already.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the sword qi had infiltrated his body and did a number to his insides. He was now seriously injured and not even a tenth as strong as he was before.

    Before Xiong Kuohai could let out a sigh of relief, his hair stood on end once more.

    He looked down and noticed that the ground had turned bright red. There were strange lines that vaguely made up the image of a vermillion bird.

    ¡°The Vermillion Bird Heaven Burning Art?!¡±

    Xiong Kuohai¡¯s eyes widened like saucers as he screamed in fear.

 Chapter 571: Cutting A Paper Doll

    <h4>Chapter 571: Cutting A Paper Doll </h4>

    The Vermillion Bird Heaven Burning Art was one of the Earthfire Pce of Demons¡¯ secret arts. Activated using one¡¯s mind, it used the ground itself as an array to manifest the Vermillion Bird of the South. It possessed immeasurable power and could scorch both heaven and earth.

    Xiong Kuohai did not dare to hesitate. He immediately kicked off the ground and shot into the air like an arrow.

    The second Xiong Kuohai took off, the crisp, melodious sound of a bird resounded throughout the area. The ground crumbled like it was a volcanic eruption, and massive pirs of mes shot into the air.

    Flying amidst the seemingly endless mes was a vermillion bird with long tail feathers, a fiery form, and a magnificent crown. For a time, everyone and everything was dyed orange red.

    Xiong Kuohai wasn¡¯t slow, but he wasn¡¯t faster than the vermillion bird either. It appeared in front of the Grandmaster in just the blink of an eye and spat out a jet of mes.

    The me was pure white andpletely devoid of impurities. It looked like the purest, cleanest, and wless object in the world. But as soon as it appeared, the space around it began warping and breaking into the void, and the sea of mes surrounding the vermillion bird dimmed until it was near unnoticeable. It was as if the jet of pure white me was the only true object in the world.

    Even before the pure white me got close, Xiong Kuohai could already feel his skin drying up and cracking in earnest, his blood boiling¡ªno, <i>burning </i>in his veins, and his mind shaking and warping and burning under its all-consuming power.

    His face looked as white as a sheet. He might not know what the white me was, but he had no doubt that he would die if he made contact with it. And no, he wasn¡¯t just imagining this. Just now, he was severely injured by Ji Donglei¡¯s ultimate attack, and the old man¡¯s sword qi was spread out across his whole body. Until he expelled the sword qi, he would not be able to muster even a-tenth of his usual strength.

    Worse still, he could tell that the pure white me was at least as powerful as Ji Donglei¡¯s ¡°Opening A Blue Sky¡±. There was no chance he would survive if he was hit.

    Xiong Kuohai didn¡¯t want to die, so he mustn¡¯t allow the me to hit him no matter what. So, he did something no one expected: he cried for help.

    ¡°Save me, Sakyamuni!¡±

    A patch of shadow behind Xiong Kuohai¡¯s back abruptly stood up after he said this. It looked like ck, insoluble ink.

    ¡°Useless.¡±

    The shadow let out a cold, unfeeling hmph. It seemed to be incredibly displeased with Xiong Kuohai¡¯s performance. The next moment, a hand reached out of the shadows and grabbed the pure white me.

    <i>Sizzle sizzle sizzle!</i>

    After the hand caught the pure white me, the shadow began boiling and bubbling violently like boiled water.

    ¡°The Nan Ming Li Fire?!¡± the shadow eximed with surprise and a bit of severity.

    Xiong Kuohai was just as surprised as the shadow was. He had no idea that the pure white me would be the legendary Nan Ming Li Fire.

    The Vermillion Bird was one of the Four Spirits of the South, and the Nan Ming Li Fire was its personal divine me. Specifically, it was the fire surrounding the Vermillion Bird after it reached its peak intensity. Sitting on the deep end of the yang spectrum and unbelievably potent, it boasted the power to burn anything and everything to dust. It was easily one of the scariest mes in the world.

    Once, Xiong Kuohai heard that those who cultivated the ¡°Vermillion Bird Heaven Burning Art¡± to perfection could generate the Vermillion Bird¡¯s personal divine me, the Nan Ming Li Fire. However, he had never seen nor heard of a member of the Earthfire Pce of Demons who managed to cultivate the ¡°Vermillion Bird Heaven Burning Art¡± to the adept level.

    Today, he learned that the rumors were true after all. Not only that, he had been a hair¡¯s breadth away from being burned into ash by the legendary Nan Ming Li Fire. Should he count himself lucky or unlucky?

    Meanwhile, the shadow was still fighting against the Nan Ming Li Fire. The shadow was boiling and warping under the pure white me¡¯s extreme heat, but the Nan Ming Li Fire was also shrinking constantly under its pressure.

    The sh was so terrifying that Xiong Kuohai felt his scalp numbing with fear and subconsciously took a few steps backward. He knew just how strong the man hiding in his shadow was, but even so, he wasn¡¯t able to suppress the Nan Ming Li Fire immediately. It showed just how powerful the me was.

    Xiong Kuohai¡¯s chest sagged a little with relief. If he hadn¡¯t made the right call and cried for help immediately, he would be dust in the wind right now. After taking a moment to recollect himself, he then directed his gaze at the unconscious Huo Ruyu¡ªthe ultimate attack must have taken everything she had to unleash¡ªand the shaking Ji Donglei clinging to his sword for support with indescribable anger and bloodthirst.

    Oh, and he mustn¡¯t forget Mistress Ruyi. If it wasn¡¯t for him, he would havee so close to losing everything even though victory was right in his grasp. At this point, it was clear that this was a setup from the beginning. The Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar was the bait to lure him toward their trap. The Five Lifetimes Cmitous Qi was to knock him out for a brief moment and give Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu the chance to execute their ultimate attacks.

    He had to admit that the n was sublime. Each and every step was nned out and executed perfectly. He would definitely be dead if he did not have a backup.

    Unfortunately for them, a failure was a failure. Strength and luck were both on his side. Since they had failed to kill him with their ultimate counterattack, it was their turn to perish.

    The time for games was over. It was time to repay the blood debt with a blood debt, and the sooner this was over, the sooner he could rest easy.

    Why was he in such a hurry to end this even though it looked like his enemies had lost theirst chance to turn this around?

    It was because the bad premonition that had been gripping him since a while ago hadn¡¯t faded even now. He wondered why.

    <i>Hmm? Did I forget someone?</i>

    Right before Xiong Kuohai was about to kill Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu, he suddenly felt like something was amiss. To be specific, he felt like someone was missing.

    <i>Who was it?</i>

    <i>Wait. Where¡¯s Joy Bodhisattva?!</i>

    Xiong Kuohai shivered when he finally realized the reason behind his difort. Joy Bodhisattva had not taken part in the counterattack even though both Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu had acted. Knowing that shrewd woman, there was no way she would let go of such a perfect opportunity.

    Joy Bodhisattva was grievously injured, sure, but that didn¡¯t mean she had lost the ability to muster onest counterattack. So why didn¡¯t she?

    <i>Where is she?</i>

    <i>Did she escape?</i>

    <i>Or is she plotting something?</i>

    The bit of color Xiong Kuohai regained drained away from his face once more.

    The entire Blissful Mountain was currently locked down by the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner, so there was no way she could escape from here. Therefore, the woman could only be plotting something.

    <i>Snip!</i>

    As if on cue, Xiong Kuohai heard a snipping sound. It reminded him of a pair of scissors. The sound was so loud, clear and crisp that it was impossible for Xiong Kuohai to miss it, but for some reason, he was unable to find the origin of the noise at all. It was almost as if the sound hade from inside his head.

    <i>Snip!</i>

    The sound appeared again, and this time, he saw an image inside his head. He saw Joy Bodhisattva holding up a rusted, chipped pair of scissors that was covered in some sort of reddish brown crust. It looked a lot like dried blood. The scissors were oozing ominousness and inauspiciousness.

    In her left hand was a perfectly ordinary paper doll. His name and birth date were written on it. Right now, Joy Bodhisattva was slowly cutting the mouth of the paper doll.

    Strangely, strands of blood dripped down the corner of the paper doll¡¯s mouth after the scissors cut through it. It was almost as if it was cutting a real person, not a paper doll!

    Indescribable fear and panic exploded inside Xiong Kuohai¡¯s heart then. It was because he could tell that the paper doll was himself.

    Xiong Kuohai tried to say something, but he abruptly realized that he was incapable of saying anything. He could only watch as Joy Bodhisattva proceeded to cut the paper doll¡¯s eyes, ears, nose, mouth and tongue.

    Every time she cut off an organ, it felt as if a thread of karma was severed. His eyes suddenly turned blind, his ears went deaf, his nose could not smell anything, his tongue tasted perfectly nd, his body lost all sense of touch, and even his spirit could no longer perceive beyond itself.

    At that moment, he lost all sensation of the outside world. He couldn¡¯t even control his own body. It was as if someone had cut off all of his senses and control.

    Paradoxically, he could still see Joy Bodhisattva inside his head. In fact, her image was growing clearer and clearer. It was as if the woman was living inside his head.

    Finally, Joy Bodhisattva moved her scissors to the paper doll¡¯s neck and squeezed.

 Chapter 572: Snip

    <h4>Chapter 572: Snip </h4>

    <i>I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯m going to die!!!</i>

    Terrible fear welled inside Xiong Kuohai¡¯s heart. He had a feeling that he would die if Joy Bodhisattva was allowed to cut off the paper doll¡¯s head. One hundred percent.

    But... there was nothing he could do about it. His senses werepletely cut off, he had no control over his own body, and even his spirit waspletely isted. Right now, he was no different from a puppet that anyone could manipte as they pleased.

    <i>Snip!</i>

    Joy Bodhisattva was cutting through the paper doll very, very slowly. Maybe it was because the de was too dull, but every time she made a small snip, she would shake almost as if the act took every bit of strength she had in her.

    She was doing it though. As she made progress, bright red blood began to drip down the paper doll¡¯s neck profusely.

    <i>No! No! I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die!</i>

    Defiance and the desire to live swelled inside Xiong Kuohai¡¯s heart. He didn¡¯t want to die. His n was so close to seeding. He was so close to bing a ruler of a corner of the world. Thousands and thousands would answer to his beck and call, and his sess would be recognized and rewarded appropriately by the Way Lord, master of the Way of Taiping. He had a bright future ahead of him.

    In fact, conquering Bei You might not even be his absolute limit. Who was to say he couldn¡¯t be a Sage in the future? Who was to say he couldn¡¯t be a god-on-earth and reach never-before-seen heights?

    He couldn¡¯t die here. He just couldn¡¯t.

    He was the predator, and everyone else the prey. Metaphorically speaking, he had Joy Bodhisattva and the others inside his gullet. He couldn¡¯t possibly choke to death now!

    <i>I refuse! I won¡¯t ept this!</i>

    Defiance and fury burst out of his heart like a dam, and to his surprise... It actually worked. The paper doll in Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s hand began struggling violently, and the hand Joy Bodhisattva used to hold the scissors began shaking as well. She was unable to make another snip for a time. Hope welled inside Xiong Kuohai¡¯s heart when he saw this.

    s, it was not meant to be. Countless flesh buds abruptly grew out of the scissors and sank into Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s flesh, causing a pained look to appear on her face. Then, Joy Bodhisattva began squeezing the scissors with all her might.

    As the des slowly mped around the paper doll¡¯s neck, Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s smooth, jade-like skin began to lose its luster. Her pitch ck hair began turning white almost as if she had aged decades in a single motion as well.

    <i>No! NO!</i>

    Xiong Kuohair roared again and again inside his head, but it was futile. He could only watch as the scissorspleted its final sequence and cut off the paper doll¡¯s headpletely.

    <i>Snip!</i>

    When the paper doll lost its head, it ceased struggling immediately. Xiong Kuohai¡¯s consciousness was also extinguished at that exact moment.

    ¡°Not... like... this...¡±

    Back in the real world, Xiong Kuohai abruptly trembled and muttered what sounded like gibberish at the beginning. Then, a red thread abruptly appeared on his neck, and his head rolled off his neck and hit the floor with a sick thud. He was dead.

    ¡°Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?¡±

    Thebatants abruptly froze in ce and stared into the dead Grandmaster¡¯s wide, lifeless eyes. They were speechless with shock to say the least.

    <i>How did Xiong Kuohai suddenly lose his head?</i>

    <i>He just died without any warning at all!</i>

    ¡°Useless. <i>Worthless.</i>¡±

    It was at this moment a cold hmph interrupted the moment. The shadow in the air abruptly wrapped around the Nan Ming Li Fire and devoured it before transforming into a faceless, humanoid silhouette. Then, it turned its head and looked in a certain direction.

    Countless shadows enveloped the area the shadow was looking at, and a person fell down from the sky. It was none other than Joy Bodhisattva.

    It took the crowd a second to recognize the Bodhisattva. It was because her skin was coarse and wrinkly, her hair was grayish white like an old woman¡¯s, and her vitality was practically a dying candlepared to the inferno she was before. It was as if she had aged decades during the short period she went missing.

    The shadow paid little attention to her appearance, however. Its attention was drawn to the scissors she was holding.

    ¡°The Beheading Scissors?!¡± The shadow sounded slightly astonished. ¡°I did not know that the Beheading Scissors was in your hands. No wonder you were able to extinguish Xiong Kuohai¡¯s life and soul in an instant without me noticing.¡±

    Some people had heard of the Beheading Scissors, but some hadn¡¯t. Luckily for Ye Qing, he was one of the people in the know.

    <i>The Beheading Scissors? Heavens above!</i>

    Ye Qing gulped nervously when he heard the name. Now he understood how Xiong Kuohai had died so suddenly and iprehensibly.

    The Beheading Scissors was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. It was ranked sixty-ninth[1] on the Strange Artifact Register. An offensive-type strange artifact, it could assassinate a target without leaving any traces behind thanks to its ability to behead its target and extinguish their soul. All the wielder needed to do was to write their opponent¡¯s name and birth date on a paper doll and cut off its head with the scissors.

    But of course, the Beheading Scissors¡¯ incredible power came at a hefty price. Its usage conditions were extremely stringent as well. First, the wielder must find out their target¡¯s name and birth date. Then, they must write it down on a paper doll using their heart¡¯s blood.

    Second, they must curse the paper doll and prayer to the Beheading Scissors so that the two items would be linked in karma. The way to curse the paper doll was to p it with the sole of a shoe and chanting, ¡°Behead¡± repeatedly. When it was time to pray to the Beheading Scissors, they must kneel and chant their enemy¡¯s name.

    The longer the wielder cursed the paper doll and prayed to the Beheading Scissors, the stronger its ability to sever the soul would be. The wielder¡¯s sincerity also factored into the Strange Artifact¡¯s power.

    Third, the wielder must follow a specific order when it was finally time to cut the paper doll. They must first cut off the paper doll¡¯s eyes, ears, mouth, nose, tongue, body and spirit so as topletely sever the victim¡¯s senses. Only then could they cut off the head.

    During this process, the victim would bepletely immobile and incapable of perceiving their surroundings. However, if another person noticed their state and jolted them awake, then the ritual would end in failure. The wielder themselves would suffer a terrible rebound as a result.

    That was why the best time to use the Beheading Scissors was when the enemy was alone. Only then could it unleash its full potential.

    Finally, the price of using the Beheading Scissors was the wielder¡¯s own lifespan. The stronger the opponent, the greater the amount of lifespan they must sacrifice to kill them.

    This was why Joy Bodhisattva looked like she had aged decades.

    The Beheading Scissors were a deadly Strange Artifact that took its price from both its wielder and its victim. The remark on the Strange Register was:

    ¡°One snip to behead the body and extinguish the soul; one snip to y one¡¯s youth and grow white hair.¡±

    It described the essence of the Beheading Scissors perfectly.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t just astonished by the Beheading Scissors¡¯ power ability. He was deeply impressed with Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s scheme as well.

    The Beheading Scissors were powerful, but it was no easy feat to use it to kill Xiong Kuohai while everyone was watching, not to mention that he was normally guarded by a mysterious, powerful Sakyamuni.

    But Joy Bodhisattva did it. The Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar wasn¡¯t the only bait present. Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu were baits. Even the mysterious Sayakmuni was a bait. The fishing hook was Joy Bodhisattva and the Beheading Scissors all along.

    The Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar was the bait to put Xiong Kuohai in a difficult predicament. Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu were the baits to lure out the mysterious Sakyamuni and keep him away from Xiong Kuohai.

    It was the only way she could have used the Beheading Scissors on Xiong Kuohai without the Sakyamuni noticing.

    Finally, the mysterious Sakyamuni himself was a bait to keep all attention from Xiong Kuohai. After all, who would anyone look at the Grandmaster when a greater threat was right in front of them? This eliminated the possibility of another warrior noticing something wrong with Xiong Kuohai and jolting him awake while she was conducting the ritual.

    With three baits, a wonderful n and a wless execution of said him, Joy Bodhisattva finally managed to catch the big fish that was Xiong Kuohai.

    No matter how you looked at it, Joy Bodhisattva deserved her victory, and Xiong Kuohai his demise.

    This wasn¡¯t the end of the incident though. No, it was just the beginning.

    The Sakyamuni was no small fry. He might even prove to be more formidable than Xiong Kuohai.

    Ye Qing mentally smacked himself in the head. <i>What am I thinking? Of course the Sakyamuni is a greater threat than Xiong Kuohai. He¡¯s the real mastermind behind all this!</i>

    He was sure that Joy Bodhisattva had a n though. She might be grievously injured and seemingly at her wit¡¯s end, but he knew she hadn¡¯t used up all of her trump cards yet.

    1. It¡¯s a perfect fit with Joy Bodhisattva... ?

 Chapter 573: Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows

    ¡°To think you managed to kill Xiong Kuohai right under my nose. Not bad, Bodhisattva,¡± said the mysterious Sakyamuni with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye. He had already figured out how Joy Bodhisattva managed to kill Xiong Kuohai.

    Joy Bodhisattva replied indifferently, ¡°You tter me, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows.¡± She looked terrible, but her expression was calm, and her tone was as indifferent as ever.

    ¡°Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows?!¡±

    Everyone was astonished to hear this. The Way Lord was the master of the Way of Taiping, and he was served by four Sakyamunis. They were Heavenly Soul Breaker, Earthly Soul Destroyer, Myriad Shadows and Thousand Faces. Each Sakyamuni was immeasurably powerful and a named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking.

    Of the four, Heavenly Soul Breaker was the strongest, Earthly Soul Destroyer was the strangest, Myriad Shadows was the most enigmatic, and Thousand Faces was the most unknowable.

    Heavenly Soul Breaker was said to be a half step away from bing a Sage and bing a god-on-earth. Hence, he was the strongest. Earthly Soul Destroyer cultivated the Way of Taiping¡¯s Deity Possession Art and could summon gods to possess his body. Therefore, his power was as incredible as it was unpredictable. Myriad Shadows was a shadowy, indiscernible entity that no light could illuminate, which was why it was the most enigmatic. And finally, Thousand Faces could change their appearance however they liked. They could be male, female, old or young. No one knew their appearance, their age, or even their gender.

    In conclusion, the four Sakyamunis of the Way of Taiping were notorious and powerful titans of the Dark Ways. There was no one in the <em>jianghu </em>who hadn¡¯t heard about them, and they were nothing the likes of Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and Joy Bodhisattva couldpare.

    Although Ji Donglei knew that the Way of Taiping was behind Xiong Kuohai and said as much, he did not think that it would be Myriad Shadows, one of the four Sakyamunis of the Way of Taiping.

    The likes of Wei Changhe and and Gold Ingot were lost and terrified after Xiong Kuohai perished, but the appearance of the Sakyamuni injected a new burst of strength into their bodies.As for the survivors who were celebrating the death of Xiong Kuohai, they felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice over their heads. They felt cold all the way to the core.

    ¡°You did recognize me. I was right after all. Someone was following me that night.¡±

    Myriad Shadows looked at Joy Bodhisattva and asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious. Since you knew about Xiong Kuohai¡¯s n and even my presence from the start, why didn¡¯t you run away or expose me in front of everyone? Why did you cooperate with me and y this farce all the way to its climax? Are you so arrogant as to think that you can defeat me with these remnants who are poisoned by the Burning Heart?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Joy Bodhisattva sped her hands in salute.

    <em>Hmm? She admitted to it? What is she nning? </em>Ye Qing thought curiously. He thought for sure that Joy Bodhisattva would feign ignorance and pretend that she hadn¡¯t manipted everyone present to her advantage. After all, that would turn everyone against her, and she would have no ammunition to use against Myriad Shadows.

    ¡°Huh? You admit it?¡± Even Myriad Shadows sounded a little surprised. He wondered what the woman was cooking.

    ¡°Why would I fear admitting something I did?¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied indifferently.

    ¡°You¡­ You used us?¡± Ji Donglei was so angry that his eyes were bloodshot, and his entire body was shaking.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Huo Ruyu let out a guttural roar and charged toward Joy Bodhisattva with reckless abandon. She had woken up a while ago, but the Five Qi Auspicious Cloud Altar was no longer present. Unable to suppress the Burning Heart any longer, especially hearing that Joy Bodhisattva had tricked and manipted her from the very beginning, dark mes began pouring out of her nostrils, her mouth, her eyes and other orifices profusely.

    Her flesh began withering and dissolving into ash, but Huo Ruyu paid it no heed. Whatever rationality remained in her heart had beenpletely reced by anger and hatred. Right now, all she wanted to do was to kill Joy Bodhisattva.

    Joy Bodhisattva didn¡¯t even look at her, however. When Huo Ruyu got close, she lifted a finger and tapped the woman on her forehead.

    Huo Ruyu was already on herst legs, not to mention that she was just a mindless beast right now. A hole appeared on her forehead, and both the breath in her mouth and the light in her eyes abruptly extinguished. Her mind was destroyed just like that.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±

    Ji Donglei and the rest of the warriors stared at her in wide-eyed disbelief. They could not believe that Joy Bodhisattva actually killed Huo Ruyu. At least a dozen people lost control of their emotions andbusted into ash on the spot.

    ¡°Why are you doing this, Joy Bodhisattva? Just why?!¡±

    Huo Ruyu¡¯s death and Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s betrayal finally punched through Ji Donglei¡¯s formidable mental defenses. He abruptly screamed on top of his lungs while mes leaked out of his body.

    It was only now he realized that they were pawns from the beginning until the end. Both Xiong Kuohai¡¯s and Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s.

    Howmentable!

    How pitiful!

    At that moment, his hatred for Joy Bodhisattva far exceeded even his hatred for Xiong Kuohai.

    It wasn¡¯t just him, of course. It was everyone.

    ¡°Interesting. How interesting!¡±

    Myriad Shadows¡¯ smile grew a little more genuine as he watched Joy Bodhisattva with great interest. ¡°I want to hear your answer as well. Why are you doing this? Without their aid, your chances of killing me are exactly nil¡­ not that there was any chance you rabble could have killed me.¡±

    Despite Ji Donglei¡¯s roar, Joy Bodhisattva did not so much as nce at his direction. She said indifferently, ¡°I had never nned on killing you, Sakyamuni. All I was aiming for from the start was Xiong Kuohai.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Xiong Kuohai?¡± Myriad Shadows looked confused. ¡°But why?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva answered simply, ¡°I wish to cooperate with you.¡±

    ¡°Cooperate?¡± Myriad Shadows hesitated for a moment before eximing in realization. ¡°Oh! You wish to rece him?¡±

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Joy Bodhisattva admitted.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± Myriad Shadows smiled when suddenly, his tone grew utterly scornful and disdainful. ¡°But why should I cooperate with you? What makes you think that an ant like you deserves to cooperate with me? I can literally crush you with one finger right now. What makes you think that I would cooperate with a useless, worthless ant?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva did not get angry despite Myriad Shadows¡¯ insult. ¡°You are wrong, Sakyamuni. You may be strong, but you won¡¯t be able to defeat me easily. Besides, I know you don¡¯t really want to kill me.¡±

    As soon as she finished, vitality suddenly flowed out from inside Joy Bodhisattva and mended her wounds at a visible rate. In just the blink of an eye, her aura had climbed back to its peak almost as if she had never been injured in the first ce.

    ¡°The Nature¡¯s Water?!¡± Myriad Shadows was surprised yet again. ¡°I did not know that you possessed such a treasure! Still, you didn¡¯t think that you could beat me just because you have regained your strength, did you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied indifferently, ¡°But do not forget that this is Blissful Mountain, Sakyamuni. This is my domain.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows taunted.

    ¡°Observe, Sakyamuni!¡± Joy Bodhisattva made a hand seal, and the Buddhist, Bodhisattva and celestial statues spread across Blissful Mountain began shaking slightly. As golden light filled the entire ce, countless array lines and restrictions spread out from the statues and formed a massive, mysterious array that epassed the entire Blissful Mountain.

    When the array took form, the golden light grew even brighter and shot into the air. It scattered in eight different directions¡ªeast, west, north, south, up, down, left, right[1] and took the form of eight Bodhisattvas.

    Each Bodhisattva had a different appearance and gender. One female Bodhisattva was holding a ksa and a prithvi mudra with a smile on her face; a male Bodhisattva was holding a wisdom spellsword and wearing a wrathful expression; another female Bodhisattva was making a boundless mudra with a kind, benevolent expression; another male Bodhisattva was carrying a vajra on his shoulder with a cold, indifferent expression¡­

    The eight Bodhisattvas looked down on the crowd while a terrible pressure epassed everyone. They looked like gods who were pending orders toy down divine judgment upon the insignificant masses below.

    ¡°This is the Buddhist Hall of Joy¡¯s defense array, the Eight Realms Bodhisattva Evil Suppressing Array. At full strength, it is equal to one strike from a half-step Sage.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, you cannot crush me like an ant.¡±

    Myriad Shadows did not say anything. He simply nced at the eight Bodhisattvas in the sky with a hint of disdain.

    Joy Bodhisattva noticed his reaction and added, ¡°Of course, this does not mean that youck the power to kill me.¡±

    1. Don¡¯t ask me how left and right even works in this scenario. ?

 Chapter 574: Joy Bodhisattvaâ€™s Dare

    ¡°At least you¡¯re self-aware.¡±

    Myriad Shadows grunted, though he did not underestimate the eight Bodhisattvas in the sky. The array was powerful enough to kill even him should he allow arrogance and disdain to override his better senses.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you will kill me though.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva began slowly, ¡°I sent someone away from Blissful Mountain this morning. If I die, they will tell everyone everything you and Xiong Kuohai did today. When the timees, everyone in Northern Xinjiang and the <em>jianghu </em>itself will know.¡±

    Myriad Shadows did not reply, though the trembling shadow beneath his foot seemed to be hinting something.

    ¡°The reason you raised Xiong Kuohai is to use him to bring Bei You under the Way of Taiping¡¯s control. However, the northernnds are controlled by the Sword King City, Earthfire Pce of Demons and the Northern Xinjiang Army. If the Way of Taiping tries to enter Northern Xinjiang overtly, they will not stand by and do nothing. That is why you raised a local faction in an attempt to take control of Bei You without anyone noticing.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva pretended not to notice Myriad Shadows¡¯ odd movements and continued, ¡°If I leak what happened today, your grand n will end in abject failure. Once Sword King City, Earthfire Pce of Demons and the imperial court of Chu are alerted to your presence, the Way of Taiping will never be able to set foot in Northern Xinjiang again.¡±

    ¡°Am I right, Sakyamuni?¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±Myriad Shadows hmphed, and what looked like an infinite amount of shadow and darkness suddenly poured in from every direction. Even the shadows on the floor suddenly writhed as if they were alive. It was as evil-looking as it was disturbing.

    As the shadows and darkness merged into one, all light, color and even sound disappeared from the world. Trapped within the anomalous power¡¯s embrace, the warriors felt like they were sinking into the thickest ink. They were unable to breathe or move a muscle. All that was left was darkness, silence, pain and despair.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s voice suddenly pierced through the absolute darkness. ¡°I do not intend to threaten you, Sakyamuni. I am simply asserting the pros and cons.¡±

    Several breathster, Myriad Shadows¡¯ voice rang. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I would kill you?¡±

    The infinite darkness receded, revealing Myriad Shadows, Joy Bodhisattva and everyone else.

    ¡°Hah! Hah! Hah!¡±

    Almost everyone was panting heavily in fear and trepidation. For a moment there, they really thought they were going to suffocate to death.

    This one move showed that Myriad Shadows was beyond terrifying. He was far stronger than Xiong Kuohai, Joy Bodhisattva, and every other Grandmaster attending the Trueman feast.

    ¡°You are a wise man, Sakyamuni. Killing me will ruin everything you¡¯ve worked toward, but using me will gain you everything. I am certain you can tell which path is more advantageous for you.¡±

    Despite this, Joy Bodhisattva remained as calm as ever. It was as if the word ¡°fear¡± did not exist in her dictionary.

    ¡°Your goal is to control Bei You for the Way of Taiping. In that case, it doesn¡¯t matter who your puppet is, does it? As long as they are obedient and useful to the Way of Taiping, does it really matter if your puppet¡¯s name is Xiong Kuohai or Joy Bodhisattva?¡±

    ¡°I am willing to join the Way of Taiping, Sakyamuni. Grant me the opportunity, and I shall serve you and the Way of Taiping faithfully.¡±

    ¡°Please believe that I can do what Xiong Kuohai can and cannot do, Sakyamuni. You will not be disappointed.¡±

    When Joy Bodhisattva was done speaking, everyone on Blissful Peak realized what the woman was nning. Ye Qing himself was sighing with mixed emotions.

    He had guessed the beginning, but not the end. He had believed that Joy Bodhisattva was nning to manipte Ji Donglei, Huo Ruyu and everyone else into killing Xiong Kuohai and Myriad Shadows. This way, the Buddhist Hall of Joy would be saved.

    To this end, he had even supplied Joy Bodhisattva with some Nature¡¯s Water and Qi of Ultimate Purity. His aim was so that the Grandmasters would be able to regain their strength and win a battle of attrition.

    However, Joy Bodhisattva had never nned on killing Myriad Shadows. Her one target was Xiong Kuohai and Xiong Kuohai only. She wanted to kill him and rece him as the Way of Taiping¡¯s puppet in Bei You.

    Joy Bodhisattva must have known that the Sakyamuni behind Xiong Kuohai was Myriad Shadows from the beginning. There was no way she could havee up with such an intricate n otherwise.

    By doing this, Joy Bodhisattva was essentially surrendering her own freedom and fate to the Way of Taiping. But now that he had the full picture, he could not deny that she had chosen the best option that was avable to her. At the very least, it was safer, wiser, and more reliable than the original n.

    First, Myriad Shadows had turned out to be stronger than Ye Qing had originally estimated. Even if Joy Bodhisattva, Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu worked together and used all of their trump cards, there was no chance they could¡¯ve defeated the man.

    Second, Myriad Shadows was one of the Four Sakyamunis of the Way of Taiping. He was no small fry that one could kill as they pleased. Even if everything went perfectly, and Joy Bodhisattva sessfully killed Myriad Shadows, would the Way of Taiping really allow this transgression to go unanswered?

    Of course not. The Way of Taiping was infamous for how petty and retaliatory they were. Although their main headquarters wasn¡¯t in Northern Xinjiang, it was no problem for them to dispatch a handful of champions and annihte the Buddhist Hall of Joy.

    Joining Sword King City or Earthfire Pce of Demons was an option, but could they really protect her? It was difficult to say. And even then, she would have lost everything.

    All things considered, it was clear that joining Myriad Shadows and the Way of Taiping was the safer and more superior option. For starters, she would gain a powerful patron. It would enable her to gain control of Bei You easier.

    She did not need to worry about retaliation from Sword King City or Earthfire Pce of Demons either. She could simply me Ji Donglei and Huo Ruyu¡¯s deaths on Xiong Kuohai.

    An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

    Therefore, Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s ploy was absolutely brilliant. With just a bit of sacrifice, she was going to save the Buddhist Hall of Joy from the threat of annihtion, steal Xiong Kuohai¡¯s fruit for himself, and be the ruler of Bei You. She was killing multiple birds with one stone.

    Sure, joining the Way of Taiping meant that she would no longer be the boss of herself, and she would have to be at the Way of Taiping¡¯s beck and call. But then again, the cons were more or less bnced by the pros, and in this <em>jianghu, </em>was there anyone who was truly free and the absolute boss of themselves? And was there really a difference between serving oneself and serving another?

    But of course, it all depended on Myriad Shadows in the end. If he rejected Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s offer, then it was the end for the woman.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t believe he would reject Joy Bodhisattva though. In fact, he would have to be crazy or brain damaged to do so. As Joy Bodhisattva had stated, Myriad Shadows¡¯ aim was to control Bei You from behind the curtains. In essence, he wanted a puppet ruler on the throne. In that case, who cared if the puppet¡¯s name was Xiong Kuohai, Joy Bodhisattva, Zhang Three, Li Four of Pockfaced Wang? As long as they gave him his obedience, it was enough.

    But of course, not everyone was qualified for this position. At the very least, they must possess a certain level of strength and prestige. They must also be strong enough to keep a tight rein over the myriad forces of Bei You.

    Now that Xiong Kuohai was dead, it was clear that Joy Bodhisattva was the next best option.

    Second, Joy Bodhisattva had shown off her strength and proven that she was no pushover. If Myriad Shadows really rejected her offer, she did not mind fighting the man to the death. Joy Bodhisattva would die, but Myriad Shadows would suffer, and the Way of Taiping¡¯s n to control Bei You would be in tatters. It would be a lose-lose situation for both of them.

    Realistically speaking, there was only one option for Myriad Shadows.

    Suddenly, Ji Donglei interrupted the conversation, ¡°What you¡¯re doing is no different from asking a tiger for its hide, Joy Bodhisattva! Everyone knows that the Taiping cultists are as faithless as they are dangerous. If the Way of Taiping manages to create a foothold in Bei You, thisnd and even Northern Xinjiang itself will be plunged into chaos! When the timees, you will be the sinner who damns us all!¡±

    ¡°Better to ask a tiger for its hide than to be devoured by it,¡± Joy Bodhisattva responded. ¡°Also, have you forgotten that the Buddhist Hall of Joy is a demonic sect? What does the peace and prosperity of Northern Xinjiang have anything to do with me?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You¡­!¡±

    Ji Donglei staggered backward and spat out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°Hahaha! Well said, well said!¡±

    Myriad Shadows burst outughing when he heard this.

 Chapter 575: Primordial Spirit Flying Sword

    <h4>Chapter 575: Primordial Spirit Flying Sword </h4>

    ¡°You will die in the hands of your co-conspirator, Joy Bodhisattva! And you bastards will meet a miserable end eventually, Taiping cultist!¡±

    Ji Donglei let out a maddened roar, ¡°I will take you to the grave with me if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡±

    As he spoke, Ji Donglei charged toward Joy Bodhisattva. Veins were popping across his skin as if he was clenching his entire body, and a terrible, destructive aura was washing out of him.

    ¡°Is he going to detonate his primordial spirit?!¡±

    Ye Qing was stunned. A Grandmaster was someone who had forged a bridge between the inner world within them and the outer world beyond them, and a primordial spirit was a Yin God that had been baptized by origin energy. To detonate one¡¯s primordial spirit was no different from detonating one¡¯s cultivation, martial intent, insight into the world and everything, and usually, the resulting explosion was potent enough to kill everything within a certain range. It was terrifying to say the least.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The next moment, a terrific explosion deafened everyone¡¯s ears. Blissful Peak was already tethering on the brink of copse to begin with, and this explosion outright blew up its top. Those who were too slow to dodge out of the way were either torn to shreds by the explosion or buried in rock and soil.

    No one noticed that a transparent short sword was flying through the dust clouds and toward the distance without a sound.

    <i>¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡±</i>

    The ¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡± was a secret art in the ¡°Sword King Scripture¡±. By nurturing a flying sword in one¡¯s primordial spirit, one could use it for offense, defense, and most importantly, escaping and saving oneself.

    The ¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡± was created from a warrior¡¯s spirit and martial intent. Formless and insubstantial, it could be as still as a maiden[1] or as swift as lightning. It could travel a great distance in a single breath and passed through both heaven and earth with ease.

    Considering the circumstances, Ji Donglei knew it was impossible for him to escape Joy Bodhisattva and Myriad Shadows¡ªat least not normally. Therefore, he had no choice but to pretend that he was going to die together with his enemies and detonate most of his primordial spirit. While everything was in chaos, he attached a wisp of his primordial spirit into his ¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡± and flew away from Blissful Mountain.

    Although detonating most of his primordial spirit was the same asmitting suicide, and the wisp currently attached to the Primordial Spirit Flying Sword wasn¡¯t enough for him to begin a new life as a ghost warrior or soul warrior, Ji Donglei still did it.

    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to live, of course. It just wasn¡¯t an option for him.

    For one, he could not trick Joy Bodhisattva or Myriad Shadows if he didn¡¯t detonate enough primordial spirit, and the resulting explosion was too weak.

    Two, Burning Heart had influenced every aspect of his being, and not even his primordial spirit was an exception. Even if he managed to escape in the end, he was still probably going to die.

    That was why hemitted suicide.

    This was fine though. He could die with a smile on his face if he could report what happened today back to Sword King City. His sect would do everything in their power to see Joy Bodhisattva and Myriad Shadows dead, and the Way of Taiping¡¯s conspiracy would be snuffed out in its nascency, essentially killing two birds with one stone.

    It was worth his death.

    ¡°You will regret this, Joy Bodhisattva!¡±

    Inside the ¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡±, Ji Donglei¡¯s broken primordial spirit howled with indescribable rage and hatred. He was going to make the woman who cost him everything pay if it was thest thing he did.

    Suddenly, a gigantic hand appeared in the sky and caught Ji Donglei¡¯s ¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡± firmly.

    The next moment, the hand shrank down to a normal size, and Joy Bodhisattva appeared behind it.

    ¡°Joy Bodhisattva! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    The ¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡± containing Ji Donglei¡¯s broken primordial spirit writhed and struggled with all its might, but it was futile. Then, his face appeared on the de¡¯s surface and red at Joy Bodhisattva with infinite hatred and defiance.

    He knew it was over.

    Hisst hope had just been snuffed out by none other than the damned woman herself.

    ¡°The Primordial Spirit Flying Sword?!¡±

    Myriad Shadows clenched his hand and gathered the dust clouds covering the entire peak into a ball. Then sky cleared up in an instant. It was then he saw the transparent sword in Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s hand and eximed in astonishment and anger.

    He hadn¡¯t noticed Ji Donglei¡¯s ¡®Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡¯. Had the Sword Executor Elder seeded in escaping and reporting what happened here back to Sword King City, then his grand n would have copsed like a sand castle.

    Luckily for him, Joy Bodhisattva proved even morepetent than he expected. He was curious though. How did the woman notice the Primordial Spirit Flying Sword where he did not?

    ¡°How did you sense Ji Donglei¡¯s ¡®Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡¯, Joy Bodhisattva?¡±

    She answered, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know Sword King City very well because your main base of operation is in the south, Sakyamuni, but Ji Donglei is a shrewd man despite his upright appearance. I knew he would pull something like this and was on my guard from the start.¡±

    ¡°Good. Good!¡± Myriad Shadows hummed in thought for a moment before breaking into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re as strong as you are shrewd, and you are definitely morepetent than Xiong Kuohai. You are exactly the kind of talent my sect needs to rebuild ourselves and resume our great work to bless all of mankind.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sakyamuni. I offer my undying loyalty to you and the sect,¡± Joy Bodhisattva replied after clenching her fingers and crushing Ji Donglei¡¯s ¡°Primordial Spirit Flying Sword¡± into bits.

    It was clear that Myriad Shadows had epted her terms.

    ¡°Yes. To reward your undying loyalty and outstanding devotion toward our sect, I hereby appoint you as Venerable Joy.¡±

    Myriad Shadows looked at Joy Bodhisattva and dered, ¡°I bestow upon you the White Lotus Spellcrown...¡±

    As soon as he said this, a bell ringing resounded throughout the world, and a crown shaped like a white lotus with nine petals appeared on top of Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s head.

    ¡°The Taiping Spell Robe...¡±

    The bell rang a second time, and a spell robe with yin yang patterns suddenly appeared around her body.

    ¡°The Yellow Sky Horsetail Whisk...¡±

    A yellow horsetail whisk appeared in her right hand.

    ¡°... and finally, the All Is Well Tablet!¡±

    A square-shaped tablet the size of a palm flew toward Joy Bodhisattva and hung itself on her waist.

    ¡°Thank you for your bestowal, Sakyamuni.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva daintily dropped to one knee and hung her horsetail whisk across her arm.

    ¡°Hahaha! Rise, Venerable One!¡± Myriad Shadows made a lifting gesture with a wide smile on his face. ¡°From now on, you and I arepatriots. Instead of getting hung up with formalities, we should support each other and work toward reviving our sect and spreading happiness across the world.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Sakyamuni.¡± Joy Bodhisattva rose to her feet and thanked him.

    ¡°With that done, let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Myriad Shadows swept his gaze across the remaining survivors and asked, ¡°What do you want to do with them?¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva answered, ¡°Kill those who deserved to die and leave the rest alive.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And how do you differentiate between the two?¡± Myriad Shadows asked with great interest.

    ¡°Those who defy the sect should die, and those who do not should live.¡±

    As soon as she finished, the eight Bodhisattvas still in the sky abruptly lowered their palms and attacked Gold Ingot, Wei Changhe, and the Endless Sand elites Xiong Kuohai had brought with him.

    At this point, everyone was fatigued and injured to a certain extent, and Xiong Kuohai¡¯s men were no exception. Combined with the element of surprise, most of them were squashed like pancakes before they even realized what was happening. Only Gold Ingot, Wei Changhe, and a handful of people managed to escape one way or another.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Joy Bodhisattva?! We are members of the Way of Taiping as well!¡± A pale-faced Gold Ingot shouted.

    ¡°No, you are not.¡± Joy Bodhisattva said indifferently, ¡°You are simply Xiong Kuohai¡¯s men.¡±

    ¡°We... we¡¯re willing to join the Way of Taiping! We¡¯re willing to submit to you, Sakyamuni, so please, save us!¡± Gold Ingot shouted even as regret gripped him. He knew that Joy Bodhisattva was taking advantage of her new power to punish them for their betrayal, but what could they do?

    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy!¡± Myriad Shadows grunted, and Gold Ingot¡¯s shadow abruptly stood up and grabbed his neck. No matter how much the man struggled, he was unable to break free until the final end imed him.

    ¡°Do you wish to end up like him?¡± Joy Bodhisattva nced indifferently at the others.

    ¡°Kill the traitors and evildoers who defy the Way of Taiping!¡± Mistress Ruyi suddenly let out a shout before taking the lead and charging Wei Changhe first. Worriless, Wisdom Queen and all remaining Buddhist Hall of Joy disciples followed right behind her.

    The rest of the survivors exchanged a nce with each other before charging toward Xiong Kuohai¡¯s men as well. A wise man submits to the circumstances he was presented with. If they did not obey themand, then the only fate that awaited them was death.

    Ye Qing was no exception. Earlier, he had to stop roleying a corpse and escape due to the massive explosion caused by the detonation of Ji Donglei¡¯s primordial spirit. Luckily, no one noticed anything strange. Now, he had to join in on the attack on Xiong Kuohai¡¯s men to avoid standing out.

    He did not fight like he usually did, of course. He made sure to perform on the level of an ordinary warrior. He was the one who ruined the Way of Taiping¡¯s conspiracy at Luo Shui, and he was pretty sure that the cult had not withdrawn the bounty on his head. Thest thing he wanted to do was to stand out in front of one of the Four Sakyamunis.

    1. I¡¯m not sure why a maiden or more urately a virgin is being used to describe stillness but whatever? Lol. ?

 Chapter 576: What a Mighty Coincidence

    <h4>Chapter 576: What a Mighty Coincidence </h4>

    Joy Bodhisattva was back to full strength thanks to the Nature¡¯s Water, and the survivors still outnumbered Xiong Kuohai¡¯s men despite everything. There was never any doubt how this final, if not somewhat anti-climatic battle would go. Just a momentter, Joy Bodhisattva had sessfully annihted all of Xiong Kuohai¡¯s men including the likes of Wei Changhe.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill half of them, why didn¡¯t you kill all of them? You¡¯re aware that our ns are ruined if even one person breathes the truth to anyone, right?¡± Myriad Shadows asked casually. He never even batted an eyelid even though Xiong Kuohai¡¯s men were technically his men.

    Everyone except Joy Bodhisattva tensed up and broke out in cold sweat when they heard this.

    ¡°Do not worry, Sakyamuni. I am sure they will not betray the sect or reveal today¡¯s matter to anyone. You may not trust in their behavior, but you may trust in me and my methods.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva looked at the group and asked, ¡°What do you say, people?¡±

    There was a moment of silence before everyone dropped to their knees. ¡°We dedicate ourselves to the Way of Taiping, to the Sakyamuni, and to the Venerable One. We swear that no one will hear a word about today¡¯s matter from our mouths.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva continued after the group was done swearing their fealty, ¡°Besides, we need them to ensure the sess of our n.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Myriad Shadows asked.

    Joy Bodhisattva answered, ¡°First, we need them to act as our witnesses. If I am the lone survivor of this incident, Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons may suspect foul y. But if there is a group of survivors to support the im that Xiong Kuohai and only Xiong Kuohai is behind it all, then they would be far more inclined to believe that that is the truth.¡±

    ¡°Second, their help is necessary if we are to take control of Bei You. Although Xiong Kuohai is dead, and Endless Sand is no longer a threat to our ns, Bei You is a massive ce riddled with countless factions of varying strengths. I am not so arrogant as to think I can manage it all by myself, not to mention that the stronger factions of Northern Xinjiang such as Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons would not allow me to im the spoils unchallenged. If they interfere, it is inevitable that the sect¡¯s ns would be impacted.¡±

    ¡°That is why we should keep them around as both a decoy and a smokescreen. Everyone here is a famous wanderer, despot, or gang leader of sorts. When the time is right, they can divvy up the cake that is Endless Sand on our behalf. We can even make them fight each other so that everyone thinks that Bei You is still an independent, divided region. Naturally, the major factions such as Sword King City or Earthfire Pce of Demons would have no cause to interfere.¡±

    ¡°Given enough time, we would have taken over Bei You without having to lift a single finger. They would be at our beck and call even if they did not know it themselves. What do you think, Sakyamuni?¡±

    Myriad Shadows mulled over her n for a moment beforeughing out loud. ¡°I knew I chose the right person. Very well! We shall do as you say.¡±

    He then looked down at the anxious crowd and said in a much colder voice, ¡°Thank your lucky stars that you are still useful to us. Take this.¡±

    He dropped a few bottles of pills on the floor and said, ¡°This is the cure to your poison.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sakyamuni!¡± eximed the crowd with pleasant surprise and caught the pills happily.

    However, what he said next poured an ice bucket over their heads and chilled them to the core. ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy just yet. I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that the poison afflicting you is one of the nine ancient poisons, the Burning Heart. It is a deadly poison that only my Way of Taiping can cure. The antidote I just gave you will only work for a month. If you don¡¯t receive a new antidote when the month is up, you¡¯re still going to die.¡±

    The entire peak was deathly silent for a moment.

    After examining the crowd¡¯s despairing expression and judging that the time was right, Myriad Shadows finally offered them the carrot. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a fair man when ites to reward and punishment. So long as you prove yourself to be a loyal and useful subordinate of the sect, I promise to treat you all just as well.¡±

    ¡°When the time is right, I will cure the poison afflicting you for real.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sakyamuni. We swear to serve the sect loyally and without reservation!¡± The crowd voiced their thanks and swallowed the pill. As soon as the pill entered their mouths, they felt a clear, refreshing sensation spreading throughout their body. The anomalous energy and negative emotions tearing at their fraying nerves immediately receded like a tidal wave.

    Sensing just how quickly the antidote was bottling up the anomalous energy, the crowd could not help but look at Myriad Shadows with new respect and fear.

    All, except one person. Ye Qing sighed mentally when he saw the grateful expressions on their faces. They still had no idea that the Burning Heart was incurable; no idea that they probably had to work for Myriad Shadows until the day they died.

    It was clear that Myriad Shadows was exploiting the fact that few people knew about the mysterious Burning Heart. He would havee up with a more intelligent lie otherwise.

    It didn¡¯t matter anyway. Even if they found out the truth in the future, there was nothing they could do to change their fate. They would call Myriad Shadows everything under the sun for the lie, but in the end, they would still have to toil their lives away for him.

    It was always easier to board a pirate ship than to leave it.

    It was impressive that the Way of Taiping managed to create something that could suppress the Burning Heart for such a whole month though.

    Ye Qing swallowed the pill just like the others, but he wrapped it within ayer of true qi and hid it inside his abdomen. He had been pretending to be infected by the Burning Heart this whole time, and his disguise was more or less perfect since the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± fed on negative emotions. His demonic thought was already imbued with all kinds of negative emotions, so it took him little effort to fake the symptoms.

    The end was close now. He just needed to keep his act together until then.

    The reason Ye Qing did not simply swallow the pill was because he had no idea if the antidote was tampered with. Although it seemed redundant for Myriad Shadows to poison his victims a second time when they were already afflicted with an incurable poison, he would rather be safe than sorry.

    Suddenly, Myriad Shadows turned to Joy Bodhisattva and asked, ¡°Oh right, who was the one who tracked me that night? I didn¡¯t think it was possible for someone to hide themselves from my senses.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This was the part he had been dreading the most. After all, Joy Bodhisattva was now a subordinate of Myriad Shadows and a member of the Way of Taiping. If she chose to betray him to further increase her profits, now would be the time to do it.

    He didn¡¯t know Myriad Shadows nearly long enough to figure out his personality. It was entirely possible for the Sakyamuni to be a petty little shit who would punish someone over the slightest slights. Although that didn¡¯t seem to be the case¡ªhe did forgive Joy Bodhisattva after all¡ªhe was <i>the </i>reason the Sakyamuni nearly lost everything and got tricked by Joy Bodhisattva.

    Myriad Shadows might not be able to kill Joy Bodhisattva because she was the key to his ns, but no harm was done if he killed him.

    Even if Myriad Shadows was magnanimous enough to leave him alone, he would definitely fall under heavy scrutiny. If his true identity was exposed, then the Way of Taiping would hunt him down like a dog anyway. After all, he had ruined their grand ns before.

    That was why Ye Qing¡¯s heart leaped to his throat as soon as he heard the Sakyamuni¡¯s words. If he knew that the Way of Taiping and Myriad Shadows were behind Xiong Kuohai, he would never have gotten involved in this mess.

    Now, he could only pray that Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s sense of honor was mostly intact.

    ¡°It was an attendant of mine, Sakyamuni. Her name is Cai Le.¡± Joy Bodhisattva exined, ¡°Last night, I ordered her to inspect the Blissful Spring and ensure that everything is okay. On her way, she just happened to run into Xiong Kuohai.¡±

    ¡°Cai Le hailed from the Hidden Sect, and she is a descendant of the Night King. Not only that, she possessed the bloodline of the Phenomenon-ss Stranger, Night Owl. In my sect, no one is as good at concealing their presence as her. I believe that is how she managed to escape your senses.¡±

    ¡°The Night King, is it? You sure have a knack for picking up talent,¡± Myriad Shadows replied nomittally. ¡°Where is she right now? I would like to meet her.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva dropped to one knee. ¡°I beg your pardon, Sakyamuni, but Cai Le is a spy nted at my side by the Earthfire Pce of Demons. I executed her because I was afraid that she would reveal my secrets and ns to her true masters.¡±

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s a mighty coincidence, isn''t it?¡± Myriad Shadows mused.

 Chapter 577: Wind And Snow Overtakes Bei You

    <h4>Chapter 577: Wind And Snow Overtakes Bei You </h4>

    ¡°I would not dare to hide this from you, Sakyamuni.¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva bowed and said calmly, ¡°I trust in your acuity!¡±

    ¡°So, you guessed my n?¡± Again, Myriad Shadows did not give her a straight answer.

    ¡°I have. After I heard everything from Cai Le and experimented a little with the Blissful Spring, I more or less figured out that the poison is the Burning Heart. From that point onward, I realized what ns you have for my Buddhist Hall of Joy and nned ordingly,¡± Joy Bodhisattva answered.

    ¡°The Burning Heart is an ancient poison that few people know about. How did you know about it?¡± Myriad Shadows pressed.

    Joy Bodhisattva gave him a half-truth. ¡°I once heard it from my master, Sakyamuni. However, he only told me what it was and how to suppress it. He did not know how to cure it either.¡±

    She knew that the Burning Heart was incurable, of course. The reason she said this was to trick Myriad Shadows into thinking that her knowledge was cursory and believing that she wouldn¡¯t expose him.

    Besides that, half-truths were generally more convincing than whole truths or lies.

    Myriad Shadows nodded. ¡°I see. And who might your master be?¡±

    ¡°My master is Zen Master Miao Xiang,¡± Joy Bodhisattva answered.

    ¡°Miao Xiang? The one they call the ¡®No I, No Buddha¡¯, Zen Master Miao Xiang?!¡± Myriad Shadows eximed in surprise.

    ¡°You are correct, Sakyamuni,¡± Joy Bodhisattva answered.

    ¡°I had no idea that you are Miao Xiang¡¯s disciple. He and I met once back in the day, and that meeting had left an impression on me to this day. I heard that he was grievously injured during a debate of dao against the head of Little Western Paradise, Dao Fu[1]. Has he recovered?¡± Myriad Shadows asked.

    ¡°My master took a terrible blow to his mind after the debate and turned delirious. He died not long after that,¡± Joy Bodhisattva answered.

    ¡°That is a shame. I was hoping to talk about old times with him.¡± Myriad Shadows sighed. ¡°You have my condolences, Venerable One.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sakyamuni.¡± Joy Bodhisattva saluted him before changing the subject. ¡°I have offended you a lot by using your plot to my advantage, Sakyamuni. I hope you will forgive this audacious subordinate.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re one of us now, and there is no such thing as a grudge betweenrades. Please don¡¯t ever bring this up again.¡±

    Myriad Shadows smiled. ¡°Anyway, I shan¡¯t dy you any longer. Please handle this and make sure that everything will go wlessly.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Sakyamuni.¡± Joy Bodhisattva saluted him. ¡°On that note, can you please maintain the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner until I¡¯ve searched every nook and cranny of Blissful Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Myriad Shadows nodded.

    Joy Bodhisattva then turned back to the crowd and said, ¡°You will join me in eliminating the remnant forces of Sword King City, Earthfire Pce of Demons, Endless Sand and all others who would defy our holy sect. If they refuse to ept our terms of surrender, kill them.¡±

    ¡°After that, we will discuss what we¡¯re going to do in the future and prepare our statements ordingly. Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons will surely make a lot of inquiries into this, and you don¡¯t want them to find out what happened today, do you?¡±

    ......

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    Joy Bodhisattva did not so much as looked in Ye Qing¡¯s direction as she gave one instruction after another. Knowing that the danger had truly passed, Ye Qing finally rxedpletely.

    He was beyond d that Joy Bodhisattva had pinned all the me on two dead people instead of exposing him. Otherwise, he would be in serious trouble.

    It did not matter if the Sakyamuni believed her or not. As far as he knew, anyone who could tell him the truth was dead. Even if he suspected something, he most likely wouldn¡¯t bring it up in public. Therefore, he no longer had to worry about anything.

    And so the group began turning Blissful Mountain upside down and hunting down the stragglers. Those who submitted to the Way of Taiping were allowed to live, and those who did not were killed without question. After that, they discussed how best to deal with Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons¡¯ inquiries, practiced certain details and so on. It wasn¡¯t until the n was perfect that Myriad Shadows finally dispelled the Taiping Heaven Sealing Banner.

    Not long after that, the news came tumbling down Blissful Mountain like a snowball and spread to every corner of Bei You¡ªno, Northern Xinjiang itself. They said that the ambitious, rapacious Xiong Kuohai had colluded with Gold Ingot, Wei Changhe and more to poison every guest participating in the Trueman feast and instigate them into killing each other. His goal was to kill most of the major yers and conquer Bei You in one fell swoop.

    Ji Donglei, Sword Executor Elder of Sword King City and Huo Ruyu, Vermillion Bird Envoy of Earthfire Pce of Demons refused to submit and fought Xiong Kuohai to the death. Joy Bodhisattva herself had one foot in the grave, and the Buddhist Hall of Joy suffered an unimaginable amount of damage and casualties as a result of this conspiracy. Most of the guests were seriously injured or killed, and enough blood was shed to form multiple rivers.

    It was like a volcano had erupted after the news had spread. All kinds of emotions such as shock, puzzlement, anger, schadenfreude, restlessness and more bubbled within the pot that was the <i>jianghu </i>of Northern Xinjiang.

    Just one nightter, the number of <i>jianghu </i>warriors gathered around Blissful Mountain had increased by more than tenfold. Some of them came to partake in the ¡°festivities¡±, some believed this to be an opportunity to make a profit, some came to find out more about the incident, and more.

    Of course, Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons also dispatched their representatives post-haste to investigate the truth. They arrived at Blissful Mountain first thing in the morning.

    Sword King City had dispatched their vice head, the fifty-ninth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, Ding Chong. They called him the ¡°Clumsy Sword¡±.

    Earthfire Pce of Demons dispatched their Azure Dragon Envoy, Yang Tianming. He was ranked seventy-third on the Earth Champions Ranking, and they called him ¡°The Palm That Unleashes The Azure Dragon¡±.

    The fact that both Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons dispatched an Earth Champions Ranking warrior to handle this showed just how seriously they treated this matter. Upon arriving at the Buddhist Hall of Joy, they interrogated the witnesses and obtained more or less the same answer.

    Huo Ruyu fought valiantly against Xiong Kuohai, but the poison ultimately overcame her and burned to death. Desperate, Ji Donglei detonated his primordial spirit and took Xiong Kuohai down with him.

    All evidence be it the Burning Heart afflicting the witnesses or the traces of Ji Donglei¡¯s suicide attack suggested they were telling the truth. Given no reason whatsoever to think otherwise, Ding Chong and Yang Tianming quickly believed their story.

    Overflowing with righteous wrath, Ding Chong and Yang Tianming took off to Endless Sand immediately to enact bloody vengeance. Ding Chong had cut Endless Sand¡¯s Endless City open in one sh, and Yang Tianming had fired an Azure Dragon from his palm that erased the city from the surface of the earth. Tens of thousands of Endless Sand disciples and even more innocents were killed.

    Not done yet, Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons set up a bounty to hunt down all Endless Sand members and supporters within five thousand kilometers of their sect. Those foolish enough to hide them would be killed as well.

    In just a matter of days, dozens of sects and ns scattered across Northern Xinjiang were razed to the ground. The Tower of Cornucopia, Nether Vi, Wind and Snow Sword Sect, Vile Dragon Vi and more were annihted as well.

    Of course, only Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons knew if these sects, ns, gangs and more were really hiding the remnants of Endless Sand, or if they were simply seizing the opportunity to take out theirpetitors.

    In any case, no one was stupid or brave enough to specte about it.

    Besides that, the Buddhist Hall of Joy and other factions and warriors who suffered greatly in Xiong Kuohai¡¯s hands also began operating en masse within the borders of Bei You. For a time, nearly every faction in Bei You and even Northern Xinjiang feared for their lives. They were all shocked by Ding Chong and Yang Tianming¡¯s strength, angered by Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons¡¯ audacity, and afraid that they might suffer the same fate as Endless Sand.

    When the quakes finally subsided, and some of the factions in Bei You finally dared to poke their heads into the former territories of Endless Sand and Tower of Cornucopia in hopes of iming it for themselves, they discovered that everything was already gone. Not even a single drop of profit was left behind for them.

    They had no choice but to leave it as it was.

    This was easily one of the biggest happenings in Bei You in years, but as usual, nothing in the world could stand the test of time. As December and a frigid winter overtook Northern Xinjiang, the bloodshed caused by Xiong Kuohai and Endless Sand was slowly forgotten. The people slowly but surely turned their attention to the new factions that had reced the old powers. After all, the new always reced the old.

    Speaking of which, some of the new powers that reced Endless Sand, Tower of Cornucopia and more turned out to be rising stars. Not only did theye into their power quickly, they even reached the heights of Tower of Cornucopia and Shade of Scents back then in just a short time. For a time, no one could stop talking about them.

    The same could not be said for the biggest victim of the incident, the Buddhist Hall of Joy. Maybe it was because Joy Bodhisattva was grievously injured, or maybe it was because they lost too many people, but they kept an extremely low profile and closed their doors to everyone. Eventually, they faded out of everyone¡¯s notice.

    To an outsider, it seemed like nothing had changed with Bei You. It was just as free, chaotic, flourishing and noisy as ever.

    But for those in the know, they knew that that opinion could not be anymore wrong.

    After all, Bei You now had a master.

    Her name, was Joy Bodhisattva.

    1. If you guys remember, this is the mysterious monk Taoist who rescued Mara Buddha right before he was about to be smited by his tribtion. ?

 Chapter 578: Skin Painting Gentleman, Tiger Sovereign, Limp Celestial

    <h4>Chapter 578: Skin Painting Gentleman, Tiger Sovereign, Limp Celestial </h4>

    ¡°Enter the Peach Blossom Mountain to find the Peach Blossom Nunnery,

    Enter the Peach Blossom Nunnery to find the Peach Blossom Celestials.

    The peach blossom trees nted by the Peach Blossom Celestials fill the world with hope.¡±

    ¡°That is what they said, but¡ª<i>cough! Cough!</i>¡ªwhat the hell is this? How did every peach blossom in Peach Blossom Mountain wither in a single night?!¡±

    At the foot of Peach Blossom Mountain, a handsome young man dressed in white was staring at the withered peach blossom flowers with a disappointed look on his face.

    It looked like he had a frail body because his face was so white it resembled chalk, and he was sitting inside a soft litter. He was also covering his mouth with a silk handkerchief and coughing lightly into it. Surrounding the litter were four exceedingly beautiful female attendants.

    ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re coughing your lungs out, Skin Painting Gentleman. Rather than weeping over the course of nature, shouldn¡¯t you focus on surviving this winter first?¡±

    As soon as he finished, a silhouette descended from the sky and hit the ground so hard that a giant footprint was left on the ground.

    It was an old man with disheveled white hair. He probably had ame right foot since he was using a walking stick and keeping his right foot suspended in the air.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!... Unlike you, old man, I¡¯m still very young. I may die sooner than expected, but there is no way you¡¯re going to outlive me.¡± Skin Painting Gentleman coughed again before continuing, ¡°Speaking of which, what are you doing here when you can be resting in your home? I can tell that your right leg would have really appreciated the rest.¡±

    Before Limp Celestial could respond, a tiger¡¯s roar resounded throughout the forest. Then, a massive, ferocious-looking tiger rode the wind and snow and galloped straight toward the duo.

    The roar had begun from far, far away, but by the time it faded into nothing, the tiger was less than five meters away from the duo. Another loud roarter, it transformed into a huge man wearing a tiger¡¯s skin.

    The man was tall, big, and muscr. Thin yellow hair covered his arms, legs and face like that of a tiger¡¯s fur. The hair on his forehead was white, however. It was also shaped like a Íõ symbol, meaning ¡°King¡±[1].

    ¡°You guys are early today, sick boy,me geezer!¡± the brawny man teased Skin Painting Gentleman and Limp Celestial while cracking his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite early yourself!¡± Skin Painting Gentleman chuckled.

    ¡°Well, he does have four legs. Of course he¡¯s going to be faster than us,¡± Limp Celestial said sarcastically.

    ¡°Hehe! Say whatever you want, but I¡¯d rather have four legs than just one like you.¡± Tiger Sovereign looked Limp Celestial up and down a couple of times before frowning. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say this, old man, but you look like you have one foot in the grave. Considering that you only have one foot, that¡¯s pretty bad, eh? You sure you want to risk slipping on your foot and burying yourself in a snowy ravine?¡±

    ¡°And you, sick boy. It¡¯s pretty cold right now, and you¡¯re weaker than even a woman. Are you sure you won¡¯t die of coughing before we even make it to our destination?¡±

    ¡°No need to worry about me, Tiger Sovereign.¡± Skin Painting Gentleman replied smilingly. ¡°Smart people naturally have a weak body. I¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡±

    Tiger Sovereign did not miss the subtle jab at his intelligence and harrumphed. ¡°Bullshit! You¡¯re weak because you¡¯vemitted too many sins! Your negative karma is catching up to you!¡±

    Suddenly, a strange shockwave rippled out from the peak of Blissful Mountain. Then, the image of a ck lotus appeared in the sky.

    The ck lotus was massive and semi-transparent. Three of its petals were swaying lightly and giving offyers uponyers of magnificent, phantasmal light.

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡±

    The trio immediately dropped their banter and stared at the ck lotus intently.

    ¡°Did anyone of you figure out anything?¡± Tiger Sovereign asked while wearing a severe expression on his face. They were about nine kilometers away from the ck lotus, and still the image of the ck lotus managed to terrify him in an inexplicable way.

    But at the same time, the ck lotus represented an opportunity. The opportunity of a lifetime.

    ¡°Not at all. But it can¡¯t be normal.¡± Skin Painting Gentleman replied with an evil smile on his face.

    ¡°It has to be some sort of natural treasure,¡± Limp Celestial dered. ¡°It¡¯s mine. The two of you better not try to take it from me.¡±

    ¡°What did I say earlier, limp geezer? Just pass onto the afterlife and leave this natural treasure to us youngsters already!¡± Tiger Sovereign scoffed.

    ¡°Those who are virtuous will be rewarded by the heavens,¡± Skin Painting Gentleman said indifferently.

    Limp Celestial hmphed. ¡°I won¡¯t bear any responsibility for whates next!¡±

    ¡°Bring it on! Like we¡¯re afraid of you!¡± Tiger Sovereign scoffed harder.

    It was at this moment the image of the ck lotus slowly disappeared. At the same time, ck clouds rolled in from every direction and hovered above the peak of Peach Blossom Mountain. They looked heavy and suffocating enough to crush the entire mountain into bits.

    ¡°So? Do we enter the mountain now, or...?¡± Skin Painting Gentleman asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re already here. Of course we¡¯re going in. You¡¯re not scared, are you?¡± Tiger Sovereign taunted.

    Skin Painting Gentleman responded seriously, ¡°I never said that, but I do believe that some caution is warranted. Remember that a lot of people had entered the mountain ahead of us, but not a single one managed to make it out.¡±

    The reason the trio hade here was for the mysterious treasure that had suddenly appeared at Peach Blossom Mountain about five to six days ago. Peach Blossom Mountain was a famous mountain in Bei You because it was warm as spring and filled with blooming peach blossoms no matter the season. Such was its fragrance that one could smell even from five kilometers away. That was why it was named Peach Blossom Mountain.

    Despite its beauty, few people dared to set foot in Peach Blossom Mountain. It was because every single peach blossom in Peach Blossom Mountain was a type of Hatred-ss Stranger called the Human-faced Peach Blossom[2]. They earned their name because their flowers were shaped like a human¡¯s face, and their fragrance contained an exotic poison that could bewitch the mind.

    If a weak-willed person caught a whiff of its scent, they would fall into a semi-conscious state and be drawn into the forest of Human-faced Peach Blossom. They would be devoured and turned into fertilizer.

    This was why not a single human soul resided within five kilometers of Peach Blossom Mountain despite its supernatural beauty. Depending on how you looked at it, you might even call it a wastnd, just one that was created from peach blossoms.

    About five to six days ago, something happened to Peach Blossom Mountain. First, the weather had suddenly taken a drastic turn for the worse, and ck clouds loomed over the mountain like the grim reaper himself. Then, its eternal peach blossoms had, for whatever reason, withered in a single night. A few dayster, the image of a ck lotus began appearing on the peak of Peach Blossom Mountain and triggering all sorts of unusual phenomena.

    A lot of people believed that a natural treasure or something incredible had appeared on Peach Blossom Mountain. Even more <i>jianghu </i>warriors wanted to im it for themselves. That was why dozens of people had already sumbed to the temptation and ventured into Peach Blossom Mountain in search of fame and fortune.

    Not a single person came back out, however. No one even knew if they were alive or dead. It was unusual to put it mildly.

    Tiger Sovereign waved off his concerns, however. ¡°Heh! Are you seriously putting us on the same pedestal as those small fries? If not, then what on earth are you worried about?¡±

    To be fair, he was right. All three of them were famous warriors not just in Bei You, but also the entire Northern Xinjiang. Sure, it was a reputation of the worst kind, but hey, it was still reputation, right?

    The Skin Painting Gentleman was a middle-stage Spirit Master who cultivated a martial art called the ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡±, and it was one hundred percent a demonic art. In essence, it was a martial art that stripped its victims of their skin and transformed them into puppets.

    Take the Skin Painting Gentleman speaking to them for example. He looked real, but it was entirely possible that he was just one of the Spirit Master¡¯s puppets. No one except Skin Painting Gentleman himself knew where his true body was, and that advantage alone made him a most dangerous opponent.

    The Limp Celestial was ate-stage Spirit Master and a former member of the Cripple Sect. The Cripple Sect only epted cripples into their midst, which was why all Cripple Sect disciples were cripples.

    For example, Limp Celestial was born with a limp right leg. After he joined the Cripple Sect, he was taught the Cripple¡¯s Leg, which allowed him to transform his biggest weakness into his greatest strength. Today, his right leg was impervious to most weapons and capable of exerting an unbelievable amount of strength. Over time, he came to be known as the Limp Celestial.

    Tiger Sovereign was a middle-stage Spirit Master. Born with the blood of the Phenomenon-ss Stranger, the Hanging White-fronted Tiger and raised to adulthood by an actual tiger, his main cultivation art was called the ¡°Tiger King Art¡±. Vicious and brutal, it gave him unparalleled strength and a fondness for raw meat. Human flesh especially.

    Tiger Sovereign spent most of his time living in Tiger King Mountain and protecting the surrounding viges from bandits and Strangers. But in exchange, the viges must give him a boy and a girl every year to satisfy his hunger.

    As someone who had lived on a mountain for most of his life, Tiger Sovereign didn¡¯t think much of Peach Blossom Mountain at all.

    1. I would¡¯ve just tranted it as King, but I don¡¯t think anyone thinks that someone with the actual word ¡°King¡± on their forehead looks cool. A symbol though, now that¡¯s different. ?

    2. Not to be confused with the Human-faced Peach Blossom Ghost, but most likely rted in some ways. ?

 Chapter 579: Art of Skin Painting

    <h4>Chapter 579: Art of Skin Painting </h4>

    ¡°I personally agree with Skin Painting Gentleman. There is no harm in being cautious.¡±

    Limp Celestial hummed for a moment before adding, ¡°It is said that Night Cat entered Peach Blossom Mountain two days ago. He hasn¡¯t been seen since.¡±

    ¡°Night Cat? Are you sure about this, limp geezer?¡± Tiger Sovereign eximed in surprise.

    Night Cat was no ordinary warrior. An infamous thief in Northern Xinjiang, he was most proficient in sneaking into houses, lock-picking, thieving and robbing. He also boasted an outstanding movement art and a wide repertoire of survival tools. Due to the numerous crimes hemitted in Northern Xinjiang, he was hunted by both orthodox and unorthodox warriors. However, he remained atrge to this day. His character notwithstanding, it was clear that he was no one to be trifled with.

    ¡°It¡¯s something I heard on the streets. I have no idea if it¡¯s real or not,¡± Limp Celestial said.

    Tiger Sovereign made his doubt in. ¡°Then it¡¯s probably just a rumor. Night Cat is one of the most slippery bastards I know. They even call him ¡®Nine Lives¡¯ because of his skills. There is no way he could die at such a ce.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of the authenticity of the rumor, it¡¯s always better to be safe than sorry, my friend!¡± Skin Painting Gentleman chimed in.

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Tiger Sovereign asked impatiently.

    Skin Painting Gentleman thought for a moment before answering, ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s ascend the mountain together. The three of usbined should be enough to handle any danger.¡±

    ¡°How will we split the treasure then?¡± A glint appeared in Tiger Sovereign¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Assuming there is a treasure, then we can split it evenly among us. If not, then any further discussion is wholly pointless,¡± Skin Painting Gentleman said. ¡°Let¡¯s not count our chickens before they hatch, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s work together.¡± Limp Celestial nodded after a moment of consideration.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with this arrangement either,¡± Tiger Sovereign also said.

    ¡°Good. Let us enter the mountain then.¡±

    Skin Painting Gentleman smiled, and his four female attendants lifted the soft litter and walked toward Peach Blossom Mountain.

    Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign exchanged a nce with each other before following behind him.

    Peach Blossom Mountain looked exactly the same on the inside as it did from the outside. It was death and decay wherever they looked. When the Human-faced Peach Blossoms were blooming, their fragrance could be smelled from far, far away. Now, there was only the rotten stench of decay.

    This was good news, of course. The dead Human-faced Peach Blossoms could not pose a threat against them. Still, the trio did not let down their guard and proceeded cautiously.

    Suddenly, Skin Painting Gentleman pointed in a certain direction and dered, ¡°There¡¯s someone over there!¡±

    Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign looked. They immediately saw six <i>jianghu </i>warriors lying on the ground ahead of them. They were all dead.

    Limp Celestial disappeared and reappeared in front of the corpses. A quick examinationter, he dered, ¡°It... looks like they fought each other to the death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain that is the case. You can tell just from the battle traces and their wounds,¡± Skin Painting Gentleman echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem out of the ordinary. Everyone wants the treasure for themselves after all!¡± Tiger Sovereign shrugged and walked up to a dead woman. He then cut her chest open and ripped a bright red heart out of her chest cavity.

    Limp Celestial frowned. ¡°What are you doing, Tiger Sovereign?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m grabbing a snack, duh!¡± Tiger Sovereign licked the blood dripping out of the heart with an intoxicated expression. ¡°It¡¯s still fresh. It should taste pretty good.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re already dead. Must you desecrate their bodies as well?¡± Limp Celestial argued.

    ¡°Exactly! They¡¯re already dead, and they¡¯re going to waste away eventually. In that case, I might as well recycle some of their body parts!¡± Tiger Sovereign said before consuming the heart greedily. As he chewed, crimson blood streamed down the corners of his mouth and the gaps between his teeth. He looked terrifying to put it mildly.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know. They¡¯re already dead, so they wouldn¡¯t care if we make good use of their shell!¡± Skin Painting Gentleman agreed with Tiger Sovereign¡¯s logic.

    Limp Celestial raised an eyebrow. ¡°And what are <i>you </i>nning to do?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Tiger Sovereign? I¡¯m going to recycle some of their body parts, of course!¡±

    Skin Painting Gentleman chuckled as he lifted a slender finger from his sleeves. Countless invisible strings immediately flew out of his fingertip and sank into the corpses. As he twisted his wrist round and round, the corpses¡¯ skins were stripped right off their flesh. Then, they slowly stood up as if they had a mind of their own.

    After that, Skin Painting Gentleman waved his hand again and manipted the strings to sew up the rips and tears on the skin. When the restoration process wasplete, the skins looked almost exactly like a living person save for their stiff expression, movement, and near invisible tears on certain parts of the skin.

    If Skin Painting Gentleman had enough time, he could¡¯ve made it so that the skins looked exactly like a living human being. As it was, he had had to cut corners to create his skin puppets post-haste.

    The ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡± was aplex and intricate process. First, the practitioner must choose a suitable human skin. Any human skin was fine, but a living person¡¯s skin made for the best material. It was because a living person¡¯s skin was flexible, supple, and full of vitality. Besides that, the stronger the victim¡¯s cultivation, the better the quality of their skin.

    Next, the skin must be stripped perfectly. If there was even the slightest w in the skin, then the final quality of the skin puppet would be impacted.

    The third step of the process was sewing. Again, it must be done perfectly.

    The fourth step was the name of the martial art, skin painting. Both the living and the dead had their unique appearance, and skin painting was the art of transforming a dead person¡¯s appearance into the living using the technique as the ink, and the spirit and intent as the brush.

    The fifth and final step was imbuing the mind. The practitioner would detach a portion of their soul and inject it into the skin. This would transform it into a true puppet that was, on the surface, no different from a person.

    The ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡± was normally a long, difficult andplicated process, but Skin Painting Gentleman wasn¡¯t trying to create perfect puppets out of these bodies. He just wanted to create a couple of fodders to scout the road ahead. Hence, he could afford to cut corners.

    Tiger Sovereign clicked his tongue enviously. ¡°Tsk tsk, your ¡®Art of Skin Painting¡¯ sure is convenient, sick boy. As long as you have the materials, you can fashion a bunch of puppets for your own use anytime, anywhere.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a heretical art. It does not deserve your praise,¡± said Skin Painting Gentleman humbly beforemanding the six puppets to walk up the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s continue on our way, shall we?¡±

    The trio fell behind the puppets and continued their ascent up the mountain. Not long after, they encountered another two bodies.

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s the Bandit and the Whore!¡± Limp Celestial recognized their faces and eximed in surprise.

    The Bandit and the Whore were a pair of somewhat famous viins in Northern Xinjiang. They were both Half-Step Spirit Masters. The man was a barefoot bandit who killed people, robbed caravans, plundered viges and more to enrich himself. The woman was a prostitute who especially enjoyed killing their customers in the middle of sex and robbing them afterward. Later, they were known together as the Bandit and the Whore.

    ¡°Do you know how they died?¡± Tiger Sovereign asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see any clear marks on their body, but judging from their terrified expression...¡± Limp Celestial said slowly after inspecting the bodies, ¡°I believe they were scared to death.¡±

    ¡°Scared to death?¡± Skin Painting Gentleman coughed twice before voicing his puzzlement. ¡°The Bandit and the Whore aren¡¯t exactly weaklings. What on earth could scare them to death?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Limp Celestial shook his head.

    After a brief discussion that led to nowhere, the trio abandoned their investigation and resumed their journey.

    The Bandit and the Whore wouldn¡¯t be thest bodies they found. Not even close. The higher they climbed, the bigger the number of bodies they found. The manner of death grew increasingly varied as well.

    Some warriors had died killing each other, some had died out of sheer fright, some had gone crazy and killed themselves, some had died with augh permanently frozen on their face, and some had died out of sadness of all things.

    Perhaps the most worrying discovery of them all was that some of the deceased were pretty powerful warriors. The trio recognized this and grew increasingly wary over time.

    It was at this moment Peach Blossom Mountain shook once, and the ck lotus appeared in the sky once more, radiating dreamy, phantasmal light in every direction.

    Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign subconsciously looked up, and their eyes lost their focus just like that.

    No one moved a single muscle.

 Chapter 580: Strange Actions

    <h4>Chapter 580: Strange Actions </h4>

    ¡°Why did you abandon me? Why?¡±

    A momentter, Tiger Sovereign¡¯s eyes suddenly turned bloodshot, and a furious snarl contorted his expression. He roared at the air in front of him again and again, ¡°I¡¯m going to rip you both into pieces! Ahhhhhhhh!¡±

    The next moment, Tiger Sovereign let out a howl of fury and thrust his hands into a withered tree in front of him. His arms easily prated the tree trunk like it was paper.

    The way he was acting, you would think that he wasn¡¯t attacking a tree, but his sworn enemy.

    Tiger Sovereign wasn¡¯t done, however. He strained his muscles and tore the tree in half. Then, he swiped his hands through the air repeatedly and hacked the tree trunk into itsy bitsy pieces.

    As he ripped and tore at the pieces of wood, he roared on top of his lungs, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll tear you apart! It¡¯s your fault for abandoning me! You deserve this for throwing me away! Hahahahaha!¡±

    After there was nothing left of the tree, Tiger Sovereign looked up at the sky andughed like a madman. However, hisughter gradually turned into a sob, and he hugged his head and crouched on the floor, weeping.

    He looked like an animal who had been abandoned by his parents, lonely, helpless, and in despair.

    Despite Tiger Sovereign¡¯s abnormal behavior, neither Skin Painting Gentleman nor Limp Celestial were paying him any attention. They were still staring at the ck lotus nkly.

    The situation didn¡¯tst. Skin Painting Gentleman began trembling, and his already paleplexion turned so pale that he looked no different from a white paper.

    ¡°Don¡¯t... Don¡¯te closer! I¡¯m not afraid of you all!¡±

    A terrified scream escaped his lips, and his skin puppets abruptly scattered in every direction. They tore down every tree, nt and rock in his vicinity. However, a few breathster, the skin puppets suddenly pulled apart almost as if an invisible hand had shredded them into pieces.

    ¡°No... don¡¯te closer! I didn¡¯t want to kill you either... If you must demand retribution, then I¡¯ll give you back your skin!¡±

    At the same time, Skin Painting Gentleman let out another terrified scream and scrambled toward the distance on all fours. Right now, he looked like a cornered animal far more than a refined gentleman.

    As he ran, Skin Painting Gentleman ripped and tore away at his own face. Every time he pulled, a piece of human skin would slide down his person almost like they were clothes. He then threw it behind him as if it was an offering to an angry spirit.

    The skin he ripped off his person and tore away writhed for a moment as if it was alive. Then, it began chasing after Skin Painting Gentleman.

    It was a bizarre sight to say the least.

    As for Limp Celestial, he was sitting crosslegged on the ground and staring at the empty space in front of him with bright eyes and a wide smile.

    The next moment, he grabbed a rotten Human-faced Peach Blossom from the ground and shoved it into his mouth. A look of satisfaction spread across his face as he chewed slowly.

    Limp Celestial was just beginning, however. After he was done chewing the Human-faced Peach Blossom, he picked up a dead branch from the ground and began ripping into it as if it wasn¡¯t a branch, but a drumstick. He would continue to consume the dead branches, leaves, soil, stones and more as if they were the most delicious food in the entire world. Despite the rming rate at which his stomach was inting, he did not slow down in the slightest.

    <i>Tok tok tok!</i>

    A dozen or so breathster, a crisp tapping sound suddenly came from somewhere within the forest. It was rapid and rhythmic like it contained some sort of magic.

    Almost as soon as the sound appeared, the weeping Tiger Sovereign, the running Skin Painting Gentleman, and the feeding Limp Celestial stopped doing what they were doing at the exact same time. Then, light reentered their unfocused eyes, and they looked left and right as if trying to rediscover their bearings. When they recalled what they were doing just now, their expressions immediately turned as ugly as sin.

    Skin Painting Gentleman waved his hand and halted the pouncing skin puppets dead in their tracks. Then, they flew back to his person like clothes.

    Limp Celestial was digging his fingers into his mouth and throwing up the dead branches, leaves, soil and stones he consumed as best he could. Tears and snot streamed down his face as hisplexion turned a shade of purple.

    Tiger Sovereign wiped his tears without batting an eyelid before observing his surroundings warily. Then, he barked harshly, ¡°Who are you? Show yourself!¡±

    Azy, uncaring voice came from deeper within the forest. ¡°Wow. I saved your lives, and you couldn¡¯t even be bothered to thank me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat myself a third time. Show yourself, or suffer the consequences!¡± Tiger Sovereign grunted with impatience.

    Skin Painting Gentleman and Limp Celestial were staring coldly at the origin of the voice as well.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Man, it¡¯s so hard to be a good person these days.¡±

    A young man slowly stepped out from behind a peach blossom tree. He was pretty almost to the point where he looked more like a woman than a man. He was also wearing a pink robe and a peach blossom flower on his head; his attire made him look even more feminine and attractive.

    If it wasn¡¯t for his masculine voice and the obvious bulge rolling up and down his throat, anyone would think that he was a woman, not a man.

    A wooden fish was floating next to the man, and seated above the wooden fish was a cute little girl. She was hugging a hammer slightly bigger than her with both hands and sticking out her tongue, panting.

    Clearly, the tapping noise hade from this wooden fish.

    ¡°Who are you... scion[1]?¡±

    Skin Painting Gentleman frowned a little. He thought that the speaker was hiding far, far away in the forest, when in reality they were right under their nose. He could not believe that he hadn¡¯t sense him until he revealed himself.

    More importantly, he could not sense his strength. He didn¡¯t recognize him either.

    ¡°My name is Xie Taohua (Withering Peach Blossom). I was passing through the area when I noticed the oddities of this mountain. So, I decided to check it out.¡±

    Xie Taohua blinked coyly at the trio, his peach blossom eyes looking moist and attractive. ¡°It was then I saw himughing and weeping,¡± he pointed at Tiger Sovereign, ¡°You running away like your life depends on it,¡± he pointed at Skin Painting Gentleman, ¡°And him eating stones and branches for some reason.¡± he pointed at Limp Celestial at the end. ¡°So, I came.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t look like any of you was going to regain your senses, so I decided to intervene. No need to thank me. I love helping those in need, you see.¡±

    Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign exchanged a nce with each other. Their wariness of Xie Taohua was only growing by the second.

    As if he could read their minds, Xie Taohua saidzily, ¡°Rx. If I really wanted to kill you, I would¡¯ve done so while you were still trapped in an illusion, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha... Thank you for your help, Brother Xie.¡± Skin Painting Gentleman saluted him.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Xie Taohua shook his head. Then, he licked his lips and asked curiously, ¡°But if you really want to thank me, why don¡¯t you answer my question? I really want to know what the three of you saw in your illusions.¡±

    ¡°The big guy over there wept like a baby even though he¡¯s a walking b of muscles. You ran all over the ce like you¡¯re being chased by ghosts. As for him, boy, I¡¯m really curious as to why he¡¯s chowing down those rotten leaves, stones and branches like it¡¯s the most delicious food in the world. Are they really that tasty?¡±

    ¡°Are you making fun of us, boy?¡± Tiger Sovereign spoke up with an unfriendly glint in his eyes. A displeased frown shed through Skin Painting Gentleman and Limp Celestial¡¯s faces as well. None of them were happy with what happened to them just now.

    The illusion they saw wasn''t just any ordinary illusion. It was also a reflection of their deepest secrets.

    Tiger Sovereign was an orphan who was abandoned by his parents at a young age. He only survived to adulthood because he was raised by a tiger. It was why he was overflowing with loathing toward his parents.

    His parents had appeared in his illusion. That was why he lost his mind and tore them to pieces.

    1. I deeply, deeply, DEEPLY regret my decision to not use sir in this novel because it felt culturally inappropriate. Truly, it is easily the mistake I regret the most since starting this novel. ?

 Chapter 581: Heart Demon Births Hundred Illusions

    Skin Painting Gentleman was a former schr who, after failing the imperial examination again and again and losing all hope, chose tomit suicide by jumping off a cliff. However, as the gods of web novels willed it, he somehow survived and even obtained a martial arts manual for his troubles. It was none other than the ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡±.

    Skin Painting Gentleman first practiced the ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡± on tramps and beggars. He was forced to watch his victims struggling and screaming in pain as their skin was stripped away little by little.

    He was just an inexperienced schr at the time, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was as timid as a mouse. As a result, his nights were haunted by nightmares of his victims seeking to repay what he did to him and skin alive.

    Even now after he had mastered the ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡± in full, the nightmares still haunted him from time to time. It was practically his heart demon at this point.

    Just now, he saw his victimsing back to life and demanding that he repaid his evil karma by surrendering his life and his skin. That was why he was as terrified and panicked as he was.

    As for the Limp Celestial, he was a victim of a natural disaster that resulted in tens of thousands of civilians dying of starvation. He had been this close from starving to death himself. That was why he was obsessed with food from a young age, and why delicious food was the love of his life.

    In his illusion, he was treated to an endless sea of delicious food of all kinds. They were perfect in every way including appearance, smell, taste and more. Once he ate his first ¡°food¡±, he was unable to stop no matter what.

    What they experienced in the illusions were some of their darkest secrets, fears and desires. Of course they couldn¡¯t tell Xie Taohua about it.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I was just curious. If you don¡¯t wish to talk about it, then so it shall be,¡± Xie Taohua said a little disappointedly. ¡°I can tell I am not weed, so I¡¯ll be taking my leave now. Try not to sumb to the illusions again, okay?¡±¡°You misunderstand, Brother Xie. Rest assured that we have nothing against you,¡± Skin Painting Gentleman hurriedly exined before asking, ¡°Do you know something about the illusion, brother?¡±

    Xie Taohua shook his head. ¡°Not at all! I only know from observation that it changes depending on the person¡¯s perception, emotion and mental weakness. If you¡¯re not careful, then you may never awake again. I can tell that all three of you have chinks in your mental defenses, so you should leave this mountain while you still can.¡±

    Xie Taohua got ready to leave after saying that.

    ¡°Thank you, Brother Xie, but we¡¯ve alreadye this far. We must catch a glimpse of that treasure if nothing else,¡± Skin Painting Gentleman replied.

    The fact that the phenomenon was so dangerous proved that whatever treasure resided at the peak of the mountain was incredibly potent. Opportunities like this one came only once in a lifetime, so they would be remiss to give up without having given it their all.

    ¡°It¡¯s just my advice. It¡¯s not up to me whether you heed it or not,¡± Xie Taohua said uncaringly as he began to leave.

    ¡°Wait, Brother Xie!¡±

    Limp Celestial, Skin Painting Gentleman and Tiger Sovereign exchanged nces with each other before calling out to the feminine man. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re nning to ascend the mountain as well, and we now know just how strange and dangerous this ce is. If you don¡¯t mind, can we join you on your journey? Four heads are better than one, right?¡±

    ¡°Mypanions are right, Brother Xie. We can help each other out if the situation gets dicey,¡± Skin Painting Gentleman added.

    Xie Taohua tilted his head for a moment before nodding. ¡°Well, okay. I was feeling a bit bored anyway.¡±

    He smiled and walked back to the trio. Not a hint of wariness could be spotted from his features.

    Skin Painting Gentleman frowned a little. He couldn¡¯t quite figure out the feminine man despite his best efforts. Was he really as innocent and simple as he seemed, or was he so confident in his strength that he thought he could drop their guard around them?

    It was most likely thetter.

    That was fine though. In fact, it was precisely why he invited Xie Taohua to join them. Xie Taohua possessed the strength to resist the phenomenon¡¯s anomalous illusions. Naturally, their ascent would be that much smoother with his aid.

    As for whether Xie Taohua would fight them over the treasure after they reached the top, he wasn¡¯t too worried. There were three of them and only one of Xie Taohua. He refused to believe that he could defeat them all alone.

    If Xie Taohua really was so strong that he could defeat them all singlehandedly, then why would he agree to join him? It would be much better and convenient for him to ascend the mountain alone, wouldn¡¯t it?

    ¡°What are you waiting for? C¡¯mon!¡±

    Xie Taohua beckoned the trio to follow him before resuming his journey toward the peak.

    The higher they climbed, the more frequent the phenomenon became. Sometimes, a cool breeze would suddenly pick up and blow strongly. Sometimes, flowers of all shapes, colors and sizes would rain from the sky. Sometimes, the sky would roar with lightning and thunder. Sometimes, it would rain cats and dogs. Sometimes, divine music would y beside their ears. Sometimes, beautiful women would appear out of nowhere and flirt with them. So on and so forth.

    These were the general illusions everyone saw from time to time. The personal ones were far more insidious and indefensible. From time to time, they would fall into bizarre and illogical dreams that were tailored to pry at their biggest weaknesses.

    Skin Painting Gentleman had a fondness for power, so he dreamed of bing the emperor of all, wielding great power and bedding beautiful women all day and night.

    Limp Celestial loved wealth, so he dreamed of owning infinite wealth and enjoying all the luxuries the world had to offer.

    Tiger Sovereign worshiped strength, so he saw himself bing invincible under heaven and immortal like the very sky above his head. The world would remember him for tens of thousands of years.

    Xie Taohua feared old age, so he dreamed of bing so old that his youthful beauty was forever gone, his pearly white teeth werepletely absent, and all that was left of him was a fleshy pile of ugliness.

    The illusions weren¡¯t even the only dangers they had to face. The phenomenon asionally magnified their personality weaknesses without them noticing as well. Greed, bloodthirst, anger, sorrow, joy, loss of control, suspicion, doubt, fear, panic, worry and more; the phenomenon amplified all of them.

    Sometimes, they could not tell if the scenery in front of them was real or not. Sometimes, they could not tell if theirpanions were well-intentioned or malicious. Sometimes, they couldn¡¯t even tell if the emotions they were currently feeling were real or fake.

    More than once, they had nearly lost themselves in a terrible illusion, never to wake again. More than once, they had suspected and even fought each other over the stupidest things.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Xie Taohua and the Strange Artifact named the Wood Fish Girl, they would probably be dead a long, long time ago.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the phenomenon¡¯s power kept growing as they got closer and closer to the peak. It eventually got to the point where they were assaulted by illusions even when the phenomenon wasn¡¯t happening.

    The number of dead people kept growing as well, and a fair number of them were famous warriors of Bei You. There was the Night Cat they were discussing earlier, the Fat Fiend and the Thin Ghoul, Mo Bei Dhutanga [1], Six-fingered Evil Monk and more. Their manners of death were also extremely varied.

    Previously, they would have wondered how these powerful warriors had suffered such tragic deaths. But now, everyone knew that it was because of the anomalous power at the mountain peak. They had either killed each other because their personality weaknesses were magnified, or they had sumbed to an illusion and died, or they had suffered a mental breakdown andmitted suicide, and more.

    ¡°Phew¡­ We¡¯re finally here.¡±

    Thankfully, no one in their group was a weakling. Despite the scares, they ultimately managed to reach the peak without any casualties.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    As soon as they reached the peak, a gigantic ck lotus appeared before their eyes. It had nine petals overflowing with mysterious air of dao, and profound energy seemed to ripple through the air with every sway. At the same time, all kinds of beautiful and phantasmal illusions came to life.

    Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial, Tiger Sovereign and Xie Taohua all sumbed to fantastical light show in an instant. While wearing a dumb expression on their faces, they began to step toward the ck lotus.

    When the girl floating next to Xie Taohua saw that her master was in danger, she hurriedly raised her massive wooden hammer and brought it down on the wooden fish, hard.

    <em>Tok!</em>

    Xie Taohua trembled, and a hint of struggle shed across his face. However, he quickly sumbed to the phenomenon and stepped toward the ck lotus once more.

    <em>Tok! Tok! Tok! Tok¡­</em>

    Seeing this, the girl pouted and hit the wooden fish again and again. Over time, tiny cracks began to spread across the surface of the wooden fish.

    The girl looked like she might burst into tears. It was as if she could feel the growing cracks on the wooden fish. However, her efforts seemed futile as Xie Taohua and the others continued to move toward the ck lotus.

    1. Dhutanga is a group of austerities or ascetic practices taught in Buddhism. ?

 Chapter 582: Five Phase Tribulation

    ¡°Uwah!¡±

    In the end, the girl could not stand it any longer. She let out a cute cry, leaped up from her wooden fish, and smacked Xie Taohu''s head with her wood hammer.

    <em>Tok!</em>

    It was said that one should not judge a book by its cover, and the idiom fit the girl perfectly. What looked like a harmless blow actually caused Xie Taohua¡¯s feet to sink into the ground. This was just the beginning though. the girl would continue to hit his head like she was hammering a nail until he sank all the way up to his neck.

    <em>Tok tok tok tok tok tok tok...</em>

    ¡°Ow! <em>Ow! </em>Enough! I¡¯m awake! I¡¯m awake!¡±

    A few breathster, Xie Taohua suddenly cried out in pain and stretched his arms out of the ground, covering his head with one hand and catching the girl with the other. After that, he leaped out of the hole in a flurry of peach blossoms and flicked three of them toward Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    The three peach blossoms let out an eerie, human-likeughter, and three gorgeous women dressed in pink abruptly appeared behind the trio. However, their faces werepletely devoid of flesh like pink skeletons. They then hugged the trio and dyed them in pink bit by bit.The trio snapped out of their stupor and turned as white as a sheet. It was because they recalled what just happened, and because they saw what resided within the ck lotus.

    Right now, they were less than ten meters away from the ck lotus, so they were finally able to see it for what it was.

    They thought that a treasure would reside at the center of the ck lotus, but they were wrong. It was a man sitting in a meditative position. His eyes were tightly shut, and rainbow-colored spiritual light was gushing from the top of his skull. The ck lotus they saw was really an image manifested from his energies and spirit.

    The reason they failed to notice this sooner was one, they were too far away; two, the man¡¯s spirit and energies were so immense that their senses were unable to pierce through them until now; and three, the ck lotus was far too realistic and far more conspicuous than the man at the center.

    ¡°Is he¡­ creating a Yin God to be a Spirit Master?!¡± Skin Painting Gentleman blurted out instinctively after seeing this.

    ¡°The phenomenon of Peach Blossom Mountain isn¡¯t a treasure? It¡¯s just someone trying to ascend to the next stage?!¡±

    Limp Celestial looked dazed and disbelieving as well.

    ¡°There was no treasure from the beginning¡­ no treasure¡­ haha! Hahahaha!¡± Tiger Sovereign muttered to himself before bursting out inughter all of a sudden, face gradually contorting into a furious snarl over time.

    Skin Painting Gentleman and Limp Celestial looked off as well. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they looked like they might explode into violence at any moment.

    Seeing this, Xie Taohua removed the peach blossom branch on his head and twirled it in his hand. Pink flowers immediately flew out of the branch and trapped the trio in its pink embrace. At the same time, Xie Taohua began moving away from them.

    Fifty or so meterster, Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign finally broke free from the peach blossom pinning them down. Without hesitation, they pounced toward Xie Taohua.

    A steely glint shed in Xie Taohua¡¯s attractive peach blossom eyes as he swung the peach blossom branch at the trio like a whip. As they sailed through the air, peach blossoms bloomed and withered on their bodies in the blink of an eye.

    After the peach blossoms witheredpletely, the trio finally snapped back to reality. As if on cue, they all turned to stare at the distant ck lotus and mysterious man with pale faces.

    Still grabbing his peach blossom branch, Xie Taohua reminded, ¡°Protect your mind! Do not allow that man¡¯s power to influence you!¡±

    ¡°What on earth is that?¡± Limp Celestial swallowed audibly as he tried to slow down his racing heart.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Skin Painting Gentleman? The guy¡¯s creating his Yin God,¡± Xie Taohua answered.

    ¡°But¡­ h-how is it possible for someone¡¯s ascension to manifest such a terrifying phenomenon?¡± Limp Celestial stuttered. ¡°It¡¯s warping everyone¡¯s mind without even trying to!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What on earth is this spiritual power? I don¡¯t think anyone here as a greater spirit than that man,¡± Skin Painting Gentleman echoed in agreement.

    He was a middle-stage Spirit Master and a practitioner of the ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡±, a martial art that was highly dependent on one¡¯s spirit. Therefore, his spiritual power was on par or greater than even somete-stage Spirit Masters. Despite this, he felt like a childpared to the man before him.

    ¡°This is a big world. Anything can happen.¡± Xie Taohua pursed his soft lips and narrowed his peach blossom eyes. ¡°There are some profound martial arts out there that can create all sorts of unusual phenomena when the practitioner is cultivating or making a breakthrough.¡±

    ¡°Legend says that certain ancient and mysterious martial arts are so potent that their very existence is rejected by the world itself. Every time they are close to a breakthrough, the heavens would attempt to wipe them from the surface of the world by subjecting them to tribtions. If the practitioner fails, they would perish. If not, then they would be the heavens¡¯ equal.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that his martial art is powerful?¡± Tiger Sovereign¡¯s breathing grew a little heavier.

    At first, he thought that their venture up Peach Blossom Mountain was aplete bust. But now, it would seem that the rewards were even greater than what he initially imagined. Treasures were great, but some martial arts such as the one before him clearly held more value.

    ¡°Wait¡­ what¡¯s that?¡± Suddenly, Skin Painting Gentleman looked up and voiced his puzzlement.

    ¡°Oh no. I think¡­ I think I jinxed it.¡±

    Xie Taohua followed his gaze and saw a clump of dark clouds floating above their heads. However, it had five colors¡ªgreen, red, yellow, white and ck¡ªand he could vaguely see lightning rippling across its surface. Its mere presence was intimidating and suffocating.

    It was at this moment thunder growled a deep rumbling warning, and a green lightning the size of a water barrel shot out of a green cloud. It didn¡¯t look particrly dangerous, and it even gave off a floral scent. Only an idiot would think that it was harmless, however. It was aimed straight at the man at the center of the ck lotus.

    ¡°The Yi Wood Divine Thunder?! Me and my bloody mouth!¡± Xie Taohua pped his own mouth before urging, ¡°We need to move!¡±

    Xie Taohua pushed off the ground and appeared ten meters away from his original position.

    Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign all sensed the terrible power brewing in the sky and decided to heed Xie Taohua¡¯s advice as well. They all retreated farther away from the ck lotus.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    It was at this moment the green lightning struck the ck lotus with a deafening boom. Thetter shook violently as green lightning scattered everywhere like tiny snakes, and an invisible, anomalous power washed out.

    Strangely, the withered nts in the area sprouted new leaves and branches when they should¡¯ve been crushed into powder by the green lightning. When it faded, the former wastnd was overflowing with greenery, and the spot where the ck lotus was residing was scorched ck. The ck lotus itself looked less tangible and realistic than before.

    ¡°What¡­ What is that, Brother Xie?¡± Skin Painting Gentleman asked shakily. The bolt of lightning did not look particrly powerful, but it was a righteous power that could pierce all evil. As his ¡°Art of Skin Painting¡± was a demonic art through and through, he was especially sensitive toward such powers as a matter of course.

    He had no doubt that he would be a pile of ash if he was the lightning¡¯s target.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Yi Wood Divine Thunder of the Five Phase Tribtion. Capable of smiting evil and creating life, and it is especially deadly against heretical powers.¡±

    Xie Taohua calmed the goosebumps popping on his skin before continuing, ¡°The Five Phase Tribtion is a type of the Seventy Two Earth Fiends Tribtion. They areposed of the Yi Wood Divine Thunder, Ding Fire Divine Thunder, Geng Metal Divine Thunder, Wu Earth Divine Thunder, and Kui Water Divine Thunder. They correspond to the Five Phases: Wood, Fire, Metal, Earth and Water.¡±

    ¡°Although the Five Phases Tribtion is ranked at the bottom half of the list, it is still a tribtion and not to be underestimated. I wonder what kind of martial art that man is cultivating that the mere act of manifesting a Yin God would summon such a tribtion.¡±

    ¡°The Five Phases Tribtion?!¡± Tiger Sovereign, Skin Painting Gentleman and Limp Celestial¡¯s eyes flickered with shock and disbelief. To say that their feelings right now were mixed would be an understatement.

    The next tribtion did not appear immediately after the Yi Wood Divine Thunder was done. Instead, the fiery red cloud kept boiling and rumbling as if it was gathering its strength.

    The ck lotus on the ground was slowly undergoing a transformation as well, growing darker and more mysterious. What felt like an infinite amount of inexplicable energy was washing out of it.

 Chapter 583: To Swallow A Tribulation

    A few breathster, the fiery red cloud in the sky finished gathering its strength and fired a fiery red lightning bolt at the ck lotus. It brimmed with seemingly enough power to burn anything and everything into ash.

    <em>¡°Ding Fire Divine Thunder¡±</em>

    There was a loud boom as the Ding Fire Divine Thunder engulfed the ck lotuspletely, the newborn nts within tens of meters of ground zero instantly bursting into mes and dissolving into piles of ash. When the lightning finally faded, all that was left of thend was a scorched wastnd, and the ck lotus looked tattered and broken.

    ¡°If the second tribtion lightning is already this scary, what are the chances he could survive the remaining three?¡± A pale-faced Limp Celestial muttered to no one in particr.

    The third lightning bolt fell before he even finished speaking. It wasn¡¯t going to give the person it was testing any time to recover or react at all.

    The tribtion lightning that descended this time was the Wu Earth Divine Thunder. Itcked the Yi Wood Divine Thunder¡¯s ability to pierce evil and create life, nor did it possess the sheer destructive power and heat of the Ding Fire Divine Thunder. However, it did possess a gargantuan weight that neither lightning could hope topare.

    When the Wu Earth Divine Thunder descended from the sky, the entire Peach Blossom Mountain shook as if it couldn¡¯t bear its weight. Then, the peak began crumbling earnestly until all that was left was a gigantic pit.

    ¡°Gulp¡­ he¡¯s not dead, is he?¡±

    Tiger Sovereign¡¯s face darkened a little. He did not want the mysterious man to die not because he was merciful, but because the martial art would most likely be lost.¡°No. The Five Phases Tribtion is still present,¡± Xie Taohua replied while staring intently at the center of the gigantic pit. He could barely make out a silhouette through the thick dust clouds, and the man¡¯s clothes were inplete tatters. He cut a sorry figure as far as he could tell, but was the man actually injured, or¡­?

    Before Xie Taohua could confirm if the man was injured, the fourth lightning bolt¡ªthe Geng Metal Divine Thunder¡ªdescended from the sky.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    A muffled groan escaped Xie Taohua¡¯s lips, and his face abruptly turned ghastly white. He felt as if his mind had been severed by countless sharp sword qi, and it was painful to say the least. It was because the Geng Metal Divine Thunder had annihted the wisp of spirit he extended in the man¡¯s direction. Not only that, his spirit actually conducted a small portion of the tribtion lightning back to him and damaged his mind.

    The Geng Metal Divine Thunder was, again, very different from the Yi Wood Divine Thunder, Ding Fire Divine Thunder and Wu Earth Divine Thunder. It was sharp, cold, and destructive. The lightning bolt felt like a wisps of million sword qi spread across the sky, and sounded like the shes of war.

    Forget Xie Taohua, everyone felt chilled to their core despite not being the tribtion¡¯s target.

    <em>Chiang!</em>

    When the lightning bolt finally struck the man, the sound that pierced their ears was neither an epic explosion or the dull implosion of flesh. It was that of metal striking against metal. Before they knew it, a white light blinded their vision and pricked their eyes so much that they bled. Then, a terrific boom and metallic shriek deafened their eardrums.

    When Xie Taohua¡¯s vision returned, he stared at the scene before him and swallowed audibly. The gargantuan pit from before had beenpletely ttened, and its surface was marred by countless cracks that looked to be at least ten meters deep. He could still sense the sharp lightning¡¯s power from those cracks.

    The man himself was nowhere to be seen.

    <em>He isn¡¯t dead, is he? What a shame!</em>

    Aplicated emotion welled inside Xie Taohua¡¯s heart. He could not tell if it was regret or something else.

    <em>No, wait, he¡¯s still alive! The tribtion isn¡¯t gone yet!</em>

    Suddenly, Xie Taohua looked up. If the man really was dead, then the tribtion clouds would have disappeared on their own. However, they were still present.

    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the ground suddenly trembled like the beginnings of an earthquake. Then, it exploded into smithereens as a silhouette flew straight toward the clouds.

    As if on cue, the Kui Water Divine Thunder finished gathering its strength and fired a powerful lightning bolt at the man. A yin, frigid aura filled the air, and ice actually began encasing the ground below. For a moment, it was as if they had plunged into the deepest winter, and all life threatened to perish under its chilling might.

    The man did not dodge, however. In fact, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and¡­ waited for the lightning bolt to hit him?!

    ¡°Is he insane?!¡±

    Xie Taohua couldn¡¯t help but exim in shock. The Kui Water Divine Thunder was yin and cold, and it was said to be capable of freezing anything and everything. Not only was it the strongest lightning of the Five Phases Tribtion, it was several times stronger than any single tribtion lightning from before.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the man had already endured four tribtion lightning earlier. Even if he wasn¡¯t injured, he must be nearing exhaustion right now. In Xie Taohua¡¯s opinion, attempting to tank the tribtion¡¯s strongest attack head on in his state was no different frommitting suicide.

    Then, the unthinkable happened. The man slowly stretched his limbs until it looked like he was attempting to embrace the tribtion lightning. At the same time, heaven and earth trembled as if an invisible giant was slowly awakening from its slumber.

    The silhouette could not be seen with the naked eye, but it could be perceived with the mind. To Xie Taohua¡¯s senses, the invisible giant seemed immeasurably vast and terrible. As dark air of dao circted throughout its body, the very world before his eyes seemed to warp into something that was both profound yet terrifying at the same time.

    Xie Taohua began hallucinating before he knew it. He suddenly wondered what he was doing as all sorts of negative emotions and heart demons began sprouting like weeds.

    Thankfully, he quickly regained the faculties of his mind and took measures to steady himself. As soon as he expelled the strange influence taking root in his mind, and his vision regained to normal, he saw that the lightning bolt was less than a meter away from the silhouette.

    He wondered if he imagined it, but the corners of the silhouette''s lips seemed to curl into a disdainful smirk. Then, it opened its mouth and swallowed the lightning.

    That¡¯s right. The silhouette¡ªor rather, the man facing the heavens¡¯ wrath¡ªhad swallowed a tribtion lightning!

    The silhouette raised his head and exhaled a little, and the five-colored clouds in the sky soundlessly scattered into nothing. The sky cleared, and the world returned to normal. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡±

    Xie Taohua swallowed in a futile attempt to rein in his shock. This wasn¡¯t the first time he witnessed someone challenging a tribtion, but it was certainly the first time he saw someone¡¯s Yin God consuming a tribtion lightning and scattering a tribtion cloud by blowing at it!

    What stunned him even more was the fact that the man was only a perfect Spirit Purifier whose Yin God had just just finished manifesting. And yet, it was already strong enough to swallow a tribtion lightning without injury and blow away a tribtion cloud like it was dust. Just how was this possible?

    That wasn¡¯t all. He could tell that the Yin God the man manifested was of the yin, heretical type. The Five Phases Tribtion was a yang type tribtion, and generally speaking, it was the bane of all yin type existences. However, the man was so powerful that it looked like yin should be the bane of yang, not the other way around.

    It was such a stunning sight that he could not say a word.

    This wasn¡¯t the end of the tribtion, however. Or more urately, the challenger had ovee the tribtion, so it was time to reward him for his effort and power. A drizzle fell from the blue sky despite the fact that not a single speck of cloud could be seen anywhere, and it was overflowing with vitality and spirit energy. When it hit the scorched, shattered, dead wastnd that was mercilessly destroyed by the tribtion lightning earlier, new grass and trees began sprouting from the ground as if it was spring.

    ¡°The Sweet Rain of Blessing?! The heavens are granting their blessing to celebrate one¡¯s rebirth,¡± Xie Taohua whispered to himself.

    The Heavenly Way was both merciless and merciful. Although it sought to punish those who would disobey itsws with a tribtion, it also left a window open for them. ¡°Perfection is fifty, but it is not possible to exceed forty-nine.¡± There was no such thing as an absolute fate in the world. A tribtion was without a doubt a disaster, but it was also a challenge from Heaven to Man. If the person sessfully overcame their tribtion, then the Heavenly Way would acknowledge their existence and reward them with its blessing.

    Right now, the spirit rain was the Heavenly Way¡¯s reward for the challenger who overcame the Five Phases Tribtion. It was an incredibly rare healing boon that was named the ¡°Sweet Rain of Blessing¡±.

    The Sweet Rain of Blessing contained an immense amount of vitality. Not only could it regrow flesh and return the dead back to life, it could even restore one¡¯s injured mind back to normal. Everyone knew that spiritual injuries were the most difficult injuries to heal of them all. Barring a handful of natural treasures and extraordinary medicine, the only realistic way to recover from a spiritual injury was to give it time.

    This was why the Sweet Rain of Blessing was unbelievably valuable.

    Xie Taohua shot a meaningful nce at the silhouette basking in the Sweet Rain of Blessing. Then, he uncorked a bottle and began collecting the precious raindrops.

    Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign had different ideas, however. They secretly exchanged a nce with each other before pouncing toward the silhouette.

 Chapter 584: Dog Eat Dog

    No one could deny that the Sweet Rain of Blessing was a priceless treasure, but there was no way it was more valuable than a martial arts manual that conjured it in the first ce.

    The mysterious man was just creating his Yin God, and already the act was enough to summon a tribtion. It was proof that his martial art was beyond extraordinary. It had to be a Sage-stage martial art at the very least.

    On the surface, it looked like Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign were all leading the life. They were respected by many and feared by more. However, that was only within the boundaries of Bei You, and even in Bei You, they were really just small fries who had to answer to a bigger fish.

    Forget the likes of Joy Bodhisattva and Mistress Ruyi, they couldn¡¯t evenpare to the likes of thete Sunset Swordsman and Five Poisons Boy. Otherwise, they would have been invited to Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast.

    Of course, this was really a blessing in disguise. Had they actually attended that Trueman feast, they would either be dead or enved¡ªbut that was besides the point. The point was that, assuming that they never encountered a fortuitous opportunity again in their life, then what they had now was what they would have when they were at the end of their lives. They would never be stronger, never gain more power, never be more than who they currently were.

    And why was that? They were still in their prime, weren¡¯t they? They still had many years ahead of them, right?

    The answer was as in as it was cruel. It was because they had no backer or skill. It was because they did not know a martial art that would take them all the way to the top, nor the cultivation resources that would have allowed them to brute force their bottleneck.

    Their current cultivation art was a Spirit Master-stage martial art. They could spend their whole lives devoting themselves to their martial art, and they would never be more than ate-stage Spirit Master or Half-Step Grandmaster.

    And what was a Spirit Master? A pebble that a bigger man could kick as they pleased. An ant to be squashed by ignorant giants. Hell, they were so insignificant that they might not register as a blip in their killer¡¯s memory.How pathetic an existence would that be?

    It was a different story if they could obtain a Grandmaster-stage martial art though. If their paths weren¡¯t capped by their own martial arts, who was to say that they could not reach the pinnacle that was Grandmaster and be a giant themselves?

    How could they not fight when the opportunity to change their lives forever was right in front of them?

    Sure, the mysterious man looked unbelievably powerful, but he had just be a Spirit Master. Hell, it would not be an exaggeration to call him a ¡°newborn¡±. On the other hand, all three of them were middle-stage Spirit Masters. If they worked together, they could give even a Half-Step Grandmaster a ck eye.

    Second, the mysterious man had just undergone the Five Phases Tribtion, and they had witnessed the tribtion¡¯s power with their own eyes. They were certain that the mysterious man was seriously injured and exhausted right now.

    If they didn¡¯t act now, then when?

    All three of them deduced that now was the best time to act. So they did. A hint of excitement and savagery shed across their face when they thought of the reward that they were sure they would soon receive.

    Behind them, Xie Taohua chuckled to himself. ¡°Yep. Those three are as predictable as depression. Let¡¯s see how strong that man is, shall we?¡±

    His smile quickly froze, however. Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial and Tiger Sovereign were about three meters away from the mysterious man when suddenly, they stopped and began attacking the air in front of them. Judging from their greedy, excited expressions, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t a joke or a ploy to fool Xie Taohua. After that, they crouched down and moved their hands across the air looking like they were searching a body.

    A few breathster, Limp Celestial clutched a bundle of thin air and cackled triumphantly. ¡°Hahaha! I found it! I found it!¡±

    Blinded by greed and envy, Skin Painting Gentleman and Tiger Sovereign did not hesitate to attack the cripple.

    Caught off guard by the betrayal, Limp Celestial failed to react before Tiger Sovereign caught his arm and ripped the entire limb off. Not a moment too soon, Skin Painting Gentleman arrived and sent him flying with a palm strike.

    After he dealt Limp Celestial a grievous blow, multiple skins came off Skin Painting Gentleman¡¯s body and caught Tiger Sovereign in a death grip. The schr himself was running in a different direction with all his might.

    ¡°You are courting death, Skin Painting Gentleman!¡± Tiger Sovereign roared. A tiger appeared behind his back and shredded the skin puppets in a few swipes. Then, both Tiger Sovereign and the tiger chased after the schr.

    It was at this moment the grievously wounded Limp Celestial roared, ¡°That is my treasure! Mine! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    As he leaped into the air, his shrunken right leg grew rapidly in size. Then, he brought his foot down on Skin Painting Gentleman and Tiger Sovereign.

    The resulting impact sent both warriors flying through the air. Despite their injuries, they charged toward Limp Celestial as soon as they hit the ground.

    ¡°You are courting death, limp geezer!¡±

    More explosions followed. The three men were tearing into each other with a kind of ferocity and madness that was usually reserved for one¡¯s nemesis only. If possible, Xie Taohua was sure that they would feed on each other¡¯s flesh and drink their blood. They were fighting to kill the other person even at the cost of their own life, and that made no sense whatsoever.

    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±

    Usually, there was nothing Xie Taohua enjoyed more than a good ol¡¯ dog eat dog fight. Not this time though. Not when his pawns were killing each other over a bundle of air. It did not take a genius to know that the trio had somehow plunged into an illusion while they were charging the mysterious man, and the eerie, almost clownish sight sent a chill up his spine.

    ¡°Okay, this is too much. I¡¯m calling it quits.¡±

    Without hesitation, Xie Taohua corked his bottle and ran down the mountain.

    He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t nning on kicking a dog while it was down so to speak, but he didn¡¯t join the trio in their charge because he was nning to use them to sound out the mysterious man.

    It was why he bothered to rescue the trio at all. What, did you really think he had a bleeding heart? No, he was just a cautious man. He preferred to n before he acted; safety over danger.

    And thank goodness he did, because the mysterious man proved to be even more dangerous than he expected; so much so that he decided to beat a hasty retreat. It wasn¡¯t like he was going home empty-handed. At the very least, he obtained the Sweet Rain of Blessing most people couldn¡¯t even dream of. That was enough for him.

    He was never a greedy man. If his venture turned out to be profitable, then hurray. If not, he would not hesitate to wrap it up and call it a day. In his opinion, there was no vice a human should be more wary of than greed. Excessive greed would only result in loss and even death, and that just wasn¡¯t worth it no matter how he looked at it.

    He had already seen far, far too many people who sumbed to their greed and suffered from it, and he had no interest in bing one of them.

    Xie Taohua was a decisive man. He disappeared into the peach blossom forest in just the blink of an eye. After he was gone, the man still basking in the Sweet Rain of Blessing abruptly opened his eyes and stared at the direction Xie Taohua had escaped to, smiling. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    The mysterious man was Ye Qing, of course. But why was he here at Peach Blossom Mountain?

    After the Trueman feast incident was over, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows left that very night after engaging Joy Bodhisattva in a secret discussion. It was because he did not want to run into Ding Chong, vice head of Sword King City or Yang Tianming, Azure Dragon Envoy of Earthfire Pce of Demons.

    Right after Myriad Shadows left, Ye Qing bade Joy Bodhisattva goodbye as well. He too snuck out of Blissful Mountain without anyone noticing. His involvement was not necessary in what wasing, and he had no intentions of showing his face before the champions just like Myriad Shadows.

    Joy Bodhisattva must have noticed his determination because she did not try to change his mind when he visited her. She only gifted him two nine hundred years old Moon Lotus Seed.

    The Moon Lotus Seed was the seed of the Moon Lotus, and the Moon Lotus was a natural creation that could only be found in the tallest, uninhabited peak. It grew by basking in moonlight and had an extremely slow growth cycle. It took sixty years to germinate, sixty years to flower, sixty years to fruit, sixty years to seed, and another sixty years to finally reach full maturity.

    Long story short, it took a total of three hundred years for a Moon Lotus to reach full maturity. It was worth it though. The Moon Lotus could drastically improve a warrior¡¯s spiritual power. To make an example, a three-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus could transform an ordinary early-stage Spirit Purifier into ate-stage Spirit Purifier instantly. That was how potent it was.

    That wasn¡¯t all. An unharvested Moon Lotus Seed did not wither. It would simply continue its growth cycle and gain more potency over time. A six-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed was twice as potent as a three-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed, meaning that its potency would only grow with time.

    However, a three-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed was already quite rare. A six-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed could only be described as a priceless treasure, not to mention that the Moon Lotus itself was exceptionally rare. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, a mature Moon Lotus Seed would give off a scent that attracted all kinds of Stranger to harvest it. To say it was extremely unlikely for a Moon Lotus Seed to reach the age of six hundred naturally would be an understatement.

    A nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed was the stuff of legends. It was a kind of treasure a person might not find, much less obtain for a millennium. It was also said that a nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed could transform one¡¯s soulpletely.

    But of course, the two nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seeds Joy Bodhisattva gave Ye Qing were slightly different from a true nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed.

 Chapter 585: Heavenly Demon of Freedom

    <h4>Chapter 585: Heavenly Demon of Freedom </h4>

    Chapter 585: Heavenly Demon of Freedom

    ording to Joy Bodhisattva, she had found the two nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seeds in the Age King Strange Realm, and time passed many times faster in the Age King Strange Realm than it was in the real world. To be specific, a single day in the Age King Strange Realm was equal to several incense sticks in the outside world. Therefore, the two nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seeds did not truly possess the quintessence of a Moon Lotus Seed that aged for nine hundred years in the real world.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t diminish the gift¡¯s value by much. ording to Joy Bodhisattva, she had obtained a total of six nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seeds from the Age King Strange Realm. She had used one to manifest her Yin God and enter the Spirit Master stage, and three to manifest her Primordial Spirit and forge the bridge connecting her inner world and the outside world while entering the Trueman stage. Now, she only had two left.

    When Joy Bodhisattva saw that he was at a critical moment of manifesting his Yin God, she did not hesitate to give him herst two nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seeds.

    To be honest, Ye Qing was extremely touched by the gesture, so much so that he nearly offered her his hand in marriage on the spot. Luckily, his rationality and integrity kicked in just in time to prevent him from losing his virginity.

    After obtaining the two nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seeds, Ye Qing yearned to convert them into his strength as soon as possible. As soon as he left Blissful Mountain, he sought out a safe, uninhabited ce to refine the Moon Lotus Seeds and create his Yin God. In the end, he arrived at Peach Blossom Mountain.

    Of course, the Temple of Divination was technically safer than Peach Blossom Mountain. It wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t wait until he returned to the temple either. However, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was no ordinary martial art, and every time he cultivated it would generate all sorts of strange phenomena. He still remembered how he had unintentionally spurred dozens of <i>jianghu </i>warriors to ughter each other to the death while he was cultivating, and he imagined that manifesting a Yin God and entering the next major stage in his cultivation would only trigger an even more potent phenomenon.

    That was why he needed to find an uninhabited ce to undergo his breakthrough, and Peach Blossom Mountain was an excellent choice. There were no human settlements or lives within a five-kilometer radius of Peach Blossom Mountain because of the Human-faced Peach Blossoms. The Hatred-ss Strangers were no danger to him, but they were incredibly dangerous for an ordinary human or your average <i>jianghu </i>warrior. He believed that the mountain was secluded enough that no one would notice the oddities of his cultivation, and even if they did, they would not dare to brave the dangers of Peach Blossom Mountain. This guaranteed his own safety and peace as well.

    He was wrong though. He ultimately underestimated the time it took for him to manifest a Yin God and themotion it caused.

    The Yin God he was creating was officially called the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon¡±. In more secr terms, it was called the Heavenly Demon of Freedom.

    To manifest the Heavenly Demon of Freedom, he must undergo three stages. The first stage was called ¡°Forging Heaven¡±. In ancient times, there existed an unparalleled Heavenly Demon who ruled over the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. He was the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon. The Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon loathed the living, so he departed the Three Realms and lived in the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. This was why the first step to creating his Yin God was to forge a Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven inside his headspace.

    Normally speaking, the first step to creating a Yin God was to construct their image, but the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was not your ordinary martial art.

    Of course, the real Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven Ye Qing was constructing wasn¡¯t the real thing. Legend says that the true Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven was infinitely vast and deep, and residing within it were countless Heart Demons and desires of mankind. Anyone who took a look at it would sumb instantly. Obviously, Ye Qing did not possess the strength to construct a Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven that was even remotely close to it. The so-called Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven he was constructing was just a pocket world bearing some resemnce to the real thing with his demonic lotus as the foundation.

    It took a tremendous amount of demonic thought and spiritual power toplete this stage. Despite having begun making preparations several months ago, he wasn¡¯t able to fully construct his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. Even the massive quantities of gold dragon-serpent runes and natural treasures he expended amounted to just a drop in the bucket of need.

    That was why the first thing he did upon ascending Peach Blossom Mountain was to consume the Moon Lotus Seed. He was certain that the vast power contained within it would be enough toplete the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven.

    And it did, albeit barely. The nine-hundred-year-old Moon Lotus Seed that could transform an early-stage Spirit Purifier into a Spirit Master in an instant contained just enough for him to construct his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. Not only that, this stage alone took him nearly two weeks toplete.

    The second stage of the process was named ¡°Birthing Demon¡±. It was the stage where he birthed his Yin God using the desires, obsessions, and heart demons of mankind such as the Five Poisons, Six Desires, Seven Emotions, Eight Fears, Nine Terrors and more.

    Once again, this stage took a lot of time and effort. Only a sufficiently vast and potent demonic thought could nurture a Heavenly Demon of Freedom sessfully.

    Luckily for him, he still had another Moon Lotus Seed. After consuming the object, he converted pure spiritual power into demonic through the demonic lotus and sessfully birthed his Yin God.

    Again, this stage took him another two or so weeks toplete.

    The third and final stage of the process was called ¡°Gain Freedom¡±. To put it simply, Ye Qing must assume control of his own Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven and be its master.

    This stage was simplerpared to the previous stages. After all, the Heavenly Demon of Freedom was born from the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. In essence, the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven was its birthright, which was why it took Ye Qing little effort to seed.

    But just because the process was simple did not mean it was risk free, however. If anything, thest stage was the riskiest stage of them all. It was because he must face a deadly tribtion right after he took control of the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. Only then could he truly be its master and be acknowledged by the Heavenly Way.

    Defeat would see him dead, and victory, life.

    In fact, Ye Qing had no idea that he would face a tribtion. He instinctively realized it was only after he controlled the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven.

    He was a little miffed, to be honest. All the stories he heard told him that the heavens would bless him, and myriad creatures would celebrate his sess if he was an outstanding warrior cultivating a powerful martial art. Hell, even that madman Chu Wangsun got to enjoy such a treatment, so why was he treated to a tribtion instead?

    It was probably because of two reasons. One, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was too powerful. Second, it was a heretical, sphemous martial art that was ipatible with the world itself.

    It was a demonic martial art. Of course it was going to defy the heavens and all that nonsense.

    As this was his first time facing down a tribtion, he would be lying if he said he was calm. After all, a tribtion was often described as powerful, terrifying, and destructive. Countless champions and legends had perished to all sorts of tribtions while attempting to shed their mortality and enter the Sage stage. It was why even a Grandmaster was terrified of tribtions like a mouse would before a cat, much less a puny Spirit Purifier like him.

    Of course his tribtion could not hope to measure up to a Sage¡¯s tribtion, but that didn¡¯t mean he could face it with a calm heart.

    As the virgins liked to say, it was their first time after all.

    Most importantly, the tribtion had appeared without any warning whatsoever. It appeared the second after he used his Yin God to take control of his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, the cheating bastard.

    Thankfully, the Heavenly Demon of Freedom he spent countless resources, time and effort to create proved to be extraordinary. First, his demonic thought¡ªa.k.a his spiritual power¡ªwas several times greater and stronger than before. Right now, he dare says that his spirit was as strong as ate-stage Spirit Master, if not stronger.

    Second, he could now sense one¡¯s emotions with a heart, disrupt one¡¯s heartstrings with a thought, and manifest myriad mortal tribtions with a will.

    The Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon was a Heavenly Demon like no other. He loathed the mortals who left the boundaries of the Three Realms and enjoyed causing all sorts of troubles for warriors. A master at manipting one¡¯s senses and exploiting one¡¯s mental weaknesses, he could toy with anyone in all sorts of methods without leaving behind no traces whatsoever. He could be whispering poison into one¡¯s ears right now, and they would never know even after they were six feet under.

    Ye Qing¡¯s Yin God was made in the image of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon, so of course it inherited a semnce of his powers as well. Invisible, everchanging and untraceable, it could exploit a victim¡¯s mental weakness to disrupt the mind, toy with the heart, seduce the soul, and extinguish the will.

    In one thought, he could inflict pain and sorrow upon all living things. Such was one they called the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon.

    Finally, Ye Qing learned a Magia known as the Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion.

    He did not rush to leave the mountain though. He would stay there for a couple more days to fully familiarize himself with his new Yin God. It was only then that he finally took his leave.

 Chapter 586: Blessing and Curse Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin

    <h4>Chapter 586: Blessing and Curse Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin </h4>

    ¡°The bearer of the Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion shall gather all of their demonic thought and transform the red dust into their Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. Those within their Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven shall lose sight of themselves, sumb to the influence of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon, and suffer the tribtion of Heart Demons. They shall never escape.¡±

    To put it in more secr terms, Ye Qing could use up all of his demonic thought to summon his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven in the real world. While he was still inside his domain, he was unkible and everchanging. He could fight his enemies head on, or he could muddy their consciousness, awaken their Heart Demon, and drag them to eternal damnation.

    A Heart Demon was a human¡¯s obsession. It was also a warrior¡¯s greatest fear. If it was awakened, and there were chinks in the warrior¡¯s mental armor, then it would be all too easy for them to suffer a deviation and ¡°fall into eternal damnation¡± so to speak.

    The description alone sounded scary, but he had neither fully grasped the Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion nor used it yet. Therefore, he could not be certain of its effects.

    In conclusion, Ye Qing was certain that his Yin God could contend against Spirit Masters who had a decade or even decades to strengthen their Yin God. It was also why the Five Phases Tribtion, as strong as it was, could not threaten him.

    On a funny note, he noticed that being struck by lightning was surprisingly beneficial. What was a Yin God? A Yin God was a warrior¡¯s proof of aplishment of the mind. A mind was afraid of yang and brute force, which was why it could only appear during yin hours. That was why it was called a Yin God.

    The Spirit Master stage was the stage where the warrior strengthened their Yin God and refined it with origin energy. At a certain point, the Yin God would be able to shed their yin shell and be impervious to heavenly lightning or violent mes, hence bing a Yang God. Once the warrior had sessfully built a bridge between their inner world and the outer world and essentially became one with the world, they would enter the Trueman stage and be a Grandmaster.

    The Five Phases Tribtion was a yang tribtion, so every lightning strike dealt a significant amount of damage to his Yin God. However, it also tempered his Yin God and made it stronger and tougher. It was the definition of blessing and curse being two sides of the same coin.

    There was a quote in the ¡°Martial Scripture¡± that went something like this: ¡°A heavenly tribtion is both a blessing and a curse.The Way is both merciless and merciful.¡± It described the essence of a tribtion perfectly.

    Of course, the Five Phases Tribtion was nothing to be scoffed at. Despite his Yin God¡¯s extraordinary power, he still took quite a lot of damage when all was said and done.

    It was also why he allowed Xie Taohua to escape.

    Xie Taohua¡¯s malice was as clear as day to Ye Qing. If given the opportunity, he would not mind killing the young man and ending the threat he posed. Unfortunately, Xie Taohua was no Skin Painting Gentleman, Limp Celestial or Tiger Sovereign.

    Despite being middle-stage Spirit Masters, the trio¡¯s spirit was surprisingly weak. He could tell at first nce that they were Dark Way practitioners who cared more about umting power in the shortest amount of time possible than honing their mind. That was why it took him barely any effort to exploit their greed and create an illusion that tricked them into thinking that they had obtained his martial arts manual. Then, he further amplified their greed and bloodlust using his demonic thought and pitted them against each other.

    Xie Taohua was different though. For one, he was a Half-Step Grandmaster and much, much stronger than the trio.

    Second, he could sense a strange aura and wisps of dark energies from Xie Taohua. He was almost certain that the young man also cultivated a demonic art, but unlike the trio, he was neither a small fry nor weak in the mind. The fact that he did not hesitate to leave as soon as he determined that Ye Qing was a great threat proved this.

    Since his Yin God was damaged, and Xie Taohua had acted too quickly and decisively, Ye Qing had no choice but to allow him to slip away from right under his nose.

    After confirming that Xie Taohua was gone, Ye Qing turned his attention back to the gasping trio¡ªby now, they had injured each other so badly that all of them had one foot in their graves¡ªand snapped his fingers, wiping their consciousness from existence just like that. Finally, he concentrated inward and began repairing his damaged Yin God earnestly.

    The Sweet Rain of Blessingsted about half a teatime or so. By the time it ended, the entire Peach Blossom Mountain had regained its former glory, and Ye Qing¡¯s Yin God was almost back to optimal condition.

    He did not hurry down the mountain though. Instead, he lingered in Peach Blossom Mountain for a couple more days and seized the opportunity to master the usage of his Heavenly Demon Yin God. Only then did he finally take his leave.

    ......

    ¡°So many things happened while I was in seclusion...¡±

    At Number One, Ye Qing was enjoying a sip of tea as he eavesdropped on the conversations happening on the first floor. It didn¡¯t take long before he figured out what had happened during the past couple months he had secluded himself from the world.

    First things first, it was clear that Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s n was progressing smoothly. Not only did she manage to trick Sword King City and Earthfire Pce of Demons, she was able toy im to all the profits and territories of Endless Sand, Tower of Cornucopia etc while the two sects were enacting their vengeful crusade. As a result, she was able to assume control over all the forces of Bei You. Ye Qing had no doubt Joy Bodhisattva was behind the newly arisen forces and gangs.

    Bei You might look no different from before, but it had really be Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s possession.

    Of course, the reason she was able to control Bei You this quickly was probably thanks to Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows and the Way of Taiping. But what were those bastards plotting? Why did they try so hard to control Bei You?

    Knowing the Way of Taiping, it could only be something bad.

    ¡°It feels like the calm before the storm.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed, a bad feeling circting in his heart.

    The good news was that he managed to make a friend out of Joy Bodhisattva. No matter what happened to Bei You, Joy Bodhisattva should be able to keep him out of trouble.

    It was nice being under an umbre again.

    But of course, it wasn¡¯t a permanent solution. The Way of Taiping and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows¡¯ appearance also made him feel a sense of urgency. In the end, he still wasn¡¯t strong enough.

    Now that he had created a Yin God and entered the Spirit Master stage, it was unlikely he would experience another major boost in this area in the short term. Therefore, he should focus on honing his body instead. Specifically, he should refine his stock of Profound Yellow Qi, reach the adept level in the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±, and perfect his ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body¡± so his physical body would enter the Grandmaster stage.

    Only then did he possess the ability to protect himself¡ªalbeit barely.

    ¡°Sigh. The grind is neverending, is it?¡±

    Ye Qing drained his wine in one gulp. He was about to pay the bill and leave when suddenly, he saw two men walking through the entrance.

    The man leading at the forefront wore a purple robe. His appearance was lofty, noble and dignified, and his face was devoid of emotion. He attracted everyone¡¯s gaze as soon as he set foot inside the restaurant.

    ¡°Chu Wangsun?!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s pupils contracted a little. At the same time, his wine cup crumbled into powder without a sound.

    Yes. The neer was none other than Chu Wangsun.

    ¡°Chu Wangsun? It can only be...¡±

    ¡°Is that <i>him</i>? Is he Mister Nine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s Mister Nine, disciple of the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy. I saw him once during the Hidden Dragon Conference, so there can be no mistake.¡±

    ¡°Heavens above... I can hardly believe that I¡¯m seeing <i>the </i>Mister Nine with my own eyes!¡±

    ¡°But why is he here? Bei You is no ce for a man like him...¡±

    ......

    Loud murmurs filled the restaurants after a moment of silence. Seemingly immersed in his own world, Chu Wangsun paid them no attention whatsoever. It was almost as if he wasn¡¯t at the center of the gossip.

    <i>What the hell is that bastard doing here? He can¡¯t possibly be here to kill me, can he?</i>

    Ye Qing rejected the thought just a secondter. <i>Oh right! The Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance!</i>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled something he had pushed to the back of his mind a while ago; the Dark Overlord Token and the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance to be exact.

    The Death Sea was located in Bei Mo, and it appeared once every sixty years. Assuming that his calctions were correct, next year March would be the year the Death Sea was open to the world once more. However, the Death Sea was only open for a month. Once a month had passed, it would sink back into whatever abyss it came from. Anyone who missed this opportunity would have to wait another sixty years.

    It was the end of the year right now, and there were only three or so months left before the Death Sea appeared. Bei You was the closest city to Bei Mo, so it made sense for Chu Wangsun toe here.

    In fact, he reckoned that everyone with a Dark Overlord Token would soon arrive at Bei You and other locations that were close to the Death Sea.

    The Death Sea only appeared once every sixty years after all. If they missed this opportunity, then they would have to wait another sixty years to obtain it. Not even a warrior could afford to waste sixty years like it was nothing, not to mention that there might only be one Dark Overlord inheritance. If someone obtained it first, then that was it. The opportunity would be lost to them permanently.

    Naturally, no one with the Dark Overlord Token would allow a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this to slip through their grasp.

 Chapter 587: Demon Tempering Hand

    <h4>Chapter 587: Demon Tempering Hand </h4>

    ¡°The Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance, eh?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his chin and wondered if he should join in on the fun as well. Although he wasn¡¯tcking anything right now¡ªhe had all the martial arts, Strange Artifacts and even cultivation resources he currently needed to advance to the next level¡ªand the best thing he could do right now was to keep a low profile and grow at a slow and steady pace...

    This was the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance that was on the line here. Sure, those who owned a Dark Overlord Token included terrifying warriors such as the Sun Sovereign and Madman Chu, and the Death Sea was a famous death zone in Bei Mo, and he probably amounted to no more but a pawn in thispetition, but who could possibly give up on the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance like it was nothing? This was the greatest warrior of the Spring and Autumn period back then; the so-called unrivaled champion of his time, Li Hentian.

    Ye Qing would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t tempted. He knew full well that the chances that a pawn like him might obtain the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was next to nil, but... what if?

    What if the Dark Overlord deemed him worthy?

    What if he got dogshit lucky?

    Who <i>hadn¡¯t </i>gotten dogshit lucky at least once in their life?

    Even if he failed to obtain the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance in the end, the juices that slipped through the elites¡¯ fingers would be greatly beneficial to him, right?

    It was why he couldn¡¯t quite make up his mind.

    Suddenly, a voice caught his attention. ¡°Mister Nine, I am a disciple of the Eight Ruler Sect, Jiang Baichuan. I would like to spar with you. Will you please spare me a bit of your time?¡±

    A short silence enveloped Number One for a moment. Then, derisive jeers and boisterousughter filled the restaurant.

    Ye Qing looked down and saw a young man about eighteen to neen years old standing in Chu Wangsun¡¯s way with his hands sped together in a salute.

    The young man was carrying an iron ruler around his waist. It wasn¡¯t long, but it was pitch ck in color, thick and heavy-looking. It was obviously not a toy weapon.

    The young man must be new to the <i>jianghu</i> because he turned red with embarrassment after being teased by the crowd for just a couple of seconds. Even so, he did not change his mind and back down from his challenge.

    Chu Wangsun furrowed his brow. He seemed displeased with the fact that someone was barring his way.

    It was at this moment the man following behind Chu Wangsun stepped forward with a smile and said, ¡°Our deepest apologies, young warrior, but my teacher has had a long journey and would like to catch some rest as soon as possible. Perhaps another day?¡±

    The speaker was a brawny man in his forties. He had dark skin and an honest face that gave him the appearance of a longtime farmer.

    ¡°You heard that, kid? That¡¯s your cue to get off the stage. Better get lost before you humiliate yourself further!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, who do you think you are to ask for a spar with Mister Nine himself? Just go home and drink your milk already!¡±

    ¡°Stop dying Mister Nine¡¯s rest and fuck off, boy.¡±

    Practically everyone was taunting or jeering at the young man. It was because they could tell that his request for a spar was just a ruse to get his name out there. The young man was just an early-stage Astral Refiner, whereas Mister Nine was one of the strongest and most famous warriors of his age for a long time. A spar between them was like a spar between an adult human and an ant. Literally no one would benefit from it.

    ¡°You¡¯re no match for me. Get out of my way!¡± Chu Wangsun looked up and dered indifferently.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±

    Everyone in the restaurantughed when they heard this. Etched on their faces was undisguised schadenfreude.

    ¡°I... I know I¡¯m no match for you. I just wish to spar with you for a bit.¡± Jiang Baichuan¡¯s gaze grew resentful as he gritted his teeth. ¡°My apologies!¡±

    He then attacked Chu Wangsun without warning.

    <i>If you won¡¯t ept, then I¡¯ll make you!</i>

    Jiang Baichuan appeared before Chu Wangsun in just the blink of an eye. He swung his iron ruler straight at the schr¡¯s head.

    Chu Wangsun did not react. Instead, the man standing behind him stepped between the two and reached out to grab the iron ruler with his hand.

    A hint of disdain flickered in Jiang Baichuan¡¯s eyes. Although the Eight Ruler Sect wasn¡¯t famous in Northern Xinjiang, the martial arts they taught weren¡¯t weak in the slightest. Their main martial art was called the ¡°Iron Ruler Strikes Eight Directions¡±, and their weapon of choice was an unorthodox weapon called the iron ruler. A master in one-inch moves and explosive power, disciples of the Eight Ruler Sect fought best when they were inches away from their opponent.

    It might look like Jiang Baichuan was wielding an inferior weapon¡ªafter all, an iron ruler neither possessed the sharpness of a de or the reach of a stick¡ªbut his explosive power could only be described as terrifying. Not even a warrior who was one cultivation level above him could block his iron ruler without breaking a bone or two, and this man was crazy enough to try and catch it with his bare hands!

    In Jiang Baichuan¡¯s opinion, the action was about as suicidal as lighting antern in the toilet!

    He did not hold back, however. Not only was Chu Wangsun looking down on him, he had humiliated him in public as well. It was only right that he gave him a taste of his own medicine!

    Unfortunately, Jiang Baichuan was destined to be disappointed. The young man had anticipated the sound of breaking bones and a burst of blood and gore, but instead, it was his iron ruler that was bent ny degrees when it struck the brawny man¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Ah, excuse me for using too much force.¡±

    The brawny man smiled humbly before swiping Jiang Baichuan¡¯s iron ruler out of his hand and straightening it. Then, he returned it to Jiang Baichua and said, ¡°There you go.¡±

    The young man was so stunned that he did not react even after he epted the iron ruler.

    The onlookers were just as stunned as Jiang Baichuan was, so much so that they temporarily forgot to make fun of him. Although they were jeering Jiang Baichuan, they were aware of his strength to a certain extent. Most of them wouldn¡¯t dare to take a direct blow from the youngster, but not only did the brawny man caught the ruler with his bare hands, he even bent it a full ny degrees, not to mention that he had snatched it right out of Jiang Baichuan¡¯s hand like it was nothing. It was such a one-sided affair it wasn¡¯t funny.

    If even Chu Wangsun¡¯s servant was this strong, then Chu Wangsun himself could only be many times stronger. Everyone shoved their petty schemes to the far corner of their mind at that moment.

    ¡°Tsk tsk! I never thought I would see the day the infamous Demon Refining Hand bullies a kid! I wonder how the <i>jianghu </i>wouldugh at you when they learn about this?¡±

    Suddenly, a ridiculing,zy-sounding voice broke the silence. A hint of killing intent flickered in the brawny man¡¯s eyes as he turned toward the exit.

    An exceptionally beautiful man wearing pink clothes and a peach blossom flower on his head was leaning against the door frame. He was also wearing a small smirk on his face.

    ¡°Xie Taohua?!¡±

    At the second floor, Ye Qing was smirking as well. It would seem that they quite fated with one another.

    ¡°The Demon Refining Hand?¡±

    ¡°Could he be referring to the eighteenth warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, the ¡®Demon Refining Hand¡¯ Pei Qiansui?¡±

    ¡°But I thought Pei Qiansui is a disciple of the Demonic Mountain, one of the Nine Demonic Ways? Why is he together with Mister Nine?¡±

    The questions quickly rose to a mor inside Number One.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m quite curious myself. I thought you¡¯re one of the Nine Sons of the Demonic Mountain, the infamous Demon Refining Hand. Since when did you be Chu Wangsun¡¯s follower?¡± Xie Taohua held a peach blossom before his nose and sniffed it a little. His posture was seductive to say the least.

    ¡°Did you master not teach you that curiosity kills the warrior, Xie Taohua?¡± Pei Qiansui¡¯s honest smile vanished behind a cold, dark visage. ¡°Keep your nose out of my business, or else!¡±

    Xie Taohua did not take his threat to heart. ¡°But I¡¯m not trying to meddle in your business. You and I share the same origin. Of course I would be concerned for a fellow brother, wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    Before he could say anything else, Chu Wangsun¡ªthe man had seemed immersed in his own world until he heard Xie Taohua¡¯s name¡ªlooked up and stared at Xie Taohua, ¡°Are you the Peach Blossom Celestial¡¯s only disciple, Xie Taohua?¡±

    His movement was nothing out of the ordinary, but Xie Taohua suddenly felt like someone had pressed a de to his neck. His hair stood on end as he involuntarily stood up straight.

 Chapter 588: Peach Blossom Celestial On Peach Blossom Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 588: Peach Blossom Celestial On Peach Blossom Mountain </h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s right. My master is the Peach Blossom Celestial,¡± Xie Taohua answered.

    Everyone gasped when they heard this. When they looked at Xie taohua once more, it was with renewed respect and fear.

    Xie Qingxi, the ¡°Peach Blossom Celestial¡± was an independent warrior with no patron just like many others in the <i>jianghu</i>. However, he was ranked fifteen on the Earth Champions Ranking. They called him the Peach Blossom Celestial.

    All Earth Champions Ranking warriors were Grandmasters, and they were not your ordinary Grandmasters either. There was no denying how powerful he was.

    Not only that, Xie Qingxi had never experienced defeat since entering the <i>jianghu</i>, and he was only in his sixties. He was expected to be a Sage in the future, and everyone had high hopes for him. They all praised him as a once-in-a-century genius.

    If there was one w to Xie Qingxi¡¯s character, it was the fact that his desire for martial improvement seemedcking. A lover of beautiful views and gorgeousndscapes, there was nothing he loved more than peach blossom. He called himself the Peach Blossom Celestial and lived at Peach Origin Temple of Peach Origin Mountain.

    It was said that a human could not live alone, and they were right. It was just that peach blossom was all thepanionship Xie Qingxi needed. He spent most of his time drinking wine with flowers and generally doing whatever he wanted.

    ¡°There exists a Peach Origin Temple at Peach Origin Mountain, and a Peach Blossom Celestial in Peach Origin Temple. The Peach Blossom Celestial nts peach blossoms for his own entertainment and to trade for wine.¡± That was how the people described him.

    It was also said that Xie Qingxi spent twice as much time managing his peach blossoms, drinking and creating poems than cultivating. There was even a quote in ¡°Martial Review¡± that went like this: ¡°Xie Qingxi¡¯s martial talent is something that appears only once in a century, but his addiction to the pleasures is also once-in-a-century. If he can devote even one-third of the time and effort he spends on his entertainment on martial arts, then he already would be a Sage.¡±

    From this, one could tell just how talented Xie Qingxi was.

    Xie Taohua was Xie Qingxi¡¯s disciple, so of course he was an extraordinary warrior in his own right. He was ranked ninth on the Human Champions Ranking despite his young age, and his talent, while not as clear cut as his master¡¯s, was also one of a kind. He was guaranteed to be a Grandmaster unless he met an early death or something. When the time came, his sess would add yet another stroke to the legend that was peach blossoms.

    On a rted note, the reason Xie Taohua imed that he and Pei Qiansui shared the same origin could be traced back to yet another legend in the <i>jianghu.</i>

    A long time ago, Xie Qingxi was just a helpless, powerless son of a rich family. He was exploring a forest and enjoying the beautiful nature when he was nearly eaten by a tiger. Luckily for him, a Sacred Son of the Demonic Mountain¡ªalso known as the Demonic Mountain Sacred Sovereign today¡ªXu Yunxiao happened to be passing through the area and saved him.

    When Xu Yunxiao realized that Xie Qingxi wasn¡¯t feigning his powerlessness, and yet he was somehow audacious enough to explore the world alone, he could not help but ask, ¡°You cannot even fight a chicken, and you would dare to explore the world? Aren¡¯t you afraid of death?¡±

    Xie Qingxi thanked Xu Yunxiao first before replying in a carefree tone, ¡°For these beautiful mountains and waters, sun and moon? A million deaths.¡±

    Xu Yunxiao pressed, ¡°Beautiful the bodies of nature may be, they are ultimately not you. How can theypare to your own life?¡±

    Xie Qingxi countered, ¡°The mountains and waters are endless, just like the sun and the moon are eternal. On the other hand, a human¡¯s life is but a sh in the endless stream that is time. There is noparison.¡±

    Xu Yunxiao guffawed. ¡°Noparison? It is true that the mountains, waters, sun and moon are eternal, but I too am eternal. And if I am eternal, then how can there be noparison?¡±

    ¡°I can see that your eyes are wholly enraptured by the bodies of nature, but what of your heart? I do not see a de of grass, a drop of water, not even a ray of light in there. After all, as you currently are, your life <i>is </i>but a sh in the rivers of time. You may witness all that exists in a corner of the world, but you will not live long enough to experience all the world has to offer, know the vastness of the universe, and understand the everchanging tides of time. What difference is there between you and an ant?¡±

    ¡°Howmentable and pitiable you are!¡±

    With that said, Xu Yunxiao shook his head, jumped into the sky and soared away, leaving a dumbfounded but thoughtful-looking Xie Qingxi behind. Not long after that, Xie Qingxi began his martial journey. He took a year to temper his body, two years to invoke his qi, three years to augment his vessels, four years to refine his astral qi, five years to purify his spirit, six years to master it, and seven years to be a Grandmaster. What most people viewed as an insurmountable wall or impossible bottleneck was nothing to Xie Qingxi: he sted through the cultivation levels as easily as one might poke a hole in a paper.

    In just the span of ten or so years, Xie Qingxi had transformed from a helpless, frail schr into a famous warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking.

    When asked why he embarked on his martial journey in the first ce, Xie Qingxi answered, ¡°I wish to see the beauty of mountains and rivers; to feel the warmth of suns and moons; to learn the vastness of heaven and earth; and to know the everchanging tides of time. To that end, I will be eternal.¡±

    Such was his answer that his story became an inspiring legend in the <i>jianghu</i>, the <i>wulin</i>, and the world. Xu Yunxiao also came to be known as the ¡°Enlightening Master¡± for what he did for Xie Qingxi.

    Because Xu Yunxiao had saved his life and enlightened him, Xie Qingxi always treated the man like his master. Xu Yunxiao himself had never refuted it, and so the connection stayed to this day.

    Xie Taohua was Xie Qingxi¡¯s disciple, and Xie Qingxi addressed Xu Yunxiao as his master. Since Pei Qiansui was a disciple of Demonic Mountain and technically counted as the Sacred Sovereign¡¯s junior, Xie Taohua wasn¡¯t wrong to say that they shared the same origin.

    This did not matter, of course. What mattered was the fact that a glimmer had appeared in Chu Wangsun¡¯s eyes after Xie Taohua admitted his identity. ¡°Good.¡±

    Chu Wangsun jabbed a finger at Xie Taohua then. To an outsider, the gesture looked perfectly ordinary. Someone even thought that Chu Wangsun wanted to say something to Xie Taohua. But from Xie Taohua¡¯s perspective?

    He felt a tyrannical, indomitable power pressing in from every direction. The gesture looked so harmless, and yet he felt as if every wisp of energy within hundreds of hundreds of kilometers of him were flooding toward him. There was nowhere to run; nowhere to hide. The origin energy in the air was locked so firmly that he would be dead long before he managed to shatter its constraints. He was as trapped as a bird in a cage; a fish in a.

    Xie Taohua paled a little, but he did not falter. If he could not escape or hide, then he would fight.

    Xie Taohua pulled out the peach blossom branch on his head and spun it between his fingers. A spring wind blew, and peach blossom branches began growing out of the floor, the walls, the roof and more[1]. Green shoots sprouted out of the branches before transforming into gorgeous peach blossoms.

    In just the blink of an eye, Number One had transformed into a peach blossom paradise.

    ¡°The spring wind blows, the peach blossom blooms. The peach blossom (Taohua) blooms where the spring wind blows. Xie Taohua definitely deserves his fame!¡±

    On the second floor, Ye Qing snapped a peach blossom flower from a branch next to him andplimented the warrior. The peach blossoms were, in fact, not an illusion. They were real peach blossoms overflowing with fragrance and life.

    It was said that the spring wind blew, and peach blossoms bloomed whenever Xie Taohua sparred or fought against someone. It was how he earned the moniker, the ¡°Walking Wind of Spring¡±.

    A person could be born with the wrong name, but never a nickname. After the peach blossoms bloomed, Xie Taohua twirled his branch again and caused the flowers to fall off the branches of their own ord. They converged into a river of peach blossoms and shed against Chu Wangsun¡¯s force.

    There was a moment where the river of peach blossoms simply stayed there as if frozen in time and space itself. It was followed by a soundless shockwave that was somehow more impactful otherwise. Everyone in Number One suddenly nked out and turned pale as if they were struck by lightning.

    Xie Taohua¡¯s rosyplexion suddenly turned as pale as a sheet, and the ground beneath his feet shattered without a sound. The next moment, the river of peach blossoms abruptly exploded like a bomb.

    If no one did anything about the explosion, then it would certainly bring down the entire building. Most of its guests would be killed as well.

    Right when it looked like the restaurant would meet its end, Chu Wangsun abruptly flung his sleeve like he was trying to sweep the sun and moon into his arm. The chaotic st of energies disappeared into his sleeves, and peace and quiet returned to Number One just like that.

    Asif on cue, the guests jolted back to reality and stared at Chu Wangsun with both lingering fear and abject astonishment. No one could believe what just happened and what <i>almost </i>happened a moment ago.

    Now they understood why the saying, ¡°When gods fight, the mortals suffer,¡± existed. If before they were all hoping to watch a good fight, now it was theplete opposite. If they stayed here any longer, they might just lose their lives.

    <i>Is this the strength of a Human Champions Ranking warrior? How terrifying!</i>

    ¡°Ahem...¡±

    Xie Taohua coughed, and the peach blossom branches spread across Number One abruptly withered. His paleplexion returned to normal as well. He ignored the odd looks the guests were shooting at him and the schadenfreude look from Pei Qiansui before saluting Chu Wangsun. ¡°You are strong, Brother Chu. This one is most impressed!¡±

    He was speaking from the bottom of his heart. He was ranked nine on the Human Champions Ranking, and Chu Wangsun third. Since they were both Half-Step Grandmasters, and their rankings were fairly close to each other, he thought for sure that they were more or less on the same level. But after he fought Chu Wangsun, he realized that he couldn¡¯t be any more wrong.

    1. I swear, anyone who opens a restaurant in a cultivation world is fucking insane. It¡¯s bad enough you get property damage everyday, it¡¯spletely up to the people who damaged your property in the first ce whether they feel likepensating you or not. If they happen to be in a bad mood, you might even lose your life for your troubles. Jesus. ?

 Chapter 589: Striking The Hand

    Chu Wangsun was clearly stronger than him. Not only was he at the threshold of Grandmaster, Xie Taohua could tell that the schr could cross over to the next cultivation level if he really wanted to. On the other hand, he still had a ways to go before he could enter the Grandmaster stage.

    If Chu Wangsun, the fourth ranked warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, was already this powerful, what about the third-ranked warrior, the ¡°Little Senior Monk of Lanke Temple¡±[1], the second-ranked warrior, ¡°Sacred Son of Demonic Mountain¡±, and the first-ranked warrior, the ¡°Little Heavenly Master¡± of Heavenly Master Mansion.

    Ever since he mastered his martial arts and entered the Human Champions Ranking, he had never encountered any true obstacles and kept advancing triumphantly. He was even nning on challenging the top ten warriors of the Human Champions Ranking, defeating all of them, and entering the Grandmaster stage as the indisputable champion of the Human Champions Ranking.

    But now that he had gotten a reality check, he realized that he still had a long, long way to go.

    ¡°Your mastery of the ¡®Peach Blossom Celestial Scripture¡¯ iscking.¡±

    Chu Wangsun remained unmoved despite Xie Taohua¡¯spliment. He said directly, ¡°You are no match for me.¡±

    Xie Taohua¡¯s main cultivation art was the ¡°Peach Blossom Celestial Scripture¡± invented by Xie Qingxi himself. He had created it after experiencing an epiphany while observing the life cycle of peach blossoms. A martial art that embodied the power of life and death, growth and decline, its practitioner could grow a thousand flowers in an instant, or wilt them just as quickly. It was quite powerful to say the least.

    However, it was clear that Xie Taohua¡¯s mastery of the ¡°Peach Blossom Celestial Scripture¡± wascking. To be specific, his understanding of the power of life and death, growth and decline wasn¡¯t good enough to unleash the martial art¡¯s full potential, which was why it had performed rather poorly against Chu Wangsun.

    Xie Taohua did not get angry despite Chu Wangsun¡¯s blunt words, however. He even gave him a carefree smile and said, ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Brother Chu. I promise I won¡¯t disappoint you the next time we fight.¡±¡°Good. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± Chu Wangsun turned around and got ready to go upstairs after that.

    Pei Qiansui grew anxious when he realized that Chu Wangsun was going to let Xie Taohua go. ¡°Are you just going to forgive him, young master?¡±

    Chu Wangsun stopped in his tracks and looked at Pei Qiansui with clear, pure eyes. His gaze was such that Pei Qiansui was suddenly struck by a bad feeling.

    ¡°Give me your hand!¡± Chu Wangsun said suddenly.

    Pei Qiansui¡¯s face immediately turned ugly. ¡°Young master, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t repeat myself.¡± Chu Wangsun¡¯s voice was indifferent, but it would not take no as an answer. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

    It looked like a ck storm was brewing behind Pei Qiansui¡¯s face, but he ultimately gritted his teeth and extended his hand. His palm was facing upward.

    Everyone wondered what Chu Wangsun was nning to do when the schr summoned a ruler to his hand and struck Pei Qiansui on his palm.

    <em>p!</em>

    The crisp sound resounded throughout the establishment. If the guests were stunned before, now they were positively speechless. For a time, they could only stare at Chu Wangsun and Pei Qiansui with dumbfounded expressions.

    On the second floor, even Ye Qing was blinking in confusion and wondering what the hell was going on inside Chu Wangsun¡¯s head.

    The ruler was a perfectly ordinary ruler, a wooden ruler to be exact.

    The strike was perfectly mundane as well. Besides the fact that it was a little louder than normal, it was exactly the kind of strike one expected a teacher to mete out against a student. Forget a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking like Pei Qiansui, not even a beginner who just entered the Body Tempering stage would feel any pain from such a strike.

    The physical damage was nothing, but the mental damage was apletely different story. His face grew dark and twisted, and his eyes were zing with uncontroble killing intent and fury. The entire restaurant turned as cold as ice because of it.

    ¡°Do you know why I struck you?¡± Chu Wangsun asked.

    Pei Qiansui bowed his head and said nothing. He simply trembled in ce with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°It would appear that you still haven¡¯t recognized your mistake. Even now, you¡¯re attempting to sow dissension.¡±

    Chu Wangsun said indifferently, ¡°Although the Peach Blossom Celestial, Xie Qingxi addresses the Sacred Sovereign as his master, he never ughtered innocents by choice normitted vile acts of evil. His disciple, Xie Taohua, had not done anything good since entering the <em>jianghu</em>, but he had notmitted evil either. For what reason would I kill a man who has done neither good nor wrong?¡±

    ¡°You are different, however. Your master is the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues, and he is a vile, vile man who hasmitted countless evils. You, his disciple, are no different from him. You are outmatched by your master only in terms of body count and insanity.¡±

    ¡°You should have died to atone for your sins, but death is the easiest thing in this world. Living, on the other hand, is the hardest. The reason I¡¯m keeping you alive is because I wish to reform you for the better. I will transform you into a righteous man who holds justice and benevolence close to his heart, do what is good for the people, and benefit the country. It is the best way for you to atone for the evils that you have done.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand now?¡±

    The Old Man of A Hundred Virtues Chu Wangsun spoke of was an elder of the Demonic Mountain. The reason he was called the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues was because he performed a hundred good deeds every month without fail. However, his interpretation of good deeds was quite different from your average person.

    For example, if the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues encountered a poor man on the streets, he would kill him. This way, his suffering would end, and he would be able to join the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn with a better life.

    If someone refused to pay after eating a meal, the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues would burn down the entire restaurant. When asked why he did such a thing, he dered, ¡°The guy can¡¯t dine and dash again now that there is no longer a restaurant, right?¡±

    If someone tripped on their feet, the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues would break their legs so they could never walk again. This way, they would never trip again.

    If someone¡¯s money was stolen, the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues would rob them of all their wealth. This way, no thief would ever steal a single coin from them again.

    Long story short, the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues¡¯ so-called ¡°good¡± deeds were one hundred percent evil from a normal person¡¯s point of view. It was also why he wasmbasted as a heretic and a monster; one that everyone would sooner see dead than alive.

    Pei Qiansui was the old man¡¯s disciple, and while he did not inherit his master¡¯s insane view of good and evil, he was even more vicious than the old man was. He ughtered innocents in the name of honing his martial arts, and he wouldmit any and all crimes to further his self-interests. It was why he was notorious throughout the <em>jianghu.</em>

    Back in the present, the guests oohed and aahed in realization. Now they realized why Pei Qiansui had be Chu Wangsun¡¯s follower. He was ¡°volunteered¡± into this position so to speak.

    A few secondster, Pei Qiansui¡¯s killing intent abruptly disappeared like it was never there. At the same time, he replied with a simple smile, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve recognized my mistake, young master. I swear I will obey your teaching and be a good person from now on.¡±

    On the surface, he looked like the honest farmer boy he pretended to be. But on the inside, he was barely keeping a sea of humiliation, bloodthirst and fury at bay.

    If possible, he would carve up Chu Wangsun and everyone in this restaurant and burn their souls on a candle. Only then could he be absolved of his hatred.

    But he couldn¡¯t, because he was no match for Chu Wangsun.

    Running into Chu Wangsun was a stroke of bad luck, in and simple. His main cultivation art was called the ¡°Soul Refining Hand¡±. His hands acted as a furnace that could refine souls. At the adept level, he could extract, refine, and annihte one¡¯s soul the instant he touched a person¡¯s body. It was extremely scary to say the least.

    The way to advance the ¡°Soul Refining Hand¡± was just as evil. To put it simply, the practitioner must use a living person¡¯s soul and spirit to nurture and temper their hands.

    Most people would have second thoughts about using such an evil and inhumane martial art, but Pei Qiansui was raised to adulthood by the Old Man of A Hundred Virtues. He was a man who witnessed all sorts of deaths before he even knew how to walk. As a result, killing was as natural as breathing to him.

    When he was happy, he would kill to celebrate his joy. When he was unhappy, he would kill to vent his sorrow. When he was cultivating, well, his martial art couldn¡¯t progress without killing now, could it? When he was idle, he still killed because why not?

    Long story short, his daily life consisted of eating, sleeping, and killing. Lots and lots of killing.

    One day, he ran into a couple of wandering schrs and noted that their souls and spirits were fairly pure. So, he wanted to kill them and practice his martial art.

    Unfortunately for him, Chu Wangsun happened to be passing through the area, and after that¡­ well, there was no after that. Since then, he became Chu Wangsun¡¯s ¡°faithful¡± follower.

    In Chu Wangsun¡¯s words, a sage epts students from all walks of life. That was why he nned to emte their ancient wisdom and bring him back to the straight and narrow as well.

    What could Pei Qiansui do? He could only ept, of course.

    1. Lanke Temple was briefly mentioned way back when Ye Qing was still at Luo Shui. ?

 Chapter 590: The Price For Humiliating Me Is Death

    Pei Qiansui scorned Chu Wangsun¡¯s philosophy and despised the bastard for thinking that he could ¡°bring him back to the straight and narrow¡± as a matter of course. Not a single minute passed by where he did not think of escaping Chu Wangsun or better, kill him.

    That was why he had tried to instigate a fight between Chu Wangsun and Xie Taohua just now, preferably to the death. After all, one of them was ranked ninth on the Human Champions Ranking, and the other fourth. If a tiger and a dragon were to battle each other to the death, chances were one of them would die, and the other was going to be injured. That would allow him to make his escape.

    If both men were grievously injured, then even better. He was perfectly fine with ying the fisherman.

    In his opinion, Chu Wangsun was a so-called ¡°disciple of the sages¡±, and he loathed evil like he loathed his nemesis. That was why he was certain that Chu Wangsun would kill Xie Taohua, a disciple of a demonic sect. He was wrong, however. As it turned out, Chu Wangsun was neither stupid nor blind. He had seen through his petty scheme in an instant.

    Even worse, the bastard had the audacity to smack his hand with a ruler like he was a child, and he did it in front of all these ants too. If the rumors spread¡ªwho was he kidding, the rumors must be spreading like wildfire already¡ªthen he would be aughingstock for ages toe.

    Could he swallow this indignity?

    Of course¡­ he could. He literally did not have any other choice. If he did not swallow this indignity, then Chu Wangsun was only going to humiliate him further. Worst case scenario, he might just kill him outright.

    It was said that ten years wasn¡¯t too long for a nobleman to take revenge. He was no nobleman, but even he knew that he could not wash away his humiliation if he was dead. Only the living possessed countless possibilities.

    So he would admit his ¡°fault¡±. He would endure.And when the time came, he would make Chu Wangsun wish that he never lived.

    ¡°There is no better quality than being able to admit one¡¯s mistake.¡±

    Chu Wangsun nodded. ¡°However, reward and punishment should not be mixed together. You made a mistake earlier, so I¡¯m going to punish you for it. Do you ept?¡±

    ¡°I ept!¡± Pei Qiansui replied.

    ¡°Good.¡± Chu Wangsun said, ¡°Your thoughts are impure, and you desire to do harm. But since this is your first time, I shall strike your hand nine times as a warning. Do you ept?¡±

    ¡°I ept.¡± Pei Qiansui nodded.

    While wearing a stern expression that was not dissimr to a teacher reprimanding a naughty student, Chu Wangsun raised his ruler about three inches before hitting Pei Qiansui in the palm.

    <em>p!</em>

    A crisp sound resounded throughout the restaurant once more.

    Pei Qiansui¡¯s expression was a mixture of regret and sincerity. To an outsider at least, it looked like he truly recognized his mistake.

    The smack jolted the guests back to reality, and as if on cue, everyone stared at the scene with excited expressions.

    Who would have thought that an notorious and untouchable genius would one day have his hand smacked like a boy? It was practically a once-in-a-century moment. They might never witness something like that ever again in their lives, so of course they wasn¡¯t going miss every second of it.

    Chu Wang paid no attention to their gazes whatsoever. He simply continued his punishment with a serious expression on his face.

    <em>p!</em>

    <em>p!</em>

    For a time, the crisp and rhythmic ps resounded throughout the restaurant like a wonderful melody.

    While the guests were burning the sight into their retinas, Ye Qing was smirking and shaking his head a little. <em>These idiots. They had no idea that they¡¯re about to die.</em>

    Most people wouldn¡¯t notice this, but he could clearly sense the anger, hatred and killing intent boiling inside Pei Qiansui¡¯s heart like a volcano. Furious and neverending, it was directed not just at Chu Wangsun, but everyone else inside the restaurant.

    In fact, he couldn¡¯t just feel Pei Qiansui¡¯s emotions. Now that he was a Spirit Master, he could identify exactly what they were and how much they weighed inside their hearts. In his senses, the warrior¡¯s emotions were now presented in different colors. For example, anger was red as fire, hatred was gray and filthy, killing intent was ck as despair, and more.

    The mixture of colors were vibrant and beautiful. Not only that, he could identify who the emotions were directed at. He could tell who hated someone the most, who wanted someone dead and so on.

    Although he could already identify emotions when he was still a Spirit Purifier, it could at best be described as a blurry sensation with asional fluctuations and changes. He could not have identified the type, quantity, or target of these emotions like he had grown a whole new sensory organ.

    Pei Qiansui could not know this, but his emotions werepletely bare to Ye Qing. If he wanted someone dead, he would know. If he wanted to take a shit, he would know as well.

    This was just the first qualitative improvement his demonic thought gained after he created a Heavenly Demon Yin God, however.

    Now that he could ¡°see¡± emotions, he could also draw out or influence a person¡¯s emotions and thoughts as well. He could make them obsessed with a certain emotion until it took precedence over their rationality.

    ¡°All hearts are bare to my eyes. My thoughts flow like water into the field that is your heart.¡± That was how the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± described this power.

    Ye Qing caressed his wine cup while feeling the growing fury, hatred, bloodthirst and more negative emotions every time the ruler dropped and struck him on the palm. Then, his lips slowly spread into a clear, bright smile.

    ¡°Everyone says that it¡¯s not good to repress your emotions. Here, I¡¯ll lend you a hand.¡±

    Ye Qing gently ced the wine cup on the table, and a crisp sound resounded throughout the restaurant. However, Chu Wangsun¡¯s ruler happened to be striking Pei Qiansui¡¯s palm at the exact same time, so the sound was muffled, and no one noticed a thing, just like no one noticed that Pei Qiansui¡¯s originally calm eyes slowly turned as red as blood, and as deep as the abyss.

    Nine strikester, Chu Wangsun put away his ruler and looked at Pei Qiansui, ¡°It is done. I hope you will remember this lesson and never repeat this mistake again.¡±

    ¡°This one shall remember your teaching, young master.¡± Pei Qiansui saluted him with a simple smile on his face.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Chu Wangsun didn¡¯t suspect a thing. As usual, he ignored the people around him and turned around to walk up the stairs.

    However, right as he turned his back on Pei Qiansui, the redness in the warrior¡¯s eyes abruptly erupted like a mighty volcano and enveloped everything.

    At the same time, his hands turned illusory, and demonic, mysterious-looking patterns appeared on his palms. Without hesitation, he pressed his hands against Chu Wangsun¡¯s back.

    The surprise attack hade out of nowhere. No one saw thising, not even Chu Wangsun himself.

    Chu Wangsun paused for a brief moment before bright light burst out of his body. It was so bright and all-epassing it was as if a second sun had appeared inside the restaurant.

    There was righteous qi in heaven and earth, and it was vast enough to punch through the nine heavens.

    For a time, everything inside Number One was dyed in white. No one could see even the fingers in front of their eyes, much less everything else. But despite how all-consuming the light seemed, not a single person was actually hurt. Not the furniture, the utensils or even the nts.

    Pei Qiansui could not say the same, however. Every part of his skin began cracking as if he was boiling under the sun, and his feet sank into the floor as if he was bearing an unthinkable weight. His body was trembling from the strain.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Chu Wangsun asked calmly without looking back.

    ¡°You shamed me in front of all these ants, and you ask me why?¡±

    Pei Qiansui uttered with bloodshot eyes, ¡°You are a genius, Chu Wangsun, and I am a named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking. You¡¯re stronger than me, and I have no qualms with that. You want me to be your follower, and I am okay with that either.¡±

    ¡°But you would shame me before these <em>scum </em>who are worth less than even ants? Who do you think I am? After what happened today, how do you expect me to show my face in the <em>jianghu </em>again?¡±

    ¡°I see that you do not regret your actions,¡± Chu Wangsun replied indifferently.

    ¡°Change my ass! Who the fuck do you think you are?!¡±

    Pei Qiansui¡¯s face contorted into a vicious snarl. ¡°I may die today, but I will take you and everyone in this restaurant to the grave with me!¡±

    ¡°The price for humiliating me is DEATH!¡±

 Chapter 591: I Have A Book That Is Like Infinity

    Pei Qiansui roared, and his hands sank into Chu Wang¡¯s body. Then, he began pulling outward.

    The Soul Refining Hand refined souls to strengthen the practitioner¡¯s hands. It also gave the hands the ability to turn intangible and sink into the victim¡¯s headspace. That was how the martial art was able to extract one¡¯s soul and refine it. As the victim¡¯s soul was pinned in ce, they usually could not move until they were dead.

    Pei Qiansui¡¯s intangible hands were being melted by Chu Wangsun¡¯s righteous qi, but he kept pulling as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain. Face warped into a vicious snarl, he slowly pulled out a semi-transparent silhouette from Chu Wangsun¡¯s body.

    It was none other than his Yin God.

    ¡°A sage treats others with leniency. You can still turn around, Pei Qiansui!¡± Chu Wangsun with his usual indifference. It was almost as if the Yin God being pulled out wasn¡¯t his.

    ¡°Hahaha! Fuck your sage nonsense! Just die!¡± Delight and excitement danced on Pei Qiansui¡¯s face when he saw that he was moments away from extracting Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God from his body. Chu Wangsun was a Half-Step Grandmaster with an exceptionally sturdy Yin God, so of course he wasn¡¯t able to refine and annihte it at first notice. But if he could pull Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God out of his body, then he could shove it into the Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact his master gave him, the Soul Refining Furnace, and refine it until it perished.

    Unfortunately, Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God became stuck after he reached the halfway point. No matter how hard he pulled, the Yin God refused to budge an inch further.

    ¡°How about this?!¡±

    Pei Qiansui growled, and a pair of arms reached out from the void. The arms were pitch ck and looked semi-transparent. Strange, demonic patterns covered its skin, and it formed a human face each on the back of the hands. The human face looked warped and hateful, and it was letting out a cacophony of unholy screams and wails that disturbed the mind.Invisible, formless tentacles began growing out of the mouth at the back of the hands. They swayed left and right in the air.

    <em>¡°Yin God: Demon Extracting Hands¡±</em>

    The tentacles growing out of the Demon Extracting Hands wasted no time in prating Chu Wangsun¡¯s body and wrapping around his Yin God.

    Now that the Yin God was in y, Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God finally began moving once.

    At the same time, an oddly-shaped furnace appeared above Pei Qiansui¡¯s head. It was shaped like a human head where scarlet blood was constantly gushing out of the eyes, ears, nose and mouth. The blood converged at the bottom of the furnace and formed a zing red inferno.

    This was Pei Qiansui¡¯s Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact, the Soul Refining Furnace, and it could refine all yin-type beings in the world. So long as the target was a yin soul or a ghost and not a Grandmaster or higher, then they could not break free from the Soul Refining Furnace¡¯s confinement. They would be refined and converted into Pei Qiansui¡¯s strength.

    Trapped within the Soul Refining Furnace, no ghost or yin soul would ever see the light of day.

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re dead, Chu Wangsun! Dead!¡±

    After Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God was fully pulled out of his body, the human mouth of the Soul Refining Furnace opened wide as if it would swallow the Yin God whole.

    Chu Wangsun was too arrogant. So arrogant, that he never even took away his Strange Artifact or ced a restriction on him.

    A swimmer often died because they drowned. The overconfident usually died because they were overconfident. That was why Chu Wangsun was going to die today.

    ¡°Stubborn and unrepentant. It looks like there¡¯s no saving you.¡±

    It was at this moment Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God spoke up. Despite the dire circumstances he was in, the schr¡¯s tone never changed even a little. ¡°The sage said, ¡®To y before teaching is not good, but to y one who does not repent after teaching is good!¡±

    As it spoke, Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God grew increasingly tangible until it took the form of a sage wearing a loose robe with big sleeves and a square crown on its head. It was also holding a book named ¡°On The Subject of Wisdom¡±.

    ¡°The sage disciplines himself and so is immune to all evils. Freeze!¡±

    The sage spoke, and his power followed. As soon as Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God made its solemn, eminent deration, the guests still inside the restaurant, the Soul Refining Furnace falling toward it, and the cackling Pei Qiansui all froze in ce.

    ¡°The sage loathes evil and so ys demons and monsters. y!¡±

    As soon as it said this, killing intent unlike anything anyone had ever felt filled the restaurant in an instant. It was like the rage of the Son of Heaven, a million deaths on the battlefield, and rivers of blood that flowed hundreds and hundreds of kilometers without end.

    First, the invisible tentacles wrapped around Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God crumbled into nothing.

    Then, Pei Qiansui¡¯s arms were sliced clean through from the shoulders.

    Finally, a red mark slowly appeared on his neck. When the freezing stopped, his head would probably fall right off his neck.

    Shock and fear churned in Pei Qiansui¡¯s eyes. However, none were as strong as his regret.

    He thought he had already made up his mind. He was going to lie low until he grew strong enough to kill Chu Wangsun and everyone here and wash away the humiliation he suffered today. So why was it that he was able to swallow his indignity while the humiliating punishment was going on, but he suddenly lost his cool after it was finally over?

    It was almost as if a voice was whispering sweet nothings beside his ears. It told him that his tolerance was unnecessary, and that the only way he might vent his hatred and wash away today¡¯s humiliation was if he acted <em>now. </em>At that moment, his anger, hatred and killing intent punched right through his mental defense like a volcano that could not be stopped and annihted his initial n to endure.

    At that moment, all that was left in him was murder.

    His regretsted only for an instant, however. After all, it was already toote to change the oue. And if it was already toote to change the oue, then why bother? If he died, he died. Since ancient times, countless sons and daughters of the <em>jianghu </em>had died for one reason or another. What was there to be afraid of?

    He wasn¡¯t going to die with a whimper though, and he definitely wasn¡¯t going to give Chu Wangsun or the bastards who were watching from the sidelines andughing at his misery a good time. He might not be able to kill Chu Wangsun, but he was going to take everyone else to the grave with him.

    ¡°Hahaha! You love being a sage, don¡¯t you? Okay! I¡¯ll fulfill your wish!¡±

    Right as Pei Qiansui¡¯s head rolled off his neck, his Yin God, the Demon Extracting Hands abruptly broke free from the sage¡¯s shackles. At the same time, Pei Qiansui¡¯s face appeared on the back of the Demon Extracting Hands,ughing.

    ¡°Everyone here ising to the afterlife with me. You will be the reason they all died today!¡±

    ¡°If you fail to save even one of them, then you can¡¯t possibly call yourself a disciple of the sages anymore, can you? Ahahahahaha!¡±

    Pei Qiansui¡¯s maddenedughter continued as the demonic patterns etched on the Demon Extracting Hands began swelling and discharging demonic qi in every direction. At the same time, a terrifying, destructive pressure began seeping out of the Yin God.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to detonate his Yin God! Everyone, run!¡±

    Xie Taohua nched and appeared outside the restaurant in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, the rest of the guests were still standing in ce with dumbfounded expressions.

    Chu Wangsun had discovered Pei Qiansui¡¯s scheme at first notice, but despite his best efforts, he was still toote to stifle his efforts. For the first time, his eyebrows wrinkled a little.

    Pei Qiansui was the eighteenth ranker on the Human Champions Ranking and a powerfulte-stage Spirit Master. If he was allowed to detonate his Yin God, then Number One and everything within a hundred meters of him was going to be annihted into dust.

    Number One was the most famous restaurant in Bei You, and countless guests visited it everyday. Not only that, Number One was located at the city center and dining area. The amount of traffic that went through this ce was considerable to say the least. If Pei Qiansui seeded, then the consequences were unimaginable to say the least.

    He could not allow it to happen no matter what.

    The book Chu Wangsun¡¯s Yin God was holding began flipping open on its own. Countless ancient seal scripts flew out of the book, and the sounds of reading filled the restaurant. It sounded like countless schrs were reading the sages¡¯ scriptures out loud.

    <em>¡°The wind, the rain, the sounds of reading.</em>

    <em>Family matters, national matters, worldly matters.¡±</em>

    The ancient seal scripts came together to form a profound image that looked like an infinite expanse and stars. It wrapped around Pei Qiansui¡¯s Yin God.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    As soon as the ancient seal scripts wrapped around Pei Qiansui¡¯s Yin God, thetter finally reached its limit and exploded. There was no sound, and the shockwave that rippled across the restaurant was barely noticeable. Still, everyone¡¯s heart skipped a beat despite themselves.

    In the sky, a giant fireball was burning furiously and attempting to expand in every direction. Countless ancient seal scripts were destroyed in the attempt to contain the fireball, but the seal scripts were endless. They formed a tapestry of an eternal, infinite sky that could not be ovee no matter what. The Yin God¡¯s detonation was powerful, but what was a supernova in the tapestry that was the infinite universe itself? A sh in the pan. A dot in the sky.

    Naturally, a mere dot in the sky could produce no waves.

    ¡°I have a book that is like infinity.

    The sun may fall,

    The moon may crumble,

    But my book shall epass it all.¡±

 Chapter 592: Righteous Qi Like The Blue Sun

    The star extinguished, regenerated, then extinguished again. It seemed infinite and unending, but even the brightest stars must go dark eventually.

    It felt like time was crawling at a snail¡¯s pace, and the giant fireball might burn forever. In reality, it onlyst an instant. When the energy generated from Pei Qiansui¡¯s suicide had vanishedpletely, an involuntary tremble coursed through Chu Wangsun¡¯s body. The book in his hand also turned tattered and dim.

    However, Chu Wangsun¡¯s face twitched yet again. It was because the Soul Refining Furnace suddenly began shaking all of a sudden. Scarlet mes were gushing out of its orifices, the mes themselves were bubbling with unimaginable heat, and the unholy screams were growing louder by the second. At the same time, the Soul Refining Furnace grewrger, and the face on the Strange Artifact was slowlying alive. It wasughing at everyone and everything.

    One could vaguely see what seemed like infinite darkness and evil in its gaping maw.

    The next moment, countless eerie white arms stretched out of its mouth. Their frantic movements resembled the ghosts of Nine Nethers trying to escape the eternal prison and descend onto the human world.

    The atmosphere in Number One instantly turned cold and dark. Yin wind blew furiously, and ghastly screams filled the ears. Everyone felt as cold as ice and almost distracted by the sudden change. It was like the restaurant had plunged into a ghastly domain.

    ¡°The Strange Artifact is resurrecting?!¡±

    At the distance, Xie Taohua¡¯s already paleplexion grew even paler. Even he had underestimated Pei Qiansui¡¯s ruthlessness and viciousness. Not only had he destroyed his own Yin God, he had resurrected his Strange Artifact as well.

    In essence, a Strange Artifact was a special kind of Stranger. When people said that a Strange Artifact had resurrected, they meant that the Strange Artifact was transforming into a Stranger that was no longer under anyone¡¯smand.Of course, resurrecting a Strange Artifact was no easy feat. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t something that could be done with, say, the mere press of a button.

    First, the Strange Artifact must be ownerless or at a near uncontroble state for a long time.

    Second, the darker, stranger, and more powerful a Strange Artifact was, the higher the chances it mighte back to life.

    It was said that the main ingredient used to forge the Soul Refining Furnace was the skull of the Disaster-ss Stranger, Devourer of Souls[1].

    Devourer of Souls had a human head but a monkey¡¯s body. Itsughter sounded like a wail, and it lived on living souls. Whenever it made an appearance, everything within tens of kilometers would transform into a ghastly hell where countless ghosts were loose. Any living being who was unfortunate enough to appear in its domain would be hunted down and consumed by the ghosts.

    When the ghosts had consumed every living soul in its domain, Devourer of Souls would disappear somewhere. However, the ghastly hell where all living souls had been consumed would remain for all to witness.

    Every time Devourer of Souls appeared, there would be terrible casualties. It was why it was deemed as evil and terrifying.

    The Soul Refining Furnace was made from Devourer of Souls¡¯ skull. Naturally, it was evil, deadly, and had an extremely high chance of resurrecting, not to mention that Pei Qiansui often used it to ughter innocents and other inhuman atrocities and intentionally pushed it to the brink of resurrection.

    And why did he do such a thing, pray tell? The answer was simple: to use it as a trump card if he encountered a danger that he could not possibly defeat. Devourer of Souls would return to the world and transform a whole region into a ghastly domain of hell. Best case scenario, the Stranger would keep his enemy upied while he made his escape. If his enemy turned out to be stronger than expected, he could still use the surrounding people as hostages and negotiate for his freedom.

    After all, few people would be willing to allow Devourer of Souls to resurrect in the middle of a highly popted city, especially those who fancied themselves as noblemen of righteous sects or so-called virtuous heroes.

    Some people might think that his scheme to use innocent lives as hostages to negotiate for his survival was despicable, shameless and cruel, there was a reason he wasbeled as a heretic and a monster. If the sanctity of life meant anything to him at all, then he would be loathed and hunted no matter where he went. Selfishness and indifference toward all life were their motto.

    Pei Qiansui wasn¡¯t unique among his brethren. There were many heretics who carried at least one such ¡°trump card¡± with them, if not more¡ªand that brought up a curious question. Why didn¡¯t Pei Qiansui use his trump card to threaten Chu Wangsun and negotiate for his freedom? That was the point of the trump card, wasn¡¯t it? Instead, he chose to stain his reputation and throw his Saint¡¯s Heart into disarray at the cost of his own life. Just why?

    Now was the time to think about this, however. The resurrection of the Soul Refining Furnace took precedence.

    The Soul Refining Furnace was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. If it resurrected, it could not hope topare with a true Devourer of Souls, but it could still transform everything within several kilometers into a ghastly hell. As this was the city center and the most prosperous area of Bei You, thousands, if not tens of thousands of people would suffer if Pei Qiansui seeded.

    ¡°Brother Chu, we need to stop it! We can¡¯t allow it to resurrect no matter what!¡±

    Xie Taohua was no sage, but he was no heartless viin either. He had no desire to witness a bloody massacre. Without hesitation, he rushed toward the Soul Refining Furnace.

    Xie Taohua knew full well what would happen if the Soul Refining Furnace was allowed to resurrect, and Chu Wangsun was no exception. The second he spoke, Chu Wangsun abruptly grabbed the resurrecting Strange Artifact and took a step toward the exit.

    A strange, illusory door abruptly appeared at the exit, and Chu Wangsun stepped right through it. The door shook a little, and Chu Wangsun vanished into thin air just like that.

    After he was gone, the eerie, dark atmosphere gripping everyone by their throats abruptly disappeared as well.

    It was at this moment everyone in Number One finally awakened from their stupor and exchanged confused nces with each other. They had no idea what just happened. They had no idea that they had been one moment away from hell.

    Xie Taohua shot the guests a nce before dashing toward the city gates as fast as he was able. He had no idea that one man had disappeared from the second floor as well.

    ¡­¡­

    There was a withered forest where not a soul could be spotted anywhere about five kilometers away from Bei You.

    The forest was called the Withered Forest, and as its name implied, every single tree in this forest was dead and lifeless.

    It wasn¡¯t because Bei You¡¯s environment was poor, however. Yes, Bei You had poor rainfall and was generally unsuitable for nt growth, but these trees were born this way. It was also why they were called ¡°Withered Trees¡±.

    A Withered Tree was a Malice-ss Stranger that was shaped like a withered tree. It usually lived in groups, and any living being who wandered into a forest of Withered Trees would be withered, drained and fatigued over time. While a human would not die if they approached the Withered Forest, they would feel thirsty and tired much faster than usual.

    This was why there was no human or animal within several kilometers of Withered Forest.

    Today, the peace of Withered Forest was disturbed by an uninvited guest. An illusory door suddenly opened above their heads, and a man stepped out from behind that door. The second he did, the sky darkened, the yin wind blew, and the ghosts wailed of torture and suffering.

    The unholy phenomenon came from the furnace the man was holding in his hand. It was none other than Chu Wangsun and the Soul Refining Furnace.

    By now, the Soul Refining Furnace had already resurrected. The darkened environment and myriad ghosts were proof of this. However, Chu Wangsun paid them no attention. He simply gripped the Soul Refining Furnace tighter and tighter.

    ¡°Uwah!¡±

    Laughter that wasn¡¯tughter and cries that weren¡¯t cries came from the furnace. Countless cold, white arms reached out from the Soul Refining Furnace and grabbed Chu Wangsun¡¯s arm. It looked like they were nning to drag him into the furnace.

    The swarm of ghosts roaming the Withered Forest also turned around and surged toward Chu Wangsun like a tidal wave.

    ¡°Righteous qi is like the blue sun¡­¡± Chu Wangsun whispered without looking at the ghosts. Light descended from above as if the sun was slowly rising from the horizon.

    ¡°... it repels the shadows and exposes the monsters.¡±

    The ghosts had nowhere to hide under the light. They didn¡¯t even have the time to struggle before the tidal wave of ghosts dissolved into green smoke.

    The pale arms grabbing Chu Wangsun also let go as if his arm was made of molten steel. Most of them sizzled and melted into nothing just like that, and those that somehow survived hastily pulled back into the Soul Refining Furnace.

    1. There¡¯s already a Soul Devourer and Soul Eater lol. ?

 Chapter 593: Wind And Thunder From My Fist

    <h4>Chapter 593: Wind And Thunder From My Fist </h4>

    <i>Crack... crack...</i>

    Chu Wangsun continued to tighten his grip around the Soul Refining Furnace until it began to warp and crack. Spider webs began spreading across its surface, and ck liquid leaked out of the cracks.

    The ck liquid was filthy and tainted. As it slid down Chu Wangsun¡¯s fingers, they transformed into all kinds of faces that made all kinds of noises. There were children, old men, beauties and scary-looking men; cries,ughter, begging and threats...

    But Chu Wangsun ignored it all. A selfless person needed not be gued by the troubles of red dust.

    In the end, a hateful, defiant scream erupted from the Soul Refining Furnace before it exploded into smithereens.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    The wind changed, and the clouds trembled. A shockwave so potent it felt like it could tten mountains and overturn seas washed out from the Soul Refining Furnace.

    The thick, earthen ground was flipped upside down, the tough Withered Trees were uprooted like nothing, and even the morning sun was blown off the sky.

    At that moment, heaven and earth changed ces, and the wind and rain howled like the apocalypse.

    The white-robed man at the center of the shockwave remained unmoved, however. The wind could not push him, and the rain could not touch him. Small he might be, he was as tough as an immovable rock in a raging river. He could not be no moved no matter how hard the elements tried to wear him down.

    The shockwavested about a dozen or so breaths. By the time it finally ended, everything within several kilometers waspletely destroyed. What was once a forest was now just a barren, empty wastnd.

    Chu Wangsun remained untouched, however. Not one corner of his white robe was ruffled, and his indifferent expression had not changed one bit. If someone didn¡¯t know better, they would have thought that nothing had happened at all.

    He took a moment to wipe away the dust that had attached themselves to his sleeves and straightened his attire. Once done, he got ready to leave. At that moment, there was no doubt that he looked both cool and impressive.

    However, Chu Wangsun had just lifted his foot off the ground when suddenly, his brow wrinkled a little. Then, he moved his hand forward.

    The gesture seemed as harmless as it was ordinary, but it resulted in a surprise thunderp that deafened the ears. The ground beneath his foot also rippled like waves. It looked calm and peaceful, but it was anything but.

    The next moment, a person abruptly appeared in front of Chu Wangsun. Their fist was caught firmly in Chu Wangsun¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Chu Wangsun asked indifferently. He sounded so calm it was almost as if he was speaking to a harmless stranger, not a dangerous warrior who just tried to ambush him.

    Instead of answering, the man raised and dropped his shoulders. His movements looked simple, but it was really like he was shaking off a mountain range from his shoulders: vast, heavy, and unshakeable.

    The arm pressed up against Chu Wangsun¡¯s palm rxed and tightened in tandem with the gesture. When it rxed, all was calm, and not a ripple could be spotted across the four seas. When it tightened, wrath filled the heavens, and dragons got ready to turn the earth upside down.

    <i>BOOM!!!</i>

    A thunderp erupted from the point between the fist and the palm once more. It was shorter but louder than the previous noise.

    As soon as the thunderp happened, the space surrounding the duo shook violently. Then, it began to shatter bit by bit like ss.

    Wind and thunder could happen in a room. A world could be held at the center of one¡¯s palm.

    Slowly, a hint of astonishment spread across Chu Wangsun¡¯s face. His arm was slowly being pushed backward, and every time it was pushed back an inch, his spotless sleeve would crumble a little. Three inchester, the sleeve waspletely destroyed, and his elbow just happened to hit him in his chest.

    <i>BANG!</i>

    It sounded like a celestial striking the gong of heaven, loud and powerful. The ground behind Chu Wangsun¡¯s back abruptly soared at least dozens of meters into the air like a wave that struck a reef.

    ¡°Who sent you?¡±

    Despite looking like he had lost the bout, Chu Wangsun remained as calm as ever.

    He wasn¡¯t arrogant, he just knew that he could not be beaten. After all, his opponent was just an early-stage Spirit Master.

    In his opinion, there was no qualitative difference between an early-stage Spirit Master and an ant. Both could be squashed with a single finger.

    It was also why he wanted to know what gave an early-stage Spirit Master the audacity to ambush him.

    Had he had enough of life?

    Or was he acting under someone else¡¯s orders?

    Chu Wangsun personally believed that it was thetter. Despite being an early-stage Spirit Master, the fist art his attacker disyed was most sublime. He could not possibly be a nobody. That was why he asked that question.

    He hade to Bei You for the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance. He hadn¡¯t exactly kept a low profile, but he certainly wasn¡¯t announcing his itinerary for all to know either. So why did someone try to kill him as soon as he arrived at Bei You?

    He wanted to know who was the mastermind behind this. That was why he hadn¡¯t killed the attacker immediately or asked them about their objective.

    The answer he got was a fist to the face. Frowning, Chu Wangsun pressed his index and middle fingers together and thrust it toward the fist.

    The gesture looked harmless, but rules existed even in the middle of nowhere, and the traces of the sages were everywhere. It was as if the world was a ssroom, and the traces were the marks a sage left behind while educating a disciple.

    A finger was both a ruler and a rule of some sort. More importantly, it represented the words of a sage.

    A disciple could not help but obey the words of a sage, no?

    That was why the technique Chu Wangsun used was called, ¡°Follow The Rule¡±. It was proper etiquette for a disciple to follow a rule, and when someone was following a rule, they should withdraw their force, quell their intent, extinguish their qi, and bow their heads. After all, what kind of disciple would tower over his teacher?

    The fist was overflowing with power and speed at the beginning, but over time, it grew slower and gentler.

    What was a fist with neither power nor speed? A toothless tiger. And what could a toothless tiger kill? Nothing.

    When Chu Wangsun¡¯s fingers made contact with the person¡¯s fist, they immediately let out a muffled groan. Their arm popped and cracked like the muscles and bones were shattering inch by inch, theirplexion kept alternating between blue and white, blood was spurting out of their orifices, and their legs sank all the way to the knees. Thunder could be heard rumbling beneath the earth.

    But Chu Wangsun was surprised. He knew full well how powerful his technique was. Influenced by ¡°Follow The Rule¡±, his opponent¡¯s fist force, fist intent and strength were weakened to the max. It would not be an exaggeration to say that ny-nine percent of their power was suppressed.

    That was why few people at his cultivation level could take the technique head on, much less an early-stage Spirit Master. And yet, his attacker did.

    This was the end of the line for them though. His technique had broken their arm bones and damaged their internal organs. They should not be able to put up a fight anymore.

    He was wrong. As the man¡¯s feet sank into the ground, he abruptly loosened his clenched fingers and turned his wrist around. At the same time, a series of crisp and dense pops erupted from his arm like a string of firecrackers.

    The person¡¯s fingers wrapped around his wrist, and a tremendous strength pulled Cu Wangsun forward. Even with his power, he was caught off guard and pulled forward against his will. The person themselves were leaning toward him as well.

    From a distance, it looked like two best friends who hadn¡¯t seen each other for years hugging each other to express their boundless joy. In reality, the scene was nowhere as touching or harmless.

    For the first time, anger appeared on Chu Wangsun¡¯s face. It was because he knew his attacker had tricked him¡ªor more urately, he had underestimated their strength.

    The power his opponent had disyed up until now was that of an early-stage Spirit Master. Although their explosive power and the perfect blend of strength, force and intent were quite something, it was at most equal to the full-powered attack of a middle-stage Spirit Master. To him, it was akin to a child reciting a poem at the age of three. It was impressive, but that was it.

    But now, the strength of the pull told him loud and clear that his opponent had been hiding their strength. He wasn¡¯t an early-stage Spirit Master at all¡ªthey were ate-stage Spirit Master.

    They were no ordinaryte-stage Spirit Master either. They were a body-temperingte-stage Spirit Master.

    It was never a good thing to allow a body-tempering warrior to get within melee range. Although he was a Half-Step Grandmaster who was aplished both in the way of literature and martial, he did just endure the explosion of Pei Qiansui¡¯s Yin God and singlehandedly quelled the resurrection of a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. He was quite tired to say the least. That was why the attacker¡¯s ploy made him feel just a little threatened, and why he was angry.

 Chapter 594: That All You Got, Chu Wangsun?

    <h4>Chapter 594: That All You Got, Chu Wangsun? </h4>

    When a Son of Heaven was angry, millions died, and the blood ran for hundreds of kilometers.

    When a sage was angry, the sky cowered, and the demons went into hiding to avoid their wrath.

    Chu Wangsun was neither a Son of Heaven nor a sage, but he was born with a Saint¡¯s Heart. That was why he conducted himself like a sage, respected the deeds of a sage, and nurtured the Qi of Greatness in his chest.

    It was also why the wind scattered, the clouds crumbled, and the silhouette of a sage appeared in the sky when he was angry. Carrying a book in his hand, it looked both solemn and untouchable.

    Chu Wangsun himself was surrounded by a cyclone of righteous qi. It ran like an endless river and shone like the morning sun itself.

    At a distance, it was as if the sun itself had crashed against the ground. Blinding white light filled the world in an instant, and nothing could be seen except pure white. The only proof that the world hadn¡¯t disappeared outright was the rumbling earth beneath one¡¯s feet, and even then, everything except the earth was dissolving into ash or outright nothingness.

    The evils were annihted; the demons were fading away. At the center of the light was Chu Wangsun, and he was the morning sun that just crashed upon the world.

    The person opposite him was, of course, the foolish evil and demon who dared to challenge the light.

    The terrible outburst of righteous qi stripped away the attacker¡¯s flesh and blood like the sun melted away ice and snow, but much, much faster. Their arm turned into skeleton in an instant, and even the white bones grew ashen and withered in no time at all.

    But despite the fact that their arm had turned into charcoal, the attacker still did not let go of Chu Wangsun. In fact, the strength of their pull had not diminished in the slightest, leaving the schr no choice but to fall into their embrace.

    When Chu Wangsun was just three inches away from his opponent, the attacker suddenly pulled their right leg out of the ground and thrust his knee upward. Lift, bend, knee. The three actions were performed so smoothly they might as well be one.

    There was nothing unusual orplicated about a knee strike, and yet Chu Wangsun¡¯s heart fluttered against his will. The lift was as swift as a sudden hurricane, the bend was like a dragon getting ready to burst out of the abyss, and the knee was the dragon shooting through the air and piercing the nine heavens themselves.

    Chu Wangsun dared not underestimate the attack. He immediately let go of the attacker¡¯s right hand and brought his palm down on the rising knee.

    The dragon sought to rise above the nine heavens?

    Did they ask if the nine heavens agree?

    The palm and the knee parted as soon as they made contact. Before the sound of impact could even begin, Chu Wangsun¡¯s left hand was thrown up with enough force to shatter wind and clouds, whereas the attacker¡¯s right leg fell to the ground even faster than when they raised it.

    <i>BOOM</i>

    As soon as the attacker¡¯s right foot touched the soil, the ground within sixty meters of the duo abruptly shattered into pieces and copsed.

    The thunder was loud, and the lightning was no less fierce. At first nce, it seemed like the result of the sh was a stalemate. However, Chu Wangsun was frowning, and the attacker had broken into a grin.

    The sh looked like it had ended in a stalemate, but in reality, it was Chu Wangsun who suffered a minor loss. It was because the knee strike had sessfully thrown his left arm upward despite himself. His right arm was still caught by his opponent, and his left arm was currently suspended above his head.

    This meant that he waspletely open right now.

    Chu Wangsun thought that this was exactly what his attacker was aiming for, and he was right. As soon as his guard was blown apart, the man¡¯s right fist immediately withdrew an inch like a viper getting ready to pounce on its prey. It was just an inch, but it was enough for the fist to refresh its energies and umte its strength.

    Then, the dragon soared.

    A cyclone of righteous qi attempted to block the rising dragon¡¯s path, but it kept climbing like a koi climbing a waterfall. Neither wind nor wave could stop its ascent. It crushed them all.

    The righteous qi cleaved his fist in half as a result.

    Chu Wangsun¡¯s response toward the dragon that was soaring straight for his face was to open his mouth and blow out a puff of bright, shiny air.

    The puff of air wasn¡¯t as vast or sharp as the righteous qi surrounding Chu Wangsun, but it was as clear as the moon and as bright as the stars. It was neutral, warm, and soothing.

    The puff of air shed against the rising dragon, and it looked like the oue was obvious. The air was weak, and the dragon was strong. The dragon should have blown away the air like a tree crashing on top of an ant.

    In reality, it was the dragon who lost. Not only that, it was cleaved in half without any resistance.

    <i>¡°I have a puff of air that ys rising dragons. Hence, its name is Dragon yer.¡±</i>

    The ¡°rising dragon¡± wasn¡¯t actually a dragon, of course. The ¡°Dragon yer¡± wasn¡¯t actually meant to y a true dragon either. The ¡°dragon¡± in its name was an allusion to a person¡¯s arm.

    Half of the attacker¡¯s arm was gone just like that. It started from the palm and ended at the shoulder. It was a horrific sight.

    It also looked like Chu Wangsun had won the war.

    Then, the attacker did something Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t expecting at all. They leaned forward and abruptly headbutted him.

    Chu Wangsun had never been put in a position where such a crude and bruttish method could work against him. So, he took the headbutt head¡ªor more urately, <i>nose</i> on.

    Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t a body-tempering warrior either. Although his body was definitely stronger than your average Half-Step Grandmaster, it was still iparable to a body-tempering warrior of the same cultivation level. Not only that, his opponent had aimed at his nose and eyes; both the weakest spots on his face. Naturally, his nose was shattered like ss, tears and snot streamed down his face, and stars flew circles around his head.

    Before he could react, the rm bells in his head rang louder and faster than ever before. He saw the man spitting out a jet of purple mes from his mouth.

    As soon as the purple me appeared, the surrounding space warped and smelled like ash. The dazzling light was dyed purple in an instant.

    Purple intent filled the air, and scorching heat burned the sky.

    The me looked puny, but it was more potent than even the righteous qi surrounding Chu Wangsun.

    <i>The Purple Sun Trueme?!</i>

    The thought shed through Chu Wangsun¡¯s head as he attempted to spit out his brilliant puff of air once more.

    He just yed a dragon earlier. He did not mind piercing a purple sun as a bonus.

    Unfortunately, he was toote. They were mere inches away from one another after all. His ¡°Dragon yer¡± had just reached his lips when the Purple Sun Trueme closed the distancepletely, not to mention that his right hand was still caught in a death grip. There was nowhere he could run, nowhere he could hide.

    The Purple Sun Trueme enveloped his headpletely.

    The powerful me burned through Chu Wangsun¡¯s flesh and blood in just the blink of an eye. At that monster, he looked like a monster masquerading as a human.

    The purple mes failed to burn through Chu Wangsun¡¯s eyes, however. It shone as brilliant, cold, and heartless as the moon itself.

    The next moment, a sun appeared in Chu Wangsun¡¯s left eye, and the moon in his right. The sun was rising, and the moon was falling.

    The sun and moon had traded ces for eons before, never to appear at the same time for too long, and it would continue for eons more. The world wept at the eternal, never-changing cycle.

    The next moment, the sun and moon seemingly crossed through the eternal river of time and space and appeared in the attacker¡¯s mind.

    The technique was a Magia, a mental offensive-type Magia to be exact. Its name was ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡±, and it was meant to allude to the eternal cycle of sun and moon. It could wither one¡¯s mind as if eons had passed in an instant and wipe out their Yin God¡¯s consciousness.

    He wanted to know who the mastermind was, but now, he just wanted his foe to die.

    Why? The answer was simple. He had never looked this bad in his life, nor so angry. That was why he didn¡¯t hold back any longer. He was going to wipe out his foe¡¯s mind and consciousness directly.

    However, a sudden grunt escaped Chu Wangsun¡¯s lips, and the sun and moon in his eyes abruptly shattered into pieces. Blood streamed down the corner of his eyes as he staggered away from his foe.

    His foe looked just as bad. Actually, no, they looked worse. Blood was streaming down from every orifice, and they stumbled backward like they were drunk. Their eyes were nk and unfocused, and they looked like they might copse on the ground and die at any moment.

    They didn¡¯t though. After backing a dozen or so steps from Chu Wangsun, they caught themselves and stared straight at Chu Wangsun.

    Just when Chu Wangsun thought his opponent would resume the assault, their mouth slowly spread into a wide, toothy grin.

    ¡°Hahaha... That all you got, Chu Wangsun?¡±

    Chu Wangsun could only watch in astonishment as the attacker abruptly dashed toward the distance.

 Chapter 595: Pyrrhic Victory

    <h4>Chapter 595: Pyrrhic Victory </h4>

    ¡°They ran?¡±

    Chu Wangsun nked out for an instant. He wasn¡¯t expecting his attacker to make a sudden retreat, but then again, it made sense. It was true that he had taken a significant amount of damage, but the attacker had also suffered a worse blow. If they kept this up, then the battle could only end with their death. That was why they chose to retreat.

    Chu Wangsun did not give chase. If the attacker hadid down a trap for him, then he was the one who would be in mortal peril.

    The injuries he had taken were no joke. First, he had singlehandedly dealt with Pei Qiansui¡¯s self-destruction and the resurrection of the Soul Refining Furnace. As a result, his energy reserves were severely depleted. Later, the mysterious attacker ambushed him, and while the battle onlysted a short time, it had been an extremely dangerous and exhausting affair as well.

    Second, his face injury. Now that the man was gone, the Purple Sun Trueme eating away at his flesh no longer had a source to fuel it. He was able to extinguish it easily as a result. However, it did not change the fact that his face was ruined by the Purple Sun Trueme, and even with his strength, it would take him a long, long time to uproot the fiery poison within his charred flesh and restore his face.

    Third, his Yin God¡¯s injury. Yes, his ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡± had severely injured the attacker, but he too suffered a rebound because of the attack. This was also what surprised him the most out of everything.

    ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡± was an extremely powerful mental offensive-type Magia. It was the emperor of Chu¡¯s gift to him after he took first ce in both the civil and martial examination. It came from the imperial family¡¯s martial vault, and only an imperial descendant was allowed to learn it. It was praised as the greatest Spirit Master-stage mental offensive-type secret art within the martial vault.

    But of course, the rating was subjective. Not only that, a good martial art was only good in the hands of a talented warrior. The greatest martial art in the world might look no better than a hoe swing in the hands of a warrior of inferior talent, while a hoe swing might look like the greatest martial art in the world in the hands of a genius warrior.

    He was undoubtedly the heaven-favored genius who could make a hoe swing look like the greatest martial art in the world, much less a martial art that was already incredible to begin with. Ever since he mastered ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡±, countless geniuses had lost or perished to the technique.

    He could not deny that ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡± yed a role in him bing undefeated during his younger days and the fourth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking today.

    The world wept because the sun and moon could never remain in the same sky for too long. Countless geniuses of his age too wept over the fact that he knew ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡±. One might say that ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡± was one of his greatest trump cards.

    When he used it against his attacker, he was sure it was the right move because a body-tempering warrior honed the body but not the mind. A weak mind was easily the biggest weakness of all body-tempering warriors. That was why he was certain that ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡± could easily wipe out their mind.

    He realized he was wrong when he entered his opponent¡¯s headspace though. The first thing he saw wasn¡¯t his opponent¡¯s Yin God, but a vast, seemingly boundless space where the sky and the earth were nowhere to be seen.

    At the center of the unusual world was a throne fashioned from a ck lotus, and seated on the throne was a grand, massive figure.

    The silhouette had no distinct shape or face. No rules bound them, and its power seemed boundless. It waved its hand and attempted to shatter his sun, moon, and Eternal Sorrow.

    He wasn¡¯t going to allow it, of course. The sun and moon changed ces, and everything in the world began aging rapidly. He attempted to wipe out his opponent¡¯s Yin God with the power of time.

    Two wisps of consciousness shed, and although his sun and moon sessfully dealt his opponent a huge blow, he was in their domain. The grand figure too shattered his Eternal Sorrow and annihted his wisp of consciousness, triggering a rebound.

    The end result was a double injury. He was the minor victor of this sh, but the fact that it was a small victory felt like a defeat.

    Why? Because his name was Chu Wangsun.

    He had never suffered a defeat since he became a warrior.

    To him, fighting a peer to a draw was no different from defeat, not to mention that his opponent¡¯s cultivation level was lower than his. Even if the fight had started with him being severely depleted, even if he had underestimated his opponent, even if his opponent was an extremely rare warrior who cultivated both body and mind, it still did not justify his defeat.

    After all, assuming his opponent was on the same cultivation level as him, then he would be the one making a run for it instead of his opponent, right?

    So he lost. It was a terrible defeat too.

    A flinty glint flickered in his eyes as Chu Wangsun bowed his head. A dark and suffocating pressure surrounded his person.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Suddenly, Chu Wangsun lifted his head and looked in a certain direction.

    A man wearing pink robes was dashing toward him at high speed. It was none other than Xie Taohua.

    Xie Taohua was wearing a look of shock and fear on his face as he stared at the ruins around him and felt the terrifying mixture of energies in the air.

    It was nothingpared to the shock he felt when he saw Chu Wangsun¡¯s charred face, however.

    <i>What on earth?</i>

    <i>What happened to Mister Nine? Why did he look like this?</i>

    <i>What on earth could push the powerful, terrifying, </i>invincible <i>Chu Wangsun to this extent?</i>

    <i>Have I gone blind?</i>

    <i>Or was the resurrection of a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact much greater than I expected?</i>

    A whileter, Xie Taohua finally managed to push down his shock and ask, ¡°Are... Are you alright, Brother Chu?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    As Chu Wangsun spoke, the charred flesh on his face fell off to reveal smooth, unblemished skin. However, the new skin seemed to be emitting wisps of hot, purple aura. Xie Taohua could still feel it even though he was standing about ten meters away from Chu Wangsun.

    Chu Wangsun couldn¡¯t seem to feel it, however. With a single wave of his hand, his tattered, filthy clothes returned to its usual state: clean and unblemished. He looked at Xie Taohua and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Instead of countering with one of the many questions brewing inside his head, Xie Taohua answered, ¡°I came to see if I could lend you a hand.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve resolved everything,¡± Chu Wangsun answered.

    <i>At what cost? </i>Xie Taohua thought, but of course he wasn¡¯t stupid enough to voice it. ¡°As expected of you, Brother Chu. This one is most impressed.¡±

    Xie Tao hesitated for a moment after paying thepliment. ¡°Can I say something, Brother Chu?¡±

    ¡°Share me your thoughts, Brother Xie!¡± Chu Wangsun answered.

    Xie Taohua obliged with a frown, ¡°I feel like Pei Qiansui wasn¡¯t acting like himself back at the restaurant.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chu Wangsun asked.

    Xie Taohua took a moment to organize his thoughts before answering, ¡°The Pei Qiansui I know isn¡¯t just a cruel man. He is also cunning and capable of great forbearance. Once, he pretended to be his target¡¯s underling for an entire year and never slipped up no matter how much work, pain, and humiliation his target dished out to him without slipping up. Then, when the time was right, he slew his target wlessly.¡±

    ¡°A man like him would never attack unless he was certain he could kill you. Therefore, I suspect that foul y is involved. Someone may have been behind this incident.¡±

    As he spoke, the strange man Xie Taohua saw on Peach Blossom Mountain suddenly entered his mind.

    <i>Could it be him?</i>

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Someone did make this happen.¡± Chu Wangsun nodded.

    ¡°Oh? How did you know?¡± Xie Taohua eximed in astonishment.

    Chu Wangsun answered honestly, ¡°I just fought them.¡±

    During the mental battle against his mysterious attacker, he had experienced their evil and anomalous Yin God firsthand. He was born with a Saint¡¯s Heart and extremely fair, but even he hade under assault by all sorts of illusions and emotional influences.

    Now that Xie Taohua mentioned it, he immediately figured out the ins and outs of the situation.

    So, it was all a ploy by the person. The goal was to pit them against each other and reap the rewards in the end.

    The coldness in Chu Wangsun¡¯s eyes deepened.

    ¡°You fought them?¡± Xie Taohua¡¯s mind failed to process Chu Wangsun¡¯s words in time before he blurted, ¡°Were they the one who dealt you your injuries, Brother Chu?¡±

    Chu Wangsun did not answer, but the pressure around him grew even more suffocating.

 Chapter 596: A Shame, But Not Really

    <h4>Chapter 596: A Shame, But Not Really </h4>

    ¡°Ahem...¡±

    Xie Taohua realized his mistake as soon as he said it. ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Brother Chu. What I mean is... where is that person right now?¡±

    ¡°They escaped!¡± Chu Wangsun answered simply.

    Xie Taohua seized the opportunity to pay him apliment. ¡°They still lost to you despite their meticulous nning. You are incredible, Brother Chu.¡±

    ¡°I lost,¡± Chu Wangsun said indifferently.

    Xie Taohua: ¡°...¡± <i>Bro, can you be less honest? Can¡¯t you tell that I¡¯mplimenting you?</i>

    Xie Taohua tried again, ¡°Ahem... still, you managed to repel a formidable foe when you¡¯re already spent. It¡¯s amendable feat.¡±

    ¡°They were weaker than me,¡± Chu Wangsun shut him down yet again.

    <i>If that¡¯s true, then why did you say it?! Isn¡¯t it normal to hide one¡¯s shame, not the other way around?! </i>Xie Taohua ranted mentally.

    Having no idea how to deal with Chu Wangsun¡¯s self-depreciation, Xie Taohua ultimately changed the subject. ¡°Do you know who they are, and why they¡¯re trying to kill you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Chu Wangsun shook his head. Although he had seen his attacker¡¯s face¡ªand it was a very ordinary face of a man, the kind that no one would pay attention to in a crowd¡ªand he was certain that he didn¡¯t recognize the face, there was a huge chance that it wasn''t their real face. They might not even be male for all he knew.

    He was unable to tell anything from their presence and the techniques they used either.

    More urately, his opponent hadn¡¯t used any techniques at all. From the start until the end, they had fought with just basic movements and strength. Even a plow swing had more technique than what they disyed.

    The attacker¡¯s attempt to conceal their identity wasn¡¯t wless, of course. They had inevitably revealed their enigmatic Yin God and Purple Sun Trueme to him.

    Unfortunately, it still wasn¡¯t enough for him to guess their identity or even their general background.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The next time we meet, I will recognize them and kill them.¡±

    He was speaking from the heart, and it was no empty boast. He never made the same mistake twice, and he did not intend to start now.

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    Xie Taohua was going to console Chu Wangsun, but the schr had gotten out of the funk on his own. In fact, he might not be in a funk to begin with. As expected of Chu Wangsun.

    He wasn¡¯t going to praise the guy a third time, of course. After all, he was the ninth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, and he wasn¡¯t a shameless bastard who cared nothing for his dignity. Twopliments were all he could pay Chu Wangsun before it really felt like he was debasing himself.

    Besides, he had no intentions of being let down again. He had never felt so tired and annoyedplimenting someone.

    It was at this moment Xie Taohua recalled something and reminded, ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s one more thing I need to speak with you about, Brother Chu. Pei Qiansui is Old Man of A Hundred Virtues¡¯ most cherished disciple, and he is very protective of his own. Although it is a third party who manipted the events so that Pei Qiansui would die in your hands, in the end, you did kill him. Beware of Old Man of A Hundred Virtues, for he is almost certainly going toe after you for revenge.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just one heretic. I have nothing to fear from him.¡± Chu Wangsun said indifferently, ¡°Is there anything else, Brother Xie? If not, then I¡¯ll be taking my leave.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else, Brother Chu. Please do as you please,¡± Xie Taohua hurriedly replied.

    There were two reasons he came over. One, he wanted to offer his help if it turned out to be necessary. The resurrection of a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact was no joke after all. His suspicions also yed a huge role in his initiative.

    Second, he wanted to make Chu Wangsun owe him a favor if possible, but from the looks of it, it wasn¡¯t going to happen.

    ¡°Very well. May we meet again someday,¡± Chu Wangsun replied before taking his leave.

    ¡°May we meet again.¡±

    After Chu Wangsun was gone, Xie Taohua perceived the chaotic energies still floating in the surrounding air and muttered to himself, ¡°Could it be him?¡±

    Logically speaking, it should be impossible. It was true that the mysterious man on Peach Blossom Mountain possessed the skill and power to influence one¡¯s mind and toy with one¡¯s heart without a trace, but he had also juste into his Yin God and be a Spirit Master. It should be impossible for him to be able to injure Chu Wangsun to this extent.

    The power gap was just too wide no matter how he looked at it.

    And yet... his subconscious just wouldn¡¯t stop saying otherwise. That that man was, against all odds, the one who injured Chu Wangsun.

    ¡°Forget it. Why am I even thinking about this? It has nothing to do with me to begin with.¡±

    Suddenly, Xie Taohua broke into a self-derisive smile and said to himself, ¡°I have not yet enjoyed all the beauties and colors the world has to offer. I have no time to stick my nose into other people¡¯s business, do I? Let it go! Let it go!¡±

    ......

    ¡°Hah... hah... thank goodness he didn¡¯t chase me.¡±

    On a small hill, Ye Qing was panting heavily while his powerful vigor healed his festering skin and horrid injuries bit by bit.

    When he confirmed that Chu Wangsun hadn¡¯t given chase, he finally allowed himself to fall on his ass and scratch his heavy, disoriented head with lingering trepidation.

    It should not need to be said, but the person who ambushed Chu Wangsun earlier was, of course, Ye Qing. But unlike what Chu Wangsun and Xie Taohua thought, it wasn¡¯t premeditated. It was just an impulse that he chose to indulge when the opportunity presented itself.

    At the beginning, he just wanted to make trouble for Chu Wangsun and test his strength a little. After all, Chu Wangsun was one of his sworn enemies. If it wasn¡¯t for the bastard, he would never have been in this situation. It was only a matter of time before he sought Chu Wangsun out for revenge anyway, so why would he allow the opportunity to find out just how strong the famous Mister Nine really was slip through his finger?

    However, Pei Qiansui turned out to be far more vtile than he expected. In a good way, of course. First, the man had detonated his Yin God. Then, he spurred his Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact to resurrect and forced Chu Wangsun to give it his all.

    When he realized that the schr was spent, he realized that a golden opportunity hadnded in hisp, and a voice suddenly spoke in his ears:

    <i>Hey, this looks like a great opportunity to eliminate Chu Wangsun. It¡¯s not everyday your greatest foe is in such a vulnerable state. Are you sure you want to capitalize on this opportunity?</i>

    He agreed with his inner voice, so he allowed his impulse to get the better of himself. He attacked Chu Wangsun.

    Unfortunately, reality was a harsh mistress. It was only after he shed against Chu Wangsun that he realized that, despite having expended most of his energies and even suffered a certain extent of injuries to stop Pei Qiansui¡¯s self-destruction and the resurrection of the Soul Refining Furnace, the schr remained unbelievably strong.

    Even when everything went his way, and Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t expecting him at all, the most he could manage was injuring him.

    Sure, he sessfully burned Chu Wangsun¡¯s face with the Purple Sun Trueme and even damaged Chu Wangsun¡¯s mind with his Heavenly Demon Yin God. Sure, it looked like everything had gone his way. But in reality? He was going to die if they kept fighting.

    And how did he know this? Because Chu Wangsun had never used a single Strange Artifact from start until the end. He refused to believe that a man like Chu Wangsun would not have one or more Strange Artifacts that could save his life or turn the tables against his opponent when all hope seemed lost.

    Besides that, Chu Wangsun¡¯s ¡°Eternal Sorrow¡± was seriously terrifying. It had shattered his Heavenly Demon Yin God and Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, and damaged his mind. Had he stayed for round two, his newly manifested Yin God would most likely be permanently destroyed, and he would fall back to the Spirit Purification stage. The risks were simply too great.

    Realizing that his ultimate objective could not be achieved, and he had already dished out all the damage he could, Ye Qing did not hesitate to book it.

    That was his n from the beginning anyway. If he could kill Chu Wangsun, then hurray! If not, then he was going to run like hell.

    He had never walked into this ambush with the determination to kill his opponent at the cost of his own life. That was why he fought Chu Wangsun with basic techniques and pure strength only. The thought of using his ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±, ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±, ¡°Divide¡±, ¡°Break Through¡± or more had never crossed his mind. After all, he had employed all these techniques at least once during the Hidden Dragon Conference, and if he still failed to kill Chu Wangsun in the end... it would basically be an announcement to the whole world that he, Ye Qing, was still alive, wouldn¡¯t it?

    That was thest thing he wanted to say the least.

    That was why he stuck to basic techniques only. Hell, he wouldn¡¯t even call them techniques. Any human could throw a punch, pull someone toward them, and lift a knee.

    He did use his Purple Sun Trueme and Heavenly Demon Yin God as well, but those were trump cards he gained after escaping from Tian Yong. Almost no one had seen them in action before, so he did not think Chu Wangsun could find anything from it.

    It was a bit of a shame that he failed to kill Chu Wangsun despite the schr practically being handed to him on a silver tter. He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t frustrated by this failure.

    Had he gone into this fight with fatalistic determination, had he unleashed everything he had, and had he sessfully grasped the ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡±... would today¡¯s oue be different?

    It was possible.

    But it was also just a possibility.

    He hadn¡¯t gone all out, but Chu Wangsun sure as hell hadn¡¯t either.

    So yes, it was a shame he failed to end Chu Wangsun here. But it wasn¡¯t a big shame.

 Chapter 597: Tomorrow, I Shall Cleave Chu Wangsun

    <h4>Chapter 597: Tomorrow, I Shall Cleave Chu Wangsun </h4>

    It wasn¡¯t like he got nothing out of his fight against Chu Wangsun, of course. At the very least, he found out just how strong his opponent was and what was the power gap between the two of them.

    The first time he encountered Chu Wangsun at the Ghost Tower, the schr had sent him fleeing with his tail tucked between his legs with a single finger. Today, the man he was once forced to look up to was now rolling on the floor trying to wipe away the shame and real injuries he had inflicted upon him. The memory alone was worth the trouble.

    A tiny smirk crept on Ye Qing¡¯s face when he thought this. He fell back on his back and stared at the white clouds in the blue sky for a moment. Then, heughed at the top of his lungs.

    Laughter shoulde to the young like breathing. The young should cut open the sky with a smile on their faces.

    ¡°Today, I humiliated my nemesis with my fists. Tomorrow, I shall cleave a Wangsun with my saber.¡±

    Ye Qing sang out loud while crossing his legs and tapping the ground with his fingers. For today at least, he deserved to be happy.

    A whileter, when Ye Qing was finally done venting his emotions, his smile was slowly reced by a serious expression.

    Despite how he made light of Chu Wangsun verbally, he had to admit that the schr was extremely strong. If the man had been in peak condition, he would probably be dead or half-dead by now. He would not have the leisure to sing insulting songs about his nemesis.

    He didn¡¯t feel too dejected though. Back at the Ghost Tower, he couldn¡¯t even take a single finger from Chu Wangsun. During the Hidden Dragon Conference, Chu Wangsun remained as untouchable as a celestial. But today? He proved that he was now strong enough to trade blows with him. In the future, who knows what will happen? Their positions could be reversedpletely, couldn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Never bully the young and downtrodden, for they won¡¯t remain that way forever.¡± Ye Qing was absolutely certain that he would surpass Chu Wangsun one day.

    For now though, he should focus on his cultivation.

    The Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was tempting, but... well, he would make up his mindter.

    There were still over three months before the Death Sea emerged. He had plenty of time to mull over his options.

    After lying on the hill for a little over two hours, and his external injuries had mostly recovered, Ye Qing got up and slowly made his way back to Bei You City.

    Sunrays shone down from the blue sky and covered the young man inyers of gold. It gave him the appearance of a morning sun.

    This was just the beginning. When the sun reaches the middle, none shall shine brighter than it.

    ......

    ¡°The previous year passes with the pop of firecrackers,

    Spring wind delivers warmth into every house,

    Tusu wine are shared to spread the joy,

    And a new year is upon us. A new year!¡±

    Inside the Temple of Divination, Ye Qing sighed while listening to the firecrackers popping all over Bei You City while enjoying a jar of Tusu wine.

    ¡°Indeed, a new year has reced the old yet again. Time sure flies quickly!¡±

    Yi Pin was also sitting on a recliner and enjoying a jar of Tusu wine that was warmed just right. He nced at Li Longxiang¡ªthe young man was busy warming the wine at the moment¡ªand sighed wistfully. ¡°And this foolish boy is a year older.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a year older as well, master,¡± Li Longxiang replied smilingly.

    ¡°Screw you! Who are you calling old?!¡± Yi Pin got angry and kicked Li Longxiang in the butt.

    ¡°Hehe...¡± Li Longxiang didn¡¯t dodge out of the way. He simply took the hit and let out a chuckle.

    ¡°Is he wrong though? You are a year older like the rest of us. The wrinkles on your face are so deep I reckon they can squeeze a fly to death!¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement. When he noticed the unkind look in the old Taoist¡¯s eyes, he hurriedly added, ¡°But! You remain hale and hearty despite the years, so who cares?¡±

    It was New Year¡¯s Eve, so Yi Pin kicked him out of his room first thing in the morning and made him work like a horse. Together, they swept the courtyard, bought a ton of New Year goods, pped some good couplets on the walls, changed the peachwood charms and more. They worked practically the whole day, and it wasn¡¯t untilte at night that they finally got the time to rx a little. Right now, they were sitting around a small stove, chatting and enjoying wine in the courtyard.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Yi Pin harrumphed and looked away in a tsundere fashion.

    ¡°Your wine cup is empty, senior uncle. I¡¯ll fill it for you.¡±

    Li Longxiang raised the pot cooking on the stove and poured some Tusu wine into Ye Qing¡¯s cup. ¡°My master used rhubarb, atractylodes rhizome, cinnamon, siler, pepper, aconitum, monkshood and more herbal medicine to create this Tusu wine. Not only is it nutritious and healthy, it can prevent illnesses, cure diseases, drive out the evils and repel miasma. It¡¯s also tasty to boot. They¡¯re one of my master¡¯s most cherished possessions, and he almost never brings them out unless it¡¯s a special asion!¡±

    ¡°Yes, the herbal aroma is strong, and the taste is thick and sublime. It¡¯s certainly tastier than all the wine I¡¯ve tasted until now!¡± Ye Qingplimented loudly on purpose, though he must admit that the old Taoist¡¯s Tusu wine was one of a kind.

    The Tusu wine was also known as the Age Wine. It was a drink every citizen of Chu enjoyed during New Year¡¯s Eve or New Year. It represented the departure of the old and ushering in the new.

    ¡°Hmph! At least your sense of taste is still intact.¡± Yi Pin¡¯s expression remained stern, but the tiny curls at the corner of his lips made it clear how he really felt.

    After saying that, Yi Pin kicked his disciple again and said, ¡°What about your master, boy? My cup is empty as well! Ever since your senior uncle showed up, you barely paid any attention to me...¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡± Li Longxiang did not get angry. He simply smiled and dutifully filled Yi Pin¡¯s cup as well.

    Yi Pin took a small sip before ordering, ¡°Longxiang, head to my room and bring the wooden box on the table to me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, master,¡± Li Longxiang responded and left immediately.

    After Li Longxiang was gone, Yi Pin hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re going to leave Bei You tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    He had mulled over his decision again and again during his secluded cultivation. In the end, he was unable to resist the temptation that was the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance.

    For one, he was hoping to get lucky. Yes, he would be going up against powerful champions such as the Sun Sovereign and Madman Chu, and there were even more young, gifted warriors like Chu Wangsun, and yes, his chances of obtaining the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was next to nothing.

    But what if he seeded? What household hadn¡¯t enjoyed at least one bowl of dumplings during New Year? What human hadn¡¯t gotten dogshit lucky at least several times in their life?

    Even if Lady Luck did not favor him this time, the experience would still be worth it.

    Two, he had several paybacks he needed to dish out. Chu Wangsun was one, Greeke Bai was another, and the Ghost Tower¡ªwhile not as severe as the previous two¡ªwas a third. Chu Wangsun was the one who damned him, Greeke Bai had framed him for a crime he didn¡¯tmit and put his life in danger, and Ghost Tower had tried to chase him down and kill him. This was a great opportunity to get all of them.

    Although Chu Wangsun was strong, Greeke Bai¡¯s power level was unknown, and Ghost Tower was a powerful faction, the Death Sea was a dangerous ce. No one was truly safe in a ce where anything could happen. Besides, there was only one Dark Overlord inheritance, so a battle was sure to break out. Who was to say he didn¡¯t have a chance if he roleyed the oriole?

    Finally, he had a strong premonition that his chance of perfecting the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± and bing a Grandmaster through his bodyy in the Death Sea.

    Even before he took part in Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s Trueman feast, his body had already reached the limit of what ate-stage Spirit Master could achieve. After refining a good amount of Profound Yellow Qi for the past couple days, he was finally able to advance the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡± and improve his body to the Half-Step Grandmaster stage.

    Of course, he was still a ways away from a Half-Step Grandmaster like Chen Ah Sheng as the brigand leader had had years to hone his cultivation, much less a genius like Chu Wangsun. The schr could have entered the Grandmaster stage a long time ago if he wanted to.

    There were still over three months before the Death Sea emerged. The reason he wanted to leave tomorrow was because he was hoping to temper himself on the way there. If possible, he wanted to lock down his body at the Half-Step Grandmaster stagepletely during this time so he could enter the Grandmaster stage at any moment.

    These were the reasons why he must head to the Death Sea. It was also why he told Yi Pin that he was leaving Bei You tomorrow. Of course, he wasn¡¯t able to tell the truth because of the Oath of Burden, and because he didn¡¯t want to worry the old Taoist. It was why he lied partially iming that he was going on a long trip to temper himself.

    ¡°Must you go?¡± Yi Pin asked with a frown.

    ¡°Huh? Are you trying to say something, brother? You can be frank with me!¡± Ye Qing frowned, puzzled. Hesitation was unbing of the old man.

    Yi Pin fell silent for a moment before staring at Ye Qing. ¡°You¡¯re not heading out just for a simple trip, are you?¡±

 Chapter 598: Tian Ling Ling, Di Ling Ling

    <h4>Chapter 598: Tian Ling Ling, Di Ling Ling </h4>

    ¡°What are you trying to say, brother?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glinted.

    Yi Pin answered, ¡°I performed a divination for you earlier. It states that your trip promises great opportunities.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, isn¡¯t it? So why do you look unhappy?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t think that Yi Pin would perform a divination for him. More importantly, he did not think that he would seed. He was the man with the Annon Sutra, and he knew that the Strange Artifact could conceal his fatepletely¡ªor at least, it did. Somehow, Yi Pin managed to circumvent the Annon Sutra¡¯s protection and divine his future. As expected of a former champion, he could do things he shouldn¡¯t be able to do even in his current state.

    ¡°I¡¯m not finished yet.¡±

    Yi Pin said seriously, ¡°Great opportunities are often apanied with great dangers, and this is no exception. My divination also told me that the dangers you face... may cost you your life.¡±

    ¡°Really? Like what?¡± Ye Qing feigned ignorance. Of course he knew he was going to face life-threatening dangers in the uing adventure. It was the Death Sea after all. It would be stranger if he didn¡¯t encounter any danger. He was curious to know if the old Taoist found out any specifics though.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Your fate is concealed, and the fate of the ce you¡¯re headed to is also concealed. The threads of karma are so thick that it is impossible to make out anything.¡± Yi Pin shook his head with a severe expression.

    <i>That¡¯s more like it! </i>Ye Qing thought to himself. He had the Annon Sutra, and the Death Sea was where the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was hidden. The man was an invincible, overpowered champion when he was alive, so it made sense that his burial ce was just as deadly. Otherwise, small fries like them would never have gotten a shot at the inheritance. The giants would have imed it for themselves a long time ago.

    Ye Qing teased Yi Pin, ¡°You found nothing? I knew you¡¯re a chatan!¡±

    That was what he said, but he was pretty touched by the old Taoist¡¯s gesture. The old man had gone through the effort of performing a divination for him as soon as he heard of the trip from Ye Qing.

    ¡°Hmph! You know nothing about divination! Just as some things should not be said too clearly, one should not attempt to look into the rivers of fate too closely either. In fact, the rivers of fate represent one facade of the will of the heavens. To look into it is to fight against the heavens themselves, and that is one battle one simply cannot win unless they have joined the heavens themselves!¡±

    Yi Pin huffed in annoyance. ¡°Besides, your karmic entanglement is one of the mostplex I¡¯ve seen, not to mention that the ce you¡¯re headed is just as mysterious and hidden. It¡¯s incredible I managed to find out that your journey will be apanied with great opportunities and greater dangers already, okay? I dare say any other diviner in my position would have suffered retribution from the heavens and died before they even began their work!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ying with you, brother. This trip of yours is seriously going to endanger your life. You best take me seriously!¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine! Sorry for questioning your expertise!¡± Ye Qing apologized smilingly. ¡°What advice do you have for me then?¡±

    ¡°The will of the heavens is difficult to disobey. The best thing you can do is to not tempt fate at all. In more secr terms, that means you just stay here and go nowhere!¡±

    Yi Pin stroked his beard as he continued, ¡°If you must go on an adventure, at least avoid this ce and head elsewhere.¡±

    Ye Qing fell silent for a moment before sighing. ¡°You said it yourself, brother. The will of the heavens is difficult to disobey.¡±

    A rare silence overcame Yi Pin. He then asked, ¡°Must you go?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°I must.¡±

    Yi Pin did not say anything, and the conversation died there. For a while, there was only the crackling fire of the stove, popping wine bubbles, and the rich fragrance of wine.

    A wine could not know the sorrow of parting. No matter the circumstances, it could only offer its unique scent and taste.

    ¡°Alright. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. A man should have an optimistic outlook toward life. Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? Yes, there will be great dangers up ahead, but also great opportunities.¡±

    Ye Qing grabbed the wine pot and personally filled Yi Pin¡¯s cup for him. He said in a carefree tone, ¡°Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll return from my journey as a Grandmaster. You¡¯ll finally be able to walk around Bei You as you please!¡±

    ¡°I already <i>can </i>walk around Bei You as I please, you impudent bastard!¡± Yi Pin grunted, though it quickly morphed into a wistful, helpless sigh. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand why so many people are willing to risk their lives over some fortune they didn¡¯t even know if it was real when they could be leading a peaceful, stable life.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me? That sounds awesome. Who doesn¡¯t want a peaceful, stable life? But a dream is simple, and reality is harsh. You make it sound easy, but for some people, a stable life is but a fantasy that¡¯s always out of reach. After all, there are too many things in this world that are out of one¡¯s control; too many greater goods that outweigh the smaller ones.¡±

    ¡°I seek a good, stable life myself. That is why I have to fight. That is why I cannot allow a single opportunity to slip through my grasp. Who knows, maybe I¡¯ll actually be able to dictate my fate one day?¡±

    Yi Pin fell silent. He knew that Ye Qing was speaking the truth. He also knew what Ye Qing had experienced in the past, and what he was going to face in the future. Even if the young man himself sought stability and peace, the choice was not in his hands just like so, so many other things in this world.

    He was old and weary. His time was long behind him. That was why he believed that there was nothing better than leading a stable, peaceful life. It was why he was willing to seclude himself in this backwater region and live in this shabby temple. It was why he asked for nothing more but a full belly and a roof over his head every day.

    But Ye Qing was young. He was at the age where his heart would not settle, and the horizon seemed full of possibilities. You only live once in your life, so how could he not do his best to lead the best life he could possibly have? How could he tolerate mediocrity and stagnation when it was clear that he wasn¡¯t even close to his fullest potential?

    In the end, Bei You was just too small for a dragonling ready to take to the skies and be a dragon.

    ¡°Heh. Longxiang is right. I have gotten old!¡± Yi Pin sighed after a long time.

    ¡°No one¡¯s doubting that, brother. But you are still hale and hearty, long and hard, and a pervert and a child at heart!¡± Ye Qing paid him apliment.

    ¡°You¡¯re the pervert and the child here, you bastard!¡± Yi Pin nearly spat out his wine when he heard this. The heavy atmosphere hanging over the courtyard was gone just like that.

    It was at this moment Li Longxiang appeared with the wooden box Yi Pin told him to bring over.

    ¡°Master, your box.¡±

    Yi Pin epted the box and removed the lid. Then, he grabbed a palm-sized tortoise shell from it.

    The tortoise shell looked ancient and covered in cracks. It looked like it had existed for a very, very long time.

    Yi Pin caressed the tortoise shell while exining, ¡°This is a Strange Artifact I came by during my adventures while I was still young. It¡¯s called Tian Ling Ling[1].¡±

    ¡°Tian Ling Ling? What a strange name!¡± Ye Qing responded curiously.

    ¡°Tian Ling Ling is a rather unique Strange Artifact. It possesses no offensive or defensive capabilities whatsoever, but if you ever find yourself in a situation where there is nothing you can possibly do to save yourself, and there is no one around who can save you, then you may summon it. It will light the path of survival for you.¡±

    Yi Pin chanted, ¡°¡®<i>Tian ling ling, di ling ling</i>, Taishang Laojun please save me!¡¯ That more or less sums up how the Strange Artifact works.¡±

    ¡°That sounds incredible!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Yi Pin chuckled. ¡°It depends. Tian Ling Ling only triggers if an extremely strict set of conditions are met. First, you can use it only during an actual fatal crisis. Otherwise, it would not activate. Second, Tian Ling Ling will show you the way to survive your crisis, but in the end, it is just a vision. It¡¯s up to you to turn it into reality. Finally, Tian Ling Ling needs a certain amount of time to activate, so there is no way you¡¯ll be able to activate it duringbat. You can see why that narrows its applicability a lot.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s still incredible.¡±

    It was a Strange Artifact that would show him the way to survive a fatal crisis. Despite its many restrictions, it could mean the difference between life or death. That quality alone made it a priceless treasure.

    ¡°Catch!¡± Yi Pin tossed Tian Ling Ling into Ye Qing¡¯s hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re giving it to me?¡± Ye Qing caught it and broke into a grin.

    ¡°Keep dreaming! I¡¯m just lending it to you. I fully expect you to return it to me in the future.¡± Yi Pin rolled his eyes at Ye Qing. ¡°Your journey this time would be rife with dangers. Tian Ling Ling is useless to me, but it could save your life at a critical moment. Naturally, you need it more than me right now.¡±

    ¡°The way to activate Tian Ling Ling is very simple. You simply need to kneel on the ground with Tian Ling Ling in front of you, lift your hands high and shout, ¡®Tian ling ling, di ling ling, Taishang Laojun please save me!¡¯, and Tian Ling Ling will guide you to safety.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, brother.¡± Ye Qing thanked him warmly and sincerely.

    He had to say that this non-blood brother of his was worth it. Not only did he divine his future for him, he even lent him a Strange Artifact so he might survive theing journey. He was like a dad doing his best to see his son safe and sound.

    The world is hypocritical and everchanging,

    But there exists true bonds in the world as well.

    1. It¡¯s basically a chant like abracadabra. In Chinese, it¡¯s ¡°tian ling ling, di ling ling¡±. ?

 Chapter 599: Age Ender

    <h4>Chapter 599: Age Ender </h4>

    ¡°I don¡¯t need verbal thanks. If you really want to thank me, then bring me something good when you get back from your trip. I¡¯m not lending Tian Ling Ling to you for free.¡±

    Yi Pin sipped his wine.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>And just like that, all those sappy emotions I was feeling went down the drain.</i>

    ¡°Ahem... I thought you¡¯d have a lot of good stuff stowed under your bed since you¡¯re technically an old monster, but to think you¡¯re so poor you couldn¡¯t even afford to give one to a brother, tsk tsk tsk...¡± Ye Qing clicked his tongue and shook his head.

    ¡°I <i>do </i>have a lot of good stuff, but they¡¯re reserved for my <i>disciple. </i>You¡¯re not my disciple, are you? Why should I give you anything?¡± Yi Pin harrumphed.

    ¡°I may not be your disciple, but I am<i> </i>your junior, and junior is synonymous to disciple, isn¡¯t I?¡± Ye Qing grinned.

    ¡°Like hell it is! My disciple will serve me tea, wash my clothes, cook my meals, make my bed and generally take care of every aspect of my life for me. When I¡¯m bored, I can yell at him, beat him up, make idle chat with him to stave away the boredom and more. Even when I¡¯m too old to take care of myself, he can look after me and arrange for a proper burial after I die. Can you do any of that?¡± Yi Pin argued vehemently.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Are you sure you¡¯re talking about a disciple, not a servant?</i>

    ¡°Fine, you win!¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    <i>Heh! You¡¯re ten years too young to take advantage of me! </i>Yi Pin thought with a triumphant smirk.

    <i>Dang!</i>

    <i>Dang!</i>

    <i>Dang!</i>

    Suddenly, three loud gongs resounded throughout Bei You City. It was loud and resonant, long and ancient at the same time.

    As if on cue, countless fireworks streaked across the sky and erupted into brilliant colors. It chased away the dark and illuminated the night.

    ¡°Master, master! We¡¯ve entered the Zi Hour[1]!¡± Li Longxiang yelled excitedly as he jumped to his feet.

    ¡°You¡¯re still like a child even though you¡¯re a young adult now. Fine. You may go.¡± Yi Pin waved.

    ¡°Hurray!¡± Like the excitable child his master described him to be, Li Longxiang rushed into the house and returned with an entire pile of fireworks in his hands. On the opposite side of the street, Wen Shu too emerged from the coffin shop with a pile of fireworks.

    The duo proceeded toy out the fireworks and the firecrackers in a straight line along the street. Once done, they counted to three and ignited the fireworks at the same time. They immediately covered up their ears, ran to the side, and watched the sparking threads excitedly.

    They were both strong warriors in their own right. They could¡¯ve sat in the middle of the fireworks, and it wouldn¡¯t even be able to deafen them, much less hurt them. Even so, they stayed far, far away from the firecrackers like actual children.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang</i>...

    The next moment, the fireworks shot into the sky and burst into brilliant, dazzling colors. They painted the ground white and made it look like it was daytime.

    The neighbor¡¯s children came over to spectate the gorgeous sight as well. They stood together with Li Longxiang and Wen Shu and cheered loudly at the sight of the fireworks.

    ¡°Seriously, how are they still like kids when they¡¯re already young adults?¡± Yi Pin shook his head smilingly after watching Li Longxiang and Wen Shu for a bit.

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with having an innocent, carefree heart,¡± Ye Qing replied with a gentle look in his eyes as well.

    Suddenly, a naughty idea urred to Ye Qing. The corners of his lips curling into a devious smirk, he produced a line of firecrackers from his Nature¡¯s Shell, lit it in secret, and tossed it under Li Longxiang, Wenshu, and the cihldren¡¯s feet.

    The children scattered like headless chickens as soon as the first firecracker popped. When Wen Shu realized what happened, he immediately spun on Ye Qing and red at him. Li Longxiang simply scratched the back of his head and smiled.

    Having seeded in ying a prank on the kids, Ye Qing winked at the duo, pretended that he couldn¡¯t see Wen Shu¡¯s re, and retreated back into the courtyard.

    ¡°What on earth are you doing? Do you think you¡¯re three or something?¡± Yi Pin rolled his eyes at Ye Qing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not three, but I¡¯m a young man too, you know. If Li Longxiang and Wen Shu can fool around like kids, why not me?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    Yi Pin fell silent. Now that he thought about it, Ye Qing had just entered his twenties, meaning that he was barely a few years older than Li Longxiang and Wen Shu. He just didn¡¯t realize it because of how mature and cunning Ye Qing usually acted.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I forgot that you¡¯re a youngster as well!¡± Yi Pin muttered.

    ¡°I <i>am </i>young. Unlike you, I don¡¯t look like I have one foot in the grave, and I¡¯m full of energy.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°And because you¡¯re full of energy, you feel the urge to y a prank on kids?¡± Yi Pin scoffed disdainfully. ¡°That¡¯s not energy. That¡¯s just childishness.¡±

    ¡°Jealousy is unbing of you, brother. Jealousy toward the youth is especially unbing of someone your stature.¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m not jealous! I was young too, you know?¡± Yi Pin raised his voice.

    Ye Qing shrugged and stopped triggering the old man. Wouldn¡¯t want the old man to have a heart attack because he was too excited, you know?

    ¡°Ites.¡± Suddenly, Yi Pin looked up.

    Ye Qing too looked toward the vast, infinite night sky above his head.

    Some sort of invisible energy peeked out from the night sky. It thickened the darkness until it was nigh imprable.

    It was then Ye Qing realized that he was looking at a shadow. It was so massive, so vast that he could scarcely imagine its true size. It neither looked humanoid nor beastial. In fact, he was having difficulty drawing its shape in his mind.

    One look at the creature was enough to send Ye Qing¡¯s heart into overdrive and fill his headspace with tainted power. His eye sockets suddenly felt unbelievably itchy as if countless insects were crawling over it.

    Stunned, Ye Qing hurriedly bowed his head and stopped looking at the creature. It was only then the taint and the unnatural itchiness began to fade away.

    When he finally returned to normal, Ye Qing looked at Yi Pin and realized that the old Taoist was shaking his wine cup a little and watching him, smirking. Clearly, Yi Pin knew whatever that creature was, and clearly, he did not warn him about it because he wanted to enjoy his reaction.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t in the mood to take offense, however. He asked in a hurry, ¡°What on earth is that, brother?¡±

    Yi Pin slowly drank his Tusu wine as if he was basking in Ye Qing¡¯s embarrassment. It wasn¡¯t until he finished thest drop that he finally said, ¡°That¡¯s the Age Ender.¡±

    ¡°The Age Ender?¡± Ye Qing thought for a moment until a memory came to mind. His eyes slowly widened as he blurted, ¡°That Age Ender?¡±

    ¡°The one!¡± Yi Pin nodded in confirmation.

    Ye Qing licked his lips. It took him a good few breaths before he finally managed to calm down.

    The Age Ender was an Ancient-ss Stranger. In terms of power level, it was equal to a Sage. A Sage!

    Worshiped like a living god, a Sage was so powerful that a single one could protect an entire country from harm. Naturally, an Ancient-ss Stranger was even more powerful and mysterious. They were nigh immortal and in possession of unimaginable power.

    Some evil Ancient-ss Strangers could inflict an unimaginable amount of damage to humans the moment they revealed themselves. Some could even annihte an entire country.

    Five hundred years ago, a country named Donghai Yui (The Clouds Come From The Eastern Sea) was struck by an Ancient-ss Stranger. ording to historical records, a River Patrolling Koi had summoned a tsunami like nothing the world had ever seen and flooded the entire country¡ªthe biggest at the Eastern Sea at the time¡ªand ended millions of lives in a single day. Because of this, Donghai Yui turned into a footnote in history.

    It wasn¡¯t the only one. There were many other countries who had suffered such an unfortunate fate.

    Of course, all Ancient-ss Strangers were intelligent, and only those deeply steeped in evil would actively antagonize the humans. After all, the one thing humans did notck were champions. If an Ancient-ss Stranger stirred too much trouble, it was entirely possible that multiple Sages woulde together as a group to vanquish them. Not even an Ancient-ss Stranger could fight against that many living gods.

    The Age Ender was one of the Ancient-ss Strangers who held no animosity toward humans. In fact, it was one of the more well-documented Strangers.

    Ye Qing had read about it in the Pacification Bureau¡¯s file room before.

    1. 2300~0100. ?

 Chapter 600: Welcoming A New Spring

    <h4>Chapter 600: Weing A New Spring </h4>

    The Age Ender loved to appear when it was time for the new to rece the old. It eliminated the old filth tainting the human world and weed the new age. It enjoyed basking in that one vigorous, hopeful moment where the old faded into the past, and the new entered the present.

    Therefore, the Age Ender didn¡¯t hurt humans unless they hurt it first. In fact, most people couldn¡¯t see the Age Ender unless they possessed an exceptionally strong spirit.

    The Age Ender would dly eliminate the old filth, misfortune, darkness and more inauspicious things polluting the human world. This allowed the humans to wee a new year clean and refreshed. This was why the saying, ¡°Out with the old, in with the new. A bright new year awaits us all,¡± existed.

    Any location where the Age Ender visited would usually experience a smooth, prosperous new year. The people would enjoy a healthy, peaceful and happy life.

    This was why most people viewed the Age Ender as an auspicious beast.

    Of course, the Age Ender itself was a Stranger full of taint and corruption. It was a bad idea to look at it directly. That was why Ye Qing took a mental blow earlier.

    ¡°Why would the Age Ender appear in Bei You?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Yi Pin shrugged. ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s not like I can read its mind. You though, I can tell you dislike this ce. Your face says it all. You think it¡¯s beneath you, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Why are you ndering me?¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes. <i>Did he eat something wrong today? He¡¯s been attacking me every two or three sentences!</i>

    Yi Pin was right though. The Age Ender was a powerful, mysterious Stranger. No one except the Age Ender itself knew why it had appeared in Bei You.

    ¡°The Age Ender started appearing in Bei You three years ago. Since then, it had not stopped appearing during the moment when the old year passed, and the new year arrived. No one knows when it¡¯ll leave.¡±

    Yi Pin exined even though Ye Qing hadn¡¯t asked anything. ¡°By the way, the moment is almost upon us. Don¡¯t blink, or you¡¯ll surely regret it!¡±

    A short whileter, the Age Ender suddenly waved its hands, and the clouds in the sky soundlessly dissipated into nothing. As the night sky cleared, it felt as if a gentle breeze was passing through Bei You. Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought told him that some sort of darkness had been lifted from the city, and he felt unburdened even though he couldn¡¯t tell exactly what he was relieved from.

    It was at this moment countless bizarre images began appearing in the sky. It looked like a reflection of the mortal coil. It was blurry, indistinct, and shrouded in darkness, however. It also gave off an old, almost rotten feeling.

    Suddenly, the sound of a drum broke the night¡¯s silence.

    It was loud and crisp as if it had taken ce right next to one¡¯s ears and heart. And yet, most people couldn¡¯t hear it at all.

    The sound reached all the way to the sky and awakened the good in humanity.

    The blurry, indistinct images in the sky abruptly shattered, and a single ray of light cut through the pitch ck sky like a sword.

    It was a stunning sight. It was a sight filled with beauty, hopefulness and life.

    The light slowly spread apart and became intertwined with the darkness. It seemed to symbolize the cycle of yin and yang; life and death.

    Exist in darkness, but yearn for the light.

    When light reced the darkness and enveloped the Age Ender, it began emitting dazzling, rainbow light from its whole body. It was more colorful than fireworks and brighter than the sun itself.

    Rainbow light filled the sky and descended onto the world, dyeing it in fantastical dream-like colors.

    ¡°It¡¯s spectacr!¡± Ye Qing murmured. It was a true shame that the average person couldn¡¯t see this.

    ¡°The new reces the old, and all things are renewed. This is the mortal vigor and numerology of all things when the Age Ender basks in this moment,¡± Yi Pin said distractedly.

    The unusual phenomenon in the skysted a dozen or so breaths before it finally disappeared.

    The Age Ender stood in the sky and gazed downward on humanity when the light fadedpletely.

    Then, white snow the size of goose feathers began falling earnestly.

    The snow wasn¡¯t particrly huge or cold, but it was most celebratory.

    ¡°It¡¯s snowing!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s snowing!¡±

    Delighted cheers and happy cries erupted from outside the courtyard.

    ¡°They say that a timely snow promises a good harvest.¡±

    Yi Pin looked at Ye Qing and raised his wine cup for a toast. ¡°Happy new year, brother. I wish you safe tidings on your journey.¡±

    Ye Qing returned the gesture. ¡°I wish you a healthy life as well, brother. Happy new year.¡±

    Out with the old, in with the new.

    A new year begins, and spring warms every heart.

    May your friends prosper and thrive,

    May your family be safe and healthy,

    And may humanity enjoy peace for years toe.

    ......

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at Celestial Spring. Please have a good rest, everyone. We¡¯ll be home once we¡¯re through here.¡±

    A dark-skinned, muscr man looked at the oasis in front of him, a relieved smile spreading across his dusty face.

    It was mid winter, but the man was only wearing a thin singlet. His arm muscles oozed with strength and vigor.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally home... This trip took over half a year, didn¡¯t it? It¡¯s been a long time since I had a taste of our local wine. I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°Wine? I think you really miss the women of our brothels!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. Like you don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, but I miss my wife even more. I wonder how she¡¯s been in the past year?¡±

    ¡°Hehe... Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, Yao Chong, but if your wife ran off with another during the half a year you were gone...¡±

    ¡°Fuck you! My wife is as loyal as she gets! Besides, she¡¯s old and faded. Who on earth would set their sights on her?¡±

    ¡°You did, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯m blind! You happy?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re a wealthy man now. You have the option to get a new wife if you want to.¡±

    The brawny man leading the group immediately looked back with a stern expression. ¡°Sun Bo, I don¡¯t care that you¡¯re an amoral man, but don¡¯t you dare corrupt Yao Chong. Yao Chong, Yue Gui is a good woman. Her looks may be average, but she¡¯s gentle, wise, kind, hardworking, and filial to boot. While you were gone, she had to take care of your mother and the house all by herself. It¡¯s no easy task. You better not let her down, or you will regret it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t, boss. You know how I am. We made it big this time, and this trip was quite tiring. I¡¯m definitely going to stay at home and keep Yue Guipany for a while,¡± Yao Chong replied while scratching his head.

    The brawny man nodded and looked at Sun Bo, the guy who tried to tease Yao Chong earlier. He was a scrawny guy with a handsome, almost feminine face, though his years on the road had toughened his skin and given him a bit of manliness.

    ¡°Sun Bo, you¡¯re getting on the years as well. Stop frequenting brothels and wasting away your life and money. Now that you have some ingots in your pockets, you should find yourself a wife and lead a proper life.¡±

    ¡°I want to, but if I¡¯m wed, then what will happen to my Little Red[1], Little Green, Chun Xiang and Piao Xue? They¡¯d be heartbroken!¡± Sun Bo shrugged with a ¡°What can I do?¡± expression.

    ¡°Oh, you...¡± The brawny man shook his head. There was nothing he could say that could change the young man¡¯s mind.

    Sun Bo urged his horse to move next to the brawny man before asking, ¡°What about you, boss? Home¡¯s just a stone¡¯s throw away. What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about my Niu Niu. It¡¯s been over half a year since we met. I wonder if she ate well and how much taller she¡¯s be since Ist saw her... and I wonder if she¡¯ll still recognize me after so long.¡±

    The brawny man¡¯s tough, hardened features softened as he spoke of his daughter. There was a hint of worry and fear as well. ¡°She was just a wee girl when I left her. She couldn¡¯t even walk properly at the time.¡±

    Yao Chong consoled him, ¡°We made a lot of money this time, boss. You can stay at home and keep Niu Niupany for a long time toe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, boss,¡± Sun Bo echoed in agreement.

    A middle-aged man with a weary expression sighed sorrowfully as if the talk of family brought up memories he didn¡¯t want to recall. ¡°Sigh... I can¡¯t believe that only we returned from this trip. Old Zhong, Old Wang, Young An... they¡¯re gone forever.¡±

    The easy atmosphere immediately turned somewhat heavy and sorrowful.

    1. Little Red secretly the MC of this novel. Her wiles spread far and wide. ?

 Chapter 601: Celestial Spring

    <h4>Chapter 601: Celestial Spring </h4>

    A long silenceter, the brawny man finally said in a heavy, helpless voice, ¡°People of our trade never know if we might live to see another day. One might even say that we¡¯re trading our lives away for money. Old Zhou, Old Wang and Young Li knew that death was a possibility. Everyone here knows this as well, don¡¯t we?¡±

    The brawny man¡¯s name was Wang Shengkui. He was a horse caravan leader. A horse caravan originally referred to a group of horse wranglers herding a train of mules. Over time, it referred to merchants who mainly used horses to carry and transport goods. He and hispanions were in thetter category.

    Theirs were no ordinary horse caravan either. They were merchants responsible for transporting goods across countries, and they mainly went between Chu and Yan.

    They were Chu people who lived in Northern Xinjiang for generations. To the north Northern Xinjiang and bordering the Gobi Desert and the Bitter Snow in was Yan.

    At the beginning after the fall of the You Dynasty, Yan and Chu shared good rtions with each other because of the camaraderie they built during the time the four nations¡ªYan, Chu, Qi and Wei¡ªcame together to bring down You. Moreover, the war was long, and the people had suffered greatly because of it. Everyone needed to rest and recuperate. Therefore, they opened their borders and actively traded with each other.

    Yan was famous for their horses and wide assortment of metals and ores, whereas Chu was famous for their silk and tea. Both countries had something that the other desperately needed. Thework of trade routes between the two countries eventually became known as the famous ¡°Tea and Horse Road¡±.

    Here was a quote from the history books: ¡°At the beginning of Yan and Chu, there were ancient roads that connected the north and the south. The bells of camels rang throughout night and day, the caravans streamed both ways like rivers, and the work was unending. It was the picture of prosperity.¡±

    One could tell just how prosperous they were back then.

    Groups such as the horse caravans, camel caravans and more were born during that time as well.

    Unfortunately, ¡°raised up by neighbor, cast down by neighbor[1]¡±. As time continued to march endlessly toward the future, both countries eventually recovered from the ravages of war. Several sessionster, whatever bond thete emperors forged were long forgotten.

    One bed only had enough room for one person, and this was doubly true for the ruler of men. Conflicts and friction began to arise at the borders, and their rtionship slowly but surely grew tense. Eventually, both countries began restricting trade with each other until the ¡°Tea and Horse Road¡± became a pale shadow of its former glory.

    Their rtions grew even more strained than before after the Heavenly Martial Emperor ascended to Yan¡¯s throne. The Heavenly Martial Emperor possessed great skill, strategy, and more importantly, ambition. Internally, he groomed the people for war and eradicated both the nobility and the border magnates to achieve centralization of power. Externally, heunched multiple campaigns that all ended in sess. He had chased the Quanrong[2] to the Bitter Snow ins, exiled the Baifang to Donglu, and destroyed the Qiushan at the Gobi Desert.

    Having eliminated all the threats within Yan, the Heavenly Martial Emperor could now set his sights beyond his borders: Yan.

    Chu was located in the Central in. Its environment was excellent, itsnd was fertile, and it was overflowing with natural resources. Wealth wasn¡¯t their middle name, but if it was, no one would be surprised by it. That was why Chu was currently experiencing a cultural boom. Things like literature and music became highly valued, customs and traditions were slowly overtaking practicality, and signs of decadence were everywhere starting from the imperial court all the way down to the <i>jianghu. </i>

    Worse still, the country itself was shifting its focus away from martial might. Ever since Emperor Jin Run rose to power, he was absorbed in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, painting and more. Caring more about indulging in the pleasures than ruling the country, he built a ton of gardens and pavilions but neglected both the court and the military.

    Today, Chu¡¯s military was weak. In the eyes of their neighbors, they were a juicymb just waiting to be ughtered. The Heavenly Martial Emperor of Yan, more than anyone else, wanted a piece of that meat. That was why he had been instigating conflicts at the borders non-stop.

    The Heavenly Martial Emperor¡¯s intention was so tant that not even Emperor Jin Run could fail to notice it. That was why he had been increasing the amount of troops in Northern Xinjiang and constructing military fortifications in preparation for war in recent years.

    When a country prospered, the people suffered. When a country waned, the people suffered still. The one who suffered the most from the conflicts between the two countries wasn¡¯t the higher-ups who were behind it all, but the humble people like Wang Shengkui. As the border passes were guarded with great zeal due to the rising number of conflicts, merchants like them naturally couldn¡¯t pass through the borders as easily as before. Goods such as salt, metal, food and more werebeled as contrabands and couldn¡¯t be traded freely. Even the Horse and Tea Road was eventually overtaken by brigands and Strangers due to the severe drop in traffic. Naturally, their lives became harsher than ever before.

    Many people changed careers and found a living elsewhere, but those who didn¡¯t know any other skill or trade didn¡¯t have that choice. Caravanning was the only trade they knew, and they had to stick to it no matter how risky things became.

    After all, life must go on no matter what.

    Half a year ago, their caravan had numbered over a hundred people. They had gathered entire caravans of silk, tea and more, marched out of Northern Xinjiang, and took off toward northern Yan along the abandoned Tea and Horse Road.

    It had been a long and harsh journey. The good news was that they had made a killing thanks to the worsened rtions between the two countries, and goods like silk and tea were in high demand in Yan. But the cost... the cost was high. The number of times they were attacked by brigands and Strangers were too numerous to count. There were high-risk locations where, despite their best precautions, simply could not be prepared against. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, they had to go through all that a second time since they needed to make it back to Chu.

    By the time their feet stepped on familiar soil, their caravan of one hundred or so people had dwindled to less than sixty. Almost half of their members were dead. It was a terrible cost to say the least.

    Everyone who died was arade who they braved thick and thin together. They weren¡¯t family, but they were closer than family. They had set out on this journey together, but some of them would nevere home¡ªnot even their corpses. The risks were simply too great.

    Not even the most stone-hearted men in their group could im that they weren¡¯t saddened by this. If they were, then they were lying.

    But what could they do? Those who were alive must live.

    Life, must go on.

    This was their life and eternal sorrow.

    ¡°Uncle Qi, please make sure that the remunerations are ready. Oh, and please add a portion of my share to the remunerations. I will not have the families of my brothers and sisters unjustlypensated.¡±

    Wang Shengkui said patiently while looking at a middle-aged man in his fifties, ¡°Our brothers and sister may be gone, but we are still here. From now on, their parents are our parents, their siblings are our siblings, and their spouses and children are our inws and children. We must take good care of them so that ourte brothers and sisters can rest in peace, understand?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, boss. You know what, add a portion of my share to the pile as well, Old Qi.¡±

    ¡°Same here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me, Old Qi.¡±

    ......

    Determined voices rang here and there throughout the caravan. There was hope, belief, warmth, and humanity in this caravan.

    ¡°There¡¯s people up ahead, boss!¡±

    Suddenly, Sun Bo pointed at the Celestial Spring still a ways away from them. Wang Shengkui looked. He saw a group of people sitting around the spring and chatting happily with one another. There was even a kid running here and there and giggling loudly. It added some joy and life to the deste Gobi Desert.

    ¡°It might be a group of traveling merchants taking a break at Celestial Spring. Be on your guard though.¡±

    Wang Shengkui instructed, but he didn¡¯t really believe that the strangers were a threat. Judging from their attire and the fact that they had a kid with them, he highly doubted that they were brigands. After all, who in their right mind would bring a kid out on a raid?

    Celestial Spring was the only oasis and water source in this part of the Gobi Desert; all fifty kilometers of it. Not only that, it had a cool and mythical origin.

    Legend said that this part of the Gobi Desert was originally apletely barren wastnd. Devoid of even a single drop of water, not even the toughest nts such as desert pors or thistles could grow in this ce. Over time, this part of the Gobi Desert became known as the Barren Sand.

    Countless lives had been imed in the Barren Sand. Even back when the Tea and Horse Road was prospering, the Barren Sand wasbeled as a forbidden zone by merchants from both Yan and Chu. Countless traveling merchants had died because they tried to cross the Barren Sand, so much so that the saying, ¡°A fresh body every three kilometers, and a skeleton every five¡± became the byline of the Barren Sand. The number of people who had died here was innumerable.

    One day, a celestial rode a bull across the Barren Sand. He saw a body every three kilometers, and a skeleton every five. Realizing just how dangerous the desert was to the ordinary men and unable to ignore the tragedy, he mustered his power and created the Celestial Spring.

    And so the Celestial Spring came to be.

    Of course, this was just a legend. No one knew if it was true or not. It was one of the many stories that had passed down by word since the days when the Tea and Horse Road was still prospering.

    There was no denying that something was special about the Celestial Spring though. Its waters were sweet and tasty. It never froze even during the coldest winter, nor dried during the hottest summer. Not only that, those who drank from the spring would experience good luck for a short time.

    As a result, Celestial Spring became a popr resting ce for all horse caravans and traveling merchants within fifty kilometers.

    1. Original quote is ¡°raised up by Xiao He, cast down by Xiao He¡±. ?

    2. Zhou Dynasty ethnic group of present-day western China, but don¡¯t ask me about the context in this novel. ?

 Chapter 602: Dragon Nursing Nest

    <h4>Chapter 602: Dragon Nursing Nest </h4>

    When the Tea and Horse Road was prospering, a unique town had even taken form around the Celestial Spring. There were inns, restaurants, theaters and more whose services were tailored to traveling merchants. It was a good time.

    Unfortunately, the town slowly became abandoned after the Tea and Horse Road declined. Today, all that was left was the remnants of the past.

    Even so, the Celestial Spring remained the most important stop for all those who wished to use the Tea and Horse Road. Everyone¡ªthe traveling merchants, the horse caravans, the bandits, even the scout squads of Chu and Yan rested at the area.

    The Celestial Spring was a magical ce. Naturally, countless brigands and evildoers had plotted to upy it for their own selfish purposes. No one had seeded, however. It was because the scout squads of Chu and Yan who were passing through the area would wipe out the upying brigands every once in a while. Over time, everyone learned that it was pointless to try and upy the Celestial Spring.

    It was also why the Celestial Spring was generally considered a safe spot.

    When the horse caravan arrived at the Celestial Spring, the strangers gave them the asional nce but paid them no attention.

    Since they were strangers who got together by chance, and it didn¡¯t look like the other group was interested in interacting with them, Wang Shengkun¡¯s group too ignored them and focused on settling the horses and making cooking arrangements.

    Forty or so meters away from their group, there was a young man who gave them a friendly nod. His appearance was average, and he wore a blue outfit. He was sitting alone under a tree, drinking from the spring, and eating his rations.

    The young man looked very ordinary. He was the kind of person who could vanish into a crowd just like that. But when he smiled, he naturally elicited a good feeling in others. It almost felt like magic. It was why Wang Shengkun couldn¡¯t help but shoot him a couple more looks.

    Of course, he was just curious. Again, they were just strangers who got together by chance, and he had no intention of prying into the young man¡¯s business. He quickly threw himself into work after he reined in his curiosity.

    Unbeknownst to everyone, the girl had run up to the Celestial Spring and was currently ying with its water.

    ¡°Ah! Yan¡¯er, watch out!¡±

    It was then someone noticed her action and cried out in warning. Maybe it was because the cry scared her, or maybe she was simply too engrossed with her game. As if on cue, she fell head first into the spring water.

    ¡°Yan¡¯er!¡±

    ¡°Little Yan!¡±

    ¡°My daughter!¡±

    The traveling merchants immediately flew into a panic. Everyone rushed toward the spring with shock and fear.

    The Celestial Spring might be called a spring, but it was easily over thirty meters wide in diameter. Logically speaking, ake was a more fitting description.

    Not only that, the Celestial Spring was extremely deep. No one knew exactly how deep it was. Forget a young girl, it could drown even a cow¡ªassuming the cow didn¡¯t know how to swim, of course.

    Wang Shengkun and the others remained calm though. In fact, some of them were smiling and watching themotion with great interest. From a third person perspective, they looked stone-hearted and cruel.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to swim! Will anyone please save my Yan¡¯er?!¡±

    ¡°Please! Save Yan¡¯er! Please!¡±

    A middle-aged man was searching frantically for help. He was looking at Wang Shengkun¡¯s group as well.

    ¡°Rx, brother. Your daughter will be fine,¡± Wang Shengkun said smilingly.

    ¡°You...! How could you smile at a time like this? Are you even human?!¡± The middle-aged man roared with bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°You misunderstand me, brother. I¡¯m saying that someone will save your daughter. You don¡¯t need to worry about anything.¡±

    Wang Shengkun exined before pointing at the spring. ¡°Look!¡±

    The middle-aged man subconsciously followed his finger just in time to see bubbles rising from the bottom of the spring. The girl named Yan¡¯er was wrapped around by a bubble and brought back to the surface.

    Inside the bubble, the girl giggled with great interest as she waved her hands about and poked at the bubble surrounding her. She was having the time of her life.

    Some people looked both stunned and amazed by the miraculous sight. Wang Shengkun, Sun Bo and the rest of the horse caravan looked desensitized, however.

    ¡°See? I told you your daughter is going to be fine!¡± Wang Shengkun smiled.

    This was one of the miraculous things about the Celestial Spring that made it seem like a celestial really does live in Celestial Spring. If someone identally fell into the spring, they would be rescued by a strange power. Therefore, no one had ever died in Celestial Spring.

    On top of that, a small portion of the rations they brought with them would disappear as well. It was very strange.

    To date, no one knew why this was happening. Of course, there were curious souls who tried to dive into the spring in search for the truth, but no one had ever found the answer.

    Everyone in the horse caravan was an experienced traveler. In a sense, they were extremely superstitious, not to mention that there were true disys of power at the Celestial Spring. Over time, everyone believed that a kind celestial lived at Celestial Spring, and that they would rescue them from danger and bless them with good luck.

    In fact, it was the truth. Every time they passed through Celestial Spring and drank its spring water, they would experience great luck for the next two or three days or so. They would not encounter any Stranger or danger during their journey.

    Of course, the blessing did notst forever. That was why they always visited the Celestial Spring even if it wasn¡¯t always by the way.

    It was also why no one panicked or tried to help the girl after she identally fell into the water.

    Suddenly, someone among the crowd tossed out a fish basket.

    The fish basket looked like an ordinary fish basket made from bamboo, but it wasn¡¯t. For one, it was floating in the air. Two, it gave off a colorful, auspicious light that took the form of a true dragon. Head and tail wrapped around the fish basket, its roars could be heard throughout the spring.

    There was a reason Wang Shengkun¡¯s group dared to work as a horse caravan between two hostile countries and brave the abandoned, bandit-and-stranger-infested Tea and Horse Road. No one in the caravan wascking in courage, strength, insight and more.

    Their caravan was guarded by over a dozen Spirit Purifiers, and even the weakest among them was an Astral Refiner. As for Wang Shengkun himself, he was a Half-Step Spirit Master. Given the right circumstances, he could enter the Spirit Master stage at any moment. Moreover, they were no imposter who only had the cultivation but none of the skill. Every single one of them had been blooded and tested in battles a hundred times over, which was why not even those brigands who specifically raided merchants for a living stayed well out of their way.

    The draconic cry was nothing like anything they had ever heard before. For a moment, everyone was paralyzed with fear and shock.

    ¡°The Dragon Nursing Nest caught it! All of you, move!¡±

    A woman shouted from the crowd, and a couple more people leaped into the open and upied a corner each, forming a formation. At the same time, a couple of spells struck the fish basket.

    The draconic roar booming from the fish basket immediately doubled in volume and intensity.

    Inside the spring, something was being dragged out into the open together with the young girl. It charged left and right and tore gaps in between the stitches. However, the openings quickly resealed in no time.

    The people¡¯s faces slowly turned white. Their breathing grew erratic as well.

    Just when it looked like they couldn¡¯t hold their formation any longer, the girl in the sky suddenly lowered her palm. Countless invisible threads suddenly appeared in the sky, and each thread seemed to have a dragon attached to it. Countless tiny dragons swam across the threads and formed a massive.

    The next moment, the girl clenched her fingers into a fist, and the great began shrinking rapidly while roaring. When it shrank to a certain point, the roars faded into nothing.

    The girl was still floating in the sky when the sat snugly between her fingers. She was still wearing a cute, innocent smile on her face.

 Chapter 603: Little Stranger

    <h4>Chapter 603: Little Stranger </h4>

    ¡°What...¡±

    Wang Shengkui and his group were stunned by this sudden turn of events to say the least.

    The ordinary traveling merchants suddenly transformed into skilled warriors, and the young girl he thought to be naive and guileless seemed to be the strongest of them all?

    What on earth was going on here?!

    ¡°Yiyi...¡±

    A whimper came from the golden the girl was holding. It was only then Wang Shengkui noticed that there was a little man inside it.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t actually a human. It was just a Stranger with a humanoid shape.

    The Stranger was only three or four inches tall. It had all the features a human might have including limbs, ears, eyes and more. In fact, it looked just like a child, but many times smaller.

    It was wearing a lotus leaf like a hat and a green lotus petal around its body. It had green hair and a handsome face. Its round, ck eyes were clear and innocent like the purest, most beautiful objects in the world.

    Unfortunately, the Stranger was currently hurt right now. Light green blood was leaking out of its wounds and giving off the fresh scent of nts, potent and invigorating. Its clear eyes reflected puzzlement, innocence, loneliness and sorrow.

    Wang Shengkui and his group suddenly felt deep sympathy for the little Stranger. However, its captors were only filled with joy and excitement.

    ¡°Hahaha! We finally caught the little bastard!¡±

    ¡°I know right? It was so annoying to catch. I couldn¡¯t even remember how many traps we¡¯veid in the attempt to capture it, and it all ended in failure, the cautious little bastard.¡±

    ¡°Well, you only need to seed once!¡±

    ¡°Fly, you little bastard! You thought you¡¯re so good at flying, didn''t you? Fly!¡±

    After the girlnded on the waters like it was tnd and leisurely returned to the shore, the group of warriors immediately went up to her. They surrounded the struggling Stranger and discussed their catch excitedly.

    ¡°It looks pitiful, elder. Why don¡¯t you release it from the?¡±

    One female disciple actually felt sympathy for the little Stranger and said quietly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, junior sister. This thing is slippery as hell. If it wasn¡¯t for the elder¡¯s Dragon Nursing Nest and Dragon Subjugating Net, we would never be able to catch it. And if it manages to escape after we release it, then all our efforts would be for naught.¡±

    ¡°Can... Can we stop its bleeding at least?¡± The female disciple bit her lips hesitatingly.

    ¡°You should never fall for a Stranger¡¯s wiles, junior sister, and this little bastard has more practice than most.¡± Someone sneered as he stared at the struggling Stranger. ¡°Look at it. It¡¯s still struggling even now.¡±

    It was at this moment the young girl holding the Stranger giggled. ¡°Haha... Little Hanxue, you¡¯re just as naive as this little thing over here.¡±

    The young girl was none other than the Elder Miao the warriors were speaking of. Although she looked like a child, her giggle sounded surprisingly amorous. ¡°Too bad for you two, the world does not need naive people. This <i>jianghu </i>does not need merciful people either.¡±

    The young woman named Hanxue bit her lips again and bowed her head. She didn¡¯t say anything else.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, elder? If you don¡¯t seal it now, it might escape and waste all our efforts,¡± Someonemented after noting that the little Stranger was still struggling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is no way it can break free while trapped by my Dragon Subjugating Net.¡± Elder Miao smiled. ¡°Besides, the more it struggles, the tighter the Dragon Subjugating Net would be, and the more it will bleed.¡±

    ¡°This creature was probably a lotus before it became sentient and a type of nt fairy. Due to the magical powers of the Celestial Spring, it too gained a certain level of power. Not only is its blood overflowing with rich vitality that could restore one¡¯s flesh and bones and extend one¡¯s lifespan, it can even bless people with good luck. That is why its blood is priceless.¡±

    ¡°Oh my...¡±

    The warriors¡¯ eyes immediately glowed with greed when they heard this.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, Tong Chuan? Collect the blood now before they go to waste,¡± Elder Miao instructed.

    ¡°O-oh! As youmand, elder.¡± A man excitedly produced a porcin bottle from his Nature¡¯s Shell and held it beneath the Dragon Subjugating Net.

    Eventually, seemingly realizing that it could not escape, the injured and weary Stranger ceased struggling altogether. It curled into a ball and stared at the Celestial Spring with eyes full of loneliness, sorrow and despair; the refuge seemed so close yet so far.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving? I know you¡¯re not dead!¡±

    The little Stranger¡¯s wounds started healing after it stopped struggling, so the blood flow eventually came to a stop. Without hesitation, Tong Chuan shook the hard so that the sharp threads would carve deep into its flesh and restart the bleeding. Then, he happily began collecting the blood once more.

    The little Stranger neither struggled nor screamed in pain, however. It simply maintained its posture and stared at the Celestial Spring fixatedly.

    A few breathster, when Tong Chuan tried to shake the again, Elder Miao stopped him and said, ¡°Enough. The sect can use its blessing of fortune, and you are going to kill it if you push it any further.¡±

    ¡°Yes, elder,¡± Tong Chuan replied and put away the bottle reluctantly.

    Elder Miao nced at the injured, despairing Stranger in her Dragon Subjugating Net and giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t look like that, little guy. If you continue to stay here, it¡¯s only a matter of time before someone finds you and kills you. If youe with me to the Dragonrider Mountain, at least you wouldn¡¯t lose your life. You should be happy that a better fate has found you!¡±

    ¡°Alright. We¡¯ve aplished our objective, everyone. It¡¯s time to go home,¡± Elder Miao instructed, and the group got ready to head back to their sect.

    Meanwhile, Wang Shengkui was wearing a look of hesitation on his face. In the end, he gritted his teeth and stepped forward, ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Do you have business with us, mister?¡±

    Elder Miao turned around and stared at Wang Shengkun with a teasing expression.

    Inexplicable fear suddenly exploded in Wang Shengkui¡¯s heart when her seemingly young, innocent eyes stared into his own. His back broke out in cold sweat, but he forced himself to suppress his terror and said, ¡°Can you... Can you release that Stranger, senior?¡±

    For a moment, no one said anything. Sun Bo and his men looked confused, whereas Elder Miao¡¯s men looked visibly unhappy.

    ¡°Boss...¡±

    The oldest man in their caravan, Uncle Qi strode up to Wang Shengkui with an ugly expression.

    They were horse caravanners and smugglers. One of the cardinal rules of their trade was sticking their nose in somebody else¡¯s business. As the saying goes, keep your head down, and nothing will happen. The world was an endless fount of trouble, and it was hard enough trying to handle one¡¯s own. In this trade, sticking one¡¯s nose into another¡¯s business was a quick way to get oneself killed.

    It was why all horse caravanners, traveling merchants and more preached caution, thoughtfulness, and keeping out of trouble¡¯s way.

    Wang Shengkui was a longtime veteran of this trade. He was also fair, selfless, emphatic, careful, and highly experienced. It was why everyone in the caravan looked up to him. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t know the cardinal rule of caravanning, so what the hell was he trying to do?

    ¡°Let me speak, Uncle Qi.¡±

    Wang Shengkui shook his head before turning his attention back to Elder Miao.

    ¡°Do you want this little guy too?¡±

    Smiling, Elder Miao watched Wang Shengkui with great interest as she shook the Dragon Subjugating Net lightly. ¡°Or do you want a piece of the pie?¡±

 Chapter 604: Less Than Strangers

    <h4>Chapter 604: Less Than Strangers </h4>

    ¡°You misunderstood me, senior.¡±

    Wang Shengkui saluted Elder Miao and said in a sincere tone, ¡°This Stranger is no evil Stranger. Not only is it kind and gentle, it has done a lot of good for the people and especially for us traveling merchants. I hope you can release it¡ªif only because the heavens don¡¯t enjoy killing.¡±

    It took Wang Shengkui little to no effort to piece the clues together. The little Stranger had to be the mythical celestial of the Celestial Spring.

    He was a bit surprised that the celestial of the legends was really a Stranger, but then again, he wasn¡¯t really.

    Celestials were a rare breed after all.

    From the moment he figured out the little Stranger¡¯s identity, he had been wrestling with indecision: Should he step forward and stop the group from kidnapping the little Stranger, or should he stick to a horse caravan¡¯s cardinal rule and minded his own business?

    Normally, he could have hardened his heart and ignored the plight happening in front of him. But not this time.

    Even if he could pretend that the little Stranger hadn¡¯t helped countless traveling merchants, soldiers and travelers across the years, he could not ignore the fact that he owed it his life.

    Three years ago, his daughter caught a rare disease that required a certain main ingredient to be cured. Unfortunately, the main ingredient was equally rare and could only be found deep within the Gobi Desert.

    To save his daughter, he valiantly ventured into the deepest depths of the Gobi Desert. It was a long and arduous journey, but he ultimately seeded.

    Unfortunately, reality was a cruel mistress. On his way back, he was ambushed by a powerful Stranger. He was able to y the Stranger with all his might, but he also suffered grievous injuries as a result. He knew he didn¡¯t have much longer to live.

    Wang Shengkui was reluctant to die in the Gobi Desert as his death would also mean the death of his daughter. Through sheer grit and determination, he was able to trek over fifty kilometers of distance and make it to the edge of the Celestial Spring.

    Unfortunately, that was as far as he went before he finally copsed to the ground and fainted. He thought it would be thest time he saw the world and his beloved daughter.

    He was wrong. The next day, not only did he wake up from what he thought would be his final slumber, he discovered that his injuries werepletely healed as well. Thanks to this, he was able to bring the main ingredient back to his home and treat his daughter¡¯s illness.

    At the time, he thought that the celestial living in the Celestial Spring had sensed his fervent wish and decided to save his life. That was why he took his daughter to the Celestial Spring so that they could thank him in person.

    While they were praying, his daughter whispered to him that a little friend wasughing and watching them from the waters. Of course, he saw nothing.

    He thought his daughter was either blinded by a trick of the light or allowing her overactive imagination to run wild, butter, her daughter told him that she spent the day ying with the little friend and enjoyed a great time.

    It was only then he thought that something was off, but he still didn¡¯t give it much attention because his daughter seemed fine.

    But now that he saw the little Stranger with his own eyes and heard the group¡¯s conversation, he finally understood that the little friend his daughter saw and yed with back then was the Stranger before his eyes.

    It could only be the one who saved his life as well.

    Therefore, he didn¡¯t just owe the little Stranger his life. His precious daughter owed it her life as well.

    He just couldn¡¯t stay aloof and do nothing no matter what. That was why he spoke up.

    He was well aware that his action was going tond his caravan in deep trouble. If things went poorly, it might result in death. But still, he spoke up.

    He was a human. He could not be lesser than a Stranger.

    ¡°A human who¡¯s pleading for a Stranger? That¡¯s rare.¡± Elder Miao chuckled.

    ¡°Not all Strangers are bad, just like not all humans are good.¡±

    Wang Shengkui kept an obsequious posture since he was the person asking for a favor here. ¡°Besides, this Stranger saved my life before, so I humbly request that you let it go.¡±

    ¡°Interesting. But why should I agree to your demand? It cost us a lot to capture this little thing, you know?¡± Elder Miao smiled, though there was great terror hidden behind the smile. Wang Shengkun could almost see a dragon towering behind the little girl and looking down on him with cold, indifferent eyes. His breathing felt stifled, the blood drained away from his face, and his knees nearly buckled from the sudden pressure.

    Sun Bo and the others couldn¡¯t feel what Wang Shengkun was feeling, but they could see that something was off. Everyone¡¯s expression turned unfriendly as they stepped forward and shouted expletives at the opposing group.

    Although her group was outnumbered, Elder Miao paid Wang Shengkun¡¯s men no attention whatsoever. ¡°Is that it? It looks like begging won¡¯t work, so you¡¯re going to take our prize by force?¡±

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    Wang Shengkun forced down the unnatural terror gripping his body and called for Sun Bo and the others to stay silent. Then, he exined, ¡°Don¡¯t understand, senior. That is not my intention, and this has nothing to do with them. This is my and my personal request only.¡±

    He already knew that Elder Miao was strong, but judging from her reaction, he still underestimated her strength. If she got her, they might all die here today.

    He did not mind dying, but he was unwilling to drag his brothers and sisters down with him.

    ¡°Oh? And what makes you think you have the right to ask anything of me?¡± Elder Miao continued to smile sweetly.

    ¡°Nothing, of course. I am simply beseeching you.¡± Wang Shengkui said humbly and sincerely, ¡°In return, you may ask anything from me. If it is within my capabilities to perform, then I will do it.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? Anything?¡± Elder Miao rubbed her chin curiously. ¡°If I ask you to kneel in front of me?¡±

    Wang Shengkui dropped to his knees without a second thought.

    ¡°And if I ask you to kowtow to me?¡±

    Elder Miao¡¯s smile grew increasingly sweet.

    ¡°Boss!¡±

    ¡°Boss!!!¡±

    Sun Bo and the others looked absolutely furious. Wang Shengkui was a true man in every sense of the word. Before this, the only people he gave his knees to were the sky, the earth, and his parents. But today, not only did he kneel to a total stranger, that bitch was demanding that she kowtow to him as well! Just how far did she intend to humiliate him?!

    ¡°Hahaha... I thought you wanted to rescue this little thing? Is it not worth a few kowtows?¡± Tong Chuan and the rest of Elder Miao¡¯s men burst outughing.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Wang Shengkui gritted his teeth and did as he was told. Every time his head hit the ground, it was so loud it was as if the kowtow was happening within everyone¡¯s heart.

    One could literally hear his pleading from his kowtows.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±

    Tong Chuan and the othersughed yet again. Hanxue was the only one who looked disturbed.

    ¡°What an obedient boy you are. If our elder asks you to kill yourself, would you do it?¡± Someone taunted.

    ¡°If senior would let it go, why not?¡± Wang Shengkui dered without hesitation as he raised his head. His forehead was dirtied by bits of stone and soil, and it couldn¡¯t be described as a good look. Despite this, his gaze was as firm and clear as water, ice, and jade.

    <i>You saved me and my daughter¡¯s life back then. Why would I be afraid to give up my life to save yours?</i>

    <i>How could I not?</i>

    This time, Tong Chuan and the others couldn¡¯t quiteugh as loudly as they did before. The guy who taunted Wang Shengkui wore an ugly expression as he muttered, ¡°What an ill bastard. I never heard of a guy who¡¯s willing to die for a Stranger. What the hell is wrong with him?¡±

    ¡°Will you take my life in exchange for letting it go, senior?¡± Wang Shengkui asked while staring at Elder Miao. He might be kneeling, but he was still a full head taller than her.

    ¡°Yiyi...¡±

    It was at this moment the little Stranger trapped within Elder Miao¡¯s Dragon Subjugating Net made a noise. When they looked, they noticed that it was standing on its feet.

    When everyone¡¯s eyes were set on it, the little Stranger pointed at Wang Shengkui and itself and made these weird ¡°Yiyi yaya¡± noises. It stared at Elder Miao with pleading eyes.

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re saying that you woulde with me if I allow him to live?¡± Elder Miao asked smilingly after listening to the Stranger until the end.

    The little Stranger immediately nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to it, senior! It doesn¡¯t understand anything!¡± Wang Shengkui raised his voice, but could not help but be warmed by the little Stranger¡¯s action. No matter what fate befell him today, it was worth it.

    ¡°Yiyi yaya...¡±

    The little Stranger began making noises and gesturing again. It clearly disagreed with Wang Shengkui¡¯s words.

 Chapter 605: Envying Your Good With My Evil

    ¡°Interesting. How interesting. A human is pleading for a Stranger, and a Stranger is pleading for a human. I¡¯ve definitely seen something new today.¡±

    Elder Miao chuckled, but her smile was growing increasingly scornful and ridiculing. ¡°However¡­ it seems you¡¯ve both forgotten that the choice is not in either of your hands!¡±

    Elder Miao looked at Wang Shengkui. ¡°Your life is worth nothing to me. Hence, your promise is meaningless to me as well.¡±

    Elder Miao then looked down at the little Stranger. ¡°As for you, little guy, you are already in my hands. You¡¯reing back with me to Dragonrider Mountain whether you like it or not.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Wang Shengkui¡¯s eyes darkened.

    ¡°You know what? This farce is getting boring,¡± Elder Miao said suddenly as if she had lost all interest. ¡°Kill them all.¡±

    Before Wang Shengkui and the horse caravanners could react, the fish basket from before appeared in the sky. Golden light descended from the golden dragon wrapped around the Strange Artifact and immobilized everyone in ce. Not one person in the horse caravan could move a muscle.

    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ve been wanting to do this from the start!¡± Tong Chuan smiled savagely as he walked toward Sun Bo and Uncle Qi. Almost everyone else looked eager and malicious as well.

    ¡°You¡­ Why?¡± Wang Shengkui nched as his eyes widened like saucers. One moment ago, Elder Miao was still talking to him like a civilized person. The next, she was going to kill them all, and for what?At this point, it was clear that the girl was toying with him. The thought of releasing the little Stranger had never crossed his mind.

    He did not understand why she wanted to kill his men though. He was the one who made the request, so why was she directing her ire at everyone?

    ¡°Why?¡± Elder Miao blinked cutely and innocently. ¡°Because I loathe people like you, of course.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? People like you make me feel ugly. The kinder and better you are, the more ugly and evil I feel, and the more ugly and evil I feel, the more I wish to destroy you.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then just kill me and be done with it. Why are you targeting my brothers as well?¡±

    Wang Shengkui had never seen a more evil expression in his life than the innocent smile on Elder Miao¡¯s face right now. ¡°They haven¡¯t offended you, have they?¡±

    ¡°They haven¡¯t offended me, yes, but you have.¡±

    Elder Miao giggled. ¡°It costs to stick your nose in another¡¯s business, you know?¡±

    Wang Shengkui was speechless for a moment. Then, he started begging, ¡°Its all my fault, so please let them go! I beg you! Please!¡±

    ¡°Are you regretting your life choices?¡± Elder Miao asked smilingly.

    Wang Shengkui did not answer her question. He simply continued to plead for mercy.

    Did he regret his decision?

    The answer was yes and no.

    He did not regret breaking the cardinal rule of horse caravanning and pleading on behalf of the little Stranger. He would do it again if he had a choice to redo things.

    But he did regret dragging his brothers and sisters down with him. He should¡¯ve been smarter and sent them home first. After that, he could catch up to Elder Miao¡¯s group alone and make his plea. If everything went perfectly, then all was well. If not, then only he would suffer the consequences of his actions.

    Right now, he was begging and kowtowing not for himself, but for his brothers and sisters.

    ¡°Looks like you do. A shame it¡¯s a little toote, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Elder Miao slowly walked toward Wang Shengkui while giggling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to kill you. In fact, I¡¯m going to make sure that you stay alive to remember that your brothers and sisters are dead because of your goodness. I want you to wallow in shame and guilt all day and night because of your goodness, I want you to live forever in darkness and pain, and I want you to think that your goodness is loathsome and disgusting.¡±

    Every time Elder Miao said a sentence, Wang Shengkui would tremble, and the light in his eyes would dim just a little.

    ¡°How cruel can you be?!¡± Wang Shengkui roared with bloodshot eyes. He struggled with all his might, but he was unable to break free no matter what he tried.

    The little Stranger inside the Dragon Subjugating Net was yelling and struggling as well. The threads dug deep into its flesh, but it could not seem to feel the pain it was causing to itself.

    ¡°You think so? I think I can be crueler though.¡±

    Elder Miao waved her hand, and Wang Shengkui involuntarily turned around and faced toward his people.

    ¡°What if I make you watch your brothers and sisters die because of your goodness? Yes, I think that would be perfect. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°You! Graaaaagh!¡±

    Wang Shengkui roared as he struggled to stand, but the Dragon Nursing Nest¡¯s power was too strong. He could only watch as Elder Miao¡¯s men continued to walk toward his men, raised their murderous weapons, and brought it down.

    Wang Shengkui closed his eyes. Trickles of blood slid down his cheeks from how hard he squeezed them.

    The screams did not happen though. In fact, he heard nothing despite waiting for a few breaths.

    When Wang Shengkui opened his eyes again, he did not see the cruel massacre he thought he was going to see. Instead, he saw Elder Miao¡¯s men standing perfectly still as if someone had cast a petrification spell on them. Even their cruel grins were still stered on their faces.

    ¡°Who are you? Please show yourself!¡±

    For the first time, Elder Miao¡¯s easy expression turned serious. Despite her strength and cultivation level, she did not sense what had paralyzed her men from the start until the end.

    There were only two possibilities. One, the unknown person was far, far stronger than her. Second, they cultivated an extremely special martial art.

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to be ugly, and another to make others as ugly as you. I can throw up at the sight of you, you loathsome wench!¡±

    A ridiculing voice came from Elder Miao¡¯s side, and the girl abruptly spun around to face the speaker.

    ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡±

    Wang Shengkui subconsciously nced in the direction of the speaker as well. It was then he noticed the young, ordinary-looking man in a blue outfit he saw earlier. At the same time, he recalled that the young man had been with them this whole time. Somehow, he hadpletely forgotten about the young man. It was like he existed at the edge of his consciousness until just now.

    ¡°I am an elder of Dragonrider Mountain, Innocent Miao. May I know your name, warrior?¡±

    Elder Miao a.k.a Innocent Miao asked. Her expression betrayed nothing, but her heart was overflowing with wariness.

    She recognized the young man, of course. In fact, the young man had arrived even earlier than them. He was already here when they arrived at the Celestial Spring the day before yesterday.

    Logically speaking, they should¡¯ve been on the lookout for him. After all, they were here to capture the little Stranger, and any additional variable could potentially ruin their n. It was only natural for them to be wary of him.

    For some reason though, the thought had never crossed her mind even though he was right there. It wasn¡¯t like the young man had tried to keep a low profile either. More than once the young man had carried about his business right in front of her, and yet she had subconsciously overlooked his existence almost as if he was air.

    If the young man hadn¡¯t chosen to speak up now, she wouldn¡¯t even remember that he was right there with them.

    It was a terrifying realization to say the least.

    ¡°My name isn¡¯t important. You probably wouldn¡¯t recognize me even if I told you about it,¡± the young man shook his head and answered casually.

    ¡°In that case, may I inquire as to your intentions for interfering with our business?¡± Innocent Miao asked with a frown.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple. I don¡¯t like the way you do things, that¡¯s all,¡± the young man replied indifferently.

    ¡°So, you n to stick your nose in the Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s business as well?¡± A hint of cruelty and murder crept onto Innocent Miao¡¯s innocent face.

    ¡°No point trying to intimidate me with your sect¡¯s name. I¡¯ve never heard of a Dragonrider Mountain.¡±

    The young man shrugged. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m crashing your party. Whatcha gonna do?¡±

 Chapter 606: Punching Down A Dragon

    ¡°The arrogance!¡±

    Innocent Miao hmphed at the same time her fish basket appeared above the young man. The golden dragon circling the Strange Artifact let out a mighty roar, and a terrible pressure pressed down on him like the fall of heaven itself.

    ¡°Arrogance? Since when is stating facts considered arrogance?¡±

    Innocent Miao¡¯s eyes widened. The golden light had seemingly caught the young man off guard and buckled his knees slightly, but he easily and casually rose back to his feet. As he straightened himself, the golden light beams descending from the fish basket shattered bit by bit like ss, and the fish basket itself wobbled unsteadily. The golden dragon¡¯s roar also devolved into a pitiful whine as if it was afraid of the young man¡¯s power.

    When the young man fully stood up, the golden dragon abruptly exploded into smithereens. The fish basket was also sted far, far into the distance.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    A mouthful of fresh blood gushed out of Innocent Miao¡¯s lips. Her face also turned as white as a sheet.

    She did not hesitate. She immediately turned around and broke off into a run.

    The reason was simple. Her opponent was simply too powerful.The fish basket was no ordinary object. A Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact, the Dragon Nursing Nest was one of the hidden treasures the founder of the Dragonrider Mountain, the Dragonrider Trueman had left behind for his disciples.

    Legend said that the founder of the Dragonrider Mountain was a strange yet amazing warrior who specifically cultivated the ways of dragonying. He had in many true and lesser dragons in his life and founded the sect known as Dragonrider Mountain.

    The Dragon Nursing Nest was a Strange Artifact he forged using a dragon¡¯s tendons and blood. A support-type Strange Artifact, the power of a true dragon resided within the Dragon Nursing Nest. If a Stranger was kept within its confines, they would eventually undergo a transformation and gain the bloodline of a true dragon, albeit a faint one. Hence the name.

    Besides that, the Dragon Nursing Nest possessed the ability to shackle and intimidate. For example, its wielder could apply a true dragon¡¯s pressure to lock down an entire space. That was how they were finally able to capture the little Stranger.

    The Dragon Nursing Nest was undoubtedly a powerful Strange Artifact, and yet it had failed to contain the young man for even a single breath. What did that say about his strength?

    That was why Innocent Miao did not hesitate to make her escape.

    Unfortunately for her, she had barely moved when her instincts suddenly screamed of impending death. Without thinking, she summoned a beam of golden light that transformed into a golden dragon out of her body and wrapped herself in it.

    <em>¡°Dragontaming Art: Dragoncoil Protection¡±</em>

    Dragoncoil Protection was a defensive technique where the practitioner transformed their astral qi into a dragon and surrounded themselves in it. Normally, it could block most attacks without fail.

    The young man though? Innocent Miao could only watch in horror as a single fist prated her golden dragon like it was paper.

    Knowing that there was no time to lose, she curled into herself and somehow yanked herself free from her opponent¡¯s fist intent and energies. Like a dragon diving into a river, she swam forward with great speed and slowed down only after she was ten or so meters away.

    A blue dragon could navigate the void of the waters as easily as it soared through the skies. Hence, the technique was named ¡°Blue Dragon Swim¡±.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to make Dragonrider Mountain your enemy?¡±

    Innocent Miao looked back at the young man ten meters behind her with an ugly expression. He was currently withdrawing his fist with a rxed expression on his face.

    The Dragonrider Mountain mainly cultivated the spirit so as to tame a dragon with their mind or y it with their intent. However, that also meant that they were weak in body.

    Innocent Miao had no doubt that the punch would have wounded her grievously if she hadn¡¯t escaped in time.

    ¡°Are you regretting your life choices?¡±

    The young man smiled brightly, but none of it reached the eye. It was exactly the same smile she had used on Wang Shengkui earlier.

    ¡°A shame it¡¯s a little toote, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Innocent Miao¡¯s expression grew uglier. It was the exact same phrases she had flung at Wang Shengkui earlier, and now the bastard was throwing her words right back at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you!¡±

    Innocent Miao uttered wrathfully as she stomped the ground, hard. The earth churned, and a pair of earth dragons burst out of the earth to attack the young man¡¯s left and right nk. It almost looked like two dragons ying with a pearl.

    The young man did not even look at them as he spread his arms wide. He caught the earth dragons by their heads, and they came to a dead halt just like that.

    Not done yet, he clenched his fingers and caused cracks to spread across their whole body. Then, they shattered into pieces.

    As soon as the earth dragons shattered, a single water bead appeared on Innocent Miao¡¯s fingertip. She flicked it at the young man.

    The second the water bead left her fingertip, it transformed into a roaring river.

    What better way to fell a dragon from the sky than a river?

    <em>¡°Dragonyer Art: Dragon Subjugation¡±</em>

    The young man didn¡¯t dodge even though the river was rolling straight toward him. He simply walked toward Innocent Miao until the river was a second away from him. Then, he clenched his fist and thrust it forward.

    The raging flood of water was split in half just like that.

    So what if you have a river that fell dragons?

    I have a fist that could divide a river.

    When the river was split apart, Innocent Miao chanted something that sounded like a draconic roar capable ofmanding all bodies of water. The river churned, and eight water dragons burst out of it.

    A mountain was famous not because it was tall, but because a celestial lived within.

    A body of water was famous not because it was deep, but because it was a dragon¡¯s den.

    As soon as the eight dragons appeared, the disintegrating waters stabilized and gathered behind the eight water dragons. Then, they formed a wave that was over three hundred meters tall.

    As the eight dragons circled the sky, the waters turned into a mirror in the sky and showed off the scene of a celestial ying a true dragon.

    Right after that, a finger pierced through the water mirror and descended from above.

    The descending finger was apanied by eight dragons and an ungodly tidal wave.

    It was the ultimate killing technique of the ¡°Dragonyer Art¡±, ¡°y True Dragon¡±.

    Even before the finger descended, the roars of countless dragons resounded for hundreds and thousands of kilometers. Heaven and earth themselves cowered before their might.

    If a celestial¡¯s finger could y a true dragon, what about a man?

    How could it not squash a man like a bug?

    Unfortunately for Innocent Miao, the young man didn¡¯t even give her the chance tough before he raised his fist and punched again.

    The punch shattered the descending finger,

    Put a hole in the raging tides,

    And shattered the mirror in the sky.

    When a man¡¯s fist was taller than the heavens, then it could kill even a celestial, no?

    ¡°All sauce, no substance.¡±

    The young manmented casually as he withdrew his fist. He then resumed his walk toward Innocent Miao once more.

    Innocent Miaopletely lost the will to fight as a strange cry escaped her lips. She leaped into the air and soared into the sky like a true dragon. There were clouds shrouding her person like a veil.

    The wind submitted to a tiger, and the clouds to a dragon. A dragon could hide itself in the clouds, grow bigger or smaller, or even turn invisible. Hence, the technique was named ¡°Dragonrising¡±.

    ¡°Dragonrising¡± was invented after observing how a dragon leaped and soared through the sky. In short, it was a movement art in the ¡°Dragonyer Art¡±. It enabled the practitioner to conceal themselves in the clouds and fly across heaven and earth like lightning.

    ¡°Dragonrising¡± was the Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s best escape art. It was also how Innocent Miao appeared over a hundred meters away in just a breath.

    She did not believe that the young man could catch up to her. It was clear that he was a body-tempering warrior, and no one could deny his sheer physicality. However, a body-tempering warrior was also weak in mind and movement. She was certain he couldn¡¯t spot her, much less chase her down.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty fast, but do you really think you can run?¡±

    Unfortunately, a ridiculing voice entered her ears the next moment. It sounded so close it might have appeared right next to her.

    Innocent Miao shivered as the breath of death brushed against her nape. She looked behind her back just in time to see a finger descending toward her.

    The second she saw the finger, she knew that she could neither block nor avoid it. She could only watch helplessly as the finger touched her forehead.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    There was a crisp bang, and the sound resounded inside her headspace like a bell¡¯s ringing.

    Every time the sound echoed, countless memories would surface from her headspace. It almost felt like someone was flipping through her memories like a book using his spirit.

 Chapter 607: Dragon Scaffold

    <h4>Chapter 607: Dragon Scaffold </h4>

    ¡°How dare you spy on my memories! Die!¡±

    Innocent Miao roared inside her heart as a monster with a dragon¡¯s body but a human¡¯s head appeared inside her headspace.

    The monster¡¯s body was over three hundred meters long. It had glittering scales that produced halos when light reflected off its surface. At the center of its head was the youthful, innocent face of a young girl¡ªInnocent Miao¡¯s face to be exact.

    This was Innocent Miao¡¯s Yin God, the Guileless True Dragon.

    Although Dragonrider Mountain was a waning, disreputable sect today, it was theplete opposite a couple centuries ago. They were once famous throughout the <i>jianghu </i>for their dragonying arts, a secret art that focused on cultivating qi and especially the mind and astral qi.

    Innocent Miao was an elder of Dragonrider Mountain, so of course she was no weakling. She was a Spirit Master with an exceptionally potent mind.

    She did not know how the young man was able to track her even after she used Dragonrising, but he was apparently foolish enough to tackle her greatest strength with his biggest weakness. He actually dared to go peek into her memories inside her own headspace. That was akin to lighting antern inside a toilet¡ªsuicide.

    Overconfidence was the unmaking of many warriors. If he thought that she had no way to turn the tables, then he had another thinging.

    <i>You only have your arrogance to me for what happens next! </i>

    Innocent Miao sneered internally as the Guiless True Dragon manifested a scaffold from its scales. There were tall, massive stone pirs shrouded in lightning at each corner of the scaffold, and four burning chains descending from the skies. Sitting at the center of the scaffold was an executioner¡¯s de which tip was facing upward. The de was covered in rust and dried blood, and the aura of death rising off of it was so thick that it was almost tangible. The painful screams of dragons could be heard from the aura of death from time to time.

    The second the scaffold appeared, draconic roars, fiendish aura and killing intent immediately permeated Innocent Miao¡¯s headspace.

    <i>¡°Dragonyer Art: Dragon Scaffold¡±</i>

    Legend had it that the ancient heavenly court used to own a dragon scaffold that was specifically used to punish vile dragons who abused their power. A dragon king had even been in at the dragon scaffold in the past. The first swing of the executioner¡¯s de would rid them of their scales, the second swing would strip them of their skin, the third swing would sever all their tendons, the fourth swing would turn their body into mush, and the fifth swing would enfeeble their mind. It was said that any true dragon unfortunate enough to enter the dragon scaffold would suffer the cruelest punishments imaginable.

    At best, the punished dragon would lose its scales and skin. At worst, it would lose its tendons, break many bones, and even lose its mind.

    The Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s ¡°Dragon Scaffold¡± was an imitation of the ancient dragon scaffold. An offensive Magia that specifically targeted the mind, it could bind a true dragon¡¯s mind to the dragon scaffold and put it through the five punishments at the adept level.

    Of course, Innocent Miao had never subjected a dragon to the ¡°Dragon Scaffold¡± since mastering the technique. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to, but because she had never even seen a dragon before, much less fought it.

    Humans though? Oh, she had put many, many humans through the ¡°Dragon Scaffold¡±.

    Anyone whose mind was entrapped by Dragon Scaffold would suffer the cruelest of punishments. A mind was originally intangible, but it gained both form and substance once it entered the Dragon Scaffold. The Dragon Scaffold would then dice their membrane into bits, skin them alive, sever their tendons, pound their flesh into mince meat, and annihte their mind as if they were a true dragon. The victim would die slowly in a world of pain and suffering.

    Therefore, Dragon Scaffold wasn¡¯t just Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s strongest mind-attacking Magia, it was a brutal and inhuman method of torture as well. Anyone from Dragonrider Mountain would turn green the second they heard its name.

    Right now, Innocent Miao wanted nothing more than to subject her tormentor to her Dragon Scaffold and teach him the pain of the mind. Only then could she vent her fury and hatred.

    <i>tter tter tter!</i>

    With a thought, shemanded the descending chains to wrap around the unknowable object in the void. But when the chains actually caught their target, they failed to drag it to the Dragon Scaffold. Not only that, they ttered restlessly almost as if they were trembling in fear.

    Whatever they had caught, they instinctively knew that it wasn¡¯t something that they could control.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    Inside Innocent Miao¡¯s headspace, the Guileless True Dragon roared loudly. The Dragon Scaffold behind its back grew increasingly solid, and lightning flickered wildly above the four stone pirs. As the aura of death of the executioner¡¯s de rose to the heavens, the chains abruptly snapped straight and let loose a draconic roar.

    ¡°Quiet. I¡¯m trying to work here!¡±

    Suddenly, an impatient voice resounded throughout Innocent Miao¡¯s headspace. It wasn¡¯t particrly loud, but its authority and dominance would not be questioned. As if its words were thew itself, the draconic roar abruptly disappeared into nothing, and the taut chains broke into pieces without a sound.

    Before Innocent Miao could react, an overwhelming, indescribable fear suddenly swelled inside her heart. Her consciousness fizzled for just an instant, and a gigantic foot smashed through the sky, shattered the sun and moon, andnded right on top of her ¡°Dragon Scaffold¡±.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    A loud boomter, her prized ¡°Dragon Scaffold¡± shattered into a million pieces. Even her three-hundred-meter-long Guileless True Dragon was utterly scattered in one stomp.

    ¡°Impossible...¡±

    Before her consciousness blurred, Innocent Miao vaguely saw a tall, vast, mysterious silhouette sitting on a throne and looking down on her with scorn and disdain. They looked just like an untouchable god looking down on a puny ant crawling in the dirt below.

    The silhouette tapped their throne lightly, and her headspace abruptly copsed into nothing. With that, her consciousness sank into a sea of chaos.

    ......

    Innocent Miao and the young man¡¯s battle might feel long in words, but in reality, itsted only a dozen or so breaths.

    On one hand, Innocent Miao summoned twin dragons at the young man, transforming a water droplet into a roaring river, and manifested dragons from the very same river. On the other hand, the young man punched again, and again, and again. His technique was so basic one could barely call it a technique. Wang Shengkui and his men had seen street hooligans who put up a fight that was more visually appealing than this.

    That was the thing though. As grand as Innocent Miao¡¯s technique seemed, it was utterly dismantled by the young man¡¯s simple techniques. Before they knew it, Innocent Miao was on the run.

    A short whileter, the young man returned with an unconscious girl in his arms. It was none other than Innocent Miao. He descended from the skies smoothly like a living celestial.

    After hended, the young man threw Innocent Miao beneath the feet of the Dragonrider Mountain female disciple, Hanxue.

    ¡°Did... did you kill Elder Miao?¡±

    Hanxue trembled involuntarily as she stared at her unconscious elder, but she still mustered the courage to look up and ask the question.

    ¡°Rx. She¡¯s still alive.¡±

    The young man said indifferently before adding, ¡°Whether she can wake up is a different story though.¡±

    Hanxue was just about to sigh in relief when she heard the strange remark. What did he mean by that?

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Not much. I just scoured her mind and identally damaged it a little,¡± the young man replied indifferently.

    ¡°You scoured her mind?! How... how could you...¡± Hanxue trembled with shock and disbelief.

    Wang Shengkui and his people¡¯s hearts skipped a beat as well. Soul scouring was considered a heretical technique, which was why the warriors of major ns and the orthodox factions rarely used them. A practitioner of the Dark Ways had no such qualms, however. Could the young man really be a heartless, blood-soaked murderer despite his clean appearance?

    Had they just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire?

    ¡°You didn¡¯t try to ughter those men, so you may leave.¡±

    The young man paid Hanxue¡¯s shock no heed whatsoever. ¡°Take her with you. It¡¯s up to her whether she wakes up again.¡±

    Hanxue wanted to say something, but as soon as she met the young man¡¯s eyes, a surge of indescribable terror suddenly paralyzed her mouth. In the end, she was unable to voice her doubt and anger.

    A moment of silenceter, Hanxue wrestled her fear back into the confines of her heart and nced at her seniors. ¡°What... What about my senior brothers and sisters?¡±

    ¡°Oh, them? They may leave too¡ªif you don¡¯t think they¡¯re too heavy.¡± the young man chuckled.

    ¡°What... What do you mean by that?¡± A bad feeling punched right through the mental defenses she just constructed.

    ¡°What I mean... is that they¡¯re already dead,¡± said the young man as he waved his hand. As if on cue, Tong Chuan and everyone else abruptly copsed to the ground.

    He had wiped out all of their consciousness in one gesture.

 Chapter 608: A Warmth And Beauty Worth Striving For

    <h4>Chapter 608: A Warmth And Beauty Worth Striving For </h4>

    ¡°You...¡±

    All the blood drained away from Hanxue¡¯s face. She looked as pale as a ghost right now.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to leave? I mean, I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind thepany if you don¡¯t.¡± The young man observed Hanxue curiously as the corners of his lips curled up into a devilish smirk. ¡°So? How do you want to depart to the afterlife?¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    It was as if the young man¡¯s smile was the scariest thing in the world. Unable to hold back her fear any longer, Hanxue screamed and fell right on top of her butt. Then, caring naught for her embarrassing appearance or attire, she grabbed Innocent Miao and ran away faster than she ever had in her life.

    The young man watched Hanxue a little before chuckling.¡°Oh right! Please inform your head that I may personally pay Dragonrider Mountain a visit in the next couple days.¡±

    Hanxue visibly trembled, but she did not say anything. She simply ran faster.

    After Hanxue waspletely gone, the young man finally turned around and looked at Wang Shengkui and the others. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    ¡°Th... Thank you for s-saving us, senior. We are infinitely grateful for your timely rescue.¡± Wang Shengkui swallowed and asked carefully, ¡°H-How would you like us to repay the favor? We will see it done even if it costs us a thousand deaths.¡±

    Wang Shengkui was being very, very cautious. Thest thing he wanted was to trigger the young man into smiting them all in one punch.

    Although the young man had saved their lives, who knows what the hell he was plotting? Everyone knows that a demonic warrior acted entirely based on their whims. They could speak with you like an old friend for one moment and kill you the next. Innocent Miao was the prime example of that.

    ¡°Oh? You will give me a thousand deaths? Well, I see no reason to turn down such a generous offer.¡±

    The young man smiled, and everyone broke out in cold sweat. For a few seconds, no one dared to say anything, and everyone was prepared to die.

    Suddenly, the young man barked out a shortugh before waving his hand. ¡°Haha! If only you could see the looks on your faces. I was just joking. You may leave as well.¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    Wang Shengkui and the others couldn¡¯t quite process the young man¡¯s words. Just a moment ago, they were reading to fall on their knees and beg for mercy. Hell, some of them were just waiting for the young man to kill them. In any case, this was <i>not </i>the oue they expected.

    <i>Did I hear wrong, or is he toying with us?</i>

    The same thought more or less crossed everyone¡¯s mind. It was also why no one dared to make a move for a time.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the Celestial Spring so attractive to you, or do you want to keep those dead menpany?¡± The young man nced at the dead Dragonrider Mountain disciples in jest.

    ¡°No, of course not!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, senior. We shall take our leave immediately.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, senior.¡±

    Sun Bo, Uncle Qi and more jolted back to reality and hurriedly gave their thanks. Then, they grabbed their stuff and horses as quickly as they could and prepared to leave.

    When Uncle Qi looked back and saw that Wang Shengkui was still standing at the same spot, he urged, ¡°C¡¯mon, boss. We don¡¯t want to disturb senior any longer, do we?¡±

    Wang Shengkui hesitated for a moment as he stared at the little Stranger currently held in the young man¡¯s hand. After a moment of hesitation, he ultimately gritted his teeth and sped his hands together in salute. ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, senior. We shan¡¯t disturb your peace any longer.¡±

    With that, Wang Shengkui turned away and did not look at the little Stranger again. If he did, he was afraid that he would lose control and beg the young man to release the little Stranger again.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of trouble. He didn¡¯t fear death either. However, he had already risked his brothers and sisters¡¯ lives once and nearly paid the ultimate price for it.

    He simply couldn¡¯t repeat the same mistake again.

    That was why he left swiftly and decisively. He was afraid that he would change his mind if he slowed down even a little.

    Even so, Wang Shengkui had made up his mind to return to the Celestial Spring and speak to the young man after he escorted his brothers and sisters to safety.

    He and his daughter owed the little Stranger their lives. That favor alone was worth a thousand deaths.

    He just hoped he wouldn¡¯t be toote.

    No. He would return in time.

    ......

    Inside the Dragon Subjugating Net, the little Stranger neither struggled nor kicked up a fuss. It simply stared at the departing group with happiness, yearning, reluctance, calm, peace, loneliness...

    It was as if the little Stranger was an old man. It had seen almost everything there was to see in the red dust, and when it looked back, it was all alone.

    The young man lifted the little Stranger to eye level and asked smilingly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you miss him? Or are you disappointed that he didn¡¯t linger and beg for your release?¡±

    The little Stranger did not answer him, of course. It continued to stare at the group¡¯s backs just like it had witnessed the departure of so, so many others.

    Its eyes remained pure, however. They looked like purified pools that were fully cleansed of the world¡¯s taint. Just looking into its eyes was enough to set one at ease, though that very same purity also caused a painful twinge in one¡¯s heart.

    ¡°My name is Ye Qing, little one. What is your name?¡±

    The young man was, naturally, Ye Qing. Five days ago, he departed Bei You on New Year¡¯s Day and journeyed north. He had no set path or n in his mind. He allowed his heart to carry him wherever it led him to. That was how he encountered the Celestial Spring and the little Stranger by ident.

    He was washing his face by the Celestial Spring when he first saw the little Stranger. He was on the shore, and the little Stranger was in the waters. Its head poking out of the water surface, it had watched him with bright, clear eyes and a joyous expression.

    The little Stranger was invisible at the time, and most people could not perceive him. Ye Qing could only because his spirit was much stronger than most. He couldn¡¯t feel any malice from the little Stranger, so he pretended that he hadn¡¯t seen it.

    When he was washing his face, the little Stranger would float on the water and watch him in silence.

    When he was drinking from the spring, it would shake its legs lightly and cause ripples on the water surface, giggling.

    When he sat down underneath a tree and ate his rations, it would follow him to the shore and hop around him,ughing.

    When he was cultivating, the little Stranger would sit beside him and copy his posture, meditating.

    When he was sleeping, the little Stranger would climb to the tree on top of his head and swing its legs, chasing away the insects that might disturb his sleep.

    When he got ready to leave the next day, the little Stranger looked crestfallen and sad.

    And when he made a surprise return, the little Stranger grew so excited that it purposely rolled across the waters and caused even bigger ripples.

    It was like he was its friend. It was pleasantly surprised when he appeared and saddened by his departure.

    Yes, this friend couldn¡¯t see or even feel it.

    Even so, just seeing him was enough to satisfy it.

    Later, a group of traveling merchants arrived at Celestial Spring and stayed the night.

    He discovered that the little Stranger enjoyed the noise and activity and loved listening to the interesting stories of the <i>jianghu </i>including its own.

    When the people drank and fooled around, the little Stranger would watch them by the shore andugh at their antics.

    When someone brought up an interesting story, the little Stranger would hang by the shore and listen in silence.

    And when they finally left, the little Stranger would watch their backs with a forlorn look in their eyes. When they were gone, it would float on the spring and allow it to carry it wherever, ripples spreading across the water surface.

    This was probably its usual activity whenever the Celestial Spring was devoid of people. It would lie on the waters and watch the clouds until the next traveler or group arrived.

    Day after day. Year after year.

    It did not exist in the vicissitudes of life of a human, but still, it was touched by them.

    For the past few days, Ye Qing had witnessed the little Stranger¡¯s joy, sorrow, and loneliness.

    It was happy, but it was lonely.

    It was free, but it was helpless.

    It was beautiful, but it was sad.

    One thing for certain, it was a kind of warmth and beauty that was worth striving for. Always.

 Chapter 609: Unwilling To Wait

    This was why he stayed at Celestial Spring for so long. It was to keep the little Strangerpany if only for a little while.

    From the moment Innocent Miao and her men showed up, Ye Qing had been tempted to y them on the spot. The group had arrived a day ago, and they were here for the little Stranger. To that end, they had figured out its behavior like the back of their hand and readied all sorts of tactics to lure it into their trap. For example, they tried sharing interesting stories of the <em>jianghu </em>to bait it into leaving the Celestial Spring, eating delicious food and wine to tempt it and more.

    Unfortunately for them, the little Stranger seemed to have noticed their malice as well. It rarely left the Celestial Spring, and even if it did, it took care to walk around them. As a result, Innocent Miao and her group wasted a whole day trying and failing miserably to capture it.

    The only reason they seeded in the end was because Innocent Miao exploited the little Stranger¡¯s kindness and used herself as bait.

    Speaking of which, the reason Ye Qing did not stop Innocent Miao immediately was one, he wanted to know what they nned to do with the little Stranger, and two, to teach the little Stranger a small lesson.

    After all, he could protect it for a time, but he could not protect it forever.

    He had thought of taking the little Stranger with him, but he quickly gave up the idea. For one, the little Stranger might not be willing to go with him. Two, he was hardly going on an idyllic, rxing adventure. He knew full well that there was a high chance he might die during this journey, and his act of kindness might very well doom the little Stranger as well.

    Finally, the little Stranger was a kind, innocent soul. He did not think it would be the best idea to expose it to the cruelties and filthiness of the world.

    Sure, the little Stranger would be lonely and sad at the Celestial Spring, butpared to the million other worse tragedies out there, it was almost a blessing and a kindness. Ye Qing resolved to spend some time with the little Stranger if he managed toe back alive. In any case, this was why he didn¡¯t rescue it from Innocent Miao¡¯s clutches immediately. It would be terribly sad if it did not live long enough for him to return. As horrible as it might be, the lesson would teach the little Stranger to be wiser, and it would survive the guile of men long enough for him to return.

    On a rted note, he hadn¡¯t nned on killing Innocent Miao and her men at the beginning. Tempted he might be, he only wanted to teach them a harsh lesson in reality. It wasn¡¯t until they treated the little Stranger and Wang Shengkui the way they did that he actually indulged his impulse.

    He had killed Tong Chuan and the others to take revenge for the little Stranger, but he had left the mastermind and cruelest viin of them all, Innocent Miao, alive. That was because he wanted to use her as a warning to Dragonrider Mountain.

    As for why he scoured Innocent Miao¡¯s soul, that was to dig up information regarding Dragonrider Mountain and see if they were strong or not. If they weren¡¯t, then he didn¡¯t mind paying Dragonrider Mountain a visit. He would be able to hone his strength and take revenge for the little Stranger, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

    As for Hanxue, he didn¡¯t kill her because one, he needed someone to bring the message back to Dragonrider Mountain, and two, she was the only person out of everyone in the group who harbored good will toward the little Stranger.

    It was also why he let her leave without harming a hair on her person.

    If Innocent Miao was a representative of the malice of humankind, then Wang Shengkui was the opposite.

    Wang Shengkui was willing to throw away his pride and even his life for a Stranger. To say that he was impressed would be an understatement. He knew he would never be able to lower himself like Wang Shengkui had, and for that, he held only the utmost respect for the man.

    But of course, he did not envy Wang Shengkui like Innocent Miao. One of the worst things one could do in life was to envy another¡¯s goodness with their malice.

    Goodness and sincerity were some of the most beautiful qualities in this world. They should be cherished, not envied or destroyed.

    Ye Qing knew deep down that he did not possess either quality, but he could at least strive toward it.

    One should always face toward the light.

    After Ye Qing surfaced from his thoughts, he looked at the little Stranger still trapped inside the Dragon Subjugating Net and teased, ¡°I saved your life, you know. Shouldn¡¯t you at least offer me your thanks?¡±

    When the little Stranger did not respond, Ye Qing shrugged and opened up the. He gently ced it on the ground next to the and patted its tiny head.

    ¡°You can go home now, little one. Make sure you don¡¯t fall for a ploy like that ever again.¡±

    It was only now the little Stranger seemingly jolted back to reality. It abruptly disappeared and reappeared inside the Celestial Spring.

    Right now, it waspletely hidden under the water. Only its single lotus leaf was floating on the water surface. No one would even notice the lotus leaf if they weren¡¯t paying attention, not to mention the pair of eyes hidden beneath it.

    The pair of clear, pure eyes were currently examining Ye Qing with doubt and puzzlement. While harboring equally clean thoughts in his mind, Ye Qing slowly made his way to the shore and said to the little Stranger, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t capture you. Instead, do you want to be friends?¡±

    The little Stranger¡¯s eyes lit up, and its submerged head slowly rose out of the water. Its cute, round eyes seemed to be shining with happiness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence as a yes. Since we¡¯re friends now, I have a gift for you. I hope you would enjoy it.¡±

    Ye Qing produced a small bottle of Nature¡¯s Water from his Nature¡¯s Shell. It was also hisst bottle.

    The Nature¡¯s Water was a priceless treasure for both humans and Strangers, so he thought it would be useful for the little Stranger as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving it here. Feel free to take it whenever you want.¡±

    Ye Qing ced the bottle at thekeshore before rising to his feet. He then said with gentle eyes, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now, little one. Take care.¡±

    A hint of loneliness and sorrow flickered in the little Stranger¡¯s eyes when it heard this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will return,¡± Ye Qing assured it. ¡°My name is Ye Qing. Ye for Leaf, and Qing for Green. I look forward to our reunion.¡±

    With that, Ye Qing waved his hand and took off toward the sunset.

    Inside the Celestial Spring, after Ye Qing waspletely out of sight, the little Stranger finally swam over to the bottle that was almost asrge as its own head and hugged it tight against its chest. Then, a crisp, melodious giggle that warmed the soul broke the silence.

    The little Stranger was very happy today. For the first time in a very, very long time, it finally met someone who could see it and was willing to speak with it.

    It was also the first time in a long time that someone had given him a gift and asked to be friends with it.

    That was why it was very, very happy.

    However, its happiness soon devolved into sorrow. After all, the new friend it just made was leaving.

    He said he would return, but it did not know if he would.

    A long, long time ago, the man who created this spring and left him here also promised that he would return one day. He promised that he would take him on a journey, show him all the mountains and rivers the world had to offer, bask in the soothing rays of dawn and sunset, and even pluck the moon from the nine heavens.

    That was why the little Stranger stayed at the Celestial Spring every day. It was because it hoped that one of the travelers who visited the spring would be the man he was waiting for so, so long, and it was unwilling to leave even for a moment for fear of missing the man.

    The man was also the reason it loved listening to the tales of the <em>jianghu. </em>It was hoping to hear about the man from one of the stories.

    But despite its long wait, the man never returned.

    Was it because the man had forgotten about him? Was it because he had found a new friend? Or was it because he was dyed by something?

    It did not know, but it knew it was very sad and lonely.

    Still, it finally met someone who was willing to speak with him, give him gifts, and be its friend, so it wasn¡¯t all bad.

    But now, its new friend was leaving as well.

    Sure, its new friend promised that he woulde back to see it, but would he really keep his promise? Or would he forget about him and their promise like the one before?

    The little Stranger thought long and hard. In the end, it held the bottle tight, jumped out of the water, and chased after its new friend.

    Many, many years ago, it had simply watched its friend leave, and its friend had never returned.

    This time, it was going to leave with its new friend. This way, it wouldn¡¯t have to wait anymore.

    It would travel together with its new friend and search for its old friend.

    It had waited long enough.

    This time, it wouldn¡¯t wait anymore.

 Chapter 610: Both Man and Stranger, Walking Toward The Light

    ¡°Eh? Why did youe, little one? Oh, are you here to see me off?¡±

    As before, Ye Qing had no particr destination in mind when he left the Celestial Spring. He simply picked a random direction and took off.

    Just a short whileter, he suddenly sensed something and looked behind him. He immediately saw the little Stranger standing beneath a tree and watching him, the bottle of Nature¡¯s Water pressed tightly against his chest.

    Ye Qing¡¯s feelings improved immediately after he spotted the little Stranger. The little Stranger too giggled when it heard his words.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve seen me off. You can go home now,¡± said Ye Qing with a chuckle.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    Still giggling, the little Stranger shook its head and ignored the request.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you miss me already? Don¡¯t worry, I promise I¡¯lle back and visit you once I¡¯m done with my business. It won¡¯t take long at all.¡±

    Ye Qing waved his hand. ¡°You really should go home now. Goodbye!¡±However, he had just taken a few steps when he realized that the little Stranger hadn¡¯t left. In fact, it was following right behind him.

    This time, Ye Qing looked back with a frown and added some steel into his voice. ¡°Be a good boy and go home, okay?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    However, the little Stranger simplyughed happily in response.

    Helpless, Ye Qing had no choice but to feign anger. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t follow me any longer. If not, I¡¯m going to get angry.¡±

    As he said this, he pushed off the ground and disappeared like an illusion. When he reappeared the next moment, he was ten meters away from his original position. A couple of blinkster, he waspletely gone.

    However, Ye Qing had dashed just a hundred meters or so when he stopped again, a helpless expression on his face. He looked right and watched as the little Stranger crawled out from behind a rock while carrying the bottle of Nature¡¯s Water on the lotus leaf on its head, giggling.

    Ye Qing was starting to feel frustrated, but how could he vent against the cute little Stranger?

    ¡°What on earth do you want, little one?¡±

    Ye Qing sighed. The little Stranger might look cute and harmless, but it was clear that it was no ordinary Stranger. For starters, it could turn invisible and be undetectable to most people. Second, it was apparently well-versed not just in the ways of the water, but also the earth. Earlier, he had pushed ¡°Illusionist¡¯s Grace¡± to its limits and even used his demonic thought to conceal his energies. Despite this, the little Stranger still caught up to him effortlessly.

    As of now, it was unlikely he would be able to shake off the little Stranger.

    Ye Qing slowly stepped toward the little Stranger, but it immediately ducked behind the rock. So, he stopped. A momentter, after confirming that Ye Qing hadn¡¯te any closer, he crawled up again and sat on top of the rock. It swayed left and right and giggled while still carrying the bottle on its head.

    ¡°Do you want toe with me?¡±

    Ye Qing watched the little Stranger and said slowly, ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t say no to such a finepanion, but the ce I¡¯m headed to this time is very, very dangerous. If youe with me, you would be in danger as well.¡±

    The little Stranger seemed to understand his words. It shook its head¡ªthe bottle on its head wobbling unsteadily as well, but never falling¡ªas if to say that it wasn¡¯t afraid.

    ¡°No seriously, the ce I¡¯m headed to is extremely dangerous.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s heart softened a little. ¡°Be a good boy and stay at Celestial Spring for now, okay? If you still wish to follow me when Ie back, then I¡¯ll take you with me. What do you say?¡±

    The little Stranger did not respond. It continued to sway left and right on the rock.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your silence as a yes,¡± Ye Qing said before trying to walk away again. But once again, the little Stranger stubbornly followed him after he had just taken a few steps.

    If he moved slowly, then the little Stranger would move slowly. If he moved quickly, then it would move quickly as well. It always hovered about ten meters away from him, and it was always able to keep pace with him no matter what he tried.

    Finally, Ye Qing looked back and said in a harsh tone, ¡°If you can understand my words, then I¡¯m going to say this one more time. Don¡¯t follow me, or we aren¡¯t friends anymore.¡±

    On a tree branch, the giggling Stranger suddenly stopped giggling altogether. Even its movements had frozen for a second. Then, its crescent-shaped eyes lost their brightness as if they were overcast by ck clouds, leaving behind only loneliness and sorrow.

    A cool breeze blew through the area. The sky was huge, the earth was vast, and the red dust was as infinite as it wasplex. But right now, none of it had to do with the little Stranger.

    All it had was loneliness, despair, and sorrow.

    Ye Qing turned away and walked toward the distance, and this time the little Stranger did not follow him. It simply sat forlornly on the tree branch, silent and sad.

    A few stepster, Ye Qing heaved out a deep sigh and stopped in his tracks once more. Then, he looked back at the little Stranger and said, ¡°If you really want toe with me, thene. How can I say no to a friend?¡±

    On the branch, the little Stranger¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. They slowly curved back into crescents, and its giggles were so loud that it resounded throughout the area.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly when he heard its smile as well.

    ¡°I can¡¯t always call you little one. Since you like giggling, I think I¡¯ll call you Giggle[1].¡±

    Ye Qing smiled at the little Stranger giggling and swaying back and forth on the tree branch and dered, ¡°C¡¯mon! Let¡¯s explore this world together!¡±

    The little Stranger jumped off the tree branch and followed him happily.

    And so a pair of big and small men journeyed toward the horizon amidst a chorus ofughter.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Are you tired, Giggle? Do you want a drink?¡±

    On top of a sand dune, Ye Qing was sitting crosslegged and wetting his throat with a sip of wine.

    A few breathster, Giggle crawled out of the sand next to Ye Qing and tried to copy Ye Qing¡¯s posture, the bottle of Nature¡¯s Water still sitting on its head. However, it fell sideways the moment it tried this because its legs were too short. The failure did not annoy it though. It simplyughed brightly and continued about its business.

    A few secondster, Giggle leaned over to Ye Qing¡¯s side and took a sniff. Then, it gave him a nod. So, Ye Qing poured it a cup of wine.

    The wine he was currently drinking was a type of fruit wine with very little alcohol in it. It was sweet, fragrant, and was safe even for children to drink, much less a Stranger.

    The wine cup was small, but for Giggle, it was practically the size of a basin.

    Giggle took a tentative sip. When it decided that it liked the taste, its eyes curved into crescents, and it began guzzling down the wine earnestly.

    Once done, it set down the cup and let out a huge burp. Its reddish face looked extremely cute to say the least.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    Ye Qing climbed up to his feet and stepped into the vast, boundless desert in front of him. Giggle also got up and followed right behind him.

    Originally, Ye Qing wanted to keep Giggle on his shoulder or inside his Dragon Nursing Nest.

    Naturally, he had procured the Dragon Nursing Nest from Innocent Miao. It was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact, and he saw no reason to waste it.

    The Dragon Nursing Nest was a Strange Artifact the Dragonrider Mountain used to nurture and strengthen a Stranger. Therefore, its internal space could be used to store living creatures such as Giggle.

    Giggle did not like staying inside the Dragon Nursing Nest though. It preferred to walk with him.

    At first, Ye Qing was sure that Giggle would grow tired after a while. After all, its legs were many, many times shorter than his despite its speed. He was wrong, however. Not only did Giggle manage to keep up with him, its stamina was greater as well. Like a human child, the trek that wore even him down did not seem to affect it in the slightest. In the end, Ye Qing decided to leave Giggle to its own devices.

    The desert ahead of them was named the ckwind Desert[2] It neither belonged to Chu nor Yan. It was a neutral, ownerless territory that both countries shared.

    ckwind Desert was quite the famousndscape. It was known to Yan and Chu when the Tea and Horse Road was still prospering.

    It wasn¡¯t because of anything good though. It was infamous because it was dangerous and haunted by many strange phenomena.

    As its name implied, ckwind Desert was often beset by ck sandstorms. Whenever a storm appeared, yellow sand would cover the sky, and the world would darken to the point it almost felt like nighttime.

    That wasn¡¯t all. Whenever a ck sandstorm appeared, there was a chance the ckwind Army might appear, and they crushed everything that was unfortunate enough to stand in their way.

    1. Wawa¡¯s future boyfriend maybe kek. ?

    2. Do correct me if I identally wrote ck Desert in the future lol. ?

 Chapter 611: Going Against The Wind, Punching Like A Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 611: Going Against The Wind, Punching Like A Mountain </h4>

    Legend had it that the You Dynasty had four major armies known as ckwind, Rainstorm, Roaring Thunder and Lightning Bolt. Of the four, the ckwind Army was the strongest and first in rank, which was why they were stationed at the borders to guard the gates to the empire.

    One day, the ckwind Army received the order to reinforce a certain region. They were passing through the ckwind Desert when suddenly, they were struck by a once-in-a-century ck windstorm. Such was its power that the sky was blotted out, and the sand was turned upside down. It was as if the apocalypse was upon them. As a result, the entire army was annihted. Not a single soldier managed to survive that cmitous disaster.

    Maybe it was because they resented the way they died, or maybe it was because the ck wind or the ckwind Desert itself was special, but the deceased ckwind Army was somehow reborn as an Anomaly. Whenever the ck wind blew in the ckwind Desert, the ckwind Army would awaken and march together with the elements. Any living being foolish or unfortunate enough to stand in its way would be destroyed.

    Worse still, the ckwind Army was unkible and immortal. Even if someone vanquished it, it was only a matter of time before they resurrected once more.

    ¡°The neverending ck wind shrouds the realm in darkness.¡± That was how the travelers described the ckwind Desert and the ckwind Army.

    As a result of this, the ckwind Desert was designated as a forbidden zone between Yan and Chu. Any and all merchants who happened to be passing through the area feared it like a Stranger and stayed far, far away from it.

    So, why had Ye Qinge here? It was because he nned to pass through the ckwind Desert, experience the so-called ck windstorm, and check if it truly deserved its fame. It would also be a great opportunity to temper himself.

    As for the notorious ckwind Army, he didn¡¯t get his hopes up. Despite the legend, the ckwind Army didn¡¯t always march every time there was a ck windstorm, and even if it did, it waspletely up to luck whether he would encounter them in this vast, seemingly boundless desert.

    The reason he embarked on this journey was to improve his strength before he arrived at the Death Sea. If he only traversed the safe routes, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve the intended effect.

    A person only knew who they really were when their life was on the line. Just the same, one could not unleash their hidden potential or temper themselves unless they were in a crisis.

    Of course, he just wanted to temper himself, notmit suicide. The ck windstorm and ckwind Army were scary, but Ye Qing was fairly sure he was currently strong enough to survive anything they could throw at him.

    Ye Qing¡¯s first impression of the ckwind Desert was that it was stunningly beautiful. Vast and boundless, it was filled with rolling sand dunes and a seemingly endless stretch of sand.

    The sky waspletely devoid of clouds, and it almost looked like it was one with the desert. The sun hanging high up in the sky seemedrger, rounder, and brighter than it was anywhere else. Thebination of light andndscape painted a most grandiose and stunning sight. As he trekked through the desert, he felt as if he was a speck of sand navigating the endless expanse of space, small and lonely.

    But of course, the novelty wore off quickly. After all, there was only sand and more sand in the ckwind Desert. It was the same colors no matter which direction he looked.

    Not only that, the feeling that he was stranded and alone gradually grew over time. The monotonous, unchangingndscape was a blight upon the body and the soul.

    Speaking of which, the sand beneath his feet was soft and ck. It was difficult to borrow strength from it, which made it difficult and time-consuming to walk. Not only that, theck of clouds in the sky and vegetation on the ground meant that the sun rays were sting down on any and all objects directly.

    For a person, this meant that they were losing water much faster than usual and suffering skin damage every second they were exposed to the sun. The desert tortured both the body and the spirit and made the act of existing alone a living nightmare for anyone who trekked it.

    It was nothing to Ye Qing though. Not only that, he had the leisure to practice his fists as he walked. His feet were as steady as a mountain, his body was as nimble as an ape, and his fists were as fluid as a river.

    Every time his foot touched the ground, the desert would shake a little. The sand might be soft and loose, but his footing was as steady as a rock.

    Every time he stepped forward, his body would move as agilely as a dragon and as vigorously as a demonic ape.

    Every time he thrust his fist forward, it would flow as smoothly as a river. There existed great power despite his small, slow movements.

    In the past, Ye Qing only practiced inside a room or a confined space. Although such ces afforded him a sliver of solitude and privacy, it also made his fists less free than they could¡¯ve been.

    But now that he had stepped out of Bei You and the safety of civilization, now that he was experiencing a different life and witnessing the grandness of mother nature, he realized that he was sorelycking in many ways such as ken, horizon, skill and breadth of mind.

    Now was a good time to change that.

    As he continued to practice his fists in the desert¡ªchallenging the wind and sky with every swing of his arm¡ªall he saw, heard, and felt was the wind and the clouds, and all he thought was punching without any reservation with the goal of surpassing the heavens themselves.

    A caged bird who finally returned to nature, Ye Qing slowly but surely became one with the world around them. He gradually stepped out of his cage and nest and began punching freely and without thought. Form and technique? It did not matter. Intent and will? He would do whatever he wanted.

    Sometimes, he punched like he was a mountain intending to crush the puny ants in its shadow into nothing. Sometimes, he flowed like an unstoppable river that surged ever forward. Sometimes, his fists were as soft and intangible as the wind. Sometimes, his form was so pure it resembled the clean, unblemished light of the moon. Sometimes, his movements were so shy and forceful it was like he was the sun itself, shining ever so bright...

    When one¡¯s mind was not constrained by the invisible rules they drew for themselves, they would discover that the earth was vast, the sky was infinite, and their body responded exactly as their mind intended it to be.

    Ye Qing moved faster and faster, his fist intent grew stronger and stronger, and his fist force grew more and more rounded and ideal. Although his form and technique were, contrastingly, diminishing by the minute, it still felt like this was what he meant to do; this was how he achieved perfect unity with the world.

    And he did. At that moment, there existed a young man in the world, and a world in that young man¡¯s fists.

    <i>Whooooosh!</i>

    Suddenly, a ghastly, high-pitched howl caught Ye Qing¡¯s attention. When he looked, he saw that the horizon had turned ck before he knew it, and a ck wind apanied by a sea of sand was blotting out the sky itself. It was rolling toward him like a tsunami of epic proportions.

    This was definitely the infamous ck windstorm of the ckwind Desert.

    At the beginning, it looked like the ck windstorm was tens of kilometers away. However, it was right in front of Ye Qing in just the blink of an eye. He could hear the roar of the ck wind and the wails of the yellow sand as clear as day. He could see the darkness consuming anything and everything like a gluttonous maw.

    The other major problem with the ck windstorm besides its terrifying dangers was its equally terrifying speed. By the time you saw or heard its approach, it was already toote. Only those who possessed exceptional movement arts or powerful Strange Artifacts might escape the ck windstorm. Otherwise, they must weather it until the end.

    With Ye Qing¡¯s speed and stamina, it wouldn¡¯t take him too much effort to escape the ck windstorm. He didn¡¯t do that, however. He continued to practice his fists as if a sandstorm hadn¡¯t just suddenly descended on him. Though, right before the ck windstorm would hit, Ye Qing waved for Giggle to duck into the Dragon Nursing Nest. This time, the little Stranger obliged.

    The second the little Stranger was gone, the ck windstorm engulfed Ye Qing whole. He was like a stone that had fallen into the great sea. His entrance failed to elicit even a single ssh.

    Humans were as puny as ants before a natural disaster like this¡ªbut if an ant could perceive the heavens, why couldn¡¯t a human ovee it?

    Ye Qing stood tall and proud in the sandstorm. The violent force of nature was almost strong enough to flip the ground upside down, and the sky was dyed ck due to how much sand was coursing through it.

    It failed to budge the young man even a little though. After standing still for a moment, Ye Qing assumed a stance and began walking against the wind. He began practicing his fists once more.

    So what if the world was his enemy? He would ovee it all the same.

    At first, Ye Qing punched and walked very, very slowly. Every time he thrust his fist forward, it was like he was pushing back against a thousand warriors. And every time he took a step, it was like he was carrying a massive mountain on his back.

    Despite this, his fists were heavy and loud, and his footsteps were as steady as a rock. He progressed slowly and steadily like a military squad slowly making their way through enemy territory.

    Gradually, as if Ye Qing had gotten ustomed to the ck wind¡¯s power and the sandstorm¡¯s violent rhythm, he began to move and punch smoother.

    When a punch was smooth, its force naturally rose. When a force rose, the intent grew lofty. And when the intent was higher than everything, everything could be dismantled with one punch.

    Gradually, the ck wind moved further and further away from Ye Qing until it formed some sort of vacuum. The ck wind couldn¡¯t push into the clearing, and even the sea of sand found it difficult to prate its defenses.

    That was just the beginning. As Ye Qing¡¯s fist force and fist intent grew stronger and stronger, so did the clearing.

 Chapter 612: One Man Versus A Thousand

    <h4>Chapter 612: One Man Versus A Thousand </h4>

    The ¡°Martial Scripture¡± stated this, ¡°Inches matter when ites to fist art, and there exists heaven and earth within the inches.¡±

    To put it in simpler terms, it was saying that the essence of fist arty in mastering the inches. For a practitioner of the fist arts, a couple inches could mean the difference between victory and defeat, life and death. Hence, there existed a world of difference between those who mastered them, and those who did not.

    When it came to fist arts, Ye Qing had never studied under a reputable master. Gu Suitang had corrected some of his mistakes and saved him some pain, but he more or less had to figure it out all by himself. As a result, his fists were less profound than they could have been, but also morepatible with nature and free. Iplete it might be, his fists were slowly beginning to grasp the inches and return to its primal state.

    Throughout his training, Ye Qing had not employed a sliver of astral qi. It was all strength and body, fist force and fist intent alone.

    <i>Clop clop clop!</i>

    It was at this moment Ye Qing heard a uniform chorus of footsteps from the depths of the ck windstorm. Specifically, it sounded like countless horse hooves cantering across the yellow sand.

    When he instinctively turned to look, he saw a massive group of cavalrymen riding out of the ck windstorm. They were all wearing a ck armor and a ghost-faced mask and riding a ck horse.

    He counted only a thousand or so cavalrymen, but they looked scarier than even the ck windstorm. It was a kind of darkness that was cker and deeper than even the darkest night.

    ¡°The ckwind Army?!¡± Ye Qing murmured. He had no doubt that the one thousand cavalrymen before him was none other than the legendary Anomaly, the ckwind Army.

    When he discovered the ckwind Army, the ckwind Army also discovered him. Without hesitation, they immediately kicked their horses into a gallop and charged toward him.

    Their formation looked wless and uniform in movement. It was as if they were a single entity.

    Neither man nor horse made a single sound as they charged. The only sound that could be heard was the rumbling horse hooves that reminded Ye Qing of a roaring river.

    They looked both formidable and unstoppable. Despite numbering only a thousand, Ye Qing sensed greater destructive power and shock from them than a charge from ten thousand ordinary cavalrymen, maybe even tens of thousands.

    Like an avnche or a tsunami, the charge could not be stopped, only weathered. But was that really possible? Could anyone really survive a ck storm that looked like it could crush anything and everything in its path?

    ¡°When the ck wind emerges, heaven and earth plunge into darkness.¡± This was the description the ancient states had used to describe the ckwind Army, and it was definitely not an exaggeration.

    The ckwind Army had built their reputation atop a tall, tall mountain of corpses. Back then, the ancient states, the powerful ns and the aristocratic families and more¡ªno one could speak of the ckwind Army without flinching. Today, the ckwind Army was dead and transformed into a mindless Anomaly, but the unnatural bloodthirst and desire for destruction imprinted within every soldier¡¯s heart still burned as brightly as before. If anything, it was madder and scarier than it was before.

    When the one thousand cavalrymen were about sixty meters away from Ye Qing, a banner slowly unfurled above their heads.

    The banner was square-shaped and pitch ck in color. A ck dragon surrounded by wisps of ck wind were sewn to its fabric. Together, they formed the word ¡°Wind¡±.

    This was the ckwind Army¡¯s banner, the ckwind Banner.

    The moment the ckwind Banner appeared, the ck wind and yellow sand gathered behind their backs and transformed into a sand wave that was easily over a hundred meters tall, maybe even two hundred[1].

    Moreover, the sand wave grew fiercer, louder, and scarier for every three meters the ckwind Army moved.

    ¡°¡®None can harm me while the ck wind watches over me¡¯. I can see how you earned your reputation, ckwind Army. Come then! Let¡¯s see if the so-called untouchable ckwind Army can take a punch from me!¡±

    Despite the threat he was facing, Ye Qing did not try to swerve out of the way or run. Overflowing with fighting spirit and his right arm hanging loosely beside his ribs, he actually countercharged the ckwind Army!

    As he ran, Ye Qing slowly raised his right arm. Every time it moved an inch, his aura would grow thicker, and his fist intent would grow stronger.

    When his fist was parallel to the ground, his fist intent towered higher than even the nine heavens.

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and let out a mighty shout. At the same time, he thrust his fist forward and vented all of his fist intent at the iing cavalrymen.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    What happened next could only be described as the heavenly lightning flirting with the earthly fire¡ªexplosive. The ground within a hundred meter radius of Ye Qing abruptly exploded and flung sand everywhere, and the sand wave behind the ckwind Army scattered in an instant.

    The one thousand cavalrymen themselves were flung all over the ce. The unstoppable charge... had been stopped.

    Ye Qing stood tall and proud. His fist was bleeding, and his breathing was short and rapid.

    ¡°Hahaha... now this is what I call a sh!¡±

    He wasughing though. How could he not, when he had stopped a one-thousand-man-strong charge in one punch?

    As heughed, his breathing quickly returned to normal. He then backhanded a ckwind cavalryman who tried to sneak up on him and flung both men and horse into the sky. A couple of ckwind cavalrymen who were unlucky enough to exist in the way of his force also crumbled into a pile of sand.

    After that, Ye Qing began ughtering the remaining ckwind cavalrymen like weeds. Trusting in his powerful body to protect him, he charged, smashed, hammered, blocked or split any and all enemies in his way quickly, slowly, rapidly or evenly. It looked like there was no rhyme or reason behind his movement whatsoever, and yet it was profound in a way that could not be properly described with words. His punches were rough, basic, and outright barbaric at times, and yet they also felt perfectly natural. Wherever he went, the so-called unstoppable ckwind cavalrymen were ughtered as easily as children. No one was a match for him.

    Just a few breathster, the one thousand cavalrymen had all dissolved into sand.

    Ye Qing did not stop despite having annihted the ckwind Army. He continued to run and punch as he pleased.

    As he moved, his hands matched perfectly with his legs, his elbows with his knees, and his shoulders with his hips.

    As he thought, his qi matched perfectly with his strength, his intent with his qi, and his heart with his intent.

    On the outside, his movement was so smooth and natural that it resembled nature itself. On the inside, he too achieved wless harmony in mind and spirit.

    There was a quote in ¡°Martial Scripture¡± that went something like this: ¡°When one¡¯s inside and outside arepatible, and when their art and self are as one, then their fists may reach even the gods.¡±

    When a warrior¡¯s fists had ¡°reached the gods¡±, and their techniques had be a Dao, they were considered to have mastered the fists. All who mastered the fists were known as ¡°great experts¡± or ¡°grandmasters¡±, a.k.a master warriors who were now qualified to start a sect of their own.

    Of course, the average fist master or great martial expert had usually studied and honed their art tirelessly for decades. After all, it was no easy feat to ¡°mold ten thousand minor arts into one major art, transform the effort of a thousand autumns into one magnum opus, regain their natural state, and evolve their techniques into Dao¡±, and it definitely wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved in a short time.

    Ye Qing might be extraordinarily gifted in the ways of the fist, but even he could not ¡°reach god¡± or ¡°evolve his techniques into Dao¡± in such a short time. In order to reach that level, one must be knowledgeable, experienced and talented in all the ways that mattered. If the warrior wascking in even one of these qualities, then he would not be able to reach that level.

    Ye Qing still had a long way to go.

    The perfection that possessed Ye Qing earlier was but a moment of inspiration; a eureka moment. Thanks to it, he was able tobine the two techniques he learned from Gu Suitang, ¡°Divide¡± and ¡°Break Through¡±; the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡± from the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±, and everything else into one. In other words, he was no longer bound to the conventions of the technique. For example, he could throw a straight punch and swing an elbow at the enemy, and it could be ¡°Break Through¡±, the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡±, or anything else he felt like at the time.

    While he still had a long way to go before he could call himself a master of the fists, the moment of inspiration had opened a door for him. So long as he continued to work tirelessly toward his goal, it was only a matter of time before he reached it.

    <i>Bang bang bang bang...</i>

    Slowly, Ye Qing¡¯s fists grew faster, and his techniques simpler. There were noplex techniques or profound intent. There was only the simple and unadorned, the natural, and the heart. Despite not conforming to the conventions he was taught, every move he executed was perfect, smooth, wless, anding from the heart.

    ¡°PHew...¡±

    Suddenly, the young man withdrew his fists and stood still. The storm had finally reached its end, and rays of sunlight were shining down on the young man. It reflected off of him and gave him the appearance of a sun.

    A hot, white sun hung high in the nine heavens.

    And a young man shone as bright as the sun on the ground.

    ¡°¡®Walk a hundred roads, witness a thousand red dust, and hold mountains and river in your heart. Only then may you attain martial perfection¡¯. Looks like the ancients were true after all.¡±

    Ye Qing stretched his arms wide and stared directly at the sun[2], a clear, bright smile spread across his face. It looked like he was giving the world a hug.

    Giggle had emerged from the Dragon Nursing Nest as well. Still carrying the bottle on its head, it emted Ye Qing and opened its arms wide to hug the world.

    Now more than ever, Ye Qing was certain that his decision to travel was right. In less than three weeks, he had run into a pure-hearted Stranger and advanced another small step in the way of the fist. Now that his understanding and grasp of fist arts was measurably greater than before, his future had also be brighter and wider. This alone was worth the journey, and he hadn¡¯t even set foot in the Death Sea yet!

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Giggle?¡± Ye Qing asked while turning to nce at the little fellow. In response, it giggled so loudly that the porcin bottle on its head wobbled unsteadily.

    Feeling even better after listening to Giggle¡¯s giggle, Ye Qingy down on his back, closed his eyes, and rested.

    1. Every time you see something like this, it¡¯s because the author used ¡°ÊýÊ®ÕÉ¡± and that applies to every number between 20~99 times 3.3. It¡¯s most likely why you were like, ¡°How can this character move 60 meters in an instant but can¡¯t react to this in time h h h¡± sometimes. ?

    2. Do NOT do this you¡¯re not a cultivator. Seems obvious but there are people who put metal in microwaves ¡°because they saw it in a Youtube video¡± too, so SERIOUSLY, DON¡¯T EMULATE THIS. ?

 Chapter 613: Sandfyre

    <h4>Chapter 613: Sandfyre </h4>

    There was no denying how cool he looked when he practiced his fists against the ck windstorm and defeated the ckwind Army singlehandedly¡ªand anyone who did should ask if they could measure up to his fists¡ªbut the feats also tired him greatly. Just because he was a Half-Step Grandmaster in body did not mean that he could not be worn down, not to mention that his spirit was fatigued as well. Naturally, he wanted to rest as soon as the danger was over.

    Giggle also turned quiet when it saw that Ye Qing was resting. It walked up to Ye Qing, sat down beside him, propped its chin against its hands, and stared at the clear, blue sky above its head, quiet and obedient.

    Several hourster, after Ye Qing had recovered most of his strength, the duo resumed their journey once more.

    The winter of the northern regions had short days but long nights. This was doubly true duringte winter. It felt like the sun had just appeared in the sky for just a couple of hours before it began its descent toward the west once more, dyeing both the sky and the ground crimson.

    The sight was dreamy and fantastical, but a veteran desert traveler would not be wasting their time admiring the view. It was because the sunset meant that night was approaching, and when it was night, it was <i>cold.</i>

    The night and day of ckwind Desert felt like two different worlds. During the day, ckwind Desert was scorching hot even though it waste winter, the white hot sun boiling the sand with its heat and stabbing into one¡¯s skin like needles.

    But when the sun had set, it was as if it had left with all the warmth and hope in the world as well. Without the sun to warm the ground with its ceaseless rays, ckwind Desert transformed into a cold, frigidnd that was several times colder than even the coldest nights of Bei You. To give an example, the water in a puff of breath could turn into ice as soon as it left someone¡¯s mouth.

    If a normal human were to attempt a trek at this time, they wouldn¡¯tst long at all. Their blood would literally freeze inside their body and kill them in no time.

    But of course, Ye Qing was no ordinary person. What was a fatal threat to the ordinary person was nothing to the vigorous warrior or his magicalpanion, so the duo continued their journey like nothing had changed.

    The sky quickly darkened, and ckwind Desert soon turned as ck as tar. Neither a ray of light nor a trace of life could be seen no matter where one looked. It was oppressive and deathly still to say the least.

    The desert was torturous enough during the day, but the transformation made it twice as torturous during the night. Generally speaking, few people would wish to continue their journey at this time.

    For Ye Qing though, this was yet another opportunity to temper himself.

    Everything in the world was an opportunity to temper oneself.

    Despite the absolute darkness he was trapped in, Ye Qing continued to step forward with a steady heart.

    ¡°Light...¡±

    Suddenly, a bit of light pressed against Ye Qing¡¯s eyeballs. He could tell it was some sort of me. A torch, maybe?

    To a human, fire represented warmth and hope. Most people would be overjoyed to find fire in a cold, dark desert like this.

    But not Ye Qing. Not only did the fire fail to elicit any positive feelings from him, his consciousness actually rose to full alertness.

    After all, why would there be fire in the ckwind Desert?

    When Ye Qing was about ten meters away from the fire, the sand beneath his feet abruptly gave way. He fell.

    ¡°Quicksand?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glinted. He tried to jump away to safety, but it was as if there were countless hands hidden within the quicksand. It clung tightly to his legs and dragged him deeper into the quicksand.

    He was up to his chest in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Hmm? A Stranger?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow and clenched his right fist. Then, he punched the surface of the quicksand.

    The entire quicksand depressed several inches like it was made of fabric, and a dull rumble that sounded like thunder came from the bottom. Thanks to this, Ye Qing was able to extricate himself andnd on the edge of the quicksand.

    At the same time, countless rotten arms suddenly reached out of the quicksand, iling as if they were trying to catch something. There was nothing though. A few secondster, the arms reluctantly sank back into the quicksand. After that, the quicksand stilled, and it was as if nothing had ever happened.

    No, there was one change. The me at the center of the quicksand was burning brighter and giving off increasingly tempting waves of warmth and light.

    ¡°A Sandfyre! I see.¡±

    The temperature in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes cooled as he watched the warm, bright me. The Sandfyre was a Soulstealer-ss Stranger that was usually spotted at a desert or a barrennd. It used fire as a bait to tempt cold, lonely, and fearful travelers into its quicksand trap. Most people wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the promise of light and warmth, and even fewer could remain calm and collected due to the oppressive environment. Once they fell into the quicksand, that was it. They would be consumed by the Sandfyre.

    ¡°Fire to tempt the living, sand to consume their life.¡± That was how a passage had described the Stranger. Hence, the Sandfyre was also called the yfyre. It was a deceptive me that inevitably slew all those who dared to approach it.

    The more living beings or humans the Sandfyre consumed, the brighter and warmer its mes would be, and the greater the range of its quicksand.

    In the Pacification Bureau¡¯s records, there was once a gargantuan Sandfyre that easily spanned over fifty kilometers. Every living creature within its range had been consumed, leaving behind naught but an empty wastnd and a bright me.

    Of course, a Sandfyre of that size and power was no longer a Soulstealer-ss Stranger. It was a Disaster-ss Stranger[1]. Every day, it was expanding and consuming more lives. It wasn¡¯t until the Pacification Bureau mobilized over a dozen Grandmasters that they finally slew it.

    Luckily for Ye Qing, the Sandfyre before him was the lowest level Sandfyre. It was probably due to its environment. The ckwind Desert was infamous for its dangers in two countries, and no one barring the desperate or extremely powerful dared to brave it. Naturally, theck of victims greatly hindered the Sandfyre¡¯s growth.

    Ye Qing leaped into the air like a hawk and turned upside down as he was passing over the me. Then, he reached into the me.

    As if sensing a threat, the me shot a couple inches taller, and its bright, warm, orange yellow glow abruptly turned cold, dark, and tainted. The quicksand itself was stirring like boiling water before countless rotten hands burst out into the open to catch Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing ignored the counterattack and tightened his grip. Then, he pulled strongly.

    He had no ground to borrow strength from as he was floating in the air, but it did not matter, for his arm alone possessed the strength to lift a mountain.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The entire quicksand exploded as Ye Qing ripped the me out of the ground, the swarm of rotten hands included. From Ye Qing¡¯s perspective, it looked like the arms were the me¡¯s roots. They were innumerable and spanned at least ten meters in diameter. It should not need to be said, but they looked absolutely disgusting to say the least.

    The rotten arms belonged to the Sandfyre¡¯s victims. After they died, their bodies were consumed by the Stranger, and their arms were turned into its roots.

    After the me was ripped out of quicksand, it gradually faded as if it was cut off from its energy source. The rotten arms also ckened and ceased struggling.

    The quicksand grew still after the me disappeared. At the same time, a rotten stench seeped into the open air.

    A Sandfyre¡¯s body wasposed of the quicksand and the me. If the me extinguished, then the quicksand would perish as well. Ye Qing¡¯s act of ripping the me from the quicksand was akin to removing someone¡¯s head from their shoulders. Naturally, it could not survive after sustaining such an injury.

    After that, Ye Qing burned the rotten arms with his Netherme. Seeing this, Giggle too approached the quicksand, puffed up its cheeks and spat some saliva at it.

    Amazingly, Giggle¡¯s saliva was slowly returning the rotten, smelly quicksand to normal. As the water of the quicksand gradually turned pure, Ye Qing could even smell a whiff of fresh air.

    Clearly, Giggle¡¯s saliva had somehow purified the taint within the quicksand.

    ¡°You¡¯re incredible, Giggle.¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but give Giggle a thumbs-up.

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    Giggle hugged its tummy andughed happily after hearing Ye Qing¡¯s praise, the bottle of Nature¡¯s Water swaying left and right on its head.

    1. And this is why the ssification is sometimes inurate. The Strangers can grow stronger just like humans can cultivate. They probably ssified them based on the average, but outliers will always exist. ?

 Chapter 614: Hill Carrier

    <h4>Chapter 614: Hill Carrier </h4>

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s resume our journey, shall we?¡±

    The Sandfyre was just a brief interlude in his journey and posed no threat to Ye Qing whatsoever. Even in terms of rewards, it was worth just a single dragon serpent rune. So, he and Giggle resumed their journey as soon as they were done with it.

    The biggest dangers in the ckwind Desert were the ck windstorm and the ckwind Army. Since Ye Qing had defeated both, there was nothing left that could threaten him.

    For the next two days, Ye Qing would trek northward non-stop. Two dayster, he finally put the desert behind him.

    ¡°Phew... I¡¯m finally out.¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath of fresh air while admiring the patches of green at the distant hills. He felt as if he had just shedded a huge burden.

    Although the ckwind Desert posed no threat to him, its never-changing yellow sand and blue sky were slowly but surely grating on his nerves. It was why the distant hills looked very inviting even though it was nothing special.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened like saucers. It was because he noticed that one of the hills was slowly moving in his direction.

    Giggle was also standing on his shoulder and observing the moving hill curiously.

    When the hill got close, Ye Qing finally noticed the man underneath the hill. He was running toward them while carrying the hill on his back.

    The man was plump and fair-skinned. He had a mustache and wore a flowery shirt with the word ¡°Hill¡± imprinted at the center. It looked bothedic and jovial.

    The hill wasn¡¯t a real hill per se. It was a hill, but its belly had been emptied and reced by various buildings. Ye Qing could smell the delicious aroma of food and hear the sweet sound of bamboo instruments from them.

    The hill might not be a real hill, but it was anything but light. Despite this, the man ran swiftly and without a sound. Even when he was jumping over rocks or rivers, his movements were so smooth it was like he was running across t ground. He arrived in front of Ye Qing in just the blink of an eye.

    The plump man stopped about ten meters away from Ye Qing and shot him a friendly smile. He said, ¡°Hail, young warrior. You¡¯ve had an onerous journey, haven¡¯t you? Would you like to enjoy a good meal, a sweet tune, and a warm bed at my fine premises?¡±

    ¡°Is that an... inn on your back?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s an inn, a restaurant, a tavern, a theater, a gambling house and more. My premises offers any and every form of service there is to offer,¡± the plump man replied smilingly.

    ¡°Wait a second, I think I know this from somewhere...¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows as he racked his brain to recall a certain memory. When it finally hit him, he blurted, ¡°Are you the Hill Carrier?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite well-read, aren¡¯t you young warrior? It is I,¡± the plump man confirmed.

    ¡°I forgot my manners. Well met, senior.¡± Ye Qing hurriedly saluted the plump man respectfully.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but please, I¡¯m just a humble businessman. You do not need to treat me with such courtesy.¡± The plump man smiled.

    ¡°You jest, senior.¡± Ye Qing smiled back, but did not rx in the slightest. The plump man might look affable and kind, but only a fool would underestimate him.

    The Hill Carrier or Hiller was a famous person in the <i>jianghu. </i>However, a Hiller wasn¡¯t a name or title. It was a unique upation.

    A Hill Carrier carried a hill with many buildings on their back. That was why they were called a Hill Carrier, and the hill they carried were called Hill of Services.

    There were all sorts of establishments inside the Hill of Services such as shops, eateries, restaurants, taverns, inns, theaters, brothels, gambling houses and more. They provided any and all kinds of services such as lodging, dining, leisure, entertainment, supply, rescue, intel and more.

    However, a Hill Carrier¡¯s target market wasn¡¯t themon popce living in the settlements. No, it was the travelers, wanderers, traveling merchants, hunters and more who roamed the wilderness and slept outdoors.

    This was why a Hill Carrier never stayed at the same ce for too long. Constantly on the move from wilderness to wilderness, they even visited certain Anomalies and Strange Realms provided that there was profit to be made.

    Strictly speaking, a Hill Carrier was a businessman, and a businessman valued profit above everything. Naturally, a Hill Carrier did not count as a good person.

    The products and services a Hill Carrier offered were much, much more expensive than normal. For example, a single cup of tea could cost between three to five silver, which was enough money to buy an ordinary tea house!

    To say that the prices in the Hill of Services were astronomically high would be an understatement, so much so that one would be forgiven if they thought that no one in their right mind would ever use a Hill Carrier¡¯s services.

    In reality, it was the opposite. Those who traveled often would know that it was no easy feat to survive in the wilderness. Away from the safety andfort of civilization, even the simplest things such as sleeping and eating became a problem, and that was before mentioning all the difficulties and dangers one might encounter in the wilderness.

    Out there, taut nerves, dwindling supplies, worrying injuries and deadly threats were the norm. It was one thing if they were just starting out their journey, but at some point, most people would be weary and desperate to find a safe ce to catch their breaths.

    A Hill Carrier offered not just safety, but also a ce to resupply, fill their bellies, treat their wounds, and even entertain themselves. Without exaggeration, they were the hope and dream of every traveler. Who in their right mind would spurn them just to save a bit of money?

    After all, the reason anyone worked hard to earn money was to spend it. Besides, what was a bit of expenditure before a life-or-death crisis?

    Even if the traveler waspletely broke, the Hill Carrier epted barter as a method of trade as well. People who dealt with the wilderness on a frequent basis must possess at least one valuable treasure. It could be valuable natural resources, powerful weapons, Strange Artifacts, martial arts manual and more. Anything and everything could be traded for a certain product or service.

    Sure, one might argue that the Hill Carrier was taking advantage of their customers¡¯ plight, but since no one¡ªnot even the victims who were being scammed¡ªwasining... Who cares?

    Of course, no one who made a living by dealing with the wilderness was a weakling. In fact, most of them were ruthless, bloodthirsty killers who could kill without batting an eyelid. That was why each and every Hill Carrier was an extremely powerful warrior with a massive bag of tricks. Not only that, they were backed by a mysterious, powerful organization as well. Anyone who dared to disobey a Hill Carrier¡¯s rules or kill a Hill Carrier without good reason would face the wrath of <i>all </i>Hill Carriers.

    Once a person had entered one Hill Carrier¡¯s ck list, no Hill Carrier would ever provide them their services again. That was the best case scenario. In the worst case scenario, the entire <i>jianghu </i>woulde together to hunt down the person.

    That¡¯s right. The Hill Carriers were busy people, and they couldn¡¯t always spare the time or effort to chase down the bastard. Luckily for them, their pockets were also loaded with money. If, for example, their target proved to be too elusive or strong, they could simply issue a massive bounty for their heads.

    Money makes the world go round, and in the <i>jianghu</i>, insane people who would throw their lives away for money were the majority. Here in the <i>jianghu, </i>there would always be crazies who would stake their lives for a bag of silvers; maniacs who would do anything under the sun for a crate of gold. So what if you were the strongest warrior in the entire world? There was no such thing as a man or woman who could not be worn down given enough time.

    Once upon a time, there was a powerful warrior named Wu Shentong, the ¡°Undying Urchin¡±. Famous throughout the underworld and the surface world for his martial art, the ¡°Art of Invincibility¡±, he was impervious to weapons, resistant to the elements, immune to all poison, and impossibly strong. He dominated the <i>jianghu </i>so much that he earned the saying, ¡°Shentong is invincible under the Sage stage.¡±

    However, Wu Shentong made the fatal mistake of killing a Hill Carrier out of impulse. Furious, the Hill Carriers issued a ten million silver bounty for his head.

    And so Wu Shentong¡¯s fate was sealed. Invincible he might be, no one could fight forever. In the end, he was unable to oust the endless assault of the insane, suicidal <i>jianghu </i>people and died of exhaustion. Exhaustion! It was amentable and ironic death to say the least.

    Wu Shentong wasn¡¯t the first person tomit such a mistake, and he would not be thest. Over time, no one dared to offend the Hill Carriers anymore.

    Ye Qing was not liable to make the same mistake as those people.

    ¡°So, would you like to visit my premises, young warrior?¡± The Hill Carrier asked again.

    ¡°Why not? Thank you for your hospitality,¡± Ye Qing replied with a salute.

    He had always been curious about the Hill Carriers and their so-called Hill of Services. Now that he had run into them, of course he wasn¡¯t going to allow this opportunity to slip by. Besides, he was famished for a warm meal and a good night¡¯s rest after eating and sleeping in the open for a few weeks.

 Chapter 615: Treasure Appreciation Auction

    <h4>Chapter 615: Treasure Appreciation Auction </h4>

    ¡°Very well! Please give me a moment.¡±

    The Hill Carrier¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits as he tapped the bottom of his hill twice. Several breathster, a beautiful attendant appeared at the entrance to the Hill of Services, and a row of stairs slid all the way to the ground.

    The female attendant walked down the stairs and saluted the Hill Carrier first. Then, she looked at Ye Qing and said smilingly, ¡°This way please, customer.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Ye Qing gave the Hill Carrier a nod before climbing up the stairs.

    ¡°Would you like an introduction to the Hill of Services, customer?¡± The female attendant asked while staying half a step behind Ye Qing. Her tone was respectful and polite, but with a tinge of ttery.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    The female attendant began, ¡°Our Hill of Services has Four Towers and Eight Pavilions. The Four Towers are called Wine, Sex, Wealth and Poprity[1], whereas the Eight Pavilions are called Sun, Moon, Star, Time, Wind, Rain, Thunder and Lightning.¡±

    ¡°But back to the Four Towers for a moment. Wine here refers to the restaurants and eateries, Sex is...¡±

    As he listened to the female attendant¡¯s exnation, Ye Qing gradually figured out each building¡¯s intended functions and services. The Four Towers¡ªWine, Sex, Wealthy and Poprity¡ªmainly offered leisure and entertainment, whereas the Eight Pavilions¡ªSun, Moon, Star, Time, Wind, Rain, Thunder and Lightning¡ªmainly offered supply services, information exchange, medical treatment and more.

    To put it simply, a Hill of Services was a mobile settlement. It was a ce where one could find food, entertainment, supplies, trade, medical treatment and more.

    Generally speaking, the stronger the Hill Carrier, the bigger and grander the Hill of Services they carried, and the moreplete their facilities became. Since the hill carried by this Hill Carrier was about sixty meters tall, and it had every facility one might expect from a city, it meant that this Hill Carrier was extremely powerful.

    ¡°Oh right. In exchange for using our services, we would like you to obey several rules, customer,¡± the female attendant said.

    ¡°What are they?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    The female attendant answered, ¡°One, you must set aside your personal grudges and grievances once you set foot inside the Hill of Services. In other words, you are not allowed to cause trouble or start a brawl while you¡¯re still within our premises. Two, we don¡¯t ept credit. If youck the money to purchase our product or services, then you will have to offer up a coteral. And three, the Hill of Services do not take responsibility for any grudges and grievances you may incur within our premises.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Ye Qing nodded in understanding.

    He had heard of these rules before. It was why the Hill of Services was considered a safe zone where everyone could rest in peace and safety. Some desperate people also used it as a refuge to hide from their enemies¡ªbut only if they had the money to afford the lodging, of course. If someone ran out of money, then the Hill Carrier would throw them out of the Hill of Services no matter who they were.

    The first thing Ye Qing saw upon entering the Hill of Services was a wide za. Covered in wooden tiles, three sides of the za were filled with countless crisscrossing stairs that led toward different pavilions, towers and rooms.

    ¡°Where would you like to go first, customer?¡± The female attendant asked.

    ¡°I would like to fill my belly. Please take me to the Wine Tower,¡± Ye Qing said after a quick nce.

    One of the Four Towers, the Wine Tower was the ce where all the restaurants, eateries and more were concentrated. It was located at the center of the Hill of Services.

    The moment he entered the Wine Tower, Ye Qing was immediately stunned by its luxurious, exquisite decor. Zhennan wood adorned the floors, gem flowers embedded the ceilings, carved balustrades and marble steps marked the paths, and masterful calligraphy and paintings adorned the walls. The furniture were made of pear food, the cups and tes from white jade, and the chopsticks from ivory, and witty symbols and messages from hundreds of flowers.

    Here, there was golden luxury and elegant literary culture, down-to-earth folksongs and high-sounding ssics and more. The Wine Tower wasn¡¯t just on par with so-called best restaurants of the region such as Number One if Bei You or Beauty Pageant Pce. It was, in some ways, better.

    Right now, the Wine Tower was almostpletely full, and most of them were <i>jianghu </i>warriors. They were mostly seated in groups, and they were eating, drinking and ying games to their heart¡¯s content.

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow at the bustling scene. Noticing his expression, the female attendant asked, ¡°We are at the first floor and the main dining hall, customer. There are private rooms on the second and third floor for those who prefer silence and privacy. Would you like to go there?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s head to the second floor,¡± Ye Qing replied. He didn¡¯t actually mind the rambunctious atmosphere himself, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was safe for Giggle to appear in public. Besides, he wasn¡¯tcking in wealth, so why not?

    ¡°Can I ask you something, Miss?¡±

    After they entered a private room on the second floor, Ye Qing looked at the female attendant and asked a question.

    ¡°But of course, customer,¡± the female attendant replied.

    Ye Qing peered through the window slits at the crowd below while asking curiously, ¡°Is something happening in the Hill of Services or something? Why are there so many people?¡±

    Although the Hill Carrier was beloved by traveling merchants and wanderers alike, they were currently in the middle of nowhere and far, far away from civilization. So, how was it possible for this Hill of Services to gather this many customers? Some restaurants wished their business was this good.

    You don¡¯t know?¡± The female attendant looked surprised and puzzled.

    ¡°Should I know something?¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°My deepest apologies, customer. I should¡¯ve known better than to assume.¡± The female attendant apologized before exining, ¡°You see, tomorrow is our triennially held Treasure Appreciation Auction, and it is quite popr with our customers. Every time it is held, our Hill of Services would be packed with people.¡±

    ¡°Treasure Appreciation Auction?¡± Ye Qing raised a curious eyebrow.

    The female attendant exined patiently, ¡°The Hill Carrier travels to many ces, so he often stumbles upon all sorts of rare, precious treasures. Besides that, some of our customers put up coteral such as natural treasures, martial arts manuals and more to purchase our products and services, but are unable to redeem them before their time runs out. In that case, we would im those possessions as our own permanently.¡±

    ¡°That is why we held a triennial Treasure Appreciation Auction. We don¡¯t need an ever-growing hoard of items that we don¡¯t really need, you see.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you for the exnation.¡± Ye Qing nodded. Long story short, they were holding an auction.

    As the female attendant said, the Hill Carrier must possess a lot of valuable treasures since he often journeyed to many ces and traded with various travelers and Stranger Hunters. It was definitely worth checking out.

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, customer,¡± the female attendant replied politely. ¡°The auction will be taking ce at the Si Hour[2] tomorrow at Poprity Tower. If you wish to participate in the Treasure Appreciation Auction, I can take you there when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I am in your hands.¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    ¡°It is my responsibility.¡±

    The face Ye Qing was currently using was perfectly ordinary, and yet his smile was positively infectious. Try as she might, the female attendant could not help but feel some affection for him. ¡°Speaking of which, what would you like to eat, customer?¡±

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°What are your rmendations?¡±

    The female attendant smiled. ¡°Our signature dishes are called ¡®Nine Suns Scorching Heaven¡¯ and ¡®Wind Flower Snow Moon¡¯. Would you like to give them a taste?¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me more?¡± Ye Qing blinked curiously.

    The female attendantunched into an exnation, ¡°¡®Nine Suns Scorching Heaven¡¯ is a wine our brewer created using nine fire-attribute spirit fruits such as Fire Date, Yang Pear, Sun Fruit and more. The ingredients are brewed together with a century-old Cold Spring for eighty-one days to create a most delicious and potent spirit wine. It is cool, sweet and refreshing when it initially enters your mouth, but once it enters your stomach, it would burn like nine suns scorching the heavens.¡±

    Besides its unique, fiery taste, it could strengthen one¡¯s body and assist those who cultivate yang or fire.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Wind Flower Snow Moon¡¯ refers to four strange dishes, and all of them are made from a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. ¡®Wind¡¯ is a roasted Wind Caller, ¡®Flower¡¯ is a Flowering Fish that we cooked using a special, secret method, ¡®Snow¡¯ is a fried Snow Velvet Rabbit, and ¡®Moon¡¯ is a boiled Moon Lotus Seed.¡±

    ¡°Each and every strange dish is perfect in terms of appearance, taste and smell. Not only that, they can assist your cultivation in various ways as well.¡±

    ¡°So, spirit wine and spirit dishes, huh? They sound fantastic,¡± Ye Qingplimented while scratching his nose. ¡°That said, they can¡¯t be cheap, right?¡±

    The female attendant smiled. ¡°Each individual dish and wine cost five hundred silvers each.¡±

    1. YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE GONE, BUT THEY WERE BACK IN SPIRIT!!! ?

    2. 9 to 11am ?

 Chapter 616: Impending Danger

    <h4>Chapter 616: Impending Danger </h4>

    ¡°Five hundred silver?¡±

    Ye Qing gasped a little. That was two thousand and five hundred silver in total. Simply insane!

    With that much money, he could eat abalone, shark fin soup and all the expensive food every day, and it would still take him three to five <i>years </i>before he used them all.

    ¡°But! If you order ¡®Nine Suns Scorching Heaven¡¯ and ¡®Wind Flower Snow Moon¡¯ together, then it will cost only one thousand and five hundred silver. It¡¯s a massive discount!¡± The female attendant added.

    ¡°Haha...¡± What else could he do butugh? It was admittedly a massive discount, but it was still a meal that cost one thousand and five hundred silvers! Eating food? No, he was eating money!

    In his estimation, he was only going to spend three to five hundred silver at this ce. But now, a single meal was going to cost him one thousand and five hundred silver. This was before lodging and the money he might spend at tomorrow¡¯s auction too!

    They all said that it was easier to make a living as a Hill Carrier than a robber. He finally understood why.

    ¡°So? What is your decision, customer?¡± The female attendant asked.

    <i>How about no? </i>Ye Qing thought in his head. <i>I may be rich, but being rich and being wasteful are twopletely different things!</i>

    ¡°Ahem... I think I¡¯m just going to order a couple of ordinary dishes and a jar of fine wine.¡± Ye Qing replied a little meekly before exining himself in a hurry, ¡°I need to save the rest for tomorrow¡¯s Treasure Appreciation Auction, you know?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Please give me a moment,¡± The female attendant replied smilingly. Although Ye Qing did not take her up on her offer, she did not disrespect him or act disdainful in any way.

    ¡°Oh right, do you have a sweet-tasting wine that is also low alcohol? If you do, then please bring me a jar as well,¡± Ye Qing added. He had almost forgotten about Giggle.

    ¡°Yes, we do. Your order will be served very quickly.¡±

    After the female attendant was gone, Ye Qing released Giggle from the Dragon Nursing Net.

    As soon as the little guy appeared, it immediately circled around the room while stretching its arm wide like a bird. Itsughter resounded throughout the room.

    After it was done satisfying its curiosity, it sat at the window sill and examined the crowd below quietly. It seemed to be listening to the customers¡¯ conversation and searching for someone.

    As promised, the meal was served just a short whileter. There were three dishes, one soup and two jars of wine. Both the food and the wine were perfectly ordinary, but it still cost Ye Qing over eighty silver. It was an expensive meal to say the least.

    At least the food was delicious, and the wine was rich and sweet. For a traveler who was weary from their journey and had to eat and sleep in the open for heavens-know-how-long, this was practically divine.

    ¡°Let¡¯s drink, Giggle.¡±

    After the female attendant left, Ye Qing poured Giggle a cup of Honey Flower Brew.

    Honey Flower Brew was brewed using a very special spirit flower known as the Honey Flower. Its pollen was sweet like honey, and the wine brewed from its flower shared the same taste and floral scent. It was why it was an excellent wine for children and old people.

    A hint of sorrow flickered in Giggle¡¯s eyes as it looked away from the dining hall. But when it saw the Honey Flower Brew, it perked up immediately and jumped onto the table. When it gave the Honey Flower Brew a sniff and a tentative lick, its eyes immediately curled into happy crescents. Without hesitation, it hugged the wine cup andpped up the wine to its heart¡¯s content.

    Giggle¡¯s happiness was infectious, and Ye Qing felt happy as well. His hunger caught up to him, and he began engorging himself on the food and wine.

    ......

    ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re in there, Dream Master?¡±

    The speaker was a thin, short, wizened man with a bluish ckplexion and a head so sharp that it looked like a pencil.

    The man had a weak appearance, but that couldn¡¯t be further away from reality. Every inch of his skin and muscle was hard and tough like it was forged from pure metal. The way it glimmered dark in the light also looked quite intimidating.

    ¡°Yes, the thief is there. I can sense Nanke¡¯s aura from it.¡±

    Next to the thin man, another man dressed in white robes answered. He had a sweet, melodious voice that made it sound like he was singing. Just the few words he spoke was enough to elicit a positive reaction from anyone.

    He wasn¡¯t exactly male either. To be urate, he possessed both the handsomeness of a man and the attractiveness of a woman. His face was so extraordinarily beautiful that he almost looked divine. His beauty was such that it almost transcended the concept of gender itself.

    ¡°Wonderful. We will finally have his head and the item he stole from us!¡±

    An exceptionally tall and muscr man uttered savagely. He was half a body taller than most, and he was wearing a bloodthirsty grin on his face. ¡°For the crime of robbing The People of the Divine[1], the thief shall pay in blood!¡±

    As he said this, a crimson hue covered up his eyes, and killing intent thick enough to be tangible rolled out of his body. He got ready himself to charge the Hill of Services.

    ¡°Calm down, ughterer,¡± said a young woman as she blocked in front of ughterer. She had a wholesome figure, and she was wearing a dress with ribbons flying all around her. She was quite beautiful.

    ¡°Why are you stopping me, Dancer[2]?¡± The brawny man immediately red at the woman. The way the crimson hue in his eyes churned resembled that of a sea of blood.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look at the ce in front of you¡ªlike, really give it a look¡ªbefore you rush forward like a bull?¡± Dancer said softly.

    ¡°And why should I? Are you suggesting that a couple of puny ants couldy a hand against me?!¡± ughterer scoffed with dripping disdain.

    ¡°Idiot.¡± The thin man snorted.

    ¡°You got something to say to me, Earth Walker?¡± ughterer took one step toward the thin man and red down on him from above. Blood was starting to slide down his cheeks, and it gave him the appearance of a ghoul.

    The thin man didn¡¯t look intimidated in the slightest, however. ¡°Yes. You¡¯re an absolute buffoon, you know that?¡±

    Before the two could sh, Dream Master spoke up, ¡°Enough. We have business to do.¡±

    His melodious voice was like magic. As soon as he spoke up, the savagery and impatience in ughterer¡¯s eyes immediately started receding until they looked normal once more. At the same time, his rationality returned to him.

    ¡°That is the Hill Carrier, and the Hill Carrier is no weakling. We do not need to fear him, but there is no reason for us to offend him either.¡±

    Dream Master analyzed, ¡°Also, I believe that tomorrow is the Hill Carrier¡¯s triennial Treasure Appreciation Auction, so the Hill of Services must be full with <i>jianghu </i>warriors right now. At least some of them have to be capable warriors, and if we cause too much of amotion, we may bring unnecessary trouble upon ourselves. Worst case scenario, we might even alert our quarry and allow him to escape.¡±

    ¡°What the hell should we do then?¡± ughterer seemed to be afraid of Dream Master because he dared not throw his tantrum in front of the man. Instead, he vented his impatience and frustration by walking in circles.

    ¡°For now, inaction seems to be the best course of action,¡± Dream Master said slowly.

    ¡°... You¡¯re saying we should hide outside the entrance and catch the thief when he reappears?¡± ughterer guessed.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying we should enter the Hill of Services.¡±

    Dream Master said gently, ¡°One, we need to confirm the thief¡¯s identity and figure them out as much as possible. Only by knowing our enemy can we guarantee victory.¡±

    ¡°Second, the Treasure Appreciation Auction is held only once every three years. I¡¯m sure that we will find many valuable treasures. It is not an opportunity we should miss.¡±

    ¡°Last I remembered, neither of us have brought much money with us.¡± Dancer frowned.

    ¡°And since when do we have need for money?¡± Earth Walker said in a low, raspy voice as a sneer spread across his face.

    ¡°Earth Walker is right. Someone will pay for us.¡± Dream Master smiled, and it was as if he was standing on a bed of flowers.

    ¡°Hahaha! Now that¡¯s what I like to hear!¡± ughterer too cracked his fists andughed savagely.

    Earth Walker, Dancer and Dream Master exchanged a nce with each other before they beganughing as well. It sounded like a chorus that resounded throughout the ins.

    1. The organization where Ye Qing took Nanke from. You know, the Nagas etc. ?

    2. Not to be confused with the extremely dead Dancer 1 and Dancer 2 of the Way of Taiping. ?

 Chapter 617: I Knew At First Glance

    <em>Knock knock knock!</em>

    The room was silent until a series of knocks shattered it. On the bed, Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes.

    ¡°Are you awake, customer? The Treasure Appreciation Auction will begin soon.¡±

    Still lying on the bed, Ye Qing answered, ¡°I am. Thank you for reminding me, miss.¡±

    The person who knocked on his door was none other than the female attendant from yesterday.

    ¡°Okay. Please wash yourself while I prepare your breakfast,¡± the female attendant said.

    ¡°Thank you again,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    Ye Qing did not get out of bed immediately after the female attendant was gone. Instead, he put his hands behind his head and stared at the roof, muttering, ¡°Strange. Why did I sleep so deeplyst night? Was I that tired?¡±

    With his power, he should have noticed and awoken the second the female attendant appeared outside his door. In reality, he didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t awake until she knocked on his door. It was strange to say the least.Besides that, he had two very strange dreamsst night.

    The first dream was about him killing Huo Hao, Gu Lady, ve of Fire and Fifteen Saber. The dream was so detailed and realistic it felt as if he was reliving those moments.

    The second dream was even stranger and ludicrous. He had dreamed of a woman dressed like a bride appearing outside his room.

    If that was all, he would have chalked it up as a wet dream or something. However, the bride¡¯s appearance was apanied by the sounds of gongs, drums and suona, but it wasn¡¯t the kind of happy tune that was yed during a wedding ceremony. No, the music was slow, dark, and ominous. It was something one might expect to hear at a funeral, not a wedding ceremony.

    For the life of him, Ye Qing could not understand why he was having such an unholy dream. He couldn¡¯t sense anything wrong with himself, nor was his danger senses tingling. It was unusual to say the least.

    ¡°Screw it. I¡¯ll think about itter.¡±

    A short whileter, Ye Qing decided to push it all to the back of his mind, get out of his bed, and go through his morning routine.

    By the time he was ready, the female attendant was already waiting outside his door with his breakfast.

    The breakfast was just a simple porridge, salted vegetables and a couple of steamed buns. Objectively speaking, it was neither tasty nor appetizing. That said, it was a fulfilling breakfast that would satiate him for a long time.

    After Ye Qing had finished breakfast, the female attendant handed him a ck cloak and a ghost mask.

    ¡°This is a mask and cloak we prepare for all our customers. The cloak can hide your presence, and the mask can hide your appearance. You may wear it if you think it¡¯s necessary.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the thoughtfulness,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly. The purpose of the cloak and mask was of course to safeguard one¡¯s identity during the Treasure Appreciation Auction. Without them, it was highly likely that a bidder might be remembered and attacked after they left the premises.

    But of course, the actual effectiveness of the items left much to be desired. If someone really wanted to rob a bidder, they could hardly be stopped by a mere cloak and mask.

    They were in the middle of nowhere where the onlyw that applied was thew of the jungle. It was inevitable that carnage would happen once the guests left the Hill of Services.

    That said, the <em>jianghu </em>warriors must have already known the risks and had prepared ordingly.

    After all, no one would fool around with their lives.

    Ye Qing was aware of the effectiveness¡ªor ratherck thereof¡ªof the cloak and mask, but he still put them on and followed the female attendant toward the Poprity Tower. It was where the Treasure Appreciation Auction would be held.

    The structures of Hill of Services were ordered from low to high. For example, Wine of the Four Towers was located at the lowest point of the hill, whereas Poprity was located at the highest.

    In fact, the Poprity Tower was the highest structure out of everything in the hill. It was because the Eight Pavilions were located on the edges of the hill, circling the Four Towers.

    Poprity was the state or condition of being liked, admired, or supported by many people. Therefore, the Poprity Tower was designed to bepatible with most people¡¯s preferences: dazzling, exquisite and luxurious.

    By the time they arrived at the Poprity Tower, a lot of people were already waiting at the venue. At the same time, more guests were filing into the tower behind female attendants, and most of them were wearing a cloak and a ghost mask like Ye Qing as well.

    The small minority that didn¡¯t must be supremely confident in their own strength.

    After entering the Poprity Tower, Ye Qing randomly picked a seat and sat down. Next to the seat was a jade bowl with nail-sized pearls in them.

    As soon as he sat down, a small pond suddenly appeared on the ground in front of him. It had lotus flowers floating on the water surface and a single golden koi swimming in the waters.

    ¡°Er, what is this for?¡± Ye Qing asked in confusion. <em>The Poprity Tower isn¡¯t an aquarium too, is it?</em>

    The female attendant exined smilingly, ¡°It¡¯s like this. This fish is a Psychic Gold Koi our Hill Carrier raised. It feeds on pearls and is a sentient creature. If an item catches your fancy, and you wish to bid for it, you may simply toss the pearl into the Psychic Gold Koi¡¯s mouth instead of calling out a number. Our host for this auction will automatically register your bid.¡±

    ¡°If you win the bid, you don¡¯t need to pay for it immediately. Our people will meet you and conduct the trade in private after the Treasure Appreciation Auction is over. Just a reminder, but we ept both money and goods for our auction as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see! That exins why so many people are participating in your Treasure Appreciation Auction.¡±

    Ye Qing eximed in realization. The bidding would be conducted through the Psychic Gold Koi, so the bidder needed not reveal themselves in any way. The trade would happen in private after the auction was over, so it was impossible to find out who was the receiver of a certain item either.

    Thanks to this arrangement, the hopeful orioles and fishermen would not be able to identify their cicadas or ms, much less rob them. It was a much better protection than the cloak and mask they offered.

    This was probably one of the reasons why the Hill Carrier¡¯s Treasure Appreciation Auction was so popr.

    ¡°You tter us, customer.¡± The female attendant shot him a sweet smile.

    ¡°We¡¯repeting using these pearls, right? So, how much money does a single pearl represent?¡± Ye Qing asked while picking up a pearl and examining it closely.

    The pearl was round, smooth, and wless. It was clearly a top grade pearl. If it was sold elsewhere, it would be worth one or two hundred silvers at least. Instead, the Hill Carrier kept it for his auction. He truly was filthy rich.

    ¡°A pearl is equal to five hundred silvers,¡± the female attendant answered.

    <em>Five hundred? That means that the starting bid is five hundred silvers, and each bid must be five hundred or higher. Simply insane.</em>

    Ye Qing was surprised, but he maintained a perfect poker face and replied, ¡°Got it. Thank you, miss.¡±

    ¡°It is only my duty.¡± The female attendant saluted him. ¡°If there is nothing else, then I shall take my leave. If you need me, then simply shake the bell to your left, and I will know.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Thank you for your trouble.¡± Ye Qing nodded. The Hill of Services was a money sink, but their quality of service was also top-tier. He literally couldn¡¯t find any fault with it whatsoever.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±

    After the female attendant was gone, Ye Qing bent down and yed with the Psychic Gold Koi a little. It was at this moment a fragrant scent came from the entrance.

    The scent was thick, rich, and tempting. Some of the crowd actually sumbed to temptation and began gulping in the scent deeply.

    Ye Qing was frowning, however. Unlike most others, he could also smell the choking stench of rot and death in the scent.

    The scent grew thicker and thicker. As if on cue, the clinging of jade pendants pierced through the noise, and a gorgeous woman wearing extremely revealing clothes stepped through the entrance.

    The woman was apanied by five children. There were both boys and girls. They were all hopping around the woman jauntily.

    ¡°Amorous Mother?!¡±

    ¡°Why is she here?¡±

    There was a moment of silence when the guests saw the woman. Then, cries of shock, loathing, fear and more broke out.

    Ye Qing knew nothing about the ¡°Amorous Mother¡±, but he could tell at first nce that, despite her perfectly human features, she was no human.

 Chapter 618: Ancestor Greenwood

    To be specific, the woman in front of him wasn¡¯t a living, breathing human. She was a corpse.

    Ye Qing knew this because he couldn¡¯t sense a sliver of vitality or vigor from her whatsoever. Moreover, unlike most other people around him, the ¡°fragrant¡± scent she was giving off smelled rotten and disgusting, dark and deste to his senses.

    Those who inhaled too much of the scent would most likely be possessed by death qi and transformed into a half-corpse.

    Amorous Mother was no human. Naturally, her five children weren¡¯t human either.

    ¡°Slurp¡­¡±

    Seemingly afraid of all the attention they were receiving, the five children had hidden behind Amorous Mother. They were currently peeking out from her back and examining the crowd.

    Ye Qing heard the sound of someone sucking in their saliva though. The kids weren¡¯t afraid at all. No, they were <em>hungry.</em>

    He knew this because he could see the bloodthirst and madness swirling in their eyes. Like ferocious tigers that had been starved for days, they were just barely holding themselves back from drinking the blood and devouring the flesh of the sweet, tendermbs before them.

    The children weren¡¯t the only ones who harbored such desires. Amorous Mother herself was licking her lips constantly. Her appearance might look gentle and inviting, but her heart harbored even greater madness, bloodthirst and desire than her children.¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that! You¡¯re scaring my kids! To me, children!¡±

    Amorous Mother scolded the crowd before her stomach slowly split open to reveal her womb. Not a moment too soon, the five children rushed to enter her belly or more urately, her womb.

    A few breathster, all five children had crawled into Amorous Mother¡¯s womb. It was a stunning, unbelievable moment to put it mildly. Her stomach slowly healed back to normal after the children were inside, though now she looked like she was ten months pregnant.

    Amorous Mother rubbed her belly and shot the stunned crowd a seductive wink. ¡°If you like me that much, why don¡¯t youe visit me at my house after the Treasure Appreciation Auction is over? I promise you¡¯ll be able to see everything.¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±

    Everyone who knew about Amorous Mother coughed twice and looked away from the woman.

    <em>Sorry, but I don¡¯t think I want to visit any woman at a grave.</em>

    That¡¯s right. Amorous Mother lived at a grave. Legend had it that Amorous Mother was originally a dead woman buried at a grave. She was gorgeous beyond imagination when she was alive, and she was buried at a ce of supreme yin, which prevented her corpse from rotting. Over time, she actually looked better and almost lifelike thanks to the nurturing effects of the yin qi.

    Later, a cultist identally stumbled upon the female corpse and found her to be irresistible. So, he copted with her.

    Absolute yin gave birth to yang, and absolute yang gave birth to yin. The miraculous bnce and co-existence between yin and yang was how all living things came to be. The female corpse was an object of absolute yin. After it received an injection of yang qi, it actually gained sentience and became aware for the first time. Not only that, it¡ªno, <em>she¡ª</em>even became pregnant.

    Although the female corpse was now sentient, her body was still dead. Therefore, her infant was born dead as well.

    At first, the female corpse was so weak that she could only tempt weak humans such as travelers and schrs to her grave before killing them to consume their blood and essence. Later, she grew strong enough to kill the cultist who raped her, dug out his heart and ate it raw. Since then, she called herself Amorous Mother and roamed Bei Mo as a vile monster whose very name could turn one¡¯s blood into ice.

    That was why no one who knew about Amorous Mother¡¯s background wanted to catch her attention. They didn¡¯t have a death wish after all.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ they may be unwilling, but I am, beauty. I¡¯ll pay you a visit at your house¡ªor maybe you can pay me a visit at my house. I promise you that my bed is huge andfortable.¡±

    The dead silence was just starting to grow ufortable when a weak, ancient voice came from a corner of the hall. When Ye Qing turned to look, he saw that the speaker was a listless old man with a face full of wrinkles.

    The old man looked like he had one, no, one and a half feet in the grave. He had barely spoken a few sentences, but that was enough to make him pant and send him into a coughing fit.

    <em>Bro, I think you should worry about your health more than your lower brother. Can you even get on top of your bed, much less use it for more vigorous activities? </em>Ye Qing mentally ranted.

    Despite his thoughts, he knew that the old man was no ordinary person. It was because not a single person dared to sit or stand within twenty meters of him. When the crowd saw that he was the speaker, they even nched and soundlessly shuffled further away from him. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the crowd feared him more than they feared even Amorous Mother.

    Before Amorous Mother could react, a somewhat frivolous, teasing voice came from the entrance. ¡°Can you even get it up, Weak Old Man? You look like you might die any moment.¡±

    The speaker was a man in his thirties. He was handsome and holding a white paper fan. He looked a little like a young noble, except his hands, feet and neck and other parts of his body were exposed. The exposed skin were verdant green in color, spotty, and cracked like the bark of an old tree. It was an odd appearance to say the least.

    ¡°Ancestor Greenwood? I didn¡¯t think he woulde.¡±

    ¡°This year¡¯s Treasure Appreciation Auction must be really special. I can¡¯t believe that powerhouses like Amorous Mother, Weak Old Man and Ancestor Greenwood have all shown up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just them. I saw Red Cbash Celestial, Defeated and Actor at the scene as well.¡±

    ¡°Really? Heh! It looks like this Treasure Appreciation Auction is gonna be a real interesting one.¡±

    Everywhere in the hall, the people were murmuring in small voices. Thanks to Ye Qing¡¯s powerful demonic thought, he was able to keep up with all of them.

    Out of everyone the crowd was discussing, Ye Qing had only heard of Ancestor Greenwood and Defeated.

    Ancestor Greenwood was a Half-Step Grandmaster and the eighty-third warrior on the ck List. Despite his youthful appearance, he was actually over a hundred years old already. He just happened to cultivate a special martial art that allowed him to preserve his youthful appearance using nt energy. It was how he earned his moniker.

    The reason Ancestor Greenwood was named on the ck List was because he was an exceptionally lecherous man. He especially adored another man¡¯s wife[1] and would stoop to any low to obtain the women of his desires. Hence, he was loathed by all men righteous and orthodox.

    Defeated was the one they called ¡°the man who never wins¡± in the <em>jianghu. </em>He too was named on the ck List and ranked at ny-fifth.

    In fact, Defeated wasn¡¯t weaker than Ancestor Greenwood. He was ranked behind the old man not because he was weak, but because he wasn¡¯t as notorious.

    Defeated was a neutral man who did whatever he felt like. He was obsessed with martial arts and especially fond of challenging others into a duel. Unfortunately for him, he lost most of his fights.

    It wasn¡¯t because he was weak, however. It was simply because he only challenged those who were stronger or more experienced than him. As he never challenged a warrior who was weaker than him, he naturally lost more fights than he won. That was how he gained his moniker, and why people called him ¡°the man who never wins¡±.

    Despite his moniker, few people dared to make an enemy out of Defeated. After all, he was a man who constantly challenged those who were stronger than him¡­ and survived. That in itself was the proof of his strength. Even those who only believed in ck-and-white qualifications could not underestimate him as he was ranked seventh on the Human Champions Ranking. Cultivation wise, he was a step away from entering the Grandmaster stage.

    Ye Qing was stronger than most of the people at the scene. Naturally, he could sense that there were plenty of strong warriors¡ªall of them on par with Ancestor Greenwood and Amorous Mother at least¡ªin the hall as well. He too wanted to know the Treasure Appreciation Auction was offering that elites from both sides of the <em>jianghu</em> decided to show their faces.

    ¡°Cough! Cough. I may be frail, but I¡¯m still younger than you. Therefore, I must be stronger than you in that department,¡± Weak Old Man answered slowly.

    ¡°So what if I¡¯m old? I¡¯m hale and hearty despite my ears, alright?¡± Ancestor Greenwood chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll prove it to you another day if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Weak Old Man did not say anything else after that. He simply looked away and coughed softly into his hand.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­e, my beautiful Amorous Mother. Allow me to bask in yourpany.¡± Ancestor Greenwoodughed loudly when he received no answer from Weak Old Man. He then grabbed Amorous Mother¡¯s hand and led her to the side of the hall.

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ve been looking forward to witnessing your strength myself.¡±

    Amorous Mother did not reject him. She put on a bit of false resistance before taking a seat beside Ancestor Greenwood.

    1. NTR rangers¡­ assemble. ?

 Chapter 619: Cock Bowl

    The appearance of Amorous Mother, Weak Old Man and Ancestor Greenwood added some tension to the Poprity Tower. At the very least, it was no longer as lively and excited as before.

    As time passed, more and more people gathered in the Poprity Tower. A good number of them were powerful warriors such as Amorous Mother.

    Naturally, Ye Qing got to see the Cbash Celestial and Defeated as well.

    Cbash Celestial was a sloven old man in his fifties or sixties. He had a red brandy nose and reeked of alcohol. The man looked like he had just crawled out of the bottom of the table and was nothing like a celestial.

    Defeated was a wooden-looking middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance. Seemingly living in his own world, he sat quietly at a corner as soon as he entered the Poprity Tower. He did not fit in with the people around him at all.

    <em>Dang!</em>

    A bell was struck when every seat in the Poprity Table was filled. Then, the doors mmed shut with a loud bang.

    A rotund, jubnt-looking man appeared at the center of the stage. He was none other than the Hill Carrier himself.

    ¡°Hahaha! Good day, everyone! I am Xi Duoduo, the host of this Treasure Appreciation Auction.¡±¡°First, I would like to thank everyone for showing up at my humble hill despite your day-to-day. I am most honored to be graced by the presence of so many.¡±

    Xi Duoduo was all smiles, and his eyes were narrowed into slits as he continued, ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know our rules and bidding method, so I shan¡¯t repeat them and waste everyone¡¯s time. I¡¯ll just emphasize three points sinctly. One, you will not fight or disrupt the Treasure Appreciation Auction in any way. Amiability makes you rich, not violence. Two, please don¡¯t bid over your ability to pay. We don¡¯t ept takebacks, so please don¡¯t do something that both of us are going to regret.¡±

    ¡°Finally, we ept both money and goods as payment, but not credit payment. My humble apologies, but my humble hill simply doesn¡¯t make enough money to afford such a service.¡±

    ¡°That is all. Are there any questions?¡±

    ¡°Cut the bullshit and get started already!¡± Someone yelled impatiently.

    ¡°Haha¡­ it looks like everyone¡¯s eager for the Treasure Appreciation Auction to begin. Very well! I hereby dere that the auction is officially open!¡±

    After Xi Duoduo was done, a lotus flower slowly grew out of the stage. It bloomed and swayed lightly to the wind.

    A white, porcin bowl appeared from the center of the lotus, and a huge, red cock was painted on its surface. It looked so lifelike and jubnt that it felt alive.

    ¡°This is the first item we¡¯ll be auctioning today. It¡¯s a Hatred-ss Strange Artifact called the Cock Bowl.¡±

    Xi Duoduo pointed at the bowl and began his introduction. ¡°I¡¯ll be the first to admit that this Strange Artifact has a lousy name, but as the saying goes, one should not judge a book by its cover. Any object you deposit in this bowl will be as crunchy and tasty as chicken.¡±

    ¡°You are all seasoned travelers, so I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you about the harshness of the wilderness. Imagine spending months in the wild with only hard rations to eat, and cold water to drink. Your mouth feels so nd you almost feel like eating dirt sometimes. But if you have this Strange Artifact, then you can imbue even the blended ration with the delicious taste of chicken. What¡¯s not to like?¡±

    <em>How about everything? </em>Countless people thought and rolled their eyes at the same time.

    It was one thing if the Cock Bowl could transform any object into chicken meat, but no, it simply gave it the taste of chicken. This might be useful for those with a special fondness of chicken or gluttonous people in general, but for a warrior, it waspletely useless.

    ¡°The Cock Bowl is a must-have for any traveler. Why suffer the ndness in your mouth when you can have chicken?¡± Xi Duoduo ignored the crowd¡¯s disdainful gazes and dered loudly, ¡°The starting bid is one pearl. Begin!¡±

    In the end, someone bought the Cock Bowl for two pearls. It was a lousy opener to say the least.

    ¡°Alright. The next item is quite the extraordinary object. It gets cold when it is scorched by fire, and it gets hot when it is chilled by ice. Warm during winter but cold during summer, it is rare even considering all the extraordinary treasures in this world.¡± Xi Duoduo kept the crowd in suspense. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try guessing what it is, dear customers? If you get it right, I have a mystery reward for you!¡±

    ¡°Mystery reward? What is it?¡± That piqued the crowd¡¯s interest.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s called a mystery reward. I can¡¯t reveal it until the time is right, can I?¡± Xi Duoduo smiled. ¡°I can tell you that it is worth at least a thousand silver though!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    If the offer simply piqued their interest, now it had their full attention. One thousand silver wasn¡¯t a lot, but it was by no means a small number either; not for the majority of the crowd at least.

    The early bird gets the worm, so the people did not hesitate to throw their best guesses at Xi Duoduo.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Ice Soul Flower!¡±

    ¡°The Fire Rock Fish!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gotta be the Winter Cicada, right?¡±

    ¡°The Sunset Bird!¡±

    ¡°The Burning Ice!¡±

    ¡°The Heatless Water!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ unfortunately, none of you got it right so far. Keep guessing, everyone!¡± Xi Duoduo beamed.

    ¡°It gets cold when it is scorched by fire, hot when it is chilled by ice. It is also warm during winter and cold during summer¡­¡±

    Ye Qing thought quietly as he rubbed his chin. ¡°Could it be the legendary Reverse Cat?¡±

    The Reverse Cat was a very unique Disaster-ss Stranger that exuded the opposite qualities when it was subjected to a certain environment. For example, the Reverse Cat would burst into mes in a winter snond, be encased in ice when it was exposed to the hot sun, turn pitch ck at a bright ce, and turn as bright as a torchfire in darkness.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t think that was it though. The Reverse Cat fit the description of the mysterious tem fit to a certain extent, but it was hardly perfect.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the only knowledgeable person in the room, and Ancestor Greenwood proved that by voicing out the exact same answer, ¡°Is it the Reverse Cat?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, no.¡± Xi Duoduo rified, ¡°The Reverse Cat does share simr characteristics to the object I just described, but as I said before, it is an item, not a Stranger. Please, try again.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can think of nothing else.¡± Ancestor Greenwood shook his head.

    ¡°Hehehe. How about I give y¡¯all another hint? This item isn¡¯t just rare, there is no one in the <em>jianghu </em>who hasn¡¯t heard of it,¡± Xi Duoduo continued.

    ¡­¡­

    The guessing continued for a bit, but no one managed to get it right. In the end, someone finally lost their patience and yelled,

    ¡°How does that even make sense? Are you toying with us, Xi Duoduo?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! What the hell turns cold when it¡¯s hot, and turns hot when it¡¯s cold, <em>and </em>is known to everyone in the <em>jianghu</em>? It can¡¯t possibly be the Wenliang Pearl, can it?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Congrattions, customer! It is the Wenliang Pearl!¡±

    As soon as the guy finished talking, Xi Duoduo barked out augh and pointed a finger at him.

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    For a second, the guesser lookedpletely baffled. <em>I was just making a joke! It was actually the answer?!</em>

    ¡°The Wenliang Pearl? Are you for real?¡± Everyone else was staring at Xi Duoduo with stunned faces, however. Some had even risen to their feet.

    Even the disinterested Ancestor Greenwood, Weak Old Man and more subconsciously turned back at the stage with a hint of astonishment.

 Chapter 620: The Wenliang Pearl

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s real. I never practice fraud.¡±

    Very pleased with the crowd¡¯s reactions, Xi Duoduo waved his hands and summoned a pearl into existence. It floated on the stage so that everyone could see it.

    The pearl was about the size of a cat¡¯s eye and sky blue in color. Round, smooth and wless, it looked as if an infinite universe was held within its tiny confines, mysterious and profound.

    Anyone could tell that the pearl was no ordinary object.

    ¡°There may be some who aren¡¯t familiar with the Wenliang Pearl¡¯s background, so allow me to give a brief introduction.¡±

    Xi Duoduo began, ¡°It was said that three thousand years ago, there existed a country named Xiliang to the southwest of the continent. Its founder and ruler was an extraordinary woman named Wenliang.¡±

    ¡°Wenliang was a gentlewoman of a literary family until a great tragedy destroyed it all in a single night. Wenliang was able to escape her family¡¯s destruction, but as a gentlewoman, she simply wasn¡¯t equipped with the tools to survive the harshness of the world. As a result, she fell into the <em>jianghu </em>and had to suffer all forms of humiliations just to survive another day.¡±

    ¡°By coincidence, Wenliang obtained a mysterious pearl that, as if by the hands of a god, transformed her into a wealthy businesswoman in just a matter of years. Not only that, she became quite the powerful warrioress as well.¡±

    ¡°It was a chaotic period, so countless people were destitute, homeless, and with no way to make a living. Wenliang may be a woman, but her breasts are bigger than any man¡¯s in more ways than one. Armed with her wealth and status, she rescued the poor and downtrodden, made friends with the brave and good, and slowly built up her strength over time.¡± ¡°When she realized that the imperial court she served was rotten to its core, and the corrupted held all the power, she rose up in arms, gathered the strength of the people, and overturned the existing regime in just three days. She then named it Xiliang and called herself the Xiliang King.¡±

    ¡°During the first decade or two after she imed the throne, Wenliang worked hard to govern her country and strengthen the people¡¯s livelihood. She also opened her borders to all four seas to bolster the economy. As a result, Xiliang enjoyed a prosperous period, and the people were happy.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, Wenliang¡¯s personality underwent a drastic change after she entered old age. She became moody, paranoid, and prone to jealousy. She constantly suspected that someone was aiming for her throne and pearl and killed countless innocents because of it. If the people held a gathering, she would suspect that a rebellion was brewing and order an execution. If her court subjects held a feast, she also suspected that they were plotting against her and killed them all. Even her own children weren¡¯t free from her suspicion and were either disposed of or imprisoned.¡±

    ¡°For a time, there was no trust between king and subject, and no peace to be found among the people. They were so scared they didn¡¯t even dare to talk to each other in the open.

    Xi Duoduo paused for a moment before asking, ¡°What do you think happened after that?¡±

    No one answered him, so Xi Duoduo continued the story without a shred of embarrassment whatsoever, ¡°Eventually, both Wenliang¡¯s court subjects and her people reached a boiling point and rebelled against her. They broke into the pce and slew Wenliang.¡±

    ¡°However, that was not the end of the story. In three days after Wenliang¡¯s death, three strange incidents urred in Xiliang. On the first day, the rebels dug six feet into the ground in search of the mysterious pearl that won Wenliang her throne but was unable to find it anywhere. On the next day, Wenliang¡¯s corpse suddenly vanished into thin air. On the third day, a rain of blood suddenly fell from the sky, and every man and woman in Xiliang transformed into a monster who only knew ughter.¡±

    ¡°Xiliang had bothe into existence and copsed into ruins in three days, and it was all thanks to Wenliang. Wenliang herself had turned over a new leaf and died a horrible death because of her pearl. That is why those who came after decided to name it the Wenliang Pearl.¡±

    ¡°Despite its mysterious disappearance, the Wenliang Pearl continued to make an appearance here and there for the past three thousand years. Two thousand years ago, it fell into the possession of ¡®Humanity¡¯s Grace¡¯ Wen Qianqiu two thousand years ago. A thousand years ago, ¡®The Loathed and Praised¡¯ Tang Jingcai became its new owner. Eight hundred years ago, it was owned by the so-called number one champion of Spring and Autumn, the ¡®Dark Overlord¡¯ Li Hentian. And three hundred years ago, it was owned by the ludicrously wealthy businessman ¡®Millionaire¡¯ Shen Wanjin...¡±

    <em>Li Hentian? The ¡°Dark Overlord¡± Li Hentian? </em>

    Ye Qing was just enjoying the story when the name suddenly jolted him out of his daydream. He did not realize that the Wenliang Pearl was connected to the Dark Overlord.

    Besides Li Hentian, everyone Xi Duoduo mentioned was an incredibly famous person in history as well.

    For example, ¡°Humanity¡¯s Grace¡± Wen Qianqiu was also known as the Gentleman of Three. The three in his nickname referred to his appearance, his talent, and his martial arts.

    It was said that Wen Qianqiu was gorgeous unlike anything the world had ever seen despite being a man. Words ofpliments that were usually reserved for women werevished on his person, and it was no exaggeration to say that countless men and women had fallen for him at first sight.

    Besides that, Wen Qianqiu was exceedingly talented in all things civil. His talent in literature was unmatched, capable ofposing poems at a whim and writing entire books and documents without pause. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was well-versed in economics and medicine as well.

    He was also a pinnacle warrior. It was said that his sword qi stretched as long as fifteen thousand kilometers, and the light of his sword could chill neen provinces. The number of people who could match him in the entire world could be counted on one hand.

    Most people could not hope to be the pinnacle of even one way, but Wen Qianqiu had three to his name. That was why the people called him ¡°Humanity¡¯s Grace¡±.

    ¡°The Loathed and Praised¡± Tang Jingcai was the prime minister of the You Empire of the Mingshi Era. Tang Jingcai possessed a weak background but a talent few others possessed, but he was unable to score well in the imperial examination no matter how hard he worked. Later, he entered the service of the prince with the weakest position, Prince Mingshi as his advisor.

    Acting as Prince Mingshi¡¯s strategist, he employed all sorts of dark and cruel ways to pave the way for Prince Mingshi to im the throne. Grateful for everything Tang Jingcai had done for him, Prince Mingshi made him his prime minister and a ruler of all except the emperor himself.

    After bing the prime minister, Tang Jingcai reformed the government and promoted methods to enrich the people and strengthen their military. In just a matter of years, the once weak and poor You Empire had be powerful and strong.

    On the other hand, Tang Jingcai was a selfish, power hungry bastard. Not only did he form cliques for his personal interest, eliminated anyone who dared to defy him, and monopolized all the power for himself, he even killed Emperor Mingshi via poison and made the three-year-old prince the emperor. This allowed him to appoint himself the Emperor''s Mentor. By holding the stupidly young emperor hostage, he was able to yank the Dukes around like dogs and rule the realm as he pleased.

    Tang Jingcai¡¯s merits were undeniable, but his sins were just as great. That was why he came to be known as ¡°The Loathed and Praised¡±.

    As for ¡®Millionaire¡¯ Shen Wanjin[1], now that was a name even the ordinary people were aware of. A legend in Chu, it was said that he had started from the very bottom and grinded his way up until he became the number one imperial merchant of Chu. He was so wealthy that he was also called the ¡®Wealthiest of the Four¡¯. Out of the four major countries, the wealthiest country in the world was Chu, and the wealthiest family in Chu was the Shen n. It should not need to be said how wealthy he was.

    Wenliang, Wen Qianqiu, Tang Jingcai, Li Hentian, and Shen Wanjin were all one of a kind and a defining symbol of their era. Assuming that Xi Diudiu wasn¡¯t lying, and they really all owned the Wenliang Pearl once upon a time, one could not help but wonder if their sesses were connected to it.

    ¡°Are¡­ Are you for real?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s breathing quickened when the realization struck them. Suddenly, the floating pearl on the stage seemed much, much more attractive than before.

    ¡°To tell you all the truth, we aren¡¯t too sure if there is a connection between the Wenliang Pearl and those famous persons. After all, they are no longer in this world, and there is no concrete evidence to prove such a connection. It is simply something we deduced judging from existing historical records, official documents, and <em>jianghu </em>rumors.¡±

    Xi Duoduo smiled. ¡°It is up to you to decide whether it is the truth or not.¡±

    ¡°One more thing. The Wenliang Pearl was mentioned in ¡®Identifying Truths¡¯, and it is stated that the pearl possesses the power to transform one into a man among men, dragon among dragons¡­ but at the price of a horrible end.¡±

    ¡°Identifying Truths¡± was a book authored by a <em>jianghu </em>warrior named Tian Xingzi, and Tian Xingzi was an exceptionally erudite man who specialized in identifying objects. The book described all sorts of ways to identify a certain object or treasure, and it was treated as a guiding principle by all appraisers who came after.

    There were tons of existing copies of ¡°Identifying Truths¡± all across the world, so Xi Duoduo couldn¡¯t be lying about this part. There was no way he would sully his own reputation as a Hill Carrier for a joke either. This meant that Tian Xingzi must have seen the Wenliang Pearl and made such a remark.

    Assuming that what Tian Xingzi said was true, then it would certainly exin the ups and downs of Wenliang, Wen Qianqiu, Tang Jingcai, Li Hentian and Shen Wanjin¡¯s life.

    At the beginning, they were all nobodies that no one gave a damn about. Later, they experienced a meteoric rise and became one of, if not the greatest person of their era. Unfortunately, none of them had met a good end.

    1. Wanjin means Million Gold. Wanted to name him Million Gold Shen but it seems redudant with his moniker. ?

 Chapter 621: Hot When Chilled, Cold When Burned

    <h4>Chapter 621: Hot When Chilled, Cold When Burned </h4>

    Wenliang was cut into many pieces because she turned everyone against her.

    Wen Qianqiu died in his own wife¡¯s hands because he couldn¡¯t remain faithful.

    Tang Jincai was torn apart by five horses, and his whole family was executed because he turned into a dictator.

    Li Hentian disappeared without a trace because he did whatever he wanted with no regard for social norms whatsoever.

    And finally, Shen Wanjin was imprisoned and tortured because there was no low he wouldn¡¯t stoop to for money. The imperial court also confiscated all of his wealth.

    The five people¡¯s endings matched Tian Xingzi¡¯s description of the Wenliang Pearl perfectly.

    Everyone¡¯s breathing grew heavier when the realization struck them.

    If most people were skeptical of Xi Duoduo¡¯s ims before, now they were truly starting to believe.

    ¡°Hahaha, I should remind you all that what I just told you is pure spection on my part. Not even the quote in ¡®Identifying Truths¡¯ is necessarily the truth,¡± Xi Duoduo added casually after observing the crowd¡¯s reactions for a moment.

    Ye Qing smirked. He had to admit that Xi Duoduo was a masterful businessman. He never stopped iming that everything he said was just guesses and conjectures on his part, when in reality he was consistently leading the people deeper into the hole he had dug for them.

    He knew that, the more he insisted that he wasn¡¯t sure, the more people would think that Wenliang, Wen Qianqiu, Tang Jingcai, Li Hentian and Shen Wanjin¡¯s sesses and reputation were thanks to the Wenliang Pearl.

    Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought told him that the greed and desire brimming in the main hall right now was akin to a live volcano ready to erupt at any moment.

    They all knew that there was a chance¡ªa good chance even¡ªthat the sesses of those famous persons had nothing to do with the Wenliang Pearl.

    They also knew that the Wenliang Pearl was most likely cursed. For all its boons, it would most likely lead them to a miserable end.

    But the human heart did not care for logic. Never did, never would.

    When presented with the promise of unprecedented glory and power, there was only one and only one thing most people would do: seize it with all their body like moths to mes.

    ¡°The authenticity of your stories aside, Xi Duoduo, I have but one question for you. Are you sure the Wenliang Pearl behind you is the genuine article?¡± Ancestor Greenwood asked.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s real! Even if I am audacious enough to trick you all, I wouldn¡¯t dare to risk my reputation as a Hill Carrier, would I?¡±

    Xi Duoduo smiled. ¡°To verify that it¡¯s real, I had checked it with thirteen of my faction¡¯s appraisers. They all believe that it is the Wenliang Pearl, if not a convincing fake that¡¯s so real it might as well be the real thing. Please look.¡±

    Xi Duoduo produced a round, transparent stone that looked like some sort of gem. At the center of the stone was a tiny, bead-sized blue me swaying here and there as if the gem was hollow on the inside.

    As soon as the stone appeared, the entire Poprity Tower suddenly turned as hot as a furnace. Countless people broke into a sweat instantly.

    The heat did notst even a second when a soothing chill emanated from the Wenliang Pearl and dispeled the heat wave.

    ¡°The me In Stone?!¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow, recognizing the me Xi Duoduo was holding instantly. Its name was me In Stone, and it took five hundred years for a single wisp to be born from earthly qi. Stored inside a stone, it was thick, heavy, and rich in yang. It was one of the Spirit mes of Five Phases and, while not as valuable as his Purple Sun Trueme, was still pretty damn precious.

    ¡°As you know, the Wenliang Pearl is supposedly cold when it is scorched by fire and vice versa. What I¡¯m currently holding in my hands is a me In Stone, and it is a me of absolute yang. Let us see if the legend is true, shall we?¡±

    Xi Duoduo began fanning the me In Stone, and as the me grew hotter, so did the Wenliang Pearl be colder. Despite the growing intensity of the sh, the temperature within the main hall remained stable. No matter how hot the me In Stone became, the Wenliang Pearl would produce more cold to counteract it.

    After Xi Duoduo put away the me In Stone, he produced an ice cube next and dered, ¡°Now then. Let us check if the Wenliang Pearl will turn hot when chilled.¡±

    The ice cube was sky blue in color. As soon as it appeared, the temperature inside the main hall immediately nosedived. It was like they had suddenly plunged into a frigid hell.

    ¡°This is the Ten Thousand Year Ice. An object of absolute yin, it¡ª¡±

    Before Xi Duoduo could finish, the universe within the Wenliang Pearl spun round and round and produced waves and waves of heat. It immediately washed away the Ten Thousand Year Ice¡¯s cold.

    Seeing this, Xi Duoduo fell silent and began stroking the power of the Ten Thousand Year Ice just like he did with the me In Stone. The oue was the exact same as before. No matter how cold the Ten Thousand Year Ice became, the Wenliang Pearl would match it with the same amount of heat. As a result, the temperature within the main hall was soothing andfortable like spring.

    The Wenliang Pearl returned to normal after Xi Duoduo put away the Ten Thousand Year Ice.

    Ye Qing had to admit that he was impressed by what he saw. Even if this was all the Wenliang Pearl could do, and it did not, in fact, possess the mysterious power to transform a person into a dragon among men as Tian Xingzi imed, it was still a precious treasure. In extreme environments, it could even mean the difference between life and death.

    Take the time he was at the Firewind Valley for example. If he had the Wenliang Pearl then, he wouldn¡¯t have almost burned to death because of the Burning Wind.

    ¡°So? You¡¯ve witnessed its power with your own eyes. You now know that the Wenliang Pearl is real!¡± Xi Duoduo dered.

    ¡°Cough, cough... If this really is the Wenliang Pearl, then why are you auctioning it? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to keep it to yourself? Also, legend has it that thest time the Wenliang Pearl showed up was centuries ago. How on earth did you obtain it?¡± Weak Old Man asked before panting like a dog. His face was pale, and his breathing was heavy from saying so many words in one breath.

    ¡°My humble apologies, senior, but us Hill Carriers are required to obey a certain set of rules. For one, we are not allowed to reveal how we obtain our items. Therefore, I cannot tell you how I came across the Wenliang Pearl.¡±

    Xi Duoduo said apologetically, ¡°However, I can promise you that the Wenliang Pearles with no strings attached. You have my word that you don¡¯t have to worry about some ancient monster springing out of nowhere and chasing you down for the Wenliang Pearl.¡±

    ¡°As for why we are auctioning the Wenliang Pearl instead of keeping it to ourselves, there are two reasons. First, we are ultimately unable to confirm if this item truly is the Wenliang Pearl, or if it possesses the mysterious power the legends im it has. Second, even if the Wenliang Pearl truly possesses the mysterious power of legends, it is ultimately just a merchandise to us Hill Carriers. All Hill Carriers are businessmen, and there is nothing we wouldn¡¯t sell so long as the price is right.¡±

    It was at this moment the Red Cbash Celestial burped and interrupted sleepily, ¡°Enough already. How much longer is this introduction going to continue? Or are you keeping the Wenliang Pearl to yourself after all?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, dear customer.¡± Xi Duoduo did not get angry despite the rude interruption. He dered with a wide smile on his face, ¡°The starting bid is one pearl. Without further ado, let the bidding begin!¡±

    There was a moment of silence after Xi Duoduo was done speaking. Then, an uproar.

    ¡°The bid has been increased to two pearls.¡±

    ¡°Now it¡¯s ten pearls.¡±

    ¡°Oh my! One hundred pearls!¡±

    ¡°Oh my oh my! Another customer has upped the bid to five hundred pearls!¡±

    ¡°One thousand pearls...¡±

    Xi Duoduo was all smiles as he dutifully reported thetest bid. Ye Qing chuckled. Knowing that the Wenliang Pearl would not be wanting of bidders, the businessman had dared to set the starting bid to one pearl. He was right. In just a dozen or so breaths, the bid price of the Wenliang Pearl had risen to one thousand pearls and was still increasing at a terrifying rate.

    In fact, this was just the forey. The truly wealthy ones such as Ancestor Greenwood, Weak Old Man and Red Cbash Celestial hadn¡¯t joined in after all.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s own estimations, the Wenliang Pearl was going to sell at least as much as the Dark Overlord Token, if not more.

    After all, the Dark Overlord Token only represented an opportunity to obtain the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance, whereas the Wenliang Pearl was a chance to lead a life that was as glorious and legendary as the legend¡¯s own.

 Chapter 622: Iâ€™m Not A Shill!

    <h4>Chapter 622: I¡¯m Not A Shill! </h4>

    Was Ye Qing tempted? He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t, but no, he didn¡¯t sumb to the temptation.

    Ye Qing knew very well that, even if the Wenliang Pearl truly possessed the mysterious power to transform an ordinary person into a dragon among men, it was ultimately just an item. In the end, it was up to the person to weave their own destiny.

    He did not believe for a second that Wenliang, Wen Qianqiu, Tang Jingcai, Li Hentian and more¡¯s achievements were solely thanks to the Wenliang Pearl. They had to be once-in-a-century geniuses in their own right, or else why was there only one Wenliang, one Wen Qianqiu, and one Dark Overlord for thousands of years?

    If the Wenliang Pearl really was that miraculous, then there would be Dark Overlords and Sages everywhere already.

    Besides, this was assuming that the Wenliang Pearl really did possess the mysterious power the legends imed it had. If it didn¡¯t, then what was the point?

    In conclusion, Ye Qing was going to <i>try </i>to bid for it, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going to wallow in abject misery and despair if he failed.

    Despite the crowd¡¯s eagerness, the Treasure Appreciation Auction continued in an organized fashion. By now, the bid price had risen to three thousand pearls or 1.5 million silver.

    It was also around this time the number of bidders began to drop drastically. It was 1.5 million silver. To most people, that was a sum they might never earn in a lifetime.

    ¡°Three thousand and five hundred...¡±

    It was at this moment Amorous Mother¡¯s seductive voice entered the fray. ¡°You¡¯re all manly men. Surely you wouldn¡¯tpete against a weak woman like me, right?¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough... I¡¯m a gravely ill man with not much time to live, and I finally found something that might be able to stave off the inevitable. A manly man I may be, how can I give up this opportunity without a fight? Apologies, sister...¡±

    Weak Old Man coughed twice before announcing, ¡°Four thousand pearls.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sick, then you should take medicine. How on earth could the Wenliang Pearl help you? I heard that the Treasure Appreciation Auction would be auctioning a Root of Health that could treat all kinds of ailments. Rather than wasting your silver on the Wenliang Pearl, shouldn¡¯t you be focusing your attention on what you truly need?¡± Ancestor Greenwood scoffed while fanning himself.

    ¡°Cough, cough... You say as if you don¡¯t have one foot in the grave yourself. You might look young, but everyone knows that you¡¯re nearing the end of your lifespan. The Wenliang Pearl is a waste in your hands as well.¡±

    Weak Old Man said slowly, ¡°Oh, right. I heard that the Treasure Appreciation Auction would be auctioning a Taisui Flesh that can extend one¡¯s lifespan. I¡¯m sure that is what you came for. If you spent all your silver on the Wenliang Pearl, how can you bid for the Taisui Flesh? It is unwise to pick up a sesame seed and drop a watermelon[1], you know?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m rich, so what do you care? Four thousand and five hundred pearls!¡± Ancestor Greenwood got embarrassed and angry that his secret was revealed in public.

    ¡°Cough cough... unfortunately for you, I¡¯ve saved up quite the sum of discretionary ie throughout the years myself...¡± Weak Old Man dered, ¡°Five thousand.¡±

    ¡°Five thousand eight hundred pearls!¡±

    ¡°Six thousand.¡±

    The two men should be using the Psychic Gold Koi to announce their bid, but they didn¡¯t. Xi Duoduo didn¡¯t try to stop them either. The Psychic Gold Koi was just a safer, more reliable way to make a bid, and it was up to his customers whether they wanted to use it. If anything, he loved it when his customers dropped his guard and gave him opportunities to exploit.

    Amorous Mother, Red Cbash Celestial and more tried topete for a bit, but they all gave up after a while. The bidding price had grown too much to bear. In the end, only Ancestor Greenwood and Weak Old Man were still bidding against each other.

    ¡°Nine thousand pearls...¡±

    When Ancestor Greenwood gritted his teeth and dered the price, Weak Old Man shook a little. A moment of silenceter, he decided to let it stretch forever.

    ¡°Nine thousand pearls... is there anyone else?¡±

    Seeing this, Xi Duoduo started fanning the mes. ¡°This is the Wenliang Pearl. If you miss it, you might never get the chance to be a dragon among men like Wenliang, Wen Qianqiu, the Dark Overlord and more.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want to give up?¡±

    ¡°Can you afford to surrender this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to another person?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, maybe a slightly bigger bid¡ªjust a little¡ªis thest straw you need to break the camel¡¯s back. Maybe you can be the one with the Wenliang Pearl. What are you waiting for?¡±

    ¡°Oh! The hero has answered! The hero has answered the call! And their bid is... is...¡±

    Xi Duoduo was overjoyed when he saw a new bid, but his smile quickly froze on his face. ¡°... Nine thousand and one pearl. Is there anyone else?¡±

    ¡°Nine thousand and one hundred.¡± Ancestor Greenwood narrowed his eyes and squeezed out the words.

    ¡°Ancestor Greenwood ups the bid with nine thousand and one hundred pearls. Would you like to beat that number, customer? Yes, I¡¯m talking to you, my dear customer who bid earlier. You just need to up the bid by a single pearl again, and the Wenliang Pearl could be yours, you know?¡± Xi Duoduo ignored Ancestor Greenwood¡¯s icy expression and said.

    ¡°Oh, here ites! Let¡¯s see... it¡¯s nine thousand, one hundred and ONE PEARL! I knew they would answer my call!¡± Xi Duoduo¡¯s grin widened.

    ¡°The current bid is now nine thousand, one hundred and one pearls! Is there anyone who would like to beat that number?¡±

    He said ¡°anyone¡±, but his eyes were firmly fixed on Ancestor Greenwood. Who else but the money bag with more money than sense was going to spend more money on the Wenliang Pearl?

    ¡°Nine thousand and five hundred.¡±

    By now, Ancestor Greenwood was past caring about his appearances. A ck storm brewing on his face, he snarled, ¡°I¡¯ll just say this right now. I want this pearl, and I¡¯m going to get it. If you test my patience again, I will not take this lying down any longer!¡±

    It sounded like he was warning the other bidders, but he was staring straight at Xi Duoduo as he said this. It was because he suspected that the bastard who kept upping the bid by one pearl was done by Xi Duoduo¡¯s shill.

    After all, what kind of idiot would up the bid by exactly one pearl per bid if they really wanted the Wenliang Pearl? Did they think this was a game?

    Xi Duoduo understood Ancestor Greenwood¡¯s meaning, of course. For the first time, he dropped his smile and said withplete seriousness, ¡°Ahem... I must rify this, but whoever is bidding against you, they are <i>not </i>my shill. We value impartialness and fairness above all else in our Treasure Appreciation Auction, and we would never try to scam our customers.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Everyone scoffed at his deration, of course. Everyone, except Ye Qing.

    And why was that? Because he was the bidder who kept upping the bid with a single pearl. Naturally, he knew better than anyone that he was no shill.

    His total wealth amounted to a little over four million silver only, and one pearl was equal to five hundred silver. That was why he had no choice but to up the bid by one pearl each time.

    He was just trying to get lucky. He knew full well that the chances of him winning the bid was extremely low, but what if?

    Who hadn¡¯t enjoyed a bowl of jiaozi during the New Year[2]?

    s, Ancestor Greenwood¡¯s final deration extinguished that hopepletely. No, he wasn¡¯t afraid of offending the pervert old man who was pretending to be young. He simply did not have the money to outbid nine thousand and five hundred pearls.

    ¡°Nine thousand and five hundred pearls, people! Is there anyone else?¡±

    Xi Duoduo dered and waited for a moment, but this time, the shit stirrer did not stir up the shit any longer. Left with no choice, he finallyunched into the end speech, ¡°Nine thousand and five hundred pearls once... nine thousand and five hundred pearls twice... one thousand and five hundred pearls thrice... and done. Congrattions to Ancestor Greenwood for winning the Wenliang Pearl! Congrattions!¡±

    Even as he said this, Xi Duoduo couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of regret. Had that shit stirrer hung on just a little longer, he might have been able to squeeze ten thousand pearls out of Ancestor Greenwood. That was five million silver!

    Ye ¡°Shit Stirrer¡± Qing wanted to protest his innocence when he sensed Xi Duoduo¡¯s regret. <i>I¡¯m not a shill! I¡¯m not!</i>

    1. Meaning focusing on the trivial and neglecting what¡¯s truly important. The English equivalent is penny wise and pound foolish, but obviously I can¡¯t use that here. ?

    2. Meaning that even the unluckiest person in the world can get lucky once in a while. ?

 Chapter 623: Root of Health, Taisui Flesh

    The Wenliang Pearl pushed the Treasure Appreciation Auction to a climax. Many people weren¡¯t expecting it, but it sessfully elevated everyone¡¯s expectations for the next item.

    Unfortunately, the next couple items were exceedingly boring. They weren¡¯t bad per se¡ªin fact, they were all useful high quality items. For example, a Spirit Master Magia martial arts manual, the ¡°Thunderp of Nine Heavens¡±, was auctioned. It was a demon subjugating thunder art originating from the Heavenly Master Monastery of Dragon Tiger Mountain. Overwhelming and grand, it was a powerful offensive-type Magia that excelled at killing one¡¯s enemies.

    A Five Senses Talisman was also on sale. If someone were to ster it to their eyes, then they could view everything within hundreds of kilometers of them. If they stered it to their ears, then they could hear everything within hundreds of kilometers. If they stered it to their mouth, then they could consume metal and wood of the Five Phases. If they stered it to their tongue, then they could taste anything down to the finest details. And if they stered it to their forehead, then they could stretch their senses much, much further than usual and perceive everything. It was a talisman with a broad range of applications.

    If the Five Senses Talisman had one w, it was the fact that it could only be used once. Ye Qing found it useful and managed to win it for himself.

    Some of the auction items were quite strange and peculiar as well. For example, there was a red paper with the word ¡°Happiness¡± written on its surface. It was called Red Happiness. The Red Happiness was a Strange Artifact created from the undying feelings of a pair of eloping lovers after they died in the name of love. Imbued with the sincerest blessing of the two lovers, any couple who stered this red paper on the wall during their wedding ceremony were guaranteed to enjoy a blissful marital life until the end of their lives.

    Of course, there was no such thing as a Strange Artifact that could be used without a cost. Red Happiness was no exception. If one of the couple grew unfaithful and betrayed their sworn partner, or if they did something that was deemed unforgivable for a couple, then they would put on their wedding clothes during nighttime andmit suicide.

    The Ghost Comb was a peachwoodb with strange powers. If someone were tob their hair using the Ghost Comb in front of a mirror during midnight, a ghost would appear and answer theber¡¯s questions.

    The more difficult the questions were, the bigger the price they must pay. A trivial question would cause them to be invaded by yin qi and fall ill for three to five days, whereas a serious question might result in them being possessed by the ghost.

    The Brush of Literature was a brush that couldpose poems, songs, essays and more on its own. It was said to be the possession of ate Grand Secretary. It gradually turned into a Strange Artifact due to constant exposure to the Grand Secretary¡¯s talent and literary air.Its usage was very simple. One simply needed to ce the brush on a Xuan paper, and it would automaticallypose a poem, a song, or an essay of outstanding quality.

    The price was the user¡¯s own talent and literary air. Even the most literarily talented schr would devolve into an ordinary person if they kept using the brush.

    The feather of a Sweet Voice Bird could produce sweet voices if it made contact with the wind.

    The Beautiful Maggot was a maggot with a beautiful woman¡¯s body. Eating it would grant the eater the body of a devil, but also a face only a mother could love.

    The Beauty Portrait was a portrait of a gorgeous beauty. Simply serve it an incense stick during the morning and the night, and the woman in the painting would appear in one¡¯s dreams and fulfill their wildest fantasies. The price was the dreamer¡¯s own health.

    ¡­¡­

    The items were all unusual and interesting in their own right. It certainly broadened Ye Qing¡¯s horizons.

    Objectively speaking though, none of the items could hold a candle to the Wenliang Pearl, which was a bit of a letdown.

    Thankfully, two items sessfully pushed the Treasure Appreciation Auction to the climax once more.

    The first was the Root of Health Ancestor Greenwood had brought up, and the second was the Taisui Flesh Weak Old Man mentioned.

    The Root of Health was a type of nt that could only grow underground. It would wither away and die if it was ever exposed to sunlight.

    Despite being born in darkness and silence, it possessed a heart that yearned for the light. Its vitality could cure all sorts of difficult ailments, chronic conditions and grave injuries. It was as rare as it was valuable.

    The Root of Health was obviously Weak Old Man¡¯s primary goal. Knowing this, someone intentionally upped the bid price all the way to five thousand pearls to make the old man miserable.

    Although the Root of Health was rare and valuable, its range of application was actually quite narrow and useless to most warriors. At most, it was worth over a thousand pearls. However, this unknown bidder had raised it five times over its expected value. Weak Old Man was so pissed he nearly fainted on the spot.

    The identity of this unknown bidder was quite obvious to Ye Qing. Only powerful warriors such as Ancestor Greenwood, Amorous Mother, Red Cbash Celestial, The Defeated and more would dare to butt heads with Weak Old Man, and the only one with a grudge against Weak Old Man¡ªas far as he was aware¡ªwas Ancestor Greenwood.

    If he could put two and two together, then of course Weak Old Man could do the same. This was doubly true for Xi Duoduo as evident by the fact that he had purposefully auctioned the Taisui Flesh right after the Root of Health. He was all too happy to pit the duo against each other for profit.

    The Taisui was also nicknamed the Flesh Lingzhi. It was because it looked like a lingzhi and fleshlike. It had a head and a tail and was considered a living creature despite being attached to a rock. A red Flesh Lingzhi looked like coral, a white Flesh Lingzhi looked like fat, a ck Flesh Lingzhi looked like sun spurge, a green Flesh Lingzhi looked like a green peacock¡¯s feather, and a yellow Flesh Lingzhi looked like purple gold.

    Regardless of their color, all Flesh Lingzhis looked translucent and see-through like solid ice.

    A Flesh Lingzhi took a century to take form, a thousand years to take shape, and several thousand years to gain sentience. Only then could they be called Taisui.

    In other words, all Flesh Lingzhis that were several thousand years old and evolved into a Stranger could be called Taisui.

    ording to the ¡°Herbal ssics¡±, those who consumed Taisui would be ¡°young in body and age like celestials¡±. To put it in more secr terms, it meant that the Taisui was a pinnacle treasure that could restore one¡¯s youth and increase their lifespan.

    In terms of its ability to extend one¡¯s lifespan, it was easily ten times more potent than Ye Qing¡¯s Nature¡¯s Water. It was practically a miracle to those who were almost out of lifespan.

    But of course, the Taisui Flesh wasn¡¯t perfect. Although the Taisui could rewind the time of a human body and increase their lifespan, its efficacy would nosedive after consecutive consumptions. Not only that, the eater¡¯s consciousness would slowly disintegrate into nothing, and their body would gradually transform into a lingzhi.

    A human who had transformed into a lingzhi was called a Human Taisui. Not only did it possess the exact same healing and deaging properties as a Taisui, it was better and more potent in every way.

    It was why some ruthless, heartless monsters purposely nurtured Human Taisuis to increase their lifespan.

    Xi Duoduo wasn¡¯t auctioning the flesh of a Human Taisui or aplete Taisui. He was simply auctioning a chunk of flesh that was cut from a Taisui. That was why it was called the Taisui Flesh.

    Although it was just a small chunk, Xi Duoduo imed that it could extend one¡¯s lifespan by fifteen years.

    The Taisui Flesh was Ancestor Greenwood¡¯s primary goal. He might look young on the outside, but Ye Qing could sense an overwhelming amount of death inside his body. It was clear that he was nearing the end of his lifespan, and this Taisui Flesh was the one thing that could save him. Of course he was going to go after it with everything he got.

    And so, Ancestor Greenwood received his karmic retribution. He screwed Weak Old Man over earlier, and despite his moniker Weak Old Man wasn¡¯t one to take it lying down. He did not hesitate to up the bid price again, and again, and again.

    The Taisui Flesh was a valuable treasure that could increase one¡¯s lifespan. Anyone¡ªeven an ordinary person¡ªwould lust for such an item. Combined with Weak Old Man¡¯s efforts, and the bid price was increased to six thousand pearls in just the blink of an eye.

    Ancestor Greenwood knew that payback wasing, but he wasn¡¯t expecting it to appear so fast and furious. He was so furious that his face turned as green as his moniker.

    In the end, Ancestor Greenwood secretly came to an agreement with Weak Old Man. Only then thetter stopped his antics and allowed Ancestor Greenwood to win the Taisui Flesh at the price of seven thousand pearls.

    The hype returned to normal after the two items. Ye Qing had taken part in several biddings as well. Then, Xi Duoduo hit him with the unexpected statement.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ with this, the auction hase to an end.¡±

    <em>What? That can¡¯t be right. The finish is so weak it doesn¡¯t match the hype at all! </em>Ye Qing raised a puzzled eyebrow. Many people in the main hall seemed confused as well.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing noticed that Ancestor Greenwood, Weak Old Man, Red Cbash Celestial and more did not take their leave. It would seem that the Treasure Appreciation Auction wasn¡¯t over yet.

    As expected, Xi Duoduo followed up with this: ¡°The auction may be over, but the Treasure Appreciation Auction has just begun.¡±

 Chapter 624: The Strange Gravestone

    <em>That doesn¡¯t even make sense. What on earth is he talking about?</em>

    Ye Qing looked confused. It was the same for many others.

    Sensing their reaction, Xi Duoduo exined with a chuckle, ¡°Ah, it seems that some of you are participating in the Treasure Appreciation Auction for the first time. In that case, allow me to exin how the Treasure Appreciation Auction is normally carried out.¡±

    ¡°Generally speaking, the Treasure Appreciation Auction can be split into two segments. The first is the auction, and the second is the appreciation.¡±

    ¡°What do I mean by appreciation? It¡¯s already in the title. It¡¯s the part where we appreciate a treasure. As you know, we Hill Carriers travel to all sorts of ces as is our norm, and we often encounter all kinds of strange and mysterious items as well. Some of these items are difficult even for us to appraise, or possess a kind of value that is difficult to quantify¡­¡±

    ¡°Therefore, we would not be putting a number on these treasures. Instead, we would simply give you a brief introduction and leave it to the rest of you to determine if it¡¯s treasure or trash, valuable or worthless. It is up to you whether you want to bid for it or not.¡±

    <em>Now I get it! It¡¯s a bargain bin! An auction-style bargain bin to be exact!</em>

    Ye Qing smirked as his interest was piqued. This Hill Carrier sure knew how to y!

    Xi Duoduo continued, ¡°Of course, this segment has its own set of rules. First, you are not to touch or perceive the item in question with your spirit. You can only observe it with your own two eyes. Second, we don¡¯t ept returns. If you sessfully bid an item only to find out that it is trash, then you¡¯ll just have to ept it. Finally, if you can identify an item¡¯s origin or use and inform me about it, then you may have it free of charge.¡±Countless people¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard this. This was especially true for thest rule. Who doesn¡¯t like free stuff?

    Of course, the more experienced warriors such as Ancestor Greenwood, Amorous Mother and more merely scoffed at the crowd¡¯s reactions. Did they really think it was so easy to get one over the Hill Carrier?

    Forget that the first rule made it incredibly difficult to determine the quality, value and origin of a certain item, Xi Duoduo put these treasures out only after his faction¡¯s team of experts failed to find anything. Did they really think that their insight would be greater than the Hill Carriers¡¯ experts?

    It would probably be easier to stumble upon a treasure beside the road than get one over the Hill Carrier. The rule was there purely to trick the idiots who were participating in the Treasure Appreciation Auction for the first time.

    Ye Qing himself was shaking his head, though he didn¡¯t say anything about the Hill Carrier¡¯s scheme.

    ¡°Without further ado, let us take a look at our first treasure.¡±

    Xi Duoduo pped his hands, and a gravestone about three inches tall appeared on stage.

    The gravestone was dirty and covered in chips and cracks. A couple of words were engraved to the top and the bottom right part of the gravestone.

    The words on the top of the gravestone was most likely the name, and the ancient script at the bottom right the date. However, they were blurry and indecipherable.

    A grayish fog began leaking out of the gravestone after it appeared. However, a mysterious energy was keeping it from leaving the boundaries of the stage. Naturally, the same power was keeping the crowd from perceiving the gravestone as well.

    Even so, just looking at the gravestone was enough to send a chill down everyone¡¯s spine.

    ¡°This is a gravestone.¡±

    Xi Duoduo began introducing the item. ¡°It was extracted from a strange vige by a group of Stranger Hunters.¡±

    ¡°The vige was surrounded by a mysterious fog that allowed entry but barred exit. Once you entered the vige, you will lose your way and never be able to leave.¡±

    ¡°Even worse, those in the vige suffer a sudden, inexplicable death every once in a while. The deaths follow no rhyme or reason whatsoever and so arepletely unpredictable.¡±

    ¡°The group of Stranger Hunters numbered over eighty people when they entered the mysterious vige. Only three managed to leave with the gravestone after all was said and done.¡±

    ¡°ording to the trio, the gravestone was the source behind all the anomalies that afflicted the vige. If anyone stares at the gravestone for over thirty breaths, then it would leak blood and draw their name and date of birth and death on the gravestone.¡±

    ¡°The date of birth is the time a person was born in this world. The date of death is the time a person departed this world. Once the victim¡¯s date of death takes form on the gravestone, they would die a sudden, inexplicable death on that exact date. There is absolutely nothing they can do to save themselves.¡±

    As Xi Duoduo spoke, bright red blood began leaking out of the gravestone. The blood squirmed like it might draw a person¡¯s name at any moment.

    At the same time, everyone in the main hall felt an inexplicable sense of danger.

    Having heard exactly how the gravestone functioned from Xi Duoduo himself, everyone in the room nched in fear and worry. Even Ancestor Greenwood, Weak Old Man, Red Cbash Celestial and more were gathering their energies and staring at Xi Duoduo with hostile looks.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Xi Duoduo?¡±

    ording to Xi Duoduo himself, anyone who stared at the gravestone for over thirty breaths would lose their life. Xi Duoduo knew this, and yet he purposely did not tell them about this until it was toote. Was he trying to kill them or something?

    ¡°Hahaha! Rx, my dear customers. No harm wille to you.¡±

    Xi Duoduo paid their hostility no attention, however. ¡°A gentleman only epts wealth that is obtained the right way. We Hill Carriers would never rob a person of their wealth like a base robber, so you have nothing to worry about.¡±

    As he promised, the blood on the gravestone never formed a name or even a word despite its squirming. In the end, it simply slid off its craggy surface like it was weeping.

    As this happened, the tombstone cracked some more and sent bits of stone flying here and there.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Someone began voicing their doubts. ¡°You said that the names of anyone who stared at the gravestone for over thirty breaths would appear on its surface, right? So what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Allow me to exin, my dear customer. This gravestone is a very special Strange Artifact. If your name and date of birth and death were to appear on its surface, then you will die no matter how strong you are. In a sense, it is unstoppable.¡±

    Xi Duoduo exined, ¡°Unfortunately, its activation requirements are just as stringent. First, the person must stare at the gravestone for thirty breaths at minimum. Only then would their name appear on its surface. If the person averts their gaze just a little or blink during this time, then its effect would be neutralized.¡±

    ¡°Second, whether or not it seeds in killing its target, the gravestone would suffer a small amount of damage with every activation. It is impossible to say how many uses it has left before it breakspletely.¡±

    ¡°And finally, our analysis concluded that something very bad might happen if the gravestone ispletely destroyed.¡±

    The crowd oohed and ahhed in realization, and Ye Qing realized why Xi Duoduo had decided to ce this gravestone in the appreciation segment instead of the auction segment. It was because it was impossible to appraise the value of this gravestone properly.

    The gravestone was undeniably powerful. No one, not even a Sage or a celestial-on-earth could survive if their name and date of birth and death appeared on its surface.

    Was a Strange Artifact that could kill a Sage or a celestial-on-earth powerful? Of course it was. Stupidly so, in fact.

    However, it was also situational to an extreme degree. For starters, the requirement that the victim must stare at it for over thirty breaths was nigh impossible toplete. Thirty breaths was neither too long nor too short a time, but any ordinary person would blink at least once during this time. And if they blinked, then the gravestone¡¯s deadly effect would be nullified just like that.

    Even ignoring that fact, what kind of person would stare at such an obviously anomalous gravestone for long? An ordinary person would stay far, far away from it, and a warrior might try to attack it and see what happens. In any case, no one in their right mind would stare at it for long without blinking.

    Due to its stringent requirements, it was extremely improbable for this gravestone to kill anyone.

 Chapter 625: The Painting Inside The Hairpin

    This did not exin how those eighty plus Stranger Hunters died though. There were still more truths they had yet to hear.

    As expected, someone shared the exact same doubts as Ye Qing and voiced it, ¡°If the gravestone¡¯s activation conditions are really that stringent, then how did the Stranger Hunters lose so many of their numbers?¡±

    Xi Duoduo exined, ¡°That¡¯s because the gravestone was surrounded by a kind of nt called the Daydream. When you daydream, you¡¯re not usually aware of the passage of time, are you? The Daydream is a very special kind of nt that sleeps during the night and blooms during the day. If someone encounters the Daydream during the day, they would sink into a dreamlike state without knowing. In this state, their eyes remain wide open like they were sleepwalking, and they wouldn¡¯t notice the passage of time at all. When they awake, they would think that only a few breaths had passed.¡±

    ¡°Normally, the Daydream ispletely harmless. But because it grew next to the gravestone, it resulted in most of the Stranger Hunters staring at the gravestone for over thirty breaths without knowing. That was why they lost so many of their numbers.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡±

    That exined a lot. It also opened Ye Qing¡¯s mind to new possibilities. On its own, it was nigh impossible for the gravestone to activate sessfully. However, its chances of sess would be much higher if it was used together with sense-warping Strange Artifacts, secret arts, Magia and more.

    Even so, its usability in a practical situation could only be described as average. Anyone who could be paralyzed for thirty breaths using a Strange Artifact, secret art or Magia could probably be killed via normal means, and those who were strong would not be affected by such tactics for long. In the end, the gravestone remained an incredibly situational Strange Artifact.

    In conclusion, the gravestone was okay versus weaklings, but no better than a particrlyrge brick against a true elite.

    To borrow a saying, it was akin to a chicken rib¡ªnd and uninteresting, but a shame to just throw away.Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the only person with a brain in this room. Most people arrived at the same conclusion after their excitement cooled down and lost interest. In the end, the gravestone went to a random dude for one thousand pearls.

    Despite the poor sale, Xi Duoduo didn¡¯t look too disappointed. He had probably expected this oue. It wasn¡¯t long before he brought out the second item.

    The second item was a strand of hair. That¡¯s right, a strand of hair. Pitch ck in color, it looked no different from a normal person¡¯s hair. It also smelled quite fragrant.

    But unlike a normal person¡¯s hair, this strand of hair was insanely long, over twenty meters to be exact. It looked like a bundle of ck aquatic grass.

    ¡°As you can see, this is a strand of hair.¡± Xi Duoduo pointed at the hair as he said, ¡°As for who it belongs to, I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°In fact, the only thing I can tell you is that the hair is insanely long, and it seems to be alive and growing every day. When we received this hair, it was only ten meters long. Just a little over a yearter, it was over twenty meters long. It¡¯s quite unusual, don¡¯t you think? Is there anyone who¡¯s interested in this hair?¡±

    <em>It¡¯s unusual, sure, but why the fuck would we bid for a strand of hair?!</em>

    Everyone rolled their eyes, hard. Who in their right mind would spend fifty thousand silver on a strand of hair?!

    ¡°As a reminder, we can give away the hair for free if anyone knows about its origin!¡±

    Unfortunately for him, no one knew anything about the hair. No one was interested in it either, so the hair was bought in.

    With that behind them, Xi Duoduo produced the third item. It was a rough, shoddy-looking peachwood hairpin.

    ¡°This hairpin is carved using ordinary peachwood. The craftsmanship leaves much to be desired as well.¡±

    Xi Duoduo introduced, ¡°On the surface, it looks perfectly ordinary. However, did you know that this hairpin was found in a millennia-old tomb?¡±

    ¡°It had been stored inside the tomb for over a thousand years, and yet it shows no sign of deterioration whatsoever. In fact, it looks brand new almost as if a craftsman had just carved it. That is clearly unusual. Despite its ordinary appearance, this peachwood hairpin is anything but ordinary.¡±

    ¡°Would you be interested in owning it, customers?¡±

    This piqued the crowd¡¯s curiosity, and murmurs broke out here and there. Despite their curiosity, the number of people who were actually interested in buying it could be counted on two hands. Ye Qing shared the sentiment as well.

    The reason was simple. It was clear that the wooden hairpin was special, but what was the point of spending fifty thousand silver to buy a secret that could never be solved?

    Disappointed that no one was interested in the wooden hairpin, Xi Duoduo was just about to dere that the hairpin was bought in when suddenly, azy voice spoke up, ¡°Fools. I can¡¯t believe that no one recognizes or wants such a valuable treasure.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Are you going to bid for it, celestial?¡± Xi Duoduo¡¯s eyes lit up.

    ¡°Oh no, I am¡ªburp¡ªfar too broke to bid anything.¡± The Red Cbash Celestial sipped his wine before continuing, ¡°However, I recognize its origin.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Are you sure?¡± Xi Duoduo asked. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to enlighten us about its origin, you may have it for free as promised.¡±

    The Red Cbash Celestial sleepily forced open his eyelids just a tad and began slowly, ¡°The hairpin is not a hairpin. It is a painting.¡±

    ¡°A painting?¡± Xi Duoduo eximed in surprise.

    Everyone else in the Poprity Tower was stunned as well. Specifically, they felt like Red Cbash Celestial was ridiculing them. <em>Do you think we¡¯re blind or stupid?</em>

    ¡°Did you identally drink your brain into your stomach, Red Cbash? That¡¯s obviously a hairpin!¡± Ancestor Greenwood taunted.

    ¡°You say that only because you¡¯re old. Your vision is so blurry you can¡¯t even tell right from left anymore!¡± Red Cbash Celestial shot right back.

    ¡°Is it really a painting, good celestial?¡± Xi Duoduo ignored their argument and prodded.

    ¡°Go bring a pot of hot oil and put the peachwood hairpin inside. You will know then if I¡¯m telling the truth or not,¡± Red Cbash Celestial said. ¡°And before I forget, the oil must be boiling hot.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Xi Duoduo did not hesitate. He immediately ordered someone to carry a pot of boiling oil onto the stage and set the wooden hairpin inside.

    Unfortunately, nothing happened after awhile.

    ¡°This is the painting you¡¯re talking about, Red Cbash?¡± Weak Old Man coughed.

    ¡°Patience. Let it cook a while longer!¡± Red Cbash Celestial remained calm.

    The crowd waited a little longer when suddenly, the wooden hairpin began swelling little by little. The longer the oil boiled, the bigger it grew until it unfurled into an exquisite-looking painting.

    ¡°A painting! It¡¯s actually a painting!¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°But why is it nk?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened like saucers when they saw this. They couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.

    The canvas was over one meter long, but only about as wide as a human palm. Its sides were adorned with elegant golden flowers.

    Strangely, the canvas waspletely empty.

    ¡°Celestial¡­?¡± Xi Duoduo subconsciously looked to Red Cbash Celestial for instructions.

    Red Cbash Celestial shrugged. ¡°You gotta lift it out of the oil to see its contents.¡±

    Hearing this, Xi Duoduo immediately reached into the pot of boiling oil and scooped the canvas out with his bare hands.

    Incredibly, things went exactly as Red Cbash Celestial said. As soon as Xi Duoduo scooped the canvas out of the pot, a painting slowly appeared on its nk surface.

 Chapter 626: A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill

    The painting showed a Taoist riding a green bull toward somewhere as white clouds sailed past his head, and the orange rays of sunset fell over his back.

    The unknown artist didn¡¯t use many lines to draw their painting. However, it was enough to sketch out a painting of freedom and an infinite horizon.

    The white clouds were free and unfettered.

    The sunset looked hopeful instead of forlorn.

    The mountains and waters looked natural and in harmony.

    And the lone celestial journey toward who-knows-where looked perfectly at ease.

    The clouds, the sunset, the hills, the waters, the Taoist, and the bull. Had the artist chosen to add even an extra element to their painting, had they added even an extra brush stroke, the painting would¡¯ve veered into the realm of excess. The opposite was equally true.

    As it was, it was perfect and harmonious. It was like a window into a corner of the world.

    ¡°White clouds floating across an orange sky; a celestial riding a bull across a green hill¡­ could it be ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯?!¡±The crowd was still immersing themselves in the painting¡¯s world when suddenly, Xi Duoduo¡¯s musings hit a new crescendo, ¡°Can it be? But it can¡¯t be!¡±

    As if to dispel Xi Duoduo¡¯s doubts, Defeated¡ªthe one man who hadn¡¯t said a word since the Treasure Appreciation Auction began¡ªwas staring at the painting and dering, ¡°It does look like the mythical ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What are you two talking about? Is there something special about this Xi Duoduo?¡± Ancestor Greenwood voiced his doubts.

    It was only now Xi Duoduo finally snapped back to his senses, but instead of answering his question, he asked, ¡°Have you heard of Green Bull Li, ancestor?¡±

    "Green Bull Li? Who''s that?" Ancestor Greenwood frowned.

    ¡°Alright, what about Li Wangxian?¡± Xi Duoduo asked another question.

    ¡°Li Wangxian? You mean Li Wangxian, the ¡®Unparalleled Dao¡¯ from over a thousand years ago?¡± Ancestor Greenwood asked. ¡°The better question is, who hasn¡¯t heard about him?¡±

    ¡°Green Bull Li is Li Wangxian, and this painting¡ª¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯¡ªis his creation,¡± Xi Duoduo dered.

    ¡°What?! Y-You¡¯re saying that Li Wangxian drew this painting?!¡± The crowd immediately exploded into an uproar. They were louder and more stunned than when Xi Duoduo revealed the Wenliang Pearl earlier.

    Who was Li Wangxian?

    He was a legend more legendary than even the Dark Overlord, Li Hentian.

    Li Wangxian hailed from one of the three major Taoist sects, the True Martial Sect. He was the youngest disciple of the sect master of the Lotus Flower Peak.

    Unlike Li Hentian, whose leap to the heavens came as a surprise to everyone, everyone knew that Li Wangxian was going to be amazing from the start. For starters, his talent was unparalleled. He was born with over a hundred bodily points unlocked, and his mind¡¯s eyes open. He read Taoist scriptures at the age of three, grasped their essence at the age of five, and became the greatest person to ever master the arts of Taoism at the age of ten. No one could match his knowledge. Even the one they called the ¡°Ancestral Ground of Taoist Court¡± and the Dao Sovereign and sect master of East Kunlun San Qing Temple, Profound rity Wondrous Tao Superior had praised Li Wangxian saying, ¡°In terms of the arts of Taoism alone, no one in the past or future five hundred years can surpass him, much less I.¡±

    Profound rity Wondrous Tao Superior had made this remark after Li Wangxian ascended East Kunlun at the age of ten and debated Taoism with him. It was also why Li Wangxian came to be known as the ¡°Unparalleled Dao¡±ter on. There truly was no one who was better than him in the arts of Taoism in the entire world.

    Unfortunately, Li Wangxian¡¯s talent in the arts of Taoism did not extend to his martial arts. In fact, one could go as far as to say that he was the most untalented practitioner the world had ever seen.

    For example, Li Wangxian had taken over a decade just to make some small progress in the Body Tempering stage. That¡¯s right, the Body Tempering stage. This was considering that the True Martial Sect did everything in their power to elevate his martial cultivation to a point where it wouldn¡¯t dishonor himself too. Without exaggeration, they had tried purifying his blood vessels and re-establishing his marrows, poured true intent directly into his mind, and fed him all sorts of natural treasures, miracle pills and wonder medicine.

    Despite their efforts, Li Wangxian¡¯s martial cultivation continued to progress at a snail¡¯s pace. Anyone else in his position would have grown into an aplished warrior¡ªif not the best among their peers¡ªa long time ago, but Li Wangxian? Their efforts felt like a drop of water in the hopeless wastnd that was Li Wangxian¡¯s sheerck of talent, futile and pointless. The True Martial Sect sect master at the time and now Demon Subjugating Monarch was so furious that he jabbed a finger at Li Wangxian again and again while yelling, ¡°We have fed you so many cultivation resources that even a pig would have be a supreme champion by now, and yet you couldn¡¯t even crack the surface of the martial way! Have some shame, you, you~~~!!!¡±

    Li Wangxian himself cared nothing for hisck of talent in the martial way though. He believed that there were benefits to being able to cultivate martial arts, but he also believed that there were benefits to being unable to cultivate martial arts. For starters, he could now focus all of his time and effort on studying the scriptures, could he not?

    And so he did. Martial cultivation practically became an afterthought to Li Wangxian after discovering hisck of talent in this regard. There was nothing the True Martial Sect¡¯s sect master could do to change this, so he simply put it out of his mind.

    For the next decade or so, every single one of Li Wangxian¡¯s peers had surpassed him in terms of martial cultivation and made a name for themselves. Meanwhile, Li Wangxian continued to study the Taoist scriptures at Lotus Peak like the passage of time meant nothing to him. Naturally, the people gradually forgot about him. It got to the point where people only knew about the Five Thunder True Gentleman of the Heavenly Master Mansion or Hao Yuan Dao Child of San Qing Temple. No one remembered the once unrivaled Li Wangxian.

    Later, the Dark Ways rose, and the orthodoxy faltered. The Demon Lord of the Demonic Mountain was able to unite the Nine Demonic Ways and the thirty-six unorthodox ways with his immeasurable power and plunged the <em>jianghu </em>into chaos.

    Unable to stand by and do nothing, the Two Temples of Buddha, the Three Temples of Dao, and the Five Profound Sects issued the Demon Lord a challenge letter. They would meet at the Mending Sky Peak and settle everything with a duel.

    However, the Demon Lord was powerful beyond measure. He singlehandedly shattered the golden body of two great Buddhas, severely wounded the three sect masters of the Three Temples of Dao, and forced the Five Profound Sects to shut their gates.

    For a time, the Dark Ways¡¯ ascent seemed unstoppable, and it looked like the <em>jianghu </em>would never be the same.

    Knowing that the opportunity of a lifetime was upon him, the Demon Lord advanced upon the True Martial Sect with the intent to vanquish them once and for all. Worse still, their sect master was still severely injured, and their guardian elder had betrayed them and joined the enemy. For a time, it looked like all hope was lost for the True Martial Sect.

    It was at this moment Li Wangxian heard the news and left Lotus Flower Peak. He was going to meet the Demon Lord alone.

    Everyone thought that Li Wangxian wasmitting suicide. They tried to stop him, but Li Wangxian replied smilingly, ¡°Once upon a time, Dao Tzu (Ancestor of Dao) rode a bull through Hangu Pass to stop the Heavenly Demons. Today, Li Wangxian shall leave his mountain to face the demons.¡±

    Everyone thought that Li Wangxian had gone insane. The sect master was the only one who burst outughing sounding happier than he had ever been.

    And so Li Wangxian rode a bull down the mountains while holding a Taoist scripture in one hand. When he left the peak, his Yin God manifested into existence. When he passed through the mountain pass, he transformed into a Grandmaster. And when he finally reached the foot of the mountain, he had be¡­ a Sage.

    With one palm, he destroyed the demonic array that had pinned down his sect. With onemand, he had pushed back the army of demons gathered outside the mountains intending to destroy it all. Then, he engaged the Demon Lord in a battle that would be remembered for eternity.

    Such was the battle that historianster described it this way: ¡°The Nine Heavens were split, and the elements returned to Primal Chaos. The sky was dark like the sun would never rise again.¡±

    No one except thebatants themselves knew who won the battle. What they did know was that the Demon Lord returned to the Demonic Mountain and shut himself in a secluded cultivation; one that was meant tost until his death if he did not find whatever he was searching for. Without an iron fist to keep them in line, the unruly demons and monsters of the Dark Ways naturally fell into shambles. The orthodoxy seized the opportunity to consolidate their forces, push back the warriors of the Dark Ways, and return the <em>jianghu </em>to normal.

    After that, Li Wangxian¡¯s legend became immortal in the <em>jianghu. </em>No one would ever forget the young man who broke through stage after stage as he rode his bull down the mountain and practically saved the <em>jianghu </em>singlehandedly<em>.</em>

    Countless strived to be Li Wangxian since. Countless were still striving to hold a candle to the legend today.

    On a rted note, Li Wangxian was also that era¡¯s youngest Sage. He was so far ahead of his peers they were like antspared to him.

    Speaking of Li Wangxian, the young man carried himself just like before despite his achievement. He continued to study the Taoist scriptures and did whatever he liked without a care for appearances.

    The sect master of the True Martial Sect made Li Wangxian his sessor before he passed away. Three years after he received the sect master seal, Li Wangxian returned the seal to his sect and journeyed west on a bull just like the Dao Tzu had. He would enter Hangu Pass and open a way to the heavens.

    A long time ago, Dao Tzu rode a green bull through Hangu Pass and caused the sky within forty thousand kilometers of the area to be covered in purple qi. Heavenly Demons had fallen like meteor showers then.

    Many, many years after that, Li Wangxian too rode a green bull through Hangu Pass and caused the clouds to vibrate with the sound of reading, and a heavenly gate to appear on the skies. After he and his bull ascended to the heavens, the man was never seen again.

    This was why Li Wangxian was considered a more legendary and colorful figure than even the Dark Overlord, Li Hentian. It was also why he was more popr and well-known, and why everyone was speechless when they learned that the painting was drawn by the legend himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a possibility,¡± Xi Duoduo rified. ¡°Legend has it that Li Wangxian had drawn a painting for theter generations after he exited the Hangu Pass and got ready to ascend the heavens. That painting came to be known as ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 627: Fight Over

    <h4>Chapter 627: Fight Over </h4>

    ¡°Li Wangxian enjoyed a legendary status in the True Martial Sect. If ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ really was made by him, then it should have been kept in the True Martial Sect, right? Why would it be here?¡± Someone questioned.

    ¡°You are right, customer. After Li Wangxian opened the sky and ascended to the heavens, ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ was kept in the True Martial Shrine at the Lotus Flower Peak and worshiped daily.¡±

    Xi Duoduo exined, ¡°Unfortunately, something terrible happened to the True Martial Sect just three yearster. Li Wangxian never appointed a sessor three years after resigned as the sect master, and that resulted in a fierce sh between the disciples of each peak as to who should be the next sect master. This was especially true for the two disciples of thete Demon Subjugating Monarch, Li Chunfeng and Ren Huayu.¡±

    ¡°The two disciples had formed cliques and grown their powerbase to defeat the other person. Such was their conflict that it almost resulted in the True Martial Sect being torn in half. In the end, the farce only ended after the sect master of San Qing Temple and the Elderly Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain stepped up and chose Li Chunfeng, the Demon Subjugating Monarch¡¯s eldest disciple, to be the new sect master on the basis of primogeniture.¡±

    ¡°Ren Huayu personally believed that his martial cultivation, talent and gift were all on par with Li Chunfeng, if not better, but now, his rightful ce had been robbed from right under his nose. Furious and defiant, he stole ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ from the True Martial Shrine and left the sect.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, Li Chunfeng wasn¡¯t going to let this slide. He did not hesitate to send his men after Ren Huayu. Not long after that, a rumor sprung in the <i>jianghu </i>iming that the reason Ren Huayu had stolen the painting, and the reason Li Chunfeng wouldn¡¯t stop pursuing the man was because ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ hides the secret to Li Wangxian ascending to the heavens and transforming into a celestial.¡±

    ¡°This time, Li Chunfeng wasn¡¯t the only one who was after Ren Huayu. Every warrior from both sides of the <i>jianghu </i>was after him as well. In the end, Ren Huayu was surrounded and killed at Celestial Pilgrimage Mountain, and Li Wangxian¡¯s ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ disappeared to heavens-know-where. It was never seen again.¡±

    ¡°Both the True Martial Sect and the <i>jianghu </i>never stopped searching for the painting for the past couple centuries, but they never found anything. In the end, the painting too became a legend.¡±

    ¡°¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ contains Li Wangxian¡¯s secret to bing a celestial? Really?¡± Ancestor Greenwood asked, his breathing quickening before he knew it. Most people shared the same reaction. After all, who didn¡¯t want to be a celestial?

    ¡°That is just a legend. I have no idea if it¡¯s real or not.¡±

    Xi Duoduo shook his head and said honestly, ¡°I¡¯m not even sure if this painting truly is the legendary ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯. I mean, I literally just found out about this!¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which. Celestial, since you know that ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ is hidden within this wooden hairpin, you must know if it is genuine or not, right?¡±

    Everyone looked at Red Cbash Celestial instinctively when they heard this.

    ¡°What are you looking at me for? How would I know if this is the real thing or not?¡±

    However, the Red Cbash Celestial looked just as confused as them. ¡°I don¡¯t even know that this painting is that whatchamacallit!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Then how did you know that the wooden hairpin is a painting?¡± Someone asked.

    Red Cbash Celestial exined, ¡°The wooden hairpin is something called the Art Vault. I¡¯d seen something like it from an old friend working for the Exploitation of the Works of Nature. He told me that it was a unique method invented by a craftsman named Gungshu Yang[1] to store various arts.¡±

    ¡°As you are aware, arts like paintings and calligraphy are normally created on a piece of paper or fabric. Unfortunately, these materials are flimsy and difficult to preserve, not to mention that certain famous and expensive art pieces were constantly targeted by thieves.¡±

    ¡°Gongshu Yang was a craftsman and a zealous collector of the arts, and he had collected many famous art pieces in his time. In order to protect them, Gongshu Yang used a unique method that somehow transformed these soft, frail, easily damaged art pieces into small, tough objects such as wooden hairpins, bracelets, jade nes and more. This both protected the items from damage and hid them from prying eyes. He named it the Art Vault. If he needed to extract the items for whatever reason, he only needed to boil them in boiling oil to restore them to their normal appearances.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the method was lost after Gongshu Yang¡¯s passing. My old friend happened to obtain an Art Vault that was also a wooden hairpin. It took him a long time before he was finally able to figure out its secret. That is how I know that the hairpin is really an Art Vault that¡¯s hiding a painting.¡±

    ¡°However, I have no idea what kind of art piece was hidden in the Art Vault, and I definitely did not know that it was ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ until just now.¡±

    Red Cbash Celestial looked a little disgruntled as he ended, ¡°If I knew it was Li Wangxian¡¯s ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯, I wouldn¡¯t have told anyone about it.¡±

    If the painting really was the legendary ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ by Li Wangxian, and if it really hid the secret to bing a celestial, then why the hell would he share it with anyone?

    Even if it turned out that he was incapable of deciphering its secret, he could still sell it to the highest bidder or return it to the True Martial Sect for a huge favor.

    Just how stupid would he have to expose the painting right here and now?

    The only reason he did it was because he truly did not know that the hairpin was hiding ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯.

    ¡°I see. Thank you for answering, celestial.¡± Xi Duoduo nodded.

    It was at this moment Ancestor Greenwood interrupted, ¡°How much is this painting? I want it.¡±

    But Xi Duoduo replied with a chuckle, ¡°Hahaha... my humble apologies, ancestor, but I do not have the right to make that decision.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Ancestor Greenwood asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. I cannot make that decision because the painting is no longer ours.¡± Xi Duoduo smiled. ¡°I mentioned it before, didn¡¯t I? Anyone who can reveal the origin of an item during this segment shall receive said item for free.¡±

    ¡°Since Red Cbash Celestial had done exactly that, the item now belongs to him. Naturally, it is up to him whether he wants to sell the painting or not, not me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Xi Duoduo¡¯s deration surprised everyone. After all, ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ was no ordinary painting. Assuming it was the real thing, then its value was literally immeasurable. It would be more valuable than even the Wenliang Pearl.

    This item was worth a fortune and a half, and yet Xi Duoduo had given it away without any hesitation whatsoever. On this at least, the Hill Carrier was without a doubt a man of principles.

    ¡°You¡¯re... really giving it to me for free?¡± Red Cbash Celestial eximed in surprise.

    ¡°But of course! We Hill Carriers are men and women of our word. I gave you my word, so of course I¡¯m going to keep it,¡± Xi Duoduo said. ¡°Congrattions, celestial.¡±

    Red Cbash Celestial was overjoyed for one instant. Then, he noticed the hungry looks all around him and jolted back to reality. <i>I like free stuff, but free stuff that might cost me my life? Not so much!</i>

    If he was powerful, then he would happily ept the painting. But as he was, ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ was no different from a time bomb.

    ¡°Just say the price, Red Cbash, and I¡¯ll pay it!¡± Ancestor Greenwood rose to his feet and stared straight at Red Cbash Celestial.

    ¡°Cough cough... Red Cbash, you and I share an amicable rtionship, don¡¯t we? Why don¡¯t you sell the painting to me?¡± Weak Old Man spoke up next.

    ¡°Haha... you are as shameless as you are old, Weak Old Man. Who doesn¡¯t know that you and Red Cbash Celestial are enemies?¡±

    Amorous Mother licked her lips and giggled. ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m not as greedy as they are. I¡¯m unwilling to steal another person¡¯s opportunity either. All I ask is that you allow me to serve you as your faithful mistress and the chance to study the Great Way with you. Let¡¯s be a couple that everyone envies, shall we?¡±

    1. Probably a reference to Lu Ban, a legendary Chinese architect and inventor, whose original name was Gongshu Yuzhi. ?

 Chapter 628: Red Calabashâ€™s Counterattack

    <h4>Chapter 628: Red Cbash¡¯s Counterattack </h4>

    <i>Holy shit that sent chills up my spine. You¡¯re old enough to be my grandma, and you¡¯re calling me big brother? Have some shame, woman!</i>

    Red Cbash Celestial¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard Amorous Mother¡¯s words. <i>Also, Ancestor Greenwood and Weak Old Man at least offered to pay me, but the bitch wants the painting </i>and my body for free! <i>What the fuck!</i>

    ¡°Hmph! Have some self-awareness, you fools. Haven¡¯t you heard that uncontrolled avarice brings death?¡± Ancestor Greenwood scoffed after hearing Weak Old Man and Amorous Mother¡¯s words.

    ¡°Cough, cough... I¡¯m the one who should be telling you that,¡± Weak Old Man shot right back.

    ¡°We are, if nothing else, acquainted. I have no desire to collect the body of an old acquaintance.¡± Ancestor Greenwood sneered. ¡°The same goes for the rest of you. I have zero interest in your corpses, understand?¡±

    Neither Weak Old Man nor Amorous Mother said anything, though it was clear from their expressions that they didn¡¯t think much of Ancestor Greenwood¡¯s threat.

    ¡°I too am interested¡ªthat is if you are willing to part ways with the painting, celestial.¡±

    It was at this moment Defeated looked at Red Cbash Celestial and voiced his interest. Ancestor Greenwood narrowed his eyes, but this time, he didn¡¯t say anything at all.

    He was confident enough to threaten the likes of Weak Old Man, but Defeated? That was apletely different story. Unwilling to provoke Defeated, Ancestor Greenwood chose to stare at Red Cbash Celestial and upped the intensity of his re. He said, ¡°What do you say, Red Cbash?¡±

    Weak Old Man, Amorous Mother, Defeated and more turned to stare at Red Cbash Celestial as well.

    ¡°Burp... look at yourselves. You don¡¯t even know if this is the real thing or not, and you look like you¡¯re about to fight each other to the death. What if it all turned out to be a huge waste of time and effort?¡± Red Cbash Celestial asked while sipping his wine at leisure.

    ¡°That is for me to worry about, not you. Just tell me how much money you want for the painting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone, but I¡¯m not selling this painting,¡± Red Cbash Celestial dered.

    ¡°Red Cbash, you¡¯re a smart man. I¡¯m sure you understand what kind of value this painting holds, and that it is too much for the likes of you. I¡¯d urge you not to do something stupid,¡± Ancestor Greenwood clutched his fan tightly as his eyes narrowed into slits.

    ¡®I¡¯m well aware that this painting does not belong to me, thank you. However, it does not belong to you either.¡± Red Cbash Celestial said slowly, ¡°In fact, it doesn¡¯t belong to anyone in this hall.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± A bad feeling suddenly overcame Ancestor Greenwood.

    What Red Cbash Celestial said next surprised everyone, ¡°This painting originally belonged to the True Martial Sect. Naturally, it should be returned to them.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re nning to give the painting to the True Martial Sect?¡± Amorous Mother instinctively repeated.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to them, I¡¯m <i>returning </i>it to them. The painting was theirs to begin with, so of course they should have it back,¡± Red Cbash Celestial said slowly. ¡°On that note, can you please send True Martial Sect a message, Mr. Xi? I shall wait here until they arrive.¡±

    ¡°Urk!¡±

    Xi Duoduo was enjoying a good show from the sidelines when suddenly, Red Cbash Celestial pulled a fast one on him. It was beautifully done too.

    As it was, the painting was a time bomb that could explode at any moment, and the best and most obvious way to avoid the consequences was to give it up to another person. However, the painting also represented a massive opportunity. There was no one in the world who could just give it up like that without feeling at least a semnce of reluctance. It would be like telling someone to throw up the food that was already halfway down their gullet.

    It was never easy to get the best of both worlds, and Red Cbash Celestial wasn¡¯t clouded enough by greed to think that he could defend himself against all these elites. So, he made apromise. Keeping ¡°A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡± to himself was impossible unless he endangered his own life, so that option was out of the question. However, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t get something out of this.

    And how could he maximize his gains while still preserving his own life? By trading with the True Martial Sect, of course.

    The True Martial Sect was one of the Three Temples of Dao and a famous orthodox sect. If he returned the painting to them, he would earn their favor and gain a powerful connection.

    Second, the True Martial Sect was famous for their righteousness. If only for the sake of their reputation, they would never receive the painting without giving him something valuable in return.

    Again, the True Martial Sect was one of the Three Temples of Dao. Even their garbage would benefit him substantially more than whatever Ancestor Greenwood or Weak Old Man could give him.

    But of course, it was the favor and connection he obtained from this trade that was truly valuable. Admittedly, connections were ephemeral, intangible things that were useless in many situations. But when they were useful, their value was usually immeasurable. It could even mean the difference between life and death.

    For example, he could call upon this favor if he ever encountered some sort of obstacle or a life-or-death crisis. He could ask for their help or their protection, and that was something Ancestor Greenwood and the others could not offer him.

    Even if the painting was fake, True Martial Sect should still appreciate his effort. No matter how he looked at it, returning the painting was by far the superior option.

    To begin with, he had gotten the painting via pure luck. It would cost him nothing to give it away.

    Of course, those after the painting would surely keep a close eye on him until the disciples of the True Martial Sect showed up. That was why he set his sights on Xi Duoduo. He wasn¡¯t going anywhere until he sessfully transferred the painting to the True Martial Sect.

    And what could Xi Duoduo do tobat this?

    Nothing of course!

    It was the Hill Carriers¡¯ rule after all!

    There was nothing more a businessman valued than prestige. If he shunned Red Cbash Celestial because he was afraid of the danger it entailed, then who would ever trust his protection again? It wasn¡¯t just him who would suffer either. The integrity of every Hill Carrier in the world would be called into question.

    Worse, if he chased Red Cbash Celestial away, and the painting was stolen by his killer, the True Martial Sect would surely turn their wrath against him.

    As massive as the Hill Carriers were, there was no way they could withstand the True Martial Sect¡¯s wrath.

    Therefore, Xi Duoduo had no choice but to endure even though he knew full well that the painting was a time bomb.

    ¡°You are most noble, celestial. Just leave it to us,¡± Xi Duoduo replied while hiding his disgruntlement. He was a businessman for countless years, and he had always been the scammer, not the victim. To think that there would be a day where he would taste his own medicine!

    ¡°If you y with fire, it¡¯s only a matter of time before you get burned.¡± The ancients did not lie about this for sure.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Xi.¡± Red Cbash Celestial saluted the Hill Carrier and slowly sank back into his seat. He drank his wine and paid the unfriendly looks from Ancestor Greenwood, Weak Old Man, Amorous Mother and more no heed whatsoever.

    <i>Come bite me if you dare, bitch!</i>

    ¡°Tsk tsk... a shame.¡±

    Ye Qing was feeling a twinge of pity as well. Had Red Cbash Celestial chosen to sell ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯, he would¡¯ve gotten involved as well. But since the elite made a wise decision, the idea died before it could ever bear fruit.

    With that finally behind them, the Treasure Appreciation Auction finally resumed its course. Thanks to Red Cbash Celestial¡¯s precedent, everyone wanted to try their luck and see if they could be as dogshit lucky as him. As a result, many people generously loosened the string around their wallets and purchased all sorts of weird stuff such as a tree bark that wouldn¡¯t stop bleeding, a fruit that was shaped like a smile but really induced tears, a block of metal that weighed tens of kilograms but would never sink to the bottom, a broken sword that would cut your palms everywhere if you gripped it, so on and so forth.

    This turn of events delighted Xi Duoduo as a matter of course. ¡°To lose at sunrise, but gain at sunset.¡± It still didn¡¯t quite bnce out the scales, but it sure was better than nothing.

    As for whether the buyers could actually get dogshit lucky, that waspletely up to fate.

    ¡°Alright! We¡¯ve finally arrived at the finale! Can you feel the anticipation, dear customers?¡±

    Several long hourster, the Treasure Appreciation Auction finally approached its end. As usual, Xi Duoduo gave a mboyant, almost long-winded introduction before he finally showed off the item: a human hand.

 Chapter 629: Strange Hand

    It was a human hand that was cut off from the wrist.

    Logically speaking, a human hand that was cut off from the human body would rot and shrivel up over time. However, the hand looked perfectly alive. It had a healthyplexion that resembled frozen fat, it looked so smooth and unblemished it was as if it had been carved out of jade. Even the cross section of the hand looked as smooth as a mirror.

    Its fingers were as slender as spring onion, and the finger nails were painted with red nail polish. Despite being submerged inside some sort of transparent liquid, the hand looked both gorgeous and stunning.

    It was clear at first nce that it was a woman¡¯s hand. The woman must have been extraordinarily beautiful during her lifetime too. Just looking at the hand was enough to stir feelings of admiration, love, infatuation and such in everyone¡¯s heart. It was almost as if they were looking at a beauty of the ages, not a simple hand.

    <em>What a terrifying hand.</em>

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes as the Heavenly Demon of Freedom inside his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven waved its hand. The unnatural emotions immediately disappeared, and he regained full rity of his mind once more. He looked at the hand again with renewed wariness and alertness.

    His spirit was stronger than most, but even he had experienced a moment of confusion as feelings of love, infatuation and adtion sprouted inside his heart. It was as if he had fallen in love with the hand at first sight and was willing to do anything for it. Anything.

    If even he had temporarily lost himself to the hand, then everyone else could only fare worse. All around him, people were staring nkly at the hand like it was the center of their world.

    It was worth noting that Defeated snapped out of it not long after him though. As expected of the seventh named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking.Xi Duoduo waited for a bit before producing a bell from his sleeve and shaking it a little.

    <em>Ring!</em>

    The bell ringing sounded crisp and melodious, but for some reason, it elicited feelings of deep sorrow in all listeners. Everyone still stuck in the hand¡¯s mind-bending influence slowly but surely began to pull themselves out of the mental quagmire.

    ¡°What on earth is that hand, Xi Duoduo?¡±

    Red Cbash Celestial licked his lips and stared at the hand with trepidation after snapping out of it.

    ¡°As you can see, it is a severed hand.¡± Xi Duoduo began his exnation, ¡°However, I don¡¯t know who it belonged to or why it was severed. It was put up as a coteral by a tomb raider five years ago. The tomb raider promised to redeem it a yearter, but in the end, he did not return. ording to our rules, we have the right to im any item that wasn¡¯t redeemed within the promised time and deal with it as we like, so here we are.¡±

    ¡°ording to the tomb raider, he and his acquaintances had found the hand while they were washing sand at the Death Sea. They were a group of over a hundred people, and they fell hopelessly in love with the hand upon finding it. As if possessed, they had cut off their own hands as an offering to the strange hand. As a result, nearly everyone perished because of blood loss.¡±

    ¡°The tomb raider was the only person who survived that annihtion because he happened to possess a unique Strange Artifact. Even so, the tomb raider was mentally disturbed by the time he showed up at my Hill of Services. His babbles were barely coherent at the best of times, and he looked like he was moments away from sumbing to madnesspletely. It was impossible to say if it was due to trauma or the hand¡¯s mind-bending influence.¡±

    <em>The Death Sea? Could it be rted to the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance again?</em>

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but feel a little suspicious. Earlier, Xi Duoduo had auctioned the Wenliang Pearl, an item that might share karma with the Dark Overlord. Now, he was promoting a severed hand that came from the Death Sea, the supposed location of the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance. Was it a coincidence, or¡­?

    A tomb raider was, in essence, a fancier grave robber. Both dug graves and profited off grave goods, but a tomb raider was far more skillful and strong. They were well-versed in <em>fengshui</em>, the Five Phases, the Eight Trigrams, and all sorts of unique knowledge. They were a rather mysterious bunch.

    ¡°Washing the sand¡± was a <em>jianghu </em>argot. It meant tomb exploration.

    Ye Qing was still thinking when Xi Duoduo continued, ¡°After various inspections and experimentation attempts, we discovered that the hand is quite special. First, we confirmed that it was a woman¡¯s hand. Second, it doesn¡¯t dpose even though it is devoid of life force. And third, it is extremely powerful and contagious. Anyone within a certain range would fall madly in love with the hand whether they are male, female, old or young.¡±

    ¡°The longer the victim is exposed to its power, the more obsessed with the hand they would be. You¡¯ve already sensed its insidious influence earlier, but would you believe me that that was but one percent of its true power?¡±

    ¡°What?! One percent?¡± Someone eximed in shock.

    ¡°It is the truth,¡± Xi Duoduo confirmed. ¡°The liquid it is currently submerged in is a special Strange Artifact we had specifically created to counteract its power and influence. Otherwise¡­ Please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but if the hand is allowed to unleash its full potential, then everyone within ten kilometers of the Hill of Services would be exposed to its power, and only a handful of us would be able to survive it.¡±

    Everyone including Ye Qing gasped when they heard this. The severed hand was practically as strong as a Disaster-ss Stranger. If it was unleashed in a highly popted area like this one, the consequences could only be described as unimaginable.

    ¡°So, is anyone interested in this hand?¡± Xi Duoduo asked.

    No one said a thing for a time. They would be lying if they said they weren¡¯t interested, but the value of the hand was¡­ fluid to say the least.

    In the right circumstances, the hand could mean the difference between life and death considering how powerful and contagious it was. But in all other situations, its value was drastically lower. It was because its oppressive, contagious power did not discriminate between friend and foe. To call it a double-edged sword would be an understatement. Without the proper preparation, it was entirely possible for the wielder to perish alongside their enemies.

    What this meant was that this hand was unusable in most situations. It could only be used as a trump card and only when it was do or die.

    If the wielder could find a way to suppress or even manipte the hand¡¯s corruptive power to their advantage, then it was like they had gained a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. Unfortunately, reality was a cruel mistress. If such a method existed, Xi Duoduo most likely would¡¯ve kept the hand for himself. Even if he didn¡¯t want it, he would not have sold it like this.

    If even the Hill Carriers with all their wealth and power could not find a proper way to neutralize the hand, then what were the chances that they could do the unthinkable? Not likely at all.

    Did they want the hand? Of course!

    But how much were they willing to spend to obtain it? That was a very delicate question.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ besides its inherent power, the hand could potentially hide other secrets.¡±

    Xi Duoduo was well aware of his customers¡¯ doubts, of course, so he continued, ¡°Just think about it. If this hand alone contains so much power, then how strong was its owner?¡±

    ¡°If someone could somehow find its owner¡¯s grave through this hand, then they might obtain the opportunity of a lifetime and leap to the heavens, no?¡±

    Xi Duoduo¡¯s words immediately aroused the greed and lust in everyone¡¯s heart. But before they could act on it, a slightly maddened, enraged voice suddenly broke out, ¡°You speak nonsense! She¡¯s not dead. She¡¯s alive and well!¡±

 Chapter 630: Sheâ€™s Alive

    Ye Qing followed the voice. He saw a man wearing a ck robe and a mask standing on his feet. He was staring at Xi Duoduo¡ªor more urately, the hand beside him.

    The mask was stopping him from getting a good look at the man¡¯s expression, but he could still see the madness and infatuation swirling inside his bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Hmm? Do you know where this hand came from, customer?¡± Xi Duoduo asked immediately.

    ¡°She¡¯s still alive. She¡¯s not dead, she¡¯s not dead¡­¡±

    The man didn¡¯t seem to notice his question. He simply stared fixatedly at the hand and repeated his own words.

    ¡°We can give you the hand for free if you know about its origin, customer!¡± Xi Duoduo said.

    ¡°Give it to me?¡± The man trembled once, and the madness in his eyes suddenly swelled. ¡°She is mine to begin with! Mine!¡±

    The man actually left his seat and started walking unsteadily toward the stage.

    ¡°Calm down, customer.¡±Xi Duoduo frowned deeply when he saw this. ¡°We are willing to give you the hand for free if you know about its origin, but if you don¡¯t, then please remain at your seat and don¡¯t disrupt the auction.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right. Yes, I know about her. I know who she is. She is still alive,¡± the man answered somewhat incoherently while still walking toward the stage.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need toe forth to speak, customer. Stay where you are,¡± Xi Duoduo said warily.

    ¡°No. No. I will tell you and only you her secret. She is still alive. I know where she is right now,¡± the man answered. His tone had suddenly be much lower, and he seemed to be holding back some sort of eagerness and fervor.

    Xi Duoduo hesitated for a brief moment. That was enough time for the man to reach the stage.

    ¡°Stop him! He¡¯s been infected by the hand!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing turned as pale as a ghost. He knew that something was wrong with the man from the start, but the cloak and the mask he was wearing had prevented him from scanning his spirit and thoughts. It was why he hadn¡¯t yelled out in warning immediately. But when the man got close to the stage, a presence that felt exactly identical to the hand on the stage suddenly washed out of his body. Such was its power that not even his cloak and mask could mask it.

    What really scared Ye Qing was the fact that he saw the hand curling its index finger after the man got close to the stage. Every hair on his skin had stood up at that moment.

    Thanks to Ye Qing¡¯s warning, Xi Duoduo realized that something was amiss and moved to block the man. At the same time, the man sped up and raced toward the container holding the hand.

    A bit of steel entered Xi Duoduo¡¯s eyes. As he curled his fingers, the azure dragon on his arm roared and swam around him, causing a terrifying pressure to wash over the entire Poprity Tower. Then, heunched forward and grabbed the man by the arm.

    However, the man stunned Xi Duoduo by ripping off his own arm, leaving the Hill Carrier with nothing but a useless stump. While this happened, he threw himself forward and caught the container with his remaining arm.

    ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?! Let go of the hand, now!¡±

    Xi Duoduo was furious. His anger took on tangible form as a stream of pure power washed out of him and suppressed most of the people inside the Poprity Tower.

    As if resonating with Xi Duoduo¡¯s fury, the restrictions and arrays of the Hill of Services itself activated and flooded toward the man from every direction.

    Xi Duoduo was a Half-Step Grandmaster to begin with, but inside the Hill of Services, he was as strong as a Grandmaster.

    Naturally, the man couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure. His bones began popping like peas, and blood began pouring out of his eyes, nose and mouth furiously. It dripped down his mask and dirtied his clothes.

    It was said that a Grandmaster¡¯s fury was like a mountain on one¡¯s back. If an ordinary person was struck by its force, they would shatter like a paper that was struck by a tsunami.

    At the Grandmaster stage, a warrior had be one with the world around them. As their qi, essence, spirit, power, qi and intent had be one with nature, they could borrow strength from nature itself. For example, they could imbue a single wisp of energy or pressure with the weight of mountains. They could also condense their aura into an unstoppable flood and crush their enemies with pure pressure alone.

    In this case, it was clear that Xi Duoduo¡¯s pressure had broke the man¡¯s bones, shattered his blood vessels, and reversed the flow of his vigor.

    Despite this, the man couldn¡¯t seem to feel the agony that should be coursing through his veins. He simply clutched the container tightly and caressed it like it was the love of his life. While wearing an infatuated, gentle, and adoring smile on his face, he said,

    ¡°I¡¯m here¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never leave you again¡­¡±

    ¡°No one can separate us any longer¡­¡±

    The man murmured before tightening his grip. Cracks began spreading all across the container, and the liquid inside it began seeping out earnestly.

    ¡°Are you mad?!¡±

    Xi Duoduo turned as pale as a sheet when he saw this. Knowing that he only had seconds left at most, he rushed forward to stop the man with all his might.

    He knew better than everyone here just how powerful the hand was. If the container was destroyed, and the liquid suppressing its power was gone, then the hand would be able to unleash its full power and inflict unimaginable consequences.

    ¡°Hahahaha! No one can separate us! No one!¡±

    The man suddenly looked up and stared at Xi Duoduo. First, he removed his mask andughed like a madman. Then, he tightened his grip again and finally crushed the container with a loud crack.

    As the suppressive liquid drained away into nothing, an anomalous power washed out of the hand and struck Xi Duoduo head on. His expression flitted between struggle and infatuation for a moment, but he ultimately lost the mental battle and just stared at the hand lovingly.

    It wasn¡¯t just Xi Duoduo. Besides a handful of people, everyone in the entire Hill of Services instantly lost their minds and stared at the hand¡¯s direction with infatuated expressions as well. They all began walking toward the Poprity Tower.

    Ye Qing was one of the powerful few who was still conscious, albeit just barely. He had anticipated this from the start, and his Heavenly Demon Yin God was resistant toward this type of influence to a certain extent. That was why he was still conscious.

    Defeated was conscious as well. He was currently surrounded by a cyclone of mysterious energy. Knowing the warrior¡¯s reputation, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by this. However, there were two other people who were able to maintain their consciousness despite the hand.

    He couldn¡¯t identify their faces since they were wearing masks. One of them had cold, green mes burning on top of their head. It was full of cmitous energy. The other person was surrounded by countless beautiful butterflies, but both the butterflies and the person were indistinct blurs almost like they were a dream.

    ¡°This seems like a good opportunity, Dream Master. Should we go now, or¡­?¡±

    The ck-robed person with green mes burning on top of their head nced briefly at the bewitched crowd before whispering to theirpanion.

    ¡°Not yet. The Hill Carrier won¡¯t fall this easily.¡±

    The other person¡¯s voice was clearly masculine, but it was crisp and melodious like he was singing. ¡°Let¡¯s wake up Shadow Dancer and ughterer first. I¡¯ll tell you if it looks doable.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Hehehe, if we can get everything inside this Hill of Services¡­ hahaha!¡± The person with green mes on his head¡ªEarth Walker¡ªlet out a strange cackle and licked his lips.

    Neither of them noticed that a viger A heard their hidden conversation loud and clear.

 Chapter 632: Ugly People Are Prone To Ugly Business

    <h4>Chapter 632: Ugly People Are Prone To Ugly Business </h4>

    <i>These people...</i>

    Ye Qing licked his lips as he wondered who these two people were and how they were thinking of robbing the Hill Carrier of all people in the middle of a crisis.

    He had to admit that it was an enticing prospect though. If an opportunity really presented itself, should he join in on the fun as well?

    ¡°Yawn...¡±

    Ye Qing was calcting the usibility of a heist when suddenly, the entire Hill of Services trembled. It was followed by a massive yawn that resounded throughout the hill like a thunderp.

    The next moment, a furious roar broke out, ¡°What is it this time, Xi Duoduo?!¡±

    The voice was young, feminine, and sweet, but its content and volume were anything but. It was so loud that even Ye Qing¡¯s ears were shaking a little.

    His demonic thought told him that the Hill of Services seemed to havee alive. Literally. The roofs and walls were squirming and bulging here and there until it formed an angry human face.

    It looked quite intimidating to say the least.

    The roof slowly split open, and a young girl jumped out of the crack. Shended right in front of Xi Duoduo.

    The girl looked to be five or six years old. She was wearing a red dress and a pair of braided pigtails. Her cheeks were round and puffy, and her pupils looked as ck as the night. She looked both cute and innocent.

    Right now though, the girl looked very, very angry. Her cheeks were puffed up so much that it looked like her mouth was full of food. As soon as shended in front of Xi Duoduo, she immediately raised her little hand and¡ª

    <i>SLAP!</i>

    The p was so loud and crisp it could be heard throughout the Poprity Tower. Ye Qing¡¯s mouth twitched as he gasped. Xi Duoduo was quite the big man, and yet the little girl had sent him spinning three hundred and sixty degrees in one p. Talk about ferocity!

    The good news was that the p had snapped Xi Duoduo out of his unusual state. The moment he awakened and saw the young girl, he immediately eximed in surprise and joy, ¡°Bunbun!¡±

    ¡°Bunbun your butt!¡±

    Before Xi Duoduo could finish, the girl put one hand on her waist and pointed the other at Xi Duoduo¡¯s face, yelling, ¡°I lent you my body so you can open your stores and do your business, and this is how you repay me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough I can never get more than two or three days of peace because of your business, but it¡¯s like you¡¯re a shit stirrer who can¡¯t stop stirring up shit! Every once in a while, I¡¯ll have to wake up and deal with this kind of nonsense! Why can¡¯t you let me have my beauty sleep? Why can¡¯t you let me grow taller in peace?¡±

    ¡°I er...¡±

    Xi Duoduo looked embarrassed, but the girl interrupted him before he could finish, ¡°You, what? Am I wrong? What did I do in my past life to deserve this? Past me must have been fucking blind to choose you to be my partner!¡±

    The girl was on fire. Ye Qing was surprised Xi Duoduo hadn¡¯t burned into a crisp considering how badly the girl was ming him.

    ¡°Ahem... you¡¯re right. You¡¯re totally right.¡±

    Xi Duoduo hung his head like she was the girl¡¯s grandson while saying awkwardly, ¡°But can we talk about this after we deal with the hand, Bunbun? At this rate, the consequences would be unimaginable.¡±

    Still, the girl did not relent. ¡°Oh really? I thought you didn¡¯t know that! I told you to keep the cheap goods and lowly bitches out of my body, but no, you just can¡¯t help yourself, can you? Now that you¡¯re in trouble, you¡¯re relying on me to bail you out again? Tell me, was I your nemesis in your previous life? Is that why you¡¯re trying so hard to make my life a living hell?!¡±

    ¡°Bunbun, please, it won¡¯t be long before the contamination is irreversible. I¡¯ll let you yell at me as much as you want once the danger is resolved, so please...¡± Xi Duoduo begged.

    ¡°Hmph! Worthless man.¡± The girl shot him onest re before turning to look at the man still hugging the hand on the stage.

    The man was currently caressing his own face with the hand and mumbling gently to himself, ¡°You¡¯re mine. No one can separate us. No one.¡±

    If the hand wasn¡¯t a hand, it would have been a loving sight. As it was, it only sent chills up everyone¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Poo! Who are you putting on a show for, you fuckwit? So disgusting!¡± The girl put her hands on her waist and yelled.

    Seemingly hearing her yell, the man slowly raised his head and stared at the girl with madness and bloodthirst swirling in his eyes.

    ¡°Whatcha looking at, fuckwit? Yes, I¡¯m talking about you! You think anyone here wants to see you hugging a rotten hand? Blech!¡±

    The girl continued ferociously, ¡°Stop looking at me, or I¡¯ll beat you so hard your own ma wouldn¡¯t recognize you!¡±

    The man growled, ¡°You shall not insult her. I will kill you.¡±

    Blood streamed down his cheeks and transformed into blood snakes when it hit the ground. They then slithered toward the girl and pounced at her vital spots.

    ¡°You think you can kill me?¡±

    The girl didn¡¯t even look at the blood snakes. She took one step forward, and the unnatural creatures exploded into bits just like that.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    The man let out a low growl and rushed the girl himself. In response, she harrumphed and waved her hand in his direction, knocking him back even faster than when he was charging. He mmed hard against the wall at the far end before sliding slowly to the ground, limp and motionless.

    It was clear that the impact hadpletely shattered his already damaged bones and blood vessels.

    ¡°Hmph hmph! I can¡¯t believe you think you can actually kill me. Who do you think you are?¡±

    The girl harrumphed scornfully as she looked down on the dying man.

    The man¡¯s downfall seemed to anger the hand. It slowly floated into the air and unleashed some sort of terrible power.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s senses, a woman wearing a pce dress was floating where the hand was. Her shape was indistinct, and he couldn¡¯t see her face. Despite this, he still lost control and felt an inexplicable yet irresistible attraction toward her. He felt like he was facing his greatest love from his previous life[1].

    If even he with the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± could not suppress the sudden outburst of emotions, everyone else could only fare worse. Everyone jumped to their feet at the same time and charged toward the girl, intending to kill her.

    ¡°Who are you to get involved in <i>our </i>business? Sit!¡±

    The girl ordered and waved her hand again like she was shooing a dog, and everyonended back on their chair with a muffled grunt. For a time, no one could not move a muscle.

    The moment Ye Qing fell back into his chair, Giggle¡ªwho had been hiding inside the Dragon Nursing Nest this whole time¡ªsuddenly reached out and tapped him on the forehead.

    A cool, refreshing sensation spread out inside his headspace, and the anomalous energy gripping him abruptly disappeared like it never was. Ye Qing immediately regained his rity of mind.

    A few secondster, he realized that he had somehow be immune to the energy¡¯s influence as well.

    ¡°Thanks, Giggle!¡±

    Ye Qing was delighted. As expected of the little Stranger, it possessed all kinds of incredible abilities.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Giggle giggled when it heard Ye Qing¡¯s praise.

    On the stage, the girl shot Ye Qing and Giggle a nce but ignored them right after. Instead, she stared at the woman and cranked up her me meter to the max once more, ¡°So you¡¯re the ugly bitch who disturbed my sleep? You don¡¯t even have a face! You must have hid it because it¡¯s so ugly you didn¡¯t dare to show it to anyone!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re so ugly that you can¡¯t even bear to show your face around, then why are you running about and causing trouble when you should have hung yourself in a dark corner where no one can see, you shameless whore? No wonder the ancients say that ugly people are prone to ugly business!¡±

    1. Because you know, he¡¯s still solo in this life kek. ?

 Chapter 633: Scumbag, Poo

    <h4>Chapter 633: Scumbag, Poo </h4>

    <i>What are you looking at </i>me <i>for? What, the consequence of your actions is too much for you to bear? Besides, I¡¯m not the only one who thought the same thing, so why are you looking at just me?</i>

    Ye Qing was ranting non-stop on the inside, but of course he didn¡¯t say his thoughts out loud. He would have to be suicidal and masochistic to do that. Instead, he let out a cough, stared straight into the girl¡¯s eyes and dered with full seriousness, ¡°You¡¯re right. A cute and strong girl like you is always right.¡±

    Ye Qing then looked at Xi Duoduo and scoffed with disdain, ¡°Scumbag. You have no idea what¡¯s good for you. Poo!¡±

    Xi Duoduo: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    <i>This hall is in dire need of some shame right now!</i>

    ¡°Hahaha... you¡¯re a goodd! I like you.¡± The girl was happy to hear this though. She looked away from Ye Qing and stared menacingly at the rest of the guests. ¡°What about you guys? Do you guys have something you wish to share with me?¡±

    ¡°Nope!¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always right.¡±

    Everyone obeyed their instinct without any hesitation whatsoever. Then, as if they had practiced this a million times before, they turned to Xi Duoduo and dered disdainfully, ¡°Scumbag. Pooh!¡±

    ¡°Scumbag!¡±

    ¡°Scumbag!¡±

    Xi Duoduo: ¡°...¡±

    <i>You¡¯re all a reputable </i>jianghu <i>warrior in your own right. Can we have some backbone in this hall? Ah?</i>

    <i>Even if I am a scumbag, what the fuck does it have to do with you? Do you need to grit your teeth like I dumped your wife or something?</i>

    <i>Oh my heavens that fucker over there actually spat at me! I can actually feel his saliva on my face! I¡¯m gonna¡ª</i>

    ¡°Hmph hmph!¡±

    The girl huffed out with delight before turning back to Xi Duoduo. ¡°You see this? Do you admit that you¡¯re a scumbag now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m a scumbag.¡± Xi Duoduo immediately replied in the meekest tone he could muster. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do it again, so please... leave me some face.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! If you apologized earlier, then I wouldn¡¯t need to waste all those breaths, would I?¡± The girl dered like a victorious general after finally squeezing an apology out of Xi Duoduo.

    <i>And how is this my fault?! </i>Xi Duoduoined mentally but did not show his emotions on his face in the slightest. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s all my fault.¡±

    ¡°There is no greater good than knowing the error of your ways and correcting it!¡± The girl nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m heading back to sleep now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and you better not cause trouble inside my body and disrupt my sleep again. Otherwise, you will regret it.¡±

    ¡°I will remember,¡± Xi Duoduo replied humbly while thinking, <i>Please just leave already!</i>

    ¡°Hmph hmph! Here, you can have it back.¡±

    The girl kicked the hand beneath her foot back to Xi Duoduo and gradually turned transparent. A few secondster, she was gone.

    Xi Duoduo sighed in relief only after the girl waspletely gone. To say that she was difficult to please would be an understatement. What on earth possessed him back then to choose her? Oh right, he was fooled by her appearance into thinking that she was cute, innocent and friendly. In reality, she was fiercer than a fucking tiger!

    Karma truly was a bitch. He had screwed countless people over for profit, so it was his fate to suffer a she-tiger on his hill... forever.

    There was nothing he could do about it though, This was the mistress he chose. He had to please her even if his dignity was raked over the coals again and again!

    Xi Duoduo thought he had resolved himself, but tears began welling in his eyes when he looked down and saw the hand before his feet. It was such a beautiful, valuable hand, but now it was just a rotting chunk of flesh and bone. Heavens, he could literally smell the rot from where he was. Even with his persuasion skills, could he convince anyone to buy this? Obviously not.

    Xi Duoduo felt like crying. This was why the saying, ¡°Having given away a bride, to lose one''s army on top of it¡± existed. Not only did he lose a hand that would¡¯ve been worth a ton of money, he had to console his customers as well.

    Sure, no one was harmed in the end, but it was his mistake that resulted in this shitshow in the first ce. He had to make a show of good faith somehow, and what does good faith constituted in this scenario? Money, of course!

    <i>My bride! My army! My </i>money!

    Xi Duoduo was actually crying at this point. Tears wouldn¡¯t stop streaming down his cheeks for a time.

    Once again, there was nothing he could do about it. He was the one who screwed up. Of course he had to suffer the consequences of his own actions.

    So, Xi Duoduo sucked in a deep breath, put a lid on his sorrow, and wore a smile on his face once more. He said, ¡°I¡¯m so, so sorry that happened, dear customers. It was my mistake that this happened. Aspensation, I shall prepare a big gift for everyer. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Mr. Xi.¡±

    The crowd epted his apology without any fanfare. No one tried to press him or anything. Was it because they weren¡¯t angry that their lives hade under threat just now? Of course not. Petty-minded people were never the minority in the <i>jianghu.</i>

    However, they had also witnessed a certain girl¡¯s power earlier. They would have to be suicidal and addled to stir up trouble at this time!

    Besides, no one was hurt. No one was even forced to use a life-saving item or something, not to mention that Xi Duoduo had promised topensate them for their troubles. It would be too greedy to ask for more.

    ¡°Who was that man just now, Mr. Xi? Do you recognize him?¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing spoke up. When the man had removed his mask, and Xi Duoduo had seen his face, he could sense just how shocked and surprised the businessman was. Unless he was gravely mistaken, Xi Duoduo recognized the man.

    ¡°In fact, I do.¡±

    Xi Duoduo turned to look at the crumpled heap of a man at the far wall and answered with aplicated expression, ¡°Do you still remember that I said that a tomb raider was the one who gave us the hand as a coteral? If I¡¯m not mistaken, that man is none other than that tomb raider.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you sure, Mr. Xi?¡± Someone eximed in shock.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. I remember the scar on his face very well,¡± Xi Duoduo confirmed. ¡°I already thought that something was wrong with him when he gave me the hand at the beginning. He seemed out of it and was barely coherent most of the time. Perhaps he had already sumbed to the hand then.¡±

    ¡°If that is true, then why would he give the hand to you as a coteral? For over five years no less?¡± Ancestor Greenwood voiced his puzzlement.

    Xi Duoduo shrugged. ¡°That is a question only he can answer, but...¡±

    He nced at the man again and shook his head. ¡°It looks like that¡¯s a question that will forever remain a mystery.

    His little mistress had not held back. She had never nned on leaving him alive.

    That was fine though. He was a businessman, not an investigator. He had no interest in finding out the whole truth about something, so the man¡¯s death did not bother him much.

    Xi Duoduo snapped his fingers, and two men appeared from the back stage. He ordered, ¡°Take him away and bury him somewhere.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The two men responded before walking over the man and carrying him on his feet.

    It was at this moment the dying man suddenly grabbed one of the servants¡¯ head and bit him right on the nose.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaargh!¡±

    A bloodcurdling scream resounded throughout the Hill of Services. No one had seen thising. The man should be incapable of lifting even a finger, and yet he had somehow to assault the servant.

    By the time they came to, the servant¡¯s nose had already been ripped off his face.

    After biting off the servant¡¯s nose, the man charged toward Xi Duoduo¡ªor more urately, the hand in front of him¡ªwhile his face was covered in gruesome blood.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    Enraged, Xi Duoduo brought out his me In Stone and showered the man with a jet of mes. His whole body caught on fire like his skin was made of oil.

    The man could not seem to feel it though. He managed to grab the hand and hold it tightly against his chest.

    ¡°No one will separate us. We will never be separated again!¡±

    Despite being covered in mes, despite the fact that his flesh and blood was turning ck by the second, the man didn¡¯t appear to be afraid or in pain at all. There was only infatuation, madness and love on his face.

 Chapter 634: A Sunny Day Is A Good Day To Kill

    <h4>Chapter 634: A Sunny Day Is A Good Day To Kill </h4>

    ¡°Hahaha... she¡¯s still alive, and you will meet her very soon.¡±

    Suddenly, the burning man looked at the crowd and let out a crazedugh. As heughed, his expression slowly turned gentle, attractive and seductive as if he wasn¡¯t a man, but a gorgeous woman whose beauty could topple nations.

    The next moment, a feminine voice that didn¡¯t belong to him at all actually came out of his mouth, ¡°Haha... we will meet again.¡±

    ¡°I await you all at the Death Sea...¡±

    The feminine voice was still echoing throughout the Poprity Tower as the man finally burned into a pile of ash. It was gentle, attractive, seductive and melodious, and yet everyone was wearing an ugly look on their faces.

    It didn¡¯t take much imagination to figure out why. The man¡¯s final act and the unknown woman¡¯s words were spine-chilling to say the least. It left a bad premonition in everyone¡¯s heart.

    A momentter, someone finally mustered the courage to stutter out a question, ¡°Mr. Xi... what on earth was that?¡±

    ¡°Ahem... it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s probably a dying, crazed man¡¯sst words. You don¡¯t need to pay it any heed,¡± Xi Duoduo assured him while watching the pile of ash that was the man and the hand. He waved his hand, and a cool wind swept the ashes clean.

    ¡°Really?¡± Ancestor Greenwood and more exchanged a suspicious nce with each other. However, they couldn¡¯t really think of a concrete reason to say otherwise.

    <i>The Death Sea again? </i>

    Ye Qing was the only one who was lifting an eyebrow and wearing a severe expression on his face.

    He did not think that the man had faked the woman¡¯s voice in the end, not to mention that she had mentioned the Death Sea. If hebined this clue with everything the man had said earlier, it looked like the hand¡¯s owner was still alive and trapped at the Death Sea!

    The hand had been strong enough to overwhelm everyone in the Hill of Services. The only one that wasn¡¯t affected was the artifact spirit. If the hand alone was so powerful, he could hardly imagine how powerful its owner really was. At the very least, they had to be a Grandmaster.

    The Death Sea was dangerous, but it was unlikely it could trap a Grandmaster. In that case, could the hand¡¯s owner be trapped at the mysteriousnd where the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritancey?

    Ye Qing was fairly certain that he was right.

    This would also exin why the man hadn¡¯t shown up until the Death Sea was close to resurfacing. The man was infected by the hand¡¯s power, but because the Death Sea was still submerged, and the hand was cut off from its source, it was much, much weaker than it should¡¯ve been. As a result, the man was able to resist the hand¡¯s influence for a time.

    But now that the Death Sea was close to resurfacing, the connection between the hand and its owner must have grown stronger once more. That was why the owner was able to interfere with the world and retake control of the man.

    Unless he was mistaken, the hand¡¯s owner was trying to infect and control as many people as possible. She would then use them to break out of her prison somehow.

    Of course, this was just a guess. If he was right though, then the owner had won the war despite losing the battle. She might have failed to infect them with her power, but judging from her words, she could have left some sort of imprint inside their body that would activate andpel them to enter the ce when the Death Sea resurfaced.

    Realizing that he might have entered the attention of a powerful existence, Ye Qing immediately felt like someone had pressed a de to his neck. Although he had inspected himself multiple times and found nothing amiss, that didn¡¯t mean that he was free from danger. He would have to inquire the Annon Sutra about it as soon as he left the Hill of Services.

    Meanwhile, the guests slowly calmed down after inspecting themselves and finding nothing amiss. Xi Duoduo engaged them in small talk for a short while before dering the end of the Treasure Appreciation Auction.

    After the auction was over, a female attendant led Ye Qing to a private room toplete the transaction.

    Instead of leaving immediately, Ye Qing remained at the Hill of Services. He nned to wait until his fellow <i>jianghu </i>warriors had cleared out the minefield that was surely waiting outside the Hill of Services before taking his leave.

    A lot of people shared the same idea and stayed behind as well, but the powerful ones such as Ancestor Greenwood, Amorous Mother, Weak Old Man, Defeated and more left the ce immediately. They believed in their strength and did not think that there was anyone who could threaten them.

    ......

    ¡°They¡¯re all leaving, Dream Master. When are we going to make our move?¡±

    Inside a room, ughterer stared intently at Ancestor Greenwood and more while asking in an urgent tone.

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Let¡¯s give it a bit more time!¡± Dream Master replied gently.

    ughterer¡¯s red eyes smoldered with impatience. ¡°Seriously? At this rate, even a long yellow daylily would turn cold[1]! You don¡¯t want the cooked ducks to fly away to safety, do you?¡±

    ¡°Patience. A cold meal doesn¡¯t burn your mouth.¡± Dream Master smiled. ¡°Also, I have nted my Dream Butterflies on them. They cannot escape no matter where they go.¡±

    ¡°The reason I don¡¯t want to make a move now is because they are still too close to the Hill of Services. It would be bad if one of them managed to slip away and return here.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be¡ª¡± ughterer grunted, but cut himself mid-sentence when he recalled the little girl and the hand¡¯s tragic end. The defiance in his voice wilted as he said with a huff, ¡°Fine. I guess they can live a little longer.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now sit down and enjoy some tea.¡± Dream Master elegantly poured a cup of tea for everyone. ¡°There¡¯s no sense in wasting good tea, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    When they had all drunk around three cups of tea, Dream Master finally set down his cup and said, ¡°It¡¯s time. Earth Walker, you will handle Greenwood. ughterer, you will handle Amorous Mother. Dancer, you will handle Weak Old Man. As for the rest, you can leave them all to me.¡±

    ¡°Finally! My fists have been itching for blood!¡± ughter let out a viciousugh and clenched his fists so hard that they cracked.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad we couldn¡¯t get our hands on ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯. If Red Cbash Celestial was greedy enough to leave the Hill of Services with the painting, then it would fall into our hands for sure.¡±

    Dancer sighed regretfully. ¡°I¡¯m sure our king would have appreciated it.¡±

    ¡°Greed begets tragedy, and tragedy usually results in death. Who is to say that missing out on ¡®A Celestial Rides A Bull Across A Green Hill¡¯ isn¡¯t a blessing in disguise?¡± Dream Master said with a smile.

    ¡°True. The painting¡¯s existence is no longer a secret. It is only a matter of time the True Martial Sect finds out about it. I doubt we¡¯ll be able to safeguard it even if everything had gone as we hoped.¡±

    Earth Walker said in a low tone, ¡°Those bullnoses[2] aren¡¯t exactly small fries, you know?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Like we¡¯re scared of those hypocrites.¡± ughterer snorted in disdain.

    ¡°We¡¯re not, but there is no need to court unnecessary trouble,¡± Dream Master said.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. If we all left, then what about Nanke?¡± Dancer suddenly recalled something important. ¡°He¡¯s not leaving the Hill of Services yet. Shouldn¡¯t we leave someone behind to watch him?¡±

    Dream Master shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve afflicted him with my Ghost Marriage. He cannot escape.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful. Let¡¯s move then!¡±

    Dream Master waved his hand, and a swarm of colorful, fantastical butterflies burst into existence. He said, ¡°Simply follow my Dream Butterflies, and they will lead you to our targets.¡±

    The swarm of butterflies flew out of the window, and the group exchanged onest nce with each other. Then, they left the Hill of Services one after another.

    A sunny day too was a good day to kill[3].

    1. Meaning that things would be toote. ?

    2. Derogatory nickname for Taoists, but could be used to refer anyone else. ?

    3. Because there¡¯s a Chinese saying that goes, ¡°A moonless, windy night is a good day to kill. ?

 Chapter 631: Ugly People Are Prone To Ugly Business

    <em>These people¡­</em>

    Ye Qing licked his lips as he wondered who these two people were and how they were thinking of robbing the Hill Carrier of all people in the middle of a crisis.

    He had to admit that it was an enticing prospect though. If an opportunity really presented itself, should he join in on the fun as well?

    ¡°Yawn¡­¡±

    Ye Qing was calcting the usibility of a heist when suddenly, the entire Hill of Services trembled. It was followed by a massive yawn that resounded throughout the hill like a thunderp.

    The next moment, a furious roar broke out, ¡°What is it this time, Xi Duoduo?!¡±

    The voice was young, feminine, and sweet, but its content and volume were anything but. It was so loud that even Ye Qing¡¯s ears were shaking a little.

    His demonic thought told him that the Hill of Services seemed to havee alive. Literally. The roofs and walls were squirming and bulging here and there until it formed an angry human face.

    It looked quite intimidating to say the least.The roof slowly split open, and a young girl jumped out of the crack. Shended right in front of Xi Duoduo.

    The girl looked to be five or six years old. She was wearing a red dress and a pair of braided pigtails. Her cheeks were round and puffy, and her pupils looked as ck as the night. She looked both cute and innocent.

    Right now though, the girl looked very, very angry. Her cheeks were puffed up so much that it looked like her mouth was full of food. As soon as shended in front of Xi Duoduo, she immediately raised her little hand and¡ª

    <em>SLAP!</em>

    The p was so loud and crisp it could be heard throughout the Poprity Tower. Ye Qing¡¯s mouth twitched as he gasped. Xi Duoduo was quite the big man, and yet the little girl had sent him spinning three hundred and sixty degrees in one p. Talk about ferocity!

    The good news was that the p had snapped Xi Duoduo out of his unusual state. The moment he awakened and saw the young girl, he immediately eximed in surprise and joy, ¡°Bunbun!¡±

    ¡°Bunbun your butt!¡±

    Before Xi Duoduo could finish, the girl put one hand on her waist and pointed the other at Xi Duoduo¡¯s face, yelling, ¡°I lent you my body so you can open your stores and do your business, and this is how you repay me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough I can never get more than two or three days of peace because of your business, but it¡¯s like you¡¯re a shit stirrer who can¡¯t stop stirring up shit! Every once in a while, I¡¯ll have to wake up and deal with this kind of nonsense! Why can¡¯t you let me have my beauty sleep? Why can¡¯t you let me grow taller in peace?¡±

    ¡°I er¡­¡±

    Xi Duoduo looked embarrassed, but the girl interrupted him before he could finish, ¡°You, what? Am I wrong? What did I do in my past life to deserve this? Past me must have been fucking blind to choose you to be my partner!¡±

    The girl was on fire. Ye Qing was surprised Xi Duoduo hadn¡¯t burned into a crisp considering how badly the girl was ming him.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ you¡¯re right. You¡¯re totally right.¡±

    Xi Duoduo hung his head like he was the girl¡¯s grandson while saying awkwardly, ¡°But can we talk about this after we deal with the hand, Bunbun? At this rate, the consequences would be unimaginable.¡±

    Still, the girl did not relent. ¡°Oh really? I thought you didn¡¯t know that! I told you to keep the cheap goods and lowly bitches out of my body, but no, you just can¡¯t help yourself, can you? Now that you¡¯re in trouble, you¡¯re relying on me to bail you out again? Tell me, was I your nemesis in your previous life? Is that why you¡¯re trying so hard to make my life a living hell?!¡±

    ¡°Bunbun, please, it won¡¯t be long before the contamination is irreversible. I¡¯ll let you yell at me as much as you want once the danger is resolved, so please¡­¡± Xi Duoduo begged.

    ¡°Hmph! Worthless man.¡± The girl shot him onest re before turning to look at the man still hugging the hand on the stage.

    The man was currently caressing his own face with the hand and mumbling gently to himself, ¡°You¡¯re mine. No one can separate us. No one.¡±

    If the hand wasn¡¯t a hand, it would have been a loving sight. As it was, it only sent chills up everyone¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Poo! Who are you putting on a show for, you fuckwit? So disgusting!¡± The girl put her hands on her waist and yelled.

    Seemingly hearing her yell, the man slowly raised his head and stared at the girl with madness and bloodthirst swirling in his eyes.

    ¡°Whatcha looking at, fuckwit? Yes, I¡¯m talking about you! You think anyone here wants to see you hugging a rotten hand? Blech!¡±

    The girl continued ferociously, ¡°Stop looking at me, or I¡¯ll beat you so hard your own ma wouldn¡¯t recognize you!¡±

    The man growled, ¡°You shall not insult her. I will kill you.¡±

    Blood streamed down his cheeks and transformed into blood snakes when it hit the ground. They then slithered toward the girl and pounced at her vital spots.

    ¡°You think you can kill me?¡±

    The girl didn¡¯t even look at the blood snakes. She took one step forward, and the unnatural creatures exploded into bits just like that.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    The man let out a low growl and rushed the girl himself. In response, she harrumphed and waved her hand in his direction, knocking him back even faster than when he was charging. He mmed hard against the wall at the far end before sliding slowly to the ground, limp and motionless.

    It was clear that the impact hadpletely shattered his already damaged bones and blood vessels.

    ¡°Hmph hmph! I can¡¯t believe you think you can actually kill me. Who do you think you are?¡±

    The girl harrumphed scornfully as she looked down on the dying man.

    The man¡¯s downfall seemed to anger the hand. It slowly floated into the air and unleashed some sort of terrible power.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s senses, a woman wearing a pce dress was floating where the hand was. Her shape was indistinct, and he couldn¡¯t see her face. Despite this, he still lost control and felt an inexplicable yet irresistible attraction toward her. He felt like he was facing his greatest love from his previous life[1].

    If even he with the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± could not suppress the sudden outburst of emotions, everyone else could only fare worse. Everyone jumped to their feet at the same time and charged toward the girl, intending to kill her.

    ¡°Who are you to get involved in <em>our </em>business? Sit!¡±

    The girl ordered and waved her hand again like she was shooing a dog, and everyonended back on their chair with a muffled grunt. For a time, no one could not move a muscle.

    The moment Ye Qing fell back into his chair, Giggle¡ªwho had been hiding inside the Dragon Nursing Nest this whole time¡ªsuddenly reached out and tapped him on the forehead.

    A cool, refreshing sensation spread out inside his headspace, and the anomalous energy gripping him abruptly disappeared like it never was. Ye Qing immediately regained his rity of mind.

    A few secondster, he realized that he had somehow be immune to the energy¡¯s influence as well.

    ¡°Thanks, Giggle!¡±

    Ye Qing was delighted. As expected of the little Stranger, it possessed all kinds of incredible abilities.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Giggle giggled when it heard Ye Qing¡¯s praise.

    On the stage, the girl shot Ye Qing and Giggle a nce but ignored them right after. Instead, she stared at the woman and cranked up her me meter to the max once more, ¡°So you¡¯re the ugly bitch who disturbed my sleep? You don¡¯t even have a face! You must have hid it because it¡¯s so ugly you didn¡¯t dare to show it to anyone!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re so ugly that you can¡¯t even bear to show your face around, then why are you running about and causing trouble when you should have hung yourself in a dark corner where no one can see, you shameless whore? No wonder the ancients say that ugly people are prone to ugly business!¡±

    1. Because you know, he¡¯s still solo in this life kek. ?

 Chapter 635: Plants Live Only One Autumn

    ¡°Sigh¡­ I can already imagine the bloody storm that is about to ensue!¡±

    Inside a room on the topmost floor of the Hill of Services, Xi Duoduo was standing by a window and watching a couple of butterflies flying toward somewhere.

    ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re as pretentious as a cat crying over a dead mouse. If you really detest death, you should never have held a Treasure Appreciation Auction in the first ce!¡±

    A young girl scoffed disdainfully while sitting on a very, very tall chair and kicking her legs unconsciously.

    ¡°What does my Treasure Appreciation Auction have to do with them? I give them what they want, and they give me what I want. It¡¯s a mutually beneficial rtionship, isn¡¯t it? That they sumb to their greed and hunt down their fellow warriors is their sin, not mine,¡± Xi Duoduo argued with an innocent expression on his face.

    ¡°Mutually beneficial rtionship my butt, just say you want their money, you hypocrite.¡± The girl scoffed harder. ¡°Besides, I know you want them to fight each other to the death. After all, how can you loot their corpses if they don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m wounded by your misunderstanding, Bunbun.¡± Xi Duoduo continued to feign innocence. ¡°I¡¯m just a businessman. What malice could I possibly harbor?¡±

    ¡°I offer medical care for the wounded, protection for those who are hunted, and even cemetery services for those who passed away. Everything I do, I did it for the good of the people.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re a businessman. Who else could dress up robbing and looting and profiteering off people¡¯s misery in such high-sounding words?¡±The girl rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯re a hypocrite and a scumbag. Hmph!¡±

    Xi Duoduo: ¡°...¡± <em>I admit that I¡¯m a hypocrite, but scumbag again? Am I going to hear that insult for the rest of my life?</em>

    Xi Duoduo wanted to argue some more, but one look from the girl was enough to shut him up.

    <em>Fine! You¡¯re strong, so everything you say is right! You happy?</em>

    ¡°Humans are so hypocritical. If only everyone is a pure, cute and innocent artifact spirit like me!¡± The girl sighed.

    <em>Cute? Innocent? </em>Pure?? <em>That is easily the biggest lie I ever heard in my life! If you know better, you would stop shaming those words with your presence!</em>

    Xi Duoduo ranted inside his head but replied with a ttering smile on his face, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to get my beauty sleep now. You can earn all the money you like, but don¡¯t you dare disturb my sleep again, get it? Otherwise, you will regret it.¡±

    ¡°Mm,¡± Xi Duoduo replied.

    ¡°And what the hell does ¡®mm¡¯ mean, huh? Speak properly!¡± The young girl red at him.

    ¡°I heard you! I heard you, okay?¡± Xi Duoduo replied helplessly while massaging his head. <em>Please just leave already, mistress.</em>

    After the girl was finally gone, the Hill Carrier sped his hands behind his back and stared at the blue sky outside the window. His gaze was distant and deep.

    ¡°A sunny day too is a good day to kill. The sun is bright, and the blood is bright red.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°A sunny day,

    A beautiful day.

    The flowers are red,

    The grass is green.

    A litter on my shoulder,

    I run like the wind.

    Never faltering,

    Never slowing¡­¡±

    Inside a forest, four men were carrying a high quality litter on their shoulder, singing a merry song and running like the wind.

    They weren¡¯t really men though. Their body was covered in green, moss-like grass, and their head was covered in purple red flowers.

    Despite carrying a litter on their shoulder, the four men ran like they were traversing tnd¡ªfast and perfectly steady.

    Sitting inside the litter was none other than Ancestor Greenwood. Right now, the young-looking old man was half-lying on the litter floor, waving a fan with one hand and holding up the Wenliang Pearl with the other. He examined the pearl closely and carefully.

    A momentter, he muttered to himself with a frown, ¡°This pearl doesn¡¯t really look all that extraordinary.¡±

    Suddenly, Ancestor Greenwood¡¯s expression changed. He sat up immediately and barked, ¡°Stop!¡±

    His men obeyed the order but exchanged confused nces with each other.

    Ancestor Greenwood did not exin why he ordered them to stop. He simply scanned his surroundings with a deep frown on his face.

    His main cultivation art was called ¡°nts Live Only One Autumn¡±. Most nts couldn¡¯t live past autumn, and most humans only enjoyed one lifetime. In that sense, both humans and nts shared very, very short lives. ¡°nts Only Live One Autumn¡± could convert a nt¡¯s essence into lifeforce. ording to the manual, it could extend one¡¯s lifespan infinitely and allow one to live for ten thousand years.

    Of course, it was just an exaggeration, though its rejuvenating effects were definitely the real deal. Besides that, the practitioner could forge amunication with the surrounding nts after they reached a certain level.

    That was why he ordered his men to stop. The surrounding nts had detected some form of danger.

    Unfortunately, Ancestor Greenwood wasn¡¯t able to find anything after a moment of observation.

    ¡°Strange?¡± He muttered under his breath beforeing to a decision. ¡°Speed up so we may return to Greenwood Abode as soon as possible.¡±

    He received no response from his men, however. It was almost as if they hadn¡¯t heard him.

    ¡°Are you deaf?!¡±

    Ancestor Greenwood was about to rebuke his men when suddenly, the nts growing on their bodies slowly began to wither bit by bit. The flowers on their heads were dying as well. As for the men themselves¡­

    They were long dead.

    A cold chill gripped Ancestor¡¯s Greenwood¡¯s heart at that moment. The four men were his disciples, and he had refined them using a method called ¡°nt Puppet¡± since they were young. First, he nted flower and grass seeds inside their bodies. Their flesh and blood would provide nourishment to the seeds. Once the seeds had sprouted, the seeds would rece their original organs, and their roots would rece their blood vessels. They would essentially be one with the nts and transform into a nt Puppet.

    It should not need to be said, but the method was both cruel and painful. But in exchange, the nt Puppets would be as strong and tenacious as nts. Not only were they resistant to conventional weapons, they were insanely strong and even more tenacious. Just like a normal nt, not even cutting off their heads would be enough to kill them.

    If the four men came together to attack him, he wouldn¡¯t die, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to harm them either. The battle would have ended in a stalemate.

    The reason he dared to leave the Hill of Services alone as soon as the Treasure Appreciation Auction was over was one, because he was confident in his own strength, and two, he had four nt Puppets. They were his trump cards.

    He was confident that he and his four nt Puppetsbined could survive any ambush attempt.

    However, his four nt Puppets had died without a sound. He never even felt their demise until after the fact. How could he not be scared by this?

    The next moment, a green light wrapped around Ancestor Greenwood, and he disappeared into thin air just like that. He did not bring his litter or his four withered nt Puppets with him as a matter of course.

    ¡°You think you can run?¡±

    After Ancestor Greenwood was gone, a disdainful voice came from somewhere. The voice was quickly swept away by the wind.

    ¡­¡­

    <em>Rustle rustle¡­</em>

    A cool breeze suddenly blew through a grove of trees. The leaves and branches shook like waves and rustled melodiously.

    Suddenly, a green bamboo about the diameter of a bowl slowly cracked open. Then, a man tumbled out of the opening.

    The bamboo was only as wide as a bowl, and the opening was only as long as a chopstick. However, the man was over 1.7 meters tall. It should be impossible for such arge man to appear from such a thin bamboo and tiny opening, and yet there was no denying that it had happened.

    The man who fell out of the bamboo looked yellow in the face. Once he hit the ground, he abruptly bent down and began coughing violently. Every time he coughed, he would spit out a mouthful of withered yellow liquid.

    Over time, the man¡¯splexion slowly turned from yellow to white. He was, of course, Ancestor Greenwood.

    Ancestor Greenwood was looking much older than he was, however. His hair was turned a little white, and his face was covered in wrinkles. He looked like he had aged forty or fifty years.

 Chapter 636: Your Killer Is The Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas

    After hisplexion hadpletely returned to normal, Ancestor Greenwood wiped away the yellowish liquid still clinging to his lips and muttered,

    ¡°I got away¡­ right?¡±

    He was afraid not just because of his mysterious pursuer, but also his ¡°One Autumn Life¡±.

    ¡°One Autumn Life¡± was an escape technique in ¡°nts Live Only One Autumn¡±. It was also his life-saving trump card. A form of Wood Escape of the Five Phases Escape, it allowed the Ancestor Greenwood to escape through nts. It was easily one of the best escape techniques out there.

    Of course, ¡°One Autumn Life¡± was no match for the orthodox Taoist¡¯s Wood Escape. It cost the practitioner their life essence to activate and infected them with a nt¡¯s energy of decline.

    It was why ¡°One Autumn Life¡± was named the way it was. It implied that those who used it would probably live and die within one autumn.

    Just now, he had used ¡°One Autumn Life¡± to travel tens of kilometers in just a short time. Not only did it robbed him of a ton of life force, he was tainted by much energy of decline as well. That was why he had aged between forty to fifty years in an instant.

    Even with his cultivation art, it would take him at least five or six years to replenish it. Such was the cost of using ¡°One Autumn Life¡±.

    Still, it was worth it. After all, it kept him alive, and so long he was still alive, anything was possible.Ancestor Greenwood stared at his aged, wrinkly hands before dering fiercely and hatefully, ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ I don¡¯t know who you are, but you shall pay once I¡¯ve thoroughly grasped the secrets of the Wenliang Pearl!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you will get that chance.¡±

    A voice suddenly came from somewhere in the forest.

    ¡°Impossible!¡±

    Ancestor Greenwood¡¯s pupils shrank. His already pallidplexion instantly turned as white as paper.

    He had traveled at least tens of kilometers with ¡°One Autumn Life¡±. How was it possible for his pursuer to catch up to him?

    There was no time to think. He immediately tried to use ¡°One Autumn Life¡± again. Although his previous usage had already damaged his foundation, and a second use would most likely worsen his injuries and even kill him outright, dyingter was still better than dying now.

    Besides, Ancestor Greenwood hadn¡¯t given up hope yet. Every second he could buy for himself was a second he might escape his pursuer and live to see another day.

    Unfortunately, the forest within a hundred meters of him suddenly burst into green mes and began wilting earnestly. The color green usually symbolized life and nature, but this one oozed an aura of death, inauspiciousness, and cmity.

    In just a matter of seconds, every nt around him was dead.

    ¡°...¡±

    Ancestor Greenwood was speechless. Suddenly, he didn¡¯t know what to do anymore.

    ¡°One Autumn Life¡± could only be executed if there were nts around him, but now, every nt within a hundred meters of him was dead. How could he possibly escape like this?

    <em>This is unfair!</em>

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Ancestor Greenwood roared in despair.

    <em>Whoosh¡­</em>

    Right after he said that, the weak-looking mes abruptly swelled into a towering inferno.

    Suddenly, the wall of mes parted, and a man slowly stepped out into the open. He too was covered in green mes, and he had cold, emotionless eyes.

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you trying to kill me? P-perhaps there is a misunderstanding between us?¡± Ancestor Greenwood stuttered. He knew that his assassin was targeting his Wenliang Pearl as a matter of course, but he wasn¡¯t willing to give it away just like that. What if the assassin actually wasn¡¯t targeting his treasure? What if there was a chance he could get away with both his possessions and his life?

    ¡°There is no misunderstanding.¡±

    Unfortunately, the man replied in a low tone, ¡°Remember. Your killer is Earth Walker of the Yaksas, one of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas!¡±

    ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll give you the Wenliang Pearl! All I ask is¡ª¡±

    Ancestor Greenwood nched knowing that luck definitely wasn¡¯t on his side today. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t even finish his pleading before the fire behind Earth Walker surged another fifty meters into the air before crashing down on Ancestor Greenwood like a tidal wave.

    When the green me finally dispersed, everything within a hundred meters had burned down into an ashen wastnd. Ancestor Greenwood was nowhere to be seen, but where he was standing a moment agoy a single pearl. It was emanating a cool energy.

    The pearl was, of course, the Wenliang Pearl. Although the Wenliang Pearl turned hot when it was cold and vice versa, Earth Walker had attacked far too swiftly and fiercely. As a result, Ancestor Greenwood had burned into ash before it could activate its full power.

    Earth Walker walked up to the Wenliang Pearl and picked it up. Then, he looked at the pile of ash that was once Ancestor Greenwood and said indifferently, ¡°Your offer is unnecessary. I prefer picking up the stuff I like with my own two hands.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    The Amorous Mother Pce was originally a massive grave until Amorous Mother renovated it into the Amorous Mother Pce. It looked just as luxurious and splendid as any human pce.

    Right now though, it was a pile of ruins that was covered in broken limbs and bodies. There was enough blood to form a river.

    Right now, a tall, muscr man was doing battle against five children inside the hypogeum[1]. Young they might be, the children were anything but human. Covered in ck hair like monkeys, they had blue faces, sharp fangs, and dark green arms. They also ran and leaped around as lithely as monkeys. An expert would recognize them as mythical Flying Zombies.

    A zombie was a type of Stranger. If a human died, and their body refused to be subsumed by nature, then they would be stuck in the limb between life and death. Hence, a zombie.

    A zombie could be categorized as White Zombies, ck Zombies, Jumping Zombies, Flying Zombies, Ba[2] and Hou.

    When a corpse was ced inside a corpse breeding ground, it would grow long, white hair in about a month¡¯s time. This type of corpse moved slowly and was exceptionally easy to handle. It was also weak to many things such as sunlight, fire, water, chickens, dogs and of course, humans. This was what they called a White Zombie.

    If a White Zombie was fed the blood essences of livestock for several years, it would eventually shed its white hair and grow a coat of ck hair that was just several inches long. It was still afraid of sunlight and fire, and its movements were still very slow. However, it no longer feared chickens and dogs, and its fear of humans were slightly diminished. It avoided humans who were awake and feared head-on fights, but it would feed on their blood once they were asleep. This type of zombie was called a ck Zombie.

    A ck Zombie who fed on human blood for a couple centuries would shed their ck fur. They also gained the capability to hop, which was much faster than dragging their feet. They still feared sunlight, but they no longer feared humans and animals. People called them Jumping Zombies.

    Jumping Zombies transformed into Flying Zombies by absorbing the essence of the moon and yin energy. A Flying Zombie was usually a zombie that had lived at least a century or even several centuries. Swift and agile, they possessed explosive jumping power that enabled them to leap up trees and houses like nothing. They could also feed on essences without leaving external wounds.

    A Flying Zombie who had absorbed essences for a couple centuries grew increasingly horrifying in appearance. Often described as having man-eating Rakshasha with a blue face and long fangs, they could mask themselves with illusions, y dragons and start gues. At this level, the zombie was known as a Ba.

    Finally, A Ba who had transformed into a Hou possessed great magic and could spit smoke and fire from their mouths. They could toy with dragons like nothing, fly into the sky or slip into the earth. They were supposedly omnipotent.

    To put it in simpler terms, a White Zombie was a Mortal-ss Stranger, a ck Zombie was a Malice-ss Stranger, a Jumping Zombie was a Hatred-ss Stranger, a Flying Zombie was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, a Ba was a Disaster-ss Stranger, and a Hou was an Ancient-ss Stranger.

    The five children weren¡¯t Bas yet, though they were fairly close judging from their appearance. Possessing the strength of a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, they were fast, immune to most weapons, and insanely strong. Their teeth, fingernails and such also possessed deadly poison that could transform someone into a zombie. They were terrifying foes to say the least.

    The five children were currently flying all over the big man and attacking him frantically. However, the terrifying Flying Zombies might as well be ants before the big man, weak and pathetic. Their deadly teeth and nails could not break his skin, leaving behind only white marks that looked like scratch marks one left behind when they scratched an itch. On the other hand, the big man was like a walking cyclone that sent the five children flying as soon as they made even the slightest contact with him. It was clear who held the advantage between the two sides.

    1. An underground temple or tomb. ?

    2. Drought demon. Remember the Hanba? A kind of dog-shaped, man-eating beast that was considered to be the pinnacle of zombies. ?

 Chapter 637: Five Spirit Zombies

    A few breathster, the big man let out a huge roar. His eyes turned crimson, and his movements suddenly became quicker than before. His hand was as big as a palm-leaf fan, but it moved like lightning and caught a boy¡¯s ankle in an instant.

    Before the boy could react, the big man let out a savageugh and swung him at two other children who were intending to ambush him. They were sent flying into a pile of rubble. Not stopping, he proceeded to leap into the air¡ªknocking another child away in the process¡ªand stomped thest child into the underground.

    The ground was made of hard limestone, but it cracked easily like a mirror. The child who was supposedly immune to most weapons was ttened like a pancake as well.

    ¡°Hahaha! Five Spirit Corpses my ass! This is pathetic!¡±

    The big man continued to guffaw as he scanned around the area. ¡°Quit hiding and show yourself already. I know where you are. If youe out now, I promise I won¡¯t desecrate your corpse.¡±

    Inside a secret room, Amorous Mother was hiding with an ugly expression on her face. She did not dare to take even a single breath, not that she needed any since she was a corpse.

    To say that Amorous Mother was miffed would be an understatement. By coincidence, the Treasure Appreciation Auction was held very close to her Amorous Mother Pce. So, she rushed back to her domain as soon as the event was over. She had even caught a few juicy snacks along the way for dinner.

    However, her butt hadn¡¯t even warmed the stool yet[1] when suddenly, a loud boom had stolen her attention. As it turned out, something had crashed through her roof!

    This was no easy feat since her pce was located fifty to sixty meters underground. Not only was it incredibly well hidden, it was also as solid as a rock. The fact that it had stood strong for hundreds of years without weakening even a little was proof of that.However, something¡ªor more urately, someone had crashed through her roof. As the saying went, not all creatures who descended from the sky were celestials. They could very well be gods of death as well.

    The Amorous Mother Pce was her headquarters, and despite what most people might think, it was actually quite the lively ce. There were <em>wulin </em>warriors who threw in their lot with her, zombies and Strangers living in this ce. At the top rung, she had three Spirit Masters and eighteen Soulstealer-ss zombies. The zombies especially were tough as nails and unafraid of death. She called them her Eighteen Corpse Generals. At the lower rungs, she had hundreds of underlings, servants and flesh food. It was a sizable force to put it mildly.

    And yet, the big man had crushed her force almost effortlessly. What were the consequences of letting a tiger into a pen ofmbs? That was what had befallen her people.

    Her prided Eighteen Corpse Generals and three Spirit Masters? They barely managed to pin down the big man for a couple of exchanges before he tore them all to shreds. The rest only fared worse.

    At first, Amorous Mother didn¡¯t think much about the situation. It was because she was sure that she would be the ultimate victor.

    The big man was a Half-Step Grandmaster, and so was she. By the time he slew all of her people, he would have expended most of his strength. All she needed to do then was to swoop in and score the kill. If she could refine his body into a zombie, then this loss would be no loss at all. In fact, it would be one of the greatest winnings she had made in her life.

    When she thought that the time was right, she went out fully assured of victory. A short whileter, she slunk back to her hidey-hole with her tail tucked between her legs.

    It wasn¡¯t that she was weak. Her opponent was simply too powerful.

    She was a zombie, but the big man¡¯s stamina seemed bottomless. Not only that, he was only growing stronger as time passed. In just a dozen of exchanges, he had found an opportunity to burst one of her arms like a bubble. If she hadn¡¯t reacted decisively and summoned her Five Spirit Corpses to keep the big man busy while she escaped, she would probably be as dead as her people already.

    The Five Spirit Corpses were the five children she had shown off at the Treasure Appreciation Auction earlier. They were dead infants, but they inherited her origin corpse qi. It was why she had little trouble refining them into zombies and innate magic. She called them the Five Spirit Corpses.

    After several hundred years of nurturing, the Five Spirit Corpses had evolved into Flying Zombies, a.k.a Spirit Masters in terms of human cultivation. Although theycked the Magia and sentience of a Spirit Master, they possessed a tenacious body and incredible strength. When they worked together, they could keep even a Half-Step Grandmaster on their toes.

    However, her Five Spirit Corpses failed tost more than a few exchanges against the big man. Already, four out of five of her Five Spirit Corpses were killed, and thest one was barely hanging on.

    The Five Spirit Corpses were connected to her. Every time one died, she would suffer great damage and lose much of her strength. Now that she had lost four of them, she was seriously injured and much, much weaker than she was before.

    If she left her secret room now, she would die faster than she could ask, ¡°Why?!¡± Naturally, she wasn¡¯t leaving no matter what.

    She was a corpse anyway, meaning that she did not need to eat or drink like a normal human. If she wanted to, she could just stay hidden for decades or even centuries. She might not be able to defeat her opponent, but she could most definitely oust him.

    ¡°Mm!¡±

    It was at this moment a heart-wrenching pain twisted her guts and elicited a muffled groan from her mouth. She knew it was because herst Spirit Corpse was killed by the big man.

    ¡°Hahaha! Found you.¡±

    The next moment, a viciousugh and an ominous deration resounded throughout the pce. Despite her condition, Amorous Mother¡¯s heart skipped a bit. <em>Did he hear me groaning? Dammit!</em>

    Every second counted. Amorous Mother immediately jumped to her feet, opened the door, and got ready to make a run for it. However, she had only taken two steps when she suddenly stopped in her tracks and really thought about her situation.

    <em>Shit! I think he tricked me!</em>

    She had specifically built the secret room to be inconspicuous, nigh undetectable, andpletely cut off from qi sense and ordinary senses. Forget her muffled groan, she could be singing and dancing inside her secret room, and there was still no way the big man could have detected her.

    Besides, she had groaned when she had lost her previous four Spirit Corpses. If the big man really could hear her, then he would¡¯ve barged into her secret room and killed her already. Therefore, he was just tricking her into revealing herself.

    Amorous Mother tried to return to her secret room, but of course, it was already toote. The big man was already racing toward her.

    ¡°Hahaha! I finally found you, you stupid fool!¡±

    Amorous Mother agreed with the assessment, but she also believed that the fault didn¡¯t liepletely with her. Who would¡¯ve believed that a thick-browed, big-eyed meathead like the big man was really a slick liar?

    That was why people said that one should not judge a book by its cover. Pretty or ugly, both were equally undeserving of trust.

    Now was not the time to think about such things, however. As the big man pounced toward her like a tiger, Amorous Mother immediately dropped to her knees and begged him in a sweet voice, ¡°Mercy, brother! I surrender! I¡¯ll do anything you want, so please!¡±

    <em>You¡¯re an ugly bastard, and even you know how to trick and lie. Naturally, a pretty woman like me can only do better!</em>

    There was no such thing as a beautiful woman who didn¡¯t know how to trick and seduce in this day and age, and Amorous Mother was certain that no man could resist her charm. When the opportunity was right, she would feed on his blood essence and kill him for everything he did.

    She waited confidently for the big man to sumb to her beauty, and the next thing she knew, her head was twisted clean off her shoulders.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    She couldn¡¯t believe it. Why hadn¡¯t the big man followed the script?

    ¡°Why do you look so shocked? You¡¯re the one who said I can do whatever I want, so I did!¡± The big manughed harshly while stomping Amorous Mother¡¯s body into bits.

    ¡°You bastard¡­¡±

    Amorous Mother¡¯s eyes rolled to the back of her head, and her consciousness sank forever into darkness. Humanity was too dark and dangerous even for a corpse like her!

    ¡°Ahahahahaha!¡±

    The big man clenched his fingers, and Amorous Mother¡¯s head too exploded in a shower of blood and gore. Although his face was dirtied by a ssh of blood, gore and brain matter, he continued tough like a madman.

    ¡°She actually thought she could trick me! Did she seriously think that I, ughterer, am stupid? Stupid woman!¡±

    1. And it would never since she¡¯s a cold-blooded corpse. ?

 Chapter 638: Plague Goat

    ¡°Cough¡­ cough cough cough¡­¡±

    On a sand dune, weak Old Man was clutching his chest and coughing non-stop. Over time, the surrounding sand and even the dust slowly began turning into a sickly color. All living creatures within sixty meters of him began weakening and coughing violently as if they had caught a severe disease as well. But unlike Weak Old Man, their heart and lungs slowly gave out until they finally died, not understanding what had happened to them until thest moment.

    This phenomenon was due to Weak Old Man¡¯s Stranger bloodline, the gue Goat. The gue Goat was a Disaster-ss Stranger with a goat¡¯s head and a human¡¯s body. It had two horns that were curled like crescents, and it spread sickness and cmity wherever it went. Everyone who caught its gue would feel weak in the limbs and cough violently. When their heart and lungs had weakened to a certain extent, they would begin coughing up blood. Eventually, they all died.

    Back when Weak Old Man was still a child, a gue Goat had appeared in his town and infected all one thousand or so civilians with its gue. They tried desperately to cure or stall its progression to no avail. By the time the men dispatched by the imperial court arrived, nearly everyone in the entire town had sumbed to the gue already.

    Weak Old Man had lost both his parents and his rtives to the gue. He was the only one in his family to survive it.

    Of course, he had caught the gue as well.

    The soldiers were nning to burn everyone both alive or dead to prevent the gue from spreading. Naturally, Weak Old Man was unwilling to sumb to such a gruesome fate. He managed to avoid detection for a time by hiding underneath a pile of bodies, but the soldiers soon discovered him and gave chase.

    While Weak Old Man was escaping, he identally entered a swamp that was chock-full of all kinds of diseases, deadly insects and more. Caught between a rock and a hard ce, Weak Old Man somehow subsumed the gue inside him and awakened the gue Goat¡¯s bloodline. Since then, his ascension could not be stopped.

    However, there was no such thing as an absolutely beneficial boon in this world. The gue Goat¡¯s bloodline was powerful, but it was also too powerful. Unable to fully control his bloodline¡¯s power, he became infected by his own gue and was stuck with a weak body. It was how he got his title.He didn¡¯t like his title as a matter of course, but what could he do? He really was weak.

    But of course, he was just weak in body. His power was apletely different story.

    He could unleash the gue Goat¡¯s gue and infect anyone with an incredible disease with a single sneeze or breath.

    Just now, he noticed a woman who seemed hostile toward him and did not hesitate to unleash his gue. Hence the unusual change in the environment around him.

    Weak Old Man was never merciful toward enemies, and he did not believe that the woman could survive his gue.

    He was wrong, however. Weak Old Man¡¯s eyes slowly widened when he saw the woman walking through his gue cloud without a scratch.

    The woman¡¯s short height and innocent face gave her the appearance of a young girl, but she was filled in all the right ces. She wore a long dress with colorful ribbons dancing all around her. It gave her an elegant and graceful appearance.

    Right now, the woman was making an auspicious mudra while wearing a bright smile on her face. The ribbons dancing around her were creating waves of light that dispelled the gue in the air and the taint on the ground. She seemed untouchable like a goddess who had descended from the heavens.

    ¡°Cough cough¡­ who are you, and why are you blocking my way?¡± Weak Old Man asked with a serious expression. Although he did not sense any killing intent from the woman, she definitely possessed the power to threaten his life.

    ¡°My name is Dancer. I am one of the Four Divinities serving under Lakshmi of the Gandharvas, one of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas.¡±

    Dancer introduced herself in a soft, gentle voice.

    ¡°The Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas? The Gandharvas?¡± Weak Old Man thought long and hard until a memory hit him, and he nched immediately. ¡°Do you mean <em>the </em>legendary Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas?¡±

    ¡°The one and truly,¡± Dancer answered.

    Weak Old Man gulped at the confirmation and responded in a meek tone, ¡°Well met, Divinity. What do you want with little ol¡¯ me? I shall die a thousand deaths to fulfill your request.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t a coward, but the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas were seriously bad news. So bad, that the mere mention of their name sent chills up his spine.

    ¡°Very good.¡±

    Dancer nodded with a smile. Her smile was bright, beautiful, and auspicious, but her next words chilled Weak Old Man to the core,

    ¡°I would like to borrow your head.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a funny joke, Divinity,¡± Weak Old Man replied with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye.

    ¡°You misunderstand me. I never joke,¡± Dancer replied.

    ¡°If you must force my hand, then so be it.¡±

    Weak Old Man¡¯s eyes turned cold. It was clear that there was little chance he was going to wriggle his way out with words. In that case, he did not mind staking it all for a chance to survive.

    It was true that he feared the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas, and he was willing to do anything to appease them. However, that was only assuming that he would be alive after all was said and done.

    He was a survivor who once hid beneath a pile of rotting, disease-ridden bodies to stay alive. It was clear that his desire to live was greater than most. However, just because he had an undying lust for life did not mean he feared death.

    Having made up his mind, Weak Old Man¡¯s head slowly transformed into a goat¡¯s. A pair of curled horns covered in gue fire slowly grew out of his scalp.

    When a Stranger¡¯s bloodline was pushed to its limit, the host would transform into a Stranger. That was what was happening to Weak Old Man right now. Knowing that he could not afford to hold back, he had transformed into the gue Goat without hesitation and unleashed all the power he possessed.

    The gue Goat was a Disaster-ss Stranger and the equivalent of a human Grandmaster. Of course, Weak Old Man wasn¡¯t a Grandmaster and so could not unleash the power of a Grandmaster even after fully awakening his bloodline. Even so, the attack was far, far stronger than what he could¡¯ve brought forth as a human.

    Naturally, the decision was incredibly risky. After all, he hadn¡¯t fully mastered his bloodline yet. At full power, it was entirely possible he would lose control of his power, fall unconscious, and transform into a true gue Goat in both heart and soul.

    He had no choice though. Considering the circumstances, he couldn¡¯t afford to hold back. It was do or die.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    After Weak Old Man had transformed into a gue Goat, he let out a mighty roar that could bend steel and shatter rocks. The next moment, he mmed a bony scepter against the ground.

    The yellow sand beneath his feet turned grayish ck as his gue infected every grain. Then, it surged into the air and pounced toward Dancer like a diseased dragon.

    The gue sand looked like it could crush heaven and earth into bits. In response, Dancer smiled and parted her lips a little. She exhaled, and her sweet breath transformed into a gust of wind that shed against the gue sand directly.

    The wind was soft, gentle, and full of wonder. Like the spring wind that melted the cold of winter, it too scattered the tidal wave of taint in front of her.

    The gue sand that was like a dragon scattered into nothing, and everything was back to normal.

    For a few seconds, Weak Old Man simply stood there with a dumb look on his face.

    When the spring wind passed, his head suddenly fell off his neck like a ripe apple.

    The spring wind came, and the human head fell.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ I should be safe now, right?¡±

    A man was leaning against a rock and removing a waterskin from his waist. He took a few deep gulps before his pallidplexion finally regained a bit of rosiness.

    His name was Fan Yiming, and he was a middle-stage Spirit Master. They called him the ¡°Little Cyclone¡±. An expert in movement arts and sprinting, he was somewhat famous in Bei Mo.

    This was the first time he participated in the Treasure Appreciation Auction, and he had gotten very, very lucky. Not only did he purchased a Spirit Master stage martial art called the ¡°Seven Climax of The Waves¡±, he even managed to buy a century-old vermillion jujube and a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact for cheap. It was a worthwhile trip overall.

 Chapter 639: When Butterfly Kills

    <h4>Chapter 639: When Butterfly Kills </h4>

    With these items, he was certain he could grow stronger and be ate-stage Spirit Master. A couple more years of hard work and training after that, and he could even be a Half-Step Grandmaster.

    He did not dream any higher than that. For a wanderer with no patron, no background, no savings, and mediocre talent like him, Half-Step Grandmaster was his absolute limit. Short of stumbling upon the opportunity of a lifetime, his chances of entering the Grandmaster stage in his lifetime was almost nil.

    That was why he did not dream bigger. Those who knew contentment were happy and at peace.

    The ¡°Seven Climax of the Waves¡± and the century-old vermillion jujube were enough to see him be a Half-Step Grandmaster. Once he returned to his home, he was going to seclude himself until he became ate-stage Spirit Master.

    Of course, he was well aware that his ns woulde to fruition only if he returned home alive. He hadn¡¯t bought too many items, and they weren¡¯t too valuable. Even so, what he had was enough to make a man seethe with greed. From what he heard, every time a Hill Carrier held a Treasure Appreciation Auction, countless bastards would lie in ambush just outside the Hill of Services. They would attack and rob anyone who left the ce.

    He was no exception. Not long after he left the Hill of Services, he immediately felt someone¡¯s eyes on him. Luckily for him, his reputation and moniker weren¡¯t undeserved. Without hesitation, he executed his movement art and ran at least dozens of kilometers in one breath. Forget a human, not even a dog could track him down across such a long distance.

    Of course, the escape cost him quite a bit of stamina as well, but it was worth it. After all, he was safe now, wasn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡±

    A short restter, Fan Yiming rose to his feet and got ready to leave. It was at this moment he saw something flying out of his head from the shadows on the ground.

    rmed, Fan Yiming jumped ten meters away from his original position and stared. It was only then he realized that the thing that flew out of his head was a beautiful butterfly.

    The butterfly was about as big as a baby¡¯s palm and extremely colorful. A persistent halo shone where the sunlight had struck it, giving it an ephemeral, fantastical appearance.

    ¡°What a beautiful butterfly,¡± Fan Yiming couldn¡¯t help but praise. It was around this time he saw another two butterflies flying out of his head out of the corner of his eyes.

    Fan Yiming might be slow, but even he realized that something was wrong at this point. He immediately took a swipe at the butterflies fluttering above his head.

    That was the wrong move. As soon as he took the swipe, he felt his consciousness scattering like dandelions.

    It wasn¡¯t dandelions that appeared in his vision, however. It was butterflies.

    ¡°Beautiful...¡±

    That was Fan Yiming¡¯sst thought before his consciousness disappearedpletely, and his body copsed on the ground.

    After Fan Yiming was dead, a butterfly descended and grabbed his Nature''s Shell. Then, it took off into the sky and disappeared somewhere.

    ......

    ¡°You... You¡¯re the Eight-armed Rakshasa?¡±

    A woman was standing at the center of a battlefield full of blood and broken limbs. She was covered from head to toe in blood. Not far away, five men wielding various weapons were staring at her with pallidplexions and frightful expressions.

    ¡°You attacked me without even knowing who I am? You¡¯re a bold one, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The cute woman¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smile while she licked away the blood on her fingertips.

    One man stuttered, ¡°We... we were foolish, Rakshasa. Can you please forgive us?¡±

    His weapon hand trembled as regret dyed his heart whole.

    It was just a standard ambush, and they weren¡¯t even looking to kidnap someone. They just wanted to rob someone of their wealth. Unfortunately, the very first person they targeted turned out to be someone they couldn¡¯t afford to offend.

    The Eight-armed Rakshasa, Lu Rumei was an infamous she-devil in Bei Mo. An expert in fast sabers, her saber art was as swift as the wind and as rapid as a thunderstorm almost as if she had eight arms. Hence the first half of her moniker.

    As for why she was called a Rakshasa, that was because Lu Rumei loved killing people. Not only that, she enjoyed cutting them into many pieces. Brutal and bloodthirsty, it was why people called her the Eight-armed Rakshasa.

    It was said that the Eight-armed Rakshasa never left behind an intact body, and now, they knew it to be true. The broken limbs, diced meat and crushed heads around her were the living example of her atrocities.

    They were a group of thirty bandits, and they made a living by raiding viges or robbing wanderers on the road. The reason they appeared today was, of course, to rob the <i>jianghu </i>warriors participating in the Treasure Appreciation Auction.

    This wasn¡¯t their first rodeo, and they knew their limits quite well. They were also aware that anyone who dared to participate in the Treasure Appreciation Auction was probably quite strong in their own right. If they were careless, then the raid could very well be thest raid of their lives.

    But what could they do? Business was difficult these days. They had no choice but to risk it.

    Of course, just because they were taking a risk didn¡¯t mean that theymitting suicide. They made sure to evaluate a target¡¯s strength carefully before deciding if it was safe to attack them.

    At first, everything had gone perfectly. Their earnings were so great that they literally couldn¡¯t stop themselves even if they wanted to.

    Not long after that, they saw a petite, weak-looking woman who, as far as they could tell, was traveling alone. Thinking that they had hit another jackpot, they did not hesitate to attack her.

    Of course, they weren¡¯t nning to kidnap her or rape her. They were bandits, not rapists or kidnappers. They just wanted her possessions.

    Then, disaster struck. The woman had killed over half their numbers in a single exchange. Another secondter, and only five of them were still standing.

    Ironically, they survived because their movement art was lousier than their brothers. The woman had specifically targeted the fastest warriors probably because she didn¡¯t want to allow anyone to escape.

    ¡°You want my forgiveness? Sure. I¡¯ll forgive you if you can survive one hit from me!¡± Lu Rumei said with a bloody smile.

    ¡°Er... how about a different condition, Rakshasa?¡±

    The five men exchanged despairing nces with each other. Survive a hit from the infamous Rakshasa? Did she think that they were masters of the bare-handed de block or something? Considering what happened earlier, one hit was all she needed to slice their bodies into cubes of all shapes and sizes.

    ¡°Do you think you have the right to negotiate?¡±

    Lu Rumei¡¯s smile widened. It was such a beautiful smile that itid bare the depths of her cruelty.

    Not a single men was able to move their feet as Lu Rumei began stepping toward them. They were so scared that they couldn¡¯t even muster the courage to escape.

    ¡°You... You...¡±

    Suddenly, one of the bandits pointed a finger at Lu Rumei. His eyes were wide open, and his voice was full of shock.

    ¡°Rather than wasting your breath, you should save that energy and find a way to survive my de,¡± Lu Rumei said while licking her lips.

    ¡°A... A butterfly just f-flew out of your head!¡±

    It took the man a while, but he ultimately managed to stutter out the whole sentence.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Lu Rumei was confused at first. She thought that the man was just trying to pull the good ol¡¯ ¡°Look behind you!¡± on her. But when she noticed that the rest of the bandits wore the same expression, she finally realized that it wasn¡¯t a trick.

    So, she held her saber in front of her and checked herself out using the reflection. It was then she saw something that chilled her to the core.

    It was like her head was some sort of egg nest. Butterflies were crawling out of her head and pping its wings.

    Every time a butterfly flew away, she felt like she lost something critical to her. It was toote though.

    She should be responding to the unknown threat, but instead she simply stared at the reflection with nk eyes. As more and more butterflies flew away from her head, her consciousness grew blurrier and blurrier until she stopped breathingpletely.

    ¡°What... what the <i>hell </i>was that?¡±

    The five bandits exchanged a nce with each other before someone asked the question.

    ¡°They¡¯re... butterflies?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not blind, you doofus. I want to know why butterflies are flying out of her head!¡±

    ¡°And what makes you think we have an answer to give you?¡±

    ¡°Are you guys stupid? Unless you idiots are nning to die here, we need to run! NOW!¡±

    That snapped them out of their inane discussion and spurred them into a run. If they survived this, they would never work as bandits ever again.

    After the five men were gone, a butterfly descended and picked up Lu Rumei¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell. Then, it flew toward the horizon.

    ......

    Simr incidents were urring everywhere at the same time.

    A bunch of butterflies flew out of someone¡¯s head while they were on the road.

    A bunch of butterflies flew out of someone¡¯s head while they were in the middle of fighting.

    A bunch of butterflies flew out of someone¡¯s head while they were resting.

    A bunch of butterflies flew out of someone¡¯s head while they were running, and more.

    The butterflies were like dreams. When a dream ended, so did the dreamer.

 Chapter 640: Square Circle Lock, Thoughtful

    <h4>Chapter 640: Square Circle Lock, Thoughtful </h4>

    Dream Master was standing on a small hill and plucking a withered yellow flower from a dead branch. His movement was gentle, and his expression serious.

    The next moment, the flower actually regained its vitality and lushness. It was even giving off a sweet floral scent.

    Dream Master held the flower to his nose, closed his eyes lightly, and took a small sniff. He looked like he enjoyed the scent very much.

    It was at this moment a colorful, phantasmal butterfly flew over from somewhere. Itnded right on top of the flower.

    ¡°Is it done?¡±

    Dream Master opened his eyes and caressed the butterfly gently. ¡°Well done.¡±

    A dozen or so breathster, more butterflies flew in from every direction. When they got close, they circled around Dream Master as if dancing.

    From a distance, it looked as if Dream Master was surrounded by a whirlwind of flowers.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Dream Master held out his hand, and the butterflies dropped the Nature¡¯s Shells they were carrying into his palm. After he put them all away, he said smilingly, ¡°Save the games for another time, okay? We have a guest.¡±

    As if they were sentient, the butterflies immediately gathered behind Dream Master until they formed a tidal wave of colors. At the same time, a man approached from a distance.

    It didn¡¯t look like the man was moving quickly, but he arrived at the hill Dream Master was standing on in just the blink of an eye.

    After arriving at the foot of the hill, the man stopped in his tracks and looked up.

    He was Defeated.

    The two men stared at each other for a moment. One man had eyes as gentle as a dream, and the other as tough and stubborn as a rock.

    ¡°You killed those people.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question. It was a deration of certainty.

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Dream Master admitted without fanfare. ¡°Are you here to take revenge for them?¡±

    Defeated countered, ¡°I do not know any of them. Why would I take revenge for them?¡±

    ¡°Are you carrying out the heavens¡¯ will[1] then?¡± Dream Master asked.

    ¡°What does the heavens¡¯ will have anything to do with me?¡± Defeated countered again.

    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Dream Master asked.

    ¡°I am here for you,¡± Defeated answered.

    ¡°For me? I do not remember offending you in any way!¡± Dream Master asked. He knew how strong Defeated was. There was no way his Dream Butterflies could kill the man on their own, which was why he hadn¡¯t sent them after him. He had no wish of entering the attention of a powerful enemy he couldn¡¯t kill.

    Unfortunately, Defeated came to him anyway.

    ¡°You have not!¡± Defeated shook his head.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not looking to enact righteous justice, nor are you here in search of vengeance, then why have you sought me out?¡± Dream Master asked puzzledly.

    Defeated looked at Dream Master and dered with full seriousness, ¡°I wish to challenge you do a duel!¡±

    ¡°A duel?¡± Dream Master was surprised to hear this, but in hindsight, it made perfect sense.

    He had heard of Defeated¡¯s character. He knew that he was obsessed with martial arts and adored dueling against those stronger than him.

    ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re stronger than me. You¡¯re at least a top five elite in the Human Champions ranking, but I have never met you before. That is why I wish to challenge you to a duel.¡±

    Defeated sped his hands together in salute. ¡°I look forward to your teachings!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your praise,¡± said Dream Master with a smile, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. I have business to attend to, you see.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to your teachings!¡± Defeated did not give an inch.

    Dream Master remained calm and collected as he said again, ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, but I really am quite busy today. I¡¯ll happily trade pointers with you on the next opportunity, but not now.¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Then, Defeated saluted Dream Master again and said, ¡°Apologies.¡±

    Like an arrow, Defeated started running up the hill in a straight line. Despite the vertical climb, he kept moving faster and faster like he was running downhill. By the time he was halfway up the hill, the man could no longer be seen at all. All that was left was the howl of the wind.

    A mad gale sweeps a ledge, a thought forms a fist.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    There was a soft bang, and the wind scattered to reveal Defeated and Dream Master. Thetter had caught the former¡¯s fist firmly in his palm and prevented it from moving an inch closer.

    ¡°The Thoughtful Fist of the Boundless Mountain? Not bad,¡± Dream Master remarked indifferently.

    Defeated frowned and withdrew his right arm. Before the motion wasplete, he thrust his left fist forward swifter than the wind and faster than thunder.

    <i>Bang bang bang bang...</i>

    The sounds of impact could be heard, but not the image. It was because Defeated had thrown over a hundred punches in a single breath. This was the power of the Thoughtful Fist.

    Boundless Mountain was just a small, no-name sect, but the Thoughtful Fist was famous throughout the world. Most fist arts imed their victories through strength, force or intent, but the Thoughtful Fist focused on one and only one aspect: speed. A fist faster than thought was what the Thoughtful Fist preached.

    Back when Defeated was still an Astral Refiner, he had challenged the head of the Boundless Mountain, Boundless Ji to a duel. He could still remember how the man had utterly overwhelmed him from the start until the end. While it was partially because Ji Wuliang¡¯s cultivation level was higher than his, it was also because the Thoughtful Fist was faster than his eyes could capture, or his body could react.

    Realizing how powerful the Thoughtful Fist was, he memorized the martial art during the duel andter added his own martial insights and understanding into it. As a result, his version of the Thoughtful Fist was even faster and stronger than the original. Today, he dared to say that his Thoughtful Fist was better than Boundless Ji¡¯s.

    Because of this, he rarely encountered a peer who could block his Thoughtful Fist. But Dream Master did it with one hand only.

    This stunned him as a matter of course, but his shock was mixed with a tinge of expectation and excitement.

    After all, Dream Master just proved that he was an opponent who deserved his full strength.

    As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Defeated abruptly took a step back, raised his right foot high into the air, and brought it down like he would cleave Dream Master in half.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    Space shuddered, and a massive giant appeared in the sky. It held a giant axe that looked like it could a mountain range in half.

    <i>¡°Mountain Splitting Leg¡±</i>

    If the ¡°Thoughtful Fist¡± was a speed-based martial art, then the ¡°Mountain Splitting Leg¡± was based on strength. It was a powerful martial art meant to dismantle all opposition via pure strength.

    If speed wasn¡¯t enough to defeat his opponent, then what about power?

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    There was a terrible boom, and the entire hill was split in half just like that. The man-made chasm was at least sixty meters deep, and the sides looked as smooth as a mirror.

    Defeated did not look happy, however. In fact, his eyebrows were knitted together in a frown. It was because his attack had missed its target.

    Not only that, he hadpletely lost track of Dream Master.

    Defeated wasn¡¯t worried though. He crossed his arms in front of his chest with one hand clenched into a fist, and the other stretched into a palm. He then drew a square with his fist, and a circle with his palm.

    The fist and palm formed a boundary, and the boundary formed a world.

    Everything within tens of meters of him plunged into chaos in the blink of an eye. The energies froze solid, and the space within the boundary was locked downpletely.

    <i>¡°True Martial Mountain: Square Circle Lock¡±</i>

    The ¡°Square Circle Lock¡± was a martial art from the Heaven Sealing Peak of the True Martial Mountain. The fist represented the earth, and the palm the heavens. Since he was the one controlling the fist and the palm, it meant that everything was under this control, wasn¡¯t it? Therefore, the ¡°Square Circle Lock¡± was an offensive-type sealing martial art that locked down an area and prevented one¡¯s opponent from running away.

    Defeated had learned this when he challenged the descendant of the Heaven Sealing Peak to a duel. Astounded by his martial talent, his opponent had taught him the martial art after the duel.

    Naturally, he could not lock down everything within several kilometers of himself like the descendant of the Heaven Sealing Peak could, but tens of meters was well within his limits.

    The reason he locked down the space around him was to find Dream Master, of course.

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    Defeated looked at a certain spot in the sky and opened his mouth, and a purple pellet shot toward his target.

    Thunder roared, and sword intent filled the sky as the purple pellet shot into the sky. Sword beams sprayed in every direction like a rainstorm while the sword qi narrowed into threads, and the threads transformed into dragons and serpents.

    When dragons and serpents rise, the heavens turned, and the earth flipped upside down.

    The pellet was no ordinary object. It was a sword pellet.

    1. Which usually means enacting justice. ?

 Chapter 641: Demon Eye of Taint

    <h4>Chapter 641: Demon Eye of Taint </h4>

    A sword was a sword user¡¯s best friend, and a sword user who entrusted their spirit and soul to their sword was called a swordsman.

    A swordsman could be separated into two categories: one who wields the sword, and one who maniptes the sword. In battle, a swordsman who wields the sword never allows their sword to leave their hand. They mainly cultivated their sword qi, and they excelled in close-rangedbat and offense.

    A swordsman who maniptes the sword mainly cultivated their sword intent. They could take to the sky using their sword and behead an enemy from hundreds of kilometers away.

    Most swordsmen who manipted the sword used longswords as their primary weapon, but a small minority used sword pellets instead. A sword pellet was a swordsman¡¯s sword intent condensed into a round-shaped object. Capable of cutting metal like y yet remaining flexible enough to twirl round and round one¡¯s finger, it was a weapon that possessed limitless potential. Not only that, the wielder could also change its form or the distance with a single thought.

    Right now, Defeated was using a sword pellet art called Brilliant Thunder. A long time ago, he had stumbled upon an ancient swordsman martial arts manual, and recorded inside its papers was the method to create the sword pellet, Brilliant Thunder and a swordkinesis technique. The attack he unleashed just now was none other than that swordkinesis technique, ¡°Dragon Serpent Rise¡±.

    When dragons and serpents rise, the heavens turned, and the earth flipped upside down. When the thunderous dragon of sword qi crashed down on Dream Master, everything within ten meters around the man exploded into lightning, the wind and clouds were broken down to the atoms, and the earth was cut into many fine cubes by the outburst of sword qi. Powerful wasn¡¯t good enough a word to describe the technique.

    ¡°An ancient sword pellet technique? I have heard that Defeated is an expert in hundreds of martial arts both old and new. I can tell that the rumors are true.¡±

    However, a crisp, melodious voice pierced through the roar of thunder. The next moment, the cloud of lightning and sword qi parted as meekly as amb, and Dream Master slowly stepped out into the open.

    For the first time, a hint of shock and disbelief broke through the stoicism that normally clouded Defeated¡¯s eyes.

    He could believe that Dream Master was strong enough to block his Thoughtful Fist one-handed. He could also believe that Dream Master was fast enough to avoid his Mountain Splitting Leg.

    But to ignore the sealing effects of the Square Round Lock and ignore his Brilliant Thunder like it was nothing? That was borderline impossible.

    <i>Something¡¯s wrong.</i>

    Realization struck Defeated like a thunderbolt. There were only two ways his opponent could nullify his Square Round Lock and Brilliant Thunder like they were nothing. Either Dream Master was hopelessly strong, or everything he had experienced thus far... was fake.

    Defeated had no doubt his opponent was strong, but to be so strong that he couldn¡¯t leave even a scratch on his person? That was impossible.

    Therefore, everything he was experiencing up to this point must be fake. An illusion.

    ¡°Demon Eye of Taint¡ªopen!¡±

    Pressing his index and middle fingers together, Defeated immediately sliced open his own forehead to reveal a bloody, disturbing-looking eyeball. The eyeball was covered in red nubs, and there were tiny mouths on the red nubs spouting some sort of noise that should never be said; unholy words that could corrupt one¡¯s soul just by listening to them.

    The voices were asionally loud or soft, slow or fast, weeping orughing. Heaven and earth shook when the words mingled together to form filthy, grayish ck taint. Cracks began to spread all over the world, and space itself became distorted. Everything was slowly breaking into a million pieces like ss.

    ¡°Begone!¡±

    Defeated let out a yell, and the disturbing words suddenly tripled in volume and intensity. It sounded like a million people whispering insane yet indistinguishable curses at the same time. At that moment, the world was torn asunder, and everything dissolved into nothing like a dream.

    When the illusion fadedpletely, and Defeated opened his eyes, he abruptly discovered that he was still standing at the foot of the hill. He should have scaled the hill, split it in half, locked the surrounding space, and annihted the small corner of the world with ¡°Dragon Serpent Rise¡±, and yet he hadn¡¯t. It was as if everything that happened just now was a dream.

    He also noticed that countless colorful butterflies were flying around him. Strangely, they grew increasingly transparent after he had broken out of the illusion. Eventually, they were all gone.

    ¡°The Demon Eye of Taint of the Yellow Spring? No wonder you were able to break out of my dream.¡±

    On the hill, Dream Master stroked his yellow flower and praised Defeated with a smile, ¡°You definitely deserve the seventh spot on the Human Champions Ranking.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good yourself.¡±

    Fighting spirit burned brightly in Defeated¡¯s stoic eyes. At this point, he realized that he was trapped in Dream Master¡¯s dream the moment he arrived at the foot of the hill. Since Dream Master had full control of the dream, of course he was able to ignore the Square Circle Lock and Brilliant Thunder like nothing, and why he was so hopelessly strong and invincible inside his dream.

    If he hadn¡¯t realized the incongruity, if he hadn¡¯t unleashed the Demon Eye of Taint¡ªa power that was specifically used to pierce mental illusions and pollute the mind and soul¡ªhe would have lost the battle for sure. He might even die as a result.

    He had good reason to believe that dying inside the dream would result in irreparable, possibly fatal damage to his mind and soul as well.

    He must admit that Dream Master¡¯s power was as anomalous as it was terrifying. However, the danger only excited him even more. Why duel people who were stronger than him if not to face death in the face and continuously break through his limits?

    Defeated lifted his palm like a saber and took a step forward. Unfortunately, before he could do anything else, a madugh and a rapid series of thumps broke out from the horizon.

    When Defeated looked, he saw a big man running toward him from a distance. He was carrying a human head in one hand. The rapid thumps that sounded like gong strikes were really just his footsteps.

    The big man¡¯sughter hit him even before he arrived, ¡°Hahaha! Did you realize that our prey wouldn¡¯t be a challenge and purposely left an extra for us, Dream Master? How kind of you!¡±

    He was none other than ughterer.

    ughterer ran about fifty meters before bending his knees and jumping into the sky with a loud bang. Such was his leap that the ground he was standing on had formed a shallow pit. His aim was perfect, and he fell toward Defeated like a meteor.

    ¡°Here Ie! Try not to die too quickly!¡±

    Defeated¡¯s eyes turned a little colder. He did not recognize ughterer, but he did recognize the human head in his hand. It was Amorous Mother¡¯s head.

    It was clear that the big man was an ally of Dream Master. The fact that he killed Amorous Mother was proof of his strength.

    Defeated bent his knees about half an inch and gently touched a right finger against the ground. When ughterer was less than ten meters away from him, he raised his palm and pushed upward.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    A dazzling purple saber beam boasting indomitable power shot into the air. There was a loud explosion, and ughterer was thrown right back where he came from without any resistance.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of it, however. Defeated looked down after he sent ughterer flying. Green mes were burning all around his feet, and it was filled with inauspiciousness and cmity.

    At the same time, a beautiful woman descended from the sky like a goddess. Colorful ribbons danced around her as she waved her hand and summoned what looked like a golden rain on top of Defeated.

    Expression unchanged, Defeated raised his right leg about three inches. His foot was stretched straight and pointed toward the ground.

    The next moment, Defeated sucked in a deep breath and plunged his foot diagonally into the ground like it was a spear. The solid earth was prated like it was tofu all the way up to his knee.

    The ground shook, and the green mes burning on its surface flickered unsteadily. The next moment, Defeated let out a battle cry, crouched down, and raised his right leg.

    The chunk of earth in front of him¡ªall sixty meters of it¡ªwas lifted into the air as well.

    <i>What do you think would emerge victorious, your golden rain or my b of earth?</i>

    The two objects shed, and a series of deafening explosions ensued. Earth scattered everywhere, and everything was covered in dust for a time.

    In the sky, Dancer let out a muffled groan as a trickle of blood slid down her mouth

    The world was still dim and dusty when Defeated¡¯s voice rang beside Dream Master¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Looks like we can¡¯t finish this duel. I¡¯ll find you another day.¡±

 Chapter 642: Ghost Marriage and Ghost Bride

    <h4>Chapter 642: Ghost Marriage and Ghost Bride </h4>

    ¡°Cough cough...¡±

    The hill looked like it was tethering on the brink ofplete copse by the time the dust clouds faded. Dancer, Earth Walker and ughterer all cut a sorry figure.

    Dancer was covered in dust and soot and looked a little pale. She no longer looked like a heavenly goddess.

    Earth Walker crawled out of the underground with a dark expression. His aura was unstable, and the me burning on his head was flickering erratically.

    ughterer looked the worst out of all of them. There was a several inches long wound on his chest that went deep enough to reveal his insides. Powerful purple intent could be seen leaking out of it.

    It wasn¡¯t too serious though. As he inhaled and exhaled, the flesh nubs on both sides of the wound slowly restored it to normal.

    ¡°Who is that man, Dream Master? I¡¯m going to tear him to a million pieces for wounding me!¡± ughterer uttered through gritted teeth while his eyes shone with the promise of murder.

    Earth Walker was also looking at Dream Master with green mes boiling in his pupils.

    ¡°He is Defeated,¡± Dream Master answered.

    ¡°The seventh named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, ¡®The Man Who Never Wins¡¯, Defeated?¡± Dancer eximed in surprise. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s so strong!¡±

    ¡°Seventh named warrior my ass, I would¡¯ve torn him to shreds if I wasn¡¯t careless!¡± ughterer scoffed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you attack just now, Dream Master? With our strengthsbined, we absolutely could have in him just now.¡±

    ¡°You are right, but there is no need,¡± Dream Master said indifferently. ¡°The price would have been too great¡ªcough!¡±

    Suddenly, Dream Master let out a quiet cough. His face also turned unnaturally red.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    Dancer supported Dream Master and asked concernedly.

    ¡°I am fine. It¡¯s just a minor injury.¡± Dream Master shot her a gentle smile before tapping her forehead. Something dirty trickled out of his nose, and it was saying all kinds of unspeakable words. Just listening to it caused one¡¯s head to hurt like a migraine and threw one¡¯s mind into disarray.

    When Dream Master pinched the dirty object, it actually started squirming and struggling like it was alive.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Dancer asked.

    ¡°This is a taint created by the Demon Eye of Taint.¡± Dream Master exined, ¡°The Demon Eye of Taint is a secret art created by Yellow Spring of the Nine Demonic Ways. It could inflict someone with the whispers of gods and demons and pollute one¡¯s mind and soul. It is a most potent terror.¡±

    ¡°The Demon Eye of Taint was how Defeated managed to break out of my dream when we fought earlier.¡±

    ¡°Is Defeated really that strong?¡± Earth Walker asked with a frown.

    Although Defeated managed to repel the three of them and escape earlier, none of them were employing their full strength. He was confident that they could crush Defeated like nothing if they had gone all out. But now, Dream Master was saying that he had fought against Defeated earlier, and the warrior had actually managed to wound him.

    Earth Walker knew just how strong Dream Master was. To give an example, he could go all out and still not leave a scratch on Dream Master¡¯s person. However, Defeated not only injured Dream Master, he managed to break out of their encirclement with ease afterward. That put the man on a level he did not think was possible.

    ¡°He is strong. He is at least as strong as I am.¡±

    Dream Master did not hide anything. ¡°Most named warriors on the Human Champions Ranking do not deserve their reputation, but that does not apply to the top ten warriors. No one is a weakling that we can afford to underestimate.¡±

    ¡°Defeated may be called ¡®The Man Who Never Wins¡¯, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that he is a martial genius. Martial arts came to him as easily as breathing, and he could pick up even the most esoteric technique without too much effort. Moreover, he had challenged countless elites since he entered the <i>jianghu, </i>and no matter the oue to the duel, he could always grasp their ultimate arts and turn it into his own.¡±

    ¡°Without exaggeration, Defeated is an extremely aplished warrior and a master of hundreds of martial arts. No one can tell how many trump cards he has except himself.¡±

    ¡°Defeated might not be the strongest warrior in the Human Champions Ranking, but he is one of the hardest to kill for sure.¡±

    ¡°No matter how strong he is, there is no way he can fight all of us on his own, can he?¡± ughterer asked.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Dream Master replied. ¡°However, it would be extremely difficult to pin him down without full preparation. To kill him? That might as well be a pipedream.¡±

    ¡°Even if, by some miracle, we managed to y him, I cannot imagine us doing it without paying a hefty price. Do not forget that the reason we are on this journey is to regain Nanke. It would be terrible if we fail our primary objective over some risky side quest.¡±

    ¡°Instead of risking our lives for a tantalizing but unlikely oue, I would rather stay our hand and enjoy the handsome spoils we¡¯ve already gotten.¡±

    Annoyance and bloodthirst churned behind ughterer¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hmph. I suppose you¡¯re right. But the next time we meet, I¡¯m going to rip him into pieces for sure.¡±

    ¡°You sure it won¡¯t be the other way around?¡± Earth Walker sneered.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a mere mortal. You may fear him, but I don¡¯t,¡± ughterer scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t shame the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas with your cowardice.¡±

    ¡°Are you so damaged that you can¡¯t even tell dreams from reality, ughterer?¡± Earth Walker eyed him coldly. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then I might as well end your misery right now.¡±

    ¡°Enough with the chatter.¡±

    It was at this moment Dream Master interrupted. ¡°Let¡¯s catch a break. Our next stop is the thief who stole Nanke.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s about time he pays the blood price.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes with a look of puzzlement.

    ¡°That¡¯s the second time I dreamed of that bride. Strange.¡±

    Ye Qing slowlyy down and cushioned the back of his head with his hands. He looked at the starry sky with a small frown on his face.

    After he left the Hill of Services, Ye Qing kept journeying north until it was dark. Then, he sought out a random shelter and caught some rest. He had just fallen asleep when suddenly, he dreamed of the bride he had dreamed at the Hill of Services. Even odder, she was now standing inside his room instead of outside likest time. It was unusual to say the least.

    ¡°That¡¯s the second time I had the same dream. Is my subconscious telling me to get married, or am I possessed by a ghost or something?¡±

    Ye Qing rejected the first theory immediately. Even if he desired the opposite sex and wanted to marry someone, why on earth would he dream of a ghost bride of all things?

    However, he didn¡¯t feel like he was possessed either. He was sure that he would notice with his spirit.

    Strange. How strange!

    A short whileter, Ye Qing sat up and brought out the Annon Sutra. When in doubt, ask the Annon Sutra!

    ¡°I keep dreaming about brides as ofte. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Ye Qing spat out several mouthfuls of blood after asking the question. Soon, the Annon Sutra gave him an answer:

    <i>¡°As ofte, I¡¯ve had the same dream twice. It was a dream about a bride slowly approaching me. People say that what you think about in the day, you will dream of at night. Is this a sign that I¡¯m missing femalepanionship?¡±</i>

    <i>¡°But even if I am, why would I dream of a ghost bride instead of Young Red or Young Cui from the House of Red Delights? Am I secretly a spectrophilia?¡±</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s mouth twitched when he saw this. You¡¯re the spectrophilia! Your whole family is spectrophilia!

    <i>¡°No, no. This feels more like the Ghost Marriage of the legends. Someone must be trying to kill me. That¡¯s right! When the ghost bride reaches me, and I see her face, I will be her ghost husband and die!¡±</i>

    When the Annon Sutra manifested the word ¡°die¡±, blood poured profusely out of the word, and ghastly wails could be heard from it.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <i>Is it just me, or is the Annon Sutra getting feistier and feistier as ofte?</i>

    Comins aside, at least the Annon Sutra gave him a straight answer this time. The dream was no coincidence. Someone was trying to kill him!

    The name of the dream was Ghost Marriage, and the bride in the dream was called a ghost bride.

    The moment the ghost bride reached him inside the dream was the moment he died.

 Chapter 643: Ye Qingâ€™s Decision

    ¡°Ghost bride? Who on earth is trying to kill me?¡±

    A steely glint entered Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as he racked his brain for an answer.

    Was it the Intelligence Department?

    Or maybe Chu Wangsun?

    He quickly discarded the possibility though. Looking back, his would-be assassin had probably afflicted him with the Ghost Marriage while he was staying at the Hill of Services. That was a good enough reason to eliminate the Intelligence Department and Chu Wangsun from the equation, not to mention that they didn¡¯t even know if he was still alive. No, it had to be someone from the Hill of Services.

    Could it be Ancestor Greenwood? He had identally screwed over the old man back at the Hill of Services. Maybe the old man was petty little fuck who couldn¡¯t let trivialities slide.

    He shook his head almost immediately after the thought crossed his mind, however. He had dreamed of the ghost bride even before he attended the Treasure Appreciation Auction. There was no way Ancestor Greenwood could predict the future and afflict him with the Ghost Marriage beforehand.

    Using the same logic, he could eliminate the master of the mysterious hand as well.

    So who was it?He had kept a very low profile since entering the Hill of Services. Not counting Ancestor Greenwood, he had started no trouble and offended no one, so it couldn¡¯t be a case of petty grievances. He had neither exposed himself like an idiot nor revealed his wealth in the open either, so it couldn¡¯t be because someone was plotting to rob him.

    But if this wasn¡¯t a crime of passion or greed, then what could it be? Who would want to harm him, and why?

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose when suddenly, an inspiration struck him.

    He had a different dream before he dreamed of the ghost bride. He had dreamed of the time he killed Huo Hao and took Nanke.

    Generally speaking, someone of his cultivation level and spiritual power would fall into the deepest stage of sleep when they were resting, and at this stage, one normally did not dream.

    But that night, he had experienced two dreams in a row. If the second dream was deliberate, then there was no way the first dream was an ident.

    With that in mind, could this have something to do with Nanke and the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas?

    He could not think of any reason why he would dream of that time, at least not normally. It was far likelier that someone was spying on his memories using dreams as a medium.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising. If the caster could afflict the Ghost Marriage on him without him noticing, then spying on his memories through his dreams was nothing at all.

    All things considered, it was extremely likely that the caster was a member of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas. As for why they did it, that was very simple. One, they were going to take revenge for Huo Hao. Two, they were here to reim Nanke.

    But how did the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas manage to track him down? Assuming his guess was correct, it was probably because of Nanke. Nanke¡¯s ability was founded in dreams, and the caster who spied on his dreams and afflicted him with the Ghost Marriage was clearly an expert in dreams as well. It was not impossible that the caster did some dream bullshit and found him using Nanke.

    Of course, there was also the possibility that Huo Hao or his men¡¯s death had left some sort of imprint on his person, but that wasn¡¯t important anymore. What was important now was: how should he deal with his pursuer?

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, they would be knocking on his door very soon. Therefore, his first priority would be to survive this attempted murder.

    After all, he never noticed the Ghost Marriage even with his prodigious spirit. It wasn¡¯t until he asked the Annon Sutra that he realized that he was in danger. Clearly, the caster was no small fry.

    Moreover, it was highly likely that the caster wasn¡¯t alone?

    So, how was he going to survive this?

    There were two options. One, he could run and try to escape. Two, he could try and kill all of them.

    ¡°Should I run? Or should I fight?¡±

    Ye Qing tapped his brow while his thoughts raced.

    Running would be the safest option. He already knew who his enemies were and what their objective was. He also had the Annon Sutra. He had everything he needed to avoid detection and make a break for it.

    Of course, the ws of the option were just as obvious. It was a temporary solution at best. Besides, considering how little time he had, there was a chance he might fail to eliminate the Ghost Marriage and escape his enemies even with all the tools he possessed, and if he failed to shake off his enemies, then he would be the one in deep trouble.

    Even if everything went well, he couldn¡¯t run away forever. He had to face his demons eventually.

    On the surface, fighting looked like the lousiest and riskiest option. One misstep, and he would die like a moth to fire. He had never been one for suicides, and he didn¡¯t intend to start now.

    However, that was only if he looked at it from an ordinary warrior¡¯s perspective. He wasn¡¯t.

    For starters, his pursuers probably had no idea about his true strength. They might know that he was an early-stage Spirit Master, and that his spirit was unusually strong for his cultivation level. However, he doubted that they knew just how special his spirit was or the fact that he possessed many powerful trump cards such as the ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡±. Besides that, they definitely didn¡¯t know that his body had reached the level of a Half-Step Grandmaster.

    Second, his pursuers did not know that he had already figured out their identity and objective. They were the ones in the dark right now, not him. He absolutely possessed the advantages necessary to take a certain amount of risks.

    With that in mind, he absolutely could duke it out against his enemies and even kill them all even if he was outnumbered. If he seeded, then he would never have to worry about them again¡ªat least in the short term.

    Even if he failed to kill all of them, he would have done some damage at least. It would weaken them and buy him more time to grow stronger.

    Rather than watching his back all day and night, he would rather kill all of his enemies in one go and never have to worry about them again.

    Of course, this option was only viable if his enemies weren¡¯t overwhelmingly stronger than him. If you threw a rock at a rock, chances were the rock would be usable even if it failed to crush its target. But if you threw an egg at a rock, then it was going to shatter no matter what. Not even the most perfect n could make up for an impossible gap in strength.

    Therefore, he needed to figure out how strong his enemies were first before doing anything. If there was a Grandmaster among his pursuers, then forget that he said anything. He was going to run like his life depended on it, because it was.

    Was this cowardice? Of course not! Only an idiot would run headlong toward death!

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing unfolded the Annon Sutra once more.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Have you found him yet, Dream Master?¡± ughterer asked in an impatient tone.

    ¡°He¡¯s been moving non-stop,¡± Dream Master replied, ¡°but I can feel that the distance between us is getting shorter and shorter.¡±

    ¡°Moving? Did he notice us? Maybe he¡¯s running for his life right now,¡± Dancer asked.

    Dream Master shook his head. ¡°That is impossible. He is only an early-stage Spirit Master. His spirit is strong, but there is no way he can sense us from such a distance.¡±

    ¡°Besides, the man is moving erratically. Sometimes he¡¯s moving east, sometimes he¡¯s moving west, sometimes he¡¯s sprinting straight ahead, and sometimes he even backtracked. Rather than running away, I¡¯m more inclined to believe that he¡¯s avoiding something.¡±

    ¡°Who cares? The sooner we find him, the sooner I¡¯ll be able to rip him to pieces!¡± ughterer snarled while clenching his fists tightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will reach him very soon,¡± Dream Master replied unhurriedly.

    The group of four continued to chase after Ye Qing for a time until they encountered an old, abandoned city.

    The city was buried in sand a long time ago. There were broken walls, piles of rubble, yellow sand and dead grass everywhere. It looked as deste as it was bleak.

    Ruins like these were, in fact, a dime a dozen in Bei Mo. Several thousand years ago, Bei Mo was a famous in with extremely fertilends. Many towns and cities had been built on it to support countless people¡¯s dreams. Unfortunately, the in was beset by so many natural disasters, man-made cmities, and sand that it eventually crossed the point of no return. As a result, the towns and cities were eventually abandoned and left to wither away in the sand.

    Not only that, Bei Mo¡¯s numerous abandoned settlements functioned as excellent shelters for travelers, but any hunter, wanderer, or traveling merchant who roamed the wilderness of Bei Mo would tell you to follow this rule: if you encounter a city, stay away. If you see a vige, do not enter.

    To put it in simpler terms, it meant that one should avoid ancient cities and abandoned viges as much as possible, or grave danger might befall them.

    The reason such a rule existed was because ancient cities and abandoned viges were among the easiest ces to give birth to all kinds of powerful Strangers and Anomalies. It was not unusual for such a ce to be more dangerous than the wilderness, which was why most Bei Mo travelers would rather sleep out in the open than take shelter in such a ce.

    Dream Master, Earth Walker, Dancer and ughterer clearly didn¡¯t heed the warning, however. Either they didn¡¯t know, or they didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°He¡¯s inside!¡± Dream Master dered while staring at the ancient city in front of him.

    ¡°Hahaha! Finally!¡± ughterer let out a savageugh and broke into a run.

    Dream Master, Earth Walker and Dancer exchanged a nce with each other, smiled, and followed right behind him.

 Chapter 644: When Spring Wind and Fine Rain Descends Upon Humanity

    ¡°Something doesn¡¯t feel right about this fog¡­¡±

    The ancient, abandoned city was dark and deste. There were no signs of life anywhere, and it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The fine mist draped over the city only added to the bleakness of the atmosphere.

    However, the deeper they ventured into the city, the thicker the mist became. Eventually, it had grown into a thick fog that prevented even the sharpest eyes from seeing anything beyond several inches.

    Dancer tried probing her surroundings for a bit before saying, ¡°This fog is blocking my spiritual senses.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure our prey is inside this city, Dream Master?¡± ughterer turned back to look at Dream Master.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± Dream Master replied affirmatively while touching his forehead.

    ¡°Okay. Watch me.¡± ughterer cracked his neck loudly before taking a step forward. Then, he threw a devastating punch.

    <em>Whoosh!</em>

    Space shook, and an astral wind blew. His powerful fist force copsed all the buildings within tens of meters around him, and his astral wind scattered the surrounding dust and fog like a violent tsunami. Everything within tens of meters of the group became as clear as day.¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ughterer withdrew his fist and smiled proudly at his handiwork. Unfortunately, they had only taken a few steps when the fog rolled right back in and reset all his progress.

    ¡°Allow me.¡±

    Dancer smiled and flicked a single water bead into the sky. When it broke, it transformed into a drizzle that epassed the entire city.

    The drizzle was soft, soothing, and imbued with some sort of purifying power. The coldness and the fog within the ancient city slowly dissipated as if cleansed by the drizzle, and the withered brambles and nts on the ground actually started growing roots and sprouts. What was once a cold, dead city in ashes now felt like it was facing a new dawn.

    For a moment, it looked like Dancer had done what ughterer had failed to do. However, the fog rolled back in as soon as the rain was finished.

    ¡°Huh? I can''t believe it. My Rain Prayer isn¡¯t working on this fog.¡± Dancer sounded very puzzled.

    Her Rain Prayer could purify all sorts of evils and yin existences and scatter the wind and fog. It was especially effective against anomalous fog like this one. And yet, it had failed to work its magic this time.

    ¡°That¡¯s troubling. Be on your guard, everyone,¡± Dream Master warned.

    Hispanions did not really take his warning to heart though. They were all supremely confident in their strength.

    ¡°Hey Dream Master! Where the hell is he?¡±

    ughterer was the most impatient and rash of the group. Knowing that the thief who stole Nanke was just ahead of them, he had rushed ahead without waiting for hispanion. He was certain that they could keep up with him.

    Unfortunately, he was unable to locate anyone or any signs of life despite walking for a long time. Eventually, he lost his cool and looked back to ask Dream Master regarding the thief¡¯stest location.

    It was then he noticed that hispanions were nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Where the hell did they go? Dream Master? Dream Master! Dancer! Dancer¡­¡±

    ughterer yelled a couple of times, but he did not hear a reply from anyone.

    ¡°Screw it. I¡¯ll go alone. Locating the thief is our first priority anyway.¡±

    ughterer let out a savageugh before resuming his journey.

    On the other side, Dream Master, Earth Walker and Dancer also realized ughterer had gone missing after they rounded a corner. It should have been impossible for them to miss such a big, loud man, and yet they had.

    ¡°ughterer¡¯s gone missing.¡±

    Dancer turned to Dream Master for instructions after calling out to ughterer to no avail.

    ¡°I can go look for him,¡± Earth Walker suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Dream Master smiled and touched his forehead. Illusory butterflies immediately flew into the open and danced around him, their forms gradually solidifying over time.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Dream Master waved, and the butterflies scattered in every direction. However, his smile stiffened, and a ¡°Huh?¡± escaped his lips just a momentter.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dancer asked.

    ¡°I just lost contact with my Dream Butterflies.¡± Dream Master said slowly, ¡°I was careless. This strange fog isn¡¯t the only strange phenomenon in this city. Something¡¯s wrong with the city itself.¡±

    ¡°Should we worry about ughterer¡¯s safety?¡± Dancer asked worriedly.

    ¡°It should be fine. Something¡¯s definitely off about the city, but I haven¡¯t detected any danger when I came.¡± Dream Master hummed. ¡°Besides, even if the unknown dangers of this city prove too much for ughterer, he is more than capable of keeping himself alive.¡±

    ¡°Right now, our first priority is to retrieve Nanke. The longer we take, the higher the chances that something may go awry. We can always find ughterer after we¡¯vepleted our objective.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Dancer nodded. Earth Walker had no objections to offer either.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Try not to stray too far from the group. You don¡¯t want to get lost like ughterer,¡± Dream Master instructed before they resumed their journey.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Dammit, just where the hell am I?!¡±

    ughterer was currently standing atop a broken wall. He was wearing an ugly snarl.

    He was certain that he would locate the thief who stole Nanke in no time. When that happened, he would rip him from limb to limb and quell the impatience and frustration boiling inside his heart.

    However, reality was a cruel mistress. Despite searching around the area for over an incense stick, forget the thief, he couldn¡¯t even locate his ownpanions.

    That would¡¯ve been fine if he had run into a couple of Strangers at least. After all, he could¡¯ve used them as his punching bags. However, the city seemed to bepletely empty. He couldn¡¯t find a single living thing that he could vent his frustrations on at all.

    Worse still, he seemed to have lost his way. More urately, he discovered that he was unable to leave the city no matter which direction he was traveling.

    ¡°Graaaaaaahhhh!!!¡±

    ughterer let out an angry roar and punched a wall beside him, sending bricks and stones flying everywhere. Everything was in a dpidated state to begin with, so the punch threatened to copse the entire wall. ughterer was just starting though. As if he had gone crazy, he punched the wall again and again until it finally copsed with a loud rumble.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡±

    ughterer stared at the copsed wall for a moment. It was only then the red glow in his eyes slowly receded.

    ¡°Are you done venting yet? If you are, then let¡¯s go!¡±

    Suddenly, a voice erupted from somewhere. ughterer turned around and saw Earth Walker leaning against a building and watching him coldly.

    ¡°Earth Walker? How did you find me?¡± ughterer couldn¡¯t help but feel a spark of joy when he saw Earth Walker. Although the man was someone he disliked, it was still better than having no one in this heavens forsaken ce.

    Earth Walker replied coldly, ¡°How can I not while you were throwing such a tantrum? C¡¯mon.¡±

    The man then turned away and started walking.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± ughterer hurriedly caught up to him.

    ¡°Outside,¡± Earth Walker said sinctly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not searching for Nanke anymore?¡± ughterer asked in confusion.

    ¡°We already found it,¡± Earth Walker replied.

    ¡°You found it?¡± ughterer blurted before growing terribly anxious. ¡°How did you find Nanke so quickly? And where is the thief who stole Nanke? Did you kill him yet?¡±

    ¡°Nah. We know you want him for yourself,¡± Earth Walker answered.

    ¡°Hahaha! Good, good!¡± ughterer let out a viciousugh. ¡°I¡¯m going to skin him, break his bones, rip out his tendons, remove his marrows, and light his soul on fire. I¡¯m going to treat him to the Five Cruel Punishments of our Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas and make him wish he was dead!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait! Stop dilly-dallying and let¡¯s go!¡±

    ughterer urged and ran past Earth Walker, expecting the man to pick up the pace as well.

    ¡°If you insist, then I¡¯ll send you to the other side right now!¡±

    Behind ughterer, Earth Walker¡¯s lips suddenly curled into a disdainful smile.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    rm and panic suddenly welled in ughterer¡¯s heart as he looked behind him. He immediately saw a fantastical, crimson light shining so bright that it illuminated even the darkest depths of his soul.

    The spring wind and fine rain had arrived to blow a human soul away from this world.

 Chapter 645: Killing Slaughterer

    <h4>Chapter 645: Killing ughterer </h4>

    <i>Pssh!</i>

    The wind stopped, and the rain ceased with a quiet spray of blood.

    For a time, ughterer and Earth Walker simply stared at each other.

    ughterer was clutching his throat with shock and puzzlement on his face.

    And Earth Walker was smiling brightly yet unfeelingly while carrying a saber.

    ¡°You... You¡¯re not Earth Walker!¡± ughterer said slowly. His voice sounded weak and heavy.

    ¡°That is correct. I¡¯m not Earth Walker.¡± Earth Walker, or rather Ye Qing confirmed with the shake of his head.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± ughterer asked.

    ¡°I thought you were going to skin me alive, strip my bones, and light my soul on fire? How can you not know who I am?¡± Ye Qing chuckled while sliding his fingers across Red Sleeve.

    ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± ughterer¡¯s face contorted, and his pupils narrowed in realization. At the same time, blood began seeping out of his fingers. ¡°It was you.¡±

    ¡°Yup,¡± Ye Qing replied. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ye Qing, and I¡¯m the one who killed Huo Hao and took Nanke.¡±

    ¡°By the way, did you know that Huo Hao also died after I beheaded him using Red Sleeve? It¡¯s a mighty coincidence, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°How did you know that we areing for you?¡± ughterer asked puzzledly. It was clear that Ye Qing knew about their arrival. It was also clear that this was no hasty ambush. The man was obviously well prepared.

    But how did he find out in the first ce?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess?¡± Ye Qing asked with a raised eyebrow.

    A snarl escaped ughterer¡¯s mouth. ¡°Since you know that I am one of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas, you must be aware of the consequences of murdering a member of the People of the Divine, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m aware. The consequence of killing you lot is nothing at all.¡± Ye Qing scoffed. ¡°After all, nothing happened to me when I killed Huo Hao. Why would it be any different now?¡±

    ¡°You cannot escape. You may kill me, but someone will take revenge for me!¡±

    ughterer suddenly shouted like a madman. ¡°It¡¯s not just you. Your family, your friends, everyone rted to you will die because of your actions!¡±

    Ye Qing was unmoved by ughterer¡¯s threat, however. He continued to smile as he said, ¡°Someone? Oh, you think that Dream Master, Earth Walker and Dancer are going to take revenge for you. How amusing.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a man of my word, and I promise you¡¯ll meet them in the underworld very soon.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    ughterer wanted to say more, but the blood spilling through his fingers abruptly increased in volume. Before he knew it, his head had rolled right off his shoulders.

    Clearly, Ye Qing¡¯s earlier attack had severed his head.

    ¡°Huo Hao was much less talkative when I killed his ass. Why are you different?¡±

    Ye Qing mused as he brought his foot down on ughterer¡¯s head while channeling his astral qi. The head exploded in a shower of blood and brain matter before his Burning Wind burned it all into ash.

    After he was done with ughterer¡¯s head, Ye Qing walked up to the man¡¯s corpse and stared for a bit. Then, he removed a palm-sized pouch from his waist.

    ¡°A Nature¡¯s Pouch? Now that¡¯s what I call a rare find.¡±

    A Nature¡¯s Pouch was a storage-type Strange Artifact created using a Nature¡¯s Shell. It functioned almost the same as a Nature¡¯s Shell except that it was rarer and more valuable.

    A simple sweep of his demonic thought was all Ye Qing needed to dismantle the restriction protecting the Nature¡¯s Pouch. The content of the pouch was revealed to him immediately.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see here. The Nether River Water, the Corpse King Galldder, the Mother Child Affinity Stone... wait a second, these are the items Amorous Mother bought during the Treasure Appreciation Auction. Why would he have them?¡±

    The answer came to him almost immediately after he asked the question. Clearly, ughterer had robbed Amorous Mother after she left the Hill of Services. This would exin why ughterer and his friends hadn¡¯t sought him out immediately after he left the Hill of Services. They probably thought that he was in the bag, and that there was no harm in hunting down some big games and earning some pure profit.

    If Amorous Mother was dead, then Ancestor Greenwood, Weak Old Man and more were probably dead as well.

    ¡°Wait. What are the chances the Wenliang Pearl fell into Dream Master¡¯s hands as well?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes immediately lit up when the thought urred to him. When he looked down on ughterer¡¯s headless corpse again, his eyes were awash with appreciation and gratitude. This man was no enemy. Nay, he was a benefactor! Not only did he give him his life, he even gave him his money and treasures! Where else would you find such a generous phnthropist?

    ¡°What a good man...¡±

    Ye Qing grinned as he put away the Nature¡¯s Pouch and got ready to leave. ¡°So... who¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Whoever I choose, I¡¯ll need to separate the group first. It¡¯ll be risky to fight all three of them at once.¡±

    His n was nothing special or evenplicated. To sum it up, it was divide and conquer.

    Earlier, he used the Annon Sutra to confirm that he had four pursuers in total, and none of them were Grandmasters. The strongest warriors of the group were Dream Master and Earth Walker, both Half-Step Grandmasters, and the weakest¡ªalbeit just slightly¡ªwere ughterer and Dancer, who were bothte-stage Spirit Masters.

    Moreover, all four men hailed from the mysterious Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas. They were definitely stronger than your conventional Spirit Master or Half-Step Grandmaster.

    That was why Ye Qing didn¡¯t ambush them while they were still together. He was strong, but he wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think that he was strong enough to defeat the four of thembined.

    It was a different story if they were split up though. He was confident that he could kill them all one on one. But how should he enact his n?

    Thankfully, luck was on Ye Qing¡¯s side. He found this ancient city not long after he began his search for a suitable ambush spot.

    The ancient city was gued by a Stranger called the Endless Wall, though of course it was neither endless nor a type of wall. The Endless Wall was a fog-like Stranger that caused anyone who entered its range to be lost. The victim would think that they were traveling in a straight line, when in reality they were walking in circles. They would not be conscious of the fact either. On top of that, the Endless Wall was a fog-like Stranger, so it was extremely difficult to eliminate or repel.

    The good news was that the Endless Wall did not possess any other ability. It wasn¡¯t particrly harmful either, and the method to dispel the Endless Wall¡¯s power was actually quite simple. One simply needed to wipe a virgin boy¡¯s piss on their eyelids, and they would be able to see through the fog and find their way out.

    Of course, if the victim wasn¡¯t a virgin boy, nor did they have virgin boy piss in their possession, it was still fine. They simply needed to wait until dawn came, and the sunlight would automatically dispel the Endless Wall.

    Therefore, forget a warrior, even an ordinary person could deal with the Endless Wall with ease.

    The Endless Wall¡¯s presence was extremely helpful for Ye Qing though. It allowed him to lure his pursuers deeper into the city, divide and conquer them one by one.

    That said, Endless Wall was an extremelymon wilderness Stranger. Even if his pursuers were the most sheltered warriors ever, they should have heard of the Stranger at least once. Therefore, depending solely on the Endless Wall to separate his enemies was an unreliable strategy to say the least.

    Luckily for Ye Qing, he also had the ¡°Children of Blood Demon¡±, Corpse Ship edition. Not only could it block vision and sound, it could iste energies and spiritual senses as well. This meant that he could use the Endless Wall as cover and iste his enemies using his ¡°Children of Blood Demon¡± as he pleased.

    Since the group of four entered the ancient city, he had been watching them from the shadows and searching for an opportunity to separate the group. It didn¡¯t take long. When he thought that the time was right, he used his demonic thought to influence ughterer¡¯s emotions and caused him to leave his own group of his own volition. The rest was history.

    As for why he picked ughterer, the reason was simple. One, ughterer¡¯s impulsiveness and recklessness made him all too easy to be influenced by his demonic thought. Two, ughterer was the weakest of the four, and you always picked off the weakest link first.

    After ughterer left his group, Ye Qing immediately morphed his body to resemble Earth Walker and used the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± to copy the warrior¡¯s aura. Just in case, he also used his demonic thought to influence ughterer into letting down his guard. That was how he was able to kill the man effortlessly.

    One down, three more to go. Already, Ye Qing was wondering who his next prey was going to be. Just like before, he was going to split up the group, pretend to be one of them, and kill them one by one.

    Someone might say that his tactic was underhanded and despicable, but this was a life-or-death situation. Anything was eptable when one¡¯s life was on the line.

    Ye Qing was so engrossed with plotting his next move that he failed to notice that ughterer¡¯s headless, still standing body was undergoing a subtle change.

 Chapter 646: Xingtian Finale

    <h4>Chapter 646: Xingtian Finale</h4>

    The blood gushing out of ughterer¡¯s neck hadn¡¯t poured to the ground. Instead, it swam across his torso and formed all sorts of anomalous, mysterious, and savage-looking pictures and runes.

    The blood squirmed unnaturally for a bit before forming a human face with no eyes and no mouth. Suddenly, ughterer¡¯s nipples split open into a pair of eyes, and his belly button widened into a mouth.

    When the unholy transformation wasplete, the face slowly began to move as if it was alive. It was none other than ughterer¡¯s face.

    The next moment, the face looked in Ye Qing¡¯s direction, eyes smoldering with seemingly infinite hatred and killing intent. At the same time, a vast amount of baleful aura gushed out of his body like a volcanic eruption.

    The thick fog in the area was dispelled instantly, and the air turned cold, stifling, and smelly. Indistinct illusions of corpses and blood began appearing all over the ce as if hell itself was surfacing to the yang world.

    Not only that, ughterer¡¯s aura was many, many times stronger than it was before. It was as if he had awakened as some sort of demon king of Asura.

    ¡°RAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!!!¡±

    ughterer let out a mighty roar, and a massive, blood red axe and a demonic-looking shield descended from the ck sky. When he caught the axe with his right hand and the shield with his left, the illusion of blood and death stirred ominously, and his fighting spirit pierced the heavens. A powerful shockwave washed out of the warrior and annihted the surrounding walls, sand, and nts into dust.

    As soon as he was ready, ughterer swung his axe at Ye Qing.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    The mountain of bodies and sea of blood overwhelmed Ye Qing instantly.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    ughtererughed savagely from his belly button at the sessful ambush, therge face on his chest looking crazed and savage.

    ughterer was a member of the Asuras, and the word ¡°Asura¡± was defined as ¡°anti-heaven¡±. Although their men were ugly, and their women were beautiful, both genders were tall, massive, and extremely warlike. Originally an evil god, they possessed Seven Emotions and Six Desires like a human, but they weren¡¯t humans. ording to the myths, the Asuras and the Devas were originally enemies. The continuous strife eventually resulted in the Asuras being exiled from the heavens and forced to reside in the caves of Mount Meru. Despite waging many battles against the Devas, they were never able to gain the upper hand.

    It should not need to be said, but the Eight Legions of Devas and Negas were no divine god or celestial. They might call themselves the People of the Divine, but they were well aware of the fact that they weren¡¯t the true gods of the ancient times. At best, they were humans with a very small percentage of divine blood in them.

    The Asuras ughterer hailed from were humans who inherited the bloodline of true Asuras. It was why they possessed some of the abilities and characteristics of the true Asuras. For example, their men were ugly, their women were beautiful, and both genders were tall and massive. They also possessed supernatural strength and were naturally predisposed toward conflict. Assuming someone¡¯s bloodline was sufficiently thick, they could even be unkible just like the ancient Asuras.

    Of course, there was no such thing as power without a cost. In exchange for immense power, an Asura was naturally violent, impulsive, warlike, cruel and bloodthirsty.

    In the Asuras, the thicker one¡¯s bloodline, the higher their position and status. ughterer was a blood rtive in the direct line of descent of the Asura King, so his Asura blood was very thick. Not only that, he also cultivated their supreme martial art, the ¡®Unkible Asura Body¡¯ and forged an extremely tenacious body. He could regrow his body parts and even stay alive without a head.

    That was why he didn¡¯t die even after Ye Qing had beheaded him, destroyed his head, and annihted the Yin God within.

    Right now, he was executing a secret technique in the ¡°Unkible Asura Body¡± known as "Xingtian Finale".

    A long, long time ago, the war god Xingtian fought against the Yellow Emperor to im supremacy over all living things. However, the Yellow Emperor was able to behead him and bury him in Changyang Mountain. Unwilling to die, he transformed his nipples into eyes and his belly button into his mouth so he might continue his war.

    To put it simply, "Xingtian Finale" allowed the practitioner to stay alive without a head and even borrow the power of the war god temporarily. For a short time, the practitioner would gain the power of a Half-Step Grandmaster and be strong enough to battle even a Grandmaster for a time.

    Of course, as strong as "Xingtian Finale" was, its activation conditions were extremely stringent. First, it could only be executed when the practitioner was in a life-or-death crisis. Second, the practitioner¡¯s will must remain strong even after their head was gone. Three, the practitioner would gain immense power and be able to stay alive even without a head, but their body would forever be fixed in its current state: a headless body where the nipples became their eyes, and their belly button became their mouth. It was a tragic state to say the least.

    Finally, "Xingtian Finale" could be executed only once in a lifetime. Moreover, the practitioner would enter a prolonged state of weakness after the effects had passed.

    Despite its ws, "Xingtian Finale" was without a doubt a powerful offensive and defensive art. Even among the Asuras, only those with outstanding talent and rich bloodline could learn it.

    ughterer had learned ¡°Xingtian Finale¡± just a while ago, and he never expected to use it so soon. It was a stroke of luck though. If he hadn¡¯t learned the ¡°Xingtian Finale¡±, he would already be dead. Although he would never be able to use this secret art again, and his current appearance resembled a Stranger far more than a human, it was worth the price considering that it gave him a second chance at life and the opportunity to take revenge against his hated foe.

    Or so he thought. The sea of blood suddenly stopped dead in its tracks as if it had crashed against an impassable wall. Then, it started rolling back toward him!

    Caught off guard but not a novice, ughterer immediately raised his shield in defense. The sea of blood crashed against it but failed to inflict any damage to him.

    However, the second the bloody waves were crushed, a human figure abruptly appeared in front of his shield and threw out a punch.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    It sounded like a drumbeat, except this one was loud enough to deafen one¡¯s ears. ughterer¡¯s body trembled, and an unstoppable force prated the shield and into his body. His arm snapped like a twig, and the runes and picture covering his body abruptly distorted and disappeared into nothing. At the same time, the ground beneath his feet rolled like waves.

    The next moment, ughterer found himself flying through the air uncontrobly. He crashed through countless buildings before he finally hit a hill and stopped.

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Impossible!¡±

    Blood was dripping down ughterer¡¯s belly button. His eyes were nk with shock and disbelief as well. After transforming into the war god Xingtian, he was now a Half-Step Grandmaster whose power was on par with an ordinary Grandmaster. So how was it possible for his enemy to send him flying in one punch?

    ¡°IMPOSSIBLE!¡±

    ughterer roared as fighting spirit exploded from his body. He raised his arms, and the hill he was embedded in copsed just like that.

    It was at this moment a demonic ape descended from the sky while clutching its hands high above its head. Then, it brought its hands down on ughterer¡¯s head like a hammer.

    The sky shook, and the earth trembled. ughterer barely managed to raise his shield in time before the demonic ape struck him.

    <i>BOOM!!!</i>

    The earth within tens of meters of the point of impact split into a million pieces like ss. ughterer¡¯s axe and shield too crumbled into smithereens.

    ughterer himself was still alive, but his body now looked like it was made of porcin. Cracks covered him from head to toe, and his presence had be terribly weak and shriveled, though his fighting spirit remained as strong as ever.

    ¡°You... You¡¯re not an early-stage Spirit Master?!¡±

    ughterer asked. Every time he said a word, his body would gain a new crack.

    ¡°I am an early-stage spirit Master.¡±

    Ye Qing released his ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body¡± and returned to his normal appearance. While looking down on ughterer, he answered, ¡°However, I¡¯m a little different from the early-stage Spirit Master you know. You see, I have the body of a body-tempering Half-Step Grandmaster. I sure got you good, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°A body-tempering Half-Step Grandmaster?!¡±

    ughterer¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°This is impossible... this cannot be possible...¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devilish smile. ¡°There is no such thing as impossible in this world.¡±

    ¡°I should thank you for your Nanke though. Without it, I would never have reached the heights I have and be strong enough to kill you.¡±

    Ye Qing said sincerely, ¡°So seriously, thank you.¡±

    ¡°You bas¡ª!¡±

    Rage consumed ughterer as he tried to stand, but the sudden movement was thest straw. His entire body started crumbling in earnest, and he dissolved into ash before the pieces could even hit the ground.

 Chapter 647: If You Want To Kill Someone, Aim For The Heart

    <h4>Chapter 647: If You Want To Kill Someone, Aim For The Heart </h4>

    ¡°Heh... that¡¯s it? Your strength ismendable, but your mental fortitude is utter trash!¡± Ye Qing remarked as he stared at the pile of ash that was once ughterer. There was a saying that went something like this: ¡°If you want to kill someone, aim for the heart.¡± It worked in the figurative sense as well. In a sense, he had literally talked ughterer into a pile of ash, and that was a rare achievement indeed.

    Once he was certain that ughterer was definitely dead, and that he wouldn¡¯te back to life a second time, Ye Qing finally let out a sigh of relief. He honestly wasn¡¯t expecting ughterer to resurrect even after his head was removed, and his Yin God was destroyed. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was several times stronger than before, so much so that he was forced to transform into a Chaos Demon Ape to finish the job. He had to admit that the Eight Legions had dispatched quite the formidable group to reim Nanke, and he could not afford to be careless even a little.

    In fact, he resolved himself to annihte every enemy he ever came across from head to toe from now on. It was the only way to be sure.

    ¡°The battle was rowdier than expected. Even with the fog, I¡¯m sure Dream Master and hispanions have picked up themotion. They¡¯re probably on their way here right now.¡±

    Ye Qing muttered to himself while rubbing his chin. A few secondster, he snapped his fingers. ¡°It¡¯s fine though. In fact, this is a great opportunity.¡±

    ......

    ¡°I can¡¯t sense ughterer anymore. Is he dead?¡±

    On the other side, Dream Master, Earth Walker and Dancer were making their way toward the Ye Qing and ughterer¡¯s battlefield. They could¡¯ve moved faster, but they were forced to slow down because they didn¡¯t want to lose their way or split away from the group like ughterer had.

    However, not long after they began their journey, ughterer¡¯s aura had suddenly disappearedpletely. It was no wonder Dancer was worrying over theirpanion¡¯s fate.

    ¡°It should be fine. ughterer is no weakling, and he has the ¡®Xingtian Finale¡¯ too. He should be able to make his getaway and survive even if he ran into an ordinary Grandmaster,¡± Dream Master replied.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t encountered a single Stranger or Anomaly the entire way, but ughterer was forced to go all out! Who on earth is he fighting?¡±

    Earth Walker spoke up, ¡°Could it be the thief?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking this. The thief is only an early-stage Spirit Master. There was no way he could force ughterer to go all out. Besides, they aren¡¯t even in the same direction.¡± Dream Master denied his suspicion. ¡°It¡¯s far likelier that ughterer ran into a Stranger of some sort.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Earth Walker agreed.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Suddenly, Dream Master skidded to a stop.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Dancer asked with a frown.

    ¡°Nanke¡¯s presence just reappeared.¡± Dream Master pointed in the opposite direction of ughterer.

    Earlier, he was tracking Nanke¡¯s presence when suddenly, it disappeared from his senses. For whatever reason, he had somehow lost track of the Strange Artifact.

    Nanke was a Strange Artifact that had been passed down within the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas for many generations. Owned by the Devas, it was marked by an ancient imprint left by the Devas.

    Dream Master was a member of the Devas, the most venerated people among the Eight Legions, and his objective was to retrieve Nanke in the name of Di Shitian.

    Sixty years ago, the Heavenly King Protector responsible for guarding Nanke had suddenly gone missing while out on a mission. As a result, Nanke had gone missing as well. Not even the Heavenly Emperor of the Devas was able to detect its existence.

    Decadester, Di Shitian suddenly felt Nanke¡¯s presence again and dispatched the Kinnaras to retrieve Nanke. To avoid drawing attention, he dispatched the small fries instead of his true elites. At first, everything went smoothly. The Kinnaras were able to retrieve Nanke, and they were on their way back to the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas.

    Then, a disaster happened. The Kinnaras he dispatched were annihted, and Nanke had gone missing yet again. Di Shitian wanted to dispatch his elites to search for Nanke and eliminate the audacious fool who dared to challenge the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas immediately, but unfortunately, he was in the middle of debating Dao with a champion at the time. It consumed his focus such that he could not spare even a sliver of his attention on other matters. As a result, the matter of retrieving Nanke and ying the sphemer was dyed for several months straight.

    As soon as the debate was over, Di Shitian gave Dream Master the order to hunt down the sphemer and bestowed him with an Edict of Divine Thought. It allowed him to perceive Nanke¡¯s presence and direction even from hundreds of kilometers away. This was why Dream Master was able to track down Nanke despite the vastness of the <i>jianghu.</i>

    Not long ago, the Edict of Divine Thought had suddenly lost track of Nanke. Naturally, this came as a huge surprise to Dream Master. This had never happened before as Di Shitian was the greatest champion of the Devas; perhaps even the greatest champion of the Eight Legions. There were only two possibilities as to why his Edict of Divine Thought had suddenly lost its effectiveness. Either someone on the same level as Di Shitian had isted the connection, or something was very anomalous about this ancient city.

    The chances that it was the first possibility was quite low. After all, they already knew that the thief was an early-Stage Spirit Master, and there was no way an early-stage Spirit Master could iste the connection. Therefore, it most likely had something to do with the city itself.

    Dream Master could not help but be worried. If he failed to retrieve Nanke, then how was he going to face Di Shitian?

    Thankfully, the heavens had answered his prayer. For whatever reason, Nanke¡¯s presence had reappeared.

    Earth Walker and Dancer were well aware how serious the situation was. They both frowned and looked to Dream Master for instructions. ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Dream Master hesitated for a moment. They could neither abandon ughterer nor ignore Nanke. If they did not retrieve Nanke while the Edict of Divine Thought could still perceive it, they might never have a second chance. If they failed toplete the mission Di Shitian had entrusted them with, not even a million deaths could make up for their sin.

    It was at this moment Earth Walker spoke up, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for ughterer. You should go retrieve Nanke with Dancer.¡±

    Dream Master mulled over the suggestion for a moment before nodding in agreement. ¡°Very well. It¡¯s not like we have a better option at the moment. Be careful, and try to make as much noise as possible when you find ughterer. We¡¯lle find you afterward.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Earth Walker replied before sinking into the earth. He was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After Earth Walker was gone, Dream Master motioned for Dancer to follow him. The two of them began moving in the opposite direction.

    ......

    ¡°This should be the ce!¡±

    Earth Walker¡¯s brow crinkled a little as he stared at the tattered battlefield in front of him and perceived the terrifying energies in the air.

    ¡°What a fighting spirit. Who or what on earth did ughterer run into that he was forced to use ¡®Xingtian Finale¡¯?¡±

    Earth Walker observed his surroundings carefully until a familiar scent suddenly caught his attention. ¡°I smell blood. It¡¯sing from here...¡±

    Earth Walker crouched down and found a piece of rock with some blood on it. A secondter, he noticed a few drops of blood and some messy footprints not far away.

    ¡°It belongs to ughterer.¡±

    Earth Walker recognized the footprints immediately. He did not hesitate to follow the trail.

    Just a short whileter, Earth Walker saw a humanoid silhouette amidst the fog. Before he could even say anything, the unknown person called out warily, ¡°Who is it?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me. Earth Walker,¡± Earth Walker replied. He could tell that it was ughterer¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Why are you alone? Where is Dream Master and Dancer?¡± The man¡¯s voice was tinged with recognition and obvious relief.

    ¡°They went to look for Nanke. I came to check what the hell happened here,¡± Earth Walker answered while walking closer toward ughterer.

    ughterer looked absolutely terrible. His body was covered in blood, his face was as white as a ghost, and his energies were scratching the bottom.

    Earth Walker¡¯s eyes glinted as he asked, ¡°What happened? How did you be like this?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough... It¡¯s nothing. I ran into a powerful Stranger is all.¡± ughterer coughed twice and tried to stand, but his knees buckled at the wrong time and caused him to fall forward.

    Earth Walker hurriedly stepped forward and caught him firmly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t move quickly in your state.¡±

    Earth Walker did not see that ughterer¡¯s limp right hand had clenched into a fist. While Earth Walker was distracted, it swung straight toward the back of his head. Despite beingpletely soundless and auraless, the fist was brimming with intent and power.

 Chapter 648: Earth Walker, The Yaksas

    <h4>Chapter 648: Earth Walker, The Yaksas </h4>

    However, Earth Walker suddenly burst into green mes before ughterer¡¯s fist could get anywhere close to its target. It engulfed the big man in the blink of an eye.

    Earth Walker himself no longer looked human. During the short period, he had grown over three meters tall and became covered in sharp needles. His hands looked as big as palm-leaf fans, and his fingers turned as sharp as swords. One of his eyes had shifted to his scalp, and the other just above his chin. The shape of his eyes had changed as well. One of them was triangr, and the other a crescent.

    One of his nostrils was facing upward, and the other downward. Like the antennae of a snail, it asionally extended or retracted at will. As for his ears, one of them was at the front, and the other at the back. His appearance looked scary to say the least, though it was nothingpared to the green mes covering his body. It was overflowing with inauspiciousness and cmitous energy.

    ughterer was massive, butpared to Earth Walker in his current form? It was the difference between an infant and a big man. Right now, Earth Walker was holding ughterer with an iron grip and cackling evilly.

    ¡°What are you doing, Earth Walker! Unhand me!¡± ughterer roared.

    ¡°You¡¯re not ughterer,¡± Earth Walker said simply. His voice sounded raspy and disturbing, and sparks flew out of his mouth as he spoke.

    ¡°Have you gone crazy, Earth Walker? Who else can I be if not ughterer? Unhand me already!¡± ughterer yelled again.

    However, Earth Walker waspletely unmoved. ¡°You¡¯re not him. Your appearance and your aura are exactly the same as ughterer, but I know for a fact that you¡¯re not him.¡±

    ¡°Now speak. Who are you? Where is ughterer?¡±

    ¡°Aw man. It looks like you really did find me out.¡±

    ughterer abruptly stopped struggling as a curious look reced his angry snarl. ¡°I was pretty confident in my disguise, you know. What did I do wrong?¡±

    ¡°Your disguise is pretty incredible. Your appearance, body shape, energies and more were exactly identical to ughterer. Unfortunately for you, you¡¯re not a member of the Eight Legions, so you¡¯re unaware of the signature characteristics of the Asuras¡¯ secret art,¡± Earth Walker replied.

    ¡°Is that so? Care to exin further?¡± ughterer¡ªor more urately, Ye Qing asked.

    The fake ughterer was Ye Qing, of course. Earlier, he had used Nanke to lure Dream Master, Earth Walker and Dancer away from the battlefield he chose to fight ughterer at. It was to make sure that the trio wouldn¡¯t sense the ensuing battle, and if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be able to help him in time. Once they were sufficiently far apart from each other, he immediately wrapped Nanke with the Annon Sutra, snuck back to ughterer and killed him.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t sure if the Annon Sutra could stop Dream Master from sensing Nanke at first. As mysterious as it was, he hade to learn that the Annon Sutra wasn¡¯t omnipotent.

    Luckily for him, the Annon Sutra was still OP even though it wasn¡¯t omnipotent. After a period of observation, he confirmed that the vellum could iste Nanke¡¯s presence. That was why he pulled the exact same trick and forced the group to split up a second time.

    Someone might argue that it was a bad idea to use the same trick a second time, but Ye Qing was fairly confident that it would work. After all, the group¡¯s primary objective was to retrieve Nanke, and this was confirmed by their worried expressions when Dream Master suddenly lost track of the Strange Artifact. If Nanke¡¯s presence were to reappear, he was sure they would give chase immediately.

    However, ughterer was theirpanion, and they couldn¡¯t just abandon him to his fate. Therefore, the best solution from their perspective was to split up and aplish both objectives at the same time. That would be his cue to act.

    After he confirmed that Earth Walker had split away from the group, Ye Qing traveled back to the battlefield first and disguised himself as ughterer. He was hoping to pull the same trick that had fooled ughterer and y Earth Walker with minimal effort. However, the dumb-looking Earth Walker had somehow seen through his disguise and caught him by surprise. This should not have happened.

    Earth Walker sneered as he answered, ¡°When you fought ughterer earlier, you forced him to use his trump card, ¡®Xingtian Finale¡¯. ¡®Xingtian Finale¡¯ is an Asura secret art that turns an Asura into a fearless warrior who can continue fighting even without a head. However, executing such a secret art would cause them to fall into a period of extreme weakness, and more importantly, they could never regenerate their head again. They could only live as the war god Xingtian had; a headless body who uses their nipples as the eyes and their belly button as the mouth.¡±

    ¡°Your disguise is perfect. You managed to mimic ughterer¡¯s appearance, body shape, energies, and even his exhaustion after using his trump card. However, you missed the one thing you should never have missed, which is why I realized you¡¯re a fake from the moment Iy my eyes on you.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization. He supposed he was careless. He never thought that ughterer¡¯s secret art would have such a severe w. He should¡¯ve asked the Annon Sutra first before carrying out his n.

    On second thought, it wouldn¡¯t have mattered even if he discovered this trait sooner. He could morph his body to mimic almost any human being in the world, but a headless one? It wasn¡¯t like he could remove his own head.

    It was fine though. The surprise attack might have failed, but a frontal attack would achieve the same oue.

    Ye Qing tilted his head and asked another question, ¡°If you already know that I¡¯m a fake, then why did you still approach me? Are you stupid or suicidal?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You have one helluva mouth for someone with one foot in the grave already,¡± Earth Walker scoffed.

    His enemy had tried to trick him, so he had repaid the favor in return. That was why he didn¡¯t expose Ye Qing immediately after seeing through his disguise. He wanted to get close enough so he could unleash his full strength and restrain the impudent fool.

    His opponent was strong enough to force ¡°Xingtian Finale¡± out of ughterer. He might even have killed the big idiot already. Had he exposed Ye Qing immediately, he would¡¯ve had to sh against him in a head-on fight. He was sure he would win, but as a veteran of the <i>jianghu</i>, he knew that to let carelessness into his head. Why take a risk when there was a safer, more superior option?

    As soon as he got close to Ye Qing, he immediately activated his Yaksa bloodline and unleashed his full power. Thanks to this, he was able to outwit his enemy and restrain him.

    Earth Walker was a descendant of the ancient Yaksas and a member of the Yaksas of the Eight Legions. He was swift, strong, and cunning.

    A Yaksa could be split into two types, namely Sky Yaksa and Earth Yaksa. A Sky Yaksa had a pair of wings that allowed them to fly and pull off all kinds of tricky movements. An Earth Yaksa was a natural in Earth Escape and could slip into the underground anytime, anywhere. Their head was constantly covered in green mes, and they enjoyed spreading gues and cmities. They were also born with a face that only a mother could love.

    Earth Walker was descended from an Earth Yaksa. He was a Half-Step Grandmaster in his own right, but when he activated his bloodline, he could give even a proper Grandmaster a run for their money.

    The fake ughterer was currently restrained, and his insides were sealed and corrupted by his green mes. He could not see how the man could possibly get out of this¡ªnot unless he was a Grandmaster.

    Was the fake ughterer a Grandmaster? Of course not. If he really was a Grandmaster, then he wouldn¡¯t bother with such petty tricks. He would¡¯ve just attacked him head on.

    As for why Earth Walker hadn¡¯t killed Ye Qing outright, it was because he wanted to know if ughterer was still alive or not.

    Yes, there was a huge chance that ughterer was already dead¡ªbut what if he wasn¡¯t? What if his idiotpanion was still alive?

    Besides, his enemy waspletely under his control right now. He wasn¡¯t afraid of anything Ye Qing might pull in his current state.

    ¡°Now speak. Where is ughterer? Give me the truth, and I may grant you an easy death.¡± Earth Walker tightened his grip while threatening, ¡°Otherwise, you will wish that you were dead.¡±

 Chapter 649: Are You Stupid Or Suicidal?

    ¡°You want to meet ughterer that badly? fine. I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head with a sigh.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s calm demeanor irritated Earth Walker greatly. For whatever reason, he felt like something bad was about to happen.

    ¡°You want to meet ughterer, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll send you to the underworld right now.¡± Ye Qing grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise it won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°You killed ughterer?! You deserve death!¡±

    The bad premonition entrenched in Earth Walker¡¯s heart immediately grew stronger when he heard this. Unwilling to wait any longer, he abruptly tightened his grip and attempted to tten Ye Qing like a pancake.

    However, the blood quickly drained away from his face. It was because he felt like an ordinary human trying to crush a boulder with his bare hands. No matter how hard he squeezed, he was unable to harm Ye Qing even a little.

    ¡°No need to take it easy on me. I can take it,¡± Ye Qing suggested after noticing Earth Walker¡¯s ugly expression.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±The provocation sent Earth Walker into a flying rage. The green mes on his head were brighter and a couple inches taller than before. First, he opened his mouth and sucked in a deep breath, swallowing both air and me into his stomach. Then, he fired a pair of green fire snakes from his eyes straight at Ye Qing.

    The fire snakes had a pair of horns on its head and three legs near its abdomen. Their entire body was wreathed in green mes that screeched and wailed like the voices of hell itself.

    <em>¡°Yaksa Magia: Phosphorescent Snake¡±</em>

    In ancient times, there existed a Stranger called the Phosphorescent Snake. It had horns on its head and legs on its stomach. He was covered in cmitous mes, and it spread gue and disaster wherever it went. Countless humans and animals died as a result. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, its mes utterly destroyed the souls of any creature it killed and denied their reincarnation.

    Legend had it that the Phosphorescent Snake was the Yaksas¡¯ guardian beast. Specifically, they were bred and passed down within the Earth Yaksas.

    ¡°Yaksa Magia: Phosphorescent Snake¡± mimicked the power of a true Phosphorescent Snake. It could be used to attack one¡¯s mind and body. The physical wounds left behind by the magia was difficult to heal, and the flesh was greatly weakenedpared to before. It was nothingpared to the mental damage, however. Worst case scenario, the victim¡¯s mind would be destroyed, and they would never be able to enter the cycle of reincarnation.

    ¡°Yaksa Magia: Phosphorescent Snake¡± was without a doubt a deadly, evil Magia. It was also one of the Yaksas¡¯ strongest Magias.

    Earth Walker didn¡¯t just want to wither Ye Qing¡¯s body. He also wanted to annihte his mind and grant him true death!

    However, Earth Walker¡¯s expectations were defied yet again. While the Phosphorescent Snakes were flying toward Ye Qing¡¯s face, the young man let out a huge yawn. A mad gale blew, and the Phosphorescent Snakes were sucked into his mouth faster than they could react.

    ¡°Burp¡­¡±

    Earth Walker could only stare with a stupefied expression as Ye Qing burped and smacked his lips a little. He then asked expectantly, ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly tasty. Do you have more?¡±

    <em>Do you think that my snakes are dinner or something? Would you like me to sprinkle some cumin on them?!</em>

    Despite the inane thought shing through his mind, Earth Walker¡¯s incredulity was quickly reced by overwhelming fear. Unfortunately, it was toote.

    ¡°It would be impolite not to reciprocate such a wonderful meal. You gave me heat, so I¡¯ll return you some warmth. This is how the world bes a better ce, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Earth Walker was in the middle of executing Earth Escape when suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s ridiculing voice entered his ears. When he looked, he saw a wisp of purple me flying out of the young man¡¯s mouth.

    The wisp was so tiny it was barelyrger than a sapling. But despite its weak and frail appearance, its light was the brightest and hottest he had ever seen. It reminded him of the sun hanging high up in the nine heavens, vast and unstoppable.

    The next moment, he felt himself burning up like a kindling. The heat was such that his body charred and crumbled into ash in just the span of seconds. Not even his Yin God was able to escape before it disintegrated into nothing.

    During the final moments of his life, Earth Walker suddenly recalled Ye Qing¡¯s words, ¡°If you already know that I¡¯m a fake, then why did you still approach me? Are you stupid or suicidal?¡±

    The young man wasn¡¯t boasting after all. If anything, he was the one who failed to see Mount Tai!

    ¡­¡­

    Earth Walker was dead. He was so dead even the pile of cremated ash was quickly scattered by the wind, leaving nothing behind.

    ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Ye Qing mused while shaking his head. Earth Walker was strong and smart. However, he had made two fatal mistakes. One, he got close to him. Two, he underestimated his strength and trump card.

    More urately, he wasn¡¯t expecting the Purple Sun Trueme at all.

    Earth Walker¡¯s body wasn¡¯t particrly strong. The source of his strength came from his unique powers as an Earth Yaksa such as his snake Magia and his green kes. However, the green me was, in essence, a yin-type me, and it waspletely countered by his Purple Sun Trueme, a supreme me of yang. Before the Purple Sun Trueme, his Magia and mes were like mice before a cat; snakes before a hawk. Forget resisting, they could not unleash even a sliver of their full strength. That was why Earth Walker had died with a whimper.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the Purple Sun Trueme, it would have taken Ye Qing a lot more effort to kill him. The guy was a Half-Step Grandmaster. Moreover, there was a chance Earth Walker might have escaped if he set his mind to it.

    After all, he did not know how to use Earth Escape.

    In short, Earth Walker was unlucky.

    ¡°I should find Giggle.¡±

    Earlier, he had given Giggle both Nanke and the Annon Sutra[1] so it could draw Dream Master and Dancer away. Without Nanke, it would be impossible to split up the group, and without the Annon Sutra, it would be impossible to hide Nanke¡¯s presence, hence. It would then reunite with him after the deed was done.

    Giggle might becking in the offensive department, but its ability to run and hide was indubitably first ss. If it did not wish to be seen or caught, then not even Ye Qing would be able to find it. That was why he did not hesitate to entrust Nanke and the Annon Sutra to it. He was confident that Dream Master would not be able toy a hand on it.

    That said, the battle with Earth Walker had ended even faster than he had anticipated. It was practically effortless considering how the Purple Sun Trueme had snuffed out the warrior like nothing. So, he decided to go to Giggle instead. Once they met up, he would find a new way to kill Dream Master and Dancer and wrap up this hunt.

    Ye Qing had left his energy on Giggle, so all he needed to do was to follow the trail. He dashed across the city like a ghost.

    The thick fog and the Endless Wall might be a nightmare to others, but it could not impede Ye Qing in the slightest. He quickly arrived at a group of buildings.

    The buildings were dpidated and half-buried in sand, but they were still incredibly tall and stretched seemingly endlessly toward the horizon. Clearly, he was at the center of the ancient city. He could almost imagine its former glory even as he walked through them.

    Unfortunately, there was nothing that could stand against the endless march of time. Eventually, all things would crumble into dust.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing heard a peal of giggles behind him. When he looked, he saw the little guy standing on a rooftop, carrying a porcin bottle on its head, and carrying Nanke and the Annon Sutra in its arms, giggling.

    Clearly, Giggle had sensed his arrival and decided to show itself.

    Giggle leaped off the building andnded in front of Ye Qing. Then, it handed the Annon Sutra and Nanke back to Ye Qing.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Ye Qing epted the two items and thanked Giggle sincerely. The little guy immediately burst into another peal of happy giggles.

    ¡°Now, only Dream Master and Dancer are left.¡±

    Ye Qing gave Giggle a headpat while wondering how he should tackle his two remaining pursuers. Dancer was not an issue, but Dream Master was a different story. Not only did they share the same cultivation level, Dream Master¡¯s arts were bizarre and unpredictable. Killing the man would definitely not be as easy as killing ughterer or Earth Walker.

    Assuming he failed to kill Dream Master after springing his trap, it would be him who was in trouble. Therefore, he needed toe up with a foolproof n.

    1. Holy shit talk about trust. I don¡¯t think even Brother Frog and Wawa got such a treatment, though¡­ I guess they did? There were times in the raw where I wonder why Ye Qing didn¡¯t put in a greater effort to hide the Annon Sutra in front of those two. ?

 Chapter 650: I Treat You Like My Husband, But You Treat Me Like A Daughter

    ¡°A foolproof n¡­¡± Ye Qing sat on the roof with his head bowed and his fingers tapping the ceramic tiles rhythmically, thinking.

    Giggle sat quietly beside him so as not to disturb his train of thought.

    Nanke¡¯s presence was currently concealed, so Dream Master would not be able to track it down for the moment, which gave him time to think. He knew that his time was limited though. The longer he dragged this out, the higher the chances that things might spiral out of his control.

    Ye Qing thought long and hard, but in the end, he still believed that the best way to deal with Dream Master was to repeat what he did to ughterer and Earth Walker: pretend to be one of his allies and cut him down when he least expected it.

    However, the chances that Dream Master would see through him was quite real. If the n failed, then he would be in serious trouble.

    Not only that, he didn¡¯t have anything that specifically countered Dream Master¡¯s arts. One misstep, and he might be serving his enemies his head on a silver tter.

    It was the best and only n he coulde up with though. Everything else was either too risky or unrealistic.

    ¡°I have to give it a try.¡±

    In the end, Ye Qing chose to give it a go. Not everything in the world could be done perfectly, just like no n could ount for every variable. Should the worst happen, he just had to bite the bullet and innovate on the fly.His mind made up, Ye Qing jumped off the roof and got ready to create somemotion and lure Dream Master to him as he and Earth Walker had agreed earlier. However, something caught his attention before he could do anything. His eyebrows rose as he eximed in surprise, ¡°There are others entering this city?¡±

    Part of the fog shrouding the city was his own. Naturally, anyone who entered its range would alert his senses.

    ¡°There are two people. One of them is running away, and the other is giving chase.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts raced inside his head as he perceived the presence. Then, he began moving in the duo¡¯s direction.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Just surrender the item, junior sister! I promise I won¡¯t hurt you!¡±

    Two people were dashing through the fog at high speed. Both the pursuer and the one being pursued was a woman.

    The woman at the front was wearing a red outfit and an exquisite-looking mask. Her feet were wless and unhurt even though she was barefooted, and she looked calm and in control even though she was running away.

    The woman at the back was wearing a snow white outfit that looked like the purest, cleanest object in the entire world, but her face was cker than coal, darker than ink, and deeper than the night itself. It was as if she was the representative of the darkest side of humanity.

    Ye Qing thought two neers had entered the city, when in reality there were three. The woman in white was carrying a man on her back.

    The man¡¯s legs seemed to be disabled. He was sitting on a wheelchair, and both him and the wheelchair were lifted into the air by the woman in white.

    The man¡¯s appearance was the opposite of the woman in white. He was wearing a ck outfit that looked as dark as the night, but his face was smooth and milky like jade, and his eyes looked like a pair of clear pools, translucent and pure.

    Despite carrying a person on her back and running somewhat boorishly, the woman in white wasn¡¯t slow in the slightest. Every time she took a step, the earth beneath her foot would dete and inte like it was breathing. By the time itpleted the motion, the woman in white was already ten meters away. Despite its clumsiness appearance, her footsteps were rhythmic and empowered by some sort of ancient wisdom.

    This was why the woman in red was unable to break free despite moving very quickly herself.

    On the wheelchair, the man called out again with a warm, gentle voice that resembled a cool breeze, ¡°Junior sister, we are childhood friends who share a deep bond with each other, aren¡¯t we? Is it really worth damaging that bond over some trivial object?¡±

    ¡°I know. Everyone knows that you cherish me the most, first senior brother. Since we were children, you would always give me any good stuff you find, but never sought anything from me.¡±

    Further ahead, the woman in red replied in a sweet, melodious voice, ¡°You won¡¯t make an exception this time, will you?¡±

    ¡°But of course,¡± the man replied gently. ¡°However, that old bastard is as old as he is cunning, and I doubt the item he left behind would be any better. I certainly wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it turned out to be dangerous enough to threaten your life. For your own safety, you should give it to me for safekeeping.¡±

    ¡°You treat me so well, first senior brother.¡±

    The woman in red giggled. ¡°But that is precisely why I can¡¯t risk your wellbeing. If the old bastard¡¯s inheritance really is that dangerous, then it¡¯s better that I keep it. I wouldn¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I am your first senior brother. You know what they say, the elder sibling is parentally responsible for their younger siblings. It is far more reasonable for a father to protect his daughter than it is the other way around, don¡¯t you agree?¡± The man replied in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°My, my, you¡¯re such a great man, first senior brother.¡±

    For the first time, the woman in red turned around to shoot her pursuers a weird look. ¡°I don¡¯t think that third senior sister would be happy with your perspective though. She loves you like no other and thinks of you as her husband, but you¡¯re telling me that you really think of her as your daughter? How sad.¡±

    The woman carrying the man abruptly stopped in her tracks. At the same time, the earth beneath her feet began shaking unsteadily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to your junior sister¡¯s nonsense, Ah Su. You know how she loves to spout nonsense every once in a while. Of course I know your love for me, and I too love you and only you.¡±

    The man patted the woman¡¯s head and stared into her eyes lovingly. ¡°I, Su Xiu, love Ah Su forever and ever.¡±

    ¡°Ah Su¡­ also¡­ loves Ah Xiu.¡±

    The woman named Ah Su replied somewhat disjointedly. Her voice sounded stiff and wooden, but there was no denying its seriousness.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Su Xiu asked gently while removing a silken handkerchief from his shirt and wiping the beads of sweat on Ah Su¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Ah Su¡­ isn¡¯t¡­ tired¡­¡± Ah Su shook her head.

    ¡°Very well. Then let us continue the chase.¡±

    Su Xiu looked in the direction the woman had disappeared to while saying, ¡°Your junior sister is such a naughty girl. I think it¡¯s time we teach her a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Naughty girls¡­ should be¡­ punished¡­¡±

    Ah Su replied and bent her knees slightly. There was a deafening boom, and Ah Su shot into the air like an arrow after the woman in red.

    In the air, Su Xiu lightly made a plucking motion. A brilliant star immediately appeared between his fingertips. Once upon a time, there were gods who could pluck stars out of the sky.

    The next moment, Su Xiu flicked the star straight at the woman in red.

    The star fell like a rock, a house, a mountain.

    Long before it hit the ground, the earth was already rippling like a leg, and everything within a hundred meters radius were choking with energy. The woman in red was caught dead center.

    Knowing that she couldn¡¯t avoid the attack, the woman in red stopped running and produced a red umbre. She slowly opened it.

    When the red umbre was fully open, the descending pressure and energy abruptly bounced off to the side like a water bead.

    The falling star also froze in mid-air, unmoving.

    To hold up an umbre was akin to holding up a sky. What was a starpared to that?

    However, Ah Su appeared on top of the star and brought her foot down. The woman in red¡¯s arms immediately fell an inch, and herplexion turned a little white.

    Seeing this, Ah su raised her foot and stomped the star again.

    There was a deafening roar as the star cracked, and the red umbre fell another inch lower. By now, the woman in red¡¯s face had turnedpletely white.

    ¡°I was wrong, first senior brother, third senior sister! I¡¯m sorry!¡± the woman in red pleaded in a hurry when Ah Su raised her foot a third time. Ah Su was unmoved, however. Like a demon god, she brought her foot down a third time and shattered the starpletely. A terrific shockwave immediately washed through the area and tore the sky and earth asunder.

    Despite standing at the center of impact, Ah Su couldn¡¯t seem to feel the shockwave. She descended toward the woman in red and stepped on the red umbre.

 Chapter 651: Secret Lady

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The woman in red shook violently as she spat out a mouthful of blood. The attack was such that her energies plummeted in an instant.

    ¡°Mercy, third senior sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Naughty girls¡­ should be punished¡­¡± Ah Sunded on the ground and stared at the woman in red.

    ¡°I know I made a mistake. I swear I won¡¯t do it again, so please, have mercy and forgive me, third senior sister!¡± The woman in red begged.

    ¡°Ah Xiu¡­ decides¡­¡± said Ah Su while looking over her back.

    ¡°I made a mistake, first senior brother.¡± The woman in red looked at Su Xiu, ¡°I know you cherish me the most. You will forgive me, right?¡±

    ¡°I told you not to overestimate yourself, but you just won¡¯t listen. Now you¡¯re suffering the consequences, and for what?¡± Su Xiu asked gently.

    ¡°Sigh. I know. It¡¯s all because of second senior brother. If he hadn¡¯t bewitched me with his silver tongue, I would never dare to defy first senior brother and third senior sister, would I?¡± The woman in red said pitifully.¡°You¡¯re ming Second? But Second said you¡¯re the one who bewitched him!¡± Su Xiu smiled.

    ¡°Surely you are aware that second senior brother is an expert liar who¡¯s most proficient at sowing dissension and ndering others, first senior brother?¡± the woman in red argued. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯m willing to confront him directly.¡±

    When Su Xiu didn¡¯t answer her, the woman in red asked, ¡°You believe me, right first senior brother?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, junior sister,¡± Su Xiu replied. ¡°In fact, I already taught him a lesson on your behalf.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a good person, first senior brother.¡± The woman in red looked very happy. ¡°May I know how?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. I cut off his hands for you, and Ah Su sewed his mouth because he was too noisy,¡± Su Xiu replied in an indifferent tone. ¡°Also, he kept trying to run away, so I broke his legs after a few escape attempts. You wouldn¡¯t be as disobedient as him, right junior sister?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! Out of all of our brothers and sisters, you and third senior sister are the two people I listen to the most!¡± the woman in red giggled.

    ¡°Good.¡± Su Xiu nodded before voicing his disappointment, ¡°A shame that the wheelchair I made for you is going to go to waste though. It was such an exquisite work of art too.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much for the gift, first senior brother,¡± the woman in red said, ¡°but my legs are perfectly fine unlike yours. You should save that wheelchair for yourself.¡±

    ¡°I sincerely hope you¡¯ll remain a good girl then,¡± Su Xiu replied.

    ¡°If first senior brother and third senior sister continue to treat me well, then why would I be anything else?¡± the woman in red tilted her head.

    ¡°Good. Ah Su and I love good, obedient children,¡± Su Xiu said while caressing Ah Su¡¯s hair a little. ¡°So, where is the item, junior sister?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not with me right now,¡± the woman in red replied helplessly.

    ¡°And right after you promise to be a good girl too,¡± Su Xiu said gently while rapping his knuckles against his wheelchair¡¯s arm. There was nothing weing about his gentleness, however.

    ¡°Disobedient children¡­ should be punished¡­¡± Ah Su said while grabbing the woman in red¡¯s shoulder. When she tightened her grip, the woman in red¡¯s shoulder immediately started cracking ominously.

    ¡°Ouch ouch ouch!¡± The woman in red curled into herself while crying in pain, ¡°Give me some time to fully exin myself, will you? I meant that I¡¯m not carrying the Demon Controlling Jade Manual right now. I hid it in a safe ce.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Su Xiu didn¡¯t seem to be surprised. ¡°And where is it?¡±

    The woman in red replied, ¡°I hid it in a ce that¡¯s absolutely safe. So safe, in fact, that I can¡¯t even recall where it is.¡±

    ¡°Junior sister! You shouldn¡¯t toy with your senior brother and sister!¡± Su Xiu frowned with displeasure.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! It¡¯s simply the truth.¡±

    The woman in red exined, ¡°Have your heard of a Stranger called the Secret Lady, first senior brother? Secret Lady looks like a young woman who enjoys wearing green clothes and carrying a red candle. She only appears during the night.¡±

    ¡°Those who encountered the Secret Lady could tell her a secret. They would forget about the secret after the fact. Only by locating the Secret Lady again and trading her another secret could they recall the secret they had previously told her. Not only that, they would forget the secret they traded to the Secret Lady forever.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you told the location of the Demon Controlling Jade Manual to the Secret Lady?¡± Su Xiu asked.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± the woman in red confirmed. ¡°Unfortunately, I am the only one who knows how to find the Secret Lady.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t lie to me, right junior sister?¡± Su Xiu asked slowly while tapping his wheelchair.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, first senior brother?¡± The woman in red replied in an aggrieved voice, ¡°You can search me if you don¡¯t believe me!¡±

    Upon hearing this, Ah Su turned around again and shot Su Xiu a cold look.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ you must be joking, junior sister. Of course I believe you.¡± Su Xiu coughed before continuing, ¡°In that case, please lead the way and take us to this Secret Lady of yours, junior sister.¡±

    ¡°On that note, do try your best to be a good girl, okay? If you anger Ah Su, she might dig out your eyes, sew your mouth, cut off your arms, and break your legs. When that happens, not even I can save you, understand?¡±

    ¡°Of course I will! I¡¯m third senior sister¡¯s goodest girl.¡± The woman in red giggled. ¡°I shall lead you two to the Demon Controlling Jade Manual right now.¡±

    ¡°Good. Ah Su, you can release her now. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll try to escape any longer,¡± Su Xiu looked at Ah Su and ordered gently.

    Ah Su did as he requested and released her grip.

    ¡°No sense in wasting time. Let¡¯s go, junior sister.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Greeke Bai?!¡±

    Hidden in the shadows, Ye Qing was watching the departing trio with an odd expression. The barefooted woman in red was none other than Greeke Bai, the woman who screwed him over back at Fengdu. He had always wanted to meet her again and repay the ¡°favor¡±, but this was thest ce he expected to see her.

    ¡°Hehehe. Karmic retribution really does exist in this world. If you hadn¡¯t tricked me back at Fengdu, then you probably wouldn¡¯t be in this situation, would you?¡± said Ye Qing while barely stopping himself fromughing out loud.

    Although the trio kept bringing up their rtionship and emphasizing their shared bond, it was clear that they were hostile toward each other.

    Assuming he hadn¡¯t misinterpreted their words, the reason Su Xiu was chasing after Greeke Bai was to obtain something called a ¡°Demon Controlling Jade Manual¡±.

    He could also sense Su Xiu was brimming with killing intent from the start until the end. If Greeke Bai actually gave up the Demon Controlling Jade Manual to him, he would have killed her immediately after the fact.

    Of course, Greeke Bai was no fool. She was a shrewd woman who had tricked even him before, so of course she knew what Su Xiu was plotting. That was why she had hidden the Demon Controlling Jade Manual beforehand. As a result, Su Xiu couldn¡¯t just kill her and be done with her, not unless he gave up on the Demon Controlling Jade Manualpletely.

    It was also why Greeke Bai never showed any fear from the start until the end.

    Of course, this stalemate was temporary. Su Xiu was still going to kill her as soon as he obtained the Demon Controlling Jade Manual. That was why the woman was definitely going to stir up shit on the way and make life difficult for Su Xiu as much as possible. In fact, she was definitely going to try and kill him somehow. It was the only way she could survive after all.

    For now though, Ye Qing was absolutely enjoying Greeke Bai¡¯s misery.

    ¡°Wait a second. Su Xiu, Greeke Bai and that Ah Su are all pretty strong. Maybe I could¡­¡±

    A light bulb suddenly appeared on top of Ye Qing¡¯s head. An idea to kill three birds with one stone just urred to him.

 Chapter 652: That Is Not Yours

    Su Xiu, Greeke Bai and Ah Su were currently retracing their route back to where they came from¡ªor so they thought. No one noticed that they were actually straying off the path and moving farther and farther away from the exit.

    <em>Thud.</em>

    Suddenly, they heard a thud from somewhere behind the fog. Su Xiu wasn¡¯t sure why, but he subconsciously looked in the direction of the noise and saw what looked like a bronze door.

    A pair of snakes were wrapped around the door. One of them was white, and the other ck. The way their necks were intertwined above the door gave them a mysterious, profound appearance and made it clear that the door was no ordinary object.

    Su Xiu made a grabbing motion, and the bronze door flew into his hand.

    ¡°What is that, first senior brother?¡± the woman in red asked curiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Su Xiu shook his head while examining the bronze door.

    It was at this moment the two snakes on the door abruptly opened their eyes and moved about.

    ¡°Foolish mortals who can¡¯t even see Mount Tai. If your eyes are just decorations, then you might as well do yourself a favor and remove them,¡± the white snake taunted.¡°Foolish indeed,¡± the ck snake echoed in agreement.

    ¡°You¡¯re artifact spirits?!¡± Su Xiu¡¯s shock quickly morphed into wild joy when he realized that the Strange Artifact was sentient.

    ¡°Of course we¡¯re artifact spirits. What else could we be?¡± The white snake scoffed.

    ¡°Waste of breath,¡± the ck snake added ruthlessly.

    ¡°If I may ask, who are you?¡± Su Xiu asked carefully. The snakes were so intelligent they might as well be human. It was obvious that this was no ordinary Strange Artifact.

    ¡°Listen well¡­¡± the white snake cleared its throat.

    ¡°Harden your knees¡­¡± the ck snake added.

    ¡°When Nanke dreams, the world ages¡­¡± the white snake began.

    ¡°Infinite time in a snap of a finger¡­¡± the ck snake ended.

    Right after that, both snakes dered at the same time, ¡°We are the artifact spirits of Nanke, White Lord and ck Lord!¡±

    ¡°Nanke?¡± Before Su Xiu could even react, Greeke Bai let out a cry of surprise, ¡°Are you the legendary Nanke, the one that can create cultivation dreams for your wielder?¡±

    ¡°Ah! I guess not all of you are blind,¡± White Lord dered proudly.

    ¡°Nanke? You¡¯re really Nanke?!¡±

    Even with Su Xiu¡¯s mental fortitude, he couldn¡¯t help but nk out a little. Nanke was named in the Strange Artifact Register. Of course he had heard of it. He just couldn¡¯t quite believe that the legendary Strange Artifact was currently within his grasp.

    ¡°Tsk tsk. You¡¯re kinda dumb, aren¡¯t you boy?¡± White Lordined when he saw Su Xiu¡¯s reaction. ¡°I¡¯m starting to regret choosing you to be our master.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You want me to be your master?¡± Su Xiu asked in disbelief.

    ¡°You found us, so you¡¯re our master. What¡¯s so hard to understand?¡± White Lord replied matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Congrattions, first senior brother. One hundred years, a Nanke dream. With Nanke by your side, it is only a matter of time before you go down in history as the strongest warrior of this era.¡±

    ¡°I will go down in history¡­ as the strongest warrior of this era?¡± Su Xiu murmured. Was he a so-called Chosen One? Someone who was so lucky he could randomly pick up a legendary Strange Artifact on the side of the road?

    No one would believe him if he told them about this encounter. He couldn¡¯t quite believe it himself even though he was living the cliche right now.

    ¡°That Strange Artifact does not belong to you, friend.¡±

    Suddenly, a voice came from within the fog.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Su Xiu immediately slipped Nanke into his sleeve before looking in the direction where the voice came from.

    A man and a woman stepped out of the fog. The man wore a snow-white outfit and looked impossibly handsome. It was as if he was a celestial who descended from the heavens.

    The woman was petite, but had an hourss figure many women would kill to have. She wore a long dress with colorful ribbons floating around her. She too looked like a heavenly celestial.

    ¡°Please give us the item, friend,¡± the man in white said with a smile on his face.

    The man¡¯s voice was just as sweet and divine as his appearance, but his authoritative tone was unmistakable. This was a man who did not take rejection kindly.

    ¡°Why should I?¡± Su Xiu countered.

    ¡°Because that item is originally ours,¡± the man in white answered.

    ¡°Is that so? On what basis do you im ownership over the item?¡± Su Xiu asked unhurriedly.

    ¡°It originally belongs to the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas,¡± the man in white¡ªor rather Dream Master¡ªanswered.

    Earlier, they were tracking Nanke using the Edict of Divine Thought and pursuing it as quickly as they were able, but the Strange Artifact proved to be quite elusive. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Nanke¡¯s presence suddenly disappeared again somewhere in the middle and worried them greatly.

    Luckily, Nanke¡¯s presence reappeared soon after, and the duo immediately gave chase like their life depended on it. When they finally managed to catch up to Strange Artifact, they immediately saw Su Xiu holding it in his hand.

    Dream Master did not know how Nanke fell into the trio¡¯s hands¡ªdid the thief run into the trio and got himself killed or something?¡ªbut ultimately, it did not matter. He couldn¡¯t care less about the truth so long as he retrieved Nanke.

    ¡°You¡¯re one of the Eight Legions?¡± Su Xiu¡¯s eyebrows knitted a little. Of course he had heard of the Eight Legions. In fact, he knew them better than most <em>jianghu </em>warriors due to his background.

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Dream Master saluted him politely. ¡°I am Dream Master of the Devas, and the item you¡¯re holding is an important Strange Artifact that¡¯s been passed down within the Devas for countless generations. My lord, Di Shitian, has charged me with the duty of bringing it home, so I hope that you will oblige this request.¡±

    ¡°The Devas? Di Shitian?¡± Su Xiu stopped tapping his wheelchair. He was surprised to hear that the strangers before him hailed from the Eight Legions, but the mention of the Devas and Di Shitian shocked him greatly.

    As was evident in their full title, the Devas and the Nagas were the most venerated legions of the Eight Legions. As for Di Shitian. he was both the head of the Devas and the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas. His strength was unfathomable, and he was a named warrior on the Heaven Champions Ranking.

    If Nanke really was the Devas¡¯ Strange Artifact, and if Dream Master really was carrying out Di Shitian¡¯s order, then it would probably be a bad idea to hold onto Nanke.

    However, he was reluctant to surrender the Strange Artifact. After all, it was Nanke, the seventy-eighth Strange Artifact on the Strange Artifact Register.

    He was still hesitating when a pair of snake heads crawled out of his sleeves and yelled at Dream Master, ¡°Go fuck yourself you fart of a bitch! What Devas? What Di Shitian? We¡¯ve never even heard of you, so how could we possibly be your inheritance? Stop stering your face with gold[1] you liar!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know you. We¡¯re not familiar with you. We have no idea what you are,¡± ck Lord fired a triple denial.

    Dream Master flinched. He never expected White Lord and ck Lord to reject him. ¡°ck Lord, White Lord, you¡­¡±

    ¡°It looks like this item isn¡¯t yours after all.¡± Su Xiu suddenly broke into a smile.

    ¡°What are you trying to say, friend?¡± Dream Master asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. If this isn¡¯t your item, then why should I give it to you?¡± A hint of determination shed in Su Xiu¡¯s eyes.

    It was said that rejecting the heavens¡¯ gift was akin to courting divine judgment. Nanke had literally delivered itself to his doorstep, so how could he give it up without a fight? How could a warrior who didn¡¯t strive to be better possibly be stronger?

    Besides, this was Nanke, a top one hundred Strange Artifact in the Strange Artifact Register. There were millions and millions of Strange Artifacts throughout the world, and Nanke was better than most of them. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it was a unique Strange Artifact that possessed the power to change one¡¯s fate¡ªthe same could be said for any Strange Artifact in the top one hundred as well. While it was ultimately up to the person to change their own fate, that did not change the fact that Nanke represented an opportunity; a path to ascension.

    Countless people failed to reach greater heights not because they werezy or untalented, but because they never had the opportunity.

    That was why Su Xiu couldn¡¯t let it go. He was confident in his natural talent and the amount of work he put in to grow stronger. If he could obtain Nanke, he was sure he could rise to greater heights and be a noteworthy person. And if he could be a noteworthy person, he might just be able to treat Ah Su and mend the eternal regret and sorrow in his heart.

    Love and pain flickered in Su Xiu¡¯s eyes as he watched Ah Su.

    1. Meaning to praise oneself. ?

 Chapter 653: Call of the Nether

    <h4>Chapter 653: Call of the Nether </h4>

    Su Xiu and Ah Su were childhood friends who grew up together. Ah Su was a year older than him, so she cared for him like an older sister. No matter what happened, she always took his side and protected him. Later, they joined the West Kunlun, one of the Nine Demonic Ways.

    East Kunlun, one of the Three Temples of Dao, called themselves the ancestral ground of Taoism. West Kunlun was the opposite. They worshiped the Progenitor Demon Rahu, and they called themselves the ancestral ground of the Dark Ways. Naturally, West Kunlun was one hundred percent a demonic sect where thew of the jungle reigned supreme.

    There were twelve abodes in West Kunlun, and the head of the Nethercall Abode noticed Su Xiu¡¯s talent and took him as an inner disciple. In most other ces, this was the opportunity of a lifetime and the best thing that ever happened to them. But for Su Xiu, it was the beginning of an unending nightmare.

    The head of the Nethercall Abode was cruel, violent and sadistic. He especially loved torturing other using all sorts of unusual methods. For example, Su Xiu had lost his legs because the abode head had tortured them for three days straight using the Wind of Ultimate Purity of the Nine Heavens and the Destructive Water of the Nine Nethers.

    Ah Su wasn¡¯t chosen by the abode head. She had willingly joined the Nethercall Abode as a servant to protect him. Every time the abode head tortured him, and every time someone bullied him, Ah Su would step in front of him and bore the brunt of the damage. This was why Ah Su had be like this.

    Even in her mentally disabled state, Ah Su never forgot to stand in front of him and protect him from all dangers. She was like a gigantic tree or a faithful umbre who would endure the wind, the rain, and even the lightning for him.

    If his life was mostlyposed of pain, darkness and hatred, then Ah Su was the single ray of light and innocence that kept him from plungingpletely into the darkness.

    That was why he had three wishes in his life. The first was to kill the abode head of the Nethercall Abode, a.k.a his master. The second was to be an aplished person; someone no one could ever torment again. And third, he wished to heal Ah Su so she could enjoy the rest of her life in true happiness and health.

    Today, one of his wishes hade true. His master¡ªthe old bastard both him and Greeke Bai had spoken of¡ªwas finally dead due to his scheme. He had schemed with Greeke Bai to leak his whereabouts to his sworn foe, causing him to be ambushed and grievously injured by his enemies. He died from his injuries not long after he returned to West Kunlun.

    It was a shame he wasn¡¯t able to kill the old bastard with his own two hands, but it was still a wish fulfilled.

    Now, he only had two wishes left. One, to be an aplished person, and two, to heal Ah Su back to full health.

    Unfortunately, it was very difficult for him to fulfill his two remaining wishes with his current strength. If he missed the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him, he was going to regret this forever.

    He neither wanted to live under another¡¯s shadow forever, nor did he wish for Ah Su to be forever stuck in a quagmire of darkness and confusion. He wanted her to live under the sun and be happy, forever.

    In the past, Ah Su willingly became his tree and protected him from all harm.

    Now, it was his turn to step up and find that ray of hope for her.

    That was why he wasn¡¯t going to give up Nanke. He was going to grasp this life-changing opportunity with all his might not just for himself, but also Ah Su.

    As for whether he would offend the Eight Legions and Di Shitian with this act, he wasn¡¯t too worried.

    Forget that there was a fair chance Dream Master was lying to his face, so what if he was actually telling the truth?

    Dead men tell no tales. If they all died here, then no one would find out that Nanke had fallen into his hands.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to make an enemy out of the Eight Legions, friend?¡± Dream Master asked casually. It was impossible to tell if he was angry or annoyed.

    ¡°That¡¯s our question. Are you saying that everything under the heavens belongs to the Eight Legions so long as it doesn¡¯t have an owner?¡±

    Greeke Bai taunted before Su Xiu could say anything, ¡°Anyone who doesn¡¯t give up an opportunity to the Eight Legions is an enemy, is that it? If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think that you¡¯re the masters of the world!¡±

    Dream Master paid her provocation no heed. ¡°Of course anyone cany im to an unowned possession, but the opposite? That is a very different story.¡±

    ¡°The item your friend is holding belongs to us. Therefore, you are notying im to an opportunity. You are simply stealing from us.¡±

    ¡°When you steal from someone, you must be prepared to bear the consequences. Fortune and misfortune do not have a preference, it is always the people who choose them through their actions. I beseech you to think carefully before choosing misfortune, friend.¡±

    ¡°You speak as if you have proof. Nanke itself ims that it doesn¡¯t know you, so who can tell if you¡¯re telling the truth or not?¡±

    Su Xiu smiled. ¡°Besides, no one knows if a decision is fortunate or unfortunate until after the fact, and I''m pretty sure you can¡¯t see into the future.¡±

    ¡°Mortals truly are foolish. We can pave a road for them, and they¡¯ll still choose to walk the thorny trail.¡± Dream Master shook his head regretfully. He could tell that the trio were pretty strong, which was why he tried to persuade them into returning the Strange Artifact instead of attacking them outright. Unfortunately, it would seem that negotiations had broken down.

    If they won¡¯t surrender Nanke, then he would take it and their lives by force.

    ¡°And how would you know if the single-log bridge in your eyes isn¡¯t the high road in my heart?¡± Su Xiu chuckled once before tapping his wheelchair.

    <i>Tap.</i>

    The area abruptly plunged into darkness. The rocks disappeared, the yellow sand disintegrated, and the nts melted as a cold wind blew. It was as if this corner of the world had plunged into the Nether.

    ¡°¡®Call of the Nether¡¯? You¡¯re a disciple of West Kunlun! That exins your confidence,¡± Dream Master eximed with anguid smile on his face. The wind was deadly, but some sort of invisible forcefield was keeping them from entering within one meter of the man.

    Su Xiu lifted his finger again, and the wind abruptly tripled in intensity.

    <i>¡°Call of The Nether: Stormrage¡±</i>

    The world grew even darker as the storm howled. It felt as if the ground itself was about to be ripped out of the earth and sucked into the sky.

    Seeing this, Dream Master raised a hand and pushed. The storm sailing toward him was immediately reflected back at Su Xiu.

    Ah Su wanted to help Su Xiu, but the young man grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Ah Su. I¡¯ll handle this. Just watch your junior sister and don¡¯t let her run away.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, first senior brother? I already said I woulde with you. Why would I run away?¡± Greeke Baiined, though Su Xiu didn¡¯t even nce in her direction. He watched the mad storm surging toward him¡ªbigger and stronger than when he first unleashed it¡ªand began drawing shapes with his fingers.

    ¡°I ride the darkness of heaven and earth,

    Imand theher of the six qis,

    I call the abode of gods and demons,

    I sacrifice the terrors of humanity...¡±

    The mysterious lines Su Xiu drew in the air slowly formed a massive array as he chanted. It seemed to be calling out to some sort of mysterious existence.

    ¡°With my life as the anchor, and my blood as the sacrifice, I summon you!¡±

    He flicked his finger, and his index finger detached from his hand and flew into the array, disappearing. His blood was also floating in the air as it slowly seeped into the array.

    The array began giving off bizarre, anomalous waves of energy as it shook violently. Right before the storm was about to hit Su Xiu, a fist suddenly reached out of the array and punched it.

    The storm scattered into nothing just like that.

    That wasn¡¯t all. A humanoid creature with a bull¡¯s head, a pair of ming horns, and dark green snakes tangled around its body slowly stepped out of the array. Big as a hill, ck water covered the demon god¡¯s feet as he let out a deafening roar that shattered the clouds and even the darkness around it.

    ¡°The Vigorous Bull Demon? You¡¯re using the Magia of the Call of the Nether, ¡®Demoncall¡¯, which means...¡± Dream Master frowned deeply. ¡°You¡¯re the eighth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, ¡®Demon Caller¡¯ Su Xiu?!¡±

    ¡°Demon Caller¡± Su Xiu was the inner disciple of the abode head of Nethercall Abode. Despite his crippled legs, he was an extraordinarily talented warrior who sessfully mastered the ¡°Call of the Nether¡± before he was thirty. An expert in eight Magias, he was especially proficient in summoning the demon gods of the Nether and deploying them in battle. He was famed as the number one disciple beneath the Saint of West Kunlun and known as ¡°Demon Caller¡± in the <i>jianghu.</i>

    Dream Master knew this because he recognized the demon god Su Xiu just summoned. It was the legendary Vigorous Bull Demon.

 Chapter 654: Two Tigers Fight, Ye Qing Wins All

    <h4>Chapter 654: Two Tigers Fight, Ye Qing Wins All </h4>

    The Vigorous Bull Demon was one of the thirteen demon gods of the Nether. Its body was as tough as metal, and conventional weapons could not put even a scratch on its skin. It favored strength and could move mountains as easily as flipping its palm.

    Of course, the thirteen demon gods of the Nether were immeasurably powerful. Few people possessed the right or the ability tomand them. That was why the Vigorous Bull Demon Su Xiu summoned was just a projection imbued with a sliver of its power and not the demon god itself. Even so, the projection¡¯s power could not be underestimated.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is I.¡±

    Su Xiu was looking a little pale right now. His hand where his finger was bleeding profusely, though he couldn¡¯t seem to feel it for some reason. Not only that, the blood disappeared into thin air as it dripped.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve figured it out sooner though.¡± A cruel look overcame his features. ¡°Kill them.¡±

    Upon hearing Su Xiu¡¯smand, the Vigorous Bull Demon let out an angry roar. The two snakes tangled around his shoulders stood up and spat ghastly mes and ck water at Dream Master and Dancer respectively. At the same time, the Vigorous Bull Demon raised its foot to stomp the duo into the ground.

    Dream Master and Dancer were like ants before the humongous projection. When its foot finally struck the duo, the ground within a hundred meters of the point of impact was shattered like a mirror.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The Vigorous Bull Demon raised both of its fists and began pounding at the duo like it was beating a drum.

    For a time, the earth shook, the sky shuddered, and the dust clouds blotted out everything.

    ¡°Is this all the Eight Legions could do? How disappointing.¡±

    Su Xiu¡¯s eyes oozed with disdain when he saw how easily the Vigorous Bull Demon had overwhelmed Dream Master and Dancer.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    A gentle, melodious voice responded, and the Vigorous Bull Demon¡¯s fist suddenly came to a halt as if it was blocked by something. The demon god roared furiously, but no matter how hard it pushed, it was unable to ovee whatever its enemies¡¯ defense.

    When the dust clouds settled a little, the trio finally realized that the object blocking the Vigorous Bull Demon¡¯s fist... was another fist.

    The owner of the fist was none other than Dream Master.

    Dream Master was an antpared to the Vigorous Bull Demon, much less his fist. It would not be an exaggeration to say that his fist was as small as a speck of dust.

    And yet, there was no denying that an ant-sized human had stopped the Vigorous Bull Demon¡¯s assault; that a dust-sized fist that had stopped the Vigorous Bull Demon¡¯s fist dead in its tracks.

    That was just the beginning. Su Xiu and the others watched in astonishment as Dream Master slowly pushed upward and forced the Vigorous Bull Demon¡¯s fist away from him. The humiliating sight caused the demon god to roar furiously and hatefully at Dream Master, but no matter what it did, it couldn¡¯t stop its back from straightening, couldn¡¯t stop Dream Master from pushing it away.

    After Dream Master had pushed back against the Vigorous Bull Demon three inches, he abruptly waved his hand like he was brushing away the dust on his shirt. Caught off guard by the sudden burst of strength, the demon god lost its footing and fell on its back.

    For a time, silence permeated the air. No one could quite believe what they just saw.

    The feat was akin to an ant toppling a gargantuan tree or stirring the clouds in the sky. It should¡¯ve been impossible.

    ¡°Is that all the Vigorous Bull Demon has? How disappointing,¡± Dream Master threw Su Xiu¡¯s words right back at him. His voice was as sweet and gentle as ever, but his words were insulting to say the least.

    ¡°He¡¯s looking down on you and our Nethercall Abode, first senior brother! What a loathsome man!¡± Greeke Bai pretended to be angry.

    ¡°The arrogance!¡±

    Su Xiu¡¯s expression turned serious as he clenched his right fist before opening them. Four fingers detached themselves from his hand and sank into the void.

    The next moment, four demon gods leaped out into the open and shook the world.

    The first demon god was a skeleton who was covered in mes. However, the me was so cold that ice quickly coated the earth and spread to the surroundings. It was the Skeletal Demon God.

    The second demon god was scorched ck in color and covered in mes as well. Unlike its brethren, its mes were hot enough to melt rocks and sand and transform its surrounding into a molten hell. It was the Scorched me Demon God.

    The third demon god was surrounded by streams of water. Its face waspletely hidden, and the water looked murky and smelled horrible. Countless rotten bodies and bones floated in the streams. It was the ck Water Demon God.

    And finally, the fourth demon god was some sort of insubstantial, shapeless existence that could take on any form it wished. It could be a man, a woman, a monster;ughing, crying or yelling. Possessing the power to bewitch minds or disrupt souls, it was the Heart Distorting Heavenly Demon.

    As soon as the four demon gods emerged into the world, Nine Nethers Demonic Qi filled the sky, the mountains and rivers were dyed ck, and even the sun and moon turned dim and powerless. It was as if the apocalypse was upon them.

    The next moment, the four demon gods charged Dream Master at the same time and unleashed their respective power. But despite this, they were unable to harm the warrior. It was as if Dream Master was some sort of god as he summoned storms of heavenly lightning, fields of earthly fire, hordes of vicious tigers and dragons, formations of celestials and gods, sword beams that seemed capable of chilling neen provinces, saber beams that could cut open the Nine Heavens and more.

    His bag of tricks seemed endless, and despite fighting four demon gods on his own, it actually looked like he was holding the upper hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, first senior brother!¡±

    Realizing that Su Xiu¡¯s assault wasn¡¯t bearing fruit, Greeke Bai decided to join the battle.

    Ah Su herself gently put down Su Xiu¡¯s wheelchair before pouncing toward Dream Master.

    On Dream Master¡¯s side, Dancer too threw herself into battle.

    Greeke Bai flickered like a ghost as she appeared everywhere and anywhere at once. The afterimages looked fake, but some of their attacks were real, and some were not. This made it very difficult to distinguish which attack should be blocked. On top of that, Greeke Bai was unleashing all sorts of secret arts and magic against her enemy. She certainly was putting in the effort if nothing else.

    In contrast, Ah Su¡¯s techniques were much more brutal and simplistics. She was just throwing her hands and legs at her opponent almost without any rhyme or reason whatsoever. This was what people called a ¡°farmer plowing style¡±.

    However, Ah Su¡¯s attacks were powerful, heavy, and unstoppable. Moreover, her body was so tough it was almost as if she was immune to all weapons and arts. No matter what Dream Master threw at her, they failed to put even a scratch on her skin. Every time a de or a spell hit her body, it would elicit some sort of metallic ping and nothing else.

    Thanks to Greeke Bai and Ah Su¡¯s participation, Dream Master slowly but surely fell into a disadvantage. Still, it did not look like he was going to lose any time soon.

    The battle grew more and more intense, but it would be a while before the victors were decided.

    ......

    ¡°What are they doing?¡±

    Ye Qing was sitting on top of a broken wall and staring at the two groups with a strange expression.

    Giggle was also copying Ye Qing¡¯s behavior and tilting his head at the distant groups.

    From Ye Qing¡¯s perspective, Su Xiu and Dream Master were ¡°calmly¡± threatening the fuck out of each other when suddenly, they fellpletely still. They just stood there like they were statues, and no one was saying a word.

    <i>The tension was razor sharp just now. I thought for sure you guys are gonna fight each other to the death, so why aren¡¯t you fighting?</i>

    <i>Why are you just standing there like you had suddenly fallen asleep?</i>

    <i>This is fucking bullshit!</i>

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t begin to describe how puzzled and miffed he was. He was puzzled because he didn¡¯t know what the hell was going on with the duo, and he was miffed because he couldn¡¯t y the fisherman if they didn¡¯t fight.

    Yes, Ye Qing¡¯s n was very simple. He was going to let the sandpiper and the m wear each other out before he destroyed them both.

    Su Xiu had picked up Nanke not because he got dogshit lucky, but because Ye Qing had made it so.

    First, he leaked Nanke¡¯s presence and drew Dream Master and Dancer toward Su Xiu. A moment before they arrived, he dropped Nanke in Su Xiu¡¯s path.

    That was how Su Xiu came across Nanke.

    However, there was a chance Su Xiu might not recognize Nanke. Not everyone was as well-read as him after all. So, how could he make Su Xiu recognize its value?

    He left that up to ck Lord and White Lord. It hadn¡¯t taken much effort at all to persuade the two artifact spirits to put up an act, and all it cost was a simple request.

    Thanks to ck Lord and White Lord, Su Xiu quickly recognized the true value of Nanke and became greedy. He no longer felt like giving it up to anyone.

    Right after that, Dream Master and Dancer showed up. What followed next was a series of threats and counter threats.

    Just in case Su Xiu sumbed to Dream Master¡¯s threat and surrendered Nanke, Ye Qing used his demonic thought to erge his greed and his obsession.

    It worked. Negotiations had broken down just a few minutester.

 Chapter 655: Dream Butterfly True Scripture

    Since negotiations had failed, it was time to speak with one¡¯s fists.

    Su Xiu was strong, and Dream Master was no weakling either. A battle between the duo was almost certainly going to cost them dearly. Depending on how evenly matched they were, it might even result in mutual destruction.

    If everything went smoothly, then he would be able to eliminate Dream Master effortlessly, end their hunt permanently, and even take revenge against Greeke Bai. He would be killing three birds with one stone. What¡¯s not to like?

    At first, things had gone exactly as he envisioned. Negotiations had broken down, and it looked like the duo was going to sh against each other in epicbat. And then¡­ nothing happened.

    Both Su Xiu and Dream Master had suddenly frozen in ce as if they were pretending to be a tree. It was the same for everyone else. A momentter, they even closed their eyes as if they were taking a nap. Were they so tired that they fell asleep or something?

    It was at this moment Ye Qing realized something. ¡°Wait a second. Sleeping? Dream Master?¡±

    Suddenly, Dancer opened her eyes and giggled softly. Then, she began walking toward Su Xiu and his group.

    When she was right in front of Su Xiu, she summoned an oddly-shaped weapon into her hand.

    The weapon was about one meter in length and shaped like a rectangr dagger. The corners of the de looked very sharp, and there was a hilt at the center of the weapon. It looked somewhat simr to a Buddhist¡¯s gada[1], except it was covered in ck dried blood and rust. At first nce, it didn¡¯t look or feel special at all.Dancer then raised the gada and thrust it toward Su Xiu¡¯s forehead.

    <em>Looks like I¡¯m right.</em>

    Dancer¡¯s action confirmed Ye Qing¡¯s suspicion. Unless he was gravely mistaken, Dream Master must have used some sort of art to draw everyone into a dream. Then, he woke up Dancer so she could kill the trio in real life.

    Although he couldn¡¯t feel anything unusual from the gada, he had no doubt that it would deal Su Xiu a grievous blow, if not kill him outright.

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow in hesitation. Should he rescue Su Xiu, or should he let him die?

    He quickly arrived at a decision. He was going to save Su Xiu.

    The reason he pitted them against each other in the first ce was to weaken both sides, and that couldn¡¯t happen if one side overwhelmingly crushed the other side. If Dream Master won right here and now, then he would be able to face Ye Qing at nearly full strength. It was the same if Su Xiu overwhelmingly dominated Dream Master. In both cases, he would be at a disadvantage.

    Therefore, the best oue for him was if both sides were grievously injured.

    On the surface, it looked like Su Xiu had the numbers advantage. Su Xiu, Ah Su and Greeke Bai were also quite strong, so it looked like the upper hand was theirs. In reality, they weren¡¯t united in purpose. Not even remotely. Su Xiu and Greeke Bai in particr were barely hiding their hostility toward each other beneath a veneer of feigned civility and nominal bond.

    If Su Xiu died, and there was no one left to suppress Greeke Bai, then the woman was going to run away for sure. There was a higher chance that a toad could eat a swan[2] than Greeke Bai staying behind and fighting Dream Master to the death, and alone, it was highly unlikely that Ah Su would be able to defeat Dream Master and Dancer.

    Should this scenario happen, forget killing his pursuers or taking revenge against Greeke Bai, it was far likelier than he would lose both Nanke and Greeke Bai. All of his scheming would only lead to a painful double loss.

    That was why he needed to ruin Dream Master¡¯s ploy and rescue Su Xiu. Only when both sides were on even ground could he maximize the damage they suffered.

    His mind made up, Ye Qing pointed a finger toward Su Xiu and tapped the space in front of him.

    ¡­¡­

    Inside the dreamscape, Su Xiu was growing increasingly pale. The stumps on his right hand were no longer bleeding blood. Instead, they were bleeding ck refined qi and vitality.

    While ¡°Demoncall¡± was a powerful art that allowed its practitioner to connect to the Nine Nethers and summon gods and demons to help them, the price was the practitioner¡¯s mind and vitality.

    Su Xiu believed it was worth it if he could kill Dream Master and obtain Nanke though.

    Dream Master was slowly but surely faltering under thebined assault of five demon gods, Ah Su and Greeke Bai. Just a little more, and victory would be his.

    Suddenly, Su Xiu sensed a terrible killing intent that chilled him to his core. It had appeared out of nowhere and seemingly originated from a different world. It was both confusing and unexpected.

    <em>Wait a second. If the killing intent came from another world, then where am I?!</em>

    As soon as doubt sprouted in Su Xiu¡¯s heart, the world before his eyes abruptly started rippling like a reflection that was disturbed by a gust of wind.

    <em>It¡¯s all fake!</em>

    Su Xiu¡¯s eyes widened. His eyes began rippling like a wave, and a pair of flood dragons abruptly burst into the open and ripped the mirage before him into pieces. When he returned to reality and opened his eyes for real, he immediately saw a sharp object growingrger andrger in his vision.

    ¡°The audacity!¡±

    Every cell in Su Xiu¡¯s body screamed for him to react as he swept out with his astral qi and spiritual power. Completely caught off guard, Dancer took a direct hit and was sent flying into the air, blood spraying out of her mouth like a geyser.

    Her injuries weren¡¯t her concern though. Su Xiu¡¯s sudden awakening was.

    Dream Master¡¯s cultivation art was called the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± or the ¡°Zhuangzi Dream Butterfly Scripture¡±. It was a divine art created by an ancient Taoist sage known as Zhuang Zhou.

    Legend had it that Zhuang Zhou¡ªalso known as Zhuangzi¡ªwas sleeping on a grassy in when he had an interesting dream. He dreamed that he had transformed into a butterfly who was flying about and exploring the world aimlessly. It was such a happy moment that he almost forgot who he was and what he was.

    Zhuangzi jolted awake from his dream eventually, but he could recall the details of his dream as clear as day. When he got up to take a good look at himself and recall his dream, he was suddenly struck by a most curious dilemma: was he Zhuangzi the human, or was he the butterfly? Did he transform into a butterfly in his dream, or did the butterfly transform into him in its dream? Was he a human who had jolted back to reality after his dream came to an end, or was he a butterfly who was just starting a new dream as a human?

    Later, Zhuangzi created the ¡°Zhuangzi Dream Butterfly Scripture¡± based on this experience. Practitioners of this art could enter dreams via butterflies, and the dreams were so realistic that it was nigh impossible for the victim to recognize, much less break out of.

    Of course, Zhuangzi hadn¡¯t created the ¡°Zhuangzi Dream Butterfly Scripture¡± with murder and assassination in mind. It was originally an orthodox Taoist art that was used to hone one¡¯s heart and temper one¡¯s ability to distinguish reality and illusion. This allowed the practitioner to achieve transcendence and be one with the world, also known as Heaven-Human Unity.

    Later, the ¡°Zhuangzi Dream Butterfly Scripture¡± fell into the Eight Legions¡¯ hands. After many years of study and improvement, Di Shitian slowly modified it into the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Sutra¡±. He preserved the ¡°Zhuangzi Dream Butterfly Scripture¡±¡¯s ability to enter dreams via butterflies but made it even more anomalous and undetectable than before. It allowed the practitioner to draw someone into a dream without their knowledge and y their soul within the dream, leaving no trace in the real world.

    At the adept level, the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± could even transform an entire corner of the world into a dream. When the dreamer awoke, everyone and everything residing within the dream would perish.

    It was the fate of a denizen of a dream to disappear after all.

    This was not an exaggerated ount either. Once upon a time, a champion of the Devas went to sleep after reaching the adept level of the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±. Unbeknownst to him, every living being within hundreds and hundreds of kilometers of him fell into a slumber as well. Inside his dream, he dreamed of marrying a beautiful wife, having a son, building a family, and generally experiencing a life that was so real it was nigh indistinguishable from reality. When he finally passed away inside the dream and awoke to reality, the dream disappeared, and every soul who had been unwittingly drawn into the dream perished as well.

    Although Dream Master was an excellent warrior among his peers, of course he was still a ways away from mastering the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±. He could draw someone weaker than him into his dream and extinguish their soul instantly, but if his opponent¡¯s cultivation level was equal or stronger than his, or if their mind was particrly strong and tenacious, then it would take a little more effort to kill them.

    1. The gada is a mallet or blunt mace from the Indian subcontinent. ?

    2. Meaning a pipedream. ?

 Chapter 656: Devour Demon

    Although Dream Master could draw someone into a dream undetected, and he was over twice as strong inside a dream than he was in real life because he was the master of the dream, he still couldn¡¯t snuff out an equal¡¯s mind with a single thought.

    Moreover, once his enemy began doubting the reality around them because they noticed something amiss inside the dream, or their real body were disturbed in the real world, the dream would shatter, and they would return to reality.

    There was a caveat though. The longer they remained inside a dream, the harder it was for them to distinguish between dream and reality, real and unreal. The moment they fully believed that the dream they were trapped inside was reality was the moment they were lost in the dream forever, never to awaken again.

    Was Su Xiu, Ah Su and Greeke Bai strong?

    Of course they were.

    That was why Dream Master could not kill them outright despite being strong enough inside the dream to fight them all by himself.

    But Dream Master didn¡¯t necessarily have to kill them inside the dream. If someone were to kill their bodies in real life, then they would perish just the same.

    This was Dancer¡¯s moment to shine. While the enemies were still trapped inside his dream, she could kill their bodies in real life.

    The feat required more skill than it seemed though. No one here was a weakling, so any disturbance from the real world such as energies or killing intent could potentially jolt them awake. What this meant was that she needed to assassinate her enemies without a hint of killing intent or energy.This was nothing to Dancer though. She had cooperated with Dream Master many times to assassinate a target. She was practically an old hand in this regard.

    The weapon in her hand was called the Soul Boring Gada. It was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. All she needed to do was to strike her target¡¯s forehead with the weapon and draw blood, and it would punch a hole through their soul and damage their Yin God. It was a deadly weapon to put it mildly.

    From Dancer¡¯s perspective, she was doing everything perfectly. She had not revealed any killing intent or energy, so why did Su Xiu awaken at thest moment and ruin everything?

    Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about these things though. After Su Xiu awakened, he let out an angry roar and a shockwave of energy that snapped Ah Su and Greeke Bai out of their dream as well.

    Right after they awakened, a colorful butterfly flew out of their head each. It crumbled into nothing just a few secondster.

    ¡°The ¡®Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡¯?!¡±

    All of the gentleness Su Xiu wore on his face earlier was gone. His eyes were ice cold as he stared at the crumbling butterflies for a moment. Since when had they plunged into a dream? Maybe it was when they first met. Maybe it was even earlier than that. He couldn¡¯t tell since he never noticed anything wrong until the very end. As far as he knew, the only martial art the Eight Legions possessed that could pull off such a feat was the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±.

    Even now, Su Xiu¡¯s heart was beating with trepidation. If it wasn¡¯t for that killing intent that came out of nowhere, he might already be dead. Speaking of which, it probably came from Dancer.

    Su Xiu subconsciously looked at Dancer and gave her a gentle smile that did not reach the eyes. <em>As thanks, I shan¡¯t torture you too much before I end your miserable life.</em>

    Dancer¡¯s response to Su Xiu¡¯s obvious hostility was a nk, confused stare.

    Meanwhile, Dream Master had opened his eyes and said smilingly, ¡°A most astute deduction, Brother Su.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I thought you would deny it.¡± Su Xiu sounded surprised.

    ¡°Why would I? It¡¯s not like the ¡®Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡¯ is a taboo art that needs to be kept under wraps.¡± Dream Master¡¯s smile did not falter in the slightest.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready to die,¡± Su Xiu dered with a nod.

    ¡°What makes you say that, Brother Su?¡± Dream Master replied unhurriedly.

    ¡°Now that I know that your cultivation art is the ¡®Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡¯, I can no longer be influenced by it. What can a Dream Master possibly do without his dream powers?¡±

    Su Xiu scoffed with dripping disdain. ¡°Prepare to die.¡±

    Although the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± was incredibly potent, it was strongest when its victim wasn¡¯t aware of its existence. Now that he was fully aware and on guard against the martial art, he did not believe it could exert much power. In his opinion, Dream Master was already dead. Reality just hadn¡¯t caught up to the fact yet.

    ¡°I understand your logic,¡± Dream Master nodded, ¡°but a dream can be real, just as the real can be a dream. You thought you had pierced through my dream and caught me at my weakest, but did you really? Are you sure you¡¯ve pierced the veil of illusions? Are you sure you aren¡¯t still dreaming?¡±

    ¡°You think you can trick me with that?¡±

    Su Xiu¡¯s face darkened as he summoned the Vigorous Bull Demon, the Skeletal Demon God, the Scorched me Demon God, the ck Water Demon God, and the Heart Distorting Heavenly Demon into existence once more. They then rushed toward Dream Master at the same time.

    ¡°The world is an illusion, humanity a dream¡­¡±

    Dream Master remained calm even though five terrifying demon gods were charging him. As he slowly opened his palms, a flock of butterflies flew out and caused the space around him to ripple like water.

    The strange barrier kept the five demon gods away from Dream Master. No matter how hard they ran, no matter what they tried, they could not get close to the man no matter what. What should¡¯ve been an arm¡¯s distance felt like infinity. It was as if they didn¡¯t exist in the same space.

    Su Xiu¡¯s response to this was to summon a shadow from behind his back. It kept growing and growing until it looked like it was carrying the sky on its back.

    The shadow did not have a fixed form and appeared more like a cloud or a fog. The ripples covering its whole body also prevented it from being recognizable.

    The next moment, five chains burst out of the giant shadow and wrapped around the five demon gods. Before they could react, the chains pulled them all into the shadow.

    Bloodcurdling screams and chewing noises came from within the shadows. When the sounds subsided, the shadow faded away to reveal a powerful demon god.

    The demon god had a face that resembled Su Xiu. It had a pair of horns on its head, and it carried dragons and serpents on its shoulders. It had a skeletal body of scorched ck bones, and flowing streams carrying countless rotten bodies circled around it. Eerie screams, wails, andughter filled the air, bending the mind and warping the soul with every passing second.

    The new demon god looked like a union of the five demon gods Su Xiu summoned. This was Su Xiu¡¯s ¡°Nethercall¡± and ¡°Devour Demon¡±.

    A Nether Caller possessed the ability to form a link between the Nether and the real world and borrow its power, and ¡°Devour Demon¡± was a method to better utilize that power and the strongest Magia in the ¡°Call of the Nether¡±.

    ¡°Call of the Nether¡± was the ultimate art of the Nethercall Abode of West Kunlun. A Grandmaster-stage martial art, it boasted five arts and eight Magias. Out of the eight Magias, ¡°Demoncall¡± and ¡°Devour Demon¡± were the strongest and possessed unlimited potential.

    ¡°Demoncall¡± summoned demon gods from the Nether and put them under the summoner¡¯smand. The stronger the summoner, the more powerful the demon god they could summon.

    Should ¡°Demoncall¡± proved to be inadequate, ¡°Devour Demon¡± was the next step of the equation. The summoner could have their Yin God devour all the demon gods they summoned and transform into a super demon god that possessed all the powers and abilities of the demon gods.

    Naturally, the more demon gods it devoured, the stronger the yin god would be.

    The five demon gods were pretty strong, and they were strong enough to handle most enemies. Unfortunately, Dream Master was clearly out of their league.

    Just now, he had fought a great battle against Dream Master in his dreamscape. Although it was just a dream, the spiritual power and mental power he expended was very real. Knowing that a battle of attrition would probably put him at a severe disadvantage, he decided to end this battle as soon as possible.

    That was why he used ¡°Devour Demon¡± and have his Yin God devour the five demon gods. After his Yin God transformed into a super demon god, it was over five times stronger than it was before and on par with a Grandmaster.

    But of course, the duration of the super demon god was proportional to the amount of strength it gained. If he tried to maintain the power for too long, his Yin God would explode, and his mind would disappear like a candle me.

    At his current strength, he could only retain the power of a Grandmaster for three breaths at most.

    There was a massive power gap between a Grandmaster and a Half-Step Grandmaster though. Literally speaking, it looked like they were only separated by two words. In reality, it was the difference between heaven and earth.

    Three breaths were short, but it was enough time to kill a single person.

 Chapter 657: Needle of Suffering

    Su Xiu watched Dream Master with eyes that resembled the downcast reflections of the sun and the moon. Space shattered, and countless butterflies disappeared without a sound.

    For the first time, Dream Master lost hisposure. His body shook, and hisplexion turned a little paler than usual. Then, a gigantic butterfly appeared in front of him.

    The butterfly looked as big as a mountain and had a pair of wings that looked like they were hanging from the topmost point of sky. Unnaturally colorful and dreamlike, it enveloped the entire area in light and gave it some sort of ephemeral, dreamlike quality.

    The butterfly pped its wings so gently that it did not conjure any wind whatsoever. However, the colorful light it emitted conjured ripples of light that looked like countless dancing butterflies. It looked as if the entire world was a massive, ever-expanding dream.

    Su Xiu let out a cold chuckle andmanded his Yin God forward. In response, the Yin God let out a heaven-shattering roar and surged toward Dream Master on a river of ck water.

    At first nce, it looked like the two warriors were only fifty or so meters away from each other. In reality, the butterfly¡¯s light seemed to stretch the space between them until infinity.

    It didn¡¯t matter though. Every time the Yin God took a step forward, the light would wink out, the ripples would disintegrate, and the butterflies would disappear. The Magia that kept the five demon gods from approaching Dream Master earlier could not stop Su Xiu¡¯s Yin God in the slightest.

    During the first breath, the Yin God crossed what looked like an infinite distance, shattered the illusion, and appeared in front of Dream Master.

    During the second breath, the Yin God grabbed the wings of the gigantic butterfly, roared, and ripped the butterfly in half.And finally, during the third breath, the Yin God ripped open the sky itself and engulfed Dream Master in a swarm of meteors.

    <em>BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM</em>

    The ground shook like crazy, and everything and anything was destroyed. At the center of the impact, Dream Master scattered into countless butterflies in an attempt to dodge the powerful attack. However, they were destroyed by the falling meteors and the deadly shockwaves one after another.

    When the dust clouds faded to reveal a bottomless chasm and a scorched wastnd, not a speck of Dream Master could be found anywhere.

    Su Xiu barked out inughter when he scanned his surroundings and found no traces of Dream Master. ¡°Hahaha! So what if you¡¯re one of the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas? You¡¯re still nothing before me!¡±

    ¡°Most impressive, first senior brother.¡±

    Greeke Bai paid him apliment before looking at Dancer¡¯s direction all of a sudden. The woman was currently running away at top speed. She said in a hurry, ¡°Not good! If she manages to escape, then first senior brother will be in deep trouble! You must catch her, third senior sister!¡±

    When Ah Su heard this, she immediately took off with a bang and gave chase. Su Xiu nched and shouted, ¡°Ah Su! Come back!¡±

    Unfortunately, he sensed his voice being blocked by some sort of invisible power. As a result, Ah Su did not hear his shout.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ don¡¯t waste your breath, first senior brother. Third senior sister can¡¯t hear you.¡±

    A gentle voice rang right next to his right ear, followed by a gust of fragrant wind.

    Greeke Bai appeared behind his back before he could react. Holding his shoulders with both hands and bending a little, she pressed her face against Su Xiu¡¯s back firmly.

    The gesture seemed affectionate, but of course there was nothing affectionate about her intentions.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, junior sister?¡±

    ¡°Taking care of you, of course.¡± Greeke Bai beamed at him. ¡°You just used ¡®Devour Demon¡¯, and your mind is damaged and weaker than it has ever been. I bet you¡¯re so exhausted you can barely move, can you? Since third senior sister is chasing after that woman, it falls upon me to take care of you, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°How kind of you,¡± Su Xiu said with a gentle smile that didn¡¯t reach the eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s only right. After all, I owe you much during our time together.¡± Greeke Bai continued to smile brightly as she toyed with Su Xiu¡¯s hair. ¡°In fact, I owe you so much that I¡¯m not sure how I can ever repay you. The only way I can think of is¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is the part where you offer your hand in marriage, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su Xiu asked.

    Greeke Bai giggled. ¡°Hahaha¡­ your idea is sound, but I already have a husband. It is hical for a woman to marry more than two husbands at the same time, and even if it isn¡¯t, I don¡¯t want to break third senior sister¡¯s heart. That is why I¡¯vee up with a better idea.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? What is it?¡± Su Xiu asked smilingly.

    ¡°Ending your life,¡± Greeke Bai replied with a smile that did not fit her words at all. ¡°If you¡¯re dead, then I won¡¯t ever need to repay you, am I right?¡±

    ¡°I see!¡±

    Su Xiu did not get angry though. In fact, he seemed unusually calm for some reason. ¡°Before that, I have a question for you, junior sister. Do you think I¡¯m foolish?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. You are wise and farsighted.¡±

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. You¡¯re one of the smartest people I¡¯ve ever met.¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m neither foolish nor stupid, what makes you think I would give you the opportunity to kill me?¡± Su Xiu stared at Greeke Bai scornfully and ridiculingly despite his pallidplexion.

    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so scared!¡± Greeke Bai patted her chest with feigned terror while giggling like a bell. ¡°Third senior sister isn¡¯ting back anytime soon, and you are exhausted right now. What could you possibly do to hurt me, first senior brother?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always been a smart girl, junior sister. Why don¡¯t you check out the back of your neck yet?¡± Su Xiu asked calmly.

    Greeke Bai instinctively touched the back of her neck and immediately felt a small bump. It almost felt like an insect bite, but insect bites rarely stung, itched, chilled, warmed and numbed the flesh all at the same time.

    ¡°The Needle of Suffering¡­¡±

    ¡°You do remember it.¡± Su Xiu nodded in satisfaction.

    He knew better than most that Greeke Bai was a cunning fox. That was why he had nted the Needle of Suffering in her since the very beginning. It was his insurance in case Greeke Bai decided to make her escape.

    ¡°Out of everyone in our abode, you are thest person I expected to learn our master¡¯s Needle of Suffering, first senior brother,¡± Greeke Bai said sarcastically.

    The Needle of Suffering was invented by their master, a.k.a the abode head of the Nethercall Abode. In many cases, needles were a tool of healing and recovery. But in the hands of the abode head, it was a torture device.

    When he was still alive, there was nothing the abode head of the Nethercall Abode enjoyed more than torturing others. He had invented so many torture methods in pursuit of his sick pleasure that some of the worst methods he invented were given a title: ¡°One Needle, Three Punishments, Five Severances, and Eight Annihtions¡±.

    To borate, the One Needle inflicted suffering beyond mortal endurance, the Three Punishments made the victim wish they were dead, the Five Severances tortured the victim to the point where they permanently lost an aspect of their humanity, and the Eight Annihtions terrified even the ghosts and gods.

    The One Needle referred to the Needle of Suffering. It was also the cruelest out of the seventeen torture methods.

    As its name implied, the Needle of Suffering inflicted tremendous suffering upon its victim. Just inserting the needle into one¡¯s body was enough to inflict suffering beyond mortalprehension. It could inflict every pain and suffering there was to inflict in the world and make the victim <em>beg</em> for the sweet release of death.

    That wasn¡¯t the worst of it, however. The pain and suffering inflicted by the Needle of Suffering only grew as time passed. It would continuously get worse until the victim broke down, or the needle was removed.

    Back when he was still alive, the abode head loved nothing more than to torment Su Xiu and Ah Su with the Needle of Suffering. Moreover, he never tortured them at the same time. He only tortured one of them and forced the other person to watch.

    Even crueler, the abode head would asionally make them torture each other using the Needle of Suffering. It was a kind of cruelty worse than death itself.

    The Needle of Suffering was easily <em>the </em>reason he loathed the abode head to the bone. He was also beyond terrified of it. Despite this, Su Xiu always chose the Needle of Suffering every time the abode head asked him to pick a torture method. It was clear he was obsessed with it despite it being the thing that terrified him more than anything.

    This wasn¡¯t important though. What was important was that the Needle of Suffering was invented by the abode head and thus could not be cured by anyone except him. Attempting to remove it would only worsen the pain and suffering.

    ¡°Why are you surprised? Besides each other, this is the one memory that we will never forget in our lives. Why wouldn¡¯t I learn it?¡±

    Su Xiu¡¯s smile was gentle, but his voice was distorted by madness and anger. ¡°Not only did I learn it, I toiled endlessly to perfect my mastery. Only then can I repay everyone for all the misery they had inflicted upon me and Ah Su. Only then can I torture those who harbor malice toward us until they wish they were dead. Don¡¯t you agree, junior sister? Hahahaha!¡±

    Suddenly, Su Xiu noticed something. ¡°Hmm? You don¡¯t seem afraid, junior sister.¡±

 Chapter 658: Demon Controlling Jade Manual

    ¡°My, my¡­ I admit that I¡¯m afraid of master¡¯s punishments. Oh, I¡¯m absolutely terrified¡­¡±

    Greeke Bai pretended to be shocked by the revtion. ¡°However, out of all the punishments he could dish out, the Needle of Suffering is the one thing I¡¯m not afraid of. It¡¯s a mighty coincidence, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Su Xiu¡¯s calm facade cracked a little. With a thought, he activated the Needle of Suffering he imnted in Greeke Bai¡¯s body. After the Needle of Suffering had entered the victim¡¯s body, the controller simply needed to think to subject the victim to a kind of torture that was worse than death itself. However, Greeke Bai was perfectly fine after he activated the Needle of Suffering inside her body. Not only that, she wiped a finger across the wound and extracted an unbelievable number of silver needles¡ªall as thin and small as a bull¡¯s hair¡ªfrom it.

    The name ¡°Needle of Suffering¡± made it sound like it was one needle, and to be fair, it was a single needle before it was imnted in one¡¯s body. However, once the needle entered a victim¡¯s body, it would split into countless silver needles the size of a bull¡¯s hair and spread to every corner of one¡¯s body and mind. That was why it was so difficult to remove the Needle of Sufferingpletely. And yet, there was no denying the fact that Greeke Bai had removed the Needle of Suffering from her body like it was nothing.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Su Xiu panicked. He could not understand what was happening.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you that I¡¯m a practitioner of the Needle of Suffering as well? In fact, I¡¯m willing to bet that my mastery is greater than yours. Do you know why?¡± Greeke Bai beamed at him.

    ¡°Impossible! The old bastard told me that he taught me and only me the Needle of Suffering. There¡¯s no way you would know it!¡± Su Xiu eximed in disbelief.

    ¡°And you believe him? Seriously?¡± Greeke Bai moved closer to Su Xiu and whispered beside his ear. ¡°Well, he was telling the truth this time. You are the only one he taught the Needle of Suffering.¡±¡°But you see, there is one secret that I haven¡¯t told you yet. I¡¯m the one who invented the Needle of Suffering and taught it to master.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ that¡¯s impossible! It just cannot be possible!¡± Su Xiu yelled. He had considered many possibilities, but this was the one possibility that never crossed his mind. It was literally more ludicrous than stumbling onto Nanke by ident.

    It had to be the truth though. Otherwise, there was no way she could¡¯ve removed the Needle of Suffering so easily.

    It also meant that everything she did until this point was a trap; a trap she hadid for him and Ah Su to obtain the Demon Controlling Jade Manual.

    Greeke Bai was talented, but she was still pretty young. She wasn¡¯t the weakest of all the direct disciples the abode head taught, but she definitely wasn¡¯t the strongest either. In a head on battle, she was absolutely no match for Su Xiu or Ah Su, much less the two of thembined.

    That was why Greeke Bai purposely feigned weakness and allowed herself to be caught. It was because she knew that Su Xiu was obsessed with the Needle of Suffering, and that he would definitely use it on her once he captured her.

    Greeke Bai didn¡¯t fear the Needle of Suffering in the slightest because she knew how to eliminate it. On the other hand, he had grownx and careless because he thought he had Greeke Bai¡¯s fate in his palm. When it was time, she could easily turn the tables against him, which she did. Hells, she might even have steered things so that this exact scenario would happen.

    A million thoughts raced inside Su Xiu¡¯s head. In the end, it all morphed into a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re well-prepared. As expected of you, junior sister. This is my loss.¡±

    ¡°So, what do you want? I shall fulfill any wish so long as it is within my power to fulfill.¡±

    Su Xiu recognized that there was no turning this around, and that everything he had such as the Demon Controlling Jade Manual or Nanke would soon fall into Greeke Bai¡¯s hands.

    Was he satisfied with this oue?

    Of course not!

    Was he resentful?

    Of course he was!

    But no matter how resentful and angry he was, there was nothing he could do to change this oue. The only thing he could do now was to survive.

    The dead could not affect anything. That was a privilege that belonged solely to the living.

    That was why he must live. Only by staying alive would he get the chance to get revenge against Greeke Bai.

    ¡°Do you really need me to tell you what I want, first senior brother?¡± Greeke Bai giggled happily while ying with Su Xiu¡¯s hair.

    ¡°I know you want me dead, junior sister, but killing me would not benefit you one bit.¡±

    Su Xiuy out his analysis calmly, ¡°If you kill me, Ah Su would go insane and fight you to the death. She will hunt you to the ends of the earth if it¡¯s thest thing she does, and I¡¯m sure you know better than me just how scary she can be. But if you keep me alive, you can avoid triggering Ah Su and obtain two free helpers.¡±

    ¡°Not only can I get you the Demon Controlling Jade Manual, I can aid you in cementing your position as the new head of the Nethercall Abode as well.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, the living is far more useful than the dead. Don¡¯t you agree, junior sister?¡±

    There were thirteen abodes in West Kunlun. Some of them were strong, and some of them were weak, but all of them possessed their own unique inheritance and Magias. So long as their inheritance and Magias remained, the thirteen abodes would never die.

    Take the Nethercall Abode for example. The Nethercall Abode owned a jade book known as the Demon Controlling Jade Manual. It was a book that only the abode head of the Nethercall Abode was qualified tomand and a symbol of their authority.

    The Demon Controlling Jade Manual was quite magical in its own right. Anyone who obtained theplete manual would gain the the Nethercall Abode¡¯splete inheritance, obtain a shortcut that would enable them to enter the Grandmaster stage in just a short time, and know exactly how they should cultivate to be a Sage in the future.

    Without exaggeration, the Demon Controlling Jade Manual was one of the main reasons the Nethercall Abode would never go extinct even in the worst case scenario.

    Before their master passed away, he had split the Demon Controlling Jade Manual into five copies and bestowed his five disciples¡ªSu Xiu, Ah Su, Greeke Bai, and two other disciples¡ªa copy each. He promised that any disciple who managed to collect all five copies would be the head of the Nethercall Abode.

    It was obvious that the abode head purposely did this to force his disciple into fighting each other to the death for his inheritance, but frankly, it was probably a pointless gesture. They would have killed each other for the Demon Controlling Jade Manual even without his scheming.

    After all, the Demon Controlling Jade Manual promised not just the position of abode head, but also a shortcut to be a Grandmaster and a clear path to the Sage stage. This was a temptation no warrior could possibly resist.

    This was why Su Xiu was certain that Greeke Bai wouldn¡¯t kill him. She had always been an ambitious woman. If she really wished to obtain the Demon Controlling Jade Manual and be the new master of the Nethercall Abode, then killing him would only achieve the opposite.

    A few breathster, Greeke Bai finally let out a giggle. ¡°Hahaha¡­ why so nervous, first senior brother? I was just teasing you. I could never kill a childhood friend, much less wound third senior sister¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, third senior sister is going to return very soon. Allow me to treat your wounds so that third senior sister would not be saddened by the sight of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, junior sister,¡± Su Xiu said with a gentle smile. He knew that Greeke Bai was really nning to imnt some sort of restriction in him so he wouldn¡¯t be able to resist her orders, but he did not struggle. There was simply no point. Besides, it seemed quite short-sighted to provoke a retaliatory response after Greeke Bai had agreed to his proposal, even if that was what she was nning from the beginning.

    In fact, he did not need to reveal his bargaining chips, his trump cards and his ns to her. After all, she was going to let him live no matter what. However, he didn¡¯t dare to gamble with his life especially since he was facing a woman. They said that trying to understand a woman¡¯s heart was akin to finding a needle at the bottom of the sea. He would have to be insane to gamble his one and only life on the possibility that Greeke Bai wouldn¡¯t suddenly change her mind.

    ¡°No! Save me!¡±

    Greeke Bai was caressing Su Xiu¡¯s head and getting ready to imnt a ¡°Soul Isting Curse¡± to control his Yin God when suddenly, Su Xiu¡¯s let out a cry of panic and fear.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Greeke Bai was confused by his sudden reaction when her senior brother abruptly ceased trembling, and his pupils dted. Then, his head exploded in a shower of brain matter and gore.

 Chapter 659: Nethercall Demonic Possession Record

    <h4>Chapter 659: Nethercall Demonic Possession Record </h4>

    ¡°What in the...¡±

    Greeke Bai¡¯s astral qi prevented the shower of gore from touching a hair on her person, but because of this, her shock and ugly expression were in to see. At the same time, the blood drained away from her face.

    It was because she recognized that she was in trouble.

    It was because Su Xiu had died in front of her, and there was no one around him.

    She knew she hadn¡¯t killed Su Xiu, but who would believe her? She wouldn¡¯t believe herself if she was a spectator.

    As if on cue, she heard a shrill, mournful cry, ¡°AH XIU!!!¡±

    At the distance, Ah Su was holding a limp Dancer by the neck. Dancer was currently covered in blood and barely breathing.

    Ah Su¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on Dancer, however. She was staring at the headless Su Xiu with wide eyes and a dazed expression.

    It was clear that she had returned just in time to witness the horrific sight.

    Bloody tears began sliding down Ah Su¡¯s cheeks. Her exposed skin started turning ck, smooth, and tough. Demonic patterns appeared around her body and formed a bizarre picture.

    In the picture, a demon was looking down on the world from above the Nine Heavens. On the ground, countless demons were bowing their heads to the demon in submission.

    <i>BOOM</i>

    As soon as the picture took form, the demons in the picture started howling at the top of their lungs, and the ground beneath Ah Su¡¯s feet began rippling outward like water. The earth sank inch by inch as if it could not withstand her weight.

    In her hand, Dancer exploded into a shower of blood and gore.

    ¡°You killed Ah Su. I will kill you.¡±

    Ah Su looked at Greeke Bai with cold, emotionless, and lifeless eyes. Before, Ah Su¡¯s nk, indifferent eyes still retained a sliver of warmth and love despite her condition. But now, her humanity had fled herpletely. All that was left in her eyes was iciness, indifference, bloodthirst and hatred.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill first senior brother, third senior sister! You have to believe me!¡±

    Greeke Bai hurriedly defended herself even though she knew how weak and powerless it sounded. She had to try though, because she knew better than most just how scary Ah Su was when she was crazy.

    Ah Su¡¯s cultivation art was called the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡±. It was one of the strongest and most difficult martial art to cultivate not just in West Kunlun, but the entire world.

    In the ¡°Martial Review¡±, there was a remark under the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡± that went something like this: ¡°This is a martial art that belongs solely to celestials and demons because its power is infinite, and no humans can carry infinity on their shoulders.¡±

    The ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡± was a pure body-tempering martial art. To begin, one must tattoo an image of ten thousand demons on their body. During the tattooing process, the ink must seep into the flesh, the intent must seep into the bones, and the practitioner must withstand both the pain of being eaten alive, and the torment of having their mind invaded by countless demons. If the practitioner faltered even a little during the process, all progress would be lost, and their mind would be consumed by the demons. Therefore, an iron will was the minimum requirement one must possess before they could even begin to cultivate the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡±.

    This was just the first step, however. After the tattoo was engraved, the practitioner must ept demonic qi into their body so as to purify their blood, renew their marrows, and nurture the tattoo painting. They must suffer pain that was best described as being stabbed by countless needles, or being consumed alive by insects.

    On top of that, every time the practitioner sessfully nurtured a demon spirit, a heavenly tribtion would appear to smite the practitioner. The more demonic spirits they nurtured, the deadlier the tribtion would be. One misstep, and the practitioner would be annihted just like that.

    In order to master[1] the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡±, one must nurture ten thousand demonic spirits and suffer ten thousand heavenly tribtions. To say that the journey was perilous would be the biggest understatement of the century.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the practitioner could not cultivate any other martial art after they began the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡±, and they couldn¡¯t stop advancing the martial art even after they had reached the adept level. Otherwise, their meridians would self-implode, and their soul would be annihted.

    This was why no one had ever sessfully cultivated the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡± to the adept level to this day, and those who tried either went crazy, lost their soul and transformed into a mindless husk, or died to a heavenly tribtion. Without exaggeration, no one who cultivated this martial art ever had met a good ending.

    That said, the power offered by the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡± was equal to its difficulty. Legend had it that those who managed to master the martial art would be so powerful it was as if they were empowered by ten thousand demons. Through this power, they could transform into a Primordial Heavenly Demon and the sovereign of all demons. They would be eternal and immortal.

    Of course, the legend remained a legend to this day since no one had ever managed to cultivate the martial art to the adept stage.

    That said, there was once a West Kunlun disciple named Chen Zhanxian who sessfully advanced the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡± past the one thousandth mark. His body was immune to all arts, and his strength rivaled the gods and demons themselves. He was the strongest warrior in the entire world, and he was so powerful he singlehandedly defeated everyone¡¯s greatest champions. Such was his power that the people called him the ¡°Invincible Chen Zhanxian¡±, the man who could snuff out gods and demons like ants. Thanks to him, West Kunlun was also raised to the top of the world for a time.

    Unfortunately, their Golden Age also came to an end because of Chen Zhanxian. While cultivating the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡±, he attracted a Soul ughtering Nether Wind Tribtion that damaged his Three Heavenly Souls. As a result, he became insane and went on a rampage in West Kunlun.

    The greatest powers of West Kunlun¡ªthe Three Sages, Six Sovereigns, and Thirteen Abode Heads¡ªcame together to suppress Chen Zhanxian, but the man proved difficult to kill even in his addled state. The battle was so great that the sacred peak of Kunlun was snapped in half, and the Demonic Ruins was crushed into smithereens.

    In the end, the champions of West Kunlun were able to suppress Chen Zhanxian, but the price they had to pay was one severely injured Sage and the death of two Sovereigns, five Abode Heads, and countless lower disciples. As a result, West Kunlun¡¯s strength and fame hit rock bottom, and they were never able to return to their former heights.

    It was worth noting that Chen Zhanxian was only suppressed, not killed. Not only that, he was still growing stronger.

    Greeke Bai heard that Chen Zhanxian was currently imprisoned in the Heaven Forsaken Prison at the ninth and bottommost level of West Kunlun.

    Ah Su was taught the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡± by the abode head of Nethercall Abode himself. His intention was to torment her as a matter of course, but Ah Su proved to be more resilient than he thought probably because all the torture she had already suffered in his hands. On top of that, she retained a pure, innocent heart despite her suffering. Ever since she started cultivating the ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡±, she had been advancing at a speed that even Chen Zhanxian couldn¡¯t match. This was why the abode head made her his third disciple.

    Right now, Ah Su bore over a hundred demonic spirits inside her body. That was enough to make her immune to most weapons and strong enough to snap a mountain in half or divide a river via pure strength. If she went all out without a care for her own health, not even an ordinary Grandmaster could endure her wrath.

    In terms of pure power, Ah Su was among the best not just in the Nethercall Abode, but the entire West Kunlun. Greeke Bai did not believe she could handle her at all.

    Originally, her n was to order Ah Su around using Su Xiu as her hostage. However, her n had backfired in the worst manner possible.

    ¡°You killed Ah Xiu... You killed Ah Xiu...¡±

    As expected, Greeke Bai¡¯s exnation failed to convince Ah Su at all. The demons on her body kept howling and howling until finally, Ah Su pushed off the ground with a boom and pounced straight toward Greeke Bai.

    Greeke Bai did not dare to take her lightly as a matter of course. In one step, she split into three, six, twelve silhouettes before scattering in every direction.

    1. Just a reminder, but mastering a martial art = entering the adept level of a martial art. ?

 Chapter 660: From Cocoon To Butterfly

    <h4>Chapter 660: From Cocoon To Butterfly </h4>

    <i>¡°Thousand Illusions of Clouds and Fog¡±</i>

    It felt like a meteor had struck the ground when Ah Su descended from the sky and struck the spot where Greeke Bai was. For a moment, the ground bent inward like someone was pressing a finger against a piece of fabric. Then, it exploded into a million pieces and threw up a massive shockwave.

    The shockwave swept through the Greeke Bais and crushed eleven of them without resistance. The one Greeke Bai that survived was, of course, her real body. A deafening boom erupted from the epicenter, followed by a mini earthquake and a rush of wind. Not a moment too soon, Ah Su appeared behind Greeke Bai as if magic and aimed a palm strike straight at the woman¡¯s back.

    Maybe it was because she was moving too quickly, or maybe it was because there was that much force behind her palm strike. When Ah Su swung her arm, the motion actually generated sonic booms that threatened the integrity of the space it was traveling through.

    At a critical moment, Greeke Bai summoned her red umbre and pointed it toward Ah Su. When the umbre opened, it spun rapidly and created many bloody shadows that took the shape of dharmachakras[1]. Bloody beams shot out of the dharmachakras with enough force to cut metal and break stones like they were paper.

    <i>¡°Nethercall Dharmachakra¡±</i>

    However, the bloody beams bounced off Ah Su¡¯s body like a weak rain against a rock, failing to leave even a scratch on her skin, much less impede her advance.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Ah Su¡¯s palm struck the red umbre, causing a series of waves to ripple out and shatter the surrounding space inch by inch like a mirror. Such was her strength that both of Greeke Bai¡¯s wrists were dislocated, and her grip was drenched in blood. Her face looked deathly white, and a trickle of blood slithered down the corner of her lips.

    It was an opportunity though. Greeke Bai borrowed the strength of Ah Su¡¯s attack to push herself far, far away from the woman. She resumed her run as soon as her feet touched the ground once more.

    As for Ah Su, she bent her knees a little when she touched down, and the earth undted like a wave. Shen then pushed off the ground and shot toward Greeke Bai like an arrow.

    The deafening noises slowly faded as the duo disappeared. Soon, the ancient city regained its former tranquility, though not its former appearance. The already tattered ruins looked like it had been crushed into fine powder after the battle was over.

    A dozen or so breathster, light suddenly shone out of Su Xiu¡¯s body. At first, it was weak, barely visible, and flickering like the wisps of a firefly. But over time, it grew brighter and more colorful like some sort of fantasy.

    Through the colorful light, one could see that a dark-shaped, cocoon-like object was squirming inside Su Xiu¡¯s body. When the light reached peak intensity, Su Xiu¡¯s chest slowly split open from top to bottom, and a single butterfly crawled out of it.

    At first, the butterfly moved very, very slowly as if it was struggling to break out of its cocoon. Its wings, antenna-like tentacles, limbs and more also looked semi-transparent and very fragile. However, after the butterfly fully removed itself from Su Xiu¡¯s body, and the sticky liquid covering its body began to dry, its body slowly but surely turned solid.

    In contrast, Su Xiu¡¯s flesh, blood, bones and internal organs vanished into thin air as if something had devoured it all, leaving behind only the skin.

    The next moment, the butterfly unfolded its wings and began flying around the corpse. It looked gorgeous, and its dance was fantastic. But because it was flying around a piece of human skin that just moments ago was still an intact corpse, what should¡¯ve been a beautiful moment felt eerie and horrifying instead.

    Ten or so secondster, the butterfly finally stopped circling the human skin andnded on the ground. Then, it transformed into a human. He was, of course, Dream Master.

    Right now, Dream Master looked much weaker and paler than before. sping his hands behind his back, he looked down on Su Xiu¡¯s skin and shook his head wistfully.

    ¡°All men are greedy, foolish, obsessed. Greed leads to hardships, foolishness leads to peril, and obsession leads to death. Why bother?¡±

    Dream Master lifted a hand, and Su Xiu¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell flew into his palm. When he checked its contents and found Nanke, he finally let out a sigh of relief and allowed a smile to appear on his face.

    This had not been an easy fight. In fact, it was easily one of the most dangerous fights he had ever been in.

    He was a Deva, and the Devas enjoyed a prominent status among the Eight Legions. Despite this, he was still considered a genius and a leader of the younger generation among his fellow Devas.

    The Eight Legions possessed a powerful Strange Artifact called the Eight Stupa capable of hiding one¡¯s destiny. It was why anyone below the Grandmaster stage would not appear on the Human Champions Ranking.

    Despite not being named on the Human Champions Ranking, Dream Master did not believe that he was inferior to anyone on the list. Even the top ten monsters were so-so in his eyes. After all, he was a monster himself.

    But after he left his sect to carry out this mission, he finally learned that there was truth behind the saying, ¡°There are people beyond this person; skies beyond this sky.¡±

    The first battle that enlightened him to the truth was his fight against the seventh warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, Defeated. It was the first time he recognized that no one in the top ten was a small fry. In fact, he wasn¡¯t sure he could have defeated the man if Earth Walker, ughterer and Dancer hadn¡¯t returned in time.

    Of course, his fight against Defeated was too short for him to glimpse anything but the tip of the iceberg. His fight against Su Xiu though, this was the fight that enlightened him to the true power that was a top ten warrior of the Human Champions Ranking.

    If he hadn¡¯t reached the journeyman level of the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Sutra¡± and grasped the Magia known as ¡°From Cocoon To Butterfly¡±, he might already be dead.

    ¡°From Butterfly to Cocoon¡± was a resurrection Magia that allowed him to imbue a sliver of his mind, soul and sentience in another person¡¯s body when he was near death. The victim would function as his cocoon and feed him energy until he was ready to transform into a butterfly and be reborn.

    There were two stages in ¡°From Butterfly to Cocoon¡±, and they were called ¡°Resurrection Through Blood¡±, and ¡°Resurrection Through Dream¡±.

    ¡°Resurrection Through Blood¡± was exactly what it sounded like. The practitioner would be reborn from another¡¯s flesh and blood.

    ¡°Resurrection Through Dream¡± was also exactly what it sounded like. The practitioner would be reborn from another¡¯s dream.

    Obviously, ¡°Resurrection Through Dream¡± was the greater, more advanced type of resurrection between the two. After all, it did not require a physical medium to achieve resurrection. A dream was all one needed to be reborn. In a sense, someone who attained ¡°Resurrection Through Dream¡± had also attained immortality.

    At his current strength, Dream Master could only resurrect through one¡¯s flesh and blood. Right before he was going to die, he had injected a sliver of mind, soul and sentience into Su Xiu¡¯s body.

    Yes, he was the one who killed Su Xiu. Normally, the feat would¡¯ve beenpletely impossible¡ªSu Xiu was a Half-Step Grandmaster after all¡ªbut Su Xiu had turned out even weaker than him after using ¡°Devour Demon¡±, so much so that even an ordinary child had more strength than him. That was why he was able to kill him.

    There were two reasons he chose to kill Su Xiu. One, it was to pit Greeke Bai and Ah Su against each other. Although Su Xiu was injured and exhausted, he was apanied by the two women. He had fought against them briefly inside his dream, and he could tell that they were both quite strong. That woman named Ah Su in particr intimidated him even more than Su Xiu.

    Su Xiu might be incapacitated for the time being, but the two women still stood in his way of reiming Nanke. He did not think he could seed in his current state at all.

    Luckily for him, Greeke Bai and Su Xiu were really hostile toward each other, and the strongest of them all, Ah Su, was mentally disabled. That was why he was ultimately able to kill Su Xiu, pit the two women against each other, and be the final victor of this battle.

    Second, there were two ways he could resurrect Su Xiu¡¯s body. One, he could use Su Xiu¡¯s body as a breeding ground and slowly nurture his mind, soul and sentience back to fullness. Over time, he could gradually rece his mind and be Su Xiu. Second, he could kill the man immediately and use his flesh and blood to achieve swift and immediate resurrection.

    Both ways had their pros and cons. The first way was longer, but it was also safer. More importantly, he could rob his host of all their potential. Not only would he regain his full strength after he was reborn, he could be even stronger than he was at his peak.

    The second way gave him no time to rob his host¡¯s potential. Moreover, he would be severely weakened and need a long time to recover his strength. However, he could resurrect immediately.

    1. The dharmachakra or wheel of dharma is a widespread symbol used in Buddhism. ?

 Chapter 661: Edict of Divine Thought

    <h4>Chapter 661: Edict of Divine Thought </h4>

    Su Xiu was the eighth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking and a true genius. If he chose the first way and stole all of Su Xiu¡¯s potential, he would have been reborn as a Grandmaster.

    Unfortunately, he had no time to waste. He was tasked with the important mission of retrieving Nanke by Di Shitian himself. If his greed resulted in the failure of his mission, then he would have much to answer for.

    That was why he ultimately chose to be reborn the second way.

    ¡°Sigh...¡±

    Dream Master suddenly let out another sigh as he stared at Su Xiu¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell. Although he ultimately seeded in obtaining Nanke, Dancer still perished as a result.

    It wasn¡¯t because of emotional reasons, of course. It was because Dancer was a member of the Eight Legions, and her death would be seen as a failure of leadership. His reputation would certainly suffer because of this.

    Earth Walker and ughterer shed through his mind. At the beginning, he was hoping that themotion of the battle would lure Earth Walker and ughterer to their side. With the four of them together, they should have no problems retrieving Nanke from the enemy. He would not need to use ¡°From Cocoon To Butterfly¡±, and Dancer wouldn¡¯t need to die.

    In reality, neither Earth Walker nor ughterer had shown up at all. He could not understand why.

    As if on cue, a silhouette abruptly dashed out of the fog. Dream Master recognized him immediately.

    ¡°Earth Walker!¡±

    Displeasure flickered in Dream Master¡¯s eyes, but Earth Walker struck him with a barrage of questions before he could say anything, ¡°What happened, Dream Master? Who hurt you like this? And where is Dancer?¡±

    As Earth Walker reached him, Dream Master opened his mouth to answer his questions. It was at this moment he realized that something was wrong. A curved finger was growing bigger and bigger in his vision!

    Every hair on his skin stood on end as a pair of butterfly wings appeared behind his back and wrapped around him. As Dream Master jumped backward, invisible ripples appeared all around him, and his person grew more and more transparent. It looked like he was right in front of Earth Walker, when in reality he might as well be existing in apletely different world.

    The finger did not hit Dream Master. Instead, it struck the space in front of it.

    A ripple washed out soundlessly, but its power could not be understated. Dream Master lost consciousness for an instant, and bright red blood poured down the corner of his lips. More importantly, his body grew solid once more.

    He looked like a celestial who had been pulled down to the earth.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Earth Walker!¡±

    Dream Master eximed in shock and anger as he red at Earth Walker.

    ¡°Got it in one.¡±

    Earth Walker, or more urately, Ye Qing answered with a smile.

    Although he was talking, Ye Qing¡¯s movements hadn¡¯t slowed down in the slightest. Moving so fast that he left behind a trail of afterimages, he fired a crimson ray straight at Dream Master.

    Kick the dog when it¡¯s down. He had no desire to experience a web novel viin who just couldn¡¯t stop monologuing like an idiot when the upper hand was theirs. People like that weren¡¯t just courting defeat, but also some of the worst kinds of humiliation.

    No, kicking a dog when it¡¯s down was one hundred percent the royal road; the way of the protagonist.

    Besides, this was a golden opportunity that took him much effort and waiting to create. He would have to be retarded to let it slip through his hands for the sake of <i>monologuing.</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the man who killed Huo Hao and stole Nanke!¡±

    Meanwhile, Dream Master finally recognized Ye Qing¡¯s aura and put two and two together. He eximed in shock, ¡°Did you design all this from the start?!¡±

    Suddenly, he understood why Nanke¡¯s presence had gone on and off since they entered this city.

    Suddenly, he understood why Nanke had fallen into Su Xiu¡¯s hands, and why Earth Walker and ughterer did not appear to his rescue.

    When he recalled everything that had happened until now, all those tiny details he had regarded as harmless or insignificant before suddenly surfaced to his consciousness. Since a while ago, it had felt like an invisible hand had been manipting events so that things would turn out this way. Now, he knew it wasn¡¯t just a feeling.

    The man before him was the mastermind behind it all.

    But how did he know they wereing?

    How was he able to block the Edict of Divine Thought¡¯s ability to detect Nanke?

    Why was he so much stronger than his cultivation level?

    And more.

    One thing for certain, the man before him was the one who designed everything. He had even lured them to this ancient city to enact his nefarious ns.

    When he thought until this point, a mixture of emotions he couldn¡¯t quite describe welled inside his heart. It was a blend of humiliation, shame, anger, hatred, and more.

    Since the day he embarked on the path of cultivation, he had always been the one toying and manipting another¡¯s fate from a lofty ce. He never imagined that he would one day be the monkey he so often toyed with... until now.

    ¡°Right again!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s voice came from behind the crimson ray.

    By now, the saber force was inches from Dream Master¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Very good. You¡¯re the first person ever to dare to toy with me.¡±

    Dream Master did not seem to care about the iing attack, however. Long before he finished talking, a dazzling, bright, and powerful golden light burst out of the top of his head and annihted the saber force in an instant.

    Ye Qing himself was thrown back by the unexpected counterattack, his feet cutting through the ground for at least ten meters before he finally managed to arrest himself. Not only that, his whole body was covered in countless tiny, dense wounds that were oozing golden light instead of blood. It made him look like a golden body arhat.

    The next moment, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and caused his vigor to churn like a raging river, and his body to grow so hot it was as if he was attempting to refine a world inside his body. The golden light oozing out of his wounds were instantly dispelled or refined, which allowed his body to heal at a slow pace.

    Ye Qing¡¯s mind was not on his wounds, however. The sky had his full attention right now.

    A golden emzoned word¡ª¡°Edict¡±¡ªwas floating in the sky and shining brightly. It was only one word, but it looked as vast as the sun or moon itself. It possessed the power of the sun, and the brightness of the moon.

    The endless fog that covered this city and the pitch ck sky this whole time cleared up in an instant. At the same time, a terrific amount of pressure and light radiated toward the ground and silenced everything.

    ¡°So, in the name of Di Shitian, I sentence you to death. May you never escape damnation.¡±

    The Edict of Divine Thought Di Shitian had bestowed on him wasn¡¯t just a detector. It was also his final trump card.

    To be honest, Dream Master didn¡¯t want to use the Edict of Divine Thought if at all possible. Although it was just a wisp of divine thought, Di Shitian was the sovereign of the Devas, the supreme ruler of the Eight Legions, and a champion of the Heaven Champions Ranking. To say that his power was bottomless would be an understatement. The divine thought might amount to nothing to Di Shitian himself, but it was an opportunity and a boon of a lifetime for someone like him.

    If he could obtain even a small enlightenment from the divine thought, his cultivation journey and future would be so much better than they would have been otherwise. That was why he was unwilling to use it unless he had absolutely no other choice.

    Unfortunately, he had reached that point. The one and only way he might survive this crisis was to use the divine thought.

    Naturally, the thief must die for the price. Not only that, nothing short of true death and eternal damnation would satisfy his thirst for vengeance.

    The next moment, the word in the sky shone brighter and conjured illusions of dragons, tigers, Buddhas, gods, demons, and other creatures. At the same time, a tall, imposing, and terrible silhouette wearing a magnificent crown manifested at the center of the golden light.

    The silhouette looked straight at Ye Qing, and terrible pain abruptly stabbed into his eyes. As blood trickled down his cheeks, the silhouette dered with a dignified voice,

    ¡°Permission granted.¡±

    The silhouette then lifted his finger slightly before lowering it toward Ye Qing. The dragons and tigers flew beside the finger, the Buddhas began yelling and chanting, the gods and demons roared, and many, many more illusions sprung into existence like weeds.

    The finger wasn¡¯t moving particrly quickly, so it looked like all Ye Qing needed to do to save himself was to move out of harm¡¯s way.

    In reality, he felt as if the finger had locked down the three dimensions, the four cardinal points, the eight directions, and the nine heavens. Absolutely anything and everything was suppressed.

    There was nowhere for him to go; nowhere for him to hide.

 Chapter 662: Sentence Me To Death? You?

    <h4>Chapter 662: Sentence Me To Death? You? </h4>

    ¡°You think you have the right to sentence <i>me </i>to death? Who the hell do you think you are?¡±

    Despite the unimaginable amount of pressure pressing on against his body, despite the blood pouring down his cheeks like a flood, Ye Qing slowly but surely lifted his head and stared straight at the entity.

    He certainly wasn¡¯t looking his best right now, and yet his tenacity and unyieldingness shone through it all.

    Ye Qing bent a finger and tapped himself in the forehead; the tianmen point to be exact. The tianmen point was described as the ¡°Gate of Heaven¡±, and it was one of the most important lines of defense of one¡¯s mind. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t hiding celestial qi or auspicious aura inside his head, however. No, it was overflowing with demonic qi and cmity.

    Demonic qi boiled like fog, and demonic thought washed out like a shockwave. Both the sky and the earth instantly became so lofty it couldn¡¯t be perceived, and so far that it couldn¡¯t be seen. Everything looked blurry and chaotic as if this was the beginning of time where the world wasn¡¯t created yet, and all that was living had not yet been born.

    Not even the dazzling golden light was strong enough to pierce Primal Chaos.

    ¡°Hihihihi...¡±

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    ¡°Wooooo...¡±

    ¡°Hehehe...¡±

    Suddenly, strange, disturbing voices came from the Primal Chaos. It sounded likeughter, weeping, sighing, wailing and other sounds that could only be described as demonic. At the same time, dark, indistinct silhouettes appeared at the distance and flickered in and out of existence.

    Fear, trepidation, cowardice, greed, anger and more negative emotions began to grow infinitely inside Dream Master¡¯s heart. All sorts of hallucinations assaulted his mind and shadowed his heart.

    ¡°Paranirmita Vasavartin, Boundless Heavenly Demon...¡±

    It was at this moment a voice resounded throughout the world. It was neither high-pitched, loud, solemn, nor fickle, and yet it possessed seemingly infinite power. As soon as it appeared, the golden silhouette was shackled in ce, and the descending finger abruptly froze in its tracks. The massive ¡°Edict¡± also grew dimmer than before.

    ¡°How dare a mere heretic challenge the power of a sovereign!¡±

    The golden silhouette roared, causing the massive ¡°Edict¡± to regain its luminosity. Wind and clouds darkened, and heaven and earth trembled. The dazzling golden light took the form of a gargantuan, sky-piercing sword and shot straight toward the sky.

    The imprable wall of Primal Chaos abruptly parted to reveal a person sitting on a throne in the infinitely tall, infinitely distant sky. They were resting their head against their knuckles and looking down on the golden silhouette from above.

    The person¡¯s face was blurry, indistinct, and everchanging. Despite this, anyone could tell that they were wearing an expression of ridicule and scorn.

    It was as if the golden silhouette was no more than an ant to them.

    The person¡¯s response to the gargantuan sword was to lower his finger. At the beginning, his finger was no bigger than, well, a human¡¯s finger. But for every inch it traveled, it would grow a littlerger. By the time it was about to make contact with the sword, it was big enough to blot out the sky itself.

    The sword and the finger shed, and it was the sword that shattered into smithereens. The person wasn¡¯t done though. The finger was still descending and growingrger by the inch.

    ¡°The audacity!¡±

    The golden silhouette raged as the word ¡°Edict¡± shot into the sky. Unfortunately, it too dimmed and shattered into pieces as soon as it made contact with the finger.

    Having shattered both the sword and the word, the finger finally pressed down on the golden silhouette without any mercy whatsoever. At that moment, the golden silhouette truly was an ant beneath the finger. There was absolutely nothing it could do to change its fate!

    <i>Crunch.</i>

    After the golden silhouette was crushed to bits, the person sitting above the Nine Heavens began to turn blurry, their face still wearing an expression of infinite scorn and ridicule.

    ¡°Sentence me to death? <i>You?</i>¡±

    The voice said onest time before both the person and the Primal Chaos disappeared in an instant.

    The world returned to normal, and Ye Qing and Dream Master reappeared in the city.

    Something was different though. Dream Master¡¯s eyes looked ssy and lifeless, and he was just standing there without moving a muscle. It was as if he had turned into a puppet.

    Ye Qing¡¯splexion was pale, and his energies were unstable. Even now, blood was still pouring out of his pupils like a flood.

    ¡°Heh... Had I gotten even just a little careless...¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled to himself before wiping away the blood on his face.

    He had to admit that Dream Master was a deadly, hard-to-kill opponent. He certainly hadn¡¯t expected the man to possess such a powerful trump card despite having one foot in the grave.

    The golden silhouette was just a spiritual intent, and yet it hade very close to killing him. If he hadn¡¯t grasped the Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion and manifested his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, he would not have been able to transform the surroundings into his domain and wipe it out using his Heavenly Demon Yin God. He would¡¯ve been dead.

    It was despairing to think that a wisp of spiritual intent was almost strong enough to kill him. He certainly could not imagine how powerful the master and creator of the spiritual intent was.

    That person was almost certainly the Di Shitian Dream Master had spoken about.

    In any case, Di Shitian was now his sworn enemy. After all, he had wiped out his whole team and even destroyed his spiritual intent. There was no way the man was going to let this slide.

    ¡°Sigh. The trees long for peace, but the wind will never cease.[1]¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged, though he wasn¡¯t really too worried. As the gambling addicts loved to say, what was another debt when they were already drowning in debt? Plus, he had already earned the guy¡¯s eternal ire since the moment he killed Huo Hao and stole Nanke. What did it matter if he offended the guy a couple more times?

    After tossing the stray thought to the back of his mind, Ye Qing walked up to Dream Master and took his Nature¡¯s Shells, Strange Artifacts, and everything else that was of value. Then, he turned around and left.

    As if on cue, Dream Master¡¯s body crumbled into dust and scattered into the wind. Ye Qing did not look back. As he walked toward the exit, the fog covering the ancient city too faded away. For the first time in a very long time, starlight and moonlight graced the forgotten city once more.

    ......

    ¡°That spiritual energy is... incredible. Was there <i>another </i>party hiding in the shadows?¡±

    Inside a dpidated building, a white-faced, weakened Greeke Bai was leaning against a wall and taking a moment to catch her breath.

    ¡°The sandpiper and m war together, and the fisherman catches both. I knew it was too good to be true that we would stumble onto Nanke in the middle of nowhere. Nothing good ever happens by chance, just like there are no free lunches in the world.¡±

    A sickly, somewhat crazed smile shed across Greeke Bai¡¯s features. ¡°I wonder who the fisherman is though. I would have loved to see their face with my own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, no point dreaming about something that will nevere true. There are way, way too many bad people in this world, so much so that I¡¯m starting to miss that innocent husband of mine. I wonder what he¡¯s doing right now... assuming he¡¯s still alive.¡±

    Greeke Bai giggled to herself as her energies slowly but surely stabilized.

    Suddenly, Greeke Bai nched. ¡°Hmm?! The fog¡¯s fading. This is bad!¡±

    Ah Su¡¯s ¡°Nethercall Demonic Possession Record¡± was a pure body-tempering martial art. That was why she was able to shake her off without too much effort. But now that the fog was gone, it wouldn¡¯t take long for Ah Su to locate her once more.

    ¡°This fog¡¯s timing is absolutely suspect. Is it the work of that fisherman?!¡±

    For the first time, Greeke Bai lost her smile and uttered through gritted teeth, ¡°Pray that I don¡¯t find out who you are, fisherman. Otherwise, you¡¯ll wish you had done things differently.¡±

    As soon as she finished, Greeke Bai flinched and jumped out of a window.

    As if on cue, the entire building exploded in a shower of dust and debris.

    ¡°You killed Ah Xiu. I will kill you...¡±

    Ah Su dashed out of the rubble and pounced toward Greeke Bai. She destroyed many more buildings while chasing after the woman.

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t kill first senior brother, third senior sister! Did you sense that presence just now? It¡¯s clear that I was framed!¡±

    Greeke Bai ran like her life depended on it while saying, ¡°If you kill me, first senior brother would not be able to rest in peace!¡±

    ¡°You have to believe me, third senior sister! I promise I¡¯ll find the real murderer for you!¡±

    ¡°You killed Ah Xiu...¡±

    Her words bounced off Ah Su like water off a duck¡¯s back, however. She just kept chasing and chasing and chasing.

    ¡°Third senior sister... would you please listen to me!¡±

    ¡°You killed Ah Xiu. I will kill you...¡±

    ¡°Third senior sister... what¡¯s the point of having a brain if you¡¯re not going to use it?!¡±

    ¡°Kill you...¡±

    ......

    ¡°Haha... have fun, Greeke Bai. I hope you¡¯ll survive this.¡±

    On a sand dune, Ye Qing smiled while listening to the tremors and reverberationsing from the city.

    He was the one who withdrew the fog, and of course he did it to screw Greeke Bai over.

    Originally, he wanted to deal with Greeke Bai personally, but Dream Master¡¯s Edict of Divine Thought had cost him a lot more spiritual power than he expected.

    He could heal practically any physical injury in the blink of an eye, but the spirit was a different story.

    Sure, he could restore his spiritual power instantly with a golden dragon-serpent rune, but... seriously? The golden dragon-serpent runes were a precious resource and an emergency life-saving item. It would be a waste to pop one just to kill Greeke Bai.

    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like he was letting her go for free. That Ah Su was singlehandedly doing his job for him.

    Also, he had a feeling that Greeke Bai would somehow turn Ah Su against him if he were to intervene now. As a victim of her machinations, he had the right to be wary of her.

    Therefore, leaving them to their devices was definitely the best move he could make right now.

    If Greeke Bai died, then hurray. If not, then he would have another chance to make her life miserable. What¡¯s not to like?

    ¡°Wuwu?¡±

    It was at this moment Giggle pulled his sleeve. It was looking up at him with worry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Ye Qing petted its head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been a very busy day. Let¡¯s go find a safe ce and enjoy a good rest.¡±

    1. Meaning that the world keeps trucking on whether you like it or not. ?

 Chapter 663: Ruyi of Fortune

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    As the sun rose, and purple qi greeted the world once more, Ye Qing let out a sigh before opening his eyes. A hint of joy peeked out of his features as he muttered under his breath, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t like a blessing in disguise?¡±

    It was the third day after he left the city. That night, after locating a fairly safe hideout not too far away from the city, he immediately began meditating to heal his wounded mind and depleted spiritual power.

    At first, he thought it would take him one or two weeks at least to recover from such an injury. In reality, not only did he recover in just three days, his reservoir of spiritual power had actually grown a little bigger than before.

    And how was this possible? It was all thanks to the Edict of Divine Thought.

    The Edict of Divine Thought was, in essence, a wisp of spiritual and martial intent. When he snuffed it out, he had destroyed Di Shitian¡¯s intent but not the vast spiritual power that empowered it.

    It didn¡¯t sound like much, but Di Shitian was no weakling. What was an ordinary wisp of spiritual power to Di Shitian was a helluva treasure to a small fry like Ye Qing.

    Obviously, the spiritual power it provided could notpare to the nine-hundred-years-old Moon Lotus Seeds Joy Bodhisattva had given him. However, its purity exceeded the Moon Lotus Seeds.

    As a result, not only did he fully recover from his mental exhaustion and injuries, his spirit was stronger, and his Yin God was denser as well.That wasn¡¯t all. He hadn¡¯t refined and absorbed all the spiritual power stored inside his headspace yet. Once he converted it all into demonic thought, he was sure his cultivation would advance further. He might even be a middle-stage Spirit Master thanks to this.

    Of course, it was a little counterintuitive and silly to use a champion¡¯s spiritual intent purely as an item to grow one¡¯s spirit. After all, the most important element of a spiritual intent wasn¡¯t the spiritual power that fueled it, but the champion¡¯s insight into martial arts and the world itself. Even a mere glimpse into the world beyond was a great boon to any warrior.

    Unfortunately for Ye Qing, he hadpletely annihted Di Shitian¡¯s will. This meant that Di Shitian¡¯s martial understanding and insight were destroyed as well. So, he had no choice but to opt for the inferior option.

    He would be lying if he said his heart didn¡¯t ache at the lost opportunity, but of course he was satisfied with this oue. He had already gotten a blessing in disguise, it would be greedy and stupid toin that the blessing wasn¡¯t better. Besides, the wisp of spiritual intent wasn¡¯t the only thing he got out of this venture.

    First, he had retrieved Nanke. Obviously.

    Second, ughterer, Earth Walker, Su Xiu and Dream Master had so kindly contributed their possessions to his cause, and a good amount of them were valuable natural treasures and martial arts manuals too.

    Out of all the items, there were six that sat at the top of all the loot.

    The first item was, of course, the Wenliang Pearl. He had found it in Earth Walker¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell, meaning that Yaksa had killed Ancestor Greenwood and robbed him of his item. Too bad for Earth Walker, he died before he ever got to make use of the treasure.

    The second item was three jade scrolls[1]. They came from Su Xiu, and he reckoned that it was the Demon Controlling Jade Manual Su Xiu and Greeke Bai were talking about.

    Although he called them jade scrolls, and their name was the ¡°Demon Controlling Jade Manual¡±, they were really made of some sort of unknown material that looked like metal or jade, but was neither. One thing for certain, it was unbelievably tough and impossible to damage.

    Even stranger, he could not find a single word in either one of the scrolls. They werepletely nk and seemingly useless. If there was something magical about them, he wasn¡¯t able to identify it despite his best efforts.

    He was sure they were extraordinary though. Otherwise, Su Xiu and Greeke Bai wouldn¡¯t have fought over it.

    The third item was a pill called Pill of the Undying Spirit of the Valley. He had found in Dancer¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell.

    There was a passage in Tao Te Ching that went something like this:

    ¡°The spirit of the valley never dies.

    This is called the mysterious female.

    The gateway of the mysterious female

    Is called the root of heaven and earth.¡±

    To put it in more practical, secr terms, the Pill of the Undying Spirit of the Valley was a pill that helped a warrior to discover their true nature and realize their true self, which indirectly increased their chances of bing a Grandmaster.

    As amazing as the pill was, it was unfortunately useless for a body-tempering warrior like Ye Qing. A body-tempering warrior emphasized on honing the body and enriching the vigor. They sought perfection of the body and not the mind, which was why a pill that improved the cultivation of the mind¡ªwhile appreciated¡ªwasn¡¯t nearly as valuable or useful to him.

    That was why the pill was useless to him¡ªfor now. He would have to put it out of his mind for the moment.

    The fourth item was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact called the Ruyi[2] of Fortune. Carved from jade and about as big as a human palm, one half of the ruyi was ck, and the other half white. The ck half of the ruyi had the word ¡°Misfortune¡± engraved on it, and the white half the word ¡°Fortune¡±. It possessed the power to turn fortune into misfortune and vice versa.

    To put it simply, the Ruyi of Fortune could change the luck of two people. For a short time, it could strip a target of their good luck to enhance the user¡¯s own luck. The user would be so incredibly lucky that their tribtions would turn into happy idents, and every obstacle standing in their way would be swept clean.

    On the other hand, the victim who was stripped of their luck would experience all kinds of misfortune and hardships.

    To put it in even simpler terms, the Ruyi of Fortune was the Incense of Fortune and the Incense of Misfortunebined.

    The power to steal another¡¯s luck was incredible to say the least. The word Ruyi meant ¡°as one pleases¡±, and the power to do as one pleases was powerful indeed.

    For a person, there were few things more important than luck. A lucky person could live their whole life happily and without hardships, whereas an unlucky person would be lucky to make it past childhood especially in this day and age.

    Luck was a curious variable. An unlucky person could suffer all kinds of hardships and tribtions despite making all the right decisions, an unlucky family would not remain a family for long, and an unlucky country would decline and fall into ruin.

    Everyone knows that luck was a key factor in life, but it wasn¡¯t an easy concept to grasp. Formless, everchanging and profound, there was a reason why the saying, ¡°Let the heavens decide¡± existed. There was only so much a person could do to affect luck.

    Everyone was born with a predetermined amount of luck. While it wasn¡¯t impossible to improve one¡¯s luck and change one¡¯s fate, it was certainly most difficult. Only a person with a special set of skill or an item that was blessed with great fortune and karma could alter one¡¯s natural luck and fate.

    For example, Ye Qing had obtained an impressive amount of Profound Yellow Qi from the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. It was something that could improve his luck and protect his luck to a certain degree. However, items like these were extremely rare.

    A Strange Artifact that could steal another¡¯s luck was even rarer. The Ruyi of Fortune might just be a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact, but its value was positively immeasurable.

    However, its activation conditions were equally stringent. First, the Ruyi of Fortune must have a target. The target could not be too weak or too strong.

    A weak target naturally possessed weak luck, so stealing their luck would not improve one¡¯s own luck by much. A strong target naturally had strong luck, and if they were too strong, then not only would the attempt end in failure, there was a chance the Ruyi of Fortune would backfire on the user.

    Moreover, the Strange Artifact only worked once per target. The user could not steal luck from the same person twice.

    Second, the user must know the target¡¯s birth date, true name, and background. They must write these details on a yellow talisman using a cinnabar brush before striking it with the ck half of the Ruyi of Fortune for two hours per day, and forty nine days in total. If the ritual was interrupted even once, then it would have been all for naught.

    If the ritual was sessful, then the user would be able to continually steal their target¡¯s luck for forty-nine days straight. However, once their forty-nine days were up, their stolen luck would automatically be returned to the target. Not only that, the user would experience around seven days of terrible luck.

    Naturally, they could not use the Ruyi of Fortune during this period.

    In conclusion, the Ruyi of Fortune was much moreplex and troublesome to use than any other Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact Ye Qing had used until now. Without ample preparation, one could even say that the Ruyi of Fortune was no more useful than a rock on the ground.

    In the right circumstances though, the Ruyi of Fortune¡¯s power could not be understated. It could be the trump card that turned what seemed like an impossible situation around.

    Ye Qing was sure that the Ruyi of Fortune was an invaluable Strange Artifact not just to Dream Master, but also to the Eight Legions of Devas and Nagas.

    1. Like literally, they¡¯re made of jade. Google search for some interesting images. ?

    2. A ruyi is a Chinese curved decorative object that serves as either a ceremonial scepter in Chinese Buddhism or a talisman symbolizing power and good fortune in Chinese folklore. ?

 Chapter 664: This Is A Visit, Not An Application

    The final two items were two martial arts manuals. The first item was ¡°Call of the Nether¡±, which was kindly donated by Su Xiu, and the second was ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±, which was donated by Dream Master.

    ¡°Call of the Nether¡± was a Grandmaster-stage martial art, and Ye Qing had witnessed its power with his own eyes. He could confidently say that it was outstanding.

    As a matter of course, he had no ns of recing the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± with ¡°Call of the Nether¡±. After all, the martial art wasn¡¯t inferior to ¡°Call of the Nether¡± in the slightest be it in terms of power or potential. That said, there were some Magias and secret arts in ¡°Call of the Nether¡± that were good enough to be borrowed and applied to his current repertoire of skills, so he would do just that in theing days.

    Even if ¡°Call of the Nether¡± wasn¡¯t up to his standards, he wasn¡¯t going to throw it away willy-nilly. After all, not everyone was as lucky and fortunate as him.

    There was nowhere in the world where a Grandmaster-stage martial art would be valued any less than a priceless treasure. If it was leaked to the <em>jianghu</em>, it could singlehandedly trigger a massacre that would be remembered for years toe, not to mention this was the exclusive martial art of the Nethercall Abode, one of the thirteen West Kunlun abodes. Its quality was above average be it in terms of power or potential.

    Therefore, ¡°Call of the Nether¡± was valuable as a trade item or a gift even if he wasn¡¯t nning on using it.

    Of course, the risk was that the people of West Kunlun might find out about this. There was a saying that went something like this: ¡°One does not teach Dao to those who are inhuman, nor should they pass down the arts to a third pair of ears[1].¡± Knowledge was power, and all sects practiced exclusivity of knowledge to a certain degree. If West Kunlun found out that he was selling their exclusive martial art to others, they were going to hunt him down like a dog. The fact that they were a demonic sect meant that they would be that much more ruthless with their methods.

    Whatever he chose to do with ¡°Call of the Nether¡±, he would have to be very careful about it.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t interested in ¡°Call of the Nether¡±, but Dream Master¡¯s ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±? Now that was a different story.Just like ¡°Call of the Nether¡±, ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± was also a Grandmaster-stage martial art. He hadn¡¯t just witnessed its power either, he had personally felt it with his own flesh and bones. Mysterious, anomalous, evil and potent, it could kill without a trace and possessed many useful secret arts and Magia. In terms of flexibility and unpredictability, it was the equal of his ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±.

    Most importantly, the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± and the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±plemented each other well to a certain degree. The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± beguiled the heart, whereas the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± bewitched the mind through dreams.

    If he could somehowbine their techniques, then his ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± would be even better than it already was, not to mention that some of the secret arts and Magia taught by the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± were pretty interesting. They deserved to be learned or referenced to.

    These six items were the most valuable loot he obtained out of this venture. Of course, they weren¡¯t the only valuables he had gotten out of this venture, but the other items paled inparison to the likes of ¡°Call of the Nether¡±, ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±, Ruyi of Fortune and more.

    Whatever the case, the kind donations of Eight Legions and Su Xiu¡¯s group had made him positively wealthy.

    ¡°Such kind souls. I sure hope that our paths will cross again in the future!¡± Ye Qing chuckled to himself.

    After his excitement had subsided, Ye Qing began plotting his future training and cultivation.

    Right now, his loot was just that, loot. In a sense, they were meaningless until he had converted it all into his power.

    Some timeter, when Ye Qing was finally done charting his future, he got to his feet, stretched a little, and waved at Giggle. ¡°Come on, Giggle. It¡¯s time to go.¡±

    The young man¡¯s smile was as dazzling and unchanging as the rising sun.

    He was nothing like who he used to be, and yet his heart had not changed one bit.

    He would beg neither celestial nor the Buddha for power. One step at a time, he would one day im the universe for himself.

    ¡­¡­

    A mountain was just a mountain until a celestial bestowed it a name,

    And a body of water was just a body of water until a dragon chose to turn it into its nest.

    The Dragonrider Mountain was one such ce. It was neither tall nor beautiful, but it was a famous ce everyone in Bei Mo revered and held in high esteem. Why? Because the Dragonrider Mountain was graced by both celestials and dragons.

    The ¡°celestials¡± in question were of course the martial sect who took residence in the mountain and called themselves ¡°Dragonrider Mountain¡±, and the ¡°dragons¡± in questions were referring to the legends that Dragonrider Mountain was protected by a true dragon.

    No one actually knew if the Dragonrider Mountain was guarded by a true dragon, but it was one hundred percent true that it was the headquarters of a martial sect.

    Dragonrider Mountain wasn¡¯t named among the Two Temples of Buddha or the Three Temples of Dao. It wasn¡¯t named among the Five Profound Sects, the Nine Demonic Ways, or even the thirty six unorthodox sects. However, it was a reputable sect in Bei Mo who was famed for their dragonying arts.

    Countless <em>jianghu </em>warriors, dao seekers and immortality dreamers had sought out Dragonrider Mountain in hopes of learning their signature dragonying arts, but as many people quickly found out, finding the mountain was easy, but scaling it was apletely different story.

    This was natural. One did not simply forge a karmic bond with celestials, just as true arts did note easily to anyone.

    All outsiders who wished to enter the Dragonrider Mountain must climb the Dragonscaling Road, cross the Dragon Nurturing Gorge, and ovee the Dragon Subjugating Arena. Only then were they granted the right to join the Dragonrider Mountain.

    Unfortunately, the road was harsh, not a single one of the obstacles was easy to ovee. In fact, only three to five people out of a hundred seeded in joining the Dragonrider Mountain. Almost everyone else was either dead or driven mad, and only a handful managed to withdraw with their mind and body intact.

    Despite this, countless fearless, reckless people still showed up to challenge the obstacles every year. They all wanted to fight to better their future.

    It was February 2nd, the Longtaitou Festival. It was a good day for prayers, and a bad day for burial.

    Every year at this time of the year, many people would gather at the foot of Dragonrider Mountain. Why? Because it was February 2nd, the day where the Dragon Head Rises (Longtaitou), and the day where the celestial gates of Dragonrider Mountain was open to all challengers.

    It was also the day the Dragonrider Mountain offered sacrifices to their ancestor, and the day they epted new disciples.

    Anyone who managed to scale the Dragonscaling Road, cross the Dragon Nurturing Gorge, and ovee the Dragon Subjugating Arena would be a disciple of the Dragonrider Mountain.

    ¡°What¡¯s the asion, brother? Why are these people just standing here and doing nothing?¡±

    At the foot of the mountain, a travel-worn youngster looked at the throng of people gathered at a clearing curiously and called out to a random passerby.

    ¡°It¡¯s February second and the Longtaitou Festival today, brother. It is the day the Dragonrider Mountain opens their gates to pray to their ancestor and recruit new disciples. That should be enough to answer your question, no? Also, it was rumored that whoever became the champion this year would be epted as the mountain lord¡¯s inner disciple directly. Naturally, there is an even bigger crowd than usual.¡±

    The speaker was an arrogant-looking young man carrying a sword at his waist. He dered arrogantly after answering the youngster¡¯s question, ¡°Too bad for them, I, Zhou Xianyang have arrived. They would not get that chance.¡±

    Many pairs of eyes immediately nced at the young man¡¯s direction upon hearing his name. Loud murmurs broke out as various people shot him stunned, envious, or jealous looks.

    Sensing their gaze and hearing their discussions, Zhou Xianyang grew even more pleased and proud of himself. He shot them a disdainful look and dered loudly, ¡°I, Zhou Xianyang, will be the one to be the mountain lord¡¯s inner disciple!¡±

    It was at this moment Zhou Xianyang finally recalled the travel-worn youngster he was speaking to and shot him an arrogant look. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to join the Dragonrider Mountain as well? How did you not know about this?¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± The travel-worn youngster saluted him good-naturedly. ¡°Apologies, but I¡¯m not here to join them.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not here to join Dragonrider Mountain, then why are you here?¡± Zhou Xianyang asked in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to pay them a visit,¡± the youngster answered.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Zhou Xianyang only looked even more confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple.¡±

    The youngster stepped around Zhou Xianyang, looked at Dragonrider Mountain and sped his hands in salute. Then, he dered in a loud, crisp voice that deafened the ears, stirred the clouds, and sent reverberations throughout the Dragonrider Mountain,

    ¡°Joyless Ye hase to pay Dragonrider Mountain a visit as promised.¡±

    1. The first line means one should not teach those who are unqualified/undeserved, and the second line means that secrets should be guarded very closely. ?

 Chapter 665: Talks

    <h4>Chapter 665: Talks </h4>

    There was a great hall at the peak of Dragonrider Mountain. They called it the Dragonying Hall.

    Right now, five people¡ªfour men and one woman¡ªwere seated inside the Dragonying Hall.

    The leader¡ªan old man with the face of a child, the hair of a crane, and a simple yet elegant attire that made him look like the model of a Taoist or celestial¡ªwas sitting at the head seat of the table. Everyone else was seated to his left and right.

    He was the mountain lord of Dragonrider Mountain, and his monastic name was Yu Longzi (Son of Jade Dragon).

    ¡°Are the offerings ready, Hualong?¡± Yu Longzi asked.

    ¡°It is ready.¡±

    Hualong was a big man over two meters tall. His exposed skin was covered by ayer of golden scale armor that was shaped like fish scales[1], and there were big bulges on the left and right side of his forehead. His presence was vast and domineering, and he gave off a tremendous amount of pressure even though he was simply sitting at his seat.

    He was the hallmaster of the Dragonmorph Hall, Yue Hualong.

    Yu Longzi and looked at another person. ¡°How is the preparation for the wee ceremony, Chaoyu?¡±

    A handsome man wearing a blue wide-sleeved robe rose to his feet and answered, ¡°Everything is ready, my lord. You have nothing to worry about.¡±

    The speaker¡¯s name was Yun Chaoyu, and he was the hallmaster of the Flying Dragon Hall.

    ¡°Elder Yuan, Ningxin, the two of you shall assist as needed. Today is the day we pray to our ancestor and wee a new year. I require your utmost attention to ensure that everything must go smoothly.¡± Yu Longzi looked at the remaining two people.

    An old man whose eyes were tightly shut for some reason answered slowly, ¡°Do not worry, my lord. With Hualong and Chaoyu at the helm, I don¡¯t believe that anything can go wrong with this year¡¯s ceremony.¡±

    The old man¡¯s name was Zhao Yuanrong. He was the hallmaster of the Hidden Dragon Hall.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Yu Longzi nodded before issuing a couple more instructions to the group.

    It was at this moment Yu Longzi recalled something and looked at the white-robed woman who hadn¡¯t said a word since the beginning. He asked, ¡°Ningxin, how is Innocent[2]?¡±

    ¡°Her mind is severely damaged. It would be difficult to nurse her back to full health,¡± the white-robed woman replied, her voice as icy as her own aura.

    The woman¡¯s name was Yu Ningxin, and she was the hallmaster of the Dragon Subjugating Hall.

    ¡°Will she ever wake up?¡± Yu Longzi asked another question.

    ¡°I doubt it.¡± Yu Ningxin shook her head. ¡°ording to Han Shuang, her mind was injured because her attacker scoured her soul. Even if she awakens, she would be mentally disabled.¡±

    ¡°That monster! Not only did he steal our opportunity, he even murdered our disciples and injured our hallmaster such that she is beyond recovery! Truly despicable!¡±

    Yue Hualong mmed his hand on the stone table and left behind a clear palm print. ¡°Have we found anything about that man yet, Ningxin?¡±

    Yu Ningxin shook her head. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t your disciple met that man face to face? How is it possible that we haven¡¯t found anything if that¡¯s true?¡± Yue Hualong pressed, ¡°Your disciple isn¡¯t hiding anything, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that, Hallmaster Yue? Are you suspecting my disciple of collusion?¡± Yu Ningxin raised an eyebrow, and the temperature within the hall instantly nosedived.

    ¡°Of course not! She¡¯s just an insignificant disciple. She would never dare to do such a thing!¡± Yue Hualong replied meaningfully.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re suspecting me.¡± Yu Ningxin narrowed her eyes coldly.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Yue Hualong sneered. ¡°Practically everyone who went to the Celestial Spring this time was dead. Even Innocent was injured past the point of recovery. However, your disciple ispletely unharmed. Don¡¯t you think this deserves looking into?¡±

    ¡°Everyone here knows you hate getting involved in trivial matters like this, but when we were discussing who we should assign to search for this man, you did a one-eighty and insisted on taking charge. Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Your disciple clearly saw that man¡¯s face. If it was me in charge, his head would be sitting on this table already. However, you failed toe up with a single clue even though it¡¯s been more than ten days. How are you going to exin this?¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Yu Ningxin asked in an icy voice.

    He wasn¡¯t. Yue Hualong said harshly, ¡°Everyone knows that you and Innocent do not see eye-to-eye with one another. It¡¯s obvious that you colluded with an outsider to take out Innocent! That would exin why that man left your disciple and only your disciple alive, and why you haven¡¯t found a damn thing even though it¡¯s been nearly two weeks! The two of you were in cahoots from the beginning!¡±

    ¡°Hualong! You should be careful about what you say!¡± Yun Chaoyu spoke up with a frown.

    ¡°Hmph! Am I wrong? If I was, then how do you exin this bullshit?¡± Yue Hualong red at Yu Ningxin. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, Yu Ningxin?¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Yu Ningxin repeated as she slowly rose to her feet. While staring straight into Yue Hualong¡¯s eyes, she said, ¡°If you¡¯re done, then you can die.¡±

    As soon as she finished, the cold air in the hall abruptly condensed into an ice dragon. It descended right on top of Yue Hualong.

    ¡°Hahaha! See? I knew you were a traitor! You think a traitor like you can kill me?!¡±

    Yue Hualongughed as the golden scales on his right arm shed brightly, and his right hand took the shape of a w. Then, he reached out to grab the ice dragon with his bare hands.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    It was at this moment Yu Longzi intervened with a rebuke. His was high-pitched, loud, and resounding like that of a dragon.

    A muffled groan escaped Yu Ningxin and Yue Hualong¡¯s lips, and both the ice dragon and the draconic w abruptly crumbled into nothing.

    ¡°Are you done fooling around?¡±

    Yu Longzi stared at both hallmasters for a moment before dering, ¡°If you¡¯re done, then sit.¡±

    Yu Ningxin and Yue Hualong exchanged a nce with each other. Then, they took their seats without a word.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t even found the man who killed our disciples and wounded our elder, and you¡¯re going to start a civil war and tear our sect asunder? Are you two stupid?¡±

    Yu Longzi rebuked both hallmasters mercilessly before looking at Hualong. ¡°Hualong, I know you and Innocent share a deep bond with each other, and everyone here is saddened by what happened to her. However, it is folly to run amok over pure conjecture.¡±

    ¡°Innocent is no weakling. The fact that the murderer was able to defeat her with ease proved that his strength is not to be underestimated, and he is no one to be trifled with. It makes sense that Ningxin could not locate him quickly.¡±

    ¡°In any case, I will not hear this either of you again, or you will be punished by ourws. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    Everyone in the hall answered respectfully.

    ¡°What do we do then?¡± Yue Hualong asked with an unhappy grunt.

    ¡°We keep searching, of course,¡± Yu Longzi dered without hesitation. ¡°This murderer has intercepted our opportunity, killed our disciples, harmed our elder, stole our treasures and humiliated us. Their crimes are unforgivable.¡±

    ¡°One way or another, we will find him and imprison him at the bottom of the Dragonying Tower so he may suffer the eating of a million insects and the burn of our most poisonous fire!¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord.¡± The four hallmasters rose to their feet and saluted him.

    ¡°Anyway, it looks like it¡¯s time. Open the gates and prepare to wee the challengers!¡± Yu Longzi dered seriously with a wave of his hand.

    It was at this moment a loud noise ripped through the clouds and shook their mountain like a thunderp. When it subsided a little, a crisp, young voice rang clearly in everyone¡¯s ears:

    ¡°Joyless Ye hase to pay Dragonrider Mountain a visit as promised.¡±

    ¡°Who is that? How dare they!¡±

    The hallmasters¡¯ shock quickly morphed into rage. It was verymon for a sect to receive visitors, but custom dictated that the visitor must first pay the host a visitation letter before anything. If the host epted the request to visit, then they could enter the sect. If not, then they must take their leave. This was the rules of etiquette that had been practiced since time immemorial.

    An announcement like this without a visitation letter usually only meant two things. Either the visitor was here to challenge their authority, or they were here to seek revenge. Obviously, neither scenario was weed considering the asion.

    ¡°Joyless Ye? Has anyone heard of this man before?¡± Yu Longzi asked with a deep frown. He could tell from the announcer¡¯s voice that they were quite powerful, but he had never heard of such a moniker before.

    ¡°We have not, much less earned the grudge of such a man,¡± Yun Chaoyu answered after a moment.

    ¡°In that case, why did he choose this time of all times to pay us a visit? What is he trying to do?¡± Yu Longzi pondered.

    ¡°Who cares? He¡¯s entering the mountain without issuing us a visitation letter first. It is clear he thinks that our sect is beneath him, the audacity! I¡¯ll head down and deal with that bastard right now!¡±

    Yue Hualong was quite angry to say the least. He had been enduring a bellyful of fire since over a week ago, and now a punching bag was kindly delivering himself to their doorsteps. Of course he was going to make good use of him.

    ¡°Patience. It is clear that this man is quite strong. Let¡¯s figure out his identity and background before we try anything,¡± Zhao Yuanrong suggested.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Yu Longzi nodded in agreement before lowering his palm. The clouds above the mountain churned, and a draconic roar filled heaven and earth.

    1. Doesn¡¯t that mean that his skin <i>isn¡¯t </i>exposed? Eh whatever. ?

    2. If you remember, it¡¯s the psychopathic bitch who kidnapped Giggle. ?

 Chapter 666: Youthful Arrogance

    <h4>Chapter 666: Youthful Arrogance </h4>

    ¡°What... what are you doing?¡±

    At the foot of Dragonrider Mountain, Zhou Xianyang was staring at Ye Qing with a dumbfounded expression on his face. It wasn¡¯t just him. The entire clearing had fallen silent before they knew it.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you already? I¡¯m paying them a visit,¡± Ye Qing answered with a smile on his face.

    <i>Are you sure? Because it sure looks like you¡¯re crashing the party to me! </i>Zhou Xianyang¡¯s mouth opened, but he couldn¡¯t say anything for a time. <i>Also, you know that your ¡°visit¡± is almost certainly going to invite retaliation, right?</i>

    As if on cue, the clouds covering the peak of Dragonrider Mountain suddenly stirred violently. Then, a draconic roar erupted from the clouds and shook both heaven and earth, and a gargantuan dragon¡¯s head peeked out of the clouds to look down on Ye Qing like he was an ant.

    The pressure the gargantuan dragon¡¯s head was giving off could only be described as overwhelming. Zhou Xianyang and everyone else around him shaking like leaves as the blood drained away from their face. Some of them were even shaking and feeling like they might ck out at any moment.

    Seeing this, Ye Qing took one small step forward. It was just a small, insignificant step, and yet the entire Dragonrider Mountain shook like an earthquake, and even the dragon¡¯s head in the clouds wobbled a little.

    The crowd immediately felt the oppressive pressure on their bodies disappearing like it never was.

    ¡°Who are you? Why have youe to our Dragonrider Mountain?¡±

    A few breathster, a loud, imposing voice boomed from the dragon¡¯s head.

    ¡°My name is Joyless Ye. I havee to pay you all a visit as promised!¡± Ye Qing answered gently while still sping his fists.

    ¡°Promise? Do you mean an appointment? We don¡¯t remember having an appointment with you.¡± The dragon¡¯s head replied in a doubtful voice.

    ¡°Hmm? Did Miss Han Shuang not bring my message to you? I remember telling her that I would personally pay Dragonrider Mountain a visit in a few days or so,¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Han Shuang? Who are you?¡± A hint of nervousness and killing intent entered the speaker¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Looks like she really hasn¡¯t given you my message. It¡¯s fine though. It¡¯s fine though. You¡¯ll find out who I am very soon.¡±

    Chuckling, Ye Qing gave the Dragon Nursing Nest hanging on his waist a gentle p, and a tiny head immediately poked out of its opening. Giggle looked up at the dragon¡¯s head in the sky with a hint of fear in its eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am here.¡± Ye Qing petted Giggle¡¯s head before raising his voice again, ¡°You may not recognize me, but surely you recognize it?¡±

    ¡°The lotus flower Stranger of Celestial Spring and the Dragon Nursing Nest?!¡± The voice grew angry and murderous. ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

    ¡°It is I,¡± Ye Qing confirmed.

    ¡°You daree to our Dragonrider Mountain?!¡± The dragon¡¯s head roared so loud that the clouds scattered, and the sky darkened.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± Ye Qing countered. Despite the waterfall of pressure crashing down from the heavens and right onto Ye Qing, he continued to speak as if it did not exist.

    ¡°We Dragonrider Mountain do not remember ever offending you in any way, so why had you intercepted our opportunity, killed our disciples, wounded our elder and stole our treasure?¡±

    Maybe it was because Ye Qing was acting too calm, but the voice behind the dragon¡¯s head too calmed down and fired off a series of questions.

    To that, Ye Qing only had one thing to say. ¡°Because it¡¯s the right thing to do.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s the... right thing to do?¡± The dragon head seemed very surprised by this answer. ¡°... Is that it?¡±

    ¡°That is all,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    The dragon head fell silent. High atop the Dragonrider Mountain, Yu Longzi, Yue Hualong, Yun Chaoyu and the rest of the elders fell silent as well.

    They had anticipated all kinds of answers when the question was asked. They had expected this Joyless Ye to respond with fame, self-interest, or power. Instead, he had given them an answer they never expected.

    It was exceedinglymon for people to fight over fame, kill over profit, and harm over power. They would¡¯ve epted these answers without a second thought. But ¡°justice¡±?

    To say that the answer felt unfamiliar and distant to them would be an understatement. They could not help but feel that this Joyless Ye was both childish andughable.

    Nearly all youngsters dreamed of living as they pleased and bing a hero at least once in their life. Nearly all of them had entered the <i>jianghu </i>for that dream. Their hearts were pure because they were young, and they were heroic because of youthful arrogance.

    However, the <i>jianghu </i>slowly but surely washed away their innocence, the violence shaved away their edges until they becamepletely nd, and promises of fame and glory corrupted their once innocent heart.

    Before they knew it, they had devolved who could not help but overworry both the past and the future, carry out every action as if they were treading on thin ice, and take every step with profit and loss in mind.

    Before they knew it, the youthful arrogance and heart of heroism that once upied the center of their hearts were nowhere to be found. Always looking out for number one and only number one, they had be like flies who swarmed around shit for good, or dogs who hung around humans for food.

    They had be people who looked at those who said things like, ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± and thought from the bottom of their heart that they were unfamiliar, childish, andughable.

    A few breathster, as if to confirm that Ye Qing was actually being serious or not, the dragon¡¯s head finally spoke up again, ¡°You seriously killed our disciples and harmed our elder just for <i>that</i>?¡±

    ¡°Is that not enough?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    ¡°In that case, why have youe to our Dragonrider Mountain today?¡± the dragon¡¯s head asked.

    ¡°Why would anyone pay another person or household a visit? To meet you all in person, of course,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°It is bad enough that you killed our disciples and harmed our elder, but you would taunt us at our doorsteps as well? Don¡¯t you think that you have gone too far?¡± The dragon¡¯s head asked.

    ¡°Not at all,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently, ¡°Those who humiliate others will always be humiliated by others; those who bully others will always be bullied by others[1].¡±

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    Everyone at the foot of the mountain gasped while chanting ¡°Mother of heavens¡± inside their head like a mantra when they heard this. It was bad enough that this guy killed the Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s disciples and stole their stuff, but now he was pping their face left, right and center in broad daylight as well! People had gone to <i>war </i>for less!

    ¡°Good. Very good. It looks like you truly don¡¯t think much of us at all. We may be a small sect, but even we have our own dignity.¡±

    The dragon¡¯s head dered, ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are or what sect you belong to. One way or another, you will pay for what you have done to Dragonrider Mountain today!¡±

    His voice was calm, but it was clear that it was the calm before the storm.

    ¡°Perfect. I havee to seek justice for my friend, and it would be terribly disappointing had you chosen to tuck your tail between your legs and run away.¡±

    Ye Qing performed another salute with a daring grin on his face. ¡°I look forward to your guidance.¡±

    ¡°Since you havee to visit us, surely you don¡¯t expect to hold a dialogue at our doorsteps? We hereby invite you to climb our mountain and partake in our hospitality... if you dare.¡±

    ¡°Why not? If the mountain won¡¯te to me, then I shall go to the mountain myself.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked and lowered his fists. Then, he began walking toward the mountain pass.

    ¡°You...¡±

    It was at this moment Zhou Xianyang called out to Ye Qing. He didn¡¯t know why he did it. Maybe it was because he was moved by Ye Qing¡¯s audacious announcement at the very beginning; maybe it was because of that heroic, ¡°It¡¯s the right thing to do,¡± maybe it was because of his courage to ¡°go to the mountain since the mountain refused toe to me¡±, or maybe it was all of the above. Whatever the case, he could not let Ye Qing walk to his death without at least trying to stop him.

    In his opinion, Ye Qing could not possibly stand up to an entire sect alone no matter how powerful he was. That was the kind of stories people told after a few drinks in, and as much as he wanted it to be otherwise, they were just that: stories.

    ¡°Do you need me for something?¡±

    Ye Qing paused in his steps and turned around to face Zhou Xianyang.

    ¡°You...¡±

    When Zhou Xianyang met Ye Qing¡¯s clear eyes, he suddenly found himself unable to say the words he meant to say. In the end, he could only offer two words, ¡°Be careful...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Ye Qing gave him a smile. ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of y chickens and pottery dogs[2]. What is there to be afraid of?¡±

    With that, Ye Qing faced toward the mountain pass once more and stepped forward. The moment he crossed the threshold and nted his foot on the mountain path, lightning roared, the wind howled, and draconic roars deafened the ears. It was as if he had intruded into divine territory, and the gods were very, very angry at the offense.

    Ye Qing paused for a brief moment and lifted his head to stare at the terrifying phenomena happening above his head.

    ......

    ¡°My lord! He has trampled all over our dignity and <i>spat </i>on it! If you¡¯ll just allow me to pluck that <i>bastard¡¯s </i>head...¡±

    Inside the Dragonying Hall, Yue Hualong uttered while wrathfully ring at Ye Qing on the Dragonscaling Road.

    1. An altered version of the original line in Analects, ¡°One who loves others is always loved by others; one who respects others is always respected by others.¡± ?

    2. a.k.a useless trash. ?

 Chapter 667: Shattering Dragonscaling In One Stomp

    ¡°Since this man dared to challenge us alone, he must be emboldened by something more than just pure audacity. Moreover, we don¡¯t yet know what kind of strength or art he possesses. If you win, then it is the expected oue. But if you lose, then our reputation would suffer.¡±

    Yu Longzi answered slowly, ¡°Rather than taking the fight to him, I would rather wait in leisure and probe our quarry¡¯s strength using the Dragonscaling Road, Dragon Nursing Gorge, and Dragon Subjugating tform. If he does not survive our arrays, then perfect. If not, then we would find out how strong he is and deplete his strength. Why take an unnecessary risk if we can defeat our quarry without doing anything?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, my lord. Once we captured him, you have all the time in the world to torture him, Hualong!¡± Zhao Yuanrong added.

    Yue Hualong grunted and returned to his seat. ¡°Fine. I will wait. We might as well find out what this bastard is capable of, but whatever the case, he must have a death wish to challenge our mountain alone!¡±

    ¡°If we are all in agreement, then let us see how he¡¯ll ovee the Dragonscaling Road,¡± Yu Longzi ended the conversation before returning his gaze to Ye Qing.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°So this is the Dragonscaling Road. Interesting!¡±

    Ye Qing remarked with interest while allowing the lightning, thunder and gale of the Dragonscaling Road to strike him again and again. It was as if the deadly elements were no stronger than a harmless breeze.

    He already knew from Innocent Miao¡¯s memories that there were three stages and arrays protecting Dragonrider Mountain. They were the Dragonscaling Road, the Dragon Nursing Gorge, and the Dragon Subjugating tform.Legend had it Trueman Dragonrider, founder of Dragonrider Mountain, slew countless true dragons in his life. After he founded the Dragonrider Mountain, he forged the Dragonscaling Road using their bones, built the Dragon Nursing Gorge using their blood, and created the Dragon Subjugating tform using their soul. They were both the great arrays that protected the mountain and the obstacles Dragonrider Mountain used to test potential recruits and disciples.

    The Dragonscaling Road was forged using the bone of true dragons, so it was imbued with the pressure and elements of a true dragon. The higher one climbed, the greater the pressure and elements would be. It was an obstacle that tested the tenacity and determination of a challenger.

    The Dragon Nursing Gorge was built using the blood of true dragons. Although it was called a gorge, its actual depth was unknown. Countless dragons, serpents, and mixed breeds were raised within the gorge. Impossible to cross via flying, the only way a challenger might cross the Dragon Nursing Gorge was to walk across a single iron chain. It was an obstacle that tested a challenger¡¯s courage.

    Finally, the Dragon Subjugating tform was created using the souls of true dragons. Imbued with the power of true dragons, a challenger must enter the tform, ovee its trials, and subjugate the dragons. It was an obstacle that tested one¡¯s resolution.

    Obviously, the three arrays were only partially activated during recruitment day. In fact, the power the potential recruits were subjected to was less than one percent of their true power.

    When the three arrays were activated as lines of defense against the enemy though, they could destroy heaven and earth and repel even Sages.

    Take the Dragonscaling Road for example. When it was activated to test potential recruits, the lightning, thunder and gale would not be present at all. They only needed to endure the pressure of true dragons.

    At full power though, it would manifest its deadly elements to destroy the enemy¡¯s soul.

    It was worth noting that the arrays really did possess the power to ¡°destroy heaven and earth¡± and ¡°repel even Sages¡±¡ªwhen Trueman Dragonrider was still alive, that was. After his passing, Dragonrider Mountain declined day after day, and no sessor were ever able to reach Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s heights again, much less surpass him. Over time, Dragonrider Mountain lost even the ability to maintain their three arrays, and the long neglect meant that the arrays were far, far weaker than what they used to be.

    Otherwise, Ye Qing would not dare to show his face within a hundred kilometers of Dragonrider Mountain, much less challenge their arrays alone. He was daring, not stupid or suicidal.

    ¡°What a shame.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed as he felt the terrible pressure pressing down on him, and endured the various elements striking his body.

    He was sighing because Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s sessors were disappointments who allowed such a magnificent array to decay to this extent.

    He was also sighing because he had no choice but to deal the array a grievous blow and add to its misery.

    sping his hands behind his back, Ye Qing opened his mouth and sucked in a deep breath. The wind, rain, lightning and thunder permeating the road all disappeared into his abdomen, and the Dragonscaling Road abruptly returned to calm.

    The weing sun beams peeking out of the clouds almost seemed to add insult to injury.

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    On the mountain, Yu Longzi and the rest of the elders were speechless. Beneath the mountain, Zhou Xianyang and the crowd were speechless as well.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t done though. Something even more shocking happened the next moment.

    After he devoured the elements, Ye Qing¡¯s bones and muscles popped like a crow¡¯s cry, and his vigor swelled so much it touched the sky itself. As soon as he transformed into a demonic ape, he let out a roar so vigorous that both heaven and earth turned as red as blood.

    Finally, he raised his foot and brought it down mightily.

    It was a stomp that felt like it tipped the sky over and shook the nine provinces.

    <em>BOOM!!!</em>

    As soon as Ye Qing¡¯s right foot made contact with the ground, countless people¡¯s ears fell silent for a brief moment. It took them a moment to realize that their eardrums had burst. At the same time, people both on the mountain and below the mountain fell to the ground even though most of them were warriors. That was how hard the earth was shaking.

    <em>Crack crack crack¡­</em>

    The people could only watch in stunned horror as a crack appeared beneath Ye Qing¡¯s foot and stretched up toward the mountain like some sort of dragon. At the same time, they could hear a mournful wail from the Dragonscaling Road before the pressure still epassing the area abruptly vanished like it was never there.

    In one breath, Ye Qing had swallowed the wind and thunder, and in one stomp, he had shattered the Dragonscaling Road. With that done, Ye Qing shrank back to normal and calmly began his ascent up the Dragonrider Mountain.

    ¡°What¡­ in the¡­¡±

    Inside Dragonying Hall, Yu Longzi¡¯s face was a storm of anger and worry. He had no words to offer his retinue or himself.

    Yue Hualong, Yun Chaoyu, Yu Ningxin and Zhao Yuanrong were exchanging heavy looks with each other as well.

    If before they did not think much of Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°challenge¡± at all, now they were forced to ept that he was a true threat.

    Although the Dragonscaling Road¡¯s power was a pale, pale shadow of what it used to be, it still wasn¡¯t something anyone¡ªnot even a powerful warrior¡ªcould ovee as they pleased.

    However, that youngster they thought were in over his head had consumed its skyful of wind and thunder in one breath, and shattered the Dragonscaling Road in one stomp.

    Everyone in the Dragonying Hall possessed the power to perform the same feat, but to do it with the level of ease Ye Qing had disyed? They weren¡¯t conceited enough to believe that they could.

    That was why even the loudest, most disdainful among them had fallen silent.

    ¡°My lord¡­¡±

    Yun Chaoyu broke the silence and tried to say something, but Yu Longzi waved him off.

    ¡°There¡¯s still the Dragon Nursing Gorge and the Dragon Subjugating tform. Let us keep watching for now.¡±

    Without the draconic pressure and the deadly elements, the Dragonscaling Road was just a normal, perfectly harmless road. It took Ye Qing no effort to reach the main gate.

    A group of Dragonrider Mountain disciples were standing in front of the main gate. Their faces were a mixture of emotion as they watched Ye Qing leisurely making his way toward them like he was taking a walk in the park.

    There were anger and hatred, shock and fear. Regardless of what they thought, they automatically opened up a path for Ye Qing when he finally reached them.

    Ye Qing ignored theirplicated gazes and passed through the main gate. He continued forward without a single pause in his footsteps.

    Despite its name, Dragonrider Mountain was made up of two mountains. The mountain at the front was where the outer disciples and servants resided, whereas the mountain at the back was where the inner disciples, hallmasters, and the mountain lord stayed. What this meant was that the mountain at the front was just the support. It was the one at the back that was the heart of Dragonrider Mountain.

    Legend had it that Dragonrider Mountain didn¡¯t originally have two mountains. It was Trueman Dragonrider who, during the inception of his sect, split a single mountain into two with his palm. Henceforth, there was a front mountain and a back mountain in Dragonrider Mountain, and the deep gorge between the two mountains was what they called the Dragon Nursing Gorge.

    Right now, Ye Qing was standing in front of the Dragon Nursing Gorge. As it was foretold, the gorge seemed bottomless from where he stood, and the cliffside looked as smooth as a mirror. Floating within the gorge was a sea of persistent dark red fog or water.

    The dark red fog were the true dragon¡¯s blood. Back in the day, when Trueman Dragonrider was building the Dragon Nursing Gorge, he had dropped the blood of true dragons into this gorge until it formed ake of blood. The steam rising from theke of blood was what had permeated the gorge for decades.

    On a rted note, Trueman Dragonrider had used his immense power to lock down the space of this area after splitting the mountain in half. That was why it was impossible to cross the gorge via flying.

    There were no bridges or paths that linked the two shores of the Dragon Nursing Gorge; none save for a singr, finger-width iron chain. The only way to cross the gorge was to walk over the chain.

    Obviously, the chain was no mundane object. Forged from the Cold Metal of Supreme Yin, the chain was very, very cold. What this meant was that those who tried to walk over the chain must endure a constant stream of unbelievable cold that only got worse as time passed.

 Chapter 668: Suppressing the Dragons and Serpents With One Palm

    The iron chain alone was an impossible obstacle for many warriors. Only the most courageous would dare to attempt a crossing. That wasn¡¯t all the Dragon Nursing Gorge had to offer its challengers, however. Theke of blood beneath the Dragon Nursing Gorge was a nursing ground for all sorts of Strangers and creatures, and the blood of true dragons was famous for their miraculous powers. Naturally, the Strangers living beneath the Dragon Nursing Gorge were both powerful and dangerous.

    Obviously, the Strangers weren¡¯t set against the challengers during the recruitment ceremony. Not a single soul would be able to pass the trial if they did. No, they only needed to deal with the cold chain.

    Ye Qing had no doubt that he was an exception. The second he nted one foot on the chain, the Strangers residing below the Dragon Nursing Gorge would surely do everything in their power to ensure his demise. If he could not maintain his footing and fell into theke of blood, it would be quite the dangerous situation even for him.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he learned from Innocent Miao¡¯s memories that something far more terrible and unspeakable than the Strangers resided within the Dragon Nursing Gorge as well.

    At first, Ye Qing was racking his brain for a way to swiftly and stunningly ovee this obstacle. After all, he was here to crash Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s party. How would it look if he crossed the Dragon Nursing Gorge the safe, ¡°ordinary¡± way, especially since he devoured wind and thunder and shattered the Dragonscaling Road in one stomp a moment ago? It would ruin his efforts to crush their useless pride and make him look like a wimp, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Luckily for him, a better idea entered his mind when he came to a stop in front of the chain. He looked down into the Dragon Nursing Gorge, held his arm out with his palm facing downward, and slowly flipped it around.

    ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡±

    Inside the Dragonying Hall, everyone was confused by Ye Qing¡¯s inane action.

    ¡°He¡¯s not scared, is he?¡± Yun Chaoyu asked.¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± Yu Ningxin shook his head.

    ¡°A chatan, that¡¯s what he is. The Dragon Nursing Gorge is much harder to deal withpared to the Dragonscaling Road. The moment he sets foot on the Chain of Supreme Yin is the moment he dies!¡± Yue Hualong uttered through gritted teeth.

    Yu Longzi didn¡¯t say anything. He simply watched Ye Qing¡¯s movement with a growing sense of unease; one he was unable to exin or define.

    ¡°Always wanted to turn a river upside down with my bare hands¡­¡±

    Back at the Dragon Nursing Gorge, Ye Qing muttered under his breath while slowly flipping his palm around. At first, it seemed like nothing was happening, but several breathster, the sounds of waves sshing against the cliff sides began growing louder and louder. It wasn¡¯t long before theke of blood beneath the gorge slowly climbed upward as if they were being pulled by some sort of invisible energy.

    Inside theke, countless Strangers of all shapes and sizes howled with indignation and fury as they struggled to break free. But try as they might, they were unable to break free from theke¡¯s confines.

    ¡°How is that possible? I thought he¡¯s a body-tempering warrior?¡±

    Inside the Dragonying Hall, everyone was standing on their feet before they knew it and staring at the scene with utter shock etched on their faces.

    <em>Isn¡¯t he a body-tempering warrior?</em>

    <em>Since when could a body-tempering warrior manipte qi remotely well enough to scoop up an entire body of water?</em>

    <em>Even if he isn¡¯t a body-tempering warrior, our founder had created the Dragon Nursing Gorge using immense power, and theke of blood is filled with the blood of true dragons. Not even a Grandmaster who¡¯s an expert in water maniption might be able to manipte the blood beneath the gorge, so how on earth was this body-tempering warrior doing it?</em>

    ¡°What should we do, my lord?¡±

    Eyes still shut, Zhao Yuanrong spoke up on behalf of his lord, ¡°Calm. There is still the Blood Serpent. If he thinks he can ovee the Dragon Nursing Gorge so easily, he will be sorry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! The Blood Serpent spends most of its time hibernating at the bottom of theke of blood. With themotion he¡¯s causing, there¡¯s no way the Blood Serpent would not be alert to it. He¡¯s going to be in deep trouble very soon!¡± Yue Hualong echoed in agreement.

    As they were sleeping, theke of blood was on the same level as the Chain of Supreme Yin. It looked like a piece of red fabric that was stretched across the entire Dragon Nursing Gorge, and it looked rather impressive to say the least.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    Suddenly, a furious roar came from the bottom of the Dragon Nursing Gorge. It sounded both like the roar of a tiger or a dragon, dignified and full of violence. At the same time, a thick cloud of bloody energy gushed into the skies above.

    All the Strangers inside theke of blood suddenly stopped struggling all of a sudden. They were as quiet as mice and trembling like a leaf. Theke of blood was shaking as well.

    The next moment, what looked like a gargantuan red boa shot out from the bottom and straight toward theke of blood.

    Its body was as thick as a century-old tree trunk that would take at least several people to envelop. It was over fifty meters long and covered in scarlet, shiny scales.

    A boa was the general description, but in reality, the Blood Serpent had the head of a tiger, four legs growing out of its abdomen, a thin, long neck, a fish¡¯s body, and a snake¡¯s tail. ording to ¡°About Dragons¡±, snakes were one of the many creatures that fell under the category of creature with scales. A snake who lived a hundred years would evolve into a boa, and a boa had scales that functioned like armor, a body as thick as a century-old tree trunk, and movement speed that sounded like whipping wind.

    A thousand-year-old boa would evolve into a serpent. A serpent was shaped like a dragon but without the horns. It had a head like a tiger, a thin, long neck, four legs, a fish¡¯s body, and a snake¡¯s tail. Its cry sounded like a tiger¡¯s, and it possessed the power to manipte wind and water. It could also ride on clouds andmand fog. A serpent who swam the waters for at least three thousand and six hundred years would evolve into a dragon.

    Clearly, the giant ¡°boa¡± in front of him was a serpent who had evolved from a boa.

    ¡°Roar!!!¡±

    About halfway up the gorge, the Blood Serpent let out a mighty roar and emitted a blood red light like a red sun. Everyone above and below Dragonrider Mountain instantly felt their blood stirring restlessly inside their veins, and their mental defenses shaking under the outburst of power.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    Ye Qing was unmoved, however. In fact, he was very d to see the Blood Serpent.

    He learned from Innocent Miao¡¯s memory that a rare, exceedingly powerful serpent resided in theke of blood at the bottom of the Dragon Nursing Gorge. The Blood Serpent was a serpent-type creature and a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. Not only that, it was one of the rarer types of serpents out there. Born from blood, it fed on blood and was an expert in manipting vigor. It could consume and control the blood essences of both humans and livestocks remotely.

    Legend had it that Trueman Dragonrider had personally captured this Blood Serpent and suppressed it at the bottom of the Dragon Nursing Gorge. It was to function as the sect¡¯s guardian beast.

    In most cases, a Blood Serpent was just a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. For it to grow stronger, it must ughter countless living beings and consume massive quantities of blood. If it wished to evolve into a dragon, then it required a body of blood equal to hundreds of thousands of living beings to ¡°swim¡± on.

    This was also why Blood Dragons only appeared during wartime, and why there was a saying that went something like this: ¡°The Blood Dragon rises in times of chaos.¡±

    Although it was extremely difficult for a Blood Serpent to evolve into a Blood Dragon, those who seeded were exceedingly powerful. They could manipte blood via sound and were supposedly unkible.

    Obviously, it wasn¡¯t wartime right now. Although the state of the world couldn¡¯t exactly be described as peaceful, the major nations weren¡¯t officially at war, and the people weren¡¯t wanting in basic necessities. Even considering the growing tension between Chu and Yan, there had not been anyrge-scale armed conflicts in recent years. However, this Blood Serpent had huge bulges growing out of its head, and both its power and presence were greater than your average Blood Serpent. This was clearly a Blood Serpent who was close to evolving into a Blood Dragon, and it was as strong as an ordinary Disaster-ss Stranger.

    Clearly, the Blood Serpent got this far all thanks to the Dragon Nursing Gorge.

    Trueman Dragonrider was the one who created the Dragon Nursing Gorge, and he had used his immense power to set up a great <em>fengshui </em>array called the ¡°Great Hidden Wind Dragon Nurturing Array¡± that nurtured dragons over theke. That was why the Blood Serpent grew so much despite theck of strife.

    If Ye Qing wasn¡¯t mistaken, the Blood Serpent only needed a few hundred more years to ¡°swim the waters¡± and be a Blood Dragon. Not only that, a Blood Dragon who was born this way would not trigger the wrath of heavens because it wasn¡¯t born out of death and ughter. Not only that, it was favored by the heavens and possessed the power to protect one¡¯s fate. As a Blood Dragon, it could have secured their future for at least a hundred years and return them to their former glory.

    Ye Qing had to admit that Trueman Dragonrider was an amazing man. He did not blindly believe that Dragonrider Mountain would remain strong long after he was gone and took steps to secure his descendants¡¯ future.

    It was too bad he had to ruin his effort. There were faces that needed to be pped after all.

    As he stared at the rising Blood Serpent, Ye Qing abruptly flipped his palm downward.

    The silk-likeke of blood suddenly became so still it was like it had turned into ice, and Ye Qing whispered,

    ¡°You thought you held dominion over blood? Well, you thought wrong.¡±

    Theke of blood came crashing down on top of the Blood Serpent. Powerful it might be, it could not possibly the weight of an entireke.

    The Blood Serpent let out a painful wail as its tough scales shattered like ss. As if it had lost consciousness, it fell all the way back to the bottom.

    Ye Qing withdrew his palm, and theke of blood slowly receded back to the bottom of the Dragon Nursing Gorge. Then, he sped his hands behind his back and stared into the distance. From Yu Longzi and the elders¡¯ point of view, it almost felt like the young man could pierce through the veil and stare straight at them.

    It was so silent inside the Dragonying Hall that one could hear a pin drop.

    With that done, Ye Qing stepped onto the Chain of Supreme Yin and casually made his way across the Dragon Nursing Gorge as if he was walking on t ground.

 Chapter 669: Who Let The Dogs Out

    <h4>Chapter 669: Who Let The Dogs Out </h4>

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    As soon as Ye Qing reached the other side, an angry roar came from the bottom of the Dragon Nursing Gorge. Then, while surrounded by bloody fog, the Blood Serpent rushed toward Ye Qing once more.

    Ye Qing did not look at it, however. He sped his hands behind his back and continued forward almost as if he hadn¡¯t heard or felt the Blood Serpent.

    Right before the Blood Serpent would leave the gorgepletely, it abruptly flew backward as if it was pulled by some sort of invisible hand. Such was its force that it smashed against the cliff side.

    This triggered the Blood Serpent¡¯s innate violence and caused it to let out another roar. Again and again it tried to go after Ye Qing, and again and again it was pulled back to the Dragon Nursing Gorge.

    Someone who was looking closely would notice that the Blood Serpent¡¯s limbs were restrained by four invisible chains. That was why the Blood Serpent was unable to stray too far from the Dragon Nursing Gorge.

    Theke of true dragon blood and the Great Hidden Wind Dragon Nurturing Array could elerate the growth of a Blood Serpent, and the Blood Serpent could protect Dragonrider Mountain from danger and ensure a glorious future, it wasn¡¯t all benefits and no drawbacks.

    A Blood Serpent was naturally cruel and difficult to tame. If it evolved into a Blood Dragon, but there was no one in Dragonrider Mountain who was powerful enough to restrain it, then it was entirely possible for it to turn against its own people or even destroy them. That was why Trueman Dragonrider had set up a restriction that trapped the Blood Serpent within the Dragon Nursing Gorge and prevented it from straying too far.

    That was why Ye Qing dared to do what he did and even turn his back on the Blood Serpent.

    Meanwhile, the Blood Serpent grew increasingly violent and irritable as its prey grew farther and farther away from it. It began ramming the cliff sides and tearing and biting at the chains restraining its limbs. Its struggles were such that the entire Dragonrider Mountain were shaking a little.

    Unfortunately for the Blood Serpent, Trueman Dragonrider had made the two mountains that were Dragonrider Mountain the roots of its restriction. Unless the Blood Serpent was strong enough to rip both mountains from their bases, it would never be able to break free.

    A furious but futile struggle and a couple of defiant roarster, the Blood Serpent finally gave up and sank back into theke of blood. Ye Qing smirked when he sensed this.

    If he were to be honest, he had crossed the Dragon Nursing Gorge through abination of luck and trickery.

    The luck part came from him realizing that he could sense and even manipte theke of blood at the bottom of the Dragon Nursing Gorge upon arrival. Since theke of blood was created from the blood of true dragons, his blood naturally desired to consume it. Add to the fact that he cultivated the ¡°Blood Demon Sutra¡±, a blood maniption martial art that was based on blood, and he found himself capable of manipting theke of blood as he pleased.

    The trickery part came from him exploiting the fact that the Blood Serpent could not move too far away from the Dragon Nursing Gorge. First, he lifted theke of blood away from the Dragon Nursing Gorge to rile up the Blood Serpent. Then, he struck it with the full weight of theke and temporarily repelled it, buying him enough time to cross the Chain of Supreme Yin like nothing and stunning the masses as he intended. After that, well, there wasn¡¯t an after that. The Blood Serpent could not leave the Dragon Nursing Gorge, so as soon as he was out of range, he had already won.

    Could he have fought the Blood Serpent for real? Sure. He could even defeat it. But why would he waste his time and energy when he had already wowed the audience by lifting ake of blood of true dragons and stunning their guardian beast with one hand? Besides, he felt like he would lose face if he engaged a beast in melee.

    In fact, there was an easier, more brutal way of doing this. He could simply devour everyst drop of the bloodke using his unique blood. That would most certainly scare the shit out of everyone involved.

    He did not do it for several reasons though. First, he would make a sworn enemy out of Dragonrider Mountain if he did that. Theke of true dragon blood was the heart of the Dragon Nursing Gorge, so if he consumed it all, the array would more or less be ruined, and the Blood Serpent would never be able to transform into a Blood Dragon. He would have ruined the sect¡¯s future and their shot at a resurgence, which was a far more severe transgression than him saving Giggle and intercepting their opportunity. There was a saying called, ¡°Ruining someone¡¯s livelihood is like killing their parents¡±, but this was even worse. They would have thrown all caution to the wind and done everything in their power to end him where he stood.

    Besides, he really was here to pay Dragonrider Mountain a visit. Sure, he was also going to give them the proverbial ck eye for what they did to Giggle, but to ruin the Dragon Nursing Gorge would be like setting someone¡¯s house on fire just because they bullied his son or something. That was entirely too much retribution. He wasn¡¯t here to massacre their sect, nor did he possess the power to do so.

    Second, he had no idea if Trueman Dragonrider left some sort of hidden trap within the Dragon Nursing Gorge. If he consumed theke of blood willy-nilly, it was very possible he would trigger some sort of hidden restriction and make life difficult for himself. Worst case scenario, it would be some sort of death trap that could very well kill him where he stood.

    This wasn¡¯t just his paranoia talking either. Trueman Dragonrider was a true legend back then not just for his martial prowess, but also his impressive wealth of knowledge. Assuming that the legend was to be believed, he was a master in martial arts, martial theory, <i>fengshui, </i>numerology, arrays and restrictions. Not only did this man dared to leave an entireke of true dragon blood out in the open, it had somehow remained safe and untouched for centuries. That was why Ye Qing did not believe for a second that the Blood Serpent was theke¡¯s final line of defense. There had to be deadlier traps and defenses lurking within theke.

    Tempted he might be, he had no choice but to abandon the idea.

    After crossing the Dragon Nursing Gorge and entering the back mountain, Ye Qing was soon greeted by an impressive forest of pavilions, towers, houses and more. He could tell how much wealth and history Dragonrider Mountain possessed just by looking at their buildings.

    Unfortunately, his view was quickly blocked by a bunch of angry Dragonrider Mountain disciples. Their reactions were understandable though. He was here to p their faces. How could he possibly expect them to show him the hospitality of a host?

    At first, Ye Qing ignored them and continued on his way. However, an arrogant-looking man with eyes that were brimming with fighting spirit stepped out of the crowd and barred his path. He had a pair of straight eyebrows and bright eyes, and he was wearing a golden robe.

    ¡°I am Jiang Youhu, a disciple of the Dragonmorph Hall. I would like to request a duel with you!¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Jiang!¡±

    ¡°Senior brother Jiang is Hallmaster Yue¡¯s main disciple, and he is the twenty-seventh ranker on the Human Champions Ranking. He will surely defeat this arrogant fool[1]!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Show him that Dragonrider Mountain is no one to be trifled with!¡±

    ¡°Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s honor must remain intact. Kill him, Senior brother Yue!¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    The crowd was well and truly riled up. The roars subsided a little only when Jiang Youhu motioned for them to quiet down. He stared at Ye Qing and began arrogantly, ¡°You heard that? The honor of Dragonrider Mountain must remain intact. If you¡¯re smart, you will fall on your knees and kowtow nine times in apology. Only then will you have a sliver of a chance of surviving this. Otherwise, this day next year will be the anniversary of your death.¡±

    In response, Ye Qing smiled and dug his ears a little. ¡°Man, it¡¯s so noisy around here. Who let the dogs out?¡±

    ¡°The audacity!¡±

    ¡°How dare you insult us! Are you courting death?¡±

    ¡°Kill a soldier, but never humiliate them! You will die for this!¡±

    The crowd grew even louder and angrier. They could not wait to rip Ye Qing into shreds.

    Jiang Youhu¡¯s expression turned ugly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that your arrogance is a little too much, Joyless Ye?¡±

    "Of course. If I wasn¡¯t arrogant, then I wouldn¡¯te here in the first ce, would I?¡± Ye Qing admitted. ¡°Anyway, I thought you were nning to duel me? Come on then. If you defeat me, then you can act just as arrogant as I am!¡±

    ¡°If you want to die that badly, then sure!¡± Bloodthirst quickly covered Jiang Youhu¡¯s eyespletely. ¡°Remember this: your killer is Jiang Youhu of the Dragonmorph Hall!¡±

    Before he even finished talking, Jiang Youhu was already jumping into the air and extending his right hand when he was about ten meters away from Ye Qing¡¯s head. At the same time, the image of a sky dragon scattered the wind and clouds with a stretch of the limbs before extending a w toward Ye Qing.

    <i>¡°Sky Dragon Stretches w¡±</i>

    Even before the wnded, a draconic roar deafened the ears and tore a gashin the air. It was quite the aggressive opening.

    1. Bro, not even the ninth ranker Xie Taohua thought it was safe to fight Ye Qing while he was still injured by a tribtion lol. ?

 Chapter 670: Iâ€™ll Take All of You At Once

    <h4>Chapter 670: I¡¯ll Take All of You At Once </h4>

    ¡°Incredible!¡±

    ¡°As expected of senior brother Jiang! Kill him!¡±

    It was said that one does not need to be an expert to recognize an expert¡¯s mastery. The crowd cheered loudly as they waited with bated breath for Jiang Youhu to crush Joyless Ye like an ant.

    Unfortunately, their cheers quickly ceased, and their eyes widened into saucers as if someone had caught them by their neck. In response to Jiang Youhu¡¯s attack, Ye Qing simply flicked his fingers at the w. Just like that, what looked like an attack that could sunder heaven and earth crumbled into pieces as if it was made of paper.

    Not only that, Ye Qing¡¯s finger also struck Jiang Youhu¡¯s fingers and twisted them in all sorts of undesirable fashions. His sleeve exploding into shreds, Jiang Youhu let out a muffled grunt as he was sent flying all the way back into a stele. The stele shattered under the impact, and Jiang Youhu hit the ground with a dull thud. His breathing was shallow, and he was barely conscious.

    For a time, the scene was so silent that one could hear a pin drop. No one could believe that the powerful Jiang Youhu had failed to take even one hit from the intruder.

    Not only that, Joyless Ye should be tired after oveing the Dragonscaling Road and the Dragon Nursing Gorge in a row, so how was he still so powerful?

    In fact, a lot of people knew that Jiang Youhu was trying to take advantage of Joyless Ye¡¯s fatigue and get lucky. But not only did his gambit fail, Joyless Ye had mopped the floor with his face!

    ¡°Ah, shit. Is there anyone else who wants to duel me? That one was way too weak,¡± Ye Qing called out after sending Jiang Youhu flying with a flick of the finger. His expression was dripping with disdain and he shook his finger a little.

    ¡°You...!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s going too far! Too far!¡±

    ¡°The arrogance! The arrogance!¡±

    For a time, everyone was ring at Ye Qing with furious, bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Chi Lie of Flying Dragon Hall requests a duel!¡±

    A man with fiery red hair dered while leaping into the air. Having witnessed Jiang Youhu¡¯s terrible defeat from the start until the end, Chi Lie recognized just how strong Ye Qing was and did not foolishly get close to the man like his fellow disciple. Instead, he opted to defeat him from range.

    Hovering in the sky like a divine dragon, he summoned what looked like rain clouds and started a rain. However, the rain droplets were crimson in color and boiling hot. The sky was also covered by a crimson fog that, unlike an ordinary rain mist, was suffocatingly hot and difficult to breathe in. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, inhaling the steam would make the victim feel like their body was burning on the inside and suffocate them even more.

    <i>¡°Summon Rain¡±</i>

    Ye Qing looked up while covering his forehead with one head. He seemed to be searching for Chi Lie, but couldn¡¯t quite open his eyes because of the scalding steam[1]. A long and futile searchter, when it looked like the crimson steam and rain was about to envelop Ye Qing, he abruptly reached forward half an inch using the palm he was covering his forehead with and made a clenching motion.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    It was as if he was holding a thunderp between his fingers. The air within tens of meters of him abruptly exploded like a gigantic, invisible hand had squeezed it until it burst, and the spectators fell backward feeling dizzy and painful in the ears. The weaker ones straight up bled from all orifices and cked out just like that.

    In the sky, Chi Lie was also bleeding from all orifices. His energies were in shambles, and he seemed unconscious as he was falling straight toward the ground.

    Luckily for him, someone caught him before he would hit the ground. Otherwise, he might be the first Dragonrider Mountain disciple ever to die from a fall.

    ¡°Anyone else?¡±

    Ye Qing lowered his arm and scanned his surroundings. ¡°Seriously, can you send someone tougher for me to chew on? I don¡¯t ask for much. Anyone who can take two strikes from me without keeling over is good enough.¡±

    The disciples were more furious than ever before as a matter before. However, having witnessed Jiang Youhu and Chi Lie¡¯s downfall with their own eyes, no one was stupid enough to step up. Jiang Youhu and Chi Lie were among the best of the disciples. If even they had been defeated so cleanly and decisively, then how could they possibly do better?

    ¡°Is there no one at all? I had no idea that the people of Dragonrider Mountain are such cowards!¡±

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°Fine, I guess there¡¯s no one here who¡¯s strong enough to fight me one on one. In that case, why don¡¯t you attack me together? I¡¯m serious! I¡¯ll take all of you at once! Dare you ept my challenge?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile was warm and gentle, and his words were anything but. Thebination was, however, very, very insulting. For a moment, everyone felt their cheeks burning up as if they had been pped by an invisible hand.

    ¡°The arrogance!¡±

    ¡°The audacity!¡±

    ¡°Do you really think there is no one in Dragonrider Mountain who can stand up to you?!¡±

    Finally, someone lost control of their emotions and raced toward Ye Qing, and when there was one, there were two, three, and many, many more people.

    ¡°Wang Xiangrui of Dragonrider Mountain requests a fight!¡±

    ¡°Zhao Shuxiang of Dragonrider Mountain requests a fight!¡±

    ¡°Lei Shutong of Dragonrider Mountain requests a fight!¡±

    ¡°Sunzi Feng of Dragonrider Mountain requests a fight!¡±

    The disciples came crashing down on top of Ye Qing like a downpour, and their forces like an avnche. Unfortunately, any passion they felt during their charge quickly morphed into terror and disbelief when Ye Qing blew them away like bowling pins.

    Despite facing a downpour of people and an avnche of forces, Ye Qing had calmly and collectively raised his foot about one meter above the ground. Then, he brought his foot down in one mighty stomp.

    It was said that thunder existed in the space between a man¡¯s foot and the ground. At first, there was no sound at all. Then, a wind began blowing from the point of impact. It caught everyone who was charging toward Ye Qing in its invisible embrace before throwing them in every direction. Even those farther behind were bowled over by their own sect mates.

    It was like an unstoppable scythe had swept across an entire field of wheat. When all was said and done, not a single person was standing, and no one could stand up again.

    ¡°Is that all Dragonrider Mountain has to offer?¡±

    Standing at the center, Ye Qing looked down at the fallen disciples and smirked.

    ¡°You...!¡±

    Not everyone had lost their fighting spirit, but try as they might, but they could not lift even a finger. Even speaking became a difficult task that demanded their full concentration. It was because Ye Qing¡¯s counterattack had not only toppled them, but also scattered their internal forces and energies. Naturally, they could not muster the strength to pilot their body.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even speak? I wanted to call you impotent, but I think even that insult is an understatement.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head regretfully. ¡°No wonder they say that every generation of Dragonrider Mountain is worse than thest. I cannot help but feel sad on behalf of Trueman Dragonrider.¡±

    It was at this moment a voice spoke up, ¡°You should stop while you¡¯re ahead, young man. Whatever happens to Dragonrider Mountain, an outsider has no right to remark about our private matters.¡±

    The voice had appeared out of seemingly nowhere. It soundedpletely emotionless and indifferent.

    ¡°Oh my god, the tortoise is finally squeaking. And here I thought you¡¯re going to hide in your shells until the end of time!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°So, have you gotten my measure yet? You know what, I¡¯m going to save you the trouble and just tell you myself. I¡¯m a wandering nobody with no sect or master to call to his name. All I have is a couple of good friends and a jar of dirty wine. There you go!¡±

    ¡°Your arrogance is truly unbing, young man.¡± Now the voice sounded a little angry, though it was impossible to say if it was because they could not stand Ye Qing¡¯s insult, or they were embarrassed because Ye Qing had figured out their ploy.

    ¡°As you say, I¡¯m a young man. What am I if not arrogant and egotistical?¡± Ye Qingughed. ¡°Anyway, why are you still hiding in your hole and doing nothing? I literally just told you I¡¯m a nobody that you can take out with no consequences whatsoever. If even this isn¡¯t enough to make you face me personally, then what will?¡±

    When he waited for a moment and received no response, Ye Qing continued, ¡°I see that you are as patient as a tortoise as well, senior. You should have named yourself Divine Tortoise Mountain instead of Dragonrider Mountain.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth, arrogant child. I was going to give you a chance to turn back and change your ways on ount of your youth, but it seems that nothing will get through your thick skull besides reality. In that case, I shall fulfill your desire.¡±

    The voice said indifferently, ¡°However, I am the host, and you the guest. I see no reason to debase myself over your demands. Come challenge the Dragon Subjugating tform. If you seed, then you will see me naturally. If you dare, of course.¡±

    ¡°Hah! I stomped your Dragonscaling Road to the ground and toyed with your Dragon Nursing Gorge with one hand a while ago. What makes you think I¡¯m going to be intimidated by your Dragon Subjugating tform?¡± Ye Qing dered with a level of confidence andmand that would ept no rebuttal.

    ¡°You are bold if nothing else. Come then. Let¡¯s see if your mouth can remain this sharp once you have set foot on the tform.¡± The voice dered, ¡°Come forth!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked, sped his hands behind his back, and continued onward.

    1. Just a reminder, but heat is the secondst thing Ye Qing is afraid of lol. ?

 Chapter 671: Dragon Subjugating Platform, Hacking True Dragons

    <strong>Trantor''s Note: So, so very sorry for my highest advanced readers that I forgot to upload the next batch of chapters. Usually I upload weeks worth of chapters in one go, and finally this one time Ipletely forgot to upload for an entire week. Do send me a message, ament, or a PM on Discord if my brain fart happens again. Again, very sorry for the inconvenience, and thanks for your support!</strong>

    The Dragon Subjugating tform was an old, broken tform that was shaped like an altar. Shaped like a square, it was exactly thirty meters¡ªor, in the olden metric, nine <em>zhang¡ª</em>tall, wide, and long because nine was the final number and a symbol of the absolute final limit of the world.

    The tform seemed to be made from some sort of ck, mysterious rock. It looked ancient, rough, and grave. Each side of the tform¡ªeast, south, west and north¡ªhad a massive stone pir that was colored blue, white, red and ck respectively. The Azure Dragon was circling above the blue pir, the White Tiger was sitting on the white pir, the Vermillion Bird was flying above the red pir, and the ck Tortoise was crouching on the ck pir.

    There were also sharp, rusted des standing upside down at the center of the tform. The ground beneath it was coated in ayer of dark red that looked like dried blood. Even stranger was the fact there was a straight crack at the center of the tform that stretched all the way to the bottom and seemingly split the tform in half.

    The tform was without a doubt old and broken. The signs of wear and tear and the erosion of time were everywhere. However, Ye Qing had a feeling that the tform was deadlier and scarier as a result.

    <em>Dragon Subjugating tform? Did they change the name to make it more child-friendly or something? This is obviously an execution ground!</em>

    Ye Qing was quite impressed when he saw the tform. In fact, Dragon Subjugating tform wasn¡¯t its original name. At the beginning, it was called the Dragon Scaffold. That¡¯s right. This was the blueprint Innocent Miao had based her Dragon Scaffold Magia on.

    Legend had it that the ancient Heavens owned a Dragon Scaffold that was specifically used to punish vile true dragons both above and under the heavens. The Dragon King himself had been one of the victims. It was said that the first cut would strip them of their scales, the second cut would remove their skin, the third cut would sever the tendons, the fourth cut would crush their flesh into paste, and the fifth cut would enfeeble the soul.

    Regardless of the authenticity of the legends, there was no doubt that a true dragon who entered the Dragon Scaffold would suffer the cruelest of punishments. At best, their scales would be stripped clean. On average, their bones were broken, and their tendons were severed. And at worst, their very mind and soul would be extinguished.The Dragon Scaffold Ye Qing was seeing right now was an imitation Trueman Dragonrider had built based on the original, and he had definitely used it to kill more than one true dragon. It was why the Dragon Scaffold was world famous for a time.

    That was until a woman in white had entered Dragonrider Mountain when Trueman Dragonrider was still alive, and Dragonrider Mountain was still at its prime. Shockingly, not a single person in the entire mountain was able to stop her, not even Trueman Dragonrider himself.

    Unwilling to admit defeat without giving it his all, Trueman Dragonrider had transformed into a dragon himself and activated the Dragon Scaffold. The entire Dragonrider Mountain was transformed into a Dragon Scaffold as he did everything in his power to y the woman.

    Unfortunately, neither human punishments, scorching wind and fire, or soul extinguishing lightning and thunder could harm even a hair on the woman¡¯s person. When she finally arrived at the Dragon Scaffold, she pressed her index and middle finger together and swiped down like she was wielding a sword. As a result, the tform was split into two, and the entire Dragonrider Mountain fell as still as death.

    After cutting the Dragon Scaffold in half, the woman looked at Trueman Dragonrider and said, ¡°You wouldpare such an ugly thing to the Dragon Scaffold of the ancient Heavens? Don¡¯t make meugh[1].¡±

    She left the mountain after saying that, her clean, white robes not tainted by even a speck of the destruction she wrought.

    Trueman Dragonrider sighed in defeat after the woman was gone, and more than once he had nearly sumbed to his darker impulses and destroyed the Dragon Scaffold. In the end though, he was unwilling to destroy his magnum opus and remade the Dragon Scaffold into the Dragon Subjugating tform, one of the three great arrays that protected Dragonrider Mountain.

    That was why most people knew the Dragon Subjugating tform, but not the Dragon Scaffold.

    As for the mysterious woman who had split the Dragon Scaffold with two fingers, she disappeared after leaving Dragonrider Mountain. No one had ever heard of her again.

    Ye Qing took a moment to admire the ancient Dragon Subjugating tform and the crack that split the Dragon Subjugating tform. He felt like he could almost see the true Dragon Scaffold that could make even Sages quake in their boots several centuries ago, and the amazing woman who had ended it all with two fingers.

    ¡°Are you afraid, young man?¡±

    Maybe it was because he took too long, but the voice appeared with a taunt, ¡°If you¡¯re afraid, then why don¡¯t you surrender? If you kowtow nine times and apologize sincerely for your mistakes at our Founders Hall, then maybe we¡¯ll let you live.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ and why should I be afraid of this pale, <em>neutered</em> shadow of past glory?¡±

    Ye Qing barked out augh. ¡°In the past, a celestial had split the Dragon Scaffold in one strike. Today, Joyless Ye shall attempt to emte her example!¡±

    ¡°The audacity!¡±

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    As soon as Ye Qing made the deration, multiple flustered and enraged voices erupted throughout the tform at the same time. If there was one thing that triggered the disciples of Dragonrider Mountain like nothing else, it would definitely be the woman who had singlehandedly defeated the Dragon Scaffold with barely any effort. That incident was their biggest shame and reverse scale so to speak.

    ¡°You may expose others, but not their shorings. You may hit someone, but not their face.¡± It was one thing to press someone¡¯s buttons, and another to press that big red button that should never be touched. Ye Qing had done just that, so of course the voices were furious.

    ¡°Save your breath. Will you set foot on the Dragon Subjugating tform, or will you surrender? Decide, now.¡±

    ¡°As you wish. I shall enter your tform.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled and entered on the Dragon Subjugating tform. The next second, as if the Dragon Subjugating tform was a pot of oil, and someone had just added a drop of water into it, the entire tform began shaking violently. Red, fiendish qi began rising from the ground and condensing into waves, and gleaming within the waves were sharp, sinister-looking des. Wherever the red waves rolled, the blood of true dragons were shed, and their flesh wereid bare for all to see. The horrifying illusions were apanied by high-pitched, spine-chilling screams as well.

    The four spirits residing on the blue, white, red and ck pirs of the tform came alive at this moment.

    The Azure Dragon roared in anger and let loose waves of destructive lightning and thunder.

    The Vermillion Bird circled the sky and unleashed white hot mes that could cook mountains and boil seas.

    The White Tiger roared and fired sharp, metallic qi that could split the sun and shatter the moon like nothing.

    And the ck Tortoise hissed and summoned a ck flood to freeze anything and everything.

    The next moment, the lightning, fire, sharp qi and ck water transformed into four chains and wrapped around Ye Qing¡¯s limbs. At the same time, the four divine beasts began pulling the chain in four separate directions. They looked like they were attempting to tear him asunder or, at the very least, lift him into the air.

    Ye Qing did not move, however. In fact, his feet hadn¡¯t shuffled even half an inch.

    ¡°ROAR!!!¡±

    All four divine beasts roared at the same time. Every time the chains made contact with the surrounding space, it would make this terrifying, ttering noise. Not only that, the surrounding space was vibrating, and the entire Dragonrider Mountain was shaking a little. As the origin energy surged, one could even hear the faint roars of dragons.

    None of it seemed to have anything to do with Ye Qing, however. He was still smiling and standing on the tform as if nothing was happening. His feet still hadn¡¯t moved an inch, and his smile didn¡¯t falter even a little.

    ¡°This is¡­ my lord¡­¡±

    Inside the Dragonying Hall, Yue Hualong, Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin had all left their seats to look in the direction of the Dragon Subjugating tform with wide, terrified eyes.

    The four stone pirs on the Dragon Subjugating tform were called the Dragon Binding Stakes. Built with a mimicry of the four divine beasts at the helm, they drew power from the four directions of the Dragonrider Mountain and conjured four spirit chains representing the eastern Azure Dragon, the western White Tiger, the southern Vermillion Bird and the northern ck Tortoise. Capable of isting origin energy and sealing one¡¯s mind and vigor, it could entrap and bind even a true dragon. That was why the chains were named the ¡°Dragon Binding Chains¡±.

    The Dragon Binding Chains could bind even a true dragon, much less a mere human. In reality, the chains had failed to budge the young man even a little. This should not be possible even if the Dragon Subjugating tform was far weaker than what it was at the beginning due to centuries of neglect, and it was seriously damaged by that mysterious woman.

    In fact, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the first person to intrude into the mountain. A good number of them were heaven-favored geniuses or famous <em>jianghu </em>warriors as well. However, no one had ever managed to ovee the Dragon Subjugating tform, and they definitely did not possess the strength to ignore the Dragon Binding Chains as if they didn¡¯t exist.

    Throughout their history, there was one and only one person who had utterly crushed the Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s defenses, and she was that mysterious woman from several hundred years ago.

    Several hundred years had passed since that day. Were they going to suffer the same humiliation their ancestor had today?

    Absurdity and fear gripped the four elders then. They thought it was absurd that they were even entertaining the thought, and yet they were afraid because they all felt the possibility residing within the young man.

    If there was anyone who could do it¡­ it would be him.

    The sh of emotions made them increasingly anxious. Before they knew it, they were all looking at Yu Longzi.

    ¡°Hualong, Chaoyu, Yuanrong, Ningxin, bring forth the Dragonbeating Truncheon, the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragon Ending Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle. With all our power, we will revive the Dragon Subjugating Array!¡±

    Yu Longzi suddenly rose to his feet and dered solemnly, ¡°Dragonrider Mountain will tolerate no atrocious-behaving viin on its grounds!¡±

    1. It¡¯s possible that this mysterious woman was one of the Eight Legions. Equally possible is that she¡¯s an actual celestial who¡¯s been tasked to punish Trueman Dragonrider for his sphemy or something. Or she could be a certain character in the story who still hasn¡¯t resurfaced yet, and no, I¡¯m not telling you who. ??One thing for certain, women in Stranger Danger are stupidly dangerous unless you¡¯re the MC lol. ?

 Chapter 672: Keep It Coming

    <em>The Dragon Binding Stakes and the Dragon Binding Chains, eh? They certainly deserve their reputation.</em>

    From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked as if Ye Qing was handling the trials of the Dragon Subjugating tform with insulting ease. However, Ye Qing himself knew that wasn¡¯t the case.

    The Dragon Binding Stakes and the Dragon Binding Chains were already immensely powerful, but the ambient origin energy on the tform waspletely isted as well, meaning that he couldn¡¯t borrow energy from his surroundings. On top of that, the tform was heavily suppressing his mind and body. If his body wasn¡¯t on the level of a Half-Step Grandmaster, and his strength was almost equal to one sky dragon, he would¡¯ve been shackled by the Dragon Binding Chains already.

    Of course, the biggest reason he was still standing on the tform was because the Dragon Subjugating tform itself was so, so much weaker than before. If this was several hundred years ago, it was highly likely he would have been bound and lifted into the air like a pinata from the get go.

    ¡°The golden truncheon strikes eight directions¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a drawn out chant entered his ears. He saw a streak of golden light cutting across the sky from the east andnding on top of the blue pir. It was a square-shaped, metallic truncheon with nine sections.

    ¡°The longsword seals heaven and earth¡­¡±

    Another streak of light appeared from the west, and itnded on top of the white pir. It was an ancient-looking sword with a dragon¡¯s head and a snake¡¯s tail.

    ¡°The bluemp boils mountains and rivers¡­¡±The sky turned fiery red after the ancient sword descended. A bluemp with the image of a chi dragon painted on its surface flew over from the south andnded on the red pir.

    ¡°The old bottle suppresses the four seas¡­¡±

    Finally, a long, crisp cry came from the north, and a cascade of ck water poured down from the sky. Itnded on top of the ck pir and transformed into an old, ck bottle with a panlong[1] circling around it.

    <em>The Dragonbeating Truncheon, the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragon Ending Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle. They¡¯re finally getting serious.</em>

    Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows when he saw this. Just like the Dragon Nursing Nest, the Dragonbeating Truncheon, the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragon Ending Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle were all inheritances that had been passed down in Dragonrider Mountain for at least a hundred years. They were all Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifacts.

    The Dragonbeating Truncheon was an offensive weapon that specialized in beating the physical body. It possessed a massive attack range and could shatter bones and muscles like nothing.

    The Dragonsealing Sword was a sealing weapon that specialized in sealing origin qi. It could seal heaven and earth and remove all origin qi from a certain area in one swing.

    The Dragon Ending Lamp was a murder weapon that specialized in ending the mind and soul. Any soul burned by its fire would disintegrate into nothing and be denied from reincarnation forever.

    And finally, the Dragon Suppressing Bottle was a suppressive weapon that specialized in suppressing the qi, essence and spirit. It could suppress anyone¡¯s power to a ludicrous degree.

    Besides their individual functions, the four Strange Artifacts were also important items that protected the luck and destiny of Dragonrider Mountain.

    Trueman Dragonrider was famous for his Dragonying Art, and Dragonying Art was both a killing art and a qi nurturing, qi umting art. It possessed the power to steal natural luck and gather them at once ce. The more luck they farmed, the brighter and more prosperous Dragonrider Mountain would be.

    This was why Innocent Miao and other Dragonrider Mountain disciples scoured the world for natural spirits and objects such as Giggle. It was to steal their luck and empower Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s own. The Dragonbeating Truncheon, the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragonbinding Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle and the Dragon Nursing Nest were the keys behind Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s luck farming.

    Considering Dragonrider Mountain had brought their destiny securing Strange Artifact to bear, it was clear that they had resolved themselves to kill him with everything they had.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    As expected, Dragonrider Mountain began to shake imperceptibly. The clouds gathered in the sky, vast amounts of energy began flowing in the air, the sun and moon were flipped upside down[2]; the stars were falling, dragons were flying, tigers were running, flowers were flying, snow was falling¡­ all sorts of fantastical illusions sprung to life like weeds. False they might be, there was no denying the power behind them.

    ¡°Roar!!!¡±

    It was at this moment a dragon¡¯s roar filled the world and shattered all the illusions like ss. At the same time, a twin-horned true dragon appeared in the sky of Dragonrider Mountain.

    The true dragon was impossibly massive. Hidden behind the clouds, it was so massive that only the head was visible.

    This was the true dragon of destiny Dragonrider Mountain nurtured. Formless it might be, its divine might reminded all enemies of the pain of hell. Practically everyone inside and outside the mountain was quaking in their boots right now.

    When the true dragon roared, the Dragonbeating Truncheon, the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragonbinding Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle shone brightly. Radiant light entered the Dragon Binding Stakes and solidified the image of the Azure Dragon, the White Tiger, the Vermillion Bird and the ck Tortoise, increasing their power.

    Soon, the lightning chain was bursting with lightning, the sharp white chain became sharper than ever, the fiery chain burned like an inferno, and ck water flooded the ck chain. The next moment, they engulfed Ye Qing at once.

    When the four elements gradually subsided, the four elders hiding in the sky saw that the seemingly immovable Ye Qing was finally suspended in the air. For the first time, smiles appeared on everyone¡¯s faces.

    At the same time, inside the Dragonying Hall, Yu Longzi abruptly rose to his feet and summoned a seal into his hand. Then, he brought it down with a forceful swing.

    Back at the Dragon Subjugating tform, the word ¡°Cut¡± appeared in the sky and bled profusely as if it was living flesh. The sky immediately darkened, and the cold air of murder filled one¡¯s lungs before they knew it. It felt like the calm before the storm; the false respite before the true horror showed up.

    The Dragon Cutting Sealmanded the cutting of a true dragon, and its will would not be denied. Ghastly screams filled the air, and vigor churned as the executioner¡¯s des standing on the Dragon Subjugating tform abruptly detached themselves from the floor and pointed toward Ye Qing.

    <em>Swoosh swoosh swoosh¡­</em>

    Enveloped by bloody, fiendish qi, the executioner¡¯s des circled around Ye Qing for an instant before shooting toward him at great speed.

    The Dragon Scaffold was an execution ground for true dragons. Every time a de was swung, a dragon¡¯s scale would surely be removed.

    Unfortunately, the Dragon Subjugating tform was but a pale shadow of past glory. The executioner¡¯s des seeded in cutting Ye Qing¡¯s shirt and leaving a number of white marks on his skin, but that was it. Forget hurting him, they couldn¡¯t even pierce his skin.

    ¡°eptable. Continue.¡±

    In the air, Ye Qing remarked with a smirk on his face.

    Inside the Dragonying Hall, Yu Longzi was narrowing his eyes with an unfriendly expression on his face. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood essence on the bloody ¡°Cut¡± in the sky, causing it to grow increasingly bloody and terrifying. At the same time, the dancing des on the Dragon Subjugating tform transformed into oddly-shaped knives that looked rather simr to a butcher¡¯s skinning knife. Theynded on Ye Qing¡¯s neck, joints and other weak points.

    The second punishment of the Dragon Scaffold was skinning, which meant that the knives were attempting to skin Ye Qing alive. For a time, the knives fell like the rain, and the man swayed left and right like a palm leaf. The sounds of des thudding against flesh were disturbing to say the least.

    Unfortunately, when nine breaths had passed, and the punishment had run its course, Ye Qing was still unharmed and smiling like nothing had happened.

    This time, Yu Longzi did not wait for Ye Qing to taunt him. He shoved his power into the Dragon Cutting Seal once more and caused the skinning knives to transform into four boning knives.

    The four boning knives glittered like they had just been sharpened on a grinder. They scattered in four different directions before hacking at Ye Qing¡¯s wrists and ankles.

    The third punishment of the Dragon Scaffold severed the tendons and broke the bones.

    Compared to the downpour of knives before, the four lonely boning knives looked almost pitiful. They did not seem to be particrly powerful either. All notions of weakness fled when theynded the fist strike on Ye Qing¡¯s wrist and ankles, however. It sounded like a powerful champion was attempting to snap a mountain in half. A seemingly endless wave of blood and violence washed out of the Dragon Subjugating tform and rattled the four Dragon Binding Chains.

    The impact was such that countless Dragonrider Mountain disciples were beset by an onught of dizziness, and blood would not stop pouring out of their orifices. As for the weaker ones, they cked out immediately and had to be carried to the healing hall for emergency treatment.

    However, when the wave of blood finally subsided, and Yu Longzi and the four elders looked, what they saw both disappointed and chilled them greatly. The impudent bastard wasn¡¯t screaming his lungs out, nor were his arms and legs severed from his body. While he wasn¡¯t unscathed this time¡ªa bone deep wound now marred his wrists and ankles¡ªbut that was it.

    ¡°Oh! You finally managed to hurt me.¡±

    In the air, Ye Qing shot his bleeding wrist one nce before sighing. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, was it? Well, keep iting.¡±

    Physically, his words harmed no one. Mentally?

    Inside the Dragonying Hall, Yu Longzi took one step forward, and the entire Dragonrider Mountain plunged into a sea of bloodthirst.

    1. Panlong is an aquatic dragon resembling a jiaolong òÔýˆ "river dragon; crocodile" in Chinese mythology. ?

    2. The moon I can understand, but IDK how anyone can tell if the sun had flipped upside down lol. ?

 Chapter 673: Dragonslaying Blade, Killing The Mind

    <h4>Chapter 673: Dragonying de, Killing The Mind </h4>

    On the Dragon Subjugating tform, the waves of blood transformed into two blood red butcher¡¯s knives. They looked gnarly, savage, and full of killing intent.

    The next moment, the blood waves snatched up the butcher¡¯s knives like a pair of giant hands and swung them at Ye Qing.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The powerful attack blew Ye Qing backward, and the butcher¡¯s knives exploded into countless tiny des that crawled into his body through the wounds on his wrists and ankles. One could see something bulging and squirming under his skin like countless worms.

    Before Ye Qing could react, the blood waves summoned a new pair of knives and struck Ye Qing again, repeating the cycle. Not only that, each strike was faster, fiercer, and heavier than thest. The consecutive strikes were as swift as the wind, as rapid as the rain, as violent as thunder, and as heavy as a river.

    For a time, it sounded like the assault would never end. Such was the movement of the butcher¡¯s knives that their outline blurred together like a professional cook was actually wielding the des and slicing and dicing the fish that was Ye Qing into meat paste.

    And that was exactly what the fourth cut of the Dragon Scaffold was. It was the part where the true dragon was sliced and diced into meat paste.

    When the relentless assault finally came to an end, Ye Qing no longer looked as collected as he used to. His body was covered in countless densely packed wounds, and blood was dripping out of his wound profusely. He looked like a victim of torture.

    There was one thing about Ye Qing that looked exactly the same as before, however. His beaming smile.

    ¡°Is that it? Tsk tsk... how disappointing.¡±

    Scratch that, his words were also as insulting and contemptuous as ever. ¡°The Dragon Subjugating tform truly is a pale shadow of itself.¡±

    ¡°You are a fool who does not know that death is already upon you.¡±

    Inside the Dragonying Hall, Yu Longzi was looking a little pale after the tremendous amount of strength he just used. When he heard Ye Qing¡¯s words, a rare ferocity shed on his usually calm and collected face.

    ¡°Cut a true dragon on the Dragon Subjugating tform, dye the blue sky in blood and stench...¡±

    Yu Longzi chanted before the Dragon Cutting Seal in his hand flew away and stopped in the sky at the center of the Dragon Subjugating tform. The next moment, the Dragon Cutting Seal, the Dragonbeating Truncheon, the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragonbinding Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle shone brightly, and the true dragon of destiny hidden within the clouds raised its head and let loose a long roar.

    A lever-style guillotine descended from the sky then. The de was made from dragon scales, the tform was made from dragon bones, the polish on the de was dragon blood, and the sacrifice was dragon souls. Combined, the guillotine possessed the power to kill all sentient beings.

    As soon as the guillotine appeared, the wind and clouds conglomerated at the center, and the sky began weeping blood. What sounded like the final howls of punished dragons resounded throughout the area as well.

    There was a thunderp, and a humanoid silhouette appeared in the sky. It grabbed the guillotine and slowly lifted it into the air.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    Every time the guillotine moved up an inch, the world would shudder, and thunder would roar as if afraid of what was about to happen.

    When the guillotine was raised three inches, the sky waspletely dark, and the thunder sounded positively furious.

    The four Dragon Binding Chains then pulled Ye Qing into the sky and until his neck was directly underneath the guillotine de.

    The fifth and final cut of the Dragon Scaffold was a cut that killed the mind, and the guillotine in the sky was called the Dragonying de. With the Dragon Subjugating tform as the foundation, the true dragon of destiny as the core, and the five Strange Artifacts¡ªthe Dragon Cutting Seal, the Dragonbeating Truncheon, the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragonbinding Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle¡ªas the trigger, itbined the power and force of Dragonrider Mountain to form the Dragonying de.

    The Dragonying de did not harm the physical body. It only slew the mind.

    ¡°Your crime of dishonoring Dragonrider Mountain is unforgivable, and your punishment is DEATH!¡±

    As soon as the word ¡°death¡± was spoken, the guillotine de began falling, the wind and thunder began roaring louder than ever before, and the rain of blood grew so strong it felt like a waterfall.

    When the de finally struck Ye Qing¡¯s neck, the wind ceased, the rain stopped, and the thunder ceased all of a sudden. For a moment, the world waspletely silent¡ªbut not Ye Qing¡¯s body. A destructive, murderous, catastrophic energy washed out from him like an invisible explosion and blew the closest people to the Dragon Subjugating tform¡ªYue Hualong, Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxing¡ªaway before they could react. Muffled groans of pain escaped their mouths as their bodies trembled, and the blood drained away from the face and out of their orifices.

    If even the four elders could not handle the heat, the disciples could only fare worse. Those unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity of the Dragon Subjugating tform cked out and copsed before they even realized what just happened. Even Yu Longzi in the Dragonying Hall shook a little as blood slid down a corner of his mouth.

    There was no time to tend to his own injuries though. Yu Longzi immediately stared at Ye Qing after he collected himself.

    In the sky, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes were shut tight. His smile looked as insulting as ever, and his vigor was exactly the same as before. However, his aura waspletely gone almost as if his mind was no longer inside his body.

    ¡°He¡¯s finally dead!¡±

    Yu Longzi let out a sigh of relief when he saw this.

    The Dragonying de only slew the mind and not the body. Although Ye Qing looked physically healthy, his Yin God and consciousness had been annihted by the final cut.

    In the sky, the Dragonying de grew increasingly transparent until it was gone altogether. The semi-transparent true dragon of destiny circling the sky also let out onest cry before shattering into nothing. It looked as if it had used up all of its strength.

    On the Dragon Subjugating tform, the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird and ck Tortoise also looked incredibly listless. The Dragon Binding Chains regained its bleak, dirty appearance after the thunder, sharp qi, fire and ck water enveloping it disappeared into nothing.

    Yu Longzi subconsciously rubbed his chest when he saw this. It was because his heart was aching like never before.

    The one strike had used up not just every ounce of energy the Dragon Subjugating tform had been umting bit by bit for many years, but also much of their destiny. One could even say that the attack had cost them centuries of time and effort.

    Resentment and malice entered his gaze as Yu Longzi continued to stare at Ye Qing¡¯s body.

    The price they had to pay to y their enemy was huge, but thankfully, it wasn¡¯t all bad.

    Dragonrider Mountain knew a secret art called the ¡°True Dragon Corpse Nurturing Art¡±. It required burying an intact corpse inside a Dragongrave and purifying it daily using moonlight. Over time, the corpse would grow draconic characteristics such as dragon scales and transform into a draconic corpse. At the end, it would evolve into a True Dragon Corpse Puppet.

    A True Dragon Corpse Puppet was extraordinarily strong and immune to conventional weapons. It could also summon soldiers from the Nether.

    Not only that, raising a True Dragon Corpse Puppet cost far less time and effort than the true dragon of destiny. It would only take them several years at most.

    As a matter of course, the ¡°True Dragon Corpse Nurturing Art¡± wasn¡¯t without its ws. First, the corpse qi of a true dragon was absolutely necessary to use the secret art. It was usually found at the burial site of a true dragon, a.k.a a Dragongrave.

    After all, how could they nurture a True Dragon Corpse Puppet without a true dragon¡¯s corpse qi?

    This condition alone was enough to bar most aspiring corpse puppeteers from attempting the ¡°True Dragon Corpse Nurturing Art¡±, but it was basically a freebie for the Dragonrider Mountain. After all, their entire schtick was about ying true dragons. Sure, dragonying hadn¡¯t happened in a very, very long time, but they still had a Dragongrave with a thick amount of true dragon corpse qi. It was perfect for this purpose.

    Second, they needed a corpse. It should not need to be said, but not any corpse could be raised into a True Dragon Corpse Puppet. For one, the body must be strong and wless. Two, their vigor must remain strong even after the person had passed away. And three, they must possess great destiny and luck.

    Unfortunately, corpses like this were incredibly hard to procure. After all, anyone who fit the three criterias were also favored by the heavens. People like this rarely died unless they encountered a great tribtion, and even if they did, their corpse was difficult to procure.

    Luckily for them, the dead body in front of them fit that requirement perfectly. Ye Qing¡¯s body remained strong and vigorous even after he died. More importantly, he was a man with immense karma and destiny.

    There was a secret art in ¡°Dragonying Art¡± that allowed a practitioner to observe one¡¯s karma and destiny. That was how Yu Longzi was able to see that Ye Qing had radiance covering his head, purple qi circling his body, and dark yellow residing within his body. It was obvious at first nce that Ye Qing was a man of great karma.

    The fact that his karma didn¡¯t dissipate immediately after his death was also proof of that.

    This was also why Yu Longzi tried to give Ye Qing a way out again and again instead of bringing the full wrath of Dragonrider Mountain on top of him from the get go. People like Ye Qing usually possessed a powerful background as well. If he wasn¡¯t careful, then he could be the sinner whose poor decision sounded the death knell of Dragonrider Mountain.

    In any case, Ye Qing was dead now. It was literally toote for regrets.

    On a rted note, the third and biggest w of the ¡°True Dragon Corpse Nurturing Art¡± was that it was against the natural order.

    Using the ¡°True Dragon Corpse Nurturing Art¡± did not just damn the victim¡¯s body into an eternity of servitude. Those rted to the corpse puppet such as his friends, family and more would be affected as well. They would suffer an endless streak of bad luck and non-stop tragedies until they died a tragic death. All of them.

    That was why the ¡°True Dragon Corpse Nurturing Art¡± was one hundred percent a secret art of the Dark Ways and against the natural order.

    It was also why Trueman Dragonrider specificallymanded his disciples and all who came after not to use the art unless absolutely necessary, and to act with the utmost caution if they did decide to use it.

    The thought of using the ¡°True Dragon Corpse Nurturing Art¡± had never crossed Yu Longzi¡¯s mind until today. But when he realized it was actually doable, the spark of desire quickly grew into an inferno.

 Chapter 674: I Came, I Died, I Lived Again

    <h4>Chapter 674: I Came, I Died, I Lived Again </h4>

    ¡°Ooo... ooo...¡±

    It was at this moment a tiny head crawled out of the ground. When Giggle saw that Ye Qing¡ªstill suspended in the air by the Dragon Binding Chains¡ªwasn¡¯t moving at all, it grew anxious and appeared on top of Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder. Then, it gave his shirt a tug.

    In the past, Ye Qing would look at Giggle, give it a sunny smile, and y with it as soon as it tugged his shirt. But this time, Ye Qing did not wake up. Forget ying with it, he wasn¡¯t even looking at its direction.

    Once, twice, thrice, and still Ye Qing did not awake. Sorrow slowly began to enter Giggle¡¯s expression, and the loneliness welling in its eyes looked so thick it was as if it would never fade.

    Back at the Celestial Spring, it had witnessed many, many people who never awoke again after they fell asleep like this.

    The humans called it death. Some also called it the eternal parting.

    That was how Giggle knew that it had lost a good friend.

    That was how Giggle knew that it was alone once more.

    ¡°Ipletely forgot about this little thing due the all the excitement. Don¡¯t let it escape. If it wasn¡¯t for it, Innocent would¡¯ve been fine, and our sect would not have suffered such a tribtion.¡±

    Yue Hualong, Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin reappeared beside Yu Longzi.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Dragon Subjugating Array is still functioning. There¡¯s nowhere for it to run.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and catch it then.¡± Yue Hualong let out a sinisterugh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill it, Hualong,¡± Yu Longzi warned. ¡°That little lotus Stranger is a natural Spirit Root. It is exactly what we need to secure its destiny right now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise I¡¯ll treat it well.¡±

    Yue Hualong let out another sinisterugh before leaping onto the Dragon Subjugating tform and toward Giggle.

    ¡°To think that a mere livestock would have real emotions. Howughable.¡±

    Giggle did not try to run even though Yue Hualong was right next to it. Eyes dripping with disdain, he sneered, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be sure to give your friend the best ¡®treatment¡¯ right before your eyes! Hahahaha!¡±

    Yue Hualongughed like a madman as he made a grab for Giggle. However, when his hand was three inches away from the little Stranger, he suddenly found himself unable to move an inch further.

    When he looked down, he saw a face looking up at him.The young man he thought whose mind and soul had been annihted by the Dragonying de said with a smile that did not reach the eye, ¡°Who did you say you want to give a ¡®treatment¡¯ again? I didn¡¯t hear you the first time. Care to repeat yourself?¡±

    ¡°You?!¡±

    Yue Hualong could barely believe his eyes. Hands and legs suddenly turning as cold as ice, he felt like he had suddenly plunged into an icy hell.

    That said, he was a warrior. His first instinct was to throw a punch at Ye Qing with everything he got.

    As his fist traveled toward Ye Qing¡¯s face, golden scales began growing from underneath his skin. By the time his fist was mere inches away from its target, his entire arm was covered in dragon scales, and his fist was shining gold and roaring dragon.

    <i>¡°Dragonmorph Fist¡±</i>

    The ¡°Dragonying Art¡± mainly cultivated true qi and the spirit, not the body. The ¡°Dragonmorph Fist¡± was one of the few body-tempering arts that tempered the body via consuming the blood essence of true dragon to form a True Dragon Body.

    Yue Hualong¡¯s main martial art was the Dragonmorph Fist, and he had mastered it to the point where he could grow dragon scales on his physical body. Although he wasn¡¯t a pure body-tempering warrior, his vigor and strength already rivaled that of ate-stage body-tempering warrior. It was the font of his confidence and the reason he was able to be an elder on Dragonrider Mountain.

    However, Yue Hualong¡¯s eyes quickly widened in astonishment, then in pain.

    His eyes widened in astonishment because Ye Qing had actually leaned forward instead of backward when his fist was an instant away from hitting his face. It was almost as if the young man <i>wanted </i>to be beaten. This was the first time in his life Yue Hualong ever encountered something like this, so of course he was astonished.

    But just because he was astonished didn¡¯t mean that Yue Hualong wasn''t going to capitalize on this opportunity. Why the hell wouldn¡¯t he?

    So, he gave it his 120%. In his head, he swore his name wasn¡¯t Yue Hualong if he didn¡¯t smear Ye Qing¡¯s face like a blooming flower.

    His imagination did note true, however. In fact, it was he who let out a cry of surprise and pain. When his fist made contact with Ye Qing¡¯s face, his fingers snapped like twigs, his dragon scales cracked everywhere, and his arm bent in ways it never should have. To say he never expected this to happen was an understatement, but it wasn¡¯t the end yet. The next moment, he felt a powerful stream of force flooding his every vein and throwing him back like a cannonball. It was a miracle he hadn¡¯t cracked like an egg when he struck a Dragon Binding Stake and stayed there for a good few seconds before he slowly slid to the floor.

    His condition was terrible, but neither Yu Longzi nor his fellow elders were sparing him a second nce. It was because their attention waspletely stolen by the young man who struck him.

    Yu Longzi in particr was seriously wondering if he was experiencing a nightmare. The others might not know this, but as the mountain lord and the controller of the Dragon Subjugating tform, he knew just how potent the final cut that was the Dragonying de was.

    It was an attack that contained the power of five Strange Artifacts, the umted energy of the Dragon Subjugating tform, and even the destiny of Dragonrider Mountain. It was easily several times more powerful than the previous four cutsbined. Even a Grandmaster would be severely injured after taking such a powerful attack, if not dead.

    Before this, he did not think that anyone below Grandmaster could possibly survive the attack. At the very least, he couldn¡¯t.

    After bing a Half-Step Grandmaster ten years ago, he had continuously honed his strength until he reached perfection. Literally, there was nothing left for him to improve unless he entered the Grandmaster stage. Speaking of which, he was one flimsy paper away from bing a Grandmaster. All he needed at this stage was inspiration; the right opportunity at the right ce at the right time.

    Strength wise, Yu Longzi was on par with some newly ascended Grandmasters. Even so, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could survive the Dragonying de at all. However, the young man had done what he thought was impossible.

    If this Joyless Ye was a Grandmaster, he would have epted it as a matter of course. But no, he was just a middle-stage Spirit Master.

    Fine, so what if he was a middle-stage Spirit Master? His body and his actual power were on the same level as a body-tempering Half-Step Grandmaster.

    That was the problem though. Joyless Ye was a <i>body-tempering </i>warrior. He and his ilk were supposed to possess weak spirits. In reality, his spirit was strong enough to block a blow from the Dragonying de, which meant that he was also stronger than him, a Half-Step Grandmaster who specifically cultivated the spirit.

    It was such a realization that he actually questioned his sanity for a moment.

    <i>I don¡¯t need a bloody reminder that I¡¯m not a genius, dammit!</i>

    If he wasn¡¯t the mountain lord, if he wasn¡¯t in the presence of many, Yu Longzi would be cussing like a ruffian right now. Seriously.

    Meanwhile, Giggle was jumping and giggling like crazy when it saw that Ye Qing had awoken. It was so happy that its eyes were narrowed into tiny slits.

    Ye Qing gave it aforting pat on the head and exined smilingly, ¡°Sorry to worry you. I wanted to tease them a little, you know?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    Giggle giggled again, but a secondter, it seemingly recalled something and grew worried. It began jabbing a finger at the exit repeatedly.

    ¡°You want me to leave?¡± Ye Qing asked while petting Giggle. It was clear that the little Stranger worried for his safety and wanted him to leave while he still could.

    ¡°Seriously, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I am fine.¡±

    Ye Qing consoled it, ¡°Besides, I promised I would avenge you, didn¡¯t I? How can I leave before I fulfill my promise to you? I¡¯m a man of my word, and I hate leaving things unfinished.¡±

    Having said that, Ye Qing finally looked at Yu Longzi and the others and said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, if you have anything else up your sleeves, now is the time to use it.¡±

    The Dragonrider Mountain group finally jolted back to reality and stared at the beaming young man nkly.

    ¡°Otherwise, you won¡¯t get another chance.¡±

 Chapter 675: If The Mountain Would Not Come To Me, Then I Will Go To The Mountain

    There was a moment of silence before Ye Qing prodded, ¡°Well? What are you waiting for? If you¡¯re all out of ideas, then it¡¯s my turn now!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just faking it!¡± Yun Chaoyu dered. Shocked he might be, there was no reason to admit their weakness and inme the enemy¡¯s spirit. Besides, he really believed that Ye Qing was just putting on a brave front.

    No one could doubt Ye Qing¡¯s strength, but he ultimately wasn¡¯t a Grandmaster. The young man had crushed the Dragonscaling Road, crossed the Dragon Nurturing Gorge, withstood the painful punishments of the Dragon Subjugating tform, and even endured the full might of the Dragonying de. He had to be exhausted and injured right now.

    On top of that, Ye Qing was still bound by the Dragon Binding Chains. Although the Dragon Subjugating tform was almost out of power, the young man should not be able to break out of his bindings in his current state.

    That was why Yun Chaoyu was certain that Ye Qing was faking his strength and confidence. He was just trying to buy time to regain his strength.

    ¡°Come at us if you dare then, you toothless dog!¡±

    On the other side of the tform, Yue Hualong also taunted Ye Qing after he snapped back to reality.

    The brutish elder had never been humiliated like this until now. The only way he could wash away the shame was to take revenge against Ye Qing as soon as possible. However, it wasn¡¯t going to happen immediately, which was why he decided to get some verbal payback first.

    ¡°Okay! If that is your wish.¡±Ye Qing smiled as he slowly pulled his outstretched arms toward his chest.

    <em>Rattle rattle rattle¡­</em>

    The Dragon Binding Chains rattled, and the runes on the Dragon Binding Stakes flickered ominously as Ye Qing pulled. At the same time, an invisible shockwave of energy washed out of him.

    The next moment, the entire Dragon Subjugating tform began shaking slightly, and there were noisesing from the starting points of the vibration.

    At first, the noise was so tiny it was barely louder than a mosquito¡¯s flight. Over time, it grew louder and louder until it resembled a reverberating thunder that could be heard throughout a in.

    ¡°To your positions! He must not break free off the Dragon Binding Chains!¡±

    Yu Longzi nched as he yelled at his elders. Then, he channeled the Dragon Cutting Seal once more.

    Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yurong and Yu Ningxin hurried to their positions and channeled the Dragonsealing Sword, the Dragonbinding Lamp, and the Dragon Suppressing Bottle respectively. Yue Hualong too ignored the blood covering his face and channeled the Dragon Beating Truncheon.

    <em>Buzz¡­ buzz¡­ buzz¡­</em>

    The five Strange Artifacts shone brightly, and the drained Dragon Binding Stakes, Dragon Binding Chains, and Dragon Subjugating tform began regaining some of its former power and presence.

    However, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath until his blood ran like a river, and his bones crackled like a series of thunderps. They saw him growing bigger and taller as thick, ck hair grew out of his face, and sharp teeth grew out of the corners of his mouth.

    In just the blink of an eye, the human had been reced by a huge demonic ape¡ªmalicious, unruly, and terrifying. The blood instantly drained away from everyone¡¯s face, though only they knew if it was due to energy depletion, shock, or both.

    The good news was that the Dragon Binding Chains were still wrapped firmly around Ye Qing¡¯s limbs. Not only could true dragonsmand the weather and navigate the sky like their own backyard, they could also adjust their size as they pleased. Naturally, the Dragon Binding Chains could adjust their size ordingly as well. It would be terribly useless if a captor could break out of it simply by growingrger, no?

    Unfortunately, Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s hope and relief were shredded the next moment. The demonic ape that was Ye Qing let out a mighty roar before grabbing the chains bound to his wrists tightly. When his fingers touched each other, his muscles swelled so fast that it let out a loud pop that sounded like thunder.

    Then, he smashed his fists together in one swift motion instead of slowly pulling the chains toward his chest like before.

    The Dragon Binding Chains grew taut in an instant, the sudden motion causing the metal to rub suddenly against the air and causing an odd shrill. Then, the runes on the four Dragon Binding Stakes crumbled at the same time, and the Dragon Binding Chains broke in the middle as if they had finally exceeded their limits. Countless cracks instantly spread across the five Strange Artifacts empowering the chains and stakes as well.

    As Yu Longzi, Yue Hualong, Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin were connected to the Dragon Cutting Seal, Dragon Beating Truncheon, Dragonsealing Sword, Dragonbinding Lamp and Dragon Suppressing Bottle by blood, they all threw up blood and staggered on their feet.

    Before they could catch their breaths, they heard two rapid thumps and felt a terrible pressure pouring down on them like an avnche. Their faces were already pale to begin with, but now they looked as white as a sheet.

    Ye Qing was charging toward them. The first thump they heard was the sound of himnding on his feet, and the second thump was him pushing off the ground and jumping straight toward them.

    Yue Hualong¡¯s response toward the demonic ape¡¯s charge was to cover himself in golden dragon scales. A golden dragon circled his body as he threw out a powerful punch.

    Yun Chaoyu pointed his palms upward and caused a blue dragon to rise to soar to the sky. A momentter, winds and clouds gathered into a rumbling thunderstorm.

    Zhao Yuanrong slowly retreated into a wall of ck fog that had suddenly appeared behind his back. When the fog dissipated, the old man was nowhere to be found

    Yu Ningxin pressed her index and middle fingers together and thrust them toward Ye Qing. It was soundless, breathless, and powerless. However, both heaven and earth had suddenly be as frigid as the coldest winter.

    While Yue Hualong was throwing a straight punch at Ye Qing, the thundercloud in the sky abruptly unleashed a flood of lightning so massive it looked like someone had tipped a lightning pool over Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    However, Ye Qing almost looked bored as he extended his right hand and caught Yue Hualong¡¯s fist firmly. A flood of fist force poured into his body, but it failed to elicit any response whatsoever. Not only that, Yue Hualong felt an irresistible force pushing back against his own strength, and suddenly, he found himself flying through the air.

    It wasn¡¯t voluntary, of course. Ye Qing had tossed him upward.

    The next moment, Yue Hualong¡¯s eyes widened in terror. It was because he had struck the lightning flood Yun Chaoyu had meant to hit Ye Qing with.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The lightning fried his body until he looked as ck as charcoal, but the tremendous force affecting his body actually pushed him <em>through </em>the flood of lightning until he scattered the thundercloud in the sky.

    As soon as the cloud was gone, the lightning flood disappeared, and the world fell silent.

    There was ice growing in the midst of the silence, however. They were spreading on the ground and growing upward until a pure, hornless chi dragon abruptly leaped into the air.

    The emergence of the chi dragon was such that it felt like the world was about to turn upside down. Icy energy washed out and froze everything in sight, and not even Ye Qing was able to avoid turning into an ice sculpture.

    <em>¡°Dragonying Art: Chi Dragon Sutra¡±</em>

    The chi dragon pounced toward Ye Qing, and for a moment, it looked like it would crush Ye Qing into a million icy pieces. Unfortunately, when it was about two inches away from the demonic ape, the ice suddenly shattered, and Ye Qing grabbed its head with a gigantic hand.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    Bits of ice flew everywhere as a deafening impact struck everyone¡¯s ears. The charge failed to budge Ye Qing even an inch, but to the chi dragon credit, it hadn¡¯t shattered into pieces despite the numerous cracks spreading across its body either.

    While Ye Qing and the chi dragon were wrestling each other, a ck fog appeared behind Ye Qing out of seemingly nowhere. Then, a pair of pitch ck daggers emerged from the fog and shed toward his throat.

    The dagger wielder was, of course, Zhao Yuanrong.

    The four halls of Dragonrider Mountain¡ªDragonmorph, Flying Dragon, Hidden Dragon and Crouching Dragon¡ªinherited an ultimate art recorded in the ¡°Dragonying Art¡± each.

    The Dragonmorph Hall cultivated the ¡°Dragonmorph Sutra¡± and focused on honing their strength and bloodline. They walked the path of evolving their physical body and giving it draconic characteristics.

    The Flying Dragon Hall cultivated the ¡°Thunder Dragon Sutra¡± and focused on their mastery over lightning and thunder. Theymanded lightning with qi and thunder with the mind.

    The Crouching Dragon Hall cultivated the ¡°Chi Dragon Sutra¡± and focused on their mastery over ice and frost. Theymanded ice with qi and frost with the mind.

    And finally, the Hidden Dragon Hall cultivated the ¡°Hidden Dragon Sutra¡± and focused on honing the stealthiness of a dragon. They could conceal themselves like a dragon and move about without a trace.

    Out of the four, Yue Hualong was the strongestbatant in a direct fight, Yun Chaoyu and Yu Ningxin were masters of lightning and frost, and Zhao Yuanrong was the best at stealth and assassination.

    The four elders knew exactly what their peers were capable of and cooperated wonderfully with each other. Not only that, they had gone after Ye Qing with a clear strategy in mind. Yue Hualong kept Ye Qing busy, Yun Chaoyu and Yu Ningxin provided support from the rear, and Zhao Yuanrong lurked in the shadows until an opportunity to assassinate Ye Qing presented itself.

    However, Ye Qing was even scarier than they imagined. Not only had he dealt with Yue Hualong on the first exchange, he had dismantled Yun Chaoyu¡¯s meticulously prepared lightning flood with ease and blocked Yu Ningxin¡¯s ice chi dragon with one hand.

    It wasn¡¯t over though. Their teamwork had created the exact opportunity for Zhao Yuanrong needed to kill Ye Qing in one strike.

 Chapter 676: Dragons Memoir

    The ¡°Hidden Dragon Sutra¡± could pierce a target¡¯s protective astral qi and flesh in one strike, but physical damage wasn¡¯t the only thing it could do. It could snuff out the target¡¯s mind and consciousness as well. The particr technique was called ¡°Hidden Dragon Pierce¡±.

    This was what the ¡°Hidden Dragon Sutra¡± was capable of, and why they left the final blow to Zhao Yuanrong.

    Zhao Yuanrong¡¯s daggers shed across Ye Qing¡¯s throat faster than the eye could blink. However, the technique that could cut another man¡¯s throat like paper only left two white marks on Ye Qing¡¯s skin. He felt like an ordinary person trying to cut through tough leather with a pair of blunt daggers.

    Not only that, the mental attack of the ¡°Hidden Dragon Pierce¡± sank into Ye Qing¡¯s mind like a y ox entering the sea. It failed to elicit even the tiniest of reactions.

    Shocked and afraid, Zhao Yuanrong attempted to step back into his fog and turn invisible once more. However, Ye Qing roared and threw a backhand swing that seemed to possess enough force to split heaven and earth in half.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The space where Zhao Yuanrong had just disappeared into was torn asunder, and the old man shook like he had just been struck by lightning. The next moment, he found himself straining against a crushing weight so heavy that his knees hit the floor hard enough to crack it.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    It was at this moment Yu Longzi finally took action. He chose the exact moment Ye Qing finished using his breath and energy, and there was a lull in his movement. He took one step forward, transformed into a sky dragon with five ws, and rushed straight toward Ye Qing.While Yu Longzi was transforming into a sky dragon, Ye Qing abruptly looked back at him with his wide eyes that were full of bloodthirst and violence. In one motion, he shoved the chi dragon¡¯s head downward with his left hand and grabbed its throat with his right. Then, he bent his knees slightly¡ªthe floor crumbling bit by bit as if it could not withstand his weight¡ªand his arm muscles swelled even bigger than before. It looked like he had mini mountain ranges for arms.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    When Ye Qing¡¯s feet sank another half a meter into the floor, and the ground started undting like a wave, the sixty meter long chi dragon was finally lifted into the air. It could not break free no matter how hard it struggled.

    The next moment, Ye Qing swung the chi dragon at the iing sky dragon.

    <em>BOOOOOOOM!!!</em>

    Two dragons mmed into each other, and the sky dragon was flung back like a rag doll. The ice chi dragon itself finally shattered into smithereens.

    The sky dragon transformed back into Yu Longzi in mid-air, and he looked nothing like the elegant master he was. His clothes were torn and disheveled, and hisplexion was yellow like gold paper.

    Even after hended on the floor, Yu Longzi could not stop staggering backward. Every time he took a step, a mouthful of fresh blood would burst out of his lips. Three stepster, his back hit and sank deep into the wall of the Dragonying Hall, shaking the entire building in the process.

    After the ice chi dragon exploded, Yu Ningxin let out a muffled groan and trembled like a leaf. Her aura also nosedived as if she had just suffered a huge blow.

    The battle was over. It was clear that Ye Qing had won.

    Ye Qing looked up into the sky and let out a mighty roar that cleared up every patch of cloud in an instant. The blue sky reappeared, and the sun shone brightly as if to celebrate his victory.

    The people of Dragonrider Mountain stared at the demonic ape that was practically glowing under the sun. No one could say anything for a time.

    As they watched, Ye Qing slowly turned back to human and shot Yu Longzi and the elders his signature smile once more. It was bright and clear just like the sky above their heads.

    ¡°See? I told you it would be your loss if you give me a turn!¡±

    ¡°Indeed¡­ we have!¡±

    While clutching his chest, Yu Longzi pulled himself out of the wall and walked up to Ye Qing. He said forlornly, ¡°To the victor goes the spoils. You may take my life as is your right.¡±

    ¡°My lord¡­¡±

    Yu Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin called out weakly.

    Yu Longzi raised his hand to silence them before continuing in a deathly serious tone, ¡°However, I ask that you spare my men. They were simply following orders. If you must have revenge, then please let it end with my life.¡±

    ¡°Why are you begging him, my lord?¡± On the floor, Yue Hualong struggled to climb to his feet while ring at Ye Qing. ¡°It is an honor for any son or daughter of the <em>jianghu </em>to die in the <em>jianghu. </em>If I die because I am not strong enough, then so be it! Come get me, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    Yu Longzi waved his hand, and Yue Hualong was flung against the Dragon Subjugating tform. This time, he did not wake up.

    ¡°I beg you, warrior. If you spare their lives, then I will be more than happy to give up my own! Please!¡±

    Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin opened their mouths, but in the end, they could not say anything. Everyone bowed their heads in shame, humiliation, and helplessness as if their qi, essence and spirit had beenpletely sucked away.

    To their credit, they were keeping silent not because they were cowards, nor because power and position had ground away their spirit like so many others. It was just that they understood that with great poweres great responsibility.

    If they gave in to a moment of passion and riled their enemy uppletely, it was entirely possible that he might ughter them all. He might even wipe out every Dragonrider Mountain disciple on this mountain.

    No one here was a coward who was afraid of death, nor did they think that they were too important to die. However, they could neither drag a thousand innocent lives down to the grave with them, nor be the sinners who led Dragonrider Mountain to extinction. If Dragonrider Mountain ended here, how could they ever face their ancestors in the underworld?

    It was clear what Yu Longzi was trying to do. He was offering his own life so that everyone would survive, and Dragonrider Mountain would live on.

    Therefore, no matter how humiliated they felt, no matter how reluctant they were at bowing their heads before their destroyer, they could not allow their passion to get the better of themselves no matter what.

    They could only be silent.

    Sometimes, people cherished their lives not because they were afraid of death, but because their death would have repercussions no one could bear.

    ¡°Do you want to die that badly?¡±

    Ye Qing asked smilingly, ¡°Or do I look like a monster who would massacre innocents to you? Come on, man.¡±

    Whatever Yu Longzi was expecting, it wasn¡¯t this. He looked up in surprise.

    ¡°What¡­ What do you mean by that, scion?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile turned into a smirk. ¡°I told you why I¡¯m here. One, I¡¯m here to pay you a visit. And two, I¡¯m here to take revenge for this little guy. Since I¡¯ve aplished both of my objectives, I¡¯m content. So why would I kill anyone?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Frankly, Yu Longzi couldn¡¯t quite process what was happening. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe Ye Qing¡ªthere was no need for the young man to lie in this situation¡ªbut¡­ <em>You really caused all thismotion and wreaked all this havoc¡­ just for that?</em>

    It was at this moment Ye Qing spoke up again. ¡°Well, I guess there is one thing I¡¯d like you to do for me.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Yu Longzi asked.

    ¡°I would like to borrow Trueman Rider¡¯s ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯ for a read. Is that okay?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You want to borrow the ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯?!¡±

    Yu Longzi hesitated. ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± sounded like someone¡¯s travel notes, and in fact it was. ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± was a record of Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s experience while he was wandering the <em>jianghu</em>.

    If this was all ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± was, then Yu Longzi would not hesitate to lend it to Ye Qing. The problem was that ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± didn¡¯t just record the sights, customs, and interesting events Trueman Dragonrider encountered during his journey, but also his discoveries while he was seeking to enter the Grandmaster stage. In short, it contained his martial insight and understanding regarding the breakthrough.

    It was said that the martial way was wide and varied, and you could not find two paths that were the same even among a thousand warriors. Therefore, Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s insights really only applied to himself. However, they also said that the three thousand ways all ended up at the same ce in the end. Just because no two men shared the same path didn¡¯t mean that one couldn¡¯t glean something useful from another¡¯s experience. As a reference material, ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±¡¯s value was immeasurable.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you unwilling?¡± Ye Qing noted Yu Longzi¡¯s expression and asked.

    Yu Longzi shook his head after a moment. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You may have it.¡±

    ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± was undoubtedly valuable, butpared to the many lives living on Dragonrider Mountain and the sect¡¯s continuation? It was nothing at all.

    Besides, it wasn¡¯t like the young man would definitely be a Grandmaster after he read the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±. It might contain valuable martial insight and understanding, and one that pertained to the step to enter the Grandmaster stage no less, but in the end, the notes were just a reference material, and it was ultimately up to the man to make that final leap.

    He himself was a living example of that. As the sessor of Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s line, he had full ess to the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± and knew its contents like the back of his hand. However, he remained stuck in the Spirit Master stage for over a decade. If even he was unable to make a breakthrough, how could an outsider possibly do better?

    Again, it was ultimately up to the person to make that final leap. Anyone who attached too much importance to a reference material and believed that it would surely carry them to the top was foolish and delusional. In fact, people like that specifically could never make it to the top.

    Finally, Ye Qing specifically said that he was only borrowing it for a read. He wasn¡¯t demanding ownership of the travel notes. Therefore, it was no loss to Dragonrider Mountain.

    So, Yu Longzi agreed.

 Chapter 677: Reading Dragons Memoir In The Dragon Hoard Hall

    ¡°There is one thing I don¡¯t understand. You are incredibly strong for your age, and that cannot be possible without an extraordinary background. Why do you need to borrow our ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯ when you have better choices?¡±

    Yu Longzi was asking a serious question. He believed that Ye Qing must have an extraordinary background considering how strong he was. Assuming that the young man was a member of a major sect, n, or aristocratic family, then surely he would not becking in guidance, right? He would not be surprised if it turned out that a living Trueman was tutoring him, so why was he seeking out a dead object like the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± instead of consulting his betters?

    ¡°Haha¡­ Haven¡¯t I told you already? I¡¯m just a wandering warrior with no background.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°No doors or windows are open to me, so I have to make my own.¡±

    He was telling the truth. When he scoured Innocent Miao¡¯s memories, he found out that Trueman Dragonrider had left behind a travel note called the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±. It contained his martial insights and understanding regarding the breakthrough to Grandmaster. His interest was piqued immediately.

    Right now, his body was at the level of a Half-Step Grandmaster. If he wished to advance further, he must be a Grandmaster.

    However, it was no easy feat to enter the Grandmaster stage. Hard work was a matter of course, but he also needed some opportunities to achieve the breakthrough. For example, he would dearly like to be taught by an actual expert.

    Unfortunately, he was, in terms of background, a nobody with no one he could consult with. That was why he had to make his own fortune.

    Ideally, he wanted to obtain the martial insight and understanding of a body-tempering warrior ascending to the Grandmaster stage. However, an item like this was priceless to say the least, not to mention that he didn¡¯t know the first ce to find such a thing.By coincidence, he found out that Dragonrider Mountain owned one such item, and it just happened to be a powerful sect that was on the decline. How could he let go of such an opportunity?

    Besides, Trueman Dragonrider was an aplished, knowledgeable, and insightful warrior who excelled in many areas. Even if his martial understanding and insights had little to do with a body-tempering warrior¡¯s experience, they were still highly valuable.

    Long story short, ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± was something he absolutely needed not just for his impending breakthrough, but also his future cultivation.

    On the off chance the reference material turned out to be applicable to him, then even better.

    This was thest reason why he chose to visit Dragonrider Mountain. First, it was to test himself and hone his skills. Two, it was to take revenge for Giggle and put Dragonrider Mountain back on the straight and narrow. And three, it was to borrow Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±.

    ¡°Is that so? You are amazingly talented then. In any case, please follow me.¡± Yu Longzi didn¡¯t really believe Ye Qing¡¯s im, but he didn¡¯t contradict him either. Whatever the truth might be, the young man remained someone who was untouchable to Dragonrider Mountain. Right now, the best course of action was to fulfill his wishes so they could see him off as soon as possible.

    ¡°Thank you, mountain lord.¡± Ye Qing saluted him.

    Before he left, Yu Longzi instructed, ¡°Chaoyu, Yuanrong, the two of you will continue the ceremony. Ningxin, please reassure the disciples and maintain the order.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The three elders echoed in unison. After shooting Ye Qing a long look, they saluted Yu Longzi and left to carry out their orders.

    ¡°This way please, scion!¡± Yu Longzi beckoned for Ye Qing to follow him after the three elders were gone.

    ¡°Of course, mountain lord,¡± Ye Qing replied before he followed Yu Longzi to the Dragon Hoard Hall.

    The Dragon Hoard Hall was the root and foundation of Dragonrider Mountain, but from the outside, the hall looked quite ordinary. This impression did a one-eighty when Ye Qing entered the hall and felt like he had stepped into a different world. The decor was traditional but exquisite, ancient but not excessive. The hall was much bigger than it looked from the outside, and it was filled with all kinds of books. This was what the hoard of a formerly powerful sect should look like.

    There were three floors inside the Dragon Hoard Hall. The first floor was filled with history records, ssics, philosophy, medicine, divination, astrology, and other misceneous books. The second floor was where the martial arts manuals were kept¡ªthe ordinary ones, of course.

    The third floor was where the main inheritance and important items of Dragonrider Mountain were kept such as the ¡°Dragonying Art¡±, the four sutras (Chi Dragon Sutra, Dragonmorph Sutra, Thunder Dragon Sutra and Hidden Dragon Sutra) and more.

    It was also where Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± was kept.

    After they arrived on the third floor, Yu Longzi walked up to a wall portrait and respectfully offered it an incense stick.

    The man in the portrait was wearing a golden robe and facing away from the audience, making it impossible to see his face. However, his back was tall and massive like that of a mountain. It was just a portrait, and yet Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but feel a great pressureing from it. It was almost as if the man inside the portrait was alive.

    He had no doubt that the man in the portrait was the legendary Trueman Dragonrider.

    ¡°I beg your forgiveness, founder, but unfilial disciple Yu Longzi wishes to borrow your notes for a read.¡±

    After he offered the incense stick, Yu Longzi stepped forward and reached out toward Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s right hand where he was holding a book. When Yu Longzi¡¯s fingers made contact with the portrait, the book suddenly popped into reality andnded on his palm.

    ¡°Amazing! I did not think that the ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯ would be hidden inside a portrait!¡± Ye Qing eximed in wonder. If he wasn¡¯t certain before, he now knew that the portrait was definitely something special.

    ¡°You jest, scion. It is but a petty trick.¡±

    Yu Longzi replied humbly before handing Ye Qing the book. ¡°This is the ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ye Qing replied and took it.

    ¡°We have a private room down this corner. Would you like to read it inside?¡± Yu Longzi asked.

    ¡°Sounds good. Thank you again, mountain lord.¡± Ye Qing saluted him. He then followed Yu Longzi into the private room not far away from the portrait.

    After he took Ye Qing to the private room, Yu Longzi stepped outside and said, ¡°I will be waiting outside, scion. Please, do not hesitate to call me if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    After he took his leave, Yu Longzi nced at the door of the private room with aplicated expression on his face. A small sighter, he sat in front of Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s portrait and began meditating.

    ¡­¡­

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    An invisible force suddenly washed out the Dragon Hoard Hall and jolted Yu Longzi out of his meditation. He immediately looked in the direction of the private room. That was where it wasing from.

    At first, the shockwaves were messy and unstable. Over time, it became deep and distant, mysterious and profound. In the end, it evolved into something that was impossible to describe with words.

    ¡°What in the¡­ is he experiencing enlightenment?¡± Yu Longzi abruptly jumped to his feet with an expression of shock and disbelief.

    It had been three days since Ye Qing entered the private room. Absolutely nothing had happened until now.

    Yu Longzi had been sure that Ye Qing would not glean anything out of ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±. Even if he had, it would not be something substantial.

    His sentiment was understandable. The paths leading to the Grandmaster stage were myriad and profound, and no two paths were the exact same as one another. While not impossible, it was almost unheard of for someone to ¡°leap over the Dragon Gate and be a dragon¡± or ¡°reach the heavens in one step¡± per se just by reading some papers or hearing some motivational words.

    Take him for example. He had guarded the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± for decades and read it at least a couple hundred times, but his rewards were insubstantial at best. That was why he could not believe that an outsider could glean more from the book than him.

    Of course, reality proceeded to defy his expectations and p him in the face.

 Chapter 678: Fortune and Misfortune are Two Sides of the Same Coin

    ¡°My lord¡­ what happened?¡±

    While Yu Longzi was still trying to process his shock, Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin stepped into the Dragon Hoard Hall and voiced their concern. Clearly, they could feel the shockwaves as well.

    Yu Longzi did not answer them. He simply stared at the private room with aplicated expression on his face.

    The three elders[1] subconsciously traced the shockwaves to its origin and turned to look at the private room. At first, they were confused and puzzled. When realization finally struck them, they exchanged shocked nces with one another.

    ¡°Did that man¡­ actually learn something from the ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯?!¡±

    ¡°Impossible! He¡¯s an outsider! How could he possibly learn anything from the founder¡¯s notes?¡±

    They were allte-stage Spirit Masters, and they had all read the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± as a matter of course. While they couldn¡¯t say that they hadn¡¯t learned anything from the travel notes, their gains were trivial at best.

    If even they, people who had had decades to study the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±, was unable to glean much from it, how could an outsider possibly do better? Or so they thought. They could not help but feel amused and saddened by their own naivety.

    ¡°There is no such thing as impossible in this world.¡±A long silenceter, Yu Longzi finally spoke up, ¡°The <em>jianghu </em>has existed for countless years, and geniuses are born every year. The one thing this world does notck are geniuses.¡±

    ¡°From the moment they are born, they already hang in the sky like the moon. We are but firefliespared to them. That is why the saying, ¡®There exists Man who shines like the moon and makes you feel like a firefly¡¯ exists.¡±

    Yun Chaoyu, Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin did not say anything. No one liked to admit that they were mundane, but in the end, one must ept reality.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been cooped up for so long that we are like frogs who view the sky from the bottom of the well!¡± Yun Chaoyu said with a bitter smile.

    Zhao Yuanrong and Yu Ningxin looked a little depressed as well.

    Yu Longzi advised seriously after giving his elders a moment to process their thoughts, ¡°I did not mention this so as to expound your or my inferiority. Admiring the moon is one thing, undervaluing yourself and wallowing in self-depreciation is another. So long as you affirm your heart, keep your feet on the ground, and relentlessly toil toward your dream and goal, who is to say you cannot join the heavens one day?¡±

    ¡°We obey your lesson, my lord.¡±

    His advice was most enlightening. The three elders solemnly saluted Yu Longzi in thanks because of it.

    ¡°Engrave your goals in your heart and work toward them with your body and soul. That is the martial way.¡± Yu Longzi gave them onest piece of advice before instructing, ¡°You may go. Have the disciples lock down the Dragon Hoard Hall temporarily. No one is toe near without my express permission.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord!¡± The three elders saluted him and left to carry out their orders.

    After the trio were gone, aplicated expression overcame Yu Longzi once more. It was a blend of shock, envy, jealousy, admiration, and dejection.

    It was always easier to say something than it was to do it, and the human heart was the hardest hurdle to ovee of them all.

    That said, Yu Longzi was a Half-Step Grandmaster with a tenacious will. His loss ofposure onlysted a brief moment before he regained his calm and sat down on the floor, meditating.

    Did the thought of creating some sort ofmotion and interrupting Ye Qing¡¯s enlightenment cross his mind? Of course it did. Humans naturally envied others for what they have and desired to deny them their objects of desire. Not everyone could ovee that natural instinct and cultivate magnanimity, and people who naturally enjoyed sharing and took joy in another¡¯s happiness were even rarer.

    At the very least, Yu Longzi did not consider himself to be such a lofty breed. If he was younger, he would be seething with jealousy at the thought that <em>his </em>¡°Dragons Memoir¡± had benefited another far more than it ever benefited him.

    He did not sumb to his baser nature though. For one, the consequences Dragonrider Mountain would suffer even if he seeded was unbearable. Some things could not be done no matter how much you desired to do it.

    Since it could not be done, then why not be magnanimous and look for the silver lining? For example,promising here would generate some good karma for Dragonrider Mountain, and that was good enough, was it not?

    And so Dragon Hoard Hall returned to silence once more, though the profound shockwaves continued to spread out of the private room Ye Qing was cultivating in.

    The ancient poets once praised that some music were so divine that they could reverberate in your ears for three days straight. The shockwaves washing out of the Dragon Hoard Hall were simr in that sense. It lingered like divine music and elicited many thoughts like the most profound dao.

    The shockwaves would continue for nine days straight. On the first three days, the shockwaves were like a mountain fog; ephemeral and invisible. In the next three days, it felt like the birth of a new dawn. The fog had faded, and the sun was bright. And in the final three days, the sun reached the center and its maximum intensity. Its light was strong, all-epassing, and all too profound.

    To Yu Longzi¡¯s surprise, he actually gleaned something from the shockwaves. He could feel the bottleneck that had trapped him in the Half-Step Grandmaster stage for over a decade loosening a little.

    Overjoyed, Yu Longzi did not hesitate to fall into cultivation.

    Another nine dayster, the shockwaves suddenly disappeared like a curtain call.

    It so happened that Yu Longzi was at a critical moment of his cultivation, and the disappearance of the shockwave instantly jolted him back to reality.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    Yu Longzi could not help but sigh as he nced at the private room. For obvious reasons, he hoped that the shockwaves wouldst longer.

    He had only cultivated for nine days, but he could tell that this one session was more useful than his tireless effort for the past decade. He had a feeling that he could have weed a tribtion and be a Grandmaster if the shockwaves hadsted another ten days or so. Just ten more days, and he could have achieved his lifelong dream!

    For the first time, Yu Longzi sincerely wished that Ye Qing would glean more from the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±. That way, the shockwaves would alsost longer.

    Unfortunately, what-ifs only existed in fiction.

    Still, this unexpected breakthrough had given him hope. Once upon a time, he had no idea how he could ascend to the next stage, and his efforts had felt as futile as fighting against the march of time. But thanks to this experience, he had glimpsed some of the sights of that peak and found his direction.

    Although the experience was no Dragon Gate that would transform him into a Grandmaster, he now had hope and direction. So long as he kept his feet on the ground and worked toward his goal, he might yet scale that impossible peak and be one of the giants!

    So yes, Yu Longzi was disappointed, but it wasn¡¯t a big disappointment at all.

    In fact, he found himself no longer resenting Ye Qing for what he did. Instead, he was grateful and impressed.

    It was true that Ye Qing had scaled their mountain and humiliated them in a way that only the celestial woman from centuries ago couldpare. However, it was equally true that he would never have glimpsed the sights of that peak called Grandmaster via his own efforts. He could have toiled his whole life and never even reached the starting line.

    It was said that fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. Who could say that a humiliating disaster wasn¡¯t a blessing in disguise?

    His thoughts were still racing when the door to the private room suddenly swung open, and Ye Qing appeared.

    Right now, Ye Qing felt like a paradoxical existence to Yu Longzi¡¯s senses. The young man was standing right in front of him, yet for some reason, he also felt as far away as the horizon. His presence felt ordinary, but it was also vast, ephemeral, and profound at the same time.

    Before Yu Longzi could probe further though, Ye Qing withdrew his aura like the clouds covering up the sky. This time, he truly felt no different from an ordinary person.

    The first thing Ye Qing said after offering Yu Longzi a smile was, ¡°Congrattions on piercing the veil and glimpsing the stars above, mountain lord. Given enough time, you will surely be a Trueman.¡±

    Yu Longzi was surprised. He did not think that Ye Qing would see through him at first nce. He quickly gathered himself and replied with a slightlyplicated expression, ¡°It was all thanks to you. Speaking of which, congrattions on your enlightenment and taking yet another step toward greater heights.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it a step. It is at most a small gain.¡±

    Ye Qing said smilingly, ¡°I definitely have to thank you and Trueman Dragonrider for the ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯ though. His martial arts challenges the heavens, and his dao epasses both heaven and earth. This junior is most impressed.¡±

    ¡°Your talent is also one of a kind, warrior,¡± Yu Longzi replied sincerely.

    ¡°You tter me, mountain lord. I¡¯m well aware that I possess outstanding talent, but one of a kind? That is not apliment I am willing to bear,¡± Ye Qing replied with a carefree smile on his face.

    A moment of silenceter, Yu Longzi asked suddenly, ¡°You mentioned that you are a wanderer with no background before, warrior. Is it the truth?¡±

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Ye Qing nodded. He wasn¡¯t surprised by Yu Longzi¡¯s sudden change of topic. It was almost as if he could read the older man¡¯s mind.

    Yu Longzi asked with the utmost sincerity, ¡°In that case, would you like to join Dragonrider Mountain?¡±

    1. Is Yue Hualong still bedridden? Is he <em>dead? </em>Or maybe the author just forgot the sect has a fourth elder. It was left unexined in the raws, and now you can suffer that uncertainty with me¡­ forever. Man, I <em>love </em>it when I can make others suffer with me! ?

 Chapter 679: Freedom Lies Everywhere

    <h4>Chapter 679: Freedom Lies Everywhere </h4>

    ¡°Are you... trying to recruit me, mountain lord?¡± Ye Qing asked calmly. Again, he wasn¡¯t surprised to hear this.

    ¡°Yes, I am!¡±

    Yu Longzi admitted without any reservations whatsoever. ¡°You possess a bright and limitless future. It would be our greatest honor to have you.¡±

    This was a decision he made after serious consideration. He was speaking from the bottom of his heart.

    ¡°I see. And what can you offer me, mountain lord?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°How does one Dragonrider Mountain sound?¡± Yu Longzi dered without hesitation.

    ¡°One Dragonrider Mountain?¡± This time, Ye Qing was surprised. ¡°The mountain or the name?¡±

    ¡°Both!¡± Yu Longzi answered. ¡°If you agree to join Dragonrider Mountain, I am willing to surrender my position to you immediately. Everyone in Dragonrider Mountain including myself will answer to you and you alone.¡±

    ¡°You will be the new master of Dragonrider Mountain in both power and name. Your word and your word alone will decide our fate.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m not impressed by your generosity, mountain lord!¡± Ye Qing sighed. ¡°But is this what everyone wants, or just you?¡±

    ¡°It is what I want,¡± Yu Longzi answered, ¡°but it makes no difference, as my want is the same as everyone¡¯s want.¡±

    ¡°And why do you want me at the helm?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°For the prosperity of Dragonrider Mountain!¡± Yu Longzi answered.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Ye Qing pressed.

    ¡°That is all!¡± Yu Longzi dered.

    ¡°I can tell you have a very high opinion of me. But are you sure you haven¡¯t misjudged me?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°What if I turned out to be the one who led Dragonrider Mountain to destruction instead?¡±

    Yu Longzi answered, ¡°No, because I believe in my own judgment, and I believe in you. I am sure that Dragonrider Mountain will regain its former glory under your leadership.¡±

    Before, Yu Longzi was impressed by Ye Qing¡¯s talent, and that was all. But after Ye Qing achieved enlightenment while reading the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±, he came to the realization that there was real hope for Ye Qing to rejuvenate Dragonrider Mountain.

    Yu Longzi was an orphan who lost his parents from a young age. It was the previous mountain lord who took him to Dragonrider Mountain and raised him to adulthood.

    The previous mountain lord was named Qiao Shi, and he was as honest, kind, and good-hearted as his name implied. His talent was ordinary, and his business acumen was even more ordinary. He was the definition of an average person be it as a warrior or a businessman. However, he was an extraordinarily good-hearted man who spared no effort in cultivating Dragonrider Mountain. He cared for every disciple like they were his own children, and he gave them every bit of knowledge and experience he had to offer. He was less of a mountain lord and more or father to everyone.

    Unfortunately, not only did Qiao Shi achieve his dreams, Dragonrider Mountain only got worse despite his ceaseless efforts. To Yu Longzi, Qiao Shi was a man whose stature and animosity was rivaled but no one, but not even the greatest man in the world could not resist the merciless march of time; the sickness and death that were set in stone in everyone¡¯s lives.

    He could still remember that it was a cold winter. The old man had fallen ill, and unlike the previous times, he did not recover. In less than half a month, he had grown so ill that his once gigantic back now resembled a stick caricature, and his breathing had be shallower than even an ordinary human. Anyone could tell that he could pass to the other side at any moment.

    During his final moments, Qiao Shi passed the mountain lord¡¯s position to him and gave him many, manyst words. He had grabbed his hand with both hands and told him to take care of himself, take care of his junior brothers and sisters, make sure he didn¡¯t overwork himself, make sure he didn¡¯t provoke a powerful enemy, so on and so forth. It reminded him of better times where the old man told them to wear more clothes when the weather was cold, to be careful when they were heading out, and more.

    Qiao Shi had told him many, many things. It was so long that his hand hurt a little due to how thin and bony the old man¡¯s hands were. However, the one thing he never told Yu Longzi to do was to rejuvenate Dragonrider Mountain.

    Did Qiao Shi not dream of a better, brighter future for Dragonrider Mountain? Of course not. He just knew better. The burden was too heavy, and the path was too thorny for anyone to tread. He had toiled and suffered his whole life, and he wanted it to end with his generation. From the bottom of his heart, he did not want his disciple, his junior, his <i>son </i>to suffer pain and burden as he had.

    All he wanted for him was an easy, happy life.

    That was why he didn¡¯t say anything. He did not so much as breathe the word ¡°rejuvenate¡± until he drew hisst breath.

    But of course, Yu Longzi knew his wish even though he never said a thing. He knew that, even during his final moments, Qiao Shi still dreamed of making Dragonrider Mountain great again.

    That was why he chose to take on the dream the old man had avoided mentioning during his final moments. He took on the dream of rejuvenating Dragonrider Mountain.

    To this end, Yu Longzi did everything. Everything. He had done good things, he had done bad things; he hadmitted righteous acts, he hadmitted evil acts; he had conducted himself honestly, and he had conducted himself despicably.

    Unfortunately, Dragonrider Mountain remained an average sect despite over a century of tireless effort. It was fairly famous in Bei Mo, but beyond that, the sect¡¯s reputation was akin to throwing a stone into arge river¡ªit could not elicit even the slightest ssh.

    The key to a sect¡¯s rise was the people, and out of all of them, no one carried more weight than a champion.

    Yu Longzi knew his worth well. Even if he could now scale that impossible wall and be a Grandmaster thanks to this unexpected opportunity, he knew very well that this was as far as he, and by extension Dragonrider Mountain, could go.

    But Ye Qing was different. He looked barely older than a teenager, and yet he was already a Half-Step Grandmaster on the verge of bing a Grandmaster. He was a rare breed even if you searched the entire <i>jianghu </i>for someone like him, and he was already on par with the geniuses of the world¡¯s greatest sects such as the Five Profound Sects and the Nine Demonic Ways.

    For someone like Ye Qing, Grandmaster was just the starting line. His finish liney high, high up in the heavens, if he had a finishing line at all.

    Yu Longzi recognized that Ye Qing was exactly the kind of person who could carry Dragonrider Mountain to greater heights. More importantly, Ye Qing had proved via his behavior and conduct that he was ruthless, but not unjust; impulsive, but not foolish. He was also loyal, passionate, righteous, brave and resourceful. If even someone like him couldn¡¯t rejuvenate a sect, then who could?

    That was why Yu Longzi was willing to give up everything to earn Ye Qing¡¯s loyalty. Everything.

    ¡°Okay. But you will be giving up everything to me, and this is quite sudden for me, much less you. Don¡¯t you feel any reluctance at all?¡± Ye Qing asked while staring into Yu Longzi¡¯s eyes. His pure, bright eyes seemed capable of reading someone¡¯s mind.

    ¡°I would be lying if I say I don¡¯t feel any reluctance,¡± Yu Longzi replied honestly. ¡°But this is my choice. My lifelong wish. I will not waver from it.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t waver from your choice, huh? You truly are an impressive man, mountain lord.¡± Ye Qing paid Yu Longzi apliment before saying, ¡°Unfortunately, I must decline your generous offer.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± Yu Longzi wasn¡¯t expecting this. ¡°Is Dragonrider Mountain not enough? Or should I say, is Dragonrider Mountain too small for you?¡±

    ¡°You misunderstand me, mountain lord.¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°In this world, there are men who envy those who are drowning in wine and gold, and then there are those who envy those who are free and unfettered. It so happens that I am someone who enjoys freedom and guard it very, very zealously.¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± Yu Longzi saluted Ye Qing, ¡°but we will not fetter you even if you join us. I will handle all matters in Dragonrider Mountain so that you can wander the <i>jianghu </i>as you wish. Besides, you have no master or sect to your name, do you? Even the freest bird must rest its legs or take shelter under a roof sometimes. I personally think that Dragonrider Mountain isn¡¯t the worst sect in the world, so why don¡¯t you consider our offer?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but I don¡¯t enjoy receiving from others without giving anything in return, and I¡¯m a believer that there are no free lunches in this world.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Also, you are right that even the freest bird must rest its legs or take shelter under a roof sometimes, but the world is a big ce, isn¡¯t it? Surely I can find a ce that suits my needs at the moment.¡±

    ¡°If all else fails, then there is still the world itself. The mountains and rivers will shield me, the floating clouds will shelter me, the sun and moon will light my path, and the books and wine will be my friends. That is the definition of freedom, no?¡±

 Chapter 680: Fame and Fortune

    <h4>Chapter 680: Fame and Fortune </h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, warrior. Will you seriously consider joining us?¡± Yu Longzi tried. He truly wanted Ye Qing to join Dragonrider Mountain.

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking either.¡±

    Ye Qing turned him down smilingly. ¡°I am honored that you think of me so highly, but the mountain is too heavy, and my heart is too small. I simply don¡¯t have it in me to bear it.¡±

    ¡°The mountain is heavy, but it is also lofty. If you are willing to lend your hand in prospering Dragonrider Mountain, Dragonrider Mountain is more than willing to lend you ours. You have my word that we will do everything in our power to spread your name and help you climb the very top.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s rejection only made Yu Longzi admire him more. There were countless people in the world who would do anything for fame and fortune. To that end, they could surrender even their closest and dearest. The opposite, however, was so rare that most thought they only existed in myths and fables.

    ¡°There is no need to make an important decision immediately. Why don¡¯t you take a few days to mull it over first?¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! Thank you, really, but I must say no.¡± Ye Qingughed. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why they say it¡¯s lonely at the top. Even if it wasn¡¯t, how frustrating would it be if I climb to the top and forever wonder if I could not have done it through my and only my power? That too is a burden my petty heart is too small to bear!¡±

    ¡°The mountains are tall, the waters are long. If the fates are willing, perhaps we¡¯ll meet again someday. So long, mountain lord!¡±

    ¡°Warrior!¡±

    Yu Longzi wanted to say more, but the young man suddenly grew increasingly transparent and insubstantial almost like he was a mirage; a reflection. It wasn¡¯t long before he waspletely gone.

    ¡°What the...?¡±

    Yu Longzi¡¯s eyes widened. For a moment, he could not understand what was going on. Then, a wave of dizziness assaulted him, and he opened his eyes¡ª<i>wait, my eyes were closed?</i>¡ªand realized that he was still sitting on the floor, and the door to the private room was still closed. It was almost as if his conversation with the young man was nothing more but a dream.

    ¡°Was it really just a dream?¡±

    Yu Longzi frowned. Did he really fall asleep? Was it really just a dream? If it was, then why did it feel so realistic?

    ¡°No, it can¡¯t be!¡±

    Yu Longzi immediately rejected the idea. At his level, meditation had long since reced sleep. He would be fine even if he didn¡¯t sleep for half a month straight.

    Besides, he was in the middle of meditation just now. There was no way he would suddenly fall asleep all of a sudden.

    Having realized the incongruity, Yu Longzi rose to his feet and walked over to the private room. A moment of hesitationter, he gave the door a tentative knock.

    No one answered him.

    Raising an eyebrow, Yu Longzi swung the door open and found no one inside. All he saw was the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± sitting snugly on a praying mat.

    Yu Longzi picked up the book and let out a small sigh. The book was here, but the man was nowhere to be seen. This could only mean that he had taken his leave.

    But how was this possible? He had been guarding the entrance this whole time. When did the young man take his leave, and how did he do it without alerting him in the slightest?

    The strange dream he had must have been his handiwork as well.

    At this, Yu Longzi hurriedly descended the stairs and left the Dragon Hoard Hall.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    At the main entrance, Zhao Yuanlong greeted Yu Longzi with a salute.

    ¡°Have you seen him, Yuanrong?¡± Yu Longzi asked.

    ¡°I thought he¡¯s cultivating inside the private room?¡± Zhao Yuanrong looked confused.

    ¡°I guess you didn¡¯t notice either.¡± Yu Longzi sighed again.

    ¡°What happened, my lord?¡± Zhao Yuanrong asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Yu Longzi replied simply.

    ¡°He¡¯s... gone?¡± Zhao Yuanrong repeated dumbly before realization struck him. ¡°You mean he left?¡±

    Before Yu Longzi could answer, Zhao Yuanrong raised his voice, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I¡¯ve been guarding the entrance this whole time. If he really left, there is no way... I wouldn¡¯t.... Notice...¡±

    But the more he talked, the quieter and meeker his voice became. It was because he was recalling everything he had seen from the young man anding to the realization that it was perfectly within his power to slip away unnoticed.

    ¡°Did he take the ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯?!¡±

    It was at this moment Zhao Yuanrong their treasure. If the young man had stolen the travel notes, then they would be in deep trouble to put it mildly.

    ¡°No. The book is safe,¡± Yu Longzi answered.

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Zhao Yuanrong let out a sigh of relief. Then, he noticed an odd expression on Yu Longzi¡¯s face. ¡°We didn¡¯t lose the ¡®Dragons Memoir¡¯, and that guy is finally gone, so why do you look unhappy, my lord?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not unhappy. I¡¯m just... feeling regretful, is all,¡± Yu Longzi replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, my lord.¡±

    ¡°I invited him to join us.¡± Yu Longzi looked at the clouds floating above their heads as he exined in an indifferent tone, ¡°I offered him my seat and everything Dragonrider Mountain has to offer.¡±

    The first half of Yu Longzi¡¯s sentence already surprised Zhao Yuanrong, but the second half stunned him so much that his mouth turned into an O shape.

    Understanding quickly reced his shock though. Most people didn¡¯t know Yu Longzi¡¯s desire, but he did. He wasn¡¯t just the hallmaster of the Hidden Dragon Hall, but also Yu Longzi¡¯s junior brother. He knew exactly what his junior brother was obsessed with.

    Yu Longzi would do anything to rejuvenate Dragonrider Mountain, even if it entailed surrendering everything he had.

    ¡°Unfortunately, he turned me down!¡± Yu Longzi did not notice Zhao Yuanrong¡¯s expression and so continued without thought.

    ¡°W-what? He turned you down?¡± Zhao Yuanrong could not believe this. ¡°But why?¡± Dragonrider Mountain was far below its prime be it in terms of fame or power, but it still possessed centuries of history and umted wealth. For most people, it might as well be the staircase to the heavens. Who could possibly reject such a tempting offer? At the very least, he did not believe he could¡¯ve rejected it.

    But the young man did, and it both shocked and confounded him to no end.

    ¡°I know, right? I thought he would ept my offer as well, but not only did he reject me, he did it without any hesitation whatsoever and left no room for misinterpretation.¡±

    Yu Longzi sighed. ¡°Since ancient times, people have pursued fame and fortune like no other. Not even immortality held as much allure as these two. That is why there are so, so few people who truly view fame and fortune like air in this world.¡±

    ¡°In terms of heart alone, he has already surpassed most people. A man like him will surely go far.¡±

    A pauseter, Yu Longzi continued in a wistful tone, ¡°Had he chosen to remain with us, it is but a matter of time before Dragonrider Mountain rises to the top. What a shame. What a shame...¡±

    ¡°He just left. We can still catch up to him if we give chase now!¡± Zhao Yuanrong blurted. ¡°Just give us the¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Yu Longzi interrupted Zhao Yuanrong before he could finish. ¡°You can take a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink. If we try to force him to change his mind, we will only earn his distrust and loathing, not to mention that one-sided affairs usually end poorly.¡±

    ¡°Besides, Dragonrider Mountain may have waned, but we haven¡¯t fallen so low that we need to beg someone to save us, have we? We can lose a valuable person, but we must never lose our backbone.¡±

    ¡°A man without a backbone might as well be dead, and a sect is no exception.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Man, why did I turn him down? I can¡¯t believe I let my impulse get the better of me!¡±

    On a hill not far away from Dragonrider Mountain, Ye Qing was sitting on the ground and hitting himself in the head, grumbling.

    When he turned down Yu Longzi in the dream, he had felt like a boss through and through. But now, reality had caught up to him and infected him with a condition called regret.

    No wonder people said that a person on the stage and off the stage are two different people.

    Although Dragonrider Mountain was a waning sect, they still possessed an immense amount of umted wealth and power. It was also guarded by powerful warriors such as Yu Longzi. Had he agreed to be the new mountain lord, Dragonrider Mountain would¡¯ve been a great help to him. He would be so much closer to his revenge and other goals.

    Unfortunately, he allowed his emotion to get the better of himself and rejected it.

    After that, well, there was no after that.

    You can¡¯t take back the words you say. Once you start something, you better finish it even if you¡¯re weeping on the inside.

 Chapter 681: The World is Like a Dream, Pain or Joy Lasts But A Moment

    ¡°It¡¯s not really my fault though. I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m too young and impulsive!¡±

    Ye Qing cocked his head to one side and smiled at Giggle. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Giggle?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    The little Stranger was emting Ye Qing¡¯s behavior and sitting crosslegged on the ground. When it heard Ye Qing¡¯s question, it simply giggled in response.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting an answer from Giggle, of course. He was just talking because he felt like it.

    Besides, he didn¡¯t really look or feel regretful despite his ims.

    Yes, part of the reason he turned down Yu Longzi¡¯s offer was because of passion, but his choice wasn¡¯t without its due consideration.

    First, there was no free lunch in this world. Would Yu Longzi really surrender everything to him just to make Dragonrider Mountain great again? Would he really support him from the bottom of his heart? Did he really have no other request besides this?

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t believe that such a person existed.Suppose that he was wrong, and Yu Longzi was as sincere as he imed. What about the others?

    Dragonrider Mountain might be far below its prime, but it still had hundreds of years of umted wealth and power. Only they knew if they had other unpredictable tricks up his sleeve. He had caught Dragonrider Mountain by surprise when he paid them a visit, but now? He was the one out in the open, and they in the dark. If they really wanted to, they had the means to catch him by surprise and kill him. At that point, it would be a matter of survival.

    Suppose that his fears were just his cynicism talking, and everyone in Dragonrider Mountain was willing to ept him as their new mountain lord. However, that only worried him more. To begin with, Yu Longzi was fully invested in rejuvenating Dragonrider Mountain, but he wasn¡¯t. On top of that, he knew very well that he wasn¡¯t gifted in this area. Even with everyone¡¯s support, he had no idea if he could bear that level of responsibility on his shoulders and answer their hopes and dreams.

    He did not think that he was a good person, but he certainly wasn¡¯t the kind of scumbag who would treat others¡¯ hopes and dreams like a joke either.

    Third, Yu Longzi had made the offer without knowing that he was really a wanted man of Chu, and that his nemeses included the Chief Libationist¡¯s favorite disciple and the son of the Grand Mentor. What would he do when he found out the truth?

    Logically speaking, selling him out would rejuvenate Dragonrider Mountain faster than supporting him, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Yu Longzi was willing to give up everything to support him now for the sake of rejuvenating Dragonrider Mountain. It was very likely that the old man would betray him for the same goal.

    This wasn¡¯t his paranoia talking. This was just the human condition.

    Fourth, he did not want to drag Dragonrider Mountain down with him. He already obtained a reward from Trueman Dragonrider. It was against his morals to knowingly drag them into his mess for his own self-interest.

    Finally, he did not want to be shackled. The world was a big ce, and the <em>jianghu </em>a never-ending festival of violence and intrigue. He saw no reason to shackle himself to a sect before he was done walking the paths or reviewing all there was to review in life.

    Did his heart ache at what he had given up? Of course. But did he regret his decision? Not at all.

    Plus, it wasn¡¯t like he had gotten nothing out of this little adventure. On the contrary, he would say that he had made out like a bandit.

    First, he sessfully took revenge for Giggle.

    Second, he sessfully tempered himself and solidified his current cultivation.

    And finally, Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± had enlightened him to a great many things. One could say that it was the biggest reward he got out of this venture.

    Although the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡± was hardly a step-by-step guide on how to enter the Grandmaster stage, like the light of dawn burning away the mist of the night, it had opened his eyes to possibilities he had never even considered before. If before, he was like a lost traveler who had no idea how to make it to human civilization, now he had a path to follow. It had reduced the number of detours he had to take and cleared up some of the brambles he would have encountered in his martial path.

    What really delighted him was the fact that Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s martial insights and understanding, while not very useful for his body-tempering, was <em>extremely </em>beneficial for his ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± and ¡°Call of the Nether¡±.

    It made sense if he thought about it. Trueman Dragonrider was an ancient qi practitioner who focused on cultivating the qi and spirit, and both the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± and ¡°Call of the Nether¡± were qi and spirit-focused. Although Trueman Dragonrider had never cultivated these martial arts before, his main cultivation art shared many characteristics with the two martial arts, meaning that many of his martial insights could be applied to them as well.

    Speaking of which, he had begun cultivating the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± and ¡°Call of the Nether¡± as soon as he obtained them. However, he had only cultivated them for a short time, and both martial arts could carry a warrior all the way to the Grandmaster-stage. Naturally, they were as extraordinary as they were difficult to understand. Even with his excellent talent and the aid of Nanke, he just barely managed to put his foot in the initiate level. After that, well, he couldn¡¯t even make sense of the seemingly nonsensical passages jotted inside the manuals, much less make any progress whatsoever.

    That was until he obtained the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±. Trueman Dragonrider¡¯s martial insight was like a ray of sunshine that revealed the truth hidden within the shadows, or a candle me that showed him the way when all hope seemed lost. It enlightened him such that some of the obscure, seemingly nonsensical parts of the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± and ¡°Call of the Nether¡± suddenly became clear to him.

    The more he read the ¡°Dragons Memoir¡±, the more his understanding and mastery of the two martial arts deepened, and the better his cultivation became. For a time, he even felt like he was receiving a personal lesson from Trueman Dragonrider himself. Every line, every word hit the nail on the head, provoked insightful thoughts, and enlightened him. He had absorbed all the knowledge hungrily like a dry, barrennd.

    Like a poor man who encountered his benefactor, or a drynd that finally weed a hearty rain, Ye Qing¡¯s cultivation in both martial arts¡ªespecially the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±¡ªhad improved by leaps and bounds. This was because the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± shared some simrities to the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, and he was more invested in the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± than the ¡°Call of the Nether¡± anyway.

    Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime. He could tell that his progress for the past nine days or so was equal to years of blind cultivation. This was what the people meant when they used the idiom, ¡°Reaching heaven in a single bound¡± to describe their progress.

    It was how he managed to leave Dragonrider Mountain without anyone noticing, and conversed with Yu Longzi inside a dream. Like a ghost, he had entered a dream with his target through an art.

    If he was who he was before, forget conversing with Yu Longzi inside a dream, he did not think he could have left Dragonrider Mountain unnoticed without much difficulty. After all, Yu Longzi was an elite who was half step away from bing a Grandmaster. On top of that, he was an expert in the ¡°Dragonying Art¡± and a warrior with a powerful spirit. Even the slightest disturbance would have jolted him to alertness, making it extremely difficult to fool his senses and even harder to put him to sleep and enter his dream. No, he could not have done it before no matter what he tried.

    But now, he was much better at the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± and in possession of many secret arts and Magia he did not possess before such as Butterfly Transformation, Dream Entering, Dream Viewing and more. That was how he was able to enter Yu Longzi¡¯s dream and slip past Dragonrider Mountain¡¯s defenses unnoticed.

    In fact, he was confident that he could now toy with everyone in Dragonrider Mountain except Yu Longzi. He could even massacre the whole sect with the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± alone.

    ¡°Oh well. The world is like a dream, pain and joyst but a moment. So why should I care or worry?¡±

    Ye Qing rose to his feet and patted away the dirt on his clothes. Then, he looked at Giggle andughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    As Ye Qing took his leave, the hill he was resting on suddenly scattered into countless butterflies. But unlike Dream Master¡¯s colorful, soul-stealing butterflies, his were invisible, formless, and indistinct. Some people might not even call them butterflies.

    The next moment, all of the butterflies soared toward the east where the first ray of dawn broke.

 Chapter 682: The Water of The Death Sea Plummets From Above

    The inner regions of Bei Mo were extremely dangerous. The ck windstorms, extreme day-night temperature fluctuations, and harsh environment were bad enough, but it was also home to some of the most dangerous Strangers and Anomalies in the world.

    That was why Bei Mo was usually devoid of people, and why it wasbeled a forbidden zone in two countries.

    But not now. Right now, one man was trekking through the forbidden zone whose name alone elicited terror on most people¡¯s faces.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was just a young man.

    The young man¡¯s gait was even, unhurried, and as steady as Mount Tai. The ck wind shattered against his presence, the Strangers avoided him like the gue, and the viins hid in their holes when they heard of his arrival. His journey was so peaceful it was almost as if the terrors that haunted Bei Mo were just empty rumors and fanciful stories.

    The young man was standing on top of a ridge when he looked up at the burning sun and muttered to himself, ¡°It¡¯s March now¡­ the Death Sea should surface any moment now.¡±

    The young man was Ye Qing, of course. He made a beeline for the inner regions of Bei Mo after leaving Dragonrider Mountain.

    The Death Sea was located at Bei Mo, and it appeared once every sixty years. However, it was impossible to say exactly when and where in the Death Sea it would appear.

    Judging from its previous appearances though, the Death Sea most likely would appear at the inner regions. That was why he went there.Sure, he was relying on luck to a certain extent, but Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to find the Death Sea. While the location and timing of the Death Sea¡¯s appearance was uncertain, when it did appear, the environment would warp in a way that it was visible from tens, maybe even hundreds of kilometers away. Even if he was unlucky, he <em>should </em>be able to find it eventually.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a sand dune behind Ye Qing rustled unnaturally, and Giggle popped out of the sand. It was giggling while carrying a porcin bottle on its head.

    Ye Qing was feeling a little anxious before this, but Giggle¡¯s happy giggles wiped it all away like a cool, refreshing breeze.

    ¡°Oh well. I might as well catch some rest.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged and sat down on the sand just like that. After producing a jar of wine from his Nature¡¯s Shell and pouring some for Giggle, he began drinking at his leisure.

    It was certainly an experience to drink with the yellow sand in the backdrop, and the burning sun above his head.

    Ye Qing¡¯s cheeks were slightly reddened by the time he and Giggle had down the jar of wine. Giggle in particr looked as red as an apple, swaying left and right while hugging the porcin bottle against its chest.

    Suddenly, Giggle stopped swaying and stared in a certain direction. Ye Qing too sensed something and slowly got to his feet.

    <em>Whoosh whoosh whoosh¡­</em>

    Ye Qing had no words to describe the strange noiseing from the horizon. It sounded like something in between a cavalry chargeposed of at least ten thousand troops and rushing sea waves.

    Slowly, the noise grew louder and louder. Both the earth and the sky were shaking violently. It was at this moment a vast, deep blue that stretched from end to end emerged from the line that separated heaven and earth. It looked like some sort of haze, but grand and majestic.

    It wasn¡¯t until the blue came closer that Ye Qing realized that it wasn¡¯t a haze. No, it was the sea. Even more stunning was the fact that this was nondlubbing sea. Oh no, it existed in the <em>sky.</em>

    Imagine a vast ocean of water pouring down from the skies above. How incredible and inspiring was that?

    In ancient times, a celestial poet once said, ¡°You do not know until you have seen the Yellow River pouring down from the heavens and bing one with the sea, ceaseless and unending.¡±

    The imagery that line evoked was pretty amazing, butpared to the literal sea-in-the-sky before his eyes? It was the difference between a river and a sea. Literally.

    The sea rages above the heavens, red dust churning within its gargantuan body. Ye Qing was still stunned when the sea waters rolled over his head and spread behind him.

    He had never felt smaller than he had now.

    ¡°... No wonder they call it the Sea Above The Sky. I didn¡¯t think it would be so literal,¡± Ye Qing murmured in a daze.

    The ¡°Sea Above The Sky¡± was the Death Sea¡¯s other name. However, this name was only seen in certain older books, and it was probably one too many syblespared to Death Sea. Long story short, most people preferred to call it the Death Sea.

    In fact, Ye Qing had seen the name ¡°Sea Above The Sky¡± in an old book. At the time, he wondered how it was possible for a sea to appear in the sky and tried to imagine how amazing it would look.

    Reality proved stranger than fiction when he finally saw it with his own eyes. Not even his wildest imaginations was a pale shadowpared to the sight in front of him.

    There was a reason why people said it was better to be well-traveled than well-read. He could explore the world for a couple thousand years, and he doubted he would find another scenery that could surpass this.

    The Death Sea was known as the Sea Above The Sky because it literally existed in the sky. Naturally, the Death Sea was known as the Death Sea for a good reason.

    Ye Qing could sense an unbelievable concentration of death qi from the waters above his head. He could not sense any signs of life from the sea whatsoever.

    Moreover, he could feel himself losing vitality by the second as he stood under the death sea. It was quite powerful too. All around him, he could sense the already barren desert being stripped of its remnant vitality.

    While the inner regions of Bei Mo were a wastnd, that didn¡¯t mean it waspletely devoid of life. There were at least some creatures who stubbornly weathered the harsh environment and clung to life.

    Now, those creatures were dying en masse.

    It felt as if the entire region was plummeting toward death.

    Of course, the Death Sea¡¯s debilitating effects were nothing to him. With his body and vitality, he could stay under the Death Sea for a very long time.

    Most others could not im the same, however. In fact, the weak ones would have died and turned into a pile of skins and bones already.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the death qi was still increasing in power. It probably wouldn¡¯t stop until the Death Sea was done spreading.

    This exined why Death Sea was by far the moremon name.

    ¡°This is a problem. If the Death Sea is in the sky¡­ does that mean I have to fly up there to search for the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance?¡±

    Ye Qing finally recalled his objective after his shock subsided. He could not help but frown deeply as he stared at the deathly sea above his head.

    ¡°Hahaha! Finally! It feels like I¡¯ve waited for an entire season! Damn if this sea isn¡¯t gorgeous.¡±

    Ye Qing was still thinking when a haughty, unrulyughter interrupted his train of thoughts. It was so loud that it lingered in the area like thunder.

    ¡°That¡¯s Madman Chu¡¯s voice!¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and looked in the direction where the voice hade from.

    The owner of the voice was none other than Madman Chu, the guy who had happily insulted Mistress Qu of the Li Hentian Pce and more in the Ghost Tower.

    He could only hear his voice though. The man himself was nowhere to be found.

    It was because he was a good few kilometers away from Ye Qing.

    ¡°You¡¯re early, Brother Chu!¡±

    As soon as Madman Chu finished, an innocent yet cold voice of a child boomed throughout the area.

    It was none other than Six Yins Superior, the one who had joined in on the mockery of Mistress Qu. ¡°Superior¡± was an honorifics though. His actual moniker was Six Yins Boy.

    ¡°What can I do? If I¡¯mte, I won¡¯t get even a cold fart when all is said and done!¡±

    Madman Chuughed loudly before asking, ¡°By the way, has that old hag from Li Hentian Pce arrived yet?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I ran into her just a few days ago!¡± Six Yins Boy answered.

    As if on cue, flower petals rained from above and assaulted everyone¡¯s nostrils with flowery fragrance. Women dressed in white robes and tulle flew over from the distance like celestials.

    ¡°See? Speak of the bitches!¡± Six Yins Boy cackled derisively. ¡°Did they think this is a temple fair or something? Look at the number of people they brought! There are even two monks among them!¡±

    Madman Chu and Six Yins Boy hade alone, but Li Hentian Pce? They numbered at least a few dozen people, and their leader was one other than Mistress Qu.

    Besides Mistress Qu herself, there were two people that caught everyone¡¯s attention not because they were dressed mboyantly, but because they were monks.

    One of the monks had arge head and a pair of big ears. He was wearing a red monk¡¯s robe with an open cor. He was also smiling from ear to ear.

    The second monk had an ordinary face and a wooden expression. One nce was all anyone needed to know that he was the introvert type.

    ¡°Huh. I actually know these two! What a coincidence!¡± Ye Qing eximed with surprise as he stared at the two monks[1].

    ¡°I already know that you¡¯re a degenerate, but monks? Your taste really is quite something, old hag!¡±

    Madman Chu mocked Mistress Qu without any reservation or hesitation whatsoever.

    1. Can you guess who these two are? ?

 Chapter 683: Warriors Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 683: Warriors Gathering </h4>

    ¡°Madman Chu, mouths exist so that people can speak. If you can¡¯t speak, then you might as well shut up. It¡¯s better for others and yourself,¡± Mistress Qu replied with a frosty expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth. What, the monk isn¡¯t your lover?¡± Madman Chu shrugged.

    Before Mistress Qu could say anything, the monk with arge head and big ears guffawed. ¡°Hahaha... you¡¯re a joker, benefactor. This poor monk does wish that he is Mistress Qu¡¯s lover, but s, that is not my destiny!¡±

    Madman Chu¡¯s interest was piqued by the monk¡¯s answer. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re quite the interesting one, monk. What is your name?¡±

    ¡°This poor monk is Laughing Buddha. Well met, Benefactor Chu,¡± the monk answered with a chuckle.

    That¡¯s right. The two monks were none other than Laughing Buddha and the Holy Son of Maitreya, the two monks Ye Qing had met back at the Graveyard of Demons.

    ¡°You¡¯re Laughing Buddha of the Six Venerable Ones of the Maitreya Sect?!¡± Madman Chu eximed in surprise.

    ¡°It is I,¡± Laughing Buddha confirmed.

    ¡°Strange. I never knew that the Li Hentian Pce and the Maitreya Sect are acquaintances. How on earth did you get involved with the old hag, monk?¡± Madman Chu voiced his puzzlement.

    The Six Venerable Ones of the Maitreya Sect were the Laughing Buddha, the Weeping Buddha, the Blood Buddha, the Killing Buddha, the Mad Buddha, and the Audacious Buddha. All six of them were Grandmasters. In the Maitreya Sect, they were venerated monks with tens of thousands of people at their beck and call. In the <i>jianghu</i>, each and every one of them was an infamous viin who struck fear in any warrior who heard their name.

    The Maitreya Sect was one of the Nine Demonic Ways. Naturally, their reputation was anything but good.

    Despite the Maitreya Sect¡¯s infamy, not all of the six monks were bloodthirsty bastards. Obviously, Blood Buddha and Killing Buddha were the most bloodthirsty of them all. Blood Buddha enjoyed drinking human blood, and Killing Buddha killed others for pleasure. They were both terrible monsters who hadmitted many horrible crimes and killed countless people in the <i>jianghu.</i>

    Mad Buddha and Audacious Buddha were less chaotic evil and more chaotic neutral. Mad Buddha was literally mad, and Audacious Buddha was beyond audacious. Although not nearly as bloodthirsty as their demonic peers, they were ves of their own whims and acted as they pleased. As a result, they hadmitted more or less as many good as they had evil. They were not as infamous as Blood Buddha or Killing Buddha, but their reputation certainly wasn¡¯t good either.

    Finally, Weeping Buddha and Laughing Buddha were the least infamous of them all. Despite being members of a demonic sect, they rarelymitted evil and even kept a low profile for some reason. It was why many members of the <i>jianghu </i>did not even know that Weeping Buddha and Laughing Buddha existed, and why Madman Chu had failed to recognize Laughing Buddha immediately.

    Even fewer people knew that Weeping Buddha and Laughing Buddha were, despite their rtive anonymity, the strongest of the six of them.

    Madman Chu did not care that Laughing Buddha was strong though. He was asking purely because he was curious how the two of them got together when the Li Hentian Pce and the Maitreya Sect, as far as he knew, did not share any ties whatsoever.

    ¡°I owed Mistress Qu a favor, and she invited me to join her on her trip to the Death Sea. So I did,¡± Laughing Buddha answered.

    ¡°Hahaha... do you even know why the old hag invited you to the Death Sea?¡± Madman Chu asked.

    ¡°Not at all!¡± Laughing Buddha replied.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask?¡± Madman Chu got even more curious.

    ¡°I did, but she didn¡¯t tell me,¡± Laughing Buddha answered honestly.

    ¡°Hahaha... the old hag¡¯s no innocent flower, you know? I can¡¯t believe you would follow her without knowing anything. What if she¡¯s nning to stab you in the back?¡± Madman Chu tantly tried to drive a wedge between them.

    ¡°Your audacity knows no bounds, Madman Chu! Cease your lies, or we will take action against you!¡± Mistress Qu interjected in a frosty tone.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Was I spot on?¡±

    Madman Chu did not care for her threat at all. ¡°You hear that, monk? That¡¯s the whine of a guilty conscience. I would watch my back if I were you!¡±

    ¡°You jest, Benefactor Chu. I know very well that Mistress Qu is not such a woman, and this poor monk isn¡¯t foolish either.¡±

    Laughing Buddha said smilingly, ¡°And while it is true that I have no idea if this incident will lead to good or bad tidings, your and Benefactor Six Yins¡¯ presence confirmed to me that it is good.¡±

    ¡°Haha! You say that, and yet absolutes do not exist in this world. I hope you won¡¯te to regret your decision,¡± Madman Chu replied nomittally.

    The Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was definitely an incredible boon, but just because it was an incredible boon did not mean that it was beneficial to everyone.

    As if to change the subject, Madman Chu looked at the Holy Son of Maitreya and asked, ¡°Oh right, who is that little monk beside you? Is he your disciple? He¡¯s quite strong for his age. Barring any idents, it¡¯s only a matter of time before he bes a Grandmaster.¡±

    Laughing Buddhaughed. ¡°You jest again, Benefactor Chu. As if such luck would ever befall this poor monk. He is the Holy Son of our sect.¡±

    The Holy Son of Maitreya nodded politely at Madman Chu.

    ¡°He¡¯s your sect¡¯s Holy Son? Now that I think about it, I heard that you have a Holy Son who cultivates the Vow of Silence. Is he the one?¡± Madman Chu raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Laughing Buddha replied.

    ¡°No wonder he carries himself with such boldness and poise! He¡¯s definitely going to be stronger than you when hees into his full power, monk!¡± Madman Chuplimented the Holy Son without reservation.

    ¡°But of course! It would be stranger if our Holy Son turned out to be weaker than this poor monk!¡± Laughing Buddhaughed.

    Despite their praises, the Holy Son of Maitreya himself did not bat an eyelid. It was almost as if they were praising someone else.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you brought him with you though, monk. If something were to happen to your Holy Son, then you would havemitted a grave sin, no?¡± Madman Chu asked.

    ¡°An uncut jade will not form a vessel for use[1], and a vessel that has not endured the wind and frost will never be a great vessel. That is why some tribtions are necessary.¡±

    Laughing Buddha said unhurriedly, ¡°Besides, Our Holy Son is blessed by the heavens and our Buddha. I am sure that he will ovee anying trials.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Well said! A <i>jianghu </i>warrior who stays cooped up in the safety of one¡¯s home could never be a great vessel. On the other hand, some blood and tribtions can transform even the most rotten wood into something great!¡±

    Madman Chuughed loudly. ¡°You know what, I¡¯ve decided that I like you, monk!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... this is our first meeting, but this poor monk feels like he¡¯s meeting an old friend as well.¡± Laughing Buddha smiled widely. ¡°I hope we can enjoy some fine wine together one day, benefactor.¡±

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re a monk who enjoys wine and meat? Good! Good!¡± Madman Chuughed even harder when he heard this.

    It was at this moment Six Yins Boy suddenly spoke up. ¡°Look. More areing.¡±

    The group turned to look, and they saw two men walking over from the distance. One of them was an elegant, cultured schr carrying a book in one hand, and the other was a Taoist wearing Taoist robes. He had an outstanding appearance that made him look like a celestial from the heavens.

    ¡°That¡¯s Chu Wangsun and Yun Qingxiao!¡± Xin Yins Boy eximed in surprise. ¡°Tsk tsk... I did not know that the disciple of the Chief Libationist are good enough friends with the Dao Child of the San Qing Temple to recruit him for this venture.¡±

    Yun Qingxiao was the Dao Child of the East Kunlun San Qing Temple and the fifth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, and the San Qing Temple was known as one of the Three Temples of Dao together with the True Martial Sect and the Dragon Tiger Mountain. In fact, it was once known as the ancestral court of Taoism before East Kunlun and West Kunlun split into two factions.

    The San Qing Temple wereposed of three groups, and they were known as Yu Qing, Shang Qing and Tai Qing. All three groups usually secluded themselves in the mountains to cultivate the body, mind, and heart. Unless the world was in chaos, the San Qing Temple rarely showed their faces. It would not be wrong to say that they were cut off from the rest of the world.

    Of course, no one dared to underestimate or look down on the San Qing Temple despite their seclusion. Since Yun Qingxiao was this generation¡¯s Dao Child, he must be quite something.

    Although Yun Qingxiao was ¡°just¡± the fifth warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, that did not mean that his strength was just that. His rank was low because he kept a low profile and rarely showed himself in the <i>jianghu</i>, much less fought against others.

    As far as everyone knew, Yun Qingxiao had only fought three times in public. Each battle was earth-shattering, however.

    1. Meaning that potential that isn¡¯t unleashed will forever remain dormant. ?

 Chapter 684: Rain of Bodies

    <h4>Chapter 684: Rain of Bodies </h4>

    During his first battle, Yun Qingxiao singlehandedly eliminated the Twelve Forts of the Eight Rivers and slew a total of twelve Half-Step Grandmasters. The rivers ran as red as blood that day.

    During his second battle, Yun Qingxiao fought against the notorious rapist known as A Flower and pursued him across a distance of hundreds of kilometers. In the end, he was able to y the Grandmaster as a Half-Step Grandmaster.

    During his third battle, Yun Qingxiao offended the Three Lives Sect of the thirty-six unorthodox sects and caused them to pit their full might¡ªthree Grandmasters and dozens of Half-Step Grandmasters¡ªagainst him. Despite overwhelming odds, Yun Qingxiao was able to break out of the encirclement and slew one Grandmaster and five Half-Step Grandmasters. As a result, the Three Lives Sect suffered immense losses to both their strength and their reputation.

    Publicly, Yun Qingxiao had only fought three times in his life. However, these three battles were enough to impress the entire <i>jianghu.</i>

    Not everyone could ovee the gap between cultivation stages and defeat a superior, and the chasm only got wider the stronger one was.

    In fact, many people believed that Yun Qingxiao was stronger than the fourth-ced Chu Wangsun, the third-ced Child of the Buddha of Lanke Temple, and the second-ced Child of the Demon of Demonic Mountain. In fact, they believed he could contend against the Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain[1] for first ce.

    Of course, the reality was that Chu Wangsun, the Child of the Buddha, the Child of the Demon and the Little Heavenly Master all possessed the strength to y Grandmasters as a Half-Step Grandmaster. They all had a body count to prove it, so it was impossible to say who was stronger and who wasn¡¯t until they actually fought.

    Yun Qingxiao¡¯s strength was unquestionable though. He was absolutely one of the absolute best among his peers, and he possessed a bright and boundless future.

    In any case, no one expected Chu Wangsun to recruit the mysterious and low-key Yun Qingxiao for this venture. It was so surprising that even Six Yins Boy, Madman Chu and more were caught off guard.

    For the first time, the quiet Holy Son of Maitreya looked up and stared at the two young men as well.

    The Holy Son of Maitreya had not be a Grandmaster yet, so of course he was in the Human Champions Ranking as well. However, he was even more mysterious and low-key than Yun Qingxiao since he had almost never showed his face in the <i>jianghu</i>.

    When Ye Qing met him for the first time, the Holy Son of Maitreya was only a middle-stage Spirit Purifier. At that level, he couldn¡¯t even enter the Human Champions Ranking. It had only been a few months since that day, and now he was a Half-Step Grandmaster with seemingly full control over his powers. The difference was night and day to put it mildly.

    The Holy Son of Maitreya was currently ranked sixteenth on thetest update of the Human Champions Ranking, but that was only because the Holy Son of Maitreya had never fought someone before. No one knew exactly how strong he was.

    Maybe it was because geniuses naturally attracted each other, but Chu Wangsun and Yun Qingxiao instinctively met the Holy Son of Maitreya¡¯s eyes when he looked at them. However, since neither of them werebative people, the stirrings in their eyes subsided so quickly it was almost as if nothing had happened.

    Chu Wangsun and Yun Qingxiao nodded at Madman Chu and Laughing Buddha after stopping at a suitable spot. Then, they waited. Neither man seemed anxious or impatient in the slightest. In fact, they looked so calm and natural one could almost mistake them for a part of the scenery.

    ¡°Kekeke... youngsters these days are really something.¡± Six Yins Boy cackled after ncing at the duo. Only he knew if hispliment was sincere or not.

    Madman Chu chuckled. ¡°Youngsters should be arrogant. A youngster who isn¡¯t arrogant might as well be an old man.¡±

    A couple more people showed up while they were conversing, but they seemed extremely wary of the group and stayed a good distance away from them.

    That was fine by Madman Chu. He could not be arsed to spare cowards and weaklings any attention or energy. Another teatime passed, and Madman Chu asked, ¡°It should be almost time for Sun Sovereign and those creepy bastards from Fengdu to show up, right?¡±

    As if on cue, the world suddenly turned unbearably hot. The next moment, a gigantic fireball descended from above not unlike the sun itself. Its pressure was such that even powerful warriors such as Madman Chu, Six Yins Boy, Laughing Buddha and Mistress Qu flinched a little.

    The fireball looked intimidating, but it elicited neither noise nor tremor when itnded on the ground. Two people appeared when the deadly mes faded into nothing.

    One of them looked to be in his sixties. He had red hair, red eyebrows, and wore a red garment. His body looked thin, but he was dazzling and eye-catching like the sun itself.

    The other person was fully wrapped inside a ck robe. It was impossible to tell their shape, size, or even gender, and their aura resembled a ck hole that constantly devoured the surrounding light. Not even Madman Chu and the other Grandmasters were able to peer through the ck hole and perceive the mysterious figure¡¯s true form with their spirit or eyes. All they could see was a patch of darkness.

    ¡°You¡¯re all here!¡± the red-haired old man said casually while shooting a nce at Ye Qing¡¯s hiding spot.

    Even from a hundred meters away, Ye Qing still felt his eyes hurting like they were stabbed like needles, and his body heating up like he was being cooked inside a pot.

    Ye Qing was astonished as a matter of course. Ever since he started cultivating the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±, his ability to hide himself had gone up considerably. The fact that Madman Chu, Laughing Buddha, Six Yins Boy and Mistress Qu hadn¡¯t discovered him was proof of his growth. However, this Sun Sovereign had discovered him as soon as he showed up. No wonder even the proud Madman Chu was treating the man with respect. His power demanded it if nothing else.

    Thankfully, Sun Sovereign didn¡¯t seem interested in exposing him. He had looked away and said nothing after that nce.

    ¡°Sun Sovereign...¡±

    On the other side, Madman Chu, Six Yins Boy, Laughing Buddha and Mistress Qu returned to their senses and saluted Sun Sovereign. Even the proud Chu Wangsun and Yun Qingxiao did not dare to treat him lightly and did the same thing.

    ¡°Where are the creepy bastards?¡± Sun Sovereign asked.

    He was talking about the ghosts of Ghost Tower, of course.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen them yet,¡± Mistress Qu answered.

    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m sure they¡¯re already here. They¡¯re just hiding in their mouse holes and waiting to stab us in the back,¡± Madman Chu scoffed.

    ¡°Crafty plots and machinations are just a small way. There is nothing to worry about,¡± Sun Sovereign said indifferently. His tone was calm, but his confidence was unmistakable. ¡°Since the Death Sea has appeared, let us be off.¡±

    Before Madman Chu or anyone else could muster a response, Sun Sovereign grabbed the ck-robed person beside him and shot into the sky.

    When he got close to the Death Sea, a massive sea wave surged in his direction without any warning whatsoever.

    From the ground, it looked as if the waters had suddenly rediscovered gravity and cascaded downward like a waterfall.

    Sun Sovereign paid it no attention, however. He simply shone brighter and brighter like the rising sun. As a result, the wave evaporated before it could even get close to him.

    The next moment, Sun Sovereign crashed into the Death Sea like a gigantic boulder made of sunlight. The impact caused massive waves that were easily over a hundred meters tall, but they evaporated into steam before they could do anything. For a time, the entire area including the ground was covered in steam, and more than one person wondered in terror if the Death Sea would fall on top of their heads.

    ¡°Hahaha... Sun Sovereign is a real man alright!¡±

    Madman Chu guffawed at the sight of this before cocking his head at Mistress Qu. ¡°Sun Sovereign¡¯s gone, old hag. Are you going?¡±

    Mistress Qu harrumphed and did not deign to give him a reply. She waved a hand and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± before taking to the sky as well.

    Mistress Qu and her subordinates¡¯ flight wasn''t nearly as forceful as Sun Sovereign¡¯s, but it was very beautiful. The way their dresses danced to the wind made them look like true celestials.

    Madman Chu sighed as he watched the women for a moment. ¡°I must admit that the women of Li Hentian Pce are quite pretty if nothing else. It¡¯s a shame that...¡±

    ¡°No need formentations, Brother Chu. If you like them, you can always join them. With your strength, I¡¯m sure they will happily submit their women to you. Who knows, it might even be possible for you to be their head,¡± Six Yins Boy teased.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. I have zero interest in old hags.¡± Madman Chu shook his head. ¡°Besides, what use is a woman to a warrior? Haven¡¯t you heard that womenfolk are the tomb of all heroes? They will only slow down my fists.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mmenting not because I want them, but because most of these beautiful women are going to crumble into a pile of bones very soon.¡±

    As if on cue, bloodcurdling screams suddenly broke out of the sky. Then, the women of Li Hentian Pce began plummeting to the ground like the rain.

    1. Little Heavenly Master hails from Heavenly Master Mansion, and Heavenly Master Mansion is a division of Dragon Tiger Mountain, just like East Kunlun is a division in San Qing Temple. ?

 Chapter 685: Flying To The Death Sea

    <h4>Chapter 685: Flying To The Death Sea </h4>

    It was gruesome the way the women sttered against the ground like eggs.

    Madman Chu, Laughing Buddha and more did not try to save them not because they were all heartless, but because it could not be done.

    They were already dead when they fell from the sky; their bodies turned into withered husks.

    When they got close to the Death Sea, its deathly qi had pierced their defenses and turned them into a withered husk in an instant. There existed no medicine or art in the world that could save them.

    This was why the Death Sea wasbeled a forbidden zone. This was why this forbidden zone was open only to Grandmasters and ultimate geniuses.

    More bodies were still falling from the sky. Even with Mistress Qu yelling at the top of her lungs, she could only save a handful of them.

    Not only that, the Death Sea had conjured a wave and sent it surging toward Mistress Qu and her people again.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking my leave now, Benefactor Chu. May we meet again.¡±

    Laughing Buddha gave Madman Chu a nod before climbing to the heavens using a number of lotus flowers that appeared underneath his feet. At the same time, a long-eared, round-bellied Buddha wearing a kind, benevolent smile on his face appeared in the sky, hisughter shaking both heaven and earth.

    Wherever the Buddha¡¯s light traveled, the death qi of the Death Sea receded. Then, Laughing Buddha made an absolute mudra and met the iing wave. Before it could im any lives, the infinite light of the Buddha forced it right back where it came from.

    ¡°Namo Bhavishya[1] Buddha...¡±

    With a chant, Laughing Buddha protected everyone and disappeared into the Death Sea. The Holy Son of Maitreya was with him, of course.

    The Maitreya Sect worshiped Maitreya, and Maitreya was known as the Future Buddha of Saha[2] in Mahayana Buddhism. That was why their official Buddhist chant was ¡°Namo Bhavishya Buddha¡±.

    Logically, the Maitreya Sect should not have be a sect of the Nine Demonic Ways considering that they worshiped the Maitreya Buddha and fell under Mahayana Buddhism[3]. The problemy with the word ¡°future¡±.

    Dipamkara, Shakyamuni, and Maitreya are often depicted in a triad representing past, present, and future. Together, they formed the roots of all living beings.

    However, the believers of the Maitreya Sect only worshiped Maitreya. They did not believe in either the Buddha of the past, Dipamkara, or the Buddha of the present, Shakyamuni. In their radical belief, they imed that the past was dust, and the present was filthy beyond imagination. Only by worshiping Maitreya, the Buddha of the future could they be freed from the troubles of the world and obtain the ultimate bliss, forever.

    Based on that logic, the believers of the Maitreya Sect proposed that one should end the current world so as to usher in the future. And how should they end the current world? Through destruction, of course. Only through destruction could rebirth be achieved.

    Long story short, the believers of the Maitreya Sect were madmen. As they often colluded with the Way of Taiping to stir up trouble, they were eventuallymbasted as heretics and viins by the <i>jianghu</i>.

    Of course, not everyone in the Maitreya Sect believed that ushering in a new future meant destroying the current world. Some people believed that they should practice the holy arts of Maitreya with the body of the present so they would be ready when the future finally arrived.

    Of the Six Venerable Ones, Laughing Buddha and Weeping Buddha were the only ones who fell under this category of belief. It was also why Laughing Buddha wasn¡¯t infamous despite being a high-ranking member of a sect of the Nine Demonic Ways.

    ¡°This monk really is something!¡±

    On the ground, Madman Chu paid Laughing Buddha apliment before asking, ¡°Do you wanna go first, or should I take the lead, Six Yins?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go. Please make sure that no one interferes with my work, okay?¡±

    Six Yins Boy said smilingly and appeared in the air before he finished talking. When a sea wave crashed down on him, he let out an eerie cackle and thrust his palm forward.

    A massive hand covered in green mes appeared in the air. Although it was burning like an inferno, it was so cold that it froze the sea wave in an instant. The palm continued to press upward until it hit the sea and froze an entire patch of its surface.

    ¡°Death Sea? Looks like a normal sea to me!¡± Six Yins Boy chuckled before diving into the Death Sea in a sh of green light. It wasn¡¯t until several breathster that the ice covering the sea surface finally receded, and the Death Sea resumed its violent activity.

    ¡°Hahaha! Take care, little ones. Try not to die up there.¡± Madman Chu nced at Chu Wangsun and Yun Qingxiao as heughed. ¡°Goodbye!¡±

    As he spoke, the earth shook like an earthquake, and Madman Chu abruptly appeared in the sky. He didn¡¯t wait for a sea wave to hit him and threw a punch first.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    The world shuddered, and the Death Sea depressed upward as if it was a piece of fabric.

    ¡°Hahaha! A punch like spring thunder is most auspicious! Here I go!¡±

    With that, Madman Chu disappeared into the Death Sea as well.

    After Madman Chu disappeared, thunder rumbled in the sky as if responding to his words.

    ¡°His punch has no sound because the sound is hidden inside his fist. Senior Chu¡¯s fists have already reached perfection,¡± Yun Qingxiao remarked with feeling as he listened to the thunderous rumbles and felt the fist intent in the sky.

    ¡°His fist leaves asting reaction. It is quite extraordinary.¡±

    Chu Wangsun lowered his book andmented, ¡°Let¡¯s go. After all themotion they caused, I¡¯m sure that a lot of people are looking this way. It will be troublesome if they decide to gather.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡±

    Yun Qingxiao nodded and soared to the sky seemingly without any aid whatsoever. It was as if gravity did not exist in his book.

    When a sea wave was about to hit him, three celebratory clouds grew out of the top of his head.

    The three clouds were arranged in a triangr formation. It looked a little like he was wearing a hat of flowers.

    The clouds were pure, wless, and shielding his whole body. Somehow, the sea waters were unable to touch even a hair on his skin.

    Like a fish in the water, he casually entered the Death Sea like it was his backyard.

    If Yun Qingxiao¡¯s entrance looked cool and elegant, then Chu Wangsun¡¯s was much more brutal and simple. While gripping his book in one hand, he sted his righteous qi into the sea, carved a way through the sea waves, and entered the Death Sea just like that.

    It was about this time the prowlers finally made their move as well. At first, they were worried and afraid when they saw the disciples of Li Hentian Pce falling from the sky like the rain. When they saw how easy Yun Qingxiao and Chu Wangsun entered the Death Sea though, a dozen of them lost their fear and raced toward the Death Sea in a hurry.

    They shouldn¡¯t have. Several people let out a bloodcurdling scream before turning into a withered husk and falling just like the Li Hentian Pce disciples. A couple more were caught by the sea waves and dragged into the Death Sea. Only they knew if they were alive or dead.

    For a time, the scene waspletely silent.

    The deaths were like a bucket of ice water poured over the restless prowlers¡¯ heads. It was only now they recalled that they were no Chu Wangsun or Yun Qingxiao, and they were definitely not favored by the heavens. They were just ordinary warriors who got dogshit lucky and somehow obtained a Dark Overlord Token.

    They weren¡¯t willing to retreat though. The Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was right in front of them. How could they give out without having tried everything?

    Ye Qing knew exactly what they were thinking, but he didn¡¯t care. He had no desire to waste his energy and send them away using his abilities either.

    Animals die for food, and humans die for fortune. This had been the ultimate truth since ancient times.

    Ye Qing sighed. He had waited long enough. After staring at the Death Sea above his head for a moment, he jumped.

    The Death Sea was located deep within Bei Mo, and normally, no one would venture to this location. However, Sun Sovereign, Madman Chu and Laughing Buddha hadn¡¯t bothered to hold back when they entered the Death Sea, nor had they hidden their energies when they flew over here. Grandmasters were one with the world and so could naturally detect one another. It was very possible that their movements and activities had already caught the attention of some other elites.

    In fact, Ye Qing noticed several waves of spirit and energy sweeping across the area after Six Yins Boy and Madman Chu were gone. Clearly, they belonged to powerful warriors.

    Although the Ghost Tower had done well to keep the matter regarding the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance under wraps¡ªeveryone had sworn an Oath of Burden to keep the matter a secret¡ªbut if Ye Qing had learned one thing after arriving in this world, it was that there was always a way to circumvent or ovee an obstacle. It was also possible that some people had learned of the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance or the secret of the Death Sea through some other avenues.

    In any case, the people were gathering, and where there were people, there was conflict. He did not want to be around when the secret of Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance was finally exposed either, so the sooner he entered the Death Sea, the better.

    1. Bhavishya means future in Sanskrit. ?

    2. Sah¨¡ or more formally the Sah¨¡ world in Mah¨¡y¨¡na Buddhism refers to the mundane world, essentially the sum of existence that is other than nirvana. It is the entirety of conditioned phenomena, also referred to as the trichiliocosm. ?

    3. Buddhism has two major schools: Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada is a personal journey to nirvana, while Mahayana is a collective effort to help all beings reach nirvana. ?

 Chapter 686: Smiling Death

    <h4>Chapter 686: Smiling Death </h4>

    The Death Sea was floating in the sky. It might look close, but it was actually quite far away from the ground.

    Therefore, anyone without a good movement art or a flying Strange Artifact would not be able to enter the Death Sea.

    Ye Qing¡¯s movement art wasn¡¯t his best, but it wasn¡¯t his worst either. Combined with the fact that he had a vast reservoir of true qi, flying into the Death Sea was no problem for him.

    The closer he got to the Death Sea, the thicker the death qi in the air became. They felt like greedy leeches that continuously drained away his vitality and vigor.

    If the death qi everyone felt on the ground was a spring rain, then the death qi when he was about halfway to the Death Sea was akin to a rainstorm, and the death qi when he was less than fifty meters away was practically a raging river. Such was its strength and flow that even he with his level of body felt extremely ufortable.

    If even he was feeling like this, those weaker than him in terms of cultivation stage, true qi, body, or all of the above could only fare worse. He did not doubt for a second that the weaklings would be sucked dry as soon as they got close.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, this was just the second step to enter the Death Sea.

    There was the massive sea wave as well.

    Ye Qing was about thirty meters away from the sea surface when the Death Sea suddenly started churning violently, and a massive wave abruptly poured down from the sky.

    It was truly a spectacle.

    Ye Qing looked up, lifted his hand, and clenched his fist. Heunched a diagonal punch toward the sea wave that was moments away from sweeping him away.

    His energies instantly formed a wave breaker above his head.

    Divide the flow, and the current would surely lose its power. Hence, ¡°Divide¡±.

    The sea wave crashed against Divide with a loud boom. Sea water scattered everywhere, and mist permeated the air.

    There was nothing except air below Ye Qing. As a result of the crash, he fell about one-sixth of a meter before ripples appeared underneath his feet.

    Ye Qing remained calm, however. He simply pushed his fist forward another inch.

    One inch was enough to generate wind and thunder.

    One inch was enough to push the rolling sea wave back into the Death Sea.

    From the ground, he looked like a god pushing back the raging tide with one punch. It was both incredible and awe-inspiring.

    For a time, the people still on the ground could only stare at his back, awestruck.

    Right before Ye Qing would enter the Death Sea, a gigantic, blood red hand appeared out of seemingly nowhere and made a grab for Ye Qing.

    Its timing was perfect. It was right at the point where Ye Qing had spent his strength, and new strength wasn¡¯t generated yet.

    ¡°Stay with me.¡±

    A gentle, seductive voice said as a terrifying aura enveloped him from all sides, and the gigantic hand closed in on him.

    The danger hade out of nowhere, but Ye Qing did not panic in the slightest. In response to the grab, he let out a small grunt and mustered in vigor.

    The bloody hand in the air abruptly froze for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Itsted no more than a fraction of a second, but it was enough for Ye Qing to break free and disappear into the Death Sea, all the while leaving many afterimages that made him difficult to track.

    It was only after Ye Qing waspletely gone that the bloody fingers finally clenched into a fist. It elicited such a sound that some of the warriors on the ground had to cover their faces from a sudden, powerful gale.

    ¡°Huh? Interesting...¡±

    The voice rang again, and it was tinged with surprise and curiosity. The owner wasn¡¯t expecting that Ye Qing would be able to break free from her grasp.

    It was at this moment an extraordinarily beautiful woman appeared from the horizon. She had red hair and wore a red dress. Her snow white skin made her look like a fairy shrouded by fire or a demoness who was covered in blood¡ªdemonic, bewitching, and intoxicating.

    ¡°Can someone please tell me what is inside the Death Sea? Why are you all gathered here?¡±

    It didn¡¯t look like the woman was moving quickly, but in reality, she had appeared in front of the group in just the blink of an eye.

    There were some who were entranced by the woman¡¯s beauty, but there were also some who noticed the danger they were in and turned as pale as a sheet. One of them¡ªdid he recognize the woman?¡ªimmediately turned tail and tried to escape.

    Unfortunately, he began deting as soon as he started moving. It was almost as if he wasn¡¯t human, but a leaky waterskin. It wasn¡¯t long before all that was left of him was his skin.

    The man did not seem to notice his state, however. He continued to run even after he had transformed into a human skin.

    A hundred meterster, the human skin finally copsed on the ground, unmoving. He would never stand again.

    Those who were running or those who were nning to run away subconsciously stopped in their tracks. The death was so horrifying that their self-preservation instincts took over before they knew it.

    Cold sweat began pouring down everyone¡¯s head. Even the slow ones were staring at the woman with their mouths agape, afraid.

    ¡°It looks like you do know something. Would someone please tell me what¡¯s inside the Death Sea?¡±

    The woman¡¯s smile resembled a blooming flower. One that only grew in the darkest depths of hell.

    Her voice was still ringing in the air when she crossed what looked like sixty meters of distance in an instant and appeared behind a man who was trying to run away earlier.

    ¡°Can you tell me what I want to know?¡± The woman whispered beside the man¡¯s ear with a smile as beautiful as a flower.

    The man stiffened. They were so close that he could feel her warm breath tickling his ear and smell the quiet fragrance that was her scent, but temptation was the absolutelyst thing on his mind right now. Not only that, he felt so cold he was surprised he hadn¡¯t turned into ice yet.

    ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing,¡± the man replied stiffly.

    ¡°If it¡¯s nothing, then why did you run away just now?¡± the woman asked gently. ¡°Is it really nothing, or did you just not want to tell me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that... I¡ª¡± The man was still trying to swindle[1] his way out of this situation when suddenly, he stopped talking altogether.

    It was because the woman was now grabbing his skull.

    ¡°I see you don¡¯t wish to tell me,¡± she said smilingly.

    Great terror suddenly burst inside his chest. ¡°Mer¡ª¡±

    His head exploded like an overripe melon before he could finish, tainting the ground in red and white matter. Strangely, the gore did not touch the woman at all.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t want to tell me the truth. That¡¯s fine. Is there anyone here who¡¯s willing to enlighten me?¡±

    Still smiling, the woman slowly scanned the rest of the group. Just looking at her bright smile, you would not think that she just murdered a man a moment ago.

    No one said a thing for a time. They were so silent it was as if they were already dead.

    Suddenly, five warriors attacked the woman at the same time. Someone shouted, ¡°She¡¯s only one person! We need to attack her together, or we¡¯re all going to die!¡±

    The five warriors just so happened to surround the woman from all sides. When they attacked, they did not hold back.

    While they were no match for the likes of Chu Wangsun or Yun Qingxiao, anyone who dared to show their face here was at least a middle-stage Spirit Master. Naturally, their full-powered attacks were nothing to scoff at.

    For an instant, the rest of the group looked sorely tempted. Then, reality poured down their heads like a bucket of cold water and chilled them to the core.

    The five warriors abruptly deted as if an invisible hand was crushing their bodies. They started spraying blood out of every orifice for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

    The blood did not fall to the ground. Instead, they flew up into the air and floated for a moment.

    Smiling, the woman snapped her fingers and caused the blood to shoot toward the five warriors like powerful arrows.

    <i>Pssh pssh pssh! </i>

    The five warriors were grievously wounded to begin with. They all died after the blood arrows skewered them like pincushions.

    ¡°Sigh. Why won¡¯t you just answer my question?¡±

    The woman brushed her silky ck hair with one hand while staring at the five corpses on the ground. Her smile was only growing brighter by the second.

    ¡°Would someone just please answer my question already? Otherwise, I¡¯m not going to hold back anymore.¡±

    Everyone turned as pale as death when they heard this.

    ¡°A cup of wine floating underneath the white clouds, a free soul wandering heaven and earth...¡±

    It was at this moment azy, unfettered voice cut through the razor sharp tension.

    The voice had reverberated as if it came from a far distance, but by the time it faded, the owner of the voice was already standing before them.

    ¡°Why all the blood and violence when there are good mountains, waters, wine and scenery to enjoy? Let¡¯s talk it out, shall we?¡±

    1. Frankly what else can he do? Death is better than eternity on a tortoise¡¯s back. ?

 Chapter 687: Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 687: Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain </h4>

    The neer looked to be an ordinary-looking youngster around twenty three or four years old. He was dressed in a bup outfit, and his hair was rolled up into a Taoist bun. He was carrying a rusted iron sword on his left waist, and a wine gourd on his right. At first nce, he looked so average he could melt into any crowd he entered without a trace.

    The one and only thing that stood out about him was the ck donkey he was riding.

    The ck donkey was as big as a horse and looked extremely healthy. It was also strong and muscr with pitch ck hair that shone like water under sunlight. Its eyes were as big as bronze bells, and there was a proud, intelligent glint in his eyes that resembled a human¡¯s.

    Unlike most donkeys, this one had a pair of horns growing out of its skull. Crescent-shaped and standing perfectly parallel to each other, they formed the shape of a full moon. Some sort of ck light was gleaming in between the horns as well. It was obvious at first nce that this was no ordinary donkey.

    The contrast made the youngster look even more mundane than he already was.

    It was at this moment the youngster spotted the corpses littered around the woman and removed his wine gourd. After enjoying a small sip of wine, he ranted at the ck donkey, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If you moved a little faster, we could¡¯ve prevented a few innocent lives from being lost. Now, it¡¯s toote.¡±

    ¡°I told you to walk faster, but no, you just had to throw a fit. These people¡¯s deaths are on your conscience, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Snort.¡±

    The ck donkey let out a loud snort as human-like disdain entered its eyes. Then, it kicked backward as if it was trying to throw the youngster away from its back.

    The youngster did not budge an inch, however. He patted the ck donkey¡¯s head and said, ¡°That¡¯s all it takes to piss you off, White? How old do you think you are, three? If you keep this up, I¡¯m gonna turn you into a donkey hotpot, you hear me? It¡¯s been a long time since I had a donkey hotpot, so don¡¯t you dare tempt me!¡±

    Having failed to throw the youngster off its back, the ck donkey bent its knees and sat on the ground just like that. At the same time, it covered up its ear canals with its long ears and licked some of the sand clinging to its lips into its mouth, chewing and paying no attention to the youngster¡¯s incessant rants.

    Can¡¯t hear you~ can¡¯t hear you~ the tortoise is chanting sutras~

    A whileter, when the youngster saw that he had failed to elicit any reaction from the ck donkey, he let out a long sigh. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m a handsome, strong, and kind-hearted master. Otherwise, I really would¡¯ve turned you into a donkey hotpot! I really gotta steel my heart sometimes, dammit...¡±

    The crowd could not help but exchange confused nces as they listened to the man¡¯s nonsensical rants. The razor sharp tension from before had disappeared before they knew it.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Zhang Lingyang? Shouldn¡¯t you be napping at Dragon Tiger Mountain right now?¡±

    The woman finally interrupted the youngster¡¯s incessant rants.

    ¡°I know right? This ce is full of sand, stone, and more sand! The sun is hot, the wind is dry, and even the scenery grates on you after a while! It¡¯s nowhere nearly asfortable as Dragon Tiger Mountain!¡±

    The youngster¡ªZhang Lingyang¡ªslowly slid off the donkey¡¯s back and sighed deeply. ¡°But my master said that there¡¯s a ¡®great opportunity¡¯ waiting for me at the Death Sea and insisted that Ie no matter what. He even threatened to kick me out of the sect if I refused. What can I do? I can onlyply with his wishes.¡±

    The warriors¡¯ mouths slowly fell open as they listened. They looked like they could not believe their ears.

    If before the name ¡°Zhang Lingyang¡± only evoked a sense of deja vu in them, now they knew exactly who he was.

    There was only one person in the entire world who was called Zhang Lingyang and a member of the Dragon Tiger Mountain. He was the champion of the Human Champions Ranking and the one they called the Little Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

    Zhang Lingyang, the ¡°Little Heavenly Master¡± was favored by the heavens since birth. It was said that purple qi came from the ease, the sun stood wide and bright in the sky, and all sorts of strange phenomena appeared during his birth.

    The current Senior Heavenly Master of Heavenly Master Mansion had personally descended the mountain to meet Zhang Lingyang, and the first thing he said upon seeing him was, ¡°This boy is extraordinary. He will surely carry Dragon Tiger Mountain to great heights.¡± He would proceed to name him ¡°Zhang Lingyang (To Surpass The Sun)¡± and recruit him as a direct disciple.

    Zhang Lingyang did not disappoint. He had Reforged his body in one day, Invoked his qi in nine days, Augmented his vessels perfectly in thirty-six days, and Refined his astral qi in seventy-two days. To say his talent far exceeded his peers would be an understatement.

    In fact, Zhang Lingyang¡¯s progress was so quick that the Senior Heavenly Master had to seal his cultivation temporarily to prevent issues with his foundation or mind. He wasn¡¯t allowed to break into the next cultivation stage until he had tempered both fundamentals properly.

    Zhang Lingyang¡¯s cultivation speed slowed down after that, but even so, his strength far surpassed everyone as his name implied. There were few among his peers who could even catch a glimpse of his back, much less stand shoulder-to-shoulder beside him.

    Not only that, Zhang Lingyang had never lost a single battle since he embarked on the journey of a warrior, and it wasn¡¯t like he only fought against weaklings. He had fought against Holy Sons and Daughters, Dao Children and Children of the Demon, and even powerful Grandmasters.

    This was why his position was unshakeable since he became the number one warrior of the Human Champions Ranking six years ago. Countless people had tried to dethrone him, but every effort was met with abject failure.

    Back in the present, everyone here had heard of Zhang Lingyang at least once in their life. No one expected it to be this ordinary-looking youngster, however.

    ¡°You came early, senior Rakshasa. Have you figured out what treasures are hiding in the Death Sea yet?¡± Zhang Lingyang ignored the crowd¡¯s looks and asked the woman.

    ¡°Rakshasa...? She¡¯s the Blood Rakshasa?!¡± Those who hadn¡¯t guessed it already blurted out as soon as they heard the title.

    Blood Rakshasa was the eighty-fourth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking. Her background was unknown, but people had guessed that she was a member of the Blood God Sect of the Nine Demonic Ways because they practiced blood maniption.

    Blood Rakshasa was a highly emotional, very chaotic neutral person whose behavior was mostly based on her whims. She wasn¡¯t truly a viin, but she definitely wasn¡¯t a good person either. The fact that she killed without batting an eyelid but gave her victims repeated warnings earlier was proof of that.

    ¡°I was just asking them just now, wasn¡¯t I? You¡¯re the one who interrupted me!¡± Blood Rakshasa shot him a sideway nce that seemed capable of stealing one¡¯s soul.

    She was a Grandmaster and a named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, but not even she dared to underestimate Zhang Lingyang, champion of the Human Champions Ranking. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve attacked him already.

    Zhang Lingyang coughed. ¡°Ahem... what did I want to say again? Right! One should not resort to murder and violence as their first option.¡±

    He looked embarrassed. It was impossible to say if it was because Blood Rakshasa¡¯s side-eye was too sexy, or something else.

    The group of warriors let out a sigh of relief when they saw this, but Zhang Lingyang¡¯s next words plunged back to hell all too soon.

    ¡°Instead, we should practice diplomacy before violence. If they tell us, then all is well. If not, then you can kill them to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    <i>Is this what a famous warrior of the righteous sect should say?</i>

    <i>Hell, is this what a </i>human being <i>should say?</i>

    ¡°How can you say that, Little Heavenly Master? You¡¯re a representative of Dragon Tiger Mountain and a member of the orthodoxy!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a member of the orthodoxy, but you¡¯re not, are you? Why should I save your lives?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang replied matter-of-factly. ¡°Besides, I am giving you a chance. I¡¯m persuading Blood Rakshasa to practice diplomacy before violence, aren¡¯t I? Or do you disagree with my solution and prefer it the other way around?¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡± <i>Fuck, we can¡¯t refute that.</i>

    ¡°So? I¡¯m giving you a chance here. Is no one going to speak up?¡± Blood Rakshasa shot Zhang Lingyang a curious look before asking.

    No one answered her. A portion of them wanted to do as she said but couldn¡¯t because of the Oath of Burden. The other portion was unwilling to give up the Dark Overlord¡¯s Token and the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance just like that.

    And of course, therge majority of the group was abination of both.

    The silence continued for a while longer when suddenly, one man¡¯s eyes suddenly grew dazed and unfocused. At the same time, his face began contorting like he was in abject pain, and blood trailed down the corners of his eyes.

    Zhang Lingyang lifted his eyebrows and dashed toward the man. Unfortunately, he was only halfway there when someone blocked his way. It was Blood Rakshasa, of course.

    That short dy was enough. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream, and his head exploded like an overripe melon.

 Chapter 688: Northern Spear King

    <h4>Chapter 688: Northern Spear King </h4>

    ¡°Sigh...¡±

    Zhang Lingyang let out a sigh, but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    Blood Rakshasa shot him another smile before turning around and asking, ¡°So? Did you find anything, Soul Seeker?¡±

    The silhouette of a man abruptly manifested into existence. It was quite difficult to identify his features as he was almost fully transparent. In fact, one could see light prating through his body a little. It was almost like he was a soul or a Yin God.

    ¡°No. He swore an Oath of Burden, so I couldn¡¯t find anything even after I scoured his soul.¡±

    The man¡¯s voice was as wispy as his existence, apparently. ¡°This indirectly proves that they know what lies within the Death Sea though.¡±

    ¡°The Oath of Burden? This is getting interesting.¡± Blood Rakshasa nced at the rest of the group and asked, ¡°So, you¡¯ve all sworn the Oath of Burden before? Is that why you couldn¡¯t reveal the secret to anyone?¡±

    Everyone exchanged a nce with each other before nodding. They had no choice.

    ¡°No wonder,¡± Blood Rakshasa eximed in realization, ¡°but why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner? If you did, then there would be no need for all this bloodshed, is there?¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡± <i>Are you kidding me right now, girl? You killed them before they got a chance to say anything! Anything!</i>

    ¡°Anyway, does that mean we won¡¯t be able to get anything from them?¡± Blood Rakshasa frowned slightly.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Soul Seeker answered.

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Blood Rakshasa nced at the crowd.

    <i>You should let us go, duh! </i>Everyone shouted inside their heads in unison.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t be of use to us...¡± Blood Rakshasa spoke up after thinking for a moment, ¡°... then why should I let you live? You might as well all die here.¡±

    Everyone turned as pale as a sheet when they heard this. <i>Heavens above! Do you even hear yourself? Who the hell crafted this woman¡¯s moralpass?!</i>

    <i>Also, why are you so single-minded? There is more than one way to find out the truth. For example, you can search our belongings! If you find the Dark Overlord Token, then you¡¯ll discover the truth, don¡¯t you?</i>

    <i>Are all Grandmasters this stupid? Is stupidity a prerequisite to be a Grandmaster??</i>

    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t say anything to Blood Rakshasa. They couldn¡¯t even <i>think </i>of giving Blood Rakshasa a hint, or the Oath of Burden would immediately steal their soul, bind them to the Oathbearer¡¯s shell, and expose them to the astrals wind for eternity. It would be a life worse than death itself.

    For a time, despair clung to everyone like the gue.

    Did the thought of resisting not cross their minds? Of course it had. There was simply no point in doing so.

    If Blood Rakshasa was alone, they might have thrown all caution to the wind and fought for that ray of hope.

    Unfortunately, the Little Heavenly Master was present, and now this Soul Seeker guy had shown up as well. They could tell that Soul Seeker was a Grandmaster and an expert at scouring souls as well. His name wasn¡¯t in the Earth Champions Ranking, but what did that matter? Best case scenario, they had to go up against <i>two </i>Grandmasters if they chose to fight. Worst case scenario, the Little Heavenly Master would be their enemy as well.

    Long story short, fighting back would only make their deaths a million times more painful.

    ¡°Ahem...¡±

    It was at this moment Zhang Lingyang coughed and spoke up again, ¡°Seniors, I don¡¯t think killing them would change anything, so...¡±

    ¡°Are you pleading on their behalf, Little Heavenly Master?¡± Blood Rakshasa shot him a ridiculing smile.

    ¡°I guess so. I¡¯m a soft-hearted man after all!¡± Zhang Lingyang replied. ¡°Also, I have a better idea.¡±

    ¡°Really now? Tell us.¡± The first half of Zhang Lingyang¡¯s sentence tickled her funny bone, but the second half genuinely piqued her interest. Was Zhang Lingyang saying that he knew a way to break the Oath of Burden? It wasn¡¯t entirely out of the realm of possibility. Dragon Tiger Mountain was one of the Three Temples of Dao and a sect with a long, long history. They must have all sorts of trump cards up their sleeves.

    Zhang Lingyang sipped his wine again before answeringzily, ¡°We just need to search them. Who knows, maybe one of them carries a clue in their belongings. That wouldn¡¯t trigger the Oath of Burden, <i>and </i>it would reveal the truth, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Everyone broke into tears of joy when they heard this.<i> Thank the heavens! There¡¯s someone with a brain among this trio after all! Thank the heavens!</i>

    Blood Rakshasa: ¡°...¡±

    Soul Seeker: ¡°...¡±

    Both Grandmasters were speechless for a moment. <i>Heavens above, why didn¡¯t I think of this sooner?</i>

    The look on the crowd¡¯s faces only confirmed this. <i>Oh my heavens, this is so embarrassing!</i>

    That said, Blood Rakshasa and Soul Seeker were Grandmasters. With great poweres a very thick face, so both Grandmasters remained perfectly calm as they grabbed a Nature¡¯s Shell off the dead people¡¯s bodies and began their search.

    Embarrassment could only infect you if you let it.

    ¡°Hmm? This token...¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before Zhang Lingyang, Blood Rakshasa and Soul Seeker all found a strange token in the Nature¡¯s Shell. They did not know what material it was, but it was tough enough that they instinctively knew they couldn¡¯t break it. It was obvious it was an extraordinary item.

    ¡°Dark Overlord... Dark Overlord...¡±

    Blood Rakshasa examined the words engraved to the token for a few breaths before eximing in shock, ¡°Could it be referring to the Dark Overlord Li Hentian?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang and Soul Seeker had arrived at the same conclusion as well.

    ¡°The secret of the Death Sea is rted to the Dark Overlord Li Hentian?¡±

    All three warriors exchanged stunned and excited nces with each other.

    Who was Li Hentian?

    He was the unparalleled, indomitable world champion eight hundred years ago!

    If the secret really was rted to the Dark Overlord, then this was easily one of, if not the biggest opportunity they had encountered in their lives!

    Forget Blood Rakshasa and Soul Seeker, even Zhang Lingyang, someone who was carefully nurtured by the ancient and powerful Dragon Tiger Mountain, was brimming with excitement.

    He quickly calmed himself down and looked at the excited Blood Rakshasa and Soul Seeker with a sorrowful expression, ¡°Sigh. Assuming that this secret really has something to do with the Dark Overlord, then a bloody storm is sure to befall the <i>jianghu </i>once more!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... the secret of the Death Sea is tied to the Dark Overlord?¡±

    Suddenly, a sinisterugh broke out in the sky. Then, a hand wrapped in thick smoke descended from the sky and made a grab for the warriors carrying the Dark Overlord Token.

    ¡°I, Haze, shall be iming all these tokens for myself!¡±

    ¡°And who do you think you are?¡±

    Before Haze¡¯s hand could get anywhere close to the warriors, a furious, maddened roar deafened everyone¡¯s eardrums. At the same time, a streak of silver light cut through the sky and mmed into his hand.

    There was a loud explosion as Haze¡¯s hand was sted aside. Not only that, the silver beam continued to shoot forward and cut through the ground like a hot knife through butter, throwing up a curtain of sand that stretched hundreds of meters tall.

    When the sand settled, the crowd finally noticed that the silver light standing diagonally on the ground was really a silver spear.

    ¡°Cough... cough...¡±

    It was at this moment the space around the silver spear distorted, and a sage-like old man wearing a tall hat and arge belt appeared out of seemingly nowhere. His face was pale, and his energies were thrown into disorder. He stared warily at the direction where the spear hade from.

    Two men on horseback appeared from the horizon. They were both d in silver armor, and they were both riding white horses. Their sabers were hanging beside the horses¡¯ stomach.

    One man looked to be in his twenties. His face was handsome, and his expression was stern. He looked like stone carved into a man, hard and unyielding.

    The other person looked to be in his forties. Tall and slender, his looks were far softerpared to hispatriot. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was wearing a set of silver armor, they might have mistaken him for a gentle schr.

    The man¡¯s words instantly shattered that impression though. ¡°You think a piece of garbage like you deserves toy your hands on the Dark Overlord Token?!¡±

    ¡°Xu Xiu...! Are you going to stand in the way of my fortune?¡± Haze¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, but also a hint of fear.

    ¡°So what if I am?¡± the man sneered from horseback. ¡°I can crush a piece of garbage like you with one hand. Whatcha gonna do about it?¡±

    ¡°You...!¡± Haze choked, but he couldn¡¯t say a thing in retort. He could only re at Xu Xiu hatefully yet impotently.

    ¡°Your demeanor fits your stature, Northern Spear King Xu Xiu. Unfortunately, we are no longer in Northern Xinjiang.¡±

    A cold chuckle broke out from somewhere, and the shadows on the ground began stirring unnaturally.

 Chapter 689: Blood Drenched Sand

    <h4>Chapter 689: Blood Drenched Sand </h4>

    ¡°You will speak to me face to face, coward!¡±

    Xu Xiu reached out, and the silver spear on the ground rang loudly before flying back to themander¡¯s hand. While grabbing the spear in a reverse grip, he stabbed the shadow behind his back with bloodshot eyes.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ground within tens of meters of the man copsed a single inch before dissolving into fine powder.

    At the same time, a ck shadow removed itself from Xu Xiu¡¯s shadow and floated in the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows!¡± Xu Xiu glowed bright red in an instant, and his bloodthirst grew so thick it was practically tangible. ¡°You dare show your face before me?!¡±

    In the sky, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows scoffed, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I? For what reason do I have to fear you when even your troops of tens of thousands could not harm me?¡±

    Sakyamuni was insulting Xu Xiu the same way he had insulted Haze. However, Xu Xiu was nothing like Haze. Although Haze was a Grandmaster, he was a weakling who wasn¡¯t strong enough to enter the Human Champions Ranking. Not only that, he was a nobody and a coward who did not have the courage to stand up to Xu Xiu.

    Xu Xiu was different. Background wise, Myriad Shadows was one of the four Sakyamunis of the Way of Taiping, and Xu Xiu was the battalionmander of the Silver Spears, a famous battalion in Northern Xinjiang. Myriad Shadows was backed by the Way of Taiping, whereas he was protected by Chu¡¯s border army.

    In terms of individual strength, Myriad Shadows was an elite Grandmaster and the thirtieth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, whereas Xu Xiu was the fifty-first. Although Myriad Shadows was stronger than Xu Xiu in terms of cultivation level, Xu Xiu was a member of the border army and exceptionally talented in the art of killing. Not only that, Xu Xiu was moremonly known especially among his enemies as ¡°Madman Xu¡±. It was because he fought like an actual madman when he engaged in battle, and he wouldn¡¯t stop fighting until one side was dead. The ¡°Mad Demon Spear¡± he invented was such that even some seniors and elites avoided him like the gue.

    That was why many warriors were unwilling to fight Xu Xiu even though they were stronger than him. After all, who in their right mind would provoke a madman if they could help it?

    Maybe it was because Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows was supremely confident in his power, or maybe he had other tricks up his sleeves. In any case, he had done the unthinkable: he had ruffled the tiger¡¯s hair. As a result, Xu Xiu immediately grabbed his spear and shed against Myriad Shadows.

    Dark Overlord Token? Secret of the Death Sea? Xu Xiu shoved it all into the deep recesses of his mind. Right now, he had one and only one goal, and that was to end Sakyamuni Myriad Shadow¡¯s life.

    <i>Boooooooom!</i>

    The world turned upside down as spear lights and shadows shed against one another. They were both named Grandmasters on the Earth Champions Ranking, so the impacts of their battle were terrifying to say the least. Forget the weaker warriors, even Blood Rakshasa and Soul Seeker had turned as pale as a sheet.

    The fight between the two men had also raised the curtain of a most bloody prologue. The sandy ground beneath one man¡¯s feet suddenly became as soft as mud and devoured him in an instant. A muffled grunt leaked out of the hole, and crimson blood slowly seeped out of the sand.

    A woman was staring at the craziness happening all around her in shock when Haze enveloped her in a cloud of haze. When her bloodcurdling screams finally faded, and the haze dissipated into nothing, all that was left on the ground was a pile of bones.

    ¡°RUUUUUNNNNN!!!¡±

    It was impossible to say who was the one who shouted amidst the chaos. However, not a single person hesitated as they scattered in every direction like rabbits.

    On his white horse, Xu Rulin[1] swung his spear horizontally and picked two runaways off the ground. A series of thrustster, the two men broke into many, many pieces.

    Right before the two Nature¡¯s Shells wouldnd in Xu Rulin¡¯s hand though, a withered, severed hand flew out of seemingly nowhere and caught them first. A mouth opened on the hand¡¯s palm and cackled,

    ¡°These tokens are mine, boy!¡±

    It then shot into the distance like an arrow.

    ¡°Suicidal fool!¡±

    Murder crinkled between Xu Rulin¡¯s eyebrows as he lifted his spear and attacked the withered hand. Surprisingly, the hand responded by unleashing an exquisite palm art that was as torrential as a river, ceaseless like the rain, and unpredictable as the shadows. As a result, the one man and one hand were locked in a temporary stalemate.

    Those hiding in the shadows too jumped out of their hiding spots and began fighting for the Dark Overlord Token as well.

    There was an old man covered in liver mortis exhaling a puff of murky air that turned a warrior into a pool of disgusting fluid.

    There was a beamingdy who disemboweled another warrior with a single finger.

    A young man with androgynous features let out a seductive chuckle and caused someone to suddenly bleed from every orifice until they died.

    A woman carrying a coffin on her back raised the coffin with one hand and ttened one man like a pancake.

    A fat monk who wore his robes so loosely it was a miracle it hadn¡¯t fallen right off his shoulders ripped a poor woman into two.

    A strange man with a tiger¡¯s head and scarlet eyes bit into a man¡¯s neck and ripped off his head.

    ......

    It wasn¡¯t long before the former owners of the Dark Overlord Token werepletely ughtered.

    Those who arrivedte or weren¡¯t fortunate enough to seize a Dark Overlord Token during the first round began attacking the robbers. Even more people were flooding in from every direction since the word had spread like wildfire.

    Even the likes of Zhang Lingyang, Blood Rakshasa, Soul Seeker, Haze and more were forced to fight again and again.

    At some point, nearly everyone had lost their heads to the bloodlust. They started killing indiscriminately whether or not they had already gotten a Dark Overlord Token.

    What was once a lifeless wastnd had transformed into a living hell where greed and human nature reigned supreme.

    While all this was going on, the dark blue waters of the Death Sea stirred restlessly, and the yellow sand of Bei Mo drank the blood of both living and dead with unbridled greed.

    The heads rolled like tumbleweeds, the blood ran like a river, the bodies littered the ground, and the souls filled the sky.

    ......

    Ye Qing had no idea about the bloody massacre that was happening outside the Death Sea. Even if he did, he couldn¡¯t afford to spare it any attention.

    After all, he was submerged inside the Death Sea right now.

    The Death Sea did not seem to possess any buoyancy whatsoever. He kept sinking the moment he plunged into the waters[2].

    The Death Sea was sky blue without a trace of impurities in it. This was a bad thing because it also meant that he was submerged in pure, unadulterated death qi, and its concentration only increased the deeper he sank. It was easily several times, no, dozens of times thicker and deadlier than it was outside.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the death qi was turning skin and flesh sky blue just like the Death Sea, and the deeper he sank, the greater the pressure became. If he was a weaker man than he was, his internal organs might have ruptured and killed him already.

    If this was all the dangers the Death Sea posed, it would¡¯ve been fine. However, he quickly discovered that there was no oxygen inside the Death Sea; not even a little. With his body strength, he could endure a little over two hours without oxygen. However, it had been almost an hour since he entered the Death Sea. Even now, he still hadn¡¯t found the sea bottom, or more urately, the sea ¡°ceiling¡±. How much longer must he remain in the Death Sea until he found something¡ªif he found anything at all?

    Right now, he had two options. One, he could turn around and swim back to the ground. He definitely had enough time to make it back. He would survive, but he would most likely miss the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance as a result.

    Two, he could continue his journey until he passed the point where he <i>definitely </i>could not turn back. Again, the option had its pros and cons. The pro: he would find the mysterious ce where the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance supposedly resided. The con: he might never find that ce and drown inside the Death Sea.

    The first option was obviously the safest option, but it also meant giving up on this opportunity.

    The second option was highly risky in the sense there was no guarantee he would seed. Considering the seemingly bottomless depths of the Death Sea, it was entirely possible that he might run out of breath and drown before he found anything.

    Ye Qing quickly arrived at a decision. He decided to continue.

    He was already here. This was what he had been striving for for the past few months. He had no intention of giving up until the very end.

    Sure, there was a good chance he might fail and die here. Even if he found the ce, he would just be at the starting line of a most perilous journey.

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing mustered his courage and swam deeper into the waters.

    ......

    Time passed slowly. At some point, his heart and lungs felt like they were on fire, and his chest felt like it might explode. It was because he wascking oxygen.

    Ye Qing knew full well that he was approaching his limit. If he didn¡¯t find the ce where the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance resided soon, he was going to die.

    He couldn¡¯t turn back, however. It was far toote for that. His only option was to go forward.

    1. The crazy spear guy who fought until he was too injured to advance further during the Hidden Dragon Meet ?

    2. So like, I feel like the author forgot that the sea is above, so if he¡¯s ¡°sinking¡± upward, that technically means that the buoyancy is lifting him, right? But well, maybe I¡¯m interpreting this wrongly. ?

 Chapter 690: Giant Tortoise

    <h4>Chapter 690: Giant Tortoise </h4>

    Ye Qing forced down his fear and steeled his heart. Then, he continued to press forward.

    Some timeter, Ye Qing suddenly caught what looked like an outline of something at the distance. A humanoid silhouette to be exact.

    Ye Qing perked up. He hadn¡¯t seen a goddamn thing since he entered the Death Sea until now, so this was a fantastic sign. This meant that he was close to something¡ªmost likely the way out.

    Even if that wasn¡¯t the case¡ªeven if the silhouette turned out to be one of the warriors who entered the Death Sea¡ªit was fine either. At this point, he would take something rather than nothing at all.

    Ye Qing realized that the silhouette wasn¡¯t a human when he got close to it though. It was a stone sculpture.

    Whoever carved the stone sculpture must be incredibly skilled as it looked identical to a human in every way. The only difference was that it was made of stone, and it was sky blue color and gleaming like a piece of jade probably because of the Death Sea.

    Strangely, the stone sculpture wasn¡¯t sinking upward. Instead, it was floating toward a certain direction.

    The Death Sea¡¯s water had next to no buoyancy, and this sculpture looked pretty heavy. It should¡¯ve sunk to the ¡°bottom¡± per se. Instead, it was floating sideways toward somewhere.

    A moment of hesitationter, Ye Qing decided to follow the stone sculpture.

    The stone sculpture floated surprisingly quickly. A whileter, Ye Qing saw more stone sculptures in the distance. The further he traveled, the greater their numbers became.

    At first, there were only three. Then, their numbers grew to five, ten, a hundred, a thousand. It wasn¡¯t long before his entire field of vision was filled with the stone sculptures.

    Not all of the stone sculptures were intact. Some were missing an arm, some were missing a head, and some were missing an entire half of their body.

    Even stranger was the fact that all of the stone sculptures were floating in the same direction.

    As the only human being of the group, Ye Qing could not help but feel a little chill down his spine.

    He continued to swim in the direction the stone sculptures were floating for about a teatime or so. At this point, his chest was hurting so bad it felt like it might rip itself apart, his head was pounding like someone was hitting it with a jackhammer, and even his consciousness was growing blurrier and blurrier.

    He was starting to suspect that he might have made the wrong choice to follow the stone sculptures.

    He did not regret making that decision though. It was literally the only viable option at the time.

    The only thing he could do now was to stick with his decision until the end.

    Ye Qing massaged his forehead not just to keep himself awake, but also spread his demonic thought in waves. His eyes weren¡¯t a reliable sensory organ when all he could see was stone sculptures.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    He was just about to fall into despair when suddenly, his demonic thought picked up something gigantic.

    It felt like a mountain. A humongous mountain.

    Perking up, Ye Qing did not hesitate to swim toward the mountain at full speed.

    It was a long and painful process, but eventually, the mountain came into view.

    From a distance, the mountain looked just like any other mountain. But the closer he got, the more he realized just how insanely huge it was.

    The mountain was floating inside the Death Sea, but for some reason, it also felt like it was existing in a different space. He also couldn¡¯t catch a full view of the mountain because it was shrouded by clouds.

    What stole Ye Qing¡¯s breath away wasn¡¯t the mountain, however. It was the giant tortoise crouching underneath the mountain.

    No, that wasn¡¯t quite right. The giant tortoise was the one carrying the mountain.

    The mountain was massive, butpared to the tortoise? It was almost puny.

    The giant tortoise had limbs that looked like the pirs that held up the sky, a shell that looked like a continent in its own right, a head like a mountain that pierced the heavens, and a body that stretched from end to end. Hells, it felt like the Death Sea was barely big enough to amodate it!

    ¡°Is that... an Oathbearer?!¡±

    Besides its unbelievable size, one of the reasons Ye Qing was so shocked was because it looked very simr to the Oathbearer in that they were both ludicrously massive and boundless. The difference was that the Oathbearer he knew carried countless steles on its back, whereas this one was carrying a mountain.

    He could almost imagine this tortoise roaming the universe with the mountain on its back.

    Unfortunately, the giant tortoise was long dead. He knew this because it was leaking an unimaginable amount of death qi into the surroundings. In fact, the dead Oathbearer might very well be the source of the death qi of the Death Sea.

    That wasn¡¯t all. He could also sense a deep sorrow from it. It was impossible to say if it was sorrow toward its own death, mourning toward the deceased, yearning for the infinite universe and its myriad beings, or all of the above.

    Its lingering frustration and sorrow were such that tears were leaking out of Ye Qing¡¯s eyes before he knew it.

    Besides the mountain and the tortoise, there was one more thing that caught his attention: the stone sculptures.

    The stone sculptures were all floating horizontally with their heads pointed toward the tortoise and the mountain. It felt like they were devote worshipers prostrating themselves before their god.

    <i>Could this mountain be the ce where the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance resides?</i>

    Ye Qing quickly made the connection. A few seconds of thinkingter, he swam resolutely toward the mountain.

    He did not have a choice. He was moments away from running out of breath now. Even if the mountain had nothing to do with the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance, even if it turned out to be one giant death trap, he had to get there no matter what.

    It was do or die.

    Unfortunately, he quickly realized that entering the mountain wasn¡¯t as simple as he thought.

    For one, the giant tortoise was leaking an insane amount of death qi. It was easily a hundred times thicker than the death qi he felt when he initially entered the Death Sea. A single speck of it was enough to kill an ordinary person upon contact.

    That wasn¡¯t the problem though. The death qi was bad, but it was still within his limits of endurance. The real problem was that, at some point, he was unable to get closer to the mountain no matter what. It was as if there was an invisible boundary separating him and the mountain, or some sort of magic that increased the distance between him and the mountain from one to infinity.

    <i>What should I do?</i>

    <i>If I don¡¯t enter the mountain soon, I¡¯m going to run out of breath and die here!</i>

    Despite the fatal crisis he was in, Ye Qing remained as calm and collected as a machine. He did not allow his panic or his physical pain to affect his thoughts.

    <i>Wait. The Dark Overlord Token!</i>

    It was at this moment Ye Qing recalled the Dark Overlord Token. Without hesitation, he immediately pulled it out of his Nature¡¯s Shell.

    As soon as the Dark Overlord Token entered his palm, the blurry, almost illusory mountain abruptly became as clear as crystal. Suddenly, he knew that with absolute certainty that it was no longer out of his reach.

    It was a feeling that couldn¡¯t be described with words. All he knew was that he was no longer impeded when the Dark Overlord Token was in his hands. It wasn¡¯t long before he reached the mountain, took one step forward and¡ª

    His vision turned white, and he felt the world turning upside down. For a moment, hepletely lost his grip on his surroundings. It felt as if he was entering a different spacetime.

    Thankfully, the vertigo onlysted for an instant. When his vision returned to normal, Ye Qing realized that he was no longer swimming inside the Death Sea. Instead, he was standing in the middle of a paddy field.

    ¡°I got in?¡±

    Ye Qing scanned his surroundings for a moment. The sky was perfectly blue and clear like a mirror, the air was clean and refreshing, and the paddy field he was standing at stretched as far as the eyes could see.

    Every single wheat in the paddy field was golden yellow in color. The ear of the wheat was round, wholesome, and overflowing with spiritual qi. When a cool breeze swept through the paddy field, a refreshing scent filled his nostrils, and the paddy field rippled like a golden sea.

    Ye Qing could tell at first nce that the wheat growing in this paddy field was extraordinary. Every single wheat was equal to a hundred year spirit herb in the outside world, and this paddy field was so big that he literally couldn¡¯t see the end of it.

    If he had to estimate its value, he would say that it was worth one or two cities at least. Maybe more.

    What really surprised Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the wheats though, extraordinary as they were. It was the fact that the paddy field was perfectly square and tidy, which was nothing like what a natural paddy field would look like. No, this paddy field looked like it was managed by someone, which meant that there might be living people in the area.

    When the thought urred to him, Ye Qing narrowed his eyes and spread his demonic thought far and wide.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t able to find anyone.

 Chapter 691: Unusual Paddy Field

    Ye Qing took a moment to consider his next step. Then, he chose a random direction, carefully pushed the wheats aside, and walked along the clearing, all the while making sure that he did not identally trample the nts.

    Although he hadn¡¯t sensed any danger or anomalies from the paddy field, that was no reason for him to lower his guard and act as he pleased. He did not try to harvest or trample the wheat either.

    No amount of caution was too much in a ce like this.

    ¡°Scarecrows¡­¡±

    A short walkter, Ye Qing noted that there were a lot of scarecrows in the paddy field; one per square to be exact.

    Just like the paddy field, the scarecrows felt ordinary to his senses. And yet, his instincts were telling him that there was something strange about them. Exactly what it was, he couldn¡¯t identify it as of now.

    ¡°Hahaha, I finally¡ªwhat the¡­ is this a spirit field? Look at all these spirit wheats!¡±

    It was at this moment three presences suddenly appeared in the paddy field. Clearly, they had been teleported inside just like him.

    They were two men and one woman. The older man looked to be in his sixties and carried a luopan and a ruler around his waist. His wizened, weather-beaten face and dirty rags gave him a lethargic appearance.The younger man looked to be in his thirties. He had a slender body, a thief¡¯s eyebrows and a mouse¡¯s eyes. Out of all his features, his arms were the most eye-catching of them all. They were so long that they stretched past his knees, and he had six fingers on each hand. Each finger was as clean as jade and as slender as leek. For whatever reason, his fingers looked prettier and nimbler than even the fingers of a woman in her prime.

    He was also the one who spoke up just now.

    The woman wore a red scarf and a red martial outfit. Her skin was darker and more rugged than normal, but that gave her a valiant and formidable-looking appearance that was unique to the women of the north.

    ¡°This ce is overflowing with spiritual qi, but I also sense hidden danger and inauspiciousness. I know what you¡¯re thinking, Six Fingers, but stay cautious and keep your hands to yourself,¡± the old man noticed the restless look on the middle-aged man¡¯s face and warned.

    ¡°Rx. I understand.¡±

    The middle-aged man, Six Fingers answered before eyeing the woman. However, at least one of his eyes was constantly eyeing the spirit wheats with greed.

    The old man turned to the woman next and saluted her. ¡°I am Pedant Earth, and this is Six Fingers. May we know your name, miss?¡±

    ¡°Pedant Earth and Six Fingers! Your fame spreads far and wide.¡±

    The woman returned the salute and answered, ¡°I am Shangguan Hongjin. Well met, you two.¡±

    Pedant Earth and Six Fingers were a pair of famous tomb raiders in Mo Bei. The name of their upation sounded pretty cool, but they weren¡¯t much different from a Mountain Bearing Raider or a grave robber. They all profiteered from a dead man¡¯s treasures.

    Pedant Earth was an expert in fengshui, weather divination and astrology. His role was to check the fengshui of a ce, foretell the weather and divine meaning from the stars. Six Fingers was born with twelve very nimble fingers, and he was a master in lockpicking and neutralizing traps. He also acted as the scout of their little group.

    In ancient times, Mo Bei used to be a country. That was why there were a lot of ancient cities and massive tombs in the region. The duo had plundered many such tombs until they naturally became famous for their exploits.

    It should not need to be said, but the dangers lurking in these ancient cities and tombs were no joke. The fact that they managed to profit from these ventures long enough to make a name for themselves proved that they were skilled warriors.

    Grave robbing was generally believed to be an immoral way of living, but the duo usually robbed ownerless cities and tombs only. That was why their reputation was better than most of their peers¡ªnot that a pair of grave robbers could ever hope to have a good reputation, of course.

    ¡°Oh! You¡¯re Shangguan Hongjin, leader of the Flying Red Scarf? Do forgive my impertinence!¡± Pedant Earth eximed in surprise. Even Six Fingers temporarily looked away from the spirit wheats and gave the woman his full attention.

    The Flying Red Scarf was a famous Lulin[1] force that operated in the borders of Yan. They were famous for two reasons. One, the Flying Red Scarf was a band of heroic ouws who performed many good deeds such as robbing the rich to support the poor, eliminating evil people or Strangers and more. They enjoyed an extremely good reputation because of this. Second, they had a female leader who was heroic, generous, loyal, principled, and strong.

    Shangguan Hongjin was a very famous person, but this was the first time they saw her in person.

    ¡°All meetings are destiny, and this is a dangerous ce. If you don¡¯t mind, would you like to join us for this venture? There is strength in numbers, no?¡± Pedant Earth suggested.

    Although Shangguan Hongjin was a Half-Step Grandmaster just like them, Pedant Earth still desired her cooperation. For one, there was strength in numbers. Second, he and Six Fingers were not thebative type of half-step Grandmasters. In a head-on sh, they might not be able to defeat Shangguan Hongjin even if they fought her two on one. That was why he wanted to recruit her. Her strength would definitely prove valuable in their survival.

    ¡°Very well.¡± Shangguan Hongjin agreed after a moment¡¯s thought. ¡°I look forward to our partnership.¡±

    The reason Shangguan Hongjin agreed to Pedant Earth¡¯s offer was equally simple. One, the two men enjoyed a fair reputation despite digging graves for a living. And two, she was confident she would be able to handle anything they might throw at her should they betray her.

    ¡°So do I, Miss Shangguan.¡± Pedant Earth smiled.

    ¡°What do we do now, Pedant Earth?¡± Six Fingers asked. ¡°Do we start walking, or?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Allow me to observe our surroundings first,¡± Pedant Earth said while grabbing a handful of dark, yin-rich soil from his bag. Then, he put it into his mouth and chewed slowly.

    A short whileter, Pedant Earth abruptly spat out the earth he ate. The bits and pieces of earth immediately transformed into dozens of infant-sized birds and scattered in every direction.

    A dozen or so breathster, Pedant Earth slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°So? Did you find anything?¡± Six Fingers asked.

    ¡°No. I found nothing at all.¡± Pedant Earth shook his head seriously. ¡°Something feels wrong about this ce though.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s a good thing that you didn¡¯t find anything, isn¡¯t it?¡± Six Fingers asked.

    ¡°It is precisely because I didn¡¯t find anything that I¡¯m wary,¡± Pedant Earth replied with a frown. ¡°In any case, I don¡¯t see a reason to remain at this paddy field, so I suggest that we leave immediately. What do you think, Miss Shangguan?¡±

    ¡°I agree that this ce feels off, so yes, let us be gone.¡± Shangguan Hongjin offered, ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Be careful, Miss Shangguan,¡± Pedant Earth said.

    With that, Shangguan Hongjin took the lead, and Pedant Earth and Six Fingers fell behind her. They formed a triangle as they made their way forward.

    At first, the trio were careful to avoid damaging or trampling over the spirit wheat. However, nothing happened as they slowly navigated through the paddy field, so they slowly but surely rxed their guard.

    Some timeter, Pedant Earth suddenly looked at Six Fingers and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Six Fingers?¡±

    ¡°Nothing?¡± Six Fingers shook his head while scratching his elbow.

    ¡°Really? You¡¯ve been scratching yourself non-stop since a while ago. Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Pedant Earth raised a dubious eyebrow.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure why, but I¡¯ve been feeling itchy here and there. It¡¯s fine though!¡± Six Fingers waved him off and said, ¡°Let us be off.¡±

    Since Six Fingers insisted that he was fine, Pedant Earth let it go, and the trio resumed their journey.

    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before Pedant Earth stopped in his tracks again. It was because Six Fingers¡¯ scratching had not stopped for even a moment since theirst talk. If anything, his movements were growing more and more aggressive.

    ¡°Six Fingers, what the hell is going on?¡± Pedant Earth walked up to Six Fingers with a deep frown on his face.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m itching all over! It¡¯s really bad!¡± Six Fingers replied while still scratching himself. It eventually got to the point where he was drawing blood with each scratch.

    ¡°Stop moving!¡± Suddenly, Pedant Earth grabbed Six Fingers¡¯ arm and ordered seriously.

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± Six Fingers asked and stopped moving, though he squirmed here and there due to how itchy he was. The sensation was horribly ufortable.

    ¡°Your wounds¡­ they¡¯re¡­¡± Pedant Earth muttered while staring at the scratch marks covering Six Fingers¡¯ arms and neck. His eyes widened like he just saw something horrifying.

    Beside them, Shangguan Hongjin was wearing a serious look as well.

    1. Reminder, but Lulin is an agrarian rebellion movement. ?

 Chapter 692: Scarecrows

    ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Six Fingers uttered through gritted teeth, his face contorting because he was beginning to itch inside his mouth and throat as well. ¡°Just tell me already!¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ I see wheat inside your wounds!¡± Pedant Earth said seriously.

    ¡°Wheat? What wheat?¡± Six Fingers forcibly ignored his itch for the moment and looked at one of the bloody scratch marks on his elbow. To his shock and horror, he saw wheats peeking out of the wound instead of flesh and blood.

    The blood slowly drained away from Six Fingers¡¯ face. He was so busy scratching his itch just now that he didn¡¯t notice. Gritting his teeth, he ripped off an entire chunk of flesh from his right arm.

    The wound did not bleed profusely as he imagined it would. It was because his blood had been reced by wheat before he knew it.

    ¡°How¡­ How could this be?¡±

    Six Fingers¡¯ eyes widened as he cut another wound on his left arm. Again, there was only wheat.

    ¡°How could this be?!¡±Six Fingers ripped off his own shirt and looked down on himself. There was no mistake. Every wound he had left on his own body was slowly but surely filling up with wheat.

    Yes, the wheat was growing inside his body by the second. As if alive, they were slowly but surely piercing through his skin and taking over his flesh and blood.

    This was why he was itchy all over. The wheat was slowly taking over his flesh and scratching the insides of his body.

    ¡°Am I¡­ Am I turning into a scarecrow?¡±

    When Six Fingers looked into himself, he discovered in greater horror that it wasn¡¯t just his outer flesh that had transformed into wheat. His internal organs, meridians and bodily points had transformed into wheat before he knew it as well.

    ¡°Why is this happening?!¡±

    Panicking, Six Fingers hurriedly channeled his true qi to expel the anomaly only to realize that he couldn¡¯t. After all, his insides had already been reced with wheat. Forget channeling qi, it was a miracle that he was still alive.

    Not giving up yet, Six Fingers produced all sorts of talismans and Strange Artifacts from his Nature¡¯s Shell and tried to cure his condition with them. Unfortunately, nothing was working.

    Pedant Earth hadn¡¯t just been standing there and watching hispanion transforming into a scarecrow, of course. He too was pulling all sorts of healing, blessing, exorcism, or protection pills, talismans and Strange Artifacts in hopes of treating Six Fingers, but once again, nothing was working.

    Six Fingers and Pedant Earth might becking in thebat department, but they had decades of experience in dealing with Strangers, Anomalies, and unusual urrences because of their upation. Normally, treating an anomalous condition like this would fall right within their area of expertise. It was inevitable when their job entailed exploring and plundering all sorts of ancient cities and tombs, all crawling with things beyond one¡¯s imagination. Otherwise, they would be dead a long, long time ago.

    However, none of their methods were working right now. Not a single one.

    ¡°Save me, Pedant Earth! Save me!¡±

    At first, Six Fingers was able to keep calm and do his best to treat his condition. But when he tried everything and discovered that he couldn¡¯t even slow down the spread of the wheat, much less treat them, he finally lost his shit. He tried to reach out to Pedant Earth in his despair and panic but realized abruptly that his fingers¡ªthe fingers that were his pride and identity¡ªhad already turned into wheat. They were stiffer than they had ever been in his life.

    In fact, his whole body was stiffer than they had ever been.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡±

    Pedant Earth subconsciously backed away from Six Fingers. His face looked as white as a sheet.

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to save Six Fingers. He had already tried everything, but nothing was working. He hadn¡¯t seen any Stranger or felt any unusual presence either. Even with his vast wealth of knowledge and experience, he had no idea how or what he could do to save Six Fingers.

    ¡°Miss Shangguan¡­¡±

    Pedant Earth looked to Shangguan Hongjin for health, but the woman cut him off before he could continue, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know anything that might save him either. In my opinion, the one and only thing you can do for your friend right now is to kill him and end his misery.¡±

    ¡°Miss¡­¡±<em></em>

    Pedant Earth thought that killing Six Fingers would be missing the point, but before he could say anything, Shangguan Hongjin added, ¡°Never mind. It¡¯s already toote.¡±

    Pedant Earth turned to look at Six Fingers and saw wheat growing out of his neck, face, and skull.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ save¡­ me¡­¡±

    At this point, Six Fingers could barely maintain his consciousness. The light in his eyes was fading, and his voice had be much quieter and raspy than before. Even as he was speaking, wheat was growing out of his mouth, nose, ears, and even eyeballs. It was horrifying to put it mildly.

    A hint of pain and sorrow flickered in Pedant Earth¡¯s eyes. Then, he produced a talisman andunched it at Six Fingers. As soon as the talisman made contact with the man¡¯s body, it burst into mes and engulfed him in ferocious crimson mes that purified all evil.

    He had worked together with Six Fingers for many years. While he could not say that he would die for the man, they were close enough that it pained him to have to kill him. However, it was worse to have to witness Six Fingers sumbing into pain and despair as he slowly but surely transformed into a scarecrow. As Shangguan Hongjin said, the only thing he could do to help his longtimepanion now was to end his misery as soon as possible. That was why he ultimately steeled himself to do the worst.

    On another note, he also suspected that Six Fingers¡¯ transformation was caused by some sort of Stranger. He might not be able to locate it, but assuming that it was possessing Six Fingers right now, he could certainly try to expose it or better, burn it to death.

    The talisman he used to burn Six Fingers was no ordinary attack talisman. Created from a blend of Nine Yang Cinnabar, nine-years-old cock blood, nine-years-old virgin boy piss, Nine Fire Sandpaper and other objects of supreme yang, the Nine Yang Talisman was one of the strongest talismans he could afford to purify evil and repel devilry.

    Unfortunately, almost as soon as the mes had engulfed Six Fingers, it abruptly went out as if it was snuffed out by some sort of power. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin discovered in shock that Six Fingers wasn¡¯t burned in the slightest.

    Logically speaking, wheat was extremely mmable and would catch on fire with the slightest spark, much less the Nine Yang Talisman, which was hot enough to melt even metal and stone like snow. In reality, the Nine Yang Talisman had failed to damage the wheat even a little. It was unusual to say the least.

    A few breaths after the me went out, Six Fingers fully transformed into a scarecrow. He had no heartbeat, no breathing, and no life force. If they hadn¡¯t witnessed his transformation with their own eyes, they would have believed that he was a scarecrow from the beginning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that this scarecrow looks a little familiar?¡± Shangguan Hongjin said suddenly.

    ¡°What?¡± Pedant Earth jolted out of his shock and sorrow and asked instinctively.

    Instead of rifying her meaning, Shangguan Hongjin muttered to herself, ¡°Scarecrow? Yes, a scarecrow.¡±

    Pedant Earth frowned in confusion. Thankfully, Shangguan Hongjin did not keep him in suspense any longer and exined, ¡°Do you remember the scarecrows we saw earlier? Don¡¯t you think they look just like Six Fingers?¡±

    ¡°Scarecrow?¡±

    Pedant Earth recalled the scarecrows they saw on the way as his expression slowly turned ugly. ¡°Could it be¡­¡±

    Pedant Earth didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but Shangguan Hongjin could guess what he was trying to say. After all, she was thinking the exact same thing.

    Could it be that the scarecrows they saw earlier used to be human like Six Fingers?

    Was <em>every scarecrow </em>on this paddy field formerly a human?

    Both warriors gradually turned pale when they possibility urred to them.

 Chapter 693: Ye Qingâ€™s Plan

    <h4>Chapter 693: Ye Qing¡¯s n </h4>

    Assuming that their fears were reality, assuming that every scarecrow was formerly a human, then something terrible must be lurking in this paddy field.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave immediately,¡± Shangguan Hongjin dered.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    Pedant Earth shot Six Fingers a nce, sighed, and got ready to leave.

    This was no time to be hesitant. The sooner they left this dangerous ce, the better.

    However, a voice entered their ears before they could take a single step. ¡°You better not step on the wheat and damage them.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?!¡±

    Pedant Earth was already like a startled bird ready to take flight at the slightest noise due to the horror that overtook hispanion. As soon as he heard the unfamiliar voice, he shivered and subconsciously tried to back away from the source.

    The next moment, he felt a hand grabbing his shoulder and keeping him in ce.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin asked as she looked behind Pedant Earth. A young man had appeared out of seemingly nowhere and grabbed the old man before she could do anything. Her expression hardening into steel, she draped her hand loosely over the hilt of her sabers and gathered her energies. If the young man tried anything, then she would act immediately.

    ¡°Who... who are you, scion?¡±

    Cold sweat poured down Pedant Earth¡¯s forehead as he kept as still as possible, not daring to draw even a big breath. He could feel the strengthing from the hand grabbing his shoulder. Like a mountain, it pinned him in ce and even choked out his spirit and energies.

    He might not be a good directbatant, but that didn¡¯t mean he was weak in the slightest. In fact, he possessed an outstanding spirit and energy sense thanks to his unique area of expertise. In fact, he was better than many Grandmasters in terms of danger sense.

    However, he hadn¡¯t detected any unusual change in the air from the start until the end. He never noticed when or how the young man had appeared behind his back until it was toote. This could not have been possible unless his opponent far outssed him.

    That was why he didn¡¯t dare to move a muscle, much less plot a retaliation.

    ¡°Calm down, you two. I bear no ill will toward you.¡± A clear chuckle rang behind Pedant Earth. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Joyless Ye.¡±

    The young man was, of course, Ye Qing. He meant to assuage the duo with his words, but they only grew more wary and nervous.

    ¡°Rx. If I wanted to kill you both, I would¡¯ve done so already. There is no need for me to wait, is there?¡±

    Ye Qing loosened his grip on Pedant Earth¡¯s shoulder. As soon as he regained control of his body, the old man immediately tried to dodge sideways. However, he was just starting to channel his energy when a weight settled down on his shoulder and crushed his resistance once more.

    Seeing this, Shangguan Hongjin pulled her sabers half an inch out of their hilt; the cold gleam of the des a clear warning of her intent.

    ¡°Calm down. I was just saving his life.¡±

    Ye Qing exined to Shangguan Hongjin before looking down on Pedant Earth once more. ¡°I¡¯m going to let you go, but for heavens¡¯ sake, steer clear from the wheat. Otherwise, not even an almighty god would be able to save your life, understand?¡±

    Ye Qing let go of Pedant Earth after he gave an affirmative response, and this time, the old man did not try to dash off like a rabbit. Instead, he carefully set his foot on an empty clearing and strode away.

    When Pedant Earth confirmed that Ye Qing did not try to restrain him a third time, he finally let out a sigh of relief and believed Ye Qing¡¯s im that he did not mean any ill will.

    Shangguan Hongjin too sheathed her sabers¡ªthough the wariness in her eyes remained strong¡ªand asked, ¡°Why did you tell us to steer clear of the wheat, warrior?¡±

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°That is because I believe that anyone who tramples or damages the wheat would transform into a scarecrow.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Pedant Earth eximed in shock, ¡°Are you saying that Six Fingers transformed into a scarecrow because he damaged these wheat?¡±

    ¡°Most likely!¡± Ye Qing nodded affirmatively.

    ¡°And what makes you say that?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked.

    ¡°Because both of you are fine, while your friend is not.¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°Earlier, I saw him trampling over the wheat and stealing some of them while you weren¡¯t looking.¡±

    ¡°Let me get this straight: You¡¯re saying that Six Fingers transformed into a scarecrow because he trampled over the wheat and stole them?¡±

    Pedant Earth believed Ye Qing¡¯s words instantly. ¡°Damn it all! I told him to be careful and keep his hands to himself! Just why won¡¯t he listen to me?!¡±

    ¡°The fool! The fool!¡±

    He had worked together with Six Fingers for many years, so he was well aware of the man¡¯s vices. Six Fingers was a selfish, greedy man who, during their expeditions together, had identally triggered some traps or alerted some enemies because he just couldn¡¯t control himself. However, they had always been able to neutralize or survive the dangers they encountered.

    Maybe it was because surviving those close encounters gave Six Fingers a false sense of confidence, or maybe he was just a selfish, greedy bastard. Pedant Earth thought for sure that Six Fingers would be able to control himself this time¡ªthis ce was unlike any city or tomb they had ever explored after all¡ªbut in the end, he sumbed to his vices and paid the ultimate price.

    Six Fingers had no one but himself to me.

    Pedant Earth was both angry at Six Fingers¡¯ foolishness and relieved that he wasn¡¯t as selfish, greedy, and careless as he was. If he had sumbed to his greed, or if he was careless enough to trample over the wheat, then he would be dead just like Six Fingers.

    ¡°I see. You¡¯ve been following us from the beginning.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on Six Fingers¡¯ fate, however. A hint of scorn entered her eyes as she spoke, ¡°You were using us to scout out the dangers of this ce, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing replied without batting an eyelid, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say, miss.¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to admit that that was exactly what he did, of course. This ce was obviously dangerous, and he had no intentions of risking his own hide if he could help it. Since the heavens were kind enough to give him three fodders, why wouldn¡¯t he use them to sweep thendmines so to speak? That was how he discovered Six Fingers¡¯ crime and punishment and the true danger of this paddy field, wasn¡¯t it?

    Of course, he was well aware that his action wasn¡¯t very moral, which was why he appeared to warn Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth. Pragmatically speaking, it also made no sense to waste their lives on a danger he already knew about. This was just the starting line, and he was sure that their strength¡ªor, if the situation called for it, their lives¡ªcould prove useful further down the line.

    Finally, he was worried that allowing these two to trample over the wheat wantonly might awaken a worse danger. It was one thing if he wasn¡¯t dragged into their mess, but if he was, then he would only have himself to me, wouldn¡¯t it?

    That was why he showed himself and lent them a hand. Not that he was going to admit that he was using them, of course.

    ¡°Regardless of your intentions, it is the truth that you saved our lives.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin gave Ye Qing a nod and dered candidly, ¡°I, Shangguan Hongjin, am not one to mix up resentment and kindness. You saved my life, so I will repay the favor one day.¡±

    Ye Qing could not help but shoot her a look of surprise. He could feel that she was telling the truth. She wasn¡¯t lying to his face or putting on a show for the sake of it.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Thank for saving our lives, warrior.¡±

    Pedant Earth also thanked him, though it was clear that his thanks was much less sincere than Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s.

    Ye Qing saluted them. ¡°You¡¯re wee, Miss Shangguan, senior, but I just happened to be at the right ce at the right time. You don¡¯t need to take it to heart.¡±

    Pedant Earth hurriedly corrected him, ¡°Heavens above, please do <i>not </i>call me senior. My name is Pedant Earth. Just address me by my name.¡±

    ¡°Will you two stop arguing over pointless stuff already? We¡¯re still in danger here. You can talk all you want after we leave this ce behind,¡± Shangguan Hongjin said impatiently when she noticed that the duo¡¯s conversation was showing no signs of ending.

    ¡°Miss Shangguan is right. Let us begone before anything else happens.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Allow me to take the front!¡±

    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll take the lead, the two of you can cover my back.¡± Shangguan Hongjin waved him off while walking to the front.

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows again. This woman really was as brave and forthright as most men, if not better.

 Chapter 694: Abandoned Village, Dead Bones

    <h4>Chapter 694: Abandoned Vige, Dead Bones </h4>

    Thanks to Six Fingers¡¯ deadly demonstration, they were able to figure out the true danger that lurked within the paddy field. Even so, the trio did not dare to rx in the slightest as they slowly and carefully made their way toward the outskirts, all the while avoiding the scarecrows just in case they decided toe to life or something.

    Thankfully, nothing bad happened. An hourter, the trio finally left the paddy field and arrived at a small path.

    Upon arriving at the exit, the trio turned around and stared at the paddy field surrounding the small path on both sides for a moment. The paddy field stretched from end to end, the wheat shone like gleaming gold, and the scarecrows stood out like stars in the night sky. The scenery only looked even more gorgeous when a wind blew across the paddy field and caused the wheat to ripple like a golden sea.

    This would¡¯ve been a scenery to remember if they hadn¡¯t witnessed Six Fingers¡¯ transformation into a scarecrow.

    Well, that wasn¡¯t quite urate. It was a scenery they would remember until they reached the end of their lifespan¡ªjust one that struck fear into their very heart and soul.

    A short whileter, Shangguan Hongjin finally looked away and gazed into the distance. ¡°There¡¯s a vige up ahead. Do you guys want to check it out?¡±

    ¡°Why not? Lead the way.¡±

    Ye Qing had spotted it as well. The vige looked blurry from where they were because it was covered by ayer of mist.

    The small path led straight to the vige. With their speed, it took them almost no time to reach it.

    The vige was located before a cluster of small, green hills and surrounded by a river. It looked beautiful, peaceful, and tranquil. Unfortunately, it was also abandoned as evident from the dpidated houses and overgrown weed surrounding the ce.

    ¡°This vige is surrounded by waters that looked like a blue dragon conferring a blessing upon it, and its rear is covered by a cluster of hills like a man sleeping on a bed of gold and jade. Even the air flows smoothly and vigorously. This is the type of ce you want to build a home at!¡±

    Pedant Earth could not help but praise when he saw the vige, ¡°The vigers must have had strong bodies and excellent rtionships with their friends, family, and neighbors. They must have been blessed with good luck and a longer-than-average lifespan as well. Truly, this is a most auspicious ce!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but it¡¯s still abandoned in the end,¡± Shangguan Hongjin remarked before stepping toward the vige.

    Pedant Earth did not take her detingment to heart. He was too caught up in excitement and interest to be offended right now.

    The vige¡¯s state of disrepair grew even more obvious after they passed through the gates. Everywhere they looked, there was only rubble, weed, and more rubble.

    The vige was pretty huge andid out in an organized manner. Back in its prime, it must have been flourishing and full of people. The paddy field they just left must have belonged to the vigers as well. Considering the excellent fengshui of this vige and the kind of food they ate, it was only natural that the vigers enjoyed a long, happy, and peaceful life.

    Unfortunately, that was all in the past. Now, not a single soul lives in this ce anymore.

    ¡°This vige really had¡ª<i>has</i>¡ªexcellent fengshui. What a shame! What a shame!¡±

    Pedant Earth could not stop shaking his head. ¡°Does anyone care to venture a guess why the vige was abandoned? And where did you think the vigers disappeared to?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably dead,¡± Ye Qing answered after a moment of silence.

    ¡°Dead? And how would you know?¡± Pedant Earth looked surprised.

    Ye Qing walked up to a pile of rubble and stomped the ground lightly. The rubble copsed, and old, yellowish bones were exposed under the sunlight.

    ¡°This is the proof.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that these bones belong to the vigers?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked.

    ¡°Yes, but not all of them.¡± Ye Qing said slowly as he examined the pile of dead bones. ¡°Some of these bones might belong to outsiders.¡±

    ¡°If you look at some of the copsed houses, you might notice that they haven¡¯t copsed naturally. It looked like they were destroyed in a fight. See this? That¡¯s obviously a de mark.¡±

    ¡°Of course, there is the possibility that a civil war had broken out, and the vigers had killed one another. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very likely though.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin nodded. ¡°I agree. Some of these bones have spiritual qi in them. It¡¯s clear that they were powerful warriors when they were still alive.¡±

    Suddenly, Pedant Earth spotted a golden skull amidst the ruins and eximed in surprise, ¡°Wait a second... this is a Buddhist¡¯s Golden Lapis Lazuli Bone!¡±

    The skull was as resplendent as gold and crystal clear likepiszuli. Not even the dirty soil it was buried in could cover up its splendor.

    When a Buddhist monk had cultivated their body to a certain extent and forged a golden body of Buddha, their bones would transform into the so-called Golden Lapis Lazuli Bone. Without exception, any Buddhist monk who sessfully forged a golden body and transformed their bones intopispiszuli was an enlightened monk.

    Therefore, the owner of this Golden Lapis Lazuli Bone must have been quite powerful when he was still alive.

    ¡°Is that... a Dustless Jade Bone?!¡±

    It was at this moment Pedant Earth dug out another bone. It was a hand bone, and it was smooth, wless, and cold like actual jade.

    When a Taoist warrior had reached a certain level, their body would be free of all impurities, and their bones would take on a jade-like quality. That was what they called the Dustless Hade Bone. It was pure and naturally resistant toward most Stranger powers.

    ¡°First, an enlightened Buddhist¡¯s bone, now an enlightened Taoist¡¯s bone...?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose thoughtfully.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Suddenly, a loud boom interrupted his train of thoughts. When he looked, he saw Shangguan Hongjing blowing a pile of rubble and the bones within it away with a palm strike. When the dust settled, he saw a broken sword.

    The broken sword was covered in blood and emanating a terrifying killing intent. As soon as it appeared, its killing intent crushed the dead bones still flying through the air into fine powder.

    Shangguan Hongjin extended an arm, and the broken sword flew into her hand. As soon as she grasped its hilt, the sword began ringing and shaking violently as if it was trying to struggle free, the sword qi it unleashed drawing deep marks on the ground.

    Unfortunately, it was unable to break out of Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s grasp no matter what it tried. Eventually, it settled down.

    ¡°You¡¯ve found quite the treasure, Miss Shangguan. Its sentience is still present, and it is overflowing with sword qi.¡±

    Pedant Earth moved closer to Shangguan Hongjin with bright, curious eyes. ¡°Hmm, it looks like this sword was forged using Taibai Gengjin Metal. It¡¯s definitely a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact¡ªan outstanding one no less¡ªbefore it broke.¡±

    ¡°A shame. If it wasn¡¯t broken, it could have been upgraded into a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact.¡±

    ¡°A shame. A shame.¡±

    Pedant Earth was proving that he was an expert tomb raider without even knowing it. He had more or less identified the material and the ss of the broken sword in one nce.

    ¡°This is mine.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin ignored the covetous look in Pedant Earth¡¯s eyes and threw the broken sword into her Nature¡¯s Shell.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand, Miss Shangguan. I¡¯m just¡ª¡± Pedant Earth was going to exin himself when he was cut off by a sudden burst of energy. They both turned to look and saw Ye Qing stepping out of a half-copsed building while carrying an oilmp with one hand.

    The oilmp was ck and rugged in appearance as if it was forged from stone. It was covered in oil stains and, at first nce, looked no different from an ordinary oilmp.

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth could sense a strange, indescribable energy from it though. It was clear that it was anything but ordinary.

    ¡°It looks like a lot of treasures are buried in this vige,¡± Ye Qingmented while staring at his new spoil.

    Pedant Earth¡¯s eyes lit up at the remark. Without hesitation, he dashed toward the nearest house.

    Shangguan Hongjin also gave Ye Qing a nod before walking off in a different direction. She wasn¡¯t stupid after all.

    Ye Qing did not try to stop them. The entire reason they entered this ce was to seek fortune after all, not to mention that they were strangers who got together purely for the sake of survival. He neither had the right nor the reason to stop them from seeking out their own fortune.

    A few breathster, Pedant Earth emerged from the house with a broken palm-leaf fan in his hand. Judging from the happy look on his face, it was clear that the fan was extraordinary despite its broken state. Ye Qing could tell that the fan had mysterious runes engraved on its surface, and it was constantly surrounded by a gust of yin wind. Its anomalous aura made it clear that it was some sort of Strange Artifact.

    Having scored his first Strange Artifact, Pedant Earth did not hesitate to rush off toward another house. Meanwhile, Shangguan Hongjin walked out of her building with an impressive-looking stone mill in her hand.

    Instead of scouring the ce for treasure like Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin, Ye Qing slowly made his way deeper into the vige. He was also deep in thought.

    So far, all the loot they obtained¡ªbarring the bones, of course¡ªall looked like ordinary household items. They most likely belonged to the vigers.

    Power and wealthe hand in hand. The vigers had been wealthy enough to upy such an excellent location, own a ludicrously vast spirit paddy field, and even use Strange Artifacts as household items. Naturally, they must be powerful warriors in their own right.

    Judging from the bones and the signs of battle, the vigers had most likely been killed by outsiders. This meant that the outsiders were even more powerful than them.

    Unless he was gravely mistaken, the owners of the Golden Lapis Lazuli Bone and the Dustless Jade Bone most likely belonged to the outsiders.

    This brought up a question. Why had these outsiders attacked and killed the vigers?

    Was it because of vengeance?

    Was it because of greed?

    Or was it for something else?

 Chapter 695: My White Hair Spans Farther Than The Horizon

    ¡°... A memorial hall?¡±

    Ye Qing had finally arrived at the vige center when something caught his attention.

    It was a building that was preserved better than most of the houses in the vige. Built out of dark red stones, it was big, tall, and rugged in appearance. A broken, cobweb-covered board hung on top of its dpidated door. He could barely see the word ¡°Hall¡± inscribed on it. That was how he came to the conclusion that the building was a memorial hall.

    The door to the memorial hall was half-open[1]. When he peered through the gap, he could see copsed offering tables, memorial tablets that were scattered all over the ce, and thick, thickyers of dust.

    His demonic thought told him that nothing was wrong with the memorial hall, and yet his heart was heavy with unease and an odd feeling he couldn¡¯t describe.

    <em>What is it? Why am I so uneasy?</em>

    Ye Qing was still trying to identify the source of his difort when a cool breeze blew, and the sound of a bell ringing appeared from above. It sounded both melodious and solemn.

    Ye Qing looked up and found that the ringing wasing from a pair of bronze bells hanging on a corner of the memorial hall. Not only that, it was emitting invisible ripples that contained invisible silhouettes that looked like birds. Their wonderful flight and melodious chirps matched the bell ringing perfectly and formed a musical piece that was both soothing to hear and beautiful to watch.

    ¡°Huh¡­ I can¡¯t believe I almost overlooked it.¡±Ye Qing was surprised. He had, in fact, noticed the bronze bells earlier. However, they were dirty, covered in rust, and seemed perfectly ordinary to his demonic thought. That was why he had glossed over it.

    It wasn¡¯t until the bronze bells revealed its own power that he realized that it was a Strange Artifact. From the looks of it, it was quite the amazing Strange Artifact too.

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. He leaped into the air and grabbed the pair of bronze bells.

    Right before he was about tond, a streak of something ck suddenly appeared behind him and attacked the back of his head.

    The strange object looked like human hair, and it moved soundlessly yet swiftly through the air. An instantter, it skewered Ye Qing without any resistance whatsoever.

    ¡°Hehe. Can¡¯t believe someone could be this unguarded in a dangerous ce like this. What a fool¡­¡±

    On a rooftop not far away from the memorial hall, a thin, small man was lying on the tiles and toying with a clump of hair. The ck object that was about to skewer Ye Qing was, in fact, his hair.

    The man had a head of long, ck hair that any woman would¡¯ve envied. It was ck like tar, long like a waterfall, and soft and smooth like silk. The way it surrounded the man made it look like he was floating on a dark, bottomlesske.

    It was at this moment the man¡¯sughter abruptly cut short. It was because he saw the young man he just skewered fading away into nothing like a mirage.

    Clearly, his assassination attempt had failed.The person he skewered was just an illusion.

    The next moment, the man flinched and turned pale. His ck hair abruptly rolled toward the back and spread out as if a powerful wind was lifting them into the air.

    As the hair floated, they turned harder than steel and sharper than a needle. Then, it stabbed out in every direction like a porcupine shooting its quills.

    However, the man grew even paler. It was because he had suddenly lost sensation of a portion of his hair; the ones directly behind him to be exact. It was as if they had sunk into some sort of unknown space and bepletely cut off from him.

    At the same time, a terrible aura crashed toward him from above.

    With a thought, the man turned his hair back to normal and withdrew them. They immediately wrapped around him and formed some kind of ck, imprable cocoon.

    Finally, the young man¡¯s fist struck the cocoon. The fist had cut through the air without a sound, but when contact was finally made, it was like a thunderp had erupted through the sky. One part of the cocoon abruptly caved inward, and every strand of ck hair abruptly grew as taut as a qin¡¯s string. An invisible shockwave washed out and toppled all nearby buildings.

    <em>Bang bang bang¡­</em>

    Strand by strand, the ck hair began snapping in two as if they could not bear the weight of the young man¡¯s fist. It wasn¡¯t like the hair was weak either. The severed strands of hair had cut through the air and sliced the roof tiles as easily as tofu.

    A muffled groan broke out from the cocoon of ck hair as it fell toward the ground alongside the tiles and bricks.

    The man wasn¡¯t done, however. His hair quickly formed a series of intricate webs in front of him, and any debris that fell on it were sliced clean through like paper.

    Clearly, the hair was sharp enough to cut rock like it was mud, much less a flesh and blood body. If his attacker dared to jump down the rooftop to end his life, then his hair would carve him into many tiny cubes for sure

    ¡°Interesting¡­¡±

    Standing on the rooftop, Ye Qing withdrew his fist and stared at the webs of hair with a smirk on his face.

    Not only was his ambusher ate-stage Spirit Master, his hair was stronger than your conventional Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. When it was hard, it was tough enough to cut through metal and jade like mud. It could even pierce astral qi. When it was soft, it resembled spider silk in the sense that it was incredibly tenacious. It was impervious to water or fire, and even the sharpest des would find it difficult to find purchase on it.

    Of course, as deadly and tenacious as the hair was, it wasn¡¯t strong enough to hurt his body. That said, it didn¡¯t mean Ye Qing was going to jump right into the trap his opponent hadid for him though. He had no wish to waste his energy unnecessarily.

    Instead, Ye Qing raised his foot about half an inch and brought it down, triggering a mighty crash that felt like an earthquake that shook the nine heavens.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The entire structure began crashing down on the man. It was one thing if it was just a normal building copse, but this one was powered by Ye Qing¡¯s force. He let out a strange cry and just barely escaped the debris before it could crush him like a pancake.

    ¡°A misunderstanding! It¡¯s just a misunderstanding, friend!¡±

    After the man ran out of the building, his hair joined together to form countless limbs. Like a spider, he began crawling away from the vige center at high speed, covering sixty meters in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Is that so? Remember that it¡¯s just a misunderstanding when I stand over your dead bodyter!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled as he chased after the man. The reason he was so relentless was because one, the bastard had tried to kill him, and two, the man wasn¡¯t the only person in the area. He could also sense several beams of malice directed at him. Killing the man would teach these people not to fuck with him.

    He had just taken a few steps when suddenly, his yin god hurt like someone had just cut it with a de. Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and expanded his demonic thought, he realized that the man had left behind a trail of invisible hair as he ran. Like a spider¡¯s web, they epassed the whole area andpletely walled off the area.

    This was what had cut his Yin God earlier. These invisible, formless strands of hair somehow possessed the power to cut one¡¯s mind and spirit.

    ¡°Fool! You think I, Thousand Feet Inferior[2], would be afraid of you? Hahaha!¡±

    The man also stopped in his tracks when he noticed that Ye Qing had skidded to a stop. He turned around and red at Ye Qing with scorn and bloodthirst. As he spoke, the crisscrossing webs of hair rushed toward his enemy like a giant.

    The formless hair strands were his Yin God and his Magia. Bybining his spirit and his Yin God, he could form a massive web of formless, invisible hair. Any enemy who fell into it would have nowhere to run or escape just like an insect who had be caught in a spider¡¯s web. Their fate was to be his food.

    His Magia even had a very poetic name: ¡°Ten Thousand Feet[3] of White Hair¡±.

    My white hair spans farther than the horizon,

    For my sorrow is that deep and strong.

    I wonder, when I look into the world,

    Where does my miserye from?[4]

    1. Or was it half-closed? Discuss. ?

    2. É¢ÈË, which stands in contrast to Superior (ÉÏÈË) ?

    3. Chinese feet, mind you. ?

    4. A Li Bai poem with some author tweaks during thest two lines, and my decision not to trante the first line literally has ¡°The white hair spans ten thousand meters.¡± In my opinion, the word ¡°meter¡± just ruins the poem feeling.¡± ?

 Chapter 696: Memorial Tablets That Weep Blood

    ¡°It always amazes me how small fries think that their petty tricks would kill me.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked in ridicule and disdain as he stared at theyers andyers of invisible hair surrounding him from all sides.

    His eyes slowly turned ck as tar, and he tapped the space in front of him like he was knocking on the gate of heavens.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    A strange vibration washed over the web of hair, shaking them a little like the wind. It looked like Ye Qing had done nothing at all, but the next moment, every strand of hair began snapping as if they were under great duress.

    The hair had snapped into two soundlessly in the real world, but inside Thousand Feet Inferior¡¯s headspace? It was like a thunderstorm was brewing inside his head. Every time a strand of hair broke, a thunderp would break out and stun his thoughts. When the rest of his hair snapped in unison, all he could hear was rumbling thunder.

    By the time it all ended, Thousand Feet Inferior¡¯s headspace was in total chaos, and his Yin God was damaged beyond recognition. Outside his headspace, he stared at the smirking young man with widened eyes, opened his mouth as if he tried to say something, but copsed before he could get anything out. He was dead.

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡±

    In the shadows, everyone who was watching the battle and thinking about ying the fisherman gasped inaudibly when Thousand Feet Inferior copsed to the ground. The chill spreading from their core was such that the me of greed flickering inside their heart was snuffed out in an instant.Ye Qing ignored the gazes around him and walked up to Thousand Feet Inferior¡¯s lifeless corpse and waved his hand. After the man¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell floated into his palm, he turned around and began walking back toward the outskirts.

    After Ye Qing was gone, the hiding warriors finally emerged from the shadows and nced at Thousand Feet Inferior¡¯s corpse. Then, every single one of them rushed toward the memorial hall as if they hadmunicated their action beforehand.

    That wasn¡¯t the case, of course. They were running in unison simply because they happened to share the same thought: if the pair of bells hanging outside the roof were already this powerful, then what about the items stored inside the memorial hall?

    Surely they would be even more valuable, right?

    Although they didn¡¯t know why that young but powerful warrior hadn¡¯t entered the memorial hall, they saw no reason to give up on their fortune. That was why they rushed inside the memorial hall as soon as Ye Qing was gone.

    ¡°Hahaha! I knew there would be treasures inside!¡±

    ¡°Heavens¡­ there are so many¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m rich! I¡¯m rich!¡±

    Everyone was expecting to find at least one or two treasures inside the memorial hall, but what they found still stole their breath away. It was because the exterior of the building did not match the interior at all.

    They saw portraits glowing with spiritual power on the walls.

    They saw radiant ritual objects sitting at the corners of the room.

    They saw censers with hidden power sitting next to the offering tables.

    They saw all sorts of spiritual fruits just lying on the floor.

    Even the murals on the walls and the floor were twinkling slightly with power.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ it¡¯s mine¡­ all mine!¡±

    One man could not resistughing out loud when he saw the hoard of treasures in front of him. However, hisughter came to a swift and sudden end when a hand punched through his back and out of his chest. When he looked down, he saw a bloody hand gripping his still beating heart in its grasp.

    A secondter, the hand tightened and crushed his heart like an overripe fruit.

    ¡°Hmph. That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

    An eerie, ridiculing voice behind the man¡¯s back.

    The blood and voice were like a spark that lit the fuse of greed and bloodthirst in everyone¡¯s heart. The next moment, everyone began fighting and spilling each other¡¯s blood in the memorial hall; a ce that should¡¯ve been filled with peace, calm and tranquility. The bodies began to pil up rapidly.

    No one noticed that the memorial tablets slowly began to bleed like they were alive, however. They were also shaking slightly.

    It was as if they were weeping, vengeful spirits.

    ¡°Stop! Something¡¯s not right! Stop fighting now!¡±

    Finally, someone noticed the anomaly happening inside the memorial hall and called for a ceasefire. The survivors noticed the bleeding, trembling memorial tablets and felt an involuntary chill in their spine despite themselves.

    ¡°Hmph! It¡¯s just some memorial tablets. Watch me!¡± [1]

    The atmosphere was growing oppressive when a big, muscr man with a thick mustache let out a grunt and stepped out. He kicked a corpse blocking his way to the side before swinging his massive axe at the memorial tablets.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The altar carrying the memorial tablets instantly exploded into smithereens. Most of the memorial tablets were either broken or thrown off by the impact as well.

    ¡°See? There¡¯s nothing to be scared of, you cowards.¡± The big man scoffed in disdain while putting his axe back on his shoulders.

    As if on cue, the big man suddenly trembled for seemingly no reason, and blood streamed down his widened, shocked eyes. Then, he let out a bloodcurdling scream.

    As he screamed, bulges began growing out of the big man¡¯s forehead, face, neck, limbs¡ªhis whole body, really. It was almost as if something was attempting to push their way out of his flesh and blood.

    ¡°Ahhhh! Ahhhhhh! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    The big man kept screaming, but he was unable to move a muscle as if someone had cast an immobilization spell on him, much less stop whatever was happening to him from happening. He could only watch in helplessness and despair as the bulges kept growing bigger.

    No one tried to help him. They all seemed too shocked by this sudden urrence to lend a hand.

    <em>Pssh!</em>

    Finally, the man¡¯s flesh split open and sprayed blood everywhere. A sharp object crawled out of the big man¡¯s forehead and stretched upward.

    A few breathster, it became clear exactly what the object was. It was¡­ a memorial tablet. One that was exactly the same as the memorial tablets ced on the memorial altar earlier. The only difference was that the memorial tablets on the altar had names, birth dates and death dates inscribed on their surfaces, and the one that just pushed its way out of the big man¡¯s body was nk.

    As the spine-chilling noise of ripping flesh continued to resound throughout the memorial hall, more and more memorial tablets pushed their way out of the big man¡¯s body. They were all nk.

    In just the blink of an eye, the big man waspletely covered in memorial tablets.

    Right now, it felt as if the big man had be the memorial altar. Just one that was made of flesh, blood and bone.

    Maybe it was because of the man¡¯s terrible screams, maybe it was because of the sounds of the memorial tablets tearing through flesh and blood, maybe it was because of the swarm of memorial tablets covering the big man like mushrooms, or maybe it was because of all of the above. In any case, not a single person in the room could say a word for a time.

    The memorial tablets did not stop growing until they had reached the pedestal. Naturally, the big man resembled a pincushion that was bleeding all over.

    Even so, the big man was still alive and screaming at the top of his lungs. Painful, tragic, and horrified, it was such a scream that even the most indifferent man could not help but empathize with the big man.

    ¡°Look! The tablets¡­ they¡¯re¡­¡±

    Someone eximed in surprise. When the warriors turned to look, they saw rows and rows of blood text appearing on the once nk surface of the memorial tablets.

    ¡°Zhong Zhen, born at 3 pm on May 12th in the third year of Lingfeng, died at 1.15 pm on March 3 in the fifth year of Chunhua.¡±

    ¡°Gong Xiangzhao, born at 9.45 am on December 5th in the sixth year of Wulong, died at 1.15 pm on March 3rd in the sixth year of Jingrui.¡±

    ¡°Yu Dazai, born at 11.30 pm on April 9th in the ninth year of Qingyuan, died at 1.15 pm on March 3rd in the sixth year of Jingrui.¡±

    ¡°Suo Yidao, born at¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Zhong Zhen? That¡¯s me! That¡¯s my birth date as well!¡±

    A man eximed in bewilderment as he stared at the bloody text on one of the memorial tablets.

    ¡°Gong Xiangzhao¡­ that¡¯s me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Yu Duzai¡­¡±

    ¡°My¡­ my name is Suo Yidao¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are our names and birth dates appearing on the memorial tablets?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not all! There¡¯s a death date as well! 1.15 pm on March 3 in the fifth year of Chunhua¡­ 1.15 pm on March 3rd in the sixth year of Jingrui[2]¡­ that¡¯s today, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    1. You know, I¡¯m honestly confused how Ye Qing barely made it to this Strange Realm (at least I think it¡¯s a Strange Realm) when idiots and weaklings at this guy¡¯s level made it here. But what do I know I¡¯m not the author. ?

    2. This is mentioned in the

 Chapter 697: Strange Deaths

    ¡°That¡¯s today, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    As soon as the man was done speaking, the memorial hall fell as silent as death. A chill like nothing the warriors had ever felt before washed over their entire body.

    The reason the year of the death dates was different was because they hailed from different countries and regions. They were essentially the same day.

    ¡°A-Also¡­ 1.15 pm[1]¡­ that¡¯s right now, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Someone stuttered and broke the silence. Everyone shivered and turned deathly pale when they heard that.

    ¡°W-We need to leave!¡±

    Finally, someone could not bear the oppressive, terrifying atmosphere any longer and raced toward the exit. After all, what was a hoard of treasurepared to one¡¯s own life?

    The man had the right idea, but unfortunately, it was far toote. He had just reached the exit when his head suddenly exploded like an overripe watermelon.

    The sudden death was so sudden and anomalous that no one in the memorial hall was able to react in time. Those who were standing close to the exit even got a full face of blood and brain matter for their troubles. Of course, they screamed.No one here was a timid person. The death was just that sudden and terrifying.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of the horror, however. Where the man¡¯s head was a moment ago, a memorial tablet was standing on top of his severed neck. No one knew how or when it had gotten there. It was almost as if the tablet had reced the man¡¯s head.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the name, birth date and death date on the memorial tablet stated:

    ¡°Zhong Zhen, born at 3 pm on May 12th in the third year of Lingfeng, died at 1.15 pm on March 3 in the fifth year of Chunhua.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! That memorial tablet was on Fang Fu¡¯s body! How did it appear in Zhong Zhen¡¯s head?¡±

    The man who lost his head was none other than Zhong Zhen. On a rted note, the big man whose body was crawling with memorial tablets was called Fang Fu.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone! Zhong Zhen¡¯s memorial tablet is gone!¡±

    The survivors immediately turned to look at the big man, but to their shock and terror, the memorial tablet that belonged to Zhong Zhen was nowhere to be found.

    More urately, the memorial tablet had somehow¡ªin just an instant¡ªleft Fang Fu¡¯s body and appeared inside Zhong Zhen¡¯s head.

    That wasn¡¯t important though. The important question was: if Zhong Zhen¡¯s memorial tablet could suddenly appear inside his head¡­ Did this mean that every single one of them was currently facing the same fate as well?

    Did this mean that their heads would explode just like Zhong Zhen?

    The terror in their hearts grew tenfold when the realization struck them.

    ¡°A memorial tablet just disappeared! I saw it with my own eyes!¡±

    A sudden cry pulled everyone back to reality. They hurriedly looked at the dead Fang Fu once more.

    The crier was right. They saw Gong Xiangzhao¡¯s memorial tablet slowly disappearing into nothing.

    ¡°That¡¯s my¡­¡±

    Gong Xiangzhao nched a little when he saw this, but he quickly calmed down and met the others¡¯ eyes. He puffed up his chest and dered confidently, ¡°Let me tell you that I, Gong Xiangzhao, am not one to cower before death. I refuse to believe that¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish, his head exploded into a shower of blood and gore.

    As his lifeless body dropped to the ground, everyone saw a memorial tablet sitting snugly on his neck.

    Everyone in the memorial hall turned as white as a ghost.

    At this point, they could no longer pretend that Zhong Zhen¡¯s death was just a fluke. Gong Xiangzhao¡¯s death had proven a pattern.

    When the corresponding memorial tablet disappeared from Fang Fu¡¯s body, it would reappear inside their head and kill them.

    ¡°Motherfucker! Let¡¯s destroy these memorial tablets together, everyone! Otherwise, we¡¯re all going to die!¡± Someone shouted.

    If escape was impossible, then they might as well try to destroy the source. It might be their only way of surviving this.

    No one dared to hold back as their lives were on the line here. They immediatelyunched their strongest attacks at Fang Fu.

    <em>Pssh! Boom! Crack!</em>

    Sword and saber qi skewered the big man from every direction. Just a momentter, he looked more like a beehive than a human.

    There was just one problem, however. Their attacks had failed to damage the memorial tablets even a little.

    The memorial tablets themselves weren¡¯t particrly strong¡ªor at least, they didn¡¯t look like it. The reason their attacks failed to do any damage at all was because the memorial tablets seemed to be existing in a different space. This was proven by the fact that the sword and saber qi had passed through the memorial tablets harmlessly and hit Fang Fu instead.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    It was at this moment Fang Fu opened his eyes and let out a cry of pain. The big man should have been long dead, and yet, there was no denying that he was screaming right now.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Argh!¡±

    His cry seemed to pierce all the way to the depths of their soul. At the same time, everyone in the memorial hall screamed in pain as if the sword and saber qi they just unleashed hadn¡¯t just hit Fang Fu, but also themselves.

    Physically, they were perfectly unharmed. There was no mistaking the pain, however.

    It was at this moment two more memorial tablets disappeared. Not a moment too soon, they reappeared in the corresponding victims¡¯ heads and killed them.

    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. What do we do? We¡¯re doomed!¡±

    They could neither escape nor damage the memorial tablets. What else could they do under these circumstances? For a time, everyone had fallen into the pits of despair.

    <em>Pop! Pop!</em>

    The march of death was as unrelenting as it was gory. Another two warriors lost their heads and gained memorial tablets as recement.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    The two warriors¡¯ deaths were thest straw. They all started racing toward the exit, caution be damned. However, as soon as they set foot outside the memorial hall, their heads immediately exploded one after another like water sacs and revealed the blood-soaked memorial tablets standing on top of their necks.

    Even stranger, the warriors remained upright despite losing their heads and dying. It was almost as if the memorial tablets had be their new heads. It was terribly anomalous and evil to say the least.

    This was the scene Ye Qing, Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin saw when they arrived at the scene together. Their backs turned as cold as ice to put it mildly.

    ¡°What¡­ What the hell happened here?¡±

    They quickly checked out the headless bodies with memorial tablets standing on their necks and the big man whose entire body was covered in memorial tablets.

    When they looked at Fang Fu, he slowly raised his head, looked out of the memorial hall, and stared straight at them.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The headless corpses littered inside the memorial hall and the exit too turned around and faced toward the exit.

    The big man was obviously long dead. Even if he wasn¡¯t, he should not be able to see anything as his eye sockets werepletely overtaken by a pair of memorial tablets. As for the headless bodies, they didn¡¯t even have a head, so how the hell could they be looking at anyone?

    Ye Qing could feel their gazes as clear as day, however.

    The big man was looking at them.

    Every headless corpse in the memorial hall was looking at them as well!

    ¡°W-Warrior Ye¡­ What the hell are these things?¡±

    Pedant Earth swallowed and asked with fear and trepidation.

    Ye Qing did not answer him. His eyes turning as ck as ink, he stared intently at the tablet-covered big man and the headless corpses. His mouth felt a little dry.

    He was afraid not just because of the tablet-covered big man or the headless corpses with memorial tablets standing on their necks, oh no.

    It was because he could see that the memorial hall was jam-packed with people. Their bodies were transparent and wispy like yin souls, and they were all weeping blood and ring at them with ck hatred.

    He saw a yin soul raising a blood-stained finger and wrote a person¡¯s name, birth date, and death date on a nk memorial tablet on the big man¡¯s body. Once done, the yin soul ripped out the memorial tablet¡ªthe big man actually cried out in pain even though he should be long dead¡ªand teleported to a warrior standing outside the memorial hall. Then, the yin soul grabbed his head.

    From the start until the end, the warrior never noticed anything. Not even until his head exploded like an overripe watermelon.

    After the yin soul had crushed the warrior¡¯s head, it nted the memorial tablet on the dead man¡¯s now empty neck. It smiled.

    Blood tears streaming down their cheeks, every yin soul in the memorial hall smiled as well.

    1. Again, the raw Î´Ê±Ò»¿Ì is not strictly 1.15 pm. It¡¯s between 1 pm to 1.15pm. I suppose I could have tranted this as One Quarter of Wei Hour and added a trantor¡¯s note in the end, but it reads weird, and there are already too many trantor¡¯s notes in the previous chapter, so. ?

 Chapter 698: Unseenable Strangers

    ¡°What just happened?¡±

    ¡°Why is my name on the memorial tablet?¡±

    ¡°Mine too!¡±

    Not everyone in the vige had entered the memorial hall, and some of them had just arrived at the vige center. It was at this moment someone¡¯s head suddenly popped like an overripe watermelon for seemingly no reason whatsoever. On top of that, their names had suddenly appeared on the memorial tablets jutting out of the big man¡¯s body. Everyone here was a veteran with decades of experience under their belt, but they still chilled to their very core.

    The unknown was always scary after all.

    ¡°Motherfucker, the hell is going on here? That¡¯s it, I¡¯m leaving!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no reason to stay here while danger is aloof!¡±

    Those with good instincts did not hesitate to leave the vige center immediately. There was no need to risk whatever danger was lurking in this ce after all. Unfortunately, as soon as they turned around, an invisible silhouette holding a memorial tablet immediately appeared behind their backs. Their personal memorial tablet.

    Worse still, not one person seemed to notice the invisible silhouette or the memorial tablet at all. Pedant Earth looked at Ye Qing. ¡°W-warrior Ye, we should leave as well!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± Ye Qing replied slowly.

    ¡°What do you mean, warrior Ye?¡± Shangguan Hongjin frowned deeply.

    Before Ye Qing could reply, the warriors who tried to leave lost their heads and grew a memorial tablet on their neck just like the one from before.

    ¡°What in the¡­¡±

    The blood drained away from Pedant Earth¡¯s face as his eyes widened like saucers.

    Shangguan Hongjin had also raised her eyebrows. Her expression was calm, but her shaking fingers proved that she wasn¡¯t nearly as calm as she pretended to be.

    It was at this moment Shangguan Hongjin realized something and looked at Ye Qing with suspicion. ¡°How did you know they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape? Did you know something? Or was this <em>your </em>doing?¡±

    ¡°It would be nice if I¡¯m strong enough to pop multiple Spirit Masters¡¯ heads with a single thought, but no. Of course it wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    Ye Qing did not lose his cool despite her usation. He exined patiently, ¡°It was them.¡±

    ¡°Them? Who¡¯s them? I¡¯m not in the mood for riddles, young man!¡± Pedant Earth shivered.

    ¡°Looks like you really can¡¯t see them. The memorial hall is overflowing with people. Lots and lots of people!¡± Ye Qing answered while staring in the direction of the memorial hall.

    Even as Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin were trying to make sense of Ye Qing¡¯s words, they noticed that Ye Qing¡¯s gaze was slowly shifting in Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s direction. It was as if he was staring at something that was slowly but surely walking toward the woman.

    In fact, that was the truth. From Ye Qing¡¯s perspective, he saw a silhouette carrying Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s memorial tablet and slowly walking toward the woman. But from Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s perspective, they could only see Ye Qing staring at nothing in particr while slowly turning his head toward her. It was weird, absurd, and terrifying to say the least.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, Miss Shangguan, but one of them is walking toward you.¡± Ye Qing warned as he narrowed his eyes a little.

    ¡°Do you know how much you look like a chatan right now?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin scoffed, but her eyes abruptly sharpened as if she sensed something. She did not hesitate to unsheathe her saber an inch with her thumb and envelop the area in front of her in powerful saber intent.

    Her saber intent caught the silhouette by surprise, and it was deadly enough that even Ye Qing felt chilled to the bone. However, the silhouette continued to walk toward Shangguan Hongjin as if it couldn¡¯t feel the attack at all.

    ¡°Is it unkible?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. Then, he raised his palm and made a cutting motion at the silhouette.

    Red lotuses descended from the sky, and the storm of saber intent was cut into two.

    The silhouette was no exception.

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    The silhouette let out a bloodcurdling scream, the Red Lotus Hellfire burning it into nothing instantly.

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth still couldn¡¯t see the silhouette, but they could hear its shrill, painful, and hateful death throes. This time, they knew for certain that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t toying with them.

    ¡°There¡¯s really something?!¡± Shangguan Hongjin looked very confused. ¡°But why can you see them and not us?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have an answer for you.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    He was telling the truth. He had no idea why he could see the silhouettes while everyone else couldn¡¯t. He also didn¡¯t know why he seemed to be the only one who could hurt them.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing nced at the memorial hall with narrowed eyes. Maybe it was because he had killed the silhouette, but every single silhouette in the memorial hall was now looking at him with hate and vengeance. A secondter, the silhouettes swarmed the big man and wrote Ye Qing¡¯s name, birth date and death date on the memorial tablets.

    Even as they were busy writing Ye Qing¡¯s details, the silhouettes continued to stare at him unblinkingly. Some silhouettes¡¯ heads were twisted a hundred and eighty degrees to the back, some of their necks were stretched all the way up to the roof, some heads were squeezed so tightly that they were almost deformed¡­ In any case, it was not a pretty sight.

    ¡°Ye¡­ Ye Qing? Is that your name, warrior?¡±

    Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin couldn¡¯t see the silhouettes. What they could see was that every memorial tablet was weeping blood and forming words on its surface. Ye Qing¡¯s details to be exact. It was a terrifying and anomalous sight.

    The memorial tablets slowly disappeared after the writing wasplete, leaving behind the big man who was somehow still spasming and screaming despite being dead.

    That was all Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin could see, but Ye Qing could see a lot more. He saw the silhouettes ripping out the memorial tablets from the big man¡¯s body before falling into an organized formation. Then, they began walking toward him with uniform footsteps.

    Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin shivered involuntarily despite not being able to see a thing. They felt as if they had suddenly plunged into ake of ice.

    ¡°Are those thingsing toward us?!¡±

    Veins appeared on Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s hands as she crouched down a little. Deadly saber intent surrounded her even though she hadn¡¯t unsheathed her sabers yet.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Ye Qing did not wait. He immediately executed the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± and summoned a hail of red lotuses.

    The ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± was a purifying art that worked best against sinful souls, and the silhouettes before him were the perfect prey. They instantly disintegrated into ash without any resistance.

    However, more silhouettes carrying memorial tablets immediately exited the memorial hall and strode toward him with uniform footsteps.

    Once again, Ye Qing executed the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± and annihted them all. This time though, he was frowning a little. He wondered if it was his imagination, but the second wave felt a little harder to kill than the first one.

    His enemy gave him no time to think. A third wave emerged, and Ye Qing was forced to fight again.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Ye Qing to realize that he was in a predicament. No matter how many silhouettes he killed, they just kept pouring out of the memorial hall in increasing numbers. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, it turned out that his previous feeling wasn¡¯t an imagination at all. The silhouettes really were growing stronger and stronger. At first, he was able to kill them as easily as a cook cutting some vegetables on the cooking tray. Now, it actually took effort to achieve the same oue.

    ¡°What the hell are these things? How annoying!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows were locked together in a deep frown. Already, he was nning to make a run for it.

    Assuming that these silhouettes kept growing in strength and numbers, it was only a matter of time before they overwhelmed him. In that case, running away was clearly the superior option.

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth couldn¡¯t see anything, so they couldn¡¯t lend him a hand. They could only get out of the way and watch helplessly as Ye Qing fought against thin air.

    ¡°What do we do, Miss Shangguan? Should we help him?¡± Pedant Earth asked.

    ¡°And how do you propose we help, exactly? We can¡¯t even see the damn things!¡± Shangguan Hongjin scoffed at the stupid question.

    Ye Qing had helped her once at the paddy field, and she told him that she owed him her life and would repay the favor one day. Unlike most warriors, she meant every word she said. The idea of escaping alone had never crossed her mind, and she was currently racking her brain for a way to help Ye Qing.

    Unfortunately, she was unable to do anything even though the enemy was right in front of her. She also knew that attacking blindly would only worsen Ye Qing¡¯s situation. This feeling of helplessness was despicable to say the least.

 Chapter 699: Ghost Shrine

    ¡°What the hell are these things? Why can he see them and not us? Does it have something to do with that monster still inside the shrine? I¡¯m gonna kill him!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin was a woman of action, so she immediately took off toward the memorial hall. Halfway there, she lifted her thumbs, unsheathed her sabers, and transformed her vast saber intent into two snow white dragons. She thenunched them straight toward the big man covered in memorial tablets.

    Her saber intent instantly crushed the big man into mincemeat. However, Shangguan Hongjin also let out a muffled groan of pain before copsing on the ground, spasming. Her contorted expression suggested that she was in deep pain, and her energies were inplete shambles.

    ¡°Miss Shangguan!¡± Pedant Earth eximed in shock. He immediately ran up to her and dragged her away from the memorial hall.

    Ye Qing noticed Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s action as a matter of course. In fact, he had been nning to do the exact same thing until Shangguan Hongjin did it for him.

    Unfortunately, it looked like the counterattack had ended in abject failure. He could see the mincemeat scattered across the floor of the memorial hall slowly gathering together and transforming into a ball of flesh due to some sort of unknown energy. The memorial tablets on the flesh ball remained unchanged, nor were the silhouettes affected in the slightest.

    If anything, it was Shangguan Hongjin who suffered huge damage for her effort. He could feel her being assaulted by an unimaginable wave of pain after she turned the big man into mincemeat. It was such a pain that she had nearly fainted there and then.

    Thankfully, her life wasn¡¯t in danger.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ what the fuck was that? That <em>hurt!</em>¡±At the sidelines, Shangguan Hongjin cursed loudly between heavy pants.

    ¡°Are you alright, Miss Shangguan?¡± Pedant Earth asked urgently.

    ¡°Do I <em>look </em>alright to you?¡± Shangguan Hongjin sounded fed up to put it mildly. ¡°That hurt so bad I could¡¯ve died there and then!¡±

    The second she turned the big man into mincemeat with her saber intent, a massive wave of pain had assaulted her. She felt as if someone had crushed every flesh, blood and bone in her body. It was no wonder the pain had nearly killed her.

    ¡°Oh right, did that monster die yet?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked.

    ¡°No. I think that thing is unkible,¡± Pedant Earth answered slowly and thoughtfully.

    ¡°What? Are you saying that I suffered all that pain for nothing?!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin was so pissed that her voice rose an octave. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that these monsters are invisible, but you¡¯re telling me they¡¯re unkible as well? What do I need to do, destroy the fucking memorial hall?¡±

    ¡°Destroy the memorial hall? That¡¯s it!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin was just venting, but her words sparked a memory in Pedant Earth. He hurriedly shouted in Ye Qing¡¯s direction, ¡°Warrior Ye, leave those things alone! They¡¯re endless no matter how many times you kill them, so just forget them and attack the memorial hall!¡±

    ¡°The memorial hall?¡±

    Ye Qing was seconds away from calling a retreat when Pedant Earth¡¯s cry reached him. Without hesitation, he knocked back an entire swathe of silhouettes with his sleeves before jumping into the air andunching a palm strike at the memorial hall.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    The air shook, and demonic qi rolled in like clouds. A massive demonic hand covered in demonic runes descended right on top of the memorial hall.

    <em>¡°Nethercall Demon Hand¡±</em>

    ¡°Nethercall Demon Hand¡± was a palm technique from ¡°Call of the Nether¡±. To put it simply, the practitioner created a demonic hand from demonic qi and unleashed it at their enemies. The greater one¡¯s spirit and astral qi, the more powerful the demonic hand would be. At the highest level, it was said to be capable of plucking celestial bodies from the sky and crushing the Nine Nether into bits.

    For the first time, the silhouettes reacted differently. As if Ye Qing had touched their reverse scale, every single silhouette opened their mouths in a soundless roar and pounced toward Ye Qing. The memorial hall itself was twisting and shaking a little as massive, invisible tentacles extended out of the door and windows to block the descending hand.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The two forces met, and the demonic hand was torn to shreds by the tentacles. However, the tentacles were iling, and the memorial hall was shaking violently from the impact.

    The silhouettes in particr suddenly stopped in their tracks as if they had suffered tremendous damage. A good number of them disappeared into nothing just like that.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that the building itself was the main body. Interesting.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for Pedant Earth¡¯s warning, he would have thought that the memorial hall was just an ordinary structure just like the rest of the buildings in the vige. That was because he hadn¡¯t sensed any anomalous presence from the memorial hall until now.

    ¡°Hahaha! I knew it! It¡¯s a Ghost Shrine!¡±

    Pedant Earth could neither see the invisible tentacles nor the invisible silhouettes, but he could see Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°Nethercall Demon Hand¡± suddenly breaking into pieces and feel the twisted energies that suddenly washed out of the memorial hall.

    ¡°Ghost Shrine? What¡¯s that?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked curiously.

    ¡°A building where humans offer sacrifices to ghosts is known as a spirit shrine, a building where humans offer sacrifices to humans is known as a living shrine[1], a building where ghosts offer sacrifices to humans is known as aher shrine, and a building where ghosts offer sacrifices to ghosts is known as a Ghost Shrine.¡±

    Pedant Earthunched into a lengthy exnation, ¡°The Ghost Shrine is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, but despite its ssification, its power is immense and anomalous. On the surface, a Ghost Shrine looks just like any other shrine. In fact, most people are unable to see or perceive its anomaly just like an ordinary human cannot perceive a ghost. Hence the name.¡±

    ¡°A Ghost Shrine houses ghosts, and most humans cannot perceive its ghosts in any way. The inability to perceive the ghosts also prevents a human from being able to kill the ghosts. The ghosts have no such restriction though. They can harm a human just like normal.¡±

    ¡°Only those who possess a vast reservoir of vigor, strong yang energy, a clear mind, and a bold heart can see the ghosts it produces, and only those who can see the ghosts can kill them.¡±

    ¡°However, so long as the Ghost Shrine itself isn¡¯t destroyed, it can produce an infinite amount of ghosts. Not only that, the longer you fight the ghosts, the stronger they be.¡±

    ¡°Ghost Shrine and ghosts? Invisible and unkible? What an anomalous Stranger. This is the first time I heard anything like it,¡± Shangguan Hongjinmented.

    ¡°I read about it from an old book. I failed to put two and two together immediately because I haven¡¯t actually seen it with my own eyes until now.¡±

    Pedant Earth replied, ¡°The Ghost Shrine¡¯s anomalous powers make it nigh unkible for someone who knows nothing about them. It¡¯s also why it can be more dangerous than even a Disaster-ss Stranger despite being ssified as Phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°For someone who has heard about the Ghost Shrine though, it is exactly what it is: a Phenomenon-ss Stranger.¡±

    That was what he said, but there were very few Ghost Shrines in the world, and even fewer people who had heard about it. If Pedant Earth didn¡¯t plunder ancient cities and tombs for a living, if he hadn¡¯t read countless lost books and ancient records due to his experiences, he wouldn¡¯t have known about the Ghost Shrine as well. It was why most people who ran into the Ghost Shrine met a gruesome end.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that destroying the Ghost Shrine is all we need to do to deal with these invisible ghosts?¡± Shangguan Hongjin climbed to her feet and stared at the memorial hall with excitement.

    ¡°ording to the books, yes,¡± Pedant Earth answered while shooting her a strange look. ¡°What are you nning, Miss Shangguan?¡±

    ¡°What else? I¡¯m gonna give it a taste of its own medicine!¡± Shangguan Hongjin uttered through gritted teeth.

    Earlier, she had fallen for the Ghost Shrine¡¯s trap and nearly died from sheer pain. Now that she knew exactly how to kill the Stranger, why on earth wouldn¡¯t she murder the fuck out of it?

    She was Shangguan Hongjin, and she did not enjoy her benevolence or vengeance served cold.

    1. Refer to chapter 477. ?

 Chapter 700: Killing The Ghost Shrine

    Shangguan Hongjin took one step forward with her hands wrapped firmly around her sabers.

    Her right hand was holding a saber in a forward grip, and her left hand was holding another saber in a reverse grip.

    She took another step forward, and both sabers exited their sheaths at the same time.

    Her right saber swung from up to down, and her left saber swung from down to up.

    A pair of snow white saber beams shot toward the Ghost Shrine. They ripped the earth like serpents and roared like dragons.

    Shangguan Hongjin might be a woman, but the twin strike was powerful, vigorous, and magnificent. It was not inferior to any man¡¯s strike.

    The pair of saber beams threatened to catch the Ghost Shrine in a deadly pincer attack.

    As if realizing the danger it posed, the Ghost Shrine¡¯s invisible tentacles immediately repositioned to block the attack.

    The silhouettes also stopped harassing Ye Qing and formed rings around the Ghost Shrine. They were going to block the attack with their own bodies.<em>Boooooom!!!</em>

    An invisible explosion took ce as the saber beam from above severed countless tentacles. However, the resistance diminished its power just enough that it disappeared as it neared the Ghost Shrine¡¯s roof.

    The saber beam from below also ripped countless silhouettes to shreds, but just the same, it ran out of power and faded right before it would hit the Ghost Shrine¡¯s door.

    It would seem that Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s twin strike¡ªas impressive as it was¡ªhad failed to do anything.

    The woman wasn¡¯t disappointed, however. On the contrary, she withdrew her sabers and started guffawing. ¡°Hahahaha! We¡¯ve got you now.¡±

    Yes, the Ghost Shrine had fallen for her trap hook, line and sinker.

    While the Ghost Shrine was busy defending itself against her attack, one man had slipped through the cracks and arrived at its front door.

    That man was Ye Qing, of course.

    Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s twin strike was just a bait to draw the Ghost Shrine¡¯s attention away and create an opening for Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing was the true de that would deal the killing blow, not her.

    Although Shangguan Hongjin hadn¡¯tmunicated this with Ye Qing beforehand, he figured out what she was nning the second he saw her move. He did not disappoint her.

    Ye Qing¡¯s appearance angered the Ghost Shrine as a matter of course. It also felt true danger from his presence.

    Countless ghosts tried to squeeze their way out of the door and stop Ye Qing, so much so that the many ghosts were crushed or fused with another ghost. From his perspective, it looked like a giant ball of flesh was blocking the entrance. It was a horrifying sight to say the least.

    Ye Qing paid it no attention, however. He simply raised his hand, made a fist, and thrust his fist forward.

    What would you do if your path was blocked by an army?

    He knew the perfect technique for this situation.

    <em>¡°Break Through¡±</em>

    The fist force punched through the ball of ghosts like paper, its power not diminished in the slightest.

    Then, it mmed against the Ghost Shrine¡¯s door frame.

    The world grew silent for a moment. Then, the Ghost Shrine twisted and spasmed like a living being, leaving many ripples behind. The invisible tentacles broke into pieces at the same time, and countless ghosts let out a painful wail before disappearing in a sh.

    Countless cracks spread across the Ghost Shrine¡¯s surface. At the same time, bright red blood seeped out of the cracks.

    ¡°Hahaha! Well done!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin smiled like a blooming flower when she saw this. ¡°Continue!¡±

    ¡°As you wish, mydy.¡±

    Ye Qing was no saint. The dog was down, and he was going to kick the absolute shit out of it. While the Ghost Shrine was recovering, he drew back his fist about a sixth of a meter and threw another punch.

    Thunder roared, and the earth trembled. Both the door frame and one part of the wall shattered from the attack.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing withdrew his fist and threw his arm around like a whip. Hended a powerful strike on one of the pirs and snapped it in half like a twig.

    The Ghost Shrine was barely hanging on at this point. Twisted, ghastly faces appeared on the crumbled pieces of the wall, screaming.

    ¡°Hahaha! Well done! It¡¯s my turn now!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin had been waiting for this moment. She leaped into the air and fired a cross sh straight at the Ghost Shrine.

    This time, the Ghost Shrine didn¡¯t put up any resistance. It couldn¡¯t. Its rooftop was cut into four pieces as easily as tofu.

    ¡°Hell yeah!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin didn¡¯t stop attacking there. As she fell, her sabers whirled round and round like a hurricane, and her saber beams manifested everywhere like snowfall. The Ghost Shrine was grievously injured to begin with, and the relentless assault destroyed whatever hope it had at a second wind.

    ¡°Hahaha! Revenge is best served hot!¡±

    After the Ghost Shrine had copsed entirely, Shangguan Hongjin finallynded on the ground, sheathed her sabers, andughed boisterously.

    She was still in the middle ofughing when Ye Qing¡ªthe young man was currently standing at the center of the ruins¡ªraised his foot and stomped down hard.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    A powerful force washed out of Ye Qing and into the surroundings. Every brick and tile in the vicinity dissolved into dust as a result.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shangguan Hongjin cut herughter short and shot Ye Qing a strange look.

    ¡°I¡¯m just making sure it¡¯s dead,¡± Ye Qing exined smilingly.

    Looking at the pile of rubble that used to be the Ghost Shrine, anyone would think that it was dead. However, Ye Qing knew it was still alive because he hadn¡¯t earned a dragon-serpent rune. That was why he followed up with one final strike and earned himself a gold dragon-serpent rune for his efforts.

    ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t know this thing is this tenacious. Is it dead now?¡± Shangguan Hongjin scratched her head.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ye Qing confirmed before thanking both Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth, ¡°Thank you for your aid, Miss Shangguan, senior Pedant. Things would not have turned out nearly as well otherwise.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin waved him off. ¡°I didn¡¯t do much. Pedant Earth¡¯s the one who deserves both our thanks. If he hadn¡¯t known what the hell this thing was, there is a good chance all of us would have died here.¡±

    Pedant Earth replied in a hurry, ¡°Ahem¡­ you tter me, warrior Ye, Miss Shangguan. All I did was move my mouth. You two are the ones who did the heavy lifting.¡±

    He was speaking from the heart. If Ye Qing wasn¡¯t able to see the ghosts, he would have died a long time ago. He would never have gotten the opportunity to identify the Ghost Shrine.

    ¡°You¡¯re too humble, senior.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s not waste any more time. The Ghost Shrine is dead, and this vige is probably safe for the moment. Let¡¯s search the area and collect the treasures before more scavengers show up, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re totally right!¡±

    Both Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth¡¯s eyes lit up. Earlier, a ton of warriors had entered the vige before they were able to scour the whole ce. Later, they were drawn toward themotion happening at the memorial hall and dragged into a fairly difficult fight. As a result, they weren¡¯t able to obtain much loot.

    But now, most of the warriors who entered the vige were killed by the Ghost Shrine, and whoever was left were probably no match for the three of them. They were free to scavenge the vige as they pleased. The Ghost Shrine itself contained a mountain of fortune as well.

    On top of that, anyone strong enough to enter this ce must own a lot of good stuff as well. That was yet another major source of ie.

    And so the trio began dividing the loot. Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth wisely left the bodies close to Ye Qing alone and began looting those farther away from him. Shangguan Hongjin in particr was going through the bodies at a prodigious rate. Judging from her practiced movements, it was clear that she had done this many times before.

    Of course, Pedant Earth himself was a tomb raider. He was slower than Shangguan Hongjin, but it was just a small difference.

    After the duo were done looting, they gathered the bodies and burned it all into ash. No sense in leaving clues for theters to find. Then, they went back to the vige to scour the rest of the houses.

    After the duo were gone, Ye Qing too looted the bodies close to him and burned them using the Netherme. Then, he conducted a search around the area.

    No, he wasn¡¯t searching for Strange Artifacts or treasures. He wanted to learn more about this ce and check if they were rted to the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance. If they were, he wanted to find clues that might point him toward its exact location.

    After all, the main reasons he came here was one, to break through his limits and be a Grandmaster; and two, to obtain the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance.

    Those were his two primary objectives. Everything else was secondary.

    Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t able to find anything despite going through the entire vige.

 Chapter 701: Dead Sage

    <h4>Chapter 701: Dead Sage </h4>

    ¡°Did you two find anything? Are there any clues as to where we are right now?¡±

    At the vige entrance, Ye Qing asked Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth directly after meeting up with them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I didn¡¯t find anything.¡± Pedant Earth shook his head.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything either,¡± Shangguan Hongjin replied. ¡°But I¡¯m sure it is tied to the Dark Overlord, Li Hentian.¡±

    ¡°And why do you say that, Miss Shangguan?¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes a little.

    ¡°Tsk. I think we¡¯re past pretenses at this point, aren¡¯t we? A bloodbath is taking ce outside, and it¡¯s all to obtain the Dark Overlord Tokens. You wouldn¡¯t believe how much effort it took me to get one and slip into the Death Sea before anyone can stop me. In any case, this ce must have something to do with the Dark Overlord. With luck, it might even be the ce where the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance is buried.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin crossed his arms and let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you came in without knowing anything. I won¡¯t believe a word of it.¡±

    ¡°Haha... you¡¯re right.¡± Pedant Earth coughed. He and Six Fingers too stole a Dark Overlord Token each during the chaos and entered this ce.

    ¡°A bloodbath, huh?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow, though he wasn¡¯t surprised to hear this. Even before he entered the Death Sea, signs of chaos and disorder were already beginning to rear their ugly heads. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the secret of the Dark Overlord Tokens and the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance had already spread far and wide. With that in mind, it was no wonder that a bloodbath was taking ce outside.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re both here for the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Shangguan Hongjin replied honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you what a man the Dark Overlord Li Hentian was. Of course I would like to get my hands on his inheritance.¡±

    ¡°That said, I¡¯m also well aware of my limits. The queue of people who are more qualified than me to receive the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance is probably longer than a river, and I know better than to dream of the impossible. The reason I came here is one, to satisfy my curiosity, and two, to get lucky. The meat of this adventure will surely go to the bigshots, but even the soup that leaked through their fingers will be enough to satisfy me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a helluva woman, Miss Shangguan,¡± Ye Qing praised her from the bottom of his heart. He too had more or less the same idea.

    ¡°Hah! No need to lick my boots, warrior. I¡¯d much rather you call me a small fry who¡¯s self-aware.¡± Shangguan Hongjin snorted. ¡°You though, you¡¯re not here just for the soup, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°It is as you say, Miss Shangguan. Everyone dreams of bing the one to obtain the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance. I would not mind it one bit if it fell into myp, but if not, then I wouldn¡¯t cry over it or risk my life for it either.¡±

    ¡°Haha! I like that we are of the same mind. Would you like to continue our cooperation? This ce is quite dangerous, and one misstep may result in tragedy. If we work together, we can mitigate the risks considerably.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin was also smiling. ¡°As for whether we can obtain or even catch a glimpse of the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance, there¡¯s no point thinking about it until we reach that point, am I right?¡±

    Her decision to continue her cooperation with Ye Qing hadn¡¯t been made on a whim. One, Ye Qing was incredibly strong; so strong that even she couldn¡¯t quite fathom his depths. Two, his behavior and conduct so far suggested that he wasn¡¯t a viin or a two-faced bastard. Of course, that could change in the future, but for now, she didn¡¯t mind working together with him.

    ¡°Sure! I see no problems with that.¡± Ye Qing nodded. Two heads are better than one after all. He then turned to Pedant Earth and asked, ¡°What about you, senior? What are your ns?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware that my strength iscking, but thankfully, my knowledge and experience should make up for it to a certain extent. If you don¡¯t mind my meager contribution, then of course I¡¯m willing to make your acquaintance,¡± Pedant Earth replied in a hurry.

    ¡°You are too humble, senior. It is our honor to have your aid,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly.

    ¡°Thank you, warrior. Thank you, Miss Shangguan.¡±

    Pedant Earth said gratefully, ¡°Also, please don¡¯t address me as senior, warrior. I do not believe I am unworthy. Instead, just address me by my name or Mr. Earth for short. That is how all my dao friends address me.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I shall address you as Mr. Earth from now on,¡± Ye Qing readily epted Pedant Earth¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°As you wish, warrior. Hahaha!¡± Pedant Earthughed.

    ¡°Are we done with the pleasantries? Good. Now, where should we go next?¡± Shangguan Hongjin interrupted.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Ye Qing shook his head before looking at Pedant Earth. ¡°You¡¯re a master in the arts of fengshui and the like, right Mr. Earth? Can you please show us the way?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t promise results, but I will give it my one hundred percent,¡± Pedant Earth answered affirmatively.

    Pedant Earth knew very well that he wascking in thebat departmentpared to his twopanions. The only value he possessed was his unique wealth of knowledge and fengshui arts. It wasn¡¯t everyday he got the chance to prove his worth, so of course he was going to give it his all.

    First, Pedant Earth sought out a high ground. Then, he produced a circr <i>luopan</i>[1] and pressed a finger to its center. The <i>luopan </i>immediately glowed blue and conjured a fengshui geomancy diagram of the five elements and eight trigrams.

    The wind blew, and the clouds gathered. The diagram kept changing and producing all sorts of profound images. To put it simply, the diagram was identifying the good and bad directions based on the theory of fengshui.

    After he identified a direction, Pedant Earth put away the <i>luopan</i> and purified his eyes with a spirit talisman. His left eyeball turned as ck as ink, whereas his right eyeball turned as white as paper. He then gazed toward the distance.

    This was a visual art Pedant Earth cultivated known as the Qi Identifying Art. It allowed him to see the ¡°faces¡± of the mountains and rivers, recognize the way the winds and waters are flowing, and observe the currents of the six qi.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Suddenly, Pedant Earth let out a bloodcurdling scream and staggered backward. Blood began pouring profusely out of his eye sockets.

    ¡°Are you alright?!¡±

    Ye Qing and Shangguan Hongjin hurriedly stepped forward and supported the old man.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine.¡±

    It took a while before Pedant Earth finally managed to open his eyes. However, his eyes were red and swollen, and the blood vessels inside his pupils were damaged and bleeding.

    Pedant Earth searched around his bag for a bit before pulling out a wooden basin. The wooden basin was empty, but when he ced it on the ground, a bowl of clear water brimming with spiritual qi suddenly manifested out of nowhere.

    Pedant Earth did not hesitate to wash his eyes with the water. A few breathster, he finally looked up from the bowl and heaved a sigh of relief.

    His eyes were still swollen, and his eyeballs were covered in red blood vessels. They looked better than they were before though.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ye Qing asked concernedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright. Thanks for your concern, warrior.¡± Pedant Earth saluted him.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked next.

    Pedant Earth hesitated for a moment before answering, ¡°I saw a cloud of purple qi to the northeast.¡±

    ¡°Purple qi? I thought that¡¯s an auspicious sign? Why are your eyes bleeding if that is the case?¡± Shangguan Hongjin sounded puzzled.

    ¡°And you are right. Purple qi is a sign of auspiciousness and nobility. However, there lies grave danger within that purple qi. It was just a blurry image, but I saw... the silhouette of a great Sage.¡±

    ¡°A Sage?!¡± Both Ye Qing and Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Correct. It was definitely a Sage.¡±

    A tremor entered Pedant Earth¡¯s voice when he recalled something. ¡°However, this Sage... does not have a head.¡±

    ¡°If I have to make a guess, I reckon that a Sage had died at that ce.¡±

    ¡°A <i>dead </i>Sage?¡±

    Ye Qing and Shangguan Hongjin exchanged nces with one another. They could both see the shock and disbelief in each other¡¯s eyes.

    A Sage was someone who had transcended mortality and entered sagehood. They were what people called a ¡°celestial-on-earth¡± or ¡°living celestials¡±. They represented the pinnacle of cultivation under the heavens, and they possessed the power to pluck stars out of the sky, move mountains, and fill seas with a mere gesture. It was why they were treated like gods and celestials.

    Of course, as godlike as their power seemed, a Sage was ultimately no god or celestial. It was because a Sage could age and die, and suffer tribtions and idents just like any other human. It was just that they were so hard to kill that therge majority of Sages died of natural causes.

    However, Pedant Earth was telling them that a Sage had died in thesends. Not only that, the Sage had not died because of old age. They were murdered. Their missing head was proof of that.

    1. As a reminder, this is a Chinesepass. ?

 Chapter 702: The Dance of Death Beneath a Moon of Blood

    <h4>Chapter 702: The Dance of Death Beneath a Moon of Blood </h4>

    ¡°Say, do you think that that Sage could be the Dark Overlord, Li Hentian?¡±

    A few breathster, Shangguan Hongjin licked her lips and voiced her thoughts.

    ¡°Impossible!¡±

    However, Ye Qing shook his head decisively and dered without hesitation, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who the Dark Overlord is? There is no way he could¡¯ve died in such a manner!¡±

    Pedant Earth echoed in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that the dead Sage is the Dark Overlord either.¡±

    ¡°If that isn¡¯t the Dark Overlord, then who?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked doubtfully. ¡°And who beheaded them? Could it be the Dark Overlord¡¯s handiwork?¡±

    ¡°That is a question none of us is capable of answering right now,¡± Ye Qing replied. ¡°There is a simple solution though. We can just go there and find out the truth ourselves. So? Are you guys up for it?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin answered excitedly, ¡°Of course I am! It¡¯s a Sage, man! A dead Sage no less! This would be the first time I ever see one, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let this opportunity slip past me!¡±

    Pedant Earth also nodded after a careful deliberation. ¡°And where a Sage has fallen is rife with unimaginable fortune and opportunities. Since we are lucky enough to stumble upon it, I see no reason to pass it by.¡±

    ¡°It seems we are all in agreement. However, I must still warn you both about something. Yes, the ce of death of a Sage is rife with fortune and opportunities, but equally, it must be rife with dangers and tribtions as well. If we head there, we may not live to see another day.¡±

    Ye Qing looked at the duo seriously and asked, ¡°Are you sure about this decision?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure. There is nothing to think about,¡± Shangguan Hongjin answered without hesitation.

    ¡°Thank you for the warning, warrior. This old man promises to act with caution,¡± Pedant Earth too replied with a salute.

    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go!¡± Ye Qing nodded and did not say anything else.

    After they left the vige, the trio departed toward the ce of death of the Sage as per Pedant Earth¡¯s advice.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Are we approaching night already?¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been long after they left the vige when the sky began to darken. It had only been five or six hours since they entered this ce. If this was outside, it would still be pretty bright at this hour. This seemed to suggest that the time of this ce was different from the outside world.

    Darkness quickly overtook them. A moment ago, the sky was still bright and sunny. Just a teatimeter, both heaven and earth had be as red as fire and losing light by the minute.

    As the world submerged into darkness, the anomalies began surfacing one after another.

    In the sky, the clouds were changing far more rapidly than a normal cloud would. There were also female celestials dancing in the sky.

    On the ground, shadows shivered and squirmed unnaturally as if they were concealing deadly predators.

    In the forest, the trees swayed back and forth like demons and monsters were having fun with one another.

    Behind the fog, ghastly whistles that sounded like weeping Strangers pierced both the ears and the heart.

    ......

    The atmosphere grew anomalous, iprehensible, oppressive and chaotic.

    If daytime was the time where the demons fell aslumber, then night time was the time where they all awoke and came out to y.

    ¡°Be on your guard,¡± Ye Qing warned hispanions as he stared intently at the changing sky. Somehow, he could sense a sliver of malice and hatred from the world around them.

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth muttered affirmative responses. They wouldn¡¯t have dared to lower their guard even if Ye Qing hadn¡¯t said anything.

    ¡°Look. The moon¡¯s out.¡±

    Despite the increasingly anomalous environment, the trio were able to continue their journey without any idents. Although there were still crimson streaks in the sky, the ground was already fully submerged in darkness. At the same time, a red crescent burst out of the clouds.

    ¡°A red moon? Its color looks like blood, and its shape a scythe. It¡¯s an evil omen of the Nine Fiends and Evils,¡± Pedant Earth said darkly while staring at the red crescent in the sky.

    The crescent was so red it looked as if it was covered in blood. Even its light felt thick and sticky as it dyed both heaven and earth blood red. Ye Qing did not need Pedant Earth¡¯s expert opinion to know that it was an inauspicious sign.

    The red clouds surrounding the crescent were especially terrifying. Usually, orange red clouds were quite beautiful and weing to look at. It was also treated as a sign of auspiciousness and jubnce. The fact that there were female celestials dancing in the sky only added to their beauty.

    After the red crescent rose to the sky though, it was as if the clouds were drenched in blood. They became dark and oppressive to look at. The female celestials no longer looked as gentle and attractive as before either. Now wearing savage smiles on their faces and weeping blood, they now danced a different kind of dance under the blood moon. It was bewitching, seductive, and demonic.

    Despite knowing full well how dangerous Anomalies could be, for whatever reason, Ye Qing could not stop himself from staring at the dancing celestials.

    Before he knew it, he was so immersed in the dance that he began dancing under the moon as well.

    It wasn¡¯t just him. Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were dancing as well. In fact, everyone who saw the blood moon or the dancing celestials was dancing to their heart¡¯s content.

    Sometimes, Ye Qing would bend his body like a drawn warbow. Sometimes, he would twist his body round and round like a dough twist. And sometimes, he would stretch himself as straight as a spear.

    His movements were mboyant, exaggerated, horrifying, twisted, and evil. And yet, there was no denying that there was an indescribable beauty to it.

    Ye Qing had never learned how to dance before, but as a warrior¡ªa body-tempering warrior no less¡ªhis physical flexibility and tenacity were hundreds, no, thousands of times greater than your average dancer. As he continued to dance though, his skin began to look unnaturally flush. It was because his muscles were damaged, his blood was flowing in reverse, and his bones were breaking here and there.

    If even Ye Qing was suffering, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth could only do worse. Pedant Earth¡¯s limbs were broken, bent, or twisted in ways it should never have. Blood was seeping out of his pores and dyeing his shirt red. He looked like he had just been scooped out of a pool of blood.

    Inparison, Shangguan Hongjin was doing better than him. She was stronger and, as a woman, naturally more flexible than him.

    Even so, there was a limit as a matter of course. Just like her twopanions, she was suffering from varying degrees of injuries, and a good number of her bones had been twisted or crushed by her movements.

    Despite this, none of them seemed to notice the situation they were. They couldn¡¯t even feel the horrible pain that had to be afflicting their whole body right now. They continued to dance to the moon like their life depended on it.

    Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin were Half-Step Grandmasters, and Ye Qing was stronger than your average Grandmaster. Therefore, their injuries weren¡¯t fatal just yet. The same could not be said for many others who were under the same spell.

    Some people had twisted their own necks.

    Some people had broken their heads.

    So people had broken every bone in their body.

    Some people were still alive.

    And some people were already dead.

    And yet, they were still dancing, both the living and the dead. Everyone was dancing under the bloody moonlight.

    It was the embodiment of soundless horror.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes abruptly turned as ck as ink. His movement came to a sudden stop as well.

    The next moment, light burst out of his eyes, and a powerful, earth-shaking shockwave swept out of his body. Finally, Ye Qing snapped back to reality.

    He immediately realized that he was in terrible pain. Like a piece of cloth that had been twisted to the limit again and again, there was no part of his body that wasn¡¯t hurting like hell. He could not even begin to count the number of bones, veins, muscles and blood vessels he had broken.

    Here¡¯s the scary part: he couldn¡¯t remember how he got these injuries. Not even a little. Thankfully, just because he was missing memories didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t know what had happened to him. After all, there were two live examples right in front of him.

    Ye Qing quickly figured out the truth when he saw Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth performing a strange dance and squirting blood with every movement. From time to time, he could even hear one or multiple bones breaking. He was certain that the same thing had happened to him.

    <i>Every time I thought this world had ceased to surprise me, it rolls up its sleeves and kicks me in the balls.</i>

    Now was not the time to bemoan how this fucking world had stolen another first from him though. If he did not act quickly, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were going to dance themselves to death.

 Chapter 703: Speculation

    <h4>Chapter 703: Spection </h4>

    Ye Qing rapped a finger against the space in front of him like he was knocking on the gates of heaven.

    Demonic thought washed out gently and without a trace like spring wind or fine rain. It invaded Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth¡¯s headspace and transformed into an infinitely majestic shadow.

    The shadow waved his head, and a powerful gale blew away the invisible, anomalous power gripping his twopanions.

    Strangely, the powerful gale did not leave even a scratch on the duo¡¯s Yin God. It was as if the gale had transformed into a harmless drizzle right before it would make contact with them.

    When Ye Qing withdrew his finger, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth broke out of their trance.

    ¡°Gasp! What the... it hurts...¡±

    The second Shangguan Hongjin woke up, she immediately let out a cute cry and stumbled on her feet.

    Pedant Earth did not even make a sound. He just slumped toward the ground like every bone in his body was shattered.

    ¡°What happened? Why am I injured from head to toe?¡± Shangguan Hongjin voiced her puzzlement while Ye Qing appeared next to Pedant Earth and caught him in a gentle but firm embrace. At the same time, he fed a healing pill into his mouth.

    ¡°Is he alright?¡± Shangguan Hongjin also noticed Pedant Earth¡¯s horrific appearance and asked worriedly.

    ¡°He¡¯s seriously injured, but he¡¯s not going to die. He just fainted is all.¡± Ye Qingid Pedant Earth against a tree and sighed.

    Shangguan Hongjin let out a sigh of relief when she heard this. She too produced a healing pill from her Nature¡¯s Shell and consumed it.

    Shangguan Hongjin gradually regained a healthyplexion after consuming the pill. Her injuries began healing bit by bit as well.

    ¡°What happened, warrior Ye? How did Pedant Earth and I turn out like this?¡±

    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that it was due to dancing?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Dancing?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s first thought was that Ye Qing was joking. After all, she had never heard of anyone dancing themselves to the point where they were bleeding from all orifices and breaking bones.

    Even if something like that had happened in the past, she was not the dancing type. Not even close. She was perfectly fine with drinking, eating, fighting and killing. But dancing? Come on!

    Besides, what about Pedant Earth? The guy looked like he was in his seventies or even eighties. Dancing would only hurt him at his age, not to mention that it would be a blight upon anyone¡¯s eyes!

    She quickly noticed that Ye Qing was wearing a serious expression, however. It did not look like he was joking.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious? Howe I don¡¯t remember it at all?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Ye Qing said seriously, ¡°The reason we were all hurt is because we danced ourselves to the point of injury. It was a twisted, evil, exaggerated, and terrifying dance that defied human limits. Anyone who performed the dance would suffer massive injuries and eventually die.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like the dance the celestial women in the sky are performing!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin subconsciously looked up at the female celestials still dancing under the blood moon. ¡°Are they the reason we suddenly started dancing for no reason?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡±

    Ye Qing stopped her immediately. ¡°I suspect that the reason we suddenly entered a trance without knowing and started dancing to the moon is because we looked at them for too long. However, we should be fine so long as we don¡¯t look at them!¡±

    He knew this because he did not look at the blood moon or the dancing celestials again after he woke up. The fact that he did not fall into a trance again proved that his preventive measure was working.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked.

    ¡°Well, no. It¡¯s just a guess. It could be the blood moon that¡¯s causing this.¡± Ye Qing spected, ¡°Earlier, all of us were staring at the blood moon and the dancing celestials before we fell into a trance. Therefore, it makes sense to deduce that one of these two things were the cause behind it.¡±

    ¡°However, the dance we performed was the exact same as the dancing celestials, so I¡¯m inclined to believe that it¡¯s the dancing celestials that induced us into a trance.¡±

    ¡°You can give it a try if you don¡¯t believe me. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure to wake you up as soon as my hypothesis is confirmed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to make a girl take such a serious risk, man? Where is your shame?¡± Shangguan Hongjin rolled her eyes at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. If something happens to you, I can still save you. But you might not be able to save me if something happens to me!¡± Ye Qing answered honestly.

    The power that induced them into a trance and made them dance to the moon was formless, undetectable, and extremely powerful. The moment someone fell into a trance, it was highly unlikely they would ever awake again.

    Luckily for him, his Heavenly Demon Yin God was no ordinary Yin God. On top of that, he had been practicing the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± for the past couple days and drastically improved his demonic thought as a result. Otherwise, he could not have snapped out of the trance on his own.

    Shangguan Hongjin instinctively wanted to refute his statement, but when she really thought about it, she had to admit that Ye Qing was right. The young man had proven that he was able to awaken on his own and snap them out of their trance. On the other hand, she had zero confidence that she would be able to do the same thing for him.

    ¡°Forget it. I¡¯d rather not risk it at all.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin waved him off before an interesting idea urred to her. ¡°How about we make Pedant Earth try it after he awakens? I¡¯ve never seen an old man dance before, much less a dance like this one!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re this type of person, Shangguan Hongjin.¡±

    Ye Qing shot her a surprised look. Rather than verifying if his spection was correct, he was sure she just wanted to see Pedant Earth dance.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had the same idea as me!¡± Shangguan Hongjin scoffed.

    ¡°Not at all!¡± Ye Qing dered without hesitation before adding, ¡°I¡¯ve already seen it earlier.¡±

    ¡°Tsk!¡± Shangguan Hongjin clicked her tongue unhappily, but she quickly perked up and stared at Ye Qing with pleading eyes, ¡°You know, you¡¯re the one I want to see performing a dance. I¡¯m sure it would be far more interesting than Pedant Earth¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll ever get that chance.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing raised an eyebrow and grabbed Pedant Earth. Right after he pulled the old man toward him, the tree he was leaning against suddenly split open at the center like a maw. Literally, there were rows and rows of sharp teeth inside the gap.

    If Ye Qing hadn¡¯t detected the unusual activity and acted quickly, the tree might have consumed Pedant Earth alive.

    Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s reaction was slower, but she followed up perfectly with a sh that cut the tree in half. As the tree copsed, it returned back to normal.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    She was sure that the tree was just an ordinary tree. It was neither a Stranger nor a Stranger disguised as a tree. In reality, it had suddenly transformed into a man-eater and nearly ate Pedant Earth. She was confused to say the least.

    Ye Qing was just as puzzled as her. This entire world had be a little stranger after the blood moon appeared. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It could be because of the blood moon as well. Just be ready for anything.¡±

    ¡°What... what happened to me?¡±

    It was at this moment Pedant Earth finally awoke. The old man was severely injured to begin with, but Ye Qing had fed him a powerful healing pill that he bought back when he was at the Hill of Services. It was especially adept at treating physical injuries, restoring vigor, growing flesh and mending bones.

    Although the unusual dance could kill it was carried out for too long, the good news was that it was all physical and did nothing to the mind. Thanks to Ye Qing¡¯s pill, most of Pedant Earth¡¯s injuries were already gone.

 Chapter 704: The Footsteps Behind Them

    <h4>Chapter 704: The Footsteps Behind Them </h4>

    ¡°You were dancing just now.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin crossed her arms and teased Pedant Earth.

    ¡°Excuse me? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Pedant Earth nced at her in confusion. <i>I don¡¯t even know how to dance in the first ce!</i>

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s why you¡¯re covered in wounds right now.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin told him everything Ye Qing told her before concluding, ¡°Long story short, you might have danced yourself to death if it wasn¡¯t for warrior Ye.¡±

    ¡°Heavens...¡±

    Pedant Earth was as pale as a ghost when he heard everything. Death would have imed him, and he wouldn¡¯t even know until after the fact. He hurriedly saluted Ye Qing and said, ¡°Thank you for saving my life, warrior. Just say the word if you ever need my help. I promise a thousand deaths to repay the favor you¡¯ve done unto me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. We are cooperating right now. It¡¯s only natural that we help each other in times of need,¡± Ye Qing said gently before adding, ¡°Now, go catch some rest and recover your wounds. We¡¯ll resume our journey after you¡¯re better.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, warrior.¡±

    Pedant Earth immediately sat down on the ground and began healing his injuries. With the aid of Ye Qing¡¯s pill, it only took him an incense stick or so to recover most of his injuries. After that, the trio continued to trek toward the Sage¡¯s ce of death.

    Not long after they resumed their journey, the trio saw a man dancing his heart out.

    He was a huge, muscr, thick-bearded man with a face that only a mother could love. It should not need to be said how weird it was for someone like him to dance to the moon.

    That wasn¡¯t the weirdest part though. No, the weirdest part was the fact that the man was already dead.

    That¡¯s right. The man was as dead as a dodo. His limbs, his spine, his neck, and every other part of his body werepletely broken by his own doing, and his flesh and blood had long been deprived of all of their vitality. Despite this, he was still dancing to the moon as if it was his life¡¯s purpose.

    It was a horrifying sight to say the least.

    <i>Is this what happened to us just now?!</i>

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth felt their scalps numbing as they exchanged a nce with each other. Having heard Ye Qing¡¯s description, they were mentally prepared for this scene to a certain extent. However, seeing was believing, and what they had imagined in their heads wasn¡¯t even a hundredth as spine-chilling as the real thing.

    They were plenty grateful toward Ye Qing to begin with, but now? They were well and truly in his favor. If it wasn¡¯t for the young man, they could very well have followed in the footsteps of this unfortunate warrior.

    Ye Qing observed the big man for a moment. Then, he walked over to him.

    ¡°Warrior Ye?¡±

    Both Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were surprised by his action. None of them knew what Ye Qing was nning to do.

    Ye Qing ignored them and stopped about two steps away from the big man. Then, he reached out and sucked his Nature¡¯s Shell into his palm. Once done, Ye Qing nodded in satisfaction and went back to hispanions.

    ¡°What are you doing, Warrior Ye?¡± Pedant Earth asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m looting.¡± Ye Qing put away the Nature¡¯s Shell and said matter-of-factly, ¡°He¡¯s already dead, so he won¡¯t be needing his possessions any longer. There¡¯s no reason to leave them to rot in this hellhole, is there?¡±

    ¡°I get it, but aren¡¯t you worried that it might trigger some sort of danger?¡± Pedant Earth asked. He understood Ye Qing¡¯s sentiment perfectly, but he wasn¡¯t willing to risk his life over some loot.

    It¡¯s not paranoia if they¡¯re really out to get you, and this ce was crazier than most.

    ¡°Rx. Nothing happened even when I snapped you out of your trance and saved you two. Therefore, looting a body should be perfectly safe,¡± Ye Qing dered.

    Pedant Earth mulled over his exnation for a moment. <i>Huh, it makes sense.</i>

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    Ye Qing circled around the big man and continued forward. Shangguan Hongjin shrugged and followed right behind him.

    The big man was the first dancer they encountered, but he would not be thest. The trio would encounter many more people who were dancing to the moon, and without exception, every single one of them was dead.

    At first, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were still afraid of the dancing corpses. However, they soon grew desensitized to it.

    Their adaptation process was hastened by the fact that Ye Qing had imed every single Nature¡¯s Shell for himself. In the end, the two warriors finally couldn¡¯t withstand the temptation any longer and joined in on the looting as well.

    ......

    <i>Thud thud... </i>

    <i>Thud thud... </i>

    Right now, Ye Qing, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were trekking swiftly through a forest. Ye Qing was the strongest, so he took the lead. Pedant Earth was the weakest, so he stayed in the middle, Shangguan Hongjin the rear.

    The world illuminated by the blood moon was so silent that one could hear the drop of a pin. Even the sound of a tree branch cracking underneath their feet could probably be heard from a hundred meters away.

    As they walked, Shangguan Hongjin suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked behind her with a furrowed brow. However, she found nothing.

    Frowning, Shangguan Hongjin shook her head and resumed her trek. However, she had only taken a few steps before she stopped and looked behind her a second time.

    Still, she couldn¡¯t find anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Miss Shangguan?¡±

    Pedant Earth noticed Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s odd movements and voiced his puzzlement.

    ¡°I keep feeling like something is following us!¡± Shangguan Hongjin spoke up.

    In fact, she had been feeling that something was off since a short while ago. At first, she dismissed it as paranoia caused by the forest¡¯s oppressive silence, but she soon came to the realization that it wasn¡¯t paranoia. When they walked, the unknown creature would follow behind them. When they stopped, it came to a stop as well.

    It wasn¡¯t just one creature either. As they trekked through the forest, the number of creatures continuously grew in numbers.

    Worst of all, she could not spot their stalkers no matter how many times she checked behind her. It was eerie and strange to say the least.

    ¡°Really? Are you sure it¡¯s not just your paranoia talking? I don¡¯t see anything besides a floor of stones. It could just be your eyes ying tricks on you.¡±

    Pedant Earth followed Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s gaze while adding, ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal to see things in a strange ce like this. Just now, I saw a human face on a tree!¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing looked back and chimed in, ¡°You weren¡¯t seeing things.¡±

    ¡°Wh... What did you say, Warrior Ye?¡± Pedant Earth nched.

    ¡°Stones?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin wasn¡¯t paying attention to their conversation. She eximed loudly when realization struck her like a lightning bolt, ¡°That¡¯s it! It¡¯s the stones that¡¯s following us!¡±

    At the beginning, there weren¡¯t too many stones on the forest floor at all. But now, there was an entire floor behind them. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t normal. It wasn¡¯t until Pedant Earth brought it up that she noticed the oddity. After all, it was perfectly normal for there to be stones inside a forest.

    Now that she recognized the anomaly, Shangguan Hongjin did not hesitate to unsheathe her saber and sh at the stones. However, a person appeared beside her and extended a finger.

    <i>ng!</i>

    There was a soft ng, and her saber force dissipated into nothing. Her descending saber was stopped in its tracks as well.

    ¡°Why are you stopping me?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin shot Ye Qing a look of puzzlement. Yes, it was Ye Qing who stopped her attack.

    ¡°Look.¡±

    Ye Qing pointed at the ground, and Shangguan Hongjin did as he asked. She immediately noticed the stones scattering in every direction on their tiny legs. It was almost as if frightened children. They were all gone in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°What... What the hell are these things?¡± Pedant Earth eximed in shock.

    ¡°They are exactly what they look like.¡±

    Ye Qing said slowly, ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of stones that grew legs and came to life.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Are you even listening to yourself?¡± Pedant Earth blurted incredulously.

    Shangguan Hongjin realized something, however. ¡°You¡¯re saying... that they¡¯re just stones?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re just stones.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°They just came alive because of the blood moon or some other power.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just the stones either. Look closely. You might notice that the surrounding nts havee to life as well.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Shocked, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth immediately examined their surroundings. Gradually, they realized that Ye Qing was right.

 Chapter 705: A Forest That Came Alive

    <h4>Chapter 705: A Forest That Came Alive </h4>

    There were trees wearing kind, grandfatherly smiles on their tree trunks.

    There were leaves that were dancing in the air, gathering or scattering as the wind dictated. They could be heard whispering to each other atop tree branches as well.

    There were emerald green fruits hiding behind the leaves and peeping on them with bendy ck eyes.

    There were colorful flowers and grass ying games with one another in the distant trees.

    There were dew drops dancing lithely on the pistils or leaves.

    There were little mud people rolling on the ground and having fun.

    There were ghastly silhouettes floating here and there and whispering softly in the wind.

    ......

    It was as if the entire forest, no, the entire world hade alive. The only reason Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth hadn¡¯t noticed them until now was because the creatures did not emanate any anomalous or evil presence whatsoever, and their activities were rtively obscure and well hidden.

    ¡°Warrior Ye, are they... are they all Strangers?¡±

    Pedant Earth asked carefully as he turned a little paler. He was afraid of being too loud and triggering the little creatures.

    ¡°No,¡± Ye Qing dered without hesitation. ¡°As I said earlier, they¡¯re just ordinary objects that had temporarily gained sentience ande to life. They¡¯re fundamentally different from Strangers.¡±

    ¡°Ordinary objects that temporarily came to life?¡± Shangguan Hongjin muttered as she stared at the living fantasy in front of her. ¡°Is it because of the blood moon?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Most likely.¡±

    ¡°Did you notice this from the beginning?¡± Shangguan Hongjin looked at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Not really. I noticed them a little earlier than you two.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I just don¡¯t see a need to warn you guys since I can¡¯t sense any malice from them.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Shangguan Hongjin frowned. ¡°Why were the stones following us then?¡±

    ¡°Personally, I think they just want to y with us.¡± Ye Qing thought for a moment. ¡°The stones had been following us since we entered this forest. If they really meant us harm, they wouldn¡¯t have waited until now.¡±

    <i>... I thought you said you hadn¡¯t noticed them from the beginning?</i>

    Shangguan Hongjin was speechless. She knew Ye Qing was strong, but it wasn¡¯t until now that she realized just how powerful he really was. Not only did he possess an extraordinary body, even his spirit was stronger than her and Pedant Earth¡¯s. This was evident from the fact that she and Pedant Earth did not notice anything amiss until just now, whereas Ye Qing had noticed the oddities practically from the start.

    Strangely, she had never heard of someone like Ye Qing in the <i>jianghu</i>. It caused her to grow more and more curious as to his true identity.

    ¡°Is this why you stopped me?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Currently, these creatures don¡¯t harbor any malice toward us, nor have they tried to attack us in any way. But who knows what could happen if we attack them recklessly and cause them to turn hostile?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just pure spection either. When Shangguan Hongjin attacked the stones just now, he immediately sensed a strong wave of hostilitying from the entire forest.

    Had he not stopped Shangguan Hongjin, it was very possible that that hostility would have transformed into full-blown killing intent. It did not take a genius to know that that would end poorly for them.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not telling you to rx and treat this like a stroll in the park. Be on your guard and ready for anything.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Pedant Earth nodded and looked a bit better.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Shangguan Hongjin also nodded in acknowledgement.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue then. Oh, and watch your step. Wouldn¡¯t want to identally step on these creatures.¡± Ye Qing turned around and continued forward after saying that.

    The anomalies only got weirder as they ventured deeper into the forest.

    They saw glowing blue mushrooms the size of houses with tiny mushrooms hopping merrily underneath the caps.

    They saw women made from pure water swimming along a stream and dancing to their heart¡¯s content.

    They saw blooming flowers with little people running circles around the petals.

    They saw hills snoring with their mouths wide open, their breaths thankfully odorless and even refreshing.

    So on and so forth.

    Maybe it was because Ye Qing, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth had shown themselves to be mild-mannered and peaceful, but some of the creatures actually got close to the trio after a while.

    Some sort of tiny yet plump creatures rode a breeze to their side and flew circles around them, giggling.

    Dandelions descended from above andnded on their shoulders, darting here and there.

    Grass that were bearing round, fiery red fruits that resembled tinynterns walked in a line in front of them and illuminated the way ahead.

    Catkins[1] floated here and there, up and down just above their heads.

    Vines brushed gently and incessantly against their arms like yful children, and more.

    At first, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were understandably nervous, especially since the tiny creatures did not seem to understand the concept of personal space. But over time, they rxed when they confirmed that they really meant no harm.

    Then, at some point during their track, the little creatures surrounding them abruptly took off in a certain direction. It was as if they were frightened by something.

    The breeze in the trees took off with a whoosh.

    The leaves and tree branches rustled like waves.

    And the vines slithered rapidly across the ground like snakes.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked in rm.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe someone attacked one of the forest creatures?¡±

    Ye Qing did not know what was going on, but he could sense the forest¡¯s anger. That was how he was able to arrive at that deduction.

    ¡°Come. Let¡¯s follow them.¡±

    Ye Qing pushed off the ground and chased after the little creatures. A moment of hesitation, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth fell in behind him.

    Just a dozen or so breathster, the trio figured out the reason behind the forest¡¯s unusual reaction.

    They saw six people being attacked by all sorts of flora. A group of four men and two women, they made a strong team with fourte-stage Spirit Masters and two Half-Step Grandmasters. Out of all of them, a middle-aged man with fully white hair and goatee was the strongest of them all.

    The middle-aged man looked to be in his forties orte-thirties, and he had pock marks all over his face and a goatee underneath his chin. He possessed a dark and ominous presence.

    He wasn¡¯t old, but for whatever reason, his hair waspletely white, and his head was balding here and there and covered in scabies. It did no favors to his appearance.

    That said, he was anything but a weakling. He wielded a blood-soaked rope that was giving off a dark, bloody aura.

    The rope was wrapped around his neck, and its two ends were floating in the air like two snakes. It swept, tapped, smashed, or threw any forest creature that got too close to it. Any nt it touched instantly withered and died.

    Although the group of six was quite powerful, they were in a precarious situation. The reason was simple. Their opponents weren¡¯t a bunch of flora, but the entire forest itself.

    The forest was angry, and it would have its due.

    1. Now this is a trauma I remember even now. ?

 Chapter 706: The Unfortunate Pockface Bai

    <h4>Chapter 706: The Unfortunate Pockface Bai </h4>

    The gentle, naughty, and peaceful nts from before had all turned into terrifying monsters.

    The green leaves hade together to form a sea of deadly green in the sky.

    The branches were cutting and stabbing through the air like sharp swords.

    The vines were jumping off the ground like vicious vipers.

    The stones hade together to form tall, gnarly stone giants that possessed seemingly limitless strength.

    The grass were dancing to the wind and coiling, cutting or stabbing their enemy like spirit snakes.

    The flowers were shaking their petals and emitting clouds of colorful, poisonous pollen that turned their target¡¯s skin red upon contact.

    The mushrooms were exploding into spores that sank into the ground and grew into many small, colorful mushrooms that exploded once more.

    The dandelions were floating around the six warriors and sinking into their flesh to grow more dandelions.

    ......

    Right here and now, the entire forest had transformed into a deadly weapon.

    Even if the six warriors were pretty strong, they were hardpressed to handle the relentless assault of an entire forest.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Pockface Bai! Tsk tsk... the pitiful bastard!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin snickered when she recognized some of the warriors who were defending themselves against the forest.

    ¡°You know then?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t just know them. We¡¯ve been ¡®acquaintances¡¯ for a very long time.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Pockface Bai is¡ªyou see that ugly buffoon with pockmarks all over his face? That¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°Pockface Bai is a barefoot bandit who operates in Bei Mo. He is an unprincipled animal who abused his strength as a Half-Step Grandmaster andmitted every crime there is under the sun.¡±

    ¡°That woman over there is Pockface Bai¡¯s lover. If I remember correctly, her name is Yao Mei¡¯er, and they call her the Temptress. A fickle woman who willfully ughters the innocent, she too is an irredeemable viin who¡¯s better off dead and alive.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize their four underlings, but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°I see! I¡¯ve heard of Pockface Bai as well. No wonder he managed to hold out for so long,¡± Pedant Earth eximed in realization.

    Pockface Bai was the thirty-seventh named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, so it was unsurprising that he would be able to hold out against the forest¡¯s relentless assault.

    They were running out of steam though. Even as they spoke, one underling was sliced and diced by the leaves into a pile of minced meat, a second was skewered by several vines from behind and sucked dry, a third was screaming in pain as flowers grew all over his body, and he died only after the flowers had reached full bloom, and thest underling kept growing more and more swollen because of the pollen until he eventually exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    In less than a minute, four of the group of six had died, and only Pockface Bai and Yao Mei¡¯er were still struggling.

    ¡°We need to go now, Mei¡¯er! Together!¡± Pockface Bai yelled urgently after all four of his underlings met a horrific end.

    The man was currently riddled with regret right now. The reason the forest was attacking them was because he had identally stepped and killed a flower when he was passing through the forest just now. It was a stroke of terrible luck to put it mildly.

    Yao Mei¡¯er returned an utterance of acknowledgement before the two ribbons she was holding suddenly transformed into two oddly-shaped boas. The boa had a snake¡¯s body but a cow¡¯s head, and it was over thirty meters long and as thick as a barrel.

    As soon as the transformation wasplete, the boas let out a bullish roar that rocked the entire ce like an earthquake. Countless nts and rocks were annihted by the eruption of yin thunder.

    Having bought themselves a moment of respite, Yao Mei¡¯er and Pockface Bai immediately raced toward the outskirts behind the two boas.

    The two ribbons were obviously a high-grade Strange Artifact that could transform into Kui Snakes. A Kui Snake was a Soulstealer-ss Stranger with an ox¡¯s head but a snake¡¯s body. When it mooed, its moos could transform into yin thunder that damaged the mind.

    Unfortunately, Pockface Bai and Yao Mei¡¯er didn¡¯t manage to go too far before the ground abruptly split open like a maw. The insides of the earth were jam-packed in squirming roots that resembled sharp teeth.

    Caught off guard, Pockface Bai, Yao Mei¡¯er and her two Kui Snakes all fell inside. Not a moment too soon, the roots began pulling at the earth and closing the gap at a prodigious rate.

    To Pockface Bai¡¯s credit, his reaction speed was impable. The instant he fell into the gap, his eyes flickered with ruthlessness, and he pushed Yao Mei¡¯er on the shoulder and pushed himself back to safety.

    ¡°Pockface Bai, you!¡±

    Yao Mei¡¯er screamed as she plunged into the abyss. A secondter, the chasm closedpletely, and the woman was squashed like a bug.

    Pockface Bai just barely returned to the surface before the gap could crush him just like Yao Mei¡¯er. Heart beating like a drum, Pockface Bai muttered, ¡°Sorry, Mei¡¯er.¡±

    Despair was welling inside his heart though. He might have survived the near death encounter, but the outskirts were still far, far away, and his fodders were all dead. How on earth was he going to survive this?

    ¡°Tsk tsk... you¡¯re in quite the predicament, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    It was at this moment Pockface Bai heard a derisive snort. When he looked up, he saw three people standing not far away from him. One of them was very familiar.

    ¡°Shangguan Hongjin?!¡±

    As soon as Pockface Bai saw Shangguan Hongjin, he immediately cried for help like a drowning man on hisst breath, ¡°Miss Shangguan, save me!¡±

    ¡°Save you? Heavens, why would I ever do that?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin was crossing her arms and enjoying the show. ¡°I¡¯m only here to witness your death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you anything if you save me, Miss Shangguan!¡±

    Pockface Bai wasn¡¯t going to give up on his one chance to survive, of course. ¡°I have a lot of money and treasures. If you save me¡ªif any of you is willing to save me¡ªI can give you everything! Everything!¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk... how generous of you.¡± Shangguan Hongjin chuckled before asking a question, ¡°What if you were lying?¡±

    ¡°I swear that I would die a horrible death if I¡¯m lying to you!¡± Pockface Bai swore. While he was distracted, two vines leaped up from the ground like vipers and ripped a small chunk of flesh from his stomach.

    ¡°An oath? While an oath is usually a trustworthy gesture,¡± Shangguan Hongjin sneered, ¡°but we literally just saw you sacrificing your decade-old lover to save yourself. Anyone who trusts your oath would have to be stupid or ignorant, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°What do I need to do to convince you to save me, Miss Shangguan? Just give it to me straight?¡± Pockface Bai cried urgently.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good question.¡± Shangguan Hongjin said leisurely, ¡°Gimme some time to think, will ya?¡±

    That was what she said, but it was clear that she wasn¡¯t thinking at all. She just wanted to see him suffer for as long as possible before he died.

    ¡°Were Miss Shangguan and Pockface Bai enemies in the past?¡± Ye Qing asked while rubbing his nose. Anyone in their right mind would be able to tell that Shangguan Hongjin had no intentions of saving Pockface Bai at all. The only reason she even showed herself was to kick the man while he was down.

    ¡°I guess so. I think I heard Pockface Bai ignoring the code of ouws and robbing from the Flying Red Scarfs before. He had even killed her men,¡± Pedant Earth said uncertainly. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Pockface Bai is the kind of bastard not even the most ckhearted man cares to rescue, so we should just stay at the sidelines and let Miss Shangguan have her fun.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked and spectated the scene quietly as Pedant Earth suggested.

    Meanwhile, Pockface Bai had gotten some new wounds on his body. Seeds were taking root and sprouting in the wounds.

 Chapter 707: The Forestâ€™s Good Will

    ¡°If you save my life, then I¡¯m willing to serve you as your humble servant, Miss Shangguan. I will be your bull and horse, and I will brave any danger for your sake!¡±

    By now, Pockface Bai was beginning to notice Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s true intentions as well. But what could he do? He was in a life-or-death crisis. He had to give even the unlikeliest hope a try. ¡°Are you done thinking about your terms, Miss Shangguan?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I have.¡± Shangguan Hongjin beamed at him. ¡°After careful deliberation, I¡¯ve decided that there is absolutely nothing you could give me that would be worth my aid. Therefore, I decline your request for aid.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I doubt that even a single speck of you will be left when you¡¯re dead, so don¡¯t worry about vultures picking off your possessions from your cold, dead corpse and just rest in peace!¡±

    ¡°You dare y me for a fool, Shangguan Hongjin?!¡± Pockface Bai could not hold back his anger any longer and red at her with hatred.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you only just figured it out, fool? Yes, I¡¯m ying you for a fool. What can you do about it?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin put her hands on her waist and let out a loud guffaw. Then, she pointed a finger at Pockface Bai and started yelling, ¡°Three years ago, you broke the code of ouws, robbed my stuff and killed many of my men. I have never gotten payback from you, and you want me to save your life? Dream on!¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I showed myself? It¡¯s because I want to watch you die. I want to give you a sliver of hope before snuffing it out before your eyes so you may perish in despair!¡±

    ¡°So? How does it feel?¡±¡°Shangguan Hongjin! I¡¯m going to kill you! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    That was thest straw that broke his sanity. Pockface Bai abruptly threw all caution to the wind and charged straight toward Shangguan Hongjin.

    ¡°Come get me if you can, bitch! If I move even a muscle, then you¡¯re my grandson!¡± Shangguan Hongjin continued to taunt.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!¡±

    Maybe it was because Pockface Bai only had eyes for Shangguan Hongjin now, but he started ruing injuries at an insane rate. Vines had prated his chest, leaves had cut his skin, wind and severed his arms, and mushrooms had sted his legs into limbs.

    Even worse, countless spores, seeds and pollens were sprouting, growing, blooming, and fruiting in his wounds, his orifices, and even his pores. Emerald green vines began extending out of his nostrils, colorful mushrooms began growing out of his ears, sweet-smelling flowers were blooming inside his eye sockets, and fresh grass was pushing out his hair until they covered his entire skull.

    In just the matter of seconds, Pockface Bai had be a hotbed for all sorts of nts.

    Naturally, Pockface Bai¡¯s aura was decreasing at a prodigious rate. Although he was a Half-Step Grandmaster, and Shangguan Hongjin was less than ten meters away from him, he ultimately ran out of strength and came to a stop when he was just three inches away from the woman. That tiny bit of distance might as well be the difference between heaven and earth.

    By now, Pockface Bai did not even look human anymore. His entire body was covered in grass, mushrooms, flowers, vines, and more nts. Such was the wild growth that one could not spot even a speck of blood on his body. It was a horrifying way to die to put it mildly.

    ¡°Shangguan¡­ I will¡­ haunt you¡­ in the afterlife¡­¡±

    Despite this, Pockface Bai still retained a sliver of consciousness. If he still had eyes, he would be staring straight at Shangguan Hongjin.

    Unfortunately for him, he failed to finish his threat before a vine grew out of his mouth and silenced him forever. At the same time, a single white flower the size of a bowl grew out of the tip of the vine and gave off a sweet sweet that quickly permeated the surroundings.

    ¡°Can you? You¡¯ve lost even the chance to linger in the world as a ghost anymore.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin shook her head as she watched the white flower. Pockface Bai hadn¡¯t just died in body, his yin god had failed to make an escape as well. Forget turning into a ghost, he didn¡¯t even have the chance to join the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn anymore.

    After Pockface Bai and his group perished, the leaves slowly returned to the ground, the tree branches returned to whence they came, the flowers and grass swayed to the wind, the wind blew a low, whispery song, and the waters returned to calm. What was once an angry, violent forest had returned to normal almost as if what happened just now was just a dream.

    ¡°Thank you for your earlier warning, warrior. Otherwise, we might have met the same fate as them.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth couldn¡¯t help but pat their chest with trepidation and relief when they saw this. Who would have thought that such a beautiful, peaceful-looking forest would be concealing such terrible danger?

    If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Qing¡¯s earlier warning, they could very well have ended up as Pockface Bai and his group. That was why they did not hesitate to thank him wholeheartedly.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Ye Qing smiled while shooting the rope Pockface Bai was using a regretful look.

    The rope was obviously an excellent Strange Artifact, but it was currently entangled inside the nts. He would be crazy to try and retrieve it and risk angering the forest again.

    The ribbon that could transform into Kui Snakes were excellent as well, but it too was buried in the underground.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ye Qing beckoned hispanions and turned around to leave. It was at this moment the vines entangling the rope abruptly loosened and pushed it out into the open. Not only that, one of the vines actually handed the rope to him.

    At the same time, the ground where Yao Mei¡¯er was buried shook a little and threw up small clumps of earth. A short whileter, the ribbons were spat out onto the surface.

    ¡°Is this¡­ for me?¡±

    Ye Qing was caught off guard. His senses were telling him that the forest was quite happy and friendly toward him.

    The vine holding the rope bobbed up and down like it was nodding.

    ¡°Thank you kindly for the gift.¡±

    Ye Qing responded with a salute and reached out to grab the rope. The vine even rubbed against his palm affectionately as he epted the gift.

    Ye Qing took a moment to wonder why the forest was acting like this and quickly arrived at a conclusion. It probably had something to do with his earlier action.

    Just now, when Pockface Bai and Yao Mei¡¯er had fallen into the bottomless gap the forest had prepared for them, he had purposely used his demonic thought to slow them down a little. Otherwise, there was no way the two Half-Step Grandmasters would have failed to get out of the gap in time.

    It was precisely because of his influence that they missed the best timing to escape the gap. It was also why Pockface Bai had no choice but to sacrifice Yao Mei¡¯er to save his own life.

    He had done it on a whim, and his influence was so subtle that not even Shangguan Hongjin or Pedant Earth noticed anything despite standing right next to him. He did not expect the forest to notice it instead.

    This was most likely the reason why the forest had be so friendly and affectionate toward him. From their point of view, he had helped them in killing their hated foes.

    After picking up Yao Mei¡¯er¡¯s ribbon from the ground, Ye Qing called out to hispanions again, ¡°Come on.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth exchanged a confused nce with each other, though they did not prod him about him. They obediently fell in behind him and resumed their journey.

    Their puzzlement only grew as they continued forward though. When their path was blocked, the branches and vines would automatically move out of their way. When they ran into a mountain creek, the nts would automaticallye together to form a bridge. When they encountered a river, the river bed was pushed up until there was solid ground on the surface so that they could cross over. When they encountered a hill, the hill would split at the center so that they could pass through.

    Not only that, delicious fruits would fall in front of them from time to time, the leaves would carry sweet dew to their lips, the wind would blow away their excess heat and fatigue; so on and so forth.

 Chapter 708: Have You Seen My Head

    Earlier, the forest did not harbor any ill will toward them, but it wasn¡¯t exactly friendly either.

    But now, they were being treated like its most honored guests. It was affording them hospitality and convenience every step of the way.

    ¡°What on earth is going on here?¡±

    Finally, Shangguan Hongjin could not hold back her puzzlement any longer and asked, ¡°What did you do?¡±

    She was asking Ye Qing, of course. She did not believe she or Pedant Earth deserved such special treatment from the forest.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that I did nothing at all?¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°Maybe it was because the forest loves kind and good-hearted souls?¡±

    ¡°Are you shitting me right now? You must have done something behind our backs!¡± Shangguan Hongjin rolled her eyes at him.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t though.¡±

    Ye Qing tried to shrug it off, but seeing Shangguan Hongjin and even Pedant Earth¡¯s dogged expression, he had no choice but to tell them how he screwed over Pockface Bai and Yao Mei¡¯er earlier and his assumption.¡°I see!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were surprised. They did not think that the forest¡¯s attitude toward them would improve so drastically for such a small, unconscious gesture.

    If someone offended the forest, then the forest would hound them until they died. If someone helped the forest, then the forest would repay the favor a hundredfold. It was ironic that the forest was more humane than most humans in this world.

    Thanks to the forest the trio took only two hours or so to pass through the entire forest.

    When they left, the flowers, the trees, the grass, the wind, the waters and more were even waving them goodbye with clear reluctance.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I can¡¯t believe how fast we made it out of the forest,¡± Pedant Earthmented with a wistful sigh. If it wasn¡¯t for the forest¡¯s help, it would have taken them at least seven to eight hours to make it through.

    ¡°Yeah. It was like a dream,¡± Shangguan Hongjin echoed in agreement.

    Instead ofmenting about the forest, Ye Qing stared at a distant basin and asked, ¡°Look over there, Pedant Earth. Is that the ce?¡±

    The basin was located at the center of a cluster of mountains. It was incredibly conspicuous as it looked like the entire patch of ground was dug up by the hand of god or something. Even stranger was the fact that the mountains were more or less overgrown with nts, but the basin was devoid of even a speck of greenery.

    On top of that, Ye Qing could sense a chaotic mixture of twisted energies within the basin. That would exin why nothing could grow there.

    ¡°Yes, that is the ce.¡±

    Pedant Earth took one look and nodded in acknowledgement.

    ¡°Hey, is it just me, or does this basin look like a human hand?¡± Shangguan Hongjin said suddenly.

    ¡°I agree,¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement. The basin did look like the aftermath of a giant palm mming into the earth. In fact, judging from the chaotic mixture of twisted energies entrenched within the basin, it was extremely likely that it wasn¡¯t a natural urrence.

    In other words, it was the result of a champion stamping their palm into the ground.

    ¡°Say, do you think this is the site where that headless Sage had fought against his enemies? Could the one who left behind this basin be the one who ultimately killed the Sage?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked.

    This hand-shaped basin was also where Pedant Earth had spotted the headless Sage. It was impossible not to connect the two extraordinary events together.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to say, but it¡¯s definitely a possibility,¡± Ye Qing answered. In fact, he more or less agreed with Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s assessment. ¡°If you¡¯re all ready, then let¡¯s head over.¡±

    Their destination was right before their eyes. The trio did not hesitate to hasten their way toward the basin.

    ¡°It¡¯s huge!¡±

    Just a momentter, the trio had arrived at the edge of the basin. From a distance, the basin didn¡¯t look that impressive. But now that they were at the edge, they realized that their eyes and prejudices had blinded them to the truth. The basin was so massive that none of them could say a word for a time.

    From where they were standing, they could neither see the other end of the basin nor its bottom. It was like the entrance to the abyss or a gulf that separated heaven and earth. All three of them felt like ants attempting to perceive the infinite space that was the heavens.

    They were right about one thing though. Not a single greenery or even life lived within the basin. The dark red rocks were utterly barren, and a thinyer of mist permeated the air. It added to the destion and mystery of the unknownnd.

    ¡°Are we still going?¡±

    Pedant Earth suddenly felt a surge of panic and timidness as he stared at the boundless, bottomless basin.

    ¡°We¡¯re already here. What would be the point of this journey if we don¡¯t check it out?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin did not hesitate. She was the first one to jump over the edge and vanished into the mist.

    ¡°Come on.¡±

    Ye Qing also said before jumping after Shangguan Hongjin.

    Pedant Earth hesitated a moment longer, but he ultimately gritted his teeth and produced a yellow talisman from his pockets. He then pped it on his chest before jumping into the basin.

    Unlike a normal basin, the walls of the basin werepletely vertical. They were also perfectly smooth like a mirror. As a result, most warriors would find it difficult¡ªif not outright impossible¡ªto use the walls to slow their descent.

    But of course, this wasn¡¯t a problem for Ye Qing, Shangguan Hongjin, or even Pedant Earth. Shangguan Hongjin relied on her sabers to slow her descent. Every time she hit a certain speed, she would stab her sabers into the wall to slow her descent.

    Pedant Earth had an easier time than her. His yellow talisman gave off a bubble of green light that allowed him to fall into the basin at a slow, constant pace.

    As for Ye Qing, he did not bother to slow down at all. The wind whipped around him like crazy as he fell toward the bottom at top speed. Despite being the second person to jump into the basin, he was by far the first to make it into the bottom.

    Hisnding didn¡¯t cause anymotion whatsoever, however. In fact, it was perfectly silent. The second his feet touched the ground, he bent his knees a little and caused an invisible shockwave to ripple out to the surroundings. Just like that, he was able to neutralize his fall.

    As it turned out, the bottom of the basin was just as smooth as the walls. In fact, it was crystalline as if it had been baked by an unimaginable temperature, tough and solid.

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath. He was just adapting to the twisted, chaotic energies of the basin and getting ready to observe his surroundings when suddenly, his pupils shrank into pins, and every hair on his body stood on end. At the same time, every rm bell in his head screamed of danger.

    Ye Qing did not move or run, however. He had a feeling that something very bad would happen if he moved carelessly.

    Eventually, he felt something approaching him. It got closer and closer until he could feel their icy touch pressing against his back.

    At that moment, nearly every cell in Ye Qing¡¯s body wanted to turn around and attack the unknown entity. However, his remaining rationality, calm and restraint kept him firmly rooted in ce.

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    The thing behind Ye Qing asked in a low, sorrowful, and icy voice.

 Chapter 709: Do or Die

    <h4>Chapter 709: Do or Die </h4>

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s skull turned numb, and his back broke out in cold sweat when he heard this. He felt as if he had plummeted into an ice hole, cold and frozen. He did not dare to move even a muscle.

    If before he only felt that something extremely bad would happen if he moved carelessly, now he knew for certain that he was in big trouble.

    It was because the one question had made him feel like Sun Wukong trapped underneath the Five Fingers Mountain. His back felt like it was bearing the heavens themselves, his skin felt icy to touch, his yin god and demonic thought werepletely suppressed, his energies were tied up by invisible shackles, and his mind was trembling like a leaf.

    Right here and now, he was no different from amb waiting to be ughtered.

    He was never a coward nor a man who gave up easily. However, he could do but quake in his boots right now. He just could not muster even the slightest courage to struggle or fight back.

    Beads of sweat rolled profusely off his forehead. However, the reaction could not alleviate his shock and terror in the slightest. He had no idea how he was going to get out of this situation. None.

    ......

    When Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth finally reached the bottom of the basin, they were immediately treated to a terrifying sight. They saw a man leaning forward and clinging to Ye Qing¡¯s back with both hands. Ye Qing himself wasn¡¯t moving a muscle almost as if he was listening to the stranger. From a distance, they looked like a pair of old friends catching up with each other.

    If that was all, then they might not have suspected a thing. The problem was that the man clinging to Ye Qing¡¯s back did not have a head. In other words, he was a headless corpse.

    Why was a corpse clinging to Ye Qing? And how?

    Worse still, the corpse felt like an infinitely tall mountain to their senses. They felt like ants attempting to perceive the infinite totality that was the sky.

    <i>The Sage. It has to be the fallen Sage.</i>

    Both warriors arrived at the exact same conclusion. The headless corpse before them could only be the fallen Sage.

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    Then, something even scarier happened. The headless corpse asked Ye Qing a question.

    This should not be possible since the Sage did not have a head. And yet, a voice had definitelye from its body, one that terrified and suffocated both Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth to their core. They began trembling like a leaf.

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    A few seconds of silenceter, the question came again. At the same time, a terrifying aura washed out of the headless Sage and shook both heaven and earth.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    A muffled groan escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips, and warm blood began bleeding from pouring out of every orifice. He felt as if he had just been struck by a clump of mountains and electrocuted by ten thousand lightning bolts. His headspace was shaking like a drum, his yin god was fading, and a series of disturbing pops came from inside his body. It was the sound of his muscles and bones being pushed beyond their limits.

    Ye Qing was shocked to say the least. Like a celestial or a demon, the entity had dealt him a serious blow with its presence alone. Unless he was gravely mistaken, the entity was probably the fallen Sage.

    He could feel the sheer power and danger the headless Sage was giving off with his bones. If he did note up with a solution soon, he would most likely have to face the thunderous wrath of a Sage.

    However, he couldn¡¯t think of anything. Or rather, whatever idea he came up to save his own life all ended in theoretical failure. The Sage was just too powerful. His aura alone was so scary that he could not even muster the slightest will to resist.

    He wasn¡¯t willing to give up on his life without fighting though.

    <i>I must fight!</i>

    A hint of determination shed in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as the Sage¡¯s aura and energy grew closer and closer.

    At this point, it was do or die. He knew full well that his final gambit was probably no less futile than trying to stop the wheels of time itself. If it failed, then he would mostly die.

    He would <i>definitely </i>die if he did not fight, however. It did not take a genius to know which was the superior option.

    He was just about to take action when suddenly, something unexpected happened. A small head crawled out of the Dragon Nursing Nest he had been carrying on his waist.

    <i>Giggle?!</i>

    The blood drained away from Ye Qing¡¯s blood. The second Giggle showed itself, the presence behind his back suddenly grew indescribably violent. If before the Sage¡¯s presence was just the deste and oppressive calm before the storm, now the storm was upon him, rampaging and chaotic.

    Originally, his n was to find an opportunity to set Giggle free while he was fighting against the Sage. However, not only did Giggle surprise him by appearing on its own, it triggered an unexpected reaction from the Sage.

    <i>What¡¯s going on here?</i>

    There was no time to hesitate, however. Throwing all caution to the wind, Ye Qing swung his left elbow into the Sage¡¯s chest like a hammer.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow. He knew it was a slim hope from the start, but not only did his full-powered elbow strike fail to budge the Sage even an inch, it was his arm that hurt from the impact.

    It was both surprising and unsurprising. A dead Sage he might be, he was still a Sage. They said that a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and a Sage was so, so much bigger than a Spirit Master like him.

    Ye Qing did not panic though. He immediately ripped off the Dragon Nursing Nest and tossed it into the sky, shouting, ¡°Run!¡±

    While he was shouting, he raised his right arm and brought it down on the Sage like he would split the headless man in half.

    Ye Qing had a n when he attacked the Sage. If his elbow strike was strong enough to knock back the headless Sage and buy both him and Giggle a chance to survive, then all was well. If not, it was still fine. He simply needed to keep the Sage¡¯s attention on himself and buy as much time for Giggle to run as possible, and what better way to do that than to attack him?

    His n was simple, but it worked. He could feel the Sage¡¯s aura locking onto him before it came crashing down like an unstoppable tidal wave.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡±

    Ye Qing growled out as his right arm grew several times bigger than before, and sharp hair burst out of his flesh. He then punched the sage¡¯s shoulder with everything he got.

    <i>THUMP!</i>

    It sounded like the drumbeat of the heavens. Such was the noise that a muffled groan escaped Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth¡¯s lips, and blood began seeping out of their orifices. At the same time, the ground beneath Ye Qing and the Sage crumbled inch by inch.

    However, the powerful punch failed to harm the Sage even a little, much less push him away. The Sage was still clinging to Ye Qing and grabbing his shoulders with both hands. Their position hadn¡¯t changed one bit.

    The Sage¡¯s aura was still growing stronger though. Then, the Sage tightened his grip just a bit, and Ye Qing¡¯s shoulders caved in and crumbled away like soft tofu.

    A muffled groan of pain escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips, but he wasn¡¯t done yet. His eyes abruptly turned as dark and bottomless as the night.

    Their surroundings faded into an unknown world before they knew it. It seemed infinitely vast and filled with all sorts of Heavenly Demons, though their shapes and sizes were indistinct. There were incessant murmurs that sounded like weeping,ughing, sorrow, and joy all at the same time, and it seemed capable of bringing out the greed, anger, ignorance, delusion, Seven Emotions and Six Desires hidden in the deepest depths of one¡¯s heart.

    While the victim¡¯s mind and soul were being attacked, a grand, tall, mysterious silhouette sitting on a throne emerged from the space higher than the nine heavens and looked down from above.

    The silhouette lowered its palm, and the world crumbled.

 Chapter 710: The People Are Foolish

    <h4>Chapter 710: The People Are Foolish</h4>

    <i>¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡±</i>

    What was the Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion? It was the power to transform the countless facades of red dust into a boundless demonic tribtion.

    This was the first time Ye Qing pushed the ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡± to its limits, but...

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    The Sage¡¯s voice rang again. It was neither loud nor soft, and it was overflowing with sorrow just like before. However, its power was such that Ye Qing¡¯s Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, and his Heavenly Demon of Freedom crumbled into nothing. Blood jetted out of his lips and nostrils as he stifled a cry of pain.

    There was no time to rest. Right after he returned to reality, Ye Qing felt a terrifying aura of death threatening to engulf him whole.

    ¡°Will you please give me your head?¡±

    Ye Qing felt a pair of icy hands closing around his neck. At that moment, he felt as if he had one foot in hell. His body was stiff, and his mind was in chaos.

    <i>Am I... about to die?</i>

    Several thoughts shed through his mind at the same time. There was regret, defiance, and sorrow, but also joy and relief.

    He felt regret for choosing to enter this ce.

    He felt defiant because he was unwilling to die here.

    He was sad because he was about to die.

    He was happy because Giggle was safe.

    And finally, he was relieved because death was the final end.

    To his own surprise, he did not feel any fear or unbing emotions even though he was seconds away from death. If anything, he was growing calmer and more clear-headed than ever before.

    He supposed it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to be able to face death this way.

    It was at this moment a silhouette suddenly shot toward him from a distance. Itnded right on top of his shoulder.

    ¡°Why did youe back?!¡± Ye Qing cried out in shock and urgency.

    The silhouette was Giggle, of course.

    ¡°Oo ooo...¡±

    The little guy whined and gestured at him. It seemed incredibly sad that Ye Qing had abandoned it earlier.

    ¡°You... ai... forget it.¡±

    The reason he tossed Giggle away earlier was to save its life, but the little Stranger did not seem to understand the sentiment. Or rather, it would rather die with him than to abandon another friend.

    In any case, it was toote to change the oue, and scolding Giggle would not change anything. Plus, Ye Qing honestly felt more warmth than anger at the little Stranger¡¯s return.

    In this world, there was no treasure more precious than a partner who chose to live and die with you.

    ¡°You and I aren¡¯t born on the same day, but it seems that we will die on the same day. It is my honor to be able to die with you, Giggle. I would celebrate this with a drink, but well, maybe in the next life, eh?¡±

    ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡±

    Ye Qing dropped all of his reservations andughed to his heart¡¯s content.

    It had been a fun journey. There was nothing more he could ask for from this life.

    He could feel the icy hands tightening around his neck. It felt like the headless Sage was nning to break his neck and rip off his head. The pain was slowly but surely spreading to every corner of his body.

    ¡°Ooo oooo!¡±

    His consciousness was blurring when Ye Qing heard Giggle¡¯s cry again. It was filled with a hint of urgency, pleasant surprise and joy.

    <i>What? Pleasant surprise? Joy?</i>

    Ye Qing was confused. Why was Giggle pleasantly surprised and happy?

    Then, Giggle¡¯s whines turned aggrieved and sorrowful. It might just be his imagination, but the iron grip on his neck was loosening, and his pain seemed to be decreasing as well.

    <i>No... it¡¯s not my imagination.</i>

    He quickly learned that he wasn¡¯t just imagining things. He hadn¡¯t passed onto the afterlife either. It was because he was slowly but surely regaining his consciousness.

    Behind him, the Sage¡¯s terrifying aura felt confused and shaky as Giggle kept crying again and again.

    Out of the corner of his eyes, Ye Qing saw Giggle grabbing a pale finger with both hands tightly. Its normally pure and limpid eyes were filled with sorrow and grief, but there were also hints of joy and desire in them.

    <i>Did Giggle... know this Sage?</i>

    A bold thought urred to Ye Qing.

    The next moment, something stunning happened. The headless Sage actually let go of Ye Qing¡¯s throat, moved one hand to Giggle¡¯s head, and gave it a few pets.

    Although its movements were stiff and hesitant, there was no denying its gentleness and carefulness.

    Giggle was also narrowing its eyes a little infort and giggling happily.

    Suddenly, the pale hand pulled away from Giggle. Then, Ye Qing felt the terrifying presence behind his back abruptly disappearing into nothing.

    Ye Qing immediately turned around, but he could not see anyone or anything.

    The Sage was gone just like that.

    <i>He¡¯s gone? I... lived?</i>

    At first, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t quite process his emotions. When it did hit him though, he was so happy and relieved he nearly fell on his knees.

    He survived. He actually survived an encounter with a Sage.

    To say that he was experiencing a roller coaster of emotions would be an understatement. That said, it was worth it since he was alive. Ye Qing could literally feel his spirit and willpower undergoing a massive improvement.

    Although there existed great terror between the gap that was life and death, it was also where the greatest growthy.

    ¡°Ooo ooo...¡±

    On his shoulder, Giggle was whining in confusion and sorrow after the Sage had abruptly pulled a disappearing act on him.

    Then, the little Stranger leaped off Ye Qing¡¯s shoulder and took off into a run.

    ¡°Giggle!¡±

    Its sudden action jolted Ye Qing back into reality. He immediately gave chase.

    Ye Qing knew that Giggle was chasing after the Sage. He also knew that the only reason he was still alive was thanks to Giggle and luck.

    The next time he ran into the Sage, he might not be as lucky again.

    However, Giggle hade back for him even though it would have died assuming that the Sage didn¡¯t know it. How could he abandon it during its time of need?

    A human who was lower than a Stranger did not deserve to be called a human.

    So, he chased after Giggle without a second thought.

    ¡°What... what should we do?¡±

    After Ye Qing left, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth finally snapped out of their shock and terror.

    ¡°I owe him my life.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin uttered through gritted teeth before chasing after Ye Qing.

    She was well aware that she might not survive a second encounter with that terrifying headless Sage. Still, she must go because she owed Ye Qing her life.

    Worst case scenario, she would have repaid the favor she owed Ye Qing.

    So, she must go.

    ¡°Foolish! Pure foolishness!¡±

    Pedant Earth cursed loudly when he saw this. She had already gotten away with her life once, and now she was going to throw it away. If this wasn¡¯t foolish, then what was? Did she value her life so little?

    As soon as he was done yelling, Pedant Earth broke into a run after Shangguan Hongjin as well.

    Yes, he wasn¡¯t just cursing hispanion¡¯s foolishness.

    He too, was so very foolish.

    ......

    ¡°Kekeke... a Sage¡¯s corpse. A Sage¡¯s corpse that hasn¡¯t been marred in any way. This is perfect!¡±

    A stiff, eerieugh broke out from the basin. At the same time, four women stepped out of the darkness.

    The women werepletely naked. The countenance was exquisite, and their figure invoked devilish thoughts. Small, invisible ripples appeared all across their body when the blood moon¡¯s lightnded on their wless skin, making it look like they were wearing a thin red chiffon.

    The four women produced no sound whatsoever as they walked across the basin. Like fairies that had stepped out of the darkness, they were beautiful, wless, and heart-throbbingly attractive.

    However, their footsteps weren¡¯t the only thing that was silent. They didn¡¯t breathe or produce any heartbeat.

    It was as if the four women were walking dead.

    Even stranger was the fact that they were carrying a coffin on their shoulder. It was ck-colored, ominous, and overflowing with inauspiciousness.

 Chapter 711: Mortician

    <h4>Chapter 711: Mortician </h4>

    ¡°Just look at him... he¡¯s so beautiful, so gorgeous, so perfect...¡±

    The voice continued to speak, passionate yet twisted. It was as if he was watching a wless piece of art, not a corpse.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad it doesn¡¯t have a head. A shame. It truly is its one and only w!¡±

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    Suddenly, a new voice came from in front of the four women.

    It was the headless Sage. No one knew when or how he appeared, only that conflict was inevitable.

    As the headless Sage spoke, dark, terrible resentment washed out to the surroundings.

    ¡°Looks like he was beheaded while bearing a deep-seated obsession. No wonder his resentment is so great,¡± The first voice spoke up again.

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    The headless Sage asked a second time as his resentment took on a tangible form and enveloped both heaven and earth. For a moment, the world fell as silent as death.

    ¡°Truly, your resentment is something. Corpse Binding Rope, go!¡±

    As soon as the voice said this, the four women¡¯s hair stretched longer and formed four ropes in the air. Then, they flew toward the headless Sage from four different directions.

    The four ropes were dark yellow in color and glowing ominously. It almost looked like it was made from human skin.

    When the four ropes intersected one another around the headless Sage, they formed the shape of a talisman and caught him in a bind.

    If there was an outsider at the scene, they would immediately identify the talisman as a famous Taoist talisman known as the Corpse Suppressing Talisman.

    When the ropes wrapped around the headless Sage¡¯s body, they shone bright and somehow suppressed his terrifying resentment.

    It onlysted a moment, however. Just a few secondster, the resentment surrounding the headless Sage thickened once more.

    ¡°His resentment is like the mountains, and his obsession the heavens... but so what? All things have limits, much less a beheaded Sage!¡±

    The first voice harrumphed from the shadows. ¡°When Man upies the Four Spirits, he may borrow the power of thend. When the ropes bind the Eight Directions, they may suppress an evil corpse. Rise!¡±

    As soon as the order was given, the four women immediately scattered and took up a cardinal direction each. At the same time, countless eerie, twisted runes and incantations appeared on their bodies and made them look much more sinister and disturbing than before.

    The four ropes shone brightly, and the Corpse Suppressing Talisman at the center of his chest burst into mes. The headless Sage¡¯s resentment immediately began to sizzle earnestly, and the headless Sage abruptly sank all the way up to his knees as if he was bearing an unimaginable weight.

    However, the headless Sage responded by grabbing the ropes binding his body and pulling them hard. As soon as the ropes snapped, the headless Sage¡¯s resentment immediately regained its previous vigor.

    ¡°He¡¯s strong enough to snap my century-old Corpse Binding Ropes? Kekeke... as expected of a Sage. He¡¯s unbelievably strong even when he¡¯s long dead. Wonderful! Just wonderful!¡±

    The voiceing from the shadows did notment the loss of his precious Corpse Binding Ropes, however. If anything, he sounded happier than ever before.

    ¡°The sky is clear, the ground is bright. The White Bone Stakes shall suppress even gods and celestials!¡±

    All four women pulled out a bony hairpin the size of a finger from their hair each and threw them at the ground. As they sailed through the air, they rapidly grew into three-meter-tall stakes the size of a tree trunk. Brimming with death qi and covered in reverse hooks, the White Bone Stakes gave off a tremendous amount of energy.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The next moment, the White Bone Stakes sank into the ground and shook the four directions. As if the sky itself was about to tip over, brilliant light illuminated the entire area, and countless runes popped into existence. Like an ordinary mortal who was caught in a quicksand, the headless Sage found himself incapable of moving a muscle.

    ¡°Celestial Suppressing Nails, go!¡±

    It looked like they had seeded, but the person hiding in the shadows wasn¡¯t done yet. After he gave anothermand, the four women opened their mouths and spat out four rusted, square-shaped nails.

    As soon as the square nails appeared, unholy screams and yin wind immediately filled the world. Before this, the headless Sage were still putting on a weak struggle despite being caught by the White Bones Stakes. But after the square nails sank into his limbs, he immediately fell still like a corpse.

    ¡°Kekeke... it doesn¡¯t matter how strong you were when you were still alive. Once you¡¯ve passed on, all must submit to I, the Mortician.¡±

    Eerieughter filled the air as the coffin lid slid open slightly. Then, a man being supported by countless fair, slender hands slowly sat up.

    The man was in his thirties, but unlike most thirty-year-old men, he was tall, slender, and fair-skinned. His face in particr possessed both the rugged handsomeness of a man and the delicate features of a woman. He looked like a living celestial who had descended to the earth, perfect and wless in every way imaginable.

    <i>The Mortician? I¡¯ve heard of this guy!</i>

    Hidden within the shadows, Ye Qing was hugging Giggle tightly and watching the young man in silence. Even as a man, he had to admit that the Mortician was one of the most handsome men he had ever seen. However, he did not put two and two together until the man introduced himself as the Mortician.

    Cui Qiuyuan, the ¡°Mortician¡± was the forty-fourth named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking. This meant that the beautiful, frail-looking man before his eyes was really a powerful Grandmaster.

    Not only that, he was a top fifty Grandmaster on the Earth Champions Ranking. Everyone in the top fifty of the Earth Champions Ranking was either a gifted genius, a famous warrior, a champion strong enough to found a sect ormand a corner of the world, or all of the above.

    Cui Qiuyuan was one such person, and his background was even more extraordinary. Cui Qingyuan was a direct descendant of one of the Eight Aristocratic Families of Yan, the Clear Spring Cui n, and the Clear Spring Cui n was a n of schrs who had been nobility for over a century.

    A direct descendant of the Clear Spring Cui n, Cui Qiuyuan was naturally gifted in every way. He was proficient in music, poetry, calligraphy, art, literature and etiquette. There was no knowledge he couldn¡¯t grasp; no skill he couldn¡¯t master. For a time, the Clear Spring Cui n held high hopes for him.

    Unfortunately, all geniuses seemed to be born with a touch of insanity, and Cui Qiuyuan was not an exception. Despite his incredible gift, Cui Qiuyuan turned out to be a necrophilic who was particrly fond of stitching corpses. It did not matter how genius he was, few people could tolerate a man with such an unusual ¡°hobby¡± so to speak.

    Not only that, Cui Qiuyuan intentionally devalued himself by throwing away his shot at bing the top scorer in the imperial examination. It was because he wanted to join the Morgue of the Bureau of Punishments as a mortician and gain ess to even more corpses.

    There were thirteen Offices in the Bureau of Punishments of Yan, and the Morgue was one of them. A mortician was an official position in the Morgue, not a nickname.

    A mortician sounded like a fancy post, but in reality, it was one of the lowest ss upations out there. After all, a mortician¡¯s scope of work included collecting the dead, applying makeup to the cadaver and more, and it was anything but a morous job. Society¡¯s opinion of the post was so poor that even somemoners were deathly averse toward it, much less the aristocratic families.

    And yet, that was the field of work Cui Qiuyuan had chosen to join despite all opposition. Such was the Clear Water Cui n¡¯s rage that they expelled him from the family and severed all familial ties with him.

    Cui Qiuyuan cared naught for their opinions, however. He took to the work like fish to water. Over time, the people slowly forgot about the handsome scion Cui Qiuyuan, and the Morgue of Yan gained a new mortician no one gave a damn about.

    If Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s story ended here, then he wouldn¡¯t be half as famous¡ªor rather, infamous¡ªas he was now. Not too long after he joined the Morgue, a serial-killing case took the Yan capital, no, the entire country by storm.

    The first victim had died a violent death where their limbs were dismembered. Not long after that, a wless corpse had been found in a famous restaurant in the capital.

    At first, the inspectors responsible for investigating the case thought that they were two separate cases. Later, they discovered that it was really one serial-killing case. And how did they know that? It was because the missing limbs of the first victim had been sewn to the second victim¡¯s body perfectly.

 Chapter 712: Corpse Spirit

    <h4>Chapter 712: Corpse Spirit </h4>

    The serial-killing case woulde to be known as the Stitched Corpse Case.

    At first, the murders happened only once every three to five months. As most of the victims were nobodies, the case failed to draw the attention of the higher-ups.

    Later, the murders grew more and more frequent. At first, it happened only once every three to five months. Then, it happened once every one to two months. Finally, it happened multiple times per month.

    The victims were no longer just nobodies either. Male, female, the old, the young, lowly scum or high nobility, at least one person from every ss had fallen victim to the murderer.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the murderer had openly disyed the corpses he sewed together perfectly in all sorts of ways.

    Some bodies were openly disyed in a market.

    Some were hung on the city walls.

    Some were syed on the busiest streets.

    One body was even left at the center of the throne room of Yan.

    The entire world was stunned by the murderer¡¯s sheer audacity. It was as if he wanted the entire world to admire his handiwork.

    If the murderer¡¯s killing was a challenge to Yan¡¯sws and the imperial court¡¯s power, then his corpse-stitching was a sphemy against human nature itself.

    That was the point where the Stitched Corpse Case reached its highest point in Yan. Everyone was scared, and the Emperor of Yan was enraged. He personally ordered a nationwide search for the murderer.

    However, the murderer of the Stitched Corpse Case proved to be exceptionally cunning. Not only did they leave zero traces behind at the crime scene, there was no pattern behind their killing at all. The officials of the Three Judicial Offices could not find even a single clue despite a long search.

    Realizing that the consequences would be catastrophic if the serial-killing case wasn¡¯t resolved soon, the enraged Emperor of Yan finally employed his almighty power to perform a divination and pluck out the truth from the rivers of fate itself. He seeded and determined that the murderer was none other than the no-name mortician working in the Morgue of the Bureau of Punishments, Cui Qiuyuan.

    Unfortunately, by the time the murderer was finally determined, they discovered that Cui Qiuyuan had left the imperial capital behind a long time ago.

    Furious beyond imagination, the Emperor of Yan not only ordered a nation-wide bounty for Cui Qiuyuan, but also took out his anger on the Cui n. He reprimanded them for improper conduct and demoted several high-ranking officials in the Cui n in one sitting. To this day, the Cui n still hadn¡¯t recovered from their fall from grace.

    The story did not end with Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s capture, however. No, it was the opposite. Every attempt to detain Cui Qiuyuan, dead or alive, had ended in failure. Some of the elites sent to detain Cui Qiuyuan were Grandmasters too.

    The reason was simple. Cui Qiuyuan himself was a powerful Grandmaster, and the corpses he stitched together weren¡¯t just wless and pretty to look at. No, they were incredibly powerful puppets in their own right.

    With his corpses and his own strength, Cui Qiuyuan was able to defeat or kill every elite who was sent to arrest him. He easily made it out of Yan, and for a time, there was no one under the heavens who didn¡¯t know his name.

    Since then, the imperial court lost a mortician, and the <i>jianghu </i>gained a new one.

    It should not need to be said, but Cui Qiuyuan had only gotten more reckless since he entered the <i>jianghu</i>, killing and stitching corpses wherever he went. He eventually came to be known as the Mortician and ranked on the Earth Champions Ranking.

    The four beautiful women apanying him right now were corpses Cui Qiuyuan had personally stitched together. He called them Corpse Spirits.

    A corpse was dead, and a spirit was beautiful.

    Cui Qiuyuan was a sick man. He believed that all humans in the world were wed in some way, and his dream was to create a perfect, wless human. That was why he kept killing and dismembering people and stitching their body parts together. It was to create the most perfect corpse the world had ever seen.

    Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s horrific crimes aside, there was no denying that the corpses he stitched were perfect and beautiful like an art piece. It was also why people called his corpses ¡°Corpse Spirits¡± instead of the more generic corpse puppets.

    Of course, Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s Corpse Spirits wasn¡¯t just perfect in terms of appearance. They were quite powerful in their own right as well. It was why Cui Qiuyuan was able to roam the <i>jianghu </i>unhindered.

    Take the four Corpse Spirits currently apanying Cui Qiuyuan for example. They had sessfully suppressed a Sage without him needing to enter the battlefield himself. Sure, the Sage was long dead, but his will was still present. That wasn¡¯t something just anyone could ovee, not Ye Qing at his current strength at least.

    After Cui Qiuyuan climbed out of his coffin, he walked up to the headless Sage with unbridled excitement in his eyes. ¡°Perfect. Just perfect. He is dead, but his physical body hasn¡¯t given away to decay, nor has his spiritual qi dissipated in the slightest. He will be one of the best materials I¡¯ve ever had the opportunity to work on!¡±

    ¡°With this body, I will create a better Corpse Spirit¡ªno, no, I will create the most perfect Corpse Spirit in the world!¡±

    ¡°Kekekekeke!¡±

    Cui Qiuyuanughed boisterously while wearing a sick smile on his face.

    ¡°Have you seen my head?¡±

    It was at this moment a cold, quiet voice rang right beside Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s ear like the murmur of death. Every hair on his body stood on end as he cut his ownughter short and appeared ten meters away from his original position.

    Not a moment too soon, the White Bone Stakes and Celestial Suppressing Nails used to suppress the headless Sage exploded all at once. At the same time, the heads of four Corpse Spirits turned reverse clockwise twice before jumping into the headless Sage¡¯s hands.

    ¡°My Corpse Spirits! You bastard!¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan felt like someone just stabbed him in the heart. It had taken him years of hard work and the body parts of at least a dozen Grandmasters to finally create the four Corpse Spirits. To this end, he had killed even more Grandmasters and offended many powerful factions.

    Not only that, Cui Qiuyuan had refined parts of their bodies into Strange Artifacts to further improve his Corpse Spirits¡¯ strength. For example, he had refined their hair into the Corpse Binding Rope, hid a White Bone Stake inside their body, and stored a Celestial Suppressing Nail in their mouths. Thanks to his modifications, every single Corpse Spirit was as strong as a Grandmaster, and they were especially effective against dead spirit-type Strangers. If they worked together, they could even go head to head against a Great Grandmaster, a.k.a Grandmasters who had attained perfection in the Trueman stage.

    But now, The headless Sage had twisted their necks and ripped off their heads. Of course his heart ached at the loss.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t my head...¡±

    Unfortunately, the headless Sage wasn¡¯t going to give him time to mourn his loss. The headless Sage let out another sigh and asked, ¡°Can you please lend me your head?¡±

    When the headless Sage said, ¡°This isn¡¯t my head,¡± a powerful wave of resentment washed out of him like a tsunami.

    When he said, ¡°Can you please lend me your head?¡± he appeared behind Cui Qiuyuan faster than the eye could blink and ripped off his head.

    As Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s headless body copsed to the ground, Ye Qing wondered, <i>Is he dead?</i>

    He quickly shook his head and frowned deeply. <i>No way. He¡¯s the forty-fourth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, the Mortician. There is no way he would die this easily.</i>

    As if on cue, a furious voice came from inside the ck coffin, ¡°Good. Very good. You¡¯ve sessfully pissed me off.¡±

    A st of energy threw the coffin lid into the air, and an unbelievable amount of death qi leaked into the surroundings. At the same time, Corpse Spirits climbed out of the coffin one after another.

    There were male, female, old, young, tall, short. Corpse Spirits of all shapes and sizes crawled out of the ck coffin. However, they all shared one thing inmon, and that was they were all wless and incredibly powerful. They looked like gods or celestials who had walked out of a painting.

    Those who hadn¡¯t witnessed them climbing out of the coffin with their own eyes would never believe that they were really corpses sewn from multiple body parts.

    What happened next felt like something that should only exist in a painting as well.

    A Corpse Spirit wielded a sword whose powerful sword qi seemed to epass the nine provinces.

    A Corpse Spirit wielded fists that roared like dragons.

    Another Corpse Spirit wielded palms that shook the earth.

    A fourth Corpse Spirit muttered incantations that brought forth yin wind and rolling thunder.

    A fifth Corpse Spirit drew runes to summon countless ghosts and demons...

 Chapter 713: Suppressing A Sage

    <h4>Chapter 713: Suppressing A Sage </h4>

    <i>He¡¯s strong...</i>

    The thought shed through Ye Qing¡¯s head as the terrifying aura the Corpse Spirits washed over him.

    Every Corpse Spirit Cui Qiuyuan unleashed was at least a Grandmaster. While they weren¡¯t as strong as the four female Corpse Spirits at the beginning, their numbers were more than enough to make up for the deficit in quality, and they were well-coordinated despite their apparentck of will.

    This was why Cui Qiuyuan, the ¡°Mortician¡± was feared so. He was a literal one-man-army.

    Despite this, the headless Sage was able to handle the Corpse Spirits¡¯ coordinated assault with ease. Hardly any of the sword qi, saber force, yin wind and thunder managed to harm him at all. Most of them simply vanish into nothing like they never were. On top of that, the headless Sage was beheading a Corpse Spirit every time he took a step. It was insane to put it mildly.

    A dozen Corpse Spirits fell dead beneath the headless Sage¡¯s feet in just a matter of moments. That said, the assault wasn¡¯t in vain. The headless Sage was dead andcking a conscious will. He could only act on instinct, and he was much, much weaker than when he was still alive. Slowly but surely, his mountain of resentment was diminishing, and his movements were slowing.

    While the headless Sage was battling against a Corpse Spirit, Cui Qiuyuan abruptly appeared behind his back with a willow branch in his hand. He swung it across the headless Sage¡¯s back like a whip.

    The willow branch looked frail and harmless, but in reality, it cut through the headless Sage¡¯s back like a sharp de through tofu and left behind a deep wound that was several inches deep.

    The willow branch in Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s hands abruptly burned into a crisp after the attack was performed. However, ck blood sprayed out of the headless Sage¡¯s back almost as if he had taken a grievous blow.

    The Corpse Spirits who were touched by the ck blood instantly turned pitch ck as if they had fallen into a pool of ink. Then, they began disintegrating into dust like a burning paper.

    Caught off guard, the back of Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s hand was struck by a drop of ck blood as well. The entire arm immediately began to turn pitch ck just like the Corpse Spirits, and it was spreading rapidly to the rest of his body.

    Having seen what had befallen his Corpse Spirits, Cui Qiuyuan dashed away from the headless Sage while cutting off his entire right arm. Almost as soon as the arm was cut off, it began disintegrating into dust earnestly.

    On top of that, the ck blood hit the ground loudly like it was some sort of metal or stone. It then spread to the surroundings at an insane rate, chewing through the earth like it was nothing and generating ck clouds that were thick enough to blot out even the red moon. A bottomless pit about tens of meters wide appeared around the Sage in just a matter of moments.

    <i>Terrifying...</i>

    Ye Qing gulped as he stared at the bottomless pit and felt the terrible energy emanating from it.

    The ck blood that leaked out of the headless Sage¡¯s body was overflowing with death qi and destion. Such was its power that not even the Grandmaster-stage Corpse Spirits and the powerful Cui Qiuyuan could withstand it. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, a single drop was enough to annihte the earth like nothing and form a bottomless pit that was tens of meters wide. If this wasn¡¯t terrifying, then nothing was.

    The situation wasn¡¯t looking good for the headless Sage, however. Although his ck blood sessfully eliminated all the Corpse Spirits and dealt a good amount of damage to Cui Qiuyuan, Ye Qing could feel that his presence was waning at a visible rate.

    It was at this moment Cui Qiuyuan reappeared next to the pit and stared down at the headless Sage from above. Unlike before, he was wearing an ugly expression on his face.

    He never imagined that a Sage that had perished for heavens-know-how-many-years could be so powerful. Not only did he kill off all of his Corpse Spirits, he had dealt him a severe wound as well.

    Therge majority of his strength was concentrated around his Corpse Spirits. Without them, he was far below his peak to say the least. Naturally, this was disadvantageous toward his goal of obtaining the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance.

    Despite this, Cui Qiuyuan could not help but feel a bit of excitement and expectation. Considering how strong the headless Sage was despite being dead for countless years, he must have been exceptionally strong when he was still alive. He could not have been an ordinary Sage.

    If he were to stitch a Corpse Spirit with the headless Sage as the core, just how strong would it be?

    Would it gain the power of a Great Grandmaster? A Half Sage? Maybe even a Sage?

    It did not need to be said, but a Sage-stage Corpse Spirit would massively increase his strength. It was also his life¡¯s dream to stitch such a Corpse Spirit.

    If he could subdue the headless Sage, then it would be worth all the Corpse Spirits he lost earlier and more.

    Unable to suppress his desire any longer, Cui Qiuyuan waved his hand and summoned his ck coffin.

    Floating at the center of the pit, the coffin turned upside down and poured what looked like innumerable arms down onto the headless Sage. It looked like a massive tree covered in blooming flowers was falling down on the Sage, except that the tree was made of fleshy arms instead of wood.

    The arms enveloped the headless Sage from all sides after it reached the bottom. Despite his relentless struggles and continuous decimation of the arms, there were just too many of them. On top of that, the headless Sage was much weaker than before due to the grievous blow he sustained earlier. In the end, the arms managed to pin him down and drag him into the ck coffin.

    After the headless Sage was dragged inside the ck coffin, itnded back on the edge of the pit. Cui Qiuyuan then appeared beside the coffin and mmed the lid on it.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    The coffin lid sealed off the openingpletely.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    The ck coffin shook violently as something struck against the lid again and again. Countless runes flickered erratically around the coffin, and many weeping faces pushed out of its surface as if trying to break free.

    Cui Qiuyuan didn¡¯t look so good either. His face kept changing between male, female, old and young, and his aura was extremely unsteady.

    Clearly, it cost him a ton of energy to seal the headless Sage inside his ck coffin.

    ¡°Ooo ooo!!!¡±

    A far distance away, Giggle struggled to break out of Ye Qing¡¯s grip as it stared at the ck coffin with great worry and anger.

    ¡°Calm down. Now isn¡¯t the best time...¡± Ye Qing offered it some words of constion while staring at the ck coffin as well.

    By now, Ye Qing had figured out the truth. Unless he was mistaken, the headless Sage was most likely Giggle¡¯s first master.

    This would exin why Giggle cared so much for the headless Sage, and why the headless Sage heeded Giggle¡¯s cries and let him go even though it was entirely within his power to kill him.

    Many years ago, the headless Sage left Giggle at the Celestial Spring because he wanted to enter the Death Sea to do something. He was probably nning to retrieve Giggle after hepleted his business, but instead, he died.

    Since the headless Sage was Giggle¡¯s first master, he could not turn a blind eye to his fate.

    Although the headless Sage was long dead, he could still stop the outsiders from defiling his corpse.

    But of course, just because he had made up his mind to intervene didn¡¯t mean that he should jump in recklessly. His opponent was Cui Qiuyuan the ¡°Mortician¡±, the forty-fourth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, and he was just a Half-Step Grandmaster. Under normal circumstances, forget fighting Cui Qiuyuan, he couldn¡¯t even earn a sideway nce from the man.

    Luckily for him, the circumstances were decidedly not normal. The main reason Cui Qiuyuan was able to rank so high in the Earth Champions Ranking was thanks to his Corpse Spirits. However, not only did the man lose all of his Corpse Spirits, he himself was injured and exhausted. This was his chance to pull off the impossible.

    There was no need to hurry, however. Yes, he could technically attack Cui Qiuyuan now as the man was at the lowest point of his power. However, not all opportunities were necessarily good.

    Although Cui Qiuyuan possessed only a sliver of his original strength, he was still a Grandmaster. A lean camel was still bigger than a horse. One misstep, and the entire n would go up in mes. Worst case scenario, they would die here.

    That was why he must wait. He must wait for a better opportunity where sess was guaranteed, preferably one where he could end Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s life in one strike.

 Chapter 714: Threatening a Grandmaster

    ¡°Now¡¯s the time!¡±

    A dozen or so breathster, the tremors affecting the ck coffin began to subside as if the headless Sage had finally been suppressed. It came at a huge cost, however. Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s face was as white as a sheet, and he was wobbling on his feet like he might fall over at any moment. Considering that he was a powerful Grandmaster, this was decidedly not normal.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing dashed out of his hiding spot. The world turned foggy and illusory, and a giant finger abruptly descended from above to squash Cui Qiuyuan like a bug.

    <em>¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡±</em>

    Strangely, Cui Qiuyuan wasn¡¯t looking up or trying to defend himself. Instead, he shivered and stared down one corner of the fog with shock and disbelief on his face.

    ¡°Mother¡­¡±

    In Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s vision, a woman was slowly walking toward him with a smile on her face. She looked gentle, kind, and graceful. She was exactly the same as Cui Qiuyuan had remembered her¡­ his mother.

    However, the woman slowly underwent a transformation. Terrible cracks began spreading across her face and body, and between those cracks were poorly woven stitches. It wasn¡¯t long before she looked like a rag doll that had been put together using haphazardly, terrifying and heartbreaking.

    ¡°No¡­ no¡­ don¡¯te closer. Don¡¯te closer! Ahhh!¡±Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s eyes widened with panic and terror as he staggered away from the woman he called mother. Right here and now, Cui Qiuyuan looked less like the terrible Mortician and more like a helpless child.

    The scene he was seeing was his biggest secret. It was also his greatest fear and nightmare.

    As a direct descendant of the Clear River Cui n, one would think that Cui Qiuyuan enjoyed all the power and privileges that was afforded to a noble. In reality, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    His father had eight wives and over a dozen children, and unfortunately for him, his mother was the least favored of them all.

    A long time ago, his mother left to visit her family but was attacked by a Stranger along the way. The Stranger had killed her and ripped her body to pieces.

    Feeling that the n was disgraced, his father found a random mortician to put her body back together. Then, she was buried as quietly and hastily as possible.

    By a stroke of misfortune, Cui Qiuyuan happened to witness his mother¡¯s final moment. The mortician was terrible at his job and made her look like a broken doll that had been stitched together using rags. Unlike her normal self, she looked, ugly, savage, and terrifying.

    He caught a terrible fever after that, and throughout the fever, he kept dreaming of his mother smiling or crying over his prone figure. His ugly, nightmare-inducing mother.

    After he recovered, an unholy desire was born inside his heart, and he became obsessed with the idea of stitching together a wless corpse. And so, Cui Qiuyuan the ¡°Mortician¡± was born.

    He never wanted to see a body as ugly as his mother¡¯s again. He would stitch the most wless corpse in the world.

    To this end, he gave up fame and glory and resisted all opposition to be a mortician in the Morgue of the Bureau of Punishments. Over time, the memory of his mother¡¯s ugliest moment slowly faded from his mind as well.

    But now, that forgotten memory had been dredged back to the surface of his consciousness once more. He felt as if time had been reversed, and he was a child jolting awake from the nightmare that was his mother¡¯s corpse and cowering at one corner of the bed because he was too afraid to fall asleep again. He felt lonely, helpless, and terrified.

    ¡°No¡­ this is fake. It¡¯s all fake!¡±

    For a moment, it felt like the emotions would overwhelm him. However, Cui Qiuyuan was ultimately a powerful, strong-willed Grandmaster. He quickly realized that something was wrong and suppressed his Demon''s Temptation. At the same time, he sensed the giant finger descending toward him.

    A terrifying flood of spirit washed out of Cui Qiuyuan, and he made a tearing motion. There was a shredding noise as a giant scar appeared in front of him. As it grew wider and wider, the finger broke, and the strange, foggy world copsed into nothing.

    <em>¡°Sky Tearing Hand¡±</em>

    With just one move, Cui Qiuyuan had destroyed the giant finger and even ripped the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven into shreds. The first thing he saw upon returning to the real world was a young man less than ten meters away from him.

    The young man was Ye Qing, of course.

    Ye Qing looked stunned as if he could not believe that Cui Qiuyuan had awakened so easily. Then, he turned around and tried to escape.

    ¡°You think you can run?!¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s face contorted with fury and murder as the space around Ye Qing abruptly crumpled as if an invisible hand was gripping it. Ye Qing barely got out a scream before the Grandmaster ripped both the space and Ye Qing into pieces.

    ¡°A mere ant dares to taunt me?¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan stared at the bloody remains of Ye Qing with dripping disdain. To think that an ant who wasn¡¯t even a Grandmaster thought he could catch him off guard. The ambush had been as futile as an ant trying to tip over a tree.

    Yes, he was seriously injured right now. Yes, he didn¡¯t possess even ten percent of his full strength. Even so, he could never be defeated by an ant.

    On top of that, the bastard had dared to dredge up his heart demon and nightmare. For this sin alone, he deserved a million deaths!

    It was at this moment every hair on Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s body suddenly stood on end. But before he could react, a massive hand abruptly appeared above his head and mmed him into the ground. Web-like cracks spanning over ten meters spread in every direction, and at the center was a dazed and confused Cui Qiuyuan. Right now, the man felt like his body was about to break into pieces.

    The pain was just starting, however. While trapping his head in a vice grip, the massive hand lifted his head into the air and mmed it into the ground again, and again, and again. Cui Qiuyuan was powerless to stop it like a rag doll was powerless to stop an abusive owner from tearing it to pieces.

    Cui Quiyuan¡¯s tormenter was Ye Qing, of course. The young man had transformed into a vigorous, ten-meter tall demonic ape before beating the absolute shit out of the Grandmaster. His right hand was grabbing Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s head and mming it repeatedly into the ground, while his left hand was trapping his body in a death grip to prevent the Grandmaster from breaking free.

    Everything he did earlier was for this moment. The ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡± was a distraction, and the dead Ye Qing was a bait.

    Cui Qiuyuan was a Grandmaster, one who managed to survive being hunted by the imperial court of Yan and countless other factions no less. Therefore, he had to be a careful and intelligent man.

    Knowing that Cui Qiuyuan was the type who became increasingly dangerous the worse the situation he was in, Ye Qing did not dare to underestimate Cui Qiuyuan in the slightest. After all, the slightest mistake could end up with his death, and since his cheat wasn¡¯t infinite rebirth, he didn¡¯t dare to gamble with his life at all.

    That was why he sought to create a moment where Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s guard waspletely lowered. Only then could he execute his ambush without risking nasty surprises.

    First, he used the ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡± to dredge out Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s heart demon and destabilize him. While the Grandmaster was shaken, he created an illusion of himself using the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± for the Grandmaster to kill.

    Since Cui Qiuyuan was shaken by the ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡±, and every second counted in a life-or-death battle, the Grandmaster failed to notice that the warrior in front of him was a fake. After he killed the fake Ye Qing, he thought that he had dealt with the little rat who tried to ambush him during his moment of weakness and dropped his guard.

    That was when Ye Qing descended upon him like a hawk.

    In the end, Ye Qing¡¯s n had worked perfectly. Although Cui Qiuyuan was a Grandmaster, he wasn¡¯t a body-tempering warrior. His physical body was obviously strongerpared to a generic Spirit Master¡¯s, but a body-tempering one? A body-tempering Half-Step Grandmaster? It wasn¡¯t even close. This was before mentioning that Cui Qiuyuan had lost an arm and taken significant injuries from the headless Sage as well.

    All things considered, he would be lucky to escape Ye Qing¡¯s punishment with his life.

    After kissing Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s face against the ground a couple more times, Ye Qing let go and raised both fists into the air. Then, he began striking the Grandmaster¡¯s body repeatedly like he was ying the drum.

    <em>Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom¡­</em>

 Chapter 715: Undying Phoenix Feather

    With each strike, the cracks on the ground spread wider and wider. With each hammering, Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s struggles grew weaker and weaker.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    In the end, Cui Qiuyuan never managed to escape. With onest strike, Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s head finally burst into a shower of brain matter and gore. As for his body? It had been pounded into a pile of goo a long time ago.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of it though. As soon as he shattered Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s head, a ball of light shot out of his head as swift as lightning.

    Ye Qing was prepared for it, however. Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him, and his demonic thought manifested into existence as an imprable web. Like a fish caught in a, there was nowhere for the ball of light to escape.

    The ball of light contained Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god, of course. A Spirit Master was a warrior who had created their yin god, but a yin god was afraid of sunlight and could only roam freely at night. A Grandmaster was someone who had purified their yin god with origin qi until it transformed into a yang god. No longer weak to sunlight, it could roam freely both during the day and the night. That was why it was called a yang god.

    As long as the yang god still existed, the Grandmaster would never die. Although Ye Qing had destroyed Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s body via brute force, he did not quite possess the spiritual power to extinguish the opponent¡¯s yang god as well. That was why he was prepared for this oue.

    If you¡¯re going to do something, don¡¯t do it halfway. From the moment Ye Qing made up his mind to kill Cui Qiuyuan, he was going for total annihtion.

    What happened next came as aplete surprise to Ye Qing, however. The ball of light had passed right through his web of demonic thought like it didn¡¯t exist.Ye Qing couldn¡¯t believe it. If Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god had punched through his web of demonic thought via brute force, he would not be surprised one bit. However, his demonic thought wasn¡¯t damaged in the slightest, nor had he felt anything when contact was made. It was almost as if the ball of light existed in apletely different space.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ to think that an ant who isn¡¯t even a Grandmaster had destroyed my body and pushed me to this extent. Interesting. How very interesting.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan could¡¯ve escaped immediately, but instead, he hovered a short distance away from Ye Qing and manifested his yang god¡¯s true form.

    Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god looked exactly the same as Cui Qiuyuan. If anything, it looked even more wless than the actual person himself. However, a closer inspection would reveal that there were thread lines around Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s limbs, necks, and other areas. It was as if his body was sewn together from multiple body parts.

    ¡°It is quite interesting. Who would¡¯ve thought that the forty-fourth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, the so-called ¡®Mortician¡¯ would fall to a mere ant¡¯s ambush?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯sughter seemed toe from every direction as the world abruptly turned illusory once more. Sitting high above the nine heavens, a grand silhouette pointed a finger at Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god. Distorted space and howling thunder immediately raced forth to annihte the Grandmaster.

    Ye Qing knew it would be difficult to kill Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god. Naturally, he didn¡¯t have just one n to kill him. If the web of demonic thought was the appetizer, then the ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡± was the main course.

    The ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡± transformed the myriad red dust into the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, and inside the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, he was almost as powerful as a real god or demon.

    However, the distorted space and howling thunder passed harmlessly through Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god just like his web of demonic thought. It failed to leave even a scratch on the man¡¯s yang god.

    ¡°You know my name?¡± Cui Qiuyuan did not try to dodge the attack either. He sneered.

    Unwilling to give up just yet, Ye Qing controlled his Heavenly Demon Yin God and tried to crush Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god with his bare hands. Unfortunately, it still failed to do anything.

    It looked like spiritual attacks would not reach Cui Qiuyuan, so he transformed into the Chaos Demon Ape, covered his fists in mes, and tried to punch the Grandmaster. However, the attempt still ended in failure.

    ¡°Stop wasting your energy. You cannot kill me.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan did not even try to dodge. He kept talking while Ye Qing attacked his yang god, ¡°Do you see the feather in my forehead?¡±

    ¡°The Undying Phoenix Feather?!¡±

    It was only now Ye Qing noticed that a rainbow-colored feather was sewn to Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s forehead. It was about the length of a finger, and it was giving off a beautiful rainbow light.

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly knowledgeable for an ant. That¡¯s right. This is the Undying Phoenix Feather!¡± Cui Qiuyuan confirmed.

    ¡°To think that such a treasure would fall into your hands¡­ I guess there¡¯s no helping it.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a deep sigh before withdrawing his fists and his Heavenly Demon Yin God.

    The Undying Phoenix Feather was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. Ranked seventy-third on the Strange Artifact Register, it was created using the tail feather of the Ancient-ss Stranger, the Undying Nether Phoenix as the main ingredient.

    The Undying Phoenix Feather was a Strange Artifact of immense power. While it offered zero offensive power or physical protection, it could protect one¡¯s mind from destruction.

    No one underneath the Sage stage could wipe out the mind and consciousness of the owner of the Undying Phoenix Feather. No matter how serious their injuries were, their mind would never fade. Worst case scenario, their mind would simply be reborn in mes. That was why it was called the Undying Phoenix Feather.

    Nothing short of a Sage could kill someone wielding the Undying Phoenix Feather. Naturally, it was an insanely powerful life-saving Strange Artifact.

    It was said that the Undying Phoenix Feather was the legacy Strange Artifact of the Undying n of Wei. However, they had lost it for centuries for some unknown reason. Heavens only know how Cui Qiuyuan managed toe by such a treasure.

    One thing for certain, there was no way in hell Ye Qing could destroy Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god and end the threat he posed so long as he still owned the Undying Phoenix Feather.

    Luckily, Cui Qiuyuan could not do anything to him either. Once the Undying Phoenix Feather was activated, neither the owner nor the attacker could interact with each other in any way. It would be as if they existed inpletely different spaces.

    This was one of the most defining characteristics of the Strange Artifact.

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ you must be feeling so much regret right now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cui Qiuyuan sneered.

    ¡°I feel unfortunate, sure, but regret? Are you kidding me?¡± Ye Qing scoffed.

    From the start, he was prepared for the possibility of failure. Cui Qiuyuan was a Grandmaster on the Earth Champions Ranking. Even at his weakest, he must possess a good number of table-turning or life-saving trump cards. He never thought he had a one hundred percent chance of killing Cui Qiuyuan in the first ce, but he still acted anyway. So, why on earth would he regret his decision?

    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± A sick grin slowly spread across Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s face. ¡°You will regret it though.¡±

    ¡°I will turn you into my Corpse Spirit one day. Then, I will make you kill your own parents, brothers, rtives, friends, acquaintances, all of them. You will be the murderer of everyone you ever loved or cared for.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, I will make sure you preserve your consciousness. Only then can you experience the pain and regret of killing your loved ones. I promise you I will extend your misery until eternity. If nothing else, it would be a most pleasant experience for one of us.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan wasughing, but his eyes were as cold as they were cruel. ¡°An ant is just an ant. An ant should be self-conscious and never try to scheme against a tiger. After all, a tiger would make the ant wish that it never lived.¡±

    ¡°Well said. I can¡¯t deny that that¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Ye Qing slow-pped. ¡°Unfortunately for you, I am not an ant, and you are not a tiger. After all, there isn¡¯t a tiger in this world who would be bitten blue and ck by a mere ant¡ªnot unless that tiger is a paper tiger[1]. And since you¡¯re a paper tiger, why on earth would I be afraid of you?¡±

    ¡°Today, I was able to shatter your body and turn you into a helpless dog who¡¯s all bark and no bite. In the future, I will surely be able to extinguish your soul and grant you the true death you deserve.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Are you being serious right now?¡± Cui Qiuyuan burst outughing like he just heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°I am Chu Wangsun, and my teacher is the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy! So tell me, do you still think I cannot crush you one day?¡± Ye Qing dered.

    ¡°Chu Wangsun? You¡¯re Mister Nine?¡± Cui Qiuyuan¡¯sughter abruptly cut short.

    ¡°Oh? To think that the Mortician had heard of my name. How honored I am!¡± Ye Qingughed as he dispelled his Chaos Demon Ape Body and assumed Chu Wangsun¡¯s appearance. Even his aura was exactly the same as Chu Wangsun¡¯s.

    It wasn¡¯t like Cui Qiuyuan knew Chu Wangsun in person, much less a nobody named Ye Qing, so he was free to nder the schr to his heart¡¯s content.

    Best case scenario, he would make Chu Wangsun a new enemy. Worst case scenario, he could at least annoy Cui Qiuyuan a little. It was a win-win situation no matter how he looked at it.

    1. This actually makes sense since termites eat paper. ?

 Chapter 716: Seen Many Autumn Moons and Spring Wind

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re the disciple of the Chief Libationist and the fourth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking? No wonder you¡¯re so strong.¡±

    As an Earth Champions Ranking Grandmaster, Cui Qiuyuan thought it beneath him to keep an eye on the Human Champions Ranking. However, that did not apply to the top ten geniuses. After all, barring any idents, everyone in the top ten would eventually enter the Grandmaster stage and subsequently the Earth Champions Ranking. They all possessed outstanding power and backing as well.

    Cui Qiuyuan did not suspect that Ye Qing was lying to his face. After all, Ye Qing¡¯s strength and skill were quite extraordinary considering his age. He had to be a top five warrior on the Human Champions Ranking at the minimum, and everyone on the top five were usually too proud to lie about their identity.

    Cui Qiuyuan acknowledged Ye Qing¡¯s strength, but he immediately harrumphed afterward and said, ¡°So what if you are the disciple of the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never killed the disciple of a Sage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll grant you one thing though. I¡¯ve never killed a top five genius of the Human Champions Ranking. I¡¯m sure it would be quite interesting to have a Corpse Spirit like you.¡±

    Ye Qing copied Chu Wangsun¡¯s tone and dered arrogantly, ¡°If you think you can stitch me into a Corpse Spirit, then try. I look forward to your failure.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke¡­ don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t keep you waiting. I¡¯m a man of my word after all.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan let out a cackle before disappearing all of a sudden. Then, a voice came from afar, ¡°Do your best to stay alive, Chu Wangsun. I¡¯lle look for you very soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting!¡± Ye Qing sped his hands behind his back and announced.A few secondster, after he was sure that Cui Qiuyuan was gone, Ye Qing let out a sigh that was infused with both disappointment and pride.

    He was disappointed because he had been a hair away from killing Cui Qiuyuan. Seriously, he would¡¯ve killed the Grandmaster if he didn¡¯t have the Undying Phoenix Feather.

    He was also proud because he, a ¡°small fry¡± who wasn¡¯t even a Grandmaster yet had nearly killed the forty-fourth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, the infamous ¡°Mortician¡±. Sure, it was hardly a fair fight, but that was still a feat worth boasting about. Had he seeded and spread the word to the <em>jianghu</em>, he would surely be the topic of the week.

    Unfortunately, Cui Qiuyuan was still alive, so that was that.

    He now had a bullseye on his back, but Ye Qing wasn¡¯t really that worried. After all, Chu Wangsun was the one who killed Cui Qiuyuan, and what did that have to do with little ol¡¯ Ye Qing?

    Besides, he hadn¡¯t lied to Cui Qiuyuan about everything. Today, he was already strong enough to send Cui Qiuyuan packing with his tail between his legs. In the future, he was certain he could handle anything the Grandmaster might throw at him fair and square.

    ¡°Warrior Ye! Are you alright?!¡±

    It was at this moment Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth finally caught up to him.

    ¡°Why have youe?¡± Ye Qing asked puzzledly and assumed his previous appearance as he turned around to face them.

    ¡°You saved my life, but I haven¡¯t repaid the favor yet. How can I possibly leave until I¡¯ve done that?¡± Shangguan Hongjin replied before repeating, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you,¡± Ye Qing replied while hiding his surprise. He would¡¯ve thought that Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were long gone after the near death encounter with the headless Sage, but against all odds, they actually came after him. This was nothing like what he came to expect from <em>jianghu </em>warriors.

    ¡°What happened here? We sensed multiple terrible shockwaves of energies earlier, and these bodies¡­ Did a battle take ce?¡± Pedant Earth licked his lips nervously while examining his surroundings closely. The remnant energies lingering in the area alone was enough to send chills up his spine.

    ¡°Yeah. A powerful Grandmaster fought against the headless Sage in an attempt to subdue him. What you¡¯re seeing is the aftermath of the battle.¡±

    Ye Qing did not tell them about the Mortician or the fact that he had ambushed Cui Qiuyuan. Keeping the details as vague as possible, he continued, ¡°Long story short, the battle ended in mutual loss. The headless Sage was suppressed, but the Grandmaster himself was grievously wounded. Perhaps that is why he chose to escape after sensing my presence.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I thought I heard something about Chu Wangsun though. What¡¯s that about?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Chu Wangsun? Are you talking about Mister Nine? You probably heard wrong,¡± Ye Qing denied the allegation immediately. Chu Wangsun? Whozzat?

    <em>Thump! Thump! Thump!</em>

    Suddenly, the ck coffin Ciu Qiuyuan had left behind began shaking violently. When Ye Qing turned to look, he saw Giggle standing on top of the ck coffin and whining softly. Over time, the tremors grew more and more violent.

    ¡°You guys need to leave. Quickly!¡±

    Ye Qing nched. Without Cui Qiuyuan to oversee his Strange Artifact, it was clear that the ck coffin¡¯s suppression had weakened tremendously. At the very least, it was enough for the headless Sage to start struggling once more.

    Unfortunately, his warning came toote. Before he could even finish, cracks spread all across the ck coffin like it was made of porcin. Then, it exploded into smithereens.

    A terrifying aura engulfed both heaven and earth. The headless Sage had reappeared once more.

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth couldn¡¯t move a muscle. Hells, they could hardly breath through the pressure.

    Ye Qing was doing much better than the two of them, but he was gripped by tension as well.

    Although the headless Sage¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t nearly as bottomless and all-epassing as it was before, he was still quite terrifying to say the least. Right now, his whole body was covered in ck blood, and the ground froze solid with cold, deste energy when it dripped.

    ¡°Ooo ooo¡­¡±

    It was at this moment Gigglended on the headless Sage¡¯s shoulder and called out softly to him. It sounded incredibly sad.

    ¡°Giggle¡­¡±

    Ye Qing unconsciously took a step forward. He was worried that the headless Sage would go insane and hurt Giggle.

    Although the headless Sage was most likely Giggle¡¯s former master, he was also dead. It was impossible to say what he might do in his current state.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    Suddenly, the headless Sage faced toward him. Ye Qing immediately felt the pressure pressing against his body doubling, no, tripling in intensity. The sky itself was clouding from the sheer force he was exuding.

    ¡°Ooo oooo!¡±

    Giggle cried urgently from the headless Sage¡¯s shoulder. It was clearly trying to persuade him against harming Ye Qing.

    It worked. The headless Sage slowly withdrew its aura until it was no longer suffocating. Then, he turned toward Giggle and slowly, hesitantly, and gently patted its head.

    Giggle narrowed its eyes happily. It sat down on the headless Sage¡¯s shoulder with an expression of bliss on its face.

    Under any other circumstances, the sight of a little Stranger and a headless Sage should invoke the deepest terror in anyone¡¯s heart. But right here and now? There was only warmth and joy.

    A long, long time ago, Giggle must have sat on the headless Sage¡¯s shoulder and seen the world with him. They must have walked countless mountains and rivers and seen many autumn moons and spring wind.

    After what felt like three to five breaths or many millenniumster, the headless Sage gently lifted Giggle off his shoulder and handed him to Giggle.

    Caught off guard, Ye Qing hurriedly received Giggle and promised the headless Sage, ¡°Do not worry, senior. I promise I¡¯ll take good care of Giggle.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, I¡¯ll retrieve your head as well.¡±

    It was both a promise to the headless Sage and himself.

    Giggle was his friend, so of course he would take good care of him.

    The headless Sage was Giggle¡¯s former master. If only for Giggle¡¯s sake, he wished to restore the headless Sage and fulfill the little Stranger¡¯s lifelong wish.

    The headless Sage petted Giggle a couple more times with clear reluctance. Then, to everyone¡¯s surprise, he abruptly reached out to grab Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    No one saw thising. Not Shangguan Hongjin, not Pedant Earth, not even Ye Qing.

    By the time they came to, the headless Sage had already grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s head.

 Chapter 717: A Thunderclap Clears The Way To Trueman

    Chapter 717: A Thunderp Clears The Way To Trueman

    ¡°Warrior!¡±

    ¡°Warrior Ye!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth eximed in shock and horror. They immediately charged the headless Sage despite their fear.

    They quickly came to a stop though. It was because Giggle was blocking their way, stretching its arms wide, and making weird Stranger noises. It seemed to be trying to tell them something.

    Pedant Earth was going to step around Giggle and resume his charge when Shangguan Hongjin caught his shoulder. ¡°Calm down!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Pedant Earth said urgently. Saving a life was like trying to put out a fire. Every second mattered.

    ¡°Calm down. I think warrior Ye is fine.¡± Shangguan Hongjin shot a nce at the headless Sage and Giggle before looking down on Giggle. ¡°Look closely.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Pedant Earth took a moment to steady himself before looking at Ye Qing again. It was only now he noticed that the young man¡¯s breathing was steady, and the ¡°attack¡± hadn¡¯t left a scratch on his person.¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say,¡± Shangguan Hongjin looked just as puzzled, ¡°but I¡¯m fairly sure that the Sage isn¡¯t nning to hurt warrior Ye, so let¡¯s wait and see what happens for now.¡±

    That was what she said, but neither of them actually rxed their guard. The second they noticed that something was amiss, they were going to jump in and save Ye Qing no matter what.

    Right now, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes were wide open in surprise, confusion, and shock. He was surprised because he never expected the headless Sage to attack him. However, his surprise quickly turned to confusion because he realized that the headless Sage wasn¡¯t trying to harm him, much less rip his head off. Finally, his confusion turned into shock when he felt the headless Sage injecting a vast stream of refined power into his body, and wisps of profound martial insight into his headspace.

    As power flooded into his body, and understanding into his heart, Ye Qing realized in pleasant surprise that the imprable fog that once barred his way to the peak known as Grandmaster was rapidly fading away.

    He now had a clear direction as to what he needed to do to get to the top.

    The shackles that once barred him from climbing the peak were loosening.

    The obstacles that blocked his view and path to the skies were slowly vanishing.

    A thunderp cleared the dark clouds and endless rain that shrouded the image of his true self.

    And the life-changing path that would make him a Trueman Grandmaster was now clearly present in front of him.

    Long before he entered this ce, he was only half a step away from bing a body-tempering Grandmaster. However, this half step might as well be the gulf between heaven and earth itself. Forget oveing it, there was a time where he couldn¡¯t even find a path to begin scaling upward.

    The reasons why he was stuck were numerous, but to boil it all down, it was ack of understanding and insight toward what made a Grandmaster, and a fundamental shortage of power.

    But now, the headless Sage had pierced the veil of darkness that blinded him from the peak with his martial insight. He could now clearly see the door known as Grandmaster and even the view behind it.

    Of course, just being able to witness that door wasn¡¯t enough to make one a Grandmaster. He must also forge the sky stepping stairs that would lead him to that door, push it open, and cross over the threshold. Only then would he truly be a Trueman and a Grandmaster.

    All that effort required a tremendous amount of power, and power was the second gift the headless Sage had given to him. It had made him a sky stepping stairs that led him all the way to the door, and a battering ram that rammed it open like nothing.

    <em>Creak¡­</em>

    It sounded like the opening creak of a door, the breaking of the shackles that chained him to the earth, or the indescribable sound of heaven and earth. It was crisp, clear, and melodious.

    Pedant Earth could hear it. Shangguan Hongjin could hear it.

    Everyone within tens of kilometers of Ye Qing could hear it as well[1].

    Then, the storm descended.

    The rumbling thunder and animalistic roar were really the sound of his muscles and bones stretching.

    The rushing river was really the sound of his blood flow.

    And the steady yet deafening beat was the sound of his heartbeat.

    Just as the sound of the wind, the rain, and the thunder belonged in one group, so was the sound of the muscles, the bones, and the heart.

    The sounds were different, loud, and heavy, but they were not discordant. Together, theybined into a beautiful, profound symphony that resounded throughout heaven and earth.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Someone¡¯s body is resonating with heaven and earth. A body-tempering warrior is breaking through to the Grandmaster stage!¡±

    Inside a dpidated hall, Yun Qingxiao was gazing toward the horizon and feeling the resonance of Dao in the air. He murmured, ¡°What a strong body it is!¡±

    Suddenly, a brilliant sword beam shed and cut the hall behind him in half. Inside the hall, a powerful statue of a deity with three heads and six arms also split into two like tofu.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Both the Stranger and the hall crumbled, but Yun Qingxiao wasn¡¯t even paying attention to his kill. He put away his sword and continued to gaze toward the horizon with a calm expression.

    ¡°Hmm? I can feel a Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion gathering. Who is this person to draw the greatest of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions during his breakthrough?¡±

    He thought for a moment before jumping into the air. Blue lotuses appeared beneath his feet as he dashed toward the distance.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Oho? Someone¡¯s entering the Grandmaster stage!¡±

    Next to ake, Zhang Lingyang was chewing on a straw and looking up at the sky with a surprised look on his face. ¡°A body-tempering warrior too? How incredible!¡±

    ¡°Who could it be? Tie Youchun? Lu Zhenwo? Luo Shanhai? Nah, it can¡¯t be them. They might be body-tempering warriors, but they¡¯re half-baked at best. There is no way their Grandmaster breakthrough could cause such amotion? What about that little bald donkey from Lanke Temple? No, no, it doesn¡¯t feel like him either. I don¡¯t sense his pretentious air of Buddhism anywhere.¡±

    Zhang Lingyang was so absorbed with his own musings that he did not seem to notice that a face was surfacing from theke behind him. It was such a huge face that it nearly spanned the entireke, and it was bloated and rotten probably because it had been submerged underneath theke for heavens-know-how-long.

    Despite its size, the gigantic face was surprisingly fast. It reached Zhang Lingyang in just the blink of an eye and opened its mouth to swallow it whole.

    It was at this moment Zhang Lingyang threw a backhand. A sun descended from the sky and crashed right on top of the giant face with the force of a meteor.

    The giant face in theke let out a bloodcurdling scream before disintegrating into ash. Theke itself evaporated in an instant and revealed a floor of bones on theke bed.

    Zhang Lingyang did not look behind him from the start until the end. He was still trying to figure out who the ascender was.

    ¡°Wait wait wait! Is that the <em>Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion</em>? By the Boundless Heavenly Sovereign, who in the fuck could draw such a powerful tribtion for their <em>Grandmaster </em>breakthrough?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang hopped about like a child. ¡°Who could it be? Who could it be?¡±

    ¡°Could it be Beiqiu? She is a body-mind warrior with a once-in-an-eternity level of physique. Yes, yes, it has to be her. Only Beiqiu could possibly draw a Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion during her Grandmaster breakthrough.¡±

    The ¡°Beiqiu¡± Zhang Lingyang was speaking of was the number two warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, the Saint[2] of Demonic Mountain Mo Beiqiu.

    ¡°This is wrong!¡± Suddenly, Zhang Lingyang cried in frustration. ¡°If Beiqiu¡¯s already a Grandmaster, then I can¡¯t possibly fall behind! A worthy wife deserves a worthy husband!¡±

    That¡¯s right. Mo Beiqiu was, in fact, a woman. There were only two women in the top ten, and Mo Beiqiu was one of them.

    ¡°Oh shit. I need to protect Beiqiu! It would be bad if some scumbags try to distract her or something!¡±

    With that said, Zhang Lingyang rushed toward the basin at top speed.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°A body-tempering warrior? The Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion?¡±

    A person covered in ck from head to toe ttened a bone-filled valley before gazing into the distance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know such a Spirit Master existed even among the top ten. Interesting.¡±

    The speaker¡¯s voice was cold and feminine. She began making her way toward the basin at a leisurely pace.

    ¡°I will see who they are.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Someone¡¯s entering the Grandmaster stage?¡±

    Greeke Bai was carrying a red umbre and walking barefoot across a scenic hill with beautiful streams passing through it. However, every once in a while, blood and gore would suddenly explode behind her, and dead Strangers with a human¡¯s head but a fox¡¯s body would slowly manifest into view.

    Suddenly, Greeke Bai felt something and paused in her tracks. ¡°A body-tempering warrior? Who could it be?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be my dear husband, can it? It¡¯s probably not him. He shouldn¡¯t be able to grow this quickly!¡±

    ¡°Well, no harm in taking a look. Who knows, maybe I could even get something good out of it. I would not want to be a wife who is poorer than her husband!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Chu Wangsun was standing in front of a grave that was split at the center. Poetry, songs and passages were pouring out of the cracks and surrounding him in a cyclone of schrly recitations. It felt like he was in a ssroom or something. The wind, the rain, the sounds of reading.

    Standing in front of the grave, Chu Wangsun resembled the center of the world. His great qi surrounded him like a dragon, and his vigor pierced the clouds above. Although the two energies were decidedly different¡ªone qi was calm and peaceful like that of a schr, and the other was potent and violent like a warrior¡ªthey did not repel each other. On the contrary, they seemed to be existing in some sort of profound, mysterious bnce.

    Clearly, Chu Wangsun was attempting to meld his Confucianism and martial way into one and be a Grandmaster this way. In fact, he was just moments away from seeding.

    It was at this moment Chu Wangsun sensed the unusual tremors in the heavens and nced up once. However, he quickly immersed himself in his own world once more.

    Nothing could distract him from his work.

    1. Ah shit, here we go again. ?

    2. Originally Sacred Son, but I¡¯ve amended it to Saint because of the following. If you guys remember other instances of Sacred Son such as Chapter 653 please tell me about it. ?

 Chapter 718: Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribulation

    Chapter 718: Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion

    Everyone in this unusual world had heard the supernatural resonance and felt its vibrations. They were all looking up at the sky and staring at the direction where it came from.

    Some people were envious, some people were jealous, some people were curious, some people were seething with greed, and some people were cooking nasty plots in their brains.

    Regardless of their thoughts, the next action they took were synced almost as if they had rehearsed this before: nearly everyone began moving toward the basin.

    Ye Qing had no idea that his breakthrough had drawn so much attention, of course. He was busy preparing to face the Heavenly Way¡¯s final trial.

    After he broke free from his restraints and pushed open that door, he suddenly felt like he was being watched by someone or something. At the same time, his sixth sense warned him of an iing danger and trial.

    <em>Thump!</em>

    There was a thump that sounded like a heavenly drumbeat. As soon as it faded, a huge, dark yellow cauldron appeared in the sky.

    The cauldron had three feet and two handles. Runes of Heavenly Way covered its surface, and at its hearty the breath of all living things and great virtue. It was profound to put it mildly.

    As soon as the cauldron manifested, the world was engulfed in dark yellow light. The air suddenly became heavy and suffocating like the weight of a mountain was infused in it.¡°Is that the¡­ Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion?¡±

    Pedant Earth trembled with shock and disbelief as he looked up at the cauldron.

    ¡°I¡­ I think so.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin replied shakily, mouth just as dry as Pedant Earth¡¯s. She had heard of the legendary Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion, but she had never witnessed it until now.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion was the greatest tribtion of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions.

    The sky was profound, and the earth was yellow. Together, they make up the world. When the world first came into existence, the karmic qi that was born was known as the Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was the origin of all qi and mother of all creations. Such was its karmic weight that it defied exnation.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was born only during the creation of a world. Naturally, it could only be obtained by those with great virtue and destiny.

    Those who wished to obtain it despite not being born at the right ce and the right time must face a tribtion instead. They must ovee the trials of the mother qi and the obstacles of the earth: the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion promised a great boon for the challengers who managed to ovee it. However, with great boones great terror.

    The boon was a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi. There was a saying that went something like this, ¡°One wisp of profound yellow to forge a Sage.¡± It meant that a single wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi could transform an ordinary, post-natal mortal with zero cultivation foundation into a natural, wless, and perfected being. Provided they didn¡¯t purposely ruin themselves, they were guaranteed to enter sagehood[1] one day.

    Naturally, the Profound Yellow Mother Qi was a life-changing treasure everyone dreamed of getting. It would not be an exaggeration to say that anyone who obtained it would go from zero to hero in a snap of a finger.

    But of course, the one who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight. To obtain the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, one must ovee the trials of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion.

    This was what the ancients meant when they chose the words ¡°great terror¡± to describe it.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion was the greatest tribtion of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions. Naturally, its dangers could not be understated. Forget a Grandmaster, even a Sage would shudder at the thought of facing such a tribtion.

    ¡°Who in the world is warrior Ye? He¡¯s just ascending to the Grandmaster stage, and he¡¯s drawing the king of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions, the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion?¡± Pedant Earth muttered inplete astonishment.

    It was said that there were seventy two Fiends on the earth and thirty six Stars in the sky. A Trueman represented the earth, and a Sage the sky. That was why those who wished to be a Trueman worthy of representing the earth were met with the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions.

    Just the same, those who wished to be a Sage or living god worthy of representing the sky must face the Thirty Six Heavenly Stars Tribtions.

    Not all Seventy Two Heavenly Stars Tribtion were made equal. Some were stronger and loftier, and some were weaker and lower.

    The lofty ones were as high as the pce in the heavens. Those who got to see it were few and far between.

    The low ones were asmon as mountains and waters. They were present anywhere you looked.

    The world gave birth to tribtions so as to temper all creations and make eternal the Dao. Naturally, the trials must be bnced ordingly against the challenger¡¯s talent, umtion, and karma. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be a trial.

    To put it in more secr terms, the greater a warrior¡¯s natural talent and umtion, the stronger and deadlier the tribtions they would face when attempting to enter a certain cultivation level.

    On the other hand, the lousier one¡¯s natural talent and umtion, the weaker the tribtion they would trigger.

    On that subject, a warrior¡¯s behavior and conduct would result in karmic hindrance or karmic virtue, and that changed the strength and type of tribtion they faced as well. As the people loved to say, what goes aroundes around, and you reap what you sow.

    Out of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions, the lower thirty weremon, the middle thirty were umon, and the upper twelve were very rare.

    To put it from a different perspective, the lower thirty of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions were the weakest and least threatening. Only warriors with weak talent but were still good enough to be a Grandmaster would attract them, and that applied to most people.

    The middle thirty of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions were average tribtions. It was reserved to those who were guaranteed to be a Grandmaster, but were unlikely to ever be a Sage. About one in one hundred warriors would attract such a tribtion during their breakthrough. They were umon, but they definitely weren¡¯t rare.

    The upper twelve tribtions were the strongest and most dangerous tribtions of them all. They were reserved only for the exceedingly talented and hardworking. Only one in one hundred million warriors would have the fortune¡ªor misfortune, depending on how you looked at it¡ªto face such a tribtion, and the actual ratio was likely lower than that.

    On top of that, <em>jianghu </em>warriorsmonly believed that another hierarchy existed in the upper twelve tribtions. There was a saying that went something like this, ¡°Those of the lower four would enter the Earthly Champions Ranking, those of the middle four might dream of Sages, and those of the upper four would roam the heavens as they pleased.¡±

    To put it in more secr terms, the warriors who overcame one of the lower four tribtions was guaranteed to be named on the Earth Champions Ranking, those who defeated the middle four tribtions was very likely to be a Sage in the future, and those who prevailed over the upper four tribtions was guaranteed to be a Sage and ¡°roam the heavens¡±.

    But of course, it was just hearsay. Nothing was certain, and anything was possible. Still, it illustrated just how rare the upper twelve tribtions of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions were.

    In any case, Ye Qing hadn¡¯t just attracted an upper twelve tribtion of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions, it was also the greatest of them all. Naturally, Pedant Earth was beyond speechless.

    He was also worried. The upper twelve tribtions of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions were famous for a reason. If Ye Qing seeded in oveing it, he would surely gain an unimaginable boon and soar to the heavens.

    The current ninth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, Nin Liuyun the ¡°Wandering Celestial¡±, had met the seventh Seventy Two Earthly Fiend Tribtions known as the Yu Qing¡¯s Boundless Tribtion of Primordial Beginning. After he overcame its trials, the heavens had bestowed him an Auspicious Primordial Beginning Cloud.

    Legend had it that the Auspicious Primordial Beginning Cloud was one of the auspicious clouds that appeared around the head of Yu Qing, the Primordial Beginning Heavenly Sovereign, when he was proving his Dao. It could maintain the purity of the mind, protect it from foreign influence, and ensure that one¡¯s heart would always stay true to oneself.

    The current sixth warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, the ¡°Heaven Turning Great Sage¡± Yuan Zhantian, had met the fifth Seventy Two Earthly Fiend Tribtions known as the Twelve Capitals Heavenly God Fiend Tribtion. After he overcame its trials, he was bestowed a wisp of demonic intent belonging to the Progenitor Demon, Rahu himself.

    It was thanks to this wisp of true intent that Yuan Zhantian sessfully mastered the ¡°Heaven Turning Scripture¡± and gained unparalleled fighting power. It was also how he managed to climb to the sixth spot of the Earth Champions Ranking.

    Examples like these were a dime a dozen. In fact, therge majority of warriors dominating the Earth Champions Ranking right now had ovee a middle thirty or upper twelve Seventy Two Earthly Fiend Tribtion during their ascension. The warriors just didn¡¯t publicize the fact for one reason or another.

    All tribtions shared onemon characteristic, however. Without exception, the ultimate price of failure was true death.

    When the people looked up into the night sky and found the moon and the many stars that hung around it, they really should be looking down at their own feet where countless bonesy.

    It was never an easy thing to break free from one¡¯s mortal restraints and join the celestial bodies themselves. The number of people who failed their tribtion and died far, far exceeded the number of those who seeded.

    This was doubly true for the upper twelve tribtions of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiend Tribtions. Even the most frivolous, uncaring warrior would not dare to underestimate them.

    There were only two oues when one was facing a great terror: either they emerged victorious and gained a new lease of life, or they failed and died right there and then.

    There was no judge fairer than the Heavenly Way. Blessing and lifey on one side of its coin, and disaster and death on the other![2]

    1. So er, this isn¡¯t quite what was promised when the Profound Yellow Mother Qi was first introduced¡­ but I guess the Profound Yellow Mother Qi the Earthly Sovereign got was ofpletely different quantity and quality. He WAS born during the creation of the fucking world itself apparently, so¡­ you know what they say, ¡°I was born in it, molded by it.¡± ?

    2. Jesus this is easily one of the most tiring chapters I¡¯ve ever tranted even though it¡¯s not the hardest. ?

 Chapter 719: I Hide In My Sleeve A Fist That Is Worlds Wide

    Chapter 719: I Hide In My Sleeve A Fist That Is Worlds Wide

    ¡°Who do you think warrior Ye is, Miss Shangguan?¡± Pedant Earth mumbled.

    ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not a god!¡± Shangguan Hongjin replied before beckoning him to follow her. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    ¡°But warrior Ye¡­¡± Pedant Earth hesitated.

    ¡°But what? You know it¡¯s suicide for us to stay here, right?¡± Shangguan Hongjin grabbed Pedant Earth¡¯s elbow and started dragging him away. ¡°Besides, you know there¡¯s nothing a tribtion hates more than intervention. If we stay here, the only thing we¡¯ll do is make trouble for warrior Ye.¡±

    ¡°Are we just going to do nothing then?¡± Pedant Earth asked.

    ¡°Of course not! When did I ever say that?¡± Shangguan Hongjin snorted. ¡°No one can help him against the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion except himself, but the minor tribtions, now that¡¯s something we can help him with, can¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Minor tribtions?¡± Pedant Earth repeated in confusion before realization struck him. ¡°You¡¯re talking about outsiders!¡±

    That¡¯s right. The world had many trials and tribtions, and not all of them came from the world one lived in. The people who lived in it were a form of tribtion as well.

    The world is harsh, and the human heart harsher. It was never an empty saying, and it never will be.Ye Qing¡¯s ascension had caused such amotion that even a person with all their senses cut off would be hardpressed to miss it. Countless people would be intrigued by it, and a good number of them would surely recognize the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion. When the time came, Ye Qing would surely be targeted by all.

    After all, the reward for oveing the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion was a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi, and the Profound Yellow Mother Qi could transform one¡¯s body so that sagehood was guaranteed.

    To say that this was an unimaginable boon would be an understatement. To give aparison, it was almost as good as obtaining the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance. Who in their right mind would give up such an opportunity?

    Sure, for most of these warriors, the chances they might be the chosen one to obtain the Profound Yellow Mother Qi was, frankly, non-existent. But wait, the person who attracted the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion must be a once-in-a-century genius, and it did not take a genius to know that they must carry a fortune on their person. If they couldn¡¯t get the meat, the juices that seeped through the cracks of the winner¡¯s fingers were perfectly eptable as well, no?

    That was why the tribtion from the heavens wasn¡¯t the only danger Ye Qing must face. He must endure the threat of human greed as well.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    ¡°Stop and wait!¡± Shangguan Hongjin dered sinctly.

    It did not take Pedant Earth much effort to decipher Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s cryptic words.

    ¡°Stop¡± meant stopping all those who harbored malicious intent toward Ye Qing.

    A heavenly tribtion was dangerous, but the greatest danger came after it was over. No matter how strong Ye Qing was, he could not possibly ovee the legendary Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion and remain pristine and energetic. When he was at his lowest, weakest point, that was the moment all who bore him ill will would act. That was the moment the deadliest knife would arrive to kill Ye Qing.

    Their job was to stop these people from getting to Ye Qing.

    As for ¡°wait¡±, she meant that they needed to stall Ye Qing¡¯s would-be killers until he recovered.

    Neither he nor Shangguan Hongjin were weak, but they definitely weren¡¯t powerful either. It was unrealistic to think that they could stop everyone who wished to do Ye Qing harm on their own, not to mention that a good number of those people were Grandmasters as well. Scratch that, it was just impossible.

    Therefore, their goal was just to buy as much time as possible. They would stall Ye Qing¡¯s enemies long enough for him to refine the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and restore his body. They would win once Ye Qing had recovered enough strength to join them.

    Ideally, they would live, and so would Ye Qing. It would be the perfect ending.

    In reality, both of them knew just how dangerous and difficult the task would be. Who would¡¯ve thought it would be so difficult to carry a task consisting of just two words?

    In fact, Pedant Earth knew very well that the perfect ending might only exist in their dreams. It was far more likely that they would die in defense of Ye Qing or worse, they all perished.

    Shangguan Hongjin walked a few steps when she suddenly said, ¡°Say, we¡¯re quite stupid, aren¡¯t we? Even an idiot would know that what we¡¯re trying to do is next to impossible.¡±

    ¡°Quite stupid? You give us too much credit. It¡¯s easily one of the stupidest decisions of our lives,¡± Pedant Earth replied matter-of-factly. Of course it was. It was bad enough that they were putting their lives on the line for a stranger, but the task they set themselves to do were practically impossible. If this wasn¡¯t stupid, then what was?

    ¡°Come on, man. You¡¯re making me wish that warrior Ye would fail his tribtion.¡± Shangguan Hongjin sighed.

    ¡°Hahaha! What a coincidence! I was thinking that as well!¡± Pedant Earth out let out a heartyugh.

    Shangguan Hongjin abruptly wrapped an arm across Pedant Earth¡¯s shoulders and chuckled. ¡°But then again, I¡¯ve been a cunning, underhanded, cowardly and scheming bastard my whole life. I think it¡¯s fine to be stupid once in a while, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Well said, Miss Shangguan. We¡¯re humans, right? How can we be humans if we don¡¯t fall prey to stupidity every once in a while?¡± Pedant Earth chuckled in agreement.

    ¡°I wholeheartedly agree. You know what, you¡¯re a pretty good guy. If we survive this, I want to treat you to a drink and be friends with you.¡± Shangguan Hongjin gave Pedant Earth a smack on the shoulder.

    ¡°Hahaha! For this promise, this old man swears to give it his all and live just a little longer!¡±

    Pedant Earthughed loudly, and so did Shangguan Hongjin.

    Make light of life and death in the epics,

    For heroismsts eternal.

    Scream!

    Fight!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°The Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion?¡±

    Ye Qing was quite surprised when he saw the dark yellow cauldron in the sky and felt the terrible power floating all around him. He seriously wasn¡¯t expecting to attract the king of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions for his Grandmaster breakthrough.

    In hindsight though, it made a lot of sense.

    For one, his martial foundation was exceptionally solid. His body in particr had been built up painstakingly. It was no sky pavilion supported by a single base or a rotten apple with a pretty exterior.

    Two, he had refined a lot of Profound Yellow Qi, which was derived from the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. It made sense that they would attract each other to an extent.

    And three, the headless Sage¡¯s gift. The headless Sage was dead, but he was still a Sage and the closest being to the origin of the great Dao.

    The headless Sage had given him his purest power of the origin of Dao and his martial insight. It was a once-in-a-lifetime, life-changing boon for anyone, much less a Spirit Master like him.

    All things considered, it made sense that he would attract the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion.

    ¡°Foo¡­¡±

    Ye Qing let out a deep breath. Despite facing the king of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiend Tribtions, he was surprised by how fearless he felt. In fact, he very much looked forward to it.

    It was at this moment the headless Sage slowly rose to full height and seemingly looked upward. From the looks of it, he was actually nning to take a hit or two for Ye Qing, if not see him through until the end of the tribtion!

    ¡°Senior, please! You¡¯ve already given me an unimaginable gift. I cannot trouble you for such a minor matter as well!¡±

    Ye Qing did not hesitate to stop the headless Sage and pleaded sincerely, ¡°Just leave this to me, and go keep Gigglepany. He misses you very much.¡±

    Ye Qing could sense that the headless Sage was on hisst legs after the gift. It wouldn¡¯t be long before he faded awaypletely. If he allowed his benefactor to block a tribtion for himself as well, then he would be lesser than a pig, no?

    Two, he knew that the only reason the headless Sage gave him such a boon was because of Giggle. That was how much the little Stranger mattered to him even after death. That was why he wanted Giggle and the headless Sage to enjoy theirst moments together. If there was one thing they deserved, it was happiness.

    Three, this was his tribtion and no one else¡¯s. How could he possibly allow someone else to ovee it for him?

    Forget the Heavenly Way, even he wouldn¡¯t ept such apromise.

    Speaking of the Heavenly Way, there was a reason it was viewed as the ultimate judge. It was entirely possible that allowing the headless Sage to interfere with his tribtion would bring forth unexpected consequences. He would rather not risk such a thing.

    And four, he was that confident in his martial way. Since he embarked on this path a few years ago, he had worked tirelessly to better himself. Besides that, he had been lucky to stumble upon opportunity after opportunity like the protagonist he was. If he couldn¡¯t even ovee a mere tribtion, then he might as well ram his head against a tofu and kill himself!

    Despite having no head, it seemed like the headless Sage could hear his words. He gave Ye Qing aplimentary pat on the shoulder before walking away.

    A good distance away, Giggle also called out to him before giggling brightly. The little Stranger was cheering him on with all it got.

    ¡°Come.¡±

    After the headless Sage and Giggle were out of the way, Ye Qing finally looked up at the gathering clouds above with calm eyes.

    The clouds of tribtions looked so big it was as if it was mere inches away from his head.

    That was fine though, for his sleeve hid a fist that was worlds wide.

    <em>Face me, my tribtion!</em>

 Chapter 720: Profound Yellow Mother Qi Transforms Into The Earth Sovereign

    Chapter 720: Profound Yellow Mother Qi Transforms Into The Earth Sovereign

    The huge dark yellow cauldron in the sky shook a little as if it could hear Ye Qing¡¯s mental challenge. A profound, indescribable sound reverberated throughout the area like an endless field of spring.

    To others, the sound was the sound of the Great Way: profound, enlightening, and impossible to ignore. But to Ye Qing, it was like a million thunderps erupting inside his headspace at the same time. It threatened to rip the earth apart and tear a hole in the sky.

    Ye Qing looked inward. Sitting high above the nine heavens, his Heavenly Demon Yin God slowly rose to its feet and grew infinitely tall and wide. It wasn¡¯t long before its feet were nted on the ground, and its head towering over the heavens.

    His crumbling headspace immediately stopped deteriorating and started mending itself. No world shall crumble while Man bes the pir that supports both heaven and earth!

    While his headspace was still recovering from the assault, the dark yellow cauldron began rotating and emanating waves of dark yellow qi. They were thick and heavy like nothing Ye Qing had ever felt. From his perspective, it felt like the world above the heavens had tipped over, and infinite stretches of mountains and rivers were falling right on top of him.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    A muffled groan escaped his lips as the earth beneath his feet split into giant cracks. It truly felt like the weight of an entire world was sitting on top of his shoulders.

    Every time the dark yellow light descended an inch, the world would darken a tad, and the burden on his shoulders would double in weight.

    Strange sounds were reverberating throughout the area. It was a mixture of Ye Qing¡¯s muscles and bones straining under the weight they were bearing and the sound of crumbling earth.The young man did not copse, however. No matter how heavy his burden grew, his neck remained straight, his waist remained strong, his legs did not bend, and his heart did not sumb to fear. He stood like a spear or a sword¡ªstraight and unbending.

    The dark yellow light was stretching from one end of the horizon to another by the time it was merely one meter away from Ye Qing¡¯s head. Not only that, mountains and rivers were manifesting into existence here and there.

    The dark yellow light was transforming into a literal world to suppress one man.

    If the profound sound of the Great Way from before was an attack against Ye Qing¡¯s mind, then the dark yellow light and the world it was transforming into was an attack against his body.

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and sucked in a small breath. His muscles and bones popped, and his energies soared high.

    The mountain wind flowed into one¡¯s abdomen like rumbling thunder.

    The muscles and bones popped and cracked like a tiger¡¯s roar.

    And the vigor rolled in like a raging river.

    The one whose qi, essence and spirit were united as one could not be stopped.

    And the one whose heart held no fear would dare to challenge the heavens themselves.

    Ye Qing looked up and punched upward. Like a raging tide defying gravity to touch the skies, his raging fist force and vast fist intent exploded like a volcano.

    The roar. The roar was unending. The vast world that threatened to crush Ye Qing shook like a leaf as cracks spread out from the center and toward everything. At the same time, the mountains and rivers began crumbling bit by bit.

    When the false world had fully disintegrated, a clear, blue sky greeted Ye Qing¡¯s vision once more, and the dark yellow cauldron fellpletely silent.

    ¡°That was fun!¡±

    Ye Qing barked out augh and stared at the motionless cauldron for a couple of seconds. When nothing happened, he wiped away the bloodstain on his lips and dered, ¡°If you¡¯re noting to me, then I¡¯ming to you!¡±

    His words were still lingering in the air when Ye Qing pushed off the ground in one swift motion. He looked like he would crush the dark yellow cauldron before it couldunch its next attack!

    Ye Qing was about halfway to the cauldron when suddenly, it spat out a dark yellow spiritual light.

    The spiritual light was practically punypared to the all-epassing Profound Yellow Qi from before. However, the presence it gave off was another story. Although it was just a wisp, it felt immense, vast, heavy, profound, and unstoppable. It felt like the virtuous earth that bore all living things on its shoulders and nourished all living things with its rich soil.

    ¡°The Profound Yellow Mother Qi!¡±

    By now, many warriors were already gathered at the edge of the basin. Their eyes widened with all kinds of thoughts when they realized what the spiritual light was.

    No one made a move though. It was because they knew that the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion wasn¡¯t over yet. Acting now would only be a waste of breath and energy.

    The next moment, the wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi took the form of a huge man. He wore a tall crown and a huge dark yellow silk robe. He had a dignified and upright countenance and a noble bearing. Anyone could tell at first nce that he was born to rule. However, unlike a normal emperor, he was neither lofty nor overbearing. If anything, he gave off the kind, warm, grandfatherly feeling of an elder, a senior, or a close friend.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Earthly Sovereign?¡±

    Someone murmured in both shock and disbelief.

    ¡°Most likely,¡± another person dered with confidence. ¡°But of course, it¡¯s not the real deal. It¡¯s just a copy conjured by the Heavenly Way.¡±

    The exnation was unnecessary. Everyone knows that the Earthly Sovereign before their eyes was just a copy since the real Earthly Sovereign had passed away a long, long time ago. They were shocked and in disbelief despite knowing this.

    Who was the Earthly Sovereign? He was the powerhouse who slew the Strangers, exterminated the evil, and killed the demons back in the olden days. He was one of the Three Sovereigns who had forged a heart for this heartless world, gave humanity a life, and established a longstanding peace for humanity that still hadn¡¯t been broken to this day[1]. It was no exaggeration to say that every man and woman in this world owed their life to the Earthly Sovereign. That was why his appearance, even if it was just a copy, was enough to steal everyone¡¯s breath away.

    ¡°Mother of heavens, now this is what I call an eye-opening experience. Who would¡¯ve thought that that man would be strong enough to summon the Earthly Sovereign?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang was sitting on a rock looking like aplete slouch while calling out to a man standing next to him, ¡°Who do you think that guy is, Young Yun?¡±

    Yun Qingxiao sighed. ¡°Brother Zhang, my name is Yun Qingxiao. You may call me Dao Brother, Qingxiao, Brother Yun, or even address me by my full name. Just please don¡¯t call me Young Yun.¡±

    Yun Qingxiao could not help but shake his head when he saw Zhang Lingyang slouching on the rock like he was a street hooligan or worse. What would the <em>jianghu </em>warriors think if they knew that this unsightly man was none other than the one they called the living god of Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Little Heavenly Master?

    ¡°Cultivation is a matter of the heart and the Dao, not names or titles. So what if I call you Young Yun? It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll cost a hair on your skin, no? You¡¯re still too attached to the pointless stuff, Young Yun!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang tilted his head to one side and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s okay though. He who keepspany with the good bes good. Now that you¡¯re in mypany, I promise you that your Dao heart will surpass your temple master in a couple of years at most.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, when it is finally time for you to seed the old bastard, do remember to repay your old buddy¡¯s kindness, okay? Though, I would be the Heavenly Master of my Heavenly Master Mansion by then, so I wouldn¡¯t need your favor anymore.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but no thanks. I¡¯m pretty sure that the only thing I¡¯ll pick up from you is the loss of my integrity and shame.¡± Yun Qingxiao sighed again while palming his forehead. It truly was a miracle that this guy managed to survive this long without being beaten to death by the old Heavenly Master.

    ¡°Say, do you know who that guy is, Young Yun? I thought it was Beiqiu at the beginning, but clearly I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no idea.¡± Yun Qingxiao shook his head.

    ¡°I guess I asked a stupid question. If even I, a man of vast experience and knowledge, have never heard of the guy, then how could you?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang scratched his head in puzzlement. ¡°And for whatever reason, that guy isn¡¯t on the Human Champions Ranking either. What the hell is White Jade Capital doing? How can someone like him not appear on the Human Champions Ranking?¡±

    ¡°It might just be my imagination, but I¡¯m pretty sure the guy¡¯s body is on par with the bald donkey¡¯s Mah¨¡vairocana Body or Beiqiu¡¯s Heavenly Demon Tribtion Body of Primordial Beginning.¡±

    ¡°I am weaker than him.¡±

    Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted their conversation. A woman covered in ck from head to toe emerged from the distance.

    ¡°Beiqiu! I knew you woulde! Here, I purposely reserved this seat for you. I even warmed it so you wouldn¡¯t catch a cold.¡±

    Zhang Lingyang¡¯s eyes lit up like a pair of light bulbs. He immediately leaped to his feet and ran toward Mo Beiqiu.

    ¡°Get out of my sight.¡±

    Mo Beiqiu uttered icily.

    ¡°Flirting with me already, Beiqiu? Do you miss me that much? We are in the presence of others though. Let¡¯s reserve the banter for a more private setting, alright?¡± Zhang Lingyang beamed at her.

    Yun Qingxiao frowned deeply. He did not understand why Zhang Lingyang was happy at the abuse. Was he a masochist or worse?

    As if he could hear Yun Qingxiao¡¯s inner thoughts, Zhang Lingyang shot him a disdainful look. ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re single, and I¡¯m not. Don¡¯t you know that harsh words are a sign of affection?¡±

    Yun Qingxiao¡¯s eyes widened a little. <em>By the Heavenly Sovereign, I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless man in my life.</em>

    1. Because the world used to be dominated by Strangers until they overturned the hierarchy. ?

 Chapter 721: Showing Respect to Oneâ€™s Forefather With Oneâ€™s Fists

    Chapter 721: Showing Respect to One¡¯s Forefather With One¡¯s Fists

    ¡°Cut the nonsense, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Mo Beiqiu uttered coldly as a terrific aura washed out of her.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ if harsh words are a sign of affection, then a beating is a sign of love. You really do love me to death, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Beside himself with joy, Zhang Lingyang moved his face closer to Mo Beiqiu and said, ¡°Hit me then! Hit me hard enough to kill me! I am your man, and you have my word that I am strong enough to take any love you can throw at me!¡±

    Instead of answering, Mo Beiqiu revealed a smooth, fair palm and pped Zhang Lingyang in the head.

    Zhang Lingyang spun twice on his feet before steadying himself. He wasn¡¯t harmed in the slightest.

    It looked like the duo were flirting with each other, but Yun Qingxiao knew that it was anything but.

    Mo Beiqiu¡¯s p looked weak and powerless, but it really contained enough force to shatter a river or snap a mountain in half. She had seriously hit Zhang Lingyang with the intention to smear his body across the earth.

    However, Zhang Lingyang was called the Little Heavenly Master for a reason. He had taken the p head on and transferred every sliver of force to the underground via force maniption and neutralization. That was why he was perfectly unharmed.Of course, the surrounding earth was a different story. Yun Qingxiao could tell that the ground beneath their feet had turned into fine powder.

    Yun Qingxiao could withstand a full-powered hit from Mo Beiqiu as well, but there was no way he could¡¯ve neutralized it with the ease Zhang Lingyang had shown. It was no wonder the man was the champion of the Human Champions Ranking.

    Mo Beiqiu too knew that there was little chance she would be able to harm Zhang Lingyang unless she was ready to turn this into a full-on brawl. So, after shooting Zhang Lingyang a cold look, she ignored him and walked to one side with her hands sped behind her back. After she gave Yun Qingxiao a nod¡ªto which he returned cordially¡ªshe devoted her full attention to the basin.

    After shaking his head twice to clear away the lingering effects of the p, Zhang Lingyang put a sunny grin on his face and walked next to Mo Beiqiu. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t bear to kill me, Beiqiu. After all, you won¡¯t find another man like me if I die, hehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Indeed, there is no one under the heavens who has a thicker face than you,¡± Yun Qingxiao groaned out while palming his forehead again. What was the temple master thinking when he took Zhang Lingyang into the sect? They might never wash away the shame even in a millennium.

    Zhang Lingyang and Mo Beiqiu¡¯s rtionship was no secret in the <em>jianghu. </em>In fact, it was a cliche ¡°fall in love at first sight¡± type of rtionship.

    Of course, it was Zhang Lingyang who fell in love with Mo Beiqiu at first sight. From the start until now, Mo Beiqiu had never shown any interest in the young man.

    Some people might be confused how it was possible for the titr disciples of two opposing factions could possibly share such a rtionship. It was an understandable confusion. After all, Zhang Lingyang was the Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, one of the Three Temples of Dao, whereas Mo Beiqiu was the Saint of the Demonic Mountain, one of the Nine Dark Ways. The orthodoxy and the Dark Ways were directly opposed to one another, and it wasmonly believed that good and evil could not coexist with each other, and there was no way these sects would tolerate each other¡¯s existence in any way. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, it looked like betrayal and a grave breach of honor for Zhang Lingyang to fall in love with Mo Beiqiu.

    In reality, such beliefs were merely one-sided delusions from the <em>jianghu </em>warriors that neither Dragon Tiger Mountain nor Demonic Mountain actually shared. In fact, most orthodox and unorthodox factions were perfectly okay with co-existing with each other barring those who were truly inhuman and monstrous.

    Generally speaking, sects disliked each other only because their principles and martial ways did not align, and if they fought, it was usually over profit, power, and the Dao. That was all. Barring a few exceptions, there was no river of blood that existed between most sects; no immortal debt that could only be resolved via total annihtion of the other sect.

    Even for the exceptions, that hatred were usually confined to one or two generations only. After all, it was always difficult for the future generation to empathize with the previous generation¡¯s hatred. At the very least, they wouldn¡¯t fight their supposedly enemy to the death upon meeting.

    While Zhang Lingyang¡¯s infatuation with Mo Beiqiu had definitely earned him some criticisms from other orthodox sects and even his own sect, the current Heavenly Master had suppressed it all in one statement, ¡°Whatever controversy might arrive from this pursuit, it is something for the youngsters to worry about, not old, decrepit people with one foot in the grave like you and me. Besides, assuming Lingyang actually seeded in wooing that girl from Demonic Mountain, then Dragon Tiger Mountain would¡¯ve earned a new genius disciple, and Demonic Mountain would¡¯ve lost theirs. What is there to be unhappy about?¡±

    It was a statement that was very Heavenly Master Mansion and Zhang Lingyang so to speak.

    As for the heretics of the Dark Ways, they were perfectly happy to enjoy the show from the sidelines. After all, it was the Little Heavenly Master who was infatuated with their Saint, so it was the Heavenly Master Mansion and the orthodoxy who stood to lose face here, not them. If their Saint managed to persuade the Little Heavenly Master to switch over to the Dark Ways, then even better!

    Long story short, one is willing to give a beating, and the other is willing to take a beating[1]. No outsider had the right to stick their nose into the matter or criticize the parties involved.

    ¡°Say, Beiqiu totally loves me to death, right Young Yun?¡± Zhang Lingyang kept flying back and forth between Mo Beiqiu and Yun Qingxiao like a bird; the former tovish affection upon his beloved and thetter to boast about his ¡°love¡±. ¡°I can¡¯t help it that I¡¯m both handsome and talented! Is there anydy who doesn¡¯t love someone like me?¡±

    Yun Qingxiao pretended he didn¡¯t hear Zhang Lingyang and asked Mo Beiqiu, ¡°Miss Mo, you mentioned that the warrior¡¯s body is stronger than yours. Do you know him?¡±

    ¡°No. He isn¡¯t someone on the Human Champions Ranking,¡± Mo Beiqiu replied indifferently. ¡°But judging from his movement, force, and qi cirction, I believe he¡¯s a practitioner of the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯ of the Chaos Demon Tempering Sect.¡±

    ¡°The Chaos Demon Tempering Sect of the thirty six unorthodox sects? Is it even possible for that crumb-sized sect to produce such a powerful disciple?¡± Zhang Lingyang eximed in astonishment.

    Mo Beiqiu ignored Zhang Lingyang and continued her exnation, ¡°However, there is no way he could reach the level of body he has with the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯ alone, much less attract a Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion, so there are other factors in y here.¡±

    ¡°In your opinion, what are the chances that this warrior might ovee the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion?¡± Yun Qingxiao asked another question.

    ¡°Do you even need to ask? Of course he¡¯s probably going to seed. It might not be a good thing though,¡± Zhang Lingyang interrupted.

    ¡°Correct. He would probably seed, but whether this would end well for him remains to be seen,¡± Mo Beiqiu agreed.

    ¡°Heh! It looks like our hearts are linked as one, Beiqiu! Even the heavens wish for us to be together!¡± Zhang Lingyang chuckled.

    Mo Beiqiu ignored this, of course. She continued to observe the mysterious warrior with cold, calctive eyes.

    In any case, Yun Qingxiao understood their meaning perfectly. There was a high chance the warrior would ovee the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion, but it remained to be seen whether this would be a good thing. It sounded like the two statements contradicted each other, but it really described the mysterious warrior¡¯s situation perfectly.

    After all, just because the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion was over did not mean that the warrior¡¯s tribtion was actually over.

    He still had to ovee the human tribtion after all.

    He alone could sense seven or eight people around the area. He was sure there were more people hiding in areas where his perception could not reach. Like vipers, they were all waiting for the opportunity to strike the mysterious warrior down and im his boon for themselves.

    If underestimating a heavenly tribtion was folly, then underestimating the human heart was a death sentence.

    ¡­¡­

    Inside the basin, Ye Qing looked at the Earthly Sovereign created from a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi and froze in his tracks. He performed a salute while floating in the air, saying, ¡°This junior, Ye Qing, greets the Earthly Sovereign.¡±

    He was paying his respects both to the world and his forefather.

    As if he was actually sentient, the Earthly Sovereign responded with a kind smile and raised his hand slightly. It was a gesture meaning that Ye Qing did not need to be polite around him. Then, he said,

    Ye Qing straightened up and sped his fist, dering, ¡°Please, teach me your ways.¡±

    Once again, the Earthly Sovereign returned the gesture without a word.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing pushed off the air and shot toward the Earthly Sovereign with a boom. His fists were already poised to strike.

    He would show his respects to his forefather with his fists.

    1. Meaning that it is a matter of mutual consent. ?

 Chapter 722: Grant Me Three Strikes

    Chapter 722: Grant Me Three Strikes

    ¡°You¡¯re a sage of the ancients, whereas I¡¯m just a young junior. Shouldn¡¯t you grant me three strikes as a weing gift?¡±

    Since the Earthly Sovereign could respond to his gestures, it meant that he was sentient to a certain extent despite being a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Knowing this, Ye Qing decided to try his luck.

    If his ploy worked, then all was well. If not, all it cost him was a bit of saliva. You know what they say: Those who don¡¯t take advantage of a bargain are an idiot and a bastard!

    When Ye Qing gathered his strength and punched the Earthly Sovereign with all his might, he was pleasantly surprised to find that his opponent just stood there and took the punch.

    <em>Hell yeah! Scum tactics for the win!</em>

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised. The spectators were speechless as well. They had no idea it was possible to bargain with a heavenly tribtion. It was crazy enough that Ye Qing dared to negotiate with a heavenly tribtion, and it was crazier than the heavenly tribtion actually epted it. It was an eye-opening experience if nothing else.

    The Earthly Sovereign did not budge an inch despite taking a full-powered punch from Ye Qing. That said, oneyer of dark yellow aura did dissipate from his body.

    Ye Qing was caught off guard by the Earth Sovereign¡¯spliance, but it onlysted an instant. He immediately spun on his heel, turned his spine like a dragon, and threw an even greater punch. It was more powerful than the previous punch be it in terms of force, intent, or viciousness.

    And what did viciousness mean in this context? It meant that Ye Qing had socked the Earthly Sovereign at the side of his head!The Earthly Sovereign <em>did </em>promise to grant him three strikes, so why the hell would he y coy or pull his punches? Of <em>course </em>he was going to strike him in his weakest spot!

    <em>BANG!</em>

    This time, the Earthly Sovereign was unable to maintain his immovable stance. The punch was such that he wobbled a little on his feet.

    Ye Qing was overjoyed, of course. It was rumored that the Earthly Sovereign was an honest, generous, modest, and open-minded man who valued promises more than his own life. Now, it would seem that it was the truth. The Earthly Sovereign could¡¯ve tried to dodge the attacks even if he did promise to grant Ye Qing three strikes¡ªit wasn¡¯t his fault that Ye Qing couldn¡¯tnd those hits, was he?

    However, the Earthly Sovereign actually just stood there and withstood his attacks head on. He really was far too square¡ªahem, he meant he was too good and respectable for this world.

    Havingnded the second punch, Ye Qing decided to give his final free shot his one hundred and twenty percent and took two steps away from the Earthly Sovereign. His arm immediately swelled until it was the size of a tree trunk, and his fist was as big as a sandbag. Once his fist intent had climbed to the peak, he struck the Earthly Sovereign in the head again.

    <em>If you can¡¯t defeat an enemy in one punch, that¡¯s because your fist isn¡¯t big enough!</em>

    However, the second Ye Qing¡¯s fist made contact with the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s head, the blood abruptly drained away from his face. The next moment, he was propelled toward the ground at the speed of lightning.

    <em>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!</em>

    The ground within hundreds of meters exploded like it was struck by a meteor, and the dust and soil it threw up was twice as high. It was like they were fighting at the sea, not thend.

    ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡±

    A few breathster, Ye qing finally climbed out of the deep pit he made with one arm hanging by his side and elbow bone sticking out of his flesh. He looked as pale as a ghost as his blood dripped on the floor.

    Ye Qing just barely managed to contain his curses inside his head as he looked up at the Earthly Sovereign. <em>Motherfucker! Who¡¯s the sonuvabitch who said that the Earthly Sovereign is an honest and square man? They must have fed their eyes and brains to the dogs!</em>

    To be fair, the Earthly Sovereign had definitely withstood three of his punches without retaliation. He hadn¡¯t tried to dodge or block the attacks either. From an outsider¡¯s perspective, he was exactly as he legend suggested and a deserving sage of the ancients.

    It was a lie though. All a lie! He should¡¯ve known better to fall prey to his own naivety and foolishness. Yes, the Earthly Sovereign had withstood three of his punches, but the bastard had also stored all of the fist force and fist intent inside his body. When the third attack finally struck, he returned it all to Ye Qing in one attack!

    That was why he had hit the ground like a meteor.

    Ye Qing had never felt his own punches until now. He knew it was powerful since most of his enemies were blown away without leaving a speck of flesh behind, but it was only now that he <em>truly </em>understood just how <em>painful </em>it really was. Three of thembined? He almost regretted being as strong as he was. That one attack had broken his right arm, knocked his internal organs out of position, and even reversed the flow of his vigor!

    He was lucky he was as tough as he was strong. Another person would most likely be basking under the light of the Buddha already.

    Ye Qing coughed again and muttered under his breath, ¡°That¡¯s not very nice of you, senior!¡±

    Ye Qing wiped away the bloodstains on his lips and stretched. His muscles and bones popped back into ce, and his physical injuries began healing at a visible rate.

    Ye Qing was sincere. How could the Earthly Sovereign trick him like this? It was like a kungfu master tricking a child into believing he had a chance before kicking him in the nuts! What a monster!

    The Earthly Sovereign merely smiled as if to say that all was fair in love and war.

    Before Ye Qing could react, the Earthly Sovereign descended from the sky andnded on the earth with a deafening noise, causing the ground to dete and inte like a balloon. At the same time, the energies Ye Qing was gathering were abruptly cut off from its source.

    Having one¡¯s energy cut midway was like not being able to stretch one¡¯s limbs fully, or not being able to take a full breath[1]. It was ufortable to say the least.

    The next moment, Ye Qing sensed danger and hurriedly crossed his arms before his chest.

    Not a moment too soon, the Earthly Sovereign abruptly appeared in front of Ye Qing andnded an elbow strike on his guard.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Ye Qing did not give an inch, but his core was doing backflips like it was a washing machine, and his insides hurt like they just burst apart. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that was actually the case. Blood jetted between his lips despite his discipline.

    <em>What an insidious technique!</em>

    Ye Qing thought to himself even as rm bells began to re inside his head. The elbow strike hadn¡¯t just hurt his internal organs, it also pinned his arms against his chest and prevented him from using them.

    The next moment, the Earthly Sovereign raised his arm with his elbow as the pivot and smacked him at the side of his head. Unable to defend himself, Ye Qing was sent flying like a rag doll. He left behind deep pits and gorges that were several meters deep as he bounced off the ground again and again.

    If the elbow strike from before was soft yet insidious, then this melee strike was violent and brutal. Not only was the Earthly Sovereign able to transition from soft to hard, inaction to action smoothly and without pause, it also felt like the most natural action to take.

    After rolling and bouncing off the ground for a bit, Ye Qing grabbed the earth with his bare hand and halted his momentum. Then, heunched himself off the ground with both legs and shot faster toward the Earthly Sovereign than when he was sent flying before.

    As he soared through the air, his fist intent poured out until he resembled a raging river. He returned to the Earthly Sovereign in just the blink of an eye.

    The Earthly Sovereign did not try to dodge out of the way. Right before Ye Qing¡¯s fist would strike his chest, he grabbed his fist with his left hand and pushed downward. The raging river was stopped dead in its tracks as if it had broken against a sheer mountain.

    Both men wobbled on their feet. Then, the Earthly Sovereign brought his right fist down on Ye Qing¡¯s head, while Ye Qing protected his head with his left arm and kneed the Earthly Sovereign in the stomach.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    The crunch of flesh and bones happened at nearly the same time. The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s fist mmed into Ye Qing¡¯s left arm, while Ye Qing¡¯s knee smashed into the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s stomach.

    The duo separated.

    Ye Qing swayed like a drunkard as he staggered away from the Earthly Sovereign.

    The Earthly Sovereign too backed away from Ye Qing, but it was in an arc instead of a straight line. Not only that, every time he took a step backward, he would leave behind a lifelike image of him. Dozens of Earthly Sovereigns sprung into existence and surrounded Ye Qing in an instant.

    They definitely weren¡¯t illusions. Ye Qing could feel their force surging toward him from every direction.

    In response, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and struck the ground diagonally like he was cutting off a stream. Fist force and astral qi immediately shot up and protected him from all sides.

    <em>¡°Divide¡±</em>

    The horde of Earthly Sovereigns slowed down dramatically when they were about one meter away from Ye Qing. It was as if they were caught in a quagmire.

    From above, it almost looked like Ye Qing was the stamen, and the Earthly Sovereigns the petals of a lotus.

    While the stand-off was still ongoing, Ye Qing¡¯s fist fell another inch.

    It was only natural for a punch that divided a river to kick up a wave, right?

    The wall of fist force and astral qi surrounding Ye Qing abruptly shattered and shot out like pieces of ss, destroying all the Earthly Sovereigns surrounding him except one: the real Earthly Sovereign.

    As soon as Ye Qing identified the real Earthly Sovereign, both men charged toward each other at the same time. Sorrow and fatalistic determination gathered in Ye Qing¡¯s fist as he raced forth to meet his opponent.

    <em>¡°Break Through¡±</em>

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s fist intent was theplete opposite of Ye Qing¡¯s. It was thick, vast, and deep like an endless expanse of mountains and rivers.

    There was a deafening explosion, followed by the destruction of all things physical and a chaotic storm. The two men parted about thirty meters from each other while the ground between them churned like boiling water.

    1. My deepest apologies for all respiratory sufferers out there. I understand. ?

 Chapter 723: Challenging the Heavens With My Fists

    Chapter 723: Challenging the Heavens With My Fists

    ¡°That was fun! Again!¡±

    Ye Qing dered loudly while wiping away the blood trickling down the corners of his mouth. His whole body was aching, and steam was rising from it.

    He felt great though. Fantastic, even. The Earthly Sovereign created from a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi was a pure body-tempering warrior on the same level as him. This was the first time he fought a true equal since he became a Half-Step Grandmaster in terms of body.

    A fight between two body-tempering warriors was very different from a normal fight. It might not be as mboyant or pretty as a fight between two ordinary warriors, but it was far more violent and blood pumping. Each punch pounded the flesh and cracked the bones, and every victory was decided within the inches. It was a million times more deadly than a normal fight, but because of this, it was also the most exciting.

    Ye Qing swelled into a massive, three-meter-tall demonic ape after his deration. Demonic qi filled the air, and the winds bent to his will.

    <em>¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body¡±</em>

    After transforming into the Chaos Demon Ape, Ye Qing let out a mighty roar and plunged his fists into the ground. Then, he flung an entire chunk of earth at the Earthly Sovereign.

    The ground undted, and at least fifty square meters ofnd was flipped into the air. The way it blotted out the sky was intimidating to say the least.

    However, the Earthly Sovereign stepped forward and grew to the same height as Ye Qing. His presence gradually became potential, boundless, dignified and noble as he raised one hand and clenched his fist. As if he was the heavens incarnate, the massive chunk of earth was shattered into smithereens long before it got close to him.For a moment, everything was covered in dust and soot. Then, a demonic ape burst through the dust clouds and attempted to ram the Earthly Sovereign with his shoulder.

    <em>¡°Demon Ape Rams A Mountain¡±</em>

    In response, the Earthly Sovereign backhanded Ye Qing in the shoulder and caused the attack to miss by inches. He then stepped behind Ye Qing and thrust both of his arms forward, fist force and astral qi shooting out of his fists like twin dragons.

    Ye Qing crouched until his body resembled a crescent, and his muscles and bones cracked ominously. Then, he threw his whole back at the Earthly Sovereign.

    <em>¡°Demon Ape Throws Back¡±</em>

    If a fish threw its back, it could create a big wave. If a demon ape threw its back, then a mountain was going to shatter under its weight.

    As mundane as the name sounded, ¡°Demon Ape Throws Back¡± was in fact a finishing move in the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡±.

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s twin dragons mmed into Ye Qing¡¯s back. Ye Qing did not budge, and the twin dragons shattered into pieces.

    Having won the exchange, Ye Qing did not stop and attempted to crush the Earthly Sovereign with his back.

    In response, the Earthly Sovereign raised a fist high above his head like he was holding a ruler¡¯s seal. Then, he slowly lowered it.

    The world immediately began to quake violently. It was as if an ancient ruler was about to bring its seal down on the earth that was its paper. When the sealnded, the tremors would be quelled, and peace would return to the four directions.

    Ye Qing was about halfway to the Earthly Sovereign when he abruptly face-nted on the ground. Not one to let an opportunity slip by, the Earthly Sovereign immediately stepped forward and kicked Ye Qing in the heart.

    There was a dull crunch of impact as Ye Qing was sent flying. Not done yet, the Earthly Sovereign kicked off the ground after Ye Qing and attempted to end the battle with a decisive punch.

    Images of mountains and rivers took form once more. The mountains joined into mountain ranges, and the rivers boiled like enraged dragons. At that moment, it looked like the world itself hade to life to crush Ye Qing into bits.

    In the air, Ye Qing punched toward the ground and used the rebound to push himself further up the sky. Demonic qi burned around him as he proceeded to throw a flurry of wild punches at the iing attack. His punches were vicious, brutal, and out of control.

    <em>You thought the weight of a world is enough to crush me?</em>

    <em>Then I shall rip apart the false peace and turn your world upside down!</em>

    It worked. His punches quickly shattered the projection into multiple pieces and threw everything into shambles.

    The Earthly Sovereign moved onto the next move. He clenched his fist and swung it horizontally like he was wielding a sword.

    In ancient times, the Earthly Sovereign had separated the clear and the filthy with his sword and created a world, thus cementing his name in the annals of history for all eternity.

    Today, the Earthly Sovereign would suppress Primal Chaos with his fist and subjugate the demon for a better future.

    After his immense fist intent forcefully quelled the chaos Ye Qing had inflicted to the ambient energies, hended a powerful punch on Ye Qing¡¯s stomach.

    Blood spilled out of Ye Qing¡¯s stomach. The wound was perfectly straight and even as if it had been cut by an actual sword, and it was almost deep enough to cut him in half even in his Chaos Demon Ape form.

    Whoever said that a fist could not be as sharp as a sword?

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t the type of person to take a blow without retaliating though. While the Earthly Sovereign was scoring a hit on him, he too seized the opportunity to tten half of the ancient sage¡¯s body like a pancake.

    As a body-tempering warrior, trading wound for wound was practically his bread and butter.

    By the time both mennded on the ground, the wound across Ye Qing¡¯s stomach had already healed, and the Earthly Sovereign had regrown the crushed half of his body. As soon as theynded on the ground, they charged each other again.

    If the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s fist art was vast, majestic, and boundless like the world itself, then Ye Qing¡¯s fist art sat on the opposite end of the spectrum. It was vicious, brutal, and out of control like awless monster of chaos.

    One of them wielded righteous fists that suppressed demons, warded off evil, and created a longsting peace thatsted over ten thousand millennia.

    Another wielded demonic fists that crushed mountains and rivers with no regard forw and order whatsoever. It was a fist that swore to turn the world upside down and return everything to Primal Chaos.

    It was no wonder that their sh felt like a war between absolute good and absolute evil.

    They said that good would always triumph over evil. But this wasn¡¯t really a war between good and evil, and so far, neitherbatant had gotten the upper hand. Not even the most insightful expert could tell who was going to win.

    Sometimes, the twobatants would trade punches and push each other away, shattering the ground beneath them in the process.

    Sometimes, they would shatter wind and clouds and appear in the sky, trading wound for wound.

    Sometimes, they would pass by each other and leave behind a rumbling roar that sounded like an avnche.

    And sometimes, they would split into countless afterimages and shed against each other like two opposing armies, leaving behind thunderps with every impact.

    Maybe it was because both sides had scored blood against each other, or maybe it was because the battle had reached its climax. In any case, their fighting style grew increasingly vicious and brutal to the point where every move could mean the end of the other person. It was thrilling, dizzying and chilling to look at.

    ¡°What a fight! What a fight!¡±

    At the edge of the basin, Zhang Lingyang¡¯s eyes were bright with excitement as he rubbed his hands repeatedly in an attempt to take off the edge. ¡°Fights between pure body-tempering warriors always get the blood pumping! I knew I shouldn¡¯t have followed the old man up Dragon Tiger Mountain. It would¡¯ve been so much cooler if I was a pure body-tempering warrior of the <em>jianghu</em>! Dammit!¡±

    Yun Qingxiao had nothing to say about Zhang Lingyang¡¯sints, but hisments about the passion of a fight between body-tempering warriors? That was something he wholeheartedly agreed to.

    It was true that fights between body-tempering warriors weren¡¯t as impressive or stylish as theirs, but it was definitely far more exciting. This was doubly true for a fight where both sides were evenly-matched. Again and again, he could not help but be wowed by what he saw from thebatants.

    Besides that, he tried putting himself in the challenger¡¯s position and wondered if he could have withstood the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s fists.

    It would be difficult. Most difficult.

    He wasn¡¯t underestimating himself or being humble. The fact was that he could not imagine himself defeating the Earthly Sovereign even if he fought with everything he had. At best, he could only aim for a stalemate¡ªeven if the Earthly Sovereign below was really just a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    Therefore, the challenger was strong. Real strong. At the very least, he was stronger than him.

    Suddenly, Mo Beiqiu spoke up, ¡°The victor would soon be decided!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang and Yun Qingxiao looked. As she said, the battle between Ye Qing and the Earthly Sovereign had reached the deciding point.

    The Earthly Sovereign was raising his left fist from below, and lowering his right fist from above.

    Generally speaking, therge majority of punches traveled in a straight line because fist arts were straightforward, brutish, violent martial arts. Besides that, there was no faster and cleaner way to execute a punch than a straight line.

    This particr punch from the Earthly Sovereign was clearly different though. For one, his fists were traveling in an arc. Two, his fists were imbued with different fist forces. One fist swam gently across the air like a weak stream, whereas the other fist felt as heavy and vast as a mountain range.

    The two fists looked contradictory and illogical, but the fact was that they looked beautiful and in harmony with each other. ck and white, hard and soft, they left behind profound trails of Dao as they swam through the air.

    When the two fists finally connected with each other, both heaven and earth trembled at the same time. Action and inaction, hard and soft, yin and yang blended together to form a profound portrait that seemed to imbue the absolute truths of the world.

    As ck and white swam around in a circle, the furious gale and clouds, the chaotic energies in the air, and the disorderly qi in the earth slowly returned to calm.

 Chapter 724: The Great Way Is Like A Millstone

    Chapter 724: The Great Way Is Like A Millstone

    Yin and yangplemented each other. Everything had its naturalws.

    Underneath the ck-and-white portrait, Ye Qing¡¯s bones were popping, his muscles were groaning, and blood was pouring out of his pores. The bleed was so bad that his ck hair was dyed red, and his expression grew increasingly contorted.

    Right now, Ye Qing felt like wheat caught inside a mill. The millstone was slowly but surely grinding his body into powder.

    If the Great Way was simr to a millstone, then time was a merciless killer.

    A hundred generations could turn even the thickest blood into water, and all life was naught but a finite journey.

    The millstone that was the Great Way and time could grind everything down into nothing, so how could a man possibly be exempt from the rule?

    As the ck-and-white portrait continued to rotate, Ye Qing¡¯s body slowly twisted into an indescribable shape. To give an example, it was like a pair of invisible hands had grabbed his head and his legs before twisting him in opposite directions like a rag. His muscles slowly tore itself apart, his bones began breaking and splintering into itsy bitsy pieces, and his blood spilled out of his flesh like the water of a wet rag. His entire body was dyed in red, and a pool of blood quickly gathered beneath his feet.

    Despite this, Ye Qing remained perfectly silent. While holding back the pain, he slowly raised his arms like he was lifting a mountain.

    When his hands had risen up to his chest, he clenched his fists and let out a heart-stopping roar. Demonic qi gushing out of his body, his hands abruptly separated like he was ripping something apart.Maybe it was because he used too much strength, but both of his arms broke and sttered blood everywhere.

    However, his action also caused a crisp sound to resound throughout the basin. It wasn¡¯t loud, but it did sound profound and mysterious.

    At the same time, the ck-and-white portrait in the sky split in half from the center.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    As soon as the ck-and-white portrait was ripped into pieces, the demonic ape leaped into the air and mmed into the portrait, causing it to scatter into irrecoverable bits. Then, he trapped the Earthly Sovereign with his left arm, grabbed his head with his right hand, and squeezed with everything he got.

    The Earthly Sovereign wasn¡¯t just going to give up and die, of course. He raised his free right hand and punched the demonic ape at the side of his head. At the same time, he raised his leg and kneed the demonic ape in the stomach.

    The demonic ape ignored the counter attack. Although the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s punch caved in half of his head, and the knee strike had broken the pocket world inside his body into pieces, he kept squeezing until his opponent¡¯s head finally exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    As if his bloodthirst hadn¡¯t yet been quenched, the demonic ape proceeded to grab the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s shoulders and ripped the man in half.

    ¡°ROAR!!!¡±

    After he sessfully ripped the Earthly Sovereign in half, the demonic ape let out another heart-stopping roar before soaring into the sky. Then, hended a solid punch on the dark yellow cauldron.

    <em>TWANG¡­</em>

    The dark yellow cauldron shook violently and emitted a long, loud ringing. It sounded like the ringing of a massive bell.

    The bell ringing was heavy but not deep, loud but not deafening. When it spread out, it was actually calming and nourishing like the spring wind and fine rain.

    ¡°My fist strikes against a cauldron and create a ringing thatsts for eternity,

    My heart rises with the wind and spreads spring unto infinity.¡±

    After the punch, the demonic ape fell from the sky as if it had spent all of his strength. As he fell, Ye Qing transformed back into a human.

    Ye Qing hit the ground with a loud thud, his aura weaker than it had ever been.

    The next moment, the dark yellow cauldron in the sky scattered and reformed into the Earthly Sovereign.

    Earthen yellow descended from the sky andnded beside Ye Qing. Smiling down on him from above, the Earthly Sovereign leaned down and briefly touched the young man¡¯s forehead.

    When he rose to full height once more, the Earthly Sovereign abruptly grew increasingly transparent until he waspletely gone.

    At the same time, an indescribably profound and virtuous aura of Dao emanated from Ye Qing.

    ¡°A celestial touched my head, so I prepared to receive immortality.¡±

    Clearly, the Earthly Sovereign had injected the wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi directly into his body.

    Realizing what just happened, some of the people lurking in the shadows could not restrain their greed any longer. They immediately pounced toward the unconscious young man.

    Although the Earthly Sovereign had injected the wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi directly into the young man¡¯s body, it would take time for him to refine and incorporate it into his body. All they needed to do was to kill the young man to extract the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and im it for themselves.

    They needed to act quickly though. They could still extract the Profound Yellow Mother Qi even after the young man sessfully assimted into his body, but its effects would be greatly diminished as a matter of course.

    On top of that, the Profound Yellow Mother Qi was a natural creation with the power to nurture the body. It sounded simple, but the young man¡¯s severe injuries were healing at a visible rate, and his aura was rapidly stabilizing in just a matter of breaths. It probably wouldn¡¯t be long before he awakened from hisa and recovered enough to fight once more. If that happened, forget robbing the young man of his fortune while he was unconscious, they might even die for their audacity.

    No one was stupid enough to underestimate the young man after his stunning battle against the Earthly Sovereign.

    Long story short, there was no better time than now to kill the young man and rob him of his Profound Yellow Mother Qi. If they missed it, they wouldn¡¯t get a second chance to try again.

    ¡°Sigh. That shalle wille, and will not tarry[1].¡±

    Zhang Lingyang sighed as he observed the hyenas charging the young man from every direction.

    ¡°A heavenly tribtion is easy to ovee. The human heart? Not so much.¡±

    Yun Qingxiao replied indifferently.

    ¡°So? Would you like to give it a go, Young Yun?¡± Zhang Lingyang teased.

    ¡°No. I am not interested,¡± Yun Qingxiao dered decisively. ¡°It is beneath me to take what isn¡¯t mine to take¡ªbut of course, no one can take what is mine to take either.¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ how very manly of you,¡± Zhang Lingyang praised hispatriot before ncing at Mo Beiqiu. ¡°What about you, Beiqiu? Do you want it?¡±

    ¡°Will you take it for me if I say yes?¡± Mo Beiqiu asked.

    ¡°If you want it, then of course! You¡¯re my woman after all!¡± Zhang Lingyang dered loudly while pping his chest.

    Suddenly, a giggle came from somewhere. ¡°Hahaha¡­ to think that the righteous Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain would openly dere their intention to rob another man¡¯s fortune like a lowly bandit. Aren¡¯t you afraid that the Heavenly Master Mansion¡¯s reputation would suffer because of you?¡±

    No one knew when she arrived, but a woman wearing a mask and a green dress had appeared on a nearby tree. She was barefooted and carrying a red umbre, and she was sitting on a tree branch and shaking her legs a little, the little bells tied to her ankle ringing melodious to every sway.

    It was Greeke Bai.

    ¡°Do I look like that type of person to you? I would never kick a man when he¡¯s down!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang¡¯s eyes lit up like a pair of light bulbs when he saw the pretty woman. He immediately dered in a righteous tone, ¡°What I mean is that I¡¯m going to take the Profound Yellow Mother Qi after the bad guys had taken it! Is it bad to rob a robber? Never! We call that justice and karmic retribution!¡±

    ¡°Plus, I was nning to cover up my face and book it as soon as I got the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. No one will ever guess that it was I who stole the prize!¡±

    Yun Qingxiao facepalmed. <em>I don¡¯t know this guy. He¡¯s the shame of my sect.</em>

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ they all say that the Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain is a funny, unfettered man of passion. It looks like the rumors are true after all.¡±

    Greeke Bai giggled. ¡°Do inform me when you decide to act. I¡¯ll do my best to support you when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! I will happily ept your offer, my kindred spirit!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang pulled back his sideburns before asking, ¡°By the way, may I know your name, your hometown, your age, and whether you¡¯re single?¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡±

    Yun Qingxiao coughed. He seriously couldn¡¯t stand this any longer.

    <em>You couldn¡¯t even wait until Mo Beiqiu is gone before you flirt with another woman? No wonder she isn¡¯t interested in you!</em>

    ¡°What? You got a bug in your throat or something?¡± Zhang Lingyang shot Yun Qingxiao a frown.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Yun Qingxiao replied while ncing at Mo Beiqiu meaningfully.

    ¡°It <em>is </em>nothing,¡± Zhang Lingyang rolled his eyes. ¡°The sages say that appetite and lust are only natural, and the ancients say that everyone loves beauty. So long as your heart isn¡¯t covered in dust, then everything is all as it should be.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m conversing with thisdy purely because I admire her appearance like I would admire a fine painting. I do not think of her romantically at all, and I¡¯m sure Beiqiu understands me perfectly. Right, Beiqiu?¡±

    ¡°Get lost,¡± was Mo Beqiu¡¯s response.

    ¡°See? I know that Beiqiu still loves me. She¡¯s willing to shower me with harsh words after all!¡± Zhang Lingyang eximed with a wide grin.

    Yun Qingxiao: ¡°...¡± <em>I really should¡¯ve ignored him.</em>

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    Suddenly, the earth shook again. Something unexpected had happened inside the basin.

    1. Thought the quote was pretty cool and borrowed some of it to rece the simple ¡®What muste muste¡¯. ?

 Chapter 725: One Woman, One Saber

    <h4>Chapter 725: One Woman, One Saber </h4>

    Inside the basin, a surge of killing intent suddenly engulfed a few attackers and ground them into paste before they could react.

    ¡°Shit! Retreat!¡±

    A man panicked and tried to back away to safety, but the second he moved, earthly qibined into an invisible earth dragon and swallowed him whole.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The attackers quickly realized that their surroundings were overflowing with yin qi before they knew it. The wind howled like des, the rain fell like swords, and killing intent was everywhere. It was as if they had suddenly crossed into the underworld, and the living was <i>not </i>wee here. The bloodcurdling screams appearing throughout the area were proof of it.

    ¡°Huh? Earth-bound traps? Is a fengshui master helping the challenger?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang eximed in surprise but shook his head right after. ¡°It¡¯s too bad the fengshui master¡¯s craft is average at best, and his fengshui array isn¡¯t perfect due to theck of time. It¡¯s good enough to scare the hyenas a little, but to actually stop them? It¡¯s not enough.¡±

    A warrior who was adept in the art of fengshui was called a fengshui master. An average fengshui master could only observe qi, probe waters, research the earth, and identify fortune or misfortune. However, a powerful fengshui master¡ªgenerally known as a geomancer¡ªcould not only do everything a fengshui master could do, but also shift mountains, change fates, and ughter their enemies without a trace using earth veins and earthly qi.

    If a geomancer had enough time to set up a fengshui array, they could even kill champions who were above their cultivation level. They were the kind of friends you want to have, and enemies you wish to avoid as much as possible.

    Unfortunately, the fengshui master who set up the fengshui array was no geomancer. While his fengshui array was good enough to stop or intimidate the average warrior, it waspletely useless against a true elite.

    As expected, Zhang Lingyang hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when a cold hmph came from the basin, ¡°You think you can stop me with this level of fengshui array?¡±

    The next moment, a fiery saber force apanied by the crisp cry of a phoenix descended from above. A fiery phoenix extended its wings and engulfed the fengshui array in a ze of fire.

    Of course, the <i>jianghu </i>warriors trapped within the fengshui array were killed as well.

    After the fengshui array was destroyed, a brawny man carrying a massive red saber on his shoulder stepped out of the sea of mes. He wore a long robe with fiery red patterns, and he had long hair that covered his shoulders. He carried himself in a bold and unrestrained manner.

    ¡°Why so angry, Feng San[1]? Why kill innocents when you could pierce the array without?¡±

    An old, blind Taoist chided the brawny man while stepping out of the sea of mes as well. He was supporting himself and extinguishing the mes around himself using a bamboo staff.

    ¡°Hah! As if leaving them alive would help their chances of iming the Profound Yellow Mother Qi! They couldn¡¯t even survive me!¡±

    The brawny man named Feng San scoffed loudly. ¡°Also, you should¡¯ve just died instead of blocking my attack. Now, I¡¯m going to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk... can you believe this guy? If I didn¡¯t know better, I would think that you already have the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in your pockets!¡±

    A ridiculingugh broke out from another direction, and a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and tattered clothes stepped out into the open as well. He carried a sword, but it wasn¡¯t his weapon. Why? Because he was biting off its de and chewing the metal vigorously every few steps or so. Looking at his intoxicated expression, you would think that he was eating a sugar cane, not a sword forged from refined steel.

    By the time the middle-aged man walked up to the group, everything above the hilt waspletely gone. He nced at Feng San and said, ¡°Have you asked for <i>our </i>permission before you made your move? No? How rude of you!¡±

    ¡°Hah! Sure, I¡¯ll ask for permission after I ughter you all!¡± Feng San bared his teeth at them. ¡°But before I do that, allow me to take out the skulking rat first!¡±

    Before he even finished speaking, Feng San grabbed his saber with both hands and fired a powerful saber beam at a nearby bush. Pedant Earth had no choice but to jump away from his hiding spot to avoid the attack.

    After he was forced to reveal himself, Pedant Earth produced multiple yellow talismans and tried to turn invisible once more. However, the blind Taoist tapped the ground with his bamboo staff and caused a pair of earth serpents to burst out of the ground. They mmed into the yellow talisman and shredded it before it could take effect. Pedant Earth himself staggered backward while his face turned as pale as a ghost.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re all attacking, I guess I¡¯ll have to contribute as well,¡± said the sword-eating man before he opened his mouth and threw up a flood of sword qi.

    Pedant Earth looked pale, but there wasn¡¯t a sliver of fear on his face. Right before the flood of sword qi would kill him, a saber beam descended from the sky and cut the sword qi in half.

    ¡°The hell are you doing? Do you actually have a death wish?¡±

    Shangguan Hongjinnded in front of Pedant Earth and chided him.

    ¡°I trust that you would save me,¡± Pedant Earth replied with a cheeky grin on his face.

    ¡°I see! There¡¯s more than one rat in this ce!¡± Feng San remarked while staring at Shangguan Hongjin.

    ¡°You¡¯re the rat! Your whole family are rats!¡± While carrying a saber with her right hand and keeping her left hand on her second saber, Shangguan Hongjin spat in Feng San¡¯s direction and said, ¡°Oh, excuse me for my mistake. To call you petty lurkers who only know how to take advantage of another¡¯s difficulties rats would be a disservice to rats. You¡¯re at best bed bugs who deserve to be exterminated on sight!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, what a fiery temper. I love it!¡± The sword-eating man eximed while looking Shangguan Hongjin up and down.

    ¡°Pooey! Look at yourself in your piss, ugly face! As if a man like you would ever deserve me!¡± Shangguan Hongjin dered contemptuously.

    ¡°Red shirt, red scarf, and a woman of fiery temper. You must be the leader of the Flying Red Scarfs, Shangguan Hongjin, aren¡¯t you?¡± The blind Taoist asked.

    ¡°Oh! I guess you aren¡¯t blind after all. That¡¯s right! I am Shangguan Hongjin!¡± Shangguan Hongjin admitted without fanfare.

    ¡°Why are you stopping us, Miss Shangguan? Are you plotting to im that man¡¯s Profound Yellow Mother Qi for yourself?¡± The blind Taoist asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mention my name in the same breath as you! I am not here to take that whatchamacallit either. I¡¯m standing here only because I can¡¯t tolerate your contemptuous actions!¡±

    Suddenly, Shangguan Hongjin raised her eyebrows and swung her saber at a certain direction. There was a loud ng, and a man and a woman abruptly popped into existence. Their expressions were ugly.

    The man was dressed ostentatiously and wearing make-up like a woman. The woman was also dressed just as mboyantly as the man, though her aura was dark and creepy. Neither looked like a person of virtue.

    ¡°You think you can stop us alone, Shangguan Hongjin?¡±

    The seductive woman said with an ugly expression, ¡°Get out of our way if you know what¡¯s good for you! Otherwise, we will make you wish you were dead!¡±

    ¡°Guess what? I <i>do </i>think I can stop all of you alone!¡± Shangguan Hongjin tightened her grip over her sabers and let out a boldugh. ¡°You want the Profound Yellow Mother Qi that badly? Sure! You just have to pass through me first!¡±

    ¡°Why the hell are you wasting your breath on her? Can¡¯t you tell she¡¯s trying to buy time? Kill her already!¡±

    It was at this moment Feng San roared and swung his saber at Shangguan Hongjin from range. A fiery phoenix screeched, and a sea of mes engulfed the world.

    In response, Shangguan Hongjin unsheathed her second saber and swung upward like she was cutting the sky. The sea of mes were instantly split in half.

    Not done yet, Shangguan Hongjin chased, no, surpassed her saber beam and appeared in front of Feng San. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. She brought her saber down with the intention of cutting the man in half.

    Feng San did not expect Shangguan Hongjin to move this quickly. He just barely managed to cross his saber before his chest before their sabers shed.

    <i>ng!</i>

    There was a metallic ng, and a muffled groan escaped Feng San¡¯s lips. Blood poured down his hand as he staggered away from her.

    Shangguan Hongjin pressed forward. This time, she turned her saber against the blind Taoist.

    The blind Taoist tapped the ground with his bamboo staff and summoned three armored, sword-wielding generals about three meters tall in an attempt to stop her charge. Fearless, Shangguan Hongjin swung nine times in a row, firing three saber forces each at the earthen generals. Thick as a cyclone, the saber forces easily sted the earthen generals into smithereens.

    Right before Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s momentum was spent, a bamboo staff suddenly burst through the dust cloud and struck Shangguan Hongjin in the chest. It pierced right through like her flesh was paper.

    ¡°Got you, you blind bastard.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin smiled despite receiving a serious wound, however. Not only that, she pressed forward¡ªthe bamboo staff sliding even deeper into her chest as a result of this¡ªand swung her saber at the blind Taoist¡¯s head.

    1. The literal trantion is Phoenix Three. Also fengsan would sound like fan to a Chinese. Lol. ?

 Chapter 726: The Bright Moon

    <h4>Chapter 726: The Bright Moon </h4>

    The blind Taoist felt every hair on his skin stood on end. He tried to pull out his staff and retreat, but it was stuck between Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s chest bones. Left with no choice, he had to relinquish his staff and pull away.

    The blind Taoist wasn¡¯t Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s only enemy though. The sword-eating man, the man with hefty make-up, and the seductive woman attacked Shangguan Hongjin at the same time.

    Every time the sword-eating man exhaled, his breath would turn into a sword. Dozens of deadly swords arrayed in the air in just the blink of an eye.

    The man with hefty make-up swung his sleeve at Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s direction. The force he unleashed seemed open and direct, but every wisp of force hid a silver needle that was norger than an ox¡¯s hair. Of course, the needles were all coated in poison.

    And finally, the seductive woman manifested a mountain-sized fox with nine tails that were as big as hills. They fell toward Shangguan Hongjin and threatened to tten her like a pancake.

    ¡°I was waiting for you all!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin grinned and finally unsheathed her second saber. A bright moon rose to the sky and emitted a cool light that resembled a dream.

    The moonlight was also her saber force. Wherever the moonlight reached, saber force cascaded like a waterfall.

    Shangguan Hongjin wielded two sabers. The first one was called ¡°Evil yer¡±, and it was a murderous weapon that had in countless evils of all shapes and sizes. It was also best wielded in one-on-one situations.

    Her second saber had a much more elegant name called ¡°Bright Moon¡±. Excellently crafted and named, the saber possessed the power to summon a moon in the sky and unleash saber force through its light.

    It was also why she had a technique called, ¡°Of Bright Moon¡±.

    Since Ye Qing began his tribtion, she had been gathering Bright Moon¡¯s strength and condensing its saber intent until it was barely bigger than a small dot. It was so that she could unleash it at the right moment and bleed her enemies dry.

    The sword-eating man, the man with hefty make-up, and the seductive woman nched and tried to retreat. Unfortunately, it was already toote. The moonlight engulfed them all.

    For a time, dazzling, crystalline light engulfed everything within a fifty-meter radius. Nothing could be seen except the light.

    When the moonlight finally faded away, the ground was stained red with blood and riddled with holes and bodies.

    The sword-eating man was covered in horrific wounds and bleeding all over the ce. He wasn¡¯t dead yet, but his energies were shriveled like a prune.

    The man with hefty make-up and the seductive woman weren¡¯t so lucky. The moonlight had cut them down into pools of fleshy goo.

    Five weaker warriors who lurked in the shadows hoping to y the fishermen were also dead because Pedant Earth had blocked their escape paths.

    ¡°Hahaha... this can¡¯t be all of you! I thought you wanted to steal the Profound Yellow Mother Qi? All you need to do is to kill me, and it will be yours! Come at me!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin ripped out the bamboo staff stuck inside her chest and allowed her blood to dye her already red shirt a dark red color. She didn¡¯t flinch even once as sheughed at the face of her enemies.

    ¡°Of Bright Moon¡± wasn¡¯t an easy technique to pull off, and despite herck of reaction, her chest wound was pretty serious. It looked like she was close to her limits, but neither Feng San, the blind Taoist nor the sword-eating man moved a muscle. In fact, they looked paler than Shangguan Hongjin.

    Shangguan Hongjin was a Half-Step Grandmaster. Feng San, the sword-eating man, and the blind Taoist were also Half-Step Grandmasters. The man with hefty make-up and the seductive woman were onlyte-stage Spirit Masters, but since they were partners, theirbined strength was nothing to scoff at either.

    However, not only did theirbined assault fail to defeat Shangguan Hongjin, she actually slew two of them and heavily injured one. It was unbelievable.

    The battle had turned out this way not because they were weaker than Shangguan Hongjin. It was simply a difference in determination. Shangguan Hongjin had stepped into this fight fully anticipating that she would die in defense of Ye Qing, whereas the five attackers were conserving their strength for future battles and on guard against one another. That was why she was able to overwhelm them despite being outnumbered.

    The same reason prevented them from immediately jumping back into the battle. There was a chance Shangguan Hongjin might possess some other trump cards, and even if she didn¡¯t, the crazy woman was fighting with the determination to take as many of them to the grave with her. There was nothing a person who was ready to sacrifice their life couldn¡¯t do.

    They were here to enrich themselves, not surrender their lives to Shangguan Hongjin and benefit those who came after them. That was why they were gripped with hesitation right now.

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk... trash, everyst one of you. I can¡¯t believe you lot ever thought you had a chance of iming the Profound Yellow Mother Qi when you¡¯re such pussies.¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin sneered when she saw this. ¡°Who else wants the Profound Yellow Mother Qi? You can show your face now. I¡¯ll stop all of you! Or are you just cowards who can¡¯t do anything besides scheming and backstabbing?! FACE ME!¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡±

    It was at this moment a cold hmph erupted in the air like a thunderp. A groan escaped Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s lips as she swayed on her feet, and blood poured out of her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the boastful one for one so young!¡±

    A short, boyish-looking man appeared in the sky next. ¡°So, how are you going to stop me, <i>little girl? </i>I¡¯m salivating with anticipation here, so please don¡¯t disappoint me.¡±

    ¡°Stop scaring the little girl, Six Yins. It¡¯s such a bad look.¡±

    A red-haired woman wearing a red dress flew over on a blood cloud andnded on the ground. Despite what she said to Six Yins Boy, she beamed at Shangguan Hongjin and asked, ¡°I¡¯m here, little girl. How are you going to stop me?¡±

    ¡°Six Yins Boy? Blood Rakshasa?¡±

    Feng San, the sword-eating man and the blind Taoist all gulped when they saw the duo. This was just the beginning though. Before they could even recollect their thoughts, another man appeared from afar.

    He was a middle-aged man with a wooden expression. His head was bowed as if he was absorbed in thought. He slowly but steadily stepped toward Shangguan Hongjin.

    The middle-aged man was also apanied by a young monk.

    ¡°That¡¯s the seventh named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, Defeated... and the sixteenth named warrior, the Holy Son of Maitreya!¡±

    The trio recognized the duo at the same time.

    ¡°Hahaha... we are here as well.¡±

    A boisterousugh cut through the night sky, and another duo emerged from the north. One of them was fat, and the other thin. The plump man was all smiles and wearing luxury clothes. He looked like your stereotypical rich man. On the other hand, the thin man was wearing a sorrowful, bitter expression and dressed in rags.

    Strangely, the smiling, wealthy-looking fat man was carrying the sorrowful, poorly-dressed thin man on his back.

    The plump man greeted Six Yins Boy, Blood Rakshasa and Defeated briefly before stomping his feet. Then, he yelled with a chuckle, ¡°Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket, why don¡¯t you show yourselves as well. The girl with more bark than bite wants to meet everyone, and I¡¯m pretty sure that the two of you aren¡¯t exempt!¡±

    As soon as the plump man was finished, a man with a monkey¡¯s face and a pair of whisker-like mustaches stepped into the open. He was wearing a Taoist robe despite looking anything but a Taoist. He tunneled out of the ground not far away from Shangguan Hongjin and shot the plump man an unfriendly look. ¡°Annoying bastard. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve killed that foolish girl already.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, but the girl¡¯s head is mine.¡±

    At the same time, an old woman with white hair and a wrinkly face emerged from the opposite direction. She was carrying an exquisitely-made bamboo basket on one arm. The basket wasn¡¯t big, but it was filled with at least a dozen heads. It was horrifying to say the least.

    ¡°Herald of Fortuity, Harbinger of Doom, Mountain Tunneling King, Mrs. Basket...¡±

    Feng San, the sword-eating man and the blind Taoist muttered in shock and disbelief. If they were stunned before, now they were positively quaking in their boots.

    Every single one of these people were famous warriors in their own right. Six Yins Boy and Blood Rakshasa needed no introduction. They were both named Grandmasters on the Earth Champions Ranking.

    Defeated was seventh on the Human Champions Ranking, and the Holy Son of Maitreya the sixteenth.

    The fat man was called the Herald of Fortune, and the thin man the Harbinger of Doom. They were twins who looked anything but alike, and they were both Half-Step Grandmasters. They were experts in teamwork and coordination and could fight any Grandmaster present to a standstill together.

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket were also Grandmasters. Although they weren¡¯t good enough to enter the Earth Champions Ranking, they were horrific viins whose infamy preceded them.

    This group of powerhouses was so powerful that the Holy Son of Maitreya and Defeated were¡ªin terms of cultivation level at least¡ªthe weakest out of all of them.

    Compared to them, Feng San, the sword-eating man and the blind Taoist were literally small fries.

    ¡°We¡¯re all here, little girl. So, how are you going to stop us?¡±

 Chapter 727: Leave The Rest To Me

    <h4>Chapter 727: Leave The Rest To Me </h4>

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You were talking a good game just now. Cat got your tongue?¡± Six Yins Boy sneered.

    Shangguan Hongjin instinctively licked her lips, palmspletely covered in sweat. Although she entered this knowing full well that she would die, this sheer magnitude of her opposition still surpassed her expectations.

    She had anticipated facing a couple of Half-Step Grandmasters and elites on the Human Champions Ranking, but where did these Grandmasters spring from? There were even two Earth Champions Ranking Grandmasters among the group!

    She could confidently say that the number of Grandmasters standing here today exceeded the total number of Grandmasters she had ever seen in her life until now. Since when did Grandmasters be asmon as cabbages?

    <i>It¡¯s just a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi, people. Where¡¯s your dignity?</i>

    Despite herints, Shangguan Hongjin wasn¡¯t really all that scared. After all, she never nned on walking away from this alive. If even death couldn¡¯t scare her, then how could a bunch of Grandmasters possibly break her resolve?

    Not only that, a trickle of excitement was seeping into Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s veins. How many people in this world dared to challenge this many Grandmasters at the same time?

    <i>There¡¯s no chance I¡¯ll ever be able to beat these people, but get on their nerves? Hah!</i>

    And so Shangguan Hongjin straightened her back and gripped her sabers in a reverse grip,ughing, ¡°Hahaha! You must be joking. Not even death can steal my resolve, and you think I would cower before you lot?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just a bunch of shameless, vulgar, and pathetic bunch of <i>rats </i>who have to resort to underhanded tactics to continue their martial way. Well, fine, I¡¯ll grant the talentless, useless fucks who have no hope of advancing their cultivation without resorting to shameless methods a pass, but what about the rest of you? You¡¯re either heaven-born geniuses, top ten rankers of the Human Champions Ranking, Grandmasters, and even Grandmasters on the Earth Champions ranking, and yet you¡¯re doing the same scummy shit as those third-rate warriors. You¡¯re such scum you can¡¯t help but abuse your power and numbers to steal something you know deep down in your hearts that you will <i>never </i>deserve.¡±

    ¡°If you had any shame at all, you would not have shown your faces today. Better yet, you would¡¯ve crawled into a hole and stayed there like the <i>rats </i>you are. Truly, you lot are the shame of all Grandmasters. Pooey!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin spat in the group¡¯s direction before taunting, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Feeling angry and murderous already? Thene at me then! If I so much as furrow my brows, then I am your mother!¡±

    ......

    ¡°Holy mother of heavens! What a woman!¡±

    At the edge of the basin, Zhang Lingyang gasped at the audacity of Shangguan Hongjin. Her strength was one thing, but her mouth was definitely Grandmaster stage. He only needed to look at Six Yins Boy, Blood Rakshasa, Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket¡¯s blue faces to know it was the truth.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the honor of a Grandmaster must not be sullied. A shame!¡± Yun Qingxiaomented. Frankly, he quite disdained the Grandmasters who had chosen to take part in this robbery as well.

    No one was surprised when Six Yins Boy abruptly appeared in front of Shangguan Hongjin andunched a palm strike. In response, Shangguan Hongjin brought down her saber in an attempt to cut Six Yins Boy¡¯s hand in half or force him to cancel his attack.

    Unfortunately, the gap between their strength was just too much. Six Yins Boy easily caught ¡°Evil yer¡±, a Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact with his bare hand and snapped it into several pieces. At the same time, his cold, yin-type palm force invaded Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s body and sent her flying. In the air, ice was rapidly growing over her hair and eyebrows, and herplexion turned an unhealthy bluish purple.

    ¡°Run, Miss Shangguan! I¡¯ll hold them back!¡±

    Seeing this, Pedant Earth took one step forward and crossed his fingers together. He drew a profound rune in the air and yelled, ¡°Rise!¡±

    Killing intent burst out of the ground, and the wind howled like an enraged god. Everyone was in range of the attack.

    ¡°Foolish cur!¡±

    A cold glint shed in Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s eyes as he waved his hand casually. A thunderp erupted out of nowhere, and both the killing intent and the wild gale instantly disappeared into nothing. At the same time, Pedant Earth was sent flying by the terrifying st of force. Blood spilled out of his lips, and his face looked as white as paper.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking their heads, thank you. I was hoping to add some new decorations for my basket.¡±

    Mrs. Basket threw her basket into the air, and it fired a pair of bloody beams at Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth.

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth exchanged nces with each other. They knew that there was no chance they would be able to survive this attack, and they were annoyed that they couldn¡¯t buy more time for Ye Qing.

    But they never once regretted their decision. Together, they burst outughing.

    ¡°Hahahaha! I may die, but I leave no regrets behind!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! The afterlife greets me, but I shall enter it with a clear conscience!¡±

    Suddenly, the bloody beams disappeared right before they would destroy Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth. At the same time, the two warriors felt something arresting their momentum, and their pain vanishing rapidly from their body somehow. They were... healing?

    ¡°Thank you both.¡±

    A warm voice rang beside their ears.

    ¡°Warrior Ye!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth eximed in pleasant surprise as they looked behind their backs and met a refreshing smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m awake.¡± Ye Qing smiled and patted their shoulders. A tremendous amount of true qi entered their body and rapidly restored their damaged organs and veins. ¡°Now, go catch some rest and leave the rest to me!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing, warrior Ye?¡±

    Pedant Earth was surprised by Ye Qing¡¯s deration to say the least. It didn¡¯t sound like he was nning to make a great escape with them.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take revenge for you and Miss Shangguan, of course!¡± Ye Qing was smiling, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Now is hardly the best time!¡± Miss Shangguan said hurriedly. <i>We just barely managed to keep you from dying, dude! Do you want to die that badly?</i>

    Although Ye Qing was now a Grandmaster, it hadn¡¯t even been a <i>minute </i>since the young man fully ascended. Meanwhile, everyone here was at least a veteran Grandmaster with years of experience under their belt, not to mention that they outnumbered him many times to one. While she liked her revenge served hot as well, she wasn¡¯t that impatient that she would risk her life for it!

    Sure, she and Pedant Earth were ready to give their life in defense of their honor and belief, but now that life was an actual option, why the hell would they choose to die?

    ¡°Rx. You¡¯re the one who said that they¡¯re a shameless, vulgar, and pathetic bunch of rats who have to resort to underhanded tactics to continue their martial way.¡± Ye Qing shot her a reassuring smile. ¡°Why would I be afraid of such a worthless lot?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Shangguan Hongjin couldn¡¯t say anything. <i>I was just taunting them, dude!</i>

    ¡°Arrogant boy. Die!¡±

    Enraged, dozens of bloody heads flew out of the floating bamboo basket and flew toward Ye Qing. They were all snarling or howling or weeping as if they were alive. As they grew closer to Ye Qing, their voices grew increasingly shrill and disturbing.

    ¡°The Life Stealing Heads and Mind Bending Screech...¡±

    The flying heads were called the Life Stealing Heads, and they were Strangers Mrs. Basket had refined using her Bonded Strange Artifact[1], the Head Basket. The Head Basket was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact that could fire beams of blood that could shackle a victim¡¯s mind, sever their head, and subsume it to the bamboo basket. Hence the name. Once a head had been subsumed into the basket, Mrs. Basket would be able tomand them as she pleased.

    If the head was refined into a Life Stealing Head, it could produce a sound wave known as the Mind Bending Screech. The coalescence of all of the victim¡¯s resentment when they were still alive, the Mind Bending Screech could attack the mind, kill a person, and even steal their soul. It was a most malevolent power.

    It was worth noting that the ss of a Life Stealing Head was the victim¡¯s cultivation level when they were still alive. The Life Stealing Heads currently stored inside the Head Basket were all Spirit Masters Mrs. Basket had killed throughout the years, so every one of them was equal to a Phenomenon-ss Stranger.

    The Mind Bending Screech produced by dozens of Phenomenon-ss Life Stealing Heads were no joke. Most Grandmasters would choose to dodge out of the way against such an attack.

    However, Ye Qing simply took one nce at the Life Stealing Heads and threw a punch.

    <i>BOOM!</i>

    An entire chunk of space caved inward like it was a physical object, and the vortex at the center drew the flying heads in before they could react.

    The next moment, every Life Stealing Head exploded into smithereens.

    1. Raw is ±¾Ãü¹îÆ÷. An example of this is Xiao Yang¡¯s lifesaving infant Strange Artifact, which is bonded to him by flesh and blood. If a Bonded Strange Artifact, the warrior usually suffers as well. ?

 Chapter 728: Demonic Blade of Six Yins

    <h4>Chapter 728: Demonic de of Six Yins </h4>

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    Since Mrs. Basket¡¯s energies were connected to the Life Stealing Heads, their destruction dizzed her for a brief moment.

    When she regained her senses, she abruptly realized that the audacious young man was now standing right in front of her.

    <i>How did he...? </i>

    Panicked she might be, her response was immediate and decisive. Her clothes abruptly lit up like a mini sun as countless talismans and restrictions formed an imprable barrier around her.

    It was clear that her clothes were a kind of defensive Strange Artifact. It was pretty high grade too. Too bad for Mrs. Basket, Ye Qing easily cut through the barrier strong enough to block a full-powered attack from a Grandmaster with a casual swing of his hand. Her eyes widened. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would have thought that the barrier was made of paper!

    The next moment, Ye Qing clenched his fist and punched her in the head. The old woman immediately staggered backward as if she had just been hit by a giant hammer. Stars circled around her head, and her head hurt like a bitch. Whatever true qi she managed to gather earlier had instantly been dispelled by the punch.

    Suddenly, Mrs. Basket felt as if she was floating in the air. Scratch that, she <i>was </i>floating. A powerful force lifted her into the air before Ye Qing elbowed her in the heart!

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Mrs. Basket¡¯s chest caved in, and her eyes bulged so much that it would not be a surprise if her eyeballs actually fell out of their sockets. Blood poured out of every orifice as she hit the ground hard and kept sliding forward like a plow, leaving a deep gorge behind her.

    By the time she finally came to a stop, Mrs. Basket was exhaling more than she was inhaling. It would not be an exaggeration to say that she was dying.

    For a time, silence enveloped the entire basin. Everyone was staring at the young man with shock and disbelief.

    This was not how they had imagined the fight would turn out. In their imagination, The young man should be the one being punched down by Mrs. Basket, not the other way around. Actually, scratch that, it was worse. The young man had grievously wounded Mrs. Basket, an infamous, veteran Grandmaster in just the blink of an eye.

    How was this even possible? Were their eyes ying tricks on them?

    Even if Mrs. Basket was among the weakest Grandmasters out there, it should not be possible for someone who just overcame their tribtion <i>minutes </i>ago to defeat her. The guy didn¡¯t have the time to stabilize his cultivation yet!

    And yet, the impossible had happened. Mrs. Basket didn¡¯t just lose, she had lost so quickly and decisively she never even managed to mount a counterattack.

    Not even the Grandmasters present thought they could defeat Mrs. Basket that easily and decisively!

    Everyone was looking at Ye Qing like he was a monster.

    ¡°Are you done admiring my good looks? If you are, thene at me already. The Profound Yellow Mother Qi is still inside my body. If you don¡¯t strike me down soon, you won¡¯t get another chance.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked and added, ¡°Also, I don¡¯t mind youing at me together. Rats can only attack in packs, am I right?¡±

    ¡°The audacity!¡±

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    His taunt was a hit with Six Yins Boy and Mountain Tunneling King. They looked like they were going to fly into a rage at any moment.

    ¡°Tsk tsk... you think you can fight us all alone, little brother? Really?¡± Blood Rakshasa smiled like the spring wind. ¡°Your bark is bigger than your stature if nothing else.¡±

    ¡°My bark is loud because my bite is worse.¡± Ye Qing shot back. ¡°That said, I don¡¯t really need to be strong to kick all of your asses. After all, you¡¯re just a pack of rats, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The audacity!¡±

    Finally hitting the limit of his tolerance, Six Yins Boy made a grabbing motion as if he was pulling some sort of invisible curtain. The next moment, this corner of the world turned dark and silent.

    The unnatural darkness lowered from the sky before shrinking and stretching into a certain form. It looked as if an invisible man was hammering a small piece of the world into a weapon using their spirit.

    A wless, pitch ck saber appeared in the sky. It didn¡¯t have a hilt, and it had a savage, demonic design. Killing intent washed out of it like a flood long before it descended toward Six Yins Boy, and when it did, it changed colors every three meters or so. First it was ck, next it was red, then it was green, yellow, blue, and finally pure white.

    Every time the demonic saber changed a color, the killing intent and icy chill in the air would deepen a little more. By the time the demonic saber reached its final color, it felt like they were standing in the middle of the coldest winter. Every part of the basin was covered in ice, snow was falling from the sky, and whatever life that remained in this wastnd of a basin waspletely wiped out by a choking amount of killing intent.

    ¡°The Demonic de of Six Yins...¡±

    Feng San, the sword-eating man, and the blind Taoist took one look¡ªjust one look¡ªat the demonic saber and felt their Yin Gods ripping themselves into shreds, and their blood freezing in their veins. They all copsed to the ground with shock and horror on their faces.

    Six Yins Boy¡¯s main cultivation art was something called the ¡°Six Yins Demonic Pinnacle Art¡±. It was an exceptionally yin, frigid, violent and brutal martial art. The Demonic de of Six Yins was the strongest technique in the ¡°Six Yins Demonic Pinnacle Art¡±, and itpressed the six pinnacles of the six yins into a single saber. In the manual, it was described that the Demonic de of Six Yins was capable of splitting open the heavens, sundering the earth, annihting the body and severing the soul.

    ¡°Six Yins, six pinnacles, one saber; Cut the sky, split the earth, kill ghosts and gods.¡± It was a sinct but urate summary of the technique¡¯s power. Feng San, the sword-eating man, and the blind Taoist had no doubt that they would have already experienced true death if they were the targets of the Demonic de of Six Yins.

    The actual target of the technique, Ye Qing, didn¡¯t look perturbed in the slightest, however. In fact, he was actually wearing a smile.

    Ye Qing bent his knees slightly and jumped up to face the saber. When he was about halfway there, he threw a punch.

    One punch rose, and a hundred punches fell. The flurry of punches contained an enormous amount of force and even greater intent. Theybined into a patch of dark yellow earth that stood in the demonic saber¡¯s way.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was a huge explosion, and the dark yellow earth conjured by the one hundred punches was sliced clean through by the Demonic de of Six Yins. However, the saber also turned from white to blue, to yellow, to green, to red, and finally to ck.

    What this meant was that five of the six pinnacles of the Demonic de of Six Yins had been destroyed. It also meant that the technique only possessed a sixth of its former strength.

    The ck saber struck Ye Qing squarely in the fist, causing a tremor that spread throughout his body. Dark yellow light circted around his body as he fell toward the ground like a meteor.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    Ye Qing¡¯s feet hit the ground, but it didn¡¯t trigger a massive explosion like it normally did. Instead, all he kicked up was a bit of dust and stones like he was striking a drum.

    On the surface, it looked like nothing was going on. But under the ground, it was like multiple earth drakes were tossing and turning in their sleep.

    Mountain Tunneling King hadn¡¯t been idle while Six Yins Boy was attacking Ye Qing. He had found an opportunity to slip underground, and he was poised to strike the young man while he wasn¡¯t looking. Then, the earth around him suddenly started crushing him like he was wheat inside a millstone, causing him to ache all over and lose control of his energies. He had no choice but to jump back onto the surface.

    However, the second he burst out of the earth, a palm grew bigger and bigger in his vision. It pierced through his astral qi and pped him in the face before he could do anything.

    Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s face hurt like hell, but he did not hesitate to summon earthen spikes from the ground and attack Ye Qing from behind.

    Ye Qing did not so much as bat an eyelid. He simply grabbed Mountain Tunneling King, turned around, and smashed him into his own spikes instead.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    Countless spikes mmed into Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s body and exploded into smithereens, but the debris didn¡¯t scatter or fall to the ground like they should. Instead, they attached themselves to Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s body and formed a set of earthen armor that only grew thick, bigger, and heavier as time passed. Over time, it looked as if Ye Qing was an infant attempting to lift a titan with his puny hands.

    Still, Ye Qing was unmoved by this turn of events. With just one hand, he lifted Mountain Tunneling King¡ªat this point, the man was as heavy as a literal mountain¡ªinto the air, sucked in a deep breath, and exhaled everything at once. It was so loud that his exhtion sounded like rumbling thunder, and he threw Mountain Tunneling King straight at the two brothers, Herald of Fortuity and Harbinger of Doom.

    After the prowess Ye Qing just disyed, neither Herald of Fortuity nor Harbinger of Doom were stupid enough to treat him like an ordinary, newly-ascended Grandmaster. They went all out.

    Herald of Fortuity beganughing. Hisughter was joyous and growing increasingly loud with each passing second.

    At first, it sounded like he was the only one who wasughing. Later on, it sounded like thousands and thousands of people wereughing at the top of their lungs.

    Images of female celestials dancing in the sky or celestials and Buddhas drinking to each other¡¯s health suddenly manifested into view. Combined with theughter, it was as if they had been transported into a divine kingdom of bliss.

 Chapter 729: Suppressing Grandmasters

    <h4>Chapter 729: Suppressing Grandmasters </h4>

    If a divine holds up the sky, one might say that he¡¯s holding an entire world in his palm. The Herald of Fortuity practiced a cultivation art known as the ¡°Joy Heaven Sutra¡±. At the adept level, the practitioner could summon the Skyholding Divine and manifest a Blissful Land in their palm. The Skyholding Divine was supernaturally strong¡ªthey could supposedly hold up the sky after all¡ªand the Blissful Land could summon Bliss to influence one¡¯s spirit and bewitch one¡¯s mind.

    The Skyholding Divine extended his left hand to catch the Mountain Tunneling King. At the same time, he threw the divine kingdom on his right palm at Ye Qing.

    If a Kingdom of God copses, it would be as if the sky itself had copsed. The force behind such a fall was mighty indeed. On top of that, the incessantughter possessed the power to bewitch one¡¯s mind, so it was clear that the Herald of Fortuity wasn¡¯t holding back.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t bat an eyelid. He ran like the wind while overflowing with fist intent.

    The moment the Skyholding Divine caught Mountain Tunneling King, the earthen armor Mountain Tunneling King was wearing abruptly exploded into smithereens, dissolving the Skyholding Divine¡¯s left arm and threatening their bnce. Because of this, their aim was thrown a little off as well.

    Not about to let such an excellent opportunity pass by, Ye Qing grew twice as fast and appeared above the Skyholding Divine¡¯s head. Then, he punched down at the creature.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    There was a dull, buzzing noise, and the Skyholding Divine froze in ce. Then, cracks spread out from where Ye Qing had struck until it covered the creaturepletely. Finally, the Skyholding Divine dissolved soundlessly into nothing.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The Skyholding Divine was also the Herald of Fortuity¡¯s Yin God[1]. Losing it caused him to throw up a hefty amount of blood.

    The Herald of Fortuity wasughing though. It was because his brother, the Harbinger of Doom, was nowhere to be seen.

    The Harbinger of Doom hadn¡¯t run away, of course. While Ye Qing was destroying the Skyholding Divine, the Harbinger of Doom had appeared behind his back with a long stick in his hands. The long stick looked impossibly frail like it was made of paper, but it was also giving off a dark, evil energy. It was clearly a high-grade Strange Artifact.

    As the Harbinger of Doom swung his stick, thirteen stick-wielding silhouettes appeared around the young man as well. At the same time, ghastly wails drowned out all sound in the area.

    <i>¡°Thirteen Sticks of Doom¡±</i>

    <i>Bang bang bang!</i>

    The thirteen silhouettes struck Ye Qing at the exact same time, but nothing happened. Somehow, the dark yellow aura surrounding Ye Qing was able to neutralize the forces perfectly.

    Astonishment and anger shed across the Harbinger of Doom¡¯s face. He let out a roar, and the stick he was holding abruptly grew as big as a pir. At the same time, a dharma[2] over ten meters tall appeared in the sky, grabbed the erged stick, and swung it at Ye Qing.

    Such was the force behind the swing that spatial cracks appeared along its trajectory, the air turned as cold as ice, and ghastly wails that sounded like a million people¡¯s screams filled the ears.

    <i>¡°Thirteen Sticks of Doom: Ten Thousand Cry¡±</i>

    The ¡°Thirteen Sticks of Doom¡± was an offensive-type stick art that specializes in killing, and ¡°Ten Thousand Cry¡± was its most powerful technique. In the martial arts manual, ¡°Ten Thousand Cry¡± was described as being strong enough to take ten thousand lives at once.

    However, the Harbinger of Doom¡¯s eyes widened like saucers the next moment. It was because Ye Qing had caught his signature move with his bare hands.

    When ¡°Ten Thousand Cry¡± descended, all Ye Qing did was cross his arms above his head and waited. Considering how small Ye Qing waspared to the erged stick, his guard looked as childish and futile as an ant trying to block a falling tree.

    In reality, Ye Qing did not budge even an inch after taking the hit. Invisible ripples appeared beneath his feet like he was standing on ake, and rumbling thunder broke out from the point of impact, but that was it. No matter how hard he pushed, his ¡°Stick of Ill Omen[3]¡± refused to move any further.

    ¡°The technique is great, but your strength iscking. Watch this.¡±

    Ye Qing shot the Harbinger of Doom a smile and grabbed the erged stick with both hands. Then, he twirled on his feet and swung it straight at the thin man.

    Neither the erged stick nor the dharma could resist Ye Qing¡¯s strength. They could only il helplessly in the air before mming into their owner.

    The Harbinger of Doom fell from the sky like a meteor and struck the Herald of Fortuity head on.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The ground cracked like an egg, and both brothers exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    Since the Harbinger of Doom was dead, the dharma in the sky gradually disappeared like a bubble, and the Stick of Ill Omen returned to its normal size. After Ye Qingnded back on the ground and gave the stick a tentative swing, he shook his head and crushed it into a million pieces. He clicked his tongue disdainfully as he said, ¡°What did I say? Pack of worthless rats, all of you.¡±

    Feng San, the sword-eating man, and the blind Taoist were shitting their pants at this point. Realizing that not even the Grandmasters might be able to defeat Ye Qing, they turned around and tried to escape. However, they had just lifted a foot when Ye Qing stomped the ground and started a mini earthquake. Their energies abruptly dissipated, and they immediately lost their bnce.

    The next moment, Ye Qing appeared behind the trio and punched the blind Taoist in the back. The poor fuck instantly exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    Next, Ye Qing threw an elbow at Feng San. Scared shitless but not out of his wits, Feng San raised his ming saber and gathered all of his power to guard. It was the best and only action he could take.

    It wasn¡¯t enough. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t even trying, but the saber containing all of Feng San¡¯s power still snapped like an old twig. Then Ye Qing¡¯s elbow and the broken de sank into the man¡¯s heart.

    By now, the sword-eating man was ten meters away from Ye Qing. He was surrounded in sword qi and running toward the edge of the basin with all he got.

    Ye Qing tapped the other half of the broken saber with his finger and sent it flying toward the sword-eating man. In response, the sword-eating man half-turned toward the flying saber and fired a sword beam at it.

    The sword beam howled like a cyclone. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed impossible for the broken saber to cut through it.

    As soon as the broken saber made contact with the sword beam, it abruptly exploded into a million pieces and scattered fragments anywhere, turning the cyclonic sword beam into a pincushion.

    When the sword beam faded, it was revealed that the sword-eating man had been turned into a pincushion as well. Blood sprayed out of countless holes as he slowly copsed to the ground, lifeless.

    After Ye Qing withdrew his stance, he looked at Defeated at the Holy Son of Maitreya and said, ¡°Did I say you can leave?¡±

    The duo was just about to make a retreat until Ye Qing called them out. Despite their apprehension, they thought better and stayed where they were. No one said a thing.

    At the edge of the basin, Zhang Lingyang was staring at the battlefield with shocked, disbelieving eyes. ¡°Bei... Beiqiu, can you p me? I need to know if I¡¯m dreaming.¡±

    <i>p!</i>

    Mo Beiqiu happily obliged him and pped him as hard as she could. She then shook her hand a little and said, ¡°You¡¯re not dreaming. My hand hurts.¡±

    For once, Zhang Lingyang did not try to flirt with Mo Beiqiu. He muttered dumbly, ¡°He just overcame his tribtion, and his power hasn¡¯t stabilized yet. And yet, he¡¯s already strong enough to kill not one, but two Grandmasters? Is he even human?¡±

    His confusion was understandable. In less than a minute, the young man had endured a Demonic de of Six Yins from Six Yins Boy without a scratch, grievously wounded Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King, and killed both the Herald of Fortuity and the Harbinger of Doom. No one was expecting this oue at all.

    After all, the guy was fighting Grandmasters, not defenseless piglets!

    In his shoes, they were certain that they could defeat one or even two of the Grandmasters present. It wouldn¡¯t even be difficult. But to injure two, kill two, and withstand an ultimate attack from a veteran Grandmaster who was named on the Earth Champions Ranking with the level of ease the young man had disyed so far?

    They knew better than to put themselves on the same pedestal as him.

    Whoever that guy was, his strength was out of this world to say the least.

    ¡°I¡¯m no match for him!¡±

    Yun Qingxiao let out a deep sigh. He was a Dao Child of the San Qing Temple and a godlike genius. Although he was ¡°just¡± the fifth warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, he was certain he wasn¡¯t inferior to anyone who was higher than him on the list. His power and everything he had achieved until now were the wellspring of his confidence.

    But not this time. For the first time in his life, Yun Qingxiao conceded that he had a peer who was well and truly out of his league.

    Greeke Bai did not offer ament. She was staring at the young man making waves in the basin with a strange face.

    <i>Is it him?</i>

    <i>But it can¡¯t be. It¡¯s hasn¡¯t even been a year since we parted ways, has it?</i>

    ¡°This is just the beginning.¡±

    Mo Beiqiu suddenly spoke up, ¡°Six Yins Boy and Blood Rakshasa would not allow him to walk free.¡±

    Everyone fell silent upon hearing her spoken and unspoken words.

    The young man had humiliated them, and no Grandmaster could bear to be dishonored. Naturally, Six Yins Boy and Blood Rakshasa were going to kill him if only to cleanse their name.

    That wasn¡¯t the biggest reason they wanted him dead, however. The biggest reason they would do everything in their power to kill the young man... was fear.

    It wasn¡¯t the current him that they feared. No, it was who he might be in the future.

    The young man had just ovee his tribtion, and the power he disyed was already out of this world. He was guaranteed to make it on the Earth Champions Ranking, and there was a good chance he might be a Sage in the future.

    Would the young man allow them, powerful threats who had tried to take his life while he was still weak, to live after he had fully grown into his power? Obviously not.

    That was why Six Yins Boy and Blood Rakshasa weren¡¯t going to go easy on him. By hook or by crook, they would eliminate the hidden threat with everything they got.

    Therefore, Mo Beiqiu was right. Ms. Basket, Mountain Tunneling King and more were just the appetizer. The real battle was just beginning.

    1. It looks like a Yin God is still a Yin God until the Grandmaster reaches a certain level or something. You¡¯ll discover a chapterter that Ye Qing still has a Yin God as well. ?

    2. You know, I think I finally figured it out¡ªyes I¡¯m just the trantor sometimes even I don¡¯t get the author lol¡ªdharma is a specific image/expression that manifests when a martial art is executed. Yin God is the image+power the warrior creates and acts like a body double with special powers and abilities. ?

    3. I was going to trante it as doom stick or stick of doom, but then I thought better LOL. ?

 Chapter 730: Blood Soul Divine Light

    <h4>Chapter 730: Blood Soul Divine Light </h4>

    ¡°Hahaha... You¡¯re quite bloodthirsty, little brother. Allow me to y with you.¡±

    A charming giggle escaped Blood Rakshasa¡¯s lips, and countless blood streams abruptly burst out of Feng San, the blind Taoist, the sword-eating man, the Herald of Fortuity and the Harbinger of Doom¡¯s body. They condensed into a blood cloud and wrapped around Ye Qing before he could react, pinning him in ce.

    Not only that, his vigor was rampaging uncontrobly inside his body. The unnatural stirring made it incredibly difficult for him to gather any strength at all.

    ¡°One word of advice, little brother... Shameless boasts that aren¡¯t backed by strength cost a price.¡±

    Smiling, Blood Rakshasa slowly walked toward Ye Qing while ying with her hair.

    For those who were watching closely, they would notice that countless strands of blood were floating in the air. So thin that they were practically invisible, they were prating Ye Qing¡¯s skin and invading his body from every direction. It was these threads that caused his vigor to run uncontrobly like a stampede and boil like a pot of oil. The loss of control over his own energies was ufortable to say the least.

    These blood threads were created from Blood Rakshasa¡¯s cultivation art, ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡±. ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡± possessed the power to control blood, and it could be used to wound one¡¯s enemies or boost oneself. At the adept level, the practitioner could outright control the blood inside their victim¡¯s body and kill them with a single thought[1].

    The young man before her was a body-tempering warrior, and body-tempering warriors more than anyone else valued the cultivation of vigor. Their primary goal was to refine a body of steel and a sea of vigor.

    Generally speaking, a body-tempering warrior possessed a powerful body, an incredible amount of vigor, and overwhelming strength. Tens or even hundreds of times stronger than the average warrior, a body-tempering warrior was an absolute nightmare to fight against in most cases.

    Not Blood Rakshasa. In her case, it was actually the opposite. Body-tempering warriors were naught but helplessmbs she could ughter as she pleased, and it was all thanks to her ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡±, the bane of all warriors with great vigor. The stronger her target¡¯s vigor, the easier it was for her to manipte it.

    Vigor was the root of all strength. If a person¡¯s vigor flowed sporadically, then it would be difficult for them to generate strength or qi. It was only a matter of time before a pool of dead water dried, just like a tree without roots would eventually die.

    For an ordinary warrior, this generally wasn¡¯t too big of a problem. Even if their body was susceptible, they still had their mind. The same could not be said for a body-tempering warrior. If the flow of their vigor was interrupted, then they were like pools of dead water or trees without roots. What was the greatest punch if it had no strength behind it? How could their body endure if they did not have qi? And how could they fight without end if their recovery was missing?

    Like an apple that was rotten at the center, or a sky pavilion that was supported by a single base, the slightest pressure was enough to destroy them.

    Of course, not all body-tempering warriors were helpless before vigor-manipting warriors like Blood Rakshasa. Body-tempering warriors excelled at creating wonders from inches of space, and this level of fine control extended to their vigor as well. Given enough time and practice, they could control every drop of vigor like their own limb and greatly diminished the threat of vigor maniption arts.

    Unfortunately for the young man, he had just ovee his tribtion and be a Grandmaster. His vigor was much greater than before, but it also meant that his previous level of control was no longer sufficient. From Blood Rakshasa¡¯s point of view, the young man¡¯s current vigor control resembled a child trying to wield a greatsword. It looked mighty impressive, but it was full of holes.

    Therefore, the young man resembled a circus monkey to her. His tricks were impressive, but he was still a monkey. It took her barely any effort to take control of his vigor.

    ¡°Thest person to boast to me like that had his teeth shattered, his tongue cut out, and his lips sewn together so he might never speak again. So? How do you want me to punish you?¡±

    ¡°Hello? You were so talkative before, so why are you pretending to be mute now?¡±

    Seeing that Ye Qing refused to respond to her¡ªor maybe he was too busy struggling against her bindings to make a response¡ªpity and scorn shed across Blood Rakshasa¡¯s eyes as she turned toward Six Yins Boy. ¡°Do you have a suggestion, Brother Six Yins?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me? Well, I¡¯m a simple man. I¡¯m just going to extract his soul and light amp with it. I will make him wish that he was dead!¡±

    Six Yins Boy let out an uglyugh before closing in on Ye Qing. Handbusting into green mes, he grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s skull to extract his yin god.

    He did not notice Ye Qing¡¯s eyes curling a little when his hand closed around his skull. The next moment, Ye Qing struck Six Yins Boy with both hands.

    A body-tempering warrior¡¯s fists were like a tidal wave or a storm. Once it began, it would not stop until it had expended all of its energy.

    In one breath, Ye Qingnded at least dozens of punches on Six Yins Boy¡¯s torso. Every punch was as heavy as mountains, and every burst of fist intent was perfectly controlled.

    On the surface, the flurry of punches failed to push Six Yins Boy even an inch. In reality, his insides had dissolved into a pot of porridge.

    Yes, Six Yins Boy was a Grandmaster, and yes, his physique was greater than most warriors. Compared to a body-tempering warrior though? Getting within melee range of a body-tempering Grandmaster was easily one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

    When Ye Qing dished out his final punch, Six Yins Boy¡¯s body exploded in a shower of blood and gore. At the same time, Ye Qing grinned at Blood Rakshasa and said, ¡°Thank you so much for your help, big sis. If it wasn¡¯t for your help, it would¡¯ve taken me a lot more effort to kill Six Yins Boy. Seriously, thank you.¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    Blood Rakshasa was too stunned for words. She couldn¡¯t understand how Ye Qing had suddenly broken free from her ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡± and regained his freedom, nor could she believe that he had annihted Six Yins Boy¡¯s physical body with just a flurry of punches. Histter remark only confused her even more.

    A second passed, and realization finally struck Blood Rakshasa like a lightning bolt. Before she could do anything about it though, a demonic, pitch ck saber appeared behind her back and swung downward.

    Blood Rakshasa was just a beat too slow to dodge out of the way. Her right arm was severed just like that.

    Blood Rakshasa let out a bloodcurdling scream and appeared ten meters away from the saber in a sh of blood. Green mes were spreading from her severed stump, and her pain-wracked face looked horrifically pale for someone who thought herself as a master of blood maniption. More than pain though, it was fear that shone through her expression.

    A child-sized, six-headed demon god was floating not far away from her, and each head had a different color: ck, red, green, yellow, blue and white. They all wore Six Yins Boy¡¯s face.

    Right now, all six faces were contorted with anger and hatred. The demonic qi washing out of the yang god alone seemed strong enough to warp the weather itself.

    ¡°AAAAAAAAAHHHH! YOU FUCKING BITCH! HOW DARE YOU STAB ME IN THE BACK! I¡¯LL KILL YOU!¡±

    The Six Yins Demon God roared as his demonic qi merged into a humongous, dark saber. It then fell right on top of Blood Rakshasa.

    <i>¡°Demonic de of Six Yins¡±</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s a trick, Six Yins! That brat is trying to drive a wedge between us! I swear I wasn¡¯t colluding with¡ª¡±

    Blood Rakshasa tried to defend herself. She still didn¡¯t know why Ye Qing wasn¡¯t affected by her ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡±, but she now understood exactly what he was nning.

    Ye Qing could¡¯ve broken out of his restraints at any moment, but he feigned weakness because he wanted to bait Six Yins Boy to get close to him. While the Grandmaster¡¯s guard waspletely lowered, he abruptly broke free from the ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡± and dealt him a decisive blow.

    Naturally, Six Yins Boy was utterly stunned by the counterattack. His suspicion of Blood Rakshasa went from zero to a hundred in an instant, and Ye Qing¡¯s inmmatory words only added fuel to fire. He instinctively thought that Blood Rakshasa had purposely released her ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡± at thest moment so that Ye Qing could ambush him. Enraged and humiliated, Six Yins Boy threw all caution to the wind and chased after her with murder on his mind.

    If she didn¡¯t do something soon, this would surely end with Ye Qing killing them both after they were both injured and fatigued.

    Unbeknownst to Blood Rakshasa, she had gotten one minor detail wrong. She was Ye Qing¡¯s original target, not Six Yins Boy.

    1. Yes, Ye Qing could already do that normally, but remember that it only works against people weaker than him. This one seems like it could work against people at the same level as Blood Rakshasa. ?

 Chapter 731: Youâ€™re Not Dumb, You Have Shit For Brains

    <h4>Chapter 731: You¡¯re Not Dumb, You Have Shit For Brains </h4>

    Ye Qing¡¯s unique blood was basically the panacea to all vigor-rted martial arts. That was why Blood Rakshasa¡¯s ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡± was never a threat to him. The reason he pretended to be bound was because he was hoping to surprise Blood Rakshasa and kill her, but no n survives first contact with the enemy, and Six Yins Boy somehow became his victim instead.

    However, just as not all hazards were disasters, not all twists were necessarily bad. At his current strength, even with the advantage of surprise, Ye Qing knew there was no chance he could destroy Six Yins Boy¡¯s body and his Yang God at the same time. That was why he had ndered Blood Rakshasa. Best case scenario, Six Yins Boy would believe his lies and attack Blood Rakshasa. Even if the Grandmaster turned out to be smarter than anticipated, all it would have cost him was his spit and his breath, so why not?

    Luckily for him, things went in the best way possible. Six Yins Boy actually believed his bullshit and cut off Blood Rakshasa¡¯s right arm as a result.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!¡±

    Blood Rakshasa¡¯s plea only poured fuel on the fire. Six Yins Boy roared and swung his massive demonic saber even faster than before.

    Blood Rakshasa was frustrated to say the least. She wanted to exin herself, but she couldn¡¯t even begin to form the words. It was because she knew just how powerless they were.

    She was a Grandmaster on the Earth Champions Ranking, and there was no one who didn¡¯t know about her ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡±. From a third person¡¯s perspective, there was zero reason her signature art would ever fail to restrain a newly ascended Grandmaster who hadn¡¯t even stabilized his power or vigor yet. Anyone with a functioning brain would agree with this assessment.

    There was just one problem. She really wasn¡¯t the problem. It was Ye Qing.

    Blood Rakshasa summoned a sea of blood to block the gargantuan saber.

    <i>BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!</i>

    The gargantuan saber easily cut through the sea of blood and left a giant scar spanning hundreds of meters on the ground.

    The gargantuan saber failed to score a hit on Blood Rakshasa. It was because she had ridden the waves and dodged far out of the way. However, herplexion was pallid, and her presence was weaker than ever before.

    Although she managed to avoid Six Yins Boy¡¯s deadly attack, it was still a powerful technique that cost his yang god to execute. Not only could it cut the body, it could sever the mind as well. The ¡°Demonic de of Six Yins¡± might have failed to hit Blood Rakshasa, but it had dealt a grievous blow to her yang god.

    Of course, Six Yins Boy wasn¡¯t doing pretty hot himself. Although his yang god managed to escape harm earlier, he still lost his physical body. Just now, he even pushed his yang god to execute his signature technique repeatedly. He had long since scraped the bottom of his barrel.

    ¡°You¡¯re not dumb, you just have shit for brains!¡±

    Blood Rakshasa shouted at Six Yins Boy at the top of her lungs, ¡°You deserve to be yed like a fiddle! I hope you die in a ditch and rot under the sun, you fucking idiot!¡±

    After Blood Rakshasa was done swearing, she abruptly disappeared in a sh of blood.

    ¡°I will chase you to the ends of the earth if it¡¯s thest thing I do, Blood Rakshasa!¡±

    Six Yins Boy was so angry he nearly passed onto the afterlife there and then. In fact, he regretted his actions and realized that something was off as soon as he unleashed his ¡°Demonic de of Six Yins¡±. Blood Rakshasa¡¯s outburst also proved that she had been wronged.

    However, he couldn¡¯t take back what he had already done. Besides, even if he was in the wrong, who gave her the right to shame him right in front of so many people?

    Right now, he hated her even more than he hated Ye Qing.

    Suddenly, Six Yins Boy sensed something and dissolved in a cloud of demonic qi. When the cloud disappeared, so did him.

    ¡°Sigh... a shame...¡±

    Ye Qing sighed and rxed the fingers inside his sleeves with a regretful expression.

    For obvious reasons, he was hoping to strike Six Yins Boy while he was weakened and kill him once and for all. Unfortunately, the Grandmaster turned out to be more perceptive than he thought. He had sensed his intentions the second the thought passed through his mind and escaped.

    Someone might ask why he hadn¡¯t attacked Six Yins Boy and Blood Rakshasa sooner and killed them before either of them could escape. The answer was simple. One, he simply wasn¡¯t strong enough to pull off such a feat. He <i>had </i>just ascended after all. Two, neither Six Yins Boy nor Blood Rakshasa were paper tigers like the likes of Mrs. Basket or Mountain Tunneling King. They were named warriors on the Earth Champions Ranking with numerous techniques and trump cards. Even in their current state, there was no chance he would be able to kill them easily. Worst case scenario, he might even fuck it up and pay the ultimate price.

    Assuming that everything went as nned, and he somehow managed to kill the two Grandmasters. It would surely cost him greatly to pull off such a feat. Could he fend off the tigers and vultures still surrounding him from all sides when the time came? No, he probably couldn¡¯t. The two Grandmasters would be dead, and his corpse would be syed right next to theirs. What was the point?

    That was why he did not pursue them. He needed to preserve his strength for what was toe.

    As for whether the two Grandmasters would return in the future to seek revenge, he wasn¡¯t too worried about it. Both of them were gravely wounded, and it would take them a long, long time to recover. In the short term, they would be crazy to show their faces in front of him. In the long term, they were even less of an issue. He already didn¡¯t fear them when he was newly ascended and unstable, so why would he fear them when he had fully limatized to his power?

    He had barely refined the wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi inside his body before he rushed to save Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin. When it was fully refined and subsumed into his flesh and blood, he fully expected to gain another power boost.

    Long story short, Six Yins Boy and Blood Rakshasa should be lucky if he chose not to hunt them down in the future. If they knew wisdom, they would steer clear of him like their life depended on it.

    A sighter, Ye Qing looked up and scanned his surroundings for a moment. Finally, he affixed his gaze at a certain spot and barked out augh. ¡°Thank you all for bearing witness to my tribtion. Now that the curtains are drawn, I think you should all be on your way... unless you want me to send you on your way, of course!¡±

    Therge majority of the warriors spying on Ye Qing from the shadows got the hint and withdrew in silence. However, a small portion of them did not heed his warning. It was clear that they still hadn¡¯t given up on the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and were hoping to get lucky.

    Ye Qing took in their defiance, hesitation, greed, and more emotions for a moment before letting out a cold chuckle. Then, he stomped the ground so hard it was as if a thunderp had erupted next to everyone¡¯s ears. Many people instinctively covered their ears and fought against a sudden wave of dizziness.

    Ye Qing suddenly disappeared from view, and flocks of birds took to the sky as if they were startled. A few breathster, Ye Qing slowly stepped out of a nearby forest. He was holding two heads in his right hand[1].

    The heads looked freshly ripped from their necks. Blood poured profusely from their wounds, and there was neither pain nor suffering on the victims¡¯ faces, only shock and fear. That was how fast their lives had been stolen from them.

    Ye Qing took his time to return to his original spot. He did not care to staunch the blood flowing out of the stumps either. Every time he took a step, copious amounts of blood would dripped off the wound and dye the ground red. Everyone¡¯s breath were caught in their throat as if he was stepping on their hearts, not the ground.

    No one dared to move a muscle, however. No one wanted to follow in the two dead bastards¡¯ footsteps.

    ¡°I told you I don¡¯t mind sending you on your way if you want me to.¡±

    Smiling, Ye Qing dropped the heads on the ground before snarling, ¡°Now <i>get lost!¡±</i>

    When the words escaped his lips, a terrific st of wind washed out of him as well. The shout kicked up a massive dust cloud almost as if he just unleashed an attack.

    This time, the lurkers did not dare to linger any longer. They fled in every direction with their tails firmly wedged between their legs.

    ¡°Yoho! The arrogance! The audacity!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang quipped while slow-pping Ye Qing.

    ¡°If you think you can fight off this many Grandmasters and send even Six Yins Boy and Blood Rakshasa packing singlehandedly, you can be as arrogant and audacious as him as well,¡± Mo Beiqiu said coldly.

    ¡°Of course I can! I promise you I¡¯ll be stronger than him when I be a Trueman!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang harrumphed and looked at Yun Qingxiao. ¡°Young Yun, that arrogant boy just yelled at us like we¡¯re naughty children. Don¡¯t you want to get down there and teach him a lesson? I wouldn¡¯t be able to take it if I were you!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t defeat him, so I won¡¯t!¡± Yun Qingxiao replied indifferently.

    ¡°Sigh! You¡¯re fated to be single alright. You have one chance to show off in front of two beautiful women, and yet you couldn¡¯t grasp it!¡± Zhang Lingyang booed Yun Qingxiao rambunctiously. ¡°Boo! You¡¯re a shame to our gender! Boo!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you fight him then?¡± Yun Qingxiao lifted an eyebrow. <i>If you¡¯re going to talk a big talk, then you better back it up with some actual substance.</i>

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t?¡± Zhang Lingyang rolled his eyes at Yun Qingxiao. ¡°If I wasn¡¯t in charge of protecting these two lovelydies, I would¡¯ve gone down there and taught that arrogant boy a lesson a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your protection,¡± Mo Beiqiu said immediately. <i>Get down there and kill yourself!</i>

    Greeke Bai echoed in agreement as well. As always, she was happy to sprinkle chaos whatever the situation.

    1. You can do it if you grab them by the neck. I uh, I¡¯ve had the misfortune of watching a horrifying clip during my younger days ?

 Chapter 732: Did I Say You Could Leave?

    <h4>Chapter 732: Did I Say You Could Leave? </h4>

    ¡°Hehe, women never say what they mean. If they say yes, they usually mean no. If they say don¡¯t, they usually mean please do!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang chuckled. ¡°You said you don¡¯t need me, but you really want me around, don¡¯t you? Well, I¡¯m a feminist. I especially support beautiful women. I¡¯ll happily give up my chance to teach that boy a lesson if that is your wish!¡±

    Yun Qingxiao: ¡°...¡± <i>I should¡¯ve known better than to underestimate the depths of his shamelessness.</i>

    ¡°I¡¯m a hot-tempered man. If I¡¯m forced to repeat myself, then someone is going to pay for it.¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing spoke up again. At the same time, a terrible pressure locked on to them from afar.

    Clearly, the threat was directly at them.

    ¡°Haha... it looks like I¡¯m not weed here, so I¡¯m going to take my leave. Let us meet again in the future, everyone!¡± Greeke Bai said.

    ¡°Wait, what? Don¡¯t leave yet! At least tell me your name!¡± Zhang Lingyang cried out in a hurry. Unfortunately for him, Greeke Bai was already nowhere to be found.

    ¡°Well, the man has issued the threat. I shall be taking my leave as well.¡±

    Yun Qingxiao also saluted them and said, ¡°Take care, Miss Mo, Brother Zhang.¡±

    With that, Yun Qingxiao took his leave no matter what Zhang Lingyang said. He too disappeared in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°So rude!¡±

    Zhang Lingyangined before turning around to grin at Mo Beqiu. ¡°It¡¯s just the two of us now, Beiqiu. What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°There are no two of us. Whatever I do is none of your business,¡± Mo Beiqiu said coldly and turned to leave.

    ¡°No need to be shy, Beiqiu! I¡¯ll always be there for you!¡±

    Shameless, Zhang Lingyang caught up to her in a sh. ¡°So, where are you going, Beiqiu? I¡¯ll join you!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t, unless you want me to beat you to death.¡±

    ¡°Harsh words are affection, beating is love. You can beat me up all you want, Beiqiu!¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ......

    ¡°Why are you still here?¡±

    After the lurkers surrounding the basin werepletely gone, Ye Qing turned back around to look at Defeated, the Holy Son of Maitreya, Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave right now!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King¡ªhe had been lying on the ground and pretending to be dead this whole time¡ªimmediately executed his escape art when he heard this. However, he had only half-sunk into the earth when Ye Qing stomped the ground and pushed him back out into the open.

    Mountain Tunneling King was seriously injured to begin with, and this unexpected attack caused him to spit out another mouthful of fresh blood. Despite being a Grandmaster, it looked like it was taking him all his energy just to stand.

    What scared him even more was Ye Qing¡¯s next words, ¡°Did I say you can leave?¡±

    Defeated, the Holy Son of Maitreya and Mrs. Basket immediately withdrew their foot. They were either wearing pale, defeated, or solemn expressions on their faces.

    ¡°I thought you wanted us to leave, senior?¡± Defeated asked. There wasn¡¯t a hint of fear on his wooden face.

    ¡°That was before.¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°Now, it¡¯s toote!¡±

    ¡°Are you going to kill us, senior?¡± Defeated raised his eyebrows with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing chuckled before disappearing all of a sudden.

    Realizing that he was in trouble, Defeated made a hugging motion with one hand clenched into a fist, and another stretched into a palm. His fist drew a square, and his palm drew a circle. Together, they formed a pocket world.

    <i>¡°True Martial Mountain: Square Circle Lock¡±</i>

    Everything around Defeated instantly dissolved into chaos. The energies were frozen, and nothing could move without massive resistance.

    A True Martial Mountain martial art, the ¡°Square Circle Lock¡± was the Heaven Sealing Peak¡¯s ultimate technique. The fist represented the earth, and the palm represented the sky. Everything between the two was a pocket world where the practitioner might control as they pleased. The technique was used to lock down a certain area or defend against a powerful opponent.

    Defeated was at the front row when Ye Qing had gone on a rampage earlier, so he knew just how powerful he was. He never thought that the ¡°Square Circle Lock¡± would be enough to restrict Ye Qing¡¯s movements, though he hoped it would be good enough to defend against his charge.

    The next moment, Defeated felt the surrounding chaos shaking violently, and an unimaginable amount of force invading into his pocket world. Even with the Square Circle Lock, he was unable to neutralize it.

    The next moment, he was sent flying like a rag doll. His momentum was such that he sank at least ten meters into the ground.

    Seeing this, the Holy Son of Maitreya took one step forward and made a simha mudra, whispering, ¡°Suppress.¡±

    As soon as he said the word ¡°Suppress¡±, a golden lion manifested in the sky and roared like an actual lion. The rolling sound waves transformed into a Maitreya seal that suppressed both heaven and earth.

    ¡°The Vow of Silence...¡±

    In response, Ye Qing smiled and threw a punch at the descending seal. His fist was strong enough to cut open the sky, much less smash apart a Buddhist seal. The Holy Son of Maitreya turned as pale as a ghost and threw up a mouthful of light gold blood when his seal was destroyed.

    Ye Qing did not press the attack despite his sess. He thought back to the time he first met the Holy Son of Maitreya at the Demon''s Tomb. At the time, the monk¡¯s ability to conjure great power just by talking had both astounded and impressed him. But now, the monk was unable to withstand a single punch from him. If he wanted to, he could snuff out his life with a single thought.

    Life was unfair like that.

    Despite his thoughts, Ye Qing did not allow any of it to appear on his face. While staring at Defeated in his pit¡ªthe stoic man was currently clutching his chest and ring at Ye Qing with uncharacteristic ferocity¡ªhe said indifferently, ¡°You know, I really resent the fact that you¡¯re acting like you¡¯re the victims here. Have you forgotten that <i>you¡¯re </i>the ones who tried to take advantage of me first? If I wasn¡¯t as lucky as I was, I might not be alive to speak to you right now.¡±

    ¡°If I choose to kill you, then you are simply reaping what you¡¯ve sown.¡±

    Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya kept quiet, hearts sinking with every word Ye Qing spoke. Just when they thought they would die, Ye Qing furrowed his brow and said, ¡°However, I¡¯m a merciful, blood-fearing man. I especially dislike killing others. So what should I do with you?¡±

    <i>You¡¯re a merciful, blood-fearing man? Did you feed your brains or your eyes to the dogs or something? How can you say that when the pools of blood and gore on the ground are still steaming, you bald-faced liar!</i>

    Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King exchanged a nce with each other while recalling how Ye Qing had killed the Herald of Fortuity, the Harbinger of Doom, the blind Taoist, the sword-eating man and more. If this guy was merciful, then they were the kindest souls in the entire fucking world!

    ¡°What do you want, senior? Please give it to us straight,¡± Defeated said.

    Defeated was obsessed with martial arts, but that didn¡¯t mean he was stupid. He immediately figured out what Ye Qing was trying to say.

    ¡°Good man.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile widened. As expected, no one who was called a genius could actually be an idiot. They might look stupid, but they could never truly be stupid.

    ¡°An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You guys tried to kill me, so it would¡¯ve been perfectly within my right to kill you. That said, the heavens decree it a virtue to avoid taking lives whenever possible, so I shall obey the will of the heavens. You just have to pay the price.¡±

    ¡°The price?¡± Neither Defeated nor the Holy Son of Maitreya were foolish. They understood that Ye Qing was telling them to cough up if they wished to live.

    ¡°You are right, senior.¡±

    Defeated said before producing two items from his Nature¡¯s Shell and handing it to Ye Qing respectfully.

    The items were a book and a curved saber. The book felt like it was made from some sort of leather instead of silk or wood. It was also chilly and brimming with yin qi. The title of the book was, ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡±.

    The curved saber was delicate and exquisitely crafted. Its de reminded him of autumn water, pure and clean.

    It didn¡¯t take a keen eye to know that they were extraordinary items.

 Chapter 733: Book of Lu Ban

    Chapter 733: Book of Lu Ban

    ¡°The book is the second volume of the ¡®Book of Lu Ban¡¯, and the saber is a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact named ¡®To y Autumn Water¡¯.¡±

    Defeated said while holding the two items, ¡°I hope that these gifts are good enough to earn your forgiveness, senior.¡±

    ¡°The second volume of the ¡®Book of Lu Ban¡¯?!¡±

    ¡°¡®To y Autumn Water¡¯?!¡±

    Behind Ye Qing, Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin eximed in shock. They clearly knew what the items were.

    The ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± was a book written by the ancestor of carpentry, the ancient carpenter known as Lu Ban. It was a record of his life¡¯s works and craft. The ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± was split into two volumes. The first volume recorded the carpentry skills necessary to inspect and build houses for the living, whereas the second volume taught one how to inspect houses for the dead, build tombs, fortify buildings, repel evils and more. All the spells, incantations and more necessary to perform the tasks were included as well.

    If the first volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± was a book of skill, then the second volume was a book of spells.

    The first volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± was so extraordinary that, despite its seemingly mundane qualities, benefited everyone be it on an individual or national level. A great propeller of technology and progress, it was worshiped as <em>the </em>textbook of carpentry by all future carpenters and craftsmen and known to all.

    On the other hand, very few people knew that the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± had a second volume. It was because it recorded knowledge that was considered intolerable and unusable to themon people. After all, how many people actually needed the spells and incantation to inspect a house of the dead, build a tomb, fortify a building, repel evil and more?On top of that, those who studied the second volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± were, without exception, widowed,cking, lonely, or broken in some ways. These qualities also meant that it was much harder for the second volume to be passed down to future generationspared to the first volume. Over time, it became lost to the ordinary folk.

    But only the ordinary folk. The second volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± was, in fact, quite famous within the <em>jianghu </em>and <em>wulin.</em> Of the thirty six unorthodox sects, there was a sect called ¡°Lacking One¡± whose entire culture was founded on top of the second volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡±.

    ¡°Lacking One¡± was a sect that specialized in inspecting houses for the dead, building tombs, fortifying buildings and repelling evils. It was said that even imperial rtives, dukes, ministers, aristocratic ns and more sought out their services when they needed to build a tomb or a house for the dead.

    Unlike most sects, ¡°Lacking One¡± was quitecking in head-on fights or directbat in general. However, no one dared to offend them because they knew ways to make you wish that you never lived. For example, they could tamper with one¡¯s house for the living, ancestral home, ancestor¡¯s tomb and more to produce disastrous consequences. In the best case scenario, the household would be beset by constant misfortune and turmoil. At the worst, the entire lineage could be wiped from the surface from the earth.

    That was why not even the unruliest, craziest <em>jianghu </em>warrior dared to disrespect the ¡°Lacking One¡±. But at the same time, they were extremely curious about the second volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± that allowed them to perform the unusual feats they were known for.

    Unfortunately, the disciples of ¡°Lacking One¡± usually kept to themselves and avoided interaction unless at all necessary. Naturally, this added to the mysticism behind the second volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡±.

    Despite this, Defeated somehow came across a copy of the second volume. In fact, judging from its color and appearance, it did not look like a copy. Assuming that it was the original, heavens only know how the hell Defeated managed to obtain it.

    One thing for certain, it was an exceedingly valuable item.

    ¡°To y Autumn Water¡± was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. While not nearly as mysterious and alluring as the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡±, there were few <em>jianghu </em>warriors who hadn¡¯t heard about it<em>.</em> It was because ¡°To y Autumn Water¡± was the signature weapon of the head of Ling Xiao City, Bei Lingxiao when he was younger. Ling Xiao City was one of the Five Profound Sects, and Bei Lingxiao was a sage on the Heavenly Champions Ranking.

    Before Bei Lingxiao became a Grandmaster, he called himself Bei Qiushui (Autumn Water) and wielded the saber known as ¡°To y Autumn Water¡±. He had wandered everywhere, made many martial friends, and challenged all kinds of heroes and geniuses. He was never defeated. At the time, there was no one who hadn¡¯t heard of the name Bei Qiushui.

    Bei Qiushui was ranked tenth on the Human Champions Ranking, but that was just his fake identity. His real identity, Bei Lingxiao, was ranked first. A man with two identities on the Human Champions Ranking, his name was legend in the <em>jianghu </em>for good reason.

    A mountain was famous not because it was tall, but because a celestial lived in it. A body of water was spiritual not because it was deep, but because a dragon lived in it. ¡°To y Autumn Water¡± might just be a saber, but it was still famous because of its master.

    Not only that, Bei Lingxiao carried the saber with him all year long until he outgrew it, meaning that ¡°To y Autumn Water¡± was nurtured by his saber intent until it grew into something extraordinary. If its new owner could glean something from the saber intent imbued within the saber, who was to say that they wouldn¡¯t be another legend? At the very least, they would be much stronger than before.

    It was rumored that one man once issued a challenge to the warriors of Ling Xiao City, and Bei Lingxiao had awarded that challenger ¡°To y Autumn Water¡± after taking note of his extraordinary talent. The mysterious man¡¯s identity was kept a secret, but now, it would seem that it was none other than Defeated.

    Both of Defeated¡¯s gifts were incredibly valuable. Ye Qing also knew exactly why he chose these two particr items.

    Defeated must have chosen them after taking note of his good rtionship with Pedant Earth and Shangguan Hongjin. After all, neither of these items was a good fit with him, but they were a perfect fit for the duo.

    As a fengshui master, Pedant Earth was a dabbler of many fields of knowledge. He was well-versed in the arts of divination, math, crafting and more. The dream book of any fengshui master, diviner, or craftsman, the second volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± was exactly what he needed to broaden his knowledge and horizon further.

    If he was Pedant Earth, he would¡¯ve epted the offering without a second thought. He knew this for a fact because he could feel the sheer greed bubbling inside Pedant Earth¡¯s heart.

    As for the saber ¡°To y Autumn Water¡±, it was obviously meant for Shangguan Hongjin. Shangguan Hongjin was a saber wielder, and she had a taste for famous, high quality sabers. She had just recently lost one of her two sabers, and without it, it would be as if she had lost an arm. It wasn¡¯t like she could pick up a random saber either. Any sabersman worth their salt would know how critical a good saber was to their strength.

    Besides, ¡°To y Autumn Water¡± was not your conventional good saber. It contained Bei Lingxiao¡¯s saber intent as well. If she could understand it, she would be much, much stronger than she was before. It might even be the push she needed to be a Grandmaster. To say it was an invaluable fortune would be an understatement.

    Naturally, Shangguan Hongjin would like to have it if at all possible.

    Ye Qing did not ept the items, however. He simply smiled and said, ¡°Heh. You¡¯re quite the cunning one, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Defeated¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He did not think Ye Qing would figure out his scheme so quickly.

    ¡°Let me ask you a question. Do you think your life is worth only two items?¡± Ye Qing asked with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°Take your time. For your own sake, don¡¯t answer me until you¡¯re sure about your answer!¡±

    ¡°... No. My life is priceless!¡± Defeated answered after a moment of silence. He then grabbed his Nature¡¯s Shell and handed it to Ye Qing.

    ¡°Well said! Sometimes, a life is worth more than all the treasures in the worldbined. And sometimes, it¡¯s worth less than the dirt beneath your feet.¡±

    Ye Qing left Defeated to stew for a bit before he finally epted the Nature¡¯s Shell, the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± and ¡°To y Autumn Water¡±. He then added, ¡°I ept yourpensation. You may leave. If you cherish your life, then don¡¯t ever make such a mistake again.¡±

    He knew that this could not be the extent of Defeated¡¯s possessions. He must have other good valuables such as the hoard of martial arts he was famous for. But since he already made up his mind to release Defeated, he did not demand the warrior to give up everything he had.

    If you were going to do something, make sure that you don¡¯t leave behind loose ends. But if you weren¡¯t going to make the extreme option, then you should take care not to take things too far.

    ¡°Thank you, senior!¡±

    Defeated gave Ye Qing a bow before stepping backward. He didn¡¯t leave though. He was clearly waiting for the Holy Son of Maitreya. It looked like they were good friends.

    Ye Qing paid Defeated no attention. He turned to look straight at the Holy Son of Maitreya.

    The monk wordlessly removed the prayer beads he wore on his wrist. When Ye Qing epted it, he discovered that it was a storage-type Strange Artifact simr to his Nine Heavens. Its internal space was massive, and it contained all kinds of treasures such as Strange Artifacts, pills, martial arts manuals, rare items, and even money such as gold and silver. Long story short, he was rich as fuck.

    He could imagine how wealthy the Maitreya Sect was just looking at their Holy Son¡¯s hoard. Not only that, the monk was honest enough to give him everything without any deceit.

    ¡°Very good. You may leave as well.¡±

    Ye Qing put away the prayer bead and nodded at the Holy Son of Maitreya. Frankly, he did not harbor any ill will toward the monk. Although he was the Saint of the Maitreya Sect, one of the Nine Demonic Ways, he had not heard anything of ill repute regarding the man. Besides, it was clear from this gesture that he was a pretty honest and down-to-earth man.

    The Holy Son of Maitreya sped his hands together and silently chanted the Buddha¡¯s name. Then, he left together with Defeated.

 Chapter 734: In What World Do You Stand Equal To Those Two?

    Chapter 734: In What World Do You Stand Equal To Those Two?

    ¡°Senior¡­ I¡¯m willing topensate you for your troubles as well!¡±

    Seeing that Ye Qing upheld his promise and allowed Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya to walk away, Mountain Tunneling King hurriedly offered up his own Nature¡¯s Shell.

    Another person might find it difficult to address someone who was decades younger than him as senior, but Mountain Tunneling King had no such qualms. If Ye Qing was willing to release him, forget addressing him as senior, he would happily call him dad, granddad or even ancestor. No humiliation was too much when his life was on the line.

    ¡°Same here.¡± Mrs. Basket also emted his example and produced her Nature¡¯s Shell.

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Ye Qing epted their Nature¡¯s Shells without hesitation.

    ¡°No, thank <em>you</em>, senior! You¡¯re a merciful and big-hearted man, senior!¡± Mountain Tunneling King did not forget to pay Ye Qing apliment even as he thanked him.

    Again, Mrs. Basket emted his example.

    Thinking that their woes were over, the Grandmasters turned around and got ready to leave. However, they had just taken two steps when Ye Qing spoke up, ¡°Just one thing. Did I say you can leave?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The two Grandmasters stiffened and slowly turned around, an obsequious and confused smile etched on their faces. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t understand, senior? I thought you were going to set us free?¡±A devilish smile spread across Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°In fact, I did not. All I said was ¡®thank you very much¡¯. Where on earth did you get such a foolish idea?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand, senior. You let them go, didn¡¯t you? Why not us?¡± Mountain Tunneling King asked with barely restrained panic.

    ¡°Those two are geniuses. Are you?¡± Ye Qing asked smilingly.

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket exchanged a confused nce with each other.

    ¡°They both have powerful backgrounds and patrons. Do you?¡± Ye Qing asked another question.

    Now Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket were starting to get his meaning. Neither of them said a word in response.

    ¡°They¡¯re geniuses with powerful backgrounds and patrons. That is why I didn¡¯t dare to kill them!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile sent chills down both Grandmasters¡¯ spine. ¡°But what about you two? Are you geniuses? Do you have a powerful background or patron as well?¡±

    ¡°If your answer is yes, then I¡¯ll release you immediately! So? What is your answer?¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket opened their mouths, but neither of them could say anything.

    Their talent was average, and they had grinded their whole life without a powerful background or patron. Although they were lucky enough to enter the Grandmaster stage, they had long since hit their ceiling. They would never be stronger than they were now.

    Mountain Tunneling King might have the word ¡°king¡± in his name, but he was really just a bandit who upied a mountain and called himself king. Mrs. Basket seemed pretty infamous, but that was only within her tiny corner of the world. Beyond that, no one even knew that she existed.

    They might be Grandmasters, but they were nothing in the eyes of the true bigshots. They could notpare to geniuses with great backing such as Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya.

    ¡°In what world do you stand equal to those two? If there isn¡¯t one, then what on earth made you think you would receive the same treatment as them? ¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    That¡¯s right. Part of the reason he did not kill Defeated or the Holy Son of Maitreya was because they had never attacked Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth. The other reason was that they both possessed extraordinary backgrounds.

    The Holy Son of Maitreya was the Saint of the Maitreya Sect, one of the Nine Demonic Ways, and he knew for a fact that Laughing Buddha, one of the Six Venerable Ones, was present as well. That was a Grandmaster who was far, far stronger than the likes of Blood Rakshasa or Six Yins Boy.

    Defeated was a loner who, assuming that the rumors could be trusted, did not belong to any sect. His origins were pretty mundane as well. However, he <em>was </em>an extraordinary genius, and someone like him generally had powerful friends who admired him for one reason or another, and extraordinary seniors who had high expectations of him despite his disposition. Bei Lingxiao was one such example. He might carry himself independently, but his connections weren¡¯t inferior to the Holy Son of Maitreya¡¯s in the slightest.

    Yes, he could have killed them where they stood, but the consequences he would face could only be described as disastrous and far-reaching. Alternatively, he could take out every witness and make it so that no one could tie him to their murder, but that was unrealistic for obvious reasons.

    That was why he had no choice but to let those two go¡ªafter he bled them a little, of course. There was no reason not to, and it wasn¡¯t a serious enough offense to anger the forces behind them. For one, those two were geniuses. Their pride and honor would not allow them toin to their elders like children. And two, they were in the wrong, and they had lost to someone superior to them. It was perfectly normal for the strong to bleed the weak a little.

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket were a different story though. As he said, they had no talent, no background, and no powerful patron to cover for them. Killing them would cost him nothing except a bit of time and energy.

    A moment of oppressive silenceter, Mountain Tunneling King suddenly dropped to his knees and begged fearfully, ¡°Mercy, senior! Mercy!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King was a Grandmaster. Did he not have a backbone? Of course he did. Did he not have any pride? Of course he did. However, what was a backbone and a pride before the threat of death?

    After all, he would lose everything if he died.

    ¡°Calm down. He¡¯s not going to kill us.¡±

    Surprisingly, Mrs. Basket was much moreposed than Mountain Tunneling King. She looked as pale as a ghost, but at least she wasn¡¯t begging for her life on her knees.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The corner of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up.

    Mrs. Basket forced herself to stay calm and met Ye Qing¡¯s eyes directly. She said, ¡°If senior really wants to kill us, he would¡¯ve done so already. He wouldn¡¯t have wasted his breath on us.¡±

    That was what she said, and she was fairly sure that she was right. However, she would be lying to say if she was one hundred percent confident since she couldn¡¯t grasp Ye Qing¡¯s character or thoughts at all.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ interesting. Why am I keeping you two alive then? You¡¯ve already given me your Nature¡¯s Shells. What else do you have that might possibly interest me?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously while scratching his nose.

    Mrs. Basket gulped as Ye Qing¡¯s image grew even more enigmatic in her eyes. ¡°If I have to venture a guess¡­ you have a use for our lives.¡±

    ¡°After all, the living is more useful than the dead, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! If you spare me, then we will serve you as your faithful servant! I will do anything you ask of me without question!¡± Mountain Tunneling King hurriedly echoed in agreement.

    Ye Qing did not give them a reply immediately. He just kept smiling at them until their anxiety climbed to unbearable levels, and their backs werepletely covered in cold sweat. Finally, he started, ¡°Well said.¡± He looked at Mrs. Basket. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I am of the same mind, of course!¡± Mrs. Basket hurriedly replied.

    ¡°That is a tempting offer, but how can I believe that you are being truthful? Words are free after all. What if you lowered my guard with honeyed words and stabbed me when I least expected it?¡±

    Ye Qing smiled a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°I have no intention of carrying two schemers with me.¡±

    ¡°We would never dare! Our loyalty is absolute, senior!¡± Mountain Tunneling King said in a hurry.

    ¡°Oh? You wouldn¡¯t dare, but when the time calls for it, you will do it. Is that what you¡¯re trying to say?¡± Ye Qing chuckled and patted Mountain Tunneling King lightly on the shoulder.

    Mountain Tunneling King nearly jumped out of his skin at the contact. He was so terrified that he couldn¡¯t even speak normally anymore, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡ªNo! I-I mean, I would never¡ª¡±

    ¡°We can swear on our heart demons.¡± Again, Mrs. Basket was the calmer between the two of them.

    ¡°Yes! Yes! I¡¯ll do it!¡± Mountain Tunneling King nodded repeatedly, though he didn¡¯t dare to move his body even a little.

    ¡°Oh? A heart demon oath?¡±

    Ye Qing patted Mrs. Basket¡¯s shoulder as well and said, ¡°I can see the two of you really want to be my followers. Fine. I guess you don¡¯t need to swear an oath then.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, senior!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, senior!¡±

    Both Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket eximed in pleasant surprise and relief.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet!¡± Ye Qing said indifferently, ¡°The only reason I¡¯m exempting you from an oath is because I find it too troublesome. I know an easier way to guarantee your loyalty!¡±

 Chapter 735: Demon Seed

    Chapter 735: Demon Seed

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket stiffened when they heard this. rm bells were ring loudly inside their heads.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t believe me? Or do you disagree with my method?¡± Ye Qing noticed their mood shift, of course.

    The two Grandmasters gulped before replying in a hurry, ¡°O-Of course not. We will submit to your judgment, senior.¡±

    Strangely, Ye Qing shook his head disappointedly. ¡°You will? Ah. That¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket were confused, of course. <em>What did he mean by that?</em>

    Ye Qing noticed their confusion and exined in a kind voice, ¡°I was going to treat you to an experience that is worse than death itself if you defied me.¡±

    The two were shocked and afraid, of course. Ye Qing was saying that he had done something to them, and yet they hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss from the start until the end. They also suspected that he was bluffing them. After all, even with his incredible power, there was no way the young man could¡¯ve done something to them without them noticing, right?

    ¡°Oh? It looks like you don¡¯t believe me after all!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s mouth split into a wide, chilling grin, and he snapped his fingers before they could react. The next moment, both Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket noticed a seed appearing inside their headspace; their yang god to be exact.

    The mysterious-looking seed was covered in demonic runes. When it germinated, they immediately felt as if their yang god was being chewed on by a million insects. At the same time, an indescribable itchiness washed out from the depths of their soul, and no matter what they tried, they were unable to suppress it even a little.

    Ye Qing had not been kidding when he told them he was going to treat them to an experience that was worse than death.

    The torturested only a breath, and yet the two Grandmasters felt as if they had endured it for a lifetime. Then, the demonic seed began to sprout. The itchiness transformed into horrific pain, and they felt as if someone was ying their yang god alive. Agonized screams burst through their lips as cold sweat poured out of every pore.

    ¡°Mercy¡­ mercy, senior! We believe you, so please¡­!¡±

    ¡°We believe you!¡±

    The two Grandmasters begged for mercy as they rolled on the ground, dignity be damned. When Ye Qing snapped his fingers again, the demonic seeds inside their yang gods regressed back to its original form and disappeared like they were never there.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ hah¡­¡±

    Despite this, it took Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket at least a good few seconds before their panting finally slowed, and they grew conscious of their surroundings once more. The torture had onlysted a few breaths, but they felt as if they had just paid the hells of Fengdu a visit. The indescribable itchiness and pain truly was an experience that was worse than death itself.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you see, I left a little something in your yang god called a demon seed. When activated, it will go through the five stages of growth, namely germination, sprouting, growing, flowering and fruiting. Each stagees with its own unique set of sensations such as numbness, pain, yada yada¡­ one thing for certain, it will make you feel like digging out your own soul.¡±

    Ye Qing was closing his eyes a little and exining with a look of slight intoxication on his face, but his listeners only felt colder with every word he spoke. They had just experienced germination and sprouting, and they already felt like killing themselves to end the suffering. To learn that there was still growth, flowering and fruiting at the back¡­ who in the world could possibly withstand such torture?

    ¡°Of course, if you managed to endure all five stages, then congrattions!¡±

    Ye Qing opened his eyes and met the duo¡¯s expectant gazes. ¡°Your soul will disintegrate into nothing, and you will never have to suffer ever again.¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King: ¡°...¡±

    Mrs. Basket: ¡°...¡±

    And here they thought they would be free if they managed to endure the five stages. In a sense that was true, it just wasn¡¯t the type of freedom they wanted, and it sure as hell did not deserve to be congratted!

    Ye Qing had figured out this technique while he was feeling bored. Founded on ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±, it was specifically created to deal with disobedient people he didn¡¯t want to kill for one reason or another. This was the first time he used it in a real scenario, and it had proven to be most effective.

    As gray despair rose in both Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket¡¯s eyes, he added, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t rake you over the coals so long as you don¡¯t give me a reason to. Also, you only need to serve me for three years. When your service period is up, I will remove the demon seed nted inside your yang gods and release you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket eximed in pleasant surprise. Neither of them could quite believe that Ye Qing was telling them the truth. After all, with the demon seed nted inside their yang god, Ye Qing could have enved them for the rest of their lives. They never expected him to promise to free them just three yearster.

    Sure, they were still going to be Ye Qing¡¯s ve for the next three years toe, butpared to a lifetime of servitude? It was nothing at all.

    ¡°What would be the point of lying to you? I can literally kill you both with a thought if I want to,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently.

    ¡°Thank you, senior!¡±

    ¡°You are most merciful, senior!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket actually felt grateful when they heard this.

    ¡°Save it. Just serve me faithfully, and I promise I won¡¯t treat you unfairly.¡±

    Yet again, the carrot and the stick had done the impossible. In the end, all humans could be mastered so long as you mastered their hearts.

    Having said that, Ye Qing returned the two Grandmasters¡¯ Nature¡¯s Shells back to them.

    ¡°Senior¡­ you¡­¡± They spluttered while receiving their Nature¡¯s Shells.

    ¡°I told you. I won¡¯t mistreat you so long as you serve me faithfully,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently, ¡°One more thing. Don¡¯t address me as senior ever again. I am much younger than you two, and the two of you calling me senior makes me feel way older than I actually am.¡±

    ¡°My name is Joyless Ye. In the future, simply address me as young master.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master. And thank you. We promise we won¡¯t betray your expectations,¡± Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket responded. Despite what Ye Qing had done to them, their resentment of him was much lower than expected. In fact, their respect for him had grown by leaps and bounds.

    ¡°Good. I have other things to attend to, so go catch some rest and recover your strength in the meantime.¡±

    Ye Qing gave them a pat on the shoulder before walking toward Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth.

    ¡°As you wish, young master.¡± Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket stared at Ye Qing¡¯s back for a moment. After exchanging a nce with each other, they sat down on the ground and did as Ye Qing ordered.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? The two of you are staring at me like I¡¯m a stranger or something.¡±

    The two Half-Step Grandmasters were currently staring at him dazedly. They looked like they could not believe everything that just happened.

    ¡°Warrior Ye¡­¡± Pedant Earth snapped back to reality and tried to something, but Shangguan Hongjin got the better of him.

    ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable, man! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re kicking Grandmaster asses right after you overcame your tribtion! The entire <em>jianghu </em>would go crazy if they hear about this!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she looked him up and down like she was seeing him for the first time.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you¡¯re not too bad yourself, Miss Shangguan. Did you forget how you pushed back multiple Half-Step Grandmasters and Spirit Masters on your own and threatened multiple Grandmasters to their faces?¡± Ye Qing returned apliment.

    ¡°Sure, but it was all bark and no bite. I was just about to piss my pants even when I said those things. There is no way I canpare to you!¡± Shangguan guffawed, though she was clearly pleased by Ye Qing¡¯spliment.

    ¡°Of course you can. You knew you were headed toward your death, but you still went ahead without hesitation, both of you. Few people are as courageous as you both.¡± Ye Qing saluted them and gave them a deep bow. ¡°I did not think I could have survived this crisis without your aid, so thank you. I will never forget this.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re wee, warrior Ye,¡± Pedant Earth stuttered a little, surprised by the depths of his sincerity.

    ¡°You tter us. You saved our lives before, so it¡¯s only right that we save yours!¡± Shangguan Hongjin huffed. ¡°Besides, we didn¡¯t really help all that much, now that I think about it.¡±

    ¡°You must be joking, Miss Shangguan. If the two of you haven¡¯t bought me enough time, there is no way I could have refined the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and regained enough strength to put up a proper fight.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. He was speaking from the bottom of his heart. He still had some Nature¡¯s Water with him, so he could have instantly recovered his wounds if he wanted to. However, he would not have the time to refine the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and improve his power, and he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to go head to head against the Grandmasters.

    That was why he really was grateful toward the duo.

    ¡°Oh right, please don¡¯t call me Warrior Ye any longer. Instead, call me Joyless.¡±

 Chapter 736: Demonbearer Abode

    Chapter 736: Demonbearer Abode

    ¡°That¡¯s not very¡­ proper, is it?¡± Pedant Earth hesitated not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because he didn¡¯t dare.

    ¡°We are friends, aren¡¯t we? What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Ye Qingughed before countering, ¡°Unless you think that I don¡¯t deserve to be friends with you two?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Pedant Earth replied in a hurry.

    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t matter if you address me as Joyless now, does it?¡± Ye Qing looked at Shangguan Hongjin. ¡°What do you say, Miss Shangguan?¡±

    As expected, Shangguan Hongjin dered with the wave of the hand, ¡°You said we¡¯re friends, but why are you still calling me miss? Just call me Shangguan, Hongjin, or even big sis if you feel like it!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! As you wish, Shangguan.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°What about you, Pedant¡ªno, Earth?¡±

    ¡°If you insist, then this old fool shall pull himself up high.¡± Pedant Earth broke into a bright smile as well.

    ¡°Good!¡± Ye Qingughed before handing over two items to Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth. ¡°Here. Take these.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­!¡± Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth were shocked. It was because Ye Qing had given them Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shells. The two items they were coveting¡ª¡°To y Autumn Water¡± and the second volume of the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡±¡ªwere also stored inside the Nature¡¯s Shells.¡°This is too much. We can¡¯t ept it!¡± Shangguan Hongjin shook her head with a frown.

    Pedant Earth was shaking his head profusely as well. Although he was extremely interested in the ¡°Book of Lu Ban¡± and the treasures within the Nature¡¯s Shell, he ultimately chose to reject the gift.

    ¡°So what? You saved my life. This is the least I could do to repay the favor.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Now that I¡¯m a Grandmaster, none of these items are really useful to me anymore. They would only gather dust inside their Nature¡¯s Shells if I keep them.¡±

    ¡°Also, you haven¡¯t forgotten where we are, have you? I¡¯m sure that these treasures would prove useful for your survival.¡±

    Again, he was telling the truth. There were plenty of good stuff in Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shells, but they also weren¡¯t useful to him anymore.

    It was a different story for Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth though. The treasures would drastically improve their chances of surviving this ce.

    Not wanting to drag this out, Ye Qing pushed the Nature¡¯s Shells into their hands and said, ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Go catch some rest while I speak with Giggle.¡±

    He disappeared in a blur of speed after saying that, giving them no chance to respond.

    After Ye Qing was gone, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth exchanged a bitter smile with each other. Then, they put away the Nature¡¯s Shells and began recuperating as Ye Qing had told them to.

    ¡­¡­

    At the top of a peak not far away from the edge of the basin, Ye Qing met up with Giggle and the headless Sage once more.

    The headless Sage was sitting crosslegged on the ground and seemingly admiring the blood moon in the sky. As for Giggle, the little Stranger was sitting quietly on his shoulder. From a distance, they looked like a beautiful, tranquil painting.

    When Ye Qing got close, he realized that the headless Sae was rotting.The resentment and obsession that kept him alive were almostpletely gone as well.

    It was clear that the headless Sage was minutes, maybe even seconds away from death.

    Giggle was wearing a bright smile on its face, but its sad, lonely eyes revealed what it was really thinking.

    Giggle noticed Ye Qing, of course. It looked up at him and shot him a pure, bright smile that resembled the blue sky.

    The headless Sage rose to his feet and faced toward Ye Qing. Giggle leaped onto his palm when he raised it to his shoulder. After caressing the little guy¡¯s head for a bit, he slowly handed it to Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing took Giggle and promised solemnly, ¡°Do not worry, senior. I will take good care of him.¡±

    For thest time, the headless Sage caressed Giggle¡¯s head lovingly before turning his back on them. Then, he arced backward as if he was looking at the blood moon.

    The headless sage¡¯s body began rotting at an elerated rate. A few breathster, when a gentle breeze blew past him, he abruptly scattered into dust and disappeared into the wind.

    The wind came, and the wind left.

    He was gone.

    ¡°Oooooo¡­¡±

    Giggle finally couldn¡¯t hold back its sorrow any longer and weeped. Its voice was full of mourning and sorrow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. You were able to apany senior in hisst moments, I am sure he no longer has any regrets left in this world. You should be happy for him.¡±

    Ye Qing petted its head gently before recalling something. ¡°Ah, shit, senior¡¯s head is still out there somewhere, isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll find it and give him the peace he deserves.¡±

    ¡°Ooooo¡­¡±

    Giggle bowed its head and bumped against Ye Qing¡¯s palm, whining mournfully.

    ¡°Senior may be gone, but you still have me. From now on, I will walk with you.¡±

    Ye Qing kept Gigglepany and spoke to it for a very, very long time. It wasn¡¯t until the blood moon had disappeared into distant mountains that he finally descended the hill.

    By the time Ye Qing returned to the basin, it was already broad daylight. Mountain Tunneling King, Mrs. Basket, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth had already awakened.

    ¡°Young master.¡±

    ¡°Young master.¡±

    ¡°Joyless!¡±

    All four warriors greeted him when they saw him.

    ¡°Are you all okay now?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, young master. We are fine now,¡± Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket replied with a salute.

    ¡°Same here. We¡¯re more or less recovered,¡± Shangguan Hongjin also replied, Pedant Earth nodding his agreement at the side.

    It turned out that Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya stored a ton of valuable medicine inside the Nature¡¯s Shell, and their injuries weren¡¯t that serious to begin with. After a little over half a night of rest and recuperation, they weren¡¯t just back to full strength. They were quite a bit stronger than they were before.

    ¡°Alright! Let us be off!¡± Ye Qing dered.

    ¡°To where, exactly?¡± Shangguan Hongjin voiced her puzzlement. They had never nned where to go after reaching the basin after all.

    ¡°To the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance, of course!¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°The Dark Overlord? Is this ce really where he left behind his inheritance?¡± Shangguan Hongjin eximed in shock.

    Pedant Earth, Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket were staring at him with wide eyes as well.

    ¡°Yes and no. The Dark Overlord was here, but this is not where he stored his inheritance.¡±

    Ye Qing began walking in a certain direction while providing an exnation, ¡°To be more urate, this is a pocket world the Dark Overlord Li Hentian had created back in the day. It is called the Demonbearer Abode.¡±

    ¡°¡®Bearer¡¯ refers to the Oathbearer we encountered prior to entering this ce, and ¡®Demon¡¯ refers to Li Hentian himself. The Demonbearer Abode was where he secluded himself to during hister years.¡±

    And how did he know about this? It was because the headless Sage had also imparted to him some of the knowledge and memories regarding this ce when he gave him his energy and martial intent earlier.

    Li Hentian, the Dark Overlord was an unparalleled genius whose power was rivaled by no one. For thirty years, he had lived as pleased despite the dangers and darkness of the <em>jianghu.</em>

    However, that wasn¡¯t to say he wasn¡¯t affected. After thirty years of total dominance, he grew tired of the eternal pursuit for fame and glory and believed that he had seen everything the world had to offer. So, he created a pocket world on top of the Oathbearer he had raised since it was a baby and set off to the world beyond with his belovedpanion.

    That was how the Demonbearer Abode came to be.

    A few breaths of silenceter, Pedant Earth voiced his question, ¡°If what you say is true, then what happened? How did the Dark Overlord¡¯s abode turn out like this?¡±

 Chapter 737: The War

    <h4>Chapter 737: The War </h4>

    ¡°There were many reasons. Grudges, love, hatred, fame, fortune. Take your pick. They¡¯re all true.¡±

    Ye Qing recalled the headless Sage¡¯s memories as he continued, ¡°His whole life, the Dark Overlord obeyed nows but his own and lived as he pleased. As a result, he made many friends and even more enemies.¡±

    ¡°Although the Dark Overlord stopped interfering with <i>jianghu </i>matters after secluding himself to the Demonbearer Abode, his personality did not change one bit. He built twelve pavilions and pces in the abode, collected all sorts of priceless treasures, weed countless beauties to his luxurious abode, and befriended people and factions of all shapes and sizes. All day everyday, he indulged himself in senseless pleasure.¡±

    ¡°The Dark Overlord had no interest in the <i>jianghu</i>, but his so-called ¡®friends¡¯ and ¡®allies¡¯ were a different story. They abused their connection to him and ripped into the <i>jianghu</i> with wanton abandon. His own disciples and subordinates did everything under the sun to garner the Dark Overlord¡¯s favor. They stole treasures, kidnapped beauties, and ughtered entire families down to theirst animal. Their cruelty and propensity for cruelty knew no bounds.¡±

    ¡°Although the Dark Overlord had never partaken in these acts, they were intricately tied to his person. After all, these viins could only do what they did because of their connection to him. Some people loathed the Dark Overlord for what he did¡ªor rather, what he did not do¡ªsome people coveted his many treasures and women, some people wanted to kill him for justice, and some wanted to borrow his head for fame and glory...¡±

    ¡°Eight hundred years ago, the mountain lord of Deer Herding Mountain[1] summoned countless warriors to his side and invaded the Demonbearer Abode to y the Dark Overlord when it emerged in the real world. A great war broke out, and the Demonbearer Abode was destroyed as a result.¡±

    ¡°They actually thought they could y the Dark Overlord? Hah! What fools.¡± Mountain Tunneling King snorted. The rest of the group looked skeptical as well. In their opinion, the Dark Overlord Li Hentian was the undisputed champion of the world eight hundred years ago. There was just no way a ragtag bunch of misfits could hope to y him.

    ¡°You would think so, but you would be wrong!¡± Ye Qing said slowly. ¡°The Dark Overlord was strong, but he was also getting old. Not only that, the invading force Zhuang Juyun gathered were anything but small fries. A total of three Sages, five Half Sages, and countless Grandmasters and Spirit Masters had assaulted the Demonbearer Abode.¡±

    ¡°<i>Three Sages?</i>¡± Everyone gasped when they heard this.

    ¡°It was a terrible war that incurred horrific losses. The Dark Overlord¡¯s disciples and subordinates all perished in the war, and even his beloved Oathbearer was in in battle. Of course, Zhuang Juyun¡¯s forces suffered massive casualties¡ªactually, let me correct that. They were totally annihted. The three Sages sacrificed themselves to kill the Dark Overlord, and the Demonbearer Abode fell into ruins. In short, there was no victor.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s tone grew heavy. ¡°Sages died, Grandmasters perished, and an entire world was destroyed. This war was so terrible that the victims¡¯ yin qi, resentment, death qi, blood and more coagted into the Death Sea we know today.¡±

    ¡°What in the...¡±

    For a time, his fourpanions could only stare at him with their mouths agape. They were shocked to find that the Dark Overlord was dead. They were also shocked to learn that the Dark Overlord was strong enough that it took <i>three Sages </i>to drag him to the grave with them. And that was considering that he was past his prime too. Most of all, they were shocked to learn that the war was behind the creation of the Death Sea.

    Even so, their shock was iparable to Ye Qing¡¯s own. After all, he inherited the headless Sage¡¯s memories. That war had been so epic, so terrible, so tragic, that no single metaphor could describe it in its entirety. Sea of blood, mountain of corpses, the sky falling, the earth crumbling. It truly was the end of a world.

    The headless Sage had perished while fighting against the Dark Overlord. To be specific, the three Sages who fought Li Hentian at the time were the mountain lord of the Hill Herding Mountain Zhuang Juyun, the ¡°Half Buddha¡± Chen Miaozeng, and the ¡°Profound Finger¡± Ning Xiliu.

    Ning Xiliu was the headless Sage. He was close friends with Zhuang Juyun, and he had attended this heroic undertaking under the mountain lord¡¯s invitation.

    The battle between the trio and Li Hentian hadsted over a day. First, the ¡°Half Buddha¡± Chen Miaozeng had burned his entire soul to summon the Buddha''s Golden Body¡ªone that spanned over three thousand meters tall¡ªand score a serious blow against the Dark Overlord. He died immediately after executing his final attack.

    Next, Ning Xiliu executed ¡°Profound Theory In Ten Fingers¡± to open the sky, pierce the Dark Overlord¡¯s nigh invincible demonic body, and ripped out his heart.

    Zhuang Juyun seized the opportunity to cut off one of the Dark Overlord¡¯s arms, though it was not without taking an equally severe wound in return.

    In response, the Dark Overlord barked out augh before punching Ning Xiliu hundreds of kilometers into the sky and mming him into the underground with one palm, forming the basin they had seen before. Then, the Dark Overlord ripped off his head and killed him.

    Finally, Zhuang Juyun and Dark Overlord fought a terrible battle that warped the very world around them. Despite his grievous injuries, the Dark Overlord was ultimately able to shatter Zhuang Juyun¡¯s body and annihte his soul.

    Having used up everything he had, the Dark Overlord stood at the peak of his mountain andughed three times. With that, he finally passed into the afterlife.

    Despite the memories he was granted, Ye Qing was unable toprehend the trio¡¯s battlepletely. He would even go as far as to say that he had only understood the tiniest glimpse of the Sages¡¯ war.

    Even so, he saw Chen Miaozeng¡¯s Golden Body reaching higher than the heavens themselves, Ning Xiliu holding the sun and moon between his fingers, Zhuang Juyun gathering heaven and earth for the ultimate sh, and of course, the Dark Overlord Li Hentian somehow killing all of them despite the severe disadvantage he was in. His palm had blotted out the sky, and his fist shattered the earth. It was easily the greatest battle he had ever seen to date.

    If his ascension to Trueman put him on a pedestal where the entire world under the heavens was within his grasp, then the battle between the Dark Overlord and the Sages showed him the stars, the moon, and the sun that hung high, high up in the infinite skies.

    The world under the heavens was great, but the celestial bodies in the sky were undoubtedly more alluring.

    Very, very few people ever became one of the stars though. Most of them could only look up with envy.

    Still, he now knew whaty beyond the peak that was Grandmaster. He now knew what he should strive for.

    At the age of twenty, he was already a master of humanity. In the future, who was to say he couldn¡¯t join the stars above?

    ¡°I see. So this is why the Dark Overlord vanished!¡±

    A long, long timeter, Mrs. Basket finally broke the silence.

    The Dark Overlord hadn¡¯t attained immortality and disappeared into unknown worlds after all.

    He had died like so many others before and after him.

    ¡°Yeah. Who would¡¯ve thought that the invincible Dark Overlord from eight hundred years ago was killed in battle?¡± Pedant Earth sighed.

    ¡°He might have perished, but he still fought three Sages on his own... and won. How incredible was that? If only I was alive to witness his final battle!¡± Shangguan Hongjin sighed ruefully.

    ¡°Yeah. He truly deserved his name as the greatest warrior of the Spring and Autumn eight hundred years ago!¡± Mountain Tunneling King echoed in agreement. ¡°I hate that I wasn¡¯t alive to see him with my own two eyes, and I only wish that I could measure up to him one day!¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡± Ye Qing agreed with thempletely. All warriors desired to climb higher, and he was no exception.

    ¡°Come! Let us witness the greatest warrior on earth eight hundred Springs and Autumns ago!¡±

    Like a ray of light piercing through an endless fog, Ye Qing¡¯s group surged toward the east.

    ......

    ¡°I thought we¡¯re looking for the Dark Overlord? Where is this ce?¡±

    One of them asked while Shangguan Hongjin, Pedant Earth, Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket observed the strange, anomalousnd before them.

    Thend in front of them was a puddle of chaos where most, if not all naturalws seemed to have malfunctioned or disappeared outright. They saw forests floating in the air as if gravity did not exist, they saw rivers rising from the ground and into the sky, the saw clouds spread across the ground like snow, they saw mountain ranges standing upside down, they saw stars twinkling in ponds andkes, they saw the ground rippling andpping against objects like the sea; the sunlight felt as cold as ice, the ice felt as cold as molten metal, some flowers looked as big as a century-old tree, some trees looked as small as insects...

    On top of that, the air was filled with a sense of chaos and horror.

    ¡°What is this ce? It¡¯s so strange!¡± Pedant Earth murmured.

    ¡°The Dark Overlord is up ahead!¡± Ye Qing pointed toward the front. ¡°This is where he and the three Sages had fought!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that this... chaos... is caused by their battle?¡± Mrs. Basket asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°The Dark Overlord and the three Sages were so strong that they shattered the naturalws that governed all things, not to mention that their martial intent still lingers in thisnd. As a result, thisnd transformed into a chaotic,wless ce that ispletely different from the one we¡¯re used to.¡±

    ¡°No wonder they say that the power of a Sage cannot beprehended by mere mortals!¡± Mountain Tunneling King sighed wistfully.

    1. Yeah this is quite the weird name even for me... or it was, until I watched Shikanoko nokonoko koshitan tan that is. ?

 Chapter 738: Smart and Foolish

    <h4>Chapter 738: Smart and Foolish </h4>

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take the lead. Shangguan and Earth, stay behind me. Mountain and Basket, protect our rear,¡± Ye Qing instructed. ¡°Everything here is chaotic and out of order, so be on your guard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master!¡± Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket responded. Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth humbly epted the advice as well.

    Despite their readiness, the group felt an oppressive amount of pressure and fear as soon as they set foot inside the unusualnd. Their blood threatened to rebel inside their body, their true qi was getting pulled in different directions, and their spirit was under assault as well.

    Ye Qing was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, so he was the only person in the group who didn¡¯t feel anything. Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket were Grandmasters, so they could stomach the distortions with some difort.

    The same couldn¡¯t be said for Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth though. Theirplexions were red, and their heads pounded like someone was hitting them with a hammer. Just a few stepster, they couldn¡¯t withstand the distortions any longer and threw up a small amount of blood.

    ¡°Are you alright? How are you feeling now?¡±

    Ye Qing immediately caught their arms and quelled the disturbances in their vigor and true qi.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine!¡±

    Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth shook their heads with bitter expressions. ¡°But it would seem that we aren¡¯t fated to witness the man who dominated the Spring and Autumn eight hundred years ago!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re... not going?¡± Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows.

    Shangguan Hongjin replied after a moment of thought, ¡°Yeah, I think we¡¯re going to stop here. If we can¡¯t even handle this ce, then I doubt we¡¯ll be able to survive whates next.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Ye Qing replied after due consideration, ¡°I cannot deny that we may face grave dangers. Even with my strength, I may not be able to safeguard you two. It is best if you stay at the perimeter.¡±

    ¡°Your words are wise, young master.¡± Mountain Tunneling King said smilingly, ¡°By the way, young master. Miss Shangguan and Pedant Earth have just recovered and so are not yet at their full strength. Besides that, thisnd is clearly rife with dangers. Should I stay behind and protect them?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I didn¡¯t think it through.¡± Ye Qing nced meaningfully at Mountain Tunneling King before turning to Mrs. Basket. ¡°Basket, I want you to stay behind and protect them.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡± Mrs. Basket eximed in surprise. Mountain Tunneling King was caught off guard as well.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. We can take care of ourselves.¡± Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth tried to turn him down. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to face the greatest dangers. We can protect ourselves, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°It will be fine. It¡¯s not like Mrs. Basket is fully recovered anyway, so she won¡¯t be as helpful as you think. I¡¯d rather that she focus on her own recovery and take care of you.¡± Ye Qing did not give them the opportunity to say no. ¡°It¡¯s settled then. Basket, keep them safe no matter what.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, young master. This one shall give her all.¡± Mrs. Basket saluted him. ¡°Take care, young master.¡±

    ¡°Take care, Joyless.¡±

    Seeing that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to change his mind, Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth saluted him as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. At my current strength, I¡¯m pretty sure I can keep myself safe no matter what.¡± Ye Qing smiled at the trio and watched them as they withdrew out of the perimeter. Then, he turned around and ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They left. After the trio were out of earshot, Ye Qing suddenly broke the silence with a question, ¡°Do you know why I left Mrs. Basket behind and not you?¡±

    ¡°This foolish one does not know, young master. Please enlighten me,¡± Mountain Tunneling King answered as a hidden glint shed in his eyes.

    ¡°Foolish one?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°You really are a foolish one. If you weren¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have tried something this stupid!¡±

    ¡°Young master...?¡± Mountain Tunneling King asked with a shiver.

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s tone turned cold. ¡°If you weren¡¯t foolish, then why would you try to pull a trick on me? If you weren¡¯t stupid, then why would you risk your life to change nothing?¡±

    ¡°This... this one truly does not understand what you¡¯re trying to say, young master,¡± Mountain Tunneling King tried to feign confusion.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand?¡± Ye Qing stopped in his tracks and uttered, ¡°You might as well die ignorant then!¡±

    As soon as he said this, Mountain Tunneling King abruptly started trembling like a leaf. Large beads of sweat began pouring down his forehead as if he was enduring some sort of unimaginable pain.

    ¡°Young master... at least tell me... what I did wrong... before you kill me...¡± Mountain Tunneling King uttered through gritted teeth.

    ¡°You really want to know? Okay.¡± Ye Qing patted Mountain Tunneling King on the shoulder while answering, ¡°You suggested staying behind earlier not because you wish to protect Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth, but because you want to take them as hostages and threaten me to release you, am I right?¡±

    ¡°You.... misunderstand me, young master... I really was just... worried about their safety... and I wish to... alleviate some of your burden... I am loyal... please trust me...¡± Mountain Tunneling King replied intermittently. His face was deathly pale, and it was impossible to say if it was because of the pain, because Ye Qing saw through his lies, or both.

    ¡°What did I say? You¡¯re dumb as fuck. Even now, you¡¯re trying to trick me. Do you really think I¡¯m as stupid as you?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s smile grew increasingly gentle. ¡°From the beginning, you have never truly submitted to me. You lick my boots and tter me like I¡¯m your king, when really you¡¯ve been plotting how to break free from my control and kill me. However, you couldn¡¯t see an ounce of opportunity from me, so you set your eyes on Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth because of our rtionship. You were plotting to use them as your mouthpiece, take them hostage, or even manipte them into getting me in trouble, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Young master, please... this one... is definitely loyal to¡ª¡±

    By now, Mountain Tunneling King looked like he had just climbed out of a river. His entire body was drenched in sweat.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I wronged you?¡± Ye Qing smiled and snapped his finger. ¡°So what if I am? If your master wants you dead, then you should just die like the loyal servant you are, right?¡±

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King abruptly let out a painful scream and fell to the ground. While hugging his head, he rolled back and forth and screamed, ¡°Mercy, young master! Mercy!¡±

    Ye Qing ignored his cries for mercy and painful screams and just waited.

    A short whileter, Mountain Tunneling King finally couldn¡¯t stand the pain of the demonic seed growing inside his yang god and grabbed Ye Qing¡¯s ankle, begging, ¡°Mercy, young master! This one is wrong! This one is wrong! This one will never do it again, so please...!¡±

    ¡°Are you?¡± Ye Qing crouched down and looked down on Mountain Tunneling King from above. ¡°Tell me. What did you do wrong?¡±

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have schemed against you. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. I shouldn¡¯t have tried to harm you! Please, young master! I won¡¯t do it again, so please!¡± Mountain Tunneling King begged.

    ¡°Finally, he admits his mistake!¡± Ye Qing pped Mountain Tunneling King in the face again, and again, and again. ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little toote?¡±

    ¡°I said this before: if you treat me right, then I¡¯ll treat you right as well. But considering how stupid you are, I suppose you might have missed the subtext: if you treat me wrong, then I¡¯ll pay you back twofold. In any case, it¡¯s clear that you did not take my words to heart.¡±

    ¡°This one is wrong! I¡¯ll never do it again! Just please give me another chance, young master! Please!¡± Mountain Tunneling King forced through the pain and kowtowed to Ye Qing, begging.

    Ye Qing simply smiled and said nothing at all.

 Chapter 739: The Magia Tree, The Magia Fruit

    Chapter 739: The Magia Tree, The Magia Fruit

    Time passed quickly. For a teatime, Mountain Tunneling King had kowtowed, begged, and screamed until his voice was hoarse. During this time, Ye Qing simply watched with a smile on his face.

    It wasn¡¯t until Mountain Tunneling King was curled up like a worm, and his heart was full of despair that Ye Qing finally tapped his forehead with a finger.

    The pain immediately receded like a tidal wave. Before he knew it, he had left hell behind and returned to humanity.

    At that moment, Mountain Tunneling King grew limp as if every ounce of strength had been sucked out of his body. Besides panting, he was so exhausted he couldn¡¯t even lift a finger.

    ¡°Just this once, I¡¯ll forgive you,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently while rising to his feet.

    ¡°Thank you, young master! You are most merciful, young master!¡±

    Despite his exhaustion, Mountain Tunneling King climbed to his feet and pressed his forehead against the ground. If he wasn¡¯t terrified of Ye Qing before, he is now.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be a second chance.¡± Ye Qing nted his foot on Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s head and said, ¡°Do understand that my benevolence and patience are limited.¡±

    ¡°I understand! I understand! If my loyalty toward you ever waver again, may my soul face true death and scatter into nothing!¡±Although Ye Qing was stepping on his head, Mountain Tunneling King did not dare to feel resentful or angry, much less swear bloody vengeance. He did not even dare to think poorly of the man in front of him. That was how much he feared Ye Qing right now.

    ¡°Remember what you said.¡± Ye Qing finally removed his right foot from Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s head and said, ¡°Rise.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, young master. Thank you!¡±

    As Mountain Tunneling King climbed to his feet, he realized that his fatigue and weakness had suddenly disappeared as soon as Ye Qing removed his foot from his head. It was almost as if everything he experienced earlier was but a dream. This discovery only caused him to grow more fearful and respectful of Ye Qing, of course.

    The duo finally resumed their journey after the little interlude, but they didn¡¯t go far before Mountain Tunneling King suddenly called out, ¡°Young master, look.¡±

    A middle-aged man dressed like a Taoist and surrounded by white feathers was rushing toward a floating ind. He was wearing a feather hat as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s White Crane Taoist, young master. He¡¯s a Grandmaster and more or less on the same level as me.¡±

    Just like him, White Crane Taoist was a Grandmaster who wasn¡¯t strong enough to appear on the Earth Champions Ranking. An independent warrior who roamed the northernnds, Mountain Tunneling King had be acquainted with him during a chance encounter.

    White Crane Taoist had noticed them as well, but he paid them no attention whatsoever. He simply sped up and flew even faster toward the floating ind.

    A massive tree was growing on that ind. It was translucent and shiny as if it was carved out of crystal, and there were books hanging off its branches.

    The books looked more or less the same, but the aura they gave off were drastically different. Some books felt like it had survived countless centuries, some felt mysterious and full of Dao, some were majestic and awe-inspiring, some were singing Brahma mantras as if they were in a ssroom, some were overflowing with demonic qi and more.

    The book at the top of the tree was what really caught everyone¡¯s attention. It was colorful and overflowing with radiance. It was clearly extraordinary.

    Mountain Tunneling King stared at the tree for a moment when suddenly, his eyes widened with dawning realization. ¡°Is¡­ Is that the Magia Tree?¡±

    ¡°It is!¡±

    Ye Qing was just as stunned. He wasn¡¯t expecting to encounter the legendary Magia Tree in this ce.

    The Magia Tree was a Disaster-ss Stranger that was born in ordance with the Heavenly Way. It took three hundred years for it to grow into a tree, three hundred years to flower, and three hundred years to fruit. Shaped like books, each fruit contained the Heavenly Way¡¯s Magia. Those who consumed it would gain its Magia[1].

    For obvious reasons, the Magia Tree was exceedingly rare. Generally speaking, it only appeared in ces blessed with natural beauty and favored by heaven and earth. During the first half of its incredibly long life cycle, it was incredibly fragile and easily damaged. But once it fruited, it would do a one-eighty and be incredibly powerful. Its value was immeasurable.

    Of course, obtaining a Magia Fruit wasn¡¯t as simple as plucking it from its branches. First, all challengers must withstand the Magia Tree¡¯s trials. Second, not all Magia Fruits were made equal. Some were potent, some were weak, some were great, and some were actively detrimental to its user. For example, a potent Magia Fruit could summon the wind, call the rain, split skies and rip the ground apart, whereas a weak one might not even be able to leave a scratch on a stone. A great Magia Fruit could extend one¡¯s lifespan and evolve one¡¯s martial way, whereas a bad one could cause a deviation and even kill them.

    Worse, it was impossible to determine the effects of a Magia Fruit based on their appearance or their aura. A Magia Fruit with a gorgeous exterior and a potent aura might not necessarily be potent or beneficial, just as one with a poor exterior and a weak aura might not necessarily be weak or detrimental. In short, it was a gamble. If you were lucky, then you might gain some of the most powerful Magias in the world. If not, then you might not live to see tomorrow¡¯s sun.

    Legend has it that a man named Dragon Elephant Monk once consumed a Magia Fruit that gave him a Dragon Elephant Prajna Magia. Said to be the greatest power beneath a Sage, it gave him enormous strength and allowed him to move mountains like nothing. He was ranked fifteen on the Earth Champions Ranking because of this.

    There was also a legend of the opposite vor. Three hundred years ago, there was a demonic heretic called Sunken Sword. He was a Half-Sage who was one step away from bing a Sage, and at the time, there were few people strong enough to stop him from doing whatever the hell he wanted. Somehow, he managed to obtain a Magia Fruit, and he consumed it in hopes of breaching thest wall that was blocking his path to sagehood.

    What happened next was probably worse than death itself. His powers began fading rapidly, and cultivation receding like a tidal wave. In just a single day, he had declined from a Half-Sage all the way to a Vessel Augmentor. Naturally, his ending wasn¡¯t a kind one. He was tortured to death by his enemies.

    Long story short, a Magia Fruit was magical, and it waspletely up to the heavens whether you would get something good or bad out of it.

    Finally, a warrior could only consume one Magia Fruit their whole life. Eating more than one was pointless because it wouldn¡¯t grant them anymore boons. Besides that, a Magia Fruit must be consumed within nine breaths after they were plucked, or its air of Dao would dissipate, and the Magia it contained would disappear. It would be no different from an ordinary fruit.

    This was also why White Crane Taoist did not feel any hostility toward Ye Qing or Mountain Tunneling King. After all, each person could only consume one Magia Fruit once in their life, and the Magia Fruits only retained its magic nine breaths after they were plucked. Therefore, it waspletely pointless to try and monopolize them.

    As Ye Qing and Mountain Tunneling King weremunicating with each other, White Crane Taoist was getting closer and closer to the floating ind. He was also growing increasingly cautious.

    When he arrived at the floating ind, the Magia Tree shivered despite the fact that there was no wind in the area, and the magia Fruits began shining much brighter than usual. For a time, the middle-aged man felt like he had stepped into dreand.

    The next moment, one Magia Fruit slowly unfurled itself as if a wind had spread its pages. Then, a rain appeared out of nowhere and fell straight toward White Crane Taoist.

    The rain was no ordinary rain, however. Each droplet was a deadly sword qi that could turn even a Grandmaster like White Crane Taoist into a pincushion if he wasn¡¯t careful. For a time, sword qi filled the sky with wrathful power.

    White Crane Taoist stopped in his tracks and brought his full power to bear. His feathers transformed into two fishes, and they slowly chased each other¡¯s tail and swam in a circle, forming a tai chi symbol.

    The rain of sword qi was deadly, but they barely made an inch into the tai chi circle before they were neutralized or bounced away. Several breathster, the Magia Fruit closed itself, and the rain of sword qi vanished like it never happened.

    This was the Magia Tree¡¯s trial. Each Magia Fruit contained a Magia of sorts, and only those who sessfully weather its trials all the way to the Magia Tree would be allowed to pluck them.

    Some people thought to discern the potency and effects of a Magia Fruit through its trial, but unfortunately, it turned out to be a dud. What they saw wasn¡¯t necessarily the truth. A Magia Fruit couldunch a hail of swords at a challenger, but it did not mean that its Magia was rted to swords at all.

    White Crane Taoist did not dispel his tai chi circle after blocking the rain of sword qi. He simply sped up and got closer to the Magia Tree.

    Just ten meterster, another Magia Fruit unfolded its pages and caused thirty six soybeans to fall from the sky. The moment they hit the ground, they immediately transformed into thirty six warriors who were d in golden armor.

    1. Devil fruit basically. ?

 Chapter 740: Reciprocation Is Important. Eat Spear!

    Chapter 740: Reciprocation Is Important. Eat Spear!

    ¡°¡®Cast Beans Into Soldiers¡¯? A Taoist Magia¡­¡±

    White Crane Taoist chuckled and shook his sleeves a little. Seventy two little strawmen immediately flew out of his sleeves and rapidly grew to the size of a human. Each strawman was covered in yellow talismans and wielding arge saber. They also carried banners on their back and looked mighty impressive.

    Mountain Tunneling King exined when he saw this, ¡°That is White Crane Taoist¡¯s trump card, the Seventy Two Grasshead Gods. Derived from Mount Maoshan¡¯s Seventy Two Earth Fiend Gods, they are created using Evil Repelling Straws and talismans. They are impervious to most weapons and natural elements and are as strong as Spirit Masters.¡±

    As he spoke, the thirty six golden-armored soldiers shed against the seventy two Grasshead Gods. Strong they might be, the golden-armored soldiers were both outmatched and outnumbered. It wasn¡¯t long before the seventy two Grasshead Gods slew the soldiers and turned them back into soybeans.

    It wasn¡¯t without a considerable cost, however. A good number of the seventy two Grasshead Gods were damaged beyond repair in the fight, and White Crane Taoist¡¯s heart positively ached at the loss.

    White Crane Taoist wasted no time in resuming his flight, and this time, he met no opposition whatsoever. He quickly reached the Magia Tree.

    ¡°It looks like White Crane Taoist is about to seed,¡± Mountain Tunneling King said enviously. Once White Crane Taoist reached the tree trunk, the Magia Tree would attack him no longer and allow him to pluck any one Magia Fruit.

    However, Ye Qing said something unexpected, ¡°No, he¡¯s about to die.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Mountain Tunneling King was confused as a matter of course. Before Ye Qing could answer him, he noticed White Crane Taoist suddenly freezing when he was just one step away from the tree trunk. Then, hisplexion rapidly turned bluish ck, and the cackling face of a ghost ovepped with his own face.¡°What in the¡­¡± Mountain Tunneling King murmured in shock and horror. Even from this distance, he felt chilled from the bottom of his heart.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a curse!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King couldn¡¯t see it, but Ye Qing¡¯s senses were way sharper. When White Crane Taoist was making his way toward the Magia Tree, he had seen a ghastly Magia Fruit on the tree slowly unfolding itself and writing the word ¡°Death¡± with blood. Then, itnded on top of White Crane Taoist¡¯s forehead.

    Unfortunately for White Crane Taoist, he never noticed anything amiss from the start until the end. By the time the ghastly face appeared, it was already toote. His body began shriveling and rotting at a supernatural pace. Just a few breathster, he had turned into a pile of bones.

    ¡°Mother of heavens¡­¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King gulped. Where he felt envy before, now there was only deep, terrible fear.

    ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡± Ye Qing joked. ¡°This is the opportunity of a lifetime, you know?¡±

    ¡°You jest, young master,¡± replied Mountain Tunneling King while shaking his head firmly. Yes, he was tempted to give it a try earlier, but that desire had disappeared like smoke after witnessing White Crane Taoist¡¯s downfall.

    As he mentioned earlier, he was more or less on the same level as White Crane Taoist. In fact, he was probably the weaker between the two of them. If even White Crane Taoist could not ovee the Magia Tree¡¯s trials, what was the chance that he would seed? It would be like lighting a candle inside a toilet¡ªsuicide.

    A Magia Fruit was valuable, but nothing was more valuable than his own life.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going, then I will,¡± Ye Qing said while staring at the Magia Tree.

    ¡°You will definitely seed, young master,¡± Mountain Tunneling King took it as a cue and paid Ye Qing apliment.

    ¡°Your well wishes are appreciated.¡± Ye Qing chuckled and dashed forward. He ran straight toward the Magia Tree.

    As soon as he got within a certain range of the Magia Tree, a Magia Fruit that was chanting Buddhist mantras unfurled its pages.

    The next moment, red lotuses and hellfire descended from the sky.

    ¡°The Hellfire Red Lotus? Interesting!¡±

    Ye Qing barely held back hisughter when he saw the sky of hellfire and red lotuses. If he was anyone else, then this would¡¯ve been quite the problem. But him? He was the man who mastered ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±! If there was one person in the world who was familiar with the Hellfire Red Lotus, it was him!

    Ye Qing straightened his palm and shed upward like he was wielding a saber.

    Red lotuses immediately bloomed on the ground and floated into the air.

    In the sky, red lotuses fell like the rain. On the ground, red lotuses floated like skynterns.

    For a time, red lotuses shed against red lotuses, and hellfire shed against hellfire. The entire world seemed to have turned into a sea of fire and red lotuses.

    Ye Qing swung his palm downward, and the sea of fire and red lotuses split apart to reveal a path.

    Ye Qing strode along the path. Neither the red lotuses nor the hellfire could so much as harm a hair on his person.

    After he passed through the sea of mes and walked about ten meters or so, a series of draconic roars erupted from the sky. When he looked up, he saw three thunder dragons bursting out of the clouds with a chariot behind their backs.

    A divine being d in golden armor was riding the chariot. A spear in his hand, he cast his gaze down onto the world.

    There was another roar, and the chariot rapidly descended toward the earth. Long before the divine being got close, his pressure already enveloped both heaven and earth in its suffocating embrace.

    By the time he was halfway toward the ground, the divine being raised his spear and threw it straight at Ye Qing.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    An outrageous amount of lightning immediately spilled down the heavens like someone had tipped over a thunder pool.

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King gulped audibly. Although he wasn¡¯t the divine being¡¯s target, he still turned as white as a ghost. He could not imagine how he could even begin to resist such power.

    Ye Qing remained calm and collected, however. A ck fish and a white fish began swimming around him in a profound manner. Their movement epassed both soft and hard forces, inaction and action, yin and yang. It looked like a scar of the Great Way itself.

    White Crane Taoist¡¯s tai chi circle only had the shape and none of the essence. On the other hand, Ye Qing¡¯s tai chi possessed both appearance and essence.

    The waterfall of lightning engulfed Ye Qing the next moment, but once again, not one speck of it managed to harm a hair on Ye Qing¡¯s person. He strode ever forward like he was taking a stroll in his backyard.

    Of course, the waterfall of lightning was just the appetizer. The real threat was the divine being¡¯s spear.

    Suddenly, the spear disappeared and reappeared just ten meters away from Ye Qing¡¯s head. A thousand lightning howled at the same time and aligned themselves next to the spear like armed escorts. Every time the spear descended three meters, the lightning surrounding would condense around the spear.

    Ten meterster, the spear looked positively purple, and lightning runes surrounded it from head to toe. Somehow, the spear had taken in the waterfall of lightning unto itself.

    Thunder could not be seen, but right here and now, there was no denying that the spear was a symbol of divine retribution.

    At first nce, the purple spear did not look nearly as intimidating as before. After all, the waterfall of lightning that apanied it before was nowhere to be found. However, there was no denying that both its power and its aura were many, many times stronger than before.

    Ye Qing did not try to block the spear. He didn¡¯t even try to dodge out of the way. It was as if the spear that could split mountains and rip the earth in half was no more but a harmless breeze. He allowed it to hit him squarely in the head.

    The world grew silent for a moment, and two fishes swimming around Ye Qing came to a stop as well. At the same time, invisible waves rippled to the surroundings.

    The next moment, the two fishes began swimming again, and a noise started from underneath his feet.

    At first, it was as weak as a cicada¡¯s chirp. Then, it grew louder until it resembled a running stream. Next, it evolved into a thunderstorm that seemed like it would never end, and finally, it roared as if an earthquake was about to happen.

    In fact, the earth was shaking violently, and the ground directly beneath Ye Qing¡¯s feet began crumbling inch by inch after the noise began.

    ¡°Reciprocation is important. Eat spear!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked, lifted his foot, and brought it down strongly. Half of the floating ind that supported the Magia Tree instantly shattered into pieces and fell from the sky. It was a stunning sight to say the least.

    At the same time, the two fishes swimming around grew increasingly profound. They generated action from inaction, changed soft to hard, transformed slowness to swiftness, and converted yin to yang.

    The spear standing on his head immediately shot back toward the divine being even faster and stronger than before.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    Space itself ripped apart like cheap fabric. The three thunder dragons and golden-armored divine being never stood a chance. Not only did the spear rip them to shreds, it punched through the clouds and disappeared into the sky in just the blink of an eye. It would be a long time before the thunderous rumblings in the sky ceased.

    ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi. When the nine impetuses are as one, heaven and earth itself may be overturned. Not bad.¡±

    Satisfaction welled in Ye Qing¡¯s heart as he nced at the divine being¡¯s remains.

 Chapter 741: Impetus of Tai Chi

    Chapter 741: Impetus of Tai Chi

    The technique he used just now was called the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, and itbined all nine impetuses into one. The ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡± was the ultimate technique of the ¡°Nine Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, and it could only be performed after the practitioner had mastered all other impetuses¡ªfast or slow, action or inaction, hard or soft, yin and yang¡ªandbined them all into the ultimate impetus, a.k.a the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±. Not only could it neutralize forces and block certain attacks, it could even reflect an opponent¡¯s attack right back at them.

    The ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡± was incredibly powerful, but it was equally difficult to cultivate. The keys to mastering the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡± was a vast reservoir of true qi and an unbreakable body. After all, if you couldn¡¯t even withstand the enemy¡¯s force, then how could you possibly reflect it back at the enemy?

    In fact, Ye Qing had grasped the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡± before he entered the Death Sea thanks to Nanke. However, his body wasn¡¯t strong enough to unveil its full power. Things were different now. His body had entered the Grandmaster stage, and it was tempered by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi no less. Now that his body was at least ten times stronger than before, it was more than capable of unleashing the full might of the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±.

    Even better, Ye Qing felt that he was still far away from reaching the absolute ceiling of the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±. If he could merge the power of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi into the technique, he was sure that it would be even more powerful.

    After annihting his opponent with his own technique, Ye Qing abruptly sped up and dashed toward the Magia Tree at high speed. Seemingly angered by Ye Qing¡¯s total annihtion of its trial, every Magia Tree began wobbling and shining unnaturally. For a time, Taoist sounds, Buddhist radiance, and demonic qi merged together to create a sight no words could sufficiently describe.

    Then, countless Magia Fruits flipped open and unleashed their Magia. The Yellow River descended from the sky, avnches both rock and snow copsed on top of Ye Qing from multiple directions, walls of sword qi surged toward him with deadly intent, a sea of qi moving mountains and rivers to squish him like a bug, purple rising from the east to blot out the celestial bodies, the sun and moon shining so bright that the stars might as well be invisible¡­

    Ye Qing never stopped running, however. He didn¡¯t even slow down. He smashed apart the waters of the Yellow River with his shoulder, redirected the avnches away from him using the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, blew apart the sea of qi threatening him from multiple sides with a shout, swallowed the purple qi from the east, and even shattered the sun, moon and stars that attempted to block his way with one punch.

    So much power and so many Magia, and yet not a single thing could Ye Qing¡¯s march! None!

    On the ground, Mountain Tunneling King was positively dazzled by Ye Qing¡¯s performance. Any one of the Magia currently assaulting Ye Qing could have pressured him into revealing a trump card or two to survive. All of them at once? Even the merest brush would be enough to kill him. And yet, Ye Qing looked so casual, confident, and untouchable he was like a living god whose powers were strong enough to overwhelm anything and everything.This was the moment Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s opinion of Ye Qing truly changedpletely. For the first time, he looked up to the young man like he was seeing his own god.

    Ye Qing was too busy to pry into Mountain Tunnel King¡¯s thoughts right now. Even if he knew, it wouldn¡¯t bother him one bit.

    When he finally reached the trunk of the Magia Tree, the Magia Fruits abruptly closed themselves, and the storm of Magia ravaging the area abruptly vanished like it never happened.

    He had ovee the Magia Tree¡¯s trials. It was time to pluck the fruits of victory.

    From a distance, the Magia Tree didn¡¯t seem so imposing. But now that he was standing underneath it, Ye Qing was starting to realize just how massive it was evenpared to your millennia-old trees.

    The Magia Tree was over a hundred meters tall. It would take at least a dozen people to hug its tree trunkpletely. Its leaves and branches were so thick that the shadow it cast almost felt like nighttime, and he felt positively like an ant in terms of size.

    Ye Qing did not rush to pluck a Magia Tree. Instead, he circled around it once and examined it carefully before producing three Incenses of Fortune from his Nine Heavens. He lit them one by one.

    After the incense sticks were ignited, he prayed to the Magia Tree and said, ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, brother Incense¡­¡±

    As soon as he said this, the three Incense of Fortune began burning at an elerated rate. Puffs of blue smoke floated into the sky, pierced through the thick leaves and branches, and began checking out each and every Magia Fruit as if they were sentient.

    The closer they got to the Magia Fruits, the faster the incense sticks burned. At this rate, they were going to burn out in just a dozen or so breaths.

    The blue smoke didn¡¯t stop, however. Sometimes, they would linger near a Magia Fruit as if they had made their decision. Then, they would move away and float higher up the tree.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ I don¡¯t need perfection, brother Incense. I¡¯m fine with just an excellent Magia that won¡¯t kill me or something.¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly said when he saw this. It would be terrible if they ran out of steam before they could decide on the perfect Magia Fruit for him.

    Seemingly understanding Ye Qing¡¯s meaning, the blue smoke paused in front of a Magia Fruit right before the three Incenses of Fortune would burn out.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up, and he leaped into the air to pluck the Magia Fruit.

    It was at this moment he suddenly nked out for an instant. It was less than a fraction of a second, but it was enough time for a hand to appear out of nowhere and grab the Magia Fruit.

    It was literally just a hand; a hand that looked like it had been severed by a sharp de. There was no denying that it had plucked the Magia Fruit, however.

    The palm of the severed hand split open, and the fruit disappeared into the gap as if swallowed. Then, an annoying cackle came from the same gap, ¡°Hahaha¡­ Thank you so much for your trouble, brother. I will dly ept this gift of yours.¡±

    ¡°You may not have the stomach to im my spoil!¡±

    The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. This time though, he was the praying mantis. Absolutely furious, Ye Qing threw out a punch in an attempt to crush the hand like a bug.

    ¡°Calm down, brother. Haven¡¯t you heard that impulse is the devil?¡±

    The severed hand jeered and did a strange twirl. Ye Qing recognized it as a profound palm technique though. After all, it somehow managed to redirect his deadly punch elsewhere.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    It was after the punch that Ye Qing realized that he had fucked up. Unfortunately, it was toote. The severed hand had redirected his fist force against the Magia Tree!

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The Magia Tree wobbled, and countless cracks spread across its jade-like bark. An unbelievable amount of tree leaves fell from above like the rain.

    The ploy was scummy, but it worked. The Magia Tree believed that it was Ye Qing who attacked it andshed out with its numerous tree branches.

    Ye Qing kicked off the tree trunk and shot toward the periphery like an arrow. However, the Magia Fruits flipped open and unleashed their Magia at him. His figure instantly vanished beneath a storm of power.

    ¡°I told you that impulse is the devil, didn¡¯t I? You only have yourself to me for this oue.¡±

    Meanwhile, the severed hand had reappeared not far away to jeer at Ye Qing. However, it barely finished before the storm of Magia suddenly parted like a flood against a solid rock, and a figure jumped toward it while moving his fingers like he was ying the pipa. He was, of course, Ye Qing.

    <em>Twang twang twang!</em>

    Invisible ripples appeared in the sky, and the severed hand eximed in surprise, ¡°You¡¯re quite strong, brother! I guess I won¡¯t be ying with you any longer!¡±

    The severed hand was just about to leave when suddenly, thunderps erupted from the surrounding space. The severed hand let out a strange cry before exploding into bits as if it had been crushed by a boulder.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    As soon as the hand exploded, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from the ground about one hundred meters from the floating ind. The next second, a middle-aged man appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

    The man looked to be in his forties. He was dressed in rags and wearing strange,edic make-up. It was almost as if he was a circus clown.

    The man¡¯s left wrist was ripped apart and bleeding profusely. The wound was so deep that one could see the bones inside. Strangely, the man was smiling happily.

    ¡°How ruthless of you, brother. I won¡¯t forget this¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s mouth split into a wide, exaggerated grin. Then, he turned around and ran away.

    ¡°Stay right there!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King hurriedly gave chase when he saw this.

    On the floating ind, Ye Qing attempted to chase after the strange man as well. However, he quickly realized that he was stuck on the ind almost as if the space around him was locked. Not only that, he was getting closer and closer to the Magia Tree.

    The next moment, the Magia Fruits flipped open and engulfed him in a storm of Magia once more.

 Chapter 742: The Oriole Behind

    Chapter 742: The Oriole Behind

    <em>Motherfucker! </em>Ye Qing swore inside his head. The strange man hadn¡¯t just stolen his Magia Fruit, he was obviously trying to kill him through the Magia Tree as well.

    Although the Magia Tree allowed anyone and everyone to pluck its Magia Fruits, they were deathly afraid of getting hurt. Anyone who attacked it or hurt it would earn its eternal ire, and it would not stop until it had in its attacker.

    That was what the strange man had done. He had redirected his attack onto the Magia Tree so that the Stranger would do his dirty work for him.

    If the Magia Tree¡¯s trials were just a breeze, then the assault Ye Qing was currently weathering was a storm.

    Ye Qing was defending himself using the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, and for several times, he was able to charge out of the Magia Tre¡¯s attack range. However, every time he was moments away from departing the floating ind, he would encounter all sorts of obstacles. One time, the air became as sticky as a swamp, and his steps became painfully slow. Another time, he began reversing back to the Magia Tree as if his momentum was somehow being reversed. He was also beset by more mundane obstacles such as a thick fog that was difficult to navigate through or a spatial lockdown that pinned him in ce.

    ¡°You piece of¡ª! Do I look like a saint to you?¡±

    He was annoyed enough that his prize was snatched away by an oriole, and now the damn tree wouldn¡¯t let him go no matter what! A dark me began to burn inside his heart.

    A steely glint shed in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes as the tai chi circle around him neutralized or redirected the storm of Magia elsewhere. Then, he charged toward the Magia Tree instead.

    Seemingly noticing the threat he posed, the Magia Tree grew even more violent than before. The wind howled, the rain poured, the purple qi boiled, the mountains and rivers shook, the stars and moon fell, the nine suns aligned in the sky¡­ It unleashed even deadlier Magia at Ye Qing all at once.Ye Qing just kept running. His response toward the terrifying storm of Magia was to raise his fist, muster his fist intent, and charge ever forward.

    Who could stop the lone cavalry when even death had lost its sway on him?

    <em>¡°Break Through¡±</em>

    The fist force punched right through the storm of Magia like it was made of paper. It continued to fly toward the Magia Tree without slowing in the slightest.

    The Magia Fruits flipped its pages like crazy and shot beams of light toward the Magia Tree. When theynded, countless runes and Buddhist patterns appeared on its crystalline trunk, and its color turned intopiszuli.

    A golden Buddha appeared at the bottom of the tree, holding a prithvi mudra and wearing a kind smile. When his palm moved an inch forward, a hundred and eight Arhats appeared in front of him and assumed a formation. When it moved two inches forward, eighteen Bodhisattvas manifested and sat cross-legged on the ground. When it moved three inches forward, the Buddhas of three times¡ªDipamkara (the Buddha of the past), Shakyamuni (present) and Maitreya (future)¡ªshowed themselves while chanting a Buddhist sutra.

    There existed a Kingdom of Buddha within three inches of space.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing¡¯s fist force was still traveling toward the Magia Tree. Not only was his fist intent unending, it kept growing stronger and stronger until it was level with the heavens themselves.

    When a warrior¡¯s fist intent was like the will of the heavens, it could reach even the gods and the demons.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    There was a terrible outburst of power. Like Sun Wukong causing havoc in Heaven¡¯s Pce, Ye Qing¡¯s fist had shattered the one hundred and eight Arhats, the eighteen Bodhisattvas, and the three Buddhas. Then, it finallynded on the Magia Tree¡¯s tree trunk.

    <em>Thunk!</em>

    It sounded like someone was hitting a giant bell with a hammer. Sound waves so dense they were almost visible rippled out of the Magia Tree, shattering the ground and shaking the floating ind.

    ¡°Hmm! You¡¯re quite tough, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing was surprised. His ¡°Break Through¡± had left only a small imprint on the tree¡¯s bark. He could also tell it was dozens of times tougher than it was before. With his current strength, it would probably take him a dozen punches before he could crack its trunk, much less destroy it.

    ¡°But so what? Let¡¯s see how tough you really are!¡±

    When someone had lost their temper, there was nothing they wouldn¡¯t do. Ye Qing sneered and transformed into the Chaos Demon Ape.

    Unlike before, his fur wasn¡¯t as ck as tar anymore. It was dark yellow probably because he absorbed the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. While he wasn¡¯t nearly as terrifying-looking as before, he was now strong, beautiful, and seemingly as unshakeable as the earth itself.

    As soon as his transformation wasplete, Ye Qing immediately grabbed the Magia Tree¡¯s trunk, roared, and pulled with all his might. He was attempting to rip the Magia Tree out of the earth!

    Sensing danger, the Magia Tree attempted to push him back with a flurry of powerful Magia. Its trunk was also shining brightly and emanating enough heat to melt steel and jade like nothing.

    Ye Qing could not seem to feel it, however. The dark yellow energies circting around his body was protecting him from the worst of it. Letting out a deafening roar, he kept pulling until his arms were bulging, and his legs were sinking into the ground. Momentster, the Magia Tree was ripped right out of the ground.

    Mountain Tunneling King had returned from his pursuit just in time to see Ye Qing ripping out the Magia Tree in his Chaos Demon Ape form. His mouth fell open dumbly as he stopped in his tracks.

    He had heard of powerful warriors taking no damage whatsoever during the Magia Tree¡¯s trials. He had also heard of people stealing a Magia Fruit from right under its nose before booking it like the wind. He had even heard of warriors who were so powerful that the Magia Tree outright gave them a Magia Fruit without bothering to test them.

    But not once had he heard of anyone being strong enough to destroy the Magia Tree. Not only was he witnessing it, Ye Qing was doing it in a manner that he did not think was possible. He was pulling it out by the roots almost as if it was just an ordinary nt!

    <em>Rumble¡­</em>

    After the Magia Tree was ripped out of the ground, invisible thunderps immediately erupted in the sky, and the floating ind began shaking violently and crumbling piece by piece.

    Ye Qing roared and raised the Magia Tree high, high in the air. Its branches and roots iled with mad desperation, but it wasn¡¯t able to break free no matter what it tried.

    On a rted note, the floating ind seemed incapable of floating without the Magia Tree to support it. It immediately plummeted toward the ground.

    <em>Boom boom boom!</em>

    The dust clouds were massive, and it sounded as if the deafening rumbles would never end. A long timeter, when both the dust clouds and the rumblings finally subsided somewhat, neither Ye Qing nor the Magia Tree was anywhere to be seen. All Mountain Tunneling King could see was the debris.

    ¡°Young master! Young master!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King waited until the dust cloud subsided some more before rushing into the giant pile of debris and calling out to Ye Qing again and again.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    It was at this moment he heard a coughing sound from a certain direction. When he turned around, he saw Ye Qing standing on top of a pile of debris, pinching his nose and coughing non-stop.

    Mountain Tunneling King immediately raced forward and showered him with concern, ¡°Are you alright, young master?¡±

    He knew that Ye Qing was fine, of course. He was the man who ripped out the Magia Tree by the roots after all. However, that was no reason for him not to show his concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ cough! Cough!¡±

    Ye Qing responded before summoning his astral qi and pushing away the dust and soot covering his body. He then asked, ¡°Where¡¯s that man?¡±

    ¡°My apologies, young master, but I failed to catch him,¡± Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s voice turned a tad fearful as he replied.

    ¡°Do you know who he is?¡±

    Luckily for him, Ye Qing was a reasonable man. The strange man was definitely a Grandmaster, and he was strong enough to catch even him off guard. It was perfectly natural that Mountain Tunneling King wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to such a guy. He just wanted to know the strange man¡¯s identity.

    Mountain Tunneling King let out a sigh of relief before answering, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, he is the one they call Ugly ve, young master.¡±

    ¡°Ugly ve?¡± Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows.

    ¡°Ugly ve is ranked ny-third on the Earth Champions Ranking, and he was born with full body paralysis. His parents discarded him in the wilderness after finding out his disability, but he was rescued by the Heretic Doctor, Xu Songshan.¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King exined, ¡°Unfortunately for Ugly ve, Xu Songshan wasn¡¯t called the Heretic Doctor because his methods were unorthodox, but because he was pure evil. He loved experimenting his drugs and methods on live subjects, and Ugly ve had been a victim almost since the day he was born. I probably don¡¯t need to tell you how horrible that is.¡±

    ¡°Although Ugly ve was born crippled, he was surprisingly talented in the ways of martial arts. In fact, he was a martial genius. Despite his broken body, he invented a martial art called the ¡®Body Separation Soul Controlling Art¡¯ that allowed him to detach his limbs from his body and control them using subsouls. Essentially, each limb is an entity of its own. It is quite anomalous.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to the ¡®Body Separation Soul Controlling Art¡¯, Ugly ve was able to kill the Heretic Doctor and even make quite the name for himself in the <em>jianghu.</em>¡±

 Chapter 743: Celestial Palace In The Clouds

    Chapter 743: Celestial Pce In The Clouds

    ¡°Be careful, young master. Ugly ve is cruel, unpredictable, vengeful and cunning. Since you hurt him, he will surely seek you out for revenge,¡± Mountain Tunneling King added while recalling all the rumors regarding Ugly ve.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve sought him out anyway, so that¡¯s perfect,¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t be a match for you, young master.¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King gave Ye Qing an obsequious smile before voicing his curiosity, ¡°By the way, where is the Magia Tree, young master?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s right here!¡± Ye Qing responded and raised his left hand. As it turned out, he was holding a small, crystalline tree about three or four inches tall in his left hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Magia Tree? Why did it be so small?¡± Mountain Tunneling King was stunned to say the least. He could not understand how or why the gargantuan Magia Tree had shrunk down to this.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself. It became like this after I ripped it out of the ground,¡± Ye Qing replied with a shrug. As he said, the Magia Tree began shrinking after he ripped it out of the earth, and the floating ind began crumbling. By the time they hit the ground, it was only three or four inches long.

    Appearance wise, nothing else seemed different about the Magia Tree. It still had a massive canopy, and its branches were covered in many Magia Fruits.

    As he spoke, Ye Qing casually waved the Magia Tree a little. Then, something unexpected happened. The Magia Tree abruptly shone brightly, and the Magia Fruits flipped open to fire a st of wind and lightning. When it hit the ground, everything within a hundred meters immediately went up in mes.<em>Boom!</em>

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Ye Qing was stunned, of course. He was also feeling a little light-headed. It was a sign that he had used up a little too much spiritual power.

    The Magia Tree¡¯s light slowly dimmed, and the Magia Fruits closed themselves. It returned to normal after that.

    ¡°Huh. Whoever says that nothing goodes out of a setback? This is wonderful!¡±

    Ye Qing quickly figured out what just happened and broke into a wide grin. He didn¡¯t know why, but the Magia Tree hadn¡¯t died after he ripped it out of the ground. Instead, it transformed into something resembling a Strange Artifact. As long as he provided it with spiritual power, then the Magia Fruits would unleash their Magia.

    He lost a Magia Fruit, but earned an entire Magia Tree as a result. This was awesome to say the least!

    He would need to experiment with it. For starters, he wanted to know if he could identify the Magia imbued in each Magia Fruit. Even better, he wanted to know if he could control each individual Magia. If he could, then the Magia Tree would be a priceless weapon.

    ¡°Congrattions, young master! Congrattions on obtaining a¡­ Magia artifact!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but it remains to be seen how valuable it really is.¡± Ye Qing shook his head before saying, ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re done here. Let¡¯s get out of this ce.¡±

    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±

    Ye Qing took the lead, and Mountain Tunneling King followed closely behind.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hah¡­¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King let out a long stream of white breath as he trekked toward heavens-know-where, his hair and eyebrows covered in thick ice.

    ¡°Y-young master¡­ is it just me, or is it getting colder?¡± Mountain Tunneling King asked while rubbing his hands furiously. He looked back and forth between Ye Qing¡ªthe young man was currently busy experimenting with the Magia Tree¡ªand the huge, round sun above their heads.

    Looking at the sun, you would think that the environment would be swelteringly hot. In reality, the sunrays felt as cold as ice and prated all the way to the bone. It was colder than standing naked in the middle of the coldest winter, which was why even he, a Grandmaster, was affected to a certain extent.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s probably because of the sunlight. Remember that the naturalws of this ce are chaotic and in shambles. Most things do not work as they seem.¡±

    As he spoke, Ye Qing gave his Magia Tree a shake. A sword beam missed the tip of Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s nose by milimeters and cut open the grassy ground underneath his feet. Globs of blood immediately spilled out of the grass, and a dead body was revealed. It looked like the body had just died not long ago.

    Maybe it was because the cold had slowed down his thoughts, but it took Mountain Tunneling King a good few seconds before he realized what just happened¡ªor rather, what almost happened to him. His back immediately broke out in cold sweat.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Qing, he might have been swallowed by the grassy ground and killed just like the dead warrior.

    ¡°Thank you for saving my life, young master.¡± Mountain Tunneling King hurriedly voiced his thanks.

    ¡°Mm. Stay alert,¡± Ye Qing instructed before returning his attention to the Magia Tree.

    A short whileter, a light rain began falling from the sky. The drizzle looked soft, dreamy, and invigorating like a spring rain, but¡­

    ¡°Shit! It burns!¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King nearly jumped when the raindrops hit his skin and sizzled like it was oil. He hurriedly covered himself in ayer of astral qi.

    The rainwater wasn''t as ice cold as he thought it would be. Instead, it was as hot as boiling water.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t seem to notice it though. It was probably because the rainwater automatically slid off as soon as it came within one meter of him. It was as if he was protected by an invisible shield. Not a single drop was able to touch his skin.

    As time passed, the rainwater grew hotter and hotter. It wasn¡¯t long before the entire ce was colored in steam, and it felt like they were food inside a cooking pot.

    Despite his astral qi, Mountain Tunneling King was sweating non-stop and turnedpletely red like a boiled lobster.

    ¡°Young master¡­ I don¡¯t think I can keep going¡­¡±

    Mountain Tunneling King tried to wipe away the sweat on his forehead, but when he looked down at his hand, he realized that he had identally wiped away an entireyer of skin. The worst part was that he couldn¡¯t feel any pain whatsoever. Clearly, his flesh had been cooked from the inside out.

    At this rate, he really was going to be cooked like a lobster. Throw in some sauce and vinegar and add in a bottle of wine, and he would be the perfect dinner!

    Ye Qing shot Mountain Tunneling King a nce before shaking the Magia Tree again. A beam of green, floral light struck the Grandmaster and filled him with a cool, refreshing sensation. His ailments disappeared, and his body recovered in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Thank you, young master!¡± Mountain Tunneling King saluted Ye Qing.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. You should¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing looked up at the endless rain above his head and frowned. He was going to send Mountain Tunneling King back to the entrance.

    The reason he brought the Grandmaster over in the first ce wasn¡¯t because he thought he would be useful, but because he was hoping to intimidate the man with his exploits. He wanted to cement his loyalty and make it so that Mountain Tunneling King would serve him from the bottom of his heart.

    He seeded. He could clearly sense Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s fear and respect¡ªno, reverence toward him. The Grandmaster now viewed him like his one true god, and he could no longer sense even a speck of betrayal in his heart. Therefore, it should be safe to send him back to Shangguan Hongjin, Pedant Earth and Mrs. Basket.

    However, he wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence before a pce suddenly appeared in the sky. It was huge, magnificent-looking, and surrounded by thousands and thousands of ribbons of auspicious qi. It looked like a celestial pce floating in the clouds.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    The next moment, a brightugh came from the pce. The clouds swirled, and the image of a woman sitting in arge hall appeared.

    The woman looked like the paragon of beauty itself. Stunning, bewitching, fantastical. She was so beautiful that no singr term could hope to properly describe her. One look was all she needed to steal one¡¯s breath and soul.

    The moment the woman appeared, the rain froze, the fog stilled, and the wind stopped. It was as if time itself had frozen for this woman; capitted to her in awe of her beauty.

    At that moment, every living being in the world fell in love with that woman.

    Then, they began charging toward the pce¡ªmore specifically, the woman¡ªat top speed.

    Ye Qing and Mountain Tunneling King were no exception.

 Chapter 744: Cities Have Fallen Over Her Beauty

    Chapter 744: Cities Have Fallen Over Her Beauty

    Countless people swarmed the pce from every direction. There were genius warriors from the Huan Champions Ranking such as Xu Rulin, Defeated, the Holy Son of Maitreya, Zhang Lingyang; Earth Champions Ranking Grandmasters such as Blood Rakshasa, Mistress Qu, and the Mortician; and many, many more nobodies.

    Everyone¡¯s face was fraught with love and intoxication. They could only stare nkly at the woman in the sky and walk toward her.

    Auspicious clouds joined together to form multiple flights of stairs that led up to the sky. The bewitched people woodenly climbed the stairs and toward her. It wasn¡¯t long before they were all gathered in front of the pce.

    ¡°Celestial pce my ass¡­ Peh!¡±

    Ye Qing hid a scoff as he stared at the pce in front of him. In fact, he had snapped out of his bewitched state even before he set foot on the staircase of auspicious clouds. The reason he continued to act bewitched was because the woman¡¯sughter gave him a very familiar feeling. Specifically, it reminded him of the severed hand he saw during the Hill Carrier¡¯s Treasure Appreciation Auction.

    The hand had been so bewitching that everyone had fallen in love with it at first sight. However, its influence was practically nothingpared to the woman inside the pce. After all, everyone within tens, maybe even hundreds of kilometers of her had fallen hopelessly in love with the woman after she showed herself. Among the influenced were powerful warriors from the Human Champions Ranking and Earth Champions Ranking as well.

    That wasn¡¯t all. He could feel her influence growing the closer he got to the pce.

    The reason he awoke so quickly was one, because he entered the Grandmaster stage and was much, much stronger than he was before, and two, because of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was a natural karmic qi with the ability to improve one¡¯s body and talent, shield one from negative or demonic influences, and greatly bolster one¡¯s physical and mental defenses. It was infinitely useful.Thanks to the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, he was able to shake off the woman¡¯s influence quickly and see the pce for what it truly was.

    In another person¡¯s eyes, the stairs were made of auspicious clouds. But in his eyes? They were built from countless dead bodies.

    Just the same, the so-called celestial pce looked huge, magnificent and luxurious to most people, but what he saw was a dpidated building that seemed horribly damaged by the ravages of war.

    Everyone ran inside the pce after they set foot on it. Ye Qing was no exception.

    The interior of the pce looked pretty broken as well, but it was wide and spacious, and glimpses of its former glory peeked out here and there.

    There was a huge throne at the center of the pce. A woman was sitting on it.

    She was the one who appeared outside the pce earlier. She was exactly as¡ªno, she was even more beautiful and charming than the illusion they were shown. Even with his mental fortitude, one look at her face was almost enough to steal Ye Qing¡¯s soul away.

    Something was strange, however. There was a peachwood nail stuck inside her forehead. Thin and long, it pierced through her whole head and nailed her to the throne behind her back.

    There was no bloodstain around the wound though. In fact, the peachwood nail looked as red as blood. It was as if the nail had absorbed all the blood inside her head.

    Besides that, the woman was missing her left hand as well.

    If Ye Qing only suspected that she was the owner of the severed hand he encountered at the Treasure Appreciation Auction before, now he was one hundred percent certain.

    The woman looked incredibly lifelike, but Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought told him that there was no life inside her body. He wondered why.

    The warriors who entered the room began forming lines in front of the woman. When they were ready, a man stepped up to the woman, cut open his wrist, and held it to her luscious lips. Almost immediately, his body began shriveling at an visible rate. Clearly, the woman was feeding on his blood.

    Although he was dying, the man did not snap back to wakefulness or notice his state at all. He just wore an obsessive, infatuated smile on his face.

    A short whileter, the man waspletely drained and turned into a withered corpse. But somehow, he was still moving. He stiffly stepped behind the woman and stood there.

    The man¡¯s smile never changed from the start until the end. His eyes did not stray from her for even a second either.

    As for the others, it was almost as if they were staring at the air. They did not find the bizarre, positively terrifying scene disturbing in the slightest.

    After the man stepped away, another warrior walked up to the woman, cut open his wrist, and fed the woman as well.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the woman had sucked five people¡¯s blood. One of them was a Grandmaster too.

    Ye Qing wondered if it was his imagination, but the woman seemed to look even more lifelike than before after consuming five people¡¯s blood.

    <em>Is she still alive?</em>

    Ye Qing could not help but entertain the terrifying thought.

    The Dark Overlord Li Hentian was the greatest warrior in the world eight hundred years ago. However, this woman probably wasn¡¯t too far behind him. Assuming she really was still alive, this meant that she had somehow lived for over eight hundred years. Just how scary was that?

    It was at this moment a familiar figure walked toward the woman. He was none other than Zhang Lingyang.

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t fought Zhang Lingyang back at the basin, but he did probe him with his demonic thought before. That was how he knew that the man was exceptionally strong. So strong, in fact, that he could not have beaten him before he became a Grandmaster.

    It was also why he did not believe that Zhang Lingyang was still enthralled by the woman¡¯s supernatural charm.

    He was unable to perceive the warrior¡¯s inner thoughts, however. Not even a little. It was like he was peering into a bottomless old well where the water was perfectly still.

    He was right. After Zhang Lingyang reached the woman, he abruptly pulled out a short saber and thrust it at the woman¡¯s throat.

    <em>ng!</em>

    What happened next stunned both him and Zhang Lingyang, however. When his saber struck the woman¡¯s throat, it actually sounded like he was hitting metal. It failed to leave even the slightest mark on the woman¡¯s skin as well. Not only that, Zhang Lingyang was pushed back a few steps, and his hand was numb from the impact.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ they say that a pretty girl¡¯s skin is made of water, so why are yours harder than even stone?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang shook his wrist while wearing an odd expression on his face. ¡°I was going to give you an easy death since you¡¯re so pretty, but I guess I have no choice but to get violent. This sin is going to haunt my dreams toe!¡±

    Despite his frivolous words, Zhang Lingyang was as tense as he could be on the inside. It was because he knew how powerful the woman was. The only reason he was immune to her influence was thanks to his master¡¯s gift, a Five Thunder Heavenly Master Seal, an item of supreme yang.

    The reason he came here despite being immune was one, he wanted to know exactly what was the thing that bewitched so many people at once, and two, he wanted to nab a treasure or two. That was why he came here after all; to be rich as fuck.

    At first, he was quite satisfied with his decision. For one, the woman really was one of, if not the prettiest women he had ever seen in his life. If she wasn¡¯t a blood-sucking monster, then he really would have hesitated to destroy such a pretty thing. Two, the peachwood nail was a valuable treasure. And how did he know? It was thanks to his man¡¯s intuition, of course!

    Of course, he was sure that he wasn¡¯t the only one who was untouched by the woman¡¯s influence. They must surely be plotting the same thing as him. But who was he? He was the champion of the Human Champions Ranking; the future of the Dragon Tiger Mountain! Cowardice and hesitation was not in his blood!

    More importantly, he was certain that no one could catch up to him as long as he managed to kill the monster and take the peachwood nail.

    To pull off this feat, he would need to kill the woman in one strike. That was why he chose the Demon Suppressing Saber. The Demon Suppressing Saber was a weapon specifically designed by the Heavenly Master Mansion to defeat evil and suppress dark powers. It was especially potent against evil and yin-type Strangers such as the one right in front of him.

    Unfortunately, things didn''t go as nned. He had imagined many scenarios in his head, but he never imagined that his Demon Suppressing Saber would fail to harm even a hair on the woman¡¯s person.

    He was on his highest alert as a result of this.

    The pic below is Chi Wuyao from Against The Gods. I believe it''s the best pic that describes this uing character.

 Chapter 745: Heavenly Master Nine Word Command

    Chapter 745: Heavenly Master Nine Word Command

    As soon as he finished talking, Zhang Lingyang charged toward the woman once more, the Demon Suppressing Saber spinning in his hand and drawing a demon suppressing rune in the air.

    He swung his saber, but the five withered corpses behind the woman rushed out at the same time. One of them stood in front of the woman and took his attack head on, disintegrating into a pile of ashes as a result. The other four attacked him from multiple directions.

    In response, Zhang Lingyang flipped his palm upward to reveal three flowers that sprouted six leaves.

    <em>¡°Three Flowers Six Leaves Palm¡±</em>

    In one palm strike, he sent the four corpses flying through the air like rag dolls. Lightning burst out of their body and disintegrated them into ash as well.

    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ you think that a couple of walking trash is enough to stop I, Zhang Lingyang? You could control everyone here, and you still wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat me!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang scoffed and tried to attack the woman again, but he had just twitched a muscle when he felt a st of wind behind his back. With a step in and a spin, he traded ces with his ambusher and struck him at the back of his head.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    It was like he was striking a gong, except that the impact was dull and fleshy. The ambusher immediately copsed in a heap.The woman gave him no time to breathe though. A couple more warriors attacked him, and one of them was even a Grandmaster.

    ¡°You¡¯re actually going to try and overwhelm me with numbers?!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang rolled his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to make a big fuss about this, but it would seem that he had no choice but to get serious.

    While holding the Heavenly Master Five Thunder Seal in his right hand, Zhang Lingyang pressed his tongue against the pte and growled thunder in his abdomen. When the noise climbed up to his mouth, it transformed into the word ¡°Bright¡±.

    When the word left his lips, a strong wind swept the hall as if it was themand of a god, and the sound reverberated throughout the area.

    <em>¡°Heavenly Master Nine Word Command: Bright¡±</em>

    The Heavenly Master Nine Word Command was a secret art passed down within the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain. The nine words were Heaven, Clear, Earth, Bright, Dragon, Tiger, Home, and One. Each word possessed their own unique uses, all of them were incredibly powerful.

    Of the nine words, ¡°Bright¡± was the one that sounded most like the rebuke of a god. It possessed the power to suppress evil influences and clear the mind, and it was best used to awaken those whose minds had been bewitched by evil spirits.

    That was why he was using it right now. He was hoping to awaken the bewitched warriors and stop them from attacking him.

    Unfortunately for him, his attackers and the rest of the group only blinked once as if they were about to jolt back to reality. Then, their eyes zed over, and their assault on Zhang Lingyang resumed.

    ¡°Now how is this possible?¡±

    Zhang Lingyang looked like he had seen a ghost. The Heavenly Master Nine Word Command had never failed him before, but then again, there was always a first time. He had no choice but to defend himself.

    That wasn¡¯t all. While Zhang Lingyang was kept busy, the rest of the group continued to walk up to the woman and feed her fresh blood.

    As she consumed more blood, the woman¡¯s face began to turn rosier and rosier. Somehow, she looked even more attractive than before.

    Unable to break free from his attackers, Zhang Lingyang had no choice but to shout, ¡°Hello? We¡¯re all going to die if that womanes back to life! Stop pretending and help me already!¡±

    ¡°I thought you said you could handle all of us at the same time, Little Heavenly Master? A mere spirit should be no problem for you.¡±

    In the crowd, Chu Wangsun closed his book and said slowly. His tone was cold and indifferent as if he was just stating a fact.

    ¡°Nonsense! Don¡¯t you know who I am, Brother Chu? I am the handsome,passionate and low-key Zhang Lingyang! I would never make such a shamelessment! You must have heard wrong!¡± Zhang Lingyang dered without a shred of shame whatsoever. ¡°Anyway, help me already, Brother Chu! Who knows what might happen if we take too long?¡±

    Chu Wangsun did not respond. Instead, he took one step forward and appeared in front of the woman in the blink of an eye. Then, he swung his book at the woman¡¯s forehead.

    As the book descended, the image of an ancient sage appeared behind his back, and the sound of wind, rain, and recitations filled everyone¡¯s ears. Be it family, national, or global matters, all matters deserved a book of its own. Therefore, one might say that a book contained the weight of an entire world.

    The warriors who attempted to stop him were immediately brought to their knees. Then, the book struck the woman squarely in the forehead.

    <em>BOOM!</em>

    There was a deafening noise. The hall shook, and both the woman and the throne sank three inches into the ground. They were fine though. If anything, it was Chu Wangsun¡¯s book that shattered into a million pieces.

    Chu Wangsun lifted an eyebrow. It wasn¡¯t just because his ¡°A Book, A World¡± failed to deal any damage to the woman whatsoever, but also because the controlled crowd were charging toward him with reckless abandon.

    His expression remained calm, however. He lifted one finger and brought it down on the woman¡¯s forehead. At the same time, one man covered his back with a storm of sword qi, and another chanted Buddhist mantras to shield him from danger.

    They were Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya. Clearly, they too had snapped out of the woman¡¯s influence.

    Chu Wangsun knew they would help him in a timely fashion. That was why he didn¡¯t bother to cover his back.

    He simply needed to focus on what was in front of him.

    This time though, he wasn¡¯t aiming at the woman; not exactly. He was aiming at the peachwood nail on her forehead.

    Right before Chu Wangsun¡¯s finger would hit the nail, the woman on the throne opened her lips a little and made a little murmur.

    It was a soft,zy voice as if she had awoken from a good night¡¯s sleep. It was also one of the sexiest voices anyone had ever heard in their life.

    Such was her voice that Chu Wangsun¡¯s finger slowed down considerably. At the same time, reluctance, pain, and hesitation flitted through his eyes.

    ¡°Brother Chu! Wake up!¡±

    Seeing this, Zhang Lingyang shouted like a thunderp once more. The fluttering books and recitations above Chu Wangsun¡¯s head also shaved away at the woman¡¯s influence.

    Thanks to this, Chu Wangsun quickly regained his consciousness and resumed his attack.

    His finger finally made contact with the peachwood nail, and¡­

    Nothing.

    That was it.

    He could not push further no matter what. Why?

    It was because the woman was slowly opening her eyes.

    When the woman¡¯s eyes fluttered open, all seemed to fade away into nothing except hers.

    There was no one and nothing who would not be moved by such beauty.

    That was why Chu Wangsun sumbed.

    Zhang Lingyang, Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya too lost themselves in her body.

    Everyone was wearing an infatuated, crazed expression.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    The woman wanted to move after she opened her eyes, but the second she tried, mysterious runes abruptly sprung out of the peacewood nail stuck in her forehead. At the same time, it emitted some sort of demonic sound that caused the woman¡¯s face to be contorted in pain.

    Her painful expression was such that everyone could not help but sympathize with her. They could not help but think that such an expression did not fit a woman like her.

    ¡°Repentance? You want me to repent? Keep dreaming, Li Hentian!¡±

    Suddenly, the woman broke into a smile. It was a smile that could topple cities in an instant.

    All at once, the bewitched warriors raised their hands and cut open their wrists. The woman¡¯s vermillion lips parted a little, and streams of blood flew toward her from every direction.

    The streams of blood were three inches from her lips when suddenly, they turned a corner and flew toward a separate direction.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ apologies, but I think I can make use of this blood better than you.¡±

    There was a red-haired woman in red robes at the direction the blood was flying to. She looked a little pale for some reason. ¡°What do you say, Brother Cui, Sister Qu?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. I just want her. I only want her.¡±

    An extremely handsome man stepped out of the crowd while staring intently at the woman, his face overflowing with infatuation and obsession. ¡°She¡¯s gorgeous. She¡¯s <em>gorgeous</em>. I must stitch her into the most perfect Corpse Spirit in the world. We won¡¯t be separated for all time.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I want that peachwood nail.¡±

    A woman wearing a long pce dress too stepped out of the crowd and said.

 Chapter 746: The Number One Celestial of Wulin

    Chapter 746: The Number One Celestial of Wulin

    ¡°Blood Rakshasa, Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan[1]...¡±

    Ye Qing raised a curious eyebrow. The world was a small ce when you have enemies. Not only did he recognize all of the Grandmasters present, two out of three of them held a grudge against him.

    The woman in red dress was Blood Rakshasa, the handsome middle-aged man was the Mortician Cui Qiuyuan, and the woman in long pce dress was Qu Langhuan, one of the six Mistresses of the Li Hentian Pce. He had met her first at the Ghost Tower, and more recently at the Death Sea.

    Blood Rakshasa was looking frail despite her best attempts to disguise her weakness. It was because he screwed her over back at the basin, of course. Her main cultivation art, the ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡± was rooted on fresh blood. Naturally, the best way for her to recover her strength was to consume massive amounts of blood. Moreover, the stronger her victim, the greater the vigor and vitality contained within the blood, the greater the rejuvenation and strengthening effects.

    Right now, everyone gathered inside the hall was either a young genius or a Grandmaster. In other words, they were all champions. It was one of the reasons why she chose to intercept the streams of blood. Not only would it prevent the strange woman from growing stronger, the blood could heal her injuries and even advance her cultivation further.

    Cui Qiuyuan, the ¡°Mortician¡± had lost his physical body to yours truly earlier, though it looked like he had created a new body using a secret art or something. It was clear that his mind was a little unstable though. It was probably because his mind was somewhat ipatible with his new body.

    His objective was as clear as day. He wanted the woman on the throne.

    Judging from how strong the woman was even in her current state, she had to be a Sage in the past. Moreover, her physical body was intact, and even her consciousness seemed to be fairly well preserved. She was the perfect material to create a Corpse Spirit.

    If he could obtain her, he would surely grow much, much stronger than before.As for Qu Langhuan, she wasn¡¯t looking her best either. If he had to guess, she had fought a harsh battle not too long ago.

    The reason Qu Langhuan wanted the peachwood nail was obvious: it was a Strange Artifact that had suppressed a Sage for over eight hundred years. To say that it was priceless would be an understatement.

    Finally, all three of them chose to reveal themselves now because they thought that the situation was well under control. In fact, they were sofortable that they had already decided on how to share the loot in a matter of sentences.

    Suddenly, the woman on the throne looked at Qu Langhuan and asked softly, ¡°Who is Yan Qingyan, that menial, to you, girl?¡±

    Qu Langhuan stared at the woman with shock and fury. ¡°How dare you! You will not address her Holy Consort of my Li Hentian Pce as a menial!¡±

    Yan Qingyan was one of the thirteen Dark Consorts of the Dark Overlord, Li Hentian. She was also the founder of the Li Hentian Pce, and she addressed herself as his Holy Consort.

    ¡°Li Hentian Pce? Holy Consort?¡±

    A faint smile appeared on the woman¡¯s face. It was attractive, beautiful, and full of scorn. ¡°Are you telling me that that menial dared to misuse the Dark Overlord¡¯s name and even styled herself as his Holy Consort? Who does she think she is?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Why not? Her Holy Consort is one of the Dark Overlord¡¯s Thirteen Dark Consorts!¡± Qu Langhuan retorted.

    ¡°... His Thirteen Dark Consorts? Hahahahaha¡­¡±

    The woman giggled when she heard this. It was so melodious, so charming, that even Blood Rakshasa and Qu Langhuan¡ªboth of them women¡ªlost themselves in her giggle for a moment, much less the men.

    Several breathster, Qu Langhuan finally recovered her wits and burned with embarrassment and anger. ¡°Why are youughing?¡±

    ¡°Why else? I am simply incredulous that a servant girl who is barely qualified to give me a massage and warm the Dark Overlord¡¯s bed would be so deluded as to call herself his consort, of course!¡±

    The woman smiled at Qu Langhuan. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you think the same if you were in my position?¡±

    ¡°You dare! You will regret your transgression!¡± Enraged, Qu Langhuanunched a palm strike with two of her fingers curled inward, and the other three stretched out. A cold wind blew, and a bitter rain fell when she executed the palm technique.

    A sudden death, an eternal separation. Its name was the ¡°Divine Palm of Hateful Separation (Li Hen)¡±.

    The woman on the throne looked positively scornful when she saw the palm technique, however. Her lips parted, and she blew away the cold wind and bitter rain with a single breath, leaving behind only fragrant air that reminded one of spring.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Qu Langhuan was stunned. She wasn¡¯t expecting her ¡°Divine Palm of Hateful Separation¡± to be dismantled so easily.

    ¡°Your technique looks sorrowful, but there is no substance in it. It is clear you have never experienced separation. Is this how Yan Qingyan teaches the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯?¡±

    The woman looked at Qu Langhuan with calm eyes. ¡°Separation is bitter, hate is sorrowful. Such is the cold wind and bitter rain that the soul may break. Only by experiencing the bitterest parting and the most sorrowful hatred humanity has to offer could one grasp the essence of ¡®hateful separation¡¯ and the meaning of misery. Only then could you truly im to have grasped the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What, has Yan Qingyan never taught you about this? Or has she forgotten about it?¡±

    Qu Langhuan nched. ¡°How did you know about the core of the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯?¡±

    The Divine Palm of Hateful Separation was a palm technique in the Divine Art of Hateful Separation, and the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯ was the Li Hentian Pce¡¯s ultimate art and the very foundation of their sect. Naturally, few outsiders were privy to it. However, not only did the woman know about it, she seemed to know it intimately. Of course Qu Langhuan was shocked by this.

    ¡°Why? Because I am the one who created the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯. That menial only knew it because I taught her.¡±

    The woman stared at Qu Langhuan¡¯s ck-jawed face and continued, ¡°Hmm. It seems that that menial has expropriated the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯ for herself. I am not surprised. She has always been a selfish, contemptible menial.¡±

    ¡°You may not know this, but the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯ I taught her is iplete. Does your body feel hot as if you were submerged in a pool ofva every yin day of a yin month of a yin year, and cold as if you were exposed to the coldest winter every yang day of a yang month of a yang year? Moreover, the greater your power, the worse your suffering bes?¡±

    ¡°Im¡­ Impossible! How could you know this? Who are you?¡±

    All the blood drained away from Qu Langhuan¡¯s face. If she was skeptical of the woman¡¯s ims before, now she was starting to believe her. It was because everything she imed up until this point was the absolute truth, and for obvious reasons, the ws of the ¡°Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡± were strictly kept as a secret. No one except the sect head and the Mistresses were made aware of it.

    ¡°Since the menial dared to expropriate the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯, I am sure she wouldn¡¯t tell you my name.¡±

    The woman fell silent for a moment as if absorbed in an old memory before continuing, ¡°I am Murong Xianxian.¡±

    ¡°Murong Xianxian?¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan, Blood Rakshasa and Qu Langhuan blurted out instinctively. Then, their eyes slowly grew wider and wider.

    Murong Xianxian was not a nobody¡¯s name. On the contrary, it was such a famous name that there was almost no one in the world who hadn¡¯t heard about it.

    ¡°Morong Xianxian? You are Murong Xianxian, the most beautiful woman of the <em>wulin </em>eight hundred years ago?¡± Cui Qiuyuan eximed in shock.

    ¡°I did not think I would still be remembered eight hundred yearster,¡± the woman admitted.

    ¡°No wonder. Now I understand why you are so perfect. They called you the number one celestial of the <em>wulin </em>and the crowning jewel of humanity. They say that anyone who met you the first time would willingly surrender a city to win your favor, andter a nation to earn a second meeting. The legends are true after all!¡± Cui Qiuyuan eximed with bright eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re Murong Xianxian¡­ but shouldn¡¯t you be dead? Why are you here?¡± Qu Langhuan looked confused.

    Murong Xianxian was the only daughter of the patriarch of the Murong n, a powerful <em>wulin </em>n from eight hundred years. Her looks were so stunning that Rouge[2] described her as the greatest beauty of the <em>wulin, </em>the number one celestial of the <em>wulin</em>, the crowning jewel of humanity, and more. It was said that her beauty was such that anyone would surrender a city to her on their first meeting, andter a nation to earn a second meeting.

    In fact, that was the case. Back then, it was said that a frown from Murong Xianxian could mobilize the entire <em>jianghu </em>into action, and a smile could appease the entire <em>wulin. </em>Countless <em>jianghu </em>warriors and <em>wulin </em>geniuses had rushed to be her humble servants. Even old masters and famous warriors desperately wanted to curry favor with her.

    1. Mistress Qu. For some reason this is the first time her full name is revealed. Trust me I checked. ?

    2. a ranking list for beauties I''m guessing, it wasn¡¯t really stated clearly. ?

 Chapter 747: The Secret From Eight Hundred Years Ago

    <h4>Chapter 747: The Secret From Eight Hundred Years Ago </h4>

    Powerful <i>wulin </i>sects had given up their entire family fortune just to earn a meeting with Murong Xianxian.

    Promising geniuses had fought each other to the death just to earn her smile.

    Famous ns had shed against one another just to make her happy.

    Aristocratic families had given up entire treasure hoards just to earn her favor...

    Still, if beauty was all Murong Xianxian possessed, then she wouldn¡¯t be famous even eight hundred yearster. Blessed with extraordinary talent and an eidetic memory, she was adept in countless martial arts, methods and essentials. There wasn¡¯t a single art in the world¡ªmusic, go, literature, painting¡ªshe hadn¡¯t grasped; no annals of history or philosophy she wasn¡¯t familiar with. She was literally the embodiment of perfection; the closest human there was to being divine at the time.

    Naturally, the Murong n exploited her fame to recruit countless warriors and grow their strength tremendously. It didn¡¯t take long before they earned the title of the greatest <i>wulin </i>n in the realm, and for a time, it even looked like they were going to be the greatest n in the entire world.

    Unfortunately, the very person that raised them to the heavens would also be the one who cast them into hell. Murong Xianxian was so famous that she drew the attention of Li Hentian, who at the time was ¡°merely¡± known as the supreme warrior of the Dark Ways.

    Back in the day, Li Hentian was quite the domineering and unruly man. He had issued a Dark Overlord Token andmanded the Murong n to surrender Murong Xianxian to him in three days. Otherwise, he was going to annihte them all.

    Naturally, Murong Xianxian disregarded his threat. Riding high on their recent sesses, they believed that the Dark Overlord¡¯s threat was nothing more but the foolish, conceited words of a delusional man. They even made a statement dering that they would end Li Hentian where he stood if he so much as set a single step within the Murong n¡¯spound.

    The Murong n thought for sure that the Dark Overlord would reconsider his decision and slink away with his tail between his legs, so when he actually showed up at their doorstep, no one was expecting him at all. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was alone.

    He alone was enough. With his fists and his fists alone, Li Hentian waltzed right through the Murong n¡¯s door and crushed anyone and anything who dared to stand in his way. Despite mobilizing their army of warriors and throwing everything they had at the man, the Murong n was ultimately found wanting. Li Hentian had singlehandedly annihted their forces and slew the Murong n to thest.

    In just one night, the century-old Murong n was no more. ording to the legends, Murong Xianxian had cast herself to a sea of mes andmitted suicide in order to preserve her honor.

    As the victor, the remains of the Murong n lifted Li Hentian to even greater heights of fame and glory. In fact, he was more or less as famous as Murong Xianxian, though of course the reputation they enjoyed were very different. The Dark Overlord Li Hentian only ever incited fear, respect and hatred among the people, whereas Murong Xianxian won the deepest sympathy and sorrow even after she was gone.

    Some people said that Murong Xianxian was always going to bring disaster upon herself and her family eventually. Such was the fate of everyone who was too good for this world.

    Some people cursed the jealousy of the heavens andmented the fact that no one like Murong Xianxian would ever grace humanity again.

    And some people simply wept at the loss of the one and only Murong Xianxian. Some timeter, it was even remarked in Rouge that one of the greatest losses of humanity was surely the death of Murong Xianxian.

    In any case, all ounts of Murong Xianxian agreed on one thing: Murong Xianxian was dead, and she was no longer with them. But now, it would seem that they were gravely mistaken. Not only did it look like the greatest beauty of the world eight hundred years ago, Murong Xianxian, was still alive, she had appeared here, she had appeared in a ce that was intricately tied to her supposed murderer, the Dark Overlord Li Hentian. How could they not be shocked by this?

    Assuming that she was actually Murong Xianxian, then how was it possible that she was still alive after eight hundred years? Even a Sage could only live for two to three hundred years at most. There was no way anyone could live for over eight hundred years... right?

    That¡¯s right. The woman before them was no ghost, yin soul, or dark being attempting toe back to life via possession. She was a living, breathing human being.

    ¡°Dead? Do you want to know why I haven¡¯t perished in a sea of mes eight hundred years ago? Or are you curious why I¡¯m still alive eight hundred yearster?¡±

    Murong Xianxian smiled. ¡°I can answer both questions if that is your wish!¡±

    ¡°We are most interested, miss!¡± Cui Qiuyuan answered with clear interest.

    ¡°Very well. I shall begin from the first question.¡±

    Murong Xianxian began, ¡°I have not, in fact, perished in a sea of mes eight hundred years ago. It is but a lie Li Hentian and I had cooked up.¡±

    ¡°A lie?¡± Blood Rakshasa frowned.

    ¡°Yes, it is simply a lie to fool the entire world,¡± Murong Xianxian confirmed. ¡°Back then, Li Hentian and I had arrived at an agreement: if he assists me in faking my death, then I will marry him and be his wife.¡±

    ¡°You what?!¡±

    The three Grandmasters exchanged incredulous nces with each other. ¡°Excuse me. Was the Dark Overlord not the one who destroyed the Murong n after all?¡±

    ¡°No, it was him,¡± Murong Xianxian answered.

    ¡°Did he threaten you into submission or something?¡± Qu Langhuan asked.

    ¡°Did the Murong n abuse you? Do you actually loathe them to the bone?¡± Blood Rakshasa asked.

    ¡°The Murong n cherish me like a pearl in their palm. They obey my every whim, and they have never abused or mistreated me. Naturally, I love the Murong n dearly,¡± Murong Xianxian answered.

    ¡°... Then why did you marry the man who killed your entire n? Don¡¯t you hate him?¡± Qu Langhuan grew more confused than ever.

    ¡°Li Hentian killed my family and destroyed my n. Of course I loathe him to the bone. I only wish I could drain his blood dry, feed on his flesh, and cut him into a million pieces,¡± Murong Xianxian answered. Her words were heartless to put it mildly, and yet her expression and tone were so calm it was almost as if she was talking about someone else. Everyone felt an involuntary chill down their spine because of this.

    ¡°If you hate the Dark Overlord that much, then why did you fake your death and marry him? Why are you helping your enemy?¡± Qu Langhuan asked exasperatedly.

    ¡°It is precisely because I hate him that I must marry him,¡± Murong Xianxian answered.

    Blood Rakshasa: ¡°...¡±

    Qu Langhuan: ¡°...¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan: ¡°...¡±

    Forget the girls, not even the insane Mortician could understand her logic.

    Seeing their befuddled expression, Murong Xianxian exined patiently, ¡°You have no idea how powerful and terrifying Li Hentian was. They say that I am the closest human there was to a perfect being, but in my opinion, that honor truly goes to Li Hentian. His strength is godlike and unparalleled. No one could ever hope to defeat him in a fair fight.¡±

    ¡°Exempting overwhelming power, one cannot hope to defeat a foe they do not understand. Therefore, the only way to kill him and take revenge against him is to get close to him, know him, understand him. Only then can I understand his ws and weaknesses. Only then can I do the impossible.¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s smile widened. ¡°And there is no one closer to a person than the partner you share a bed with, is there?¡±

    ¡°I see! So you married the Dark Overlord to kill him!¡± Qu Langhuan finally understood what Murong Xianxian was talking. ¡°Did the Dark Overlord know about this?¡±

    Yet again, Murong Xianxian gave them a nonsensical answer. ¡°Of course he did.¡±

    ¡°What? Then why did he ept your hand in marriage?¡± Blood Rakshasa asked.

    ¡°Because he is Li Hentian, the Dark Overlord. Because he is as arrogant as he is strong,¡± Murong Xianxian replied simply. ¡°And because I am Murong Xianxian. No one can ever turn me down.¡±

    Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa fell silent after that. She... was right. The Dark Overlord feared nothing and no one. That was why he dared to marry a woman who he knew loathed him to the bone. Not only that, the one who offered her hand in marriage was Murong Xianxian, the so-called number one celestial of <i>wulin </i>and the crowning jewel of humanity. As she said, no one, not even the Dark Overlord, could possibly reject her.

    ¡°What happened next?¡± Cui Qiuyuan asked.

    ¡°My n was both a sess and a failure,¡± Murong Xianxian answered.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qu Langhuan asked.

    ¡°It was a sess, because I did manage to figure out Li Hentian¡¯s personality, ws and weaknessespletely after decades of hard work.¡±

    Murong Xianxian smiled. ¡°Li Hentian is an arrogant, domineering man who adored beautiful women but disdained authority. He is also a man who enjoys luxury, pleasure, making friends and a lively atmosphere. So, I convinced him to abandon his fame and power through wealth, sex, intoxication, and excitement and create the Demonbearer Abode, a ce where he could retire to and indulge his hobbies to his heart¡¯s content. Then, I persuaded him to recruit beauties, collect treasures, and make friends from all over the world.¡±

    ¡°In the <i>jianghu </i>and <i>wulin</i>, there is nothing more poisonous than greed, jealousy, foolishness, and delusion. I knew that it was only a matter of time before such actions would draw the envy and hatred of the masses. When the time was ripe, it took barely any effort to turn Li Hentian into the public enemy of the <i>jianghu</i>.¡±

    ¡°After that, I leaked the location of the Demonbearer Abode to his enemies and manipted them into a coordinated invasion. With thebined might of three Sages, the Dark Overlord and the Demonbearer Abode were ultimately vanquished.¡±

    ¡°So, my n was a sess. I had sessfully killed Li Hentian and taken revenge for my family and my n.¡±

 Chapter 748: Her Face Smiles, But Her Heart Weeps

    <h4>Chapter 748: Her Face Smiles, But Her Heart Weeps </h4>

    <i>I see.</i>

    Realization struck Ye Qing. From the beginning, he had had this strange feeling that the Dark Overlord¡¯s downfall was a little too convenient. The stars had aligned just a little too well almost as if an invisible hand had manipted Zhuang Juyun, Chen Miaozeng, Ning Xiliu into waging war against the Dark Overlord.

    Now, he knew for certain that it wasn¡¯t a feeling. It was all Murong Xianxian¡¯s design.

    He had to admit that Murong Xianxian deserved her title as the number one celestial of <i>wulin </i>and the crowning jewel of humanity. How many people in this world could bear to surrender themselves to their enemy? How many were willing to invest decades to understand them, scheme against them, and finally kill them? And how many more actually seeded in their endeavor?

    Murong Xianxian did it. She seeded where so many others would have failed.

    Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa were quite shocked as well. Be it the truth behind the Dark Overlord¡¯s sudden disappearance, the war between him and the three Sages, the hidden rtionship between Murong Xianxian and the Dark Overlord, or the true reason behind the Dark Overlord¡¯s death, each secret was only more shocking than thest.

    A momentter, Qu Langhuan asked another question, ¡°Since you killed the Dark Overlord and sessfully took revenge against him, why did you say you failed?¡±

    ¡°Because of my current state, of course.¡±

    Murong Xianxian sighed. ¡°The peachwood nail in my forehead is called ¡®Repentance¡¯. It is a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact that could be used to nail a person¡¯s body and soul and preserve their consciousness for thousands and thousands of years. In a sense, it is a form of immortality, but it is also one of the cruelest. It is near impossible for me to move my body, and I must suffer an endless wave of pain day and night. Since there is no one but me in this ce, I must endure endless days of aching loneliness as well. It is easily one of the most terrible torture devices in this world.¡±

    ¡°As for why it is named ¡®Repentance¡¯, it¡¯s because it¡¯s meant to drown its victim in eternal repentance, of course. Do you know who¡¯s the one who subjected me to its horrors?¡±

    ¡°Is it the Dark Overlord?¡± Qu Langhuan said tentatively.

    ¡°Naturally.¡± A strange smile spread across Murong Xianxian¡¯s face. ¡°He knew I¡¯m the one who plotted his downfall, so before he died, he nailed me to this ce using ¡®Repentance¡¯ with the intention of torturing me for eternity. He wanted me to beg for death¡¯s sweet release while repenting my decisions and actions day and night.¡±

    ¡°But why should I? Li Hentian killed my family and destroyed my n. It is perfectly natural for me to want to take revenge against him, just as there is no heaven in this world who would judge me sinful for doing what I did. And since I havemitted no sin, then why should I repent? Why should I regret anything?¡±

    ¡°I am right. I have never regretted my decisions, and I never will.¡±

    ¡°Hahahahahahaha!¡±

    Suddenly, Murong Xianxian burst out inughter. ¡°You¡¯ve won your whole life, but in the end, you still died in my hands, Li Hentian. You died, but I still lived, so the finalugh goes to me. I am the victor, and you the loser! Hahahahahahahaha!¡±

    Murong Xianxian wasughing, but Ye Qing could tell that she was really crying. Or rather, she was bothughing and crying at the same time.

    She wasughing because she had taken revenge for her family and the Murong n, and she was crying because the price she paid was the Dark Overlord, her husband.

    Yes, the Dark Overlord was the one who killed her dearest family and n. However, he was also her husband; the one she had shared a bed with for many decades. Even if they did not share the same dream, how could she possibly feel nothing for him?

    Besides, it was clear from Murong Xianxian¡¯s tone that Li Hentian treated her very well. In fact, it sounded like he indulged her every whim no matter how unreasonable or dangerous it was. After all, the Dark Overlord was famous not just for his martial prowess, but also his intelligence and wisdom. How could he not realize the true reason Murong Xianxian chose to marry him? How could he not be aware of her secret machinations to kill him?

    He knew everything, and yet he pretended that he knew nothing. Why?

    Because of love, of course! He loved her from the bottom of his heart!

    Was Murong Xianxian unaware of Li Hentian¡¯s love? With her intelligence? Of course not. She just refused to acknowledge it!

    Unfortunately, a human wasn¡¯t a nt. They could not be truly indifferent toward everything. Li Hentian had given his heart to her not for a day, but for many decades. Try as she might, how could she not be moved by it?

    So sheughed as she cried. She wasughing on the outside, but crying on the inside.

    Eventually, Murong Xianxian grew tired ofughing¡ªor more urately, crying. Once she had recovered herposure, she looked at Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa and asked, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve listened to my story, what will you do? Are you still going to kill me?¡±

    The trio looked surprised and troubled. What <i>should </i>they do?

    They were troubled because their thoughts were a jumbled mess right now, and because their opponent was <i>the </i>Murong Xianxian.

    ¡°Allow me to enlighten you on the consequences before you make your decision. If you kill me, you shall walk away with nothing.¡±

    Murong Xianxian looked at Blood Rakshasa and began, ¡°Before I die, I will kill everyone here and annihte their blood essence. You have my word that you won¡¯t be able to obtain even a single drop of blood.¡±

    She then looked at Qu Langhuan and said, ¡°You wish to obtain Repentance? If I die, I will destroy it with me and leave you with nothing.¡±

    Finally, she looked at Cui Qiuyuan and dered, ¡°You want my body, but I can tell that your desire is pure. There is not a shred of lust in your bone. Regardless, I will dissolve my body into ash before I perish.¡±

    All three Grandmasters stared at her with deep frowns on their faces.

    ¡°Trust me, I can do what I im I can do. Of course, you are free to test my word if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Murong Xianxian ended with a calm smile.

    Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa exchanged nces with each other. They could see the hesitation in each other¡¯s eyes.

    If Murong Xianxian was anyone else, they might have scoffed at her threat and attacked her already. However, the woman before them was <i>the </i>legendary Murong Xianxian. How could they not take her threat seriously?

    ¡°Since it looks like you aren¡¯t able to arrive at a decision immediately, allow me to provide you with a suggestion.¡±

    Murong Xianxian continued after waiting for a moment, ¡°If you kill me, then you will get nothing. But if you free me, then I promise to reward you handsomely.¡±

    Once again, Murong Xianxian looked at Blood Rakshasa first. ¡°You desire a warrior¡¯s blood essence, don¡¯t you? If you free me, then I can supply you with as many Sage¡¯s blood essence as you want.¡±

    Blood Rakshasa¡¯s breath immediately hitched in her throat. If what she said was true, then her cultivation level would improve tremendously, and her mastery of the ¡°Blood Soul Divine Light¡± would grow a step further.

    Before Blood Rakshasa could say anything, Murong Xianxian turned to Cui Qiuyuan and said, ¡°I believe that you practice a martial art that allows you to control corpses, which means that you have a need for powerful bodies. If you lend me your aid, I can help you locate the bodies of the Sages scattered across in this realm. There are at least four Sage bodies in the Demonbearer Abode including the Dark Overlord¡¯s, and I can lead you to them.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s breathing immediately grew heavy. There was nothing more tempting to him than a powerful body, but the Dark Overlord? That was the man who dominated the Spring and Autumn Period eight hundred years ago. Just how powerful and wless must his body be? If he could transform it into a Corpse Spirit, then he would be the first person ever to aplish such a feat!

    ¡°As for you, you desire Strange Artifacts and treasures. I can give you items that are even better than ¡®Repentance¡¯.¡±

    Murong Xianxian turned to Qu Langhuan next. ¡°On top of that, I can correct the ws in your ¡®Divine Art of Separation¡¯. You are not far away from mastering the martial art, but that also means you are but years, maybe even months away from suffering a deviation and perishing. I¡¯m sure you know better than me that I am not trying to trick you.¡±

    Qu Langhuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Of course she knew that Murong Xianxian wasn¡¯t trying to trick her. After all, she was already at the state where her internal energies were starting to slip out of her control.

    A Mistress of the Li Hentian Pce was a powerful figure who answered to one and only one person alone. Naturally, they were granted ess to secrets that were normally kept hidden from others. For example, she knew that not a single person who cultivated the ¡°Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡± had died of old age. All of them had died a sudden death because of varying reasons.

    Not only that, she heard that the Holy Consort, Yan Qingyan had passed away from insanity while she was cultivating behind closed doors. For obvious reasons, this was top secret knowledge in Li Hentian Pce that was only known to a handful of people. Assuming that Murong Xianxian was telling the truth, it would seem that the reason Yan Qingyan went insane was most likely because the ¡°Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡± she practiced was wed.

    While she was thinking, Murong Xianxian continued, ¡°If you free me, I can teach you theplete, wless version of the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯. You will never have to worry about dying a sudden death again, and you will be stronger than ever before.¡±

    ¡°And finally, Li Hentian had collected countless treasures from all over the world. I can tell you all where they¡¯re stored if you free me from my eternal prison.¡±

    ¡°So? What do you say?¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa exchanged nces with each other again. This time, their hesitation had been reced by desire.

 Chapter 749: Cooperation

    Chapter 749: Cooperation

    ¡°We must admit that we are tempted, miss,¡± Cui Qiuyuan sped his fists together in salute and said, ¡°but how can we know that you¡¯re not lying to us? Please forgive me for saying this, but what if you went back on your promises as soon as we freed you? It would be all for naught, and we would have put ourselves in unnecessary danger, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°I cannot give you a guarantee, for such a thing does not exist in this world. Potent oaths do not function in this realm either.¡± Murong Xianxian replied simply, ¡°You must simply choose to believe or disbelieve me.¡±

    Eyebrows furrowed, the three Grandmasters fell into an extended silence after hearing this.

    Murong Xianxian looked as calm as ever. She didn¡¯t seem worried in the slightest that the three Grandmasters would turn down her offer. While wearing a smile that did not reach the eye, she added, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been sealed away for over eight hundred years. Even if I was free, my strength is less a hollow shadow of what it used to be. You outnumber me drastically, and there are even three Truemen and one Grandmaster among you. Are you truly afraid that I would go back on my own words? If you really are such cowards, then you wouldn¡¯t have journeyed into this realm in the first ce, would you?

    As she said this, Murong Xianxian¡¯s eyes curled into crescents. She was staring straight at Ye Qing.

    At first, the three Grandmasters did not understand what she was saying. Then, realization struck them, and they nearly jumped on their feet. Murong Xianxian was saying that there was a fourth Grandmaster in this hall, and not a single one of them had noticed anything! Then, they noticed Murong Xianxian¡¯s gaze, followed it, and found Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing was astonished. His ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was extraordinary in terms of concealing and altering one¡¯s aura, and as far as he could tell, his concealment was perfect. This was proven by the fact that none of the three Grandmasters noticed his presence despite standing mere meters away from him. So, how did Murong Xianxian find him out?

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Miss Murong.¡± Knowing that the game was up, Ye Qing stopped pretending and leaked a hint of his aura. He saluted Murong Xianxian first before ncing at Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa. ¡±Well met, Brother Cui, Mistress Qu, Miss Blood.¡±

    Luckily for him, he had the foresight to alter his appearance and his energies when he saw the Grandmasters earlier. It was why neither of his nemeses noticed that he was the bastard who kicked their asses before. Otherwise, this would have been a very vtile meeting.¡°You know us? Who are you?¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan stared at Ye Qing. For some reason, he felt a whiff of familiarity from the young man.

    ¡°How could I not? All three of you are famous Grandmasters, and I¡¯ve looked up to you for a long time.¡±

    Ye Qing sped his fist and introduced himself, ¡°I am Ye Yipin[1]. Nice to meet you all.¡±

    It was perfectly normal for a <em>jianghu </em>warrior to have a fake name or ten, right?

    ¡°Ye Yipin?¡± The Grandmasters exchanged a nce with each other. No one had ever heard of such a person in the <em>jianghu</em>. ¡°May we know which sect or faction you belong to, Brother Ye?¡±

    ¡°I have none. I am just a nobody,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    Murong Xianxian suddenly spoke up, ¡°You are too humble, warrior. Truemen aremon, and Grandmasters are rare. But a Grandmaster who isn¡¯t even thirty years old? You would¡¯ve been a one-of-a-kind genius even eight hundred years ago. You could not possibly be a nobody.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Murong Xianxian. I dare not receive such apliment from you!¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    The reason Murong Xianxian spoke of Trueman and Grandmaster as if they were two different things was because they were considered different back in the olden days. Trueman referred to warriors who cultivated qi, whereas Grandmaster referred to warriors who tempered the body. Qi practitioners walked the orthodox way of cultivation and focused on refining essence into qi, qi into spirit, and spirit into god. Once they had cultivated a yang god, they were collectively referred to as Trueman.

    On a rted note, those who sessfully forged the physical body, the true qi, and the yang god into one andbined their Way with the world was considered a Sage.

    As for body-tempering warriors, they generally neglected the mind and spirit and focused on honing strength and body. If their body reached the level of a Sky Dragon[2], then they were considered a Grandmaster.

    If they sessfullybined their body with the world and proved their Way through strength, then they were known as a God-On-Earth[3].

    Inter times, martial arts became extremely popr, and the people discovered that qi practitioners could hone the body just as body-tempering warriors did not necessarily have to neglect the mind and spirit. That was why the line between Trueman and Grandmaster gradually blurred until they were treated the same as one another.

    But of course, there were still some noble ns or powerful sects that maintained the distinction between Trueman and Grandmaster.

    ¡°A body-tempering Grandmaster?!¡± The three Grandmasters¡ªor more urately, Truemen¡ª eximed in surprise and grew even more wary of Ye Qing. Despite this, they knew better than to press Ye Qing or even intimidate him via force at this point of time. They simply returned a nod and acknowledged his existence.

    ¡°So? Have you made up your minds?¡± Murong Xianxian looked at the trio. ¡°The young warrior already has. What about you three?¡±

    The three Truemen exchanged looks with each other before nodding. ¡°We ept your proposal, miss. We only hope that you won¡¯t go back on your words.¡±

    ¡°I never lie,¡± Murong Xianxian answered.

    ¡°So, how can we free you?¡± Cui Qiuyuan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You simply need to remove ¡®Repentance¡¯ from my forehead.¡± Murong Xianxian answered. ¡°However, please remember ¡®Repentance¡¯ has absorbed nearly all of my willpower, soul, vigor, and vitality for the past eight hundred years. If you remove it now, then I will instantly perish and scatter into nothing.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, you must allow me to feed on these people¡¯s vigor and soul first to restore what I¡¯ve lost. Only then can you remove ¡®Repentance¡¯ by force.¡±

    Ye Qing and the rest of the Truemen nodded in acknowledgement. No wonder Murong Xianxian had fed on the warriors¡¯ blood earlier.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind you feeding on these people, miss, but can you let some of them go?¡± Qu Langhuan spoke up suddenly.

    ¡°Oh? Do you mean these four?¡± Murong Xianxian nced at Zhang Lingyang, Chu Wangsun, Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Qu Langhuan nodded. ¡°They are the promising geniuses of this <em>jianghu</em>, and all of them have prominent backgrounds. There will be unnecessary danger if you kill them.¡±

    Neither Ye Qing nor the other Truemen wasn¡¯t surprised by Qu Langhuan¡¯s request. If Qu Langhuan was your ordinary heretic¡ªor on the opposite spectrum, the batshit insane type¡ªthen she would have eliminated them at first notice. After all, these geniuses carried so much weight that their losses would surely deal a huge blow to the orthodoxy.

    However, the Li Hentian Pce was different. Despite being one of the Nine Dark Ways, they weren¡¯t the absolute evil kind of sect. In fact, they were experts who thrived in living between the crevasses, and they had friends on both sides of the <em>jianghu. </em>Naturally, it made sense for Qu Langhuan to plead for clemency on their behalf.

    ¡°Let me guess. The one who used the ¡®Heavenly Master Nine Word Command¡¯ probably hails from the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain.¡± Murong Xianxian looked at Zhang Lingyang and shot him a smile. ¡°Am I right, child?¡±

    ¡°Hehehe! You¡¯re both beautiful and wise, miss celestial! That¡¯s right! This junior is Zhang Lingyang, a member of the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain!¡±

    Zhang Lingyang abruptly snapped out of his stupor and saluted Murong Xianxian. Clearly, he had awakened a while ago.

    ¡°You have a silver tongue for sure.¡± Murong Xianxian chuckled.

    ¡°Thank you for the praise.¡± Zhang Lingyang beamed at her. ¡°And thank you for pleading on my behalf, Mistress Qu. I won¡¯t forget this favor!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Little Heavenly Master.¡± Qu Langhuan gave him a nod. She wasn¡¯t surprised that Zhang Lingyang was able to snap back to reality. He was the champion of the Human Champions Ranking after all. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t have multiple trump cards under his sleeve.

    Zhang Lingyang then looked at Chu Wangsun, Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya and waved, ¡°Brother Chu, Brother Defeated, Holy Son, what are you waiting for? Come greet our miss celestial already!¡±

    1. Yi Pin: You fucking bastard. ?

    2. If you guys remember, this is how they measure body-tempering warriors: Mad Python, Dragon Elephant, and Sky Dragon. ?

    3. OMFG I never realized god/celestial on earth was an actual title until now. Welp, now you guys know my shame. ?

 Chapter 750: Confucian Sage

    Chapter 750: Confucian Sage

    Chu Wangsun stopped pretending and schooled his features. He then greeted Murong Xianxian calmly with a salute, ¡°This one is Chu Wangsun of the Jixia Academy. Well met, Miss Murong.¡±

    ¡°Jixia Academy! A rare one who broke free from the pedantic and old-fashioned ways of Confucianism to practice both Confucianism and martial arts too. You¡¯re definitely a one-of-a-kind talent.¡± Murong Xianxian smiled. ¡°Your path is a difficult one though.¡±

    Chu Wangsun replied expressionlessly, ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Miss Murong.¡±

    ¡°Your name is Chu Wangsun?¡± Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s eyes abruptly shed with killing intent. He immediately made a grab for Chu Wangsun.

    A piece of paper with the word ¡°Benevolence¡± abruptly appeared above Chu Wangsun¡¯s head. It was just a normal Xuan paper, and the seal script word looked perfectly ordinary as well. However, the moment the paper appeared, a vast, grandiose qi instantly filled the hall. It was anything but aggressive despite its immense power though. As the word suggested, its power felt gentle and warm.

    Try as Cui Qiuyuan might, he was unable to get within one meter of Chu Wangsun no matter what.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, senior?¡± Chu Wangsun looked at Cui Qiuyuan in puzzlement.

    ¡°What do I mean? Don¡¯t you know what you did?¡± Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s eyes burned with anger as a piece of rag appeared in his hand. Tattered and covered in bloodstains, it gave off a corrupted and filthy aura.

    The rag floated forward like a living creature.<em>Sizzle sizzle sizzle!</em>

    As soon as the rag made contact with the grandiose qi, the air began warping like a heat haze. The two distinctively different energies shed like boiling oil against water¡ªliterally, as the rag abruptly caught on fire and burned violently, spreading its filthy aura even further.

    As for the paper, it began to turn brownish as the corrupted energy visibly chewed through its power reserves.

    A hint of gravity entered Chu Wangsun¡¯s normally unppable expression.

    ¡°Brother Cui! There¡¯s no need to go straight to violence, is there?¡±

    Qu Langhuan took a step forward and tried to stop the conflict, but Cui Qiuyuan exploded, ¡°Mind your own business!¡±

    Brimming with violence and anger, the Mortician curled his fingers like talons and swiped at Chu Wangsun.

    Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s outburst was worse than she had imagined. Qu Langhuan immediately froze with indecision. Neither Chu Wangsun nor Cui Qiuyuan were people she could afford to offend after all.

    Blood Rakshasa said nothing. She clearly had no desire to help either party.

    Murong Xianxian simply smiled beatifically as if this was a show.

    ¡°There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding, senior.¡±

    Blood Rakshasa and Murong Xianxian could afford to sit by and do nothing, but Zhang Lingyang, Defeated and the Holy Son of Maitreya could not. Although Qu Langhuan was defending them, they were the inferior force in this hall, and they could not count on her to be firm when push came to shove. They must help Chu Wangsun if only to ensure that they would not be helpless if the three Truemen and one Grandmaster suddenly decided to turn on them.

    Besides, they were all promising geniuses of the young generation and so were acquainted with each other to a certain extent. That alone was a good reason not to leave Chu Wangsun to his own devices.

    However, right before they were about to intervene, their consciousness suddenly nked out for exactly one breath. One breath wasn¡¯t much time at all, but it was enough time for a battle to reach its conclusion.

    During this one breath, Cui Qiuyuan pushed another inch through the wall of grandiose qi and suffered immensely as a result. His fingers had melted away like wax, leaving behind only an eerie skeleton. However, the paper above Chu Wangsun¡¯s head was finally ripped in half.

    As soon as the paper was torn, Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s bony hand immediately seized Chu Wangsun by the throat.

    Although his opponent was the Mortician, a famous Trueman on the Earth Champions Ranking, Chu Wangsun should not have been so helpless. The reason he was defeated this quickly was one, Murong Xianxian had injured him earlier, and two, he underestimated Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s determination to kill him. By the time he realized his life was truly on the line, it was already toote.

    Despite this, there was still a chance this sudden conflict could resolve peacefully. Now that Chu Wangsun was literally in his grasp, Cui Qiuyuan simply needed to engage him in ¡°peaceful¡± conversation, and the misunderstanding between them would most likely be resolved. Hell, he <em>knew </em>that something was off judging from Chu Wangsun¡¯s reaction. He knew there was a chance this Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t the young man who ruined his day earlier. He just needed to confirm it.

    And yet, for whatever reason, he couldn¡¯t. The anger and bloodthirst were so hot, so irresistible, that he gave in to it and tightened his grip. There was a loud crack, and Chu Wangsun¡¯s hyoid bone was crushed just like that.

    In fact, Cui Qiuyuan regretted his rash decision as soon as he crushed Chu Wangsun¡¯s hyoid bone. However, it was already toote for regrets, not to mention that he personally wasn¡¯t afraid of the world-acimed Jixia Academy. He decided to see this through until the end and kill Chu Wangsun here and now.

    Having made his decision, bluish ck corpse qi immediately burst from Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s fingers. They felt cold and eerie.

    <em>¡°Corpse Massacre Hand¡±</em>

    The ¡°Corpse Massacre Hand¡± enabled its practitioner to massacre the body and extinguish the soul with one hand. It was Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s ultimate technique. As long as he could rip off his opponent¡¯s head, he would be able to snuff out their life and extinguish their soul at the same time.

    It showed how determined Cui Qiuyuan was to kill Chu Wangsun.

    Zhang Lingyang and the others had jolted back to reality, but at this point, they were toote to save Chu Wangsun.

    Right before Chu Wangsun would die, a grain-sized dot of light suddenly appeared from Chu Wangsun¡¯s forehead. It was shining with undeniable radiance despite its miniscule size.

    The light grew brighter, and it transformed into a white-haired, ordinary-looking old man wearing rags.

    When the old man appeared, he looked down on Cui Qiuyuan as if he was alive. Then, he summoned a ruler into his hand and brought it down on the Trueman¡¯s wrist.

    The old man¡¯s strike looked perfectly ordinary and casual. There was nothing special about it whatsoever. Yet somehow, itnded squarely on Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s wrist before he could react.

    <em>Thwack!</em>

    A crisp sound resounded throughout the hall, and Cui Qiuyuan staggered back with his force and his aurapletely dispelled. Somehow, the ruler strike hadpletely neutralized a Trueman.

    ¡°It is ungentleman-like for the big to bully the small!¡± The old man rebuked Cui Qiuyuan before turning around and hitting Chu Wangsun on the forehead with his ruler, yelling, ¡°You think you¡¯re so strong, don¡¯t you? You think you can fight against a Trueman? Don¡¯t you know your own measure, boy? Even if you lost, can¡¯t you at least run away? You wasted all the <em>jianghu </em>experience I taught you and embarrassed me, boy!¡±

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    After he was done rebuking Chu Wangsun, the old man struck him on the forehead again. It was such a forceful strike that his forehead turned red and swollen in an instant.

    Then, something unexpected happened. Chu Wangsun abruptly grew transparent and disappeared in no time.

    ¡°Those who are benevolent are favored by the heavens. I hope you¡¯ll behave, all of you.¡±

    The old man disappeared as well after saying that, though he shot Murong Xianxian a nce right before he was gone.

    ¡°Interesting. Who is that man?¡± Murong Xianxian asked.

    ¡°I think¡­ I think he¡¯s the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy!¡± Qu Langhuan answered with a tremor. The old man wasn¡¯t the real Chief Libationist, of course. He was just a wisp of his spiritual intent. Despite this, it was powerful enough to repel a famed Trueman like Cui Qiuyuan effortlessly. As far as she was aware, the only one who could do such a thing was the Confucian Sage.

    ¡°I see. Eight hundred years ago, I paid the Jixia Academy and the Chief Libationist at the time a visit as well. However, that old man was extremely old-fashioned and stuck to his ways. I am d that a more interesting character has reced him,¡± Murong Xianxian remarked with interest.

    Cui Qiuyuan did not say anything. Judging from his ashen face, it was clear that he was not feeling good right now.

    Ye Qing was also licking his lips. He wasn¡¯t expecting his murder attempt to draw out the bloody Confucian Sage of the Jixia Academy himself.

    That¡¯s right. He was the one who influenced Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s emotions in secret and borrowed his hand to kill Chu Wangsun. His n was going so smoothly too. Unfortunately, he failed to ount for the fact that the Chief Libationist had left a wisp of spiritual intent on Chu Wangsun¡¯s person, and the Sage ultimately managed to save him.

    It was clear that the Chief Libationist valued his student a lot.

 Chapter 751: What Is Good

    Chapter 751: What Is Good

    It was a shame Chu Wangsun managed to escape. This was easily the best chance he ever had at ending the pretentious bastard once and for all. It was also the closest he ever got to sess. Unfortunately, the n failed at the very end, and his next chance to kill Chu Wangsun would be so, so much harder to grasp.

    After all, Chu Wangsun was only one step away from bing a Trueman. The next time they met, he would surely have entered the next stage already and be much harder to kill.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t too annoyed or worried though. After all, he had already surpassed Chu Wangsun. In the future, that gap would only widen until it became an impossible chasm. Why would he fear such an opponent?

    It was only a matter of time now.

    Murong Xianxian seemed to have lost her interest after asking about the Chief Libationist. She asked in azy voice, ¡°Are you done resolving your personal matters? If not, then please resolve them before we continue!¡±

    <em>Hmm? Is it just me, or is she sneaking nces at me? She can¡¯t have noticed what I did¡­ right?</em>

    He wondered if he was just paranoid, but he had this feeling that Murong Xianxian was ncing at him as she spoke. It was almost as if she wanted him to know that she knew.

    <em>No, there¡¯s no way. </em>

    Ye Qing mentally shook his head. His demonic thought was invisible, traceless, and extremely difficult to detect. If even the victim himself, Cui Qiuyuan, did not notice anything amiss, there was no way an observer would notice it.However, Ye Qing quickly recalled how Murong Xianxian had sussed him out earlier even though he thought that his disguise was perfect. <em>What if? </em>He could not help but think. This was the legendary Murong Xianxian. He couldn¡¯t just write her off.

    As his thoughts raced, Ye Qing instinctively nced at Murong Xianxian again. As if on cue, the woman met his eyes at the exact same time and¡­ winked at him.

    ¡°...¡±

    This time, Ye Qing was truly quaking in his boots.<em> She knows! She knows! But how? What a scary woman!</em>

    Unaware of the interaction, Zhang Lingyang was letting out a sigh of relief after confirming that Chu Wangsun was safe and sound. While ncing about the hall, a hint of pity shed in his eyes as he drew Murong Xianxian¡¯s attention to himself. He said, ¡°Miss Murong, this junior has an insignificant and immature suggestion to make. These people have no grudge against you, nor you they. Killing them just because they¡¯re convenient is a little too cruel, don¡¯t you think? You¡¯re such a gentle, beautiful, and intelligent woman. I¡¯m sure you cane up with a better way to rid yourself of your predicament, right?¡±

    ¡°You want me to let them live, Little Heavenly Master?¡± Murong Xianxian asked.

    ¡°Got it in one!¡± Zhang Lingyang grinned.

    ¡°The only reason you¡¯re still alive is because Mistress Qu pleaded for your case. You best not ask for more,¡± Cui Qiuyuan interrupted icily. Due to recent events, he was loathing these so-called promising geniuses more and more.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not everyday you encounter an interesting child like him.¡± Murong Xianxian stopped Cui Qiuyuan smilingly before answering, ¡°Sure. I can let them live.¡±

    Zhang Lingyang pped his hands happily. ¡°I knew you¡¯re as kind as you¡¯re beautiful, Miss Murong!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty. I¡¯m not finished yet.¡± Murong Xianxian continued to smile. ¡°I can let them live, but in exchange, you¡¯ll have to give me your life.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You want me to give up my life for theirs?¡± Zhang Lingyang blinked. ¡°Are you joking, Miss Murong?¡±

    ¡°All thingse at a cost. Surely you understand this simple logic?¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s smile widened. ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s an unfair trade. You¡¯ll be saving so many people¡¯s lives at the cost of just one. Isn¡¯t it worth it?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, it seems you¡¯re quite the joker as well, Miss Murong.¡± Zhang Lingyangughed in a deadpan manner.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like the trade? Is your kindness and benevolence all talk?¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s smile grew scornful. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ eight hundred years ago, the Heavenly Master Mansion was already a bunch of hypocrites who say one thing and do another. It looks like nothing has changed even eight hundred yearster. Truly, yours is a righteous and orthodox sect. Hahaha¡­¡±

    Red-faced, Zhang Lingyang opened his mouth to say something. He couldn¡¯t though. There was nothing he could say in retort against Murong Xianxian¡¯s im because it was the truth.

    Even Cui Qiuyuan was sneering. ¡°Indeed, what a righteous and orthodox sect. They always carry the words ¡®mercy¡¯ or ¡®benevolence¡¯ in their mouths, but never actually carry it out for real.¡±

    ¡°Powerless benevolence is just that, powerless. It is as amusing as it is feeble.¡±

    Murong Xianxian then ordered in azy voice, ¡°Whatever. You may leave.¡±

    ¡°Miss¡ª¡±

    Zhang Lingyang wanted to say more, but Cui Qiuyuan stepped forward and let loose his Trueman¡¯s aura, threatening, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear her? Get lost!¡±

    It was at this moment Defeated interrupted, ¡°Brother Zhang. You heard senior. Let¡¯s leave.¡±

    Unlike Zhang Lingyang, Defeated had lurked in the <em>jianghu </em>since he was a child. He had long since adapted to its cruelties, and he only cared about martial arts. In his opinion, the winner always thrives, and the loser always suffers. That was all.

    As for the Holy Son of Maitreya, he was a member of one the Nine Dark Ways despite not being a true viin. To him, benevolence too was nothing more but an interesting concept.

    That was why neither Defeated nor the Holy Son of Maitreya felt much for these people¡¯s inevitable demise. At most, theymented the excessive loss of lives.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    In the end, Zhang Lingyang gave in and said, ¡°Very well. Miss Murong, Mistress Qu, and seniors, this junior shall take his leave.¡±

    When he was at the exit though, Zhang Lingyang paused for a moment before dering loudly, ¡°All life is a reflection. What I do, the others will do. What the others do, I will do as well. To sacrifice oneself for others is a noble, sagely act, and right now, I am incapable of it. But just because I can¡¯t do it now doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be able to do it in the future. Until then, I will hold a benevolent heart in my chest rather than an indifferent one, even if my path may be thornier as a result.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I only carry my kindness in my mouth. Maybe my benevolence is all internal. Even so, I truly wish that all hearts will face toward the sun like the nts!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°He really is an interesting boy!¡± Murong Xianxian remarked after Zhang Lingyang was gone. ¡°Anyway, those who should be gone are now gone, so without further ado, let us begin!¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Miss Murong,¡± Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan responded as they saluted her.

    Ye Qing too stepped to the side to show that he had no qualms with this.

    He did not know these warriors, and he did not really care to save their lives. He had also rescued Mountain Tunneling King and sent him away prior to entering this ce, so he did not need to test Murong Xianxian¡¯s patience a third time.

    Was he a cold person? He did not think so. It was just that the <em>jianghu </em>wasn¡¯t a ce where much benevolence or good could thrive.

    Besides, there was a reason why people said that you reaped what you sowed. These people knew the risks when they came in search of fame and fortune. Now that the risks hade to bite them, they only had themselves to me.

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s lips parted, and blood flew out of everyone¡¯s eyes, ears, nose and mouth. They quickly joined into a river and entered the woman¡¯s mouth.

    The victims withered away like grass, while Murong Xianxian¡¯splexion grew rosier and rosier. By the time all the blood had entered her body, she looked even more lifelike and attractive than before.

    Finally, she opened her mouth and blew at the consumed warriors. Their bodies immediately disintegrated and scattered into the wind.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s your turn now. Please remove ¡®Repentance¡¯ from my forehead.¡±

    Murong Xianxian instructed, ¡°Be warned that you will suffer the same pain as me while removing ¡®Repentance¡¯. If you cannot withstand it, simply give up and allow the next person to rece you. There is no need to strain yourself unnecessarily.¡±

    ¡°Now, who will go first?¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa exchanged a look with each other. Then, Blood Rakshasa nodded and walked up to Murong Xianxian, dering, ¡°I will!¡±

    ¡°Very well. Grab ¡®Repentance¡¯ and pull as hard as you can. That is all you need to do.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Blood Rakshasa did as she was instructed, but¡­

    ¡°Hmm?!¡±

    As soon as she started pulling, the Strange Artifact abruptly turned as red as blood and crystalline like jade. At the same time, mysterious runes appeared all around it. Blood Rakshasa managed to suppress a groan of pain, but she could not stop it from appearing on her face.

    Every time she managed to pull ¡®Repentance¡¯ back an inch, her body would shake just a little harder, and her clothes would be just a little wetter. Her face was also growing increasingly pale.

    Murong Xianxian mentioned that those who attempted to remove ¡®Repentance¡¯ would suffer the same pain as her, but it made sense that Murong Xianxian¡¯s pain was worse. However, the woman was smiling and looking as calm as ever, whereas Blood Rakshasa¡¯s face had contorted into a pained snarl in just a matter of breaths. Veins were bulging on her forehead, and she was so sweaty it looked like she had just climbed out of a pool. Even worse, ¡®Repentance¡¯ had only moved for a few milimeters.

 Chapter 752: Plot and Counter Plot

    Chapter 752: Plot and Counter Plot

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    The next moment, Blood Rakshasa let go of ¡®Repentance¡¯ and staggered backward. She grabbed a nearby stone pir and began panting heavily like she was exhausted.

    ¡°Miss, you¡­ can¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    A whileter, Blood Rakshasa finally looked up at Murong Xianxian with disbelief and fear. The pain she suffered was akin to being dunked inside a pot of boiling oil and being cooked alive, or sitting naked in the coldest winter while a terrible hail was falling from the sky, or being cut into a million pieces by sharp des, or being ground into paste inside a mill¡­

    Long story short, it was horrible. Although it onlysted a few breaths, Blood Rakshasa felt like she had just experienced all of the eighteen hells. Death was preferable to this.

    ¡°I got used to it.¡±

    Murong Xianxian said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s nothing special. If you were in my position, and you had to suffer for over eight hundred years without pause, then you¡¯ll probably get used to it as well.¡±

    Blood Rakshasa opened her mouth, but no words came out. The few breaths she endured had felt like an eternity, and each breath made her wish she was dead. She simply could not understand how Murong Xianxian was able to endure it for eight hundred years.

    ¡°Next. Don¡¯t waste time, or ¡®Repentance¡¯ will return to its original position, and you will have to restart from the beginning,¡± Murong Xianxian said while looking at the others.¡°My turn.¡± Cui Qiuyuan immediately stepped forward and grabbed ¡®Repentance¡¯.

    ¡°Hurkk!¡±

    Despite being mentally prepared, Cui Qiuyuan still let out a muffled groan when the unimaginable pain assaulted his body. Just like Blood Rakshasa, blue veins were bulging everywhere on his body as well. Hested a couple more breaths longer than Blood Rakshasa, but in the end, he had to let go and retreat to a corner, wiping the cold sweat on his forehead.

    Qu Langhuan went next after Cui Qiuyuan was done. She too couldn¡¯tst more than a dozen breaths or so.

    Now, it was finally Ye Qing¡¯s turn, and he did not hesitate. He grabbed ¡®Repentance¡¯ and began pulling strongly.

    As expected, a wave of terrible pain assaulted his senses immediately. But unlike the trio before him, he was a body-tempering warrior. Some of the pain he suffered before were even worse than this, so he could endure it.

    However, the more he pulled, the worse the pain became. It wasn¡¯t just physical pain either. His soul was showing signs of tearing as well. Not only that, the puny-looking peachwood nail was stupidly heavy. He wouldn¡¯t go so far as to say that he could now carry a literal mountain on his back, but half a mountain was well within his limit.

    Despite this, he was unable to remove ¡®Repentance¡¯ immediately. Just like the others, he progressed at a snail¡¯s pace.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow as if something had caught his attention. However, he schooled his features in an instant.

    A couple more breathster, Ye Qing let go of ¡®Repentance¡¯ and staggered away from Murong Xianxian. His face was ghastly white, and he even fell on his butt after a few steps.

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­¡± Ye Qing coughed twice before regaining hisposure and waving weakly, ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ that¡¯s my limit¡­¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa nced at Ye Qing before exchanging another look with each other, though this one was far more hidden than any of their previous exchanges. Then, they returned to their gruesome task as if nothing happened.

    The group of four would continue to take turns pulling ¡®Repentance¡¯ out of Murong Xianxian¡¯s forehead. A dozen or so turnster, they were finally at the final hurdle. They should be able to remove ¡®Repentance¡¯ within this turn, if not the next.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t without a cost. Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan, Blood Rakshasa and Ye Qing all looked like they were about to die from exhaustion. Their faces were as pale as a ghost, and their pupils were mostly unfocused.

    ¡°Hmm? Is it my turn?¡±

    When Qu Langhuan let go of ¡®Repentance¡¯ and returned to the group, Ye Qing jolted awake and let out a murmur. He looked incredibly unsteady. It took him a painfully long time to stand up, and the way he shambled over to Murong Xianxian reminded them of a sleepwalker. When he grabbed ¡®Repentance¡¯ and pulled, pain returned to his face once more.

    Behind him, Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa smiled sinisterly at the same time. Then, Cui Qiuyuan suddenly appeared behind Ye Qing like a ghost and thrust his fingers toward the back of his skull.

    <em>¡°Bone Divine w¡±</em>

    ¡°To destroy an enemy¡¯s head like destroying a piece of rotten wood.¡± That was how the manual had described the ¡°Bone Divine w¡±. A martial art technique specialized at breaking through tough defenses, it was best used against tough-bodied body-tempering warriors. It could easily pierce through their tough defenses and kill them where they stood.

    Ye Qing was a body-tempering Grandmaster, and Cui Qiuyuan knew better than to underestimate his vigor or tenacity. That was why he took aim at Ye Qing¡¯s head. This would allow him to end the Grandmaster in one hit.

    But why was he¡ªor more urately, all three of them¡ªtrying to kill Ye Qing in the first ce? It was simple. One, Ye Qing was the only one among them whose origin waspletely unknown. Keeping someone like him alive was basically a recipe for disaster. Two, eliminating Ye Qing meant they wouldn¡¯t need to share the pie with another person, so why not?

    Although Murong Xianxian imed that there were more than enough treasures in the Demonbearer Abode for all of them, who in the world wouldin about excess fortune?

    Everyone was a miser before a big enough fortune. Everyone was a ruthless bastard given a good enough opportunity.

    From the start, the trio had schemed to kill Ye Qing. Although they hadn¡¯t verbally or even mentallymunicated this beforehand, they didn¡¯t need to. One look in the eye was all they needed to understand each other¡¯s thoughts. After all, they were all old foxes who not only survived, but thrived in the <em>jianghu </em>for a very long time. If they couldn¡¯t even do something like this, then they would be dead a long time ago.

    The reason they hadn¡¯t acted sooner was because one, they didn¡¯t know how strong Ye Qing was and did not want to make the mistake of underestimating him. Two, there was no reason to not make use of Ye Qing and have him alleviate some of the burden of removing ¡®Repentance¡¯, not to mention that it would effectively weaken his strength.

    As for them, it might looked like they pushed themselves to their limits every time it was their turn to pull ¡®Repentance¡¯, when in reality it was all an act. They were all conserving their energy for the inevitable surprise attack.

    Now, they were one turn or two away from removing ¡®Repentance¡¯, and Ye Qing had be so weak that he could barely stay conscious. He was also in the middle of removing ¡®Repentance¡¯ and thus could not afford to split his attention.

    Now was the time to execute their n and reap the spoils.

    The sneer in Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s eyes grew thicker as his ¡°Bone Divine w¡± moved closer and closer to Ye Qing¡¯s head. Then, at thest possible moment, the young man suddenly bent his head backward, and Cui Qiuyuan just barely scraped past his forehead. His surprise attack had missed its target.

    Cui Qiuyuan nked out for an instant. Was it just a coincidence, or was it something far more sinister? The brief distraction was all Ye Qing needed to grab his wrist.

    At this point, Cui Qiuyuan knew that Ye Qing had seen through his ploy. He tried to pull back his arm and mount a hasty retreat, but he felt as if his arm was being pinned under a sky piercing mountain. He might as well be an ant trying to topple a tree.

    <em>He was hiding his strength too?!</em>

    At that moment, the full scale of his and his cohorts¡¯ mistake dawned upon him. They were acting and hiding their strength, but their target was acting as well. They thought the Grandmaster a fool, but he thought the exact same about them.

    Cui Qiuyuan could only watch as Ye Qing¡¯s left elbow sailed through the air and ripped through his protective astral qi like it was paper. Then, itnded squarely on his heart.

    <em>Pop!</em>

    Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s body exploded in a shower of blood and gore just like that.

    Cui Qiuyuan had just recently recreated his physical body using a Magia, which was why it was more fragile than normal. Not only that, the elbow strike he just took was one of the strongest he had ever received. Forget his current body, he wasn¡¯t sure his previous body could have survived it.

    ¡°Who are you?!¡±

    After his body exploded, Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god floated in the air and looked down on Ye Qing with hatred and fury. And how could he not be angry? This was the second time he fucked up and lost his physical body when he thought that everything was under his control, and it had all happened in the span of a couple of days. How could he not hate?

 Chapter 753: Too Smart For Your Own Good

    Chapter 753: Too Smart For Your Own Good

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You wish to know who is the man who bested you?¡±

    Ye Qing turned around and patted the dust on his hands away, lips curling into a smile that was anything but weak. ¡°Sure! I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything you can do against me.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan scoffed. ¡°Hmph! Who do you think you are to make such a boast?¡±

    ¡°I am Chu Wangsun, student of the Chief Libationist.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile grew diabolical. ¡°Do you recognize me now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He was so shocked that even his yang god was wobbling a little.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Ye Qing made a face at him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡±

    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re supposed to be a Half-Step Grandmaster. How¡­¡± Cui Qiuyuan arrived at the answer by himself. ¡°You¡¯re the one whose ascension summoned a tribtion earlier!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question. It was a statement of fact.

    ¡°So you can count to three after all. How very wise of you.¡± Ye Qing teased.¡°Well yed. I remember you now. Pray that you don¡¯t run into me a third time, or I swear I will rip you to pieces!¡± Cui Qiuyuan uttered through gritted teeth.

    Right now, the Mortician¡¯s eyes looked like a pair of burning coals. Since he began practicing martial arts, he had always been the one to toy others instead of the other way around. At one point, he even toyed with an entire nation before escaping at his leisure. Never did he imagine that he would be yed a fool not once, but twice by the same person. How could he not loathe Ye Qing to the very bone?

    ¡°I would say I look forward to it, but I¡¯m not sure you¡¯re going to leave this ce alive!¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    Cui Qiuyuanughed hatefully. ¡°Hahaha! If I wasn¡¯t sure before, now I know for sure that you are boasting! Who could possibly harm me while I still have the Undying Phoenix Feather?¡±

    It was why he dared to stay behind despite losing his physical body.

    Ye Qing did not say anything. No, it was azy voice who answered Cui Qiuyuan from behind. ¡°Oh? Is the Undying Phoenix Feather that potent?¡±

    The rm bells in Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s head abruptly red in full force. At the same time, a streak of red light flew toward him. It moved so fast that it reached the Mortician before thezy voice had finished talking.

    ¡°Scree!¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan did not wait. A phoenix¡¯s cry pierced through the air, and a phoenix covered in ck mes manifested into existence. It pped its ming wings and enveloped Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god in a protective cocoon of ck mes.

    <em>¡°Undying ck Phoenix¡±</em>

    The mes were cold and ck unlike your normal fire. It appeared just in time to stop the red light in its tracks.

    It was only now the others realized that the red light was really a peachwood nail. It was none other than Repentance.

    Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa subconsciously turned and looked at Murong Xianxian. The peachwood nail that was nailed to her forehead was long gone, leaving behind only a single red dot. It didn¡¯t mar her beauty though. On the contrary, it made her look devilishly charming.

    ¡°Scree!!!¡±

    The Undying ck Phoenix let out a painful screech, and pain appeared on Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s face as well. There was more fear than pain, however. The Undying Phoenix Feather was his final trump card. So long as it was present, his yang god would never die, and it was only a matter of time before he returned to power.

    For the first time since he obtained the Strange Artifact though, he was afraid. This was the first time someone actually managed to hurt the Undying ck Phoenix and damaged the Undying Phoenix Feather. Not only that, he could sense that the surrounding space had been sealed. There was nowhere for him to run; nowhere for him to hide.

    He was trapped, and death was slowly but surelying to im him. Naturally, he was afraid and panicked.

    There was one thing he didn¡¯t understand though. Why was Murong Xianxian helping Ye Qing?

    ¡°Why, miss? Why?!¡± Cui Qiuyuan roared.

    ¡°Because I like him more than I like the rest of you, naturally.¡±

    Murong Xianxian gave him a gentle, dreamy smile. ¡°Are you aware that one of the people I dislike the most are those who think of me as a fool? I especially loathe those who go back against their words thinking they¡¯re infallibly smart. Am I right, Mister Cui?¡±

    ¡°You never nned on cooperating with us in the first ce! You were going to toss us aside as soon as we freed you!¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan roared in anger. ¡°What else are you waiting for, Mistress Qu, Blood Rakshasa? Kill them already, or you will be next on the chopping block!¡±

    Qu Langhuan hesitated, but she ultimately decided to take action. She crossed her palms in front of her, and her astral qi transformed into a storm of flowers. A bleak wind howled as the falling flowers sang of humanity¡¯s greatest tragedy; the final parting.

    When the song ended, so would its audience¡¯s life. Hence, the technique was named ¡°Heartbreaker¡±.

    ¡°Heartbreaker¡± was a killer move in the ¡°Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡±. It could destroy one¡¯s insides without a trace and especially influence their mind. Its victim would feel so much sorrow it was as if their insides were crumbling inch by inch.

    ¡°You broke my heart, and so I shall break yours.¡± ~excerpt from the ¡°Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡±.

    ¡°You truly are the sessor of that menial, Yan Qingyan. You are exactly as stupid as her.¡±

    Murong Xianxian giggled as she raised her left hand and snapped her fingers. There was a soft pop, and both the howling gale and the storm of flowers disappeared like it was never there, leaving behind only peaceful quiet.

    Qu Langhuan let out a grunt of pain and staggered away from Murong Xianxian. Her face was pale, and her eyes were widened in shock.

    Murong Xianxian snapped her fingers again, and suddenly, Qu Langhuan felt her true qi running wildly inside her body. It refused to obey hermand no matter what she tried, and her temperature kept rising and dropping at random. It was torturous to say the least.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Unable to endure the torture any longer, Qu Langhuan let out a groan and copsed in a heap.

    Murong Xianxian simply shook her head with scorn and pity. ¡°I already told you that I¡¯m the one who invented the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯, and you still attacked me with its technique? How hopelessly stupid you are.¡±

    While Murong Xianxian was dealing with Qu Langhuan, Ye Qing was dashing toward Blood Rakshasa. The Trueman had no intentions of fighting him though. As soon as Ye Qing truly revealed himself, she immediately recognized him as the man who had yed her like a puppet on strings at the basin some time ago. She hated him as a matter of course, but she feared him even more.

    This was a man she already couldn¡¯t defeat even after he overcame the Profound Yellow Tribtion, which was said to be the strongest of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions. What were the chances she would be able to do it now that he had time toe into his power?

    Now that both Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan were incapacitated, she dared not hesitate any longer. She transformed into a beam of red light and exploded toward the exit.

    Ye Qing was a step toote to stop her. He could only watch as she made her escape and disappeared in the blink of an eye. He didn¡¯t feel too disappointed though. He shrugged and turned back to Cui Qiuyuan.

    He could already kick Blood Rakshasa¡¯s ass right after he entered the Grandmaster stage. If she hadn¡¯t run away, he could have ended right where she stood. In the future, she wouldn¡¯t even deserve to be his prey anymore. With that in mind, why would he fear the consequences of escape?

    Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan though, now they were a different story.

    He had detected Cui Qiuyuan, Qu Langhuan and Blood Rakshasa¡¯s scheming almost as soon as the thought appeared in their heads. Although they hadn¡¯tmunicated one word, he knew that they were plotting to kill him.

    Ye Qing had never been kind to those who plotted to kill him, so naturally he racked his brain for a way to surprise them. If he could somehow kill them all in one fell swoop, then even better.

    He was still thinking when it was his turn to remove ¡®Repentance¡¯ from Murong Xianxian, and the woman called out to him spiritually. Somehow, Murong Xianxian had noticed their scheming as well, and she asked if he wished to cooperate with her. As for why she was doing this, her reason was very simple: the trio meant to do her harm, and she did not take kindly to those who harbored malice toward her.

    Ye Qing found her reasoning and her cooperation most agreeable, so they arrived at an agreement almost immediately. He would tackle Cui Qiuyuan, and Murong Xianxian would deal with Qu Langhuan. As for Blood Rakshasa, the Trueman would have to be insane to stay behind after herpanions were defeated, so there was no need to worry about her.

    Things went as expected. Well, almost. Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting Murong Xianxian to possess the power to trap Cui Qiuyuan despite his Undying Phoenix Feather.

    No matter how hard the Mortician struggled, he was unable to break out of the prison Repentance prepared for him.

    ¡°What else do you have, Trueman? Show me.¡±

    Murong Xianxian watched the struggling Cui Qiuyuan like a cat would stare at a bird trapped inside a cage, yful and predatory. ¡°I truly do not understand you people sometimes. Everything would¡¯ve been fine if you had just done as I asked. Why must you overestimate your intelligence?¡±

    ¡°Fine. It is inevitable that the foolish will overestimate their intelligence. But why on earth did you think you could trick me? What gave you the courage to actually go through with your foolish scheme? Youngsters these days must be quite arrogant and suicidal.¡±

    A short whileter, Cui Qiuyuan stopped struggling. His expression gradually returned to calm as well. It was because he noticed that Repentance could not truly breach the Undying Phoenix Feather¡¯s protection and hurt his soul even though it could pin him in ce.

 Chapter 754: Do You Want To Live or Die?

    Chapter 754: Do You Want To Live or Die?

    ¡°This junior has overestimated his capabilities. I hope you will forgive me, miss.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan knew that Murong Xianxian wasn¡¯t talking about him trying to kill Ye Qing for his own benefit. No, it was about him plotting against her.

    When he was removing ¡¯Repentance¡¯ earlier, he had secretly executed a mental secret art known as the ¡°Mind Control¡±.

    As its name implied, it was a spell that allowed the practitioner to take control of another person¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Mind Control¡± was an extremely hidden spell. It could be nted in a person¡¯s headspace without a trace, and this enabled the practitioner to control or kill his victim with a single thought.

    There were two reasons he was doing this. One, he did not believe Murong Xianxian and wanted some insurance. Two, he still wanted to stitch her into his Corpse Spirit.

    After all, how could he possibly bear to part ways with such perfect material?

    Unfortunately, he had given away the game somehow and alerted Murong Xianxian as to his intentions. So, she gave him a taste of his own medicine.

    This wasn¡¯t important right now. What was important was what he must do to survive.¡°Give up already? How boring!¡±

    Murong Xianxian slowly rose from her throne. Maybe it was because she hadn¡¯t moved for eight hundred years, but her movements were a little stiff and wobbly. Deciding that she couldn¡¯t trust herself to walk straight in her current state, she looked at Ye Qing and beckoned for him to support her.

    Ye Qing hesitated for a moment, but he ultimately chose to step forward and grab her arm.

    To be honest, he wanted to make his great escape as soon as he counter-tricked Cui Qiuyuan and the other Truemen. Murong Xianxian was just that dangerous. However, the woman also gave him a familiar feeling, one that felt neither artificial nor malicious. It was almost as if she was his blood rtive or something. But how was this possible? There was no chance his original self was rted to Murong Xianxian in any way, so why was he feeling this familiarity?

    It was a mystifying sensation to say the least. This was one of the reasons why he epted her proposal earlier, and why he chose to stay behind now.

    Murong Xianxian seemed delighted by his decision, her smile growing even brighter and charming like the moon of a starry sky.

    Seeing that Murong Xianxian wasn¡¯t paying attention to him, Cui Qiuyuan repeated himself a little urgently, ¡°This junior really is sorry, miss. Please forgive me!¡±

    Murong Xianxian finally looked up at Cui Qiuyuan and repliedzily, ¡°If you really are sorry, then you need to pay for it. You didn¡¯t think I¡¯m going to let you off over the hook just because of some empty words, did you?

    ¡°What do you want, miss?¡± Cui Qiuyuan asked.

    Murong Xianxian pretended to think for a moment before answering, ¡°My request is simple. You will serve me as my humble servant.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re asking for too much, miss?¡± Cui Qiuyuan sneered. He knew exactly what her request entailed, and he did not like it one bit.

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re the one who attacked me first, so I am in the right here. Not only that, your life is in the palm of my hand right now. Is it really such an unduly demand?¡± Murong Xianxian asked indifferently.

    ¡°You jest, miss. Not even you can kill me in my current state!¡± Cui Qiuyuan let out a cold chuckle. So long as the Undying Phoenix Feather was still intact, Murong Xianxian would not be able to kill him.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so sure of yourself!¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s gaze shifted to the Undying Phoenix Feather embedded in his forehead. She said calmly, ¡°The Undying Phoenix Feather of the Undying n of Wei is quite the troublesome Strange Artifact, and it is true I can¡¯t kill you as I am¡­¡±

    ¡°... but what on earth makes you think that I have no control over you?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Please enlighten this fool then!¡± Cui Qiuyuan scoffed.

    ¡°Do you know that death is not the scariest thing in this world? No, it is a fate worse than death.¡± Murong Xianxian said casually, ¡°It is true that I can¡¯t kill you, but I can seal you in this ce and make sure that you never leave.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan nched. He didn¡¯t think of that.

    ¡°Imagine this: You cannot speak, and you cannot move. There is no one to keep youpany, and even death is denied to you. No one wille to save you, no one will know you¡¯re here. You will be stuck in this ce for eternity.¡± Murong Xianxian mused seemingly to herself. ¡°That is how I had lived for the past eight hundred years. Would you like to give it a try?¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan¡¯splexion grew whiter and whiter. Maybe it was because he was afraid, but even his yang god started trembling violently.

    ¡°Rest assured that your seal will be the strongest, tightest, and most secure seal you¡¯ve ever seen. Just in case, I¡¯ll apply a restriction over the seal so that there is absolutely no chance you will ever escape, or anyone might find you. It¡¯s not all bad though. In this state, you¡¯ll live forever. You may enjoy immortality on your lonesome until the very world passes on to the next life.¡±

    In the end, Murong Xianxian beamed at Cui Qiuyuan. ¡°If this is your wish, then I am happy to oblige you. So? Do you want to give it a try?¡±

    <em>Holy mother of¡­ hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!</em>

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t even the target of Murong Xianxian¡¯s ire, and goosebumps were breaking all over his body. This ¡°immortality¡± was definitely worse than true death. Infinitely worse.

    If Ye Qing was scared, then Cui Qiuyuan could only fare worse. Despite being a yang god, he was shaking like a leaf and had turnedpletely white. He was about to say something when Murong Xianxian interrupted him,

    ¡°Take your time to consider your answer. You only have one chance. If your answer is not what I wish to hear, then I shall assume that you desire my alternative and act ordingly.¡±

    Having said that, Murong Xianxian¡¯s gaze shifted away from Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s contorted expression andnded on Qu Langhuan. ¡°Come. Take me to that girl who is as stupid as that menial, Yan Qingyan.¡±

    Ye Qing obeyed. When they reached Qu Langhuan, the woman was still curled up on the ground like a prawn, semi-conscious. She didn¡¯t even realize that they were there.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ Yan Qingyan was already a stupid menial, and her sessor is even worse. I almost can¡¯t bear to imagine what has be of that so-called Li Hentian Pce.¡±

    Murong Xianxian sighed as she stared at Qu Langhuan. ¡°Foolish. So foolish. Do you think I should kill her? Or should I let her live?¡±

    Ye Qing answered cautiously, ¡°You should do whatever you want to do, miss.¡±

    ¡°I should do whatever I want to do, hmm?¡± Murong Xianxian tapped herself on the forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll let her live. It¡¯s bad enough that Yan Qingyan, that menial, dared to use his name to enrich herself, but to think she would do such a terrible job¡­ How embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°He may be dead, but I will not allow anyone to nder his name. Foolish she may be, letting her live may prove useful to me in the future.¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t say a word, but a storm was brewing inside his heart. Murong Xianxian was clearly referring to Li Hentian, and unless he had gravely misinterpreted her words, she was clearly nning to do something to the Li Hentian Pce. Heavens only knows if she meant to destroy the sect or something else.

    One thing for certain, a bloody storm awaited the <em>jianghu </em>when Murong Xianxian returned to the real world.

    Having made her decision, Murong Xianxian bent down and tapped Qu Langhuan on the forehead. The pain tormenting the Trueman immediately began fading away until she regained her consciousness.

    ¡°Are you awake? If you are, then stand up.¡± Murong Xianxian rose to her feet and asked, ¡°Speak. Do you wish to live, or do you desire death?¡±

    Qu Langhuan hastily climbed to her feet. Her face was white and fraught with fear, and right now, she looked nothing like the Trueman she was. She begged, ¡°Mercy, miss! Mercy! This junior is sorry. This junior will never offend you again, so please!¡±

    It did not matter if you were a god, a demon, a celestial, a Buddha. Everyone quakes in fear when death is breathing down your neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you if you wish to live or die. Answer my question.¡± Murong Xianxian¡¯s tone was calm but unquestionable.

    ¡°I wish to live,¡± Qu Langhuan swallowed.

    ¡°If you wish to live, then obey me faithfully. Otherwise, I will make you wish you were dead. Understand?¡± Murong Xianxian said gently while patting Qu Langhuan on her head.

    The Trueman shuddered once before replying in a hurry, ¡°I understand! I understand!¡±

    ¡°Good. If you perform well, then I may still teach you theplete version of the ¡®Divine Art of Hateful Separation¡¯ and cure your inevitable death. Sounds good?¡±

    The tried and true carrot and stick approach showed its face again. Murong Xianxian was clearly a master maniptor.

    ¡°Thank you, miss! Thank you!¡± Qu Langhuan shed tears of gratitude.

 Chapter 755: Blood and Origin

    Chapter 755: Blood and Origin

    ¡°Good. Go catch some rest.¡±

    Murong Xianxian waved, and Qu Langhuan immediately retreated to a corner. She sighed, ¡°People are so strange sometimes. The high road is right in front of them, and yet they must cross the log bridge where one slip may sound the end of their lives. Are they stupid, cheap, or both?¡±

    Once done with her musing, Murong Xianxian nced at Cui Qiuyuan and asked, ¡°Cui Qiuyuan, is it? Are you done thinking?¡±

    ¡°This junior¡­ surrenders himself to you, miss,¡± Cui Qiuyuan answered in a low and helpless voice.

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re not stupid after all.¡± Murong Xianxian smiled. ¡°You know what to do.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan might be a terrible person, but there was no denying his mental fortitude. Having made up his mind, he immediately withdrew the Undying Phoenix Feather and awaited Murong Xianxian¡¯s machinations.

    He knew what wasing next. Murong Xianxian was going to nt a restriction in his mind and turn him into her eternal ve. If she felt like it, she would be able to kill him with a single thought. He didn¡¯t have a choice though. A life of very was still better than being forgotten inside a seal, forever. It was also better than being dead.

    Besides, so long as he still lived and breathed¡ªnot inside an unbreakable seal, of course¡ªthere was always a chance. There was always hope.

    After all, no one, not even Murong Xianxian, could say what the future held.Cui Qiuyuan was a smart man. He knew what he should do and what choices he should make.

    After Cui Qiuyuan put away the Undying Phoenix Feather, Murong Xianxian curled her finger and pierced his yang god in nine ces using Repentance. Every time this happened, a smidgen of red would ripple out like blood, and Cui Qiuyuan would shudder a little.

    When all was said and done, nine red spots were marked on Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god. Together, they looked like a gorgeous, blood red flower with nine petals in total.

    It was said that a flower called Red Spider Lily grew at the rivershores of the Yellow Spring. It was red as blood and gorgeous like a dream, and yet it was the symbol of death.

    When a Red Spider Lily blooms, a person dies, and their soul would join the Yellow Spring.

    The flower marked on Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s yang god was none other than the Red Spider Lily. Not only did it look incredibly lifelike, it was rocking from side to side as if swaying to the wind. There was a faint but distinct fragrance in the air as well.

    A few breathster, the Red Spider Lily vanished, and Murong Xianxian summoned Repentance back into her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. I look forward to working with you, Mister Cui,¡± Murong Xianxian said smilingly while ying with Repentance.

    Cui Qiuyuannded on the ground and bowed his head deeply. ¡°I dare not call myself ¡®Mister¡¯ in front of you, miss. Just call me Qiuyuan.¡±

    Murong Xianxian nodded and flicked Repentance away. The Strange Artifact instantly shot out of the exit.

    ¡°You are terribly weakened in your current state, Qiuyuan. Follow Repentance. It will lead you to a Sage¡¯s body,¡± Murong Xianxian ordered.

    ¡°A Sage¡¯s body?¡± Cui Qiuyuan eximed in surprise before delight overtook him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always wanted a Sage¡¯s body, right? The opportunity is yours. It¡¯s up to you to grasp it,¡± Murong Xianxian dered.

    ¡°Thank you, miss! Qiuyuan will not disappoint you!¡± Cui Qiuyuan happily left the building after saluting her.

    After Cui Qiuyuan was gone, Ye Qing supported Murong Xianxian all the way to the exit. The woman stared at the blue sky above her head and felt the cool breeze blowing against her face. For a long time, she did not say anything.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I saw the blue sky and white clouds, and smelled the fragrance of the grass and trees. It¡¯s great.¡±

    Ye Qing did not say anything. He did not want to interrupt Murong Xianxian¡¯s musings. Even if he did, he didn¡¯t know what to say in this situation.

    In fact, he was starting to regret his decision to stay behind. What oue would his decision lead to? He didn¡¯t know. <em>I shouldn¡¯t have been so impulsive¡­</em>

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you regretting your decision to stay behind?¡± Murong Xianxian turned around to look at him, smiling. ¡°You had your chance to leave. Why didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing still didn¡¯t say anything. <em>I can¡¯t exactly tell her that my sixth sense told me not to, can I? Who would believe me?</em>

    It was at this moment Murong Xianxian said something unexpected, ¡°Is it because I feel familiar to you?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ye Qing was astonished. He did not expect Murong Xianxian to guess his thoughts so urately.

    Murong Xianxian revealed the answer a secondter. ¡°I¡¯m the same too. I feel the same sense of familiarity from you. That¡¯s why you have nothing to worry about. I have no intentions of hurting you in any way.¡±

    ¡°You too?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s astonishment doubled when he heard this.

    ¡°Do you want to know why?¡± Murong Xianxian asked.

    ¡°Please enlighten me!¡± Ye Qing responded immediately.

    Instead of answering, Murong Xianxian let loose a wave of vigor. Almost immediately, Ye Qing felt his blood shaking and responding to it.

    ¡°You¡­ could it be¡­?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes grew as wide as saucers. He could clearly sense that Murong Xianxian shared the same type of blood as him; a blood that could devour other blood to strengthen itself!

    ¡°Do you feel it?¡±

    Murong Xianxian withdrew her vigor and exined, ¡°You and I share the same Stranger blood. That is why we are naturally attracted to each other.¡±

    ¡°How did youe by this Stranger blood, miss?¡± Ye Qing asked immediately.

    ¡°<em>I¡¯m </em>the one who should ask you that,¡± Murong Xianxian countered. ¡°This bloodline exists in every generation of the Murong n. Of course I would have it. So, how did <em>you </eme to possess a bloodline that should be unique to my n?¡±

    ¡°And before you say that we might be distant rtives, know that I wasn¡¯t exaggerating when I said that Li Hentian exterminated everyone in my n except me. Therefore, you cannot be a descendant of the Murong n.¡±

    ¡°This blood belongs to the Murong n?¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting this at all. He had no idea that his bloodline was rted to the Murong n. His bloodline was perfectly ordinary until he absorbed a drop of blood from the mysterious female corpse slumbering within the sarcophagus at the Jade Dragon Lake. Did this mean that the female corpse was tied to the Murong n?

    Ye Qing saw no need to hide this, so he told Murong Xianxian about the sarcophagus at Jade Dragon Lake and how he came to own this bloodline.

    Of course, he did not tell her about the Annon Sutra.

    ¡°I see.¡± Murong Xianxian hummed for a moment. ¡°It would seem that the woman in the sarcophagus is a blood ancestor of my n. I would like to visit her sometime after I get out of this ce.¡±

    ¡°Legend has it that our bloodline hails from a Stranger called the Blood Demon, and the Blood Demon was an ancient Stranger who feeds on the blood of the living. It is why we name our bloodline after it.¡±

    A meaningful smile danced on Murong Xianxian¡¯s lips as she nced at Ye Qing. ¡°The Blood Demon¡¯s bloodline is extremely potent, so much so that it cannot be subsumed by anyone but a member of the Murong n. To think you would be the exception to the rule, and to think that you would be the one to free me from my eternal prison eight hundred yearster. In a sense, you and I are fated for each other!¡±

    ¡°My shock can only be greater than yours, senior!¡± Ye Qing said wistfully while rubbing his nose. Seriously, this was one helluva of coincidence.

    ¡°Since fate has conspired to bring us together, and you have obtained my bloodline, I consider you a member of the Murong n. From now on, you don¡¯t need to address me as senior. I want you to call me big sis.¡±

    Murong Xianxian noticed the hesitation on Ye Qing¡¯s face and asked, ¡°What? You don¡¯t like it? Or do you think I don¡¯t deserve to be your big sis?¡±

    ¡°You must be joking! It will be an honor!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Good boy.¡± Murong Xianxian looked very happy. ¡°Now that we are properly acquainted, can you tell me your real name now?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Was it that obvious? Yes, my name isn¡¯t Ye Yipin. Sorry for lying to you earlier.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a smile. ¡°My name is Ye Qing, and my moniker is Joyless. Just call me Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Joyless? ¡®In my dreams I am joyless, for I am overflowing with joy in the waking world¡¯? It is a good name.¡± Murong Xianxian instantly identified the origin of his name andplimented him. ¡°Even better, you are a man who deserves it. A body-tempering Grandmaster at your age? Your potential and future have no end.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, big sis. I don¡¯t deserve such apliment,¡± Ye Qing replied humbly.

    ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re my younger brother. Of course you are exceptional.¡± Murong Xianxian smiled kindly. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to a couple ces and choose some weing gifts for youter.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, big sis!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. <em>Now this is a big sis to die for!</em>

 Chapter 756: Palace In A Lake

    Chapter 756: Pce In A Lake

    Murong Xianxian chuckled. ¡°What kind of sister would I be if I didn''t shower you in gifts?¡±

    The duo would continue to admire the passing clouds and converse for a very long time.

    Ye Qing wondered if it was just his imagination, but Murong Xianxian seemed to be growing more and more human and lifelike as they spoke.

    It wasn¡¯t like Murong Xianxian had changed her mannerisms or anything, but before, her every smile and frown¡ªwhile beautiful¡ªdid not truly resemble a human¡¯s. It felt a lot more otherworldly like she was a Stranger, a ghost, a demon. It was cold, disturbing and eerie.

    That was no longer the case. She truly felt like a living, breathing human now.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    It was at this moment a terrifying aura shot into the sky. Such was its power that they could feel it even from where they were.

    The aura was vast, profound, and exuded glimmers of Buddhist light. It was as deafening and obvious as the howl of a dragon elephant. However, a thick amount of yin qi was mixed in it as well.

    ¡°Is that¡­ the Half Buddha?¡± Ye Qing asked while perceiving the aura in the air.¡°You know the Half Buddha Chen Miaozeng?¡± Murong Xianxian seemed surprised by this.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you about this, but I identally came across Ning Xiliu¡¯s memories earlier. There were scenes of the three Sages¡¯ battle against the Dark Overlord, which is why I¡¯m aware of his existence.¡± Ye Qing proceeded to tell Murong Xianxian about his encounter with Ning Xiliu.

    ¡°I see. You are a fortunate man, little brother.¡± Murong Xianxian praised him before answering his question, ¡®You are correct. The aura does belong to Chen Miaozeng, and that ce is where he passed away.¡±

    ¡°Chen Miaozeng was a legend during his time. He wasn¡¯t a Buddhist, but he obtained a Buddha¡¯s truth and forged his Dao with it. He is a non-Buddhist who became a Buddha, which is why they call him the Half Buddha.¡±

    ¡°With Chen Miaozeng¡¯s talent, he could have be even stronger than he was. Unfortunately, he did not survive the battle against the Dark Overlord.¡±

    ¡°Even so, his aura is most terrifying. I can only imagine how powerful he was when he was still alive,¡± Ye Qing said wistfully. ¡°Can Cui Qiuyuan really suppress him? He only has his yang god now.¡±

    If Cui Qiuyuan was at his peak, then of course he wouldn¡¯t fear a dead Sage. However, Cui Qiuyuan had suffered additional injuries before he fully recovered and even lost his physical body to him twice. He truly wondered if the Trueman could suppress Chen Miaozeng¡¯s body in his current state.

    Murong Xianxian did not seem worried in the slightest, however. She dered, ¡°It will be fine. He has Repentance.¡±

    Before she even finished, a streak of red light dispelled the sky of buddha light and the deafening roar in an instant. Its aura also became much weaker than before as if suppressed by something.

    The red light was obviously Repentance.

    ¡°Cui Qiuyuan is a master at manipting corpses and controlling spirits. If he obtained Half Buddha¡¯s body, he would be so much stronger than before. Aren¡¯t you afraid that he would slip out of your control, big sis?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a dog. No matter how much he grows, he will never be anything more than a dog,¡± Murong Xianxian replied easily. ¡°A dog will never have the courage nor the right to bare its fangs at its masters, and that is all he is, a dog!¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. He was making conversation. If even he could ruin Cui Qiuyuan without too much effort, he could not imagine the eight-hundred-years-old Murong Xianxian would fail where he seeded.

    Ye Qing did not say anything else after that. Both him and Murong Xianxian simply stared at the distant sky as if waiting for something, or rather, someone.

    About a teatimeter, a man emerged from the horizon. It was a muscr man who, despite being a monk, had a full head of hair. He looked exactly the same as the Half Buddha Chen Miaozeng in Ye Qing¡¯s memories.

    A powerful pressure enveloped Ye Qing and Murong Xianxian long before he got close. Neither of them reacted in the slightest, however.

    When Chen Miaozeng was ten meters away from Murong Xianxian, he stopped in his tracks and saluted her. ¡°I did not fail you, miss.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t actually Chen Miaozeng who was speaking, of course. It was Cui Qiuyuan.

    ¡°Well done. Tell little Qu that we are moving. We will be visiting a couple ces.¡±

    Murong Xianxian waved, and Repentance flew over from a distance. It sank into the hole in her forehead until only the head of the nail was peeking out of the wound. It looked like a bindi[1], and it did not look out of ce in the slightest. If anything, Murong Xianxian looked even more attractive than she already was.

    ¡°As youmand, miss.¡± Cui Qiuyuan saluted her and strode into the hall.

    It was worth noting that Cui Qiuyuan had not looked at Ye Qing even once since he submitted to Murong Xianxian. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they were just strangers.

    A short whileter, Cui Qiuyuan emerged with Qu Langhuan behind him. Qu Langhuan shot Murong Xianxian a nervous look before bowing to her, greeting, ¡°Miss¡­¡±

    ¡°Save the pleasantries. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Murong Xianxian nced at Qu Langhuan once before taking to the skies. Ye Qing and everyone else followed right behind her.

    After the group disappeared into the horizon, the floating pce began crumbling bit by bit as if it had lost the power source that had kept it afloat. As the pieces fell, they disintegrated into dust and scattered into the wind.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°What is this ce?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    The group was currently hovering before a huge, mirror-likeke. The water was so clear you could see it all the way to the bottom.

    It was also why everyone except Murong Xianxian was confused. It was clear at first nce that there was absolutely nothing inside theke.

    Murong Xianxian smiled. Instead of answering, she made a number of hand seals.

    The group¡¯s eyes slowly widened. It was because theke water slowly but surely transformed into a massive pce; one that waspletely made of water. It was quite impressive to say the least.

    ¡°Back then, Li Hentian recruited some of the best craftsmen in the world to construct five buildings. They were the Eastern Yi Wood Garden, the Western Geng Metal Pavilion, the Southern Li Fire Tower, the Northern Gui Water Pce, and the Central Wu Earth Hall. Their purpose was to store his treasure hoard.¡± Murong Xianxian exined while staring at the water pce in front of her.

    ¡°This is the Northern Gui Water Pce, and it is mainly used to store all kinds of rare artifacts, antiques, calligraphy and painting.¡±

    ¡°Come.¡±

    Murong Xianxian took the lead and began walking toward the pce. Somehow, the water was as firm as solid ground. When they arrived at the entrance, the doors automatically slid open to admit them. Murong Xianxian stepped inside, and Ye Qing and the others followed closely behind.

    The interior of the Northern Gui Water Pce was made of water just like the exterior. Like mirrors, they were perfectly transparent and wless. One could see out from inside the pce, but not the other way around.

    Besides that, countless items enveloped by water were floating in the air. There were ancient texts, broken seals, expensive paintings, bronze ensure, stone cauldrons, stringless ancient qins and more. They dazzled the eyes to say the least.

    Ye Qing reached out and touched an ancient qin that were about to float past him. The ancient qin stopped in its tracks, and the water surrounding it transformed into various ancient seal scripts. They introduced the ancient qin¡¯s background and origin.

    ¡°This is the ancient qin, Stringless. It was once the instrument of the Qin Sage, Ruan Ji. It could y five notes that sound as sweet as a phoenix¡¯s cry, one that could draw a hundred birds to pay homage to it[2].¡±

    Murong Xianxian had somehow walked next to him while he was absorbed in his thoughts. She asked, ¡°Are you interested? I can give it to you if you want.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head without hesitation. ¡°Nah. Music and I do not mesh well. The Qin Sage¡¯s instrument would be aplete waste in my hands.¡±

    Stringless might be a legendary artifact for the literati or warriors who practiced music as their primary art, but it was without a doubt useless to him.

    ¡°The two of you may pick a few items from this pile as well.¡±

    Murong Xianxian looked at Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan and said, ¡°A good number of these items once belonged to ancient sages, great powers, and Gods-On-Earth, and they¡¯re as rare as they¡¯re useful to a warrior¡¯s growth. Even in the worst case scenario, you can still sell them for a lot of money. I¡¯m sure you can make use of them.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, miss.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan thanked Murong Xianxian deeply. They were both excited about this opportunity.

    1. A bindi, worn in Hindu, Buddhist, and other dominant Southeast Asian religions, is a small red dot applied on the forehead between the eyebrows using a red paste. ?

    2. Referring to the idiom ¡°A hundred birds pays homage to the phoenix.¡± ?

 Chapter 757: All One

    Chapter 757: All One

    ¡°What do you want, Joyless?¡±

    Murong Xianxian turned to Ye Qing with a gentle smile on her face after dealing with Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan.

    ¡°What do you rmend, big sis?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°If you ask me¡­¡± Murong Xianxian waved her hand, and two streams of water flowed over to them.

    One of them was carrying an ancient text, and the other a broken armor.

    ¡°I noticed that you¡¯re quite aplished in the art of fists, so I believe that these items would be of use to you. Allow me to start with this ancient text.¡±

    Murong Xianxian began, ¡°This is a fist art manual written by a strange man named Trueman Old Moon after collecting every fist art in the world nine hundred years ago. It is called ¡®One All Fist Manual¡¯ because it extracts the essence of every fist art and boils it all down to one.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. Extract the essence of every fist art and boil it all down to one? That sounded amazing!

    However, Murong Xianxian¡¯s next few sentences deted him like a balloon. ¡°Trueman Old Moon was born in a powerful <em>wulin </em>n, which is why he was able to collect every fist art in the world to create his ¡®One All Fist Manual¡¯. However, he was born with a weak body that could not practice martial arts, and he had never fought anyone in his life. He rarely watched a fight with one¡¯s life on the line either. That is why the fist manual he authored looked magnificent, but is about as applicable as a floating pavilion, or a moon in a pond.¡±Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <em>Ah. I should¡¯ve known that it is the fate of every little brother to be bullied by his older sister.</em>

    Murong Xianxian thought Ye Qing¡¯s disgruntled expression was very cute and so did not exin herself immediately. She waited a good few seconds before she finally said, ¡°However, ¡®A floating pavilion may be unrealistic, but that just means that its vision is that extraordinary¡¯. That is what Li Hentian said after reading the ¡®One All Fist Manual¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Qing raised a curious eyebrow. It would seem that Li Hentian held a surprisingly high opinion of the ¡°One All Fist Manual¡±.

    ¡°Trueman Old Moon had never practiced martial arts in his life, so it¡¯s only natural that the fist manual he authored was quite unrealistic. However, its w is also its merit.¡±

    Murong Xianxian exined, ¡°Because he had never practiced martial arts, the fist manual he wrote was idealistic to the extreme. But since it is a book that aspires to boil every fist art in the world into one, idealism was exactly how it should be written. It showed its readers an idealistic vision that, should all the stars align perfectly, was theoretically attainable. It was a glimpse into the ultimate ceiling of fist arts.¡±

    ¡°To a beginner, ¡®One All Fist Manual¡¯ was undoubtedly a poison. It would only harm the practitioner and do them not one whit of good. But for someone who became a Grandmaster through their fists, it is a potent tonic that would only do them good.¡±

    ¡°You are one of the few who meet the requirement, and your fist art is already starting to shape up nicely. Reading the ¡®One All Fist Manual¡¯ would rid you of the prison of realism you are unknowingly trapped in and show you how you might be the ideal version of yourself; a true master of the fists. I am sure you will greatly benefit from it.¡±

    ¡°I see! Thank you, big sis.¡±

    Ye Qing felt much better after hearing this. The ¡°One All Fist Manual¡± might be useless for most people, but in his case, it was the opposite.

    Murong Xianxian then pointed at the armor and said, ¡°As for this armor, it was worn by the fist art Grandmaster, Lei Zhenwei a thousand years ago. Its name is Force Shaker, and it could nurture your fist intent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, big sis.¡±

    Ye Qig thanked Murong Xianxian again and epted both gifts without hesitation.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Murong Xianxian smiled. ¡°I would give you more presents, but the really good items aren¡¯t stored in the Northern Gui Water Pce. They¡¯re all in the Central Wu Earth Hall. I¡¯ll pick you a couple more presents when we¡¯re there.¡±

    Ye Qing thanked Murong Xianxian for the third time, ¡°Thank you, big sis, but I¡¯m satisfied with just this.¡±

    As grateful as he was, he didn¡¯t allow himself to lose himself to his own greed. Besides, just because Murong Xianxian meant him no harm¡ªon the contrary, she was pampering him like an actual younger brother¡ªdidn¡¯t mean that he should let his guard down and grow careless.

    Satisfied with his response, Murong Xianxian paid him anotherpliment, ¡°Good. Burn with ambition, but do not sumb to greed.¡±

    After Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan were done picking their items, the group of four quickly left the Northern Gui Water Pce. After that, the waves churned, and the pce began shrinking at a visible rate. It wasn¡¯t long before it transformed into a single bead of water andnded on Murong Xianxian¡¯s palm.

    Theke from before waspletely gone. All that was left behind was a deep, dry pit.

    ¡°The five buildings were constructed using the essence of natural Yi Wood, Geng Metal, Li Fire, Gui Water and Wu Earth.¡± Murong Xianxian stared at the water droplet on her hand as she exined, ¡°This is the natural essence of Gui Water, and it is the most valuable treasure of the entire Northern Gui Water Pce.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, big sis.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, miss.¡±

    Ye Qing, Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan all congratted Murong Xianxian.

    Murong Xianxian nodded. ¡°Mm. Let us head to the next destination.¡±

    The group began traveling in a different direction. This ce was a pit of pure chaos where even the naturalws were dysfunctional or outright missing. If Ye Qing, Cui Qiuyuan or Qu Langhuan had to navigate it themselves, they might have lost their way a long time ago. But for some reason, Murong Xianxian didn¡¯t seem to be affected in the slightest. She easily identified the safest, shortest path and led them to their next destination in no time at all.

    It was a first filled with tall, massive trees that seemed to prop up the very sky. Unfortunately, they were all dead, and even the ground was a wastnd that was devoid of life. Not a single shoot of grass could be seen anywhere.

    ¡°This is the Eastern Yi Wood Garden.¡± Murong Xianxian reminisced as she stared at the dead forest in front of her. ¡°The Eastern Yi Wood Garden is where we nurtured all sorts of unusual flora, fauna, and natural treasure we collected from all over the world. It was the most beautiful location in the Demonbearer Abode bar none.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it would seem that it waspletely destroyed in the war.¡±

    Murong Xianxian let out a small sigh before tapping the space in front of her[1]. Heaven and earth shook, and the entire forest began floating into the air like some sort of gargantuan painting. When it slowly shrank down to the size of a painting, it rolled itself into a scroll andnded in Murong Xianxian¡¯s hand.

    With that done, Murong Xianxian led them south next. Obviously, they were headed for the Southern Li Fire Tower.

    The ¡°tower¡± in ¡°Southern Li Fire Tower¡± made it sound like it was a tower, but it was really a volcano.

    They were lucky that they hadn¡¯t encountered anyone since leaving the floating pce, but s, their luck couldn¡¯tst. There was a very good reason for it though. The volcano was spewing not justva, but all sorts of Strange Artifacts and other treasures from its crater. When they arrived, they saw at least a dozen warriors fighting each other over the valuables, and dozens more bodies on the ground. It was a massacre.

    ¡°It looks like someone had gotten ahead of us.¡± Murong Xianxian examined thebatants with a cool eye while ordering, ¡°Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan responded and rushed the fighters immediately.

    To be honest, the dozen or so warriors were quite formidable in their own right. Three of them were even Truemen. Unfortunately for them, their opponents were Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan.

    Qu Langhuan was a Trueman on the Earth Champions Ranking. She was much stronger than yourmon stock. It would not be an easy fight, but her victory was cemented from the beginning.

    Cui Qiuyuan was also a Trueman, but unlike Qu Langhuan, he currently held the Half Buddha, Chen Miaozeng, in his possession. Cheng Miaozeng wasn¡¯t just any ordinary Sage either. Generally speaking, Buddhist arts excelled and tempering the body, and Chen Miaozeng was no exception. He had long since attained an Arhat Body and became impervious to most weapons and elements.

    That was why Cui Qiuyuan led the charge with Chen Miaozeng and used him to block all of his enemies¡¯ attacks. No matter what they tried, they were unable to harm a hair on Chen Miaozeng¡¯s body. Not only that, Chen Miaozeng ughtered them like a tiger in a sheep¡¯s pen. Every time he threw a punch, someone would explode into a shower of blood and gore. Whenever he swung his palm, an unfortunate soul would be cut in half. If his hand caught someone¡¯s head, he would squeeze it until it popped like an overripe watermelon. As for his legs, it resembled a scythe that cut through both metal and body like wheat.

    In just the span of a few breaths, Cui Qiuyuan had taken out over half of thebatants. Inparison, Qu Langhuan had only killed one.

    Obviously, the remaining survivors panicked. They scattered in every direction like rabbits.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ none of you are walking away from this alive!¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan snarled savagely and chased after the stragglers. Just a teatimeter, he returned with several bodies in both hands. He was basked in blood from head to toe, but his expression was merciful and kind.

    Ye Qing sighed internally. Chen Miaozeng was a powerful Sage with a Bodhisattva¡¯s heart, but now a vile man was piloting his body to reap untold lives. It was a true tragedy.

    1. Ye Qing: Hey! That¡¯s my signature move! ?

 Chapter 758: Dark Overlord

    Chapter 758: Dark Overlord

    ¡°It¡¯s done, miss.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan dumped the corpses on the ground and seemingly nced at Ye Qing. However, he looked away so quickly and masterfully that most people would not be able to tell if it was on purpose.

    Ye Qing knew it was on purpose. Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s killing intent had skewered like a de during that brief moment. He paid him no heed though.

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    Murong Xianxian replied nomittally. Suddenly, the volcano shook violently, and what seemed like an infinite stream ofva and fire shot into the sky. The deadly elements did not fall to the ground, however. Instead, they floated in the air and circled around the volcano. It looked magnificent.

    A couple of breathster, theva and fire slowly gathered together and condensed into a pocket-sized volcano. Itnded snugly on Murong Xianxian¡¯s palm. Despite its size, Ye Qing could sense its immense power.

    After putting away the volcano, Murong Xianxian took them to the Western Geng Metal Pavilion. At this point, it became clear that the woman did not care for the treasures stored inside the buildings. It was the natural essences that she was after.

    The Northern Gui Water Pce was ake, the Eastern Yi Wood Garden was a forest, the Southern Li Fire Tower was a volcano, and the Western Geng Metal Pavilion was a tall, massive stele that was covered in swords.

    ording to Murong Xianxian, the Western Geng Metal Pavilion was where the world¡¯s most famous swords were stored. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived at its location, the stele had copsed, and the swords were nowhere to be found.Unfortunately for the looters, they failed to recognize the most valuable item of them all: the natural essence of Geng Metal. Murong Xianxian took it as well.

    ¡°Are we going to the Central Wu Earth Hall next?¡± Ye Qing asked after Murong Xianxian imed the Western Geng Metal Pavilion.

    Before Murong Xianxian could answer, the wind howled, the ground suddenly shook more violently than ever before. It was like a high magnitude earthquake had struck the entire Demonbearer Abode, and space itself was shattering from the continuous impact.

    The next moment, the churning earth began converging at a single point. Over time, it became a huge mountain.

    The mountain was tall like a sword that pierced through the clouds above. At the peak was a bright yellow pce that shone golden. It looked like a second sun as it was suspended high up in the sky and filling the entire Demonbearer Abode with golden light.

    ¡°That mountain¡­¡±

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow. ording to the memories he received from Ning Xiliu, the Dark Overlord Li Hentian had passed away on that very mountain.

    ¡°Miss, is that¡­?¡± Qu Langhuan asked with a stunned expression.

    ¡°That is the Central Wu Earth Hall. Greenish yellow forms the foundation, and the earth forms the hall. That is why it was named the Central Wu Earth Hall.¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s face was etched with clear interest. ¡°To think that someone is able to find the Central Wu Earth Hall. I suppose not all of the invaders are useless after all!¡±

    As if on cue, five people appeared above the Central Wu Earth Hall. Murong Xianxian stared at them while asking, ¡°Who are they?¡±

    ¡°They are the Sun Sovereign, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows, Laughing Buddha, Madman Chu, and Xu Xiu,¡± Cui Qiuyuan answered. ¡°Sun Sovereign, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows and Laughing Buddha hail from the Demonic Mountain, the Way of Taiping and the Maitreya Sect respectively. They are all sects of the Nine Dark Ways, and everyone is a named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking.¡±

    ¡°Of the three, Sun Sovereign is the strongest and ranked twenty-first on the Earth Champions Ranking. Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows is next and ranked thirty. Laughing Buddha is thest and ranked fifty-ninth.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan then looked at Madman Chu and Xu Xiu. ¡°As for those two, Madman Chu is an independent warrior, whereas Xu Xiu is the Northern Spear King of Chu.¡±

    ¡°As an independent warrior, Madman Chu has no background or patron to call to his name. A free and uninhibited soul, he does whatever he wants without regard for societal norms. He could be good or bad depending on the circumstances, and he is ranked thirty-third on the Earth Champions Ranking.¡±

    ¡°Although his rank is technically lower than Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows¡¯, Madman Chu is a body-tempering Grandmaster. In a fight to the death, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows would lose for sure.¡±

    ¡°As for the Xu Xiu, he is a militarymander who is famed for his godly spear techniques. That is why they call him a spear king.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. That old man and the rat-like bastard lurking in the shadows are probably at the end of their martial journey unless they stumble upon a massive opportunity,¡± Murong Xianxian remarked while staring at Sun Sovereign and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows. ¡°As for the remaining three, they are all extraordinarily talented, and they have not yet reached the end of their paths. Madman Chu and Xu Xiu especially¡ªone of them proved their way through strength, and the other through ughter¡ªare quite impressive.¡±

    No one in the group thought that Murong Xianxian was talking about of her ass. Although she was a pale shadow of herself, she was still a Sage. There was no reason to doubt her insight.

    Ye Qing was especially concerned to find out that Madman Chu was a body-tempering Grandmaster just like him.

    For a time, the four Truemen and one Grandmaster in the sky simply stared at the golden pce without saying anything. Then, Sun Sovereign took one look at the others and flew toward the pce at high speed.

    Suddenly, Sun Sovereign hit something and was sent flying even faster. While he was busy arresting himself, the clouds stirred unnaturally, and an ominous rumbling resounded throughout the world.

    Sun Sovereign¡¯splexion went from blue to red. He stared at the golden pce with a severe expression on his face.

    ¡°Who dares to trespass into the Central Wu Earth Hall?¡±

    An angry shout reverberated throughout the world, and a man wearing silken robes stepped out of the entrance.

    The man was tall, muscr, and in possession of a singr and majestic face. His steps were dominant like that of a tiger or a dragon, and unshakeable like a bottomless abyss. It felt as if he alone belonged to the heavens, while everyone else only deserved to exist underneath his feet.

    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ the Dark Overlord!¡±

    The man hadn¡¯t revealed his name, but the same thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind at the same time. Only the Dark Overlord could possess such bearing. Only the greatest man of Spring and Autumn eight hundred years ago could look so magnificent.

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s eyes grew a little unfocused a little when she saw the man in the sky. She was also wearing aplicated expression on her face.

    Of course, everyone was aware that this Dark Overlord was just a wisp of the original¡¯s spiritual intent and not the real thing. Even so, not a single person dared to underestimate him.

    ¡°Are you the Dark Overlord?¡± Sun Sovereign asked while sping his fist in salute.

    ¡°It is I,¡± Li Hentian answered while still walking toward the Sun Sovereign. ¡°Who are you people?¡±

    ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Dark Overlord!¡± Sun Sovereign, Madman Chu, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows and more saluted him. ¡°We are¡ª¡±

    ¡°Forget it. I am not interested in your identities.¡±

    Li Hentian interrupted them before they could finish. ¡°All who dares to trespass into the Central Wu Earth Hall must die!¡±

    As soon as he finished, Li Hentian took another step forward and appeared right in front of the Sun Sovereign with a low rumble. He then thrust his palm forward.

    Sun Sovereign reacted quickly and engulfed himself in a ball of scorching light. It was so hot it felt like a third sun had appeared in the sky.

    Li Hentian could not seem to feel it, however. He continued to stretch his palm forward as if he was going to smack away the sun with his bare hand.

    He seeded. The palm strike sent Sun Sovereign crashing through a massive patch of clouds.

    After repelling the Sun Sovereign, Li Hentian turned to Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows next and ran along the stars toward him. He curled his fingers like talon and made a grab for the Trueman.

    Having seen what just happened to the Sun Sovereign, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows did not think he could do better. He vanished into his shadows and attempted to escape.

    A scornful look appeared on Li Hentian¡¯s face. He abruptly clenched his outstretched hand, and a deafening thunderp broke out. Every space within a hundred meters of him suddenly exploded and churned like a lightning pool.

    Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows was forced right out of his shadow. His face looked deathly pale as if he had just taken a huge blow.

    Li Hentian brought his foot down, and the distorted space abruptly flipped upside down and crashed into Laughing Buddha, Madman Chu and Xu Xiu. The trio were attempting to ambush him from behind, but Li Hentian had seen through their ploy instantly. Laughing Buddha¡¯s Maitreya dharma was crushed into smithereens as a result.

    While this was going on, Li Hentiannded a knifehand strike on Madman Chu¡¯s fist. Li Hentian did not move, and Madman Chu crashed into Xu Xiu. For a time, the two warriors tumbled helplessly across the sky like tumbleweeds.

    ¡°You dare covet the treasures of the Central Wu Earth Hall with such puny strength? The foolishness!¡± Li Hentian crossed his arms in front of his chest and scoffed.

 Chapter 759: Fighting the Dark Overlord

    Chapter 759: Fighting the Dark Overlord

    ¡°He¡¯s strong¡­¡±

    Far, far away, Ye Qing was impressed by how Li Hentian had singlehandedly beat back five Earth Champions Ranking warriors on his own. Sure, Sun Sovereign and the others hadn¡¯t utilized their full strength, nor have they suffered any injuries despite the beatdown. However, this Li Hentian was also just a spiritual intent of the original. It should not be possible for him to do what he did.

    The next moment, the five warriors returned and surrounded Li Hentian from all sides, their gazes hostile orpetitive.

    It was true that Li Hentian was a titan of the Dark Ways and the greatest warrior of the Spring and Autumn Period eight hundred years ago. However, they weren¡¯t weak nobodies that his spiritual intent could dispatch as he pleased either, nor would they be intimidated just because of one setback.

    ¡°Hahaha! As expected of the Dark Overlord, your might astounds even eight hundred yearster!¡±

    Sun Sovereign was shining so bright that even the air around him was distorted. ¡°If you are the genuine article, then we would¡¯ve run far, far away from you. However, you are just a spiritual intent. Did you really think you could defeat all of us by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Move aside if you wish to continue existing, Dark Overlord. This is our first andst warning to you.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ the arrogance of ants is trulyughable.¡±

    Li Hentian let out a bark ofughter before uttering with dripping disdain, ¡°Come at me.¡±¡°As you wish!¡± Madman Chu let out a bark ofughter of his own, his muscles taut with fighting spirit. ¡°I¡¯ve long desired to fight with the legendary Dark Overlord and prove myself better, and I am most d that fate saw fit to fulfill my dream!¡±

    ¡°What do you say, Madman Xu?¡±

    Xu Xiu¡¯s eyes burned with killing intent while carrying his spear upside down. ¡°I don¡¯t care about defeating the Dark Overlord. I desire to y him!¡±

    ¡°Well said! Why defeat the Dark Overlord when you can y him?!¡± Madman Chu charged toward Li Hentian before he finished speaking.

    The Grandmaster was about thirty meters away from Li Hentian when he abruptly leaped higher and raised a pair of clenched fists. It looked like he was gripping the fabric of the sky itself.

    Then, he swung his arms downward with all his mind. The very world around him was his saber, and the clouds the edge.

    ¡°Dare you take my sh, Dark Overlord?¡± Madman Chuughed savagely while swinging his unusual saber. It looked like the very saber that had split Primal Chaos and created the world.

    <em>¡°Split Primal Chaos¡±</em>

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    In response, Li Hentian made a knife hand and swung upward. When his hand traveled an inch, the clouds gathered at the tip of his fingers grew ten meters long. Three inchester, a saber of pure cloud swung upward to face Madman Chu¡¯s unusual saber.

    You have a saber that splits Primal Chaos, but I have a saber that fractures the heavens themselves!

    The two sabers shed, and the sky instantly turned pitch ck from the explosion of clouds. For an instant, it felt as if the world had plunged into Primal Chaos.

    Then, a single ray of light shone through the darkness. At first, it looked so small it was barely bigger than a bead. Then, it brightened until it resembled the first ray of dawn. The light continuously strengthened until it became a city of lights, and finally, it looked like the very sun that illuminated the world.

    The bead-sized light was a saber. The daybreak was a saber. The city of lights was a saber. The sun that illuminated the world, too, was a saber.

    The saber split open Primal Chaos and filled the world with light. Hence, ¡°Split Primal Chaos¡±.

    ¡°An excellent saber!¡± Li Hentianplimented Madman Chu under the light, though he did not slow down even a little. He crossed his arms in front of him and executed a cross sh.

    His two arms resembled twin sabers that cut off the world and shrouded it in sudden, absolute darkness. If it wasn¡¯t for ¡°Split Primal Chaos¡±, it would¡¯ve been impossible to see anything at all.

    The Grandmaster might have a saber that split Primal Chaos and filled the world with light, but he also knew a saber that blinded the sky and plunged the world into darkness.

    For a moment, one half of the world was filled with light, and the other darkness. There was a distinct separation between the two.

    The light was a saber. The darkness was also a saber. The sh between light and darkness was the sh between two saber intents.

    Space shook, and thunder rumbled continuously. The surrounding temperature had also nosedived until it felt like autumn or winter.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    The stalematested for a couple of breaths before there was a deafening rumble that sounded like the sky was fracturing into pieces. Then, both the light and the darkness were ripped from the center like paper.

    The instant light and darkness were ripped apart, Li Hentian abruptly appeared in front of Madman Chu andnded a diagonal swipe.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Madman Chu was disemboweled from his left shoulder all the way to his right hip and sent plummeting toward a mountain. His momentum was such that he crushed the entire mountain before he finally came to a stop. He threw up a mouthful of blood despite himself, and the wounds on his chest looked horrifying to say the least. His internal organs were bare for all to see, though strangely, no blood was pouring out of the wound.

    His heart beating like thunder inside his chest, Madman Chu attempted to heal his injuries with a burst of vigor. At first, it looked like it worked, new flesh and skin quickly grew over the gnarly wound. Then, the wound split open once more, and a saber intent that felt like death and destion seeped out. The wound would continue to open and close repeatedly like a mouth.

    ¡°Hahaha! That was great!¡±

    Madman Chu could not seem to feel the pain, however. Wiping away the bloodstains on his mouth, he barked out augh and charged toward Li Hentian once more, ignoring the fact that the only reason his internal organs were still inside his body was because his protective aura was trapping them in ce. His fighting spirit seemed never ending.

    Madman Chu was fast, but one man was faster. Xu Xiu was holding his spear next to him and rushing forward for a straight thrust. A terrifying amount of bloodlust and killing intent enveloped the entire battlefield as if he wasn¡¯t one man, but an army of ten thousand charging toward the enemy.

    In response, Li Hentian made a grabbing motion and summoned a spear into his right hand. He performed a small twirl beforeunching a straight thrust at Xu Xiu as well.

    The spear did not move like a spear. No, it moved like a dragon. When it got close to Xu Xiu, it abruptly split into three silhouettes that pierced the wall of killing intent and melted it all away like a hot knife through butter.

    Three strikes were all that was needed to quell it all.

    Xu Xiu¡¯s reckless charge wasn¡¯t futile though. He had earned three bloody holes on his shoulder, chest and abdomen, but Li Hentian¡¯s hand was also skewered by Xu Xiu¡¯s spearhead. Not only that, as his blood continuously dripped on his spear, it gradually turned as red as blood. Xu Xiu¡¯s pupils also became blood red, and his bloodlust positively burst out of his body like a bomb.

    <strong>¡°KILL!¡±</strong>

    Xu Xiu rushed toward Li Hentian like a crazed demon.

    At the same time, Sun Sovereign and Laughing Buddha unleashed their own attacks.

    Floating in the sky, Sun Sovereign made a seal with his right hand before lowering it slowly.

    High above the nine heavens, nine dragons carrying a sun in their mouths each swooped down toward Li Hentian. They felt hot enough to burn anything and everything.

    <em>¡°Nine Dragons Holding Sun Seal¡±</em>

    Meanwhile, Laughing Buddha manifested his Maitreya dharma again. While holding a prithvi mudra and wearing a kind smile on his face, he pointed a finger straight at Li hentian.

    The finger looked both real and unreal. It originated from both the past, existed in the present, but disappeared in the future. It was a profound and mysterious technique to say the least.

    <em>¡°Finger of Three Times¡±</em>

    Li Hentian pushed the crazed Xu Xiu out of his way with his spear. Then, he performed two moves at the same time. His right hand made a hand seal and rose into the air, whereas his left hand pressed two of its fingers together and dropped toward the ground.

    The rising hand seal summoned the wind and rain. It was the ¡°Wind Rain Azure Yellow Seal¡±.

    The gap between his fingers was tiny, and yet a mountain of power existed within it. Hence, it was called the ¡°Mountain Hiding Finger¡±.

    The ¡°Wind Rain Azure Yellow Seal¡± was a technique that summoned the very elements of the world into existence. It was both grand and majestic.

    In contrast, the ¡°Mountain Hiding Finger¡± was about as inconspicuous and unobtrusive as a weak drizzle in the middle of a street, mild and ephemeral.

    The two techniques wereplete opposites, and yet Li Hentian had executed them with supernatural ease.

    Seal shed against seal, finger matched against finger.

    The Sun Sovereign¡¯s ¡°Wind Rain Azure Yellow Seal¡± was hacked into a million pieces by the grand storm; its nine suns fracturing into pieces and falling from the sky like meteors.

    As for Laughing Buddha¡¯s ¡°Finger of Three Times¡±, it was silently and smoothly wiped out of existence by the ¡°Mountain Hiding Finger¡±.

    Li Hentian¡¯s energies entered a temporary lull after he neutralized both attacks. It was at this moment Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows finally acted.

    The Trueman had been hiding in the shadows waiting for an opportunity this whole time. Now that it had appeared, his whole body abruptly transformed into shadows and condensed into a handleless sword. It flickered once and disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°A man who gave himself to the sword may sever immortality itself,

    Neither heaven nor hell may hide one from the sword.¡±

    Hence, the technique was named the ¡°Inescapable Sword¡±.

    The ¡°Inescapable Sword¡± excelled at ambushes and assassinations. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to run from it. When it finally showed itself, death was the only oue.

    Li Hentian begged to differ. With the flick of a finger, space rattled loudly and took the shape of swords. In an instant, a million swords blotted out both the sky and the earth. The world plunged into darkness, and the myriad swords thrust forward.

    It might be true that the ¡°Inescapable Sword¡± was inescapable and fatal, but why would he need to escape when he could simply overwhelm it with a million swords?

    <em>Booooom!!!</em>

    There was a terrific explosion of sword qi, and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows was sted back into the open. He did not look good.

    As it turned out, the ¡°Inescapable Sword¡± could not defeat a million swords after all.

 Chapter 760: Three Origin Hammers

    Chapter 760: Three Origin Hammers

    ¡°The Dark Overlord is incredible! No wonder they call him the greatest of Spring and Autumn!¡±

    Ye Qing, Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan were absolutely dazzled by the ensuing battle. No one here was a slouch, and everyone was giving it their all. Even so, Li Hentian still outshone all of them. He was literally beating them using whatever martial art they excelled at. He had defeated Madman Chu with a saber, Xu Xiu with a spear, Sun Sovereign with a seal, Laughing Buddha with his fingers, and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows with a sword.

    Since the start of the battle, only a dozen or so breaths had passed. During this time, Li Hentian had executed fivepletely different techniques. None of them ovepped with one another, and none of them were unnecessary. They were exactly what he needed to handle the threat he was facing. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, each technique was profound and devastating in their own right.

    ¡°Li Hentian was way too arrogant for his own good, but he did possess the martial talent to back it up. He could pick up any martial technique in one try, figure out the ins and outs of any cultivation art at first nce, and grasp any Magia instantly. Even better, he could always think outside the box and innovate what he learned into something better, if not boil it all down into one singr form.¡±

    Murong Xianxian sighed wistfully. ¡°There are four major Dao in this world¡ªConfucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and the Dark¡ªand he was adept in all of them. There were no weapon in the world that he couldn¡¯t wield with impossible proficiency as well. If someone invented a martial art, he would master it and surpass the original. He was a true master of all.¡±

    ¡°The saber technique he used to defeat Madman Chu was the ¡®Skyhiding Saber¡¯, the signature move of the Great Skyhiding Emperor from nine hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°The spear technique he used to defeat Xu Xiu was the ¡®Three Strikes To Quell The Central in¡¯, the signature move of the You Dynasty¡¯s god of war, Zhao Yulong.¡±

    ¡°The seal technique he used to defeat the Sun Sovereign was the ¡®Wind Rain Azure Yellow Seal¡¯, the creation of the legendary ¡®Old Azure Yellow¡¯.¡±

    ¡°The finger technique he used to defeat Laughing Buddha was a secret technique passed down with the Lanke Temple only known as the ¡®Mountain Hiding Finger¡¯.¡±¡°And finally, the summoning technique where he summoned a million swords with the flick of a finger was the ¡®Million Swords¡¯, the signature move of the god of swords of Mount Zu from a thousand years ago, Yue Cangqiong.¡±

    The people Murong Xianxian mentioned¡ªGreat Skyhiding Emperor, Zhao Yulong, Old Azure Yellow, and Yue Cangwan¡ªwere all famous figures in the history of <em>wulin</em>. They were all former titans in their own right.

    ¡°That said, Li Hentian¡¯s greatest martial art is undoubtedly the ¡®Three Origin Hammers¡¯, the culmination of everything he learned,¡± Murong Xianxian ended.

    ¡°The ¡®Three Origin Hammers¡¯?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°You will see,¡± Murong Xianxian replied mysteriously.

    While they were speaking, the battle between Li Hentian and the group of five had reached its climax. The sky was being ripped apart like cheap cloth, the ground was crumbling again and again until it resembled fine powder, and even space was shattered here and there like cheap ss. The natural order of this ce was already thrown out of whack to begin with, and the fierce battle did not help its recovery in the slightest.

    Li Hentian was strong. Terrifyingly so. His repertoire of Magia seemed endless, and every secret art he unleashed possessed unimaginable power. If this was the real Li Hentian, all five of them would have died a long time ago.

    Unfortunately, this Li Hentian was just a wisp of spiritual intent the original left behind to guard the Central Wu Earth Hall. Even if he possessed the aura, knowledge and skill of a Sage, he simplycked the power.

    Li Hentian was able to beat down on the group of five at first not just because he was strong, but because the Truemen and Grandmaster weren¡¯t united as one. But over time, as they grew more familiar with Li Hentian¡¯s power, they began to mount a potent counterattack.

    This was especially true for Madman Chu and Xu Xiu. Madman Chu was a battle maniac who could not go a single day without fighting someone, and he was a body-tempering Grandmaster. Trusting in his tenacious body, he dared to wield an iron de and fight Li Hentian at close range no matter how many wounds he took.

    Both Xu Xiu and his spear were bathing in his own blood right now. His eyes shining red like a demon, he fought Li Hentian like he was the murderer of his family and without any regard for his safety whatsoever.

    With Madman Chu and Xu Xiu to keep Li Hentian busy, the Sun Sovereign, Laughing Buddha and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows were able to unleash their Magia to their fullest potential.

    The Sun Sovereign hung in the sky while holding the sun and moon in his palms. His fists shook heaven and earth, and his fire torched mountains and boiled rivers.

    Laughing Buddha manifested the dharma of Maitreya and a Kingdom of Buddha. His attacks all possessed the power to bend the future to his will.

    Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows split into seemingly endless copies of himself and covered the world in darkness. Lurking patiently in his shadows, he always struck when Li Hentian was at his most vulnerable like a viper.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Li Hentian parried a spear thrust meant for his throat with nimble fingers before stepping into the man¡¯s chest and elbowing him away.

    While Li Hentian was distracted, Madman Chu swung his saber andnded a devastating strike stretching from Li Hentian¡¯s left shoulder to his chest.

    The attack would¡¯ve gone clean through, but Li Hentian struck Madman Chu in the forehead midway and sent him flying a hundred meters across the air.

    Earlier, Li Hentian had nearly cut Madman Chu in half with his knifehand strike. Now, Madman Chu had returned the favor.

    Of course, Li Hentian was just a spiritual intent, so no blood leaked out of his wound. However, he looked a lot more transparent than before. Clearly, the attack was as devastating as it looked.

    While Li Hentian was injured, Sun Sovereign, Laughing Buddha and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows seized the opportunity tounch their attacks.

    ¡°Hahaha! Now we¡¯re talking!¡±

    Li Hentian looked up and let out an uproariousugh. ¡°I¡¯m going to get serious now!¡±

    As soon as he said this, his aura sted through the nine heavens and shook the earth like a leaf. It was such an explosive disy of power that everyone and everything around him quaked uncontrobly.

    It was at this moment Murong Xianxian said, ¡°Watch and feel closely, Joyless!¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say, but he still focused and stared intently at Li Hentian. At the same time, he released his demonic thought and perceived the surrounding changes as well as he could.

    Li Hentian raised his fist as if to ask the world if it dared to face it.

    When he asked the wind, the wind stopped.

    When he asked the clouds, the clouds paused.

    When he asked the sky, the sky stilled.

    When he asked the earth, the earth froze.

    All things came to a sudden stop when he raised his fist. Time, space, yin, yang, the four cardinal directions, the eight directions, everything.

    The Sun Sovereign, Madman Chu, Xu Xiu, Laughing Buddha, and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows froze in their tracks. Their Magia came to aplete standstill right before it would hit Li Hentian, and even their thoughts had frozen uppletely.

    It wasn¡¯t just them. Three hundred meters away, Ye Qing, Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan had be as still as a puppet as well.

    It was at this moment Murong Xianxian lifted a finger and tapped Ye Qing in the forehead. He immediately regained his consciousness and discovered that he could not move a muscle. It was almost as if his body wasn¡¯t his.

    After confirming that Ye Qing was awake, Murong Xianxian finally exined, ¡°I told you that Li Hentian¡¯s greatest martial art is the ¡®Three Origin Hammers¡¯. It is a fist art that epasses every martial art Li Hentian has ever learned with the Guixu Evesting Scripture at its core.¡±

    ¡°¡®The Three Origin Hammers¡¯ are the ¡®Suppression Hammer¡¯, ¡®Break Hammer¡¯, and ¡®Annihtion Hammer¡¯.¡±

    It would seem that Murong Xianxian wasn¡¯t entirely unaffected by Li Hentian¡¯s technique, for she was speaking at a snail¡¯s pace as well. ¡°The technique he¡¯s currently using is ¡®Suppression Hammer¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Suppression Hammer is a technique that can suppress anything and everything in the world. Time, space, yin, yang, the four cardinal directions or the eight directions, everything. When the Suppression Hammer falls, everything freezes, and it feels as if the world is about to return to one.¡±

    Ye Qing could not move his body, but his demonic thought told him that the ambient origin qi in the air waspletely still as if it was dead. Space was frozen, and even time hade infinitely close to aplete standstill.

    ¡°Unfortunately, the Li Hentian before us is just a spiritual intent, so the move did not possess even one-tenth of its true power. Otherwise, neither you nor I would be able to speak like this,¡± Murong Xianxian sighed.

    As she spoke, Li Hentian moved back his arm, clenched his fist, and punched forward.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    The winds vanished.

    The clouds scattered.

    The mountains disappeared.

    The rivers ran dry.

    The sky fractured.

    And the earth cracked.

    The frozen secret arts and Magia abruptly disappeared as if they never were.

    The Strange Artifacts and astral qi covering the Sun Sovereign, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows and Laughing Buddha ripped apart like paper.

    And even their physical bodies exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    Madman Chu and Xu Xiu¡¯s bodies were tougher and so were saved from the gorey fate. Even so, they looked like broken porcin with cracks all over their bodies.

    It was as if the punch had shattered everything and anything.

 Chapter 761: The Oriole Behind

    <h4>Chapter 761: The Oriole Behind </h4>

    ¡°Hmph...¡±

    Hundreds of meters away, a muffled groan escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips as blood bled out of his eyes and nose. His head pounded like someone was hitting it with a jackhammer.

    It was because his demonic thought and his sight had been destroyed by the punch.

    Ye Qing forced himself to withstand the pain though. He reached out with his demonic thought again and perceived the fist intent permeating the air.

    ¡°This is the second punch of the ¡®Three Origin Hammers¡¯, ¡®Break Hammer¡¯.¡±

    Murong Xianxian smiled when she saw Ye Qing¡¯s persistence. ¡°If ¡®Suppression Hammer¡¯ is the hammer that suppresses everything, then ¡®Break Hammer¡¯, as its name implies, is the hammer that breaks it all. There is nothing that can remain intact under its power. It will shatter the four cardinal directions, split heaven and earth into two, and sever even yin and yang.¡±

    ¡°To put it in more secr terms, ¡®Break Hammer¡¯ is the technique that breaks all Magia, secret arts, energies, living things and more. ¡®Break Hammer¡¯ returns it all to Primal Chaos.¡±

    Despite listening to Murong Xianxian¡¯s exnation, Ye Qing did not stop trying to perceive the fist intent in the air. Although his demonic thought crumbled every time it made contact with it¡ª¡±Break Hammer¡± was the technique that destroyed everything after all¡ªand the damage done to his mind and the mental pain were no joke, he did not relent.

    Painful it might be, he knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he missed it, he might never have it again.

    He had seen with his own eyes the power of the Dark Overlord¡¯s ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± and ¡°Break Hammer¡±.

    ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± could suppress everything including transient things like time, space, yin and yang, and ¡°Break Hammer¡± could break everything such as Magia, secret arts, energies, living things and more.

    Each punch was magnificent and unique. There might never be another like them ever again.

    He wasn¡¯t so arrogant as to think he could grasp the two punches, of course. He was no Li Hentian with a one-of-a-kind talent for martial arts. However, if he could grasp even just a smattering of it, then his fist mastery and martial arts would benefit significantly.

    ¡°As its name implies, the essence of ¡®Suppression Hammer¡¯ is the word ¡®suppress¡¯. When executing ¡®Suppression Hammer¡¯, one should strive to suppress the five phases and yin and yang.¡±

    Incredibly, Murong Xianxian¡¯s words slowly drew Ye Qing into a trance. It helped him immensely in understanding the fist intent around him.

    ¡°The essence of ¡®Break Hammer¡¯ lies in the word ¡®break¡¯. When executing ¡®Break Hammer¡¯, one should strive to break anything and everything...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡± A few breathster, Murong Xianxian suddenly let out a wistful sigh. ¡°If this battle had urred three to five hundred years earlier, this spiritual intent of Li Hentian would have been stronger, and these two punches would¡¯ve been enough to kill everyone on the spot.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the spiritual intent has lost too much power. He could wound his enemies, but he could not kill them, much less execute the final hammer of the ¡®Three Origin Hammers¡¯, ¡®Annihtion Hammer¡¯.¡±

    Li Hentian had singlehandedly dealt a severe blow to four Truemen and one Grandmaster, all of them a named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, with ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± and ¡°Break Hammer¡±. The Sun Sovereign, Laughing Buddha and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows had lost their physical bodies, and Madman Chu and Xu Xiu¡¯s bodies were barely intact.

    Unfortunately, Li Hentian himself wasn¡¯t doing good either. After executing ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± and ¡°Break Hammer¡± in rapid session, he became so transparent that he was barely visible. Clearly, the spiritual intent was about to run out of power and disappear forever from this world.

    Murong Xianxian continued, ¡°¡®Annihtion Hammer¡¯ is the final and strongest technique of the ¡®Three Origin Hammers¡¯. As its name implies, ¡®Annihtion Hammer¡¯ can annihte everything be it the five elements of yin and yang; time, space and order; or the six realms of samsara. The living will die, and the world itself will fade into nothing. It is one of the most destructive techniques ever invented since ancient times.¡±

    ¡°However, it is a good thing you did not get to see it. ¡®Annihtion Hammer¡¯ is too oppressive, violent, lofty, and immense. It is a technique that involves even thews of the Heavenly Way. At your current level, you won¡¯t be able toprehend much from it, and it may even negatively impact your cultivation.¡±

    It was at this moment something unexpected happened. A river suddenly appeared in the distant skies and poured down toward the ground. Its waters looked yellowish, filthy, and corrupted, and countless corpses and ghosts were floating in it. Their screams filled the world instantly.

    The river enveloped Li Hentian before he could react. Because they were grievously injured, Sun Sovereign, Xu Xiu, Madman Chu, Laughing Buddha and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows stood further away from him and so were lucky enough to escape the surprise attack.

    The next moment, the filthy river began bubbling like crazy, and Li Hentian¡¯s spiritual intent revealed itself once more.

    The spiritual intent was already on itsst legs to begin with, and the sudden attack made it look even more transparent than a ghost.

    Speaking of ghosts, countless vile ghosts were attacking him and tearing into his incorporeal body from all sides.

    Li Hentian never stopped struggling, but there was only so much he could do without power. It wasn¡¯t long before he was consumed to thest.

    The four Truemen and one Grandmaster watched this with an ugly expression on their face.

    It was because they were this close from following in Li Hentian¡¯s footsteps, and because they did not realize there was an oriole behind their backs.

    After wiping out Li Hentian¡¯s spiritual intent, the river continued to flow and surround the entire Central Wu Earth Hall.

    Then, a three hundred meter tall two-horned ghoul who was covered in yin fire stepped out of the sky. Every time it took a step, a dull impact that sounded like a gong beat would erupt.

    Arge, magnificent pce was sitting at the top of the ghoul¡¯s head, and sounds of music and dances could be heard from within. Since the entrance was open, they could see countless naked women singing, drinking and pleasuring each other inside the building.

    At the center of the pce was arge bed, and lying on the bed was a man so handsome and beautiful he was practically a woman. He was hugging two women with both arms and drinking a cup of fine wine. It sure looked like he was having a great time.

    In fact, he wasn¡¯t a man. He was dressed like a man, but everyone could tell he was really a woman.

    When the ghoul reached the group of five, it finally came to a stop. The woman on the bed slowly epted another cup of wine from her attendant before sitting up. She looked down on the group of five and smiled. ¡°Thank you so much for finding the Central Wu Earth Hall for me, all of you.¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice was soft, smooth, and charming like the willows in the spring breeze of March.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows asked with an icy, murderous look on his face.

    ¡°Who else? They¡¯re obviously the sneaky bastards from the Ghost Tower of Fengdu,¡± Madman Chu interrupted before the woman could answer. ¡°Who are you? Are you the owner of the Ghost Tower?¡±

    He shook his head and corrected himself right after saying that, ¡°No, you can¡¯t be. I¡¯ve seen the owner of Ghost Tower before. He¡¯s a worthless fatty and definitely not female. Hmm... are you the real owner of the Ghost Tower? The one that¡¯s manipting things behind the scenes?¡±

    ¡°They all say that Madman Chu is a reckless, impulsive man with more brawn than brains. I guess the rumors aren¡¯t all true after all,¡± the woman replied smilingly.

    ¡°They also say that womenfolk are as shortsighted as they have long hair, and it would seem that the rumors are <i>definitely </i>true. Only an idiot would fully believe a rumor!¡± Madman Chu sneered. ¡°You¡¯re quite the bold one, aren¡¯t you? You dare to y the oriole against me?¡±

    ¡°You speak as if a coward could ever y the oriole,¡± replied the woman while twirling her cup uncaringly. ¡°Should we discuss the terms of your surrender now? If you surrender, I may consider letting you serve me!¡±

    ¡°Serve you? As what? Your boytoy?¡± Madman Chu crossed his arms and jeered. ¡°You¡¯re a ghost, bitch. I would sooner fuck a disease-ridden prostitute than the likes of you.¡±

    ¡°If you won¡¯t ept my kindness, then so be it.¡± The woman did not get angry despite his provocative taunt. She turned her attention to the others and asked them with a smile, ¡°What about you guys?¡±

    ¡°A mere ghost dares to threaten us? You are in over your head, girl!¡± Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows scoffed.

    They might all be injured, but that did not mean that they were easy pickings in the slightest.

 Chapter 762: King Yan Slayer

    <h4>Chapter 762: King Yan yer </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I alone am not enough to defeat you all. But what about them?¡±

    The woman drained her cup of wine, and the mournful re of a war horn abruptly pierced through the air. A cold wind blew, and countless yin soldiers slowly floated out of the river.

    Compared to the mindless ghosts and ghouls from before, these ones were wearing armor and wielding various weapons such as sabers and spears. Keeping to a tight formation, each battalion was led by a tall and powerful ghost god.

    There were ten ghost gods in total, and all of them were carrying a banner that was fluttering soundlessly behind their backs. It was an intimidating look to say the least.

    The army of yin soldiers seemed endless at first nce. They were anywhere and everywhere. It was as if the Fengdu had resurrected in this corner of the world.

    ¡°Is this enough?¡± The woman asked while reaching into an attendant¡¯s shirt and squeezing her breast.

    ¡°The King Yan yer?¡± Sun Sovereign stared at the sea of yin soldiers with a grave expression on his face. ¡°That is the personal Strange Artifact of the master of the Zongtian Pce of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness, one of the Six Ghost and Gods. Who are you?¡±

    A Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, the King Yan yer was forged by collecting the souls and undying will of loyal soldiers using the banners of an ever-victorious army. It enabled one to summon a hundred thousand ghost gods and yin soldiers with a single thought. ¡°Today is the day we die, a hundred thousand under the banner to y King Yan.¡± That was how people described the Strange Artifact, and how it came to earn its name.

    The King Yan yer was the personal Strange Artifact of the master of the Zongtian Pce of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness, one of the Six Ghost and Gods. They once used it to harm humanity until the thirteen sword celestials of Swordsgrave joined hands to wipe out the army of one hundred thousand to thest. With one of their strongest weapons neutralized, the master had no choice but to withdraw back to Fengdu.

    The threat the King Yan yer posed was as straightforward as it was effective. A disciplined, fearless army of one hundred thousand was a threat to anyone in the world. Not even a Sage could fight against such an army head on.

    There was a silver lining though. It was clear that King Yan yer hadn¡¯t achieved a full recovery yet because the army surrounding them, while numerous, definitely did not number a hundred thousand. The yin soldiers themselves were iparable to the original loyal souls and undying wills.

    That did not mean they could underestimate the army though. Not in the slightest. This was a threat they had to go all out against even when they were at peak condition, much less now.

    ¡°You are as old as you are wise, Sun Sovereign. It is the King Yan yer.¡±

    The woman beamed at him. ¡°My name is Yu Hua, but you may not know who I am. I¡¯m just a nobody after all.¡±

    ¡°Yu Hua?¡± Sun Sovereign uttered coldly. ¡°You¡¯re Mistress Yu Hua, one of your master¡¯s three consorts? I would not call myself a nobody if I were you.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You know me? Haven¡¯t you heard that too much knowledge maketh fools?¡± Mistress Yu Hua replied less enthusiastically.

    ¡°Are you nning to kill us all, Mistress?¡± Sun Sovereign countered.

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly an option. It depends on what you choose, of course!¡± Mistress Yu Hua replied with a seductive wink while caressing her wine cup.

    ¡°Is this your will or your master¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Mistress Yu Hua smirked.

    ¡°Oh, there is. If it¡¯s your will, then the consequences of killing us are quite severe,¡± Sun Sovereign said coldly. ¡°Scratch that, not even your master can bear the consequences of our deaths.¡±

    No one here was a nobody, not even the wanderer Madman Chu. They either had friends or backings from the Demonic Mountain, Way of Taiping, Maitreya Sect, the army in Northern Xinjiang. None of them was a force a single six Ghost and God could afford to provoke.

    ¡°Oh, I know. I¡¯m well aware that you all have good friends and greater patrons.¡± Mistress Yu Hua caressed her attendant¡¯s face while blinking coyly at the group of five. ¡°But so what? If you all die here, then no one would ever find out what happened, right?¡±

    ¡°Holy, your chest is small, but your mouth is <i>gaping</i>,¡± Madman Chu scoffed with unbridled disdain. ¡°Come at us then. If you manage to kill me, then good for you. Otherwise, it will be your funeral.¡±

    ¡°Namo Bhavishya Buddha. It is easy to take a life, but difficult to silence a mouth. We are not the only ones present in the Demonbearer Abode. If even a single one of us manages to escape, then the whole world will learn about your attack.¡±

    Laughing Buddha sped his hands together in prayer and said indifferently, ¡°The only way you can keep this a secret is if you ughter everyone who entered the Demonbearer Abode, but that would result in a consequence on an entirely different scale. It will be one that neither you, your master, or even the entire Fengdu could bear.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Are you threatening me, Venerable One?¡± Mistress Yu Hua smiled devilishly at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not threatening you. I am simply stating facts.¡±

    Laughing Buddha continued, ¡°We old men are hardly the only ones who havee to the Demonbearer Abode. The young, promising geniuses such as the Little Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain and the Dao Child of the San Qing Temple are present as well. If you killed them, you would be dering war against the Three Temples of Dao, no, the orthodoxy itself. Does Fengdu truly n to repeat the mistake a thousand years ago?¡±

    ¡°You are an intelligent woman, Mistress. Why don¡¯t you take your time mulling over the pros and cons of this matter?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, that is a conundrum.¡±

    That was what she said, but Mistress Yu Hua did not look troubled in the slightest. ¡°So, what do you suggest, Venerable One?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you already have a n, Mistress!¡± Laughing Buddha replied.

    ¡°Tell me your n first. Who knows, maybe yours will turn out better than mind?¡± Mistress Yu Hua did not deny the fact that she had a n. ¡°I don¡¯t mind learning from my betters.¡±

    ¡°Namo Bhavishya Buddha. You came here for the Dark Overlord¡¯s treasures, not our lives, am I right?¡± Laughing Buddha chanted before saying, ¡°If you let us go, then we will give up the Dark Overlord¡¯s treasures to you. We will not plot revenge against you in the future either, so you can rest easy about that.¡±

    ¡°Who are you to make my decisions, Laughing Buddha?¡± Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows interrupted coldly.

    ¡°Oh? It looks like not everyone agrees with your solution!¡± Mistress Yu Hua cupped her forehead and side-eyed Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t think you can speak for anyone but yourself. That is a conundrum.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think their opinions matter. After all, the winner takes it all, am I right?¡± Laughing Buddha beamed. ¡°If someone disagrees, I am perfectly willing to aid you and kill them dead.¡±

    ¡°Are you insane, Laughing Buddha?¡± Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows looked livid.

    ¡°Hahaha... you really are an interesting person, Venerable One.¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua giggled before looking at the others. ¡°So? Do the rest of you agree with his solution?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... the main reason I came here is simply to witness the Dark Overlord in action. Since I have, then I am content. I do not mind giving up the extras,¡± Madman Chu barked out inughter.

    ¡°The winner takes it all,¡± Xu Xiu said simply and murderously.

    Sun Sovereign¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°I came here to train following the Child of the Demon. I don¡¯t really care about anything else.¡±

    ¡°And you, Sakyamuni?¡± Mistress Yu Hua looked at Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows, her smile growing even brighter than before.

    ¡°Hmph. I have no objection.¡±

    Since everyone had agreed to give up the Dark Overlord¡¯s treasures in exchange for their lives, there was nothing he could do no matter how disgruntled he was. ¡°A piece of advice to you, Mistress Yu Hua. Eat too much, and you might just choke on your food.¡±

    ¡°That is for me to worry about.¡± Mistress Yu Hua giggled despite Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows¡¯ subtle threat. In the end, it was the bark of a defeated dog. ¡°Goodbye then. I shan¡¯t see you off.¡±

    ¡°Namo Bhavishya Buddha. Goodbye, Mistress!¡± Laughing Buddha chanted and turned around to leave without any hesitation whatsoever.

    ¡°Hahaha... if fate wills it, then we will meet again!¡± Madman Chu barked out inughter before turning away as well. Xu Xiu followed right behind him without saying anything.

    Sun Sovereign gave Mistress Yu Hua a nod before transforming into a beam of light, shooting toward the horizon.

    Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows was the only one who red hatefully at Mistress Yu Hua. A few secondster, he finally departed with great reluctance.

 Chapter 763: Slap

    Chapter 763: p

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    It was at this moment a low hum came from somewhere, and everyone who was leaving suddenly reappeared as if they were struck by lightning.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Mistress Yu Hua?¡± Everyone turned around to shoot Yu Hua unfriendly looks.

    On her bed, Mistress Yu Hua abruptly shot to her feet and stepped out of her pce. As soon as she left the entrance, the beautiful women inside the pce abruptly transformed into pink skeletons.

    Mistress Yu Hua looked left and right while wearing a seductive smile on her face, ¡°I did not know another master was present at the scene. Will you show yourself?¡±

    Seeing this, Sun Sovereign and the others immediately realized that the one who stopped them from leaving wasn¡¯t Mistress Yu Hua, but someone else.

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    An indifferent voice responded, and a beauty like no other appeared on the peak of the mountain where the Central Wu Earth Hall was. No one knew how she got there. One moment there was nothing, and the next, she was there.

    Color seemed to seep out of the whole world as soon as the woman showed herself. It was as if she was the only real person in a false world of gray.Mistress Yu Hua was beautiful, butpared to her? It was like a firefly trying to outshine the moon. To say that the gap between them was like night and day would be an understatement.

    That woman was, of course, Murong Xianxian.

    ¡°You are gorgeous, sister! Who are you?¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua was the first to recover from the shock of witnessing Murong Xianxian¡¯s beauty. At the same time, jealousy and hatred bubbled inside her heart. Although she enjoyed dressing herself up as a male, there was nothing she cared more than her own appearance, and no one she hated more than a woman who was prettier than her. If she ever saw such a woman, she would drain them of their essence, collect their skin, and y with them all day and night in her Yu Hua Pce.

    Murong Xianxian was one of a kind. Naturally, she was so jealous and hateful she could die. She only wished she could drain the bitch dry, skin her from head to toe, and toy with it forever and ever in her Yu Hua Pce.

    Her smile grew brighter and more genuine as she dreamed about that moment.

    ¡°A mere Sex Spirit dares to address me as her sister?¡±

    Murong Xianxian cast Mistress Yu Hua a nce and said the most hurtful words in the most indifferent voice. ¡°Did I mention that there is no one I loathe more than a two-faced bitch?¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s smile stiffened instantly. There were two reasons. One, it was because Murong Xianxian had insulted her. Two, it was because she had seen right through her.

    A Sex Spirit was a Disaster-ss ghost-type Stranger. Born in the rivers of Fengdu, she was a rare creature even in Fengdu, much less the yang world. Naturally, she was stunned that the mysterious woman had seen through her in one nce.

    ¡°You¡¯re the woman in the sky earlier!¡±

    At this point, Sun Sovereign and the others had recovered from Murong Xianxian¡¯s stunning beauty as well. Then, they recalled the mirage they saw earlier and eximed in surprise.

    They had seen the floating pce and the mirage of the woman whose beauty outshone the world itself as a matter of course. However, they had disregarded it because searching the Central Wu Earth Hall took precedence. They did not think that she would appear before them now.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t important. What was important was that there was no chance that this woman was someone of the current <em>jianghu</em>. With her looks, it would be impossible for her not to be noticed even if she was perfectly ordinary.

    There was only one possibility then. She was someone from eight hundred years ago.

    That answer begged another question though. How was it possible for anyone to live for eight hundred years?

    ¡°If I may ask, who are you?¡± Sun Sovereign asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to hear that answer,¡± Murong Xianxian replied indifferently.

    ¡°In that case, then why are you stopping us from leaving?¡± No one here knew who Murong Xianxian was and so did not dare to offend her despite their frustration.

    ¡°If you enter someone¡¯s house, you greet the host. If you enter a temple, you make offerings to a god. Since I am the master of this ce, it is only natural that you greet me, am I right?¡± Murong Xianxian said in an elegant voice.

    ¡°Master?¡± Mistress Yu Hua was all smiles. ¡°I thought that the Central Wu Earth Pce belonged to the Dark Overlord. Since when did he be a woman?¡±

    ¡°The Dark Overlord is the Dark Overlord, and I am I. Besides, whoever said that the Central Wu Earth Pce only has one master?¡± Murong Xianxian countered.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you are a joker, sister.¡± Yu Hua giggled. ¡°In that case, dare you believe me if I say that I¡¯m the Dark Overlord Li Hentian?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are to insult the Dark Overlord. You deserve to be pped.¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s voice suddenly turned ice cold. The next moment, a crisp p entered everyone¡¯s ears, and a light red palm print appeared on Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s face.

    No one knew when or how Murong Xianxian had done it, but it didn¡¯t stop them from staring at her in disbelief.

    <em>Not only did she hit her, she chose the face! The audacity!</em>

    The p did little damage to Mistress Yu Hua, but it was most humiliating. Anyone would have blown their top over the p, much less Mistress Yu Hua.

    No one dared to shame her since the day she became Mistress Yu Hua, not even the head of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness themselves. Not only that, she currently held the upper hand with almost one hundred thousand yin soldiers under her control. Was there anyone in this ce she couldn¡¯t kill right now?

    Therefore, as soon as she recovered her wits, Mistress Yu Hua dropped her smile and red at Murong Xianxian with pure bloodlust. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re one of those who refuse a toast only to drink a forfeitter. I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±

    ¡°Capture her. But remember, don¡¯t hurt her beautiful face.¡±

    As soon as she said this, a ghost general in the yellow river let out an angry roar and charged toward Murong Xianxian with several thousand yin soldiers behind his back.

    A hundred yin soldiers naturally caused a yin wind to blow profusely, a thousand caused dark clouds to gather, and several thousand was a dark, howling storm that felt like hell on earth.

    When the yin soldiers were about halfway to Murong Xianxian, a man abruptly rushed out from behind the woman and intercepted them. A Buddhist seal appeared on his fist, and he threw a bright, devastating punch that melted away the yin soldiers like snow.

    The ghost general was the only one who survived the attack and made it to the man, but the only reward he got for his struggles was a crushed skull.

    ¡°A puny ghost like you dares to offend my master?¡±

    The man stared at Mistress Yu Hua with scorn after annihting thousands of yin soldiers with one punch and crushing the ghost general¡¯s head with his bare hand.

    The man was Cui Qiuyuan of course¡ªor more urately, Chen Miaozeng under Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s control. It was also why no one had recognized him immediately.

    ¡°Says the underhanded small fry who stole a Sage¡¯s body.¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua recognized Cui Qiuyuan¡¯s handiwork despite not knowing who he was. ¡°Is this the source of your confidence, sister? It won¡¯t be enough!¡±

    A cold chuckleter, Mistress Yu Hua summoned a horn and blew it. A mournful reter, a ghost god waved his banner and sent tens of thousands of yin soldiers at Murong Xianxian.

    If several thousand yin soldiers was just a dark storm, then tens of thousands of yin soldiers was a tsunami or an avnche whose mere presence could fold someone like a cheap suit. It wasn¡¯t like they were charging mindlessly either. Marching forward in a tight-knit formation, their yin qi joined together to form what looked like mountains of corpses and a sea of bones. Their charge truly felt as unstoppable as a natural disaster.

    Cui Qiuyuan did not fear them since he wielded the body of a Sage. He dove head first into the army, and like a rock that split the waves in half, he tore a hole right through their formation. Countless yin soldiers were annihted as a result.

    However, a rock could split the waves, but not stop it in its tracks. Just a few breathster, he was overwhelmed and trapped within a formation.

    If this was the real Chen Miaozeng, then these yin soldiers wouldn¡¯t amount to anything. He could literally snap them out of existence with his fingers. Unfortunately, he was dead, and Cui Qiuyuan hadn¡¯tpletely taken control of the body. Just a short whileter, he had fallen into a slight disadvantage.

 Chapter 764: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind Destroying the Yin Soldiers

    Chapter 764: Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind Destroying the Yin Soldiers

    ¡°Is that all you got? How terribly disappointing!¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua shook her head with disdain before curling her lips at Murong Xianxian. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, sister.¡±

    As she said this, the ghost gods waved their banners, and the rest of the yin soldiers inside the yellow river charged toward her like an avnche.

    ¡°You¡¯re disappointed? You know not the world beyond your well, frog.¡±

    While looking at the yin soldiers and ghost gods charging toward her, Murong Xianxian summoned a single bead of water and flicked it away.

    The water bead slowly spread wider and wider until suddenly, it transformed into a raging flood. Caughtpletely off guard, the swarm of yin soldiers were instantly overwhelmed and scattered by it.

    This was just the beginning though. A forest appeared at the east, a stele emerged from the west, and a volcano rose from the south.

    A hundred different flowers bloomed inside the magnificent forest, ten thousand swords erected from the tall stele, andva poured from the violent volcano.

    Together with the northern flood, they surrounded the yin soldiers from all sides and pinned them inside their yellow river like some sort of seal. The next moment, the nts shot themselves forward like spears, the stele fired their ten thousand swords, the flood continued to fling the yin soldiers about like helpless children, and theva consumed it all.All one hundred thousand yin soldiers and ghost gods were dead just like that.

    Having lost its army, the yellow river disappeared to reveal ten banners. It was none other than the infamous King Yan yer.

    Normally, the banners would be glowing with power and spirituality, but as it was, it was perfectly dim and mundane.

    Mistress Yu Hua was unharmed, but her eyes were widened like saucers, and her smile hadpletely frozen on her face. She could not believe what was happening.

    This was a hundred thousand yin soldiers and ghost gods, not a hundred thousand ants. Hells, even a hundred thousand ants would¡¯ve cost some time to annihte. However, her army was gone in just the blink of an eye.

    Just how was this possible?

    Mistress Yu Hua wasn¡¯t the only one who was stunned. Sun Sovereign, Madman Chu and the others were bbergasted. Ye Qing was wide-eyed with shock as well.

    When Murong Xianxian had revealed herself, he had wondered how she could possibly turn the tables against Mistress Yu Hua. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that Murong Xianxian would annihte the army of one hundred thousand strong in one go. It came as such a shock that it was less pleasant surprise and more stupefied disbelief.

    As it turned out, the Eastern Yi Wood Garden, the Western Geng Metal Pavilion, the Southern Li Fire Tower, and the Northern Gui Water Pce weren¡¯t just treasure storage buildings. They were powerful Strange Artifacts as well.

    If just the four of thembined could produce such power, then what if Murong Xianxian obtained the Central Wu Earth Hall as well? Just what kind of power would they produce?

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn now.¡±

    Everyone thought that Murong Xianxian would finish the job, but instead, she ignored the stupefied Mistress Yu Hua and looked at Sun Sovereign¡¯s group.

    The forest, the stele, theke and the volcano had sealed off every direction, so there was nowhere to run even if they wanted to. The group of five exchanged wordless nces with each other before Sun Sovereign let out a helpless, dejected sigh. He spoke up, ¡°What¡­ do you desire, miss?¡±

    He could not remember thest time he had been this helpless, this humiliated, this <em>humbled </em>since he became the Sun Sovereign. Then, he tasted it not once, but twice in a single day. First, it was Mistress Yu Hua forcing him into submission with a hundred thousand yin soldiers. Then, it was this mysterious woman annihting that one hundred thousand yin soldiers with abination of metal, wood, water and fire. It reminded him when he was still mundane, when he was weak andpletely helpless.

    ¡°Do you wish to live or die?¡± Murong Xianxian asked indifferently.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you would dare to kill us,¡± Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows interrupted before Sun Sovereign could react.

    As Laughing Buddha mentioned earlier, with so many eyes and mouths in the vicinity, killing them would only result in endless trouble. In his opinion, Murong Xianxian¡¯s threat was moot because she could not possibly dare to kill them.

    As soon as he finished, a streak of red shot straight toward Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows. Caught off guard, he hurriedly scattered into multiple shadows and attempted to flee.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The red light descended on a patch of shadow and nailed it to the ground, eliciting a bloodcurdling scream from it. Shockingly, not only did the rest of the shadows freeze in their tracks, they were slowly drawn back to the nailed shadow as if pulled by invisible strings. It wasn¡¯t long before they merged back into Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows once more.

    Right now, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows was nailed through the chest by a red peachwood nail. ck qi was leaking out of his entire body, and he was iling wildly from the sheer pain he was suffering. But despite his desperate struggles, he was unable to break free from the peachwood nail¡¯s bindings. On the contrary, he was growing weaker over time until all he could do was scream until he was hoarse.

    ¡°Miss!¡± Sun Sovereign and the others cried out. They tried to save Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows, bt the peachwood nail¡¯s light doubled in intensity as soon as they moved a muscle. At the same time, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows¡¯ yang god began diminishing twice as fast as before.

    It was a threat. If they tried to save him, then Murong Xianxian would end his life instantly.

    Left with no choice, Sun Sovereign and the others mastered themselves and stared at Murong Xianxian. ¡°Can you please forgive and release him, miss?¡±

    They were begging On Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows¡¯ behalf not because they cared about him, but because they were grasshoppers bound to the same rope. If even one of them died, then the rest of them would follow like dominos.

    It looked like their cry for mercy worked, because the red light surrounding the peachwood nail dimmed, and Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows¡¯ screams grew fainter.

    ¡°Thank you, miss!¡±

    Sun Sovereign let out a clear sigh of relief. The fact that Murong Xianxian did not kill Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows meant that there was still room for negotiation.

    ¡°I did not kill him not because I¡¯m afraid of the consequences of his death, but because I do not wish to stain my hand with his filthy life.¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s voice was cold and devoid of emotion as she stared at Sun Sovereign. ¡°That Sex Spirit might be afraid of the factions you represent, but I¡¯m not. After all, I¡¯m alone without anyone or anything to tie me down. So what if I killed all of you? You don¡¯t even know who I am, do you?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s heart skipped a beat. No one could say anything.

    It was the truth. If she was a strong warrior with a powerful faction behind her back, then they would not have feared her. After all, as a representative of her faction, she couldn¡¯t act without taking her faction¡¯s interest into consideration. That would¡¯ve given them a lot of leeway that they could exploit.

    However, this did not apply to powerful warriors with no one and nothing to call to their name. People like that weren¡¯t bogged down by anything, and because they weren¡¯t bogged down by anything, they could and would do whatever the hell they wanted.

    It was one thing if you could kill such people and end the threat they represented, but if you failed, then they would be a thorn in your side forever and ever, and generally speaking, the only way the situation could be resolved was if one side perished. That was why you never wanted to provoke or annoy this type of person, ever!

    Worse still, it was exactly as the woman said. They had no idea who she was, which meant that she had the option to go into hiding after killing them. With her strength, it was unlikely anyone could suss her out of her hiding spot, not to mention that the world was a wide, wide ce. How could their faction take revenge for them if they couldn¡¯t even find their killer?

    They would¡¯ve died for nothing.

    That was why no one said anything. There was simply nothing to say.

    ¡°My question remains the same. Do you wish to live or die?¡± Murong Xianxian repeated after receiving no answer.

    ¡°Of course I wish to live! I¡¯m not done living yet!¡±

    This time, it was Madman Chu who spoke up. His face was fearless as he stared at Murong Xianxian with a challenging look. ¡°But if I die, then so be it! Such is my way of living!¡±

    Unlike Sun Sovereign or Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows, whose courage only seemed to dwindle with age, Madman Chu was a lot more epting of death. If he could live, then of course he wanted to live. But if that option did not exist, then so be it. Nothing and no one could scare him.

 Chapter 765: Dog Eat Dog

    Chapter 765: Dog Eat Dog

    ¡°If you want to die, then I shall grant you death.¡±

    Murong Xianxian said the scariest thing in the calmest of voices. ¡°If you want to live, then you simply need to kill her.¡±

    She was referring to Mistress Yu Hua, of course.

    ¡°W-What?¡± Sun Sovereign and everyone else was surprised by this. They never imagined that that would be her request.

    The request was both simple and troublesome. Mistress Yu Hua was a Disaster-ss Stranger or the equivalent of a Trueman or Grandmaster. However, a Sex Spirit was pretty lousy in directbat because they specialized in seducing humans. Although the five of them were seriously injured, killing Mistress Yu Hua would be a trivial matter especially since her trump card, the King Yan yer, was now useless.

    The problem was that Mistress Yu Hua wasn¡¯t just anyone. She was the beloved consort of master of the Zongtian Pce of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness, one of the Six Ghosts and Gods of Fengdu. If they killed her, it was extremely likely that they would earn his ire. That was why killing her would alsond them in trouble.

    There was another question. Why did Murong Xianxian want them to kill her when she could just kill her herself?

    ¡°Kill me? Hahaha¡­ What a joke. I¡¯m right here. I dare you to try and kill me.¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua sneered when she heard this. Just as she did not dare to kill the group of five because of the consequences that would follow, she did not believe they would dare to kill her either.¡°If I may ask¡­ why do you want Mistress Yu Hua dead?¡± Sun Sovereign voiced his doubts. ¡°And why us?¡±

    ¡°I want her dead because I hate her.¡± Murong Xianxian said frankly. ¡°And I want you to do it because that is your rightful punishment!¡±

    ¡°You are invaders who showed up in the Demonbearer Abode without invitation, and you deserve a million deaths for your sin. I can consider letting you live, but you <em>will </em>have to suffer for it. Killing her and bearing the consequences thate after is the price I¡¯ve chosen for you.¡±

    ¡°Alternatively, you could just kill us all. Why go through all this trouble?¡± Madman Chu frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s more interesting this way, isn¡¯t it?¡± was Murong Xianxian¡¯s response. She curled her lips into a smile that could topple nations, but the group only felt chilled at the sight of it.

    ¡°So? Have you made up your mind?¡± A few breathster, Murong Xianxian asked again. ¡°If you have, then get it done already. Otherwise, I might just change my mind.¡±

    As soon as Murong Xianxian finished, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadowsunched himself toward Mistress Yu Hua. No one knew when the woman had released the Trueman.

    Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows did not hesitate because he had never been so close to death as the moment he was pinned down. The consequences of killing Mistress Yu Hua might be severe, but he was going to die <em>now </em>if he disobeyed the woman. In his opinion, the choice was obvious.

    Seeing that their choice was made for them, Sun Sovereign and the others exchanged a look with each other before charging Mistress Yu Hua as well.

    ¡°I never liked that bitch anyway. Here Ie!¡± Madman Chu barked out augh and leaped into the air. Then, he swung his saber straight down on Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s head.

    At the same time, Xu Xiu raised his spear with his right hand and dashed across the ground like the wind.

    ¡°Myriad Shadows! Sun Sovereign! Have you gone mad?!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until the ghoul Mistress Yu Hua was riding on forced back Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows with a powerful punch that she realized that this wasn¡¯t an act. They were actually going to kill her.

    She panicked immediately. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of Fengdu¡¯s retribution?¡±

    No one listened to her. They just kept attacking.

    Three of them were Dark Way practitioners who killed without batting an eyelid. They were all selfish, ruthless bastards who would do almost anything to live and see another day. Sure, Fengdu¡¯s retribution was scary, but their sects would bear the brunt of that. As for whether their decision would cost their sect greatly¡­ they were about to die, dude. Who the fuck gave a fuck about the sect¡¯s interest when they were a woman¡¯s whim away from death?

    As for Madman Chu and Xu Xiu, they had never been afraid of anything. Naturally, Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s threat was like water off a duck¡¯s back to them.

    Seeing that her threats were useless, Mistress Yu Hua finallymanded her ghoul to escape. However, it had only taken a few steps when a saber beam shed through its legs and severed them from the knee down. Then, a spear beam punctured the ghoul in the chest, and it copsed with a groan.

    Mistress Yu Hua flew out of her pce, but a smiling Buddha holding a prithvi mudra blocked her way. At the same time, a huge sun descended from above and filled the world with light.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh!¡±

    Seeing that there was no way to run, Mistress Yu Hua let out a shrill, mournful scream. Blood poured out of her eyes, and her body grew blurry and indistinct like countless silhouettes stacked on top of each other.

    The silhouettes spread out into the open and turned solid. Then, they transformed into countless charming and sexy women.

    On the other hand, Mistress Yu Hua started aging at a rapid pace. Her smooth, wless skin began sagging and wrinkling, and her hair slowly turned white.

    The older Mistress Yu Hua looked, the more beautiful and attractive the women became.

    Beautiful bones and pink skeletons, they were.

    The women danced around Mistress Yu Hua while waving their long, colorful sleeves about. The dance was as exquisite as it was bewitching, and it caused invisible waves to ripple out to the surroundings. Even with the Truemen and Grandmaster¡¯s mental fortitude, they could not help but be charmed by the dance. As a result, the attacks theyunched at Mistress Yu Hua became so wed that the woman was able to neutralize all of them.

    It was why they were unable to kill Mistress Yu Hua immediately despite their superior numbers.

    On the mountain, Murong Xianxian was watching the battle with an expressionless face. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking or even feeling right now.

    No one noticed that herplexion had be so pale that it was almost transparent.

    Suddenly, Murong Xianxian¡¯s eyes zed over a little. She wobbled imperceptibly.

    Ye Qing immediately appeared beside her and supported her in a way that wouldn¡¯t be found.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you kept them alive, big sis. Killing them would¡¯ve been so much easier!¡±

    Just as secretly, Ye Qing injected his true qi into Murong Xianxian¡¯s body. It was only then he realized in horror that Murong Xianxian¡¯s body was as devoid of energy as a dryke. Not a single drop of energy could be found anywhere, and his true qi did not amount to even that. Not for someone like her.

    Clearly, her act of killing one hundred thousand yin soldiers in one go hadn¡¯t been easy as it seemed. It had cost her all of her strength.

    It also meant that Murong Xianxian wasn¡¯t toying with her victims of feeling merciful. She knew as well as him that killing everyone here would save them much trouble. She just couldn¡¯t.

    That was why she manipted the group of five into attacking Mistress Yu Hua. To have the dogs kill each other so to speak.

    As for why the group of five did not suspect Murong Xianxian, it was probably because they were intimidated by her disy of power. Even if they suspected something, they didn¡¯t dare to find out with their lives as the betting chip. If they were wrong, then they would die.

    Inparison, killing Mistress Yu Hua was much simpler.

 Chapter 766: The Great Ghost God Reincarnation Spell

    Chapter 766: The Great Ghost God Reincarnation Spell

    ¡°It¡¯s more entertaining to have the dogs bite each other to the death, isn¡¯t it?¡± Murong Xianxian said with a chuckle. At the same time, she stopped Ye Qing from transmitting true qi into her body and shook her head imperceptibly.

    ¡°Is it? I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. Murong Xianxian was a smart woman. She had always been a smart woman. However, he could not see how this was a good move no matter what. In his opinion, any move that put oneself in grave danger was, at best, a subpar move.

    It might look like Murong Xianxian was sitting tight on her fishing boat now, but she was really treading on thin ice. One misstep, one slip of weakness, and she would plunge into the depths of hell immediately.

    Murong Xianxian knew this, but she still chose to do it. There was surely a better solution than this, but she still picked the most dangerous one. It really did not fit her modus operandi.

    Either Murong Xianxian had a trump card up her sleeve¡ªwhich really did not seem likely¡ªor she had another objective.

    ¡°What are you really nning, big sis?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you guess, Joyless?¡± Murong Xianxian smirked.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfair, big sis.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. It could literally be anything.By now, Mistress Yu Hua had fallen into a disadvantage. Murong Xianxian¡¯s smirk turned enigmatic as she answered, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for two people, and I want to prove something.¡±

    ¡°Er¡­ what?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows in confusion.

    ¡°One of them is a ghost, and the other a dead man.¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s expression grew increasingly inscrutable as she sighed. ¡°As for the thing, I just wanted to know if he really hated me, or¡­¡±

    She shook her head suddenly. ¡°Forget it. You¡¯ll find out very soon.¡±

    Ye Qing lowered his gaze. He was starting to get it.

    Back to the battle, Mistress Yu Hua was in a precarious situation. Fighting four Truemen and one Grandmaster was no joke after all. The women surrounding her were growing more and more attractive, but Mistress Yu Hua herself was panting like a dog. She also looked like she had one foot in the grave.

    While Mistress Yu Hua was weakened, Sun Sovereign¡¯s yang god burned like the sun and scorched the attractive women into ash. As soon as she was open, Laughing Buddha, Madman Chu, Sakyamuni Myriad Shadows and Xu Xiu charged toward her.

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me¡­ The master won¡¯t forgive you¡­¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua screamed shrilly while iling her limbs like a clown. The death of the women caused Mistress Yu Hua to age even more than she already was. Her skin was withered and wrinkled, and she barely had any teeth or hair left. She looked more dead than alive right now. It was both amusing and pitiful.

    ¡°Away with you!¡±

    Right before Mistress Yu Hua would perish, the ten powerless banners abruptly shot toward the group of five like throwing spears, forcing them to cancel their attack and dodge out of the way. They didn¡¯t stop even after they reached Mistress Yu Hua. Instead, they pierced through her limbs and pinned her in ce.

    A dark light shone from the banners and flowed into Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s body. Over time, her wrinkly body turned smooth, and her flesh began to fill out once more. Somehow, she was regaining her youth.

    ¡°Haha! Hahahaha!¡±

    Mistress Yu Huaughed loudly when she saw this. ¡°It¡¯s the master! It has to be him!¡±

    The Sun Sovereign and the others stared at Mistress Yu Hua with varying looks of surprise and wariness. No one saw the need to rush ahead and test if she was faking it or not.

    As dark light continued to pour into her body, Mistress Yu Hua eventually became even younger and more attractive than she originally was. However, the dark light did not cease flowing into her body. Her stomach began swelling at a visible rate.

    ¡°My stomach¡­?¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua noticed the oddity and tried to stop it, of course. However, she could not move a muscle as she waspletely pinned. She could only watch in horror and confusion as her stomach grewrger andrger.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Ahhhh! It hurts!¡±

    In just the blink of an eye, Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s stomach resembled that of ady who was ten months pregnant, and it was still growing. Eventually, her flesh was stretched to the point where it looked translucent, and every vein looked as clear as day.

    ¡°Ahhhh! It hurts! It hurts! Save me! No! No!¡±

    All the joy had fled from Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s face. It was reced by pain, horror, fear.

    <em>Pssh!</em>

    Finally, her stomach physically couldn¡¯t stretch any further and split open with a disgusting squelch. Then, a massive hand reached out from the center.

    The hand¡¯s palm looked as big as a millstone, and its fingers were the size of a house¡¯s pirs. ck as ink, it overflowed with inauspiciousness and misfortune.

    The hand alone was way bigger than Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s entire person. If they hadn¡¯t witnessed it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that it had forced its way out of Mistress yu Hua¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡±

    Mistress Yu Hua let out another bloodcurdling scream as another hand reached out of her stomach. Then, both hands grabbed her split sides and pulled. It looked like the hands were trying to tear a hole wide enough to admit something absolutely massive. A terrifying aura filled the air.

    ¡°Shit! Attack!¡±

    Sun Sovereign nched when he saw this. Knowing that they were running out of time, he stopped hesitating andunched an attack at Mistress Yu Hua. Everyone else realized the danger and threw themselves forward as well.

    Although they had no idea what was the thing trying to get out of Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s stomach, they knew that it was highly dangerous. They knew that letting it out was the worst thing they could possibly do here.

    Unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t even get close to the woman before one of the hands took a swipe at them like it was batting away an annoying fly.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    It was such a casual p, but space copsed, the sky fractured, and the ground split open like a spider¡¯s web. Each and everyone of them was sent hurtling across the air, spitting blood or growing more transparent. They were still alive, but it was a serious blow on top of their already serious injuries.

    After swatting Sun Sovereign and the others away, the hands grabbed Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s stomach and started pulling once more.

    For a time, the only sound that could be heard in the area was her screams.

    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± Ye Qing asked in a low tone while perceiving the terrible power behind the p.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Great Ghost God Reincarnation Spell, a terribly insidious and vicious secret art. By imnting a portion of their soul inside the victim¡¯s body, the practitioner transforms them into a kind of bridge and cauldron. If necessary, they could activate the spell to traverse an unimaginable distance and trigger a rebirth,¡± Murong Xianxian said indifferently. It was as if she did not care about the thing that was about to burst out of Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s stomach at all.

    ¡°So¡­ who did this to her?¡± Ye Qing asked. He already knew the answer, but he would like some confirmation regardless.

    Murong Xianxian answered, ¡°The caster must be very close to Yu Hua for her to not suspect a thing. They must also be incredibly powerful to perform the spell. Who do you think it was?¡±

    ¡°Are they one of the two people you¡¯re waiting for?¡± Ye Qing asked again.

    ¡°Correct!¡± Murong Xianxian nodded. She still didn¡¯t look worried in the slightest.

    It looked like Murong Xianxian had everything under control, Ye Qing could not say anything else despite his worries. He was powerless to fix this situation anyway. After all, his opponent was one of the Six Ghosts and Gods of Fengdu.

    That¡¯s right. The person they were talking about was none other than Zongtian, master of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness!

    He did not know how Murong Xianxian was able to find out that Zongtian was hiding in Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s stomach. He did not know if her trump card was truly strong enough to deal with him either. At this point, he could only leave it all to fate and act ordingly.

 Chapter 767: The Six Ghosts and Gods

    Chapter 767: The Six Ghosts and Gods

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±

    It was at this moment Mistress Yu Hua screamed again. A massive head began squeezing itself out of her stomach.

    The head was as big as a house and had two curved horns growing out of its forehead. One horn was burning with ck mes where millions of ghosts wailed within, whereas the other was surrounded by streams of water bearing countless dead bodies.

    Strangest of all, the head had two faces. The face on the front was male, handsome and elegant, and the one on the back was female, contorting and horrifying.

    The man¡¯s face invoked a sense of reverence and untouchability. It looked like the face of a god. On the other hand, the woman¡¯s face invoked fear and loathing. It looked like the face of a ghost.

    The being was literally two-faced, wearing both the face of a god and a ghost. There was only one entity that fit its description: a Ghost and God of Fengdu. And since this one was the master of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness, he could only be the one they called Zongtian.

    After the head emerged fully, Zongtian casually turned their head and looked around. No one save for Murong Xianxian dared to look at them directly.

    Clearly, this Ghost and God of Fengdu was an Ancient-ss Stranger.

    An Ancient-ss Stranger was a being who unfettered themselves from the eternal cycle of life and death and became eternal themselves. They were on the same level as a Sage.After their head emerged, Zongtian began climbing out of Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s stomach at an elerated rate. Just a few secondster, they had fully extricated themselves from the confines that was Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s flesh.

    The group finally saw the Ghost and God in their entirety. They were over a hundred meters tall and wearing a set of armor. ck mes seeped out between the gaps of their armor, and they were constantly surrounded by a cloud of yin qi that conjured images of the Eighteen Hells, mountain of corpses and sea of bones.

    They weren¡¯t doing anything, but the sky shook, the earth cracked, and the space groaned audibly as if they could not withstand Zongtian¡¯s power. Just looking at them was enough to turn one¡¯s limbs ice cold and induce a flood of tears.

    Whenever Zongtian looked at a certain direction, everything in that direction fellpletely silent. By the time they were done scanning their surroundings, the entire world had fallen as silent as death.

    ¡°Master¡­ Master¡­ please save me¡­ please save your beloved consort¡­¡±

    It was at this moment a shrill cry broke the silence. As it turned out, Mistress Yu Hua wasn¡¯t dead yet, though she looked like she was half a foot away from passing onto the other sidepletely. Her guts were bare for all to see, and she had returned to her ancient, rotting appearance after the ¡°Great Ghost God Reincarnation Spell¡± hade to an end. She was currently squirming about like a worm and grabbing onto the Ghost and God¡¯s ankle like he was her one and only lifeline.

    Zongtian bent down and pinched Mistress Yu Hua¡¯s head between a pair of fingers. Then, they lifted her to eye level.

    Mistress Yu Hua was barely bigger than an ant from this perspective.

    ¡°Master¡­ please save me¡­¡± Mistress Yu Hua begged.

    The Ghost and God examined her for a moment before letting out a cold, deafening chuckle.

    ¡°Not only did you fail such a simple task, you even damaged my precious artifact. Why should I keep a useless piece of garbage like you alive?¡±

    ¡°I know I didn¡¯t meet your expectations¡­ mercy, master! Mercy!¡±

    Seemingly realizing something, Mistress Yu Hua began struggling and begging with all her might. It was futile though. Zongtian tossed her into their mouth and chewed her up like candy.

    Everyone felt chilled to the core at the sight of this. Mistress Yu Hua was their consort, and they had eaten her without any hesitation whatsoever, the monster!

    <em>Wait, they </em>are <em>a monster. Never mind then.</em>

    After Zongtian was done eating his own consort, they shot Sun Sovereign and the others a disdainful look before locking their gaze onto Murong Xianxian.

    ¡°It seems there is a valid reason they called you the most beautiful woman of the <em>wulin </em>eight hundred years ago. Very good.¡±

    Zongtian barked out augh before ordering in a dignified voice that wouldn¡¯t ept no as an answer, ¡°I had just lost a consort, and I need someone to fill her ce. I will let you live, and I shan¡¯t punish you for your earlier sins if you agree to be my consort.¡±

    Murong Xianxian couldn¡¯t seem to feel the pressure everyone was feeling, however. She asked smilingly, ¡°What do I get for bing your consort?¡±

    Zongtian bowed their head slightly. ¡°Hahaha¡­ it is your honor to be able to be my consort. What else would you need besides this?¡± Their eyes shone like the sun, and their mere radiance evoked unquestionable authority.

    If a god¡¯s favor was as deep as the sea, then a god¡¯s ire was as bottomless as the abyss itself.

    Maintaining her smile, Murong Xianxian pretended to think for a moment before answering, ¡°That makes sense, but there¡¯s a problem. You¡­ are one of the ugliest bastards I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Zongtian blinked. Everyone else blinked as well. No one was expecting to hear such an answer from Murong Xianxian.

    The sky rumbled, and the Ghost and God bent down a little. The air before him immediately groaned as if it could not bear their weight. ¡°Hahaha¡­ What a bold woman you are. You are already on yourst legs, and yet you still dare to speak to me like this. Very good, woman. You have drawn my interest.¡±

    ¡°I will have you one way or another.¡±

    With that said, Zongtian reached out to grab Murong Xianxian. The sky immediately turned pitch ck, and the surrounding space copsed as if an invisible hand had dug them out of the fabric that was reality.

    Despite his fear and trepidation, Ye Qing resolutely stepped in front of Murong Xianxian and assumed a stance, channeling his fist intent until it filled his chest.

    Looking at Murong Xianxian¡¯s expression alone, you would think that she had the Ghost and God right where she wanted them to be. But he wasn¡¯t Murong Xianxian, so he wasn¡¯t confident in their chances one bit.

    He also knew that he was at best an eggpared to the mountain in front of him, and that his chances of defeating the monstrosity was less than zero. But sometimes, it wasn¡¯t a matter of whether you can. You simply must.

    He had never been the type to wait to die anyway.

    And finally, assuming that Murong Xianxian did have a trump card up her sleeve, then his action would surely earn her good will. He would be killing two birds with one stone.

    When the Ghost and God¡¯s sky-blotting hand was ten meters away from their heads, Ye Qing pushed off the ground and shot toward it like an arrow. His fist intent instantly reached peak levels.

    Not only that, he was able to mold some of the concepts he grasped from witnessing ¡°Suppression hammer¡± into his fist intent.

    Obviously, his version of ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± was like a fireflypared to the moon that was the original, but like a fire that was inmed by the wind, his punch was at least one-third stronger than normal.

    <em>BANG</em>

    Unfortunately, his punch shattered against the giant hand like a sea wave against a shoal. Blood spurted out of his eyes and nose as he crashed into the ground even faster than he flew upward.

    Worse, his full-powered attack failed to affect the hand even a little. It continued to reach down for Murong Xianxian.

    <em>Will you show up?</em>

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s smile remained unchanged as the giant hand came closer and closer. However, a hint of emotions had seeped into her eyes. It looked like a mixture of hopefulness, worry, and fear.

    The giant hand was three inches away from Murong Xianxian when suddenly, it came to a stop.

    It wasn¡¯t because Zongtiansuddenly had a change of mind. It was because a finger had appeared between the hand and the woman.

    The finger was infinitely smallpared to the hand. It seemed as puny and powerless as an ant trying to topple a tree. And yet, it did. The finger had actually stopped Zongtian¡¯s hand dead in its tracks.

    No matter how hard the Ghost and God pushed, it could not move an inch further.

    Everyone noticed a secondter that the finger had appeared from the rock beside Murong Xianxian.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡±

    It was at this moment a sigh brushed against everyone¡¯s ears.

    It was a low, weary sigh. It was thick like it had been continuously fortified by the endless march of time, forlorn like it could not bear the neverending changes of the world, lonely like it missed the time when the red dust still mattered to it, and helpless like an ordinary person trying to change the shape of the clouds.

    It was a voice that was overflowing with untold stories and charm.

    The rock slowly peeled away and shook itself loose to reveal a man.

 Chapter 768: Punching Down A Ghost And God

    Chapter 768: Punching Down A Ghost And God

    The man¡¯s eyes were tightly shut. His hair hung loosely across his shoulders. There were several scars on his face, and speaking of face, he looked somewhat simr to the spiritual intent of Li Hentian, though his lines were sharper, older, and unrelenting. He looked¡­ real.

    ¡°The Dark Overlord¡­¡±

    He wasn¡¯t exactly the same as the spiritual intent, but Ye Qing still recognized him instantly as the one and only legend, the Dark Overlord Li Hentian. In his memories, Li Hentian had passed away on this very peak, which was why he was confused that Li Hentian¡¯s body was nowhere to be found. To think that the legend had been right beside him this whole time, and he didn¡¯t even realize until he revealed himself!

    Li Hentian was definitely dead. Ye Qing could not sense even a hint of vitality from his body. Even so, he was equally certain that the sigh hade from the dead man.

    As expected, Li Hentian opened his eyes the next second and looked at Murong Xianxian affectionately. ¡°Long time no see, Xiexian!¡±

    Murong Xianxian was currently wearing aplicated expression on her face. She did not say anything.

    ¡°Li Hentian¡­¡±

    By now, Zongtian finally noticed Li Hentian. Both faces were looking down on him as the ck qi surrounding their giant hand grew thicker. They pushed again.

    <em>Rumble rumble rumble¡­</em>The entire mountain began shaking ominously. Even the Central Wu Earth Hall had be much dimmer than before. Despite this, Li Hentian¡¯s finger did not budge an inch. It hadn¡¯t even curled or wobbled a little.

    ¡°You¡¯re noisy.¡±

    Li Hentian abruptly looked up, and his eyes shone like the rising sun and falling moon both at once. A dazzling light pierced the sky at the same time a loud thump rippled across the entire world.

    It was the sound of Li Hentian¡¯s heartbeat.

    <em>Thump¡­ thump¡­ thump thump¡­</em>

    At first, his heartbeat was very, very slow. Over time, it grew faster and louder until it felt like a celestial was beating a heavenly drum.

    The next moment, Li Hentian retracted his finger, made a fist, and punched.

    There was barely any space between his fist and the hand, but so what? Wind and thunder could exist within a span of inches. A single inch was enough for someone to st the gates of heaven wide open.

    <em>BOOM!!!</em>

    The giant hand exploded, and Zongtian staggered backward with shock and fury in their eyes. ¡°The audacity!¡±

    ¡°The audacity?¡±

    Li Hentian withdrew his fist while showering the faltering Ghost and God with unbridled scorn. ¡°Nah, you are more audacious than me. After all, you dared to try and take <em>my </em>woman! Even I wouldn¡¯t dare to do such a thing!¡±

    ¡°It is her honor to be able to be my consort!¡± Zongtian argued.

    ¡°Honor? Do you actually think you¡¯re a god just because some people call you that?¡± Li Hentian scoffed. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that you¡¯re really a sexless pig who doesn¡¯t have a dick or an ovary despite sporting two faces of different genders? As if that isn¡¯t enough, you desire women and keep marrying consorts like it¡¯s a game or something. Can you even fuck when you have nothing down there?¡±

    ¡°You dare insult me? I will throw you into the Eighteen Hells and subject you to an eternity of suffering! You will never escape!¡±

    Enraged, Zongtian summoned a banner into their hand. The banner rapidly grew bigger until it was the size of the Ghost and God themselves. Then, they grabbed the banner with both hands and swung it down on Li Hentian like saber.

    <em>BOOM!</em>

    As the banner fell, yin wind rolled in like a winterstorm and morphed into countless yin soldiers and ghost generals. Their mere presence ripped holes in both the sky and the earth.

    In response, Li Hentian sneered and leaped into the air. Then, he formed a fist with his right hand and punched upward.

    A mountain a hundred thousand meters tall shot out of the ground in tandem with his punch, and the endless swarm of yin soldiers and ghost generals were crushed just like that. The storm of yin qi was unable to descend onto the earth like waves that were split and blocked by the shore.

    Next, Li Hentian opened his right hand and curled his fingers. As the sea of yin qi condensed and slipped into the banner, Li Hentian ced his hand on its gigantic pole at that exact moment.

    The banner was so big it felt like the sky itself, and the pole the pir that supported it. Li Hentian was less than antpared to it. However, it began shaking and emitting thunderps as Li Hentiannded his fingers on the pole one by one like he was stroking a qin.

    Zongtian¡¯s hands abruptly exploded into pieces as if they could not bear the pressure. Their banner immediately flew out of their hands as a matter of course, and Li Hentian seized the opportunity to run upward.

    Zongtian wasn¡¯t done though. The ten broken fingers transformed into the tell halls of Fengdu, and each hall was manned by a King Yan.

    Looking down on Li Hentian, the ten King Yan raised the King Yan Seal in their left hand and the Judge¡¯s Brush on their right hand and dered in unison, ¡°Your sin is great, Li Hentian. You shall suffer in the Eighteen Hells for eternity.¡±

    The seal descended, the brush descended, and their voices filled the air. One by one, the Hell of Tongue Ripping, the Hell of Scissors, the Hell of Trees of Knives, the Hell of Mirrors of Retribution, the Hell of Steaming, the Hell of Copper Pirs, the Hell of the Mountain of Knives, the Hell of the Mountain of Ice, the Hell of Oil Cauldrons, the Hell of the Pit of Cattle, the Hell of Boulder Crushing, the Hell of Mortars and Pestles, the Hell of the Pool of Blood, the Hell of the Wrongful Dead, the Hell of Dismemberment, the Hell of the Mountain of Fire, the Hell of Mills and the Hell of Sawing[1] came to life and ovepped one another. Inside the hells, countless ghosts screamed in pain as punishment beyond mortal imagination were inflicted upon their person.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Who the fuck do you think you are to judge <em>me</em>?¡±

    In response, Li Hentian simplyughed and clenched his right fist again. He raised his stance about half an inch, pulled back his fist, and punched.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    With just one punch, Li Hentian pierced through the eighteen Hells like they were paper; shattered the tell halls of King Yan like they were y.

    <em>¡°Break¡±</em>

    Compared to the ¡°Break¡± his spiritual intent had unleashed earlier, this one was less destructive and majestic, and more withdrawn and sharp. However, it was undoubtedly more profound and terrifying.

    Smooth water flows without a sound, and a Great Way possesses no shape. When a warrior¡¯s fist had reached the pinnacle, their punches would leave no trace in the world but affect everything.

    The punch was still going despite piercing the Eighteen Hells and shattering the ten halls of King Yan. Li Hentian appeared in front of the Ghost and God¡¯s face and struck him squarely in the forehead.

    Again, it looked like aughable ant was trying to topple the giant tree. Again, Li Hentian did the seemingly impossible and sent the mountain-sized Ghost and God flying a thousand kilometers through the air, crushing countless mountains in the process.

    ¡°Raaaaaghhhh!¡±

    After Zongtian finally arrested themselves, they shook off their dizziness and let out a throaty roar. Then, they grabbed two random mountains and tossed them at Li Hentian.

    Li Hentian withdrew his fist and turned sideways. He mmed into the two mountains like he was mming the gates of heavens wide open.

    The two mountains shattered like ss, failing to slow Li Hentian even a little. He flew straight toward Zongtian¡¯s chest.

    Zongtian¡¯s chest abruptly split open in different directions like a giant maw. Instead of innards, an ungodly number of worms lurked within his body. They had a human¡¯s head but a worm¡¯s body, and their mouths were full of razor sharp teeth. They looked terrifying.

    The worms swarmed Li Hentian instantly. At the same time, the Ghost and God¡¯s split chest mmed shut.

    Zongtian looked up and let out a victorious roar after devouring Li Hentian. They looked extremely proud of themselves.

    It didn¡¯tst. The next second, a hint of pain and anger shed through their features. At the same time, sounds of explosions came from inside their stomach.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    There was a deafening boom, and the Ghost and God¡¯s body exploded in a shower of blood and gore. Yin qi filled the world, and countless ghosts screamed.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Six Ghosts and Gods my ass! You are pathetic!¡±

    Li Hentian stood at the center of the cloud of yin qi,ughing uproariously. But of course, the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. Zongtian was the master of the Grand Fiend Abode of Forgiveness. They could not possibly perish so easily.

    A pair of faces appeared in the cloud of yin qi. One of them was male, and the other female. The man¡¯s face looked solemn and dignified like a god, while the woman¡¯s face looked ugly and savage like a ghost¡¯s.

    They were the faces of the master of the Tianzong Pce, though they were many, many timesrger than what they were before. The man¡¯s face shifted to the sky where he looked down on the earth like an unfeeling, omnipotent god. The woman¡¯s face shifted to the ground where she eyed the world with naked greed. Both faces were overflowing with power.

    Celestial and demon, ghost and god. The gazes and the sh between twopletely different powers distorted the surrounding space. Countless ripples and lines joined together to form the terrifying illusion of a shattered world where the living was dead, the bodies stretched endlessly, the sea was blood, and the dead were everywhere.

    Then, the man¡¯s face descended, and the woman¡¯s face ascended. The two terrifying powers engulfed Li Hentian instantly.

    1. And the hell of word count padding.[ ?

 Chapter 769: Annihilation Hammer

    Chapter 769: Annihtion Hammer

    ¡°Hahaha! A child¡¯s y!¡±

    Li Hentian guffawed and ripped arge chunk of the yin cloud apart effortlessly. Then, he shed directly against the two faces.

    <em>Boom boom boom¡­</em>

    For a time, the rumblings and the quakes kept going on as if it would never end.

    It was a true sh of titans. Zongtian was showing off the might of ghosts and gods; celestials and Buddha. Every move they executed was fancy and broke the world around them.

    Li Hentian was the opposite. He was a master who had boiled down every martial art he had learned into its simplest form. Strike, block, gather, smash. Every move he executed was basic to the extreme. And yet somehow, these basic moves were perfect, natural, and wless like the Way; like nature itself. And just like Mother Nature, their power was immeasurable.

    With just a pair of hands, he could dismantle every art.

    With just a pair of fists, he could suppress an Ancient.

    At first, Ye Qing was quite eager to watch the duel between the duo. But as time passed, and the battle grew more and more intense, Ye Qing began looking away from the battle, sealing his hearing so he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear their rhythm, and even withdrew his demonic thought to avoid perceiving their concepts.It was because their battle involved thews and ultimate concepts of the martial way, and right now, he wasn¡¯t yet qualified to even make contact with such things. One slip of the concentration, and their martial concepts could very well extinguish his consciousness.

    In the end, he even had to seal off his five senses and his spiritual perceptionpletely, though he did not forget to block in front of Murong Xianxian and shield her.

    Despite this, the shockwaves of their battle still blurred his consciousness and threw his energies into disarray. Blood was pouring out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

    If even he was suffering, then the likes of Sun Sovereign could only do worse. After all, they had all taken a considerable amount of injuries beforehand, and that was rapidly beingpounded by the battle between Li Hentian and Zongtian.

    They were lucky though. The battle was so terrible that it did not just shatter the world around them, but also the seal Murong Xianxian had set up beforehand. They had escaped as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

    As time passed, the battle between Li Hentian and the master of Zongtian only got more and more intense. It shattered mountains and rivers, ripped holes in the sky, shook the sun and moon from the sky, and ravaged the Demonbearer Abode even more than it already was.

    ¡°¡®Break Hammer¡¯!¡±

    An unknown amount of timeter, a sudden yell broke the winds, scattered the clouds, cracked the four cardinal directions, and ripped a hole in spacetime. Allwful things returned towlessness, and all of creation returned to Primal Chaos.

    The Ghost and God¡¯s two faces were no exception. They instantly dissolved into nothing as well.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    When the faces shattered, a masculine and a feminine voice screamed at the same time. Then, they reverted into their original form.

    Right now, Zongtian was in a horrible condition. Their body were covered in wounds, and their two faces were covered in cracks. Smelly yellowish pus was leaking out of the cracks, and countless wronged souls and bodies were howling in rage.

    ¡°You dare try to steal my woman when this is all you got? Pathetic!¡±

    Li Hentianughed and descended toward the Ghost and God.

    ¡°Those who disrespect gods deserve death!¡± The master¡¯s two faces roared at the same time. As soon as the word ¡°death¡± escaped their lips, the sky split open, and the waters of the Yellow Spring poured down from above. It was as if the world itself was at their beck and call.

    The torrent of yellow water transformed into a gigantic spellsword that put a hole in the sky itself. It was a dignified-looking sword that seemed to herald the arrival of the Son of Heaven; demanded the submission of all living things.

    <em>¡°Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring¡±</em>

    ¡°Those who spheme against gods deserve DESTRUCTION!¡±

    As soon as the word ¡°destruction¡± escaped their mouth, the ground copsed, and a sea of blood spilled out of the cracks. It transformed into a sky-splitting saber of blood. The saber was as gnarly-looking as it was scary. It looked like the manifestation of the vilest ghoul, and it desired nothing more than the death of all living things.

    <em>¡°Rakshasa Saber of Blood Sea¡±</em>

    The Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Springmanded all ghosts. None dared to disobey its will.

    The Rakshasa Saber of Blood Sea was the bane of all living things. Those who were in by it would experience true death.

    The sword descended. The Eighteen Hells formed its de, and the ghosts¡¯ roar became its edge.

    The saber rose. The sea of blood and bones silenced all living things, and neither reincarnation nor the six realms of samsara existed within its hungry, bottomless depth.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ now we¡¯re talking!¡± Li Hentian let out an arrogantugh in the face of the destructive sword and saber. ¡°In exchange, I¡¯ll show you my own punch!¡±

    <em>¡°Annihtion Hammer¡±</em>

    As soon as he threw out the punch, yin and yang switched ces, the five phases disintegrated, time and space disappeared, and the cycle of reincarnation was no more. Anything and everything in the world returned to void and silence just as it was before Primal Chaos began, and creation was a thing.

    If even existence itself was unraveling, how could the sword or the saber possibly exist? Both the ¡°Son of Heaven Sword of Yellow Spring¡± and the ¡°Rakshasa Saber of Blood Sea¡± disappeared at the same time the punch was unleashed.

    The Ghost and God¡¯s mouth opened in shock, but before they could say anything, they began disappearing bit by bit like sand. They slowly but surely disappeared into nothingness.

    All things were returned to the void before annihtion. Hence, the name.

    The effects of the technique did not stop there even though the master of Zongtian Pce was gone. It continuously ate away at this crumbling pocket world.

    <em>Rumble rumble rumble¡­</em>

    Strange rumblings began echoing throughout the world, and it was only growing louder and louder over time. Then, entire patches of the sky crumbled into pieces, and the ground quaked and sundered. Sea water poured through the gaps and flooded the world by the second.

    Clearly, this tortured world had had enough. Unable to withstand ¡°Annihtion Hammer¡±¡¯s fist intent, it finally tipped over the edge and slid toward unstoppable destruction.

    The survivors did not hesitate. They executed their techniques and made a break for it.

    ¡°Big sis¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing noticed the danger as well and regained his consciousness. However, whatever he wanted to say died in his throat when he opened his eyes and saw Li Hentian standing in front of him.

    Murong Xianxian stared at Li Hentian. ¡°You didn¡¯t need toe out.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± Li Hentian smiled. ¡°You¡¯re the one who forced me out into the open.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Murong Xianxian¡¯s lips spread into a dazzling smile, ¡°but you didn¡¯t have toply with my demand.¡±

    Li Hentian shrugged. ¡°How can I not, when you¡¯re putting your own life at stake?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Murong Xianxian¡¯s smile grew a tad provocative. ¡°Eight hundred years ago, I manipted events so that you would perish, and the Demonbearer Abode would be destroyed. Now, I forced you to show yourself and fight Zongtian at the cost of your True Spirit. Do you really not me me? Resent me? Hate me for what I¡¯ve done?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth? Yes, I did resent you. I did hate you for what you did. But me you? Never,¡± Li Hentian replied honestly. ¡°I¡¯m the one who killed your family and annihted your n. What happened after that is just karma.¡±

    ¡°If you resent and hate me, then why didn¡¯t you leave me for dead?¡± Murong Xianxian asked.

    ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t bear to lose you, of course.¡±

    From the start, Li Hentian¡¯s gaze on Murong Xianxian was gentle and loving. ¡°Eight hundred years ago, I couldn¡¯t bear to kill you. Eight hundred yearster, I still couldn¡¯t bear to watch you die.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ couldn¡¯t bear to lose me?¡± Murong Xianxian wobbled a little on her feet.

    ¡°Yes, I couldn¡¯t.¡± Li Hentian let out a deep sigh. ¡°Eight hundred years ago, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do what I must no matter how much I resented you. For the same reason, I couldn¡¯t bear to watch you die even though you once again pushed me against my will.¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I used Repentance to seal you? Yes, it was because I hated you, and because I wanted you to regret what you did. However, it was also because I didn¡¯t want you to leave me!¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I left behind this wisp of True Spirit? It wasn''t because I feared death such that I would rather suffer an ignoble existence, but because I wished to see you and apany you for as long as I am able!¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I didn¡¯t stop you even though I knew that you were intentionally luring outsiders into the Death Sea? That you were the one who leaked the Dark Overlord Tokens to that idiot, Zongtian? It wasn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t stop you, but because I couldn¡¯t bear to see you suffer.¡±

 Chapter 770: No Heavier Than A Clink Of Cups

    Chapter 770: No Heavier Than A Clink Of Cups

    ¡°You knew?¡± Murong Xianxian eximed in surprise.

    As Li Hentian said, she was the one who purposely leaked the Dark Overlord Token. She, too, was the one who purposely lured Zongtian over. It was all to break out of her eternal prison.

    She thought that her n was wless, and yet Li Hentian knew everything. He knew everything from the very beginning, and yet he did nothing to stop it just like eight hundred years ago.

    At that moment, Murong Xianxian¡¯s emotions became moreplicated than ever before. There was bitterness, sourness, sorrow, pain, grief, rawness, hatred, resentment and more. But the one emotion she should feel, joy¡ªthe joy of sess, and the joy of iming vengeance¡ªit wasn¡¯t there. Not even a little.

    ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Li Hentian began coughing violently. The next moment, cracks began spreading throughout his body as if he was made of porcin. They covered everything in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡± Murong Xianxian subconsciously reached out to support Li Hentian, but she stopped herself at thest moment. She was afraid that the briefest touch would cause him to shatter where he stood.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thest wisp of my True Spirit is gone, so of course my body is crumbling as well. Frankly, I should¡¯ve died eight hundred years ago.¡±

    Li Hentian lifted his hand as if he wanted to caress Murong Xianxian¡¯s face, but he stopped himself at thest moment and broke into a grin. ¡°Why do you look so sad? You should be happy. It¡¯s your long-cherished wish to kill me, isn¡¯t it?¡±¡°You¡¯re right. I should be happy. I should be smiling,¡± murmured Murong Xianxian.

    Eight hundred years ago, it was she who plotted the destruction of the Demonbearer Abode and the death of Li Hentian. Eight hundred yearster, it was she who pushed Li Hentian¡¯s final wisp of True Spirit to war against Zongtian and expend its final strength. With this, there was no way Li Hentian could live any longer. He wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to join the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn as a new person.

    When this was all over, there would never be a Li Hentian ever again.

    Her vengeance would finally beplete. She would finally be free. He was right. She should be happy. She should be smiling.

    So, Murong Xianxian smiled. It was a beautiful smile that could topple nations.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ good, good! I love it when you smile.¡±

    Li Hentianughed even as the cracks on his person kept growing. In fact, patches of flesh and blood were already falling off his body and burning up like paper. They scattered into the wind before they even hit the ground.

    ¡°From now on, you should smile more. You are the most beautiful when you smile.¡±

    Murong Xianxian smiled even brighter when she heard this. It felt as if the entire world became more colorful because of her smile.

    Then, something unexpected happened. A pair of tears slid down the corner of her eyes. They looked as translucent and bright as gems.

    Li Hentian was astonished. ¡°This is the first time I''ve ever seen you cry. You never shed a single tear even back when I ripped off your family¡¯s heads right in front of you.¡±

    ¡°But now, you¡¯re crying. You¡¯re crying¡­ for me?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Hahahaha! It was worth it! My life was worth it after all!¡±

    Suddenly, Li Hentian looked up andughed like a madman. ¡°Marrying you, Murong Xianxian, was worth it! Hahahahahahahaha!¡±

    Li Hentian wiped away her tears even as he continued tough. By now, half of his body had disintegrated into ash.

    ¡°But this is thest time you should cry for anyone, Xianxian, much less a bastard like me. I am not worth it. From now on, live the way you want to live.¡±

    Murong Xianxian¡¯s tears stopped. The hatred, the resentment, the anger. It all evaporated, leaving behind only a smile that had shedded all of its burden. ¡°Yes, it is not worth crying over a bastard like you. From now on, I will live for myself. On your behalf, I shall walk this new spring and autumn and explore this <em>jianghu </em>that is eight hundred years after our time!¡±

    In her previous lifetime, the first half of her life was spent building up the glory of her n, and thetter half was spent iming vengeance for them. In that lifetime, she had never once lived for herself.

    But no more. In this lifetime, she would do what her heart tells her and finally, finally, live for herself.

    ¡°So, you forgive me, Xianxian?¡± Li Hentian asked with a grin.

    ¡°I no longer hate you, so what is there to forgive?¡± Murong Xianxian replied frankly. ¡°I simply wish that you and I will never meet again in our next lives.¡±

    It hurt so much to see him that she would rather forget.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I, Li Hentian, only care about the now and present. One lifetime is enough for me.¡±

    Li Hentian chuckled.¡±Besides, myst wisp of True Spirit is soon to disappear. There won¡¯t be a next life for me.¡±

    ¡°In that case, please allow me to keep youpany during your final moments in this world!¡± Murong Xianxian smiled.

    ¡°It will be a dreame true!¡± Li Hentian barked out augh, the excitement in his voice practically overflowing.

    Beside them, Ye Qing¡¯s feelings were almost asplicated as the duo. He never thought that the number one warrior of the Spring and Autumn eight hundred years ago; the invincible Dark Overlord who was unrivaled under the heavens, would have such a gentle side to him.

    No wonder they said that few heroes survived the tribtion known as love. Li Hentian lived his whole life exciting and unfettered, but in the end, even he sumbed to the throes of love. It was ironic to put it mildly.

    Then again, a hero who was heartless might not necessarily be a true hero, whereas a hero who loved and cared was ever the hero. This version of Li Hentian felt more real, more alive. He was a human, not a demon and god who existed in the legends.

    It made him respect him even more.

    Love, hatred, the world of mortals. Bothersome it might be, it was also where greatest happiness was found.

    It was at this moment Li Hentian suddenly turned to look at him. ¡°How much longer are you going to watch us, boy? Stop being a third wheel and get lost already!¡±

    ¡°R-right!¡±

    When Ye Qing snapped out of his trance, he finally realized that the entire Demonbearer Abode was in ruins. The Death Sea was flooding in by the second, and it would not be surprising if this pocket world crumbled in the next minute. If he did not leave now, he would not get the chance to leave ever again.

    He was worried for Murong Xianxian¡¯s safety, but her man was here. For now, safeguarding the woman was Li Hentian¡¯s responsibility, not his.

    So, Ye Qing sped his fist and dered, ¡°Take care, big sis, brother-inw.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ I like you, boy!¡±

    Li Hentian was incredibly happy to hear Ye Qing addressing him as a brother-inw. ¡°As your brother-inw, I can¡¯t be stingy. A gift to you, boy.¡±

    Li Hentian waved his hand, and a ball of golden light flew out of the Central Wu Earth Hall andnded on his palm. Li Hentian then flicked the ball of light into Ye Qing¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Take care of your big sis for me, boy. Now go!¡±

    Li Hentian flicked Ye Qing in the forehead, and Ye Qing felt an unbelievable amount of energy flooding into his body. The next thing he knew, he was tumbling uncontrobly through the air until he disappeared into the sky.

    ¡°What did you say to Joyless?¡± Murong Xianxian asked suspiciously after Ye Qing was sent away. The man¡¯s final words had been said in private.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡±

    Li Hentian blinked cheekily at her before making a tearing motion. The sky was torn in half at the center, and the water of the Death Sea poured down like a waterfall. On the ground, the earth was tearing itself apart, the mountains were crumbling by the dozens, and a volcano was spewing fire andva. It was quite the impressive, if not apocalyptic, view.

    ¡°Take a seat. This is the kind of scene you can¡¯t find even in a century, so you should enjoy it while you can!¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Murong Xianxian calmly took a seat next to Li Hentian. Their shoulders almost bumping against each other, they watched the destruction of the world together.

    ¡°A view like this deserves a good drink!¡±

    Li Hentian summoned a jar of wine and took a deep gulp. Then, he poured a cup and extended it to Xianxian, ¡°Would you like a cup, Xianxian?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will. I would like to toast to death and new life.¡± Murong Xianxian smiled and epted the offering. She then drained its contents in one gulp.

    ¡°Well said! That deserves another full cup of wine!¡± Li Hentianughed. ¡°Oh! You love fireworks, don¡¯t you? How can such a view have no fireworks?¡±

    Li Hentian waved his hand, and countless colorful lights flew out of the Central Wu Earth Hall behind them and floated in the air. They were the treasures stored within the pce, and each treasure was a priceless item or artifact that could elevate amon man all the way to the heavens. For a time, they adorned the skies like colorful, phantasmal stars.

    Then, Li Hentian snapped his fingers, and the treasures began exploding one after another. The explosions and shing power painted an unbelievably gorgeous picture in the sky.

    ¡°How do you like these fireworks, Xianxian?¡± Li Hentian asked smilingly.

    ¡°It is indescribably luxurious.¡± Murong Xianxian beamed. ¡°But I love it.¡±

    ¡°If you love it, then I am content!¡±

    Li Hentian drained the wine in his jar andughed again. As heughed, he grew more and more transparent.

    There was no sorrow, resentment, anger, or hate in the air though. There was only relief and joy.

    The world dreams, and the mortals thrive for centuries.

    Emotions are heavy, but no heavier than the clink of cups.

 Chapter 771: Might As Well Return

    <h4>Chapter 771: Might As Well Return </h4>

    ¡°Spit! Spit! Spit!¡±

    At a desert, Ye Qing crawled out of a patch of sand while spitting out the sand inside his mouth. He looked dazed and confused.

    It was because of Li Hentian¡¯s finger flick and the golden light currently stuck inside his head.

    After Li Hentian had flicked him in the forehead, he had somehow crashed out of the Death Sea and fell from the sky. The next thing he knew, he hadnded head first on sand.

    With his strength, it shouldn¡¯t have been too big of a problem for him to arrest himself or, at the very least, achieve a less awkwardnding. However, Li Hentian¡¯s finger flick hadn¡¯t just sted him out of the Demonbearer Abode and the Death Sea, but also stole his attention and his breath away. It was because it contained the greatest power he had ever seen in his life. If Li Hentian wanted to, he could¡¯ve annihted him in one finger.

    The skill behind the ¡°simple¡± gesture was also the greatest he had ever seen. Considering the power behind the finger flick, it would not be surprising if his head had exploded upon contact. In reality, he was just a little dizzy. There wasn¡¯t even a red bump on his forehead. It was unbelievable.

    Onto the next subject, the golden light Li Hentian had shoved into his head was none other than the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡±. He hadn¡¯t received its techniques though. No, what he received was pure fist intent.

    To be exact, the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± had no techniques. It was all fist intent, one that was higher than the heavens and wider than the sea; rivaled by no one and defeated by none; capable of suppressing all things, break yin and yang, and annihting even the cycle of reincarnation.

    The fist intent of the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± was immense and tyrannical as a matter of course. If Li Hentian hadn¡¯t applied some restrictions to it beforehand, Ye Qing¡¯s mind and soul might have disintegrated into nothing as soon as they made contact with it.

    Even so, the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡¯¡± fist intent was so potent that it disoriented him terribly. Right now, every inch of his headspace was filled with the fist intent, making him feel like someone had forced a mountain into his brain. His head felt heavy, full, swollen, and confused. It was extremely ufortable to put it mildly.

    After sitting on the sand for heavens-know-how long, Ye Qing finally shook his head and became somewhat conscious of his surroundings.

    Right now, space was shaking and distorting violently. Like a broken mirror, Countless cracks and holes were appearing on its surface, and the aura and energies leaking out of them could only be described as intimidating. The Death Sea was flowing into the cracks and shriveling at a visible rate.

    In just a matter of moments, the seemingly infinite Death Sea had vanishedpletely. The holes and cracks then mended itself until it was as if nothing had ever happened. All that was left was a sky blue, boundless sky: quiet, tranquil, and beautiful.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s finally over.¡± Ye Qing sighed while looking up at the calm sky.

    This had been a most perilous journey. More than once, he had nearly lost his life and passed onto the afterlife. In the end though, he did survive to see another day, and his gains were handsome to say the least.

    Out of all of them, his two most noteworthy gains were:

    One, breaking his bottleneck and bing a Grandmaster, and even obtaining a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi from the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion. The foundation of the future of his martial path was cemented thanks to it.

    Two, obtaining the ¡°Three Origins Hammers¡±. It was the art that Li Hentian had created after boiling down every martial art he learned into just one art, and he had personally witnessed its power with his own two eyes. It was absolutely one of the greatest fist arts in the world, and it would surely improve hisbat strength dramatically.

    Either one of these opportunities was something that could transform a person¡¯s lives forever. To obtain both of them? He truly was blessed. It was a kind of luck he didn¡¯t even dare to dream of obtaining such boons prior to entering the Death Sea.

    It was all fate.

    ¡°It really was.¡±

    Ye Qingy down on the sand with his hands behind his head and stared nkly at the passing clouds for a bit, letting out a silly chuckle from time to time.

    Giggle chose this moment to climb out of the Dragon Nursing Nest. Seemingly noticing Ye Qing¡¯s good mood, ity beside him in the same manner and giggled happily.

    ¡°Young master!¡±

    ¡°Joyless!¡±

    About an incense stickter, several people appeared on the horizon and saw him lying leisurely on top of a sand dune. They immediately ran over to him and called out to him excitedly.

    They were none other than Shangguan Hongjin, Pedant Earth, Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King.

    ¡°Are you alright, Joyless?¡± Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth asked Ye Qing with concern.

    Ye Qing rose to his feet and answered with a smile, ¡°I am fine. Thank you for worrying about me.¡±

    He too was relieved to find that everyone was safe and sound.

    ¡°What on earth happened in there, Joyless? Why did the Demonbearer Abode copse out of seemingly nowhere?¡± Shangguan Hongjin asked after confirming that Ye Qing was indeed fine.

    ¡°We sensed several terrifying presences from the periphery. Was it a battle between champions that led to the copse of the Demonbearer Abode?¡± Pedant Earth asked as well.

    ¡°You are correct.¡±

    Ye Qing answered smilingly, ¡°It was the battle between the Dark Overlord Li Hentian and Zongtian, one of the Six Ghosts and Gods of Fengdu, that led to its copse!¡±

    ¡°E-excuse me? The Dark Overlord?¡±

    ¡°The Six Ghosts and Gods of Fengdu?¡±

    The four warriors were stunned to hear this, of course. It was an understandable reaction. After all, these were true legends that usually only existed in myths!

    ¡°It¡¯s like this...¡±

    Ye Qing proceeded to summarize everything that happened in that chaotic,wless ce, though he did not mention Murong Xianxian, his rtionship with her, or the fact that Li Hentian himself had gifted him his ¡°Three Origins Hammer¡±. He portrayed himself as a bystander who had nothing to do with what was going on.

    It was inevitable that his partially fake story had holes here and there, but since the four warriors were absorbed in the battle between Li Hentian and Zongtian, they did not notice a thing.

    ¡°Sigh. A shame. A shame! If only I could have met the Dark Overlord myself!¡± Shangguan Hongjin sighed regretfully after the long tale finally came to an end. Everyone else was more or less of the same opinion.

    They would continue to chat for a bit before Shangguan Hongjin and Pedant Earth finally bade him goodbye.

    After the duo were gone, Ye Qing waited for a bit longer but did not find the person he was waiting for. In the end, he let out a sigh and turned away, ordering, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    He was waiting for Murong Xianxian not because he was plotting something, but simply because he wanted to thank her. If it wasn¡¯t for her, he would not have obtained the ¡°Three Origins Hammers¡±. In his opinion, he owed her a thanks at the very least. Unfortunately, it would seem that he would not be able to do so today.

    It was fine though. Assuming that Murong Xianxian was fine, it was only a matter of time before they met again.

    Unbeknownst to Ye Qing, he had just left the area when space twisted, and Murong Xianxian, Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan fell out of the sky.

    After theynded, Murong Xianxian stared at the clear, blue sky above her head and did not say anything for a very, very long time.

    Neither Cui Qiuyuan nor Qu Langhuan dared to disturb her.

    A teatimeter, Murong Xianxian finally jolted back to reality andposed herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Cui Qiuyuan chose his words carefully before asking, ¡°Where should we go, miss?¡±

    ¡°Anywhere is fine. I would like to see what has be of the <i>jianghu </i>and <i>wulin </i>eight hundred yearster.¡±

    Murong Xianxian said slowly, ¡°After that, I would like to visit the Li Hentian Pce. I won¡¯t stand that menial, Yan Qingyan insulting the Dark Overlord¡¯s good name[1].¡±

    Qu Langhuan shuddered and turned a little white. She nodded. ¡°As youmand, miss!¡±

    ¡°Come!¡±

    Murong Xianxian turned around and walked toward a certain direction. Cui Qiuyuan and Qu Langhuan exchanged a nce with each other before following her as well. They quickly disappeared into the desert.

    ......

    Inside the Temple of Divination, a half-naked Li Longxian was practicing his fist. His vast vigor was like a furnace that warmed the courtyard and made it feel like spring.

    Wen Shu was lying on a rocking chair, singing a small tune and sipping a gourd of wine. He looked extremelyfortable.

    ¡°Stop training already ande enjoy a cup of wine with me, Longxiang,¡± Wen Shu called out to the sweaty Li Longxian while enjoying another sip of wine.

    Li Longxiang kept practicing his stances and punches despite Wen Shu¡¯s offer. He did not even look back at the young man. ¡°No can do. Senior uncle said that one should practice martial arts like they are treading on thin ice. They cannot growx orzy even a little.¡±

    1. Unfortunately, we won¡¯t get to see this POV. Would¡¯ve been nice. ?

 Chapter 772: Missing

    <h4>Chapter 772: Missing </h4>

    ¡°What are you afraid of? It¡¯s not like Brother Ye is here to supervise you!¡±

    Wen Shu saidzily, ¡°Besides, no matter how much you train, you¡¯ll never be stronger than me. Rather than training pointlessly, you should practice how to tell others that you¡¯re best friends with the strongest swordsman in the entire world! You will be invincible by association then!¡±

    Li Longxiang just ignored him and kept practicing.

    Wen Shu sighed. ¡°Foolish. So hopelessly foolish.¡±

    The young man was about to sip his wine again when suddenly, he felt something smacking him on the back of his head.

    ¡°Ow! Who hit me?¡± Wen Shu cried out in pain and jumped to his feet. While clutching the back of his head with one hand and holding his wooden sword with the other, he assumed a stance he thought looked cool and dered, ¡°Who dares to ambush the invincible hero, Wen Shu? Show yourself and fight me if you dare!¡±

    A ridiculing chuckle came from the entrance. ¡°It¡¯s only been a while since Ist saw you, and your temper seems to have grown considerably, ¡®hero¡¯ Wen. In that case, I shall happily oblige your request.¡±

    ¡°Senior uncle! You¡¯re back!¡±

    As soon as Li Longxiang saw the neer, he immediately stopped training and ran up to him excitedly.

    The neer was, of course, Ye Qing.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m back.¡±

    Ye Qing gave Li Longxiang a pat on the shoulder. It had only been a few months since he left for the Death Sea, but the young man¡¯s vigor was much greater than before. It was clear he hadn¡¯t goofed off while he was gone.

    On the other hand, Wen Shu had barely improved at all. It was clear that he hadn¡¯t fixed his slothful behavior.

    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for, ¡®hero¡¯ Wen? I thought you wanted to fight me?¡± Ye Qing looked at Wen Shu tauntingly.

    ¡°Ahem...¡±

    Wen Shu coughed and twirled his sword a bit. ¡°You look travel weary, and I bet you haven¡¯t had a good rest for the past couple months. I am a righteous hero, and it is not in me to fight those who are not at full strength. I shall fight you once you have fully recovered!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯d rather fight you in a weakened state than miss the opportunity to cross des with the famous ¡®hero¡¯ Wen, so please, don¡¯t hesitate and teach me your ways.¡±

    ¡°Very well! If that is your wish, then I shall oblige!¡±

    Wen Shu held his wooden sword and focused his concentration. A few breathster, he abruptly opened his eyes and swung his wooden sword at random, all the while making weird cries and noises. After the ¡°swordy¡± was over, he put away his wooden sword and heaved out a sigh. ¡°I had just shown you the invincible sword art I invented, and it is the greatest sword art in the entire world. With your talent, you should be able to learn half of it, and half is all you need to dominate everyone. No need to thank me.¡±

    As he said this, he blinked at Ye Qing repeatedly as if trying to send him a signal: <i>Let¡¯s stop here, shall we? Otherwise, I¡¯m really going to get angry!</i>

    ¡°Hero Wen¡¯s invincible sword art really is quite impressive. Please ept my wholeheartedpliment,¡± Ye Qing sped his fist and said seriously.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just the world number three warrior.¡± Wen Shu nodded arrogantly like he was an actual champion.

    The two men exchanged a nce with each other and burst outughing after that.

    Ye Qing stepped over and gave Wen Shu a pat on the head. Then, he went to his usual seat and sat down.

    Wen Shu obediently poured a cup of wine for Ye Qing, and Ye Qing drained it all in one gulp. The fatigue he had umted throughout the journey was gone just like that.

    After chatting with Li Longxiang and Wen Shu for a bit, Ye Qing noted that Yi Pin was nowhere to be seen. He asked curiously, ¡°Where is your master, Longxiang?¡±

    Li Longxiang answered, ¡°He left on a journey with Master Yang.¡±

    Master Yang was Wen Shu¡¯s caretaker and the owner of the coffin shop opposite the Temple of Divination.

    ¡°Huh. That¡¯s curious.¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow. No wonder he didn¡¯t sense Master Yang¡¯s presence when he came back. ¡°When did they leave, and where did they go?¡±

    ¡°Master and Master Yang left not long after you left, actually,¡± Li Longxiang answered. ¡°Master didn¡¯t tell me where he¡¯s going though. He just asked me to watch over the temple.¡±

    ¡°My old man didn¡¯t tell me anything either.¡± Wen Shu shrugged.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t ask anything else. He knew that Yi Pin was always out doing heavens-know-what, and it wasmon for him to go missing for half a month or so. So, he tossed any concern he had for the old man to the back of his mind.

    ¡°Oh right! There¡¯s a letter for you, senior uncle.¡±

    It was at this moment Li Longxiang recalled something and grabbed a letter from the room. He handed it to Ye Qing.

    ¡°A letter?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. He didn¡¯t have any close acquaintances in Bei You. Who would write him a letter?

    <i>Xue?</i> Realization struck Ye Qing when he checked the bottom of the letter and saw the word. <i>It¡¯s Xue Beikun.</i>

    Ye Qing opened the letter immediately. Some time ago, he ordered Chen Wuxin to retake control of the Chaos Heaven Brigand at Mount Qi and cooperate with Xue Beikun to further his control. Normally, it was Chen Wuxin who sent him reports of the current situation. Xue Beikun rarely contacted him unless it was a serious matter that required his attention, so he did not dare to treat it lightly.

    After he finished reading the letter, Ye Qing frowned and fell into a long silence.

    The letter¡¯s content was short and sinct. It told him that Chen Wuxin had gone missing.

    ording to the letter, Chen Wuxin and Xue Beikun wouldmunicate every once in a while. Xue Beikun would inform Chen Wuxin about the Qing Wu Garrison¡¯s movements so that he wouldn¡¯t be caught in their traps and excursions, and Chen Wuxin would inform Xue Beikun about the movements of some bandits and brigands so Xue Beikun could kill them and use them to increase his merit.

    After a couple months of hard work, Xue Beikun was promoted to the position of a vice battalionmander, whereas Chen Wuxin had dodged countless close calls and sessfully taken control of the Chaos Heaven Brigand. At the same time, he was also rapidly expanding his power and sphere of control.

    Then, one month ago, Xue Beikun suddenly lost contact with Chen Wuxin. The warrior would not respond no matter how many times he tried to contact him. Not only that, he discoveredter that the Chaos Heaven Brigand suddenly gained a new head, and Chen Wuxin was nowhere to be found.

    Xue Beikun did everything he could to locate Chen Wuxin, but all of his attempts had ended in failure.

    On top of that, a mysterious and powerful faction had appeared at Mount Qi several months ago. They were eagerly absorbing the stray bandits and surrounding factions into their midst. Xue Beikun suspected that Chen Wuxin¡¯s disappearance had something to do with this faction.

    Unfortunately, Xue Beikun was unable to identify the head of this mysterious faction.

    ¡°Longxiang, I¡¯m goin to my room to catch some rest,¡± Ye Qing said while putting away the letter and heading toward his room.

    After he was secure, Ye Qing pulled out the Annon Sutra and asked directly, ¡°Is Chen Wuxin still alive?¡±

    Several mouthfuls of bloodter, the Annon Sutra answered:

    <i>¡°Yes.¡±</i>

    Ye Qing sighed out in relief when he saw this. Then, he asked about Chen Wuxin¡¯s whereabouts. This time, he had to throw up a dozen mouthfuls of blood before he was given an answer.

    <i>¡°The Celestial Cave.¡±</i>

    ¡°The Celestial Cave? That¡¯s Mount Qi.¡±

    Ye Qing lifted a curious eyebrow. He once heard from Chen Wuxin that Celestial Cave was a location in Mount Qi. It was also the name of a bandit faction.

    ording to Chen Wuxin, Celestial Cave was a small but powerful faction that waspletely made up of elites. They were a mysterious, low-profile bunch as well. That was why few people bothered them.

    <i>Did someone from the Celestial Cave capture Chen Wuxin? </i>Ye Qing thought to himself.

    One thing was certain. He needed to make a trip to Mount Qi.

    After putting away the Annon Sutra, Ye Qing left his room and informed Li Longxiang and Wen Shu. ¡°Watch the ce. I need to head out for a bit.¡±

    ¡°You just came back. What¡¯s the rush?¡± Wen Shu asked.

    ¡°Something urgent came up,¡± Ye Qing replied simply.

    ¡°How long are you going to be gone this time, senior uncle?¡± Li Longxiang asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say. If I¡¯m lucky, then maybe half a month or so. If not... who knows?¡± Ye Qing gave a vague answer before instructing, ¡°Don¡¯t stop practicing your fists even when I¡¯m gone, Longxiang. Persistence is everything.¡±

    ¡°I will, senior uncle.¡± Li Longxiang nodded. ¡°Take care.¡±

    ¡°Come home soon, Brother Ye!¡± Wen Shu also said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I expect to return as soon as I¡¯m done with my business.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Take care of yourselves. See you bothter.¡±

    He left the temple immediately after that.

 Chapter 773: Meeting Xue Beikun Again

    Chapter 773: Meeting Xue Beikun Again

    After Ye Qing left the Temple of Divination, he went straight to Number One. Once there, his mouth moved a little as if he was saying something soundlessly.

    A few breathster, Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King appeared before Ye Qing and greeted him carefully, ¡°Young master!¡±

    ¡°I need to depart for Mount Qi for an urgent matter. Prepare some rations and wine as quickly as you can. I¡¯ll be waiting for you outside the city. Be quick!¡± Ye Qing ordered quickly and sinctly.

    ¡°As youmand, young master!¡±

    Sensing that Ye Qing was quite serious, Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket dared not tarry. They immediately left to carry out their duties.

    Ye Qing left for the exit after the duo took their leave. Originally, he was going to send them to Mount Qi and have them aid Chen Wuxin on his mission to grow his faction. Unfortunately, the bestid ns of mice and men went awry yet again.

    About a teatimeter, Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket showed up one after another. When everything was ready, Mrs. Basket opened her mouth and blew out a stream of fog that eventually took the form of a cloud.

    An old man¡¯s face slowly appeared in front of the cloud. He had a long pair of mustaches.

    ¡°Yawn¡­¡±The old man yawned, and the cloud shivered.

    This was a flying Strange Artifact Mrs. Basket owned. It was called the Cloud Duke, and it could transport people at high speed by air. It was how they had returned to Bei You earlier.

    ¡°This way please, young master!¡±

    After Ye Qing, Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket had all jumped onto the cloud, the Cloud Duke sneezed and floated into the sky. It disappeared into the horizon in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡­¡­

    Mount Qi was a massive mountain range that spanned over hundreds of kilometers including the threemanderies: An Ding, Qing Wu, and Xuan Hua. Qing Wu was located at the southwest border that separated Yan and Chu. As it was a strategic location, it was manned by a considerable amount of troops and heavily guarded.

    There were five famous battalions in Northern Xinjiang, and they were called Old de, Straight Halberd, Brigand Obliterator, Bandit Destroyer, and Thief yer. They were garrisoned in Qing Wu and served under one general named General Zhenwu.

    Of the five battalions, Old de and Straight Halberd were responsible for city defense and patrol, whereas Bandit Obliterator, Brigand Destroyer and Thief yer were exactly what they sounded like. Their responsibilities mostly involved ying bandits and destroying brigands.

    Brigand Obliterator was the strongest of the three, and Xue Beikun was their vice battalionmander¡ªRight Battalion Commander if they were addressing him by his title.

    When Xue Beikun first came to Qing Wu, he was just an insignificantmandant. On top of that, he hadn¡¯t started his military career in a border army, so everyone thought that he was just the rtive of a high official in the capital here to pad his resume per se before he returned to luxury.

    Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, Xue Beukin had annihted several bandit factions entrenched in Mount Qi in just a matter of months and in countless bandits in the process. Not only that, Xue Beikun turned out to be a humble, low-key man who cherished his fellow soldiers like his children. That was why he was promoted to the position of Right Battalion Commander in just a matter of months. He was deeply loved by his soldiers.

    ¡°Rightmander!¡±

    ¡°Rightmander.¡±

    Inside a military camp, every soldier was shooting Xue Beikun respectful and admiring looks as he passed by them. He nodded to all of them. After returning to his tent, he took a seat and was about to perform his duties when suddenly, he stiffened and let out an angry roar, ¡°Who dares to trespass into the Brigand Obliterator¡¯s main camp? Show yourselves!¡±

    To Xue Beikun¡¯s shock, his shout was somehow trapped inside the tent. The sound waves could not prate out of the boundary even a little.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    Next to a bookshelf, Ye Qing slowly came into view.

    ¡°Young master!¡± Xue Beikun eximed in pleasant surprise before saluting him in a hurry. ¡°When did you arrive, young master?¡±

    ¡°Just today.¡± Ye Qing put down the book he was reading and examined Xue Beikun for a moment.

    Now a Half-Step Trueman, Xue Beikun was a lot more powerful than before. Not only that, he naturally gave off the aura of a superior probably because it had been a while since hee into his current position and wielded actual power.

    Of course, no matter how strong Xue Beikun was, there was no way he could have detected Ye Qing. He did only because Ye Qing had purposely leaked his aura a little.

    Speaking of which, Xue Beikun finally noticed the changes to Ye Qing¡¯s energies andplimented him, ¡°Congrattions on bing a Grandmaster, young master.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°I came today because of Chen Wuxing. Tell me everything you know.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master.¡± Xue Beikun saluted him and proceeded to tell Ye Qing everything about his investigation.

    Xue Beikun¡¯s report was roughly the same as the contents of the letter. The only difference was that it was more detailed, and he brought up the mysterious faction not once, but several times.

    Unfortunately, Xue Beikun only knew that a mysterious faction was at work in Mount Qi, and that they were trying to absorb everyone around them. He had no idea who they were or to what extent their ploy had reached.

    The Qing Wu Army itself did not really care about the mysterious faction. In their eyes, every bandit holed up in Mount Qi was a worthless piece of garbage who only survived so long because of Mount Qi¡¯s highly advantageous terrain.

    ¡°Do you know about the Celestial Cave?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°The Celestial Cave?¡± That threw Xue Beikun for a loop. He did not understand why Ye Qing had suddenly mentioned them.

    ¡°Mount Qi is said to have three brigands, five peaks, nine forts, eighteen gangs and thirty six caves. The Celestial Cave is one of the thirty six caves. Their numbers are few, and they sit at the bottom of the totem pole that is Mount Qi. They stick to a low profile and never perform acts of banditry or bully the weak¡­¡±

    Despite his confusion, Xue Beikun dutifully told Ye Qing everything he knew about the Celestial Cave. Once he was done, Ye Qing fell silent for a moment.

    As it turned out, Xue Beikun¡¯s understanding of the Celestial Cave was only surface level. He knew less than even Chen Wuxin.

    ¡°Is there a problem, young master?¡± Xue Beikun asked after waiting for a bit.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. It would appear that he had uncovered everything he could possibly uncover regarding Xue Beikun. To gather more information, he must visit the Celestial Cave himself.

    ¡°Do you have a detailed map of Mount Qi?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I do. Please give me a moment.¡± Xue Beikun removed a military map from a nearby shelf and handed it to Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing unfolded the map and examined it carefully. The map detailed the geography of Mount Qi and a rough sketch of the bandit factions¡¯ sphere of influence. It had everything he might need for his journey.

    ¡°Well done. I¡¯ll be borrowing it for a few days.¡± Ye Qing put away the map.

    ¡°Did you find something about Brother Chen¡¯s whereabouts, young master?¡± Xue Beikun asked. ¡°I can join you and aid you in your search for him if you want to.¡±

    Ye Qing waved him off. ¡°No, thank you. You¡¯re the Right Battalion Commander of the Brigand Obliterators, remember? People will be keeping an eye out for your every move. I¡¯ll go alone.¡±

    ¡°Please be careful then, young master.¡± Xue Beikun saluted him.

    ¡°I will.¡± Ye Qing nodded and waved his hand, causing five items to appear on the table. They were two Strange Artifacts, one bottle of pills, and two rare treasures.

    The first Strange Artifact was a spear named ¡°Heretic¡±. It was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact with the power to pierce darkness and suppress evil[1]. The second Strange Artifact was a stake named Horse Suppressor. Shaped like a horse¡¯s hitching post, it was a restraining Strange Artifact of sorts.

    As for the bottle of pills and the two rare treasures, they were all items that improved one¡¯s cultivation level.

    ¡°These are for you. A reward for everything you¡¯ve done for me for the past years.¡±

    Xue Beikun looked worried. ¡°I must admit to a bit of fear, young master. It is my honor to be able to serve you. I can¡¯t possibly receive a reward from you.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re loyal to me,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°It is precisely why you deserve to be rewarded. These items will greatly shorten the time you need to reach the next level. The stronger you are, and the deeper you are ingrained in the Northern Xinjiang Army, the more you will be able to help me.¡±

    Xue Beikun bowed his head and thanked him profusely, ¡°Thank you, young master. Beikun will cultivate hard and do his best to meet your expectations.¡±

    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be going then. No need to see me off.¡±

    By the time Xue Beikun looked up, Ye Qing was already gone. It was as if he had never appeared.

    1. Truly a heretic, this one. ?

 Chapter 774: Prince Xianâ€™s Hoard

    Chapter 774: Prince Xian¡¯s Hoard

    ¡°Young master.¡±

    Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King appeared beside Ye Qing after he left the Brigand Obliterator¡¯s main camp.

    Ye Qing nodded in acknowledgement before walking toward Mount Qi. ¡°Let¡¯s go. To Mount Qi!¡±

    The reason he came to meet Xue Beikun in person was one, to pick his brain regarding Mount Qi and the Celestial Abode, and two, to give Xue Beikun the items.

    Xue Beikun had been his loyal servant since the day the Fog Demon had brainwashed him. Since there was no worry about betrayal, he saw no reason not to nurture him. The stronger Xue Beikun was, the greater his authority in Northern Xinjiang would be. And the greater his authority in Northern Xinjiang became, the more useful he would be in the future.

    Now that he had seen Xue Beikun, it was time to rescue Chen Wuxin.

    ¡­¡­

    For the neers, it was impossible to understand how big Mount Qi really was until they actually set foot on its mountains. Ye Qing, Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King had walked for over tens of kilometers, and still they were at the perimeter of the mountain range. The mountains were tall, the forest was thick, the valleys were deep, and the streams were moreplex than a spider¡¯s web. It was extremely difficult terrain to put it mildly.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Mount Qi¡¯s forests were absolutely infested with Strangers. Danger could be lurking in every corner. It was one of the major reasons why it was so difficult to eradicate the bandit infestation in Mount Qi at the roots.But of course, these dangers were nothing to the two Truemen and one Grandmaster. It wasn¡¯t long before they entered the inner regions of Mount Qi.

    Surprisingly, the signs of humanity actually grew after they entered the inner regions. They saw man-made tools or structures all over the ce, and there were many lookouts keeping an eye on certain areas openly or covertly.

    Ye Qing did not bother with the small fries. He made a beeline for the Celestial Abode. Thanks to the Annon Sutra and the map provided by Xue Beikun, the trio was able to locate the ce very quickly.

    Although Celestial Cave had the word ¡°cave¡± in it, it was actually a fort surrounded by mountains with a river flowing next to it. It was a beautiful ce that almost looked like a tiny slice of paradise cut off from the harsh world beyond.

    When the trio finally arrived at the destination, they discovered in surprise that the Celestial Cave was jam-packed with people for some reason. There were thieves, bandits and brigands everywhere.

    Ye Qing immediately noticed that these people belonged to different factions. It was because they were flying different gs and staying away from each other. In some cases, their hostility toward certain factions were barely concealed.

    ¡°The Green Wolf Brigand, Seven Killing Peak, Flowing Cloud Peak, Hawk Fort, Soul Calming Fort, Imp Gang, Flying Soul Cave¡­¡±

    Ye Qing read at the names on the banners with a small frown on his face.

    ording to Xue Beikun, there were three brigands, five peaks, nine forts, eighteen gangs and thirty six caves on Mount Qi. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the total number of bandit factions that existed on Mount Qi. They were just those that were strong enough to garner attention. However, all of these factions were gathered at the Celestial Abode today, and it was quite unusual to say the least.

    ¡°Where is Gong Wuwei? Didn¡¯t he invite us over to discuss the news regarding Prince Xian¡¯s hoard?¡±

    ¡°Gong Wuwei sure knows how to give himself airs. I came only because I gave him face, but not only is he nowhere to be found, he didn¡¯t even prepare a single cup of wine for me! What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Are you fucking with me, Gong Wuwei?¡±

    ¡°Show yourself, Gong Wuwei! Show yourself, <em>now!</em>¡±

    ¡°Show yourself!¡±

    ¡°Show yourself¡­¡±

    Not a single person in this ce was good orwful. Ye Qing had no idea how long they had been waiting for this Gong Wuwei, but it seemed like they were getting quite restless. A riot was going to erupt if something wasn¡¯t done soon.

    Ye Qing crossed his arms and just waited. Instead of hurrying to save Chen Wuxin, he decided to wait and see what happens next.

    On a rted note, Gong Wuwei was the head of the Celestial Cave.

    <em>Thump!</em>

    It was at this moment a drumbeat rang, and a terrible pressure descended on the entire ce. The noise disappeared in an instant, and it became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

    A momentter, a beautiful woman in her thirties walked out of an exquisite pavilion. She smiled at the crowd and said cordially, ¡°Sorry for arrivingte. I hope you all can forgive me for my negligence.¡±

    Ye Qing was a little surprised. Gong Wuwei sounded like a man¡¯s name, but not only was she a woman, she was quite the looker too.

    <em>A Trueman. She¡¯s quite strong.</em>

    Ye Qing quickly identified Gong Wuwei¡¯s cultivation level through his demonic thought.

    Two men and three women followed behind Gong Wuwei. They were all wearing stern, unfeeling expressions, and they were all at Half Step Trueman.

    Feng Xiong, the head of Hawk Fort stared at Gong Wuwei with cold eyes. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Gong Wuwei? You¡¯re the one who invited us over, and yet you hid yourself until we get impatient? Are you toying with us?¡±

    Feng Xiong was a man in his forties, and he had a pale, haggard-looking face and a pair of vertical, animalistic pupils. He was currently squeezing a pair of iron balls and spinning them in a way that caused them to emit an ufortable screech.

    ¡°You misunderstand me, Head Feng. I am just a woman. I would never dare to toy with you.¡± Gong Wuwei smiled like a blooming flower. ¡°I really camete because I was held behind by something. I hereby apologize to you all again for my tardiness!¡±

    ¡°Keke¡­ you said you had news regarding Prince Xian¡¯s hoard. Now that everyone has arrived, why don¡¯t we get straight to business?¡± Another man let out a strange chuckle. ¡°Unless you n to treat us to dinner first?¡±

    The man was small in stature and wearing a set of paper-made burial clothes. His face was pale and bloodless, and a pair of red, coin-sized circles adorned his cheeks. He looked like a paper doll people offered during a funeral or a ritual. It was quite the dark and unsettling appearance to say the least.

    The speaker was the gang boss of the Imp Gang. They called him the Provocative Imp Zhu.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a busy man, you know? Get on with it already.¡±

    A third man spoke up. He was brawny with a thick beard and mustache. What was strange was that he was wearing a red bridal dress and sewing a crimson tree peony with a silver needle.

    He was the head of the Soul Calming Fort, Cheng Xiuyi.

    ¡°He¡¯s right, Head Gong. Everyone¡¯s already here, so just tell us where Prince Xian¡¯s hoard is already!¡±

    ¡°You do not possess the power to im the hoard for yourself, Head Gong.¡±

    ¡°Stop putting on airs and tell us already, Head Gong!¡±

    The crowd was starting to grow rambunctious again.

    ¡°What is this Prince Xian¡¯s hoard?¡± Ye Qing tilted his head and asked Mrs. Basket.

    The Trueman exined, ¡°Three thousand years ago, there was a regional prince named Prince Xian who was obsessed with immortality and the way of the celestials. In hopes of gaining immortality, he collected treasures and martial arts from all over the world and recruited uniquely talented people to build a Celestial Tower. He would pray day and night at the tower in hopes of obtaining the way of the celestials.¡±

    ¡°It was said that Prince Xian¡¯s heartfelt prayers touched the celestials, and they sent someone to teach him the ways of immortality. That was how Prince Xian was able to live for eight hundred years as a mortal. In the end, he rode a crane out of the eastern sea and became a true celestial.¡±

    ¡°It was said that Prince Xian hid everything he ever collected including the way to be a celestial in a hidden location for the one who would find his hoard before departing the world. Eventually, it became known as Prince Xian¡¯s hoard.¡±

    ¡°The way to be a celestial? People actually believe this crap?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is real.¡± Mrs. Basket asked, ¡°Have you heard of the Undying Celestial, young master?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing nodded. Hong Jianglong had mentioned it back when he was participating in the Hidden Dragon Meet. It was rumored that Wei Bo was the Undying Celestial¡¯s disciple. That was why he knew a little about the Undying Celestial.

    A Trueman¡¯s lifespan was around two hundred years or so, but it was said that the Undying Celestial had lived for four hundred years. Assuming that the rumors could be trusted, he was still very much alive and looking to live for many years more. That was why they called him the Undying Celestial.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the Undying Celestial lives so long because he obtained Prince Xian¡¯s hoard?¡±

    ¡°That is exactly correct, young master. You are most wise.¡± Mrs. Basket paid him apliment before continuing, ¡°Apparently, the Undying Celestial identally stumbled upon Prince Xian¡¯s hoard by ident and was saw the way to be a celestial. That was how he was alive for four hundred years despite being a Trueman.¡±

 Chapter 775: From Now On, I Am The Master of Mount Qi

    <h4>Chapter 775: From Now On, I Am The Master of Mount Qi </h4>

    ¡°Interesting,¡± replied Ye Qing while rubbing his nose.

    That was what he said, but he honestly did not believe the rumors or feel tempted by this so-called Prince Xian¡¯s hoard. The same could not be said for the others though. It was immortality after all. Be it a lowly pawn, a meek hawker, a terrible emperor, or a lofty Sage, most of them dreamed of bing a celestial and living forever.

    It was only natural for a human to fear death and desire immortality. Those who could resist its allure would forever be in the minority.

    Of course, even if this so-called way to bing an immortal celestial was fake, the martial arts and rare treasures he collected were still worth a fortune. It was only natural that everyone would be excited by it.

    ¡°Patience, please.¡±

    Gong Wuwei raised her hand to silence the crowd before continuing, ¡°First things first, I would like to apologize to you all. About Prince Xian¡¯s hoard, it was just something I made up to bring you all together.¡±

    ¡°... What did you just say, Gong Wuwei?¡±

    Feng Xiong, the head of Hawk Fort abruptly stopped toying with his iron balls. As soon as the shrill noise ceased, some people let out a muffled groan and were overcame by a wave of dizziness. At the same time, blood poured out of their orifices.

    ¡°It is exactly what you heard. I do not actually know where Prince Xian¡¯s hoard was.¡± Gong Wuwei smiled. ¡°It was a lie.¡±

    ¡°Kekeke... a lie, you say?¡±

    Imp Zhu, the gang boss of Imp Gang let out a dark, harsh cackle. ¡°Head Gong, your joke isn¡¯t funny at all.¡±

    Cheng Xiuyi, the head of the Soul Calming Fort spoke up next, ¡°He¡¯s right, Head Gong. In this world, some jokes are fine, and some are not.¡±

    He opened his hand, and the crimson tree peony he just finished sewing abruptly started bleeding. When the blood hit the ground, they grew into more tree peonies. He was surrounded by them in just the blink of an eye.

    The tree peonies were gorgeous, enchanting and strange. Red as fire or blood, they gave off a rich scent as they swayed in the wind.

    The people around him did not seem to like it though. They immediately stepped away from him¡ªor more specifically, the tree peonies¡ªlike he was the deadliest snake in the world.

    Cheng Xiuyi snapped off a tree peony and sniffed it. His tone was utterly cold unlike his current action, however. ¡°Death is usually the oue when you make a joke that you shouldn¡¯t make.¡±

    ¡°I have made plenty of jokes in the past, but I can assure you that I am definitely not joking right now.¡±

    Gong Wuwei paid no attention to Imp Zhu or Cheng Xiuyu¡¯s threats, however. She continued to smile brightly as she said, ¡°I know that you¡¯re annoyed, but please stay your anger and listen to my exnation first.¡±

    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, the reason I did this is to bring you all together for a serious matter. However, I am a weak, soft-spoken woman, and I was afraid that you wouldn¡¯t answer my invitation. That is why I made a harmless joke. I hope you all can forgive me for this.¡±

    Feng Xiong, the head of Hawk Fort threatened in a dark voice, ¡°A serious matter? This better be good, Gong Wuwei. Otherwise, I do not mind turning your Celestial Cave into a Ghoul Cave.¡±

    Imp Zhu, the gang boss of Imp Gang, let out another dark cackle. ¡°Kekeke... unlike you, Head Gong, Head Feng is a man of his word and detests joking around. You better watch out, Head Gong!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t the only one. Everyone was chuckling or wearing malicious grins on their faces as well.

    The Celestial Cave had invited nearly every bandit faction in Mount Qi to their residence today, and notable factions such as the Green Wolf Brigand, Seven Killing Peak, Hawk Fort, Soul Calming Fort and more were among them. Just one of them was a match for the Celestial Cave, much less dozens of thembined.

    Whatever this ¡°serious matter¡± was, the Celestial Cave had made a fool out of all these factions with their ¡°joke¡±. Even if the serious matter did turn out to be gravely serious, it was doubtful that they would let this slight go. The Celestial Cave would be lucky to escape annihtion.

    That was why everyone was chuckling or smiling maliciously at Gong Wuwei.

    Gong Wuwei couldn¡¯t seem to feel their malice, however. Her smile grew even brighter as she said, ¡°Do not worry, everyone. I promise to give you a satisfactory answer, for this is so much more important than Prince Xian¡¯s hoard. After all, it is a matter that will affect your lives directly!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I can¡¯t wait to hear it then,¡± scoffed Feng Xiong while crossing his arms. He did not seem to believe her one bit.

    Gong Wuwei¡¯s smile never faltered. ¡°I have invited all of you here today to inform you all one thing: from now on, I am the master of Mount Qi.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Feng Xiong, Imp Zhu, Cheng Xiuyi and everyone else were caught off guard by the deration. Thinking that they had heard wrongly, someone asked for rification, ¡°What do you mean by that, Gong Wuwei?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I can be clearer, but I¡¯ll try.¡±

    Gong Wuwei stroked her hair and exined smilingly, ¡°In the past, there were three brigands, five peaks, nine forts, eighteen gangs and thirty six caves in Mount Qi. But from here on out, you will answer to one and only one master: me. Is that clear enough?¡±

    ¡°You... want to rule over Mount Qi?¡± Feng Xiong asked as if he couldn¡¯t believe his ears.

    ¡°As expected of you, Head Feng. You understand me immediately.¡± Gong Wuwei pped her hands and let out a cute giggle. ¡°That is exactly what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    ¡°Haha... hahaha! Did your boytoy fuck you too hard on your bedst night, Gong Wuwei? Do you even know what you¡¯re saying?¡±

    ¡°Seriously. If you¡¯re sleepy, then you should go get some sleep. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to say silly things like you are right now. If you¡¯re too restless, I can serve you in bed! I promise to drain everyst bit of stamina from your body!¡±

    ¡°You must be joking, Liang Mo. You think you can satisfy Head Gong with your puny body? Nah, it¡¯s gotta be me. I swear she won¡¯t be able to climb down her bed for three days and nights by the time I¡¯m done with her.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you! They call me the Little White Dragon of the Waves; the Little Silver Spear Tyrant! Like hell I can¡¯t!¡±

    ......

    Everyone wasughing at Gong Wuwei. It was only natural.

    ¡°You want to be the master of Mount Qi, Gong Wuwei? Did you ask for our permission?¡±

    Cheng Xiuyi took a step forward. Red tree peonies immediately grew around his foot.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking you right now, aren¡¯t I?¡± Gong Wuwei replied smilingly. ¡°So? What do you all think? Just a friendly reminder, but people will die if you don¡¯t choose your answer carefully!¡±

    ¡°People will die, she says!¡± Imp Zhuughed like he just heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°Hahahaha! I¡¯m right here, Head Gong. How are you going to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡±

    Everyone startedughing again. Itsted until Imp Zhu and a dozen or so people started bleeding from every orifice.

    The blood flowed quicker and quicker as if someone was turning an invisible tap that controlled the outflow of their blood. Just a few secondster, Imp Zhu and the group had lost every drop of blood inside their bodies. All that was left behind was a flesh sack that, somehow, was stillughing despite their condition.

    Feng Xiong, Cheng Xiuyi and more subconsciously backed away from the victims. They were all staring at theughing flesh sacks in shock and horror. Nine breathster, they abruptly ceased all activity and copsed lifelessly on the ground.

    ¡°The Laughing Poison... Have you gone mad, Gong Wuwei?!¡± Someone shouted.

    Everyone was staring at Gong Wuwei with shock and disbelief. No one actually thought that Gong Wuwei would go through with her threat until she did. What on earth was wrong with the woman?

    Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi¡¯s shouts snapped the rest of the group from their shock. They immediately unsheathed their weapons and surrounded Gong Wuweipletely.

 Chapter 776: Do I Have Your Support?

    <h4>Chapter 776: Do I Have Your Support? </h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m not shouldering the me for this. I warned you all that people will die if you don¡¯t choose your answer carefully.¡±

    Strangely, Gong Wuwei did not seem worried in the slightest.

    Feng Xiong¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously and angrily. ¡°You really have lost your mind, Gong Wuwei. Brothers and sisters, let¡¯s get her. Today will be the day Gong Wuwei and the Celestial Cave are no more!¡±

    ¡°Kill Gong Wuwei!¡±

    ¡°Destroy Celestial Cave for our dead brothers and sisters!¡±

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    Enraged, the crowd charged Gong Wuwei at once.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t even manage to get close to her when a drumbeat broke out. Heavy as a mountain and loud as thunder, it dropped countless people to the ground except high level warriors such as Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi. For a time, the bloodcurdling screams would not stop.

    ¡°Why the hurry? Let me show you a little something. You can decide after I¡¯m done with my presentation, okay?¡±

    Gong Wuwei shot Feng Xiong and the others a wink before sweeping her hand in front of her. A row of heads appeared on the ground, and the entire ce fell as silent as death.

    ¡°Just in case some of you don¡¯t recognize these heads, allow me to make the introductions.¡±

    Smiling, Gong Wuwei pointed at the leftmost head and began, ¡°This is Ding Banshan. This is Yu Youya. This is Chen Ah Sheng. This is Yin Haichao. This is Xu Laodao. This is Chen Shangxue...¡±

    Every time Gong Wuwei said a name, everyone present would shudder and turn just a little whiter. It was because every name she mentioned was an infamous name that they were very, very familiar with.

    Ding Banshan was the head of the Mountain Mover Brigand, the ninth brigand of the Thirteen Brigands of Chu. He was a Trueman.

    Yu Youya was the head of the ck Hawk Brigand, the eleventh brigand of the Thirteen Brigands of Chu. He was also a Trueman.

    Chen Ah Sheng was the head of the Chaos Heaven Brigand, the twelfth brigand of the Thirteen Brigands of Chu. He was a Half-Step Grandmaster.

    Zhong Qiu was the head of the Swordless Peak, one of the five peaks of Mount Qi. He was a Trueman.

    Yin Haochao was the head of the Dragonyer Fort, one of the nine forts of Mount Qi. He was a Half-Step Trueman.

    Xue Laodao was the head of the Hidden Saber Fort, also one of the nine forts of Mount Qi. He was a Trueman.

    Fang Shangxue was the gang boss of the Fast Snow Gang, one of the eighteen gangs of Mount Qi. She was a Half Step Trueman.

    ......

    Every one of these heads belonged to the strongest leaders of Mount Qi; the type of people who could shake the entire Mount Qi if they added a bit more strength to their footsteps. They were troublesome existences who had gued Northern Xinjiang and even the entire Chu for the longest time.

    Now, they were all dead.

    Earlier, some of them were confused by the fact that none of the leaders of the foremost factions had shown up. Now, they understood that they had arrived long before they did¡ªin their heads, that was.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the way the leaders had died was quite odd. Every single one of them was wearing an amiable, tranquil smile devoid of any pain or fear whatsoever. It was as if someone had removed their heads while they were asleep.

    Every single one of these people were a Trueman or a Grandmaster. They were also faction leaders whose bedroom had to be guarded by numerous elites. And yet, someone had somehow removed their heads in their sleep!

    Of course, that was just their spection, but the question remained the same: If even these people¡ªwarriors who were definitely stronger than them in one way or another¡ªcould not survive whatever it was that had killed them, then what was the chance that they would survive?

    How could they not be terrified?

    By the time Gong Wuwei finally finished reciting every head¡¯s name, everyone was looking pale and trembling like a leaf. Even the likes of Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi were no exception.

    <i>Damn. The bastard got seriously lucky.</i>

    Hidden amidst the crowd, Ye Qing was raising an eyebrow and looking at Chen Ah Sheng¡¯s head.

    Chen Wuxin was really the Heartless Brain, so he would survive any injury that wasn¡¯t brain damage.

    That was why Ye Qing thought he was lucky. Clearly, his killer had preserved his head so they could use it to intimidate this band of hooligans. If not for this, he would probably be dead as a dodo.

    As for why his killer had killed Chen Wuxin, that was obvious. They nned to take control of every major and minor faction in Mount Qi and be its master.

    Chen Wuxin, Ding Banshan, Zhong Qiu, Xu Laodao and more were the top contenders in Mount Qi. If you wanted to shoot a bird, shoot the one that poked its head first. If you wished to defeat a group of bandits, aim for the bandit leader first. Naturally, they became the Celestial Cave¡¯s primary targets.

    Ding Bangshan, Zhong Qiu, Xu Laodao and more hadn¡¯t climbed to their position being meek and humble. Naturally, they would never submit to the Celestial Cave peacefully. So, the Celestial Cave killed them all and imed everything they had.

    After putting all the major factions under their thumb, all that was left to do was to inform the small fries about their fate, and that was exactly what Gong Wuwei did. She gathered everyone by exploiting their greed and kindly informed them exactly what would happen if they did not submit.

    The n wasn¡¯tplicated. In fact, it was simple to the extreme. That said, it was possible only because the Celestial Cave possessed a level of power far beyond everyone¡¯s imagination. If they did not possess the strength to y the Truemen and Grandmasters effortlessly, then this n would have failed right from the start.

    The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled up when he thought until this point.

    ¡°Do you know why these people died?¡± Gong Wuwei looked up and asked.

    Feng Xiong, Cheng Xiuyi and more did not say a word. They didn¡¯t even dare to breathe too loudly for fear of earning Gong Wuwei¡¯s ire.

    ¡°It¡¯s because they refused to be good boys and girls.¡±

    Gong Wuwei sighed sympathetically and angrily. ¡°If they were good boys and girls, they would still be around to greet you all. Just why must they choose death? Sigh...¡±

    ¡°Anyway, now that you¡¯ve seen what I have to show you, I¡¯m going to repeat myself. From now on, I am the master of Mount Qi. Do I have your support or not?¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Then, someone yelled, ¡°I support you!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°I support you as well!¡±

    Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi wheeled around and saw that the speakers were none other than Dou Yuan, head of the Green Wolf Brigand of the Thirteen Brigands; Seven Kills Guan, head of the Seven Killing Peak; Xin Wuyang, head of the Flowing Cloud Peak, and more.

    ¡°You guys...¡±

    Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi exchanged nces with each other. At this point, even the slowest person realized that Dou Yuan, Seven Killing Peak, Xin Wuyang and more had surrendered to Gong Wuwei a while ago. Today¡¯s show was for them and only them.

    Feng Xiong gritted his teeth. No wonder he, Cheng Xiuyu and Imp Zhu were the only ones who stepped out tombast Gong Wuwei. He had thought they were silent because they were two-faced cowards who did not dare to offend the Celestial Cave openly. It was only now that he realized that they were the clowns this whole time.

    With so many leaders throwing in their lot with the Celestial Cave, the frightened mooks were only less inclined to fight. Echoes of support immediately broke out from all sides. Everyone was afraid that Gong Wuwei would change her mind if they were too slow.

    When the noise subsided a little, Gong Wuwei looked at Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°Head Feng, Head Cheng, why are you quiet? Do you disagree with my appointment after all?¡±

    The noise immediately vanished, and all eyesnded on Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi.

    The two men shuddered a little under the gaze before opening their mouths to say, ¡°We... wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±

    They knew it was over. They could fight with their life on their line, and they still wouldn¡¯t be able to change anything.

    From the looks of it, the foremost factions of Mount Qi had either thrown in their lot with the Celestial Cave, or had their leaders killed and reced. Not only that, the Celestial Cave had caught all the small fries in one fell swoop. If they so much as breathed the word ¡°No¡±, they would join the row of heads on the stage in no time.

    Therefore, the one and only way they might survive this was to surrender.

 Chapter 777: Iâ€™m Going To Be The Master Of Mount Qi

    <h4>Chapter 777: I¡¯m Going To Be The Master Of Mount Qi </h4>

    ¡°I will support you.¡±

    ¡°I will support you as well.¡±

    Saying those words seemed to take every ounce of strength Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi had. Their eyes were gray with defeat and they silently endured the whispers and voices of ridicule around them.

    The karma of their early arrogance had returned fast and furious.

    ¡°A wise man submits to circumstances, and you are both wise, Head Feng, Head Cheng.¡±

    Gong Wuwei wore a faint smile on her face. Was it scorn? Ridicule? Both? In any case, Gong Wuwei slowly swept her gaze across the crowd as she said, ¡°Good. If no one else objects to my appointment, then I am the master of Mount Qi from now on. If you give me your full support, then I promise to treat you all fair and square¡ª¡±

    ¡°I object!¡±

    Before Gong Wuwei could finish, a discordant voice suddenly erupted from the crowd.

    Gong Wuwei¡¯s smile froze, and the crowd abruptly moved away from where the voice hade from to reveal three people. They were Ye Qing, Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King, and the discordant voice, as a matter of course, belonged to Ye Qing.

    ¡°Who are you? How dare you spout nonsense during such an important meeting!¡±

    Gong Wuwei didn¡¯t even manage to speak up before those who thought that this was an opportunity to garner her favor leaped out and attacked Ye Qing.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Ye Qing did not move. Besides him, Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King sneered and stepped forward. Earthen spikes burst out of the ground, and a flower basket descended from above. Three of the five warriors who attempted to jump Ye Qing were skewered by the spikes, whereas the remaining two had their heads plucked clean off their shoulders.

    The five attackers were dead in just the blink of an eye. Their deaths hit those who were going to join in on the attack like a bucket of cold water. It chilled them to their very core.

    Their silence only grew more profound when they finally noticed Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s cultivation level.

    As the two Truemen hadn¡¯t tried to disguise their appearance or energies, Gong Wuwei was able to recognize them instantly. ¡°Ah! Greetings, Mrs. Basket, Mountain Tunneling King. I did not know that you were showing up today. I apologize for not weing you properly.¡±

    Neither Trueman responded to her greeting since Ye Qing wasn¡¯t saying anything.

    A short silenceter, Gong Wuwei asked, ¡°As far as I¡¯m aware, there are no ill ties between my Celestial Cave and you two. May I know why you have decided to grace us with your presence?¡±

    Mrs. Basket replied, ¡°Save the ttery. We are simply apanying our young master.¡±

    ¡°Young master?¡±

    It was only now Gong Wuwei set her eyes on Ye Qing. Of course she noticed him from the beginning, but his presence was so faint that she had subconsciously overlooked him. She thought that he was Mrs. Basket or Mountain Tunneling King¡¯s disciple and thus not worth her attention. That was why she was surprised to hear Mrs. Basket iming that she and Mountain Tunneling King served the young man.

    Gong Wuwei began examining the young man closely. As the seconds trickled by, her expression grew more and more severe. It was because she found herself unable to perceive him even though he was standing right in front of her. It was as if he was hidden behind a thick, imprable fog of sorts.

    ¡°Are you done admiring my good looks, Head Gong?¡± Ye Qing said smilingly a few breathster.

    ¡°Hmm?!¡±

    Gong Wuwei was still attempting to see through Ye Qing when suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a grand, formless silhouette. The silhouette cast her an uncaring nce, and her mind immediately quaked in fear despite herself. A muffled groan escaped her lips, and the blood instantly drained from her face.

    To Gong Wuwei¡¯s credit, herplexion returned to normal the very next second. For those who weren¡¯t looking, they wouldn¡¯t even notice her temporary loss ofposure at all. She saluted Ye Qing and asked, ¡°May I know who you are, scion?¡±

    Ye Qing returned the salute and dered, ¡°I am just a nameless pawn. You don¡¯t need to concern yourself with my identity.¡±

    ¡°It is fine if you don¡¯t wish to identify yourself,¡± Gong Wuwei nodded before asking, ¡°You do not belong to Mount Qi, do you?¡±

    ¡°No, I do not,¡± Ye Qing confirmed.

    ¡°Did one of my Celestial Cave wrong you in the past?¡± Gong Wuwei continued her questioning.

    ¡°This is the first time we meet, so the answer¡¯s no,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°Does my Celestial Cave owe you a grudge?¡± Gong Wuwei asked another question.

    ¡°As I said, this is our first meeting. Naturally, I hold no grudge against the Celestial Cave,¡± Ye Qing replied again.

    ¡°If you are not a member of Mount Qi, and you have virtually no ties with my Celestial Cave, then why are you disrupting our business in our very halls?¡± Gong Wuwei narrowed her eyes a little.

    ¡°That¡¯s simple. I have a request for you,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Gong Wuwei asked.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing serious. I just thought that the title ¡®master of Mount Qi¡¯ has a nice ring to it.¡± the corner of Ye Qing¡¯s lips turned up. ¡°Do you mind if I be the master of Mount Qi instead, Head Gong?¡±

    Gong Wuwei¡¯s pupils contracted, and her tone grew colder. ¡°That isn¡¯t funny at all, scion.¡±

    ¡°And why do you think I¡¯m joking, Head Gong?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    Gong Wuwei¡¯s voice was as cold as ice at this point. ¡°You¡¯re actually serious?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am,¡± Ye Qing dered indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m going to be the master of Mount Qi, and not even Tathagata himself can stop me.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... let¡¯s see if you have the strength to back up your ambition then.¡± Gong Wuwei sneered and stopped hesitating. She ordered, ¡°Kill them.¡±

    Although she still couldn¡¯t identify the young man¡¯s power level or his background, they had plotted for this day for far too long for a random stranger to ruin it all.

    Plus, they outnumbered him several hundred to three. No matter how strong he was, there was no way he was a match for all of them.

    When she gave themand, the five warriors behind Gong Wuwei charged Ye Qing immediately.

    Seven Kills Guan Dou Yuan and Xin Wuyang charged toward Mrs. Basket and Mountain Tunneling King without hesitation.

    Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi exchanged a look with each other before charging Ye Qing.

    The two men submitted to Gong Wuwei only because the circumstances were hopeless, and they did not feel like throwing away their lives for the woman at all. However, if they held back now, Gong Wuwei was absolutely going to rinse themter.

    As for why they chose to help Gong Wuwei instead of turning against her to help Ye Qing, the answer was equally simple.

    Although the young man did not look like a weakling¡ªif he really was, then he would never dare to threaten Gong Wuwei or make such a ridiculous deration¡ªthey didn¡¯t think he could actually defeat Gong Wuwei. For one, Gong Wuwei had the homeground advantage. Even a foreign dragon could not defeat a local snake, not to mention that powerful warriors such as Ding Banshan, Zhong Qiu, Xu Laodao and more had died to the woman. It was proof that Celestial Cave was far stronger than it seemed.

    No matter how they looked at it, they just could not see how the young man could possibly defeat Gong Wuwei, or more urately, the Celestial Cave. They would even go so far as to say that the young man had vastly overestimated his capabilities and was hurrying toward his own doom.

    Naturally, they chose to help Gong Wuwei over the unknown young man.

    Feng Xiong made a w with his fingers and reached out toward Ye Qing. A hawk cry pierced the air, and a massive ck hawk appeared in the sky.

    The ck hawk was as gigantic as it was handsome. Its back looked like a hill, its wings resembled the clouds, and its ws seemed sharp enough to split the sky open.

    Feng Xiong was a Trueman, and he chose to unleash his ultimate technique, the ¡°Sky Hawk w¡± right from the get go. The ground was punctured long before the w evennded on it, and a terrible pressure enveloped the entire area.

    His rival was impressive, but Cheng Xiuyi wasn¡¯t outdone by him. Every time he took a step toward Ye Qing,rge clumps of red tree peony would grow around his feet. They were as beautiful as they were fragrant.

    Too small for the naked eye to see, countless invisible threads were crawling out of Ye Qing¡¯s pores and entangling with the tree peonies.

    When he was less than three meters away from Ye Qing, Cheng Xiuyi abruptly snapped his fingers, and the tree peonies on the ground began withering at a rapid rate. At the same time, they began sprouting out of Ye Qing¡¯s body. Each one was in full bloom and looked as red as fire or blood.

 Chapter 778: The Flowers Fall Like Snow

    <h4>Chapter 778: The Flowers Fall Like Snow </h4>

    The flowers of the ground died, whereas the flowers on the flesh bloomed. Humanity was like a dream, and blood lurked within the peony. Hence, its name was ¡°Blood Peony¡±.

    Cheng Xiuyi might not be a Trueman, but no one dared to underestimate him because of his cultivation art. It was called the ¡°Canonical Text of Peony¡±, and it was invented by a strange man named White Peony centuries ago.

    A famous opera actor, White Peony was a man born with a woman¡¯s face. He was an expert in crossdressing as a woman, and he usually yed the role of a verdant-d[1] or a flowery role[2]. Everyone loved his acting, and his verdant-ds and flowery roles were famous throughout the world.

    Over time, White Peony decided that he didn¡¯t want to be a man anymore. He wanted to be a woman in both body and heart.

    White Peony wasn¡¯t just a genius in opera acting. He was also a one-of-a-kind martial talent. After researching martial arts of all shapes and sizes, he eventually invented an unusual martial art known as the ¡°Canonical Text of Peony¡±. Those who cultivated it would transform into the other gender. At the adept level, the practitioner would be able to grasp the miracle of life and death and the profoundness of yin yang and gain the ability to change genders at will. They would no longer experience any barriers whatsoever.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t all the ¡°Canonical Text of Peony¡± was good for. It also contained all sorts of bizarre yet profound techniques that covered one¡¯s offensive and defensive needs.

    Of them all, the ¡°Blood Peony¡± was the most bizarre and profound. The Blood Peony takes root in one¡¯s spirit, draws from one¡¯s vitality, and transmits through the air. Anyone who inhaled its scent would automatically be infested by it.

    When the Blood Peonies in the open withered, yin and yang would switch ces, and life and death would be reversed. The Blood Peonies would then bloom from the infested and sustain themselves using their spirit and vitality.

    So long as the victim did not run out of vitality and spirit, the Blood Peonies would never die. It would keep draining the victim until they werepletely dead in both body and spirit.

    ¡°To die under the tree peonies, feeding their roots in body and spirit.¡± It perfectly described the ¡°Blood Peony¡±¡¯s power.

    Feng Xiong and Cheng Xiuyi went all out right from the start.

    Inparison, the three men and two women who showed up with Gong Wuwei were far less impressive.

    Ye Qing remained calm despite being attacked by seven powerful warriors, however. First, he patted himself like he was brushing off the dust on his shirt. Then Blood Peonies blooming from his body withered in an instant, and the seeds hidden within his body were annihted by his potent vigor as well.

    As Cheng Xiuyi was connected to the Blood Peonies by his heart¡¯s blood, he instantly bled from every orifice and turned as white as a sheet.

    With that done, Ye Qing faced Feng Xiong next and threw a punch. Space cracked like a mirror, and the sky-covering eagle was shattered into pieces just like that.

    That wasn¡¯t all. Ye Qing¡¯s fist proceeded to m into Feng Xiong¡¯s palm, and...

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Feng Xiong¡¯s so-called unbreakable w crumpled like a wet tissue, and his arms twisted like a mahua. The man himself was flung backward like a broken kite and bowled over countless people in the process.

    After sending Feng Xiong flying in one punch, Ye Qing took a step forward. As soon as the sole of his foot made contact with the ground, the earth shuddered, and a powerful shockwave washed out.

    The three men and two women charging toward him flew back even faster than when they were charging him. They threw up blood as if they had been struck by lightning.

    ¡°Hmm...¡±

    Gong Wuwei¡¯s face was dark. She knew that Ye Qing would prove to be a formidable opponent, but the extent of his strength far surpassed her imagination. She could hardly believe that he had defeated Feng Xiong, Cheng Xiuyi and her subordinates in a single exchange.

    Okay, maybe it was asking too much for those who weren¡¯t even Trueman yet to threaten the young man, but Feng Xiong was a veteran, battle-hardened Trueman. Just how strong was the young man that Feng Xiong went down in a single strike?

    Her thoughts were still racing when suddenly, her pupils contracted, and the blood drained away from her face. It was because Ye Qing¡ªhe was almost fifty meters away from her earlier¡ªhad suddenly appeared in front of her. He reached out to grab her head.

    Every hair on her skin screamed for her to act. She immediately pushed off the ground and jumped backward. At the same time, she swiped her hand across her hair and threw a hairpin at his forehead like a weapon.

    The hairpin murmured and wailed like it was possessed by countless ghosts. It possessed the ability to warp one¡¯s mind.

    Gong Wuwei did not think it was enough, however. As she retreated, she channeled her astral qi and summoned the illusion of a pear blossom forest. It both covered her from Ye Qing¡¯s view and acted as a shield.

    In one moment, Gong Wuwei had executed three actions in a row, and none of it was meant to wound her opponent. Her only goal was to force him back and buy herself some time.

    Unfortunately, her expectations were let down immediately. Her eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief when she realized that everything she did was futile. Her reaction, her speed, her defensive measures, none of it mattered as the distance between herself and her opponent remained the exact same. He was still hovering in front of her almost as if they hadn¡¯t moved a single step.

    She could only watch in horror as Ye Qing caught her sharp, ghastly hairpin¡ªa mind-wounding Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact that was carved from a dead person¡¯s bones¡ªbetween a pair of fingers and snapped it in half like it was a rotten twig. Then, he opened his palm wide and dropped it on top of her pear blossom forest.

    The pear blossom forest was incredibly gorgeous. It looked like a forest that had bloomed overnight after a sudden gust of spring wind. Floating at the center of it, Gong Wuwei looked like an ice queen reigning over a kingdom of snow.

    The pear blossom forest sensed the threat Ye Qing represented and let loose its flowers at him. They looked like a million arrows shooting at him from every direction.

    ¡°A spring wind blows at night, and the flowers bloom like a million arrows.¡± Hence, it was named the ¡°Plum Blossom Order¡±.

    ¡°Plum Blossom Order¡± was a protection Magia that transformed one¡¯s spirit and true qi into a plum blossom forest. The plum blossom forest would protect the practitioner, while its flowers would wound the enemy. Therefore, it possessed both offensive and defensive capabilities.

    ¡°Plum Blossom Order¡± was powerful because spatialws were mixed in it. If the attacker could not destroy the plum blossom forest in an instant and breach its created space, they would never be able to injure the one it was protecting. While this was happening, the forest would unleash plum blossoms that could wound both the physical body and the mind.

    Gong Wuwei felt much better after sessfully manifesting the plum blossom forest. However, it barelysted a second before her eyes widened like saucers once more.

    Ye Qing¡¯s response toward the sea of plum blossom flowers shooting toward him was to perform a knocking gesture. It was light and gentle like he was rapping his fingers against a wooden door, and yet it stopped the sea of plum blossom flowers dead in their tracks.

    Then, he clenched his fingers tightly and dropped it like he was striking something. Space immediately wobbled like someone had chucked a rock into a pool of water.

    If the knock was light and gentle, then this punch was theplete opposite. It was gale and thunder all within the span of inches.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, his transition from stillness to action, weightlessness to weight, soft to hard was perfectly smooth.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    His fist dropped three inches. That was all it needed to break the world.

    The entire plum blossom forest was <i>crushed </i>by the single punch. The flowers flew everywhere like snow.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Gong Wuwei coughed up a mouthful of blood, stunned and in disbelief. She could not believe how fragile her prided Magia was before the young man. It had failed to block even a single punch.

    She could only watch helplessly as he loosened his fingers once more and made to grab her skull.

    1. Role of a middle-aged woman. The characters are mostly married, dignified and elegant women and are mainly the roles of wives and mothers. ?

    2. A lively, vivacious young female character. They normally wear short blouses with pants or skirts. ?

 Chapter 779: Human Skin Drum

    Chapter 779: Human Skin Drum

    Ye Qing had to give it to Gong Wuwei. She was stronger than either Mrs. Basket or Mountain Tunneling King, and her Plum Blossom Order Magia was especially powerful.

    If he had fought her right after he became a Grandmaster, he still could have dismantled her Magia, but it would not have been nearly as easy.

    After he left the Death Sea, he spent his time subsuming the wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi he absorbed, tempering his body, and studying the fist intent of the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡±. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t an easy art to learn, but thanks to the Dark Overlord¡¯s gift of fist intent, the fact that he witnessed the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± in action back at the Demonbearer Abode, and the fact that he was a body-tempering warrior with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi empowering him, it took him half the effort to progress twice as fast per se. He had already be an initiate by the time he returned to the Temple of Divination.

    Bing an initiate of the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± came with its own perks. It was one of the greatest martial arts out there, so it was only natural that his understanding of fist art, fist intent and fist theory grew by leaps and bounds as well. To give an example, the difference between the current him and who he was after he became a Grandmaster was like night and day.

    That was how he was able to break Gong Wuwei¡¯s Magia in one punch.

    However, right before his palm wouldnd on Gong Wuwei¡¯s skull, a sudden <em>thump</em> came from inside her body.

    He had heard the drumbeat twice before this, but this time, it was a different kind of noise. If before the drumbeat sounded grandiose and upbeat, this was one theplete opposite: dark, eerie, and spine-chilling.

    Ye Qing blinked when he felt his right hand being pushed away from Gong Wuwei¡¯s head. Not only that, he could feel the sound seeping into his fingers and spreading across his body.

    <em>Shred!</em>Starting from his right hand, his skin was ripped clean off his flesh like it was fabric. Worse, this was just the beginning. As the anomalous energy continued to spread throughout his body, his skin continued to strip itself from his flesh. It was almost as if it had suddenly gained sentience and were struggling to break free from his body with all their might.

    Ye Qing frowned and clenched his right hand. When the five fingers made contact with each other, there was a terrible explosion that sounded as if air itself was crushed within his palm. A series of louder explosions came from inside his body as his muscles and bones tensed up at the same time. It sounded like the march of a divine army: loud, continuous, and grand.

    The weaker warriors could not withstand the noise and turned as red as a tomato. Some of them were even bleeding from every orifice.

    When the noise had subsided a little, Ye Qing opened his mouth and let loose a puff of murky air. His skin immediately ceased struggling andy obediently back on his flesh, looking as good as new.

    ¡°You¡¯re a body-tempering Grandmaster?!¡± Gong Wuwei let out a cry of shock when she sensed the vast, turbulent, volcano-like vigor and vitality brimming inside Ye Qing¡¯s body.

    The good news was that that brief dy allowed her to put ten meters between herself and Ye Qing.

    The bad news was that ten meters of distance was nothing to the young man. She knew this very well.

    Not daring to slow down in the slightest, Gong Wuwei summoned a round drum the size of an adult human skull to her palm in one thought.

    The round drum was dark yellow in color and seemingly stitched from some sort of leather. It was smooth, flexible, and ancient.

    The picture drawn on the drum¡¯s surface was nothing good, however. It described a scene of a group of people being skinned alive. It was bloody and horrifying to look at. Strangely, the victims themselves wore no shock, pain or horror on their faces. In fact, they were smiling as if they were enjoying the gruesome torture. It was eerie to say the least.

    The other side of the drum showed a swarm of people performing a sacrifice to the round drum. However, a closer inspection revealed that the people were no people at all. They were all floating skins were empty eye sockets. It was extremely unsettling.

    A hint of worry and fear bloomed in Ye Qing¡¯s heart as soon as he saw the round drum Gong Wuwei was holding. Unless he was sorely mistaken, the drumbeats he heard before all came from this drum.

    Ye Qing took one step forward and closed the distance between himself and Gong Wuwei in the blink of an eye.

    In response, Gong Wuwei made a fist and struck on the side of the drum where a bunch of people were being skinned.

    <em>Thump!</em>

    The drumbeat felt like the murmurs of some unseen deity. Then, a corruptive power worse than the one that affected earlier broke out.

    Despite his preparation, he was unable to stop the sound wave and its anomalous power from invading his body and soul. The next moment, he felt itchy and painful all over as if he was being bitten by a million ants. To call it ufortable would be an understatement.

    His skin began separating itself from his flesh again. If that was all, it would¡¯ve been fine. The problem was that he suddenly couldn¡¯t feel any itchiness or pain from the parts where his skin was stripped anymore. On the contrary, it was reced by the most soothing and wonderful sensation ever.

    For an instant, he found himself drowning in the intoxicating sensation. He almost wanted to rip off his own skin so he could bask in the wonderful sensation forever.

    If even he had lost himself to the indescribable sensation for a moment, those weaker than him could only do worse. The second the drumbeat resounded, countless people lost their skinspletely and sprayed blood everywhere. Then, they dropped to the ground and died just like that.

    The terrible part was that they were all smiling with ecstasy before they passed away.

    Feng Xiong, Cheng Xiuyi, Mrs. Basket, Mountain Tunneling King and other Truemen or Half-step Truemen were the only ones who were able to resist the drumbeat to a certain extent. There was also the fact that the drum¡¯s power was mainly centered around Ye Qing. Otherwise, they might have lost their skin and perished on the spot as well.

    Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that they weren¡¯t suffering, or more urately, drowning in ecstasy. Some parts of their skin had pulled free from their flesh, and some people were wing at their own skin despite themselves.

    Thankfully, Ye Qing was not who he was before. In just a single breath, he regained his senses and channeled his vigor, causing the Profound Yellow Mother Qi to circte once throughout his whole body and eliminate all traces of the anomalous energy. Then, while shielding his mind and body with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, he brought his foot down on the ground.

    His leg was his mallet, and the ground his drum. Whenbined, they made a thunderp.

    <em>THUMP!</em>

    The ground deted over three inches before it returned to normal. At the same time, a powerful, loud, vast thump overwhelmed Gong Wuwei¡¯s drumbeat.

    Gong Wuwei¡¯s hand froze, and her knees buckled for a moment. Her face had also turned as white as a sheet, though she quickly returned to normal.

    Ye Qing did not press his advantage even though he could have. Instead, he stared curiously at the Gong Wuwei¡¯s drum and asked, ¡°Is that the Human Skin Drum?¡±

    ¡°You have sharp eyes, scion.¡± Gong Wuwei drew in a small breath as unnatural rosiness colored her cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the Human Skin Drum.¡±

    At first hearing, the Human Skin Drum sounded like nothing special. In reality, it was a Strange Artifact that struck fear in the hearts of countless <em>jiangwu </em>warriors.

    The Human Skin Drum was the sixty-third Disaster-ss Strange Artifact in the Strange Artifact Register. Legend had it that it was created by the King of Nanjiang over a thousand years ago. Its main material was human skin, and it was supplemented with heart¡¯s blood and all sorts of natural treasures.

    The King of Nanjiang was originally just the leader of a small tribe in a ce named Nan Miao. The tribe specialized in the art of skinning and controlling skins, and the Human Skin Drum they made possessed immense power. Strike the drum on one side, and one could skin a group of people in an instant. Strike it on the other, and the skins would fall under their control permanently.

    Thanks to the power of the Human Skin Drum, the King of Nanjiang cruelly stripped all of his citizens of their skin to create a fearless human skin army. He used it to wipe out all the factions in Nanjiang and eventually named himself the King of Nanjiang. The Human Skin Drum also became his country¡¯s holy artifact.

    It was impossible to say how many lives the Human Skin Drum had taken. Add to the fact that it continuously received the worship of countless people all the time, it grew stronger day by day.

    The King of Nanjiang was dissatisfied despite having united the tribes of Nanjiang and appointed himself the King of Nanjiang. Overflowing with ambition, he proceeded to set his sites on the fertilends of the Central in and started a war. Countless lives were lost as a result.

    Enraged, the You Emperor mustered an army of one million and personally slew the King of Nanjiang at Fusu Mountain. He then enved a hundred thousand Nanjiang natives for the use of the Central in.

    As for their holy artifact, the Human Skin Drum, it was thrown into the You Emperor¡¯s treasury to rot for eternity.

 Chapter 780: Divide and Break Through

    Chapter 780: Divide and Break Through

    Unfortunately, the Human Skin Drum resurfaced after the You Dynasty was no more. It fell into the <em>jianghu </em>and entered the possession of monstrous, heartless bastards such as the Old Skinner, the Heartless Buddha, Demon Who Died Wronged and more, and they used it to kill countless people.

    Every time the Human Skin Drum poked its head above the surface, it would cause a great massacre and chaos.

    Thest time the Human Skin Drum appeared was over a century ago. The Three Headed Buddha had used it to ughter the warriors of <em>wulin </em>and use their skins to cause all sorts of havoc. Angered by his brazen crimes, the orthodoxy ultimately slew him at the Three Buddha Temple. The Human Skin Drum went missing after the Three Headed Buddha perished.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting to find the legendary Strange Artifact in Gong Wuwei¡¯s hands. He was quite surprised to say the least.

    ¡°If you know the Human Skin Drum, then you must know its powers as well,¡± Gong Wuwei said while staring at him. ¡°So I¡¯m going to give you another chance. If you withdraw now, I can pretend that this had never happened.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I wish to test my might against the Human Skin Drum.¡±

    ¡°There is no helping someone who insists on drinking a forfeit¡­¡± Gong Wuwei uttered darkly before striking the other side of the Human Skin Drum.

    <em>Thump!</em>

    The leather vibrated, and the human skins worshiping the Human Skin Drum suddenly turned around to look at Ye Qing as if they were alive, blood pouring down their eye sockets. Considering that they were just a painting, this was anything but normal.The next moment, the human skins crawled out of the Human Skin Drum. Dozens of them surrounded Gong Wuwei in just the blink of an eye.

    The human skins¡¯ strength were a mishmash of weak and strong. However, at least a dozen of them were Trueman or Half-Step Trueman. Ye Qing even saw Chen Wuxin¡¯s skin among them. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, these skins belonged to the leaders of Mount Qi such as Ding Banshan, Yu Youya, Xu Laodao, Yin Haichao and more.

    The Human Skin Drum¡¯s greatest powery in the fact that the human skins it controlled were exactly as strong as their victims when they were still alive[1].

    ¡°You can still leave, scion!¡± threatened Gon Wuwei with a perfectly cool expression.

    Her face was imprable, but she was really worried on the inside. Having caught a glimpse of Ye Qing¡¯s true strength from his stomp earlier, she wasn¡¯t sure that a dozen of Trueman and Half-Step Trueman skins would be enough to kill him. That was why she had offered apromise again and again.

    ¡°Haha! Are you afraid, Head Gong? If you¡¯re afraid, you can surrender the Human Skin Drum to me. I promise I¡¯ll let you live if you do so!¡± Ye Qing crossed his arms and countered with an offer of his own.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m sorry for what I must do.¡± Gong Wuwei stopped wasting her breath and pressed the Human Skin Drum. As if on cue, the human skins immediately swarmed him from all sides.

    Ye Qing took no evasive maneuvers whatsoever. Instead, he dashed forward and, while his fist intent circted around his person like an endless river, threw a devastating punch.

    <em>¡°Break Through¡±</em>

    It was the same old technique as ever, and yet it was definitely smoother and more potent than before. His fist intent especially was fantastic.

    If before ¡°Break Through¡± was a lone cavalry that would charge forward no matter the circumstances, now it was an overwhelming force that would punch through anything and everything.

    No one and nothing would remain standing before the practitioner when ¡°Break Through¡± appeared.

    Not only that, he was able to mix a tinge of ¡°Break¡± from the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± into the punch as well. Naturally, it became even more potent than before.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The swarm of human skins were punched through in an instant. Anyone foolish enough to stand in its path was annihted into dust.

    Gong Wuwei¡¯s eye twitched at the sight of this. A punch that annihted dozens of Half-Step Trueman and Trueman skins in an instant? Just how strong was he?

    The human skins who were lucky enough to be out of the way continued to swarm Ye Qing from all sides, but this time, he punched diagonally toward the ground like he was intercepting a stream.

    <em>¡°Divide¡±</em>

    ¡°Divide¡± was not what it was before either. It was now mixed with ¡°Suppression Hammer¡±¡¯s power to quell the eight directions, freeze the five phases, suppress the four seas, seal yin and yang and lock Primal Chaos.

    As a result, the human skins charging toward Ye Qing abruptly froze as if someone had cast a freezing spell on them. Their Magia and astral qi were frozen in mid-air as well.

    Next, Ye Qing lifted his fist half an inch and gave them a taste of their own medicine. The frozen Magia and astral qi immediately shot back toward their owners several times stronger than it was.

    It was like lightning had exploded around Ye Qing out of the blue. The human skins had no choice but to copse to the ground like wheat, and most of them never hit the ground before they disintegrated into dust.

    Gong Wuwei could hardly believe her eyes. In just two punches, the young man had nearly wiped out every human skin she was controlling. Just what kind of monster was he?

    Not wanting to wait until Ye Qing cleaned up everything and came after her, Gong Wuwei stroked the drum again and summoned a new army of human skins. It wasn¡¯t as nearly as easy as the first time though. Every time she summoned a human skin, a patch of skin about the size of a palm would be stripped from her person. At the rate she was summoning, it wasn¡¯t long before she was bleeding from every part of her body.

    There was no limit to how many human skins the Human Skin Drum could control at the same time. Its only restriction was that it could not control a human skin that was higher than its own grade. Since the Human Skin Drum was a Disaster-ss strange Artifact, the strongest human skin it could control was a Trueman or a grandmaster.

    The Human Skin Drum had existed for over a thousand years and came across at least a dozen owners. Coincidentally or not, all of them were famous, powerful figures of the <em>jianghu</em>. Logically speaking, it should own an insane number of Trueman and Grandmaster skins.

    In reality, every single master it ever had was a troublemaker of some sort. They were either rebels, wannabe kings, rogues, megalomaniacs and so on, and not a single one met a good ending. That was why most of the Trueman and Grandmaster skins stored inside the Human Skin Drums were either damaged or destroyed. Otherwise, Gong Wuwei would have summoned more in one go.

    More importantly, the stronger the skin she summoned, and the greater the number of skins she controlled at once, the more it depleted her strength. If she couldn¡¯t meet its demands any longer, then there was a high chance she would be consumed by the Strange Artifact itself.

    Therefore, it wasn¡¯t that Gong Wuwei did not want to attack Ye Qing with a bigger, stronger swarm of human skins. She literally couldn¡¯t.

    Right now, she had already reached her limit. If she summoned any more skin than this, the Human Skin Drum would start feeding on her flesh and blood.

    ¡°There is no need to go so far.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head and brieflymented the fact that Gong Wuwei had gone so far as to sacrifice her appearance for power. Then, he slowly began walking forward.

    Every time he took a step, the ground would shake once. He ignored the human skins charging him from all sides. He had just taken his third step when the human skins were less than a meter away from him.

    There exists a world within three steps of space. There may be ghosts and gods within inches of space.

    As soon as his foot touched the ground, the human skins around him abruptly disintegrated into dust.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have suffered needlessly if you had just given me the Human Skin Drum,¡± said Ye Qing as he made a grab for the Strange Artifact.

    <em>Tang tang tang¡­</em>

    It was at this moment something unexpected happened. The sound of a qin suddenly appeared inside his head. It was melodious, beautiful, and evocative before the notes could even form a tune.

    For the first time, Ye Qing nched slightly. He jumped away from Gong Wuwei even though his hand was literally inches away from the Human Skin Drum. It was because the qin sound had appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Worse, he hadn¡¯t heard it through his ears. It had appeared directly inside his head.

    This was just the beginning. Every time Ye Qing retreated a step, his surroundings would warp significantly. Just three stepster, Ye Qing discovered in astonishment that he was standing in the middle of a grassy in. Gong Wuwei and everyone else were nowhere to be found.

    [2]

    1. Which the Skinner at the very beginning is not, which is why this is a menace and that isn¡¯t except to low level viges. Though, it seems like they should be a set. ?

    2. Ooh, I¡¯ve been waiting for this. ?

 Chapter 781: Breaking An Army

    Chapter 781: Breaking An Army

    ¡°An illusion?¡±

    Ye Qing was frowning when a ck line suddenly appeared from the far end of the grassy in. It stretched from end to end, and it seemed to consume every inch of the world as it progressed.

    Slowly, the ck line turned into a churning tide. Even the sky seemed to darken at its presence.

    When the ck tide came closer, Ye Qing finally realized that it was no tide at all. It was an army of human skins; a seemingly endless number of them.

    The human skins were d in ck armor. Their presence was intimidating, and their march even and steady. They looked like a well-trained army.

    At the center of the human skin army was a chariot, and sitting on top of the chariot was a man wearing a python robe, a feather crown, and a bronze mask. Worse, the man did not seem to have any skin at all. Ye Qing could see every fiber of his muscles as clear as day.

    Several gs were nted on both sides of the chariot. One of them showed a dragon and a snake coiling together to form the word ¡°Jiang¡±, and the other saw dark, evil-looking clouds forming the word ¡°Death¡±.

    ¡°The Undying Army of the King of Nanjiang?!¡±

    If he merely had suspicions when the ck-armored human skins first came into view, now he was certain that the army was none other than the legendary Undying Army.Legend had it that the King of Nanjiang was skinless and wore a bronze mask to cover up his face, and he owned an army created from the human skins of his denizens. They were d in ck armor and utterly fearless. They were called the Undying Army. It was how the King of Nanjiang was able to defeat all opposition to unite the tribes of Nanjiang and eventually invaded the Central ins.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I break out of this?¡±

    The moment Ye Qing saw the King of Nanjiang and his Undying Army, Ye Qing was certain that he had sumbed to an illusion. He immediately tapped the space in front of him and executed ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡±, but to his astonishment, it did not produce any noticeable effect whatsoever. The scene before him had not changed at all.

    An illusion was the deception of one¡¯s senses and consciousness via spiritual power. As long as the victim was conscious of the fact that they were in an illusion and took the appropriate actions to breach it, the illusion would hold no power over them.

    The problem was that it wasn¡¯t working. He knew that the King of Nanjiang and the Undying Army were fake, and he used ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± to dismantle the illusion. And yet, he was still trapped.

    The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± itself possessed the power to conjure illusions, manifest facades of the world, and draw out heart demons, not to mention that he was also practicing the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡±. His understanding of illusion arts had grown so much that there should be no illusion that he couldn¡¯t breach with ease.

    When it came to illusions, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± had never failed him before. Even against the Ghost Ship, an illusion-type Anomaly that greatly negated its piercing effects, it was still effective to a certain extent. This was the first time ever it had failed him thoroughly andpletely.

    Frowning, Ye Qing tapped the space in front of him and let loose his torrent of demonic thought once more. Unfortunately, it rippled uselessly to his surroundings just like before and failed to affect the illusion he was seeing whatsoever.

    ¡°Strange¡­¡± Ye Qing muttered with a deep frown on his face. By now, the ck tide that was the Undying Army was right in front of him.

    He knew that the army before him was an illusion. He also knew that an illusion he couldn¡¯t pierce might as well be reality. He would most likely detest the consequences if he allowed the King of Nanjiang and the Undying Army to kill him. That was why he summoned his yin and yang qi and had them swim around him like a pair of ck and white fishes.

    <em>¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±</em>

    Thanks to the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, every attack thatnded on his person was reflected right back with greater force. Like a rock that crashed into a calmke, disturbance and chaos immediately rippled through the Undying Army.

    The bad news was that more human skin soldiers flooded in to fill up the gap he created. The good news was that he did not fear them in the slightest. While protecting himself with the ¡°Impetus of Tai Chi¡±, he killed his enemies in just the span of inches and carved a way through the ck tide like a fish in water.

    Every time he took a step, a huge number of soldiers would be flung off their feet.

    Every time he threw a punch, an innumerable number of human skins would disintegrate to dust.

    For a time, the endless army couldn¡¯t even touch him, much less wound him!

    But of course, Ye Qing was well aware that he was simply buying himself more time to think with his resistance. No matter how many enemies he killed, it would never end so long as the illusion was still intact.

    As if on cue, the King of Nanjiang tapped the Human Skin Drum, and countless human skin soldiers sprang into existence once more. Not only that, the Undying Army¡¯s aura climbed to a whole new level as if buffed by the drumbeat.

    ¡°If I can''t find a w, then I¡¯ll break it via brute force!¡±

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow and made his decision. While the human skin soldiers were still charging from all sides, he sucked in a deep breath, lifted his hand, and punched.

    When he raised his hand, he grasped the five phases, the eight directions, and yin and yang in his palm. When he punched, it felt as if the sky was crumbling, and gods and demons were disintegrating before his might.

    <em>¡°Break Hammer¡±</em>

    In one punch, the endless ck tide instantly burned into dust like a dry leaf in an inferno. Not only that, shockwaves rippled across the surrounding space, and both the sky and the earth were shaking violently. It looked like someone had shattered the mirror that was the world around him into pieces.

    The surrounding environment warped, and he found himself back in the Celestial Cave once more. It was only then Ye Qing let out a small sigh of relief.

    The ¡°Break Hammer¡± he just unleashed was obviously nothing like the original. At best, he had grasped but a sliver of its true power. Even so, it was the Dark Overlord¡¯s ultimate technique for a reason. Even a sliver was enough for him to pull off the impossible.

    On a rted note, he was nowhere close to grasping ¡°Annihtion Hammer¡± despite being able to execute ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± and ¡°Break Hammer¡± already, even if just barely. It was because ¡°Annihtion Hammer¡± was too lofty and powerful as Murong Xianxian had mentioned before. It would be a long time before he could even consider learning it, much less use it.

    Still, ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± and ¡°Break Hammer¡± should be all he needed against anyone beneath the Sage stage.

    ¡°You are the one behind Gong Wuwei, aren¡¯t you? If you¡¯re already here, then why don¡¯t you show yourself properly?¡±

    Instead of throwing himself into battle immediately, Ye Qing stayed his hand and saluted toward a distant pavilion.

    When he broke the illusion using ¡°Break Hammer¡± earlier, he also sensed a hint of energying from that particr pavilion. He was fairly certain that it belonged to the one who yed the qin and trapped him in the nigh unbreakable illusion.

    From the start, he knew that there was a mastermind behind Gong Wuwei. It was because he could tell at first nce that the woman was nowhere strong enough to grow the ambition to unite Mount Qi, much less assassinate the likes of Ding Banshan, Xu Laodao, Chen Wuxin and more without a fight. It was in unrealistic even considering the fact that she possessed the Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, the Human Skin Drum.

    On that subject, Ye Qing did not even think that Gong Wuwei was the Human Skin Drum¡¯s true master. He could tell from her reactions that she didn¡¯t seem to have full control of the Human Skin Drum, not to mention that she wasn¡¯t strong enough to outmuscle allpetitors and im such a powerful Strange Artifact in the first ce.

    That was how he became certain that there was a mastermind behind Gong Wuwei. The illusion merely confirmed what he already suspected.

    The reason he pressed Gong Wuwei relentlessly was to force the mastermind to show themselves. There were two reasons. One, if he was wrong, and there was no one behind Gong Wuwei after all, then he wanted to reap everything she had sown for himself. His goal was to take over Mount Qi in the first ce, so this was just perfect. Two, if there was a mastermind behind Gong Wuwei, and the person turned out to be more troublesome than expected, then he did not mind entering a negotiation with them.

    He couldn¡¯t let Chen Wuxin¡¯s death go to waste, could he?

    He especially could not lose the Boundless Mara Buddha.

    Of course, the n was formed on the foundation of his own strength. He was certain that there was no one he couldn¡¯t defeat so long as they weren¡¯t a top fifty Trueman or Grandmaster on the Earth Champions Ranking. Even if he was wrong, he was confident he would be able to retreat safely.

    He hoped for the best, but reality struck once again. Judging from the qin sound and the strength of the illusion he saw, the mastermind behind Gong Wuwei was extremely powerful. After all, they had forced him to use a trump card he barely grasped in the very first exchange.

    Thankfully, the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± guaranteed that he could destroy whatever his hidden enemy threw at him and protect himself. No harm woulde to him even in the worst case scenario.

    This was why Ye Qing remained calm and did not beat a tactical retreat immediately. They had fought, and both sides had shown off their strength. Since a decisive victory could not be achieved, it was only natural that they entered a negotiation next.

    It was at this moment he heard a voice he never expected to hear:

    ¡°It¡¯s only been a couple months since west met, and you are much stronger than you were before, Joyless. Congrattions!¡±

 Chapter 782: A Life of Five Flavors

    Chapter 782: A Life of Five vors

    ¡°Qingyou?!¡±

    Ye Qing was too stunned to speak for a moment. Then, joy burst out of his heart like a broken dam.

    He kicked off the ground and dashed toward the pavilion immediately.

    Gong Wuwei nched when she saw this and tried to stop him, but Feng Qingyou¡¯s voice rang in her ears before she could move. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Focus on handling the situation in front of you.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, miss!¡±

    Gong Wuwei stopped in her tracks and saluted in the direction of the pavilion.

    At the same time, Mountain Tunneling King and Mrs. Basket also heard Ye Qing saying, ¡°Stay where you are and don¡¯t do anything unless I give you a signal.¡±

    The two Truemen were confused as a matter of course, but they obeyed their order and merely watched the surrounding warriors warily.

    Feng Xiong, Cheng Xiuyi and the others were scared shitless by the sheer power Ye Qing had disyed. Although Ye Qing had suddenly left the ce for some unknown reason, they didn¡¯t dare to attack his subordinates. They simply surrounded the duo and waited for a signal or something.For a time, the atmosphere in the Celestial Cave was both grave and a little odd.

    In contrast to the Celestial Cave, the pavilion¡ªthe Celestial Pavilion was its name¡ªwas quiet and peaceful. Ye Qing was standing in front of the entrance with a look of uncharacteristic hesitation on his face. Several times he lifted his hand to push the door open and step inside, but each time, he would retract his arm as if afraid of something.

    He was afraid. He was afraid that the voice he heard earlier was just an illusion. He was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t find anyone when he opened the door and stepped inside.

    It was at this moment Feng Qiuyou¡¯s bright, clear voice came from within. ¡°What are you waiting for? This isn¡¯t like you!¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s nervousness abruptly disappeared into nothing and was reced by abject relief. ¡°Oh yeah? What kind of person am I in your impression?¡±

    ¡°The Joyless I know possess both courage and intelligence. He was a man who singlehandedly foiled a Stranger plot and saved a county; thwarted the Way of Taiping¡¯s conspiracy and rescued tens of thousands from certain doom; set himself out as bait to go to war against the warriors who dared to use themon people as hostages; venture alone into the Demon''s Tomb and obtain its opportunity; and destroyed the Mara Buddha and his conspiracy via a cunning trap.¡±

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s voice flowed like a soothing gust of wind or a well of clear spring. He could almost hear her smile as she continued, ¡°Besides courage and intelligence, the Joyless I know is also full of audacity. He had challenged the unchallengeable Mister Nine in a feat of rage, and bled Tian Yong terribly for daring to ensnare him in a death trap.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is how I would describe you: courageous, intelligent, and audacious.¡±

    ¡°I see! So that¡¯s how I am in your heart!¡± Ye Qing smiled and finally stepped inside the pavilion. ¡°I¡¯ll happily ept thepliment regarding my courage and intelligence, but not the audacity.¡±

    Feng Qingyou was seated on the floor. She was wearing a in green robe, and her hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall. She looked like a green lotus in a spring: simple, elegant, and magnificent.

    Right now, Feng Qingyou was brewing tea. White, formless steam rose where clear water poured into a jade cup, and the scent of tea tickled at his nostrils. It was both picturesque and tranquil.

    For a while, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t say anything. He did not want to break the beautiful illusion for as long as possible.

    Feng Qingyou brewed five pots of tea and filled five cups in total. By the time she was done, the entire room was filled with the soothing scent of tea.

    ¡°Long time no see, Joyless!¡±

    Feng Qingyou looked up and smiled at him when she was finally done with her task.

    ¡°Long time no see, Qingyou.¡±

    He had a stomach full of words to say to her, but when it was actually time to speak, five words were all he mustered.

    It was enough. She was safe, and he was sound. It was enough.

    ¡°Take a seat and try out my Five vors, will you?¡± Feng Qingyou said gently.

    ¡°Five vors? Is that the name of the tea? Is there any etiquette I need to follow?¡± Ye Qing sat down without a care. It had been more than half a year since they parted, and yet there was no sense of incongruity or or estrangement between them whatsoever.

    ¡°Just taste it!¡± Feng Qingyou gestured.

    Ye Qing picked up the cup of tea she was pointing at and took a sip. An unbelievable amount of sourness immediately spread out from the tip of his tongue all the way down to his stomach, and finally his heart.

    ¡°It¡¯s sour! Too sour!¡±

    Ye Qing scrunched up his face with distaste while shooting Feng Qingyou a look of puzzlement.

    Feng Qingyou simply handed him another cup. ¡°Now, you should try this one.¡±

    It would be an understatement to say that Ye Qing was wary after the not-so-pleasant-surprise he got, so he sipped the second cup of tea a lot more carefully than the first.

    ¡°Oh my heavens! It¡¯s so sweet!¡±

    This time, honey-like sweetness spread throughout his mouth. Just like before, its vor was extremely rich.

    ¡°Qingyou, are you sure this is tea? Not vinegar or liquid sugar?¡±

    ¡°Onto the third cup¡­¡±

    Feng Qingyou simply wore a mysterious smile on his face and handed him the third cup.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be bitter, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ye Qing asked suspiciously and took a sniff. It smelled surprisingly fragrant and refreshing, and unless his eyes were ying tricks on him, it certainly looked like tea. So, he took a sip just like before.

    The tea tasted clear and distinct when it initially entered his mouth. Then, an unbelievable bitterness caught his taste buds in a stranglehold and spread all the way to his heart.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly put down the cup of tea and reached out for the sickly sweet one earlier. He was hoping that it would counteract the bitterness that was positively choking his body and soul right now.

    Unfortunately, Feng Qingyou stopped him before he could do so and said gently yet firmly, ¡°Continue.¡±

    ¡°Qingyou, this can¡¯t be how you treat an old friend you haven¡¯t seen for some time¡­¡± Ye Qing whined as Feng Qingyou handed him the fourth cup of tea.

    The woman did not say anything. She simply looked at him with patient, gentle eyes.

    Knowing there was no turning her down, Ye Qing epted his fate and took a sip from the fourth cup. This time, unbelievable spiciness erupted across his taste buds and made him feel like his mouth was on fire. Not only that, it kept spreading until every one of his internal organs were burning as well.

    ¡°Welp, thest cup of tea has to be salty.¡±

    This time, he didn¡¯t wait for Feng Qingyou to rush him. He picked up the fifth cup himself and drank it all without any hesitation.

    He couldn¡¯t turn her down anyway. At best, he would have bought himself a couple seconds of helplessness. In that case, he might as well end his torment sooner.

    His prediction was absolutely correct. It felt like he was drinking liquid salt instead of tea. He would believe it if Feng Qingyou told him that the entire pot of tea was really just salt with a bit of water in it.

    It was at this moment the previous four vors¡ªsourness, sweetness, bitterness and spiciness¡ªflooded back into his mouth in a rush, and he had to stop talking altogether. There were no words that could describe the indescribable vor he was experiencing right now; the different sensations that kept mingling and shifting vors inside his mouth.

    Then, Ye Qing felt it. Slowly but surely, the five vors blended into one harmonious taste that no word he ever knew could properly describe. If he had to say something, he would say that it was unimaginably mellow, pure, and refreshing. He felt like he was drinking the so-called divine ambrosia or floating in the clouds. Before he knew it, he was thoroughly at peace and rxed in both body and soul.

    ¡°Amazing!¡±

    It would take a while before Ye Qing finally recovered his senses. The vors were fading, but the aftertaste still reminded him of the euphoria it once was. It wasn¡¯t just a miracle of vor either. Ye Qing feltpletely rejuvenated and at peace. He didn¡¯t know when it happened, but the true qi and spiritual power he used up in the fight against Gong Wuwei had been fully restored. The internal damage he inevitably suffered for forcing himself to use ¡°Break Hammer¡±, an overwhelmingly powerful technique that he just barely grasped a few days ago, hadpletely vanished as well.

    It was incredible.

    ¡°What on earth is this tea, Qingyou?¡±

    It was only now Feng Qingyou finally gave him a proper exnation, ¡°The name of this tea is Five vors, and it is inspired by the five vors of life: sourness, sweetness, bitterness, spiciness, and saltiness. It is brewed using sour date, sweet flower, bitter berry, pepper fruit and salty grass and a special brewing method.¡±

    ¡°If drank individually, you will experience the pinnacle of sourness, sweetness, bitterness, spiciness and saltiness. It is also highly toxic. But if they are drank in session, then the five vors willbine into a harmonious vor that is very much like the ever-changing journey of life. The reward for having experienced all vors of life to its fullest is peace and tranquility, so that is what you experience at the very end.¡±

    ¡°On a more secr note, Five vors can also repair one¡¯s mind, restore one¡¯s qi, and heal one¡¯s injuries.¡±

    ¡°Five vors, a tea that reflects the five vors of life, huh? Simply incredible.¡±

    Ye Qing paid the tea a heartfeltpliment before recalling something. ¡°Now that I think about it, you don¡¯t seem surprised by my survival at all. I¡¯m supposed to be dead, you know?¡±

    ¡°Because I believe you. I never once believed that you''re the type of person to pass easily.¡± Feng Qingyou put away her tea set as she exined, ¡°But of course, belief and reality are separate things. They are the ones who really convinced me that you aren¡¯t dead.¡±

 Chapter 783: Devilishly Intelligent

    Chapter 783: Devilishly Intelligent

    ¡°They? Who are they?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. There were only a handful of people such as Yi Pin, Li Longxiang and more who knew that he was still alive, so who¡­?

    Realization struck him then. ¡°You mean the Fog Demon?¡±

    Only a handful of people knew about the Boundless Mara Buddha¡¯s existence, and it so happened that Feng Qingyou was one of them. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Fog Demon told her that he was still alive.

    ¡°Yes, and him.¡±

    Feng Qingyou waved her hand, and two items appeared on the table. The first item was none other than the Boundless Mara Buddha, and the second item was a transparent bottle the size of a fish tank. A brain was currently lying inside of it.

    ¡°The Heartless Brain?!¡± Ye Qing eximed with a hint of surprise. Earlier, he clearly sensed the Heartless Brain¡¯s presence in Chen Wuxin¡¯s brain, which was why he thought that the Stranger was still inside Chen Wuxin¡¯s head and undetected. But now, it would appear that he was wrong.

    Ye Qing would like to say that he was surprised, but this was Feng Qingyou. In his opinion, this was just the natural oue.

    He had known Feng Qingyou for a while now, but he still couldn¡¯t see through her even now. She was as mysterious as ever like a lofty mountain that was constantly shrouded by a thick, imprable fog.Back at Luo Shui, he interacted with Feng Qingyou almost every day but could never identify her true cultivation level. Now that he was a Grandmaster, he still couldn¡¯t unearth her true depths. He was literally sitting a table away from her, and yet her veil remained as imprable as ever.

    Judging from the qin sound that subjected him to a nigh unbreakable illusion earlier, she had to be a Trueman at the very least and stronger than him.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one behind this Heartless Brain, aren¡¯t you?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Huh? Didn¡¯t they tell you everything?¡± Ye Qing blinked. He thought for sure that the Fog Demon and the Heartless Brain had divulged everything to Feng Qingyou, but since she was asking, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    Feng Qingyou smiled calmly. ¡°Your two Strangers are quite loyal to you. They revealed nothing to me. I had my suspicions, but they remained suspicions until you confirmed it to me.¡±

    Ye Qing was surprised, to be honest. The Fog Demon was unwillingly transformed into his Artifact Spirit, and throughout their association, there wasn¡¯t a single minute where it wasn¡¯t thinking of a way to control him. As for the Headless Brain, heavens knew that the Stranger wanted to slip out of his thumb and lived as his own person from the very beginning. Naturally, he was surprised to hear that neither Stranger had tried to betray him.

    ¡°If you knew that Chen Ah Sheng is mine, then why did you kill him? His head is still rotting outside the stage, you know?¡± Ye Qingined.

    ¡°Well, I only found out after I killed him,¡± Feng Qingyou exined. ¡°He was so weak that he couldn¡¯t even survive one hit. It¡¯s only after I killed him that I discovered that he¡¯s a Heartless Brain, and he¡¯s carrying your Fog Demon with him.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <em>That¡¯s a perfectly sound exnation, so why does it feel like my pride is insulted?</em>

    He shook off the weird feeling and asked, ¡°By the way, what¡¯s going on with them?¡±

    Something didn¡¯t seem right with the Boundless Mara Buddha or the Heartless Brain. Knowing their disposition, they should have shown themselves andined about how they were underpaid for this shit yada yada the second they saw him. However, neither Stranger had so much as made a peep thus far. Clearly, something wasn¡¯t right here.

    ¡°They are fine. I simply put them to sleep so they wouldn¡¯t disturb our reunion,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Ye Qing nodded in approval before voicing another question, ¡°So, why are you here, Qingyou?¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied honestly, ¡°To control Mount Qi, of course.¡±

    Caught off guard by her answer¡ªhe was expecting her to refuse to answer¡ªYe Qing swallowed whatever he was going to say earlier and asked, ¡°Dare I ask why you wish to control Mount Qi?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Feng Qingyou nodded.

    ¡°Tell me!¡± Ye Qing held his breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± Feng Qingyou responded with a hint of mischievousness.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <em>Ah, right. She said I could ask, but she never said she would tell me the truth.</em>

    ¡°Fine.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. If Feng Qingyou didn¡¯t want to say it, then there was no point pressing her. He also refrained from making wild guesses as¡ªwithout a way to confirm anything¡ªit would surely end with his frustration.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you. What is the connection between the Heartless Brain and Chen Ah Sheng?¡± Feng Qingyou changed the subject.

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. He briefly gave her a summary of his adventure after leaving Luo Shui.

    Feng Qingyou listened intently and calmly. Even when he spoke of the Ghost Tower and the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance, she did not so much as bat an eyelid. She really was the personification of calm.

    When Ye Qing finally reached the end of his story, Feng Qingyou began, ¡°The reason you¡¯re using the Heartless Brain to control the Chaos Heaven Brigand and improve your powerbase is because of what happened at Tian Yong, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    That was the question, but her tone made it clear that it wasn¡¯t one.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°So, you really killed the Harmony King¡¯s son?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re saying that you did kill the Harmony King¡¯s son, but it wasn¡¯t because you wanted to.¡±

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s voice was warm and gentle as ever, but it hit the nail right on the head. ¡°So, someone set you up!¡±

    ¡°It was Chu Wang¡ªhmm, no, that¡¯s not right. Chu Wangsun is an arrogant man who believes that crafty plots and machinations are beneath him. If he¡¯s the one going after you, he would not have gone through the trouble of setting you up. He would simply show up at your doorstep and kill you.¡±

    Feng Qingyou did not seem to notice the growing awe on Ye Qing¡¯s face. She spent about thirty seconds with her own thoughts before continuing, ¡°The one who set you up is Fang Muyuan, isn¡¯t it? I recall that Fang Zhiyong putting his younger son under Chu Wangsun¡¯s tutge to correct his stubborn and obstreperous nature. This means that the student who died at Ghost Tower supposedly because of you is Fang Muyuan¡¯s younger brother.¡±

    ¡°You are the reason that Fang Muyuan¡¯s younger brother perished, so it makes sense that Fang Muyuan would want to take revenge against you. Both him and his father are exactly the type to borrow another¡¯s hand to do their dirty work and leave no traces behind.¡±

    By the time Feng Qingyou finished her deduction, Ye Qing was staring wide-eyed at her with shock.

    A long timeter, Ye Qing finally breathed out, ¡°Qingyou, tell me the truth. Did you send someone to keep an eye on me?¡±

    Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°It is but a simple deduction based on avable facts. Your reaction is exaggerated.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but I feel evermore the fool before you, Qingyou!¡± Ye Qing said quietly.

    He had only given Qingyou a summary of his grudge with Chu Wangsun. He had never mentioned his student¡¯s name from the start until the end¡ªnot least because he didn¡¯t even know what that boy was called¡ªand yet Feng Qingyou had urately deduced the whole truth minutes after listening to his ount.

    If Fugong hadn¡¯te after him afterward, he probably still wouldn¡¯t have figured out who was the bloody bastard who entrapped him to this day! What the hell!

    If only he was as smart as Feng Qingyou; if only he could have figured out his framer from the get go¡­ He could have saved himself with Hong Jianglong and the Pacification Bureau¡¯s support.

    He didn¡¯t regret it too much, of course. It wasn¡¯t like he could turn back the clock and fix his mistakes. He just thought that he might have had a chance to save himself if he had Feng Qingyou¡¯s intelligence.

    ¡°I know more than you, and you are the victim of a conspiracy. It is only natural that you are less able to identify your circumstances than the observer with no stakes in the game.¡± Feng Qingyou consoled him. ¡°If I were in your position, I might not have fared much better than you.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s fine, Qingyou. You don¡¯t need to console me.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head with a smile. If Feng Qingyou was him, she probably would have glimpsed the truth right after the Corpse Ship incident. She would have correctly identified the danger and taken the necessary steps to secure herself adequately.

    Past him was simply too slow; too foolish.

 Chapter 784: Four Seas Summit

    Chapter 784: Four Seas Summit

    ¡°So, you took control of the Chaos Heaven Brigand and grew your powerbase to take revenge against Fang Muyun,¡± Feng Qingyou said.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of my backup ns, yes,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for disrupting your ns, Joyless,¡± Feng Qingyou apologized. ¡°s, I need Mount Qi for my own ns, so I cannot surrender them to you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was something I came up with on a whim to begin with. It¡¯s not important.¡±

    It was a half-truth. It was true that the idea had urred to him as a whim, but to say it wasn¡¯t important to his ns would be a total lie.

    In his original n, Chen Wuxin would take control of the Chaos Heaven Brigand and expand his influence in secret. After he became a Grandmaster, he would travel to Mount Qi and attempt to take control of the entire ce in one fell swoop. With Mount Qi and Xue Beikun¡¯s forces under his control, he would finally have the beginnings of a powerbase that could go up against Fang Zhiyong and Fang Muyun.

    Unfortunately, Feng Qingyou stole his prize before he could even put his n into action.

    If she was anyone else, he would have fought for his prize one way or another. But since it was Feng Qingyou, he had no choice but topromise.

    He waspromising not because he was in love with her, but because she was a friend and the one who saved his life. Either one of these reasons was a reason enough to make apromise.Sure, his ns to take revenge against Fang Muyun had suffered a definite setback because of this, but so what? Was hepletely helpless just because his n A was no more?

    There are countless ways to reach one¡¯s destination. If one way doesn¡¯t work, then choose another. It was that simple.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled. It was warm and soothing like spring.

    ¡°That said, aren¡¯t you going topensate me for my life? I <em>am </em>making apromise here,¡± Ye Qing joked.

    ¡°True. What kind ofpensation do you desire?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Hmm, let me think¡­¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his chin and pretended to think for a moment before giving his answer, ¡°I got it! Uncle Feng told me that you have a homebrew called Three Lives Wine that is one of the best wines he had ever tasted! Why don¡¯t you give me a jar?¡±

    ¡°Okay! But not now,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Ye Qing looked puzzled.

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Generally speaking, wine tastes better and richer with age, but the Three Lives Wine is the opposite. It tastes best when it has just finished brewing, and it will teach you what it means that the past should remain in the dust, the present should be lived without regrets, and the future is full of hope.¡±

    ¡°Such is the meaning the Three Lives Wine hopes to convey, and why leaving it to age would only ruin it. If you truly wish to taste the Three Lives Wine, then I urge you to wait until the beginning of the next spring. I shall treat you to the wine then.¡±

    ¡°That sounds fantastic. I would love to!¡± Ye Qing said happily.

    Feng Qingyou said, ¡°By the way, I have something I¡¯d like to ask of you as well.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Speak freely,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to keep today¡¯s matter a secret. Is that okay?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°And here I thought it was something serious. Of course it¡¯s okay. Not a word will leave my lips.¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    ¡°Thank you, Joyless.¡± Feng Qingyou beamed. ¡°As thanks, I will tell you a piece of intel.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°It rtes to Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Fang Muyun?¡± Ye Qing didn¡¯t really care about the intel until he heard the name ¡°Fang Muyun¡±. He immediately ced his full, undivided attention on Feng Qingyou.

    Instead of giving away the intel immediately, Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Do you know about the Four Seas Summit?¡±

    ¡°The Four Seas Summit?¡± Ye Qing shook his head and answered frankly, ¡°No, I do not.¡±

    ¡°The Four Seas Summon originates from a joint treaty between Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei nine hundred years ago. It was a treaty to stand together and fight against the Strangers of the four seas regardless of their differences.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Nine hundred years ago, You had just fallen, and the four countries were busy fighting against each other for the spoils. During this time, the Strangers of the four seas led by Kun Sage and Dragon Lord invaded humanity and attempted to conquer it all.¡±

    ¡°The four seas came ferociously, and neither country was able to respond adequately due to the ongoing turmoil. In just the span of months, they were able to upy hundreds of kilometers ofnd, destroy thousands upon thousands of settlements, and turn thousands and thousands of kilometers of fertile ground into wastnds. Countless people perished and lost their homes as a result.¡±

    ¡°Realizing that this cannot continue, the four countries agreed to a ceasefire and signed the Four Seas Treaty at the Eastern Shore. Together, they fought back against the Strangers of the four seas for three years and sessfully sealed Kun Sage in the Guixu, suppressed Dragon Lord in the Deep Abyss, and pushed the Strangers back to the deep sea.¡±

    ¡°In order tomemorate their forefathers¡¯ sacrifices and the sessful repulsion of the Strangers of the four seas, Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei decided to form the Four Seas Summit and build the city known as Four Seas at the Eastern Shore. Every three years on the September ninth, the four countries would meet at Four Seas to hold the Four Seas Summit tomemorate their forefathers, show off humanity¡¯s strength, and intimidate the Strangers of the four seas[1].¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing nodded in understanding. ¡°So, what does it have to do with Fang Muyun?¡±

    ¡°The Four Seas Summit has been held for nine hundred years, and it is one of the most celebrated events among the four nations. You may also view it as a summit of all <em>wulin </em>under the heavens.¡±

    Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°When it is time, the four countries would dispatch their young, promising geniuses to attend the Four Seas Summit. They would be trading pointers with each other, coordinating joint projects and so on during the summit.¡±

    ¡°As ofte, the Strangers of the four seas were starting to grow restless again. The countries know this because the frequency of their harassment has gone up as ofte. In order to cower the Strangers to submission, Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei have unanimously decided to dispatch their strongest, brightest stars to attend the summit. They n to show off their national power and the strength of humanity.¡±

    ¡°ording to my sources, Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun are the two geniuses that Chu has chosen to dispatch this time.¡±

    ¡°I know that Chu is declining as ofte, but Fang Muyun? There has to be a better candidate, hasn¡¯t there?¡± Ye Qing quipped subconsciously.

    ¡°It looks like your perception of Fang Muyun is somewhat skewed.¡± Feng Qingyou shot Ye Qing a look of amusement. ¡°You didn¡¯t actually think that Fang Muyun is a helpless schr, did you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. He was aware that Fang Muyun was no weak schr who couldn¡¯t even wrestle a chicken. ording to Fugong, Fang Muyun wasn¡¯t just an exceptionally intelligent and shrewd schemer, but also a martial genius in his own right. It was just that his deepest impression of Fang Muyun was the devious, traceless machinations that nearly ended his life at Tian Yong, so he subconsciously overlooked the schr¡¯s martial attainment.

    ¡°Fang Muyun is a man of profound learning and unparalleled wisdom, cunning, skill and power. The current emperor of Chu once said in front of his court officials that Fang Muyun was a one-of-a-kind talent whose civil acumen could rule a country and prosper the people, and military prowess could take down strongholds, destroy cities, and pacify the Four Seas. He imed that Fang Muyun is worth more than an army of tens of thousands, and that Chu was blessed to have him.¡±

    Feng Qingyou seemed to admire Fang Muyun quite a bit. ¡°If we¡¯re looking at talent alone, Fang Muyun is actually better than even Chu Wangsun. However, those who are wise are often gued by a mountain of work, and Fang Muyun did not have the luxury to focus on martial arts only. The number of times he fought publicly are few and far between either. That is why most people knew of Chu Wangsun, but not Mister Farseeing.¡±

    ¡°ording to my sources, Fang Muyun is now a Trueman, or a Confucian Gentleman to be exact.¡±

    ¡°Fang Muyun¡¯s a Trueman already?¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment, though he quickly came to terms with it.

    The term Feng Qingyou used to describe Fang Muyun¡ªConfucian Gentleman¡ªwas how Confucian schrs addressed their own Truemen and Grandmasters.

    To a Confucian, a schr who became a Trueman was definitely a square gentleman who had found the truth in the books and attained perfection. Hence, they were known as gentlemen. In terms of position and power, they were simr to a True Lord of Taoism, or an Arhat or Bodhisattva of Buddhism.

    ¡°Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun spend most of their time in the capital of Chu, and I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you how heavily guarded it is. Trying to kill Fang Muyun in the Chu capital is akin to climbing the heavens as an ordinary person. Even if you somehow did the impossible, it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to escape safely.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said, ¡°Therefore, the only time you may attempt to assassinate Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun is when they are away from the Chu capital. This Four Seas summit is an excellent opportunity, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    1. Did I look into the future and specifically avoided capitalizing four seas since the very beginning so I can differentiate between the city and the seas? Let¡¯s pretend I did and it wasn¡¯t a total coincidence. Yeah. ?

 Chapter 785: Brewing Plot

    Chapter 785: Brewing Plot

    ¡°It is an excellent opportunity.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. One, the Four Seas Summit would be set on the Eastern Shore, a location that was far away from Chu. Two, the Four Seas Summit was a grand event involving every country under the heavens, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that thousands and thousands of people would be attending. As the saying went, murky waters make for easy pickings. Be it taking his revenge against Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun or making his escape afterward, this kind of environment was advantageous to both.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me this, Qingyou. I¡¯ll be sure to repay you properly after I¡¯ve taken my revenge.¡±

    Ye Qing thanked her before voicing his curiosity, ¡°By the way, how did you know about this? We¡¯re still half a year away from the Four Seas Summit, and I¡¯m pretty sure that the participant list is a matter of national secret, right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± Feng Qingyou gave him a mysterious smile and changed the subject, ¡°So, you¡¯re definitely heading to the Eastern Shore.¡±

    ¡°But of course! I wouldn¡¯t get a better chance than this. I see no reason to miss it whatsoever,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m actually nning to travel to the Eastern Shore and experience this year¡¯s Four Seas summit as well. When the timees, I¡¯ll lend you a hand.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re heading to the Eastern Shore too? That¡¯s awesome! We can travel together!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up like the stars. ¡°However, I¡¯d appreciate it if you don¡¯t lend me a hand.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Do you think I¡¯m too weak to help you, or do you think I¡¯ll drag you down?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.¡°Of course not! I am more than happy to ept your help!¡± Ye Qing hurriedly exined himself, ¡°It¡¯s just that this is my vengeance and my mess, so I¡¯m the one who should handle it. There is no reason to drag anyone into it.¡±

    He was happy that Feng Qingyou was willing to help him. It proved that she cherished their rtionship and bond. However, that did not mean he should take her kindness for granted.

    He made it sound like killing Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun were as easy as snapping his fingers, but it couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. The journey would surely be riddled with obstacles and dangers. Even if he seeded, it would not be the end of the story. In fact, it would be the start of a new, bigger danger. One misstep, and he would be facing the wrath of the Fang n and the Jixia Academy at the very least, or the entire Chu at the worst. In that scenario, the world literally wasn¡¯t big enough to hide him.

    He wanted to kill Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun because he wanted to settle past scores and do right by himself. But if he had to put Feng Qingyou at risk to do this, then he would rather not go through with it in the first ce.

    It wasn¡¯t that he was soft-hearted or anything. Feng Qingyou was his friend and the woman who saved his life. Be it from a principle or an emotional perspective, he could not put her in danger for his own selfish goals.

    ¡°Are we friends?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Naturally,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°If we are friends, then it¡¯s only natural that we support each other during our time of need. Those who only partake in the other¡¯s spoils and never their suffering aren¡¯t friends to begin with.¡±

    She added something he wasn¡¯t expecting after a pause, ¡°Besides, helping you is helping myself.¡±

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? Do you have a score to settle with Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun as well?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head, which only added to Ye Qing¡¯s confusion.

    He asked, ¡°Then what do you mean by, ¡®helping you is helping myself¡¯?¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered vaguely, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that they were born at the wrong ce.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only confusing me more, Qingyou.¡±

    Ye Qing seriously had no idea what she was talking about. He understood every word she spoke, and yet it made no sense whatsoever when they were joined into a sentence.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand in the future.¡± Feng Qingyou did not exin any further. ¡°All I can tell you at the moment is that Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun are two of my primary objectives for this trip. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to worry about putting me at risk. Even if you haven¡¯t shown up, I would¡¯ve sought them out anyway.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qing asked suspiciously. He couldn¡¯t be sure if Feng Qingyou was telling the truth because she was the one person who was immune to his ability to sense emotions.

    No, it wasn¡¯t because Feng Qingyou¡¯s mind was as unfathomable as the endless sky. If anything, it was the opposite. Clear and pure as a mountain spring, her heart was bare for all to see.

    That only confounded him more, however. All living beings in the world possessed Seven Emotions and Six Desires. Every ripple in one¡¯s heart, every thought in one¡¯s mind naturally drew from these emotions. It was why desire was the hardest thing to subjugate bar none.

    The reason the Buddhists disciplined and restricted themselves, the Taoists slew their heart demons, and the Confucian suppressed their so-called ¡°heart ape¡± and ¡°desire horse¡± were all to achieve unity between the heart and mind. However, how many people could actually reach that level?

    To his senses, Feng Qingyou¡¯s heart was as still as a dead well. The ripples of her heart were as pure as they were almost non-existent. Either she had truly achieved the so-called unity in heart and mind and transcended desire and emotions, or she was only showing him what she wanted him to see. In either case, Feng Qingyou was as mysterious as she was unfathomable.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed.

    Ye Qing stopped hesitating andughed loudly. ¡°I¡¯m d. With your help, there is no way Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun would escape me this time!¡±

    Feng Qingyou did not answer. She simply smiled at him like a beautiful, tranquil painting.

    A few breathster, Ye Qing recalled something and said, ¡°Oh right, there is one more thing I need your help with, Qingyou.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Do you know who Xue Beikun is?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You mean the new Right Battalion Commander of the Brigand Obliterator?¡± Feng Qingyou said.

    ¡°You know him?¡± Ye Qing was a little surprised, to be honest. He was going to give her a brief summary of his background, but as it turned out, she already knew him.

    ¡°Of course I do. He went from a littlemandant to the rightmander of the Brigand Obliterator in just a matter of months. How could I possibly miss someone like him?¡±

    Suddenly, Feng Qingyou looked into his eyes with a growing smile on her face. ¡°He¡¯s yours, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s hand shook, and he damned near sent one of the tea cups on the table flying. <em>Is she a prophet or something?!</em>

    ¡°There are four points that fueled my suspicion. One, Xue Beikun was originally themander of the ck Feathers of Luo Shui. It was a cushy job with little to no risk and much to gain from, and yet he gave it up and came all the way to this danger-filled ce to serve as an insignificantmandant. Logically speaking, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    Feng Qingyou actually gave him a serious exnation, ¡°Two, Xue Beikun had shown up at Qing Wu at more or less the same time you faked your death and made your escape. It is also around the time you sent the Heartless Brain to take control of the Chaos Heaven Brigand. It seemed too coincidental to be a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Three, Xue Beikun was unusually familiar with the inner workings of Mount Qi. For whatever reason, he could always figure out his enemies¡¯ ns beforehand and annihte them ordingly. It is why he was promoted to his current position in just a matter of months. This is something even a local would find difficult to do, much less an outsider who just arrived at Qing Wu.¡±

    ¡°And four, Xue Beikun had given Mount Qi quite the run for its money since he came to Qing Wu. Although I can¡¯t say that the blows he dealt to Mount Qi as a whole are serious, he has certainly caused a lot of trouble to most of the factions in Mount Qi¡ªall of them, except one Chen Ah Sheng. It¡¯s almost guaranteed that they shared some sort of connection between them.¡±

    ¡°Looking at Xue Beikun¡¯s background, the timing of his appearance in Qing Wu, his unnaturally swift promotion, and the strange connection he shared with Chen Ah Sheng, there is one constant that stands between the two of them, and that constant is you.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, I arrived at the conclusion that Xue Beikun is yours.¡±

 Chapter 786: Cooperation

    Chapter 786: Cooperation

    Ye Qing was impressed from the bottom of his heart. To be fair, Feng Qingyou already knew about his rtionship with Chen Ah Sheng, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult to put two and two together. However, it was still mighty impressive that she was able to piece together the scattered clues and deduce the whole truth.

    He knew that Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t discovered the truth of Xue Beikun because he mentioned him either. No, she had probably figured it out from the moment she learned that the Heartless Brain was his subordinate.

    Her exnation was also a subtle reminder to him that the supposedly secret cooperation between Xue Beikun and the Heartless Brain was not nearly as secretive as he thought it was. To be exact, both sides were too eager to aplish the tasks he set for them and rushed things.

    As per his orders, Xue Beikun and the Heartless Brain had cooperated many times to eliminate the bandits of Mount Qi. Xue Beikun used the merit to get himself promoted, and the Heartless Brain devoured the remnant forces of the defeated bandits to strengthen itself.

    The n should have been wless. Had they executed it slowly and methodically, then no one would have found out about it. Instead, Xue Beikun was rising through the ranks far too quickly, and the Chaos Heaven Brigand was rapidly expanding their power and influence as well. It was inevitable that someone would discover the connection between them.

    If Feng Qingyou could discover their connection, then another person might find out about it. The woman was hardly the only smart person in the world after all.

    Thankfully, there was a silver lining to this situation. It had only been months since the n was executed, and Xue Beikun¡¯s current position was smack dab at the center of the totem pole. Although the Chaos Heaven Brigand was expanding way faster than it had any right to be, it wasn¡¯t too obvious and hadn¡¯t drawn too much attention. Therefore, there was no danger of Xue Beikun being found out and exposed¡ªfor now.

    In the end, they were too hasty; too eager to produce results in the shortest time possible. He would have to caution them about this.

    ¡°If you can figure that out, then I¡¯m sure this won¡¯t be a problem for you. What do you think my request is, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing challenged her.¡°Since you mentioned Xue Beikun, your request must have something to do with him.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered immediately like she was the personification of wisdom itself, ¡°You wish for me to rece Chen Ah Sheng as his new coborator and assist him in his promotion, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you really are wise beyond imagination, Qingyou. That is exactly correct.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°So? Will you ept?¡±

    Although Feng Qingyou¡¯s aid meant that his n to take revenge against Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun were more realistic than before, a wise man always leaves an out for themselves. Should the worst happen, and they failed to assassinate either one of the geniuses during their stay at the Eastern Shore, then Xue Beikun would be his one and only backup n.

    After all, the Chaos Heaven Brigand was no more, and he already promised to give up Mount Qi to Feng Qingyou.

    Ye Qing had chosen to inform Feng Qingyou about Xue Beikun and asked for her cooperation after serious consideration. One, he shared a good rtionship with her. Although her identity and origin were a mystery to him, he knew with every fiber in his body that she wouldn¡¯t harm him. He also knew that Feng Qingyou shared no ties¡ªnone that were good anyway¡ªwith Chu because she was here in Mount Qi. If she really was a friend of Chu, then she would not be trying to control it in secret.

    At the very least, their interests were closely aligned to each other.

    Two, their cooperation would drastically benefit both of them and kill several birds with one stone.

    For him, the entire Mount Qi would be his shield. Xue Beikun would also be able to use its resources to swiftly and safely grow his power and authority.

    For her, Xue Beikun would be her spy and give her insight into the border army¡¯s every move. She would be able to mitigate Mount Qi¡¯s losses to thergest degree while still ensuring that Xue Beikun would rise through the ranks. And the higher Xue Beikun¡¯s rank and authority, the better it would be for Mount Qi as a whole.

    He could not see any reason for Feng Qingyou to turn him down, and as expected, she didn¡¯t. She gave him a smile and said, ¡°I see no reason to turn down such a wonderful offer, so I ept. I would have brought it up myself if you haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Our hearts really do beat as one!¡± Ye Qingughed before realizing that he had gotten a little too excited. He immediately masked his embarrassment with a cough.

    Luckily for him, Feng Qingyou did not seem to care about his frivolousment. She simply smiled at him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way. The Heartless Brain will stay in Mount Qi so that he can both assist Wuwei and maintain his rtionship with Xue Beikun. Do you agree?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°Since we are in agreement, please inform the Heartless Brain about our new arrangement. In the meantime, I will request Wuwei to get him a new body.¡±

    Feng Qingyou tapped the table lightly with a finger, and an invisible wave of energy shed once. Then, both the Boundless Mara Buddha and the Heartless Brain awakened at the same time.

    ¡°B-brother! You finally came! I¡¯m so, so sorry that I failed you!¡± The Heartless Brain was besides himself the second he awakened and saw Ye Qing. ¡°It¡¯s really not my fault though. That woman is just too ruthless; too cruel! You have no idea the pains I went through¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Ye Qing coughed and winked at him repeatedly in an attempt to warn him that the ¡°ruthless¡± and ¡°cruel¡± woman he was speaking of was right behind him.

    Strangely, the Heartless Brain failed to get his cues at all. He asked in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother? Did sand get into your eyes or something?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, where is that woman? She is unbelievably powerful. How on earth did you manage to rescue us from her clutches?¡±

    ¡°And where is the Fog Demon? Is he still trapped?¡±

    ¡°I am here!¡± It was at this moment the Fog Demon floated out of the Boundless Mara Buddha and dered loudly. ¡°You came, boy! Since you managed to rescue me, you must have be a Grandmaster! Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ since the Fog Demon is here, then you must have captured that woman! As expected of my brother!¡±

    The Heartless Brain eximed in joy when he saw the Fog Demon. ¡°Where is that woman right now? I¡¯m going to teach her a lesson! The damned woman had no idea how hard it was to find a passable body, and she just destroyed it in one strike! Worse, she¡­ she¡­!¡±

    The Heartless Brain trailed off and started shaking uncontrobly. Ye Qing could literally see the blood vessels and nerves in the brain twitching violently as if recalling a most unpleasant memory. When the Heartless Brain finally jolted back to reality, he uttered wrathfully, ¡°I¡¯m gonna make her wish that she was dead!¡±

    ¡°Hello? Are you there, brother? Why aren¡¯t you talking? And why are you looking behind me? Is something there?¡±

    Ye Qing paid the Heartless Brain¡¯s incessant rants no heed. It was because he was busy staring at Feng Qingyou in shock.

    It was only now he was certain that the Heartless Brain hadn¡¯t misunderstood his cues. He just didn¡¯t¡ªor more urately, couldn¡¯t¡ªsee Feng Qingyou behind him. It was the same for the Fog Demon.

    The difference between ¡°didn¡¯t¡± and ¡°couldn¡¯t¡± was miniscule, but right now, it chilled Ye Qing down to his very core. Feng Qingyou was literally a table away from him, and the distance was only shorter for the Heartless Brain and the Fog Demon. And yet, they were unable to perceive her at all.

    How could he not be surprised?

    How could he not be afraid?

    He recalled how Feng Qingyou had trapped him in a nigh unbreakable illusion with a simple twang of her qin, and how it had taken his iplete ¡°Break Hammer¡± to finally break it.

    In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t surprising at all. If she could corner him like that, then why wouldn¡¯t she be able to mask herself from the Heartless Brain and the Fog Demon¡¯s perception?

    ¡°I have brought him over, miss.¡±

    It was at this moment Gong Wuwei¡¯s voice came from outside the entrance.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said softly, and invisible waves seemed to ripple through the space around them. It was only then the Heartless Brain and the Fog Demon finally noticed that she was right behind them.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s you? Why are you here?¡± The Heartless Brain eximed in shock and even more horror.

    ¡°I am the master of this ce. Why wouldn¡¯t I be here?¡± Feng Qingyou smiled at him. ¡°Speaking of which, you had a lot of fun insulting me right to my face, hadn¡¯t you? It seems that I haven¡¯t punished you enough.¡±

    The Heartless Brain could barely stop himself from stuttering when he heard the threat. ¡°I-I-I-I-I-I was wrong! It was a mistake! I was stuck in this bottle for so long that I turned a little stupider than normal! I didn¡¯t mean anything I said just now, so please, forgive me!¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows curiously. Just what did Feng Qingyou do to him that such a simple threat would scare him like a frightened kitten?

 Chapter 787: Years Gone By

    Chapter 787: Years Gone By

    ¡°Right! Right, it¡¯s all <em>this </em>guy¡¯s fault! I only did what I did because he forced me to do it! If you want to settle scores, then settle it with him! I¡¯m just the underling who doesn¡¯t know anything!¡±

    The Heartless Brain was curled up in a corner of the bottle when he said this. He hadn¡¯t hesitated even a moment when he sold Ye Qing out to Feng Qingyou.

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <em>How long did it take him to go from ¡°brother¡± to ¡°this guy¡± since he woke up? A minute? Two minutes? Well, you asked for it, ¡°brother¡±.</em>

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is, Qingyou, but it¡¯s audacious enough to nder your good name and mine. For both our sakes, I believe you should punish him properly. But don¡¯t kill him, of course. Living is more painful than dying after all.¡±

    Ye Qing leaned back and pretended he couldn¡¯t see the Heartless Brain after saying that.

    The Heartless Brain immediately changed his tune, ¡°Brother Ye! My brother! You cannot do this to me! We are brothers who beheaded a chicken, burned the yellow papers and swore to the heavens even though there isn¡¯t a single drop of blood between the two of us! You cannot leave me for dead!¡±

    ¡°Wow, don¡¯t call me your <em>brother</em>. I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t have a <em>brother </em>who sells out his friends like nothing!¡± Ye Qing purposely emphasized the word ¡°brother¡± each time he said it.

    ¡°Joyless Ye, you heartless bastard! That wasn¡¯t what you said when you sent me to Mount Qi! I never gave up your secret despite the horrible torture I went through, and this is how you treat me?!¡±

    The Heartless Brain wailed, ¡°Okay then! If you¡¯re going to abandon me like this, then don¡¯t me me for returning the favor!¡±¡°Miss, I was a blind fool who gave my loyalty and trust to an untrustworthy bastard. If you will ept me, I would like to correcy this mistake and join you instead. I will tell you everything I know about this unfaithful, treacherous bastard. All I ask is that you y him now and eliminate the grave threat he poses to all of society!¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± Every time he thought he had figured out the depths of the Heartless Brain¡¯s shamelessness, the Stranger would find a new low to stoop to.

    That said, the shameless bastard only dared to say what he said because he figured out that he and Feng Qingyou weren¡¯t strangers. He did address her as Qingyou just now, and they were currently sharing a room and a table. Hasty the Heartless Brain might be, he wasn¡¯t stupid. That was why he was putting on this buffoonery right now.

    ¡°Very well. I ept your surrender.¡±

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes crinkled in amusement as she watched Ye Qing and the Heartless Brain bickering with each other.

    ¡°Bring him in, Wuwei.¡±

    ¡°Right away, miss!¡±

    Gong Wuwei opened the door and entered the room. She was apanied by another man. He was over 1.7 meters tall, and his appearance was perfectly average. His aura spoke a different story, however. He was just standing there, and yet he gave off a kind of coldness and fearsomeness that could only have been rued through countless cold-blooded murder.

    Something was off with him, however. His eyes were currently unfocused and nk like that of a puppet¡¯s.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Ye Qing asked. The unknown man was a Trueman.

    ¡°His name is Xing Ying. You may know him as the Baby Eater, one of the Three Demons of Yandang,¡± Feng Qingyou replied in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°The Three Demons of Yandang?!¡± Killing intent shed in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. In fact, he had heard of this bastard. The Three Demons of Yandang were three bandits operating near Yandang Mountain of Mount Qi. They were sworn brothers who called themselves the Baby Eater, the Heart Digger, and the Head Slicer.

    Their monikers should tell you all you needed to know about their character. The Baby Eater loved eating babies, the Heart Digger loved to dig out people¡¯s hearts, and the Head Slicer loved to behead people for pleasure. All three of them were heartless monsters who tantlymitted the taboo without hesitation and deserved to be punished by everyone.

    Unfortunately, the Three Demons of Yandang were all Truemen. Out of all of them, the Baby Eate was the strongest. They also spent most of their time hiding inside Mount Qi, which was why they were able to avoid their rightful retribution to this day.

    Thankfully, it looked like Feng Qingyou had dealt with them. If the Baby Eater had fallen into Feng Qingyou¡¯s hands, then surely the Heart Digger and the Head Slicer were dead.

    ¡°You¡¯re a lucky bastard, Heartless Brain.¡±

    Clearly, the Baby Eater was the host Feng Qingyou had prepared for the Heartless Brain. Although he lost the Half-Step Grandmaster Chen Ah Sheng, he got a Trueman Xin Ying in exchange. It was a win for him no matter how you looked at it.

    ¡°He¡¯s yours.¡± Feng Qingyou waved her hand and removed the cork covering the bottle.

    ¡°What¡­ what do you mean?¡± The Heartless Brain looked confused.

    Since you¡¯ve decided to join me, it¡¯s only right that I offer you the appropriate support, right? His body is yours,¡± Feng Qingyou dered with a smile.

    ¡°But¡­ why?¡±

    It should be a no-brainer to ept this offer, but the Heartless Brain hesitated. He simply could not figure out what Feng Qingyou was nning. He subconsciously looked at Ye Qing for directions.

    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ve teased you long enough. It¡¯s like this.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled and proceeded to tell the Heartless Brain all about his decision to cooperate with Feng Qingyou, the fact that he wanted him to remain in Mount Qi and continue assisting Xue Beikun and so on. ¡°If you¡¯re going to stay in Mount Qi, then you¡¯re going to need a new body, and this is the body Qingyou has chosen for you. So, what are you waiting for? Thank her already, Brother Chen.¡±

    ¡°I see! Thank you, Miss Feng. I shall happily ept your gift, hahahaha¡­¡±

    Now that he finally understood what was going on, the Heartless Brain guffawed before urging, ¡°What are <em>you </em>waiting for, brother? Carry me over to his head already!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled and lifted the Heartless Brain into the air with a wisp of true qi. Then, he ced him on the back of Xin Ying¡¯s head.

    The Heartless Brain wriggle on the Trueman¡¯s head for a bit before forcing his way inside. At the same time, Xin Ying¡¯s brain was ejected out of his skull.

    If Xin Ying was still conscious, then the Heartless Brain wouldn¡¯t even be able to get close to him, much less control him. Somehow, Feng Qingyou had muddled his consciousness such that he never realized his approaching demise even until the moment the Heartless Brain ejected his brain out of his skull.

    While the Heartless Brain was busy taking over Xin Ying, Ye Qing whispered to Feng Qingyou, ¡°What did you do to him, Qingyou? I¡¯ve never seen him this scared before.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. A Heartless Brain likes crawling into a human¡¯s head, right? So, I cast an illusion and gave him a taste of his own medicine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Ye Qing did not believe her.

    ¡°Naturally. It¡¯s just that I put him through the illusion a couple more times than he liked,¡± Feng Qingyou added.

    ¡°... And how many times is that, exactly?¡± Ye Qing seemed to realize something.

    Feng Qingyou replied calmly, ¡°About ten thousand times or so.¡±

    ¡°Yep. That would do it.¡±

    ¡°You the boss, Qingyou.¡±

    ¡°A couple more times than he liked¡±, she said. Calling it the understatement of the century would be understating it.

    While they were talking, the Heartless Brain finally finished taking over Xin Ying and awakened back to reality.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I, Chen Wuxin, am back!¡±

    The Heartless Brain barked out inughter while testing his limbs. Then, he walked up to Feng Qingyou and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you for granting me a new lease of life, miss. I swear I will do everything in my power to repay the favor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded. ¡°From now on, you will stay here and assist Wuwei in managing Mount Qi. I want you to make sure that Mount Qi is firmly in our grasp.¡±

    ¡°That said, you must act with caution. The two of you will need to work together and set up smokescreens that will convince others that Mount Qi is still in sixes and sevens. No one must know that Mount Qi has really gained a master.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, miss,¡± Gong Wuwei answered with a salute.

    ¡°Chen Wuxin, you maymunicate with Xue Beikun and arrange a couple of performances with him. But again, make sure you do not arouse the Qing Wu garrison¡¯s suspicion.¡±

    Feng Qingyou looked Chen Wuxin in the eye and said, ¡°I will need you to rein in your impatience and eagerness for immediate results when you cooperate with Xue Beikun. Slow and steady wins the race. If Xue Beikun rises through the ranks too quickly, someone will suspect foul y, and he will fall into danger. That will be detrimental to all of us.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    After Chen Wuxin came back to ¡°life¡±, Feng Qingyou began issuing one instruction after another. She meticulously went through each and every detail and provided instructions for all of them. What seemed like aplicated, tangled mess was slowly but surely being dissected into orderly, manageable pieces under Feng Qingyou¡¯s arrangements.

    Ye Qing did not know if he was just his imagination, but right now, Feng Qingyou was disying a kind of charisma he had never seen before. If before, he had only seen the calm and collected, simple yet elegant side of her, now he was seeing the strong, domineering, and fiercely intelligent side of her. In either case, he was absolutely fascinated.

    With that done, Ye Qing would remain in Mount Qi for two weeks and assist Feng Qingyou in cleaning up the strays that somehow escaped notice for one reason or another. Eventually, they were able to eliminate all the variables and take total control of Mount Qi.

    After that, Ye Qing temporarily returned to Bei You to bid Li Longxiang and Wen Shu goodbye. Feng Qingyou remained behind at Mount Qi to oversee matters and make the necessary arrangements before their travel.

    Ye Qing stayed at Bei You for half a month. One day before he took his leave, Yi Pin finally came back from his travels. The two would spend the whole day drinking to their heart¡¯s content.

    The next day early morning, Ye Qing left silently before Yi Pin or Li Longxiang woke up.

    I came home, but you are nowhere to be seen.

    I left home, just in time to miss you.

    Nothing seemed different about the jar of wine we shared.

    And yet years had already gone by.

 Chapter 788: Three Perfections Troupe

    Chapter 788: Three Perfections Troupe

    The greatest pass in Yan was called the Southern March Pass, and it was guarded by one of the Nine Guards known as the South Pacifiers.

    The pass was named Southern March because it was where an army would march through should they choose to invade south, and the guard was named South Pacifier because they were meant to pacify the south.

    Yan¡¯s determination and ambition to wipe out Chu could not be any clearer.

    Chu upied the Central in and so enjoyed a vast amount ofnd and rich quantity and variety of resources. Its people also enjoyed peaceful and prosperous lives, so much so that Chu was nicknamed the Country of Heaven.

    On the other hand, Yan upied the cold, harshnds of the north. Resources were scarce, and the people were so poor that they could barely feed themselves from day to day. Naturally, Yan coveted Chu¡¯s prosperity and wished to destroy them and im the Central in for themselves.

    For centuries, Yan provoked Chu again and again and started many wars in an attempt to conquer Chu. There were several times where they sessfully conquered Northern Xinjiang and gained free ess to the heart of Chu. They had been very close from annihting Chu and ruling over the Central in.

    Unfortunately, Chu always seemed to find its savior during its lowest times. A hero of humble origin would rise out of seemingly nowhere, and they never failed to push back against the unstoppable tide, halt the decline right before it would pass the point of no return, and somehow save the country from destruction. Time and again, Yan was sent packing with their hopes and dreams dashed.

    Despite this, Yan¡¯s ambition to eliminate Chu never died. They were constantly readying their troops and reorganizing their armaments so that they might travel south and invade Chu again.

    This was especially true for the current emperor of Yan, the Martial Emperor. A man of great talent and ambition, he had restructured the administration, readied the troops, formed vertical and horizontal alliances, and made friends with countless parties. To say that he was eyeing Chu like a tiger eyeing a delicious piece of meat would be an understatement.The Southern March Pass was a strategic location and the gate Yan¡¯s army must pass through if they wished to invade Chu. Naturally, it was heavily guarded. The South Pacifiers of the Nine Guards was but one of its numerous troops.

    However, the pass wasn¡¯t as tough, solemn, and oppressive as it presented itself to be. On the contrary, it was bustling with activity and full of life. This was because the Southern March Pass was both the greatest pass of Yan and a key trade center. It was a transit point, a trade center, a resting spot and more for all traveling merchants who wished to conduct business with Yan. Naturally, it was extraordinarily busy almost all the time.

    ¡°Merchants from eight directions gather here at Eight Directions to enjoy good food, wine, andpany.¡± That was how the Eight Directions Inn, the absolute most famous inn in the Southern March Pass, advertised itself.

    In fact, Eight Directions Inn did offer the best wine, the most delicious food, and the most wonderful entertainment in the entire Southern March Pass. That was why it was full of customers even though it wasn¡¯t mealtime yet.

    That was one reason. The Eight Directions Inn was famous, but not even it could be this lively at this hour all the time. The other reason they were jam-packed today was because the world famous troupe, the Three Perfections Troupe, would be conducting a performance at the Eight Directions Inn today.

    The Three Perfections Troupe was an extremely famous circus troupe in the <em>jianghu. </em>They called themselves ¡°Three Perfections¡± because they offered three perfected performances. They were People, Skill, and Magic.

    ¡°People¡± referred to the performers of the Three Perfections Troupe. They were unbelievable and unimaginable.

    ¡°Skill¡± referred to the stage performances. They were dazzling, extraordinary, and beyondpare.

    ¡°Magic¡± referred to the magic shows and tricks. They were fantastical, bizarre, and magnificent.

    The Three Perfections Troupe had put on performances across the entire world, and every one of them received high praise from even an emperor.

    Once, the Three Perfections Troupe was invited to perform during the Qi empress¡¯ birthday celebration by the emperor of Qi himself. After the performance was over, he said this, ¡°What an incredible, wonderful, and eye-opening experience that was. You definitely live up to your namesake.¡±

    That was also the moment the Three Perfections Troupe became world famous.

    One of the rare few people who were weed throughout the entire world, there was no one in the <em>jianghu </em>or the court who did not wish to experience the Three Perfections Troupe¡¯s performance in person.

    Unfortunately, the Three Perfections Troupe obeyed a strange rule where they only performed three times per year. Besides that, they hadplete control over the location and the target audience of their performance. Nothing and no one could change their mind in this regard.

    Once, the Old Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain personally sent them an invitation to put on a performance on his one hundredth birthday. The Three Perfections Troupe were resting at the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain at the time, so he thought that there was surely no reason for them to turn him down.

    And yet, the Three Perfections Troupe turned down the invitation. Their reason? A pair of dying husband and wife wanted to watch their performance onest time before they passed onto the afterlife.

    Besides their unconventional behavior and fierce protectiveness of their independence, the Three Perfections Troupe was also nomadic. They never stayed at one ce for too long, and they did not have a single ce in the world they would call home. If they must choose, they would say that the entire world was their home.

    As a result, there were countless people who wished to watch their performances but were unable to fulfill their wish for one reason or another.

    When news broke out that the Three Perfections Troupe had appeared in the Southern March Pass, and that they nned to put on a performance at the Eight Directions Inn, countless people from all across the world rushed to the inn post haste. That was why it was jampacked even though it wasn¡¯t mealtime yet. Hells, even the streets and the rooftops around the Eight Directions Inn were packed.

    Inside a guest room on the third floor of the Eight Directions Inn, Ye Qing smiled at Feng Qingyou and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite the lucky woman, Qingyou. If we came even a dayter, then we would¡¯ve missed this wonderful performance!¡±

    ¡°I have always been a lucky woman.¡± Feng Qingyou returned the smile.

    Feng Qingyou was currently dressed as a man and carried a folding fan in one hand. She looked extraordinarily handsome and elegant, and a single smile was all she needed to make both men and women swoon on their feet. It was cheating.

    A month ago, he and Feng Qingyou agreed to meet up at the Eight Directions Inn of the Southern March Pass. they would then make way to the Eastern Shore and participate in the Four Seas Summit.

    The Four Seas Summit would be held at Four Seas of the Eastern Shore, and the Eastern Shore was located at the easternmost region of Qi. Therefore, the best way to travel there was to take a boat down the Yong River. They would pass through Chu, enter Qin, and make it to the Eastern Shore directly.

    Unfortunately, he was a wanted man in Chu. Although he had faked his death, that was no reason to becent[1]. If he was somehow exposed while he was in Chu, then their n woulde to an abrupt and deadly end before it could even begin. That was a level of danger not even a Grandmaster could survive.

    With that in mind, he and Feng Qingyou agreed that the safest way to make it to the Eastern Shore was to travel south from Yan until they reached Qi. Only then would they travel to Four Seas.

    They would be adding many kilometers to their travel, but it would be safe.

    Besides, safety wasn¡¯t the only reason Ye Qing decided to take such a circuitous path. Yan was notorious for its harshnds, and the path to Qi through Yan was filled with barren deserts and icy wastnds. It would be a long and harsh journey, which was why it was a perfect opportunity to temper himself and grow stronger.

    Neither Fang Muyun nor Chu Wangsun were ants that anyone could squash as they pleased after all. The stronger he was, the higher the chance he would be able to take revenge against them.

    This was one of the main reasons they kicked off their journey more than half a year before the Four Seas Summit would begin.

    ¡°Look! It¡¯s starting!¡±

    It was at this moment cries of surprise and delight broke out from all over the Eight Directions Inn. A performer had appeared on the stage where the Three Perfections Troupe would conduct their performance.

    She was a woman. An extraordinarily beautiful woman.

    She was wearing a thin, white dress, and she had a head of long, ck hair, silky skin that resembled jade, and an exquisite countenance that should only exist in a painting. She was unforgettable before the performance had even begun.

    What really got the audience¡¯s attention, however, was the massive pairs of butterfly wings growing out of her back.

    There were four wings in total, and they were ck, white, red and blue in color. The ck resembled the dark of the night, the white resembled the light of dawn, the red resembled the passion of fire, and the blue resembled the azure sea.

    When her wings pped, dots of phosphorescent light matching the color of her wings sparkled and slowly floated to the ground. It made her look even more dreamy and beautiful than she already was.

    When everyone¡¯s eyes were centered on her, she broke into a gorgeous smile and waved lightly at the crowd. The phosphorescent light immediately spread across the area like stars.

    While the crowd was absorbed in the beauty of a makeshift gxy, the phosphorescent light suddenly transformed into countless butterflies and scattered in every direction.

    For a time, the stars fell, and the butterflies flew. It was as if they weren¡¯t in an inn, but paradise.

    1. Says the guy who still uses the moniker Joyless¡­ ?

 Chapter 789: Dance of Ice and Fire

    Chapter 789: Dance of Ice and Fire

    ¡°A Beautifly?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment when he recognized the gorgeous woman for who she was.

    Yes, the woman was not a human. She was an incredibly rare Stranger.

    A Beautifly was a Soulstealer-ss Stranger who was shaped like a human, but had butterfly wings on her back. The more colors they possessed on their wings, and the more vibrant the colors were, the more gorgeous a Beautifly would look.

    Unfortunately, a Beautifly¡¯s beauty was also the reason behind their downfall. Their beauty was coveted by everyone, and yet their strength was average at best. As a result, they were hunted by humans everywhere in the world until they became the rare species they were today.

    The Beautifly before them had four wings and four colors, all of them extremely bright and vibrant, meaning that it was sapient. Such a Beautifly was even rarer than a normal Beautifly.

    When the rain of stars and butterflies faded, a vine stretched out of the ground and grew many cute little ivy flowers. As a hundred flowers bloomed at the same time, a melodious voice came from inside the flowers:

    ¡°A good day to you all,dies and gentlemen. We, the Three Perfections Troupe, are honored that you havee to the Eight Directions Inn and watch our performance. Speaking of which, the performance just now is called the ¡®Sweeping the Stars of the Sky¡¯. Did you like it?¡±

    The voice was no ordinary voice. It sounded like the qin, the flute, the pan pipes, the mouth organ, the ocarina and more joining into one. It was as if each flower was a type of musical instrument, and each spoken word was a musical note. One might think that the sh of sounds between so many unique instruments would surely result in a discordant and chaotic noise, but in reality, theybined perfectly into a sound that could only be described as unique and wonderful.

    The simple greeting was on par with a stunning performance by a musical master, and it was the kind of sound that would remain in one¡¯s head for many days toe. For a time, everyone in the Eight Directions Inn could only stare yearningly at the vines, eager to hear more.¡°The Melody Vine?¡± Yet again, Ye Qing eximed in surprise. It was said that there existed a vine that could grow a hundred flowers to y a melody that should only belong to the heavens. On the off chance that the mundane world was graced by its presence, it would be lucky to hear it more than once. This passage was describing the Melody Vine.

    The Melody Vine was a Hatred-ss Stranger. Generally harmless unless threatened, it could grow a hundred flowers¡ªall of them a musical instrument of some sort¡ªon its vine and y a rare melody unlike anything most people in the world had ever heard. For this reason, the Melody Vine was worshiped and hunted by humans just as fervently as the Beautifly, which was why they were a rare species as well. In fact, one could argue that the Melody Vine was even rarer than the Beautifly.

    Even for someone like Ye Qing, he could not help but be astounded by the fact that he had just seen two exceedingly rare Strangers in rapid session.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the ¡®People¡¯ segment of the show right now,¡± Feng Qingyou sipped her tea and said.

    ¡°People?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°During the ¡®People¡¯ segment, the Three Perfections Troupe shows off unbelievable and unimaginable people from all over the world.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°To put it in simpler terms, everyone performing in the Three Perfections Troupe is a rare or extraordinary human or Stranger. Their very existence is enough to astound the masses and open countless eyes. That is why it is considered a ¡®Perfection¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You will learn that the Beautifly and Melody Vine are just the tip of the iceberg.¡±

    As she spoke, the Melody Vine on the stage spoke up again, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time for our next performance, the Dance of Ice and Fire¡­¡±

    The Melody Vine slowly withdrew to the edge of the stage, and the Beautifly too gave a bow before slipping behind the curtains. At the same time, another woman stepped out of the curtains and walked all the way to the front of the stage.

    The woman was wearing a white dress. She had snow white hair, snow white skin, and even snow white pupils. As she walked, snow descended all around her, and cold air washed out of her body. She looked like a mythical snow fairy.

    ¡°Huh? She¡¯s a human,¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment. The woman¡¯s appearance was so unusual that one would be forgiven to think that she was a Stranger. However, she was a bonafide human.

    ¡°She is a Snow Girl of Snowa.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Snowa is a country located at the far north. Although it was officially recognized as a country, it¡¯s really a tribe with just over ten thousand people in poption. Both the men and the women of Snowa are all extraordinarily gorgeous, and they were born into their appearance and the power to control ice and cold. Strong and beautiful, some people even thought that they were divine.¡±

    ¡°However, the people of Snowa rarely left their homes, and they generally dislike interacting with outsiders. That is why few people are aware of their existence.¡±

    ¡°Snow Girl, huh? It is a fitting name for sure.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    Feng Qingyou was hardly the only person in the Eight Directions Inn who possessed an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and experience, so cries of astonishment and wonder were breaking out from various parts of the inn as well.

    On the stage, the Snow Girl gave the audience a bow. Then, she began her dance.

    Her dance was exceedingly beautiful. Like a snow lotus that only bloomed at the highest snow peaks, her dance was lofty, proud, and pure. As she danced, the amount of snow in the air gradually increased in volume, though it never flew past the stage. They were all floating around the Snow Girl and dancing with her, transforming into flora, fauna, mountains and rivers from time to time.

    At some point, the Snow Girl¡¯s dance started to pick up the pace and grew faster and faster. As if feeling some sort of urgency, the snowfall too grew more violent and rapid until it resembled a snow storm. At the same time, a snow dragon was circling above the Snow Girl like a vulture eyeing a delicious prey.

    Suddenly, the snow dragon let out a roar and swooped down on the Snow Girl. It opened its mouth as if it would swallow her in one gulp.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Maybe it was because the snow dragon looked too realistic, or maybe its draconic presence was that intimidating. Some of the audience lost theirposure and cried out in panic.

    However, the snow dragon exploded when it was about halfway to the Snow Girl. A fire cloud shot into the sky, and another woman slowly descended from above.

    The woman was only as big as a human thumb, however. Her fire was both her dress and her shoes. She looked incredibly cute.

    ¡°A Fire Fairy!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows jumped again when he saw the thumb-sized woman, though he wasn¡¯t really surprised anymore after the Beautifly and the Melody Vine¡¯s appearance.

    The thumb-sized woman was called the Fire Fairy. A Soulstealer-ss Stranger, she was born in fire and lived for fire. She enjoyed dancing and ying in mes.

    A Fire Fairy was pretty rare, but not as rare as the Beautifly or the Melody Vine. However, it was incredibly difficult for a Fire Fairy to grow strong enough to leave a me, much less be sapient. This one was clearly sapient and could withstand even a snow storm, so she definitely deserved to star in the ¡°People¡± segment.

    Back on the stage, the Fire Fairynded on the Snow Girl¡¯s palm after destroying the snow dragon. The two women then threw themselves into a new dance¡ªthe Snow Girl on the stage, and the Fire Fairy on the Snow Girl¡¯s palm.

    If the Snow Girl¡¯s dance was lofty, proud and pure, then the Fire Fairy¡¯s dance was passionate and seductive.

    The Snow Girl¡¯s dance caused snow to fall, and cold air to spread everywhere. On the other hand, the Fire Fairy¡¯s dance summoned rings of fire around her, and fire clouds to float here and there.

    Big and small, cold and hot, snow and fire. The distinct contrast between them painted a visual performance that could only be described as an absolute feast for the eyes.

    As the two women¡¯s dance grew more and more borate and exciting, the snowstorm and the fire too grew stronger and stronger. They all said that fire and water did not mix, but that couldn¡¯t be any less false for the duo. Somehow, the snow of the Snow Girl and the fire of the Fire Fairy werebining perfectly. The snow embraced the fire, and the fire enveloped the snow. Their union was as harmonious as yin and yang as they showed off to the audience all kinds of wonderful, unimaginable sights.

    The women were beautiful, their performance was gorgeous, and the world was all the better because of it. For a time, everyone in the Eight Directions Inn was absolutely absorbed in the performance. They did not awake even after the dance had finallye to an end, and both women had retreated behind the curtains.

    ¡°What a feast of light and color. What a dance of ice and fire.¡±

    Feng Qingyou praised after a long silence, and as if on cue, everyone in the inn started pping andplimenting the dance as well.

    A short whileter, the Melody Vine appeared once more to announce the next performance: Untouchable.

 Chapter 790: A Sword Dance In The Moon

    Chapter 790: A Sword Dance In The Moon

    What did ¡°Untouchable¡± mean in this context? It meant that the performer was going to dodge a flurry of weapons without moving their limbs. They would be dodging purely with their body.

    It sounded like amon trick, and it was amon trick that was often seen in mundane circus performances. When the performance actually began though, everyone was bbergasted by what they saw.

    First, the performers were a human and a Stranger.

    The human was no ordinary human. He was a merman from the Southern Sea.

    Legend had it that a human with a human¡¯s upper body but a fish¡¯s lower body lived in the depths of the Southern Sea. They were known as merfolks.

    In the sea, a merfolk was as nimble as any fish. Onnd, they could function like any other human as well. It was also said that a merfolk could fight the waves, and that their tears could transform into pearls.

    The Stranger was no ordinary Stranger either. He was a Hundred Hands.

    The Hundred Hands was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. Around ten meters tall, he had a tiger¡¯s head, a human¡¯s body, and exactly a hundred arms growing out of his torso. That was why he was named Hundred Hands.

    At the beginning, Hundred Hands was only throwing throwing weapons at the Southern Sea merman with two hands. The merman was able to dodge all the projectiles with ease.Slowly, Hundred Hands began to up both the number of hands he was using and the speed of his attacks. His one hundred hands kept swinging like a fan, and the innumerable projectiles blended together to the point where it looked like he was firing a giant column of steel at the merman. It seemed impossible that the merman would be able to dodge such a ferocious assault.

    In reality, that was exactly what the merman did. Perfectly calm, the merman dodged the storm of projectiles like a fish navigating through treacherous water, or a swallow flying through the forest without ruffling a single feather. He could always find a weak point in the storm; a gap between the raindrops and avoid getting hit by a literal hair¡¯s breadth. Maybe not even that. Hundred Hands was unable to put even a scratch on his person.

    After Hundred Hands finally ran out of projectiles, he began wielding all sorts of weapons¡ªsabers, spears, swords, halberds, you name it¡ªand renewed his assault against the merman. Once again, the merman was able to navigate through the storm of steel as if they didn¡¯t even exist.

    That was why this performance was named Untouchable.

    Objectively speaking, this performance wasn¡¯t as stunning and beautiful as the Dance of Ice and Fire. However, it certainly got everyone¡¯s heart racing with excitement and nervousness.

    The next two performances after Untouchable were de Swallowing and Guillotine. Of course, they were a lot more exciting than their mundane counterparts.

    The guy performing de Swallowing wasn¡¯t swallowing your usual dagger or swords or whatever. No, he was swallowing spiked cudgels, long spears, great axes and other ridiculouslyrge weapons¡ªas a pint-sized midget who wasn¡¯t even taller than an adult¡¯s knees.

    It should not need to be said how stunning it was to watch a midget swallowing a massive spiked cudgel that was several times longer than he was.

    Guillotine was yet anothermon circus trick. In a mundane circus, the performer would pretend to be decapitated and survive to astound the audience. Here, the performer wasn¡¯t just decapitated for real, he was torn apart by five horses. For a moment, everything was still. Then, the head and the four limbs writhed and transformed into smaller versions of the performer. The small performers then killed each other and multiplied in number yet again.

    As a result, the number of performers on the stage kept increasing until the entire tform was covered in mushroom-sized people. They were all the same person, and they were so noisy that they were a market in their own right.

    In the end, the little men held hands with each other, formed a circle, and danced a strange dance. They eventually transformed into a pool of water that merged back into the original performer.

    For many others, this was just an entertaining performance. However, Ye Qing knew that the performer was really a Stranger named Spring Soul.

    Spring Soul was a person who identally drowned in a stream or a spring and somehow transformed into a vengeful spirit. As a Spring Soul¡¯s body was made of water, they were naturally unkible via conventional means. Not only that, a Spring Soul was an exceptionally vengeful spirit because of their unfortunate death, so it would drag anyone who was walking past a spring, resting their legs beside a river etc into the body of water and drown them.

    Strangely, he could not sense any resentment from the performing Spring Soul. On the contrary, it was overflowing with kindness and happiness.

    After Guillotine was over, the stage suddenly became as dark as the night. Fog rolled in from the surroundings and turned what was a lively atmosphere into something eerie and disturbing. There was no one who was immune to the sudden change in atmosphere.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    A column of smoke rose into the sky, and the audience saw the blurry silhouettes of a man and a woman behind the smoke. The man reached out and drew a crescent in the air, and the woman carried it between her arms and blew gently.

    Slowly, the crescent began rising upward. The higher it climbed, the brighter and rounder it grew.

    When the crescent had turned into a full moon and reached peak luminosity, beams of moonlight descended toward the earth, scattered the fog, and filled the world with light. The darkness and oppressiveness everyone was feeling was wiped clean just like that.

    The moon in the sky looked real and close enough to touch. Everyone was astonished by its presence.

    It was at this moment a flute blew, and a bay tree slowly grew out of the moon¡¯s surface. It grew bigger and taller until it looked like it held up the sky itself.

    The woman jumped andnded inside the moon. Finally, they had an unobstructed view of her appearance. She had milky white skin, ck hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall, a clear and beautiful countenance, and a single red dot on her forehead.

    What was strange was that the woman had a pair of rabbit ears. It had snow white fur that glowed softly in the moonlight, mysterious and fantastical.

    Everyone¡¯s expression melted into adoration as they stared unblinkingly at the rabbit ears. It was as if it was the most wonderful thing in the entire world.

    It was at this moment the man on the stage summoned a bead of water on his fingertip and flicked it away. Splitting into two as soon as it left his fingertip, one half of the water bead floated into the air and turned into clouds, whereas the other half sank to the bottom and turned into ake.

    A phoenix cry broke out from the clouds, and a penta-colored phoenix burst out into the open. Sporting five vibrant colors and glowing radiantly, the phoenix looked both handsome and divine.

    On the ground, a gorgeous rainbow hovered above theke, and a blue dragon leaped out of the water surface. It had a long, slender body, and its scales glinted brightly under the light. It looked both strong and formidable.

    While the audience was absorbed in the handsomeness of the phoenix and the powerful appearance of the dragon, countless birds suddenly flew in from outside the Eight Directions Inn and circled around the phoenix.

    When the phoenix takes flight, all birds arrive to pay homage to the phoenix.

    At the same time, penta-colored kois leaped out of the water and flew over the rainbow.

    When a koi leaps over the dragon gate, it shall soar into the heavens.

    The phoenix cried, the dragon roared, the birds chirped, and the fish pped. Thebination of natural sounds came together into a melody like nothing they had ever heard.

    While the heavenly music was tugging at everyone¡¯s senses, the woman inside the moon summoned a sword into her hand and began dancing. It was a sword dance. Unlike the Snow Girl¡¯s loftiness or the Fire Fairy¡¯s passion, the sword dance was pure, graceful, but also valiant and formidable-looking. Thebination of visual and aural aesthetics was extremely pleasing to say the least.

    As the woman danced, bay flowers suddenly bloomed all over the bay tree like spring hade. A floral scent filled the air, and the world grew even more dreamlike than it already was.

    The song of dragon and phoenix were climbing to a crescendo, and the woman¡¯s sword dance was reaching a climax. All the while, the bay tree swayed, and its falling petals circled around the woman.

    The wonderful music, the beautiful dance, the floral scent. They blended together harmoniously to push the performance to its absolute climax.

    When the performance finally reached the end, the moon slowly dimmed, and both the sky of birds and theke of fishes and dragons slowly rolled up like a painting. The audience could not help but feel a sense of loss and emptiness.

    What came after that was an explosive round of apuse that seemed like it would never end.

    There were no cheers. There were ps and only ps.

    It was as if this was the only way they could express their awe and wonderment[1].

    1. It also doesn¡¯t feel like a 2k word chapter. I think I shaved a few years off my life tranting it. ?

 Chapter 791: Cutting Paper Into People

    Chapter 791: Cutting Paper Into People

    ¡°A stunning feast for both the eyes and the ears. Truly impressive.¡±

    Inside their guest room, Ye Qing finally allowed himself to breathe out andplimented the performance from the bottom of his heart.

    This performance was put together using abination of master ss music, dance, illusion, and magic trick, and the end result could only be described as spectacr.

    As before, the performers weren¡¯t ordinary people either. The woman with rabbit ears was a Stranger named Jade Rabbit, and it was extremely rare not because it was wantonly hunted like the Beautifly or the Melody Vine, but because they were extremely rare to begin with. Practically nothing was known about them except the fact that they were born in a ce of absolute darkness and generally associated with the moon.

    As for the man who never revealed his true face and hid himself in the clouds from the start to the end, he wasn¡¯t actually shy or anything. In fact, this was his true appearance. Called the Boy Behind The Clouds, he was neither a Stranger nor a human. He was abination of both; the descendant of a human and a Stranger.

    A Boy Behind The Clouds was the descendant of a human and a Cloud Celestial, and a Cloud Celestial was an extremely mysterious and powerful Stranger. Born in the clouds as a Disaster-ss with the potential to grow stronger, a Cloud Celestial earned his namesake because he was normally found in the clouds, and he was extremely handsome. He was also a womanizer and especially fond of copting with ordinary women and persuading them into giving birth to his children.

    Since a Cloud Celestial¡¯s bloodline was quite powerful, all of his descendants were born a Strangerkin. They were collectively known as the Boy Behind The Clouds.

    A Boy Behind The Clouds possessed both a human and a Stranger¡¯s bloodline. Although he was both sapient and humanoid-shaped, his impure bloodline meant that he was neither as strong as a Cloud Celestial nor capable of maintaining a human form perfectly. That was why he looked like he was hiding behind the clouds.

    For obvious reasons, it was taboo for a human and a Stranger to copte. Not only that, there were very few Cloud Celestials and even fewer Boy Behind The Clouds in the entire world.A Boy Behind The Clouds was a natural illusionist. His illusions were so real and lifelike that only the incredibly strong could see through them.

    The Jade Rabbit was a master at dancing, and the Boy Behind The Clouds an expert in illusions. Thebination of their skills was what created that incredible performance they saw.

    Ye Qing thought that the Jade Rabbit and the Boy Behind The Clouds¡¯ performance was the apex of the show, and the rest of the show would just be going through the motions. He was wrong, however. While they weren¡¯t as stunning as the Jade Rabbit and the Boy Behind The Clouds¡¯ performance impression wise, they all had their own unique characteristics and highlights that allowed them to stand toe to toe with their fellow performers.

    There was an intersex person who was a man and a woman joined together walking up a mountain of des and catching des with their bare hands.

    There was a golden man who imed to hail from a Kingdom of Gold in the western region who showed off the power to turn stone into gold, and turn gold into spirits.

    There was a treant who transformed into a massive tree and bore many Beauty Fruits that could sing and dance.

    There was a three-headed, six-armed and Buddha-faced monkey wearing a monk¡¯s robe who showed off an illusion of the three thousand Kingdoms of Buddha and the Six Paths[1].

    There was a m woman who yed a harp made of pure water and summoned the endless sea with her music.

    There was a little person from a country named West Pole who could summon wind and rain with just words and breathe thunder into existence.

    There was a lotus child who climbed a mountain of des, wade through a sea of mes, dunked himself in a pot of oil and bathed in a tub of boiling water.

    There was an old man in an earthen jar who yed out an opera show with a thousand characters all by himself.

    There was a headless body in a coffin who could draw portraits that turned into living people and act out the myriad facades of human society.

    ¡­¡­

    In conclusion, the Three Perfections Troupe more than deserved their reputation. From the start until the end, their show was incredible, stunning, eye-opening, and spectacr. Every single person sitting in the inn today would probably remember this performance until the end of their lives.

    ¡°The Three Perfections Troupe truly deserve their reputation!¡±

    Even after the show hade to an end, Ye Qing was finding it difficult to extricate himself from it. He almost wished that it could go on forever.

    ¡°It really is amazing,¡± Feng Qingyou echoed in agreement. ¡°Did you know that the Three Perfections Troupe really had a fourth ¡®perfection¡¯ despite their name?¡±

    ¡°A fourth ¡®perfection¡¯? What is it?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°Their fourth ¡®perfection¡¯ is that they never show off the same performance twice. Each time, there woulde up with something that is wholly new yet equally stunning,¡± Feng Qingyou exined.

    ¡°Have you seen their show before?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°In fact, I have. I was lucky,¡± Feng Qingyou answered simply. ¡°And I can tell you that that show is no less spectacr than this one. In some ways, they are even better.¡±

    Another question urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Would you happen to know who¡¯s the leader of the Three Perfections Troupe? I can only imagine the caliber of person who could put together such a diverse and unusual group of people and have them perform on stage.¡±

    Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, I have no idea. Their leader is a mysterious figure who only shows themselves once in a blue moon, and even then, they wear a green veil that covers up their face and a ck robe that hid their featurespletely. The number of people who saw their true face could probably be counted on one hand, much less know their true name and origin.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing nodded but wasn¡¯t disappointed by her answer. He had a feeling that would be the case and was just making conversation.

    ¡°By the way, this should be your first time at the Southern March Pass, right? There are quite a number of fun and interesting ces in this pass. What do you say we experience all of them for a day or two before we actually set off on our journey?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Feng Qingyou agreed with a smile.

    The Southern March Pass was the greatest pass in Yan and a major trading center. Not only was it extraordinarily rich in both culture and history, it also enjoyed its own unique culture that was an amalgamation of all the other cultures from across the whole world. It was also why there were many tourist spots in the Southern March Pass such as the scenic Southern March Mountain, Great Snow Valley, and Sun Watching Lake; the historical and cultural Fire Beacon, Army Destroyer Temple, and King Sacrifice Bell; and the entertaining Red River Restaurant, Soundproof Lane, and Red District.

    The famous historian Shi Zaohai once noted in the ¡°Records of the Four Countries¡±, ¡°Those who hadn¡¯t entered the Yan capital would not understand their strength; those who hadn¡¯t ventured to Southern March would not know their prosperity.¡±

    In fact, there were many people of the educated ss who chose to travel all the way to the Southern March Pass just to experience their culture and scenery.

    In the end, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou toured the Southern March Pass for three whole days. It wasn¡¯t until they had visited every famous tourist spot and enjoyed every famous food in the Southern March Pass that they finally, reluctantly, embarked on their journey.

    ¡­¡­

    Outside the Southern March Pass, a horse carriage was slowly and leisurely braving the wind and snow and traveling toward somewhere.

    The horse carriage looked normal at first nce, but it was abnormally steady and even-paced especially considering that a snowstorm was beating against it. It was almost as if the natural elements did not exist at all.

    Even stranger, the driver of the carriage wasn¡¯t a living person. It was a paper doll.

    It was endlessly white and bitingly cold outside the carriage, but inside, it was as warm as spring. Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were sitting opposite each other with a small stove between them. A pot of wine was cooking on top of it.

    Feng Qingyou was currently flipping through a book about unofficial histories and interesting folklore with a serious expression on her face. Ye Qing was closing his eyes and cultivating just as hard.

    Now that he was here in person, Ye Qing could dere withplete confidence that their weather was absolutely terrible. It was currently April, and if this was Chu or any other southern country, then they would be basking in warmth and sunlight right now. Instead, a frigid snowstorm was hitting the entire Southern March Pass.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the weather was liable to lighten up or worsen at a moment¡¯s notice. And how did they know this? They had passed through the gates early this morning, and at the time the weather was pretty great. It was fairly windy, but there was no snow. Not even half an hour after that, the wind suddenly grew much stronger, and snow began falling furiously. It wasn¡¯t long before the entire ce was hit by a terrible snowstorm.

    If Ye Qing was alone, he would be walking in the snowstorm and testing himself against the elements right now. But since Feng Qingyou was apanying him, he could not possibly subject her to the same conditions.

    Thankfully, he had predicted that this would happen and made all the necessary preparations¡ªthough to be fair, calling it ¡°preparation¡± might be overstating it. All he really did was purchase a bunch of food and wine. As for everything else such as transport, he dealt with all of it using the Magia Tree.

    For example, the horse carriage they were currently riding was a Magia from the Magia Tree called ¡°Cutting Paper Into People¡±.

    ¡°Cutting Paper Into People¡± was a profound Magia that was even more impressive than its name implied. It couldn¡¯t just cut paper into people, it could cut paper into anything and imbue them with the sentience necessary to perform their tasks. At the adept level, it could even turn false into truth and illusion into reality.

    Unfortunately, the Magia cast by his miniature Magia Tree could only grant a paper object a basic level of sentience. Not only that, he had to invest some of his concentration to control it as well. One might say that it was a pale imitation of the real thing.

    Even so, it was quite convenient. It was more than good enough for simple stuff such as transport.

    1. The Six Paths in Buddhist cosmology are the six worlds where sentient beings are reincarnated based on their karma, which is linked to their actions in previous lives. ?

 Chapter 792: Those Who Fell Asleep

    Chapter 792: Those Who Fell Asleep

    ¡°Faster! Faster!¡±

    Suddenly, a couple of horse riders burst through the storm of snow and galloped past the horse carriage. They were five <em>jianghu </em>warriors wearing thick cloaks and carrying swords or sabers around their waists.

    At first, they were eyeing the horse carriage with greed and bloodthirst in their eyes. Then, they noticed the paper doll driving the horse carriage and were taken aback by the supernatural sight. After exchanging a look with each other, they bounded ahead without any fanfare.

    Inside the horse carriage, Ye Qing opened his eyes and let out a small sigh. ¡°The older the <em>jianghu</em>, the more cowardly its denizens be¡­¡±

    If Chu treasured culture, then Yan advocated strength. That was why there were far more armed <em>jianghu </em>warriors roaming about the area, and why battles and bloodshed were everywhere.

    Not long after they left the Southern March Pass, they encountered many <em>jianghu </em>warriors who took note of their wealth and were tempted to rob them. They did not only because they saw the paper doll and grew wary of their strength. Much to Ye Qing¡¯s regret, they all chose to leave them alone.

    Something was strange, however. Ye Qing could tell that they weren¡¯t the <em>jianghu </em>warriors¡¯ original targets. Their meetings were purely coincidental.

    ¡°This must be the one, ninth or tenth group of people who almost tried to rob us? Where the hell are these people going in this weather, and for what?¡±

    ¡®They¡¯re probably going after the Three Perfections Troupe,¡± Feng Qingyou answered without even looking up from her book.¡°The Three Perfections Troupe? Did they choose today to leave the city as well? What a coincidence,¡± Ye Qingmented subconsciously before the audacity of the would-be robbers finally hit him. ¡°Wait, seriously? They¡¯re actually targeting the Three Perfections Troupe? Were they damaged in the head or something?¡±

    The Three Perfections Troupe had existed for a long time, and there were almost nowhere in the entire world they hadn¡¯t visited. And yet, no harm had evere to them. Not only that, they even dared to reject an invitation from the Old Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. In general, the Three Perfections Troupe went wherever they liked and did whatever the hell they wanted. Why?

    Because they were confident in their strength to protect themselves and defend their independence, of course!

    Forget the mysterious leader of the Three Perfections Troupe, not a single human or Stranger who performed on the stage that day was a weakling. On top of that, he also sensed several powerful and anomalous presences behind the curtains. As they weren¡¯t performers, they were probably guards who were there to protect their co-workers.

    Long story short, these people were suicidal and crazy to think that they could target the Three Perfections Troupe. At the very least, he hadn¡¯t sensed a single person who was powerful enough to put even a dent on their stage props.

    Feng Qingyou replied indifferently, ¡°Birds die for food, and humans for riches.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed as well. ¡°Hah¡­ that¡¯s how it has been since the olden days. They never learn, and they never will.¡±

    He could understand the robbers¡¯ motivations at least. If there was such a thing as a walking treasure vault, the Three Perfections Troupe would be it. The performance from three days ago had probably earned them tens of thousands of silvers. It was more than enough money to tempt countless intomitting a crime.

    That wasn¡¯t the real treasure, however. It was the priceless Strangers they owned such as the Beautifly, the Melody Vine, the Jade Rabbit and more. Those were creatures that not even ten thousand gold could buy.

    Capturing even a single one and selling them to a powerful official and wealthy businessman would earn them enough money to live in luxury until the day they died.

    Therge majority of these warriors were probably after the Strangers. They were treasures worth risking their lives for.

    Every day, countless people fought in the <em>jianghu </em>for fame and glory. However, that wasn¡¯t their real goal. Their real goal was to lead a life of luxury and peace through the fame and glory they rued.

    One moment of risk for one lifetime of stability. What was there not to like?

    So yes, Ye Qing could understand their motivation. He just couldn¡¯t agree with it.

    In his opinion, killing others for one¡¯s own benefit would never be the right way.

    He wasmenting not because he was concerned for the robbers¡¯ wellbeing, but because he wasmenting the wastefulness and foolishness of it.

    Suddenly, an idea urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Do you think we should follow them, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°Just do what you want.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. She did not expose his true intentions.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Ye Qing responded and took control of the paper doll. The horse carriage began turning and following the trail of the robbers.

    Just a whileter, Ye Qing suddenly noticed a couple of people standing on both sides of the road. They weren¡¯t moving at all.

    ¡°Are they asleep?¡±

    His senses told him that their eyes were closed, their breathing was even, and their expression was tranquil. It was almost as if they were asleep.

    ¡°They are, though they will never awaken again,¡± remarked Feng Qingyou as she lifted the curtains and looked at the sleeping men.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing murmured thoughtfully and tapped his finger once. A wisp of demonic thought immediately invaded a Spirit Master¡¯s headspace. He could see that the man¡¯s yin god and consciousness were perfectly unharmed, but for some reason, he just wouldn¡¯t wake up. He showed no response whatsoever even when Ye Qing jolted his headspace with his demonic thought. It was the same for everyone else.

    ¡°How strange!¡±

    Ye Qing lifted a curious eyebrow. Unless he was mistaken, the Three Perfections Troupe was probably the one behind their condition.

    ¡°Do you know what happened to them, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Feng Qingyou lowered the curtains and answered, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet, but I believe that they¡¯re already dead even though they¡¯re still breathing.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ye Qing did not ask how she arrived at the conclusion. He simply controlled the horse carriage and charged forward once more.

    Every once in a while, they would run into a small group of people who were afflicted with the exact same condition. In fact, the frequency of the encounter and the number of victims only increased over time. Some of them he recognized, and some he did not. In any case, they were all trapped in the same dreamless sleep that was no different from death even though they were still breathing and wearing tranquil expressions on their face.

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression was slowly but surely turning serious as well. It was because he could tell that these people had been put to sleep without any resistance whatsoever. There were no signs of injury or struggle on the victims¡¯ bodies whatsoever.

    About half a teatimeter, Ye Qing finally caught up with the Three Perfections Troupe. He was surprised. He had been expecting to find a long stretch of people and numerous carts trudging along at a steady rate like most nomadic groups would. Instead, what he found was a simple oxcart that looked even shabbier than the horse carriage he and Feng Qingyou were riding.

    The oxcart was carrying only a single box that was covered up by a piece of ox leather. It waspletely covered in snow.

    The driver was an old man who looked so old it honestly wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he passed away within the hour. He was wearing a wide hat and nodding off like a chick pecking away at a grain of rice.

    The snowstorm was incredibly cold and harsh, and yet the old man was wearing a sleeveless robe that should only be worn during summer. It was because ayer of mysterious energy was protecting the old man and neutralizing the elements before they could even get close to him.

    Even stranger was the ox pulling the cart. It was an ink ck ox that waspletely ck from head to toe. It had three eyes instead of two, and its third eye was a vertical slit. As it waspletely shut right now, Ye Qing almost missed it even with his powerful demonic thought.

    A strange old man, a mysterious box, and an anomalous ox. At first nce, they looked like nothing special especially in a weather like this. Once you noticed the anomalies though, theybined into a beautiful yet strange picture.

 Chapter 793: The Three-Eyed Divine Bull

    <h4>Chapter 793: The Three-Eyed Divine Bull </h4>

    The picture looked peaceful and tranquil, but it was really crawling with danger.

    It was because at least a dozen people were eyeing the old man and the ox cart from the shadows.

    Some of the lurkers were hiding in the snow, some had be one with the scenery, and some were simply hiding behind arge rock. Regardless of their hiding spots, they were all eyeing the old man and the ox cart like hungry, bloodthirsty wolves.

    There were two reasons why they hadn¡¯t sumbed to their baser instincts yet. One, they hadn¡¯t figured out their prey¡¯s true strength. They weren¡¯t blind; they too had seen the sleeping people by the roadside and did not want to suffer the same fate. Two, their prey hadn¡¯t entered their ambush spot yet.

    So, they were observing and waiting. They were observing their prey for weaknesses and waiting for their prey to fall into their ambush.

    Eventually, it happened. The ox cart finally reached their ambush spot. The hidden attackers immediately rushed out of their hiding spots and charged the old man.

    Although they hadn¡¯t figured out their prey¡¯s true strength yet, some opportunities appeared only once in a lifetime. If they missed this chance, their dreams of luxury and peace might pass them by forever. Sure, there was always the risk of failure, but you also miss one hundred percent of the shots you didn¡¯t take. When it is time to act, you act. It was that simple.

    But of course, just because one must act did not mean that one must act foolishly. They all understood the threat the old man posed, and they all knew that there was no chance they could monopolize the Three Perfections Troupe¡¯s treasures. That was why they kept a tight rein on their greed and attacked the old man first.

    If they did not eliminate the threat first, then they would most probably die. All the wealth in the world would not matter if they were dead, right?

    Besides, it was exceedingly foolish to incite a fight among themselves before they even dealt with the threat yet!

    <i>Boom!</i>

    Wind and snow turned into dragons that shook all directions.

    Sword qi cut through space and air like rainbows.

    Thunder erupted from the clouds above and swept through everything.

    Giant hands descended from the sky as if it would tten the entire area.

    Force and spirit interweaved to form all sorts of Magia and secret arts. Such was their power behind theirbined attack that the world of ice and snow was shaking.

    No one was saving their energy or hiding their skill. Everyone went all out right from the get go.

    It was because this was a matter of fame and glory; life or death.

    The ambush was perfect. Not even Ye Qing or Feng Qingyou could find any fault with it. The problem was that just because you did something perfectly didn¡¯t mean that the oue would be favorable.

    The Magia, the secret arts; the force, qi and spirit, it all suddenly disappeared when they were one meter away from the ox cart. Yes, disappeared. The attacks weren¡¯t dispelled and blocked. They just suddenly disappeared as if they had crossed a certain threshold and entered another dimension, leaving no traces behind.

    The group was so stunned that they forgot to attack for a moment.

    Some of them could not ept what they were seeing and attacked the old man again. This time, they were employing their Strange Artifacts as well.

    Unfortunately, their attacks still produced no results whatsoever. No, it was worse. Not only did the attacks disappear, even the Strange Artifacts they threw at the ox cart disappeared when they came within one meter of it.

    ¡°Is that a Treasure Eating Box?¡±

    Tens of meters away from the ambush spot, Ye Qing eximed in surprise when he saw what happened. He didn¡¯t know if the attackers saw it, but he had seen the inconspicuous box on the ox cart opening slightly and letting loose an invisible tongue as clear as day. The tongue had swept through the air, caught all of the Magia, secret arts, and Strange Artifacts, and dragged it all into the box. Then, it licked its cover as if the attacks and items were a delicious meal.

    In short, the attacks and Strange Artifacts hadn¡¯t technically ¡°disappeared¡±. It was really devoured by the box.

    Ye Qing had read about a Stranger called the Treasure Eating Box[1] in a book before. A Treasure Eating Box was a treasure box that had somehow turned sentient and evolved into a Stranger. Born with a long tongue, it loved nothing more than to devour money and treasures and store them inside its box. Any thief who tried to steal its hoard would be devoured as well. This was why some wealthy people used a Treasure Eating Box to store their valuables.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t sure if his deduction was correct, however. On one hand, the box was very simr to the Treasure Eating Box he read in the books. On the other hand, nowhere in the passage did it mention that the Treasure Eating box could consume Magia and secret arts as well.

    Besides, a Treasure Eating Box was a rare but fairly weak Stranger, and that box was anything but weak considering that it had consumed all the attacks and the Strange Artifacts in one go.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a Treasure Eating Box. It¡¯s a Treasure Eating Spirit.¡±

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou spoke up. ¡°On the surface, it looked like the two Strangers were identical. Both of them were shaped like wooden boxes with long tongues, and their names were almost identical. In reality, they were very different existences.¡±

    ¡°A Treasure Eating Box¡¯s tongue was visible to the naked eye, and it could only consume tangible objects such as gold and silver. However, a Treasure Eating Spirit¡¯s tongue is invisible and capable of consuming both tangible objects and intangible objects such as secret arts and Magia. Not only that, it could reflect the attacks it consumed right back at its attackers without any loss of power.¡±

    ¡°Finally, there exists a pocket world inside the Treasure Eating Spirit¡¯s body. Simr to how a mountain may exist between a pair of fingers, a Treasure Eating Spirit can be used to store both living and dead objects.¡±

    ¡°I see! The people of the Three Perfections Troupe are hiding inside the Treasure Eating Spirit!¡± Ye Qing cried out in realization. So <i>that </i>was why there was no one outside except the old man!

    Seeing that their second attacks were useless as well, the attackers finally recognized that their prey was far above their level. They did not hesitate to turn around and run away.

    It was the right call. Just as one should act decisively, one should let go without hesitation as well.

    Unfortunately, thezy ck ox chose this moment to let out a moo. Its third eye abruptly flipped open, and an anomalous energy washed out to the surroundings. Every single one of the attackers abruptly stuttered to a stop as if someone had cast an immobilization spell on them. Then, their eyes slowly closed as if they had fallen asleep. Not only that, their tension-filled faces slowly rxed into peace and tranquility as if they were experiencing a pleasant dream as well.

    ¡°The Three-Eyed Divine Bull! No wonder...¡±

    They were at least tens of meters away from the bull, Ye Qing still felt a powerful wave of sleepiness when it opened its third eye. Of course, he dispelled it with his demonic thought as soon as it appeared.

    He finally figured out how and why the victims had fallen asleep. It was the ck bull, the Three-Eyed Divine Bull to be exact.

    The Three-Eyed Divine Bull was a Disaster-ss Stranger. Born with a third eye that was imbued with immeasurable power, it could unleash some sort of radiation that puts any living being into eternal sleep if it opened its third eye.

    Maybe it was because the Three-Eyed Divine Bull was slothful, but its recorded appearances were few and far between. When it did appear though, it sent chills up even the bravest man¡¯s spine. ording to the Pacification Bureau¡¯s records, the Three-Eyed Divine Bull had plunged tens of thousands of people into eternal sleep and destroyed many viges during the few times it appeared.

    A Three-Eyed Divine Bull was extremely powerful, and its sleep-inducing radiation was irresistible to almost everyone below the Trueman and Grandmaster stage. This was why every single attacker had sumbed to its power even though a good number of them were powerful Spirit Masters.

    1. It¡¯s a Mimic. ?

 Chapter 794: Wind and Snow

    <h4>Chapter 794: Wind and Snow </h4>

    ¡°Moo...¡±

    Suddenly, the Three-Eyed Divine Bull turned and looked in Ye Qing¡¯s direction as if it could sense that it was being spied on. Its third eye blinked, and deadly radiation washed straight toward Ye Qing.

    In response, Ye Qing smiled and tapped the carriage with a finger. There was a burst of killing intent, and everything within tens of meters of the carriage were ripped into shreds. The area abruptly cleared up as if the snowstorm had lifted, and space itself was vibrating without a sound.

    The Three-Eyed Divine Bull let out a painful moo, and tears began forming on its third eye.

    ¡°Bullseye Tear? How precious. I mustn¡¯t waste it!¡±

    On the cart, the dozing old man suddenly leaped to his feet and appeared in front of the Three-Eyed Divine Bull. He held a porcin bottle near the bull¡¯s eye and caught the tear right before it would fall to the ground.

    As he caught the tear, he was urging the bull, ¡°Come on, that can¡¯t be the only tear you have. Cry some more!¡±

    ¡°Moo!¡±

    Anger burned in the Three-Eyed Divine Bull¡¯s eyes as it lowered its head and attempted to ram the old man with its twin horns.

    Right before the old man would be skewered, a thin, wizened hand caught one of the horns and stopped the bull dead in its tracks.

    ¡°Moo! Moo!¡±

    The Three-Eyed Divine Null mooed angrily as its eyes turned blood red in color. It crouched lower and snorted noisily as if it wanted to send the old man flying.

    But no matter how hard the bull pushed, the old man¡¯s arm did not move in the slightest. In fact, he didn¡¯t even look winded as he continued to pin the bull in ce. ¡°Throwing a tantrum already, you silly old bull? I fed you, cleaned you, and treated you well, and you couldn¡¯t give me a couple more tears, you bloody ingrate?¡±

    A momentter, when the Three-Eyed Divine Bull realized that it could neither break free nor injure the old man, its anger gradually faded, and it mooed sadly at him.

    ¡°You done? You should¡¯ve just let go from the beginning.¡±

    The old man finally let go of the bull¡¯s horn and gave it a pat on the head. A short whileter, when he confirmed that the Three-Eyed Divine Bull wasn¡¯t going to cry anymore, he reluctantly put away the bottle andined, ¡°Seriously, you couldn¡¯t even squeeze me a second drop? What a waste of food and space you are.¡±

    ¡°Moo... moo...¡±

    The Three-Eyed Divine Bull bumped the old man¡¯s leg sadly before casting a nce at Ye Qing¡¯s horse cart. Then, it mooed again.

    ¡°What, you want me to take revenge for you? Keep dreaming. They were just watching from a distance, and they didn¡¯t try to attack or provoke you. You¡¯re the one who tried to kill them and failed, so you deserved what you got.¡±

    The old man understood the Three-Eyed Divine Bull¡¯s meaning immediately and scolded him. Then, an idea urred to him. ¡°Well, I can punish them for you, but you gotta give me more tears. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t need much. Ten bottles should do it.¡±

    ¡°Moo...¡±

    Realizing that feigning weakness was pointless, the Three-Eyed Divine Bull regained its former arrogance and side-eyed the old man. You could practically hear it say: <i>ten bottles? </i>You¡¯re <i>the one who should keep dreaming!</i>

    ¡°Come now. If ten bottles is too much, then what about five?¡±

    The Three-Eyed Divine Bull turned around and pointed its butt at the old man. Its meaning was clear: <i>Here, you can take my fart instead.</i>

    ¡°Fine! One bottle! Just one bottle is enough!¡±

    The Three-Eyed Divine Bull couldn¡¯t even be bothered to snort at the old man. It just swung its tail and started walking away.

    ¡°Sigh... don¡¯t go. This is not how you conduct a negotiation, dammit...¡±

    The old man called out while chasing after the Three-Eyed Divine Bull. It wasn¡¯t long before they both disappeared into the snow.

    ¡°How interesting.¡±

    Ye Qing heard their conversation loud and clear and raised a curious eyebrow. He knew that the old man was no ordinary person to begin with, but he was really surprised when he found out that the thin old man was actually a body-tempering Grandmaster. When the old man grabbed the Three-Eyed Divine Bull¡¯s horn just now, his vigor had flowed like a river, and his strength had gushed out like a volcano. It was quite scary to say the least.

    ¡°Say, do you think that old man might be the mythical leader of the Three Perfections Troupe, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°He could be.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded before asking him smilingly, ¡°If you¡¯re that curious, then why don¡¯t you ask him yourself?¡±

    ¡°Er... it was just a passing thought. I¡¯m not about to stir a ho¡¯s nest if I can help it.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged and leaned back against his seat. While sipping his wine, he set their horse carriage on course and took off to the distance once more.

    When they were passing by the sleeping men and women, Ye Qing flicked his finger a little. There was a sh of purple me.

    When the horse carriage had disappeared into the snow as well, the sleeping warriors disintegrated into ash all at once and scattered into the wind.

    ......

    The wind was strong, the snow was fierce. This was doubly true during nighttime. For a traveler who had no choice but to weather the elements, the journey could easily be thest journey of their lives.

    It was already difficult to travel during a snowstorm, but Yan¡¯s poor geography meant that most parts of the realm had to deal with short days and long nights. So short, in fact, that the sky hadpletely darkened after five hours.

    The snowstorm was always worse after it was dark, making travels even harder than it already was. It was why there was amon saying in Yan: ¡°A snowy night on the road can kill both humans and ghosts.¡±

    Despite this, a lone horse carriage was slowly making its way through the cold, bleak snowstorm, wisps of light peeking through the gaps of its curtains. It was the only warmth and light in this cold, dark world.

    Inside the horse carriage, Ye Qing rubbed his forehead andmented from the bottom of his heart, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a big snowstorm in my life!¡±

    When they departed this morning, the marked road was still pretty bare. Now, the snow was at least several meters thick. Luckily for them, their carriage was created using Magia and so were impervious to the harsh elements of nature. Otherwise, they would be hardpressed to make any headway.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the snowstorm hadpletely transformed their surroundings into a world of snow and ice. If they weren¡¯t careful, they could easily miss the road and lose their way.

    What this meant was that Ye Qing had to control the horse carriage and ensure that they were still following the path all the time. Even with his strength, he was feeling a little tired after twelve hours of non-stop travel.

    ¡°A snowstorm at this level hasn¡¯t been seen in Chu for a hundred years, but for Yan, it was their daily life.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said indifferently, ¡°In fact, this is just an average snowstorm. It is already early spring, and warmth is slowly returning to the air. If this was winter, then it would have been so much worse.¡±

    ¡°Really? This is considered average?¡± Ye Qing asked with a frown.

    ¡°Indeed. The poet celestial, Tai Bai once made this poem: ¡®The North Wind roared up from the sky, and the snowkes are as big as a mat.¡¯ It describes the wind and snow of Yan.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°And even then, the poet celestial only described the strength and size of Yan¡¯s snowstorm. He neglected to mention the tragedies it wrought.¡±

    ¡°To the people of Yan, none are scarier than the natural disaster that is a snowstorm. Every year, countless crops are killed because of the cold, countless livestocks froze or starved to death, countless homes were crushed by ice and snow, and many, many more people died for all of the above reasons.¡±

    ¡°Every gust of wind that blows through thesends, every piece of snow that falls from the sky could be an innocent life.¡±

    ¡°Er...¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know how to follow up her musings. He was onlymenting on the intensity of the snowstorm, and suddenly, Feng Qingyou had dragged the conversation to a cold, dark ce.

    It wasn¡¯t a problem he could answer even if he wanted to.

    Seemingly sensing the change in mood, Feng Qingyou shot him a gentle smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, Joyless. I was just musing.¡±

    The awkwardness and gravity in the atmosphere disappeared just like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Ye Qing could have moved onto the next topic as if the conversation had never happened, but instead, he thought for a moment before saying, ¡°We may never be able to change the world, but we can certainly try to create a better humanity, can¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡±

    Feng Qingyou looked up and broke into a warming smile.

 Chapter 795: Living Enter Not

    Chapter 795: Living Enter Not

    ¡°Huh? There¡¯s light ahead of us¡­¡±

    The horse carriage had just turned around a col when suddenly, a ray of light caught Ye Qing¡¯s attention.

    Weak the light might be, it was extremely conspicuous in the darkness. Ye Qing had been feeling bored for a while, and this unexpected encounter immediately caught his interest.

    At first, Ye Qing thought that the light belonged to a traveling merchant or a traveler who was resting their feet. When they got close, he discovered in surprise that it came from an inn.

    The inn was neither big nor particrly well-built. It looked like it might be blown away if the snowstorm was bigger. Light seeped through the gaps between the doors and the windows and alleviated the darkness and cold that permeated this world just a little.

    ¡°Why is there an inn in the middle of nowhere?¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows curiously until he saw the inn¡¯s name. He broke into a grin and said, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯... So? Do you wanna head inside, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty cold. It would be nice to shelter under a roof for a bit,¡± Feng Qingyou agreed.

    ¡°d to hear that. This will be the first time I enter a Living Enter Not,¡± said Ye Qing a bit excitedly as he jumped out of the horse carriage.After Feng Qingyou exited the horse carriage, Ye Qing waved his hand and turned it into a piece of paper. It flew back into the Magia Tree.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    With that done, Ye Qing took point and walked up to the door. He ced his hands on the wooden board and pushed.

    The second the door opened, a st of icy air colder than the one buffeting them right now hit his face.

    A dozen or so people were currently sitting inside the inn and enjoying a meal. When Ye Qing opened the door, every single one of them immediately turned around and stared at him and Feng Qingyou.

    Their initial reaction was normal. It was a cold, dark night after all. What was abnormal was the fact the people kept staring at them without moving a muscle or even batting an eyelid. They just kept staring at them with a level of intensity that could only be described as spine-chilling.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. We didn¡¯t mean to interrupt your meals.¡±

    Ye Qing did not seem to notice their gazes, however. He greeted them with a smile and closed the door as soon as Feng Qingyou had crossed over the threshold. Then, he said, ¡°Please, return to your meals. There is no need to pay us any attention.¡±

    Ye Qing himself stopped paying the guests any attention and began walking toward the counter. As they moved, the guests¡¯ eyes chased after them as if their gazes were affixed to their bodies, refusing to look away for even a moment. It almost felt like they were puppets.

    The atmosphere was eerie and disturbing, but it could not seem to affect Ye Qing or Feng Qingyou one bit. They soon arrived in front of the counter.

    The counter was quite huge, but there was no food or wine on top of it as one might expect from a usual counter. Instead, it sported a massive shrine that enshrined a statue wearing a ck robe that covered them from head to toe. It looked rather mysterious.

    There was a censer in front of the shrine, but there was no incense or ash inside it. Instead, it was filled with coins.

    When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Ye Qing produced two coins of the same style as the ones inside the censer and tossed it inside. They made a nice clink when theynded on the pile of coins.

    It was like a signal. As soon as the guests heard the clink of coins, they suddenly withdrew their gazes from Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou and returned to their meals. They no longer paid them any attention.

    Again, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou paid them no heed. They sought out a table that was close to the corner and sat down.

    Ye Qing did not make an order. Instead, he produced the rations and wine he prepared earlier at the Southern March Pass and began filling his stomach. For a time, there was only silence except the sounds of eating and drinking.

    Time passed slowly. From time to time, someone would enter the inn, walk up to the counter, and toss a coin inside. Then, they would sit down at an empty table.

    Some of them ordered food and drinks, but some did not. Just like Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou, they ate their own food and drinks.

    The owner of the inn paid their behavior no attention whatsoever.

    More time passed, and the once fairly empty inn became extremely crowded. Even so, the inn remained exceptionally quiet. Everyone was eating and drinking, and yet not a single person was talking. It was as if they were obeying some sort of unwritten rule.

    Unfortunately, the silence was soon shattered by a group of people.

    <em>Thump!</em>

    Someone threw open the wooden door in a violent fashion, and a group of three men and two women stepped inside. Young and looking to be in their twenties, everyone in the group was quite attractive. The men were handsome, and the women were beautiful. They were also all dressed in white. Unfortunately, they also looked quite arrogant.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we would find an inn in the middle of nowhere. Lucky us.¡±

    One of the men cast a contemptuous gaze across the inn before snorting. ¡°There¡¯s a surprising number of guests in this inn as well.¡±

    It was at this moment the group of five noticed that everyone in the inn was staring at them. The speaker immediately raised his eyebrows dangerously and asked, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°Enough. Everyone¡¯s hungry. At least wait until we¡¯ve filled our bellies before you start something,¡± said a tall and frigid woman.

    The woman scanned the area for a table, but she quickly realized that the inn was packed. An unhappy frown immediately appeared on her face.

    The leader of the group, a man ordered, ¡°Go and get us a table.¡±

    ¡°Got it, senior brother,¡± a man responded and scanned the dining hall for a moment. Then, he strode up to a table and ordered in an imperious tone, ¡°You two, go find another table. We¡¯re taking this one.¡±

    The table was currently upied by an old man and a young girl. The old man was thin, wizened, and looked to be in his sixties. The young girl was cute, fair-skinned, and wearing a pair of pigtails.

    It was clear the man sought them out because he thought they were the most harmless of the bunch.

    The old man and the young girl paid his order no attention, however. They just kept staring at the group.

    Seeing that the old man was ignoring himpletely, the man felt humiliated and lost his cool a little, ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, old man! Are you deaf?¡±

    It would seem that his outburst was effective, because the old man and the young girl slowly shifted their gazes to him. They weren¡¯t the only ones. Everyone in the inn slowly turned their heads to stare at him as well. Their eyes were apathetic, nk, and emotionless.

    An indescribable chill welled inside the man¡¯s heart despite himself. His back broke into cold sweat.

    Then, the man realized that he had just been intimidated by a bunch of ordinary people and pped the table angrily. ¡°What are you looking at? Stare at me some more, and I¡¯ll dig out your eyeballs! All of you!¡±

    No one seemed afraid in the slightest, however. They just kept staring at him.

    The man subconsciously took a step backward while feeling chilled to the very core. Before he knew it, he was grabbing his saber.

    ¡°Harmony is to be prized when you¡¯re on the road. If you don¡¯t mind, then why don¡¯t you have my seat? I¡¯m done eating anyway.¡±

    It was at this moment a crisp, melodious voice that resembled an oriole broke out. When Ye Qing looked, he saw that the speaker was a woman sitting not far away from them.

    The woman was around fifteen to sixteen years old. Her clothes were coarse and shabby, and her appearance was ordinary at best. However, she emanated a gentle, refined presence that was clearly superior to her appearance.

    Unfortunately, the girl¡¯s eyes were ssy and lifeless.

    She was blind.

 Chapter 796: Strange Smile

    Chapter 796: Strange Smile

    ¡°Thank you, miss.¡±

    The leader thanked the woman and led his group to the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. On the road, amodating others is the same as amodating oneself,¡± the woman responded with a gentle smile before picking up her bamboo staff and rising from her seat.

    ¡°One more thing. You should not eat the food in this ce.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The leader frowned in confusion and wanted to ask exactly what she meant by that. However, he was toote. The blind woman was already walking away.

    ¡°Miss. If you don¡¯t mind sharing a table, then why don¡¯t you sit with us?¡± Feng Qingyou greeted the blind woman when she was passing by their table. ¡°We have an empty seat.¡±

    ¡°I see no reason to turn down such a kind offer. Thank you,¡± the blind woman thanked her before taking a seat.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s no trouble at all.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°My name is Feng Qingyou, and my friend here is Joyless Ye. What is your name?¡±

    ¡°My name is Wen Anran. Nice to meet you, Miss Feng, warrior Ye,¡± Wen Anran replied smilingly.¡°Well met, Miss Wen.¡± Ye Qing gave her a nod before offering, ¡°We are drinking a wine called Jade Sun Spring. It¡¯s quite cold tonight, so why don¡¯t you drink some and warm yourself?¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much for your offer. I shall humbly ept it,¡± Wen Anran replied thankfully. The trio stopped talking and began drinking among themselves.

    Back at the other table, the leader nced at the guy who was still hanging around the old man¡¯s table and called out with a displeased voice, ¡°What are you doing, Mingfei? We already have a table, so get over here already.¡±

    The man named Gu Mingfei let out an unhappy grunt and side-eyed the old man. ¡°Count yourself lucky, old man. Pray that this is thest time we meet, or you will rue the day you crossed me.¡±

    After Gu Mingfei went back to his group, he asked, ¡°Senior brother, senior sister, Feifei, Tan Tao, what do you want to eat? The food offered by this inn seems pretty nice.¡±

    The leader of the group was named Leng Tianjue, and he was the one Gu Mingfei addressed as senior brother. Leng Tianjue looked at the frigid woman and asked, ¡°What do you want to eat, Qingmei?¡±

    Cang Qingmei, the frigid woman responded uncaringly, ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. Just order what you want.¡±

    ¡°Se¡­ Senior sister¡­ those people are still looking at us for some reason¡­¡± whispered the other woman. Her name was Fei Fei, and she shuffled closer to Cang Qingmei while sneaking nces at the people around him.

    It was as she said. The guests inside the inn were still staring wordlessly at them.

    Cang Qingmei gave her a consoling pat and said seriously, ¡°I know. Something¡¯s off about this ce. Don¡¯t let your guard down, all of you.¡±

    ¡°We have senior brother Tianjue with us. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± The man named Tan Tao scoffed and paid Leng Tianjue apliment.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. With senior brother Tianjue and senior sister Mei[1] with us, no harm can possibly befall us. Just rx, Fei Fei,¡± Gu Mingfei echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Qingmei is right. On the road, we should never let down our guard,¡± Leng Tianjue said seriously.

    That was what he said, but his brows subconsciously furrowed with smugness. It was clear he enjoyed ttery very much.

    ¡°We will remember, senior brother,¡± Gu Mingfei and Tan Tao replied obediently.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s order some food,¡± Leng Tianjue dered.

    Gu Mingfei turned around and yelled in the counter¡¯s direction, ¡°Where are the waiters? Get us your best food already!¡±

    ¡°What would you like to eat, dear customers?¡± A raspy voice came from behind the counter.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me? If I say I want to eat a dragon liver or a phoenix marrow, can you serve them?¡± Gu Mingfei scoffed.

    To his surprise, the person behind the counter replied, ¡°We can, customer. Just tell us what you want, and it will be served.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ okay then! I want a te of dragon liver and phoenix marrow! If you can¡¯t serve them, then I¡¯ll dismantle your shitty inn!¡± Gu Mingfei barked out a savageugh.

    ¡°Enough. You can fool around another time,¡± Leng Tianjue rebuked Gu Mingfei before dering, ¡°Please serve us your signature dishes and two jars of hot wine, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Please wait a moment,¡± the person behind the counter said.

    The person¡¯s voice was still reverberating throughout the unnaturally silent dining hall when a personpletely covered from head to toe in ck robes appeared at the kitchen entrance with a tray. It was impossible to tell even their gender. They appeared in front of the group in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Your food and drink are here, customers.¡±

    The group nearly jumped out of their seats. They hadn¡¯t noticed the person until they spoke up.

    ¡°Give us a warning, man!¡± Gu Mingfei yelled. He wanted toin some more, but his attention was quickly drawn by the food and drinks.

    The dishes appeared to be quite impressive. Just the sight and smell alone were enough to make his stomach growl.

    The two jars of steaming wine were also giving off a unique, refreshing scent that blended perfectly with the food. It aroused their appetite even more than it already was.

    Tan Tao grabbed one of the wine jars and poured everyone a cup of wine. Then, he quickly grabbed his own cup and drained it in one gulp.

    As soon as the liquid entered his lips, a boiling heat immediately spread throughout his mouth like he had swallowed a red hot stone. He immediately felt as if he was on fire, his blood boiling inside his veins.

    But at the same time, a cool, refreshing sensation was sliding down his throat, his abdomen, and his guts. It wasn¡¯t long before it spread to every part of his body.

    The blend between ice and fire, cold and heat surged all the way to his head and made him feel like he was about to float into the air. The cold and fatigue he had umted throughout his journey was wiped clean just like that, and his spirit felt better than ever before.

    ¡°What an amazing wine!¡± Tan Tao cried out with a look of ecstasy on his face. ¡°What is the name of this wine? Why have I never¡ª¡±

    Tan Tao was going to ask the owner what the name of the wine was, but when he turned around, the ck-robed person was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°How did he disappear so quickly?¡± Tan Taoined.

    Leng Tianjue rebuked him again, ¡°I just told you to be careful, Tan Tao. This recklessness is unbing of you.¡±

    The young man was displeased with the fact that Tan Tao had drunk the wine before they checked the food for poison. Only aplete newbie to the <em>jianghu </em>would do something so rash.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I seriously doubt they¡¯ll try to put something in our food and wine.¡± Tan Tao waved his concerns away before urging, ¡°Anyway, you really should try out this wine before it gets cold. I promise you it¡¯ll one of the best wines you¡¯ve ever had.¡±

    ¡°This dish is pretty good too! It¡¯s on par with the signature dishes of the strange cooks!¡±

    While Tan Tao was drinking, Gu Mingfei was busy tasting the food. His eyes lit up when he took his first, second, third, and many more bites. ¡°Mm! This food is truly heavenly! And if I drink a bit of wine then¡­ heavens! This truly is out of the world!¡±

    ¡°Senior brother, senior sister, Fei Fei, what are you all waiting for? You know that the vor will decrease if it turns cold, right?¡±

    ¡°Is it really that delicious?¡± Fei Fei swallowed.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know if you try, don¡¯t you?¡± Gu Mingfei said while shoving more food and wine into his mouth. He looked like he was having the time of his life.

    It looked like Tan Tao and Gu Mingfei were fine, and neither Leng Tianjue nor Cang Qingmei were able to find anything wrong with their meal after testing it with their poison testing methods. So, they started eating as well.

    Once they took the first bite, they couldn¡¯t stop. For a time, the group of five engorged themselves in the delicious food and wine in utter silence because they were unwilling to waste even a second.

    They did not notice that the corners of the lips of the guests staring at them were turning up little by little. Even stranger was the fact that everyone¡¯s smile was exactly identical. It was as if the smile had been copy and pasted on everyone¡¯s face. It was eerie to say the least.

    ¡°Brr¡­ hey, is it just me, or is it getting colder around here?¡±

    Somewhere during the meal, Gu Mingfei suddenly felt a little cold and attempted to rub some warmth back into his arm.

    ¡°Same here,¡± Tan Tao replied, though he did not look up from his bowl. He was still busy attacking the food on the table.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Suddenly, Gu Mingfei felt something touching his leg. He looked down.

    1. Normally it should be senior sister Cang because Cang is the surname, but it looks like they¡¯re close enough that he can address her by one half of her first name. ?

 Chapter 797: Am I Beautiful?

    <h4>Chapter 797: Am I Beautiful? </h4>

    Gu Mingfei thought that one of hispanions had identally touched his leg or something. Or maybe he was just imagining things, and nothing had touched him after all.

    So when he looked down and saw a human¡¯s head, his mind went nk in an instant.

    The head waspletely covered in blood. Its eyes were dug out, and its face was frozen with fear and hatred. Coincidentally or not, he was staring straight into its empty, bleeding eye sockets.

    It took a whole second before Gu Mingfei finally reacted.

    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±

    It was a scream of pure terror and shock. He jumped so hard that he even knocked over some of the cups on the table.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mingfei?!¡± Leng Tianjue and the others hurriedly got up.

    ¡°There... There is a head on my leg!¡± Gu Mingfei stuttered as he pointed. ¡°Wait... what? What the...¡±

    When he looked down again, he realized that it wasn¡¯t a head at all. It was just a ball. An ordinary-looking ball.

    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s just a ball. Are you drunk?¡± Tan Taoughed at him. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re quite the lightweight, Mingfei!¡±

    ¡°Drink less, Mingfei,¡± Leng Tianjue also ordered in a cool, annoyed voice before sitting back down and attacking the food once more.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be... was it really a hallucination?¡± Gu Mingfei gingerly walked back to the table and picked up the ball, staring.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mingfei. If you can¡¯t drink, I¡¯ll drink it for ya!¡± Tan Tao chuckled at Gu Mingfei and reached out to grab his wine.

    As he was extending his arm, he unconsciously nced at the table opposite them. It was there he saw something incredibly frightening.

    A man and a woman were sitting on that table. They seemed to be a husband and wife enjoying a pot of soup.

    Suddenly, the man¡¯s eyeball fell into the pot of soup, but the man didn¡¯t seem to realize it. He casually scooped his eyeball out of the pot and ate it.

    The table wasn¡¯t really far away from theirs, so Tan Tao could see the juices jutting out of the eyeball and even hear it going pop as the man chewed.

    A mixture of fear and disgust welled up inside his heart. He was so stunned that he forgot to breathe for a moment.

    Suddenly, Tan Tao heard the man say, ¡°Dear, my eye is missing. Can you please find it for me?¡±

    <i>Didn¡¯t you eat your own eyeball? </i>Tan Tao subconsciously thought.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, husband. I¡¯ll find it for you,¡± the woman answered gently and began looking down at the pot.

    The next second, her head fell into the pot with a plop.

    ¡°Oh no! Dear, your head¡¯s fallen off!¡± The man cried out in surprise and scooped his wife¡¯s head out of the pot as quickly as he could. He then ced it back on her shoulders.

    ¡°Is my face okay, husband?¡± The woman asked worriedly while touching her own face. Maybe it was because the soup was too hot, but the woman¡¯s face was cooked by the time her husband removed her head from the pot. Her gesture caused an entire chunk of flesh to fall right out of her face. It was a scary sight to put it mildly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. You look just as beautiful as ever.¡±

    The man did not seem to notice, however. Heplimented her with an endearing smile and kissed her in the lips.

    It looked like he used too much strength, however. One half of the woman¡¯s cheeks fell out of her face just like that. Then, the man began chewing vigorously.

    ¡°Come now. Someone¡¯s watching us!¡± The woman giggled as if her face wasn¡¯t being eaten by her husband right now.

    The next second, both husband and wife turned around to smile eerily at Tan Tao.

    The husband¡¯s eye socket was a dark pit of nothing, whereas the wife¡¯s face was riddled with holes. Their horrifying smiles were such that Tan Tao¡¯s heart stopped for a moment, and indescribable fear gripped his whole body in a vice grip. He couldn¡¯t say a single word.

    ¡°Why are you just standing there, Tan Tao?¡±

    It was at this moment Gu Mingfei asked a question. After Tan Tao dered that he was going to take his wine, he suddenly froze and just stood there for at least ten seconds without moving. Then, he noticed hispanions¡¯ shell-shocked eyes and deathly paleplexion and realized something was wrong. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Tan Tao?!¡±

    The cry finally brought Tan Tao back to reality. He stuttered, ¡°T-there... a ghost...¡±

    Gu Mingfei broke out in cold sweat as Tan Tao was looking behind him. He spun around, chased Tan Tao¡¯s gaze and... nothing. All he saw was a couple showing off their love. He couldn¡¯t spot anything amiss.

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    Gu Mingfei subconsciously let out a sigh of relief and turned back at Tan Tao. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t see anything?! They¡ª!¡± Tan Tao subconsciously tried to argue, but one blinkter, he realized that the husband and wife had turned back to normal. Eyeball? Pits of flesh masquerading as a face? They were all gone. It was as if everything he saw just now was just an illusion.

    ¡°How can this be?¡±

    Tan Tao rubbed his eyes hard, but he still couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with the couple.

    Realizing a golden opportunity, Gu Mingfei did not hesitate to jeer at Tan Tao, ¡°And you call me a lightweight? You¡¯re pretty lightweight yourself!¡±

    ¡°Am I really drunk?¡± Tan Tao shook his head and sat back down on his seat. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. I only drank three cups. Is it really that strong?¡±

    Gu Mingfei curled his lips at the sight of this.

    ¡°Can you give me back my ball, uncle?¡±

    It was at this moment a timid voice drew Gu Mingfei¡¯s attention. At the same time, he felt someone pulling his sleeve.

    When he looked around, he saw the little girl whose table he tried to rob earlier. She had somehow appeared behind him without him noticing.

    The ball she was talking about could only be the ball he picked up just now.

    A teasing grin appeared on Gu Mingfei¡¯s face. ¡°I picked this up from the ground. How can you prove that this is your ball?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that Gu Mingfei was petty¡ªhe <i>was </i>petty, but he wasn¡¯t so petty that he would bully a little girl just because her grandpa refused to give up their seats earlier. He just felt like teasing the girl a bit because he was scared by the ball, and he wasughed at by Leng Tianjue and hispanions.

    ¡°It¡¯s Niuniu¡¯s ball. Grandpa¡¯s the one who gave it to Niuniu,¡± the girl said in a cute voice.

    ¡°Hahaha... like I said, how can you prove that this is your ball? Words don¡¯t count as proof, you know?¡± Gu Mingfei teased while juggling with the ball a bit.

    ¡°Proof?¡± The girl cocked her head to one side, bit her finger and thought long and hard. Then, she pped her hands happily and said, ¡°I got it!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Tell me then. What is your proof? If you can give me proof, then I¡¯ll return the ball to you!¡± Gu Mingfei smiled.

    ¡°My proof is that this ball is grandpa¡¯s head!¡±

    The girl pped her hands up and down happily. ¡°One time, I saw a boy ying with a ball, and I wanted one for myself. So, grandpa gave me his head to y with. The ball is grandpa¡¯s head, so it cannot be your ball!¡±

    ¡°Now please give me back my ball, or grandpa is going to get angry. You won¡¯t like it when grandpa is angry.¡±

    ¡°What on earth are you... is this how your grandpa teaches his grandchildren? Or do you just have an overactive imagination?¡±

    Gu Mingfei snorted and subconsciously nced at the ball he was holding. Then, his eyes widened. As it turned out, he wasn¡¯t holding a ball. He was holding a bleeding head.

    ¡°See? Niuniu didn¡¯t lie to you. My ball is grandpa¡¯s head.¡±

    An eerie voice whispered into his ear.

 Chapter 798: Hundred Ghost Parade

    <h4>Chapter 798: Hundred Ghost Parade </h4>

    Gu Mingfei subconsciously looked forward. The girl was standing mere inches away from him before he knew it. She was giggling a most eerie giggle as bloody tears slid down both sides of her cheeks. Her flesh was falling off inch by inch as well.

    ¡°Hehe... Niuniu is the goodest girl. Niuniu never lies.¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±

    Gu Mingfei let out a scream of terror. Both his chair and his person fell to the floor as he iled in panic.

    Coincidentally or not, the human head rolled right up to his face and said, ¡°You took my head, so I¡¯m going to take yours, boy. It¡¯s only fair, right?¡±

    The next moment, countless maggots crawled out of the head¡¯s mouth and made their way toward Gu Mingfei.

    ¡°Argh! Save me!¡±

    Gu Mingfei was scared out of his wits to begin with, and this scare nearly knocked the lights out of him. He wed at his own face to swipe the maggots away.

    It was at this moment Leng Tianjue grabbed Gu Mingfei and said angrily, ¡°Mingfei! What the hell is going on with you?¡±

    ¡°Ghost... head...¡± Gu Mingfei replied incoherently.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    It was at this moment Tan Tao and Fei Fei cried out in shock as well.

    Tan Tao saw a muscr man setting his elbow on top of a stove, barbecuing it and sprinkling cumin on top of it from time to time. He could literally smell the aroma from where he was.

    Fei Fei saw an old woman cooking a pale green baby that was screaming and giggling at the same time.

    Cang Qingmei put her hand over her sword and gathered her energies. She said warily, ¡°Something¡¯s not right. Stay on your guard!¡±

    At this point, even Leng Tianjue realized that something was terribly amiss. He wore a cautious look on his face as well.

    The next moment, both warriors¡¯plexions turned an ugly shade. It was because the meat on the table had suddenly turned into torn, bitten limbs, the snacks in the tes had turned into innards, hearts and livers, and the soup in the bowls had turned into brain matter and blood.

    There was no pretending that the food was normal when they ate it. They could literally see their bite marks on some of the food.

    Everything they ate¡ªthe delicious food they ate and the sweet wine they drank¡ªwas a human body part of some sort.

    ¡°rgh!¡±

    They were warriors, but not even they could remain firm in face of such a realization. They began throwing up earnestly.

    ¡°Ah! Senior sister!¡±

    It was at this moment Fei Fei let out another scream. Despite themselves, Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue temporarily forced down their disgust and looked up.

    It might have been better if they hadn¡¯t. Both warriors gasped and felt a tingling sensation up their scalps.

    It wasn¡¯t just the food that had transformed. The customers they were eating with had transformed as well.

    One man¡¯s innards were spilled all across the floor because he had a hole in his stomach. He picked them up and ate them one by one.

    Another man was missing a face and his limbs. And yet, an eerie cackle was somehow out of his body.

    One woman¡¯s belly was as swollen as a drum, and she keptining how full she felt. Despite this, she kept eating like her life depended on it.

    Another woman was missing a head, and her stomach was split open. A baby¡¯s cry could be heard from within.

    A man¡¯s face was covered in countless mouths. They were crying, screaming,ughing, or yelling.

    One person was so rotten that pieces of flesh were falling off their body, and the stench could be smelled from all across the room. It was impossible to tell what gender they were.

    One man¡¯s body waspletely covered in blisters as if he had been covered in baking powder and fried inside a pan.

    One child was crawling on all fours with his head arced all the way that it was pressed up against his back.

    There were heads pressed up against each other until they formed a massive meat ball that kept rolling back and forth across the floor.

    There were countless arms joining together to form a massive flesh tree that swayed back and forth without wind.

    ......

    It was as if they had suddenly stumbled upon a Hundred Ghost Parade, or the inn had suddenly transformed into a ghost den in Fengdu. Naturally, all five warriors were shocked and chilled to the core.

    ¡°W-We need to leave now!¡±

    Cang Qingmei was the fastest among them to recover. Once she yelled her warning, she immediately grabbed Fei Fei¡¯s wrist and raced for the exit.

    Leng Tianjue, Gu Mingfei and Tan Tao followed closely behind them.

    Although the people¡ªor more urately, the ghosts¡ªinside the inn did not stop them, they were watching the group of five with odd, ridiculing eyes.

    Cang Qingmei let out a sigh of relief when she reached the wooden door. Unfortunately, that was all the relief she got before she noticed something and turned a shade paler.

    She tried to push the wooden door open just now, but it refused to give way. She then threw her entire weight behind the door, but the seemingly fragile object still did not budge an inch.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Qingmei?¡± Leng Tianjue asked a few tense secondster.

    ¡°It¡¯s not opening!¡± Cang Qingmei replied urgently.

    ¡°Move aside.¡±

    Leng Tianjue stepped forward and pressed both hands against the door. Then, he unleashed his force. Unfortunately, the wooden door still did not react one bit.

    Seeing this, Gu Mingfei and Tan Tao stepped forward to help him. However, theirbined might still failed to push open the wooden door.

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±

    Leng Tianjue hmphed coldly and waved Gu Mingfei and Tan Tao away. Then, heunched a palm strike at the wooden door. As his right hand descended, it slowly turned pale white and became covered in ice.

    <i>¡°Great Frost Handprint¡±</i>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was a terrible boom when the icy force struck the wooden door. Both the floor and the walls were covered in ice.

    ¡°Impossible!¡±

    Leng Tianjue¡¯s eyes were wide open in disbelief, however. It was because his full-powered strike had failed to affect the wooden door in the slightest. That¡¯s right. Forget breaking it, it failed to leave behind a tiny scratch. A child could have done more damage if they punched a normal door.

    He could not imagine how this was possible. Not only was he a bonafide middle-stage Spirit Master, he was among the best even considering his <i>jianghu </i>peers. Besides that, he had unleashed the attack with all his might, and he dared to say that its power was such that not even a Half-Step Trueman would dare to block it directly. And yet, it had failed to harm the measly wooden door in front of him.

    How could he not be stunned by this?

    While Leng Tianjue was busy picking up his shattered pride, an angry Cang Qingmei decided to unleash her own attack. She unsheathed her sword and fired ten thousand sword beams that struck the entire door with enough power to split boulders like hot knives through butter. Unfortunately, her attack did exactly the same amount of damage as Leng Tianjue did: nothing.

    Seeing that her attacks were ineffective against the wooden door, Cang Qingmei decided to change targets and attacked the wall, the windows and so on. However, the oue was the same.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Gu Mingfei and Tan Tao wallowed in despair. If Cang Qingmei or Leng Tianjue had been able to leave even a single scratch on the inn, then they would not be so despondent. Unfortunately, everything they saw proved that whatever that was trapping them was far, far beyond their might.

    Fei Fei was sobbing uncontrobly, ¡°Are we going to be trapped here until we... I don¡¯t want to die, senior sister... I don¡¯t want to die...¡±

    ¡°Kekeke...¡±

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    It was at this moment the ghosts inside the inn beganughing in unison. Their smiles were exactly identical, but not theirughter. Some of theirughter were low and unsettling, some was loud and unrestrained, some almost sounded like sobbing, and some sounded like the roars of an angry man.

    The effect was the same, however. The cacophony ofughter chilled the group of five to their very core.

    ¡°Stopughing!¡±

    Unable to stand the ghastlyughter any longer, Leng Tianjue roared and unleashed a wave of frigid intent. They transformed into icy beasts that rushed toward theughing ghosts.

    Strangely, the icy beasts abruptly disappeared into nothing when they were inches away from the ghosts. They had failed to inflict even the slightest bit of damage.

    This oue only riled up the ghosts even more, of course. Theirughter grew increasingly unrestrained and savage as they rose to their feet and began walking toward the group.

 Chapter 799: Living Enter Not, Or Else

    <h4>Chapter 799: Living Enter Not, Or Else</h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s it! The owner!¡±

    Cang Qingmei too was drowning in despair when suddenly, a memory struck her. She did not wait to inform anyone about her thoughts before breaking off into a run toward the counter.

    Leng Tianjue was the first one to realize what she was about. All this had happened only after they entered the inn, meaning that the inn owner was most likely the mastermind behind their predicament. If they killed him, they might yet be able to escape this ce!

    A ray of hope pierced through the darkness welling inside Leng Tianjue¡¯s heart. He understood that it was entirely possible for their assumption to be wrong, but at least it was still a ray of hope; a chance to make it out of this ce alive.

    By now, Cang Qingmei had reached the counter. However, she quickly discovered that there was no one behind it.

    ¡°Where is he?!¡±

    Cang Qingmei was both surprised and confused. If the inn owner did not exist, then who was the one who served them food earlier?

    It was at this moment Cang Qingmei noticed therge shrine sitting on top of the counter and the mysterious statue it enshrined. Now that she thought about it, the statue looked exactly the same as the one who served them. They were both wearing ck robes that covered their features from head to toe.

    <i>Is this statue the one who served us earlier?!</i>

    Cang Qingmei did not hesitate when she thought until this point. She turned her sword around and shed at the statue.

    Fearing that her strength might not be enough to finish the job, Cang Qingmei yelled out to Leng Tianjue, ¡°Senior brother! Destroy the statue!¡±

    Leng Tianjue understood her meaning instantly. He soared into the air, made a pair of tiny circles with his thumbs and index fingers, and thrust his hands forward.

    A circle makes a <i>taichi</i>. Hands fall, and the heavens sink.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The surrounding space immediately caved inward. That was how terrifying the palm strike flying straight toward the shrine was.

    Considering the situation, Leng Tianjue and Cang Qingmei had done the best they could to save their fellow sect mates and themselves. Unfortunately, neither of them noticed that the surrounding ghosts were all wearing expectant, cruel, and vicious looks on their faces.

    ¡°Sigh...¡±

    At thest moment, both warriors suddenly heard a long sigh. Then, a man abruptly appeared between them and the shrine.

    The man reached out with his left hand and somehow caught Cang Qingmei¡¯s sword with just a pair of fingers. The storm of force surrounding the sword immediately vanished into nothing.

    At the same time, he raised his right hand like he was lifting the sky itself. It stopped Leng Tianjue¡¯s terrifying palm force from descending even an inch further.

    Caughtpletely off guard, the two warriors¡¯ instinctive reaction was to retaliate against the mysterious man. Cang Qingmei lifted her fingers and struck the handle of her sword five times. Each time, her sword would shake and grow a tad sharper. When all of her fingers hadnded on the handle, her sword qi had be as condensed as water and filled with killing intent.

    <i>¡°Magia: Focused Sword¡± </i>

    Behind her, Leng Tianjue inhaled and exhaled exactly one time to summon snowkes from above. Every time a snowkended on the back of his hand, he would shake as if it weighed as heavy as a mountain. His hands also grew colder as if he was grasping the essence of wind and snow itself.

    <i>¡°Magia: Falling Snow¡±</i>

    When qi had be so condensed it was like water, the sword might y even ghosts and gods. That was why the Magia was named ¡°Focused Sword¡±.

    The falling snow was as heavy as mountains and turned a corner of the world into winter. Hence, the Magia was named ¡°Falling Snow¡±.

    Both Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue had gone all out. The thought of holding back had never crossed their mind.

    It wasn¡¯t just because they didn¡¯t want to, but also because they couldn¡¯t afford to.

    This was a matter of life and death. Carelessness and mercy simply weren¡¯t on the table.

    Their Magias deadly to say the least, but the mysterious man did not panic in the slightest. First, he bent the two fingers he used to trap Cang Qingmei¡¯s sword and tapped the de once. There was a soft ringing, and the condensed sword qi instantly scattered into nothing. Cang Qingmei¡¯s own hand felt so numb that she could barely keep her grip on her sword.

    That was impressive enough, but what was even more impressive was how he somehow directed the sword qi at Leng Tianjue¡¯s snowkes. When the snowkes were scattered into bits, Leng Tianjue staggered backward like he had received a terrible blow.

    The mysterious man spoke up after neutralizing their Magias with ease, ¡°Calm down, you two. I bear you no ill will.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue asked at the same time, though neither of them threw themselves into another attack.

    Had the thought not crossed their mind? Of course not. They just didn¡¯t dare to execute it.

    Before the mysterious man had neutralized their Magias, they could still rationalize his sess as a result of the advantage of surprise. But now? They knew better than to underestimate his power.

    ¡°Focused Sword¡± and ¡°Falling Snow¡± were two of the most powerful Magias taught within their sect. It was also their respective trump cards. Despite this, the mysterious man had neutralized both Magias effortlessly. That took a kind of power and skill that they could only dream of at their current level.

    They knew immediately that the man was beyond their reach. They would be lucky if theirbined might managed to put a scratch on the man¡¯s robe. That was why they wrestled down their irrational impulse to attack further and forced themselves to listen to the man.

    ¡°My name is Joyless Ye. I am a nobody, so I do not expect either of you to have heard of me.¡± The mysterious man smiled. ¡°That¡¯s not important though. What is important is that I¡¯m a living, breathing human being, not a ghost.¡±

    The mysterious man was, of course, Ye Qing.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, senior.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s words were reassuring to say the least, not to mention that they couldn¡¯t sense any dark or anomalous presence from him. Both Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue let out an involuntary sigh of relief. However, it was quickly reced by doubt as Leng Tianjue asked, ¡°But why are you stopping us?¡±

    If this Joyless Ye wasn¡¯t a ghost, then why was he stopping them from destroying the statue? Was he in cahoots with the inn owner? Or maybe he was the true mastermind behind it all?

    They couldn¡¯t help but get nervous again when they realized this.

    Ye Qing noticed their emotions, of course. He relinquished his grip on Cang Qingmei¡¯s sword and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not stopping you because I want to kill you. I¡¯m stopping you because I¡¯m saving your lives.¡±

    ¡°I... don¡¯t understand what you mean, senior,¡± Cang Qingmei voiced her confusion.

    ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Ye Qing gestured for them to follow and began walking back toward his table. Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue exchanged a nce with each other before falling behind him, though they kept a close eye on the ghosts who had stoppedughing before they knew it. At the same time, they noticed that the ghosts were looking resentful, snarling, and angry for some reason. They didn¡¯t understand why, though they had no doubt that the ghosts would devour them alive should they let down their guard even a little.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They cannot hurt you.¡±

    Noticing their nervousness, Ye Qing reassured them while patting a rotting, bloated ghost with three heads squirming out of a split stomach. He said, ¡°Excuse me,¡± and the horrifying ghost was pushed out of the way just like that. It did not do anything to him despite looking offended to hell and back.

    If Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue were suspicious of Ye Qing¡¯s ims at the beginning, now they were feeling slightly less worried and anxious. There had to be some truth behind his words considering that he was able to stroll right through the sea of ghosts without a scratch.

    When they reached the table, they abruptly realized that Gu Mingfei, Tan Tao and Fei Fei were already sitting at the table. It was Wen Anran who brought them back, though the trio still looked quite terrified as a matter of course. Fei Fei especially still looked deathly pale andpletely out of it. Thankfully, neither of them was hurt.

    Cang Qingmei could not hold back her confusion any longer and asked, ¡°If I may ask... what on earth is going on here, senior?¡±

    ¡°Sit.¡± Ye Qing pointed at the table next to his. ¡°Sit, and I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±

    What else could Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue do? They could only do as Ye Qing ordered.

    After they took their seats, Wen Anran poured them a cup of tea each. The calming scent of tea eventually quelled the group¡¯s fear and anxiety.

    It was only then Ye Qing began, ¡°You all saw the name of the inn before you walked in, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯.¡± Leng Tianjue nodded.

    ¡°In that case, then you should understand the purpose of this inn.¡± Ye Qing exined, ¡°This isn¡¯t an inn for the living. This is an inn for the dead.¡±

 Chapter 800: The Rules of â€œLiving Enter Notâ€

    <h4>Chapter 800: The Rules of ¡°Living Enter Not¡± </h4>

    ¡°An inn for the dead?¡± Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue eximed at the same time.

    Ye Qing continued, ¡°There are all sorts of entrances and paths under this heaven. Some of them are exclusive to the living, and some of them the dead. This inn is one such example. It is specifically open for the likes of wandering ghosts and spirits, which is why it is named, ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ can only be found in rural areas or the wilderness during nighttime. Any ghost or spirit who finds it only needs to pay a single yin coin to enjoy a delicious meal under its roof and shelter from the terrible elements outside.¡±

    ¡°As you already know, wandering ghosts and spirits are usually people who died in the wilderness for one reason or another. As they receive no offering, they gradually weaken day by day, and since they don¡¯t have a grave, they have no ce to shelter from the elements. To them, basking under the sun feels like being boiled inside a pot of oil, and enduring the night wind feels like being cut by a thousand des. It is an ¡®unlife¡¯ full of hardships and pain.¡±

    ¡°This is why we humans value shelters so much. When you are alive, you live in a house and subsist on nature. When you are dead, you live in a grave and subsist on offerings. You understand this, right?¡±

    Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue instinctively nodded their heads.

    Satisfied with their response, Ye Qing continued, ¡°Unfortunately, not everyone in the world is lucky enough to have someone to care for them when they are old, and offer them offerings after they are dead. In fact, the number of people who die a tragic death in foreignnd or the wilderness everyday can only be described as innumerable. Barring exceptional circumstances, all these victims will eventually turn into wandering ghosts with no shelter to cling to, nothing to rely on, and no one to provide support.¡±

    ¡°This is why ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ exists. It is a ce that offers food and shelter to the wandering ghosts who could neither feed nor shelter themselves, and all it costs is a single yin coin. Yes, they are the guests you¡¯re seeing right now.¡±

    Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue nodded again. It would seem that they <i>had </i>stumbled upon a ghost den after all. Then, another question urred to them. ¡°We came here because we didn¡¯t know better, but why are you here, seniors?¡±

    Ye Qing clearly knew his stuff, and they were fairly certain that Wen Anran and the other woman who hadn¡¯t named herself were the same. So why had theye here even though they knew that it was a den of ghosts?

    ¡°We came to hide from the snow, duh,¡± Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly. He was aware that his answer wasn¡¯t satisfactory, so he continued without waiting for an answer, ¡°Although ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ is an inn for ghosts, it doesn''t mean that it is absolutely barred to the living. You simply need to pay a certain amount of yin money to rest your legs here.¡±

    ¡°But of course, the living will be charged a higher price. Specifically, they must pay several times more yin money than a ghost to stay overnight in ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, those who wish to take shelter in ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ must obey a few rules. One, those who entered ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ must wait until dawn had broken before they could leave. Two, humans and ghosts must keep to themselves. To put it in simpler terms, it means that violence is forbidden, and humans and ghosts cannot harm each other.¡±

    ¡°What? Humans and ghosts can¡¯t harm each other?¡± Cang Qingmei was surprised to hear that.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? The ghosts were only scaring you from start until the end. They had never tried to hurt you directly, had they?¡± Ye Qing countered.

    Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue thought for a moment before nodding. He was right.

    Ye Qing suddenly changed his tune, ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that they weren¡¯t trying to harm you indirectly.¡±

    ¡°Can you exin, senior?¡± Cang Qingmei voiced her confusion.

    ¡°I probably don¡¯t need to say this, but most wandering ghosts did not die a good, peaceful death. As a result, most of them harbor resentment and malice toward the living,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°So yes, it wasn¡¯t just one big prank. They really were trying to kill you.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Leng Tianjue subconsciously argued, ¡°You just said that humans and ghosts can¡¯t harm each other, so how could they kill us? They didn¡¯t think they could scare us to death, did they?¡±

    ¡°As I said, they couldn¡¯t harm you <i>directly. </i>But they could borrow someone else¡¯s hand to do the job,¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°You mean...¡± Cang Qingmei understood his meaning instantly. ¡°Is it the shrine?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± Ye Qing nodded affirmatively. ¡°This brings us to the third rule of ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯. Anyone who enters the inn be it the living or the dead must not disrespect the shrine. This is because the shrine is the foundation of ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯. Unless you are stronger than the shrine, the shrine will annihte you for daring to hurt it.¡±

    ¡°You understand now how the ghosts were trying to kill you. They were going to push you into attacking the shrine so you would get yourselves killed in retaliation.¡±

    Cang Qingmei, Leng Tianjue and everyone else felt a surge of fear when they heard this. If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Qing, they would already be dead.

    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, senior.¡± The group of five hurriedly rose to their feet and thanked him deeply.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯m just helping a fellow in need,¡± Ye Qing motioned for them to return to their seats.

    It was at this moment Fei Fei interrupted, ¡°Se... Senior, you mentioned that humans and ghosts must keep to themselves, right? So why are they scaring us and trying to kill us? And why didn¡¯t they scare y¡ª¡±

    Cang Qingmei cut her off before she could finish her sentence, ¡°Fei Fei! You mustn¡¯t disrespect your senior!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ye Qing smiled. He knew what Fei Fei wanted to ask. He knew she wanted to know why they didn¡¯t try to scare them.

    Fei Fei stuck her tongue out. It was a cute reaction if nothing else.

    Ye Qing resumed his exnation, ¡°The reason they tried to kill you is because you had provoked them first.¡±

    ¡°What? When did we do that?¡± Fei Fei grew bolder when she realized that Ye Qing wasn¡¯t an easily offended person.

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow. ¡°Have you forgotten already? You guys tried to force the grandfather and his granddaughter away from their table at the beginning, and your tone was unkind to put it mildly.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Fei Fei eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough?¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. It did not take a genius to now that these people hailed from extraordinary backgrounds. They were so ustomed to the world adjusting around them instead of the other way around that no one except Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue even realized what was wrong about their earlier actions. In short, they had next to zero <i>jianghu </i>experience.

    ¡°Love and hatred may be born from the smallest quarrels, and life and death may result from the most trivial things. When you are in the <i>jianghu</i>, standing out is thest thing you want to do. Didn¡¯t your betters teach you about this?¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± Leng Tianjue, Gu Mingfei and everyone elseughed awkwardly. In fact, their betters had taught them about the ways of the world. They just forgot or didn¡¯t care about it.

    ¡°You are right, senior. We shall engrave your lesson in our hearts,¡± Cang Qingmei replied while saluting Ye Qing.

    ¡°Of course, there is a second reason.¡± Ye Qing did not try to educate them further. He was just a stranger to these people, and he had no obligation to teach them overly much. Besides, he knew that excessive fussing could lead to contempt, and he had zero desire to make a new enemy for himself.

    ¡°Please, enlighten us,¡± Cang Qingmei responded.

    ¡°The second reason is that you ate the food here,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Ugh...¡± As soon as the group heard the word ¡°food¡±, they immediately recalled the body parts they were tricked into eating and turned a shade of green.

    ¡°No need to look like that. What you saw was just a hallucination created by the yin qi you consumed.¡± Ye Qing purposely teased them, ¡°You did not actually eat dem eyeballs, legs, or intestines.¡±

    The bile Cang Qingmei and the others had just forced down immediately rose back to their throats. They knew that Ye Qing was doing it on purpose as a matter of course, though no one dared toin about it.

 Chapter 801: Lord of Western Radiance

    Chapter 801: Lord of Western Radiance

    ¡°How about a cup of tea, everyone?¡±

    Feng Qingyou and Wen Anran smiled and shook their heads at Ye Qing¡¯s antics. They then poured the group of five another cup of tea.

    The group hurriedly epted the offer and drank it all in one gulp. It worked. The growing bile inside their stomachs subsided considerably before they knew it.

    ¡°Thank you, seniors,¡± Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue thanked Feng Qingyou and Wen Anran on their group¡¯s behalf.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but I must mention that I am your peer, not your senior. Just call me Anran,¡± Wen Anran said gently.

    As for Feng Qingyou, she was chiding Ye Qing lightly, ¡°If you¡¯re going to give an exnation, then do it properly, Joyless.¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled and continued his exnation like nothing had happened, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know that the living and the dead do not share the same meal. The food we eat in the norm is what we call food for the living, whereas those that we ce upon the altars and shrines are known as the food for the dead.¡±

    ¡°Food for the living contains yang qi and nourishes the human body. However, ghosts dislike it because it is harmful to them. The opposite is also true. Food for the dead contains yin qi and nourishes a ghost¡¯s body, but it is harmful to a living person. If they eat it, they would be infected by yin qi and suffer. In the best case scenario, they would suffer mild bouts of illnesses or misfortune. In the worst, they would perish. That is why we have the saying, ¡®the living shall not share a table with the dead¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ is an inn meant for wandering ghosts and spirits, so of course the food and drinks they provided are also meant for the dead. You saw the ghosts¡¯ final deaths, didn¡¯t you? Normally, one cannot see a ghost¡¯s final death directly, but since you guys consumed the food for the dead, which is exceptionally rich in yin qi, a bridge was formed.¡±¡°This is why the ghosts targeted you, and why Miss Wen warned you not to consume the food and drinks of this ce earlier.¡±

    Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue shot Wen Anran an apologetic smile. If they had listened to her warning from the beginning, then none of this would have happened.

    ¡°I-Is eating the food for the dead dangerous?¡± Fei Fei asked with a pale whiteplexion.

    Ye Qing smiled reassuringly at her and said, ¡°If you¡¯re an ordinary person, then you would be lucky to get away with a terrible illness. Most of the time, you would simply die. But since you are all strong, vigorous warriors, then no harm wille to you besides being able to see the ghosts¡¯ final deaths. When tomorrowes, simply stand under the sun, and the yin qi inside your body will be dispelled.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness! I was so scared!¡± Fei Fei let out a huge sigh of relief.

    ¡°Oh right. If you don¡¯t mind indulging my curiosity, how does the food taste?¡± Ye Qing suddenly thought of something and asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know already?¡± Tan Tao instinctively reacted.

    ¡°Of course not. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve tasted it before,¡± Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly.

    Tan Tao: ¡°...¡± <em>He¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know why I asked such a stupid question.</em>

    ¡°If I have to bepletely honest¡­ it was pretty great,¡± Tan Tao answered honestly.

    ¡°Are you kidding me? It was <em>fantastic!</em>¡± Gu Mingfei interrupted, ¡°The wine especially is out of this world. Seriously, I could go for another jar!¡±

    Cang Qingmei: ¡°...¡±

    Leng Tianjue: ¡°...¡±

    <em>You would think that he would learn from his mistake after such a harrowing experience, but¡­</em>

    Ye Qing was curious and wondered if he should order a jar as well. With his physique, that bit of yin qi would not be able to kill even a cell in his body.

    ¡°As food for the dead are meant for the dead, they areposed of candles, paper, and other kinds of offerings. It might be delicious beyond imagination for a ghost, but for a human, it tastes no different from wax.¡±

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou chimed in, ¡°The reason Miss Cang and the others were wowed by the food was because their sense of taste and smell were obfuscated, but if it¡¯s you, then I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re only going to taste wax, Joyless. Unless that is what you enjoy, then forget what I just said.¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­ never mind then.¡± Ye Qing hurriedly shook his head. He had no interest in eating wax.

    The group of five smiled for a few seconds when suddenly, they realized something. <em>Hey, wait a second. Is she calling us weak?</em>

    <em>¡­ Shit, we </em>are <em>weak.</em>

    Cang Qingmei hesitated for a moment before asking in a subdued voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my many questions, but¡­ Do you know who is the one who created this inn?¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. For the first time, he did not have an answer to offer. The reason he knew about ¡°Living Enter Not¡± was because he read it in the Pacification Bureau¡¯s files before. Nowhere was it mentioned who was the inn¡¯s creator, or how the shrine came to be.

    ¡°I can answer that.¡± Thankfully, Wen Anran seemed to know the answer and stepped up. ¡°I once read in my sect¡¯s books that ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ was created by a powerful ghost warrior. A ghost warrior they may be, but they walk the way of divinity through worship. The reason they created ¡®Living Enter Not¡¯ and provide food and shelter for wandering ghosts is to receive their worship and achieve godhood through it.¡±

    ¡°Out of all the ways in the world, thepetition for worship is surely the harshest. And yet, it is clear that this senior was able to carve out a path against all opposition. They are surely a senior of great courage and wisdom.¡±

    Leng Tianjue asked, ¡°Would you happen to know their name, Miss Wen?¡±

    Wen Anran answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know their true name. I don¡¯t even know if they are male or female. What I can tell you is that the people call them the Lord of Western Radiance.¡±

    As soon as Wen Anran mentioned the name, light suddenly spilled out of the shrine on the counter. It merged together to form an enigmatic silhouette of unimaginable power. Every ghost in the inn instantly cowered in fear, and the group of five suddenly felt as if someone was choking them. Their faces turned white, and fear spread inside their hearts like wildfire.

    Ye Qing, Feng Qingyou and Wen Anran were the only ones who didn¡¯t react at all.

    Ye Qing was a Grandmaster, and he had experienced the power of supreme warriors such as the Dark Overlord or the Demon Lord of Freedom[1]. He had long since gotten used to presences so immense that they wereparable to the sea; auras so powerful that just standing it felt like a mountain was crushing his back. Compared to their auras, the enigmatic silhouette¡¯s presence was¡ªno offense¡ªalmost paltry.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised that Qingyou was unaffected. She was even stronger and more experienced than him. It was perfectly normal for her to treat the enigmatic silhouette¡¯s presence like air.

    Wen Anran was a curiosity though. In his senses, the young woman was just ate-stage Spirit Master, and as she told Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue earlier, she was their ¡°peer¡±. And yet, she waspletely unaffected by the enigmatic silhouette¡¯s suffocating aura. It both surprised and piqued his interest in her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end it here. It is impolite to gossip about the owner in their own inn, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ye Qing tapped the table once, and his demonic thought washed out like a tidal wave. It pushed away the enigmatic silhouette¡¯s aura and wrapped around them like a protective cocoon.

    Legend has it that some Sages or great powers were so powerful that their power bridged heaven and earth, and their will was akin to the will of the world itself. So godlike was their power that even the mere mention of their name or the desire to do harm upon them would draw their attention. In a sense, it was pseudo-omniscience.

    The reason the statue in the shrine had reacted in such a manner was surely because Wen Anran had mentioned their title. Besides, the Lord of Western Radiance walked the path of divinity through worship. They of all people would be especially sensitive toward someone invoking their title, not to mention that they were inside ¡°Living Enter Not¡± right now.

    ¡°Living Enter Not¡± was created by the Lord of Western Radiance themselves as the foundation of their worship. They were intricately tied to the deity in ways they could scarcely imagine. To make an example, invoking their title was like invoking the Buddha¡¯s name inside a Buddhist temple. Of course they would notice it instantly.

    One thing for certain, the Lord of Western Radiance was incredibly powerful. They would be wise not to provoke them if at all possible.

    1. Demon Lord of Freedom: Hey guys, I came over to show my face for a bit. Now bye! ?

 Chapter 802: Goddess Festival

    Chapter 802: Goddess Festival

    Noticing Cang Qingmei, Leng Tianjue, Gu Mingfei, Fei Fei and Tan Tao¡¯s pale faces, Ye Qing reassured them with a kind smile, ¡°Worry not. There is no way this senior is so petty that he would take his anger out on us just because we mentioned his name and spoke about him a little.¡±

    He was right. A few breathster, the enigmatic silhouette abruptly dissipated into wisps of dark light. The light slipped back into the statue, and the terrifying pressure enveloping the entire ¡°Living Enter Not¡± was no more.

    Of course, the wandering ghosts and spirits continued to tremble in fear even after the enigmatic silhouette was gone. It was clear that they were absolutely terrified of the Lord of Western Radiance.

    Ye Qing, Feng Qingyou and Wen Anran paid them no attention. They continued to engage the group of five in conversation.

    At first, the five warriors were still reserved and cautious. But two or three cups of wine down their throatster, they slowly began to rx. Gu Mingfei, Tan Tao and Fei Fei in particr suffered a little too much fright tonight and were tired in both body and mind. As a result, they fell into a deep slumber not long after they rxed.

    As for Ye Qing, Feng Qingyou and Wen Anran, they meditated after all five warriors had crossed over into dreand.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, when the pitch ck sky was finally ripped in half by a single ray of light, Ye Qing sensed something and abruptly opened his eyes.

    He noticed that ¡°Living Enter Not¡± was slowly turning transparent as the sunlight grew. It was the same for the wandering ghosts and spirits taking shelter in this ce.

    The living, breathing humans were the only ones who hadn¡¯t experienced any change.Curious, Ye Qing tried to touch the semi-transparent table in front of him. However, his hand passed right through like it was air.

    A few breathster, the entire inn disappeared into thin air like vapor under sunlight, leaving all the humans behind.

    The snow was still falling.

    ¡°How magical,¡± Ye Qing murmured to himself. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he would¡¯ve been hardpressed to believe that such arge inn could just disappear into thin air like that.

    To be specific, the inn hadn¡¯t moved into the void, nor had it been shifted elsewhere by some sort of power. It had simply¡­ evaporated into nothing like vapor. It truly was a magical experience.

    ¡°What happened? Why am I in the snow?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the inn?¡±

    Without ¡°Living Enter Not¡± to keep the elements at bay, Cang Qingmei, Leng Tianjue, Gu Mingfei and more quickly jolted back to reality.

    Ye Qing reminded them, ¡°Living Enter Not appears during the night and disappears during the day. Since dawn has broken, it is gone.¡±

    Exmations of realization and wonder broke out.

    They engaged in idle chat with each other for a moment before Cang Qingmei looked at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Warrior Ye, Miss Qingyou, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, where are you headed next?¡±

    ¡°Good question. You mentioned a Goddess Cityst night. When will the Goddess Festival begin?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Last night, Ye Qing learned that the group of five were disciples of the Lapis Lazuli Sect, and that the reason they were on the road was to participate in the Goddess Festival that was being held at Goddess City.

    As it turned out, Wen Anran was headed there as well.

    Speaking of the Goddess Festival, one must begin with the origin of Goddess City.

    Goddess City was a martial sect in Yan. Two hundred years ago, a broken city had descended from the sky andnded on the ground. It was so broken that only three wall paintings remained intact. Each painting contained the portrait of a goddess.

    By chance, a schr named Chen Guanxing had stumbled into the city and witnessed the goddesses dancing under the moon with his own eyes. Later, he was blessed by the goddesses and taught the way of immortality. In just the span of one year, he had gone from a helpless schr who couldn¡¯t even wrestle a chicken to a Half Sage who possessed enough power to move mountains andmand the weather itself. It was a feat that stunned everyone to say the least.

    After he became a Half Sage, Chen Guanxing rebuilt the broken city into the current Goddess City and began recruiting disciples from all over the world. There was no one who hadn¡¯t heard his name.

    What really piqued the interest and curiosity of the <em>jianghu </em>people, however, was the fact that the goddesses in the three wall paintings would descend to the mortal realm every three years during a full moon to teach a lucky person the ways of immortality.

    In short, Goddess City invited warriors from all across the world to visit them and partake in their goddesses¡¯ blessing every three years. This grand event was called the Goddess Festival.

    Of course, this so-called way of immortality couldn¡¯t actually make someone immortal. It was just a gift consisting of Magias, secret arts, martial insights, enlightenment, natural resources and other tangible or intangible objects. Not only that, the gifts were all rare and valuable.

    A beggar who was born a cripple made a full recovery after receiving a divine elixir from the goddess.

    A woman so ugly that even a dog disdained her looks was transformed into a one-of-a-kind beauty by the goddess¡¯ blessing.

    A warrior with terrible talent was enlightened by the goddess and opened seven points in their heart. Since then, they progressed at a supernatural rate.

    There was a qi practitioner who received the teachings of the goddess and entered a state of enlightenment. In three breaths, he broke three cultivation levels and became a Trueman.

    ¡­¡­

    The above were but the tip of the miracles that the goddesses had bestowed upon the people. Not only that, those favored by the goddesses were recruited as inner disciples by the city lord of Goddess City. In short, being chosen by a goddess was like being given a stairway to heaven.

    Although the Goddess Festival only took ce once every three years, and only three lucky people were chosen each time (each goddess would pick one lucky person), it was still an unbelievable boon. The aristocratic families or major sects did not care for such a boon since they already possessed the wealth and resources necessary to better their people at the same pace but on a muchrger scale, but for the wanderers, inferiors, and independent warriors with little to no background to speak of, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they got lucky and were chosen by the goddesses, then their lives would be transformed¡­ forever.

    This was why countless <em>jianghu </em>people from all over the world came to the Goddess City to participate in the Goddess Festival every time it was held.

    So, why was the group of five attending the Goddess Festival even though they were already part of a sect? It was because the Lapis Lazuli Sect was a small and weak sect, of course. If they got lucky, and the goddess chose one of them to receive her blessing, then their lives would be transformed forever. With that in mind, why on earth would they allow such an opportunity to slip through their grasp?

    Ye Qing had grown interested in the Goddess Festival after hearing about it. If possible, he would like to attend the event and experience it in person¡ªprovided that it would not impact their travel schedule, of course.

    ¡°The Goddess City is about fifty kilometers to the east from here, and the Goddess Festival will take ce about five dayster.¡±

    Cang Qingmei¡¯s eyes lit up as she asked expectantly, ¡°Are you nning to attend the Goddess Festival as well?¡±

    ¡°To the east? That sounds perfect. Would you like to attend the Goddess Festival, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing turned around and asked.

    ¡°Why not? I have long heard about the Goddess Festival, but I was never able to experience it for one reason or another. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, I see no reason to reject it.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded with a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome! I¡¯m so d I get to travel with you, sister Qingyou!¡± Fei Fei burst out in excitement.

    Feng Qingyou patted her head and favored her with a kind smile.

    ¡°If everyone¡¯s ready, then let us be off.¡±

    Ye Qing tossed a paper doll into the air. When it hit the ground, it immediately transformed into a horse carriage.

    ¡°Wow! You have a horse carriage? That¡¯s incredible!¡± Fei Fei¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she ran circles around the horse carriage like a kid.

    ¡°Cutting People Into Paper?¡± Wen Anran spoke up, ¡°I did not know that you are a master of this art, warrior Ye.¡±

    ¡°Please, I am no master. It is but the product of a convenient tool I own.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Those who wish to ride the horse carriage, feel free.¡±

    ¡°Heck yeah!¡±

    Fei Fei had already jumped inside the horse carriage before Cang Qingmei could yell at her about her childishness.

    ¡°Thank you, warrior Ye, Miss Qingyou. I shall happily ept your offer.¡± Wen Anran thanked them and climbed into the horse carriage as well.

    ¡°Thank you, warrior.¡±

    Cang Qingmei too voiced her thanks.

    [1]

    1. Without spoiling too much, you are about to learn why Ye Qing caught Joy Bodhisattva¡¯s attention all those chapters ago. ?

 Chapter 803: Snowy Soul Mirror

    <h4>Chapter 803: Snowy Soul Mirror </h4>

    ¡°What about you guys?¡± Ye Qing asked while looking at Leng Tianjue, Gu Mingfei and Tan Tao.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, warrior. We have Wingride,¡± Leng Tianjue answered while making a hand gesture and summoning a white feather from his sleeve.

    The feather was three inches long and white as snow. wless and perfectly white, it floated in the air and emanated waves of air of Dao.

    ¡°Is that the feather of a Wind Rider?¡± Ye Qing asked after examining the feather for a moment.

    ¡°You have a discerning eye, warrior Ye. That¡¯s right. Wingride is a Strange Artifact created from the tail feather of a Wind Rider.¡±

    Leng Tianjue was surprised. He did not expect Ye Qing to identify Wingride¡¯s origin at first nce.

    Wind Rider was a Disaster-ss Stranger with a dragon¡¯s head and a bird¡¯s body. It excelled at flying[1] and enjoyed flying high, high up in the sky. Its wings could supposedly blot out the sun or moon when they were fully expanded, and a single p of its wing could kick up quite the powerful wind. It was said to be capable of flying thousands and thousands of kilometers in a single day, and it could fly higher than even the nine heavens.

    ¡°One sunny day, a bird rode the winds and flew. Fifty thousand kilometers it climbed, and still it would not stop.¡± That was how they described the Wind Rider in the books.

    Wingride was created from the tail feather of a Wind Rider. A flying-type Strange Artifact, it could expand or shrink in size and even turn invisible. So long as there was a single gust of wind in the air, Wingride could carry its passengers into the sky. Not only that, it did not cost any true qi or spiritual energy to pilot.

    But of course, Wingride wasn¡¯t without its ws. For one, Wingride was wind-reliant. If there was no wind, then it wouldn¡¯t be able to take flight. Its flight speed was directly impacted by the strength of the wind as well. If the wind was strong, then Wingride would move quickly. If not, then it would be slow.

    Besides that, Wingride did not possess any shielding abilities whatsoever. Those riding Wingride must endure the beating of the elements such as the wind, snow, sun, and rain. It wasn¡¯t a rxing orfortable ride by any means.

    Take the current weather for example. A snowstorm was happening, so Wingride would be moving very swiftly. However, that also meant that the frigid wind and snow would be so much harder to bear. Even for warriors at their level, riding Wingride for an extended period of time was a bitter experience to say the least.

    This was why Cang Qingmei and Fei Fei had run into the horse carriage like their lives depended on it. If not for the fact that the horse carriage had turned into an all-female space, they would¡¯ve chosen to ride it as well.

    Ye Qing nced at the horse carriage once before turning back to Leng Tianjue. ¡°You don¡¯t mind me joining you on your ride, do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I cannot say that it will be asfortable as riding your horse carriage though. I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Leng Tianjue replied apologetically.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem at all. We <i>jianghu </i>warriors are used to hardships, aren¡¯t we?¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, warrior.¡±

    Leng Tianjue pointed at Wingride, and it grew to the size of a boat. After everyone had gotten on the feather, Leng Tianjue made another hand gesture. Wingride immediately soared into the sky and shot toward the horizon at high speed.

    ......

    Goddess City was located next to a mountain. Spanning just tens of kilometers, it was not as tall, grand, orfortable as the cities built through the blood, sweat and tears of the people of Yan. That wasn¡¯t to say it didn¡¯t have its own charm, of course. It exuded a kind of ancientness and antiquity worthy of veneration.

    Goddess City had one gate and one gate only. It was named the Goddess Gate, and it was guarded by the elite disciples of Goddess City. As the Goddess Festival was about to begin, the Goddess Gate was currently jam-packed with traveling merchants, warriors and more.

    Despite the natural rowdiness of <i>jianghu </i>warriors, the elite disciples¡ªall of them Spirit Purifiers¡ªwere able to maintainw and order. In fact, Ye Qing could sense twote-stage Spirit Masters manning the towers close to the gate. Their presence indirectly proved that Goddess City was a sect to be reckoned with.

    The procedure to enter Goddess City was pretty simple. All they needed to do was to pay one silver and register their identity.

    Goddess City did not care if the registrant registered a fake name. It wasn¡¯t something they could control even if they wanted to. Nearly everyone who came to Goddess City were<i> jianghu </i>warriors, and nearly all <i>jianghu </i>warriors were temperamental and hid multiple skeletons in their closet. To force them to give up their real names was to create unnecessary conflict, which was why Goddess City chose to turn a blind eye. So long as they didn¡¯t cause trouble, Goddess City was fine with it.

    The number of people who wanted to enter the city was massive, but thanks to how simple the procedure was, it wasn¡¯t take long before it was Ye Qing¡¯s turn to register his identity.

    Ye Qing was stepping through the gate when suddenly, he sensed something and touched a finger against his forehead. Then, he turned to look at a certain tower while a dark glint shed through his eyes.

    A man and a woman were sitting in the loft of the tower. The man looked to be in his twenties, and he wore a moon white shirt and a moon white hairpin in his hair. He looked handsome and elegant like the scion of one¡¯s wildest dreams.

    As for the woman, her hair was dirty white, and her face were full of wrinkles. She looked to be in her fifties or sixties. Despite this, she was wearing a set of youthful, colorful clothes that did not fit her age at all. It felt both tacky and odd.

    Even odder was the fact that the woman was currently lying on the man¡¯sp and blushing like a maiden in love.

    There was a table in front of the couple, and sitting on the table was a snow white mirror. It was crystalline and pure like it was forged from ice and snow. The fact that it was giving off waves of cold air and surrounded by snowkes gave credence to that theory.

    The mirror was showing the people lining up to enter or leave the city. Each time someone entered the city, a snowke wouldnd on the person¡¯s forehead and slowly disappear. It was almost as if the snowke had sunk into their head.

    When Ye Qing stepped inside the city, he had appeared inside the mirror just like everyone else. Then, a single snowke descended andnded right on his forehead.

    However, right before the snowke would melt into his forehead, Ye Qing seemed to notice something and touched his own forehead. Then, he turned to look straight at the loft where the mirror was.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Out of nowhere, the mirror suddenly exploded into a million pieces. At the same time, the olddy lying on the man¡¯sp let out a bloodcurdling scream and spewed blood from both her mouth and her nose. Her breathing immediately turned shallow and erratic.

    ¡°Young Snow! What happened?¡±

    Completely caught off guard, the man cried out in surprise and hugged the old woman with deep concern. However, Young Snow¡ªwho should really be called Old Snow¡ªpushed him away and stared at the shattered mirror on the table, shrieking, ¡°My precious! My precious!¡±

    The next moment, Young Snow grabbed the broken shards and shoved them down her throat like she was insane.

    The mirror might look like it was made from ice and snow, but they were incredibly tough to say the least, not to mention that some of the shards were quite big. Despite this, Young Snow kept devouring the broken shards like her life depended on it. She did not stop even when her tongue were sliced into ribbons, and blood was pouring profusely out of her mouth.

    It was a horrible scene to look at, but Young Snow neither cared nor seemed to feel the pain at all. It wasn¡¯t long before she had swallowed all of the shards, and her cheeks were stuffed as big as a hamster¡¯s. She chewed slowly.

    Maybe it was because she swallowed too many shards at once, but bits and pieces of the mirror were poking out of her lips, her cheeks, and her throat. Young Snow didn¡¯t care though. She wore a blissful expression on her face despite the fact that she was bleeding like a pig.

    Ten or so breathster, Young Snow finally finished chewing up the mirror and swallowing it into her stomach. As if on cue, her dirty white hair slowly began to turn ck, and her wrinkly face and skin began to smoothen out like magic.

    In just the blink of an eye, the ugly, olddy had turned into a young, beautiful girl.

    After Old Snow literally turned into Young Snow, her wounds disappeared like magic, and her erratic breathing returned to normal as well.

    1. ... I suppose it makes sense since there are birds who can¡¯t fly, but still... ?

 Chapter 804: The Anomaly Of Goddess City

    <h4>Chapter 804: The Anomaly Of Goddess City </h4>

    ¡°Why are you sitting on the floor, darling?¡±

    After Young Snow had regained her youth, she noticed her man sitting on the floor and cried out in concern.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who pushed me, remember?¡± The man rolled her eyes at her.

    ¡°Oh, right! I¡¯m sorry, I panicked just now. I promise I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Young Snow apologized.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± The man replied cordially, knowing better to push his luck. He rose to his feet and asked again, ¡°So, what happened just now?¡±

    ¡°I think someone saw through my Snowy Soul Mirror and dispelled my Snowy Soul Imprint remotely,¡± Young Snow answered.

    The Snowy Soul Mirror was the mirror on the table. It was a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact created from the head and soul of a Snowy Mirror Demon. That was why it was named the Snowy Soul Mirror.

    A Snowy Mirror Demon possessed a humanoid body and a mirror for a head. It also had a pair of flight-capable wings. Not only could it spy on a victim using its mirror head from hundreds of hundreds of kilometers away, it could mark them with an imprint for tracking purposes.

    As the Snowy Soul Mirror was forged from a Snowy Mirror Demon¡¯s mirror head and soul, it too inherited the Snowy Mirror Demon¡¯s power. It could also spy on someone from hundreds of kilometers away, and leave behind an imprint that allowed it to track a target even from thousands of kilometers away.

    The snowkes dancing around the mirror earlier were none other than the Snowy Soul Imprints. Anyone who was marked by it could be tracked down using the Snowy Soul Mirror even if they were thousands and thousands of kilometers away.

    As the guardians of the gate, their duty was to observe each and every person who entered the city and mark them with a Snowy Soul Imprint. This allowed them to detect and suppress any troublemaker at first notice. It also allowed them to manage Goddess City better and ensure the smooth running of the Goddess Festival.

    ¡°How can this be? The Snowy Soul Imprint is nigh imperceptible. How can anyone discover its existence?¡± The man eximed in surprise.

    The Snowy Soul Imprint was invisible, intangible, and nigh impossible to detect for the average warrior. The fact was that they had pulled this trick every Goddess Festival, and no one had ever noticed their actions¡ªuntil now.

    ¡°They¡¯re probably a Trueman,¡± Young Snow replied. While the Snowy Soul Imprint was normally imperceptible, that only applied to warriors beneath the Trueman or Grandmaster stage. A Trueman or Grandmaster had created their yang god and be one with the world around them. Therefore, their consciousness and spirit were far sharper than your average warrior. It made sense that they would be able to detect the Snowy Soul Imprint.

    ¡°Trueman?¡± The man shuffled uneasily. ¡°A Trueman came to our city? Who is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Young Snow shook her head.

    ¡°In that case, what should we do?¡± the man asked.

    Young Snow thought for a moment before answering, ¡°This is for the higher-ups to decide, not us.¡±

    As she said this, Young Snow reached into her own stomach. Ripples appeared around her stomach area as her hand slipped right in like her flesh was water. A secondter, she pulled out a wless mirror from her stomach. It was none other than the Snowy Soul Mirror, and it looked as good as new.

    The second the Snowy Soul Mirror left her body, Young Snow suddenly began aging rapidly. In just the blink of an eye, she had transformed back to her old, wizened self¡ªactually, no, she looked a tad older than she was before.

    ¡°Stay here and protect the mirror. I¡¯m going to report this to the city lord myself,¡± Young Snow dered.

    ¡°Got it.¡± the man nodded in acknowledgement.

    Young Snow rose to her feet and left through the exit. She was gone in no time.

    ......

    ¡°Brother Leng, you should be pretty familiar with Goddess City, right? Do you know any good restaurants around the area? I can use a warm, fulfilling meal after the past couple days.¡±

    Inside the city, Ye Qing was picking Leng Tianjue¡¯s brain like nothing was amiss. It was almost as if he had already put the earlier transgression out of his mind¡ªwhich he had. He knew that someone was spying on him from the very beginning, but he paid it no heed, at least at the beginning. It was a guardsman¡¯s job to keep a close eye on those who ventured into their master¡¯s territory after all.

    However, they crossed the line when they tried to nt an imprint in him. That was why he decided to teach them a lesson and broke the imprint.

    There was a chance his retaliation would be viewed as some form of provocation by Goddess City, but honestly, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest. His retaliation was extremely subtle, and the demonic thought was nigh imperceptible. Forget a pair of Spirit Masters, not even the average Trueman would be able to detect its origin. Therefore, there was no way they could identify him.

    Assuming he was wrong, and someone in Goddess City was somehow able to identify him. What were the chances that the higher-ups of Goddess City would risk offending a Grandmaster over two underlings, and on the eve of their important festival no less? As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he hadn¡¯te alone. It was obvious what the correct choice to make was.

    Finally, on the off chance that the city lord of Goddess City did have a screw loose in his head, he still believed in his and Qingyou¡¯s strength. With their powersbined, he did not believe that there was anyone or anything in Goddess City who could stop them from escaping.

    That was why he had long since put the encounter out of his mind.

    On a rted note, Leng Tianjue and hispanions had no idea about the exchange as a matter of course.

    Fei Fei pouted and interrupted, ¡°Tsk... there¡¯s nothing good out in the outer city. The inner city is where the real luxury lies. Unfortunately, we won¡¯t be able to get in until the festival starts.¡±

    ¡°Outer city? Inner city? What¡¯s the difference?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, warrior Ye. Goddess City is split into the outer city and the inner city. The outer city is where the ordinary civilians, traveling merchants, wandering warriors and more reside, and where the inns, markets, and other service and entertainment facilities are located. The inner city is what the people call the Goddess Pce, and it is where the city lord, the elders, the guests of honor and the disciples reside. It is the heart of Goddess City, and it is also where the three wall paintings that form the foundation of the city are stored.¡±

    Cang Qingmei exined, ¡°It should be obvious, but the inner citymands a higher status over the outer city. Normally, no one from the outer city is allowed to enter the inner city, and those from the inner city wield the power to kill anyone from the outer city as they pleased.¡±

    ¡°Finally, the inner city is open to the public only during the Goddess Festival.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing nodded. To put it simply, it was the difference between the outer sect and the inner sect. In fact, Goddess City was a sect, so it was perfectly normal for them to have an arrangement like this. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not going to wait until the Goddess Festival begins before I have my lunch, so Brother Leng...?¡±

    ¡°No worries. I happen to know an excellent restaurant just around the area,¡± Leng Tianjue answered. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    On the way to their destination, Ye Qing noticed that Feng Qingyou was observing the surrounding passersby with asional frowns and looks of puzzlement. A short whileter, he could not hold back his curiosity any longer and asked, ¡°What are you looking at, Qingyou?¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied in a voice that only he could hear, ¡°Something¡¯s not right about the people of this ce!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing asked. He himself couldn¡¯t see anything wrong with the people around him.

    ¡°Everyone I¡¯ve observed so far has abysmal fortune,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Abysmal fortune?¡± Ye Qing nced at her in surprise. ¡°You mean they¡¯re very unlucky?¡±

    ¡°You can say that.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded affirmatively. ¡°I know a qi observing art that allows me to view the forces of mountains and rivers, discern the fate of a nation, and identify the qi[1] or any man or woman.¡±

    ¡°Generally speaking, the fortune of a human being can be separated into five levels: yellow, purple, red, white and ck. Yellow and purple are the best of all the colors. Strong in destiny and favored by the world itself, people with yellow or purple fortune would find their life¡¯s journey smooth-sailing no matter what they do. They are usually superior to most people in terms of power and status as well.¡±

    ¡°People with red fortunes are pretty blessed as well. They are usually born with excellent talent, and they are lucky in the sense that any hardships or dangers they encounter in life would usually turn out alright in the end. Generally speaking, they would lead a long and peaceful life and live for around a hundred years old.¡±

    ¡°People with white fortune have average fortune. It is the type of fortune most people share. For them, fortune and misfortune, happiness and sorrow, life and death go hand in hand.¡±

    ¡°Finally, people with ck fortune are born under an evil star so to speak. Their lives are filled with misfortune, constant disasters, and horrendous luck, and most of them would not meet a good end or die of natural causes.¡±

    ¡°All things are everchanging. Be it the forces of the mountains and rivers, the fate of a nation, or the qi of a human being, nothing is set in stone. However, everyone I¡¯ve seen in Goddess City so far have ck or grayish fortune. To make a metaphor, they are choking with misfortune and drowning in omens of death. You can see why I find this strange.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t all. Looking at their fortune alone, these people should be suffering all sorts of misfortunes and tragedies. If they were born ill, they would have died young and painful, and even if they weren¡¯t, they would have encountered all sorts of disasters and perished as a result. And yet, not only are they still alive, you can tell that they are doing quite well.¡±

    1. Qi is considered aponent of one¡¯s fortune. In fact, vigor is qi+blood, fate/destiny is qi+luck, so on and so forth. It¡¯s just that my trantion obfuscates that to a certain extent because I believe that it¡¯s only going to confuse people for no good reason. ?

 Chapter 805: Gossip

    Chapter 805: Gossip

    ¡°When you said ¡®everyone¡¯ earlier, do you mean everyone in general, or¡­?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression turned solemn. He did not think that Feng Qingyou was misreading the situation.

    ¡°Everyone. Both the disciples guarding the gate and the passersby on the streets have ck fortune,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°What about us? What about those who just entered the city?¡± Ye Qing asked with a frown.

    ¡°We and those who just entered the city have normal fortune,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°I see. So, only those hailing from Goddess City have ck fortune,¡± Ye Qing said thoughtfully.

    ¡°I believe so.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded affirmatively.

    ¡°Do you know why their fortunes are so terrible, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say at the moment, but I believe that it¡¯s due to external causes.¡±Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Be it the forces of mountains and rivers, the fate of a nation, or the qi of a human being, nothing is set in stone. Even the Heavenly Way isn¡¯t immutable, much less everything else. What this means is that all things can be influenced through various factors.¡±

    ¡°Generally speaking, the factors that affect the fortune of a person can be broken down into two things: internal and external. Internal refers to how a person usually conducts themselves. If a person conducts themselves in a sinful, criminal manner, then they would naturally earn the world¡¯s disfavor and garner misfortune. Fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin; what you reap is what you sow.¡±

    ¡°External refers to causes that have nothing to do with the person¡¯s conduct. This can be further broken down into two categories, namely natural disaster or man-made disaster. In my opinion, it is unlikely that these people have ck fortune because of a natural disaster. I say this because the people of Goddess City look well-fed, well-provided, and quite content with their life. It does not look like they have encountered any natural disasters as ofte.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a ¡®man-made disaster¡¯ then. This situation is the result of someone¡¯s machinations,¡± Ye Qing rified.

    ¡°I believe so,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows as if he just recalled something. He walked up to Leng Tianjue and asked, ¡°Brother Leng. This is the second time you¡¯re participating in the Goddess Festival, right? Did you encounter anything strange after the festival is over, and you left the city?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure what you mean?¡± Leng Tianjue cast him a confused look. ¡°We went back to the sect right after we participated in the Goddess Festival. I don¡¯t think we encountered anything strange along the way.¡±

    Gu Mingfei interrupted, ¡°You must be kidding, senior brother! Have you forgotten how unlucky we were? It was easily one of the most unluckiest moments of our lives!¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡±

    This time, Leng Tianjue did recall something. He let out an awkward cough and secretly gestured for Gu Mingfei to stop talking.

    Unfortunately for him, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to let the matter end there. He subtly stepped in front of Leng Tianjue so that Gu Mingfei wouldn¡¯t notice his gesture and asked with a face that was overflowing with curiosity, ¡°Oh ho? And how unlucky were you, exactly? Tell me everything.¡±

    Leng Tianjue: ¡°...¡± <em>I had no idea you¡¯re this type of person, senior!</em>

    As Gu Mingfei did not notice Leng Tianjue¡¯s gesture orprehend his cough, the young man quicklyunched into a detailed exnation, ¡°Senior brother and I were the only ones who participated in the Goddess Festival at the time, and let me tell you, it was like we were possessed by the god of misfortune as well. I can confidently tell you that neither my senior brother nor I have ever been this unlucky in our life!¡±

    ¡°For starters, it was bright and sunny when we initially left the city, but just twenty or so minutes after that, it suddenly began raining cats and dogs. It took us an unbelievably long time to find a cave to shelter in, and when we finally did, the bloody cave copsed on us right after we stepped inside! Forget finding shelter, we almost got buried alive!¡±

    ¡°This is just the beginning, however. While we were riding a horse across a street, an old man suddenly ran out of nowhere and copsed in front of us. He imed that we bowled him over, but I can swear to all the gods and demons in the world that we haven¡¯t so much as brushed the edge of his shirt! He wouldn¡¯t relent though, and in the end, we had no choice but topensate him for something we never did.¡±

    ¡°Ah! You got pengci¡¯ed[1]!¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    ¡°Peng what?¡± Gu Mingfei did not understand the term.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Please, continue your story,¡± Ye Qing urged.

    ¡°Right. We were having lunch in a restaurant¡ª¡±

    Leng Tianjue suddenly turned as pale as a ghost when he heard this. He tried to cough again to stop Gu Mingfei, but just as he opened his mouth, Ye Qing snapped his fingers and caused his breath to be stuck in his throat. No matter how hard he pushed, he just could not cough no matter what. His face turned beet red from the exertion.

    Gu Mingfei was on a roll and so failed to notice Leng Tianjue¡¯s reaction at all. He continued excitedly, ¡°¡ªand we were sitting next to a few <em>jianghu </em>warriors who were eating lunch as well. Brother Leng was curious about them and shot them a nce. What do you think happened next?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Tan Tao and Fei Fei chirped excitedly. Even Cang Qingmei and Wen Anran were secretly spying on the conversation.

    If there was one interest all of humanity shared, it was gossip.

    Gu Mingfei chuckled. ¡°Thedy sitting at that table suddenly imed that senior brother Leng was flirting with her and insisted that he marry her for it!¡±

    ¡°What? That sounds like a good thing! Why didn¡¯t senior brother Leng take her hand in marriage?¡± Tan Tao snickered.

    Gu Mingfei rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Because she¡¯s over sixty years old, you buffoon! She¡¯s so old didn¡¯t even have her front teeth anymore!¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡±

    The girls could not control themselves any longer and burst outughing. Leng Tianjue was the only one who had turned as red as a tomato, and only he knew if it was because his breath was still stuck in his throat, or because he was embarrassed to hell and back.

    ¡°What else? What else? Why haven¡¯t you told us about this before?¡± Fei Feiined while shaking Gu Mingfei¡¯s arm up and down.

    ¡°Well, senior brother Leng swore me to¡­ oh shit!¡±

    It was only now that Gu Mingfei finally recalled that he promised Leng Tianjue to keep this a secret. When he nced sideways and saw Leng Tianjue¡¯s ckened, stone hard face, he shuddered visibly and stepped away from Leng Tianjue, muttering, ¡°Anyway, to cut a long story short, we were unlucky as hell for the few days. To borrow an idiom, we were so unlucky that water got stuck between our teeth.¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to know, warrior Ye?¡± Cang Qingmei changed the subject.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I was just curious,¡± Ye Qing answered. No one among the group of five suspected anything, but Wen Anran definitely shot him a meaningful look.

    After the conversation was over, Ye Qing stepped closer to Feng Qingyou and said in a low voice, ¡°It looks like anyone who visits Goddess City would suffer misfortune as well.¡±

    Fortune was an invisible, intangible thing, but it was possible to evaluate it to a certain extent simply by observing the person themselves. For example, a person with good fortune would encounter a string of good luck and vice versa. That was why he asked Leng Tianjue if he encountered anything strange after he left Goddess City. He wanted to know if visitors of the city would be impacted by the strange phenomenon as well.

    Clearly, the answer was yes.

    Leng Tianjue and Gu Mingfei¡¯s fortune had declined considerably after they participated in the Goddess Festival. That was why they had encountered a string of unfortunate events.

    It wasn¡¯t too big of a decline though. After all, their lives were never in danger despite their loss of fortune. It could be because they had only stayed in Goddess City for a couple of days, or it could be because of some other factors.

    ¡°It probably has something to do with the Goddess Festival,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°Heh. Things are getting interesting, it seems.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and let out a chuckle. The Goddess Festival wasn¡¯t just a normal festival after all.

    ¡­¡­

    April 4, the day of Ding-si and the month of Jia-chen. It was a day to renovate the kitchen, offer sacrifices, and bring in wealth, and to avoid doing business, opening a shop, and breaking ground.

    It was also the day where the Goddess Festival was set to begin.

    The Goddess Festival officially began at night, but the inner city was open to the public at the first light of dawn. That was why countless people dressed in their finest clothes were standing in front of the entrances expectantly before daybreak.

    Ye Qing, Feng Qingyou, Wen Anran, and the group of five were waiting as well.

    Unlike the hustle and bustle of the outer city, the inner city was a lot more quiet and tranquil. However, its buildings and infrastructure were clearly bigger, better, and more luxurious. Some parts of the inner city were one-of-a-kind scenic spots as well.

    ording to Leng Tianjue, there existed Three Sceneries and One Wonder in Goddess City. The Three Sceneries referred to the Rainbow Lake, Moon Altar, and Spring Garden.

    1. Meaning scammed. Specifically, it refers to the practice of crooks cing ostensibly expensive, fragile items (usually porcin) in ces where they may easily be knocked over, allowing them to collect damages when the items are damaged. It also refers to a predominantly Chinese crime where scammers feign injury in traffic idents in order to extort money from drivers, as well to describe "broken porcin" diplomacy, in which any foreign criticism of the Chinese government, or its strategic issues, is met with manufactured outrage, shattering the "porcin of diplomacy" and fanning popr anger. ?

 Chapter 806: Female Mystery, Door to All Beginnings

    Chapter 806: Female Mystery, Door to All Beginnings

    Contrary to what its name implied, the water of Rainbow Lake was clear and turquoise. However, a type of grass called the Rainbow Grass grew at the bottom of theke. A peculiar aquatic nt with seven leaves of different colors, each leaf changed colors every incense stick or so.

    The bottom of the Rainbow Lake was overgrown with the Rainbow Grass, and its clear, turquoise waters reflected the changes in color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Beautiful and spectacr, it was how it earned the name ¡°Rainbow Lake¡±.

    The Moon Altar was a three-hundred-meter-tall structure that looked a little like a circr pir. Thin at the bottom but thick at the top, one could view the entire Goddess City from the top.

    The Spring Garden was an everspring garden that never changed no matter the season. Filled with all kinds of rare and extraordinary flora, it was a ce of unimaginable beauty and rxation.

    If the Rainbow Lake, Moon Altar and Spring Garden were the representatives of beauty and vibrance, then the One Wonder was a collection of beauty, magnificence, and mystery.

    The One Wonder was called the ¡°Goddess Wall Paintings¡±, and it was none other than the three goddess wall paintings that had descended from the sky and formed the foundation of Goddess City three hundred years ago. It was also the origin of the Goddess Festival.

    The Goddess City was built next to a mountain, and the mountain was named the Goddess Peak. One side of the mountain was perfectly smooth and t like a mirror as if a sword had sliced clean through, and the three goddess wall paintings were embedded in it.

    Square-shaped, each wall painting was exactly one hundred meters long and wide. From the inner city, it was possible to view the Goddess Wall Paintings no matter where you were.

    What this meant was that the visitors were able to see the three wall paintings as soon as they set foot inside the inner city. Those at the forefront suddenly skidded to a stop, and the locals dropped to their knees and kowtowed to the wall paintings like they were gods. It was quite the stunning first impression to say the least.The three goddesses were known as Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus, and Goddess Moonview.

    Goddess White Deer was a girl riding a white deer. She wore a set of white robes and a wreath on her head, and she had long, ck hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. With a backdrop of clean nature behind her, she looked like the embodiment of purity and innocence themselves.

    Goddess Green Lotus was a middle-aged woman holding a green lotus in one hand. She was dressed like a courtdy and possessed a cool, lofty appearance. Noble and untouchable, she stood out among the masses just like the green lotus in her hand.

    Finally, Goddess Moonview looked to be standing on a mountain peak with her back facing toward the crowd. White clouds covered her feet, and a bright moon hung high atop her head. She looked like a celestial who had discarded her mortal shell and ascended to the heavens; the lone beauty who had achieved transcendence and soared above a forgotten world.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The three goddesses were giving off a mysterious, profound aura. The onlooker who watched them for an extended period of time would naturally grow reverent and fearful like a believer before their god.

    ¡°How interesting!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. He could tell that the strange feeling was, in fact, not just a product of his imagination. It was an invisible, intangible aura that possessed the power to influence one¡¯s emotions and spirit in secret. Prolonged exposure to this aura would cause the victims to develop unconscious reverence and yearning toward the three goddesses.

    His demonic thought informed him that the aura wasn¡¯t particrly harmful or potent though. One should return to normal as soon as they leave Goddess City. Besides that, he did not discover anything else wrong with the three wall paintings.

    After admiring the Goddess Wall Paintings for a bit, the group began exploring the inner city at their leisure. With Leng Tianjue at the helm, they visited the Rainbow Lake, the Moon Altar, the Spring Garden and other scenic spots in the inner city. Time passed slowly as they toured the ce to their heart¡¯s content.

    When nighttime arrived, something strange happened. What was a clouded, snowy sky a moment ago had suddenly cleared up and revealed a sea of stars.

    Maybe it was because the weather was rarely clear since they entered Yan, but Ye Qing felt that the night sky was even clearer and more beautiful than usual, and the stars looked so bright it felt as if one could pluck them with their bare hands. This was especially true for those who happened to be standing at the Moon Altar at this time.

    As night fell, and thenterns were lit, the entire Goddess City became submerged in dreamy candlelight.

    It was 11 pm when a bell was struck, and its ringing could be heard throughout the entire city. As if on cue, every light in the city was snuffed out, and the entire world plunged into darkness all of a sudden.

    The neers were just starting to feel confused and worried when a bright moon rose to the center of the sky. Silver moonlight descended from above andnded squarely on the Goddess Wall Paintings.

    The next moment, a multitude of colors refracted out of the wall paintings. They rapidly grew in intensity until they shone brighter than the moon, the sun itself, and for a time, the entire Goddess City became as bright as day.

    When the radiant light gathering around the wall paintings had reached peak intensity, they transformed into a massive, rainbow-colored door surrounded by auspicious clouds. It was as if the wall paintings had transformed into a door to heaven.

    For a time, it was so silent that one could hear a pin drop. That was just how magnificent and fantastical the scene was.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    An indefinite amount of timeter¡ªit could have been an hour, or it could have been an eternity¡ªa grand, magnificent sound washed over the entire city and caused the sky and the earth to shake a little. The auspicious clouds scattered into nothing, and the mysterious door slowly swung open to reveal all kinds of enigmatic sounds and colorful lights.

    <em>¡°The mystery beyond mysteries,</em>

    <em>The door to all beginnings¡±</em>

    The light and sound show wasn¡¯t just for show. Many people actually experienced enlightenment right there and then and advanced to the next cultivation level.

    ¡°The Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings? Not bad!¡± Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows but shook his head right after. ¡°A shame that it¡¯s mostly fake.¡±

    The Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings were both a unique type of natural phenomenon. They urred only in ces where heaven and earth resonated with each other, thews and principles shone, and the Great Way was unveiled.

    To put it in simpler terms, the Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings appeared when a matter, a person, or an object that touched on the naturalws or the Great Way. For example, a Sage who was practicing his Dao or giving a lecture might trigger the manifestation of the Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings. This was because their insights were usually interwoven with the Great Way and the naturalws themselves.

    Just the same, if a mysterious blessednd or abode surfaced in the real world, and it happened to resonate with heaven and earth and in harmony with the Great Way, then it would manifest the Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings as well.

    In summary, the Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings were natural products of the world, reflections of the Great Way, and manifestations of the many facades of the naturalws. They were as profound as they were wondrous.

    As the Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings were intricately linked to the Great Way and the naturalws, those who saw it naturally became connected with nature, and those who heard it naturally understood the truths of the world. Therefore, they were incredibly beneficial to a warrior. A small boost could cut down years on one¡¯s cultivation or elerate one¡¯s breakthrough, whereas a big boost could even turn one into a Sage[1].

    There was a story in ¡°Gold and Jade Records of Wulin¡± that went something like this: Once upon a time, a schr was enjoying a night walk when he saw a rainbow light and heard a profound sound. Enlightened, his mind became one with heaven and earth, and his will returned to the naturalws. It was profound beyond words, wonderful beyond imagination.

    Time marched swiftly, and by the time he finally awakened from his unusual state, a whole century had already passed him by. Realizing that the world he knew was already in the past, the schr let out a rueful sigh and sang at the top of his lungs:

    ¡°All things in life are born with spirit,

    So why oh why is immortality so ruthless?

    One night spent with female mystery and all beginnings,

    And the next, I sing of an adventure to the skies beyond.¡±

    With that, the schr walked up to the clouds, passed through the heavenly gate, andpleted his ascension to immortality.

    1. To put it in game terms, it¡¯s an instant level up reward. ?

 Chapter 807: Descent of The Goddesses

    Chapter 807: Descent of The Goddesses

    Of course, the ¡°Gold and Jade Records of Wulin¡± was just a novel about the strange and unusual written by a member of the literati. The stories in the book were mostly fictional, and the ridiculous ims regarding the Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings was, of course, untrue.

    That said, there was a grain of truth in the story. While the Light of Female Mystery and the Sound of All Beginnings definitely could not transform a weak, helpless mortal into a divine immortal of untold power, it could definitely assist a warrior in achieving martial enlightenment and making incredible breakthroughs.

    For example, there was a famous general known as the Defender of Wei and the God of Saber three hundred years ago. His moniker was Nirvana yer of Demons. Nirvana yer of Demons was stuck in the Trueman stage for many years, and he was unable to be a Sage despite having refined his qi, essence and spirit to perfection. He could keenly sense that he was one paper away from bing a Sage, and yet he just couldn¡¯t take that final step and cross that threshold no matter how hard he worked.

    Left with no choice, Nirvana yer of Demons decided to temporarily resign from his duty and explore the <em>jianghu. </em>He believed that experiencing the red dust and observing the wonderful world around him would aid in his goal of tearing down the imprable fortress that stood in his path of bing a Sage. Unfortunately, his efforts were met with little sess.

    One day, he happened to be at the right ce and the right time to witness the birth of a blessednd. When the Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings washed through him, he was finally able to tear down the imprable wall that had blocked his path for countless years and be a Sage in a single breath.

    Nirvana yer of Demons wasn¡¯t the first warrior to attain ascension from the Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings, and he would not be thest. In fact, examples like him were a dime a dozen. While the gains varied drastically from person to person, there was no doubt that the Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings were one hundred percent beneficial to one¡¯s cultivation. It was the life-changing opportunity every warrior dreamed of.

    On a rted note, they were also nicknamed the divine light, the celestial light, the sound of Dao, the sound of Buddha and so on.

    Ye Qing was quite unconcerned with this so-called life-changing opportunity, however, and no, it wasn¡¯t because he had gotten full of himself after bing a powerful Grandmaster. It was simply because the Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings in the sky¡­ were fake.

    Well, that might be a little too harsh. The Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings in the sky definitely looked like the real thing, and there was definitely a little something mixed within the light and sound show. That was why the weaker warriors were able to experience enlightenment and achieve a breakthrough.However, that was all there was to it. The essence of a true Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings were wholly absent. No matter how bombastic, profound, and magical they looked, in the end, it was nothing more but an illusion. The ordinary masses might be fooled by this, but he was neither ordinary nor weak.

    Of course, credit where credit is due, the illusion was extremely realistic. Combined with that strange aura that was just enough to enlighten the weaker warriors, and it wasn¡¯t difficult to see why the trick had gone unnoticed.

    In fact, if his core cultivation art wasn¡¯t the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, which granted him extra acuity in regards to illusions and aura, he might have had trouble telling if this Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings were real or fake.

    The people of Goddess City were proof of how well-made the illusion was. Practically no one besides him and Feng Qingyou realized that the fantastical phenomenon sting away in the sky right now was a fake. He only needed to look at everyone¡¯s reverent and absorbed expressions to know that.

    A momentter, after the door was fully open, and the Light of Female Mystery and Sound of All Beginnings finally came to a stop. The world fell silent for a moment.

    <em>Tap. Tap. Tap¡­</em>

    Then, footsteps came from behind the door. It was slow, soft, yet profound in an inexplicable way. The people felt like the footsteps wereing from inside their hearts, and yet it was neither disturbing nor noisy.

    For a time, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the footsteps above. They were all staring at the heavenly door with expectant looks on their faces.

    The footsteps grew clearer and clearer. Finally, a white deer emerged from the door.

    The white deer looked extraordinarily handsome. Pure white in color and surrounded by a ribbon of clear light, it leisurely strolled out of the door and onto the auspicious clouds. It lookws quite extraordinary to say the least.

    Despite its dazzling appearance, the white deer wasn¡¯t the center of attention. No, that honor went to the girl riding on its back.

    She was a teenage girl wearing a white dress and a wreath on her head. Her ck hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and she emanated an aura of purity and innocence.

    She was none other than Goddess White Deer.

    The arrival of the goddess was akin to a calming wave. Any and all ill feeling inside the people¡¯s hearts was washed away into nothing, leaving behind only peace and purity.

    ¡°Goddess White Deer¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Goddess White Deer¡­¡±

    ¡°Goddess White Deer has descended to our world once more!¡±

    ¡°Good blessings, Goddess White Deer¡­¡±

    The first cry was like the stone that kicked off andslide. The exmations of surprise and admiration grew louder and louder until it felt like the entire world was weing the goddess¡¯ descent. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the people soon dropped to their knees and prayed to the goddess¡ªall of them, except Ye Qing, Feng Qingyou, and Wen Anran.

    Luckily, no one was paying attention to the trio since they were busy kowtowing and whatnot. Otherwise, their action could have sparked a riot that no one asked for.

    In the sky, Goddess White Deer looked down on the people from atop the clouds. She waved her hand lightly, and a gentle drizzle poured down from the sky.

    The rain was soft, smooth, and invigorating. When it hit the ground, seeds sprouted and burst out of the ground. When it hit the nts, flowers sprouted everywhere like weeds, and the dead ones weed a new lease of life. When it hit the mountains, the tree canopies grew thicker, and the greens grew more vibrant than ever before.

    It was as if the rain was the embodiment of spring itself, reinvigorating any and all life on earth. In just the blink of an eye, the entire Goddess City was bursting with life and flora.

    While everyone was still absorbed in the miracle conjured by Goddess White Deer, green lotuses quietly floated out of the heavenly door and formed a path. Then, a cool, lofty woman dressed like a courtdy and holding a green lotus in her hand crossed over the threshold.

    Even before the woman stepped out of the heavenly door, a refreshing floral scent rode the wind and spread throughout the city in no time. Everyone who smelled it immediately felt healthier and stronger. Their body felt rxed, their mind was refreshed, the diseases guing them suddenly disappeared, and their chronic illnesses were cured just like that.

    Those who were gued by chronic conditions or other difficult diseases literally burst into tears when her miracle took hold.

    ¡°It¡¯s Goddess Green Lotus!¡±

    ¡°Long live Goddess Green Lotus!¡±

    ¡°Long live Goddess Green Lotus!¡±

    Everyone was kowtowing to Goddess Green Lotus. It was the only way they knew to express their excitement and reverence.

    Before the cheers could subside, the bright moon suspended high above the nine heavens suddenly became much brighter. A pir of moonlight shot down from above, and a woman slowly descended to the earth following the path.

    The woman looked as fair and cold as the white moon above everyone¡¯s head, noble and untouchable. Columns of rainbow light were shining down from the top of her head, and she was surrounded by ayer of silvery radiance that created ripples in the air.

    The woman pointed toward the masses, and the round moon grew even brighter than it already was. A cool breeze blew, and moonlight poured down from the sky like the rain.

    Everyone basking in the moonlight felt clearer and sharper in mind. Their power and cultivation level were growing by leaps and bounds as well. Many warriors broke through to the next stage just like that.

    ¡°Hail Goddess Moonview¡­¡±

    ¡°Hail Goddess Moonview¡­¡±

    For the third time, the people of Goddess City kowtowed to the goddess.

    The light of the goddesses mingled with each other and painted the entire Goddess City in a fantastical light. Combined with the miracles they showed earlier, and there was no local who wasn¡¯t cheering or praying or kowtowing to them with zealous fervor. The disciples of Goddess City were no exception.

    ¡°I see,¡± Feng Qingyou said suddenly while staring at the miracles above her head.

    ¡°Did you figure out something, Qingyou?¡±

    Feng Qingyou was looking more beautiful than ever before thanks to the light show put on by the three goddesses. The same could not be said for her next words, however. ¡°The three goddesses are stealing the fortune of everyone inside this city.¡±

 Chapter 808: Deep Waters

    Chapter 808: Deep Waters

    ¡°Stealing fortune?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brow. He hadn¡¯t sensed anything like that at all. ¡°How are they doing this?¡±

    ¡°ording to my observations, everyone who feels reverent toward the three goddesses and offers up their knees would lose their fortune to them,¡± Feng Qingyou answered. ¡°The more reverent they are, the greater the rate of loss.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then why couldn¡¯t I sense anything?¡± Ye Qing asked with puzzlement. He was a Grandmaster now, and his main cultivation art was the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. He couldn¡¯t say he could one hundred percent perceive the flow of another person¡¯s fortune, but there was no way he would miss his own fortune flowing to the goddesses.

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Fortune, fate, destiny and the like are intangible, difficult concepts that most people are hard-pressed to grasp, much less perceive. The three goddesses are also using some sort of art that makes it even harder for someone to perceive the flow of fortune than normal.¡±

    ¡°On top of that, the three goddesses are wise enough to steal only a paltry amount of fortune from each individual. The victim may suffer a few days of misfortune from the loss, but they would return to normal afterward. Leng Tianjue and hispanions are the living example of that.¡±

    ¡°Of course, that isn¡¯t to say that this theft ispletely harmless. If a victim keeps returning to the Goddess Festival year after year, then it is only a matter of time before their fortune ispletely stolen by the three goddesses. Such is the case for the citizens of Goddess City.¡±

    Feng Qingyou paused for a moment before shooting Ye Qing an enigmatic smile. ¡°As for you, you haven¡¯t lost any fortune from the start. You are protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, remember?¡±

    ¡°I understand now.¡± Ye Qing snorted in disdain. ¡°This so-called Goddess Festival is just an opportunity for the three goddess to cut leeks[1]!¡±

    Having listened to Feng Qingyou¡¯s exnation, Ye Qing finally understood what happened to the fortune of Leng Tianjue¡¯s group and everyone in Goddess City. He also understood why Goddess City went through the trouble of organizing this so-called Goddess Festival that seemed to benefit everyone except themselves.The reason Leng Tianjue and Gu Mingfei had suddenly be terribly unfortunate after leaving the Goddess City was because their fortune had been stolen by the three goddesses. However, since the amount of fortune they lost was fairly insignificant, they only suffered a couple days of misfortune before returning to normal.

    The same could not be said for the popce and disciples of Goddess City. They had been robbed again and again until their fortune finally became as ck as sin.

    But why did they remain safe and sound despite having a ck fortune? If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was probably because of the three goddesses. Had the goddesses chosen to leave them to their misery, it was only a matter of time before people grew suspicious of them. That was why they did something that would protect those residing within their city. Naturally, those who left Goddess City for too long would lose their protection and immediately perish from their ck fortune.

    This matched the intel he collected for the past two days. Goddess City had no rules that prevented its citizens from migrating, so some of them would move out from the city from time to time. However, he came to learn that not a single one of these people had had a good ending. They either died from chronic illnesses or sudden death, or met all kinds of tragic ends such as being killed by a bandit or a Stranger.

    He didn¡¯t understand why this was the case before, but now, it was clear that it was the sequ of having their fortune robbed.

    No one noticed anything odd with these deaths, however. It was because the people who left Goddess City had all died of idental causes. This was a harsh world where countless people died of countless numbers of reasons everyday, so why would anyone suspect a thing? On top of that, most of these people were nobodies whom no one gave a damn about, so few people bothered to look into it, if at all.

    All in all, no one suspected a thing. Goddess City¡¯s devious scheme remained effective to this day.

    The reason Goddess City held the Goddess Festival was clear as day. As Ye Qing said, it was to cut the leeks and steal their fortune for themselves.

    At the beginning, he was confused why Goddess City went through the trouble of holding a triennial charity festival. They had consistently given up opportunities and gifts for nothing in return. While there were intangible benefits to such as poprity, he did not think it was worth what they were giving up.

    Now, he confirmed that there was indeed no free lunch in this world. Byying out inconsequential opportunities and gifts as bait, Goddess City was able to harvest an unimaginable amount of fortune year after year.

    Ye Qing had to give it to them. Their scheme was as devious as it was clever. All living beings were greedy, and Goddess City knew that very well. They had set up the known as the Goddess Festival and used it to trap their preys again and again.

    However, the <em>jianghu </em>was deep, and preys weren¡¯t the only creatures who lurked in its depths. If the bait was too paltry, then they could only draw the small fries, but if the bait was too attractive, then they might lure a mighty dragon they could not possibly defeat. Even if they could, it would be a pyrrhic victory. Therefore, the bait theyid must be just right. It must be tempting enough that it would lure more than just the small fries, but not so big that it would attract a predator.

    In the end, Goddess City managed to bnce things just right. The gifts and opportunities they gave up during the Goddess Festival was significant enough to attract many warriors, but it wasn¡¯t so significant that it would draw the attention of true elites and champions. They were ultimately sessful in creating a system that allowed them to reap an insane amount of fortune without being discovered.

    On top of that, Goddess City had various insurance policies in ce to ensure they wouldn¡¯t be discovered. For example, Ye Qing knew from his own experience that Goddess City was using some sort of art to spy on every visitor who entered the city. With that in mind, it wasn¡¯t unthinkable that they would know an art that allowed them to identify one¡¯s power as well. After all, it would be most terrible if a strong warrior entered the Goddess City and discovered their secret.

    Thanks to this, Goddess City was able to enact their grand scheme for many years without being discovered.

    The <em>jianghu </em>warriors who were lured into the trap had no idea that their fortune had been robbed, and the seque weren¡¯t serious enough to really draw attention. Therefore, they would surely return to the Goddess Festival to reap the tangible benefits it offered again and again. This wouldst until they hadpletely run out of fortune, and misfortune naturally imed their lives after they left the city¡¯s boundaries. They would be discarded like used goods who no longer had any value to offer their exploiter.

    Ye Qing did not make the mistake of putting Goddess City and the three goddesses in the same camp. They could be, but they could also just be using each other. At the current stage, it was difficult to say if it was a symbiotic rtionship, or a master-servant one.

    ¡°Cutting leeks? That is an apt metaphor,¡± Feng Qingyou remarked with a curious smile before asking, ¡°So, what do you n to do, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Nothing? I¡¯m just a tourist, so what do I care?¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    Feng Qingyou was asking if he wanted to interfere now that he had discovered the monstrous scheme behind this so-called charity event. His answer? Hell fucking no. Why? Because he simply could not think of any good reason to. He would warn Leng Tianjue and hispanions away from Goddess City, but that would be the extent of his interference. It wasn¡¯t like he and Goddess City shared a blood debt, nor was there a conflict of interest between them, so why on earth would he risk his life to expose Goddess City¡¯s ploy and reveal the truth behind the Goddess Festival?

    Someone might say that he should do it for the sake of justice and goodness. He would tell them to quit lying or do it themselves if they were such a bleeding heart hero. Before performing any heroic deed, one must question themselves if it was doable. If the answer was yes, then he did not mind being a hero once in a while. But if the answer was no, then why on earth would he risk his life for nothing?

    Besides, the waters of Goddess City were as deep as it was murky. He had a feeling that he would end up in more trouble than it was worth if he was careless.

    It wasn¡¯t an excuse. It was simply the truth.

    1. Cutting leeks was originally used to describe gullible individual investors (¹ÉÃñ) in China''s financial markets. Like leeks, once one batch of unsuspecting investors have lost their money and been cut down by big yers, the next lot is not far behind. ?

 Chapter 809: Blessing of the Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 809: Blessing of the Goddess </h4>

    Since the start of the Goddess Festival, it looked like Goddess City¡¯sw and order were being maintained by a handful of elite disciples only. Frankly, it was slightly unbing of a sect of their stature.

    That was just a facade, however. The fact was that almost no one had dared to start any sort of trouble within Goddess City, and those who tried faced the consequences swiftly and mercilessly. This proved that Goddess City was far more capable than they pretended to be.

    Besides, he had sensed multiple elites¡¯ presences in key areas of the inner city when he was touring the ce earlier. In fact, he could sense at least two Truemen watching over the Goddess Festival from the shadows right now. He was sure there were more hiding where his senses could not reach.

    The Goddess Festival had been held for several decades. There was a saying that went something like this: ¡°If you walk the rivershore everyday, then it is only a matter of time before you wet your shoes.¡± There was no way that he and Feng Qingyou were the first people to notice that something was amiss with Goddess City, and yet the Goddess Festival had never been interrupted, and their dark secret had never been exposed. There was only one exnation behind this, and that was that Goddess City had resolved all the issues by their own power. And how did they resolve the issues? By killing and burying all who dared to oppose them, of course.

    This wasn¡¯t something a powerless sect could achieve, and no matter how strong he and Feng Qingyou were, they were only two people. Before one carries out a heroic deed, they must first measure their own worth. Someone who threw themselves into danger without considering even something so simple was just a reckless idiot.

    Ye Qing had weighed his strength against Goddess City and arrived at a swift conclusion. He decided that he wasn¡¯t going to do anything at all.

    Feng Qingyou giggled a little. ¡°Hahaha, a wise man puts his own safety before matters of principle, but it looks like you¡¯ve forgotten that you are a member of the <i>jianghu</i>. Sometimes, the <i>jianghu </i>moves you whether you like it or not.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by that?¡± Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows.

    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just a passing remark,¡± Feng Qingyou replied calmly.

    ¡°Is that so? Then why don¡¯t I believe you?¡± Ye Qing asked suspiciously. He was just about to press Feng Qingyou further when she interrupted, ¡°Here ites.¡±

    Ye Qing turned around and looked up. The three goddesses in the sky suddenly waved their sleeves, and a pir of light descended to the ground from churning clouds and formed a flight of stairs. It was a literal staircase to heaven, and everyone was staring at the rainbow-colored road with shiny, excited eyes.

    There was a poem in Goddess City that went something like this:

    ¡°From the clouds descends a staircase of light,

    Where the goddess chooses one to grant their blessing.

    The chosen shall ascend to the heavens, shed their mortal shell,

    And attain the Dao they so seek.¡±

    The poem was describing what was happening before his eyes right now. It was also the highlight of the Goddess Festival.

    Each goddess would choose one person to receive their boon. The chosen ones would then climb up the staircase of light to the goddesses¡¯ side and receive their blessings.

    This was the true reason behind everyone¡¯s excitement. Why else had they traveled untold kilometers just to participate in the goddess Festival? It was to receive their boon, wasn¡¯t it?

    When the staircase of light and cloud had fully taken form, Goddess White Deer lifted a dainty finger and pointed. Colorful light rippled in the air as a white deer leaped out of the clouds and circled around the goddess, bleating. After patting it once on the head, she pointed again, this time toward the ground.

    As if it could understand her thoughts, the white deer leaped down from the sky andnded on the ground, tiny patches of auspicious clouds surrounding its hooves the entire time.

    The white deer was clearly conjured from the clouds, but it was lifelike and beautiful. Everyone instinctively held their breaths and stared fixatedly at the white deer with barely suppressed excitement and expectation.

    The white deer¡¯s dark, spirited eyes scanned the surrounding people for a moment before it walked up to a young woman. Then, it bleated twice and bumped its head against her arm.

    The young woman was either seventeen or eighteen years old, beautiful and full of life. She was also a Spirit Purifier. Considering her age, her talent must be quite outstanding.

    The young woman waspletely astonished at first. She looked like she was questioning reality itself. When she finally came to and realized that she wasn¡¯t dreaming, she turned beet red with excitement. She stammered incoherently, ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s me... I was chosen... thank you, goddess! Thank you!¡±

    The surrounding people stared at the overly excited woman with disappointment, envy, jealousy, expectation and more. It was a kaleidoscope of emotions that was only matched by its intensity.

    After the young woman had regained some measure of self-control, the white deer pushed her again and motioned for her to sit on it. Once she was fully secure, the white deer carried her up the staircase of light step by step. When she was finally up in the clouds, the white deer carried her to Goddess White Deer before dissolving into a puff of clouds.

    The young woman hurriedly dropped to her knees and kowtowed to the three goddesses. Once the pleasantries were over, Goddess White Deer reached out and caressed her head.

    ¡°A celestial touched my crown, and thus I was enlightened to immortality.¡±

    The next moment, countless ancient scripts with dragon heads and phoenix tail feathers burst into existence and danced in the sky. Theybined into a scripture that emanated a golden light and gave off an unspeakable, profound sound. It was a grandiose and solemn light and sound show.

    ¡°Look at that scripture...¡±

    ¡°It has to be a martial art of sorts... an unimaginable one...¡±

    The people on the ground could not help but watch the extraordinary phenomenon with great envy and greed. They only wished they were the young woman right now.

    A few breathster, the scripture fully sank into the woman¡¯s head, but her eyes remained tightly shut. It was clear that she was still digesting the secret art she received.

    Goddess White Deer waved her hand, and the woman gently floated into the air andnded beside her.

    It was Goddess Green Lotus to choose her candidate next. The green lotus she was holding floated out of her hand and descended toward the earth.

    Everyone was looking up and staring intently at the green lotus. They were all hoping that it wouldnd on them.

    It took a while, but the green lotus ultimatelynded on top of a schr. The schr looked to be twenty three or twenty four years old, and he looked as pale as he was thin. From time to time, he would cough into his fist. It was clear that he possessed a weak, ill body. However, the schr also possessed a pair of eyes that shone as bright as the dawn star. It almost looked like the light in his eyes could illuminate the entire night sky. It was clear that he was an extraordinary person in his own right. This was proven by the fact that the schr was pleasantly surprised that he was chosen to receive the goddess¡¯ blessing, but that was it. He carried himself in a dignified and noble manner.

    A green lotus appeared underneath the young schr and carried him up the staircase of heaven. He was eventually brought over to Goddess Green Lotus.

    ¡°This student is Yao Jingce. It is an honor to meet you, Goddess Green Lotus, Goddess White Deer, Goddess Moonview.¡±

    The young schr was clearly nervous, but he did not sumb to his emotions. He paid the three goddesses three kneelings and nine kowtows.

    After Yao Jingce was done paying his respects, the green lotus that had returned to Goddess Green Lotus¡¯ hand slowly grew bigger and matured. When she plucked the lotus seed, green light burst out of it and transformed into countless birds. A hundred birds danced around a phoenix as it let out a melodious cry. Eventually, they dissolved back into green light and disappeared into the lotus.

    After the green light had faded, a lotus the size of a cat¡¯s eye appeared in Goddess Green Lotus¡¯ palm. Green like jade, there were birds and a phoenix flying inside the lotus. It was obvious that it was quite extraordinary.

    Goddess Green Lotus handed the lotus to Yao Jingce, and the schr swallowed it in one gulp. As soon as the lotus sank into his stomach, wisps of dark gray qi started creeping up his face.

    At first, Yao Jingce seemed to be in deep pain, but a surge of blue qi soon appeared and began annihting the dark gray qi. The harmful qi was easily destroyed as if the blue qi was its natural enemy. It wasn¡¯t long before pain slowly faded from Yao Jingce¡¯s face, and hisplexion became much rosier and healthier than before.

 Chapter 810: Can I Not Go?

    <h4>Chapter 810: Can I Not Go? </h4>

    ¡°My illness is cured, my illness is cured! Thank you, Goddess Green Lotus! Thank you!¡±

    Yao Jingce burst out as an unprecedented amount offort and vitality coursed through his body. Even with his dignified personality, he was unable to stop himself from bursting into tears. His illness had tortured him since he was a young boy, and it made his life so miserable that it would not be an exaggeration to say that death was preferable. But now, the chronic disease that had gued him for so long was gone. How could he not be excited and happy about this?

    Goddess Green Lotus nodded wordlessly, and a green lotus appeared beneath Yao Jingce¡¯s feet. After it carried him to her side, the young schr assumed a meditative position and focused on digesting the medicinal energy still flowing inside his body.

    With this, Goddess Moonview was the only one left who still hadn¡¯t chosen their candidate. Everyone stared at her praying from the bottom of their hearts that the third and final opportunity would go to them.

    Goddess Moonview extended her hand and grasped as if she was caressing the moonlight. The intangible threads immediately sprung to life and joined together to form a handsome horse. Silvery white from head to toe, it had sharp horns on its head and four hooves that were wreathed in mes. It looked quite impressive.

    The white horse let out a thunderous neigh before galloping down the skies. It moved incredibly fast and cut through the air like a meteor.

    Naturally, its momentum gave everyone a small fright. Before they could even react, the white horse had alreadye to a stop before one man.

    Everyone subconsciously turned to look at the man. Their gazes and expressions wereplicated to say the least.

    Ye Qing stared at the white horse in front of him. He was truly surprised that the final goddess¡¯ blessing... would go to him.

    For a good few seconds, Ye Qing and the white horse simply stared at each other. Then, the white horse snorted as if to tell Ye Qing to get on top of it already.

    Ye Qing blinked and asked a question, ¡°Can I not go with you?¡±

    The white horse blinked. The crowd blinked. Even the three goddesses in the sky seemed to nk out for a second.

    <i>Did he just say what I think he said?</i>

    <i>What kind of maniac would reject a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that fell into hisp??</i>

    Noticing that he had be the center of attention before he knew it, Ye Qing rubbed his nose awkwardly and tried again, ¡°Ahem... you see, I¡¯m the guy who¡¯scking in everything except opportunity, so er, I don¡¯t mind if you give your blessing to someone else!¡±

    The three goddesses: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    It was such a ridiculous statement that neither the divine nor the mundane could not say anything for a time!

    As soon as the people came back to their senses, they immediately red at Ye Qing. They were already infuriated that thest opportunity had gone to Ye Qing, and now the sonuvabitch was boasting that he had so much opportunity he did not need another one! How could they not be angry at the asshole?

    The locals, the inner city disciples, and the worshipers especially were practically spitting fire out of their eyes. The young man would be dead a million times over if it was up to them to mete out his punishment. It was Ye Qing¡¯s current actions were no different from sphemy in their eyes.

    Ye Qing was still thinking of a way to squirm out of his situation when Feng Qingyou urged him with a smile on her face, ¡°Go on. You shouldn¡¯t keep the goddesses waiting.¡±

    ¡°... Fine.¡±

    Ye Qing was extremely reluctant to say the least, but Feng Qingyou¡¯s words and the hostile gazes that were skewering him from every direction ultimately pushed him forward.

    Did he really think of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities as garbage? Of course not. He just knew that this particr opportunity was most likely booby-trapped. What kind of sane person would willingly ept a trapped opportunity unless they had no other choice?

    Unfortunately, that was the exact situation he was facing right now. He was going to ept this ¡°blessing¡± whether he liked it or not!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed and climbed on top of the white horse. The white horse itself snorted with deep displeasure as it carried Ye Qing all the way to the auspicious clouds.

    After the white horse reached Goddess Moonview, it disappeared all of a sudden without warning. It seemed to be plotting to trip up Ye Qing and embarrass him in front of everyone.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing was ready for this. Hended safely without any trouble whatsoever.

    After hended on both feet, Ye Qing stared at Goddess Moonview and waited for her to grant him his blessing. What he did not know was that Goddess Moonview was also waiting for him to pay her respects to her.

    For a good few seconds, the one man and one goddess simply stared at each other. They were both waiting for the other person to act.

    ¡°Ahem... goddess? What are you waiting for? Grant me your blessing already!¡±

    A long timeter, when Ye Qing could not hold back his impatience any longer, he urged, ¡°I¡¯m going to leave if you won¡¯t grant me your blessing.¡±

    <i>Is she dumb or what? </i>Ye Qing thought annoyedly to himself as he added, ¡°Seriously! I¡¯m going to leave in five seconds if you¡¯re not going to do anything!¡±

    When Goddess Moonview heard this, she finally realized that the rude young man had no intentions of paying his respects to her. She furrowed her brow slightly as if displeased with his rudeness, but she ultimately chose not to say anything about it. She waved her hand, and the moon in the sky abruptly started plummeting toward Ye Qing.

    As the moon plummeted, it shrank in size but grew brighter as a result. By the time itnded in front of Goddess Moonview, it had shrunk to the size of a pendant but shone as bright as the sun itself.

    ¡°Not bad,¡± Ye Qing eximed in pleasant surprise as he grabbed the pendant. He thought that it would be a scam or something, but the Strange Artifact turned out to be better than he thought. ¡°Thank you, goddess.¡±

    With that done, the Goddess Festival had finallye to an end. The three goddesses waved their hands, and Ye Qing, Yao Jingce and the young woman all floated to the ground.

    After that, the three goddesses turned around and stepped toward the heavenly door once more.

    ¡°Goodbye, goddess!¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, goddess!¡±

    ¡°Goodbye, goddess!¡±

    As soon as the locals saw this, they immediately dropped to their knees once more and bade the goddesses goodbye in unison. Their expressions were respectful and full of zeal.

    The door slowly swung shut after the three goddesses had vanished behind it. The auspicious clouds and colorful lights too disappeared together with the door.

    By the time Ye Qing, Yao Jingce and the woman finallynded on the ground, every extraordinary phenomenon in the sky disappeared at once. All that was left behind was the three goddess wall paintings in the sky. They glittered like gold under the sheen of moonlight.

    Since the goddesses were gone, Ye Qing, Yao Jingce and the young woman instantly entered the spotlight. Everyone was staring at them with envy, jealousy, anger, hatred, and more.

    Ye Qing and Yao Jingce were fine, but the young woman had clearly never been in the spotlight before, at least not one on this level. Judging from her sweaty brow, paleplexion and clenched teeth, she was seconds away from suffering a panic attack.

    It was at this moment a terrible pressure descended from above. The crowd abruptly opened up a path as if an invisible de had split them in half, and an old man apanied by a group of Goddess City disciples¡ªall of them dressed in ck robes¡ªslowly walked toward them.

    The old man¡¯s sleeves were empty. It was clear that he did not have arms. The aura and pressure of a Trueman he gave off was unmistakable, however.

    The armless Trueman paid the crowd no attention whatsoever. Once he reached the trio, he began, ¡°Chosen ones, our city lord would like to invite you to a meeting. Will you pleasee with us?¡±

    Once again, envy and jealousy bloomed on many faces. It was because the three chosen ones had obtained not just the blessing of the goddess, but also the favor of Goddess City itself. All they needed to do was nod their heads, and they would be a part of Goddess City and soar to greater heights than ever before.

    ¡°Senior, if you don¡¯t mind me asking... are you saying that the city lord wishes to meet us in person?¡±

    Both Yao Jingce and the woman seemed stunned by the invitation.

    The armless Trueman took their response as yes and motioned for them to follow, ¡°That is correct. This way, please!¡±

    Ye Qing was the only one who lifted his eyebrows in annoyance. He wanted to open his mouth and turn down the invitation, but a voice rang in his heart before he could do so, ¡°Follow them.¡±

    Ye Qing subconsciously nced in Feng Qingyou¡¯s direction only to discover that the woman was nowhere to be found.

    <i>Ah, screw it. I guess I don¡¯t have a better choice.</i>

    Although Ye Qing did not know why Feng Qingyou was making him do this, he did not question her orders. He immediately fell behind Yao Jingce and the young woman and followed the old man.

    The trio would pass through various buildings and even more guards. Finally, they entered Goddess Pce and saw the enigmatic city lord of Goddess City with their own eyes.

    The city lord of Goddess City was called Duanmu Longhua. Ye Qing knew this long before the Goddess Festival began.

    The name sounded masculine, so he thought that the city lord of Goddess City was surely a man. But not only was he wrong, the city lord turned out to be a cute young girl.

    No, this was not a misinterpretation. The city lord was literally a cute young girl. She looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old at most, and she was wearing a white dress. With her cute face and spirited eyes, she was the perfect picture of an innocent young girl.

    Such was their surprise that the three of them could not help but stare at the young girl in disbelief for a time.

 Chapter 811: Unawakened Bugs

    Chapter 811: Unawakened Bugs

    ¡°My appearance surprised you, didn¡¯t it?¡± Duanmu Longhua smiled at the trio.

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Yao Jingce and the young woman replied in a hurry.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Everyone who saw me the first time reacted more or less the same way, so I¡¯ve gotten used to it.¡± Duanmu Longhua giggled. ¡°Anyway, you should already know my name. I am Duanmu Longhua. What about you three?¡±

    ¡°This junior is Yue Hongmian. A pleasure to meet you, Lord Duanmu.¡±

    ¡°This student is Yao Jingce. A pleasure to meet you, Lord Duanmu.¡±

    ¡°This junior is Joyless Ye. A pleasure to meet you, Lord Duanmu.¡±

    They all introduced themselves to Duanmu Longhua and saluted her.

    ¡°Yue Hongjin, Yao Jingce, Joyless Ye. You all have excellent names.¡± Duanmu Longhua waved. ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there. Please, take a seat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Duanmu,¡± The trio responded and obeyed hermand.After everyone was seated, Duanmu Longhua jumped straight to the point, ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know why I called you here, so I shan¡¯t waste anyone¡¯s time. Are you interested in joining my Goddess City? You have my word that I will treat you fairly.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªYes!¡± Yue Hongmian replied immediately after Duanmu Longhua finished. She was so excited that her face was red.

    Yao Jingce rose to his feet and gave Duanmu Longhua a cordial bow. ¡°I apologize, senior, but I was just passing through Goddess City. I am most honored to receive the blessing of the goddess, but my life¡¯s goal is to serve my country. Therefore, I cannot join the Goddess City. I hope you can forgive me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Everyone has different ambitions after all.¡± Duanmu Longhua waved away his apology before looking at Ye Qing. ¡°And what about you?¡±

    ¡°I must apologize as well. I am an independent soul who prefers to live free and unfettered. I have no choice but to turn down your offer,¡± Ye Qing answered with a sped fist.

    ¡°You can live a free and unfettered life even after you join my Goddess City. Besides, isn¡¯t it cool and refreshing to stay under a big tree? Why don¡¯t you give it some more thought?¡±

    Ye Qing was going to reply, but Duanmu Longhua pushed on, ¡°No need to give me your answer immediately. Please, take your time to consider.¡±

    It was at this moment a female attendant stepped into the room with a tea jar. She poured everyone a cup of tea.

    The tea water was pure and clear when it flowed out of the jar, but it turned red as blood after it rested several breaths inside the cups.

    Right after that, the tea water boiled up on its own and released puffs of steam. At the same time, an indescribably fragrant scent spread across the room.

    The sweet aroma caused Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian to swallow despite themselves. The urge to drink the tea tickled at their throats.

    ¡°This is one of Goddess City¡¯s many specialties, the red plum tea. Brewed using red plum flowers, it is red as blood, fragrant like plum, rich in aroma, and leaves behind a lingering aftertaste that you would not soon forget. It is rare everywhere but my Goddess City. Please, give it a taste!¡±

    After she introduced the tea, Duanmu Longhua immediately picked up her cup and took a sip. A look of bliss quickly spread across her features.

    ¡°Thank you, Lord Duanmu!¡± Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian temporarily pushed down the desire in their hearts and thanked her.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but you really should drink the red plum tea sooner thanter. It won¡¯t taste nearly as good after it¡¯s gotten cold,¡± Duanmu Longhua replied while taking another sip of tea.

    Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian would be drinking the tea already if not for the sake of courtesy. Since the host herself was urging them to try, they stopped hesitating and picked up their cups excitedly.

    Neither of them noticed the strange glint that just shed through Duanmu Longhua¡¯s eyes.

    Right before their lips would touch the teacup, a sudden pain erupted from their wrists. Caughtpletely off guard, Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian identally let go of their cups and spilled its contents all across the floor.

    Confused and panicking, the duo hurried to apologize to Duanmu Longhua only to notice that the city lord was looking straight at Ye Qing. Her eyes were narrowed slightly as she asked, ¡°What is the meaning of this, warrior Ye?¡±

    Brushing his fingers against the teacup, Ye Qing responded with a smile that did not reach the eye, ¡°That¡¯s my question, Lord Duanmu. What are <em>you </em>doing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, warrior Ye. I do not mind you rejecting my offer of tea, but you went so far as to ruin your fellows¡¯ tea as well. Had I done something to displease you?¡± Duanmu Longhua asked in a stern, intimidating voice. The cuteness and innocence she disyed earlier were nowhere to be found.

    Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian wheeled around to stare at Ye Qing. It was only now they realized that Ye Qing was the one who interrupted them earlier. But why was he doing this? Why had he stopped them from drinking the tea?

    ¡°You have indeed displeased me, Lord Duanmu,¡± Ye Qing answered casually as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pressure rolling out of Duanmu Longhua. ¡°In fact, I am extremely displeased with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh? And what did I do to earn such displeasure from you?¡± Duanmu Long put her chin on her fist and asked curiously.

    ¡°Everything.¡± Ye Qing began, ¡°You¡¯re trying to recruit us into Goddess City, aren¡¯t you? So where is your sincerity? I¡¯m not asking you to floor me with a vault of gold and jewelry, but at the very least, I was expecting a feast. Instead, all you gave us is a cup of tea. Are you serious right now? Just how stingy can you be?¡±

    Cold sweat poured down Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian¡¯s foreheads when they heard this. <em>Unbelievable! His head grew three sizes, no, </em>ten <em>sizes just because a goddess blessed him!</em>

    Ye Qing continued as if he couldn¡¯t hear their thoughts, ¡°Setting aside the fact that I¡¯m extremely dissatisfied with your service, I suppose that some tea is still better than no tea at all. But what the hell is this swill you¡¯re serving us? This is something no human should ever drink, no?¡±

    ¡°Oh? And why do you say that?¡± Duanmu Longhua asked, ¡°I drank it, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not you. I can¡¯t stop you if you insist on drinking pig slop.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°You dare!¡± The armless old man who had guided them to the pce and was standing guard this whole time flew into a rage when he heard this, his Trueman aura washed out like a thunder wave. He was just about to attack Ye Qing when Duanmu Longhua raised a hand to stop him.

    Seemingly unconcerned with the fact that Ye Qing had just insulted her deeply, she asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, warrior. Why are you calling my red plum tea pig slop?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s filled with bugs, of course!¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°Bugs?¡± Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian eximed at the same time. Once again, it was Yao Jingce who reacted first and cried out in shock, ¡°Are you saying that this tea is tampered with, warrior?!¡±

    ¡°Of course it is. I can even tell you what it¡¯s tampered with. The Unawakened Bugs.¡±

    ¡°The Unawakened Bug is a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. So small that it isparable to a speck of dust, it is an aquatic creature that can only live inside liquid. If it leaves the body of water it resides in, then it will immediately die and dissolve into nothing.¡±

    ¡°Despite living in water, the Unawakened Bug loves heat and fears the cold. It turns red when it makes contact with high temperature, and it melts and turns invisible in water. At the same time, it releases an exceedingly fragrant aroma that is irresistible to both humans and animals.¡±

    Ye Qing swirled his cup of ¡°tea¡± as he continued, ¡°If a victim were to consume the Unawakened Bug, they would feel extremely sleepy at best, or fall into an unwakeable slumber at worst; one that is no different from death. Hence the name.¡±

    ¡°Am I right, Lord Duanmu?¡±

    ¡°Your exnation is correct, but where is your evidence? You are aware that baseless nderes with a hefty price, right?¡± Duanmu Longhua asked.

    ¡°You want evidence? That¡¯s simple.¡±

    Cold air suddenly seeped into the cup Ye Qing was holding and drained away its heat. The red tea slowly turned transparent, and countless dust-sized bugs popped into view for all to see.

    ¡°I told you, didn¡¯t I? The Unawakened Bug loves heat and hates the cold. Given a low enough temperature, it would immediately reveal its true form.¡±

    Ye Qing raised his cup so that Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian could get a good, long look. Yao Jingce subconsciously stepped away from Ye Qing and turned as pale as a ghost, whereas Yue Hongmian covered her mouth and began dry heaving.

 Chapter 812: Divine Fortune Pill

    Chapter 812: Divine Fortune Pill

    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself, Lord Duanmu?¡±

    Ye Qing looked up and stared at the young girl sitting at the head of the table.

    ¡°So, it was you! Hahahaha!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua did not answer him, however. Instead, she looked him up and down for a couple seconds before bursting outughing. ¡°So you¡¯re the Trueman who infiltrated my Goddess City! I was thinking how I could suss you out and capture you, but to think that you would deliver yourself right to my doorsteps! Hahahaha! This is most fortuitous!¡±

    As Duanmu Longhuaughed, her expression and her presence grew twisted, crazed, and spine-chilling.

    ¡°Oh? Fortuitous how, pray tell?¡± Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows.

    ¡°Hahaha! You see, I needed just one more Trueman to be my human cauldron, and now, you have delivered yourself right to me. If this isn¡¯t fortuitous, then what is?¡±

    Duanmu Longhua was bobbing her head left and right and changing her tone repeatedly for seemingly no reason whatsoever. It truly looked like she was possessed by a crazed spirit. ¡°I searched for you high and down from the moment Young Snow told me that a Trueman had entered the city. When my men came up with nothing, I was so disappointed thinking that it was just a misunderstanding. But it turned out that it wasn¡¯t a mistake after all. The heavens truly favor me, hahahaha!¡±

    ¡°With you as my human cauldron, I will finally be able to create the Divine Fortune Pill I need to break through my limits. I will finally be a Sage! Hahaha! The heavens favor me! The heavens always favor me! Hahahahahaha!¡±¡°Human cauldron? Divine Fortune Pill?¡± Ye Qing automatically filtered her gibberish and homed in on the keywords. ¡°Is that why you invited us to your pce? You wish to turn us into human cauldrons to refine your Divine Fortune Pills?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you are a smart man, warrior Ye. You guessed the truth immediately.¡±

    Duanmu Longhua tilted her head and examined Ye Qing curiously. ¡°Truly, you are a smart man. If I¡¯m not at a critical point of my cultivation, if I do not desperately need the Divine Fortune Pills at this moment, I would¡¯ve been reluctant to see you dead.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the praise.¡± Ye Qing saluted her uncaringly and asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind telling us, what is a Divine Fortune Pill?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you¡¯re all going to die anyway, so why not?¡±

    Duanmu Longhua¡¯s face reddened with excitement as she began, ¡°The Divine Fortune Pill is a pill created using a person¡¯s fortune as the ingredient, and humans as the cauldron. Those who consume it would be favored and protected by the heavens. They would not fear the Three Disasters and Five Tribtions, nor would they be threatened by heart demons and any illness any longer. They will rise to the heavens, attain the Dao, and be a Sage.¡±

    ¡°Sounds amazing. But why did you choose us, specifically?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Because the three of you possess the biggest amount of fortune, of course. The bigger the fortune, the greater the potency of the Divine Fortune Pill.¡±

    Duanmu Longhua stared at Ye Qing passionately like she was examining a priceless treasure. ¡°You in particr possess a level of martial fortune that is rarely seen even on a worldwide level. After all, you could not have be a Trueman at your age without it. I am certain that the Divine Fortune Pill created from your body will be of peerless quality.¡±

    ¡°It this the truth behind the Goddess Festival? It is all just an event to handpick the human cauldrons you need to create your Divine Fortune Pills?¡± Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows.

    Duanmu Longhua said, ¡°Yes, but notpletely. It is both to reap the visitors¡¯ fortune and to have the goddesses bless the human cauldrons. Only then can they be refined into Divine Fortune Pills.¡±

    ¡°You can only refine us into Divine Fortune Pills if we receive the goddesses¡¯ blessing? Why is that?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°In this world, there are orthodox and unorthodox ways to refine pills. For example, refinement through water and fire are orthodox, and refinement through blood and soul are considered unorthodox. But regardless of the method, all pill refinement must meet four fundamental requirements: catalyst, ingredient, cauldron, and method.¡±

    Duanmu Longhua exined, ¡°Catalyst of course refers to the materials that precipitate a reaction. It is the root of pill making. Ingredient refers to the ingredients necessary to create the pill such as herbs. It is the foundation of pill making. Cauldron is the device that holds the ingredient and the catalyst together, and finally, method is the method used to create a pill.¡±

    ¡°Just like any other pill, all four requirements must be met for the Divine Fortune Pill to take form.¡±

    ¡°So, the goddess¡¯ blessing is the catalyst,¡± Ye Qing said thoughtfully.

    Going by Duanmu Longhua¡¯s logic, their body was the cauldron, their fortune was the ingredient, and the method was the pill refinement method to create the Divine Fortune Pill. Naturally, the goddess¡¯ blessing had to be the catalyst.

    But what did the goddess do to them, exactly? When did they nt this so-called ¡°catalyst¡±, and why hadn¡¯t he sensed anything strange when he received the goddess¡¯ blessing? Unless¡­

    Ye Qing put two and two together and added, ¡°The opportunity itself <em>is </em>the catalyst.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you got it, warrior Ye.¡±

    Duanmu Longhua mmed her hand on the table andughed boisterously. ¡°That¡¯s right. The opportunity you received itself is the catalyst. It will slowly separate your innate fortune from your mind and body, draw them out into the open, and condense them into a form that is best for the creation of the Divine Fortune Pill.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ I already knew that this Goddess Festival was a scam, but this is even scummier than I initially imagined.¡± Ye Qing produced the jade pendant he received from Goddess Moonview and brushed a finger against its smooth surface. The item immediately disintegrated into powder.

    Duanmu Longhua snorted at Ye Qing¡¯s action. ¡°It¡¯s far toote, fellow. The catalyst has long since slipped into your body. You¡¯re just costing yourself an opportunity by destroying the jade pendant.¡±

    Ye Qing blew away the powder on his hand and asked, ¡°I¡¯m curious. What will happen to us after the Divine Fortune Pills are made?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that?¡± Duanmu Longhua chuckled evilly. ¡°Your fortune would be gone, and your mind would be in. You will turn into a walking corpse, of course.¡±

    Having heard the whole truth, Yao Jingce pointed a shuddering finger at Duanmu Longhua and eximed in shock and anger, ¡°You¡­ you monster! How dare youmit such an atrocity!¡±

    Yue Hongmian wasn¡¯t even reacting. She was as pale and stunned as a deer in the headlights.

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡± Duanmu Longhua turned to look at Yao Jingce and countered.

    Yao Jingce was taken aback by the sudden question, but he quicklyunched into a furious argument, ¡°You are stealing a fellow human¡¯s fortune and even using their body to refine pills! Your utter disregard for the value of human life is no different from that of a demon¡¯s! Aren¡¯t you worried that the imperial court or the orthodoxy would find out about this and annihte you and your ilk to thest?¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m afraid. That¡¯s why I cover my tracks properly.¡± Duanmu Longhua giggled. ¡°We¡¯ve held the Goddess Festival and refined hundreds of Divine Fortune Pills for decades, and yet we¡¯ve never been discovered, have we?¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been discovered in the beginning, and we¡¯ve only gotten better at covering our tracks thanks to decades of experience, so what on earth are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Yao Jingce didn¡¯t know what to say. He soon abandoned that line of thought and raged, ¡°What goes aroundes around, and those who persist in evil will eventually bring about their self-destruction! One day, karmic retribution will strike you down!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ karmic retribution, you say? Once I¡¯ve eaten the Divine Fortune Pills made from your fortune, I will be a Sage, the equal of heavens! I will be karmic retribution itself!¡±

    Duanmu Longhuaughed like a madman. ¡°Once I have be the master of all, I¡¯ll be able to do whatever I want. Who or what can punish me then, pray tell?¡±

    ¡°Ahhh! I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    Finally, Yue Hongmian could not hold back her fear any longer and let out a panicked scream. She then turned around and dashed toward the exit with everything she got.

    It was a foolish thing to do. With just one snap of the finger, Duanmu Longhua froze Yue Hongmian where she stood. The young woman was unable to break free no matter how hard she struggled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ mercy¡­ please let me go¡­ please let me go!¡± Yue Hongmian begged as terrified tears poured down her cheeks.

    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ you poor, innocent thing. There is a reason the ancients say that ignorance is bliss,¡± said Duanmu Longhua and appeared in front of Yue Hongmian. While caressing her tear-streaked cheeks, the city lord shook her head andmented, ¡°You really should have drank the Unawakened Bugs. You would¡¯ve passed peacefully without fear, shock, or pain. But now? You¡¯ll have to suffer all that and infinite despair, and oh, did I mention that the pain of having your fortune forcefully stripped from your body is worse than death? You poor, poor thing.¡±

    Ye Qing eyed Duanmu Longhua curiously and said, ¡°You seem exceedingly confident that you¡¯ll be able to suppress me, Lord Duanmu.¡±

 Chapter 813: Slaying Armless

    <h4>Chapter 813: ying Armless </h4>

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be confident?¡±

    Duanmu Longhua turned around and shot him a cute smile. ¡°It is impressive that you are already a Trueman at your age, but this is Goddess City. You are in my domain.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how many subjects I have? One thousand ordinary disciples, three hundred inner disciples, thirty stewards, and twelve elders. Three of the twelve elders are Trueman, and I myself am ate-stage Trueman only one step away from bing a Sage. We can literally drown you just by spitting at you, so I ask you this: do you really think you can escape us?¡±

    Ye Qing smirked at that. ¡°I¡¯ll grant you that you have the numbers advantage, but I wonder about the quality.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Would you like to give it a try, warrior Ye?¡± Duanmu Longhua returned a smirk of her own.

    ¡°Why not?¡± Ye Qing probed.

    ¡°Hahaha! If that is what you wish, then sure. I just hope you won¡¯t regret itter.¡±

    Like a child who just found a new toy, Duanmu Longhua reappeared on her seat and grabbed a te of melon seeds. Acting like a spectator in a diator match, she ordered, ¡°Armless, go y with warrior Ye, will you?¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord.¡±

    The armless Trueman had not seen eye to eye with Ye Qing since the very beginning. Now that he had gotten permission from his own city lord, his empty sleeves immediately billowed with great power. He took one step forward, and the wind grew to the point where it was difficult to open one¡¯s eyes. At the same time, a curtain of pitch ck darkness spread out from where his sleeves billowed.

    The sleeves summoned a ck gale so powerful that it could blot out heaven and earth. Hence, it was named the ¡°Sky Blotting Sleeves¡±.

    Unable to withstand the pressure produced by the technique, Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian let out a muffled groan before cking out just like that. In response, Ye Qing caught the unconscious duo with his own sleeve and flung them aside so that they wouldn¡¯t get in the way. Then, he made a hand knife with his right hand and swung diagonally at the iing attack.

    The hand knife fell, and the pitch ck curtain that sucked out all of the light in the world was suddenly reced by radiant red. At the same time, red lotuses rained everywhere like a dream.

    The curtain of pitch ck darkness disappeared, and the powerful gale winked out of existence just like that.

    Ye Qing stayed where he was while wearing a yful expression on his face. On the other hand, Armles was wearing a dark expression on his face. There were big holes in his sleeves, and one could vaguely catch the smell of something burning from it.

    ¡°The quality of your shirt is quite... something. Where did you buy it?¡± Ye Qing taunted.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡± Armless grunted as killing intent spilled out of his eyes. He abruptly dashed forward, swung his sleeves in a circle, and kicked up a powerful gale once more. This time though, it was also apanied by a powerful current and a snowstorm.

    When the two sleeves became locked together, what looked like a spear thrust forward at high speed.

    <i>Booooom!</i>

    The two sleeves pierced the space in front of them like cannonballs. One could literally see a pair of ck holes in the sky. Gushing out of the holes were infinite killing intent, the wails of gods and demons, and the deaths of celestials and Buddhas.

    The spear-like sleeves possessed the power to y gods, demons, celestials and Buddhas. Hence, it was named the ¡°Celestial Piercing Sleeves¡±.

    The ¡°Celestial Piercing Sleeves¡± was a technique Armless had invented based on an iplete spear manual and his own insights. Many years ago, when he had just be a Trueman and was on top of his life, he epted a friend¡¯s invitation and visited an ancient tomb. There, they encountered a soldier in silver armor. The soldier in silver armor was just a wisp of martial intent, but he had unleashed a spear strike that annihted his friend and the rest of hispanions with insulting ease.

    Armless had survived out of pure luck. He had been standing just far enough away from the soldier that the spear strike failed to kill him outright. Even so, he lost both of his arms, and he never managed to regrow them due to how potent the spear intent contained within that spear strike was. Throughout the years, he obtained many priceless treasures and sought out countless extraordinary healers to heal his arms to no avail.

    That said, fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. Although he lost his arms, he was able to glean something from the spear intent and advance his martial arts. He was able to subsume the experience and invented an ultimate technique for himself.

    Heter learned that the spear technique used by the soldier in silver armor was named ¡°Celestial Piercer¡±, so he named his own killer move the ¡°Celestial Piercing Sleeves¡±.

    The ¡°Sky Blotting Sleeves¡± he executed earlier was just a test; a probe to sound out Ye Qing¡¯s true strength. The ¡°Celestial Piercing Sleeves¡± was the conclusion he arrived at after he believed he had gotten Ye Qing¡¯s measure.

    He wasn¡¯t foolish enough to put his ¡°Celestial Piercing Sleeves¡± on the same pedestal as the soldier¡¯s ¡°Celestial Piercer¡±¡ªthat technique had been strong enough to annihte not one, but multiple Truemen like nothing¡ªbut severely injure an ordinary Trueman? That was apletely different story.

    He could kill Ye Qing outright, but the city lord obviously needed the young man alive, at least for the moment. However, she surely wouldn¡¯t mind him cutting off a limb or four.

    A savage smile appeared on Armless¡¯ face as he imagined Ye Qing¡¯s screams inside his head. Consciously or not, his technique grew a tad more vicious than before.

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a good technique.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s response toward Armless¡¯ ¡°Celestial Piercing Sleeves¡± was a raised eyebrow and a calm, collected smile.

    ¡°Pretentious bastard...¡±

    Anger and malice sprouted like weeds inside Armless¡¯ heart. In his imagination, Ye Qing should be panicking and begging for mercy right now, but not only was he calm, he was <i>smiling</i> at him.

    There were only two reasons why the young man was smiling at him. Either he had gone crazy, or...

    In any case, Ye Qing¡¯s smile unsettled Armless greatly. That was why he shifted his aim slightly from Ye Qing¡¯s abdomen and arms to his eyes and face.

    <i>You like to smile, don¡¯t you?</i>

    <i>Let¡¯s see if you can smile after I poked out your eyeballs and squished your face into goo!</i>

    Something even more iprehensible happened, however. Instead of retreating, Ye Qing was leaning forward toward his sleeve!

    <i>What the hell is going on here? Did he think that my sleeve was too slow or something?</i>

    Seriously, he had never encountered such a strange thing in his life.

    Despite his confusion and doubt, Armless did not hesitate. He simply could not think of any reason to miss such an excellent opening.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    His sleevesnded squarely on Ye Qing¡¯s face. For a moment, Armless thought it was over. Then, the old man¡¯s eyes widened like saucers.

    What did he see? He saw his sleeves disintegrating into a million pieces; the sleeves he had created using thousand-year-old natural silk. He saw his killer move pping harmlessly against his opponent¡¯s face as if it was made of mud or paper, failing to leave even a reddened imprint behind, much less disfigure him.

    For a moment, Armless seriously thought that he was dreaming. Was his sleeves that fragile, or was his opponent¡¯s face that thick?

    ¡°Armless! Watch out!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua¡¯s urgent voice abruptly entered his ear, and Armless jolted back to reality. He finally recalled that he was still in a fight.

    It was toote though. While Armless was nking out, Ye Qing had taken a step forward and threw a punch.

    They were extremely close in the first ce, and Armless¡¯ momentary distraction cost him hisst chance to dodge out of the way. The punch easily shredded his protective astral qi andnded squarely on his chest.

    To his surprise, the punch did... almost nothing. The punch looked like it would be explosive to say the least, but not only had it not elicited the slightest noise, he couldn¡¯t feel any pain whatsoever. The only thing the punch did was to gently push him into the air.

    Meanwhile, Duanmu Longhua had disappeared from her seat and reappeared behind her elder. Unsuspecting, she caught him in an attempt to arrest his momentum. However, the second her hands made contact with his body, rm bells suddenly rang inside her head, and every hair on her body suddenly stood on end.

    Duanmu Longhua channeled her force and tried to push Armless away, but it was already toote. The old man abruptly exploded in a shower of blood and gore, and an unbelievable force mmed into her body like a truck. A muffled groan escaped her lips as she was flung backward.

    Ye Qing was a believer of kicking downed dogs. Like a phantom, he dashed forward and threw out another punch.

 Chapter 814: Records of Fortune and Merit

    <h4>Chapter 814: Records of Fortune and Merit </h4>

    <i>¡°Suppression Hammer¡±</i>

    If one did not wish to act, then they should not move a muscle. If one wishes to act, then they should make sure toplete their task in one go.

    In the case of a life-or-death battle, to act was to y one¡¯s enemy in one strike.

    From the beginning, Ye Qing had been waiting for an opportunity like this.

    Yes, Armless had never been his target. Duanmu Longhua was.

    Armless was a Trueman, but he was nowhere strong enough to pose a threat against him. On the other hand, Duanmu Longhua was easily the biggest threat in this room.

    Duanmu Longhua might act like she was careless and distracted, but he knew that it was theplete opposite. She was wary of him from the get go, and there wasn¡¯t a single w in her energies whatsoever. She had given him no chance to sneak even a finger past her senses.

    That was fine though. If Duanmu Longhua wouldn¡¯t give him an opening, then he could just create it himself.

    Armless was the lever he used to create that opening. First, he roused Armless¡¯ anger and arrogance using his demonic thought. Anger led to distraction and rashness, whereas arrogance led to carelessness and contempt. Together, it created the perfect opportunity for him to kill two birds in one stone, nameless Armless and Duanmu Longhua.

    On the surface, his punch against Armless seemed weak and powerless. In reality, he had stored his immense fist intent and force inside Armless temporarily. The second Duanmu Longhua caught Armless, he immediately detonated them to y Armless and to create the opening he needed to kill the city lord in one strike.

    The thought he might be able to y or even deal Duanmu Longhua a serious blow through Armless had never crossed his mind. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to, it was justpletely unrealistic to think he could happen. Besides, he only needed an opening tond the decisive blow anyway. Slow and steady was the key to victory here, not hastiness.

    So far, his n had progressed smoothly. An opening had appeared as expected, and it was up to him to make the best of it. That was why he chose to execute histest ultimate technique¡ª¡°Suppression Hammer¡± of the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡±.

    The wind stilled, the currents halted, and space itself became frozen like ice.

    Duanmu Longhua was hurtling through the air when suddenly, she came to apletely standstill.

    Right now, the young girl¡¯s eyes were widened in disbelief and helplessness. It was because she discovered that she was unable to move a muscle despite being ate-stage Trueman.

    It wasn¡¯t just her body that was frozen. Her blood, her true qi, her spirit and even her yang god had temporarily refused to answer her will. Hell, even her consciousness felt as slow as mud.

    It came at a cost, however. Ye Qing looked visibly pale and fatigued after unleashing ¡°Suppression Hammer¡±.

    There was no doubt that ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± was powerful. After all, it had suppressed even ate-stage Trueman like Duanmu Longhua. However, it was precisely because it was so strong that the energy necessary to sustain it was massive.

    It was one thing if he was going up against an ordinary Trueman, but his opponent was Duanmu Longhua, a powerfulte-stage Trueman. That was why he hadn¡¯t held back.

    It might not look like it, but this one punch had consumed nearly all of his strength. His head was also pounding like a bitch.

    There was no time to catch his breath, however. Ye Qing could tell that ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± was going to freeze Duanmu Longhua for a breath. That was why he appeared in front of her using ¡°Earth Contraction¡± and clenched both his fists tightly.

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and inhaled slowly. The surrounding air immediately flowed into his mouth at an unbelievable rate like he was a world devouring dragon. At the same time, he slowly but surely raised his fists.

    When his fists were raised over his head, his inhtion came to an abrupt stop. The next moment, Ye Qing let out a thunderous cry and hammered Duanmu Longhua with both fists.

    <i>Bang crack!</i>

    His fists struck Duanmu Longhua in the head at the same time. Thete-stage Trueman was smashed into the floor so hard that a giant pit appeared, and the shockwave rippled out like waves and disintegrated the surrounding limestone.

    It was like a meteor strike. The shockwave of annihtion was rippling out of the room and rapidly spreading to the entire Goddess Pce. The Goddess Pce was Duanmu Longhua¡¯s main residence, and it was the second most important location in the entire city besides the cliff where the Goddess Wall Paintings were stored. Naturally, it was protected by all sorts of restrictions, talismans, and other defensive measures.

    However, those defensive measures were currently being snuffed out one after another like candle mes, and the entire pce was falling apart like it was made of tofu. A total copse was imminent.

    ¡°The whole ce¡¯s copsing!¡±

    It was only now Yao Jingce and Yue Hongmian finally awoke from their slumber. When they realized that the ce was falling apart, they immediately raced for the exit.

    They just barely made it by the skin of their teeth. As soon as their back foot made it out of the door, the pce abruptly copsed all in one go. Strangely, the rubble disintegrated into fine powder when it made contact with the ground. All of it.

    When the dust clouds settled, the Goddess Pce was nowhere to be found. All that was left behind was a massive pit at least ten meters deep.

    At the center of the pit stood Ye Qing, and he was currently looking at the ground directly beneath his feet with a deep frown on his face.

    Why was he frowning despite havingnded a deadly blow on Duanmu Longhua? It was because the attack had failed to kill the city lord, of course.

    In fact, his instincts were telling him that he hadn¡¯t even managed to wound her.

    His previous two punches were so powerful that they could¡¯ve killed the likes of Armless two, no, three times over. Duanmu Longhua was no Armless, but even so, she was just a Trueman. No matter how powerful or skilled she was, her physical body remained quite frail. So long as he managed to close the distance, he was confident he could end her life in one punch. Even if the city turned out to be tougher than expected, he was still confident that he could shatter her physical body and deal her a grievous blow.

    However, his estimations were off. Right before his fists wouldnd on Duanmu Longhua¡¯s head, three golden lotuses had abruptly blinked into existence. One of the golden lotuses had blocked his killer move.

    Not only that, Duanmu Longhua had suddenly vanished after he punched her into the ground. As a result, he was unable to pursue her and follow up the attack.

    ¡°I underestimated you. I did not know that you¡¯re a body-tempering Grandmaster.¡±

    Ye Qing was still scanning his surroundings with his demonic thought when a voice caught his attention. He turned and saw a golden lotus bursting out of the ground and swelling rapidly in size. The petals unfurled into full bloom and revealed Duanmu Longhua.

    The city lord no longer looked like a thirteen to fourteen years old girl, however. She had transformed into a middle-aged woman in her forties. Unfortunately, her energies remained the same despite her drastic change in appearance.

    After Duanmu Longhua emerged, the golden lotus began withering at a rapid pace. It wasn''t long before it disintegrated into dust.

    Ye Qing wondered if it was his imagination, but Duanmu Longhua¡¯s gaze gained a tad more murderous after the golden lotus. That was fine though. In fact, he was in quite the good mood. The unhappier his enemy was, the happier he was. He greeted her smilingly, ¡°I am humbled that you think so highly of me, city lord.¡±

    ¡°You have no idea what you just did, didn¡¯t you?¡± Duanmu Longhua¡¯s hatred reached a new crescendo when she saw Ye Qing¡¯s smile. She only wished she could tear him to bits with her own two hands.

    ¡°I would have answered yes, but you look perfectly fine to me, so.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    ¡°Perfectly fine? You shattered my Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit, you bastard!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua uttered through gritted teeth, ¡°Do you know how important it is to me? Do you know that it is the foundation of my Dao?¡±

    Duanmu Longhua practiced a cultivation art known as the ¡°Records of Fortune and Merit¡±. Although the cultivation art had a righteous and orthodox-sounding name, it was anything but. In essence, it was a cultivation art that grew its practitioner¡¯s strength via absorbing and refining another¡¯s fortune.

    A person¡¯s fortune was fixed from the moment they were born, but the ¡°Records of Fortune and Merit¡± broke that rule. Therefore, it was a cultivation art that went against the natural order. Those who practiced the ¡°Records of Fortune and Merit¡± would grow strong at a rapid pace, but at the cost of their own good karma. Its practitioner would encounter many hardships and tribtions as a result.

    However, all things existed in bnce. When something had reached an extreme, they could only move in the opposite direction. What this meant was that those who sessfully practiced the ¡°Records of Fortune and Merit¡± to the adept level and became a Sage would wee an unprecedented amount of good fortune instead. They would gain the Golden Body of Fortune and Merit and never encounter an unfortunate ident, a natural disaster, or a heavenly tribtion again in their lives. Impervious to all evils, they would enjoy a fortuitous life whose destiny was protected by the celestials and Buddhas themselves.

    But before one could enter the adept level of the ¡°Records of Fortune and Merit¡±, they must first possess three Golden Lotuses of Fortune and Merit.

 Chapter 815: Black Tiger, Nail Grandma

    <h4>Chapter 815: ck Tiger, Nail Grandma </h4>

    Taoism believed in ¡°Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head¡± and ¡°Five Qi Gathering unto the Origin¡±. Such was the case for the ¡°Records of Fortune and Merits¡± as well. There was a line in the martial arts manual: ¡°When three golden lotuses bloom on thy head, a river of fortune shall lead thou to sagehood.¡± To put it in simpler terms, it meant that the practitioner who created three Golden Lotuses of Fortune and Merit would gain the qualifications to attain Dao and be a Sage.

    That wasn¡¯t all the Golden Lotuses of Fortune and Merit could do, however. Each lotus possessed the power to block a fatal hit exactly once. Since she had three lotuses, that meant that she had three extra lives. That was why Duanmu Longhua was still alive even though she received what should have been a fatal blow.

    As for why she suddenly turned from a young girl to a middle-aged woman, that too was because of the Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit.

    Attaining the Dao and returning to one¡¯s purest form was a process everyone must go through before they could be a Sage. Every time Duanmu Longhua created a Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit, she would be thirty years younger. When all three Golden Lotuses of Fortune and Merit were fully formed, she would transform into an infant that was perfectly wless and pure. Once she attained the Dao, she would be able to reforge her body using the fortune she had umted.

    Before she ran into Ye Qing, Duanmu Longhua had created two and a half golden lotuses. In fact, she was literally one ritual away from perfecting her third and final golden lotus, which was why she looked like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl before. Now, she had aged back to her thirties or forties since she had used up one of her golden lotuses to save her own life.

    Creating even a single Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit took an unbelievable amount of fortune. It had taken her decades of effort and careful nning to create just two and a half golden lotuses. It was worth it though. Had everything gone exactly as nned, thisst batch of Divine Fate Pills would havepleted her third and final golden lotus and pushed her to sagehood in one go.

    s, the bestid ns of mice and men often go awry. A cruel twist of fate had caused her to fumble at thest step and even cost her a Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit. She had been one step away from bing a Sage, and now, she was practically back at the starting point. Why? Because it costs twice as much fortune to recreate a golden lotus after losing it. It was like she had lost two Golden Lotuses of Fortune and Merit in one go.

    That wasn¡¯t the only problem. It had taken her decades to create two and a half Golden Lotuses of Fortune and Merit, and it would take decades more to recreate the golden lotus she just lost. Forget how much work it would take, she might not live long enough to enjoy the fruits of her work. Youth did not equal natural lifespan after all.

    What this meant was this one punch had more or less snapped her royal road in half. How could she not resent him? How could she not hate?

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Ye Qing brushed a finger against his nose and broke into a sunny grin. ¡°That¡¯s... awesome. I thought I had wasted that attack, but now I know what it cost you, I feel so much better!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua¡¯s eyes turned blood red with volcanic fury. ¡°I was going to grant you a somewhatfortable death, boy, but I changed my mind. When I capture you, I¡¯m going to wring out your fortune slowly and prolong your pain as much as possible. I¡¯m going to refine your body into a puppet and annihte all but one wisp of your true spirit. You will serve me as my ve for eternity, unable to live or die for the rest of your pathetic life! How do you like that, boy?¡±

    ¡°Sounds fantastic,¡± Ye Qing shrugged, ¡°but that revenge dream will onlye true if you can catch me.¡±

    ¡°Do you seriously think you can run?¡± Duanmu Longhua sneered.

    ¡°You won¡¯t know until you try.¡±

    Ye Qing bared his teeth and shot Duanmu Longhua a savage grin. ¡°Plus, I just gave you a ¡®pleasant surprise¡¯, haven¡¯t I? I think I have a couple more up my sleeves.¡±

    With that said, Ye Qing kicked off the ground and charged toward Duanmu Longhua.

    ¡°I hope you will enjoy the pleasant surprise I¡¯ve prepared for you as well,¡± Duanmu Longhua replied with a sneer.

    The city lord took a step backward and suddenly vanished into a pool of darkness. At the same time, the darkness squirmed unnaturally before spitting out a roaring tiger. Pitch ck in color, the tiger had three tails and one horn on top of its head. As soon as it appeared, it opened its mouth and swallowed Ye Qing in one gulp.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    After devouring Ye Qing, the ck tiger let out a mighty roar and rolled on the ground. By the time it climbed to its feet again, it had transformed into a rotund man overflowing with death and violence.

    The rotund man was named Tiger Master Gong, and he was one of the four Truemen under Goddess City. However, the <i>jianghu </i>people preferred to call him ¡°ck Tiger Gong¡± because he loved nothing more than to consume human flesh and devour people alive.

    Tiger Master Gong let out a burp and pped his round belly. Every time he did this, thunder and roaring would break out from inside his stomach.

    Unfortunately, the situation didn¡¯tst even two seconds. Tiger Master Gong abruptly turned pale as a bulge suddenly appeared on his belly. It looked like someone was trying to push their way out of his belly.

    Tiger Master Gong¡¯s response was to surround his hands in ck mes and p his belly again. Every time he did this, ck mes would pour into his stomach and shake his belly violently. The earth beneath his feet crumbled inch by inch, and powerful shockwaves washed out of his body again and again. One could vaguely see the silhouette of a ck tiger roaring in the sky as well.

    It was no use though. The bulge was still growing little by little.

    ¡°What are you waiting for, Nail Grandma? Help me already!¡± Tiger Master Gong yelled with an ugly expression.

    Tiger Master Gong practiced a cultivation art called the ck Tiger Spirit Devouring Art. It created a pocket furnace inside his body that could consume all living things. Any flesh and blood creature unfortunate enough to fall into his stomach would be digested shortly and refined into the purest energies, nourishing both his body and spirit.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time he devoured a Trueman. Once, he fought an elusive opponent who was even stronger than him in terms of cultivation. However, once he managed to swallow that man, it was all over. It took him only moments to turn his opponent into a glob of blood and gore.

    This guy was different though. He could not be boiled, broken, crushed, or melted. It was like he had just swallowed a chunk of metal, except even metal was more digestible than this guy.

    ¡°I¡¯ming. You don¡¯t need to yell. Don¡¯t you know that my feet are bad?¡±

    An ancient voice answered Tiger Master Gong¡¯s yell, and a woman stepped out of the darkness. The woman was pretty like the prized jewel of a small family, but strangely, everything below her waist including her legs were covered in wrinkles and livor mortis. The old, decaying flesh was covered in rusted iron nails as well.

    The woman walked with a limp. Every time she took a step, smelly, bloody fluid would fly off the nails and hit the ground with a sickening plop. It was no wonder sheined that she had ¡°bad legs¡±.

    ¡°Help me <i>now</i>, Nail Grandma!¡± Tiger Master Gong kept urging. He couldn¡¯t help it since his belly was growing bigger by the second, but the damn woman was still moving at a snail¡¯s pace.

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±

    Nail Grandma slowly bent down and ran her hands across her rotting legs for a bit. Then, she pulled out a pair of iron nails that were covered in pus and blood. Finally, she flicked both of them straight at Tiger Master Gong¡¯s stomach.

    The logical thing to do here was to dodge out of the way, but Tiger Master Gong stayed exactly where he was. Right before the iron nails would hit his belly, the pus on the nails suddenly glowed a dark light, and a rich energy of rot and decay spread out of it.

    The next moment, the two iron nails disappeared into Tiger Master Gong¡¯s belly button and dantian as if they were intangible. A muffled grunt came from within his belly, and the bulge disappeared all of a sudden.

    ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m cured!¡± Tiger Master Gong rubbed his belly and let out a boisterousugh.

    ¡°Have you learned your lesson? If it wasn¡¯t for my Soul Rotting Nail, you would be dead already, you glutton!¡± Nail Grandma chided him.

    Tiger Master Gong let out a chuckle. ¡°Come now, I couldn¡¯t possibly know that the brat is so tenacious. But now that he¡¯s inside my stomach, his fate is as good as sea¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, the blood drained away from his face. Before he could do anything, a hand shot out of his stomach with a disgusting squelch.

 Chapter 816: Tiger Fight

    <h4>Chapter 816: Tiger Fight </h4>

    ¡°Raaaaaaaaaagh!¡±

    Tiger Master Gong let out a painful roar before transforming into a massive ck tiger. Then, he threw up what looked like a shower of blood, bones, gore, and of course, Ye Qing.

    Right now, Ye Qing was covered in ayer of ominous death qi. His clothes were tattered, and a pair of iron nails were stuck on his forehead.

    If someone were to look closely, they would discover that the iron nails were squirming slowly as if they were alive. At the same time, a stream of energy of decay was flooding into his forehead.

    ¡°You¡¯re not bad, brat. You¡¯re the first person ever to leave my stomach alive,¡± said the ck tiger Tiger Master Gong had transformed into.

    ¡°You¡¯re not too bad yourself. You¡¯re the first person ever to dare to eat me. I taste pretty good, don¡¯t I?¡±

    As soon as Ye Qingnded on the ground, he took one step forward and unleashed his vigor. A surge of dark yellow aura shot toward the sky and scattered the death qi surrounding him. The iron nails on his forehead disintegrated into nothing as well.

    Despite this, a ball of ck qi remained inside his forehead. It was the iron nails¡¯ energy of decay.

    Tiger Master Gong¡¯s ¡°ck Tiger Spirit Devouring Art¡± was surprisingly potent. It had transformed his stomach into a spatial furnace overflowing with ck mes that were fueled by death qi and resentment. Not only that, an army of resentful souls and <i>chang </i>ghosts had tried to consume him.

    But of course, neither the ck me nor the ghosts could harm a hair on his person. His vigor was like a great river, and all he needed to do to keep them at bay was unleashing his vigor.

    The iron nails were a different story though. In fact, it was the first real blow he had received since the fight began. The two iron nails existed in between the seams of reality and illusion, and it was somehow able to ignore his physical body and attack his mind directly.

    Even worse, the two iron nails had transformed into a pair of dragon serpents after invading his headspace. Overflowing with energy of decay, they wreaked havoc inside his head and even attempted to corrupt his ying god.

    Although his physical body was strong, he had not yet converted his yin god into a yang god. One could say that it was his one and only weakness right now. Of course, the mind had always been a body-tempering Grandmaster¡¯s biggest weakness, though of course his mind was much more stronger and securepared to the average Grandmaster.

    The bad news was that Nail Grandma was a Trueman whose martial art specifically attacked the mind and spirit. Strong he might be, he still had a ways before he could reach her level. The good news was that the gap wasn¡¯t so big that he waspletely helpless against her attacks, not to mention that he was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in both body and spirit. The surprise attack had definitely caught him off guard, but he was quickly able to suppress the dragon serpents with his Heavenly Demon Yin God right after.

    Unfortunately, he lost his chance to disembowel Tiger Master Gong from within because of the dy. It was fine though. There was always the next chance.

    ¡°Not at all. You¡¯re the most disgusting thing I ever ate, which is why my ghosts are the ones who will devour you in my steed!¡±

    Tiger Master Gong let out a savageugh before opening his mouth wide. Countless <i>chang </i>ghosts poured out of his throat and flew straight for Ye Qing.

    What was surprising was that some of these <i>chang </i>ghosts were Trueman stage. Tiger Master Gong¡¯s ¡°ck Tiger Spirit Devouring Art¡± couldn¡¯t just digest all living things and turn their remains into his power, it could also enve their souls and make them serve him for eternity.

    Unfortunately for Tiger Master Gong, he met the wrong match. In just one mighty punch, Ye Qing turned the sea of <i>chang </i>ghosts into ash.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Tiger Master Gong roared in frustration and loss when he saw how easily Ye Qing had annihted his ghost army. But before he could finish roaring, he sensed danger and hurriedly surrounded himself in a cyclone of ck wind.

    If the clouds obeyed the dragon, then the wind obeyed the tiger. As soon as the ck wind rose, his aura grew much, much more powerful than before. Everything within tens of meters of him were annihted by the ck cyclone.

    It was useless though. Once again, Ye Qing destroyed the ck cyclone in one punch before appearing on top of his head. He brought his foot down.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The massive tiger was sent plummeting into the ground like a meteor. He kicked up a huge cloud of dust and a gigantic crater.

    ¡°Graahhh!¡±

    The ck tiger roared and struggled to rise. Ye Qing merely sneered and brought down his right foot again, causing Tiger Master Gong¡¯s half-raised head to sink right back into the earth.

    This was just the beginning. Ye Qing stomped Tiger Master Gong again and again until it felt like an earthquake was beseting Goddess City. Despite his size, Tiger Master Gong was slowly but surely being buried into the underground, unable to move even a muscle.

    Ye Qing was just gathering his strength for onest stomp when he saw Nail Grandma pulling out another iron nail from her leg. Then, she tossed it in his direction.

    The iron nail shed through the air before disappearing all of a sudden. When it reappeared, it had somehow nailed itself to Ye Qing¡¯s right leg.

    Ye Qing immediately felt a strange energy trapping his right foot in ce. As a result, he was unable to bring his foot down and stomp Tiger Master Gong to the afterlife.

    Before he could react, Nail Grandma tossed out another three iron nails and nailed his left leg and his arms in ce. With this, Ye Qing¡¯s limbs werepletely shackled.

    Tiger Master Gong immediately seized the opportunity to jump to his feet. At the same time, nine figures dashed out of their hiding spots and attacked Ye Qing together.

    All nine figures were extremely powerful. Even the weakest among them was ate-stage Spirit Master. They were the elders of Goddess City, and they had been waiting for this golden opportunity since the beginning.

    However, a ck fish and a white fish appeared and swam in a circle around Ye Qing at thest possible moment. All of the attacks were reflected back at the attackers with even greater power than before. Caughtpletely off guard, the nine elders were bowled over by their own attacks.

    ¡°Scatter!¡±

    Ye Qing growled as he swelled and contracted his muscles in rapid session. A dark yellow qi circted throughout his body, and all four nails crumbled into nothing at the same time.

    As soon as he was free, Ye Qing made a beeline for Nail Grandma. Every step he took felt like the footsteps of a giant, and anyone foolish enough to stand in his way was bowled over or sent flying into the air.

    Nail Grandma did not panic. She kept pulling more nails from her legs and flicking it at Ye Qing, aiming for his limbs, internal organs, and even his face.

    Each iron nail was imbued with some sort of anomalous energy that made it immune to astral qi or the physical body. As a result, they passed right through his physical body like it did not exist and hit his soul and yin god directly. If it hit a limb, he would not be able to move that limb for a moment. If it hit his internal organs, his body would suffer a temporary decline. And if it hit his face, then he would be disoriented for a brief moment.

    Despite shielding his Yin God with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and his demonic thought, despite the fact that not a single one of the nails was able to hurt his mind for real, he was unable to prevent its effects entirely. It was extremely annoying.

    Not only that, Tiger Master Gong had jumped back into the battle after catching his breath. This time, he learned from his mistakes and avoided shing directly against Ye Qing. Instead, he transformed into a ck tiger once more and kited Ye Qing with his ghosts, wind, Magia and secret arts.

    The rest of the elders were unleashing their respective attacks at Ye Qing as well.

    Despite theirbined strength, they were unable to pin Ye Qing down. Not only that, he was slowly but steadily gaining the upper hand as he adapted to their techniques. Unfortunately, it would be some time before he could tip the tides of battle in his favorpletely.

    While this was going on, a gigantic disc had appeared in the sky of Goddess City. It was so big that it blotted out the sky, but it was also invisible and intangible. To be specific, the wind and clouds came together to form the shape of a <i>fengshui luopan. </i>Countless demonic runes and strange restrictions adorned its surface, and their light came together to form the word ¡°Fortune¡±.

    Ye Qing had no idea this was happening right above his head.

 Chapter 817: Destiny Slaying Sword

    <h4>Chapter 817: Destiny ying Sword </h4>

    The disc spun, and both wind and cloud stirred. The word ¡°Fortune¡± began to shine brightly and cast wisps of clear, somewhat dark light from between the gap of material and immaterial.

    As the light spread throughout the battlefield, pictures began appearing atop everyone¡¯s heads. Some people had green pine trees above their heads, some had what looked like flowing rivers, some carried lotus leaves and paddy fields, and some showed off rising dragons and serpents.

    The pictures were the artistic manifestation of one¡¯s fortune and destiny. Looking at the elders, it was clear that their fortunes were nothing like the ordinary citizens and disciples of Goddess City. It was obvious at first nce that every single one of them was destined to live a rich, long, and healthy life.

    Tiger Master Gong and Nail Grandma stood out even among the elders, however. Tiger Master Gong¡¯s fortune resembled a crimson star with a ck tiger sitting on top of it, winds and clouds quaking under its violent might. As for Nail Grandma, many headless divine beings were standing on her skull and breathing reddish purple clouds and vapor. They looked down on the world like they were superior above anyone and everyone.

    Gold and purple were the best colors of fortune, and red came right after. It was clear from the pictures that Tiger Master Gong¡¯s fortune was firmly in the red, whereas Nail Grandma¡¯s was beginning to show signs of purple. They were clearly fortunate beings who were strongly favored by fate.

    Not only that, the star and ck tiger that represented Tiger Master Gong¡¯s fortune was called the ¡°ck Tiger Crouches On The Star¡±, whereas the headless divine beings that represented Nail Grandma¡¯s fortune was called the ¡°Gods Look Down From Heaven¡±. They were both rare and noble fortunes.

    Inparison, Ye Qing¡¯s fortune was a patch of dark yellow that was neither gold, purple, red or white. Sitting within this patch of indiscernible color was arge cauldron with three feet and two ears[1]. It looked heavy, thick, and perfectly mundane. There did not seem to be anything extraordinary about it whatsoever.

    The next moment, the disc spun faster and caused invisible vibrations on the earth. Its dark light grew brighter and brighter until it condensed into a sword.

    The sword had four sides: ck, white, gray and green. Each and every color represented inauspiciousness and misfortune. And yet, it was imposing and grand as if it was the manifestation of the heavens empowered by the earth itself. It was called the Destiny ying Sword.

    The Destiny ying Sword¡¯s function was as obvious as its name. It existed to y destiny and plunder fortune on behalf of the heavens. It was also the reason Duanmu Longhua had gone into hiding for so long.

    The ¡°Records of Fortune and Merits¡± contained two powerful Magia. The first was the Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit. It was both the foundation of her ascension and a powerful shield that could block one fatal attack per lotus. The second was the Destiny Revealing Disc and the Destiny ying Sword, an offensive Magia.

    The Destiny Revealing Disc could reveal the fortune and destiny of anyone who was touched by its light, whereas the Destiny ying Sword was a weapon of the Heavenly Way that slew not the body, not the mind, but the destiny. It also possessed the power to plunder the victim¡¯s fortune.

    Because the Destiny ying Sword was a weapon of the Heavenly Way, it waspletely undodgeable. Moreover, a person¡¯s fortune and destiny were invisible to most people, so the victim wouldn¡¯t know they needed to dodge or block it in the first ce.

    A victim whose destiny was in by the Destiny ying Sword would not perish immediately, but they would suffer misfortune unlike anything they had ever seen. After all, even someone with a ck fortune still had a destiny. A person whose destiny was destroyed by a weapon of the Heavenly Way itself? One could say that they were loathed by ghosts and gods and cursed by the very world they lived in. It was a fate¡ªorck thereof¡ªthat was worse than death itself.

    ying destiny wasn¡¯t the only function of the Destiny ying Sword, however. It could also plunder the victim¡¯s fortune. Although the boost was only temporary, the plundered fortune would empower Duanmu Longhua¡¯s own for a short time.

    Speaking of which, both of the Destiny ying Sword¡¯s functions¡ªdestiny ying and fortune plundering¡ªwere only temporary. The victim whose destiny was in would regain both their destiny and fortune eventually. Moreover, the stronger and more fortunate they were, the quicker they would regain their destiny and fortune.

    Even so, the Destiny ying Sword was undoubtedly a terrifying weapon. Once, Duanmu Longhua had used it to y three Truemen at once. One Trueman had suddenly suffered a deviation, another had experienced a rpse, and a third was beset by a heavenly tribtion of all things. In the end, two of the three Truemen had died, and thest one had gone insane.

    This one battle was all one needed to see to know the true power of the Destiny ying Sword. This battle had also spread Duanmu Longhua¡¯s fame throughout the world and put her on the Earth Champions Ranking.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    For the first time since she went into hiding, Duanmu Longhuaunched her attack. The Destiny ying Sword swung down and struck the dark yellow cauldron above Ye Qing¡¯s head. It looked like the cauldron was ringing from the contact, but it waspletely inaudible to the ear and invisible to the eye. There was definitely a reaction though. Lightning fell, thunder boomed, and a powerful gale blew seemingly without any warning whatsoever.

    ¡°Impossible...¡±

    In the sky, the Destiny Revealing Disc shuddered a little after the impact. At the same time, a look of pure disbelief dawned upon Duanmu Longhua¡¯s face.

    Why was she looking so shocked? It was because the cauldron on top of Ye Qing¡¯s head waspletely unharmed. Scratch that, it hadn¡¯t even budged an inch after being struck by the Destiny ying Sword.

    Duanmu Longhua had never encountered something like this. It was no wonder she was shell-shocked.

    In the past, the Destiny ying Sword had never failed her. There were countless types of fortunes in this world, but she had never encountered one that could resist her Destiny ying Sword. She had fought against powerful warriors who were exceptionally favored by the heavens. She had also fought against people who owned priceless treasures that could protect their destiny. However, not a single one of them was a match for her Destiny ying Sword... until now.

    It was bad enough that her full-powered strike had failed to y her opponent¡¯s destiny, but what really added insult to injury was the fact that the cauldron hadn¡¯t even moved from the impact! Just how was this possible?

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this!¡±

    Above the Destiny Revealing Disc, Duanmu Longhua¡¯s face contorted into a snarl as she swung the Destiny ying Sword again, and again, and again. The grand yet invisible and inaudible waves of impact washed across the area repeatedly, and the Destiny ying Sword shone brighter than ever before. Such was its power that even Nail Grandma, Tiger Master Gong and the other elders were caught in the crossfire and became weaker in destiny.

    Unfortunately, the dark yellow cauldron at the center of the impact remained unmoved and untouched. Her Destiny ying Sword was about as effective as a back scratcher.

    ¡°There is no way this is happening!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua was losing her head after swinging her sword a few times and still failing to draw a single scratch on the cauldron. A furious roar escaped her throat as the Destiny Revealing Disc shone even brighter than it already was, and the Destiny ying Sword grew rapidly in size.

    The ck, gray, white and green color of the sword shone so bright that they formed pirs of light in the sky. Then, it swung down again with seemingly enough strength to sunder both heaven and earth.

    <i>Boooooooooom...</i>

    This time, the cauldron suspended above Ye Qing¡¯s head finally shook a little. It also let loose a small gust of dark yellow qi that was as heavy as mountains and thick as the ground itself. That... was it.

    The same could not be said for the Destiny ying Sword though. As soon as it made contact with the gust of dark yellow qi, it abruptly began crumbling inch by inch.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The sudden destruction of her Destiny ying Sword backfired on Duanmu Longhua horribly. A painful scream escaped her throat as her energies fell into disorder.

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    From the start until the end, all Ye Qing sensed was a brief instant of dizziness. Right after that, he suddenly sensed Duanmu Longhua¡¯s aura and narrowed his eyes a little.

    Ye Qing abruptly unleashed a flurry of punches at his attackers, fast and furious. Every single one of his attackers were sent flying by the sudden attack, blood and spittle gushing out of their mouth.

    Having bought himself an opening, Ye Qing immediately bent a finger, pointed in Nail Grandma¡¯s direction, and knocked the space in front of him.

    To turn red dust into the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven; to sow heart devils without being seen, heard, or felt. Such was the Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion.

    Nail Grandma suddenly found herself trapped within a chaotic, distorted world with seemingly no rhyme or reason whatsoever. High above her head, a Heavenly Demon looked down from his throne and questioned her conscience. Nail Grandma flew into a panic when her deepest fears were dragged out into her open.

    While Nail Grandma was kept busy, Ye Qing raced toward Duanmu Longhua at top speed.

    In almost all circumstances, capturing the chief was the best way to defeat a group of enemies.

    Duanmu Longhua was currently fighting the rebound of losing her Destiny ying Sword. Her head was pounding like someone was hitting it repeatedly with a jackhammer, and her own fortune had hit rock bottom as a result of the rebound. By the time she noticed that Ye Qing wasing for her, it was already toote.

    Ye Qing dished out a punch. The wind stilled, the clouds stayed, and spacetime itself froze in its tracks. It was as if they had time-traveled back to the point where yin and yang were one, and the world was still Primal Chaos.

    Duanmu Longhua couldn¡¯t move a muscle. She felt as if she was bound by invisible restraints, but this one was far moreprehensive than any other restraint she had ever encountered.

    It was the same feeling; the same form.

    She could only watch helplessly as Ye Qing reached her and brought his fist down on her skull.

    1. The handles. ?

 Chapter 818: Break Hammer

    <h4>Chapter 818: Break Hammer </h4>

    The descending fist was like the sun itself. It possessed the power to break anything and everything.

    In order to make sure that what happenedst time would not happen again, Ye Qing had imbued a wisp of fist intent in his fist¡ªthe fist intent of Break Hammer.

    Suppression, Break, Annihtion. He had reached the initiate level in ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± a while ago, and he could barely use it at the cost of much strength and focus. However, he was far, far from being able to use ¡°Break Hammer¡± and ¡°Annihtion Hammer¡±. ¡°Annihtion Hammer¡± in particr invoked the total annihtion of everything, leaving behind only pure emptiness. Just recalling the moment the Dark Overlord had used ¡°Annihtion Hammer¡± was enough to give him migraines powerful enough to threaten the integrity of his mind, much less use it.

    ¡°Break Hammer¡±¡¯s fist intent was also quite tyrannical and powerful, but it was far more manageable than ¡°Annihtion Hammer¡±. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t at a level where he waspletely unable to grasp it. Besides, the Dark Overlord had personally passed down the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± to him, and he had witnessed each hammer¡¯s power during his stay at the Demonbearer Abode. As a result, he was able to improve his understanding of ¡°Break Hammer¡± even though his main focus was on ¡°Suppression Hammer¡±.

    Although he was still far from being able to use ¡°Break Hammer¡±, he could now imbue some of its fist intent into his techniques and increase its deadliness.

    The fist intent of ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± was in the name: suppression. In essence, suppression was the avoidance of killing. Therefore, even though ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± could be used offensively, it was by no means a killer move. In terms of deadliness, it waspletely outssed by the likes of ¡°Break Hammer¡±.

    That was why Ye Qing chose to imbue a wisp of ¡°Break Hammer¡±¡¯s fist intent in his fist. It wasn¡¯t even close to beingplete, but it was still deadlier than his initiate level ¡°Suppression Hammer¡±.

    Earlier, his carelessness¡ªwell, it wasn¡¯t really <i>carelessness</i>, but there was no denying that he had underestimated Duanmu Longhua¡ªhad cost him his best chance to kill her. He wasn¡¯t going to make the same mistake again.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The punch broke Duanmu Longhua¡¯s protective astral qi and Strange Artifacts like paper. Anything and everything shattered into countless pieces. Unfortunately, right before his fist would make contact with the woman¡¯s skull, two golden lotuses bloomed on her head once more.

    At the beginning, it was three golden lotuses. Now, it was only two¡ªor more urately, one and a half since one of the lotuses was only half-formed.

    Ye Qing¡¯s fist was less than a second away from crushing Duanmu Longhua¡¯s head and consciousness into nothingness when the fully-formed golden lotus swayed a little and enveloped Ye Qing¡¯s fist force and fist intent in its light. The next moment, Duanmu Longhua disappeared without a trace.

    <i>Seriously? Again?</i>

    Ye Qing frowned with displeasure, but before he could do anything else, blood suddenly poured out of his orifices, and every part of his body was suddenly screaming with pain. His muscles felt like they had been ripped in half, and his internal organs felt they were cracked all over.

    This was the sequ for using a wisp of ¡°Break Hammer¡±¡¯s fist intent. Even at his current strength, he could not use it without suffering a significant amount of damage.

    The ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± were unlike any fist art he had ever seen or practiced. An ordinary fist art emphasized on either strength, body, or intent. Qi, essence or spirit; strength, body or intent. They demanded only one aspect from each category only.

    However, the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± demanded its practitioner to be aplished in every aspect. Not only must their qi, essence and spirit be on par with their strength, body and intent, their strength must be great so that the fist would be fierce, the body must be tough so that the fist would be unyielding, and the intent must be strong so that the fist would be lofty.

    To put it in simpler terms, a practitioner of the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± must possess a tough body, a vast reservoir of true qi, and a powerful mind. Not a single aspect must fall behind the curve, or they would never be able to unleash its true strength. In fact, the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± would hurt a weak practitioner first before they hurt the enemy.

    Currently, he was strong enough in body to withstand the rebound of ¡°Suppression Hammer¡± and ¡°Break Hammer¡±, but not in mind. This was especially true for ¡°Break Hammer¡±. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he could easily deal a serious blow to his own mind.

    The good news was that this problem was easily remedied. All he needed to do was to evolve his yin god into a yang god, and he should be able to withstand the rebound of ¡°Break Hammer¡±¡¯s fist intent and practice it in earnest. In fact, this was the next milestone in his training.

    That wasn¡¯t important at the moment though. What mattered was that Duanmu Longhua had pulled another vanishing act, and his full-powered attack had missed... again!

    They said that once bitten, twice shy. Those who did not learn from their mistakes were doomed to repeat history. This was definitely <i>not </i>his fault though. He had already given his all, but the bitch still somehow eluded his grasp.

    On the ground tens of meters away from Ye Qing, a golden lotus burst out of the earth once more. This time though, it was blooming much, much slower than before.

    Duanmu Longhua came into view once more, but she had aged yet another thirty to forty years. Right now, she was an old woman with dirty white hair and wrinkly skin.

    ¡°Impossible! How could you wound me? Just how?¡±

    Duanmu Longhua fixed Ye Qing with a nk, disbelieving stare after reappearing. Then, she opened her mouth and threw up a glob of bright red blood mixed with bits of flesh in it. Not only that, she was bleeding from her eyes, ears, nose and mouth as well. It was a horrid sight to say the least.

    Duanmu Longhua couldn¡¯t care less about her injury, however. She was too shocked and terrified to even feel pain.

    No one knew better than her just how potent the Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit was. Not only could it block one fatal strike, it could safeguard her from all damage as well.

    Or at least, it was supposed to. For whatever reason, Ye Qing¡¯stest punch had partially pierced through her invincibility and given her a taste of death. She could tell it was the kind of death that she would never recover from either. Assuming that the Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit had failed, she would have been erased from existencepletely.

    Technique wise, the punch was neither too exquisite or ferocious. However, the fist intent that was imbued in it was apletely different story.

    Break everything, shatter the world itself. It was as if nothing in the world could withstand the punch, much less stop it.

    Such was the case of the Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit. Although it ultimately saved her life, it had failed to block the terrible fist intentpletely. Or rather, the fist intent had exceeded the limits of the Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit. That was why she had taken a serious blow to both her body and her mind.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the fist intent was clinging to her like a maggot and eroding her mind and body by the second. It slowed down her recovery drastically and weakened her even more than she already was.

    It was no exaggeration to say that the shock she received from this punch was on par with the unexpected destruction of her Destiny ying Sword.

    ¡°Phew! I¡¯m d. My punch wasn¡¯t in vain after all.¡±

    Ye Qing broke into a toothy, happy grin after looking Duanmu Longhua up and down. He thought for sure that he had wasted yet another opportunity, and he had suffered the rebound of ¡°Break Hammer¡± for naught. He was wrong though. He should have known better than to doubt ¡°Break Hammer¡±, the GOAT!

    ¡°Who are you? Just who are you?!¡±

    For the first time, Duanmu Longhua felt deep regret and resentment. She regretted underestimating her opponent too much, and she resented her enemy forpletely ruining her way.

    If before she still had a chance of making up for the loss of one Golden Lotus of Fortune and Merit and bing a Sage, now, there was not even a sliver of a chance anymore. She would never be able to attain sagehood for as long as she lived. Her lifetime of effort and nning had all gone up in mes!

    Eyes bloodshot and frenzy-gripped, Duanmu Longhua screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Whoever you are, you are the man who destroyed my future. I will ruin you if it¡¯s thest thing I do!¡±

    ¡°Peh. Sure, whatever.¡±

    Ye Qing spat out a glob of blood before drawing in a deep breath. Vigor circting his veins like a raging river, he ignored his injuries and charged toward Duanmu Longhua once more. Always be kicking the dog when it¡¯s down.

    It was at this moment Duanmu Longhua did something no one was expecting.

 Chapter 819: Goddess Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 819: Goddess Sacrifice </h4>

    Duanmu Longhua abruptly turned toward the Goddess Wall Paintings and dropped to her knees. Then, she raised her hands over her head and performed a full kowtow[1].

    ¡°You can kowtow all you want. I¡¯m still not going to let you live.¡±

    Duanmu Longhua¡¯s action confused Ye Qing, but he had a bad feeling about this. That was why he decided to throw a punch even before he reached the city lord.

    Unfortunately, radiant light burst out of the Rainbow Lake, Moon Altar, and Spring Garden before his fist force could turn her into paste.

    As the pirs of light shot into the sky, the colorful light hanging above everyone¡¯s head shot into the sky and joined them.

    In this case, everyone did not just include the elders and disciples on the battlefield. It included the disciples and stewards residing in the inner city, themon popce residing in the outer city, and even the visitors who hade to participate in the Goddess Festival.

    Previously, the light of one¡¯s destiny and fortune was only visible to the city lord thanks to the Destiny Revealing Disc. But now, everyone could see it.

    Physically, the victims felt nothing wrong despite losing their purple, gold, red, or white lights. But mentally, they suddenly found their surroundings much more unfamiliar than before. Everything around them be it tangible objects such as the flora and fauna or intangible things such as the air and clouds loathed and rejected them for some reason, and even their true qi and spirit were flowing stutteringly as if there was a clog somewhere.

    They felt loathed by the heavens, abandoned by the earth, hated by gods, and shunned by ghosts. To speak was sphemy against the world. To breathe was tomit a sin against nature. Even their very birth and existence felt sinful and wrong.

    Most people werepletely confused by this sudden change, but the elders of Goddess City and especially Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong knew exactly what was going on. They knew that everyone had just lost their fortune and destiny.

    The reason the two of them joined Goddess City in the first ce was to enjoy the benefits of great fortune. The three goddesses stole the people¡¯s fortune, and Duanmu Longhua shared part of that fortune with them as payment for their service.

    Better fortune did not boost their power directly, but it was a massive boon in many indirect ways. For example, a warrior with great fortune would enjoy good luck, smooth cultivation, immunity to heart demons and so on.

    In fact, it was all thanks to the fortune Duanmu Longhua bestowed them that they were able to rise to where they were right now.

    But now, their fortune had just left them. How could they not panic? How could they not be afraid?

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Duanmu Longhua? What are you doing?¡±

    Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong nched as they yelled at the city lord. They never imagined that the master they served would turn against them. ¡°Stop this! Stop this now!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua paid them no attention however, and no matter what they tried, they were unable to prevent their fortune from leaking. They could only watch helplessly as their fortune gradually flew away and joined the pirs of light in the sky.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to betray us, then don¡¯t me us for doing the same, Duanmu Longhua!¡±

    Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong could barely contain their fury. They had lost over half of their fortune in just the span of breaths, and it was showing no signs of stopping whatsoever. At this rate, they were going to lose everything and be as unfortunate as the simple, foolish bastards whose fortune they robbed!

    Every nail in Nail Grandma¡¯s legs abruptly shot out and flew toward Duanmu Longhua. Covered in puss and filth, the nails surged toward the city lord like a river of blood and painted the space they traveled through dark red.

    On the other side, Tiger Master Gong pped his belly and let out an animalistic roar. Countless <i>chang </i>ghosts flew out of his mouth until the world resembled hell itself.

    Unfortunately, their attacks came to a sudden stop when they were inches away from Duanmu Longhua. It looked as if they were stopped by some sort of invisible barrier.

    It wasn¡¯t just Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong. Ye Qing¡¯s punch was blocked by the invisible barrier as well.

    ¡°I sacrifice this fortune to you, goddesses!¡± Duanmu Longhua let out a low growl as the pirs of light in the sky joined together to form the word ¡°Fortune¡±. It was a... sacrificial altar?

    This was Duanmu Longhua¡¯s final and greatest trump card. It was called the Goddess Sacrifice.

    Goddess Sacrifice transformed the entire Goddess City into a sacrificial altar and sacrificed everyone''s fortune to the goddesses. This would allow the goddesses to descend in their true bodies and fall under her control.

    Goddess Sacrifice was a ritual that sacrificed the entire city to the goddesses, but in fact, it had a secondyer of meaning. It also meant sacrificing the goddesses themselves.

    In fact, Goddess Sacrifice was not meant to be used this way. Had everything gone as nned, she would have activated it only when she was ascending to sagehood. At a certain point all ascensions came with its tribtions, and hers was not an exception. She wasn¡¯t so arrogant as to think that she could ovee her tribtion without backup. That was why she was going to sacrifice everyone¡¯s fortune and summon the goddesses¡¯ true bodies to block her tribtion. When the time came, she would be a Sage, destroy the three goddesses in one stroke, and break free from their control all at once. She would¡¯ve been able to kill multiple birds with one stone.

    Yes, Goddess Sacrifice was a trump card meant to sacrifice and kill the very goddesses she served. To an outsider, Duanmu Longhua was the mighty city lord who lorded over thousands and thousands of people. However, no one knew better than herself that she was just the ve of the three goddesses.

    In fact, every city lord who ruled over Goddess City was the goddesses¡¯ ve. Their lifelong duty was to gather the prey and plunder their fortune for the goddesses.

    The goddesses might sound and look like divine beings, but they were really just Strangers who devoured human fortune to grow their strength. Every city lord who ever ruled Goddess City was just their ve and puppet.

    When Goddess City was first founded, the three goddesses were considerably more powerful than they currently were. They were powerful enough that they even allowed their appointed city lord to be a Sage. It was so that the city lords could perform their duties better.

    Thissted until several centuries ago, when the fifth generation city lord Zhou Pojie (Tribtion Breaker) tried to turn the tables against the goddesses. Unwilling to be their ve and puppet, he plotted to kill the three goddesses after he became a Sage.

    Unfortunately, Zhou Pojie failed to live up to his name and was ultimately in by the goddesses. That said, his efforts were not in vain. He was able to deal a serious blow to the three goddesses and greatly diminish their strength.

    Since then, the goddesses became twice as obsessed with keeping their puppets under their control and forbade all city lords who came after from bing a Sage. As a result, no one after Zhou Pojie had been able to break through the barrier and ascend to sagehood.

    Warriors were naturally rebellious, and not a single one of them was willing to live under the goddesses¡¯ thumb for eternity. Therefore, the city lords strove tirelessly for a way to break free.

    Goddess Sacrifice was the culmination of that generation-spanning research. Over a century ago, the seventh generation city lord of Goddess City Wu Lingxiang identally found out that Goddess City was not the Dao Domain he and every other city lord before him thought it was. It was, in fact, a prison that imprisoned the three goddesses. For whatever reason, Goddess City was destroyed, and its existing restrictions were broken. That was how the three goddesses were able to regain their freedom.

    Although Goddess City¡¯s restrictions were destroyed and no longer capable of imprisoning the three goddesses, traces of them still existed to this day. Wu Lingxiang in particr was an extraordinary genius who somehow mastered a new form of array via researching these traces. With the Goddess City as the foundation and the broken restrictions as the core, one could theoretically summon the goddesses¡¯ true body and control them for a short period of time. Hence, he named it Goddess Sacrifice.

    Unfortunately, the period they would be able to control the goddesses was <i>very </i>short, and it would only work one time. If they failed to y the goddesses during that period of time, then that was it. Still, it was a direction and a ray of hope where there was none before.

    To keep this secret hidden from the three goddesses, Goddess Sacrifice was transmitted orally by a city lord to their sessor. The city lords also saw to the arrangement and repairs to the restrictions personally, unable to trust anyone but themselves.

    Thanks to decades of hard work and effort, the city lords ultimately seeded. They were able to create the Goddess Sacrifice Array right underneath the three goddesses¡¯ noses. The Rainbow Lake, Moon Altar, and Spring Garden were the cores of the array.

    Without exaggeration, Goddess Sacrifice was the heart¡¯s blood of many generations of city lords. It was their coalescence of their dream and hope.

    If Duanmu Longhua had any other choice, she would not choose to activate Goddess Sacrifice. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t. For one, she was on herst legs. If she did not act now, she would not get the opportunity to do anything ever again. Two, if she died, then the secret of Goddess Sacrifice would die with her. After all, she was the only one who knew about the secret, and she had not yet appointed a sessor. How could she possibly have known that she would die today?

    In that case, she might as well activate Goddess Sacrifice now and achieve mutual destruction with Ye Qing.

    That¡¯s right. She might be able to y Ye Qing with the power of the goddesses, but the first person they would kill after they regained control was her. Hence, mutual destruction.

    She was fine with that oue. She might die, but she was going to drag the sonuvabitch down with her no matter what.

    1. Immanuel Hsu describes the "full kowtow" as "three kneelings and nine knockings of the head on the ground". ?

 Chapter 820: Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal

    <h4>Chapter 820: Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal </h4>

    ¡°Heed my call and descend to this earth, goddesses!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua cried out, and the gigantic word ¡°Fortune¡± in the sky shone brightly. A strong beam of light shone on the Goddess Wall Paintings, and the three goddesses suddenly came alive. They began walking out of the wall paintings one after another.

    ¡°Why have you summoned us, Duanmu?¡± White Deer, Green Lotus and Moonview looked down on Duanmu Longhua and asked.

    Eyes bloodshot, Duanmu Longhua pointed a finger at Ye Qing and roared, ¡°Kill him! He discovered our secret! He must die to tie up loose ends!¡±

    The three goddesses turned to look at Ye Qing, and Goddess Moonview eximed in surprise, ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s-a me! Hello again, goddesses.¡±

    Ye Qing wiped the blood on his face and greeted them with a sunny grin. ¡°By the way, you do not want to listen to that woman. I pinky promise that I have no idea that you¡¯re stealing the fortune of your people!¡±

    ¡°I see. I guess we have no choice but to remove you.¡±

    Goddess Moonview¡¯s expression did not change, and she spoke as gently as ever. She curled her finger slightly in Ye Qing¡¯s direction, and the young man shuddered despite himself. He felt as if something inexplicable was rising behind his back.

    When Ye Qing subconsciously looked behind him, he saw a gigantic pir of yellow and purple light shooting into the heavens, grand and majestic. It was so potent that it conjured all sorts of noble and mysterious phenomena and overshadowed even the colorful, radiant light that dominated the sky before.

    ¡°That¡¯s my fortune?¡± Ye Qing blinked in utter shock. ¡°My fortune is this potent? How did I not know about this??¡±

    Ye Qing had always known that he was a fortunate man. If he wasn¡¯t, he would not have stumbled across so many life-changing opportunities and achieved what he had achieved today.

    However, the pir of light behind him was way too much. To make aparison, Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong¡¯s fortune were like fireflies before the moon that was his fortune. Hells, the fortune of the entire citybined could not even rival a-tenth of his. It was justpletely unrealistic.

    For his fortune to be this good, he would literally have to be the<i> </i>son, no, the <i>firstborn</i> of daddy heavens. Forget stumbling onto treasure hoards or encountering benefactors on the road, he simply needed to exist for countless underlings to answer his every whim, countless beauties to throw themselves under his feet, and even more opportunities to air strike him with unerring uracy. He would have be the absolute protagonist and chosen one without needing to lift a finger. Hells, he would have been a <i>Sage </i>already if he was actually this fortunate.

    What Ye Qing was trying to say was that something was off about this manifestation of fortune of his.

    His opinion was shared by Duanmu Longhua, the one and only person who saw his real fortune and destiny earlier.

    The destiny she saw under her Destiny Revealing Disc was thick, strong, and extraordinary. The cauldron especially was beyond anything she had imagined. But as impressive as it was, it was still well within the limits of believability.

    This one was anything but. Just look at that towering pir of yellow and purple, the soaring dragons and phoenixes, the arriving celestials and Buddhas. It was such a ridiculous fortune that she wondered if even a human emperor or living Sage could rival it, so what on earth was going on here?

    They weren¡¯t the only ones who were stunned and speechless. The lofty, indifferent goddesses were staring at the manifestation in shock and disbelief as well.

    ......

    ¡°An illusion so real that it is indistinguishable from reality; a deception so convincing that it fooled even ghosts and gods...¡±

    Standing among a crowd of people, Wen Anran looked back and forth between the gigantic pir of fortune behind Ye Qing¡¯s back and the talismanic script Feng Qingyou was holding in her hand. She asked, ¡°Is that the Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal?¡±

    The talisman Feng Qingyou was holding looked mundane, old, and damaged here and there. At first nce, it was no more extraordinary than the fake talismans chatans sold to ordinary people. But stare at it long enough, and the word ¡°Demon¡± would appear before one¡¯s eyes. Its would change forms repeatedly until one felt nauseous and dizzy.

    ¡°You are quite knowledgeable, Anran. That is correct,¡± Feng Qingyou replied with a smile.

    ¡°It really is the Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal? No wonder it could conjure such an illusion,¡±plimented Wen Anran while nodding her head.

    The so-called Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal was a unique talismanic script invented by a legend called Beyond Profound Celestial Master. It was said to be capable of reversing yin and yang and conjuring anything and everything into existence. In one thought, the user could summon a realistic illusion of any object, being, or spirit.

    If it was used to conjure an illusion of water, one could drink it and feel quenched.

    If it was used to conjure an illusion of food, one could eat it and feel sated.

    If it was used to conjure a human, the human would feel and act exactly like the real thing.

    If it was used to conjure a mountain, flora and fauna would flourish on that mountain.

    If it was used to conjure a river, serpents and dragons would tread its waters.

    And if it was used to conjure the sun and moon, then the sea of stars would embrace them as if they had always been there.

    In summary, the Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal could reverse yin and yang and conjure anything and everything into existence. Whatever illusion it conjured was perfect to the point where even the eyes of a ghost or a god could not necessarily see through it.

    Once, Beyond Profound Celestial Master had created the illusion of a celestial pce secret realm using the Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal and lured countless to fight over it. Some of the participants were even Sages. He had yed the warriors of the <i>jianghu </i>like fiddles.

    The Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal was technically a talismanic script, but it might as well be a Strange Artifact. Why? Because it wasn¡¯t a one-time consumable. It could be used indefinitely just like most Strange Artifacts.

    Its only ws were that it could only be used once every nine days, and its effects onlysted a teatime.

    Despite these restrictions, the Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal was easily priceless. Everyone wanted a piece of it. Unfortunately for them, beyond Profound Celestial Master was an entric asshole who acted as he pleased, and the materials necessary to refine a single Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal were almost as priceless. That was why there existed only a handful of Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seals in the world, and even fewer people knew that it existed in the first ce.

    Wen Anran had learned about the Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal only because she happened to hear about it from a senior. Otherwise, who could possibly imagine that this ordinary, old, and tattered talisman would be the world-famous Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal?

    Wen Anran asked another question, ¡°Will your action put warrior Ye in danger?¡±

    She had no doubt that the impossible pir of fortune behind Ye Qing¡¯s back was mostly the work of the Secret Demon Omni Evocation Treasure Seal. What this meant was there was no chance that Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview would show him quarter. They would do anything and everything to im his fortune for themselves.

    ¡°How else can we buy enough time to do what is necessary?¡± [1] Feng Qingyou replied indifferently. ¡°Besides, Joyless is strong. This will be over by the time the goddesses manage to ovee his defenses.¡±

    ¡°You trust him that much?¡± Wen Anran asked.

    ¡°They are mere Strangers. What is there to be afraid of?¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°Anyway, the show is on, and it is our turn to go on stage. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Wen Anran nced once at Ye Qing before smiling as well. Then, both women disappeared into the crowd.

    ......

    ¡°Yellow and purple pierce through the heavens, the face of celestials and gods, the sovereign of humanity, and inexplicable nobility... such a fortune is rare even if you search the entire world for it!¡±

    Goddess White Deer muttered in a daze while licking her lips, ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave him to me, Green Lotus, Moonview?¡±

    ¡°This man¡¯s fortune is of great use to me. I shall not lend him to anyone!¡± Goddess Moonview shot her down instantly.

    ¡°He is mine,¡± Goddess Green Lotus dered sinctly and firmly.

    ¡°Come on~ the two of you always get the biggest share of fortune every Goddess Festival! Isn¡¯t it time you spare your little sister a little generosity?¡± Goddess White Deer begged cutely.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a bigger share next time, but this man is mine,¡± Goddess Green Lotus answered. She never looked away from Ye Qing for even a moment.

    ¡°Must you oppose me, Green Lotus?¡± Goddess White Deer grew angry.

    ¡°If I say yes, what are you going to do about it?¡± Goddess Green Lotus replied as coolly as ever.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡± Goddess White Deer red at her.

    ¡°Enough. We are sisters. Let¡¯s not ruin our rtionship over petty squabbles, hmm?¡± Goddess Moonview yed the mediator.

    ¡°Ahem...¡±

    When Ye Qing realized that the three goddesses were butting heads over his fortune, he rubbed his nose and let out a cough. The trio immediately turned to stare at him. Once he had gotten their attention, he said, ¡°Like she said, it¡¯s not worth hurting your sibling rtionship over little ol¡¯ me. I have a suggestion to make. Would you like to hear it?¡±

    1. Feng Qingyou: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this isn¡¯t the first time I screwed him over.¡±

    Wen Anran: ¡°... That¡¯s not an answer.¡± ?

 Chapter 821: Two Qi Fire of Yin and Yang

    ¡°Oh? What do you propose?¡± Goddess Moonview asked curiously. This was the first time she encountered someone who was this calm despite the shadow of inescapable doom looming over his head.

    ¡°You all want my fortune, but there is only one of me. So, my suggestion is that you fight each other and decide the victor who will im all the spoils! What do you say?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Do you really think you can drive a wedge between us so easily, mortal? You deserve death!¡± Goddess Green Lotus uttered coldly.

    ¡°How could you twist my good intentions so? I am trying to help you, girls. Man, it¡¯s so hard to be a good guy in this world!¡± Ye Qing shook his head with a look of feigned sadness on his face. ¡°Since none of you seem to appreciate my kindness, then I think I¡¯ll keep my fortune to myself.¡±

    ¡°As if you have a say in this matter.¡±

    Goddess Moonview let out a light chuckle and curled a finger. The pir of yellow purple fortune above Ye Qing¡¯s head immediately started surging toward her in earnest.

    ¡°Are you trying to monopolize everything, sister Moonview? You¡¯re such a bad sister!¡±

    Goddess White Deer did not hesitate. The white deer underneath her let out a bleat, and part of the river of fortune split off and surged toward her.

    Goddess Green Lotus wasn¡¯t going to fall behind, of course. Without a word, she turned the lotus in her hand and shone green light at the river of fortune. A second branch appeared and surged toward the lotus she was holding.¡°Unbelievable! How could you force yourself upon an unwilling man?!¡± Ye Qing tsked disapprovingly. ¡°I might look easy, but I assure you that I¡¯m a man of honor. When I say no, I <em>mean </em>no!¡±

    As soon as he finished, a loud crack shook the ground, and Ye Qing shot into the sky like an error. He was about halfway to the goddesses when he threw out a punch.

    Goddess White Deer did not take him seriously whatsoever. A yful smile danced on her lips as she flicked a finger at him.

    The flick looked puny and powerless, but in reality, some sort of invisible force pierced right through his astral qi and struck him squarely in the forehead.

    Rise like the wind, descend like thunder.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    A terrific shockwave washed out from Ye Qing¡¯s forehead. Such was its power that the surrounding clouds were mangled like carcasses. However¡­

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    A look of surprise flitted across Goddess White Deer¡¯s face. It was because the shockwaves were, seemingly in defiance of natural order, rolling back toward her at greater force and speed.

    Goddess White Deer waved her sleeve lightly, and the encroaching shockwave abruptly scattered like waves crashing against an unassable mountain.

    It was then Goddess White Deer smelled a hint of danger.

    A man rose against the flow amidst the scattering shockwaves. In fact, as he soared forward, the shockwaves were turning around and converging around him.

    When Ye Qing was thirty meters away from the three goddesses, he slowly clenched his hand behind his back.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    The shockwaves vanished into his palm. For a moment, the sky waspletely clear, and the world was silent.

    But not his palm. Squirming furiously in his palm was something resembling wind and thunder, but worse. It was fist intent strong enough to crush the nine heavens.

    Then, his arm the handle and his fist the hammer, he swung upward.

    When one wielded wind and thunder, they could split even the sky apart, much less celestials.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The terrifying outburst of fist force and fist intent warped the sky itself. For the first time, the blood drained away from Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus, and Goddess Moonview¡¯s face. They immediately stopped pulling at Ye Qing¡¯s fortune and mustered their respective defenses to block the attack.

    The white deer beneath Goddess White Deer kicked downward with its front hooves. In just one breath, its hooves grew to the size of mountainsrge enough to suppress heaven and earth.

    Goddess Green Lotus turned the lotus in her hand, unleashing a wave of green light and a hail of lotuses. The green light stood in the way of the fist like an imprable storm, and the lotuses gave birth to celestials and Buddhas who blocked its path.

    Goddess Moonview flipped her palm around and unleashed seemingly infinite moonlight at the iing attack. It cascaded downward like a gctic waterfall of epic proportions.

    None of it worked, however. Despite having to climb upward from the earth, the fist had split the mountains, severed the river, and annihted the celestials and Buddhas.

    The front hooves of the white deer exploded into bits, eliciting a painful scream from the creature.

    The wall of green light and deities birthed from lotuses were scattered into bits by the fist force, and The green lotus Goddess Green Lotus was holding withered in response.

    And finally, the waterfall of moonlight was split in half, and a massive hole appeared at the center of Goddess Moonview¡¯s palm.

    Not done yet, the tidal wave of fist force engulfed Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview right after.

    ¡°Brazen mortal! How dare you spheme against the gods!¡±

    The clouds were still stirring when a dignified voice boomed, and overwhelming light burst from within. A moon rose into the sky, a green lotus bloomed inside the moon, and Goddess White Deer lowered her hand inside the green lotus.

    In an instant, a gigantic hand infused with the almighty power of heaven and earth descended from above.

    Ye Qing had just expended his power, and it took time to regenerate new strength. As a result, he waspletely helpless when the gigantic hand mmed him into the ground.

    The entire city shook as the buildings within tens of meters of Ye Qing were ttened like pancakes, much less the unfortunate humans who failed to escape in time. When the dust clouds scattered, all that was left on the ground was a gigantic palm print.

    ¡°Oh dear. Please tell me I haven¡¯t killed him by ident!¡± Goddess White Deer¡¯s voice came from above.

    Right after she said that, a figure burst out of the hand-shaped pit and shot into the sky. Surrounded by dark yellow qi, Ye Qing mmed into the moon before either of the goddesses could react and taunted,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll take much more than your love tap to kill a tough guy like me!¡±

    Compared to the moon, Ye Qing was as tiny as an ant. If an ant could not even topple a tree, then what could it possibly do against the moon?

    That was the logical statement to make, but life was hardly logical. It was the moon that shattered into pieces against the ant as Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus, and Goddess Moonview were flung out into the open.

    ¡°Feel that, dear? <em>This</em> is what you call an attack!¡±

    Ye Qing grinned savagely before soaring toward Goddess White Deer.

    Enraged, Goddess White Deer made a grabbing motion and ripped apart the curtain that was the night sky. Stars began falling toward Ye Qing in earnest.

    Despite this, Ye Qing did not slow down even a little. Any star that made contact with his dark yellow aura would shatter instantly, and stars winked out of existence and crumbled into dust wherever he passed through.

    ¡°Ooh, that was a little ticklish. You gotta try harder,¡± Ye Qing taunted as he finally reached Goddess White Deer. He raised a fist and attempted to punch the goddess, but at thest moment, Goddess White Deer let out a hmph and snorted out a pair of qi. One of them was ck, and the other white.

    As soon as the two qi made contact with Ye Qing, they immediately transformed into ropes that shackled him in ce. At the same time, a shining green lotus slowly descended toward his head from above, and a glowing new moon rose toward him from below.

    The ck qi and the white qi mingled with the green light of the lotus and the silver glow of the moon. When the coalescence of multiple lights made contact with his body, it burst into ck-and-white mes and ignited Ye Qing¡¯s fortune on fire.

    The two mes of contrasting colors were called the Two Qi Fire of Yin and Yang. The ck fire was yin, and the white fire was yang. Yin fire consumed fortune, whereas yang fire extinguished the spirit. What this meant was that the two mes possessed the power to devour fortune and annihte the mind.

    If Ye Qing was an ordinary Trueman, his fortune would¡¯ve been devoured in just a short time, and his mind would be burned into ash.

    Unfortunately for the goddesses, Ye Qing was anything but ordinary. Both his fortune and his mind was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, so the mes could not hurt him at all.

    He was intrigued by the ck qi and white qi though. Not only did it shackle his body, he found himself unable to use his demonic thought as well.

    Still, did they really think this was enough to pin him down?

    How naive!

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can y with fire. Try this!¡±

    Ye Qing opened his mouth and spat out a purple me straight at Goddess White Deer, who was right in front of him.

    As soon as the purple me appeared, space warped as if it was crushed by an invisible grip, and the entire city plunged into a fiery hell. Rivers began to dry up, nts began to wither, and ground began to crack from sheer dryness.

 Chapter 822: Humans Are Like The Earth, They Consume The Nine Stars

    <em>¡°Purple Sun Trueme¡±</em>

    At this range, there was no way Goddess White Deer could¡¯ve dodged out of the way. The seemingly insignificant wisp of me hit her dead on.

    ¡°Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!¡±

    The scream that escaped her lips was anything but divine. The purple me engulfed her whole body and burned her white deer into a crisp instantly.

    The Purple Sun Trueme was one of the most yang and dominant mes in the world, and it was exceptionally effective against evils and demons. The three goddesses might style themselves as goddesses, but they were really Strangers. Therefore, the Purple Sun Trueme was the bane of their existence. Given their close proximity, Goddess White Deer didn¡¯t even have time to dodge or muster any sort of defense. As a result, she was dealt a grievous blow.

    As Goddess White Deer fell from the clouds screaming, the yin and yang qi shackling him came undone on their own. He did not hesitate to throw a punch straight at Goddess White Deer.

    Kick the dog when it¡¯s down, always.

    ¡°How dare you!¡±

    Unfortunately, he had just made a move when Goddess Green Lotus¡¯ furious voice pierced through his eardrums, and a terrific pressure enveloped heaven and earth. Suddenly, the wall paintings where Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview resided unleashed a river of thick river of purple gold light. The two goddesses quickly absorbed them and rapidly grew in size. By the time they reached their full height, their entire body was purple gold, their pressure became so dense that it felt as solid as the sea itself.The next moment, Goddess Moonview waved her hand. Moonlight merged together to form a round moon big enough to blot out the sky. Brighter than the sun itself, its light epassed anything and everything.

    There was nowhere for Ye Qing to run under such omnipresent moonlight. The moon then crashed into him and sent him flying through countless buildings. When he finally hit the ground, the earth undted and rolled away from him like it was liquid. Everything within a hundred meters of the point of impact was destroyed.

    Lying in the middle of the pit, Ye Qing barked out inughter. ¡°Hahaha¡­ it¡¯s not too light or heavy. Now that''s what I call a proper strike!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t doneughing when a green lotus descended from above. It was the size of a normal lotus, and it possessed neither the power nor the pressure of the moon. As far as the ordinary eye could tell, it was just a normal lotus.

    Then, the lotus started spinning. Every petal began emitting a mysterious air of Dao, and each air of Dao manifested a singr star.

    The green lotus had given birth to nine stars, and the ground was falling inch by inch as if it could not bear the burden.

    ¡°Well met!¡±

    Ye Qing pressed his hands against the ground and slowly pushed himself up. The earth within thirty meters of him began depressing little by little.

    Strangely, the earth was undting like it was a piece of fabric. It did not crack, and it depressed without a sound.

    The lotus descended thirty meters. The earth around him too descended thirty meters.

    Then, the earth abruptly bounced upward. At the same time, a thunderous thud that sounded like the drumbeat of heavens erupted.

    He was one man, but it was like the earth itself was pushing him upward. Tens of thousands of kilometers of ground rose into the air with him. His will was theirmand.

    A green lotus gave birth to nine stars. It was like the will of the heavens itself.

    One man bore the weight of the ground. It was like the will of the earth itself.

    The two powers shed, and an unholy shockwave unlike anything the world had ever seen erupted from the center. Every tree and every building in Goddess City disintegrated soundlessly to dust, and the weaker warriors and ordinary citizens went out like a light.

    It was only afterward that the rumbling began, and it would not stop until a long, long timeter.

    In the air, Ye Qing was burning up like a living furnace. His boiling blood was seeping out of his orifices before evaporating into steam by an unimaginable temperature. His vigor was such that the space around him was warped into all sorts of fantastical illusions.

    On the other hand, the light of the green lotus was blurry and weakened. The nine stars were flickering on and off like light bulbs as well.

    ¡°Shatter!¡±

    Ye Qing growled as his muscles thundered like a dragon¡¯s roar, and his vigor washed out of him like a growing scar in the sky. For a time, the only sound in the world was his groaning muscles, and the only color in the sky was red.

    The next moment, the green lotus bearing the power of nine stars and the weight of many mountains wilted in an instant. The nine stars winked out, and golden light surrounding Goddess Green Lotus dimmed considerably.

    Goddess Green Lotus could not believe this was happening. She could only stare at everything with shock and horror.

    ¡°You will die!¡±

    It was at this moment Goddess White Deer transformed into a gigantic deer with a human head. Over three hundred meters tall, and her one hoof looked as big as an entire mountain. She stomped down on Ye Qing.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one who can get big?¡±

    Ye Qing barked out augh before rapidly growing in size. Before they knew it, he had transformed into a demonic ape.

    The ape was only tens of meters tall and nowhere as tall as Goddess White Deer. There was no denying its dark powers and infinite strength, however.

    There was a terrible boom, and Ye Qing was stomped into the ground so hard that a bottomless chasm split open underneath his feet. But in exchange, Ye Qing grabbed Goddess White Deer¡¯s leg with both arms, roared, and heaved her over his shoulders. Despite her struggles, she was tossed up into the sky like a rag doll. She crashed straight into Goddess Green Lotus.

    Not done yet, Ye Qing raised both hands over his head and brought it down like a hammer. His fists cracked the moon like an egg and sttered its contents everywhere.

    Finally, he grabbed a thick stone pir from somewhere¡ªit was only as big as a wooden stick in his hand¡ªand executed the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Fist¡±. He jumped on top of the three goddesses and fought a great war against them.

    No one could doubt Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus, and Goddess Moonview¡¯s strength. In fact, theirbined might was decidedly greater than Ye Qing¡¯s. And yet, Ye Qing in his Chaos Demon Ape form was impossibly strong and tenacious. His recovery speed was also out of this world. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he seemed to grow more powerful with each passing moment. As a result, they were unable to suppress Ye Qing immediately.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Profound Yellow Mother Qi? Chaos Demon Ape Body? No wonder you¡¯re confident in warrior Ye¡¯s strength!¡±

    Underneath the Goddess Wall Paintings, Wen Anran was watching Ye Qing¡¯s battle with amazement and surprise.

    ¡°Indeed. Still, Joyless can¡¯t hold out for long.¡± Feng Qingyou said unhurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s up to you now, Anran.¡±

    ¡°I will. In the meantime, I must ask you to safeguard me.¡± Wen Anran saluted her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t be able toy a finger on you,¡± Feng Qingyou dered with certainty.

    Wen Anran smiled. While holding her bamboo staff and stepping on astral qi, she took seven steps and tapped the ground seven times in a row. Each time, what looked like a star would sparkle on the ground, and a profound wisp of energy would rise into the air.

    Seven stepster, seven stars lit up on the ground.

    Seven tapster, seven stars glittered in the sky.

    The Northern Dipper appeared in the sky, and the Seven Killing Star shed on the ground. Together, they generated a storm of killing intent that seemed capable of choking the life out of the world itself.

    Forget Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus, and Goddess Moonview, every living being in Goddess City felt the unparalleled killing intent and turned as cold as ice.

    ¡°Not good!¡±

    The three goddesses turned as pale as a sheet and turned away from Ye Qing. They flew toward the Goddess Wall Paintings.

    ¡°There is neither door nor window for you in this direction!¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t going to let them, of course. He did not know what the killing intent was, but the three goddesses clearly felt threatened by it. Besides that, he was one hundred percent certain that it had something to do with Feng Qingyou.

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s strange words before the Goddess Festival began, his oundishly potent fortune, and the fact that she hadn¡¯te to his aid for so long all pointed that the woman was plotting something. Now that an unknown variable had suddenlye into y, he could not help but suspect that Feng Qingyou was behind it. Scratch that, he was absolutely certain that it was her.

    In fact, he suspected that Feng Qingyou had somehow manipted things so that he would be chosen by the goddesses. He just didn¡¯t have any evidence to prove this.

    He did not know why Feng Qingyou was doing this either. It could be because she pitied the poor citizens and <em>jianghu </em>warriors who had been exploited by the three goddesses for centuries, or it could be because of something else. In any case, it was now clear that she had used him to draw out the three goddesses and to keep them busy. Why? To buy time for her to y the three goddesses, of course.

    Again, he had no idea how she was going to y the three goddesses, but it didn¡¯t matter. All he needed to do was to buy as much time for Feng Qingyou as possible.

    That was why Ye Qing did not hesitate to go after the three goddesses as soon as they showed signs of leaving.

 Chapter 823: Goddess Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 823: Goddess Sacrifice </h4>

    Unfortunately, the three goddesses were stronger than Ye Qing. It was one thing if they chose to fight him, but there was nothing he could do to stop them from leaving the battlefield. Stopping one of them from withdrawing¡ªand just barely¡ªwas his absolute limit.

    While Ye Qing caught Goddess White Deer, and Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview were preparing to leave, a crazedugh suddenly erupted from the ground.

    ¡°Hahaha... the heavens favor me. The heavens truly favor me!¡±

    Covered in blood from head to toe, Duanmu Longhua was standing in the middle of a pile of rubble andughing like a madwoman. ¡°You¡¯re all going to die. Today, you¡¯re alling to the grave with me! Hahahahahaha!¡±

    Logically speaking, Duanmu Longhua was on the goddesses¡¯ side. However, Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview all felt a bad premonition when they heard herughter.

    ¡°Goddess Sacrifice!¡±

    Stillughing, Duanmu Longhua spat out a mouthful of fresh blood that transformed into a strange symbol. There was a red sh, and it sank into the word ¡°Fortune¡± in the sky.

    In just the blink of an eye, the gold-colored word turnedpletely blood red. As if its very essence had been inverted by the blood, it looked far more ominous and disturbing than it was before.

    The next moment, the word split into three parts and flew toward Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus, and Goddess Moonview.

    All three goddesses felt uneasy and tried to stop the bloody lights from approaching them. However, for whatever reason, the bloody lights were able to pass through their defenses and slip into their bodies unhindered.

    As soon as this happened, the three goddesses felt an anomalous power spreading throughout their bodies.

    ¡°What did you do, Duanmu Longhua?¡±

    Goddess Green Lotus realized that something was terribly wrong and made a grab for Duanmu Longhua. She intended to kill the city lord where she stood.

    ¡°What did I do? You shall find out very soon, <i>goddess.</i>¡±

    Spitting that mouthful of blood was no joke. Duanmu Longhua instantly aged another two or three decades and looked like she had one, no, one and a half foot in the grave. She paid her condition or the descending palm no heed, however. With an eerie chuckle, she dered, ¡°Stop.¡±

    The next moment, Goddess Green Lotus¡¯ palm halted in mid-air. Goddess Green Lotus¡¯ eyes widened. Her palm was literally half an inch from Duanmu Longhua. Just half an inch further, and she would be able to squish the city lord¡¯s head like a tomato. However, this final bit of distance was like an impassable chasm. She just could not bridge it no matter what she tried.

    The reason for this was simple. She had suddenly lost control of her power. All of it.

    What was strange was that her mind was perfectly intact. She just could not use her power at all. It was as if someone had suddenly turned off the natural connection between her mind and her power. It was a terrifying and disturbing sensation to say the least.

    She wasn¡¯t the only one. Goddess White Deer and Goddess Moonview were caught in the same conundrum.

    ¡°How dare you disrespect us, Duanmu Longhua!¡± Goddess Green Lotus rebuked the city lord. She never imagined that the worm and puppet they raised would dare to scheme against them.

    ¡°Disrespect? Hahahaha... Did you consider how you disrespected <i>me </i>when you used me like your dog?¡±

    Duanmu Longhua¡¯s expression was twisted and full of madness. She looked like she wanted to vent everything she had suffered until this point. ¡°Besides, the three of you are just parasites who feed on human fortune. What part of you deserves respect, pray tell?¡±

    ¡°It appears there is a misunderstanding between us, Duanmu Longhua. We promise to answer any request you might have after this matter is over. We can even make you as immortal as us and live as long as the world itself.¡± Goddess Moonview urged, ¡°All we ask is that you release us, now.¡±

    ¡°Immortality? Lifespan equaling that of the world¡¯s? Sounds great!¡±

    Duanmu Longhua tilted her head and let out a strange cackle. ¡°Too bad I neither believe you nor want such a thing. The only thing I want is for the three of you to <i>die</i>.¡±

    Duanmu Longhua abruptly looked at Ye Qing and cracked a sickening grin at him. ¡°I almost forgot. You will be joining them as well!¡±

    Why hadn¡¯t Duanmu Longhua used Goddess Sacrifice and taken control of the goddesses from the very beginning? It was due to the unbelievable amount of fortune Ye Qing had disyed. She was well aware of the three goddesses¡¯ greed, and she knew at first nce that there was no chance in hell that they would allow him to slip through their grasp. In that case, there was no need to activate Goddess Sacrifice and expose its existence. She might even survive when all was said and done.

    However, Duanmu Longhua hated the goddesses even more than she hated Ye Qing. Hell, it had practically be her life¡¯s goal and obsession. When she realized that Ye Qing was just the bait, and the real fisherman was attempting to catch the three goddesses in one fell swoop, she suddenly decided that killing the goddesses were worth more than living in her current state.

    After all, even if the goddesses chose to keep her alive instead of recing her with a new puppet, there was no longer any hope for her to resume her martial, and she was so terribly injured that she didn¡¯t have much time left anyway. As for Goddess Moonview¡¯s promise to make her immortal in exchange for their release, only an utter retard would believe such a promise.

    Plus, during the short duration she had total control over the three goddesses, she could use them to kill Ye Qing and take revenge against him.

    Before, the absolute best she could hope for was a one-for-one trade. Now, she could drag four of her most hated foes to the grave with her. She would be fulfilling the long-cherished wish of the city lords of Goddess City and destroying the culprit who made her like this, killing two birds with one stone. With that in mind, why would she choose any other course of action?

    She would die, but she would die without regrets.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ye Qing was enjoying his break when Duanmu Longhua suddenly turned around and red malevolently at him. <i>At least wait until I finish my melon seeds!</i>

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy! If something happens to us, then you¡¯ll die as well!¡± Goddess White Deer screeched. Her usual innocence was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s die together! Hahahahahahaha!¡±

    Duanmu Longhuaughed until she was breathless. She then pointed a finger at Ye Qing and screamed, ¡°Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Duanmu Longhua!¡±

    All three goddesses were furious beyond words, but there was nothing they could do to change this situation. Their bodies disobeyed their thoughts and began chasing after Ye Qing.

    ¡°Time to run!¡±

    Ye Qing turned around and ran away at top speed. Earlier, he had shed against the three goddesses head on because he needed to buy time for Feng Qingyou. But now, the goddesses were going to chase him even if he ran with his tail tucked between his legs, so why the hell would he fight them? He wasn¡¯t stupid.

    <i>Boom! Boom! Boom!</i>

    And so a cats-and-mouse game began. Wherever the quartet passed through, buildings crumbled, earth shattered, and countless <i>jianghu </i>people were caught up in the wake of the chase and killed. Luckily, Ye Qing kept most of his running within the inner city and so minimized the amount of damage done to the innocent civilians in the outer city. Of course, he avoided the Goddess Wall Paintings as well.

    Unfortunately, the inner city was only so big. To try and escape the three goddesses within its confines was like trying to escape a gang of bullies in a ballpit. The goddesses quickly caught up to him and began beating the shit out of him.

    Underneath the Goddess Wall Paintings, Feng Qingyou watched Duanmu Longhua and the three goddesses and murmured to herself, ¡°To think that Duanmu Longhua would be the final variable. In any case, we have enough time!¡±

    Next to her, Wen Anran was fully absorbed in chanting some sort of incantation or mantra. As time passed, the killing intent enveloping the city grew stronger and stronger.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    A dozen or so breathster, when the Rainbow Lake had dried up, the Moon Altar had copsed, and the Spring Garden had withered like autumn, Duanmu Longhua abruptly threw up a mouthful of blood and copsed on her knees. Her life was departing her body at a visible rate.

    At the same time, Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview let out a terrible howl and shot toward the Goddess Wall Paintings at full speed. Such was their haste that they did not spare even a second to kill Duanmu Longhua for her transgressions nor secure the kill on Ye Qing, who was currently buried heavens-know-how-deep underground.

    ¡°Hahaha... you¡¯re toote... it¡¯s far toote for you... haha...¡±

    Duanmu Longhua¡¯s death was set in stone at this point. Every time augh escaped her lips, her energies would weaken, and her eyes would grow blurrier. Even so, she never stopped staring at the three goddesses¡¯ backs andughing her heart out.

    It was probably the freest, happiestughter she ever cracked in her life.

    Standing in front of the Goddess Wall Paintings, Feng Qingyou stared at the iing goddesses and smiled at them. ¡°You¡¯re toote.¡±

 Chapter 824: Demon Subjugation, Demon Slaying

    <h4>Chapter 824: Demon Subjugation, Demon ying </h4>

    ¡°Northern Dipper Demon Subjugation, descend!¡±

    ¡°Seven Killing Demon ying, release!¡±

    Wen Anran suddenly opened her eyes, and dazzling light burst out where there was only emptiness andck of focus before[1].

    In the sky, seven stars¡ªTongyao, Tianshu, Tianxuan, Tianji, Tianquan, Yuheng, Kaiyang and Yaoguang[2]¡ªshone brightly and cast starlight toward the earth. Theybined to form the Northern Dipper Demon Subjugation Sword.

    On the ground, seven stars were shining as well¡ªGreedy Wolf, Break Army, Civil Song, Martial Song, Giant Gate, Incorruptible Chaste and Save Fortune. Their light shot into the sky and formed a sword named the Seven Killing Demon ying Sword.

    When the two swords emerged, death was not a probability, but certainty. Heaven and earth quaked in fear, and all living things fell silent before their power.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±

    Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview cried out in horror when they sensed the power contained within the two swords. They tried to stop it, but as Feng Qingyou said, it was toote.

    Wen Anran let out a quiet cry, and the two swords acted at once.

    The Northern Dipper Demon Subjugation Sword swung vertically, whereas the Seven Killing Demon ying Sword swung horizontally.

    Their sword qi spanned from end to end, and their sword intent could freeze the nine provinces.

    A cross of light appeared on the mountain where the wall paintings hung, and it split into four halves just like that.

    It was as if the mountain was made of tofu. The two swords had made no resistance whatsoever.

    The wall paintings began mottling bit by bit, and the fortune empowering the three goddesses began departing them. Even their bodies began to mottle and darken.

    ¡°Noooo!¡±

    The three goddesses screamed and struggled to retain their power as best they could, but it was futile.

    After the deed was done, the Northern Dipper Demon Subjugation Sword and the Seven Killing Demon ying Sword turned back into light and slowly faded away. At the same time, the seven stars in the sky and on the ground winked out of existence.

    Wen Anran let out a sigh of relief and staggered on her feet a little. Her face looked as pale as a ghost as well.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Feng Qingyou caught her and asked concernedly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Wen Anran fished out a pill from herp and ate it. As herplexion slowly returned to normal, she shot Feng Qingyou a smile and said, ¡°Fortunately, I was able to live up to expectations.¡±

    Suddenly, Wen Anran recalled Ye Qing and asked with a touch of nervousness and urgency, ¡°Oh right, how is warrior Ye?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    As if on cue, a silhouette flew over andnded in front of the two women. He was covered in blood and ash, but the killing intent and pressure he gave off were no joke. His overwhelming vigor made him feel like an insurmountable mountain; grounded earth that could not be removed. As an enemy, he was the kind of person you never wanted to meet, but as an ally, there was no one more reassuring.

    He was, of course, Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing was gripping a human head in one hand. It belonged to none other than Duanmu Longhua.

    The city lord¡¯s face was wide-eyed with disbelief. Her features were also twisted into a permanent scowl.

    ¡°Are you girls alright?¡± Ye Qing asked concernedly while tossing Duanmu Longhua¡¯s head behind him. Even as he spoke, they could see his wounds disappearing at a visible rate.

    No thanks to Duanmu Longhua, the three goddesses had not held back at all when they pummeled him into the ground earlier. Luckily, he was thick-skinned and protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Plus, the beating onlysted a dozen breaths or so. His injuries were definitely not insignificant, but it wasn¡¯t fatal either.

    With his recovery speed, any injury that wasn¡¯t fatal was generally not a concern.

    He had killed Duanmu Longhua on his way over to the girls. The city lord had looked like she was seconds away from death, but the second he climbed out of the underground, she had red at him like she wanted nothing more but to feast on his flesh and drink his blood. Unwilling to risk her pulling some sort of trick with her dying breath, Ye Qing went over to her, ripped off her head, and annihted her soul.

    Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. Anran is close to bottoming out her qi and essence though. She just executed Demon Subjugation and Demon ying after all.¡±

    Ye Qing hid a sigh of relief when he confirmed that Feng Qingyou was indeed unharmed. Then, realization hit him as he eximed, ¡°Wait, Miss Wen¡¯s the one who summoned the two swords?¡±

    To say that the two swords were overflowing with sword intent, killing intent, and power would be an understatement. They were so powerful that even he felt chilled to the bone. He thought for sure that Feng Qingyou was the one who summoned them, but it was Wen Anran?

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe she can do it?¡± Feng Qingyou teased.

    Ye Qing rubbed her nose and pleaded the fifth. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Wen Anran was young, petite, and mild-tempered. She just did not look like the type of person who could execute such a murderous sword technique.

    Feng Qingyou knew what he was thinking and chided him, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate Anran. She¡¯s the true disciple of the True Martial Sect.¡±

    ¡°The True Martial Sect?!¡±

    If Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised before, he was now. The True Martial Sect was one of the Three Temples of Dao and stood on the same level as the Heavenly Master Mansion and the San Qing Temple. He never imagined that Wen Anran would hail from such a prestigious background; a true disciple no less.

    That would exin why she was able to fool him into thinking that she was just an ordinary Spirit Master when she was really a Half-Step Trueman though.

    The True Martial Sect had a long and illustrious history in the <i>jianghu</i>. One could only imagine the number of godlike arts and secret arts they possessed. It was perfectly normal for Wen Anran to pick up an art that concealed her aura and power level from others.

    Ye Qing was still digesting this revtion when Feng Qingyou hit him with another shocking fact, ¡°That¡¯s not all. Did you know that Anran is Junior Dao Lord, the sixth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the Junior Dao Lord?!¡± Ye Qing blurted. ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡±

    ¡°And why not?¡± Feng Qingyou giggled at his reaction. ¡°You didn¡¯t think that the Junior Dao Lord was a man, did you?¡±

    ¡°N-no, of course not!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose furiously. The truth was... that was exactly what he thought. It wasn¡¯t his fault though! The name was obviously masculine! How was he supposed to know that the person behind the moniker was actually a woman?

    In response, Wen Anran said humbly, ¡°Please don¡¯t tease me, Miss Feng, warrior Ye. I hardly deserve such a prestigious title.¡±

    Ye Qing blinked, not sure what to say to Wen Anran. Now that he really thought about it, no one had ever said that the Junior Dao Lord was a man. It was all because the Junior Dao Lord was an exceedingly private person.

    Normally, the life of a gifted genius on the Human Champions Ranking was anything but anonymous. They were often seen in public,<i> </i>and they almost alwaysmitted benevolent acts or vile crimes that drew everyone¡¯s attention.

    On the other hand, the Junior Dao Lord rarely set foot in the <i>jianghu </i>and never sought to put herself in the limelight. The True Martial Sect had never gone out of their way to expound her virtues or achievements either. As a result, practically no one except the disciples of True Martial Sect knew if she was male, female, old, young, tall, short, fat or thin.

    If not for the fact that her name was constantly listed on the Human Champions Ranking despite repeated updates, most people would think that she didn¡¯t exist.

    Generally speaking, most people believed that the Junior Dao Lord was a man just like Zhang Lingyang of the Heavenly Master Mansion and Yun Qingxiao of the San Qing Temple. There was just no reason to think otherwise especially since the moniker sounded masculine. Who would have thought that she was a gentlewoman who looked like she hadn¡¯t set foot outside her mansion her whole life?

    ... Then again, the Saint of Demonic Mountain was a woman despite the moniker being masculine. With that in mind, why couldn¡¯t the Junior Dao Lord of True Martial Sect be a woman?

    <i>Yeah. I was narrow-minded.</i>

    Wen Anran said, ¡°I hid my identity from you because I must. I hope you will forgive me, warrior Ye.¡±

    Ye Qing waved away her apology. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s no problem at all.¡±

    He then recalled the sword art that chilled even him to the core again and blurted out, ¡°If you are a disciple of True Martial Sect, then the two techniques you executed just now... are they part of the legendary ¡®True Martial Demon Subjugation Sword Scripture¡¯?¡±

    1. Just a reminder, but Wen Anran is blind. ?

    2. ">https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-my/%E5%8C%97%E6%96%97%E4%B8%83%E6%98%9F ?

 Chapter 825: Fortune Beckoner

    <h4>Chapter 825: Fortune Beckoner </h4>

    Wen Anran nodded. ¡°You are quite knowledgeable, warrior Ye. That is correct. They are the ¡®Northern Dipper Demon Subjugation¡¯ and ¡®Seven Killing Demon ying¡¯ of the ¡®True Martial Demon Subjugation Sword Scripture¡¯.¡±

    ¡°No wonder they¡¯re so powerful,¡± Ye Qing sighed. The ¡°True Martial Demon Subjugation Sword Scripture¡± was a foundational martial art invented by the founder of the True Martial Sect, the one they called the True Martial Demon Subjugation Great Emperor. A martial art that could uplift a warrior all the way to Sage stage, it was one of the central pirs that uplifted the True Martial Sect to godlike status together with the ¡°Pure Yang Boundless Temple Art¡±, ¡°Supreme Yin Boundless Art¡±, ¡°Supreme Ultimate Stratagems of Nature¡±, ¡°True Martial Seven Swords of Interceptions¡± and more.

    In fact, the ¡°True Martial Demon Subjugation Sword Scripture¡± was <i>the </i>martial art that saw the True Martial Demon Subjugation Great Emperor all the way to sagehood back in the day. It boasted such killing potency that it went against the natural order, meaning that the world itself conspired to minimize the number of warriors who practiced it, if not wipe it from existence outright. Therefore, its practice requirements were unbelievably stringent, and few people practiced it.

    That said, everyone who managed to grasp the ¡°True Martial Demon Subjugation Sword Scripture¡± was a world famous genius whose name was etched into the annals of history. Five hundred years ago, the Demon Subjugating True Lord had in every heretic within 1,500 kilometers of a region and singlehandedly stomped the reputation of the unorthodox sects and the Dark Ways into the mud.

    Three hundred years ago, the Boundless Sage Manifesting True Lord rose above the nine heavens, sliced open the heavenly gate with his sword, slew the remnants of the ancient Heavens such that headless bodies bled a river of blood.

    And finally, the current third-ced warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, Yu Beidou the Demon Sweeping Trueman, ¡°swept¡± nine Heavenly Demons out of existence and slew so many evils with a single dark iron sword that the very mention of his name struck the fear of heavens in both heretics and Strangers with his murderous power.

    As a result, the <i>jianghu </i>people and especially the heretics and Strangers loathed and feared the ¡°True Martial Demon Subjugation Sword Scripture¡± to the bone.

    Of course, Ye Qing had never witnessed its power with his own eyes. He had only heard about it from passing stories and rumors... until now.

    ¡°You tter me, warrior Ye. My cultivation level is limited, so I am unable to unleash Demon Subjugation or Demon ying¡¯s true power. I was only able to destroy the Fortune Beckoners¡¯ foundation via borrowing the power of the stars.¡±

    Wen Anran replied humbly, ¡°If there is one person who deserves praise for their strength, that honor undoubtedly goes to you. I am most impressed that you were able to hold your ground against three Fortune Beckoners. If you haven¡¯t bought me enough time, there is no way I would¡¯ve been able to y them.¡±

    Wen Anran then gave Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou a deep bow. ¡°Thank you deeply for lending me your aid.¡±

    ¡°I did not deserve such thanks. Joyless is the one who put in all the work.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled and pulled Wen Anran up.

    Wen Anran shook her head. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t disparage yourself, Miss Feng. It is true that warrior Ye singlehandedly dyed the Fortune Beckoners until I was able to gather the strength to y them, but without your nning, there is no way things would have gone as smoothly as it had. For that alone, your merit deserves the highest praise.¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing interrupted with lifted eyebrows, ¡°nning? Fortune Beckoner? I feel like I¡¯m missing an entire chunk of the story. Can someone please enlighten me already?¡±

    He thought that Feng Qingyou was the mastermind behind the ying of the three goddesses, but the way she put it, it sounded like she was simply lending Wen Anran a hand.

    Also, what the hell was a Fortune Beckoner? He had heard of the fortune beckoning cat and killed a couple of Toads of Cornucopia before, but he had never heard of a Fortune Beckoner.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡± Wen Anran began her exnation, ¡°the Fortune Beckoner is an exceedingly rare Disaster-ss Stranger that may not appear even once in a century. Shaped like a human female, she possesses the ability to manipte and feed on a living being¡¯s fortune. That is why she is called the Fortune Beckoner.¡±

    ¡°As a Fortune Beckoner feeds on fortune, anywhere it appears turns into a wastnd of misfortune where all fortune has been sucked dry. It is a walking natural disaster whose mere presence could cause the death of countless.¡±

    ¡°The worst part about them is that they are extremely difficult to kill due to their propensity to be fortunate. Moreover, the more fortune they consume, the stronger they be. At a certain point, they could even be immortal and eternal.¡±

    ¡°I see. The three goddesses are the so-called Fortune Beckoners,¡± Ye Qing confirmed.

    ¡°They are, but they are different from your average Fortune Beckoner.¡±

    Wen Anran continued, ¡°Goddess City is the Dao Domain of a warrior named True Lord of Great Fortune five hundred years ago. He was a man who ascended to be a Sage through an unorthodox martial art called the ¡®Three Thousand Fate to Attain Dao¡¯. I won¡¯t go into the details, but the martial art enables one to practice via consuming fortune.¡±

    ¡°As a Fortune Beckoner possesses the power to manipte and plunder one¡¯s fortune, True Lord of Great Fortune sought out three of them after much time and effort and sealed them within these mountains using his vast power. Then, he refined the entire city into a Strange Artifact and floated it into the skies. That¡¯s right. Goddess City was once a floating city that flew around plundering other people¡¯s fortune to elerate True Lord of Great Fortune¡¯s cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the act of stealing fortune was against the natural order. During his cultivation, he somehow triggered a terrible tribtion and perished as a result. The city too was destroyed and fell to the earth.¡±

    ¡°Although True Lord of Great Fortune was dead, the Fortune Beckoners who were turned into wall paintings weren¡¯t. Not only that, they had been sealed within the mountains for so long that they had be one with it. They could no longer stray too far away from their wall painting or live independently. As a result, they had no choice but to pretend to be goddesses and borrow the hands of mortals to sustain their lifestyle. That is how the Goddess City and Goddess Festival came to be.¡±

    ¡°That said, fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. The seal that damned them to an eternity in the mountains also allowed them to hide their true natures much, much better than your usual Fortune Beckoner. In fact, they were identical to mountain or river spirits, just much, much stronger. Combined with their human-like intellect, they were able to harvest humanity for their nefarious purposes for centuries undetected.¡±

    ¡°How did you know all this, Miss Wen?¡± Ye Qing asked a question.

    Wen Anran replied, ¡°I had a junior brother who died a sudden death while he was exploring the world to broaden his horizon. A senior of my sect performed a divination and eventually found out that his death might have something to do with Goddess City. I am the one they dispatched to investigate the matter, and I was able to find out the truth after an extremely long investigation.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing nodded. If he had to guess, Wen Anran¡¯s junior brother had participated in the Goddess Festival and was ¡°blessed¡± by one of the goddesses. Later, Duanmu Longhua killed him and refined him into her Divine Fortune Pill.

    He was quite certain that Duanmu Longhua had no idea that one of her victims was a disciple of the True Martial Sect. Otherwise, she would not dare to kill him even if she had two lives.

    ¡°Since you found out the truth, why didn¡¯t you inform your sect about this and have them send a powerful champion to handle this? Why are you risking your own life?¡± Ye Qing asked another question.

    He wasn¡¯t looking down on Wen Anran. She was the true disciple of the True Martial Sect and the sixth named warrior on the Human Champions Ranking, the Junior Dao Lord. She was anything but weak. However, she was definitely not in the same league as the three goddesses.

    The three goddesses were on par with Great Truemen and Great Grandmasters, a.k.a thete-stage of the cultivation level. On top of that, Goddess City was protected by powerful Truemen such as Duanmu Longhua, Nail Grandma, Tiger Master Gong, Armless and more. Forget a Half-Step Trueman like Wen Anran, even he had nearly sumbed to the enemy.

    In fact, he would have if he didn¡¯t have the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, a priceless qi that safeguarded his fortune. As the three goddesses and Duanmu Longhua specialized in fortune maniption and plundering, losing the ability was like having one arm and one leg tied behind their backs. That was the only reason he was able to put on such an outstanding performance. Otherwise, forget the three goddesses, even Duanmu Longhua could give him a run for his money.

    ¡°I am well aware that my strength is no way enough to defeat the likes of Duanmu Longhua or the three goddesses. However, my master informed me several months ago that I would encounter benefactors on my journey and somehow ovee this tribtion.¡±

    Wen Anran smiled like spring and she added, ¡°I know now that he was referring to the two of you, Miss Feng, warrior Ye.¡±

 Chapter 826: True Lord of the World

    <h4>Chapter 826: True Lord of the World </h4>

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, who is your master, Miss Wen?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°My master is Yi Zhouqian,¡± Wen Anran answered.

    ¡°Yi Zhouqian?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows and looked at Feng Qingyou with a question mark on his face. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t knowledgeable enough to know that name.

    As expected of the walking encyclopedia, Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°You may not recognize the name Yi Zhouqian, but I¡¯m sure you know the one they call the True Lord of the World. He is the head of the Taihe Peak of the True Martial Sect, and he is a man of great cultivation and Dao. He enjoys drinking and is a master in arts that pertain to the world, and he is especially adept at divination and world calction, so much so that he is considered to be rivaled by no one in this department. They praise him as the man who sees the world in his cup; the one who holds heaven and earth in his palm.¡±

    ¡°If master was here, I¡¯m sure he would be delighted by your praise, Miss Feng.¡± Wen Anran giggled behind her hand. ¡°However, he also said that the world is vast, and talented people are innumerable. Even he is but a speck of dust in an endless sea, which is why humility and fear would always hold a ce in his mind, and why he would not dare to call himself champion of anything.¡±

    ¡°This junior only wishes that she possesses even a sliver of the magnanimity your master has,¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly.

    ¡°True Lord of the World?¡± Ye Qing muttered while rubbing his nose with an odd expression. In fact, he did recognize the moniker, but the True Lord of the World he knew was... quite different from the one the girls were talking about.

    ording to the rumors, the True Lord of the World was a Sage of the True Martial Sect, and his main cultivation art was the ¡°World Evolution Art¡±. That part coincided with the girls¡¯ description at least. However, the <i>jianghu </i>people imed that the True Lord of the World was a Sage with none of the bearing and dignity of a Sage whatsoever. Lazy, unkempt, shabby-looking and mean-spirited, he was a petty man who loved nothing more than to screw over others with his unparalleled divination skills.

    Not only that, the True Lord of the World was fond of stealing another¡¯s treasure and fortune, and his favorite quote was, ¡°This treasure and I are fated for each other.¡± To say that his reputation in the <i>jianghu </i>was trash would be an understatement. If he wasn¡¯t a powerful Sage, if he wasn¡¯t a godlike diviner whose ability to seek luck and avoid cmity was rivaled by no one, if he wasn¡¯t backed by the True Martial Sect, he would probably be dead many, many, <i>many </i>years ago.

    This was why he could not reconcile the True Lord of the World he knew with the one Feng Qingyou and Wen Anran was describing at all. If there was even a grain of truth to the rumors, humility and kindness were thest adjectives one would use to describe the man.

    It could not be a different person. No two Sages shared the same title, so there could not be a second True Lord of the World. They had to be talking about the same person.

    ¡°What are you thinking, Joyless?¡± Feng Qingyou noticed Ye Qing¡¯s distraction and curled her lips. ¡°Are you perhaps thinking about...¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Knowing her impish personality, Ye Qing hurriedly interrupted Feng Qingyou before she could continue. ¡°I was just thinking that the <i>jianghu </i>wasn¡¯t exaggerating about the True Lord of the World¡¯s divination skills.¡±

    It was the honest truth. The world was everchanging, and not even the Heavenly Way was always the same. It was hard enough to divine the present, but to divine the future? To urately find out what was going to happen several monthster? That took a level of skill that he could not even begin to imagine at his current level. It was quite terrifying.

    ¡°By the way, you had to be the one who made me the bait, right Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°You are correct,¡± Feng Qingyou admitted without shame. ¡°The three goddesses had lived a long time and devoured countless people¡¯s fortune. There was no chance we could have beaten them in a straight fight. However, they possessed a terrible weakness, and that was the fact that their existence was tied to the wall paintings they were sealed in. If we destroy the paintings, we destroy them.¡±

    ¡°The three goddesses were well aware of their weakness, which was why they rarely left their dwelling. If they sensed even the slightest threat to the wall paintings, they would return immediately and guard it with everything they got. Therefore, two requirements must be met if they were to be destroyed. One, they must be lured away from the wall paintings. Two, someone must dy them long enough for the wall paintings to be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°That is why I decided to use you as bait and lure the three goddesses away from their dwelling. At the same time, you were buying time for Anran to prepare her Demon Subjugation and Demon ying.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I would prove wanting and die to three goddesses?¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow.

    ¡°Duanmu Longhua and the three goddesses¡¯ greatest strengthy in their ability to plunder one¡¯s fortune in an instant. They are a grave threat against everyone¡ªeveryone, except you. Not only is your Profound Yellow Mother Qi the bane of their ability, you are also a Grandmaster. You more than anyone else possess the tenacity necessary to outlive their assault even if you are outmatched.¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°But of course, I would have lent you a hand if you were in serious danger.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t appreciate your confidence,¡± a bitter smile shed through his face as he sighed, ¡°but you could¡¯ve at least told me your n beforehand. There is no reason to keep it hidden from me, is there?¡±

    Feng Qingyou blinked impishly at him. ¡°And risk you slipping up and giving away the game? I think not.¡±

    ¡°As if I would ever do that!¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at her. If there was one thing he was confident at, it was his acting skills.

    ¡°Oh right, was Duanmu Longhua¡¯s final action within your calctions as well?¡±

    Ye Qing suddenly recalled the great array Duanmu Longhua activated at the very end. If she hadn¡¯t taken control of the three goddesses and stopped them from returning, then this extermination would not have concluded nearly as smoothly.

    ¡°Not at all. What she did was but a happy coincidence,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t I believe you?¡± Ye Qing stared at her suspiciously.

    While the trio were making idle chat, Goddess White Deer, Goddess Green Lotus and Goddess Moonview were growing increasingly weakened and dim. Then, Feng Qingyou dered all of a sudden, ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    Ye Qing did not understand what she meant by that. He watched as Feng Qingyou tossed out a bronze furnace about the size of a palm. What was strange was that the furnace had a pair of arms and legs, and even a human face. Its mouth was square-shaped, and it had a pair of long, white mustaches. It was quite the conspicuous appearance to say the least.

    After the bronze furnace flew into the sky, the human face on the furnace suddenly came alive. The furnace let out a long yawn beforeining a little, ¡°Disturbing my slumber again,ss?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Grandpa Xuanyang.¡± Feng Qingyou saluted him.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was born tobor anyway,¡± The bronze furnace sighed indulgently.

    The next moment, the bronze furnace grew to the size of a mountain in just the blink of an eye. Then, it opened its cover and sucked the three goddesses into its belly.

    Not done yet, the bronze furnace turned to look at the wall paintings that had been split into four halves. It grabbed them and shoved them into its belly as well.

    With that done, it returned to its normal size and descended toward the ground. By the time itnded back on Feng Qingyou¡¯s palm, it had shrunk back down to its previous size.

    Something was clearly different though. For starters, the furnace looked a lot more bloated than usual. It was also burping golden light out of its mouth and nostrils from time to time.

    ¡°Burp! I see, they are Fortune Beckoners. No wonder they possess such refined fortune. You found some great stuff this time,ss.¡± The bronze furnace said while burping, ¡°So, what do you want to make?¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied without hesitation, ¡°I¡¯d like to make some Dragon Tiger Demonic Ascension Pills.¡±

    ¡°Dragon Tiger Demonic Ascension Pills? I can do that, but I don¡¯t have the materials I need,¡± the bronze furnace replied.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Grandpa Xuanyang. I have them right here.¡±

    Feng Qingyou flicked a finger, and three items flew out of her sleeve and into the furnace.

    Although she acted quickly, Ye Qing saw clearly that the items were a tiger¡¯s bone, a dragon¡¯s whisker, and a single leaf.

 Chapter 827: Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace

    <h4>Chapter 827: Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace </h4>

    The tiger¡¯s bone was milky white like jade and brimming with terrific killing intent. Before it was thrown into the bronze furnace, Ye Qing had clearly seen the image of a white tiger looking up at the sky and roaring.

    The dragon¡¯s whisker was bluish gold and transparent. Smooth and soft like water, it swam in the air like it was a dragon itself. The draconic pressure it gave off was quite something as well.

    As for the leaf, it was emerald green in color and overflowing with vitality. A single breath was enough to make anyone feel soothed to the core.

    Clearly, every single one of these items were extraordinary.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already prepared them? In that case, everything will be fine,¡± the bronze furnace said while pping its belly.

    ¡°Sorry to trouble you again, Grandpa Xuanyang,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s my duty.¡±

    Having said that, the bronze furnace sat down and stacked its hands in front of its chest, palm facing upward as if it was meditating.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    The next moment, the bronze furnace turned bright red in color. The surrounding temperature began rising rapidly as if it was the sun.

    Despite holding the furnace in her palm, Feng Qingyou¡¯s expression did not change one bit. It was almost as if she couldn¡¯t feel the heat.

    Wen Anran stared at the bronze furnace for a bit before a look of realization flitted across her face. She eximed in surprise, ¡°Is that the Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace?¡±

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Feng Qingyou admitted.

    ¡°The seventy fifth Strange Artifact on the ¡®Strange Artifact Register¡¯, the Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace?!¡± Ye Qing was surprised as well. ¡°How did you get it? I thought it belongs to Gu Shentong?¡±

    The Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. Ranked seventy fifth on the ¡®Strange Artifact Register¡¯, it was said to be created by Xuanyang, the supreme elder of the Pill Cauldron Sect over a thousand years ago. At the time, the Pill Cauldron Sect was a powerful, influential sect that was famed under the heavens for their pill making skills.

    Elder Xuanyang was a slothful man, and he did not like the fact that he had to make pills himself. So, he decided to forge an intelligent pill furnace that could do the work for him. After investing an enormous amount of natural treasures, all of his wealth, and forty-nine years of hard work, he finally managed to create the pill furnace of his dreams.

    Unfortunately, reality was a cruel mistress. The pill furnace was, at first nce, perfect. Not only was it highly intelligent, it was capable of creating three thousand, nine hundred and ny nine types of pills on its own. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the quality of its pills were better than even his best work.

    However, it had one tragic w, and that was the fact that every pill it created would turn into a demonic pill. That¡¯s right, a demonic pill.

    It did not matter what materials or pill forme were used. Somehow, every pill it created would turn into the purest, finest demonic counterpart. It was unorthodox to say the least.

    If Elder Xuanyang belonged to a demonic sect or even a small sect no one gave two shits about, then this would not have been a problem. However, the Pill Cauldron Sect was a famous orthodox sect of the <i>wulin </i>whose life¡¯s mission was to treat people and save lives. The martial arts they practiced were the purest, most orthodox arts one could find as well.

    For a practitioner of the orthodox arts, the only thing a demonic pill was good for was suicide. What this meant was that the pills the pill furnace created were utterly useless to the Pill Cauldron Sect.

    Not only that, it had created quite a lot of trouble for the Pill Cauldron Sect. This was because the demonic pills, whilepletely useless to those who practiced orthodox martial arts, were exceedingly beneficial for those who practiced the opposite. In other words, what was a valuable but essentially worthless treasure to the Pill Cauldron Sect was a priceless treasure to warriors of the Dark Ways. That was why its mere existence had drawn an unhealthy amount of attention and put the sect in danger.

    Naturally, the higher-ups of the Pill Cauldron Sect unanimously agreed that the pill furnace should be destroyed. Elder Xuanyang was just as disgruntled as they were at his pill furnace¡¯s unexpected trait, but he was reluctant to destroy the pill furnace he had spent forty-nine years to create as a matter of course.

    In the end, Elder Xuanyang chose to preserve the pill furnace despite all the opposition he faced. He then named it the Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace.

    Obviously, he originally meant to name it the Xuanyang Celestial Ascension Furnace, but thanks to its ¡°unique¡± trait, that was inly impossible. So, he had no choice but topromise.

    Even after Elder Xuanyang passed away, the Pill Cauldron Sect respected Elder Xuanyang¡¯s will and kept the Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace in their vault. Thissted until three hundred years ago when a disciple turned dark, stole the Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace, and escaped. As the Pill Cauldron Sect was far weaker than they were a thousand years ago, they were incapable of retrieving the Strange Artifact and had no choice but to see it disappear into the <i>jianghu</i>.

    The Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace went through a dozen or so owners after that, and countless lives were lost each time it changed hands. In the end, it fell into the hands of Gu Shentong, the Undefeated Urchin[1].

    Gu Shengtong the Undefeated Urchin was a top ten champion on the Earth Champions Ranking. He was, without exaggeration, a true monster, so how did his treasure fall into Feng Qingyou¡¯s hands? Were the rumors just a rumor after all?

    However, Feng Qingyou defied his expectations and said, ¡°Gu Shentong lost a bet to me, and the prize is the Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace.¡±

    ¡°A bet?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. What kind of bet was it? And how on earth did Feng Qingyou manage to win?

    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple hide and seek game,¡± Feng Qingyou replied casually.

    ¡°Hide and seek? There has to be some crazy rules, right?¡±

    This... fit with what he knew of Gu Shentong. Although Gu Shentong was an Earth Champions Ranking monster, he acted like a naughty child who liked nothing more than to y and bet against others. It was why people called him an urchin.

    Ye Qing wanted to know exactly how the game went because he did not believe for a second that it was anything like your ordinary hide-and-seek. After all, this was Gu Shentong they were talking about. Even if it was an ordinary hide-and-seek game, the participants made all the difference.

    For example, Gu Shentong once challenged Han Qinjiao, the River Dragon to an underwater breath-holding match. The duo stayed underwater for ny-nine days straight, and in the end, Gu Shentong emerged victorious with a small margin.

    One time, Gu Shentong challenged Zen Master Empty Cicada of Lanke Temple to a sitting contest. The duo then traveled to Snow Dragon Mountain and sat at the peak for over three years. In the end, Gu Shentong sumbed to his restlessness and forfeited the match.

    Another time, Gu Shentong challenged Hu Xiaoshan, the Mighty Demon God to a contest of strength. One only needed to infer from Hu Xiaoshan¡¯s moniker that his strength was supernatural. First, Hu Xiaoshan grabbed a river and lifted it into the air with his bare hands. In response, Gu Shengtong lifted two rivers with his bare hands. Next, Hu Xiaoshan carried an entire mountain on his shoulders. Yet again, Gu Shentong one-upped the guy by lifting two mountains. Furious, Hu Xiaoshan ripped out an entire chunk of the earth¡ªit spanned over three hundred meters at least¡ªcarried it on his back, and ran over a thousand kilometers. In response... Well, there was no response because Hu Xiaoshan died from exhaustion.

    Long story short, Gu Shentong¡¯s games and bets were all beyond mortal imagination. Naturally, Ye Qing thought that the ¡°simple hide-and-seek game¡± he yed against Feng Qingyou was pretty extraordinary as well.

    One good thing about Gu Shentong was that he was a man of his word and a good loser. No matter who he yed against, he never reneged on a bet. He never went back on his word just because he was stronger or something.

    One time, a Spirit Master junior challenged Gu Shentong to a fasting contest. Whoeversted the longest would have to kowtow three times to the winner before running to the entrance of the Heavenly Master Mansion and yell, ¡°Zhang Dongxuan is an old tortoise!¡± three times, naked.

    Gu Shentong thought that it was a most interesting challenge and did not think that he would lose to a Spirit Master junior. So, he agreed. However, heter realized that his opponent was a living dead. Did a living dead need to eat or drink? No. Naturally, Gu Shentong lost the bet utterly.

    Technically speaking, his opponent had tricked him. It was entirely within Gu Shentong¡¯s right to renege on his bet. However, the man did no such thing. He kowtowed three times to the Spirit Master on the spot, stripped himself naked, ran all the way to the foot of Dragon Tiger Mountain, nted his hands on his wrists, and shouted, ¡°Zhang Dongxuan is an old tortoise!¡± at the top of his lungs three times.

    Zhang Dongxuan was the Old Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain. He was a living celestial who was revered by countless.

    Therefore, Gu Shentong wasn¡¯t just insulting the Old Heavenly Master. He was insulting the entire Dragon Tiger Mountain.

    Naturally, Gu Shentong¡¯s inexplicable actions infuriated the Heavenly Master Mansion. A lightning bolt quickly descended from the sky and sent Gu Shentong flying at least fifty kilometers before he finallynded. He was lucky. If Zhang Dongxuan wasn¡¯t a mild-tempered man, if not for the fact that he took no offense from Gu Shentong¡¯s insult, the so-called Undefeated Urchin would have been a pile of bones already.

    1. Not to be confused with Wu Shentong the Undying Urchin, who is dead as a dodo. I guess simr names are a problem even in ancient times. ?

 Chapter 828: Red Dust Purple Qi Tribulation of Degeneration

    <h4>Chapter 828: Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s really nothing. He¡¯s the hider, and I¡¯m the seeker. I found him nine times in a row, so he gave me the Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace,¡± Feng Qingyou kept her answer brief.

    She did not tell herpanions that Gu Shentong¡¯s hiding spots were out of this world. She did not tell them that he had hidden himself hundreds of meters underground or tens of thousands of meters in the sky, that he had concealed himself in a flock of birds, a school of fishes, and even specks of dust; that he had turned himself invisible, shrank himself down to the size of a speck of dust, and even teleported tens of kilometers away in an instant. Whatever you could think of, Gu Shentong had done it.

    He might be a good loser, but he always gave it his all.

    Ye Qing shrugged and did not say anything further. If Feng Qingyou did not want to go into details, then he would honor her wishes.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing sensed something and looked up at the sky. It was still nighttime, and the sky should be pitch ck right now. In reality, it had turned as bright as day for some reason. At the same time, purple qi descended from above while dancing celestials and divine beings celebrated.

    Purple qi was normally elusive and transient, but this particr wisp seemed to be brimming with the profound essence of the Great Way and protected by the world itself.

    The purple qi soon entered Wen Anran¡¯s body and increased her power drastically. Her energies instantly reached peak levels, and her mind became wless.

    ¡°Congrattions, Miss Wen! It looks like you¡¯ll be joining us very soon!¡± Ye Qing said with a smile on his face. Wen Anran was a Half-Step Trueman to begin with, and after she absorbed the wisp of purple qi, her cultivation had improved drastically, her energies had returned to peak levels, and the ws in her mind werepletely removed. At her current state, she needed but a single thought to break through the wall and be a Trueman.

    ¡°Thank you, warrior Ye.¡± Wen Anran nodded smilingly at him. ¡°Please give me a moment. I will be back before you know it.¡±

    A sword beam appeared beneath Wen Anran¡¯s feet, and she disappeared and reappeared tens of meters away in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Er, what is she...?¡± Ye Qing blinked in confusion. <i>What is she doing?</i>

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°What else? She¡¯s about to undergo a tribtion!¡±

    ¡°She is?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. ¡°I mean... she looks a little too at ease, if you get what I mean.¡±

    Anyone who broke through the barrier between Spirit Master and Trueman must undergo a tribtion as a matter of course. If they sessfully overcame it and obtained the world¡¯s approval, then they would be Trueman. If not, then they would be dust and forgotten ash. It was why most people faced their tribtion full of tension, caution, and preparation.

    Ye Qing had never seen someone walking toward their tribtion looking as confident and at ease as Wen Anran. Heck, she hadn¡¯t even brought out her Strange Artifact. And what did she say just now? ¡°I¡¯ll be back before you know it?¡± Did she think she¡¯s Guan Yu or something?

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Anran¡¯s the disciple of True Lord of the World,¡± Feng Qingyou reminded, ¡°and her cultivation art is just as extraordinary. A heavenly tribtion means nothing to her.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. I guess it¡¯ll be fine then.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. He had, in fact, overlooked the fact that Wen Anran was not your ordinary woman.

    Another important question urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Speaking of which, the tribtion Miss Wen incurs cannot be ordinary, but we are in the middle of a city right now. The casualties...¡±

    Goddess City had already been wrecked once by yours truly. He really did not think it could take a tribtion.

    Feng Qingyou assured him, ¡°It will be fine. Just watch.¡±

    Meanwhile, Wen Anran¡¯s energies were bing so strong that it stirred the clouds above her. Seemingly sensing the rise in power, a massive cloud of purple qi began emerging from the east.

    The cloud of purple qi was unbelievably vast and majestic. At a nce, it looked like a floating ocean. Everyone and everything was dyed purple because of it, and all sorts of strange illusions were rising here and there.

    The gorgeous purple qi could not be underestimated, however. A warrior would recognize the terrible power and danger it represented. Not only that, a simple nce was enough to shake one¡¯s heart, destabilize one¡¯s mind, and dim one¡¯s consciousness.

    ¡°The Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration!¡±

    Ye Qing furrowed his brow. The Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration was the twelfth tribtion of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions, and unlike all the other tribtions, it harmed neither the body nor the mind. When put it that way, it sounded like the tribtion waspletely harmless. In reality, it was the opposite.

    The Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration contained the poison of red dust, the filth of every manifestation of nature, and the taint of all living things. It could pollute one¡¯s mind and heart without a trace.

    The Taoists preached detachment from all things outside the heart, the Buddhists taught about purity of the heart, and Confucianists spoke of subduing the ¡°heart ape¡± and mastering the ¡°horse of desire¡±. In the end, they were all preaching the same thing: cultivation of the mind. A weak will and a shrouded heart might not affect a normal person too much, but they were absolutely detrimental traits for a warrior.

    The Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration possessed the power to inflict a victim with degeneration. Assuming that the victim could not ovee its influence, they would experience insecurity, slothfulness, and cultivation decline in the best case scenario, or drown in distraction and heart demons and eventually perish from a fatal deviation.

    The Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration might be ranked twelfth on the list, but for those who possessed a weak will and an insecure mind, it was worse than the top five Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions. After all, those tribtions at least had a form and shape that could be defeated. A tribtion with no shape and substance? That was something that even gods and demons were afraid of.

    Even Ye Qing did not dare to lower his guard around the Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration despite not being its target. From time to time, he would engage in self-introspection and affirm his heart.

    Strangely, the actual target of the tribtion, Wen Anran did not seem worried in the slightest. Her response toward the purple qi, red dust, and myriad manifestations rolling in from every direction was to summon... a book.

    The book looked old, ancient, and perfectly ordinary. And yet, when it flipped open without any help whatsoever, it unleashed some sort of invisible power that diminished both the purple qi in the sky and its insidious influence. The more pages it flipped through, the weaker the Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration became.

    ¡°What in the...¡±

    Ye Qing was stunned. This was the first time he saw a tribtion like this. Wen Anran wasn¡¯t weakening the Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration via her own power, it was dissipating on its own.

    Technically, it sounded like there was no difference. In reality, it was anything but.

    When a challenger fought against a tribtion, they were essentially fighting against the heavens. They were weakening the tribtion and oveing it using their own power.

    But if a tribtion diminished on its own, it meant that the heavens chose <i>not </i>to fight against the challenger. It was surrendering ground without even a fight.

    It was clear which method was superior to the other. Ye Qing did not even think such a method was possible until he saw it with his own eyes.

    ¡°Did you know that Anran¡¯s main cultivation art is the ¡®Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡¯?¡± Feng Qingyou asked him all of a sudden.

    ¡°No? What¡¯s so unique about it?¡± Ye Qing asked. Since Feng Qingyou was bringing it up, it was probably the reason Wen Anran was oveing her tribtion in such an extraordinary manner.

    ¡°The ¡®Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡¯ is an extremely powerful martial art of the True Martial Sect that emphasizes on carrying out the heavens¡¯ will and umting karma through such acts. ¡®The heavens¡¯ way is my way, the heavens¡¯ will is my will¡¯.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°To put it simply, all a warrior needed to do to practice the ¡®Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡¯ is to y demons, eliminate the dark, end violence, maintain order, and carry out the heavens¡¯ will. Their cultivation level would naturally grow as a result of this.¡±

    ¡°Since she is acting on behalf of the heavens, her good karma will shield her from all evils and even nullify the tribtions she should have faced. Theoretically, she would never encounter a bottleneck in her practice.¡±

    At this point, it became clear what Feng Qingyou was trying to say. The reason Wen Anran suddenly grew stronger and broke into the Trueman stage was because she had in the three goddesses. As her action was considered right and proper from the heavens¡¯ perspective, she was rewarded with good karma and power.

    Ye Qing sighed. ¡°I had no idea such a powerful martial art existed. No wonder the Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration couldn¡¯t affect her at all.¡±

    To call it powerful would be an understatement. Theoretically, all Miss Wen needed to do to fuel her growth was to ¡°y demons, eliminate the dark, and carry out the heavens¡¯ will¡±. She would naturally enjoy the protection of good karma, she would never encounter a bottleneck in her life, and she was untouchable even by tribtions. Hell, it was practically out of this world. However...

    ¡°Is ¡®ying demons, eliminating the dark, and carrying out the heavens¡¯ will¡¯ <i>really </i>all she needs to do to get to the Sage stage though? Maybe even higher?¡±

    It was just too good to be true.

 Chapter 829: Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°Theoretically, yes. That is all she needs to do to grow stronger. However, no one who practiced the ¡®Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡¯ has ever transcended mortality and be a Sage.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°It is because a practitioner of the ¡®Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡¯ must always retain an innocent, benevolent heart. They must never be tempted by malice and stray off the right path, and they can only y those who are truly malice. If the practitioner lost sight of their innocence, if they fell into temptation and sumbed to their malice, or if they misjudged evil and identally killed an innocent, then the heavens would punish them by taking away their power. If the practitioner cannot make up for their mistakes, then their cultivation will keep declining until they lose everything. Of course, the greater the practitioner¡¯s malice bes, and the bigger the sin theymit, the worse their cultivation would decline.¡±

    Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°Theoretically, it is not too difficult to obey thesemandments. In reality, all humans are possessed by Seven Emotions and Six Desires, and the red dust is a universal dye that pollutes the entire world. How can a flesh and blood person defend themselves from such elements where even gods, celestials, and Buddhas prove wanting?¡±

    ¡°Is there a human who isn¡¯t afflicted by joy, anger, sorrow, desire, misery, and pain since they are born in this world? Is there a human who can lead a life that is free from greed, anger, foolishness, recklessness, resentment, disgust, spite, and hatred? Is there a human who can always retain a benevolent, innocent heart while never making a mistake, never feeling malice toward others, and nevermitting an evil act for as long as they live?¡±

    ¡°This is why no one has ever managed to practice the ¡®Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡¯ to the adept level, much less bing a Sage.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing nodded in understanding. He was just thinking that such a powerful martial art had to have a catch, and there it was.

    ¡°But why on earth did Miss Wen pick this as her main cultivation art? She doesn¡¯t look like the type to underachieve.¡±

    Ye Qing was puzzled for good reason. For a normal person, being able to reach the Trueman stage¡ªmuch less the Half-Sage stage¡ªwas like their wildest dreamsing to fruition. They would not have looked to climb higher. However, Wen Anran was a gifted genius who possessed an unwavering heart and the ambition to reach the ultimate end of the Great Way. Unlike most people, her goal was to reach the pinnacle of the martial way. There was no way someone like that would be satisfied with reaching the end of their path halfway up the lofty mountain known as the martial way. Once she began her journey, the peak was her one and only destination. With that in mind, why on earth had she chosen to practice the ¡°Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡±, a martial art that she knew very well that no one had ever reached the pinnacle? It wasn¡¯t like the True Martial Sect wascking in top-tier martial arts.

    ¡°That is a question only she can answer.¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head.

    ¡°Such a shame.¡± Ye Qing looked at Wen Anran and sighed.

    ¡°Is it now?¡± Feng Qingyou said all of a sudden. ¡°It is true that no one in True Martial Sect¡¯s history had ever sessfully practiced the ¡®Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡¯ to the adept level and be a Sage. But does that mean such a person cannot exist in the future? Who can say that Anran isn¡¯t the exception to the rule?¡±

    ¡°... Do you know something, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing shot her a dubious look. The way Feng Qingyou put it, it was almost as if she was certain that Wen Anran would defy expectations and be a Sage despite history.

    Feng Qingyou shrugged and returned an enigmatic smile. ¡°Do I? I¡¯m just making ament here.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <em>Women who flirt but nevermit are the </em>worst!

    As the duo chatted, the Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration was growing progressively weaker. By the time the ancient book above Wen Anran¡¯s head finally reached thest page, the tribtion waspletely gone. For a time, the sky of the entire region turned as pure and clear as a mirror.

    A few breathster, a profound and inexplicable sound rang from the sky. It was the sound of the Great Way. At the same time, a sweet rain apanied by all sorts of fantastical phenomena descended.

    Since the challenger had ovee the tribtion, it was only right to reward them for their efforts.

    The next moment, a wisp of purple qi descended from above. Unlike the sea of red dust and purple qi from before, this one was literally just a wisp. And yet, it was pure, wless, and tinged with gold within. It was noble, mysterious-looking, and beyond profound.

    ¡°Is this what they call the Purple Qi of Beneficence?¡± Ye Qing murmured to himself.

    The Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration was the twelfth strongest tribtion of the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions. Those who overcame it would be rewarded with the Purple Qi of Beneficence.

    Those who were beneficent were meritorious and moral, and purple qi represented the will of the world. The Purple Qi of Beneficence was a qi of beneficence that could only be obtained via the acknowledgement of the world, which was why it was exceedingly rare.

    Those who obtained the Purple Qi of Beneficence were acknowledged by the Heavenly Way and favored by the world itself. They were immune to all evils and protected from all disasters and tribtions, and anything they set their minds to would always turn out fine somehow. This was why people said that a single wisp of qi of beneficence was equal to an unparalleled opportunity.

    Technically speaking, the Purple Qi of Beneficence was not as rare or valuable as the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Even so, it was priceless and could only be obtained by those who were favored by the heavens.

    Ye Qing recognized the Purple Qi of Beneficence, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. He wasn¡¯t the only one who recognized its value either. It was why nearly everyone who saw this immediately felt a surge of greed.

    But of course, most of them were also scared shitless by the great war earlier. They also knew that someone who could attract the Red Dust Purple Qi Tribtion of Degeneration could not be ordinary. Restless they might be, their survival instincts were firmly in control of their bodies. They did not dare to move even a muscle.

    There was a small minority of people who weren¡¯t afraid to die though. Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong were two such examples.

    Earlier, Ye Qing had dealt them a moderate blow. After that, Duanmu Longhua was killed, and even the three goddesses were dead. To say that they wanted to get as far away as possible from this ce would be an understatement. The reason they didn¡¯t was because Duanmu Longhua had robbed their fortune, and leaving Goddess City in their current state most likely would result in them being smote by the heavens. That was why their original n was to cower in a hiding spot and wait until the dust had settled.

    Later, the goddesses perished, and part of the fortune they lost had returned to them. It was a pitiful amountpared to what they had before, but at least they were no longer in danger of dying a sudden death. It was a small blessing considering everything they had just gone through.

    They should have been thankful that they somehow survived the disaster that had killed even the city lord and the three goddesses. The logical thing to do here was to not look a gift horse in the mouth and run like hell while they still could.

    But you see, some people were ves to their greed. They just could not help but stretch their toe past the point of no return despite every warning.

    The duo were just about to leave when they identally saw Wen Anran oveing her tribtion. Then, a wisp of Purple Qi of Beneficence descended from the sky, and suddenly, neither of them could find the strength to take another step toward the exit.

    Right now, their fortune was in the gutters. Their wounds were nothing to be concerned about, but they had lost at least ny-nine percent of their original fortunes. While their misfortune wasn¡¯t so bad that it would kill them, they were currently unfortunate to the point where anything they did would somehow result in failure. It was not an ideal state of things to put it mildly.

    If they could obtain the Purple Qi of Beneficence though, then everything would change. There was a reason people said that a single wisp of qi of beneficence was equal to an unparalleled opportunity. Forget replenishing their lost fortune, it might even improve to the point where they would enjoy the protection of the world, immunity to all disasters and tribtions, and unparalleled good luck.

    Comfort is a drug. Once you get used to it, it bes addicting. Just like a wealthy man could not stand living like a beggar, neither Nail Grandma nor Tiger Master Gong could stand living without fortune favoring their every turn.

    From their perspective, their chances of sess were pretty high. Ye Qing was the biggest variable in this situation bar none, but he had just fought a great war against the goddesses earlier. Although he survived, he must be injured and exhausted right now. He could not possibly face them with the same level of prowess he had disyed before.

    Besides that, Ye Qing was a body-tempering Grandmaster. Head-on fights were his bread and butter, but there was no way he couldpete against them in terms of speed. If they ran off right after they stole the Purple Qi of Beneficence, there was nothing he could do against them.

    Wen Anran was another variable, and there was no doubt that she was a gifted genius. However, no matter how genius she was, she had just entered the Trueman stage. There was just no way she was a match for veteran Truemen like them, not to mention that the advantage of surprise was on their side.

    The duo didn¡¯t even need tomunicate verbally with each other. One look in the eye, and they knew they would be pulling off a heist.

    First, Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong concealed themselves and slowly approached Wen Anran. When they were ten or so meters away from her, they abruptly burst into action.

    A shower of nails exploded from Nali Grandma¡¯s legs and shot toward Wen Anran. On the way, the flesh and blood covering the nails sank into the metal and turned them reddish and evil-looking.

    As for Tiger Master Gong, he charged straight for the Purple Qi of Beneficence.

    It was clear that the duo had cooperated with each other for many years. Even though they hadn¡¯t exchanged a single word, they knew exactly what their roles were. Nail Grandma would keep Wen Anran busy, while Tiger Master Gong would take the Purple Qi of Beneficence. They also went all out to ensure that the heist would be a sess.

 Chapter 830: Heavenly Capital Dark Thunder

    ¡°Holy shit, look at the idiots. They must have a death wish or something.¡±

    Ye Qing did not worry for hispanion¡¯s safety despite Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong¡¯s ambush. If anything, he was perfectly content to do nothing and watch from the sidelines.

    The woman at the center of the ambush, Wen Anran, was just as calm and collected as he was.

    The next moment, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky. It was only as thick as a human finger, but it was pitch ck in color and overflowing with death energy.

    When the ck lightning descended, the entire world suddenly turned pitch ck as if someone had turned off the lights. Not even Ye Qing could see anything, and his spine crawled at the power oozing from the lightning.

    If even Ye Qing felt threatened by the ck lightning, Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong could only fare worse. rms bells screeching inside their heads, they abandoned their original n instantly and tried to escape.

    But of course, humans could never outrun lightning. In just the blink of an eye, the ck lightning struck them and disintegrated them into ash. They never even managed to scream.

    Ye Qing gasped in shock and trepidation when he finally recognized the ck lightning, ¡°Heavens¡­ the Heavenly Capital Dark Thunder? She truly is daddy heavens¡¯ favorite daughter!¡±

    Due to her cultivation art, Wen Anran was more or less an agent of the heavens¡¯ will. She was favored by the heavens and protected by the world itself, and yet these two idiots thought they could steal her opportunity. This was the equivalent of lightning antern inside a toilet¡ªsuicide.Ye Qing knew from the beginning that the Heavenly Way would intervene to save Wen Anran, but he failed to predict the lengths it would go to protect her.

    The Heavenly Capital Dark Thunder was one of the most terrifying lightning in the world. Absolutely yin and dark, it was devoid of light and overflowing with the power to extinguish life. Such was its power that not even a Sage would dare to face it head on, much less the likes of Nail Grandma and Tiger Master Gong. It was the definition of using a bull butcher cleaver to ughter a chicken.

    In this world, it was very important to have a pair of discerning eyes. After all, there were some people that you could not afford to offend no matter what!

    Random thoughts were flitting through Ye Qing¡¯s mind when the Purple Qi of Beneficence finallynded on the old book still floating above Wen Anran¡¯s head. It glowed a dark, purple light for a moment before returning to normal¡ªno, that wasn¡¯t right. The transformation was subtle, but it was definitely more profound and mysterious-looking than before.

    The ancient book returned to Wen Anran¡¯s headspace, and her unstable, somewhat erratic energies gradually calmed down. At the same time, it was growing richer and richer.

    Ye Qing clicked his tongue in admiration. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ I can see why this martial art hasn¡¯t gone extinct despite its many ws.¡±

    For most warriors, they needed days or even months of hard work to stabilize their energies and root themselves in their new cultivation level. However, Wen Anran¡¯s foundation had solidified immediately after the Purple Qi of Beneficence entered her body, meaning that she did not need to go through the process. This characteristic alone was something most people could only dream of.

    Despite its many ws, the ¡°Supreme Demon Subjugation Scripture of Beneficence¡± was definitely a powerful and mysterious martial art. Not even its cons, which were beyond terrible, could overshadow its pros.

    ¡°Congrattions on bing a Trueman and taking another step toward the pinnacle, Anran!¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, Miss Wen.¡±

    Feng Qingyou and Ye Qing congratted Wen Anran after she came back.

    ¡°Thank you, Miss Feng, warrior Ye.¡±

    Smiling, Wen Anran returned a salute. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the two of you, there is no way I could have in the Fortune Beckoners or be a Trueman so quickly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. We are all friends here.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled before casting a nce at her Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like we got nothing out of this. It¡¯s a mutually beneficial transaction.¡±

    While the two women traded pleasantries, Ye Qing was staring at the tattered Goddess City and the surviving civilians with a worried look on his face, ¡°I don¡¯t regret ying the goddesses, but what will happen to the people, Qingyou? Without the goddesses¡¯ protection, their misfortune would surely¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They will be fine,¡± Feng Qingyou assured him. ¡°The moment the Fortune Beckoners are dead, the fortune they plundered would return to nature. It is why I did not seal the fortune they leaked into my Xuanyang Demonic Ascension Furnace as soon as they perished. Long story short, enough fortune has spread to the people of Goddess City that they would not perish from misfortune.¡±

    ¡°Good. Good.¡± Ye Qing sighed in relief.

    ¡°You are a kind and benevolent man, warrior Ye. You have my deepest respect.¡± Wen Anran saluted him.

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°You tter me. I just want a clear conscience, that¡¯s all.¡±

    He was no saint, and he never held back against people who deserved to die. However, he had no desire to kill innocents.

    Wen Anran smiled. ¡°There is great wisdom in your statement, warrior Ye. Do we not decide and act precisely because we seek a clear conscience? If our conscience is clear, then we are never astray.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re making me blush, Miss Wen. Thank you.¡± Ye Qing waved off thepliment before recalling something. ¡°Oh right, where is Leng Tianjue, Miss Cang and the others? Are they alright?¡±

    ¡°They are safe. We made sure to send them to safety from the beginning,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°d to hear that.¡± Ye Qing nodded before a mysterious smile suddenly flitted across his lips. ¡°Why don¡¯t you girls go meet up with them first? I have a little something I need to do. I¡¯lle find you after my business is done.¡±

    He was dashing away even before he was done speaking.

    ¡°What is warrior Ye doing?¡± Wen Anran was confused by Ye Qing¡¯s sudden departure.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. He is simply going to the treasury,¡± Feng Qingyou answered smilingly. ¡°Would you like to join him, Miss Wen?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Wen Anran shook her head. She hailed from True Martial Sect, and she was the disciple of a Sage. What treasure hadn¡¯t she seen before? It wasn¡¯t like she wascking in Strange Artifacts or pills either, which was why she wasn¡¯t too interested in looting.

    ¡°In that case, let us meet up Qingmei and Feifei as Ye Qing suggested. They must be worried,¡± Feng Qingyou said.

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    With that, the two women turned around and took their leave.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°W-We are at the Dragon Radiance Pavilion, senior!¡± A Goddess City elder dressed in purple robes stuttered.

    ¡°Is this where you store your treasures, Strange Artifacts and martial arts manuals?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    He had run into this elder by pure ident. He was just wondering where he might find the treasury of Goddess City when the man suddenly stumbled upon his path. Naturally, he was going to make good use of him.

    ¡°That is correct, senior,¡± the purple-robed man answered while bowing his head and trembling like a leaf. He did not possess even the strength to meet Ye Qing¡¯s eyes.

    Although he was a Half-Step Trueman and a powerhouse in most eyes, the purple-robed man knew full well that he was nothing before the young man. After all, he had witnessed him transforming into a demonic ape and waging war against the three goddesses just a while ago. Even now, the power and tremors from that moment sent chills to his very core.

    But how did he run into Ye Qing in the first ce? Shouldn¡¯t he be hiding far, far away from the battlefield? Well, it was a sorrowful story. He was attacking Ye Qing with his fellow elders when he took a serious blow from the young man. After Ye Qing transformed into a demonic ape and waged war against the goddesses, he was caught up in one of the shockwaves and knocked out. He tried to sneak away after he woke up from his impromptu slumber, but as soon as he rounded a corner, he came face to face with the grinning devil. The rest was history.

    Ye Qing examined the building in front of him for a moment before kicking the ground. A single limestone brick shot toward the entrance like a ball, but right before it would make contact with its wooden door, a gust of wind blew and disintegrated it into dust.

    ¡°An array.¡± Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by this in the slightest. ¡°What is this array?¡±

    The purple-robed man answered in a hurry. ¡°It is the Origin Annihting Divine Wind Array, senior. It is a powerful array that can instantly disintegrate any intruder into ash in both mind and body.¡±

 Chapter 831: Gatekeeper

    <h4>Chapter 831: Gatekeeper </h4>

    ¡°Is there anything else I need to pay attention to besides the Origin Annihting Divine Wind Array?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°N-No,¡± the purple-robed man stuttered out while wiping the sweat on his forehead.

    Ye Qing shot him a strange look but did not say anything further. A ck fish and a white fish appeared around him, and he began walking toward the Dragon Radiance Pavilion.

    <i>Whoosh whoosh...</i>

    As soon as he stepped into the range of the array, gusts of clear wind blew toward him. It looked gentle, but it contained enough power to annihte every speck of origin energy in the air. Even Ye Qing¡¯s astral qi was straining to maintain its integrity.

    <i>Origin Annihting Divine Wind, huh? A fitting name, </i>Ye Qing thought to himself. No wonder no one had tried to slip into the treasury and steal everything despite Duanmu Longhua¡¯s death. Not that he wasining.

    Ye Qing narrowed his eyes slightly and brought down his foot. Wind and thunder could rage within one meter of space; one stomp could shake the nine provinces.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    The ground shook, and the array flickered erratically from the mighty stomp. Ye Qing heard something shattering into pieces like y, and the Origin Annihting Divine Wind blowing against his defenses disappeared just like that.

    Ye Qing did not pause to admire his work. After crushing the Origin Annihting Divine Wind Array in one stomp, he immediately started walking toward the Dragon Radiance Pavilion.

    Behind Ye Qing, the purple-robed man swallowed audibly while staring at his back. He knew better than anyone just how deadly Origin Annihting Divine Wind was, so the fact that Ye Qing had crushed it in one stomp only deepened his despair.

    <i>No! I still have a chance!</i>

    A sh of hope appeared in the purple-robed man¡¯s eyes while Ye Qing was pushing open the door.

    The second therge doors creaked open, the door god portraits stered on their surface abruptly came to life. A door god wielding twin truncheons swung its weapon at Ye Qing¡¯s head, whereas another door god sent the dragon-serpent on its shoulders toward Ye Qing¡¯s abdomen.

    The falling truncheons made a loud whipping noise that resembled thunder.

    The dragon-serpent opened its bloody maw wide enough to swallow a man whole.

    <i>Now is the time!</i>

    The purple-robed man turned tail and ran at the exact moment the door gods attacked Ye Qing. He never looked back, and his movement was buttery smooth.

    From the moment he was caught by Ye Qing, he had been waiting for an opportunity like this.

    The two door god portraits on the doors were, in fact, not portraits. They were a kind of Strangers called the Gatekeeper.

    A Gatekeeper was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. Legend had it that a door god was a Stranger that was born from worship, and it enjoyed attaching itself to a door and defending the residence for its master. But unlike a door god, a Gatekeeper was much more violent and protective. If a door god repelled evil, then a Gatekeeper crushed any intruder who tried to invade its master¡¯s home and consumed their bodies using their dragon-serpent. Besides that, its protection only extended to its master and their family.

    These two Gatekeepers were captured and sealed within the Dragon Radiance Pavilion by a city lord of Goddess City about a hundred years ago. Their duty was to protect the treasury from all intruders. Thanks to a century of nourishment, the two Gatekeepers were even stronger than your average Trueman and Grandmaster. Combined with the advantage of surprise, the purple-robed man was sure that they could surprise Ye Qing and dy him for a bit.

    The purple-robed man never thought for a second that the two Gatekeepers could kill Ye Qing or even wound him. He had seen the young man battling against the three goddesses themselves after all. All he wanted was for the Gatekeepers to dy Ye Qing long enough to make his escape.

    The reason he did this was simple. He just wanted to live.

    The Origin Annihting Divine Wind Array was another opportunity, but he did not make use of it because he did not think it would work. Anyone with half a brain cell would know that a forbidden area like the Dragon Radiance Pavilion would be heavily guarded and secured by multipleyers of restrictions, and Ye Qing was no exception.

    If he lied to the young man iming that the treasury wasn¡¯t protected by an array, all he would obtain was a swift and merciless death. That was why he admitted the existence of the array but not the Gatekeepers. His honesty would fool the young man into letting down his guard, whereas his lie by omission would buy him the time and opportunity he needed to make his escape.

    So far, everything was proceeding exactly as nned. He heard the Gatekeepers roaring angrily at the intruder and felt the shockwaves of astral qi and force whipping against his skin as the trio fought. He felt a growing excitement in his chest because it meant that his chances of survival had gotten just a little bigger.

    However, the sounds of fighting came to an abrupt stop. It was like a symphonying to a sudden stop the second it hit its climax, confusing and disturbing. The purple-robed man¡¯s heart immediately sprung to his throat once more.

    He still didn¡¯t look back though. He just pumped his legs harder and ran faster. He was afraid that he would lose all courage to run if he looked behind him.

    Then, he heard a crisp snap. It was the snap of a finger.

    His mind came to an abrupt stop, and that was it.

    His head had exploded in a shower of blood and brain matter.

    At the entrance to the Dragon Radiance Pavilion, Ye Qing was clutching a Gatekeeper¡¯s neck with his right hand and stepping on another. Not even bothering to look at the purple-robed man behind his back, he slowly lowered his left hand and injected a bit more strength into his limbs. Both Gatekeepers ceased living there and then.

    From the moment he caught the purple-robed man, he had already nted a demonic seed in his mind. Had he done everything he asked and obeyed him to the letter, he would not have minded letting him live. Unfortunately, the purple-robed man overthought things and tried to trick him. From that point onward, mercy was off the table. His schemes were all for naught.

    After killing the two Gatekeepers, Ye Qing took his time to scan his surroundings carefully with his demonic thought. After he confirmed that there was no danger, he finally stepped inside the Dragon Radiance Pavilion.

    The treasury looked quite ordinary from the outside, but the inside was apletely different story. The interior wasvishly decorated and filled with all sorts of treasures.

    ¡°It was worth it!¡± Ye Qing whispered to himself as if it wasn¡¯t the understatement of the week. His eyes glittered with greed as he stared at the treasure hoard.

    Goddess City might not be a big sect with over a thousand years of history, but they were an average sect with centuries of history. The gold, silver, and jewelry needed not be mentioned, the Strange Artifacts and martial arts manuals alone numbered in the hundreds. As for the pills and random treasures, they were literally innumerable. Their shine was so bright he almost felt blinded by them.

    As a member of the Pacification Bureau, he had seen all kinds of treasures. He thought that his horizon was broader than most as well. Even so, the magnificent sight before his eyes still stunned him deeply.

    More importantly, these treasures were all his now. All his! To say that he was excited would be an understatement!

    A few breathster, Ye Qing finally calmed down enough to start shoving the treasures into his Nine Heavens. He did not even miss out on the racks, shelves, and boxes. Why? Let¡¯s just say that it was way easier and faster this way.

    That said, there were only so many treasures he could carry. Not even Nine Heavens could store everything within the vault, so he could only steal the valuable stuff. He supposed he didn¡¯t mind leaving the ordinary treasures to their destined ones.

    ¡°Now this is what I call a first-world problem!¡± Ye Qing sighed happily while making his way deeper into the vault.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ye Qing had just entered the area where the Strange Artifacts were stored when suddenly, his Profound Yellow Mother Qi started stirring without warning.

 Chapter 832: The Earthly Sovereign Suppresses The Four

    <h4>Chapter 832: The Earthly Sovereign Suppresses The Four </h4>

    ¡°What the hell?¡±

    Ye Qing tried to calm his Profound Yellow Mother Qi, but not only did it fail, it was getting worse.

    This was the first time he encountered such a situation. The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was the origin of all qi and the mother of all creation. Its karmic weight was immeasurable, and its power was unimaginable. Despite this, it was gentle, profound, dignified, and universally epting. Something like this had never happened before.

    At first, Ye Qing was quite worried. But over time, he realized that his Profound Yellow Mother Qi was only stirring restlessly. It did not harm his internal organs or veins at all.

    In fact, he was beginning to realize that the reason the Profound Yellow Mother Qi was reacting like this was because it was... excited? It was like the excitement one felt when meeting a friend or rtive after a long separation, or the joy of meeting one¡¯s soul mate, or the inexplicable heart throb one felt when encountering a kin.

    <i>Is there something inside this treasury that¡¯s drawing the Profound Yellow Mother Qi¡¯s attention? </i>Ye Qing thought to himself as he walked forward using the qi¡¯s stirring as his guide.

    The deeper he went, the more restless the Profound Yellow Mother Qi became. Right before he was about to walk past a ck, dirty-looking object, the Profound Yellow Mother Qi positively churned like boiling water. It was to the point where the qi was leaking through his pores.

    Ye Qing immediately stopped in his tracks and examined the object. It was about an adult male¡¯s height, and it was covered in a thickyer of mud and rust. He could not sense any origin energy or spiritual energy from it whatsoever, nor could he tell what it was. For all intents and purposes, it was just an ordinary chunk of metal.

    ¡°What on earth is this thing?¡±

    Despite a close examination, Ye Qing could not find anything special about the chunk of metal whatsoever. The growing restlessness of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi spoke a different story though.

    A moment of hesitationter, Ye Qing decided to take a risk. He touched the chunk of metal.

    A reaction urred instantly. His Profound Yellow Mother Qi immediately started flooding into the metal. Before he could react, a bell chime resounded throughout the treasury.

    <i>THANG!</i>

    The bell chime sounded ancient as if it hailed from a distant time. Itsted for a very, very long time. It was neither high-pitched, loud, disturbing or violent, but the second the chime resounded, every item inside the Dragon Radiance Pavilion instantly disintegrated into dust[1].

    Strangely, Ye Qing waspletely unharmed despite standing right next to the bell.

    The next moment, the mud and rust covering the chunk of metal slowly fell off bit by bit. Dark yellow light peeked through the gaps as this happened.

    An image suddenly appeared before Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. It was a tall, muscr man with a in but elegant countenance.

    The ground shook, and what looked like a ck tide rolled in from the horizon. When they got close, Ye Qing abruptly realized that it wasn¡¯t water at all. It was an innumerable number of Strangers and evils.

    Despite facing what looked like an endless number of Strangers, the man pressed forward instead of retreating. Profound Yellow Mother Qi circting throughout his body, he charged into the ocean of Strangers and evils in one step.

    There was a loud boom like a tidal wave crashing against a rock. Countless Strangers scattered into pieces and died just like that.

    The man proceeded tounch a series of attacks. When he threw a punch, the sky crumbled, and the stars were knocked out of position. When he stepped on the earth, the ground crumbled, and countless earthen pirs smashed into the Strangers like dragons and serpents, killing them all in one strike.

    The Strangers¡¯ numbers seemed infinite, but not even infinity could stop the lone man.

    The battlested three days and nights. Only the heavens could count exactly how many Strangers the man had killed. But not only did their numbers not decrease over time, it was actually increasing.

    At one point, after shattering a Stranger¡¯s head in one punch, the man spat out a glob of blood andughed. ¡°It¡¯s your turn, old friend.¡±

    As soon as he said this, a dark yellow bell that looked like it was made from brass appeared in the sky. The exterior of the bell was surrounded by a sun and moon surrounded by earth, water, fire and wind. The interior of the bell showcased long expanses of mountain ranges and countless races.

    <i>THANG!</i>

    The bronze bell shuddered a little and emitted a chime so grand it felt like it could be heard from the ends of the universe. Both heaven and earth became discolored as the entire world shook quietly.

    Five-colored light illuminates the heavens, the sacred might of Primal Chaos shakes the universe.

    The ocean of Stranger surrounding the man abruptly disintegrated into ash. Every single one of them. When the dust settled, the sky was bright, and the earth slowly returned to calm. It was almost as if nothing had ever happened.

    After killing countless Strangers with the bell, the man spat out another glob of blood andughed, ¡°Are you afraid? If you are, then run back to your dens with your tail between your legs. I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I can spare your lives.¡±

    ¡°Your arrogance is unbing, Hou.¡±

    As soon as the man finished, a gigantic bulge suddenly rose up from the ground to the east. It was over three thousand meters tall and carried literal mountains and rivers on its back. It was a gigantic dragon turtle with a dragon¡¯s head and a turtle¡¯s body, and it was slowly walking toward the man. Every time it took a step, the ground trembled, the mountains copsed, and the rivers sank into bottomless chasms.

    ¡°Spare us? You?¡±

    To the south, the sky was scorched ck by some sort of ck mes. Then, a fiery phoenix with a human¡¯s face but a bird¡¯s body descended from above.

    Every time it pped its wings, ck mes would burn mountains and boil seas. Countless living beings were killed by its mere presence.

    ¡°I am here, Hou. What are you going to do about it?¡±

    To the west, a poisonous ck fog stretching from one end of the horizon to the other slowly rolled in like a tidal wave. Behind it was an even bigger face that stitched together using countless corpses. Every time it squirmed forward, the gue would spread, and the poisonous fog would corrode both the forest aboveground and the earth underneath it.

    ¡°Keke... today is the day you die, Hou.¡±

    To the north, a gigantic nine-headed serpent rode the waves and slowly made its way over toward the man. Its spittle were toxic liquid the size of ake, and every time a drop hit the ground, the earth was eaten through like it was nothing, and countless died as a result.

    ¡°Is that... the Earthbearing Dragon Turtle, the Undying Nether Phoenix[2], the Endless Lord of gues, and the World Ender Jiuying?¡±

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was watching the scene happening inside the dark yellow light with a stunned expression. When he put two and two together, he blurted, ¡°Could this man be the Earthly Sovereign? ording to the ¡®Book of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯, his true name is Hou.¡±

    There was a story in the ¡°Book of the Earthly Sovereign¡± that went something like this. During the first year of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s reign, there used to be four great Strangers upying each cardinal direction of the world. They were the Earthbearing Dragon Turtle, the Undying Nether Phoenix, the Endless Lord of gues, and the World Ender Jiuying.

    The Earthbearer Dragon Turtle upied the east and carried vast stretches ofnd, rivers and mountains on its back. Its exhtion was a storm that affected tens of thousands of kilometers ofnd, and its inhtion was the death of everything in front of it. If it shook, the ground would shake like an earthquake, and if it moved, the earth would tear into pieces.

    The Undying Nether Phoenix upied the south and constantly burned with ck mes. If it flew over a mountain, the mountain would burst into ck mes. If it flew over a sea, the sea would boil. So long as the ck mes did not fade, the phoenix would never perish.

    The Endless Lord of gues upied the west. It had a body of rotten flesh and limbs that wereposed of pus. Its rotten flesh naturally created deadly gues that annihted all life, and its pus gave off poisonous fog that engulfed anything and everything.

    Finally, the World Ender Jiuying upied the north. It had nine heads that possessed a unique power each. Itmanded water and frost that could flood over entire continents, and its venom was so toxic that the fumes alone could corrode the earth with ease.

    These four Strangers viewed humans as ves and livestocks and possessed no restraint whatsoever. Their wanton ughter caused untold destruction and innumerable casualties to the human race. That was why they came to be known as the Four Evils.

    It wasn¡¯t like the humans had never dispatched their elites and armies to suppress the Four Evils, but they were simply too strong. Every attempt had resulted in massive casualties and failure.

    Later, the Earthly Sovereign personally took to the battlefield with his trusty Earthly Sovereign Bell by his side. He was ultimately able to defeat the Four Evils at the Mountains of Extinction. However, the Four Evils were so powerful that they could not be killed, only sealed away. So, the Earthly Sovereign sealed the Earthbearing Dragon Turtle at the Sky Beyond Sky, the Undying Nether Phoenix at the Mountain Beyond Mountain, the Endless Lord of gues at the Westmost Desert, and the World Ender Jiuying at the Blue Hole of Primal Chaos. And so humanity was saved from their eternal threat.

    Unless he was gravely mistaken, the four Strangers he was seeing right now were most likely the Four Evils. In that case, the man could only be the Earthly Sovereign, and the bell the artifact that forged his Dao, the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    1. Ah. ?

    2. If you remember, the Mortician has one of its feathers. ?

 Chapter 833: Earthly Sovereign Bell

    <h4>Chapter 833: Earthly Sovereign Bell </h4>

    Inside the dark yellow light, the Earthly Sovereign stared at the Four Evils with a wide grin on his face. ¡°An old turtle, a baby phoenix, a big ass face and a nine-headed snake... Everyone¡¯s here, it seems. Good. it is so much easier to eliminate you all in one stroke than seeking you out one by one!¡±

    ¡°Kill all of us? You may be strong, but you are only one man, Hou!¡± The Eartbearing Dragon Turtle replied slowly, each word sounding like a thunderp. ¡°The human race is weak and no match for us. It is only a matter of time before they go extinct. Be smart, and surrender while we are still feeling merciful, Hou. If you do, then we will let you and your ilk live.¡±

    ¡°Go fuck yourself with shitty ass turtle! We humans may be born from the humblest, most chaotic origins, but we never gave up, and we¡¯ve ovee all obstacles on our way until now. Anyone with a pair of eyes can tell that we are on the way to be the lords of the world; the wisest of all creatures. Extinction? That is <i>your </i>eventual fate, not ours!¡± The Earthly Sovereign retorted scathingly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of death, Hou?¡± The Undying Nether Phoenix asked.

    ¡°Of course I am,¡± the Earthly Sovereign admitted without hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s just that some things in life are more important than death.¡±

    ¡°If I can ordain conscience for heaven and earth, secure life and fortune for the people, and establish peace for all future generations[1], then I would have no regrets even if I die.¡±

    ¡°Pigheaded cur. Kill him! Today is the day we wipe out the human race!¡± The World Ender Jiuying sneered. Its nine heads began spitting floods, venom, hails, poisonous fog and other deadly elements. It charged toward the Earthly Sovereign while eroding everything in its path.

    ¡°Hahaha... finally! I was just about to fall asleep from all that chatter!¡±

    The Earthly Sovereign barked out augh and took one step forward. He abruptly grew to the height of three hundred meters and shattered the iing projectiles in one stomp. Then, he grabbed two of the World Elder Jiuying¡¯s heads and let out a roar. The next moment, the gigantic serpent¡ªit must have been over a thousand meters long at least¡ªwas thrown into the sky just like that.

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s aim was true. The World Ender Jiuying wheeled uncontrobly through a swathe of mes before mming into the Undying Nether Phoenix, sending it careening off the sky.

    He was one against four, however. During this short period, the Earthbearing Dragon Turtle had crept up to the Earthly Sovereign with unbelievable speed and knocked him to the ground. Then, it climbed on top of the man like it tten him like a pancake.

    The Earthbearing Dragon Turtle was unbelievably huge and heavy, its whole body stretching thousands and thousands of kilometers at least. Such was its weight that even the Earthly Sovereign could not break free immediately. Not only that, it opened its bloody maw and attempted to rip the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s head off his shoulders.

    The Earthly Sovereign quickly grabbed its upper and lower jaw with both hands and pushed as hard as he could. The duo¡¯s contest of strength was earthshaking to say the least.

    While this was happening, the Endless Lord of gues surged forward like a world-ending flood, killing all life it passed through and eroding massive swathes of earth.

    In response, the Earthly Sovereign Bell let loose a loud chime that spread dark yellow qi across the entire area and illuminated heaven and earth with five-colored light. The gue and the fog melted like snow under the bright sun, and the Endless Lord of gues¡¯ gigantic face was split apart.

    The Undying Nether Phoenix and the World Ender Jiuying chose this moment to return at the same time. The World Ender Jiuying spat floods, venom and wind from its many heads while the Undying Nether Phoenix pped its wings and unleashed a torrent of mes. The Undying Nether mes were already deadly to begin with, but the billowing wind caused it to grow even stronger. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it possessed the power to melt the world where it stood.

    Yet again, the Earthly Sovereign Bell spun slowly and unleashed its resonant chimes. The windstorm dissipated, the ck mes extinguished, and the world returned to calm like a piece of fabric that was smoothed out by an invisible hand.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    It was at this moment an angry roar cut through the air. As the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s arms swelled a whole size bigger, he forced open the Earthbearing Dragon Turtle¡¯s mouth, snapped a couple of teeth into pieces, pushed it away, and punched it below the jaw.

    The gigantic dragon turtle was sent flying into the air just like that. When it crashed, the tremors could be felt throughout the entire world.

    ¡°Hahaha... weak! Useless! Not even worth my time!¡±

    The Earthly Sovereign climbed to his feet and shook off the blood on his arms. After he let out a harshugh, he charged toward the World Ender Jiuying and the Undying Nether Phoenix once more. Before the two Strangers could react, he stomped the World Ender Jiuying into the ground and grabbed the Undying Nether Phoenix¡¯s wings with his bare hands. With a mighty pull, he ripped the Stranger into two.

    But of course, the Undying Nether Phoenix was immortal. It quickly rebirthed from mes and shed against the Earthly Sovereign once more.

    The battle, no, the <i>war </i>between the Earthly Sovereign and the Four Evils had no technique to speak of whatsoever. It was a sh of brute force and pure strength through and through: primal, barbaric, and crude. And yet, Ye Qing¡¯s blood boiled with unbridled passion and excitement just watching it.

    The warsted nine days and nights, and in the end, it was the Earthly Sovereign who emerged victorious. It cost him an arm, but he was ultimately able to defeat the Four evils and sealed them at the four farthest corners of the world.

    The scene began changing rapidly after that. One time, he saw the Earthly Sovereign defeating the Heavenly Demon from beyond and protecting the human race from its insidious influence. Another time, he saw the Earthly Sovereign shattering the Nine Nethers and annihting countless demons and monsters in the process. There were also mundane scenes¡ªrtively speaking, of course¡ªwhere the Earthly Sovereign quelled all sorts of natural disasters and returned peace to thends, or oundish ones such as the Earthly Sovereign embracing the nine skies and the celestial bodies and creating new frontiers...

    It was a video biography of the Earthly Sovereign. It was a life of never-ending hardships and trouble, but it was also a life full of passion, fearlessness, struggle, and determination. It was a reflection of the undying spirit of the ancient humans.

    ¡°May humanity always prosper and flourish. May humanity always be blissful and at peace. May the world stand foreverlong...¡±

    At the end of the projection, Ye Qing saw the Earthly Sovereign in his twilight years standing atop a mountain and looking down on the world and people he gave his all to protect. A bell rang, and the dark yellow light holding the projection finally faded into nothing. And so the old but and everstraight back of the Earthly Sovereign was etched permanently into Ye Qing¡¯s memories.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Earthly Sovereign. It cannot be anyone else.¡±

    Ye Qing found it difficult to calm down even though the projection hade to an end. How could he not, when he just experienced the life of the Earthly Sovereign?

    In ancient times, the Sky Sovereign, the Heavenly Sovereign, Human Sovereign and Earthly Sovereign were known together as the Three Sovereigns. Legend had it that they were almighty, immortal beings who were born from the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. In ancient times, the world was dominated by Strangers, and evils and monsters were a dime a dozen. The human race was weak, which was why the Heavenly Sovereign, Earthly Sovereign, and Human Sovereign were born to act as a counterbnce against the Strangers.

    The Heavenly Sovereign ruled the Heavens, the Earthly Sovereign supervised the earth, and the Human Sovereign straightened out the human race. Together, they slew the Strangers, repelled the evil, and killed the demons and monsters. Despite being born in a barbaric world that knew only violence and death, they were able to ordain conscience for heaven and earth, secure life and fortune for the people, establish peace for all future generations, and create a future that belonged to humans and humans alone.

    The Three Sovereigns were undoubtedly the heroes of humanity; the sages of the world. Out of all the gods and deities out there, none were as revered as them. Today, Ye Qing was, for whatever reason, given the honor to witness the life of the heroic spirit known as the Earthly Sovereign with his own eyes; experience the journey of the man who strived unyieldingly to create a prosperous era for mankind that wouldst for thousands and thousands of years. How could he not be excited? How could he not be moved?

    At the same time, a realization was slowly but surely growing inside his heart as well. If the man in the dark yellow light was the Earthly Sovereign, then what on earth was this item that was giving off the light and projecting his life experience?

    To be honest, Ye Qing already knew the answer. He just could not bring himself to believe it.

    Finally, the rust and dirt covering the object in front of him came offpletely. It was... a bell. A dark yellow bell with the sun, moon and stars; the earth, water, fire and wind adorning its exterior, and mountains, rivers, and myriad races adorning its interior. It looked both ancient and profound.

    ¡°It really is... the Earthly Sovereign Bell?!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief. The bell before his eyes looked exactly the same as the one he saw in the projection. It just wasn¡¯t as colorful, bright, and powerful for some reason. Perhaps it had grown weaker with the passage of time.

    One thing was certain, it really was the artifact of the legends, the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    ¡°Gulp...¡±

    Ye Qing swallowed as he fought to steady himself. He was so shocked that he actually nked out from time to time.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. It was the Earthly Sovereign Bell, the artifact that forged his Dao. It was said that the Earthly Sovereign Bell was a font of endless mysticism and miracles. It could supposedly stop time, restrict space, and quell the earth, water, fire and wind. It could supposedly reflect any physical attack and ignore all Magia and spells. It was an all-rounder artifact so powerful that just wearing it on one¡¯s head was enough to make them invincible.

    In ancient times, the Earthly Sovereign Bell was at least half the reason the Earthly Sovereign was never defeated and able to suppress countless Strangers and evils. Such was its power that they praised it to be the, ¡°Five-colored light that illuminates the heavens, the sacred might of Primal Chaos that shakes the universe.¡±

    1. Famous quote by Zhang Zai. ?

 Chapter 834: Earthly Sovereign Scripture

    <h4>Chapter 834: Earthly Sovereign Scripture </h4>

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Earthly Sovereign Bell, the Heavenly Sovereign¡¯s Clear Sky Mirror, and the Human Sovereign¡¯s Human Sovereign Sword were known as the Three Sacred Artifacts of Before. They were the greatest artifacts of the way of the ancient humans.

    After the Three Sovereigns passed away, the Clear Sky Mirror was controlled by the Clear Sky n, a n descended from the Heavenly Sovereign. It was hidden in the Sky Beyond Sky and used to manage the mysteries of the Heavenly Way. The Human Sovereign Sword was controlled by the Xuanyuan n, a n descended from the Human Sovereign. It was hidden in the Mountain beyond Mountain and used to protect humanity¡¯s destiny.

    The Earthly Sovereign Bell was the only sacred artifact that went missing after the Earthly Sovereign perished. Some people imed that it was buried together with the Earthly Sovereign inside the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin. Some people said that it was possessed in secret by the descendants of the Earthly Sovereign, the Earthly Sovereign Hall. Some people also insisted that the Earthly Sovereign Bellmitted suicide and returned to Profound Yellow in honor of its master¡¯s death.

    The rumors were countless, but one thing for certain, no one knew the exact truth of the matter.

    If the object in front of him really was the Earthly Sovereign Bell, then... Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what to think.

    ¡°Nah, it has to be a fake.¡±

    A short whileter, Ye Qing snorted and shook his head at himself. It had to be a fake. There was no way the Earthly Sovereign Bell would fall to such a ce and be covered in rust, mud, and dust. It just couldn¡¯t.

    After taking a moment to recollect himself, Ye Qing reached out to touch the bell once more. As soon as his fingers made contact with the bell, dark yellow light rippled out of it, and five-colored light painted his face for a moment. Then, it vanished all of a sudden.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. What happened? Why did it disappear out of nowhere?

    The next moment, his eyes widened, and his jaw ckened with surprise. It was because the bell had reappeared inside his headspace. It was currently suspended above his Heavenly Demon Yin God.

    <i>THANG...</i>

    The bell shook, and a melodious chime resounded throughout his headspace. His inner world became discolored and shook as if it was beset by an earthquake, and the engravings on the bell brightened almost as if they were about toe to life. At the same time, a five-colored light illuminated the heavens, and the sacred might of Primal Chaos shook the universe.

    ¡°... Is it really the Earthly Sovereign Bell?¡± Ye Qing could not help but question himself despite having concluded that it was a fake just a moment ago.

    The next moment, the sun, moon and stars; the earth, water, fire and wind; the mountains and rivers; and the myriad races engraved on the bell transformed into mysterious seal scriptsposed of draconic or phoenix lines andbined into a scripture.

    When the scripture appeared, the heavens cheered in celebration, and all of creation resonated with the bell chime. The boundless bell chime would ripple out of his headspace and spread across the entire world.

    ......

    Far, far away, there existed a sky where the sun, the moon, and even the stars were missing from its canvas. The one thing that stood in this nk sky was a grand, magnificent-looking pce, lonely and eternal.

    Suddenly, the nk sky cast down infinite rays of light like a mirror. It illuminated anything and everything.

    ¡°Hmm? Why is the Clear Sky Mirror manifesting on its own? Could it be... has the Earthly Sovereign Bell reappeared?¡±

    A face appeared above the pce. It said, ¡°If the Earthly Sovereign Bell truly has returned, then humanity shall soon fall into chaos. It would seem that it is finally time for the Clear Sky n to return.¡±

    The next moment, a voice most profound resounded throughout the world, ¡°This is a mandate. Dispatch our men to the human world and find the Earthly Sovereign Bell immediately.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord!¡±

    Dignified voices resounded not just within the pce, but also throughout the nk sky.

    ......

    Far, far away, there was a lone mountain hidden within an infinite expanse of clouds. At the foot of the mountain was a small vige.

    The vige buildings were well-maintained, smoke was rising from kitchen windows, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard from time to time. It was like a hidden slice of paradise-on-earth.

    Suddenly, the mountain shook a little before transforming into a giant sword that spanned all the way to the heavens. Its vast light shot through the heavens and into the space beyond, and illusions of a peaceful realm filled with warriors, farmers, workers, merchants and more flickered into existence, albeit faintly. It was a manifestation of the power of the Human Way.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening to the Human Sovereign Sword?¡±

    Countless men and women stepped out of their houses and looked up at the giant sword, murmuring among themselves. Among them was an old man with white hair and white beard wearing rags, and he murmured to himself, ¡°If the Human Sovereign Sword chose to show itself, it probably means that the Earthly Sovereign Bell has resurfaced.¡±

    ¡°What should we do if the Earthly Sovereign Bell really has resurfaced?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°The Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s reappearance heralds the emergence of chaos. The Xuanyuan n cannot sit by and do nothing.¡±

    The old man thought for a moment before dering, ¡°Let¡¯s go. To the human world we go.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, chief!¡±

    The vigers saluted him and took off to make the preparations.

    ......

    Far, far away, in a space where only an infinite expanse of Primal Chaos and Profound Yellowy, a dark yellow pce hovered gingerly like a hawk in the sky.

    Suddenly, the world shook, and a bell chime resounded throughout the space, grand and magnificent. Such was its sound that some of the Profound Yellow were shattered into pieces.

    ¡°That¡¯s the sound of the Earthly Sovereign Bell! The Earthly Sovereign Bell has resurfaced!¡±

    An urgent voice came from within the dark yellow pce, loud as a thunderp. ¡°The Earthly Sovereign Bell is our n¡¯s sacred artifact. We must retrieve it no matter what.¡±

    ¡°If anyone dares to stand in your way, kill them!¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord!¡±

    Countless voices answered the order in perfect unison. Such was their voices that the entire space of Primal Chaos and Profound Yellow were shaking.

    ......

    ¡°Roar...¡±

    Far, far away, inside a world where everything was chaotic, yin and yang were reversed, and the Five Phases were inplete disorder, nine dragons were flying through the sky while pulling a coffin behind them.

    Suddenly, the dragons came to a stop and roared at the top of their lungs. Such was their roar that it felt like it wouldst forever and ever.

    Behind them, the crisp, rhythmic sound of woodblocks rang, and a pir of dark yellow light shot into the sky, bright and all-epassing.

    A few breathster, after a rattling of chains, the nine dragons pulled the coffin and disappeared into the chaotic horizon.

    ......

    ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture...¡±

    Ye Qing had no idea what kind ofmotion the Earthly Sovereign Bell had stirred up. He waspletely absorbed in the mysterious scripture that suddenly appeared inside his headspace.

    The scripture¡¯s name was ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, and it was a body-tempering martial art that focused on honing the body with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi as the base. At the adept level, the practitioner could forge the Earthly Sovereign True Body. They would attain great virtue, gain the favor of the world, be immune to all evils and tribtions, and attain a physical body rivaling a Sage¡¯s. So long as their feet were nted on the ground, they would gain supernatural strength and be immortal.

    The Heavenly Sovereign walked the path of the Heavenly Way and nature, the Human Sovereign walked the path of the Human Way and beneficence, and the Earthly Sovereign walked the way of sagehood via the physical body.

    The ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s main cultivation art. It should not need to be said, but it was a martial art that could transform a practitioner into a Sage and God-On-Earth.

    Ye Qing had witnessed with his own eyes how strong the Earthly Sovereign was from the projection. He had transformed into a three-hundred-meter tall giant with infinite strength and stamina. He had singlehandedly annihted the heretics, in the Strangers, and even suppressed the Four Evils. He had been invincible, and he was the man who did the impossible and established a longstanding glory thatsted tens of thousands of years.

    If he practiced the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, he could be like the Earthly Sovereign and forge an Earthly Sovereign True Body as well. He could break through his natural limits and be a Sage via his physical body.

    Ye Qing could hardly control his excitement when he thought about this.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    It was at this moment the scripture suddenly shone brightly. Then, an old man stepped out of the light.

    ¡°S-Senior Earthly Sovereign! It¡¯s an honor to meet you!¡±

    Ye Qing hurriedly bowed to the old man and saluted him, reverent and uncertain. The old man was none other than the Earthly Sovereign.

    ¡°Please rise, my young friend. I am not the Earthly Sovereign. I am just a wisp of his spiritual intent,¡± the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent said kindly.

    ¡°Senior...¡± Ye Qing opened his mouth to say something but found himself speechless. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, and yet he had no idea when to begin.

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware that you have a lot of questions. Feel free to ask all of them. Should I know the answer, then I shall share it with you without reservation,¡± the Earthly Sovereign added.

    ¡°Thank you, senior...¡± Ye Qing saluted him again before starting, ¡°If I may dare ask, senior, is this... the Earthly Sovereign Bell?¡±

    ¡°The one and only.¡± The Earthly Sovereign nodded.

    ¡°I can hardly believe it! But... Why was itnguishing in the treasury, Senior Earthly Sovereign?¡± Ye Qing asked in puzzlement.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. You are aware of the story of the Four Evils¡¯ suppression, right?¡±

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent began, ¡°Born in Primal Chaos, the Four Evils are powerful and immortal. They can be sealed, but they can never be killed.¡±

    ¡°Back then, the Earthly Sovereign managed to seal the Four Evils after defeating them, but it was only a temporary measure. In order to prevent them from escaping and threatening the world once more, he split the origin energy of the Earthly Sovereign Bell in four to suppress the Four Evils indefinitely. As for the Earthly Sovereign Bell itself, it was left behind at the peak of Mount Kunwu of Zhongshan.¡±

    ¡°However, time passes, and the world changes. A few wars were all it took for the Earthly Sovereign Bell to stray from its original location and go through many hands. No one ever found out that the dirty, mundane-looking bell was really the Earthly Sovereign Bell.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing asked another question, ¡°Why was I able to trigger a reaction from it when so many others had failed?¡±

    To be honest, he already knew the answer. He just wasn¡¯tpletely sure.

 Chapter 835: Fortune and Misfortune Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

    <h4>Chapter 835: Fortune and Misfortune Are Two Sides of the Same Coin </h4>

    ¡°Because you are favored by the world, and because you carry the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in you. That is why the Earthly Sovereign Bell acknowledged you,¡± answered the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent.

    <i>I thought that might be the case,</i> Ye Qing thought to himself. The Earthly Sovereign Bell and the Earthly Sovereign were born with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in them, and he too bore the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in him. Of course the Earthly Sovereign Bell was going to react to its ¡°kin¡±.

    ¡°It is notpletely because of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi though,¡± the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent added as if he could read Ye Qing¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ye Qing looked up in surprise and puzzlement.

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent exined smilingly, ¡°The Earthly Sovereign Bell only reappears during a time of great change, and you, a bearer of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, just happen to appear before the Earthly Sovereign Bell at this time. It is clear that fate has conspired to bring the two of you together. That is the true reason the Earthly Sovereign Bell acknowledged you and taught you the ¡®Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Rather than the Earthly Sovereign Bell choosing you, it is more urate to say that you have chosen the Earthly Sovereign Bell.¡±

    ¡°A time of great change?¡± Ye Qing urately captured the most important point in the spiritual intent¡¯s answer. ¡°What time of great change, pray tell?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know that the mysteries of the heavens must not be revealed? You will know when it is time for you to know.¡±

    Unfortunately, the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent declined to answer. ¡°Right now, your focus should be on practicing the ¡®Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡¯ and taking true control of the Earthly Sovereign Bell.¡±

    Ye Qing did not press for an answer. He simply saluted the spiritual intent and dered, ¡°I will not disappoint you, senior.¡±

    ¡°Good. Now, there is one more thing I wish to inform you about,¡± the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent said.

    ¡°Please, enlighten me,¡± Ye Qing replied humbly.

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent began, ¡°As you already know, before you can takeplete control of the Earthly Sovereign Bell and be its master, you must first return it to its former glory. To do that, you must practice the ¡®Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡¯ to the adept level and be a Sage through your physical body. Besides that, there are two objectives you need to achieve.¡±

    ¡°What are these two objectives?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°First, you must reim the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s lost origin energy. Back then, it was split into four to suppress the Four Evils. Obviously, it could never regain its former glory without reiming its origin energy,¡± the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent dered.

    ¡°What? Reiming the origin power that is currently suppressing the Four Evils?¡±

    Ye Qing lifted a confused eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re not trying to test me or y a trick on me, are you senior?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Why do you say that?¡± The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent asked.

    Ye Qing took a moment to choose his words before starting, ¡°I shan¡¯t mention how dangerous the ce where the Four Evils are suppressed must be, or if this humble junior is up to the gargantuan task of retrieving the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s divided origin energy. Assuming if I seed, what will be of the Four Evils?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the Four Evils are born from Primal Chaos and thus immortal, and that the only way to deal with them is to seal them for eternity? If I retrieve the origin energy of the Earthly Sovereign Bell, surely the Four Evils will return to the world and wreak untold destruction?¡±

    ¡°There is great justice in your heart, my young friend. The Earthly Sovereign Bell chose well after all.¡±

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent smiled while stroking his beard. ¡°The reason is very simple. The Four Evils were certainly unkible before, but that was then, and this is now.¡±

    ¡°It is true the Four Evils possess infinite strength because they were creations of Primal Chaos. Even the Earthly Sovereign at his peak was unable to destroy them utterly, only seal them. However, nothing in this world is truly immortal, and after tens of thousands of years of imprisonment, the Four Evils are weaker than they had ever been. If you practice the ¡®Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡¯ to the adept level and use the Earthly Sovereign Bell appropriately, I am certain that you will be able to end the Four Evils once and for all.¡±

    ¡°However...¡±

    ¡°That makes sense!¡±

    Ye Qing instinctively nodded after listening to the spiritual intent¡¯s exnation, but he didn¡¯t even have the time to sigh in relief before the Earthly Sovereign strung up his heart with the infamous yet ssic, ¡°However.¡±

    There was <i>never </i>a time where someone said, ¡°However,¡± and gave good news.

    The Earthly Sovereign continued, ¡°It is best that you move quickly to annihte the Four Evils because the origin energy used to form the seals will run out of power soon. If they manage to break free before you get to them, then they will rapidly grow in power. When that happens, you will lose your chance to eliminate them once and for all even if you manage to master the Earthly Sovereign Bellpletely and restore it to its former glory.¡±

    <i>I knew it! If something is too good to be true, it¡¯s because it is! Here¡¯s a super strong martial art, now go kill these Four Evils that even I couldn¡¯t kill back in my prime! What a scam! </i>Ye Qing ranted mentally. <i>On a rted note, is that so-called ¡°time of great change¡± referring to the potential resurrection of the Four Evils? No, it probably isn¡¯t. If it is, he would¡¯ve just said it from the get go.</i>

    ¡°Can I... refuse?¡± Ye Qing tried.

    ¡°Of course you can.¡± The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent chuckled. ¡°But would you?¡±

    ¡°... I guess not.¡± Ye Qing shook his head ruefully. There were two reasons he could not turn down the quest. The first one was the threat the Four Evils posed, and the second was the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± and the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    First, the threat of the Four Evils. Although the human race was now the lord and master of this world and far, far stronger than they were in the past, and chances were not even the Four Evils at their full strength could push humanity to the brink of extinction anymore, their resurrection would certainly result in countless deaths and unimaginable destruction.

    It was one thing if he didn¡¯t know or did not possess the power to do anything about it, but that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. He knew they were going to break out of their seals soon, and he was bestowed the power and avenue necessary to resolve this crisis. In that case, he could not possibly sit by and do nothing.

    This wasn¡¯t him trying to be a good guy or whatever. He was a human, so he had a duty to his own race, not to mention that the least he could do was to not shirk away from a responsibility that would impact everyone. It was that simple.

    Second, the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± and the Earthly Sovereign Bell were well worth the risks. The ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was a martial art that could carry him all the way to sagehood. At the adept level, he would be able to transcend mortality and be a Sage via his physical body. How could he possibly say no to such power?

    Some people might think that it was fine sticking with the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±. After all, hadn¡¯t he reached the Grandmaster stage through it? That was true, but he had also reached the end of the road of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±. If he wished to improve further, then he needed to find a better body-tempering martial art.

    For a Grandmaster, the climb to the top only grew steeper as they climbed. That was why a good body-tempering martial art was more important to a Grandmaster than anything else.

    Unfortunately, there were a lot less body-tempering martial arts than there were mind-tempering martial arts¡ªwhich was the orthodox, moremon method of attaining ascension¡ªand there were even lesser body-tempering martial arts that propelled a Grandmaster to sagehood. Even if there were, they were beyond priceless and held firmly within the hands of aristocratic families, powerful ns, and major sects. There was no chance in hell an outsider would ever get the opportunity to make contact with them, much less practice them.

    In fact, Ye Qing was wondering where he could possibly obtain a body-tempering martial art that would carry him to sagehood now that he had reached the adept level of the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±. Sure, with his strength and potential, he could easily join a major sect and receive one such body-tempering martial art, but as this world had beaten into his soul time and again, there was no such thing as free lunch in this world. One must pay first before they could receive, and he knew very well that the cost might be more than what he could stomach.

    But now that he had the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, that wasn¡¯t a concern anymore. The ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± had to be a hundred, no, a thousand times better than most Sage-stage martial arts. More urately, the number of martial arts that could stand toe-to-toe with the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± were few and far between.

    With all that said, why would he choose the dirt when the moon was right within his grasp, even if it came with a heavy responsibility?

    And that was before mentioning the Earthly Sovereign Bell, the sacred artifact that forged the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Dao. It was one of the Three Sacred Artifacts of humanity together with the Clear Sky Mirror and the Human Sovereign Sword. To say that it possessed unimaginable power would be an understatement. If he could truly obtain it, was there anywhere in the world he could go; anything he couldn¡¯t do with the Earthly Sovereign Bell by his side?

    This was why he could not refuse the spiritual intent¡¯s request. Realistically, refusal was never an option to begin with.

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent said with a smile, ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t refuse, young friend.¡±

    Ye Qing pouted. Was it just him, or did he sense a hint of triumphant guile in the spiritual intent¡¯s smile? ¡°How much time do I have, senior?¡±

    ¡°Thirty years,¡± the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent said, ¡°Thirty years or soter, the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s power would run out, and the Four Evils would break free.¡±

    ¡°Phew...¡± Ye Qing let out a small sigh of relief. Thank goodness it wasn¡¯t three to five years. If it was, he was just going to hang up his saber and await the destruction of humanity or something.

    He was confident in his speed of growth, but he wasn¡¯t so arrogant as to think that he could practice the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± to the adept level in just three to five years.

    Thirty years though? That was doable. At least, he thought so.

 Chapter 836: Splitting The Loot

    <h4>Chapter 836: Splitting The Loot </h4>

    The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent added, ¡°I think you have thirty years, but it is ultimately an estimate. The longer you dy, the higher the chances the Four Evils would break free, and the stronger they would be. Therefore, the sooner you can eliminate them, the better.¡±

    ¡°I understand and will remember this.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted the spiritual intent before asking, ¡°So, what is your second request?¡±

    ¡°My second request is for you to travel to Earthly Sovereign¡¯s Coffin and offer your prayer to the Earthly Sovereign,¡± the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent replied.

    ¡°Naturally. I would have done so eventually even if you haven¡¯t said anything, senior,¡± Ye Qing replied respectfully.

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± The Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent nodded. ¡°In that case, I pray that you will attain your Dao and y the Four Evils as soon as possible, young friend. May you safeguard the peace and prosperity of humanity.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted him. ¡°As the inheritor of the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s will, I promise that I will do my best. I will not let you down or disappoint the Earthly Sovereign.¡±

    ¡°Very good. This is it then. I bid you farewell, young friend.¡±

    Having said that, the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s spiritual intent disappeared. At the same time, the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± transformed into a ball of light and vanished into Ye Qing¡¯s mind.

    The Earthly Sovereign Bell remained suspended on Ye Qing¡¯s Yin God, however. It was wobbling a little and emitting tiny ripples of dark yellow light.

    ......

    ¡°Joyless!¡±

    ¡°Warrior Ye!¡±

    Ye Qing did not know how it happened, but he was in a daze until he heard someone calling out his name repeatedly. When he came to, he realized that Feng Qingyou, Wen Anran, and Leng Tianjue¡¯s group were standing beside him with nervous expressions.

    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Ye Qing gave his head a strong shake. He did not say anything about the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± or the Earthly Sovereign Bell despite remembering every detail. Some things should be kept a secret even from your closest allies. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Wen Anran pointed at their surroundings. Everything within tens of meters of him had disintegrated into powder so fine it was as if the objects had been grinded inside a mill a hundred times. ¡°What on earth happened here?¡±

    Earlier, she and Feng Qingyou had sought out Leng Tianjue and his group to confirm their safety. They were justing up with a n to rescue the Goddess City citizens who got caught up in the mess when suddenly, they felt an unbelievably powerful shockwaveing from the inner city. They immediately rushed over to check out what happened.

    However, the shockwave disappeared as quickly as it came. By the time they reached the origin of the outburst, all they saw was Ye Qing standing amidst a sea of powder with his hand extended and his eyes devoid of focus. It looked like someone had whisked away his soul and left only the shell behind, eerie and disturbing.

    ¡°R-right. You see...¡±

    ncing left and right, Ye Qing kickstarted his bullshit engine and began lying through his teeth, ¡°I was er, I was searching for Goddess City¡¯s treasures, right? This was where they stored everything, the Dragon Radiance Pavilion. I thought it would be easy peasy, but I underestimated the lengths Duanmu Longhua would go to protect her treasure. I was looting the ce when I identally triggered some sort of restriction that annihted absolutely everything within the building, that petty bitch.¡±

    The truth was that the Earthly Sovereign Bell had dunnit, but of course he couldn¡¯t say that. <i>Sorry not sorry, Duanmu Longhua.</i>

    Of course, he was well aware that his lie had more holes in it than a swiss cheese. But so what? It wasn¡¯t like Duanmu Longhua coulde back to life and clear her name. So long as there was no witness or evidence, then his crime would never be exposed!

    ¡°I see. At least you¡¯re safe.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded smilingly. She knew that Ye Qing was hiding something, of course. One nce was all she needed to see to know that some sort of unimaginable power had disintegrated into the surroundings into dust. If what Ye Qing said was true, and the disintegration really was caused by a restriction Duanmu Longhua had set up, there was no way that Ye Qing, the victim standing in the middle of the explosion, would be perfectly fine. Something else must have happened.

    However, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t willing to speak about it, so she didn¡¯t press him. She even helped him by diverting everyone else¡¯s attention, ¡°Does this mean you got nothing at all, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Thankfully, no. I did loot some stuff before I identally triggered the restriction.¡± Ye Qing shot Feng Qingyou a grateful look before beckoning everyone toe closer. ¡°Come,e! Check out my wares! Don¡¯t hesitate to take whatever you like!¡±

    Ye Qing waved his hand, and a gigantic pile of items appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes.

    Wen Anran was a member of the True Martial Sect, and the stuff she got from her seniors were probably leagues better than whatever Goddess City had. Naturally, she did not react much.

    The same could not be said for Leng Tianjue, Cang Qingmei, Fei Fei and more though. Although they were true disciples of their sect and so enjoyed a fair bit of luxury as well, their background could notpare to Wen Anran¡¯s at all. Naturally, they went goggle-eyed as soon as they saw the treasure hoard.

    <i>Young¡¯uns these days. </i>Ye Qing mentally smirked to himself. <i>They would probably faint if they knew exactly how much treasure I managed to loot before the Earthly Sovereign Bell destroyed it all.</i>

    Right after that, he clutched his heart in pain recalling <i>all the treasures the Earthly Sovereign Bell destroyed </i>before he could loot them. <i>This sinful, wasteful bell! Surely it could¡¯ve expressed its joy without destroying everything around it!</i>

    ¡°We can¡¯t ept this, warrior Ye.¡± A momentter, Cang Qingmei withdrew her gaze from the treasure hoard and spoke in a calm voice. ¡°We haven¡¯t done anything to help in any way. We don¡¯t deserve to partake in your loot.¡±

    ¡°Qingmei is right,¡± Leng Tianjue agreed.

    Gu Mingfei, Tan Tao and Fei Fei were too underripe to possess Cang Qingmei and Leng Tuanjue¡¯s mindset, but they weren¡¯t foolish enough to act without their leader¡¯s permission either.

    Ye Qing nodded mentally to himself. Their juniors aside, anyone could tell that Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue were sorely tempted by the treasure hoard. Despite this, they managed to master themselves and reject temptation. That was deserving of praise.

    ¡°No need to be reserved. We¡¯re all friends here, aren¡¯t we? Besides, these are all ill-gotten wealth, so it won¡¯t hurt me one bit to give it away.¡±

    ¡°Still, we did nothing to deserve this, so¡ª¡±

    Leng Tianjue still wanted to turn Ye Qing down, but Feng Qingyou interjected, ¡°Ye Qing is giving these treasures to you willingly, so there is no need for you to turn it down. Besides, haven¡¯t you heard that those who reject the heavens¡¯ gift shall be punished for it[1]? Please, help yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Qingyou is right. Are you <i>jianghu </i>sons and daughters or not? Stop fussing about it and get choosing already,¡± Ye Qing added smilingly.

    Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue exchanged a nce with each other before nodding. ¡°In that case... thank you very much for your kindness, warrior Ye.¡±

    Then, they looked at their overjoyed juniors and added, ¡°Remember. You can only pick one.¡±

    ¡°We understand!¡± The trio replied immediately. They would be lying if they say they weren¡¯t disappointed, but they knew the folly of pushing their luck either.

    Ye Qing did not try to change their minds. It wasn¡¯t that he was unwilling to give up the treasures, but just like Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue, he knew very well too much of anything was a bad thing. If he gave them the treasures wantonly, he would be ruining them, not helping them.

    Cang Qingmei and Leng Tianjue knew that as well. At their current level of strength, receiving one or two treasures per person was their absolute limit. Any more than that, and they might draw the attention of people they couldn¡¯t contend against and potentially die because of their greed.

    ¡°I¡¯m done choosing.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    A momentter, everyone had made their decision. Cang Qingmei selected a Trueman martial art, Leng Tianjue chose a pill that could suppress his heart demon and increase his chances of entering the Trueman stage, Gu Mingfei and Tan Tao chose a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact each, and Fei Fei chose a spirit fruit that could increase her cultivation.

    Ye Qing smiled. They might not have selected the most valuable treasure from the pile, but they had definitely chosen the item that suited them the most at this time.

    After the five warriors were done choosing their treasure, Ye Qing looked at Wen Anran and asked, ¡°Is there anything you want, Miss Wen?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like these two items, please.¡±

    Wen Anran picked a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact hairpin and a bottle of pills. Ye Qing was sure that she didn¡¯t need them, she just didn¡¯t want to spurn his good will.

    ¡°What about you, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing looked at Feng Qingyou next.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take these.¡±

    Feng Qingyou did not choose a martial arts manual or pill. Instead, she picked books rting to medicine, arrays, divination and more and some rare spirit materials and herbs.

    Ye Qing did not try to push Wen Anran or Feng Qingyou to take more loot despite them being the major contributors in the previous battle. After all, unlike Leng Tianjue¡¯s group, both women were filthy rich. Hell, they were probably richer than him. There was no need for him to be courteous with them.

    After the women were done choosing, Ye Qing put the items back into his Nine Heavens.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done here. What are your ns for the future, everyone?¡± Ye Qing asked after splitting the loot.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to head back to our sect first thing in the morning,¡± Leng Tianjue replied.

    Wen Anran answered honestly, ¡°I¡¯m nning to stay here for a bit. Although our efforts sessfully freed the people of Goddess City from their sorrowful fate, it has unfortunately resulted in some casualties as well. I¡¯d like to lend the victims a hand wherever possible.¡±

    ¡°I see. If you don¡¯t mind, we would like to assist you with your efforts!¡± Ye Qing answered before looking at Feng Qingyou. ¡°What do you think, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°It will be my pleasure.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled at him.

    1. Meaning you¡¯re gonna be sorry if you turn away a god given gift for no good reason. ?

 Chapter 837: Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword

    ¡°Hold! Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Weilong Vi!¡±

    ¡°Hold! Hold, or we shall greet you with violence!¡±

    In front of the Weilong Vi, a person covered in ck robes was slowly walking toward the entrance. The Weilong Vi disciples posted at the main gate noticed this and immediately pointed their crossbows at them, yelling for them to stop.

    ¡°Loose!¡±

    However, despite their repeated warnings, the ck-robed person continued to march forward as if they couldn¡¯t hear them. The leader of the group hesitated no longer and waved his arm.

    <em>Swoosh swoosh swoosh!</em>

    Crossbow bolts flew toward the ck-robed person from every direction, and for a moment, it looked like the mysterious trespasser would be turned into a pincushion. Then, everyone¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Not only did the projectiles fail to deal any damage to ck-robed person at all, they passed right through their body almost as if they didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±

    A Weilong Vi disciple was about to speak when his words suddenly died in his throat. His pupils contracted into pins, and his face slowly turned purple as if an invisible hand was choking his throat.It wasn¡¯t just him. Every Weilong Vi disciple in the vicinity was experiencing the same phenomenon.

    The ck-robed person paid the disciples no heed. They walked past them and passed through the main gate.

    The people inside the vi had heard of themotion as they matter of course. When they saw the ck-robed person pushing open their gate and stepping in, they immediately rushed over and attacked them with everything they got.

    Strangely, their attacks failed to find purchase just like the crossbow bolts from earlier. Their weapons and their astral qi passed through the person¡¯s body harmlessly almost as if they were striking air.

    Even stranger, there seemed to be no air within a certain radius of the ck-robed person. It was as if they were a ck hole that devoured all the air in the area, leaving everyone with no air to breathe. That was why the surrounding disciples suddenly choked and turned purple at a rapid rate.

    ¡°Who dares to trespass into Weilong Vi?!¡±

    It was at this moment an angry roar erupted. It was immediately followed by a draconic roar and an actual dragon descending toward the ck-robed person at high speed.

    For the first time, the ck-robed person stopped in their tracks and looked up. The space around them shuddered for an instant before countless cold, sharp sword qi burst out of their body.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    There was a loud explosion as sword qi shed against draconic force. When the dust settled, the ground was riddled with holes at least one or two meters deep, and several decorative hills in the vicinity crumbled into a pile of rubble.

    ¡°What an Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword! You are a disciple of the Swordsgrave?¡± said a man as he dashed out of a building and stood in the way of the ck-robed person.

    The man looked to be in his thirties. He was wearing a purple robe, and his countenance was, for the most part, handsome and strong. Unfortunately, his eyes were cruel and mutinous like that of a wolf, giving him an evil aura.

    The ck-robed person replied in a low, raspy voice that made it impossible to distinguish even their gender, ¡°Your Weilong Divine Palm well deserves its reputation as well, Head Xiang.¡±

    ¡°You know who I am, and you still trespass into my Weilong Vi? How far will you look down on me?¡±

    Head Xiang¡ªXiang Weilong was his full name¡ªcrossed his arms and stared at the ck-robed person with cruel, devilish eyes. He looked like he was one unsatisfactory reason away from annihting the trespasser where he stood.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I havee to negotiate a deal with you!¡± The ck-robed person said coldly.

    ¡°Negotiate a deal?¡± Xiang Weilong sneered audibly. ¡°You showed up unannounced, trespassed into my grounds, and wounded my men, and you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re here to negotiate a deal? Is this how Swordsgrave teaches their disciples, or are you just uncouth?¡±

    ¡°I am me. No one is ountable for my actions but myself,¡± the ck-robed man replied unhurriedly. ¡°Also, I am certain I would not be able to meet you if I did not make such an entrance.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ interesting. It¡¯s been a long time since anyone dared to speak to me this way.¡±

    An evil smile spread across Xiang Weilong¡¯s face. ¡°Did you know? Thest person who trespassed into my Weilong Vi and spoke to me this way was carved up bit by bit by yours truly. So tell me, how would you like to die?¡±

    ¡°Forget that you may not have the strength to kill me, even if you do, don¡¯t you want to know the reason I came here? What kind of deal I¡¯m nning to bring to your table?¡±

    Xiang Weilong¡¯s eyes grew just a little more dangerous. ¡°If I say no, what are you gonna do about it?¡±

    The ck-robed person replied indifferently, ¡°Nothing. I will walk away, and you will miss a heaven-given opportunity. That is all.¡±

    ¡°A heaven-given opportunity, you say? Hahaha¡­ now you¡¯re starting to pique my curiosity.¡±

    Xiang Weilong barked out augh before his tone suddenly turned cold and cruel. ¡°But be warned: I have no patience for liars. If I so much as sniff a hint of lie from you, I swear on my name that I will skin you bit by bit, carve you slice by slice, and break you bone by bone. I will make you wish you were dead.¡±

    Yet again, the ck-robed person responded to Xiang Weilong¡¯s threat with abject indifference, ¡°Sure, but are you sure you want to hold our discussion here?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­e in then.¡± Xiang Weilong barked out anotherugh before turning back toward his house and stepping inside. The ck-robed person followed closely behind him.

    After the duo entered a room, Xiang Weilong took his seat and stared at the ck-robed person. ¡°Care to speak now? Be warned that my patience is very limited.¡±

    ¡°Something big recently happened in the <em>jianghu</em>. Have you heard about it?¡± the ck-robed person asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna have to be more specific,¡± Xiang Weilong grunted impatiently.

    ¡°I am talking about Duanmu Longhua¡¯s death and the destruction of Goddess City,¡± the ck-robed person answered.

    ¡°Ah, that. Sure, I¡¯ve heard about it. What gives?¡± Xiang Weilong askedzily.

    ¡°In that case, do you know who¡¯s the one who killed Duanmu Longhua and destroyed Goddess City?¡± the ck-robed person asked.

    ¡°What does this have to do with your so-called heaven-given opportunity?¡± True to his word, Xiang Weilong was already starting to lose his patience. ¡°For your own sake, I <em>really </em>hope you¡¯re not toying with me.¡±

    ¡°Calm, Head Xiang. Give me the time necessary to sort things out for you.¡± The ck-robed person said indifferently, ¡°From what I heard, there were two main culprits behind the destruction of Goddess City. Specifically, they were a man and a woman.¡±

    ¡°After they took out Duanmu Longhua and eliminated Goddess City, their entire treasury had fallen into their hands. That¡¯s centuries worth of umtion by an entire city. Now, do you think you¡¯re interested?¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re plotting!¡± Xiang Weilong eximed in realization. ¡°nning to rob the robbers, aren¡¯t you? But why seek me out when you can im the prize yourself?¡±

    The ck-robed person answered honestly, ¡°That¡¯s because <em>he </em>is quite powerful. I don¡¯t think I can defeat him by myself.¡±

    ¡°I see! It¡¯s because you¡¯re important!¡± Xiang Weilong joked before turning deathly serious. ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve set your sights on me? I heard that one of the culprits behind the destruction of Goddess City is Wen Anran, the disciple of the True Lord of the World. That old man is famous for acting like a mother hen guarding her chicks, and you want me to rob his disciple? Are you toying with me, or are you plotting my downfall?¡±

    Killing intent burst out of Xiang Weilong like a storm as soon as he finished, filling the room with terrifying, draconic roars.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite well-informed, Head Xiang. However, it seems that you¡¯ve only heard one side of the news.¡±

    The ck-robed person remained perfectly calm, however. The next moment, a sword rang, and both the killing intent and the draconic roars disappeared like it never was. At the same time, the chair Xiang Weilong just departed abruptly disintegrated into a pile of wood powder.

    Xiang Weilong cast the pile of powder a look before asking, ¡°Is that so? And what did I miss, pray tell?¡±

    The ck-robed person answered, ¡°As I told you earlier, there are two main culprits behind the death of Duanmu Longhua and the destruction of Goddess City. One of them is, as you already know, the disciple of the True Lord of the World, Wen Anran. The second person is a man named Joyless Ye.¡±

    ¡°I am in agreement with you that Wen Anran is untouchable, but Joyless Ye? That is a different story.¡±

    ¡°In fact, Joyless Ye was my target from the beginning, not Wen Anran.¡±

    ¡°Who is this Joyless Ye? Why have I not heard of him before?¡± Xiang Weilong frowned.

    The ck-robed person replied, ¡°That¡¯s natural. Joyless Ye is an independent warrior with no sect or n to call to his name. Besides that, he hails from Chu, not Yan. That is why you haven¡¯t heard about him. He is a nobody who recently came to Yan probably to broaden his horizons.¡±

 Chapter 838: Sword Ghoul

    ¡°A nobody? You¡¯re telling me that a nobody killed Duanmu Longhua?¡± Xiang Weilong scoffed.

    ¡°He may be a nobody, but he is hardly powerless.¡± The ck-robed person exined, ¡°Joyless Ye is born from the humblest background, but he is extraordinarily talented and fortunate beyond imagination. Somehow, he was able to perfect Chaos Demon Ape Body and be a Grandmaster via his physical body through his and his power alone.¡±

    ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body? Does he practice the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯?¡± Xiang Weilong asked.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± the ck-robed person confirmed. ¡°However, he has only recently be a Grandmaster.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xiang Weilong grew puzzled. ¡°If he has only recently be a Grandmaster, then how on earth did he kill Duanmu Longhua and even y the three goddesses?¡±

    ¡°For one, Joyless Ye is no ordinary Grandmaster. Although his ascension is recent, he is much stronger than your average Grandmaster. But as you say, there is no way someone at his level could¡¯ve killed Duanmu Longhua, much less in the three goddesses. It was Wen Anran who helmed the operation that eventually resulted in their destruction.¡±

    The ck-robed person exined, ¡°Wen Anran used Joyless Ye as bait to keep Duanmu Longhua and the three goddesses busy. During this time, she used her ¡®True Martial Demon Subjugation Sword Scripture¡¯ to destroy the Goddess Wall Paintings. As the three goddesses¡¯ lives were tied to the Goddess Wall Paintings, its destruction led to their demise as well.¡±

    ¡°As for Duanmu Longhua, she suffered a grievous blow after the three goddesses died because her power was intricately tied to them. That was how Joyless Ye was able to pull off the impossible.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Xiang Weilong nodded. ¡°And what is the connection between Wen Anran and Joyless Ye?¡±¡°They¡¯re probably just strangers who came together by chance,¡± the ck-robed person answered.

    ¡°Is that so? Is Joyless Ye such a righteous man that he would risk his life to save a stranger he barely knew?¡± Xiang Weilong chuckled. ¡°No, it¡¯s probably because his third leg tookmand of his brain.¡±

    The ck-robed person shook his head. ¡°I believe he did it because of greed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Goddess City¡¯s treasury,¡± Xiang Weilong eximed in realization.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± The ck-robed person nodded. ¡°Although the operation was helmed by Wen Anran, she apparently did not take a single dime from their treasury. She had given it all to Joyless Ye.¡±

    ¡°How generous of her. Then again, she <em>is </em>the disciple of the True Lord of the World.¡± To Wen Anran, the items in the treasury were probably just a waste of space.

    Xiang Weilong then said casually, ¡°You seem to know a lot about this incident!¡±

    ¡°This incident was witnessed by countless. It did not take much effort to find out the whole picture,¡± The ck-robed man replied calmly. ¡°In any case, there is no need to worry about Wen Anran, much less risk offending the True Lord of the World. We simply need to kill Joyless Ye to have everything. What do you say?¡±

    ¡°It sounds great,¡± Xiang Weilong rubbed his smooth chin, ¡°but how do I know you¡¯re not lying to me?¡±

    ¡°The incident is hardly a secret. You simply need to ask around to know that everything I told you is the truth,¡± the ck-robed person answered.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Xiang Weilong did not respond to that. ¡°Joyless Ye sounds like a powerful warrior, but he is ultimately just a Grandmaster. With your skill, I am sure you could¡¯ve recruited a handful of warriors and killed him yourself. Whye to me?¡±

    ¡°Because your strength is reassuring, of course. And most importantly, you are a man of your word,¡± The ck-robed person answered honestly. ¡°If I work with you, I don¡¯t have to worry about being stabbed in the back. No one else can provide such assurance.¡±

    Xiang Weilong was anything but a good person. He had kidnapped, killed, piged, raped. Hells, he was a wicked soul who deserved an eternity of torment in the Yellow Spring. But if there was one thing good about Xiang Weilong, it was that he had never broken his word ormitted an act that would put his integrity into question. It was to the point where people nicknamed him the ¡°Malevolent But Trustworthy Dragon¡± in the <em>jianghu.</em>

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I like your honesty.¡± Xiang Weilong was obviously delighted by the ck-robed person¡¯s praise. ¡°I like dealing with honest people. So, when do you n to take action?¡±

    The ck-robed person replied, ¡°Joyless Ye just parted ways with Wen Anran and left Goddess City this morning. In other words, we can carry out the n immediately. In fact, I would advise that we move forward with due haste. The longer we wait, the more likely that new variables will be involved.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. In that case, I shall make the preparations immediately.¡±

    Xiang Weilong got up to his feet and walked toward the exit, but right before he would leave the door, he recalled something and turned around. ¡°I almost forgot. How should I address you?¡±

    The ck-robed person slowly looked up and removed his hood, revealing a tattered, broken face. He answered, ¡°I am Chen. Chen Cang[1].¡±

    Chen Cang¡¯s face was covered in countless scars like a mirror that had been shattered into a million pieces. However, those scars were bleeding not blood, but something that looked like sticky ck qi, eerie and horrifying. However, the qi was also sharp like a sword qi.

    Just looking at the ck qi caused Xiang Weilong¡¯s pupils to hurt, and his goosebumps to crawl all over his skin. He cursed mentally, <em>there really is no one from Swordsgrave who looks even remotely normal.</em>

    Chen Cang then cracked a grin that only made him look uglier and more horrifying than he already was. ¡°But these days, I prefer to be called¡­ Sword Ghoul.¡±

    ¡°Sword Ghoul, huh? The nickname certainly suits you to a T.¡± Xiang Weilong snorted. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    Chen Cang, or rather, Sword Ghoul¡¯s grin did not disappear even after Xiang Weilong was gone. If anything, it was growing wider and crazier by the second. ¡°You have no idea how happy I was to learn that you¡¯re still alive, Ye Qing. No idea.¡±

    ¡°Finally, I¡¯ll be able to im vengeance with my own two hands.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Is this the Marsh of Eternal Rain?¡±

    Ye Qing stared at the rainy, misty marsh ahead of him. It looked as if the world before him was shrouded by ayer of mist and rain. What was strange was that where he stood was warm, sunny, and devoid of rain. The ground was perfectly solid as well. But if he took just one step forward, then he would enter a world where the rain and the marsh were eternal. It would be as if he had crossed into apletely different world.

    The marsnd in front of him was one of the most famous Anomalies in Yan, the Marsh of Eternal Rain. Legend had it that an Ancient-ss Stranger named the Rain Master once summoned a terrible storm that transformed everything within tens of thousands of kilometers into a water-logged marsh, killing countless humans and creatures in the process.

    Unable to tolerate the loss of life, a Sage intervened and attempted to suppress the Rain Master. Unfortunately, the Ancient-ss Stranger proved to be more powerful than he imagined. Although the Sage ultimately managed to suppress the Rain Master, he himself perished from sheer exhaustion. As a result, the area where the Rain Master and the Sage perished spanning fifty kilometers in diameter gradually transformed into an Anomaly.

    Within this Anomaly, the rain fell eternally and independently from the outside world. That was why it was called the Marsh of Eternal Rain.

    The Marsh of Eternal Rain was an Anomaly, so of course it was dangerous. Any living being who entered the Marsh of Eternal Rain would progressively lose their memories and their soul. If they stayed in the Marsh of Eternal Rain for too long, then they would transform into walking dead with no souls, doomed to roam the rainy marsh for eternity. The people of Yan called them the Rain People.

    But why were they called the Rain People instead of just zombies, the living dead, or other generic terms? That was because of a taboo that lived within the Marsh of Eternal Rain. They called it the Lord of Eternal Rain.

    The Lord of Eternal Rain was a Stranger born from the deaths of the Rain Master and the Sage. Although its origin and its existence were most anomalous, the Lord of Eternal Rain usually slumbered deep within the Marsh of Eternal Rain and posed no threat to anyone. However, if anyone killed the soulless dead roaming the marshes, then it would awaken and hunt down their killer.

    It was as if the Marsh of Eternal Rain was a kingdom, the soulless dead that roamed thend were its citizens, and the Lord of Eternal Rain was its king. That was why the soulless dead came to be known as the Rain People.

    It was not difficult to pass through the Marsh of Eternal Rain safely. Travelers simply needed to one, get out of the marsh before they lose their memories and soulpletely, and two, avoid killing the Rain People. That was why the Marsh of Eternal Rain wasn¡¯t a particrly dangerous zone despite being an Anomaly, and why a good number of traveling merchants and wanderers used it as a shortcut all year long.

    It was the same for Ye Qing. The reason he came to the Marsh of Eternal Rain was to use it as a shortcut and get to his next destination faster.

    1. HE HAS RETURNED! ?

 Chapter 839: Watching the Sun and Moon Atop the Rain Listening Tower

    <h4>Chapter 839: Watching the Sun and Moon Atop the Rain Listening Tower </h4>

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had stayed behind at Goddess City for ten days or so to assist Wen Anran in rescuing and treating the innocent citizens who were harmed by the great battle. It was only today that they finally bade her goodbye and left the city.

    Although their journey was dyed by ten whole days, since they started early, it did not impact their n whatsoever. Even now, the only reason they were passing through the Swamp of Eternal Rain was because Ye Qing wished to witness its beauty with his own eyes.

    Yes, the Swamp of Eternal Rain was, contrary to what most people would believe, quite the beautiful ce. Unlike most parts of Yan where only snowy mountains, sheer cliffs, and barren deserts could be found, the Swamp of Eternal Rain sported a light drizzle, bluish green grass, and rippling waters. It possessed an idyllic appeal that was simr to Jiangnan.

    ¡°To experience the beauty of the Marsh of Eternal Rain, we should travel twenty five kilometers straight to the center of thend where a three-hundred-meter tall tower stands. They call it the Rain Listening Tower.¡±

    Feng Qingyou stepped out of the horse carriage and gazed at the rainy marsh in front of them. ¡°Once you¡¯ve reached the top, you¡¯ll be able to view the entire marsh from every angle. If the time and weather are just right, you¡¯ll even be able to enjoy a gorgeous sunset where the sun and moon trade ces with each other amidst the fine drizzle. That is the most beautiful scenery in the Marsh of Eternal Rain.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± Ye Qing replied with shiny, anticipatory eyes. ¡°There are still over four hours before evening. It¡¯s a tight window, but I think we can get there right on time.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let us not dilly-dally any longer.¡±

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou refrained from riding their horse carriage after entering the Marsh of the Eternal Rain. Instead, they held up a pair of oil-paper umbres and walked between the wet grass and fine raindrops.

    The air was clean, and the rain was soothing. It wiped away all the fatigue Ye Qing had umted for the past ten days.

    Besides the wet grass and fine rain, the Rain People were part of the scenery as well. Despite being dead, they looked no different from your ordinary person. In fact, they looked unnaturally vibrant and healthy despite roaming under the rain all year long. They alsocked the eeriness, rot and decay that apanied the dead.

    Appearance wise, there were only two things that differentiated them from a normal person. One, their eyes were nk and ssy. Two, they walked slowly and stiffly as if their joints were rusted. They could be found anywhere and everywhere in the marsnd.

    Although the victims¡¯ souls werepletely eroded by the Anomaly, their physical body and vitality remained unharmed. If anything, they were practically immortal after they turned into Rain People. For example, they did not need to eat or drink to sustain themselves. They could simply absorb the rainwater to maintain their vitality and prevent their physical body from rotting.

    This was also why the Rain People were categorized as living dead.

    But of course, the rainwater was only beneficial to the Rain People. To an outsider, it was no more beneficial than ordinary rain water.

    As usual, an Anomaly yed by no one¡¯s rules but its own.

    There were a lot of Rain People in the Marsh of Eternal Rain, so it was impossible to avoid thempletely. Thankfully, they would not attack unless provoked, so they generally did not pose a threat whatsoever.

    After walking for about two hours or so, Ye Qing finally saw a lone tower at the far end of the horizon. It was so tall that the tip was hidden by the clouds above.

    ¡°Is that the Raining Listening Tower?¡±

    The tower was built from ck stone, and it looked old, roughly-built, and decrepit. It felt strangely noble and divine given that it was the one thing in this marsnd that stretched all the way to the heavens, but at the same time, there was no denying that it looked like the smallest breeze could topple it.

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined while staring at the tall tower as well, ¡°Long, long ago, the Marsh of Eternal Rain used to be a city called the Prayer for Rain. The reason it got its name was because Prayer For Rain was constantly beset by long, unbearable droughts. The Rain Listening Tower was built as an altar to offer sacrifices to the heavens and pray for rain.¡±

    ¡°Ironically, Prayer For Rain was ultimately destroyed by the Rain Master and transformed into an Anomaly that is eternally flooded by rainwater, and the only thing that proved they once existed was the Rain Listening Tower. It is amentable and tragic fate.¡±

    ¡°It really is ironic!¡± Ye Qing sighed as well. ¡°Rather than praying to the gods, they should have found a solution themselves.¡±

    When they got closer to the Rain Listening Tower, Ye Qing realized that the building was even worse than he thought. It was covered in cracks from head to toe, and he seriously feared that it would fall over if he put a little too much strength into his footsteps.

    He asked, ¡°Are you sure we can climb up this thing? It looks like it might fall over if we so much as sneeze in its direction!¡±

    Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Rain Listening Tower is built from ckmoon Stone, a hard and sturdy type of rock. Otherwise, it would have copsed a long, long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡±

    Despite what he said, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t really that worried. Even if the building did copse mid-climb, the fall would not harm even a hair on his or Feng Qingyou¡¯s person. And so they began climbing up its stairs.

    The peak of the Rain Listening Tower was a t tform with no roof. Not only did it provide an unobstructed view from every angle, it was tall enough that a traveler could view the entire marsnd. Looking at the falling rain, the rolling mist and clouds, and the blurred line that separated heaven and earth, one almost felt like they were a god or Buddha admiring the mortal realm from the heavens.

    They were lucky. Beyond the curtain of rain at the farthest end of the sky, a sun slowly descended toward the mountain while its orange light slowly spread across the clouds. At the same time, a crescent slowly rose up from the horizon and into the sky, crystalline and pure.

    The blend between sun and moon, warm orange and crystalline silver were beyond fantastical. It was a sight to be remembered for eternity.

    As he watched, Ye Qing praised from the bottom of his heart, ¡°The sun and moon appearing in the same sky, the rain and light embracing each other, and the heavens and the earthbining into one. It truly is a one-of-a-kind scenery.¡±

    He waited, but received no response from Feng Qingyou. Surprised, he turned around and saw Feng Qingyou standing in the soft drizzle with an even expression. Her eyes were so old, so distant, that her gaze seemed to pierce through the hail of time and the everchanging kaleidoscope of life and see something... beyond.

    Not only that, Ye Qing felt like Feng Qingyou was standing at the far end of the horizon even though she was clearly right in front of him. He felt as if she was flying among the sun and moon, cloud and rain.

    Right here and now, the world felt like the human, and the human felt like the sun and moon.

    ¡°Is she... experiencing Enlightenment?¡± Ye Qing eximed with both surprise and envy in his voice.

    A journeyer on the Martial Way walked with their eyes set on the world around them, dreamed of embracing the sun and moon, and was washed clean by the red dust they waded across. The higher their cultivation level, the more they needed to search for insight from the world around them, understand the myriadws of nature, and seek out the mysteries and order of the Heavenly Way.

    ¡°The heavens¡¯ heart is my heart, the world fills my chest.¡± That was how it should be.

    This was also why some warriors would set off on a journey after reaching a certain cultivation level. They willingly threw themselves into the storm of life and swam across the sea of red dust all in search for that glimmer of opportunity; to catch a glimpse of the truth of the Heavenly Way.

    Clearly, Feng Qingyou was experiencing such a moment right now. By chance, her heart had be one with the world around her, and thus she was Enlightened.

    Obviously, Enlightenment was neither amon urrence nor something any warrior could experience. It was strongly rted to one¡¯s fortune, destiny, and personal umtion.

    Part of the reason Feng Qingyou suddenly experienced Enlightenment was definitely because she was lucky enough to be in the right ce and the right time, but it was also because her martial cultivation was deep and strong. Otherwise, she would not be able toprehend anything even if the opportunity were to fall into herp.

    As time passed, the rain and clouds began gathering around the Rain Listening Tower as if drawn by some sort of invisible power. The embrace waspletely soundless and smooth, and yet it was undeniably powerful and magnificent-looking as well.

    A sun and a moon appeared in Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes, their light seemingly mingling with the ones in the sky. Ye Qing could also sense invisible energies mingling, shing, and scattering in the air. It was happening throughout the marsnd.

    The next moment, the origin qi and spiritual energy from all across the area flowed into Feng Qingyou¡¯s body like hundreds of streams.

    The amount of origin qi Feng Qingyou was absorbing was such that even Ye Qing felt pressured by it, but it was as if Feng Qingyou¡¯s body was a ck hole. No matter how much qi she absorbed, she could never be satisfied.

    As time passed, her presence slowly grew deeper, bigger, and difficult toprehend. At the same time, a vast reservoir of spiritual power spread throughout the Anomaly like a sea of smoke and dyed everything in all sorts of colors, gorgeous and dreamlike.

 Chapter 840: Nefarious Codger, Soul Ender

    ¡°To think that Joyless Ye was apanied by a Trueman, and one possessing such an immense amount of spiritual power as well. She cannot be ordinary.¡±

    Next to ake deep within the Marsh of Eternal Rain, Xiang Weilong perceived the distant but undeniably vast presence and spiritual ripples with a frown on his face, saying, ¡°You did not inform me about this, Sword Ghoul.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know myself. It is my mistake.¡± Sword Ghoul said indifferently, ¡°But fortune and misfortune are two sides of the same coin. This might not necessarily be a bad thing.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± Xiang Weilongughed out loud from how incredulous he was. ¡°How is this a good thing?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Sword Ghost replied calmly.

    Before his words could disappear into the drizzle, a pair of silhouettes suddenly appeared in the distance. They were slowly but surely walking toward them.

    The duo were a man and a woman. The man was an old man in his sixties with disheveled white hair and beard. His clothes, his beard, and his hair were covered in filth and oil stains. He looked dirty and disgusting.

    The woman was in her twenties and had a beautiful face and soft fair skin. That was where the genericism ended. She possessed an unusually masculine body that did not fit her beautiful face at all.

    The woman was over 2 meters tall and ridiculously muscr. Her arms were thick and strong, and her body was massive and sinewy. Bigger and taller than many male warriors, she resembled a bear more than a human, much less a gentlewoman. The contrast between her face and her body was stark to put it mildly.As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the woman was carrying a massive bow that was a full head taller than her. It was impossible not to notice her.

    The old man was currently sitting on her left shoulder and smoking his pipe cheerfully. What was strange was that the smoke contained countless weeping or screaming souls. It was a chilling sight.

    ¡°Tyrant Bow, Nefarious Codger?¡± Xiang Weilong lifted his eyebrows.

    The old man exhaled a puff of smoke before answering, ¡°We are. A pleasure to meet you, Head Xiang.¡±

    ¡°You invited them, Sword Ghoul?¡± Xiang Weilong asked with clear displeasure.

    ¡°Forgive me, Head Xiang. I simply wish to ensure that our mission is aplete sess,¡± Sword Ghoul replied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your share of the pie will not decrease one bit. I¡¯ll be paying them from my own pockets.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± Xiang Weilong grunted but did not say anything else.

    Sword Ghoul gave Nefarious Codger a nod. ¡°Thank you foring.¡±

    ¡°No need. You paid me for my service.¡±

    Nefarious Codger stared at the magnificent phenomenon happening at the distance with greed and fervor in his eyes. While licking his lips, he said, ¡°What an immense spirit, what a pure soul. It is the perfect material to create a shag. I can hardly wait.¡±

    As he spoke, Nefarious Codger produced a pinch of shag from the smoke bag hanging underneath his smoking pipe. Strangely, the shag was twisting and screaming like it was alive. It was eerie to say the least.

    Nefarious Codger paid it no attention, however. He pushed it into the bowl of his pipe and, like a drop of water added into a pot of boiling oil, the fire within the pipe instantly brightened and produced a ton of smoke. It resembled both the starlight in the night sky and cruel mes dancing in the depths of hell, strange and eerie.

    Nefarious Codger would continue to refill his pipe until it waspletely full. It was only then he gave himself a satisfied nod and moved the button to his mouth. Then, he took a deep, long puff.

    ¡°Ahhhhhh¡­¡±

    Suddenly, countless tightly packed faces appeared within the pipe. There were male, female; old people, young children. Regardless of their age or gender, every single face was contorted in pain, rancor, and hatred. Every one of them was screaming in such a horrifying way that even Sword Ghoul and Xiang Weilong could not help but feel their hair standing on end, and their souls shivering in fear.

    Nefarious Codger had no such problems. On the contrary, he looked like he was having the time of his life.

    When he inhaled, the dark, murky me within the pipe rose up and burned the screaming souls into ash. They transformed into smoke that was inhaled straight into Nefarious Codger¡¯s lungs.

    The old man¡¯s expression grew even more intoxicated and delightful.

    A momentter, Nefarious Codger finally opened his eyes. Strangely, they were ck as ink.

    Nefarious Codger opened his mouth and exhaled, and a puff of thin, white smoke slowly rose into the sky. It looked no different from any other smoke, but both Sword Ghoul and Xiang Weilong jumped tens of meters away from him in an instant. Both of them staring at Nefarious Codger warily like he was a bomb.

    It wasn¡¯t apletely inurate description. They both sensed a grave danger from the seemingly harmless puff of smoke. They were almost certain that inhaling that smoke would damage their souls and extinguish their minds.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared. You are grandpa¡¯s employers, and grandpa won¡¯t hurt his employers.¡±

    It was at this moment the woman¡ªa.k.a Tyrant Bow¡ªspoke up.

    The woman¡¯s voice was smooth, melodious, and a wonderful fit with her beautiful face. It was too bad that her body¡ªone that was even thicker than the two of thembinedpletely ruined the image.

    It also made the two men even more wary than they already were.

    Meanwhile, Nefarious Codger was still smoking his pipe as if it was neverending. The smoke expelled from his mouth eventually merged with the wind and rain above his head, invisible and undetectable.

    A momentter, Nefarious Codger finally stopped smoking. Physically, he looked a little pale and an entire decade older, but mentally, he looked quite energetic and delighted.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°The shag I used just now is something I invented called the Soul Ender.¡±

    Nefarious Codger did not try to hide what he was doing. In fact, he was eager to boast about everything.

    ¡°I know it doesn¡¯t look all that impressive, but trust me, it is anything but.¡±

    ¡°The Soul Ender is made from the souls of 999 good-natured souls. Did you know the resentment and hatred produced by a good-natured soul is a hundred times, even a thousand times greater than that of an ordinary person when pushed to the brink? That was why I purposely sought out 999 good-natured souls and put them through the worst torture imaginable. Once their resentment, anger, hatred, despair and other negative emotions had reached its peak, I harvested their souls and refined them into shags.¡±

    ¡°Not only is the shag delicious beyond imagination, the smoke it produces is filled with the victims¡¯ final resentment, madness, hatred, anger, despair and more. If even a tiny wisp of it infects a person¡¯s soul and spirit, then they would suffer a considerable amount of soul damage and mental pollution. In the best case scenario, the victim would suffer unimaginable pain and eventually go insane. In the worst case scenario, their mind would perish, and their soul would vanish, leaving behind only a soulless husk.¡±

    ¡°This is why I named it the Soul Ender. So? What do you think? It¡¯s a fitting name, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Nefarious Codger looked immensely proud of himself, but Xiang Weilong only felt chilled to the core. He was a monster who killed countless people in his life, but even he thought that Nefarious Codger was fucking insane.

    Nefarious Codger became infamous precisely because of his crazy and inhuman behavior. Hailing from a small sect known for creating poison and poisoning others called the Hundred Poison Pond, Nefarious Codger was originally a child tester. A child tester was exactly what it sounded like: a child used to test out the poison, antidote, and other drugs the sect produced. The humblest existence in the Hundred Poison Pond, a child tester had no human rights whatsoever. Not only were they ordered around like a ve, yelled at for the slightest mistake, and used as a punching bag from time to time, it was only a matter of time before they died from a poison they were forced to consume.

    Nefarious Codger was the exception to the rule. Not only did he survive the harsh environment, he somehow found and mastered an iplete martial art manual known as the ¡°Hundred Codgers Art¡±. He even invented a poison that could pollute a person¡¯s soul and transformed everyone in the Hundred Poison Pond into crazed monsters who only knew ughter.

    And so the <em>jianghu </em>lost a child tester and a Hundred Poison Pond, but gained a Nefarious Codger who did whatever the hell he wanted. They were worse off because of it.

    Nefarious Codger¡¯s favorite hobby was creating all kinds of poisons and testing it out on live subjects. He was especially good at creating poisons that attacked the soul and spirit.

    Once, Nefarious Codger created a poison known as the Mind Wiper and transformed an entiremandery of people into mindless husks. He also invented a poison known as the Soul Breaker and infected an entire sect with it, turning it into a living hell on earth.

    These were just the beginnings of a long, long list of crimes. Unfortunately, Nefarious Codger was extraordinarily strong and cunning, and no one was able to bring him to justice to this day. Not only that, he was ranked seventy-ninth on the Earth Champions Ranking and sixty-fifth on the ck List.

    Xiang Weilong might be ranked seventy-first on the Earth Champions Ranking, but in terms of infamy, the seventy-ninth Nefarious Codger outdid him in spades. It was to the point where Xiang Weilong thought that he was failing to live up to expectations.

 Chapter 841: The Grand Chime Quells The Fiery Wind

    <h4>Chapter 841: The Grand Chime Quells The Fiery Wind </h4>

    ¡°Do you want to give it a try?¡± Nefarious Codger asked after noticing that Sword Ghoul and Xiang Weilong had been silent for a while.

    ¡°No thank you.¡±

    Xiang Weilong shook his head immediately. <i>I would rather kill myself than test your smoke, old man!</i>

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± Nefarious Codger grumbled with obvious disappointment.

    ¡°Let me try, grandpa! I wanna try!¡±

    The woman named Tyrant Bow tried to grab Nefarious Codger¡¯s smoking pipe, but the old man hit her in the back of her hand and scolded her, ¡°You¡¯re a young girl! You shouldn¡¯t be smoking!¡±

    Tyrant Bow rubbed the sore spot on her hand and turned red in the eyes. She looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

    ¡°Oh, heavens. Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. I was wrong, alright?¡± Nefarious Codger hurriedly said when he saw her eyes reddening. ¡°I¡¯ll find some children and make a milder shag for you to smoke next time, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay! Thank you, grandpa.¡± Tyrant Bow broke into a wide smile when she heard this.

    ¡°Mm. Good girl.¡± Nefarious Codger gave her a pat on the head.

    <i>What a disgusting pair, </i>Xiang Weilong thought to himself. There was nothing more revolting than a pair of heartless murderers ying house with each other.

    ¡°Are you sure your Soul Ender will work, Nefarious Codger?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If this was any other time, then that girl might have had the power to resist my Soul Ender. However, she is currently in the middle of cultivation and absorbing all the origin energy in the air. There is no way she can avoid absorbing the smoke I released into the air, and in vast quantities as well. By the time she realizes that something is amiss, it will already be toote.¡±

    Nefarious Codger took another two puffs before dering confidently, ¡°As for the other guy, Sword Ghoul said that he was a body-tempering warrior, right? I amcking in many ways, but there is no easier prey to me than a body-tempering warrior.¡±

    ¡°Hells, you might not even need to get involved. If everything goes smoothly, I could probably take them out all by myself.¡±

    ¡°Hmph... if you¡¯re as good as you im to be, then why aren¡¯t they falling over yet?¡± Xiang Weilong scoffed.

    ¡°Patience, Head Xiang.¡±

    Nefarious Codger exhaled a smoke ring and let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Give my Soul Ender time to work its magic, will you?¡±

    ......

    At the top of the Rain Listening Tower, Ye Qing was impressed by the phenomenon Feng Qingyou¡¯s Enlightenment had triggered.

    Not all Enlightenments were made equal. Some were big or deep, while others were minor or shallow. It depended on the warrior¡¯s martial foundation and umtion. Those who were just starting or paid little attention to their foundation would only gain Enlightenment equal to that of a dragonfly¡¯s ripple, insignificant and miniscule. On the other hand, those who were strong and well-refined might experience a deep Enlightenment that could skyrocket them to the heavens.

    To put it simply, fortune was one part luck and another part self-effort. Those who fought to improve themselves would naturally be aided by the heavens.

    Ye Qing could tell from the sheer ir of Feng Qingyou¡¯s Enlightenment that her martial foundation must be as solid as a fortress, and her umtion must be as deep as the sea itself.

    Ten or so breathster, the raging storm and gigantic vortex of origin qi gradually disappeared into nothing. What came after was a rare, miraculous scenery that might not happen even once in a century.

    The wind stopped, and the rain came to an end. Twilight mingled with moonlight and sprayed countless colorful beams throughout the entire Anomaly.

    It looked so fantastical it was like a dream.

    At the center of this dreamlike reality, Feng Qingyou walked to the edge of the tform and held her arms wide. She looked like she was embracing the celestial bodies or even the world itself.

    Right here and now, as countless rainbow lights gathered around her, Ye Qing thought that this was the most goddess she had ever looked.

    ......

    ¡°¡®When the sun and moon gather around Him, know that you just witnessed the birth of a true god¡¯... In this case it¡¯s a goddess, but heavens above, youngsters these days are quite something, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    Nefarious Codger could not help but pay the feminine silhouette wrapped by both twilight and moonlight apliment when he saw this.

    Xiang Weilong and Sword Ghoul were stunned as well. Who on earth was that woman to produce such an astounding phenomenon during her Enlightenment?

    At the same time, Xiang Weilong hid a sigh of relief. Thank goodness he hadn¡¯t given in to his impulsiveness, or it was possible that this assassination attempt would end in failure or even his death.

    ¡°Grandpa... I like that big sis... she¡¯s gorgeous!¡± Tyrant Bow remarked enviously as she stared at the unknown woman standing on top of the Rain Listening Tower.

    ¡°Is that so? I like her a lot as well.¡± Nefarious Codger said indulgently, ¡°When I turn her soul into a shag, I will concoct her body into a puppet and give it to you. Would you like that?¡±

    ¡°Yay! Thank you, grandpa!¡± Tyrant Bow cheered.

    ¡°Oh, look. It¡¯s time.¡±

    A few breathster, Nefarious Codger exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled. ¡°Get ready, people. The show¡¯s about to begin.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    On the Rain Listening Tower, Feng Qingyou¡¯s Enlightenment was moments away from the end when suddenly, she turned as white as a sheet. The next moment, she threw up a mouthful of blood and wobbled on her feet.

    ¡°Qingyou! What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Ye Qing immediately appeared beside her and supported her.

    ¡°The rainwater is... poisoned. A soul... poison,¡± Feng Qingyou stuttered out. Every time she spoke a word, her face would turn paler, andrge beads of sweat would roll down her forehead. By the time she finished the short sentence, she was sweating all over. It looked like she was enduring an unimaginable amount of pain.

    ¡°Soul poison?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply.

    As the name implied, a soul poison was a poison that specifically attacked the soul and spirit. It was even deadlier and scarier than your conventional poison.

    Ye Qing looked inward and noticed that he had been infected by the soul poison as well. It was barely bigger than a speck of dust, and it was invading his headspace through his breathing and other tangible and intangible channels without a trace.

    At first nce, the poison seemed weak and tiny. In reality, every wisp, every thread was infused with a potent amount of deathly stillness, annihtion, and more forms of pollutant and destructive energy.

    Although his Heavenly Demon Yin God was founded on human desire and a master at toying with the human heart using the Five Poisons, Six Desires, and Seven Emotions, and although it was naturally resistant toward this form of pollution, Ye Qing could feel it trembling in fear and trepidation as well.

    Clearly, this was the soul poison Feng Qingyou was talking about.

    The soul poison was terribly potent, but it was equally undetectable prior to its activation. It was to the point where even his sensitive demonic thought had detected nothing until Feng Qingyou had suffered a massive injury and warned him about it.

    The moment he detected the soul poison, they abruptly activated and exploded like bombs inside his headspace. His Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven immediately ruptured as potent contaminants such as annihtion, deathly stillness and more gushed toward his Heavenly Demon Yin God like a tidal wave.

    It was at this moment the Earthly Sovereign Bell suspended above his Heavenly Demon Yin God¡¯s head suddenly shook a little. Profound light immediately illuminated his headspace, and a melodious bell chime filled his ears.

    The profound light washed away the deadly pollutants like they were reflections on a pond. They faded away into nothing like they never were.

    Not only that, the bell chime was both restoring his crumbling and chaotic demon thought and mending his ruptured Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven. It wasn¡¯t long before he was back to normal.

    Five-colored light suppresses all evils, a grand chime quells the fiery wind.

    ¡°Hmph...¡±

    The bad news was that he was currently too weak to withstand the power of the Earthly Sovereign Bell. Not only was he hit by a vicious dizzy spell, blood was pouring out of his orifices.

    The good news was that the injury was only superficial. Neither his mind nor his consciousness were damaged.

    Ye Qing did not think that the Earthly Sovereign Bell possessed the power to cure soul poison as well. Overjoyed, he immediately said, ¡°Qingyou, open your mind to me.¡±

    By now, Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes were unfocused and seemingly staring at nothing. Visible and invisible energies were mingling and shing with each other, warping the air around her and causing asional thunderps.

    Ye Qing stared into her eyes and said softly, ¡°Trust me, Qingyou.¡±

    ¡°I... trust you.¡±

    Maybe Feng Qingyou did hear his plea, because her ssy eyes abruptly regained a bit of focus.

    ¡°Good. Trust me,¡± Ye Qing repeated again.

    As soon as Feng Qingyou lowered her mental defenses, Ye Qing immediately saw what was happening inside her headspace.

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s headspace was a sea of murky darkness. Not a sliver of light or vitality could be found anywhere. All sorts of terrifying pollutants and toxins hadbined into what looked like a howling typhoon, unstoppable and all-epassing. Her entire headspace was shaking and crumbling into pieces as a result.

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression was as grave as it could be. He had no idea that the soul poison in Feng Qingyou¡¯s headspace was this severe until now. It was probably because she absorbed a ton of ambient origin energy during her Enlightenment.

    Knowing that every second counted, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and shifted both his Heavenly Demon Yin God and the dark yellow bell into her headspace.

    Then, his Heavenly Demon Yin God punched the Earthly Sovereign Bell with its fist.

 Chapter 842: Sky Splitting Arrows, Dragon Dances Above The Heavens

    <h4>Chapter 842: Sky Splitting Arrows, Dragon Dances Above The Heavens </h4>

    <i>THANG!</i>

    Profound light exploded inside Feng Qingyou¡¯s headspace, bright and grand.

    A bell chime resounded, vigorous and mellifluous.

    The second the light and the chime appeared, a terrible power washed out of the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    Ye Qing¡¯s Heavenly Demon Yin God instantly shattered from the outburst. His head pounded like a bitch, and blood gushed out of his orifices as a muffled groan escaped his lips.

    A thunderp appeared inside Feng Qingyou¡¯s head as well.

    Where the profound light passed through, the pollutants dissipated, and the soul poison disintegrated into nothing.

    Where the chime reached, the typhoon was vanquished, and the sea returned to calm.

    Although the effects were indiscriminate and destroyed part of Feng Qingyou¡¯s spirit as well, this was far better than allowing the soul poison to continue wreaking havoc inside her mind.

    Speaking of mind, Feng Qingyou instantly snapped out of her confused, disoriented state as soon as the Earthly Sovereign Bell did its magic. Once she had recovered her consciousness, she pressed a hand to her forehead and caused a qin twang to resound throughout her headspace.

    A dark light rose from the bottom all the way to the sky. Then, it spilled across her entire headspace while leaving ripples in the air.

    Every ripple was a pocket space of its own, and every dark ray a pocket world. It looked as if multiple spaces and worlds were ovepping with each other and painting a fantastical, dreamlike scenery.

    So, what was the point of the pocket spaces and pocket worlds? It was to trap the remnants of the soul poison and prevent them from causing more damage.

    ¡°How do you feel, Qingyou?¡±

    Ye Qing asked after sensing that Feng Qingyou¡¯s headspace had mostly returned to calm.

    ¡°Cough! Cough... I¡¯m okay.¡± Feng Qingyou coughed as a small smile appeared on her currently bloodless face. ¡°You saved my life, Joyless. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°As long as you¡¯re safe.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart ached. This was the first time he ever saw such a fragile side to her.

    Following immediately after the heartache was a burning, unquenchable desire to <i>massacre</i> the ones who did this.

    ¡°We need to leave.¡±

    Ye Qing did not sumb to the impulse though. This was an ambush, and the soul poison was obviously just an appetizer.

    The crisis wasn¡¯t over; it was just beginning.

    Ye Qing carried Feng Qingyou in his arms and jumped down the three-hundred-meter tall Rain Listening Tower.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    He was about halfway to the ground when suddenly, a massive hole broke out of the space in front of him. At the same time, a gnarly arrow the size of an infant¡¯s arm with an arrowhead that was shaped like a malevolent dragon shot toward his face.

    It was after he saw the arrow that he heard a thunderous rumble. This meant that the arrow was moving faster than sound itself.

    In the air, Ye Qing had nothing he could use as leverage, nor did he have the time to dodge out of the way. The arrow was so swift, so ferocious, that by the time he noticed it, it was already right in front of him.

    So, Ye Qing turned away from the arrow and hugged Feng Qingyou tighter. He used his back to block the attack.

    <i>THUMP!</i>

    The impact sounded more like a drumbeat than a thunderp; one that was loud enough to be heard throughout the Anomaly.

    Ye Qing mmed into the Rain Listening Tower, and the structure that had stood tall for over a century snapped in half just like that.

    Strangely, the broken half of the Rain Listening Tower did not tilt and fall toward the ground. Instead, it fell vertically in a straight line and without a sound. The second it made contact with the ground, it immediately disintegrated into fine powder.

    As for Ye Qing, the dpidated tower was hardly strong enough to arrest his momentumpletely, nor did he want to slow down. He continued to shoot toward the distance like an arrow.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    It was at this moment a deafening boom came from somewhere. At the same time, three arrows ripped through the air and shot toward Ye Qing¡¯s head and stomach in a triangle.

    Unlike the previous arrow, these three arrows were even more forceful and fierce.

    If the first arrow resembled a god striking a heavenly drum, dull but potent, then these three arrows were a frontal assault. To make a metaphor, it was like an army of celestials and demons were charging him in a military formation while screaming their battle cries, loud and unstoppable.

    The three arrows struck Ye Qing¡¯s body like meteors. He was mmed into the ground so hard that the surrounding earth within a hundred meters of him undted like fabric, and the puddles scattered across the area flowed to the center and formed a massiveke.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble!</i>

    A thunderp erupted from theke of rainwater, and it produced a gigantic ssh that shot through the clouds and above. It wasn¡¯t until a long time that it finally fell back to the earth.

    ¡°Her force splits the heavens, and her strength prates the ground. Now I understand why they call her Tyrant Bow.¡±

    At the distance, Xiang Weilong could not help but pay Tyrant Bow apliment as he stared at the unbelievably tall ssh.

    Speaking of the woman, she was currently wielding her ridiculously huge bow while vigor circted rapidly throughout her body like a washing machine. Her muscles were bulging and scorching red like molten metal, and steam was rising from all over her body. The ground within tens of meters of her were covered in cracks, and the surrounding nts had turned ashen ck as well.

    Besides that, the giant bow in Tyrant Bow¡¯s hands was letting out a distorted howl like some sort of anomalous beast. It was eerie to say the least.

    Obviously, Tyrant Bow was the one who fired the four arrows that struck Ye Qing earlier.

    A tyrant was called a tyrant because they were tyrannical, forceful, and fiery.

    The woman was named Tyrant Bow precisely because her archery skill boasted the qualities of a tyrant.

    Tyrant Bow was born with an extraordinary physique that made her supernaturally strong and durable known as the Tyrant Body. When Nefarious Codger found her, he did not hesitate to ughter her entire family and take her in as his adopted granddaughter. From a young age, Tyrant Bow was brainwashed using all kinds of potions and evil arts so that she would be absolutely obedient to him. On top of that, he used his skills to activate her full potential and eventually cultivate her into an invulnerable and powerful body-tempering Grandmaster.

    This was why Tyrant Bow acted like a young girl despite being a Grandmaster.

    Nefarious Codger also taught her an archery art called the ¡°Tyrant Bow of Evil Absolute¡±. An archery art that preached absolute dominance through absolute power, it supposedly boasted the power to y celestials and Buddhas. At the adept level, it could cut a river into two, break a hill into two, and kill a person from tens, even a hundred kilometers away as easily as breathing. It was a perfect fit with her Tyrant Body.

    One of the main reasons Nefarious Codger was able to escape justice until now was thanks to Tyrant Bow. It was also how they came to be known together as the Nefarious Codger and Tyrant Bow.

    ¡°On behalf of my granddaughter, thank you.¡± Nefarious Codger grinned widely when he heard Xiang Weilong¡¯spliment. ¡°Speaking of which, are you satisfied with our performance thus far, Head Xiang?¡±

    ¡°Your and your granddaughter¡¯s fame are well deserved.¡± Xiang Weilong asked, ¡°Are you interested in joining my Weilong Vi?¡±

    ¡°Haha... thank you for the offer, but we enjoy our independence, and we have no ns to bind ourselves to a sect anytime soon. Do forgive us!¡± Nefarious Codger turned him down.

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Take your time to think over my offer.¡± Xiang Weilong did not force him to make a decision right away. It almost felt like he was bringing it up as a matter of courtesy.

    It was at this moment Sword Ghoul interrupted, ¡°Now is not the time to talk about this. This mission isn¡¯t over yet.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will be over very soon.¡±

    Xiang Weilong grinned evilly and took a step forward. There was a draconic roar, and he appeared above the gigantic ssh still suspended in the air in almost no time. Finally, heunched a downward palm strike.

    The rising ssh had hit its peak a while ago and was currently falling back toward the earth. Now that it was boosted by Xiang Weilong¡¯s power, it moved way faster than before and split into nine water dragons.

    The water dragons let out a deafening roar that scattered the water and mist and shook the entire Anomaly. ¡°When the nine dragons roar, their might shall suppress the blue sky itself.¡± That was how the author described the ¡°Weilong Divine Palm¡±.

    The fragile marsnd was already in tatters after Tyrant Bow¡¯s assault, and Weilong¡¯s ¡°Weilong Divine Palm¡± certainly did it no favors. Nine bottomless palm prints appeared on the ground and formed the silhouette of a dragon.

    ¡°Your ¡®Weilong Divine Palm¡¯ deserves its reputation as well, Head Xiang.¡±

    It was Nefarious Codger¡¯s turn to pay Xiang Weilong apliment after he, Sword Ghoul and Tyrant Bow appeared next to the pits and felt the terrific power emanating from the palm prints.

    He could clearly see that the nine palm prints were just that, palm prints. And yet, his senses were screaming that it was a true dragon. The implications were chilling to say the least.

    The ¡°Weilong Divine Palm¡± emphasized on pressuring an opponent through force, and killing them through intent. The force might be gone, but the mark remained. The power might have dissipated, but the will still lived.

    At the adept level, the ¡°Weilong Divine Palm¡± felt like the descent of a divine dragon. It was only natural that all living beings would cower before such a being.

    Obviously, Xiang Weilong was a far way from mastering the martial art. Even so, its power could not be underestimated.

 Chapter 843: A Taste Of Your Own Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 843: A Taste Of Your Own Medicine </h4>

    ¡°You tter me.¡± Xiang Weilong smiled proudly before looking at Sword Ghoul. ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±

    To his surprise, Sword Goul replied coldly, ¡°No. And I will not be until I confirm that he¡¯s truly dead.¡±

    As he said this, a hail of sword qi shot out of his body and prated the ground where Ye Qing was buried under.

    Xiang Weilong scoffed at his seemingly paranoid action, ¡°You are way too cautious, my man.¡±

    ¡°I agree. That young man took four of my granddaughter¡¯s shots with his body after I poisoned him with my Soul Ender, and then he took a full-powered palm strike from Head Xiang. Even if he is still alive, I seriously doubt he¡¯ll be able to do anything else.¡±

    Nefarious Codger smoked his pipe before continuing in azy tone, ¡°In the <i>jianghu</i>, they say that the older the person, the more cowardly they be. But you seem even more cowardly than I am, an old man.¡±

    ¡°Say what you want, but it¡¯s always better to be safe than sor¡ª¡±

    Sword Ghoul was in the middle of replying when suddenly, his words died inside his throat, and unadulterated astonishment shed in his eyes.

    Xiang Weilong¡¯s reaction was even more exaggerated. His mouth was agape, and his eyes were wide open as if he just saw a ghost.

    It was because they saw a man.

    A man covered in blood and soil.

    A man who was standing behind Tyrant Bow with the ghost of a smirk on his face.

    A man who was watching them with cold, emotionless eyes as if they were a bunch of clowns... or dead people.

    Tyrant Bow did not understand why Sword Ghoul and Xiang Weilong were staring at her and her grandfather like they had seen a ghost. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you looking at us like that? Did you see a ghost?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not looking at you. They¡¯re looking at me.¡±

    A voice answered her question from behind her.

    It was faint, but it chilled Tyrant Bow to the bone. She shivered like she had suddenly fallen into an ice-hole.

    Nefarious Codger was a veteran who survived the <i>jianghu </i>to old age. He knew that something was wrong the moment he saw Sword Ghoul and Xiang Weilong¡¯s face, and the second he heard the voice behind him, he reacted without bothering to turn around to face his opponent.

    Nefarious Codger turned his wrist and swung his smoking pipe behind his back. Countless sparks and smoke immediately poured out of its chamber.

    In that sense, the smoking pipe was a miniature volcano. When its chamber was flipped upside down, the ¡°volcano¡± erupted and spat out a swarm of sparks that could burn heaven and earth, and a flood of smoke that contaminated everything.

    Then, Nefarious Codger nched. It was because a hand reached out from amidst the sparks and smoke and clenched. As if magic, dark yellow light gathered the surrounding spark and smoke abruptly flew toward the fist and gathered at the center. All of it.

    Stunned, Nefarious Codger tried to run away next. However, there was nowhere for him to go; nowhere for him to hide despite how vast the world was. It was because the voice¡¯s fist <i>was </i>heaven, earth, and the world itself. From the moment he entered the fist¡¯s range, he had lost his one and only chance to escape.

    That was why he could only watch as the fist shattered the chamber of his smoking pipe into pieces, snapped the handle in half, andnded squarely on his body.

    Strangely, the contact made no sound whatsoever. There was no visible wound on Nefarious Codger¡¯s body either.

    An emotionless voice rang beside the old man¡¯s ears, ¡°You like poisoning others, don¡¯t you? It is against etiquette to not reciprocate, so here. Have a taste of your own medicine.¡±

    ¡°What did you¡ª¡±

    Nefarious Codger tried to shout, but he was interrupted by a series of pops and cracks happening throughout his body. At the same time, a loud boom overtook his headspace.

    Nefarious Codger abruptly realized that every meridian in his body had broken, and every bodily point shattered beyond reparation. Not only that, his headspace was cracked into multiple pieces, and his yang god was severely injured. It was to the point where it could no longer escape from his physical body.

    That still wasn¡¯t the worst thing that happened to him though. No, it was the terrible toxin that exploded inside his body.

    By now, Nefarious Codger figured out that the seemingly harmless punch had really broken his meridian, shattered his bodily points, crushed his headspace, and even reversed all the toxins held within his smoking pipe into his body.

    The sparks and smoke inside his smoking pipe were the products of all sorts of deadly toxins and contaminants blended into one. He knew better than everyone just how toxic it was.

    It was why his fear and despair were also greater than everyone else¡¯s.

    Immediately after the poison exploded inside his body, his flesh began festering inch by inch, smelly blood and pus began seeping out of his pores, and countless contaminants filled with pain, resentment, deathly stillness, hatred, despair and more began wreaking havoc inside his brain. It was an experience worse than death itself.

    The worst part? He couldn¡¯t do anything.

    He wanted to run away, but he was unable to move even a muscle since his meridian and bodily points were destroyed.

    He wanted to abandon his physical body and escape with his yang god, but his mind was currently in a weakened state because his headspace and spirit were forcefully shattered.

    He wanted to drop to his knees and beg for mercy, but as soon as he opened his mouth, his tongue rotted into a pool of liquid flesh, and his teeth fell off his gums one after another. He could not say a single word in this state.

    He could not run or beg for mercy. He could only endure what felt like an eternity of horrible pain and despair.

    ¡°What did you do to grandpa? I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    It was only now Tyrant Bow realized what was happening. She lifted the gigantic bow behind her back and attempted to smash it down on Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    That¡¯s right. The man who appeared behind Tyrant Bow¡¯s back and gave Nefarious Codger a taste of his own medicine was none other than Ye Qing.

    Tyrant Bow was gigantic, and her bow even more so. Thebination of monstrous woman and weapon made a noise that sounded like an avnche and ripped a hole in space itself. Ye Qing was hardly small, but he positively looked like a child underneath the bow.

    He did not try to dodge out of the way though. He simply lifted his arm in an uppercut.

    The falling bow exploded into smithereens, and his fist continued forward andnded squarely on Tyrant Bow¡¯s chest.

    The young woman¡¯s supposedly invulnerable Tyrant Body was shredded as easily as paper. Ye Qing punched right through her chest and crushed her heart in an instant.

    The battle sounded like it took a long time, but it really only happened in the span of seconds. It was only after Nefarious Codger was ruined, and Tyrant Bow was dead that Xiang Weilong and Sword Ghoul finally reacted and attacked.

    Xiang Weilong took the lead and thrust his palms forward like a dragon swiping at its opponent. The pressure, the intent, and the power of a dragon were fully infused into his palms, and they warped the space around him long before his attack reached Ye Qing.

    As for Sword Ghoul, countless sword qi leaked out of his skin and pores and formed a massive cyclone around him. He was a walking disaster in his current form, and he did not hesitate to press forward.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The next moment, palm force and sword qi engulfed Ye Qingpletely. Everything within a hundred meters of thebatants transformed into a deadly storm that ripped the clouds into shreds and carved up the ground like tofu.

    However, both men nched in the next moment. It was because Ye Qing slowly walked out of the storm of sword qi and palm force lookingpletely unaffected. It was almost as if he was walking through a cool breeze instead of deadly energies that could break mountains and split oceans like nothing.

    ¡°We need to retreat,¡± Xiang Weilong said with a deep frown. Anyone with a pair of eyes could tell that their assassination attempt had ended in failure. It was time to escape.

    However, as he was turning around to make a run for it, a powerful st of sword qi struck his back and sent him careening toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°Sword Ghoul! You!¡±

    The blood drained away from Xiang Weilong¡¯s face. The surprise attack could only havee from Sword Ghoul.

    ¡°Please buy me some time, Head Xiang.¡±

    Underneath his hood, a cold smile spread across Sword Ghoul¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll inform Dragonmount Duke about your death.¡±

    As he said this, a sh of sword qi appeared beneath Sword Ghoul. He was far, far away by the time he finished his sentence.

    ¡°You will not get away with this, Sword Ghoul!¡± Xiang Weilong screamed with fury. At this point, it was clear that Sword Ghoul had tricked him hook, line and sinker.

    Suddenly, every hair on Xiang Weilong¡¯s body stood on end. It was because a fist had suddenly appeared right before his eyes.

    The breath of the reaper breathing down his neck, Xiang Weilong stopped caring about Sword Ghoul and dodged the iing fist with inches to spare. Then, heunched a palm strike at Ye Qing¡¯s chest.

    Considering what he just went through, his reaction was suboptimal to say the least. That was why Xiang Weilong went all out. The palm strike let loose a deafening, tyrannical roar that sounded like a dragon who was very, very unhappy that it was awoken from its slumber.

    He did not think that the palm strike would be able to kill Ye Qing. All he wanted was to buy himself a moment to breathe.

    He had several life-saving Strange Artifacts on his person. One breath was all he needed to activate them and escape.

 Chapter 844: Swordsgrave

    <h4>Chapter 844: Swordsgrave </h4>

    Unfortunately for him, Ye Qing never intended to dodge the attack. He allowed Xiang Weilong¡¯s palm strike tond on his chest¡ªnot budging even a little as it did¡ªand mmed his dodged punch into Xiang Weilong¡¯s shoulder.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Unable to withstand the weight of Ye Qing¡¯s attack, that entire half of Xiang Weilong¡¯s body let out a sickening, loud crack. The man himself was nailed into the ground as his meridians and bodily points came undone.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Xiang Weilong spat out a mouthful of blood before pleading, ¡°You... you can¡¯t kill me. My dad is the Dragonmount Duke. If you kill me, then you will die as well!¡±

    ¡°Hah...¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s only response was a cold, mirthless chuckle. He spread his fingers wide, grabbed Xiang Weilong¡¯s shoulder, and pushed.

    <i>Boom boom boom!</i>

    Thunderps erupted deep below the earth, and the ground within a hundred meters of the duo split into web-like cracks. Xiang Weilong himself was pushed into the underground until only his head was visible.

    In fact, all that was left of Xiang Weilong was his head. Everything below the neck had exploded into itsy bitsy pieces.

    ¡°Hah... hah... h...¡±

    The shock and disbelief were permanently frozen on Xiang Weilong¡¯s face. He could not believe that Ye Qing dared to kill him even until the very end.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. Every single one of you is dying today.¡±

    Ye Qing gave the head a cold smile before lifting his foot. One disgusting squelchter, Xiang Weilong was thoroughly dead in both body and mind.

    ¡°Now, there is only one left!¡±

    Ye Qing looked in the direction where Sword Ghoul had escaped to and disappeared in a sh.

    ......

    <i>How is this possible? How is he so strong?</i>

    Sword Ghoul thought incredulously and fearfully to himself as he ran through the rain and soppy ground like a de of invisible sword qi.

    Did he underestimate Ye Qing? Not at all. Ye Qing¡¯s strength had simply exceeded his expectations.

    Sword Ghoul first saw Ye Qing at the Goddess City. Naturally, he had witnessed his battle against the three goddesses as well. Although he had no idea how the young man had be so powerful in just a matter of years, it did not quell his intent to kill Ye Qing one bit.

    It wasn¡¯t just for his younger brother, but also himself. It was Ye Qing who embarrassed him and stripped him of his dignity at Luo Shui. It was Ye Qing who forced him to leave his home and be what he became today.

    He, Sword Ghoul, <i>hated </i>Ye Qing. From the moment he saw Ye Qing in Goddess City, he only wished he could rip and tear his nemesis into a million pieces.

    But as great as his hatred was, it wasn¡¯t greater than his fear or his good sense.

    Although he was a Trueman now, he was certain he wasn¡¯t strong enough to kill Ye Qing alone.

    That said, he did not need to tackle Ye Qing head on to kill him. No one ever said that the only way to kill someone was to fight them fair and square.

    That was why he persuaded Xiang Weilong, Nefarious Codger and Tyrant Bow to join him using Goddess City¡¯s treasure hoard as the bait. In his opinion, no matter how strong Ye Qing was, he must have rued some injury and fatigue after battling against the three goddesses. He and the three Truemenbined should be enough to y Ye Qing and settle his vengeance once and for all.

    Unfortunately, he was wrong. He had done his best to overestimate Ye Qing, and still the young man managed to exceed his expectations.

    The oue of his error was failure, and the oue of his failure was the death of Xiang Weilong, Nefarious Codger, and Tyrant Bow.

    But just because he failed once did not mean it was all over.

    On the contrary, the show was just beginning.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    It was at this moment Sword Ghoul was suddenly struck by a sense of unease. The next moment, the world shook once, and everything came to a standstill. Everything. Not only was he and the world around him frozen in ce, even his thoughts had be slow and faltering.

    The next moment, a figure dashed toward him and mmed into him like a truck.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Sword Ghoul scattered like powder the second contact was made, leaving behind a storm of sword qi.

    The sword qi eventually converged in one ce and took the form of Sword Ghoul, though the man¡¯s hood had been shredded by Ye Qing¡¯s force. As a result, his horrendously scarred face was bared for all to see.

    ¡°It was you, Chen Cang?¡± Ye Qing stared at the ugly but familiar face with a look of dawning realization. ¡°This was all designed by you?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... that is correct.¡±

    Chen Cang was also staring at Ye Qing as well. A sickening smile was stered on his scarred face as he greeted Ye Qing, ¡°Long time no see, old friend. Are you happy to see me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certainly surprised, but happy? Not in the slightest.¡± Ye Qing asked coldly, ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°... Why am I doing this? Why am I doing this?¡±

    Sword Ghoul¡¯s face contorted into a sickening snarl as he let out a harshugh. He looked like apletely different person from the sword-obsessed and graceful Sword Gentleman he was a long time ago. ¡°Are you seriously asking me that? You killed my younger brother and shamed me before the entire Luo Shui. You drove me away from my home and turned a monster, and you ask me <i>why I would like to rip you limb from limb and destroy you where you stand?!</i>¡±

    Ye Qing held up a hand. ¡°Cool your tits, Chen Cang. I admit that I¡¯m the one who killed your brother Chen Zheng. I also admit that I stripped you of your dignity and drove you away from Luo Shui. But what the hell does your current state have anything to do with me?¡±

    ¡°Of course it has <i>everything </i>to do with you!¡± Chen Cang barked out another harshugh. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would never have left Luo Shui. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would never have run into a member of the Swordsgrave!¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea what they put me through? Do you have any idea what kind of life I was forced to lead until now? Hehe... hehehe...¡±

    Chen Cang abruptly started chuckling like he had gone crazy. It wasn¡¯t until a few secondster that he snapped out of it as if awakening from a nightmare and continued, ¡°They made me sleep on a bed of swords. If I so much as twitch a muscle, my entire body would be pierced.

    They made me eat rotten, maggot-filled corpses and drink molten metal used to make swords. They made me sleep in a graveyard with only corpses as mypany...¡±

    Ye Qing eximed in realization, ¡°You were captured by the Swordsgrave? Damn. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    Now he understood why the elegant Sword Gentleman from before was no more. Now he understood how Chen Cang had be a Trueman in just a matter of years. The Swordsgrave was behind everything.

    The Swordsgrave was one of the thirty-six unorthodox sects. They were notorious for being mysterious, powerful, and bat-shit insane.

    The Swordsgrave was mysterious because no one knew where their sect was. They themselves only interacted with outsiders once in a blue moon.

    The Swordsgrave was powerful because every single disciple roaming the <i>jianghu </i>was at least a Trueman. Those who weren¡¯t Trueman weren¡¯t allowed to leave the sect.

    And finally, the Swordsgrave was bat-shit insane because they had no concept of morality whatsoever. They could do good or massacre an entire county depending on their feelings. They were also harsher toward themselves than their enemies.

    A Swordsgrave disciple¡¯s cultivation was all about rebirth through mortal danger. The Swordsgrave often subjected their disciples to inhuman treatments to refine their mental fortitude and hone their focus toward the sword. For example, they would force them live and sleep together with pigs and dogs, force feed them contaminated water and rotten flesh, force them to mutte themselves with sword qi, force them to sit in boiling water or burn themselves on a bonfire to forge their sword heart, force them to kill their friends and family to prove themselves and so on.

    Thanks to their extreme, insane cultivation methods, a disciple of the Swordsgrave usually rose through the cultivation rapidly.

    Of course, those who could not were simply crippled or dead. Even those who survived were usually twisted or insane.

    Few Swordsgrave disciples were able to survive the inhuman environment and treatment they were subjected to, but those who did were all exceedingly powerful warriors. How could they not when they, despite the absolutely inhuman training they were subjected to, managed to maintain their sanity and continuously devote themselves to the sword?

    With one thought, you could be the Buddha or the Demon. The life of a Swordsgrave disciple was the truest reflection of that quote.

    Seriously, Ye Qing was impressed that Chen Cang was able to survive the Swordsgrave¡¯s torture and be a Trueman. Sure, he might be all twisted up both inside and outside, but that was just how Swordsgrave disciples were. It was practically their signature to be ugly and insane.

 Chapter 845: Sword From The Sky

    <h4>Chapter 845: Sword From The Sky </h4>

    ¡°Did I mention that it¡¯s only thanks to you that I was able to survive, Ye Qing?¡±

    Chen Cang sneered. ¡°Every time I feel like I can¡¯t stand it any longer, I will remember you, what you did to me, and everything I had to go through because of you. Suddenly, I don¡¯t feel like ending my life anymore.¡±

    ¡°After all, how can I pass onto the afterlife when you are still alive? If I die, then who else is left to make you pay for what you¡¯ve done?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you owe me your life,¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°Indeed. It is all thanks to you. I could never have be a Trueman so quickly if not for you.¡± Chen Cang chuckled darkly. ¡°As thanks, I shall reward you with an experience worse than death itself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but you can¡¯t kill me even if you¡¯ve be a Trueman, much less ¡®reward¡¯ me.¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently, ¡°How about I make you a counter offer? You let me end your miserable life, and I¡¯ll see you off to the cycle of samsara. With luck, you¡¯ll get to live as an actual human next time.¡±

    Having figured out the truth of the situation, Ye Qing was no longer interested in speaking with Chen Cang. He charged the swordsman as soon as he was done.

    Chen Cang was ready, of course. The second Ye Qing moved, he immediately pinched his fingers together.

    He held no sword, but the sword was everywhere. An endless amount of sword qi gushed out of his pores and caused the surrounding air to gather at his fingertips.

    When he thrust his fingers forward, a hundred streams joined together to form a massive river of sword qi. It was cold and sharp enough to chill the nine provinces.

    Strangely, the surging river of sword qi could not be seen or heard despite its strength and intensity. Only its deadly intent was perceivable.

    The technique Chen Cang was using was the Swordsgrave¡¯s notorious qi-based sword art, ¡°Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡±. It emphasized on forming qi swords using qi and manipting them using qi as well. A practitioner of the ¡°Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡± wielded no sword because the very world around them was their sword.

    The ¡°Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡± was invisible and intangible. Sharp beyond imagination, it specifically countered astral qi and tough-bodied warriors. Naturally, it possessed incredible potential.

    The ¡°Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡± could be split into three levels: Body Sword, Qi Sword, and Sky Sword.

    Body Sword was the level where the practitioner epted intangible sword qi into their body. With a thought, they could unleash the sword qi they epted and y their enemies without a trace.

    Qi Sword was the level where the practitioner¡¯s sword qi was no longer limited to the true qi within their physical body only. At this level, they could manipte the surrounding air and origin energy and turn them into swords as well. When they unleashed an attack, it felt as if the wind, the clouds, and even the air itself was conspiring against their foes.

    Sky Sword was the highest level of the ¡°Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡±. At this level, the practitioner had be one with nature itself. No longer confined to thews¡ªor rather, they had <i>be </i>thew¡ªanything and everything could be a sword. The practitioner could turn the world itself into their sword and smite their foes with the power of the world.

    It looked like the ¡°Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡± only had three levels, but very, very few warriors had managed to reach the Sky Sword. Every single one of them were famous titans who once shook the <i>jianghu </i>to the core.

    Four hundred years ago, Swordsgrave once produced a Sky Sword level swordsman named the Sword Lunatic. The man had challenged countless famous warriors under the heavens and found them all wanting, and not even a Sage of the Heaven Champions Ranking dared to tempt his sword. For a time, it looked like he would be the unrivaled champion of the era.

    Unfortunately, there was a reason the Sword Lunatic was called a lunatic. After he proved that he was unrivaled under the heavens, he decided to set his sights on a loftier goal, literally. He actually tried to challenge the Heavenly Way with his Sky Sword.

    In the end, the Sword Lunatic was smote into dust by tribtion lightning. However, he proved that the Sky Sword was a martial art that could threaten even the heavens.

    Obviously, Chen Cang had not yet reached the Sky Sword level of the ¡°Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡±. Not even close. However, he was born an Innate Immacte Swordsmaster and possessed outstanding talent in the way of the swords. As a result, it only took him a short time to enter the Qi Sword level.

    What this meant was that the river of sword qi before Ye Qing¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t the ending. No, it was just the beginning.

    When the river of sword qi began surging forward, countless air currents and origin energy flowed in from every direction and transformed into wisps of sword qi. They were bing one with the river of sword qi.

    As a result, the river of sword qi grew thicker every time it traveled an inch, and bigger every time it traveled a third of a meter.

    By the time it was right in front of Ye Qing, it wasn¡¯t a river anymore. It was a bonafide ocean of sword qi.

    Such was its volume and density that the entire world plunged into darkness as if it was nighttime. However, Ye Qing¡¯s expression did not change one bit. With casual confidence, he stepped right into the ocean of sword qi and allowed it to wash all over him. Like a tidal wave crashing against a reef, the ocean of sword qi failed to leave even a scratch on his person.

    Chen Cang¡¯s face looked ugly. He let out a growl before lifting and lowering his fingers in one swift motion.

    When he lifted his fingers, the ocean of sword qi immediately rose into the air. When he lowered them, it crashed back down with renewed, no, greater vigor.

    Not only that, the ocean of sword qi had condensed into a massive, invisible sword. Even before it fell, the ambient sword qi had already turned the sky into pincushion and left countless deep marks on the marsnd.

    It was a heavenly sword seeking to y a human foe on the ground.

    For the first time, Ye Qing stopped in his tracks. He looked up at the gigantic sword in the sky and turned the corners of his lips into a devilish smirk.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if your sword is sharper, or if my fist is tougher.¡±

    The next moment, Ye Qing raised his arm and punched.

    The wind died, the clouds scattered, the space shattered, and all things returned to Primal Chaos.

    <i>¡°Break Hammer¡±</i>

    Yes, it was ¡°Break Hammer¡±. The real ¡°Break Hammer¡±.

    If this was ten days ago, then he would¡¯ve suffered massive damage for even imbuing the technique¡¯s fist intent to his attack. He would have hurt himself before he hurt his enemy. He was no longer who he was ten days ago though.

    Ever since he started practicing the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, his physique had been growing by leaps and bounds. So long as his feet were still nted on the ground, it would be as if he had be the earth itself: tough, dense, heavy, and strong. Thanks to this, he could now withstand the rebound of ¡°Break Hammer¡±¡¯s fist intent and even execute the technique for real.

    It had only been ten days since he made contact with the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, but he was improving at a tremendous pace. In fact, he was improving faster than when he was practicing the ¡°Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡±.

    There were two reasons. One, he was a body-tempering Grandmaster. His vigor and physique were extraordinary to begin with, and the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was a pure body-tempering martial art. Naturally, he came to it like a fish in water.

    Two, it was all thanks to the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. The ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was created by the Earthly Sovereign, and the Earthly Sovereign was born with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi inside him. One of the most important fundamentals of the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was to renew one¡¯s body and forge the Earthly Sovereign Body using the Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    Once the practitioner had attained the Earthly Sovereign Body, their cultivation speed would increase by leaps and bounds. After that, he simply needed to stick to the training routine¡ªabsorb the ambient origin qi, create the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, and continuously refine his body with it¡ªuntil it evolved into the Earthly Sovereign True Body, an immortal body that could withstand ten thousand tribtions.

    With all this in mind, the most fundamental and important step of practicing the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was to create a wisp of profound Yellow Mother Qi. Otherwise, one could not renew one¡¯s body and forge the Earthly Sovereign Body, much less everything else. It was also the hardest step.

    The Earthly Sovereign was one and only. Not everyone could be born with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi in him.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was also a rare, priceless treasure. It could only be obtained by the exceedingly fortunate and destined.

    Although the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± did contain the method to absorb the ambient origin energy and refine it into a wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi, it was an exceedingly slow process prior to renewing one¡¯s body and forging an Earthly Sovereign Body. Assuming that the practitioner could only rely on his hard work to progress, it would take him a decade, maybe even decades to create just a single wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    This one problem disqualified most people from being able to practice the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±¡ªbut then again, the martial art wasn¡¯t meant for the average warrior, so it wasn¡¯t a big issue.

    Ye Qing did not have this problem, however. Because he overcame the Profound Yellow Mother Qi Tribtion, he was rewarded with a single wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi. This meant that he did not need to waste an entire decade to create the qi. He could simply use his existing Profound Yellow Mother Qi to renew his body and forge an Earthly Sovereign Body immediately. That was how he was able to reach the journeyman level in just the span of ten days.

    After reaching the journeyman level of the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± his body had be twice as strong and durable as before. That was why he could now execute the full ¡°Break Hammer¡± without injuring himself.

    ¡°Break Hammer¡± could break all secret arts, Magia, energies, and vitality. All things would return to Primal Chaos before its power, and the giant sword above his head was not an exception.

    As soon as the giant sword made contact with Ye Qing¡¯s fist, it crumbled inch by inch and scattered into countless wisps of sword qi.

    When the dust settled, everything had returned to Primal Chaos.

 Chapter 846: Dragonmount Duke

    <em>Pssh pssh pssh!</em>

    The second the gigantic sword shattered, tiny explosions ripped through Chen Cang¡¯s whole body and caused ck blood to pour out of his wounds. Now, his body looked just as ugly and scarred as his face.

    ¡°The ¡®Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword¡¯, hmm?¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his fist and side-eyed Chen Cang. ¡°Seeing that your sword couldn¡¯t even cut my fist, it looks like your mastery isn¡¯t up to snuff yet.¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ You think you¡¯ve won, Ye Qing?¡± said Chen Cang between coughs as the cracks on his body kept curling up and growingrger andrger. The ck blood leaking out of his wounds seemed alive as it scattered into countless wisps of sword qi as soon as it hit the ground, leaving behind various pits and marks.

    ¡°Why do you think otherwise?¡± Ye Qing countered, ¡°My punch is equal to three Sky Dragons. Are you telling me that you can take it?¡±

    ¡°Cough¡­ I admit that your strength is formidable, but just because you¡¯re strong doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to win, you know?¡± Chen Cangughed harshly.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m curious. The useless mercenaries you hired are all dead, and you yourself aren¡¯t far away from the brink. Who on earth gave you the courage to speak to me like this?¡± Ye Qing sneered.

    ¡°You are correct. They are useless. But even trash can be recycled, can it not?¡± Chen Cang let out a strange cackle. ¡°Do you know who Xiang Weilong is, Ye Qing? Never mind, I can tell from your oblivious expression that you have no idea, so I will enlighten you myself.¡±¡°Xiang Weilong is the head of the Weilong Vi, and his father is the infamous Dragonmount Duke. Do you know who the Dragonmount Duke is? He¡¯s the chief of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance of Yannan¡¯s <em>wulin</em>, and Xiang Weilong is his only son. Pray tell, what are the chances he¡¯ll overlook the fact that you killed his only son? Hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°I see! So that¡¯s where your confidencees from!¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. Of course he had heard of the Dragonmount Duke. He was a bigshot whose footsteps could send tremors throughout the <em>wulin </em>of Yannan if he injected just a little bit more strength into his feet. He was also a top elite ranked thirteen on the Earth Champions Ranking.

    Dragonmount Duke wasn¡¯t just powerful in terms of cultivation, the forces hemanded were quite formidable as well. He was the chief of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance of the <em>wulin </em>of Yannan. The name might make it sound like an alliance of mobs, trivial and weak, but it was really a massive coalitionposed of countless big and small factions scattered throughout Yannan¡¯s <em>wulin</em>. The reason they were called the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was because they were helmed by seventy-two major sects.

    The Seventy Two Water Alliance was both massive and powerful. They had members throughout Yan including both the orthodoxy and unorthodoxy; the righteous and the dark. Barring a handful of long-standing sects and aristocratic ns, the Seventy Two Water Alliance was a giant that epassed the entire Yannan <em>wulin</em>.

    The Dragonmount Duke was the chief of the alliance. Although he normally did not engage in the specific affairs of the alliance, he was without a doubt their one and only master. To offend the Dragonmount Duke was to offend the entire Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, and to kill his only son... Well, the consequences were catastrophic to put it mildly.

    Chen Cang continued in a proud tone, ¡°You know, I was hoping to kill you with my own two hands, but you were just too powerful. So, just in case my first n failed, I came up with a backup n. Even if you haven¡¯t killed Xiang Weilong, I would¡¯ve taken him out for you. It won¡¯t be long before the Dragonmount Duke finds out that you¡¯re the one who killed Xiang Weilong. Do look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve be quite smart in the past few years, haven¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes, his countenance twisted into an expression of undisguised scorn and ridicule.

    ¡°Everyone changes eventually, don¡¯t they?¡±

    Cheng Cang asked expectantly, ¡°So? Do you like my first gift to you?¡±

    ¡°First gift?¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows as a new unease nestled inside his heart. What was this bastard nning now?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what other scheme you¡¯re concocting, you¡¯re going to fail because you¡¯re going to die, now.¡±

    Ye Qing stopped talking trash with Chen Cang, dashed forward, and dished out another ¡°Break Hammer¡±. If Chen Cang dies here, then he would have won no matter what diabolical scheme the swordsman had concocted for him.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ it¡¯s already toote for you, Ye Qing! Toote!¡±

    Chen Cang did not try to dodge the attack. Heughed loudly while saying, ¡°Get ready to enjoy my second gift to you. I hope it¡¯s to your liking¡ª¡±

    Right after he said that, Chen Cang scattered into ash under the power of ¡°Break Hammer¡±.

    ¡°Is he¡­ dead?¡± Ye Qing murmured. He definitely saw the guy dying with his own two eyes, and yet, he felt that it was a little too easy. Chen Cang just did not look like the type of person who would give up without a fight.

    It was at this moment a sword beam burst out of the ground. It was apanied by countless broken limbs.

    ¡°Chen Cang, you sonuvabitch!¡± The blood drained away from Ye Qing¡¯s face when he saw this. Without hesitation, he turned around and broke off into a full sprint.

    The rason he was running away wasn¡¯t because the surprise attack was all that impressive. No, it was because the broken limbs belonged to the Rain People.

    He now understood what Chen Cang¡¯s backup n was. He was nning to kill him through the Rain People and the Lord of Eternal Rain!

    The Rain People were under the protection of the Lord of Eternal Rain. Killing them would anger the lord and cause it to go on a rampage.

    Earlier, Chen Cang had captured some Rain People and hidden them in the underground. Only the death of a Rain People would trigger the Lord of Eternal Rain, so he received no punishment for his actions.

    Chen Cang¡¯s n was very simple. If he and his mercenaries were able to kill Ye Qing, then he did not need the Rain People as a matter of course. If not, then he was going to lure Ye Qing to this area and kill the Rain People.

    Although the Lord of Eternal Rain was immeasurably powerful, itcked intelligence. Once it awakened from its slumber, it would kill every living being in the Marsh of Eternal Rain except the Rain People.

    Right now, Ye Qing reckoned that the only living beings in the Marsh of Eternal Rain was him and Feng Qingyou. Once the lord awakened, it would surely vent all of its fury on them.

    Ye Qing had to admit that Chen Cang had gotten him good. The trap was both diabolical and effective.

    Ye Qing had just dashed a couple hundred meters or so when suddenly, the entire marsnd began shaking unnaturally. At the same time, what felt like an infinite amount of rage and terror rose from the ground and filled the entire sky.

    The next moment, a massive face appeared above ground. It was impossible to say if it was male or female, only that it was huge enough to cover the ground of the entire Anomaly.

    ¡°ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRR¡­¡±

    The next moment, the face let out a deafening, ear-piercing roar. It was such a roar that the wind and rain were ripped apart, and some sort of corruptive power that attacked the mind and soul washed out toward the periphery.

    As Ye Qing was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, the evil influence was unable to affect him whatsoever. As he ran, his footsteps grew heavier and louder until it resembled a series of deafening drum beats. As the ground shook harder and harder, the giant face covering the marsnd began to twist and crumble earnestly.

    However, an invisible, powerful energy swept through the area, and every puddle in the marsnd started floating into the air. They gathered together and formed a water giant that was hundreds of meters tall.

    The water giant had two faces and four arms. One of the faces was male, and the other female. The masculine face looked old but kind, whereas the feminine face was evil and violent. It was the Lord of Eternal Rain.

    As soon as the lord appeared, it let out a mighty roar. The rain abruptly froze in their tracks and shot toward Ye Qing.

    The rainwater was gentle and harmless, but now, they were shooting at Ye Qing like a million deadly arrows.

    <em>Swoosh swoosh swoosh!</em>

    It was such an arrow rain that the ground around Ye Qing was practically annihted. However, not only was Ye Qing unharmed, he hadn¡¯t even slowed down one bit. The rain arrows were bounced away by wisps of dark yellow light before they could evennd on his body.

    Seeing that the rain arrows were useless, the Lord of Eternal Rain decided to charge Ye Qing itself. As it was absolutely gigantic, a single step was all it needed to cross kilometers of distance, and every time its footnded, the entire Anomaly would shake like an earthquake. It reached Ye Qing¡¯s back in the blink of an eye and made a grabbing motion.

    The wind and rain gathered and transformed into a pir the size of a hill. Then, it crashed down right on top of Ye Qing¡¯s head.

 Chapter 847: Lord of Eternal Rain

    <h4>Chapter 847: Lord of Eternal Rain </h4>

    Even before the water pir started falling toward him, the wind and rain were howling like crazy, and the entire world abruptly turned dark as if it was nighttime.

    Ye Qing did not dare to take it lightly. Abruptly arresting his momentum with his right foot and turning a hundred and eighty degrees toward the back, he faced toward the water pir, sucked in a deep breath, and unleashed ¡°Suppression Hammer¡±.

    The moment he threw the punch, the wind died, the rain ceased, and the water pir froze in the air as if time itself had stopped. It was quite the impressive sight.

    While the water pir was frozen, Ye Qing actually charged toward the Lord of Eternal Rain and leaped onto its head. Then, he raised both arms and smashed its skull with everything he got.

    Infused with the fist intent of ¡°Break Hammer¡±, his fists annihted the water giant with no resistance whatsoever.

    Ye Qing did not stay to admire his handiwork, however. He immediately started running toward the exit again after dealing with the Lord of Eternal Rain.

    <i>Buzz buzz buzz...</i>

    It couldn¡¯t be helped, but the marsnd itself seemed to be enraged by Ye Qing¡¯s retaliation. It began shaking violently while malice so thick it was almost tangible washed in from every direction.

    What was a drizzle before rapidly turned into an unrelenting storm. Besides that, every single object in the marsnd¡ªthe muddles, the nts, the rain and the wind¡ªsuddenly came alive and did everything in their power to stop Ye Qing in his tracks.

    The puddles moved in front of him to slow him down.

    The nts slithered in from every direction and blocked his path.

    The rain fell like arrows and attacked him relentlessly.

    And even the wind was cutting at his flesh and blood in an attempt to deal even the slightest bit of damage.

    In summary, the entire marsnd was impeding his progress. It made it incredibly difficult to move even an inch forward.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, ten water giants sprouted from the rain and puddles and surrounded him from every direction. They were all the Lord of Eternal Rain, and each and every one of them was as strong as a Great Trueman or Great Grandmaster in terms of cultivation.

    This was why the Lord of Eternal Rain was feared so. So long as it was within the Marsh of Eternal Rain, it was immortal and unkible. Unless someone could wipe out the entire Anomaly in one strike, then the Lord of Eternal Rain would always return no matter how many times it was killed.

    However, the Marsh of Eternal Rain spanned nearly fifty kilometers in diameter, and not even a Sage¡ªnot even an extraordinary one¡ªcould wipe out an Anomaly this big in one attack. Even if such a person existed, his name was definitely not Ye Qing, at least not now.

    So, he could only run. There was literally nothing else he could do but run for his life.

    Ye Qing took one step forward and rapidly swelled in size. The next moment, he transformed into the Chaos Demon Ape.

    He did not look as demonic, malevolent, or brutal as he used to, however. Instead, he gave off a steady and unshakeable feeling not unlike a grand mountain or the all-embracing earth. His normally ck fur had also gained a dark yellow sheen that made him look both mysterious and titanic[1].

    The ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was the reason behind his change in appearance. His Chaos Demon Ape form was now much stronger thanks to the power of the Earthly Sovereign.

    Ye Qing was like an unstoppable flood after he transformed into Chaos Demon Ape. Overwhelming and indomitable, he crushed anything and everything standing in his path into itsy bitsy pieces.

    In response, a water giant roared at the top of its lungs and struck the ground with its four arms.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The soppy ground within a hundred meters of the center of impact exploded into a deep pit and sent an avnche of soil and water straight toward Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing did not slow down. Every time he took a step, his aura would grow just a little denser. By the time the avnche was right in front of him, his energies had reached its peak, rapid as a flood and heavy as a mountain.

    Every time he took a step, the Anomaly would shake like it was struck by a megathrust earthquake. His shoulders could knock over the heavens, and his footsteps could be felt throughout the nine provinces.

    The avnche exploded into smithereens before it even hit Ye Qing. Then, Ye Qing mmed his shoulder into the water giant.

    The oue came as no surprise whatsoever. The water giant exploded into nothing without a sound.

    Ye Qing sessfully broke out of the encirclement, but this was just the beginning. Relentless, the Lord of Eternal Rain chased after him with unending fury.

    Ye Qing¡¯s yell resounded throughout the Anomaly, ¡°Chen Cang! You son of a whore!¡±

    ......

    There was an unmarked cemetery about five kilometers south from the Marsh of Eternal Rain. It was where the unfortunate victims who tried to cross through the marsnd and died were buried.

    It was also why people named it the Rain Cemetery.

    Despite its name, it wasn¡¯t raining at the Rain Cemetery right now. In fact, it was bright and sunny. Rocks and the asional human bones were strewn haphazardly across the plot. It looked both lonely and deste.

    <i>Rustle... rustle...</i>

    It was at this moment a rustling noise suddenly came from a grave. It sounded like insects chewing on a leaf or someone scratching the earth with bare hands. Considering that this was an unmarked cemetery without a soul in sight, it was an eerie, inescapable noise to say the least.

    A few breathster, the rustling noise abruptly ceased, and for a moment, it looked like silence had returned to the cemetery.

    Then, a loud crack shattered the short-lived silence. A pale, skinny hand had burst out of the grave where the strange rustling noise hade from.

    A woman climbed out of the grave. She looked deathly pale and lifeless. Anyone could tell that she had been dead for some time.

    In a world full of anomalies, it was hardly surprising that the dead could move. What was strange was the fact that the dead woman gave off no yin qi or evil feeling whatsoever. It meant that she wasn¡¯t a zombie or even a Stranger.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the woman¡¯s belly was unnaturally swollen. It was as if she was ten months pregnant.

    <i>Thump... thump... thump...</i>

    A short while after the woman climbed out of her grave, her belly suddenly started beating with a slow, steady rhythm. It was as if a lifeform was growing inside her stomach.

    The woman¡¯s stomach grew bigger and bigger until finally, it burst open in a shower of blood. Then, an infant slowly crawled out of her belly.

    The woman withered rapidly as soon as the infant was out. On the other hand, the infant was growing at an unbelievable rate.

    In the end, the baby had turned into Chen Cang.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Chen Cang coughed weakly. Right now, his face was as white as a sheet, and his hair was grayish white as if he had aged an entire decade. His cultivation was fluctuating up and down betweente-stage Spirit Master stage and Trueman stage as well.

    Chen Cang hurriedly produced a pill and swallowed it. Some timeter, when his cultivation level finally stabilized at the Trueman stage, the swordsman finally let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Ye Qing... what on earth is that fist art?¡±

    To say that he suffered tremendous losses during this mission would still be an understatement. Despite all his plotting and preparation, he still failed to kill Ye Qing and took a grievous blow in return.

    The strange art he used just now was a Swordsgrave exclusive secret art called the Pregnant Soul Reincarnation Art.

    The Pregnant Soul Reincarnation Art was a lifesaving art that required a scapegoat. First, the practitioner must seek out a woman who was ten months pregnant and inject a wisp of their soul into her unborn child[2]. It would take over the unborn child¡¯s body. After that, the pregnant woman was buried alive inside a grave so that her flesh wouldn¡¯t decay, and her life wasn¡¯t lost.

    With this, the preparations wereplete. If the practitioner¡¯s true body was killed for whatever reason, they could be reborn through the unborn child¡¯s body and soul.

    The Pregnant Soul Reincarnation Art was incredibly useful. It was basically a second life for the practitioner. However, it was also an unbelievably cruel art that required the sacrifice of a pregnant woman and an infant to execute.

    The rebirth wasn¡¯t perfect either. The practitioner faced massive seque were they forced to activate the Pregnant Soul Reincarnation Art.

    For one, splitting out a wisp of one¡¯s soul did massive damage to a warrior¡¯s mind. Second, executing the Pregnant Soul Reincarnation Art cost them their lifespan and an entire cultivation level. That was why Chen Cang¡¯s aura was fluctuating rapidly between Trueman stage and Spirit Master stage earlier.

    Luckily for Chen Cang, he had prepared a pill that could stabilize his cultivation level beforehand. Otherwise, he was almost certainly going to fall back to the Spirit Master stage, and he would have to put in multiple times the time and effort to re-enter the Trueman stage.

    He hadn¡¯t nned to use this failsafe at the beginning. It was right before they were about to execute the n that the idea suddenly urred to him, and he decided to set it into motion just in case. And thank goodness he did, because he would be dead otherwise. Ye Qing¡¯s final punch had inflicted true terror and the certainty of death upon him before it annihted his original body.

    1. This is 100% super saiyan form lol. ?

    2. Getting pregnant in this world is practically half a curse lol. ?

 Chapter 848: Extraordinary Items from Each of the Five Phases

    <h4>Chapter 848: Extraordinary Items from Each of the Five Phases </h4>

    ¡°Keke... so what if you¡¯re strong? You¡¯re still dancing in my palm!¡±

    Chen Cang coughed a couple more times before ncing in the direction of the Marsh of Eternal Rain. Although his current location was five or so kilometers away from the marsnd, he could still feel the anger and shes emanating from within the Anomaly. A cruel smile spread across his pale face.

    If there was one w with his backup n, it was that the Lord of Eternal Rain probably wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Ye Qing. Although the Lord of Eternal Rain was powerful¡ªin fact, one might say that it was on par with a Sage¡ªit had two massive and irreparable ws. One, it had no intelligence. Two, it could not leave the Marsh of Eternal Rain. If Ye Qing managed to escape the Anomaly, then the Lord of Eternal Rain would stop chasing no matter how furious it was.

    There was no chance in hell Ye Qing would ever be able to defeat the Lord of Eternal Rain. But escape? That was a different story. At most, the Lord of Eternal Rain would give Ye Qing a bruise or two. In the end, the young man was almost certainly going to make an escape.

    In fact, the backup n was not meant to kill Ye Qing. It was insurance in case he failed to kill Ye Qing, and his nemesis was healthy enough toe after him. He was going to dy Ye Qing with the Lord of Eternal Rain while he made his escape.

    Sure, he did not <i>need </i>to run since he possessed a second life thanks to the Pregnant Soul Reincarnation Art, but its seque were so severe that he would rather not activate it if at all possible.

    Unfortunately, the bestid ns of mice and men often went awry. Ye Qing was even stronger than he expected, and his nemesis managed to kill him before he could even begin to run. His backup n still worked, but it came at a terrible cost to himself with no actual gain.

    That was fine though. After all, his trump card had always been Xiang Weilong and the Dragonmount Duke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ye Qing. The show has just begun.¡±

    Chen Cang let out a cold chuckle and finally left the cemetery.

    ......

    <i>Bang!</i>

    A man fell from the sky and hit the ground like a meteor, kicking up a ton of dust and smoke.

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Cough...¡±

    A few breaths and a series of violent coughster, the man finally crawled out of the deep pit he created. His face was swollen, and he looked dirty and disheveled.

    ¡°Phew... I finally got out of that hellhole. It wasn¡¯t easy!¡± The man let out a long sigh after wiping away the blood on his lips.

    He was, of course, ye Qing.

    Why did he fall from the sky? Because the Lord of Eternal Rain had punched him in the back.

    The Lord of Eternal Rain was a stupidly annoying foe. Not only was it powerful, it was unkible and endless, not to mention that the marsnd itself was conspiring to kill him. It was no exaggeration to say that he had to give everything he got for every inch of ground.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Feng Qingyou had suffered a grievous blow thanks to Nefarious Codger¡¯s Soul Ender earlier. She managed to escape the battlefield using a secret art earlier, but she had chosen to stay behind just in case he needed her help. That proved to be a mistake when Chen Cang, that <i>asshole</i>, killed the Rain People and awakened the Lord of Eternal Rain from its slumber.

    The Lord of Eternal Rain¡¯s wrath spared no one. Once it awakened, it would kill every living being in the marsnd. There was a real chance that Feng Qingyou might be caught up in its rampage and killed if he left the marsnd too quickly.

    That was why Ye Qing purposely wasted time here and there and even enraged the Lord of Eternal Rain further by killing the Rain People, buying time for Feng Qingyou to escape. He seeded, but almost wished he didn¡¯t. To say that the piece of shit snapped at his heels like a mad dog would be an understatement. If he hadn¡¯t practiced the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± and be at least twice as sturdy as before, he might not have walked away from the Marsh of Eternal Rain alive.

    ¡°Ow... that fucker didn¡¯t hold back at all.¡±

    Ye Qing gasped when he identally touched a sore spot on his face. He was alive, but god did it hurt like hell.

    After taking a moment to collect himself, Ye Qing wiped away the dirt on his person and channeled his vigor. His swollen face quickly returned to normal after that. Then, he took off in Feng Qingyou¡¯s direction in a hurry.

    When Ye Qing reached her, he saw that Feng Qingyou was sleeping with her eyes closed. A bubble of deep, dark energyposed of multipleyers of space surrounded her. She both looked like she was right in front of him and infinitely distant somehow.

    When Ye Qing got close, Feng Qingyou opened her eyes and gave him a weak smile. ¡°You came, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m here.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart ached at her frail appearance. ¡°Are you alright, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said smilingly, ¡°Your Earthly Sovereign Bell eliminated most of the contaminants, and the remnants are under control. It is only a matter of time before I remove it all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that.¡± Ye Qing let out a deep sigh of relief.

    Despite what Feng Qingyou said, he knew it wasn¡¯t easy. After all, he had seen just how badly the soul poison had eroded her mind and spirit with his own eyes. Even if the soil poison was mostly removed, there was no changing the fact that her mind and spirit had suffered a huge blow, and such an injury was difficult to heal even for a warrior.

    Still, he had to look at the silver lining. So long as she was stable, it was only a matter of time before she recovered in full.

    Ye Qing bowed his head and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m the one that bastard wanted, but you¡¯re the one who suffered the brunt of his ambush. I swear I¡¯ll make it up to you one day!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. We are close friends, are we not?¡± Feng Qingyou smiled again. ¡°Speaking of which, I recognize two of the warriors who attacked you earlier. I believe they¡¯re Nefarious Codger and Tyrant Bow. However, you have only recentlye to Yan, and I don¡¯t believe you have crossed paths with them before. Why did they try to kill you?¡±

    ¡°You are correct. They are Nefarious Codger and Tyrant Bow,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°However, they¡¯re just the hiredckeys. The true mastermind is a man named Chen Cang. He was an enemy I made back when I was in Luo Shui.¡±

    ¡°Chen Cang?¡± Feng Qingyou prodded, ¡°Can you give me the details?¡±

    ¡°Sure. it¡¯s like this...¡±

    Ye Qing proceeded to recount in detail the conflict between Chen Cang and him, as well as the swordsman¡¯s conspiracy and calctions.

    ¡°What a shrewd, formidable man,¡± Feng Qingyouplimented Chen Cang when he was done speaking. ¡°If you were anyone else, his vengeance would have beenplete. Unfortunately for him, he targeted the wrong foe.¡±

    In fact, Chen Cang¡¯s n was wless. The only problem was that the subject of his ire, Ye Qing, possessed unparalleled fortune. He could topple any man, but not even he could overturn fate.

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely a character,¡± Ye Qing sighed. Chen Cang might be his enemy, but that was no reason to downy his excellence.

    Then, heunched into an angry tirade, ¡°That piece of fuck! He¡¯s already dead, and he still managed to dump a massive bomb into myp!¡±

    The mere thought of the Dragonmount Duke made Ye Qing feel like grabbing his head and groan.

    ¡°The Dragonmount Duke is definitely a problem.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded in agreement. ¡°He is a heartless, ruthless man who does not take to slights kindly, much less the murder of his only son. Worse, his forces are numerous and everywhere. If he manages to find us, then it will be a pain to try and shake him off.¡±

    ¡°Luckily for us, the Dragonmount Duke is also incredibly prideful. Barring exceptional circumstances, he would note after us in person, so in the short term, we should be fine so long as we act with caution.¡±

    ¡°While we still have time, I want you to collect a couple items for me, Joyless. They will help recover my injuries and, with luck, even improve my cultivation further. So long as I am recovered, we should have a fighting chance even if the Dragonmount Dukees after us himself.¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Ye Qing asked immediately. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted her to recover as soon as possible so that he wouldn¡¯t be helpless against the Dragonmount Duke. He would do anything to heal Feng Qingyou even if that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°The items I need aren¡¯t particrly valuable, but they are very rare.¡±

    Feng Qingyou began, ¡°I need a Finger Ring Metal, Lightning Struck Wood, Endlessly Durable Water, Thousand Frost Fire, and Dustless Earth.¡±

    ¡°I know what a Finger Ring Metal and Lightning Struck Wood is, but what is an Endlessly Durable Water, Thousand Frost Fire, and Dustless Earth?¡± Ye Qing asked with a frown.

    Therge majority of metals in the world were tough and solid. However, a Finger Ring Metal was a unique metal that was as soft and flexible as silk, so much so that one could weave it into rings around one¡¯s finger. Hence the name. It was also unnaturally durable and very resistant to sh damage.

    As for Lightning Struck Wood, it was exactly what it sounded like. It was a piece of wood that was struck by lightning, but did notbust into mes from the reaction.

    As Feng Qingyou said, neither items were particrly valuable, but they were incredibly rare. It was because neither a metal that was soft as silk nor a piece of wood that was struck by lightning was something a person might need barring extremely niche situations.

    As for the Endlessly Durable Water, Thousand Frost Fire, and Dustless Earth, he knew absolutely nothing about them.

 Chapter 849: True Dragon in Fire Dragon Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 849: True Dragon in Fire Dragon Mountain </h4>

    ¡°The Endlessly Durable Water is a type of water, but it is tougher than steel and harder than stone. They call it water that isparable to metal. Hence, the people call it the Endlessly Durable Water.¡±

    Feng Qingyou continued her exnation, ¡°The Thousand Frost Fire is an icy fire. Fire is hot, but the Thousand Frost Fire is colder than even thousand-year ice. It freezes anything it makes contact with burns the mind.¡±

    ¡°Finally, the Dustless Earth is an extremely rare type of soil. Earth is one of the elements in the Five Phases, and as you are well aware, earth is heavy and dense. However, the Dustless Earth is as light as a feather. Assuming there exists a mountain range that ispletely made up of Dustless Earth, it is still only as heavy as a speck of dust.¡±

    ¡°The dust in our world is heavy, and it is only a matter of quantity before it bes heavy. However, the Dustless Earth defies that naturalw. That is why the people call it the Dustless Earth or alternatively, the Sinkless Earth. Both refer to a type of soil that possesses no weight whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°Do such items really exist in this world?¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but raise an incredulous eyebrow when he listened to Feng Qingyou until the end. Sure, this world was big and endlessly strange, but still, some of the items she described still sounded too farfetched to exist.

    <i>I don¡¯t read many books. If you trick me, the guilt is on your conscience!</i>

    ¡°Of course they do.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°The Finger Ring Metal, Lightning Struck Wood, Endlessly Durable Water, Thousand Frost Fire, and Dustless Earth are all items that possess a pair of opposing elements. When put together, they either promote or suppress another element. In the case of a promotion, one will gain yin and yang. In the case of a suppression, one will gain yang and yin. Yin and yang are like one, and yang and yin eventually return to the origin; the nothing.¡±

    ¡°To put it in simpler terms, obtaining these five items will cure the soul poison, heal my mental injuries, and assist me in understanding the miracles of yin and yang and the truths of Primal Chaos.¡±

    ¡°No wonder they say that the world is a big and marvelous ce.¡± Ye Qing sighed before promising her. ¡°Just leave this to me. I¡¯m the king of item collection.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. With the Annon Sutra in his hand, there was nothing and no one in this world he couldn¡¯t find.

    ¡°I trust you,¡± Feng Qingyou replied simply. She did not ask how he nned to find the items. She simply smiled as if she had full confidence in him.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. Are you sure that Chen Cang is dead, Joyless?¡± Feng Qingyou suddenly changed the subject.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Ye Qing raised a curious eyebrow.

    Feng Qingyou replied indifferently, ¡°A man who cane up with such a scheme is usually well prepared and capable of nning three steps ahead. I don¡¯t think that such a man would perish this easily.¡±

    ¡°Haha, is that what you think?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Well, you¡¯re right. He is still alive.¡±

    ¡°Now, normally I would <i>hate </i>to leave a foe alive, but in this case, it¡¯s better for us.¡±

    ¡°Oh? It sounds like you already have a n,¡± Feng Qingyou said smilingly.

    A devilish smirk spread across his lips. ¡°Theoretically speaking, all truths in this world can be twisted by a silver tongue. He thought he could frame me, but who says I can¡¯t do the same?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you n to treat him to a taste of his own medicine. It is a good n.¡± Feng Qingyou figured out his n instantly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not all I¡¯m nning to do. I¡¯m going to make him bear the brunt of the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s attention and buy as much time for us as possible,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°That will not be easy,¡± Feng Qingyou pointed out.

    ¡°Again, don¡¯t worry. I already have a n!¡± Ye Qing dered confidently.

    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± Feng Qingyou returned a smile that warmed the spring wind.

    ......

    Fire Dragon Mountain was a tall mountain over hundreds of meters in height. It was also a barren wastnd devoid of nts and creatures. The only thing that existed here was a massive inferno that burned all year long.

    From time to time, what sounded like a draconic¡¯s roar would erupt from the mountains and intimidate everything within fifty kilometers of the mountain. That was why it was called the Fire Dragon Mountain.

    Today, a man and a woman arrived at the foot of Fire Dragon Mountain.

    The woman was tall, slender, and dressed in ck. She was also wearing a bronze half-face mask. Strangely, her exposed face was covered in ck dragon scales, and her eyes were vertical slits that resembled a reptile¡¯s, cold and emotionless. She was a Trueman.

    The man was a Half-Step Trueman, but he was dragging his feet behind the woman. His face was pale andpletely covered in sweat. It was impossible to say if his reaction was due to fear or the surrounding temperature.

    The woman sped her hands in salute and dered, ¡°Disciple Xin Mieqing (Burned Emotions) requests a meeting, master.¡±

    The man behind her hurriedly did the same and bent his back, his face carefully arranged into an expression of respectfulness and caution.

    One breath, ten breaths, a hundred breaths passed... but there was no response. The only sound that could be heard throughout the entire Fire Dragon Mountain was the mes. It was as if the woman had just wasted her breath, and there was presently no one on the mountain.

    Xin Mieqing paid it no heed, however. She maintained her posture without moving a muscle or showing any impatience on her face.

    Since Xin Mieqing wasn¡¯t moving, the man didn¡¯t dare to move either. He allowed his sweat to roll freely down his face and drench his shirt.

    A teatime or soter, something finally happened. Fire began rising from the peak of Fire Dragon Mountain.

    The next moment, a thick pir of mes shot into the sky and formed a gigantic, fiery cloud that seemed to blot out the heavens itself. It looked like it could crush an entire city and burn everything in an instant.

    The man was stunned to put it mildly. Just when he thought he would burn into a crisp, the fiery cloud abruptly stopped in its tracks. It churned for a bit before the humongous, gnarly head of a dragon emerged from the clouds.

    It was only now the man realized that the Fire Dragon Mountain wasn¡¯t a mountain at all. It was a dragon that was coiled up like a snake. It was just so big that anyone who didn¡¯t know the truth would think that it was a mountain.

    As the dragon¡¯s head approached, the earth shook incessantly, and draconic pressure so thick it felt like a tangible object pressed down on the world like a nket. Unable to withstand it, the man hit the ground with a thud and stayed there, trembling.

    ¡°Why have youe to me, Mieqing?¡± the dragon stared at the duo for a bit before asking. Its voice was so loud that it spread far, far into the horizon and cowered every living being who heard it.

    ¡°My apologies for disturbing your rest, master.¡± Xin Mieqing saluted the dragon and said, ¡°I have an urgent matter to report to you.¡±

    ¡°Did something happen to my son?¡± The dragon asked.

    ¡°Your wisdom knows no bounds, master. That is exactly correct.¡± Xin Mieqing said indifferently, ¡°Junior brother Weilong has been killed by someone.¡±

    ¡°I had been feeling strangely anxious for the past two days, almost as if something bad was about to happen. Now, I know that it is not just a feeling.¡±

    The dragon was none other than the Dragonmount Duke. At first nce, he did not seem saddened nor angered by Xiang Weilong¡¯s death. It was only by looking into the churning mes that one would realize the true depths of his fury and killing intent.

    ¡°Who is the one who killed my son?¡±

    ¡°It seems to be one Joyless Ye, a Grandmaster,¡± Xin Mieqing answered.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Dragonmount Duke pressed.

    ¡°Before junior brother Weilong left on his mission, he left behind a letter iming that a friend had invited him to intercept and kill Joyless Ye. However, he never returned. Even if Joyless Ye wasn¡¯t the one who slew him, the role he yed in junior brother Weilong¡¯s death cannot be overlooked[1],¡± Xin Mieqing replied.

    ¡°Where is the letter?¡± Dragonmount Duke asked.

    For the first time, the man on the ground spoke up with a tremor in his voice, ¡°It... it¡¯s with this humble one, my lord.¡±

    The man produced a letter from his shirt. As soon as he held it out, it automatically slipped out of his grasp and flew into the cloud of fire, burning into a crisp.

    ¡°Mm. This is definitely my son¡¯s handwriting.¡± Dragonmount Duke asked, ¡°And who are you?¡±

    The man stammered, ¡°I-I am the steward of Weilong Vi, Xiang Chong.¡±

    ¡°Were you the one who discovered this letter?¡± Dragonmount Duke asked.

    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± Xiang Chong said carefully, ¡°I found this letter while I was cleaning up his study.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Well done,¡± Dragonmount Duke praised him.

    ¡°T-Thank you, my lord,¡± Xiang Chong responded with a hint of astonishment and relief. He wasn¡¯t expecting to beplimented by the duke.

    s, he was relieved too soon. ¡°But why are you still alive when my son is dead?¡±

    ¡°W-What?¡±

    Dragonmount Duke looked down on Xiang Chong. ¡°You are his steward, but you failed to protect him. Since my son is dead, it is only right that you apany him in the afterlife, no?¡±

    ¡°N-No! Please! My lord! Mercy! Mer¡ª¡±

    Terrified, Xiang Chong dropped to his knees and begged for mercy. Unfortunately, it was useless. Dragonmount Duke opened his mouth and inhaled him before he could even finish pleading.

    Dragonmount Duke returned his attention to Xin Mieqing after swallowing Xiang Chong. ¡°Have you looked into the killer¡¯s background?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the investigation is alreadyplete. A body-tempering Grandmaster, Joyless Ye is a wanderer from Chu with no sect or n to call to his name. A few days ago, he cooperated with Wen Anran, disciple of the True Lord of the World, to y the three goddesses of Goddess City and kill Duanmu Longhua. He is quite the powerful warrior,¡± Xin Mieqing answered.

    ¡°Weilong must have coveted the treasures of Goddess City and tried to rob Joyless Ye. Unfortunately, he proved wanting and was killed for his troubles,¡± Dragonmount Duke deduced in an even tone.

    ¡°Your wisdom knows no bounds, master. That is correct,¡± Xin Mieqing responded.

    ¡°Greed is good, but greed that isn¡¯t backed by absolute power is foolishness.¡±

    Dragonmount Duke said coldly, ¡°Still, he is my son, and someone must pay for it. Mieqing, dere a Dragonmount Order andmand the <i>jianghu </i>to capture my son¡¯s killer¡ªdead or alive.¡±

    ¡°Those who instigated my son into action should die as well. My son is dead, so why should they stay alive?¡±

    ¡°Finally, kill everyone in Weilong Vi. My son must have a fitting burial.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, master.¡±

    1. Basically the same thing that happened with Chu Wangsun. ?

 Chapter 850: Reciprocating Dragonmount City

    <h4>Chapter 850: Reciprocating Dragonmount City </h4>

    ¡°Have you heard? The Dragonmount Duke¡¯s son is dead!¡±

    ¡°Who <i>hasn¡¯t </i>heard about it? The Dragonmount Duke himselfmanded that his son¡¯s killer were to be captured dead or alive. The entire <i>jianghu </i>is talking about it.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk... assuming the portrait is correct, Joyless Ye looks like a youngd, and yet he dares to kill the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s son? It¡¯s no wonder they say that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers!¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, Joyless Ye did the <i>jianghu </i>a service. Xiang Weilong is a tyrannical, innocent-ughtering viin who hasmitted every misdeed imaginable under the sun. A man like him is better off dead than alive.¡±

    ¡°Shh! Are you suicidal? Keep your voice down! Members of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance are crawling all over the ce! If they heard you, you¡¯re going to regret it!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Like I¡¯m scared of them. If they didn¡¯t want people to talk about it, then they shouldn¡¯t have allowed Xiang Weilong to do whatever he wanted in the first ce, no? Besides, all they have is numbers. It¡¯s been three days since the search began, and they haven¡¯t even so much as caught a whiff of Joyless Ye. You can practically feel the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance losing face by the second.¡±

    ¡°Hehe... that is true. ording to my sources, even the Stargazer and Moon-Moving Grandma of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, two Great Truemen and experts in astrology, divination and forecast, had decided to involve themselves in the matter. However, even they were unable to find a trace of Joyless Ye.¡±

    ¡°What do you think would happen if Joyless Ye somehow manages to escape?¡±

    ¡°What else? If I was the Dragonmount Duke, and my world famous Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was unable to catch even an independent wanderer, then I would crawl into a hole and hide there.¡±

    ¡°Sigh... that¡¯s a possibility that only exists in one¡¯s dream though. The Dragonmount Duke is a top elite on the Earth Champions Ranking, and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance is spread across the entire Yannan. Forget a nobody with no backer to call to their name, even a bigshot from the major ns or sects may not be able to escape his wrath.¡±

    ¡°A real shame, indeed. But I need to correct you about something. Joyless Ye may be nobody in the past, but that is no longer the case. He is the man who slew Duanmu Longhua and destroyed Goddess City, and now the killer of Xiang Weilong, Nefarious Codger and Tyrant Bow. They are all famous warriors on the Earth Champions Ranking, and his strength cannot be underestimated. These days, they¡¯re calling him the Chaos Demon Ape.¡±

    ¡°Chaos Demon Ape? Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? I heard that Joyless Ye practices a martial art called the ¡®Chaos Demon Ape Body Tempering Sutra¡¯, and he has already forged the Chaos Demon Ape Body. ording to the survivors of the Goddess Festival, Joyless Ye could apparently rip apart the goddesses with his bare hands and punch a hole in the city walls like nothing after transforming into the Chaos Demon Ape. Even if we assume that the rumors are exaggerated, there is no need to doubt his demonic might since the three goddesses and Duanmu Longhua are dead. That is why people start calling him the Chaos Demon Ape.¡±

    ¡°I am sure Joyless Ye would be named the next time the Earth Champions Ranking is updated. Not only that, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be ranked quite high. When the timees, he will transform from a nobody to a rising star that shines above everyone¡¯s head.¡±

    ¡°A damn shame he might not live until then.¡±

    ¡°I know. Truly, fate is a cruel and relentless mistress... anyway, enough talk. Let¡¯s drink.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Chaos Demon Ape, hmm? It¡¯s quite an impressive moniker, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    At the upper floors of the Jade Pendant Restaurant, Feng Qingyou teased Ye Qing while listening to the customers¡¯ discussions.

    ¡°I won¡¯t deny that, but if there¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t like about it, it¡¯s that it makes me sound like a terrible viin.¡±

    Ye Qing drank a cup of wine before sayingzily, ¡°Personally, I think Qing Emperor Junior is a better moniker for me. It sounds both impressive and cultured.¡±

    ¡°I disagree. For one, Chaos Demon Ape is a good name, and two, Qing Emperor Junior implies that you are beneath the Qing Emperor. You don¡¯t want that, do you?¡± said Feng Qingyou smilingly while tugging at the thick clothes she was wearing.

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m the junior now doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll remain the junior in the future.¡± Ye Qing chuckled while ncing at Feng Qingyou¡¯s thick attire. A hint of worry shed in his eyes.

    The Jade Pendant Restaurant was the best restaurant in Dragonmount City. It boasted nine floors and an array that ensured that the room temperature was always as warm as spring. However, Feng Qingyou¡¯s mind was wounded from the recent battle, so she was a lot more sensitive toward temperature than usual. Although the temperature was mildly warm, she had wrapped herself inyer uponyer of fabric to ward away the cold.

    Dragonmount City earned its name because it was directly tied to the Dragonmount Duke. It was the central headquarters of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance.

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had entered the city yesterday, and no, of course they hadn¡¯te to the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s central headquarter tomit suicide. They were here for business.

    One, Dragonmount City was one of the most prosperous cities in Yannan. The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s forces were scattered throughout Yan and involved both the orthodoxy and the unorthodoxy, the the Three Religions (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism) and Nine Schools (Confucians, Daoists, Yin-Yang, Legalists, Logicians, Mohists, Political Strategists, Eclectics, Agriculturists), the Four sses (schrs, farmers, artisans, and merchants) and more. Since Dragonmount City was their central headquarters, it was even busier and prosperous as a matter of course. One could even go as far as to say that it was the treasure under the heavens or the jewel of the four seas.

    The items necessary to treat Feng Qingyou¡¯s mental injuries¡ªthe Finger Ring Metal, Lightning Struck Wood, Endlessly Durable Water, Thousand Frost Fire, and Dustless Earth¡ªwere rare no matter the region. Collecting them would not be easy. Thankfully, a trade center such as Dragonmount City was the fastest and easiest way to gather them.

    This logic was supported by the Annon Sutra itself. It informed him that three of the five items they were looking for could be found within Dragonmount City.

    Two, they were here to deal with Chen Cang. It was against etiquette to not reciprocate. Since Chen Cang had so kindly given him two gifts, it was only right that he reciprocated the favor. He couldn¡¯t help that he was such a polite and cultured man.

    As for whether the Dragonmount Duke would discover their presence, he wasn¡¯t actually too worried about it. Sometimes, the most dangerous ce was the safest.

    The idiom was hardly umon, but the simpler the logic, the easier it was for someone to neglect it. This was what people called a blind spot.

    Of course, Ye Qing was aware that a blind spot could be a double-edged sword. If applied properly, then it could save the user and repel their enemies. If not, then it would just be suicide.

    Besides bravado, there was a reason he was confident enough to waltz right through the enemy¡¯s front gate, of course.

    Chen Cang was well-prepared for the day he turned into a wanted person. The bastard had shared most of the information he knew with the Dragonmount Duke and even given away a portrait of his appearance. It was why his face was currently stered on nearly every alley across countless cities. Hell, nearly every member of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance owned a portrait of his handsome face.

    However, one of the most critical skills of a <i>jianghu </i>warrior was the ability to disguise oneself. Forget changing one¡¯s face, one could not call themselves a <i>jianghu </i>warrior if they could not at least fake their height, body shape, or gender. As for the experts of this craft, their disguises weren¡¯t even limited to humans anymore. They could transform into nts, animals, and even insects if they so wished.

    Of course, neither he nor Feng Qingyou possessed the skill to disguise themselves as an insect. However, they could change their face, body shape and height. Once they changed their aura as well, no one could identify them.

    Most importantly, he was protected from divination by the Annon Sutra, and Feng Qingyou had her own ways of thwarting such methods. This cut off any hope of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance to find them in the short term, and why they dared to visit the Dragonmount City.

    That wasn¡¯t all. Once they carried out a certain n, they would be safer than ever before.

    ¡°That, I can believe.¡± Feng Qingyou replied with a smile.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ye Qing chuckled again. ¡°As thanks, allow me to treat you to a show.¡±

    ¡°A show?¡± Feng Qingyou furrowed her brow slightly. ¡°What show?¡±

    ¡°You will learn very soon.¡± Ye Qing purposely kept her in suspense. ¡°I promise it will be great.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± Feng Qingyou did not press him for an answer. She smiled again, though her expression was tinged with a hint of fatigue.

    The duo stopped talking after that. Ye Qing was looking outside the window as if he was waiting for something, while Feng Qingyou was leaning against the window frame and taking a small nap.

    This was another seque of mental damage. The warrior was narcoleptic and weaker than usual.

    ¡°It¡¯s begun.¡±

    Suddenly, the corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled into a devious smirk.

 Chapter 851: The Show Begins

    <h4>Chapter 851: The Show Begins </h4>

    The ninth floor of the Jade Pendant Restaurant was reserved for its best customers. It wasvishly decorated and equipped with any service and facility a guest might require.

    Right now, Chen Cang was lying inside a massive bathtub, naked.

    He wasn¡¯t soaking in hot water though. Instead, the bathtub was foggy and filled with countless pests such as snakes, worms, mice and ants. It was horrifying to say the least.

    Chen Cang¡¯s body was currently covered in countless cracks infused with sword qi. Every time a pest made the unfortunate mistake of crawling past one such crack, his sword qi would turn them into mincemeat and absorb their flesh and blood, slowly mending his wounds.

    An unknown amount of timeter, after his physical wounds werepletely healed, Chen Cang exhaled a puff of sword qi and opened his eyes. Then, he left the bathroom, sat down beside a table, and poured himself a cup of wine. He sipped his wine with a pleased look on his face while looking out of the window where countless armed men were running about carrying a portrait of Ye Qing in their hand.

    He was the one who kickstarted the manhunt for Ye Qing from behind the shadows, of course.

    For starters, he was the one who forged the letter Xiang Weilong had supposedly left behind at Weilong Vi. In order to avoid suspicion, he summarized Xiang Weilong¡¯s objective as sinctly as possible and only mentioned Ye Qing¡¯s name in the letter. He also made sure to write it in a way that fit Xiang Weilong¡¯s character as best he could. The detailed information regarding Ye Qing was spread through other channels.

    In fact, the best way to minimize mistakes was to minimize the amount of necessary work. All he needed to do was to convince Dragonmount Duke that Xiang Weilong was killed because he coveted the treasures Ye Qing obtained after sacking Goddess City, but failed because he was too weak. Dragonmount Duke was the kind of guy who would rather kill a hundred innocents than allow a slight to go unchecked. He would never let Ye Qing go even if it turned out that the young man wasn¡¯t the one who killed Xiang Weilong.

    As for him, he had intentionally enfeebled his presence in all the intel he leaked. The only ones who were aware of his role were Xiang Weilong, Nefarious Codger, Tyrant Bow and Ye Qing, and everyone except Ye Qing was dead. Sure, Ye Qing could reveal the truth and im that he, Sword Ghoul, was the true mastermind behind Xiang Weilong¡¯s death, but so what? To begin with, there was little chance that Dragonmount Duke would believe him. Even if he did, he was the kind of bastard who would say, ¡°My son is dead, so why should you live?¡± and kill him anyway.

    Finally, on the extremely miniscule chance that the Dragonmount Duke decided to let Ye Qing go for whatever reason ande after him instead, where would they even begin to track him down?

    Besides, the young man¡¯s presence in Yan was weak, and he must be busy hiding from the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s men right now. Where would he find the time to unveil his conspiracy?

    Did he even know that he, Chen Cang, was still alive?

    If not, then how could he possibly know that he was pulling the strings from the shadows?

    If Ye Qing was the fish, then he was the fisherman, one that Ye Qing didn¡¯t even know existed. All he needed to do was to sit in his ivory tower and just enjoy the beast¡¯s final struggle.

    If there was one thing he was disappointed about the current situation, it was the fact that the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance hadn¡¯t found Ye Qing yet. There was no hurry though. He was fishing after all. Everyone knows that patience was paramount when it came to fishing. Plus, wasn¡¯t part of the enjoyment watching the fish trying to hide from their hunters, ultimately getting caught in the fisherman¡¯s, struggling valiantly but futilely to break free, and finally sumbing to despair?

    ¡°Amusing. How amusing.¡±

    Chen Cang could not help butugh out loud when he thought until this point.

    ¡°Hmm? Who¡¯s there?¡±

    Suddenly, Chen Cang felt a couple of unfamiliar auras locking onto his person.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    As soon as the words left his mouth, the doors, the windows, and even the roof abruptly exploded into smithereens. Seven warriors raced into his room and surrounded him from all sides.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± Chen Cang was caughtpletely off guard by the sudden attack.

    ¡°Who are we? We know what you did, Sword Ghoul!¡± A Trueman wielding twin hooks sneered.

    Chen Cang¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard his monikering out of the Trueman¡¯s mouth, but he kept a tight rein over his emotions and responded calmly, ¡°I¡¯m not the Sword Ghoul. Did you get the wrong person?¡±

    ¡°Still trying to weasel your way out at this point?¡± The leader of the group sneered. ¡°It is bad enough that you plotted the death of my chief¡¯s son, but you even tried to dupe the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and use us as your butcher¡¯s knife. Do you really think we would be so easy to manipte[1].?¡±

    Chen Cang¡¯s heart sank when he heard the man¡¯s words, but he still did not give up and tried to defend himself, ¡°I truly do not understand what you guys are saying.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, eh? I¡¯m sure you will as soon as you watch this.¡± The man let out a cold chuckle and waved a talisman into existence. The talisman melted into a puddle of water, and a scene began ying inside the water.

    ¡°Flower Moon Reflection Talisman?¡± Chen Cang¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. At the same time, deep unease and fear began to well inside his heart.

    The next moment, his image and his voice appeared from the puddle.

    ......

    ¡°Cough... I admit that your strength is formidable, but just because you¡¯re strong doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re going to win, you know?¡±

    ¡°You are correct. They are useless. But even trash can be recycled, can it not? Do you know who Xiang Weilong is?¡±

    ¡°Never mind, I can tell from your oblivious expression that you have no idea, so I will enlighten you myself. Xiang Weilong is the head of the Weilong Vi, and his father is the infamous Dragonmount Duke.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who the Dragonmount Duke is? He¡¯s the chief of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance of Yannan¡¯s <i>wulin</i>, and Xiang Weilong is his only son. Pray tell, what are the chances he¡¯ll overlook the fact that you killed his only son? Hahaha...¡±

    ¡°You know, I was hoping to kill you with my own two hands, but you were just too powerful. So, just in case my first n failed, I came up with a backup n. Even if you haven¡¯t killed Xiang Weilong, I would¡¯ve taken him out for you. It won¡¯t be long before the Dragonmount Duke finds out that you¡¯re the one who killed Xiang Weilong. Do look forward to it.¡±

    ......

    Chen Cang¡¯s mind went nk as the scene in the puddle yed. This was his conversation with Ye Qing back at the Marsh of Eternal Snow, but he was the only one who appeared in the scene. Neither Ye Qing¡¯s silhouette nor voice were anywhere to be found.

    There were many Magia, secret arts, Strange Artifacts and talismans that possessed the ability to inscribe images and record voices such as the Image Capturing Flower, Tongue Learning Bird, Voice Transmitting Grass, Water Moon Spell, Round Mirror Art and more.

    The Flower Moon Reflection Talisman was one such talisman, and it could inscribe both voice and image within a certain period of time.

    Who did this?

    Suddenly, Chen Cang recalled Ye Qing¡¯s face when they were ridiculing each other. His expression had been one of scorn, ridicule, and disdain, almost as if he knew something Chen Cang didn¡¯t.

    <i>It was him. It can only be him.</i>

    If there was anyone who had the chance to record the conversation while it was ongoing, it could only be Ye Qing himself.

    The question was, how in the fuck did Ye Qing thought to record their conversation while they were fighting to the death?

    Was there a screw loose or ten in his head?

    ¡°What else do you have to say for yourself, Sword Ghoul?¡±

    The man wielding twin hooks noticed Chen Cang¡¯s expression and sneered. ¡°To think that a small fry like you dared to murder our chief¡¯s son and toy with the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. You must have been born with a humongous pair of balls, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this, Ye Qing. You got me good,¡± Chen Cang snarled under his breath.

    Because of this recording¡¯s existence, his conspiracy to kill Xiang Weilong and use the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance as his butcher¡¯s knife waspletely exposed. There was no longer any chance he might persuade anyone to ept his version of the truth.

    One thing still puzzled him, however. How on earth did the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance find him? He had changed his appearance, hid his aura, and even concealed his destiny using a Strange Artifact. It should be impossible for the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance to track him down.

    <i>Was it him? Was it he who leaked my location?</i>

    But that didn¡¯t make sense either. For one, Ye Qing must still think that he was dead. Even if he suspected that something was amiss, it still didn¡¯t exin how his nemesis was able to find him.

    Was there a master diviner in the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance then? One that could somehow circumvent his Strange Artifact¡¯s ability and unearth his hiding spot?

    Or maybe he made a mistake and slipped up somehow?

    He could not understand. He could not figure out the truth no matter how hard he thought.

    So, Chen Cang decided to find out the answer by asking the man in front of him, ¡°How did you find out that I am here?¡±

    1. Yes, yes you are easy to manipte. You¡¯re dancing to someone¡¯s tune right now. ?

 Chapter 852: Just You Wait, Ye Qing

    <h4>Chapter 852: Just You Wait, Ye Qing </h4>

    ¡°Hmph! For someone who¡¯s about to die, you sure have a lot of things to say. Unfortunately for you, we don¡¯t.¡± The man wielding twin hooks ordered impatiently, ¡°Get him!¡±

    Was the man really not a chatterbox? Of course he was. Otherwise, he would not have bothered speaking to Chen Cang at all and just attacked him. The problem was that he himself could not answer Chen Cang¡¯s question.

    This morning, he woke up and found the items ced at the head side of his bed. He was Ding Shengshui, Hallmaster of the Myriad Horse Hall, an outstanding Trueman of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, and the one they called the ¡°Hooks That Part¡± in the <i>jianghu, </i>and someone had somehow dropped a pile of items right next to his head without him noticing. It had been a frightening experience to say the least.

    All that fear melted to excitement when he saw the scene captured by the Flower Moon Reflection Talisman and read the letter that detailed exactly where Sword Ghoul was hiding, however. He immediately set out to capture the man.

    Did he ever suspect that Joyless Ye was the one behind the items and thought of capturing the man? Of course he did. The problem was that the man had proven himself strong enough to appear right next to his bed without triggering his senses. If Joyless Ye wanted to kill him, he could have done it as easily as snapping his fingers. With that in mind, how would he even begin to capture such a man?

    Rather than chasing after an unfathomably strong warrior whose hideout was stillpletely unknown to him, it seemed easier to just follow the instructions he was given and capture Sword Ghoul instead. Besides, assuming that the scene captured by the Flower Moon Reflection Talisman was real, Sword Ghoul was the true mastermind behind it all. Not only did he dare to trick Xiang Weilong, they were going to use the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance as his butcher¡¯s knife. If this incident was leaked, everyone would know that Sword Ghoul had yed them like a fiddle. Both the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would suffer a massive blow to their reputation.

    No matter how he looked at it, capturing Sword Ghoul, the mastermind behind it all, would earn him far more merit than capturing Ye Qing. Assuming he seeded, he would surely be able to show his face before Dragonmount Duke and obtain his recognition. He would surely soar to the peak of his life from then on.

    In summary, was Ye Qing anywhere near as valuable as the Sword Ghoul?

    Not even a little!

    So he came, and it turned out that the Sword Ghoul really was hiding at the exact spot that was mentioned in the letter.

    If this wasn¡¯t a free lunch, what was?

    If he did not seize his heaven-given-opportunity by the throat now, when was he ever going to do so?

    So, he gave the order. Everyone he brought immediately pounced toward Chen Cang like hungry beasts.

    ¡°Hmph... you think the likes of you can capture me?¡± Chen Cang hmphed imperiously and unleashed a vast amount of sword qi from his pores and bodily points.

    The letter might have mentioned Chen Cang¡¯s location, but it did not mention his skill and techniques at all. Caughtpletely off guard, several people were killed on the spot, while Ding Shengshui himself was driven back in an unsightly fashion. By the time he recovered, Chen Cang had transformed into a beam of light and burst out of the window.

    As soon as Chen Cang burst out of the window, countless arrows and hidden weapons shot toward him from every direction.

    A cyclone of sword qi danced around Chen Cang and blocked all the projectiles. Once the first wave was repelled, he moved his fingers like he was stroking a qin and retaliated with a shower of sword qi. Dozens of Myriad Horse Hall disciples failed to dodge out of harm¡¯s way and were skewered by the sword qi in no time. Cries of pain immediately filled the air.

    This was just the beginning though. More Myriad Horse Hall disciples were filing out of the streets and rooftops and forming an encirclement. Not only that, Ding Shengshui had burst out of the Jade Pendant Restaurant and swung his twin hooks at Chen Cang, severing space and breaking hearts.

    <i>¡°Heartbreaking Hook¡±</i>

    Chen Cang did not attempt to dodge the attack, however. He allowed ¡°Heartbreaking Hook¡± to pierce through his sword qi and leave a bone-deep wound behind his back. He used it to push himself faster into the crowd of Myriad Horse Hall disciples rushing toward him.

    What happened next could only be described as a massacre. Like a tiger loose in a pen of sheeps, he slew over half of the iing warriors and wet the streets red with their blood in just the blink of an eye. Not only that, he purposely escaped to locations with the most number of people, and wherever he traveled, walls crumbled, houses copsed, and cries of pain broke out like a neverending symphony.

    Chen Cang¡¯s goal was very simple. He wanted to create as much chaos as possible. It was the only way he could shake off Ding Shengshui and escape Dragonmount City before the true elites of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance showed up.

    There would be consequences for such wanton destruction, but so what? His n was exposed, and he was now the sworn enemy of the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. It wasn¡¯t like they would let him live if he minimized the amount of damage dealt as he made his escape, so why would he give a shit about preserving lives? If anything, the more damage he caused, the harder it would be for the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance to hunt him down.

    So, he let loose. If a human stood in his way, he slew the human. If a Buddha blocked his path, he slew them as well!

    When a Trueman stopped holding back, the amount of death and destruction they caused could only be described as catastrophic. Depending on the settlement¡¯s defense, they could level an entire county or evenmandery if they wanted to. Since Chen Cang was holding nothing back, scores of streets and countless more buildings were turned into rubble in an instant. Countless people were caught up in his rampage and killed.

    Naturally, Dragonmount City was in havoc right now.

    Chen Cang could afford to go on a rampage, but Ding Shengshui couldn¡¯t. Not only that, he had to make sure he didn¡¯t identally damage a property or kill one of his own. Because he could not go all out, he eventually lost track of Chen Cang. Some time after that, the swordsman broke out of Dragonmount City.

    ¡°This is your win, Ye Qing.¡±

    Beyond the city, Chen Cang wiped away the blood on the corner of his lips and cast a nce at the screeching, wailing city behind him. A snarl shed across his features for an instant before he turned away. His voice would linger in the air for a very long time.

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t lost yet. Just you wait, Ye Qing.¡±

    ......

    Inside the Jade Pendant Restaurant, Feng Qingyou looked out of the window at the ruined city and asked, ¡°Is this the show you wanted to show me, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded before asking, ¡°Do you think I was too cruel, Qingyou?¡±

    Chen Cang¡¯s rampage had surely cost Dragonmount City an unthinkable number of lives. As for the property and financial damage? He didn¡¯t even want to think about it.

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    Feng Qingyou gave him a small but pure smile. ¡°The <i>jianghu </i>is cruel, and you and I are but fishes in the <i>jianghu</i>. Naturally, we must adapt to its ways to survive.¡±

    ¡°Besides, Dragonmount City is the central headquarters of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. It is also where most of their factions both major and minor reside. Therge majority of these people are viins whose presence is nothing but harmful to the world, so why would I mourn their deaths? Why would you mourn them?¡±

    ¡°Right. Right.¡±

    A smile of relief peeked out of Ye Qing¡¯s features. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was worried or afraid of, but Feng Qingyou¡¯s words were exactly what he needed to hear.

    ¡°By the way, you knew that Chen Cang was hiding in this restaurant from the start, didn¡¯t you?¡± Feng Qingyou asked. She just could not believe that it was a coincidence no matter what.

    ¡°But of course!¡± Ye Qing replied with a proud grin.

    No matter how smart Chen Cang was, he could not possibly know that something as OP as the Annon Sutra existed. He could not know that he would never be able to escape even if he ran to the ends of the world, and he definitely could not know that the man of his dreams had been hiding just one literal floorboard away from him.

    ¡°When you went outst night, you were paying the Hallmaster of Myriad Horse Hall a visit, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Feng Qingyou did not ask how Ye Qing was able to locate Chen Cang. Instead, she asked something else she was curious about, ¡°From what I know, Ding Shengshui is a cunning, paranoid, and greedy man. How on earth did you manage to convince him that Chen Cang was the true culprit behind all this?¡±

    ¡°With this.¡±

    Ye Qing produced a Flower Moon Reflection Talisman from his Nature¡¯s Shell and handed it to Feng Qingyou. When she activated it and watched the scene until the end, she couldn¡¯t help but ask another question, ¡°When did you make this?¡±

    ¡°I activated it while I was conversing with Chen Cang.¡± Ye Qing snickered. ¡°I knew something wasn¡¯t quite right the second he opened his mouth. So, I activated the talisman just in case. The results were far better than I could have possibly hoped for.¡±

    This was a habit he picked up while he was still working at the Pacification Bureau. When a Pacification Sentinel was out patrolling or investigating a case, it wasmon for them to run into all sorts of Strangers or other dangers. Since there was no guarantee that they would survive, it was drilled into everyone to keep a handful of image or voice recording talismans, Strange Artifacts etc on their person at all times. If they were killed in action, at least they could leave behind clues that would be useful in tracking down the murderer, continuing the investigation, and more.

    That said, he hadn¡¯t used the Flower Moon Reflection Talisman when recording Chen Cang. It was because the activation of the talisman was pretty ¡°loud¡± per se and would almost certainly be detected by the swordsman. Instead, he used a Magia in the Magia Tree called the ¡°Lingering Honks of A Goose¡±.

 Chapter 853: If You Slap Someone, Make Sure It Hurts

    If a man¡¯s legacy was their fame, then a goose¡¯s legacy was their honks. The ¡°Lingering Honks of a Goose¡± could be activated without a trace and record a scene for a very long time.

    Of course, the Magia had its own weaknesses. First, it only worked if the person that was being recorded was very close. Second, it must continuously receive spiritual power and energy for the duration of the recording. Otherwise, the recording would cut off immediately.

    If Chen Cang wasn¡¯t such a show-off, then Ye Qing¡¯s n might not have worked. At the very least, it wouldn¡¯t be nearly as effective as it had been.

    Viin monologues were among the top three reasons a viin died no matter the genre. Some would even argue that it was the first!

    After that, Ye Qing spent a few Flower Moon Reflection Talismans to capture copies of the recording. He made sure to wipe any traces of his person and voice from the recordings, of course. The rest was history.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­¡±

    For the first time in a very long time, Feng Qingyou was speechless. Even she couldn¡¯t help but be incredulous at Ye Qing¡¯s actions. After all, what kind of <em>jianghu </em>warrior would think of recording in the middle of a battle?

    Life truly was a never-ending gift of surprises.

    A few secondster, Feng Qingyou finally mustered herself and shook her head wryly. ¡°You did well. With this recording, there is no chance Chen Cang would be able to persuade anyone to believe his version of the truth. I am very impressed by your machinations as well.¡±When Ye Qing told her that he was going to give Chen Cang a treat of his own medicine, she thought that he was nning to verbally spread the fact that Chen Cang was the one who tricked Xiang Weilong and set things up so that the Dragonmount Duke would act as his butcher¡¯s knife.

    Although this would definitely throw the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance off a little, there were two huge ws with this n. One, there was no evidence proving that Chen Cang was the one behind everything, and two, Chen Cang was nowhere to be found. The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would be distracted for a bit, but they would quickly turn their attention back to Ye Qing.

    It was apletely different story if there was proof, however. Yes, Ye Qing was still the murderer of Xiang Weilong, but Chen Cang was the one who plotted everything. He was the sonuvabitch who had tried to y them all like a fiddle. Combine this with the havoc he just caused in order to escape from Dragonmount City, and the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would surely hunt him to the ends of the earth.

    In other words, capturing Chen Cang was now their primary objective. Ye Qing was still a key target, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as high value as he was before.

    ¡°There was no way Myriad Horse Hall and Ding Shengshui could have apprehended Chen Cang.¡± Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°That is why you chose them, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I did. Chen Cang can¡¯t die yet, not while he was still useful to us.¡±

    Ye Qing had definitely informed Ding Shengshui and only Ding Shengshui the truth on purpose. It was to magnify the amount of destruction Chen Cang could cause and ensure his escape from Dragonmount City.

    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of picking the weakest link, however. In fact, it had taken him a long consideration before he finally settled on Ding Shengshui. One, Ding Shengshui was not strong enough to kill Chen Cang, but just strong enough to force him to go all out. Two, Ding Shengshui was infamously greedy. Ye Qing knew from his research that the hallmaster would want to hoard all the merit to himself and so would not try to inform his superiors or ask for backup. He woulde to apprehend Chen Cang with him and his men alone, and he was right.

    Thanks to his careful selection, things went exactly as he had predicted: Chen Cang was forced to go all out and cause an incredible amount of damage to Dragonmount City. However, his pursuers weren¡¯t strong enough to apprehend him, and so he was ultimately able to escape.

    He wanted Chen Cang dead as a matter of course. It just wasn¡¯t the right time yet.

    If Chen Cang was caught by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, then they would immediately turn their attention to him and Feng Qingyou. Their n to use Chen Cang to buy themselves time would have gone up in mes.

    Chen Cang must stay alive so that he could distract the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance to the maximum degree. He must keep them so busy that they had no choice but to overlook him temporarily.

    The reason he needed Chen Cang to wreak havoc in Dragonmount City was to p the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s face and drag their reputation through the mud, of course.

    What would people think if they learned that a nobody had yed the famous Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance like a fiddle? Not only that, that same nobody had caused an untold amount of death and destruction in their central headquarters, <em>and </em>he was able to escape after the fact?

    Calling it a facepping would be an understatement. It was more akin to mopping the floor with their face.

    For now, the incident was still contained within Dragonmount City, but what if the news was spread to the rest of the <em>jianghu</em>? Who could treat the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance seriously after that?

    With this, Chen Cang would be the thorn in their side; the nail in their eyes they must remove no matter what. They would go after him like he had massacred their whole family.

    Ye Qing? Ye Qing who?

    This was why he went through all the trouble to set up Chen Cang.

    Suddenly, Feng Qingyou interrupted, ¡°Your n is good, but you didn¡¯t go far enough, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t p the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance hard enough,¡± Feng Qingyou rified.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Ye Qing voiced his puzzlement. He was already wiping the floor with the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s face. How much further must he go for it to be ¡°enough¡±?

    ¡°Chen Cang has surely earned the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s eternal ire considering everything he did, but this incident is still contained within Dragonmount City. They still have the leeway to cover up their shame by locking down the city and preventing the truth from spreading. Not only that, the Dragonmount Duke would surely put two and two together and figure out that you¡¯re the one behind this incident.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that the Dragonmount Duke might intensify his search for you in order to silence you and cover up their shame permanently. If you leave things be, there is a good chance your n might actually backfire against us.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is a definite possibility.¡±

    Ye Qing admitted after listening to Feng Qingyou until the end. He had overlooked the fact that there was nothing a person of the <em>jianghu </em>valued more than their face; their dignity. They would do anything and everything to defend it. ¡°What should I do then?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to p someone, make sure it hurts. If you¡¯re going to do something, make sure that it¡¯s done perfectly.¡±

    Feng Qingyou let out a small cough before continuing, ¡°While the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance still hasn¡¯t locked down the city, we must spread Chen Cang¡¯s conspiracy and what he did today to the entire <em>jianghu</em>. We must rip off their loincloth and bare their shame to the entire realm.¡±

    ¡°This way, the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would loathe you to the bones, but they would have no choice but to devote all their time and effort into hunting down Chen Cang as soon as possible. Otherwise, they would be known as the weaklings who couldn¡¯t even execute the mastermind who yed them like a fiddle and made a mess of their central headquarters in a swift and timely manner. They would be theughingstock of the entire <em>jianghu</em>.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! That makes sense!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s not all we can do either. We can inform the Dragonmount Duke about Chen Cang¡¯s whereabouts every few days so that their attention would always be on Chen Cang. This would prevent them from getting frustrated and choosing to vent their ire on us instead.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be wise.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded in agreement.

    Chen Cang was a Trueman and a disciple of Swordsgrave. With his skill and knowledge, it was uncertain if the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance could find him even if they devote all their time and manpower into the effort, at least for the short term. If it took longer than expected to find Chen Cang, it was possible that the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would lose their cool and go after them instead.

    On the other hand, if the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance could consistently discover Chen Cang¡¯s whereabouts, then they would not be tempted to split their focus. Until Chen Cang was captured, he and Feng Qingyou would be safe and secure.

    As for how Ye Qing was going to locate Chen Cang, Feng Qingyou didn¡¯t ask. He was the one who made the suggestion, so he must have a way to pull off the feat.

    ¡°Fight hard, Chen Cang. Don¡¯t give up until you¡¯ve drawn yourst breath.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and let out a devious chuckle. The longer Chen Cang held on, the more time he and Feng Qingyou would gain.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to waste, so I¡¯ll get to it right away.¡±

    After bidding Feng Qingyou goodbye, Ye Qing left the room and disappeared into the crowd.

 Chapter 854: Success

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to impress you upon the value of the intel you received, so I¡¯m just going to ask you this: why did you act on your own instead of reporting this to me or the chief at first notice, Ding Shengshui?¡±

    At the Dragonmount Manor, Xin Meiqing was questioning Ding Shengshui with an icy look in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Vice Chief Xin. I can only beg for your forgiveness,¡± Ding Shengshui replied while cold sweat poured profusely down his forehead.

    Xin Mieqing wasn¡¯t yelling in anger, and her tone was remarkably steady considering the issue they were discussing. However, Ding Shengshui felt as cold as a prisoner with a guillotine hanging above his neck, afraid of drawing even arge breath.

    Xin Mieqing might be a young woman, but she was the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s chief disciple. Not only was she powerful beyond measure, she was as heartless and cruel as her name implied. She was the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s right hand, and the things she did to expand her master¡¯s influence and exterminate those who opposed them could only be described as tyrannical. There was nothing she wouldn¡¯t do; no one she wouldn¡¯t kill in order to achieve her goals. The number of people she had directly killed was countless, and the people she indirectly killed even more so. As a result, she wasn¡¯t just feared by the enemies of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, she was feared by her own men as well, so much so that they called her the ¡°Heartless One¡± behind her back.

    Besides that, Xin Mieqing was the vice chief of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. He might be a Trueman and a Hallmaster, but Xin Meiqing, second only to the Dragonmount Duke himself in terms of authority, could snuff him out easier than an ant if she really wanted to.

    ¡°I did wonder if I should report this as soon as I received the intel, but I was worried that the killer would be gone if I did not mobilize immediately, and because¡­ I was greedy. I understand that I had unwittingly allowed the killer to escape and even cause a mess in Dragonmount City, and I understand that my sins are grave. All I ask is that you give me another chance.¡±

    ¡°If you would allow me to redeem myself, I promise that I will do everything in my power to capture the true killer!¡±

    ¡°And how are you going to capture him, exactly?¡± Xin Mieqing asked.¡°What?¡± Ding Shengshui did not ask why she was asking the obvious, but he answered, ¡°I would mobilize the entire alliance to capture the Sword Ghoul and take revenge for the chief¡¯s son, of course.¡±

    ¡°Foolish!¡± But Xin Mieqing shut down his idea ruthlessly. ¡°You still don¡¯t understand the severity of the situation, do you?¡±

    Ding Shengshui asked carefully, ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Vice Chief Xin. Please enlighten me.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s just a matter of capturing the killer? Have you considered what would happen if you went after him with such fanfare?¡±

    Xin Mieqing exined in an indifferent tone, ¡°We can infer from the killer¡¯s actions that he cares nothing for the chief¡¯s or the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s dignity. He is a man who would not hesitate to drag our reputation through the mud if it serves his goal.:

    ¡°If you were able to capture him at first notice, then it would have been fine. His death would have served as a fine example for those who thinks they could outsmart us. The problem is, you failed. Not only that, you allowed him to escape from our central headquarters. If this matter is exposed, the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s face would be dragged through the mud. We would be theughingstock of the <em>jianghu</em>, and no one would ever look at us the same way again. That is the ludicrous situation your thoughtless action would have caused.¡±

    Ding Shengshui gulped when he listened to the end. His entire back was drenched in cold sweat because of it.

    ¡°Unbelievable. You really haven¡¯t thought this through at all.¡±

    Xin Mieqing¡¯s voice suddenly turned grave. ¡°You had not considered the consequences of your actions for even a second, and you dared to go after the killer with the fanfare you did? Do you want the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance to lose face? Or do you think we need a trial by fire or two because things have been peaceful for too long?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! There is no way I would want such a thing!¡± Ding Shengshui hurriedly spoke up. ¡°I apologize deeply for my thoughtlessness, Vice Chief Xin. I beg for your forgiveness.¡±

    After waiting for a second and finding no anger in Xin Mieqing¡¯s expression, Ding Shengshui asked carefully, ¡°So, what should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Our first order of priority is to suppress the news and minimize the damage as much as possible. No one must learn of the truth or even the fact that the Sword Ghoul is involved,¡± Xin Mieqing dered.

    ¡°In that case¡­ are we still going to capture Sword Ghoul?¡± Ding Shengshui asked.

    ¡°Of course. Not only are we going to capture him, we need to do it as quickly as possible.¡± Xin Mieqing said coldly, ¡°The bastard dared to kill the chief¡¯s son and tarnish our reputation. He must pay for what he¡¯s done¡ªbut in secret. As I¡¯ve said, no one must learn about this.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Ding Shegshui hesitated for a moment before speaking up, ¡°I have one more question to ask, Vice Chief Xin, if that is eptable¡­¡±

    ¡°Ask away,¡± Xin Mieqing replied shortly.

    ¡°Vice Chief Xin, I suspect that the one who informed me of Sword Ghoul¡¯s whereabouts is Joyless Ye,¡± Ding Shengshui said carefully.

    ¡°Remove the word ¡®suspect¡¯ from your mind. It can only be him,¡± Xin Mieqing dered with absolute certainty. Literally no one else would do such a thing except him.

    ¡°In that case¡­ What should we do with Joyless Ye?¡± Ding Shengshui asked.

    ¡°What else?¡± Xin Mieqing¡¯s brow furrowed into something dark and dangerous. ¡°He must die, of course. Not only that, we must do everything in our power to snuff out his life at first notice.¡±

    ¡°He knows everything. What will happen if he spreads the truth regarding Sword Ghoul?¡± Ding Shengshui asked worriedly.

    ¡°That is exactly why we must act first. We must kill him before he spreads the truth,¡± Xin Mieqing answered. ¡°That is not something you need to worry about though. I will deal with him myself.¡±

    ¡°In that case, the matter is as good as settled,¡± Ding Shengshui paid her apliment.

    ¡°Master!¡±

    Suddenly, someone barged into the inner hall. He was a handsome young man in his twenties with an evil air about him. He was Xin Mieqing¡¯s chief disciple, Miao Ai.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Xin Mieqing turned to look at him.

    ¡°Master, I just heard that the one who killed senior uncle Xiang was someone named Sword Ghoul, and that he even dared to use us to take revenge against his wrongdoer. Is that true?¡± Miao Ai reported.

    ¡°Where did you hear this?¡± Xin Mieqing¡¯s eyes darkened.

    <em>It looks like it¡¯s the truth</em>, Miao Ai thought as soon as he saw his master¡¯s reaction. He answered, ¡°Everywhere! It¡¯s the talk of the city right now!¡±

    ¡°T-The talk of the city?¡±

    Ding Shengshui copsed on his knees when he heard this. He could practically see his future dimming by the second.

    ¡°Speak clearly! Is it only inside the city, or has it spread to other ces?¡± Xin Mieqing demanded. Although she hadn¡¯t lost her cool like Ding Shengshui had, her urgent tone betrayed her true feelings.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just in Dragonmount City. It¡¯s spread to ck Desert City and Red Cloud City as well. In fact, I heard that the rumors had originated from ck Desert City!¡±

    Miao Ai shot Xin Mieqing a careful look before continuing, ¡°That¡¯s not all. ording to the rumors, the Sword Ghoul didn¡¯t just y us like a fiddle, he even wreaked havoc on our Dragonmount City and escaped afterward¡­¡±

    ¡°Vice Chief Xin, I¡¯ll mobilize the men and suppress the news this instant!¡± Ding Shengshui spoke up. He had to do something, or today would be hisst day as the Hallmaster of Myriad Horse Hall. Hell, it might even be thest day of his life.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote,¡± Xin Mieqing replied with her eyes closed. ¡°By the time you got to ck Desert and Red Cloud, the entire <em>jianghu </em>would have heard about this.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What should we do then?¡± Ding Shengshui asked.

    ¡°Since the truth has leaked, and the damage has already been done, there is no other option. We must capture Sword Ghoul as quickly as possible and publicly execute him. Only then can we rescue our reputation somewhat.¡±

    Xin Mieqing said calmly, ¡°Send word to the entire alliance. They are to drop everything and capture Sword Ghoul as quickly as possible, no matter the cost.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ What about Joyless Ye?¡± Ding Shengshui uttered through gritted teeth, ¡°He has to be the one who leaked the news. He cannot be allowed to get away scot free!¡±

    ¡°What is your n?¡± Xin Mieqing asked.

    Ding Shengshui answered, ¡°The news originated from ck Desert City, so he must still be there. I shall mobilize the men and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Foolish!¡± Xin Mieqing cut him off before he could finish. ¡°If you were him, would you linger in ck Desert City after leaking the news?¡±

    Ding Shengshui opened his mouth but could not formte a response.

    ¡°Now that the news is leaked, Joyless Ye is no longer a concern¡ªat least not now.¡± Xin Mieqing said coldly, ¡°As I already told you, our foremost priority right now is to capture Sword Ghoul, no matter the cost. Not only that, anyone who dares to assist him or stop us from capturing our quarry must be executed without question.¡±

    ¡°The world must know that the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s honor cannot be sullied, much less the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Ding Shengshui replied affirmatively before leaving together with Miao Ai to carry out his orders.

    ¡°Joyless Ye¡­ Do you really think you can escape judgment?¡±

    Xin Mieqing looked up at the sky. It was currently evening, so the sky was as red as blood. ¡°Anyone who dares to offend master must die!¡±

    ¡°They all must die!¡±

 Chapter 855: Mud Association

    ¡°As expected of the Mud Association. They did not disappoint.¡±

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were currently strolling on a street and watching the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance rushing here and there in a flurry. From time to time, they would hear someone talking about the Sword Ghoul and the <em>real </em>truth behind Xiang Weilong¡¯s death.

    The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance could not have known that the culprit behind the leak was right under their nose this whole time, touring their city at his leisure and enjoying their frantic activity.

    ¡°¡®The birds fly in the sky, the mud meets on the ground¡¯. If they couldn¡¯t do this much, they wouldn¡¯t dare to call themselves by this slogan,¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly.

    The Bird Gathering and the Mud Association were two mysterious organizations who made a living transmitting, spreading, and trading information in the <em>jianghu.</em>

    The difference between the duo was the method in which they performed their business. Bird Gathering used all sorts of tamed birds to transmit, scout, and spread information, whereas Mud Association used all sorts of tamed beasts to perform the same task. Hence the slogan.

    Besides that, the two organizations were mostly identical. They both had roots in nearly every part of the world, and their members came from all walks of life. A beggar on the street, a passerby on the street, a storyteller in a restaurant and so on could all be a part of the organization.

    Both Bird Gathering and Mud Association possessed their own unique methods ofmunication and channels. As a result, they were exceedingly well-informed and could often collect intel that were difficult for the average person to find out in just a short amount of time. They also possessed the ability to spread information to the farthest corners of the world in the shortest time possible. For example, if Warrior A wanted everyone in the world to know that Warrior B was a bedwetter and paid Bird Gathering the appropriate sum of money, the job would be done in a matter of hours at most.

    This was why Ye Qing went to the Mud Association as soon as he confirmed their action n. Everyone had their own specialty, and he was only one person. He knew that it was impossible for him to spread the news regarding Sword Ghoul to the entire <em>jianghu </em>within the timeframe he was given. Not only would the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance be able to shut down his efforts with ease, he would be giving away his location and his identity as well. It would be the stupidest way of doing things.Therefore, he decided to leave the task to the professionals and contacted the Mud Association. He then paid them arge sum of money to spread the news regarding Sword Ghoul to the entire <em>jianghu </em>of Yan in the shortest time possible.

    They lived up to his expectations. In just a matter of hours, every settlement around Dragonmount City learned that Sword Ghoul had tricked Xiang Weilong and manipted the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance to take his revenge for him. It was to the point where even the ordinary people were gossiping about it. Ye Qing was impressed to say the least.

    But of course, Ye Qing was also aware that information traders such as Mud Association and Bird Gathering answered to profit and only profit. As long as the price was appropriate, they would sell out even their own parents. In order to avoid the Mud Association leaking his whereabouts to his enemies or the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance determining the origin of the rumors and guessing that he was still hiding within their city, he went through the trouble of running all the way to ck Desert City¡ªthe settlement over fifty kilometers away from Dragonmount City¡ªbefore contacting the Mud Association about his business.

    Now, he would be safe even if the Mud Association leaked his whereabouts, or the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance found out the origin of the rumors. No one would know that he was hiding right under the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s nose.

    On a rted note, it only took him two hours to travel to and fro ck Desert City. What could you do? He was a body-tempering Grandmaster.

    <em>Flutter flutter¡­</em>

    Suddenly, the sky turned dark all of a sudden. When everyone looked up, they saw a banner rising from the Dragonmount Manor.

    The banner was square-shaped and blood red in color. A ck dragon surrounded by clouds was sewn on it. It looked both noble and dignified.

    The next moment, the banner swelled rapidly in size. It covered the sky of the entire Dragonmount City in just the blink of an eye.

    Right after that, the ck dragon on the banner abruptly came alive and flew out of the banner. Lightning struck, and a terrible aura enveloped the entire city as it circled around the sky.

    Then, a booming voice came from the ck dragon,

    ¡°Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, attention! Capture Sword Ghoul at all costs and without dy.¡±

    ¡°Anyone who supplies information regarding Sword Ghoul¡¯s location will be rewarded handsomely, and anyone who hides information or supports Sword Ghoul will be killed without question!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, attention! Capture Sword Ghoul at all costs and without dy.¡±

    ¡°Anyone who supplies information regarding Sword Ghoul¡¯s location will be rewarded handsomely, and anyone who hides information or supports Sword Ghoul will be killed without question!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s the Dragonmount Order. The rumors are true after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ Sword Ghoul just dragged the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance through the mud with his actions. No wonder they¡¯re so furious!¡±

    ¡°Not anyone can withstand the wrath of the Dragonmount Duke. This is going to be fun¡­¡±

    ¡°We should join in on the fun. If we can capture Sword Ghoul, then our fortunes will be changed forever.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are? Sword Ghoul is a man who taunted the Dragonmount Duke, turned the Dragonmount City upside down, and escaped to tell the tale. Are you sure you¡¯re not leading us to our deaths?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but everyone¡¯s gotten dogshit lucky at least once in their life, right? What if this is our chance?¡±

    ¡°As if! But¡­ I guess we wouldn¡¯t know if we don¡¯t try, so¡­ why not?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    After the banner in the sky faded away, the people in Dragonmount City immediately broke into murmurs of discussion. Some people were already hurrying toward the exit in hopes of getting dogshit lucky and capturing Sword Ghoul.

    At the same time, a bunch of shouts erupted from here and there.

    ¡°The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance is passing through! Get out of our way or be killed!¡±

    A few groups of warriors belonging to the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance passed through the area. Their expressions were solemn, and their behavior overbearing and tyrannical.

    As if everyone could sense the gravity of the situation, the atmosphere across the entire city grew heavy as well.

    ¡°It looks like our n is a sess.¡±

    Ye Qing crossed his arms in front of him and smiled as he watched the members of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance leaving the city in groups.

    ¡°For now, yes. It looks like everything is proceeding as it should be,¡± Feng Qingyou echoed in agreement. ¡°Now, it¡¯s all up to Chen Cang.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t disappoint us,¡± Ye Qing replied with a devious smirk.

    He had full confidence in Chen Cang¡¯s tenacity. After all, he was the man who survived the ghastly Swordsgrave and even his ¡°Break Hammer¡±. His will and ability to survive were nothing short of extraordinary. It was unlikely the man could hold on for two weeks or longer, but a week? That was entirely within his ability.

    Ye Qing suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°One question. Is that banner the so-called Dragonmount Order?¡±

 Chapter 856: Chen Cangâ€™s Response

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°¡®When the Dragonmount Order appears, Water and Land obeys.¡¯ The Dragonmount Order is the representation of the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s identity and will. If it appears, everyone serving the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance must obey it without question.¡±

    ¡°Besides that the Dragonmount Order is a powerful Strange Artifact. For starters, it can change its size at will and be as big as the sky, or as small as a seed. It can also be used to transmit information acrossrge distances in an instant like what we saw earlier. Finally, it can be used to seal off an entire space and make it impossible to traverse bynd and water. It is quite powerful.¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re going so far as to unleash the Dragonmount Order, I wonder if the Dragonmount Duke himself would take action.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose expectantly.

    ¡°It is unlikely. The Dragonmount Duke is the leader of the entire alliance. He wouldn¡¯t move unless he had to,¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly. ¡°In this case, he would only take action if the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance is unable to capture Chen Cang for an extended period of time.¡±

    ¡°Really now? I guess I have to lend Chen Cang a hand then.¡± Ye Qing snickered and rubbed his nose again.

    ¡°What are you plotting?¡± Feng Qingyou asked. One look at his eyes, and she knew that Ye Qing was plotting something again. She wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit that she looked forward to hearing his thoughts.

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°What else? I¡¯m gonna sprinkle a truth here, a lie there, and maybe a spoonful of half-truths and half-lies as well.¡±

    ¡°Ah! That would certainly cause the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance quite a bit of trouble.¡± Feng Qingyou immediately understood Ye Qing¡¯s meaning as if she and him shared one heart. The corners of her lips curled into a half-smile as she remarked, ¡°You¡¯re starting to resemble the courtiers who can flip the world upside down with just words and gestures more and more, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ I¡¯ll take that as apliment.¡±

    Ye Qing let out an uncaring chuckle before dering, ¡°It¡¯s Chen Cang¡¯s move now. Let us wait and see what he¡¯s going to do.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ they shouldn¡¯t be able to catch up to me this time, right?¡±

    A man suddenly burst out of a dark and rapid river and climbed with a gasp before swimming toward the rivershore. The bank was dirty and covered in smelly mud, but the man was so exhausted that he couldn¡¯t care less about hygiene right now. He just copsed on his back andy there for a long time, panting.

    The man was one other than Chen Cang.

    Right now, Chen Cang was deathly pale and wounded from head to toe. Some of his wounds were festering and swelling terribly as well. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, countless tiny Strangers with long mouths were crawling all over them his wounds and consuming the rotten flesh. They were as tiny as bugs, but they were numerous.

    Chen Cang did not stop them though. In fact, he looked relieved even though he was technically being eaten alive right now.

    The Strangers were called the Bug Fishes. A Malice-ss Stranger, it was a type of bug that was shaped like a fish. A Bug Fish was usually found in damp, lightless underground rivers like the one next to Chen Cang, and it fed on mud and rotten food.

    So, why didn¡¯t Chen Cang stop them from eating him alive? It was because he was using them to treat his festering wounds. Besides that, the Bug Fish was coated in some sort of slime that acted as an effective anesthesia and blood coagtor. In times of crisis, a Bug Fish could be used to treat one¡¯s wound and stop the pain and the bleeding. They were exactly what Chen Cang needed right now.

    But of course, this method should only be employed as ast resort. The Bug Fish could swim into one¡¯s internal organs,y eggs, and rapidly grow its numbers in just a short time. If they weren¡¯t dealt with in a timely manner, the victim would meet a gruesome end for sure.

    The most troublesome thing about the Bug Fish was that they were stupidly tenacious despite possessing pathetic offensive capabilities. This was doubly true after they invaded the human body. One mistake, and they would do far more harm than good.

    Chen Cang was well aware of the risks of treating himself using the Bug Fishes, but he had no choice. It had been five days since he escaped from Dragonmount City, and he had used every method he could think of to escape the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s pursuit. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was a miracle he managed toe this far, and he had long since run out of supplies. That was why he had no choice but to resort to such a treatment.

    After lying down for a bit and regaining a bit of strength, Chen Cang finally climbed to his feet and walked to a nearby crevice. Then, he fished out a Nature¡¯s Shell from the crevice, produced some rations, and gobbled them down like his life depended on it. It wasn¡¯t until he was done eating that he finally let out a sigh of relief and felt like he had truly returned to the living.

    It had been two days and night since he ate anything. He was so hungry that it felt like his chest and his back were sticking together. Normally, a Trueman could go months without eating or drinking, but he had been hunted almost non-stop by the elites of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance for the past couple days. Naturally, he was exhausted both in mind and body.

    The food, clothes, pills and other supplies stored within the Nature¡¯s Shell was an emergency supply kit he had prepared for himself beforehand. In fact, this underground river was one of his hideouts.

    No, it wasn¡¯t something he had prepared just in case his n ended in failure. It was a refuge he had prepared for himself a long, long time ago.

    Everyone in Swordsgrave was a madman or a madwoman, but they were also audacious, ruthless, and fearless. Most of all, they were outstanding survivors.

    Swordsgrave¡¯s training was cruel beyond imagination, and they couldn¡¯t care less about in-fighting. Combined with the fact that Swordsgrave warriors were audacious, anarchic, and prone to making trouble, they were chased by pursuers almost every day. That was why they were always prepared for the worst, and why they possessed a stupid amount of lifesaving measures.

    Since the day he saw Ye Qing at Goddess City, he had done an obscene amount of preparation. For example, he had prepared a Strange Artifact that could conceal him from divination, talismans that allowed him to travel an ungodly amount of distance in an instant, Magia that would block a fatal strike or two in his ce, hideouts where he could rest and hide from pursuers and so on.

    It was only thanks to his preparations that he was able to survive the hunt of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance for five days straight. This underground river was one of the measures he prepared and his greatest trump card.

    The entrance of this underground river was located at the bottom of ake. It was extremely well hidden and resistant to detection.

    The underground river easily stretched over tens of kilometers, and it had countless branches that led to heavens-know-where. It was also incredibly dangerous and rapid, which deterred even the most determined pursuers from exploring. While he couldn¡¯t im that it was absolutely safe in the long term, the chances that someone could locate him in this underground river in the short term was next to nil.

    Chen Cang had discovered this underground river byplete ident. When he realized just how excellent a hiding ce and refuge it was, he spared no effort to turn it into his greatest trump card. For example, he had hidden supplies in every safe sport of every branch of this underground river. If he ever ran out of supplies, he could simply swim over and retrieve them. Assuming that his hideout wasn¡¯t discovered, he could hide months or even years if necessary.

    He hadn¡¯t chosen a specific branch to follow after diving into the underground river. He had allowed the current to carry him to wherever it was going, so even he did not know exactly where he was right now. That was why he was certain that he was safe. There was no way the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance could track him to this location.

    ¡°I should hide here for a couple days at least.¡±

    After sating his hunger and thirst, Chen Cang proceeded to treat his wounds. Once done, he closed his eyes and fell into meditation.

    Two days passed in the blink of an eye. Finally, Chen Cang snapped out of his trance with renewed vigor in his eyes.

    After two whole days of rest, he had regained most of his spirit and stamina. Although his injuries weren¡¯t healed yet, he wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest. It was because there was no chance the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance could track him down in the short term. For now, he had the leeway to recuperate while his pursuers wear themselves out trying to suss him out.

    After withdrawing his energies, Chen Cang climbed to his feet and stretched a little. Then, he took a moment to examine his surroundings.

    Although the river was located underground, it wasn¡¯t dark in here at all. It was because the walls and the ceilings were covered in glowing moss and crystals that illuminated the entire cavern. The environment looked positively fantastical because of this.

 Chapter 857: The Mastermind Behind The Curtain

    <h4>Chapter 857: The Mastermind Behind The Curtain </h4>

    ¡°Who is it?!¡±

    It was at this moment Chen Cang suddenly glimpsed a face hidden in the shadows of the ceiling. Caught off guard, he immediately channeled his sword qi and got ready for battle immediately.

    The next moment, he rxed. It was because he realized that he was looking at a bat, not a human.

    The bat was about as big as a baby¡¯s palm, and it had a pair of jet ck wings covered in dark red lines that joined into an image that vaguely resembled a baby¡¯s face. That was the face Chen Cang had seen earlier.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe a Baby Bat almost gave me a heart attack.¡± Chen Cang chuckled to himself and shook his head. He was high strung even after two days of rest, but that was understandable. He had been hunted like a rat for the past week. It would be stranger if he wasn¡¯t as tense as a bowstring.

    However, Chen Cang¡¯s relief didn¡¯t evenst a second before he lifted his head and stared at the Baby Bat with rm. ¡°Wait! Why¡¯s there a Baby Bat in this cave?!¡±

    A Baby Bat was a Hatred-ss Stranger. Unlike your usual bat, it was fond of sunlight and disliked dark ces. It only appeared during the day and enjoyed feeding on baby blood. Combined with the fact that the pattern on its wings were shaped like a baby¡¯s face, people came to call it a Baby Bat.

    The reason Chen Cang was rmed was because Baby Bats were only ever found on the surface where sunlight was plentiful. Barring exceptional circumstances, one could never find a Baby Bat in dark, damp ces such as this underground river. And yet, there was no doubt that the bat hanging on the ceiling was a Baby Bat.

    Was this normal? Of course not.

    ¡°Fuck! The Bat Spellcaster!¡±

    Chen Cang recalled something and fired a sword beam from his eyes. Unable to dodge in time, the Baby Bat was split in half just like that.

    Chen Cang did not look happy though. If anything, his expression was uglier than ever before.

    He was certain that the Baby Bat wasn¡¯t a wild Baby Bat. To be specific, it was the Bat Spellcaster¡¯s familiar.

    The Bat Spellcaster was one of the elders serving the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. A Trueman elite, he cultivated the martial art known as the ¡°Bat King Canon¡±. He was well known for his exceptional movement art, he specialized in taming and raising bats. Although he was a poor fighter, he was an expert at tracking and near impossible to shake off. The <i>jianghu </i>knew him as the Bat Spellcaster.

    Since the Baby Bat was here, it was only a matter of time before the Bat Spellcaster and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance showed up.

    ¡°<i>Fuck! </i>How the hell did they find me?!¡± Chen Cang swore at the top of his lungs.

    Before he entered the underground river, he had made sure to wipe clean his tracks and even lure the majority of their forces elsewhere. He was certain that the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would not be able to find the entrance to the underground river as theke was extremely deep, and most people wouldn¡¯t think that an underground river existed at the bottom of ake.

    Even if they did manage to find it, the underground river was split into countless branches. Even considering the manpower and resources the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance possessed, it would have taken them between ten days to half a month to finally identify his location.

    In reality, that wasn¡¯t the case at all. His pursuers hadn¡¯t just located the entrance to the underground river, they even found his hiding spot in just <i>two days. </i>Just how was this possible?

    ¡°What is going on? How do they keep finding me?!¡± Chen Cang growled furiously. His expression was filled with anger, frustration, and traces of uncontroble fear.

    Why did he say, ¡°How do they keep finding me?¡± It was because this wasn¡¯t the first time the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance had found him, of course.

    With the amount of preparation he made, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to shake off the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s pursuit. In fact, he had shaken them off, hidden himself in a safe spot, and saw them leave with his own two eyes multiple times for the past few days. However, not long after they were gone, they would always return and move straight toward his hideout almost as if someone had informed them of his exact location. It was unbelievable. It was impossible.

    This time, it happened again. He felt as if an unseen hand was manipting him and everyone else like a chess piece. He felt as if his life and his destiny were no longer in his hands. This feeling angered him, discouraged him, and terrified him.

    ¡°Dammit! Who is it!?¡±

    However hopeless and angry he felt, Chen Cang did not hesitate to escape deeper into the river. Since the Baby Bat had found him, the Bat Spellcaster and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance could not be far behind. If he did not escape now, he would never escape again.

    An incense stick after Chen Cang had taken off, a strange fluttering noise that sounded like many pping wings appeared from one end of the river. A few secondster, a cloud of bats flew out into the open andnded where Chen Cang was resting a moment ago. They then transformed into a thin old man with a pale, clean-shaven face.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The underground river stirred unnaturally for a moment before a tidal wave rolled over from the same end the bats had emerged from. It delivered a beautiful,ely woman wearing a pce dress to the old man¡¯s side.

    ¡°So? Did you find something, Spellcaster?¡± The woman spoke up, her voice mellow and charming.

    ¡°Chen Cang was definitely here. In fact, he just left a short while ago.¡±

    The old man a.k.a Bat Spellcaster answered, ¡°He must have taken off in a hurry after discovering by Baby Bat. Look at the carcass. You can tell that there are lingering traces of his Innate Body Breaking Intangible Sword qi.¡±

    ¡°They say that a crafty rabbit has three burrows, and this Swordsgrave swordsman is the living model of that saying. I can¡¯t believe he almost managed to escape us again,¡± the woman said softly.

    The woman¡¯s moniker was Water Fairy. Just like Bat Spellcaster, she was a Trueman and one of the elders of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance.

    It had been a whole week since they started pursuing Chen Cang. Of course they had figured out his background and origin.

    ¡°Have you figured out who¡¯s the one who¡¯s spreading the news, Spellcaster? I mean the real ones, of course,¡± Water Fairy asked.

    Every time they lost track of Chen Cang and couldn¡¯t find him, a rumor regarding his whereabouts would pop up in the <i>jianghu</i>.

    At first, they regarded<i> </i>the rumors with suspicion as a matter of course. When one of their search parties actually found Chen Cang at the location specified in the rumor though, they had no choice but to take it seriously.

    Of course, the reason a rumor was called a rumor was because one, they had no idea who was the one who leaked them, and two, not all of the rumors were genuine or urate.

    If the rumor they received was genuine, then finding Chen Cang was just a matter of traveling to that exact location. Each time, they were a hair¡¯s breadth away from capturing or killing the swordsman. If not for Chen Cang¡¯s sheer ingenuity and tenacity, they would have caught him on the second or third genuine rumor.

    The problem was that not all of the rumors were urate. At first, after confirming that the first rumor was urate, they decided to treat all rumors as if they were real and pounce at every location like a hound. After all, their orders were to capture Chen Cang as quickly as possible, and the sooner they seeded, the faster they would be able to save the alliance¡¯s face. Of course, they quickly found out that they were wrong and just wasting time and resources. It was strange to say the least.

    Did they try to look into the origin of the rumors or who and where the rumors spread from? Of course they did. It was useless though. Some of the rumors were spread by the Mud Association, some were spread by Bird Gathering; some came from random beggars from the street, and some came from customers in a gambling den or a brothel.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the factions that were hostile or held a grudge with the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance were also spreading false rumors. People who disliked the way the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance conducted themselves or greedy bastards who were falsifying intel to make a quick buck were among the disruptors as well. It all made it impossible to trace the origin of the genuine rumors.

    Long story short, the investigation was a dead end.

    Right now, rumors regarding Chen Cang were absolutely all over the ce. The effort required to confirm if a rumor was genuine or not was herculean to put it mildly. And yet, they couldn¡¯t ignore it because they knew that <i>some </i>of the rumors were true. They had no choice but to swallow their frustration, filter the rumors as best they could, and dispatch search parties to confirm the rumors.

    They were lucky they were as big and powerful as they were. Literally no other faction could have sustained such a massive operation without going insane.

    Even then, they were all physically and mentally exhausted.

 Chapter 858: Dragonmount Meet in Dragonmount City

    <h4>Chapter 858: Dragonmount Meet in Dragonmount City </h4>

    Bat Spellcaster shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°I wonder who they are? Stargazer and Moon-Moving Grandma went so far as to use their Fate Threads Disc and Heaven Viewing Book, but they were still unable to divine Sword Ghoul¡¯s location. On the other hand, this person was able to report Sword Ghoul¡¯s location again and again almost as if they were the worm in his stomach! How curious!¡±

    Water Fairy stroked her ck hair absentmindedly and caused it to ripple like water.

    ¡°There are people beyond person, and skies beyond sky. That is all,¡± Bat Spellcaster replied indifferently.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Water Fairy smiled. ¡°If only we can recruit this person somehow. I¡¯m sure the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would climb even higher as a result.¡±

    ¡°All extraordinary persons are supported by a skeleton of pride. Considering their skill, I doubt they will choose to serve the likes of us.¡± Bat Spellcaster shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s notpletely out of the question. The fact that they helped us repeatedly seems to suggest that they n to garner our good will, right?¡±

    Water Fairy giggled. ¡°Besides, there is no such thing as an immovable heart. It is just a matter of sincerity and stakes.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Bat Spellcaster let out a cold chuckle. ¡°All humans have something they desire in life, and so long they have desire, they have weaknesses that we may exploit.¡±

    ¡°You are as wise as ever, Spellcaster.¡± Water Fairy smirked. ¡°But those ns can wait. Right now, our first priority is to capture Sword Ghoul. Should we contact the others?¡±

    ¡°Why should we?¡±

    Bat Spellcaster nced at her. ¡°Sword Ghoul is strong, but he is also seriously injured andpletely out of supplies. With you and my strength, can we not capture a wounded person? Why should you or I surrender our rightful opportunity to others? What do you think, Fairy?¡±

    Water Fairy giggled. ¡°I obey your will, Spellcaster. Please, perform your magic.¡±

    ¡°No worries. From the moment I found him, his chances of escaping have dropped to near zero.¡± Bat Spellcaster let out another chuckle. ¡°Speaking of which, my Baby Bat just discovered his tracks. This way, please.¡±

    Bat Spellcaster abruptly dissolved into a cloud of bats before flying in a certain direction.

    Water Fairy too leaped into the underground river and allowed a wave to carry her after Bat Spellcaster.

    ......

    ¡°Looks like the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance has found Chen Cang again. Their efficiency isn¡¯t bad, all things considered.¡±

    ¡°Inside his room, Ye Qing put away the Annon Sutra and stretched his back a little. A delighted grin was currently etched on his face.

    He was the one who leaked Chen Cang¡¯s hideout and current location, of course, and he did it using the Annon Sutra. It took quite the effort to make sure that the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would not lose track of Chen Cang, but not so much that Chen Cang would be captured immediately.

    At first, he spread mostly genuine intel in order to earn the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s trust. Later, when they showed signs of following his intel blindly, he began mixing whole truths, whole lies, half truths and half lies into his leaks.

    Having enjoyed the first taste, the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would surely sift through the sea of rumors even if they knew that therge majority of it were false. After all, wasting time and effort on false leads was still better than having no leads at all.

    So, why was he doing this? It was to scatter the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s forces and confuse them, effectively buying time for Chen Cang to escape and survive. This was the best way to keep Chen Cang from being captured too soon while ensuring that the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would always be on his tail.

    At the beginning, he had to spread both genuine and false intel on his own. In order to avoid being tracked down by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, he had had to disguise himself as a beggar, a gambler, and more; contact the Mud Association to spread the rumors, sell the intel to the Bird Gathering and more. It reminded him of the time where he worked like a dog to finish a group project in his previous life. He was busy as heck to say the least.

    Butter, as the pursuit for Chen Cang dragged on, the <i>jianghu </i>people began chipping in their own fake intel to fuck with the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. It was a lifesaver. Now, he only needed to release one or two genuine intel every once in a while.

    Thest few days were some of the most tiring days of his life, but he had to admit that the feeling of ying everyone like puppets on strings and letting others do his dirty work for him, not knowing that the rewards were ultimately his to im, felt pretty fantastic. It felt even better watching his nemesis tearing his hair out in a desperate attempt to survive his machinations.

    After indulging in a bit of narcissism, Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts eventually shifted to the five extraordinary items he needed to collect for Feng Qingyou.

    He never forgot that the reason he was doing all this was to buy enough time to find the five extraordinary objects necessary to treat Feng Qingyou¡¯s injuries. That was why screwing over Chen Cang and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance weren¡¯t the only things he did in the past few days. He had also visited every shop, tradingpany etc in Dragonmount City to purchase the items.

    Dragonmount City was definitely the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s central headquarters. Traveling merchants from across four seas could be found in this city, and they boasted items from all across the world. In just a few days, he was able to collect the Lightning Struck Wood and the Thousand Frost Fire, and he heard rumors that the Finger Ring Metal would appear during tonight¡¯s Dragonmount Meet.

    What was the Dragonmount Meet? At first listen, it sounded like some sort of important meeting or conference. In reality, it was just a in old auction. The reason it was named like this was because the auction was led by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and held in Dragonmount City¡ªand because someone up there sucked at naming things.

    The Dragonmount Meet was an annual,rge-scale event. Countless rare items, valuable treasures, incredible martial arts and more were auctioned at the auction. Every year, countless people would attend the Dragonmount Meet in hopes of bidding the items of their desire. It was so busy and crowded that people came to describe it as, ¡°The auction where warriors from beyond the fivekes and four seas attended.¡±

    This was also why the Dragonmount Meet was mostly unaffected even though the matter regarding Chen Cang had brought great shame to the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and caused quite a lot ofmotion.

    There was also the fact that the Dragonmount Meet was only <i>led </i>by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and held in Dragonmount City. It wasn¡¯t held by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance only, and all sorts of factions were involved in its coordination. Just because the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was facing trouble did not mean that the Dragonmount Meet could be halted or even canceled for their sake.

    Besides, the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance didn¡¯t want to halt the Dragonmount Meet. If anything, they were promoting it harder than they ever did in the past probably because they were hoping to use it to shift the <i>jianghu </i>people¡¯s attention away from their recent failures and shame. Because of this, the Dragonmount Meet was almost certainly going to be livelier than ever before.

    The reason Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were still staying in Dragonmount City was because of the Dragonmount Meet. But although the Dragonmount Meet attracted tens of thousands of visitors every year, not everyone possessed the right to participate in the event.

    One must meet at least one requirement in order to participate in the event: they must either be famous, or they must be rich.

    The requirement was as simple as it was cruel. Countless visitors were barred from participation simply because Dragonmount Meet¡¯s standards for either requirement was extremely high.

    First, fame. The Dragonmount Meet did not require its participants to be known throughout the <i>jianghu</i>, but at the very least, they must be well known within the <i>wulin </i>of Yan. To be more specific, they must be a gang leader, a sect master, or a named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking etc.

    Second, wealth. Only those who possessed at least one hundred thousand silver or items whose total value was equal to or higher than that number would be allowed to participate in the Dragonmount Meet.

    One hundred thousand silver was no joke. For therge majority of people, it was an astronomical sum of money they could never earn in a lifetime.

    In summary, countless people came to Dragonmount City each year, but the number of people who actually qualified to attend it was few and far between.

    This was fine though. This indirectly proved that the Dragonmount Meet was a grand and high standard auction.

    Ye Qing was a nobody in Yan, so he did not meet the first requirement. However, he was wealthy. Stupidly so. After all, the wealth Goddess City had umted for centuries had all fallen into his pockets. Forget one hundred thousand silver, he could produce even one <i>million </i>silver, not to mention his hoard of Strange Artifacts, pills, martial arts manuals and more. Any one of these objects would qualify him as a participant.

    <i>The power of one, the power of two, the power of money~</i>[1]

    He had already gotten the badge necessary to enter the Dragonmount Meet a few days ago. Now, all he needed to do was to attend it and win the Thousand Frost Fire.

    1. Sorry, just can¡¯t resist making that reference. XD ?

 Chapter 859: Ten Thousand Lamps May Manifest A Celestial Palace

    It was night. Despite its recent destruction and the bloody storm still brewing around Chen Cang, Dragonmount City remained as lively and busy as ever. Every street was adorned with beautiful lights and overflowing with traffic as if it was daytime.

    No one seemed to be in the mood of enjoying the nightlife, however. They were all looking up into the sky as if waiting for something.

    <em>THANG!</em>

    It was 7.30 pm sharp when suddenly, the crisp chime of a bell rang from somewhere. It grew louder and louder until the entire Dragonmount City could hear it.

    As the bell chimed,mp mes and bright lights flew out of every household and into the sky. They joined into a sea of fire at the center.

    Lampfire from ten thousand households left ten thousand households,

    Light spanning ten thousand meters illuminating ten thousand meters.

    The sea of mes covered the whole sky and looked positively gorgeous. If the lighting only felt like daytime before, now it felt like the middle of the day.

    Strangely, the sea of mes were neither scorching hot nor ring. Instead, it was warm,forting, and dreamlike.The next moment, countless auspicious beasts such as a fire dragon, a phoenix, a <em>qilin</em>, a white tiger and more emerged from the sea of mes. They were as colorful as they were beautiful.

    The auspicious beasts stood guard as a grand, mysterious pce slowly emerged from the center of the sea of mes. When it fully emerged, the auspicious beasts flew to various parts of the pce and transformed into murals, sculptures, engravings and more, adding even more ir to the pce than it already had.

    ¡°Ten thousandmps may manifest a celestial pce¡­ impressive!¡±

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were standing on the streets just like the others. Ye Qing in particr was staring at the floating pce with astonishment and wonder.

    It wasn¡¯t just him. Nearly everyone in Dragonmount City was wearing more or less the same reaction.

    There was no doubt about it. The pce was where the Dragonmount Meet would be held.

    ¡°The Dragonmount Meet is one of the biggest events of the Yannan <em>wulin</em>. It is only natural that it would stand out among others.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined with a calm smile on her face, ¡°In fact, this pce is a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact called the Lampfire Pce.¡±

    ¡°The Lampfire Pce is created from the body of the Disaster-ss Stranger, Ten Thousand Lamps. When manifested, it can amodate over ten thousand guests and boasts defense simr to that of a military fortress, which makes it difficult to break through from the outside. Jointly owned by the major tradingpanies that organized the Dragonmount Meet, it normally wasn¡¯t used unless for grand events such as this one.¡±

    ¡°Lampfire Pce, huh? It certainly lives up to its namesake.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. He didn¡¯t know about the Lampfire Pce, but he definitely heard of the Ten Thousand Lamps.

    Ten Thousand Lamps was a Disaster-ss Stranger born from the myriad desires of red dust and manifested from themplights of many households. It didn¡¯t have a definite form and could transform into anything and everything. It fed onmps and people¡¯s desires, and wherever it went, lights winked out, and people became devoid of desire.

    At first listen, Ten Thousand Lamps sounded pretty harmless. In reality, it was easily one of the deadliest Strangers out there. All mortals naturally possessed Seven Emotions and Six Desires, and that was what the Ten Thousand Lamps fed. A mortal whose emotions and desires had been consumed by the Ten Thousand Lamps would be emotionless and desireless. They would not eat, they would not drink, they would not even sleep because the desire to do so simply wasn¡¯t there. In the end, the victims would die from exhaustion, starvation or thirst.

    Countless lives were lost wherever the Ten Thousand Lamps emerged. Even worse, as Ten Thousand mes was born from mortal desires and manifested frommpfire, it was unkible so long as desire existed. That was why Ten Thousand Lamps were usually sealed or suppressed, but never killed.

    Somehow, the ingenious creator of the Lampfire Pce was able to refine the Ten Thousand Lamps into a Strange Artifact. Whoever they were, they must be quite extraordinary.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    Suddenly, some of the crowd suddenly caught on fire. They looked exactly the same as the Lampfire Pce¡¯s me.

    Like paper, these people slowly burned into ash and scattered into nothing. It was disturbing to say the least.

    No one showed signs of fear or panic, however. On the contrary, the onlookers were looking at the ¡°victims¡± with envious looks on their faces.

    It was because the ¡°victims¡± hadn¡¯t actually burned to death. They had simply been transported into the Lampfire Pce thanks to the token they obtained.

    As a matter of course, the participation token of the Dragonmount Meet was specially made. As it was really part of the Lampfire Pce, it was impossible to forge in any way. It was also why it was named the Lampfire Token. Only those with a Lampfire Token were allowed to enter the Lampfire Pce. Once the Dragonmount Meet was over, the Lampfire Pce would automatically retrieve the tokens.

    More and more people were burning into ash and entering the Lampfire Pce. From a bystander¡¯s perspective, it was quite the impressive sight.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ye Qing looked at Feng Qingyou, and Feng Qingyou nodded. With a thought, they burst into mes and slowly disappeared into nothing.

    When ye Qing regained his consciousness, he discovered that he was standing in a pavilion. The pavilion was luxuriously furnished, and there was a table and two chairs near the windows. Delicious wine, fruits and snacks were ced on the table, and those sitting on the chairs would be able to see outside.

    Through the windows, one could see a tall tform that was made purely from mes. Surrounding the tform was a sea of mes, and floating in the sea of mes like boats were countless other pavilions and private rooms. Strangely, their shapes were indistinct and constantly changing from time to time. It was also impossible to see into the structures.

    Ye Qing had no doubt that the pavilion they were in were the same as the pavilions and private rooms outside.

    ¡°This Lampfire Pce is seriously something,¡± Ye Qing remarked while examining the incredible scenery outside.

    ¡°The pavilion we¡¯re currently in is called the Lampfire Pavilion, and its position is constantly shifting inside the sea of mes. But no matter how much it shifts, you can always see the Lampfire Tower¡ªthe trading tform¡ªthrough the windows.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°To ensure a customer¡¯s privacy and safety, all participants are forbidden from looking into another pavilion or private room and discovering the other person¡¯s identity. Besides that, when bidding is ensuing, the customers¡¯ voices would be distorted so that it was impossible to identify someone through voice. Again, it is to ensure a customer¡¯s privacy and safety and keep the unnecessary trouble to a minimum.¡±

    ¡°In summary, it is generally safe to bid and participate in the auction.¡±

    ¡°So far, it looks like the Dragonmount Meet deserves its reputation.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement. ¡°

    The duo would continue to make conversation with each other until a bell chime sounded again. Then, an attractive woman wearing a long red dress appeared on the Lampfire Tower. She looked to be in her thirties, but her beautiful countenance and an hourss figure more than made up for it.

    After the woman appeared, she performed a Wanfu Salute[1] and smiled. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I humbly wee you all to the Lampfire Pce and the Dragonmount Meet. I am Zui Yun, and I am your host tonight.¡±

    Ye Qing recognized the red-dressed woman on the tform and voiced his puzzlement, ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t she the boss of the Zui Yun Pavilion?¡±

    Zui Yun Pavilion was a famous and massive tradingpany in Dragonmount City. In fact, they were the ones who sold him the Thousand Frost me. The Thousand Frost me was an extremely rare and valuable item, which was why the boss herself, Zui Yun, had chosen to oversee the trade in person. That was why he recognized her immediately.

    ¡°Zui Yun Pavilion is one of the organizers of the Dragonmount Meet, and she is the boss. It¡¯s unsurprising that she would make an appearance.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°What is surprising is that someone like Zui Yun would choose to y the host for the Dragonmount Meet. This has almost never happened before as the responsibility is usually beneath her.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she had too much idle time in her hands?¡± Ye Qing joked. He did not think that Zui Yun¡¯s appearance was of any concern.

    Zui Yun went through the usual ramblings all hosts were expected to give. A long timeter, she finally announced the start of the Dragonmount Meet.

    Zui Yun waved her hand, and a wisp of mes carrying a y pot floated into the air.

    The y pot was grayish back, motley, and covered in soil. It looked like it had just been dug out of the ground.

    Ye Qing could sense that it was emanating a kind of anomalous aura though. The soil especially was thick with yin energy.

    1. In ancient times, women saluted with the right palm and left fist. This was known as the (Wanfu Salute). ?

 Chapter 860: Bone Grows Flesh

    ¡°As you can see, this is both a y pot and a Strange Artifact. It is a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact, and its name is Bone Grows Flesh.¡±

    Zui Yun twinkled at the participants. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aware that everyone here is at a level where a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact doesn¡¯t really cut it anymore. However, this particr Strange Artifact possesses an outstanding ability.¡±

    ¡°As its name implies, ¡®Bone Grows Flesh¡¯ possesses the power to regrow one¡¯s flesh. No matter how grievous your physical injuries are¡ªand I do mean grievous to the point where not a speck of flesh is left on your bones¡ªyou simply need to wipe the soil inside the pot over your wounds to regenerate new flesh.¡±

    ¡°It does sound like a good item.¡±

    Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows. A Strange Artifact that could heal any physical injury was something no one could overlook, but¡­

    ¡°I bet its side effects are equally huge.¡±

    If this y pot came with no side effects, then its value would be astronomical. But in that case, it could not be a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. It would have to be a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact at the minimum.

    As if on cue, a strange voice that sounded neither male nor female broke out from somewhere, ¡°What about the side effects? You¡¯re not just going to expound about its upsides, are you?¡±

    Clearly, the question was voiced by a guest. No one present was stupid. If he could see the problem, then everyone else could as well.On a rted note, the Lampfire Pce had twisted the voice so that it was impossible to make out the gender or even the age of the speaker.

    ¡°Your wisdom knows no bounds, honored guest. That is correct. Although ¡®Bone Grows Flesh¡¯ can restore any physical injuries, its side effects are not to be underestimated.¡±

    Zui Yun began her exnation, ¡°First, the soil stored inside the y pot is no ordinary soil. It is the undersoil of a century-old coffin, namely the soil at the bottom of a century-old coffin. Once you have used up everything, you would have to replenish it with new coffin undersoil.¡±

    ¡°Second, the new, regrown flesh would be eroded and influenced by the soil. This is nothing in the short term, but if you¡¯re using it for a prolonged period of time, then you would eventually transform into a living zombie.¡±

    ¡°The biggest problem with ¡®Bone Grows Flesh¡¯ is that the yin qi would be one with your flesh and blood, making it incredibly difficult to remove. The transformation is also irreversible once you have transformed into a living zombie.¡±

    A living zombie referred to a human whose body was as stiff as a zombie, but their mind and consciousness were normal. In short, a living zombie.

    ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t use ¡®Bone Grows Flesh¡¯ frequently, then its yin qi would not influence your body overly much.¡± Zui Yun continued, ¡°ording to our tests, anyone below Trueman stage must not use it over five times, and anyone who is a Trueman or higher must not use it over ten times. This is because not even a Trueman¡¯s physique can resist the erosion of yin qi too many times.¡±

    A short pauseter, Zui Yun said smilingly, ¡°With that said, the starting bid for ¡®Bone Grows Flesh¡¯ is one thousand silver. Each bid must be a hundred silver higher than the previous bid. The highest bidder wins. You may begin bidding!¡±

    ¡°Thousand silver!¡±

    ¡°Three thousand silver.¡±

    ¡°Three thousand and five hundred silver!¡±

    As soon as Zui Yun finished, the bids began flying in from every direction. It was clear that a lot of people were interested in ¡°Bone Grows Flesh¡±.

    Although the side effects of ¡°Bone Grows Flesh¡± were pretty severe, it wasn¡¯t so bad that it overshadowed its upside. The fact that it could heal any kind of physical injury was temptation enough. At a critical moment, it could even be the difference between life and death. In that sense, it was priceless.

    Speaking of which, its side effects were manageable so long as they did not overuse it. Not only that, its side effects were actually beneficial to unorthodox warriors who cultivated heretical arts such as zombification, possession and so on.

    With that in mind, its poprity was perfectly understandable.

    Ye Qing called out his bid twice, and twice he was outdone by another bidder in no time at all. So, he gave up.

    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have enough money to force a purchase. It just wasn¡¯t necessary when he already had the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±. His physique was strong, his vitality was rich, and his regeneration was a sight to behold. That was why he did not attach too much importance to ¡°Bone Grows Flesh¡±.

    In the end, ¡°Bone Grows Flesh¡± was sold for a hundred and fifty thousand silver. This was just the first item, so it was quite the eye-opening experience for Ye Qing.

    It was no wonder that the Dragonmount Meet set their bars so high. In fact, they might have set it too low considering that the very first item already exceeded the wealth requirement to participate in the Dragonmount Meet by fifty thousand silver.

    Also, there was no such thing as pay first and receive the goodster. The transaction was performed on the spot. A wisp of me carried ¡°Bone Grows Flesh¡± to a certain pavilion at the same time another wisp of me carried a pile of silver into the fiery sea below.

    After the transaction was done, a new wisp of me lifted a painting into the air.

    The artposition of the painting was quite simple. It wasposed of a mountain surrounded by wisps of clouds, a Taoist temple behind the same clouds, and three men on the empty space in front of the Taoist temple.

    One person was training with a sword, another was ying a qin and se on the floor, and the third person was reading a book.

    As mentioned, the artposition was extremely simple, and the art style and technique did not look particrly impressive either. Strangely, it gave off a harmonious and natural feeling. It was ephemeral, mysterious and lofty like the celestials who lived in the heavens. It was as if it wasn¡¯t a painting, but a hidden slice of celestial paradise.

    ¡°¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯?¡±

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou suddenly spoke up, her tone overflowing with rare disbelief.

    Before Ye Qing could voice a question, countless voices came from everywhere inside the Lampfire Pce.

    ¡°Is that the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, Miss Zui Yun?¡±

    ¡°Is that the legendary ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Where on earth did you acquire the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, Miss Zui Yun?¡±

    ¡°Is this painting the genuine article, Miss Zui Yun?¡±

    ¡°Miss Zui Yun¡­¡±

    Every single voice was filled with shock and urgency.

    ¡°What is this ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, Qingyou? What¡¯s gotten them all riled up and shocked?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ is both the name of this painting and a myth that exists in the <em>wulin </em>of Yan,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°A myth? What myth?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Legend has it that there exists a celestial paradise within the cloudy mountains of the celestials called ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯. It is said that it is a profound ce that cannot be found or reached by mere mortals.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°Only one who bears a celestial fortune may enter the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, and this painting is one way to do so.¡±

    Ye Qing became even more curious. ¡°What fortune lies within this so-called ¡®celestial paradise¡¯?¡±

    ¡°What else? The opportunity to change one¡¯s fate and transform one¡¯s life forever, of course,¡± Feng Qingyou replied. ¡°¡®Step deep into the clouds, and thou shall scale the nine heavens¡¯. This is what the passage was referring to.¡±

    ¡°Nine hundred years ago, a shepherd boy came across this painting by chance and identally stumbled into a massive, cloudy mountain while shepherding his cows. He soon found himself in a Taoist temple and encountered a man who was ying music and drawing art.¡±

    ¡°When the man saw the shepherd boy, he asked him a question. After the shepherd boy gave him an answer, the man shook his head with sympathy and imed that it is not yet time for the shepherd boy to be a celestial. However, the shepherd boy did enter the Imprable Clouds, meaning that he was fated with that ce. So, the man taught him the four arts¡ªqin, go, literature and art¡ªbefore sending him away.¡±

 Chapter 861: Impenetrable Clouds

    ¡°Strangely, the mountain did not move, and the clouds were still there, but when the next time the shepherd boy tried to scale the mountain, he could no longer find the temple or the man anymore.¡±

    ¡°Since then, the vige lost a shepherd boy, but gained a humble Sage who was a master in all the arts. It was said that his qin left a pleasant haze in one¡¯s mind for days, his white and ck stones won countless worlds[1], his brushmanship looked like swimming dragons on paper, and his art brought fantastical mountains, waters, flowers and birds into reality.¡±

    ¡°To put it in more secr terms, his music was one-of-a-kind, his mastery in go was unmatched, his writings could not be bought even with ten thousand gold, and his paintings went passed down through the ages as masterpieces.¡±

    Ye Qing frowned a little. He wondered why, but Feng Qingyou¡¯s story felt familiar to him for some reason.

    Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°Six hundred years ago, a washerwoman identally happened upon ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ and fell asleep using it as a pillow. In her dreams, she found a temple and encountered a schr who asked her if she was willing to learn how to read and write with him. She agreed.¡±

    ¡°A thousand years, a Nanke dream. In her dream, the washerwoman eventually read ten thousand scrolls, walked ten thousand kilometers, and learned everything there was to learn in the world.¡±

    ¡°When she finally awoke, the painting was gone. However, the world weed a new literary Sage. The poems sheposed were passed down through the ages, her ns and stratagems had rejuvenated the nation, and the books she authored had benefited everyone.¡±

    Ye Qing did not say anything, so Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°Three hundred years ago, a fisherman picked up ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ by ident. During a fishing trip, he somehow lost his way in a fog and found himself standing before a huge mountain. When he ventured inside, he found a temple and met a man who was practicing his swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°When the man saw the fisherman, he said, ¡®Your talent iscking, but it is enough to practice the sword¡¯. So, he taught him a sword art.¡±¡°When the fisherman woke up, he discovered that he was still on his boat. The fog had faded, and the mountain he was at was nowhere to be found. However, he knew he wasn¡¯t dreaming because he could remember the sword art as clear as day.¡±

    ¡°Since then, the rivers lost a fisherman, but the <em>jianghu </em>and <em>wulin </em>gained a swordsman.¡±

    ¡°The swordman¡¯s techniques were beyond profound. It was said that each time he swung his sword, one could see celestials and Buddhas within the span of a meter, and the air of divinity within inches. If he had an audience, his sword art would steal their souls as surely as the reaper takes everyone¡¯s, and there was no one across the fourteen provinces who weren¡¯t chilled by his sword. His reservoir of sword qi was immense, his intent was lofty, and his willsts eternal.¡±

    ¡°With one sword and one jar of wine, the swordsman had in the demons and monsters of the eastern sea, killed the Strangers of the West Pole, suppressed the evil Buddhas at Nanman, and eliminated the spirits and demons at Bei Mo. He became invincible throughout the world with just one meter of steel in his hands.¡±

    ¡°You know, all your stories sound familiar to me for some reason,¡± Ye Qing finally spoke up.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m narrating the story of Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage, and the Wine Sword Celestial. Of course you have heard about them.¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled.

    ¡°I see! I knew I wasn¡¯t imagining things,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage and the Wine Sword Celestial were all famous figures from many centuries ago. Mister Four Arts¡¯ real name was Gong Yangzi, and he was a legend from nine hundred years ago. He was a man who reached the pinnacle in qin, go, literature and art, and he was rivaled by no one at the time. He was also nicknamed the Pinnacle of Four and the Eternal Eminence.

    The Feng Sage Feng Weiwu was a legendary woman of Yan from six hundred years ago. Despite being a washerwoman, she was familiar with the scriptures of many schools of thoughts and proficient in the principles of the sages. A master in both literature and martial arts, she strived to improve both her people and her country. The poems sheposed were passed down through the ages, her ns and stratagems had rejuvenated the nation, and the books she authored had benefited everyone. As a woman, she had singlehandedly created a golden age for literature that is still prevalent to this day, and for that feat, they honor her as a Sage. She was the role model for all women who came after her, which was why she was called the Feng Sage.

    The Wine Sword Celestial¡¯s true name was Zhong Mubai, and he was a swordsman from three hundred years ago. It was said that he was a distinguished and aplished swordsman who sported an outstanding sword art and a confident and free personality. He met enemies with his sword and friends with his wine. He took pleasure in exploring the nooks and crannies of the red dust and enjoying all that humanity has to offer, and his adventures had left behind countless legends and stories in the <em>jianghu</em>. They said that, ¡°One dirty wine and one sword is all he needs to live freely in the red dust,¡± and he remained an after meal topic and conversation to this day.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing finally understood why Feng Qingyou had gone through the trouble of narrating these warriors¡¯ life stories and asked, ¡°Are you saying that Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage and the Wine Sword Celestial all became who they were because they entered the Imprable Clouds and learned from the celestials?¡±

    The trio were famous figures in history, so of course Ye Qing was somewhat familiar with their origin and story. However, he had always thought that some parts of their legends were exaggerated to enhance their mysticism. It would seem that Feng Qingyou was saying that that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed.

    Despite Feng Qingyou¡¯s certainty, Ye Qing remained somewhat skeptical. ¡°Does such a miraculous ce really exist?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s real,¡± Feng Qingyou dered with certainty. ¡°Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage and the Wine Sword Celestial all mentioned ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ in their biography, nor had they tried to obfuscate that fact. This was especially true for the Feng Sage who mentioned the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ repeatedly in her books and poems. Therefore, it has to be the truth.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone else besides Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage and the Wine Sword Celestial entered the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I do not know. Maybe there is, or maybe there isn¡¯t,¡± Feng Qingyou said uncertainly. ¡°If I have to give an answer, then my answer would be no.¡±

    ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. There must be a reason behind her answer.

    ¡°Because Mister Four Arts was a person from nine hundred years ago, the Feng Sage was a person from six hundred years ago, and the Wine Sword Celestial was a person from three hundred years ago. Since the painting that can supposedly lead one to ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ has reappeared today, we can confirm a pattern and deduce that ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ appear once every three hundred years.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Besides that, Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage and the Wine Sword Celestial all entered the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ because they somehow happened upon the painting. Every time, the painting would somehow disappear after they left the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ for three hundred years. We know this because nowhere in history was it recorded that ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ had reappeared during this three-hundred-year period. From this, we can conclude that ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ only appear once every three hundred years, and only one person may enter it and receive their fortune.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Has anyone tried to find the ce, the pattern be damned?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but no one has ever seeded.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°Legend has it that only one who bears a celestial fortune may enter the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯. As for what exactly this ¡®celestial fortune¡¯ is, I cannot say.¡±

    ¡°Could it be referring to the painting?¡± Ye Qing guessed. ¡°Everyone who obtained the painting has entered the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°The painting is a prerequisite to enter the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯¡ªit is a fact that only one who has gotten the painting would have a <em>chance</em> to enter the ce¡ªbut it is not all there is to it.¡±

    ¡°It is said that Mister Four Arts used to be a down and out schr who was so poor he couldn¡¯t even fill his belly, and he had bought the Imprable Cloud painting from a trader. The Feng Sage was washing clothes by the riverside when she saw a drowning kid and rescued him. Later, the kid¡¯s parents gave her the painting as thanks for saving their child. Finally, the Wine Sword Celestial had received the painting from a friend after winning a bet.¡±

    ¡°Clearly, the painting was in another person¡¯s possession before it was given to Mister Four Art, the Feng Sage and the Wine Sword Celestial. However, those people weren¡¯t able to enter the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ and receive their fortune. From this, we can deduce that just because you own the painting does not mean that you will enter the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ for sure.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

    1. It is said that a go board represents a world. ?

 Chapter 862: Some Opportunities Are Ambiguous

    As Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou duo chatted, Zui Yun was narrating the story of Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage and Wine Sword Celestial to the guests on the Lampfire Tower as well. Not only that, the surrounding mes slowly took the shapes of little men and acted out their life stories. It was an interesting but excellent addition that made Zui Yun¡¯s narration a lot more wonderful and fascinating.

    ¡°Would you happen to know the origin of the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked while enjoying the performance happening outside the window.

    ¡°No, but there are plenty of rumors.¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°There are rumors iming that ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ is a celestial paradise where actual celestials live within. Some people think that it is the hidden abode of a secluded master. Others believe that it is really a powerful Strange Artifact that could be traced all the way back to the ancient ages, and the so-called celestials were really artifact spirits. There were also rumors stating that ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ is an Anomaly, and the celestials are its creations.¡±

    ¡°What are the chances that this painting is this so-called ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, Qingyou?¡±

    Ye Qing paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ do not really exist in our world. It is the world in the painting. The mountain, the temple, the three men, they all exist inside the painting.¡±

    ¡°It is possible.¡± Feng Qingyou wasn¡¯t surprised by Ye Qing¡¯s guess. ¡°In fact, a lot of people share the same thought as you.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it is ultimately just a guess. There is no proof, and no one was able to prove it to this day.¡±

    Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows but said nothing more.It was at this moment Zui Yun finally finished narrating the story of Mister Four Arts[1], the Feng Sage and Wine Sword Celestial.

    ¡°If I may be so bold, Miss Zui Yun, where did you obtain this painting?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°My apologies, honored guest, but that is not an answer we can give you.¡± Zui Yun smiled sweetly. ¡°However, I can promise you that this painting is a hundred percent authentic. In fact, you don¡¯t need to believe me. I¡¯m sure you can sense it yourself that this painting is real. There is no one in this world who can forge ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯¡¯s essence and air of divinity.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all getting anxious, so I shan¡¯t dilly dally any longer. The starting bid is one silver, and all bids must be ten thousand silver higher than the previous bid. You may begin!¡±

    There was a moment of silence in Lampfire Pce. Then, someone spoke up, ¡°One hundred thousand silver.¡±

    That callout was like the ant¡¯s nest that finally breached the dam. Everyone started calling out their bids in a hurry. For a time, the entire room was filled with a cacophony of yells and shouts.

    ¡°I bid three hundred thousand silver!¡±

    ¡°You think you can buy ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ with just three hundred thousand silver?! Keep dreaming! Five hundred thousand silver!¡±

    ¡°¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯ is mine! Seven hundred thousand silver!¡±

    ¡°Run home and y with your mud, bumpkin! One million silver!¡±

    ¡°I bid one point five million silver!¡±

    ¡°Two million silver!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing¡¯s brain quickly became desensitized by the ludicrous bids being thrown about the Lampfire Pce. ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±¡¯s price had climbed to three million silver in just the span of breaths, and it was still skyrocketing at an unbelievable rate. Truly, the number of wealthy people in this world was incredible.

    Of course, he was one of them.

    ¡°Are you interested in ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing nced at Feng Qingyou and asked.

    ¡°Oh? Do you n to give it to me?¡± Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes curled into crescents when she heard this.

    ¡°If you want it, why not?¡± Ye Qing smiled. It wasn¡¯t like he was poor.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Feng Qingyou let out a cute giggle but shook her head. ¡°I appreciate the offer, but this opportunity may or may not be a good thing. I¡¯d rather give it up than ept the risk thates with its ambiguity.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Never mind then,¡± Ye Qing echoed in agreement.

    There was no doubt that ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± was a once-in-a-lifetime, never-before-seen opportunity to everyone in the pce. If they could enter ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± and be the chosen one to receive a celestial fortune, then they would join the likes of Mister Four Arts, the Feng Sage and Wine Sword Celestial and be remembered for all eternity.

    The guests were bidding for the painting like they had gone mad, but to be honest, their reaction was perfectly understandable. After all, who could remain calm before the promise of fame and glory unlike anything they had ever seen before?

    This, was the reward.

    However, it was a reward only <em>if </em>you possessed that so-called ¡°celestial fortune¡± that would allow you to ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±. Otherwise, it would only bring misfortune.

    After all, not only would you be wasting your money for a fortune that would never be yours, countless people would being after your head to im the painting for themselves.

    This, was the risk.

    This was why Feng Qingyou said that the painting was ambiguous. It was impossible to say if this painting represented fortune or misfortune.

    Barring those with absolute confidence and strength, it would be absolute folly toy one¡¯s hands on this hot potato.

    Besides, Ye Qing personally wasn¡¯t really invested in the ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± at all. He was the man in possession of the Three Origin Hammers, the Earthly Sovereign Bell, and the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±. Why would he care for some ¡°celestial fortune¡±?

    If the celestials truly existed, they were the ones who should be jealous of him!

    Since he had made up his mind to steer clear of the bidding, Ye Qing rxed into his chair and enjoyed the show outside.

    By now, the bidding for ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± had reached its climax. The bidding price had climbed to a stunning five million silver, and the number of bidders had dwindled to just a handful.

    Thanks to Lampfire Pce¡¯s excellent identity obfuscation, there was no real way for a bidder to oppress another bidder via force or influence. Therefore, this was a pure contest of wealth where the richest person would walk away with the prize.

    Besides, anyone who could give away this much money could not possibly be weak.

    ¡°Nine million silver¡­¡±

    When the final bid sounded, the entire Lampfire Pce fell as silent as death. However, it was just the calm before the storm.

    On the Lampfire Tower, Zui Yun was breathing hard and shaking a little. Nine million silver was no joke.

    ¡°Nine million silver¡­ is there anyone else who would like to bid for the ¡®Imprable Clouds¡¯? If you do, you might just be the next Mister Four Arts, the next Feng Sage, or the next Wine Sword Celestial. This is an opportunity that you will <em>not </eme by again in this lifetime, or maybe even the next. Are you sure you are okay with missing it?¡±

    ¡°Nine million once¡­ nine million twice¡­ nine million thrice¡­ and sold!¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­ that was insane!¡±

    Inside his pavilion, Ye Qing let out a sigh he didn¡¯t know he was holding. Was it worth it spending nine million silver to buy an ambiguous opportunity?

    Only the person who won the bid could answer that question.

    Ye Qing was also surprised that the organizers had chosen to kick off Dragonmount Meet with such an exciting start. He had to admit that it was effective though. Now, he was looking forward to the auction more than he ever had before. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what else the Dragonmount Meet had to offer him.

    After the transaction for the ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± wasplete, the auction proceeded as usual. Zui Yun would show off a Strange Artifact, a martial arts manual, a spirit material, a strange item, and even arva known as the Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm.

    The Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm was a Disaster-ss Stranger. It was over thirty meters long, bright yellow in color, and had golden patterns on its forehead. It looked a little like a divine dragon, hence the name.

    The Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm enjoyed consuming clouds and fog. It also possessed a spatial Magia that allowed it to swim through the void like nothing and explore many worlds. Wherever it appeared, clouds would spread like crazy, and the sky would turn as dark as a storm.

    The silk spat out by the Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm was immune to most weapons and natural elements. Not only that, it was imbued with the Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm¡¯s spatial Magia as well. It was an outstanding Strange Artifact spirit material.

    1. I just wanna point out that author¡¯s brain went kapoof and he put Mister Three Arts here. ?

 Chapter 863: Grass of Longevity, Undying Flower, Fruit of Wishes

    <h4>Chapter 863: Grass of Longevity, Undying Flower, Fruit of Wishes </h4>

    But of course, that was the capabilities of an adult Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm. The one that Zui Yun was auctioning was just arva. It was only about as long as an adult finger and a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, and it was iparable to its fully matured version.

    Despite this, therva still possessed immeasurable value. It was because the Stranger was tameable at this age, and it would eventually grow into a Disaster-ss Stranger so long as it was fed and cared for properly. It would be a huge asset to anyone.

    At first, Ye Qing was interested in the Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm¡¯srva, but he quickly discarded the thought after listening to Feng Qingyou¡¯s exnation.

    ording to Feng Qingyou, the Skyreaching Dragon Silkworm only fed on rare treasures and spiritual items. This singlerva could bring an entire middle-sized sect to its knees with its consumption rate. Only a major sect or n with a long lineage could afford to raise a Skyreaching Dragon Silkwormrva to adulthood.

    He was one person. The chances that he could feed the Skyreaching Dragon Silkwormrva until it reached adulthood and finally started paying dividends was exactly zero, so he didn¡¯t bother. In the end, therva was sold for five million silver.

    It sounded like a lot, but after the insane nine million silver bid that was the ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± earlier, it was nothing.

    The next couple bids came and went peacefully, and Ye Qing sessfully bought the Finger Ring Metal he was aiming for.

    Although the Finger Ring Metal was an incredibly rare treasure, its usability was seriously limited. Therefore, he managed to win it with only one million silver. No one had tried to maliciously bid up the price, and he had encountered less resistance than he expected.

    With this, Ye Qing had aplished his primary objective for attending the Dragonmount Meet. However, neither he nor Feng Qingyou were in a hurry to leave. This was a grand event that only happened once per year after all, and they might never return in the future. There was no reason they shouldn¡¯t stay behind and enjoy the event until the end. If they were lucky enough to obtain another item that Feng Qingyou needed for her recovery, then even better.

    It was only natural, but the longer the Dragonmount Meet went on, the better and more valuable the items that were auctioned became. There were even several items that were almost as valuable as the ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±.

    For example, there were the Grass of Longevity, the Undying Flower, the Myriad Manifestation Wheel of Heaven, and the Fruit of Wishes.

    The Grass of Longevity and Undying Flower were items that could increase one¡¯s lifespan. THe Grass of Longevity could increase one¡¯s lifespan by three years, and the Undying Flower by five. It didn¡¯t sound like much, but for those nearing the end of their lifespan, it was more precious than anything else in this world.

    Of course, this quality alone wasn¡¯t enough to put it on the same pedestal as the ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±. If the Grass of Longevity and the Undying Flower were consumed together, then one could bring someone from the dead or live forever.

    It was exactly what it sounded like. Thebination of the duo could literally bring someone back from the dead, or grant a person eternal life.

    <i>This </i>was why the two items were considered almost as valuable as the ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±.

    But of course, there was a catch. Otherwise, it would easily exceed ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± in terms of value.

    Feeding a dead person the Grass of Longevity and the Undying Flower could bring them back to life¡ªbut only if they hadn¡¯t died for more than twenty four hours. And no, it wasn¡¯t a false life like a living corpse or something. The person would be able to live, breathe, eat, drink, and fuck just like a normal person for the next ten years.

    However, ten years was all they had. When ten years had passed, their mental faculties would progressively decline until it disappearedpletely. They would fall into a permanenta, never to awaken again.

    Strangely, the person would neither age nor decay after falling into a vegetative state. In fact, they could live forever in this state. It definitely counted as eternal life, even if it wasn¡¯t the form of eternal life people were really expecting.

    Yes, the im that it could grant eternal life was a small joke of sorts, but even so, the fact that it could resurrect someone who hadn¡¯t expired for more than twenty four hours and grant them ten years of normal life was impressive to say the least. It could definitely bepared to the likes of ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±.

    That was why the two items were eventually sold for the astronomical price of eight million silver.

    Onto the next item. The Myriad Manifestation Wheel of Heaven was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, but unlike your usual Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, it used to be an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact, also known as a sacred artifact[1].

    Back in the day, the Myriad Manifestation Wheel of Heaven was a powerful weapon that belonged to an extraordinary Sage called the Myriad Manifestation Inferior. Forged using the four natural phenomena¡ªwind, rain, thunder and lightning¡ªthe Myriad Manifestation Wheel of Heaven could summon wind and rain,mand lightning and thunder, and generally change the weather like a god. It was an extremely powerful Ancient-ss Strange Artifact that used to be named in the Strange Artifact Register.

    It was also the reason Myriad Manifestation Inferior was named of the Heavenly Champions Ranking with few rivals.

    Unfortunately, Myriad Manifestation Inferior was ganged up on by the Sages of the Nine Dark Ways and in. Shattered by the Great Halberd of Destion, the Myriad Manifestations Wheel of Heaven devolved into a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact as well.

    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Myriad Manifestations Wheel of Heaven was a weak Strange Artifact in the slightest. It could still control the weather, summon wind and rain, andmand lightning and thunder. If repaired, it might even return to its former glory.

    In terms of pure value, the Myriad Manifestations Wheel of Heaven was no match for ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±. However, ¡°Imprable Clouds¡± was an ambiguous opportunity, whereas the Myriad Manifestations Wheel of Heaven could upgrade one¡¯s strength immediately. That was why they were considered more or less on the same level.

    In the end, the Myriad Manifestations Wheel of Heaven was sold for the tall price of eight point eight million silver.

    Finally, the Fruit of Wishes was a special fruit born from the Tree of Wishes. The Tree of Wishes neither existed in the yang world nor the yin world. Instead, it grew in the Yin Yang Gap and nourished itself on people¡¯s dreams and wishes. Hence the name.

    The Tree of Wishes took a century to take root and sprout, and another century to flower and fruit. It took a third century for its fruit to fully mature and fall to the ground.

    Each Tree of Wishes bore only one flower and one fruit. The moment the fruit matured, the Tree of Wishes would immediately wither and die, and the fruit would hit the ground and vanish. It would eventually turn into a new seed and repeat the cycle anew.

    The fruit bore by the Tree of Wishes were created from everyone¡¯s dreams and wishes. Hence, it possessed the power to turn wish into reality.

    It was exactly what it sounded like. Simply consume the fruit, and the person¡¯s wish woulde true. That was why it was named the Fruit of Wishes.

    But of course, the Fruit of Wishes couldn¡¯t actually grant every wish. Not everyone could use it either. Otherwise, life would have gone extinct a long, long time ago.

    The Fruit of Wishes could only grant a reasonable wish within its power. If, say, the wish exceeded the Fruit of Wishes¡¯ ability, then it would backfire on the wisher instead.

    For example, it was perfectly possible for a body-tempering warrior to wish to be a Spirit Master. But if their wish was to be the greatest warrior under the heavens, then it was obviously going to fail.

    A schr could wish to gain the gift of the gab and write, but they could not wish to be a famous, highest courtier of the court.

    A poor person could wish to be so wealthy that the idea of basic necessities was forever behind them. They could even be more specific with the wish and ask for properties and wives as well. But if the wish entailed bing the richest men in the world, or if they asked for a harem of three thousand women like an emperor, then of course it would fail.

    To date, no one was able to define the exact line between what was reasonable and what wasn¡¯t. But one thing for certain, the simpler the wish, the likelier it was toe true.

    Finally, the Fruit of Wishes could not create something out of nothing. It could only arrange events so that the wisher would achieve their wish logically.

    For example, if the wisher wished to be a <i>wulin </i>elite, they would not be an elite the instant they consumed the Fruit of Wishes. Instead, the wisher might encounter a dying warrior who chooses to pass down all their martial arts and cultivation to them.

    Another example would be a gravely ill person wishing to be healthy again. They would not recover immediately, but they might encounter a miracle doctor who nursed him back to full health.

    Long story short, the Fruit of Wishes¡¯ ability was limited, but it certainly didn¡¯t impact its value one bit. It could y a critical role in certain situations and even save one¡¯s life.

    1. Tentative term. Looking through the raws I got there is no reason to capitalize it, but who knows, maybe 500 chapterster suddenly it suddenly deserves capitalization. ?

 Chapter 864: Animitta Heavenly Demonâ€™s Heart

    <h4>Chapter 864: Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s Heart </h4>

    Naturally, the Fruit of Wishes became a highly contested item as well. In the end, it fell into Ye Qing¡¯s hands for the price of seven million silver. It cost him almost all of the money[1] he got from Goddess City, but it was worth it.

    The main reason he spent seven million silver to purchase the Fruit of Wishes was to help Feng Qingyou. It might be able to treat her mental injuries.

    As for whether it would backfire on Feng Qingyou and actually worsen her existing injury, he wasn¡¯t worried.

    He just needed to ask the Annon Sutra.

    Honestly, he wasn¡¯t expecting to find such an impressive item during the Dragonmount Meet. If the Fruit of Wishes could treat Feng Qingyou¡¯s injury outright, then it would be a happy ending as a matter of course. At the very least, it would have saved them a lot of trouble.

    Even if the answer he received from the Annon Sutra was negative, they could still use it for other purposes. In any case, it was a win-win situation.

    ¡°The next item is the grand finale of our Dragonmount Meet. I¡¯m sure that a lot of you are here for it.¡±

    Zui Yun¡¯splexion was rosy on the Lampfire Tower. It made her look even more vibrant and attractive than she already was.

    As Zui Yun spoke, a wisp of me lifted the jade box into the air.

    ¡°Can you guess what is stored inside this jade box, my dear guests?¡± Zui Yun asked smilingly.

    ¡°Do we get a prize if we guess correctly?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t keep us in suspense any longer, Fairy Zui Yun!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t wait any longer.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... very well. I shan¡¯t dilly dally any longer.¡± Zui Yun giggled before waving her hand. ¡°Please, have a look.¡±

    Zui Yun waved her hand, and the jade box swung open. The item stored inside the box... was a heart.

    The heart was about as big as an infant¡¯s fist and ck as ink. It was such a pure, wless color that the heart looked far more mysterious and exotic than scary.

    The heart was at least tens of meters from the closest guest, but everyone could feel a deep, immense, and unfathomable presence and power residing within it. It made them feel small, cold, and afraid like a mortal facing down the heavens themselves.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    It was at this moment the heart suddenly beat once like it was alive. Loud and clear like the drumbeat of a divine being. A wave of dizziness immediately struck the audience, and everyone¡¯s vigor churned unsteadily inside their veins. The weaker warriors actually bled from all orifices and fell unconscious from that one heartbeat.

    Before anyone could react, deep, immense demonic energy and power washed out and dyed the entire Lampfire Pce pure ck in an instant. The wave of demonic energy and power was such that everyone¡¯s mental defenses were shaking unsteadily, and countless hallucinations beset their minds. As their heart devils and inner desires were slowly dragged out into the open, the audience actually showed signs of deviation and plunging into the Dark Ways.

    At thest moment, the sea of mes surrounding the Lampfire Tower transformed into countless chains and wrapped tightly around the jade box. It was only then the anomalous power was suppressed, and the Lampfire Pce returned to normal.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    When the demonic energy and power had finally subsided, countless people snapped back to reality at the same time they threw up a mouthful of fresh blood. Theirplexions were pale, and their eyes were stunned.

    On the Lampfire Tower, Zui Yun dipped into a bow and apologized, ¡°Ahem... sorry, sorry. I wasn¡¯t expecting the heart to be so potent. This is an error on our behalf. When the Dragonmount Meet ends, we promise topensate you properly for your woes.¡±

    <i>You weren¡¯t expecting it to be this potent? What a liar. This old woman is quite the wicked one, isn¡¯t she?</i>

    Countless members of the audience were having such thoughts. It was because they could see that Zui Yun, the person standing the closest to the heart, wasn¡¯t affected at all. Clearly, she was well-prepared for this ¡°ident¡±.

    As for why she did it, it was quite simple. It was to show off the heart¡¯s potency and facilitate its sale.

    Everyone knew what Zui Yun was plotting, but no one could be bothered to split hairs with her. It was because their focus was fully drawn by the heart.

    Inside the pavilion, Ye Qing had jumped to his feet before he knew it and was staring at the heart with a fervent look in his eyes. ¡°What on earth is that heart, Qingyou?¡±

    Nearly everyone in the heart had suffered to varying degrees by the demonic energy and power unleashed by the heart, but it was theplete opposite for Ye Qing. In fact, he felt better than he ever had before.

    It was because the heart contained some of the purest demonic qi and demonic energy he had ever felt. Actually, scratch that, it was even purer than the demonic qi of Rahu back at the Demon¡¯s Tomb, meaning that it was <i>the </i>purest demonic qi he had ever felt.

    The qualities of this demonic qi also suited him far better than Rahu¡¯s demonic qi, which was tyrannical and violent. To be specific, the heart¡¯s demonic qi was more mysterious, ephemeral, and anomalous much like the demonic qi and demonic thought produced by his ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±.

    Just a few breaths of exposure to the heart¡¯s demonic energy had increased his spirit and demonic thought by a small but visible rate. He was extremely excited to find out that the heart¡¯s demonic qi was extremelypatible with his ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±.

    If he could obtain the heart, if he could refine every wisp of demonic qi and demonic energy inside the heart as his own, he was certain that his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven and Heavenly Demonic Yin God would grow dramatically. He might even be able to evolve his yin god into a yang god and be a Trueman in one go.

    Yes, he was tempted. Out of all the items that were disyed in the auction, this was the one he desired from the bottom of his heart.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that is the heart of the Animitta[2] Heavenly Demon.¡±

    Feng Qingyou took note of the excitement on Ye Qing¡¯s face and remarked, ¡°Your cultivation art is quitepatible with the demonic qi of the Animitta Heavenly Demon. It will be a great boon to you.¡±

    ¡°The heart of the Animitta Heavenly Demon? No wonder!¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment.

    As if on cue, someone from the audience shouted, ¡°Is that the heart of the Animitta Heavenly Demon, Miss Zui Yun?!¡± Clearly, they recognized the heart as well.

    ¡°A wise and urate deduction, dear guest. Correct, this is the heart of the Animitta Heavenly Demon,¡± Zui Yun answered.

    ¡°What is an Animitta Heavenly Demon, Miss Zui Yun?¡± Another person asked.

    ¡°An Animitta Heavenly Demon is one of the thirty three Heavenly Demon Gods from the Beyond, and it resides in the Animitta Heaven. Possessing boundless power and exquisite arts, it is formless, shapeless, and a master of transformation. It enjoys transforming into anything and everything, and its hobby is toying with mortals and tempting them into the Dark Ways.¡±

    Zui Yun exined smilingly, ¡°The lifelong power of an Animitta Heavenly Demon is stored within its heart. So long as the heart isn¡¯t destroyed, an Animitta Heavenly Demon can never die.¡±

    ¡°The heart before your eyes is the heart of an Animitta Heavenly Demon. It contains the full, wless, unblemished power of an Animitta Heavenly Demon.¡±

    ¡°If I remember correctly, the Animitta Heavenly Demon is an Ancient-ss Stranger, right Miss Zui Yun? It is formless, shapeless, exceedingly powerful, and beyond difficult to kill. So how on earth were you able to obtain its heart, and in such perfect condition too?¡± Someone asked with puzzlement.

    The person¡¯s curiosity was shared by Ye Qing as well. The Animitta Heavenly Demon was one of the most powerful Strangers in its weight ss. Only a Sage possessed the power to kill it, and even then, they might not necessarily obtain its heart. However, the heart before his eyes was perfectly intact in both form and power. How on earth did the organizers manage to obtain it?

    ¡°Hahaha... it is very simple. This heart is the prize won by the Turtle Fishing Man, the Whaler, the Dragon King of the East Sea, and the Sea-Stirring Great Sage after ying an Animitta Heavenly Demon together.¡±

    Zui Yun did not hide the story from them. ¡°Several months ago, the Animitta Heavenly Demon had harassed one hundred and eight inds in the eastern sea and seduced over a hundred thousand people into damnation. Luckily, the Turtle Fishing Man, the Whaler, the Dragon King of the East Sea, and the Sea-Stirring Great Sage happened to be nearby when this tragedy urred. So, they worked together to y the Animitta Heavenly Demon and obtain its heart.¡±

    ¡°The Animitta Heavenly Demon is useless to them, so they entrusted us to process it ordingly.¡±

    1. Note, just the <i>money</i>. The assets like items, properties etc are still in his hands. Too bad cash isn¡¯t exactly a thing in this world or there would be less confusion. ?

    2. Meaning signlessness. ?

 Chapter 865: I Bid One Hundred Million!

    ¡°The Turtle Fishing Man, the Whaler, the Dragon King of the East Sea, <em>and</em> the Sea-Stirring Great Sage? No wonder the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart is in such pristine condition!¡± Everyone eximed in realization.

    The Turtle Fishing Man, the Whaler, the Dragon King of the East Sea, and the Sea-Stirring Great Sage were all Sages on the Heavenly Champions Ranking. Each and every one of them possessed the power to protect an entire nation.

    No one doubted an Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s strength, but to go up against four Sages on the Heaven Champions Ranking? Yeah, it was perfectly normal for it to be wiped out.

    ¡°We swear on our reputation that this heart¡¯s background is perfectly clean, so please, don¡¯t hesitate to bid for it.¡±

    Zui Yun continued, ¡°Since the heart of this Animitta Heavenly Demon is perfectly preserved, and its power is intact, it could be used to forge Strange Artifacts, refine pills, and improve one¡¯s cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, the fact that the heart¡¯s power is perfectly intact means that its innate Magia and power of the Great Way are preserved as well. If you refine it, there is an extremely high chance you¡¯ll be able to learn its innate Magia and obtain its bloodline.¡±

    Before Zui Yun could even finish, someone shouted in a hurry, ¡°Cut the bullshit and just tell me how much it costs already! I want it!¡±

    The heart of an Animitta Heavenly Demon wasn¡¯t too useful for a warrior who practiced an orthodox martial art, but for someone who practiced a demonic martial art? It was the ultimate priceless treasure of one¡¯s dreams. To a warrior of the Dark Ways, it was even more valuable than the ¡°Imprable Clouds¡±, the Myriad Manifestation Wheel of Heaven or the Fruit of Wishes.

    To obtain the heart of an Animitta Heavenly Demon was like obtaining the lifelong power of a Sage of the Dark Ways. To refine it was like receiving the cultivation of a Sage of the Dark Ways as well. For those below the Sage stage, a boon like this could push them all the way to the Sage stage.

    For those above the Sage stage, the heart alone would not be enough for them to break through the ceiling and be a Sage unless they were extraordinarily talented, already at the pinnacle of the Sage stage, or both.

    Even so, it could greatly improve their cultivation and power, not to mention that there was a good chance they would obtain the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s innate Magia as well.

    Even for someone whose cultivation art was ipatible with the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s demonic qi, they could still refine the heart into a powerful Strange Artifact. Of course, it was unlikely it could be forged into an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact outright, but it was going to be a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact at least.

    If the hired artisan was skilled, if the owner could supply the necessary natural treasures to build a good foundation, and if the owner could nourish it with their heart¡¯s blood daily, then it definitely had the possibility of evolving into an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact.

    Long story short, the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart was priceless for a warrior of the Dark Ways. it was no wonder that someone was impatient to get the bidding going already.

    ¡°Calm down, dear guest. The bidding will begin very soon.¡±

    Zui Yun did not show any displeasure despite being rudely yelled at by the guest. ¡°The starting price for the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart is one million silver. All bids must be five hundred thousand silver higher than the previous bid. You may begin!¡±

    As soon as Zui Yun finished, the entire Lampfire Pce erupted into a cacophony of shouts and yells. In just the span of a dozen breaths, the bidding price for the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart had risen to the ludicrous price of ten million.

    This was just the beginning. The price continued to skyrocket at a ludicrous rate.

    At first, Ye Qing thought himself hispetitors¡¯ equal and did not hesitate to shout his bids just like the rest. However, he was dead wrong. When the bidding hit the twenty millionth mark, beads of sweat began forming on Ye Qing¡¯s head. When it hit the thirty millionth mark, his eyes had turned into spinny circles. And when it hit the forty millionth mark, he had already fallen t on the floor and thrown in the towel.

    Was forty million silver too much for him? Not at all. He had plundered centuries worth of loot from Goddess City. Sure, therge majority of it was destroyed by the Earthly Sovereign Bell, but what he did manage to get was still enough to make him filthy rich.

    The problem was that he had spent most of his money bidding for the Finger Ring Metal and Fruit of Wishes, meaning that he would have to pay with martial arts manuals, Strange Artifacts, pills and other assets if he wished to continue bidding for the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart. However, there was a chance the organizers of the Dragonmount Meet might figure out his identity through the items.

    And that was the problem. The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was one of the organizers of the Dragonmount Meet. The organizers of the Dragonmount Meet finding out his identity was the same as the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance finding out his identity. He would basically be outing himself in the middle of his enemy¡¯s central headquarters. It would be suicide.

    He definitely possessed the wealth to potentially win the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart, and yet he couldn¡¯t spend them because it would only result in his demise. Why was reality such a cruel mistress? This was blue-balling on apletely different level!

    While Ye Qing was mentally ranting about the unfairness of life, thepetition for the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart had reached climax. Its bidding price had also reached a whopping fifty million silver.

    ¡°Fifty million silver! That¡¯s probably going to be the highest bidding price for the night, right?¡± Ye Qing said weakly.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Feng Qingyou replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°The Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart is worth it though.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    Feng Qingyou nced at him. ¡°If you really want the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart, there is a way.¡±

    However, Ye Qing shook his head before she could continue, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Risking exposure during such a sensitive period can only be folly.¡±

    He did not even need to hear Feng Qingyou¡¯s way to know that it was going to be troublesome and risky. Right now, his first priority was nursing Feng Qingyou back to full health, and anything that stood in front of that goal must be removed no matter how much it pained him to do so.

    Feng Qingyou smiled. She did not say anything after that.

    Outside the pavilion, the pce was deathly silent after the final bidder dered a bid of fifty million silver. Just when Ye Qing thought that that would be the final price, a strange voice suddenly spoke up, ¡°I bid one hundred million!¡±

    Everyone was stunned to say the least. An incredulous voice responded, ¡°O-One hundred million?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. One hundred million!¡± The voice spoke up again in an arrogant tone, ¡°Not only that, I want everything you have here. All of it.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Who do you think you are?¡± Someone taunted.

    ¡°Hahaha! Does it matter who I am?¡± The personughed. ¡°What matters is that my word is thew¡ªstarting now!¡±

    A pavilion suddenly exploded into smithereens, and a man slowly walked out of the burning mes. He was over two meters tall, muscr, and baring his upper body. His countenance was rugged and fierce, and he wore a huge golden nose ring on his nose.

    Even stranger, the man had a pair of crescent-shaped bull horns on his forehead, and it was wreathed in crimson mes. He carried a long tail behind him that shook the space and sent sparks everywhere with every flick.

    ¡°The Powerful Bull Demon?!¡±

    Someone eximed in shock as recognition dawned upon them.

    ¡°Haha! Looks like some of you recognize me. Good!¡± The Powerful Bull Demonughed uproariously.

    Two Truemen responsible for maintaining order immediately rushed out of their pavilion and shouted, ¡°Powerful Bull Demon, we don¡¯t tolerate your atrocious behavior in the Dragonmount Meet! Withdraw now, or we will take you down by force!¡±

    They were a man and a woman. The man was named Jin Wei, and the woman Qu Yanniang.

    Jin Wei wasn¡¯t done speaking when suddenly, Zui Yun snapped her finger and summoned a gigantic hand of fire from the surrounding mes. Then, it made a grab for¡­ Jin Wei?!

    Jin Wei wasn¡¯t expecting this at all. He was just about to defend himself when a terrifying power shackled him in ce and suppressed his strength. He could do nothing as the ming hand grabbed him and tossed him onto the tform.

    ¡°What are you doing, Zui Yun?!¡± Jin Wei yelled at her more in confusion than rage.

    ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m detaining you.¡± Zui Yun giggled seductively at him.

    ¡°Have you gone insane?¡± Jin Wei replied with outrage. ¡°Are you nning to betray the Dragonmount Meet?¡±

    ¡°Betray? Oh no no no, Zui Yun had never thought of betraying the Dragonmount Meet. She wouldn¡¯t dare even if you give her all the courage in the world.¡± Zui Yun giggled again. ¡°But you see, I¡¯m not Zui Yun.¡±

    ¡°Y-You¡¯re not Zui Yun? Impossible! Who are you then?¡± Jin Wei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

 Chapter 866: Seven Demons of Yandang

    ¡°Who am I? Hahaha¡­ I¡¯m~ not~ telling~¡±

    Zui Yun giggled. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fun if you died without regrets, right?¡±

    As soon as she finished, Zui Yun¡¯s hair began flying without wind. The next moment, it transformed into nine massive snake heads. Jin Wei screamed in pain and horror as he was split into nine pieces and devoured by them.

    After the nine snake heads were done feeding, they shrank down to the size of a normal snake and circled around Zui Yun¡¯s head, hissing.

    Her body was human, but her hair was snake. It was an indescribably demonic yet charming appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! The Nine-headed Snake Demon!¡±

    It was only now Qu Yanniang finally realized her true identity. She wasn¡¯t slow, things were happening too rapidly for her to process it all, not to mention that she was currently shackled by the Lampfire Pce¡¯s power.

    ¡°Aw, you found out?¡± Zui Yun, or rather, the Nine-headed Snake Demon responded with a giggle. Before she could say anything though, she abruptly turned to look at a pavilion. As if on cue, the pavilion suddenly turned transparent and revealed the old man who resided within.

    The old man¡¯s hair and beard were fully white, and he had what people would describe as a thief¡¯s eyebrows and a mouse¡¯s eyes. He was holding his Lampfire Token as if he was trying to activate it and leave the venue.The Lampfire Token was the object used to enter or exit the Lampfire Pce. While the auction was still ongoing, one simply needed to activate it to enter or exit the premises as they pleased.

    Unfortunately, his efforts werepletely futile. The Lampfire Token did not respond to hismand. He tried a couple more times as if he could not believe what was happening, but eventually, he arrived at the conclusion that something was terribly wrong.

    Next, he produced a talisman from his sleeves and crushed it in his palm. A sh of light immediately enveloped the old man. It was a World Transference Talisman.

    The World Transference Talisman possessed the power to pierce restrictions and travel through space. It was an invaluable, priceless item that could be used to escape a life-threatening situation and save one¡¯s life.

    Unfortunately, the old man was still inside the pavilion after the talisman¡¯s light had faded. It was as if he hadn¡¯t activated the talisman at all.

    The old man¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He kept muttering underneath his breath with a stunned expression as if he could not believe what was happening.

    It was at this moment the Nine-headed Snake Demon made a grabbing motion. The pavilion and the old man within began shrinking rapidly while flying toward the woman. No matter how hard the old man struggled, he was unable to break free or stop the process. In the end, both the pavilion and the old mannded in the Nine-headed Snake Demon¡¯s palm.

    The Nine-headed Snake Demon said while toying with the miniature pavilion, ¡°I forgot to mention this, but the Lampfire Pce is under my full control, so cease your futile attempts to escape and stay where you are.¡±

    Suddenly, she clenched her fingers and crushed both the pavilion and the old man within. A cruel smile spread across her face as she added, ¡°Otherwise, you will be joining him in the afterlife.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s heart sank when they saw this. The old man wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar face. He was a wanderer and a Trueman named Azure Mouse.

    Azure Mouse¡¯s power ced him at the bottom rung of thedder of Trueman, but he excelled at hiding and escaping due to his timid and cautious nature. If even he could not escape the Lampfire Pce, then the rest of them could only fare worse.

    ¡°Impossible! How can an outsider control the Lampfire Pce?¡± Qu Yanniang eximed with disbelief as the blood drained away from her face. Lampfire Pce possessed excellent offensive and defensive capabilities and could be deployed as a fortress. Not only was it untouchable by the power of a Trueman, it could restrict and suppress enemies within its belly as well. Even a Grandmaster would find it difficult to shake off its power.

    If the Nine-headed Snake Demon wasn¡¯t exaggerating, and she truly had assumed full control of the Lampfire Pce, then she could kill anyone or everyone with a single thought.

    ¡°Why not?¡± The Nine-headed Snake Demon giggled and curled her finger at Qu Yanniang. The woman let out a muffled groan and began flying toward the Nine-headed Snake Demon despite her struggles. She stopped only after she had arrived at the snake woman¡¯s feet.

    The Nine-headed Snake Demon bent down and caressed Qu Yanniang¡¯s face. At the same time, the nine snakes on her skull swam beside her ears and hissed from time to time, painting her head with saliva. Qu Yanniang was chilled to the core to put it mildly.

    ¡°What on earth are you nning?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ no need to be scared,¡± the Nine-headed Snake Demon replied with a giggle, ¡°We bear no ill will toward you. In fact, we are here to help you!¡±

    ¡°Help what?¡± Qu Yanniang asked with a tremor in her voice.

    ¡°To help alleviate your burden!¡±

    The Nine-headed Snake Demon continued to toy with Qu Yanniang¡¯s hair while looking left and right. ¡°You carry all that money and treasures in your Nature¡¯s Shells, and yet you have nowhere to spend it or use it. That is why I havee to alleviate your burden and spend it on your behalf. Aren¡¯t I a good girl?¡±

    Qu Yanniang: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    Inside the pavilion, Ye Qing was scratching his nose. That was certainly a novel way of saying, ¡°It¡¯s a robbery, bitches!¡±

    ¡°Who is the Powerful Bull Demon and Nine-headed Snake Demon, Qingyou? What gives them the confidence to rob from the Dragonmount Meet?¡± Ye Qing asked using his demonic thought to avoid being detected by the Nine-headed Snake Demon.

    ¡°They belong to a group called the Seven Demons of Yandang. The Seven Demons of Yandang are seven infamous Dark Way warriors of the <em>jianghu</em>, and they are the White Ape Sword Demon, Howling Heaven Tiger Demon, River Swallowing Toad Demon, Bull Demon of Strength, Eight Armed Spider Demon, Shadowless Leopard Demon, and Nine-headed Snake Demon.¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied using her spirit, ¡°Everyone in the Seven Demons of Yandang is a Trueman and a Strangerkin, and they have all given up part of their human bodies and be half-Stranger in pursuit of greater power. Their monikers directly reference the Stranger bloodline they bear, and they are all quite powerful. Of the seven, the White Ape Sword Demon is the leader and strongest of them all.¡±

    ¡°The Seven Demons of Yandang have abused their strength tomit every crime under their sun. Fearing nothing and no one, they have killed, burned, robbed, and plundered countless people and organizations. This isn¡¯t the first time they have attacked an auction, though I must admit that even I wasn¡¯t expecting them to target the Dragonmount Meet.¡±

    ¡°The Seven Demons of Yandang? This isn¡¯t good.¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply after listening until the end. Now that Feng Qingyou mentioned it, he was starting to remember some of the rumors he heard about them. The Seven Demons of Yandang weren¡¯t just cruel and violent, they were all named on the Earth Champions Ranking and stupidly strong.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ye Qing asked. If he was alone, then he would have made a call already. But Feng Qingyou was apanying him, and she was injured.

    ¡°There is still time. Let us wait and see what happens next,¡± Feng Qingyou answered calmly. ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, all Seven Demons of Yandang are present. It would not be wise to show ourselves prematurely, so let us wait.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded and fell silent.

    Back on the Lampfire Tower, Qu Yanniang raged at the Nine-headed Snake Demon, ¡°How dare you! You are in the Dragonmount City right now! Do you really think you can rob the Dragonmount Meet without consequences? That you can escape the wrath of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and Dragonmount Duke?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ in fact, we can! If even a nobody from Swordsgrave can turn your so-called Seventy Two Water Land Alliance upside down and drag your reputation through the mud, then why wouldn¡¯t we be able to do better?¡±

    The Powerful Bull Demonughed so loudly that the surrounding mes were quivering slightly. ¡°I gotta thank that Sword Ghoul though. If he hadn¡¯t drawn away most of your elite warriors, I admit that we would have conducted our business with a bit more caution. But now, you small fries are the only ones left in this city. Why would we fear someone like you, pray tell?¡±

    Inside the pavilion, Feng Qingyou threw Ye Qing a sideway nce. His only response was to look away and rub his nose awkwardly. Who would have thought that he was partially responsible for today¡¯s robbery?

 Chapter 867: A River Flows From The Heavens

    <h4>Chapter 867: A River Flows From The Heavens </h4>

    ¡°Your arrogance knows no bounds, Powerful Bull Demon! It is true that most of our elites aren¡¯t present at the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance right now, but have you forgotten that the Dragonmount Duke himself is still present?¡±

    Someone yelled in anger, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if all seven of you are here. The Dragonmount Duke will destroy you all!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Let us go and leave if you know what¡¯s good for you! Otherwise, today next year will be your death anniversary!¡±

    ¡°Let us go now, or you won¡¯t even have the time to wallow in regret!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... we are most grateful for your concern, but worry not.¡± The Nine-headed Snake Demon giggled. ¡°The Dragonmount Duke won¡¯t being to your aid, so you best not count on him to save your lives.¡±

    ¡°What, are you going to kill us all?¡± Someone threatened, ¡°Everyone here is a famous person in the <i>jianghu</i>. If you kill us, you will be going up against the entire <i>jianghu! </i>Do you think you can bear the consequences?¡±

    ¡°Consequences? What consequences? You speak as if we haven¡¯t been hunted our whole lives.¡±

    Powerful Bull Demon let out a savageugh. ¡°In fact, I dare you toe at me. If one shows his face, then I¡¯ll split his face in half. If two show their faces, then I¡¯ll remove both necks from their shoulders. If a group shows up, then I¡¯ll ughter you all and make a blood river! There¡¯s nothing I love more than killing people, hahahaha!¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± the Nine-headed Snake Demon echoed in agreement. ¡°It does sound fun to make an enemy out of the entire <i>jianghu</i>.¡±

    For a moment, the audience fell into stunned silence. Now they thought about it, the Seven Demons of Yandang were insane. It was one thing to threaten a sane warrior into submission, but aplete madman? That was a bit of a stretch.

    ¡°That said, we havee today not to take lives, but to seek fortune.¡± The Nine-headed Snake Demon suddenly changed her tune and said temptingly, ¡°So long as you cooperate with us and surrender your wealth peacefully, we promise we won¡¯t take your lives. Amiability makes you rich, right?¡±

    Suddenly, a silhouette appeared on the Lampfire Pce. He said, ¡°It¡¯s done, sister.¡±

    The silhouette had a human¡¯s body but a leopard¡¯s head. He also had a long tail behind his back. He was obviously the Shadowless Leopard Demon.

    Shadowless Leopard Demon was currently carrying a head each in each hand. Qu Yanniang¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief for a moment before sumbing into despair.

    The two heads belonged to the elite warriors responsible for maintaining thew and order of the Dragonmount Meet. If she and Jin Wei were the front, then they were the knives lurking in the shadows. Not only that, they were bestowed part of the Lampfire Pce¡¯s authority so that they could use the Strange Artifact to their own advantage in case of an emergency that exceeded their capabilities to handle.

    But now, both two elite warriors were dead. Clearly, the Nine-headed Snake Demon wasn¡¯t conversing with them just because she was bored. She was also buying time for her ally to suss out the hidden warriors and kill them.

    With this, the Lampfire Pce had fallenpletely into the Nine-headed Snake Demon¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Thank you, brother.¡±

    The Nine-headed Snake Demon giggled. ¡°Now that that¡¯s done, please stay in your seats, everyone. It¡¯s time we leave this dreary city.¡±

    The next moment, the Nine-headed Snake Demonmanded the Lampfire Pce to fly up and away from Dragonmount City.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Why is the Lampfire Pce flying away?¡±

    ¡°Is the Dragonmount Meet over already? That seems unlikely. It wasn¡¯t like this the previous years.¡±

    ¡°Strange!¡±

    ......

    The Lampfire Pce¡¯s sudden departure confused the <i>jianghu </i>warriors in the Dragonmount City as a matter of course. Countless people were pointing fingers and talking about it.

    ¡°Who dares to steal the Lampfire Pce?¡±

    It was at this moment a deafening roar resounded throughout the city. At the same time, five figures flew toward the Lampfire Pce at high speed.

    They were three men and two women, and they were all powerful Truemen. They were one of the organizers of the Dragonmount Meet and five of the controllers of the Lampfire Pce.

    In fact, they already noticed something amiss when the Nine-headed Snake Demon had seized control of the Lampfire Pce. However, they hadn¡¯t paid it any heed or thought that someone was trying to steal the Lampfire Pce from under their nose. After all, the auction was held at the center of Dragonmount City, and the Dragonmount Duke was right ¡°next door¡±. Who in their right mind would dare to target the Lampfire Pce or the Dragonmount Meet at the center of their power?

    In fact, the Dragonmount Meet had been carried out for decades without any incident. Forget targeting the Lampfire Pce, no one had dared to start so much as a scuffle. That was why they were sox despite being assigned the important task of guarding the Dragonmount Meet. They thought that nothing could happen so long as the Lampfire Pce and the Dragonmount Meet were present.

    Their negligence and carelessness were their downfall. It wasn¡¯t until the Lampfire Pce was flying away without warning that they finally realized the severity of the situation.

    The Lampfire Pce was jointly controlled by several tradingpanies and chambers ofmerce. Although the host was bestowed therge majority of the control so that they could conduct the Dragonmount Meet with the highest degree of professionalism, the rest were held in their hands as a matter of security.

    Should the five of thembine their authority, they would be able to stop the Lampfire Pce from leaving the Dragonmount City no matter what. They didn¡¯t need to dy the usurper for too long either. Once the Dragonmount Duke showed up, it would be all over.

    The five Truemen were executing their spells when suddenly, the rm bells in their heads red in full force. When they looked up, they saw a gigantic maw that wasn¡¯t there before.

    An unbelievably powerful suction force came from the gigantic maw, and everything within tens of kilometers suddenly started flying toward it. Many buildings were destroyed by the sudden cyclone, countless trees were violently ripped out of the ground, and even more civilians and warriors were being dragged uncontrobly toward the maw.

    It was like a skyriding whale had appeared out of nowhere to devour Dragonmount City whole.

    For a time, everything was falling apart, and screams came from everywhere. It was as if the apocalypse was upon them.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    The five Truemen had no choice but to abandon the Lampfire Pce for the moment and attack the giant maw in the sky.

    Thebined might of five Truemen was sky-splitting, of course. The maw was shattered in a single strike.

    The unnatural air currents disappeared, and the vortex pulling everyone in disappeared like it never was. Once their momentum was spent, the buildings, trees, rocks, ordinary citizens and warriors began falling back to the ground. The screams practically doubled in intensity and quantity because of this.

    The five Truemen managed to stop the giant maw, but the damage had already been done. Dragonmount City looked like a pile of ruins, and the casualties were innumerable.

    The five Truemen looked like they would burst a vein or two. They cared nothing for the lives of the people, but they did care that the attack had destroyed most of their shops and businesses. To say that their loss was terrible would be an understatement.

    ¡°How dare you run rampant in my Dragonmount City, River Swallowing Toad Demon. Die.¡±

    The voice boomed from somewhere, and a draconic w covered in ugly scales ripped through the clouds and descended from above.

    <i>Boom...</i>

    There was a massive rumble, and a giant toad was pped to the ground. Such was the impact that a huge, deep pit was left on the ground.

    When the dust settled, a humanoid figure could be seen lying at the center of the pit. Then, the figure climbed to his feet and rubbed his belly, chuckling.

    ¡°Hahaha... not bad, Vice Chief Xin. That tickled me.¡±

 Chapter 868: I Am The White Ape Sword Demon, And I Will Stop You

    <h4>Chapter 868: I Am The White Ape Sword Demon, And I Will Stop You </h4>

    The humanoid figure was a short and portly middle-aged man. He was wearing a wide smile on his face, though the myriad pimples covering his face and his abnormallyrge lips¡ªthey took up over half of his face¡ªmade him look odd, disturbing, yet somewhat joyful all at the same time.

    There was a white mark on the man¡¯s belly, and the energies rising from the mark felt deadly to say the least. However, they were slowly but surely diminishing under the man¡¯s continuous rubbings.

    Clearly, the middle-aged man was the River Devouring Toad Demon and the number three of the Seven Demons of Yandang.

    On a rted note, the Shadowless Leopard Demon was number sixth, and the Nine-headed Snake Demon number seventh.

    The five Truemen narrowed their eyes and tried to suppress their shock. The draconic w they just saw was the ¡°Sky Dragon w¡± executed by Xin Mieqing herself, and as its name implied, it was as powerful as a sky dragon¡¯s w swipe and could destroy mountains like nothing. Confident in their strength they might be, none of them believed that they could take a ¡°Sky Dragon w¡± from Xin Mieqing without suffering at least some injuries.

    The River Devouring Toad Demon had taken a direct hit and looked no worse for wear, however. It was scary to say the least.

    ¡°You five will focus on stopping the Lampfire Pce. I¡¯ll handle this man.¡±

    On a street, Xin Mieqing slowly stepped toward the River Devouring Toad Demon with cold, dark eyes. ¡°Anyone who offends the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance must die.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for the trouble, Vice Chief Xin!¡± The five Truemen saluted her before rushing off in the Lampfire Pce¡¯s direction.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the boastful woman, Vice Chief Xin. Not even I with my huge mouth and belly would dare to make such a boastful im!¡± The River Devouring Toad Demon beamed at her. ¡°If you were the Dragonmount Duke, then I would be scared. But you? You don¡¯t seriously think you can kill me, do you?¡±

    ¡°We shall see.¡± Xin Mieqing did not waste her breath on the River Devouring Toad Demon. She immediately charged him with murderous intent.

    At the same time, two figures blocked the five Truemen¡¯s path not long after they chased after the Lampfire Pce. They were a man and a woman.

    The man was tall and muscr. His appearance was intimidating and dignified, and his face was covered in yellow fur. A Íõ symbol¡ªmeaning ¡°King¡±¡ªcould vaguely be seen on his forehead.

    The woman was wearing a ck outfit. She was gracefully tall and slim, her countenance was demonic yet beautiful. She also had eight arms growing out of her back just like a spider. Her torso suspended high up in the sky, she ran across the ground on all eight like the wind.

    Even worse, she was flinging countless tiny spiders into the surroundings with every sway of her body. They were charging toward the surrounding rubble and biting anyone they could get their teeth on. Those unfortunate enough to be bitten would instantly turn green in the face, rot like a corpse, and transform into mindless beasts that attacked every living thing they saw.

    Dragonmount City was already in chaos to begin with, but now, it resembled a living hell.

    ¡°Howling Heaven Tiger Demon, Eight Armed Spider Demon...!¡±

    The five Truemen recognized the duo and nched immediately.

    ¡°Hahaha! It is I!¡±

    The Howling Heaven Tiger Demon¡¯sughter swept through the area like physical waves, crushing buildings and exploding heads in an instant. Even those standing far away from him abruptly bled from all orifices without warning.

    If the clouds obeyed the dragon, then the wind obeyed the tiger. The sound wave wasn¡¯t just crushing everything in its path, it also kicked a deadly gale that rapidly transformed into a tornado, trapping the five Truemen.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    The five Truemen roared and unleashed their respective Magia and secret arts at the tornado and the Howling Heaven Tiger Demon. There was an explosion, and the tornado was cut in half, and the Howling Heaven Tiger Demon was pushed back.

    The five Truemen did not stay to fight. They knew that their first priority was to stop the Lampfire Pce from leaving Dragonmount City and retaking control of the Strange Artifact.

    If the Lampfire Pce was allowed to leave Dragonmount City and escape their spiritual range, then they would not be able to reinforce the spiritual imprints they engraved within the Strange Artifact. Given their opponent¡¯s power, it would only take them a short time to remove the spiritual imprintspletely and truly take control of the Lampfire Pce.

    If that happened, then all would be lost.

    Unfortunately, as soon as the five Truemen tried to move, they felt as if their energy flow was stuttering, and their bodies were trapped inside a quagmire. For whatever reason, they were moving at a snail¡¯s pace.

    It was only then they realized that the surrounding space was covered in countless invisible spider threads. Some were tangible, and some were intangible. The tangible spider threads were impeding their physical bodies, whereas the intangible ones were obstructing their energy flow.

    They did not have the time to deal with the spider threads. It was because the Howling Heaven Tiger Demon had jumped back into the fray once more.

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Entertain us before you leave, will you?¡±

    Howling Heaven Tiger Demonughed loudly and blocked their path. Then, he and the Eight Armed Spider Demon engaged them in a great battle.

    The five Truemen were strong, but they were unable to break free from the Howling Heaven Tiger Demon or the Eight Armed Spider Demon immediately. They could only watch as the Lampfire Pce disappeared from view.

    ......

    Tens of kilometers to the north of Dragonmount City, there was a tall mountain called the Fire Dragon Mountain.

    The Fire Dragon Mountain was burning and echoing draconic roars all year long. As a result, no living being dared to get close to it.

    Today, Fire Dragon Mountain was burning even fiercer than usual. The draconic roars were so loud that the mountain itself was shaking, and the pressure it gave off kicked off gigantic fire winds that looked potent enough to destroy heaven and earth. Not a soul could be spotted within ten kilometers of the Fire Dragon Mountain because of this.

    That was the case until a while ago. Now, a man holding a sword was slowly walking toward Fire Dragon Mountain. He had a cold, indifferent countenance and wore a white robe. He had white hair and a pair of white eyebrows, and even his sword was as white as snow.

    He looked like the incarnation of snow; cold, white, and clean.

    The white-robed man walked very, very slowly. However, each step was as steady as it could get. Every time he took a step, the surrounding air would turn just a little colder, and tiny snowkes would fall behind his back.

    Scarlet mes that turned heaven and earth red burned in front of him,

    And white snow that encased everything in ice fell behind him.

    Fire and snow,

    Hot and cold,

    Red and white.

    It was as if the world had been split into two, and the border between the two drastically different worlds was defined solely by the white-robed man, alone and unhurried.

    The white-robed man finally came to a stop at the foot of Fire Dragon Mountain. At the same time, a voice erupted from the mountain, ¡°It¡¯s you, White Ape!¡±

    ¡°It is I,¡± the white-robed man replied.

    The next moment, fiery clouds descended, and a dragon¡¯s head emerged from within. It looked down on the white-robed man and asked, ¡°You are the one causing trouble in my Dragonmount City?¡±

    White Ape looked as tiny as an antpared to the dragon¡¯s head, but the man himself could not seem to feel the difference. He answered calmly, ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°You and your cohort must have a death wish then,¡± The dragon¡¯s head¡ªthe Dragonmount Dukemented without emotion.

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± White Ape replied once more.

    ¡°If that is true, then why are you seeking death?¡± Dragonmount Duke asked.

    ¡°Just because we are seeking death doesn¡¯t necessarily mean we will die.¡±

    White Ape answered coldly, ¡°And besides, we aren¡¯t seeking death. They can¡¯t die so long as I am here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here to stop me?¡± Dragonmount Duke asked.

    ¡°That is correct!¡± White Ape dered emotionlessly.

    ¡°You, alone?¡± Dragonmount Duke asked again.

    ¡°I, alone, am enough.¡± White Ape looked up and stared straight into Dragonmount Duke¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s what your master said back then. He died.¡± Dragonmount Duke said regretfully, ¡°I guess you¡¯ll be reuniting with him very soon.¡±

    ¡°My master died in your hands because he was arrogant and unskilled,¡± White Ape said indifferently, almost as if they weren¡¯t discussing the man who had raised him since he was a wee, much less fall for Dragonmount Duke¡¯s provocation and lose his cool.

    ¡°I will be different, for I am a Half Sage.¡±

    ¡°I see. No wonder you dared to show your face alone.¡± The Dragonmount Duke hummed approvingly. ¡°It¡¯s amusing. The higher you climb, the more you look like a human.¡±

    White Ape countered, ¡°You, on the other hand, look increasingly monstrous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll grant you one thing. You are definitely a better conversationalist than your master.¡±

    Dragonmount Duke said emotionlessly, ¡°I only hope that your skills won¡¯t disappoint me like he did.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t.¡±

    White Ape said slowly, ¡°After all, I spent eighteen years preparing for this.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I look forward to it,¡± Dragonmount Duke replied.

 Chapter 869: Life Is An Endless Journey

    <h4>Chapter 869: Life Is An Endless Journey </h4>

    ¡°Eighteen days ago, I descended Yandang Mountain, exited the Lifeless Valley, passed through the Chaotic Snow Sea, crossed over the Dragonrising River, and finally arrived at Fire Dragon Mountain. Thanks to my journey, I was able to gain a sword named Wind Snow Road.¡±

    White Ape¡¯s voice was unhurried, but the wind and snow behind his back were definitely growing more rapid. The world was growing colder as well.

    ¡°Please, judge it!¡±

    As soon as the words escaped his mouth, wind and snow blew in from the distant horizon. They seemed to originate from Yandang Mountain¡ªgaining Yandang¡¯s height in the process¡ªpassed through Chaotic Snow Sea¡ªadopting the ferocity of Chaotic Snow¡ªand crossed over the Dragonrising River¡ªbing voluminous like Dragonrising. By the time they finally arrived at Fire Dragon Mountain, the three qualities had been molded into one.

    Then, White Ape thrust his fingers forward like a sword.

    Behind him, the wind and snow merged into a sword that was tall, ferocious, and voluminous. Wind and snow were part of nature, so one might say that nature itself was baring its sword at Dragonmount Duke.

    ¡°A good sword!¡±

    Dragonmount Dukeplimented at the same time the scarlet mes in the sky transformed into a titanic hand. It hung in the air like the sky itself.

    If White Ape possessed a sword made from nature¡¯s wind and snow, then Dragonmount Duke possessed a palm made from nature¡¯s fire.

    <i>Boom...</i>

    The two opposing elements shed, nature pushing back against nature. The next moment, everything within tens of kilometers of Fire Dragon Mountain was filled with water and fire, red and white, cold and heat. It was a gorgeous, picturesque scene that shattered the sky and annihted the ground without a sound.

    Eventually, the wind and snow melted, and the scarlet mes dissolved into nothing. The world returned to calm once more.

    White Ape moved. He withdrew his bleeding fingers and gripped the sword he was holding against his chest. As soon as he did this, his aura abruptly changed from cold and indifferent to sorrowful and ancient.

    Then, White Ape unsheathed his sword. The man followed the sword, and the sword followed the man. He executed a forward thrust.

    This sword seemed to transcend the river of time, yin and yang. It was fantastical yet ancient, familiar yet unpredictable. It was overflowing with red dust and the impermanence of humanity.

    This sword was a kind old man tutoring a young boy who could barely speak in the way of the sword during a misty morning. It represented the warmth of humanity.

    This sword was a couple of children ying and fooling around with each other amidst a canvas of forest and rivers. It represented the joy of humanity.

    This sword was a dead man lying on a pool of red blood and an endless expanse of snow, cold and soundless. It represented the sorrow of red dust, the cold of humanity, and the hatred in one¡¯s heart.

    This sword was a lone man standing on a singr, snowy peak. The wind was his friend, the snow was hispanion, and the sword was his life. Be it day or night, wind or rain, he never stopped practicing the sword. It represented the loneliness of humanity.

    This sword was the honing of a sword through blood and life. It was fearlessness in the face of life or death, the everchanging world, the myriad tastes of red dust, and the impermanence of existence.

    Hence, this sword was happiness, anger, sorrow and joy. This sword was partings and reunions, the impermanence of life, the merciless march of time, and the great changes of the world of mortals.

    The sword of life, the sword of red dust. Together, they are the Road of Life.

    The Dragonmount Duke could not face this sword with the ease he had disyed earlier. The entire Fire Dragon Mountain began shaking violently, kicking off rock and soil to reveal a draconic body the size of a mountain. Each scale on its body was as big as a millstone, and they glittered like rainbows under the sunlight.

    When the dragon moved, the scales rubbed against each other and sent sparks everywhere. Then, a fire dragon rushed into the sky like the rising sun.

    When the fire dragon reached the absolute top, the sky within thousands and thousands of kilometers instantly turned scarlet red like a pool of clear water that was contaminated by a bucket of red dye. Then, the fire dragon started plummeting toward White Ape like a falling sun.

    Despite facing a plummeting sun, White Ape continued to step forward with his sword firmly in his grip. His response toward Dragonmount Duke¡¯s counterattack was to raise the tip of his sword slightly.

    If a dragon came his way, then he would y the dragon.

    If a sun fell on him, then he would shatter the sun.

    <i>Shiiiing!</i>

    <i>Rooooar!</i>

    A sword rang, and a dragon roared.

    The sword ringing was clear and evesting. It was overflowing with the myriad changes of humanity.

    The dragon¡¯s roar was guttural and all-epassing. It was overflowing with destructive power.

    When the two ovepped, when the sword of humanity shed against the sun of the red dragon...

    A white shockwave and a red shockwave rippled out, and everything in their way dissolved into dust and chaos.

    It took nine whole breaths before sound finally returned. It was the sound of a ringing sword, the sound of a falling sun, the sound of the breaking earth, and the sound of the shattering sky. They blended harmoniously with each other and resounded throughout the nine heavens.

    In an instant, the air within thousands and thousands of kilometers of the impact turned clean and pure. Not a speck of cloud, wind, or rain could be spotted in the sky.

    At the center of this iprehensible world, two people stood with their backs facing toward each other.

    One man wore a white robe that looked like snow, pure and untouched.

    Another wore a golden robe that burned like fire, his white hair swaying gently despite theck of wind.

    ¡°A good sword!¡±

    The old man with white hair a.k.a the Dragonmount Duke broke the silence first. ¡°What is this sword?¡±

    White Ape answered, ¡°The Road of Life.¡±

    ¡°The Road of Life?¡± Dragonmount Duke smiled. ¡°The road of life is long and endless. Who says a sword cannot summon wind and clouds? It is a sword befitting its name.¡±

    ¡°Naturally,¡± White Ape replied simply.

    ¡°It is a good sword, but it is not enough to kill me.¡± Dragonmount Duke said indifferently, ¡°In other words, you lost.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. You¡¯re still alive, so it is my defeat.¡±

    White Ape¡¯s voice remained devoid of joy, sorrow, or fear. ¡°That said, you didn¡¯t win either.¡±

    White Ape¡¯s sword began crumbling inch by inch, its de dissolving into fine powder before it even hit the ground.

    By the time the whole sword was gone, White Ape¡¯splexion had turned as white as death. Bright red blood trickled down the corners of his lips and seeped out of his pores, dyeing his white robepletely red and painting red plum flowers on the ground.

    However, Dragonmount Duke¡¯s left arm also came detached from its shoulder. Just like White Ape¡¯s sword, it dissolved into powder before it hit the ground.

    That wasn¡¯t all. A deadly cloud of sword qi was enveloping the stump and preventing Dragonmount Duke from regrowing his arm.

    ¡°I may have lost an arm, but you are going to lose your life.¡±

    Dragonmount Duke spoke calmly as if he hadn¡¯t just lost an arm, ¡°Eighteen years ago, your master lost to me. So he died.¡±

    ¡°Today, you lost to me. So, you should die as well.¡±

    ¡°In the end, the final victor is me.¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten what I said earlier? The reason I came today is to stop you. To test my sword. When did I ever say I was nning to throw away my life here?¡±

    White Ape turned around and, for the first time, spread a ridiculing smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not my master. He is a swordsman who thought of his sword as a friend and cherished it more than his own life. That is why he is fiery and inflexible. That is why he would rather break than bend the knee. That is why he died after losing to you.¡±

    ¡°But I am not him. I am not a swordsman who lives and dies by his sword. I am obsessed with the sword, but I am not loyal to it. To me, a sword is just a tool for revenge.¡±

    ¡°That is why I am a sword demon, not a sword god. I may lose, but I will never die.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Dragonmount Duke immediately noticed that something was wrong. His eyebrows raised, and draconic roars erupted from all sides and sealed the surrounding space like the rage of the world itself.

    Unfortunately, it was toote. White Ape¡¯s body abruptly dissolved like smoke and vanished into the void, scattering in every direction. All he left behind was his final words.

    ¡°When next we meet, your head shall be mine.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Dragonmount Duke brought his foot down, and a massive dragon¡¯s head burst out of the ground. It was so big that it spanned tens of kilometers, and it swallowed everything within this range in one gulp. The scattering smoke was not an exception.

    However, Dragonmount Duke¡¯s expression was dark and brooding when the head disappeared. He no longer looked as calm and collected as he had before.

    ¡°The Secret Demon Infinite Dispersal Great Art...¡±

    Dragonmount Duke muttered under his breath. The Secret Demon Endless Dispersal Great Art was an extremely high level Dark Ways martial art that allowed the practitioner to dissolve into a seemingly infinite number of substitutes and slip away. If even one substitute managed to slip away, then the practitioner would live to see another day. It was an exceedingly potent life-saving secret art.

    ¡°He is more troublesome than his master. I guess I can¡¯t let him live.¡±

    Dragonmount Duke was gone by the time the words left his mouth.

 Chapter 870: Palm Comes From Above

    <h4>Chapter 870: Palm Comes From Above </h4>

    ¡°Haha... This is it then. y you in the future. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    When White Ape Sword Demon executed the Secret Demon Infinite Substitute Great Art and made his escape, the River Swallowing Toad Demon, Howling Heaven Tiger Demon and Eight-armed Spider Demon seemed to feel it as well.

    The Howling Heaven Tiger Demon and the Eight-armed Spider Demon joined forces and forced back the five Truemen with a mighty attack. Then, the Howling Heaven Tiger Demon transformed into a wild gale and flew toward the horizon, while the Eight-armed Spider Demon spat out a spider thread into the void and climbed away. Neither warrior looked like they were moving quickly, but they were gone in just the blink of an eye.

    Seeing this, the five Truemen hurriedly gave chase. The two warriors had a chance to leave earlier, but they chose to stay behind. Now? They were never going to leave.

    Or so the five Truemen thought. The River Swallowing Toad Demon was doing battle against Xin Mieqing when suddenly, he opened his mouth and threw up a river of water. It was his innate Magia. He could literally hold an entire river in his stomach and throw it up when it was necessary. In this case, he was attempting to flood Dragonmount City.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    The five Truemen dared not take this threat lightly. They gave up pursuing Howling Heaven Tiger Demon and Eight-armed Spider Demon to deal with the descending river. Xin Mieqing was of the same mind.

    If the river was allowed to fall, then the entire Dragonmount City would be destroyed. This was an uneptable loss to either of them.

    ¡°Hehe... in the end, this is all the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance amounts to. Goodbye.¡±

    The River Swallowing Toad Demon rubbed its stomach¡ªit was now rather tpared to before¡ªand turned around to leave.

    He would not get the chance. A dragon¡¯s w suddenly descended from above, epassing the eight directions and suppressing the four cardinal directions.

    rm bells ring inside his head, the River Swallowing Toad Demon immediately activated his Stranger bloodline and transformed into a giant toad.

    The toad looked as big as a mountain with water currents flowing around its body. It was none other than the Disaster-ss Stranger, the River Swallowing Toad.

    The next moment, the warts on the River Swallowing Toad¡¯s back cracked open and spilled poisonous ck liquid everywhere. The poisonous liquid was so deadly that even space itself was being dissolved into nothing. They surged upward to meet the dragon¡¯s w midway.

    The dragon¡¯s w paid the sea of poisonous liquid no heed, however. It grabbed the struggling River Swallowing Toad Demon and squeezed.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    It was like the River Swallowing Toad Demon was nothing more but a fragile water sack. He exploded and died in both body and mind just like that.

    After ying the River Swallowing Toad Demon in one strike, a single figure appeared in the sky and stared off into the distance. The next moment, he lowered his hand. His gesture seemed to do nothing, but somewhere fifty kilometers away from Dragonmount City, a gigantic palm abruptly burst through the clouds.

    The palm was made up of four divine dragons, capable of suppressing the five directions, whereas the fingers were made up of five divine dragons, capable of extinguishing the five phases.

    The descent of the palm punched a hole in the sky and killed everything in its path. The Lampfire Pce was knocked right out of the void and pped into the ground.

    The giant palm eventually disappeared, leaving behind a giant palm print of unfathomable depths. From above, it looked like nine divine dragons swimming in a circle and emanating seemingly infinite draconic might and pressure.

    At the center of the palm print, the Lampfire Pce no longer looked nearly as bright and magnificent as before. Its lights were dim, and its body was covered in innumerable cracks.

    For a time, all was silent except the roars of dragons.

    ......

    ¡°Master.¡±

    Back in Dragonmount City, Xin Mieqing saluted the figure in the sky as soon as she detected his presence.

    ¡°We greet you, Dragonmount Duke.¡±

    The five Truemen hurriedly paid their respects as well.

    The figure flickered and reappeared next to Xin Mieqing. While looking at the five Truemen, he summoned an awl-shaped Strange Artifact that was overflowing with fiendish aura into his hand. After he nted it on the ground, he dered, ¡°I have severely damaged the Lampfire Pce about fifty kilometers to the south of Dragonmount City. Take my Dragon Extinguishing Awl and retrieve the Lampfire Pce.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± The five Truemen answered in a hurry before grabbing the Strange Artifact and flying toward the south.

    After the five Truemen were gone, Xin Mieqing dropped to her knees and said fearfully, ¡°It is this useless disciple¡¯s fault that Dragonmount City has suffered such damage. Please punish me, master.¡±

    ¡°You deserve punishment.¡±

    Dragonmount Duke lifted his foot and stepped on Xin Mieqing¡¯s left hand. It took him only a bit of strength to crush her hand and her entire left arm.

    Xin Mieqing turned as white as a sheet, andrge beads of sweat began rolling off her forehead. Despite this, she forced herself to stay silent.

    Dragonmount Duke then added, ¡°However, the me does not fall on you. Rise.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, master.¡± Xin Mieqing rose to her feet but did not attempt to repair her left arm. She allowed the blood to fall profusely off her fingertips.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± It was at this moment Dragonmount Duke suddenly coughed twice. His energies also became weak and distorted.

    ¡°Master?! Are you alright?¡±

    Xin Mieqing hurriedly went over to support him, but the second she raised her hands, she abruptly discovered that his left sleeve was empty. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she stammered, ¡°M-Master... where is your arm?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s gone,¡± Dragonmount Duke dered indifferently.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone? But how can that be?¡± Xin Mieqing could not believe it. In her mind, Dragonmount Duke was invincible and untouchable. Who could even leave a scratch on his person, much less take his arm?

    ¡°It was the White Ape Sword Demon who did this!¡± Dragonmount Duke answered.

    ¡°White Ape Sword Demon? But how?¡± His answer did not alleviate Xin Mieqing¡¯s confusion one bit. The White Ape Sword Demon was undoubtedly a powerful warrior, but no matter how strong he was, he should not be a match for her master. After all, Dragonmount Duke was a Half Sage.

    ¡°The White Ape Sword Demon is now a Half Sage,¡± Dragonmount Duke exined. ¡°That is why he was able to hurt me.¡±

    ¡°Of course, my left arm is all he could take. In return, I have shattered his bonded spellsword. Barring exceptional circumstances, he has reached the end of his way of the sword. He is no longer any threat to us.¡±

    Xin Mieqing replied, ¡°Your might knows no bounds, master. The ant should have known better than to challenge you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to rest and recuperate now. I leave it to you to take care of the aftermath. There must not be a riot.¡±

    Dragonmount Duke instructed, ¡°One more thing. Despite all that has happened, I fully expect to see the head Sword Ghoul and my son¡¯s killer by the time I leave my abode, understand?¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± Xin Mieqing hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°What should we do with the Seven Demons of Yandang?¡±

    Dragonmount Duke uttered coldly, ¡°It looks like the <i>jianghu </i>has forgotten the name Xiang Tianxiong because I¡¯ve secluded myself for too long. It is to the point where even cats and dogs dare to attack my Seventy Two Water Land Alliance.¡±

    ¡°When next I emerge, I shall y the Seven Demons of Yandang myself and remind the <i>jianghu </i>that I, Xiang Tianxiong, must not be underestimated. That my Seventy Two Water Land Alliance must not be tested.¡±

    ¡°Loud and clear, master!¡± Xin Mieqing eximed with deep excitement. She looked like she couldn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°Now go. Attend to your duties.¡±

    As soon as Dragonmount Duke turned away from view, bright red blood immediately trickled down one corner of his lips. At the same time, hisplexion turned a shade whiter.

    Clearly, he wasn¡¯t doing as well as he pretended to be.

    White Ape Sword Demon¡¯s ¡°Road of Life¡± hadn¡¯t just severed his left arm. It had also dealt him a serious wound. Later, he pushed himself to y the River Swallowing Toad Demon in one strike and knock out the Lampfire Pce from fifty kilometers away. As a result, he had expended most of his strength and aggravated his injuries.

    This was why he hadn¡¯t hunted down the Seven Demons of Yandang or retrieved the Lampfire Pce himself.

    The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was the strongest faction of this area for many years at this point. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the enemies who wished him dead were countless, and a good number of them were champions on the same level as him. If he left the city and got ambushed, Half Sage or not, there was a good chance that his life would be in danger.

    Therefore, there was no need to endanger himself over a moment of anger. His first priority right now was to treat his wounds.

    Once he recovered, the White Ape Sword Demon was nothing more but a clown he could y anytime he wanted to.

    ¡°The day I leave my abode is the day you die. All of you.¡±

 Chapter 871: Killing The Snake Demon

    <h4>Chapter 871: Killing The Snake Demon </h4>

    ¡°Joyless... Joyless...¡±

    Inside the Lampfire Pce, Ye Qing was hugging Feng Qingyou tightly while feeling like someone had turned his head inside out. Blood was pouring freely out of his orifices and pores, and his energies were churning about like a storm in the sea. He himself waspletely drenched in blood as if he had just been scooped out of a blood pool.

    He could vaguely hear someone crying out to him, but his consciousness was so muddled that it took him over ten breaths before he finally awakened.

    Still caught within his embrace, Feng Qingyou asked urgently and with deep worry, ¡°Joyless! Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough... I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine. I just feel a little dizzy, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Ye Qing gave his throbbing head a shake before asking, ¡°How do you feel, Qingyou? Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You protected me,¡± Feng Qingyou replied weakly after a quiet cough of her own.

    ¡°Good, good.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief when he gave Feng Qingyou a lookover and confirmed that she was only a little paler than usual.

    Then, he remembered something and asked with lingering fear and trepidation in his voice, ¡°What... What the hell happened just now?¡±

    A moment ago, he was still pondering a way to escape from his captors when suddenly, he felt a deadly energy unlike anything he ever felt. His first instinct was to grab Feng Qingyou and pull her into a protective embrace¡ªand thank goodness he did, because the terrifying energy had invaded the Lampfire Pce right after he shielded her.

    If the surge of power was the ocean, then he was a helpless boat just barely surviving the waves. Not even his powerful physique was able to resist the terrible power as his veins broke into several pieces, his internal organs ruptured here and there, and his true qi fell into chaos. His mind in particr felt like it had been cracked open by a sledgehammer and scorched by an inferno. It was painful to say the least.

    The one silver lining was that the sudden attack appeared as quickly as it receded. He suffered injuries, but it wasn¡¯t too severe overall.

    Of course, that was only because he was who he was. The rest of the guests... Well, he could not imagine that too many of them had survived the attack.

    As he spoke, dark yellow light began circting throughout his body. It slowly healed his broken body and calmed down his chaotic true qi.

    ¡°That attack just now is the Weilong Divine Palm. I believe it was unleashed by the Dragonmount Duke himself,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Weilong Divine Palm?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s first reaction upon hearing the name was: <i>No way! Xiang Weilong¡¯s Weilong Divine Palm was so ass it didn¡¯t even amount to a tickle! </i>Then, he heard the name ¡°Dragonmount Duke¡± and retracted his previous thought instantly.

    The Dragonmount Duke was a Half Sage. Of course his might far surpassed that of Xiang Weilong.

    ¡°Wait. Does this mean that the Dragonmount Duke is here?!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart abruptly leaped up to his throat. If Dragonmount Duke wasing, and they were unfortunate enough to be discovered...

    Technically, they had nothing to be worried about. After all, Dragonmount Duke had never seen their current disguise before. However, this was a world where such optimistic thought was detrimental at best or deadly at worst.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    But Feng Qingyou shook her head and exined, ¡°If the Dragonmount Duke had shown up, then he wouldn¡¯t have destroyed the Lampfire Pce.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s... true.¡± Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief, but his shock and astonishment only grew over time. If the Dragonmount Duke wasn¡¯t here, then he must have unleashed his attack from far away. For his attack to possess such power even after all that distance... just how powerful was the man?

    This confirmed that the Dragonmount Duke definitely wasn¡¯t someone they could go up against directly right now.

    ¡°Time to leave,¡± Ye Qing said while lifting Feng Qingyou to her feet. Although the Dragonmount Duke wasn¡¯t here, the warriors of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance would surely show up very soon. Unless they wanted to be exposed, the sooner they were away from this ce, the better.

    ¡°We will, but not now.¡±

    But Feng Qingyou shook her head and nced out of the window with a smile on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t you want the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart? Now is the best time to grab it, no?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. While it was usually immoral to rob others, it was apletely different story if the victim was a viin. When you rob a viin, people call it serving justice!

    Ye Qing¡¯s breathing actually grew a tad heavier when he thought up to this point.

    ¡°In that case, you should go first.¡± Ye Qing said to Feng Qingyou, ¡°I¡¯lle find you once I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Take care.¡± Feng Qingyou did not mince words. The space before her began rippling as if it was water. When she stepped through it, she was gone just like that.

    The Lampfire Pce was severely damaged, and the restrictions that kept everyone from leaving before were gone. Naturally, she could now escape without any problems.

    After Feng Qingyou was gone, Ye Qing disappeared and dashed toward the Nine-headed Snake Demon. The woman was still on the Lampfire Tower, and the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart was in her hands.

    Right now, the Nine-headed Snake Demon looked nothing like the gorgeous demon she used to be. The nine serpent heads on her head were all shattered, her entire body was covered in blood, and every muscle and bone in her body was broken. She was currently lying on the floor like a pool of mud, her breathing so shallow she could be mistaken for dead.

    As the Nine-headed Snake Demon was the current master of the Lampfire Pce, she was the first person to suffer huge damage when the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s attack arrived. In fact, she had withstood almost all of the damage and suffered the worst injuries as a result. She was lucky she wasn¡¯t dead.

    Ye Qing paid her no attention. He got ready to leave after grabbing the jade box holding the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart.

    As he turned around, a ck snake suddenly crawled out of the Nine-headed Snake Demon¡¯s body. The ck snake had nine heads, each bearing a different color and crown. It was also surrounded by a ck mist that gave it a noble yet dangerous appearance.

    The next moment, the nine-headed ck snake leaped into the air and bit Ye Qing at the back of his neck.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    Human astonishment shed in the nine-headed ck snake¡¯s eyes. It could not seem to believe what just happened.

    The nine-headed ck snake was the Nine-headed Snake Demon¡¯s yang god. Named the Nine-headed Nether Snake, each of its heads bore a different color and venom, and all of them were highly toxic. The venoms could not just destroy one¡¯s body, but also pollute the mind. Whenbined, not even a Trueman could resist its effects, and not even a god would be able to save the victim.

    The Nine-headed Snake Demon was confident that she could inject all nine venoms into the young man¡¯s body the second she broke his skin. When that happened, he would die in less than an hour.

    He only had himself to me. Who gave him the gall to rob <i>her</i>?

    Unfortunately, reality was a cruel mistress who did not discriminate between gender. When her teeth mped around the young man¡¯s neck, she felt like an ordinary human attempting to bite through cold, hard steel. Not only did her sharp teeth fail to break his skin, they snapped in half from the sheer force of her bite. It was surprising and unexpected to say the least.

    The Nine-headed Snake Demon finally realized she fucked up. She immediately tried to escape.

    Unfortunately, she was fast, but her opponent was faster. The second she dashed away, Ye Qing turned around and threw a punch like it was the most natural thing in the world.

    A massive fire produced no smoke[1], a smooth water produced no sound. When one¡¯s power had reached a certain milestone, it would be as if the wielder did not exist.

    His punch was soundless, but the world quaked in its boots. The Nine-headed Snake Demon could tell that it would kill her as well. Not daring to test its might, her nine heads abruptly split away from the body and scattered in nine different directions, all of them escaping into the void.

    The Seven Demons of Yandang were incredibly infamous monsters whom even the most heartless being would sooner see dead than alive. However, they were able to survive to this day. It was because they were strong, ruthless, and especially skilled at running away.

    After all, only the living possessed the right to shape the future.

    Splitting her yang god into nine¡ªa Magia named the ¡°Nine Headed Soul¡±¡ªwas one of the Nine-headed Snake Demon¡¯s strongest life-saving trump cards. It was an innate Magia she inherited from her Stranger bloodline, the Nine-headed Nether Snake.

    In times of danger, a lizard could leave behind its own tail to survive. In the Nine-headed Nether Snake¡¯s case, it could detach its heads from its body and run away. So long as a single head survived, the Nine-headed Snake Demon would live to see another day and without suffering any sequ.

    Unfortunately, the Nine-headed Snake Demon suddenly felt the world around her shattering inch by inch as if it was a mirror.

    She could sense that it wasn¡¯t just the tangible or intangible objects that were breaking. Time and space, sky and ground, yin and yang and more were falling apart.

    1. Apparently smoke is the product of ipletebustion, so theoretically a hot enough fire would produce no smoke. Like the sun I guess? ?

 Chapter 872: Like An Old Dream

    <h4>Chapter 872: Like An Old Dream </h4>

    This was a punch that reverted everything to Primal Chaos.

    Try as the Nine-headed Snake Demon might, she could not perceive a single escape route. Forget running away, even defending herself was but a pipedream. She could only scream in soundless despair as her very existence dissolved into chaos and disappeared into the world.

    ¡°Is she trying tomit suicide or what?¡±

    Ye Qing scratched his head after unleashing ¡°Break Hammer¡±. He wasn¡¯t nning on killing the Nine-headed Snake Demon if only because the Seven Demons of Yandang were infamous for their madness. He had no intentions of provoking a bunch of crazies unless he could kill them all in one fell swoop.

    Unfortunately, the Nine-headed Snake Demon insisted that he sent her to the afterlife, so he had no choice but to oblige. Just because he didn¡¯t want trouble didn¡¯t mean that he was afraid of trouble.

    After killing the Nine-headed Snake Demon in one punch, Ye Qing appeared in front of the Shadowless Leopard demon next and stomped down on his head. The warrior was currently unconscious and so waspletely incapable of defending himself. Ye Qing easily stomped him to dust and snuffed him out in both body and mind.

    Since he already killed the Nine-headed Snake Demon and provoked the Seven Demons of Yandang, he might as well kill the Shadowless Leopard Demon and the Powerful Bull Demon as well. No reason to leave behind evidence for his pursuers to find and whatnot.

    Besides, now that he thought about it, the Dragonmount Duke would surely think that the Seven Demons of Yandang had escaped, whereas the Seven Demons of Yandang would think that the Dragonmount Duke had killed their threepanions. No one would find out that he, an unknown third party, was really the one behind their murder. It was killing two birds with one stone.

    Even if the truth came out in the end, it did not matter either. One, the Seven Demons of Yandang still wouldn¡¯t know that he was the one who killed the trio. They wouldn¡¯t know where to even begin their vengeance.

    Two, in the case the Seven Demons of Yandang somehow found out that he was the murderer, they would not be able to seek him out in the short term. After all, they had basically wiped the floor with the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. So long as the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance still existed, they would never let this humiliating defeat go unchallenged. The Seven Demons of Yandang would be too busy trying to survive the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s wrath toe after him right now.

    No matter how he looked at it, it was a win-win for him.

    ¡°Moo... Brother Leopard!!!¡±

    His timing was a tad unfortunate, because Powerful Bull Demon chose this exact moment to awake from hisa. The first thing he saw after he opened his eyes was an unknown young man stomping his fellow to dust. Naturally, he was both shocked and furious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Powerful Bull Demon roared with bloodshot eyes as he lifted his gigantic axe and swung it at Ye Qing.

    Powerful Bull Demon carried the blood of the Disaster-ss Stranger, the Powerful Bull Demon[1]. Famous for its supernatural strength, the Powerful Bull Demon was supposedly strong enough to lift up the sky and rip the earth in half. Naturally, Powerful Bull Demon¡¯s axe strike also possessed a simr quality.

    Ye Qing did not try to dodge, however. His response toward the iing strike was to bend his knees slightly. At the same time, wisps of dark yellow light surged out of the earth, disappeared into his body, and gathered at the center of his fist.

    The Earthly Sovereign was indestructible and powerful beyond imagination so long as his feet were nted firmly on the earth. As the practitioner of the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, Ye Qing possessed the same power¡ªalbeit at a much weaker scale.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Axe met fist, and Powerful Bull Demon¡¯s eyes widened in shock and horror. It was because he saw his Sierra Axe[2], a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact forged from the core of a Sierra, shattering into pieces like it was made of paper.

    The next moment, an unstoppable force poured into his body and flung him into the air.

    Powerful Bull Demon¡¯s eyes widened even further. He could not believe that his prided strength was so puny before the young man¡¯s. It was like the difference between a child and a wild beast!

    It was also his final thoughts before he abruptly exploded in a shower of blood and gore.

    Ye Qing waved his hand casually, and the blood and gore crumbled into dust. After retrieving the three warriors¡¯ Nature¡¯s Shells and wiping away all energy traces in the area, he took a moment to scan his surroundings using his demonic thought. When he was certain that his intervention was noticed by no one, he did not hesitate to turn around and leave.

    ......

    Not long after Ye Qing left, five figures appeared in front of the Lampfire Pce. They exchanged nces with each other before spreading out. Then, they invaded the Strange Artifact at the same time.

    A few breathster, the five figures reappeared outside the Lampfire Pce and reported to each other.

    ¡°The Seven Demons of Yandang aren¡¯t present!¡±

    ¡°They must have escaped.¡±

    ¡°Dammit. We¡¯re just a little toote. They ultimately escaped in the end.¡±

    ¡°They had taken everything in the Lampfire Pce as well.¡±

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Considering the damage the Lampfire Pce sustained, not even the Seven Demons of Yandang could have gotten away unscathed. They might still be in the area. The three of you will search nearby and hopefully find their traces. The two of us will stay behind to do some repairs.¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s our only option. We¡¯ll leave now.¡±

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    ¡°You too!¡±

    ......

    ¡°You killed Nine-headed Snake Demon, Shadowless Leopard Demon and Powerful Bull Demon?¡±

    On a road, a horse carriage was leisurely moving toward somewhere. Inside the carriage, Ye Qing was sitting opposite Qingyou and enjoying a cup of warm tea.

    ¡°Yep. They wanted to die, so I obliged their wish.¡± Ye Qing took a sip and looked soothed to his bones.

    ¡°Well done.¡± Feng Qingyou didn¡¯t react much to Ye Qing¡¯s murder of the three warriors. In fact, she broke into a smile and congratted him, ¡°Congrattions, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... you too, Qingyou!¡± Ye Qing barked out augh, his joy unbridled. Since the three warriors were dead, their ill-gotten goods including both money and items had naturally fallen into his hands.

    He had already killed them. Why would he spare them their wealth?

    What this meant was that he was now in possession of both the heart of the Animitta Heavenly Demon and a massive amount of fortune. How could he notugh like a maniac?

    If the transactions at Dragonmount Meet weren¡¯t conducted on the spot, if he had just a bit more time, he might even be able to im every treasure and wealth in the Lampfire Pce for himself.

    To put it simply, the sandpiper and m warred together, and the fisherman caught both. If wealth was represented by fat, he would look like a mountain of fat right now.

    Feng Qingyou did not disturb Ye Qing¡¯s jubnce. She waited for him to calm down before asking smilingly, ¡°Where are we going next?¡±

    ¡°Our next destination is Mirror Lake City. You will rest there for a bit while I search for the Endlessly Durable Water and Dustless Earth,¡± Ye Qing answered immediately as if he had already nned for this.

    The unexpected interruption had drawn most of Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s attention to the Seven Demons of Yandang. Thanks to this, Ye Qing had be less of a priority to his enemies, meaning that they now had more time to search for the remaining two items necessary to treat Feng Qingyou.

    Yes, they could simply use the Fruit of Wishes to heal her, but the five extraordinary items would not only heal her, but also boost her strength. There was no reason to give up on that opportunity since they could afford the time and energy.

    ¡°Do you have a lead?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°The items are probably at Mirror Lake Peak and Floating Dust Sea.¡±

    Feng Qingyou eximed in realization, ¡°I see. No wonder you chose Mirror Lake City as our next destination.¡±

    The Mirror Lake City was situated between Mirror Lake Peak and Floating Dust Sea. Mirror Lake City was controlled by a sect called Mirror Lake Sect. The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance had less of a presence there, so the chances they would be discovered would naturally be lesser.

    ¡°Both locations are infamously dangerous though. Are you sure you can do this, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When ites to staying alive, I am a professional,¡± Ye Qing dered with a confident smile.

    ¡°Even so, you mustn¡¯t be careless,¡± Feng Qingyou insisted.

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry. I will be careful,¡± Ye Qing promised.

    Inside the carriage, words and smiles lingered in the air like an old dream.

    Outside the carriage, a sunny sky and the cool wind felt like spring.

    1. Nope, it¡¯s not a mistake. Both the guy and the Stranger he shares blood with share the same name. ?

    2. The original is Mountain/Hill Axe, which is... yeah. ?

 Chapter 873: Strange Beast Abound

    <h4>Chapter 873: Strange Beast Abound </h4>

    Fifteen kilometers to the west of Mirror Lake City, there existed a mountain that was over hundreds of meters tall. Its cliffs were as sheer as des, and its peak was covered in snow all year long.

    At the peak of the mountain was ake. Theke water was pure blue like the sky and as clear as a mirror, which was why theke was named the Mirror Lake, and the mountain was named the Mirror Lake Peak.

    The magical thing about Mirror Lake was its immutability. Its water did not ice over even during the coldest winter, nor did it dry during the hottest summer.

    Even stranger, those who drank just one mouthful from Mirror Lake would be healthy and immune to all diseases. It was why Mirror Lake came to be worshiped by some herdsmen and civilians as a sacredke. They all imed that theke was inhabited by a god.

    Every year, many herdsmen and civilians would travel to Mirror Lake Peak to make an offering no matter the distance. They would scale its peak, drink from theke, and pray to the god of Mirror Lake for protection, health, and fortune.

    Besides that, there were plenty of natural treasures at the Mirror Lake Peak such as Snow Lotuses, Snow Ginsengs and more. All the more reason to visit it.

    That said, Mirror Lake Peak was extremely steep and constantly covered in ice and snow. Even a skillful warrior might lose their step and fall to their deaths¡ªnot that the risk of death was good enough to stop the greedy and needy, of course. The flood of moths who flocked to the mes were constant and neverending.

    Right now, one such group was enduring the wind and snow and scaling the Mirror Lake Peak.

    They were a group of five men and one woman. Or more urately, five adult men and one little girl.

    The five men were tall, muscr, and wrapped in thick sheepskin. The little girl was only eleven or twelve and d in thin, tattered clothing. As a result, her hair and eyebrows werepletely covered in ice, herplexion was pale white, her lips were blue, her fingers were cracked, and her knees wobbled beneath her like unwieldy stools. She looked like she might be blown away by the wind and snow at any moment.

    And yet, for whatever reason, the little girl did not falter. She trailed at the end of the group, but she never fell behind.

    The man in front of her looked back. The little girl¡¯s fingers were bright red from how cold it was, and she looked like she was barely clinging to consciousness. Despite this, she stubbornly clung to the ice and rock and pushed against the snowstorm. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Li''l Ah Man, this trip is far too dangerous for you. You should go back.¡±

    The little girl replied through chattering teeth, ¡°I can¡¯t. Mama is sick, and only the water of the sacredke can save her. I must get to the top and bring the water back for mama.¡±

    Her voice was weak, but also pure and stubborn.

    ¡°Our harvest spot is right ahead of us, and we won¡¯t be continuing any further. There is no way you can make it alone.¡±

    The man shook his head and tried to persuade her, ¡°You should head back, Li¡¯l Ah Man.¡±

    The group of men were ginseng harvesters. As they frequented Mirror Lake Peak all year long to harvest Snow Ginsengs, they were extremely familiar with the terrain. That was why they knew better than anyone just how dangerous and scary Mirror Lake Peak was.

    The closer one got to the peak, the greater the dangers became. Forget the snowstorm or asional avnches that could crush hills and bury rivers, the sheer, impossibly smooth cliffs alone were usually enough to stop most people dead in their tracks.

    Take them, veteran ginseng harvesters who frequented Mirror Lake Peak all long, for example. Despite their skill and experience, they had never climbed up to the peak before. They knew they wouldn¡¯t make it.

    The reason they came today was like any other day they visited Mirror Lake Peak: to harvest Snow Ginsengs. They had run into Li¡¯l Ah Man at the foot of the mountain.

    They pitied the girl and were unwilling to depress her further than she already was. So, they allowed her to follow behind them. In their minds, the little girl would surely realize that there was no way she was making up to the peak and retreat.

    But not only did the little girl somehow hang on, she had not cried out in pain or exhaustion even once. Despite being exhausted and covered in wounds, she neverined or even shed a single tear. She just gritted her teeth and pushed on with everything she got.

    However, a human could only push themselves so much. Anyone who wasn¡¯t blind could tell that the little girl had reached her limits be it in terms of body or spirit. If she continued further, she would die.

    There were rules ginseng harvesters obeyed in order to stay alive in a harsh environment like this. One of them was ignoring the predicament of any stranger they ran into on their journey. Here, all a bleeding heart would earn you was death.

    However, every single one of them was touched by this innocent, kind, and tenacious little girl. Try as they might, they just could not see her walk to her death without doing anything.

    Li¡¯l Ah Man shook her head stubbornly. ¡°Li¡¯l Ah Man will be fine. Li¡¯l Ah Man must climb to the top and bring the sacredke¡¯s water back to mama.¡±

    ¡°You stubborn girl!¡± A man uttered in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you¡¯re going to die at this rate? Aren¡¯t you afraid of death?¡±

    Li¡¯l Ah Man fell silent when she heard this. Realizing that his tone was a little too harsh, the man was about to apologize when Li¡¯l Ah Man looked up with a smile on her face. ¡°Uncle Ah Yi, I know you¡¯re just worried for Li¡¯l Ah Man, but Li¡¯l Ah Man isn¡¯t scared of the snow or death. Li¡¯l Ah Man is only scared that she will never see mama again. That is why Li¡¯l Ah Man must make it to the top. It is the only way.¡±

    Li¡¯l Ah Man took a few steps forward so she could face the group of five. Then, she gave them a bow and said, ¡°Thank you for taking care of me for the past few days, Uncle Ah Yi, Uncle Hong, Uncle Shi, Uncle Mu, Uncle Zhao. Li¡¯l Ah Man is most grateful. Li¡¯l Ah Man will never forget you all.¡±

    ¡°Sigh... do as you wish.¡±

    They all felt horrible seeing Li¡¯l Ah Man¡¯s pure, innocent, and sincere smile. They knew that she would not being back from this journey. However, they could not stop her, much less lend her a hand.

    They knew that the little girl was pitiful, and they all wanted to help her. However, they would have to risk their lives to do so, and that was the one thing they couldn¡¯t give up on. The little girl risked her life scaling the Mirror Lake Peak to save her mama, but they were in the same boat. Why did they brave the dangers of Mirror Lake Peak again and again? It was for their father, their mother, their wife and their children, of course. Their lives belonged not just to themselves, but their family.

    No matter how much they pitied the little girl, no matter how much they desired to help her, they could not risk losing their family, and their family could not risk losing them.

    It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to help her. They simply couldn¡¯t. Wouldn¡¯t. Losing sight of what was important because of a moment¡¯s passion would only result in tragedy for everyone, not to mention they weren¡¯t sure if they could make it to the peak to begin with.

    Finally, they were strangers. They had neither the right nor the power to stop the little girl. Just as it was their decision to abandon the little to her fate, it was the little girl¡¯s decision to scale the mountains even if it would most likely result in her death.

    ¡°In that case, we won¡¯t try to change your mind anymore. We have faith that you will make it to the peak and retrieve the sacredke¡¯s water, Li¡¯l Ah Man.¡±

    If they could neither help nor stop her, then they could only pray for her sess.

    ¡°Mm! Li¡¯l Ah Man will retrieve the sacredke¡¯s water!¡± Li¡¯l Ah Man nodded strongly.

    One man smiled. ¡°May your journey be smooth, Li¡¯l Ah Man.¡±

    ¡°You too, uncles.¡±

    Li¡¯l Ah Man returned a grin that was pure and warm.

    Li¡¯l Ah Man and the five men were just about to bid each other goodbye when suddenly, the Mirror Lake Peak shook once. Then, a thunderous rumble came from the peak, loud and fierce.

    Just when the six people were wondering what was going on, the snow covering the peak suddenly disappeared to reveal a mighty beast.

    The strange beast had a tiger¡¯s head and a horse¡¯s body. A silver horn was growing out of its forehead. Its entire body was covered in wless azure scales, and its hoofs looked as white as snow. Streams of water were circting around its body, giving it a mighty and imposing appearance.

 Chapter 874: Meeting A Celestial

    <h4>Chapter 874: Meeting A Celestial </h4>

    ¡°What... What is that?¡±

    ¡°Could it be... the Lord of Mirror Lake?¡±

    ¡°It is the Lord of Mirror Lake!¡±

    ......

    The five men were beside themselves when they recognized the strange beast. Legend had it that a god lived in Mirror Lake, and its name was the Lord of Mirror Lake. The Lord of Mirror Lake was said to possess a tiger¡¯s head and a horse¡¯s body. A silver horn was growing out of its head, and its body was covered in scales. Capable of riding the wind and waves and soaring in the sky, it was said to possess infinite power.

    There was no doubt about it. The strange beast in the sky had to be the legendary Lord of Mirror Lake.

    But of course, they weren¡¯t children. They knew full well that gods did not exist in this world, only Strangers. Naturally, the so-called Lord of Mirror Lake was just a powerful Stranger.

    That said, the Lord of Mirror Lake never took a human life despite being a Stranger. It did not stop the humans from harvesting Snow Ginseng from Mirror Lake Peak or procuring water from the Mirror Lake either.

    Not only that, the existence of the Lord of Mirror Lake prevented other Strangers from taking root in the mountain. In fact, countless ginseng harvesters had witnessed the Lord of Mirror Lake repelling or exterminating those Strangers who dared to invade its territory. This was why they never had to worry about Stranger threats while climbing Mirror Lake Peak. For a ginseng harvester, the Lord of Mirror Lake was their guardian; their protector god.

    The ginseng harvesters were simple people. Anyone who afforded them protection was their god no matter their race. The Lord of Mirror Lake gave them its protection, so it was their god.

    This was the main reason the five men were beyond excited.

    ¡°We greet the Lord of Mirror Lake! Bless us, o lord!¡±

    ¡°We greet the Lord of Mirror Lake! Bless us, o lord!¡±

    ¡°We greet the Lord of Mirror Lake! Bless us, o lord!¡±

    The five men dropped to their knees and started kowtowing to the Lord of Mirror Lake.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone up there! Uncles, look! There¡¯s a man in the sky!¡±

    It was at this moment Li¡¯l Ah Man cried out in surprise. The five men looked up just in time to see a man descending from the sky on an auspicious cloud.

    He was a young man riding the wind and clouds. He wore a set of blue clothes and looked as elegant as a celestial.

    The Lord of Mirror Lake roared like a tiger when it saw the young man. The streams of water surrounding it immediately merged into a river and surged toward him.

    The young man responded by throwing a punch. Like a sword that could split open the heavenly gates, the punch easily split the river in half.

    After defeating the river in one punch, the young man took one step forward and appeared before the Lord of Mirror Lake in the blink of an eye. He grabbed the beast¡¯s silver horn and chuckled softly. ¡°Come now, I only took a bit of stuff. Do you really need to be so angry?¡±

    The young man¡¯s gesture seemed to rile up the Lord of Mirror Lakepletely. Every scale on its body lit up, and the entire sky was dyed a deep, clear blue. For a moment, it looked as if the sky had turned into a sea.

    ¡°Blue light... no... no...!¡±

    ¡°The Lord of Mirror Lake is enraged! The Lord of Mirror Lake is enraged!¡±

    ¡°Get down! Get down! Crawl into the snow and close your eyes!¡±

    Ah Yi screamed in fear and panic when he saw the blue light in the sky. His fourpanions immediately jolted out of their reverie and started crawling into the snow as if their lives depended on it.

    Ah Yi himself ran toward Li¡¯l Ah Man and threw her to the ground. While catching her in a tight embrace, he said urgently, ¡°Stay down and do <i>not </i>look up. Do <i>not </i>look at the blue light, understand?¡±

    Legend had it that the Lord of Mirror Lake would emit blue light and dye both heaven and earth in azure blue when it was enraged. Everything caught within the light would dissolve into nothingness.

    A long time ago, a ginseng harvester who were harvesting Snow Ginseng with hispanions had had the misfortune of witnessing the Lord of Mirror Lake fighting against dozens of bird Strangers with human faces. Enraged, the Lord of Mirror Lake had unleashed a st of blue light that dyed the world in blue and dissolved the bird Strangers into nothing. Not only that, the ginseng harvesters who were standing too close to the battle instantly dissolved into nothing as well.

    The others were lucky enough to avoid death, but a good number of them became blind because they saw the blue light in the sky, and their eyeballs dissolved into nothing.

    The ginseng harvester who brought back the story looked terrified at the mere remembrance of that memory.

    This was why the five men had reacted with such fear after seeing the blue light. They were afraid that they would dissolve into nothing or turn blind just like their unfortunate colleagues.

    The five men were well aware that their emergency measures¡ªhiding inside the snow and closing their eyes¡ªstill might not be enough to save their lives, but it was better than doing nothing. All they could do now was to lie down, bury themselves in as much snow as possible, and pray for the best.

    As they worked frantically, the azure light in the sky began spreading outward.

    The blue light that resembled flowing water was wless and perfect, and everything it touched dissolved into nothing. The wind, the snow, the clouds, nothing was spared from its wrath.

    In just an instant, this corner of the world had turnedpletely pure and clean. Everything that existed in the blue light¡¯s path had dissolved into nothing, leaving behind only a massive shard of void, perfect and unblemished.

    The blue light was seconds away from reaching the five men and Li¡¯l Ah Man when suddenly, a taunting voice came from above, ¡°Hey yo! It¡¯s not good to vent your anger on innocents, you know?¡±

    The young man in the sky flicked the Lord of Mirror Lake in the head, and¡ª

    <i>BANG!</i>

    A world may reside within a finger. A finger may suppress a world as well.

    The Lord of Mirror Lake sailed backward like a meteor. It mmed into a cliffside so hard that a massive hole appeared on the wall.

    Before the Lord of Mirror Lake could break free, the young man flew over to the Lord of Mirror Lake and grabbed its head with his right hand, forcing the Stranger back into the hole in the wall. It sank deeper and deeper into the cliffside no matter how hard it roared or struggled.

    In just the blink of an eye, only its head was still poking out of the cliffside. The rest of its body was embedded inside the wall, trapped and helpless.

    ¡°Can you listen to me now?¡±

    Still keeping a firm grip on the Lord of Mirror Lake¡¯s head, the young man said unhurriedly, ¡°The reason I¡¯m willing to speak with you isn¡¯t because I¡¯m afraid of you, nor is it because I can¡¯t kill you. If I want to, you would be dead by the time I flip over my palm.¡±

    ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t kill you is because you have nevermitted an evil deed, nor have you wilfully endangered a human¡¯s life. But if you test my patience any further, then I wouldn¡¯t mind turning you to dust this instant.¡±

    The Lord of Mirror Lake clearly possessed great intelligence because it stopped struggling as soon as it finished listening to the young man¡¯s words. It knew that the human before him did possess the power to kill it.

    ¡°Do you understand me?¡± The young man¡¯s tone suddenly grew harsh and murderous. ¡°If you understand, then nod your head!¡±

    ¡°Whine...¡±

    The Lord of Mirror Lake let out an aggrieved whine and nodded its head.

    <i>It¡¯s bad enough that you robbed me, you¡¯re going to threaten me as well? How is this fair? How is thiswful?</i>

    <i>Oh wait, I¡¯m a Stranger, and Strangers have no human rights. Never mind then.</i>

    ¡°Good!¡±

    The young man smiled and withdrew his killing intent. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t harm innocents in the future. If I ever learn that you are abusing your power or making trouble for others, I <i>will </i>return to punish you. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Whine...¡±

    Again, the Lord of Mirror Lake nodded aggrievedly.

    ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly cute for one so fiery. Oh well. You may go now.¡±

    The young man released the Lord of Mirror Lake and took a few step backward, indicating that it could leave now.

    The Lord of Mirror Lake tentatively struggled for a bit. Once it confirmed that the young man wasn¡¯t going to stop it, it crawled out of the hole, flew into the sky, and let out a long, relieved howl.

    Maybe it was because it was going to live to see another day. Maybe it was because the bloody bandit was finally about to leave. Maybe it was both.

    In any case, the Lord of Mirror Lake shot the young man onest look before disappearing into the clouds.

 Chapter 875: Floating Dust Sea

    <h4>Chapter 875: Floating Dust Sea </h4>

    After the Lord of Mirror Lake was gone, the young man looked at the group of six hiding in the snow and called out, ¡°It¡¯s safe. You cane out now.¡±

    The young man was, of course, Ye Qing.

    The reason he came to Mirror Lake Peak was to collect the Endlessly Durable Water. Three days ago, after escorting Feng Qingyou to Mirror Lake City and settling her in, he immediately came over in search for the Endlessly Durable Water.

    It took him three days, but he finally found the Endlessly Durable Water at the bottom of the Mirror Lake.

    That was the good news. The bad news was that the bottom of Mirror Lake was where the Lord of Mirror Lake resided. There was no avoiding this fight as even a human would fight to protect their home to the death, much less a beast.

    So, they fought. It ended in his victory as a matter of course.

    The Lord of Mirror Lake was worshiped as a god by ginseng harvesters and many others, but in fact, it was a Stranger named the Ripe Lake. A Ripe Lake was a Disaster-ss Stranger with a tiger¡¯s head and a horse¡¯s body. A silver horn grew out of its head, and it was covered in azure-colored scales. It detested noise and preferred to live in quiet, secludedkes. It was quite rare.

    Ripe Lake was an auspicious beast and human friendly. Its territory was protected from all Strangers and evils, and theke it resided in could eliminate diseases and strengthen the body thanks to constant exposure to its aura. That was why it was beloved by all humans.

    Ripe Lakes were extremely rare, and they usually resided in uninhabited ces where human traces were few, if not non-existent. On top of that, it was friendly toward humans as well. That was why some humans called it a god or a divine beast.

    It was also why Ye Qing hadn¡¯t dealt it a permanent blow or even a serious one.

    While a Ripe Lake was normally affable and kind, it was one scary beast when it was angry. It was capable ofmanding wind and water, soaring in the skies, and performing many impossible feats with its amazing power. Its innate Magia especially¡ªAzure Death was its name¡ªcould dye an entire area in azure blue and annihte everything. That was the blue light the Lord of Mirror Lake had used in an attempt to kill Ye Qing earlier.

    If Ye Qing was anyone else, he would have had to dodge out of the way unless he wanted to risk annihtion. But since Ye Qing was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, he was able to ignore Azure Death like it did not exist and defeat it with ease.

    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, celestial.¡±

    Ah Yi and the others hurriedly climbed out of the snow and thanked Ye Qing profusely.

    ¡°No need. In fact, I¡¯m the one who should apologize. Otherwise, you would not have been in danger.¡± Ye Qing waved them off and said, ¡°Allow me topensate you.¡±

    Six waterskins appeared and fell on everyone¡¯s hands.

    ¡°What is this, big brother celestial?¡± Li¡¯l Ah Man asked in a small voice after hesitating for a bit.

    ¡°The water of the Mirror Lake. It possessed the ability to eliminate diseases and strengthen the body.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°You were going to use it to treat your mama, right? This much should be enough.¡±

    He had heard their earlier conversation, of course. That was why he purposely collected someke water while battling against Ripe Lake.

    ¡°The water of the sacredke? Li¡¯l Ah Man, thank him now!¡± The group of five eximed in pleasant surprise when they heard this.

    ¡°R-right! Thank you, big brother celestial! Thank you!¡±

    It took Li¡¯l Ah Man a beat to grasp what was going on. Overjoyed, she thanked Ye Qing loudly and hugged the waterskin like it was her entire life.

    Ah Yi and the others looked grateful as well.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Ye Qing liked this innocent yet tough little girl a lot. He asked smilingly, ¡°Do you want me to take you down the mountain?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Li¡¯l Ah Man tilted her head to one side.

    ¡°You want to save your mama, right? I can take you home faster than if you descend the mountain yourself,¡± Ye Qing exined.

    ¡°Is... Is it really okay?¡± Li¡¯l Ah Man was both happy and hesitant.

    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly.

    ¡°Okay! Thank you, big brother celestial!¡± Li¡¯l Ah Man chirped with excitement when she heard his reply.

    ¡°Good. We shall be taking our leave then. Take care, you all.¡±

    Ye Qing bade the ginseng harvesters goodbye and wrapped the little girl in astral qi. Then, they took off into the sky in a sh of light. For a time, all the ginseng harvesters could hear was the little girl¡¯s crisp, jubnt cries, ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhh... I can fly, I can fly...¡±

    That was the beginning of the tale of the Mirror Lake Peak celestial.

    ......

    Despite its name, Floating Dust Sea was not an actual sea. It was a sea of floating sand and dust.

    For whatever reason, the sand and dust of this ce floated in the air all year long even when there was no wind. From the ground, it looked like a sea of floating sand and dust. Hence the name.

    Even better, the Floating Dust Sea wasn¡¯t affixed to one location. It was constantly moving and engulfing other locations in sand and dust all the time. As a result, it became quite the infamous Anomaly in Yan.

    That¡¯s right. The Floating Dust Sea was no natural disaster. It was an Anomaly.

    No one knew how or when the Floating Dust Sea came to be. They only knew that it was impossible to suppress, much less eliminate. Those unfortunate enough to run into it could only run and hide.

    Right now, hundreds of kilometers to the east of Mirror Lake City, a sea of floating sand and dust was leisurely swimming toward heavens-know-where. It blotted out the sky and cast dark shadows on the ground. It was none other than the Floating Dust Sea.

    Beyond the Floating Dust Sea, countless people carrying children and many belongings were in the middle of a migration.

    There used to be a town where the Floating Dust Sea was currently afflicting, and it was blessed with a fresh water source and plenty of greeneries. Unfortunately, the arrival of the Floating Dust Sea meant that the town, the water, and the nts were buried under a never-ending assault of sand and dust.

    Naturally, they had no choice but to leave their hometown and migrate elsewhere.

    The good news was that the Floating Dust Sea moved very slowly. It was quite obvious when it appeared as well. They had just enough time to gather their belongings and migrate.

    Suddenly, the group of people noticed something strange. Everyone was moving away from the Floating Dust Sea, but a young man was conspicuously moving <i>toward</i> it.

    ¡°Where are you going, young man?¡± An old man could not help but call out after noticing his strange behavior.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the Floating Dust Sea!¡± The young man answered.

    ¡°Excuse me? Are you suicidal, young man?¡± the old man couldn¡¯t help but blurt out in shock.

    ¡°Of course not. I am young and hale. Why would I be suicidal?¡± The young man responded with a warm, affable smile.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not suicidal, then why are you headed for the Floating Dust Sea? That is no ce for anyone to be!¡± The old man frowned.

    ¡°Who says that those who enter the Floating Dust Sea must die?¡± The young man countered.

    ¡°Who says? Foolish child, is there anyone in Yan who doesn¡¯t know that the Floating Dust Sea is beyond dangerous? It is a walking disaster that engulfs thousands and thousands of kilometers ofnd in yellow sand, and neither human nor beast can survive its wrath for long.¡±

    A man standing next to the old man looked him up and down. ¡°Yeah. Where are you from, young man? There is no way a citizen of Yan would not know about this.¡±

    The old man himself examined the young man for a moment before saying, ¡°Now that I look at you, you look like a warrior. But if you think you are invincible just because you¡¯ve practiced the art for a few years, then you cannot be any more wrong. Not even warriors are spared from the Floating Dust Sea¡¯s wrath.¡±

    ¡°Have you heard of the famous ¡®Falling Snow Sword¡¯, Fang Tingchuan? He thought himself skilled and tried to challenge the Floating Dust Sea himself. He never returned.¡±

    ¡°¡®Falling Snow Sword¡¯ is not its only victim. Elites such as the Seven Soulchasing Heroes, the Tiger Leopard Monk, and the Wilting Green also perished there.¡±

    Another person chimed in, ¡°A man must know his limits, and you should too, young man. It is not worth losing your life over a moment¡¯s arrogance!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am not them.¡±

    But the young man shot them a confident smile and dered, ¡°Just because they died doesn¡¯t mean I will.¡±

    ¡°Are you listening to a word we¡¯re saying, young man?¡± The old man couldn¡¯t help but be astonished.

    ¡°I am,¡± the young man replied.

    ¡°Then why do you still insist on entering the Floating Dust Sea?¡± The old man just could not understand. ¡°Are you suicidal after all?¡±

    ¡°I can hardly believe that we waste all that breath for nothing!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not trying to scare you! The Floating Dust Sea really is quite dangerous. Please don¡¯t be stupid, young man!¡±

    Many people tried to persuade the young man to see reason.

 Chapter 876: A Divine Being

    <h4>Chapter 876: A Divine Being </h4>

    ¡°I appreciate your concerns,¡± the young man saluted the crowd, ¡°but do not worry. I promise that I am not walking toward my death.¡±

    ¡°Young man¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just the Floating Dust Sea. It will take much more than that to threaten me.¡±

    The old man: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    <i>It is </i>just <i>the Floating Dust Sea? Is he insane, or am I dreaming?</i>

    <i>Should we piss on you and wake you from your daydream?</i>

    ¡°Look! The Floating Dust Sea ising to us!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Mommy... mommy... where are you, mommy? Uwah...¡±

    ¡°Yuanyuan... Yuanyuan! Where are you...¡±

    ¡°Save my child, please, save my child...¡±

    ¡°RUN!!!¡±

    Suddenly, a panicked mor broke out from the distance. The panic quickly swept through the entire crowd like the gue.

    They looked. For some reason, the Floating Dust Sea looked a lot more violent than before. Worse, it wasing straight toward them.

    No one expected the Floating Dust Sea to act this way. After all, something like this had never happened before. Caught off guard, the panic quickly devolved into a stampede where people were bowled over, and even horses were pushed off their feet.

    It was utter chaos. The weak, frail and young were quickly shoved to the back of the line or pushed to the ground. They quickly fell behind and could only watch as the tsunami of sand and dust slowly approached them, their hearts full of despair.

    It was at this moment a young man suddenly appeared in front of the group in the blink of an eye.

    The encroaching sand and dust was so vast that it blotted out the sun and sky itself.

    Compared to it, the young man might as well be a speck of dust.

    The young man wasn¡¯t afraid, however. His facepletely serene and calm, he sucked in a deep breath and surrounded himself in dark yellow light.

    Then, he raised his hand and threw a punch.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    The punch was soundless, but heaven and earth reverberated in response. There was a strange buzzing, and the rolling sand and dust abruptly fell down like a tree that suddenly lost its roots, or a pond that suddenly lost its source.

    For a moment, it felt as if the Floating Dust Sea never happened. The wind was calm, the sand was gone, and the world was at peace.

    A single punch had copsed a sky of sand.

    A single breath had seized back the blue sky back to humanity.

    The panicking crowd fell silent and still. For a time, no one could say anything. No one even thought to move a muscle. They could only stare in confusion and disbelief.

    They couldn¡¯t believe it. They said that the Floating Dust Sea would never touch the ground, and someone actually stopped it? Someone actually fell it all from the sky?

    How was this possible?

    How was this humanly possible?

    And yet, it was. They just saw it happen with their own eyes.

    The brain could reject a lot of things, but not the reality that just took ce right before their eyes.

    The people who tried to stop the young man especially were utterly speechless. Before they knew it, a memory was reying inside their heads over and over again:

    <i>¡°It¡¯s just the Floating Dust Sea. It will take much more than that to threaten me.¡±</i>

    He wasn¡¯t boasting after all!

    They were the clowns this entire time!

    ¡°What else are you waiting for? Go already!¡±

    It was at this moment the young man turned around and shot them a small smile.

    ¡°Thank you, hero!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives!¡±

    ¡°We will never forget this for as long as we live, hero!¡±

    The crowd finally jolted back to reality and thanked him profusely. Then, they began moving again.

    Some timeter, an old man looked back and saw that the copsed sand and dust were rising into the air once more. It looked like the beginnings of a gargantuan tidal wave.

    The Floating Dust Sea... was recovering.

    The young man was still there, however. His hands sped behind his back, he was looking at the reviving Floating Dust Sea with calm, indifferent eyes.

    Seemingly sensing the old man¡¯s gaze, the young man turned around and gave him a smile. It was a smile that felt as warm as the morning sun, and as soothing as the spring wind.

    A nodter, the young man turned back to face the Floating Dust Sea. Then, he went inside.

    Was it his imagination, the old man wondered. Right before the young man would set foot inside the Floating Dust Sea, he thought he saw the Anomaly splitting apart and opening up a path for him almost as if it was <i>afraid</i>.

    In any case, the young man quickly vanished into the Floating Dust Sea, calm and collected. He was gone just like that.

    ¡°A divine being, he is!¡±

    The old man murmured to himself with a stunned expression.

    ......

    A dayter, a tremendous explosion suddenly erupted from inside the Floating Dust Sea. The sand and dust churned violently as if enraged.

    Two dayster, the sand and dust of the Floating Dust Sea suddenly subsided again, and tranquility temporarily returned to the world.

    Three dayster, the Floating Dust Sea suddenly stopped moving forward. In fact, it was retreating as if afraid of something.

    Four dayster, the Floating Dust Sea split open to reveal a young man. He looked as confident as he was untouched.

    As soon as the young man left the Floating Dust Sea, the Anomaly began moving in the opposite direction several times faster than normal. It looked like a prey desperately trying to escape the most horrifying predator it had ever encountered in its life.

    Five dayster, a young man appeared at Mirror Lake City and climbed up the Mirror Lake Inn. There, a woman greeted him with a warm smile on her face.

    ¡°Wee back, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    The sun was bright, and the air was calm. They smiled at each other, and all was well.

    ......

    ¡°This is the Endlessly Durable Water, and this is the Dustless Earth.¡±

    Inside a room, Ye Qing produced two objects from his Nature¡¯s Shell and ced them on a table.

    The first item looked like a ball of water, but when it made contact with the table, it made a thunk as if it was a hard object.

    The second item was a pouch of sand, one that was floating in the air even though there was no wind inside the room.

    They were the Endlessly Durable Water and the Dustless Earth.

    Ye Qing had procured the Endlessly Durable Water from the Mirror Lake, and the Dustless Earth from the Floating Dust Sea.

    Without a doubt, Floating Dust Sea was far more dangerous than the Mirror Lake. Why? Because of its ever present sand and dust.

    From the moment you entered the Floating Dust Sea, you would not be able to take a single gulp of breath. Otherwise, you would be inhaling sand and dust into your lungs. Usually, this would not be a problem. Otherwise, anyone who got caught in a sand storm would just die. The problem was that the sand and dust constantly invaded one¡¯s body not just through breath, but also the pores like they were living parasites. They would block one¡¯s meridian, damage one¡¯s internal organs, and ultimately kill them via suffocation. They could not fully isted even with astral qi and true qi.

    On top of that, the world inside the Floating Dust Sea was almost pitch ck. Thebination of sand, dust, and the Anomaly¡¯s anomalous power could turn even the sharpest warrior into a directionally challenged idiot. Unable to iste the sand and dust nor escape its boundaries, it was only a matter of time before the victim was tortured to death.

    It was worth mentioning that the Floating Dust Sea possessed a rudimentary level of consciousness¡ªor perhaps it would be more urate to call it instinct. It instinctively knew who it could kill and who it could not.

    This was why the Floating Dust Sea was so dangerous¡ªexcept to Ye Qing. Ye Qing possessed a tenacious body and a strong vigor. Unlike most warriors, he could fully prevent the sand and dust from invading his body. Second, he possessed the ¡°Break Hammer¡±. ¡°Break Hammer¡± was an all-powerful technique that could destroy anything and everything, returning it all into chaos. It was basically the bane of the Floating Dust Sea¡¯s existence.

    That was why he was able to sink the Anomaly in one punch.

    Thanks to these advantages, it took him almost no effort to collect the Dustless Earth at the center of the Floating Dust Sea.

    Feng Qingyou said quietly, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Ye Qing poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip. Then, he asked, ¡°Now that you have the Finger Ring Metal, Lightning Struck Wood, Endlessly Durable Water, Thousand Frost Fire, and Dustless Earth, when are you nning to refine them?¡±

    ¡°Three dayster, I think. I would like to nurture the five strange items first before conducting the ritual,¡± Feng Qingyou answered. ¡°I¡¯m sure you could use the rest as well.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. Even he was feeling fatigued after so many days of non-stop trekking.

 Chapter 877: To The Sun Swamp

    ¡°Oh right, what did the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and Dragonmount Duke do while I was gone? Is Chen Cang dead yet?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    He was so busy searching for the Endlessly Durable Water and Dustless Earth that he did not keep up to date with the happenings of the <em>jianghu </em>for the past couple days. He wondered if Chen Cang and the Seven Demons of Yandang were dead.

    ¡°Chen Cang is still alive,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°What? Was the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s strength exaggerated after all?¡± Ye Qing frowned. It had been a while since they set out to capture the swordsman. No matter how cunning Chen Cang was, he should¡¯ve been caught at this point.

    ¡°They had Chen Cang surrounded, but a mysterious elite from Swordsgrave intervened at thest moment and even dealt several Seventy Two Water Land Alliance elders a serious blow. That was why Chen Cang ultimately managed to escape,¡± Feng Qingyou exined.

    ¡°Damn. Chen Cang is one lucky sonuvabitch!¡± Ye Qing was a bit disappointed that his scheme failed to kill Chen Cang in the end, but it was fine though. Once Feng Qingyou had recovered, he did not mind delivering the swordsman to the afterlife personally.

    ¡°What about the Seven Demons of Yandang?¡± Ye Qing asked another question. The group had pped Dragonmount Duke so hard you could hear the reverberations from the other end of the realm. Knowing the man¡¯s reputation, there was zero chance he would allow this slight to go unanswered.

    ¡°Two days ago, Dragonmount Duke attacked White Ape Sword Demon, Howling Heaven Tiger Demon, and Hundred-armed Spider Demon at Dragontail Beach in person. However, it turned out to be an ambush. The three demons had contacted the Utmost Evil King of Nine Nethers beforehand and were just waiting for Dragonmount Duke to jump into their trap.¡±

    Feng Qingyou narrated slowly, ¡°A great battleter, Howling Heaven Tiger Demon and Hundred-armed Spider Demon perished in battle, but Dragonmount Duke also took grievous injuries from White Ape Sword Demon and Utmost Evil King. Only his yang god managed to escape when all was said and done.¡±¡°After dealing the Dragonmount Duke a grievous blow, White Ape Sword Demon joined Nine Nethers and became their ninth king. While the Dragonmount Duke was still injured, Nine Nether seized the opportunity to consume much of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s territory. As a result, thetter is much weaker than they were before.¡±

    ¡°What in the¡­¡±

    Ye Qing could hardly believe that so many things had happened in the past few days, and each one was only more surprising than thest. ¡°White Ape Sword Demon must have colluded with the Nine Nethers from the start!¡±

    A human heart could be split into good or bad, nature could be separated into yin and yang, and even heaven and earth could be bright or dark. If humanity was the bright beings of the world, then the Nine Nethers were the opposite.

    Nine Nethers was where the darkest and vilest evils were gathered, and they served a powerful being known as the Nine Nethers Demonic Emperor.

    However, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t referring to this realm of the darkest and most evil. He was referring to a sect who called themselves the Nine Nethers Sect, one of the Nine Dark Ways.

    Of course, since the Nine Nethers Sect dared to name themselves after the Nine Nethers, they must share a deep and profound connection with them. In fact, the Nine Nethers Sect served the Nine Nethers Demonic Emperor and cultivated the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi. They were one hundred percent an evil, heretical sect.

    In any case, it was clear that the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s downfall was a conspiracy by the White Ape Sword Demon and Nine Nethers Sect.

    ¡°I believe so as well,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°By the way, what about the River Swallowing Toad Demon? Why didn¡¯t they involve him in the ambush?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°That¡¯s because the River Swallowing Toad Demon was dead way back when the Seven Demons of Yandang attempted to steal the Lampfire Pce. The River Swallowing Toad Demon was responsible for covering their retreat, and he failed to escape before he was killed by the returning Dragonmount Duke,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qung rubbed his nose thoughtfully. ¡°I guess White Ape Sword Demon is the only one left among the Seven Demons of Yandang then.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t really matter to White Ape Sword Demon. In his eyes, the other six demons were just tools to be used to achieve his objective,¡± Feng Qingyou replied. ¡°He would not care if they lived or died.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, did they ever find out what happened to the Nine-headed Snake Demon and Powerful Bull Demon?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°It would not matter even if they did.¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°From the start, White Ape Sword Demon¡¯s objective was the Dragonmount Duke alone. Why would he care if his pawns lived or died when he had achieved his goal?¡±

    ¡°As for the Dragonmount Duke, he is fully absorbed with the matter of his recovery. He would not be able to intervene even if he learned the truth of the matter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Ye Qing shrugged as a schadenfreude smirk crossed his lips. ¡°Hehehe¡­ the Dragonmount Duke managed to live most of his life dominating his enemies and avoiding any repercussions, but not this time.¡±

    A thought suddenly urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Say, do you think there is a chance that the Nine Nethers might be able to consume the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance entirely?¡±

    ¡°It is quite unlikely.¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°Although the Nine Nethers is one of the Nine Dark Ways and quite powerful, neither the Dragonmount Duke nor the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance is weak. Moreover, the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance isposed of countless factions and spread throughoutrge chunks of Yan.¡±

    ¡°The Nine Nethers may have seeded in catching Dragonmount Duke off guard anding very close to killing him, but once he recovers, the Nine Nethers[1] would find it much harder to maintain their current rate of conquest. As for conquering the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance entirely, that seems almost impossible.¡±

    ¡°But of course, just because they would survive this crisis doesn¡¯t mean that it won¡¯t cost them dearly. When the dust has settled, we may find the Dragonmount Duke and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance much, much weaker than before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tumultuous period in the near future then,¡± Ye Qing let out a schadenfreude chuckle.

    ¡°Yes. It will be a while before Yannan¡¯s <em>wulin </em>is calm,¡± Feng Qingyou smiled as well.

    ¡­¡­

    Feng Qingyou¡¯sment would prove to be an understatement. The entire Yannan and its <em>wulin </em>had plunged into chaos as a result of this series of incidents.

    In the past, the Nine Nethers Sect kept a low profile when operating in Yannan. Now, led by the Utmost Evil King and White Ape Sword Demon, they were openly assaulting and upying the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s territories.

    Of course, the members of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance weren¡¯t willing to take this lying down. They mustered their forces and struck back as hard as they were able. As a result, not a day went by where people weren¡¯t fighting for their lives, and bodies weren¡¯t littering the streets.

    For a time, des and blood smeared every corner of Yannan¡¯s <em>jianghu.</em>

    None of this had anything to do with Ye Qing or Feng Qingyou, however. They had departed Mirror Lake City and were currently moving toward their next destination.

    Refining the five extraordinary items was not a simple matter. Before the process could begin, they must find a location where yin and yang existed in harmony.

    As everyone knows, fire and water could not co-exist, and yin and yang naturally stood in opposition against each other. However, it was also the truth that nothing was absolute. There were, in fact, ces where fire and water, yin and yang somehow co-existed in harmony. They were just incredibly rare.

    Luckily, Feng Qingyou was prepared for this. She had managed to identify one such location after repeated inquiries.

    Their next destination was a strange ce named the Sun Swamp. The Sun Swamp was an extremely cold swamp overflowing with yin qi and miasma, but for whatever reason, every time it was past midnight, a sun would appear in the sky and cause the Sun Swamp tobust into mes. The resulting inferno was usually enough to kill any and all living beings residing in the swamp.

    It was unnatural for a ce of absolute yin to create a great sun that burned everything during the time of most yin[2]. Considering all the signs, the Sun Swamp could only be a location where yin and yang existed in harmony.

    The Sun Swamp was pretty famous in Yan¡ªor more urately, infamous.

    The Sun Swamp was a ce of absolute yin, so it was overflowing with yin qi and miasma. The fact that it created a sun that burned everything in the swamp certainly did not help to promote life either.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, its extraordinary environment had resulted in the birth of many anomalous and terrifying Strangers such as the Ash Woman, the Gray Bug, the Smoke Ghost and more.

    The Ash Woman was a Disaster-ss Stranger made up of yin qi, ash, and souls. Although it was categorized as a type of Yin Spirit, it was unaffected by thunder or fire. Incorporeal and intangible, they enjoyed luring travelers using a woman¡¯s appearance and feast on their souls.

    An Ash Bug was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger made up of yin qi and ash. As tiny as a speck of dust and invisible to the naked eye, it existed in groups and attacked humans via inhtion. The moment an unsuspecting human had inhaled a cloud of Ash Bugs into their body, they would instantlybust into ash.

    The Smoke Ghost was a Disaster-ss Stranger created from smoke. It was incorporeal and extremely difficult to kill due to its ability to spread out like smoke. It enjoyed trapping travelers in its smoke and making them lose their way. Those who failed to identify their situation and take measures to remedy it would never find their way out and eventually die of exhaustion.

    The Ash Woman, Ash Bug, and Smoke Ghost were three of the more dangerous Strangers in the Sun Swamp. There were countless other Strangers that lived there.

    In summary, the Sun Swamp was extraordinarily dangerous and feared by most people.

    Luckily, neither Ye Qing nor Feng Qingyou were among those people.

    In order to ensure that Feng Qingyou would not be disturbed during her ritual, Ye Qing went through the effort of cleaning up the Strangers residing in the Sun Swamp.

    1. This will be the only chapter where you see them addressing the Nine Nethers Sect as Nine Nethers. I had to make a call and I believe it would be much less confusing if the two terms are separated properly. ?

    2. If you don¡¯t know, it means the darkest hour a.k.a 12 am midnight. ?

 Chapter 878: Goatherd

    As nighttime arrived, the yin qi in the Sun Swamp grew thicker and thicker. At the same time, a sun slowly rose into the sky and filled the swamp with light.

    When the sun rose to the middle, the yin qi in the Sun Swamp had reached its peak as well. Then, a big me burst out from somewhere and spread to every corner of the swamp in just the blink of an eye. Like a sea of mes, it was both stunning and terrifying to look at.

    Strangely, the inferno was strictly limited to the Sun Swamp. The mes never spread beyond a certain range, burning not even the dry grass at the periphery.

    Inside the Sun Swamp, the mes scorched the sky, and the yin wind howled like a ghost. But outside the Sun Swamp, the forest was as cool as any other. It was miraculous and astounding to say the least.

    ¡°It is time. Please guard me, Joyless.¡±

    At the center of the Sun Swamp, there was a safe zone about one-third of a meter that waspletely untouched by the mes. Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were currently standing in it.

    ¡°Got it. Be careful, Qingyou.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded and stepped out of the safe zone, stopping only when he was ten meters away from her. As for Feng Qingyou, she was sitting crosslegged while the five extraordinary items¡ªFinger Ring Metal, Lightning Struck Wood, Endlessly Durable Water, Thousand Frost Fire, and Dustless Earth¡ªflew out of her sleeves and floated around her.

    Each item upied one corner of the small circle. The Finger Ring Metal upied the west as the west was Metal, the Lightning Struck Wood upied the east as the east was Wood, the Endlessly Durable Water upied the north as the north was Water, the Thousand Frost Fire upied the south as the north was Fire, and the Dustless Earth upied the center as the center was Earth.A few breathster, the five extraordinary items shone brightly and exuded the color white, green, ck, red, and yellow each. They mingled into one and shot into the sky.

    Slowly, gradually, the five colorful lights transformed into ck and white. The two colors swam in circles and chased after each other¡¯s tail like a pair of fishes. When the Five Phases merged into one, yin and yang existed in harmony and became like one.

    The Five Phases turned into ck and white, yin and yang mingled and became one.

    As yin and yang circted, the two colors swam around in circles. Yin qi began rising from the ground until it looked as voluminous as a river. Yang qi descended from above until it looked as vast as the sea.

    Attracted by the power of yin and yang, the river of yin qi and sea of yang qi flowed into the two colors. It looked like it would never end.

    Yin and yang turned into a millstone, and the form of the Great Way was illuminated.

    s, nothingsted forever. Eventually, not a shred of yin qi could be seen in the Sun Swamp, nor was there a lick of mes anywhere. All that was left behind¡­ was the remnants of eternal Dao intent.

    About an hourter, the yin and yang, ck and white, Dao intent and air of Dao slowly condensed into a small pellet the size of a fingernail.

    The pellet was ck-and-white in color and overflowing with Dao intent. It was as if a mini world was contained within its smooth surface.

    A pill could be split into ck and white, heaven¡¯s intent may exist within an inch of space. So it was.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hehe¡­ I thought a treasure was being born or something, but it¡¯s just someone practicing their martial arts!¡±

    There was a man standing at the edge of the Sun Swamp. He had a simple and honest-looking face, and he was dressed in tattered goat wool. A flock of goats were grazing grass behind him. He asked while staring at the phenomenon taking ce inside the Sun Swamp, ¡°Do you think we should get involved, honey?¡±

    That was what he said, but he was alone. Who was he talking to, exactly?

    ¡°Of course we should.¡±

    The crisp, melodious voice of a woman rang behind his head. ¡°We are a few beasts of burden short of achieving our goal, remember?¡±

    ¡°Whoever is inside the Sun Swamp, they are creating a pill of heaven and earth using the Five Phases as the foundation, and yin and yang as the way. Such a person can only be extraordinary. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too risky?¡± The man sounded hesitant.

    ¡°Riches and honor can only be found in danger. And just in case you¡¯ve forgotten, <em>high quality</em> beasts of burden are exactly what we need toplete our objective!¡± The woman responded without hesitation.

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    The man still sounded hesitant, but the woman did not allow him to finish. She started cussing him out at the top of her lungs, ¡°Stop being such a wuss, you chickenshit! Seriously, whatever possessed me to court a useless man like you back then?¡±

    ¡°Did you even check out our current batch of beasts of burden? They¡¯re all a bunch of worthless trash who do not meet the requirement! At this rate, you and I would have to drink the northwest wind[1]!¡±

    ¡°I get it, I get it¡­¡± The man muttered in embarrassment.

    ¡°I get it, I get it! That¡¯s all you know how to say, you useless <em>git! </em>For once in your life, stop giving empty promises and actually <em>get it done </em>like a man, will you?!¡± The woman vented with frustration.

    ¡°I ge¡ªno, I mean, sure,¡± The man replied meekly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ you know I hesitate because I want us to be safe, right? Didn¡¯t the <em>jianghu </em>say ¡®caution drives a ten-thousand-year-old boat¡¯[2]?¡±

    ¡°In fact, that is why you married me back then, remember?¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! I was just blind and stupid and possessed back then!¡± The woman attacked him relentlessly.

    ¡°You may insult me, honey, but you must never insult yourself.¡± the man chuckled.

    ¡°Hmph! You think I won¡¯t? You¡¯re a coward! That¡¯s why you¡¯re always too scared to do anything!¡± The woman scolded him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice the warrior¡¯s aura? They are strong, but their aura also fluctuated from time to time during their refinement. It is clear that they are injured and are focused on recovering themselves right now. If now isn¡¯t the best time to attack them, then when? There¡¯s nothing to be scared of!¡±

    ¡°Hehe, I guess you¡¯re right, honey.¡± The man paid her apliment, ¡°You¡¯re the smartest girl in the entire world.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Isn¡¯t that obvious? If not for my brains, you and I would have starved to death ages ago!¡±

    The woman harrumphed, though it was clear that the man¡¯s ttery hit her right on the spot. ¡°Well, what else are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go already!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, honey.¡± The man exined smilingly, ¡°We should wait until they consume the pill and bepletely absorbed in the work. If we attack then, then they would not be able to defend themselves at all.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You and your dilly-dallying. You really don¡¯t act like a man,¡± the womanined, though she did not refute him. It was clear that she acknowledged the wisdom of his words.

    The man scratched his head and gave her an honest smile. Suddenly, he turned around and whipped a ck goat.

    ¡°Meh!!!¡±

    The whip did not leave even a scratch on the goat¡¯s body, and yet it copsed on the ground and writhed like it was the most painful blow in the world. The rest of the goats also cowered in ce and shivered as if they were sentient.

    ¡°Be good and stay where you are. Otherwise, you will regret it. Understand?¡±

    The man whipped the air, and the resulting crack caused every goat to tremble with fearful eyes.

    Meanwhile, Feng Qingyou had finally consumed the pill. The second it entered her stomach, her aura abruptly turned indecipherable and profound. Wavy, dreamlike ripples began washing out of the Sun Swamp.

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    The man outside the Sun Swamp perked up, and he raised his foot to step inside. He was just halfway through the motions when suddenly, he froze in ce. It was because a hand was grabbing his shoulder.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, friend?¡± An indifferent voice rang beside his ears.

    The man was stunned, but he did not dare to move a muscle. After all, he never noticed how the stranger had suddenly appeared behind his back, not to mention that the hand grabbing his shoulder felt as immovable as a mountain.

    ¡°N-nowhere? I was just passing through the area, senior. I saw that something strange was happening and just wanted to indulge in my curiosity.¡± The man let out an obsequious chuckle. ¡°It¡¯s all an unfortunate misunderstanding, senior. I just wanted to take a look. I mean, I¡¯m just a goatherd. What can I possibly do?¡±

    1. meaning going cold and hungry. ?

    2. Meaning better to be safe than sorry. ?

 Chapter 879: Human Skin Face

    ¡°A goatherd?¡± Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows with a smirk. ¡°A Trueman goatherd? I suppose that¡¯s eptable considering the location.¡±

    The man who pinned down the unknown man was none other than Ye Qing. He had sensed the man¡¯s presence as soon as he arrived at the edge of the Sun Swamp. The reason he hadn¡¯t confronted him immediately was to see what he was plotting. It didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive at the conclusion that it was nothing good.

    ¡°Haha¡­ just making a living. A man¡¯s gotta eat, right?¡± The man let out a simpleugh. He did not seem to mind the fact that Ye Qing had seen right through his cultivation.

    ¡°What is your name?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Tao Goatherd, senior. Well met,¡± the man answered.

    ¡°Tao Goatherd? You have quite the fitting name.¡± Ye Qing let out a nomittal chuckle. ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t mind hanging out with me for a bit, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, senior. I will do as you say,¡± Tao Goatherd said fearfully and respectfully, ying the role of simple and honest man to the letter.

    While the two men spoke, Feng Qingyou¡¯s cultivation had reached a critical moment. Yin and yang circted, and origin qi flowed in from every direction. At the same time, all sorts of phenomena were taking ce.

    About a teatimeter, the phenomena abruptly disappeared into nothingness. Thick dark clouds that seemed to be hiding countless celestials, Buddhas, gods and demons followed immediately after.¡°What the¡­ the Celestial Buddha Demonic Cloud Tribtion??¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression did not change, but he was stunned on the inside. Feng Qingyou was just recovering her wounds. How the hell did she trigger a <em>tribtion</em>? This was ridiculous!

    Luckily, the Celestial Buddha Demonic Cloud Tribtion wasn¡¯t a particrly dangerous tribtion. It wasn¡¯t even named among the Seventy Two Earthly Fiends Tribtions. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t too worried for her safety.

    As expected, Feng Qingyou¡¯s response toward the descending celestials and Buddhas¡ªall manifestations of the demonic clouds¡ªwas to raise a hand and make a stroking motion like she was caressing a qin or se.

    The heavens created strings to make way for the qin and se, and the goddess stroked them to quell celestials and Buddhas.

    With just one gesture, the surrounding space shook without a trace, and heaven and earth vibrated as if humming a magical tune. Shocked and furious, the celestials and Buddhas in the sky abruptly scattered into nothing.

    As Ye Qing was paying most of his attention on Feng Qingyou¡¯s tribtion, he did not notice the hidden glint shing in the eyes of the seemingly honest and meek Tao Goatherd. The goatherd¡¯s whip was sneakily and soundlessly moving toward Ye Qing¡¯s neck even though his hand was perfectly still. It was almost as if the whip had a mind of its own.

    Sensing no reaction from Ye Qing whatsoever, Tao Goatherd¡¯s eyes crinkled just a bit into the beginnings of a savage smile.

    He was aware that Ye Qing was strong. Very, very strong. He was sure he would lose in a fair fight, which was why he waited patiently for an opportunity instead of attacking immediately. He waited for his opponent to rx his guard so he could end his life in one strike.

    As expected, that opportunity came very quickly. If he could wrap his opponent with his Mind Sealing Whip, his mind would be sealed, and he would be able to do whatever he wanted with him.

    But right before the Mind Sealing Whip would wrap around his opponent¡¯s neck, the Strange Artifact suddenly encountered absolute resistance and was unable to push even an inch further.

    Not only that, he could sense waves of shock and terror from his Mind Sealing Whip.

    His Strange Artifact was warning him of danger!

    Realizing that his ploy had failed, Tao Goatherd did not hesitate to pull back his Mind Sealing Whip and prepared to leave¡ªor at least, he tried to. The Mind Sealing Whip resisted his pullpletely, and when he looked, he realized that the young man had somehow caught his whip between his fingers.

    The pair of fingers might as well be a pair of mountains. No matter how hard he pulled, he was unable to budge his whip even a little.

    Tao Goatherd was a decisive man. Realizing that he could not have his cake and eat it, he immediately relinquished his whip and jumped away. At the same time, he made a hand seal in an attempt to detonate the Mind Sealing Whip.

    The next moment, his eyes widened in shock. Right before he could detonate his Strange Artifact, he saw the young man pulling it into his palm with the twist of his wrist and clenching tightly. There was a dull rumble, and the Mind Sealing Whip was crushed into fine powder just like that. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would have thought that the Strange Artifact was made up of dead branches and rotten leaves!

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    With this, Tao Goatherd¡¯s n to detonate his Strange Artifact and buy time for his retreat failed. Not only that, he suffered tremendous damage because the Mind Sealing Whip was a bonded Anima Strange Artifact.

    Despite having witnessed its destruction with his own eyes, Tao Goatherd still couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. The Mind Sealing Whip was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact forged from the tendons of the Disaster-ss Stranger, the Soul Devouring Flood Dragon. Incredibly tough and tenacious, it was impervious to conventional weapons and immune to the elements. How was it possible for someone to crush it into powder with their bare hands?

    There was no denying the reality in front of him though. Worse, his nightmare was just beginning. Every cell in his body screamed for him to escape when Ye Qing started running toward him.

    ¡°Save me, honey!¡±

    Tao Goatherd roared, and the loose, long hair behind his head abruptly split apart to reveal the gorgeous, seductive face of a woman. An eerie smile appeared on her face, and her eyes shone with anomalous, scarlet light that could pollute one¡¯s mind.

    At the same time, the ghastly silhouette of a woman took form in the light. Her fingers bent like talons and her face contorted like a ghoul¡¯s, she ran toward Ye Qing without making a sound.

    Ye Qing did not slow down, however. Dark yellow light gathered and spread out around him with the weight of a mountain and the thickness of the earth. The scarlet light crumbled the second it made contact with the dark yellow light, and the transparent silhouette was no exception.

    Ye Qing reached Tao Goatherd in just the blink of an eye. Hended a palm strike on his shoulder.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    There was a loud bang, and Tao Goatherd was nailed into the ground like a wooden stake. His muscles and bones creaked ominously as blood poured profusely out of his orifices.

    The woman at the back of Tao Goatherd¡¯s head also let out a bloodcurdling scream and grew transparent.

    ¡°Hmm? Human skin?¡±

    It was only now Ye Qing realized that the face behind the back of Tao Goatherd¡¯s head was a human skin. Specifically, it was a human face that had been sewn to the back of his head. It looked exactly like a real woman¡¯s face, lifelike and vibrant.

    What piqued Ye Qing¡¯s curiosity even more was the fact that the human face was intelligent and conscious. When it noticed Ye Qing¡¯s gaze, it shuddered once before breaking into tears, ¡°This humblemoner Qiao Cuihua greets senior.¡±

    ¡°Senior, it is all this man¡¯s fault. He is the one who plotted against the senior in the Sun Swamp, and it is he who tried to attack you by surprise. This humblemoner is but a helpless victim who has no choice but to obey his whims. Please have mercy!¡±

    Tao Goatherd was still dizzy after taking such a heavy blow from Ye Qing. He never expected his wife to stab him in the back.

    ¡°Hehe¡­ wanna guess if I believe your story or not?¡± Ye Qing chuckled ominously while rubbing his nose. Though, if he were to bepletely honest, he could have believed her story if he hadn¡¯t overheard their earlier conversation.

    ¡°Please open your eyes to the truth, senior! Please save me from this vile monster!¡± The human skin face started appealing from an emotional standpoint instead after seeing that her pleading wasn¡¯t working.

    ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°Woo¡­ this humblemoner was amon wife until she had the misfortune of being spotted by this viin. Not only did he kill my whole family, he stripped off my face, sewed it to the back of my head, and trapped my soul in it. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he tortured me day and night. I beg you, senior, please rescue me from this sea of bitterness!¡±

    Tears streamed down the human skin face¡¯s profusely. ¡°If you rescue me, this humblemoner swears to serve you for eternity to repay your kindness!¡±

    Although it was just a face, it was quite the beautiful and pity-inducing face. This was doubly true when it was crying.

    ¡°Haha¡­ it sure is a touching story.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°What do you think, Tao Goatherd?¡±

    By now, Tao Goatherd had finally regained his consciousness. He answered meekly, ¡°This one doesn¡¯t dare to dictate your actions, senior. Your wisdom knows no bounds, so I am sure you can make the best decision for yourself.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly many times more intelligent than her.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a thunderous grunt, and the human skin face suddenly let out a yelp of pain. ¡°You¡¯re at my mercy, and you dare to try and catch me in a charm spell? Just how foolish can you be?¡±

 Chapter 880: Six Livestocks Market

    The human skin face hurriedly begged for mercy, ¡°Mercy, senior! This junior was possessed by a moment of foolishness earlier. Please, forgive me!¡±

    ¡°I can forgive you, but what the hell are you?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°This humblemoner¡­¡±

    The human skin face was about to say something when a feminine voice answered him from afar. ¡°That¡¯s the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique!¡±

    The voice started from somewhere far, far away, but its originator appeared in front of Ye Qing faster than it could fadepletely. She was Feng Qingyou, of course.

    ¡°Congrattions on making a full recovery and a breakthrough, Qingyou!¡± Ye Qing congratted her. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Feng Qingyou was able to ovee the tribtion so quickly. With her strength, the Celestial Buddha Demonic Cloud Tribtion simply did not constitute a threat against her.

    Not only that, he could tell that Feng Qingyou¡¯s aura had be so vast and deep that even he could no longer see through it. Clearly, she had advanced to thete stage of the Trueman stage and be a Great Trueman.

    ¡°It is but a small improvement, and this could not have happened without you, Joyless. Thank you.¡± Feng Qingyou gave him a smile that was warmer than the spring wind and brighter than the round moon.

    ¡°There is no need for such courtesy between you and I, is there?¡± Ye Qing smiled back. ¡°Oh right, you were talking about the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique just now. What is it? Are you referring to her?¡±¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Feng Qingyou began, ¡°Have you heard of the Art of Skin Painting[1] before, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°I have not.¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    ¡°The Art of Skin Painting was the exclusive secret art of the skin painting n, the Tao n. They possess the ability to create many useful items using human or animal skin. On that subject, one might think that a ¡®painted skin¡¯ is strictly human skin, but it can be the skin of an animal as well. Both human and animal skin can be manipted like one¡¯s limb and pit against enemies after they are refined by the Tao n¡¯s secret art.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°A painted skin has no consciousness. It must be controlled by its owner. This was the limit of the Art of Skin Painting until the Tao n produced a genius. The genius thought that the Art of Skin Painting, despite its great power, was limited because the painted skin is ultimately a dead object with no sentience. So, he invented a secret technique that allowed him to seal a human¡¯s soul in the painted skin and bestow it sentience. This technically came to be known as the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique.¡±

    ¡°However, the painted skin is still a bloodless and fleshless dead object. The genius quickly discovered that sealing a human¡¯s soul within a painted skin would increase its power, but the painted skin would quickly deteriorate over time. So, he came up with another idea. He decided to nourish the painted skin with a flesh-and-blood body by sewing them together. This way, the painted skin¡¯s sentience would not fade, and it could continuously devour another person¡¯s soul to increase its power.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique, the Tao n was able to be a titan in the <em>jianghu</em> for a time.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the very technique that made them strong and famous would eventually be their downfall. At first, the Tao n was able to stick to their morals and practice their art in moderation. But as time passed, they grew increasingly twisted and started killing innocents and extracting people¡¯s souls wantonly for strength. Words of their misdeeds kept growing until it finally stoked the wrath of the imperial court and the <em>wulin </em>orthodoxy. In just one night, the Tao n was burned to the ground. Since then, the Tao n was no more, and the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique was destroyed.¡±

    Feng Qingyou looked at Tao Goatherd and asked smilingly, ¡°Did I get it all right?¡±

    ¡°Er, I¡¯m not sure why you¡¯re asking me about this,¡± Tao Goatherd smiled dumbly at her, ¡°but you said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? Both the Tao n and the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique are destroyed, so how can my technique be the infamous Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique? You must have mistaken it for something else, senior.¡±

    ¡°Did I now?¡± Feng Qingyou asked with a smile that didn¡¯t reach the eye. ¡°I said that the Tao n is no more, and the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique is destroyed. I never said that everyone in the Tao n is dead, nor did I say that there is no one left in the world who still practices this art.¡±

    ¡°ording to my knowledge, the youngest son of the patriarch, Tao Chong, happened to be studying abroad when the imperial court and the <em>wulin </em>attacked the Tao n. Thanks to this coincidence, he was able to escape certain death. He wouldter disappear after learning of the Tao n¡¯s plight.¡±

    ¡°Tao Chong is the direct line of descent of the Tao n, so it is only natural that he would know the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique. Don¡¯t you agree, Tao Chong?¡±

    Tao Goatherd shivered a little, and the dumb smile on his face slowly vanished. A few secondster, he finally replied, ¡°Your insight is most keen, senior. As you say, this junior is Tao Chong.¡±

    He did not try to refute Feng Qingyou, nor did he ask her how she managed to figure out his identity. The fact that she dared to say this to his face meant that she was absolutely confident in her judgment, and no amount of denial would change her mind.

    ¡°You fool! Why did you admit your identity? You may have a death wish, but I still yearn to live!¡± The human skin face raged when she heard Tao Goatherd¡ªor more urately, Tao Chong¡ªadmitting his identity.

    ¡°If you still yearn to live, then be silent!¡± Tao Chong growled, and the human skin face let out a cry of pain. She stopped arguing then.

    ¡°This painted skin of yours is no less intelligent than any human, and it is as strong as an ordinary Trueman. It must have consumed a lot of souls, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°It has!¡± Tao Chong did not deny this. ¡°I¡¯ve killed a lot of people in the past. Some are good, some are bad. Some are the bastards who participated in the annihtion of my n, and some are innocents who are weak and guileless.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m surprised you would admit this so candidly.¡± Ye Qing grew interested in Tao Chong. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid to die?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am. Is there anyone in this world who isn¡¯t afraid to die?¡± Tao Chong said seriously, ¡°That is why I wish to make a deal with you two.¡±

    ¡°A deal?¡± Ye Qing countered, ¡°Your life is in our hands. What makes you think you have any right to make a deal with us?¡±

    Ye Qing waspletely right, but Tao Chong did not panic. ¡°Why don¡¯t you judge that after you¡¯ve listened to my proposal?¡±

    ¡°Tell us then. If nothing else, I¡¯m curious to know if your deal can actually convince us to spare you,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly. They had time to spare anyway, so why not?

    Feng Qingyou had no objections either.

    Tao Chong raised his head and looked at Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou seriously. ¡°Have you heard of the Six Livestocks Market, seniors?¡±

    ¡°Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and fell silently for a couple of breaths. Finally, he remembered something and spoke up in an astonished voice, ¡°You mean <em>the </em>Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Tao Chong nodded. ¡°This junior can bring you there. Do you think that¡¯s worth sparing my life, seniors?¡±

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou exchanged nces with each other. They could see the shock in each other¡¯s eyes.

    At first hearing, the Six Livestocks Market sounded like nothing special. An ordinary person might think that it was a market for trading livestocks such as cows and horses. In reality, it was a world famous martial sanctuary that all Dark Way warriors dreamed of entering.

    The Six Livestocks Market boasted a vast, unfathomable power that promoted a warrior¡¯s growth and cultivation. Training one day within the Six Livestocks Market was like training a year in the real world.

    That wasn¡¯t all. For whatever reason, it was easier to perceive the truths of heaven and earth and the pinnacle of the martial way within the Six Livestocks Market. Just being inside the sanctuary made it easier to achieve a martial breakthrough.

    These two positives alone were enough to qualify the Six Livestocks Market as a martial sanctuary, but why did it only attract Dark Way warriors and not those from the orthodoxy? It was because one could only practice Dark Way martial arts and achieve Dark Way breakthroughs within the Six Livestocks Market. Anyone who tried to practice an orthodox martial art in the Six Livestocks Market such as Confucianism or Buddhism would immediately suffer a deviation and perish.

    This was why the Six Livestocks Market was considered a martial sanctuary for all Dark Way warriors, but not orthodox warriors.

    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t easy to enter the Six Livestocks Market. Legend had it that the martial sanctuary existed in a location that could not be known, seen, named, or spoken. No one knew where it was, and no one knew how it came to be.

    Only a special person could enter the Six Livestocks Market at a specific time and ce.

    1. Origin story for that one art and Skin Painting Gentleman way back then apparently. Unexpected, but not bad. ?

 Chapter 881: Livestock Creation Spell

    But what kind of person was considered ¡°special¡± enough to enter the Six Livestocks Market? It meant people who practiced the Livestock Creation Spell.

    The Livestock Creation Spell was an incredible, profound and magical art that could transform a human into livestock. Only the spellcaster could resolve the spell.

    Unfortunately, the Livestock Creation Spell was a spell that only few could practice. Only those of the Dark Ways could practice it, and only those who were extraordinarily talented could hope to practice it. That was why the number of people who knew the Livestock Creation Spell were few and far between, but every single one of them was a stunning genius.

    Legend had it that the Livestock Creation Spell had originated from the Six Livestocks Market. Anyone who knew the Livestock Creation Spell was someone who was chosen by the Six Livestocks Market. That was why they were able to enter the ce.

    However, just because you knew the Livestock Creation Spell did not mean that you could enter the Six Livestocks Market anytime you wanted. So, when could one enter the ce?

    Unfortunately, the appearance time of the Six Livestocks Market followed no rhyme or reason whatsoever. Sometimes, it appeared just three years after its previous appearance. Sometimes, it was five. Sometimes, it was a decade or even decades.

    It was said that someone who knew the Livestock Creation Spell would automatically feel it when the Six Livestocks Market was about to appear. That was the one and only guidance they had.

    Just like the time, the appearance location of the Six Livestocks Market was equally uncertain. In fact, no one knew exactly where it would appear. They could only rely on the inexplicable feeling one gained after grasping the Livestock Creation Spell and walk in whatever direction it led them until they somehow someway entered the Six Livestocks Market.

    Even stranger, the location and time a chosen one entered the Six Livestocks Market were different. No one knew how or why this was the case. If someone knew the answer, they hadn¡¯t deigned to share it with the world.In any case, these three requirements were why very few people were able to enter the Six Livestocks Market despite its poprity. However, these were just the requirements one must meet to <em>enter </em>the martial sanctuary. If someone wished to linger in the Six Livestocks Market long enough to achieve actual progress, well, that required a sufficient amount of wealth.

    But wealth in the Six Livestocks Market did not refer to money or treasure. No, it referred to the six livestocks.

    What were the six livestocks? They were pigs, horses, cattles, goats, chickens and dogs. However, one could not linger in the Six Livestocks Market using ordinary, mindless livestocks. Otherwise, one could theoretically stay in the Six Livestocks Market forever and ever, and it wouldn¡¯t constitute a real requirement. No, these ¡°livestocks¡± must be humans who were transformed using the Livestock Creation Spell.

    The number of human-turned livestock directly affected the amount of time one could practice in the Six Livestocks Market. Not only that, the stronger and more talented a human-turned livestock was, the longer the warrior could linger in the sanctuary.

    This was how the Six Livestocks Market came to earn its name.

    But why did the Six Livestocks Market use living humans as currency, and what happened to those humans after they were ¡°consumed¡±? No one knew the answer, and no one cared to find the answer. After all, anyone who desired to enter the Six Livestocks Market were also heretics who would happily sacrifice a bunch of lives just to extend their stay in the martial sanctuary a little longer, so why would they care about such things?

    In any case, every time the Six Livestocks Market was soon to appear, all heretics who knew the Livestock Creation Spell would do everything in their power to kidnap as many people as possible. It was to turn them into livestocks and currency that would buy them more time in the Six Livestocks Market.

    This was why the imperial court and orthodoxy of all countries denounced the Livestock Creation Spell as a taboo and slew anyone who practiced it, no questions asked.

    Of course, everyone knew that the source of all these tragedies was the Six Livestocks Market, and many sects and ns had tried to destroy the ce once and for all.

    In fact, some orthodoxy champions had gone so far as tomit the taboo and practice the Livestock Creation Spell themselves in order to infiltrate the Six Livestocks Market. A good number of them were Sages and Gods-On-Earth as well.

    Unfortunately, the Six Livestocks Market still exists to this day. Nothing they tried worked.

    Left with no choice, the countries and the orthodoxy settled for the next best alternative and hunted down those who practiced the Livestock Creation Spell instead. Unfortunately, this was a terrible solution at best. Anyone who managed to practice the Livestock Creation Spell was an extraordinary genius, so hunting them down proved a difficult task at best or impossible at worst.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, all humans were naturally predisposed toward greed. The Six Livestocks Market was a golden opportunity, one most people were unlikely to find an equivalent, much less better. Who in their right mind would overlook it?

    Naturally, there were always people who practiced the Livestock Creation Spell. The killing could never end.

    The legend of the Six Livestocks Market was known throughout the world, but most practitioners of the Livestock Creation Spell kept a low profile for obvious reasons. Ye Qing never thought that he would one day run into someone who practiced the spell.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the Six Livestocks Market has manifested,¡± Ye Qing confirmed.

    ¡°That is correct, senior. The reason I have embarked on this journey is to enter the Six Livestocks Market,¡± Tao Chong replied respectfully.

    Ye Qing tilted his head a little. ¡°So, these ¡®goats¡¯ are the livestocks you¡¯ve prepared to enter the Six Livestocks Market.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a question. It was only now he noticed that these goats¡ªwhile looking no different from your ordinary goat in terms of appearance¡ªwere stronger, fitter, and definitely more intelligent than your ordinary goat. In fact, they were looking in their direction right now with nervousness, fear, pleading, desire, and more emotions in their eyes.

    Strangely, Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought wasn¡¯t able to pick up their emotions at all. As far as his demonic thought was concerned, these ¡°goats¡± were just ordinary goats. That was why he hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss at the beginning.

    ¡°That is correct, senior,¡± Tao Chong replied.

    ¡°Who are these people?¡± Ye Qing asked expressionlessly.

    ¡°Most of them are ordinary people, and the rest are warriors.¡±

    Tao Chong replied honestly, ¡°This junior is weak, and he is afraid that his misdeeds would be discovered. I apologize for my unseemly behavior, senior.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite the cautious one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ye Qing remarked with a smile that did not reach the eye.

    ¡°Again, I apologize for my unseemly behavior. This junior has been timid since birth, and time has failed to affect this terrible trait of mine,¡± Tao Chong answered.

    ¡°I never said that you are timid. In fact, you are one of the boldest men I¡¯ve ever met.¡±

    Ye Qing taunted Tao Chong, ¡°It takes a kind of balls to dare to practice the Livestock Creation Art and turn humans into livestocks!¡±

    ¡°Forgive me, senior. This junior understands his crimes and is willing to make up for it!¡±

    At this point, Tao Chong realized that he was making a mistake. He hurriedly changed his tune and said, ¡°If you are displeased, this junior will turn them back to human and set them free immediately. This junior also promises that he will never transform another human into livestock ever again.¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­¡±

    Ye Qing let out an ominous chuckle. He was no saint who could not bear to see anyone bleed. Hell, he had probably killed several hundred people at least since arriving in this damned world, if not a thousand. Some of his victims were probably¡ªnot, most certainly¡ªgood people from another person¡¯s perspective too. He never kidded himself and believed that his hands weren¡¯t coated in thick, thick blood.

    However, he dared to say that he had never killed an innocent. Innocents might have died because of him, but he had never perpetuated their tragedy with his own two hands, much less ordinary people who could do nothing but die in the face of power.

    He could never view another person as worthless ants that he could humiliate, discard and kill as he pleased. He could never resort to unscrupulous means to achieve his own objectives. He wouldn¡¯t.

    He was a warrior, but he was a human before that.

    A warrior went to war because he desired peace. Kindness was what separated humans from beasts. If he did not possess even the most basic level of benevolence and bottom line, then what was the difference between him and an animal?

    An unprecedented chill turned Tao Chong¡¯s inside into ice when he heard Ye Qing¡¯s chuckle.

    He was right about a human¡¯s greed, but wrong about Ye Qing¡¯s heart.

    Tao Chong was shaking in his boots when Ye Qing asked another question, ¡°How many times have you entered the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    ¡°One time. I¡¯ve only entered the Six Livestocks Market one time! This would have been my second time.¡±

    Tao Chong hurriedly exined, ¡°The first time this junior entered the Six Livestocks Market was three years ago. At the time, I had just grasped the Livestock Creation Art and so did not really understand the rules or intricacies involved. Like a dumb greenhorn, I somehow entered the Six Livestocks Market with two of my foes and left just three dayster.¡±

    ¡°It was only after I came out that I realized just how valuable an experience it was. Those three days were enough for me to ascend from ate-stage Spirit Master to a Trueman.¡±

    The reason he phrased his answer this way was one, to emphasize that the number of innocents on his hands was less than Ye Qing was probably expecting, and two, to inform him just how incredible the martial sanctuary was. He was hoping to draw out Ye Qing¡¯s greed because it was the only way he might survive this predicament.

 Chapter 882: Plotting

    Ye Qing guessed what Tao Chong was thinking and said smilingly, ¡°So, you learned your lesson and prepared amply this time.¡±

    ¡°That is exactly correct, senior,¡± Tao Chong replied while wiping the cold sweat pouring down his head. He was really having trouble trying to guess what the young man was thinking.

    ¡°Where did you get your Livestock Creation Spell?¡± Ye Qing asked another question.

    ¡°I learned it from another senior.¡±

    Tao Chong exined, ¡°Three years ago, this junior identally ran into a great senior. He had recognized me immediately and imed that he was a former acquaintance of the Tao n. He then offered to fulfill exactly one wish of mine.¡±

    ¡°At the time, all I wanted was to take revenge for my family. So, I begged that senior to grant me the power to take revenge against my foes.¡±

    ¡°In response, that senior taught me the Livestock Creation Spell. He told me that great opportunities lie with the spell, but whether it will turn out to be a blessing or a tragedy is up to me. Then, he left.¡±

    ¡°At first, I had no idea that it was the Livestock Creation Spell. It was only after the Six Livestocks Market appeared that I realized what it was.¡±

    ¡°Do you know who that senior is?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.¡°Unfortunately, no. that senior never told me who he was, nor have I heard of his likeness or deeds in the <em>jianghu</em>,¡± Tao Chong answered.

    Ye Qing did not press him. There were countless extraordinary warriors in the <em>jianghu </em>who enjoyed toying with the masses without ever revealing their true identity, and this could just be one of them. ¡°You¡¯ve entered the Six Livestocks Market before, so you must know what it looks like. Tell me everything you know.¡±

    Out of all the questions he had asked, this was the one he really wanted answered. Unfortunately¡­

    ¡°I have no idea, senior,¡± Tao Chong replied.

    ¡°Excuse me? What did you say?¡± Ye Qing narrowed his eyes dangerously.

    Tao Chong felt a wall of killing intent pressing down on him like an avnche or a tsunami, unstoppable and suffocating. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, senior! I truly do not know! All I remember is entering the Six Livestocks Market and returning to the real world. For whatever reason, I don¡¯t recall what happened inside the market at all!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you forgot?¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow.

    ¡°That is exactly right, senior. Most of my memories regarding the Six Livestocks Market simply do not exist. It is as if someone or something has wiped it away,¡± Tao Chong answered.

    Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thoughts told him that Tao Chong wasn¡¯t lying to him, but just in case, he looked at Feng Qingyou.

    ¡°He¡¯s not lying.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded. ¡°The Six Livestocks Market is a miraculous, unfathomable ce. No one knows how it came to be, where it is, or what it contains. Everything one experiences inside the Six Livestocks Market would be wiped away as soon as they leave its confines. No one can retain the memory, so no one can speak of it.¡±

    ¡°This is why there are many rumors regarding the Six Livestocks Market in the <em>jianghu</em>, but therge majority of them areplete hearsay. This is also why the Six Livestocks Market is regarded as one of the most mysterious ces in the world.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    ¡°If you wish to manifest your yang god and be a Trueman, this might be an opportunity, Joyless,¡± said Feng Qingyou.

    Ye Qing hesitated. Although he now possessed the heart of an Animitta Heavenly Demon, an item of untold power, his ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was no ordinary martial art either. On top of that, transforming his yin god to a yang god and bing a Trueman wasn¡¯t just a matter of acquiring enough power. He must acquire enough understanding and insight regarding the martial way and the world as well.

    The fact was that he did not have full confidence that he would be able to manifest his yang god and be a Trueman even with the heart of an Animitta Heavenly Demon, and it so happened that the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a Dark Way cultivation art. If he could enter the Six Livestocks Market, then this really might be his chance to be a Trueman.

    Meanwhile, Tao Chong was feeling a little light-headed. Did he hear them correctly? Manifesting a yang god and bing a Trueman? Were they saying that the young man whose one punch had caused him to quiver like a bowstring wasn¡¯t a Trueman yet?

    He, a Trueman and the direct descendant of the infamous Tao n, could not even take a single punch from a youngster who wasn¡¯t even a Trueman yet?

    How was that even possible?

    Did he perhaps hit his head somewhere and thought that he was a Trueman all this time when he really wasn¡¯t?

    It was then a possibility urred to Tao Chong, and he blurted, ¡°You¡­ are you a mind-body warrior?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Yes. Is there a problem?¡± Ye Qing nced at Tao Chong.

    ¡°N-no, not at all¡­¡± Tao Chong hurriedly replied, though his shock only doubled after hearing Ye Qing¡¯s answer.

    A so-called ¡°mind-body warrior¡± referred to warriors who honed both the mind and the body. It was the ancient way.

    In current times, most people honed only the mind or the body. No one doubted the strength of a mind-body warrior, but it took an ungodly amount of time and effort to do so. Only those with astounding talent, unyielding determination, and overwhelming courage might attempt it.

    The young man before him was clearly a body-tempering Grandmaster, and he was apparently one step away from manifesting his yang god and bing a Trueman. Tao Chong could not help but wonder which major sect or aristocratic n had cultivated such a monster.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what Tao Chong was thinking, of course. He asked, ¡°Let¡¯s say we¡¯re interested. How are you going to get us into the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    Tao Chong snapped out of his daydream and answered, ¡°There is only one way to enter the six Livestocks Market, and that is to learn the Livestock Creation Spell. This junior can teach you. All I ask is that you let me live.¡±

    ¡°The Livestock Creation Spell, huh? Well, I expected that.¡±

    Ye Qing looked Tao Chong up and down several times before curling his lips into an ominous smile. ¡°But how can I be sure that you won¡¯t try and harm us when we are learning the spell? Or teach us the wrong details so we would fail or even suffer a deviation?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, not even if I have a hundred people¡¯s gall! Surely you can tell that I¡¯m telling the truth, senior?¡±

    Cold sweat broke out of Tao Chong¡¯s forehead. His face was full of fear, and his heart was beating like a racehorse.

    He wasn¡¯t pretending. He really was terrified. Originally, he was nning to screw Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou over exactly as he said. After all, the only way to enter the Six Livestocks Market was to learn the Livestock Creation Art, and he was the only one who knew the spell. If the duo were interested, he was going to teach them a modified version of the spell.

    The ancients say that one should always n ahead, or they would find themselves troubled. From the first day he learned the Livestock Creation Spell, he had worried that he would run into this exact scenario one day. That was why he hade up with a modified version of the spell where certain critical parts were altered. Anyone who practiced it would suffer a deviation at best, or perish at worst. He would be able to escape his captors then.

    The Livestock Creation Spell was profound, and the parts he chose to modify were all difficult to detect especially for first-timers. He was certain that he wouldn¡¯t be discovered until it was far toote.

    He did not anticipate being exposed before he even made a move though. He didn¡¯t know that Ye Qing was just guessing, or if he truly knew what he was plotting either.

    One thing for certain, he was panicking right now.

    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ it looks like you really were nning to screw us over this way!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked as his demonic thought perceived the barely contained panic within Tao Chong¡¯s torso. He turned to Feng Qingyou and asked, ¡°Why do they always knock on hell¡¯s door when they were given a highway to heaven, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because they thought themselves smarter than their betters.¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly.

    ¡°Makes sense. Unfortunately for them, they are wrong.¡±

    As he spoke, Ye Qing pinched his finges together and tapped Tao Chong once on the shoulder.

 Chapter 883: To Ask a Dragon For Its Hide

    <h4>Chapter 883: To Ask a Dragon For Its Hide </h4>

    <i>Pop pop pop...</i>

    Tao Chong¡¯s eyes widened. He could clearly feel every bone inside his body disintegrating into powder from that one tap. First, there was a series of pops and squeaks that sounded like frying beans. Then, an indescribable pain washed throughout his entire body.

    ¡°AAAAAAARGHHHHH!!!¡±

    Unable to hold it in, Tao Chong let out a bloodcurdling scream. At the same time, he slumped on the ground like a pool of mud.

    Despite this, Tao Chong did not forget to beg for mercy,

    ¡°Mercy, senior! Mercy!¡±

    ¡°Please... this junior never thought of harming you two. Please see the truth...¡±

    Ye Qing ignored his screams and pleas and asked Feng Qingyou, ¡°Why do people always overestimate their intelligence, Qingyou?¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered casually without looking at Tao Chong even once, ¡°Because they¡¯re the type to hold their tears until they finally see the coffin[1].¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. If this is what they wish for, they I shall grant it.¡±

    Ye Qing snapped his fingers, and the bloodcurdling scream came to a stop for one brief moment. Then, it exploded twice as loud and painful as before.

    It wasn¡¯t just Tao Chong who was screaming. The painted skin behind the back of his head was screaming as well.

    Right now, Tao Chong wished from the bottom of his heart that he was dead. If previously he only needed to contend with physical pain, now he was being tortured in the mind as well.

    When Ye Qing snapped his fingers, he immediately felt as if a seed was germinating and sprouting inside his mind. The only way to describe the resulting torment was that it was worse than death.

    ¡°Mercy... this junior... this junior knows his mistake...¡±

    ¡°This junior swears he won¡¯t do it again... please...¡±

    ¡°This junior will do anything... all this junior asks is your forgiveness and mercy...¡±

    At this point, Tao Chong didn¡¯t dare to cling to hope; didn¡¯t dare to bet on the possibility that his tormentors were just testing him. No, he knew that the duo had seen through his ploypletely. If he kept lying, then he would die while suffering the worst pain imaginable.

    He didn¡¯t dare to negotiate terms with the duo either. He now knew in both body and soul that he was dealing with a pair of dragons.

    If you asked a tiger for its skin, there was still a chance you might turn things around and survive.

    But if you asked a dragon for its skin, if you tried to fool a dragon, all you would be doing wasmitting suicide.

    From the start, he had gone about this the wrong way. He shouldn¡¯t have thought that he would get lucky; that his captors would somehow turn out to be dumber than expected, and he definitely shouldn¡¯t have tried to plot against them. After all, no amount of optimism or plotting could survive against true power.

    From the start, he should¡¯ve just begged for mercy. Pleaded with all his heart and soul. Only then he might yet have a shot at keeping his life.

    Ye Qing watched. He watched as Tao Chong screamed and begged at the top of his lungs, his expression unchanging even though it was easily some of the most horrifying screams he had ever heard.

    Slowly, Tao Chong¡¯s screams grew weaker and weaker. He was mere seconds away from death now.

    ¡°Why do people only learn regret when death is staring them in the face?¡±

    Tao Chong was wallowing in despair when Ye Qing tapped him on the forehead, and the pain abruptly subsided like a wave. Soon, it was all gone.

    ¡°Thank you, senior... thank you for showing mercy...¡±

    Tao Chong was so tired he could barely breathe, but he mastered himself and thanked Ye Qing profusely, ¡°This junior was possessed by a moment of foolishness. Please show magnanimity and let this junior live. In return, this junior swears to serve you eternally. This junior swears that his loyalty will be unparalleled!¡±

    ¡°You want to live?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose as if hesitating, ¡°What do you think, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°No human is a sage who can do no wrong. There is nothing better than one who corrects themselves after making a mistake,¡± Feng Qingyou answered casually.

    ¡°And if they don¡¯t correct themselves?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Then they shall suffer a hundred times the punishment, of course,¡± Feng Qingyou said the harshest words in the lightest of tones. ¡°But of course, idiots who choose not to correct themselves after making a mistake are, as much as it feels like otherwise, in the minority. I should hope that therge majority of people are wise people who will change their ways after being proven wrong.¡±

    ¡°What do you say, Tao Chong?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes! Senior ispletely right!¡± Tao Chong stammered.

    ¡°Haha. If Qingyou believes you are redeemable, then I shall let you live... for now.¡±

    Ye Qing ced his hand on Tao Chong¡¯s shoulder, and he immediately felt a tremendous surge of vitality flowing into his body, mending his broken bones and restoring him to normal. He was healed in just a matter of breaths.

    ¡°Thank you, senior!¡± Tao Chong saluted Ye Qing, the disy of power deepening his fear even more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your thanks. I need you to be a wise man who will correct his past mistakes instead of a fool who is stuck to his ways,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently. ¡°Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind making you wish you were dead... forever. You believe me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    As Ye Qing spoke, Tao Chong could feel the seed in his mind stirring as if growing restless. He hurriedly answered, ¡°But of course, senior! Now that you are my master, this junior swears to serve you eternally and loyally! If I dare to break my oath, may heaven and earth smite me where I stand!¡±

    He did not doubt for a second that Ye Qing would make him pay if he broke his word. Even now, the pain the seed had inflicted upon him was such that he wanted to curl up into a ball and cry.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that is the case,¡± Ye Qing said indifferently.

    ¡°Your will shall be done, my liege!¡± Tao Chong responded crisply.

    ¡°Mehhhh...¡±

    Seeing that Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou hadpletely dominated Tao Chong, the flock of goats began bleating profusely at them. Their bleats were filled with hope and pleading.

    ¡°What should I do, senior?¡± Tao Chong asked carefully, not daring to make a call without Ye Qing¡¯s express instruction.

    ¡°Release the ordinary people and the innocent,¡± Ye Qingmanded. ¡°As for the viins, no need to let them go.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my liege,¡± Tao Chong responded. He walked up to the flock of goats and cut open his palm. When he swung his hand in front of him, the blood wriggled in the air and transformed into many mysterious blood runes. Once theynded on the goats¡¯ heads, their fur started shrinking back into their body, their hooves slowly turned back into human limbs, their horns fell out of their heads, and their goat heads turned back into human heads.

    It was quite the profound process. Ye Qing could not help but click his tongue in amazement.

    Nine breathster, most of the goats had turned back into humans. They werepletely naked, of course. There were male, female, fat, thin, old, young. If he hadn¡¯t watched the transformation from start until the end, he would not have believed that these people were goats a moment ago.

    Maybe it was because they had been goats for too long, but the victims were unable to adapt to their original bodies immediately. They were either crawling on all fours or lying on the ground, and they could not help but bleat from time to time. It was both pitiful and cringy.

    ¡°Meh! Meh! I¡¯m back to normal!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Meh! I turned back! I finally turned back!¡±

    ¡°Thank the heavens, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve turned back into a human...¡±

    ¡°The heavens aren¡¯t blind after all... uuuu...¡±

    A momentter, when the victims finally got used to their original bodies, the cheers began. Then, they recalled that Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were the ones who saved them and thanked them profusely.

    ¡°Thank¡ªmeh¡ªthank you for saving our lives, warrior, fairy...¡±

    ¡°Meh meh... thank you, warrior. Thank you, fairy...¡±

    ¡°Thank you, warrior... thank you, fairy...¡±

    ¡°No need to thank me, you all. Rise.¡±

    Ye Qing waved his hand, and the crowd felt an irresistible but gentle power lifting them to their feet.

    ¡°Meh meh meh!¡±

    There was a small number of goats who hadn¡¯t returned to normal though. When they saw that most of the victims had returned to normal, they naturally grew anxious and ran up to Ye Qing, bleating.

    1. Meaning someone who refuses to be convinced until they are faced with grim reality ?

 Chapter 884: Teaching Spells

    <h4>Chapter 884: Teaching Spells </h4>

    <i>p!</i>

    A cold glint appeared in Tao Chong¡¯s eyes, and his spiritual power condensed into a whip. He whipped the goats running at the forefront, and they immediately fell to the ground and bleated at the top of their lungs, spasming.

    Seeing this, the goats at the back immediately skidded to a stop and hesitated toe any closer. Instead, they began bleating shrilly with begging and grievances.

    ¡°Who were these people?¡±

    Ye Qing could tell that these goats were much bigger and healthier than the ones before. The goats running at the forefront apparently had smooth, shiny fur and wererger than even a calf. Unless he was gravely mistaken, they were most likely warriors.

    ¡°They were the Snow Bandits of Chaotic Snow Mountain, senior.¡±

    Tao Chong pointed at the goats and introduced them one by one, ¡°That big one over there is the leader of Chaotic Snow Mountain, the ¡®Short-legged Tiger¡¯ Hu San. Ate-stage Spirit Master, he is a lecherous man who has kidnapped, raped, killed, set houses on fire and more. In summary, he is a viin who has conducted countless crimes.¡±

    ¡°That one over there is the second leader of Chaotic Snow Mountain, the ¡®Sky Stringer Monkey¡¯ Tang Shuo. A middle-stage Spirit Master, he is cunning man who abuses the weak, shameless and cruel.¡±

    ¡°As for the one beside him, he¡¯s the third leader of Chaotic Snow Mountain, the One-eyed Dragon Zhou Kui...¡±

    Afraid that Ye Qing would misunderstand him, Tao Chong spared no effort in identifying each and every goat in great detail. Finally, he said, ¡°A few days ago, this junior happened to pass through a vige that they were in the middle of plundering. So, I turned them into my livestock.¡±

    Of course, he did not mention that he had turned the vigers of that vige into goats as well.

    ¡°Senior...¡± Ye Qing did not respond immediately, and Tao Chong dared not guess what he was thinking. He asked carefully, ¡°What should I do with them?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have turned them into livestock,¡± Ye Qing dered indifferently.

    Tao Chong¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Did he screw up again?

    Just when Tao Chong was fearing for his life, Ye Qing added, ¡°You are making a mockery out of actual livestock by turning these <i>scum </i>into them.¡±

    Tao Chong let out a sigh of relief. That nearly gave him a heart attack. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, senior. These people are beneath livestock.¡±

    ¡°Meh meh meh!¡±

    The goats bleated even louder after hearing their conversation.

    Tao Chong had just recovered from the fright. When he heard their bleating, he immediately grew furious and whipped the absolute crap out of the goats, yelling, ¡°Stop bleating, you <i>scum!</i> Otherwise, I will whip you to death!¡±

    The goats quickly turned as silent as death under the threat of violence, trembling with fear. Even the vigers who just turned back to normal recalled what kind of monster Tao Chong really was and shivered in fright as well.

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou made a stroking motion as if she was ying a musical instrument. There was a musical note, and the panicking vigers slowly regained their cool. Not only that, their eyes looked unfocused as if they were unconscious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I simply wiped away their memory regarding this incident and created a new one for them. When they awaken, they won¡¯t remember anything about their transformation or us,¡± Feng Qingyou noticed Ye Qing¡¯s gaze and exined smilingly. ¡°This is the best oue for them and us.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Qingyou. I didn¡¯t think this through.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. If the vigers went back to their homes and spread rumors regarding their transformation into livestock animals and what happened today, then some <i>jianghu </i>warriors would surely figure out that it was the Livestock Transformation Spell, and that the Six Livestocks Market were soon to emerge.

    Knowing a <i>jianghu </i>warrior¡¯s infinite greed and desire, they would do anything and everything to locate them and uncover the spell. Neither he nor Feng Qingyou were worried for their own safety, but the vigers would most likely suffer another tragedy. At the very least, they would be harassed by the <i>jianghu </i>warriors for a long time toe.

    Therefore, wiping their memories was beneficial to them and the vigers themselves.

    What really stunned Ye Qing though, was Feng Qingyou¡¯s power. It wasn¡¯t difficult to erase a person¡¯s memory. He could do it himself. But to wipe everyone¡¯s memories <i>and</i> weave a new memory for them with the ease Feng Qingyou had disyed and without harming their mind or spirit one bit? That was beyond him right now.

    Tao Chong was just as stunned as he was. He understood just what kind of power and skill it took to aplish such a feat.

    ¡°Tao Chong, teach us the Livestock Creation Spell,¡± Feng Qingyou suddenly looked at Tao Chong and ordered.

    ¡°As you wish!¡± Tao Chong recovered from his shock and answered in a hurry, ¡°But er, the Livestock Creation Spell is a miraculous spell that cannot be transferred via mouth or word. I can only teach it to you both through spirit. Is that okay with you both?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    This was why he hadn¡¯t killed Tao Chong immediately. He had considered searching the guy¡¯s soul using ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± and obtaining the Livestock Creation Spell that way, but considering that the spell was beyond profound, it was extremely unlikely that the brute force method would fail instead. Besides, Tao Chong might yet prove useful after they entered the Six Livestocks Market. That was why he ultimately decided to keep him alive.

    Tao Chong did not know what Ye Qing was thinking, of course. He was busy splitting two wisps of consciousness from his mind and injecting them into Feng Qingyou and Ye Qing¡¯s headspace.

    When his consciousness left his body, Tao Chong¡¯splexion immediately turned as pale as paper. It clearly taxed him greatly to perform this feat.

    At the same time, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes turned unfocused and deep. Their auras felt loftier and more distant than usual.

    Seeing this, Tao Chong raised his eyebrows a little. Hidden beneath his eyes, what looked like a tidal wave over ten thousand meters tall was stirring restlessly. In the end though, he didn¡¯t try anything and just did what he was told.

    ¡°Guess you¡¯re notpletely hopeless. I was wondering if you would try something stupid.¡±

    The instant Tao Chong gave up on his foolish thoughts, a chuckle entered his ears. Surprised, he looked up and saw Ye Qing giving him a smile that did not reach the eye. Cold sweat immediately broke out of his forehead.

    ¡°Of course not. This junior has sworn to serve you as master. Of course my loyalty to you won¡¯t waver.¡±

    Tao Chong swallowed as he paid Ye Qing an obsequious smile. At the same time, he thanked his previous self for not sumbing to temptation and attacking the duo. If he had, he would probably be dead already.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to study the Livestock Creation Spell now. In the meantime, I want you to escort them home.¡±

    Ye Qing did not respond to Tao Chong¡¯s promation of ¡°loyalty¡±. He had sensed his killing intent loud and clear just now. Tao Chong should be thankful that he hadn¡¯t acted impulsively, or he would teach him what a fate worse than death really meant.

    ¡°Yes, of course. This junior shall take his leave immediately.¡±

    Tao Chong wiped away the sweat on his forehead and turned away, hiding a deep sigh of relief in the process. He really needed this break because he was sure he was going to frighten himself to death at this rate.

    Seriously, those two were a never-ending source of ¡°pleasant¡± surprises.

    ¡°Remember, you must escort them home safely,¡± Ye Qing emphasized while ncing at the group of vigers who still lookedpletely out of it.

    The Sun Swamp was infested with many Strangers and dangers. Even if he was heartless enough to send these mindless vigers back home without an escort, he highly doubted that a single person would make it out of the Sun Swamp alive. Since he had already made up his mind to save them, of course he was going to see them safely back to their vige.

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Tao Chong subconsciously trembled at Ye Qing¡¯s voice before asking carefully, ¡°Do you have any other instructions for me, senior?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s it. You may leave,¡± Ye Qing dered.

    Tao Chong gave him a bow and began walking toward the vigers.

    It was strange, but despite the vigers¡¯ clearck of intelligence or consciousness, they automatically gathered behind Tao Chong and followed him.

 Chapter 885: Mastering The World

    <h4>Chapter 885: Mastering The World </h4>

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that he might escape?¡±

    Feng Qingyou opened her eyes and tossed him a question after Tao Chong was out of earshot.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t dare, and he wouldn¡¯t,¡± Ye Qing replied with a chuckle.

    Tao Chong wouldn¡¯t dare because his life was still in Ye Qing¡¯s hands. This was especially true after all the fright he suffered earlier. Tao Chong would have to be absolutely crazy to try and escape while the trauma was still fresh in his mind.

    And even if Tao Chong wasn¡¯t afraid, he still wouldn¡¯t run away because Ye Qing could tell that this was a man with an extreme will to live¡ªor to put it in a less courteous way, a coward. He would never put his life at risk unless he was absolutely certain that it was safe.

    Feng Qingyou smiled. She was clearly of the same opinion. ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m fairly sure that the Livestock Creation Spell Tao Chong taught us is safe.¡±

    ¡°Good enough for me.¡± He wasn¡¯t afraid that Tao Chong had taught them a fake Livestock Creation Spell for the same reason he was certain that the man wouldn¡¯t try and escape. He was mainly afraid of Tao Chong tampering with the Livestock Creation Spell in ways that he couldn¡¯t detect.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how miraculous this Livestock Creation Spell really is.¡±

    Ye Qing sat down on the ground, closed his eyes, and began studying the Livestock Creation Spell.

    Time passed quickly. When light pierced through the veil of darkness, and a sun began rising from the east, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou opened their eyes at the same time. Both of their eyes were shining as if there was a star residing within, dazzling and brilliant.

    The next moment, Ye Qing lifted a hand and pointed at a distant goat. An invisible, indescribably profound power surged, and the goat suddenly writhed on the spot. Its fur fell off, and its limbs turned into arms and legs. In just the blink of an eye, the goat had transformed into a tall, muscr man.

    The man couldn¡¯t process what was happening at first. Then, he blurted out in pleasant surprise, ¡°I... I turned back to normal?!¡±

    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t react before Ye Qing pointed at him again. He could only watch in shock and horror as his arms and legs morphed into short stumps, his ears grew much bigger and longer, and his nose turned into a snout. He had transformed... into a pig.

    At first, the rest of the goats were jealous of the victim thinking that he had been released from his misery. When they saw him turning into a pig though, they could only stare with wide-eyed shock and disbelief.

    Unfortunately for the man, this was just the beginning. Ye Qing pointed at him again, and he slowly swelled into a yellow bull.

    The next moment, the yellow bull turned into a white horse. Then, its white fur grayed, and it shrank into a dog with grayish white fur.

    The gray dog had just barked twice when its started shrinking even more. Its fur turned into feathers, its forelimbs turned into wings, and its hind limbs turned into bird legs. It had turned... into a chicken.

    At this point, the rest of the goats could only offer the victim their utmost sympathy and moral support. As for Ye Qing, he was having the time of his life transforming the big man into all kinds of animals over, and over, and over again.

    At first, the big man panicked and struggled with all his might to escape. In the end though, he sumbed to despair and justy there on the ground, unmoving.

    If he couldn¡¯t resist, then why bother? At least he could save some energy if he justy on the ground.

    <i>That said, can you turn me back to a goat? I don¡¯t want to be a chicken!</i>

    ¡°Cluck cluck cluck...¡±

    Meanwhile, Tao Chong had returned to the Sun Swamp just in time to see what happened. His expression was stiff, and his eyes were as wide as saucers.

    What did he just see? He saw Ye Qing using the Livestock Creation Spell.

    Okay, it wasn¡¯t <i>that </i>surprising that a genius could grasp the Livestock Creation Spell in one day. Hell, he had heard countless stories about a legendary warrior grasping a spell at first look. The problem... was Ye Qing¡¯s proficiency.

    The Livestock Creation Spell was no ordinary spell. It was mysterious, profound, difficult to decipher, and even harder to grasp. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, it was a spell involving Nature and the world itself. That was why it was incredibly difficult to master the Livestock Creation Spell, and why it could only be learned by geniuses.

    Tao Chong personally believed that his talent was outstanding. Otherwise, his mysterious benefactor would not have taught him the spell. Even so, it had taken him an entire year to reach the initiate level.

    That¡¯s right. The <i>initiate </i>level. But what did initiate level mean in this context? It meant that the practitioner could transform a human into only one of the six livestocks. At this level, the practitioner did not yet possess the skill to transform the victim into other livestocks freely.

    It would take Tao Chong two years to reach the journeyman level, the level where one could transform a human into all six types of livestocks.

    Tao Chong knew that Ye Qing was an extraordinary genius. After all, he could already kick his ass at his age. He wasn¡¯t surprised that the young man could grasp the Livestock Creation Spell in a single night.

    But to enter the journeyman level in four, maybe five hours tops? To achieve what had taken him two years to reach?

    This was a bit ridiculous, wasn¡¯t it?

    Was he really human?

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou opened her eyes and nced at the chicken. The chicken immediately started growingrger until it transformed into a pig.

    Judging at herck of hand gestures and the speed of the transformation, it was clear that her spell proficiency was even higher than Ye Qing¡¯s.

    The big man: ¡°Why are you <i>both </i>picking on me when there are so many victims to choose from? Also, I don¡¯t want to be a pig either! Just change me back to a goat already!!!¡±

    Tao Chong opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing at all. One monster was enough. Two? He never really thought of himself as a genius, but this... this was just...

    <i>Ah, forget it. I don¡¯t give a shit anymore.</i>

    ¡°This Livestock Creation Spell really is quite something.¡±

    Ye Qing had noticed Tao Chong¡¯s arrival as a matter of course, but he paid him no heed. Right now, he was fully absorbed in the wonderful and profound spell that was the Livestock Creation Spell.

    The Livestock Creation Spell involved Nature and possessed the might of the world itself. It could transform anyone into the six livestocks regardless of body size, and it allowed for transformation between different livestocks as well. Not only that, the transformation was so perfect that an ordinary warrior would be hardpressed to differentiate it from the real thing.

    That wasn¡¯t all. After a victim had transformed into a livestock, their diet, habit and more would transform as well. For example, a bull or a horse preferred to eat grass, whereas a chicken or a dog was more active at night.

    Despite the drastic change in their diet and behavior, the person still maintained their sentience and memory as a human. It truly was quite something.

    This <i>still </i>wasn¡¯t everything, however. In Ye Qing¡¯s opinion, the Livestock Creation Spell was an extremely potent killing Magia.

    At the journeyman level, only humans whose cultivation and strength was below the practitioner¡¯s could be transformed into any one of the six livestocks. Moreover, the spell could be countered by many secret arts and Magias. At this level, it definitely had limited potential and usability.

    But at the adept level, its potency was nothing like what it used to be. The practitioner would be able to transform a human into a livestock with a single thought, giving the victim no chance or time to react or defend against. Even those stronger in terms of cultivation could be caught off guard and transformed into livestock. If this actually happened, the victim would not be able to adapt to their new body immediately, and they would have to fight at less than their full strength. In a life-or-death battle, the spell was practically a death sentence.

    It was worth noting again that the Livestock Creation Spell was a Magia involving Nature and the world. As a result, its practitioner would naturally gain much insight andprehension just by practicing it to the adept level.

    The Livestock Creation Spell was no ordinary spell, so despite what Tao Chong thought, Ye Qing had not, in fact, reached the journeyman level in less than five hours. Of course, the fact that he managed to grasp the spell at all was a testament to his talent, but he also cheated using Nanke.

    Inside the Nanke dream, he had practiced the spell for over a year. This was why he was able to push it into the journeyman level.

    If he wished to progress further though, it was going to take him a lot more time and effort.

    ¡°Have you sent them back safely?¡± Ye Qing looked at Tao Chong and asked.

    ¡°Yes. This junior escorted them to a nearby town and gave them some travel expenses. I am sure they¡¯ll be able to make it home safely,¡± Tao Chong responded with a salute.

    ¡°Well done.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Oh right, you don¡¯t need to address me as senior from now on. Just call me young master, and her miss.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master.¡±

    Tao Chong was a smart one. He even changed his own title to ¡®this ve¡¯. ¡°Oh right, this ve almost forgot. Congrattions on grasping the Livestock Creation Spell, young master, miss.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just the journeyman level. Anyone can do that given enough time.¡± Ye Qing waved him off unconcernedly. ¡°I¡¯m going to try and push it to the adept level before we enter the Six Livestocks Market.¡±

    Tao Chong: ¡°...¡±

    Speaking of monsters...

 Chapter 886: Plotting

    <h4>Chapter 886: Plotting </h4>

    A moment of hesitationter, Tao Chong spoke up, ¡°May I speak with you about something, young master?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°The amount of time one may stay in the Six Livestocks Market is directly rted to the number of livestocks they bring into the Six Livestocks Market.¡±

    Tao Chong began, ¡°If young master and miss are just nning to visit the Six Livestocks Market, then we already have enough people. But if both of you are nning to practice in the Six Livestocks Market, then you¡¯re going to need more.¡±

    ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Ye Qing nced at Tao Chong.

    Tao Chong replied immediately as if he had already prepped his answer, ¡°There is still some time before the Six Livestocks Market officially begins, and this ve happens to know that a bunch of Mountain Bearing Raiders are living nearby. They are vile criminals who rob graves and have generallymitted every crime under the sun. This ve can capture them all for you.¡±

    ¡°This way, you¡¯ll be able to practice inside the Six Livestocks Market and deal with a local threat. It would be killing two birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve already nned it all out,¡± Ye Qing remarked with a meaningful smile.

    ¡°This ve apologizes for acting on his own! Please forgive this ve, young master!¡± Tao Chong hurriedly replied.

    ¡°What is there to forgive? You did well this time,¡± Ye Qing answered smilingly.

    Tao Chong let out a sigh of relief. The reason he plotted this was to curry favor with Ye Qing, of course. For now, it looked like it was the right move.

    However, Tao Chong frowned and added hesitantly, ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°Speak frankly,¡± Ye Qing ordered.

    ¡°As youmand, young master.¡± Tao Chong said carefully, ¡°The Mountain Bearing Raiders only number a dozen people, and they are all quite ordinary. Even if I capture them all, I¡¯m pretty sure that they¡¯re not enough.¡±

    ¡°Although there is still time before the Six Livestocks Market begins, I reckon that we have only seven to eight days at most. If we miss this opportunity, we would have to wait for the next one. Unfortunately, I believe it would be difficult to gather the number of warriors you need to practice in the Six Livestocks Market.¡±

    ¡°This ve¡¯s crime would be great if your cultivation is affected, young master.¡±

    The reason he said all this wasn¡¯t in consideration of Ye Qing, but himself. If the Mountain Bearing Raiders proved to be insufficient, and Ye Qing wasn¡¯t able to make a breakthrough in the Six Livestocks Market, it was highly possible that he would me the failure on him. That was why he needed to rify things and absolve himself from the me while he still could.

    He didn¡¯t want to do this either, but what could he do? The life of an employee was this pitiful.

    ¡°Unless...¡±

    ¡°Unless, what?¡±

    Ye Qing saw through Tao Chong¡¯s thoughts instantly and chuckled. ¡°Unless I choose to transform innocent people into livestock like you and your ilk?¡±

    ¡°This ve wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    Tao Chong saluted, but he felt no shame at Ye Qing¡¯s usation. In fact, that was exactly what he was thinking. There was a saying called, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have your cake and eat it¡±. In his opinion, you could not be a good person and be aplished either.

    ¡°This is really an easy matter to solve. You just overthought things.¡± Ye Qing did not expose Tao Chong despite having guessed his thoughts. ¡°In fact, the sacrifices you seek are within your reach all this time.¡±

    ¡°Do enlighten me, young master!¡± Tao Chong dered. He truly wanted to know how Ye Qing was going to find so many viins for his objective.

    ¡°Are you familiar with the biggest, most recent happenings of the <i>jianghu</i>?¡± Ye Qing asked instead of answering Tao Chong immediately.

    ¡°Er...¡± Tao Chong subconsciously answered, ¡°You mean the territorial contest between the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and Nine Nethers Sect, young master?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°Are you nning to attack the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, young master?!¡± Tao Chong suddenly realized something and blurted.

    ¡°No,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°Thank goodness.¡± Tao Chong let out a sigh of relief. Only a suicidal maniac would target the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, right?

    But before he could continue, Ye Qing added, ¡°I¡¯m not just targeting the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. I¡¯m nning to kidnap some Nine Nethers Sect warriors as well.¡±

    Tao Chong: ¡°...¡±

    It would appear that he still underestimated Ye Qing¡¯s audacity. <i>It wasn¡¯t that he was afraid to offend one of them, he was plotting to hit all of them!</i>

    Didn¡¯t he know how big the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was?

    Didn¡¯t he know how scary the Nine Nethers Sect was?

    Who in the world gave him the courage to even think of such a thing?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared?¡± Ye Qing teased when he saw Tao Chong¡¯s waningplexion.

    ¡°This ve¡¯s life is cheap, so why would he be scared? However, neither the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance nor the Nine Nethers Sect are easy prey. If they hear about this, and your life is harmed as a result, then it would not be worth it, would it? Please reconsider, young master,¡± Tao Chong pleaded.

    Ye Qing was right. He <i>was </i>scared. But so what? He wasn¡¯t done living yet, and there was no way he was going to agree to this suicide run without protest!

    ¡°Again, you¡¯re overthinking things. We simply need to keep our involvement hidden,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, young master.¡± Tao Chong voiced his confusion.

    Ye Qing exined patiently, ¡°The Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and the Nine Nethers Sect are embroiled in an all-out war right now. Multiple battles are breaking out every day, and the entire Yannan has plunged into chaos. Who would notice a couple extra missing people when many more are killed in action or missing everyday?¡±

    ¡°Besides, I never told you to target an elite warrior. The small fries would suffice for our purpose, right? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t handle the small fries with your strength?¡±

    ¡°If you still think this is too risky, you can disguise yourself as a member of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance when you¡¯re targeting a Nine Nethers Sect group, and vice versa. Even if you are discovered, your disguise will keep them from noticing that an unknown third party is getting involved!¡±

    ¡°Oh right, you¡¯ve heard of Sword Ghoul, right? You can also disguise yourself as Sword Ghoul and attack the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance iming that it was for revenge. No one would ever find out that it was you, me, and your miss who are screwing with them.¡±

    In fact, he had already thought of the n long before he released the innocent vigers. Neither the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance nor the Nine Nethers Sect were good factions anyway. He felt zero guilt turning their members into livestock to fuel his cultivation.

    As for whether the worst case scenario would happen, and either the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance or the Nine Nethers Sect would discover the truth... he had already offended them once, and that offense was severe enough to earn him the death penalty in their opinion. In that case, why not punt their asses a second time?

    Meanwhile, Tao Chong¡¯s eyes were widening as if he just discovered a whole new gxy. This... this was actually doable!

    ¡°There is one more way.¡±

    This time, it was Feng Qingyou who spoke up, ¡°Joyless and I will lie in ambush, and you will pretend to be discovered by the enemy¡¯s elites. Once you¡¯ve brought them to the ambush site, we will capture all of them.¡±

    ¡°What a wonderful idea! A single elite is worth many ordinary warriors!¡± Ye Qingughed while rubbing his palms together.

    Tao Chong: ¡°...¡±

    He was the viin here, so why did he feel like an innocent little rabbit before these two?

    ¡°What do you think, Tao Chong?¡± Ye Qing looked at him.

    ¡°Your n is airtight, young master, miss. This ve is impressed.¡± What else could Tao Chong say? He could only agree to the n!

    ¡°Good. You may begin immediately.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Remember this: the more warriors you capture, the longer you and I would be able to practice in the Six Livestocks Market. So do not disappoint me!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master. This ve will not disappoint you.¡±

    Tao Chong had to admit that Ye Qing¡¯s encouraging words had both delighted and excited him.

    As Ye Qing said, the more warriors he caught, the longer he would be able to practice in the Six Livestocks Market. This was definitely a good thing for him.

    Suddenly, Tao Chong felt like he was full of energy.

 Chapter 887: The Blue and Red Fiends

    ¡°You¡¯re not members of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance?¡±

    Inside a dense forest, a tall man and a short man looked at the man and woman in front of them warily. One of them threatened, ¡°Who are you people? Do you know who we are?¡±

    The tall man was over 2.3 meters tall, but he was as thin as a bundle of grain stalks and steelblue inplexion.

    The short man was only slightly over a meter like a child, and his skin color was dark red.

    Both men were Truemen. They were the Hallmaster and Vice Hallmaster of the Earth Fiend Hall, one of the Thirty Six Halls of Nine Nethers Sect. The <em>jianghu </em>people called them the Blue and Red Fiends, and they were a pair of twins.

    The Earth Fiend Hall was responsible for fighting and killing foreign enemies. This time, they were tasked with eliminating the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance¡¯s factions around Mirror Lake City.

    At first, everything went pretty smoothly. Then, things started going awry a few days ago. Their disciples kept disappearing one after another.

    At first, they hadn¡¯t paid it any heed thinking that the disciples were killed by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance or something. It wasn¡¯t unusual for warriors to destroy bodies for either personal or practical reasons either.

    They were so angry at the loss that they even fought several great battles against the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance.However, the situation grew dramatically worse in just the matter of days. At first, the disciples that went missing were just ordinary disciples. Then, their elite disciples began disappearing as well. As of today, they had lost a significant number of Half-step Truemen, Half-step Grandmaster stewards and Vice Hallmasters as well.

    That wasn¡¯t all. ording to their intelligence, the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance had also lost a significant number of disciples, gang bosses, Hallmasters and so on. They thought that it was the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance who killed their men, but as it turned out, their enemies were facing the exact same problem.

    At this point, they would be a failure of a Hallmaster and Vice Hallmaster if they still couldn¡¯t figure out that someone was fucking with them. So, the two of them set out to capture the killer.

    After several days of overt and covert investigations, they finally locked down the killer and followed him all the way to this forest. They were just about to catch him when a man and a woman stepped out into the open.

    The two warriors looked quite young, but they could feel their hair standing on end. Whoever they were, it was clear that they were dangerous.

    The young man¡ªhe was none other than Ye Qing¡ªgreeted them smilingly, ¡°You are the Blue Fiend and the Red Fiend, Hallmaster and Vice Hallmaster of the Earth Fiend Hall, one of the Thirty Six Halls of the Nine Nethers Sect, am I right? Your reputation precedes you.¡±

    ¡°You clearly know who we are. The two of you must be the mastermind behind our disciples¡¯ disappearances!¡±

    Blue Fiend uttered in a harsh voice, ¡°How dare you kill the disciples of Nine Nethers Sect! You must have a death wish!¡±

    ¡°Kill? When did we kill your disciples?¡± Ye Qing chucked. ¡°They¡¯re still alive, everyst one of them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re still alive? Where are they?¡± Red Fiend asked.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell? They¡¯re everywhere.¡± Ye Qing pointed a thumb at the swarm of cattles, goats, pigs, horses and other livestocks behind him. ¡°I would point them out, but it¡¯s been a while since I captured them. I can¡¯t actually tell who¡¯s a Nine Nethers Sect member and who¡¯s a Seventy Two Water Land Alliance member anymore.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Blue Fiend and Red Fiend nked out. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re saying that these animals are our men?¡±

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t believe me? Come, disciples of the Earth Fiend Hall. Come greet your Hallmaster and Vice Hallmaster.¡±

    Ye Qing waved, and a bunch of livestocks immediately rushed forward while crying at the top of their lungs.

    ¡°Meh meh meh¡­¡±

    ¡°Moo moo moo¡­¡±

    ¡°Arf arf arf¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± Ye Qing asked while crossing his arms.

    ¡°Is this¡­ the Livestock Creation Spell?!¡± Blue Fiend and Red Fiend exchanged a shocked nce with each other.

    In fact, they had noticed the swarm of livestocks stretching as far as the eyes could see, and they were wondering who in their right mind would leave their herd in a heaven-forsaken ce like this. However, it wasn¡¯t until Ye Qing told them that they were previously human that they recalled the infamous Livestock Creation Spell.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not all muscle up there after all.¡± Ye Qing nodded approvingly. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the Livestock Creation Spell.¡±

    ¡°How dare you use the Livestock Creation Spell against my disciples! You are courting death!¡±

    Blue Fiend and Red Fiend grew increasingly cautious even as they threatened Ye Qing. After all, it was well known that anyone who managed to grasp the Livestock Creation Spell was an extraordinarily gifted warrior. The fact that they dared to attack the Nine Nethers Sect also situationally proved that they were no ordinary foe. Only an utter fool would dare to take them lightly.

    ¡°If you let them go now, we still can pretend that this never happened! Otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Let them go?¡±

    Ye Qingughed. ¡°Dude, am I hearing things, or are you too naive? Do you seriously think I¡¯m going to let them or the two of you go at this juncture?¡±

    ¡°Must you make an enemy of the Nine Nethers Sect?¡± Blue Fiend threatened with an ugly expression, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the vengeance of the Nine Nethers Sect?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am afraid.¡±

    Just when Blue Fiend and Red Fiend thought that Ye Qing would offer apromise, he said, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t afraid, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered to lure you over, would I? I would¡¯ve just killed you dead at your headquarters.¡±

    ¡°This is a trap?¡±

    Blue Fiend and Red Fiend turned white in an instant. If this encounter was just an unhappy coincidence, then there was still a chance that things could end peacefully. But if the enemy had intentionally lured them over, if this was a trap¡­

    The young man was right. Why on earth would he let them go?

    At this point, no more words were necessary.

    If peace wasn¡¯t an option, then they could only resort to violence.

    The two brothers charged toward Ye Qing at the same time. Blue Fiend began giving off clouds of blue qi, and the rest of his skin turned steelblue in color as well. The overflowing blue qi possessed both the cold of water and the chill of ice.

    On the other hand, Red Fiend turned as red as moltenva. His crimson aura dyed the air around him in red and possessed both the heat of fire and the explosiveness of ze.

    The martial techniques they disyed came from the famous Nine Nethers Sect martial art, the ¡°Blue Red Earth Fiend Art¡±. It was an insidious, ruthless martial art that cultivated the cold and hot of the earth, and refined the darkness and filth of a fiend. If the practitioner managed to reach the adept level andbine the two opposing elements into one, they would be able to cleanse the filth and be multiple times more powerful than they were before. It was a martial art that could carry a practitioner to the Sage stage.

    However, the ¡°Blue Red Earth Fiend Art¡± was easy to grasp, but difficult to master. It was extremely easy for a practitioner to lose control of the conflicting elements and experience a deviation. That was why Blue Fiend and Red Fiend decided to seek a different path and cultivated one aspect of the martial art each. Blue Fiend would cultivate the Blue Fiend Art, while Red Fiend would cultivate the Red Fiend Art. This both mitigated the risk of a martial deviation and allowed them to unleash the martial art¡¯s greatest potency whenbined.

    Right now, the blue qi and the red qi were joining together and ripping through the earth with destructive fury. It was a bad of water and fire, toxic and fiend. Theirbined strike was on par with the strike of an ordinary Half-Sage.

    ¡°The Blue and Red Fiends, huh? You deserve your fame.¡±

    Ye Qing took one step forward, lifted his arm, and punched.

    His punch was like a hammer that shattered the three origins. In one punch, the blue-and-red st shattered, and the deadly aura that surrounded it disappeared like it never was.

    In one punch, the world was cleansed of the martial art¡¯s filth.

    For a moment, Blue Fiend and Red Fiend could only stare at Ye Qing in wide-eyed shock. Then, they turned tail and ran like hell.

    What do you do if you encounter someone you cannot defeat?

    What a stupid question. You run, of course.

    However, the duo were still halfway from the nearest corner when suddenly, they realized that they were moving slower and slower for some reason. They subconsciously looked down at their feet, and what they saw nearly scared off two of their Seven Earthly Souls.

    Their feet had turned into ws before they knew it, and their hands were rapidly turning into a pair of wings. There were feathers growing out of their skin and flesh as well.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, they could feel themselves shrinking at a visible rate.

    ¡°No¡ªcluck cluck cluck¡­¡±

    The two terrified men tried to beg, but before they could even get the words out, they had already transformed into chickens.

    A pair of huge cocks to be exact.

 Chapter 888: Hundred-formed Old Man

    ¡°Hohoho, I knew that a Trueman stage cock would look mighty handsome.¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled while staring at the tworge cocks who were still trying to escape while crowing in panic.

    The two cocks Blue Fiend and Red Fiend had transformed into were mighty impressive. They wererge and looked incredibly fierce[1]. Their feathers were bright and colorful, and their crowns were golden like that of an emperor¡¯s crown. Their crows especially sounded like thunderps that could jolt even the deepest sleeper from their slumber. It would not be an exaggeration to call them exotic animals.

    ¡°Congrattions on catching another two big fishes, young master.¡±

    Seeing that the battle was over, Tao Chong congratted Ye Qing with aplex expression on his face.

    Despite having witnessed several of Ye Qing¡¯s fights for the past couple days, he still couldn¡¯t help but be astounded by it. It was a level of strength so lofty that anyone who saw it could only feel hopeless awe and despair.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. You did well for the past few days,¡± Ye Qing praised him.

    ¡°Thank you, young master, but it is also because you and miss¡¯ ns are well thought out. This ve dare not im the credit,¡± Tao Chong said humbly.

    He was speaking from the heart. He was at most the errand boy of this n. For the past few days, he had kidnapped countless Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and Nine Nethers Sect warriors exactly as Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had taught him to. Of course, not every kidnapping had gone smoothly, but thanks to the countermeasures they had discussed beforehand, most of them did not devolve into a true threat to his being. In just three days, he had captured over a hundred warriors for their cause. It was quite the satisfying harvest to say the least.

    Two days ago, he started consciously or unconsciously leaving behind traces and tracks that the elites of the two sects could follow. However, Ye Qing was able to capture all of them.

    Just yesterday, they were able to capture three Seventy Two Water Land Alliance gang bosses or Hallmasters and four Earth Fiend Hall stewards or branch leaders. Therge majority of them were Half-Step Grandmasters or Truemen, and even the weakest among this bunch werete-stage Spirit Masters.

    Ye Qing still wasn¡¯t satisfied, however. Today, he actuallymanded him to lure the Hallmaster and vice Hallmaster of the Earthly Fiend Hall to his side.

    Of course, Tao Chong was against this at first. How could he not? Blue Fiend and Red Fiend were no ordinary warriors. Not only were they longtime veterans, they were named warriors on the Earth Champions Ranking, and they had defeated a Half-Sage before. To say that they were famous would be an understatement.

    If it turned out that Ye Qing had overestimated himself, then the position of the fisherman and the fish could easily be reversed.

    Unfortunately, he failed to change Ye Qing¡¯s mind, and he understood that he did not truly have a choice in the matter. In the end, he had no choice but to lure the two warriors over to the ambush site as per his order.

    Before the fight began, Tao Chong was prepared to fight the duo to the death. However, for once in his life, reality actually decided to show him mercy. Ye Qing had folded the two warriors so easily he almost wondered if they were fakes.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case. Ye Qing was just that strong. Given enough power, you really could do anything.

    ¡°You have a silver tongue, but your skills¡­ you should have been more careful,¡± Ye Qingmented.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Tao Chong was confused by his remark.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that you have a tail?¡± Ye Qing turned and looked to the distance.

    ¡°A tail?¡± Tao Chong eximed in shock, ¡°You mean¡­ the Blue and Red Fiends aren¡¯t the only ones who followed me here?¡±

    He couldn¡¯t spot anyone even when he was actively searching for people though. Was Ye Qing just teasing him, or¡­?

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Ye Qing looked at a blue bird perched on a distant branch and called out with a smile, ¡°You can show yourself now, my friend.¡±

    Tao Chong was still confused when he saw the bird pping its wings and taking off to the sky seemingly in fright.

    ¡°Come now. Did you really think you could leave?¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and threw a punch.

    Space shook, and heaven and earth copsed.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    A bloodcurdling scream cut through the air, and the blue bird abruptly transformed into a bearded old man. He fell from the sky.

    The old man wasn¡¯t incapacitated, however. As soon as he hit the ground, he transformed into a pangolin and dug into the earth.

    Ye Qing took one step forward and appeared tens of meters away in an instant. When his feet touched the ground, it began rippling unsteadily like it wasn¡¯t solid earth, but water.

    The underground pangolin was abruptly spat out into the open.

    While the pangolin was still in mid-air, it transformed into a goshawk and took to the skies.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Hundred-formed Old Man!¡± Tao Chong eximed in realization.

    Hundred-formed Old Man was a Trueman elder in the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. His strength was average at best, but his expertisey in his ability to transform into all kinds of animals[2].

    Hundred-formed Old Man¡¯s cultivation art was called the ¡°Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡±. Sharing deep ties with the power of Nature, it was said that those who reached the adept level in the cultivation art could transform into any and all kinds of animals, undetectable by all but the most perceptive. It was quite the useful and profound ability to say the least.

    There were obvious simrities between the ¡°Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡± and the ¡°Livestock Creation Art¡±, but they were reallypletely different martial arts with their own respective strengths. The ¡°Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡± could transform the practitioner into any and all kinds of animals, but it only applied to the practitioner themselves.

    The Livestock Creation Spell could target both the practitioner themselves and others, but it could only transform the target into the six livestocks.

    In terms of profoundness and mystery, the Livestock Creation Spell was superior to the ¡°Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡±. However, that by no means meant that the ¡°Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡± was a lousy martial art.

    Hundred-formed Old Man was a supernatural scout and spy thanks to the ¡°Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡±. He could take any form that best suited the situation¡ªa bird, a mosquito, a worm etc¡ªand infiltrate any location. In fact, it was majorly thanks to him that the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance was able to obtain all sorts of secret information and swiftly rise to power back in the day.

    This was why Hundred-formed Old Man was highly respected in the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and feared by everyone in Yannan¡¯s <em>wulin</em> despite his averagebat prowess.

    Tao Chong had no idea that Hundred-formed Old Man was tailing him. He was even more curious how Ye Qing managed to identify him.

    When Hundred-formed Old Man transformed into an animal, his aura would transform to mimic said animal as well. That was why he was so difficult to suss out. How on earth did Ye Qing notice that the random bird in the distance was really Hundred-formed Old Man?

    The goshawk Hundred-formed Old Man had transformed into flew much faster than your ordinary goshawk. It had disappeared into the clouds in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°I told you. You can¡¯t escape me.¡±

    Ye Qing lifted his right hand high with his palm facing toward the sky. Then, he clenched his fingers tightly as if the entire sky was under his control.

    When all five of his fingers made contact with his palm, there was a soft pop like someone had tossed a stone into ake. Then, the entire sky started shaking and rippling like it was water.

    Stunned by the sudden shockwaves, Hundred-formed Old Man¡¯s wings abruptly snapped in half. Blood spilled out of his wounds as he plummeted toward the earth.

    Right before Hundred-formed Old Man would hit the ground, he let out a roar and swelled in size all of a sudden. The next moment, he transformed into a massive tiger and attempted to swallow Ye Qing whole.

    Ye Qing sneered. With one palm strike to the head, he smashed the tiger into the ground so hard that it formed a deep pit.

    That was a mistake, however. When the dust cloud faded, the tiger that was Hundred-formed Old Man was nowhere to be found. It was almost as if he had vanished into thin air.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled imperceptibly.

    ¡°He¡¯s over there.¡±

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou spoke up for the first time and walked to the edge of the pit. She pointed at a dead ant in the pit and added smilingly, ¡°He¡¯s pretending to be an ant.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re the one who found me!¡±

    Suddenly, the dead ant transformed into a viper and pounced toward Feng Qingyou with lightning speed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    1. You think I would let go of the opportunity to make a cock joke not once, not twice, not thrice<em>, </em>but <em>four </em>times? Well you don¡¯t know me very well<em>.</em> ?

    2. Wukong lite version. ?

 Chapter 889: Hundred Beasts True Scripture

    <h4>Chapter 889: Hundred Beasts True Scripture </h4>

    Hundred-formed Old Man knew that he was no match for the young man. That was why he transformed into an ant and yed dead. When his opponent discovered that he was missing, he would surely think he had escaped and tried to give chase. Once he was gone, he would be able to walk away unscathed.

    In fact, this wasn¡¯t the first time Hundred-formed Old Man had employed this tactic. It had saved him more times than he cared to count.

    Not this time though. For the first time ever, his tried and true tactic had failed.

    Naturally, his hatred of the woman went from zero to a hundred in an instant. He wanted nothing more than to end her miserable existence.

    Although he did not know how the woman was able to discover him, his senses told him that her aura was weak to the point of non-existent. In his opinion, she probably practiced a sensory martial art that gave her supernatural senses, but weakbat power just like him. If he could capture her and use her as a hostage, he might yet be able to get out of this alive.

    <i>Almost there, almost there...</i>

    The distance between the woman and himself kept narrowing, but the woman did not seem to notice anything at all. Hundred-formed Old Man was overjoyed, of course. He could feel his chances of survival growing every time he got closer to the woman.

    He should have paid more attention to his surroundings. If he had, he would have noticed that neither Ye Qing nor Tao Chong was reacting to his movements. Not only were they wearing easy, uncaring smiles on their faces, there were even ripples of sympathy in Tao Chong¡¯s eyes.

    Of all the people he could have targeted, he chose Feng Qingyou. That was like an old man eating white arsenic¡ªsuicide.

    For the past few days, Tao Chong had gained a level of insight into both Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou. If Ye Qing was powerful, scary, and indomitable, then Feng Qingyou was vast and deep; boundless and unfathomable like the sky itself.

    Feng Qingyou rarely needed to get involved in the subjugations, but every time she did, her methods had scared Tao Chong to the core.

    It wasn¡¯t that Feng Qingyou¡¯s methods were particrly ruthless or brutal. No, they were anomalous andpletely unpredictable.

    He still remembered what happened two days ago. He had gotten careless and gotten himself chased by an entire band of elites. There were several Truemen among the group as well. When he arrived at the ambush site though, he discovered in despair that Ye Qing was nowhere to be found. The young man had been busy with something at the time, so Feng Qingyou was the only one present.

    He thought that that was it, that it was the end of his life. However, Feng Qingyou simply said, ¡°Suppress!¡± and every single one of his pursuers including the Truemen were frozen in ce, unable to move a muscle. They could only watch helplessly as they transformed into livestock one after another.

    How ludicrous and unbelievable was that?

    Another time, Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t even bothered to speak. She simply snapped her fingers one time, and the men just stood there as if they were trapped in an unwakeable dream.

    After that, well, there was no after that. They were all turned into livestock.

    In conclusion, Feng Qingyou was powerful, mysterious, and unfathomable. Tao Chong wasn¡¯t afraid to admit that he was afraid of her more than Ye Qing even though thetter was the one who tortured him within an inch of his life.

    After all, the unknown was always terrifying.

    As expected, the viper Hundred-formed Old Man had transformed to was less than a meter away from Feng Qingyou when suddenly, he came to a sudden andplete stop in the air. He was unable to progress another inch no matter how hard he struggled.

    He turned into a pig, and the battle came to a true end.

    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re here, Qingyou. It would¡¯ve been troublesome otherwise.¡±

    Ye Qing looked at the pig Hundred-formed Old Man had transformed into and said, ¡°This guy was quite the problem child.¡±

    He had to admit that Hundred-formed Old Man¡¯s ¡°Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡± was no joke. If Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t warned him, he would never have discovered that something was wrong with the bird. And if Hundred-formed Old Man was able to escape and spread the word, then their ns would be halted, and they would be in some serious trouble.

    ¡°The ¡®Hundred Beasts True Scripture¡¯ is a divine art invented by the Hundred Beasts True Lord many years ago. At the adept level, the practitioner can be as big as a dragon elephant or divine beast, or as small as an ant or a speck of dust. Naturally, it cannot be underestimated.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined smilingly. ¡°Hundred-formed Old Man¡¯s cultivation is limited, which is why he was unable to unleash its true strength. Otherwise, even I would be hardpressed to discover him.¡±

    ¡°Should we resume our work, young master, miss?¡± Tao Chong asked after their dialogue was over.

    ¡°No, this is enough. We have caught the Blue and Red Fiends of Nine Nethers Sect, and even Hundred-formed Old Man of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. There is a high chance that the higher-ups already suspect that something is amiss. If we keep pushing our luck, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if we find a death trap waiting for you and me.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Besides, we have less than three days left before the Six Livestocks Market descends upon us. We can no longer afford any dy, so we should wrap things up and proceed as nned.¡±

    ¡°You are right, young master,¡± Tao Chong responded meekly even as his fear of Ye Qing deepened a little more. They were both practitioners of the Livestock Creation Spell, but he only had a vague sense that the Six Livestocks Market was going to appear very soon. On the other hand, Ye Qing was able to estimate the exact time they had left before the Six Livestocks Market officially opened. Clearly, his proficiency in the spell was far greater than his.

    It had taken Ye Qing merely days to surpass his years of hard work. There was a reason people said that no two people were the same.

    The good news was that Tao Chong was beyond caring at this point. What was another debt when you were already knee-deep in debts? What was another trauma when you were already drowning in trauma?

    He was numb as fuck.

    Ye Qing ordered, ¡°Catch some rest. We will be departing in a moment.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master.¡±

    Tao Chong nodded and walked to a nearby tree. Once he sat down, he closed his eyes and began meditating.

    ......

    ¡°Is that the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    Ye Qing stared at the distant, dimly lit small town that was shrouded by a thick fog, asking.

    ¡°It is, young master! We have arrived at the Six Livestocks Market!¡± Tao Chong replied excitedly, ¡°This is what it looked like when I came here the first time!¡±

    ¡°Have you regained your memories?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I have. I don¡¯t know why, but as soon as we got close to the Six Livestocks Market, memories I never had before suddenly flooded into my mind. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s my wiped memories from when I first entered the Six Livestocks Market,¡± Tao Chong answered.

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s quite interesting,¡± Ye Qing replied with a raised eyebrow.

    The appearance time and location of the Six Livestocks Market were uncertain. That was why they started listening to the invisible guidance in their heart and moved in a certain direction. If a mountain stood in their way, then they climbed over the mountain. If a river blocked their path, then they crossed the river. They had no particr goal or destination in mind.

    Today, they were walking aimlessly as usual when suddenly, the town appeared before their eyes. It was quite profound to say the least.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve regained your memories, can you tell us if there are any rules we should follow?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Tao Chong answered, ¡°There are only two rules of the Six Livestocks Market, and they are very easy to follow. One, you must not fight in the Six Livestocks Market. Two, you must not invade another¡¯s residence without permission.¡±

    ¡°The consequence for breaking either rule is transforming into a livestock and perishing.¡±

    ¡°I understand the first rule, but what does the second rule mean?¡± Ye Qing looked puzzled.

    Tao Chong exined, ¡°It¡¯s like this. When the Six Livestocks Market opens, everyone who practices the Livestock Creation Spell would appear in one ce. Once they enter the Six Livestocks Market, they would automatically know how much time they have left in the Six Livestocks Market, and where their personal residence is. You can only practice in your personal residence, and anyone who tries to enter another¡¯s residence without permission will be penalized immediately.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing frowned when he listened to the end. ¡°Everyone who practices the Livestock Creation Spell will enter the Six Livestocks Market, right? Doesn¡¯t that mean that there is a chance that someone might discover our identities, no matter how well we disguise ourselves? What if a malicious person leaks our identities after they leave the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    It was no baseless worry. While not everyone who practiced the Livestock Creation Spell was necessarily a bad person, there were definitely ruthless and self-seeking individuals among this bunch. Some of them could even be titans of the Dark Ways or heretical elites. If a malicious person or even just someone with a thirst for vengeance leaked their identities to an orthodox faction, the oue could only be described as disastrous. No one, not even the strongest champion could endure a concentrated assault by the entire orthodoxy.

    As for him, he did not think he was famous, nor did he believe that he had too many enemies. However, it was entirely possible for some bored individual or absolute bastard to screw him over because he was too handsome or something.

    Always expect the worst and prepare ordingly.

 Chapter 890: Six Livestocks Dissolves Into Fog

    <h4>Chapter 890: Six Livestocks Dissolves Into Fog </h4>

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°Did you forget that everyone¡¯s memories are wiped as soon as they leave the Six Livestocks Market, Joyless? You have nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Oops. I actually did forget about that.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose and shook his head in self-derision.

    ¡°It is as miss says,¡± Tao Chong echoed in agreement. ¡°Not only that, everyone¡¯s appearance and aura will be concealed once they enter the Six Livestocks Market. So long as you don¡¯t reveal yourself, it is impossible for another person to identify you.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing nodded. He felt a lot calmer knowing that the Six Livestocks Market had many measures in ce to protect its guests¡¯ privacy.

    Next, he looked at the restless livestocks behind him and asked, ¡°What about these livestocks? Surely we don¡¯t need to escort them throughout our duration inside the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Tao Chong kept him in suspense. ¡°Patience, young master. You will find out very soon.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ye Qing began walking faster toward the Six Livestocks Market.

    From their perspective, the Six Livestocks Market was located in the middle of several mountains. The wisps ofmplight shining through the thick fog was colorful, mysterious, and dreamlike.

    Strangely, Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought told him that the Six Livestocks Market was both in front of him and infinitely away from him. It reminded him of Schr?dinger''s cat, except that this ¡°cat¡± simultaneously existed and did not exist even after it entered his observation. It was anomalous to put it mildly.

    As they continued forward, the surrounding fog began wobbling as if they were stirred by a cool breeze. It made everyone feel like they were stepping into a celestial realm.

    ¡°Meh meh meh...¡±

    ¡°Moo moo moo...¡±

    ¡°Arf arf arf...¡±

    It was at this moment the swarm of livestocks behind them suddenly began crying non-stop. It was as if they sensed danger and couldn¡¯t help but panic.

    The next moment, Ye Qing saw an eerie sight. A goat began turning more and more transparent until it waspletely gone.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s senses, the goat hadpletely disappeared in aura, body, and soul. It left absolutely nothing behind almost as if it never existed in the first ce.

    The rest of the livestock panicked as a matter of course. They started scattering in every direction in an attempt to escape from this heaven-forsaken ce. Unfortunately, their efforts were futile before the trio¡¯s power.

    That said, Ye Qing quickly realized that their restrictions were unnecessary. No matter how hard the livestocks struggled, they could never go beyond the fog¡¯s boundaries. In fact, from his point of view, they were running in circles as if they were trapped in an invisible maze.

    Slowly, eventually, all of the animals slowly turned into nothing like the goat at the beginning. It was a stunning and eerie sight.

    It was stunning because several hundred animals had literally gone poof right before their eyes, and it was eerie because they never felt a thing throughout the whole process; not even a wisp of energy.

    The final destination of thisbination of emotions culminated was, of course, fear and anxiety.

    ¡°Do you know how they disappeared, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the fog,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°The fog?¡± Ye Qing frowned. In his senses, the fog was no different from your ordinary fog.

    ¡°It is definitely because of the fog,¡± Feng Qingyou rified before reaching out to y with the fog in front of her. ¡°Also, the animals technically didn¡¯t ¡®disappear¡¯ into nothing. They were assimted into the fog.¡±

    ¡°Assimted?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows leaped into his hair. ¡°You¡¯re saying... they turned into the fog?!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Qingyou¡¯s answer was as indifferent as it was chilling. ¡°Don¡¯t you see? The fog is a little thicker after the animals vanished.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re... right,¡± Tao Chong subconsciously blurted.

    Ye Qing hadn¡¯t noticed until she mentioned it, but it was a little thicker than normal.

    Suddenly, an even more horrifying possibility urred to Ye Qing. ¡°Say... do you think that this fog¡ªall of it¡ªwere previously livestocks?¡±

    As soon as he said this, Tao Chong turned as pale as a sheet. The first time he came here, he was surprised by the livestocks¡¯ sudden disappearance but did not think much about it. Now that they mentioned it, he was starting to think that they were right.

    Although they called them ¡°livestock¡± or ¡°animal¡±, there was no denying that they were once living, breathing humans!

    If Ye Qing was right, and the fog really was transformed from the livestock... How terrifying was that?

    Tao Chong turned even paler and subconsciously stepped away from the fog.

    For a time, the atmosphere felt stifling, and no one could say a word.

    They all knew that the people who transformed into livestocks would not meet a kind fate, but the thought that they had turned into fog and were lingering around them like ghosts... it wasn¡¯t a good feeling for sure.

    It was at this moment a foreign thought suddenly urred to Ye Qing. It informed him that he could practice in the Six Livestocks Market for a little over a month.

    At the same time, the name and location of a residence appeared in his mind.

    Before they entered the fog, they had split up their horde of livestocks and performed some calctions. They already knew that, assuming that their calctions weren¡¯t too off, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou would be able to practice for a little over a month, whereas Tao Chong would be able to practice for twenty or so days.

    Ye Qing inhaled slightly, and the negative emotions that gued his mind earlier disappeared all at once. Then, he broke the silence with a chuckle, ¡°It was just a stray thought. There is no need to pay any attention to it. Nowe on.¡±

    It did not matter if their victims were turned into fog or a bloody smear on the ground. In the end, they were dead. It was just a different way of death, and he did not regret killing these people who more than deserve their fates. With that in mind, why should he feel ufortable about this?

    ¡°Mm. Let¡¯s go,¡± Feng Qingyou too responded with a smile. She seemedpletely unperturbed by this.

    Seeing that the duo were walking toward the Six Livestocks Market, Tao Chong clenched his teeth and chased after them.

    It was strange. They had just taken a step, but the scenery before their eyes abruptly cleared up, and the fog that permeated every corner of the region abruptly vanished. Before they knew it, they found themselves standing in the middle of a traditional town.

    It was nighttime in the town. Narrow limestone roads joined the quaint little buildings that littered the town here and there. Despite its somewhat haphazard arrangement, the town gave off a feeling of picturesque disorder. A big redntern hung on the eaves of every front door, illuminating the town to the point it felt like daytime and giving off a celebratory, warm, andforting feeling.

    ¡°This Six Livestocks Market is quite charming,¡± Ye Qing praised from the bottom of his heart after scanning his surroundings. This was nothing like the dark and oppressive Anomaly he had envisioned before entering this ce.

    ¡°It is a little unexpected,¡± Even Feng Qingyou echoed in agreement.

    But of course, this wasn¡¯t the important point. The main point was that the entire market seemed to be surrounded by some sort of mysterious, unfathomable power. It was to the point they would call it the manifestation of Dao or Law.

    Dao was as boundless as the earth and the sky. Law was as vast and infinite as the sea. Standing between these two concepts, Ye Qing felt as if his heart was clear, and his spirit was bright. The Dao washed his soul and spirit, whereas the Law refined his muscles and bones. It felt like a celestial was teaching him a lesson directly; like all of his conundrums and questions were resolved in an instant; like the sun and moon were not just within reach, but in hisp already.

    ¡°No wonder they say that the Six Livestocks Market is a martial sanctuary for practitioners of the Dark Ways. This is unbelievable.¡±

    Ye Qing had drawn one breath¡ªjust one breath!¡ªand he could feel his cultivation growing already. He did not doubt for a second that his cultivation would grow by leaps and bounds even if he justzed around and did nothing for the whole month.

    Feng Qingyou also praised, ¡°The Great Way has taken form, and the Law fills the sky. This is no different from the Dao Domain of ancient celestials and Buddhas.¡±

 Chapter 891: Venerable Six Livestocks

    <h4>Chapter 891: Venerable Six Livestocks </h4>

    While the duo were offering their praises, more and more people were popping into the Six Livestocks Market. They were all covered in ayer of fog that concealed their appearance perfectly. Forget sensing one¡¯s strength, it was impossible to tell if someone was male or female.

    In fact, neither Feng Qingyou, Ye Qing, nor Tao Chong would be able to tell each other if they hadn¡¯t entered together.

    Therge majority of them did not linger on the narrow limestone roads they appeared at, however. They took off immediately after a cursory nce almost as if they were extremely familiar with this ce.

    Of course, even those who entered the Six Livestocks Market for the first time would not need to worry about losing their way or failing to find the location of their residence. It was because everyone could feel a clear signal guiding them toward their residence. All they needed to do was to walk in the right direction, and they would arrive at their destination eventually.

    ¡°Why are we still standing here and chatting? Everyone else is hurrying to their residence already. Don¡¯t you know that wasting time is a crime?¡± Tao Chong urged a little urgently when he saw that neither Ye Qing nor Feng Qingyou looked hurried at all.

    This was the Six Livestocks Market, martial sanctuary for all who walked the Dark Ways. Without exaggeration, it was a <i>huge </i>crime to waste even a second in this ce!

    ¡°Young master... may I...¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°No need to worry about us. You may take your leave.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, young master! I¡¯ll see youter!¡± Tao Chong saluted them once and stepped away.

    After Tao Chong was gone, Ye Qing looked at Feng Qingyou and asked, ¡°What are your ns, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s look around for a bit,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    Ye Qing raised a curious eyebrow. ¡°Do you know something, Qingyou?¡±

    Feng Qingyou favored him a small smile. ¡°I have some guesses, but I can¡¯t say anything until I¡¯ve taken a look.¡±

    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll walk with you,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    And so the duo began strolling through the Six Livestocks Market like they were tourists.

    At first nce, the Six Livestocks Market didn¡¯t seem like a particrly big town. In reality, it seemed to be endless. Two hours came and went in the blink of an eye, and still they hadn¡¯t explored the town in its entirety.

    ¡°Are we still going?¡±

    Four hourster, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were still walking on the narrow limestone road shoulder-to-shoulder. It really looked like they were here for a tour.

    ¡°No, we can stop here. There exists great power in the Six Livestocks Market. We won¡¯t reach the end even if we explore this ce for a whole year.¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head.

    ¡°Okay. What did you find?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Feng Qingyou fell silent for a moment before answering, ¡°I think I¡¯ve figured out the origin of the Six Livestocks Market.¡±

    ¡°I see. Wait, what?¡± Ye Qing replied instinctively before Feng Qingyou¡¯s words actually dawned upon him. ¡°Y-You figured out the origin of the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    ¡°Well, it is just a guess.¡± Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Have you heard of Venerable Six Livestocks, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Ye Qing shook his head.

    ¡°What about the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin?¡± Feng Qingyou asked another question.

    ¡°The Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin? But of course,¡± Ye Qing replied without hesitation.

    The Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin was one of the almighty titans of the ancient Dark Ways. Boasting unparalleled power, he was the man who apparently split what was thought to be a singr Great Way into two and founded what people woulde to know as the Dark Ways.

    The literal founder of all things Dark and demonic, he once created the Dao Domain of Myriad Darkness. He did not conform to any one style and epted almost anyone under his tutge, teaching and preaching to those who were willing to listen and learn. During his heyday, thousands and thousands of demons came from every corner of the world to attend his lessons. I should not need to tell you how rare this was. Later, he was heralded as the Ancestor of the Dark.¡±

    ¡°Legend has it that the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin has thirty six thousand outer disciples, one hundred and eight inner disciples, and thirty six direct disciples. His thirty six direct disciples were named the Thirty Six Venerable Ones of the Dark, and Venerable Six Livestocks is one of them,¡± Feng Qingyou ended.

    ¡°Really? Why have I not heard of such a thing?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned. He had heard of the thirty six direct disciples of the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin, but never ¡°Venerable Six Livestocks¡±. You would think that someone so prestigious would be a household name at the very least.

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°That is because there are very, very few written records of Venerable Six Livestocks throughout history, and the reason there are so few written records is because Venerable Six Livestocks is an entric man who keeps a very low profile.¡±

    ¡°Although Venerable Six Livestocks is a practitioner of the Dark Ways, he loathed killing and was very affable. He enjoyed tutoring others and enlightening them about the Dao. He was a man who devoted his whole life into nurturing talents of the Dark Ways while asking nothing in return.¡±

    ¡°Although Venerable Six Livestocks enjoy a rtively unknown reputation, he was one of the disciples the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin praised very highly. In the ¡®Records of the Dark¡¯, there was this line while the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin was debating Dao with the Dao Sage: ¡®I have thousands and thousands of disciples, but there is only one man who understands me the most. Six Livestocks is the key to the Dark Ways¡¯ prosperity.¡±

    ¡°It is very likely that he was referring to Venerable Six Livestocks.¡±

    ¡°So, Venerable Six Livestocks is the one who founded the Six Livestocks Market?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°ording to rumors, the reason Venerable Six Livestocks earned his title is because he excels in the spells rting to transformation and the six livestocks.¡±

    ¡°On a rted note, Venerable Six Livestocks may loathe killing and enjoy teaching others, but he views all things mundane and mortal as cultivation resources. Food for power, to put it bluntly.¡±

    ¡°In any case, all signs seem to hint that the Livestock Creation Art and the Six Livestocks Market originated from Venerable Six Livestocks.¡±

    ¡°I have two guesses regarding the Six Livestocks Market,¡± Feng Qingyou continued. ¡°One, the Six Livestocks Market is Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ old Dao Domain. He was fond of teaching and preaching to others, and it was very likely that the Six Livestocks Market was the Dao Domain he used to perform such duties back then.¡±

    ¡°Two, the Six Livestocks Market is some sort of manifestation created from Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ corpse and mind after he passed away.¡±

    ¡°This ce... is the manifestation of his corpse and mind?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply. It sounded oundish at best and insane at worst.

    But Feng Qingyou surprised him by saying, ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m more inclined to believe that my second guess is true.¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows in puzzlement. ¡°Please, enlighten me.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered, ¡°In the ¡®Records of the Demon of Primal Origin¡¯, there was a story that went like this. Once upon a time, a disciple of the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin swore a Great Wish: When I die, I wish that my body bes a market, and my mind a bridge. Wind and rain will batter me, and countless warriors will step on me. But so long as I can continue preaching to the masses and enlightening them regarding the Dark Ways, I am eternally fulfilled.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be all the proof you have. Just give it to me straight, Qingyou,¡± Ye Qing urged. A single story that might or might not be fiction was not enough to convince him that the Six Livestocks Market was manifested from Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ body and mind, and he was sure it was the same for Feng Qingyou. This meant that she had found some other proof that support this theory.

    ¡°We have been strolling around the Six Livestocks Market for a bit. What do you think of itsyout?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°What do I think?¡± Ye Qing roughly recalled the routes they had taken and everything he had seen until now. An unbelievable thought urred to him, and he blurted out, ¡°It looks like a person. Yeah! It really does look like a person!¡±

    Although they hadn¡¯t explored the entire Six Livestocks Market, it was enough to give them a rough understanding of its shape andyout. He could say with certainty that theyout of the Six Livestocks Market looked like a human lying on the ground.

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°What¡¯s even more interesting is the roads and arrangement of the residences. Did you notice? The road we¡¯re stepping on is shaped exactly like a person¡¯s Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and this residence over here is where a bodily point would be.¡±

    ¡°This is why I think that the Six Livestocks Market is created from Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ body and mind.¡±

    ¡°To turn his body into the earth, his veins into roads, his bodily points into houses, and his spirit into the Way and Law...¡±

    Now Ye Qing was somewhat convinced of Feng Qingyou¡¯s analysis. He sighed with admiration and said, ¡°This Venerable Six Livestocks is seriously incredible.¡±

    ¡°He is,¡± Feng Qingyou echoed in agreement. ¡°If not for the fact that he views mortals as livestock, I would not be surprised if he was called the ¡®Sage of Education¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve wasted enough time. It¡¯s time we return to our residences and practice.¡±

 Chapter 892: To Step Through the Gate of Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 892: To Step Through the Gate of Heaven </h4>

    Although they wasted a lot of time, Ye Qing did not consider their little excursion to be wasted effort. After all, he now knew that the Six Livestocks Market wasn¡¯t some sort of trap created by an ancient titan or a Sage. It made him feel much more at ease.

    After bidding Feng Qingyou goodbye, Ye Qing traveled to his residence immediately. He was pleasantly surprised to find out that his residence had a melodious name called, ¡°To Speak of Falling Cassia¡±.

    His residence wasn¡¯t big. It was ancient, traditional, and built as its name suggested. There was a cassia tree at the center of the courtyard, and the entire residence was filled with a floral scent because it was in full bloom. It was both poetic and picturesque.

    There was a praying mat beneath the cassia tree. Clearly, that was where he was meant to meditate and practice.

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. As soon as he took a seat, he closed his eyes and meditated until his mind waspletely calm and free of distractions. Then, he produced the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart from Nine Heavens and began refining its demonic qi.

    <i>Thump thump...</i>

    As soon as Ye Qing began refining the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart, it began beating as if it had suddenlye to life. As the heart started beating, thick, terrifying demonic qi spilled out of the heart and flooded the entire courtyard.

    The demonic qi didn¡¯t maintain a stable form. Instead, it manifested all sorts of reflections of the red dust; joy, anger, sorrow and happiness; the Seven Emotions and Six Desires and more. It was like a fantastical dream.

    For a time, the courtyard became as rowdy as humanity and as anomalous as the hell of a demonic nation.

    Despite themotion, Ye Qing remainedpletely unmoved. His eyes shut tight and his expression calm, he inhaled and exhaled demonic qi at a steady rhythm. From time to time, his body would emanate mysterious, rhythmic ripples that made him look like a living celestial.

    <i>Crack crack...</i>

    Time passed quickly. An indefinite amount of timeter, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes.

    As soon as he opened his eyes, cassia flowers started falling even though there was no wind, and the entire courtyard grew dimmer than before. His eyes were bright and pure, but for whatever reason, the brightness seemed to contain infinite darkness, and the purity infinite desires.

    The next moment, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes deepened until it looked deep and boundless. It felt as unreachable as the sky, and as vast as the earth, endless and borderless.

    A formless demonic lotus bloomed at the center of this infinite space. Sitting on top of the demonic lotus was a grand, towering silhouette who seemed to be looking down on the living.

    A few breathster, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes returned to normal, and the anomalous phenomena guing the courtyard disappeared like they never were. At the same time, the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart in his hand had turned into a faded stone that was devoid of all of its previous potency.

    Ye Qing clenched his fingers slightly, and the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart crumbled into powder and scattered along the wind.

    ¡°As expected of the Six Livestocks Market,¡± Ye Qing remarked with a smile on his face. It had only taken him half a month to fully refine the demonic qi residing within the Animitta Heavenly Demon¡¯s heart, convert it into spiritual power, forge his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven, and reach the adept level of his Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God.

    If this was outside, it would have taken him at least three to five months just absorbing and refining the demonic qi into spiritual power, much less forge his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven and strengthen his yin god.

    Inside the Six Livestocks Market though, he hadpleted everything in just half a month¡¯s time, shaving months or even years from his cultivation. Now, all he needed was an opportunity to transform his yin god into a yang god and be a Trueman.

    Of course, it was easier said than done.

    To a warrior, the process of transforming one¡¯s yin god into a yang god and bing a Trueman was the process of transforming from acquired to natural. It was the juncture where the warrior shedded their mortal shell and joined the ranks of human celestials. It was why there was a quote that went something like this: ¡°When you scale the Gate of Heaven pure and true, mortal you will no longer be.¡±

    This was why the Trueman stage and Grandmaster stage were considered the ¡°Gate of Heaven¡± that separated the mortals from the celestials. It was the threshold all warriors dreamed of crossing. Should they seed, they would be among the heavens and be able to live as they pleased. If not, then they would never be able to shed their mortal shell; never be more than a piece on the board.

    It was the difference between day and night, heaven and earth, sun and firefly. It was no wonder all warriors strove to enter this stage.

    However, it was not easy to ovee this threshold. In fact, it had been an exceedingly difficult task since ancient times. There were countless warriors out there who were half a step from bing a Trueman or a Grandmaster, but could never cross over to the next stage despite devoting half their lives into the pursuit.

    ¡°One opportunity stands between enlightenment and ignorance, and yet opportunity may note until life runs out.¡± It had never been an empty saying, and it never would be.

    This was why some Half-Step Truemen or Half-Step Grandmasters spent years or even decades just exploring the <i>jianghu</i>, witnessing the world, and stirring up snow and storms. It was all in search for that sliver of hope to achieve a breakthrough; that method to attain Dao that might not exist at all.

    Ye Qing believed that he possessed outstanding talent to begin with, and after his body was remade by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, he would even go so far as to call himself a genius. He was sure that he would naturally enter the Trueman stage once his cultivation had caught up, but now that he was at that point, he realized that he was being naive.

    Yes, he was sure he would enter the Trueman stage eventually. it wouldn¡¯t even be difficult all things considered. But when was that exactly?

    It could be three or five months from now. It could also be three or five <i>years </i>from now. He could not say.

    His umtion of power, knowledge, and insight were what decided his ascension. He had obviously umted enough power, but his knowledge? His insight?

    He was well aware that he was stillcking in understanding regarding the martial way and experience regarding the world around him. Until he made up for his ws, it was inly unrealistic to think that he would be a Trueman in a short time.

    That was if he did not enter the Six Livestocks Market, however. Things were different now.

    The Six Livestocks Market was the manifestation of the ancient Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ corpse and spirit. Not only did it possess its own rules, it contained Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ martial will and experience of the world as well. To practice here was akin to receiving a personal lesson from Venerable Six Livestocks himself. Therefore, practicing here would greatly cut down the time he needed to gain the understanding and knowledge he needed to be a Trueman.

    That was what Ye Qing was nning to do. He was going to spend the rest of his time practicing and tearing down the barrier that stood between him and the Trueman stage. He would be a Trueman before his time was up.

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing rested for a moment before resuming his practice once more.

    ......

    ¡°Hahaha! Thank goodness! I¡¯ve finally pushed the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique to the adept level!¡±

    Inside a residence named Clear Lotus, Tao Chong was sitting in front of a pond full of lotus flowers andughing like crazy. It was to the point where he was this close from shedding tears of joy.

    It wasn¡¯t sentiment that provoked such a reaction. It was excitement and delight.

    The improvement did not just mean a massive boost in strength. It meant that his days as a ve were finallying to an end.

    The Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique was a secret art taught to members of the Tao n only. It was generally known that it could be used to sew human skin to one¡¯s body, steal souls and seal souls to strengthen the practitioner. However, there was one more thing it could do that outsiders knew nothing about.

    At the adept level, he would be one with the painted skin and be able to use it as a substitute. Not only could he transfer any and all damage he suffered to the painted skin, he could even use it to block a fatal blow.

    However, few members of the Tao n were able to reach the adept level of the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique. That was also why few outsiders were privy to this secret.

    But of course, the ability was not without a huge cost. After all, he had be one with his painted skin. If the painted skin died, then he would suffer huge damage as well. Still, it was a more eptable oue than spending his whole life serving another master.

    With his talent, it should have taken him decades at the very least to push the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique to the adept level.

    However, this was the Six Livestocks Market. Anything was possible.

 Chapter 893: Yin God Lures A Heart Demon

    <h4>Chapter 893: Yin God Lures A Heart Demon </h4>

    In fact, that was his n before he even entered the Six Livestocks Market. He was going to do everything in his power to push the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique to the adept level because it was his only chance at living¡ªperhaps the only chance he would ever get in his life, considering how stupidly powerful Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were. He wasn¡¯t going to give up no matter what.

    The one thing that worried him was that he wasn¡¯t given enough time to push the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique to the adept level.

    What he did not expect was Ye Qing¡¯s generosity. He actually gave it over twenty days of practice time. It was a pleasant surprise and a gift horse he wasn¡¯t going to look in the mouth.

    In the end, he did not disappoint himself. He was able to push the Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique to the adept level before his time was out.

    What delighted him even more was the fact that he would be leaving the Six Livestocks Market sooner than Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou, meaning that he didn¡¯t even need to think of a way to escape from them. He would be a thousand kilometers away by the time they came out.

    Just in case Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou decided to chase after him, he had alreadye up with a countermeasure. He would spread the word that it was them who kidnapped the disciples of the Nine Nethers and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. Knowing how vengeful those two sects were, they would hunt down Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou if it was thest thing they did. He would be free to go wherever he wanted then.

    It was a perfect n.

    So perfect, that he couldn¡¯t help but be a little excited about it.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    Tao Chong was still dreaming about a beautiful, free future when suddenly, he felt a terrifying wave of energy. Just feeling it was enough for it to breach his defenses and inflict him with all sorts of illusions.

    ¡®What just happened? Did someone break through? But this still shouldn¡¯t have happened!¡±

    The Six Livestocks Market ran by its ownws, and each residence was akin to an independent space. No matter how big amotion one caused while practicing, it could not go beyond the boundary and be detected by those outside.

    Besides that, the Six Livestocks Market was isted from the outside world. Therefore, those who broke through inside itspound¡ªnot even those who entered the Trueman stage or Grandmaster stage¡ªwould trigger a tribtion. The fact was, nothing like this had ever happened before. What on earth was going on here?

    It wasn¡¯t just him. Everyone practicing within the Six Livestocks Market had felt the energy as well. Puzzled, they decided to leave their residences and check out what was happening.

    It was at this moment heaven and earth suddenly became chaotic and formless. Existing in the middle of this chaotic, formless space was a silhouette.

    Paradoxically, the silhouette was faceless and shapeless, but also many-faced and many at the same time. Everyone who saw the silhouette grew wide-eyed with infinite shock and terror.

    Some people turned as pale as a sheet and began sweating like the rain.

    Some people shook in their shoes with unfocused eyes.

    Some people seemed to be thinking hard about something and panicking.

    Some people had bloodshot eyes and looked both angry and sorrowful.

    Some people went taut as a spring and looked both wary and afraid.

    ......

    Why were these people acting like this?

    It was because one man saw an old woman with a cat face. She was the Cat-faced Grandma, a Stranger who ate ghosts and devoured infants, and she was the person he feared the most in his heart.

    One woman saw a white-haired, white-bearded butcher who was covered in blood. He was the enemy who massacred her entire family and the man she hated the most in her life.

    One man saw a dignified, gentle, and soft woman. She was his mother and the woman she loved the most.

    One man saw a young boy. He was his son, but he had died because of him. He was the one he felt the most guilt toward and missed the most.

    One man saw a tall, forthright man. He was his older brother, but he had killed him because he desired his wealth. It was the man he feared the most and did not want to face under any circumstances.

    ......

    The victims were all seeing the person that had inflicted the most shock, terror, and fear, guilt, or other emotions upon them; the one who had etched the deepest impressions in their hearts.

    They thought that they had buried the memories deep within their subconscious, but now, the person was standing right in front of them. That was why they were afraid, happy, sad, angry, regretful...

    The fearful became afraid, the joyful grew yearning, the sorrowful bred resentment, the angry turned wrathful, and the guilty felt hatred. Slowly, surely, everyone was trapped within the illusion of their deepest memories, unable to break free. Their breathing grew erratic, and heart demons sprouted inside their hearts.

    As for the silhouette sitting higher than the nine heavens, he was wearing a half-smile on his face. He manipted heart demons and desires and toyed with the masses.

    ¡°Hmm... it looks like someone is purifying their yin god and manifesting their yang god.¡±

    ¡°To think that this yin god could draw out a person¡¯s desires and induce a heart demon... It feels extremely simr to the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon, and yet something isn¡¯t right. The Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon is secretive, dark, anomalous, and evil, but this yin god gives off a grand, overwhelming, and thick impression that reminds one of the mountains, the rivers, and the earth. How strange!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite strange.¡±

    ¡°To think that the breakthrough to Trueman stage could trigger such a phenomenon! Who is this junior, and what does he practice?¡±

    There was a small group of people who weren¡¯t affected by the phenomenon, however. They were watching the silhouette with great interest and conversing with each other. It was clear that they knew each other.

    Finally, someone noticed the group of entranced people and asked, ¡°Should we save them, entric Yao?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point? They are trash who couldn¡¯t even withstand a heart demon. They might as well die here.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk... says the guy who is way higher than them in terms of cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit! This is at best an imitation of the real Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon, and they couldn¡¯t even resist this! Do you seriously think people like them can climb to the pinnacle of the martial way? No, they¡¯re at most aughingstock who will bring shame to our kind!¡±

    ¡°Keke... entric Yao is right. They are just a bunch of worthless trash. If we¡¯re outside, I would have steamed them and eaten them where they stood!¡±

    ¡°Cut your sarcastic nonsense, Mo Luo. They¡¯re all outstandingly talented children. At this rate, they¡¯re going to be crippled in the mind and be truly useless. That would be a shame, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it...¡±

    One person stepped forward and summoned a bone flute. They held it to their lips and began blowing softly.

    The flute music was mellifluous and sweet-sounding like a cleansing rain. The people trapped within the illusions of their heart demon quickly awakened one after another.

    ¡°Return to your residences, tighten your mental defenses, and do not attempt to spy on that thing in the sky, get it?¡± The flute owner warned after everyone had awakened.

    ¡°Thank you so much for saving our lives, senior.¡±

    The group hurriedly gave their thanks before recalling what just happened with trepidation still. ¡°If I may ask, what on earth is that thing, senior?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask. Just return to your residences and focus on your own practice.¡±

    The flute owner advised, ¡°I know you feel ufortable, but this is actually an opportunity to temper your mind and hone your will. If you can uproot your heart demon and achieve purity of mind, then you may find the road of your martial way much smoother in the future.¡±

    ¡°We will!¡± ¡°Thank you for your guidance, senior!¡±

    The group did not dare to test the flute owner¡¯s patience further and hurried back to their residences. Immediately, they could feel the silhouette¡¯s influence on them lessening by a great degree¡ªit was probably because the residence was protected by some sort of restriction. It couldn¡¯t block itpletely, but it was now well within their limits of endurance.

    Still, no one was able to settle down and resume their practice immediately. They were all thinking about what was happening outside.

    entric Yao, Mo Luo and the others were no different. They were deep in discussion regarding the silhouette in the sky.

 Chapter 894: To Temper A Yang God With Profound Yellow

    <h4>Chapter 894: To Temper A Yang God With Profound Yellow </h4>

    ¡°Say, how much longer do you think this would continue?¡±

    ¡°Well, manifesting a yang god is something you can finish in a day. Looking at the yang god, I would say that it is in a fledgling state, possessing the shape but not the substance. It would probably be a while before it reachespletion.¡±

    ¡°Sigh. I wonder if the warrior made the right choice attempting a breakthrough in the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    On one hand, attempting a breakthrough in the Six Livestocks Market would not trigger a tribtion, meaning that it was almost a perfectly safe attempt.

    On the other hand, a tribtion was both a test and a boon. This was especially true for warriors who were attempting to enter the Trueman stage and manifest their yang god. Not only could a tribtion assist in purifying a yang god and elerating its growth, it could also stabilize one¡¯s cultivation. Should they seed in oveing the tribtion, they might even receive a great boon from the world and undergo a massive transformation as a result.

    ¡°This person is probably the disciple of some old fart. Their talent is outstanding, but their ego seems a little too big for their own good. A shame.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What do you mean, entric Yao?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Hmph. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this junior¡¯s cultivation art is the legendary ¡®Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡¯. Legend has it that the ¡®Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡¯ is an unparalleled martial art that the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon taught humanity. It focuses on cultivating the demonic intent, demonic heart and demonic soul, and it transforms one¡¯s mind into a Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon.¡±

    entric Yao continued, ¡°Generally speaking, the purification of the yin god and manifestation of the yang god necessitated the reception of ambient origin qi. You use internal energies and true fire to temper your mind and purify your ying god so that the yin god would shed its former shell and be impervious to the fiery sun and heavenly thunder, bing a yang god.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡¯ is even more special. It uses human desires as the true fire; the furnace that tempers one¡¯s mind and purifies the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God.¡±

    ¡°This is what this junior should¡¯ve done, but instead of doing what they are taught, they dare to use a different type of power to manifest their yang god! I should not need to tell you what a gross overestimation of their abilities this was. As if that isn¡¯t enough, whatever power this junior is using to purify his yin god is theplete opposite of the inherent nature of the Heavenly Demon Yin God. Everyone knows that fire and water aren¡¯tpatible, and this junior is attempting to force a harmony between two elements of much greater opposition and conflict! Are they not suicidal?¡±

    ¡°Foolish. Truly foolish.¡±

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s the ¡®Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡¯? No wonder... I don¡¯t think this junior is necessarily overestimating themselves though. The fact that they managed to obtain the cultivation art and reach this level proves that they possess both outstanding intelligence and luck. Whoever they are, I would think that they made this choice after giving it their due consideration,¡± another person replied with a chuckle.

    ¡°You seem to think well of this junior¡¯s chances, Ye Feihua. Would you like to make a bet then? I bet that this junior would fail to manifest his yang god and be a Trueman,¡± entric Yao dered while looking at the man named Ye Feihua.

    ¡°A bet? Sounds fun. What are we betting?¡± Ye Feihua asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. I heard that you ventured into the Guangji Frost Abyss and obtained Emperor Guangji¡¯s inheritance. If you lose, then you¡¯ll surrender his inheritance to me. What do you say?¡± entric Yao challenged.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s what you¡¯re aiming for.¡± Ye Feihua chuckled. ¡°Are you sure though? Dare you ept it even if I dare to give it to you?¡±

    ¡°Just cut the bullshit and tell me if you ept this bet or not!¡± entric Yao pressed a bit frustratedly.

    ¡°Sure, why not?¡± Ye Feihua said in a voice only the two of them could hear. ¡°If you lose, I want the Shang Qing Seal you stole from the San Qing Temple. Sounds fair to you?¡±

    ¡°What?! How did you know I have the Shang Qing Seal?¡±

    entric Yao flinched. The Shang Qing Seal was the prized possession of the Shang Qing lineage of the San Qing Temple. Three years ago, he had stolen it while the San Qing Temple was holding a Founder¡¯s Day. Nearly no one¡ªnot even the San Qing Temple¡ªknew about this, or he would benguishing in the Demon Subjugation Tower already. With that in mind, how on earth did Ye Feihua find out about this?

    ¡°Haha, I learned it by ident.¡± Ye Feihua chuckled. ¡°Rx, only you and I know about this secret. Not even the San Qing Temple knows about this.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°So? Are we betting or not?¡±

    entric Yao narrowed his eyes a little and dered in a cold voice, ¡°Very well. I ept this bet.¡±

    It was at this moment someone asked, ¡°What are the two of you talking about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± entric Yao rebuked them unhappily.

    ¡°And how is it not?¡± The man did not get angry despite entric Yao¡¯s unfriendly tone. ¡°You guys are making a bet, right? How can there be a bet without me, Broken Finger Xuanyuan in it? I¡¯ll bet a Bagua Zen Sealing Pill! Who dares to follow my bet?¡±

    ¡°Sounds interesting. Count me in!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ......

    Meanwhile, the culprit who caused all thesemotions, Ye Qing, had no idea that his cultivation had nearly caused a bunch of people to sumb to their heart demons, nor did he realize that he had unwittingly be the subject of a bunch of bigshots¡¯ bets. Even if he did, he couldn¡¯t spare the time or energy to care because he was at a critical moment of his breakthrough right now.

    Yes, the culprit was none other than Ye Qing. several days ago, he began studying the martial intent and naturalws of the Six Livestocks Market. It was his final preparation before officially trying to manifest his yang god.

    The good news was that everything had gone smoothly. In just a matter of days, he was able to find the direction and opportunity he needed to make his breakthrough. Without further ado, he began purifying his yin god and manifesting his yang god.

    As entric Yao said, most warriors needed to receive ambient origin qi, temper their mind and purify their yin god with their internal qi and true fire. Only then could the yin god shed its former shell and be a yang god.

    However, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡¯¡±¡¯s method of practice was different. Instead of internal qi, it used the Five Poisons of the red dust, the Six Desires of humanity, and the Seven Emotions of heaven and earth as the furnace.

    Normally, the best ce to purify the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God was a highly popted ce where red dust was a constant. To put it simply, he should find a big city with a massive poption to perform his breakthrough. This was because his demonic thought would instantly infect everyone in the city and fuel his growth with their Seven Emotions and Six Desires.

    However, this method of breakthrough was highly immoral and regarded human lives as nothing more but fuel for growth. It was because the practitioner must focuspletely on the purification process and could not spare even a sliver of concentration on controlling the unintended influences.

    When a person¡¯s desires burned too bright, it would surely generate all kinds of emotions and actions. Best case scenario, it would cause a ton of people to fly off the handles and cause all sorts of troubles. Worst case scenario, the entire city would devolve into chaos, and countless would perish.

    That was why he never intended to purify his yin god and be a Trueman via this method. For the same reason, he needed to find an alternate solution to his conundrum.

    Ye Qing had discussed this with Feng Qingyou. A long and careful considerationter, he ultimately decided to use the Heavenly Demon Yin God as the base, and the Profound Yellow Mother Qi as the core to purify his yin god and manifest his yang god. The solution was created to solve both the immediate problem he was facing and the future quandaries he would face.

    He had learned all sorts of martial arts sinceing to this world, but at the moment, it was fundamentally rooted in the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, a martial art that emphasized on true qi and mind; the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, a martial art that emphasized on body and physique; and the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡±, a fist art.

    Of the three, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± and the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± werepletely ipatible with each other. It wasn¡¯t because the two martial arts focused on different aspects of the body, but because the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a Dark Ways martial art that was yin, insidious, and anomalous, whereas the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± was thick and strong, imposing and grand. The concepts and codes they subscribed to werepletely different from each other and conflicted on more than one asion.

    At his current level, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t really feeling the negative effects of the ipatibility yet. But in the future, it would surely be detrimental to his cultivation.

 Chapter 895: Trouble During Tribulation

    <h4>Chapter 895: Trouble During Tribtion </h4>

    One, martial practice after a warrior had entered the Trueman stage required understanding the principles of the Great Way and the rules of the world to achieve unity between body, true qi, and yang god. Only by building the bridge that connected a warrior¡¯s inner world and the outside world could one wee a tribtion and potentially be a Sage.

    If a warrior could not achieve unity in qi, essence and spirit; if their body, true qi and yang god could not exist in harmony, then they could never be a Sage or a God-On-Earth.

    Both the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± and the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± were ultimate martial arts, and the martial intent and principles they embodied werepletely different from each other. That wasn¡¯t to say that it was absolutely impossible to achieve trinity of being with these two martial arts, but it was going to be a thorny journey for sure.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was the foundation and core of the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, so the yang god it created would definitely bepatible with his body. Commanding his mind with the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± as the base would be greatly beneficial for his future cultivation and his entrance to godhood and sagehood as well.

    Two, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was extremely powerful, but it was just as anomalous. The longer he practiced it, and the higher he climbed up thedder of cultivation, the greater the pollution of red dust[1] and desire became. At a certain point, he would even gain a karmic bond with the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon himself. Best case scenario, his personality would undergo a transformation, and he would be extremely temperamental. Worst case scenario, he would go insane and be a ve of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was a qi of beneficence and Nature. It could secure one¡¯s fortune and repel all evils. Using it to purify his Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God and manifesting a yang god would cause his mind to be one with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, immunizing it from all evils and influences. He would no longer have to worry about suffering a deviation or rebound from his martial art.

    Three, the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was a Trueman stage cultivation art only. He could not be a Sage through it. Unless he was satisfied with just being a Trueman, he must practice a new cultivation art or find an alternative.

    He did not want to practice a new cultivation art. For one, it might not necessarily be as useful as the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. Even if it was, it might not be suitable for him, not to mention that it would take time and effort to practice a new cultivation art.

    Since the first option wasn¡¯t ptable, he could only seek out an alternative. He could merge the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and his yang god into one, or he could push the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± to greater heights through the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t like purifying his yin god and manifesting his yang god using the Profound Yellow Mother Qi wasn¡¯t without its ws. The biggest problem with this alternative was the simple fact that he was straying from the original teachings of the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±, which dramatically increased the difficulty of his work. One small mistake, and his effort to manifest his yang god would fail miserably.

    Still, the pros were far greater than the cons. That was why he went with it despite the risks.

    Right now, Ye Qing was purifying his Heavenly Demon Yin God with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    At the beginning, the pain was immeasurable. The Profound Yellow Mother Qi and his Heavenly Demon Yin God were absolute opposites, so mixing them together resulted in a kind of pain that could only be described as being cooked alive in a pot of oil, or being cut by a million des without end. It was so terrible that he nearly sumbed when he first experienced it.

    The worst part was that the process of purifying his Yin God wasn¡¯t something that could bepleted in a short time. Worse, it could not suffer the slightest interruption. If, say, he stopped what he was doing to catch his breath, then all of his progress would be reset, and he would have to start over from the beginning.

    That was why Ye Qing had no choice but to grit his teeth, maintain his rity of mind, and endure the unimaginable pain again, and again, and again. It was self-inflicted torture at its finest.

    The processsted over three days, and not a second went by where Ye Qing did not feel like a prisoner in hell. Worse, a prisoner in hell could at least lose their minds to the pain, but he had to keep himself conscious the entire time so that his Yin God would not copse. There literally wasn¡¯t any room for even a single mistake. Frankly, Ye Qing himself didn¡¯t know how he managed to endure it.

    There was a silver lining though. The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was the mother of all qi, infinitely virtuous and tolerant. It wasn¡¯t long before it adapted to the Heavenly Demon Yin God¡¯s characteristics and reduced the amount of pain it inflicted. As his yin god slowly but surely shedded its yin shell and merged with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, the pain was decreasing as well.

    It was only then Ye Qing finally allowed himself a sigh of relief. This was the hardest and most dangerous part of the process bar none. Making even a single mistake would ruin it all and force him to start over from the beginning. But if he managed to ovee this hurdle, then it was no exaggeration to say that he was only a short journey away from reaching his goal. Not only that, the remaining steps were extremely simple. He simply needed to follow the instructions to fully shed his yin god¡¯s yin shell and transform it into a yang god. Then, he could break through the Gate of Heaven and be a Trueman.

    But of course, things were always easier said than done. Not stupid to growx at this point of his cultivation, Ye Qing hurriedly regathered his focus and resumed his cultivation.

    ......

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s your loss, entric Yao!¡±

    Outside the residences, the group of champions was still watching Ye Qing¡¯s work. When they noticed that the yin god was slowly but surely stabilizing and growing more solid, someone could not help but tease entric Yao.

    entric Yao did not look happy in the slightest. ¡°We¡¯re betting on whether the junior can manifest his yang god and be a Trueman. He¡¯s not there yet, is he?¡±

    To tell the truth, he already knew what the oue would be. He just didn¡¯t want to admit it, at least not yet.

    ¡°By the way, how did you know that the junior would seed, Ye Feihua?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s because the object the junior is using to purify his mind is the Profound Yellow Mother Qi,¡± Ye Feihua answered smilingly.

    ¡°The Profound Yellow <i>Mother </i>Qi?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Profound Yellow Qi?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Ye Feihua. How can a junior possibly possess this much Profound Yellow Mother Qi?¡± entric Yao couldn¡¯t help but ridicule Ye Feihua, and many people echoed his sentiment.

    It wasn¡¯t that they were so unknowledgeable that they could not recognize the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Everyone here was a champion, so they possessed the knowledge and experience to match their strength. In fact, they suspected that Ye Qing was using the Profound Yellow Mother Qi to purify their yin god at the very beginning.

    However, to do so for three days straight? Not even the descendants of the Earthly Sovereign, the Earthly Sovereign Hall, could possibly own this much Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Even if they did, they would never waste it on something so trivial.

    There was also the fact that the Six Livestocks Market¡¯s uniquews and principles had greatly diminished their vision and perception. That was why most of them arrived at the conclusion that the mysterious qi was the Profound Yellow Qi, not the Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    There was only one word of difference between the two qi, but the gap might as well be heaven and earth.

    ¡°Just because <i>you </i>can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean that no one else can.¡±

    Ye Feihua replied in a casual, even tone just like before, ¡°The future belongs to the young, and you¡¯ve gotten old, entric Yao.¡±

    ¡°Save your snobbery, Ye Feihua. You haven¡¯t won yet!¡± entric Yao uttered through gritted teeth.

    ¡°We shall see,¡± Ye Feihua replied simply.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t cry when you lose, entric Yao. No one likes to watch an old man cry,¡± Mo Luo joked.

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    Everyone burst out inughter.

    ¡°Hmph...¡±

    entric Yao harrumphed, hisplexion ashen with anger and regret. He was angry that Ye Feihua had tricked him, and he regretted his foolish decision to challenge Ye Feihua to a bet.

    As the thoughts and emotions swirled inside his mind, an unbelievable amount of violence and killing intent suddenly well inside his heart. His eyes bloodshot, he roared, ¡°Enough!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... he¡¯s panicking!¡±

    ¡°Oh my heavens, entric Yao. Are you actually throwing a tantrum? Hahahaha...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re aware that our mouths are growing on our faces, right? It¡¯s up to us whether we want tough at you or not!¡±

    ......

    No one gave a damn about entric Yao¡¯s roar as a matter of course. If anything, they wereughing even louder than before.

    ¡°I said ENOUGH!¡±

    At this point, entric Yao¡¯s eyes had literally turned as red as blood. His fists were clenched so tightly that veins were popping on the back of his hands.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, entric Yao? Are you going to attack us?¡±

    ¡°Come on, then! Your granddaddy is right here! I dare you to hit me!¡±

    ¡°See my head? Aim here! If you don¡¯t, then you¡¯re my grandson!¡± One man pointed at his own head whileughing.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    entric Yao finally lost control of his rage and bloodthirst. Heunched a palm strike at Mo Luo and the others.

    1. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s kinda like bing more and more attuned with Silent Hill, and you <i>don¡¯t </i>want to be attuned with bloody Silent Hill. ?

 Chapter 896: The Fog Rises, and The Heart Demon Comes

    <h4>Chapter 896: The Fog Rises, and The Heart Demon Comes </h4>

    The palm strike descended, strong and windy. Green fog crawling with all kinds of deadly insects blew toward the group.

    entric Yao¡¯s true name was Yao E, and he was a Half-Sage. He resided in the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang. While his official moniker was the Old Man of Nanjiang, his disagreeable behavior and temperamental personality also earned him the derogatory nickname entric Yao.

    Yao E practiced the cultivation art ¡°Eight Consummate Arts of Shamanic Gu¡±. Legend had it that the ancient shamans were famed for their shamanism, curses, gu, poison, puppets, and beasts. Yao E was especially adroit in gu and poison.

    The palm strike he was using was named ¡°To Speak of Green Mayfly¡±. It was both a palm technique and a secret art.

    Despite its poetic name, the palm technique was anything but. Vicious and cruel, it was something Yao E had created bybining the thousand-year-old miasma in the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang and a kind of tiny Stranger named the Miniscule Mayfly.

    The thousand-year-old miasma of the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was eerie green in color and thick as a fog. Smelling it would instantly trigger an onset of dizziness and multiple organ failure, and touching it would cause one¡¯s flesh and blood to rot, and one¡¯s bones to melt like liquid. It was terrifying to say the least.

    The Stranger, Miniscule Mayfly was a Hatred-ss Stranger. Small as a speck of dust and nigh indistinguishable with the naked eye, it was an evil and bizarre creature that fed on one¡¯s consciousness.

    As the palm strikebined the effects of a thousand-year-old miasma and countless Miniscule Mayflies, it possessed both the ability to corrode one¡¯s astral qi and physical body, and extinguish one¡¯s mind. To call it a vicious technique would be an understatement.

    As a result, the idiotic warrior who beckoned Yao E to target his head let out a bloodcurdling scream and dissolved into a pool of pus in just the blink of an eye¡ªthough to be fair, he never thought that Yao E would dare to attack him in the Six Livestocks Market.

    Mo Luo, Broken Finger Xuanyuan and the others were also caught in the attack and took damage to their body and mind.

    ¡°Argh! You have gone insane, entric Yao!¡±

    ¡°You are courting death, entric Yao!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    Naturally, Mo Luo and the rest of the victims were furious. They all pounced toward entric Yao and attacked him.

    No one doubted Old Yao¡¯s strength, but everyone here was a champion of a sort, and they had the numbers advantage. It wasn¡¯t long before entric Yao fell into a disadvantage.

    ¡°Stop! Something¡¯s not right!¡±

    Ye Feihua and a handful of people were the only ones who noticed that something was amiss and tried to stop them.

    ¡°You¡¯re in cahoots with entric Yao, Ye Feihua? I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Mo Luo roared with bloodshot eyes before charging toward Ye Feihua.

    In response, Ye Feihua mustered his strength and shouted like a heavenly gong, <i>¡°Calm down! This is the Six Livestocks Market! Do you want to die?¡± </i>

    The shout snuffed out the unnatural rage gripping Mo Luo, Broken Finger Xuanyuan and more and snapped them out of their trance. When they awakened and recalled what they just did, theirplexions turned as pale as death.

    Yao E in particr staggered and nearly fell on his butt.

    ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°What did I just do?¡±

    ¡°What on earth possessed me to attack in the Six Livestocks Market?¡±

    No one wasughing at Yao E, however. It was because everyone was gripped by the same confusion and regret.

    The next moment, the entire Six Livestocks Market started shaking. Then, a sea of fog surged out from the underground.

    ¡°Nooooooo!¡±

    Suddenly, Yao E let out a cry of shock. When they looked, they saw Yao E¡¯s body twisting unnaturally into something animalistic and growing fur all of a sudden. No matter how hard he screamed or struggled, he could not resist the fog. He transformed into a goat in just the blink of an eye.

    Not a moment too soon, the goat Yao E had transformed into slowly grew transparent and melted into the fog.

    ¡°Dammit! This can¡¯t be happening!¡±

    Mo Luo, Broken Finger Xuanyuan and everyone who attacked earlier turnedpletely pale. They began casting their Magia or activating their Strange Artifacts in an attempt to leave the Six Livestocks Market.

    Unfortunately, nothing happened no matter what they tried to use. The next moment, Mo Luo, Broken Finger Xuanyuan and the rest of the attackers transformed into various livestocks and followed in Yao E¡¯s footsteps.

    Ye Feihua and the remaining survivors all wore ugly expressions on their faces. They survived because they hadn¡¯t broken the rules of the six Livestocks Market, but how could they be at ease when top-rate masters such as Yao E, Mo Luo and more had transformed into livestocks and were consumed by the fog? How could they calm down when they were as weak as helpless ants before the rules of the Six Livestocks Market? How could they not be shocked or terrified?

    ¡°What... what the <i>hell </i>just happened?¡± someone stammered.

    ¡°I think something influenced our emotions and desires,¡± Ye Feihua answered slowly. He was right. Something had influenced Yao E, Mo Luo and the others and magnified their desires without them knowing. As a result, they became temperamental and more pliable to their baser desires. That was why the tragedy urred.

    The reason Ye Feihua wasn¡¯t affected wasn¡¯t because he was stronger than the victims, but because his cultivation art granted him near immunity to such influences. His cultivation art was named ¡°The Heavens and I Share One Heart¡±, and it made its practitioner more like the heavens: impartial, emotionless, and without desire. That was why he was able to escape disaster.

    ¡°Would... Would you happen to know what influenced us, Brother Ye? Is it that Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God?¡± Another person asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Ye Feihua shook his head. They were Great Trueman or Half Sages, and they were all on their guard. The Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God did not yet possess such power.

    ¡°Tighten your mental defenses and be ready for anything.¡±

    It was at this moment someone asked suddenly, ¡°Why is the fog still present?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Feihua and the others noticed the same thing right after. Normally, the fog that consumed those who broke the rules of the Six Livestocks Market would automatically disappear after the deed. But not only did they remain, they were growing thicker and thicker. It was unusual to say the least.

    It was then a man slowly stepped out of the fog. He looked to be in his forties and wore robes woven from coarse fabric. His countenance was gentle and cool, and his eyes resembled pools of clear water. However, they were also deep and distant as if they had been tempered by the endless passage of time and the everchanging reflections of red dust. All that remained was infinite intelligence and wisdom.

    The middle-aged man looked ordinary, but everyone nched and trembled from head to toe. Although they hadn¡¯t felt any powerful or terrifying aura from the man, every cell in their body was screaming for them to fear him; to stay as far away as possible.

    The man¡¯s attention was not on them, however. He was looking up at the sky.

    The sky of the Six Livestocks Market was pitch ck, starless and infinite. When the middle-aged man stared at it, it was like someone had chucked a rock into a tranquil pond. It caused a gigantic ssh that stirred the night sky and made it look like it was about to fall upon the Six Livestocks Market.

    ¡°Look! What... What is that?¡±

    As the sky shattered, and the night churned like a whirlpool, a human face slowly appeared in the sky. The human face was stretched from one end of the sky to the other, gigantic and all-epassing. It looked like a face, but it also looked like an amalgamation of countless faces. No face was the same as the other: male and female, old and young. Every face was wearing a different expression as well. Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, resentment, hatred, sadness, delight. It was like a reflection of the endless facades of humanity and myriad manifestations of red dust.

 Chapter 897: Exterminating a Heavenly Demon in One Finger Flick

    <h4>Chapter 897: Exterminating a Heavenly Demon in One Finger Flick </h4>

    Just looking at the face was enough to cause someone to experience all sorts of emotions and heart demon hallucinations as if by magic. They seduced the mind and bewitched the soul.

    Even Ye Feihua, the man who had be emotionless and desireless thanks to his cultivation art, were gued by heart demons. It could not be suppressed.

    As his heart demons grew, his cultivation plummeted at a visible rate. After all, the ¡°The Heavens and I Share One Heart¡± demanded that he maintained an emotionless, desireless state all the time. If he failed to do so, he would lose his cultivation at the best, or suffer a deviation at the worst.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire...¡±

    Ye Feihua couldn¡¯t care less about his current condition, however. He was staring wide-eyed at the human face in the sky, stunned and at a loss.

    It was because the human face in the sky was an Ancient-ss Stranger, an existence on par with human Sage or God-On-Earth.

    The Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire was one of the thirty-six thousand avatars of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon. Born from red dust and desire, it roamed the endless worlds to stir up the Seven Emotions, beguile the Six Desires, and tempt all living beings to sumb and turn into a Boundless Dependent of Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon.

    It was clear that the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire was drawn over by the mysterious junior who was manifesting their Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God. They were just unfortunate victims who got caught up in its antics.

    It was precisely because he recognized the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire that Ye Feihua was filled with despair. He knew that resistance was futile, and the only thing they could do was await death¡¯s cold embrace, or lose their minds to corruption and transform into a dependent of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon.

    Then, Ye Feihua¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    The middle-aged man held out his hand toward the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire.

    When he squeezed, the entire night sky crumpled on itself like a piece of paper being crushed by an invisible hand.

    With one hand, he was going to crush the cosmos.

    At the center of the sky, the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire seemed to sense the danger and reacted immediately. The human faces began weeping,ughing, smiling, crying, raging, hating and more. Endless desires permeated the heaven and earth and warped the space as the heart demon attempted to corrupt the man.

    The man did not react, however. He simply continued to squeeze his fingers.

    Amazingly, the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire began shrinking bit by bit.

    Seeing that it could not corrupt or even influence the man, the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire abruptly shattered into a million pieces. Countless faces were flying in every direction.

    Still, the man paid it no heed. He simply squeezed his hand faster. The scattering faces could not escape the shrinking sky no matter what it tried.

    So what if it was a heart demon? This space was his, and it would not leave.

    When the man¡¯s fist finally closedpletely, the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire finally burned up like paper and eventually disappeared into nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s dead?¡±

    Ye Feihua was speechless. Now that the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire was gone, his heart demon and unnatural desires had disappeared as well. However, he found it difficult to stomach what just happened.

    It was impressive enough that the man had crushed the sky and captured the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire with his bare hand, but it was even more unbelievable that he actually managed to kill it.

    The most terrifying thing about the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire was that it was a creation of the Seven Emotions of red dust and Six Desires of all creation. So long as desire existed, the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire would forever exist. It was an unbelievably tenacious existence that was nigh impossible to kill.

    In fact, this was a characteristic shared by all Ancient-ss Strangers. All ancients were eternal and evesting.

    This was also why Ancient-ss Strangers could only be sealed, but not killed in most circumstances. The Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire in particr was among the most tenacious of the bunch.

    In reality, the man had annihted the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire with one hand. Just how was this possible? How strong could he possibly be?

    <i>Could he be... Venerable Six Livestocks?!</i>

    It was at this moment Ye Feihua realized something and bowed his head in a hurry. ¡°I greet you, Venerable One.¡±

    He was aware of the origin of the Six Livestocks Market, of course. That was why he was able to put two and two together instantly.

    It made perfect sense. Only Venerable Six Livestocks would possess the impossible power to annihte an Ancient-ss Stranger like he was ughtering a livestock.

    ¡°I greet you, Venerable One.¡±

    ¡°I greet you, Venerable One.¡±

    Everyone else copied his salute and bent their backs as well.

    ¡°I am Six Livestocks, but Six Livestocks aren¡¯t me. I am just thewful will of the Six Livestocks Market,¡± the man a.k.a Venerable Six Livestocks said gently.

    Ye Feihua and everyone else rose back to full height with reverent expressions. Of course they knew that the man before him wasn¡¯t the real Venerable Six Livestocks, but that was no reason to disrespect him at all.

    Venerable Six Livestocks looked away from the group and stared at Ye Qing¡¯s yin god for a moment. Then, he made a grab and extracted what looked like a ball of ck qi from Ye Qing¡¯s yin god.

    The ck qi was only a wisp, but it gave off a terrifying and dangerous feeling.

    ¡°Six Livestocks... he is my prey. Are you going to defy me?¡± A voice came from the ck qi.

    It was soft, silky, and myriad as if countless people were speaking at the same time¡ªmale, female, old, young. It was also mixed with all sorts of emotions such as joy, sorrow, resentment, hatred...

    Strangely, the amalgamation of voices did not sound chaotic or disruptive at all. If anything, it invoked emotions of beauty, gentleness, and fantasy. It could draw out one¡¯s most wonderful thought or memories.

    ¡°Since he entered Six Livestocks Market, he is my disciple. No humiliation shalle to my disciple,¡± Venerable Six Livestocks said indifferently.

    The voice in the ck qi chuckled. ¡°Still, he is my prey. You may be able to save him this time, but you can¡¯t save him forever, Six Livestocks.¡±

    ¡°Waste of breath.¡±

    Venerable Six Livestocks dered emotionlessly and made a rubbing motion. Just like that, the consciousness within the ck qi was extinguished. Then, he flicked the ck qi back to Ye Qing.

    The ck qi containing the power of the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire slipped into the forehead of Ye Qing¡¯s yin god, mingling and changing. It eventually turned into an enigmatic and anomalous mark.

    Once the mark was fully formed, the speed at which Ye Qing was purifying his yin god suddenly grew by leaps and bounds. Wisps of Profound Yellow Mother Qi began sinking into his yin god much faster than before.

    It should¡¯ve taken days or even weeks for the process to beplete, but now, it only took a dozen breaths or so for Ye Qing¡¯s yin god to shed its yin shell and manifest a yang god.

    Ye Qing¡¯s yang god no longer looked like what it was when it was a yin god. It was now wearing a dark yellow crown on top of its head and bearing the Heavenly Demon¡¯s mark on his forehead. The dark yellow qi and anomalous demonic thought mingled harmoniously with each other, boasting the dignity of a god and the enigma of a demon.

    Its divine might was as severe as hell, and its demonic pressure was as deep as the sea. Such was its power that even the likes of Ye Feihua could not help but feel small and submissive.

    Then, the yang god disappeared into thin air, and a silhouette flew out of a residence. When hended, he saluted to the middle-aged man and said solemnly, ¡°Thank you very much for your aid, Venerable One.¡±

    The neer was none other than Ye Qing, and there were three reasons he thanked Venerable Six Livestocks.

    One, the reason the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire had shown up in the Six Livestocks Market was because of him. Without Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ timely aid, he might have been corrupted by the heart demon and transformed into the dependent of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon.

    As for why the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire knew when and where to show its ugly mug, it was most likely because of that wisp of ck qi Venerable Six Livestocks had extracted from his mind. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was the mark of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon.

    That¡¯s right. The ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± was an unparalleled martial art taught to humanity by the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon, and those who practiced it would inevitably form a karmic bond with it. Before this, he thought he would have to reach a much higher level¡ªa Half-Sage at least¡ªbefore he would form a karmic bond with the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon. In reality, the damn thing had set its sights on him since heavens-know-when.

 Chapter 898: Lesson in Six Livestocks Market

    <h4>Chapter 898: Lesson in Six Livestocks Market </h4>

    Ye Qing spected that the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon had slipped the mark into his mind when he was manifesting his yin god. It was because he had felt some sort of enigmatic gaze and foreboding while he was manifesting his Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Yin God. However, the feeling had left as quickly as it came, which was why he had chalked it up as just a feeling at the time.

    Now that he looked back, that was most likely the time the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon had set its sights on him.

    The Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon had no reason to look at him again¡ªnot until he decided to disregard the method that was described in the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± and carve out a new path for himself. There was a good chance his decision to use the Profound Yellow Mother Qi to purify his yin god and manifest his yang god would sever the karmic bond that existed between himself and the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon, which was why the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire showed up in person and tried to transform him into the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon¡¯s dependent directly.

    Of course, this was just a guess. At his level, there was no way to find out the truth. One thing for certain though, he felt an indescribable sense of ease when Venerable Six Livestocks had extracted the mark from his mind.

    Two, Venerable Six Livestocks had left a mysterious mark on his yin god¡¯s forehead.

    He could clearly sense a tremendous amount of energy within the mark. The energy probably belonged to the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon and the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire.

    Of course, it was just pure energy. Venerable Six Livestocks had kindly removed the consciousness of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon and the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire for him. In the future, this energy would prove greatly beneficial for his cultivation.

    And three, Venerable Six Livestocks had assisted him in manifesting his yang god immediately, shaving at least a dozen days of hard work.

    In other words, he was now a noble Trueman.

    ¡°You are fortunate. That is all.¡±

    Venerable Six Livestocks replied, ¡°I have wiped away the mark the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon has left inside your mind. From now on, so long as you continue to uphold your beliefs and remain true to yourself, you will not need to fear the influence of external demons any longer.¡±

    ¡°The mark on your forehead contains a wisp of the origin power of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon and the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire. I have sealed it because you are currently not strong enough to withstand the energy it contains. How much you can gain from it depends on you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Venerable One. This disciple will not betray your expectations,¡± Ye Qing replied solemnly and performed the salute of a disciple.

    ¡°Mm. Very good.¡±

    It was clear that Venerable Six Livestocks was very satisfied with Ye Qing¡¯s answer. The next moment, he waved his hand and vanished all the residences in the Six Livestocks Market, exposing the warriors within. Then, he sat down amidst the fog and dered with a small smile on his face, ¡°All who enters the Six Livestocks Market is my disciple, and it is the duty of a teacher to teach, dispel doubts, and expound the wisdom of ancient sages. Today, you are all fortunate. Ask me any doubts you have regarding your cultivation, and this teacher shall answer all of it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Venerable One!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Venerable One!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Venerable One!¡±

    At first, there was only silence. Then, everyone blurted out their thanks with unbridled joy.

    This man was none other than Venerable Six Livestocks, an almighty titan of ancient times. There was no one who would say that the chance to listen to his lecture and receive his wisdom wasn¡¯t a supreme opportunity.

    This was doubly true for the likes of Ye Feihua; so agitated they were that they couldn¡¯t say a word right now. Therge majority of them were Half-Sages, meaning that they were only half a step away from bing a Sage. However, this ¡°half a step¡± might as well be an impassable, bottomless chasm that they could never ovee for as long as they lived.

    They had been stuck at this stage for decades¡ªDecades!¡ªbut still they could not see a ray of hope at entering the Dao and bing a Sage. But with Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ guidance? That was no longer the case. For the first time in a very long time, they saw real hope in reaching the celestial gate and achieving their dreams. How could they not be agitated? How could they not tremble with unbridled joy?

    ¡°Ask me your question, anyone,¡± Venerable Six Livestocks began.

    ¡°This disciple needs your wisdom, teacher,¡± Ye Feihua spoke up faster than anyone else before asking his question, ¡°The Great Way is heartless, and to be like the heavens is to be emotionless and desireless. However, the human heart is naturally burning with all kinds of desires. With that in mind, how can a human be emotionless and desireless like the heavens?¡±

    Ye Feihua practiced the ¡°The Heavens and I Share One Heart¡±. He could not take that final step and be a Sage unless his heart became like the heavens, and he no longer possessed any emotion or desire.

    However, he was a human. How could he truly be emotionless and desireless? That was why he could never reach the adept stage of ¡°The Heavens and I Share One Heart¡± and be a Sage.

    Venerable Six Livestocks smiled. ¡°The Great Way is without emotion, which is why it is impartial. The heavens hold no desire, which is why it is pure above all. But is the Heavenly Way truly emotionless and desireless?¡±

    ¡°It is none other than the heavens who created the sun and moon to nourish all creations, the rain to nurture all living beings, and the four seasons to foster all people. Therefore, the Great Way isn¡¯t emotionless, and neither are the heavens devoid of desire. On the contrary, they are fair and benevolent above all.¡±

    ¡°The heavens are selfless, for they are fair above all. They are loveless, for they are benevolent above all. They may seem emotionless and desireless, but it is the opposite.¡±

    ¡°I see. To be like the heavens isn¡¯t to sever all emotions and desires, but the opposite. It is to feel more than anyone else, to love no matter the circumstances. It is to be more impartial and benevolent than any other. I see!¡± Ye Feihua eximed in daze and astonishment, ¡°To think I have been treading the wrong path this whole time.¡±

    ¡°You may have strayed, but your efforts are not futile.¡± Venerable Six Livestocks said kindly, ¡°All things in the world have a yin and a yang side. Only by experiencing one extreme can you know the other, no?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Venerable One! This disciple understands now!¡± Joy filled Ye Feihua¡¯s voice when realization dawned upon him.

    ¡°This disciple has a question, teacher.¡± Another person spoke up as soon as Ye Feihua was done with his question. ¡°Before heaven and earth were formed, where did theye from? The world is created from yin and yang, but which came first? Allnd under heaven is separated into nine sses, but how should they be categorized...¡±

    Everyone who managed to enter the Six Livestocks Market was a gifted genius, so the questions that gued them were just as deep, difficult toprehend, and steeped in the Way and Law. However, Venerable Six Livestocks was always able to exin aplicated subject matter in simple terms; word his answers so that everyone could understand. For a time, everyone was drunk in the lesson.

    An indefinite amount of timeter, when Venerable Six Livestocks had answered thest question, he let out a chuckle and dered, ¡°Law enters the ears, but Dao must be understood by the heart. Please return to your residences and ruminate over what you have learned today.¡±

    With that, Venerable Six Livestocks abruptly dissolved into fog and disappeared just like that.

    ¡°Until another day, Venerable One...¡±

    ¡°Until another day, Venerable One...¡±

    Ye Qing and everyone else hurriedly rose to their feet and bade Venerable Six Livestocks goodbye. When the fog had returned to the underground, the Six Livestocks Market returned to its original appearance.

    Everyone was rushing toward their own residence, urgent and overflowing with anticipation. Although Venerable Six Livestocks¡¯ lesson was fairly short, everyone had gotten something out of it, be it their understanding toward the martial way or realization regarding their own cultivation. Everyone was eager to put the massive insight and knowledge they gained today to the test as soon as possible. Naturally, they couldn¡¯t wait.

    Ye Qing was no exception. After giving Feng Qingyou a nod, he hurried back to his residence and resumed his cultivation once more.

    Although he had manifested his yang god and be a Trueman, of course he needed to solidify his cultivation and familiarize himself with the new changes that came with his ascension.

    Besides that, the Q&A session had given him a lot of inspiration, and he desperately needed to convert it all into practical power while he still had a few days left on his clock.

    The days came and went in the blink of an eye. When Ye Qing opened his eyes again, he realized that he was sitting in the middle of a bunch of mountains.

    This was clearly the location they had entered the Six Livestock Market earlier, but the market itself was nowhere to be found.

 Chapter 899: Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent

    <h4>Chapter 899: Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent </h4>

    Beside him, Feng Qingyou looked at Ye Qing and congratted him, ¡°Congrattions on stepping through the profound gate and bing a Trueman, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°You too!¡± Ye Qingughed. He could clearly sense that Feng Qingyou¡¯s aura was stronger and deeper than it was before she entered the Six Livestocks Market. Clearly, she had made a good amount of progress herself.

    A thought urred to Ye Qing then. ¡°Oh right, I need to ask you something. Do you remember what happened inside the Six Livestocks Market? I don¡¯t know why, but I remember a person teaching us and answering questions about the Dao.¡±

    It wasmonly known that everyone who entered the Six Livestocks Market would remember the fact that they were practicing and nothing else. For example, he clearly remembered himself purifying his yin god and manifesting his yang god. That wasn¡¯t the only memory he possessed, however. There were two more.

    First, he remembered a person of untold power annihting a heart demon with one hand and leaving behind a mark containing the origin power of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon and the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire in his forehead.

    Second, he remembered a person answering their questions and talking about the Dao while surrounded by eager disciples.

    He remembered the person¡¯s words and actions as clear as day, but for some reason, he could not remember his name, his appearance, his gender or even his age. It was odd to say the least.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me,¡± Feng Qingyou responded with the same puzzlement. ¡°I don¡¯t think something like this has ever happened in the Six Livestocks Market.¡±

    ¡°Strange. Who is that person?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    ¡°I could be wrong, but it is probably the champion who left behind the Six Livestocks Market.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°In any case, there is no need to overthink this. The senior harbors no malice toward us, and we even owe him for the lessons he taught us. Let¡¯s just regard it as good fortune and leave it at that.¡±

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. He had gotten far more than what he was anticipating during this trip. What was there to be dissatisfied about? ¡°If there is nothing else, then let us depart.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, where is Tao Chong?¡± Feng Qingyou nced around once before smiling a little. ¡°Did he run away?¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Of course he did.¡± Ye Qing shrugged again before chuckling. ¡°Not only did he run away, he¡¯s at Moon Bay already. That¡¯s over fifty kilometers away from our current location.¡±

    ¡°Moon Bay, huh? He sure is quick-footed!¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled as well.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s not just quick-footed. He¡¯s harboring evil designs as well,¡± Ye Qing¡¯s chuckle turned into a sneer.

    ¡°Evil designs?¡± Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Are you saying that he is nning to spread the word regarding our kidnapping of the disciples of Nine Nethers Sect and the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance to dy us?¡±

    ¡°If only. The greedy bastard is hoping that they will do him a favor and wipe us out once and for all!¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°Say, how do you know his location and thoughts so clearly?¡± Feng Qingyou asked puzzledly.

    ¡°Because he told me, of course.¡± Ye Qing favored Feng Qingyou an enigmatic smile.

    He was telling the truth. He knew because Tao Chong had told him about his ns, but of course, he didn¡¯t mean that the fake goatherd had spoken to him. He had ¡°heard¡±, or more urately, ¡°felt¡± Tao Chong¡¯s thoughts from tens of kilometers away.

    This sounded unbelievable. After all, not even famous Magias and secret arts such as the Buddhist¡¯s ¡°Telepathy¡± or the Taoist¡¯s ¡°Heavenly Heart¡± etc could listen to another person¡¯s thoughts from tens of kilometers away. It was the truth though. It was all thanks to his new ascension and the mysterious mark on his forehead.

    After he forged his yang god and became a Trueman, his ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡± had entered the adept level and be much stronger than before. Combined with the mysterious mark containing the origin power of the Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon and the Heart Demon of Bewitching Desire, his spiritual power had multiplied in quantity as well. On top of that, his demonic thought and mind had undergone a qualitative transformation, which caused his ¡°Heavenly Demon Captures The Soul¡± and ¡°Boundless Heart Demon Tribtion¡± to be way stronger than before.

    Without exaggeration, one thought was all he needed to summon heart demons in thousands and thousands of people¡¯s hearts and influence their desires. If he wanted to, he could tempt tens of thousands of people into depravity and turn, say, amandery into a living hell in an instant, all without leaving a single trace behind.

    Besides that, he had learned a new Magia named the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡±. To put it simply, he could inject his demonic thought into another person¡¯s mind and convert them into his Heavenly Demon Dependent.

    He had absolute control over a Heavenly Demon Dependent¡¯s life. If he wanted to, he could kill them with a single thought. Not only that, they would provide him with an endless source of heart demon and desires to nourish and strengthen his mind. At a critical moment, he could even drain their strength for his own use in an instant.

    Best of all, so long as one Heavenly Demon Dependent was still alive, he could return to life through them even if his original body was in.

    One might say that the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± was the true core and essence of the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. Only by mastering the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± could he truly be undying and eternal like the true Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon itself.

    Even better¡ªor terrifying, depending on how you looked at it¡ªthere was no requirement he needed to meet to use the Magia. He could convert literally anyone be it apletely ordinary mortal or a heaven-blessed genius into his dependent so long as he injected his demonic thought into their mind.

    Generally speaking, converting a genius was much better than converting an ordinary mortal. Thetter possessed limited potential and could not really aid him in a meaningful way. On the other hand, the former was extraordinarily useful be it in terms of cultivation or other applications.

    That said, converting mortals wasn¡¯tpletely meaningless. In fact, they boasted two advantages that the other method did not possess, and that was one, sheer quantity and two, ease of control.

    With enough sand, you could make a tower. With enough leather, you could make a robe. One man¡¯s power was limited, but a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand? That was apletely different story.

    At his current strength, Ye Qing could seduce an entiremandery of people into depravity and convert them into his dependents without breaking a sweat. Ignoring the consequences, he could absolutely grow his strength to an insane rate in just a short amount of time.

    But of course, practicing this way came with severe, unignorable consequences. First, the civilians he converted would suffer severe mental damage and fall to insanity. Second, this method was against the natural order and would tempt the wrath of heavens. Third, practicing on top of a mountain of mixed heart demons and desires could easily destabilize his own foundation. If he wasn¡¯t careful, his mind could be corrupted, and he would suffer a deviation.

    However, this consequence did <i>not </i>apply to Ye Qing. This was because his yang god was forged using the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, meaning that it was immune to all evils and influences. He could never be mentally corrupted and dragged into deviation. In other words, he absolutely had the choice to convert everyone he met into a dependent and use them to grow powerful as quickly as possible.

    Ye Qing could not do that though. He could never view people¡¯s lives like grass or exploit an innocent person¡¯s life to further his power.

    Viins who deserved a fate worse than death were a different story, of course.

    In conclusion, the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± was an unbelievably potent and useful Magia. It was why he could sense Tao Chong¡¯s thoughts despite being tens of kilometers away from the man.

    Earlier, he had nted a demonic seed in Tao Chong¡¯s mind in order to control him. This demonic seed was, in fact, a basic way of employing the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡±. It was thanks to the demonic seed that he was partially connected to Tao Chong¡¯s mind. To put it in simpler terms, Tao Chong was already his dependent. That was why he could sense his malice and hear his thoughts from so far away.

    In fact, he could sense the malice of anyone who was his dependent even if they were thousands and thousands of kilometers away from him.

    For now, thousands and thousands of kilometers was his absolute limit. In the future, as his mind and cultivation improved, and the potency of his Magia grew stronger, the distance and depths of his senses would also improve.

    ¡°Tao Chong knows our name, and he has seen our true faces. It would be troublesome if he told the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance and the Nine Nethers Sect what we did,¡± Feng Qingyou remarked.

    The point here was that it would be troublesome at most.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t get the chance to speak.¡± Ye Qing gave her an enigmatic smile.

 Chapter 900: Meeting The Moon King in Moon Bay

    <h4>Chapter 900: Meeting The Moon King in Moon Bay </h4>

    Moon Bay was a famous oasis in Yan. Shaped like a crescent, clear spring water would gush out of the ground and illuminate itske with moonlight every time the moon appeared. That was why it was named Moon Bay.

    Of course, Moon Bay wasn¡¯t just famous for its scenery. It was also because it was one of the most famous ck markets of the <i>wulin </i>of Yan.

    What was a ck market? A ck market was a market where various goods and businesses were transacted in secret. To put it bluntly, it was the ce where all sorts of illegal trades and businesses took ce.

    In the <i>wulin </i>of Yan, there was a quote that went something like this: ¡°Where can you find hell or the celestial pce? Who knows, but in the human world, you should look for the ce called Moon Bay.¡± As was implied, Moon Bay was considered both hell and a celestial pce in the eyes of <i>jianghu</i> warriors.

    Why did they call it hell? It was because Moon Bay was ruled by anarchy and chaos. Blood and death were the main themes of an inhabitant of Moonbay almost everyday, which was why many called it hell on earth.

    Why did they call it a celestial pce? It was because you could get anything and do anything so long as you possessed enough money and strength. In that sense, it was like a celestial pce.

    This unusual culture made Moon Bay one of, if not the favorite ce of many <i>jianhu </i>wanderers and heretics of the Dark Ways.

    Tao Chong was a frequent visitor of Moon Bay, and there were two reasons he decided toe here. One, people from all walks of life resided in Moon Bay, which made it much easier for him to spread the news and execute his ns. Two, he was familiar with Moon Bay and so could guarantee his own safety no matter what happened.

    Right now, Tao Chong was wearing a mask and a long, ck robe that covered him from neck to toe. He ignored the greedy, unfriendly gazes peering from within the shadows and walked down countless alleys with ease and familiarity. Eventually, he arrived at his destination.

    It was a narrow, filthy, and rundown-looking alley. It was jam-packed with stalls, goods, and dirty liquid, and overflowing with beggars, merchants, diners, ruffians, and all sorts of characters. The alley was pretty small to begin with, but the addition of structures, items and people increased the feeling of suffocation tenfold. The fact that the air was smelly, dirty, and mixed with way too many types of odor did not help one bit.

    There was one thing strange about this alley, however. The people seemed far too at ease with the horrific environment. The beggars were sleepingzily at their corners, the merchants were bargaining fervently with their customers, the diners were savoring their food and drinks to their heart¡¯s content, and the ruffians were leaning idly against the walls and basking under the sun. It all looked so beautiful and harmonious.

    This all changed the second Tao Chong stepped into the alley. The bustling noises abruptly came to a stop, and nearly everyone turned to stare at him with wary, unfriendly looks.

    Tao Chong ignored their unusual, practically disturbing reactions and said calmly, ¡°Please inform the Moon King that I have important business to discuss with him.¡±

    No one made a move. No one even spoke. They kept watching Tao Chong in silence, and Tao Chong waited patiently for something to happen.

    A short whileter, the crowd separated to reveal an old man who looked to be in his fifties. His face was wrinkled, and he was missing an eye, an arm, and a leg. Forced to support himself with a walking cane because of his disability, he moved slowly and unsteadily as if he was just an ordinary old man.

    The crowd¡¯s reactions made it clear he was anything but, however. Their postures were respectful, and their eyes hid deep reverence and fear.

    ¡°You wish to meet the Moon King?¡± The old man asked when he finally reached Tao Chong.

    ¡°I do,¡± Tao Chong answered before repeating himself, ¡°I have important business to discuss with the Moon King. Please take me to him.¡±

    ¡°You know the rules, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Tao Chong nodded and handed a bag to the old man. ¡°Here¡¯s five crimson gold.¡±

    Five crimson gold was equal to fifty thousand silver. This was the fee one must pay before they could meet the Moon King. Whatever the oue of the negotiation might be, the fee was non-refundable.

    It sounded extremely unfair, but this was the Moon King¡¯sws. Here in Moon Bay, the title ¡°Moon King¡± was worth this much.

    Obviously, the Moon King was the uncrowned king of Moon Bay. It sounded exaggerated, but no one could deny that the Moon King was one of the most powerful and influential people in Moon Bay. He had near total control over all the inns, gambling dens, brothels, and other such establishments in Moon Bay, and hemanded every beggar and ruffian who resided in this oasis. As a result, the Moon King was also the man with the biggest human and intelligencework in the entire Moon Bay.

    The reason Tao Chong wished to speak with the Moon King was simple. He wanted to borrow his power and spread the word of Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou¡¯s deeds to the entire <i>jianghu</i>.

    But why did he purposelye all the way to the Moon Bay when he could have achieved more or less the same result through factions such as the Mud Association or Bird Gathering? In fact, considering the Mud Association and Bird Gathering¡¯s long standing and massive influence, they could definitely spread the word faster and more efficiently than the Moon King.

    Again, the reason was simple. It was because the Moon King had a better reputation. The Moon King never betrayed his business partners, while the Mud Association and Bird Gathering would betray anyone so long as the price was right.

    Besides that, this wasn¡¯t the first time Tao Chong had done business with the Moon King. It was only natural that he trusted the Moon King more.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± The old man ordered as he put away the bag. He did not bother checking if Tao Chong had paid him the appropriate amount¡ªhere in Moon Bay, no one was stupid or bold enough to cheat the Moon King.

    Tao Chong fell behind the old man and stepped into the alley. The beggars, merchants, diners and ruffians also returned to normal and resumed whatever they were doing before. Those who weren¡¯t present earlier wouldn¡¯t even notice that something was amiss.

    Tao Chong knew better though. If something unexpected happened, if someone tried to harm the Moon King, these people would charge headlong into battle and fight his enemies to the death. Why? Because every single one of these people was his suicide warrior[1].

    Many literal twists and turnster, they finally arrived at a small residence. From the outside, the residence looked as ordinary as it could be. It was a different story once they stepped inside the residence, however. There was a clear stream with a small bridge perched above it. There was also a beautiful garden with fake hills and exquisite nts. Even the servant girls were exceptionally beautiful and dressed in luxurious clothing. It painted a stark contrast with the dirty alley outside.

    A momentter, Tao Chong followed the old man into a pavilion. As soon as he stepped through the threshold, he immediately heard the sounds of music and dances. An entourage of women were singing, dancing, drinking, and generally making merry with each other.

    Strangely, they were all wearing a man¡¯s attire. Not only that, there was arge bed at the head of the room, and a gorgeous woman was lying on top of it. She was no woman, however. A careful inspection would reveal that there was, in fact, a lump in his throat, besides other masculine characteristics. Clearly, he was a man.

    There was no doubt about it. This crossdressing man was none other than the famous Moon King of Moon Bay.

    ¡°I greet you, Moon King.¡±

    Tao Chong stood still about three meters away from the bed and addressed the Moon King respectfully.

    The Moon King slowly sat up and leaned against a woman for support. After enjoying a sip of wine, he answeredzily, ¡°It¡¯s you.¡±

    Clearly, the Moon King recognized Tao Chong.

    ¡°It¡¯s me. Long time no see, Moon King,¡± Tao Chong answered.

    ¡°Mm.¡± The Moon King enjoyed another sip of wine and asked uncaringly, ¡°So? What business do you have with me this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this. I¡ª¡±

    A hint of bloody red shed in Tao Chong¡¯s eyes, and he said, ¡°¡ªwould like to kill you.¡±

    Before he even finished speaking, Tao Chong shot toward the Moon King like an arrow.

    1. You¡¯ve probably seen all sorts of trantions for this term ËÀÊ¿, but basically it¡¯s a bodyguard. One who will not hesitate to die for their master. ?

 Chapter 901: Threatening The Moon

    <h4>Chapter 901: Threatening The Moon </h4>

    There was three meters of distance between Tao Chong and the Moon King, but for a Trueman like Tao Chong? Three meters might as well be three centimeters.

    In just the blink of an eye, Tao Chong appeared in front of the Moon King and threw a punch.

    The Moon King did not move. Instead, it was the three women on the bed who leaped to their feet and blocked Tao Chong¡¯s attack with their water sleeves[1].

    All three women were Half-Step Truemen. Their water sleeves joined together to form a web that protected the Moon King from all sides.

    Unfortunately, their web was not enough to block the full-powered attack of an enraged Tao Chong. His punch easily shattered it into pieces.

    The next moment, Tao Chong unclenched his fists andunched a palm strike.

    It looked like one attack, but three sickening <i>cracks </i>entered everyone¡¯s ears. All three women¡¯s chest caved in as they crashed into the walls and threw up a copious amount of blood.

    ¡°You dare dirty my house? How dare you.¡±

    The Moon King hadn¡¯t batted an eyelid despite Tao Chong¡¯s sudden attack, but now, he seemed quite angry. A crescent suddenly appeared inside the pavilion, curved like a scythe and shining like a dream.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The clean moonlight melted Tao Chong¡¯s flesh and blood like they were candle wax. As the Trueman let out a scream of pain, the smoldering rage and uncontroble bloodthirst in his eyes suddenly disappeared into nothing.

    ¡°W-What? What did I do?¡±

    Fear, shock and confusion overcame Tao Chong¡¯s features. It was because he had no idea why he had suddenly attacked the Moon King. One moment he was talking with the Moon King, and the next, he suddenly felt uncontroble bloodlust toward the Moon King as if he was the sworn foe who slew his entire n. That was why he had thrown himself at the man with reckless abandon.

    In reality, that couldn¡¯t be any more wrong. Not only did he share no grudge against the Moon King, they had cooperated quite a few times in the past, all of them ending with happy results.

    With that in mind, what in the hells possessed him to strike the Moon King with the intent to kill?

    Right now, immeasurable fear was clutching Tao Chong in a vice grip because he knew the Moon King was as strong as he was ruthless. Practically no one who offended him had ever met a good ending.

    It made sense. If the Moon King wasn¡¯t strong and ruthless, then he wouldn¡¯t have be the most influential man in Moon Bay.

    Right now, Tao Chong had had the misfortune of experiencing just how powerful the Moon King was. The moonlight was suppressing his true qi and spirit and making him feel like a raft trying to weather a thunderstorm in the sea. To say that he was helpless would be an understatement.

    ¡°Mercy, Moon King! Mercy! It¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± Tao Chong hurriedly begged for his life.

    ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± The Moon King casually swirled his wine and disturbed the reflection of the moon within. ¡°You killed my servants, dirtied my house, and even made an attempt on my life. Misunderstanding?¡±

    ¡°It really is a misunderstanding! I came here to talk business with you! I bear you no ill will! Please!¡± Tao Chong begged urgently while trying his best to shield himself from the moonlight. It was useless though. Even with his newfound power, his flesh was slowly but surely melting under its silver radiance.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Moon King sneered. ¡°When you pass onto the afterlife, remember that my killing of you is a misunderstanding as well.¡±

    As soon as he finished, the moonlight immediately intensified in power. Half of Tao Chong¡¯s body melted into bones just like that.

    ¡°Argh! Tao Chong, you bastard!¡±

    At a critical moment, a bloodcurdling scream and curse suddenly erupted from behind Tao Chong¡¯s head. At the same time, the painted skin sewn to the back of his head started crumbling inch by inch. Tao Chong¡¯s flesh had stopped melting as well.

    This was the ¡°Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique¡±¡¯s ability to transfer damage. Originally, Tao Chong meant to use it against Ye Qing, but he hardly had the option to conserve his trump cards at this point now, did he? He could worry about his loss after he survived this crisis.

    After he transferred the damage he was receiving to his painted skin, Tao Chong let out an angry roar and set off his true qi and spirit. Once he had broken free of his restraints, he immediately turned tail and escaped.

    It was clear that the Moon King was determined to kill him, and the man was infamous for his ruthlessness andck of mercy. Negotiation was off the table from the moment he made up his mind to kill someone, so he could only escape. Only then he might have a sliver of a chance of surviving.

    Unfortunately, Tao Chong had just reached the entrance when a walking cane suddenly appeared in front of him. It had appeared so suddenly and without a trace it was almost as if the walking cane was there from the very beginning. He just did not notice right until the moment he was about to run into it.

    Stunned, Tao Chong spun around and tried to back away from the cane. However, every time he took a step backward, the walking cane would advance a step forward. No matter how well he dodged or how fast he retreated, the walking cane was always in front of him. No, it was worse. The walking cane was slowly but surely getting closer!

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    Tao Chong¡¯s pupils contracted into pins. The next moment, the walking cane pierced his forehead and turned his brain into goo¡ª

    Or did it? At thest possible moment, the painted skin behind Tao Chong¡¯s head exploded into bits. Half of his face was ripped off as well, leaving behind a bloody and gory mess.

    Tao Chong had taken a lethal blow, but he survived because he executed the ¡°Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique¡± again and transferred it to his painted skin. Of course, this also meant that the painted skin he had nurtured for years waspletely destroyed, and his mind suffered a grievous blow as a result.

    He was still alive though. No cost was too much so long as it kept him alive.

    Tao Chong reacted decisively. Knowing that the main entrance was barred from him, he charged toward the nearest window and jumped out into the open.

    When hended on the ground and looked around though, he froze and turned as pale as a ghost. It was because he saw armed warriors standing on the fake hill, the pond, the walls, the rooftops, everywhere. They were all wearing silver outfits, and they were all looking at him like he was already dead.

    He was a bird in a cage, a fish in a. Not even a celestial or a Buddha could save him now.

    Legend had it that the Moon Kingmanded an army of suicide warriors named the Silver Moon Guards. They were orphans the Moon King handpicked for their extraordinary martial talent and raised into powerful, fearless warriors through all kinds of secret arts and medicine from a young age. They were absolutely loyal to the Moon King, and they were one of his most powerful trump cards.

    Five years ago, a famous Trueman stage swordsman named Liu Qingfeng and titled the ¡°Reaper¡¯s Wall¡± had barged into Moon Bay with the intention of ying the Moon King. Without ever showing his face to his would-be assassin, the Moon King had dispatched just one hundred Silver Moon Guards to y him.

    Sure, nearly none of his Silver Moon Guards had survived the battle, but Liu Qingfeng the ¡°Reaper¡¯s Wall¡± was a champion on the Earth Champions Ranking. He should have been untouchable by all but another champion of equal footing, but he wasn¡¯t.

    Since then, the Silver Moon Guards became a local legend. In fact, the biggest reason the Moon King went from a rtive nobody to the uncrowned king of Moon Bay was his Silver Moon Guards.

    Tao Chong knew at first nce that the guards blocking his way were the infamous Silver Moon Guards. He believed that he was a stronger Trueman than most, but he wasn¡¯t delusional enough to think that he was better than Liu Qingfeng. If even the one they called the ¡°Reaper¡¯s Wall¡± could not survive the Silver Moon Guards, then how could he possibly do better? Not to mention that he was seriously injured right now.

    Despair rapidly colored Tao Chong¡¯s eyes. Tigers blocked his way, and wolves were nipping at his heels. He knew then he would not see another sunrise.

    ¡°How did it turn out like this? Just how?¡±

    It was as if something had drained away his qi, essence and spirit in an instant. Tao Chong¡¯s eyes looked unfocused, and despair filled his face.

    He came here to talk business. This should never have happened.

    Tao Chong regretted his decision then. If he hadn¡¯t run away from Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou, if he hadn¡¯te to Moon Bay, he would still be alive. He might not have his freedom, but being a ve was still better than being dead, no?

    <i>Right! Ye Qing!</i>

    Suddenly, realization struck Tao Chong like a lightning bolt. His eyes slowly widened as he recalled the young man¡¯s bizarre and anomalous techniques.

    <i>Is it him? Is he the one who made me attack the Moon King?</i>

    The more Tao Chong thought about it, the more it made sense. Logically, it should be impossible for Ye Qing to manipte him in any way. After all, the young man must have left the Six Livestocks Market just a moment ago, and he was far, far away from where they had entered the martial sanctuary. Even so, Tao Chong was certain¡ªalmost inexplicably so¡ªthat Ye Qing was the mastermind behind it all.

    1. A reminder, but water sleeves refer to white silk extensions to the cuff of garment sleeves used in Chinese opera. ?

 Chapter 902: Bay Laurel Celestial Stunning Spell

    <h4>Chapter 902: Bay Laurel Celestial Stunning Spell </h4>

    ¡°Go on. Why aren¡¯t you running?¡±

    The Moon King leisurely stepped out of his pavilion and nced at the despairing Tao Chong, taunting. Following right behind him was the one-eyed, one-armed and one-legged old man who led him to the Moon King¡¯s residence earlier. Clearly, he was the one who unleashed the cane strike that nearly killed Tao Chong.

    ¡°I figured out what¡¯s going on, Moon King! Someone is trying to kill me through you!¡±

    Tao Chong snapped out of his thoughts and said as quickly as he could, ¡°I¡¯m not lying! Someone is trying to use you! It doesn¡¯t make any sense that I would try to kill you, does it? If you let me live, I am more than willing to bring his head to you myself and atone for my crimes!¡±

    This was his absolutest chance to survive this crisis. He must grasp it no matter what.

    ¡°Oh? A fancy tale. Who might this person be?¡± The Moon King stopped in his tracks and asked curiously.

    Relief flooded Tao Chong¡¯s mind. So long as the Moon King believed him, then he still had a chance of turning this around. He began, ¡°It¡¯s like this, Moon King. Ye¡ª¡±

    But as soon as the word ¡°Ye¡± escaped Tao Chong¡¯s lips, the Trueman suddenly trembled where he stood and looked confused.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Noticing that something was amiss, the Moon King appeared in front of Tao Chong and grabbed his head. Eyes narrowing into crescents, moonlight cascaded from above his head.

    The next moment, the Moon King was looking directly into Tao Chong¡¯s headspace. He saw a bluish ck demonic lotus slowly growing bigger and as Tao Chong¡¯s yang god grew smaller and smaller. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the Truemanpletely lost his consciousness.

    ¡°Hmph. There really was a mastermind.¡±

    At this point, the Moon King believed Tao Chongpletely. He let out a cold hmph and made a grab for the demonic lotus.

    A moon descended from the sky, alone yet brimming with seemingly infinite power. The next moment, silver light shone into Tao Chong¡¯s headspace and illuminated it as bright as daytime. Then, a gigantic hand reached down to grab the demonic lotus like this was some sort of fantasy dream.

    However, right before the gigantic hand would catch the demonic lotus, it abruptly turned transparent and passed right through the hand like it was intangible. The next moment, it leaped into the void and vanishedpletely.

    ¡°You think you can escape me?¡±

    The Moon King hmphed again, and the moon abruptly shone as bright as the sun itself. At the same time, a bayurel tree in full bloom appeared in the sky and swayed gently to the wind.

    Suddenly, its white flowers began wilting one after another. Each time a flower wilted, a silver ripple would spread throughout Moon Bay as if the air was water. Wherever the ripple went, stars fell, sun hid, celestials sumbed, and Buddhas died.

    When the rest of the flowers started wilting in rapid session, it was as if the entire Moon Bay was submerged inside a sea. The ripples were everywhere, and there was nowhere for celestials or demons to hide.

    At that moment, everyone in Moon Bay felt as if the moon in the sky was a little brighter than usual. The darkness of the night was chased away, and all things were dissolving except the silver moonlight.

    There was no one who wasn¡¯t concerned; no one who wasn¡¯t afraid.

    ¡°The Bay Laurel Celestial Stunning Spell?¡±

    There was an old man with silver hair fishing at the Moon Spring. He was wearing a conical bamboo hat and staring at the scattering fishes, sighing. ¡°Who¡¯s the idiot who provoked that crazy fucker?¡±

    The old man put away his fishing rod and climbed to his feet, getting ready to leave.

    ¡°Dammit, my poor Moon Fishes. Looks like it¡¯s another night of wine with no side dishes.¡±

    As the old man trod away, the Moon Spring suddenly rippled even though there was no wind. The next moment, every Moon Fish in the Moon Spring disintegrated into nothing.

    ......

    ¡°Uwah! Uwah!¡±

    ¡°Sigh... don¡¯t cry, my dear. It¡¯s gonna be alright. Don¡¯t cry...¡±

    Inside a residence, a woman wearing woolen clothes and generally dressed like a farmer¡¯s wife was cooing to a baby and rocking it from side to side.

    There was no way to tell if it was just a coincidence, but as soon as the baby started crying, every child in Moon Bay started crying as well. Naturally, their deafening cries were annoying to say the least.

    ¡°Will someone go check what lunacy has gripped the Moon King again?¡±

    The farmer¡¯s wife ordered while looking at a corner of the house, but strangely, there was no one there. There was only an unusual amount of colorful embroidered shoes. There were red shoes, white shoes, green shoes, yellow shoes, blue shoes...

    The next moment, something even more unusual happened. The embroidered shoes raised their heels and hopped merrily out of the door.

    After the embroidered shoes were gone, the farmer¡¯s wife began cooing the baby again, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t cry. See what you did? Every child in Moon Bay is awake because of you...¡±

    ¡°Fine, mama¡¯ll give you a kiss...¡±

    The farmer¡¯s wife bent down and kissed the baby on the forehead. This should have been a heartwarming scene, but it was clear under the bright moonlight that the baby had an ashenplexion. It was dead.

    ......

    ¡°Cunning rat!¡±

    Back at the Moon King¡¯s residence, the Moon King withdrew his right hand with an ugly expression on his face.

    The Magia he used earlier was named the ¡°Bay Laurel Celestial Stunning Spell¡±. ¡°Even celestials and demons shall quake beneath the bayurel tree.¡± That was how the martial arts manual had described the Magia. An extremely potent spirit killing secret art, it needed only one wisp of vitality and vigor to kill an enemy that was tens of kilometers away.

    Using the demonic lotus as a medium, the Moon King had killed the ratlike scum who dared to toy with him remotely using the Magia. Or at least, He tried to. The instant the demonic lotus had slipped into the void, he realized that he hadpletely lost track of it. This was the first time he encountered a situation like this since grasping the ¡°Bay Laurel Celestial Stunning Spell¡±.

    Right after he lost track of the demonic lotus, he immediately scanned everything within ten kilometers of him using his spiritual power. Despite this, he still wasn¡¯t able to find the demonic lotus almost as if it never existed in the first ce. Naturally, he was unable to discover the identity of the mastermind, much less kill them.

    ¡°Elder Cripple...¡±

    A few breathster, the Moon King spoke up, ¡°Look into his background and find out who has made contact with him recently. I want to know who is the mastermind who dared to toy with me.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Moon King,¡± The old man wielding a walking cane answered and took his leave.

    The Moon King then epted a handkerchief from a servant girl, wiped his hands clean and ordered, ¡°Someone, drag him out and feed him to the dogs. I will not tolerate filth in my residence.¡±

    Tao Chong wasn¡¯t dead yet, but his mind and consciousness were totally gone. In this state, he was no different from a vegetable.

    ¡°As youmand.¡±

    Two Silver Moon Guards stepped forward and dragged Tao Chong away from the residence.

    ¡°Tsk tsk... to think that someone dares to use me as their butcher¡¯s knife; to toy with me... how interesting.¡±

    The Moon King looked at the moon shining above his head and spread his dainty lips into a cruel, sick smile. ¡°Don¡¯t let me find out who you are, or else... you would wish that you were dead.¡±

    ......

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Ye Qing was sitting cross-legged in the mountains when suddenly, a muffled groan escaped his lips. Blood rapidly drained away from his face and flowed out of his eyes, ears, mouth and nose.

    ¡°Joyless? Are you alright?¡± Feng Qingyou immediately voiced her concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ye Qing wiped away the blood on his face and shook his head. Hemented with a self-derisive smile on his face, ¡°This is why you shouldn¡¯t get a big head, ever.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Did you fail to kill Tao Chong?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°No, no. Tao Chong will never speak again. That Moon King though, phew. It was a closer call than I would¡¯ve expected.¡±

    Ye Qing said thoughtfully, ¡°I did not think that Moon Bay¡¯s leader would be so powerful.¡±

    It was exactly as Tao Chong had guessed. He was going to make the Moon King do his dirty work for him. The ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± possessed the power to y his dependent without a trace, but that wasn¡¯t all it could do. It could secretly take control of his target as well.

    As for why he hadn¡¯t killed Tao Chong outright, it was because Tao Chong¡¯s ¡°Skin Painting Soul Sealing Technique¡± could transfer any and all damage he received and save him from one lethal blow, and because he had just grasped the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡±. Its potency was limited, and it would not be easy to kill Tao Chong from tens of kilometers away.

    Finally, he wanted to test out the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± in a live setting. So, that happened.

 Chapter 903: Tide Rises at The Shores of Fury Wind River

    <h4>Chapter 903: Tide Rises at The Shores of Fury Wind River </h4>

    Through the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡±, Ye Qing manipted Tao Chong intounching a suicide attack against the Moon King. The n was to have the Moon King y Tao Chong where he stood.

    However, Tao Chong wised up for once in his life and realized that he was the one who was puppeteering things. So, he tried to cut a deal with the Moon King. Left with no choice, Ye Qing wiped out his mind and consciousness through the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± once more.

    The good news was that Tao Chong¡¯s painted skin was destroyed, and he was severely injured during the earlier sh. As a result, he sessfully wiped out his mind and consciousness without breaking a sweat.

    The bad news was that he underestimated the Moon King. His Magia had been this close from locking onto his position and killing him through his connection with the demonic lotus.

    If he hadn¡¯t made the snap decision to cut off his spiritual connection with the demonic lotus, he would not have gotten away with just some light injuries.

    ¡°You fought against the Moon King? No wonder!¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°There are three champions in Moon Bay, and they are the Old Fisherman, the Ghost Wife and the Moon King. All three of them are top fifty warriors on the Earth Champions Ranking. Old Fisherman is the strongest of them all, followed by Ghost Wife and finally Moon King.¡±

    ¡°On a rted note, are you aware that the Moon King shares a connection with us?¡±

    ¡°Huh? How so?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Are you familiar with the Moon King¡¯s background?¡±

    Noticing the puzzlement on Ye Qing¡¯s face, Feng Qingyou exined without waiting for an answer, ¡°It ismonly believed that the Moon King is a <i>jianghu </i>wanderer with no sect or faction to call to his name, and that the reason he was able to achieve what he achieved today is thanks to idental opportunity and fortune. In reality, the Moon King is a disciple of the Nine Nethers Sect, specifically the direct disciple of the Nether Lord[1] of the Nine Nethers Sect himself. He is a Great Trueman who practices the ¡®Moon God Canon¡¯ of the Six Canons of Nine Nethers.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the direct disciple of the Nether Lord?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Feng Qingyou nodded affirmatively. ¡°If not for the Nine Nethers Sect, what makes you think that the Moon King could be one of the highest rulers of Moon Bay? Moon Bay is a very delicious cake, you know. No one without sufficient background and strength can im it for themselves.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk... This truly is a mighty coincidence.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. As Feng Qingyou said, they did share a connection with the Moon King. It wasn¡¯t a friendly one though. No, it was the kind of bond that only a river of blood could appease.

    Thank goodness he managed to kill Tao Chong in time. Had the goatherd seeded in informing the Moon King about their kidnappings, they would have been in serious trouble.

    ¡°Oh right! If the Moon King is the disciple of the Nether Lord, then Old Fisherman and Ghost Wife must have a patron as well, right?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. Old Fisherman is backed by the Fate Knowing Pce, and Ghost Wife the imperial household of Yan.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk... I have no idea that the waters of Moon Bay are so deep,¡± Ye Qing scoffed in disdain. The Nine Nethers Sect was one of the Nine Dark Ways, the Fate Knowing Pce was one of the Five Profound Sects, and the imperial household of Yan was, well, the imperial household of Yan. Truly, it was a riot.

    Feng Qingyou refrained frommenting and changed the subject, ¡°Now that the matter regarding Tao Chong is settled, what do you n to do next, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± Ye Qing broke into a grin. ¡°It¡¯s time to y with Chen Cang, of course!¡±

    Revenge was a dish best served hot, and he, Ye Qing, was oh-so hungry.

    ......

    ¡°So this is the Fury Wind River. The winds blow like a hurricane, the waves rush in furiously, and it almost feels as if the river would pour down from the sky. It deserves its reputation.¡±

    At the rivershore, Ye Qing was admiring the raging winds and shocking tides before him.

    ¡°The magnificence of the Fury Wind River is well known under the heavens,¡± Feng Qingyou remarked. She was currently standing next to him while the strong wind kicked up her hair and clothes and made her look like a celestial. ¡°But I do not believe that you havee here just to witness its magnificence. Am I right?¡±

    It had been nine days since they left the Six Livestocks Market and journeyed east to this ce.

    ¡°Of course not.¡± A smile danced on Ye Qing¡¯s lips. ¡°I told you that it¡¯s time to y with Chen Cang, right? I¡¯m a man of my word, and I never break my promises!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that Chen Cang is hidden here?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Ye Qing nodded before wrinkling his eyebrows a little. ¡°I am troubled by something though.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes shed thoughtfully. ¡°Is it about crossing the river?¡±

    ¡°That is a problem, but no, this is worse. I need to find an ind that¡¯s located somewhere in Fury Wind River,¡± Ye Qing answered with a sigh.

    The river before them was named Fury Wind, and it was the biggest river in Yan. It began from the biggest mountain range of Yan, the Snow Dragon Ridge, and flowed southwest for hundreds of kilometers, cutting through both Yan and Qi.

    Logically speaking, Fury Wind River boasted great geographical advantages as it connected Yan and Qi together. It should have been filled with fishing boats and merchant ships.

    In reality, forget a boat, you couldn¡¯t even find a fisherman loitering next to Fury Wind River most times of the year.

    It was because the weather of Fury Wind River was unpredictable and violent all year long. Its waters raced like the blood of an angry god, its winds were as tall as hills, and its waves were rapid like wildfires. It waspletely unsuited for riverfaring.

    Of course, there were <i>some </i>periods where the wind and waves of Fury Wind River were slightly more manageable such as the beginning of spring and the end of autumn. A small number of fishing boats and merchant boats would traverse the river during those times.

    However, it was neither the beginning of spring nor the end of autumn right now. It was currently the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, and the period where the Fury Wind River was at its most dangerous.

    This was because the surrounding ice and snow were melting and flowing into the Fury Wind River, significantly boosting its water level and velocity. It was not an exaggeration when people described the waves during this time as ¡°tall and neverending like mountains¡±. One look was all it took to sap one¡¯s desire to enter the river entirely.

    There was no ordinary boat in the world that could withstand its ravages during this time. Even some boat-type Strange Artifacts were hardpressed to resist the elements.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, all sorts of powerful Strangers lived within Fury Wind River as well, which made what was already a perilous journey ten times more dangerous than before. If something bad happened, and you were unfortunate enough to fall into the river, that was it. This was why even powerful warriors were unwilling to risk the river unless they absolutely had to.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing had no choice but to brave the Fury Wind River. It was because this was where Chen Cang was hiding.

    ording to the Annon Sutra, Chen Cang was hiding on an ind hidden somewhere in the Fury Wind River. Even more troublesome was the fact that was all the Annon Sutra had told him. It hadn¡¯t deigned to give him a specific location.

    It was difficult enough to navigate the Fury Wind River even when it was at its calmest, and now, it was at its worst. This was going to be an absolute pain in the ass to say the least.

    ¡°Chen Chang is hiding on an ind hidden in the Fury Wind River?¡± Feng Qingyou voiced her doubts, ¡°But from what I know, no ind exists in this river at all. Are you sure about this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. The Annon Sutra said it existed, so it must exist.

    ¡°Do you know where this ind is?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and shook his head again. <i>This is starting to get embarrassing.</i>

    ¡°In that case, please allow me to find a way!¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly after thinking for a moment.

    ¡°You have a way, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Tell me!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out very soon.¡± Feng Qingyou kept him on tenterhooks. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to purchase some items for me though.¡±

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Rice, wheat, foxtail millet, proso millet and soybeans!¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing blinked dumbly.

    ¡°You heard me right. I¡¯m talking about the Five Grains.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°But of course, ordinary Five Grains won¡¯t be useful for our purposes. I need old Five Grains that have been stored for at least a year, the older the better, and I need at least two sacks of each type.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    Ye Qing was silent for a moment, but he didn¡¯t ask. His appearance suddenly grew blurry, and he was gone just like that.

    1. I have no idea if it¡¯s the same Nether Lord who tried to descend back then. It might be him, it might not. ?

 Chapter 904: Profound Origin Turtle

    <h4>Chapter 904: Profound Origin Turtle </h4>

    Time passed quickly. When the sun was setting toward the western mountains, and the Fury Wind River was dyed in red and orange, Ye Qing finally returned from his errand.

    ¡°Here you go.¡± Ye Qing waved his hand and caused a pile of sacks to appear on the ground. ¡°It was surprisingly difficult trying to gather these things.¡±

    He was understating it. For one, Fury Wind River wasn¡¯t suitable for living or farming, so even the closest town was at least tens of kilometers away from the rivershore. Two, the towns were all small and filled with poor people who couldn¡¯t even feed themselves satisfactorily, much less own a stock of surplus grain that was at least a year old. They couldn¡¯t give him what he wanted even if he was the wealthiest man in the world.

    In the end, he had to travel a long distance and visit over a dozen towns before he finally bought enough Five Grains fromndlords and wealthy households to meet Feng Qingyou¡¯s demands. It felt more tiring than fighting multiple powerful warriors to the death.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Joyless.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled appreciatively.

    ¡°So, what do you need these for, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°To fish!¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ye Qing blinked dumbly for the second time of the day. Since when could grains be used for fishing? Was she making fun of the uneducated, or...?

    ¡°You¡¯ll know in a moment.¡± Once again, Feng Qingyou kept him in suspense.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just tell me now?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Because the time isn¡¯t right yet.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled patiently. ¡°Go catch some rest. I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s time.¡±

    Despite the itch gnawing inside his heart, Ye Qing sighed and said, ¡°Fine. I look forward to it.¡±

    It was night. When the moon rose to the center of the sky and illuminated the river with its silver radiance, Feng Qingyou finally got up to her feet and walked up to the rivershore. Then, she opened five sacks, grabbed a handful of grains, and tossed them into the river.

    Ye Qing stopped meditating and opened his eyes then. Leaning against a tree, he watched as Feng Qingyou grabbed a handful of grains and tossed them into the river again and again. He chuckled. ¡°You call this fishing, Qingyou? This is more like feeding, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It makes no difference so long as the fish takes the bait,¡± Feng Qingyou answered without stopping.

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Ye Qing crossed his arms and waited. He was curious to know what kind of ¡°fish¡± would take Feng Qingyou¡¯s bait.

    About seven or eight minutester, Feng Qingyou said suddenly, ¡°It¡¯sing.¡±

    As if on cue, the river surface within tens of meters of Feng Qingyou suddenly came to a standstill. Strangely, the river was still raging and howling everywhere else.

    ¡°Is that... a Profound Turtle?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise as he walked up to Feng Qingyou¡¯s side.

    His demonic thought told him that a gigantic ck shadow¡ªone that was as big as a hill and shaped like a tortoise¡ªwas feeding on the old Five Grains.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right.¡± Ye Qing shook his head and refuted himself. A Profound Turtle wasn¡¯t this big, and its shell was shaped like the Eight Trigrams. This was ck and white in color and shaped like a Tai Chi symbol.

    Besides that, a Profound Turtle was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, but this giant turtle was clearly a Disaster-ss Stranger, an extremely powerful one too.

    Finally, a Profound Turtle ate fresh seafood and not Five Grains, much less old Five Grains.

    ¡°Yes, this is no Profound Turtle. It is its rarer kin, the Profound Origin Turtle,¡± Feng Qingyou answered while still tossing Five Grains into the river.

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. ¡°The Profound Origin Turtle? I haven¡¯t heard of this Stranger before.¡±

    ¡°The Profound Origin Turtle is a very rare Stranger. Existing only in rivers where human traces are almost non-existent, it hides during the day and appears during the night. It is also quite shy per se. It is why few people are aware of its existence.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°The Profound Origin Turtle possesses a sliver of the ancient sacred beast, the ck Tortoise. It is incredibly intelligent and an expert in manipting wind and water. Anywhere it goes, the waters are still, and the winds are calm. It also likes feeding on old Five Grains.¡±

    ¡°In ancient times, riverfarers would often keep a stock of old Five Grains on their vessels. In case of bad weather, they would use it to summon the Profound Origin Turtle. Once the Profound Origin Turtle has had its fill, it would swim in front of the vessel, quell the wind and waves, and escort the riverfarers away from danger.¡±

    ¡°This is also why many people address the Profound Origin Turtle as River God, Hebo, Lord of the River and more and pay it offerings.

    ¡°I see!¡± A grin appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°With the Profound Origin Turtle¡¯s aid, the dangers of Fury Wind River are no longer a problem. But how do you know there exists a Profound Origin Turtle in this river?¡±

    ¡°I guessed.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered, :You may not know this, but there are plenty of legends regarding the Fury Wind River. One popr folktale spoke of a bunch of fishermen running into terrible weather and were about to perish when suddenly, a ck shadow swam past them. The next thing they knew, the winds had stilled, and the waves returned to calm. That was how they were able to survive and return home safely.¡±

    ¡°From this folklore, we can deduce that the Stranger who saved them is friendly toward humans and possesses the power to calm the waters. They all fit the characteristics of a Profound Origin Turtle. On top of that, Fury Wind River is exactly the kind of uninhabited river that a Profound Origin Turtle would like to live in. That is why I guessed that one might exist in Fury Wind River, and as it turned out, I was right.¡±

    ¡°Your foresight is incredible as always,¡± Ye Qing praised from the bottom of his heart.

    About half a teatimeter, when the fiverge sacks of Five Grains had all entered the Profound Origin Turtle¡¯s stomach, the Stranger slowly surfaced into view.

    It was after the Profound Origin Turtle had fully surfaced that Ye Qing realized that it was even bigger than he had imagined. It was almost as big as a small mountain.

    ¡°Why have you summoned this old one?¡± The Profound Origin Turtle asked in the humannguage.

    Some intelligent Strangers could speak and even turn into humans, so Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by this at all.

    ¡°Well met, senior. There is something we would like to ask your help with.¡±

    Feng Qingyou saluted the Profound Origin Turtle before asking, ¡°Do you know if there exists an ind in the Fury Wind River?¡±

    ¡°An ind?¡± The Profound Origin Turtle fell silent for a moment before answering, ¡°There are no inds in the Fury Wind River.¡±

    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be!¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply when he heard this. Did the Annon Sutra screw up, or was the Profound Origin Turtle lying to them? Neither sounded possible.

    It was at this moment the Profound Origin Turtle continued, ¡°Although there are no inds in the Fury Wind River, there is a whale tomb. It might be what you are seeking.¡±

    ¡°A whale tomb?¡± Ye Qing looked puzzled. ¡°Why is there a whale tomb in the Fury Wind River?¡±

    A whale tomb was the site where a whale-type,rge-sized Stranger had perished. Whale-type Strangers were overlords of the sea, massive and powerful. They did not rot even after they died, and their carcasses usually floated on the sea surface and, for all intents and purposes, functioned just like an ind. That was why people called it whale tomb or whale ind.

    Most whale-type Strangers lived in the deep sea due to their sheer volume and size. Although Fury Wind River wasn¡¯t small, Ye Qing doubted that a whale-type Stranger would choose to live in this location. Naturally, there shouldn¡¯t be a whale tomb here.

    ¡°You do not know this, but sixty years ago, a grievously wounded Jade Dragon Whale swam into Fury Wind River through the estuary. Perhaps its injuries were too severe, but it perished not long after and turned into a whale tomb.¡±

    The Profound Origin Turtle exined, ¡°The whale tomb is anomalous and vanishes during the day. On top of that, it is constantly adrift. That is why few humans are aware of its existence.¡±

 Chapter 905: Whale Tomb

    <h4>Chapter 905: Whale Tomb </h4>

    ¡°No wonder,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    The reason why few people knew of the whale tomb¡¯s existence was due to the whale-type Stranger itself.

    All whale-type Strangers were overlords of the sea, humongous and extremely powerful. The Jade Dragon Whale the Profound Origin Turtle spoke of was a Disaster-ss Stranger. The bodies of powerful Strangers usually contained a tremendous amount of power even after they perished, and unlike most things, it did not fade away with time. Over time, the power would turn into all sorts of mysterious and anomalous energies. In the case of particrly powerful whale-type Strangers, their carcasses could even turn into terrifying Anomalies.

    In conclusion, the whale tomb was anomalous, and humans rarely frequented the Fury Wind River because of its dangers. It made sense that almost no one was aware of its existence.

    ¡°Can you take us there, senior?¡± Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou exchanged nces with each other. If there was no ind in Fury Wind River, then Chen Cang most likely was hiding in the whale tomb. As for how Chen Cang was able to discover the whale tomb, that wasn¡¯t a question they could answer.

    ¡°Come up,¡± the Profound Origin Turtle responded simply.

    ¡°Thank you, senior.¡±

    After saluting the Profound Origin Turtle, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou jumped onto its back. The next moment, it took off into the waters.

    The Profound Origin Turtle moved very quickly, but its back felt so steady it was as if they were still onnd. Wherever it traveled, the winds instantly stilled, and the waves were ttened to water level. It was quite the miraculous feat.

    At the distance, thick, thunderous clouds were choking the sky, the wind howled with rage and bloodthirst, and the waves towered so high they looked equal to the heavens. And yet, all was calm and tranquil around the Profound Origin Turtle. Ye Qing couldn¡¯t speak on Feng Qingyou¡¯s behalf, but it certainly was a scenery like nothing he had ever seen before.

    About an incense stickter, a thick fog slowly appeared from the horizon. It covered the entire river surface and looked like a hidden monster, ready to attack and consume at a moment¡¯s notice.

    Ye Qing soon discovered that neither his eyes nor his demonic thought were able to pierce through the fog. Clearly, it was no ordinary fog.

    The whale tomb had to be hidden within the fog.

    As expected, the Profound Origin Turtle rushed headlong into the fog.

    Inside the fog, Ye Qing could not see very far at all. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would think that they were lost in the rivers of space and stars. He felt tiny and insignificant.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The cover of the fog made the waters much more dangerous than they were before. There were hidden currents, whirlpools, reefs and other obstacles everywhere, and he definitely sensed some powerful Strangers lurking in the darkness and eyeing them with hunger.

    The Profound Origin Turtle seemedpletely unaffected by the environment, however. It navigated through the fog like it was its backyard, turning left, right, forward, and even backward at times. Each time, it was able to avoid the hidden currents, whirlpools, reefs and more with milimeters to spare, and no Stranger no matter how strong was stupid enough to stay after sensing its aura.

    Thanks to the Profound Origin Turtle, it wasn¡¯t long before they saw a small ind. It was white and smooth as jade and shaped like a fish. It was obviously the whale tomb the Jade Dragon Whale had turned into.

    After delivering the duo to the shore, the Profound Origin Turtle said, ¡°This is the whale tomb. This is as far as I can send you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much for your help, senior.¡± Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou jumped off and thanked the Profound Origin Turtle.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. May we meet again.¡±

    The Profound Origin Turtle was about to take its leave when suddenly, Feng Qingyou called out to it. ¡°Senior, wait.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else?¡± The Profound Origin Turtle asked.

    ¡°Can you wait for us nearby? We need your help to get back to the other shore once we¡¯ve wrapped up our business,¡± Feng Qingyou exined. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, senior. This junior is not trying to swindle you. I will pay you another stock of old Five Grains for your aid.¡±

    Feng Qingyou produced the remaining five sacks of old Five Grains from her Nature¡¯s Shell and dropped them on the ground.

    From Ye Qing¡¯s perspective, he saw the Profound Origin Turtle looking impatient until the fiverge sacks of old Five Grains appeared. Its eyes immediately lit up, and it visibly gulped at the sight of the food. As it turned out, the Profound Origin Turtle was a glutton.

    Ye Qing finally understood why Feng Qingyou had asked him to prepare at least two sacks of each grain. It was so that they could pay for the return trip.

    ¡°Very well, I shall wait nearby. Just call out to me when you¡¯re done,¡± the Profound Origin Turtle replied without looking away from the Five Grains for even an instant. ¡°However, I will wait only one day. If one day passes, and you do not emerge, then I shall be gone.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, senior.¡± Feng Qingyou beamed. ¡°I shall leave the Five Grains here. You may take them whenever you want. We will take our leave now.¡±

    ¡°See youter.¡±

    The Profound Origin Turtle opened its mouth and inhaled the five sacks of grains into its stomach before Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou could even begin to turn around. Then, it closed its eyes and sank into the waters.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that it would change its mindter?¡± Ye Qing asked in a quiet voice after the Profound Origin Turtle was out of earshot.

    Feng Qingyou merely chuckled and said, ¡°Sometimes, Strangers are much more trustworthy than humans.¡±

    Ye Qing returned the smile and looked forward. He began examining the whale tomb in front of him.

    The whale tomb was sparkling and translucent like snow or jade. Even the hills, rivers, flora, fauna, and even Strangers were all white and perfectly pure.

    It was unsurprising that there would be lifeforms on the whale tomb. The whale tomb was created from the carcass of a whale-type Stranger, so it contained a lot of power. Naturally, it attracted all sorts of creatures and Strangers. Over time, it became a unique ecosystem of its own. This was why there was a quote that went something like this: ¡°A whale falls, and countless are born.¡±

    Although the whale tomb had the word ¡°tomb¡± in it, it was really no different from an ind.

    As for why every creature on the whale tomb was white, it probably had something to do with the Jade Dragon Whale.

    The Jade Dragon Whale was pure white in color. Even its blood, bones, and internal organs were white. Naturally, the whale tomb it formed was equally white. It was also why all the creatures that were born here were white as well.

    Not only that, the Jade Dragon Whale possessed a sliver of true dragon blood, and the Strangers and creatures born on this ind were no different. They were definitely stronger than your usual Strangers.

    That was all, however. The power boost wasn¡¯t so ridiculous that it would pose a threat against the likes of Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou. Ye Qing only needed to release a bit of pressure to send them scattering.

    The ind looked pretty small from a distance, but that was just an optical illusion. In reality, it was pretty big. On top of that, there was a strange power on the whale tomb that impeded one¡¯s spirit to a certain extent, preventing Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou from scanning their surroundings as quickly as they would have liked.

    Since they only had a day to look for Chen Cang, the duo decided to split up after a quick discussion.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest that splitting up would put either him or Feng Qingyou in danger. Yes, Chen Cang was a powerful swordsman. Yes, there might be other Swordsgrave warriors in the area. But either Feng Qingyou or him could go toe to toe against a Half Sage, much less one puny Chen Cang.

    Chen Cang was the only one here who had much to fear.

 Chapter 906: Seven Wounds Sword Ultimate

    <h4>Chapter 906: Seven Wounds Sword Ultimate </h4>

    Right now, Chen Cang was experiencing great pain and terror.

    He was in pain because his current life was worse than death, and he was afraid because he did not know if <i>he </i>would invent a new way to torture him.

    Who was he?

    He was one of the Twelve Ultimate Swords of Swordsgrave, the ¡°Seven Wounds Ultimate Sword¡± Cheng Qishang.

    As the title implied, the Twelve Ultimate Swords of Swordsgrave referred to twelve swordsmen whose swordsmanship had reached the pinnacle within the Swordsgrave.

    The Twelve Ultimate Swords might not be the strongest or most powerful warriors within the Swordsgrave, but they were definitely the most talented swordsmen who had reached the pinnacle in a specific sword art.

    Naturally, someone who had reached the pinnacle of a certain sword art was strong even if their cultivation level orbat strength weren¡¯t the greatest.

    Cheng Qishang was one such person. He was a genius who reached the pinnacle of one of the thirty six sword arts of Swordsgrave, the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡±, before he was thirty. No one else in the history of Swordsgrave had ever reached this level. Hence, they named him the Seven Wounds Ultimate Sword.

    Cheng Qishang wasn¡¯t most famous for his talent in swordsmanship or his title, however. It was his training methods.

    Cheng Qishang¡¯s training methods could only be described as abnormal and cruel to the extreme. He would do anything and everything that would improve his swordsmanship. He wasn¡¯t afraid of death, danger, or pain.

    Once, Cheng Qishang sat in a cave of poison to temper his sword body. He allowed himself to be eaten by the Five Poisons without eating, drinking, moving, or even reacting for an entire month. By the time he emerged from the cave, all that was left of him was bones[1].

    Once, Cheng Qishang severed his own meridians and became a beggar to temper his sword heart. He ate leftovers, tasted cold food, endured hunger and cold, and suffered oppression and disgust. He lived like this for twelve years before he fixed himself.

    Once, Cheng Qishang dug out his own internal organs and polluted it with filth and sickness to temper his own sword intent. He was gued by all sorts of diseases and injuries for decades, and he wasn¡¯t fully healed even to this day.

    This was just the tip of the iceberg that was the insane feats Cheng Qishang had put himself through to hone his sword.

    Cheng Qishang loved training. He also loved teaching and training other Swordsgrave disciple in the way of the sword.

    Cheng Qishang treated them like how he treated himself.

    In other words, he was ruthless to them as much as he was ruthless to himself, sometimes more.

    Cheng Qishang especially enjoyed torturing others using methods that anyone in their right mind would consider most inhumane, tragic and brutal. He called it ¡°training¡±.

    For example, he had left disciples in a pittrine and fed them literal shit.

    He had locked people in a lightless sealed room with no one but themselves to makepany with.

    He had humiliated the parents of a disciple and ughtered their closest friends and family right before their eyes.

    And more.

    His ¡°training¡± methods always surpassed imaginations. There was nothing he wouldn¡¯t try.

    As Swordsgrave did not restrict its disciples frommunicating,peting, or even killing each other, countless disciples had suffered his inhuman ways.

    The oue was obvious. Twenty percent of the disciples he taught went insane, twenty percent were mentally shattered, twenty percent became cripples, twenty percent died, and the final twenty percent who survived turned into inhuman, abnormal monsters who only knew ughter.

    In the eyes of all Swordsgrave disciple, Cheng Qishang was a madman, a bastard, and an especially powerful madman and bastard.

    They might all be abnormal and crazy, butpared to Cheng Qishang? They might as well be innocent, good little sheeps.

    This was also why there were only a handful of people in Swordsgrave who didn¡¯t fear or hate Cheng Qishang to the bone.

    Unfortunately for Chen Cang, he was one of the many, many Swordsgrave disciples who had the misfortune of being tortured by Cheng Qishang.

    The good news, he survived the madman¡¯s methods.

    The horrible news? He had fallen into the madman¡¯s hands once more.

    Not long ago, he was being chased by the elites of the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. He was this close from dying when suddenly, Cheng Qishang appeared and saved his life. Then, he brought him to this ce.

    They were at the Sword Tomb, one of Swordsgrave¡¯s branch halls. After Cheng Qishang brought him here, he had locked him up and tortured him in countless ways everyday. The way Cheng Qishang put it, he was training Chen Cang and making him stronger so that he wouldn¡¯t bring shame to the Swordsgrave like before.

    Right now, he was stuck inside arge pot. At the bottom of the pot was a zing fire, and inside the pot was molten bronze.

    He was burning inside the pot of molten bronze right now.

    Normally, this would not be a problem. He was a Trueman after all. Forget getting hurt, he wouldn¡¯t even feel much pain.

    The problem was that his cultivation waspletely sealed right now. In this state, he was barely stronger than a normal person.

    So, how did he fare? His flesh was melting, his bones were boiling, and there wasn¡¯t a good patch of skin to be found throughout his entire body. To call him a ghoul-like would be an insult to an actual ghoul.

    Despite this, Chen Cang did not cry out in pain; did not beg for mercy even once.

    He was a tough character, but was he <i>that </i>tough of a character? Of course not. His fear was just greater than his instincts.

    Cheng Qishang was sitting right there and watching him after all.

    Cheng Qishang was currently in his thirties. He had a thin and frail physique, and hisplexion could only be described as sickly yellow. From time to time, he would cough like he was a sick, frail patient.

    No one who saw him for the first time would think that he was the cruel and crazy Seven Wounds Ultimate Sword. But in Chen Cang¡¯s eyes? He was a demon wearing human skin.

    Actually, scratch that. He was far, far worse than a demon.

    Cheng Qishang watched Chen Cang trembling all over as he tried to hold in the pain. He covered his mouth, coughed twice, and said slowly, ¡°No need to hold it in. Pain should be screamed, you know.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Chen Cang squeezed through gritted teeth. Literally. He was afraid that he would scream if he opened his mouth.

    If he did scream, then what awaited him was only more inhuman torture.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt? Good. You¡¯ve improved.¡± An eerie, evil smile spead across Cheng Qishang¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯re much better than those trashes, aren¡¯t you? I didn¡¯t even give them much guidance, and they were already screaming like they wanted to put a hole in the sky. They do not possess the sword bone and pride of a Swordsgrave disciple at all.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Do you know what happened to them?¡±

    Before Chen Cang could answer, Cheng Qishang said, ¡°Trashes like them do not deserve to be a disciple of Swordsgrave. So, I refined them into wood coal. You know, the wood coal that¡¯s burning under your pot right now? That¡¯s all they are good for.¡±

    Chen Cang trembled. He nearly broke there and then.

    Cheng Qishang continued, ¡°You are a disciple of the Swordsgrave. Your bones must be hard like a sword, unbending no matter how much pressure they¡¯re under, and your pride must be pure like a sword, unblemished no matter how much filth buries it.¡±

    ¡°I will remember your teachings, senior brother,¡± Chen Cang replied through gritted teeth, his voice carefully controlled so that not so much as a squeak escaped his throat. Otherwise, who was to say he wouldn¡¯t follow in the others¡¯ footsteps?

    ¡°You say that, but your response is weak. Do you think I¡¯m wrong, or do you have something against me?¡± Cheng Qishang looked Chen Cang up and down with a smile that did not reach the eye.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Chen Cang forced down his pain and said loudly, ¡°It is this junior brother''s honor to be tutored by you! This junior brother is grateful beyond imagination!¡±

    ¡°Mm. Good. d to see that my teachings haven¡¯t gone to waste.¡± Cheng Qishang nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Since it doesn¡¯t hurt, allow me to spice things up a little.¡±

    A mosquito flew out of Cheng Qishang¡¯s sleeve andnded on Chen Cang¡¯s skull. Then, it plunged its long proboscis into his scalp.

    At first, Chen Cang only felt a little itchy. He did not feel anything else.

    He was confused when Chen Qishang exined, ¡°This mosquito is called the Heguang Mosquito. The Heguang Mosquito possesses no offensive power, but it does boast one very interesting quality: it can magnify a person¡¯s senses several fold in a short time.¡±

    Cheng Qishang had just finished when Chen Cang realized that the pain had suddenly be several times worse than before.

    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    Chen Cang was at his limits to begin with. His tongue snapped in half between his teeth, and a bloodcurdling scream escaped his throat.

    1. Wow, a literal skeleton warrior! ?

 Chapter 907: Sword Tomb

    <h4>Chapter 907: Sword Tomb </h4>

    ¡°Tsk tsk... Broke down already?¡± A sick, crazed grin spread across Chen Qishang¡¯s face when he heard Chen Cang¡¯s screams. ¡°Useless!¡±

    ¡°I was going to send you away tomorrow thinking that you have finally improved a little, but now? Now, I think you¡¯re stillcking a little... <i>fire</i>. If you can¡¯t even withstand this bit of pain, then you¡¯re just going to bring shame to our Swordsgrave again. There¡¯s no helping it, I guess I¡¯ll just have to educate you some more.¡±

    ¡°What do you think? Aren¡¯t you happy and excited?¡±

    ¡°Ahhhh... ahhhhhhh...¡± The only response Chen Qishang got was Chen Cang¡¯s full-throated screams.

    ¡°You¡¯re so happy that you can cry? Good, good! This senior brother promises to show you his best methods if only to meet your expectations and passion!¡± Cheng Qishang chirped excitedly while walking circles around Chen Cang.

    A dozen or so breathster, Chen Cang¡¯s screams slowly died down. Judging from his unfocused eyes, it was clear that he was on the verge of falling unconscious.

    It was at this moment Cheng Qishang flicked a pill into Chen Cang¡¯s mouth. A tremendous amount of vitality immediately spread throughout his body.

    Chen Cang regained his consciousness and started screaming at the top of his lungs again.

    ¡°Tsk tsk... I gotta say, your screams are some of the most wonderful music I¡¯ve heard, junior brother. I just can¡¯t get enough of it!¡±

    Intoxication and enjoyment adorned Cheng Qishang¡¯s expression as he said, ¡°Come on, louder, just a little louder... that¡¯s it! That¡¯s the stuff. Now keep going and don¡¯t stop...¡±

    Right now, neither man realized that someone had arrived at the outer edge of the Sword Tomb.

    ......

    ¡°An array? I thought this might be the ce!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes shed with triumph as he stared at the peach blossom forest in front of him.

    He called it a peach blossom forest, but it wasn¡¯t really urate. The shape and size of the trees matched that of a peach blossom tree, but they werepletely white in color because of the whale tomb. For now, he assumed that it was a peach blossom forest.

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t the main point. The main point was that therge majority of these peach blossom trees were nted to form an array of sorts.

    It had to be where Chen Cang was hiding.

    Ye Qing stepped into the forest without hesitation. Immediately, peach blossom flowers began falling from above, and the trees shifted and turned here and there. The entrance where he came from was gone, and thick fog was rolling in from every direction. It was a peach blossom miasma, and it was highly poisonous.

    ¡°Hup!¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath. Then, he exhaled.

    Clouds formed when he inhaled, and wind emerged when he exhaled. A powerful gale instantly dispersed the peach blossom miasma and cleared out the entire space.

    By the time the gale had subsided, the peach blossom miasma were all gone. Even the peach blossom trees werepletely bald, the flowers lying dead and wilted on the ground.

    More importantly, a dozen or so swordsmen wearing ck robes and dumbfounded expressions on their faces were revealed. They were Swordsgrave disciples, and they were responsible for guarding the peach blossom forest and ying anyone or anything who dared to enter this ce.

    Although the Sword Tomb was extremely well hidden, someone would somehow make it to this ce every once in a long while. Their duty was to silence these people and ensure that the existence of the Sword Tomb remained hidden, not to mention dealing with the asional Stranger threat.

    The array they were garrisoning was called the Great Peach Blossom Array. It could trap enemies and kill them via its deadly peach blossom miasma.

    Generally speaking, they would activate the Great Peach Blossom Array to trap their foes before unleashing the peach blossom miasma. The peach blossom miasma was extremely poisonous, capable of killing anyone below Spirit Purification stage and knocking out anyone below Trueman stage. Even a Trueman or a Grandmaster would find themselves dizzy and gued by vigor cirction issues should they make contact with the miasma, bing much weaker than before.

    In the case of powerful enemies that the peach blossom miasma could not eliminate outright, they would enter the battlefield to ambush their quarry and y them where they stood.

    The battle n hadn¡¯t failed them so far. The scores of Truemen and Grandmasters they killed across the years was proof of the n¡¯s effectiveness.

    They knew that Ye Qing was strong from the moment they set their sights on him. That was why they defaulted to their usual battle n against strong foes and hid themselves. They were going to wait until the peach blossom miasma had weakened Ye Qing before ending his life in one fell swoop.

    However, Ye Qing¡¯s response was beyond anything they were expecting. Not only did the guy blow away the peach blossom miasma and break the Great Peach Blossom Array in one puff, he had exposed them as well.

    This was the first time they encountered a situation like this after guarding the Sword Tomb for so long. They were unsure how to react to put it mildly.

    ¡°You¡¯re Swordsgrave disciples?!¡± Ye Qing remarked after examining the stunned group and sensing the tremendous sword qi inside their body.

    ¡°Who are you? How dare you trespass into the Sword Tomb?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s remark snapped them out of their reverie. At the same time, someone tried to contact their elites in secret. They knew that there was no way they could handle Ye Qing on their own.

    Unfortunately, they had barely moved when Ye Qing snapped his fingers. An invisible, anomalous energy rippled out, and their minds copsed into chaos instantly.

    A demonic lotus surface as Ye Qing¡¯s eyes flickered anomalously.

    ¡°Swordsgrave? Seven Wounds Ultimate Sword? I see! This is one of Swordsgrave¡¯s branch halls!¡± A smirk appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s face as the demonic lotus rotated slowly. ¡°Interesting.¡±

    Just now, he had used the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± to take control of the Swordsgrave disciple instantly. After that, he read their minds and found out everything he needed to know about this ce.

    Once he was done, Ye Qing waved his hand and caused the Swordsgrave disciples to move out of his way like puppets. Then, he walked straight ahead.

    He hadn¡¯t killed the Swordsgrave disciples not because he was feeling merciful, but because they were useful to him. Swordsgrave disciples were notoriously talented, strong and viinous, making them perfect fodders for his ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡±.

    Ye Qing saw arge tomb after he passed through the peach blossom forest. The tomb was huge, extravagantly-designed, and magnificently-built. A ten-meter tall white jade tablet ahead of him had the words ¡°Sword Tomb¡± engraved on its surface.

    ¡°The people of Swordsgrave sure has unique tastes!¡± Ye Qing muttered under his breath. The tomb in front of him wasn¡¯t an actual tomb, of course. It was the branch hall and where the disciples of Swordsgrave were practicing.

    As soon as he appeared, countless Swordsgrave disciples appeared and attacked him from all sides.

    However, they all lost their consciousness and stopped in their tracks before they could even get close to Ye Qing.

    In a void where they couldn¡¯t see, countless demonic lotuses were descending into their headspace and minds.

    <i>¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡±</i>

    None of these Swordsgrave disciples were weaklings. They ranged from Astral Refiners to Half-Step Truemen. However, they might as well be ants before Ye Qing. He had converted them all into Heavenly Demon Dependents without any resistance whatsoever.

    ¡°Open the entrance,¡± Ye Qingmanded while looking at the white jade tablet.

    A Swordsgrave disciple immediately stepped forward and injected a wisp of sword qi into the white jade tablet. A ripple washed out of the tablet and transformed into an entrance.

    As soon as Ye Qing passed through the threshold, light and shadow ovepped, and a massive space appeared in front of Ye Qing. He was immediately greeted by the sight of bridges, streams, blue sky, buildings, carts, people, and more. It was like a hidden corner of paradise.

    Countless people were practicing their cultivation or their sword Inside the Sword Tomb. Ye Qing¡¯s entrance came as a surprise to all of them. Unfortunately, not a single one of them managed to react before their consciousness dimmed into darkness.

 Chapter 908: Seven Wounds Sword Art

    <h4>Chapter 908: Seven Wounds Sword Art </h4>

    ¡°This ce is pretty good!¡±

    Ye Qing smiled and curled his fingers like he was holding a lotus. Then, he lowered his hand and caused a towering silhouette to appear in the sky.

    The silhouette wore a tall crown and a loose robe. Dark yellow energy surrounded his person, and a strange mark flickered on his forehead, noble and mysterious.

    When the silhouette lowered his hand, what felt like an infinite amount of demonic thought flooded the Sword Tomb. What was a hidden corner of paradise instantly plunged into red dust.

    In just an instant, everyone in Swordsgrave lost their consciousness. Everyone below Trueman stage was turned into his Heavenly Demon Dependent. Only a handful of people possessing priceless artifacts, an unbreakable will, a powerful cultivation, or all of the above managed to regain their consciousness.

    ¡°Who goes there?!¡±

    An angry roar erupted as a pair of silhouettes soared into the sky, sword qi billowing.

    They were an old man and a young woman.

    The old man looked to be in his seventies, his hairpletely white and his face gaunt as it could be.

    The young woman was only thirteen or fourteen years old and sported a cute and delicate countenance.

    Despite their contrasting appearances, they shared one thing inmon: an overwhelming amount of sword qi and killing intent.

    ¡°Calm down, people! I don¡¯t want you damaging my Sword Tomb!¡±

    Ye Qing smirked when he saw the duo. He knew from the memories of his dependents that the man was called ¡°Withered Sword¡±, and the young woman ¡°Old Child¡±. They were both Trueman stage warriors and the Hallmaster and Vice Hallmaster of Sword Tomb.

    ¡°What?¡±

    For an instant, Withered Sword and Old Child were caught off guard by Ye Qing¡¯s remark. Did the intruder just stake his im on the ¡°Sword Tomb¡±? Just how brazen could he be?

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    Enraged, Withered Sword ran his hand across his de. His white hair fluttering menacingly in the air, he manifested a sword that was overflowing with cold, deste sword qi and decaying, withering sword intent.

    Even before he unleashed the technique, the entire Sword Tomb had be lightless and deste. The nts began withering earnestly, the waters looked corrupted and filthy, and death and decay were everywhere.

    ¡°Sigh...¡±

    It was at this moment a long sigh appeared in Withered Sword¡¯s heart. Stunned, Withered Sword tried to unleash his attack only to find that his target¡ªhe was a hundred meters away from him¡ªhad disappeared.

    The next moment, a pair of fingers appeared right in front of him and caught his de firmly.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Don¡¯t damage my Sword Tomb.¡±

    Ye Qing squeezed, and the de snapped in half without a sound. At the same time, a tremendous power washed out and wiped out every speck of decay guing the city.

    Withered Sword¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He practiced one of the thirty six sword arts of Swordsgrave, the ¡°Sword Art of Withering and Decay¡±. A highly offensive sword art focused on withering and decay, it could sap all life from his target and his surroundings. It was a highly potent and evil sword art.

    That wasn¡¯t all. In order to increase its power further, he turned himself a medium and refined his hair into swords. That¡¯s right. Each strand of hair on his head was a sword, and every sword was a wisp of withering sword intent.

    It might look like he was unleashing just one sword earlier, but it was really thousands and thousands of swords.

    However, his foe had snapped all of his swords with just a pair of fingers and crushed his sword intents in an instant.

    How could he not be surprised? How could he not be afraid?

    Luckily, there was a silver lining. The man seemed to have forgotten that he wasn¡¯t fighting against one person.

    Not far away, Old Child¡¯s sword left its sheath. Old Child might boast the appearance of a cute, gentle girl, but the sword art she practiced was the most violent and brutal sword art of the thirty six sword arts of Swordsgrave. Its name was the ¡°Sun Shatterer Sword Art¡±.

    As its name implied, the ¡°Sun Shatterer Sword Art¡± could shatter even the sun, much less a human. That was why the sun abruptly winked out, thend copsed, and the world plunged into darkness as soon as the technique appeared.

    Then, something even more unbelievable happened. Withered Sword saw Ye Qing raising his hand and throwing one punch.

    A punch apanied by wind and thunder should open the gates of heaven and earth. The punch pierced through the lightless sky, scattered the immense sword qi that could shatter the sun and break mountains and rivers, and struck Old Child squarely in the forehead.

    There was a loud crunch as a muffled groan escaped Old Child¡¯s lips. Her energies scattered, and she bled from every orifice as she flew through the air.

    At this point, Withered Sword¡¯s shock had reached its peak, and his fighting spirit the bottom. An aura of decay gushed out of his body as he began aging and decaying at a visible rate. The next moment, the aura of decay tried to slip into the void with Withered Sword in it.

    Unfortunately, Ye Qing was faster. The instant Withered Sword would have slipped into the void, a hand grabbed his throat and dragged him back to reality.

    ¡°Urk!¡±

    Withered Sword struggled with all his might, his sword qi shooting wildly in an attempt to get Ye Qing to break his hold. However, the sword qi that could easily split rivers and crush mountains failed to cut even a piece of fabric from Ye Qing¡¯s shirt. It was all dissolved by a sheen of dark yellow energy floating three inches away from Ye Qing¡¯s person.

    Realizing that escape was impossible, Withered Sword tried to abandon his physical body and escape with his yang god. Unfortunately, the thought had just urred to him when a demonic lotus bloomed inside his mind.

    It spun once, and Withered Sword¡¯s mind plunged into eternal chaos.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    The moment Ye Qingnded on his feet, he suddenly felt a burst of pain from his lungs. His immediately felt breathless.

    ¡°Lung Mangler?¡± Ye Qing turned around and faced toward a nearby building, his eyebrows raised slightly.

    ¡°Cough cough... you seem like a smart one. No wonder you dare to wreak havoc in my Sword Tomb.¡±

    A man covering his mouth with a handkerchief and coughing non-stop slowly walked out of the building.

    He was Cheng Qishang of course.

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I¡¯m not here to wreak havoc.¡± Ye Qing dropped Withered Sword on the ground and replied smilingly, ¡°I¡¯m here to kill.¡±

    Ye Qing was wearing a casual smile on his face, but he was as serious and alert as he could get on the inside. He knew that Cheng Qishang was here from his dependents¡¯ memories, and he knew that the man was very, very powerful. That was why he was on his guard from the very beginning.

    Despite this, it turned out that he still underestimated Cheng Qishang. He never noticed how he took the hit from the start until the end. Not only that, his physique was unable to fully eliminate the afflictions.

    The Lung Mangler was one of the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡±¡¯s techniques. Specifically targeting the lungs, the technique could have crushed a weaker Trueman or Grandmaster¡¯s lungs and suffocate them to death.

    On top of that, Ye Qing could tell that his internal workings were growing increasingly dysfunctional every time Cheng Qishang coughed. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to stop the affliction from taking hold. It was quite eerie.

    ¡°Oh? Seems like you have a specific target in mind. Who is it, pray tell?¡± Cheng Qishang asked curiously.

    ¡°Chen Cang!¡± Ye Qing replied, ¡°Or should I say, Sword Ghoul.¡±

    ¡°Sword Ghoul?¡± Cheng Qishang raised his eyebrows. ¡°You must be the Dragonmount Duke¡¯s subordinate then.¡±

    He immediately refuted himself after, however. ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not right. I would¡¯ve remembered a character like you if you were serving the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. Hmm, let me guess. Are you the one who caused Sword Ghoul to be hunted all over the ce like a rat; the nemesis he wished to kill like no other, Ye Qing?¡±

    ¡°Congrattions. That is correct.¡± Ye Qing grinned.

    ¡°Tsk tsk. I was going to seek you out myself in a few days. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to deliver yourself to my doorsteps.¡± A sick grin appeared on Cheng Qishang¡¯s face. ¡°You sure saved me a lot of trouble.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°I too was nning to take you all out in one go. It is amazing how great minds think alike, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    As soon as he was done talking, the silhouette in the skyunched a palm strike at Cheng Qishang.

    The Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven descended, spurring red dust and heart demons.

 Chapter 909: Earthly Sovereigns Fights Seven Wounds

    <h4>Chapter 909: Earthly Sovereigns Fights Seven Wounds </h4>

    Cheng Qishang coughed twice and tossed his handkerchief into the air, ¡°Cough cough... my sword and my heart are as one, and there is nothing else for me besides the sword. If you think that a mere foreign demon can ruin me, think again!¡±

    As soon as the handkerchief took flight, a clear wind blew from somewhere and spread out like the clouds. The next moment, the entire sky was filled with immense, crisscrossing sword qi.

    The towering silhouette was sliced and diced into cubes in an instant. Even the Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven had crumbled into pieces, causing the red dust, heart demons, and other foreign disturbances to vanish.

    That wasn¡¯t all. Ye Qing suddenly became absent-minded. He suddenly forgot who he was, where he was, and what he was doing.

    <i>¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art: Mind Fuddler¡±</i>

    ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art: Mind Fuddler¡± was a technique that seduced the consciousness and muddled the mind. The victim would find themselves stuck in a state ofplete confusion and perplexity, unable to think or feel for a time.

    While Ye Qing was stunned, Cheng Qishang rushed forward with a river of sword qi surrounding his sword. He was about halfway to Ye Qing when thetter suddenly snapped out of his trance, clenched his fist, and threw a punch at Cheng Qishang.

    <i>Buzz!</i>

    Half of the voluminous river of sword qi was scattered just like that. Every building within a hundred or so meters from the point of impact instantly disintegrated into fine powder.

    However, Cheng Qishang¡¯s sword qi kept flowing, and his sword intent was unbreakable. The river quickly returned to normal and continued flooding toward Ye Qing.

    <i>So, your sword qi is ceaseless like a river. But what if I were to divide it?</i>

    Ye Qing stepped forward and punched diagonally downward. His fist force immediately dropped in the middle of the river of sword qi and broke the flow, dispelling the first half and blocking the second halfpletely.

    <i>¡°Divide¡±</i>

    However, Ye Qing gradually noticed that something wasn¡¯t right. For some reason, his vigor wasn¡¯t able to keep up with the demand of his technique, resulting in his fist force being far weaker than usual.

    <i>Is it the Spleen Breaker?!</i>

    Realization shed in Ye Qing¡¯s mind. ¡°Spleen Breaker¡± was a technique that specifically targeted the human spleen. The spleen was the organ responsible for transportation and transformation, promoting digestion of food and the absorption and transportation of nutrients. The origin point of vigor, it was why the ancients imed that the spleen was the foundation of acquired constitution[1].

    If the spleen was damaged, then a person¡¯s vigor would be cut off like ake without a source; a tree withouts its roots. Naturally, it couldn¡¯tst long. Moreover, Ye Qing¡¯s fist art was fully found in the body¡¯s vigor and force. Without sufficient vigor, it was only natural that his techniques would be much weaker.

    By the time Ye Qing noticed that something was wrong, it was already toote. Cheng Qishang had taken another step forward, straightened his left hand, and pressed it against his sword pommel.

    He pushed, and his sword traveled one meter forward. The sword shattered and merged with the river of sword qi, causing it to be one-third stronger than it was before.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    There was a loud boom, and Ye Qing staggered backward with a muffled groan on his lips. Cheng Qishang continued forward.

    Next, the swordsman curled two fingers and summoned two swords out of his body. One of them was steel blue in color, and the other pitch ck.

    If ¡°Mind Fuddler¡± was formless and invisible, and ¡°Spleen Breaker¡± was voluminous and grandiose, then the two swords were ephemeral and wavy like wood or water.

    As soon as the two swords emerged, Ye Qing immediately felt weak in both body and spirit. His body fluid had suddenly gone out of control, and the sensations could only be described as beyond ufortable. Besides that, he could clearly feel his digestion, metabolism, and natural resistances weakening by a significant degree. At the same time, all sorts of toxins and impurities began eating his body little by little.

    ¡°Liver Crusher and Kidney Smasher...¡±

    It was said that a person¡¯s essence was stored within the kidney. It was the organ that was closely tied to a person¡¯s growth and reproduction abilities, which was why they called it the natural foundation of constitution. Kidney was also centered in Water, which was why it yed an important role in regting one¡¯s body fluid and metabolism.

    The liver¡¯s main function was regtion, capable of regting a person¡¯s emotions and activities. It supported the stomach and spleen¡¯s digestive capabilities and was responsible for detoxification, excretion, secretion and metabolism. It too was an important organ of the human body.

    The ¡°Liver Crusher¡± and ¡°Kidney Smasher¡± did exactly what its name implied. To lose these two organs was to suffer a severe blow in the body and weaken physically.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The only response Ye Qing could muster against the two swords was to cross his arms in front of his chest and bear the brunt of it. He allowed the impact to knock him several kilometers away from Cheng Qishang.

    ¡°Hmph! You think you can escape?¡±

    Cheng Qishang sneered when he saw this. Pressing five fingers against his heart, he opened his mouth and spat a fiery red sword at Ye Qing.

    At first nce, the fiery red sword¡¯s sword qi and sword intent were indiscernible. However, it gave off a grandiose and vast feeling. There was small within the big, thick within the thin, soft within the hard, and firmness within the malleable.

    ¡°The Heart Damager...¡±

    The ¡°Heart Damager¡± of the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡± damaged the heart. The heart was the organ that governed blood cirction and the hub that all blood must pass through. Not only did the heart circte vigor throughout the human body through blood, it was also the center of the mind, spirit, consciousness, and thought activities. It was the organ that yed the biggest role in the human body[2]

    Therefore, to suffer a heart injury was to experience a total decline across the board.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    In the end, Ye Qing was unable to dodge the attack. The fiery red sword mmed into his chest and exploded into smithereens, engulfing Ye Qing in a sea of sword qi.

    ¡°Cough cough... be proud. Few people could force me to use my sixth sword,¡± Cheng Qishang called out as he covered his mouth and coughed. Blood was leaking down his hand even though he had taken no damage from Ye Qing so far.

    The Seven Wounds Sword Art was undoubtedly powerful. It attacked the most vital organs of the human body and affected the mind and soul as well. Its sword qi was vast, and its sword intent was formless, making it impossible to block in most cases. It was one of the few arts that¡ªto a minor extent¡ªcountered both mind-tempering Trueman and body-tempering Grandmaster.

    Not only that, Cheng Qishang was a swordsman who reached the adept level of the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡±. As a result, his sword qi could be forceful, gentle, or a mixture of both depending on the circumstances. It was basically impossible to guard against it effectively. On top of that, the Seven Wounds could exist anywhere and everywhere as long as its practitioner willed it so. It could wound and kill someone without a trace. Terrifying couldn¡¯t even begin to describe its potency.

    s, the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡± possessed one massive w: it was a double-edged sword that hurt the practitioner themselves. ¡°To practice this sword art is to incur the seven wounds. To incur the seven wounds is to incurprehensive harm.¡± Such was the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡±.

    Again, the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡± was undeniably powerful. After all, even the likes of Ye Qing was one-sidedly beaten by it. However, Cheng Qishang¡¯s health was an absolute mess in order to push the ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡± to the adept level. His mind was damaged, and his physical body was gued by all sorts of illnesses and injuries. On top of that, his condition worsened every time he used the sword art. It was a double-edged sword that hurt both himself and his quarry.

    Cheng Qishang was perfectly fine with the w of the ¡°Seven Wound Sword Art¡±, however. He was willing to pay any price to get stronger, and in his opinion, any sword art that could y his opponent was a good sword.

    ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re not dead yet?¡±

    Still coughing, Cheng Qishang was able to take his leave when suddenly, he sensed something and lifted his head. He saw a young man slowly walking out of the sea of sword qi his sixth sword had conjured.

    The young man was, of course, Ye Qing.

    Right now, Ye Qing was covered in rags and bleeding from head to toe. He was also coughing with every step he took. At first nce, he looked like he had one foot in death¡¯s door.

    Cheng Qishang thought otherwise, however. It was because the ground caved in every time Ye Qing took a step, leaving behind a deep pit of sword qi.

    Every time the young man coughed, a huge amount of sword qi was ejected from his body as well.

    Ye Qing stopped coughing by the time he fully left the sea of sword qi behind. As his body began scabbing and healing all over, he gave Cheng Qishang an approving smile and said, ¡°The ¡®Seven Wounds Sword Art¡¯ deserves its reputation. Much obliged.¡±

    Despite his casual smile, Ye Qing was quite astonished on the inside. He was currently an initiate of the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± and protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Logically speaking, he should have been immune to ¡°all evils¡±. Despite this, neither the art nor the qi could not fully protect him from Cheng Qishang¡¯s ¡°Seven Wounds Sword Art¡±. The sword qi that boasted infinite flexibility, omnipresence and formlessness was just that indefensible.

    If he had fought Cheng Qishang before he practiced the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, Ye Qing had no doubt that he would be a broken, mindless corpse already.

    1. One of the rare cases Google trante is <i>really </i>good. ?

    2. I know what you¡¯re thinking, but that¡¯s how it was in old Chinese and maybe even western medicine I think. ?

 Chapter 910: Six Swords As One

    <h4>Chapter 910: Six Swords As One </h4>

    ¡°You¡¯re not dead! Good, good!¡±

    If Cheng Qishang was a normal person, he would have been shocked at Ye Qing¡¯s survival; angry at the ease at which the young man had purged his Seven Wounds Sword Qi and Seven Wounds Sword Intent. But Cheng Qishang was a madman through and through, so he only got excited.

    ¡°You are worthy of witnessing my seventh sword!¡±

    As soon as he finished, swords flew out of Cheng Qishang¡¯s heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidney and mind. They were ¡°Heart Damager¡±, ¡°Liver Crusher¡±, ¡°Spleen Breaker¡±, ¡°Lung Mangler¡±, ¡°Kidney Smasher¡±, and ¡°Mind Fuddler¡±.

    The six swords did not possess a fixed quality. They could be fierce, gentle, heavy, light, tangible or intangible. But one thing for certain, an incredible amount of sword qi was gathering in one ce, and sword intent was everywhere.

    Eventually, the sword qi transformed into a divine being over three hundred meters tall. He had three heads and six arms, and he was wearing a set of golden armor. His faces looked savage and violent.

    The next moment, the divine being reached out and grabbed a sword with each hand. Then, he swung all six of his arms¡ªvertical sh, horizontal sh, upward swing, downward swing, forward thrust and diagonal sh¡ªat the same time.

    Sword qi churned like a pot of boiling oil, and sword intent crisscrossed the space like a web. The six swords merged into one sword, and the six intents merged into one intent.

    ¡°To practice this sword art is to incur the seven wounds.

    To incur the seven wounds is to incurprehensive harm.

    And To merge the seven wounds into one is to find no limit in heaven or earth.¡±

    This was the seventh sword of the Seven Wounds Sword Art, the ¡°All Wound¡±.

    When the sword fell, all rivers would reach the sea at the east, and all of humanity would set in the west.

    Of course, Ye Qing hadn¡¯t been idle while Cheng Qishang was mustering his strongest attack. Dark yellow energy circting throughout his body, he focused his strength, qi, and intent; qi, essence, and spirit into one, and punched. Space broke, and all things returned to Primal Chaos.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    The sword hadn¡¯t yet fallen, and the fist was just rising. The space between the duo began warping, the earth began shattering, and all the nts and buildings in the Sword Tomb disintegrated into fine powder without a sound.

    The sword ripped through space and raced forward.

    The fist shattered the ground and raced forward.

    Sword met fist, and a thunderp of epic proportions erupted throughout heaven and earth. The entire Sword Tomb began breaking and crumbling earnestly, and not even the whale tomb or the waters within a couple hundred meters of the whale tomb were spared from the tremors. It all started boiling and churning earnestly.

    Countless trees copsed, and even more Strangers scattered in every direction. Even the fog surrounding Fury Wind River was scattered in an instant, revealing the bright, silver moon in the sky.

    ¡°Hmm...? What are they doing? Don¡¯t they know that an old turtle needs his sleep?¡±

    At the bottom of the Fury Wind River, the Profound Origin Turtle opened its eyes and felt the terrifying energies permeating the air and the churning river water. After a quiet grumble, the taichi symbol behind its back rotated slowly¡ªcircting yin and yang and manifesting the air of Dao in the process¡ªand summoned a gigantic taichi symbol above the Fury Wind River. Slowly but surely, the churning river waters returned to calm.

    With that done, the Profound Origin Turtle withdrew back into its shell and slept.

    Back at the Sword Tomb, the swords held by the divine being disintegrated inch by inch, and numerous cracks were growing all over his body. It wasn¡¯t long before he broke and copsed to the ground.

    ¡°What an incredible fist technique.¡±

    His swords were gone, and the divine being was destroyed. Cheng Qishang wobbled on his face as a smile spread across his pale face. ¡°What is that technique?¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his skeletal fist¡ªevery piece of flesh and blood had been stripped clean from the sh¡ªand dered, ¡°It is the ¡®Break Hammer¡¯, one of the ¡®Three Origin Hammers¡¯ of the ancient titan, the Dark Overlord Li Hentian.¡±

    ¡°The Dark Overlord¡¯s ¡®Break Hammer¡¯... it is as potent as the man who created it. I admit defeat.¡±

    The light in Cheng Qishang¡¯s eyes slowly dimmed. ¡°But remember this well, my dear foe: It is I who lost this fight, not my sword art!¡±

    ¡°Cough... Yeah. Your sword art didn¡¯t lose,¡± Ye Qing replied while coughing softly.

    ¡°Hahaha...¡±

    Cheng Qishang let out one finalugh before falling on his back.

    As soon as the swordsman hit the ground, a series of rumbles erupted inside Ye Qing¡¯s body like someone was ying the drum inside. Then, blood jetted out of his eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

    On the surface, Ye Qing didn¡¯t look particrly injured. But internally, one would discover that his internal organs¡ªthe heart, the liver, the spleen, the lungs, and the kidneys¡ªwere all broken and crushed.

    Although he managed to defeat Cheng Qishang using ¡°Break Hammer¡±, Cheng Qishang had also dealt him a grievous blow using the seventh sword of his ¡°Seven Wounds Swords Art¡±, the ¡°All Wound¡±.

    As its name implied, ¡°All Wound¡± was a sword technique thatbined ¡°Heart Damager¡±, ¡°Liver Crusher¡±, ¡°Spleen Breaker¡±, ¡°Lung Mangler¡±, ¡°Kidney Smasher¡±, and ¡°Mind Fuddler¡± into one. Although it was only one sword, it was like firing all six swords at the same time, except that it was greater in both sword qi and sword intent. It had shattered all of his internal organs and dealt him a grievous blow.

    If his body wasn¡¯t as tenacious as it was, if his strength of vigor wasn¡¯t one of a kind, he would be dead already.

    That was why Cheng Qishang said that he lost, but not his sword art.

    ¡°Sigh... what a shame!¡±

    With the battle behind him, Ye Qing looked at the tattered Sword Tomb and the countless dead or wounded Swordsgrave disciple with a pained expression.

    He learned from his dependents¡¯ memories that, despite the Sword Tomb¡¯s rather underworldly appearance, it was a bonafide Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. Not only that, it was an extremely rare spatial-type Strange Artifact too. Despite boasting zero offensive capabilities, it could change its size at will and support an entire ecosystem.

    Unfortunately, the Sword Tomb waspletely destroyed from the impact, and he seriously doubted that it could be repaired.

    Most of the Swordsgrave disciples were dead as well. They would have made such excellent Heavenly Demon Dependents. A shame, a shame.

    Things turned out like this because he underestimated Cheng Qishang. He thought that it would be easy peasy for him to deal with one puny Cheng Qishang with his yang god forged and the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± at his core.

    In reality? He did win, but it was a pyrrhic victory.

    Had he waited for Feng Qingyou before jumping into battle, the oue could¡¯ve beenpletely different.

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart ached again when he thought until this point. Oh, who was he kidding, every single organ in his body was hurting like a bitch. So, he gave into the urge and coughed violently. He coughed until it looked like he might copse at any moment.

    Unbeknownst to Ye Qing, a corpse lying not far away from him twitched a little while he was busy coughing his internal organs out, possibly literally.

    The next moment, the corpse abruptly jumped to his feet and rushed toward Ye Qing like a phantom, sword qi filling the sky.

    Unfortunately, not a single de of sword qi managed to hurt a hair on Ye Qing¡¯s person. They all made contact with a sheen of dark yellow light and melted into nothing.

    The next moment, energies mingled, demonic thought filled the sky, and space crumpled without a sound. Ye Qing lowered his hand, and the figure was pinned to the ground just like that. He could not move a muscle no matter what he tried.

    ¡°Cough... Cheng Qishang managed to hurt me because he is Cheng Qishang. What in the world makes you think you canpare to him?¡± Ye Qing scoffed between coughs as he walked up to the figure.

    The figure was Chen Cang, of course.

    ¡°It was an act?¡± Despite the invisible energies immobilizing himpletely, Chen Cang forced himself to lift his head and uttered.

    ¡°Of course. How else am I going to bait you into showing yourself?¡±

    Ye Qing looked Chen Cang from head to toe. ¡°Tsk tsk, what the hell happened to you while we were gone? How pitiful!¡±

    There was a speck of flesh or blood beneath Chen Cang¡¯s waist. Not only that, his bones werepletely covered in molten bronze. It was a horrific sight to put it mildly.

    Now he understood why Chen Cang had chosen to make one final gambit instead of running. He literally couldn¡¯t run even if he wanted to.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! <i>It¡¯s all because of you!</i>¡±

    Chen Cang screamed at the top of his lungs, ¡°Why can¡¯t you just die? Why can¡¯t you just <i>die?!</i>¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for Ye Qing, he would not be hunted by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance. If he wasn¡¯t hunted by the Seventy Two Water Land Alliance, he wouldn¡¯t be ¡°rescued¡± by Cheng Qishang and tortured day and night.

    ¡°Haha, it was all because of me? I¡¯m so happy to hear that!¡± Ye Qing beamed at him. ¡°Your misery is my joy, Chen Cang!¡±

    ¡°You¡ªPwack!¡±

    Chen Cang was so furious that he threw up blood.

 Chapter 911: Going South

    ¡°Losing your head already? You haven¡¯t improved at all, Chen Cang.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head in disappointment.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, Ye Qing. You killed Cheng Qishang and countless Swordsgrave disciples. They will chase you to the ends of the earth!¡±

    Chen Cang uttered in a crazed voice, ¡°You will die! You will die a worse death than me!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, but it is unnecessary.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°You should worry about yourself first.¡±

    ¡°Worry about myself? Are you going to let me live?¡± Chen Cang asked.

    ¡°For someone your appearance, you sure enjoy dreaming!¡±

    Ye Qing scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m asking you how you want to die.¡±¡°Screw you!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whatever your choice might be, I won¡¯t let you passfortably.¡±

    Once he was finished speaking, Ye Qing tapped his finger against Chen Cang¡¯s forehead and injected his demonic seed into his mind. Chen Cang began shaking violently.

    ¡°Kill me! Kill me!¡±

    Chen Cang screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°Kill me if you dare! <em>KILL ME!!!</em>¡±

    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­ this is no fun.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head as Chen Cang rolled back and forth in pain. He snapped his fingers, and Chen Cang¡¯s screams came to an abrupt stop. His pupils dted, and his mind was no more.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Suddenly, a voice came from behind Ye Qing.

    ¡°Nothing, really. He¡¯s too weak.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. He did not turn around.

    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ that¡¯s the kind of talk that earns you a beating, you know?¡± Feng Qingyou appeared behind him with a smile.

    ¡°Hahaha¡ªcough! Cough! Cough¡­¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and tried tough, but he identally triggered his injuries and tarted coughing violently.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Feng Qingyou reappeared beside Ye Qing and produced a pill. ¡°Eat this.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. He swallowed the pill and felt his pain decreasing drastically. ¡°When did you arrive, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°When Cheng Qishang is using his seventh sword,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°What? Why didn¡¯t you help me then?¡± Ye Qingined.

    ¡°It¡¯s just Cheng Qishang. I know he is no match for you,¡± Feng Qingyou said with a smile.

    ¡°You sure seem confident in my strength.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose.

    ¡°It¡¯s just facts,¡± Feng Qingyou exined in a nonchnt voice, ¡°Cheng Qishang¡¯s sword qi and sword intent are strong, but his body is too frail to support the sword intent of the ¡®Seven Wounds Sword Art¡¯. On the other hand, you possess a powerful physique. You are the bane of his existence.¡± ?

    ¡°In fact, you might have won a bit easier if you had chosen to drag out this fight instead of shing against him directly.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Feng Qingyou¡¯s gaze turned teasing. ¡°I thought you knew from the start but ignored it because you wanted to test out Cheng Qishang¡¯s sword. Was I wrong?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    At this point, Ye Qing had to admit that it was a him problem. Since he started practicing the ¡°Three Origins Hammer¡± and ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, he rarely fought his enemies in a roundabout fashion anymore. He preferred head-on shes and brute force suppression. In other words, he had allowed arrogance to get into his head and was punished for it.

    ¡°Cough cough¡­ you¡¯re right. I wanted to test out the ¡®Seven Wounds Sword Art¡¯ and check out how strong it really was,¡± Ye Qing lied brazenly. ¡°And in the end, I was right. The ¡®Seven Wounds Sword Art¡¯ cannot defeat me, hahaha!¡±

    Shame only exists if you allow it to exist.

    Feng Qingyou giggled, clear, bright eyes curling into delicate crescents.

    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Despite himself, Ye Qing blushed at the sight of Feng Qingyou¡¯s smile. He hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°So, what do you think I should do with Cheng Qishang, Qingyou?¡±

    Yes, Cheng Qishang wasn¡¯t dead. He was just unconscious.

    Of course, he was going to die if he did not receive treatment soon.

    ¡°The living is more useful than the dead.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°Plus, you¡¯ve already made up your mind, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Haha! You know me well, Qingyou!¡± Ye Qingughed.

    As Feng Qingyou said, he was nning to keep Cheng Qishang alive¡ªor more urately, he was going to keep as many Swordsgrave disciples alive as possible¡ªfrom the very beginning.

    For one, killing this many Swordsgrave disciples and even one of their Twelve Ultimate Swords Cheng Qishang would surely earn him the Swordsgrave¡¯s eternal vengeance. They might not figure out that he was the culprit immediately, but it was only a matter of time before they found out. Naturally, he wanted to avoid that oue as much as possible.

    Two, every single one of these Swordsgrave disciples were strong. Keeping them alive would be beneficial for his cultivation and his future ns and activities.

    Of course, this was only possible if he had them firmly in his grip, but he wasn¡¯t worried. Not only did the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± ensure that they would never betray him, a Heavenly Demon Dependent¡¯s mind and consciousness were fully intact. They acted and behaved no different from who they were before except for the fact that they now served him as their eternal master. Even Swordsgrave would be hardpressed to find anything wrong with them.

    In summary, keeping the Swordsgrave disciples alive and converting them using the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± would be killing several birds in one stone. Why not?

    But why didn¡¯t he keep Chen Cang alive? Because he didn¡¯t deserve it, of course.

    After his injuries were healed to a certain extent, Ye Qing walked up to the unconscious Cheng Qishang and tapped his forehead. He sessfully injected a demonic seed into the swordsman¡¯s mind and converted him into a Heavenly Demon Dependent. The whole process ended smoothly without a hitch.

    Unlike the others, Cheng Qishang was exceptionally powerful, and he possessed a bright and clear sword heart. He could not be converted into a Heavenly Demon Dependent with a single thought like he had done to the others. That was why he had no choice but to severely injure the swordsman and weaken his mind before imnting a demonic seed.

    Ye Qing did not rush to leave after converting all disciples into Heavenly Demon Dependents. In fact, he would remain in Sword Tomb for three days both to recover from his injuries and to observe if his Magia might be wed in some way he didn¡¯t know.

    Luckily, it turned out to be just excessive worry.

    Withthat done, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou began sailing south. They were going to enter Qi via the Fury Wind River.

    They weren¡¯t riding the Profound Origin Turtle, however. They were riding the whale tomb.

    Originally, the n was to ride the Profound Origin Turtle south to Qi. However, they changed their mind.

    It wasn¡¯t because they wasted too much time killing Chen Cang and missed the Profound Origin Turtle. They simply had a better choice now: the whale tomb.

    When Swordsgrave first discovered this whale tomb, they realized its potential and spared no effort in refining it and building a branch hall on top of it. What this meant was that the whale tomb could be freely piloted by members of the Swordsgrave like a ship. With that in mind, why would they ride the Profound Origin Turtle?

    The whale tomb was slower than the Profound Origin Turtle, but it was steadier,fortable, and well-hidden. They could even practice at their leisure while the whale tomb took them to their destination.

    Besides, the whale tomb was slow only if youpared it to the Profound Origin Turtle. In reality, it was anything but slow. In just a day¡¯s time, they had crossed thousands of kilometers and entered Qi.

    ¡°Is that the Leya (Delightful Cliff) Point?¡±

    On the whale tomb, Ye Qing asked while looking at the brightly lit ferry point overflowing with noise and activity.

    ¡°It is,¡± Feng Qingyou answered simply.

    ¡°No wonder they call it the best ferry point of northern Qi,¡± Ye Qing praised.

 Chapter 912: Flood Dragon Roar In The Greater Riverguard Monument

    Leya Point was a ferry point located near the end of Fury Wind River and near the estuary. If the upstream of Fury Wind River was overflowing with rapid waters, deadly winds, and even deadlier Strangers that made itpletely unnavigable in most times, then the downstream of Fury Wind River had wide opennds and mostly stable waters. As a result, there were plenty of excellent harbors and ferry points in this area, and Leya Point was the biggest and most prosperous of them all. Merchants and travelers flowed in from every direction, and its numerousmps remained lit throughout the night, giving it the impression of a ferry point that never slept. It was also said that its vessels resemble schools of fishes, and its people the myriad threads of fabric.

    Leya Point was the greatest ferry point of northern Qi. That was why it was brightly lit like daytime and full of noise and activity even though it was already midnight.

    Despite the ceaseless boats and shipsing to and fro Leya Point, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t worried about being discovered. After all, the whale tomb was extraordinary and concealed behind a thick fog. He could look outside, but those outside could not look inward and find them.

    The reason they were parked here was because they were nning tond on Leya Point and travel south straight to Four Seas.

    ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s something under the water!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing sensed something and frowned. His demonic thought was telling him that a massive group of unusually-shaped serpents were swimming swiftly toward Leya Point. The creatures were around three meters long, pitch ck, and had a pair of wings.

    At first nce, there were at least a couple thousand of them. They looked like a swarm of ck tentacles swimming swiftly toward the ferry point without a sound.

    ¡°It¡¯s the ck-winged Water Snake!¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°I bet they¡¯re targeting the people on the ferry point,¡± Ye Qing said with a frown.The ck-winged Water Snake was a Hatred-ss Stranger. Shaped like a snake with a pair of wings, it could swim underwater and fly in the sky. It was carnivorous and usually operated in groups. It was verymon for a school of ck-winged Water Snakes to assault a coastal vige or town.

    Clearly, that was exactly what these ck-winged Water Snakes were intending to do.

    Ye Qing was about to warn the unaware merchants, travelers, and workers on the ferry point when Feng Qingyou stopped him. ¡°Patience. Let¡¯s wait and see what happens.¡±

    Ye Qing did not understand why, but he trusted that Feng Qingyou would not say or do something she wasn¡¯t sure about. So, he waited.

    Meanwhile, the underwater ck-winged Water Snakes were starting to p their wings rapidly. It was one thing if it was just one ck-winged Water Snake, but a thousand? Several thousands?

    The water level began rising slowly. The closer it got to Leya Point, the higher the river climbed. It took only a couple breaths for a gigantic wave over a hundred meters tall to take form.

    Ye Qing had no doubt that the ferry point would be destroyed if the massive wave managed tond on its target, and the people in the ferry point would not likely survive.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a Stranger attack.¡±

    Themotion drew the people¡¯s attention as a matter of course, but for whatever reason, they weren¡¯t panicking or running for the closest shelters like they should. In fact, Ye Qing could not sense a hint of fear or panic on their faces, only anticipation. Many people were crossing their arms and watching the iing wave with wide smiles as well.

    The wave was seconds away fromnding when suddenly, Ye Qing felt a tremendous power gushing out from underneath the river.

    His demonic thought told him that some of the mud at the bottom of the river had faded away to reveal a monument.

    The monument was one meter wide and three meters tall. One side was engraved with the word, ¡°Greater Riverguard¡±, and the other the picture of a circling dragon. ??

    ¡°Roar¡­¡±

    The flood dragon on the monument came to life then. It flew out of the stone and let out an angry roar.

    The giant wave threatening to engulf Leya Point abruptly shattered into bits, and the school of ck-winged Water Snakes fell helplessly from the sky as if stunned by the draconic roar.

    The next moment, the flood dragon swallowed every single one of the Strangers. There was an audible crunch before blood dripped down its mouth.

    That wasn¡¯t the end of it, however. The flood dragon seemingly sensed something and suddenly turned toward the whale tomb. Then, it let out another roar and charged toward them.

    ¡°Did it discover us?¡±

    Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow before letting out a hmph. ¡°Get lost!¡±

    His words erupted like a pair of world-ending thunderps, deafening heaven and earth. The next moment, the flood dragon exploded and disappeared.

    Strangely, not a single person on the ferry point heard anything at all. They thought the flood dragon had taken their leave and gossiped amongst themselves:

    ¡°What? That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°I know. How useless are these Strangers? They couldn¡¯t even take a hit from the Greater Riverguard Monument.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, show¡¯s over. Time to get back to work!¡±

    ¡°You over there! I didn¡¯t pay you toze around and do nothing! Get back to your post, now!¡±

    The people in the ferry point seemedpletely used to such happenings. It wasn¡¯t long before they busied themselves with work once more.

    None of them realized that a crack had appeared on the monument lying at the bottom of the river. It also looked much dimmer than before.

    Feng Qingyou suddenly chuckled. ¡°I am impressed, Joyless. It hasn¡¯t even been a day since you entered Qi, and you¡¯ve already broken their Greater Riverguard Monument.¡±

    ¡°What? That¡¯s the Greater Riverguard Monument?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    The Greater Riverguard Monument was a Strange Artifact the Qi court specifically created to guard a river, ake, or a sea region.

    Qi bordered the sea and had many rivers flowing through its realm. Therefore, it was quitemon for floods or Stranger attacks to ur in these areas. In order to guard the rivers and protect the realm and its people from danger, Qi sealed the soul of a dragon or serpent into a monument and conferred it with the Will of the Empire and the Will Of The Dragon. That was how it gained the power to quell floods and suppress Strangers.

    The monuments were categorized as Riverguard, Greater Riverguard, and Seaguard. Generally speaking, a Riverguard Monument contained a snake Stranger¡¯s soul, a Greater Riverguard Monument contained a flood dragon¡¯s soul, and a Seaguard Monument contained a dragon¡¯s soul. In descending order, the Seaguard Monument was the most powerful, the Greater Riverguard Monument was the second most powerful, and the Riverguard Monument was the least powerful.

    This section of the Wind Fury River was protected by a Greater Riverguard Monument; a flood dragon¡¯s soul.

    To put it bluntly, the Greater Riverguard Monument was simr to a River God, Water God and the like in terms of function. In fact, Qi often conferred Mountain Gods, River Gods, City Gods and other gods to manage the realm and protect the people.

    Of course, these so-called gods were really just a bunch of Strangers. They were simply Strangers acknowledged by the imperial court and protected by the country.

    It was said that the Qi Emperor owned an extraordinary treasure known as the Mountain River God Conferral Painting. It allowed him to make a Stranger a god and trap a wisp of their Anima inside the painting. While the Strangers were forced to obey the Mountain River God Conferral Painting, bing a god meant that they could receive the offerings of the people and grow their strength. Given enough time, they could forge a true body and be eternal.

    It was a symbiotic rtionship that killed multiple birds with one stone. The Stranger would protect the people and manage the realm, and the people would give them offerings and wishes in return. That was why there were a lot of shrines and gods in Qi.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ I didn¡¯t know, did I?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. ¡°Will we be fine?¡±

    ¡°We will,¡± Feng Qingyou answered. ¡°It¡¯s just a little troublesome.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°The Greater Riverguard Monument contains a nation¡¯s Will of the Empire and Will of the Empire and is controlled by the local authorities. They will surely sense that you have shattered the Greater Riverguard Monument and dispatch someone to investigate the matter.¡±

    Feng Qingyou looked up all of a sudden. ¡°Speak of the devil.¡±

    As if on cue, an angry roar erupted from the distance.

    ¡°Who dares to damage the Greater Riverguard Monument?¡±

 Chapter 913: Meeting A Priest On the Platform of Gods

    A man surrounded by golden light appeared in the sky of Delightful Cliff Point after the dignified voice boomed.

    The man looked to be in his fifties, pale and clean shaven. He was wearing a long dark red robe and a tall crown. His whole body was shing gold, and smoke was dancing underneath his feet. His dignified, terrifying presence covered the entire sky like a celestial or a god.

    ¡°I greet you, my lord!¡±

    ¡°I greet you, my lord!¡±

    ¡°I greet you, my lord!¡±

    The people at the ferry point immediately dropped to their knees, trembling beneath the priest¡¯s terrifying pressure.

    ¡°Who dares to damage the Greater River Monument? Surrender to thew, now!¡±

    The man in the sky paid them no heed, however. His eyes shone like a pair of suns as he scanned his surroundings again and again.

    ¡°You won¡¯t show yourself? Very good! When I find you, I shall cut you down for your crimes!¡±Suddenly, the man looked at the center of Wind Fury River. As if his gaze was some sort of divine power, the thick fog surrounding the entire river disappeared all at once. Only the fog surrounding the whale tomb remained unaffected.

    ¡°There you are!¡± The next moment, the man narrowed his eyes at the whale tomb andunched a palm strike.

    A gigantic, golden palm appeared and descended from the sky.

    However, it didn¡¯t manage to go far before a violent and brutal sword qi ripped the giant palm to shreds.

    The next moment, Old Child burst out of the fog and swung a huge sword at the priest.

    Her sword qi was brilliant and potent like the sun itself.

    ¡°How dare you resist arrest! You deserve death!¡±

    The man roared like thunder before summoning what looked like a pair of golden truncheons from the distance.

    Once he grabbed his weapons, he swung them down on Old Child.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    Old Child¡¯s brilliant sword qi was shattered in one strike. Then, the priest executed a cross strike. One truncheon to smash mountains, and the other to split the river. ??

    The mountain smashing truncheon crushed every speck of sword qi within tens of meters.

    The river splitting truncheon struck the river and kicked up a wave hundreds of meters tall.

    Old Child was swallowed by the wave.

    ¡°Spicy. I like it!¡±

    The next moment, the giant wave was divided in two. As the wave copsed, she swung her sword horizontally and sent the falling wave toward the man instead. Not only was it faster and more forceful than before, it was also infused with her sword qi.

    Old Child was following right behind the wave. Right after the priest smashed the wave into bits, she returned the favor and sent him flying with a furious sh.

    Enraged, the man returned quickly and shed weapons with Old Child.

    If Old child¡¯s sword style was violent, brutal, and wide-ranged like the whims of nature, then the priest¡¯s style was imposing, righteous, and full of divine might.

    Strength versus divinity, brutality versus righteousness. For a time, neitherbatant could gain the upper hand, and countless quaked beneath the shockwaves of their battle.

    ¡°Is that the power of wishes?¡±

    On the whale tomb, Ye Qing looked at the man fighting against Old Child and asked softly.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed. ¡°That man is a third rank priest of the tform of Gods.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a priest? No wonder he¡¯s so powerful,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    The so-called tform of Gods was an institution Qi specifically set up to supervise and manage the deities in their realm. The tform of Gods were generally manned by priests, and the priests could be split into nine ranks. The first rank was the highest, and the ninth rank the lowest. Priests were garrisoned in nearly every region to manage and control the deities and prevent harm froming to the people.

    Just like the deities themselves, therge majority of priests walked the way of worship. They received offerings and power of wishes from the people and cultivate a golden body of merit.

    A person who walked the path of offering and godhood faced many restrictions. For starters, their cultivation and strength were directly rted to the size of theirnd, the amount of offerings they received from the people and so on. Not only that, if they left their territory, or if they did not receive a sufficient amount of worship, their strength would decline dramatically.

    That said, assuming they received enough worship, and they were fighting within their territory, then they would be twice, even several times stronger than normal.

    Thanks to Leya Point, themandery of Leya enjoyed a huge amount of traffic and businesses. It was about as prosperous as a ferry point could get. Naturally, the priest received a lot of worship. This was why he was able to go toe to toe against Old Child, a veteran Trueman, despite being a third rank priest and ate-stage Spirit Master only.

    ¡°Should I lend her a hand, young master?¡±

    It was at this moment Withered Sword¡¯s voice rang from behind Ye Qing.

    ¡°Not yet.¡± Ye Qing asked, ¡°How goes the task I give you?¡±

    ¡°The investigation isplete, young master,¡± Withered Sword answered. ¡°The Chu embassy who will be attending the Four Sea Summit this year has already arrived at Four Seas. They are currently staying in the Chu River Embassy.¡±

    ¡°The Chu embassy is led by the Pacification King and Martial Might Duke. It is made up of thirty six members, all of them Chu geniuses including the third son of the Emperor of Chu, the ¡®Phoenix King¡¯ Chu Mingfeng; the oldest son of Duke Fang Zhiyong, ¡®Mister Farseeing¡¯ Fang Muyun; the ninth disciple of the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy; ¡®Mister Nine¡¯ chu Wangsun, the chief disciple of the Qing Emperor, Su Banchen; the son of the Godly Strategist General, the ¡®Young Military God¡¯ Chen Wuji¡­¡±

    ¡°Here is their detailed information, young master. Please, take a look!¡±

    Withered Sword ended his report by handing Ye Qing a jade cicada.

    The jade cicada was about the same size as a green cicada. It was indigo in color and pure and wless like an exquisite piece of art.

    When Ye Qing epted the jade cicada and pressed it against his forehead, the jade cicada pped its wings and clicked softly. To everyone else, it sounded no different from a cicada¡¯s cry. But to Ye Qing, all the information rting to the Pacification King, Martial Might Duke, Chu Mingfeng and more were entering his headspace.

    The jade cicada was named ¡°Indigo Ming¡±, and it was a Strange Artifact Swordsgrave created specifically to transmit information using the body of the Soulstealer-ss Stranger, Indigo Ming Cicada. Installed with various restrictions, only those who had mastered the restrictions would understand the message contained within Indigo Ming. Otherwise, all they would hear was cicada cries.

    He was the one who ordered Withered Sword to obtain this information. There was now less than two months before the Four Seas Summit began, and he reckoned that the Chu embassy should have arrived at Four Seas at this point. His n was to take revenge against Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun, so of course he should collect intel on them; the more the better.

    Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    A few breathster, Ye Qing passed Indigo Ming to Feng Qingyou and praised Withered Sword from the bottom of his heart.

    Withered Sword¡¯s intel didn¡¯t just mention the background of the Chu embassy. It also mentioned their current cultivation level, their martial arts and more.

    His decision to keep Withered Sword and the other Swordsgrave disciples alive was definitely a wise one.

    It might look like Swordsgrave keep a low profile and care nothing for the world they lived in, but they really had their own intelligence system. Because of this, their grasp of the myriad matters of the <em>jianghu</em>, the origin of certain rumors and more far exceeded his individual capabilities. Through Cheng Qishang, Withered Sword and Old Child, he could easily manipte Swordsgrave into spying on Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun for him, saving him time and effort while gaining far more.

    ¡°You tter me, young master. It is Withered Sword¡¯s honor to be able to serve you,¡± Withered Sword said respectfully.

    ¡°Continue to keep an eye on the Chu embassy and especially Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun. Inform me immediately if you find anything.¡±

    Ye Qing instructed, ¡°Besides that, I want you to gather information on Yan, Qi and Wei¡¯s embassy as well. I specifically want to know who is friendly with Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun and who isn''t.¡±

    It would give him more options if he could figure out Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun¡¯s allies and enemies.

    ¡°As youmand, young master,¡± Withered Sword answered.

    ¡°After I¡¯m gone, I want you, Old Child and Cheng Qishang to bring some Swordsgrave disciples with you and head to the Four Seas. Be ready to carry out my orders at a moment¡¯s notice once you¡¯re there.¡±

    Ye Qing added, ¡°And remember, do not expose yourselves no matter what.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master,¡± Withered Sword answered again.

 Chapter 914: Breaking A Golden Body In One Finger Flick

    While the two men were chatting, Old Child and the priest¡¯s fight had reached its climax.

    Old Child had pushed her ¡°Sun Shatterer Sword Art¡± to its limits, her sword qi carving cubes out of space, and the light of her sword chilling the river below.

    On the other hand, the man had manifested a one-hundred-meter tall golden body using the power of wishes and transformed his golden truncheons into a pair of golden dragons. Their roars could be heard even from far, far away and stunned both heaven and earth.

    The good news was that Fury Wind God was very wide. Otherwise, the shockwaves of their battle alone could have destroyed the entire Leya Point.

    In the end, it was the priest who gained the upper hand. A constant supply of power of wishes meant that his stamina and strength were always at their peak. On the other hand, Old Child¡¯s energy reserves were slowly but surely declining. In the end, after repelling Old Child with a punch, the priest chanted, ¡°Bind!¡± and summoned a golden rope. It wrapped around Old Child and bound her tightly.

    Logically speaking, it should be well within Old Child¡¯s abilities to break out of the bind. However, she could not either because something was unusual about the golden rope, or because she was fatigued.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ It¡¯s futile. This is the Celestial Binding Rope, and you are just a mortal. There is no way you can break free from it!¡±

    The priestughed loudly as Old Child continued to struggle furiously but futilely. Then, he ordered, ¡°Go! Devour her!¡±

    The two dragons circling around the priest let out a mighty roar before pouncing toward Old Child.Old Child was seconds away from being devoured when suddenly, a figure appeared in front of her. He extended his hands forward and made a clenching motion.

    Space shook, and it was as if the golden dragons were caught by a pair of invisible hands. Their dragon scales crumbled, and golden sparks flew everywhere.

    The next moment, the golden dragons exploded and turned back to a pair of truncheons. However, they were dim and powerless unlike before.

    ¡°My Dragonmorph Truncheons[1]!¡± The man growled and red at the unknown figure.

    ¡°You want it back? Here you go.¡±

    The figure flicked his fingers, and the golden truncheons flew back to the man.

    The man tried to grab the golden truncheons[2], but he nched the moment his fingers touched them. He felt an unstoppable force flooding into his body through his weapons.

    His arms broke first, followed by his one-hundred-meter tall golden body. It shattered into smithereens like it was made of paper.

    ¡°Pwack!¡±

    The second the golden body shattered, the man threw up a mouthful of blood. His actual body also began cracking here and there. Breathing shallow, the man did not hesitate to grab his two golden truncheons and escape in a sh of golden light.

    When the golden light faded, an angry roar erupted in the air, ¡°You damaged the Greater River Monument and destroyed my golden body! The tform of Gods will not forget this!¡± ??

    Ye Qing paid the escaped man no heed. He made a slicing motion with his fingers, and the golden rope binding Old Child broke and fell off. After she regained her freedom, she hurriedly thanked him, ¡°Thank you for saving my life, young master!¡±

    Withered Sword arrived next to him and asked puzzledly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill him, young master?¡±

    ¡°Damaging the Greater River Monument is a small offense, but killing a priest is a huge crime. I have important business to see to, and I don¡¯t intend to cause unnecessary trouble if I can help it.¡±

    Ye Qing added, ¡°You should leave. Enemy reinforcements may show up at any moment.¡±

    Withered Sword and Old Child saluted him. ¡°As youmand, young master.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Qingyou.¡±

    Ye Qing gave Feng Qingyou a nce, and they both leaped into the air. They were gone in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Until next time, young master.¡±

    After Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were gone, Withered Sword and Old Child immediately returned to the whale tomb and sailed away.

    Not long after they were gone, a toon of armed soldiers rushed out of themandery gates and surrounded Leya Point. At the same time, countless officials led by tform of Gods elites began searching for the culprits who damaged the Greater River Monument and injured the priest. Of course, they found nothing.

    Furious, the priest plotted to draft an order andmand all other settlements and deities to capture the culprits when suddenly, he realized in shock and horror that he could not remember anyone¡¯s faces. He could not even quite remember how his battle against the viins had unfolded, only that it ended with his resounding defeat.

    The priest knew then that the one who tampered with his memories had to be the mysterious man who shattered his golden body in one finger flick. However, he was sure even with his fuzzy memories that he did not know when or how it happened.

    The priest broke out in cold sweat when he realized this. It was only now he realized that he was able to escape not because he was oh-so-strong or skilful, but because his enemy had not intended to kill him from the start.

    Otherwise, he would probably be dead without even knowing.

    Having figured out the truth, the terrified priest immediately withdrew the men searching for Ye Qing and his group and ordered them all to keep their mouths shut about what happened today.

    If he did not cover this up well, he was afraid that that champion would return and send him to the afterlife.

    This wasn¡¯t cowardice, this was just knowing when to submit before circumstances.

    The Leya Point denizens thought for sure that it was going to be an exciting day tomorrow, but instead, nothing happened. The gates of the tform of Gods were shut tight.

    ¡­¡­

    Ye Qing did not know what happened after he was gone, of course¡ªnot that he would have cared even if he did.

    He had long since departed Leya and was currently beelining for Four Seas.

    Four Seas was located at the Eastern Shores and just a couple hundred kilometers away from Leya. With Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou¡¯s strength, it only took them two days to make it to Four Seas.

    Qi was founded on the low ins where the weather wasfortable, and thend was rich and fertile. Their people weren¡¯t just wealthy, they were positively thriving. That was why their cities and buildings were generally tall, vast, and spectacrly designed. It was distinctively different from the elegance of Chu or the ruggedness of Yan.

    Ye Qing had witnessed many tall, vast, and prosperous cities on his way here, and he had been impressed by many of them. However, it wasn¡¯t until he saw the Four Seas that he realized that his horizons were still too narrow.

    None of the cities he visited until now could hold a candle to Four Seas. It was the difference between a firefly and the moon; an ant and the sky.

    Four Seas was big. Stupidly big. It had a radius of five <em>thousand</em> kilometers and could not be fully viewed below a certain point of the sky.

    Four Seas was vast. Stupidly vast. He did not think it was possible for a city to stretch from one end of the horizon to the other, nor go on and on like the sea. And yet, that was Four Seas.

    Four Seas was strong. Its walls were at least three thousand meters tall and dozens, maybe even a hundred meters thick. Ye Qing could not imagine anything breaking through its formidable defenses.

    Four Seas was prosperous. Travelers from every corner in the world could be found in this ce, and the poption density was something Ye Qing rarely saw even back in his own world. Shoulders rubbed against one another, raised sleeves looked like wide expanses of clouds, and sweat fell off the human body like the rain.

    In conclusion, Four Seas was bigger, wider, stronger, and more prosperous than any city he had ever seen in his life. He did not believe that even the capital of Chu or Qi could surpass it.

    But of course, every light casts a shadow. Four Seas was massive and prosperous, but it was also incredibly chaotic.

    Armed <em>jianghu </em>warriors were crawling through the streets like ants, and strange people wearing strange outfits hailing from strange ces were everywhere. As a result, violent conflicts could start from the smallest of disagreements, and although the city wasn¡¯t sowless that the warriors would fight each other to the death, it was inevitable that blood was drawn. It was long after the conflict was over that the authorities showed up to investigate or clean up the mess with obvious half-heartedness.

    The entire Four Seas gave Ye Qing the impression of a <em>jianghu wulin </em>that was far away from the influences of the court and imperial household. It waswless and unscrupulous. It was a canvas full of strokes of passion and freedom.

    To put it in simpler terms, Four Seas bore some striking resemnce to Bei You.

    ¡°You think that Four Seas is quite warrior-like and chaotic, don¡¯t you? That it¡¯spletely different from other settlements of Qi?¡±

    Feng Qingyou asked smilingly as if she could read his thoughts. ¡°It was quite different from your imagination, right?¡±

    ¡°It really is. It actually reminds me of Bei You more than any other city.¡±

    Ye Qing asked curiously, ¡°Does Qi not care that the Four Seas is like this?¡±

    Bei You was the way it was because it was a barrennd where criminals and ruffians gathered. Realistically, no one wanted to be there unless they had no other choice. However, Four Seas wasn¡¯t like that. That was why it confused Ye Qing.

    1. Probably just a coincidence, but remember the other guy who has Dragonmorph in his martial art who¡¯s also an ass? ?

    2. And stupid too. ?

 Chapter 915: A Sword Rises With The Tides

    <h4>Chapter 915: A Sword Rises With The Tides </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s because the Four Seas does not, in fact, fall under Qi¡¯s jurisdiction.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°More urately, the Four Seas does not fall under Qi¡¯s jurisdiction only.¡±

    ¡°Four Seas is built together by Yan, Chu, Qi, and Wei. It is tomemorate their predecessorsing together to fight back against the Strangers of the four seas. That is why Four Seas does not abide by Qi¡¯sws despite being located in Qi. It is a city that is jointly managed by Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei.¡±

    ¡°To facilitate the management process and minimize conflicts, the four countries at the time decided to split Four Seas into east, south, west and north. The east side of the city, or East City, is controlled by Qi, the South City is controlled by Chu, the West City is controlled by Wei, and the North City is controlled by Yan. Generally speaking, they do not interfere with each other¡¯s rule.¡±

    ¡°However, having not one, not two, but four governments in one city, each of them upholding a different set ofws, is sure to breed chaos. For example, if someonemits a crime in South City and escapes to North City, there is a good chance they would not receive any punishment at all. As a result, both the authorities and thews became no different from ornaments.¡±

    ¡°Although the four countries realized their mistaketer and created a Central Bureau with unifiedws and the power to manage the entire city, it was ultimately a measure that treated the symptoms but not the root cause. It did not really help with the situation.¡±

    ¡°Not only that, Four Seas borders the Eastern Sea, a wealthy region overflowing with Strangers, resources, and even mythical opportunities. As a result, countless <i>jianghu </i>warriors traveled to Four Seas everyday either to hone their strength, y Strangers, seek out opportunities, visit celestials, studying the Dao and more.¡±

    ¡°<i>Jianghu </i>people are used to being free and unfettered, and they do not subscribe to any country¡¯sws. This further exacerbated the chaos guing the Four Seas. Eventually, the unique culture of Four Seas was formed.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose for a moment before breaking into a grin all of a sudden. ¡°This is good for us.¡±

    The more chaotic it was, the easier it was for them to carry out their ns undetected and unimpeded.

    ¡°That is very true.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded. ¡°Do you have a n, Joyless?¡±

    ¡°I have some immature ideas. It¡¯ll take time for them to ripen.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s find an amodation and familiarize ourselves with Four Seas¡¯ environment first. After that, we¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    The duo were just about to take their leave when suddenly, amotion suddenly broke out from somewhere. Someone was yelling at the top of their lungs, ¡°You need to see this! Someone is challenging Xiaohou Qi to a fight!¡±

    ¡°Who is the suicidal bastard who dares to challenge Xiahou Qi?¡±

    ¡°Where is it? Where is the fight taking ce?¡±

    ¡°The shore! The fight is happening at the shore! The fight could break out at any moment, so you better not waste your time and leave now!¡±

    ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The next moment, a thick swathe of people began moving toward the eastern gate. It looked and sounded like a tidal wave of humans.

    ¡°Xiahou Qi?¡± Ye Qing voiced the name thoughtfully. ¡°Are they referring to the son of the Martial Sovereign of Wei, the ¡®Junior Martial Sovereign¡¯ Xiahou Qi?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Feng Qingyou replied with clear interest. ¡°There wouldn¡¯t be such a hugemotion otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go then. I would like to witness the strength of this so-called ¡®Junior Martial Sovereign¡¯ myself.¡±

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. With Feng Qingyou following closely behind him, he tracked the human tidal wave and quickly arrived at the eastern shore.

    By the time they reached their destination, Xiahou Qi and his opponent were fighting already.

    They were two men. One man looked to be twenty seven or eight years old, and he was wearing a long ck gilded robe. His facial features were chiseled like they were carved out of stone, firm and unyielding. His expression, however, was one of pridefulness and a hint of scorn.

    The other guy was in his forties, and he had a slim face and cruel eyes. His aura was as cold and sharp as an unsheathed sword.

    The duo were currently locked in a fierce battle. The middle-aged man wielded a broadsword that was over a meter long and as wide as a wooden door. The de of the sword was wless azure like the ocean itself.

    It did not take a genius to see that the broadsword was quite heavy, but the way the middle-aged man was wielding it, you would think that it weighed no more than a feather. His techniques were nimble, abstruse, and everchanging like a fish swimming unfettered in the sea.

    In contrast, the young man was barehanded. He was neutralizing his opponent¡¯s sword techniques with his fists, palms, or fingers. His techniques were in, simple, but efficient. He did not look under pressure at all.

    In fact, the battle looked fierce on the outside¡ªsword qi flying and gale blowing¡ªbut anyone above a certain level of martial insight knew that they were still testing each other. No one was going all out just yet.

    Suddenly, someone from the crowdmented, ¡°I remember now! The man fighting against Xiahou Qi is the lord of the Canng Ind of the Eastern Sea, the ind lord Chao Haisheng. The sword he¡¯s wielding is called the ¡®Rising Tide¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Chao Haisheng? Is he the eighty-first warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking, the so-called ¡®Sword That Rises With The Tides¡¯ Chao Haisheng?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°No wonder he dared to challenge the Junior Martial Sovereign. Tsk tsk, this is going to be interesting.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think would win, Chao Haisheng or Xiahou Qi?¡±

    ¡°Are you serious right now? Of course Xiahou Qi is going to win!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°Heh! Xiahou Qi is the son of the Martial Sovereign of Wei, and he is extraordinarily talented. They say that he is a worthy heir who inherited his father¡¯s full might and talent; a genius who broke through his physical limits and became a body-tempering Grandmaster at a young age. That was how he earned the moniker ¡®Junior Martial Sovereign¡¯, and why he is ranked sixty-ninth on the Earth Champions Ranking. On the other hand, Chao Haisheng is only eighty-first. How can he possibly be a match for Xiahou Qi?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯te to conclusions just yet. Xiahou Qi may be strong and ranked higher than Chao Haisheng, but he is young. Chao Haisheng is a veteran warrior who¡¯s made his name for decades. He is famous for his signature ¡®Rising Tide Sword Art¡¯, and his fighting experience far exceeds a fledgling like Xiahou Qi. Just because Xiaohou Qi¡¯s cultivation level is higher doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that he will win for sure.¡±

    ¡°That is true, but I still think that Xiahou Qi will win.¡±

    ¡°By the way, does anyone know why Chao Haisheng suddenly challenged Xiahou Qi to a duel? It¡¯s not like they resent each other, do they?¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? Yes, they do not know each other, but what do all <i>jianghu </i>people seek? Fame and glory! If you are more famous than me, then you are my enemy. It¡¯s that simple.¡±

    ¡°Heh. In short, you¡¯re a goddamn junior who is two decades younger than me. Who are you to ride on my head and pretend to be my better? Fuck you!¡±

    ¡°Haha... your words are vulgar, but your logic is sublime...¡±

    ¡°The Sword That Rises With The Tides?¡± Ye Qing smirked as he listened to the surrounding conversation. ¡°It¡¯s an impressive title, but why can¡¯t I see any tide from his sword technique at all?¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s using the ¡®Spirit Fish Sword Art¡¯, not his signature ¡®Rising Tide Sword Art¡¯. But don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll witness it very soon.¡±

    ¡°Chao Haisheng, will you please stop humiliating yourself with this worthless sword art and get serious already?¡±

    It was at this moment Xiahou Qinded a palm strike on Chao Haisheng¡¯s de and shattered the sword qi surrounding the sword. He scoffed, ¡°Show me your ¡®Rising Tide Sword Art¡¯ already, or I promise you you won¡¯t get the chance to do so.¡±

    A flinty glint appeared in Chao Haisheng¡¯s eyes. ¡°If that is your wish, then so it shall be. I too would like to witness the Martial Sovereign¡¯s ¡®Nine des That Melt The Sun¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Quit dreaming. You are nowhere near the level you need to to witness my father¡¯s signature move!¡± Xiahou Qi taunted.

    ¡°Arrogant junior!¡±

    Chao Haisheng was furious. He was afraid of the Martial Sovereign, sure¡ªthere was no one in the world who wasn¡¯t afraid of the man who became a Sage through his body, Xiahou Zun¡ªbut that did not mean that he was afraid of Xiahou Qi.

    Although they said that Xiahou Zun was his father¡¯s equal in terms of talent, he was ultimately not the Martial Sovereign. The difference between the Junior Martial Sovereign and the Martial Sovereign was night and day.

    That was why Chao Hai was sure that he wasn¡¯t inferior to Xiahou Qi, and why he dared to challenge Xiahou Qi to a duel.

    Chao Haisheng let out an angry grunt and abruptly changed his sword style. Instead of nimbleness and flexibility, his sword now sportedrge movements and grandiosity.

 Chapter 916: Red Sun Everlasting Treasured Scripture

    <h4>Chapter 916: Red Sun Evesting Treasured Scripture </h4>

    If the sword art from before was a fish in the sea, now it truly resembled the great tides.

    Slowly, a coastal wind blew from the east, and vapor rose from the sea. The wind entered the sword force, and the sea the sword intent.

    Every time he swung his sword horizontally, it was like the crash of a great tidal wave.

    Every time he swung his sword vertically, it was like the ebbing and flowing of tides.

    Xiahou Qi was like a small boat attempting to weather the majestic, magnificent storm that was Chao Haisheng¡¯s sword force. At first nce, it looked like he would capsize and perish at any moment.

    In reality, Xiahou Qi was fine. In fact, he showed no signs of decline at all.

    Those who looked closely would discover that Xiahou Qi¡ªdespite fighting with his bare hands and using in, simple techniques¡ªshed red with every move he made. He could always pinpoint a weak spot in Chao Haisheng¡¯s techniques and destroy its sword force with ease.

    Seeing how easily Xiahou Qi had blocked his assault, Chao Haisheng slowly but surely became angry. He changed his technique andunched seventy two strikes in a row.

    Each swing was stronger, heavier, and loftier than thest. His immense sword qi transformed into tidal waves that stood equal to the sea, and his infinite sword intent seemingly merged with the sea and rose with the tides.

    When the seventy two strikes descended, his sword qi aligned with the sea, and his sword force rose with the tides.

    At that moment, it was as if Chao Haisheng was the sea, and the sea was Chao Hai Sheng.

    This was the ultimate technique of the ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡±, ¡°Rising With The Tides¡±.

    ¡°What a ¡®Rising Tide Sword Art¡¯, what a ¡®Rising With The Tides¡¯! Chao Haisheng deserves his fame!¡±

    The crowd was quite impressed by his neverending, ebbing and flowing sword force, but Xiahou Qi was still doing the exact same thing as before. He continued to fight barehanded using the same techniques as before.

    ¡°This is a bit too arrogant even for Xiahou Qi, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Who doesn¡¯t know that the ¡®Rising Tide Sword Art¡¯ in a sword art focused on the ebbing and flowing of tides and unending, growing pressure? Each attack is only more powerful than thest. When his assault reaches full swing, it would truly be as unstoppable as the raging sea!¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk... that¡¯s how youngsters are. They are too arrogant for their own good.¡±

    ¡°When are you going to use your saber, Xiahou Qi?¡± Chao Haisheng noticed Xiahou Qi¡¯sxness and could not help but raise his voice, ¡°Are you looking down on me?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡± Xiahou Qi said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve my saber.¡±

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    Enraged, Chao Haisheng stopped holding back and held Rising Tide in front of him. The de was pointed downward, and the spine was facing forward. Then, he pushed.

    The push was the convergence of the sword qi, sword force, and sword intent of the seventy two sword strikes. The sword qi turned into the sea, and the intent the waves. At that moment, a sea took form, the waves churned, and the world darkened.

    The attack was named ¡°Joined With The Sea¡±. It was, in fact, <i>not </i>a sword technique in the ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡±.

    There were only seventy two techniques in the ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡±. ¡°Joined With The Sea¡± was the ultimate technique Chao Haisheng invented after mastering the ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡± and observing the ebb and flow of the tides for thirty years. It was a technique thatbined the sword qi, sword force, and sword intent of all seventy two strikes of the ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡± into one.

    Of course, if ¡°Joined With The Sea¡± was executed individually, then it would not nearly be as strong as it could be. But if it was used after the seventy two strikes of the ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡±, if it was able to mold all of the sword qi, sword force, and sword intent into one, then it possessed the power to destroy heaven and earth.

    <i>Rumble...</i>

    The next moment, Xiahou Qi was engulfed by the tidal wave of sword qi.

    ¡°Gulp... what a terrifying strike!¡±

    ¡°It is quite terrifying. I wonder if Xiahou Qi can block it?¡±

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s one thing if he¡¯s injured, but if he¡¯s dead, then Chao Haisheng might have forfeited his life as well.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. The Martial Sovereign would probably bury the Canng Ind with him.¡±

    The surrounding crowd was astounded by the strength of Chao Haisheng¡¯s attack and worried for Xiahou Qi¡¯s safety. However, not a single one of them thought that Xiahou Qi would win.

    The next moment, a beam of light shone out of the dark tide of sword qi.

    The light was dark red like a candle me in the night or a light tower in the sea: weak, lonely, but bright.

    Slowly, the light grew bigger and brighter. The sword qi couldn¡¯t stop it, and the unending tide could not blot it out.

    The crowd could only stare in astonishment as a bloody sun rose out of the tidal waves and into the sky, its heat waves and bloody light dyeing the sky in red instantly.

    The sword qi receded, the sword force dissipated, and the sword intent melted under the bloody sunlight.

    In just the blink of an eye, the tidal wave of sword qi was no more. All that remained was a bloody sun and a bloody light that illuminated both thend and the sea.

    It was only now the people realized that the bloody sun wasn¡¯t an actual sun. It was a man, and the bloody light came from the dark red patterns on his body.

    The man was of course Xiahou Qi.

    Xiahou Qi¡¯s upper torso was bare. His skin color was dark red, but it was smooth and wless likepiszuli. Dark red patterns were etched on his jade-like skin, and together, they looked like the sun. As the sun rotated, waves of bloody light washed out of Xiahou Qi and conjured all sorts of magnificent illusions. It made Xiahou Qi look like a demon or a god.

    Someone eximed in surprise, ¡°The Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body! It¡¯s the Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body!¡±

    ¡°To think that Xiahou Qi had already reached the adept level of the ¡®Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡¯. No wonder they call him the Junior Martial Sovereign.¡±

    Everyone was eximing in surprise and echoing their sentiment.

    The so-called Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body was a true body a practitioner attained when they reached the adept level of the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡±.

    The ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡± was a godly body-tempering martial art passed down within the Xiahou n. The practitioner would temper their body using the pure yang essence of the red sun so that their vigor was strengthened, and their internal organs were nourished. When someone had reached the end of the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡±, the practitioner¡¯s internal organs would circte like the sky, their vigor would be as vast as the red sun, and their body would be tough evesting.

    Originally a deep and profound Grandmaster-stage body-tempering martial art, it became much stronger after Xiahou Zun perfected it, improved it, and innovated it.

    Back in the day, it was thanks to the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡± that Xiahou Zun became invincible under the heavens and world famous.

    In fact, therge majority of people knew that Xiahou Qi practiced the legendary ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡±. Since he was an aplished Grandmaster, it made sense that his attainment in the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡± was great. However, they thought that he was still a long way from reaching the adept level of the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡± and forging the Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body.

    Back then, Xiahou Zun was praised as a once-in-a-century talent. He was born with a wless body with all meridians unlocked and an exceptionally strong body. However, even he did not reach the adept level of the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡± and forge his Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body until he was near his forties.

    That was why everyone was surprised. It had taken Xiahou Qi almost half the time to reach his father¡¯s previous level.

    Of course, this by no means meant that Xiahou Zun¡¯s talent was inferior to his son¡¯s. Back in the day, the Xiahou n was in decline, and their resources werecking. No one was able to reach the adept level of the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡±. Despite Xiahou Zun¡¯s astounding talent, he was greatly limited by his circumstances. He had had to forge his own path and gather the cultivation resources he needed to advance to the next level himself. That was why his cultivation speed was slower than expected.

    On the other hand, Xiahou Qi did not need to suffer like his father had. He simply needed to follow the path his father had zed ahead of him, nor did he have to worry about cultivation resources. Of course his cultivation speed was faster than his father¡¯s.

    That said, Xiahou Qi¡¯s aplishment was still stunning. The fact that he managed to reach the adept level of the ¡°Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡± and forge the Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body in his twenties proved that his talent was at least on par with his father.

    Xiahou Zun didn¡¯t have only one son. He had countless disciples as well. However, none of them had managed to forge the Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body at the same age as he. This was proof that Xiahou Qi¡¯s talent was no joke.

    In the future, it was possible that Xiahou Qi might be the second Martial Sovereign.

 Chapter 917: A Moon Appears On The Sea, A Saber Darkens The Sky

    ¡°The Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body? You actually mastered the ¡®Red Sun Evesting Treasured Sutra¡¯? How is that possible?¡±

    Chao Haisheng was even more shocked than the crowd was.

    ¡°Why not? I¡¯m a genius. Themon sense of ordinary folk does not apply to me!¡± Xiahou Qi said slowly.

    ¡°You¡ªthe arrogance!¡± Chao Haisheng¡¯s shock quickly morphed into anger.

    Most of the spectators wore ugly faces as well. After all, Xiahou Qi was basically insulting them as well.

    ¡°I have the right to be arrogant. You, do not.¡± Xiahou Qi dered arrogantly, ¡°Now, stop wasting your breath and show me what else you have. Otherwise, you won¡¯t get a second chance.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    Chao Haisheng turned beet red with anger, but he had to admit that Xiahou Qi was speaking the truth. A practitioner who forged the Red Sun Evesting Treasured Body possessed internal organs like the zing sun, vigor like red beams, and a body like profound gold. So long as he was standing under the sun, his vigor was endless and inexhaustible. That was why his ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡± could not threaten Xiahou Qi at all.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to move, then I will.¡±After waiting for a bit and receiving no response from Chao Haisheng, Xiahou Qi took one step forward and closed the distance in an instant. Then, he threw a punch.

    Red light writhed like roots. His fist was like the sun, and the sun was like his fist.

    Chao Haisheng crossed his sword in front of him and gathered his will. It was as if the sea itself was protecting him.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    There was a loud bang. Xiahou Qi didn¡¯t move, but Chao Haisheng turned so red it was like he was wearing a blood makeup. The wless, azure de of Rising Tide was covered in scorched marks, and steam was rising all around him.

    The next moment, Chao Haisheng flew backward and fell into the sea. The sea water within tens of meters around him actually started bubbling like it was boiled water.

    ¡°Gasp!¡±

    Countless people gasped when they saw this. Clearly, the sea water was boiling because of the Red Sun Evesting Force.

    Xiahou Qi hadn¡¯t just sent Chao Haisheng flying with his punch. He had also injected the Red Sun Evesting Force into his opponent¡¯s body. The Red Sun Evesting Force was a force of supreme yang, which was why the seawater had boiled in an instant.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even take a single hit? Trash.¡±

    Xiahou Qi shot the boiling sea a nce and let out a cold hmph. Then, he turned around to leave.

    ¡°Xiahou Qi¡­ do you really think I can¡¯t threaten you?¡±

    It was at this moment an angry roar erupted from the sea.

    Before Chao Haisheng even finished talking, a moon slowly rose from the sea.

    When the moon ascends, the tide rises.

    In fact, the tide was rising together with the moon.

    When the moon was halfway up the sky, the sea water within three hundred meters of Chao Haisheng had risen two hundred meters above sea level. It looked as if the sea was hovering in the sky.

    When the moon appears on the sea, the sea stands equal to the sky itself.

    ¡°This is the sword I learned after meditating for ten years straight on my Canng Ind, Xiahou Qi. Can you take it?¡±

    Chao Haisheng¡¯s voice came from the moon.

    It was a sword, but not just a sword. It was a Magia, but not just a Magia either. It was abination of both.

    When Chao Haisheng reached the adept level in the ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡± and invented ¡°Joined With The Sea¡±, he keenly felt that he had reached an unassable wall in way of the sword, much less his cultivation. For a time, he was greatly troubled by it.

    One night, he discovered that he was gued by insomnia and decided to sail out into the sea to alleviate his worries. Suddenly, he saw a moon rising into the sky, and the seawater with it. When the moon reached the top and illuminated the world in silver, the sea too became as tall as the sky, magnificent and spectacr. It was a sight that left a permanent mark in his heart, and he did not hesitate to enter secluded cultivation and practiced for ten years straight. Day and night regardless of the weather, he observed the rise and fall of the moon and the ebb and flow of the tides. Finally, he invented a sword where his sword intent was the moon, his sword qi was the catalyst, and his sword force was buried deep within the sea. When he unsheathed his sword, the moon would appear on the sea, and the sea would stand equal to the sky.

    That was why he named the technique, ¡°Rising Moon¡±.

    If the seventy two techniques of ¡°Rising Tide Sword Art¡± and ¡°Joined With The Sea¡± transformed his sword qi and sword intent into tidal waves resembling the sea, the ¡°Rising Moon¡± was a technique that actually borrowed the sea; the power of heaven and earth and the might of nature.

    For obvious reasons, ¡°Rising Moon¡± was many times more powerful in the sea than it was onnd. This was why he had chosen to challenge Xiahou Qi beside the sea, and why he dared to issue the challenge in the first ce.

    ¡°Get back!¡±

    ¡°Get back now!¡±

    Looking at the sky level tidal wave and the terrific power that permeated heaven and earth, everyone felt as small as an ant. Stunned and terrified, they hurried to back away from the seashore.

    ¡°This technique of Chao Haisheng is quite impressive be it in terms of execution or concept. It is good.¡±

    Feng Qingyou did not move. Despite the crowd rushing to get away from the shore, not a single person touched her for some reason. It was quite strange.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad he¡¯s still no match for Xiahou Qi.¡± Beside her, Ye Qing shook his head with pity.

    Meanwhile, Xiahou Qi was slowly turning around to stare at the gigantic, towering tidal wave. For the first time, a true smile appeared on his arrogant expression. He said, ¡°Now this is a sword; one that is worthy of my saber.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Show me how strong the ¡®Nine des That Melt The Sun¡¯ is!¡±

    Chao Haisheng let out a madugh, and the moon descended. The sea began falling as well.

    The sea was the sword, and the sword was the sea. They plunged as if threatening to destroy heaven and earth.

    ¡°Well met!¡±

    Xiahou Qi¡¯s eyes brightened a little. He straightened his palm and pointed it toward the ground.

    When the sea descended, Xiahou Qi lifted his hand about one meter.

    The next moment, a saber shed, and the world darkened.

    It wasn¡¯t because the saber was dark, but because it devoured all the light in the area in an instant. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just light. It had stolen everyone¡¯s vision, hearing, touch, and other senses. That was why it felt as if the world had suddenly plunged into darkness.

    By the time the crowd regained their senses, and light returned to the world once more, they saw that the falling sea was shifting unnaturally toward the left and the right. At the center was a straight line that divided the sea in half.

    The moon suspended in the sky slowly dimmed until Chao Haisheng was revealed.

    ¡°The ¡®Nine des That Melt The Sun¡¯ deserves its fame.¡±

    Chao Haisheng asked as he slowly descended from the sky, ¡°May I know which move this is?¡±

    ¡°The first. It is called the Lightless Sun and Moon.¡±

    Xiahou Qi withdrew his hand and said indifferently, ¡°It is the only move you deserve.¡±

    ¡°If only I¡¯m stronger¡­¡±

    Chao Haisheng¡¯s pupils slowly dted. Before his voice faded, a bloody dot suddenly appeared on his forehead.

    The next moment, the bloody dot stretched all the way down to his crotch. Just like that, Chao Haisheng was split into two, dead in both body and mind.

    It was only after Chao Haisheng had perished that the sea suspended high above the sky fell. Even so, its two halves remained separated for a long, long time. It showed just how deadly the attack was.

    ¡°The ¡®Nine des That Melt The Sun¡¯, huh? Impressive,¡± Ye Qing praised while sensing the terrifying saber intent lingering in the air. ¡°I wish I could see the rest of the moves. They must be incredible.¡±

    The ¡°Nine des That Melt The Sun¡± was a saber art invented by the Martial Sovereign, Xiahou Zun. Derived from the will to melt the sun and moon with his saber and the intent to devour the nine heavens, it was as potent as it was profound; as brutal as it was lofty. It was one of the greatest saber arts in the world.

    ¡°Xiahou Qi¡¯s ¡®Nine des That Melt The Sun¡¯ is potent, but limited in intent and by far inferior to Xiahou Zun¡¯s. If you truly wish to witness the ¡®Nine des That Melt The Sun¡¯, you should meet with Xiahou Zun instead,¡± Feng Qingyou teased him smilingly.

    ¡°Ahem¡­ maybe someday.¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose. He didn¡¯t have a death wish.

    ¡°What Junior Martial Sovereign? He has no martial ethics at all!¡±

    Xiahou Qi was turning around to leave when suddenly, aint broke out from somewhere. ¡°He could¡¯ve defeated Chao Haisheng without killing him, but he didn¡¯t. What a brutal, virtueless man!¡±

    This would¡¯ve been a perfectly normal remark in a sea of people. The problem was that the scene waspletely silent because everyone was absorbed in Xiahou Qi¡¯s final attack. As a result, the remark sounded unusually loud and sarcastic.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Xiahou Qi paused in his tracks and looked.

    <em>Mutter mutter mutter¡­</em>

    That section of the crowd immediately parted ways to reveal a couple of schrs wearing white Confucian robes and square hats.

 Chapter 918: Dead People Need Not Apologize

    ¡°Hmm? Jixia Academy disciples?¡±

    Feng Qingyou cast Ye Qing a nce and remarked with an imperceptible smile on her lips. ¡°This is going to be interesting.¡±

    The schrs were all wearing the Jixia Academy uniforms, and their cultivation levels were pretty high. They were most likely Jixia Academy disciples.

    ¡°Yes. The show has just begun!¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    ¡°Was it you who spoke just now?¡±

    An expressionless Xiahou Qi turned to look at an arrogant-looking youngster who looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old tops.

    ¡°Forgive him, Brother Xiahou. Gongyang is young and foolish, and he is prone to speak irresponsibly. I apologize deeply on his behalf, and I ask that you show him the magnaminty of a great man.¡±

    An older, calmer-looking man interrupted with a salute before the youngster could speak for himself.

    Xiahou Qi paid him no attention, however. He simply stared at the youngster with an ice cold expression and repeated his question, ¡°Was it you who spoke just now?¡± ¡°So what if I was? Watcha gonna do about it?¡±

    The calm youngster was about to speak up again, but this time his rash junior managed to steal the lead instead. ¡°A warrior practices virtue before martial arts; a virtuous person bears benevolence and generosity in their heart. With your strength, you could have bested him with ease, but you chose to toy with him instead. Just the same, you could have left him alive, but you chose to kill him instead. If someone like you isn¡¯t virtueless, then who is?¡±

    ¡°Gongyang is right.¡±

    ¡°The sages say that only those who put virtue before anything else may possess the ability and right to right the world and treat the people. Those with power but no virtue are just violent thugs.¡±

    ¡°A lord¡¯s way is one whobines virtue and power. A tyrant, one should not be.¡±

    ¡°A martial person is one who stops conflicts, not starts them. Virtue alwayses first. Behavior like yours do not deserve even the title of warrior, much less the Martial Sovereign.¡±

    The Jixia Academy disciples beside Gongyang echoed in agreement as well.

    Everyone: ¡°...¡±

    The surrounding spectators could not help but looked at the proud-looking disciples with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Did they forget who it was they were talking to? Did they think they actually <em>deserve </em>to teach the Junior Martial Sovereign? Had they be addled from all the books they read; dug one too many holes in their skulls to fit all the scriptures they studied? Were they <em>suicidal?</em>

    This was Xiahou Qi, the man they called the Junior Martial Sovereign. Xiahou Qi hadn¡¯t given himself the title, nor had it been bestowed by his father. He had earned it with every punch, kick, sh and stab he dished out to his enemies.

    Xiahou Qi had begun practicing martial arts since he was three and became aplished when he was nine. At the age of thirteen, he joined the army to temper himself and experienced what it meant to live on the edge of life and death. When he was eighteen, he concealed his identity and began exploring the <em>jianghu </em>as a nobody, challenging elites from all walks of life to hone his martial way.

    Wei was a warlike country where countless evils and monsters bared their fangs against innocents and warriors alike. To duel another person was to challenge them to a life-or-death battle, and it wasn¡¯t umon for one death to lead to countless others. That was why Xiahou Qi¡¯s path was one full of bloodshed, war and death. He wasn¡¯t devoid of mercy, but merciful was thest adjective you would use to describe him.

    And what did these idiots just do? They had publicly criticized him to his face. They were like old men who ate white arsenic¡ªsuicidal.

    As if on cue, everyone took a couple steps away from the Jixia Academy disciples. No one wanted to get their outfits dirty with their blood.

    ¡°Silence!¡±

    By now, the calmer youngster recognized the serious trouble they were in. nching, he hurriedlymanded the youngsters to shut up before pleading, ¡°This one is Yuan Buchen, a disciple of the Jixia Academy, and these young ones are my academy fellows. Unfortunately, this is the first time they set foot outside, which is why they understand neither etiquette nor restraint. I understand that they had offended Brother Xiahou, but please, show them some forgiveness.¡±

    ¡°Gongyang, Qinxuan, Mingxu, Wu¡¯an, what are you waiting for? Apologize to Brother Xiahou already!¡±

    ¡°This young master said nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?¡± Gongyang argued vehemently.

    ¡°Yeah, Yuan Buchen! Did you read all the books of the sages for nothing? If you can¡¯t even tell right from wrong, then how can you call yourself a disciple of the Jixia Academy?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten the teachings of the Great Confucians, Yuan Buchen?¡±

    The disciples did not hesitate to turn their ire on Yuan Buchen.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Yuan Buchen rebuked them furiously, ¡°The same Confucians also told you to <em>obey me </em>during this outing. Or have <em>you </em>forgotten their orders already?¡±

    He then turned to Xiahou Qi and apologized again, ¡°I apologize again for my junior brothers¡¯ foolishness. On their behalf, I deeply apologize for their offense.¡±

    ¡°No need for an apology,¡± Xiahou Qi said coldly.

    ¡°You are most magnanimous, Brother Xiahou! This one¡ª¡±

    Yuan Buchen thought Xiahou Qi was willing to overlook his junior brothers¡¯ offense and cracked a smile, but before he could finish, Xiahou Qi continued, ¡°Dead people need not apologize for anything.¡±

    The next moment, Xiahou Qi threw out a punch. His vigor was great like rainbows, and his crimson sun scorched the heavens.

    ¡°Brother Xiahou!¡±

    Stunned, Yuan Buchen summoned an inkstone with ink letters dancing in it. Schrly qi billowed around him as he defended his junior brothers.

    Unfortunately, Xiahou Qi¡¯s punch easily punched through the ink letters and the schrly qi. In fact, the inkstone itself crumbled into pieces.

    At a critical moment, several items flew out of the junior disciples¡¯ body: a book, a brush, a walking stick, and a Confucian hat.

    All four items were overflowing with grandiose and righteous schrly qi.

    Words began appearing on the book¡¯s pages:

    ¡°Beneath the brush lies stunning poetry.

    Behind the bamboo sticks billows grandiose qi.

    Above the Confucian hat spans infinite skies.¡±

    Xiahou Qi¡¯s fist was enveloped by the book, the brush, the bamboo stick and the Confucian hat. Thanks to them, the Jixia Academy disciples were able to survive his punch.

    Even so, the four items instantly lost their mor and schrly qi.

    The Jixia Academy disciples themselves were throwing up blood and waning rapidly due to the impact of the Red Sun Evesting Force.

    Ye Qing was crossing his arms as he made ament, ¡°Looks like these Jixia Academy disciples had pretty impressive backgrounds!¡±

    The Strange Artifacts that just saved the disciples¡¯ lives were quite extraordinary. Clearly, they were bestowed to them by their seniors.

    As expected, a terrified Gongyang began shouting threats at Xiahou Qi, ¡°My father is the Great Confucian Xia Yuanli. You dare kill me?¡±

    ¡°My master is the Great Confucian Zhang Xuang. Have you considered the consequences of killing us?¡±

    ¡°Kill us, and the Jixia Academy will not let this go unanswered!¡±

    ¡°Brother Xiahou, please calm¡ª¡±

    ¡°What does your identity have anything to do with me?¡± Xiahou Qi¡¯s voice was cold and disdainful. He did not seem to care about his quarry¡¯s background or origin at all.

    The next moment, brilliant columns of dark red light illuminated heaven and earth. Xiahou Qi threw his second punch.

    ¡°You dare¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is the end!¡±

    Despair colored everyone¡¯s features when they sense the killing intent in Xiahou Qi¡¯s punch.

    ¡°Mercy, Brother Xiahou.¡±

    It was at this moment a warm, mellow voice rang, apanied by what felt like the breeze of spring. Droplets of ink began appearing as if the air was an invisible canvas and transforming into flowers.

    At first, the flowers were dark-colored and clearly ink-made. But over time, the ink marks began fading, and the flowers gradually became colorful and lifelike.

    In just an instant, spring wind and flowers filled the entire area.

    As soon as Xiahou Qi¡¯s punch entered the garden of flowers, it devastated everything like an all-killing hurricane.

    The flowers withered and died before turning into ink droplets once more, dyeing the ground ck. However, Xiahou Qi¡¯s punch also disappeared with it.

    The next moment, a mellow-looking man appeared in front of Xiahou Qi.

    ¡°It¡¯s Mister Farseeing¡­¡±

    ¡°Mister Farseeing¡­¡±

    ¡°We greet you, Mister Farseeing¡­¡±

    Yuan Buchen, Xia Gongyang and more were overjoyed by the mellow man¡¯s arrival.

    He was none other than Fang Muyun.

 Chapter 919: Artful Portrayal of Buddhas

    <h4>Chapter 919: Artful Portrayal of Buddhas </h4>

    ¡°Mm!¡±

    Fang Muyun nodded in acknowledgement and motioned for his academy fellows to keep silent. Then, he looked at Xiahou Qi and said, ¡°Long time no see. You are as impressive as ever, Brother Xiahou.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to defend them, Fang Muyun?¡± Xiahou Qi replied indifferently despite Fang Muyun¡¯s greeting.

    ¡°No, I mean to mediate things.¡±

    Fang Muyun did not get angry despite Xiahou Qi¡¯s attitude. While wearing a gentle smile on his face, he said, ¡°They are just a bunch of unruly kids. Although they had offended you, you have also taught them a lesson. So why don¡¯t we leave things here?¡±

    ¡°And if I say no?¡± Xiahou Qi asked.

    ¡°Where it is possible to let people off, one should spare them.¡± Fang Muyun smiled. ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of kids who know little about the ways of the world. Their conscience is good despite their ill manners. Why should a senior like you split hairs over a bunch of juniors?¡±

    Ye Qing curled his lips. ¡°Tsk tsk... as expected of a schr. He overturned right and wrong, ck and white in just a few words!¡±

    It was clear as day that Xia Gongyang and his group of idiots were the ones at fault here, but after the truth was filtered through Fang Muyun¡¯s mouth, it sounded as if Xiahou Qi was the one who abused his power.

    ¡°I am not familiar with that logic. All I know is the <i>jianghu</i>, and in the <i>jianghu</i>, we enjoy our vengeance hot!¡±

    Xiahou Qi replied in a cold voice, ¡°You are right about one thing, however. There is no need for me to split hairs over a bunch of trash who hasn¡¯t even seen the world before; not when you are here.¡±

    ¡°I guess you won¡¯t be satisfied with a peaceful resolution.¡±

    Fang Muyun sighed helplessly. ¡°What do you want, Brother Xiahou?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t so bored that he must defend his juniors from the likes of Xiahou Qi. The problem was that the juniors had parents who were either Great Confucian, wealthy people, or powerful patriarchs. On top of that, he too was a student in Jixia Academy. It was his natural duty to defend his academy fellows.

    Finally, these disciples were part of the embassy who hade to Four Seas. Whatever the reason, he just could not stand by and do nothing, especially since the conflict was happening right before his eyes.

    Of course, he was also confident that he could settle the matter easily.

    Xiahou Qi looked into Fang Muyun¡¯s eyes with fighting spirit. ¡°I will unleash three attacks. Take them all, and our grudge is settled.¡±

    ¡°The Four Seas Summit is right around the corner. Why not wait until then to settle our differences?¡± Fang Muyun asked.

    ¡°The Four Seas Summit is a ce to decide the winner and the loser; life or death. This battle is to settle my score with them,¡± Xiahou Qi said indifferently. ¡°If you don¡¯t like this, then get lost. No one asked you to interfere.¡±

    ¡°If that is your earnest wish, what can a gentleman do but oblige?¡± Fang Muyun replied smilingly. ¡°I¡¯ll be in your care, Brother Xiahou.¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Xiahou replied simply before bending down slightly. His edge was unclear like a saber that was hidden inside its sheath.

    The next moment, Xiahou Qi took a step forward. Wind and thunder erupted, and nine suns rose above nine heavens within the step.

    Heaven, earth, and humanity began turning crimson as if covered in blood. There was no saber, and yet the sabers were everywhere. There was no killing intent, but humanity was obviously bleeding.

    At that moment, even the spectators who had moved at least a hundred meters away from the duo felt chilled to the core.

    Despite basking under nine suns, Fang Muyun¡¯s smile remained unchanged. At the same time, a painting began unfolding in front of him.

    There were meandering mountains with scrawny humans scaling its surface.

    There were running rivers flowing underneath a false sky.

    There were birds and beasts crying as they navigated a treacherous forest.

    It was a painting of a glorious realm spanning thousands and thousands of kilometers, and the humanity that resided within.

    The next moment, the nine suns fell. The mountains copsed, the rivers ran dry, and a crimsonnd spread thousands and thousands of kilometers.

    For a time, the force howled like a ceaseless gale that chased after the horizon, humanity seemed to meet the apocalypse, and the world itself looked like it hade to an end.

    A dozen or so breathster, the nine suns disappeared, and the realm too disappeared. All that was left behind was a painting that eventually burned into dust.

    Everything else looked right as rain as if what happened earlier was just a daydream.

    ¡°Nine suns in the sky, blood throughout humanity. The ¡®Red Sun Above Nine Heavens¡¯ deserves its reputation,¡± Fang Muyun said lightly.

    ¡°To enter art via the Dao. As expected of the disciple of the Art Buddha,¡± Xiahou Qi returned.

    ¡°Art Buddha? Who¡¯s that?¡± Someone in the crowd asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know who the Art Buddha is? He¡¯s one of the Confucian Sages who entered the Dao via art. He is a master at painting the wind, the moon, the mountains, the rivers, the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas. That was why they called him the Art Buddha.¡±

    Another person answered, ¡°Fang Muyun is extraordinarily talented in many things, but his talent in the way of art is out of this world. It took him only nine years to subsume the Art Buddha¡¯s lifelong skills into his marrow. That is why the Art Buddha praised him as a once-in-a-century genius in the way of the art.¡±

    ¡°Fang Muyun is the disciple of the Art Buddha? No wonder he managed to block Xiahou Qi¡¯s ¡®Red Sun Above Nine Heavens¡¯ with a single painting.¡±

    ¡°If the first attack is already this strong, I wonder how the next two attacks will fare?¡±

    ¡°Look! He¡¯s going again!¡±

    Back at the battlefield, Xiahou Qi was manipting his right arm like his hand was the de, and his arm was the handle. He crossed his arm in front of his chest as his energies shot up, and his vigor pierced through the nine heavens.

    Fang Muyun¡¯s face turned a little more serious when he saw this. Another painting flew out of his sleeve and unfolded in front of him. Buddhist light and Buddhist chanting appeared in an instant.

    Inside the Buddhist light, a hundred and eight Vajrapanis arrived on lotus flowers, followed by seventy two Arhats in seated positions, and thirty six Honored Ones chanting Buddhist mantras.

    The one hundred and eight Vajrapanis wore angry and terrifying faces, the seventy two Arhats formed the Great Demon Subjugating Formation, and the thirty six Honored Ones were delivering all living creatures from suffering with their chants.

    ¡°What a painting of the Buddhas.¡±

    Feng Qingyou praised as she looked at the Vajrapanis and Arhats, Honored Ones and Bodhisattvas, ¡°Once upon a time, the Art Buddha was created a painting where a hundred and eight thousand Buddhas manifested, and thunder descended from the Western Paradise to suppress countless evils and demons in an instant. It was said to be one of the most impressive sights the world had ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Fang Muyun¡¯s painting is no match for his master¡¯s as a matter of course, but it is clear that he has mastered the essence of the art. You could feel that he had infused a Buddha¡¯s Dao into his painting, giving life to all the Buddhas. It is quite extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°He really is quite strong.¡± Ye Qing nodded with a severe expression on his face.

    Xiahou Qi¡¯s expression did not change despite facing off against Fang Muyun¡¯s army of angry Vajrapanis, demon subjugating Arhats, and aligned Honored Ones. He simply swung his arm saber horizontally.

    At that moment, the sky was split into two. Murky qi sank below and turned into ck, clear qi rose above and turned into white, and the middle was filled with Primal Chaos.

    Heaven and earth finds yin and yang, all things return to Primal Chaos.

    First, the one hundred and eight Vajrapanis dissolved into nothing.

    Next, the Great Demon Subjugating Formation broke like paper, and the seventy two Arhats were bisected in half.

    And finally, the thirty six Honored Ones were ground into dust as if yin and yang were a millstone.

    The attack still wasn¡¯t depleted after killing the Vajrapanis, Arhats and Honored Ones. In fact, it seemed to be greater than before as thebination of yin and yang threatened to destroy everything.

    The painting was unfolded, but not fully. As thest one-third of the painting unveiled itself, low-browed twelve Bodhisattvas cast their Buddhist light across the Three Realms and every other world.

    Buddhist light shed against saber intent; Bodhisattvas entangled with yin and yang. Heaven and earth split into five lights and ten colors before shattering into smithereens.

    The spectators could not bear the impact. They backed again and again, and theirplexions grew whiter and whiter.

    A few breathster, when the light finally disappeared, neither the Bodhisattvas nor the yin yang saber were anywhere to be found. All that was left was a massive devastated crater over a hundred meters in radius where even space was disintegrated inch by inch.

 Chapter 920: Stunning Time Itself

    <h4>Chapter 920: Stunning Time Itself </h4>

    ¡°You managed to block my ¡®Opening Yin and Yang¡¯. Very good. Now receive my third attack!¡±

    Xiahou Qi squinted a little and summoned a small red knife.

    The knife was only three inches long and looked more like a toy than an actual weapon. It was delicate and beautifully crafted.

    The atmosphere was filled with razor sharp tension after it appeared though.

    The knife began rotating slowly in Xiahou Qi¡¯s palm, gentle and graceful. At the same time, it emitted a fantastical, dreamlike halo. It was as if the knife was a one-of-a-kind beauty who was performing a graceful dance, attractive and delightful.

    For a time, everyone was uncontrobly absorbed in its beauty.

    The next moment, Xiahou Qi pinched the de with two fingers and rotated it once, swinging it in the direction of Fang Muyun. The light it unleashed was overwhelming like a beautiful dance that stunned even time itself.

    Everyone was intoxicated by its beauty. In fact, it was too beautiful. The spectators found it hard to believe that it was a killing technique.

    Fang Muyun seemed to think otherwise though. The blood drained away from his face, and his face contorted with shock and wariness as he backed away from Xiahou Qi.

    Every time he took a step, he crossed hundreds of meters of distance in an instant.

    Every time he traversed three meters of distance, a painting would unfold rapidly in front of him.

    Sometimes, it was the sun and moon illuminating the nine provinces with their infinite radiance.

    Sometimes, it was a sea of stars illuminating the boundless sky.

    Sometimes, it was millions of celestials and gods standing in formation.

    Sometimes, it was the Buddhas chanting and shining with Buddhist light.

    Sometimes, it was the myriad red dust and the hundred faces of humanity.

    Sometimes, it was a hundred ghosts carrying coffins and the hells of Yama.

    ......

    Each painting was a world of its own, and each world was so fantastic one could almost believe that it was real.

    All these really took ce in just an instant, but it was enough to reverse heaven and earth, put the sun and moon in the same sky, filled every inch of space with celestials and demons, and conjure all other grotesque and variegated sights.

    Fang Muyun himself was nowhere to be found. It was as if he had hidden himself in the myriad worlds he summoned.

    Xiahou Qi¡¯s gorgeous saber light vanished as soon as it slipped into the myriad worlds. It did not elicit even the slightest ssh.

    Nine breathster, the myriad worlds abruptly grew transparent and wavy like a bubble that was about to burst. Then, it vanished and revealed Fang Muyun. At first nce, the schr looked no different from before.

    Xiahou Qi¡¯s crimson knife sank into his palm in a sh of red light and transformed into a saber-shaped imprint.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the ¡®Nine des That Melt The Sun¡¯, was it?¡± Fang Muyun asked quietly afternding on the ground.

    Xiahou Qi answered, ¡°No. It is a move I invented named ¡®Stunning¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Stunning, huh? It deserves its name. Color me impressed, Brother Xiahou.¡± Fang Muyun saluted him.

    ¡°Save your breath. You have received three of my attacks, so the grudge between us is resolved.¡±

    Xiahou Qi turned around and left immediately after he said that.

    ¡°Thank you very much for showing magnanimity, Brother Xiahou,¡± Fang Muyun replied smilingly.

    There was a sh of coldness and killing intent in his eyes as he stared at Xiahou Qi¡¯s departing back though.

    ¡°Thank you for saving our lives, Mister Farseeing!¡±

    ¡°Your strength is most impressive, mister!¡±

    Yuan Buchen, Xia Gongyang and the rest of the Jixia Academy disciples rushed forward to meet Fang Muyun after Xiahou Qi was gone.

    ¡°Now that that is done,¡± Fang Muyun turned to look at them, ¡°let us speak of your mistakes.¡±

    ¡°Mister...¡± Xia Gongyang and the others looked taken aback.

    Fang Muyun began, ¡°Those who read the books of the Sages are expected to help others and be capable of self-reflection; to know the rules and understand right from wrong. The imperial court has its ownws, themon folks follow their own rules, and the <i>jianghu </i>abide by their own code. There is no such thing as one truew that epasses everything, and anyone who says otherwise is just a foolish gossiper who doesn¡¯t know right from wrong!¡±

    ¡°This student understands his mistake!¡± Yuan Buchen replied with a salute. His juniors were silent as well.

    ¡°Mm. You are still young andcking in <i>jianghu </i>experience, so your mistake is understandable. That said, I expect all of you to learn from this lesson and not repeat your mistake again. From now on, you will think before you act; put caution before recklessness, understand?¡± Fang Muyun asked seriously.

    All the disciples saluted him. ¡°This student will remember your teachings, mister.¡±

    ¡°To err is human; to correct a mistake is the greatest good.¡±

    Fang Muyun cracked a smile. ¡°Buchen, you¡¯re the elder of the group. It is your responsibility to take good care of them. Take them everywhere and show them more about the world. I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡±

    Yuan Buchen, Xia Gongyang and everyone replied respectfully, ¡°See youter, mister.¡±

    By the time they lifted their heads, Fang Muyun was already nowhere to be found.

    ¡°That¡¯s... it?¡±

    ¡°Is it over?¡±

    ¡°What an anti-climatic ending!¡±

    A few seconds after Fang Muyun was gone, the quiet crowd suddenly burst into discussions.

    Was the fight exciting? Of course it was. It was most exciting.

    Be it Fang Muyun¡¯s magical and powerful paintings or Xiahou Qi¡¯s mighty saber techniques, they were most impressive, grandiose, and one-of-a-kind.

    It was just unfortunate their final sh felt somewhat anticlimactic. Looking at their techniques, it would not be surprising to think that the sh between Xiahou Qi¡¯s ¡°Stunning¡± and Fang Muyun¡¯s myriad paintings would shake the entire city. In reality, it didn¡¯t generate so much as a peep, so much so that some people were starting to think that Xiahou Qi and Fang Muyun were just ying around during their third and final sh.

    It was why many of them were feeling unhappy and dissatisfied.

    The battle was over. Despite the heated discussions, the crowd eventually dwindled to almost nothing. Even Chao Haisheng¡¯s body was slowly but surely being pulled into the sea by the tidal waves. It wasn¡¯t long before he was gone forever.

    ¡°Fang Muyun is injured.¡±

    Ye Qing said softly while enjoying a leisurely stroll with Feng Qingyou at the beach.

    ¡°Of course he is.¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°Xiahou Qi¡¯s final attack looked unimpressive, but it is easily the strongest attack of them all. Assuming that I was caught by surprise, not even I would be able to protect myself from the attack unscathed.¡±

    From most people¡¯s perspective, they thohught that Xiahou Qi and Fang Muyun¡¯s final sh was anticlimactic. Xiahou Qi¡¯s beautiful attack especially seemed almost ceremonial. But from Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou¡¯s perspective, his final attack more than deserved its name¡ª¡±Stunning¡±.

    It was because it was a saber technique that fell under the category of time; an attack that transcended time itself.

    The moment Fang Muyun saw Xiahou Qi¡¯s ¡°Stunning¡±, the moment he was astounded by its beauty, the saber intent was engraved into his mind, and he was already struck by the attack. Although Xiahou Qi did not do anything else after the attack, the saber intent remained in Fang Muyun¡¯s memory and mind.

    One might say that a stunning dance was timeless. Even if the dance was over, even if it had be a part of the past, the memory of that dance remained perfectly vibrant in one¡¯s mind. In that sense, it was as if the dance had never faded.

    Why did Fang Muyun throw out countless paintings after Xiahou Qi unleashed his ¡°Stunning¡±? It was to fight off and remove the saber intent engraved into his memory and mind. However, since the sh had taken ce at a location where the spectators could not see or probe, it felt as if their final sh was perfunctory and anticlimactic.

    In any case, Xiahou Qi¡¯s ¡°Stunning¡± was definitely stunning beyond words. Strong as Fang Muyun was, he could not help but suffer some damage. The only reason no one realized it was because the injury was mental, not physical.

    In fact, if Ye Qing hadn¡¯t been paying close attention to Fang Muyun this whole time, if he failed to notice that Fang Muyun¡¯s energies were stuttering a tad while he was rebuking the Jixia Academy disciples, he might have been fooled into thinking he was unharmed either.

    But of course, that was the extent of his discovery. It was impossible to say how hurt Fang Muyun really was.

    A smiling Feng Qingyou picked up a crab scuttling beside her foot and tossed it into the waves, asking, ¡°So? Did you gain anything from this test?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled happily. ¡°I did. I am quite happy with the results.¡±

    That¡¯s right. He was the one who manipted events so that Xiahou Qi and Fang Muyun would sh against each other. No, he had no hand in the battle between Chao Haisheng and Xiahou Qi, but he was the one who incited Xia Gongyang to taunt Xiahou Qi. What happened after that was just the domino effect.

    He was the one behind it all.

 Chapter 921: Fugong Arrives

    While Xiahou Qi and Chao Haisheng were fighting, Ye Qing already noticed the presence of the Jixia Academy disciples. Not long after that, he detected Fang Muyun¡¯s energies lurking in the dark.

    He had seen the Jixia Academy disciples¡¯ names from the information collected by Withered Sword, so he knew that they were part of the Chu embassy. That was also how he knew that they all possessed prestigious backgrounds. If danger were to befall the disciples, he was sure that Fang Muyun would step in and save them. That was why he decided to take action.

    He used his demonic thought to influence Xia Gongyang and the rest of the Jixia Academy disciples to be arrogant, self-conceited idiots who spoke before they thought. He made them taunt Xiahou Qi because he knew that the warrior would never let the insult slide without repaying it tenfold. This way, Fang Muyun would be forced to step up and intervene.

    Xiahou Qi was a prideful warrior who was absolutely obsessed with martial arts. No matter how silver-tongued Fang Muyun was, Ye Qing believed that it was exceedingly unlikely that they would be able to arrive at a peaceful resolution.

    He was right. It wasn¡¯t long before Xiahou Qi challenged Fang Muyun into a battle of three attacks.

    There were two reasons he chose to do this. One, it was to make Fang Muyun¡¯s life miserable, of course. The bastard had nearly killed him with his schemes back at Tian Yong. He was perfectly in his right to collect some interest before the actual debt. Two, it was to probe Fang Muyun¡¯s strength.

    Although Withered Sword¡¯s information was quiteprehensive, and he came to know about Fang Muyun¡¯s background, personality traits, martial arts, preferred methods and more like the back of his hand, seeing was believing, and as the saying went, winning a game in a war game was ultimately different from winning a battle in real war, not to mention that Fang Muyun was the sly, deceitful type. He did not believe for a second that the schr did not possess a trump card or ten that wasn¡¯t mentioned in the information he received. If he could find out about them now, then his n would go so much smoother.

    As expected, Xiahou Qi did not disappoint. Despite unleashing only three attacks, he went all out and forced Fang Muyun to go all out to defend himself as well. Although Xiahou Qi ultimately did not seed in forcing out all of Fang Muyun¡¯s skills and trump cards¡ªit was only three strikes after all¡ªthe schr still revealed far more than he was willing to reveal. It was to the point that he had more or less a firm grasp of Fang Muyun¡¯s true strength.

    He did not try to influence either party to fight each other to the death using his demonic thought. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to, but because it was both impossible and unnecessary.For one, both Xiahou Qi and Fang Muyun were powerful, strong-minded warriors. It was difficult to influence them without being noticed, and the risk of exposure was too great.

    Two, they were inside the Four Seas where the greatest champions of the four countries were gathered. Even if he seeded in influencing the duo, these people would not allow Fang Muyun and Xiahou Qi to fight to the death. So, he didn¡¯t bother.

    ¡°Fang Muyun entered the Dao via his art. You can tell that most, if not all of his strength is based on his paintings. He had to sacrifice a good number of paintings to endure Xiahou Qi¡¯s ¡®Stunning¡¯, and despite that, he still took a not insignificant amount of damage.¡±

    Feng Qingyou remarked, "It would have been a good opportunity to kill him¡­ if not for the fact that we¡¯re in the Four Seas.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Ye Qing sighed in agreement.

    He knew that this was a good, no, an <em>excellent </em>opportunity to kill Fang Muyun, but there were just too many powerful warriors in the Four Seas. ording to his knowledge, there were at the minimum two Half-Sages in Chu¡¯s embassy alone, much less the other countries. Even if they managed to kill Fang Muyun before reinforcements showed up, it was highly unlikely that they would be able to escape unscathed. Worst case scenario, they might even die from this. There was just no need to take such a risk.

    He came here to take revenge, not tomit suicide.

    ¡°That said, one can do anything so long as they set their mind to it. Another chance may present itself in the future,¡± Ye Qing dered.

    ¡°Perhaps. But such a chance won¡¯t reveal itself easily,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°We have time. We can find it slowly and steadily!¡±

    Ye Qnig wasn¡¯t disappointed. What happened just now was not part of their ns, but the oue was a pleasant surprise to say the least. He certainly wasn¡¯t going toin about it, and he definitely wasn¡¯t greedy enough to demand more.

    As he said, they had time. Fang Muyun had no idea he wasing. He had all the time in the world to wait for the perfect opportunity to kill the guy.

    With that behind them, the duo began touring the Four Seas at their leisure, but even with their speed and stamina, it still took them over ten hours to finally circle the entire Four Seas one time. For the next two days, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou would tirelessly looked into the factions, geography and other information until they finally pieced together aprehensive and detailed picture of the Four Seas.

    With this, their preparations wereplete. All that was left to do was to wait for the right opportunity to take out Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun.

    ¡­¡­

    It was nighttime. The moon was bright, and the stars were scarce. Ye Qing was meditating on his bed when suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at the entrance to his room, saying, ¡°The door isn¡¯t closed. Come in.¡±

    Outside the door, a silhouette was just about to knock on his door when he heard Ye Qing¡¯s summon. Surprised, he quickly entered the room and shut the door behind him.

    ¡°This ve greets you, young master.¡± The silhouette gave Ye Qing a deep bow.

    ¡°Rise.¡±

    Ye Qingmanded before greeting the silhouette properly, ¡°Long time no see. Have you been well?¡±

    ¡°I am. This ve is most grateful for your concern, young master.¡±

    Silver moonlight poured through the windows like gentle water, and a small portion of it was shining on the silhouette¡¯s face. He was none other than Fugong.

    ¡°It must have been hard to spy on Fang Muyun. I¡¯m grateful,¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°It is this ve¡¯s honor to be able to serve you, young master. This ve would not dare toin about his duty,¡± Fugong answered. ¡°Since you came to see me at such a time, I assume that you have something important to share with me?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised at Fugong¡¯s appearance at his temporary dwelling. After all, he was the one who told him about it.

    Fugong was one of Fang Muyun¡¯s aides, so of course he apanied the schr to the Four Seas. Ye Qing knew this from the very beginning.

    It was also why he secretly informed Fugong about his arrival after the battle between Xiahou Qi and Fang Muyun. He alsomanded the old man to spy on Fang Muyun and report to him. It was so that he could determine the extent of the schr¡¯s injuries and see if there was an opportunity to eliminate him.

    Fugong had shown up much sooner than expected though.

    ¡°Your wisdom knows no bounds, young master. This ve has two things to report,¡± Fugong answered. ¡°Speak,¡± Ye Qingmanded.

    Fugong answered, ¡°One, you ordered me to spy on Fang Muyun¡¯s every move. This ve can tell you that Fang Muyun rarely left his dwelling after his battle against his Xiahou Qi. Not only that, he has rejected many an invitation; something that he often epts in the past. The official excuse was that he was self-studying and did not wish to be disturbed, but this ve suspects that he is treating his wounds.¡±

    ¡°I see. It looks like his battle against Xiahou Qi had left him with greater injuries than expected.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°What of the second matter?¡±

    ¡°Fang Muyun will be leaving for Poison Dragon Ind three dayster. The ind lord¡¯s birthday ceremony is set to happen at that date, and Fang Muyun will be going there to pay his respects,¡± Fugong answered.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I am absolutely certain, young master.¡± Fugong replied, ¡°Fang Muyun personally told me about this. He wished for me to make the necessary preparations for our departure.¡±

 Chapter 922: The Chance Came

    ¡°What is the rtionship between Fang Muyun and the ind lord? Why would he visit him on his birthday?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    For the past few days, he had been looking into the powerful and influential figures and forces inside and around the Four Seas, so he was aware of such a person.

    The ind lord of Poison Dragon Ind was named Jiang Shiyi. He was a powerful Half-Step Sage who enjoyed raising poisonous serpents and sea dragons. He called himself the ¡°Poison Dragon Trueman¡±, and he resided in Poison Dragon Ind. He was the master of thirty six inds and factions surrounding Poison Dragon Ind, and he was one of the most famous elites in the Eastern Sea.

    Despite his strength, Jiang Shiyi rarely left Poison Dragon Ind. His area of activity was limited to the Eastern Sea only. He was curious how two people frompletely different corners of the world managed to forge a rtionship with each other.

    ¡°Fang Muyun most likely does not share a rtionship with the ind lord. It is his father, Grand Mentor Fang, who is affiliated with him.¡±

    Fugong answered, ¡°ording to my knowledge, Grand Mentor Fang once ventured to Qi and the Eastern Sea when he was young. He had probably made the ind lord¡¯s acquaintance during that time.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡± Ye Qing nodded before asking, ¡°Did Fang Muyun tell you how many people he¡¯s bringing with him?¡±

    ¡°He did not,¡± Fugong shook his head, ¡°but he did instruct me to keep a low profile and speak to no one about this. If I have to guess, Fang Muyun does not want too many people to find out about this visitation, meaning that he doesn¡¯t n to bring too many people with him. It is very possible that he¡¯ll be bringing me, Lugong and Shougong on this trip only.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? This does seem like an excellent opportunity.¡±The corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it this way. Continue to spy on Fang Muyun and try to find out the exact size of your party, your departure time, your method of travel and so on.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master,¡± Fugong responded with a salute.

    ¡°That said, your safetyes first. If an action looks doable, then you may give it a go. If not, then abandon that line of thought immediately. Thest thing I want is for you to alert Fang Muyun that something is amiss and ce yourself in grave danger, understand?¡± Ye Qing continued.

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, young master. I will,¡± Fugong replied.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. Come closer,¡± Ye Qing said suddenly.

    Fugong did not understand why Ye Qing was giving the order, but he obeyed and walked up to Ye Qing. As soon as he came to a stop, Ye Qing reached out and grabbed Fugong¡¯s head.

    Fugong was surprised, but he did not resist. He just waited for something to happen.

    A few breathster, Ye Qing withdrew his palm and smiled at Fugong. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I would kill you?¡±

    ¡°Why would I? This ve¡¯s life is yours, young master. If you want to kill me, then this ve will happily pass onto the afterlife,¡± Fugong answered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you so long as you are loyal to me.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Not only that, I will grant you a boon.¡±

    ¡°This ve is absolutely loyal to you, young master! Please see the truth!¡± Fugong hurriedly dropped to his knees and kowtowed to Ye Qing.

    ¡°I know you are. Otherwise, you would already be dead.¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°I left an imprint inside your mind just now. From now on, you no longer need to visit me in person and risk exposure. If you wish to report anything, just chant my name mentally, and I will sense it.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, that imprint is greatly beneficial for your cultivation. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll notice it in due time. Also, if you run into danger, simply call out to me in the same way, and I will protect you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, young master!¡± Fugong thanked him profusely.

    Ye Qing then summoned a pill and handed it to Fugong. ¡°This is for you. It will aid you in breaking through to the Trueman stage.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, young master!¡± Fugong eximed with clear excitement.

    ¡°As I said, I will grant you a boon if you are loyal,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    Just now, he had executed the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± and converted Fugong into a Heavenly Demon Dependent directly. Although the Mara Buddha had altered his memories and temperament, and Fugong was still absolutely loyal to him, Fugong would grow stronger eventually, and the Mara Buddha¡¯s influence would weaken over time. Therefore, the safest method to guarantee his loyalty was to convert him into a Heavenly Demon Dependent.

    As his Heavenly Demon Dependent, Fugong would never betray him. They could alsomunicate with each other at any time. Thirdly, assuming that Fugong was in danger, he could lend him his strength and protect him from harm, just like he could borrow strength from all his Heavenly Demon Dependents during a time of crisis.

    And finally, bing a Heavenly Demon Dependent automatically improves one¡¯s cultivation talent to a certain extent. Moreover, the higher Ye Qing¡¯s cultivation level was, the greater his influence on his Heavenly Demon Dependents in all ways including cultivation.

    That was why he wasn¡¯t lying to Fugong about granting him a boon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master. This ve will not betray you for as long as I live, or may this ve experience true death,¡± Fugong replied solemnly.

    ¡°Very well. You may rise.¡± Ye Qing waved. ¡°If there is nothing else, then you may return. No reason to arouse Fang Muyun¡¯s suspicion.¡±

    ¡°Understood. This ve will take his leave now.¡± Fugong bowed and soundlessly withdrew from the room.

    ¡°The heavens are on my side, it seems.¡±

    After Fugong was gone, Ye Qing got to his feet and walked over to the window. He had just been wondering if he should start something and lure Fang Muyun or Chu Wangsun away from the Four Seas, but to think that the opportunity wouldnd on hisp without him having to do anything.

    Moonlight sshed across Ye Qing¡¯s face, gentle and dreamlike.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°White Fish Ind? Why so sudden?¡±

    Feng Qingyou and Ye Qing were strolling along a street when Ye Qing told her about his decision.

    ¡°I just received word that Fang Muyun would be heading to Poison Dragon Ind and paying the ind lord, Jiang Shiyi a visit during his birthday ceremony,¡± Ye Qing said smilingly.

    ¡°Oh? Are you sure your intel is trustworthy?¡± Feng Qingyou looked quite surprised.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Was it the one who visited youst night?¡± A smile spread across Feng Qingyou¡¯s lips. ¡°Was it Fugong, Lugong, or Shougong?¡±

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s one of the three?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Feng Qingyou had detected Fugong¡¯s visitst night. After all, the woman was living in the next room. It would be more surprising if Feng Qingyou failed to detect someone of Fugong¡¯s level.

    However, how on earth did she figure out that it was one of the three?

    ¡°I guessed.¡± Feng Qingyou exined smilingly, ¡°First, there is no word that Fang Muyun is visiting the Poison Dragon Ind¡¯s ind lord in the <em>jianghu </em>at all, meaning that the decision was made in secrecy. However, the personst night was able to find out about it immediately. This could only be possible if they were one of his aides. Second, I sense the presence of an ancient heavenly court art from them, and as far as I¡¯m aware, Fugong, Lugong and Shougong are the only ones among his aides who practice an iplete heavenly court martial art. That is why I guessed that it was one of the three.¡±

    ¡°Impressive,¡± Ye Qing paid her apliment before answering, ¡°It is Fugong.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Feng Qingyou teased him, ¡°You hide your cards deep, don¡¯t you Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing waved her off. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    <em>I¡¯m just the world number three is all. Nothing to be impressed about.</em>

    Feng Qingyou shook her head in amusement before asking, ¡°So, are you nning to lure Fang Muyun to White Fish Ind and kill him there?¡±

 Chapter 923: Journey On The Eastern Sea

    <h4>Chapter 923: Journey On The Eastern Sea </h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the map. One must pass through many inds if they are to travel from the Four Seas to the Poison Dragon Ind. White Fish Ind is the only uninhabited ind out of all of them, and it is out of the way enough that the shockwaves of our battle should not draw attention or harm innocents.¡±

    Why not just intercept Fang Muyun on the sea and kill him wherever? Why go out of his way to locate an ind such as White Fish Ind? It was because intercepting him thoughtlessly was risky, of course.

    For one, fighting on the sea was very different from fighting onnd. Aplex and everchanging environment, one misstep might just prove enough for Fang Muyun to escape through the sea.

    Second, the sea route between Four Seas Ind and Poison Dragon Ind was a popr one. Connected to multiple inds, it was frequented by ships and personnel most of the time. Not only that, the day Fang Muyun set out was also the ind lord¡¯s birthday. Jiang Shiyi was famous throughout the Eastern Sea had boasted a wide socialwork. Countless people would be paying him their respects and participating in the birthday ceremony, increasing the traffic even more than it already was. If he could not kill Fang Muyun within the allocated time, someone would stumble upon their battle or recognize Fang Muyun from afar. It would be difficult for him to finish the job then.

    Did he possess the strength to finish Fang Muyun off in a short time? If he were to be entirely honest with himself, the answer was no. Even if he had a grasp of Fang Muyun¡¯s strength, even if he was working together with Feng Qingyou, even if the schr had no idea he wasing, he still did not think he could kill Fang Muyun in a short time.

    All things considered, Ye Qing ultimately decided to lure Fang Muyun to an ind beforemencing the operation. It was the safer and less risky option.

    White Fish Ind was the answer he arrived at after extensive research.

    ¡°White Fish Ind? It¡¯s a good choice,¡± Feng Qingyou said thoughtfully. ¡°But getting him there is going to prove troublesome.¡±

    ¡°I agree. Still, nothing is impossible.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°There is still time to finalize our n, so let¡¯s take this one step at a time. Right now, we¡¯re going to visit White Fish Ind and check if it¡¯s a suitable ambush spot.¡±

    Although Ye Qing had selected White Fish Ind as his ambush site, he hadn¡¯t surveyed the ce in person yet. What if it turned out that it was unsuitable for whatever reason after all? He would have to find another ambush spot. If it was suitable, then familiarizing himself with its environment would also facilitate his attempt to assassinate Fang Muyun.

    After arriving at the shore, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou went and searched for a deserted location. Then, Ye Qing waved a boat into existence.

    The boat was shaped like a fish. Its body was covered in colorful golden scales, and at the bow hung a g with a golden carp on it.

    They jumped onto the boat, and the g began waving despite the fact that there was no wind. The golden carp on the g also seemed toe alive and started swimming. The boat glowed golden for a second, and the next moment, it dashed into the sea at high speed.

    The boat was named the ¡°Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat¡±. A Soulstealer-ss Strange Artifact, it was forged using the bones and scales of the Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact, the Golden Carp. Its soul was sealed within the g. When the boat entered the water, it was like the Golden Carp itself traversing the rivers, navigating the sea, and breaking through the waves like a human would navigate a nd.

    Of course, the Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat was fast, but that was it. It could not block the wind or the waves. Luckily for it, its passengers were powerful enough that they did not care for its deficiencies.

    There were several reasons why the duo had chosen not to travel to their destination on afortable and safe vessel such as a tower ship or ferry. One, the sea surrounding White Fish Ind was more treacherous than normal, which was why few boats and ships enjoyed sailing there. Two, if they did seed in killing Fang Muyun in White Fish Ind, the Chu embassy would surely spare no effort in investigating everyone who visited that ind as ofte. There was an exceedingly high chance they would be able to pick up on their trail in that case.

    Although Ye Qing was confident that he could clean their tracks cleanly and ensure that the investigation met a dead end, that was no reason to be careless. Besides, this matter did not allow for even the slightest margin of error or carelessness. One misstep, and it would be damnation for him and Feng Qingyou.

    That was why they were using their own transport. In fact, they went so far as to avoid themonly used sea routes and sail far, far away from the traffic. It was all to avoid being seen and generating unnecessary trouble.

    Of course, to stray away from human traffic was to invite trouble of a different kind: Strangers. The official sea routes were cleaned up regrly in order to ensure the safety of the vessels using them. Everywhere else that wasn¡¯t an official sea route did not enjoy such luxury as a matter of course.

    There were Strangers <i>everywhere</i>. They had been traveling for tens of kilometers only, and they had already endured over ten attacks. Although Ye Qing released his aura in full to scare them away, there were always stubborn or brainless Strangers who chose to swim head first into death anyway. So, Ye Qing obliged them and punched them to the afterlife.

    If there was one silver lining to this trip, it was that the views were pretty great. The endless sea, the deep blue waters, the gorgeous, titanic waves... they were all sceneries that were rarely found on thend.

    The gorgeous sights of nature weren¡¯t the only beauties on the sea either. For example, they saw thousands of dolphins leaping out of the surface at once and kicking up a wave that was over tens of thousands meters tall.

    Colorful seaweeds swaying under the sea and emitting colorful halos that made the bottom of the sea looked like a celestial realm.

    Tens of thousands of Bubble Fishes blew countless bubbles into the sky, sunlight refracting across their surface and blinding the world with color.

    Sea beasts the size of an ind floating to the sea surface and blowing water into the sky, causing an entire area to rain for a time.

    Sea Serpent Birds pping their wings in the sky and breathing illusory clouds that took the form of celestial realms, pces, divine beings and more from their mouths.

    An endless expanse of translucent jellyfishes floating across the sea surface, their tentacles floating in the azure waters and dying an entire patch of the sea white.

    Melody Conches ying exquisite music, and Beauty ms dancing a bewitching dance.

    ......

    These were all one-of-a-kind wonders that few people ever got to witness, and for good reason. They were as beautiful as they were deadly.

    For example, the towering wave created by the dolphins could easily sink an entire ship and kill everyone on board.

    The Bubble Fishes¡¯ bubbles were deadly poisonous and could kill someone upon contact.

    The Sea Serpent Birds¡¯ illusions could trap an unsuspecting vessel forever until everyone on board was dead.

    The Beauty m¡¯s dance was really a predatory tactic to lure a human closer and consume them.

    So on and so forth.

    In conclusion, practically everything on the sea was dangerous. Here, carelessness was a taboo and a death sentence for those who indulged in it.

    Luckily for Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou, they were both powerful and knowledgeable. Between the two of them, there was no Stranger they didn¡¯t recognize, and no obstacles they could ovee by strength or wits. Despite the endless stream of harassment, they were ultimately able to make it to the sea surrounding White Fish Ind unscathed.

    Their troubles had just begun, however. As soon as they sailed into the sea region, dark clouds immediately blotted out the clear blue sky above their heads. Not even a minuteter, a heavy downpour apanied by powerful gales threatened to capsize them. Even the sea was roaring and creating tidal waves that seemed to touch the sky as if enraged. It was as sudden as it was terrifying.

    This was one of the biggest reasons no one wanted to live at White Fish Ind. The weather around White Fish Ind was unusual in the sense that it could be perfectly calm at one moment, then transform into a thunderous storm in the next moment, then a deadly hailstorm in the next next moment, then a submarine volcanic eruption in the next next next moment. It would be an understatement to say that the weather was actively dangerous and hostile toward humans.

 Chapter 924: Blood-drenched Sea

    <h4>Chapter 924: Blood-drenched Sea </h4>

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    Ye Qing had wrapped the Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat in the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Therefore, the vessel was cutting through the waves as steady as a rock.

    However, right before they would approach White Fish Ind, a gigantic eye suddenly appeared on the distant sea surface.

    The eye seemed to be made up of clouds. Churning and rotating slowly, the surrounding clouds seemed to be drawing the dead wind and rain in the area toward the pupil. Then, the pupil itself began rotating itself.

    A tornado took form on the sea in just the blink of an eye. Not only that, the tornado was rapidly growing in size and drawing water from the sea as well. In just a dozen of breaths or so, the tornado had grown into a titanic waterspout that seemed to connect heaven and earth together.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Sea Dragon Eye, a Disaster-ss Stranger,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°I see! No wonder it created such a massive waterspout,¡± Ye Qing remarked while admiring the curious phenomenon.

    The Sea Dragon Eye was a Disaster-ss Stranger. Shaped like a cloudy eye, it existed in the sea and generally appeared during stormy weather. After it made its appearance, it would absorb the surrounding gale, downpour, and sea water and form a titanic waterspout that connected heaven and earth. Wherever the waterspout traveled, that part of the sea was turned upside down, and all life was extinguished without mercy. It was much scarier than your ordinary waterspout.

    In fact, there were multiple times in the history of Qi where the water spouts created by the Sea Dragon Eye had destroyed countless coastal cities.

    That said, all Strangers were kible, and the Sea Dragon Eye was no exception. But of course, it wasn¡¯t an easy feat.

    First, one must destroy the waterspout before they could attack the Sea Dragon Eye. It was because the Sea Dragon Eye was hiding at the center of the waterspout. Only by destroying the waterspout could the Sea Dragon Eye be killed. Second, the Sea Dragon Eye wasposed of cloud and air, meaning that it did not have a physical or fixed form. It was difficult for normal attacks to find purchase, and one mistake was all the Sea Dragon Eye needed to escape.

    Logically speaking, the best time to kill the Sea Dragon Eye was before it created its waterspout. However, the Stranger normally hid itself in the deep sea and did not reveal itself easily, meaning that it was very difficult to detect. Once it made its appearance, it would take but a moment for the Sea Dragon Eye to form a waterspout.

    In conclusion, the Sea Dragon Eye was a highly difficult and troublesome Stranger.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t afraid of the Sea Dragon Eye, but there was no reason for him to waste his stamina to defeat it either. He decided to stay out of its way and wait out the storm before continuing toward White Fish Ind. This was because the Sea Dragon Eye would leave, and the waterspout it created would disappear after the storm had settled.

    But right before Ye Qing could move the Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat away from the Sea Dragon Eye, Feng Qingyou suddenly curled a finger and wrapped the entire boat in a strange energy. To Ye Qing¡¯s senses, it felt as if the space they were upying was isted from the real world.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ye Qing stopped whatever he was doing and asked softly.

    ¡°Something ising,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    As if on cue, a blood red color suddenly appeared from the distant sea and spread toward their direction. He saw the fishes, prawns, crabs, Strangers and more swimming away from the encroaching red as if their lives depended on it. In fact, that was the case. Every animal or Stranger who failed to get away in time immediately dissolved into a pool of red liquid and became one with the spreading red.

    Not even the titanic waterspout that connected heaven and earth was an exception. As soon as the red came close, it immediately turned tail and swam in the opposite direction like a mouse who saw a cat.

    Unfortunately, the encroaching red was even faster than the waterspout. It was dyed in red in almost no time at all.

    For a time, both the sky and the sea shared the same color. It felt as if everything in the world had been dyed blood red in color.

    The next moment, the waterspout fell apart as if whatever was maintaining its form had disappeared all of a sudden. Massive chunks of red sea water crashed into the sea and kicked up waves spanning tens of thousands of meters in height. At the same time, the sea region in a three-hundred-meter radius turned blood red all of a sudden, melting and killing all nearby aquatic animals and Strangers in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°You have arrived, Blood Sovereign. My apologies for not weing you in person. I hope you will forgive this crown prince for his poor etiquette.¡±

    It was at this moment a dignified voice boomed from the sky. It seemed to possess some sort of great power as it pushed back all the ck clouds in the surroundings, killed the howling winds, and stilled the sea.

    The sky was clear, and the sun was bright. The storm was pacified just like that. If the sea still wasn¡¯t blood red in color, one could almost fool themselves into thinking that this was all just a dream.

    The voice was still reverberating in the air when a ray of rainbow light appeared from the horizon and paved what looked like a road of pure rainbow across the sea surface.

    The melody of bamboo instruments and drums followed, and many shrimp soldiers and crab generals d in golden armor and wielding sabers or axes marched over following the rainbow road.

    Following right behind the shrimp soldiers and crab generals were many women wearing obscenely thin dresses. They looked human, but some of them had scales growing out of their forehead, m shells on their backs, fish tail for legs, or azure blue hair. Regardless, they were all gorgeous, and they were carrying various items such as corals, precious stones, tortoise shells, pearls and more. As they walked, their ornaments clinked together like music.

    At the center of the parade of women were eight tall and muscr Yaksha patrols. They were about ten meters tall with sharp fangs hanging in front of their mouths.

    The eight Yaksha patrols were also carrying a phoenix carriage[1] on their shoulders. Luxuriously built, the phoenix carriage was embedded with all sorts of precious stones and engraved with all kinds of auspicious beasts. It looked both noble and dignified.

    A young man wearing a dragon robe was sitting in the phoenix carriage. He looked to be in his twenties, and he possessed a handsome countenance and a noble bearing. He also had a pair of glowing horns that looked like they were forged frompiszuli, exquisite and mysterious, luxurious and imposing.

    When the group finally arrived at the edge of the bloody sea, the eight Yaksha patrols slowly dropped to their knees and lowered the phoenix carriage. The women, shrimp soldiers and crab generals also prostrated themselves on both sides of the rainbow road, showing absolute deference.

    After the phoenix carriage was lowered to the floor, the man rose to his feet and stepped off his phoenix carriage. He walked to the edge of the bloody sea and sped his hands in salute, greeting, ¡°This crown prince is honored that you have chosen to show up in person, Blood Sovereign.¡±

    As soon as the man finished, the bloody sea water abruptly withdrew unto itself, returning most of the sea water to normal. A short whileter, it took on a humanoid form.

    Although the thing looked humanoid with a head, a torso, and four limbs, it did not have any facial features such as eyes or nose. It alsocked any orifices and did not look male or female. Blood was dripping all over its body and spreading a thick, violent stench of blood throughout the air. It looked horrifying to say the least.

    ¡°Why have you called me here, Long Ao?¡±

    A low, chilly, genderless voice rang.

    ¡°Because I have business to discuss with you, of course.¡±

    The man named Long Ao replied smilingly, ¡°This is no ce to have that discussion though. The drinks are already prepared, so let us head to the hall together.¡±

    The Blood Sovereign uttered coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t drink wine. I only drink fresh blood.¡±

    Long Aoughed loudly. ¡°I know. I¡¯ve already prepared your favorite, the fresh blood of children. You may drink to your heart¡¯s content.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. I love drinking the fresh blood of children.¡±

    The blood on the Blood Sovereign¡¯s body stirred visibly as he said this. It was worth noting that the blood dripping into the sea would always circte back to his body. It was quite unusual.

    ¡°I hope this isn¡¯t a trick though, Long Ao. Otherwise, I don¡¯t mind devouring you.¡±

    ¡°I am a prince of my word, Blood Sovereign. I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    There was a glimmer of disdain in Long Ao¡¯s eyes as he responded, though he made sure to suppress it fast enough that the Blood Sovereign noticed nothing. He gestured, ¡°This way please.¡±

    The Blood Sovereign stepped onto the rainbow road and trod forward with Long Ao following closely behind. It wasn¡¯t long before they were gone, and the rainbow road slowly disappeared behind them.

    1. Meaning VIP carriage. ?

 Chapter 925: Four Seas Dragon Palace

    <h4>Chapter 925: Four Seas Dragon Pce </h4>

    <strong>Trantor''s Notes: Dragon Lord is changed to Dragon Sovereign starting all the way from chapter 784. Apologies for the mistake.</strong>

    ¡°Long Ao? Blood Sovereign?¡±

    After Long Ao and the Blood Sovereign were gone, Ye Qing finally spoke up, ¡°Would you happen to know who those Strangers are, Qingyou?¡±

    It did not take a genius to figure out that neither the Blood Sovereign nor Long Ao were human. They were intelligent Strangers, too.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡±

    Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°However, seeing as that golden-robed man is surnamed Long (Dragon), and he gives off the pressure of a dragon and has dragon horns growing out of his head, I believe that he is affiliated with the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce.¡±

    ¡°The Eastern Sea Dragon Pce?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is he the Son of Dragon the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce dispatched to attend this year¡¯s Four Seas Summit?¡±

    He knew of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, of course. The Eastern Sea Dragon Pce was built by the Dragon Sovereign, and the Dragon Sovereign was supposedly the descendant of the ancient First Dragon. Once upon a time, in the hopes of recreating the glory of the ancient First Dragon, the Dragon Sovereign had singlehandedly united the aquatic races of the four seas, built the Four Seas Dragon Pce, and created the position known as Dragon King to facilitate his rule. The Eastern Sea Dragon Pce was the central authority.

    For a time, the Four Seas Dragon Pce enjoyed a prosperous age under the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s leadership. Barring a handful of powerful races and Strangers, nearly everyone submitted to the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s rule. He was almost the overlord of the four seas.

    Nine hundred years ago, humanity was embroiled in a civil war where the four nations fought over the delicious pie that was You. Sensing a golden opportunity, the Dragon Sovereign and the Kun Sage mustered the Strangers of the four seas and invaded the human race.

    Unfortunately for them, the war ultimately ended with their defeat, and they were suppressed by the sages of the four nations. Not only that, humanity dispatched every elite they could muster to ughter the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s lineal descendants to thest to ensure that the ashes would not burn once more.

    That said, they did not eradicate the Four Seas Dragon Pce. There were plenty of aquatic races in the four seas and even more Strangers. Without a supreme authority to keep them in check, it was possible that a simr cmity might arise once more. The solution they arrived at was to keep the Four Seas Dragon Pce and put a figurehead on the throne.

    For obvious reasons, the Dragon King they put on the throne was nowhere close to the Dragon Sovereign in terms of reputation or power. They simply could notmand or suppress the Strangers of the four seas nearly as absolutely as the Dragon Sovereign had. However, the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s reputation remained even after he was gone, and they could hardly forget that the new Dragon King was supported by the humans who suppressed the Dragon Sovereign and Kun Sage they so feared.

    It was enough to keep most of the aquatic races and Strangers of the four seas in check. Through the Four Seas Dragon Pce, they could also spy on them and prevent them from harming humans.

    The solution was highly effective. In the past couple centuries, civilian deaths caused by aquatic Strangers was still amon urrence, but there had never been a case whererge numbers of intelligent aquatic races or Strangers came together en masse to attack a human city. In fact, one could almost say that the human race now shared an amicable rtionship with the aquatic races and Strangers of the four seas.

    To ensure the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s loyalty, the four nationsmanded them to dispatch at least one Son of Dragon or Daughter of Dragon to attend every Four Seas Summit and express their submission and loyalty to the human race. The golden-robed man had called himself a crown prince, so it was extremely likely that he was one of the Sons of Dragon who would soon be attending the Four Seas Summit.

    However, Ye Qing refuted his own guess immediately after voicing it. ¡°Wait, that can¡¯t be right. There is still a couple months before the Four Seas Summit officially begins. It doesn¡¯t make sense for them to dispatch an embassy so soon. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t be sneaking about in secret.¡±

    ¡°We can just follow them to find out the truth,¡± Feng Qingyou suggested.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ye Qing nodded. He then took control of the Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat and did just that.

    Long Ao and the Blood Sovereign were Disaster-ss Strangers. Extremely powerful ones, too. However, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were confident in their own strength and did not believe they would not be discovered.

    Besides that, it so happened that Long Ao and the Blood Sovereign were traveling in the direction of White Fish Ind. He had no choice but to follow them if only to check if their presence would impact his n.

    ¡°They really are headed to White Fish Ind.¡±

    A momentter, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou arrived at an ind. It was shaped like a fish, and its rocks and hills were all white in color¡ªhence the name. It was none other than White Fish Ind.

    Something was different about the ind though. Besides the usual greeneries, there were a bunch of tall, luxurious halls on the ind as well. Its surroundings were also covered in all sorts of restrictions that were concealed within a thick, anomalous fog. Countless shrimp soldiers and crab generals could be seen patrolling inside it.

    Standing at the bow of the Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat and examining White Fish Ind from afar, Ye Qing muttered to himself, ¡°Looks like this Long Ao is plotting something big!¡±

    Although White Fish Ind was uninhabited, it was still fairly close to Four Seas. That was why few intelligent Strangers would choose to linger in the area and risk being discovered by humanity¡¯s champions.

    However, Long Ao hadn¡¯t just upied White Fish Ind, he had practically renovated the ce into a base of sorts. It was clear that he was plotting something big; something most likely concerning the Four Seas.

    He didn¡¯t have proof, but his gut was telling him that his guess was correct.

    After Long Ao and the Blood Sovereign stepped inside a pce, Ye Qing put away the Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat and boarded White Fish Ind with Feng Qingyou. They ran straight toward the pce.

    The duo hadn¡¯t bothered concealing themselves, and yet the patrolling soldiers and generals could not seem to see them at all. Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were passing through right before their eyes, and they did not react almost as if they were blind to their existence.

    There were three other Strangers inside the pce besides the Blood Sovereign. They were an ink ck toad the size of a hill, a shark-headed man with rows and rows of sharp, pointy teeth, and a gorgeous woman with a human upper body but a fish¡¯s tail.

    All three Strangers shared the same ominous presence as Long Ao and the Blood Sovereign. It was clear they were all Disaster-ss Strangers.

    The ink ck toad greeted the Blood Sovereign smilingly, ¡°I was wondering who the third crown prince was fetching. It was you, Blood Sovereign?¡±

    The ink ck toad was huge, but its voice was as crisp and youthful like a child¡¯s.

    ¡°Long time no see, Blood Sovereign.¡±

    The shark-headed Stranger also cracked a toothy grin in greeting.

    ¡°Ink Toad King, Shark General, Madam Mer. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you all,¡± The Blood Sovereign responded while sweeping a puzzled nce across the group.

    ¡°We are here because His Highness invited us,¡± the mermaid woman said softly. Her reply was short, but it sounded like the most wonderful melody in the world, intoxicating and sweet.

    ¡°What for?¡± The Blood Sovereign pressed.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say yet. He left to fetch you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Ink Toad King replied.

    ¡°Why on earth have you brought us together, Long Ao?¡± The Blood Sovereign turned to look at Long Ao.

    ¡°Patience, my friends. Please, take a seat.¡±

    Long Ao gestured, and hispanionsplied. Then, he pped his hands and summoned many m women into the pce. They were carrying all sorts of delicious drinks and food.

    ¡°Hmm? A fresh human heart! I love it!¡±

    Shark General¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the fresh, still beating human heart. He grabbed it without hesitation and tossed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously.

    ¡°I know you love human hearts¡ªespecially a warrior¡¯s heart, Shark General. That is why I prepared it.¡±

    Long Ao beamed. ¡°Blood Sovereign, the wine jar in front of you bears the heart¡¯s blood of many human children. Why don¡¯t you give it a taste?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t lie to me. It really is the fresh blood of children. Very good.¡±

    Blood Sovereign grabbed the wine jar and shoved it into his body. He then let out an intoxicated sigh, ¡°Delicious. How have I longed for this taste.¡±

    Long Ao looked at Ink Toad King and Madam Mer next. ¡°Toad King, Madam Mer, I heard that the two of you enjoy human delicacies and wine, which is why I¡¯ve prepared them today. Please, enjoy them and tell me if they are up to your standards.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness.¡±

    Ink Toad King and Madam Mer thanked Long Ao before consuming their food and drinks.

 Chapter 926: The Four Seas Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 926: The Four Seas Conspiracy </h4>

    ¡°There is something I must ask, Your Highness. The Eastern Sea Dragon Pce and the humans have always shared a good rtionship, but today, you dug out many a human¡¯s heart and procured the blood essence of children to serve us. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you would anger the humans and invite cmity to your Eastern Sea Dragon Pce?¡±

    The Shark General asked meaningfully while savoring the human hearts on the table.

    ¡°Afraid?¡±

    Long Ao scoffed when he heard this, ¡°Hmph. In ancient times, humans were nothing more than the ves and livestocks of dragons. Why on earth would I fear prey?¡±

    ¡°Besides, they will die in just a matter of months. They are the ones who should be afraid, not me!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Your Highness?¡± Madam Mer asked puzzledly.

    ¡°I mean what I said,¡± the third crown prince replied, ¡°I¡¯ll speak frankly. The day the Four Seas Summit takes ce is also the day the humans bleed.¡±

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Shark General joked while chewing his hearts, ¡°Are you saying that you¡¯re nning to massacre the Four Seas, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°Yes? What¡¯s the problem?¡± Long Ao asked after enjoying a sip of wine.

    ¡°Hahaha... you are a joker, Your Highness.¡±

    Shark Generalughed loudly when he heard Long Ao¡¯s response. ¡°I¡¯m not looking down on you, Your Highness, but some of the greatest human elites and geniuses would be gathered during the Four Seas Summit. Assuming you really are trying to invade the Four Seas, I¡¯m pretty sure you would be meat paste long before you even reach their walls.¡±

    Long Ao did not fall for the provocation, however. He rubbed his fingers across his wine cup while saying slowly, ¡°I can¡¯t do it alone, naturally. But what if you and I join hands? What if we all work together?¡±

    ¡°Work together?¡±

    It was at this moment Shark General realized that Long Ao might not be joking after all. A deep frown appeared on his face, ¡°This isn¡¯t an borate joke, Your Highness?¡±

    At this point, even Ink Toad King, Madam Mer and the Blood Sovereign realized that something was amiss. They all turned to look at Long Ao.

    ¡°You tell me. Do I look like I¡¯m joking to you all?¡± Long Ao drained his cup and said coldly.

    The atmosphere inside the pce grew deadly oppressive and silent in an instant. For a time, the only sound that existed was the sound of the Blood Sovereign¡¯s blood dripping on the floor and flowing back into his body.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You still don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    Long Ao asked in an indifferent tone while examining their expressions, ¡°Or maybe, you aren¡¯t willing to help me?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny at all, Your Highness.¡±

    Ink Toad King said in his childish voice, ¡°Even if we believe you are serious, even if we lend you our aid, the idea of massacring the Four Seas with just the four of us is still no different frommitting suicide. We simply are no match for the humans.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about you, Your Highness, but we aren¡¯t done living yet!¡±

    ¡°I understand your conundrum.¡±

    Long Ao continued in the exact same tone, ¡°But what if my Eastern Sea Dragon Pce is involved? What if the Four Seas Dragon Pce is involved as well? Do you think that would be enough?¡±

    This time, Shark General, Madam Mer and Ink Toad King all shot to their feet. The looks of astonishment on their faces were evident, ¡°The Eastern Sea Dragon Pce? The Four Seas Dragon Pce??¡±

    ¡°Tell me this isn¡¯t a joke, Your Highness!¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve told you before. I never joke.¡± Long Ao seemed very satisfied with their responses.

    ¡°So, this isn¡¯t an idea you came up with? It¡¯s the will of the Four Seas Dragon Pce itself?¡± Shark General eximed in disbelief.

    ¡°That is exactly correct,¡± Long Ao confirmed.

    ¡°But... but... I thought the Four Seas Dragon Pce and the humans share a non-aggression treaty with each other? The humans will govern thend, and the dragons the sea. Such is the case until eternity... isn¡¯t it?¡± Shark General stammered.

    ¡°Non-aggression treaty? Eternity?¡±

    Long Ao sneered. ¡°Bullshit! Humans were our ves and livestock. What right do they have to be our equals? Why should we share the world with them? All things in the world belong to us dragons!¡±

    ¡°Back in the day, the First Dragon was the king of the entire world, and all races submitted to his rule. Later, the three human monarchs slew him in the Sky Beyond Sky, and stole our fruits ofbor. That was the only reason the humans were able to rise to power, the thieves and rebels.¡±

    ¡°For countless years, we dragons never forgot about our shame and worked hard to improve ourselves. We have never forgotten our oath to resurrect the glory of the dragons!¡±

    ¡°Nine hundred years ago, my honored ancestor, the Dragon Sovereign singlehandedly united the four seas and pushed back against the vile humans. Unfortunately, he was outnumbered by the cowardly humans and suppressed at the Deep Abyss. Worse, the humans slew all who are even remotely tied to him by blood in hopes of severing our roots forever. This is a blood debt not even the sea can wash away, and you think we can just let bygones be bygones?¡±

    ¡°Besides, the four nations make it sound oh-so-nice and pretty, but they really see us as ves and servants. ¡®Humans govern thend, and the dragons the sea¡¯? Bullshit!¡±

    ¡°The Four Seas Dragon Pce may have acted submissive before the humans since centuries ago, but we have never forgotten about our vengeance, our oaths, and definitely our hatred. We have made great efforts to prosper our race and secretly gathered our strength to rescue the Dragon Sovereign from the Deep Abyss. We swore that we would make the humans pay, and massacring the Four Seas and annihting the geniuses of the four human nations is the first step.¡±

    Long Ao continued in an icy voice, ¡°The Four Seas Summit is a grand event everyone in the world pays attention to. By massacring the Four Seas and annihting the geniuses of the four nations, we would be humiliating them and dealing them a serious blow.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    For a time, Ink Toad King, Madam Mer, Shark General and the Blood Sovereign could only stare at the spirited Long Ao in silence. They hadn¡¯t yet recovered from the shock of his deration.

    ¡°We are most impressed by the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s lofty ambitions,¡± Madam Mer was the first to break the silence, ¡°but we must ask: why have you brought us here?¡±

    They already knew the answer. They just needed confirmation.

    ¡°The humans are strong and many. Naturally, the four seas muste together to fight them,¡± Long Ao said simply. ¡°The reason I invited you all today is simple. I would like you to join my Four Seas Dragon Pce so we may toil for our grand ambitions, together!¡±

    Madam Mer, Shark General and the rest of the group exchanged nces with each other. No one was talking.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you believe me? Or are you reluctant to join us?¡±

    Long Ao continued tirelessly, ¡°Don¡¯t you wish you have an endless supply of humans you can feed on? Haven¡¯t you suffered enough under the humans¡¯ oppression already? Do you actually enjoy the endless days of fear and suffering?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget. You are all repeat human eaters. There is no chance the humans would ever tolerate the likes of you. In fact, it is entirely possible that you may be the geniuses¡¯ targets during this year¡¯s summit. I may never see you again next year today.¡±

    ¡°Only by joining my Four Seas Dragon Pce do you have a chance of surviving.¡±

    The Blood Sovereign said bluntly, ¡°Cut the crap. I only want to know two things. One, what will we get if we join you? And two, do you n to use us as fodder?¡±

    ¡°My Four Seas Dragon Pce is currently contacting all aquatic factions and powerful Strangers of the Four Seas. As for me, I am the overseer of this sea region. If you choose to join the Four Seas Dragon Pce, you have my word that you will receive the respect you deserve, and you definitely won¡¯t be discarded like fodder.¡±

    Long Ao smiled. ¡°The aquatic races of the four seas are really one big family after all. Besides, there is no other way to defeat the humans and regain our glory except working together.¡±

 Chapter 927: Lend A Dirty Worker A Knife

    <h4>Chapter 927: Lend A Dirty Worker A Knife </h4>

    There was a moment of silence. Then, Ink Toad King asked, ¡°If we reject your invitation, what will happen to us?¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha...¡± Long Aoughed. ¡°I told you already. The aquatic races of the Four Seas are one big family. If you turn down my invitation, then so be it. I would not force you to join us.¡±

    ¡°That said, you have learned of our greatest secret. To ensure that the news isn¡¯t leaked to the humans, I would need you to stay here for some time. Once our n has seeded, I will release you as a matter of course.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying you would imprison us, third crown prince?¡± Shark General¡¯s gaze immediately turned unfriendly. He wasn¡¯t even addressing him as ¡®Your Highness¡¯ anymore.

    ¡°No, no. You will be guests, not prisoners.¡± Long Ao smiled.

    ¡°I think¡ª¡± Shark General wanted to say more, but a draconic roar suddenly erupted from somewhere. It shook him and turned his blood into ice in an instant.

    Ink Toad King, Madam Mer and the Blood Sovereign had stiffened as well. They were experiencing the exact same sense of crisis as Shark General.

    ¡°These pces are a Strange Artifact?!¡±

    Outside the pce, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had heard the draconic roar as well. But unlike Shark General and his fellow Strangers who only sensed the danger but did not know where it wasing from, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou saw clearly that the earthly qi in and around the pces had joined into the massive silhouette of a five-wed divine dragon. Its body was long enough to circle around the entire White Fish Ind and envelop the whole ce in its oppressive aura. It was also looking down on White Fish Ind like it would swallow it whole at any moment.

    ¡°Do you think they would join the Four Seas Dragon Pce?¡± Ye Qing asked via sound transmission.

    ¡°Do you think they would dare to say no?¡± Feng Qingyou countered.

    ¡°Fair!¡± Ye Qing shrugged. Long Ao had executed the carrot and the stick tactic perfectly. If he was in the Strangers¡¯ position, he would have said yes as well.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you this, but this must remain an absolute secret. We won¡¯t allow room for any unfortunate errors to happen either.¡±

    Back inside the pce, Long Ao swept his gaze across the Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer. He smiled. ¡°You understand what I¡¯m trying to say, right?¡±

    A moment of silenceter, the Blood Sovereign spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything so long as I am supplied with an ample amount of fresh human blood.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! When we massacre the Four Seas, you will have an entire city of humans to feast upon!¡±

    Long Ao guffawed. ¡°And when we defeat the human race and restore the aquatic races of the four seas to their rightful positions, you may eat whoever you want and do whatever you want!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m of the same mind as the Blood Sovereign. Give me prey, and I¡¯m fine with whatever.¡± Shark General voiced his agreement next.

    ¡°What about you two?¡± Long Ao turned to look at Ink Toad King and Madam Mer next.

    Ink Toad King and Madam Mer exchanged nces with each other. Then, they saluted Long Ao and dered, ¡°Assuming that this operation is sessful, the aquatic races of the four seas will benefit for countless generations toe. We see no reason not to offer our full support.¡±

    ¡°You are all highly principled Strangers[1]. This crown prince is honored to be in your presence.¡±

    Long Ao rose to his feet. ¡°On behalf of the Four Seas Dragon Pce, I wee you all to our fold. Let us toast to this joyous asion!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± The Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King and other Strangers raised their wine cups and drained its contents in one gulp.

    ¡°If I dare ask, how is the Four Seas Dragon Pce nning to massacre the Four Seas?¡±

    After the Strangers took their seats once more, Madam Mer asked, ¡°When it is the day of the Four Seas Summit, the humans¡¯ champions and geniuses will be gathered in one ce. On top of that, the Four Seas is protected by a great array. Forgive my shortsightedness, but it does not seem easy to massacre the Four Seas or ughter their geniuses to thest.¡±

    ¡°I understand your concern. My Four Seas Dragon Pce has prepared amply for this operation as a matter of course.¡±

    Long Ao exined, ¡°When the Four Seas Summit begins, our envoy will enter the Four Seas with our ultimate treasure. He would activate it at the right time and cause the Four Seas¡¯ great array to malfunction and suppress the humans¡¯ strength. It would be child¡¯s y to massacre them then.¡±

    Shark General licked his bloody teeth and chuckled voraciously. ¡°Hahaha... What a wonderful n. I¡¯m starting to look forward to this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If everything goes as nned, my Four Seas Dragon Pce will reward you amply for your services.¡± Long Ao grinned. ¡°But before that, there is one thing I need your help with.¡±

    ¡°What is this matter? Tell us, and it shall be done!¡± Ink Toad King replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing big. As I told you, my Four Seas Dragon Pce is currently contacting all factions and powerful Strangers of the four seas, and I am the overseer of this sea region.¡±

    Long Ao began, ¡°Unfortunately, due to my long stay in the Dragon Pce, I am not familiar with this particr sea region. Due to the time constraints, I require your aid to contact the factions and powerful Strangers of this sea region and invite them over.¡±

    ¡°Three dayster, I n to hold a summit on White Fish Ind and invite them all to join my Four Seas Dragon Pce. We will all toil for this glorious undertaking together.¡±

    Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer replied without hesitation, ¡°That¡¯s easy. It shall be done.¡±

    ¡°What do we do if some refuse to attend?¡± Blood Sovereign asked.

    ¡°The fate of the Four Seas Dragon Pce and all aquatic races of the four seas are on the line here. There is no room for any error or mishaps.¡±

    Long Ao dered coldly, ¡°If such fateless dissenters truly exist, then they might as well cease to exist. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... Ipletely agree! Just leave it to us!¡± Shark General barked out inughter.

    ¡°Simple and brutal. Just the way I like it.¡± The Blood Sovereign cackled.

    Ink Toad King and Madam Mer were chuckling in agreement as well.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you all then.¡±

    Long Ao raised his wine cup and rose to his feet again. ¡°Another toast to our eventual sess, people. Glory to the aquatic races of the four seas!¡±

    ¡°Glory to the aquatic races of the four seas!¡± The other four Strangers raised their wine cups and echoed as well.

    After that, clinks of sses and string instruments filled the air. From time to time,ughter would burst out of the pce as well, painting a joyful and harmonious picture.

    ¡°Tsk tsk... the aquatic races of the four seas are one big family, he says.¡±

    Outside the pce, Ye Qing let out a cold chuckle. ¡°What a beautiful rtionship. I almost shed a tear!¡±

    ¡°So? What are your thoughts?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave this ce first,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    Feng Qingyou nodded, and the duo took their leave. No one noticed anything from the start until the end.

    On the sea far, far away from White Fish Ind, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were riding the waves on the Wave Breaking Golden Carp Boat. While watching the glittering blue waters, Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Are we leaving just like that? Don¡¯t you think we should do something?¡±

    ¡°Of course we do,¡± Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly. Millions of innocent lives and the peace of the entire human race was at stake here. Of course he couldn¡¯t pretend that he had seen and heard nothing.

    ¡°What do you want to do? Do you want to kill them right now, or do you want to inform the higher-ups of the four nations so that they can end this n before it ever begins?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Kill them? No way! That would be such a waste!¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose with a devilish smile on his lips. ¡°I have a better idea, one that can kill three birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Tell me,¡± Feng Qingyou prodded.

    Ye Qing summed it up in three idioms, ¡°First, we lend a dirty worker a knife[2]. Then, we divert the cmity to the east[3]. Finally, the fisherman takes it all[4].¡±

    ¡°First, we lend a dirty worker a knife. Then, we divert the cmity to the east. Finally, the fisherman takes all.¡±

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s eyes grew brighter and brighter as she repeated his words. ¡°It does sound like a good idea. However, it won¡¯t be easy to execute.¡±

    ¡°It is all a matter of effort.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked. ¡°This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If we miss it, I don¡¯t know about you, but it will haunt me for the rest of my life.¡±

    ¡°Besides, if we execute it properly, then we can settle our problems once and for all.¡±

    Yes... if everything went exactly as nned, then he would be able to kill Fang Muyun, y Chu Wangsun, expose the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy, and rescue the innocent civilians of the Four Seas from cmity all at the same time.

    1. Note that being a highly principled Stranger ispletely different from being a highly principled human. ?

    2. Making someone do your dirty work for you. ?

    3. Making someone bear the consequences for you. ?

    4. You don¡¯t need me to exin this, right? ?

 Chapter 928: Eight Wind Blows

    <h4>Chapter 928: Eight Wind Blows </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s time, young master.¡±

    Xiaoxiang Garden, Chu River Embassy. Fugong appeared outside Fang Muyun¡¯s study and informed him that it was time to depart for the birthday ceremony.

    A few breathster, Fang Muyun¡¯s voice came from within. ¡°Are the items ready?¡±

    Fugong answered, ¡°It is, young master. Everything is prepared.¡±

    <i>Creak. </i>The door swung inward, and Fang Muyun stepped out of the room. He looked at Fugong and dered, ¡°In that case, let us depart.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± Fugong responded before leaving with Fang Muyun.

    A teatimeter, the duo had exited the Four Seas and arrived at the seashore.

    ¡°Young master...¡±

    Two men walked up to them immediately. They both had unusual countenances.

    One man was dark-faced and long-bearded. He wore an iron crown and wielded an iron staff. He was carrying a tiger the size of a house cat on one arm.

    The other man had white hair as smooth as a crane¡¯s feathers and a childish face. There was a bulge on his forehead. He looked kind, cute, and very lively despite his age.

    They were none other than Lugong and Shougong.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Fang Muyun nodded.

    It was at this moment Fugong took a step forward and waved his hand. A pavilion with clouds at the bottom immediately flew out of his sleeve and into the sky. As it descended, it grew bigger and bigger. It was the size of a normal building by the time the clouds made contact with the sea surface.

    Cloudy mist surrounded the fantastical pavilion. It was fully furnished with tables, chairs, beds and the like. It had tea, wine, qin, Go board, books and paintings as well. It was basically a mobile home where everything was readily avable.

    The pavilion was named the Floating Pavilion, a Phenomenon-ss Strange Artifact. It boasted an interior space, white clouds that shrouded the pavilion, and the ability to change its size at will. So long as there was a single wisp of cloud, the pavilion would never fall to the ground. Hence the name.

    Fugong gestured, ¡°This way please, young master!¡±

    Fang Muyun took one step forward, and a patch of cloud automatically appeared beneath his feet. It lifted him straight into the Floating Pavilion. After that, Fugong, Lugong and Shougong entered the Floating Pavilion as well.

    A cool breeze blew, and the Floating Pavilion floated forward. It was gone in the blink of an eye.

    On the sea, Fugong was piloting the Floating Pavilion toward their destination when suddenly, he eximed in surprise, ¡°Huh? Why is it fogging?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hardly strange that there is fog on the sea,¡± Lugong replied while sipping a cup of clear tea.

    But Shougong disagreed, ¡°No, something¡¯s not right. This fog is rising way faster than your ordinary fog.¡±

    Even as he said this, the sea around them waspletely shrouded by a thick fog.

    ¡°Should we inform young master about this?¡± Lugong asked.

    Shougong opened his eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t sense any danger from this fog.¡±

    ¡°Then let us continue,¡± Fugong remarked before continuing toward their destination.

    Neither Lugong nor Shougong noticed that the Floating Pavilion had veered off its original path.

    About an hourter, Fugong stared at the fog in front of him and voiced his puzzlement, ¡°Strange. It¡¯s been a whole hour since we ran into the fog. Why hasn¡¯t it dissipated yet?¡±

    ¡°It is quite strange,¡± Lugong echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t your ordinary fog, it¡¯s...¡± Fugong eximed in realization, ¡°... the Lost Fog.¡±

    Shougong observed the surrounding fog for a bit before admitting with an ugly expression, ¡°I think you¡¯re right. This is bad.¡±

    The Lost Fog was a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. Those who were trapped within would lose their way without knowing. ¡°All directions lead only to more fog, not even the heaven or the earth may provide reprieve to the lost¡±. Such was how people described the Lost Fog.

    Although the Lost Fog was only a Phenomenon-ss Stranger and boasted no offensive capabilities whatsoever, it was more annoying than even some Disaster-ss Strangers. It was because the Lost Fog was, physically speaking, no different from your conventional fog, making it nigh undetectable when it first engulfed its victims. By the time they realized what happened, the Lost Fog had already taken them to heavens-know-where.

    Dispelling the Lost Fog was possible, but hardly easy. The Lost Fog must be dispelled all at once, or it would reform, regrow, and recover its lost ground rapidly if even a wisp of it was left behind.

    Generally speaking, only a Trueman or Grandmaster stood a chance at dispelling the Lost Fog. Anyone below that level could only wait until the Lost Fog was gone. The good news was that the Lost Fog onlysted between six to ten hours at most before scattering on its own. The bad news was that they would miss the entire first half of the birthday ceremony, and the ind lord might very well take offense to that.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Fugong asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t possess the ability to deal with the Lost Fog. We must request help from young master,¡± Shougong replied.

    No one here was a weakling, but they weren¡¯t Truemen yet. So, they could not dispel the Lost Fog.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±

    A few breathster, Fang Muyun¡¯s voice came from inside the pavilion.

    Shougong sped his hands in salute. ¡°We encountered the Lost Fog, young master. We need your help to dispel it!¡±

    ¡°The Lost Fog?¡±

    On the second floor of the Floating Pavilion, Fang Muyun stepped out of his room and examined the surrounding fog with an imperceptible frown on his face.

    Fugong, Lugong and Shougong appeared beside Fang Muyun and apologized for their failure, ¡°We were careless and failed to detect the Lost Fog at first notice. Please, forgive us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    Fang Muyun waved away their apology. He was aware of the Lost Fog¡¯s characteristics as well. It was understandable that his three aides would not notice its presence until it was toote.

    After saying that, a painting appeared in front of Fang Muyun and unfolded itself. Then, a white-haired old man slowly stepped out of the painting.

    The old man had dirty white hair. He wielded a wheel on his left hand and a fan on his right. A cool breeze surrounded him like a mini cyclone.

    The next moment, the old man fanned the blue wheel he was holding with his fan. It began spinning and shing with the mysterious grace of Dao.

    A wind named Fiery Wind rose from the northeast. It was generated by Gen qi.

    A wind named Torrential Wind rose from the east. It was generated by Zhen qi.

    A wind named Smoky Wind rose from the southeast. It was generated by Xun qi.

    A wind named Giant Wind rose from the south. It was generated by Li qi.

    A wind named Bleak Wind rose from the southwest. It was generated by Kun qi.

    A wind named High Wind rose from the west. It was generated by Dui qi.

    A wind named Fierce Wind rose from the northwest. It was generated by Qian qi.

    A wind named Cold Wind rose from the north. It was generated by Kan qi.

    The eight winds rose, and the clouds and fog were nevermore.

    Fugong, Lugong and Shougong were understandably stunned by their young master¡¯s disy of power. The painting Fang Muyun just used was called ¡®Fengbo[1]¡¯, and Fengbo was the god of the old who governed the wind. Master of the eight winds and five weathers, Fengbo boasted immeasurable power.

    Obviously, Fang Muyun¡¯s painted Fengbo was no match for the real thing. Even so, it definitely boasted some true likeness to the real Fengbo. The blue wheel spun, the eight wind rose, and rity returned to the world once more. Not only was the Lost Fog gone, the sea surface waspletely untouched by the eight winds.

    A flicker of pride appeared in Fang Muyun¡¯s eyes as he examined his handiwork.

    Then, his smile stiffened.

    It was because an ind had appeared in front of him after the fog had dispersed. For whatever reason, it was covered in countless banners and Strangers. They were all shouting:

    ¡°Kill the humans, elevate the four seas!¡±

    ¡°Kill the humans, elevate the four seas!¡±

    ¡°Kill the humans, elevate the four seas!¡±

    Suddenly, the shouts on the ind came to a sudden stop.

    It was because they saw the fog dissipating and revealing Fang Muyun, Fugong, Lugong and Shougong standing on the Floating Pavilion.

    For a time, both sides could only stare at each other in stupefied shock.

    1. Or Uncle Feng... hey wait a second. ?

 Chapter 929: Hardwork Boat

    ¡°Fang Muyun!¡±

    ¡°Long Ao!¡±

    Long Ao on the ind and Fang Muyun on the Floating Pavilion recognized each other at the same time, but neither one of them made a move immediately.

    It made sense. They were both trying to make sense of the scene in front of them.

    Long Ao was trying to puzzle out why Fang Muyun had appeared at White Fish Ind today of all days. It was right in the middle of his summit too.

    Did Fang Muyun figure out the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s plot?

    Fang Muyun was trying to understand why so many Strangers were gathered on this particr ind, why Long Ao, the third crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, was here, and why they were shouting, ¡°Kill the humans, elevate the four seas!¡± like crazy.

    Did they know he wasing? Were they lying in ambush?

    Both Long Ao and Fang Muyun rejected their first thought at the same time.In Long Ao¡¯s case, it was because he discovered that there was no one else in the area except Fang Muyun and his three aides. If the schr really had figured out their plot, he wouldn¡¯t have shown up alone.

    In Fang Muyun¡¯s case, he realized that the Strangers would be in hiding instead of shouting like maniacs if they really were plotting to ambush him. Besides, what kind of ambushers just stood there and did nothing after seeing their prey?

    There was only one truth. This encounter¡­ was just a coincidence!

    <em>A coincidence!</em>

    <em>A coincidence!</em>

    Once again, the same thought shed through the dragon and the human¡¯s mind at the same time.

    They even cried out at the same time:

    ¡°Kill him!¡±

    ¡°Fly[1]!¡±

    The former cry belonged to Long Ao, and thetter Fang Muyun as a matter of course.

    Long Ao¡¯s cry was much, much louder though. It was a draconic roar that resounded throughout the ind.

    It was said that the clouds obeyed the dragon, and wind the tiger. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. As soon as the draconic cry boomed, the clouds immediately surged in from every direction toward Fang Muyun.

    At the same time, the rabble finally snapped out of their daze and rushed toward Fang Muyun using their wind and rain, screaming.

    A brush appeared in Fang Muyun¡¯s hand. It was rainbow-colored and overflowing with literary[2] qi. At the same time, grandiose qi gathered at the tip of the brush and turned into droplets of ink.

    Literary qi was the brush, and grandiose qi the ink. Together, they made the ¡°Literary Essence Brush¡±.

    The next moment, Fang Muyun filled in the eyes of his Fengbo using the Literary Essence Brush.

    When Zhang Sengyou painted the eyes of his dragon, it came to life and flew away.

    When Fang Muyun painted the eyes of his Fengbo, it came to life and became a god.

    Invisible power billowed out of Fengbo and disintegrated the painting it resided in. The dust then entered Fengbo¡¯s body.

    Fengbo¡¯s body began to grow more solid and real. His palm leaf fan and blue wheel were shing with divine light as well.

    The next moment, the palm leaf fan fanned, and the blue wheel spun. The formless light of the divine turned into the Eight Trigrams¡ªQian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Dui, Gen, and Xun¡ªand pushed the forces of nature into action. The Fiery Wind, Torrential Wind, Smoky Wind, Giant Wind, Bleak Wind, High Wind, Fierce Wind and Cold Wind rose at the same time and blew in from every direction.

    When Fang Muyun used Fengbo to dispel the Lost Fog, the winds had felt gentle and calm. That wasn¡¯t the case anymore. They were now scorching like fire, freezing like ice, dark like death, bright like the sun; forceful enough to shatter everything, insidious enough to prate bones and slither hearts, corrosive enough to rot bones and fester muscles, and destructive enough to ruin minds and annihte souls.

    The clouds scattered before the winds.

    The sea rotted before the winds.

    The rocks shattered before the winds.

    The trees wilted before the winds.

    Everything crumbled before the winds.

    The dozens of Strangers at the forefront were either burned to ash, frozen into popsicles, melted into skeletons, or annihted into soulless husks.

    At the same time, over half of the army of Strangers on White Fish Ind were injured or killed in the blink of an eye, leaving only the stronger ones behind.

    ¡°Fly now!¡± Fang Muyun urged after dealing a heavy blow to the Strangers of White Fish Ind.

    Whatever Long Ao and the Strangers were nning, it was clear it was anything but good. It might even be some sort of grand conspiracy.

    Since he was fortunate¡ªor more urately, unfortunate¡ªenough to stumble upon them, the only thing he could do was fly. Fly to safety with all his might.

    It was the only course of action; the only way he might have a sliver of hope to survive.

    Unfortunately, Fang Muyun had just finished talking when he noticed that the sea water directly underneath the Floating Pavilion had turned red as blood. The next moment, a blood whale burst out of the water surface and swallowed the entire building in one gulp.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    There were countless streams of water and sharp teeth inside the blood whale¡¯s mouth. They clenched around the pavilion and threatened to destroy the restrictions protecting the Strange Artifact with both corrosive power and pure strength. Already, some restrictions were exploding into bits.

    Fang Muyun immediately waved his Literary Essence Brush and cut the blood whale in half like it was a sword.

    Not only that, the white sh born from literary steel split open the blood red sea as well and prevented it from mending.

    After cutting the blood whale and splitting the blood sea, a paper boat underneath Fang Muyun, Fugong, Lugong and Shougong¡¯s feet.

    The paper boat looked beyond fragile, but it really possessed immense power. Literary ink scattered across the sea, and the next moment, grandiose literary qi flowed out of the boat and grew into a river of grandiose qi. It seemed to be flowing toward some sort of mysterious space. The literary ink acted as some sort of oar and carried them straight toward it.

    It looked like the boat was moving at a leisurely pace, but neither wind nor rain could enter the space surrounding them. It was as if they existed in different spaces.

    The boat was called Hardwork Boat. A Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, the Hardwork Boat was given its name based on the idiom: ¡°Up the mountain of books, there is a path of diligence;

    Across the boundless sea of learning, there is a boat made from hard work.¡± Folded from the papers of a Confucian Sage¡¯s book, it was imbued with the power of a Confucian Sage. It could bridge the real world and the Confucian sanctuary known as the ¡°Sea of Learning¡±.

    Usually, the Hardwork Boat was used to ferry Confucian students into the Sea of Learning so they might listen to the lectures of the Sage. It could purify their literary heart, improve their understanding of the scriptures, sharpen their reason and logic, and increase their knowledge and cultivation. During times of crisis, one could also slip into the Sea of Learning and save themselves.

    Generally speaking, the Hardwork Boat was only given to knowledgeable, virtuous, and strong-hearted Confucian geniuses who had received the approval of the Confucian Sages. It was so that they could improve their cultivation and to save their life during a dangerous moment.

    The Hardwork Boat Fang Muyun possessed was given to him by the Jixia Academy. He had always used it to purify his literary heart and temper his knowledge, and never to save his life because no one could ever threaten him¡­ until now.

    If Long Ao was alone, then he wouldn¡¯t need to run away. However, he sensed several presences on White Fish Ind that were at least on par with Long Ao. That spelled trouble. Grave trouble.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he had taken a deep injury from Xiahou Qi during their duel a few days ago, and he was still in the middle of recovery. Worse, he had lost therge majority of his paintings during that fight, and they made up the bulk of his strength. He wasn¡¯tpletely helpless without his paintings, but he was definitely much, much weaker without them.

    Injured and weakened as he was, Fang Muyun wasn¡¯t confident that he could handle Long Ao and the rest of the Strangers. A virtuous man does not stand next to a wall about to copse, so he immediately activated the Hardwork Boats in an attempt to escape into the Sea of Learning.

    1. Thank you for your service, Gandalf. ?

    2. I bloody hate tl this word. It could be literary, schrly, wordy h h h h fuck your miserable life trantor qi ?

 Chapter 930: Silver Armor, White Horse, Cold Steel

    ¡°The Hardwork Boat? Is that Fang Muyun?¡±

    Madam Mer and Ink Toad King appeared beside Long Ao and said urgently, ¡°He mustn¡¯t escape, Your Highness! It would be terrible if he did!¡±

    They were now grasshoppers bound to the same rope as Long Ao. If Fang Muyun managed to escape and expose their conspiracy, they would all die.

    Long Ao crossed his arms and dered with confidence, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t escape.¡±

    As he predicted, right before the Hardwork Boat could carry Fang Muyun into the Sea of Learning, the deafening roar of a dragon suddenly resounded throughout the sea region. At the same time, a pce appeared in the sky.

    The pce was massive beyond words. It was so big that it blotted out the entire sky, and thousands and thousands of divine dragons were flying around it. When the dragons transformed into mysterious draconic scripts, draconic roars filled the air, sealed heaven and earth, and intimidated all of creation.

    The literary river carrying the Hardwork Boat toward the Sea of Learning shattered without a sound, causing the vessel to slow down drastically as if trapped in a quagmire. At the same time, the mysterious space that was the Sea of Learning also disappeared into thin air.

    ¡°The Myriad Dragons Pce!¡±

    On the Hardwork Boat, Fang Muyun looked up at the titanic pce above his head with a re.He knew that escape was no longer an option.

    The pce above everyone¡¯s head was called the Myriad Dragons Pce, and it was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact and the ultimate treasure of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce.

    The Myriad Dragons Pce boasted no offensive capabilities, but it could seal heaven and earth and muddy the rivers of fate.

    Once the Myriad Dragons Pce appeared, allnd, water, and even space within a radius of fifty kilometers were trapped. The rivers of fate were muddied as well. Unless the Myriad Dragons Pce was destroyed, or its wielder was killed, it was impossible to escape the sealed space no matter what.

    Not only that, anyone who wasn¡¯t a dragon within the affected area would be weaker. It was why the Hardwork Boat suddenly lost the ability to connect to the Sea of Learning and reality itself.

    On White Fish Ind, Long Ao crossed his arms and dered, ¡°Surrender, Fang Muyun. You cannot escape.¡±

    ¡°Would you let me live if I surrender to you?¡± Fang Muyun turned around to look at Long Ao.

    Long Ao smiled. ¡°Sure. You may have seen what you should not have seen; learned what you should not have learned, but I am a generous and broadminded man. I can consider letting you live if you surrender to me and swear me your loyalty.¡±

    ¡°Is there no other option?¡± Fang Muyun asked again.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Long Ao scoffed.

    To his surprise, Fang Muyun countered seriously, ¡°I think there is.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Tell me.¡± Long Ao looked curious.

    ¡°Killing you is another way to leave this ce,¡± Fang Muyun answered emotionlessly.

    ¡°Kill me?¡± Long Ao¡¯s expression turned scornful as he burst outughing. ¡°I know you are strong, human genius, but I¡¯m not weak either, not to mention that I have many allies who are on the same level as me, if not stronger. Do you seriously think you can kill me?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t until I give it a try.¡± Fang Muyun said calmly, ¡°Besides, what if you¡¯re really just a bunch of weaklings?¡±

    ¡°Stubborn fool!¡± Anger crept onto Long Ao¡¯s face. ¡°I tried to be kind and extend you an olive branch, but you¡¯re too stubborn to ept it. In that case, I shall grant you the death you so wish.¡± ?

    ¡°Kill him, my brothers and sisters. Offer his blood to the aquatic races of the four seas!¡±

    ¡°Kill the genius, offer his blood to the four seas!¡±

    ¡°Kill the genius, offer his blood to the four seas!¡±

    ¡°Kill the genius, offer his blood to the four seas!¡±

    The Strangers who survived the eight winds earlier shouted and pounced toward Fang Muyun once more.

    Everyone who survived the eight winds was an elite at the minimum a Phenomenon-ss Stranger. On top of that, the geography was in their favor. They were either riding the wind or the waves toward Fang Muyun and mustering enough power to sink the earth. It was quite scary to say the least.

    Fang Muyun remained calm despite this. His response toward the iing Strangers was to produce a painting and tossed it into the air.

    As soon as the painting unfolded, the air turned cold like it waste autumn, and killing intent shot into the sky like a volcanic eruption.

    The war drums beat, and the horse hooves clopped against the ground. Ten thousand elite cavalry troops leaped out of the painting just like that.

    The cavalry troops were wearing silver armor and riding on white horses. They stood still for a moment after emerging from the painting, but the light reflecting from their armor was anything but warm.

    Then, the cavalry troops raised their spears and spurred their horses. When the charge began, it was as if a thunderstorm had suddenly burst into existence, deafening the ears and chasing all sleep away from one¡¯s head.

    At the same time, Fang Muyun wrote in the air with his Literary Essence Brush:

    ¡°Silver armor, white horse, cold steel.

    A bloody g waves under a round sun.

    Today is most likely the day we die.

    But then, I heard a familiarughter all the way from home.

    Lend me strength, my love, my children.

    May your cheer be the thunder I need to trample my enemies under foot.¡±

    When the brush stilled, and the poem wasplete, a wave of solemn, grave, yet unrelenting will washed over the sea region.

    The poem of six linesbined into a bloody banner and hovered above the cavalry troops. As it pped to the wind, faint bloody light enveloped each cavalry troop and increased their aura significantly. At the same time, the qi of murder gathered above their heads and transformed into a fierce tiger.

    The tiger roared, and the cavalry charge became even faster and stronger.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The Strangers were scattered at first contact, crushed by steel and trampled by hooves. Unfortunately, their numbers were great, and their power greater. Despite the initial setback, they quickly regained their wits and shed against the cavalry troops.

    In the sky, Fang Muyun chose to step toward Long Ao instead of withdrawing to a safer location.

    Every time he took a step, someone would appear next to him. One of them was carrying a sword, another was brandishing a saber and stroking a horse, a third was standing on a dragonsnake, and a fourth was mustering a storm¡­

    It was at this moment a bloody cloud suddenly appeared behind Fang Muyun. Churning within was all kinds of bones, stench and filth.

    Even before the bloody cloud got close, a hill-sized toad was sitting in the sea while its stomach swelled and deted. An anomalous, demonic sound spread throughout the sea region, inaudible to the ear but not the heart. It possessed the power to disrupt one¡¯s will.

    A humanoid shark-headed Stranger manifested its true form and grew hundred of meters in an instant. He was carrying a Ghost God Square Sky Halberd across his shoulder and running like thunder. When he swung his halberd downward, countless ghosts paraded the night, and formidable strength shook heaven and earth.

    A mermaid was lurking in the dark waters and singing softly. Her voice was soft, touching, and exciting.

    The four Strangers attacking Fang Muyun were none other than the Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer.

    Despite being surrounded and attacked by four powerful Disaster-ss Strangers, Fang Muyun¡¯s footsteps did not slow even a little. He did not need to because thepanions he manifested automatically faced his enemies.

    The swordsman turned around and swung his sword vertically, causing starlight to rain from the sky. The starlight was really sword qi, and they painted the blue sky silver white in just the blink of an eye.

    <em>¡°The blue sky is mine to use,</em>

    <em>My sword falls like rain of stars.¡±</em>

    The rain of starlight instantly turned the bloody cloud that was the Blood Sovereign into a pincushion. For a time, he was unable to recover from his injuries.

    The swordsman wasn¡¯t done yet. After executing a ¡°Stars Like Rain¡±, he stepped forward as his sword qi turned as cold aste autumn.

    <em>¡°The cold ofte autumn is like a dream. It ends all life to restart the cycle of life anew.¡±</em>

    The cold, murderous sword qi drove the bloody cloud back again and again. Amazingly, the Blood Sovereign was no match for the swordsman.

    The Blood Sovereign was manifested from a pool of filthy blood sitting tens of thousands of meters at the sea bottom. It did not possess a fixed form, and it enjoyed feeding on fresh blood. Boasting extraordinary darkness and filthy energies, it could corrode and whittle away all things into nothing. Considering its immense powers, it was incredible that the swordsman was able to push it back for a time.

    While the Blood Sovereign was being pushed back, the Ink Toad King inhaled and exhaled deeply. As if the ground itself was a burst dam, a torrent of cold, ck water shot out of the bottom of the sea and into the sky. Everything within hundreds of meters instantly froze into ice including the wind, the clouds, and even the sword qi.

    For a moment, it felt as if the entire world had frozen into ice.

 Chapter 931: Human Sages Reside In My Paintings

    Ink Toad King¡¯s true form was the Disaster-ss Stranger, the Frigid Day Ink Toad. Usually born in the far north where it was cold and bitter, it was one of the coldest and most yin Strangers in the world. The Frigid Day ck Water contained inside its body could freeze anything and everything. The particrly powerful ones could even freeze space and time itself. It was exceedingly dangerous to say the least.

    It was at this moment the man brandishing a saber and stroking his horse next to Fang Muyun suddenly frowned and bowed his head. At the same time, unbridled bloodthirst shed in his eyes.

    If a Bodhisattva¡¯s eyebrows are furrowed, Vajrapanis re with anger.

    If I bow my head, the heavens break, and the earth is torn asunder.

    The moment the sabersman bowed his head, sounds of breaking began appearing in the sky and under the earth. A breeze started, and the clouds began moving again as if the world had regained its vitality.

    <em>¡°Look down, and evils die.</em>

    <em>One swing, and eternal peace is restored.¡±</em>

    The next moment, the sabersman swung his saber downward.

    There was no technique, no magic, not even a change in direction. It was a in and basic vertical sh.It was enough. The frozen sea shattered into countless fragments. The Frigid Day ck Water and the Ink Toad King himself were sted to the bottom of the sea, his ck blood dyeing the sea red.

    While the sabersman was swinging his saber, the woman riding a dragonsnake met the Shark General head on. She threw a punch at the descending Ghost God Square Sky Halberd.

    The punch was just an ordinary punch, and yet it was this punch that shattered the hundred ghosts parading the night, split the sky from bottom to top, and smashed against the Ghost God Square Sky Halberd.

    <em>THANG!!!</em>

    There was a metallic ng that sounded like the bell of dawn or the evening gong, waking everyone in heaven and earth from their slumber.

    The next moment, the woman clenched her fist and pushed an inch forward. Amazingly, it was the Ghost God Square Sky Halberd that was pushed backward.

    Having created an opening entirely through her own power, the woman did not hesitate to appear in front of the Shark General and punched him on the forehead.

    Shark General was the Powerful Demonic Shark, a Disaster-ss Stranger. He was famous for his strength and could move mountains and fill seas easily after manifesting his true form.

    Inparison, the woman might as well be an ant trying to topple a tree. Even if they were the same size, Shark General would still be way bigger and taller than her.

    And yet, the woman¡¯s fist had sent Shark General flying. Off he goes!

    While Shark General was flying through the air, Fang Muyun¡¯s fourth andstpanion, the storm summoner, had finally located Madam Mer. He immediately summoned a rainstorm that felt more like a meteor shower and sted the absolute crap of that sea region.

    Naturally, Madam Mer¡¯s bewitching song was overwhelmed by the storm.

    With this, the Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer were all kept busy. Fang Muyun was able to walk right up to Long Ao unimpeded. ?

    ¡°Myriad Stars, Sabersman Zhao, Li Yiji, Jiang Tongxuan¡­¡±

    Killing intent shed in Long Ao¡¯s eyes as he sneered, ¡°I did not think you are audacious enough to include yourte Sages into your paintings, Mister Farseeing. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you are spheming your ancestors?¡±

    These four people were, in fact, famous figures in the history of humans and the aquatic races of the four seas. After all, it was these four who,manded by the emperor of Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei, led the united army of the four nations to repel the Dragon Sovereign and the Kun Sage¡¯s army of millions. They were the ones who extinguished the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s bloodline and cemented their names in history. To this day, their golden statues were worshiped day and night in the Four Seas Pavilion of the Four Seas.

    To humans, these four were heroes and sages who deserved to be remembered for eternity. But to the aquatic races of the four seas, they were undoubtedly sworn foes who had eradicated much of their people.

    The number of four seas people who died in the hands of these four, the number of races who were suppressed or outright eradicated could only be described as innumerable. They even ughtered the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s kin to thest, slew the fate of the dragons, and plunged the Four Seas Dragon Pce into a slump they might never recover from. Today, the Four Seas Dragon Pce was humanity¡¯s puppet and ve.

    Naturally, Long Ao was overflowing with anger and hatred when he saw the four warriors. Even though he knew they were long dead, even though he knew that the warriors before his eyes were just caricatures Fang Muyun had brought to life with his art, he still couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions.

    ¡°The four Sages are heroes of humanity who quelled the draconic threat and pacified the four seas when they were still alive. Their merit to humanity could only be described as immeasurable. Today, I am manifesting them through my art once more to y traitorous scum. They would only cheer me on if they learn of my deed, much less consider it sphemous.¡±

    Fang Muyun replied indifferently, ¡°I drew this painting while I was praying to them nine days ago at the Four Seas Pavilion. I was going to use it to defeat you dragons during the Four Seas Summit and expound the might of humanity.¡±

    ¡°So? What do you think, third crown prince?¡±

    ¡°As expected of you, human genius.¡± Long Ao¡¯s eyes slowly grew bloodshot with bloodthirst. ¡°I am a man who cherishes talent, and I did not want to y someone as talented as you. But since you insist onmitting suicide, what else can I do except fulfill your wish?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can do it, third crown prince.¡±

    Fang Muyun¡¯s voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    Long Ao stopped wasting his breath and manifested his true form immediately. A dragon hundreds of meters long burst into existence and summoned a rain of lightning in a single roar.

    ¡°What is there to fear in giving your all to exchange for a clear, bright world?¡±

    Suddenly, a poem recitation appeared from somewhere, cutting through even the draconic roar and the endless rumbling of thunder.

    Before the voice could fade, a man appeared in front of Fang Muyun. His face was thin, but his eyes resembled bright stars. He wielded a sword that was dripping blood from the edge. It looked like it would dye the sky red.

    The next moment, the man swung his sword. The shing lightning and rumbling thunder vanished into nothing just like that.

    ¡°For the sake of granting humanity eternal peace, I offer my blood to forge a blue sky¡­¡±

    Another voice came, and another person appeared out of seemingly nowhere. He was wearing a tall hat and a wide belt. He was carrying bamboo slips that unfurled to reveal text that were written in blood. The bloody words transformed into chains and wrapped around Long Ao¡¯s draconic body immediately.

    Long Ao roared and struggled, but he was unable to break free immediately.

    While the bloody text kept Long Ao shackled, a third person manifested into view.

    His countenance was ordinary, but he was muscr and imposing in stature. Just the slow turn of his head was enough to strike terror and wariness into one¡¯s heart.

    When the man saw the shackled dragon that was Long Ao, he barked out augh and said, ¡°The beautiful mountains and rivers remain strong for many millennia, for the heroic spirits of humanity are there to reinforce it!¡±

    He threw a punch, and it was like a painting was unfurled. Countless human heroes rushed forward to do battle against the Strangers and evils. Their blood and corpses eventually forged an unbreakable realm and ushered the world into a new era.

    <em>BOOM!</em>

    Such was the man¡¯s punch that Long Ao¡¯s horn snapped and spilled blood everywhere. The dragon could not help but cry out in pain.

    Covered in draconic blood, the man only grew even more intrepid. Barking out anotherugh, he punched down on Long Ao¡¯s head and pushed him all the way to White Fish Ind. The poor ind immediately split into many pieces and became soaked in seawater.

    ¡°Fang Muyun! I will rip you into a million pieces!¡±

    A resentful, furious roar cut through the air as Long Ao¡¯s true body swelled another couple thousand meters and finally shattered the chain of words trapping him. Then, he swung his tail and sent the swordsman flying. Then, while empowering himself with wind and thunder¡ªthe wind enhancing the thunder¡¯s might, and the thunder turning the wind deadly¡ªhe shed against the book wielder and the ordinary yet imposing man.

    For a time, the wind howled, the thunder rumbled, the sword qi froze, and the dragon roared on White Fish Ind. It was like the end of the world.

 Chapter 932: Sandpiper and Clam War Together, and the Fisherman Catches Both

    ¡°Song Taiyi, Zhao Hanqing, Yue Shanhe[1]¡­¡±

    On the sea far away from White Fish Ind, Ye Qing was sitting on the Golden Carp Wave Breaking Boat and watching the trio fight against Long Ao, praising, ¡°Fang Muyun even had the three Confucian Sages as his painting? He sure has a lot of trump cards, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    He was already quite surprised when Fang Muyun brought out Wan Xingchen, Zhao Hengdao, Li Yiji and Jiang Tongxuan, but the schr surprised him again by bringing out three amazing figures.

    Obviously, the three warriors fighting against Long Ao right now were paintings. They weren¡¯t real people. That said, they were extraordinary figures who founded their own doctrine among all the Confucian Sages and were revered second to only the First Sage and the Second Sage.

    Despite this, they weren¡¯t really revered for their attainment in the way of Confucianism. Rather, they were known for their immense bloodthirst and power.

    Ten thousand years ago, Song Taiyi founded the Sword Dao of Confucianism. With Confucianism as the base, the sword as the guard, he stored grandiose qi in his chest and ¡°toppled the Five Sacred Mountains of the Daoists like nothing¡± with his sword. He was an aplished killer whose bloodthirst was only matched by his sword.

    With just a jar of dirty why and an iron sword, he had beheaded countless demons and in the Strangers until they ran away at the mere hearing of his name. He killed and killed until all warriors under the heavens fell as silent as winter cicadas.

    Zhao Hanqing was a Sage who based his Way on his nation and his heart on the people. When his home nation was in danger of falling, he singlehandedly withstood the foreigner¡¯s invasion and kept it standing for a century via sheer might. With just a roll of bamboo strips and a ruler, the number of enemies he slew were numbered by the millions.

    Near the end, when it looked like all hope was lost, and all of his efforts were for naught anyway, Zhao Hanqing sacrificed himself to unleash an attack that would wipe out an entire foreigner nation and kill tens of millions of Strangers. One might say that he was a man who literally built a bright and clear world with his flesh and blood.Yue Shanhe was a former soldier who transitioned into martial Confucianismter in his life and founded the way of Military Confucianism. He defended his realm with military strength and bettered the lives of countless using Confucianism. With his army, he had in the demons, killed the evils, annihted the Strangers, and stamped out the rebels and traitors. He was a man who created a Golden Age for his people for a time.

    In summary, these three were so powerful, so bloodthirsty, that no one else in the long history of Confucianism, a doctrine with benevolence and righteousness at its core, couldpare to them. It was to the point where some Confucian Sages denounced them as heartless, wicked, homicidal, and heretical. They believed that these three Confucian Sages¡¯ action and behavior went against everything Confucianism stood for and belittled them often[2].

    There was one thing even they could not belittle, however¡ªtheir strength. Song Taiyi, Zhao Hanqing and Yue Shanhe were without a doubt among the strongest of the strongest.

    Of course, the three Sages before them were just Fang Muyun¡¯s paintings. Their strength did not amount to even one-ten-thousandth of the original. However, their resemnce to the original¡¯s essence was quite close, which was why Long Ao could not treat them lightly.

    Song Taiyi¡¯s sword was vicious and capable of cutting everything.

    Zhao Hanqing¡¯s roll of bamboo slips was overflowing with righteous qi and unstoppable.

    Yue Shanhe¡¯s fists were thick with killing intent and weighed mountains.

    Together, they were able to beat the absolute crap out of Long Ao, breaking his scales and spilling his draconic blood everywhere. The Stranger looked terrible to put it mildly.

    That was not to say that Long Ao was weak, however. On the contrary, anyone else would be dead already.

    Long Ao was the third crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce and a true descendant of true dragons. His vitality was stronger than your conventional Stranger. Despite his sorry state, his life wasn¡¯t actually in danger.

    Ye Qing looked at Feng Qingyou and asked, ¡°Who do you think would win, Qingyou? Fang Muyun or Long Ao?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Long Ao looks like he¡¯s being pushed back, but he hasn¡¯t gone all out yet. Fang Muyun looks like he has the upper hand, but he¡¯s already looking fatigued. However, I don¡¯t think he has run out of tricks yet.¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied smilingly, ¡°With that said, it is still very difficult to say who will fall, and who will emerge victorious.¡±

    ¡°One thing is certain, however. No matter which side wins, it will be a pyrrhic victory. No matter how hard they struggle, the fisherman is still going to take it all.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! Well said!¡±

    Ye Qingughed, grabbed his wine cup from the table[3], and drained its contents in one gulp.

    The sandpiper and m war together, and the fisherman catches both. With that in mind, how could he not enjoy this asion without some wine?

    Everything that happened today had happened because of his and Feng Qingyou¡¯s nning, of course.

    Originally, his n was to lure Fang Muyun on his way to Poison Dragon Ind to White Fish Ind. Then, he and Feng Qingyou would gang up on him and kill him there. ??

    But after he found out about the Stranger conspiracy, he changed his mind immediately. Why strain himself when he could make someone else do his dirty work for him?

    The n was simple. He was going to have Long Ao ¡°kindly¡± take out Fang Muyun for him!

    Not only did this save him the trouble of fighting Fang Muyun himself, he did not need to get involved at all. Chu would never realize that he was the one pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

    Even if Long Ao failed to kill Fang Muyun, he could intervene after the duo had sufficiently worn each other out. The n was to kill Fang Muyun and me it on Long Ao, effectively achieving the same oue.

    After the deed was done, Chu would surely realize Fang Muyun¡¯s death and rush to investigate. They would eventually discover the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy and save the Four Seas from annihtion.

    After discovering the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy, the humans would surely go to war against the Four Seas Dragon Pce. During that battle, assuming that Lady Luck was smiling upon him, he might be able to find the opportunity to y Chu Wangsun as well.

    This was what he meant when he said, ¡°First, we lend a dirty worker a knife. Then, we divert the cmity to the east. Finally, the fisherman takes it all.¡± earlier.

    Of course, ideas, even the best ideas, were just thoughts. They amounted to nothing if one did not convert it into reality.

    It wasn¡¯t easy trying to convert the idea into an executable n, and the hardest part of it all was easily this: how could they lure Fang Muyun to White Fish Ind without drawing his suspicion?

    After all, Fang Muyun was a careful, meticulous man. If he noticed something and grew wary, then the entire n might fail before it even began.

    At first, neither Ye Qing nor Feng Qingyou were able toe up with a n that they were satisfied with no matter what.

    Then, one day before the departure, Feng Qingyou finally came up with a n after Fugong messaged him their departure time and mode of transport.

    The Lost Fog.

    Now that they knew that Fang Muyun would be riding Fugong¡¯s Floating Pavilion to Poison Dragon Ind, they could have Fugong pilot the Floating Pavilion into the Lost Fog on purpose and move toward White Fish Ind. Once they were at their destination, Fugong would point out that something was wrong and have Fang Muyun clear the fog for them. After that, it was game over for Fang Muyun.

    The Four Seas Dragon Pce would never allow their conspiracy to be exposed. They would do everything in their power to silence Fang Muyun if it was thest thing they did.

    Fang Muyun should figure out quickly that he had stumbled upon a massive conspiracy. He should also understand¡ªespecially since he failed to escape¡ªthat the only way he was going to get out of this alive¡­ was to annihte his opponents to thest.

    Naturally, the two sides would fight each other to the death.

    Ye Qing would have fulfilled his objective.

    But of course, this n presented another crucial question: how could they ensure that the Lost Fog would appear on Fang Muyun¡¯s travel route at that timing?

    To this end, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou stayed up all night diving into the deep sea and capturing dozens of Lost Fishes using the Fish Intestine Grass.

    The Lost Fish was an extremely weak Hatred-ss Stranger that enjoyed feeding on Fish Intestine Grass. It waspletely harmless save for two abilities. One, those who saw the Lost Fish but did not recognize it for what it was would one hundred percent lose their way. Not even Grandmasters or Truemen were immune to its effects. That was why it was named the Lost Fish.

    And two, when dozens of Lost Fishes appeared at the same time, they would always summon the Lost Fog.

    This was why Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou burned the midnight oil to catch the Lost Fishes.

    Once they captured enough Lost Fishes, all they needed to do was to release them at the right time.

    There was another problem. After Fugong had piloted the Floating Pavilion into the Lost Fog, how could he make sure that he did not fall for the Lost Fog¡¯s influence and stay on course for White Fish Ind?

    This was actually the easy part. Feng Qingyou gave Fugong a refined gu insect named Knowing. Originally a pair, the two gu insects would always be able to detect each other¡¯s presence no matter how far apart they were.

    Long story short, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou attached one Knowing gu insect on White Fish Ind and gave Fugong the other one. This way, Fugong could ignore the Lost Fog¡¯s influence and consistently steer the Floating Pavilion toward White Fish Ind. The rest was history.

    Again, it all sounded very simple on paper, but it was beyond troublesome to actually execute. If even one part of the n went awry, then the entire n could fail just like that.

    Thankfully, the heavens were on their side. Everything went almost perfectly, and they were now just waiting to enjoy the fruits of theirbor.

    1. To be honest their names are kinda on the nose as in it reflects the poem they shouted, but these aren¡¯t monikers as far as I can tell so I can¡¯t just trante it like say, Mountain River Yue. Sounds bad too, so you get a TL note instead. ?

    2. Meaning that these three are THE Sages that you actually want to emte. ?

    3. Wow, they even have a table on their boat? Talk about luxury. ?

 Chapter 933: One Painting, One Humanity

    <h4>Chapter 933: One Painting, One Humanity </h4>

    As time passed, the battle slowly shifted in the Stranger¡¯s favor. Long Ao fought better and better, and Fang Muyun the opposite.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The four warriors battling against the Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer were looking much more transparent and illusory than before.

    The four warriors were paintings manifested from Fang Muyun¡¯s will and mind after all. Despite their immense power, they possessed two fatal ws: one, they weren¡¯t sentient. Two, their time was limited. On top of that, they became weaker as they used up more and more power.

    On the other hand, the Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer were all intelligent Strangers with extraordinary bloodlines. They were caught off guard and pushed back at the beginning, but over time, they quickly adapted to their opponents¡¯ simple tactics and gained the upper hand.

    ¡°Hahaha... die!¡±

    Shark General barked out augh and paid the price of one punch to close the distance with Li Yiji . He then grabbed her head with his right arm, roared, and physically ripped her in half with his bare hands. The woman turned into dust after that.

    Shark General won his battle, and the rest of the Strangers weren¡¯t nning to fall behind. The Blood Sovereign transformed into a filthy blood sea where countless resentful souls were wailing, and countless bones were joining together to form a giant over hundreds of meters tall. It wrapped around Wan Xingchen and melted him in just the matter of breaths.

    The Ink Toad King was even more direct. Sitting inside a pool of Frigid Day ck Water, he spat out a toad pearl that was white like snow and wless like jade. Such was its power that it froze the sea and solidified space itself. The second Zhao Hengdao made contact with the toad pearl, he turned into an ice sculpture. The man disappeared without a sound afterward.

    As for Madam Mer, she hid in the sea and manifested her mermaid form. She then summoned titanic waves over hundreds of meters tall and spun them into a deadly whirlpool. The whirlpool devoured Jiang Tongxuan and ground him into dust.

    The Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer did not pause to savor their victory after killing their opponents. They were all rushing toward Long Ao and Fang Muyun¡¯s battlefield to end it all.

    They weren¡¯t above ganging up on a powerful opponent. They weren¡¯t above anything so long as they could kill their enemy dead.

    The addition of the Strangers immediately drove Fang Muyun to a corner as a matter of course. In just dozens of breaths, Li Taiyi, Zhao Hanqing and Yue Shanhe were annihted as well.

    Having lost all of his paintings, Fang Muyun¡¯s strength nosedived to say the least. Combined with the fact that he was fatigued and outnumbered many times to one, he was no match for the Strangers as a matter of course. Long Ao found an opening and bit off half of his body.

    ¡°Tsk tsk... the body of a human genius sure is delicious!¡±

    Long Ao shrank back to his humanoid form while chewing Fang Muyun¡¯s body vigorously. He was also watching the surrounded Fang Muyun with a look of pure delight on his face.

    ¡°His vitality is strong, and his spiritual energy is overflowing. How can he be anything but delicious?¡±

    Shark General was also sniffing the blood stench in the air vigorously while salivating like crazy. ¡°If even your flesh smells this good, I¡¯m sure your heart can only be better! Can I please have his heart, Your Highness? I¡¯ve never eaten the heart of a human genius like Fang Muyun before. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be delicious!¡±

    The Blood Sovereign¡¯s dark, insidious voice came from beside Shark General, ¡°I want his blood...¡±

    Long Ao guffawed. ¡°Hahaha... no worries, Blood Sovereign, Shark General. When we conquer the Four Seas, there will be even more human geniuses for you to feast on. You¡¯ll be able to enjoy all the heart and blood you want!¡±

    ¡°I see. Your true aim is the Four Seas¡ªcough! Cough!¡±

    Fang Muyun coughed violently, but he paid no heed to his blood-soaked shirt. In fact, he looked surprisingly fearless and unperturbed save for the fact that hisplexion was paler than usual.

    ¡°Hahaha... that¡¯s right!¡± Long Aoughed again. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that the day of the Four Seas Summit will be the day the Four Seas bleed like a pig!¡±

    ¡°When the timees, we will tten the Four Seas and massacre the humans in the city to thest! Their flesh and blood shall pave the path to our ascension!¡±

    Long Ao was slowly growing angry, however. It was because Fang Muyun was neither panicking or throwing a tantrum. There were few things he loathed more than someone who pretended to be calm even when they were at death¡¯s door. He loathed that Fang Muyun made him feel like he was the loser.

    ¡°Did you know? This is just the first step.¡± Long Ao continued, ¡°When the Dragon Sovereign returns to us, he will lead the aquatic races of the four seas and conquer thendpletely. He will unite all realms under the heavens and make the dragons great again! What do you think?¡±

    ¡°What do I think?¡±

    Fang Muyun replied emotionlessly, ¡°I think that the Four Seas Dragon Pce are a pack of dogs who bite the hand that feeds them no matter how many years have passed!¡±

    ¡°Insolent cur!¡±

    Long Ao could not hold back his anger any longer. ¡°Blood Sovereign, Shark General, you want his heart and blood, don¡¯t you? I leave him to you! Make sure he doesn¡¯t die easily!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I promise I will make him wish he was dead!¡±

    Shark Generalughed hungrily as he raced toward Fang Muyun.

    The Blood Sovereign was even faster than him. He transformed into a blood cloud and enveloped Fang Muyun in a murderous embrace.

    Suddenly, the Blood Sovereign let out a bloodcurdling scream. A dazzling light was melting the blood cloud the Blood Sovereign had transformed into like snow.

    The light grew brighter and brighter until it was like a second sun had risen to the sky. It washed away all the filth and darkness in the area until all that was left was bright and clear.

    Even powerful Strangers such as Long Ao and Ink Toad King were melting or bubbling under the light¡¯s power. Their flesh was sizzling and festering like they were being boiled alive inside a pot of oil.

    At the same time, a young man appeared inside the light. He was the spitting image of Fang Muyun. Wearing a tall hat and a wide belt, he was shining with profound, divine light and manifesting countless paintings into existence. There were mountains and hills, rivers and seas, a small bridge running over a small stream, houses lit with warmmps, bustling humans, warriors, heroes, celestials, Buddhas, gods, demons...

    Countless paintings were flying andbining into an inexplicable spectacle. It made Fang Muyun look like a god or a celestial, a Sage or a Buddha.

    His yang god had manifested, and his image epassed heaven and earth.

    ¡°My paintings are a reflection of the world...¡±

    The next moment, a grand, profound voice resounded throughout the area as the paintings surrounding Fang Muyun¡¯s yang god emitted a clear, powerful light. Then, theybined into a single painting.

    The painting was infinitely vast and spanned from one end of the horizon to the other; from the sky to the earth. Everything within the painting seemed toe alive as well: the rivers were running, the nts were growing, the birds were singing, the beasts were running, the towns and cities were bustling, the people were working, the gods and Buddhas were lounging in their heavenly pces...

    Who could look at the painting and say that it wasn¡¯t alive? Who could say that it wasn¡¯t a realm, a world, a slice of humanity itself?

    The next moment, the painting of humanity shone even brighter and descended from the sky. It looked like it was going to be one with this corner of the world.

    ¡°Shit!¡±

    Long Ao, the Blood Sovereign, Shark General and the rest of the Strangers nched. There wasn¡¯t a single person who wasn¡¯t gripped by shock and terror.

    Long Ao let out a furious roar and manifested his true body. A pce with tens of thousands of roaring dragons appeared above his head.

    The Blood Sovereign transformed into a pool of blood water and melted into the sea.

    Ink Toad King sank to the bottom of the sea while carrying his toad pearl on his head.

    Shark General and Madam Mer rode the waves and swam away from the painting with all their might. It looked like they were trying to get away from the painting¡¯s range.

    Unfortunately, their efforts were all futile.

    No one could outrun light, and nothing could escape the painting.

    The next moment, everything in this corner of the world was enveloped by the painting.

    ¡°My sacred heart will forge a blue sky...¡±

    The grandiose voice spoke again, and the painting of humanity shattered.

    The ind disappeared, and the sea sank. Heaven broke, and earth shattered.

 Chapter 934: The Dead Needs No Recompense

    <h4>Chapter 934: The Dead Needs No Rpense </h4>

    When the painting disappeared, and the energies faded into nothing, everything within three hundred meters had disintegrated into pure chaos.

    It was like a funnel had appeared in the middle of the sea, sucking all the sea water into a bottomless abyss. No life could be detected anywhere, and White Fish Ind waspletely gone as if someone had erased it from existence.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    A dozen or so breathster, a sudden cough rang from the space where only chaos reigned. Then, Long Ao fell out of the void.

    He was missing half of his draconic body. As he descended, his blood fell from above and dyed the sea red like a downpour. The pce above his head was dim and covered in cracks as well.

    ¡°Damn it all!¡±

    Long Ao only managed to arrest himself right before he would hit the sea surface. His face was filled with shock and anger as he stared at the funnel-shaped vortex in the middle of the sea and felt the terrifying remnants of power permeating heaven and earth.

    He was shocked because he wasn¡¯t expecting Fang Muyun¡¯s suicide attack to be this powerful. If he his instincts hadn¡¯t warned him of fatal danger, if he hadn¡¯t summoned the Myriad Dragons Pce to protect himself right before the attack would hit, he would probably be dust like Shark General, Ink Toad King, Madam Mer and the Blood Sovereign already.

    If even they Disaster-ss Strangers were barely alive or dead, then the rest of the Strangers could only be dead.

    Even with the Myriad Dragons Pce to protect him, Long Ao was injured so severely that his foundation was cracked.

    He was angry because Fang Muyun almost killed him even though he was at death¡¯s door. Worse, he had ruined several months of nning. How could he not be angry?

    ¡°Damn you, human! Damn all of you!¡±

    Long Ao could not help but scream in anger when he thought until this point.

    ¡°Long Ao...¡±

    Suddenly, Long Ao realized that the bloody sea beneath him was growing clearer. The blood eventually gathered together and formed a tiny humanoid figure. It was none other than the Blood Sovereign.

    The Blood Sovereign was currently only as big as a human hand, however. His aura was nothingpared to what it was before either.

    ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡± Long Ao eximed in surprise.

    ¡°I was born from the Sacred Sovereign¡¯s dirty blood. I wouldn¡¯t die this easily.¡±

    The Blood Sovereign asked weakly, ¡°Anyway, how are you going topensate me for my terrible loss, Long Ao?¡±

    ¡°You want rpense?¡±

    Long Ao said slowly, ¡°I don¡¯t think you need it though.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Blood Sovereign looked puzzled.

    ¡°I mean... dead people don¡¯t need rpense, right?¡±

    As soon as he said this, the Myriad Dragons Pce suddenly appeared above the Blood Sovereign¡¯s head and pinned him in ce.

    ¡°What are you doing, Long Ao?!¡± The Blood Sovereign eximed in shock. Try as he might, he could not break free from the Strange Artifact¡¯s power.

    ¡°What am I doing?¡± Long Ao sneered. ¡°I¡¯m eating you, of course.¡±

    Long Ao opened his mouth and swallowed the Blood Sovereign in one gulp.

    As soon as the Stranger entered his stomach, Long Ao¡¯s injuries began healing at a visible rate. His aura was stronger as well.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good. I need to return to the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce as soon as possible...¡±

    Although the Blood Sovereign was the manifestation of the dirty blood of the Sacred Sovereign, he was quite powerful. Consuming him had definitely elerated Long Ao¡¯s recovery to a certain extent. However, that was all. He was far from being fully recovered.

    On top of that, Fang Muyun¡¯s final attack had damaged his foundation. If he did not return to the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce and receive treatment as soon as possible, his future growth would most likely suffer a major impact.

    ¡°Damned humans!¡±

    Long Ao cursed again despite himself. Fang Muyun¡¯s attack hadn¡¯t just grievously injured him, it had ruined months of nning and the task the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce had entrusted him toplete. He would surely receive a serious punishment for his failure.

    ¡°When we conquer the Four Seas, I swear I¡¯ll kill every human as revenge!¡± Long Ao uttered through gritted teeth.

    Although he had made up his mind, Long Ao didn¡¯t leave in a hurry. It was because he still had an important matter to attend to. Specifically, he needed to clean up the aftermath.

    Fang Muyun was a human genius after all. His death would surely be detected by the humans. With their strength and abilities, it was only a matter of time before they found their way here.

    Although the Myriad Dragons Pce possessed the ability to seal off an area of space and muddy the rivers of fate, meaning that the humans would not be able to divine what happened here through Strange Artifacts or Magias, this entire area was also littered with energies, dragon scales, blood and other remnants of the battle. If he did not clean them up, the humans would surely suspect that the dragons and the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce were behind Fang Muyun¡¯s death. Regardless of the result of their investigation, it would surely pose a grave threat to the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s grand n.

    What he needed to do now was to clean up the battlefield¡ªbut only the traces that belonged to him. There was no need to clean up the Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer¡¯s traces. These Strangers were enemies of humanity and notorious for their fondness of human flesh. He absolutely could and should leave their traces behind so that the humans would suspect them instead.

    This was one major reason he chose to swallow the Blood Sovereign earlier.

    Once he was done here, he should return and inform the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce what happened today as soon as possible. There was no harm in being forewarned and prepared.

    Fang Muyun was a human genius. His death was a rock that would send shockwaves throughout the puddle that was the world. Even with Blood Sovereign and the like to shoulder the me for him, it was very possible that they would suspect foul y andunch a wide-scale investigation anyway. If one of these investigators happened to run into a fellow dragon who was carrying out the same duty as him, then their grand n would be exposed anyway. That was why he needed to inform them about this and tell them to lie low for the moment.

    Unfortunately, right as Long Ao was about to take action, rm bells suddenly rang inside his head. He tried to summon the Myriad Dragons Pce, but he was toote. The thought had just entered his mind when a gentle voice spoke,

    ¡°Command: Suppress.¡±

    The voice was soft but imbued with great power. As soon as it appeared, Long Ao felt as if the space around him had transformed into unbreakable chains and cages. It pinned him in ce and immobilized him so that he couldn¡¯t even use his spirit, much less the Myriad Dragons Pce.

    The next moment, a humanoid silhouette slowly walked over from the sea. Literally. It was like she was a living celestial.

    ¡°Who... Who are you?¡±

    Long Ao was stunned. Right now, a million thoughts were racing through his mind: <i>who is this person? Did they show up before or after I killed Fang Muyun? Did they find out about the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s n?</i>

    ¡°I am the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce¡¯s third crown prince! You¡ª¡±

    Long Ao tried to talk his way out when he saw that his captor was silent, but before he could finish, a cool voice rang,

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    A sleeve suddenly appeared before his eyes. It danced through the air and seemed to cover up both heaven and earth.

    His vision darkened, and he was pulled into the sleeve. He lost consciousness after that.

    The sleeve shrank, and Feng Qingyou appeared into view.

    ¡°You really are quite incredible, Fang Muyun.¡±

    Feng Qingyou remarked while watching Fang Muyun¡¯s final strike from the sky. Then, she sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame.¡±

    Why was it a shame? Because Fang Muyun was about to die, of course.

    Yes, Fang Muyun was about to die because he wasn¡¯t dead yet. He was still alive and kicking.

    It was only a matter of time though.

    ......

    Fang Muyun was still alive.

    Only a sliver of his mind was left, but he was undoubtedly alive.

    Right now, an ink person was slipping through the clouds and flying toward the Four Seas at high speed.

    Despite being only three inches tall, the ink person had all seven orifices. Inkish essence circted around it and emanated waves of purple light of beneficence, mysterious and profound. It looked like a mini version of Fang Muyun.

    It was none other than Fang Muyun¡ªor more urately, a wisp of his mind.

 Chapter 935: Purple Ink of Beneficence

    <h4>Chapter 935: Purple Ink of Beneficence </h4>

    This was no ordinary ink. Called the Purple Ink of Beneficence, it was a karmic reward to a Confucian Sage who had sessfully enlightened tens of thousands of people. The wielder of the Purple Ink of Beneficence enjoyed boosted literary fate and was immune to all evils and arts. At a critical moment, it could even protect its wielder¡¯s mind from annihtion. Its power could not be stopped by anyone except an item or people with great destiny and karma.

    Besides that, the Purple Ink of Beneficence was a karmic spiritual item of the world. If even one wisp of the wielder¡¯s mind was intact, the wielder would be able to reforge their body and mind and regain their strength in a short time. Their cultivation level would not be affected in the slightest.

    Obviously, the Purple Ink of Beneficence did not belong to Fang Muyun. It was bestowed to him by the Art Buddha to aid in his cultivation and protect him.

    It was thanks to the Purple Ink of Beneficence that Fang Muyun dared to invest all of his yang god¡¯s power to manifest the Painting of Humanity and detonate it with his yang god,unching a suicide attack against the Strangers.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t really a suicide attack. It was a feint.

    Fang Muyun knew that the only way he might survive was to remove the Myriad Dragons Pce¡¯s seal. Otherwise, he would never be able to escape.

    The bad news was that he was nowhere strong enough to break the Myriad Dragons Pce¡¯s seal by force. The good news was that its master, Long Ao, was much more vulnerable.

    But how could he force Long Ao into removing the seal of his own ord? Via the threat of death, of course. Only the threat of death could force Long Ao to summon the Myriad Dragons Pce back to his side and unwittingly cancel the seal.

    However, he was outnumbered and not at his peak strength. There was no way he could corner Long Ao without putting his life on the line. So he did.

    Earlier, he had detached a wisp of his yang god and stored it inside the Purple Ink of Beneficence. Then, he manifested the Painting of Humanity and detonated it and his yang god. It was literally the strongest attack he could muster, and it sessfully forced Long Ao into summoning the Myriad Dragon Pce back to his side and canceling the seal. Not only that, Long Ao would never suspect that he was still alive, meaning that he could escape without being pursued.

    Ultimately, everything went exactly as he nned. Once he returned to the Four Seas, then it would be as if none of this had ever happened.

    Something had happened though. Now, he held a grudge against the Four Seas Dragon Pce. He was going to pay it back a hundredfold when he returned to the Four Seas.

    Long Ao, the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, the Four Seas Dragon Pce. They would all pay.

    ¡°Tsk tsk... is that Mister Farseeing I see? What happened to you?¡±

    Just when Fang Muyun thought he was safe, a ridiculing voice suddenly came from somewhere. ¡°My oh my, you sure look terrible. It reminds me of a beaten dog!¡±

    Before Fang Muyun could react, a dark yellow hand appeared out of nowhere and made a grab for him.

    Fang Muyun was astonished. He wasn¡¯t expecting to run into anyone up here, and an enemy no less. He was only astonished, however.

    As mentioned earlier, the Purple Ink of Beneficence was a karmic spiritual item. Beloved by the world and empowered by fate, it was immune to all evils and arts. The only thing that coud stop it was another karmic item or a person of great destiny.

    For obvious reasons, both item and person were incredibly rare in this world. What were the chances this foe was a person of great destiny? Next to nothing was the answer. So, he wasn¡¯t afraid.

    Waves of karmic light began rippling out of the ink person and shielding Fang Muyun¡¯s mind from all harm. But then, Fang Muyun¡¯s eyes widened. It was because the dark yellow hand passed right through the karmic light and caught him directly.

    ¡°Impossible!¡±

    Fang Muyun struggled with all his might. The karmic light shed rapidly and emitted purple qi as well. However, it could not threaten the dark yellow hand even a little.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in struggling, Mister Farseeing. You cannot escape.¡±

    The ridiculing voice from before rang right next to his ears.

    ¡°The Profound Yellow Mother Qi!¡±

    Fang Muyun finally recognized the dark yellow energy surrounding the hand. He eximed with unbridled astonishment, ¡°Who on earth are you?¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten me already, Mister Farseeing? Well, they do say that eminent people have short memories.¡±

    A gigantic face shifted into Fang Muyun¡¯s view. The schr knew it wasn¡¯t because his foe had an unusuallyrge face, of course. He was the one who was too small.

    ¡°Here, have a good look. Can you recognize me now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

    After observing for a few seconds, something finally clicked in Fang Muyun¡¯s mind. For the first time in a long time, a hint of disbelief disrupted the calm that seemed to be a permanent trait of the schr¡¯s voice. ¡°Ye Qing?! You¡¯re still alive?!¡±

    ¡°So sorry to disappoint you, Mister Farseeing, but yes.¡±

    Fang Muyun¡¯s captor was Ye Qing, of course. ¡°Thanks to you, not only am I alive, I am doing very well right now.¡±

    Despite what he said, Ye Qing had to admit that Fang Muyun¡¯s escape n was sublime. If he and Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t been watching him this whole time, the schr really would have escaped sessfully.

    A dozen or so breathster, Fang Muyun finally said, ¡°If you¡¯re still alive, then Fugong must have lied to me. And if Fugong is yours, then all this... is your conspiracy!¡±

    Fang Muyun was the opposite of an idiot. It only took him a bit of thinking to figure out more or less the entire truth.

    He did not ask why Ye Qing was scheming against him. If Fugong had betrayed him, then Ye Qing had surely figured out that he was the one who plotted against him back at Tian Yong. It was apletely pointless question.

    ¡°Just giving you a taste of your own medicine. So? How does it taste?¡± Ye Qing grinned so wide that his eyes were barely discernible slits.

    Fang Muyun had set him up and tried to kill him back then. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderfully done!¡± Fang Muyun praised. It was the honest truth. If Ye Qing hadn¡¯t shown himself, he would never think that this was anything but an unfortunate ident. Never once did it cross his mind that it was a conspiracy against him from the start until now.

    This was the first time since he was a child that he fell hook, line and sinker so thoroughly by another person. He had been manipted step by step into his enemy¡¯s death trap like a puppet, and he hadn¡¯t even felt the strings.

    He had always thought himself to be exceptionally intelligent and astute, but he never noticed a thing from the start until the very end.

    It is the strong swimmers who drown; the cunning courtiers who fell to schemes. Howmentable and ironic it was!

    ¡°I am beyond honored to receive your praise, Mister Farseeing.¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°I am not ttering you. I am truly impressed.¡±

    Fang Muyun began, ¡°Back then, you were able to grasp that ray of hope from what should have been an impossible situation and escape Tian Yong alive. Today, you were able to trap me without me noticing a thing from start until the end.¡±

    ¡°I admit that I am inferior to you; that I have lost to a superior opponent.¡±

    He was speaking from the bottom of his heart. At the same time, he felt a twinge of regret. No, he didn¡¯t regret plotting to kill Ye Qing. He regretted that he did notplete the final step personally. If he had, Ye Qing would be dead, and none of this would have happened.

    Sometimes, one moment of carelessness was all it took to lose everything. By then, it was far toote for regrets.

    ¡°Everyone says nice things when they are about to die. I see no reason not to take you at your word,¡± Ye Qing replied, the scorn in his tone evident.

    Fang Muyun could hear his scorn, of course. A few breaths of silenceter, he asked, ¡°Must you kill me, Brother Ye?¡±

    ¡°Heh. What do you think, Mister Farseeing?¡± Ye Qing retorted.

    ¡°I see. I understand.¡± Fang Muyun sighed. He was hoping to check if he could buy his way out of this predicament, but that was inly impossible judging from the disdain and determination in the young man¡¯s voice.

    So, he gave up.

 Chapter 936: There Is Always A Way

    <h4>Chapter 936: There Is Always A Way </h4>

    ¡°In that case, can you hear a plea of mine before you kill me?¡± Fang Muyun asked, ¡°Please.¡±

    ¡°You mean the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy to massacre the Four Seas and ughter our geniuses?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You know?¡± Fang Muyun was caught off guard.

    ¡°I know far more than you think, Mister Farseeing,¡± Ye Qing replied indifferently.

    ¡°I see. You used Long Ao to kill me. Of course you would know about their conspiracy,¡± Fang Muyun eximed in realization. ¡°In that case, on behalf of our shared race and the millions of innocents residing in the Four Seas, I beseech that you inform the four nations about this crisis. I beseech that you save the Four Seas from the iing massacre, quell the dragon threat, and secure peace for humanity.¡±

    ¡°You are moments away from death, Mister Farseeing. I did not think you would care about such things,¡± Ye Qingmented curiously. ¡°Besides, if the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy seeds, countless geniuses would die, and your journey to the underworld would be anything but lonely. Wouldn¡¯t you like that?¡±

    ¡°You jest, Brother Ye.¡± Fang Muyun chuckled. ¡°I am selfish, yes. I am not a good person either. But I am a human before anything else, and I am a reader of the book of the sages, a student of benevolence, righteousness and faith, and servant of my homnd.¡±

    ¡°There is a threat against humanity where millions of lives are at stake. No matter how selfish and cold-blooded I am, I will never allow the peace my esteemed forefathers gave everything to earn to be broken, millions of innocents to die, or the Strangers to ravage our world.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you hate me, Mister Farseeing?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Of course I hate you,¡± Fang Muyun answered, ¡°but no matter how much I hate you, how can my grudge possibly take precedence over my country¡¯s well being or the safety of millions?¡±

    ¡°In this regard, you are a righteous and moral man,¡± Ye Qing replied. He meant it because he could tell that Fang Muyun was telling the truth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think my decision is particrly righteous or moral. I think that it is the natural decision of any human being.¡±

    Fang Muyun said sincerely, ¡°So, will you do this?¡±

    ¡°You are a human, and I am too. Even if you haven¡¯t asked me to do this, I would¡¯ve done it anyway,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    ¡°Thank you, Brother Ye.¡± Fang Muyun said, ¡°On behalf of the human race and the people of the Four Seas, thank you!¡±

    ¡°No need to thank me,¡± Ye Qing¡¯s tone suddenly grew amused. ¡°I will do what needs to be done and <i>only </i>that, so you best don¡¯t get your hopes up, Mister Farseeing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Fang Muyun asked.

    ¡°Haha, nothing. Just pretend that I¡¯m talking nonsense.¡± Ye Qing chuckled.

    He wasn¡¯t. Fang Muyun really did want to save the Four Seas, but that did not mean he didn¡¯t have an ulterior motive. And what was this ulterior motive? He wanted Ye Qing to be the one to tell the Four Seas about this.

    If Ye Qing actually went and informed the Four Seas about this like an idiot, some people would absolutely suspect that foul y was afoot.

    After all, Fang Muyun wasn¡¯t just backed by Fang Zhiyong, Grand Mentor of Chu. He was also backed by the entire nation of Chu and the Sage, the Art Buddha.

    If someone harbored suspicions, if someone actually seriously looked into those suspicions, then someone was going to find something no matter how well he cleaned up his mess.

    Never underestimate the power of a Sage, much less a nation.

    Long story short, Mister Farseeing might sing better than a superstar when he talked about the greater good, but he was also digging a hole for him to jump in.

    It was very Mister Farseeing of Mister Farseeing to try to trick him even when he was moments away from death.

    After waiting for a long time and seeing no action from Ye Qing, Fang Muyun finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you... going to inform the Four Seass about the crisis, Brother Ye?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t get started unless I¡¯m at the right ce,¡± Ye Qing answered carelessly.

    It was only now Fang Muyun realized that Ye Qing had been traveling in a specific direction throughout their conversation, and that direction... was White Fish Ind.

    <i>White Fish Ind?</i>

    Fang Muyun blurted as realization struck him, ¡°You n to pin my death on Long Ao?!¡±

    ¡°As expected of your intelligence, Mister Farseeing.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled. ¡°You want to inform the Four Seas about the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy, right? If you die in Long Ao¡¯s hands, then they will surely trace it back to the Four Seas Dragon Pce and question them about this. When that happens, they will naturally discover the conspiracy.¡±

    ¡°This way, I would be fulfilling your wish and save myself a round trip. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s wise, Mister Farseeing?¡±

    Fang Muyun was silent for a few breaths. Then, heughed loudly, ¡°Hahaha... it is. It really is.¡±

    Fang Muyun knew then that Ye Qing had seen through his ploy. On the surface, it looked like Ye Qing was taking off his pants before farting¡ªgoing through extra work to achieve the same oue. After all, it was obviously faster and simpler to just inform the Four Seas regarding the conspiracy in person.

    In reality, Ye Qing¡¯s way was the smart way. If Ye Qing chose to inform the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy in person, even if he went through the effort to pass the message through multiple people and hide his tracks perfectly, he would have be involved. A person who was involved was a pawn on the board, and once Ye Qing became a pawn on the board, there was no escaping the fate of a pawn no matter how strong or intelligent he was. It was only a matter of time before people discovered his actions and used him like the pawn he was.

    When that happened, his vengeance would beplete.

    However, Ye Qing was nning to me his death on Long Ao. Long Ao and Fang Muyun encountered each other by ident, and Long Ao killed Fang Muyun in the end. Nowhere in this equation was there a nobody named Ye Qing. Instead he was the ghost writer who calcted and wrote the equation; the yer who manipted the pawns.

    When the time came, everyone would think that Long Ao was the one who killed him. They would think that it was he who identally stumbled upon the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy and got himself killed. No one would ever suspect that it was a premeditated plot.

    After all, this was the result of their own investigation and findings. It wasn¡¯t some anonymous tip that they heard from someone. People always believed what they saw more than what they heard.

    That was why Fang Muyun knew that he had lost. It was aplete and utter defeat.

    ¡°You¡¯ve won, Ye Qing.¡±

    Fang Muyun let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Yes, I won.¡±

    Ye Qing grinned at him. ¡°And you better believe that I will keep winning until the very end.¡±

    Fang Muyun did not say anything. There was nothing he could say anyway. He could insult Ye Qing, curse him, beg for mercy, so on and so forth... but what did it matter? Whatever he said, it all ended with his death, and his vengeance unfulfilled. In that case, why say anything at all?

    So, he kept quiet.

    Ye Qing paid Fang Muyun no attention. It wasn¡¯t long before he reached the gigantic whirlpool that looked like a ck hole from above and Feng Qingyou floating on top of it.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Feng Qingyou asked him after he reached her side.

    ¡°Perfectly.¡± Ye Qing smiled and revealed Fang Muyun¡¯s mind in his palm. Of course, the schr could not hear their conversation. In fact, he couldn¡¯t sense anything beyond the boundary of his Purple Ink of Beneficence at all. They could say or do whatever they wanted without worry.

    ¡°I thought he would have Purple Ink of Beneficence,¡± Feng Qingyou remarked smilingly. ¡°It is unfortunate of Fang Muyun that you are his enemy. Otherwise, there was a real chance he might have lived to tell the tale.¡±

    ¡°I know right?¡± Ye Qing shook his head. If the Profound Yellow Mother Qi wasn¡¯t a karmic qi with the power to protect one¡¯s fate, Fang Muyun could definitely have slipped through his grasp.

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°Where is Long Ao?¡±

    ¡°Over here.¡±

    Feng Qingyou waved her sleeve, and Ye Qing vaguely saw an infinitely widend inside her sleeve. Lying at the center was a purple true dragon, unconscious.

    ¡°What do we do now? Do we kill Fang Muyun and Long Ao?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°We can kill Fang Muyun now, but not Long Ao.¡±

    Feng Qingyou answered without hesitation, ¡°Long Ao is the third crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon King. They are connected by blood. If Long Ao dies, his father will notice, and he will know that something is terribly amiss. That would be bad.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± Ye Qing nodded. He was thinking, however. For whatever reason, he hadn¡¯t killed Fang Muyun yet.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 937: Let The Show Begin

    <h4>Chapter 937: Let The Show Begin </h4>

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Feng Qingyou looked at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s really okay for us to do this?¡±

    Ye Qing began after a moment of silence, ¡°If we do this, we¡¯ll be able to screw over the Chus. We can even fix things so that the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce would kill Chu Wangsun for me. However, the Four Seas Dragon Pce would be forewarned, and it would be much harder for the four nations to wipe out the Four Seas Dragon Pce and quell the oceanic threat.¡±

    ¡°... When the war happens, a lot more people will die.¡±

    At the beginning, his n was to kill Fang Muyun and allow the Chus to trace the murder to White Fish Ind. They would find out that Fang Muyun¡¯s death was rted to Long Ao. However, the dragons of the Four Seas Dragon Pce had not shown a lick of disloyalty since centuries ago, so there was a high chance they wouldn¡¯t suspect treachery from the Four Seas Dragon Pce, at least not immediately. Chances were, the Chu embassy would travel to the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce to make inquiries¡ªalone.

    When the Chu group, the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce would realize that they were exposed. There was no hiding this, so they would muster their full strength to annihte the Chu group standing in their halls.

    Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun were close friends. He was almost certainly going to be joining the group headed for the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce. If, by some miracle, he was able to survive the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce¡¯s full wrath, he would probably be in no state to fight just like Fang Muyun. He could y the fisherman a second time and fulfill his vengeance then.

    Naturally, the death of the Chu group would expose the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy, and the crisis of the Four Seas would resolve itself.

    It would be a masterstroke that killed multiple birds with one stone. It was without a doubt the most advantageous n for him.

    ... However, doing this would alert the Four Seas Dragon Pce that the humans were onto them. It would be much harder for the humans to eradicate the Four Seas Dragon Pce and quell the threat posed by the aquatic races, at least in the short term.

    The Four Seas Dragon Pce dared to betray the human race after all. They must have their reason.

    When the war began, it wouldn¡¯t be an absolute bloodbath per se, but it was still going to cost many, many lives.

    Therefore, the best way to minimize the human casualties was really to inform the Four Seas regarding the conspiracy without alerting the Four Seas Dragon Pce. This way, the four nations could muster their forces, catch the Four Seas Dragon Pce with their pants down, and eradicate them.

    However, since the humans were prepared, it was unrealistic to think that Chu Wangsun would fall into such a state he could y the fisherman and kill him.

    Not only that, assuming he didn¡¯t do this right, he could easily be involved and exposed. That would be terrible.

    On one hand, the greater good was at stake here. On the other hand, he would miss his chance to enact his vengeance. The n that would most likely benefit his vengeance was also one where he wouldn¡¯t need to risk his hide.

    It seemed like such an easy choice to make, but in reality, it wasn¡¯t. He might not be no virtuous sage who always put the greater good above personal good, but he wasn¡¯t a cruel, unfeeling murderer either. How could he rest easy knowing that his decision might lead to the death of tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of innocent lives?

    Sure, it wouldn¡¯t be his fault that those people died.

    Sure, no one would ever find out unless he revealed the truth himself, much less me him for it.

    But just because he could avoid the criticism of others... did not mean he could ignore the criticism of his own conscience.

    He was a human after all. His heart was human.

    ¡°That is up to you to decide, Joyless.¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°There are rarely perfect solutions in this world. Most times, you have to give up something to get what you want. If you want my advice, make sure that your choice isn¡¯t one that you would regret in the future...¡±

    ¡°... And know that I will always support you no matter what choice you make.¡±

    ¡°A choice that I won¡¯t regret, huh?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself. His eyes were dim and unfocused, and his expression kept changing as hesitation, struggle, frustration, and many more emotions tore up his insides.

    Feng Qingyou did not disturb him throughout all of it. She simply stood where she was while maintaining a clear, tranquil expression. She was like the light to Ye Qing¡¯s darkness.

    ¡°I know what I should do now, Qingyou. Thank you.¡±

    A dozen or so breathster, the chaos in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes suddenly vanishedpletely. All that remained was a gleam that was as clear as the moon, and as dazzling as the stars. His earlier struggles werepletely gone as if he had weathered the storm and reached safe harbor; as if he had ovee a tribtion and be reborn.

    In fact, Ye Qing did feel like his mind was cleansed until it was bright and wless. His yang god too felt calm and at ease like it was brushed by a cool breeze.

    ¡°Oh? What is your decision then, Joyless?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to have to alter our original n.¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re going to inform the Four Seas about the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy ahead of time,¡± Feng Qingyou rified with a smile. She did not seem surprised by Ye Qing¡¯s reply at all.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Ye Qing confirmed.

    That¡¯s right. He was going to give up their original n and prioritize the greater good. It was the answer he had arrived at, and the decision his heart truly desired.

    Yes, doing so would most likely cost him the opportunity to kill Chu Wangsun, but there were things a man should or shouldn¡¯t do. He, Ye Qing, was no kind or benevolent soul, but even he knew what was right and what was wrong. Even he had his own principles he would uphold; lines he would never cross no matter what.

    If he chose to abandon thousands and thousands of lives to their fate for his personal vengeance, even if he managed to kill Chu Wangsun and settle the score once and for all, he would probably be haunted by this decision for the rest of his life.

    It wasmon sense that a warrior whose heart was restless and will was disturbed could not achieve great heights. Pragmatically speaking, his cultivation would suffer greatly. That was one reason not to make such a choice. Emotionally speaking, didn¡¯t he be a warrior in the first ce to be a man who could live however he wanted? To be able to <i>follow his heart </i>without being chained by something?

    If he couldn¡¯t even follow what his heart told him to do, then how could he live as he wanted? How could he be free?

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s advice for him to ¡°make a choice that you wouldn¡¯t regret¡± was exactly what he needed to hear.

    It was also now he realized that, ever since he left Chu and entered Qi, his heart was wed despite the continuous boons and rapid growth he had enjoyed as ofte. In fact, it was precisely because of these gains that his heart became wed. This was doubly true after he realized that his chance at taking revenge was at hand. He was so immersed in the calctions and the imagined taste of vengeance that he nearly overlooked his own heart.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi could protect him from all evil influence, true, but that was only if it came from the outside. If he himself became the source of the evil¡ªif he had sumbed to his own heart demons¡ªthen not even the Profound Yellow Mother Qi would be able to save him.

    Over time, this would surely impact his martial cultivation.

    Luckily, Feng Qingyou gave him the advice and guided him to face his heart directly. Because of this, he was able to wash away the dust covering his heart, cleanse his mind of the dirt shrouding his thoughts, and elevate him to a higher level.

    Although it seemed unwise to relinquish the opportunity to kill Chu Wangsun, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.

    Besides, who was Chu Wangsun? He was a man who was going to die in his hands eventually. What difference did it make if he killed him now orter?

    One thing for certain, he wasn¡¯t worth losing himself.

    ¡°So, how should we change it?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°I feel sorry for Fugong, but he¡¯s going to have to work just a little longer.¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    Although he had decided to reveal the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy to the Four Seas, he wasn¡¯t going to do it himself. As long as he didn¡¯t involve himself, no one would be able to catch his tail. This meant that Fugong had his work cut out for him.

    His servant hadn¡¯t died, of course. Fugong, Lugong or Shougong were a non-factor in the battle between Fang Muyun and the Disaster-ss Strangers. They could only handle the small fries who did not deserve to be involved in that battle as well. The oue... Well, the oue was obvious. There were only three of them and hundreds of Strangers left even after Fang Muyun had done his best to cut down the chaft. Lugong and Shougong perished one after another, and Fugong faked his death with Ye Qing¡¯s help.

    In his original n, Fugong was going to fake his death, leave this ce, and lead a new life using a new identity. Naturally, he did not need to get involved in the aftermath.

    But now that he had changed his mind, he could only have Fugong ¡°return to life¡± and inform the Four Seas about the conspiracy.

    Also, Long Ao wasn¡¯t dead yet. Now was his time to shine!

    Ye Qing waved his hand, and an invisible ripple appeared in the space in front of him. The next moment, Fugong popped into existence.

    ¡°Hail, young master!¡± Fugong saluted him.

    ¡°I was going to have you fake your death and leave this ce, but the situation has changed. I need your help with something,¡± Ye Qing said directly.

    ¡°Just give me the order, and it shall be done,¡± Fugong dered.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this...¡±

    Ye Qing proceeded to tell him his thoughts and ns in detail.

    ¡°You are a benevolent man, young master. This ve will see your will done,¡± Fugong saluted again after listening to the end.

    ¡°Remember, all you need to do is to pass on the message. You don¡¯t need to do anything else,¡± Ye Qing instructed. ¡°As youmand,¡± Fugong replied.

    ¡°Is there anything you would like to add, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing consulted the woman.

    ¡°No, your n is perfect,¡± Feng Qingyou said smilingly.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to start.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Ye Qing chuckled and clenched his right hand. The Purple Ink of Beneficence holding Fang Muyun¡¯s remnant mind was crushed, and that was the end of the schr.

    Next, Ye Qing struck Fugong in the head, damaging his mind and causing him to bleed from all orifices. He fell to the bottom of the sea.

    With that done, Ye Qing turned in the direction of the Four Seas and dered with a grin, ¡°Let the show begin.¡±

 Chapter 938: Chuâ€™s Living Celestial

    <h4>Chapter 938: Chu¡¯s Living Celestial </h4>

    ¡°What do you think of this ¡®West Wing Dream¡¯, Duke?¡±

    Inside the Chu River Embassy, the Pacification King and the Martial Might Duke were sitting in a pavilion, savoring a cup of delicious wine, and enjoying an opera y.

    The opera y was the famous ¡°West Wing Dream¡±. It told the story of a poor schr and a wealthy family¡¯s woman falling in love with each other at first sight, and how they were able to break free from the shackles of tradition and conventional ethics to be together.

    The story was nothing new, but the performer on stage was the famous Qi opera singer, Ling Mingjue. His singing was graceful and melodious, lingering and gentle, intoxicating and stimting.

    After the performance was over, the Pacification King closed his eyes and savored the moment for a bit before asking the Martial Might Duke what he thought about the opera y.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m an uncouth man. The love between a man and a woman is just cringey and boring to me.¡± The Martial Might Duke chuckled. ¡°If your wine isn¡¯t as good as it is, I would have left a long time ago.¡±

    The Martial Might Duke was in his fifties. He was tall, muscr, and sported a rugged appearance. His voice was loud and sharp like the beat of a drum, capable of deafening a man¡¯s ears if they were standing too close.

    The Martial Might Duke¡¯s true name was Guo Ximian, and he was a noble of Chu with true power and influence. His life story was quite the legendary one.

    Guo Ximian was born in the Guo n of Jian Nan, and the Guo n was an aristocratic n in the Jian Nan region with a long history. At the time, Guo Ximian was a lineal descendant, his father was the n patriarch.

    From the moment Guo Ximian was born, he already stood at a level most people could never reach even if they toiled their whole lives. Logically speaking, Guo Ximian was destined to be the next patriarch. Even if he turned out to be inept and useless, he still would have enjoyed a lifetime of luxury.

    However, man ns and heavensugh. Not long after Guo Ximian was born, his father was ambushed and killed during an outing, and the branch family seized the opportunity to take over. Not long after that, the new patriarchunched an all-out attack against the main family. Guo Ximian¡¯s mother was killed, but he survived thanks to a family ve. He was eventually adopted by a pair of ordinary husband and wife.

    Unfortunately, his adopted parents were killed by mountain bandits when Guo Ximian was eight years old. He himself was kidnapped and forced to be a mountain bandit himself.

    The mountain bandits thought Guo Ximian too young to understand what had happened to him, but he was precocious and knew with every fiber of his body that his kidnappers were his parents¡¯ killers. He also understood that he was no match for them at his age, and that he couldn¡¯t reveal his hatred one bit. If he did, the bandits would not hesitate to add another child to their body count.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    So, he buried his hatred deep and pretended to be one of them. He patiently waited for the opportunity to take revenge.

    Finally, when he was twelve years old, Guo Ximian secretly poisoned the wine during the bandit leader¡¯s birthday feast. He was able to kill all seventy two of them, cut off their heads, and dragged them over to his parents¡¯ grave using an ox cart. He piled the heads in front of their graves as offerings to his parents below.

    With that done, Guo Ximian joined the army next. The Jiannan prefecture bordered the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang, and countless tribes and bandits lived within those mountains. They were a source of constant trouble to the people of Jiannan.

    Tempered by blood and fire, Guo Ximian started as a lowly pawn, but eventually became the general of an army. Then, several hundred Nanjiang tribes decided to turn traitor, and the Jiannan prefecture fell into grave danger. However, Guo Ximian was able to unite the people, splinter the tribes, and lead an army of tens of thousands to stamp out the traitors of Nanjiang.

    The heads tumbled like logs, and the blood ran like rivers. Over a hundred thousand Nanjiang natives had died in Guo Ximian¡¯s hands. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that Guo Ximian had snapped the spine of the hundred tribes of Nanjiang via brute force and dealt them a blow they might not recover even with a century¡¯s of rest and recuperation.

    Killing one person was a crime, but killing ten thousand people was a heroic deed, and killing one hundred thousand people was a kingly merit. So, Guo Ximian came to be known as the Blood King.

    To this day, the name ¡°Blood King Guo Ximian¡± struck terror in the hearts of the hundred tribes of Nanjiang. He became the living boogeyman who kept the adults wide awake during some nights.

    Because Guo Ximian pacified the hundred tribes of Nanjiang and did Chu a great service, he was conferred the Great General of Jiannan. Today, he led an army of three hundred thousand at Nanjiang called the Nanjiang Pacification Army.

    This was why Guo Ximian the Martial Might Duke was one of the most powerful and influential persons in Chu.

    ¡°Your love is fully devoted to your nation and realm. I can understand why someone like you would find such small love beneath you.¡±

    The Pacification King took a sip of wine before continuing, ¡°But of course, that is not to say that the big love is always greater than the small love. They all have their wonders and intricacies. Only those who understand the beauty of a man and woman¡¯s love may know the goodness of mankind. personally I think that you are missing out on one of the greatest pleasures of humanity, duke!¡±

    The Pacification King was in his forties, and his appearance was theplete opposite of the Martial Might Duke. His countenance was handsome and refined, and his bearing felt almost divine. His every gesture, every expression was elegant beyond reproach and picturesque to the point where it felt as if he did not belong to this world. This was evident from the fact that the female attendants serving him could not stop sneaking looks at him and losing themselves in his countenance.

    ¡°Allow me to refill your wine, Your Highness...¡±

    ¡°No, allow me...¡±

    As soon as the Pacification King set down his wine cup, they immediately rushed over to refill it. They were practically pushing each other to reach his side first.

    Sensing their lustful gaze and sudden behavior, a guard wearing a set of ck armor and a dark red mask suddenly took a step forward. His eyes were cold and full of killing intent. It looked like he would y the female attendants where they stood if they dared to take another step forward.

    The man¡¯s killing intent was so terrifying that the female attendants felt like they had suddenly fell into an ice pond. They immediately froze in their tracks, faces turning as white as sheets and bodies trembling like leaves in a storm. It would not be surprising if one or all of them were to faint at any moment.

    ¡°Enough, Tongueless. Why are you scaring them? Women are made to be loved!¡±

    The Pacification King chided his bodyguard before smiling at the trembling women. ¡°Forgive him. Also, I don¡¯t require your services, so please, take your leave.¡±

    ¡°Thank... thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    The Pacification King¡¯s voice was like a gust of spring wind. It gradually blew away the fear gripping their bodies. After they regained control of themselves, the female attendants hurriedly got up to their feet, bowed to the Pacification King, and took their leave.

    Despite almost being frightened to death just now, the female attendants did not forget to look back at the Pacification King repeatedly until they were finally gone.

    ¡°Looks like your maism hasn¡¯t waned with the years, Your Highness!¡± Guo Ximianughed.

    The Pacification King Chu Xunxian was another legendary figure of Chu who was famous throughout the entire world.

    If Guo Ximian became famous¡ªor more urately, infamous¡ªthroughout the world for his violent merits, then the Pacification King Chu Xunxian became famous because of his behavior and legend.

    The Pacification King Chu Xunxuan was the older brother of the Emperor of Chu. Born from the same womb, it was said that the birth of Chu Xunxian was celebrated by auspicious birds carrying spiritual fruits, and congratted by celestials riding colorful clouds. The Directorate of Astronomy had dered that the auspicious signs pointed toward an age of prosperity for Chu and personally named him Xunxian (Seeking Celestial). Happy beyond words, the Emperor of Chu at the time immediately conferred him the crown prince and announced a general amnesty for the entire realm.

    Chu Xunxian was born extraordinary. He began speaking when he was just three months old. He was literate at the age of one, and capable ofposing poems and couplets at the age of three. He mastered the ssics and scriptures many schools of thoughts at the age of twelve, and was familiar with three thousand Daozang[1] at the age of fifteen. To say that his knowledge was as deep as the sea was just right. Even the Jixia Academy Chief Libationist at the time was so impressed with Chu Xunxian that he said this, ¡°This old man began his ceaseless studies a century ago, and yet he was outdone by a fifteen years old! Truly, this boy is a living celestial.¡±

    1. The Daozang is arge canon of Taoist writings, consisting of around 1,500 texts that were seen as continuing traditions first embodied by the Daodejing, Zhuangzi, and Liezi. ?

 Chapter 939: Tracking The Murderer

    <h4>Chapter 939: Tracking The Murderer </h4>

    Chu Xunxian was a man after his own name. Despite his astounding talent, he was only interested in seeking celestialhood, the Way, and immortality. From a young age, he enjoyed reading Daozang, Buddhist scriptures, and anecdotes regarding celestials and Buddhas. He was obsessed with cultivating qi, consuming pills, studying the stars, befriending all sorts of bizarre or extraordinary characters, practicing Confucianism, and ying evil.

    When he was older, Chu Xunxian relinquished his position as crown prince despite all opposition and left to explore the world. It would be decades before he returned from his Dao seeking journey.

    Thirty years ago, the former Chu emperor suddenly passed away, and the former crown prince, Emperor Jin Rui was weak andcking in preparation. As a result, the imperial court fell into disorder, traitors sprouted like weeds both inside and outside the court, and the people suffered. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Yan, Wei and Qi were eyeing them hungrily and just waiting for the opportunity to turn the four nations to three. For a time, it looked like Chu would not survive this crisis.

    During a time of crisis, Chu Xunxian returned to Chu and cleansed the imperial court of its impurities swiftly and violently with the power of a celestial. Once the internal strife was suppressed, he traveled tens of thousands of kilometers in a single night and appeared at the borders of Yan, Wei and Qi, venturing into the enemy¡¯s camps alone.

    Three dayster, all three nations withdrew their forces, and Chu¡¯s crisis was resolved just like that.

    It should not need to be said, but Chu Xunxian¡¯s godlike deeds shocked the world. Just when everyone thought that Chu Xunxian would seize the momentum to rece Emperor Jin Rui and be the new emperor, he left again with only a letter to Emperor Jin Rui.

    After Emperor Jin Rui seeded the throne, he conferred Chu Xunxian the Pacification King inmemoration of his heroic deeds. The title was meant to signify that Chu Xunxian was a man who pacified the four seas and brought peace back to the realm, and that he was the emperor¡¯s equal.

    Although Emperor Jin Rui made him his equal, Chu Xunxian rarely got involved in the matter of the court. He spent most of his time exploring the world and seeking the Dao. The times he appeared in the capital were few and far between.

    It was the same this time. Chu Xunxian visited the capital a while ago, and his next destination turned out to be the sea. So, Emperor Jin Rui decided to add him to the Chu embassy. Chu Xunxian could not turn his brother down, and it wasn¡¯t like the task would take him away from his destination. So, he agreed.

    Guo Ximian¡¯s remark about Chu Xunxian¡¯s maism was because he was exceedingly handsome, of course. Wherever he traveled, he would draw a massive crowd like he was a human ma, most of them were women. His number of admirers were literally innumerable. There was even a poem that went something like this: ¡°A million people gathers at an empty alley, all to make a connection with a living celestial.¡±

    ¡°Be that as it may, I am getting old.¡±

    Chu Xunxian sighed. ¡°All things in life is vanity except celestialhood. Only a celestial is eternal. If you do not be a celestial, then you will never be more than an ant, a patch of yellow soil.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness? Are you alright?¡±

    Guo Ximian was about to make ament when suddenly, he noticed that Chu Xunxian¡¯s aura was off.

    ¡°Fang Muyun¡¯s Life Jade just broke.¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s voice came from the entrance, and Guo Ximian¡¯s eyes widened. The man was sitting right next to him, and he was certain that he hadn¡¯t left for a second. So, who was the Chu Xunxian standing at the entrance? He was so shocked that he did not even register Chu Xunxian¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Worry not, Duke. That too is me.¡±

    It was at this moment the Chu Xunxian sitting beside him reassured him. As he spoke, his doppelganger standing at the entrance walked up to Chu Xunxian, handed him an item, and disappeared into nothing.

    ¡°Did you just say that Fang Muyun¡¯s Life Jade is broken?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t until the other Chu Xunxian had disappeared that Guo Ximian finally snapped out of his daze. He blurted, ¡°If his Life Jade is broken, does that mean Muyun is dead?¡±

    The Life Jade was a special Strange Artifact that could be used to detect one¡¯s death. All the owner needed to do was to inject a wisp of their mind and heart¡¯s blood into it. If the owner died, then the wisp would disappear, and the Life Jade would break.

    Every single Chu genius attending this Four Seas Summit possessed a Life Jade, and they were all kept by Chu Xunxian just in case.

    Every genius was a precious resource of the nation after all, not to mention that most of them boasted outstanding backgrounds. Of course they should be watched carefully.

    ¡°Yes, Muyun is dead.¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s eyes shed with profound light as he brushed his fingers across the broken pieces.

    ¡°How is this possible? Who dares to kill a genius of Chu?!¡±

    Guo Ximian shot to his feet, livid. A terrifying amount of bloodthirst washed out of him and dyed the sky red in an instant.

    It wasn¡¯t just the people in the Chu Embassy who felt his bloodthirst. Everyone in the Four Seas was feeling it.

    Shocked and confused, countless people quaked in fear for a time.

    ¡°We¡¯ll know if we head over to check, won¡¯t we?¡±

    Chu Xunxian took one step forward and disappeared after saying that. When he reappeared, he was already standing at the seashore.

    Chu Xunxian looked at the sea in front of him, the profound light in his eyes circting as if he was examining something. He took another step and disappeared again.

    As for Guo Ximian, he jumped into the sky and transformed into a beam of bloody light, chasing after hispatriot. The sky above Four Seas would remain red for a very long time.

    ¡°Who provoked that blood maniac? Why is he so angry?¡±

    ¡°Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian both left the city. What happened?¡±

    ¡°How unusual...¡±

    The instant Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian left the city, the elites and champions of the other nations scattered throughout the Four Seas detected their departure. Driven by curiosity, they decided to follow as well.

    ......

    ¡°Is this where Muyun died?!¡±

    In the sky, Guo Ximian was looking at the gigantic, bottomless whirlpool on the sea surface and sensing the chaotic remnants of energies in the air. He asked with a deep frown on his face, ¡°Is it a Stranger?¡±

    ¡°Strangers. And I sense the presence of a true dragon too.¡±

    Chu Xunxian made a grabbing motion, and an invisible power permeated the air. The calm sea surface began stirring as many Stranger carcasses floated out of the sea and into the sky. The remnant energies on the carcasses marked them as powerful Strangers when they were still alive.

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s fingers moved like he was plucking something, and a couple of fist-sized scales flew over to him. They glittered under the sun and crawled with purple lightning.

    ¡°Dragon scales?¡± Guo Ximian grabbed one of the scales and examined it closely.

    ¡°It belongs to a Disaster-ss dragon-type Stranger, and the thunderous energy within its bloodline is quite pure...¡±

    Chu Xunxian said slowly, ¡°If I remember correctly, the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce is a thunder dragon, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Guo Ximian nodded. ¡°Are you saying that Muyun¡¯s death had something to do with the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, Your Highness?¡±

    Chu Xunxian remarked, ¡°Considering how pure the bloodline is, it has to be a direct descendant of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll head there and question that old loach right now! How many heads does he think he has to dare to kill our genius?¡± Guo Ximian uttered coldly.

    ¡°Not yet, Duke.¡± Chu Xunxian stopped him before he could leave. ¡°First, we must find Muyun¡¯s killer.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where the murderer is, Your Highness?¡± Guo Ximian asked.

    ¡°I cannot find the body of a dragon in the murder scene, so it has probably escaped.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Chu Xunxian said, ¡°Muyun is strong. Even if the murderer seeded in killing him, it could not have done it without suffering some serious injuries of its own. The fact that it failed to clean up the scene before escaping proves that.¡±

    ¡°Less than a teatime has passed since Muyun perished. If it is grievously wounded, then it might not have escaped too far. Why don¡¯t we investigate the surrounding region and see if we can get lucky?¡±

    ¡°Makes sense. But the sea is wide and deep, Your Highness. I¡¯m not sure we can cover so much ground with just you and I,¡± Guo Ximian replied with a frown.

    ¡°We¡¯re not alone.¡±

    Chu Xunxian scanned his surroundings and dered, ¡°Hail, friends. I am Chu Xunxian, Pacification King of Chu. I have a request for you all.¡±

    ¡°Our genius and son of the Grand Mentor of Chu, is in, and we suspect the murderer is a true dragon bearing the bloodline of a thunder dragon. We suspect that it hasn¡¯t escaped so far that we cannot capture it. Can I ask your help to search for the murderer and capture it? This one promises to reward you handsomely after the deed is done!¡±

    ¡°A natural duty.¡±

    ¡°It shall be done.¡±

    A few breathster, several people appeared in the sky and saluted Chu Xunxian.

    ¡°Thank you. This one will not forget this favor,¡± Chu Xunxian saluted them respectfully.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Your Highness.¡±

    The warriors returned the bow and took off in different directions.

    Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian exchanged a nce before starting their search as well.

 Chapter 940: Fugongâ€™s Statement

    <h4>Chapter 940: Fugong¡¯s Statement </h4>

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Chu Xunxian was slowly walking on the sea surface, though every step took him over a hundred meters away from his original position. Wherever he traveled, a breeze rose, and a sparkle of profound light happened. It was dreamlike.

    Suddenly, Chu Xunxian sensed a wisp of human vitality from deep beneath the sea. His sleeves fluttered, and the sea split in half to reveal a masculine figure.

    ¡°Fugong...¡±

    One look was all he needed to recognize the figure. He was one of Fang Muyun¡¯s aides, Fugong.

    Fugong¡¯s aura was extremely weak. Judging from his bottoming vitality, he would be dead in another ten minutes at most.

    Chu Xunxian disappeared and reappeared next to Fugong. Then, he tapped him on his forehead. Fugong began healing rapidly as if his time was being reversed. His vitality slowly grew bigger, his heart started beating again, and his aura gradually turned stable.

    A dozen or so breathster, Fugong let out a muffled groan and slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°Your Highness...?¡±

    At first, Fugong couldn¡¯t quite recognize who was in front of him. Then, his mind cleared up, and he said urgently, ¡°Please save my young master, Your Highness! He¡¯s being attacked by Long Ao and his band of viins right now¡ªcough! Cough!¡±

    ¡°Calm down. The incident is already over.¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s voice seemed to be imbued with some sort of power as Fugong gradually calmed down despite his overly excited state. ¡°Now tell me. What happened, and who is Long Ao?¡±

    ¡°Long Ao... Long Ao is the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce¡¯s third crown prince. He wanted to kill me young master because he identally stumbled upon the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy. He wanted to silence all of us,¡± Fugong answered somewhat incoherently.

    ¡°Conspiracy? What conspiracy?¡± Chu Xunxian prodded.

    ¡°Conspiracy? Right! The Four Seas Dragon Pce is nning to betray the human race! They are contacting all the aquatic races of the Four Seas to... to... to massacre the Four Seas and ughter our human geniuses during the Four Seas Summit!¡± Fugong said urgently.

    ¡°What?! The Four Seas Dragon Pce is nning to betray the human race?¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s tone unconsciously grew harsh, and his expression severe. ¡°Are you sure? How did you know about this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely certain, Your Highness. Long... Long Ao is the one who told us himself,¡± Fugong answered.

    ¡°How did you run into Long Ao, and how did everything transpire? Tell me everything,¡± Chu Xunxianmanded.

    As Chu Xunxian spoke, he wrapped Fugong in ayer of true qi and floated back to the sea surface. Then, he spread his spirit tens of kilometers wide in every direction in an attempt to search for Long Ao.

    If Fang Muyun was the only casualty, then as big of a shame it was, it was ultimately an individual death and not too significant in the grand scheme of things. However, it was apletely different story if the Four Seas Dragon Pce was plotting to betray the human race. It would escte into a matter that could destroy the current peace humanity was enjoying and the stability of the four nations.

    That was why he must find Long Ao as soon as possible. If Long Ao managed to warn the Four Seas Dragon Pce about today¡¯s incident, then things would be so much more troublesome.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this. My young master was going to travel to Poison Dragon Ind to congratte the ind lord on his birthday, but we ran into the Lost Fog on the way and did not notice it until it was toote. When my young master dispelled the Lost Fog, we discovered that we had somehow sailed to White Fish Ind. At the same time, we saw Long Ao and countless Stranger chanting, ¡®Kill the humans, elevate the four seas!¡¯ on the ind. Naturally, they saw us and tried to kill us all...¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s expression was quite severe, so Fugong did not dare to hide anything from him. He told everything that had happened to them from start until the end in excruciating detail. ¡°Later, this servant heard Long Ao telling our young master that the day of the Four Seas Summit is the day the Four Seas will bleed. They say that they will tten the city and massacre the humans to thest...¡±

    ¡°Oh right, Long Ao also said that... that...¡±

    ¡°Said what?¡± Chu Xunxian pressed.

    ¡°He said that this is just the first step. He said that they will bring the Dragon Sovereign back to lead them and conquer thend. He said he would bring all the realms under the dragon¡¯s rule and restore their former glory,¡± Fugong answered.

    ¡°Hmph. If he thinks that is possible, then he sorely estimates our strength,¡± Chu Xunxian dered with frigid eyes. Wind and rain were falling around them even though his expression was calm.

    Chu Xunxian did not think that Fugong was lying. Fugong was Fang Muyun¡¯s family servant and had watched over his young master since he was a boy. There was no way he would betray Fang Muyun, nor was there any reason for him to lie about such things.

    The next moment, Chu Xunxian waved his sleeve and dispelled the brewing storm. Even so, the thunderclouds in the sky did not fade. It was clear that it was a reflection of his tempered fury.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to ask. You said the incident is over. Does that mean my young master is safe?¡± Fugong asked.

    ¡°Muyun is dead,¡± Chu Xunxian replied simply.

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    ¡°What?! Young master is dead? That cannot be!¡±

    Fugong¡¯s eyes widened like saucers and turned dim as if his soul had burned out. Then, he shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°You must take revenge for young master, Your Highness!¡±

    ¡°Muyun died to thwart the conspiracy of the Four Seas Dragon Pce and in defense of the human race. His merit is great, and his death is one without regrets.¡±

    Chu Xunxian said slowly, ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t let him die in vain. We will make sure that his journey to the underworld isn¡¯t lonely.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness,¡± Fugong wept.

    Suddenly, Chu Xunxian sensed something. He disappeared and reappeared in front of a Taoist.

    The Taoist was dressedvishly and wearing what looked like star dippers and morning light on his person. It made him look like a divine being.

    The Taoist was called ¡°Heavenly Pce Taoist¡±, and he was one of the three Garrison Commanders of the Martial Hall of Wei. The Martial Garrison was a governmental organization specifically set up by Wei to recruit all the elite warriors and extraordinary talents under the heavens. It existed independently outside the imperial court and answered to the Wei Emperor alone. They were responsible for performing investigations on the Wei Emperor¡¯s behalf and dealing with secretive matters. They wielded a lot of power to say the least.

    The Martial Garrison was an organization overflowing with powerful warriors and extraordinary talents. Naturally, as one of its three Garrison Commanders, Heavenly Pce Taoist was quite powerful. He was a Half Sage for many years and was only a step away from bing a Sage.

    ¡°Did you find anything, Reverend[1]?¡± Chu Xunxian asked.

    Heavenly Pce Taoist performed a qishou[2] and pointed at the sea beneath their feet, ¡°In fact, I have discovered some dragon blood right below here. That is why I called for you.¡±

    Chu Xunxian scanned the area he pointed and discovered some blood traces in the soil at the bottom of the sea. It was emitting wisps of draconic might.

    ¡°The blood trace is fairly new. Long Ao must be nearby,¡± Chu Xunxian dered.

    ¡°I thought the same, your Highness.¡± Heavenly Pce Taoist smiled. ¡°But who is this Long Ao you speak of, Your Highness? Is it the murderer of your Grand Mentor¡¯s son?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is. But let us talkter.¡±

    As Chu Xunxian said this, multiple silhouettes began stepping out of Chu Xunxian¡¯s body. They all looked exactly the same as Chu Xunxian.

    The silhouettes quickly scattered in every direction and entered the sea.

    Heavenly Pce Taoist said nothing, but he was really shocked on the inside. He could tell that the silhouettes didn¡¯t just share the exact same appearance as Chu Xunxian, but also sported the exact same aura and cultivation level. He was unable to tell that they were fake despite his power.

    It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out just how strong Chu Xunxian was. Heavenly Pce Taoist could not help but look at the living legend of Chu with even more respect than before.

    ¡°Found him!¡± A few breathster, Chu Xunxian eximed with triumph. Right now, his eyes were piercing through heaven and earth like the celestial bodies and centered around a small, purple snake slithering tens of thousands of meters below the sea surface at the bottom of the sea.

    The snake only had half of its body. From time to time, a bit of blood would pour out of its stump. It was swimming toward the distance with obvious exertion.

    Barring the oddities, the purple snake looked no different from an ordinary sea snake. In Chu Xunxian¡¯s eyes though, it was a true dragon. It was just disguised as a sea snake.

    Clearly, the snake was Long Ao.

    To be fair, Long Ao¡¯s transformation was extremely high level. Another person might have been fooled by it.

    However, nothing could hide its true self from his Illusion Breaching Spell Eyes.

    1. Just a reminder, but this is the polite appetion for Taoist. ?

    2. to qishou, a ritual showing the highest degree of homage and respect. ?

 Chapter 941: Five Finger Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 941: Five Finger Mountain </h4>

    Long Ao was feeling very worried and panicked right now. He needed to return to the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce as soon as possible and inform his father that he had killed Fang Muyun. He needed to prepare his people for the iing human assault.

    He did not know why things had turned out this way. Everything was going so smoothly until Fang Muyun suddenly appeared at White Fish Ind?

    Worse, they outnumbered Fang Muyun many times to one and had the upper hand for most of the battle. Then, at thest possible moment, the bastard had damned near wiped out all of them. Although they ultimately managed to kill Fang Muyun, he himself had taken such severe injuries that hecked even the power to clean up the battlefield.

    In his current state, it would take far too long to wipe out the traces. The humans would most likely reach White Fish Ind before he could finish. Even if he did manage to wrap up his business before the humans showed up, he would not have the time to escape. He would die.

    Therefore, the only thing he could do was to escape immediately, reach the eastern sea in the shortest amount of time possible, and inform the Four Seas Dragon Pce about this crisis.

    Of course, as hurried and panicked as he was, he didn¡¯t actually think that the humans could find him.

    First, the sea was deep and vast. Countless things were happening in the sea at every moment. Trying to locate anyone or anything in the sea was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

    Second, he was a dragon and proficient in the art of transformation and concealment. If he transformed into an aquatic animal, then few humans would be able to detect him.

    That was why he believed that his escape was never in question. The real question was: Could he return to the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce in time?

    This was why he was anxious. It was a centuries-old n that had been long in the making after all. It could not be allowed to fail because of him.

    That was why he swam faster and harder than normal.

    ¡°Huh? Since when are there five mountain peaks in this area? Strange.¡±

    Suddenly, Long Ao saw five peaks in the far distance. They were tall and straight like spears, and they were lined up in a row. Long Ao wasn¡¯t too familiar with the sea region, but he thought he would surely recognize such a distinct geography.

    <i>Why does it look like five fingers?</i>

    Suddenly, a strange thought shed in Long Ao¡¯s mind. Before he could mull over it, he saw the five mountain peaks bending at the center and moving straight toward him.

    ¡°They really are fingers! I¡¯ve been found!¡±

    Long Ao felt chilled to his core. If those ¡°mountain peaks¡± were fingers, then he was at the center of a palm!

    Long Ao stopped hiding himself. He morphed into a true dragon and charged toward the edges at top speed while carrying the Myriad Dragons Pce on top of his head.

    A dragon was a master of water in more ways than one, capable of overturning seas and controlling the cloud. While inside a body of water, they could unleash their greatest strength. Combined with the Myriad Dragon Pce, Long Ao was able to cross hundreds of meters in a single breath.

    However, when he looked up to check his position, he discovered in horror that the five fingers were still towering over him. Not only that, they wereing closer and closer. The ground beneath him was rising rapidly as well.

    He knew it wasn¡¯t ground. It was a palm, a palm that stretched from one end of the horizon to the other.

    Despair gradually overwhelmed Long Ao. It was because he realized that no matter how fast he swam, no matter how hard he pushed his injured body, he was unable to leave the palm¡¯s range. He could only watch in helplessness as the five fingers descended and closed around him.

    He felt like an ant trying to defeat the sky, and losing.

    ¡°No... our centuries-old n cannot be ruined by me!¡± Long Ao roared and proceeded to ignite his soul. He was going to execute the Dragon Soul Sacrifice.

    The Dragon Soul Sacrifice was a forbidden spell of the dragon race. By burning their draconic soul and offering it to the First Dragon, they could temporarily borrow its power and greatly increase their power.

    When the time was up, the victim¡¯s soul would burn out, and they would experience true death.

    Long Ao wasn¡¯t executing the Dragon Soul Sacrifice to defeat his mysterious opponent, of course. The strength they had disyed far exceeded his imagination. Forget him in his current state, he could not have dealt any damage to his mysterious opponent even if he had executed the forbidden spell when he waspletely healthy.

    He was just trying tomit suicide.

    The Dragon Soul Sacrifice could only be executed by one possessing the bloodline of the First Dragon. Not only that, every true dragon possessing the First Dragon¡¯s bloodline would feel it when it was executed.

    The Dragon Soul Sacrifice was an irreversible process that resulted in true death. He was the third crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon King. If he died, his father would surely notice. Combined with the Dragon Soul Sacrifice, he would understand that something had gone terribly awry and be ready for what was toe.

    ¡°You think you can die without my permission?¡±

    The next moment, a cold, emotionless voice boomed in Long Ao¡¯s ears. The next moment, he saw a sun and a moon.

    It wasn¡¯t actually a sun or a moon. It was a pair of eyes. It was just that one eye was as bright and dazzling as the sun, and the other as clear and soothing as the moon.

    The next moment, the sun rose, and the moon fell. The rotation of the sun and moon felt like the flow of time itself.

    Long Ao gasped in shock and disbelief. He realized that the Dragon Soul Sacrifice that was halfway toward full activation was reversing itself. Before he knew it, he was back at the point before he executed the forbidden spell.

    Before he could react eyes shed with profound light, and darkness swarmed his vision. Long Ao fell unconscious again.

    <i>Not again¡ªhuh? What am I thinking? It¡¯s almost as if this isn¡¯t...</i>

    That was thest thought in Long Ao¡¯s mind before he fell unconscious.

    ¡°Your Magia is astounding, Your Highness. This old one is most impressed.¡±

    Above the sea, Heavenly Pce Taoist praised from the bottom of his heart after watching Chu Xunxian scooping up Long Ao with an unbelievably vast palm and even seemingly reversing time itself to interrupt his Dragon Soul Sacrifice. ¡°Congrattions on catching the murderer of your genius.¡±

    ¡°You tter me. I wouldn¡¯t have the chance if it wasn¡¯t for your discovery,¡± Chu Xunxian saluted him.

    ¡°It is nothing. You¡¯re wee.¡±

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    Heavenly Pce Taoist performed a qishou before asking, ¡°So, who is this little dragon? What spurred him to do such an audacious thing?¡±

    ¡°He is the third crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce,¡± Chu Xunxian answered honestly.

    ¡°What? The third crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce?!¡± Despite hisposure, Heavenly Pce Taoist simply could not stop himself from blurting, ¡°What on earth possessed him to do such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s not the only one. The Four Seas Dragon Pce is possessed as well,¡± Chu Xunxian replied emotionlessly.

    ¡°What do you mean, Your Highness?¡± Heavenly Pce Taoist asked in confusion.

    ¡°Patience, Reverend. I will speak of everything when our fellow seekers have joined us,¡± Chu Xunxian said.

    A dozen or so breathster, three people appeared one after another.

    When everyone had arrived, Chu Xunxian waved his hand, and a small triangr g flew out of his sleeve. It was dark ck in color with cloud embroidery and the words ¡°Northern ck Tortoise¡±.

    ck water began flowing around them, and dark light descended from above. In just the blink of an eye, the world around them was shrouded by darkness. The surroundings looked blurry, the celestial bodies were blurry, and the rivers of fate were impossible to decipher.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Your Highness?¡± A woman asked with a frown on her face. It was because the surrounding space was sealed, and the rivers of fate were muddied.

    The woman was in her thirties and sported an average countenance. Despite this, she was imposing and proud like a fiery phoenix. She was the equal of any man.

    The woman¡¯s name was Shentu Huang. She wasmander of the Phoenix Feather Cavalry, one of the Six Cavalry of Yan.

    Yan possessed a lot ofnd and was rich in fine horses and famous steeds. Famous for their horse archery, their cavalry was renowned throughout the four nations. Out of all of them, the Six Cavalry of Yan were the strongest.

    Despite being a woman, Shentu Huang was able to ovee the gender bias and be themander of the Phoenix Feather Cavalry, one of the strongest cavalry troops in the entire world. Naturally, she was quite an outstanding person.

    Chu Xunxian replied, ¡°This is a matter of grave importance, and there are ears even in the walls, much less the open. It is a necessary precaution.¡±

    ¡°What is going on that you will resort to such precaution?¡± A man wearing luxurious mianfu[1] asked. He looked like a deity as he was surrounded by a sheen of golden light.

    His name was Qi Yuanyou, and he was an imperial rtive of Qi and one of the five first rank priests of the tform of Gods. His full title was Yuanyou Center Heaven Priest, and he possessed the power to govern all deities under Qi.

    Chu Xunxian slowly swept his gaze across everyone¡¯s face before dering, ¡°The Four Seas Dragon Pce is conspiring to betray the human race.¡±

    It was a stunning deration to say the least.

    1. Mianfu is a kind of Chinese clothing in hanfu; it was worn by emperors, kings, and princes, and in some instances by the nobles in historical China from the Shang to the Ming dynasty. ?

 Chapter 942: What Should We Do? Death! Death! Death!

    <h4>Chapter 942: What Should We Do? Death! Death! Death! </h4>

    ¡°Are you sure, Pacification King?¡± Shentu Huang eximed in shock.

    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Chu Xunxian dered.

    ¡°How did you find out about this, Your Highness?¡± Qi Yuanyou asked.

    ¡°Wait. Is Muyun¡¯s death rted to this matter?¡± Guo Ximian put two and two together.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Xunxian nodded and proceeded to tell them everything he had heard from Fugong.

    Everyone was silent after listening to Chu Xunxian¡¯s statement. They were all wearing stormy expressions on their faces.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always known that the dragons of the four seas are dogs who bite the hand that feeds them!¡± Shentu Huang uttered darkly.

    ¡°If they are not of our kin, they are sure to have a different mind.¡±

    Guo Ximian¡¯s eyes were shing with murder as well. ¡°We should never have allowed these filthy fishes and prawns to exist in the first ce.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°Your Highness, this is no small matter. Do you have concrete evidence?¡± Qi Yuanyou asked suddenly.

    ¡°Is the third crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce good enough evidence for you?¡±

    Chu Xunxian opened his palm and revealed Long Ao¡¯s body. His palm looked no different from an ordinary person¡¯s palm, but in their eyes, it seemed as vast and infinite as the world itself. Even considering how big Long Ao¡¯s true body was, he was as small as an ant in his palm.

    ¡°If this isn¡¯t enough, I have more!¡±

    Chu Xunxian drew a circle in the air, and the circle turned into an ancient mirror that shone a pir of light at Long Ao.

    A few breathster, the mirror began ying a scene. They saw White Fish Ind before it was sted into a giant hole in the middle of the sea. They saw Long Ao, the Blood Sovereign, Ink Toad King, Shark General and Madam Mer conspiring with each other. They saw Long Ao standing before a horde of Strangers and chanting, ¡°Kill the humans, elevate the four seas!¡± They saw Long Ao fighting against Fang Muyun and lording over him in the process...

    The more they saw, the graver everyone¡¯s expression became.

    ¡°These are all Long Ao¡¯s memories. Is it enough to prove my words?¡± Chu Xunxian asked.

    ¡°This is definitely enough to prove that the dragons of the four seas are conspiring to betray the human race,¡± Qi Yuanyou nodded.

    ¡°From what I see, the Four Seas Dragon Pce isn¡¯t just nning to betray the human race. They are nning to restore the Dragon Sovereign as well. The audacity!¡±

    Heavenly Pce Taoist looked at Chu Xunxian. ¡°Did you find out the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s exact ns from Long Ao¡¯s soul? Do you know how they are nning to rescue the sealed Dragon Sovereign?¡±

    ¡°No, I did not.¡±

    Chu Xunxian shook his head. ¡°There are restrictions in Long Ao¡¯s mind, and I am fairly certain that it had been left behind by that old loach. If I were to break it by force, I am afraid that he would notice it and realize that something has gone terribly amiss.¡±

    ¡°You are very thorough, Your Highness.¡± Heavenly Pce Taoist nodded approvingly.

    ¡°Now that we have confirmation that the Four Seas Dragon Pce is definitely plotting to betray the human race, what are your thoughts?¡± Chu Xunxian asked.

    ¡°Death!¡±

    ¡°Death!¡±

    ¡°Death!¡±

    ¡°Death!¡±

    Everyone answered murderously and without a shred of hesitation whatsoever.

    They might all hail from different nations, and to say that they disliked one another might be a massive understatement, but in the face of a threat that endangered all of humanity, they would always stand together as a united front.

    ¡°Good!¡±

    Chu Xunxian dered, ¡°The enemy has no idea that we have seen through their ploy. Now is the best time to deal with the Four Seas Dragon Pce.¡±

    ¡°There is no time to waste. Please return to the Four Seas and report to your superiors as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the likelier the chances that something might go awry, so be quick. We must strike the Four Seas Dragon Pce post haste and destroy them before they notice anything.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Shentu Huang, Qi Yuanyou, Guo Ximian and Heavenly Pce Taoist nodded. When Chu Xunxian withdrew his g and canceled the seal, they all took off toward the Four Seas at top speed.

    ¡°It is time for the dragon race to go extinct.¡±

    After the four men were gone, Chu Xunxian looked at the horizon and muttered, a cold, solemn look shing in his face. Winter wasing for the dragons.

    ......

    ¡°Long Ao¡¯s presence just disappeared. It looks like they found him.¡±

    On a passenger ship, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were sitting at a table and enjoying tea while admiring the window scenery.

    ¡°With Chu Xunxian here, Long Ao cannot escape.¡± Feng Qingyou set down her teacup and remarked smilingly. ¡°Chu Xunxian is unfathomably powerful. He might just be a Trueman, but everyone knows that he could be a Sage anytime he wants to.¡±

    ¡°The only reason he hasn¡¯t is because Chu Xunxian is unwilling to be a Sage via mundane arts. Even with a suppressed cultivation level, he is the equal of an ordinary Sage.¡±

    ¡°If he is that skilled, aren¡¯t you worried that he might notice our machinations?¡± Ye Qing asked worriedly.

    And what machination was he referring to? First, Feng Qingyou had dealt Long Ao another severe blow so that the dragon would not be able to clean up the traces of the battlefield quickly. Then, she wiped away his memory of her and injected a false memory into his mind. Because of this, Long Ao believed that Fang Muyun was behind all of his injuries, and that he was injured so badly that he could not clean up the traces of the battlefield in time. Moreover, they had destroyed any and all Strange Artifacts or items Long Ao could use to send a message back to the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, so he could only swim to the Eastern Sea and inform the Eastern Sea Dragon King about this in person.

    So, why did they do all this? It was very simple. It was to make it irrefutably clear that the Four Seas Dragon Pce had betrayed the human race.

    Neither Chu Xunxian nor Guo Ximian had any reason to believe Fugong was lying, but they were only two people. It was hard for the elites from other nations to believe that the Four Seas Dragon Pce would betray the human race based on his witness statement alone.

    After all, the Four Seas Dragon Pce had cautiously and conscientiously managed the four seas for the human race without fail for the past nine hundred years. Both their attitude and work were impable. Besides, the Four Seas Dragon Pce was hardly a weak faction, and it was no small or easy matter tounch an assault against them. Finally, this was a huge matter that could potentially destabilize the peace humanity had been enjoying for so long, so it was extremely unlikely that the four nations wouldunch an assault without performing a thorough investigation first.

    It wasn¡¯t groundless fears. The fact was that the four nations would have investigated the matter first if not for their preparations.

    This would an international matter involving multiple nations after all. Should the worstes to worse, there would be <i>war</i>. Of course they were going to give this matter their highest consideration.

    This was not the oue Ye Qing wanted, however. If things went the way they should have, the Four Seas Dragon Pce would have had time to breathe, and they would most likely discover that they had been found and be on their guard. This would go against his desire for the four nations to strike while the Four Seas Dragon Pce were still clueless, quell the aquatic threat, and minimize the amount of casualties as much as possible.

    So, how could he help remove the hesitation of the four nations and push them to act decisively? By making it irrefutably clear that the Four Seas Dragon Pce had betrayed them.

    If even with a mountain of evidence the emperors of the four nations still hesitated to take action against their enemies, then they did not deserve to be emperors.

    So, how could he make it irrefutably clear that the Four Seas Dragon Pce had betrayed the human race? The answer was Long Ao.

    Of course, that begged the question of how they could set Long Ao up so he would be caught by his seekers, but without making it look artificial or involving him or Feng Qingyou. This was the n they hade up with after a long discussion.

    Alright, he was lying. The idea and n were mostly Feng Qingyou. It was also she who had modified Long Ao¡¯s memories.

    Although Feng Qingyou assured him again and again that her modifications would not be discovered, and he did believe in her skill and strength, he could not help but feel worried again after listening to hervishing praises about the Trueman who was supposedly so powerful he could rival an ordinary Sage, Chu Xunxian.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All I modified are some unimportant memories. Not even a Sage would be able to detect the discrepancies unless they perform a carpet search on Long Ao¡¯s mind, which they wouldn¡¯t do because it was secured by some pretty powerful restrictions.¡±

    Feng Qingyou dered confidently, ¡°I believe that the Eastern Sea Dragon King is the one who ced those restrictions, and if those restrictions are destroyed, the Eastern Sea Dragon King will surely notice something. If I can figure this out, then Chu Xunxian and the others would notice this as well. That is why I am certain they would not perform a full soul search and risk warning the Four Seas Dragon Pce beforehand.¡±

    ¡°After the assault has begun, and the Four Seas Dragon Pce is destroyed, is there any need to search Long Ao¡¯s soul anymore? I don¡¯t think so. They would most likely just kill him and be done with it.¡±

    ¡°Fine. If you are confident, then all is good.¡±

    Ye Qing asked, ¡°So, when do you think they would act?¡±

    ¡°Tonight. Tonight is their best chance tounch the assault,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°The moon is ck, and the wind is strong.¡±

    Ye Qing echoed in agreement. ¡°It is definitely a good time to kill some dragons!¡±

 Chapter 943: The Tiger Roars, The Nether End Emerges

    <h4>Chapter 943: The Tiger Roars, The Nether End Emerges </h4>

    There was an extremely dangerous sea region deep in the Eastern Sea called the Nether End Sea.

    The ¡°Nether¡± in the name meant that it was dark. This sea region was lightless regardless of day or night all the time as if it existed in the Nether.

    The ¡°End¡± in the name meant extinction. It was exceedingly difficult for any life to survive in this sea region, so much so that it was practically devoid of life.

    It was because the Nether End Sea was overflowing with all sorts of yin and evil energies, Anomalies, and natural disasters. Not even the most tenacious creature or Stranger could survive in this sea for long.

    Therefore, the Nether End Sea wasn¡¯t just a forbidden zone to humans. It was a forbidden zone to all living beings.

    Right now though, several people had appeared outside the Nether End Sea, and their leaders were none other than Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian.

    Besides the duo, the small group was made up of ¡°Mister Nine¡± Chu Wangsun, the third son of the Emperor of Chu Chu Mingfeng, the chief disciple of the Qing Emperor, Su Bancheng, and the son of the Godly Strategist General, the ¡®Young Military God¡¯ Chen Wuji.

    Chu Wangsun waved his hand, and a ck tiger talisman appeared in the sky. For some reason, one half of it was missing, and it was rusted and covered in blood.

    A few breathster, the other half of the tiger talisman flew out of the Nether End Sea. The two tiger talismans thenbined into one.

    ¡°ROAAAAAARRRRR...¡±

    When the two halves of the talismanbined, a ck tiger appeared in the sky and roared.

    The wind began howling, and a deste, grave-sounding war horn resounded from the depths of the Nether End Sea. Somehow, the already lightless Nether End Sea grew even darker than before.

    The next moment, Chu Wangsun, Su Bancheng and the others saw the darkness suddenly spreading out of the sea region as if it was alive. At the same time, an indescribable fear that stifled their breaths and crushed their chest sprouted in almost everyone¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Your Highness...¡±

    Chen Wuji spoke up with a gulp. He could barely suppress his own fear and astonishment.

    Before he could say anything else though, Chu Xunxian waved him down and said, ¡°There is nothing to be worried about.¡±

    The encroaching darkness wasing closer and closer. The feeling of oppression, despair, death and destruction grew stronger and stronger until it felt like the world itself would copse. Everyone except the older men were wrestling with panic and fear that could not seem to be quelled no matter what they tried.

    They had a strong premonition that there was absolutely no way they would survive if they were to fall into that darkness.

    The darkness came closer and closer when suddenly, the younglings realized that the encroaching darkness wasn¡¯t darkness at all. It was... soldiers. <i>Human </i>soldiers.

    The soldiers were all wearing ck armor and ck masks. A ck saber rested beside their waist. Some of them were carrying bows, and others spears. Somehow, they were walking on the sea surface like it was solid ground. Their march did not elicit any sound whatsoever.

    ¡°What... in the world...?¡±

    Chu Mingfeng¡¯s eyes widened. He just could not believe his eyes.

    It wasn¡¯t just him. Everyone except Chu Xunxian was staring at the soldiers in shock.

    They just could not imagine that the lightless, all-consuming forbidden zone known as the Nether End Sea... was hiding an army. A living, breathing human army.

    Yes, these soldiers were living people. Although their vitality felt unusually faint and impure for some reason, they were definitely humans and alive.

    It wasn¡¯t just one, one hundred, or even one thousand soldiers either. There were a whopping fifty thousand of them.

    What shocked them even more was the fact that every single one of these soldiers boasted powerful auras. The weakest of them were Spirit Purifiers, and the strongest were Truemen or Grandmasters. Their auras were merged like one, and their martial force united like no other. That was how they formed the darkness. And inside that darkness, mountains of corpses and oceans of blood floated, countless ghosts wailed endlessly where neither sun nor moon could shine.

    Although this army was on the smaller side in terms of numbers, they felt as strong as any elite border army of Chu. In fact, if they were to look at their individual cultivation level, strength, and martial force alone, they were stronger.

    When the soldiers were about sixty meters away from the group, they came to a stop in perfect unison. Again, theck of sound and perfect uniformity made it feel like they were facing a curtain of darkness, not soldiers.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    A soldier walked out of the army formation and stopped in front of Chu Xunxian. Then, he dropped to one knee and held up the tiger talisman with both hands.

    After Chu Xunxian epted the tiger talisman, the soldier returned to his position. He never said a single word.

    With the tiger talisman in his grip, Chu Xunxian raised his voice, ¡°Attention, Nether End Army. You wille with me to the Eastern Sea post haste!¡±

    All the soldiers raised their hands to perform a salute and lifted their spears. Their actions were uniform, and the world turned colder without a sound.

    The next moment, the soldier who handed Chu Xunxian the tiger talisman removed his war horn from his waist and blew it.

    The horn sounded bleak and mournful, long and mysterious. Slowly, many warships began rising from the bottom of the restless sea.

    The warships were pitch ck in color and about three hundred meters long, massive and imposing. They were also covered in countless mysterious lights.

    The twenty warships looked like giant sea monsters of the deep, and they looked indescribably stunning and majestic.

    ¡°All units, board ship!¡±

    Chu Xunxian waved, and the soldiers split into twenty-man toons. They then filed into the warships.

    Although there were fifty thousand soldiers in total, everyone moved efficiently as if they were of one mind. In less than ten breaths, everyone had boarded the warships already.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    With that, Chu Xunxian and the rest of the group boarded the foremost warship.

    Chu Xunxian tossed the tiger talisman into the air after he boarded the warship. ck light shed from the talisman and enveloped all of the warships in just the blink of an eye. At the same time, a massive ck tiger could be seen floating in the sky.

    The tiger roared, and the ck light grew stronger. It pounced forward with a start, and every warship shot forward like loose arrows as well.

    In the sky, the tiger ran as quick as lightning, and on the sea, the warship cut through the waves like paper.

    Strangely, their movement elicited no sound whatsoever.

    If someone were to look at them from the outside, they would not see the tiger nor the ships. They would only see a spreading darkness that became one with the night itself, making it difficult to distinguish it from its surroundings.

    At the bow of the ship, Guo Ximian admired the sailing warships and perceived the energies in the air, sighing. ¡°The Nether End Army deserves its reputation.¡±

    ¡°Which nation does the Nether End Army belong to, Duke?¡± Chu Mingfeng voiced his puzzlement. Chu Wangsun, Su Bancheng and Chen Wuji were listening closely as well.

    Instead of answering, Guo Ximian looked to Chu Xunxian for permission. ¡°Can I tell them, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°They are the heroes of humanity. Their name may not be known to the world, but they should be remembered by the geniuses of Chu,¡± Chu Xunxian replied.

    ¡°You are right, Your Highness.¡± Guo Ximian looked at the trio and began, ¡°The Nether End Army belongs to Chu.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re one of Chu¡¯s armies? How is that possible?¡±

    Chen Wuji voiced his confusion, ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of them before?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s natural you wouldn¡¯t know about them. In fact, there are only a handful of people in the entire Chu who are aware of their existence.¡±

    Guo Ximian said, ¡°Even I have only heard of their name. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen them in person.¡±

    ¡°Over nine hundred years ago, after the cmity that was the Dragon Sovereign was quelled, the sages of the four nations did more than just ying the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s bloodline to thest and supporting the Four Seas Dragon Pce to prevent the dragons from rising to power again. They also hid an army each in the east, south, west and north sea.¡±

    ¡°They are the Nether End Army of Chu, the Heaven ying Army of Yan, the Earth Destroying Army of Wei, and the Sea Pacifying Army of Qi. The Nether End Army is garrisoned in the Nether End Sea of the Eastern Sea, the Heaven ying Army in the Frigid North Abyss of the Northern Sea, the Earth Destroying Army in the Starry Hazard Ind of the Western Sea, and the Sea Pacifying Army in the Shipwreck Gulf of the Southern Sea.¡±

 Chapter 944: Profound Lights of Five Colors Illuminates Heaven and Earth

    <h4>Chapter 944: Profound Lights of Five Colors Illuminates Heaven and Earth </h4>

    ¡°Frigid North Abyss, Starry Hazard Ind, Shipwreck Gulf...¡±

    Chu Wangsun, Su Bancheng, Chen Wuji and Chu Mingfeng all gasped when they heard this. These three locations were forbidden zones of death just like the Nether End Sea. Why on earth did their ancestors choose to leave the four armies at such a location, and how on earth did they even survive?

    ¡°Are you wondering why they would garrison the armies in such dangerous locations?¡±

    Guo Ximian seemingly guessed their thoughts and said heavily, ¡°Because these four locations are remote and difficult to navigate, because they need to remain hidden from the Strangers, and because... they are the burial ce of the heroes of humanity.¡±

    ¡°Burial ce?¡± The four young men looked confused.

    ¡°Nine hundred years ago, our ancestors were able to emerge victorious in the Four Seas War, suppress the Dragon Sovereign, and quelled the aquatic threat, but it came at a terrible price. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers and heroes had died in the sea, so much so that the sea was blood red in color and covered in corpses. It was like hell on earth.¡±

    Guo Ximian said gravely, ¡°Far too many people had died in this war, and therge majority of them weren¡¯t intact enough to be identified and brought back to their families. So, a titan of humanity gathered all their bodies with his immense power and put them to rest in four separate locations in the Four Seas. They are the Nether End Sea, Frigid North Abyss, Starry Hazard Ind, and Shipwreck Gulf.¡±

    ¡°While these heroes were still alive, they had sacrificed themselves in defense of humanity. That was why the living could not bear to see their remains disturbed by Strangers or human scum. To ensure their eternal rest, the titans set up various restrictions and transformed the four locations into forbidden zones of death that few Strangers and even fewer living beings could enter, much less survive. Only the Nether End Army, Heaven ying Army, Earth Destroying Army, and Sea Pacifying Army were bestowed a duty and secret art that allowed them to pass through these forbidden zones unhindered.¡±

    ¡°From the moment the Nether End Army, Heaven ying Army, Earth Destroying Army, and Sea Pacifying Army were founded, our human ancestors dictated that these four armies existed outside of the four nations¡¯ military and political system. They would never be resolved or reduced, and they weren¡¯t to be mobilized without good reason. Specifically, they could only be mobilized to spy and tackle the Strangers of the four seas, and to defend the people from any threating from the four seas. Otherwise, the four armies were never to leave their posts. Their duty is to guard the four seas for eternity.¡±

    ¡°The existence of the four armies werebeled as top secret in all four nations. On top of that, no threat has ever risen from the four seas in the past nine hundred years. That is why the number of people who knew of their existence had dwindled to almost nothing.¡±

    ¡°No wonder,¡± The young men eximed in realization.

    Chen Wuji asked another question, ¡°How do they usually train? How are they all so powerful in terms of cultivation?¡±

    Back then, besides setting up the restrictions epassing the Nether End Sea, Frigid North Abyss, Starry Hazard Ind, and Shipwreck Gulf, our ancestors also used their immense power to capture fragments of time of the war between humanity and the Dragon Sovereign and create pocket worlds where they could train at. Day in and day out, the four armies would battle against the Strangers of the four seas to hone theirbat skills and cultivation. Naturally, they are strong and skilled.¡±

    Guo Ximian exined, ¡°They might look like they are rusty, but I assure you that their true strength matches that of any elite army of the four nations. In fact, one might say that they are stronger[1].¡±

    ¡°But Duke, why are their vitality so weak? Is it because they stayed in the forbidden zone for too long?¡± Chu Wangsun asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Guo Ximian exined, ¡°The Nether End Sea, Frigid North Abyss, Starry Hazard Ind, and Shipwreck Gulf are dangerous ces even before they were transformed into forbidden zones, and hundreds of thousands of bodies were buried in these ces. Combined with the effects of the restrictions, they are far more anomalous than your conventional sea region. It¡¯s only natural that those residing within would be affected as well.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, the martial arts they cultivate are different from others. Our ancestors specifically invented a martial art for them called the ¡®Longevity Scripture¡¯. Cultivating it for a prolonged period and being exposed to the anomalous energies of the Nether End Sea, Frigid North Abyss, Starry Hazard Ind, or Shipwreck Gulf for long would greatly slow down the aging process and increase their lifespan. Generally speaking, their lifespan is three or four times longer than ours. In some cases, it could be longer.¡±

    ¡°But of course, the increased lifespan did note without a cost. Over time, they be inhumanly silent and exude little to no vitality. In a couple more years, they might not even sport a hint of vitality and act like walking corpses.¡±

    Guo Ximian¡¯s tone turned solemn then. ¡°But no matter how much they change, no matter what they may be in the future, they are, and will always be, humans. They are the eternal heroes of humanity, and you must never forget them, much less slight them or belittle them.¡±

    ¡°We will remember this, Duke,¡± Chu Wangsun, Chen Wuji and the others replied solemnly.

    ¡°Halt!¡±

    About an incense stickter, Chu Xunxian suddenly raised his hand and yelled amand. The warships immediately slowed to a stop.

    The next moment, five gs flew out of his sleeves.

    The gs were all triangr in shape and looked rather profound. They were cyan, red, white, ck and yellow in color.

    The next moment, a cyan g flew to the east and fired a column of light into the sky, dyeing heaven and earth cyan.

    The red g flew toward the south, reversing yin, yang and the five phases and dyeing heaven and earth red.

    A white g flew toward the west and created a clump of strange illusions and smoke, dyeing heaven and earth white.

    A ck g flew toward the north and blurred out the sun and moon, heaven and earth.

    And finally, when all four gs were in position, the yellow g finallynded at the center of the formation. It bloomed a whole garden of golden lotuses and dyed heaven and earth yellow.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Slowly, the five colors mingled with each other and filled heaven and earth with their profound light, causing a quake that startled all creation to wakefulness.

    When the profound light of five colors illuminated the world, an ancient old man dozing off inside a crystalline, exquisitely beautiful pce deep within the ocean suddenly opened his eyes.

    The old man was wearing a cyan mianfu. He had rainbow-colored horns on his head, fish eyes, horse nose, big mouth, and a long, purple beard. Despite his strange countenance, he looked regal and dignified.

    The old man looked exceedingly old and lethargic, but the moment he opened his eyes, his pupils shed dark purple, and the crystalline pce shuddered as if thunder was coursing through the earth.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    The old man looked up and seemingly peered through tens of thousands of meters of sea water like nothing. When he saw the five gs in the sky, an indescribable sense of unease pooled inside his heart.

    The problem was that the five profound lights of differing colors were blurring out the entire world and making it impossible to sense anything be it via divination or perception. He could not see or feel anything.

    All he could see were the five profound and unusual gs that, in a sense, blotted out heaven and earth.

    The old man was of course the Eastern Sea Dragon King.

    Right now, he did not yet know that their conspiracy had already been exposed.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    It as at this moment a few odd-shaped aquatic people rushed into the crystalline pce and reported urgently, ¡°Your Majesty, the sea within several hundreds kilometers is suddenly covered by a five-colored profound light. We are not sure what to do about it. We¡ª¡±

    Before they could finish, the Eastern Sea Dragon King silenced them with a handwave. ¡°I am aware. Send the word to muster our elite troops now!¡±

    ¡°Dragon King, what on earth is¡ª¡± A confused aquatic man tried to ask, but he was harshly cut off by the Eastern Sea Dragon King. ¡°Just do as I say, and be careful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll head outside and check what¡¯s going on. Be quick!¡±

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King was just about to leave his crystalline pce when suddenly, a grand, seemingly omnipresent voice resounded,

    ¡°The Five Phases spin, and heaven and earth fall into chaos. Annihte.¡±

    1. This is one area where the author¡¯s imagination fails. These people are nine hundred years outdated and are repeating fights from nine hundred years ago. No bloody way the world hasn¡¯t progressed one lick in nine hundred years, and they can outdo an elite army. ?

 Chapter 945: Natural Five Phases Flags

    The five-colored profound light in the sky grew even brighter, and a picture of Primal Chaos and pure nothingness took form.

    Suddenly, the Eastern Sea Dragon King felt like he was the wheat trapped inside a millstone made from heaven and earth. His physical body was melting, and his mind was fading with every spin. Everything thatposed his being was returning to void and chaos.

    If even he was feeling this way, those weaker than him could only fare worse.

    Every Stranger and living being within hundreds of kilometers¡ªsentient or non-sentient, flora or fauna, strong or weak¡ªbegan disintegrating under the five-colored profound light. They were dissolving into void and chaos like ash.

    ¡°Roar¡­¡±

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King let out an angry roar and transformed into a thunder dragon tens of thousands of meters long. Devastating thunder instantly painted the entire sea region purple.

    Thanks to the purple thunder, the five-colored profound light¡¯s power weakened just enough that some aquatic people were able to avoid a gruesome fate.

    Even so, the Eastern Sea Dragon King felt like his heart was bleeding. Over half of the living beings in this sea region had been annihted in an instant, and a good number of them were his blood, the elite soldiers of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, and more.

    One might say that over half of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce¡¯s lifelong work was destroyed just like that.How could he not hate? How could he not be shocked?

    The next moment, the Eastern Sea Dragon King burst into the sky while surrounded by rolling thunder. He looked angry enough to rend heaven and earth asunder.

    However, as soon as he leaped out of the water, he mmed face first into a bunch of golden lotuses and came to a screeching stop. At the same time, his thunder was disintegrating under the five-colored profound light.

    ¡°The Natural Five Phases gs!¡±

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King finally recognized the gs in the sky and eximed in realization.

    The Natural Five Phases g was an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact and ranked ninth on the ¡°Strange Artifact Register¡±. Composed of five natural gs, each individual g was equal to a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact and boasted a unique ability.

    The central Wuji Apricot Yellow g boasted ten thousand golden imprable lotuses.

    The eastern Cyan Lotus Treasure Color g boasted the radiance of a Buddhist relic that could calm the mind and still the qi.

    The southern Off Ground me Light g boasted the power to confuse yin and yang and reverse the Five Phases.

    The western in Color Cloud Realm g boasted bizarre illusions and the power to brighten heaven and earth.

    The northern True Martial ck Engraving g could blur out the world and blot out the sky.

    And all of the gs possessed the power to repel evil and expel the arts.

    If the five gsbined, then they became an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact that could seal heaven and earth, muddy the rivers of fate, grind the Five Phases to dust, and return yin and yang to nothingness. It was a godlike Strange Artifact that sported terrifying offensive and defensive capabilities. That was why it was ranked nine on the ¡°Strange Artifact Register¡±.

    Generally speaking, the Natural Five Phases gs were so potent that a Sage would find it difficult to escape from, and a Trueman difficult to endure. Everyone else below these two cultivation levels would just die like amon pig or dog. That was why so many living beings in the sea region had disintegrated into dust in just an instant.

    The Natural Five Phases gs were the ultimate treasures of Chu and usually held by Chu Xunxian, the Pacification King. Did that mean that Chu Xunxian was the attacker?

    He was right. The next moment, he saw Chu Xunxian standing on a warship.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Chu Xunxian!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Long Yuan. Long time no see!¡±

    On the warship, Chu Xunxian stood tall and handsome like a living celestial.

    ¡°For what reason did you massacre my people, Chu Xunxian? I thought that the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce and the humans share a good rtionship?¡± The Eastern Sea Dragon King uttered furiously, ¡°Do you understand the consequences of what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°Consequences?¡± Chu Xunxian remarked indifferently, ¡°What consequences could killing a dog possibly incur?¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Who are you calling a dog?¡± The Eastern Sea Dragon King raged.

    ¡°Who else? I¡¯m talking about you.¡±

    Chu Xunxian left no room for misinterpretation as he continued, ¡°I have no intentions of wasting my breath on you, so don¡¯t even try to talk your way out of this. For the crime of instigating the aquatic races of the four seas in an attempt to betray the human race, in the name of the emperor, I hereby sentence you to death.¡±

    ¡°... So, you know everything.¡±

    There were a couple breaths of silence, and the Eastern Sea Dragon King¡¯s voice slowly turned cruel. ¡°I disagree with your choice of words, however. We, the dragon race, are mandated by the heavens themselves to rule the world. We are the natural masters of this world, just like humans are our natural ves. If you ask me, you humans are the traitors who turned against your masters and stole our divine right.¡±

    ¡°I am just striving to retrieve what is ours. Betrayal? What betrayal?¡±

    ¡°Fuck you! Our ancestors worked long and hard and overcame all hardships to create a prosperous and bright future for the human race. Their achievements have not one whit to do with you dragons!¡±

    Guo Ximian burst out yelling, ¡°Mandated by heaven? The natural masters of the world? I have never heard such bullshit in my life! You are just a bunch of bloodsucking, ungrateful, heartless <em>worms </em>who feed on others like parasites!¡±

    Long Yuan scoffed, ¡°Heartless? Says the guy who just annihted <em>ten million </em>of my kind.¡±

    ¡°And I have no doubt in my mind that they all deserve it.¡±

    Chu Xunxian retook control of the conversation. ¡°Just so you know, it is pointless to try and buy time. No one can escape while the Natural Five Phases gs are active, and today is the day the dragons of the eastern sea go <em>extinct. </em>Do not expect reinforcements from the other three seas either. They are probably too busy saving themselves right now.¡±

    ¡°Now, you have but one way left to walk.¡±

    ¡°Bare your neck so I may remove it from your shoulders.¡±

    The Eastern Sea Dragon Kingughed. ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t think so. I think there is at least one other way I can walk. It¡¯s called <em>killing everyst one of you!</em>¡±

    As soon as he finished, the Eastern Sea Dragon King¡¯s aura began climbing rapidly, and his purple thunder slowly deepened in color. It turned from light purple to deep purple, then from deep purple to gold purple. Golden purple lightning slithered all over his body, painting a most fantastic sight and emitting a most profound sound. At the same time, his aura became as bottomless as a Sage.

    That wasn¡¯t all. His old and decrepit body was slowly regaining its vitality as well. His aura was positively terrifying, and his power was as vast as a god¡¯s.

    Just feeling the unconscious pressure the Eastern Sea Dragon King was giving off was enough to suffocate the likes of Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng. They felt like ants standing before a god, and their instinctive fear was such that they could not muster even the thought of resistance.

    The ck tiger crouching above the Nether End Army¡¯s warships scattered into nothing under the shockwaves of energy as well.

    The might of a Sage rivaled that of a god or a demon. No mortal may look at them directly!

    Clearly, the Eastern Sea Dragon King was no Disaster-ss Stranger. It was an Ancient-ss Stranger and the equal of a human Sage.

    When humanity first founded and supported the Four Seas Dragon Pce to be the rulers of the four seas, they specificallymanded that no Dragon King were to ascend to Ancient-ss. Should there exist a threat that could only be dealt with by a Sage-equivalent, they were required to contact a human Sage to carry out the extermination. Not only that, the human Sages personally ripped out the dragon race¡¯s fate so that they would not receive the heavens¡¯ protection, and their path to Sagehood was broken.

    After all, an Ancient-ss Stranger was on par with a human Sage in the sense that they had transcended mortality and evolved into something like a demigod. Their power was infinite, and their capacity for destruction incalcble. With one thought, they could found a realm or annihte one. They were not to be treated lightly to say thest.

    The only one who could suppress and kill a Sage was another Sage. All were ants beneath a Sage.

    Take the Nether End Army for example. Fifty thousand Nether End troops were enough to easily suppress and kill even a Half Sage. But a Sage? It would be like trying to pit a colony of ants against a tiger or a dragon. One could not say that they would bepletely ineffective against a Sage, but they certainly could not do much harm either.

    Such was the might and power of a Sage.

    A human Sage was terrifying enough, but an Ancient-ss Stranger was even more anomalous and difficult to handle than a human Sage. All Ancient-ss Strangers possessed long lifespans and were stupidly hard to kill. It was how they got their ss name. This was doubly true for a dragon-type Stranger.

    This was why the human Sages went through the trouble of stripping the dragon race of their fate and forbidding them from ascending to Ancient-ss.

    Logically speaking, no dragon should be able to enter the Ancient-ss because they had lost their fate and so were loathed by the world itself. How on earth had the Eastern Sea Dragon King done the impossible?

    ¡°I knew it. You really had be an Ancient!¡±

    Surprisingly, Chu Xunxian wasn¡¯t surprised by this oue. His tone was as calm as ever.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you found out toote!¡± The Eastern Sea Dragon Kingughed wildly as his golden thunder stirred the air. Everything in the area instantly became gold purple in color.

    ¡°Now die!¡±

    The next moment, innumerable ropes of lightning poured down on the humans as if a celestial had identally tipped over a thunder pool. It felt as if the world itself would be annihted with this one strike.

 Chapter 946: The Dragonslaying Begins

    Chu Xunxian made a pulling motion and shook the Natural Five Phases gs, causing them to emit even more profound light. The pouring thunder rapidly weakened under its effects until it all dissolved into chaos.

    ¡°Incredible! What an incredible Strange Artifact!¡±

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King did not look angry despite the failure of his first strike. In fact, he looked very delighted. ¡°I¡¯ll be iming the Natural Five Phases gs for myself!¡±

    ¡°Come get it if you can!¡± Chu Xunxian replied indifferently.

    ¡°I most certainly will, hahaha¡­¡±

    The Eastern Sea Dragon Kingughed wildly as his massive draconic body twisted and stirred up tens of thousands of kilometers of sea water. It was crawling with thunder as well, the thunder was boosting the sea waves and vice versa. An ocean of lightning was literally descending from the sky as the Eastern Sea Dragon King swooped down to crush Chu Xunxian.

    Chu Xunxian remained calm and waved the Natural Five Phases gs again, causing them to rapidly grow in numbers until countless golden lotuses were stacked on top of one another. At the same time, the World of Five Regions took form.

    The gs made a rolling motion, and both the ocean of lightning and the Eastern Sea Dragon King suddenly vanished into thin air. Chu Xunxian then put his hand over the Natural Five Phases gs and dered, ¡°Nether End Army, attention! The Eastern Sea Dragon Pce intends to betray the human race. In the name of the emperor, y the traitors to thest!¡±

    <em>Whoosh!</em>On the warships, every Nether End Army soldier lifted their spears. Their movement was soundless, but their killing intent shot into the sky and resummoned a howling ck tiger. The wind and clouds began to blow violently.

    The next moment, a profound light shed from the warships, and every warship carrying the Nether End Army pounced into the sea like actual serpents or dragons. They cut through the wind and waves like nothing and annihted any aquatic person or Stranger unfortunate enough to stand in their way.

    This was just the beginning. The soldiers¡ªa dark light surrounding their whole body¡ªproceeded to race down the warships and attack the aquatic people and Strangers like vicious tigers or dragons. Not only were they not impeded by the waters, they were actually faster and stronger than they were onnd. They absolutely trounced their foes and met almost no resistance whatsoever.

    Although the Natural Five Phases gs¡¯ profound light had killed or injured therge majority of aquatic people and Strangers within a radius of several hundred kilometers, this was the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce. The dragons had had centuries to operate in these waters, and the number of aquatic people and Strangers in this sea region easily exceeded ten million. Therefore, even though the Natural Five Phases gs had in ten million of them in one strike, the remnants still outnumbered the Nether End Army several times to one. On top of that, therge majority of the survivors of the five-colored profound light were elites of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce and boasted immense power.

    Despite this, they were powerless before the Nether End Army. They split into battalions of five hundred and formed the Dragon Flying Formation. With the warships acting as the core of their formation, they advanced, retreated, and supported each other perfectly to separate, surround, and annihte the remnants of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce.

    If they ran into a particrly powerful Stranger or a troop of elite soldiers, several battalions would merge into one and form a military formation. Then, they would surround, suppress, and annihte the enemy soldiers to thest.

    Even on an individual scale, the soldiers of the Nether End Army were far beyond your ordinary human. For one, they did not seem to possess any sense of pain at all. They did not bat an eyelid even if an enemy were to stab them in the torso or cut off their limbs. They fought withplete fearlessness toward death.

    This was why the aquatic races and the Strangers were being routed like livestocks under assault by a horde of tigers even though they outnumbered the Nether End Army several times to one.

    In just a matter of breaths, countless aquatic people and Strangers had perished, and their blood turned the entire ocean red.

    <em>Rumble¡­ rumble¡­</em>

    Suddenly, they heard a series of strange rumblings from somewhere. The Natural Five Phases gs were shaking, and the five-colored profound light they emitted were flickering erratically as well.

    Clearly, the trapped Eastern Sea Dragon King was attempting to break out of the gs.

    ¡°Chu Mingfeng, Su Bancheng, Chen Wuji, Chu Wangsun, assist the Nether End Army in annihting the enemies, but make sure you don¡¯t get greedy and stay on your guard at all times.¡±

    Chu Xunxian did not dare to take the Eastern Sea Dragon King lightly. After giving the four Chu geniuses their orders, he looked at Guo Ximian and asked smilingly, ¡°Dare you y this old loach with me, Duke?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Why wouldn¡¯t I dare?¡±

    Guo Ximian was stillughing when he walked into the sky. Every time he took a step, his body would grow taller and bigger, his bloody aura would grow thicker, and the killing intent permeating the air would deepen. ?

    Just three stepster, Guo Ximian had be a thirty-meter-tall giant of a human. Smelly blood was circting throughout his body, and countless bones sat beneath his feet. His killing intent was such that even the sky had turned red.

    The next moment, the white bones transformed into a set of armor and attached themselves to his body, the scarlet blood turned into a cloak and floated behind his back, and the killing intent turned into a long saber that rested in his palm.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ eat my saber, old loach!¡±

    Laughing, Guo Ximian brought his saber down and split heaven and earth into two.

    Inside the Natural Five Phases gs, the Eastern Sea Dragon King was still trying to break out when the sh sent him flying and spilled copious amounts of dragon blood.

    ¡°Your saber is as sharp as ever, Duke.¡±

    Chu Xunxian chuckled as he unleashed a palm strike. At the same time, the five-colored profound light transformed into a gigantic palm that pped the Eastern Sea Dragon King away like a fly before he could slip through the crack created by Guo Ximian¡¯s sh. ¡°Together, we will surely put this old loach to the de.¡±

    ¡°But of course! Hahahaha!¡±

    Guo Ximianughed like a madman. ¡°It¡¯s just a stinky old loach! What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±

    Although the Eastern Sea Dragon King was trapped inside the gs, he could still hear their conversation. He blurted out, ¡°A shameless boast! You have no idea about the profoundness of an Ancient!¡±

    ¡°So? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never killed an Ancient before.¡±

    Chu Xunxian chuckled and slipped into the Natural Five Phases g himself. ¡°Today, I shall add another to my tally.¡±

    The profound lights mingled, and a white light blinded the sky. Both Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian disappeared in the light.

    The war on the sea was still ongoing though. And it would not end until one side waspletely destroyed.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Phew¡­ I had no idea that the Natural Five Phases gs are this powerful!¡±

    On a small boat, Ye Qing was staring at the light-filled sky and feeling the terrifying energies emanating from within. He patted his chest with trepidation and remarked, ¡°Thank goodness we were far enough from the battlefield. Otherwise, we would probably be dragged into this fight whether we like it or not.¡±

    ¡°Your foresight is as impressive as ever, Qingyou!¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Feng Qingyou replied indifferently, ¡°I happened to hear of the power of the Natural Five Phases gs in the past and decided to y it safe. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I believe you?¡± Ye Qing cast her a suspicious look. He had a feeling that Feng Qingyou wasn¡¯t telling the truth, and this time, he had proof.

    For example, she knew the origin of the Nether End Army. For example, she knew that the four nations would split their armies into four and annihte the Four Seas Dragon Pce in one go. For example, she knew that Chu Xunxian¡¯s group would definitely show up at the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce instead of the other three dragon pces. So on and so forth. Somehow, it felt like Feng Qingyou knew everything. None of it, not a single thing, had escaped her predictions.

    Still, he didn¡¯t ask. He was used to it at this point.

    He and Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t followed Chu Xunxian¡¯s group to this ce. That was just asking to be found out. After confirming the sess of their n, they had made a beeline straight for the Eastern Sea. Therefore, they had actually arrived sooner than Chu Xunxian¡¯s group.

    After arriving at the Eastern Sea, Ye Qing heeded Feng Qingyou¡¯s advice¡ªspecifically, she imed that Chu Xunxian possessed a powerful Ancient-ss Strange Artifact called the Natural Five Phases gs, and that it boasted the ability to seal a vast range of space and immense destructive power¡ªand parked their boat at least a thousand kilometers away from the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce. Neither he nor her wanted to get caught after all.

    Not too long after that, they saw with their own eyes the Natural Five Phases gs sealing the entire sea region and killing countless aquatic people and Strangers with the five-colored profound light. It was terrifying to say the least.

    Thank goodness they were out of range, or they would¡¯ve been lucky to survive with moderate to severe injuries. Chu Xunxian would almost certainly discover them as well.

    ¡°The Natural Five Phases gs are strong, and Chu Xunxian is no slouch either. It¡¯s a shame though!¡± Suddenly, Ye Qing let out a sigh.

    ¡°It is a shame!¡± Feng Qingyou nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 947: Opening My Eyes And Looking Down On The World

    And what did Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou mean by that? They were saying that victory was still uncertain. In fact, it was a coin toss whether the humans or the aquatic races would win.

    Yes, Chu Xunxian made the first move and killed countless aquatic people and Strangers thanks to the Natural Five Phases gs. Yes, The Nether End Army was ughtering the absolute crap out of the aquatic people and Strangers right now. And yes, it looked like the upper hand was firmly in the humans¡¯ hands.

    In reality, that wasn¡¯t the case. After all, the deciding factor of this battle wasn¡¯t the Nether End Army, but the Eastern Sea Dragon King.

    If the Eastern Sea Dragon King was just a Disaster-ss Stranger, then victory would already have been decided. Considering Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian¡¯s strength and the Natural Five Phases g¡¯s power, there was absolutely nothing the Eastern Sea Dragon King could do to turn things around.

    However, the Eastern Sea Dragon King was an Ancient-ss Stranger. This one factor turned what was a sure victory into an uncertain fifty-fifty at best.

    Although Ancient was just the next level after Disaster, the difference between the two sses was night and day. An Ancient-ss Stranger was already far stronger than a Disaster-ss Stranger, but the Eastern Sea Dragon King was a dragon-type Stranger and the strongest type of Strangers out there. His power to move wind and rain andmand lightning and thunder was scary to say the least.

    Chu Xunxian was powerful, and Guo Ximian was hardly a weakling. However, they were ultimately Half Sages. Even with the Natural Five Phases gs in hand, it was unlikely they would be able to kill the Eastern Sea Dragon King.

    But of course, the opposite was the same. It wasn¡¯t going to be easy for the Eastern Sea Dragon King to defeat a Chu Xunxian who wielded the Natural Five Phases gs either.

    Long story short, it was still a coin toss who would emerge victorious.¡°Who do you think would win, Qingyou? Chu Xunxian or the Eastern Sea Dragon King?¡±

    The five-colored profound light had muddied the rivers of fate, and Ye Qing could not perceive what was happening inside the Natural Five Phases gs. Still, he could easily imagine how fierce the battle was.

    ¡°Who do you want to win?¡± Feng Qingyou responded to his question with a question of her own.

    ¡°I want Chu Xunxian to win, of course,¡± Ye Qing replied matter-of-factly. It was the truth. The entire point he went through all the previous troubles was so that the four nations could annihte the Four Seas Dragon Pce and quell the four seas threat in one go.

    Naturally, he wanted Chu Xunxian toe out victorious. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that the only way for this war to end with one battle was if Chu Xunxian emerged victorious.

    ¡°<em>That said, </em>I want Chu Xunxian to win, but I want it to be a hard won victory. If it turned out to be a pyrrhic victory, then even better,¡± Ye Qing added after a pause.

    And why did he desire a pyrrhic victory? Because this meant that Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian would not be able to spare the energy to keep an eye on Chu¡¯s young geniuses, and that meant that he would have a shot at killing Chu Wangsun.

    Of course, that shot was non-existent right now. Although Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian were already too busy to keep an eye on Chu Wangsun, the Nether End Army was still around. He wasn¡¯t stupid or mule-headed enough to butt heads against tens of thousands elite soldiers.

    For now, he could only wait and pray for the best.

    Frankly, they were here just to watch the show anyway. They knew there was actually very little chance that they would be able to kill Chu Wangsun.

    ¡°You¡¯re being honest today.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled.

    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯ve always been an honest man.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged before asking, ¡°By the way, do you think that the battles at the other dragon pces will go smoothly, Qingyou?¡±

    Feng Qingyou mulled over this for a moment. ¡°They should go smoother than this battle at least. After all, there is no way the other three dragon pces would have an Ancient-ss Stranger.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement before tossing out another question, ¡°Say, how do you think the Eastern Sea Dragon King is able to be an Ancient-ss Stranger?¡±

    The dragons of the four seas had had their fate stripped from their entire race. As a result, they were loathed by the very world they resided in. Normally, it should be absolutely impossible for a dragon to be an Ancient-ss Stranger, and yet the Eastern Sea Dragon King somehow managed to do it without alerting the humans.

    ¡°I wonder.¡±

    Feng Qingyou pondered for a while longer before replying, ¡°If I have to make a guess, it most likely has something to do with the Dragon Sovereign.¡±

    ¡°The Dragon Sovereign, huh¡­¡±

    Ye Qing let out a long sigh before snorting disdainfully. ¡°He¡¯s been suppressed for nine hundred years, and still he couldn¡¯t resist causing trouble and dreaming of freedom, tsk tsk¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes. A storm ising, and all the ghosts and gods areing out to y!¡± Feng Qingyou replied, though she seemed to be implying something.

    While the duo were chatting, the remnants of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce were still being cut down at a prodigious rate. Of course, the Nether End Army had suffered quite the losses as well, but it was nothingpared to what the aquatic races and Strangers suffered.

    Chu Wangsun, Su Bancheng, Chu Mingfeng and Chen Wuji were all injured to a certain extent as well. Their shirts were covered in blood.

    At the same time, the battle between Chu Xunxian, Guo Ximian and the Eastern Sea Dragon King seemed to have reached a critical point. It was because the Natural Five Phases gs suddenly began to wobble violently. Its five-colored profound light was flickering erratically as well. It was clearly less dominating and powerful than it was before.

    A few breathster, the piercing roar of a dragon suddenly resounded throughout heaven and earth. It was filled with mournfulness, grief and indignation. Before the roar faded, thunder roared like it was the end of the world, and the World of Five Regions created by the Natural Five Phases gs to trap the Eastern Sea Dragon King cracked.

    Golden purple thunder leaked out of the cracks, beautiful and beyond dangerous. Then, it exploded in a mixture of five-colored profound light and golden purple thunder with enough force to engulf hundreds of kilometers of sea in an instant.

    Space was ripped into shreds, wind and clouds were wiped out from existence, and even the sea was crushed into bits.

    In an instant, everything within the st zone had turned into a scorching hell, and all living beings unfortunate enough to reside within this area had disintegrated into dust.

    The good news was that the Nether End Army noticed the signs and immediately ordered the troops to gather together and form a military formation. Thanks to this, they were just barely able to survive the shockwaves of the explosions. However, not everyone managed to get into a military formation in time, and they disintegrated into dust together with the aquatic people and the Strangers.

    It wasn¡¯t like those who got into a military formation were unscathed either. People were dying for every breath the explosion remained in the sky.

    A dozen or so breathster, the explosion of five-colored profound light and golden purple thunder finally began to fade. Therge majority of the Nether End Army was injured or killed by the explosion; it had incurred far more casualties than the aquatic people and Strangers they were fighting.

    If even they were struggling to survive, the aquatic people and the Strangers could only fare worse. Almost all of them were dead.

    This was why Sages and Ancient-ss Strangers were feared so. Just the shockwaves of their sh was enough to overwhelm most people and Strangers.

    Gods fight, and mortals suffer.

    This was also why Chu Xunxian had trapped the Eastern Sea Dragon King with the Natural Five Phases gs at the beginning. It was to prevent the energies of their sh from leaking. Otherwise, the fifty thousand strong Nether End Army would have suffered massive casualties before the Eastern Sea Dragon King could even do anything.

    When the five-colored profound light and the golden purple thunder faded, Chu Xunxian, Guo Ximian and the Eastern Sea Dragon King appeared into view once more.

    None of them looked to be in pristine condition.

    Guo Ximian looked the worst out of the three. He was ashen ck in color as he had been burned into a crisp by thunder and fire. His aura was also sitting at rock bottom.

    Chu Xunxian looked much better than Guo Ximian, but he certainly wasn¡¯t in good condition either. His eyes were bleeding, and he was missing one arm. The Natural Five Phases gs were looking much dimmer as well. It was clear that the Ancient-ss Strange Artifact had suffered massive damage.

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King was gangbanged by Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian and so looked absolutely terrible. For of his five ws were broken, and he sported a cut so deep that nearly cleaved him in half. His golden purple blood was raining profusely and creating a storm on the sea as well.

    ¡°I underestimated you, Chu Xunxian.¡±

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King¡¯s voice was calm, but his voice was ice cold.

    ¡°I told you that this isn¡¯t the first time I killed an Ancient-ss Stranger.¡±

    Despite losing an arm, Chu Xunxian looked as handsome as ever. ¡°You won¡¯t be my second, third, fourth, or even the fifth kill by the time I¡¯m done with you, and I can tell you responsibly that you aren¡¯t muchpared to some of the Ancient-ss Strangers I¡¯ve killed.¡±

    ¡°A shameless boast. There is no way you would¡¯ve been a match for me if it wasn¡¯t for the Natural Five Phases gs,¡± the Eastern Sea Dragon King taunted.

    ¡°Strange Artifacts are one part of a warrior¡¯s strength,¡± Chu Xunxian replied calmly. ¡°And besides, I could kill you without much trouble even if I didn¡¯t have the Natural Five Phases gs.¡±

    As he spoke, Chu Xunxian¡¯s missing arm began regenerating at a visible rate. At the same time, auspicious clouds began growing out of his body and healing all of his injuries.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    What stunned the Eastern Sea Dragon King even more was the fact that he saw a man seemingly lying down on the floor and sleeping amidst the clouds. He looked harmless, but his calm, even breaths boasted unspeakably profound radiance and countless arts that seemed to be existing in perfect harmony.

    Ten thousand arts dance around me when I sleep.

    When I open my eyes, I look down on the world instead of up.

 Chapter 948: Ten Thousand Deaths To Awaken the Dragon Sovereign

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    He had a feeling that he might die if the slumbering man in the auspicious clouds opened his eyes. No, he would definitely die.

    It was only now he realized that Chu Xunxian wasn¡¯t lying to him.

    He really had killed an Ancient-ss Stranger before. More than one, in fact.

    He really could end him without using the Natural Five Phases gs.

    A few breaths of silenceter, the Eastern Sea Dragon King asked slowly, ¡°If I submit, will you humans let me live?¡±

    ¡°A dog that bites the hand that feeds it will bite you if an opportunity were to present itself,¡± Chu Xunxian said coldly. ¡°In that case, why keep it at all?¡±

    ¡°I thought you humans always say to put down the butcher¡¯s knife and be a Buddha? Why must you corner me?¡± The Eastern Sea Dragon King asked.

    ¡°The Buddha may preach such a thing, but I am not the Buddha. My duty is to send you to the Buddha!¡± Chu Xunxian replied.The Eastern Sea Dragon King was silent for a couple more breaths. Then, he suddenly startedughing all of a sudden. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get the chance to meet the Buddha. I could introduce you to the Dragon Sovereign of the four seas though!¡±

    As he continuedughing, a pir of light suddenly burst out of the sea and into the clouds.

    Simr pirs of light could be seen at the Western Sea, Southern Sea, and Northern Sea.

    The pirs of light were golden at the beginning, but they gradually became blood red in color.

    It was because the bloody and body of the aquatic people, Strangers and humans were drawn into the pirs of light somehow.

    When the pirs of light turnedpletely red, bloody clouds slowly crept in and covered the sky of the affected areas.

    Something absolutely terrifying seemed to be brewing within the clouds.

    Seeing this, Chu Xunxian waved the Natural Five Phases gs and fired a beam of five-colored profound light into the sky. It looked like he was nning to disperse the bloody clouds.

    However, for the first time since the battle began, the unstoppable five-colored profound light failed to affect the bloody clouds at all. It simply sank into the clouds and disappeared into nothing.

    The Eastern Sea Dragon King sneered at his futile attempt to dispel the bloody clouds. ¡°Hahaha¡­ it¡¯s useless. Once the Great Demonic Array of Million Sacrifice began, it cannot be stopped.¡±

    ¡°The Great Demonic Array of Million Sacrifice? So that¡¯s what you people are plotting!¡± Chu Xunxian eximed in realization. ¡°You¡¯re using a sacrificial ritual to release the Dragon Sovereign from its seal! How ambitious!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! Too bad you found out toote.¡± The Eastern Sea Dragon King¡¯sughter grew louder. ¡°We were originally nning to sacrifice the people of the Four Seas on the day of the Four Seas Summit, but you saw through our ploy.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter though. This works just fine.¡±

    As he spoke, the bloody clouds in the sky began spinning rapidly until it transformed into a massive vortex. At the same time, a terrifying suction force began pulling at the wind and the sea. It wasn¡¯t long before an unbelievably thick pir of water rose from the sea surface and into the vortex.

    It wasn¡¯t just the sea water. The countless lives and spiritual energies residing within the sea were all devoured by the vortex.

    From a distance, it almost looked like a bridge that connected heaven and earth.

    Chu Xunxian did not try to stop it. If what the Eastern Sea Dragon King said was true, then it couldn¡¯t be stopped anyway. Instead, he rushed to protect the survivors of the Nether End Army and the Chu geniuses using the Natural Five Phases g.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was watching the titanic pir of water and murmuring to himself, ¡°So this is what the Four Seas Dragon Pce is nning. But how did they know where the Deep Abyss is located?¡±

    The Great Demonic Array of Million Sacrifice was an incredibly evil array that could breach the natural barrier between two worlds using the blood of the living as fuel. Usually, only heretics and monsters wearing human skin, Strangers and evils would attempt such a thing. The goal was usually to summon an exceedingly powerful and terrifying existence to the human world.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    However, one of the prerequisites to execute the Great Demonic Array of Million Sacrifice was to find out the exact location of the point A and point B and anchor them together so that a connection would be formed. Only then could the ritual breach the walls between the two worlds and form a bridge that would allow the specified existence to cross.

    Practically everyone had heard of the name ¡°Deep Abyss¡± before, but few people actually knew of its location. There was a quote in the Book of Strange Things that stated this: ¡°Where the sky ends, and the ground bottoms lies the Deep Abyss. Here in the Deep Abyss, there is no life, no day or night, and no seasons. There is only eternal chaos. Only the strongest may learn of its location, and only the sagest may reach it.¡±

    This was one of the biggest reasons the ancient Sages of humanity chose to seal the Dragon Sovereign in the Deep Abyss, and why they kept its location a secret. It was to keep the evildoers from finding the Deep Abyss and releasing the Dragon Sovereign.

    However, the Eastern Sea Dragon King clearly knew of the Deep Abyss¡¯ location. This should not have happened.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± Feng Qingyou threw out a couple of possibilities. ¡°Maybe the seal has weakened enough for the Dragon Sovereign to awaken and contact the Dragon Kings. Or maybe another powerful existence who knew of the Deep Abyss¡¯ location had chosen to inform them about it to achieve some nefarious goals¡­¡±

    ¡°Anything is possible.¡±

    ¡°Well, the first possibility sounds likelier than the second.¡± Ye Qing mused. ¡°Anyway, the climax is finally here. I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of trump card the four nations have prepared for this scenario.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You think they anticipated something like this to happen?¡± Feng Qingyou asked smilingly.

    ¡°You think they wouldn¡¯t?¡± Ye Qing snorted. ¡°If they didn¡¯t, then they would be dumber than little ol¡¯ me.¡±

    Ye Qing was certain that they had. Otherwise, Chu Xunxian and Guo Ximian would be doing everything in their power to stop the array or at the very least, run away. They were doing none of those things, however. They were waiting for the inevitable to happen.

    That was why Ye Qing was certain they had prepared a trump card; a trump card meant for the Dragon Sovereign himself.

    Suddenly, the bloody vortex began shaking violently. The next moment, the head of an unbelievably huge dragon stretched out of it.

    The bloody vortex was almost big enough to epass from one end of the sky to the other. To say it was big would be an understatement. However, it groaned as if the thing that was trying to fit through the passage was too big.

    On a rted note, the pir of sea water was now pouring into its mouth instead of the vortex.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The second the people saw the dragon¡¯s head, a draconic roar erupted beside their ears and caused them to bleed from all orifices. Their minds trembled like a leaf in a storm, and they felt like prostrating and swearing their allegiance to the dragon¡¯s head despite their will.

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    Suddenly, the dragon¡¯s head opened both of its eyes. At that moment, it felt as if a pair of suns had suddenly sprung into existence and dyed the entire world white.

    ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡±

    Several thousand Nether End Army soldiers screamed at the top of their lungs. These living legends were so tough that they did not bat an eyelid even when their foes disemboweled them or cut off their limbs, and now they were all screaming as if they were being burned from the inside out.

    Their eyes dissolved into ash without a sound, and their bodies writhed like dough being squeezed by an invisible hand. At the same time, their flesh and blood were melting like candles.

    Chu Mingfeng, Su Bancheng, Chu Wangsun and Chen Wuji fared much better than the Nether End Army, but even they were bleeding all over.

    This was with the protection of the Natural Five Phases gs too.

    Realizing that neither the remnants of the Nether End Army nor the Chu¡¯s geniuses could hold out for long, Chu Xunxian hurriedly wrapped them inside the Natural Five Phases gs and disappeared into space. However, they reappeared at the exact same location almost as if they hadn¡¯t moved.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you cannot escape.¡±

    Unlike them, the Eastern Sea Dragon King seemed to be reinvigorated by the light. In fact, he was recovering at a visible rate. ¡°You and your people will all be sacrifices, Chu Xunxian. You will all serve the Dragon Sovereign from within his stomach!¡±

    ¡°Hahahahahahahaha!¡±

    There was no mistake. The gigantic dragon¡¯s head belonged to the Dragon Sovereign.

 Chapter 949: The Blade Rises, and a Dragon Head Falls

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that.¡±

    Despite his solemn expression, not a sliver of panic could be found on Chu Xunxian¡¯s face. ¡°The show has just begun.¡±

    As if on cue, an iron whip appeared out of nowhere and sailed straight toward the gigantic dragon¡¯s head. Dark in color, it had thirteen segments and was covered in spikes from head to toe. At first nce, it looked no different from an ordinary weapon.

    In reality, the iron whip cut through the light almost as if it didn¡¯t exist andnded squarely on the dragon¡¯s head.

    ¡°Roar!!!¡±

    The Dragon Sovereign opened his mouth and let out a painful, bloodcurdling scream. When the people looked, they saw that the iron whip had ripped off an entire chunk of flesh in one hit, spilling blood and scales everywhere.

    The Dragon Sovereign began struggling violently, his sun-like eyes burning with an inferno of fury. Wherever he looked, the sky copsed, and the earth tore itself asunder.

    The next moment, three wooden stakes appeared just like the iron whip had. Wooden stakes they might be, they were long and gigantic like a pir that held up the sky. They were burning with cyan mes as well.

    The three wooden stakes moved to the left, right, and center of the dragon¡¯s head. Then, the cyan mes transformed into three chains and wrapped around it.The ming chains looked unbelievably frail, but in reality, the Dragon Sovereign could not break free no matter how hard he roared and struggled. In fact, the more he struggled, the deeper the ming chains bit into his head. It eventually broke his scales and sank into his flesh and blood.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The cyan mes were rapidly spreading across the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s head. It wasn¡¯t long before the entire sky was on fire.

    While the Dragon Sovereign was shackled by the ming chains, a bright yellow scroll slowly unfolded in the air.

    The scroll looked like a mandate of heaven as countless divine dragons were flying around it, noble and dignified. Strangely, not a single word was written on the scroll.

    ¡°The Dragon Sovereign intends tomit sins and bring disaster to the world. Inpliance with the Will of Heaven, the emperor proims that his power is to be reduced¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a grandiose, dignified voice boomed throughout the world[1].

    Every time it spoke, a word would appear on the scroll, and its power would grow stronger.

    When the words ¡°his power is to be reduced¡± appeared on the scroll, it shone brightly and cast rays of golden light upon the Dragon Sovereign. The Stranger¡¯s terrifying power and aura began disappearing bit by bit.

    ¡°His fate is to be stripped¡­¡±

    The words appeared on the scroll as the voice spoke, and some sort of indescribable, profound energy was ripped off from the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s body, causing his energies to weaken further.

    ¡°And his life is to be taken for his unforgivable sin¡­¡±

    As soon as the reading reached its end, an inauspicious, murderous qi suddenly caught this entire corner of the world in its vice grip. The sky shook, the wind crumbled, the clouds scattered, and the sea cracked. Such was the killing intent It was as if all of creation was cowering in fear. ??

    The next moment, a crack appeared in the space above the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s head, and a long saber with a ghost¡¯s head for a pommel slowly floated out of it. It looked no different from the executioner¡¯s de an executioner normally used to behead a criminal, though of course it was much bigger. Broad and covered in rusted blood, the killing intent pouring out of it was positively choking.

    The next moment, the executioner¡¯s de swung toward the gigantic dragon¡¯s head in the sky. However, it suddenly stopped midway as if an invisible block of air was blocking its path.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    It was at this moment a loud, heroic and domineering voice boomed throughout heaven and earth.

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    As soon as the word was spoken, the ghost head pommel burst into a dark glow and wailed as if it hade alive.

    ¡°Kill¡­¡±

    A thick, merciful voice followed next, ruthless and unbending despite itspassionate quality.

    ¡°Kill.¡±

    A third voice came, vast and infinite like themand of the heavens themselves.

    The three voices ovepped one another and echoed throughout this space until it sounded like every man, woman and child in all four nations were shouting at the top of their lungs; as if every single human in the entire world was screaming for the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s <em>death</em>.

    Shapes of mountains and rivers began appearing in the sky. Transparent silhouettes began walking out of houses and settlements. There were male, female, old, young, soldiers, farmers, schrs, warriors¡­ people from all walks of life had appeared to re down on the Dragon Sovereign and scream:

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    ¡°KILL!¡±

    <strong>¡°KILL!!!¡±</strong>

    <em>Buzz¡­</em>

    The executioner¡¯s de began vibrating, and the rusted blood covering its de slowly receded. When it was gone, all that was left was soul-chilling cold and infinite bloodthirst.

    The tsunami of voices seemed capable of washing away even the thickest rust, and the wishes of millions could reforge even the dullest des. This time, when the executioner¡¯s de fell again, heaven and earth could not stop it, and the demons could do nothing but bare their necks and die.

    There was a sh of metallic light. The wind stopped blowing, the clouds stopped moving, the water stopped flowing, even the Dragon Sovereign stopped struggling. It was as if time and space had been frozen.

    A few breathster, when the wind started anew, and the sea water started flowing once more, the world began to darken.

    It was not because clouds had blotted out the moonlight, but because the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s eyes were dimming.

    It was so sudden, so abrupt, so unbelievable¡­

    For a moment, silence hung over the world like an oppressive nket. The people could only watch as the dragon¡¯s head the size of an entire mountain range fell off its neck and toward the sea. Then, the silence was shattered as it crashed into the sea and kicked up waves of heavenly proportions.

    The sea churned as epic tsunamis rolled out in every direction.

    The waters turned red as sunset in an instant.

    And a river of blood cascaded down from the stump where the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s head once was: gorgeous, grand, and indescribably bloody.

    It was all a dragon¡¯s blood. The Dragon Sovereign¡¯s blood.

    ¡°How can this be? How can this be? The Dragon Sovereign can¡¯t lose. The Dragon Sovereign cannot lose!¡±

    At the side, the Eastern Sea Dragon King was muttering rapidly under his breath like a madman. The light in his eyes had died together with his lord and master¡¯s.

    He just could not believe what he just witnessed.

    He just could not believe that the victory that was right within his grasp would turn into such a crushing defeat in an instant.

    He just could not believe that the grand conspiracy he plotted for <em>centuries </em>to achieve would end so pitifully.

    And he just could not that the powerful, invincible Dragon Sovereign in his mind¡­ would be <em>beheaded like a petty criminal.</em>

    His confidence was gone, his faith was gone, and his dream¡­ was dead.

    This was the moment the Eastern Sea Dragon King¡¯s heart died.

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing¡¯s mouth was opened wide enough to fit an egg.

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s it?¡±

    Ye Qing blinked after an unknown amount of time. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.

    He was sure he guessed the opening correctly, but he sure as hell hadn¡¯t guessed the ending.

    He guessed that the four nations would have a trump card up their sleeves, but he never imagined that they would be able to behead the Dragon Sovereign so¡­ so¡­ so <em>easily.</em>

    This was the walking cmity who left an unforgettable mark in the history of the human race nine hundred years ago, and he just¡­ <em>died </em>without so much as a whimper?

    Didn¡¯t they say he was invincible?

    Didn¡¯t they say that he was unstoppable?

    Didn¡¯t they say that he was the enemy of mankind?

    That¡¯s <em>it?</em>

    Are you fucking kidding me?

    ¡°What were you expecting?¡±

    A mirthful smile danced on Feng Qingyou¡¯s lips as she asked, ¡°Did you think they would fight for seven days and nights, breaking heaven and earth and killing sun and moon before the Dragon Sovereign is finally sealed?¡±

    ¡°Ah, hahaha¡­ No? Not really?¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose in embarrassment. Fine, that was exactly what he thought would happen.

    ¡°I know you feel like this battle ended way too quickly, and the Dragon Sovereign seemed like a pale shadow of his reputation. However, this oue is possible only because the four nations had used up some of their greatest trump cards.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°The four items you just saw are the Dragon Beating Whip, the Dragon Binding Stakes, the Dragon Suppressing Decree, and the Dragon Killing de[2].¡±

    ¡°Nine hundred years ago, in order to defeat the dragons and the Strangers of the four seas, the humans scoured the world for precious materials, gathered the most talented artisans under the heavens, and forged these four Ancient-ss Strange Artifacts.¡±

    ¡°Made specifically to deal with the dragons and the Strangers of the four seas, the Dragon Beating Whip, the Dragon Binding Stakes, the Dragon Suppressing Decree, and the Dragon Killing de had killed countless dragons and Strangers during their active period, many of them Ancient-ss. They had also yed a massive role in the suppression of the Dragon Sovereign and the Kun Sage.¡±

    ¡°However, after the final battle, the four Ancient-ss Strange Artifacts were severely damaged and had more or less expended all of their power. So, the four nations ced each Strange Artifact in their respective temples. For nine hundred years, they were worshiped day and night and nurtured by the Will of the Empire. That was why they were able to boast the strength they boasted today.¡±

    ¡°However, most of the power they had umted for the past nine hundred years had also been expended. It is a huge price to say the least.¡±

    1. I am seriously running out of ideas on how to describe voice ringing across everywhere without sounding repetitive as fuck =.=¡± ?

    2. You can practically hear a certainte Grandmaster screaming that he should¡¯ve been born a few centuries earlier. ?

 Chapter 950: Kill The Dragon Sovereign, Fix The Heavensâ€™ Hearing

    Ye Qing murmured, ¡°I have no idea these four Strange Artifacts have such a prestigious history.¡±

    Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°It is no easy feat to use the Dragon Beating Whip, the Dragon Binding Stakes, the Dragon Suppressing Decree, and the Dragon Killing de. Only a Sage may use it, and only the Will of the Empire may empower it.¡±

    ¡°The four Sages using the four Strange Artifacts just now are the Martial Sovereign of Wei, the Dragontree Guru of Yan, the Chief Libationist of Chu, and the Ziwei Heaven Sovereign of Qi respectively. It also cost each nation at least twenty to thirty percent Will of the Empire. It is a terrible price to say the least.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said smilingly, ¡°The Will of the Empire of four nations, four Sages, and four Ancient-ss Strange Artifacts just to foil the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s conspiracy one time and cut off its head. Do you still think it was easy?¡±

    ¡°If you put it that way, then yeah, it¡¯s a huge price.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°But still, the reward is the death of the Dragon Sovereign. That¡¯s not a bad trade at all, is it?¡± ¡°Who told you that the Dragon Sovereign is dead?¡± Feng Qingyou raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°The Dragon Sovereign was beheaded, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Ye Qing asked in confusion. ¡°What, is he still alive?¡±

    ¡°If it was so easy to kill the Dragon Sovereign, then he would have died nine hundred years ago. Humanity would not have chosen to seal him in the Deep Abyss.¡±

    Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Do you know what the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s true form is?¡±¡°Nope. Tell me,¡± Ye Qing urged.

    ¡°He is a Nine-headed Sky Dragon[1].¡±A Nine-headed Sky Dragon is an Ancient from the moment it was born. Every time it grows a head, its strength would double, and it would gain an additional life. If it managed to grow nine heads, then it would be all-powerful and eternal.¡±

    ¡°But even among the Nine-headed Sky Dragons, the Dragon Sovereign was quite the standout. He had nine heads from the moment he was born, so he was almighty and eternal right from the get go. Even after the humans cut off his nine heads, destroyed his body and extinguished his soul, they discovered that they were unable to end the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s existencepletely. That was why they had no choice but to seal it in the Deep Abyss.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, forget cutting off just one head, even cutting off all of his heads would not have killed him[2].¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that troublesome?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the four nations used up all that Will of the Empire¡­ and didn¡¯t even kill the Dragon Sovereign? Isn¡¯t that a huge price for almost no gain?¡±

    ¡°It is a huge price, but I would argue that it didn¡¯t outweigh the reward too much,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°First, they managed to foil the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy and protected the peace of humanity. Second, although they only managed to cut off one of the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s heads, do not forget that he is currently sealed inside the Deep Abyss. It is hard enough for the Dragon Sovereign to awaken from its enforced slumber, grow a head, and regain some strength. Today, nine centuries of hard work is gone just like that, and he would probably fall into another long slumber. I do not think he would be able to threaten humanity for a couple centuries at least.¡±

    ¡°And third, a tumultuous period would soon fall upon the world. Cutting off the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s head is a stunning feat that serves as a warning to all those malicious people and forces who might be tempted to start something prior to that period.¡±

    ¡°In conclusion, those sitting up top would never cut a losing deal.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡± Ye Qing smiled and stopped talking.

    Meanwhile, after the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s head had crashed into the sea, the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s beheaded body was dragged back into the bloody vortex. There was a ttering of chains, and it was gone just like that.

    After the Dragon Sovereign vanished, the bloody vortex and the four pirs of light slowly vanished, returning the stars and moon to the sky. It was a fantastical sight.

    ¡°Today, the Dragon Sovereign incited the dragons of the four seas for the nefarious goal of throwing humanity into chaos. ording to thew, his crime deserves death.¡±

    A grand, majestic voice resounded throughout heaven and earth as the moonlight fell. ¡°All troops, tten the Four Seas Dragon Pce and vanquish the Strangers of the four seas. Leave none alive for the sake of the heavens¡¯ hearing!¡±

    ¡°All who dares to threaten humanity must die!¡±

    ¡°They must die!¡±

    Chu Xunxian, Guo Ximian, and the remnants of the Nether End Army roared at the top of their lungs.

    ¡°They must die!¡±

    ¡°They must die!¡±

    ¡°They must die!¡±

    The same war cries came from the west, south, and north as well.

    The sound waves ovepped with each other and resounded throughout the world, dimming stars and moon and shaking heaven and earth.

    When the heavens grew murderous, stars moved, and dippers changed.

    When the earth grew murderous, dragons and serpents burst through the earth.

    And when humans grew murderous, the world was turned upside down.

    ¡°Yep, they are totally making an example out of the Dragon Sovereign and the Four Seas Dragon Pce!¡±

    Ye Qing clicked his tongue as he listened to the murderous war cries filling the air. The entire reason they were shouting so loudly with a Sage¡¯s help was to make an example out of their victims. It was to show those restless, plotting factions and Strangers that the four nations were not to be trifled with.

    ¡°What are you doing, Qingyou?¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing noticed that Feng Qingyou was scooping up the blood red sea water with a y jar.

    ¡°Storing some dragon blood, duh!¡± Feng Qingyou answered. ¡°This is the fresh blood of the Ancient-ss Stranger, the Dragon Sovereign himself. You sure you don¡¯t want to get some for yourself?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. He immediately produced a jade bottle from his Nature¡¯s Shell and began collecting the dragon blood as well.

    A dozen or so breathster, Feng Qingyou finally put away the y jar and turned to look at the gigantic dragon¡¯s head still floating in the sea. She sighed. ¡°The Dragon Sovereign¡¯s head is the real treasure here. There¡¯s no way we can have it though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ye Qing also put away his jade bottle and sighed in agreement.

    The dragon¡¯s head was destined to go to the four nations for sure.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave.¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his gaze and said to Feng Qingyou. The show was over, and the fate of the Four Seas Dragon Pce was sealed. They risked exposure if they lingered any longer, so it was time to leave.

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Feng Qingyou nodded, and the duo soundlessly turned their boat around and took their leave.

    ¡­¡­

    In just one night, the news of the Dragon Sovereign¡¯s beheading, the death of the Four Seas Dragon Kings, and the annihtion of the Four Seas Dragon Pce spread throughout every nook and cranny of the <em>jianghu.</em>

    For a time, countless people cursed the Dragon Sovereign for his traitorous designs, ridiculed the Four Seas Dragon Pce for overestimating their own capabilities, and praised the four nations for their sess and power.

    In contrast, Fang Muyun¡¯s death was like a tiny stone. It failed to elicit even the tiniest ssh or ripples amidst the torrential waters that was the Four Seas Dragon Pce conspiracy whatsoever. The people only knew him as a Chu genius who somehow someway died, and they felt nothing besides a bit of sympathy and sorrow.

    Such was the case even for the citizens of Chu.

    It was likely that no one besides Fang Muyun¡¯s family and friends would be saddened by his death. In fact, even his family and friends would soon forget that such a person once existed.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    When he was alive, he was as bright and unforgettable as the sun itself. But after he died, he was as forgettable as a nameless grave by the roadside.

    After all, a dead genius was no longer a genius.

    What a pitiful andmentable fate it was.

    Three dayster, the Traitor Killing Ranking was announced, and Fang Muyun was forgotten even harder than he already was.

    As its name implied, it was a ranking list specifically set up by the four nations tomemorate the warriors who partook in the eradication of the Four Seas Dragon Pce traitors.

    Although the Four Seas Dragon Pce was destroyed, and the Four Seas Dragon Kings were killed, many of their kin and aides were not present at the Four Seas Dragon Pce during the day of the assault because they were out contacting the aquatic races of the four seas. As a result, they were able to escape death.

    Although the Four Seas Dragon Kings were dead, and the remnants could not enact their nefarious conspiracy anymore, grass could not be removed permanently if the roots weren¡¯t destroyed. Naturally, they must all die.

    There was no need to deploy their armies and elites though. They could just leave it to the <em>jianghu </em>people.

    And how could they mobilize the <em>jianghu </em>people? The Traitor Killing Ranking was how. Anyone who wished to partake in the event could receive a Traitor Killing Token from the officials, and anyone killing a traitor of the Four Seas Dragon Pce or a rted Stranger while holding the Traitor Killing Token would receive a certain amount of contribution points. The amount of contribution points received was determined by the identity and strength of the traitor. The stronger and more important the traitor was, the more contribution points a warrior would receive.

    This begged a question, however: How did they know if someone was a traitor of the Four Seas Dragon Pce? The answer was surprisingly simple. All Strangers residing in the four seas could be treated as traitors and killed.

    To put it in even simpler terms, anyone who wasn¡¯t a human could be killed for contribution points.

    It was clear as day why the four nations were doing this. It was to cement their authority and fame through the death of their enemies.

    1. And now you know where the final rank for body-tempering warriorses from. ?

    2. Guess whose skill needs to be used to end the Dragon Sovereign permanently. Hint: Annihtion. ?

 Chapter 951: Traitor Killing Ranking

    <h4>Chapter 951: Traitor Killing Ranking </h4>

    So, what was the point of killing Strangers, umting contribution points, and appearing on the Traitor Killing Ranking?

    First, contribution points could be exchanged for all sorts of precious resources, Strange Artifacts and martial arts manual.

    Second, the top ten warriors with the most contribution points would receive official posts and valuable treasures from the four nations themselves. The rewards were handsome to say the least.

    It was worth noting that the <i>jianghu </i>people weren¡¯t the only ones who would be participating in the event. The national geniuses attending the Four Seas Summit would be participating as well, and the final amount of contribution points would decide their ranking in the Four Seas Summit.

    Originally, the geniuses were supposed to duel each other and show off humanity¡¯s strength through the Four Seas Dragon Pce.

    However, that was no longer possible since the Four Seas Dragon Pce had been exterminated.

    That was why the four nations altered their original ns and had the geniuses participate in the ying of the traitors of the four seas instead. It could both hone their strength and show off the might of humanity, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

    Not only that, the day where the Four Seas Summit would have taken ce had also been modified. It was now called the ¡°Execution Day¡± and the ¡°Award Day¡±.

    The Execution Day referred to the day where the four seas aquatic people and Strangers who were captured alive were publicly executed. It was yet another public performance to show off humanity¡¯s power.

    During the battle of the Four Seas Dragon Pce, the Eastern Sea Dragon King was captured alive by Chu Xunxian, the rest of the Dragon Kings were killed, and countless more Strangers were captured alive. A good number of them were extremely powerful, and beheading them in public would serve as a good example to those who wanted to threaten humanity.

    As for Award Day, it was the day where the top ten contributors on the Traitor Killing Ranking were rewarded for their merits.

    In any case, there was no doubt that the Traitor Killing Ranking was a life-changing opportunity for most, if not all people.

    It was why the entire <i>jianghu </i>was bubbling with excitement and bloodthirst as soon as it was announced.

    For a time, the warriors who desired martial arts manuals or Strange Artifacts, the warriors who wished to hone their strength and skill, the warriors who desired fame and glory, the warriors who wished to climb to the heavens in one fell swoop... they all rushed to the sea and became a part of the Traitor Killing Army.

    Everyday, countless people entered the Four Seas and sailed into the sea.

    Everyday, countless Strangers were killed, and blood red seas became amon sight.

    Everyday, countless new stars showed their faces on the Traitor Killing Ranking and became famous under the heavens.

    But of course, opportunity and danger were two sides of the same coin.

    Everyday, countless warriors left the shores but never returned.

    Everyday, countless geniuses perished in the sea.

    Everyday, countless warriors and heroes died without even a remain to remember them by.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Even so, the passion of the <i>jianghu </i>could not be stopped. The stream of moths flying toward the sea was endless and unceasing.

    In just a matter of days, the Traitor Killing Ranking had be the Ladder to the Sky, the Path to Heaven for the <i>jianghu </i>people, and the four seas their ughtering ground and realm of glory.

    None of this had anything to do with an inconspicuous warrior named Ye Qing, however. Not even a little.

    The reason was simple. He neither needed nor wanted the fame, glory, and even profit associated with the Traitor Killing Ranking.

    Even the one person who would have drawn him to the sea, Chu Wangsun, had not left the Four Seas since he returned from the battle, giving him no chance to enact vengeance. So, besides the standard three meals and rxing stroll through the streets, he spent everyday cultivating and practicing his martial arts.

    He was in no hurry though. Not only were the geniuses of the four nations allowed to participate in the event, their ranking in the Traitor Killing Ranking was their final ranking of the Four Seas Summit. Therefore, Chu Wangsun must enter the sea eventually. His chance would arrive then.

    That was why Ye Qing really wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest.

    Right now, he was on an ind named Hundred Flowers Ind and enjoying the song and dance of the Hundred Flowers Restaurant. He was waiting to attend their Hundred Flowers Feast.

    Unlike most parts of the world, the Hundred Flowers Ind enjoyed four springs instead of spring, summer, autumn and winter. As a result, all sorts of beautiful, exotic flora bloomed on the ind all year long. Hence the name.

    Several days ago, after Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou left the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, they chose to reside on a nearby ind instead of returning to the Four seas. A dayter, they traveled to the Hundred Flowers Ind.

    There was no real need for him to return to the Four Seas because Cheng Qishang and the Swordsgrave disciples would keep an eye on Chu Wangsun for him. He would know at first notice if the schr left the Four Seas.

    But why did they go to the Hundred Flowers Ind specifically? It was because Feng Qingyou had a senior who was old friends with the ind lord of the Hundred Flowers Ind. So, she wanted to pay him a visit.

    Feng Qingyou had left for the Hundred Flowers Manor first thing in the morning, the ce where the ind lord of the Hundred Flowers Ind was staying. Since Feng Qingyou was visiting a senior, and he had nada to do with the ind lord whatsoever, he chose not to act as her third wheel. Instead, he went to the Hundred Flowers Restaurant hoping to experience their famous Hundred Flowers Feast.

    The Hundred Flowers Ind was one of the more notable inds among the countless inds in the Eastern Sea. It was because they boasted three perfections.

    The first perfection was called the Hundred Flowers Sights, the second perfection was called the Hundred Flowers Countenance, and the third perfection was called the Hundred Flowers Wonder.

    Hundred Flowers Sights referred to the exotic flora, fauna and Strangers that grew on Hundred Flowers Ind.

    Hundred Flowers Ind boasted a pleasant climate and a unique environment that allowed all sorts of exotic flora and fauna to survive all year long. Such a perfect environment was rare evenpared to the entire world.

    Not only that, the environment gave birth to many flora-type Strangers, and therge majority of them were mild-natured and fond of humans.

    As a result, not only were Strangers amon sight on Hundred Flowers Ind, they also lived in harmony with their fellow humans. It was an incredibly rare sight to say the least.

    The Hundred Flowers Countenance referred to the ind lord herself. Called Lady Hundred Flowers, she was apparently so stunning that she could captivate even fishes, so charming that wild geese would fall from the sky, and so beautiful that anyone who saw her would be mesmerized and never be able to forget her for the rest of their lives.

    Finally, the Hundred Flowers Wonder referred to the Hundred Flower Feast.

    As its name implied, the Hundred Flowers Feast was a grand feast serving a hundred types of delicacies, soup and wine using hundreds of exotic flora. It was a meal unlike any other.

    Not only that, the Hundred Flowers Feast was split into two categories: inferior grade and superior grade. An inferior grade Hundred Flowers Feast served delicacies created from mundane flora, whereas a superior grade Hundred Flowers Feast served delicacies created from non-sentient floral Stranger. Not only did they taste exquisite, they were quite beneficial to a warrior as well.

    The Hundred Flowers Feast was a grand feast money couldn¡¯t buy. Even the lousiest Hundred Flowers Feast cost a minimum of one thousand silver a seat, and a superior one was usually priceless. Why? Because the Hundred Flowers Restaurant only held a superior grade Hundred Flowers Feast three times a year, or once per four months.

    It was partially because a superior Hundred Flowers Feast took months to prepare . The selection of materials, the preparation of the materials, the preparation of the dishes and more required strict supervision and maintenance.

    It was also because rarity begets value. If Hundred Flowers Restaurant did not limit the number of times they held a superior-grade Hundred Flowers Feast, then it would lose its mysticism and freshness, and the people¡¯s interest would be a lot more diminished as well.

    Long story short, a customer who wished to enjoy a superior grade Hundred Flowers Feast must book a seat at least months prior to the event. In fact, Ye Qing learned that the fastest he could book a seat for a superior grade Hundred Flowers Feast was over a yearter.

    Unfortunately, he would not be able to enjoy a superior grade Hundred Flowers Feast today.

    The good news was that the inferior grade Hundred Flowers Feast were far less strict. It only needed a day or two of early booking at most. If some fool was willing to ssh the cash, they could even book a seat in just a matter of hours.

    Ye Qing was wealthy, but not so wealthy that it burned his hands just to hold them. So, he booked a table two days prior. Now, all he needed to do was to wait to be served.

    Hundred Flowers Restaurant was as beautiful as its name suggested. Built from a dense web of vines, flowers and other nts, its exterior was covered in lush green grass that looked asfortable as cushions and gorgeous flowers, and there were clear streams flowing through the interior and hundreds of gorgeous flowers vying for the customers¡¯ attention.

    Vibrant colors brightened one¡¯s eyes, soothing streams and swaying nts brushed against one¡¯s ears, and sweet, dreamlike fragrance tickled one¡¯s nose.

    That wasn¡¯t all. All kinds of floral Strangers and creatures were going in and out of the building constantly. It added even more liveliness and curiosity to the Hundred Flowers Restaurant.

    Even without the Hundred Flowers Feast, Ye Qing was sure that the Hundred Flowers Restaurant could have conducted its business profitably for many centuries toe.

 Chapter 952: Hundred Flowers Feast On Hundred Flowers Restaurant

    <h4>Chapter 952: Hundred Flowers Feast On Hundred Flowers Restaurant </h4>

    Ye Qing was currently sitting inside a private guest room. He was enjoying the Hundred Flowers Restaurant¡¯s song and dance and waiting for the Hundred Flowers Feast to begin.

    The performers were a troupe of Strangers.

    The one ying the music was a Music Tree. A Phenomenon-ss Stranger that was shaped like a banyan, it was mild-natured and adored music. It could remember any music it heard just one time and rey them with unerring uracy. Hence the name.

    Right now, the Music Tree was ying a renowned music of Qi called the ¡°The Romance of Butterfly and Flower¡±. It was an elegant, gentle, and touching tune that was on par with some of the greatest music out there.

    The dancers were three Strangers known as Falling Flowers. A Falling Flower was a Hatred-ss Stranger shaped like a young woman. They looked mostly human besides their arms, which were shaped like branches and covered in leaves. There were few things they liked more than dancing, and when they danced, flowers fell from the air, and petals flew everywhere. Hence the name.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The tune was wonderful, and the dance most rxing. For a time, every customer was absorbed in the performance.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing smelled the fragrance of food. It was rich, but not sickeningly sweet. In fact, it seemed to clear the sinuses and refreshed the mind.

    ¡°The Hundred Flowers Feast begins now. Please remain seated while the dishes are served...¡±

    A voice that sounded as crisp as a yellow oriole spoke up. ¡°The first dish is called the ¡®Hibiscus Sheds Dew¡¯...¡±

    A bunch of little Strangers shaped like young girls filed out of the exits. There were hibiscus flowers on their heads, and they were all wearing little red coats. Each of them was carrying a te with an unbloomed hibiscus flower, one that looked like it was freshly plucked too. The dews trembling on its petals looked both gorgeous and delicious.

    One girl walked up to Ye Qing and held a te of hibiscus flower in front of him. She said in a cute voice, ¡°This is the ¡®Hibiscus Sheds Dew¡¯, customer. Please, enjoy...¡±

    Ye Qing raised his chopsticks andplied. As soon as the utensil made contact with the hibiscus flower, the dew popped like a bubble and gave off steaming hot air. Behind the shroud of steam, the unbloomed hibiscus flower abruptly unfurled its petals and sted Ye Qing¡¯s face with a rich but refreshing scent.

    When the hibiscus flower had fully bloomed, a transparent, crystalline ball that looked like a water droplet appeared at the center of the stamen. It smelled exceedingly fragrant.

    Ye Qing picked up the ball and gingerly deposited it inside his mouth. As soon as it made contact with his tongue, it immediately melted and filled his mouth with an indescribable taste. It was sweet, fragrant, soft, silky, warm, nourishing... the blend of tastes were wonderful beyond anything he could have imagined.

    ¡°Incredible!¡±

    A few breathster, Ye Qing finally returned to reality and offered his heartfeltpliment.

    ¡°Hahaha... thank you for your praise, customer!¡±

    The young girl giggled with obvious delight. Then, she hopped away with the te.

    Yes, the entire dish amounted to just one small bite. Then again, a hundred dishes were served during the Hundred Flowers Feast. Anything more than this, and the customer would probably be full in a couple dishes at most. It would be aplete waste of all the food that came after, wouldn¡¯t it?

    After the young girl was gone, a female attendant poured Ye Qing a ss of water so he might rinse his mouth. This was a rule. Here in the Hundred Flowers Restaurant, customers were required to rinse their mouth with mountain water so that the taste of the previous delicacy would not affect the taste of the new delicacy.

    Ye Qing was just done rinsing his mouth when the melodious voice rang again.

    ¡°The second dish is called ¡®Two Fishes y With Lotus¡¯...¡±

    This time, a little Stranger about one meter tall stepped into his room. It had a white lotus body and arge lotus leaf on its head. A jade bowl was ced on top of its lotus leaf.

    The jade bowl was holding a bowl of clear water and a single lotus flower. Beneath the lotus flower, a ck fish and a white fish were chasing each other. It was quite the artistic scene. In fact, it looked a little too much like a painting than a delicacy.

    ¡°Please enjoy, customer...¡±

    After waiting a few seconds and seeing no response from Ye Qing, the little Stranger urged, ¡°Please, customer. It won¡¯t taste as good if it is cold.¡±

    This time, Ye Qing nodded and epted a spoon from the female attendant. Right as the spoon made contact with the clear water, the ripples scattered the lotus and the two fishes, and the colors¡ªred, white, cyan and ck¡ªmingled together and transformed into porridge.

    <i>Oh, it¡¯s porridge? </i>Ye Qing thought to himself and scooped a spoonful. In fact, there was just enough porridge to fill up the spoon. Then, he ate it.

    As soon as the porridge entered his mouth, he felt as if a pair of fishes were ying inside his mouth. The sh between the sweet scent of the lotus flower, the faint bitterness of the lotus seed and other tastes were beyond fascinating to say the least.

    If there was one criticism he would like to offer, it was that there was only enough for one spoonful.

    ¡°The third dish is called ¡®Bright Moon Reflects Cassia¡¯...¡±

    ¡°The fourth dish is called ¡®Heroes Shed No Tears¡¯...¡±

    ¡°The fifth dish is called ¡®Bright Peach Wees Spring¡¯...¡±

    ¡°The sixth dish is called ¡®White Snow Falls¡¯...¡±

    ......

    And so Ye Qing experienced all kinds of delicacies that were beautiful in appearance and even better in terms of taste.

    ¡°Bright Moon Reflects Cassia¡± was a dish that fashioned a cassia flower as a tree, and tangyuan as a moon. It looked like a moon hanging on a cassia tree.

    ¡°Heroes Shed No Tears¡± was a dish that fashioned cotton as blood, and noodles as swords. It resembled a band of heroes in the midst of cutting down evil and shedding blood instead of tears.

    ¡°Bright Peach Wees Spring¡± was a dish that fashioned a peach blossom as a branch, and a cake as a bird. It looked like a bird taking off from the branch to announce theing of spring.

    So on and so forth.

    Every time Ye Qing thought there was no way the Hundred Flowers Feast could surprise him anymore, they would surpass his expectations and imagination.

    He could only say that the Hundred Flowers Feast more than deserved their reputation.

    This was just the inferior grade Hundred Flowers Feast too. He could scarcely imagine how stunning the superior grade Hundred Flowers Feast, the grand feast that served all sorts of Strangers, would be.

    One thing for certain, with every delicacy Ye Qing fit into his mouth, his desire to book a table and drag Feng Qingyou to a superior grade Hundred Flowers Feast one day grew.

    <i>Buzz...</i>

    Ye Qing was fully absorbed in the wonders of the Hundred Flowers Feast when suddenly, a buzzing noise spread across the entire Hundred Flowers Ind.

    At the same time, the gigantic silhouette of a banyan appeared in the sky.

    The silhouette was unbelievably thick and huge. The canopy alone seemed big enough to cover the entire ind. It was giving off waves of green light as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t that the Hundred Flowers Ind¡¯s Great Green Banyan Array?¡±

    ¡°Who triggered the Great Green Banyan Array? Is it an attack?!¡±

    ¡°An attack? Is it an invasion by another ind lord?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a human attack, does it? It could be a Stranger.¡±

    ......

    Countless people were watching and talking about the gigantic banyan silhouette in the sky.

    The Great Green Banyan Array was a great array installed by the ind lord of the Hundred Flowers Ind using a thousand-year-old green banyan as the core. Its main function was protecting the ind from Stranger or human attacks.

    Since the Great Green Banyan Array was activated, it meant that something big was about to happen.

    As expected, not even a few seconds after the array activated, a loud explosion shook both heaven and earth. The gigantic green banyan also shook violently and grew a tad transparent after the impact.

    ¡°Who dares to attack Hundred Flowers Ind?!¡±

    It was at this moment several silhouettes appeared in the sky, and the speaker was a woman wearing a thin veil.

    Although her face was covered, she boasted an hourss figure and a regal bearing. It did not take much effort to imagine that she was a beauty of the ages.

    Clearly, she was the one they called Lady Hundred Flowers, ind lord of the Hundred Flowers Ind.

    Lady Hundred Flowers had just finished talking when a seductive voice responded, ¡°It¡¯s only been a few days, Sister Hundred Flowers. Have you forgotten me already?¡±

    If Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ voice was bright, cool, and clear, then the responder¡¯s voice was bewitching and sexy.

    In fact, many people were hopelessly captivated by her voice as soon as they heard it.

 Chapter 953: Three Sages of Blue Wave

    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ voice grew a hint of unnoticeable wariness and killing intent. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any grudge between Hundred Flowers Ind and Blue Wave Ind, so what is the meaning of this, Green Daylily[1]?¡±

    ¡°Green Daylily?¡±

    It¡¯s Green Daylily? This can¡¯t be good!¡±

    If Green Daylily is here, then what about those two? They couldn¡¯t have shown up as well, could they?¡±

    ¡°Those two in particr are monsters who can kill without batting an eyelid. What possessed Lady Hundred Flowers to provoke them?¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ it isn¡¯t necessarily Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ fault. You¡¯ve heard of the idiom, ¡®treasuring a jade ring may be a crime¡¯, right?¡±

    ¡°Jade ring? What jade ring?¡±

    ¡°Hehe¡­ Lady Hundred Flowers herself is a ¡®jade ring¡¯, don¡¯t you agree?¡±¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously, is this the time to be talking about such things? If those crazies from Blue Wave Ind seriously went crazy, we¡¯re all going to get caught in this mess, you know that right?¡±

    ¡°Ah shit, you¡¯re right. Couldn¡¯t they show up when I wasn¡¯t around? What shitty timing¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Green Daylily, Blue Wave Ind¡­¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows as he listened to the surrounding gossip. As it turned out, he recognized the ce called Blue Wave Ind.

    Blue Wave Ind was a famous ind in the Eastern Sea and much greater than Hundred Flowers Ind be it in terms of size, numbers, strength, renown and more.

    The ind itself, while certainly impressive, wasn¡¯t particrly noteworthy. It was their three ind lords that really made them famous. They were called the Three Sages of Blue Wave.

    The Three Sages of Blue Wave were the ¡°Mountain Splitting Great Sage¡± Yuan Xiang, the ¡°Hundred-formed Great Sage¡± Wan Bo, and the ¡°Blue Wave Great Sage¡± Green Daylily.

    Since the trio dared to call themselves great sages, they were pretty strong as a matter of course. Two of them were Truemen, and Yuan Xiang in particr was a body-tempering Grandmaster.

    Their strength was just a portion of their fame, however. What really made them famous¡ªor rather, infamous¡ªin the Eastern Sea was their ruthlessness. They were the masters of a band of equally ruthless criminals and would abuse their power to do whatever the hell they wanted.

    While they weren¡¯t so viinous that one could say that they hadmitted every crime under the sun, it was perfectly normal for them to rob a merchant ship, bully the weak and meek, and more. Because of this, they enjoyed a fairly bad reputation in the Eastern Sea.

    Long story short, the Three Sages of Blue Wave could not have shown up at Hundred Flowers Ind for a benign reason.

    ¡°Why are we here? I should be the one asking that, sister!¡±

    As expected, Green Daylily kicked off the conversation with a most heinous usation. ¡°We have reason to believe that the Hundred Flowers Ind is colluding with the traitorous dragons. Do you admit to your crimes, sister?¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers hurriedly denied it, ¡°Pure nder! My Hundred Flowers Ind has always maintained a sterling reputation! There is no way I would collude with the dragons!¡±

    Even if she or Hundred Flowers Ind wasn¡¯t as clean as she imed, there was no way in hell she was going to admit it. After all, it would just be suicide considering the current climate, not to mention that she literally hadn¡¯t done such a thing.

    ¡°Your hands may be clean, sister, but dare you say that every Stranger on your ind is equally clean?¡± Green Daylily countered.

    ¡°The Strangers of Hundred Flowers Ind are all benevolent and human friendly. They would never do such a disgraceful thing!¡± Lady Hundred Flowers retorted.

    ¡°<em>Human friendly</em>? You¡¯re not a young woman anymore, sister. How can you still be so naive?¡± Green Daylily said disdainfully, ¡°¡®If he be not of our kin, he is sure to have a different mind.¡¯ Surely you understand something so simple?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Of course I understand what it means. I also understand that even brothers who share the same blood don¡¯t always stand on the same side, much less a fellow human.¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers uttered coldly, ¡°You im that my Hundred Flowers Ind are colluding with the dragons. What is your proof?¡±

    ¡°The proof is inside your ind. We received a tip that imed that someone on your ind is hiding the traitorous dragons,¡± Green Daylily answered. ¡°You will learn the truth if you deactivate the array and allow us to perform a search.¡±

    ¡°A tip? Who told you such a thing?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers demanded.

    ¡°That, you don¡¯t need to know, sister,¡± Green Daylily replied.

    ¡°What a load of rubbish. You know what I think?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ voice was ice cold. ¡°I think you¡¯re just talking pure nonsense and trying to get me to deactivate the array for you. Do you really think such a childish trick would work on me?¡±

    ¡°If you and your people really are so innocent, why don¡¯t you deactivate the array and let us search the ce?¡± Green Daylily countered.

    ¡°You want to search my ind? Fine. Show me the evidence first.¡± Lady Hundred Flowers did not give an inch.

    ¡°Why are you wasting your breath on her, li¡¯l sis? From what I can see, she¡¯s guilty and trying to hide it.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    A loud, boorish voice followed right after she said that. ¡°Anyone who colludes with the traitorous dragons must die. Let¡¯s just kill her and be done with it.¡±

    ¡°Patience, elder brother. I¡¯m sure Lady Hundred Flowers is just tricked by the Strangers. Give me a chance to persuade her to return to the light, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Green Daylily¡¯s smirk turned a tad ominous. ¡°You should know that my elder brother has a bad temper, sister. Deactivate the array and let us in if you know what¡¯s good for you. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be held responsible for whates next!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Anyone can p a false charge on someone before hanging them. You want toe in? You¡¯re going to have to do this the hard way!¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers bent her hand downward, and the semi-transparent silhouette of the green banyan immediately turned solid. Its branches shook and caused ripples in the air.

    ¡°Stubborn woman! Die!¡±

    Yuan Xiang let out an angry roar, and what looked like a gigantic elephant¡¯s leg descended from above. It looked thick enough to rival the broad side of a hill. Even before it made contact with the barrier, everyone felt suffocated like the leg might tten them like a pancake.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    There was a deafening rumble, and the green banyan shook together with the ind. The elephant leg failed to break through the barrier.

    This was just the beginning, however. The elephant leg quickly rose and stomped on the barrier again, and again, and again. It looked like its stamina was inexhaustible.

    That wasn¡¯t all. A massive tidal wave rose from beyond the ind and crashed into the barrier as well.

    For a time, it felt like the apocalypse was upon Hundred Flowers Ind.

    Therge majority of the visitors could only stare at their surroundings in horror. They were terrified that the elephant leg in the sky would tten them like pancakes, or the titanic tidal waves would kill them and bury their remains at the bottom of the sea.

    In fact, they would have escaped long ago if the Hundred Flowers Ind wasn¡¯t locked down by the Great Green Banyan Array right now.

    Did they not enjoy a good show? Of course they did. However, some shows were off limits to put it mildly. Those who ignored the warnings might very well lose their lives to the very show they were watching.

    Escape was not an option, however, so they had no choice but to stay and watch.

    The good news was that the Great Green Banyan Array seemed to be holding strong. Despite being attacked by the elephant leg and the tidal waves repeatedly, it showed no signs of faltering or weakening whatsoever, which made them feel a lot more at ease.

    In fact, this was why Lady Hundred Flowers dared to give the Three Sages of Blue Wave the proverbial middle finger.

    Although Lady Hundred Flowers was a Trueman herself, her expertisey at growing nts and refining pills. She wasn¡¯t a good fighter. On top of that, she was the only Trueman on the ind. There was just no way she could fight against the Three Sages of Blue Wave.

    This was why she refused to let the trio in no matter what. It was partially to defend her honor knowing that if she gave in even once, then she would be theughingstock of the <em>jianghu.</em>

    Sometimes, face was everything to a fish of the <em>jianghu</em>.

    It was also because she knew that the Three Sages of Blue Wave were pieces of shit. There was no way they were here to y a traitor of the four seas or something. No, they were here for her. If she was stupid enough to let them in, she was certain that she would pay for it. The biggest possibility was them attacking her immediately after the array was deactivated. She would have nowhere to run. That was why she couldn¡¯t allow them to get in no matter what.

    So long as the Great Green Banyan Array was active, it would not be easy for the Three Sages of Blue Wave to harm her. The array was connected to the entire ind¡¯s earthly qi. With her controlling the array, so long as the Hundred Flowers Ind did not run out of earthly qi, the array would never be broken. At the very least, it would be difficult for the likes of them to break through within a reasonable timeframe.

    And time was on her side. Yes, she was a poor fighter, but her outstanding appearance and skill in nurturing nts and refining pills gained her a lot of powerful connections. She had already notified them in secret. She just needed to hold out until her friends showed up.

    s, Lady Hundred Flowers was naive. A woman standing behind her suddenly produced a ck short sword and stabbed her in the back.

    1. If someone told me she¡¯s rted to Evergreen Ivy I would probably believe it. ?

 Chapter 954: Wiping Out The Three Sages With One Finger

    It happened out of nowhere. Lady Hundred Flowers never expected someone to ambush her, much less that someone to be her own people. Her guard was down because everyone around her was her aide. By the time she reacted, it was already toote. The shortsword had already pierced her back.

    Shocked and furious, Lady Hundred Flowers unleashed a palm strike at her backstabber. However, the move failed tond before the energies dissipated, and she felt weak all over.

    The next thing she knew, the backstabber had already wrapped an arm around her waist.

    A taunting voice entered her ears. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ long time no see, Lady Hundred Flowers. I see you are as attractive as ever!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you! Wan Bo!¡± Lady Hundred Flowers eximed in shock. ¡°I knew this was a conspiracy!¡±

    Wan Bo, the Hundred-formed Great Sage, was a master at hiding his energies and changing his appearance. He could disguise himself as a male, female, old or young; tall, short, fat or thin. Such was his disguise that few people ever saw through it. Hence the moniker.

    Clearly, Wan Bo had slipped into the ind long ago and took the appearance of her aide. It was for this very moment.

    ¡°I am honored that you still remember me,dy!¡± The man behind her back whispered into her ear.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Lady Hundred Flowers struggled, but it was useless. Whatever that shortsword did, it had robbed her of her strength.¡°Tsk tsk¡­ and why would I do that? It is a sin to let go of such a beautiful woman!¡± Wan Bo replied in a frivolous tone while holding Lady Hundred Flowers tighter. ¡°Besides, your subordinates are going to kill me as soon as I let go. That would leave you without a husband, wouldn¡¯t it? No, no, that is uneptable!¡±

    ¡°You shameless bastard!¡± Lady Hundred Flowers was so angry that herplexion was beet red. ¡°What on earth are you nning?¡± ¡°What are we nning?¡± Wan Bo cackled as he tried to caress Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ face, though she managed to dodge out of the way. ¡°Do you really need to ask, mydy?¡±

    ¡°You shameless rapist! Let go of me!¡± Enraged, Lady Hundred Flowers kept struggling to no avail.

    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ your angry face seriously is something,dy!¡±

    Wan Bo¡¯s grin widened. ¡°But you really should give up already. My Colorless Bone Softening Poison temporarily cuts off your energy flow, restricts your mind, and turns your body limp. It will be a while before you can move, and even death is denied to you. So just let me have you, okaydy?¡±

    As he said this, Wan Bo removed the veil covering Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ face and was instantly charmed by her supernatural beauty. He looked like he wanted to eat her alive as he murmured, ¡°Beautiful. How beautiful. The people weren¡¯t lying when they say you are stunning enough to topple cities, mydy.¡±

    Wan Bo¡¯s hands were beginning to move to ces that were absolutely forbidden to the likes of him, and a hint of humiliation and anger shed across Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ gorgeous features. However, she knew keenly that there was absolutely nothing she could do. She had no choice but to close her eyes in choking despair and helplessness and waited for the inevitable.

    Strangely, nothing happened. Wan Bo¡¯s hands had suddenly frozen in their tracks, and considering that he wasn¡¯t saying anything, it probably wasn¡¯t because he was trying to toy with his prey or something. Confused, Lady Hundred Flowers opened her eyes to see what Wan Bo was doing.

    As it turned out, Wan Bo really wasn¡¯t moving. It was as if someone had cast an immobilization spell on him. When she tried to probe him with her senses, she discovered in shock that Wan Bo¡­ was dead.

    That¡¯s right. Wang Bo was dead. His expression was still arranged into a look of intoxication, his eyes were still burning with an evil me, and she could feel the body warmth emanating from his hand just inches away from her face. However, he was undoubtedly dead. Somehow, someone had snuffed out his mind.

    <em>What¡¯s going on?</em>

    Puzzlement and even more shock shed through Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ mind.

    ¡°Are you alright,dy?¡±

    It was at this moment a feminine figure appeared in front of her and supported her.

    ¡°Qingyou? Are you the one who saved me?¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers stared at the woman before her in astonishment before recalling something. Then, she said in an urgent voice, ¡°This has nothing to do with you, Qingyou. Leave now! The Great Green Banyan Array will break very soon. If you don¡¯t leave now, it will be toote!¡± ?a

    ¡°Please tell Liunian[1]¡­ that I don¡¯t resent him anymore.¡±

    She did not know how Feng Qingyou was able to kill Wan Bo, but the young woman¡¯s energies felt almost imperceptible to her senses. Consider how young she was, it made sense that she couldn¡¯t be too powerful. She must have killed Wan Bo using a powerful Strange Artifact or art, and the only reason she seeded was because the bastard waspletely focused on her and not expecting any resistance. In short, it was mostly luck. She did not believe Qingyou could repeat the same feat against Yuan Xiang and Green Daylily.

    This incident had nothing to do with Feng Qingyou, and Feng Qingyou was her old friend¡¯s junior. She did not want to drag her into this and risk her life for nothing.

    Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ voice grew even more urgent when she realized that Feng Qingyou wasn¡¯t budging. ¡°Go! Yuan Xiang and Green Daylily will arrive at any moment! Go before it¡¯s toote!¡±n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Feng Qingyou consoled her, ¡°At ease,dy. There is no need to fret over a bunch of clowns.¡±

    She wondered if it was her imagination, but as soon as she heard Feng Qingyou¡¯s words, Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ anxiety abruptly subsided into nothing.

    It almost felt like everything would be fine as long as Feng Qingyou was here.

    Before she could decipher her strange reaction though, a deafening explosion stole her attention. She turned and saw the green banyan in the sky withering at a visible rate before dissolving into nothing.

    Without Lady Hundred Flowers to support it, the Great Green Banyan Array was much, much easier to breach. This was evident from the fact that Yuan Xiang and Green Daylily had broken through way faster than they should have.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Wan Bo must have done it.¡±

    As soon as the array broke, a boorish, tyrannicalugh resounded throughout the ind. ¡°Boys and girls! The Hundred Flowers Ind is colluding with the traitorous dragons. Do not allow a single human or Stranger to escape! Kill them all!¡±

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    A chorus of battle cries came from the sea, and a group of warriors disembarked their warships and rushed straight toward Hundred Flowers Ind.

    ¡°Brother? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Suddenly, Green Daylily realized that something was off with Wan Bo. Her heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition gripped her all of a sudden.

    ¡°Brother? Brother? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    A tall, muscr man appeared beside Green Daylily next and stared at the lifeless Wan Bo on the ground for a moment. Then, he erupted in anger, ¡°Who was it? Who was the bastard who killed my brother?!¡±

    He then saw Lady Hundred Flowers and her entourage and roared, ¡°You! You must be the one who killed my brother! I¡¯ll rip you apart, you lowly bitch!¡±

    <em>Boom! Boom! Boom!</em>

    Yuan Xiang charged toward them, his footsteps thundering across the ground and shaking it like an actual elephant. Even worse, every time Yuan Xiang took a step, he would grow three meters taller. In just a couple of steps, he had grown into a thirty-meter tall elephant with a head as big as a millstone. His face looked savage, and his horns looked big and sharp enough to skewer a dozen people effortlessly. His ¡°arms¡± were as thick as pirs, and his legs resembled mini hills. His skin was bluish ck in color and tough like rocks. He was overflowing with primal, animalistic strength.

    Yuan Xiang practiced a martial art called the ¡°Wild Elephant Mountain Splitting Scripture¡±. It was an ancient body-tempering martial art created based on the ancient Stranger, the Mountain Splitting Wild Elephant. At the adept stage, the practitioner would gain the Mountain Splitting Wild Elephant True Body and be able to transform into the Stranger itself. They would be exceedingly durable and strong.

    Yuan Xiang might look like a big, dumb oaf, but it was the opposite. He was, in fact, very smart and cautious.

    Whoever had killed Wan Bo, they must be incredibly strong to do it without them noticing until it was toote. That was why he did not hesitate to manifest his Mountain Splitting Wild Elephant True Body and go all out from the beginning.

    1. Anyone still remember our Uncle Feng? Yeeeeeeeeeeah this almost turned into an NTR story LOL. ?

 Chapter 955: Strange Flower

    ¡°Suppress.¡±

    The next moment, a clear, bright voice entered his ears.

    It sounded like an imperial decree; amand infused with immeasurable power. Despite having transformed into the Mountain Splitting Wild Elephant, Yuan Xiang found himself suddenly unable to move a muscle.

    The spectators were confused and wondering what had happened to the Grandmaster. Yuan Xiang himself was both shocked and afraid.

    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to move. It was because he couldn¡¯t move.

    It was as if he had suddenly lost control over his own body. He couldn¡¯t even move his eyeballs, much less anything else.

    ¡°Destroy.¡±

    Before he could think of a solution, the voice rang once more.

    As soon as the word slipped into his ears, Yuan Xiang felt a magical, irresistible power invading his headspace. It was eroding his mind and extinguishing his consciousness!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//omHe was like an ant or a moth; a powerless insect who could do nothing but wait for the spider of death to consume it. He could only watch in despair as his mind extinguished. Thest thing he saw was himself plummeting into infinite darkness.

    The spectators did not know what Yuan Xiang was thinking or feeling. They only saw him skidding to a stop about halfway toward his target before the light in his eyes suddenly winked out, and his consciousness was no more.

    To say that his death was abrupt and bizarre would be an understatement. It had happened so abruptly that they had no idea what just happened, and it was so bizarre that they could not believe their own eyes at all.

    Then, one person turned around and started running away like a stray dog.

    She was Green Daylily, of course.

    When she showed up, she had been as arrogant as she could be. Now, she was running away with her tail between her legs.

    Why was she running away? Because she was scared shitless, of course. Out of the three of them, Yuan Xiang was the strongest, and Wan Bo was the most cunning. Be it in terms of cultivation level or strength, they were much stronger than her.

    However, the foxy Wan Bo had died without a peep, and the powerful Yuan Xiang had been killed in two words. Two words! It was as if he was no stronger than an insect!

    At this point, it was clear that a champion was protecting Hundred Flowers Ind. How strong was that champion? She didn¡¯t know. What she did know that she was probably no stronger than an ant in the champion¡¯s eyes.

    That was why she could only run as quickly and as far away as possible.

    That was why she could only pray that the champion really did think of her as an ant; that they would think her far too meek to garner their attention.

    Green Daylily moved very quickly partially because she was really scared out of her wits, but also because she excelled in movement arts. Her Water Escape especially, a movement art called ¡°Horizon Blue Wave¡±, allowed her to cross thousands and thousands of kilometers in an instant as long as she could enter the sea.

    That was why she ran to the edge of Hundred Flowers Ind in just the blink of an eye. The blue sea, freedom and safety was right in front of her.

    However, the second she made contact with the sea water, she suddenly saw a lotus flower blooming inside her mind.

    The lotus flower was pitch ck in color, beautiful and mysterious. Green Daylily looked like she just saw a ghost though. She let out a high-pitched scream and attempted to dispel it.

    It was futile. The ck lotus began rotating and casting many dark rays throughout her headspace. Her consciousness immediately became muddied, chaotic, and unfocused.

    The next moment, amidst everyone¡¯s shocked gaze, Green Daylily turned away from the blue sea that would have been her salvation and walked back toward the ind.

    They could all see that her face was nk, and her movements were stiff like a puppet on strings. At that moment, confusion and terror gripped everyone¡¯s heart.

    Confusion led to worry, and terror led to panic. The first ones to break under the pressure were, of course, the Blue Wave Ind invaders. When they first boarded the ind, they were grinning from ear to ear and brimming with bloodthirst. But after witnessing their first ind lord dying for seemingly no reason, and their third ind lord turning into a puppet without any warning whatsoever, all that excitement had turned into sheer, unadulterated terror.

    One man threw away his weapon and began begging at the top of his lungs. Another man shouted like a madman while running toward the sea. A woman just stood there with a dazed expression on her face¡­

    The guests of Hundred Flowers Ind wanted to follow their lead and leave this heavens-forsaken-ce as well, but the same fear that spurred that impulse also rooted them in ce. They were worried that the mysterious champion who protected Hundred Flowers Ind would treat them as a co-conspirator and kill them should they try to escape at this time.

    Luckily, their fears did note true. Whoever the mysterious champion was, they did not seem to be too interested in the small fries from Blue Wave Ind. More urately, they didn¡¯t care about the small fries at all. They allowed the invaders to escape, and that show of restraint calmed down the restless guests on Hundred flowers Ind somewhat.

    For obvious reasons, Lady Hundred Flowers was beyond speechless right now. What happened just now was so ludicrous, so unbelievable, that it almost felt like a fantastic dream.

    An unknown amount of timeter, Lady Hundred Flowers finally looked up and asked, ¡°Qingyou, did you¡­ did you do all that?¡±

    If before she only thought of Feng Qingyou as a weak but polite junior of her old friend, then that impression had just undergone aplete transformation.

    ¡°Yes and no,¡± Feng Qingyou replied simply. She did kill Wan Bo and Yuan Xiang, but Ye Qing was the one who took control of Green Daylily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Qingyou,¡± Lady Hundred Flowers expressed her confusion.

    Instead of exining, Feng Qingyou gave her a smile and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t a good ce to speak,dy. And did you forget that you are still poisoned? Why don¡¯t we return to the Hundred Flowers Pce and speak then?¡±

    ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    Ultimately, Lady Hundred Flowers was a Trueman with worldly experience. She quickly regained her cool, gave various instructions to her subordinates, and calmed down the masses in a short time. Once done, she allowed Feng Qingyou to take her to the Hundred Flowers Pce.

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. What should we do with her, Qingyou?¡±

    They had just taken a few steps when Lady Hundred Flowers recalled something and looked at Green Daylily. The woman had moved behind them and just stood there after she was turned into this.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take her with us!¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers couldn¡¯t quite put two and two together.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why they attacked Hundred Flowers Ind?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Oh right. Of course,¡± Lady Hundred Flowers eximed in realization and ordered the man to carry Green Daylily back to Hundred Flowers Pce.

    After returning to Hundred Flowers Pce and instructing the servants to give Feng Qingyou their highest treatment, she produced a pill from a secret room¡ªshe did not try to hide it from Feng Qingyou¡ªand sat down on a strange flower in the courtyard.

    The flower was as big as a millstone and did not possess any branches whatsoever. It was growing on the ground and had multipleyers of leaves and petals like a Buddhist¡¯s lotus throne. The flower wasn¡¯t pink in color though. It was inkish green and gave off a strange scent that made someone drowsy.

    When Lady Hundred Flowers sat at the center of the flower, its petals and leaves started shaking like a cat who just caught a fishy scent. It slowly wrapped its petals around Lady Hundred Flowers.

    Over time, the strange flower grew increasingly vibrant and sweet-smelling, though the scent didn¡¯t spread like a normal scent would. It simply circted around the flower.

    At the side, an old woman saw Feng Qingyou watching the strange flower with curiosity and warned, ¡°Be careful, miss. That scent has the power to put someone to sleep. It is best if we stay far away from it.¡±

    Then, the old woman abruptly recalled that the woman she was trying to warn was a champion who could ughter a Trueman like a dog. Panicking, she hurriedly added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. This old ve was being foolish. Please forgive this old ve.¡±

 Chapter 956: Explanation

    ¡°I will be fine. Thank you for the warning.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said smiling while examining the strange flower before her, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is the Green Blossom, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You have a keen eye, miss! It is the Green Blossom.¡±

    A hint of astonishment flickered in the old woman¡¯s eyes. She wasn¡¯t expecting Feng Qingyou to recognize the Green Blossom.

    A Green Blossom was an extremely rare Stranger that could cure all kinds of poison. Its scent was sweet, but those who smelled it would feel extremely drowsy.

    Normally, a Green Blossom could only be found on uninhabited inds. Moreover, their numbers were few enough that they were categorized as rare. That was why not many people were aware of its existence.

    This Green Blossom in particr had been carefully nurtured by Lady Hundred Flowers using all kinds of valuable pills and medicine, which was why it was several times bigger than your normal Green Blossom. Its color and shape were slightly different from an ordinary Green Blossom as well. Despite this, Feng Qingyou still recognized it right away. No wonder she was a champion. Her insight and knowledge was a match for her strength.

    ¡°They all say that Lady Hundred Flowers is a master at nurturing nts. It is clear that it isn¡¯t an exaggeration,¡± Feng Qingyou praised. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a massive Green Blossom, and I¡¯m willing to bet that its efficacy is several times stronger than an ordinary Green Daylily. Thedy should recover from her poison in just a short time.¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡°I¡¯m very d to hear that, miss.¡±The old woman was a bit worried, but Feng Qingyou¡¯s words swept away her worry like a calm, rxing breeze. ¡°Would you like to head inside and drink some tea while we wait, miss?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just take a walk in the courtyard. By my reckoning, thedy should awaken any moment now.¡±

    After turning down the old woman¡¯s offer gently, Feng Qingyou began walking around the courtyard and admiring the flora.

    This courtyard was named the Hundred Flowers Garden. It was where Lady Hundred Flowers nurtured and grew all sorts of exotic nts and the most critical area of the entire ind. The Three Sages of Blue Wave had attacked the ind before she got to visit it, so this was the perfect opportunity to make up for that loss of opportunity. Besides, she really was interested in the exotic flora.

    ¡°Allow me to act as your exiner, miss.¡± Sensing Feng Qingyou¡¯s interest, the old woman offered to act as her exiner and began introducing all the exotic flora inside the garden.

    About a teatimeter, while the old woman was introducing a strange nt with leaves resembling the moon and a flower that resembled the sun, Feng Qingyou suddenly turned and looked in the direction of the Green Daylily.

    The next moment, the closed flower bloomed and unfurled its inkish green petals. At the same time, an incredibly thick scent washed out and quickly spread to every corner of the garden.

    ¡°We need to leave, miss!¡±

    The old woman flinched and backed toward an exit immediately, but Feng Qingyou stayed where she was and exined smilingly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. While the Green Daylily¡¯s normal scent is poisonous and could put someone to sleep, the scent it releases after it absorbs a poison is not only poison-free, but also clears up the mind and improves concentration.¡±

    It was at this moment Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ voice came from the direction of the Green Daylily. ¡°You really are quite knowledgeable and wise, Qingyou.¡±

    ¡°Lady! Are you fine now?¡± The old woman eximed with surprise and delight.

    ¡°Yes, I am fine. The toxins inside my body have been removed.¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯plexion and expression certainly looked much healthier than before. She then turned to look at Feng Qingyou and said gratefully, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Qingyou!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,dy. It is just my natural responsibility,¡± Feng Qingyou replied with a smile.

    ¡°Qingyou, you¡¯re¡­ not Liunian¡¯s junior, are you?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers asked after eyeing her for a bit.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Feng Qingyou¡¯s smile grew just a tad mirthful.

    Lady Hundred Flowers let out a light scoff. ¡°I know how Liunian is. There is no way he would have a junior as strong as you.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ you are pretty wise yourself,dy.¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°It is true that Uncle Feng and I share no blood, but it is also true that he has taken care of me since I was a child. Therefore, I think of him as family in all but blood.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re Uncle Feng¡¯s lover, then you are my senior as well. Therefore, please treat me as you have,dy.¡±

    ¡°Pooh! Who are you calling his lover; that shameless bastard,¡± Lady Hundred Flowers scoffed, but there was no hiding the red tinge on her cheeks. It made her look almost ten years younger.

    Yes, Lady Hundred Flowers was one of Feng Liunian¡¯s lovers when he was young. Feng Liunian was extremely handsome when he was young and as a result had lovers throughout the entire <em>jianghu</em>. Lady Hundred Flowers was one of them.

    Despite his many lovers, Feng Liunian wasn¡¯t fickle in love. He never stayed for a single woman, but he always parted ways with them on good terms. Thedies were understandably annoyed as a matter of course, but no one ever hated him to the point where they would want to harm him. In fact, therge majority of them had never moved on and remained deeply in love with Feng Liunian to this day.

    Lady Hundred Flowers was one of those women. In fact, she had left her family and secluded himself in Hundred Flowers Ind so that they wouldn¡¯t be able to force her to marry. To this day, she was single.

    When Feng Liunian heard that Feng Qingyou was nning to visit the four seas, he had requested her to visit Lady Hundred Flowers. That was why they came to Hundred Flowers Ind and identally stumbled upon this incident. Naturally, neither she nor Ye Qing was going to stand by and watch.

    ¡°Is there a grudge between you and the Three Sages of Blue Wave,dy? Do you know why they tried to kill you?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    Lady Hundred Flowers shook her head. ¡°We have crossed each other¡¯s paths a couple times in the past, but that was all. Personally, I think they attacked me because they covet my Hundred Flowers Ind.¡±

    ¡°The Three Sages of Blue Wave have always been like this. If they find an ind or a resource they like, they would make up a random excuse, wipe out the upants, and im the ind for themselves.¡±

    To her surprise, Feng Qingyou shook her head without hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is the case this time.¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Lady Hundred Flower asked.

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°For starters, Hundred Flowers Ind and Blue Wave Ind have co-existed with each other for a very long time. If they really were nning something nefarious, they wouldn¡¯t have waited until now to try something. Two, your reputation is sterling, and your connection wide-reaching. As ruthless and greedy as they are, the Three Sages of Blue Wave aren¡¯t stupid. To kill you is to make many enemies for themselves. The rewards are simply not worth the risk.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ that they are acting under someone else¡¯s orders?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers wasn¡¯t stupid. She immediately figured out what Feng Qingyou was implying.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Feng Qingyou nodded. ¡°You may not be aware of this, but the Three Sages of Blue Wave aren¡¯t the only ones lurking on the ind. There was a fourth Trueman.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Lady Hundred Flowers eximed in shock. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he is stronger than the Three Sages of Blue Wave,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    ¡°Are you saying that this fourth Trueman is the one who ordered today¡¯s attack?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers asked.

    ¡°No, he is a middle-man at best. I believe that this fourth Trueman is also working under someone else¡¯s orders. A mastermind!¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head.

    ¡°Could it be just a coincidence? Maybe this Trueman just happened to be passing through Hundred Flowers Ind?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers asked.

    ¡°It is definitely not a coincidence,¡± Feng Qingyou dered with surprising certainty. ¡°You messaged many of your friends for help earlier, didn¡¯t you? However, not a single one of them had shown up so far. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s strange?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± Lady Hundred Flowers felt a chill up her spine. ¡°This fourth Trueman blocked my requests for help?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed.

    ¡°This¡­ but¡­ who on earth is trying to kill me?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers frowned deeply.

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask Green Daylily. She might know the answer,¡± Feng Qingyou suggested.

    ¡°Right, right! Green Daylily must know who the mastermind is.¡± Lady Hundred Flowers nodded and ordered the old woman, ¡°Bring Green Daylily in.¡±

    ¡°As youmand,dy.¡±

    The old woman saluted and took her leave. A short whileter, she returned with Green Daylily.

 Chapter 957: Finding Out The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 957: Finding Out The Truth</h4>

    ¡°So, Qingyou... how...¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers spoke up as she stared at the wooden Green Daylily. How were they supposed to interrogate someone who seemed to be trapped in some sort of faint spell?

    Feng Qingyou smiled and tapped Green Daylily in the forehead. The woman immediately jolted back to reality.

    Green Daylily¡¯s first instinct after awakening was to attack Feng Qingyou. However, her hand barely made it halfway across the space before a cool, emotionless voice drilled into her brain. ¡°Do you have a death wish?¡±

    Green Daylily abruptly recalled a horrifying memory. The voice sounded exactly the same as the one before Yuan Xiang died. Her knees buckled, and her forehead broke out in cold sweat. She immediately fell to her knees and begged, ¡°This junior did not mean to offend you, senior. Please, have mercy...¡±

    Instead of answering, Feng Qingyou took a step backward and looked at Lady Hundred Flowers.

    Lady Hundred Flowers was the master of the Hundred Flowers Ind and the victim of Blue Wave Ind¡¯s assault. Therefore, it was not her ce to take charge of this interrogation.

    Green Daylily noticed this and hurriedly turned to face Lady Hundred Flowers instead. ¡°Sister Hundred Flowers, this one did not mean to offend you. She was simply bewitched by the demon¡¯s temptation. For the sake of our past rtionship, please forgive me this once and let me live! This one swears she¡¯ll do everything in her power to repay you if you do!¡±

    ¡°Ha. Before we dive into the main subject, let me rify that I don¡¯t ever remember having made the acquaintance of you, much less bing your sister. And after what you did today, the only bond we share is one of grudge,¡± Lady Hundred Flowers said scornfully.

    ¡°Mercy, sister! It was all elder brother... I mean, Yuan Xiang and Wan Bo¡¯s idea! I was just forced to do their bidding! None of this is my fault!¡± Green Daylily said tearfully.

    ¡°Hmph. Save the nonsense for yourself and just answer my questions.¡± Lady Hundred Flowers huffed. ¡°Why did the Three Sages of Blue Wave suddenly try to kill me?¡±

    Green Daylily was about to answer when Feng Qingyou interrupted, ¡°Think carefully before you answer. You only have one chance.¡±

    Green Daylily¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She was going to lie through her teeth until Feng Qingyou warned her as if she had read her mind. Terror immediately flooded her heart. She had a premonition that Feng Qingyou would definitely kill her if she dared to breathe a single lie.

    ¡°This junior would never lie to you, senior, Sister Hundred Flowers!¡± Green Daylily hurriedly promised before starting, ¡°It¡¯s like this. As you say, Sister Hundred Flowers, we barely knew each other, and we¡¯ve never thought to threaten your life. But two days ago, someone came to us with a business offer. They want us to kill you and eliminate the Hundred Flowers Ind.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers frowned deeply.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Green Daylily confirmed. ¡°He said he would pay us a hundred thousand silver if we seed, and that he wouldn¡¯t take a single silver or resource on the ind. He would give us everything.¡±

    ¡°At first, we didn¡¯t ept the request. After all, everyone knows that you have a widework, and we have no intentions of offending those people. However, that manter promised us that no one wille and help you during the assault, and no one will bother us after the fact either!¡±

    ¡°Hmph! What a big, shameless boast.¡± Lady Hundred Flowers sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you actually believed him?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t, at least at the beginning.¡± Green Daylily smiled bitterly. ¡°Then, he showed us something that convinced us of the truthfulness of his ims.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers asked with puzzlement.

    ¡°The North Duke Token!¡± Green Daylily answered directly.

    ¡°What? The North Duke Token?!¡± Lady Hundred Flowers eximed in shock.

    Even Feng Qingyou was frowning. ¡°Are you certain it¡¯s the North Duke Token?¡±

    ¡°There is no mistake,¡± Green Daylily confirmed.

    ¡°How is this possible? Hundred Flowers Ind has never offended the North Duke Office before. Why are they trying to kill me?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers murmured in a daze while turning white as a sheet.

    Her panic wasn¡¯t unfounded. The North Duke Office was extremely powerful and influential. To make aparison, the Hundred Flowers Ind was an ant they could crush as they pleased.

    The North Duke Office was originally a small country in the Northern Sea named Northern Sea Empire. Having existed since the You Dynasty, the Northern Sea Empire once controlled countless inds in the Northern Sea and boasted a poption of tens of millions. Although they were smaller than Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei, they certainly weren¡¯t weak either.

    Then, nine hundred years ago, the Dragon Sovereignunched his first invasion against the humans, and the Northern Sea Empire was his very first target. Naturally, they suffered massive casualties and even lost their ruler, the Northern Sea King. Left with no choice, the Northern Sea Empire submitted to the four nations to obtain their protection.

    The Northern Sea Empire never stopped fighting against the Dragon Sovereign until the very end. Their contributions during the war could only be described as heroic.

    However, the war killed even more of their already dwindling number of elites and imperial members, and when all was said and done, only several hundred of them were left. At that point, the Northern Sea Empire was all but dead in name.

    After the Dragon Sovereign was suppressed, the remnants of the Northern Sea Empire dered the dissolution of their nation and requested the hereditary position of North Duke from the four nations instead. They received their wish and established an office called the North Duke Office at the Northern King Ind deep in the Northern Sea where the capital of the Northern Sea Empire used to be. The master of the North Duke Office was called the North Duke.

    The North Duke Office was a pale shadow of what it used to be, but a dead camel was still bigger than arge horse. It was already fairly powerful in the first ce, but after several centuries of recuperation and recruitment, it had be one of the most powerful factions in the Northern Sea.

    There was just a minor problem. Although the North Duke Office had the word ¡°office¡± in its name, and its status was absolutely genuine and conferred to them by the four nations themselves, the North Duke Office did not actually belong to any one of the four nations. After so many years, what was an honorable title had be a lot more awkward than before.

    It wasn¡¯t for the North Duke Office to be close to any nation, which was why they stayed well out of politics. They did not offer tribute to either one of the nations either. That was why the North Duke Office conducted themselves more like a <i>jianghu </i>sect than an imperial aristocrat.

    Regardless of their awkward status, there was no denying that the North Duke Office was extremely powerful. Although it was no match for the Two Temples of Buddha, Three Temples of Dao, or the Nine Demonic Ways, it was definitely on par or better than the thirty six unorthodox sects. Compared to Hundred Flowers Ind, it was a giant that could never be toppled.

    That was why Lady Hundred Flowers had lost herposure when she heard the name.

    ¡°That man offered you silver, all the wealth on Hundred Flowers Ind, and even helped you to stop reinforcements froming to their aid, but all they requested is the death of Lady Hundred Flowers and the destruction of Hundred Flowers Ind? That¡¯s pretty strange, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Feng Qingyou voiced her thoughts out loud. ¡°Is that really all that man had asked of you?¡±

    Green Daylily replied without hesitation, ¡°I am certain, senior.¡±

    ¡°What on earth is going on here? Why is the North Duke Office trying to kill me?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers murmured to herself in a daze.

    ¡°Calm down,dy. We should have an answer pretty soon,¡± Feng Qingyouforted her.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°W-what? Did you know something, Qingyou?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers asked urgently.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, but someone does.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°He should be arriving any moment now.¡±

    ¡°Who¡ª¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers didn¡¯t manage to finish her sentence before a man suddenly appeared in the garden.

    Lady Hundred Flowers turned pale as she rebuked the stranger, ¡°Who are you? How dare you trespass into my Hundred Flowers Garden?¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Lady Hundred Flowers. I am Joyless Ye, and I apologize for my sudden intrusion,¡± The neer greeted her politely. ¡°I would salute you, but as you may have noticed, I am currently a little indisposed. Please ept my humble apologies.¡±

    The neer was, naturally, Ye Qing.

    It was after he finished speaking that Lady Hundred Flowers noticed that Ye Qing was holding a man by his neck.

    The man¡¯s face was bluish ck and swollen all over. He was also unconscious and cut quite the sorry figure.

 Chapter 958: Ten Directions Stupa

    <h4>Chapter 958: Ten Directions Stupa </h4>

    ¡°Do not worry,dy. He is my friend.¡±

    Feng Qingyou gave the wary-looking Lady Hundred Flowers an assuring smile. ¡°He is the one who captured Green Daylily earlier.¡±

    ¡°Ah... it was you, warrior?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers hurriedly thanked him. ¡°Thank you so much for helping me, Warrior Ye.¡±

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,dy. It is my natural responsibility,¡± Ye Qing replied cordially.

    ¡°I can tell you are a man of great virtue, Warrior Ye,¡± Lady Hundred Flowers praised him, though she was really stunned on the inside.

    She was both stunned at Ye Qing¡¯s youthfulness and his unpredictable skills.

    Just recalling how he had manipted Green Daylily like a puppet earlier sent chills up her spine.

    ¡°How did it go, Joyless?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°It all went well. This is the guy,¡± Ye Qing replied smilingly while dropping the man he was holding on the ground.

    ¡°If I may dare ask, warrior, who is he?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers snapped out of her reverie and asked.

    ¡°He is the one who lurked in the shadows and blocked your messages for help earlier,dy,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    That¡¯s right. The reason he was missing for so long was because he discovered this guy while the Three Sages of Blue Wave were keeping Lady Hundred Flowers upied. After Feng Qingyou intervened, the man realized that the n had gone awry and tried to run away. Naturally, he decided to follow and capture him.

    ¡°Ah! It was him?!¡± Lady Hundred Flowers eximed in shock. She couldn¡¯t even remember how many times she had been surprised already. The pleasant and not-so-pleasant surprises just kepting one after another.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°He¡¯s not very strong, but he¡¯s damn good at running away. It took me a long while to finally subdue him.¡±

    ¡°Not very strong...¡± Lady Hundred Flowers looked like she wanted to say something but chose to stay quiet in the end. Although the captive was unconscious, she could sense his terrifying aura. It marked him as a Great Trueman. <i>Just how strong is this guy to consider a Great Trueman ¡°not very strong¡±...?</i>

    There was no mistaking the captive¡¯s swollen, bluish ck face and Ye Qing¡¯s pristine condition though.

    Lady Hundred Flowers decided that she did not understand the world of geniuses and should just stick to her ordinary corner of the world.

    Ye Qing noticed Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ fluctuating emotions as a matter of course, though he did not probe her with his demonic thought out of politeness. Naturally, he didn¡¯t know what she was thinking either. Even if he did, he wouldn¡¯t have minded. He was telling the truth.

    Although this guy¡¯s cultivation level was much higher than his, the martial art he practiced was a little too dark and unorthodox. Not only was his ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± the bane of his martial arts, his physical body was pathetically weak. The one outstanding quality he had was his ability to run. Everything else was average at best.

    The man was like a toothless tiger after he sessfully defeated his secret arts and Magia. He could only run away. However, he had locked the man down with his demonic thought, so his efforts werepletely futile. The cat-and-mouse gamested about several hundred kilometers before he finally dropped him in one punch. Yep, it was that simple.

    ¡°Did you find out who he is?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Yeah. His name is Ding Buren, and he¡¯s one of the Nine Ministers of the North Duke Office,¡± Ye Qing answered. He had searched his victim¡¯s soul on the way back as a matter of course.

    ¡°This confirms that it is definitely the doing of the North Duke Office. One of the Nine Ministers, you say? He¡¯s quite high-ranked,¡± Feng Qingyou remarked.

    Although the North Duke Office was no different from a <i>jianghu </i>sect these days, they still followed the old nation¡¯s system. The North Duke was the ruler, followed by the Consort, the Two Counselors, Six Generals and Nine Ministers. They were all highly prestigious people with thousands and thousands of people answering to their beck at call.

    Since Ding Buren was one of the Nine Ministers, he was a VVIP as well.

    ¡°Why did he order the Three Sages of Blue Wave to attack Hundred Flowers Ind and murder Lady Hundred Flowers?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°It was both for personal vengeance and other reasons,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Personal vengeance?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers sounded confused. ¡°But I¡¯ve never offended the North Duke Office before.¡±

    ¡°Of course you haven''t,dy. The only crime youmited is the crime of jade ring[1],¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Lady Hundred Flowers voiced her confusion.

    ¡°Your beauty,dy!¡± Ye Qing rified smilingly. ¡°Sometimes, being too beautiful is a crime.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.

    ¡°You may not know this,dy, but the North Duke once saw you when he ventured to the Eastern Sea. you are so beautiful that he could not help but try to court you, though you had rebuffed his every advance. He could not possibly take you by force or threaten you since he was a man of great prestige and reputation, so in the end, he had no choice but to give up.¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°However, the North Duke could never forget your beauty, and it wasn¡¯t long before his Consort learned about this. The North Duke Consort was a petty, small-minded woman who was jealous of your outstanding beauty and angry at her husband¡¯s unceasing longing for you. So, she wanted you dead.¡±

    ¡°In summary, one of the reasons Ding Buren came here is to kill you on behalf of the North Duke Consort.¡±

    ¡°I... I... I can¡¯t even...¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers was beyond astonished at this point. She had imagined many reasons why the North Duke Office wanted her dead, but this was something that never entered her mind until Ye Qing mentioned it. ¡°But I¡¯ve... never met the North Duke before.¡±

    ¡°That is normal,dy.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°After all, the North Duke never told you who he was, and I¡¯m sure you have an entire river of courtiers. It is perfectly reasonable for you not to remember him.¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers blushed a little. However, she was quickly overcame with worry and self-me.

    ¡°You said that this is only one of the reasons. What is the other reason, Joyless?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°The K?itigarbha Stupa,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°In fact, this is the main reason he came here.¡±

    ¡°The K?itigarbha Stupa?¡± Both Lady Hundred Flowers and Feng Qingyou frowned, though for a different reason.

    Lady Hundred Flowers was frowning because she had never heard of the K?itigarbha Stupa before.

    Feng Qingyou was frowning because she had.

    ¡°What is the K?itigarbha Stupa, Qingyou?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers looked to Feng Qingyou for an exnation.

    ¡°The K?itigarbha Stupa was a Buddhist stupa mural engraved to an icy cliff at a ce called Lu Tai Yuan in the Northern Sea. It was called the K?itigarbha Stupa because it recorded the story of the ancient Buddha ¡®K?itigarbha¡¯, who guards the underworld and liberates all ghosts. He is a Buddhist who vows not to be a Buddha until hell is empty.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said slowly, ¡°What¡¯s incredible is that every eighth of August, the day K?itigarbha entered hell and made the Great Wish to never be a Buddha until hell is empty, Lu Yuan Tai would experience a Hundred Ghost Parade, and the portrait of K?itigarbha on the mural woulde to life and speak of Buddhism and chant the Da?acakra K?itigarbha S¨±tra, liberating countless ghosts.¡±

    ¡°Because of this, warriors who are experts in the way of ghosts would purposely travel to Lu Tai Yuan every eighth of August to refine the evil ghosts and practice their secret arts and Magia. It is a feast of opportunities for those who practice the way of ghosts. Over time, the day was also nicknamed the Ghost Liberation Festival."

    ¡°The Ghost Liberation Festival! I¡¯ve heard of that before,¡± Lady Hundred Flowers eximed in realization before she asked another question, ¡°But what does the K?itigarbha Stupa have to do with me?¡±

    Feng Qingyou looked at Ye Qing. ¡°That, you will have to ask Joyless.¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve scoured from Ding Buren¡¯s memories, the North Duke somehow found out that the K?itigarbha Stupa is really one of the three great buddhist Artifacts K?itigarbha Stupa carried with him before he became a Buddha. It was named the Ten Directions Stupa.¡±

    Ye Qing did not keep the girls in suspense and divulged the truth directly. ¡°There are eight major hells in the Ten Directions Stupa, and countless evil ghosts are sealed within. However, during the Great Extinction of the ancient times, K?itigarbha Stupa fought against someone and perished in battle. The Ten Directions Stupa was also damaged and crashed into the bottom of the Northern Sea.¡±

    ¡°Later, strata movement caused the Lu Tai Yuan to take form, and the Ten Directions Stupa to resurface. However, so much time had passed that no one recognized the mythical Ten Directions Stupa, thinking that it is just an ordinary Buddhist mural.¡±

    1. Remember the idiom from before. ?

 Chapter 959: A Ploy To Resolve A Crisis

    ¡°Ten Directions Stupa?¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers had never heard of the Ten Directions Stupa, but she had definitely heard of K?itigarbha. It was one of the oldest and most powerful Buddhas of Buddhism. To this day, there were still Buddhists who preached his teachings and traditions. As one of the three Buddhist artifacts that K?itigarbha carried with him before he became a Buddha, it did not take a genius to know just how powerful and valuable the Ten Directions Stupa was.

    However, Lady Hundred Flowers still did not understand what was the connection between her and the Ten Directions Stupa. Forget coveting it, she had never even heard about it until Ye Qing mentioned it. What the hell was Ding Buren thinking? Was he ill?

    As if he could guess what Lady Hundred Flowers was thinking, Ye Qing asked, ¡°Do you remember obtaining a headless Buddha statue,dy?¡±

    ¡°A headless Buddha statue? In fact, I do.¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers answered without hesitation, ¡°A few months ago, a man came to Hundred Flowers Ind and requested some pills from me. However, he did not have enough cash and requested to make up for the deficit with some personal belongings. Seeing how urgent he looked, I agreed to the transaction. One of the belongings he gave me is a headless Buddha statue.¡±

    ¡°The Buddha statue is quite big and made from some sort of strange material I have never seen before. It¡¯s why I have a deep impression of it.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the headless Buddha statue is connected to the Ten Directions Stupa, warrior?¡±

    ¡°That is exactly correct.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°As I told you, K?itigarbha was killed in battle. The Ten Directions Stupa was damaged during the battle, and some of its fragments were scattered across various ces. Because of this, the Ten Directions Stupa became much weaker than it should¡¯ve been.¡±¡°The headless Buddha statue you currently hold is one of the critical pieces.¡±

    ¡°I see now.¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers eximed in realization before another question hit her. ¡°If the North Duke Office really desires the headless Buddha statue, why didn¡¯t they just wipe out my Hundred Flowers Ind directly? They don¡¯t need to go through the Three Sages of Blue Wave, do they?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Because of the Four Seas Dragon Pce conspiracy, of course. Right now, all eyes are on the four seas, and countless forces are scouring its depths for Strangers. The North Duke Office is afraid that wiping out Hundred Flowers Ind and killing you would draw undue attention and trouble. It would not be worth it if news of the Ten Directions Stupa is leaked.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, Ding Buren came up with the devious n of manipting the Three Sages of Blue Wave to eliminate you. Their reputation is terrible, and you and your ind wouldn¡¯t be the first they had wiped out in the name of profit. The likelihood that someone would suspect foul y is low.¡±

    Ye Qing continued, ¡°Ding Buren was going to eliminate the Three Sages of Blue Wave and silence them after the deed. Had he seeded, then he would be killing multiple birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°I see. That would exin everything.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded.

    Contrary to Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou¡¯s casual demeanor, Lady Hundred Flowers looked more worried than ever before. The more she learned, the heavier her heart felt.

    It wasn¡¯t because she coveted the Ten Directions Stupa and was unwilling to surrender the headless Buddha statue. It was because she knew she couldn¡¯t escape her grim fate even if she surrendered the item.

    It was the Ten Directions Stupa, the item that K?itigarbha carried with him when he became a Buddha after all. The storm it would cause if the news was leaked was bloody to say the least. Strong as the North Duke Office was, not even they would be able to participate in thepetition and emerge unscathed.

    That was why the North Duke Office would never allow the news to leak in the first ce.

    Who was the one person in the world who could be trusted to guard a secret?

    A dead person.

    Only a dead person could guard a secret, forever.

    This was no unfounded worry. The <em>jianghu </em>was just this cruel.

    Noticing Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ dark expression, Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Are you interested in the Ten Directions Stupa,dy?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I know myself. There is no way the likes of me can ever hope to covet the Ten Directions Stupa,¡± Lady Hundred Flowers replied with a bitter smile.

    ¡°If you are not interested in the Ten Directions Stupa, then this is, in fact, not a difficult situation to resolve,¡± Feng Qingyou dered with confidence.

    ¡°What do you propose, Qingyou?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ attention was piqued.

    ¡°There are three solutions: inferior, average, and superior.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined smilingly, ¡°The inferior solution is for you to leave Hundred Flowers Ind forever, change your identity, and leave this ce. Alternatively, you can choose to join the North Duke Office. The average solution is to spread the word regarding the Ten Directions Stupa and surrender the headless Buddha statue to someone else, effectively transferring the risks to them. Finally, the superior solution is to find a way to submit the headless Buddha statue to the North Duke Office and convince them that you have no idea about its value. Naturally, you would be safe.¡±

    ¡°What are your thoughts regarding the superior solution?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers asked after some quick thinking.

    The inferior solution required her to leave Hundred Flowers Ind and even change her identity. She had lived in Hundred Flowers Ind for decades, and she was reluctant to leave her home behind. Besides, even if she did leave, the North Duke Office might still track her down for her possession.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    As for joining the North Duke Office, that was even more out of the question. The North Duke wanted her for lustful reasons, and the North Duke Consort loathed her to the bones. To join the North Duke Office was tomit suicide.

    The average solution sounded great at first hearing, but if the matter was blown up, and the news of the Ten Directions Stupa was spread far and wide, it was unlikely she wouldn¡¯t be dragged into the mess. Besides, it wasn¡¯t a perfect solution. After all, there was no such thing as an earthen wall that was airtight[1]. In fact, it wouldn¡¯t take much investigating at all for the North Duke Office to discover that she was the source of the leak. They would surely kill her if only to vent their frustration.

    The superior solution was the only solution that sounded reliable, but there was a small caveat. How could she surrender the headless Buddha statue to the North Duke Office, and how could she convince them that she had no idea about its value?

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You just need to give him the statue,¡± Feng Qingyou nced at Ding buren on the ground.

    ¡°Him?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers frowned.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°All you need to do is to surrender the headless Buddha statue to Ding Buren. Once he returns, he will im that he is not able to kill you or destroy the ind because of outside intervention. He will lie iming that, despite failing his optional objective, he was able to retrieve the headless Buddha statue while you fought against the Three Sages of Blue Wave and confirm that you know nothing about its secrets or the Ten Directions Stupa.¡±

    ¡°Ding Buren is one of the Nine Ministers of the North Duke Office. No one will suspect his word. Besides, he still managed to obtain the headless Buddha statue and fulfill his main objective, so all is well. Finally, you were aided by some ¡®mysterious champions¡¯, and they would not dare toy a hand on you again to avoid drawing unnecessary attention and stirring undue trouble. Your safety would be guaranteed.¡±

    ¡°What do you think,dy?¡±

    ¡°The n is good, but would he do it? How can I be sure that he won¡¯t betray me?¡± Lady Hundred Flowers asked worriedly.

    ¡°Do not worry,dy. He won¡¯t,¡± Ye Qing answered while walking over to Ding Buren. When he ced his hand on the minister¡¯s forehead. A demonic lotus appeared in both his eyes.

    Lady Hundred Flowers might not understand what Ye Qing was doing, but she instinctively felt great terror from his actions and shivered despite not knowing why.

    A dozen or so breathster, the demonic lotus in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes faded, and hemanded, ¡°Apologize to Lady Hundred Flowers now!¡±

    Ding Buren abruptly opened his eyes and saluted Ye Qing. ¡°Greetings, young master!¡±

    He then turned to face Lady Hundred Flowers and sped his hands in salute. ¡°This unwise one nearlymitted an unforgivable sin and disturbed your peace,dy. I hope you can forgive me.¡±

    ¡°What in the¡­¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers widened in shock. Ding Buren was apologizing to her, but it wasn¡¯t the kind of reluctant apology one gave under coercion. No, she could tell that it was a heartfelt apology. It was almost as if the man had suddenly seen the light and felt sincerely sorry for his past mistakes.

    1. No such thing as a perfectly kept secret. ?

 Chapter 960: Fishing Wangsun With A Person

    Was his mind distorted?

    Was he possessed?

    Were his memories altered?

    Countless thoughts shed through Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ head in an instant, but none of her guesses seemed to be correct. It was because she could not sense any abnormality from Ding Buren¡¯s spirit or energies. His mind, as far as she could tell, seemed perfectly intact either. It was bizarre to put it mildly.

    There was one thing she was absolutely certain of, however. Ding Buren was still Ding Buren, but he wasn¡¯t who he was in the past anymore, even if she could not say exactly what was wrong with him.

    Frankly, if she hadn¡¯t witnessed what happened with her own eyes, she would not have believed that Ding Buren had changed, much less notice the subtle difference between his current self and his past self.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure thedy is more than fine with you atoning for your sins.¡±

    Ye Qing gave him a p on the shoulder and asked smilingly, ¡°You know what to say and do, right?¡±

    Ding Buren saluted him respectfully. ¡°Completely. Do not worry, young master. I give you my word that this matter will not affect Lady Hundred Flowers, nor will the North Duke Office make trouble for her in the future.¡±¡°Do you feel safe now,dy?¡± Ye Qing looked at Lady Hundred Flowers.

    ¡°With your assistance? Naturally.¡±

    Lady Hundred Flowers looked at the handsome, weing youngster and gave him a deep bow. She then thanked him respectfully, ¡°Thank you, warrior.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help it. The young man felt as unfathomable as the abyss and as boundless as the sky itself.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,dy. Qingyou¡¯s senior is my senior. It is my natural responsibility,¡± he replied politely.

    He noticed Lady Hundred Flowers¡¯ change in attitude toward him as a matter of course, but he did not take it to heart.

    ¡°Oh right, what should we do with her?¡± It was at this moment Lady Hundred Flowers noticed Green Daylily. The woman¡¯s eyes had grown distant and unfocused again at some point during their conversation. It was Ye Qing¡¯s handiwork, of course.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t need her, can you give her to me,dy?¡± Ye Qing asked gently.

    ¡°Of course! I wouldn¡¯t know what to do with her anyway, so I am more than happy for you to take her off my hands.¡± Lady Hundred Flowers smiled.

    Ye Qing thanked her. ¡°You are most generous,dy. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Lady, why don¡¯t we chat after you give Ding Buren the headless Buddha statue? There is a chance someone might suspect something if we take too long,¡± Feng Qingyou interrupted.

    ¡°Understood. I shall retrieve it right now.¡± Lady Hundred Flowers nodded and left to retrieve the headless Buddha statue in person. The item would decide her fate and the entire ind, so she did not dare to entrust the task of retrieving it to anyone else. ?

    After Lady Hundred Flowers left, Feng Qingyou asked Ye Qing, ¡°What do you need Green Daylily for?¡±

    A devilish smirk spread across Ye Qing¡¯s lips as he scratched his chin. ¡°For fishing purposes, of course!¡±

    ¡°Fishing?¡±

    Feng Qingyou figured out what he was implying immediately. ¡°You mean to use her to bait Chu Wangsun?¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s grin widened. ¡°The Ten Directions Stupa is quite the curiosity, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sure Chu Wangsun would be very interested in it.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Die!¡±

    At the Chaotic Thunder Sea, Su Bancheng threw out a bunch and cause the sea water within a dozen kilometers or so to sink hundreds of meters in an instant.

    At the same time, the sea water turned blood red in color, and countless broken limbs rose to the sea surface.

    ¡°Still not showing yourself? Let¡¯s see how much longer you can hide!¡±

    Su Bancheng lifted an eyebrow as a sneer spread across his face. He clenched his fists and began beating the sea surface like it was a drum.

    <em>Thump!</em>

    His first strike produced no ripples on the sea surface whatsoever. Instead, a boom came from the bottom of the sea.

    Right after that, Su Banchengnded a second, third, fourth, and many more punches.

    He was beating the sea again and again until the world under the surface was in absolute chaos!

    <em>Thump thump thump thump thump!</em>

    As he continued to punch the sea, ripples began to form, and tidal waves so tall it seemed to connect heaven and earth took form.

    When his final punchnded, the sea region within a dozen or so kilometers fell silent for an instant before a humongous ssh stretching hundreds of meters above sea level erupted. It was as if a meteor had crashed into the sea.

    A silvery white flood dragon with shattered scales and bleeding flesh screamed in abject pain as it dashed away from Su Bancheng.

    It was at this moment a palm descended from above.

    The palm was pure white, wless, and massive like the hand of god. Compared to the hand, the flood dragon that was over two hundred meters tall looked no bigger than a worm or an eel.

    There was no ce to run. The hand caught the flood dragon squarely.

    The flood dragon roared in despair and rage, ¡°Must you be so ruthless, humans?!¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve considered the consequences before you betrayed the human race.¡±

    A cold, emotionless voice responded before the hand clenched. The flood dragon let out onest scream before it popped like a balloon, flesh and blood raining like a downpour.

    Despite the bloody rain, not one bit of Chu Wangsun¡¯s white outfit was tainted. He looked so clean and divine it was like he was a celestial or a god.

    ¡°Well done, Wangsun!¡±

    Su Bancheng appeared next to Chu Wangsun before cursing loudly, ¡°We spent way more time chasing this slippery bastard than actually fighting him! How annoying!¡±

    ¡°He is the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce¡¯s first crown prince. It is only natural that he is slipperier than most,¡± Chu Wangsun replied calmly.

    That¡¯s right. The silver white flood dragon Chu Wangsun just killed was none other than the first crown prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Pce, Long Guang.

    Several days ago, Chu Wangsun and Su Banchen discovered Long Guang¡¯s hideout by chance and decided to hunt him together. However, Long Guang surprised them by escaping after just a brief sh.

    They gave chase as a matter of course, but Long Guang turned out to be far, far stronger than they imagined. He was able to slip through the gaps between their inescapable and escape again and again. It was annoying to say the least.

    Long Guang wasn¡¯t a pure-blooded true dragon. He was a mixed blood between a true dragon and a silver flood dragon. Despite this, he was extremely strong and on par with a human Great Trueman or Great Grandmaster.

    Normally, a dragon with mixed blood was much weaker than a pure-blooded true dragon. Long Guang was an exception.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Long Guang¡¯s flood dragon bloodline originated from his mother, the Disaster-ss Stranger called the Scarlet Firmament Silver Flood Dragon. The Scarlet Firmament Silver Flood Dragon was among the highest ss of flood dragons out there and not inferior to the Eastern Sea Dragon King¡¯s thunder dragon bloodline in the slightest. Naturally, their descendant turned out to be quite powerful.

    The thunder dragon bloodline gave Long Guang the ability to control lightning and thunder, whereas the Scarlet Firmament Silver Flood Dragon bloodline gave him exceptional mastery over the wind and incredible concealment skills. One bloodline excelled at offense, and the other at speed. As a result, Long Guang was both extremely good at fighting and escaping.

    It was why it took them several days to finally corner Long Guang at Chaotic Thunder Sea and kill him.

    ¡°Now that Long Guang is subjugated, what are your ns for the future?¡± Su Bancheng asked.

    ¡°I n to recuperate at the Four Seas for a bit,¡± Chu Wangsun replied after a moment of thought.

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Su Bancheng nodded in agreement.

    It had been half a month since they joined the great hunt, and they had in countless Strangers until now. They were both tired in body and spirit, so it was time to catch some rest.

    After all, Strangers weren¡¯t the only threats on the sea. Their fellow humans were just as dangerous!

    They might be Chu geniuses with extraordinary backgrounds, but people from countless corners of the world were gathered at the four seas right now. A good number of them were vicious, merciless viins who would absolutely stab them in the back should they grow careless or show weakness.

    That was why they needed to ensure they were in above average condition before venturing into the sea.

    ¡°Wangsun, look! There¡¯s a person over there!¡±

    The two men hadn¡¯t flown far on their Strange Artifacts when suddenly, Su Banchen saw a person floating on the sea.

    She was a woman.

    A very beautiful woman.

 Chapter 961: Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm

    Countless rainbow-colored koi were swimming around the woman. They were keeping her afloat and preventing her from sinking into the sea.

    ¡°Skin like ice, a countenance like peach blossom, and a smile that could melt the bones and suck the soul. What a gorgeous beauty!¡±

    Su Bancheng looked the woman up and down without any reservation after arriving by her side. A look of surprise flitted across his face as hemented, ¡°No wonder she drew the attention of the Beauty Koi.¡±

    The Beauty Koi was the rainbow-colored koi swimming around the woman. A Hatred-ss Stranger, it adored beautiful things and especially beautiful women, the more beautiful the better.

    ¡°She is quite the beauty,¡± Chu Wangsun replied with a nod. He was nowhere even close to being as dissolute and aesthete as the Qing Emperor¡¯s chief disciple, but even he had to admit that the mysterious woman was a gorgeous beauty.

    Her skin was sparkling and translucent like jade, and her countenance was as beautiful as the peach blossoms of March. Her figure was slender but filled out in all the right ces, and her faint scent was like a quiet dream. Despite being unconscious, her beauty wasn¡¯t marred in the slightest. On the contrary, the weakness made her look sympathetic and delicate.

    ¡°Hmm? Wait, something¡¯s not right!¡±

    It was at this moment Chu Wangsun noticed that something was amiss. The woman¡¯s aura was incredibly weak; a clear sign that she had suffered serious injuries. Usually, a sick or injured person was the opposite of beautiful. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, her beauty should be diminished by her injuries, not enhanced.

    ¡°Something is wrong, yeah.¡±Su Bancheng might be dissolute and aesthete, but he was also exceedingly intelligent. It was only natural that he noticed what Chu Wangsun had.

    As he spoke, Su Bancheng grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist and felt her pulse for a few breaths. Then, he said seriously, ¡°Her blood is white-colored like ice, and her muscles and bones are crystalline like jade. This is¡­ the Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm!¡±

    ¡°The Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm?¡± Chu Wangsun¡¯s expression turned grave in an instant.

    The Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm was the North Duke Office¡¯s exclusive technique. Anomalous beyond imagination, anyone who took the palm strike would slowly turn white like ice and crystalline like jade in flesh, blood, and bone. Their body would slowly lose its vitality, and their mind would gradually wane until death imed them.

    This wasn¡¯t the most anomalous characteristic of the Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm, however. It was the fact that it could only be practiced by males, and it only worked against females. To make aparison, it was unbelievably strong against females, but almost useless against males.

    Any woman who suffered the Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm would be exceptionally beautiful. In fact, the worse their injuries and the closer to death they were, the more attractive they became. Even after they died, their corpse would remain untouched by rot and decay for several years.

    Naturally, there was a tragic story behind the bizarre and anomalous martial art.

    Three hundred years ago, legend has it that Bei Tangran, the twenty-third North Duke of the North Duke Office, once married an exceptionally beautiful woman. He loved her deeply and spoiled her rotten. Not only did he give her anything and everything she asked, he did many things one would consider unbefitting for a duke just to put a smile on her face.

    Unfortunately, the woman had a secret affair with a young and handsome guest warrior serving in the North Duke Office. When Bei Tangran found out, he was so enraged that he tortured both the woman and the guest warrior to death. ?

    Since then, Bei Tangran¡¯s personality underwent a drastic transformation, and he came to loathe womenfolk to the bones. He believed that only dead people wouldn¡¯t betray him, which was why he killed and preserved every woman he married since.

    Unfortunately, his victims were beyond terrified during their final moments and so wore horrified expressions before they died. Not only did they look terrible, preserving the corpse long term proved to be a difficult problem as well.

    Bei Tangran was a genius, however. After racking his brain for a solution, he eventually invented the martial art named the ¡°Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm¡±. Any woman who was struck by the palm strike would be extraordinarily beautiful, and her body would remain untouched by rot and decay for a good number of years.

    Although the ¡°Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm¡± had limited usage as a matter of course¡ªas mentioned earlier, it could only be practiced by males and was only effective against females¡ªit was stupidly powerful when the conditions were met. Unless the victim was at a much higher cultivation level than the practitioner, she most likely would not be able to nullify the attack. And once the target had suffered the ¡°Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm¡±, only an expert in the martial art or a Sage would be able to cure it. Otherwise, the victim could only wait for death to im them.

    This was why the ¡°Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm¡± was an exclusive martial art taught within the North Duke Office only, and even then, it was only passed down to its core members.

    ¡°Yeah. What a shame.¡± Su Bancheng sighed. The ¡°Ice Skin Jade Bone Palm¡± had already invaded her internal organs and mind. Not even gods or celestials would be able to save her at this point. She didn¡¯t have much longer to live.

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­¡±

    It was at this moment the woman lying on top of the Beauty Koi suddenly coughed twice. Then, she slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Su Bancheng and Chu Wangsun, she opened her mouth and begged weakly, ¡°Save me¡­ please save me¡­¡±

    ¡°Miss, your injuries are too severe. Forgive us, but there is nothing we can do.¡±

    Su Bancheng met the woman¡¯s hopeful, pleading eyes and let out a helpless sigh.

    Chu Wangsun said nothing at all. He simply watched with cold indifference.

    The light of hope that just appeared in the woman¡¯s eyes extinguished immediately.

    ¡°Miss, all living beings die eventually. For¡ª¡±

    Su Bancheng was just about tofort the woman during her final moments when she suddenly let out a hoarse scream, ¡°North Duke Office! <em>Ding Buren! </em>Ahhhhh! I¡¯ll never forget this even if I¡¯m dead!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you a secret. In exchange, take revenge for me and kill Ding Buren!¡±

    Before Su Bancheng or Chu Wangsun could speak, the woman soldiered on, ¡°The K?itigarbha Stupa ¡­ The K?itigarbha Stupa is the ultimate treasure left behind by the ancient K?itigarbha¡­ in it lies his inheritance¡­ the North Duke Office ns to im it during the eight of August¡­¡±

    ¡°Take revenge for me¡­ please¡­ take revenge¡­¡±

    The woman squeezed out even as her voice grew weaker, and her words grew increasingly incoherent. In the end, all she could do was repeat her final obsession again and again.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ Okay. If it is within our capability to do so, then yes, we¡¯ll take revenge for you,¡± Su Bancheng promised. ¡°Now, rest in peace, miss.¡±

    As if she really heard Su Bancheng¡¯s promise, the woman stopped murmuring, and the light in her eyes slowly faded away. She was gone just like that.

    After confirming that the woman was dead, Su Bancheng closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°Since ancient times, few beauties have had a good ending. Howmentable and pitiful.¡±

    As he spoke, Su Bancheng released a hint of energy and chased away the Beauty Koi. Without the Strangers to prop the woman up, her body slowly sank into the sea and disappearedpletely.

    A few breathster, Su Bancheng asked, ¡°Who do you think she is, Wangsun?¡±

    ¡°I do not know.¡± Chu Wangsun shook his head.

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s telling the truth?¡± Su Bancheng asked another question.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Chu Wangsun shook his head again. ¡°But we won¡¯t know until we check, right?¡±

    ¡°In other words, you do believe her final words.¡± Su Bancheng chuckled. ¡°The inheritance of K?itigarbha must be quite tempting to you.¡±

    ¡°To spurn the heavens¡¯ gift is to incur their wrath,¡± Chu Wangsun replied indifferently.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ well said.¡± Su Banchengughed loudly. ¡°I have a concern, however. What if this is a trap?¡±

    Chu Wangsun rejected the possibility. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. There is no one in the area, and I could find no anomalous energy entrenched in her headspace whatsoever. Her words are heartfelt as well. Therefore, it is probably just a coincidence.¡±

 Chapter 962: The Curtains Draw Open

    ¡°If even you say that, then I guess it really is an opportunity.¡± Su Bancheng chuckled.

    He was pretty confident in Chu Wangsun¡¯s judgment because he knew a Confucian Magia known as the ¡°Eye of the Sacred Heart¡±. Simr in vein to the Buddha¡¯s ¡°Telepathy¡±, he could feel and hear a person¡¯s true thoughts. At the adept level, he could even influence another¡¯s mind and manipte them to his heart¡¯s desire. It was an extremely potent Magia to say the least.

    Chu Wangsun said suddenly, ¡°I heard that the Qing Emperor and the North Duke Office share a good rtionship with each other. If what the woman said is true, aren¡¯t you worried that you might incur your master¡¯s wrath?¡±

    ¡°My master is my master, and I am me. My master may share a good rtionship with the North Duke Office, but I share no ties with them whatsoever.¡±

    Su Banchengughed. ¡°Besides, didn¡¯t you say it yourself? To spurn the heavens¡¯ gift is to incur their wrath. The mice fight, and the winner takes all the cheese!¡±

    ¡°I should¡¯ve known that you, Su Bancheng, would say something like this.¡± Chu Wangsun smiled.

    ¡°When will you depart?¡± Su Bancheng asked.

    ¡°ording to the woman, the North Duke Office is going to travel to the K?itigarbha Stupa and retrieve the ultimate treasure on the eighth of August. It¡¯s probably because the eighth of August is a special day of sorts. We have a little over half a month before the eighth of August, which is a fair amount of time. Still, it would be wise to travel there sooner thanter to avoid idents,¡± Chu Wangsun analyzed.

    Su Bancheng nodded in agreement. ¡°Makes sense. I would like some time to investigate the validity of the treasure as well.¡±So, the duo changed directions and flew in the direction of the Northern Sea.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    Several hundred kilometers away on an ind, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes and rubbed his palms together triumphantly.

    ¡°Even gods and Buddhas are like mortals before the promise of opportunities, much less true mortals like Chu Wangsun,¡± Feng Qingyou remarked.

    Right now, the woman was sitting behind a yaoqin and plucking its strings from time to time, eliciting pure, crystalline sounds that resembled a clear spring.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Ye Qing smirked. ¡°In this regard, you and I are no different.¡±

    The woman that spoke to Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng earlier was naturally, Green Daylily, and he was the one who arranged for the ¡°idental¡± meeting to happen.

    The n was really simple. He would bait Chu Wangsun into traveling to the Northern Sea and participating in thepetition for the Ten Directions Stupa using Green Daylily as the hook, and the Ten Directions Stupa as the bait. Looking at the results, it was clear that the n was a resounding sess.

    The reason he did this was quite simple as well. One, it was to kill Chu Wangsun. Although he could ambush Chu Wangsun right now, they were still too close to the Four Seas. Chu Wangsun was hardly a weakling, and he was apanied by Su Bancheng, another Chu genius. Even if he and Feng Qingyou managed to kill Chu Wangsun, it was unlikely they would be able to do it without being detected by the likes of Chu Xunxian. Worst case scenario, they would die.

    He desired vengeance, but not at the cost of his own or Feng Qingyou¡¯s life.

    That was why he lured Chu Wangsun to the Northern Sea using Ten Directions Stupa. No matter how powerful Chu Xunxian was, he could not rush to Chu Wangsun¡¯s rescue before it was far toote.

    Besides that, it was guaranteed that Chu Wangsun and the North Duke Office would fight each other over the Ten Directions Stupa. Chu Wangsun was powerful, but the North Duke Office was no weakling either. The battle between two tigers would surely result in injuries, which would make it even easier for him to kill Chu Wangsun.

    His second reason for doing this was, of course, to im the Ten Directions Stupa. It was one of the three Buddhist artifacts the ancient K?itigarbha carried with him before he became a Buddha. It did not take a genius to know that it was extraordinary. Although he already had the Earthly Sovereign Bell, a Strange Artifact that was far more powerful and famous than the Ten Directions Stupa, that was no such thing as too much of a good thing.  ???

    Even if the Buddhist artifact turned out to be useless to him, he could give it to someone who could or sell it for money. What¡¯s not to like?

    And how could he increase his chances of obtaining the Ten Directions Stupa? By making him lead the charge for him, of course.

    As for Su Bancheng, he had nothing to say except the guy was unlucky. It wasn¡¯t <em>his </em>fault the Chu genius insisted on mixing with the likes of Chu Wangsun, was it?

    The n was pretty simple, and the execution turned out to be pretty stress free as well. All he needed to do was to set up a ¡°coincidence¡± and have Green Daylily divulge the news regarding the Ten Directions Stupa to Chu Wangsun.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid that Chu Wangsun might see through his ploy either. Be it the inheritance or the artifact, they were all temptations that few mortals could endure.

    Chu Wangsun was also mortal. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t immune to temptation either.

    Of course, this begged the question of how he could kill Green Daylily to increase the believability of the n. After all, the final words of the dead were usually more believable than the possible lies of the living.

    Besides, if Green Daylily was alive, Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng would surely want to keep her by their side if only to dig for more information. The prolonged scrutiny might reveal some ws to the duo and alert them that something was amiss. The risk wasn¡¯t worth the reward.

    In conclusion, Green Daylily was better off dead than alive.

    ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    A momentter, Ye Qing got up to his feet and looked at the boundless sea in front of him, smiling. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t want to miss the start of the show.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Lu Tai Yuan was located at the northernmost region of the Northern Sea and close to the arctic regions. It was essentially a giant ice in.

    Lu Tai Yuan was lifeless and barren because it sported extremely cold weather and was covered in thick ice and snow all year long. Only a kind of Stranger named ¡°Snow Deer¡± lived in the icy ins. It was how Lu (Deer) Tai Yuan got its name.

    But of course, the Snow Deers weren¡¯t the reason Lu Tai Yuan became famous. The K?itigarbha Stupa was.

    There was a tall, sheer cliff at the deepest region of Lu Tai Yuan. It was dozens of kilometers long and over three hundred meters in height. Engraved into the walls was a stupa mural describing the ancient K?itigarbha entering the eight major hells and making the Great Wish to not be a Buddha before all of hell was empty. Hence, it was named the K?itigarbha Stupa.

    The K?itigarbha Stupa was huge, impressive, grand, and overflowing with the air of Buddha. Those standing beneath the mural would feel like they were standing in the eight major hells and looking up to the K?itigarbha purifying countless ghosts and rescuing them from the hells.

    It was also why Lu Tai Yuan had a second name called K?itigarbha ins.

    When the K?itigarbha Stupa was first discovered, it caused quite the stir as a matter of course. Countless people thought it was a grand opportunity and rushed to the mural in hopes of gain.

    However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The <em>jianghu </em>people soon realized that the mural was just an ordinary mural. Sure, an image of K?itigarbha would appear, and a Hundred Ghost Parade would take ce every eighth of August, but there was still nothing to be gained whatsoever.

    Gradually, the <em>jianghu </em>people left, and Lu Tai Yuan regained its former tranquility. The only time it was busy was the eighth of August where the warriors who practiced the way of ghost refinement showed up.

    This year¡¯s eight of August should have been no different. It should¡¯ve been overflowing with ghosts and warriors who practiced the way of ghosts. In reality, it was empty and almost devoid of life.

    There was only the cold, the frozen blood, and the buried corpses.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡±

    Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream cut through the air. It sounded impossibly clear in the silent Lu Tai Yuan.

    A tall, muscr man wearing a set of bloody armor and escorting a troop of soldiers slowly approached from afar.

    The soldiers were all carrying long spears, and hanging on the sword tips were many heads. There were male, female, old and young. Everyone¡¯s head was bound to the spear using their hair. As the soldiers marched, blood asionally dripped from the severed stumps and left behind a scarlet trail amidst the pure white snow.

    Despite carrying spears with countless bloody, bleeding heads on their speartips, the soldiers weren¡¯t perturbed in the slightest. They were making light conversation with each other and generally looked to be in a good mood¡ªa stark contrastpared to the severed heads with horrified expressions etched permanently on their faces.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the muscr man and the squad of soldiers arrived at a View Mound. He then dumped the heads on his spear on it.

 Chapter 963: North Duke

    A so-called View Mound was basically a burial mound created from the bodies of one¡¯s enemy. Its purpose was to show off one¡¯s martial merit.

    This View Mount was over ten meters tall and made from countless corpses, ice and snow. At first nce, there had to be several hundred bodies at least.

    Lu Tai Yuan was close to the arctic regions. It was so close then it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say one¡¯ breath would freeze into ice as soon as it left one¡¯s mouth. Therefore, the corpses hadn¡¯t rotted or attracted any pests.

    Not only that, their final expressions¡ªfear, shock, resistance, resentment, hatred and more¡ªlooked so lifelike it was disturbing.

    Maybe it was because there were too many dead bodies, but the corpses¡¯ blood was surprisingly warm and fluid. They flowed down the View Mound, melted ice and snow, and formed a scarlet blood pool on the ground.

    Steam was visibly rising from the blood pool, and the blood stench was such that one could smell them even from a full five kilometers away. It added even more savagery and cruelty to the already cruel scene.

    It was at this moment the space above the View Mound suddenly rippled unnaturally. Then, a figure appeared out of nowhere.

    The figure was wearing a long purple qilin robe. His countenance was noble, dignified, and naturally imposing.

    ¡°This low general Ying Lou greets the Left Counselor!¡±The muscr man immediately dropped to one knee. The soldiers behind him did the same while keeping their spears straight. The sound of ttering metal was like a torrent.

    ¡°We greet the left Counselor!¡±

    ¡°Rise,¡± the figure ordered before asking, ¡°How did it go, Ying Lou?¡±

    Ying Lou answered, ¡°It is done. The outsiders have been eliminated, and the Viewing Mounds are built.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t miss anything, did you?¡± The figure asked.

    ¡°Worry not, Left Counselor. I did not,¡± Ying Lou answered. ¡°Should there be any, feel free to punish this low general for his crimes!¡±

    ¡°Well done and good work, Ying Lou. If everything goes smoothly tonight, I shall report to the duke and request that he rewards you all!¡± The figure promised.

    ¡°Thank you, Left Counselor.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Left Counselor.¡±

    Everyone responded in kind.

    ¡°Alright. Keep watch and continue to guard the View Mound. I need to report to the duke now,¡± the figure instructed.

    ¡°As youmand.¡± Ying Lou saluted him. ¡°See youter, Left Counselor.¡±

    With that said, the figure on top of the Viewing Mound slowly disappeared into nothing.

    ¡­¡­

    At the same time, the man who just appeared on the Viewing Mound earlier, the Left Counselor Lu Daoweng, was walking up to a man and a woman.

    The man was in his forties and wearing an indigo silver dragon robe. His appearance was handsome, and his aura was potent and deep. He and the space behind him felt invible even though he was just standing there. ??

    Standing beside him was a primly dressed woman with a poised bearing. She was also quite beautiful, though her lips were thin, and her eyes were sharp. They made her look harsh and merciless.

    Standing further behind the man and woman were several guards.

    ¡°I greet you, my lord, mydy.¡±

    Lu Daoweng saluted them both.

    ¡°How did it go, Daoweng?¡± The man a.k.a the North Duke asked.

    Lu Daoweng replied, ¡°All the outsiders on Lu Tai Yuan have been dealt with. Viewing Mounds have been built on all four cardinal directions. We may begin.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Without further ado, let¡¯s begin!¡±

    The North Duke produced a square seal from his sleeve. Indigo in color and with nary a scratch on its surface, the square seal was covered in carvings of a dragon and a tiger. The words ¡°Duke of Northern Sea / Longevity and Prosperity¡± were also engraved on its surface. It looked both noble and impressive.

    The square seal was the imperial seal used by the Northern Sea Empire back in the day. It was a symbol of the empire and a powerful Strange Artifact. ¡°When the seal appears, the people of the Northern Sea obey, and peace be with the four seas.¡± Hence, the seal was named the Northern Sea Seal.

    At the very beginning, the words engraved on the Northern Sea Seal was really, ¡°Master of Northern Sea, Longevity and Prosperity¡±. However, after the Northern Sea Empire was no more, and the ruler ¡°demoted¡± himself to a Duke, the words ¡°Master of Northern Sea¡± was no longer suitable. So, the four nations tinkered with the Strange Artifact a little and changed the wording to ¡°Duke of Northern Sea¡±. The name of the seal was also changed to North Duke Seal.

    The difference was just one word for both the words on the seal and the name of the seal, but the difference was like night and day.

    The Northern Sea Seal used to be the symbol of the empire and was empowered by the Will of the People and the Will of the Empire. Its very fate was bound to the fate of the Northern Sea Empire. However, after the naming was changed from ¡°Master of Northern Sea¡± to ¡°Duke of Northern Sea¡±, its Will of the Empire was stripped, and it no longer received the Will of the People. From here on out, the North Duke Office could only ever have a Duke. They would never be able to found a nation, and the ruler could never call themselves a Duke again. This one ¡°minor¡± change cut off any hope for the North Duke Office to restore their empire.

    Besides that, the Northern Sea Seal was a bonafide Ancient-ss Strange Artifact capable of wielding the Will of the Empire and suppressing the Northern Sea at the height of the Northern Sea Empire¡¯s power. The saying, ¡°When the seal appears, the people of the Northern Sea obey, and peace be with the four seas¡± was neither a lie nor an exaggeration.

    Unfortunately, after the Northern Sea Seal turned into the North Duke Seal, it was no longer empowered by the Will of the Empire and declined into a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact instead. Naturally, its powers were a pale shadow of what it used to be.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    But of course, it was still a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. To underestimate it was to put one¡¯s life in jeopardy.

    The next moment, the North Duke Seal began flying into the air. Every time it flew up three meters, its light would grow a bit brighter. Like the rising sun, it cast countless light rays upon heaven and earth when it reached the center of the sky.

    At the same time, scarlet pirs of light burst out of the northern, southern, eastern and western direction of the Lu Tai Yuan. It merged with the North Duke Seal and caused it to gradually change from indigo to crimson. The blue light the North Duke Seal was emitting had turned red as well.

    When the North Duke Seal had turnedpletely red, a terrifying, immense aura permeated heaven and earth.

    The North Duke Seal abruptly rose a meter higher in the sky before plummeting toward the earth. It was like a divine being was holding the seal and¡ªusing the blood as the ink, and the earth as the paper¡ªstamping it.

    When the sealnded, heaven and earth shook, and the massive words ¡°Duke of Northern Sea, Longevity and Prosperity¡± appeared in the sky like a bloody sun. It dyed what was a pure white world blood red.

    After that, the eight bloody words spread out in every direction and slowly epassed the entire Lu Tai Yuan. From a distance, it looked like a gigantic red cover had trapped the entire Lu Tai Yuan, and eight bloody dragons were encircling it. It made it impossible for those outside to see into Lu Tai Yuan.

    ¡°Ah¡­ there¡¯s still a couple of rats, I see. They hid themselves well.¡± It was at this moment the North Duke suddenly let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Too bad you¡¯re still going to die!¡±

    The North Duke pointed, and several bloody beams shot out of the North Duke Seal and scattered in every direction.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Heavens above, what the fuck possessed the North Duke Office to ughter so many people?¡±

    Traveling deep underground, a short man was covering a wound on his shoulder and muttering with a dark expression on his face.

    His name was Pan Lin, and he was one of the people participating in the Ghost Liberation Festival during the eight of August. However, several days ago, the North Duke Office suddenly sealed off the entire Lu Tai Yuan and began killing everyone they met.

    Although plenty of <em>jianghu </em>people participated in the Ghost Liberation Festival each year, they were usually wanderers with no resource or background or sect members of minor sects. Not only that, the North Duke Office had dispatched all of their elites including the Six Generals and the Nine Ministers. Naturally, they were no match. Like ants, over half of them were massacred on the first exchange, leaving the survivors with no choice but to run.

    However, it was as if everyone in the North Duke Office was possessed by the demon of bloodthirst. They had chased down everyst soul and taken their lives.

 Chapter 964: Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array

    He was no match for the Six Generals and the Nine Ministers of the North Duke Office as a matter of course, but he was no weakling either. He also knew an earth traveling spell that allowed him to travel through earth freely. While the elites of the North Duke Office were massacring his fellow warriors, he had immediately gone underground and hidden himself. That was how he managed to avoid being killed.

    Of course, just because he escaped death once did not mean that he was safe. He could not rest easy until he had escaped Lu Tai Yuan.

    The problem was that Lu Tai Yuan¡¯s underground was madepletely of ice. Not only did its solidity greatly slowed down his travel speed, he didn¡¯t dare to push himself for fear of being detected by the North Duke Office elites. So, he traveled very, very slowly.

    After several days of hard work, he finally reached the edge of Lu Tai Yuan. Just a little more, and he would be out of this ce.

    Unfortunately, when Pan Lin was less than a meter away from the edge, a red light suddenly seeped through from above and blocked his path.

    The red light looked as thin and frail as a cicada¡¯s wing. It looked like one finger was all he needed to push through it. In reality, nothing he tried was able to pierce through the red light.

    In the end, Pan Lin gritted his teeth and decided to go all out. But right before he couldunch his greatest attack, a red beam descended from above and pierced through his torso. The next moment, his body melted into a pool of flesh and blood, and his mind was extinguished.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°What do you think the North Duke Office is nning, old ghost? Why do you think they¡¯re massacring us?¡±Inside a pitch ck crevice, a ball of wriggling shadow took the form of a face and asked in a dark voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    A yin wind blew, and an ancient voice mixed with what sounded like a million ghastly wails replied, ¡°It has to be something massive though. They are clearing out the entire Lu Tai Yuan after all. Who knows, this could be an opportunity for you and I, keke.¡±

    ¡°The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?¡± The face asked.

    ¡°Keke¡­ exactly.¡± A strange cackle came from the yin wind.

    But the face said worriedly, ¡°The North Duke Office is not to be trifled with, old ghost. You should not be impulsive!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be scared of. Another person might have good reason to fear the North Duke Office, but I am the Old Wind Ghost!¡±

    Old Wind Ghost harrumphed. ¡°I have reached the adept level of my ¡®Yin Wind Ghost Devouring Great Art¡¯ and be incorporeal. I can transform into whatever I want. Forget the Six Generals or Nine Ministers, not even the North Duke himself can touch me!¡±

    The face paid him apliment. ¡°That¡¯s true. There are only a handful of Truemen who can kill you at your current¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish though, a red beam descended from above and pierced Old Wind Ghost.

    Old Wind Ghost was swiftly dyed red, and the ghosts inside him began melting soundlessly like an ice cube being thrown under the hot sun. In the end, even the yin wind itself scattered and disappeared into nothing.

    Old Wind Ghost was dead.

    ¡°Tr¡­ True death!¡±

    The face¡¯s eyes widened in shock and horror. Then, he scattered into countless formless wisps and scattered in every direction.

    It was useless. More red beams descended from above, and they each nailed a shadow with unerring uracy. No matter how hard the shadows struggled and screamed, they did not relent. Eventually, the shadows all evaporated into ash.

    Pan Lin, Old Wind Ghost and the poor face who wasn¡¯t even named weren¡¯t the only ones who experienced death. A woman hiding in the clouds were pierced by a red beam, an old granny who transformed into a block of ice was wrapped by a sheen of red light, a child who had transformed into a bird was disintegrated into atoms by a red beam¡­

    Simr deaths were urring everywhere on Lu Tai Yuan at nearly the same time.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Forgive us, my lord! Our failure to purge Lu Tai Yuan has nearly ruined your grand n! We deserve a million deaths for this failure!¡±

    In front of the K?itigarbha Stupa, Lu Daoweng immediately begged for forgiveness when he saw the North Duke controlling the North Duke Seal and killing countless warriors who were in hiding.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. These rats are just too good at hiding.¡±

    The North Duke replied indifferently, ¡°Unfortunately for them, rats are just rats. In the end, killing them is but a matter of trying.¡±

    ¡°A wise saying, my lord.¡± Lu Daoweng paid him apliment. ¡°With the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array, your grand n will surely seed without a hitch.¡±

    The Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array was the bloody cover covering the entire Lu Tai Yuan. It was created from the earthly qi of four cardinal directions using the viewing mounds as the bases and the North Duke Seal as the core.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    The Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array could iste an entire area and seal off the surrounding space. Those outside would find it difficult to look or pass through the barrier, and the array deployer could channel the energies of thend through the North Duke Seal to spy on and suppress everything. So long as the viewing mounds weren¡¯t damaged, and the earthly qi did not run out, the array would always be functional.

    Legend has it that the array was invented by the renowned emperor of the Northern Sea Empire called Bei Tangsha over nine hundred years ago. The Strangers of the four seas were invading at the time, so Bei Tangsha massacred over a million Strangers, built Viewing Mounds that stretched over thousands of meters in height using their corpses, and created a Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array that epassed over tens of thousands of kilometers ofnd.

    Thanks to his efforts, the Northern Sea Empire was able to resist the Stranger invasion for years before the Dragon Sovereign finally deigned to destroy it in person. That was how potent the array was.

    Obviously, the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array currently in effect was absolutely iparable to the one created by Bei Tangsha nine hundred years ago. Even so, its potency could not be underestimated.

    The potency of the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array was directly rted to the power of the North Duke Seal and the size of the Viewing Mounds. In fact, the Viewing Mounds were of the utmost importance.

    The world wasn¡¯t at war, and deploying the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array required many, many corpses. Luckily for the North Duke Office, the Ghost Liberation Festival was held every eighth of August, and countless <em>jianghu </em>warriors came from every corner of the world to practice their arts. So, this was no longer a problem.

    The reason they set up the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array was very simple. It was to eliminate all disruptive factors and ensure that absolutely nothing could stop the North Duke when he was retrieving the Ten Directions Stupa.

    As for whether the massacre was going to garner the vengeance of their victims¡¯ backers, the North Duke Office believed that it wasn¡¯t a big issue. After all, most, if not all of the warriors participating in the Ghost Liberation Festival were wanderers with little to no background. If they died, they died. None of these people would dare to take revenge against the North Duke Office.

    On the off chance that some of these people did possess powerful backers, the North Duke would be much more powerful after he retrieved the Ten Directions Stupa; powerful enough that even the strongest powers would think twice before challenging the North Duke Office.

    That was why they dared to go so far.

    The North Duke instructed, ¡°Although the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array is keeping the disruptive factors to a minimum, and although it looks like we are definitely going to retrieve the Ten Directions Stupa, do not let down your guard until the deed is done, understand?¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord!¡± Lu Daoweng and the rest of his men answered obediently.

    Time passed slowly. When the sun fell behind the sea, and the moon reced it, a thinyer of dark light suddenly rippled out of the K?itigarbha Stupa.

    Everything that was touched by the dark light suddenly became much colder than before. The yin wind was blowing a lot stronger than before as well.

    ¡°It has begun!¡±

    The North Duke who had been resting and recuperating immediately opened his eyes and stared at the K?itigarbha Stupa.

    The evil, vile ghosts on the mural began toe alive.

    Some began pulling out their tongue and howling like crazy.

    Some ripped off their own heads and bled a trail of blood.

    Some were boiling inside pots of oil until all that was left of them was bones.

    Some were rolling down mountains of knives until they were barely more than flesh sticking to bones.

    Some were jumping out of a sea of fire and scorched ck.

    ¡­¡­

    The next moment, the ghosts all rushed out of the mural and spread across the entire Lu Tai Yuan. It was like hell had descended upon the earth.

 Chapter 965: Kitigarbha Buddha

    <h4>Chapter 965: Kitigarbha Buddha </h4>

    ¡°My lord...¡±

    The North Duke Consort turned a little pale and trembled at the unholy sight before her.

    It wasn¡¯t just her. Lu Daoweng and the others were reacting more or less the same.

    It wasn¡¯t because they were cowardly or inexperienced. The ghosts were just too numerous and powerful. A good number of them were Ghost Generals or Ghost Kings on the same power level as them.

    If the ghosts were to discover them, they had no doubt that only a handful of them would be walking out of Lu Tai Yuan alive.

    In fact, it was no secret that Lu Tai Yuan became extremely dangerous every eighth of August. Everyone in the Northern Sea was aware that ghosts would fill up the entire Lu Tai Yuan during nighttime and transform it into a forbidden zone where death was around every corner. It only got more dangerous the closer one got to the center, which was why the <i>jianghu </i>warriors participating in the Ghost Liberation Festival usually did their thing at the outskirts.

    There were of course self-styled elites who ventured to the center of Lu Tai Yuan thinking they were strong enough to face whatever danger was inside. None of them had ever returned.

    Although the North Duke Office was a longtime resident of the Northern Sea, they weren¡¯t experts in the way of the ghost. That was why they rarely came to Lu Tai Yuan or ventured deep into the icy ins during the nighttime of the eighth of August. All the information they gathered about the ce came from word-of-mouth, and therge majority of them believed that the <i>jianghu </i>people were exaggerating its dangers.

    But now, they realized they were gravely mistaken. The <i>jianghu </i>people hadn¡¯t exaggerated its dangers, they had vastly, <i>vastly </i>underestimated the terrors of the inner region of Lu Tai Yuan and the K?itigarbha Stupa.

    The North Duke grabbed his consort¡¯s hand and patted it consolingly. ¡°There is no need to be afraid... the Ghost Children are concealing our presence. These evil ghosts would not be able to discover us.¡±

    Although they had vastly underestimated the dangers of the inner region of Lu Tai Yuan, they weren¡¯tpletely unprepared. The Ghost Children were their strategy to evade the ghosts¡¯ notice, and they were the invisible, child-like silhouettes currently lying on the heads of every North Duke Office member.

    The North Duke had paid a hefty price to buy these Ghost Children from Nine Sons Ghost Mother of the Yellow Spring of the Sky, one of the thirty-six unorthodox sects.

    Nine Sons Ghost Mother was a Half-Sage and an adept in the art of ghost cultivation and controlling. The Ghost Children he bought was bred from the Ghost Mother¡¯s own ghost qi. Although it wasn¡¯t as powerful as the nine sons Nine Sons Ghost Mother had birthed with her own flesh and blood, they were still infinitely useful. Not only could they be deployed inbat or used to intimidate weaker ghosts, they could conceal the presence of the living as well. They could trick another ghost into thinking that the person they were protecting was a fellow ghost, thus shielding them from harm.

    Of course, the Ghost Children weren¡¯t the only trump card he had prepared for this venture. He had a stock of ghostbane items and the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array as well. That was why he wasn¡¯t too worried despite his own astonishment.

    His consort and his men let out a sigh of relief after hearing their lord¡¯s assurance. However, that assurance was quickly shattered in the next moment. Countless people were covering their mouths in shock, and some had nearly cried out loud. It was because a gigantic, eerie ball that seemed to be made of countless eyeballs had appeared above their heads before they knew it. What really scared them was the fact that every single eyeball was staring straight at them.

    The North Duke and his men all felt a powerful, evil energy wrapping around their person. The Ghost Children lying on top of their heads visibly shivered under its presence.

    A few breathster, the eyeballs slowly closed, and the evil energies wrapped around their person vanished like they never were.

    For a moment, everyone let out a sigh of relief thinking that the Ghost Children had managed to fool the massive ball after all. Then, the eyeballs on the ball opened at once, and a terrible power unlike anything they had ever felt washed across the area.

    Disaster struck instantly. The Ghost Children sitting on their heads let out a bloodcurdling scream and scattered in every direction, ignoring any and all orders to stay. The North Duke and his men nched at this because the departure of the Ghost Children meant that they were exposed.

    As expected, the evil ghosts seemingly sensed their vitality and fresh meat and began charging in from all sides.

    ¡°Don¡¯t attack!¡±

    Lu Daoweng and the others were about to attack when the North Duke raised a hand and stopped them.

    ¡°Do not attack. Not yet.¡±

    The North Duke stressed just in case one of his men didn¡¯t catch his words. At the same time, he squinted a little and stared at the evil ghosts rushing toward them with a severe expression.

    Neither Lu Daoweng nor everyone else understood why the duke was stopping them from taking defensive measures, but they trusted him enough to obey hismand. They did not move a muscle even as the evil ghosts came closer and closer.

    Right as the evil ghosts came within three meters of the group, they suddenly came to a dead stop as if blocked by some sort of invisible wall. It wasn¡¯t long before the throng of ghosts piled up into a ghastly tide that was over a kilometer tall from all sides. But no matter how hard they pushed, they just could not get within three meters of the group no matter what.

    It almost felt as if they existed in separate spaces.

    ¡°My lord... what is going on here?¡±

    The group rxed slightly after confirming that the evil ghosts could not get close to them, though that begged the question: Why? How?

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the fragments of the Ten Directions Stupa.¡±

    The North Duke exined while producing an old, tattered Buddhist sutra on his hand. Right now, the sutra was glowing slightly with Buddha light.

    As soon as the evil ghosts saw the Buddhist sutra, they instantly backed off as if they saw the bane of their existence. However, they weren¡¯t willing to leave just like that, eyes overflowing with hatred, fear, and respect.

    It was at this moment Buddha light shone from the mural on the cliffside. The K?itigarbha Stupa¡¯s light was gentle and soothing like the sunlight of spring. Slowly but surely, the violent, brutal evil ghosts calmed down and became peaceful as if every negative emotion that was possessing their bodies was purified.

    A momentter, a man riding a strange beast stepped out of the K?itigarbha Stupa.

    The strange beast had a tiger¡¯s head, a dog¡¯s ears, a dragon¡¯s body, a lion¡¯s tail, a qilin¡¯s feet, and a single horn on its forehead. It looked like a dragon, but it wasn¡¯t a dragon. It looked like a tiger, a lion, a dog, or a qilin, but it was none of them. It gave off a fair and dignified bearing.

    The strange beast was none other than the K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s mount, Diting[1].

    Diting possessed the ability to hear the voice of the world and the all of creation. It could repel evil, eliminate disaster, bestow blessings, guard a person and more. It was an auspicious beast.

    As for the man riding on the Diting¡¯s back, he appeared to be a Bhikkhu[2] wearing a jeweled crown and a kasaya of merit. He was holding K?itigarbha beads on his left hand and the Da?acakra K?itigarbha S¨±tra on his right. A halo of ten colors was shining behind his head and illuminating every direction.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    It did not take a genius to recognize that the man riding on the Diting was none other than the ancient Buddha, K?itigarbha Buddha.

    K?itigarbha Buddha was semi-transparent and incorporeal, however. It almost looked as if he was just an illusion.

    Even so, he felt magnificent and awe-inspiring in an indescribable fashion.

    ¡°You havee, destined ones.¡±

    After the Diting stopped in front of the group, K?itigarbha Buddha greeted them all with a smile.

    ¡°We greet you, K?itigarbha Buddha.¡±

    ¡°We greet you, K?itigarbha Buddha.¡±

    It was only now the North Duke and his people jolted back to reality and tried to kneel. Some sort of invisible power was stopping them though.

    K?itigarbha Buddha said slowly, ¡°All lives are equal, and my Buddha is merciful. You don¡¯t need to kneel before me.¡±

    ¡°You are most merciful, K?itigarbha Buddha...¡±

    The North Duke saluted him respectfully before producing six items from his Nature¡¯s Shell. They were a headless Buddha statue, a Buddha¡¯s head, a kasaya, a jeweled crown, jeweled beads and a roll of Buddhist sutra. ¡°These are the fragments the Ten Directions Stupa is missing, Buddha. This junior has purposelye to return them to you.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± K?itigarbha Buddha chanted with his hands sped together. The next moment, the six items slowly floated into the air.

    1. You¡¯ve heard of this beast before, way back when MC first met Greeke Bai ?

    2. A bhikkhu is an ordained male in Buddhist monasticism. ?

 Chapter 966: The Eight Major Hells

    <h4>Chapter 966: The Eight Major Hells </h4>

    The Buddha¡¯s headnded on the headless Buddha¡¯s statue.

    The jeweled crownnded on the Buddha¡¯s head.

    The kasaya wrapped around the Buddha¡¯s body.

    The jeweled beadsnded on the Buddha¡¯s left hand.

    And the Buddhist sutranded on his right.

    In just the blink of an eye, a Buddha statue that looked exactly the same as the transparent silhouette of K?itigarbha Buddha took form in the air.

    Then, the silhouette of K?itigarbha Buddha walked off the Diting¡¯s back and entered the Buddha¡¯s statue.

    When the silhouette and the Buddha¡¯s statue became one, Buddhist chants immediately filled the world. As the Buddha¡¯s statue emitted a faint Buddha light, the cracks on the statue began mending, the damages on the jeweled crown disappeared like they never were, the tattered kasaya regained its luster, the dim beads regained their light, and the ancient-looking sutra looked as good as new.

    When the Buddha¡¯s statue opened its eyes, a halo that illuminated all directions chased away the darkness, a Buddha¡¯s voice that seemed like a part of the world itself shook the past and the future, and the Buddha¡¯s light shining from the mural became much brighter.

    Amidst the light, countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats and Vajrapanis appeared. It was like the Kingdom of Buddha had manifested.

    The Buddha¡¯s light and voice epassed the entire Lu Tai Yuan, which was why every evil ghost on the icy ins slowly shedded their negative emotions and turned peaceful. Not only that, they seemed to regain their human form before sitting on the ground and chanting a Buddhist sutra while facing in the direction of K?itigarbha Buddha.

    What was a living hell on earth had transformed into a Buddha¡¯s paradise in the blink of an eye.

    While all this was going on, the North Duke and his men could only watch with stunned expressions.

    ¡°My Buddha is merciful. The Ten Directions Stupa is nowplete, so the cmity of ghosts is no more. Herein lies immeasurable merit.¡±

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    K?itigarbha Buddha then turned to look at the North Duke¡¯s group and asked, ¡°Are you willing to enter the Ten Directions Stupa and receive my mantle and inheritance? Are you willing to take refuge in the Buddha?¡±

    ¡°This disciple is willing!¡± Everyone responded and nodded their head immediately.

    ¡°Excellent...¡±

    K?itigarbha Buddha continued, ¡°Those who enter the Ten Directions Stupa must be punished by eight major hells and be purified themselves of ten unjust deeds. Are you willing to ept this?¡±

    ¡°This disciple is willing!¡± The group responded again. The North Duke knew from the beginning that there was no way they could receive K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s acknowledgement and subsequently the Ten Directions Stupa just by returning the fragments. He had expected to face some trials and so wasn¡¯t really surprised.

    ¡°Excellent, excellent,¡± K?itigarbha Buddha chanted again before dering, ¡°Off you go. Off you go.¡±

    As soon as he finished, a ray of Buddha¡¯s light struck the North Duke¡¯s group. They immediately disappeared into nothing.

    After the North Duke¡¯s group was gone, K?itigarbha Buddha turned his head and looked in a certain direction as if he was expecting someone. Not a moment too soon, the seemingly empty space rippled, and Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng stepped out into the open.

    ¡°We greet you, K?itigarbha Buddha.¡± Both Chu Wangsun and Su Banchen saluted the Buddha.

    ¡°Do you wish to enter the Ten Directions Stupa as well?¡± K?itigarbha Buddha asked.

    ¡°Yes, we do,¡± Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng responded. ¡°We hope you will fulfill our wish.¡±

    ¡°You seek to receive reward without merits. You seek to kill and to steal. I see the malice in your hearts, and I deem you guilty,¡± K?itigarbha Buddha dered. ¡°If you enter the Ten Directions Stupa, the punishments you will receive for your sin of stealing and killing will be multiplied. Are you still willing to enter despite knowing this?¡±

    ¡°This disciple is willing,¡± Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng replied without hesitation.

    ¡°Excellent.¡±

    K?itigarbha Buddha waved his hand, and the duo disappeared in a sh of Buddha¡¯s light as well.

    After Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng were gone, K?itigarbha Buddha asked again, ¡°Do you seek to enter the Ten Directions Stupa as well?¡±

    As soon as he finished, two people slowly walked over from afar. They seemed to be moving slowly, but they really appeared in front of K?itigarbha Buddha in just the blink of an eye. Naturally, they were Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou.

    ¡°We greet you, K?itigarbha Buddha.¡±

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou gave K?itigarbha Buddha a bow. Then, Ye Qing asked simply, ¡°May we enter?¡±

    ¡°You have no merits, and I sense malice in your hearts. You seek to steal, and you are plotting to take another life. Your sins are grave.¡±

    K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s eyes seemed capable of seeing through the past, present, and future. He seemed to know all of creation. At the very least, he had seen through Ye Qing¡¯s ploy instantly. ¡°When you enter the Ten Directions Stupa, you must suffer ten times the punishment to cleanse your sins.¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t disturbed by K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s surprisingly harsh words, however. He asked calmly, ¡°And if we choose not to enter?¡±

    ¡°Your sins are grave. You must enter even if you choose not to enter,¡± K?itigarbha Buddha said slowly.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting this answer. Everyone else got the chance to say no, so why not them?

    Before he could mull over the Buddha¡¯s words, a pair of Buddha lights enveloped him and Feng Qingyou. The next moment, they found themselves pulled toward an unknown space by an irresistible power.

    ¡°You have no martial virtue, K?itigarbha Buddha!¡±

    That was thest thought in Ye Qing¡¯s mind before he disappeared.

    When he regained his consciousness, Ye Qing found himself standing at a dark red ce. Feng Qingyou was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°I guess he separated us.¡±

    Ye Qing examined thend before him. Rivers of molten copper were everywhere, and many tall, massive ghost pawns were standing beside the rivers with one or more prisoners in tow. They were scooping up the molten copper from the river and pouring it into their prisoners¡¯ mouths.

    Naturally, the molden copper easily burned through the prisoner¡¯s tongue, throat, andter their stomach. Despite screaming in pain and struggling with all their might, the ghosts could not die, much less struggle free. They could only watch as the ghost pawns poured molten copper into their mouths and subject them to seemingly eternal pain.

    ¡°Is this the Hell of Molten Copper?!¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and muttered to himself.

    There were eight major hells and countless evil ghosts imprisoned in the Ten Directions Stupa. As for why there were eight major hells, volume neenth of the ancient Buddhist sutra ¡°Dirgha Agama¡± stated this:

    ¡°The Buddha told the monks, ¡®There are 8,000 inds that surround the four continents. There¡¯s also a great ocean thatpletely encircles those 8,000 inds, and a chain of great diamond mountains encircles that ocean. Beyond those diamond mountains, there¡¯s a second chain of great diamond mountains. There¡¯s an utter darkness between those two mountain chains, where the great illuminating power of the sun and moon gods doesn¡¯t reach.¡¯

    ¡®There are eight great hells there, and each of those hells has sixteen lesser hells. The first great hell is called Molten Copper. The second is called Sa?j?¨¡. The third is called Ks¨±tra. The fourth is called Yin Wind. The fifth is called Frigid Ice. The sixth is called Tapana. The seventh is called Mills. The eighth is called Av¨©ci.¡¯ [1]

    The Hell of Molten Copper was one of the eight major hells. Those who told lies, flowery words; two-tongued, and vile-mouthed would enter this hell and suffer the pain of having molten copper poured into their throats to atone for the sin of their mouth.

    They could leave only when their atonement wasplete, and their karmic hidrance was fully cleansed.

    <i>tter!</i>

    It was at this moment a chain appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around Ye Qing.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ye Qing frowned and unleashed his force, but to his surprise, not even his prodigious strength was enough to break the chain immediately. The next moment, a mysterious energy surged into his body and caused light gray steam to rise out of him.

    The grayish steam was dirty, inauspicious, and anomalous.

    Behind him, a ghost pawn dered in a cold, emotionless voice, ¡°You are a sinner who is told lies and flowery words; two-tongued, and vile-mouthed! You will suffer the punishment of molten copper three hundred times!¡±

    The next moment, the ground in front of Ye Qing split open, and red hot copper rose from its ck depths.

    The ghost pawn did not wait for a response. He immediately scooped up a spoonful of molten copper and acted to pour it into his mouth.

    Ye Qing did not struggle though. In fact, he cooperatively opened his mouth.

    It wasn¡¯t that he was powerless to resist. He just wanted to see what would happen if he allowed the punishment to take its course.

    Besides, with his current physique, forget a few spoonfuls of molten copper, he could swim in the river for weeks and not lose a single hair on his body.

    What could he do? He was just that strong.

    As expected, Ye Qing felt nothing when the molten copper was poured into his mouth. It felt like he was drinking water with a tang of copper rust, but that was all.

    1. Trantion is lifted from a website, with SOME author changes as you can see that some hells have sanskrit names and some don¡¯t. Regardless, all credit goes to them: <u>https://canon.dharmapearls/01_agama/dirgha/DA_30-4.html</u><u> </u>?

 Chapter 967: Saj

    ¡°Meh. It doesn¡¯t really taste good.¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head. However, he could clearly sense the light gray steam rising from his body diminishing slightly after he drank the molten copper.

    <em>I see. This light gray steam is my karmic hindrance! </em>Ye Qing thought to himself.

    It was at this moment the ghost pawn scooped another spoonful of molten copper. Ye Qing drank it again and confirmed that it lessened the gray steam even more.

    <em>Looks like I¡¯ll need to drink three hundred spoonfuls of molten copper before I can cleanse my karmic hindrancepletely, but¡­</em>

    Ye Qing drank another spoonful of molten copper before resuming his thoughts.

    <em>¡­ it¡¯s going to take way too long. I¡¯ll do this myself.</em>

    Ye Qing inhaled and exhaled, causing his vigor to erupt, and his muscles to ripple like mini dragons. The chains trapping him instantly broke into many pieces.

    ¡°Brazen criminal!¡±Enraged, the ghost pawn behind him immediately burst into ghastly mes. The other ghost pawns were wearing unfriendly expressions as well.

    ¡°Rx, I don¡¯t mean to escape. I just think that the procedure can be sped up a little, if you get what I mean.¡±

    Ye Qing did not wait to see if the ghost pawns got what he meant or not. He opened his mouth and inhaled the entire river of molten copper into his mouth in one gulp.

    The light gray steam rising from his body immediately started diminishing at a visible rate. The next moment, it was gone.

    ¡°See? This is way faster, and I don¡¯t need to waste your time.¡± Ye Qing wiped his mouth and gave the ghost pawn behind him a smile.

    The ghost pawn didn¡¯t reply. To be more urate, he seemed to be stupefied by what he just saw. He had been toiling away in this hell for many years, but he had never seen such a brazen criminal in his life, much less one who cleansed his sin like this.

    The next moment, a crack appeared underneath Ye Qing¡¯s feet, and he plummeted into darkness.

    When Ye Qing came to again, he found himself in apletely new ce.

    Everything was dark cyan in color. A cold, biting wind was blowing in the air, countless ghosts were fighting against each other, but not quite. To be exact, they were ripping into each other or themselves with an iron gleam in their eyes and iron ws growing out of their hands.

    Despite spilling gore all over the ce, the ghosts refused to stop. They kept fighting or ripping themselves apart until their bodies gave out, and they died.

    However, when a yin wind blew past their bodies, they would immediately revive and look as new as before. Then, they began fighting each other or tearing themselves apart once more.

    Again and again, a neverending hell.

    ¡°This must be the Sa?j?¨¡, the Reviving Hell!¡± Ye Qing remarked.

    The second hell of the eight hells was called the Sa?j?¨¡, the Reviving Hell. It was the hell where those who speak flowery words, aggressive people and sinners whomitted assault against another person entered. Iron ws would grow out of their hands, and they would be forced to fight against each other or harm themselves until their body gave out. However, one gust of cold wind was all it took to return them to life, and they would have to fight once more. This would continue until their sins were cleansed.

    It was at this moment he heard a grandiose voice, ¡°Your sin of wounding others is grave. You must strike yourself for thirty years to atone for it.¡±

    A cold wind blew against him, cold and biting, and he saw red lights shining out of his body like mes.

    ¡°Thirty years? Damn, that¡¯s pretty serious!¡± Ye Qing checked himself with a raised eyebrow and wondered if he was going to burst into mes.

    He wasn¡¯t really surprised though. Who in the <em>jianghu </em>hadn¡¯t fought or injured another person? This was doubly true for him, a <em>jianghu </em>warrior whose path was paved by fire and brimstone. Forget the number of people he injured, he couldn¡¯t even remember how many people he had killed until now. It was natural for his sin in this regard to be so steep.

    There was one thing that confounded him, however. Normally, a ghost was thrown into the eight major hells based on the severity and umtion of their sin. After all, it was impossible for someone tomit only one sin their whole life. Besides that, some sins were greater, and some were insignificant. In any case, based on the person¡¯s severity and umtion of sin, they would be thrown into one of the eight major hells and punished. And of course, each hell had their own main theme so to speak.

    He hadmitted far graver sins than just ¡°the sin of mouth¡± and the ¡°the sin of injuring others¡± such as killing, stealing and more. Logically speaking, he should¡¯ve been thrown into a deeper level of hell right away and punished there. Instead, he was starting from the very first level, the hell that boasted the lightest suffering, the Hell of Molten Copper. Clearly, something wasn¡¯t right here.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s it. I¡¯m supposed to start from the very first hell and cleanse my sins on each level.¡±

    The more Ye Qing thought about it, the more he believed he was right. Otherwise, considering the sins he hadmitted, he should have been sentenced to the fifth or sixth level of hell from the get go. Also, ording to the Buddhism¡¯s interpretation of hell, those who fell into Sa?j?¨¡ were sinners who spoke flowery words and aggressive people. However, the voice dered that his sin was one of injury. Nowhere did it mention his sin of flowery words. This was only possible if said sin was already cleansed in the previous hell.

    ¡°In other words, once I¡¯ve cleansed myself of all of my sins, I would obtain K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s inheritance and the Ten Directions Stupa, right? Right. That has to be it.¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing felt a mysterious, indescribable energy slipping into his body from the wind. His fingers slowly turned blue, and iron ws grew out of his hands. Then, before he could control himself, his hands took a swipe at his own face.

    <em>Screeeeech!</em>

    There was a horrible noise that sounded like nails against a chalkboard, and¡­ nothing happened. Forget leaving a wound, the ws had failed to so much as depress his skin.

    What could he do? He was just that thick-skinned.

    This was an awkward situation to be in thought. Ye Qing could tell that his karmic hindrance hadn¡¯t decreased one bit, meaning that the strike needed to draw blood as well.

    ¡°Screw it, I¡¯m just gonna cheat.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. He did not have any masochistic tendencies, nor did he feel like torturing himself for thirty years. So, he summoned his Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    As soon as the dark yellow qi appeared, his hands immediately returned to normal, and the red light that represented his sin gradually grew fainter.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was a karmic qi of the world, and karmic qi and karmic hindrance were like fire and water. The bane of each other¡¯s existence, of course the Profound Yellow Mother Qi could be used to wash away his sins and karmic hindrance.

    In fact, he already noticed this possibility when he was at the Hell of Molten Copper. It was just that the molten copper couldn¡¯t hurt him one bit, and three hundred spoonfuls really wasn¡¯t that much molten copper. So, he decided to save the Profound Yellow Mother Qi for another asion.

    The Profound Yellow Mother Qi was very precious, okay? It didn¡¯t fall from trees, okay?

    But now, he had to use it. Striking himself hard enough to draw blood for thirty years? Seriously? By the time he was done, everything would be over already.

    That wasn¡¯t the only thing he did, however. Using his hand like a saber, he cut himself while red lotuses fell all around him. It did not work nearly as well as the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, but it was definitely effective.

    It was the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±, a saber technique he hadn¡¯t needed to use for a very long time. It could sever an enemy¡¯s karmic hindrance, so it made sense that it would work on himself as well. And it did, to a certain extent.

    Thanks to the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±, the bloody light surrounding his person began diminishing at a visible rate. A teatimeter, it waspletely gone, and Ye Qing much lighter because of it.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Once again a cold wind blew against him, but this time, he felt warm andfortable instead of cold. He found himself growing increasingly transparent until he waspletely gone.

    The next moment, Ye Qing found himself at another dark red ce, though it was definitely not the Hell of Molten Copper. He saw countless red hot copper pirs and even more ghosts being bound to the copper pirs by ck ropes. Their flesh and blood sizzled against the hot metal, and hot steam rose from everywhere. Their screams seemed like it would never end.

    ¡°Ks¨±tra¡­ the Hell of ck Rope¡­¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows again. Ks¨±tra or the Hell of ck Rope was the third hell in the eight major hells. It punished those who spoke flowery words, aggressive people, and thieves. Those who fell into this hell would be bound to the piping hot copper pirs by iron ropes and burned until their sins were cleansed.

    ¡°Your sin of thievery and banditry is grave. You will be bound by ck rope and burned for sixty years.¡±

    Before the voice even finished, a burning ck rope shot out of the copper pir, wrapped him tight, and pulled him toward the copper pir.

 Chapter 968: Profound Yellow Cleanses Sin

    <em>Thump!</em>

    Ye Qing did not move, however. Not even a little. In fact, it was the Hell of ck Rope that shuddered once and let out a dull <em>thump.</em>

    As if angered by Ye Qing¡¯s resistance, countless ck ropes appeared from every direction and wrapped around Ye Qing. He was bound like a mummy in just the blink of an eye.

    Right now, the dominant emotion in Ye Qing was one of confusion. After all, he hadn¡¯t resisted. It was just that he was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, and he was as heavy as a mountain because he had reached the journeyman level in the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±. That was why the ck rope had failed to lift him up.

    Ye Qing understood why the ck ropes might be annoyed, but hell, was it his fault? No, it was their fault for being weak!

    Ye Qing withdrew his strength. Only then the ck ropes managed to pull him to a copper pir. However¡­

    ¡°Dude, can you remove some of the ropes?¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes. He already allowed himself to be bound to the copper pir, and still the ropes did not loosen. Did they really think that he would try and escape? Could they at least shift elsewhere so that he wouldn¡¯t look like a goddamn mummy?

    On a rted note, the temperature of the copper pir and the ck ropes were¡­ meh. It couldn¡¯t even redden his skin.What could he do? He was just thick-skinned.

    Of course, this was a problem. Even if he had burned normally, it still would have taken him sixty years to cleanse his sins. But like this? Sixty years might stretch to eternity, not to mention that he didn¡¯t have sixty years.

    <em>Heavens¡ªI mean, hells below, can¡¯t believe I had to do the hell¡¯s work for it¡­</em>

    And so he cleansed himself using the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± once more.

    It took him longer than the previous hell to cleanse his sins¡ªan incense stick to be exact¡ªas a matter of course. After all, the punishment duration was twice as long as the previous hell.

    Once done, Ye Qing found himself being pulled <em>into</em> the copper pir by the ck ropes.

    In just the blink of an eye, he found himself standing in a world full of howling yin wind. The ghosts were walking against the yin wind while their flesh and blood were slowing being stripped away with every step they looked. They looked like walking skeletons moving toward hell-knows-where.

    ¡°And this should be the Hell of Yin Wind.¡±

    The fourth hell of the eight major hells, the Hell of Yin Wind punished those who speak flowery words[1], aggressive people, thieves, and those possessed by the five poisons. Those who fell into this hell would suffer the erosion of yin wind, never be able to fall unconscious or die even though their flesh and blood had been stripped entirely. They could only walk endlessly and suffer.

    ¡°This hell punishes the Five Poisons, and yet the Five Poisons are simply human desires, are they not? Interesting.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a chuckle while rubbing his nose.

    Before his chuckle even faded, an imposing voice boomed, ¡°You havemitted the sin of attachment, aversion, and pride. You shall suffer three decades of yin wind to atone for it.¡±

    The next moment, Ye Qing glowed like a colorful light bulb. However, the colorful lights appeared to be filthy, evil, and bone-chilling.

    The next moment, a yin wind blew against him. Ye Qing felt something cold and evil slipping into his body, undeterred even by true qi.

    The yin wind slowly killed a victim¡¯s flesh and blood and increased the weight of their bones, making it difficult to walk. However, those who refused to walk would find themselves in much greater pain. Walking was the only way to diminish one¡¯s suffering.

    Not only that, the yin wind attacked the mind as well. It delivered severe mental pain and muddied one¡¯s consciousness. And yet, the victim would never be able to fall consciousness or die until they left the hell.

    ¡°Huh¡­ it can temper my yang god?!¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up with delight. His physical body was strong, his mind was solid, and he was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Therefore, the yin wind could not hurt him one bit. However, he discovered by ident that his yang god was growing more solid and stable just a few seconds after he was exposed to the yin wind. Clearly, this was an opportunity.

    When a warrior had reached the Trueman stage, they mainly focused on solidifying, stabilizing, and strengthening their yang god. They also focused on understanding thews of the world and understanding the will of the world. It was all to achieve what people called the union between heaven and human.

    That was why Ye Qing was delighted after discovering that the Hell of Yin Wind could solidify and stabilize his yang god.

    Unfortunately, his delight onlysted for a second before reality, the ever cruel mistress, crushed it beneath her feet. It was because he wasn¡¯t here to cultivate, but to retrieve the Ten Directions Stupa and the K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s inheritance. Considering the caliber of hispetitors, it would not be an exaggeration to say that every minute counted.

    Then, Ye Qing¡¯s joy stood up again like a resilient cockroach. It was because he recalled that the Hell of Yin Wind was a part of the Ten Directions Stupa. If he became the master of the Ten Directions Stupa, then he would obtain the Hell of Yin Wind as well. When that happened, he could enjoy the yin wind for as long as he liked.

    <em>Shit, I¡¯m getting a little excited!</em>

    Now brimming with motivation, Ye Qing did what he did before and washed away his sins using the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡±.

    When he was fully cleansed, and the yin wind blew at him again, he found himself standing in a world madepletely out of ice and snow.

    The hell before was already ice cold, but this? This was cold on an entirely different level. It was a cold that drilled into one¡¯s bones and froze the marrow utterly. The ground was all transparent, translucent ice, and icy spikes were all over the ce. Countless ghosts were skewered by the spikes and frozen to the ground.

    Not only that, goose-feather sized snow was raining from above, and they were all as sharp as des. They left many terrible wounds on the ghosts¡¯ bodies.

    ¡°The fifth hell, the Hell of Frigid Ice¡­¡±

    It was stated in the Buddhist sutras that those who spoke flowery words, aggressive people, thieves, those possessed by five poisons, and the lustful would enter this hell and suffer the pain of being skewered by ice, and wind and snow eroding their flesh and blood. The victims could not die no matter how severe their injuries, and they would suffer endlessly until their sins were cleansed.

    ¡°Huh! It¡¯s the Snow of Sin!¡±

    Ye Qing grabbed one of the snow falling from the sky and raised an eyebrow.

    What was the Snow of Sin? As its name implied, it was a kind of snow that only appeared at ces where great sin was gathered. If the Snow of Sinnded on a person with no karmic hindrance or sin, then their health would improve, and their lifespan would increase. But if itnded on a sinner, then it would cut them like des, hurt them to their core, and freeze them all the way down to the marrow. It was quite the unusual weather to put it mildly.

    Despite holding a Snow of Sin, Ye Qing did not feel any pain whatsoever.

    ¡°It looks like the Snow of Sin thinks that I am a clean-living and moral man in this regard. Cool!¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled at his own pun and, for the first time since he entered the hells, heard a deration of innocence, ¡°You have notmitted any sin of lust, and you are unfailingly pure and upright. Very good!¡±

    As soon as the voice finished, the surrounding wind and snow wrapped around him tightly. The next moment, he was gone.

    When Ye Qing regained his consciousness again, he found himself standing in a sea of fire.

    The fire reached so high it seemed to touch the heavens. The earth was so ckened it looked like it would never recover. At the same time, red lotuses were falling from the sky like it would burn anything and everything.

    Amidst the mes, countless ghosts were burning and screaming at the top of their lungs.

    ¡°Tapana, the Hell of Scorched mes¡­¡±

    Ye Qing looked at the towering inferno around him and eximed in surprise, ¡°Huh! It¡¯s my old friend, hellfire!¡±

    Those who spoke flowery words, aggressive people, thieves, those possessed by five poisons, the lustful, and those who murder¡ªespecially of the innocent¡ªwould plunge into the Tapana and suffer hellfire in both body and mind. So long as their sin wasn¡¯t cleansed, the hellfire would never fade.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°You havemitted the sin of murder. Although you have never murdered the weak or young, not everyone you killed is guilty, and the number of lives you took are countless. For this grave sin, you will be burned by hellfire for ny nine years!¡±

    The grandiose voice boomed as if on cue.

    ¡°Ny nine years, huh? I guess I have killed a lot of people.¡± Ye Qing pouted. It was also because K?itigarbha Buddha had personally condemned him for the sin of murder. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have ny-nine years worth of sin to cleanse.

    Ye Qing sighed. He had no choice but to use the Profound Yellow Mother Qi and the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± to cleanse himself once more. He already couldn¡¯t wait thirty years before, and he certainly wasn¡¯t going to wait ny-nine years now.

    This time though, it took him a full twenty four hours to finally cleanse himself of his sins. It was mainly because he decided to conserve his Profound Yellow Mother Qi and let the ¡°Hellfire Red Lotus Saber Art¡± do most of the work. It was because he hadn¡¯t reached the adept level of the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± and so did not possess a limitless amount of Profound Yellow Mother Qi. He had already expended a good amount before, so of course he should conserve the rest for when he truly needed it.

    After he finally washed off his sin of murder, hellfire enveloped him, and he found himself standing before a gigantic millstone.

    1. I can¡¯t get over how <em>every hell so far</em> punishes flowery words lol. ?

 Chapter 969: Nether Kitigarbha

    There were two millstones, one ck and one white. The ck millstone was on the ground, and the white millstone in the sky.

    When the two millstones rotated, they emanated what looked like shockwaves of primal chaos and dragged countless ghosts into them. Then, their flesh, blood, bone and soul were ground into dust.

    But of course, death was not the end. The ghosts revived in the waves of primal chaos and were dragged into the millstones again, and again, and again.

    ¡°So, this is the Hell of Mills¡­¡±

    Ye Qing was both stunned and disturbed. It was because he could sense an unbelievably vast aura from the millstones of yin and yang; a kind of innate great way andw that he couldn¡¯t describe. He had no doubt that even he would be ground into dust if he was pulled into the millstones, and that worried him as a matter of course.

    The Hell of Millstone was the seventh hell of the eight major hells. Anyone whomitted the Ten Evils would plunge into this hell and suffer the pain of grinding.

    The Ten Evils in Buddhism referred to killing, stealing, promiscuity, lying, spreading evil, cruelty, swearing, gossiping, coveting, to harbor malice, and to stay ignorant. It more or less epassed all of the sins that were stated in the previous six hells.

    ¡°You do not harbor any one of the evils. Merciful¡­¡±

    The voice boomed, and Ye Qing let out a huge sigh of relief. He did <em>not </em>want to experience being ground into dust. He could tell just by looking at the ghosts that the experience would have been painful beyond imagination.The hell after the Hell of Mills was also thest hell of the eight major hells. It was none other than the infamous Av¨©ci.

    After Ye Qing was judged to be innocent, a wave of primal chaos somehow blew him into the Av¨©ci.

    Compared to the seven hells before, this one had no distinct shape or form whatsoever. Wherever he looked, he only saw chaos and more chaos. There was neither sky nor celestial bodies above his head, no such thing as a horizon, and no colors.

    Despite this, he could see countless ghosts screaming and wailing at the top of their lungs. Their faces were warped into varying visages of torment, unable to live or die. The stench of despair on this level was so much thickerpared to the previous hells that it wasn¡¯t even funny.

    The final hell of the eight major hells, Av¨©ci, was the worst hell of them all.

    The ¡°Nirvana Sutra¡± stated this: ¡°¡®A¡¯ means ¡®nothing¡¯, and ¡®v¨©ci¡¯ means ¡®interval¡¯. Together, they mean no time, no space, and the realm of karmic retribution of no limits. Therefore, Av¨©ci was also known as the ¡®uninterrupted hell¡¯. Those whomitted the Ten Sins or the Anantarika-karma (Five Sins of Immediate Retribution) would plunge into this hell and suffer ultimate and uninterrupted suffering, never to be freed.¡±

    Although Ye Qing knew that he was now sin-less, he still could not help but feel chilled to his every core as he stared at Av¨©ci and the ghosts suffering within it. Every hair on his body was standing on end, and he had to wrestle with the impulse to run away ASAP.

    ¡°You have notmitted the Ten Sins or the Anantarika-karma. Merciful, merciful¡­¡±

    The voice boomed, and Av¨©ci trembled. The next moment, Ye Qing found himself rising higher.

    At first, Ye Qing did not understand what was going on. It wasn¡¯t until he was high up in the air that he realized that he was standing on a Buddha¡¯s palm.

    The Buddha¡¯s hand was gigantic and seemingly infinite. It felt as if all eight hells were resting on the Buddha¡¯s palm.

    As the Buddha¡¯s hand continued to lift him upward, he found himself passing through Av¨©ci, the Hell of Mills, Tapana, the Hell of Frigid Ice, the Hell of Yin Wind, Ks¨±tra, Sa?j?¨¡, and finally the Hell of Molten Copper. Then, he found himself standing in a Pure Land.

    Inside the Pure Land, the springs flowed clearly, the golden lotuses bloomed, the auspicious beasts ran freely, and the birds flew without worry. It painted a stark contrastpared to the eight hells to say the least.

    ¡°You have ovee the eight major hells and cleansed yourself of all your sins. Merciful and excellent¡­¡±

    It was at this moment K?itigarbha Buddha appeared out of nowhere and stepped toward him. He was riding the Diting again, and the Diting¡¯s footsteps were marked by golden lotuses. ???

    ¡°I greet you, K?itigarbha Buddha.¡± Ye Qing saluted him.

    ¡°Excellent¡­¡±

    K?itigarbha Buddha chanted kindly before asking, ¡°Since you have cleansed yourself of your sins and taken refuge in the Buddha, are you willing to receive my mantle and inheritance?¡±

    ¡°This disciple is willing.¡±

    Ye Qing perked up. It was clear from K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s words that he was the first person to ovee his trial and arrived at this ce.

    K?itigarbha Buddha asked him if he was willing to receive his mantle and inheritance, and in his opinion, only an idiot would say no. Why else had he wasted all that Profound Yellow Mother Qi? It was all for this moment, was it not?

    Sure, his initial n was for the North Duke and Chu Wangsun to beat the shit out of each other over the Ten Directions Stupa and y the fisherman, but what could he do? Man ns, and the heavensugh. Sometimes, you just gotta adapt to the situation, man!

    Besides, once he received K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s inheritance and mastered the Ten Directions Stupa, it would be easy for him to take out Chu Wangsun.

    One way or another, his vengeance would be fulfilled. So long as he achieved his goals, who cared if the way he took was totally different from the one he nned to take?

    ¡°Excellent. Now, lower your mental defenses, and do not resist.¡±

    K?itigarbha Buddha smiled as he came to a stop in front of Ye Qing. Then, he lifted a finger to tap Ye Qing on the head.

    <em>Why do these seniors always like to pass their inheritance via touching someone in the forehead?</em>n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Ye Qing wasining in his head when suddenly, he realized that something was amiss. It was because K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s eyes suddenly turned pitch ck and bottomless. It was like a portal to Av¨©ci itself.

    Before he could react, K?itigarbha Buddha abruptly appeared inside his headspace. However, the Buddha no longer looked nearly as merciful and radiant as he was before. Instead, there was only eeriness and evil. His eyes were pits of abyss, and his aura was evil and anomalous. The jeweled crown he wore had transformed into a crown of ck lotus, and his kasaya had turned into the darkest ck. The jeweled beads in his left hand were unfathomably dark, whereas the Da?acakra K?itigarbha S¨±tra in his right was dripping with blood. Even the halo behind his head was shining with chaos instead of white light and reflecting scenes from the eight great hells.

    The Diting he was riding was no different. Half of its body was rotting and skeletal. It looked both savage and ugly.

    Realizing that he had been tricked, Ye Qing immediately channeled his yang god. The Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon immediately rose from his ck lotus throne and made to crush the Buddha.

    This was Ye Qing¡¯s headspace; his homeground. Naturally, the palm strike seemed all-epassing and omnipotent.

    ¡°Nether Buddha¡­¡±

    K?itigarbha Buddha chanted, and his K?itigarbha beads emitted a terrible dark light. In an instant, countless ghosts burst into existence and flew upward to meet the giant hand, consuming and eroding it in no time.

    Not only that, the dark light was overflowing with a dark, filthy corruption that instantly eroded or corrupted his demonic thought, eating away at his Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven bit by bit.

    ¡°Freeze!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon yang godmanded, and dark yellow light rippled out of its faceless, formless body. Despite their seemingck of weight, they were really as heavy as mountains and as thick as the earth.

    The Paranirmita Vasavartin Heaven immediately stopped crumbling. The dark light could no longer progress an inch further.

    ¡°You are not the K?itigarbha Buddha. What are you?¡±

    While protecting his mind with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, Ye Qing red at the floating K?itigarbha Buddha and asked harshly.

    ¡°Nether Buddha¡­¡±

    ¡°K?itigarbha Buddha¡±¡¯s smile was both sympathetic yet evil. ¡°Before the myriad tribtions, K?itigarbha Buddha was me, but I am not K?itigarbha Buddha. After the myriad tribtions, I am K?itigarbha Buddha, but K?itigarbha Buddha is no longer me.¡±

    ¡°However, I dislike the name K?itigarbha Buddha. You may call me Nether K?itigarbha instead!¡±

    ¡°Nether K?itigarbha?¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply. He had never heard of such a title before, nor did he understand what the fuck Nether K?itigarbha was talking about earlier.

    ¡°Before the myriad tribtions, I am both K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s malice and the artifact spirit of the Ten Directions Stupa. I assisted him in suppressing the eight hells, purifying the evil ghosts, and assisting them in transcending worldliness. That is why K?itigarbha Buddha was me, but I am not K?itigarbha Buddha.¡±

    As if he could guess Ye Qing¡¯s thoughts, Nether K?itigarbha exined kindly, ¡°After the myriad tribtions, K?itigarbha Buddha perished, but I remained. Hence, I am K?itigarbha Buddha, but K?itigarbha Buddha is no longer me.¡±

    ¡°However, I am born from evil, and I exist in darkness. Hence, I call myself Nether K?itigarbha. From now on, there will only be Nether K?itigarbha.¡±

 Chapter 970: The Eight Lords of Hell

    ¡°K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s malice? Artifact spirit of the Ten Directions Stupa?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows were locked in a tight frown. To say that sounded bad would be an understatement. ¡°So, what are you nning to do?¡±

    ¡°Nether Buddha¡­¡± Nether K?itigarbha chanted before answering, ¡°I wish to escape the sea of bitterness through your body.¡±

    ¡°You want to escape the sea of bitterness through my body?¡± Ye Qing frowned even deeper before voicing his confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t understand. K?itigarbha Buddha is dead, so no one can restrict you anymore. Why do you need anyone to help you when you are already free?¡±

    ¡°Nether Buddha¡­¡±

    Nether K?itigarbha replied smilingly, ¡°Although K?itigarbha Buddha is dead, the Ten Directions Stupa still exists. It is both my host and my shackle. Only by breaking free from it can I truly escape the sea of bitterness.¡±

    ¡°I see. You want me to break the Ten Directions Stupa and free you from the sea of bitterness?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Nether K?itigarbha shook his head. ¡°Breaking the stupa is easy, but escaping the sea of bitterness is not so easy.¡±

    ¡°Then what do you mean, exactly?¡± Ye Qing pressed.¡°The sea of bitterness can only be crossed by a human.¡± The corners of Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s lips slowly turned up into an anomalous, vicious smile. ¡°Therefore, I desire to be a human.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ you said so much nonsense when you could¡¯ve just said that you want to possess me!¡± Finally, Ye Qing understood what Nether K?itigarbha meant. He acted like he was oh-so-pious, but in the end, he was just another sonuvabitch who lusted for his body!

    ¡°That is correct.¡± Nether K?itigarbha smiled. ¡°Only by bing a human may I truly unlock my shackles, escape the sea of bitterness, and attain eternal transcendence.¡±

    ¡°If that is all you need, then why didn¡¯t you break free sooner? Countless people have visited this ce before. Why did you want until now to choose a victim, and why me?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°I yearn to be a human. Naturally, I desire the strongest and most wless body. Anything less will not be able to bear my power and assist me in achieving transcendence.¡±

    Nether K?itigarbha looked at Ye Qing. ¡°You are the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s sessor, aren¡¯t you? You have forged a wless Earthly Sovereign Body with the Profound Yellow Mother Qi as the base, and you have cleansed yourself of your sins and karmic hindrance via the eight major hells. There is no better body than yours to be my boat to cross the sea of bitterness.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. In other words, he had stepped right into Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s trap like a sheep who sheared its own fur and ced its neck on the butcher¡¯s knife. How embarrassing!

    ¡°Nether Buddha¡­¡± Nether K?itigarbha chanted. ¡°Now that your doubts are resolved, you may start extinguishing your own mind.¡±

    ¡°Excuse you?¡± Ye Qing raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°You heard me right.¡± Nether K?itigarbha was still smiling. ¡°If you extinguish your own mind, you still have a chance of entering the samsara. But if you leave it to me to do it, then you will surely experience true death. This is my mercy to you, benefactor.¡±

    ¡°This is your mercy to me? You really are an irredeemable asshole from the start until the end, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Ye Qing suddenly broke into a wide, unrepentant grin. ¡°No thanks. Your mercy stinks just as badly as you, and I have no interest in taking your heavens forsaken stench into my body. You want my body? You¡¯re gonna have to take it the hard way!¡±

    For the first time, Nether K?itigarbha looked angry. ¡°You would not extinguish yourself? Then remain and suffer the eight major hells for eternity!¡±

    ¡°Nether Buddha¡­¡±

    Nether K?itigarbha chanted, and the halo behind his head unleashed what seemed like an infinite amount of dark light. The light took the form of the eight major hells and absolute samsara.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Hah! No thank you!¡±

    Ye Qing barked out augh as his yang god threw out a punch. It wasn¡¯t aimed at Nether K?itigarbha or the eight major hells, however. Instead it was aimed at what looked like an empty space. ?

    As the punch continued to fly through space, an ancient, enigmatic bell slowly manifested into existence. It was surrounded by dark yellow light.

    <em>THANG!</em>

    The moment the punch made contact with the bronze bell, dark yellow light washed over anything and everything, and the sound of bell ringing shook heaven and earth.

    The dark yellow light instantly pushed back the dark light shining from Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s halo and destroyed the eight major hells.

    The bell ringing also restored Ye Qing¡¯s distorted energies and crumbling headspace.

    Even the halo behind Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s head¡ªa ss that looked like a portal to reflect myriad worlds¡ªinstantly shattered into smithereens. Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s own body was breaking all over as countless evil ghosts struggled to wriggle out of the cracks.

    ¡°The Earthly Sovereign Bell? Impossible! How can you possibly have the Earthly Sovereign Bell?¡±

    Nether K?itigarbha looked both angry and terrified. Nether K?itigarbha was born in the same era as the Three Sovereigns, so of course he knew of the Earthly Sovereign Bell. He also knew that it had been missing for ages. He never expected the ancient artifact to resurface in this world, much less be used against him.

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? You said it yourself. I¡¯m the sessor of the Earthly Sovereign. It¡¯s perfectly normal for me to possess the Earthly Sovereign Bell, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Ye Qing was grinning from ear to ear, though his yang god didn¡¯t look much better than Nether K?itigarbha. Its arm was broken, and half of its body was missing, though it was slowly recovering under the nourishing effects of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you scared? If you are, then get the hell out of my head!¡±

    ¡°Nether Buddha¡­ if you really have mastered the Earthly Sovereign Bell, then it would make sense for me to withdraw here.¡±

    Nether K?itigarbha uttered with a vicious expression, ¡°However, you clearly have not mastered the Earthly Sovereign Bell, and you can only unleash so much power. Why should I fear a neutered Earthly Sovereign Bell? If anything, you should be the one who is afraid.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ is that so?¡± Ye Qing guffawed. ¡°Let¡¯s see who chickens out first then!¡±

    Ye Qing punched the Earthly Sovereign Bell as soon as he said this. The side of his yang god that just regenerated immediately exploded once more.

    The Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s dark yellow light and bell ringing reappeared, but this time, Nether K?itigarbha was prepared. The Diting beneath him looked up and howled, mouth throwing up a flood of ck, filthy water that was overflowing with bones. At the same time, Nether K?itigarbha himself flipped open his Buddhist sutra and caused eight powerful ghost kings to step out of the pages one after another.

    The first ghost king was fiery red in color and covered in molten copper. He was the lord of the Hell of Molten Copper.

    The second ghost king had iron ws growing out of his hands and possessed a savage countenance. He was the lord of Sa?j?¨¡.

    The third ghost king carried a copper pir behind his back and wore a ck rope around his waist. He was the lord of Ks¨±tra.

    The fourth ghost king was surrounded by yin wind, and his face was hidden from view. He was the lord of the Hell of Yin Wind.

    The fifth ghost king had a body of ice, and he was surrounded by wind and snow. He was the lord of the Hell of Frigid Ice.

    The sixth ghost king was made up of hellfire and carried a pair of horns on his head. He was the lord of Tapana.

    The seventh ghost king was a formless entity that seemed to be made of pure chaos, and he was so tall that he seemed to be supporting the heavens themselves. He was the lord of the Hell of Mills.

    The eight ghost king were countless ghosts hugging each other in uninterrupted despair. He was the lord of Av¨©ci.

    The next moment, the eight lords of hell attacked Ye Qing at once.

    The lord of the Hell of Molten Copper spat rivers of molten copper that could melt both heaven and earth.

    The lord of Sa?j?¨¡ swung his iron ws and sundered space itself.

    The lord of Ks¨±tra sent ck ropes flying like living dragons and serpents.

    The lord of the Hell of Yin Wind blew torrents of yin wind that were thick and dense enough to rival rivers.

    The lord of the Hell of Frigid Ice summoned a hail of Sinful Snow that could freeze anything and everything.

    The lord of Tapana caused hellfire to burst out from beneath his feet and burn everything.

    The lord of the Hell of Mills manifested the millstones of heaven and earth and sought to grind down yin and yang.

    And the lord of Av¨©ci swung an uninterrupted sword that extinguished all hope.

    The light and sound of the Earthly Sovereign Bell were instantly suppressed by the Magias of the eight lords of hell.

    Seeing this, Ye Qing raised his intact left hand and punched the Earthly Sovereign Bell again.

    The dimming light immediately brightened, and the weakening ringing grew to deafening volumes once more.

    No Magia could exist under the effects of the dark yellow light and ringing sound. Even the eight lords of hell had crumbled into smithereens.

    However, they immediately resurrected amidst the dark light and pounced toward Ye Qing once more.

    The eight lords of hell were born from the eight major hells. So long as the hells remained, the eight lords of hell could never be truly eliminated.

 Chapter 971: The Earthly Sovereign Suppresses The Nether

    <h4>Chapter 971: The Earthly Sovereign Suppresses The Nether </h4>

    <strong>Trantor''s Notes: Unrted to this chapter, but I realized I made a mistake with the Chu Emperor''s name. It should be Jing Run, not Jin Run. If you see any weird instances (like Jin Rui IDK) then please report it to me in thements, thank you.</strong>

    ¡°Nether Buddha... you cannot win.¡± Nether K?itigarbha said as he watched the struggling Ye Qing, ¡°But my Buddha is merciful. If you surrender the Earthly Sovereign Bell and take refuge in the Buddha, I promise to let you live and be my disciple. I shall bestow you unparalleled opportunities.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... I¡¯m the one who should be telling you that!¡± Ye Qingughed like a madman when he heard Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s ¡°offer¡±. ¡°If you submit to me now, I too promise to let you live and grant you unparalleled opportunities when I achieve my unparalleled Dao. What says you, <i>Buddha</i>?¡±

    ¡°Stubborn fool!¡± Nether K?itigarbha uttered coldly.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    His jeweled crown began spinning and unleashing beams of dark light that empowered the eight lords of hell.

    His K?itigarbha beads began emitting endless dark light and filth that corrupted the soul.

    His kasaya floated as if blown by wind and caused thousands and thousands of ck lotus to descend from above; each lotus seated by a mini Nether K?itigarbha chanting demonic sutras that tempted one to damnation.

    And finally, Nether K?itigarbha himself began to grow in size until he towered over seemingly anything and everything. His left palm was pointed upward as if carrying three thousand Kingdoms of Buddha, and his right palm was pointed downward as if carrying the Nine Nethers. It looked quite intimidating to say the least.

    ¡°Angry already? You¡¯re a little short-fused, aren¡¯t you? Hang in there though, cuz the show has just begun!¡±

    Ye Qing grinned madly as he used his regenerated right hand to punch the Earthly Sovereign Bell once more. Naturally, the limb immediately exploded into nothing.

    This time though, he didn¡¯t stop. While his right arm was exploding, he leaped into the air and kicked the Earthly Sovereign Bell with his right foot. While his right foot was exploding, he spun around and kicked it with his left foot. When all of his limbs were destroyed, Ye Qingunched himself forward and struck the Earthly Sovereign Bell with his torso instead.

    For a time, the profound light grew brighter and brighter, and the bell ringing keptpounding until it was all one could hear.

    Under the effects of the light and the ringing, the eight lords of hell revived and died and revived repeatedly. However, each time they revived, their presence grew weaker, and the speed at which they were reviving grew slower as well.

    Nether K?itigarbha looked absolutely terrible. His jeweled crown broke into multiple pieces, his kasaya looked tattered and worn, his K?itigarbha beads were dim, and his Buddhist sutra looked ckened like it was borned.

    As for Nether K?itigarbha himself, his limbs were broken, and cracks were spreading throughout his body like spider webs. The cracks looked like entrances to the Nethers themselves as what felt like an infinite amount of evil yin qi were leaking out into the open before the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s dark yellow light purified it all.

    ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Nether K?itigarbha yelled urgently. ¡°Stop! I will leave right now, so stop!¡±

    The Ten Directions Stupa had just been restored, and he had just recovered some strength. He was hardly in a condition to fight against the Earthly Sovereign Bell right now. Besides, he was just the artifact spirit of the Ten Directions Stupa. Although the Ten Directions Stupa was K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s Dao artifact, of course it could notpare to an ultimate, natural treasure like the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    On top of that, Nether K?itigarbha called himself the new K?itigarbha Buddha, but he was really just thete Buddha¡¯s malice. After bing fully corrupted by the evil ghosts of the eight major hells, he did not even possess a sliver of Buddhist nature anymore andnded firmly under the category of yin and evil. Born from the virtuous qi of the world, the Earthly Sovereign Bell was the natural bane of all things yin and evil, and that included him.

    Earlier, he presented a brave front because he saw that Ye Qing hadn¡¯t mastered the Earthly Sovereign Bell and could not utilize its full power. Not only that, the young man could only activate it via brute force, dealing serious damage to himself and even more severe damage to his enemy. He was certain that Ye Qing would not be able to oust him.

    But he was wrong. Not only did Ye Qingst way longer than he expected, the guy was throwing himself at the Earthly Sovereign Bell like a suicidal maniac. At this rate, he didn¡¯t know if Ye Qing would die, but he was almost certainly going to perish. Even if he survived, he would suffer deep, possibly unrecoverable damage when all was said and done. It would not be worth it.

    So, he chickened out. He had bowed out of the chicken race.

    Would Ye Qing allow him to leave though?

    ¡°Hahaha! Chickened out already? How disappointing!¡±

    Ye Qing, who had lost every part of his body except his head,ughed loudly. ¡°You should¡¯ve left when you had the chance, but now? Now, it¡¯s toote!¡±

    As he spoke, Ye Qing did something absolutely insane. Heunched his head at the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    <i>THANG!</i>

    Nether K?itigarbha let out a bloodcurdling scream. The dark light and the bell ringing had broken him into pieces.

    ¡°Are you insane? At this rate, you won¡¯t live even if you managed to kill me. I¡¯ve already given up, so why are you striving for a pyrrhic victory?¡±

    The next moment, a st of dark light restored Nether K?itigarbha back to normal. However, he looked way more transparent than he was before, and his jeweled crown, K?itigarbha beads, and ¡°Da?acakra K?itigarbha S¨±tra¡± were all destroyed. His presence was so much weaker as well.

    Nether K?itigarbha couldn¡¯t care less about his injuries, however. It was because Ye Qing¡ªdespite sporting only half a head now¡ªwas preparing tounch himself at the Earthly Sovereign Bell again. He dashed backward in an attempt to escape from Ye Qing¡¯s headspace, but he was moving far too slowly due to his injuries. ¡°Calm down! When I leave, I will pass down the ¡®Da?acakra K?itigarbha S¨±tra¡¯ to you aspensation, so calm down!¡±

    It was bullshit of course, but the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s dark yellow light and the bell ringing possessed the power to restrict space as well. That was why he was having so much trouble trying to leave Ye Qing¡¯s headspace, and why he was begging Ye Qing and even promising him benefits. If Ye Qing hesitated even a little, if the profound light and bell ringing rxed just a bit, he would be able to leave his headspace and enact his vengeance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your Da?acakra K?itigarbha S¨±tra! I just want you to <i>die, </i>so be a good fucking monk ande to the fucking grave with me, will you?!¡±

    Ye Qing snarled as heunched his half a head toward the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    ¡°You madman!¡±

    Nether K?itigarbha swore and split into countless wisps of light, all of them trying to escape from Ye Qing¡¯s headspace.

    ¡°Huh? Why is there no sound?¡±

    However, something unexpected happened. Ye Qing did not hear the usual bell ringing. ¡°Did I miss?¡±

    ¡°No, no I didn¡¯t miss. The Earthly Sovereign Bell dodged me!¡± It was at this moment Ye Qing recalled a passing memory. Right before his half a head wouldnd on the Earth Sovereign Bell, the artifact had dodged to the side almost as if it had a consciousness of its own. He was simply too disoriented to recognize it.

    The dy was brief, but it was enough. The dark yellow light and bell ringing weakened just enough for Nether K?itigarbha to escape from his headspace.

    ¡°Oh, shit...¡± Ye Qing cursed under his breath.

    Why did Ye Qing go so far as to risk the annihtion of his yang god and consciousness just to kill Nether K?itigarbha? It was because he knew the bastard would absolutely murder the shit out of him if he managed to escape.

    Nether K?itigarbha was careless earlier, and the corrupt monk was unable to utilize the full power of the Ten Directions Stupa because he was inside his headspace. That was why he was able to catch Nether K?itigarbha, deal him a grievous blow, and suppress him continuously.

    Ye Qing knew he couldn¡¯t relent even a little, however. The moment Nether K?itigarbha escaped his headspace and returned to the outside world, the moment he returned to his homeground, then their roles would be reversed instantly.

    That was why he went so far as tomit mental suicide to kill Nether K?itigarbha.

    But of course, he wasn¡¯t actually nning tomit mental suicide. He had a backup n. His Heavenly Demon yang god could survive if even a wisp of it remained, and even before he made up his mind to kill Nether K?itigarbha inside his headspace, he had already split out a wisp of his mind and hid it elsewhere. So long as that wisp of mind was alive, he would live even if his yang god perished.

    It would be a severe blow to his person, of course. It would take years, maybe longer for him to recover from such devastating damage. Worst case scenario, his martial way would be irreversibly damaged.

    Still, it was a miniscule price to paypared to dying for real.

    Unfortunately, despite going all out and being one step shy away from victory, it was all for naught because the Earthly Sovereign Bell had dodged out of the way at thest moment.

    ¡°Sigh... second phase boss fight it is!¡±

    Ye Qing sighed. What could he do now that he had missed his chance to end Nether K?itigarbha? He could only give it his all.

    He did not think well of his chances though. Nether K?itigarbha was prepared this time, and he had the home field advantage. Worst case scenario, he might not even be able to preserve his body.

    He wouldn¡¯t die. As long as even one of his Heavenly Demon Dependents was still alive, he could always revive himself through the Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent Magia.

    But of course, he would like to avoid that scenario if at all possible.

    No one¡¯s body was as good as his own after all.

    His current body was an Earthly Sovereign Body forged using Profound Yellow Mother Qi. He was guaranteed to reach the Sage stage as long as he cultivated normally.

    The same could not be said for anyone else¡¯s body; not among his Heavenly Demon Dependents instead.

    It was toote for regrets though. He could only give it his all.

 Chapter 972: Earthly Sovereign Bell, Saikou!

    <h4>Chapter 972: Earthly Sovereign Bell, Saikou! </h4>

    ¡°Brother Bell... you really screwed me over this time.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a bitter chuckle as he took a moment to nce at the Earthly Sovereign Bell. He would be lying if he said he didn¡¯t resent the Strange Artifact for ruining his n, but then again, he would not havested this long without it. Hell, he might not even be here if he didn¡¯t obtain the Earthly Sovereign Bell all those months ago. ¡°Even if you¡¯re nning on getting a new master, you could have waited until I killed that corrupt monk first¡ª¡±

    Ye Qing was still talking when the Earthly Sovereign Bell suddenly disappeared into nothing.

    ¡°What the hell! At least wait until I¡¯m ¡®dead¡¯, you heartless thing!¡±

    Ye Qing was speechless. It looked like the Earthly Sovereign Bell really was in a hurry to find a new master, but it couldn¡¯t even wait until he ¡®died¡¯ before fucking off to heavens-know-where. Just how pragmatic could it get?!

    And so the bitter chuckle continued, and Ye Qing cast his consciousness outward. It was time to receive whatever counterattack Nether K?itigarbha had prepared for him.

    <i>Rumble rumble rumble...</i>

    When he became conscious of his surroundings once more, Ye Qing realized that the flowing spring and dancing golden lotuses from before were all gone. In fact, it looked as if the Kingdom of Buddha was falling apart. Cracks were forming everywhere, and through the cracks, he could see a seated Buddha. He was so huge that his body prated all eight hells, and each hell was shining and forming some sort of mysterious runes on his body. They all seemed to be overflowing with infinite power.

    The space he was in was practically a speck of dustpared to the Buddha, and he was even smaller than that.

    The Buddha was Nether K?itigarbha of course.

    The next moment, Nether K?itigarbha opened his eyes, and the sky turned pitch ck. Countless evil ghosts began crawling out of his eyes like tidal waves.

    Nether K?itigarbha raised his hand and brought it down on Ye Qing. As the eight hells took form, it felt as if the corrupt monk was intending to crush him with the weight of not one, not two, but eight worlds at once. With one palm, Nether K?itigarbha intended to throw him into the eight major hells, never to return.

    ¡°Phew... you think you¡¯re the only one who can get big? I can too!¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and, while pretending that his mind wasn¡¯t hurting like a bitch, tried to manifest the Earthly Sovereign Body and fight Nether K?itigarbha to the death.

    However, he was interrupted by a bell ringing at thest moment.

    The bell ringing was neither high-pitched or loud. However, it was grandiose, majestic and profound.

    When the bell ringing began, Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s movement abruptly came to a stop.

    Then, the Earthly Sovereign Bell appeared right on top of Nether K?itigarbha¡¯s head.

    Right now, Nether K?itigarbha was so big that his body prated eight hells. To say he was gigantic would be the understatement of the century.

    However, the Earthly Sovereign Bell was bigger. Many times bigger.

    The next moment, the Earthly Sovereign Bell descended right on top of Nether K?itigarbha. It shone so brightly it felt as if the entire world could see its light.

    ¡°Nether Buddha!¡±

    Nether K?itigarbha chanted in horror as he struggled to escape. However, the dark yellow light bound him like tangible objects and pinned him in ce. He could only watch helplessly as the Earthly Sovereign Bell fell on top of him.

    There was a deafening boom, and the Earthly Sovereign Bell pierced the eight great hells, shattered the sky, and trapped Nether K?itigarbha within its metallic confines.

    When the Earthly Sovereign Bell finally hit the bottom, there was a thud that was loud Ye Qing couldn¡¯t even hear the impact, and everything seemed to copse into primal chaos. The shockwave was such that Ye Qing was flung into the air. He could do nothing as he fell into a spatial crack that seemed to be harboring infinity itself.

    ......

    ¡°The sky? I¡¯m out...¡±

    When Ye Qing regained his consciousness, he found himself staring at a cloudless night sky. The sea of stars was enchanting and beautiful.

    Ye Qing jumped to his feet. While shaking his pounding head, he scanned his surroundings for an instant before turning to face the K?itigarbha Stupa.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Then, his eyes slowly widened.

    The K?itigarbha Stupa was gone.

    The massive mural was gone just like that!

    It wasn¡¯t just the mural. The icy cliff over hundred of meters tall and dozens of kilometers wide were also gone.

    All that was left behind was a gigantic, round-shaped pit.

    When Ye Qing examined the walls of the pit, he could vaguely spot patterns of flora and fauna, sun and moon, mountain and rivers and so forth. The pit itself was overflowing with a grandiose, majestic aura as well.

    ¡°These patterns and aura... they belong to the Earthly Sovereign Bell...¡±

    Ye Qing recognized the patterns and the aura instantly. ¡°Was this all done by the Earthly Sovereign Bell?¡±

    It was then Ye Qing finally recalled how an infinitely vast Earthly Sovereign Bell had descended from above, shattered the sky, pierced the eight hells, and finally trapped Nether K?itigarbha in its confines.

    ¡°It really is the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s work!¡±

    Ye Qing blinked once and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re bloody OP, Brother Bell!¡±

    That was the only adjective he could think of right now. He seriously did not know how else to describe what he was seeing and feeling right now.

    Just OP.

    ¡°But where did you go, Brother Bell? I don¡¯t see you anywhere.¡±

    Ye Qing quickly noticed something troubling, however. The Earthly Sovereign Bell was nowhere to be found be it inside his headspace or the real world.

    Did it leave him after all?

    Or did itmit double suicide with the Ten Directions Stupa?

    ¡°Ow, what the hell?¡±

    A million thoughts were racing in Ye Qing¡¯s head when suddenly, he heard a <i>thunk </i>and a cry of pain.

    The next moment, he saw a dust-covered Su Bancheng climbing out of the pit while holding a palm-sized, ancient-looking bronze bell.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, that¡¯s my item.¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and walked up to Su Bancheng.

    The bell he was holding was none other than the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Su Bancheng watched Ye Qing warily.

    ¡°A pedestrian. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°What matters is that the bell you¡¯re holding is mine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s yours?¡± Su Bancheng narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Do you have proof? Will it respond if you call out to it?¡±

    ¡°Brother Bell. Brother Bell.¡±

    Ye Qing called out twice, and the Earthly Sovereign Bell wobbled a little in Su Bancheng¡¯s hands. However, the sound it made was dull and muted as if it was clogged. It did not sound nearly as mellifluous and sweet as before.

    ¡°See? He responded.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°Can you give me back my bell now?¡±

    Su Bancheng: ¡°...¡±

    <i>It was just a joke, and you took it seriously? Even better, this bell actually responded to his cry? What the hell?</i>

    This affirmed his resolve not to return the bell though. He hadn¡¯t sensed any energy from the bronze bell and so thought that it was just an ordinary object. However, Ye Qing¡¯s concern aroused his suspicion, and he decided to check. Now, it knew for certain that the bronze bell was a Strange Artifact, and one that could hide its presence from his senses no less. It was clearly extraordinary, and it was currently in his hands. In what world would he give away such a precious item?

    ¡°My hand shook just now. That¡¯s why it rang.¡±

    Su Bancheng smiled. ¡°This bell is my Strange Artifact, and it¡¯s apanied me for many years. You may have mistaken it for another bell, friend.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ye Qing frowned. ¡°And how can you prove that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m holding it. That in itself is the biggest proof, isn¡¯t it?¡± Su Bancheng said with a grin. ¡°Besides, this is my bell. Why should I prove anything to you?¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to rob me?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Excuse you? As I said, this is my bell. How am I robbing you of anything?¡± Su Bancheng shrugged.

    ¡°If that is your decision, then there is nothing left to say.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed and dashed toward Su Bancheng. ¡°If you won¡¯t give me back what¡¯s mine, then I¡¯ll beat you until you do!¡±

    ¡°Haha... I doubt you can do it, but sure.¡±

    Su Bancheng scoffed disdainfully and put the Earthly Sovereign Bell in his Nature¡¯s Shell. Then, he threw a punch at Ye Qing. A dragon roared.

 Chapter 973: Qing Emperor Longevity Scripture

    A man wearing an imperial crown and a dragon robe and standing on a blue dragon appeared behind Su Bancheng.

    The man¡¯s divine grace seemed as deep as the sea, and his power as unfathomable as the abyss itself. He slowly raised his hand and threw a punch.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    At that moment, clouds scattered, winds disappeared, flowers fell, grass withered. The world turned cold like autumn as death filled heaven and earth.

    The punch possessed an intent as deep and forlorn as the wind of deep autumn, and a force that seemed to symbolize the death of all things. Hence, it was named the ¡°Autumn Killer¡±.

    ¡°Autumn Killer¡± was one of the four styles of the ¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Punch¡±. It was also the signature martial art of the Qing Emperor of Chu.

    Legend has it that the Qing Emperor had identally stumbled upon the Qing Emperor¡¯s inheritance, one of the five Heavenly Emperors of ancient times. He was able to learn two ultimate martial arts from it. One of them was named the ¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Scripture¡±, a body-tempering martial art, and the other the ¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Punch¡±, an offensive martial art.

    As the Qing Emperor¡¯s chief disciple, Su Bancheng naturally learned both martial arts. Of the two, the ¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Punch¡± boasted four styles named ¡°Spring Birth¡±, ¡°Summer Scorch¡±, ¡°Autumn Killer¡±, and ¡°Winter Death¡±.

    All four styles had their own unique capabilities, but ¡°Autumn Killer¡± was the best at damaging one¡¯s mind and destroying one¡¯s consciousness.The reason Su Bancheng used ¡°Autumn Killer¡± was simple. He sensed that his opponent¡¯s vigor was vast and thick like the ground, but his mind was weak and dim like a candle me.

    Clearly, his opponent was a body-tempering warrior who focused on honing the body but not the mind. The best way to deal with such a lopsided warrior was to strike them at their weakness and end them in one hit.

    Although ¡°Autumn Killer¡± wasn¡¯t the most potent style of the four, it was the most suitable considering the situation.

    Brute force wasn¡¯t the only factor that came into y in a battle. Intelligence was a major factor as well.

    Since he was a child, his father had taught him that killing someone via brute force was like trying to swim against a current, time wasting and exhausting. However, killing someone via skill and intelligence was like Pao Ding butchering a cow[1]. As a warrior, he was trained to dissect his opponents skillfully and intelligently like Pao Ding with his cows. He was taught that relying on brute force would be the death of him one day.

    Over time, Su Bancheng gained a keen insight for his opponent¡¯s weakness. He also preferred to kill his opponent in one strike using the most suitable technique and the smallest amount of energy.

    It was also why he never failed to kill his opponent should he choose to kill someone, and why he came to earn the famous moniker, ¡°One Puncher[2]¡±.

    All conflicts could be resolved in one punch. Hence, the One Puncher.

    He was confident that his opponent could not withstand his punch. Even if he miraculously survived, he would not be able to fight against him anymore.

    As expected, blood jetted out of the man¡¯s orifices as soon as ¡°Autumn Killer¡± hit him. His eyes were dim by the time he got close.

    ¡°Another one to the tally.¡±

    Su Bancheng sneered when he saw this. He thought the young man to be an absolute fool to dare to fight against him when he was so weak.

    However, Su Bancheng nched at the next moment. It was because his opponent had neither experienced a mental death nor was flung back by his punch when their fists met. On the contrary, he was the one who felt an unstoppable force invading his body and causing a series of pops and cracks.

    It was the sound of bones shifting out of ce and breaking.

    It was the sound of <em>his </em>bones shifting out of ce and breaking.

    His!

    He could not believe it. He refused to believe it. And yet, reality cared not for his beliefs or his delusions of grandeur.

    To be fair, he wasn¡¯t one of those Truemen with a powerful mind but a pitifully frail body. In fact, he was a body-tempering Grandmaster.

    The Qing Emperor had be a Sage through his physical body, and the ¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Scripture¡± was easily one of the world¡¯s top body-tempering martial arts. He was also following in his master¡¯s path and intending to be a Sage via his physical body.

    ¡°You¡ª!¡±

    Su Bancheng realized that things weren¡¯t going the way he thought it would. He tried to jump away, but there was no way he could be faster than Ye Qing¡¯s fingers.

    Ye Qing easily grabbed his wrist and pulled, causing Su Bancheng to fall toward him uncontrobly. At the same time, he stepped forward and swung his shoulder into Su Bancheng¡¯s chest.

    <em>Crack!</em>

    Su Bancheng¡¯s chest caved in like paper, and every bone snapped or popped like twigs. The silhouette behind his back was dispelled as well.

    Su Bancheng wasn¡¯t just going to give up and die, of course. Viciousness overtook him as he clenched his left fist and threw a punch at Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    The punch resembled a descending sun. It threatened to paint the sky and the earth red.

    <em>¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Punch: Summer Scorch¡±</em>

    ¡°Summer Scorch¡± was the best style of the four at breaking and burning a body. It was also the most deadly.

    He didn¡¯t think that the punch could kill his opponent, of course. He was simply hoping to push Ye Qing back and buy himself a moment.

    One moment was all he needed to turn the tables against his opponent.

    Ye Qing did not dodge, however. In fact, he leaned forward to catch Su Bancheng¡¯s punch.

    <em>Is he stupid, insane, or suicidal?! </em>The incredulous thought shed through Su Bancheng¡¯s mind when he realized what his opponent was doing. Of course, it didn¡¯t stop him adding a little more speed and force to his punch.

    When fist met head, Su Bancheng finally realized that his opponent was neither stupid nor insane, much less suicidal. His head was actually harder than his fist.

    His punch was like the crashing sun, and yet it hit his opponent¡¯s forehead about as well as an egg crashing against a rock. Not only was his opponent¡¯s foreheadpletely fine, his arm had snapped like a twig.

    Was the difference between a body-tempering warrior and a greater body-tempering warrior really so huge?

    ¡°Tsk tsk, now you know who¡¯s the fool in this scenario.¡±

    Ye Qing smirked as he shook slightly and caused dark yellow light to circte throughout his body. He abruptly injected more force into the shoulder pressed up against Su Bancheng¡¯s chest, and it was like a god crashing into a mountain.

    <em>BOOM!</em>

    Su Bancheng¡¯s whole body exploded like a sack of water. Blood, gore and bones spilled everywhere.

    While Su Bancheng exploded, Ye Qing reached out and pulled a pendant into his hand. It was none other than Su Bancheng¡¯s Nature¡¯s Shell.

    Unfortunately, he did not manage to open the Nature¡¯s Shell and retrieve the Earthly Sovereign Bell before the chunks of flesh on the ground started wriggling unnaturally.

    ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡± Ye Qing muttered with a frown. He did not hesitate to step forward to finish the job.

    At the beginning, he wasn¡¯t going to kill Su Bancheng. After all, he had just fought Nether K?itigarbha and suffered huge mental damage. Not only did his n to pit Chu Wangsun and the North Duke against each other fail due to variables beyond their control, he was much weaker than usual because of his injuries. At this point, one could say that his and Feng Qingyou¡¯s n to assassinate Chu Wangsun had more or less ended in resounding failure.

    That was why he wasn¡¯t nning on attacking Su Bancheng. He was going to retrieve the Earthly Sovereign Bell and just walk away. There was always another chance.

    However, Su Bancheng got greedy. Knowing that there was no way he could retrieve the Earthly Sovereign Bell without a fight, Ye Qing decided that he might as well kill the guy. Su Bancheng was one of Chu Wangsun¡¯s friends anyway. Killing him would be removing one of the schr¡¯s helpers.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Before Ye Qing could react, the flesh and blood seeped into the ground and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The earth shook ominously for a moment before vines burst out like dragons or serpents and attacked Ye Qing from all sides.

    Ye Qing lowered his foot and shattered it in one stomp. Entire chunks of ice flew up and crashed into the vines.

    The chunks of ice severed countless vines, but even more vines pierced through the chunks of ice and struck Ye Qing. Or at least, they tried to. Dark yellow light manifested around Ye Qing and shattered the vines before they could find purchase.

    1. Basically means an expert butcher will butcher a cow much easier than a musclebrain even if the expert butcher has way less strength. ?

    2. Oh, he is so going to regret this. ?

 Chapter 974: Kingdom of the God of Spring

    Strangely, the shattered vines swiftly sprouted and grew into thick brambles and even more vines after theynded on the ground. Even more nts were bursting out of the earth and rapidly growing to full maturity.

    In just the matter of seconds, the area within a hundred meters of Ye Qing had turned into a jungle. Considering that this was Lu Tai Yuan, a barren, icy wastnd where nothing could live, it was unusual to say the least.

    Standing at the center of the jungle, Ye Qing keenly sensed that every vine, every tree, every de of grass was his enemy. In fact, they were all attacking him.

    At first, Ye Qing paid them no heed. However, he soon realized that physical assault wasn¡¯t the only thing he needed to be worried about.

    The nts were plentiful, but they were utterly incapable of piercing the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need to worry about that. No, the problem here was that the nts were releasing all sorts of bizarre toxins.

    Some of the toxins were unbearably smelly, some numbed the nerves, some affected the sensory organs, some corroded the true qi, and some just killed upon contact.

    Even worse, these toxins were impossible to defend against. Usually, just sealing off your senses was enough to keep many types of poison from seeping into your body. In this case though, just making contact with the toxin or even seeing it was enough for it to take effect.

    Worse still, these nts were endless. No matter how many he killed, only more came. It was annoying to put it mildly.

    ¡°Tsk tsk. You¡¯re pretty strong. Tell me your name. I, Su Bancheng, do not kill nameless nobodies.¡±It was at this moment Su Bancheng¡¯s face grew out of the vines, the grass, the trees and more. They were all watching Ye Qing and beaming at him. It was as if he wasn¡¯t angry that Ye Qing had shattered his body at all.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case. Anyone who was familiar with Su Bancheng would know that there were only two situations where Su Bancheng wore such a sunny smile. One, when he was seriously happy. Two, when he was seriously mad.

    Obviously, Su Bancheng was angry as hell right now. Who could after their body was shattered by an enemy? He was so angry he wished nothing more than to slice and dice Ye Qing into countless pieces.

    On the surface, it looked like Ye Qing¡¯s earlier attack had done nothing to him. After all, he seemed fine and was even taking the upper hand, right? However, that wasn¡¯t the case. Even if he managed to kill Ye Qing in the end, it would not make up for what he had lost.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Right now, the Magia he was using was named ¡°The God of Spring¡±. One of the most powerful Magias in the ¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Scripture¡±, it was a potent spell that could both save his life and kill his enemies.

    Although the ¡°Qing Emperor Longevity Scripture¡± was a body-tempering martial art, strength wasn¡¯t its defining characteristic unlike most body-tempering arts. Instead, it was resilience.

    By taking the vitality of nts into one¡¯s body, the practitioner could be as resilient and long-lived as nts. At the adept level, the practitioner was not going to live for ten thousand years, but they could definitely live a thousand years without any problem whatsoever.

    That was why he was still alive even though his body was shattered. On top of that, ¡°The God of Spring¡± allowed him to sacrifice his body and vitality to conjure the ¡°Kingdom of the God of Spring¡±.

    As its name implied, the jungle trapping Ye Qing was the ¡°Kingdom of the God of Spring¡±. Here in his kingdom, Su Bancheng was an almighty god where all life served his will. If he willed something to live, it would live. The opposite was equally true. While the Magia was active, both the practitioner and the ¡°Kingdom of the God of Spring¡± would never die.

    That said, every time he used ¡°The God of Spring¡±, he would lose ten years of lifespan. Even considering his cultivation art, it was hardly an insignificant price.

    That was why Su Bancheng was livid right now.

    ¡°Kill me?¡± Ye Qing calmly punched several vines that were assaulting them into oblivion while saying, ¡°You really think you can do it?¡±

    ¡°You think you can live considering the circumstances?¡± Su Bancheng sneered. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me. This ends here!¡±

    As soon as Su Bancheng finished, the nts began growing even faster than they already were. The vines rapidly entangled Ye Qing¡¯s limbs, torso, and head despite his continuous efforts to kill them. He was overwhelmed in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°It¡¯s your honor to be able to die under the ¡®Kingdom of the God of Spring¡¯,¡± said Su Bancheng, but he didn¡¯t even manage to finish his sentence before a loud explosion sted the nts trapping Ye Qing to pieces. The next moment, Ye Qing stomped the ground and unleashed shockwaves that cut through every nt they passed through like the autumn wind.

    Despite this, the nts renewed their assault in no time. Not only that, they were merging together and forming divine beings that were over hundreds of meters tall.

    The divine beings were wearing golden armor and wielding long sabers made of nts. They all swung their weapons at Ye Qing.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    Ye Qing lifted his arm and blocked the attack. The dark yellow light were as thick as heavy as mountains, shattering the sabers of nts easily. However, the impact was such that Ye Qing was thrown back several steps, and by the time he arrested his momentum, new nts were entangling his body and stopping him from taking a step.

    ¡°How is my ¡®Kingdom of the God of Spring¡¯?¡±

    Su Banchengughed loudly. Hisughter resounded throughout the jungle and caused the nts to be even crazier.

    ¡°The ¡®Kingdom of the God of Spring¡¯? That¡¯s a good name!¡±

    Right arm hanging loosely beside his waist, Ye Qing calmly sucked in a deep breath and clenched his right fist.

    ¡°It is a good name, and it is an even better grave. Why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Su Bancheng chuckled.

    ¡°You should save the grave for yourself. I don¡¯t need it.¡±

    When Ye Qing¡¯s fingers were fully clenched, the growing trees and spreading vines abruptly froze for an instant.

    Then, Ye Qing slowly, very slowly raised his fist. The ground around his feet shattered inch by inch almost as if he was lifting a mountain.

    For a moment, every nt was trembling as if sensing a life-threatening crisis. Then, they attacked Ye Qing with wild abandon. Unfortunately, they could not even get within one meter of ye Qing before dissolving into powder.

    When Ye Qing had raised his fist to shoulder level, and he threw out a straight punch, heaven and earth fell still. For a moment, nothing was moving, and everything was silent as if time itself had frozen.

    ¡°This is all your ¡®Kingdom of the God of Spring¡¯ got!¡± Ye Qing remarked, and every single nt dissolved into powder and scattered into the wind.

    New nts were sprouting on the earth, but Ye Qing did not give it time. He abruptly dropped to one knee and buried his fist so deep that the earth went up to his elbow.

    His fist entered the ground without a sound, but the tremors shaking the underground was a different story. Thunder was rumbling where the eyes could not see, and the ears could not hear.

    When Ye Qing finally removed his arm from the ground, the earth within three hundred meters of him dissolved into fine powder before falling downward into a deep pit.

    The wild growth had finallye to a stop.

    One punch to wither all nts, and another to shatter the God of Spring.

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing mped a hand over his mouth and coughed softly. Blood was seeping through his fingers.

    He made it sound of-so-simple, but the fact was that ¡°The God of Spring¡± was an exceedingly profound art. It didn¡¯t just contain the miracles of nts, but also the power of rebirth through death. It was so, so difficult to defeat it with force only.

    If he was in top shape, then this wouldn¡¯t have been a problem. There was nothing ¡°Break Hammer¡± could not break, and if one punch wasn¡¯t enough, then a second punch would do it.

    However, he had suffered major mental damage earlier, and his spirit was dry. As a result, he was unable to unleash the power of the ¡°Three Origin Hammers¡± in full. That was why he had to stall out the fight until he recovered enough spirit to unleash the punch that broke the God of Spring.

    It wasn¡¯t without a cost, of course. The damage to his mind waspounded after executing the attack.

    ¡°Huh? He¡¯s still alive?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing felt a hidden wisp of energies escaping toward the distance deep under the ground. ¡°Tenacious bastard¡­¡±

    Footsteps following the arc of stars, Ye Qing raced after the energy with seemingly light footsteps. In reality, it was the opposite. His footsteps made no sound whatsoever on the surface, but under ground, it was like a river of thunder was gathering.

    ¡°Show me your ugly mug, bud!¡±

    Several stepster, Ye Qing raised his foot one-sixth of a meter before bringing it down hard.

    Thunder could exist in just the span of an inch.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    There was a loud rumble, and a man was pushed out of the underground. It was Su Bancheng.

    Right now, Su Bancheng was covered in all sorts of nts. They were withering non-stop as he tried to run away from Ye Qing.

    In the air, Ye Qing aimed a punch straight at him.

 Chapter 975: You Force Me To Do This

    Right before the punch would kill Su Bancheng, a st of clear, righteous light appeared in front of him and blocked Ye Qing¡¯s fist force.

    ¡°Wangsun! Kill him!¡± Su Bancheng eximed in excitement when he realized what happened.

    ¡°We need to go.¡±

    However, instead of attacking Ye Qing, the clear, righteous light swept him away and took off to the distance instead.

    ¡°Wangsun? Why are we running away?¡± A puzzled Su Bancheng asked.

    His answer came just a secondter. Countless bloody beams descended like the rain straight at Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng.

    Chu Wangsun swung his sleeve and summoned a powerful gale that scattered the bloody beams into nothing. It was only a brief distraction, but it was enough for several silhouettes to catch up to him and Su Bancheng and surround them from all sides. ¡°Surrender the Ten Directions Stupa, Chu Wangsun, and I may yet allow you to live!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the Ten Directions Stupa. How many more times must I repeat myself until you would believe me, North Duke?¡± Chu Wangsun asked.

    ¡°If you do not have it, then why are you running away?¡± The North Duke asked with an ugly expression.¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I run when you are trying to capture me without even trying to distinguish between right and wrong?¡± Chu Wangsun retorted in an indifferent voice.

    ¡°If you really are innocent, then you wouldn¡¯t have minded me performing a search on you.¡± The North Duke said coldly, ¡°If you are the one who took the Ten Directions Stupa, surrender it now, and I will pretend as if none of this has ever happened. If not, then allow me to search you to confirm your innocence. If I find nothing, then I would naturally allow you to leave, no?¡±

    Chu Wangsun replied, ¡°You are being unreasonable, Duke.¡±

    ¡°Unreasonable?¡± The North Duke sneered. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who intruded into my territory and coveted my treasure. Forget searching you, it would be perfectly within my right to kill you! Surrender now while I¡¯m still being polite, or don¡¯t me me for what happens next!¡±

    ¡°I beseech you to see the truth, North Duke. We really don¡¯t have the Ten Directions Stupa.¡±

    By now, Su Bancheng had more or less figured out the story between the North Duke and Chu Wangsun. Clearly, the North Duke did not obtain the Ten Directions Stupa and believed that it was in their possession.

    ¡°He¡¯s the one who took the Ten Directions Stupa.¡± Su Bancheng abruptly looked at Ye Qing and dered, ¡°That¡¯s why he tried to kill me; to silence me.¡±

    The North Duke and his subordinates immediately turned to look at Ye Qing. They had witnessed the young man trying to kill Su Bancheng just now, so it seemed like Su Bancheng was telling the truth.

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said that I tried to kill the sonuvabitch not because of the Ten Directions Stupa, but because he tried to take what¡¯s mine like the petty thief he is?¡± Ye Qing said with a shrug.

    The North Duke¡¯s eyes might have been on Chu Wangsun this whole time, but Ye Qing knew that his senses were also locked onto him. That was why he hadn¡¯t tried to run away. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Besides, running away now would ¡°prove¡± that Su Bancheng was right and pit the North Duke against him. It wasn¡¯t worth it to say the least.

    Finally, he really didn¡¯t have the Ten Directions Stupa. Why should he bear the me and consequences of a crime he didn¡¯tmit?

    Su Bancheng¡¯s face darkened at the insults Ye Qing hurled at him. He grunted, ¡°Hmph! You think you can talk your way out of this? I saw you putting away the Ten Directions Stupa with my own eyes!¡±

    ¡°Are you stupid? If I really did take the Ten Directions Stupa, I would have run away at first notice. I wouldn¡¯t have wasted a single second on you.¡±

    Ye Qing shot Su Bancheng a scornful nce before looking at the North Duke and said sincerely, ¡°You are a wise man, North Duke. I¡¯m sure you can distinguish who is telling the truth, and who is lying through their teeth. Of course, I am willing to do anything you ask to prove my innocence.¡± ??

    ¡°Very good.¡± The North Duke turned his gaze back to Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng. ¡°He agreed. What about you two?¡±

    Chu Wangsun remained silent for a moment before replying, ¡°Fine. you may investigate our Nature¡¯s Shells and storage artifacts.¡±

    ¡°That is not enough,¡± North Duke dered. ¡°I need to investigate your mind and headspace as well.¡±

    ¡°Must you push us so, North Duke?¡± Chu Wangsun¡¯s tone visibly turned colder.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to negotiate,¡± the North Duke uttered just as coldly.

    ¡°The fact we¡¯re speaking with you at all is benevolence already, Chu Wangsun. Do you really think we won¡¯t take action against you just because you¡¯re the disciple of the Chief Libationist?¡±

    When Chu Wangsun¡¯s silence stretched, Ding Buren uttered with a murderous look, ¡°You forget that this is the North Sea; the domain of the North Duke Office. Surrender now while we are still feeling generous, or don¡¯t me us for whates next!¡±

    Ding Buren made a grab for Chu Wangsun.

    ¡°Get lost.¡±

    Chu Wangsun swung his sleeve and unleashed a gust of force. He only meant to stop Ding Buren from approaching him, but¡­

    ¡°Pwack! You¡ª!¡±

    Ding Buren spat out a mouthful of blood and flew back like a cannonball.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Chu Wangsun was confused to say the least, so much so that he even forgot to withdraw his hand. His earlier gesture was just to stop Ding Buren from getting close, and he did not put any real strength in it at all. After all, now wasn¡¯t the right time to go to war against the North Duke. If Su Bancheng was unhurt, then he would not have feared the North Duke or his men. However, hispanion was seriously injured, and he himself had used up quite a bit of mind during his time in the Ten Directions Stupa. On the other hand, the North Duke had the numbers advantage. Naturally, he was quite wary of the man and did not wish to resort to violence unless he had absolutely no choice.

    Of course, the North Duke was just as wary of Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng despite the fact that the upper hand was in his hand. Neither Chu Wangsun nor Su Bancheng were ordinary people. One of them was the disciple of the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy of Chu, and the other the chief disciple of the Qing Emperor, a Sage of Chu. Killing them would incur consequences that even the North Duke would find difficult to bear.

    Both sides were wary of each other. That was precisely why there was room for negotiation.

    Although it looked like the North Duke was giving Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng no quarter, the fact was that they weren¡¯t yet at the point where a fight to the death was the only option. There was still room for negotiation.

    That was why Chu Wangsun had never nned on harming the North Duke or his men, at least not yet. Naturally, Ding Buren fell under this category.

    However, he never imagined that the light contact would send Ding Buren flying. It was ludicrous. To make aparison, Ding Buren¡¯s ¡°injury¡± was more ridiculous than a swindler faking a broken bone after being bumped by an olddy.

    ¡°How dare you, Chu Wangsun!¡±

    ¡°We gave you face, and you give us the boot? Die!¡±

    Outraged, several people who were close to Ding Burenunched themselves at Chu Wangsun.

    ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! Please, listen to me.¡±

    Chu Wangsun tried to defend himself as he blocked their attacks, but it was already toote.

    ¡°You have all the time in the world to exin after you¡¯re my captive.¡±

    First, his prize was nowhere to be found. Now, even the turtles trapped in a jar were looking down on him. Unable to restrain his anger any longer, the North Dukemanded, ¡°All units, capture them.¡±

    The North Duke Consort, Lu Daoweng and more stopped hesitating. They all charged toward Chu Wangsun.

    The two sides were locked in battle. No one noticed a dark glint shing in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes.

    Chu Wangsun was strong, but the North Duke outnumbered him many to one. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he had to protect Su Bancheng as well. It wasn¡¯t long before he fell into a disadvantage.

    ¡°I¡¯ll only repeat this one more time. We don¡¯t have the Ten Directions Stupa!¡±

    After pushing his attackers away with a torrent of true qi, Chu Wangsun said emotionlessly, ¡°Don¡¯t think we are meek just because we are polite.¡±

    The North Duke retorted, ¡°I don¡¯t want things to turn out like this either. You¡¯re the one who forced my hand.¡±

    ¡°Very well then.¡±

    Chu Wangsun¡¯s eyes turned steely after confirming that there was no longer any hope for a peaceful resolution. He summoned a bamboo ruler to his hand.

    The ruler had a traditional design and was about seven inches long. The seal scripts, ¡°Benevolence¡±, ¡°Justice¡±, ¡°Propriety¡±, ¡°Wisdom¡±, and ¡°Fidelity¡± were engraved on its surface. It looked like nothing special.

    ¡°The Sages say this: Benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and fidelity are the Five Common Ways.¡±

    Chu Wangsun chanted, and the ordinary-looking ruler began shining with the light of sagely virtue. ¡°Hence, those without fidelity may not stand, those without wisdom may not survive, those without propriety may not live, those without justice are shunned by the earth, and those without benevolence are shunned by the heavens.¡±

    Having said that, Chu Wangsun made a tapping motion with the ruler.

 Chapter 976: Benevolence and Justice Opens A World

    There was neither grandiose disy of force, stunning rays of light, or even profound and unfathomable technique. The ruler tap was just that: a ruler tap.

    And yet, the North Duke, Lu Daoweng and more were all flinching in rm. It was because they felt like they could neither hide nor avoid the attack.

    In fact, they were backing off from Chu Wangsun and taking evasive maneuvers to no avail.

    ¡°Why are you targeting me as well?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the North Duke¡¯s group who were feeling a chill of their spines. Ye Qing was feeling the same prickly sensation.

    Clearly, it was an attack meant to subdue all of them.

    The next moment, the eyes of the North Duke¡¯s group widened. Ignoring distance, true qi, and even the anomalous power of Strange Artifacts, the ruler had struck everyone on the head at once.

    <em>Tak!</em>

    It was a weak sound. It sounded like a teacher in the ss striking a naughty student¡¯s hand¡ªjust hard enough to let the student know that it was a punishment, but not hard enough to do any real damage at all.And yet, six of the North Duke¡¯s Nine Ministers saw their heads exploding like overripe melons, and their minds disappearing like blown candles. Everyone else was clutching the deep wound that damned near split their skull open and bleeding from all orifices.

    Ye Qing did not suffer nearly as badly as the North Duke¡¯s group thanks to the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, though he was dizzy from the strike as well. However, he rolled his eyes to the back of his skull and pretended to fall unconscious so that the North Duke and Chu Wangsun could fully focus on each other.

    ¡°You are courting death, Chu Wangsun!¡± n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    The North Duke was enraged by his men¡¯s death. Lifting his right hand and making a hand seal, he brought down what looked like the sea to devour anything and everything.

    <em>¡°Seven Seals of Northern Sea: Deep Sea Seal¡±</em>

    The ¡°Seven Seals of Northern Sea¡± was a Sage-stage martial art that used to be passed down within the imperial family of the Northern Sea Nation. Each style was profound and unfathomable, and each seal boasted limitless transformation. It was praised as, ¡°One move equals one realm; one seal equals one world¡±.

    The Deep Sea Seal focused not on the flexibility of the techniques, but the practitioner¡¯s force and imagination. As a longtime resident of the Northern Sea, the North Duke had witnessed the sunrise, the moonfall, and the changing tides since he could remember things. Therefore, the technique contained his imagination of the myriad manifestations of nature, and the seal the force of an entire sea. Naturally, it was quite the potent attack.

    Seeing this, Chu Wangsun gripped his ruler and drew a circle in front of him.

    No circle might exist without rules, and nothing could enter the circle.

    Amazingly, the North Duke¡¯s sea was unable to ovee the simple circle.

    ¡°Break!¡±

    Seeing this, the North Duke grunted andmanded nine dragons to fly out of his sea.

    The nine dragons had golden scales and five ws. They looked noble, dignified, and powerful.

    <em>¡°Seven Seals of Northern Sea: Nine Dragons Seal¡±</em>

    Nine and five reigned supreme among all the numbers[1]. When nine dragons emerged, all beings must submit before their might.

    The next moment, the nine dragons charged toward Chu Wangsun with seemingly infinite power. Not only that, the North Duke Consort, Lu Daoweng and more had finally snapped out of their daze tobine their attacks with their lord. ?

    The North Duke Consort wielded an unnaturally thin and beautiful longsword. The sword was beautiful, she was beautiful, and her sword technique was the most beautiful of it all.

    The sword dance drew countless dancing celestial fairies into existence. Both their person and their dance were so beautiful that it felt like a scene that should only belong in the pce in the sky, not the earth.

    No swords were drawn by the sword dance, but the sword was everywhere. Hence, it was called the ¡°Heavenly Celestial Sword¡±.

    Everyone was mortal beneath the Heavenly Celestial Sword.

    Lu Daoweng was gripping his paper fan in a reverse grip and fanning upward. As the ink painting on the fan turned into reality, rivers flowed between mountains, and tigers and leopards charged.

    One swing of the fan was all he needed to manifest mountains, waters, and a stampede of beasts. Hence, it was called the ¡°Mountain Water Fan¡±.

    A circle of mist was surrounding the Right Counselor, You Qianxiang, and a ck fortune stick was floating in front of him. The fortune stick was covered in innumerable blood red words, ¡°Kill¡±. You Qianxiang was kneeling before the ck fortune stick and kowtowing to it repeatedly.

    Every time his head hit the ground, You Qianshan¡¯s face would turn a shade paler. However, the words on the fortune stick would also grow a shade redder and more murderous.

    Nine full kowtowster, You Qianshan¡¯s face was as white as a sheet. Sweat was pouring down his face like the rain.

    The next moment, the fortune stick slipped into the void and vanished.

    ¡­¡­

    At that moment, everyone in the North Duke¡¯s group wanted to kill Chu Wangsun.

    Despite facing an all-out attack, Chu Wangsun remained cold and aloof. He held his ruler horizontally and performed a sweep.

    Benevolence was the sword, and justice the edge. Hence, it was called the ¡°Sword of Benevolence and Justice¡±.

    Benevolence and justice opened a world. One ruler separated heaven and earth and sentenced humans and ghosts to different paths.

    The nine dragons of the deep sea bowed their heads in submission.

    The fairies of the heavenly pce lost their heads.

    And the mountains, rivers and beasts dissolved into ash.

    The North Duke Consort, Lu Daoweng and You Qianshan backed three hundred meters from Chu Wangsun while sporting a chest wound so deep that the bones were exposed, and they bled like pigs.

    They were lucky. The weaker ones were outright cleaved in half as they copsed on the ground with stupefied expressions.

    It was at this moment the fortune stick suddenly appeared behind Chu Wangsun¡¯s back and prated his body, ignoring anything and everything.

    The murderous intent on the fortune stick grew thicker after the sessful first strike. Every word was shing erratically and continuously as if they were excited.

    The fortune stick flew toward Chu Wangsun again, but this time, their quarry was ready. Chu Wangsun struck it with his ruler.

    The fortune stick shattered without a sound, but the blood red words flew out and prated him as quick as lightning. Countless tiny holes riddled his body, and his wounds refused to heal for some reason. His clothes were quickly drenched by blood.

    ¡°The God Ghost Kill Word Command¡­¡± Chu Wangsun remarked while casting his many tiny wounds a nce. They were all shaped exactly like the word ¡°Kill¡±, and they were shing red and preventing his wounds from healing.

    The ¡°God Ghost Kill Word Command¡± was both a Magia and a Strange Artifact. An ultimate art of the North Duke Office, the practitioner forged and nurtured fortune sticks with killing intent. At the adept level, it could turn intangible, change its size, and kill someone without leaving a trace behind. The martial art described it like this: ¡°The killmand is issued, and neither god nor ghost may defend against it.¡± It was all one needed to read to know how potent it was.

    ¡°You did well, Chu Wangsun!¡± The North Duke uttered in a dark tone as he watched his fallen man. He made another hand seal with both hands before lifting his left hand and lowering his right hand in tandem.

    The next moment, the sun rose, and the moon fell.

    For a moment, the two celestial bodies existed in the same sky as they switched positions. Hence, it was called the ¡°Sun and Moon Seal¡±.

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    But Chu Wangsun did not try to dodge out of the way. In fact, he took a step forward and flicked his fingers repeatedly. Soon, the entire sky was filled with stars.

    <em>¡°Starry Fingers¡±</em>

    And so the sun, the moon, and the stars all illuminated the same sky.

    After the technique was ready, Chu Wangsun abruptly clenched his fingers and thrust his hand half an inch forward like a spear thrust.

    A spear beam prated the false sky, and the sun and moon shattered to smithereens in an instant.

    ¡°The ¡®False Piercing Spear¡¯¡­¡±

    The North Duke blurred and reappeared a kilometer or two away from Chu Wangsun. ¡°I did not expect the disciple of the Chief Libationist to practice a Dark martial art. Aren¡¯t you worried that you would be scorned by the world?¡±

    The ¡°False Piercing Spear¡± was the ultimate martial art of the Sky Repairing Pavilion, one of the Nine Dark Ways. It boasted the power to pierce false skies and prate heaven and earth. It was a deadly martial art steeped in death and murder.

    ¡°There is no good or evil martial art, only good or evil warrior,¡± Chu Wangsun said indifferently as he strode toward the North Duke.

    Every time he took a step, a formless sword would rise from the underground and float behind him. Thirty six stepster, thirty six formless, murderous swords were aligned behind his back.

    ¡°The ¡®Thirty Six Earthly Fiend Swords¡¯¡­¡±

    The North Duke looked disdainful. ¡°You really are quite the worldly schr, Mister Nine!¡±

    The ¡°Thirty Six Earthly Fiend Swords¡± was the legacy martial art of the Earthly Fiend Vi, one of the thirty-six unorthodox sects. It created swords of earthly qi equal to the number of Earthly Fiends. It was yet another martial art that boasted incredible killing potential.

    The next moment, the North Duke brought down his hands and caused a gigantic blood red seal to plummet from the sky.

    The seal was the size of a mountain, leaving Chu Wangsun with little to no room to escape. It looked quite intimidating to say the least.

    1. The logic being 9 is the highest number, and 5 is the one in the middle of all. ?

 Chapter 977: There Is An Exit In The Underground

    <h4>Chapter 977: There Is An Exit In The Underground </h4>

    <i>Boom!</i>

    When the sealnded, everything within a radius of several kilometers copsed at the same time. The ¡°Thirty Six Earthly Fiend Swords¡± could not withstand its weight and crumbled inch by inch. Chu Wangsun himself was overshadowed by the seal as if he was toote to escape out of range.

    Suddenly, rm bells rang in the North Duke¡¯s head. He turned his head just in time to lose half of his face to a formless sword qi that would have taken his head clean off. Blood streamed down his wound like a river.

    The North Duke did not take the blow lying down, however. He spun around and unleashed a knife hand at the space behind him. There was a muffled groan, and an invisible silhouette was sent flying through the air.

    ¡°The ¡®Shadowless Kill Sword¡¯. You almost got me,¡± remarked the North Duke while staring at a certain point in space. He paid no attention to his bleeding face.

    The ¡°Shadowless Kill Sword¡± was the ultimate martial art of the Shadowless Tower. It was an unpredictable, difficult-to-grasp sword art that was said to be capable of killing someone instantly without a trace. ¡°The sword left, and yet the man was nowhere to be found. The man left, and yet the sword was nowhere to be found.¡± It more or less described how the sword art functioned.

    The ¡°Shadowless Kill Sword¡± excelled at ambushes and assassination. It was an indefensible martial art to therge majority of warriors. As a result, the members of Shadowless Tower were often mistaken for assassins even though they were no assassin organization.

    The ¡°Shadowless Kill Sword¡± was a deadly martial art to begin with, but it was even scarier and more unpredictable in the hands of Chu Wangsun. Despite the North Duke¡¯s power, he did not notice the deadly strike until thest possible moment. Although he was able to avoid the fatal blow, half of his face was still cut off when all was said and done.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. Your ¡®Knife Hand of Death¡¯ deserves its fame as well.¡±

    Chu Wangsun slowly returned to view, though there was now a bone deep wound at the center of his chest. It was overflowing with deathly qi and continuously eating away at Chu Wangsun¡¯s internal organs.

    The ¡°Knife Hand of Death¡± was one of the North Duke Office¡¯s ultimate martial arts. The knife hand was the de, and the killing intent the edge. With just one simple turn of the hand, the practitioner could cut off the veins and end the heart.

    ¡°As expected of the disciple of the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy. You really are extraordinary.¡±

    Despite the North Duke¡¯s cold tone, he was speaking from the heart. Chu Wangsun was top ss in both strength and intelligence, and he was a rare dual practitioner of Confucianism and martial arts. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was also an expert in many ultimate Dark martial arts, and he had practiced them enough that they came to him as easily as breathing. If he had been just a little careless, Chu Wangsun would¡¯ve taken his head and imed a Half-Sage under his tally of aplishments. He definitely deserved to be called a genius.

    ¡°Thank you for yourpliment,¡± Chu Wangsun replied slowly even as his energies dropped another level. It was clear he had suffered grave damage. He remained calm and collected, however.

    ¡°This is as far as you go though,¡± The North Duke said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Surrender the Ten Directions Stupa, and I¡¯ll let you live?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll let me live?¡± Chu Wangsun cracked a mocking smile. ¡°Do you even believe yourself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve killed over half of your men, and you¡¯ll let me go just like that?¡±

    ¡°There is now a definite bond of grudge between us, and you¡¯ll forgive me just like that?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha...¡± The North Duke responded with a savage, bloodthirsty grin. ¡°Guess you aren¡¯t stupid after all.¡±

    ¡°I was going to grant you an easy death, but I guess that won¡¯t be possible.¡±

    Chu Wangsun was right. The North Duke hadn¡¯t nned on letting Chu Wangsun or Su Bancheng go, but not because he had killed his men. All the men who died were just small fries who could be reced easily. He could lose ten times the number, and he still wouldn¡¯t be concerned.

    He was concerned about the potential Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng disyed and the factions behind their backs, however. Now that they were enemies, if he were foolish to let Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng escape, he had no doubt that they would return one day to finish him off. That was why he needed to finish the job while he still could.

    Besides that, the Ten Directions Stupa must remain a secret. If Chu Wangsun and the factions supporting them were to learn about its existence, it was entirely possible for them to covet it and even target him for it. No, only the dead could keep a secret.

    As for whether his action would offend the Chief Libationist or the Qing Emperor, that actually wasn¡¯t too much of a concern. For one, Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng would be dead, and who could prove that he was their killer? Two, even if they did find out the truth, he still wouldn¡¯t fear them. Once he obtained the Ten Directions Stupa and became a Sage, Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng¡¯s death would no longer matter. After all, not even a thousand geniuses could measure up to a single Sage. Not even close.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Therefore, from the moment he attacked Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng, he had made up his mind to kill them no matter what.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m not stupid. The stupid one¡ªis you!¡±

    Chu Wangsun sneered all of a sudden, and a cry of pleasant surprise broke out before the North Duke could make sense of his words. ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s done!¡±

    ¡°Su Bancheng?¡±

    The North Duke suddenly felt a sense of unease. The next moment, the ground began reverberating without a sound and forming bizarre, enigmatic patterns. The patterns quickly spread out a couple hundred meters and took the form of a noble, exquisite, and mysterious double door.

    The North Duke did not know what the massive door was, but his unease doubled in intensity immediately. Without thinking, heunched an attack against the door.

    To his shock, his force sank into the earth like a mud cow entering the sea. It just vanished into thin air and failed to leave even a scratch on the door.

    ¡°Hahaha... this is a Chu Gate[1]. You are not strong enough to injure a Chu Gate, so just give it up, bud!¡±

    Su Bancheng¡¯sughter resounded throughout the area as the double door slowly swung open. Behind the door was a nk void that seemed to be connected to some sort of unknown space.

    The North Duke¡¯s unease grew even more. He created a seal and attacked the door again, but just like his initial attack, it failed to elicit any response whatsoever.

    Sensing that attacking the door directly was useless,the North Duke crouched down and touched the ground with both hands. The earth around the door began crumbling in earnest, but it suddenly came to a halt right before the copse would reach the edge of the door. No matter what he tried, his force simply disappeared into nothing, and the copse could not reach the door.

    The North Duke would try a couple more methods to destroy the door, but he could neither damage it nor impede its opening in the slightest.

    ¡°Tsk tsk... Like I said, this is a Chu Gate. Even a Sage would be hardpressed to scratch it, much less the likes of you,¡± Su Bancheng taunted while watching the North Duke¡¯s futile struggles. ¡°You would give up if you know what¡¯s good for you.¡±

    ¡°I might not be able to damage this Chu Gate... but I can certainly kill you!¡±

    Murder shed through the North Duke¡¯s face before he split into seven silhouettes and charged toward Su Bancheng.

    The silhouettes all created a seal as they were charging such as the Deep Sea Seal, the Mountain Seal, the Sun and Moon Seal...

    Seven silhouettes, seven different types of seals. When the silhouettes unleashed their seals at once, the sea roared, the mountains fell, the sun rose, and the moon fell. It was like a wondrous painting.

    This was the North Duke¡¯s greatest technique. It was based on the ¡°Seven Seals of Northern Sea¡±, but it was also a technique that surpassed it. One might call it the eighth seal[2].

    However, both Su Bancheng and Chu Wangsun were wearing mocking expressions. The answer as to why came just a momentter. The attacks came within one meter of the duo before disappearing as if devoured by something. They had failed to harm even a hair on the duo¡¯s person.

    ¡°Impossible!¡±

    The North Duke¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    ¡°Fool.¡± Su Bancheng crossed his arms tauntingly. ¡°I told you this a Chu Gate, and yet you still try? How stupid can you be?¡±

    ¡°I will remember what happened today, North Duke. I promise to pay you back in full another day.¡±

    Chu Wangsun did not care to taunt his enemy. There was only calm indifference on his face. Once he was done speaking, he leaped into the door and disappeared.

    ¡°See you another day, North Duke.¡±

    After Chu Wangsun was gone, Su Bancheng abruptly looked in Ye Qing¡¯s direction with murder in his eyes. ¡°Friend, I¡¯m leaving my item and your head with you for now, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll return and rid you of the responsibility sooner than you think.¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡±

    With that, Su Bancheng stepped through the door and disappeared into infinity.

    After both men were gone, the door slowly swung shut.

    1. Not Chu Empire, just Chu. It¡¯s a word so old Google trante can¡¯t evene up with a trantion. It means Open Gate/entrance. ?

    2. Now that I think about it, this is straight out of Naruto lol. ?

 Chapter 978: The Sandpiper, The Clam, and The Fisherman

    <h4>Chapter 978: The Sandpiper, The m, and The Fisherman </h4>

    Seeing that the door was closing, and his preys were slipping through his grasp, the North Duke gritted his teeth and raced toward the door.

    However, right before he would reach the door, a mysterious sh sent him bouncing like he had run into an invisible wall.

    By the time the North Duke caught himself, the door had already mmed shut.

    Not only that, the door on the ground began turning transparent and disappearing at a visible rate. A few secondster, all that was left was a barrennd. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

    Of course, Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng were nowhere to be found.

    It was at this moment something unexpected happened. Two figures abruptly popped into existence about a hundred meters away from the North Duke.

    Their appearance was as abrupt as it was soundless. One moment there was nothing, and the next they were there.

    ¡°Hahahaha... finally, we escaped. I have never been screwed over so badly in my life. Those people from the North Duke Office areplete idiots as well. The next time I run into them, I¡¯m gonna make them all pay!¡±

    One of them was chirping like a sparrow until he noticed his surroundings. ¡°Anyway, where are... hmm? This ce looks rather familiar. Where did the Chu Gate send us?¡±

    The figure hadn¡¯t even finished musing before he spotted a hateful-looking North Duke.

    For a moment, they could only stare at each other inplete silence.

    The North Duke¡¯s face turned from purple fury, to dreamy astonishment, and finally ecstasy.

    Su Bancheng¡¯s face was the opposite. It went from ecstatic release, to dreamy astonishment, and finally white-faced disbelief.

    ¡°What... how is this possible?¡±

    Su Bancheng¡¯s eyes were wide as saucers as he murmured in disbelief. ¡°There is no way we are still here. No way...¡±

    The door earlier was called the Chu Gate. A Disaster-ss Stranger, no one knew how it came to be or why it existed. Shaped like a door, it looked like a door and only ever appeared on the ground. People came to call it the Chu Gate.

    The Chu Gate was sentient and loved forming contracts with humans. Once a contract was formed, it could be summoned any time at a location wherend existed. Once it was sessfully summoned, it would protect its contractor from all danger. Its contractor could also pass through its door and be teleported to a random location.

    Of course, not anyone could enter a contract with the Chu Gate. Specifically, only the exceedingly talented were worthy of entering a contract with the Chu Gate and summoning it.

    The cost of summoning it was pretty hefty as well. The contractor must give up a martial art that they were practicing. It could not be a martial art manual or a martial art they had never practiced before.

    So, how did this work exactly? Once the contract was confirmed, the contractor would forget the martial art they chose to surrender the Chu Gatepletely. Not only that, they would not be able to practice it ever again. The contractor could study the specific martial art manual and receive the tutoring of a martial art master, and they would not be able to learn even the basics. Not even a Sage was immune to this effect.

    Even scarier, the contractor only needed to give up some mundane martial arts at the beginning, but the more times they summoned the Chu Gate, the stronger the martial arts they must pay. If a contractor had forgotten all of their martial arts, then the contract would automatically be nullified.

    As for why the Chu Gate needed the martial arts for, no one knew just like no one knew how it came to be or where it came from. It was an enigmatic existence to say the least.

    The Chu Gate was just a Disaster-ss Stranger, a rare one who waspletely harmless too. However, no one could deny its power. It was so powerful that not even a Sage could damage the Chu Gate or disobey the contract that had been signed.

    This was why Su Bancheng could not believe that the Chu Gate... had <i>failed.</i>

    Actually, that wasn¡¯t an urate statement. The Chu Gate did take effect and teleported them somewhere. It was just that one hundred meters was basically worth nothing in this scenario.

    Technically, the Chu Gate¡¯s random teleportation had no specified location or range. However, it generally teleported its contractors thousands of kilometers, sometimes even tens of thousands of kilometers away from their original location. That was why Su Bancheng was so shocked. One hundred meters? Just what the hell was going on here?

    ¡°You wereughing? Go on! Keepughing!¡± The North Duke¡¯s grin slowly spread from ear to ear. ¡°You were having such a good time!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re going to make me pay? I¡¯m right in front of you. Come on! Make me pay!¡±

    It was at this moment Chu Wangsun spoke up. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that something is off, North Duke?¡±

    Despite the danger he was in, not a shred of panic or terror could be seen on Chu Wangsun¡¯s face.

    ¡°Is there? Nah, I think the heavens just finally opened their goddamn eyes for once, that¡¯s all!¡± The North Duke sneered.

    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Someone like you believes in the heavens, North Duke?¡± Chu Wangsun said indifferently.

    ¡°Are you making fun of me?¡± The North Duke blurred and reappeared right in front of Chu Wangsun. The North Duke Consort, Lu Daoweng and more also recovered their wits and surrounded the duo as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you. I¡¯m just saying it as it is. Besides, the human heart is far scarier than the heavens.¡±

    Chu Wangsun didn¡¯t try to back off despite the North Duke appearing right in front of him. He didn¡¯t even look intimidated.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± The North Duke narrowed his eyes and asked.

    ¡°Sandpiper and m war together, and the fisherman catches both,¡± Chu Wangsun said simply.

    The North Duke didn¡¯t speak, but a hint of severity crept onto his face.

    Chu Wangsun continued, ¡°It is clear that someone is pitting us against each other. They n to sweep in at thest moment and im all the spoils.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure this person would also have the Ten Directions Stupa.¡± Chu Wangsun looked straight at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Am I right, wannabe fisherman?¡±

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t move. He kept pretending to be dead.

    Chu Wangsun remarked, ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to wake up, it seems. Why don¡¯t we oblige his wish and make sure he never wakes up, North Duke?¡±

    ¡°Makes sense,¡± The North Duke agreed.

    He wasn¡¯t an idiot. Anger might have overtaken his good senses earlier, but Chu Wangsun¡¯s reminder had snapped him out of it and made him realize that something was seriously off.

    For starters, he might not recognize the Stranger Su Bancheng had summoned earlier, but it had swallowed all of his attacks and repelled him like nothing. It was clearly a powerful Stranger meant to teleport Su Bancheng and Chu Wangsun to safety. And yet, they had reappeared just a hundred meters away from their original spot. This clearly made no sense.

    It was very possible that the teleportation had failed because someone had interfered, so who could this person be?

    He did not possess the strength to interfere with the Stranger. Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng weren¡¯t stupid enough to dig their own grave either. By process of elimination, the only person who could have done it... was that man.

    The man had singlehandedly driven Su Bancheng to the brink. Considering his strength, there was a definite chance he could have interfered with the Stranger¡¯s ability.

    Besides that, he was an extremely paranoid man. Sometimes, he was so paranoid he did not believe his own people. However, he had trusted thisplete stranger in just a few words of conversation. Later, he didn¡¯t even recall his existence as if something was blocking his memory and awareness.

    The devil was in the details, and he was everywhere once the North Duke really looked into it. He could not help but break out in cold sweat when he realized just how close he hade to being totally yed by the unknown stranger.

    Of course, what came after fear and trepidation was anger. Anger that surpassed even Chu Wangsun murdering his men and injuring him.

    His mind made up, the North Duke flicked his fingers and sent three drops of azure blue water droplets in Ye Qing¡¯s direction.

    <i>Ssh ssh ssh!</i>

    They were just tiny droplets, and yet they traveled through the air making river-like noises. Space itself was groaning as if it could not bear their weight.

 Chapter 979: Fine, I Admit That Iâ€™m The One Who Dunnit

    Three three water droplets were called Single Heavy Water.

    Single Heavy Water was the essence of all water and the spirit of all ocean. It took thousands and thousands of tons of seawater just to refine one drop of Single Heavy Water. That was also why it was unbelievably heavy. Without exaggeration, a single drop was enough to form ake or flood an entire city. It was potent to say the least.

    It had taken the North Duke over a decade to refine just three drops of Single Heavy Water, and he was using all of it on Ye Qing. It showed just how angry and bloodthirsty he was feeling.

    Right before the three drops of Single Heavy Water wouldnd on Ye Qing¡¯s body, he abruptly opened his mouth and <em>swallowed </em>them all in one gulp. The Single Heavy Water that supposedly weighed like mountains and could have ttened almost any other Trueman like pancakes.

    ¡°Ooh, it tastes pretty good.¡±

    Ye Qing smacked his lips and opened his eyes. ¡°Too bad it¡¯s a little salty.¡±

    <em>It¡¯s seawater. Of course it¡¯s salty, </em>thement shed through the North Duke¡¯s head even as his heart was overtaken by shock. This was the Single Heavy Water, a drop of water that weighed like mountains, and the guy just swallowed not one, not two, but <em>three of them </em>like nothing? How was this even possible?

    ¡°It really is you!¡±

    Now was not the time to be shocked, however. The North Duke restrained his bewilderment and uttered coldly, ¡°I underestimated you!¡±¡°Would you believe me if I said it wasn¡¯t me?¡± Ye Qing got up to his feet.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± The North Duke red at him with unbridled bloodthirst.

    ¡°Fine, fine, it was me.¡± Ye Qing shrugged.

    Neither the North Duke nor Chu Wangsun were idiots. No amount of sophistry was going to rescue this situation.

    Besides, he had already achieved his goal: to wear down both the North Duke¡¯s group and Chu Wangsun¡¯s group.

    He thought that his n had ended before it even began, but as it turned out, the North Duke thought that Chu Wangsun had stolen his Ten Directions Stupa and was trying to capture him. This gave him the opportunity to resurrect his n.

    So, he secretly used his demonic thought to stir the North Duke group¡¯s anger and impatience while ordering Ding Buren to feign being injured by Chu Wangsun. The North Duke was already pissed off that his prize possession was imed by another, and Chu Wangsun staunchly refused to cooperate with him. Then, the schr even ¡°injured¡± his subordinate. How could he possibly stand such a slight?

    His top steaming from all the anger boiling under his skull, the North Duke ultimately sumbed to his impulse. So, that happened.

    Of course, the ideal situation was for the North Duke to Chu Wangsun and save him a whole heap of trouble. Unfortunately, the North Duke proved to be weaker than he thought. Not only did he fail to kill Chu Wangsun, he even allowed the guy to make a getaway.

    Left with no choice, Ye Qing had to request for Feng Qingyou¡¯s intervention.

    That¡¯s right, the one who stopped Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng from escaping through the Chu Gate was none other than Feng Qingyou. He could not have done it even if he was in tiptop condition.

    Feng Qingyou had arrived even before the North Duke and Chu Wangsun were fighting. She remained hidden so that she wouldn¡¯t disturb Ye Qing¡¯s n, but Su Bancheng summoned the Chu Gate in the end. So, she had no choice but to take action.

    He had no idea how Feng Qingyou did it. Su Bancheng had imed that even a Sage could not harm them or the Chu Gate, so logically speaking a Great Trueman like Feng Qingyou should be even more powerless to interfere. And yet she did, so that was that.

    Although her interference sessfully prevented Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng from escaping, it also exposed him.

    That was just how life was. There were rarely such a thing as a perfect solution, much less a perfect oue.

    Still, Chu Wangsun was seriously injured, and the North Duke was fatigued despite sporting minimal injuries.

    At this point, his n counted as a sess, so it did not matter if he was exposed anymore.

    ¡°You did well. Very well. I had never been swindled this badly until today. You have thoroughly impressed me.¡±

    A cold, maddened sneer slowly spread across the North Duke¡¯s face. ¡°So, how would you like to die?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t mean to use you. I just want him dead.¡± Ye Qing looked at Chu Wangsun and said, ¡°How about this. I¡¯ll pay you what you¡¯re due if you stay your hand and allow me to kill him first. What do you say?¡± ?

    The North Duke soundlessly turned his head in Chu Wangsun¡¯s direction.

    ¡°You want me dead?¡± Chu Wangsun was caught off guard. ¡°I don¡¯t think I recognize you, scion.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you recognize me. What matters is that I recognize you, and that I want to kill you,¡± Ye Qing replied.

    He had changed his appearance, and his aura was very much differentpared to who he was when he escaped Tian Yong. That was Chu Wangsun had failed to recognize him.

    ¡°One does notmit murder without a reason,¡± Chu Wangsun replied.

    ¡°You want a reason?¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll give you a reason. I don¡¯t like your face, so I want you dead. Do you like my reason?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡°Not really,¡± Chu Wangsunmented clinically. ¡°I think you¡¯re trying to hide your identity and buy time.¡±

    ¡°North Duke, this man has shown himself to be quite cunning so far, and it sounds like he¡¯s plotting. The consequences would be severe if you don¡¯t kill him now.¡±

    Before the North Duke could react, Chu Wangsun continued, ¡°I¡¯m seriously hurt and out of escape options anyway. I¡¯m sure you know what¡¯s the best option to take here.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to teach me what to do.¡±

    The North Duke shot Chu Wangsun a look but turned to Ye Qing. ¡°So, have you finished thinking? Have you chosen a way to die?¡±

    As Chu Wangsun said, he was a turtle trapped inside a jar. It waspletely up to the North Duke whether he lived or died. The mysterious stranger though, he was a different story. He was a <em>threat</em>.

    That was why the North Duke had already sentenced the mysterious stranger to death in his heart whether he was telling the truth or not.

    His unease would persist so long as the man was still alive.

    ¡°So, the negotiation is a failure?¡± Ye Qing sighed. ¡°What a shame.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± The North Duke asked.

    ¡°Your wrongful decision, of course,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Hmph! Pretentious cur!¡± The North Duke harrumphed and stopped wasting his breath. He took a step forward, and twelve small axes appeared beside him.

    Each axe was only as big as a human palm, and they were dark-colored. The next moment, they all flew in Ye Qing¡¯s direction.

    Strangely, the twelve small axes conjured gusts of yin wind and mind-bending wails as they rotated.

    The twelve small axes were called the ¡°Twelve Weeping Axes¡±. A Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, the sound of the yin wind created by the Twelve Weeping Axes sounded like the wails and cries of a million ghosts. Anyone below Trueman stage would suffer a mental breakdown and go insane the instant they heard the noise.

    That wasn¡¯t the scariest characteristic of the Twelve Weeping Axes, of course. It was the fact that each axe boasted an ability of its own. One axe could break swords, another could break sabers, a third could break whips; sticks, fists, palms, qi, body, soul and more.

    Long story short, anyone below Trueman and Grandmaster stage would perish if they encountered the Twelve Weeping Axes, and even Trueman and Grandmasters would find the Strange Artifact difficult to fend off.

    The North Duke had not used the Twelve Weeping Axes even when he was fighting Chu Wangsun, but now, he was. It showed how seriously he was treating Ye Qing.

    <em>Ting tong¡­</em>

    It was at this moment a qin sound interrupted the wailing.

    The twang was quiet like a dark orchid blooming in an empty valley: clear, but not high-pitched; melodious, but not loud. And yet, it somehow overwhelmed the wails of the Twelve Weeping Axes.

    At the same time, the qin music rippled the surrounding space like it was water until it was split open. Then, both the Twelve Weeping Axes and the North Duke slowly vanished as if they had entered a different space altogether.

    Chu Wangsun, Su Bancheng, and the North Duke¡¯s group were surprised as a matter of course. They weren¡¯t expecting to find a fourth party at this juncture; one that they had not detected at all until now.

 Chapter 980: Five Virtue Ruler, Inkstone of Learning

    ¡°It¡¯s only you and me now, Chu Wangsun.¡±

    Looking at Chu Wangsun, the corners of Ye Qing¡¯s lips for a chuckle. Then, his figure slowly turned transparent. As it turned out, it was just an afterimage.

    To Chu Wangsun¡¯s credit, his reaction speed was top-notch. The moment he noticed something amiss, an inkstone had appeared above his head.

    Ink stirred inside the inkstone and transformed into many mysterious dragon-headed and phoenix-tailed ancient seal scripts. They formed passages of profound scriptures and danced around Chu Wangsun.

    At the same time, the sound of chanting filled the air, loud and flew right off the tongue.

    At that moment, the scripture unleashed infinite radiance and manifested a divine phenomenon that shook the world.

    The inkstone was called the Inkstone of Learning. Just like the ruler, it was a treasure his teacher, the Chief Libationist of Jixia Academy, had bestowed him. On a rted note, the ruler he used earlier was called the Five Virtue Ruler.

    Both treasures were items the Chief Libationist carried with him when he was young. They were immeasurably powerful due to countless years of exposure to the Chief Libationist¡¯s literary qi.

    The Five Virtue Ruler excelled at offense. It could attack anyone who disobeyed the five virtues, benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom and fidelity. It could be blocked, but not avoided.The Inkstone of Learning excelled at defense. It contained the essence of the poems and scriptures learned and crafted by the Chief Libationist. At a critical moment, Chu Wangsun could manifest the text to defend himself from all harm.

    In fact, the Inkstone of Learning was even stronger than the Five Virtue Ruler. It counted as an artifact that had protected the Chief Libationist¡¯s Dao before he became a Sage. Therefore, it was almost impervious to anyone below the Sage stage.

    When Chu Wangsun fought against the North Duke, he chose not to use the inkstone because he still had trump cards and was nowhere close to being pushed to the brink of death. It was different now. He had a feeling that he would die if he did not use it.

    As if on cue, Ye Qing appeared behind Chu Wangsun and threw out a punch.

    <em>Thump!</em>

    It sounded like someone striking a gong or a bell. The text surrounding Chu Wangsun stirred to the impact, but the man himself was perfectly fine. Not only that, Ye Qing was staggering backward hard enough to crush the ice beneath his feet with every step. He arrested himself only a dozen or so stepster.

    The second he stopped moving, Ye Qing threw himself forward even faster and stronger than before. The earth trembled visibly with every step he took, wind and thunder howled as he raced forward, and his fist intent astounded anyone and everyone.

    <em>Rumble¡­</em>

    Force spun like a hurricane in the space between Ye Qing and Chu Wangsun. Such was its power that it ripped through the ground like it was paper and threw entire chunks of it into the sky.

    The North Duke Consort, Lu Daoweng and the remnants of the North Duke Office were going to attack him until they saw this. They all wore terrified expressions and backed off in a hurry. ??

    ¡°Break!¡±

    The hurricane was still going when Ye Qing let out a low growl and tore it asunder. His fistnded on the wall of text blocking in front of Chu Wangsun and pushed three inches deeper.

    Chu Wangsun was blown back like a dry leaf, a deep gorge forming underneath his feet for every inch he traveled. Such was Ye Qing¡¯s punch that the schr eventually fell into a heap on the ground, but¡­

    ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s still standing?¡± Ye Qing frowned at the wall of text still standing around Chu Wangsun.

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me.¡±

    Chu Wangsun slowly climbed back to his feet. All Ye Qing¡¯s punch had done was decrease the amount of ink inside the inkstone.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Strange Artifact the Chief Libationist gave you to protect you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ye Qing asked while shaking his wrist a little. He could feel the thick Sage energy emanating from the inkstone.

    ¡°If you know this, then you know that I am telling the truth.¡±

    Chu Wangsun dered, ¡°You cannot kill me.¡±

    Instead of talking, Ye Qing made a grabbing motion and caused a gigantic, dark yellow hand to descend from above. It grabbed Su Bancheng with ease¡ªthe chief disciple was still dazed and recovering from the earlier outburst of force¡ªand brought him over to Ye Qing.

    Su Bancheng was seriously injured to begin with, and the shockwave of Ye Qing and Chu Wangsun¡¯s sh did him no favors. Ye Qing was able to seize him without meeting any resistance.

    ¡°Come out and die, Chu Wangsun, or I will kill him,¡± Ye Qing threatened while grabbing Su Bancheng¡¯s neck.

    Su Bancheng¡¯s face rapidly turned red, but he was unable to break free from Ye Qing¡¯s control.

    Chu Wangsun didn¡¯t react. Ye Qing taunted him, ¡°I thought he is your friend? What, are you really going to just stand there and watch him die?¡±

    ¡°He is my friend,¡± Chu Wangsun said emotionlessly, ¡°but just because he is my friend doesn¡¯t mean that I must trade my life for his. Besides, I don''t believe that you will let him live even if I do as you say and surrender.¡±

    ¡°How would you know if you didn¡¯t try?¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°There is only one life. I see no merit in gambling it away on an enemy¡¯s whim.¡±

    Chu Wangsun said, ¡°However, I, Chu Wangsun, swear that I will destroy you and take revenge for my friend if you kill him.¡±

    Chu Wangsun¡¯s voice was calm and indifferent, but no one suspected that he was lying.

    It was because he was Chu Wangsun, disciple of the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy, the one they called ¡°Mister Nine¡± in the <em>jianghu</em>.

    ¡°Take revenge? Do you even know who I am?¡± Ye Qing scoffed.

    ¡°In fact, I think I do.¡± A hint of steeliness shed in Chu Wangsun¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re Ye Qing, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡±

    Ye Qing was a bit surprised, if he was being honest. He did not think that Chu Wangsun would actually guess his identity correctly. ¡°I¡¯m curious. How did you find out?¡±

    The steeliness in Chu Wangsun¡¯s eyes grew. ¡°It really is you. You really are still alive.¡±

    Ye Qing eximed with even more surprise, ¡°Huh. It almost sounds like you¡¯ve had suspicions even before today.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chu Wangsun confirmed. ¡°The one who fought me at Bei You was you as well, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°And how could you possibly know that?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. Chu Wangsun was referring to the time he passed through Bei You on his way to the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance. At the time, Ye Qing had encountered Chu Wangsun at the restaurant called Number One by ident and decided to ambush him while he was fatigued from his battle against the ¡®Demon Refining Hand¡¯ Pei Qiansui.

    ¡°Since young, I have had a highly retentive memory. I never forget who or what I saw.¡±

    Chu Wangsun said, ¡°I have met you several times at this point, and I am even more familiar with the characteristics of your martial arts and the way your energy changes. At Bei You, you may have disguised yourself in appearance, fought using basic martial arts, and be much stronger in terms of cultivation, but you cannot change the way your energy changes, the characteristics of your martial arts, your habits and so on. Since then, I have suspected that you are still alive. I simply decided not to look into it because the Dark Overlord¡¯s inheritance takes priority.¡±

    ¡°You may be a Trueman now, and your martial arts are nothing like what it was back then, but it is not like you havepletely shedded who you were. There are characteristics and traces that are reminiscent of who you were at the beginning. Besides, you kept saying that you have a grudge with me. It¡¯s not terribly difficult to guess who you were.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I see!¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°I must say that you are an impressive man, Mister Nine!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should say that.¡± Chu Wangsun¡¯s expression grew a littleplicated. ¡°To think that you would transform from an ant I could kill at any moment to a man-eating tiger in just the matter of years. I really am surprised.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your praise.¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Seriously though, it¡¯s all thanks to you and Fang Muyun. Without your ah, encouragement, I might not be as strong as I am today.¡±

    Chu Wangsun was silent for a few breaths before asking, ¡°Are you the one behind Muyun¡¯s death?¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    Ye Qing neither admitted nor denied his usation, but sometimes, theck of denial itself was an admission.

    ¡°It¡¯s just instinct. It¡¯s just feels like too much of a coincidence.¡± Chu Wangsun said, ¡°Sometimes, three times is enemy action. It¡¯s the same with the Ten Directions Stupa.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Correct. If only you found out sooner, eh?¡±

    Ye Qing took half a step forward, bent his knees, lifted his arms, and punched.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 Chapter 981: Chu Wangsun Must Die

    <h4>Chapter 981: Chu Wangsun Must Die </h4>

    The punch had a perfectly standard and orthodox stance.

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    And yet, the punch boasted a force thick and heavy like mountains and rivers, and intent lofty and far like the boundless sky and infinite universe.

    As the punch emerged, mountains and rivers were turned upside down, the sky and the universe were shattered to smithereens, and heaven and earth returned to Primal Chaos.

    It was a fist taller than the heavens. It was a fist that dared to demand a new sun and moon in the sky.

    The next moment, the stars fell, the sun and moon turned lightless, the mountains shattered, and the rivers dried up.

    In one punch, the extraordinary phenomena manifested by the Sage¡¯s scriptures were all destroyed and returned to Primal Chaos.

    The ink in the Inkstone of Learning dried up in an instant. Like a dying candle in the wind and rain, its me threatened to disappear at any moment.

    For the first time, Chu Wangsun¡¯s calm, victorious expression cracked. He looked both shocked and terrified.

    Although the Inkstone of Learning hadn¡¯t run out of energy yet, but he could still feel Ye Qing¡¯s fist intent and fist force eroding his body bit by bit like it was made of sand.

    ¡°Teacher, save me!¡±

    Knowing that he might have seconds¡ªmaybe not even that¡ªleft on the clock, Chu Wangsun finally couldn¡¯t suppress his terror any longer and screamed.

    Strangely, as soon as Chu Wangsun screamed, warm, soothing light burst out of nowhere and seemingly tore through the darkness of the lightless, chaotic world.

    At the same time, the fist intent that could have broken anything and everything receded bit by bit and disappeared into nothing.

    It felt like it took a long time, but it really happened in just the blink of an eye. The next moment, the wind blew, the clouds floated, and the sky was clear. Everything had been restored to what it should have been.

    A rice-sized dot of light flew out of Chu Wangsun¡¯s forehead, and an old man with an ordinary countenance and white hair stepped out into the open. He was wearing hemp garments.

    ¡°Once again I have to wipe your ass, boy. Who did you offend this time?¡±

    Despite his humble appearance, he shone eternally like the sun and moon itself.

    The old man scolded Chu Wangsun first before looking at Ye Qing. ¡°Huh? A boy? And is that that old fart¡¯s disciple? Both, disciples of a Sage, lost to a boy about the same age as you? We¡¯re never going to live down this embarrassment, are we?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m inferior to him, teacher. He cheated,¡± Chu Wangsun replied with a salute.

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? If you lost, then you lost. That¡¯s all there is to it. If you¡¯re truly ¡®superior¡¯ to him, then you wouldn¡¯t need me to wipe your ass, do you? Now fuck off to the side, will you?!¡±

    After the old man was done rebuking Chu Wangsun, he looked at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve met, have we boy?¡±

    ¡°This junior greets the wise Chief Libationist.¡± Ye Qing saluted him. ¡°Indeed, this isn¡¯t the first time we met. Our first meeting is during the Demonbearer Abode.¡±

    The humble old man throwing curses left and right was none other than Chu Wangsun¡¯s teacher, the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy.

    Ye Qing was, in fact, not surprised by his appearance. After all, the chief Libationist had attached a wisp of his divine thought to Chu Wangsun¡¯s person even back at the Demonbearer Abode. Why would this time be any different?

    ¡°Oh! Now I remember. You¡¯re the boy standing next to Miss Murong that day,¡± The Chief Libationist eximed in realization. ¡°In that case, you¡¯re the reason my unworthy disciple was almost killed at the Demonbearer Abode that day, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    It was framed as a question, but it wasn¡¯t a question.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ye Qing did not deny it. Denial was pointless before a Sage.

    ¡°It was you?!¡± Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t expecting this. No wonder Cui Qiuyuan, that so-called Mortician, acted like he was the killer of his father the first time they met. It was all because Ye Qing!

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s rude to interrupt a conversation? Silence!¡±

    The Chief Libationist rebuked him again and asked, ¡°If I may ask, what is the nature of the grudge that you harbor against my disciple? Why must you kill him?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a question your good disciple should answer, not me,¡± Ye Qing replied slowly.

    The Chief Libationist turned around and looked at Chu Wangsun, his eyes pure, radiant, and all-seeing for one moment. ¡°I see. This is definitely their fault.¡±

    ¡°Can you give me a bit of face and forgive my unworthy disciple this once? I promise you that neither he nor the others would seek vengeance against you.¡±

    ¡°Teacher,¡± Chu Wangsun frowned deeply at that, ¡°Muyun¡ª¡±

    ¡°Silence.¡±

    Before Chu Wangsun could finish, the Chief Libationist pped him in the head and rebuked him harshly, ¡°Since the two of you were children, I¡¯ve taught you¡ªboth of you¡ªthe ways of Confucianism and the virtues of the Sages, but as it turned out, you¡¯ve fed it all to the dogs! Instead of learning how to ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and fortune for the people, to continue the lost teachings of past sages, and to establish peace for all future generations, you¡¯ve instead learned how to vitews and propriety, bully the weak, and kill the good instead! How can you still call yourself a disciple of Jixia Academy after everything you¡¯ve done?!¡±

    ¡°Your eldest and second senior brother must have spoiled you so much that you¡¯ve forgotten the reason you sought the Dao in the first ce. But no longer. After today, you will stay with me and relearn how to conduct yourself both as a person and in society. You will not take a step away from the Jixi Academy, understand?¡±

    Chu Wangsun kept his head low and did not say anything.

    After he was done rebuking Chu Wangsun, the Chief Libationist turned to look at Ye Qing and asked, ¡°Let this be the end of this matter, young friend. What do you say?¡±

    When Ye Qing said nothing, the Chief Libationist added, ¡°I will owe you a favor!¡±

    Ye Qing still remained silent.

    To be honest, the Chief Libationist¡¯s behavior had surpassed his expectations. He was sure that the old man would try to nip the problem in the bud and kill him as soon as he showed up. But not only did he stay his hand, he was even negotiating terms with him.

    He couldn¡¯t even say that the terms were fair. Although the Chief Libationist didn¡¯ty it out perfectly clear, he still understood what he was trying to say.

    One, if he let Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng go, no one would take revenge against him in the future¡ªand he wasn¡¯t just talking about Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng. He was referring to Fang Muyun¡¯s father and teacher, the Intelligence Department of Chu and more. His manhunt would finallye to an end, and he would finally be free from the invisible threat that had been gnawing away at his insides even when he was in another country. So long as he didn¡¯t act stupid and intentionally show himself before these people, his safety and peace were guaranteed.

    Second, the Chief Libationist offered him a favor. Obviously, a favor could be big or small, but it was still a Sage¡¯s favor. This was obviously a great offer. One might even say that it was a staircase to heaven.

    In conclusion, the Chief Libationist was offering him quite the generous terms. He believed that the old man was capable of fulfilling the terms to the maximum capacity as well.

    The problem was... despite all the Chief Libationist had offered him...

    He did not offer him the two things he desired the most: His justice, and his promise.

    Justice here referred to his innocence, the Harmony King¡¯s loss of his son, and Chu Qingge¡¯s loss of her brother.

    Promise referred to his personal promise to Chu Qingge.

    He had promised Chu Qingge to give her a proper answer and conclusion to this. Although the main culprit, Fang Muyun, had already died for his sins, and although Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t the one who plotted her brother¡¯s death, the fact was that everything had started because of him. Besides, Chu Wangsun was a participant in the incident of Tian Yong. He could not wash his hands of the responsibility.

    He did not mind his good name being ndered, but he must give Chu Qingge the absolution she deserved.

    So, after a slow and careful deliberation, Ye Qing looked at the Chief Libationist and dered, ¡°I can let Su Bancheng go, but Chu Wangsun must die.¡±

 Chapter 982: Kindly Provide Me Guidance

    <h4>Chapter 982: Kindly Provide Me Guidance </h4>

    The Chief Libationist asked for rification, ¡°So, you¡¯re rejecting those terms?¡±

    ¡°I apologize,¡± Ye Qing sped his hands in salute, ¡°but I cannot and will not ept such an oue.¡±

    Chu Wangsun, Su Bancheng, and everyone else listening in on the conversation were stunned. A Sage was offering Ye Qing, a Grandmaster, a generouspromise, and instead of epting it with gratitude, he actually dared to rebuff him? Who did he think he is?

    ¡°You understand the consequences of rejecting me, don¡¯t you?¡± The Chief Libationist asked slowly.

    ¡°I believe so.¡±

    Ye Qing met the Chief Libationist¡¯s gaze head on and dered with a determined expression, ¡°Kindly provide me guidance.¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to fight me? Do you truly understand what fighting me entails?¡±

    The Chief Libationist examined the young man before him curiously. ¡°Let me think. I¡¯m a schr, so the number of fights I¡¯ve gotten into is few and far between. Yes, I think I¡¯ve only fought twice or thrice my whole life.¡±

    ¡°Fifty years ago, when I had just be a Sage, I happened upon the man called Blood Cicada using infants to practice his ¡®Blood God Art of Nine Lifetimes¡¯. Enraged, I fought him for three days and nights, shattered his Three Heavenly Souls and Seven Earthly Souls, and ended his path permanently.¡±

    ¡°Thirty years ago, I happened to stumble upon the Yellow Sky Way Lord making misery out of the people, so I fought him, slew his Thirty Three Yellow Sky Avatars, and buried him in the Nether, never to be reborn.¡±

    ¡°A little over a decade ago, White Lotus Holy Mother recruited the aid of the Heavenless Emperor of Buddha, Sky Devouring Ghost King, Corpse Hiding Old Man, Fortune Capital Heavenly Sovereign and ambushed me. However, I killed two of them and wounded three, breaking their Way in half and throwing them back to the mortal coil. To this day, they haven¡¯t recovered.¡±

    ¡°Having said all that, do you still desire to fight me?¡±

    The Chief Libationist was telling the truth. It was true he rarely fought anyone in his life, but the few times he did, they were all the stuff of legends.

    Blood Cicada, Yellow Sky Way Lord, White Lotus Holy Mother and more were all famous Sages on the Heaven Champions Ranking.

    Of the group, Blood Cicada was the deputy head of the Blood God Sect and practiced a martial art called the ¡°Blood God Art of Nine Lifetimes¡±. When the practitioner had reincarnated and recultivated their strength nine times as the Blood God True Spirit, they would reach the adept level and gain nine lives. It was why he was also nicknamed the Nine-lived Blood Demon. Back in the day, he was an infamous monster everyone in the <i>jianghu </i>feared.

    But despite his strength and infamy, the Chief Libationist, a newly ascended Sage at the time, was able to kill him nine times in a row. In the end, a wisp of Blood Cicada¡¯s True Spirit managed to escape, but his Way was forever ended as a result of the battle.

    The Yellow Sky Way Lord was one of the three Way Lords of the Way of Taiping[1]. Exceedingly powerful, his cultivation art was called the ¡°Yellow Sky Avatar¡±. At the adept level, he could manifest thirty three Yellow Sky Avatars. Not only was each avatar an individual capable of independent thought and cultivation, the Yellow Sky Way Lord could not die as long as even one avatar was still alive.

    At the time, the Yellow Sky Way Lord had reached the adept level of ¡°Yellow Sky Avatar¡± and created thirty three Yellow Sky Avatars. Each avatar was in the Sage stage as well. In other words, the Yellow Sky Way Lord was equal to thirty three Sages. To say he was horrifying would be an understatement. Thanks to him, the Way of Taiping was positively invincible for a time.

    Unfortunately, the Yellow Sky Way Lord¡¯s legend of invincibility came to an abrupt and meek end when he encountered the Chief Libationist. Not only did the schr massacre all thirty three Yellow Sky Avatars, he had suppressed and sealed the Yellow Sky Way Lord at the Nether as well. To this day, he was unable to break free. One might say that the Chief Libationist had singlehandedly beaten the Way of Taiping back to the Middle Ages.

    Finally, the White Lotus Holy Mother was the founder of the White Lotus Sect over a decade ago. The Heavenless Emperor of Buddha, Sky Devouring Ghost King, Corpse Hiding Old Man, Fortune Capital Heavenly Sovereign were infamous titans of the Dark Ways as well. They were all Sages. Together, they set up a death trap for the Chief Libationist and ambushed him at Sunset Sea.

    But despite owning both the advantage of surprise and numbers, the five Sages were absolutely trounced by the Chief Libationist. Not only did that battle change the geography forever and turned Sunset Sea into Sunset Valley, the Chief Libationist had killed two and grievously injured the remaining.

    To be specific, White Lotus Holy Mother and Sky Devouring Ghost King were dead, and Heavenless Emperor of Buddha, Corpse Hiding Old Man, and Fortune Capital Heavenly Sovereign were grievously injured. To this day, they hadn¡¯t recovered. As a result of White Lotus Holy Mother¡¯s death, the White Lotus Sect fell apart and was never able to regain their former glory.

    Since then, the Chief Libationist never fought anyone again. It wasn¡¯t because he had gotten old and weak, but because no one dared to fight him or even plot against him.

    A Sage was a transcendent being wielding immense, unparalleled power that a mortal could never hope to surpass. Naturally, they were just as difficult to kill. Less than five Sages had died in the past century, but half of that tally belonged to the Chief Libationist. It showed just how terrifyingly powerful he was.

    In conclusion, Ye Qing was an ant; a dog the Chief Libationist could massacre as he pleased if he really wanted to.

    Sure, this Chief Libationist was just a wisp of the original¡¯s divine thought, but so what? He was still a tree Ye Qing could never hope to topple. He would be foolish to think otherwise.

    But today, Ye Qing must be that foolish ant. He must challenge the impossible no matter what.

    He might die, but he would not live without regrets.

    Ye Qing stubbornly saluted the Chief Libationist again. ¡°Kindly provide me guidance.¡±

    N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡°Do you really not fear death?¡± The Chief Libationist asked.

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°There are things a gentleman must do and must not do.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Your courage certainly reminds me of my youth.¡±

    The Chief Libationist did not get angry with him. In fact, he was guffawing and saying, ¡°It is my unworthy disciple who is in the wrong in the first ce, not to mention that I am far more powerful and experienced than you. If I fight you, well, let¡¯s just say that it would be embarrassing beyond words, so let¡¯s do it this way.¡±

    ¡°I will defend, and you will attack. If you can ovee me and kill my unworthy disciple, then it is his fate to die in your hands. What do you say?¡±

    ¡°You are very generous, mister. This junior is most impressed.¡± Ye Qing saluted him gratefully. He was ready to fight to the death, but he did not think that the Chief Libationist would promise to defend only. This way, whether he seeded or not, his life would probably not be in danger.

    He must admit that the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy, despite his truly unworthy disciple, was a square and proper gentleman. He could have overwhelmed him via brute force, but he did not do so because it was beneath him. He deserved his title as a Confucian Sage at the very least.

    ¡°Generous my ass, I may look like this, but I¡¯m still a schr, you know?¡± The Chief Libationist urged. ¡°Now get started already. The sooner we can get this over with, the better.¡±

    ¡°Very well. This junior shall begin his offense.¡±

    Hands still sped in a salute, Ye Qing took one step forward and channeled his qi, essence and spirit to pinnacle perfection. Then, he threw out a punch.

    The wind stopped, the clouds stilled, the mountains froze, and even yin and yang came to a stop. It was Suppression Hammer.

    At his current strength, Ye Qing¡¯s Suppression Hammer was still far behind the Dark Overlord¡¯s as a matter of course. However, it sported some of the essence of the Dark Overlord¡¯s Suppression Hammer while boasting some unique characteristics of his own. Specifically, Ye Qing¡¯s Suppression Hammer was thicker and denser because he practiced the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, a marked differencepared to the Dark Overlord¡¯s brutal and vicious fists.

    Those with great virtue are heavy.

    ¡°The Dark Overlord¡¯s ¡®Suppression Hammer¡¯! Not bad, not bad.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s fist was one meter away from the Chief Libationist when the old man suddenly let out a chuckle. Then, he reached out to grab Ye Qing¡¯s fist, flipped it around, and pushed it away. From stillness to action; from yin to yang. What was the way of yin and yang? Infinity.

    Ye Qing staggered backward backward uncontrobly, but every time he took a step, his aura would grow a little stronger, and his fist intent greater. When his aura was as vast as the mountains, and his fist intent peaking over the nine heavens, Ye Qing arrested himself and swung his arm a celestial striking the earth like it was a drum. The sky threatened to break, and the earth tethered on the brink of copse.

    As it turned out, it wasn¡¯t a celestial drumming the earth after all. It was ¡°Break Hammer¡±. However, Break Hammer cared nothing for form and everything about fist intent. As long as the practitioner desired to break the origin, then anything could be Break Hammer.

    1. If you figured out who the Yellow Sky Way Lord is before this sentence, good for you. ?

 Chapter 983: Where Are Your Martial Ethics, Young Friend?

    ¡°Your Break Hammer is strong in intent and not in shape. It has already reached the level of Samadhi[1].¡±

    The Chief Libationist paid Ye Qing¡¯s ¡°Break Hammer¡± apliment. Then, he clenched his own fist and threw an uppercut, striking at the sky.

    The punch looked nothing out of the ordinary, and yet Ye Qing suddenly lost his connection to the surrounding energies and his control over Break Hammer. The qi was gone, the strength was absent, and the intent was unclear.

    What should have been a punch that shattered heaven and earth instead became a water with no source; a tree without roots. In short, it had lost its power.

    ¡°What do you think of my punch?¡± The Chief Libationist asked after withdrawing his fist.

    ¡°You somehow severed my connection to the energies of the world. It is incredibly profound,¡± Ye Qing answered honestly.

    The Chief Libationist¡¯s grin widened. ¡°Haha, I call this ¡®Severing Energy¡¯. It is something I invented like, just now.¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    Well, what did he expect? The Chief Libationist was a living legend. It wasn¡¯t surprising for a man like him to break his ¡°Break Hammer¡± with a casual punch.¡°Young friend, I can see that your mind is severely exhausted. If you attack again, it won¡¯t do your martial way any good.¡± The Chief Libationist asked, ¡°How about we stop here?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern.¡± Ye Qing saluted. ¡°But this junior still has more tricks to try.¡±

    Previously, he had forcefully used Break Hammer and emptied his mind to punch through the Inkstone of Learning. Now, he was using it again in an attempt to ovee the Chief Libationist. Naturally, his condition was even worse than it was before.

    In fact, if he was anyone else, overdrafting his mind to the extent he did would have majorly impacted his martial cultivation, assuming they could recover at all. However, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t concerned because his mind was purified by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi. So long as he still had Profound Yellow Mother Qi, and so long as he didn¡¯t experience a mental death, he could always recover without impacting his martial foundation.

    That said, going too far is as bad as not doing enough. Therefore, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t nning to overdraft his mind again.

    He wasn¡¯t giving up, of course. On the contrary, the show was just beginning.

    From the beginning, his mind wasn¡¯t his greatest strength. It was his body.

    The next moment, dark yellow light surrounded Ye Qing and dyed his skin color dark. If the ck canvas represented the sky beyond the sky, then the structured, dark yellow lines covering his body represented the earth. His eyes were also shining brightly like the sun and the moon.

    Objectively speaking, Ye Qing did not look too different from before. Now though, his back felt as tall as a mountain, and his stature as dense as thick as the earth. He felt both unassable and insurmountable.

    ¡°Huh¡­? You reforged your body using Profound Yellow Mother Qi? Is it the Profound Yellow True Body of the Earthly Sovereign Hall? But¡­ it¡¯s purer and more refined than the Profound Yellow True Body. How interesting!¡±

    A hint of surprise shed through the Chief Libationist¡¯s face.

    It was at this moment Ye Qing took a step forward¡ªthe earth seemingly singing a mysterious melody as he did¡ªand appeared in front of the Chief Libationist in the blink of an eye.

    The punch was basic, and it was infused with neither true qi nor fist intent. There was only pure physical strength.

    And yet, the punch felt like it would tip mountains and rivers and flip the earth upside down, dense and heavy.

    In response, the Chief Libationist swung his sleeve horizontally as if to pluck the sun and moon from the sky. Ye Qing¡¯s thick, heavy punchnded on his sleeve like a drop of water in the sea, failing to elicit a single ssh.

    The Chief Libationist wasn¡¯t done, however. A weak breeze blew, and the Chief Libationist¡¯s sleeve stirred like rolling clouds, emitting halos of light and pushing Ye Qing¡¯s fist away. His body was shaking a little as well.

    One might have thought that they were acting if not for the fact that the ground beneath Ye Qing¡¯s feet were shaking violently and seemingly without end.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    A flicker of astonishment appeared in the Chief Libationist¡¯s eyes. The move he used to neutralize Ye Qing¡¯s punch just now was called ¡°Sweeping Sun and Moon¡±. An ultimate technique in the True Martial Sect, it was a defensive, counterattacking technique that turned one¡¯s sleeve into a pocket world capable of ¡°plucking the sun and moon¡± and ¡°washing the world clean¡±. Not only could it be used to block any attack and spell, its ability to ¡°wash the world clean¡± could force any opponent backward and disrupt their energies, effectively disabling them.

    However, not only did his ¡°Sweeping Sun and Moon¡± fail to push Ye Qing back, it only shook him a little.

    To his senses, it felt as if Ye Qing had be one with the earth of this corner of the world. He was the earth, and the earth was him.

    Ye Qing didn¡¯t know what the Chief Libationist was thinking, but the technique he was using now was the Earthly Sovereign Body. The Earthly Sovereign Body was the basis of the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡± and the foundation in which he forged the Earthly Sovereign True Body. Obviously, he was a long, long way from forging the Earthly Sovereign True Body, but the Earthly Sovereign Body still boasted some of the Earthly Sovereign True Body¡¯s power. For starters, he was beloved by heaven and earth and boasted immense virtue. As long as his feet were nted on the ground, his strength was infinite and endless.

    Was there any burden one could not carry; any art one could not shake off if they were the earth? Nay.

    Naturally, the Chief Libationist¡¯s ¡°Sweeping Sun and Moon¡± was no exception.

    While Ye Qing was shaking and transferring all the power contained within the Chief Libationist¡¯s sweep down to the earth, he moved his elbow back and aimed a strike at the schr¡¯s chest.

    This elbow strike was denser than the mountains and thicker than the earth.

    In response, the Chief Libationist crossed his hands before his chest with his palms facing outward.

    When a person sped their hands with the palms facing inward, they were weing a guest into their homes. When it was the opposite, they were rejecting a guest and keeping them out of their homes. Such was the case for Ye Qing.

    Immediately, felt as if he had plunged into a swamp. The heavens disliked him, and all of creation loathed him. Hence, they were doing everything in their power to impede his path.

    A Sagemands, and the heavens obey. It was that simple.

    Ye Qing was unmoved, however.

    <em>So what if the heavens dislike me? So what if all of creation loathes me?</em>

    <em>The earth is my friend, and that is enough.</em>

    <em>I am my body, and the earth is my soul. Our lives belong to us, not the heavens!</em>

    <em>If the heavens seek to impede our path, if all of creation desires to stop us, then we shall shatter it all!</em>n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    While holding his elbow beside him, Ye Qing stepped forward. The earth was throbbing beneath his feet like it was breathing; like it was excited. Every time it throbbed, Ye Qing¡¯s aura would grow a tad stronger, and his eyes brighter.

    <em>Buzz!</em>

    Finally, Ye Qing¡¯s elbownded on the Chief Libationist¡¯s hands. A soundless buzz rippled, and the Chief Libationist took a step backward. The radiance surrounding his body visibly dimmed, and the false sky behind his back cracked slowly like a mirror.

    The Chief Libationist was retreating. Ye Qing was pushing forward.

    It looked like the Chief Libationist was only one step away from him, but Ye Qing¡¯s senses told him that the schr was, somehow, thousands and thousands of kilometers away from him.

    <em>But so what?</em>

    <em>My fist arms me, and my courage emboldens me. That is all I need to turn an impossible gulf into a highway!</em>

    Ye Qing nted his right foot forward and bent his knees a little like he was readying himself. Then, his right fist shot out of his waist without fear.

    <em>¡°Break Through¡±</em>

    The fist punched through countlessyers of space and shattered the infinite distance. Itnded right on the Chief Libationist¡¯s stomach.

    The Chief Libationist did not move. His stomach contracted and swelled, and what sounded like a toad¡¯s croak filled the ear.

    Ye Qing did not move. The earth behind him, dozens of kilometers of them, abruptly dissolved into fine powder.

    The next moment, Ye Qing lifted his leg and attempted to knee the Chief Libationist in the groin.

    ¡°Where are your martial ethics, young friend?¡±

    The Chief Libationistughed at the audacious strike before huffing out a wisp of grandiose qi.

    ¡°Grandiose qi lives eternal,

    Its oath never wavering.

    Grandiose qi suppressed a thousand autumns.

    And it will continue to uphold ten thousand blue skies.¡±

    Although it was just a wisp of grandiose qi, but it felt as heavy as the sun and moon, and as dense as a thousand autumns. Caught off guard, Ye Qing sank into the ground until only his head was still outside.

    ¡°Arise!¡±

    In response, Ye Qing growled. Dark yellow light shone brightly as earthly qi gathered within his person. He was actually going to st away the grandiose qi that weighed a thousand autumns via pure, unadulterated strength!

    1. in Indian philosophy and religion, and particrly in Hinduism and Buddhism, the highest state of mental concentration that people can achieve while still bound to the body and which unites them with the highest reality ?

 Chapter 984: You Lost, Mister

    ¡°What humongous strength you have, young friend. My old limbs aren¡¯t going to stand your youthful energy, so I guess this is it.¡±

    The Chief Libationist¡¯s astonishment grew even greater when he saw that Ye Qing was seconds away from bursting out of the earth.

    The wisp of grandiose qi he used to suppress Ye Qing was something he nurtured through the countless scrolls of books he read, the untold number of roads he walked, and a willpower that wouldst tens of thousands of years.

    It was just a wisp, but he carried the density of a thousand autumns, and the weight of entire realms. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it held enough power to protect a realm for ages. Even a Sage would not dare to challenge this wisp of grandiose qi head on.

    And yet, this youngster who wasn¡¯t even a Great Grandmaster yet was pushing back against his grandiose qi. This strength of his was practically unexinable.

    Before this, he thought that the young man was a member of the Earthly Sovereign Hall. Now? He was going to bust the head of anyone who told him that. Whatever this martial art he was cultivating, it was a million times stronger than the Earthly Sovereign Hall¡¯s so-called ¡°Profound Yellow Imperishable Body¡± and ¡°Profound Yellow Exquisite Art¡±!

    In fact, his intuition was telling him that, at this rate, the one who was going to lose¡­ was <em>him</em>.

    It was shameless enough that he was bullying a junior. If he actually lost to him, how in the fuck was he going to face anyone? Where in the fuck was he going to hide his old face?

    So, right before Ye Qing would break free, the Chief Libationist summoned a ruler and smacked Ye Qing in the forehead.<em>Smack!</em>

    There was a soft smack, and the dark yellow light surrounding Ye Qing was scattered just like that. Ye Qing himself was dizzy and sporting a red bruise on his forehead, and all the progress he made earlier was lost. He fell right back into the hole the Chief Libationist had put him in.

    ¡°You lost, mister!¡± Ye Qing shook off the dizziness and said.

    ¡°Lost? When did I lose?¡± The Chief Libationist asked.

    ¡°You promised me that you would defend only, but you just attacked me. So, you lost,¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°Nonsense! I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I? If I didn¡¯t hurt you, then how can it count as an attack?¡± The Chief Libationist eximed with mock hurt. ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t you heard that offense is the best defense?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡± <em>Offense is the best defense your fucking ass, you cheating old fart! Do you think I¡¯m stupid?!</em>

    Now he understood why everyone said that the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy boasted knowledge and martial cultivation that punched through the heavens, but his personality was¡­ something. To put it in a ttering way, he was confident, uninhibited, unfettered, and pure and innocent like the heart of a newborn. To put it bluntly, he was childish as fuck despite being an old man, disrespectful toward the Confucian code of ethics, and totally at odds with the prim and proper image most people had of a Confucian.

    There was a quote in ¡°Martial Review¡± that went something like this: His knowledge puts him a ss above all others like the heavens tower over the earth, his martial strength sweeps all be it in the heavens or the earth, his heart is big enough to fit all under the heavens, and his personality is outspoken, straightforward, and uninhibited. He acts more like a <em>jianghu </em>hero than a Confucian sage.¡±

    Ye Qing finally got to experience it with his own body. He wished he hadn¡¯t. This rascally energy alone waspletely unbefitting of a Confucian Sage!

    That said, Ye Qing must admit that the Chief Libationist truly did not intend to hurt him. Otherwise, that ruler smack would have done far more than just dizzy him.

    ¡°Are you satisfied now, young friend?¡± the Chief Libationist grinned at him.

    ¡°Your word is your bond, mister. What else can I do but be impressed?¡± Ye Qing ridiculed the Chief Libationist.

    ¡°Hahaha, good!¡± The Chief Libationist pretended that he hadn¡¯t heard Ye Qing¡¯s sarcastic remark and said, ¡°Since we¡¯re done here, I¡¯m going to take them away now.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, but I never said I¡¯ve given up, have I?¡±

    Ye Qing stared at the Chief Libationist and suddenly cracked a grin to match the schr¡¯s. ¡°After all, I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡±

    The Chief Libationist felt a sudden sense of unease, but before he could react, a book flew out of Ye Qing¡¯s body.

    The book was titleless and ominously red in color. The next moment, a bizarre, bloody red eye suddenly appeared at the center of the book and covered the entire world in red. At the same time, strange chants filled everyone¡¯s ears:

    ¡°The world is unkind, so it deserves to be rebelled against!¡±

    ¡°Humans are evil by nature, so they deserve to die!¡±

    ¡°Code restricts nature, so it should be gone!¡±

    ¡°All living things are stupid, so they should be destroyed!¡±

    ¡°Natural selection is natural, so it should be indulged!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    As the bizarre chants continued, all sorts of corrupting, obviously anomalous illusions took form. They chilled the heart and tainted the Dao.

    ¡°The Rebellious Spirit!¡±

    Something cold shed in the Chief Libationist¡¯s eyes as he swung his ruler. It gave off the clear, grandiose light of Confucianism.

    The blue light and the red light mingled with each other like fire and oil. They crackled loudly and shook the surrounding space dangerously.

    The Chief Libationist¡¯s ruler passed through countlessyers of space beforending squarely on the book. <em>Tak! </em>And the book exploded open.

    However, the red light remained strong and dense. It quickly took the form of a man with his hair down in a disheveled manner and wearing a blood red Confucian robe.

    The man¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his face warped into a visage of madness. As soon as he spotted the Chief Libationist, he asked, ¡°This world is evil with no kindness in sight. True or false?¡±

    ¡°Humanity is born evil and not good. True of false?¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Every time the blood red silhouette asked a question, he would spit out a word that transformed into a chain and flew toward the Chief Libationist.

    The Chief Libationist did not dare to treat it lightly. He swung his ruler repeatedly to shatter the chains or the blood red silhouette.

    However, more blood red silhouettes popped into existence. It felt like their numbers were endless, and that it was futile to try and kill them.

    As time passed, the silhouettes¡¯ faces grew more and more twisted. At the same time, more faces were growing throughout their bodies. They all looked twisted and lost, and they were all asking questions that turned into chains.

    Eventually, the Chief Libationist was overwhelmed and trapped by the chains. Even with his prodigious strength, he was unable to break free from the chains or deal with the anomalous blood red silhouettes immediately.

    <em>I knew it would work. </em>

    Ye Qing was very happy to see that his investment had paid off.

    The book was called a Rebellious Spirit. Although it looked like a book, it was really an extremely rare Stranger.

    A Disaster-ss Stranger, a Rebellious Spirit was a Confucian Sage who, for whatever reason, came to question the teachings and etiquette of Confucianism and fell into an uncontrobly spiral of doubt. They eventually defied the thinkings of Confucianism, deviated from the path both mentally and physically, and perished.

    However, a great Sage¡¯s spirit was immortal even after they perished, and from that immortal spirit birthed a Stranger known as the Rebellious Spirit.

    A Rebellious Spirit didn¡¯t necessarily have to be a book. It could look like a brush, an inkstone, a piece of paper and more. However, all Rebellious Spirits were extremely annoying Strangers to deal with¡ªfor schrs that was.

    A Rebellious Spirit normally did not appear before anyone except a schr. When they did, they would ask questions or recite lines that went against the beliefs of Confucianism. If the schr failed to answer the questions, or if the Confucian¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t firm enough, they would be corrupted and eventually subsumed into the Rebellious Spirit.

    Even worse, a Rebellious Spirit was exceedingly difficult to kill for schrs. It was almost to the point where it was unkible. Moreover, the deeper one¡¯s knowledge, and the better one¡¯s grasp of Confucianism, the harder it was for them to kill the Rebellious Spirit. That was why even a Confucian Sage might choose to steer clear of a Rebellious Spirit¡¯s path.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Ironically, the Rebellious Spirit was almost harmless against everyone else. In fact, the more illiterate the person, and the less they knew about Confucianism, the lesser the harm a Rebellious Spirit could do to them.

    Therefore, it was quite simple to handle a Rebellious Spirit. Just find an illiterate brute who knew nada about etiquette to suppress it.

    That said, a Rebellious Spirit¡¯s existence wasn¡¯tpletely antithetical to a schr. If a schr could answer the Rebellious Spirit¡¯s questions or hold on despite its influence, then their Confucian heart would grow stronger, and their knowledge would improve.

    Ye Qing had searched everywhere and paid a hefty price to purchase this Rebellious Spirit even before he took off to Qi. It was all to deal with the Chief Libationist.

    Since his experience at the Demonbearer Abode, he already learned that Chu Wangsun was protected by the Chief Libationist¡¯s divine thought. If Chu Wangsun encountered a life-threatening crisis, then it would manifest and save the day.

    Therefore, the only way to kill Chu Wangsun was to deal with the divine thought first.

 Chapter 985: Reap What You Sow

    Although it was just a wisp of a Sage¡¯s divine thought, defeating it was still beyond his current capabilities.

    After all, a Sage was someone who had transcended mortality. How could he, a mortal, possibly hope to stand against it?

    Therefore, he had no choice but to find another way.

    He had had to rack his brain long and hard to think of a solution. It wasn¡¯t until he read about the Rebellious Spirit in an ancient book that he finally had a clear idea on what he should do.

    The n was simple. Keep the Chief Libationist busy with the Rebellious Spirit and kill Chu Wangsun in the meantime.

    The Chief Libationist¡¯s divine thought was attached to Chu Wangsun. Once his host was dead, he would disappear after a short time, meaning that he did not have to worry about the vengeance of a Sage for too long.

    The n sounded good, but there were obstacles he had to ovee to put it mildly. For one, a Rebellious Spirit was extremely rare. Tracking one down and obtaining it was no easy feat either. Even with the Annon Sutra to guide him, it still cost him a lot of time and energy to finally acquire one.

    Judging from the results though, it was well worth the investment.

    ¡°You can rest in peace now, Chu Wangsun!¡±Ye Qing cracked a grin at Chu Wangsun after he confirmed that the Chief Libationist was definitely tied up by the Rebellious Spirit. Then, he wasted no time in throwing a punch.

    Although the Rebellious Spirit was extremely dangerous to schrs, the Chief Libationist was an exception.

    The Chief Libationist was a Confucian Sage whose wealth of knowledge was only rivaled by his martial cultivation. Not even the Rebellious Spirit would be able to tie it up for long. That was why he needed to kill Chu Wangsun as fast as possible.

    Seeing Ye Qing¡¯s approach, Chu Wangsun finally could not maintain his arrogance and calm any longer. Terror riddled his face as he shouted, ¡°You can¡¯t kill me, Ye Qing! If you kill me, you will die as well!¡±

    Ye Qing was unmoved, so Chu Wangsun continued to threaten him, ¡°If you kill me, Chu will hunt you to the ends of the earth! Teacher won¡¯

    Chu Wangsun¡¯s voice slowed to a crawl before he could finish. It was because a man had appeared in front of him, and an arm had punched through his chest.

    His body began falling apart bit by bit like porcin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I will live, but today is definitely the day you die.¡±

    Ye Qing stared straight into Chu Wangsun¡¯s eyes and said seriously, ¡°Goodbye. I won¡¯t be seeing you off.¡±

    With that, Chu Wangsun¡¯s body crumbled into ash.

    Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

    The instant Chu Wangsun crumbled into ash, a hand reached out and gathered it all into its palm. A single wisp was shing amidst the ash.

    ¡°Sigh. Thank you for showing mercy and granting my unworthy disciple a shot at reincarnation, young friend.¡±

    The Chief Libationist said with a hint of sorrow as he looked at the spiritual light in his palm.

    ¡°You tter me, mister. You did not go all out against this junior even though you could have, so it is only natural for me to repay the favor,¡± said Ye Qing with a salute. ¡°Chu Wangsun is your favorite disciple. Although I bear a grudge against him, it is only in this lifetime. Since he is dead, my vengeance is fulfilled, and his debt to me is cleared. Be it to repay your favor or ease my heart, I see no reason to annihte him.¡± ?

    ¡°Also, this junior is the murderer of your favorite disciple. That you do not resent me for his death is already a boon unto this junior, so how could I possibly ept your thanks?¡±

    He could have annihted Chu Wangsun utterly just now, but he did not. Instead, he allowed a wisp of true spirit to live and enter the cycle of reincarnation.

    The reason he did this was very simple: to cate the Chief Libationist and curry favor with him.

    For one, the Chief Libationist did not abuse his sagely powers and try to kill him despite possessing the ability to do so. Instead, he chose to lower himself and negotiate terms with a nobody. In terms of character and virtue, he was a respectable man at the very least.

    Two, Chu Wangsun was the Chief Libationist¡¯s disciple, and he was his murderer. Although the Chief Libationist promised that he would not attack him if he managed to ovee all obstacles and kill Chu Wangsun¡ªand in this case, he did not think that the Chief Libationist would break his oath¡ªthat didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t be unhappy about it. Considering the authority and influence the Chief Libationist wielded, he had a hundred ways to kill him without dirtying his own hands.

    Therefore, leaving a wisp of Chu Wangsun¡¯s true spirit alive wasn¡¯t just because he wanted to do the Chief Libationist a favor, but also to save his own life. No reason to burn his bridges now, right?

    Man ns, godsugh. In the end, he could only do his best and pray for the same.

    ¡°Cmities brought by the heavens may yet be averted, but ones that are brought forth by one¡¯s own actions? What could one do but suffer the consequences? It was both his sin and his fate.¡±

    The Chief Libationist sighed. ¡°To be honest, it was my fault. I knew that he was treading down the wrong path from a long time ago, but I failed to discipline him while I still could. Yesterday¡¯s cause is today¡¯s consequences. Even if he didn¡¯t die in your hands today, he would have perished in someone else¡¯s hands in the future.¡±

    ¡°Looking at this from another perspective, you at least kept a wisp of his true spirit alive and gave him a chance to be reborn. If it was someone else, he might not even get that chance.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted him and said, ¡°Your mercy is unparalleled, and your broadmindedness knows no bounds, mister. This junior is infinitely impressed.¡±

    The Chief Libationist saw right through him and grunted, ¡°Hmph. save the ttery. As I promised, I won¡¯t attack you now or in the future, so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, mister. You are most magnanimous, mister.¡± Ye Qing sighed internally. <em>Yay! I don¡¯t need to lick this old man¡¯s boots any longer!</em>

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡±

    But the Chief Libationist continued, ¡°Wangsun died because of his own actions, so I see no reason to punish you for it. As I¡¯ve promised you, I won¡¯t attack you directly or indirectly. However, I am not going to hide what you did today, nor will I help you against those who might think otherwise regarding Wangsun¡¯s death.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, you have your work cut out for you, young friend.¡±

    ¡°But of course, mister. Once again, thank you for showing this junior the utmost benevolence you could.¡±

    Ye Qing predicted this, of course. In fact, he knew what would happen from the moment he rejected the Chief Libationist¡¯s proposal. As soon as news of his deeds had spread, the friends and families of Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun would chase him to the ends of the earth. In fact, he would soon face the full might of Chu¡¯s power. Still, he didn¡¯t care.

    That the Chief Libationist dered that he would not be targeting him was already a pleasant surprise. He wasn¡¯t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be leaving now, young friend. If fate deems it necessary, then we shall meet again in the future.¡±

    The Chief Libationist waved his sleeve, and Su Bancheng in the distance was swept into the sky. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

    The Chief Libationist was also gone. All he left behind was a message.

    ¡°Oh right, I¡¯ll be taking this boy with me.¡±

    ¡°Unlike me, that old mule isn¡¯t nearly as amiable. He¡¯s fiercely protective, you see. If you kill this boy, the old mule will personally chase you to the ends of the earth, the face of a Sage be damned.¡±

    ¡°This is for your own good. No need to thank me.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged and responded, ¡°See you in the future, mister.¡±

    Ye Qing was neither surprised that the Chief Libationist would take Su Bancheng with him, nor worried about letting Su Bancheng go.

    The biggest reason the Chief Libationist chose to whisk Su Bancheng away was because he was afraid that Ye Qing would silence him, of course. However, the moment the Chief Libationist appeared, Ye Qing knew that there was no way he could keep today¡¯s matter under wraps. As a result, there was no longer any point in killing Su Bancheng.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    That was why he didn¡¯t mind this. Or rather, he was mentally prepared for this to happen.

    In fact, he never once expected perfection from the moment he plotted to kill Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun. In this strange world where anything was possible, he did not dare indulge in optimism for a second and think he could get away with their murders forever. From the start, he had plotted the assassinations believing that the ultimate consequence¡ªbing a public enemy of Chu¡ªwould befall him. It was just a matter of when.

    All things considered, this was an excellent oue.

 Chapter 986: I Can Kill You Like A Dog

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself before casting the North Duke Consort, Lu Daoweng and the remnants of the North Duke Office a nce. ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill you, so don¡¯t force my hand.¡±

    Ye Qing charged toward the edge of the ind after saying that. The path ahead was still barred by the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array, but for some reason, Ye Qing passed right through its red light like it did not exist. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

    The remnants of the North Duke Office were all wearingplicated expressions on their faces. They wanted to stop him, but when they recalled how the young man had fought against the Chief Libationist <em>and won</em>¡ªhe might not have defeated the Chief Libationist himself, but he still overcame the <em>Sage</em> and killed Chu Wangsun in the end¡ªit felt as if their feet were rooted to the ground. They could not and did not want to move even a little.

    The sigh of relief they all released after Ye Qing left was the perfect description of their true feelings.

    They did not know that, the instant Ye Qing left Lu Tai Yuan, his eyes suddenly turned murky and unfocused, and he copsed head first into the sea.

    The next moment, the space surrounding Ye Qing trembled unnaturally and devoured him. He was gone without a trace.

    ¡­¡­

    Back at Lu Tai Yuan, a tremor in space took ce before the North Duke reappeared in front of his subordinates.

    ¡°Where are they?¡±The North Duke uttered with an expression of dark anger as soon as he reappeared. When he noticed that his men¡¯s eyes were flighty, he rebuked them harshly, ¡°Are you deaf? Speak!¡±

    The group exchanged nces with each other. In the end, Lu Daoweng mustered his courage and spoke up, ¡°My lord, Chu Wangsun is dead, Su Bancheng is rescued by the Chief Libationist, and the guy named Ye Qing¡­ he¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°The Chief Libationist? What happened?¡± The North Duke frowned. Although he had sensed a terrifying presence earlier, he did not know who it was until he emerged from the illusion.

    Speaking of illusion, the North Duke felt a surge of indescribable frustration. He could feel during the sh that his mysterious opponent was inferior to him in both cultivation level and power, but the martial arts she practiced were something else. Not only was she an expert maniptor in space and spiritual illusions, herbination of the two elements had annoyed him to no end. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, he did not know how she looked, did not know what kind of martial arts she was using, did not even manage toy a finger on her person. The only thing he found out after fighting her for so long was that she was a woman. This was the first time he felt so frustrated since bing a Trueman.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, my lord¡­¡± Lu Daoweng saluted the North Duke and told him everything that happened during his absence sinctly.

    ¡°So, you just watched him leave and did <em>nothing</em>?!¡± The North Duke¡¯s eyes grew dangerous when he listened until the end.

    ¡°I apologize for my failure andck of capability, my lord. Please, forgive me.¡± Lu Daoweng and everyone else hurriedly dropped to one knee and pleaded for forgiveness.

    ¡°Useless!¡±

    The North Duke¡¯splexion was dark, and killing intent rolled off of him like waves. Today could not have gone any worse. Despite all the effort they invested into today¡¯s venture, they failed to obtain the Ten Directions Stupa and even suffered an unbelievable amount of losses. So stormy was the North Duke¡¯s face that one could squeeze rain out of it.

    A few breathster, Lu Daoweng asked carefully, ¡°What do we do now, my lord?¡±

    ¡°Do you even need to ask? Of course we¡¯re going to¡ª¡±

    The Northern Duke snarled, but before he could finish, he looked up into the sky as if sensing something. As if on cue, an apricot yellow beam pierced through the Viewing Mound Heaven Locking Array as easily as cracking an egg. It kept going until it hit the ground like a meteor.

    <em>Boooom!!!</em>

    It felt as if a star had impacted the earth. Everything around the apricot yellow beam began disintegrating in earnest.

    Lu Tai Yuan was in tatters to begin with, and the sudden eruption of power only worsened its condition.

    Strangely, the crumbling earth came to a sudden stop right before it would touch the North Duke¡¯s feet.

    When the dust subsided, everyone saw an apricot yellow g nted on the ground. Mysterious, apricot yellow lotuses could be seen floating around it.

    The next moment, the g shone brightly. A masculine silhouette stepped out of it.

    The man was wearing a tall crown and a wide belt. He looked so handsome and divine he resembled a living celestial. He was none other than Chu Xunxian. R

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Pacification King? Are you threatening me?¡±

    The North Duke wore a deep, unhappy frown on his face as he red at Chu Xunxian.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°You may interpret it as such!¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s face was nk, but everyone felt a suffocating pressure anyway. ¡°I require an exnation from you regarding Chu Wangsun¡¯s death!¡±

    ¡°Is this a joke?¡± The North Duke was so angry he burst outughing. ¡°Why should I exin myself? I¡¯m not the one who killed Chu Wangsun!¡±

    ¡°If you want to know what happened, you should ask your Chief Libationist or the chief disciple of Qing Emperor! You cane back after you¡¯ve gotten the full picture!¡±

    ¡°Save your sarcasm. I¡¯ve already heard the full story.¡± Chu Xunxian said coldly, ¡°I am not using you of killing Chu Wangsun. However, I suspect you are in cahoots with the man who killed Chu Wangsun.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me right now? I don¡¯t even know that sonuvabitch, so how can I possibly be in cahoots with him?!¡±

    The North Duke raged. ¡°It was Chu Wangsun who brought this upon himself! He provoked someone he shouldn¡¯t have and died for his sins! What does it have anything to do with me?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t get to decide whether you¡¯re innocent or not,¡± Chu Xunxian dered.

    ¡°Who, then? <em>You</em>?¡±

    The North Duke meant that as an insult, but Chu Xunxian uttered, ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± The North Duke gritted his teeth. ¡°You seem to think you can toy with me as you please, Chu Xunxian, but I am the direct descendant of the Northern Sea King and the North Duke appointed by the four empires! Do not think you can nder me just because you are a King of Chu!¡±

    ¡°One, I am not ndering you. I have proof.¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s gaze was ice cold, and he was looking at the North Duke like he was no more but an ant. ¡°Two, given a good enough reason, forget that you are the North Duke, I would kill you like a dog even if you are the Northern Sea King himself!¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    The North Duke wasn¡¯t expecting Chu Xunxian to take such a domineering and aggressive stance against him. The storm brewing on his face deepened, but in the end, he had no choice but to swallow the indignity. They might both be Half Sages and an aristocrat, but the difference between their strength and status was like night and day. If Chu Xunxian really wanted to take his life today, he could have done it with the wave of a hand and without incurring any penalties whatsoever.

    ¡°Alright then, tell me, what ¡®proof¡¯ do you have? Just so you know, if your so-called ¡®proof¡¯ is simply more nder then I would rather fight you to the death than bear this unjust shame alive!¡±

    ¡°One, you have plotted this and kept it a tight secret for many years. So how did Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng find out about this?¡± Chu Xunxian asked coldly, ¡°Have you wondered, North Duke?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡±

    The North Duke paused. He hadn¡¯t had time to consider this because he was busy searching for the Ten Directions Stupa earlier, but now that Chu Xunxian mentioned it, it was pretty suspicious. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask<em></em>Su Bancheng how he and Chu Wangsun found out about our plot? He is still alive, right?¡±

    Chu Wangsun answered, ¡°Of course I¡¯ve questioned him. He imed that the murderer had lured them to this ce using the Ten Directions Stupa.¡±

    It was the truth. The chief disciple had contacted Chu Xunxian not long after Chu Wangsun had died and told him everything that took ce at Lu Tai Yuan. That was how he was able to show up so quickly.

    Unfortunately, he was still toote. He did not manage to arrive in time to capture Ye Qing.

    Technically, he didn¡¯t need to show up in person. Chu Wangsun was the Chief Libationist¡¯s favorite disciple. If even the Sage decided to stay his hand, then why should he be a busybody and interfere?

    The problem was that Chu Wangsun was one of the geniuses representing Chu and participating in the Four Seas Summit. If he ignored Chu Wangsun¡¯s plight, it would be like ignoring the damage done to Chu¡¯s dignity.

    Not only that, Su Bancheng imed that Fang Muyun¡¯s death seemed to have something to do with Ye Qing as well. That was why he had toe.

    ¡°With that in mind, how did Chu Wangsun¡¯s murderer find out about your plot and use it to lure Chu Wangsun and Su Bancheng?¡±

    ¡°Do you still think you don¡¯t owe me an exnation?¡±

 Chapter 987: Chu Xunxianâ€™s Goal

    ¡°You say that, but I still don¡¯t see why I owe you an exnation. I have no idea how they knew about my plot,¡± argued the North Duke.

    ¡°You have no idea? I¡¯ll tell you then.¡± Chu Xunxian dered in a tone that would not ept any rebuttal. ¡°The first possibility is that you are in cahoots with the murderer. That is how they knew about your plot.¡±

    ¡°The second possibility is that one of your men is in cahoots with the murderer. They are the one who leaked your secret to them.¡±

    ¡°In either case, the North Duke Office has a hand in Chu Wangsun¡¯s death. Now tell me, do you still think you don¡¯t owe me an exnation?¡±

    ¡°Hmph! In the end, it¡¯s all just nder and guesses. In fact, you haven¡¯t given me any concrete proof so far.¡± The North Duke harrumphed, but internally, he realized that Chu Xunxian¡¯s guess wasn¡¯t baseless. In fact, it might very well be the truth.

    Considering his standpoint though, he absolutely could not admit to any guilt. Not even a little.

    ¡°My words are the proof,¡± Chu Xunxian dered domineeringly. ¡°That is all I need to kill you.¡±

    ¡°I understand now, Chu Xunxian. You aren¡¯t here to speak reason with me.¡±

    The North Duke forced himself to calm down and considered his options. In the end, he had no choice but to cave in and ask, ¡°What are your terms?¡±Once again, Chu Xunxian dered menacingly, ¡°You have no right to discuss terms with me.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    A blue vein visibly throbbed on the North Duke¡¯s brow, but he knew when he was beaten. He forced himself to swallow the humiliation and asked, ¡°What are your <em>orders </em>then, Chu Xunxian?¡±

    ¡°One, the North Duke Office must have a hand in Chu Wangsun¡¯s death. If you wish to clear your name, then you must cooperate with Chu and capture the murderer.¡±

    Chu Xunxian did not mince words with the North Duke. ¡°Two, you are not to reveal today¡¯s matter to anyone. You will make an official announcement stating that jealous heretics of the Dark Ways had lured our geniuses to Lu Tai Yuan to kill them.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! So this is what you are afraid of. You could¡¯ve just told me without all this brow-beating.¡±

    The North Duke scoffed with disdain when he realized the truth. This was the real reason Chu Xunxian had shown up in person and put on such a show. It was because they were afraid that they would reveal the truth of what happened today and bring shame to Chu.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    After all, Chu Wangsun was a genius of Chu, and yet he was killed by a nobody who was about the same age as him. That was an indignity a great empire like Chu found difficult to swallow.

    Not only that, the Chief Libationist¡¯s actions and behavior made it crystal clear that it was Chu Wangsun who was in the wrong here. In fact, he was so wrong that he chose topromise with his disciple¡¯s murderer again and again despite his legendary temper.

    On top of that, Chu Wangsun and Ye Qing¡¯s dialogue seemed to hint that the recent death of another Chu genius, Fang Muyun, was not as simple as it appeared as well.

    Not long ago, Fang Muyun was celebrated as a hero of Chu who died in defense of humanity. It was tragic that he died, but if the schr hadn¡¯t identally stumbled upon the Strangers¡¯ gathering at White Fish Ind, the four nations would never have discovered the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy, and if the the four nations would never have discovered the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy, then countless lives would have been lost, and the long peace humanity had enjoyed until this point would have been broken.

    Besides, Fang Muyun chose death over indignity and did not surrender to the Four Seas Dragon Pce until the very end. If he did not deserve to be called a hero, then who did?

    For the past few days, Chu spared no effort inuding Fang Muyun¡¯s deeds and conferred the title of ¡°Heroic Marquis¡± to Fang Muyun. They also posthumously named him the ¡°Courtly Gentleman¡±. Not only that, they were nning to raise a statue of him in the Four Seas Pavilion so that he might receive the popce¡¯s worship just like the heroic spirits who fought against the aquatic races of the four seas over nine hundred years ago.

    This was a rare and incredible honor for sure. It was also exceedingly profitable. Although Chu had lost Fang Muyun, his death also brought them untold fame, benefits, and profit. His death wasmentable as a matter of course, but there was no denying that Chu had benefited greatly because of it.

    However, if it was revealed that Fang Muyun¡¯s death was not quite what it seemed, if it turned out that he wasn¡¯t even the one who discovered the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy, then all the fame, benefits, and profit Chu had gained so far would be inverted instantly. They would be aughingstock throughout the world.

    This was something no country in the world could tolerate as a matter of course, especially one like Chu that stressed the importance of poetry, books and etiquette, and valued strength of character and reputation above all else.

    This was why Chu Xunxian positively rushed to Lu Tai Yuan to meet the North Duke. This was why he tyrannically seized control of the conversation and threw out threats like they were free. It was all because he was afraid that the North Duke Office would leak what happened today to the entire world.

    ¡°You are a smart man, North Duke.¡±

    Chu Xunxian said meaningfully, ¡°You should know what a smart man would say and would not say.¡±

    ¡®Hmph¡­¡±

    The North Duke harrumphed, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

    Chu Xunxian pressed, ¡°You don¡¯t need to teach me what to do next, do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± the North Duke rified.

    ¡°Good. Remember what you said today.¡±

    Chu Xunxian nced at the North Duke onest time. Then, the apricot yellow g took to the sky, and golden lotuses descended. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Hmph! How dare they!¡± The North Duke¡¯s face immediately turned stormier than ever before. ¡°How! Dare! They!¡±

    A few breathster, the North Duke Consort asked in a small voice, ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Do I need to teach you <em>everything</em>?¡±

    The North Duke exploded, ¡°Mobilize all the men and spare no effort in locating that Ye Qing! We must seize him before anyone else, <em>do you understand?</em>¡±

    ¡°As youmand, my lord!¡± Everyone responded and bowed deeply.

    Although Chu Xunxian had descended from the sky like he was about to mete out divine judgment upon them all, the conversation ultimately did not end in an acrimonious fallout. He even left them the item he desired the most: the Ten Directions Stupa.

    From the start until the end, Chu Xunxian never brought up the Ten Directions Stupa. Despite saying nothing at all, he was clearly hinting that he had zero interest in the Ten Directions Stupa, and that Su Bancheng did not have the item either. He was also hinting that it was up to the North Duke whether he could seize the Strange Artifact.

    The North Duke added, ¡°Remember to forget what happened today. All of it. Anyone who so much as breathe a word about this <em>will </em>receive my wrath.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡±

    Lu Daoweng hesitated for a moment but asked carefully, ¡°What do we do if the murderer himself speaks of this incident?¡±

    ¡°That is for Chu Xunxian to worry about, not us.¡± The North Duke grunted. ¡°Now go.¡±

    After his subordinates were gone, the North Duke nced at the North Duke Consort andmanded, ¡°Ruohua, I want you to spy on all of them. Report to me immediately if you find anything amiss. Anything at all.¡±

    ¡°Do you suspect that one of them is a traitor?¡± The North Duke Consort asked.

    ¡°That remains to be seen.¡±

    The North Duke narrowed his eyes dangerously. ¡°Chu Xunxian was right about one thing. How did Ye Qing find out about the Ten Directions Stupa?¡±

    ¡°ident or not, one of us must have leaked the news. I don¡¯t wish for the same thing to happen another time.¡±

    ¡°One more thing. If you spot something, make sure you do not beat the grass and scare the snake[1].¡±

    The North Duke Consort¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you nning to follow the vine to get to the melon[2]?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The North Duke¡¯s eyes were ice cold. ¡°Only then can we catch them all at once.¡±

    ¡°They thought they could rob me without consequences? They thought wrong!¡±

    1. Meaning don¡¯t make it obvious to your enemies that you¡¯re doing something. ?

    2. Meaning to follow a lead to something bigger. ?

 Chapter 988: The Glory of The Empire Must Not Be Stained

    ¡°How did it go, Your Highness?¡±

    Inside the Chu River Embassy, Chu Xunxian, Guo Ximian, Zheng Xuanjun, Chu Mingfeng and more were sitting under the same roof.

    ¡°The North Duke has agreed to my demands,¡± Chu Xunxian answered.

    ¡°That old fox wouldn¡¯t dare to betray us, would he?¡± Guo Ximian asked worriedly.

    ¡°The North Duke is a smart man. He wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    Chu Xunxian said indifferently before looking at Chu Mingfeng. ¡°Have you gathered all the intel we have on that Ye Qing yet?¡±

    ¡°I have, imperial uncle.¡±

    Chu Mingfeng stepped forward and passed a jade slip into Chu Xunxian¡¯s hands.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Chu Xunxian immediately inspected the jade slip¡¯s contents after receiving it. A few breathster, he opened his eyes with an imperceptible frown on his face.¡°So, who is Ye Qing, Your Highness?¡± Guo Ximian asked.

    ¡°You may find out for yourself.¡±

    Chu Xunxian passed the jade slip to Guo Ximian, and the general checked its contents as quickly as he could.

    A momentter, Guo Ximian put the jade slip away and said, ¡°So, the reason Ye Qing held a grudge against Wangsun and Muyun is because they set him up in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°Judging from the current information we had, that is correct.¡± Chu Xunxian nodded.

    He hadmanded Chu Mingfeng to obtain this intel from the Intelligence Department on his behalf. Looking at the intel he received, the only point in time where Chu Wangsun, Fang Muyun and Ye Qing were all in the same venue was the Hidden Dragon Meet. However, everything looked normal, and nothing had happened between the trio during this time.

    However, the Chief Libationist¡¯s behavior made it clear that Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun must have done something terrible to Ye Qing. The only incident that happened during this time was the death of the Harmony King¡¯s son and Ye Qing bing a wanted criminal because of it.

    It would seem that the incident wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. For whatever reason, Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun hade together to frame Ye Qing for the murder of a prince. They were going to end him in Tian Yong, but Ye Qing was ultimately able to foil their n and escape. That loose end eventually resulted in their tragic ends.

    But why did Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun frame Ye Qing for murder? There was an easy way to find out. He simply needed to ask the Chief Libationist to find out every detail.

    Unfortunately, the Sage had given his word that he would not be interfering with this matter. His word was his bond, so it would be pointless to pry any information from him.

    ¡°Ye Qing was a member of the Pacification Bureau, and from what I can tell, he hadn¡¯t had any real interaction with Wangsun or Muyun, much less a grudge, so why did they set him up?¡± Guo Ximian asked.

    Chu Xunxian said coldly, ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to think about that. He betrayed Chu and killed our geniuses. Whatever his reason might be, he is now our enemy.¡±

    ¡°Imperial uncle, Martial Might Duke, what on earth happened? Who is this Ye Qing?¡± Chu Mingfeng asked while ncing between the two men in confusion. He had no idea what was happening.

    Earlier, he suddenly received an urgent order from Chu Xunxian to gather all information regarding Ye Qing and what happened during the Hidden Dragon Meet at top speed. To this end, Chu Xunxian had even activated the intelligence agency the Intelligence Department had nted in Qi. As his request was for the information to be brought to him as quickly as possible, no matter the cost, the intelligence agency had no choice but toply even though their actions would almost certainly expose them to Qi.

    It had taken decades for the Intelligence Department to nt the intelligence agency in Qi. If it was exposed, the cost would be humongous to say the least. Even so, Chu Xunxian did not relent. It showed just how important this was.

    Chu Xunxian shot Chu Mingfeng a nce and answered, ¡°Chu Wangsun is dead!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Chu Mingfeng shot to his feet, eyes wide and mouth open. ¡°Wangsun¡­ Wangsun is dead? How is that possible?¡±

    ¡°Sit down,¡± Chu Xunxian said coldly.

    Chu Mingfeng knew he lost hisposure and mastered himself, but the shock on his face did not fade in the slightest. ¡°What on earth happened? How¡­ How did Wangsun die?¡±

    ¡°He was murdered,¡± Chu Xunxian answered sinctly.

    ¡°He was <em>murdered</em>?¡± But Chu Mingfeng¡¯s shock only grew. ¡°Who would dare do such a thing?¡±

    Chu Wangsun wasn¡¯t just a genius of Chu. He was also the disciple of the Chief Libationist. The Chief Libationist for infamous for vengefulness and recklessness, so who in their right mind would risk his wrath to kill Chu Wangsun?

    ¡°It¡¯s a man named Ye Qing.¡± Guo Ximian passed the jade slip to Chu Mingfeng so he might read its contents.

    ¡°Your Highness, I will take my leave and kill this Ye Qing now.¡±

    Guo Ximian nced at Chu Xunxian with murderous intent. ¡°Anyone who dares to kill the genius of Chu must die.¡±

    ¡°I agree, but there is something even more important than killing Ye Qing right now,¡± Chu Xunxian said.

    ¡°Are you referring to the bad blood between Ye Qing, Wangsun and Muyun, Your Highness?¡± Guo Ximian asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Xunxian nodded.

    If the world learned that today¡¯s incident had happened because Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun once framed Ye Qing for a prince¡¯s murder, it would be a huge blow to Chu¡¯s prestige and reputation to say the least.

    It was bad enough the famous geniuses of Chu framed and tried to kill one of their own, but not only did they fail, they were both killed by their own prey. To call it shameful and embarrassing would be an understatement.

    More importantly, Chu was in the midst of building up Fang Muyun as a hero of humanity. If his dirtyundry were to be aired at this sensitive timing, then it would be hugely detrimental to his image to say the least. Not only that, the people were going to wonder if Fang Muyun¡¯s death had not been as idental as it seemed, or if the one who discovered the conspiracy of the Four Seas Dragon Pce wasn¡¯t him after all. They might even think that Fang Muyun and even Chu itself were just pawns Ye Qing was manipting this entire time. In any case, both Fang Muyun and Chu would be theughingstock of the world.

    The glory of the empire must not be stained by anything. Otherwise, it would have consequences that shook the entire world.

    That was why he could not allow this to happen no matter what.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Guo Ximian asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. We announce to the world that heretics had in our geniuses due to jealousy,¡± Chu Xunxian replied.

    The people would learn that Chu Wangsun was dead, but they must not learn that they had died in Ye Qing¡¯s hands. They especially must not connect Ye Qing to Fang Muyun¡¯s death.

    ¡°Will¡­ Will that work?¡± Chu Mingfeng asked worriedly. He was still in disbelief after reading the contents of the jade slip, but he had more or less figured out the ins and outs of the situation. ¡°Ye Qing won¡¯t just allow us to twist the truth and nder him. He will reveal the truth.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t matter,¡± Chu Xunxian replied calmly. ¡°All we need to do is to seize the initiative and spread the word and let the entire <em>jianghu </em>know that Chu Wangsun was murdered by heretics. One man¡¯s words cannot be louder than everyone elsebined.¡±

    ¡°Besides, Ye Qing had already been executed for the murder of the Harmony King¡¯s son. These so-called truths are just toxic rumors those vile beings are spreading to hurt our nation. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Wisely said, Your Highness.¡± Guo Ximian echoed in agreement. ¡°If three people im that a tiger haunts a hill, then there is a tiger. If everyone believes that a lie is a truth, then it must be the truth. The actual truth itself would not matter at that point.¡±

    ¡°Mingfeng, General Zheng, I leave this task to you.¡±

    Chu Xunxian ordered, ¡°Mingfeng, use my name andmand the Intelligence Department to spread the word that Chu Wangsun had been murdered by heretics in the shortest amount of time possible. The whole world must hear of this.¡±

    He then looked at Zheng Xuanjun and said, ¡°General Zheng, you are familiar with Qi and the Four Seas. I trust you to spread the word throughout the realm and the Four Seas in the shortest amount of time possible.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡±

    The duo did not dare to waste time. They left immediately after receiving their orders.

    ¡°Duke, please track down Ye Qing and kill him.¡±

    Chu Xunxian¡¯s eyes were ice cold. ¡°I¡¯ve already notified the North Duke about this. They will aid you in your efforts.¡±

    ¡°No worries, your Highness. Just leave this to me.¡± The Martial Might Duke let out a viciousugh.

    ¡°Your Highness, Duke, it¡¯s bad!¡±

    It was at this moment Zheng Xuanjun ran back into the hall with a panicked expression.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 989: Ye Qingâ€™s Counterattack

    <h4>Chapter 989: Ye Qing¡¯s Counterattack </h4>

    ¡°What happened?¡± Chu Xunxian asked.

    Zheng Xuanjun slowly calmed down to Chu Xunxian¡¯s voice, but his face remained as white as a sheet.

    ¡°Your Highness...¡± Zheng Xuanjun swallowed visibly before stammering, ¡°Y-Young master Chu¡¯s death... has already been spread.¡±

    ¡°What? How? What happened?¡±

    Guo Ximian shot to his feet. There was a chill in his eyes, but even more confusion. He knew that there was no hiding Chu Wangsun¡¯s death, which was why they weren¡¯t nning on hiding it in the first ce. But how did the outsiders know before they even began to spread the word?

    Right now, only a handful of people were aware of Chu Wangsun¡¯s death. They were the Chief Libationist, Su Bancheng, the North Duke Office, and them. No one here had a motive to leak this, so who could have done this?

    <i>Could it be...</i>

    Suddenly, Guo Ximian had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Tell me about the rumors. Now!¡± Chu Xunxian too realized that something had gone horribly wrong and asked in an urgent voice.

    ¡°They¡¯re all saying that Chu Wangsun had died in the hands of a young man named Ye Qing.¡±

    Zheng Xuanjun wiped the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. ¡°Ye Qing¡¯s identity has already been spread as well. They say that Ye Qing used to be a member of the Pacification Bureau of Chu and a genius, but he was framed for murder and forced to escape after offended Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun. The reason he killed Chu Wangsun is for revenge.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re even saying... that...¡±

    ¡°Stop stammering and just give it to us already! What else are they saying?¡± Guo Ximian asked urgently.

    ¡°There are rumors iming that Fang Muyun was killed by Ye Qing as well. They say that he was the one who lent the Four Seas Dragon Pce a knife to kill Fang Muyun.¡±

    The more Zheng Xuanjun spoke, the quieter he sounded, and the sweatier he became. ¡°They¡¯re even saying that Fang Muyun wasn¡¯t the first person who discovered the Four Seas Dragon Pce¡¯s conspiracy at all. It was all Ye Qing. Fang Muyun was just his pawn.¡±

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    A terrible shockwave suddenly erupted from Guo Ximian. All the furniture, utensils and other objects inside the hall instantly disintegrated to powder. Zheng Xuanjun¡¯s head was bowed from the sheer pressure pressing down on him.

    Chu Xunxian waved his sleeve, and the pressure suffocating Zheng Xuanjun disappeared in an instant. As the general panted, Chu Xunxian asked, ¡°Answer me. Who are the ones spreading these rumors, and how many people have heard about this? On that note, how widespread are these rumors? Is it just within the Four Seas, or has it spread to other corners of the world?¡±

    Zheng Xuanjun answered in a hurry, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Your Highness. Third prince and I were walking on the streets when we heard the rumors. He immediately ordered me to report back to you while he left to investigate further. He should be back any moment now.¡±

    As if on cue, Chu Mingfeng rushed back into the hall with a stern expression on his face.

    ¡°What did you find, Mingfeng?¡± Chu Xunxian asked.

    ¡°The rumors have spread throughout the Four Seas. Nearly everyone in every nook and cranny is talking about it,¡± answered Chu Mingfeng with an ugly expression.

    ¡°Ye Qing must have done this! He must have nned it all from the start! Damn it all!¡±

    Guo Ximian¡¯s eyes were bloodshot like that of a beast. ¡°If the Chief Libationist just killed that bastard outright, then all this farce would not have happened! What the hell was he thinking?¡±

    ¡°Control yourself!¡± Chu Xunxian rebuked him immediately. ¡°How can we understand the thoughts and actions of a Sage, much less question them?¡±

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Guo Ximian asked in a dark voice.

    They were going to seize the initiative and spread the word that Chu Wangsun had been in by heretics of the Dark Ways. they were going to make it so that the entire world would hear their lie.

    Generally speaking, most people tended to believe the first thing they heard. Moreover, if enough people were spreading the lie, then Ye Qing could shout the truth into the world, and no one would believe him.

    But it was the opposite now. Their enemy had seized the initiative and revealed the truth first. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the entire world had heard of this. Instead of Ye Qing, they were the ones on the back foot now.

    The worst part wasn¡¯t even Chu Wangsun¡¯s death. It was the fact that Fang Muyun had been dragged into this incident. If managed poorly, Chu would be theughingstock of the year.

    ¡°The core of our n remains the same.¡±

    Chu Xunxian made a snap decision. ¡°One, we must mobilize all the power of Chu and make an official statement iming that Chu Wangsun was murdered by heretics in the shortest amount of time possible.¡±

    ¡°Second, we must identify the sources of the rumors andmand them to cease and desist immediately. Kill anyone who resists.¡±

    ¡°Third, we must announce to the public that the rumors are malicious rumors aimed at ndering our righteous hero immediately.¡±

    ¡°Fourth, we must announce a worldwide bounty. Anyone who can provide clues in regards to Chu Wangsun¡¯s murderer will be rewarded ten thousand gold and an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact. Anyone who can kill him and bring us his head will receive the same reward, A Sage-stage martial art, an official ranking and a corresponding piece ofnd.¡±

    ¡°Will it work?¡± Guo Ximian frowned.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Chu Xunxian replied, ¡°but we must do it anyway. It¡¯s expected of us to take such measures.¡±

    ¡°Okay. But do you have an actual solution?¡± Guo Ximian asked.

    ¡°In fact, I do. What is the best way to draw one¡¯s attention elsewhere? By creating something even more conspicuous.¡±

    Chu Xunxian said slowly, ¡°Duke, inform the emperor that it is time to implement the n.¡±

    ¡°The n? You mean...¡±

    Guo Ximian was speechless at first. Then, pure delight shed through his eyes as his brain processed the words. It quickly morphed into puzzlement, however. ¡°But why now?¡±

    ¡°Because now is the best time.¡±

    Chu Xunxian answered, ¡°Everyone is looking at the Four Seas and waiting for us to humiliate ourselves. In that case, why not treat them to a good show?¡±

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Besides, it seems that the world had forgotten about the might of Chu just because we were silent for too long.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time we remind them who we really are.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha... good! Good!¡±

    Guo Ximian was overjoyed. ¡°I had been waiting for this for too long. Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!¡±

    ......

    ¡°Did you hear? Chu Wangsun was murdered.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say? Everyone and their mothers have heard about it! They say that Fang Muyun was murdered by that Ye Qing as well!¡±

    ¡°Huh? I thought that Chu Wangsun was murdered by heretics? Who is this Ye Qing?¡±

    ¡°Hah! And you believe that obvious lie? It¡¯s clear that Chu made that up to save face! You don¡¯t know this, but Ye Qing used to be a member of the Pacification Bureau. No one knows what he did to offend Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun, but the end result was the duo setting him up and trying to kill him. However, not only did Ye Qing manage to escape, he returned and imed vengeance against his foes! Truly, karma may bete, but never absent!¡±

    ¡°But Chu Wangsun is the disciple of the Chief Libationist, and Fang Muyun is famed for his wisdom and benevolence. Surely they wouldn¡¯tmit such treachery?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Wisdom? Benevolence? Is this the first day you enter the <i>jianghu</i>? The one thing this <i>jianghu </i>doesn¡¯tck are whores who call themselves maidens, and thieves who call themselves phnthropists!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right. Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun are shameless enough, but Chu is even more shameless. Didn¡¯t Chu want to raise a statue for Fang Muyun so that he may be worshiped in the Four Seas Pavilion as a hero of humanity a while ago? Spit! The chicken has flown the coop, and the eggs are broken[1]. Whatever dignity Chu had is all gone!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, I know right? Chu have always styled themselves the state of literature and etiquette. In reality, they¡¯re just a bunch of two-faced hypocrites. They deserve to be exposed!¡±

    ¡°Ultimately, Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun were nowhere as good as they were made out to be. They can¡¯t even snuff out a small fry. They deserve to be killed.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk, did you just call the Mad Lord a small fry? Don¡¯t be surprised if the Mad Lord suddenly shows up and takes your life, dog!¡±

    ¡°Ah, fuck! That¡¯s not what I meant! It¡¯s just a slip of the tongue. The Mad Lord did seriously good work though. I, Zhao Liang, have never been impressed by anyone, but today, the Mad Lord has earned that honor.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you won¡¯t be hunting for him?¡±

    ¡°Why the fuck wouldn¡¯t I hunt for him? Just because he¡¯s my hero doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t kill him!¡±

    ¡°Bullshit. I think you just can''t let go of Chu¡¯s bounty.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah? Are <i>you </i>going to allow this opportunity to slip through your grasp then?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. The other stuff is whatever, but an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact? A Sage-stage martial art? Who could possibly ignore that?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, time is short, so let us begin our search already. If we¡¯rete, we won¡¯t even get the soup.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go...¡±

    1. A dead loss. ?

 Chapter 990: The Mad Lord

    <h4>Chapter 990: The Mad Lord </h4>

    ¡°Mad Lord? What did I do to earn such a moniker?¡±

    The Northern Sea, the Wave Watching Pavilion. Ye Qing was shaking his head with a bitter smile as he eavesdropped on the conversation happening below him. His face was as white as a sheet.

    The Wave Watching Pavilion was one of the most famous restaurants in the North Duke City. Situated next to the ocean, a customer could look out of the windows the ferocious waves and boundless sea. It was quite the rxing and moving experience.

    As the name implied, the North Duke City was the capital and fiefdom of the North Duke Office. The reason Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were here was simple. Sometimes, the most dangerous ce was also the safest. This was something they had discussed before they carried out their n.

    Two days ago, after Ye Qing had fallen unconscious from his injuries, Feng Qingyou had saved him and brought him to the North Duke City. After two days of rest and recuperation, his physical injuries were more or less healed, though his mind was a different story. Although his foundation was unharmed, it would take some time before he fully recovers.

    That was why Ye Qing was looking as white as a sheet. An outsider would think that his pallidplexion was a result of long term illness.

    While he was recuperating, his killing of Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun had spread throughout the entire world. As a result, he became world famous in a single night and earned the moniker, ¡°Mad Lord¡±.

    Of course, Chu was unwilling to let the matter slide and argued vehemently on three points: one, Chu Wangsun was killed by heretics. Two, Ye Qing was the murderer of the Harmony King¡¯s son and had been executed a long time ago. Three, these so-called truths were just malicious nder spread by people harboring ulterior motives.

    Not only that, Chu thunderously annihted many organizations and sects who were spreading the ¡°false¡± rumors. They aimed to eliminate the news at the source and cow the people into submission.

    Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t work. In fact, their actions only served to fuel the mes.

    Long story short, Chu had ¡°given away a bride and lost an army on top of it¡± so to speak. It was a double loss.

    ¡°You killed two of Chu¡¯s greatest geniuses despite knowing that your actions would be interpreted as an open challenge against one of the most powerful nations in the world. Your actions are as fearless as they are mad. Is it really such a wonder that the people are calling you the Mad Lord?¡±

    Feng Qingyou responded with a small smirk on her face. ¡°Even if that isn¡¯t the case, I don¡¯t see what you have toin about. It¡¯s a pretty good-sounding moniker, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Says the one who caused everything.¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at the lounging woman before voicing his doubt. ¡°Seriously though, what on earth are you doing this for?¡±

    ¡°To clear your name and im justice on your behalf, of course. If I do not do this, you will forever be a murderer in the public¡¯s eyes; a heretic who deserves to be in for his crimes,¡± Feng Qingyou replied.

    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ¡°Sure, but is that all?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. He believed that Feng Qingyou was being sincere, but he also believed that cleaning his name wasn¡¯t her only motive.

    That¡¯s right. The person who spread his killing of Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun before Chu was none other than Feng Qingyou. He had no idea about this until he woke up and discovered that everyone and their mothers were already talking about it.

    Technically, Feng Qingyou had made a decision regarding him without consulting him beforehand, but he didn¡¯t resent her for it. In fact, he was quite pleased with the results.

    If he had time, if he hadn''t had such serious injuries that he fell unconscious, he would have done the same.

    After all, taking revenge without clearing one¡¯s name was like wearing your best outfit during a night stroll.

    He didn¡¯t care if his actions would anger Chu. He and Chu were destined to be enemies from the moment he resolved to kill Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun.

    Even if Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t done this, Chu would still hunt him to the ends of the earth. With that in mind, why should he hold back? He only had praises to offer hispanion.

    That said, just because Feng Qingyou had done a wonderful job did not mean that he didn¡¯t suspect her of ulterior motives. No matter how he looked at it, Feng Qingyou was using this opportunity to humiliate Chu and damage their reputation.

    ¡°You already figured out the answer, didn¡¯t you? It is exactly what you think.¡±

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s smile resembled the water of autumn, clear andely.

    ¡°But why though?¡± Ye Qing asked. He was asking not because he was dissatisfied with Feng Qingyou¡¯s actions. He was simply curious.

    ¡°Are you sure you want to know?¡± Feng Qingyou returned smilingly.

    ¡°Er... you know what? Forget it.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. He had a sudden feeling that trouble would find him if he learned the truth, so like the honest man he was, he immediately chickened out and buried his head in the sand.

    Seriously though, he was in enough trouble as it was. He did not need more trouble.

    ¡°In any case, thank you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, but you don¡¯t need to thank me. We are just scratching each other¡¯s backs is all.¡±

    Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°So, what are you nning to do next?¡±

    ¡°For now, I¡¯d like to hide in a safe ce and recover,¡± Ye Qing answered. There was no way he could deal with what came next without being fully recovered, so that was what he was going to do.

    ¡°And where would this safe ce be?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°What do you think of the Four Seas?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Come now. Tricks like these only work the first, and if you¡¯re really lucky, the second time.¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°Do you really think that Chu Xunxian and his men are the same as the brainless fools downstairs? They just do not have the time and energy to deal with you right now.¡±

    ¡°What? That makes no sense. They... wait. Do you know something, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out very soon.¡± Feng Qingyou did not give him a straight answer.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Ye Qing chose not to prod and asked, ¡°Where do you suggest I hide then?¡±

    ¡°A virtuous man does not stand next to a wall about to copse,¡± answered Feng Qingyou vaguely.

    ¡°True, true. It¡¯s just asking for trouble to remain in the limelight.¡± Ye Qing nodded in agreement. He wasn¡¯t really serious when he suggested the Four Seas earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s return to Bei You then.¡±

    Although the Annon Sutra prevented anyone from divining his location, and he possessed the ability to alter his physical form and even energies, this was a strange world overflowing with strange people and even stranger powers. For example, Chu Wangsun was able to guess who he was just by observing the fluctuations of his energies, habits and characteristics, and now elites from all walks of life were flooding into the Four Seas, not to mention Chu. If he was discovered, then he would be in grave danger. That was why he needed to leave as soon as possible.

    In his opinion, Bei You was his best option because it counted as his territory so to speak. If anything happened, he could at least ask for help or summon reinforcements. He wouldn¡¯t need to deal with it all by himself.

    To his surprise, Feng Qingyou said, ¡°Bei You? It¡¯s not the worst option, but I personally do not suggest you go there.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t actually think that everyone is Chu is a fool, do you?¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°There were only a handful of ces you could have gone to back when you faked your death and slipped away. The only reason Chu didn¡¯t invest too much effort into searching for you is because they thought you were dead. But now that they know that you are alive, the investigation effort would be much more vigorous than before, and they would surely find out that you have escaped to Bei You back then. If you really choose to go there, chances are you would be walking right into a death trap.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? It¡¯s been a long time since I escaped from Chu. Surely the trail had gone cold already?¡± Ye Qing frowned.

    ¡°Never underestimate the power of a nation,¡± Feng Qingyou replied simply.

    Ye Qing¡¯s frown deepened as he voiced his worries, ¡°Does that mean Yi Pin and Longxiang are in danger? And would they find out our arrangements at Mount Qi?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already arranged everything.¡± Feng Qingyou assured him. ¡°They will be safe.¡±

    ¡°Phew... I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±

    Ye Qing breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re here, Qingyou. I was careless.¡±

    If Feng Qingyou wasn¡¯t here to warn him, there was a high chance he would have walked right into a death trap and died. It would seem that he was subconsciously looking down on Chu because his ns had all ended in sess, his vengeance was fulfilled, and Chu was deeply humiliated by recent events. In short, he had be arrogant.

    Arrogance was the death of men. He must not repeat this mistake again.

    ¡°It sounds like you already have a ce in mind, Qingyou. Where do you think I should go?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Nanjiang!¡± Feng Qingyou answered sinctly.

    ¡°Nanjiang?¡± Ye Qing frowned. ¡°Why Nanjiang?¡±

 Chapter 991: Trap

    <h4>Chapter 991: Trap </h4>

    ¡°First, the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang boasts an incrediblyplex terrain with tall mountains, thick forests, and, as you may have inferred from the name, a hundred thousand mountains. It makes for a great ce to hide.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Second, there is a divine spring deep within the mountains called the Sky Mending Spring. The Sky Mending Spring boasts the ability to repair one¡¯s physical ws, improve one¡¯s natural talent, and most importantly, swiftly recover one¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°Your mind is damaged quite severely. Assuming no opportunities, it would take you a fairly long time to fully recover. The Sky Mending Spring would shave away much of that time.¡±

    ¡°The Sky Mending Spring? Something like that exists?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. He was just worrying how he could speed up his mental recovery until Feng Qingyou showed him the way. ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s head to Nanjiang. When should we depart?¡±

    ¡°The sooner, the better,¡± Feng Qingyou replied. ¡°Let¡¯s leave after we finish our meal.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Ye Qing nodded. After they finished their meal, they immediately left North Duke City.

    Next to Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou¡¯s room, a man in his thirties set down his wine up and produced a y doll from his shirt.

    The y doll was white, plump, and charmingly naive. It looked very festive.

    The man cut open his fingertip and dripped a drop of blood on the y doll¡¯s forehead. Amazingly, the y doll¡¯s lips slowly spread wide and bizarre before pping as if it hade alive. A voice resounded inside the room.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Still holding the y doll, the man held his arms straight in front of him and arranged his facial features into a respectful expression. ¡°Hallmaster, they just left North Duke City and are moving south.¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t notice you, did they?¡± The voice asked.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ve been very cautious. I am certain they did not discover me,¡± the man answered.

    ¡°Very good. I will mark this as a merit under your score. When this matter is over, I promise to reward you ordingly,¡± the y doll replied.

    ¡°Thank you, hallmaster,¡± the man said jubntly.

    ¡°Now then, return and meet up with us,¡± the y doll ordered.

    ¡°As youmand.¡±

    The man saluted the y doll and put it away. Then, he left the Wave Watching Pavilion.

    ......

    ¡°Huh? I saw them right here just a moment ago. How did they disappear all of a sudden?¡±

    At the sea, five men were hovering above the sea surface and exchanging confused nces with each other.

    ¡°The Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s aura is gone as well.¡±

    A forty-year-old, dignified-looking man with traditional features at the center of the group frowned. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve discovered us.¡±

    ¡°What should we do now, hallmaster?¡± One man requested instructions.

    ¡°Search the area. They must be nearby,¡± the dignified-looking man ordered. ¡°They must not escape.¡±

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    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    The four warriors saluted him. They were just about to spread out and search the area when suddenly, a group of warriors riding boats or Strange Artifacts or flying via a secret art emerged from the horizon. They looked hostile.

    ¡°There¡¯s no mistake! It¡¯s them!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re the bastards who killed Master Six!¡±

    ¡°Get them! Kill them and take revenge for Master Six!¡±

    The next moment, the angry warriors rushed toward the group and attacked them.

    ¡°Who are you people? Why¡ª¡±

    The dignified-looking man immediately unleashed his aura. He was hoping to stop them in their tracks and question them about their motive.

    ¡°Why your mother¡¯s ass! Just die!¡±

    Before he could even finish, a man roared and pounced toward him like a madman.

    Disgust shed in the dignified-looking man¡¯s eyes. He flicked his fingers and popped the attacker¡¯s head like an overripe melon, spilling blood and brain matter.

    ¡°Kill them all.¡±

    His four subordinates obeyed and attacked the remaining warriors with viciousness as well.

    Although the group of warriors numbered at least dozens of people¡ªsome of them were even Half-Step Truemen¡ªthey were like ants trying to put down not one, not two, but four ferocious tigers. It was a massacre.

    Not even a minute had passed before the group of warriors screaming that they would take revenge for a so-called Master Six were routed. It wasn¡¯t just because of the disparity between their cultivation level, but also because the four men weren¡¯t holding back at all. Every time they unleashed an attack, someone would die or be crippled.

    In just a dozen or so breaths, every single attacker had been in.

    ¡°Worthless ants...¡±

    The dignified-looking man remarked with a scornful expression when all was said and done.

    ¡°How dare you kill the members of the North Duke Office! You are courting death!¡±

    It was at this moment an angry shout boomed from the sky.

    The shout was overflowing with gravitas. As if itmanded nature itself, a deadly gale powerful enough to kick up a titanic tidal wave rolled straight toward them. It looked imposing to say the least.

    ¡°The North Duke Office?¡±

    The dignified-looking man lifted an eyebrow and stepped forward. His hand spread open, he pushed forward as if he was attempting to crush the sky.

    <i>¡°Profound Yellow One Qi Divine Palm¡±</i>

    The ¡°Profound Yellow One Qi Divine Palm¡± was as vast as the sky and as heavy as the earth. It met the titanic wave head on.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    The palm crushed the titanic blue waves like nothing and continued forward. It crushed the gale and quelled the stirring sea like the hand of a divine being.

    ¡°Hallmaster...¡±

    Once again, the four men looked to the dignified-looking man for instructions.

    ¡°Dammit. He yed us. He must have discovered our presence long ago.¡±

    The dignified-looking man growled with a stormy face and murderous eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    He turned around and dashed toward the horizon. His four subordinates followed closely behind him. They were gone in just the blink of an eye.

    Not long after the five men were gone, six people appeared at the location they just left. The leader of the group was none other than Ding Buren.

    ¡°Should we chase them, Minister Ding?¡± One man asked.

    ¡°Of course. Whoever they are, they just ughtered our men in our territory. They mustn¡¯t be allowed to escape,¡± Ding Buren replied.

    ¡°But the Dukemanded us to guard the sect and lie low for the moment.¡±

    Another man voiced his worries, ¡°These people were able to ughter dozens of our elites in just a short time. They must be quite powerful. Isn¡¯t it dangerous to chase them without additional reinforcements at least?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? They just ughtered our men right in the heart of our territory! If we leave them alone, and word of their deeds spreads, what do you think is going to happen to our reputation?¡±

    Ding Buren replied, ¡°Our reputation is already gging due to our previous failure. If we cannot even handle something like this, then the North Duke Office would be theughingstock of the entire <i>jianghu </i>and <i>wulin</i>!¡±

    ¡°That is why we must hunt them down. Not only that, we must kill them all!¡±

    Ding Buren swept his gaze across the group andmanded in an icy voice, ¡°This is my order. Mobilize everyone in the sect and capture these five bastards in the shortest time possible, dead or alive!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡± His men saluted him and took their leave.

    After they were gone, a strange smile slowly spread across Ding Buren¡¯s face.

    ......

    ¡°Strange. What¡¯s taking the Hallmaster and the others so long?¡±

    On an ind, the man spying on Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou in the Wave Watching Pavilion earlier mumbled to himself while scanning the horizon. ¡°Did something go wrong?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be. The hallmaster is present. There¡¯s no way those two could escape from his clutches.¡±

    The man¡¯s name was Yue Wanjun, and he was the disciple of the Ninth Earthly Sovereign Hall. A few months ago, the Earthly Sovereign Hall had detected the reappearance of the Earthly Sovereign Bell and immediately dispatched seekers to retrieve it. The hallmaster of the Ninth Earthly Sovereign Hall was one of them.

    There were nine halls in the Earthly Sovereign Hall. Each hall had their own area of responsibility, though the First Hall ruled above all of them. Every hallmaster was at least a Half-Sage.

    Although the hallmaster of the Ninth Hall, Yue Songhe, wasn¡¯t the strongest warrior of the nine halls, he was definitely the youngest. He was already a Half-Sage in his fifties, and he was expected to be a Sage one day.

    The fact that the Earthly Sovereign Hall went so far as to dispatch Yue Songhe showed just how determined they were to retrieve the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

 Chapter 992: Delegation 101

    <h4>Chapter 992: Delegation 101 </h4>

    In order to ensure that the operation was a sess, the hallmaster of the First Hall even gave the seekers the Earthly Sovereign Chime. Legend had it that the Earthly Sovereign Chime was forged using the fragments of the Earthly Sovereign Bell and thus possessed a portion of the Strange Artifact¡¯s power. It could also detect the Earthly Sovereign Bell and pinpoint its location.

    This was why they hade to the North Duke City.

    However, they discovered that the man possessing the Earthly Sovereign Bell and hispanion were quite strong. Moreover, they were staying in the North Duke City for the past couple days.

    Right now, the North Duke City was overflowing with powerful warriors andplex intrigue. Should they try to retrieve the Earthly Sovereign Bell via brute force, it was highly possible that they mightnd themselves in deep trouble and fail their mission.

    That was why Yue Songhe decided to send one warrior to spy on the duo first. Once they left the capital, he would personally enter the battlefield and take the Earthly Sovereign Bell in one fell swoop.

    Yue Wanjun reckoned that Yue Songhe and his men had already taken the Earthly Sovereign Bell. They were probably on their way back right now.

    Yue Wanjun cracked a longing smile when he thought about this.<i> Once the hallmaster retrieves the Earthly Sovereign Bell, the Earthly Sovereign Hall would surely regain its former glory.</i>

    ¡°What are you thinking about, friend? Do you mind sharing some of that happiness with me?¡±

    Suddenly, a masculine voice appeared from behind. Surprised but not panicking, Yue Wanjun clenched his right fist and threw a backhand.

    The punch seemed capable of inverting heaven and earth; yin and yang. The ambient energies immediately fell into chaos.

    The punch was named ¡°Inverting Mountains and Rivers¡±. As the name implied, it possessed the power to invert many things. It was an ultimate technique in the Earthly Sovereign Hall and his strongest, deadliest move.

    He was confident that he could make whoever was behind him¡ªman or ghost¡ªregret their decision to surprise him.

    <i>Thump!</i>

    The next moment, his fistnded on his opponent¡¯s chest and elicited what sounded like a gong strike. However, it was Yue Wanjun whose blood drained away from his face. Not only did his punch fail to break his opponent¡¯s chest and body, it was his right fist that had snapped like twigs. His arm and shoulder was sore and hurting as well.

    Yue Wanjun realized then that his mysterious foe wasn¡¯t someone he could handle. He immediately made the snap decision to run away.

    Unfortunately, a hand appeared on his shoulder before he could so much as move his leg. His face immediately turned deathly pale as blood poured out of every orifice.

    Yue Wanjun didn¡¯t move. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to move, but because he couldn¡¯t. The hand on his shoulder was like a mountain, pinning him down and preventing him from moving a muscle.

    ¡°May I know who you are and how I might have offended you, senior?¡± Yue Wanjun caved immediately.

    ¡°What, it hasn¡¯t even been half an hour since west met, and you¡¯ve forgotten about me already, you dog?¡±

    The voice behind him said ridiculingly, ¡°You¡¯re breaking my heart here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± Yue Wanjun¡¯s eyes widened like saucers when he finally saw the face of the man pinning him down. It was none other than Ye Qing.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that expression?¡±

    Ye Qing raised an eyebrow. ¡°It was fun spying on me for the past two days, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Impossible, how did you...¡± Yue Wanjun stammered. He could not believe what was happening.

    ¡°How did I discover you, and how am I here?¡±

    Ye Qing chuckled. ¡°Come now. It was easy as piss to notice you spying on me. Even the old man on the opposite street had better shadowing and spying skills than you. As for how I found this ce, you¡¯re the one who led me here, of course.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and a word of advice? You don¡¯t need to wait for yourpanions anymore. They¡¯re busy running away and have no time for you right now.¡±

    Ye Qing was telling the truth. Feng Qingyou had noticed Yue Wanjun practically the minute he started spying on them. It wasn¡¯t because Yue Wanjun¡¯s Magia and secret art were weak, but because he absolutely sucked at shadowing and spying on others. It was clearly because he rarely left the Earthly Sovereign Hall and severelycked <i>jianghu </i>experience as a result. It took almost no time for Feng Qingyou to discover him.

    At first, they were worried that someone had somehow recognized Ye Qing. Then, Ye Qing sensed the Profound Yellow Qi in Yue Wanjun¡¯s body and guessed his identity instantly.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    A long time ago, he had interacted with Yue Juejiang of the Earthly Sovereign Hall inside the Earthly Sovereign Coffin. Therefore, he was fairly sensitive to aura like his. Although Yue Wanjun was much stronger than Yue Juejiang in terms of ability and cultivation level, they shared simr auras due to their shared lineage, and every martial art passed down within the Earthly Sovereign Hall was basically derived from the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±. That was why it had taken him barely any effort to confirm Yue Wanjun¡¯s identity and subsequently, his objective: the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    Just in case he was mistaken, Feng Qingyou invaded Yue Wanjun¡¯s dreams when he was asleep and confirmed their goal. She also learned about his cohorts¡ªYue Songhe and the like¡ªand their n.

    Yue Songhe was a Half-Sage, and everyone he brought with him was an elite Trueman or Grandmaster. At their current strength, there was no chance they were winning a head-on sh. So, they decided to y dirty. They were going to lend someone a knife and make them do their dirty work for them.

    Who was the biggest force in the North Duke City? The North Duke Office, of course. Therefore, the n was to pit the North Duke Office against them.

    It didn¡¯t take much time at all toe up with a viable n to pit the two forces against each other, not to mention that Ding Buren was his. All he needed to do was to pretend to be a member of Yue Songhe¡¯s group and kill a North Duke Office warrior. Next, he put himself out as bait and lured Yue Song¡¯s group into the open. Finally, he secretly contacted the North Duke Office and arranged a ¡°meeting¡± between the two forces. And just like that, his enemies were running with their tails between their legs.

    But why did he not arrange things so that Ding Buren and the elites would appear at first notice? It was because the North Duke Office¡¯s first priority right now was to locate Ye Qing. If Ding Buren and his men appeared immediately, and Yue Songhe and his men revealed their identities, it was highly likely that the North Duke Office would choose to stand down. It wasn¡¯t worth butting heads against a powerful faction over a single death, not to mentio that they were busy right now.

    The n would have failed even with Ding Buren¡¯s intervention. Worst case scenario, Ding Buren might even be exposed as the traitor.

    That was why he needed to blow things up as much as possible; make it so that everyone in the city learned that Yue Songhe¡¯s group had ughtered the North Duke Office¡¯s men on their territory. At that point, the North Duke Office would be forced to act even if they didn¡¯t want to.

    Best case scenario, Yue Songhe¡¯s group proved to be a bigger pushover than expected and perished to the North Duke Office. Worst case scenario, the North Duke Office could still keep them busy and prevent them from making trouble for him.

    Of course, he was aware that this solution only treated the symptom and not the case. He needed to find out how Yue Songhe and his men found him. Otherwise, he could annihte Yue Songhe¡¯s group, and the Earthly Sovereign Hall could just dispatch more seekers and hound him like flies.

    This was why he followed Yue Wanjun here.

    ¡°Impossible! There is no way that woman could handle the hallmaster!¡±

    Yue Wanjun harrumphed. ¡°You don¡¯t know who we are, do you? You would release me if you know what¡¯s good for you?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Who are you?¡± Ye Qing smirked.

    ¡°Listen well. I hail from the Earthly Sovereign Hall. We are all descendants and sessors of the Earthly Sovereign.¡± Yue Wanjun dered with a proud expression.

    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Ye Qing eximed with mock surprise before falling silent, his face as calm as a pool of dead water.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Yue Wanjun was confused. Usually, people would be filled with reverence the second they heard the name ¡°Earthly Sovereign Hall¡±. After all, the Earthly Sovereign was the ancient hero who saved humanity and was revered by all. The Earthly Sovereign Hall was the organization he left behind, and it was as powerful as it was respected.

    That was why he couldn¡¯t understand Ye Qing¡¯s reaction. To say he was far too calmly would be an understatement.

    ¡°I said, we are members of the Earthly Sovereign Hall.¡±

 Chapter 993: Profound Yellow Divine Restriction

    Ye Qing replied, ¡°Yes, I heard you the first time. The Earthly Sovereign Hall, right? So what?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ afraid?¡± Yue Wanjun looked truly confused. It was such an innocent, naive expression Ye Qing almost burst out inughter.

    ¡°Afraid? Why would I be afraid?¡± Ye Qing grinned. ¡°So what if you are disciples of the Earthly Sovereign Hall? It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t killed one of yours before!¡±

    ¡°What? You killed one of ours?¡± Yue Wanjun eximed in disbelief.

    ¡°Yeah. It was a guy named Yue Juejiang. You know him?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°What?! You¡¯re the one who killed Juejiang?!¡±

    Yue Wanjun cried out in shock and anger. Yue Juejiang was a disciple of the First Hall and, while not the best of the best, was still considered a genius. That was why everyone in the Earthly Sovereign Hall was made aware of his death.

    However, since Yue Juejiang had died inside the Earthly Sovereign Coffin, therge majority of them believed that Yue Juejiang had perished to an anomaly and did not think much of it.

    Naturally, Yue Wanjun was quite shocked and angered to hear that he had really died to this man.¡°How dare you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been an audacious one, yes.¡± Ye Qing¡¯s grin grew increasingly sunny. ¡°So be a good boy and do as I say, okay? Otherwise, you may find out just how audacious I really am.¡±

    ¡°You speak as if you dare to kill me!¡± Yue Wanjun blurted.

    ¡°That depends on your performance, brother.¡±

    Ye Qing gave Yue Wanjun a seemingly harmless pat on the shoulder, and every bone in his body groaned as if under immense stress.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough wasted breath for the day. Tell me, how did you and your group find me?¡±

    ¡°So this is why you captured me,¡± Yue Wanjun eximed in realization. ¡°I guess you already know why we¡¯re seeking you out then.¡±

    ¡°Since you know why we¡¯re here, surrender the Earthly Sovereign Bell already. It is the Earthly Sovereign¡¯s ultimate treasure and the belonging of the Earthly Sovereign Hall. It is not for the likes of you to hold.¡±

    ¡°Surrender it now, and we may yet let you live. If you do not then, death will be your only fate.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Are you threatening me?¡±

    A strange smile appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s face. ¡°It looks like you still don¡¯t understand the situation you¡¯re in.¡±

    Before his words faded, Ye Qing tightened his grip and shattered Yue Wanjun¡¯s shoulder de amidst a series of disturbing cracks. Yue Wanjun let out a muffled groan as cold sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall. ?¦¡????S?

    ¡°I ask, you answer. Otherwise, your shoulder de won¡¯t be the only thing that breaks.¡±

    Yue Wanjun spat on the ground and growled, ¡°Kill me then. I won¡¯t tell you anything!¡±

    Yue Wanjun red at him with fury. ¡°You¡¯re dead, you hear me? We¡¯ll find you even if you run to the ends of the earth!¡±

    ¡°So this is your choice¡­¡± Ye Qing let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Very well then. By the way, you didn¡¯t think that I couldn¡¯t interrogate you just because you refuse to speak, did you?¡±

    ¡°How naive you are, brother.¡±

    Ye Qing ced his hand on Yue Wanjun¡¯s forehead and manifested his demonic lotus. Then, he invaded Yue Wanjun¡¯s headspace.

    At first, Yue Wanjun struggled with all his might. But gradually, his struggles ceased, and his eyes became unfocused.

    A few breathster, Ye Qing let out a sudden groan and bled from all orifices. At the same time, his blood began igniting with a strange, dark yellow me.

    Ye Qing let out two big coughs and spat out a ball of dark yellow me. It extinguished as soon as it hit the ground.

    At the same time, Yue Wanjun was leaking dark yellow me from every orifice including his pores. The me grew brighter and stronger until he was shining like the sun itself, hot and bright.

    Strangely, Yue Wanjun himself wasn¡¯t charred in the slightest despite how hot the me was.

    A few breathster, Yue Wanjun hit the ground with a thud. The next moment, he and every item on his person crumbled into a pile of yellow soil.

    It was at this moment Feng Qingyou¡¯s voice rang beside his ear. ¡°Congrattions, you have earned yourself the Profound Yellow Divine Restriction of the Earthly Sovereign Hall.¡±

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Everything went smoothly,¡± she answered.

    The duo had split up after they left the city. Feng Qingyou was responsible for luring Yue Songhe¡¯s group, whereas he was responsible for trailing Yue Wanjun.

    ¡°Cough! Cough¡­ that¡¯s good.¡± Ye Qing coughed twice before continuing, ¡°What is this Profound Yellow Divine Restriction?¡±

    ¡°A divine restriction secret art practiced by the Earthly Sovereign Hall. All members of the Earthly Sovereign Hall are protected with the Profound Yellow Divine Restriction to prevent others from stealing the Earthly Sovereign Hall¡¯s secrets via soul searching. If activated, the divine restriction would burn the disciple¡¯s mind at first notice and of course, the enemy who dared to search their soul in the first ce.¡±

    Feng Qingyou continued, ¡°However, the Profound Yellow Divine Restriction is a spell in the ¡®Profound Yellow Art of Heaven and Earth¡¯ and shares the same origin as the ¡®Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡¯. Therefore, you of all people are resistant to it.¡±

    ¡°Cough! Cough! Yeah, I figured that would be the case,¡± Ye Qing replied while covering his mouth and coughing. Even now, there were still wisps of me leaking through his fingers.

    There were two reasons he hadn¡¯t used the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± to take control of Yue Wanjun. One, his mind was damaged, and the Magia was much weaker as a result. Since Yue Wanjun was a Trueman, it was unlikely he would be able to brute force his mental defenses and seed. Two, it was because he was worried that Yue Wanjun¡¯s mind was protected by a restriction.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    To deal with this, Ye Qing prepared two countermeasures. First, he threatened Yue Wanjun and secretly nted the demonic lotus in his mind while the man was distracted. By doing this, he was corrupting his foe¡¯s mind and subverting his foe¡¯s mental defenses.

    If Yue Wanjun proved to be a coward and answered his questions, then all was well. If not, then he would take a gamble and cast ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡± to search his mind.

    Unfortunately, Yue Wanjun was strong-willed and would rather die than betray hisrades. So, Ye Qing stopped wasting time and used the ¡°Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent¡±. The oue was exactly as he predicted.

    It wasn¡¯t all bad though. He ultimately found out what he needed to know.

    ¡°So? Did you find out how they were able to track you?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Ye Qing stomped the ground, and the pile of yellow soil instantly broke into pieces. A bronze chime flew out of it.

    Ye Qing caught the chime and dered, ¡°This is the Earthly Sovereign Chime. The Earthly Sovereign Chime is forged using the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s fragments. The two are linked to each other, which is why they were able to use it to track me down. However, this chime could only pinpoint the general direction of the Earthly Sovereign Bell. The only reason they managed to find me was because I used the Earthly Sovereign Bell a lot a while ago.¡±

    This was the information he pried from Yue Wanjun¡¯s memories. As for why the Earthly Sovereign Chime was with Yue Wanjun, it was because Yue Songhe was afraid that Yue Wanjun would lose track of Ye Qing. <em>Jianghu </em>warriors were proficient in disguising themselves after all.

    ¡°Now that I have this chime, the Earthly Sovereign Hall would not be able to locate me for a while,¡± Ye Qing remarked while putting away the chime.

    ¡°But only a while,¡± Feng Qingyou added.

    ¡°Yeah. How troublesome.¡±

    Ye Qing scratched his nose. The Earthly Sovereign Hall was a powerful sect with a long history. The amount of treasures and secret arts in the vaults must be countless. They must possess other potent treasures like the Earthly Sovereign Chime, and even if they didn¡¯t, there was no way they would ever let him go. Therefore, this matter was only temporarily resolved.

    ¡°It looks like we need to create more work for Yue Songhe and his goons.¡±

 Chapter 994: Brushing Moon Inn

    ¡°Oh? What naughty schemes are you plotting now?¡± Feng Qingyou smiled.

    ¡°Naughty schemes? Come now. It¡¯s just conventional wisdom.¡± Ye Qing curled his lips.

    ¡°So, what is the n?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°The entire <em>jianghu </em>are looking for me right now, aren¡¯t they? In that case, let¡¯s put these meatshields to good use.¡±

    ¡°Ah. that would certainly keep them busy for a while.¡±

    Feng Qingyou beamed. ¡°You¡¯re getting better and better at this, Ye Qing.¡±

    ¡°Sigh. What can I do? My strength isn¡¯t enough, so I can only make do with schemes.¡±

    Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°If my strength was sufficient, I wouldn¡¯t bother wasting my brain cells now, would I? I¡¯ll just kill anyone who showed their ugly mugs in front of me.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That is why power is the only thing that matters in this world,¡± remarked Feng Qingyou as if trying to hint at something. Before Ye Qing could react though, she added, ¡°We¡¯re done here. Let¡¯s go.¡±Ye Qing waved his sleeve, and the yellow soil that was Yue Wanjun scattered into nothing.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Have these people gone insane? Why do they keep chasing us?¡±

    On a deserted ind, Yue Songhe and his men were catching a breather. They were all covered in blood and looked sorry to say the least.

    ¡°They think we¡¯re the ones who killed Chu Wangsun,¡± Yue Songhe answered darkly.

    ¡°We already told them we¡¯re not! Why don¡¯t they believe us?¡± One man growled in frustration.

    You said it yourself. They¡¯re insane. They won¡¯t listen no matter what you tell them.¡±

    Yue Songhe¡¯s face was ugly to say the least. For the past three days, they had been struck by what must be one of the worst luck of their lives. First, their quarry had tricked them and sed the North Duke Office on them. Then, rumors iming that the murderers the North Duke Office were hunting could very well be Chu Wangsun¡¯s murderer and his cohort.

    Had their pursuers been anyone else, the <em>jianghu </em>warriors would haveughed and forgotten about it in the next second. The problem was that the one pursuing them was the North Duke Office.

    For one, the North Duke Office had fought against Chu Wangsun¡¯s murderers and so was familiar with them. Two, everyone knew that the North Duke Office was busy searching for Chu Wangsun¡¯s murderer right now. It was at this time they plunged head first into their quarry¡¯s trap and identally kicked the ho¡¯s nest that was the North Duke Office. Pissed off that someone had massacred their elites right in their territory, the North Duke Office spared no effort in hunting them down.

    Yue Songhe and his men knew that they hadn¡¯t killed Chu Wangsun as a matter of course, but from the perspective of the outsiders, it looked as if the North Duke Office had finally caught up to Chu Wangsun¡¯s murderers and were doing everything in their power to capture them, dead or alive. Although some rumors imed that the North Duke Office was just pursuing Yue Songhe and his men because they had in some of their elites, most people believed that it was just a lie concocted by the North Duke Office. The goal was obviously to fool the masses and monopolize the reward for capturing or killing Chu Wangsun¡¯s murderers.

    As a result, the news spread like wildfire practically the minute it broke. Soon, the entire <em>jianghu </em>was pursuing Yue Song¡¯s group.

    No matter how many times Yue Songhe made their identities clear and argued their innocence, no one listened to them. The crazy bastards just kepting no matter how many they killed.

    Although they were all Trueman, and therge majority of the warriors attacking them were below the Trueman stage, not even the fiercest tiger could withstand a pack of wolves for long. Because of this, a slip of concentration had cost them apanion, and they were all carrying varying degrees of injuries. Even Yue Songhe, a Half-Sage, was exhausted both physically and mentally.

    Long story short, it had been a miserable three days.

    ¡°It must be him! He must have done this!¡± One man screamed furiously with bloodshot eyes.

    He was talking about Ye Qing, of course. From the beginning, it was clear that a hidden hand was manipting all the misfortune that had beset them. And who would benefit from their misery? It could only be the man they were searching for; the one who possessed the Earthly Sovereign Bell, of course. ???????????

    ¡°What should we do now, hallmaster?¡± Someone looked to Yue Songhe for instructions.

    ¡°We head back to the Earthly Sovereign Hall!¡± Yue Songhe answered after a careful deliberation.

    ¡°We¡¯re going home? But what about the Earthly Sovereign Bell?¡± Another man asked hesitatingly.

    ¡°Without the Earthly Sovereign Chime, we cannot track down that bastard. Even if we do have the Earthly Sovereign Chime, those pesky little flies are hounding us every hour of the day! So how the <em>fuck </em>are we going to find the Earthly Sovereign bell in this situation? Huh? <em>How?</em>¡± Yue Songhe snarled at the one who asked the stupid question.

    From the moment he sensed Yue Wanjun¡¯s death, he knew that his fellow seeker had been killed by the possessor of the Earthly Sovereign Bell. This meant that they had lost the Earthly Sovereign Chime as well. Without the Earthly Sovereign Chime, it was impossible to lock onto the Earthly Sovereign Bell. He knew then that they had failed their mission. Aplete and utter failure.

    Yue Songhe¡¯s face looked so terrifying that for a moment, no one dared to say a thing.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ hah¡­¡±

    After taking a few deep breaths, and the blood vessels sticking out of his eyeballs slowly subsided, he said, ¡°We¡¯ve lost the Earthly Sovereign Chime, and that man is ready for us. It would have been impossibly difficult for us to find him even if we weren¡¯t harassed by these god forsaken <em>jianghu </em>warriors. Besides, you and I are all exhausted in body and mind. If we do not return to the Earthly Sovereign Hall soon, we are all going to die, understand?¡±

    ¡°So, we will return to the Earthly Sovereign Hall. We can discuss how to retrieve the Earthly Sovereign Bell after that.¡±

    Yue Songhe would be lying if he said he was okay with this oue. When he received his mission at the beginning, he thought for sure that it wouldn¡¯t be too risky a mission. When he realized that Ye Qing, a young¡¯un who was wet behind his ears, was the possessor of the Earthly Sovereign Bell, he grew even more certain thatpleting their mission was just a matter of time.

    Reality was a harsh mistress, however. They had already suffered a double loss after falling into their quarry¡¯s trap. If they insisted on staying the course, then they were all going to die. Returning to the Earthly Sovereign Hall was their only option.

    He was well aware what kind of treatment they were going to receive when they returned. He and hispanions would be ridiculed endlessly and even punished severely for their failure. Even so, running home with their tails between their legs was still a better oue than dying.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Go catch some rest, all of you. We will return to the Earthly Sovereign Hall in a moment.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡±

    His men saluted him and left.

    ¡°Just you wait. I, Yue Songhe, swear that I will hunt you down.¡±

    Yue Songhe¡¯s face slowly became distorted and violent. ¡°I will hunt you down.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Yue Songhe had no idea that the man he only wished he could slice and dice into a million cubes was currently lounging in an inn of Fu Tuo.

    Located at an intersection point between Nanjiang and Chu, Fu Tuo was amandery under a prefecture of Chu named Jian Nan. But unlike Nan Tian, Jin Wei, An Nan, Wu Ling and othermanderies, Fu Tuo was a deste backwater that few people desired to visit. Its poption was tiny because it was neither a strategic location nor a fertilend.

    Besides that, Fu Tuo was close to the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang and was frequently visited by the progenies of Nanjiang. As a result of this, its popce were quite vicious and lived in a fairly chaotic society. It was quite simr to the Bei You of Northern Xinjiang.

    Fu Tuo was barren and rtively unknown, but they boasted one thing that was famed throughout Jian Nan: the Moon Brushing Inn.

    The people of Jian Nan might not know Fu Tuo, but only a handful of them had never heard of the Brushing Moon Inn. Fu Tuo¡¯s only notable ce was the Brushing Moon Inn, and the Brushing Moon Inn was famous for their dance and wine.

    It was even said that the Brushing Moon Inn was the height of Jian Nan.

    The Brushing Moon Inn boasted thirty-three floors and a height of three hundred meters. Every floor specialized in a different business. For example, the first floor was dining, the second floor was song and dance, the third floor was gambling, the fourth floor was amodation, so on and so forth. Be it clothing, food, housing and transport; to eat, drink or make merry, the Brushing Moon Inn had everything. One could even say that the Brushing Moon Inn was a mini version of the red dust.

    The Brushing Moon Inn gained its name because the building felt tall enough to touch the moon, and because each floor represented a slice of humanity.

 Chapter 995: Fei Xue

    <h4>Chapter 995: Fei Xue </h4>

    Brushing Moon Inn offered over a hundred kinds of wine, all of them famous locally or foreignly. Out of all of them, the most famous wine of them all was Drunk on Illusory Life.

    Drunk on Illusory Life was said to be brewed using Illusory Life Flower and Moonlight Water. Those who drink it would be so drunk that they would dream of a whole new life; one they only wished could drown forever and never awaken from. It was extremely famous in Jian Nan and usually could not be bought even with a thousand gold.

    Besides wine, Brushing Moon Inn also offered over a thousand types of dances. They could supposedly showcase a different dance each day a thousand days straight without repeating themselves. The Celestial Weing Dance was the most famous dance out of all of them. Legene had it that the dance was modified from the Moon God Dance the olden people of Nanjiang practiced back when they performed ritual sacrifices to the Moon God, mysterious and elegant. They imed that the Celestial Weing Dance was so beautiful that even gods and demons were intoxicated by the performance.

    These three specialties alone were enough to make Brushing Moon Inn famous throughout Jian Nan. There was no one who hadn¡¯t heard about it. That was why the Brushing Moon Inn weed an insane number of visitors looking to experience its wonders everyday.

    Although Brushing Moon Inn was famous, its owner was surprisingly mysterious. Only a handful of people had ever met her, and no one knew who she was or where she came from.

    Legend had it that the owner of Brushing Moon Inn was a woman; a gorgeous woman named Fei Xue.

    Although the owner was a woman, no one dared to underestimate her or plot against her.

    Brushing Moon Inn had only been founded for over a decade, but it was able to stand strong in the chaotic Fu Tuo and even be the most famous inn in the entire Jian Nan, renowned under the heavens. Her strength and cunning must be incredible to say the least.

    In fact, some people did try to im a piece of the pie that was Brushing Moon Inn thinking that Fei Xue was ¡°just a mere woman¡±. It included strong, famous sects such as the Yin Spring Sect, Wanxiang Sect and more. However, the sect master of the Yin Spring Sect died a sudden death in his room the next day, and the Wanxiang Sect was suddenly attacked by severalrger sects. The sect master of the Wanxiang Sect, Wan Xiangzi died on the spot, several great elders were severely injured, and the sect was nearly disbanded the very same day.

    These were just two examples of what had happened to the enemies of Brushing Moon Inn. Although there was no evidence that pointed toward Brushing Moon Inn manipting events from behind the scene, everyone knew that they were the mastermind. It wasn¡¯t scary for a faction to take a life or even wipe out an entire sect, but it was scary that the victims did not have any evidence to prove that Brushing Moon Inn was behind the atrocities, nor was there a single stain on the inn¡¯s record.

    Brushing Moon Inn looked like a clear, tranquilke, but its depths were unfathomable. Anyone whoid their eyes on it and harbored evil intentions would find themselves dead in a ditch somewhere, assuming there was even a body to be found.

    In conclusion, Brushing Moon Inn was a legend in Fu Tuo and Jian Nan.

    Right now, Ye Qing was lounging inside the highest floor of the Brushing Moon Inn and enjoying its fine wine and exquisite dance, the thirty-third floor. He was also enjoying their best wine, Drunk on Illusory Life, and their best dance, the Celestial Weing Dance. It was the life.

    The thirty-third floor was where the owner of Brushing Moon Inn resided and so was forbidden from entry.

    Drunk on Illusory Life was a wine only the most honored guest could enjoy, and the Celestial Weing Dance a dance that was performed only during special days. However, Ye Qing was neither the owner of the Brushing Moon Inn nor their most honored guest. Today was definitely not a special day either. And yet, he was enjoying the kind of luxury that only the most honored guests of honor could enjoy.

    It wasn¡¯t because he was famous, strong, or handsome beyond imagination, of course. It was purely because he was apanying Feng Qingyou.

    His masculine pride did not want to admit it, but the truth was the truth. If not for Feng Qingyou, forget the thirty-third floor of Brushing Moon Inn or the Celestial Weing Dance, he might not even get to drink Drunk on Illusory Life.

    As for why Feng Qingyou got to enjoy such treatment, it was because she and the owner of Brushing Moon Inn, Fei Xue, were acquaintances, of course. In fact, judging from the way they interacted, they were close friends.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Right now, Fei Xue was sitting next to Feng Qingyou and whispering to her, the smile on her face as wide as it was beautiful. Ye Qing was sitting at a corner enjoying a cup of fine wine and watching a good dance while female attendants stood close by to attend to his every need. Truly this was the life.

    After the dance was over, Fei Xue looked at Ye Qing with curiosity in his eyes, asking, ¡°What do you think of my humble inn¡¯s Drunk on Illusory Life and Celestial Weing Dance, warrior Ye?¡±

    Fei Xue was very beautiful. Like her name implied, she was as beautiful as snowfall, cold yet pure. When she smiled, however, it was warm and gentle like the spring wind of March; passionate and brilliant like blossom petals. It was quite thebination.

    ¡°The wine is exactly as its name suggests, a false life that one cannot help but get drunk on. The dance is so beautiful that I would not be surprised if it could win the hearts of deities.¡±

    Ye Qing paid her a heartfeltpliment. ¡°Thank you very much for the service, owner.¡±

    ¡°It is Fei Xue¡¯s honor to receive your praise, warrior.¡±

    Suddenly, Fei Xue teased him, ¡°Tao Yao, Lian Hua, Su Qiu, Ruo Mei, what are you waiting for? Drink with warrior Ye and thank him for his high praise.¡±

    Tao Yao, Lian Hua, Su Qiu and Ruo Mei were the four women performing the Celestial Weing Dance earlier. They all boasted different qualities of beauty like that of the orchids in spring and the chrysanthemums in autumn, but one thing for certain, they were all unquestionably attractive.

    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡±

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting Fei Xue to tease him like this. He hurriedly waved them off saying, ¡°You¡¯re wee, owner, but this is unnecessary. Unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°What, are they too ordinary for you?¡± Fei Xue furrowed her brow and said sadly, ¡°Or did I identally slight you somewhere, warrior?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, owner.¡± Ye Qing said, ¡°How about this? A toast to the four beautifuldies.¡±

    Ye Qing raised his cup and drained its contents in one gulp.

    ¡°A great show of spirit, warrior.¡±

    Fei Xue beamed. ¡°Tao Yao, Lian Hua, Su Qiu, Ruo Mei, don¡¯t just stand there. Keep warrior Yepany and serve him more wine!¡±

    ¡°Yes, owner.¡±

    The four women walked toward Ye Qing, but Feng Qingyou interrupted softly, ¡°Enough games.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I make you unhappy, Qingyou?¡± Fei Xue asked yfully.

    Feng Qingyou¡¯s expression was mild, but it was impossible to guess what she was truly thinking. She said with the calm of a bottomless ocean, ¡°Send the girls away. It¡¯s time we talk about business.¡±

    Fei Xue turned serious and waved her hand. ¡°Leave us. Allow no one to enter without my permission.¡±

    ¡°Yes, owner.¡±

    Tao Yao, Lian Hua, and all the servants in the room responded and left.

    After everyone was gone, Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Fei Xue nced at Ye Qing but received no response from Feng Qingyou. So, she answered, ¡°It¡¯s as you predicted. The Nanjiang Pacification Army is mobilizing in secret. I suspect that they may depart at any moment.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. They will probably depart in less than a day,¡± Feng Qingyou said with certainty.

    ¡°I believe so as well,¡± Fei Xue echoed with a stern expression.

    ¡°We shall respond as per the n,¡± Feng Qingyou instructed.

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡± Fei Xue rose to her feet and gave Ye Qing a nod. Then, she left the room.

    After Fei Xue was gone, Ye Qing finally indulged in his curiosity, ¡°What are you girls talking about? What Nanjiang Pacification Army? What mobilizing?¡±

    ¡°Calm!¡± Feng Qingyou gave him a mysterious smirk. ¡°You will hear of it by tomorrow at thetest. Tomorrow, something big will shake the whole world.¡±

 Chapter 996: Nanjiang Royal Court

    <h4>Chapter 996: Nanjiang Royal Court </h4>

    August eighth was a good day for marriage, cleaning, moving, and traveling. Taboos: none.

    August eighth was undoubtedly a good time of the year, which was why many people chose this day to marry, travel, and visit friends. Temple fairs, festivals, and some holidays happened on this day as well. For example, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Winter God Festival, Mountain God Festival and more all happened on August eighth[1].

    Unfortunately, what should have been a lively, celebratory day turned dark and ominous this year because of a certain news. The entire world shook in shock and fear because of it.

    It was because Chu had mobilized a total of two hundred thousand Nanjiang Pacification troops to invade Nanjiang. It was because they had crushed the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses and annihted the Nanjiang Royal Court in dominant fashion and announced to the world that, from now on, the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was now Chu¡¯s territory. Thend was categorized as a prefecture.

    At the same time, the Chu Emperor issued an imperial edict proiming that Chu would be holding a grand ancestral worship ceremony on October tenth. They would be offering sacrifices to the heavens , the earth, and their virtuous ancestors.

    From now on, the Nanjiang Royal Court no longer existed. There was only the Nanjiang prefecture of Chu.

    For obvious reasons, the news hit the world like an atomic bomb. The Nanjiang Royal Court boasted a storied history longer than even Chu itself. Since ancient times, Nanjiang had always been famous for its tall mountains, thick jungles, dangerous geography and even more dangerous creatures. It was held by many tribes whose culture was fierce and thuggish.

    A long time ago when the You Dynasty still existed, the leader of a small tribe had unified the tribes of Nanjiang and built the Nanjiang Royal Court. Calling himself the King of Nanjiang. He had coveted the fertilends of the Central in and waged countless battles against them.

    Angry, the You Emperor had raised an army of one million and personally takenmand. He had in the King of Nanjiang at Fusu Mountain, and condemned one hundred thousand Nanjiang citizens to very in the Central in.

    However, the Nanjiang tribes were numerous, and the You Emperor worried that a simr war might start anew in the future. So he conferred his war general, Meng Chang, the new King of Nanjiang and entrusted him with the responsibility of protecting and managing the Nanjiang tribes. He was to prevent the sparks of war from ever rising from the south again.

    Since then, the Meng n became the King of Nanjiang, and every generation had faithfully protected Nanjiang.

    n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    During the final years of the You Dynasty, when Yan, Chu, Qi and Wei were busy dividing You among themselves, the Meng n seized the opportunity to break away from You and dere their independence. They called themselves the Nanjiang Royal Court and once stood equal to the four nations.

    Unfortunately, the Nanjiang Royal Court was made up of countless tribes, and the amount of internal strifes they had to deal with were innumerable to put it mildly. On top of that, Chu could not tolerate another great power as their neighbor and did everything they could to suppress and divide them. As a result, it wasn''t long before the Nanjiang Royal Court fell into decline.

    That said, a dead camel was still bigger than a horse, not to mention that the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang were treacherous to navigate to put it mildly. Besides that, the many tribes of Nanjiang were hardly pushovers and constantly harassed, robbed, and attacked the borders of Chu. As a result, Chu was unable to exterminate the Nanjiang Royal Court despite being extremely annoyed by it.

    This situationsted until over a decade ago where dozens of Nanjiang tribes joined hands to start a rebellion, but it was stamped out by Guo Ximian and the Nanjiang Pacification Army in brutal fashion. Even then, Chu still wasn¡¯t able to exterminate the Nanjiang Royal Court and wipe out the hundred tribes of Nanjiangpletely. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the two hundred thousand strong Nanjiang Pacification Army lost half of their numbers. It was one of the main reasons Chu was ultimately unable to exterminate the Nanjiang Royal Court once and for all.

    That war dealt a huge blow to the Nanjiang Royal Court, so they were forced to rein in their traitorous impulses and recuperate. As a result, the two nations enjoyed an amicable peace for over a decade. Almost no armed conflicts had happened between them during this period.

    This was why no one expected Chu to invade the Nanjiang Royal Court so suddenly and without warning. Even worse, Chu had struck decisively and brutally and wiped out the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses and the Nanjiang Royal Court on the very first strike, uprooting the symbol of Nanjiang and some its greatest forces in an instant.

    Although Nanjiang boasted ¡°a hundred tribes¡±, the Nanjiang Royal Court and Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses were the strongest of them all. To be specific, the Nanjiang Royal Court was the main faction, and the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses the auxiliary. Almost all other tribes, big or small, were attached to them. Therefore, the destruction of the Nanjiang Royal Court and the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses was an epic blow to say the least.

    What could the smaller tribes do but scatter like monkeys when the two greatest trees of Nanjiang had fallen? One might even say that Nanjiang was already dead, they just didn¡¯t know it yet.

    In just one night, the toxic bond Chu and the Nanjiang Royal Court shared had burned into ash. From now on, there was no longer a Nanjiang Royal Court, only the Nanjiang prefecture of Chu. This was something no one¡ªnot Yan, not Wei, not Qi, not the <i>jianghu</i>, not the <i>wulin</i>, not even the entire world¡ªhad anticipated.

    Naturally, the news had spread across the whole world like wildfire¡ªno, like a typhoon. Everyone from the highest ruler to the lowest ve were talking about it. Some people were astonished by Chu¡¯s ruthlessness, some were impressed by their strength, some were admiring their military strength, and some were praising their decisiveness and audacity.

    Compared to this, their recent embarrassments seemed almost insignificant.

    What was the death of Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyunpared to the conquest of Nanjiang? From aughingstock to auded conqueror of war. That was what Chu was. That was how Chu had perfectly reversed their image in just a matter of days.

    ¡°Qingyou, was this what you were referring to yesterday?¡±

    Inside Brushing Moon Inn, Ye Qing was sipping his wine to calm his shock when suddenly, he recalled yesterday¡¯s conversation. ¡°You knew that Chu would attack the Nanjiang Royal Court from the start?¡±

    ¡°From the start? Not at all. I only learned about it two or three days ago,¡± answered Feng Qingyou while looking out of the window, her face expressionless and calm.

    ¡°But how?¡± Ye Qing couldn¡¯t understand. It was clear that Chu had been plotting for this for many years. The intricacy of their n, the swiftness of their movement, and the grasp of their timing could only be described as perfect. After all, neither the Nanjiang Royal Court nor the three nations had found out about it until it was toote. And yet, not only did Feng Qingyou know about it, she had learned of it three days prior.

    What did three days represent? It meant that Feng Qingyou had found out about their intentions almost immediately after Chu started mobilizing. It meant that Feng Qingyou could have singlehandedly decided whether Chu¡¯s campaign would seed, and hundreds of thousands of Nanjiang people would live or die.

    It sounded like an exaggeration, but that was the truth. If Feng Qingyou had leaked Chu¡¯s activity beforehand, then the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses would have been forewarned, and Chu could not have crushed them as easily as they had.

    Yan, Qi and Wei would not have just stood by and allowed the conquest to go smoothly as well. For one, the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was Chu¡¯s neighbor and their greatest threat from the south. Just by existing, they were costing Chu an incredible amount of time, energy, and resources. Therefore, keeping Nanjiang around was beneficial to Yan, Wei and Qi.

    Two, if Chu sessfully conquered Nanjiang and absorbed its hundreds of thousands of poption, then Chu would no longer have any threat from the south. They would have be much stronger and a greater threat to Yan, Wei and Qi.

    That was why the three nations absolutely would have interfered if they were forewarned.

    If Feng Qingyou wanted, she absolutely could have snatched victory from the jaws of Chu and ruined everything.

    ¡°I guessed.¡±

    A smile crept on Feng Qingyou¡¯s lips as she exined, ¡°You killed Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun and severely damaged Chu¡¯s reputation as a result. Even if they managed to capture you and cut you into a million pieces, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to restore their reputation.¡±

    ¡°So, how could Chu ovee the negative effects of the incident and restore their reputation? Bymitting something greater, madder, and more terrifying, of course. Only then could they draw the public¡¯s attention elsewhere and rescue their reputation.¡±

    ¡°Besides, it looked like Chu was investing a lot into capturing you dead or alive, but if you really thought about it, the bark was much worse than the bite. Why would they set you aside despite everything? Because they were busy plotting something bigger, of course.¡±

    1. A reminder but this is the Chinese calendar, not the universal calendar. ?

 Chapter 997: The City Above A Lake

    ¡°Do you know what counts as a greater matter to a country, Joyless?¡± Feng Qingyou turned to look at Ye Qing.

    ¡°¡®The great matters of the state lie in sacrifice and military affairs¡¯,¡± Ye Qing quoted from Zuo Tradition.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said indifferently, ¡°Only a war can show off Chu¡¯s strength, and only a sacrifice can rescue Chu¡¯s reputation.¡±

    ¡°From Chu¡¯s perspective, Yan to the north, Wei to the west, and Qi to the east are all vicious tigers. None of them are good targets to start a war against. On the other hand, Nanjiang to the south is a pushover in their current state. Assuming Chu wants to start something, if Nanjiang is their best¡ªmaybe their only¡ªoption.¡±

    ¡°Besides that, the Nanjiang Royal Court is like the maggot in one¡¯s bones even in their declined state. Time and again, they have proven to be a great source of disturbance to Chu. Chu had long since wanted to remove this thorn in their side. In fact, this plot to utterly annihte the Nanjiang Royal Court and pacify their southern borders had been in the brewing for decades.¡±

    ¡°Guo Ximian¡¯s trampling of Nanjiang over a decade ago is in fact, just a test. It is to trick the Nanjiang Royal Court into lowering their guard thinking that the Nanjiang Pacification Army has suffered such tremendous losses but they would not start a new war in the short term. Unfortunately, the Nanjiang Royal Court underestimated Chu¡¯s ambition and ruthlessness. It might look like Chu has been resting and recuperating for the past decade, but they were really raising an army and brewing plots in secret.¡±

    ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t killed Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun and inadvertently elerated their n, they would have attacked the Nanjiang Royal Court in a year or two.¡±

    Feng Qingyou added after a pause, ¡°What you did provided Chu an opportunity tounch their campaign ahead of time. For one, Chu was desperate for something to rescue their damaged reputation. Two, everyone¡¯s eyes are centered on you and the Four Seas after your killing of Chu Wangsun and Fang Muyun, and no one was paying attention to Nanjiang, which made it easier for Chu to operate under cover as well.¡±¡°Knowing these facts, it is not difficult to put two and two together and predict what kind of actions Chu would take.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ is that so?¡±

    Ye Qingughed politely but did not believe a word that came out of Feng Qingyou¡¯s mouth as a matter of course. She made it sound oh-so-easy, but no ordinary person could have deduced a nation¡¯s plot and movement just by observing all this disjointed information that seemed to have no connection with each other whatsoever? At the very least, she must be extremely familiar with the behavior and conduct of the higher-ups of Chu. Otherwise, she could not have outthought Yan, Qi and Wei, three enemy nations who wanted to take advantage of Chu more than anyone else.

    It was fine listening to Feng Qingyou¡¯s argument that anyone could arrive at the same conclusion given the same facts, but anyone who actually believed it would be a bonafide idiot.

    ¡°Do you disagree?¡± Feng Qingyou countered.

    Ye Qing glossed over her retort and said, ¡°You knew that Chu would attack Nanjiang, but you still chose toe here. This means you¡¯re plotting something bigger than just gathering the Sky Mending Spring for me, am I right?¡±

    From his perspective, it was obvious. She knew that Chu was going to attack in Nanjiang, but she still persuaded him toe here. She had to be plotting something.

    ¡°You know me well, Joyless,¡± admitted Feng Qingyou with a chuckle.

    ¡°So, for what have youe to Nanjiang?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°To help a friend retrieve what is hers,¡± replied Feng Qingyou. Her voice was gentle, warm, and mellow like the blossoming flowers under a spring rain, but Ye Qing detected an undertone of cold apathy beneath it.

    ¡°Who is this friend?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You just met her,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Miss Fei Xue?!¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded but did not give Ye Qing a chance to ask further questions. ¡°As for what is this thing I¡¯m retrieving for her, you will find out in a moment.¡±

    ¡°Right now, the first priority is to find the Sky Mending Spring for you and treat your wounds.¡±

    Since Feng Qingyou was unwilling to speak at this moment, Ye Qing didn¡¯t prod. He asked, ¡°You know where the Sky Mending Spring is, Qingyou?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded again. ¡°The Sky Mending Spring is the Nanjiang Royal Court¡¯s sacred object. You can find it in their Sky Mending Pce.¡±

    ¡°... Let me get this straight. Your n is for me tomit suicide?¡±

    For a moment, Ye Qing thought he had misheard Feng Qingyou. Then, his mouth widened into an O-shape. Chu had just conquered the Nanjiang Royal Court, and her n was for him to retrieve the Sky Mending Spring from the Sky Mending Pce? What difference was this from drinking poison?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll live. In fact, now is the best time to retrieve the Sky Mending Spring.¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°As I said, the Sky Mending Spring is the Nanjiang Royal Court¡¯s sacred object. For countless generations, only the royal family is allowed to use it. It is heavily guarded as a matter of course. If the Nanjiang Royal Court is still prsent, it would have been exceedingly difficult for you to retrieve it.¡±

    ¡°But now? The Nanjiang Royal Court had just been wiped out, and most of Nanjiang is in chaos. Although Chu currently has the upper hand, the matter is far from over. They still have to wipe out the remnants of the Nanjiang Royal Court, pacify the Nanjiang tribes and people and more. It¡¯s all going to take a tremendous amount of manpower and resources.¡±

    ¡°Although the Nanjiang Royal Court is being held by the Chu army as a matter of course, the garrison must not be too big. Therefore, now is the best time to infiltrate the Nanjiang Royal Court and retrieve the Sky Mending Spring.¡±

    ¡°Huh. You¡¯re right!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. Now was the best time tomit some thievery. If they waited until Chu had truly pacified Nanjiang, then it would be much harder to retrieve the Sky Mending Spring.

    ¡°When are we going?¡±n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Feng Qingyou replied, ¡°Tomorrow. Today is a day of preparation.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    After Ye Qing left, Fei Xue walked through a different door and asked worriedly, ¡°Are you really going to infiltrate the Nanjiang Royal Court alone, Qingyou? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little too dangerous? No, no, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°Who said I¡¯m alone? I have Joyless, don¡¯t I?¡± Feng Qingyou smiled.

    ¡°Him?¡± Fei Xue frowned and said with a cool expression, ¡°He¡¯s just a Trueman, and he¡¯s injured too. How can he possibly be of help?¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t underestimate Joyless. He may be injured, but a weakling he is not.¡± Feng Qingyou defended Ye Qing smilingly. ¡°Would you believe me if I say you may not be his match even in his current state?¡±

    Fei Xue¡¯s eyebrows lifted higher. She did not say anything.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Do you know why he left just now? It¡¯s because he knew you were here, and he knew you had something to discuss with me.¡±

    Fei Xue remained silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m still worried. Why don¡¯t Ie with you?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, but no.¡± Feng Qingyou rejected her offer. ¡°If youe with me, then who will oversee the operations? This ce cannot function without you.¡±

    ¡°Besides, since when have I, Feng Qingyou, needed another person¡¯s protection?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Fei Xue was still hesitating when Feng Qingyou said, ¡°Hesitation isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing, but excess hesitation can only be detrimental. This is especially true for those seeking to achieve great things. You must always have the courage and the determination to make a decision when it is time no matter when and where.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Fei Xue nodded.

    ¡°I hope you really do.¡±

    Feng Qingyou gave her a pat on the shoulder and said, ¡°Proceed as nned after I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Fei Xue nodded with cool eyes.

    ¡­¡­

    The One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was as treacherous as it was vast. Countless Strangers, Anomalies, and other dangers resided in this ce. The threat level only grew the deeper one ventured into its jungles. It was why people advised against entering its mountains at all.

    And yet, there existed a capital city deep within these mountains. It was none other than the renowned Nanjiang Royal Court.

    Strangely, the Nanjiang Royal Court was built on ake, not thend. Theke was named Moon God Lake. Most of the tribes of Nanjiang worshiped the Moon God, and theke was named after it. It was clear how important it was to Nanjiang.

    The Nanjiang Royal Court was located at the center of the Moon God Lake. No, this didn¡¯t mean that the capital city was built on an ind at the center of theke. It was literally built on top of theke water. From a distance, it almost looked like the Nanjiang Royal Court was a leaf floating on the Moon God Lake.

 Chapter 998: Life Is Worthless

    ¡°So this is the Nanjiang Royal Court!¡± Ye Qing eximed with astonishment as he stared at the massive city floating above the Moon God Lake.

    He had imagined how the Nanjiang capital city would look prior toing here. Primitive, vast, noble, luxurious, mysterious and more. However, he never once imagined that it would be built atop ake.

    A gigantic thing like this should sink right to the bottom of theke, but in reality, it was floating on the surface like a leaf and eliciting no ripples. It was so mysterious and anomalous that words could not describe how he truly felt.

    Unfortunately, the Nanjiang Royal Court was not looking its best right now. Not even close. For starters, the Moon God Lake was covered in countless corpses. They were packed so tightly that one almost could not see its waters, which werepletely bright red in color.

    The capital city itself was in ruins. Rubble and broken walls were everywhere. Speaking of walls, countless heads were hung on it. Judging from their wide-eyed expression, they had clearly died painfully and unwillingly. The violence and brutality of that day was bare for all to see.

    Ye Qing did not react much to the atrocity though. It wasn¡¯t because he was cold-blooded, but because he had gotten used to it.

    He and Feng Qingyou had departed for the Nanjiang Royal Court four days ago. Although the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was mysterious and full of dangers, it didn¡¯t really pose a threat to him or Feng Qingyou. The real problem was the Chu troops scattered throughout the mountain.

    Although the Chu army had sessfully conquered the Nanjiang Royal Court and crushed the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses, it didn¡¯t mean that their work here was done. Although their operation was a massive sess, it was mostly thanks to the element of surprise. Besides that, the forces of Nanjiang were as numerous as they wereplex. It was impossible for the Chu army to have eradicated their enemies perfectly. Naturally, a lot of prey had managed to escape the they weaved, not to mention that there were still some strong tribes out there.

    If they wished to truly conquer Nanjiang, they must keep up the pressure and wipe out both the escaped preys and the threatening tribes. Only then could they say that the southern threat was pacified once and for all.Because of this, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou inadvertently stumbled upon many Chu soldiers who were capturing or hunting down the Nanjiang tribes. There were plenty of massacred viges and destroyed fortresses as well. Blood and death was all over the ce. What was once a peaceful and tranquil mountain range¡ªrtively speaking, of course¡ªwas now no different from a living hell.

    Ye Qing was hardly a stranger to death and murder. Hell, he must have killed over a thousand people at this point. However, he had never experienced a world where every few steps was a pool of blood and broken limbs, where elite cavalry or infantry massacred tens of thousands of helpless citizens to thest, where countless lives could only quiver in powerlessness and fear under Chu¡¯s giant banner.

    Right here and now, life was as worthless as grass, fragile as sand, and so weak that a gust of wind was all it took to blow it all away. The violence and brutality of war had never been so clear.

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had lent some of the Nanjiang people a hand if they happened to run into an ongoing massacre, and they judged that it was within their power to help them.

    Having be desensitized on their way over, not even the city in ruins or theke of corpses could surprise them anymore.

    ¡°The Nanjiang Royal Court actually has another name. It is called the City Above Water because it was built atop ake.¡±

    Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°Have you heard of the name Yao Xiaoyu, Joyless?¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Yao Xiaoyu? Of course I have.¡±

    Yao Xiaoyu was a <em>fengshui </em>legend back in the You Dynasty. A master of <em>fengshui</em>, he had built many imperial tombs and cities. The construction of capital city of You, imperial tombs and other structures was overseen by him as well. All of the cities and tombs he built were naturallypatible with the world and <em>fengshui</em>, which was why they couldst for hundreds of generations without fail. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    This was especially true for the imperial tomb of You, which was concealed from the world and boasted enigmatic powers despite definitely existing. The fact that it remained undiscovered to this day even though it had been many years since the You Dynasty was wiped out was a testament to Yao Xiaoyu¡¯s ability.

    Not only that, Yao Xiaoyu left behind many legendary works such as the <em>fengshui </em>series¡ª¡°Feng¡±, ¡°Shui¡±, ¡°Mountain¡±, ¡°Thirty Six Word Yin and Yang Secret Spell¡± and more¡ªand the construction series¡ª¡°Wood¡±, ¡°Tomb¡±, ¡°Records of Heavenly Work¡± etc. The impact his works left in the field of <em>fengshui </em>and the construction of cities and tombs were such that he was heralded as the Master of Fengshui and the Father of Construction. His name was one that would be remembered forever.

    ¡°Yao Xiaoyu was the one who supervised the construction of the Nanjiang Royal Court.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Legend has it that Meng Chang and Yao Xiaoyu were good friends. After Meng Chang became the King of Nanjiang, he desired to build a mysterious, powerful city as his royal pce. It was both because Meng Chang was a man who indulged fondly in the pleasures, and because it served as a useful deterrent against the hundred tribes.¡±

    ¡°After all, therge majority of the tribes of Nanjiang lived like uncivilized, uncultured barbarians in the deep mountains, and owning a mysterious city would make it seem like he was chosen to rule by the heavens themselves and improve his authority and control over the hundred tribes.¡±

    ¡°After Yao Xiaoyu observed the <em>fengshui </em>of Nanjiang, with the aid of a hundred thousand workers and the power of <em>fengshui</em>, he constructed the City Above Water on the Moon God Lake in just three years.¡±

    ¡°The Moon God Lake is no ordinaryke either. On the more mundane side, its water is drinkable, and it functions as a moat that protects the city fromnd invaders. On the more supernatural side, the Moon God Lake would automatically shift to other locations throughout the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang every full moon. Of course, the capital city moved with it as well.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, the location of the Nanjiang Royal Court is undetermined and everchanging. Outsiders cannot predict where it would appear next. This was why the Nanjiang Royal Court remained standing for centuries even though it was in decline for almost as long.¡±

    ¡°Yao Xiaoyu¡¯s ability is truly godlike,¡±plimented Ye Qing before sighing. ¡°Unfortunately, even the most powerful city in the world is like a porcin pot before absolute strength. One good hit is all it takes to shatter it.¡±

    ¡°Such is the true nature of the world.¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled and changed the subject. ¡°Come. Let us enter.¡±

    Just like most cities, the Nanjiang Royal Court had four sides and four city gates. Each gate boasted a massive road that functioned like a drawbridge: when the road was lowered, the people could use it to enter or leave the city. When it was withdrawn, it could seal off the citypletely and prevent all outsiders from entering.

    Right now, three of the four roads were withdrawn. The only road that was connected to the shore was heavily guarded by Chu forces.

    The Chu army wasn¡¯t stupid. This arrangement was in case the tribes decided tounch a counterattack and retake the Nanjiang Royal Court. Unfortunately, it waspletely useless against Feng Qingyou or Ye Qing because they had never nned on crossing the road into the city in the first ce. They were nning to cross the moat directly.

    Normally, this would have been an extremely difficult feat. The Nanjiang Royal Court¡¯s city-protecting restriction was directly connected to the Moon God Lake. When the great restriction was active, it was outright impossible to enter the Nanjiang Royal Court via any means besides the road. It was because theke water of the Moon God Lake was simr to the ancient Weak Water where everything that came into contact would sink to the bottom, and flying over it was a difficult feat for anyone save for a Sage. Not only that, those who fell into the water would melt into a puddle of gore in just a short time.

    That was no longer the case though. It was clear that the battle between the Chu army and the Nanjiang Royal Court had dealt great damage to the city-protecting restriction, unwittingly saving them a lot of trouble.

    On top of that, Feng Qingyou was an expert in illusion. She could conceal their tracks and hide them from another person¡¯s perception almost perfectly. As a result, they were able to infiltrate the Nanjiang Royal Court with ease.

    The first thing they saw upon entering the Nanjiang Royal Court was rubble and burned houses. There were groups of shabbily-dressed, helpless-looking, fear-stricken civilians cleaning up the surrounding rubble and corpses while the Chu soldiers oversaw them. Even more Chu soldiers were patrolling the capital city with their weapons at the ready.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 999: Sky Mending Spring

    <h4>Chapter 999: Sky Mending Spring </h4>

    The Nanjiang Royal Court was split into the inner city and outer city. The outer city was where the ordinary citizens lived, whereas the inner city was where the royal family and important officials lived. The Sky Mending Spring was located inside the Sky Mending Pce, so of course it was inside the inner city.

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou wasted no time. They ran straight for the inner city after entering the Nanjiang Royal Court.

    The closer they got to the inner city, the greater the number of patrols, and the better the condition of the buildings. But although there were a lot of guards inside the inner city, most of them were not on high alert. In fact, they were less alert than the soldiers watching the outer city. It was why Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou made it to the royal pce without any issue.

    Before they embarked on their journey, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou had carefully studied a map of the Nanjiang Royal Court provded by Fei Xue herself. Therefore, they were familiar with theyout of the area like the back of their hand. It wasn¡¯t long before they arrived at the Sky Mending Pce.

    The Sky Mending Pce was located on the right side of the main pce, the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce. It was also second only to the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce in terms of shape and size. Together with the Treasure Hoarding Pce to the left, they were known as the Three Pces of Nanjiang. It showed just how much the Nanjiang Royal Court valued the Sky Mending Spring.

    Before the fall of the Nanjiang Royal Court, the entire Sky Mending Pce was a heavily guarded forbidden zone. No one was allowed to enter without the express permission of the King of Nanjiang.

    Even now after the Nanjiang Royal Court had fallen, the Sky Mending Pce was still heavily guarded. It was just that the troops now carried the g of Chu. It showed just how valuable the Sky Mending Spring was.

    Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou did not hurry into the pce. Instead, they hid at the perimeter and observed the guards for a very long time. Once they had figured out when the relief reced the current batch of guards, they waited until midnight before exploiting the loophole to slip into the Sky Mending Pce. No one noticed a thing.

    ¡°Is this the Sky Mending Spring?¡±

    Inside the Sky Mending Pce, Ye Qing murmured while staring at a small pond that was only ten meters wide in radius.

    The small pond was built usingpiszuli and adorned with pearls and jadeite, exquisite and luxurious. At the center of the pond was the mouth of the spring.

    Strangely, the spring water was golden purple in color when it initially appeared. It gradually turned crystal clear as it spread to the surroundings.

    @@novelbin@@

    At the bottom of the pond was a pair of palm-sized fishes. One of them was gold, and the other purple. They were swimming around happily and without a care for the world.

    The fishes were shaped like koi. Their bodies looked as wless as ss, and they had long whiskers like a dragon. They looked both elegant and mysterious.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This is the Sky Mending Spring.¡± Feng Qingyou.

    ¡°Alright. Bon appetite!¡± Ye Qing said and produced a cup. He tried to scoop up some spring water, but to his surprise, his hand passed through the spring water directly. To be urate, he found himself unable to touch the spring water at all.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ye Qing tried a couple more times to no avail. The Sky Mending Spring was right in front of him, and yet he just couldn¡¯t touch it no matter what. It was almost as if they existed in a different spacetime. He could see it, but he could never touch it.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    His demonic thoughts told him that no restriction or array had been set up around the pond. He could not sense any anomalous energy either. And yet, he just couldn¡¯t touch it. It was unusual to say the least.

    ¡°The Sky Mending Spring is a natural treasure. Naturally, it is magical in its own way. At this rate, you¡¯ll never be able to obtain the Sky Mending Spring,¡± Feng Qingyou remarked smilingly while Ye Qing was still trying to scoop the water.

    ¡°You knew? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask, did you?¡± replied Feng Qingyou with mirth in her eyes.

    ¡°Fine, it¡¯s my mistake.¡± Ye Qing shrugged. ¡°So, Miss Feng, how can I obtain the Sky Mending Spring?¡±

    ¡°The Sky Mending Spring is a magical treasure. On most days, it looks like it is right in front of you, but it really exists in apletely different space. You can see it, but you cannot touch it. Not even a Sage can ignore this peculiarity and take it by force.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°The only time you can take the Sky Mending Spring is when moonlight touches its waters during the night of a full moon.¡±

    ¡°The night of a full moon? No wonder you wanted to wait until the night to slip in,¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    Then, another question urred to Ye Qing. ¡°We¡¯re inside the pce though. How could moonlight reach the spring?¡±

    ¡°Who said that moonlight cannot shine inside a building?¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°Look. There¡¯s the moonlight you¡¯re looking for.¡±

    As if on cue, the ceiling of the pce slowly lit up and formed a crescent shape.

    ¡°I see! The Moonlight Stone!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization when he saw the crescent moon.

    The Moonlight Stone was a natural stone that was impervious to the elements and loathed by evil. Only moonlight could prate its substance, hence the name.

    When the Moonlight Stones on the ceiling were fully lit, a beam of moonlightnded squarely on the Sky Mending Spring and seemingly covered it in a sheen of silvery light. The mixture of silver and purple was quite fantastical.

    Even better, Ye Qing could feel the Sky Mending Spring slowly bing real to his senses. At the same time, a clear ringing and a refreshing scent came from the pond.

    Just smelling the spring water was enough to soothe Ye Qing¡¯s mind. He could feel his mental injuries healing a little as well.

    ¡°The Sky Mending Spring deserves its fame,¡±plimented Ye Qing. ¡°So, I can take it now, right?¡±

    Never say that Ye Qing didn¡¯t learn from his mistakes. Especially ones that ended in his embarrassment.

    ¡°Yes, you can.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded. But right before Ye Qing could procure the Sky Mending Spring, she added, ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t drink the spring water. Instead, you should capture the fishes.¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. <i>I thought we were here to procure the Sky Mending </i>Spring, <i>not Fish!</i>

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. The two fishes are the real Sky Mending Spring, not the spring water,¡± Feng Qingyou exined smilingly. ¡°In fact, drinking the spring water would immediately erode your insides and annihte your soul.¡±

    ¡°Also, you must consume both fishes at the same time when consuming the Sky Mending Spring. If you consume them one by one, then your soul will be annihted as well.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªWHAT?¡± Ye Qing could not help but raise his voice while swearing like a sailor on the inside. <i>Sky Mending Spring? More like Sky Scamming Spring!</i>

    Ye Qing scratched his nose as he asked wryly, ¡°Let me guess, these fishes are not as easy to catch as it looks like, am I right?¡±

    ¡°But of course. For starters, you cannot catch them with your bare hands. The second you touch the spring water, the fishes would sense your touch and disappear into nothing. If that happens, you will have to wait until next month to obtain it.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°The only way to capture them is to use something that is neither Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. In short, only an item not of the Five Phases can capture them.¡±

    ¡°On top of that, you need to capture both fishes at the same time. If you capture them one by one, the other fish would disappear out of fright as well.¡±

    ¡°Heavens, this is troublesome.¡± Ye Qing rubbed his nose. ¡°Well, what other gimmick is there? Just tell me all at once.¡±

    ¡°This is all,¡± answered Feng Qingyou with a smile.

    ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qing asked suspiciously.

    ¡°Really.¡± Feng Qingyou continued to smile.

    ¡°This information should be top secret even in the Nanjiang Royal Court. How do you know them so well?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. It was almost scary how well Feng Qingoyu knew about the taboos and process to obtain the Sky Mending Spring.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it in the future,¡± Feng Qingyou said. ¡°We¡¯re running out of time. If you don¡¯t act now, you won¡¯t get another chance.¡±

    Ye Qing stopped hesitating. He transformed the Profound Yellow Mother Qi into a palm and grabbed the two fishes.

 Chapter 1000: Like A Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 1000: Like A Dragon </h4>

    There were few things in the world that were not of the Five Phases. To an ordinary person, this would¡¯ve presented a problem. However, it was the opposite for Ye Qing since his Profound Yellow Mother Qi was not of the Five Phases. It took him no effort to capture the two fishes at all.

    The instant the fishes left the water, the water in the pond including the mouth of the spring immediately began drying up and disappearing at a visible rate.

    Before Ye Qing could react, Feng Qingyou said in a hurry, ¡°Swallow the two fishes now.¡±

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. He opened his mouth and swallowed both fishes at the same time. As soon as they entered his mouth, the gold fish swam down into his stomach, and the purple fish up into his headspace.

    The next moment, Ye Qing felt like he was basking in the spring wind. His body felt soothed, and his mind felt easy in a way he hadn¡¯t felt since he was injured. His mental injuries were disappearing at an extraordinary rate as well.

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    Ye Qing could not help but let out a sigh of relief. He had a feeling that his mental injuries would recover in a couple of hours at most. Not only that, he was certain that his cultivation would increase by leaps and bounds.

    ¡°I leave what happens next to you, Joyless.¡±

    Ye Qing was still brimming with excitement when Feng Qingyou¡¯s light voice entered his ears. ¡°Remember, hold on for as long as possible.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Qing turned around, but to his surprise, Feng Qingyou was gone.

    @@novelbin@@

    ¡°Where did she go?¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows a little. At the same time, a bad feeling began welling inside his heart.

    ¡°Who dares to steal the Sky Mending Spring?¡±

    Before his voice even faded, a loud boom suddenly stole his attention. The entrance to the Sky Mending Pce had been sted open violently.

    The next moment, countless soldiers flooded into the room and charged toward Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing nched and threw a punch at the iing soldiers. The thunderous strike instantly bowled over the squad of soldiers, killing or injuring them.

    Having dealt with the soldiers, Ye Qing then rammed the wall next to him¡ªit was like it was made of paper¡ªand broke out of the pce.

    ¡°Loose!¡±

    The instant he escaped into the open, arrows rained at him from every direction. In the air, Ye Qing swung and pped his sleeve like he was dividing a river in half. He sent the skyful of arrows back where they came from.

    To the soldiers¡¯ credit, they were all veterans of war. As soon as the row of archers had shot their arrows, the infantry at the back immediately stepped forward and raised a shield wall. However, they underestimated just how potent Ye Qing¡¯s simple-looking retaliation was. He had injected his force into all of the arrows and made them dozens of times stronger than before.

    The shields forged from refined steel immediately broke into many pieces like rotten wood. The arrow rain prated hundreds of soldiers in an instant and dealt massive damage to the troops.

    ¡°Drake Subjugation Formation, rise!¡±

    However, even more soldiers reced their fallenrades in a swift but orderly manner. They all unsheathed their sabers in unison and dragged the de across the ground.

    At that moment, the sabers¡¯ light shone even brighter than the moon and colder than the stars. A white drake brimming with killing intent appeared above the soldiers¡¯ heads.

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    The next moment, the soldiers all performed an uppercut. The white drake in the air also let out a roar and charged straight toward Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing¡¯s response to the attack was to punch downward. The descending white drake exploded into smithereen long before it reached him.

    ¡°Tiger Roar Formation, kill!¡±

    Despite Ye Qing crushing their powerful attack in one punch, the soldiers remained perfectly calm and disciplined. This time, they raised their sabers high above their heads before performing a downward cut at the same time.

    The sabers¡¯ light illuminated the sky like moonlight. A white tiger carrying a long saber in its mouth could be seen running with the wind.

    A white tiger symbolizes violence, and a long saber symbolizes murder. Tobine the two was to resolve oneself to reap so many lives that the body count numbered over millions, and the blood ran for thousands and thousands of kilometers.

    Every time the white tiger took a step, a saber would ring in the air. It left behind many de marks that sundered heaven and earth.

    Ye Qing looked stern. If before the white drake was as strong as a Trueman¡¯s strike, then this white tiger with a saber in its mouth was as equal to a Great Trueman.

    Not daring to treat it lightly, Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and ran toward the white tiger, his fist dragging next to his waist.

    His footsteps felt like gong strikes. Every time he took a step, the ground would shake, and the air would reverberate once.

    His fist felt as heavy as mountains. Every time he traversed three meters of space, his back would bend a little more.

    The white tiger roared, its overwhelming saber qi seemingly capable of ending immortality and plunging the world into destion.

    A man ran, his footsteps shaking heaven and earth like a mallet, and his fist so heavy it was as if he was nning to knock on the door that was the world itself.

    When the duo were ten meters away from each other, the white tiger opened its mouth and swallowed the saber. Then, it pounced toward Ye Qing. Its roars resounded throughout the eight directions, and its saber split even profound yellow in half.

    Ye Qing raised his fist like he was lifting a mountain. Then, he punched upward.

    It was a punch that could give the sky a new face.

    <i>Boooooooooooom!</i>

    The punch shattered the white tiger and dispelled the overflowing saber intent. However, Ye Qing himself was sent flying into a pce, the saber intent surrounding slicing and dicing the building into fine powder.

    The building was still in the middle of copsing when a silhouette emerged and charged toward the military formation.

    ¡°ck Tortoise Formation, defend!¡±

    The soldiers¡¯ reactions were swift and immediate. The second Ye Qing dashed out of the rubble, they immediately crossed their sabers in front of their chests and changed their formation once more. Their vigor immediately transformed into a tidal wave, and from the bottom of the tidal wave rose a gigantic tortoise as big as the sky itself. A profound snake sitting on its back, both snake and tortoise hissed and conjured yin and yang energy out of thin air. The two energies enveloped around them like a protective cocoon and caused Ye Qing to slow down like he was wading through a swamp when he was ten meters away from them.

    If the Drake Subjugation Formation and Tiger Roar Formation were offensive formations, then the ck Tortoise Formation was theplete opposite. It was a purely defensive military formation.

    Move like thunder, spread like fire, stand like a mountain, and guard like the sea. There was no doubt in Ye Qing¡¯s mind that the toon of soldiers in front of him were elites. Although their individual strength was weakerpared to the Nether End Army stationed at the Eastern Sea, their collective strength definitely rivaled theirrades after they formed an army formation. They were at least several times stronger than the Hengshan Army he had fought back in Tian Yong.

    Generally speaking, there were two ways to deal with a military formation. One, you avoided thempletely and did not engage them. Two, you disrupted their formation so that it could not unleash its full strength. Otherwise, one man could rarely fight thousands and thousands of people alone.

    This was why a military formation was so scary. The im that a hundred soldiers could kill a Spirit Master, a thousand soldiers could kill a Trueman, and ten thousand could challenge a Sage was never an empty boast.

    Sometimes, there was only so much one could do.

    That was why Ye Qing could not afford to be careless even considering how powerful he had be.

    Besides, he wasn¡¯t just dealing with these soldiers. He could feel many murderous eyes watching from the shadows and waiting for him to give them an opening tond a fatal blow. How could he afford to be careless like this?

    So, Ye Qing pushed forward. Inhaling and exhaling in one smooth motion, his profound yellow energy transformed into dragons that circled around his arms and turned his skin dark yellow. His eyes shone as if a sun or moon was behind them, and the earth beat rhythmically yet soundlessly beneath his feet.

    ¡°Fall! Over!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s fist turned into a palm. His wrist flipped, turned, and pushed at the military formation like he was trying to push over a mountain.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    The ground beneath Ye Qing¡¯s crumbled inch by inch from the exertion, but it worked. What was a well-formed military formation was bowled over, and the ck Tortoise in the sky was flipped upside down.

    While the military formation was in chaos, Ye Qing dashed toward the center like an unstoppable force, sending a dozen or so soldiers flying through the air. They were dead long before they hit the ground.

    At the same time, Ye Qing swung his arms around like he was swinging spears and smashing the many sabers falling in his direction to smithereens, and breaking the wielders¡¯ bones into bits.

    At the same time, Ye Qing stomped the ground and caused it to ripple and shake like autumn waves, causing the countless soldiers running toward Ye Qing to lose their footing and fall face on the ground. Some even threw up blood and took grievous injuries from it.

    Ye Qing fought like a tiger in a sheep¡¯s den. His arms, legs, and even shoulder were deadly weapons that injured at the slightest brush, and killed upon solid contact. The army of thousands instantly fell into disarray.

    Every soldier was a dragon if their military formation was well-formed. Otherwise, they were but worms before a champion.

    That was why hundreds of people were killed or injured in just the blink of an eye.

 Chapter 1001: Six-armed God Demon

    ¡°Four Symbols Brigade, withdraw!¡±

    It was at this moment an angrymand erupted from the sky, and the soldiers began withdrawing post haste. Before Ye Qing could press his advantage, nine people descended from the sky and surrounded him.

    All nine people boasted powerful auras. They were also holding nine iron chains that intersected in the air to form a sealing cage.

    Ye Qing was at the center of it.

    The next moment, the sealing cage rapidly shrank in size until Ye Qing was bound.

    ¡°The Demon Sealing Chains¡­¡±

    Ye Qing sneered. Forged using all kinds of natural treasures, the Demon Sealing Chain was a Strange Artifact specifically made to deal with <em>wulin </em>elites. It could restrict space and bind a target, and those bound by the Demon Sealing Chain would be unable to use their true qi or spirit. It was incredibly potent.

    The cage formed by the Demon Sealing Chains were still shrinking after Ye Qing was bound. His attackers seemed to be nning to crush him where he stood.

    ¡°Begone with you!¡±Ye Qing lowered his shoulders slight and gathered his qi at his <em>dantian</em>. As he let out a shout that sounded like a thunderp, he exerted both shoulders and exploded the Demon Sealing Chains to smithereen. The shrapnels shot out like arrows and prated the nine men wielding the Demon Sealing Chains before they could react, killing them or severely injuring them. They all copsed.

    The instant Ye Qing broke free from the Demon Sealing Chains, he immediately leaped into the sky and ran toward the edge of the city. He was about halfway up when he suddenly sensed something and turned around. He threw a punch.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The sky split open, and a spear emerged from the void and shed against Ye Qing¡¯s fist.

    The spear was wless red from head to toe as if it was forged from fire itself. In fact, it was shrouded by zing mes right now. The entire sky grew as bright as daytime as soon as it appeared.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    The spear wielder let out an angry shout, and the fire on the spear immediately grew much stronger. A crimson, ming lion appeared out of nowhere and swallowed Ye Qing in one gulp.

    ¡°Roar!¡±

    The crimson lion let out a deafening roar after swallowing Ye Qing. It looked mighty impressive.

    ¡°Martial might!¡±

    ¡°Martial might!¡±

    ¡°Martial might!¡±

    The soldiers on the ground immediately erupted into cheers when they saw this. They thought they had won, and their voices shook the clouds themselves.

    It was at this moment the magnificent lion suddenly exploded into pieces, scattering crimson mes everywhere like gigantic fireworks.

    At the center of the crimson mes stood Ye Qing. Completely unharmed, he was gripping the crimson spear that was struggling futilely to break free from his grasp.

    ¡°You can have it back.¡±

    The spear surrounded Ye Qing in its mes and attempted to burn him into a crisp, but Ye Qing couldn¡¯t even seem to feel the heat. He simply nced at a certain direction, grinned, and tossed the spear straight at the point he was looking at.

    It was as if a hole was ripped in the sky itself before a man wearing bright armor and standing on a rooftop was skewered. The house he was standing on instantlybusted into ash.

    The spear still carried much momentum even after it prated the man. It shot forward like a red light and turned all buildings in its wake into ash. Finally, it sankpletely into the earth.

    It was only after the fact that the rumbles came.

    ¡°Fei¡¯er!!!¡±

    It was at this moment a sorrowful, angry roar broke out. The wind howled like a million demons as ck clouds covered the sky in an instant.

    A Trueman¡¯s rage was reflected by its surroundings.

    ¡°You dare kill my son?! I will rip you into a million pieces!¡±

    The ck clouds and howling gale suddenly burned up and turned crimson in an instant, all of them. At the same time, a giant so big he rivaled a mountain burst into existence.

    The giant had three faces and six arms. His body was covered in mes, and he carried dragons and serpents on his shoulders. The second the strange giant appeared, crimson mes swept the ground, and countless buildings disintegrated into ash without a sound. The soldiers who were unfortunate enough to stand too close to the giant disintegrated into ash as well.

    Strangely, the dead soldiers spasmed for a bit before climbing back to their feet. No, they hadn¡¯te back to life. They were simply controlled by the mes. Their skeletons were still intact even though the fire had burned their flesh and blood into ash. A pair of mes were burning inside their eye sockets as well. The legion of ming skeletons looked quite fearsome to say the least.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    The next moment, the six-armed god demon ripped out a portion of the ming clouds and howling wind and transformed them into three spears. He grabbed the three spears with his six hands; every two hands wielding a spear. The six-armed god demon then thrust a spear at Ye Qing.

    There were at least a hundred meters of distance between the duo, and yet the spear had suddenly appeared right in front of Ye Qing. They could not be dodged.

    That was fine though. If the spear thrust could not be dodged, then he wouldn¡¯t. Ye Qing raised his arm and threw out a punch.

    Ye Qing was as small as an antpared to the six-armed god demon and his spear, but the thing that crumbled when contact was made was the spear, not him.

    As soon as the spear crumbled, red hot clouds immediately engulfed Ye Qing. And yet, not a hair on Ye Qing¡¯s person was harmed because he was protected by a sheen of dark yellow light.

    Seeing that the spear strike was useless, the six-armed god demon turned his head. Now, instead of the angry face of a Vajrapani, the blue face of a fanged ghost was facing Ye Qing. At the same time, both the crimson mes of the six-armed god demon and his spears turned dark red in color. His aura was several times greater than before as well.

    The six-armed god demon thrust his spear again. This time, it felt like the sun was falling toward the earth, dyeing the sky dark red and threatening to burn everything into ash.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of you.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes remained unwavering despite the terrifying scene. The light surrounding his person shone much brighter until he looked like a living god himself. When he lifted an arm and made a grabbing motion, the light all flowed into his palm.

    The light in his hand and the earth in his heart, he threw out a punch as vast and heavy as the earth itself.

    This time, the dark red spear did not even make contact with Ye Qing¡¯s fist. Instead, it crumbled into nothing ten meters away from Ye Qing¡¯s fist as if it had crashed into an invisible patch of earth.

    The dark red mes rained from the sky like a downpour, turning anything and everything into ash. The ground itself had burst into a sea of me.

    The coteral damage was terrible. Hundreds of soldiers failed to dodge out of the way and burned to death in just the blink of an eye.@@novelbin@@

    Not only that, the sea of me was spreading faster than the speed at which the soldiers were withdrawing.

    ¡°Withdraw! Withdraw at full speed!¡±

    Some captains were shouting for the troops to move as quickly as they could, but it was useless. People were disintegrating into ash by the second. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the sea of me would soon spread throughout the entire inner city if it wasn¡¯t stopped soon.

    ¡°Master Taiyuan Haomands thunder and fire, gathering yin and yang to guard the city of thunder.¡±

    ¡°Guan Bo summons wind and fire to the court of the abyss, raising ghosts with every stroke of wind and lightning.¡±

    ¡°Piaozhu Taihua carries an imperial edict, ordering the public guests to move quickly.¡±

    ¡°The sun withdraws, the rain falls, and life is spawned in an instant, driving dragon and lightning out of the ck pool[1].¡±

    ¡­¡­

    It was at this moment the grand recital of spell incantation rang in everyone¡¯s ears. The recitation itself was nothing special, and yet it seemed to be imbued with the great ways of the world. Lightning shed, thunder roared, and ck clouds covered the sky in an instant.

    ¡°Imand you: rain!¡±

    The next moment, a downpour broke out. The dark red mes were impossible to extinguish and ignited everything, and yet the simple rain was able to extinguish it rapidly. Not only that, those suffering terrible burns were recovering at a visible rate as well.

    1. I have no idea if this trantion is correct or not, it¡¯s kinda like that abracadabra thing where it kinda makes sense but it also doesn¡¯t. ?

 Chapter 1002: Crimson Flame God Demon Scripture

    A Taoist suddenly appeared in front of the soldiers. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is the leftmander-in-chief so angry?¡±

    The white-haired Taoist looked to be in his sixties. He wore a ck robe and wielded a horsetail whisk. He was also wearing a jade mask and exuding an ephemeral, mysterious aura.

    An assistantmander hurriedly gave him a report, ¡°Advisor, someone snuck into the Sky Mending Pce and stole the Sky Mending Spring earlier. We discovered him and tried to apprehend him, but it turned out that we were no match for him. The thief killed General Chi Fei during the fight, which is why themander-in-chief flew into a rage.¡±

    The Taoist¡¯s moniker was Profound Spirit Taoist. He hailed from one of the thirty-six unorthodox sects, the Eight Views Sect. An expert in talismans and spells, he was as strong as he was knowledgeable. When he was young, he encountered Guo Ximian and became fast friends with him. After they became sworn brothers, he epted Guo Ximian¡¯s invitation and joined the Nanjiang Pacification Army as a military advisor. His role was to strategize and plot for Guo Ximian.

    Although Profound Spirit Taoist was a Taoist, he was an expert in military affairs, military tactics, army management, and civil management. There was nothing he didn¡¯t know, nothing he wasn¡¯t good at. One might even say that the reason the Nanjiang Pacification Army became so famous today, and the reason Guo Ximian was able to achieve what he achieved was majorly thanks to him.@@novelbin@@

    Such was his achievements that the Emperor of Chu himself invited Profound Spirit Taoist to his court and conferred him a golden medal and a purple ribbon[1]. Calling Profound Spirit Taoist a spirit of literature and a deity of war, he was certain that Nanjiang could never pose a threat to Chu so long as Profound Spirit Taoist was still around.

    That was why Profound Spirit Taoist was second only to the Martial Might Duke in the Nanjiang Pacification Army despite not being directly involved in most battles. He was deeply respected both inside and outside the army as well.

    In fact, Profound Spirit Taoist was the one who nned the strategy that crushed the Nanjiang Royal Court and the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses in a single day.

    ¡°Is the Sky Mending Spring still present?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist asked with increased urgency when he heard everything.¡°The pond holding the Sky Mending Spring has dried up. It has probably been stolen by the thief,¡± the assistantmander answered.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist was normally a calm person, but he could not help but let out an angry outburst when he heard this. He was emanating a terrible pressure as well.

    If this was any other asion, the theft of the Sky Mending Spring would not have angered him so. The problem was that he received a secret message from the Chu Emperor several days ago iming that Consort Yi was ill, and that the Sky Mending Spring was necessary to create a pill that would heal her. He hadmanded him to guard the Sky Mending Spring closely, and that someone would appear in a few days to retrieve the spring.

    This was why he had stationed so many soldiers around the Sky Mending Pce even though his first priority should be pacifying Nanjiang as swiftly as possible.

    Unfortunately, man ns, and the heavensugh. Despite everything he did to protect the Sky Mending Spring, he still failed in his duty. It took five whole years for the spring water of the Sky Mending Spring to turn into the two fishes and be edible. Now that it was gone, they would have to wait another five years for the Sky Mending Spring to replenish itself.

    He could only imagine how wrathful the Chu Emperor would be when he heard of this. Although he had sessfully conquered the Nanjiang Royal Court, the Chu Emperor was as unfathomable as he was emotional. Consort Yi was his favorite consort too. It was hard to say how he would react when he heard of this news; if he would choose to vent his anger on him and the Nanjiang Pacification Army.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the number of officials who coveted the Nanjiang Pacification Army¡¯s merits were a dime a dozen. They were absolutely going to kick the dog while it was down. He, the Martial Might Duke, and the Nanjiang Pacification Army would all be at a disadvantage if that happened.

    Therefore, the first thought that appeared in Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s mind was this: Did someone in the court find out about the emperor¡¯s secret message? Did they dispatch someone to steal the Sky Mending Spring on purpose to deal a blow to the Martial Might Duke and the Nanjiang Pacification Army?

    The more Profound Spirit Taoist thought about it, the more he thought it was the truth. After all, the timing was just too coincidental. The men dispatched by the Chu Emperor to retrieve the Sky Mending Spring would be arriving in a couple hours at most, and now a thief had appeared out of nowhere and stolen it? That was too much of a coincidence, wasn¡¯t it?

    In fact, a bolder assumption was slowly but surely growing in the Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s mind. He was wondering if the thief who stole the Sky Mending Spring¡­ was sent by the Chu Emperor himself.

    Now that the Nanjiang Royal Court was annihted, and Nanjiang would soon fall into Chu¡¯s hands, the threat that threatened the southern borders of Chu was no more. Naturally, there was no longer any need for the Nanjiang Pacification Army. There was an ancient saying that went something like this: If there were no more birds in the sky, then it was only natural to put away one''s bow no matter how good it was. If the cunning hares had all been hunted, then it was only natural to ughter the hound no matter how useful it was.

    It wasn¡¯t impossible that the Emperor of Chu was plotting to retake control of his army of three hundred thousand. It wasn¡¯t impossible that this was a show conducted by the Chu Emperor himself to suppress the Martial Might Duke and the Nanjiang Pacification Army¡¯s reputation and pave the way to that future.

    Of course, Profound Spirit Taoist snuffed out the thought as soon as it appeared in his mind.

    He didn¡¯t dare, and he couldn¡¯t. To even think about it was a sin and a crime.

    Besides, it was just a possibility. Although they had obtained the decisive victory, the war wasn¡¯t over yet. He did not think that the Chu Emperor would choose now of all times to undermine the army¡¯s morale¡ªand use such cheap tactics no less¡ªwhen there were far superior timing and methods.

    Therefore, it was far more likely that this was the act of some bastard from the imperial court.

    The temperature in Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s eyes cooled a little as he ordered in a cold voice, ¡°Assemble all the troops and guard every entrance. The thief must not escape no matter what.¡±

    Only by capturing the thief and prying the name of the mastermind out of his mouth could they defend themselves properly when the Chu Emperor came demanding for an answer.

    One way or another, the thief must be caught.

    ¡°As youmand.¡±

    The assistantmander left after receiving his order.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ is that all you got, Crimson me God Demon?¡±

    It was at this moment a loudugh stole Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s attention. He turned just in time to see Ye Qing crushing a dark red spear with his bare fists.

    The Crimson me God Demon he spoke of was of course the six-armed god demon he was fighting, a.k.a the leftmander-in-chief of the Nanjiang Pacification Army.

    The Nanjiang Pacification Army boasted an army of three hundred thousand. The Martial Might Duke Guo Ximian was theirmander-in-chief, and he was supported by a leftmander-in-chief and a rightmander-in-chief. Eachmander-in-chiefmanded one hundred thousand troops.

    The man Ye Qing was currently fighting was the leftmander-in-chief of the Nanjiang Pacification Army, Chi Tian. He was ate-stage Trueman a.k.a a Great Trueman, and he practiced a cultivation art named the ¡°Crimson me God Demon Scripture¡±. He could transform into a demon god of crimson mes with three faces and six arms, and it boasted the power to burn mountains and boil a sea. That was why people called him the ¡°Crimson me God Demon¡±.

    Before Ye Qing came to Nanjiang, he had taken the time to study every higher-up and noteworthy elite in the Nanjiang Pacification Army. Naturally, he recognized Chi Tian.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s taunt caused the six-armed god demon to fly into a greater rage. His head slowly spun, and the blue-faced fang ghost was reced by the Crimson me God Demon.

    The dark red mes of the six-armed god demon grew even darker. Now, it was dark as the night and perfectly wless.

    Unlike the fiery and explosive dark red mes from before, the ck mes were cold, yin, and absolutely dangerous.

    As the ck mes spread, it felt as if it was slowly devouring every ray of light in the world. The sun and moon were nowhere to be found, and the stars were conspicuously missing.

    ¡°Oh no. Leftmander-in-chief! We need him alive!¡± cried out Profound Spirit Taoist when he saw this.

    The ¡°Crimson me God Demon Scripture¡± Chi Tian practiced was split into three levels: crimson me, dark me, and ck me. When the practitioner had reached the level of crimson me, their god demon form would gain a face and a pair of arms named the Crimson me God Demon. When they had reached the level of dark me, their god demon form would gain another face and a pair of arms called the Dark me God Demon. Finally, when the practitioner had reached the level of ck me, they would gain a third face and pair of arms called the Nether me God Demon.

    At this level, the practitioner was considered to have reached the adept level of the ¡°Crimson me God Demon Scripture¡±.

    Therefore, every time the Crimson me God Demon changed his face and his me, he would be twice as strong as before. When he transformed into the Nether me God Demon, he was at his peak and could scorch hundreds and hundreds of kilometers ofnd into a lightless wastnd with his ck mes.

    It was clear that Chi Tian had lost his cool. He wanted the thief to die now.

    However, the thief couldn¡¯t die yet. Only by prying the name of the mastermind from the thief¡¯s mouth could they give the Chu Emperor a proper exnation and save the Martial Might Duke and the Nanjiang Pacification Army.

    Unfortunately, he was toote. Profound Spirit Taoist had just finished yelling when the Nether me God Demon thrust his spear forward. For a moment, ck mes flickered, the sky was pitch ck, and the world fellpletely silent. It wasn¡¯t until a few breathster that a series of deafening explosions erupted at the same time.

    The ck mes slowly receded amidst the explosion. When they werepletely gone, the space where Ye Qing existed a while ago had turned into a massive hole. All sorts of strange things were happening inside the hole, and it was as chaotic as it was lightless. It was as if the Nether me God Demon had literally punched a hole in this world and revealed the chaos beyond.

    Ye Qing was nowhere to be found.

    1. The old version of awarding someone a medal for their merits. ?

 Chapter 1003: True Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor Talisman

    <h4>Chapter 1003: True Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor Talisman </h4>

    ¡°I told you to keep him alive, leftmander-in-chief. Why did you go so far?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist said in an icy voice while ring at the six-armed god demon wreathed in ck mes.

    ¡°He killed my son. If I could kill him more than once, I would.¡±

    The six-armed god demon replied as he slowly shrank into a middle-aged man in his fifties. He was tall and muscr and wearing a set of crimson armor.

    The man was still covered in ck mes despite having returned to human. It made his cruel-looking face look even more brutal than it already was.

    ¡°Or are you saying that I, amander-in-chief, do not have the authority to kill even a petty thief?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t kill him. I¡¯m saying that now¡¯s not a good time!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist could not be bothered to argue with Chi Tian right now. He waved his hand and unleashed a stream of talismans that flew into the hole in space. Right before the hole disappeared, the talismans dragged a body out into the open.

    ¡°Thank goodness the body¡¯s still intact.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist let out a sigh of relief when he saw this.

    Both the living and the dead had their uses. Sure, the thief was more useful when he was alive, but he was also more pliable after he was dead. After all, the dead could neither speak nor defend themselves. Anything that wasn¡¯t a pile of ash or even the absence of ashes was eptable.

    Chi Tian¡¯s eyes burned with the mes of vengeance as soon as he saw the body. He reached out as if he was nning to scatter his ashes.

    ¡°Freeze!¡±

    It was at this moment a talisman flew out of Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s sleeve andnded on Chi Tian, freezing him in ce.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this, advisor?¡±

    Chi Tian turned to re at Profound Spirit Taoist.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad enough that the thief is dead. No harm muste to his body, or there will be trouble,¡± Profound Spirit Taoist replied.

    ¡°Bullshit! This bastard killed my son! I must y his skin, rip his flesh, crush his bones, and scatter his ashes so that my son in heaven may rest in peace!¡±

    Chi Tian roared, ¡°Let me go now, or don¡¯t me me for whates next!¡±

    The ck mes surrounding his body churned ominously, and the talisman began to show signs of burning.

    ¡°Calm down and listen to me first, leftmander-in-chief.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist tried to exin, ¡°This man¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, the talismans enveloping Ye Qing suddenly burst into mes and disintegrated into dust with a soft pop. Before they could react, the thief they thought was dead leaped into the air and guffawed, ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to be arguing among yourselves, you two! I¡¯m still alive!¡±

    Right now, Ye Qing¡¯s skin was dark yellow in color, and his eyes were shining like celestial bodies. His energies felt as thick and heavy as mountains and rivers, and as deep and dense as the earth, mysterious and noble.

    Ye Qing raised his hand and punched. He was dishing out Break Hammer with his Earthly Sovereign Body, so as soon as his fist emerged, sky broke, earth cracked, and Primal Chaos destroyed.

    The space surrounding the advisor and the leftmander-in-chief cracked into multiple pieces like a mirror. At the same time, it felt as if the Five Phases were crumbling, yin and yang were reversing, and the world itself was devolving into chaos.

    If all things devolved into Primal Chaos, then nothing would exist.

    It was not the end but the beginning, however. The next moment, Primal Chaos itself began disappearing and dying unto itself. Everything was returning to silence and nothingness.

    @@novelbin@@

    Profound Spirit Taoist and Chi Tian were the targets of the punch. Naturally, they too broke into many tiny fragments and disappeared into nothingness.

    Was it a breath or a thousand autumns? Eventually, the space of Primal Chaos finally disappeared, and the two men werepletely gone.

    For a moment, there was only dead silence. The soldiers¡¯ mouths were half-agape, and their faces frozen as they stared nkly at the young man. It was so silent that one could hear a pin dropping on the ground.

    In the soldiers¡¯ mind, their advisor and leftmander-in-chief were invincible and unstoppable. And yet, it looked like the thief had just punched both of them into oblivion, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.

    Was this possible?

    They couldn¡¯t believe it. They refused to believe it. And yet, when had reality ever cared for their beliefs or feelings?

    Contrary to the soldiers¡¯ reactions, Ye Qing was on full alert. It was because he knew that his enemies were still alive.

    His punch was powerful if he said so himself, but he also knew that he was only a Trueman. He wasn¡¯t arrogant enough to think that he had grown strong enough to kill two Great Truemen, both of them named warriors on the Earth Champions Ranking, in one punch.

    As expected, a talisman suddenly appeared in the air. It was yellow purple in color and surrounded by starlight, noble and mysterious. Then, a man stepped out of the yellow purple talisman.

    The man was wearing purple emperor robes and wearing a jade crown. The seemingly infinite purple qi he exuded morphed into countless stars that protected him from every direction. He was none other than the Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor.

    The Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor was one of the four imperials of the ancient Heavens. He was the Lord of Central Heaven in charge of the natural and unquestionable truth of heaven and earth, the sun, the moon and the stars.

    The moment the Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor appeared, it felt as if the stars in the sky were brighter than before. Then, starlight descended like waterfalls, and a terrifying pressure suffocated heaven and earth. All of creation trembled in its presence.

    The next moment, the Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor unleashed a palm strike at Ye Qing.

    It was just one strike, but Ye Qing felt as if the sky itself was falling on top of him.

    A human¡¯s palm was like the heart of heaven. One could identify the sun, moon and stars and divine the entire world through it, and the Ziwei Emperor was the man in charge of the natural and unquestionable truth of heaven and earth, the sun, the moon and the stars.

    The palm strike was so fast, so profound, that before Ye Qing knew it, the palm strike had alreadynded squarely on his chest. He felt as if he had been struck by the sun, the moon, and the stars. His dark yellow aura crumbled into nothing, and his chest caved inward. At the same time, he was sent flying through the air like a cannonball.

    He was still in the air when a wisp of crimson mes appeared out of nowhere and grew into an inferno with just the aid of a gust of wind. Amidst the raging inferno, a Tengshe rose from the mes and wrapped around Ye Qing like a hurricane, ruthlessly smashing him into the ground. The earth immediately burst into mes and melted rapidly like it was made of dry branches.

    In the sky, the Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor sped his hands and lowered them once more. When his hands touched the ground, a mysterious talisman with thirty six stars shining on it abruptly manifested into existence. The mingling starlight looked so beautiful it was like a dream.

    Strangely, as the talisman floated toward the ground, the burning mes started to disappear, and the molten ground began to solidify. When it finally touched the ground, the sparks werepletely gone, leaving behind only a scorched wastnd.

    Once done, the yellow purple talisman in the sky finally grew dim and lightless as if it had expended all of its power. The purple qi and starlight surrounding the semi-transparent Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor, the emperor robe, and the jade crown all disappeared as well, leaving Profound Spirit taoist behind.

    Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s jade mask was gone, revealing a haggard face and a white beard. He looked as if he had aged a decade in a moment.

    The Taoist didn¡¯t care about his condition, however. As soon as hended, he hurriedly grabbed the now ordinary-looking yellow purple talisman with a pained expression.

    The talisman was called the True Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor Talisman, and it was the ultimate talisman of the Eight Views Sect and his life¡¯s work. When activated, one could temporarily borrow the power of the Central Ziwei Emperor, one of the four imperials of the ancient Heavens, to fight against one¡¯s enemies.

    It was thanks to this talisman that he was able to block Ye Qing¡¯s punch at a critical moment. Without it, he would be lucky to get off with grievous injuries, if not perish outright.

    Of course, activating the talisman came at a cost. The Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor was one of the four ancient imperials, and no mortal could withstand the power of a true god for long. Borrowing the Ziwei Emperor¡¯s power would damage one¡¯s body to a certain degree and even destroy it if the user did not deactivate the talisman in time.

    Besides that, the True Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor Talisman was ultimately just a talisman. There was only so much power one could contain in the piece of paper, and it could only be used so many times before it crumbledpletely. Not only that, it had a tremendous cooldown period. It must be nurtured for a long, long time before it could be used again.

    This was why Profound Spirit Taoist looked like someone had dug out his heart.

 Chapter 1004: Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman

    <h4>Chapter 1004: Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman </h4>

    If even Profound Spirit Taoist was like this, Chi Tian couldn¡¯t fare much better as a matter of course.

    The Tengshe that struck Ye Qing with a powerful blow was howling and rolling on the ground non-stop as if in pain. As it rolled, its skin and scale slowly came off as if it was shedding.

    When the Tengshe hadpletely shedded its snake skin and scales, a naked man appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes.

    The man was tall, muscr, and looked incredibly simr to Chi Tian. However, he looked a dozen or so years younger, and his aura was much weaker.

    There was no doubt about it though. The younger man was none other than Chi Tian.

    Most people did not know this, but Profound Spirit Taoist knew that Chi Tian practiced a secret art called the ¡°Nine Deaths Tengshe Great Art¡±. As long as his mind wasn¡¯t in in an instant, he could transform into a Tengshe and be reborn to life at a critical moment.

    As its name implies, the ¡°Nine Deaths Tengshe Great Art¡± could activate nine times in total, meaning that Chi Tian had nine extra lives. It was an extremely potent life-saving art to say the least.

    Even better, every time the practitioner activated the ¡°Nine Deaths Tengshe Great Art¡±, they could shed their old ¡°skin¡± and be younger.

    Of course, the cultivation art wasn¡¯t without its ws. For one, the practitioner¡¯s strength and cultivation level would fall ordingly. Not only that, it became much more difficult for the practitioner to regain their former strength unless they encountered some sort of opportunity.

    This was why Chi Tian didn¡¯t look happy in the slightest despite bing younger by an entire decade.

    The next moment, Chi Tian opened his mouth and inhaled the shedded skin and scales into his stomach. His energies slowly grew stronger once more, but he ultimately failed to reach his original level. He was still a Great Trueman, but weaker than before.

    After he was done, Chi Tian glowered at Profound Spirit Taoist and snarled, ¡°You owe me an exnation, advisor.¡±

    If Profound Spirit Taoist hadn¡¯t trapped him with the talisman, he would have reacted to Ye Qing¡¯s punch in time. Otherwise, the punch would have hurt him a little, but it could never force him to use the ¡°Nine Deaths Tengshe Great Art¡±.

    ¡°This man¡¯s existence is tied to ourmander-in-chief and the Nanjiang Pacification Army¡¯s survival. That is why I did what I did.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist knew he had wronged the leftmander-in-chief and apologized sincerely, ¡°However, I admit that I acted in haste and caused you great harm. I promise I¡¯llpensate you properly when this matter is over.¡±

    By now, Chi Tian had finally calmed down. He asked solemnly, ¡°This man¡¯s existence is tied to ourmander-in-chief and the Nanjiang Pacification Army¡¯s survival? What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this. I suspect that this man stole the Sky Mending Spring under the orders of someone in the court¡ª¡±

    Before Profound Spirit Taoist could finish, the ground where Ye Qing was buried suddenly bulged as if someone was doing their best to push their way out. Strangely, the tough ground was stretching like a piece of soft fabric. It rose a few inches off the ground but did not shatter.

    At the same time, the silhouette of a talisman suddenly appeared above the bulge. The thirty six stars on the talisman shone brightly and borrowed strength from the countless rays of starlight in the sky. They suppressed Ye Qing and prevented him from escaping no matter how hard he struggled.

    ¡°What formidable strength!¡±

    @@novelbin@@

    Profound Spirit Taoist could not help but nch a little. The talisman he used to suppress Ye Qing was called the Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman. It wasn¡¯t a talisman of the Eight Views Talisman, however. It was something he picked up from an ancient abode where an Ancient-ss Stranger was sealed. The seal that kept the Ancient-ss Stranger suppressed was none other than the Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman.

    The Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman could borrow strength from the thirty six stars in the sky to suppress all gods and demons. It boasted extraordinary power to say the least.

    His version of the Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman could notpare to the original as a matter of course, but it was still quite potent. This especially doubly true since he had transformed into the Central Heaven Ziwei Emperor, master of the sun, moon and stars, before executing this talisman. As a result, its potency was even stronger than normal.

    Despite all this, it turned out that his subjugated foe still had the strength to resist. He did not even think this was possible. What a monster!

    Astonishment aside, Profound Spirit Taoist wasn¡¯t worried. On the contrary, he was feeling quite jubnt.

    The reason he wasn¡¯t worried was because he was confident in his Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman. The thief had fought against tens of thousands of Nanjiang Pacification Army, him and Chi Tian. As a result, he was seriously injured and fatigued. It was one thing if he was at full strength, but at his current state, there was no way the thief could break out of his talisman.

    As for why he was feeling jubnt, it was because his foe¡¯s formidable strength meant that he hailed from an extraordinary background. While the world was a big ce where everything was possible, the chances that this thief was a nameless nobody was low. It would not take too much effort to identify them and find the true mastermind.

    ¡°Do you recognize this man¡¯s martial arts,mander-in-chief? Better yet, do you know where he¡¯s from?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. First, his martial arts is a mixed bag. Second, he is a cultivator of both body and spirit. His physique is simr to the ¡®Profound Yellow Art of Heaven and Earth¡¯ practiced by the Earthly Sovereign Hall, but it¡¯s much stronger. On the other hand, the fist art he just used closely resembles the Dark Overlord Li Hentian¡¯s Three Origin Hammers. It is highly probable that he¡¯s rted to the Li Hentian Pce.¡±

    Chi Tian said icily, ¡°Whoever he is though, I¡¯m going to uproot his family and sect from the ground up once we figure out who he is. He must pay for what he did today.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It doesn¡¯t matter which bastard sent him. Anyone who dares to challenge the Nanjiang Pacification Army must pay the price.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s expression was cold as well. ¡°Also, I suspect that this thief did not steal the Sky Mending Spring alone. If that¡¯s true, then they must be hiding nearby. We will need to scour the entire Nanjiang Royal Court and root them out. They must not escape.¡±

    ¡°Leave this to me.¡±

    Chi Tian¡¯s eyes glittered with murder. ¡°I will find them and cut them into a million pieces even if I have to turn this whole ce upside down.¡±

    ¡°I leave it to you,mander-in-chief.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist knew Chi Tian voluntarily epted the mission not because he actually wanted to search for the thief¡¯s cohort, but because he wanted an outlet. He had no doubt that the blood would run like a river, and the corpses would litter the streets by the time Chi Tian was done.

    He didn¡¯t stop him though. In fact, this was the n. Not only did Chi Tian lose his son, his cultivation level had dropped as well. Themander-in-chief must be burning with rage right now. If he did not give him an opportunity to vent it all, he would surely grow resentful of Profound Spirit Taoist in the future. It did not need to be said that amander-in-chief and a military advisor who weren¡¯t aligned with each other meant bad news for the army.

    And what was the best way for Chi Tian to vent his frustration? By killing his enemies, of course.

    Chi Tian was naturally bloody and cruel. He was also extremely erratic. He treated killing as an entertainment and hadmitted plenty of atrocities such as wiping out entire viges or encampments back in the day. In fact, Chi Tian had wanted to massacre every prisoner of war plus the entire popce after they conquered the Nanjiang Royal Court. He didn¡¯t only because Profound Spirit Taoist stopped him.

    Now though, it no longer mattered. He thought it was worth it sacrificing some lives he didn¡¯t care for in exchange for a harmonious working rtionship with his leftmander-in-chief. The popce of Nanjiang Royal Court were just the losers of war anyway. If they died, they died. He didn¡¯t really care that much.

    So, did he really think that Ye Qing had a cohort or two? Maybe, maybe not. He only needed Ye Qing. It would be nice to have more captives, but it really wouldn¡¯t affect the situation overly much. He really just said it just to give Chi Tian an excuse to vent his anger.

    ¡°No need to look for me. I am here.¡±

    Chi Tian turned to leave, but a bright, clear voice interrupted him. Profound Spirit Taoist and Chi Tian looked up to find a woman standing on the rooftop of the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce and looking down on them. She was dressed in ck and wearing a bronze mask, and the full moon was suspended high above her head. It made her look both mysterious and dangerous.

 Chapter 1005: Eight Divine Armors

    ¡°Not good!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist felt a sense of unease the second he saw the woman.

    At the same time, Chi Tian was dashing toward her.

    Halfway there, he was shrouded by crimson mes and looking quite terrifying.

    The woman did not attempt to dodge or avoid Chi Tian, however. Her eyes were perfectly calm.

    ¡°Die!¡±

    Chi Tian cracked a vicious grin thinking that the woman was just putting up a brave front. But right before he could reach her, a hint of scorn and coolness suddenly flickered in her eyes.

    It looked like she was looking at an ant.

    The next moment, rm and fear gripped Chi Tian. At the same time, Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s urgent voice reached him.¡°Watch out!¡±

    Chi Tian subconsciously looked behind himself and came face to face with a cold, metallic face.

    <em>That¡¯s not the face of a living person!</em>

    Chi Tian didn¡¯t know why, but the thought suddenly shed through his mind. At the same time, the fear swelled into terror and caused every hair on his body to stand on end.

    Why was he afraid? Because the face was just several inches away from him. More urately, the person was standing right behind him. He had no idea when they were there.

    rmed and furious, Chi Tian channeled a tidal wave of crimson mes from his person and engulfed his mysterious opponent.

    However, a hand reached out from the crimson mes and grabbed his shoulder before he could react.

    At that moment, an icy sensation spread throughout his body in an instant. His crimson mes extinguished just like that.

    Shocked, Chi Tian tried to break out of his mysterious person¡¯s grip to no avail. Be it in terms of strength or power, they were definitely stronger than him.

    Worse, the icy sensation continued to eat away at his body and caused him to stiffen up more and more. Instead of fire, water was dripping out of his pores.

    Meanwhile, Profound Spirit Taoist and everyone else was watching Chi Tian being suppressed by a strange person wearing dark armor and a golden mask. Streams of water surrounded their person, and their aura was terrifying.

    Chi Tian was as weak as an ant in the person¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Crimson me Army! Charge!¡±

    Seeing that their superior was trapped, Chi Tian¡¯s personal guards immediately rushed toward the mysterious person to save Chi Tian.

    However, they were only halfway there when another silhouette descended from the sky andnded in the middle of the Crimson me Army.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    The earth shattered, and lightning spread in every direction. For a moment, the night was as bright as daytime. Several hundred soldiers were engulfed by the devastating lightning and disintegrated into ash just like that.

    When the lightning disappeared, the silhouette finally revealed its true form. It was a person wearing purple armor and a gold mask. They were surrounded by lightning and overflowing with violent and destructive power.

    ¡°The Zhen Armor¡­ and the Kun Armor? Impossible. This cannot be possible!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s eyes were wide open with shock and disbelief as he stared at the two mysterious people.

    The Zhen Armor and Kun Armor he was talking about was none other than the ck-armored person and the purple-armored person in front of him.

    To be urate, they weren¡¯t people at all¡ªor at least, notpletely. They were puppets and Strange Artifacts created using humans as the core.

    There were eight such puppets in total. They were named the Eight Divine Armors.

    Long ago, after Meng Chang became the King of Nanjiang, he sought to bring Nanjiang fully under his control and pave the way for eternal peace. So, he assembled some of the greatest artisans and talisman artificers in the world and, using the corpses of Sages as the core and bolstering them with countless natural treasures, Magia, and secret arts, forged eight powerful puppets.

    The eight puppets were named after the Eight Trigrams, Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Gen, Xun and Dui. Each puppet boasted a power corresponding to their arrangement. They could control wind, thunder, water, fire, mountains, rivers, and the earth. That was why they were named the Eight Divine Armors.

    Every Divine Armor boasted the power of a Sage. Although they were inanimate, non-sentient objects and so could notpare to a true Sage as a matter of course, they were still godlike armor forged from the body of a Sage and bolstered by countless natural treasures. They could feel neither pain nor fear, and they were almost indestructible. They were quite powerful to say the least.

    It was said that each Divine Armor possessed the power to destroy an entire city and its army. If all eight Divine Armors were to enter the battlefield and form the Great Heaven and Earth Formation, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they could wipe an entire corner of the world out of existence.

    The Eight Divine Armors became the Nanjiang Royal Court¡¯s sacred objects and trump cards after their sessful creation. They had only been deployed several times throughout history. However, each and every deployment had saved the Nanjiang Royal Court from major crises.

    Without a doubt, the Eight Divine Armors were one of the main reasons the Nanjiang Royal Court was able to remain in power for over a thousand years.

    For obvious reasons, the Eight Divine Armors could only be activated by the royal family of the Nanjiang Royal Court, specifically the lineal descendants of Meng Chang. It was to ensure that the Nanjiang Royal Court would always be under the control of the Meng n.

    s, the Meng n grew increasingly weak as time passed, and the rebellion that took ce about a hundred years ago resulted in the annihtion of the Meng n. As a result, the method to activate and control the Eight Divine Armors were lost, and they became no more useful than decorations. They had been sealed at the bottom of the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce since.

    In fact, the reason Profound Spirit Taoist did not notice themotion at the beginning was because he was busy studying the Eight Divine Armors inside the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce. He was hoping to decipher their secrets and gain control over them.

    To be able to control the Eight Divine Armors was like obtaining eight Sages out of nowhere. It was a major boon no one could resist.

    Profound Spirit Taoist hailed from the Eight Views Sect. Not only was he a master of talismans and artifact forging, he was as powerful as he was knowledgeable. In his opinion, it shouldn¡¯t take him too long to unlock the secrets of the Eight Divine Armors.

    Of course, he realized how childish and delusional he was after he made contact with the Eight Divine Armors. Everything about them¡ªthe forging methods, the secret arts etc¡ªwas profound beyond his understanding. Despite skipping meals and sleep to study them for the past few days, he only managed to catch a glimpse of their profoundness. He was a long, long way away from being able to control them in any way.

    This was why he was so shocked. It couldn¡¯t have been more than a few hours since he left the ce, and someone had already activated and taken control of the Eight Divine Armors?

    Was all his time and effort a joke?

    Suddenly, a possibility shed through Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s mind.

    <em>Could she be a descendant of the Meng n?!</em>

    He finally realized that his earlier guesses might be all wrong.

    The thief who stole the Sky Mending Spring wasn¡¯t a Chu official plotting the downfall of the Martial Might Duke and the Nanjiang Pacification Army at all. He was overthinking this.@@novelbin@@

    At this point, it became clear that they were remnants of the Meng n. The theft of the Sky Mending Spring was just a distraction so that the woman could slip into the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce and activate the Eight Divine Armors.

    After all, he had been staying inside the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce this entire time, not to mention the ce was heavily guarded. It was difficult enough to slip inside, much less make contact with the Eight Divine Armors.

    In other words, his enemy¡¯s objective was the Eight Divine Armors from the start.

    Unfortunately, he found out about it toote.

    ¡­ Or maybe not?

    Only the Zhen Armor and Kun Armor had appeared, meaning that the other six Divine Armors were still deactivated. In that case, he still possessed enough manpower to suppress his enemies.

    Of course, the army guarding this ce was going to suffer massive damage to take out the Zhen Armor, Kun Armor, and the two Meng n remnants, but there was no other option.

    The Nanjiang Pacification Army boasted a Sage and countless elites as a matter of course, but right now their Sage was keeping the Sky Mending Sect at bay to prevent them from rescuing the Nanjiang Royal Court.

 Chapter 1006: The Divine Armors Breaks Down The Formations

    The Sky Mending Sect was one of the Nine Dark Ways and located in Nanjiang. They boasted countless elites and even a Sage. The Sky Mending Sect used to share a good rtionship with the Nanjiang Royal court¡ªspecifically the royal family of the Nanjiang Royal Court¡ªuntil the rebellion happened, and the Meng n was wiped out a hundred years ago. Since then, the Sky Mending Sect and the Nanjiang Royal Court grew increasingly hostile and distant with each other. Today, their ties werepletely cut.

    That said, the Sky Mending Sect and the Nanjiang Royal Court did share a long, storied history with each other. To overlook them was tomit folly. That was why the Nanjiang Pacification Army¡¯s Sage had departed for the Sky Mending Sect long before the war even began.

    As for the elites of the Nanjiang Pacification Army, most of them were currently hunting down the remnants and defeated troops of the Nanjiang Royal Court and the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses. Profound Spirit Taoist was entrusted with the task of guarding the Nanjiang Royal Court, mobilizing the troops and conducting the war, which was why there weren¡¯t many elites in the Nanjiang Royal Court. He and Chi Tian were literally the two strongest warriors in this ce.

    However, Chi Tian was currently captured by the enemy, and he himself was seriously injured. Therefore, the only way to capture the Meng n remnants and suppress the Zhen Armor and Kun Armor now was to throw numbers at them.

    There was no doubt that the garrison was going to suffer horrific losses. However, if they could capture the Meng n remnants and pry out the method to control the Eight Divine Armors from their mouths, then they would more than make up for their earlier mistakes.

    After all, the Eight Divine Armors were much more valuable than the Sky Mending Spring and some human lives.

    In fact, Profound Spirit Taoist believed that losing the entire garrison to his enemies was worth it so long as he could obtain the method to control the Eight Divine Armors.

    Having made up his mind, a steely look entered Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s eyes as hemanded, ¡°Demon Subjugation Army, form up!¡±

    ¡°Martial might!¡±As soon as Profound Spirit Taoist gave themand, a group of soldiers wearing heavy armor immediately formed up and roared in unison.

    ¡°Earth Trap Army, form up!¡±

    ¡°Martial might!¡±

    A group of soldiers wearing dark red armor stepped forward and formed up next.

    ¡°Flying Wings Army, form up!¡±

    ¡°Martial might!¡±

    ¡°Hunting Tiger Army, form up!¡±

    ¡°Martial might!¡±

    ¡°Demon Subjugation Army, sun and moon, y!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Earth Trap Army, two-winged snake slithers, trap!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Flying Wings Army, dragon flies in the sky, assist!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Hunting Tiger Army, tiger roar fills the mountain, support!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    The soldiers immediately moved into position as Profound Spirit Taoist barked out order after order.

    The Demon Subjugation Army split into two formations and surrounded the Zhen Armor. Like the sun and the moon, they attempted to press it from two different directions.

    The Earth Trap Army marched along a winding path like a dragon or a snake, uniform and well-organized. They reached the Kun Armor at an odd angle and trapped it before it could react.

    The Flying Wings Army was famed for their speed and so was responsible for assisting the two wings.

    The Hunting Tiger Army wielded heavy crossbows and provided ranged support from afar.

    Amazingly, the armies were able to pin down the Zhen Armor and Kun Armor. Although entire swathes of soldiers died every time the two Divine Armors unleashed an attack, it was still enough to keep them busy for a time.

    Profound Spirit Taoist knew that this was only temporary though. The two Divine Armors had just been activated and so had not fully awakened their powers yet. Once their powers had awakened, it would be so much harder for the soldiers to trap the two Divine Armors.

    That was fine though. A bit of time was all he asked for.

    During this time, he would capture the Meng n remnant. Everything would naturally be resolved once he captured her.

    He was confident he could do it. In his senses, the woman was just a Trueman.

    A thought passed through his head, and a person suddenly appeared behind the woman¡¯s back. He looked exactly the same as Profound Spirit Taoist.

    One Profound Spirit Taoist drew a square, and the other a circle.

    Square and circle make the world.

    The space where the woman was began splitting away from the surroundings. Like a prison, it trapped the woman and prevented her from escaping no matter how hard she struggled.

    Profound Spirit Taoist broke into a smile. He didn¡¯t think it would be so easy.

    The next moment, both Profound Spirit Taoists walked toward the woman. Both the spatial prison and the woman began shrinking rapidly.

    When the two Profound Spirit Taoists joined into one, the spatial prison had be the size of a small box. It flew into his hand.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    It was then Profound Spirit Taoist noticed something wrong. The woman inside his spatial prison gave him an eerie smile before disappearing into nothing.

    ¡°Shit! It¡¯s a trap!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist immediately realized his mistake. The woman inside his box was clearly a fake.

    The next moment, a terrifying aura erupted to his side. A cyan gale blew, and a cyan armor slowly stepped into view like the master of the winds.

    ¡°The Xun Armor?!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s eyes widened as realization struck him. The woman hadn¡¯t awakened just two Divine Armors. She had awakened three.

    The third Divine Armor was the Xun Armor before him. Xun was wind, which was why the Xun Armor possessed the ability to control wind. Just the same, it could use the wind to conceal itself. The reason the woman did not reveal the Xun Armor at the beginning was obviously because she knew that he would try to resolve the crisis at the source by capturing her. That was why she had hidden it for him as a ¡°gift¡±.

    Unfortunately, he found out toote. Frankly, everything that happened tonight had exceeded his predictions.

    The next moment, the sky of cyan gale engulfed himpletely.

    ¡­¡­

    Meanwhile, Feng Qingyou was standing at the spot sealed by the Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman.

    Ye Qing was still struggling to break free, but every time he made a little progress, the Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman would appear and push him back down.

    ¡°It¡¯s the talismanic art of the ancient Star Sect. That would exin its strength,¡± Feng Qingyou whispered after a moment of observation.

    Feng Qingyou wasn¡¯t alone. There were soldiers standing not far away from her. They charged her as soon as they saw her, but when they came within ten meters of her, they suddenly went insane and fought each other instead. It was quite anomalous.

    Feng Qingyou paid them no attention whatsoever. Her gaze was settling on the Thirty Six Star Enclosures Demon Suppressing Talisman this whole time.

    ¡°The ancient Star Sect turned the world around them as natural talismans, borrowed the power of the sun and moon, and created arrays based on the patterns of the stars.¡±

    Feng Qingyou continued to speak with clear eyes, ¡°The cement of these thirty six stars seems to reflect the positions of the Earthly Fiend Stars of the Southern Dipper. They borrowed the power of the Earthly Fiend Stars of the Southern Dipper and imbued it all within one talisman. How marvellous. How profound¡­¡±

    ¡°Can we save thepliments forter? Let me out already!¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing¡¯s urgent voice came from the underground.

    ¡°Oh, sorry. The talisman was so interesting that I forgot.¡±

    Chuckling, Feng Qingyou pressed her fingers together and shed at the Southern Dipper in the sky like it was a sword. A few breathster, the stars suddenly grew dim as if a nket was covering the sky. Then, Feng Qingyou tapped her fingers on the talisman several times in a row and caused the thirty six stars on its surface to flicker erratically. The talisman had been destabilized.

    ¡°Now, Joyless.¡±

    As soon as Feng Qingyou gave the order, a low growl erupted from the underground, and the earth within a hundred meters of Ye Qing began shaking soundlessly. Then, a strange vibrating noise grew more and more high-pitched until finally, the earth was ripped into pieces like it was made of paper, and the talisman winked out of existence.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Phew¡­ finally.¡±

    A masculine figure leaped out of the underground andnded next to Feng Qingyou.

 Chapter 1007: Her Goal

    <h4>Chapter 1007: Her Goal </h4>

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ye Qing answered weakly.

    Right now, Ye Qing¡¯s face was covered in dust, and his skin looked dim, wrinkly, and almost lifeless like the bark of a tree in autumn or winter. Not only were his qi, essence and spirit sitting at rock bottom, he was visibly wobbling on his feet. It would not be surprising if he fell unconscious at any moment.

    ¡°You look fine to me!¡± Feng Qingyou shot him a look before giving him a half-hearted answer.

    ¡°I almost died, and you say I look fine to you?¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at her. Her response couldn¡¯t get more half-hearted than this.

    Seriously though, Ye Qing was pretty sure that his injuries were worse than the time at Lu Tai Yuan. First, he had fought against several thousand elite Nanjiang Pacification troops. Then, he dueled against two Great Truemen, Chi Tian and Profound Spirit Taoist. Finally, he forced himself to use a full-powered Break Hammer and added salt to the injury that was his mind. Near the end, even his Earthly Sovereign body was at its limit.

    If Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t shown up in time, he would have perished one hundred percent.

    But of course, he knew he wasn¡¯t going to die. He knew that Feng Qingyou would appear to save him. That was why he dared to give it his all and fight with his life on the line.

    If he was alone, or if he believed that Feng Qingyou wouldn¡¯t return to save him, then he would not have fought the way he had. He would have fought using a hit-and-run strategy or activated his life-saving Strange Artifacts or talismans to escape the Nanjiang Royal Court.

    However, Feng Qingyou told him to hold on for as long as possible before she disappeared. Her meaning was clear. She wanted him to draw everyone¡¯s attention and buy time for her.

    That was why he stayed behind and fought like a madman. He knew that Feng Qingyou would appear and save him if he was in danger.

    This was the strength of the trust and mutual understanding they shared with each other.

    ¡°You¡¯re still alive, aren¡¯t you?¡± Feng Qingyou smirked.

    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. The Sky Mending Spring possesses the ability to reform one¡¯s innate constitution and restore one¡¯s mind, but if you were to consume it normally, then it would only be half as effective. Only when your mind and body are fully exhausted could you fully absorb the Sky Mending Spring and enjoy its full efficacy.¡±

    ¡°The Sky Mending Spring you consumed earlier is at least thirty years old. It is far too wasteful to consume it normally. Besides, you will be much stronger if you and absorb it in full.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you threw me out as bait?¡± Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Feng Qingyou again. He knew she was telling the truth. He could feel that he was absorbing the Sky Mending Spring several times faster than before. His body and mind were both recovering swiftly thanks to the effects of the Sky Mending Spring as well. He had a feeling that he would experience a massive leap in cultivation level when the absorption wasplete. He might even be a Great Grandmaster in one go.

    However, none of this changed the fact that Feng Qingyou had still tossed him out as bait.

    In fact, one might say that he had be her bait from the moment she suggested that hee to Nanjiang. From the beginning until the end, he was just a pawn for her to use.

    Logically speaking, Ye Qing should be angry, no, furious with her for using him like that. But in reality, he was annoyed at best.

    @@novelbin@@

    Sure, he had just fought a grueling battle, but he did obtain the Sky Mending Spring, and his life wasn¡¯t in danger. He didn¡¯t really lose anything from this venture either, so what was there to be angry about?

    Finally, this wasn¡¯t the first time Feng Qingyou had used him, and it wouldn¡¯t be thest. Long story short, he had gotten used to it.

    It was then Ye Qing noticed the puppets doing battle against Profound Spirit Taoist and the Nanjiang Pacification Army and asked curiously ¡°What are those three things? They¡¯re incredible.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re the Xun Armor, Kan Armor and Zhen Armor of the Eight Divine Armors,¡± answered Feng Qingyou.

    ¡°Eight Divine Armors? What Eight Divine Armors?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Feng Qingyou proceeded to summarize their background to Ye Qing.

    ¡°I had no idea that the Nanjiang Royal Court owned such trump cards,¡± Ye Qing eximed in astonishment before a question urred to him. ¡°If the method to activate and control the Eight Divine Armors were lost for over a century, then how on earth did you do it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly.

    Ye Qing did not press her and asked another question, ¡°If there are eight Divine Armors, why did you only activate three?¡±

    ¡°There was little time. I only managed to activate three in total,¡± replied Feng Qingyou.

    That made sense. Considering how powerful the puppets were, it wasn¡¯t surprising that they came with many limitations.

    ¡°Is this why you came to the Nanjiang Royal Court? To seize control of the Eight Divine Armors?¡±

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°No. My goal is the entire Nanjiang Royal Court?¡±

    ¡°By Nanjiang Royal Court, you mean... this entire city? All of it?¡±

    Ye Qing blinked. <i>Am I dreaming, or are you dreaming?</i>

    When he looked at Feng Qingyou for a moment longer and did not see any sign of her breaking and admitting that this was a joke, he eximed in disbelief, ¡°Are you serious? You really think we can upy this whole city with just the two of us?¡±

    ¡°I never said we¡¯re going to upy this city with just the two of us.¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled.

    ¡°Who else is there?¡± Ye Qing looked puzzled. ¡°You don¡¯t mean these three Divine Armors, do you? Even with their help, I do not think we can upy the Nanjiang Royal Court at all.¡±

    <i>Sick people should eat their medicine and get better, not living out oundish dreams that will definitely note true!</i>

    ¡°I¡¯m not referring to the three Divine Armors,¡± replied Feng Qingyou. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a moment. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s almost time for them to show up.¡±

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A sudden explosion interrupted their conversation, and a stream of talisman burst out of the cyclone of cyan gale. They immediatelybined back into Profound Spirit Taoist.

    The old man looked way worse than before, however. His hair was disheveled and loose, his clothes were rags, and he was bleeding everywhere like he had just survived being cut a thousand times. It was a sorry look to say the least.

    ¡°Demon Subjugation Army, vanish!¡±

    ¡°Earth Trap Army, march!¡±

    ¡°Flying Wings Army, disappear!¡±

    ¡°Hunting Tiger Army, hide!¡±

    There was no time to care for his injuries, however. Profound Spirit Taoist hurriedly barked out a series of orders, and the troops that had sustained heavy losses and were on the verge of routing due to ack of leadership immediately regained their spirit. They began covering for each other and retreating in a calm and orderly manner.

    Seeing that the four armies were retreating, Ye Qing hurriedly pulled Feng Qingyou into a secluded corner and whispered, ¡°Qingyou, now is the time to escape!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will be fine.¡±

    Feng Qingyou said calmly, ¡°If I was Profound Spirit Taoist, I would not choose now to resume the assault.¡±

    ¡°I sure hope so!¡± Ye Qing sighed. What else could he say? He could only stand by Feng Qingyou¡¯s side until the end!

    ¡°The Nanjiang Pacification Army protects the empire!¡±

    Meanwhile, Profound Spirit Taoist was pointing toward the sky and barking out amand. A gigantic red banner suddenly appeared in the sky, and it had white text on it. A strange, formidable-looking beast shaped like a tiger with two horns, three heads, and six eyes were hovering above the banner.

    It was the Nanjiang Pacification Army¡¯s g, and the strange beast sewn on it was called Pacify. It possessed the ability to move mountains and fill sea. This was why the g was called the Nanjiang Pacification g.

    Every soldier in the Nanjiang Royal Court was assembling beneath the g post haste. When the Nanjiang Pacification g rose, all troops answered its call. What this meant was that all Nanjiang Pacification Army soldiers must move toward the Nanjiang Pacification g and assemble at first notice.

    Of course, the three Divine Armors weren¡¯t idle during this time. After killing off the detachments covering the Nanjiang Pacification Army¡¯s retreat, they continued to attack the Demon Subjugation Army, Earth Trap Army, Flying Wings Army and Hunting Tiger Army.

 Chapter 1008: Immovable Fortress

    <h4>Chapter 1008: Immovable Fortress </h4>

    ¡°Immovable Fortress!¡±

    The Nanjiang Pacification g waved, and Demon Subjugation, Earth Trap, Flying Wings and Hunting Tiger began blending with one another. It looked chaotic from a distance, but there was an undeniable rhythm to it. As the four armies mingled, their vigor became one and formed what looked like an immovable fortress.

    At the center of the immovable fortress was Profound Spirit Taoist and the Nanjiang Pacification g.

    ¡°Guard!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist yelled, and the Nanjiang Pacification g waved again. Beams of light descended from the g and made the immovable fortress surrounding the Nanjiang Pacification Army look real.

    Not a moment too soon, the Xun Armor, Kan Armor and Zhen Armor reached the army and struck the fortress like gods.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    A storm cracked, and everything turned white. The next moment, terrifying shockwaves and deafening rumbles washed out in every direction.

    The immovable fortress remained unmoved, however. Not a single person was killed despite the terrible impact.

    Seeing that their initial attack had done nothing, the three Divine Armors unleashed another attack.

    The Xun Armor surrounded itself in cyan wind and summoned a storm.

    Water currents so thick they looked like living dragons flowed around the Kan Armor.

    The Zhen Armor wreathed itself in purple lightning as thick branches of thunder snaked across the sky.

    Each Divine Armor was on par with a Half-Sage, but theirbined power still couldn¡¯t breach the strange fortress the Nanjiang Pacification Army had created.

    Not only that, more soldiers were joining the army formation by the minute. Normally, the addition of troops would impede the cirction of the formation and disrupt its integrity at least a little, but that wasn¡¯t the case for this formation at all. Everything was running smoothly like a river epting a hundred streams into its waters.

    Not only that, the more troops joined the formation, and the bigger and more solid the fortress became.

    ¡°Is this the legendary Immovable Fortress Formation?¡± Ye Qing asked seriously.

    ¡°It is.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded.

    It was said that the Nanjiang Pacification Army boasted two ancient army formations. One of them was offensive, and the other defensive. The offensive formation was called the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation, and the defensive formation was called the Immovable Fortress Formation.

    It took at least ten thousand people to unleash the true power of a massive formation like this. Naturally, the greater the number of people, the higher the potency.

    Assuming that the army numbered over ten thousand, the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation was said to be capable of cutting through anything and everything. Even a Sage must move out of the way.

    On the other hand, the Immovable Fortress Formation was immovable and untouchable. Ten thousand people formed a city, and even a Sage would find it difficult to break through.

    The two formations were one of the main reasons the Nanjiang Pacification Army became throughout the south. In fact, all other army formations were derived from these two army formations.

    The shadow of the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation and the Immovable Fortress Formation were behind the famous battles of Dragon Flipping Mountain, Snake Hiding Shore, Fog Shrouded Forest, Eagle Beak Cliff and more.

    The most renowned battle of the Nanjiang Pacification Army was the Battle of Phoenix Mountain over a century ago. A total of ny thousand soldiers had formed the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation to annihte over a hundred thousand enemies and y Zen Master Moon Listener.

    Who was Zen Master Moon Listener? He was the Teacher[1] of the Nanjiang Royal Court and a famous Sage on the Heavenly Champions Ranking.

    And yet, such a man had experienced true death against the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation. That¡¯s right. Not even his soul managed to escape when the Nanjiang Pacification Army was done with him. That was how potent and terrifying the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation was.

    Inparison, the Immovable Fortress Formation was less renowned not because it was weak, but because the army rarely needed to use it.

    After all, Chu was strong, and the Nanjiang Royal Court was weak. Naturally, Chu attacked a lot more often than they defended and so rarely deployed the Immovable Fortress Formation.

    Of course, just because they rarely deployed it didn¡¯t mean that the Immovable Fortress Formation had never taken part in any major battle.

    For example, there was one time the Nanjiang armyunched a surprise attack against the Wu Ling Pass during a foggy day.

    At the time, Nanjiang hadunched a false assault against another territory and lured therge majority of their troops away from Wu Ling. As a result, Wu Ling only had twenty thousand troops left in their garrison. On the other hand, their attackers¡¯ numbers were five times bigger than theirs: a hundred thousand.

    Wu Ling was the main entrance into Chu at the south. It was the most important and strategic pass out of all of them. If Wu Ling was lost, the Nanjiang army would have a free pass straight to the heart of Jian Nan, and Chu would suffer a tremendous blow.

    Nanjiang had been eyeing Wu Ling since time immemorial, and finally they had the opportunity of a lifetime. Naturally, they weren¡¯t going to hold back. It was an all-out attack where all of their elites were entering the battlefield.

    Logically speaking, it should not be possible for the twenty thousand strong Nanjiang Pacification Army to hold out against one hundred thousand elites even though they held the geographical advantage.

    In reality, the defenders managed to hold out for over half a month before the main bulk of their army finally returned, and Nanjiang¡¯s decades-old n was ultimately foiled.

    Of course, the defender¡¯s advantage was one of the major reasons the defenders ultimately managed to hold out. The other major reason was the Immovable Fortress Formation.

    Thanks to the Immovable Fortress Formation, at the cost of just half their numbers, the twenty thousand defenders were able to withstand dozens of surprise attacks and the endless wave of frontal assaults until reinforcements arrived.

    That was how powerful the Immovable Fortress Formation was.

    That said, it wasn¡¯t as if the two army formations were without their ws.

    As mentioned earlier, it took at least ten thousand people to form the army formation.

    Both army formations also had their individual ws.

    The Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation boasted infinite flexibility, but that was only if the formation wasmanded by a considerably aplished military officer.

    The military officer must know both the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation and the characteristics of their army like the back of their palm. They must be able to see the bigger picture as well.

    Besides that, the army formation could only unleash its true potential in a wide and massive open area.

    Inparison, it was much easier to form the Immovable Fortress Formation. It wasn¡¯t asplex as the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation was. It didn¡¯t require an extraordinary military officer to deploy either. On top of that, it did not need a wide, massive open area to deploy. The army formation could be deployed even inplex terrains such as a city.

    This was why Profound Spirit Taoist chose to deploy the Immovable Fortress Formation instead of the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation.

    Of course, the Immovable Fortress Formation¡¯s w was that the army formation literally couldn¡¯t move from its spot. A mountain was tough because it was immovable. Likewise, a fortress that moves wasn¡¯t an ¡°immovable fortress¡± anymore.

    By doing this, Profound Spirit Taoist was announcing that he had given up on killing him or Feng Qingyou. He had chosen to protect himself and his remaining army.

    Once again, Feng Qingyou¡¯s prediction was right on the mark.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why Profound Spirit Taoist had made this choice.

    At the beginning, Profound Spirit Taoist fought a great battle against Ye Qing. Later, he was ambushed by the Xun Armor and suffered serious injuries. The only two champions guarding the Nanjiang Royal Court were him and Chi Tian, and Chi Tian was incapacitated right now.

    If he decided to continue with the offensive, he would have to pave the path to victory with the bodies of the ordinary troops. Sure, the garrison manning the Nanjiang Royal Court numbered thirty thousand, and they could probably defeat the three Divine Armors if they went all out. However, it would almost certainly cost him all of his troops.

    Chu had just scored a decisive victory against Nanjiang, and they were in the middle of pacifying the rest of the realm right now. This period was no less important than the conquest of the Nanjiang Royal Court. If they were to lose the Nanjiang Royal Court, the situation for Chu and the Nanjiang Pacification Army would not be as bright anymore. They would be gued by all sorts of troubles and disadvantages. The reward wasn¡¯t worth the risk.

    All things considered, defense was the best offense in this scenario.

    So long as he did not throw away his army willy-nilly, it was still possible to turn this around. This was what Profound Spirit Taoist was thinking right now.

    At first, he thought that his enemy only had activated two Divine Armors. The woman¡¯s cultivation level was just average as well. That was why he tried to capture her and suppress the Divine Armors at the same time.

    In reality, his enemy had activated three Divine Armors, meaning that he was up against not two, but three Sages. He himself was seriously injured after the surprise attack as well. Therefore, his earlier ns were no longer feasible.

    @@novelbin@@

    All things considered, the only thing he could do now was preserve his main force as best he could and snuff out any possibility of losing the Nanjiang Royal Court. Chu¡¯s century-old n took precedence over everything else.

    The Sky Mending Spring, the Eight Divine Armors and the two thieves mattered far less than the war of Nanjiang.

    They had every opportunity to take revenge against these bastards after Nanjiang was pacified.

    1. Kinda like a Prime Minister or something, but I can¡¯t really use that term because there is no real context for me to refer to. ?

 Chapter 1009: Malevolent Horn

    Time passed slowly, and the confidence on Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s face was slowly reced by gravity and puzzlement.

    It was because the three Divine Armors were still attacking the Immovable Fortress Formation with all they got, and the two thieves hadn¡¯t taken their leave either.

    Logically speaking, the thieves should have figured out his intentions by now. They should have epted the victory and escaped far, far away. After all, they would surely die if reinforcements arrived, and they were caught up in a pincer attack.

    The thieves weren¡¯t stupid. They surely understood the risks as well as he did. And yet, they didn¡¯t leave. This could only mean that they were plotting something else.

    <em>Is it the Eight Divine Armors?</em>

    The thought shed through Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s mind. If the thieves really were plotting something, then it could only be the remaining five Divine Armors.

    It was also why he had chosen to form the Immovable Fortress Formation around the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce earlier. It was precisely to prevent his enemy from awakening more Divine Armors. So long as the Immovable Fortress Formation remained standing, they would not be able to set even half a foot inside the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce.

    So, he wasn¡¯t worried that his enemy could awaken the other Divine Armors.

    ¡°Hmph. A man who doesn¡¯t know contentment is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. In the end, they are but mortals.¡±Profound Spirit Taoist couldn¡¯t help a cold chuckle when he thought until this point. He really hoped that his enemies were as stupid as he thought. If they really chose to stay until the rest of the Nanjiang Pacification Army showed up, then he could capture them all and make up for his past mistakes.

    But of course, it was just a fool¡¯s hope. No matter how greedy and stupid his enemies were, they would never gamble with their lives. They would probably leave very soon.

    ¡°A shame, a shame¡­¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist sighed. He then shoved the stray thoughts to the back of his mind and focused onmanding his army.

    ¡°To concentrate ten thousand people¡¯s strength on one spot, and to spread one force to ten thousand people. This Immovable Fortress Formation deserves its fame.¡±

    Meanwhile, Ye Qing was praising the army formation after watching the three Divine Armors killing or injuring just several hundred soldiers despite having attacked it for over a teatime.

    The principles of the Immovable Fortress Formation were very simple. It could gather everyone¡¯s strength into one body. One was ten thousand, and ten thousand was one. It could gather everyone¡¯s strength to one spot to block an attack. It could also spread an attack across everyone. This was why it was as immovable as a mountain and as tough as a city.

    ¡°Yes. In essence, it¡¯s a tortoise shell that only knows how to endure a beating,¡± Fei Qingyou remarked casually.

    ¡°Sure, but it¡¯s one heck of a tortoise shell.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°It is unlikely these three Divine Armors could break this tortoise shell in a short time.¡±

    ¡°If you have any other cards to y, now is the time to y them, Qingyou. Otherwise, we¡¯re gonna have to run.¡±

    ¡°They should be here soon.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s they?¡± Ye Qing asked when suddenly, he sensed something and gazed toward the distance.

    A few breathster, several silhouettes burst out of the trees and into the open. They all boasted extremely powerful auras and cultivation levels.

    ¡°Miss Fei Xue¡­¡±

    Ye Qing immediately recognized the leader of the group. She was none other than the owner of Brushing Moon Inn, Fei Xue.

    ¡°So, Miss Fei Xue is your backup n?¡±

    Feng Qingyou did not deny it and released a wisp of energy. When Fei Xue detected it, she immediately flew over andnded beside her.

    ¡°Are you alright, Qingyou?¡± Fei Xue asked urgently and looked her all over. Her face was fraught with worry and concern.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine,¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly.

    Still looking her up and down, Fei Xue asked suspiciously. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡±

    Feng Qingyou asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Fei Xue finally rxed and reported, ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. I came here first because I¡¯m worried about you. They¡¯re outside the city right now.¡±

    ¡°Good. Tell them to enter the city. It¡¯s about time we settle this,¡± Feng Qingyou ordered.

    ¡°Send themand!¡± Fei Xue turned to order a man standing next to her.

    ¡°As youmand, princess!¡± The man answered with a salute.@@novelbin@@

    The man was wearing a set of armor forged from the carcass of a Stranger. Half of his face was covered in snake-like scales, and his pupils were vertical like a reptile¡¯s. It glowed cyan in the ck night, cold and vicious.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one. The few warriors apanying Fei Xue were all unusual in their own ways as well. One man was covered in thick ck fur that looked like needles, another man had a scarlet eyeball on his forehead, a third had thick limbs that resembled a beast¡¯s ws, a fourth was covered in insects¡­

    The man pulled out a horn carved from a beast¡¯s bones and blew it.

    <em>Ooooooooooo¡­</em>

    The silhouette of a strange beast took form in the sky. Then, it lifted its head and howled. It howled sounded like the extended roar of a tiger and a leopard. The two different cries shed metallically like swords and sabers and created this solemn, deste feeling that could only be found on a battlefield.

    ¡°The Malevolent Horn?¡±

    Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows. Legend had it that there existed an ancient tribe in Nanjiang called the Malevolent Tribe. Their totem was the ancient Stranger Malevolent.

    Malevolent was an Ancient-ss Stranger with a tiger¡¯s head and a leopard¡¯s body. Covered in scale armor, it could rip and tear a drake, a dragon, a kun or a peng with its bare hands and generally fed on ancient divine beasts. It was extremely powerful to say the least.

    The Malevolent Tribe did not just worship the Malevolent as their totem. The blood of the Malevolent ran in their veins as well. Extremely warlike and powerful, they were once the biggest tribe in Nanjiang.

    After the Nanjiang Royal Court was founded, the Malevolent Tribe joined them and served the royal family of Meng. Unfortunately, the rebellion that wiped out the Meng n over a hundred years ago also destroyed most of the Malevolent Tribe. They were on the verge of extinction when the remnants vanished into the deeper areas of Nanjiang, never to be seen again.

    The Malevolent Horn was the Malevolent Tribe¡¯s sacred object. Legend had it that it was made using the Malevolent¡¯s bones, and that it contained its soul. When blown, the soul would awaken and create noises of war. During times of war, it could raise the warrior souls of the Malevolent Tribe forbat purposes.

    However, the Malevolent Horn was supposed to have disappeared together with the remnants of the Malevolent Tribe. Ye Qing didn¡¯t think he would see it here.

    There was no doubt that the man with half a scaly face was a member of the Malevolent Tribe. It was because only a tribesman could use the Malevolent Horn.

    If Ye Qing could recognize the Malevolent Horn, then Profound Spirit Taoist, a man who had waged war against Nanjiang for decades, could only do better. It was why he suddenly had a bad feeling about all this.

    The moment the Malevolent Horn was blown, over a thousand silhouettes wearing animal skin and scale armor appeared. Every single one of them was a Half-Step Trueman.

    Clearly, they were the warrior souls of the Malevolent Tribe awakened by the Malevolent Horn for battle.

    There might only be a thousand of them or so, but they were unkible and extremely powerful.

    This was just the beginning of the surprise for both Ye Qing and Profound Spirit Taoist, however. After the horn ring subsided, battle cries suddenly erupted inside the Nanjiang Royal Court. They were growing louder by the second. At the same time, countless people flooded into the inner city like tidal waves.

    The neers were all dressed in animal skin or hemp garments. They looked both barbaric and primitive. They were none other than the natives of Nanjiang.

    The Nanjiang natives could roughly be separated into threerge groups. One group wore animal skin and armor. There were reptilian scales around their face, neck, limbs and other exposed areas. Fierce and bloodthirsty-looking, they numbered around five thousand people or so.

    The other group wore bone masks and wielded bone weapons. Yin wind blew constantly around them like the wails of countless ghosts. Their very presence struck a chill in everyone¡¯s heart.

    There were over three thousand of them, so the yin wind they created was almost a yin storm. It was like a ten thousand ghost parade or something, enigmatic and terrifying.

    Thest and smallest group of the three only numbered thousand people or so. They were wearing leaves and branches, and they were surrounded by all sorts of venomous insects such as snakes, scorpions, mosquitos, centipedes and more. Their appearance numbed one¡¯s scalp to put it mildly[1].

    1. The Australians have arrived. ?

 Chapter 1010: Negotiation

    ¡°The Malevolent Tribe, Six Souls People, Gu King n¡­¡±

    Ye Qing did not recognize the other two groups, but Profound Spirit Taoist was a different story. In fact, he knew them so well that his expression grew increasingly stern and confused.

    Back in the day, the Nanjiang Royal Court ruled by the Meng n was supported by nine major tribes. The three biggest tribes of them all were the Malevolent Tribe, the Six Souls People, and the Gu King n. They were absolutely loyal to the Meng n.

    The Six Souls People were masters of soul and yin spirit maniption. They also excelled at soul arts and secret arts. They usually defeated their opponents via yin spirits and souls.

    The Gu King n excelled at raising and controlling gu[1], but unlike most other practitioners of gu, their mastery wasn¡¯t just limited to pests or venomous creatures. They could transform any flora and fauna into gu. That was why they called themselves the Gu King n.

    Both the Six Souls People and Gu King n boasted immense skill and power. Just like the Malevolent Tribe, they were once the strongest, biggest tribes in Nanjiang. Unfortunately, their status as the Meng n¡¯s most trusted tribes also painted a target behind their backs just like the Malevolent Tribe, so they suffered greatly in the hands of the rebels during the rebellion a century ago. In fact, after the rebels took over the Nanjiang Royal Court, they did everything in their power to hunt down the three tribes. This continued for generations until the three tribes were missing and practically forgotten.

    That was no longer the case. Today, the Malevolent Tribe, Six Souls People and Gu King n had reappeared once more. Although their numbers were iparable to what they were a century ago, they were still much stronger than your conventional Nanjiang tribe, not to mention that they boasted extraordinary powers to begin with. That was why they were considered above average among the hundred tribes of Nanjiang.

    And that was the crux of the problem. The Nanjiang Pacification Army had been plotting to conquer Nanjiang once and for all for many years, and they thought that they knew every tribe in Nanjiang like the back of their hand. However, they never knew that the three tribes had resurrected and even grown to this level until now.

    It wasn¡¯t just them though. Profound Spirit Taoist was willing to bet that even the Nanjiang Royal Court and the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses had no idea about their resurrection. Otherwise, they would not have tolerated their existence.So, where did the three tribese from?

    There were many things that he didn¡¯t understand right now, but there was one thing Profound Spirit Taoist was now certain about. These people weren¡¯t here for the Sky Mending Spring or the Eight Divine Armors¡ªor rather, it was not their ultimate goal. Their true goal was to retake the Nanjiang Royal Court, and the main culprit behind it all was undoubtedly that woman, the remnant of the Meng n.

    The Malevolent Tribe, Six Souls People, and Gu King n were absolutely loyal to the royal family of the Meng n. Only the royal family possessed the ability and authority tomand them. Naturally, their resurrection must have something to do with the Meng n remnant.

    This also meant that his judgment had failed him and ced him in a disadvantageous position yet again.

    If he hadn¡¯t decided to use the Immovable Fortress Formation and gathered all of his troops in one ce, these people could not have entered the Nanjiang Royal Court as easily as they had. At the very least, he would have been warned about their approach.

    With just the Sky Mending Spring and a simple lure, his opponent had forced him to make the wrong decision again and again and put himself in a terrible position.

    He, Profound Spirit Taoist, was famous for his meticulous strategizing and tactics. He was the one who yed his victims like puppets on strings, not the other way around. It wasn¡¯t like he had never been tricked before, but this was definitely the first time he had been outwitted in such an embarrassing, aggravating, and helpless manner. Never in his life had he felt so outmatched.

    Luckily, there was still a silver lining to all this. With the Immovable Fortress Formation, they could hold out for another two hours even if his enemy was now over ten thousand strong. Two hours should be enough time for his reinforcements to show up and save the day¡ªassuming that no other fuck-ups happened, of course.

    The three tribes quickly entered the inner city and stood on the opposite end of the Nanjiang Pacification Army. However, they did not attack their formation immediately.

    The three Divine Armors had stopped their assault as well.

    Fei Xue stepped out into the open with the man wielding the Malevolent Horn following right behind her. As she passed through her people, they all bowed their heads to show their respect for her. She did not stop until she was standing in front of the Immovable Fortress Formation and looking up at Profound Spirit Taoist, dering, ¡°Surrender, Profound Spirit Taoist. You no longer have any chance at victory.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist asked.

    ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you?¡± Fei Xue countered.

    ¡°You¡¯re the surviving evil of the royal family of the Meng n, aren¡¯t you?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist asked.

    ¡°Surviving evil?¡± Fei Xue let out a cold chuckle. ¡°I suppose we are from your perspective. I am the granddaughter of the Profound King of Nanjiang and current princess of the Nanjiang Royal Academy. My name is Meng Feixue.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Granddaughter of the Profound King, Meng Feixue?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist muttered to himself.

    Although every master of Nanjiang Royal Court was titled the King of Nanjiang, they obviously had their own title to differentiate themselves from the other rulers. The Profound King was the final King of Nanjiang bearing the Meng bloodline over a century ago.

    Age wise, it definitely looked like the woman was who she imed to be: the granddaughter of the Profound King.

    ¡°Miss Fei Xue[2] is the Granddaughter of the Profound King? An actual princess of the Nanjiang Royal Court?¡±

    Ye Qing was no less astonished than Profound Spirit Taoist was. He already guessed that Fei Xue was someone important when the man carrying the Malevolent Horn addressed her as princess, but he did not think that she was the granddaughter of the Fefi Xue and the true descendant of the royal family of the Meng n.

    Ye Qing immediately cast Feng Qingyou a suspicious look. ¡°Are you part of the royal family as well?¡±

    Feng Qingyou spared no effort to help Meng Feixue and possessed the ability to awaken the Eight Divine Armors. It made sense that she was also part of the royal family of the Meng n.

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not!¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head immediately. ¡°Fei Xue is my friend. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    ¡°So, when you said that you were retrieving something for your friend, you were referring to Fei Xue, right?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Correct.¡± Feng Qingyou nodded.

    ¡°How did you and Miss Fei Xuee to know each other?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it in the future,¡± Feng Qingyou said, ¡°but right now, let¡¯s just enjoy the show, shall we?¡±

    Meanwhile, Profound Spirit Taoist was looking at Feng Qingyou and asking, ¡°Is she a member of the royal family as well?¡±

    ¡°That, you don¡¯t need to know, Reverend.¡± Meng Feixue neither confirmed nor denied the usation. ¡°You should worry about yourself first!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist did not press for an answer. He looked back at Meng Feixue and asked, ¡°Why have youe today, princess?¡±

    ¡°To get justice for my n, of course,¡± Meng Feixue answered. ¡°To retrieve what belongs to me and the Meng n.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯vee to take revenge and retrieve the Nanjiang Royal Court.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist said, ¡°In that case, shouldn¡¯t you be thanking us instead? A hundred years ago, it was the Taili n and the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses who rebelled against your family. Today, we have annihted therge majority of their forces. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but we have taken revenge for your n, have we not?¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Meng Feixue wore a smile that did not reach the eyes.

    ¡°Anyway, we can surrender the Nanjiang Royal Court to you,¡± Profound Spirit Taoist continued.

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s surprisingly generous of you.¡± Meng Feixue asked smilingly, ¡°And what do you want in exchange?¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯re an intelligent woman, princess. I shall speak frankly.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist dered, ¡°My condition is very simple. Swear your fealty to us, and all shall be forgiven.¡±

    ¡°You want my fealty?¡± Meng Feixue chuckled. ¡°We killed so many of your men, and you¡¯re just going to let us go without repercussions?¡±

    1. Refresher for you all, but gu was a venom-based poison associated with cultures of south China, particrly Nanyue. The traditional preparation of gu poison involved sealing several venomous creatures (e.g., centipede, snake, scorpion) inside a closed container, where they devoured one another and allegedly concentrated their toxins into a single survivor, whose body would be fed upon byrvae until consumed. Thest survivingrva held theplex poison. Gu was used in ck magic practices such as manipting sexual partners, creating malignant diseases, and causing death. ording to Chinese folklore, a gu spirit could transform into various animals, typically a worm, caterpir, snake, frog, dog, or pig. ?

    2. After this chapter all instances of Fei Xue will be changed to Meng Feixue. The reason the previous instances are Fei Xue is definitely to mislead the readers and prevent them from figuring out the truth too soon, and definitely not because I¡¯m toozy to go back and fix them all. ?

 Chapter 1011: Kun Armor

    Profound Spirit Taoist answered, ¡°As long as you swear your fealty to Chu, we can overlook all of your past transgressions. Not only that, we will assist you in taking revenge and return the Nanjiang Royal Court to you. We will give you unparalleled wealth and glory.¡±

    ¡°And why would you do such a thing?¡± Meng Feixue asked.

    ¡°Because we wish to end the war as soon as possible. Because we need peace and stability to return to Nanjiang.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist asked, ¡°So, what is your answer?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ it sounds like a sound proposal.¡±

    Meng Feixue¡¯s expression slowly grew scornful. ¡°But I think you¡¯re mistaken about two things, Reverend?¡±

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Profound Spirit Taoist said.

    ¡°One, while the Taili n and the Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses are definitely my enemies, they are aplices at best. The true mastermind is someone else.¡±

    Meng Feixue said slowly, ¡°Do you know who this mastermind is, Reverend?¡±Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s eyes flickered. He did not say anything.

    ¡°I guess you know.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Meng Feixue sneered. ¡°Back then, if you haven¡¯t incited disharmony among my people, if you haven¡¯t supported the traitors in secret, if you haven¡¯t grievously injured the Profound King, there is no way they could have conquered the Nanjiang Royal Court and in the Meng n as easily as they had.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, Chu is also my enemy, the biggest enemy of them all. If you truly desire to take revenge for me, shouldn¡¯t you own up to your crimes andmit suicide right here and now?¡±

    ¡°Second, the Nanjiang Royal Court was never yours to give away. It has been and always will belong to the Meng n.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t believe in baseless rumors, princess. I promise you that Chu did not have a hand in the rebellion a century ago. Even if foul y was involved, I have no knowledge of it since it happened so many years ago.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist continued, ¡°Also, you should look ahead, princess. It is inevitable that Nanjiang will be a part of Chu. If not for yourself, you should keep the welfare of your subjects and the people of Nanjiang in mind. I hope you will seriously consider my offer.¡±

    ¡°Are you threatening me, Reverend?¡± Meng Feixue asked indifferently.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I am simply suggesting,¡± Profound Spirit Taoist answered.

    Meng Feixue¡¯s voice slowly became as cold as a snowstorm. ¡°Revenge will be mine, the Nanjiang Royal Court will be retaken by my own hands, and Nanjiang will forever belong to the Meng n. Anyone who dares to challenge our birthright shall face our eternal wrath.¡±

    ¡°Must you be an enemy of Chu?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s gaze slowly turned cold and merciless. ¡°Are you sure you can bear the consequences, princess?¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist wasn¡¯t surprised by this oue. He negotiated with Meng Feixue because there was no harm trying. If he seeded, then it would be the best oue possible. If not, he would be buying time for reinforcements to show up.

    No matter how he looked at it, it was a win-win scenario for him.

    ¡°That is for me to consider, Reverend.¡± Meng Feixue said, ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, you should worry about yourself!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. Do you want to live or die?¡± Meng Feixue asked.

    ¡°What do I do, if I want to live or die?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist asked coldly.

    ¡°If you want to live, then surrender. Otherwise, feel free to resist to the bitter end,¡± Meng Feixue replied just as bitingly.

    ¡°Oh? Do you really think you can breach our Immovable Fortress Formation?¡± Profound Spirit Taoist asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t make such a im if I¡¯m not confident!¡± Meng Feixue dered calmly and confidently.

    ¡°With just you and your people? Really?¡± It was Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s turn to look scornful.

    ¡°Really,¡± Meng Feixue replied without hesitation.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ show me your prowess then. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m going to enjoy this!¡± Profound Spirit Taoist guffawed with dripping disdain.

    ¡°Are you doneughing?¡±

    Meng Feixue remained unperturbed despite Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s disdainfulughter. She patiently waited until the old man was doneughing before saying, ¡°Pleaseugh some more if you¡¯re not satisfied.¡±

    ¡°It will be yourstugh after all.¡±

    ¡°Your scare tactics aren¡¯t going to work on me, princess. Juste at me already,¡± Profound Spirit Taoist scoffed.

    ¡°Patience, Reverend. We will.¡±

    Meng Feixue suddenly broke into a bright, sunny grin. ¡°Do you know why I bothered to waste my breath on you, Reverend?¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re buying time, but do you know that I¡¯m buying time as well?¡±

    Before Profound Spirit Taoist could answer, she continued, ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a secret. The Nanjiang Royal Court is the Meng n¡¯s domain. There are many, many secrets that only we are aware of.¡±

    For the first time since the negotiation began, Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s expression grew a little stern. His instincts were warning him of danger as well even though he was standing at the center of the Immovable Fortress Formation and surrounded by tens of thousands of soldiers. Why? Why did he feel like someone was pressing a de to his neck?

    <em>Wait. The Peaceful Nanjiang Pce? Shit!</em>

    It was at this moment Profound Spirit Taoist realized something and turned as white as a sheet. He screamed in shock and terror, ¡°All units, mo¡ª¡±

    It was toote. A sudden boom came from the center of the army formation, and the ground copsed. Caughtpletely off guard, several hundred soldiers fell into the pit just like that. Not only that, the cracks were spreading and catching more and more soldiers in its everhungry maw.

    The center of the Immovable Fortress Formation was annihted just like that. It was chaos.

    ¡°Dammit, it¡¯s the Kun Armor¡­¡± Profound Spirit Taoist said with an ugly expression.

    Whatever was lurking in the underground and causing the earth to copse was most likely the Kun Armor. All eight Divine Armors boasted their own unique set of capabilities and power, and the Kun Armor was the one capable of controlling the earth and navigating the underground like it was water.

    As it turned out, the woman earlier hadn¡¯t awakened just three Divine Armors. It was four. This fourth Divine Armor had been hiding underneath the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce all this time for the sake of destroying the integrity of the Immovable Fortress Formation; for this very moment.

    When the Immovable Fortress Formation was formed, it was as tough as a city and resilient as a mountain. It was impossible to breach it from the outside unless the attacker¡¯s strength was multiple times, even a dozen of times greater than the formation¡¯s.

    However, the Immovable Fortress Formation had one huge weakness, and that was the fact that it was weak to attacks from within.

    While it was extremely difficult to breach the Immovable Fortress Formation from the outside, the inside was the opposite.

    Of course, it was generally difficult for enemies to infiltrate the center of the Immovable Fortress Formation. After all, they would have to do it from the outside, and as mentioned before, the Immovable Fortress Formation was nigh invincible against outside attacks.

    But what if the enemy was waiting in the underground at the center of the Immovable Fortress Formation from the beginning? That would no longer be an issue, would it?

    What really scared Profound Spirit Taoist was the fact that the woman had predicted his behavior like the back of her palm. She had predicted that he would set up the Immovable Fortress Formation. She also predicted that he would center it around the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce. That was why she had hidden the Kun Armor underneath the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce beforehand.

    The woman was so intelligent it was almost monstrous. She needed to die as soon as possible, or she would certainly be a major threat in the future.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t nning on killing her now. Right now, his first priority was repelling the Kun Armor and stabilizing the Immovable Fortress Formation.

    Profound Spirit Taoist leaped off the tform and unleashed a palm strike at the Kun Armor. The palm strike split into eight, and the eight palm strikes transformed into eight talismans. It was an attack that covered all directions.

 Chapter 1012: Breach

    [1]

    It was at this moment several silhouettes raced out of the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce and attacked the Nanjiang Pacification Army.

    There were five of them in total, and every single one of them boasted the aura of a Great Trueman.

    Profound Spirit Taoist hadn¡¯t anticipated this. Even if he had, how could he possibly stop five Great Truemen on his own? Naturally, it was a disaster. Like tigers in a sheep den, several hundred soldiers were killed or injured in just a matter of breaths. The five elites weren¡¯t fighting together either. They were charging in different directions to maximize the amount of damage they inflicted.

    Bloodcurdling screams filled the air. What was an orderly and nigh unbreakable army formation earlier instantly fell into chaos.

    At the same time, the Xun Armor, Kan Armor and Zhen Armor standing outside the army formation resumed their assault. Wind howled, water ran, and thunder roared. Before, the Immovable Fortress Formation would have withstood it all with nary a scratch. Now? It crumbled at first touch like a house that had lost its pir.

    The roaring storm disintegrated countless soldiers in the blink of an eye. With this, the Immovable Fortress Formation was officially destroyed.

    ¡°Attack!¡±

    Meng Feixue hesitated no longer and waved her hand.¡°Kill!!!¡±

    The three tribes that had been itching to massacre their sworn enemies since the very beginning roared at the top of their lungs and charged toward the Nanjiang Pacification Army.

    The Malevolent tribesmen grew scales out of their skin as they charged toward their enemies. Their hands turned into animalistic ws, and their round pupils turned into vertical slits like that of a beast.

    Their fighting style was just as ruthless and brutal. They disemboweled their enemies, ripped them in half with their bare hands, and generally murdered them in a bloody and cruel fashion.

    The Chu soldiers tried to retaliate, but their des were usually bounced away by the tribesmen¡¯s scale armor. Even if they seeded in inflicting a wound, the tribesmen¡¯s response was to grow even crazier and fight harder. They forced back the Nanjiang Pacification Army repeatedly without giving an inch of ground of their own.

    Inparison, the Six Souls People¡¯s fighting style wasn¡¯t as brutal and cruel. In terms of bizarreness though, they were definitely among the top two. They wielded all sorts of Strange Artifacts that were carved from bones and surrounded themselves in howling yin wind. Their foes either bled from all orifices, suddenly copsed in a heap as if an invisible entity had snapped their limbs in half, or just dropped dead suddenly and without warning¡­

    Behind the two tribes, the Gu King n were blowing bamboo whistles, silver flutes, <em>konghous</em> [2], y ocarinas and more tomand an army of snakes, insects, mice, ants, and other gu. They flooded toward the Nanjiang Pacification Army like a ck tide of death.

    Besides the conventional <em>gu</em> creatures, there were also massive Strangers and beasts such as a white snake that was several humans thick, capable of crushing buildings and walls with a simple flick of its tail;

    Venomous toad the size of a house capable of spitting venom that corroded armor and melted flesh and blood;

    Giant walking trees that carried entire branches of venomous wasps capable of spraying poisonous powder that killed countless soldiers in an instant. Several breathster, clusters of wasps were born from the dead bodies, and they attacked all enemies in sight;

    Colorful, flying flowers that spread a fragrance that induced sleepiness and caused a single flower to grow out of their heads. The victim would then attack their ownpanion as if they had turned into a zombie;

    And more.

    ¡­¡­

    Technically speaking, the Gu King n numbered the least out of the three tribes. However, the damage they inflicted was definitely the highest. Wherever the gu creatures appeared, people fell like wheat without any resistance whatsoever.

    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist murmured listlessly as he watched it all happen. He even forgot to attack the Kun Armor, still hiding in the underground and causing havoc to his troops.

    He finally understood what Meng Feixue meant when she said that there were a lot of secrets regarding the Nanjiang Royal Court that only the royal family of the Meng n knew about, and that she was buying time. She wasn¡¯t talking about the Kun Armor, she was referring to the five Great Truemen that she had somehow snuck into the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce.

    These realizations were useless though. If the Kun Armor was his only enemy, he still could keep it at bay to a certain extent. But the Kun Armor and five Great Truemen? What could he possibly do in this scenario?

    The Immovable Fortress Formation was broken, and his final trump card and hope¡­ was no more.

    Despair colored Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s eyes as he listened to the battle cries and bloodcurdling screams happening all around him. He had never been one to give up easily, nor was he a good friend of despair. However, what could he do but wallow in helplessness and despair in the face of Half-Sage four Divine Armors and an army of ten thousand? He could be the most intelligent man in the world, and there was still nothing he could do at this point.

    The only thing he could do now was wallow in despair and wait for slow, encroaching death to im him.

    ¡°Ad¡­ advisor! What¡­ what do we do?¡±

    Suddenly, a voice jolted Profound Spirit Taoist back to reality.

    He looked up and saw a few officers looking at him in panic and fear.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    Seeing their fearful, despairing, yet still hopeful eyes, Profound Spirit Taoist sucked in a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He yelled, ¡°All units, to me and prepare to break¡ª¡±

    Before Profound Spirit Taoist could finish, the ground in front of him suddenly exploded into pieces, and a silhouette charged straight toward him.

    The humanoid silhouette wore yellow armor and a metallic mask. It was surrounded by dust and soil as well. It was none other than the Kun Armor.

    Considering the element itmanded, the Kun Armor moved deceptively quick. The officers were all knocked into the sky before they could react, every single one of them bursting into pieces like water sacs.

    The next moment, the Kun Armor reached Profound Spirit Taoist and engaged him in battle.

    ¡°This¡­ is your real trump card!¡±

    On the other side of the battlefield,Ye Qing was watching the almost one-sided ughter and murmuring admiringly.

    Was the Nanjiang Pacification Army weak? Not at all. However, the dismantlement of the Immovable Fortress Formation, the surprise attacks that threw the entire army into disarray, and the fearless charge of four Half-Sage Divine Armors were just too much for any army to bear. They could not help but be beaten back again and again.

    ¡°Indeed. What do you think about it?¡± Feng Qingyou asked smilingly.

    ¡°What could I say? It¡¯s beyond incredible!¡± Ye Qing praised her from the bottom of his heart. ¡°You must have prepared this for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just doing what little I could. Fei Xue and her people had prepared and waited for this for a century though!¡± Feng Qingyou said softly.

    ¡°Is it worth it?¡± Ye Qing said gravely.

    ¡°To some people, vengeance pertaining to the fate of one¡¯s family or nation is always worth it, no matter how many decades, centuries, even millennia they have to wait to achieve it.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°Back then, the rebellion killed not just the Profound King, but all three hundred and sixteen members of the royal family of the Meng n. Countless subjects loyal to the Profound King were murdered as well. The Profound King¡¯s youngest son was the only one who survived because he was hiding in a pile of dead bodies.¡±

    ¡°The Profound King¡¯s son and Fei Xue¡¯s father toiled his whole life plotting to take revenge and revitalize his nation one day. Fei Xue¡¯s mother, older brother and younger brother had all perished in the process. Today, only Fei Xue is the only one left in her family.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t just a matter of personal vengeance to Fei Xue. This was her duty to her country as well. She must have revenge, and she must bear the responsibility whether she likes it or not.¡±

    ¡°So yes, this is all worth it. For Fei Xue at least.¡±

    Ye Qing did not say anything. To carelessly give advice without knowing another¡¯s pain was folly. Since he had never been in Fei Xue¡¯s shoes before, he didn¡¯t have the right to say anything at all.

    ¡°Whates next after this? It won¡¯t be long before the bulk of the Chu army arrives,¡± Ye Qing said.

    Feng Qingyou chuckled. ¡°Fei Xue and I would be sad if they didn''t show up.¡±

    1. Alternative title: Godzi is approaching the generator! The generator is losing power! ?

    2. Chinese harp. ?@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 1013: How Would You Know

    ¡°I see. I guess you¡¯re ready for everything.¡±

    Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows but quickly came to terms with it. Knowing Feng Qingyou¡¯s ability to see three steps ahead for every step she took and n everything, she must have prepared a n and an escape route in case things didn¡¯t work out for this venture as well. ¡°I look forward to it.¡±

    ¡°I promise it won¡¯t disappoint you, Joyless.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled.

    As they spoke, the battle had more or less reached the end. Profound Spirit Taoist was pinned down by the Kun Armor and could not spare his attention for anything else. Without someone to lead them, and considering the sheer odds they were up against, it wasn¡¯t long before the garrison was routing earnestly.

    Seeing that the battle was won, the blood-stained Meng Feixue raised her hand and shouted, ¡°Surrender, and you will be spared!¡±

    ¡°Surrender, and you will be spared!¡±

    ¡°Surrender, and you will be spared!¡±

    ¡°Surrender, and you will be spared!¡±

    The three tribes began shouting the same thing after hearing this as well.The sudden cry distracted Profound Spirit Taoist for an instant, and that was enough for the Kun Armor tond a decisive blow on his stomach.

    Profound Spirit Taoist was on hisst legs to begin with, and the punch sent him flying through the air while spewing blood through his lips.

    Right before he wouldnd on the ground, four earthen spikes burst out from below pierced his limbs, immobilizing him.

    ¡°Profound Spirit is caught! Stop your meaningless struggle and surrender! Surrender, and you will be spared!¡±

    Seeing this, Meng Feixue appeared next to Profound Spirit Taoist and yelled again, ¡°Those who resist shall be killed without mercy!¡±

    The garrison was demoralized to begin with, and the capture of Profound Spirit Taoist was thest straw. They all dropped their weapons on the ground and surrendered.

    Of course, some people pretended to surrender before making a break for it.

    They didn¡¯t go far before the three Divine Armors caught up to them and sted them to smithereens.

    Seeing that their enemies weren¡¯t fooling around, no one dared to harbor wishful thinking anymore. They obediently dropped their weapons and surrendered.

    ¡°Do you still think we¡¯re floundering, Reverend?¡±

    After everyone had dropped their weapons and surrendered, Meng Feixue turned her head and looked at Profound Spirit Taoist with calm eyes. There was neither pride nor ridicule on her face, only absolute calm like that of a bottomlesske.

    ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­ I lost.¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist kept coughing as blood trickled down his lips. ¡°But you haven¡¯t won either.¡±

    ¡°There is no way you can hold the Nanjiang Royal Court with so few people. <em>Cough! Cough! </em>It won¡¯t be long before you all join me in the underworld. I¡¯ll be waiting for you at the Bridge of Oblivion!¡±

    ¡°Why do you think we can¡¯t hold the Nanjiang Royal Court?¡± Meng Feixue asked.

    ¡°Cough¡­ I guess it¡¯s okay to tell you¡­ Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, King yer are already on their way back. They would arrive at any moment. There is no way you can win against them.¡± Profound Spirit Taoist coughed violently. ¡°No way.¡±

    Although the three hundred thousand troops garrisoned in Nanjiang were unanimously known as the Nanjiang Pacification Army, they were really thousand-strong brigades with their own names and bugles such as Demon Subjugation, Earth Trap and more.

    Out of all of them, the six most renowned armies were Nanjiang Pacification, South Suppression, Martial Might, Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yer. The cream of the crop, each battalion boasted an army strength of ten thousand and were led by a great general and two battalionmanders.

    The weakest soldier of the six armies was a Spirit Purifier, and they were all veterans who had fought at least a hundred battles. The left and right battalionmanders were either Great Truemans or Great Grandmasters, whereas the great general was a Half-Sage.

    Therefore, it might look like Nanjiang Pacification, South Suppression, Martial Might, Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yerbined only boasted a total army strength of sixty thousand, each battalion could go head-to-head against another army that was several times greater than them in terms of numbers. They were formidable to say the least.

    Out of the six battalions, Nanjiang Pacification, South Suppression and Martial Might excelled at positional warfare and frontal battles, whereas Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yer were masters of raids, sieges, ambushes and more. That was why Nanjiang Pacification, South Suppression and Martial Might were known as the Shields of Nanjiang Pacification, and Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yer the Sabers of Nanjiang Pacification.

    Therefore, it might look like Meng Feixue was only up against a thirty thousand-strong army, but they were absolutely the ones at a disadvantage here.

    Not only that, there was one thing Profound Spirit Taoist had hidden Meng Feixue, and that was the fact that he had contacted the Sage watching the Sky Mending Sect already. When the Sage returned and joined forces with Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yer, they could deal with Meng Feixue even if she awakened all eight Divine Armors.

    ¡°Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yer?¡±

    Meng Feixue¡¯s lips slowly curled into a smile. It looked positively divine with the ground of bright red blood and corpses as the backdrop. ¡°It¡¯s just thirty thousand people. Why do you think we wouldn¡¯t be able to win?¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist did not dignify the question with an answer. The scorn on his face was the answer.

    ¡°Have you forgotten already, Reverend? You thought I couldn¡¯t breach your Immovable Fortress Formation earlier, but I did,¡± Meng Feixue continued. ¡°Not only did you lose, I dare say that this is one of, if not the worst defeats of your life. So what makes you think we couldn¡¯t win a second time?¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoist scoffed. ¡°Hmph! You cannot win. You are dead men walking, you just don¡¯t know it yet.¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t believe us.¡±

    Meng Feixue¡¯s smile grew even brighter. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll keep you alive for now. Seeing is believing, so I¡¯ll show you exactly how we¡¯re going to win.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a secret, Reverend. Not only are we going to win, we are going to annihte Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yer.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! A shameless boast! Truly a shameless boast!¡±

    Profound Spirit Taoistughed so hard that he couldn¡¯t catch his breath.

    ¡°Men, hang Profound Spirit Taoist on the walls so that he can witness our victory from the start until the end with his own two eyes,¡± Meng Feixue instructed. ¡°Make sure you watch him well, okay? We wouldn¡¯t want him to pass away before he¡¯s enjoyed the show.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    Two men stepped up and ripped Profound Spirit Taoist off the earthen spikes rather violently. Then, they dragged him toward the outer city.@@novelbin@@

    Meng Feixue then looked at the surrendered soldiers and said, ¡°Grandma Yu, please take the captives to the Moon Praying Stage and detain them there. Do not allow them to start anything.¡±

    A massive white snake slithered over from a distance and stopped in front of Meng Feixue. It bowed its head, and a beautiful woman in her forties or fifthes spoke in an ancient voice, ¡°As youmand.¡±

    The woman a.k.a Grandma Yu waved, and some members of the Gu King n immediately walked up to the soldiers and escorted them toward the Moon Praying Stage.

    Next, Meng Feixue looked at an old hunchback with a deathly paleplexion, ¡°Elder Soul Sacrifice, I entrust the Moon Praying Ceremony to you.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you, princess.¡±

    The old man named Soul Sacrifice saluted her before retreating slowly.

    ¡°Zheng Rong, gather your men and patrol the outer city. Keep the order and maintain the peace. Kill anyone who tries to start anything!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Zheng Shan, gather your men and round up the surviving citizens. Take them to the Moon Praying Stage.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Ke Bing, assemble a group of Gu King n members who are experts at stealth, tracking and scouting and patrol the outer areas of the Nanjiang Royal Court. Inform me immediately if the Chu troops are identified.¡±

    ¡°At once, princess!¡±

 Chapter 1015: Taking The Fight To The Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 1015: Taking The Fight To The Enemy </h4>

    As Feng Qingyou continued to perform hand seals and chant the incantations, the bead of blood on the Kun Armor¡¯s forehead began tracing some sort of strange pattern and spreading wider. In the end, it formed some sort of strange diagram that looked both like the veins of the human body and runic restrictions.

    A teatime passed, and the blood diagram finally spread throughout the Kun Armor. Then, it gradually faded into nothing. When the blood diagram waspletely gone, the Kun Armor abruptly looked a bit more human than before, and a terrifying gust of energy washed out of it.

    It was only then Feng Qingyou finally stopped what she was doing and let out a small sigh of relief. She looked fatigued.

    ¡°Do you want to take a break?¡± Ye Qing asked concernedly. Clearly, it cost a tremendous amount of mental energy to awaken a Divine Armor.

    Feng Qingyou shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Our time is limited. The sooner we¡¯re done with this, the better.¡±

    With that said, she walked up to the Li Armor next and performed the ritual once more.

    It wasn¡¯t long before Ye Qing discovered that the hand seals Feng Qingyou was performing and the incantations she was chanting was different from the one she used to awaken the Kun Armor. They were just asplicated and long though.

    <i>Does every Divine Armor have their own unique hand seals and incantations? </i>Ye Qing thought incredulously while rubbing his nose. Who was the genius who came up with this idea? Did they have a fetish for torture?

    He was right. The hand seals and incantations required to awaken the Gen Armor and the Dui Armor were all different. It was incredible Feng Qingyou was able to remember it all. If he was in her position¡ªthere was no point in thinking about it. The long story short was that he was unworthy.

    It took almost two hours for Feng Qingyou to awaken all four Divine Armors. By the time she was finally done, Feng Qingyou looked both pale-faced and dizzy.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ye Qing lent her a hand and supported her, asking.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need a bit of rest.¡± Feng Qingyou gave him a little wave.

    Ye Qing took Feng Qingyou to a corner of the room where she could catch some rest. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before a voice called out from the exit, ¡°Miss Feng, Warrior Ye, the princess is requesting your presence.¡±

    ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll be there right away,¡± responded Feng Qingyou before she left the secret room with Ye Qing. The person calling them then led them to a massive square.

    The square was big enough to fit tens of thousands of people at once with room to spare. Not only that, the tiles were all forged from Cerulean Blue White Jade, pure and limpid.

    The square was filled with people right now. On one side were the Nanjiang Pacification Army captives, and the other the surviving citizens of the Nanjiang Royal Court.

    The citizens all looked haggard and wearing rags. They acted like zombies even though they were rounded up like cattle for an unknown purpose, numb and sluggish.

    Besides the people, the most conspicuous thing on the square was a statue.

    The statue was located at the center of the square. It was about ny nine meters tall and sculpted from some sort of stone. It glowed a little under the night sky.

    The sculpture¡¯s appearance was that of a woman. She wore a white dress and a silk belt. Her sleeves were floating, and a moon adorned the top of her head. She was carrying a jade rabbit in her hands and surrounded by starlight. Her feet were surrounded by cyan frost. She looked aloof, holy, noble, and mysterious like a celestial of the Moon Pce; a divine being who resided in the heavens.

    ¡°The Moon God?¡±

    The name naturally shed through Ye Qing¡¯s mind when he saw the statue.

    The Moon God¡¯s¡ªalso known as the Moon Empress or the Moon Mistress¡ªfull title was Yellow Radiance in Glory Original Spirit Sacred Moon Empress of the Shang Qing Moon Pce. She was an ancient deity.

    @@novelbin@@

    It was well known that the tribes of Nanjiang revered the moon and worshiped the Moon God, and the statue before him looked almost the same as the Moon God described in the books. Therefore, it was most likely a statue of the Moon God.

    Right now, Meng Feixue, Grandma Yu, Elder Soul Sacrifice and more were setting up an altar in front of the statue. They had all changed into luxurious attire, and they were currently cing offerings such as livestocks, candles, bell-cauldrons and more.

    Meng Feixue dropped what she was doing and weed Feng Qingyou as soon as she saw her.

    ¡°How is the arrangement going?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost done, though the moon worshiping ritual itself would take about one incense stick to conduct,¡± Meng Feixue answered. ¡°ording to Ke Bing, Barbarian yer is only a kilometer or two away from us. They will arrive long before the ritual isplete.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Leave this to me and just focus onpleting the ritual,¡± Feng Qingyou said smilingly.

    ¡°Got it. Be careful,¡± Meng Feixue warned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be fine,¡± Feng Qingyou assured her.

    Meng Feixue then turned to Ye Qing and warned in a harsher tone, ¡°Take care of Qingyou. I wille for you if even a hair on her person is harmed.¡±

    Ye Qing did not try to act flippant. He simply responded with a short but serious, ¡°Got it.¡±

    Feng Qingyou smiled, turned away, and departed for the outer city. Ye Qing followed closely behind her.

    Zheng Rong, Zheng Shan and their men were already standing by on the city gate tower by the time they arrived. They were all wearing stern expressions on their faces.

    The one road connecting the city to the shore had already been withdrawn. Landwise, the Nanjiang Royal Court was nowpletely cut off from the outside world.

    ¡°Miss...¡±

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    Zhen Rong, Zheng Shan and their men greeted Feng Qingyou respectfully as soon as they saw her.

    Feng Qingyou acknowledged their greeting with a nod before asking, ¡°Where is the Chu army right now?¡±

    Zheng Rong reported dutifully, ¡°Barbarian yer is less than a kilometer away from us. Wilnd Suppression is two point five kilometers away from us. We haven¡¯t heard anything about King yer.¡±

    Feng Qingyou replied indifferently, ¡°If you haven¡¯t heard anything, then King yer must be almost upon us.¡±

    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be¡ª¡±

    Zheng Shan frowned and instinctively wanted to mouth a retort. Before he could finish though, he caught a glimpse of Feng Qingyou¡¯s cool expression, seemingly recalled something, and actually broke out in cold sweat. He hurriedly apologized, ¡°Forgive me, miss. This subordinate should know better than to question you.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Zheng Rong asked.

    ¡°We need to split up and dy them before they reach the city. They must not be allowed to meet up with each other,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving the city? Is that... wise, Miss?¡±

    Zheng Rong considered his words carefully as he argued, ¡°Our enemy vastly outnumbers us. Only by relying on the city¡¯s defenses do we have a chance at winning. Isn¡¯t it suicide to split up and meet them outside the city?¡±

    ¡°You are wrong. It is precisely because we arecking numbers that we need to head out and dy them.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°If the Nanjiang Royal Court¡¯s protective array is still intact, then you are right. The Moon God Lake would naturally keep our enemies at bay. However, the protective array is destroyed, so we are like an isted ind that is exposed from all sides and without even a single wall to hide behind.¡±

    ¡°As you say, our numbers are limited. If Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer choose to attack us from one side, then we can handle them. But if they attack us from three or even four sides at once, then there will certainly be gaps in our defenses. We won¡¯t be able to deal with all of them.¡±

    ¡°This is why the only way to snatch victory is to dy them before they reach the city.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t we have the Eight Divine Armors? Isn¡¯t that enough to keep them at bay?¡± Ye Qing interrupted with a question.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Feng Qingyou nced at him and said seriously, ¡°Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer aren¡¯t just the elites of the Nanjiang Pacification Army. Each army is equipped with an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact as well.¡±

 Chapter 1016: Take Care

    <h4>Chapter 1016: Take Care </h4>

    ¡°They each have an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact?¡± Ye Qing eximed with surprise.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Feng Qingyou confirmed, ¡°they wield the Heaven Destroying Jar, the Spirit Suppressing Pearl, and the King ying Sword respectively.¡±

    ¡°All three Strange Artifacts are quite deadly in their own right, and they are only deadlier when activated by a ten thousand-strong army formation. Combined with the fact that each army is overflowing with powerful warriors, it is unrealistic to think that the Eight Divine Armors alone are enough to keep them at bay.¡±

    ¡°More importantly, the Moon Praying Ceremony is very, very loud. As soon as our enemies realize what we¡¯re doing, they will do everything in their power to stop us. If the Moon Praying Ceremony is interrupted, then all of our efforts would be for naught.¡±

    Zheng Rong and Zheng Shan¡¯s face turned grave. ¡°You are absolutely right, miss. We should¡¯ve known better.¡±

    ¡°Alright, how are we going to do this?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Zheng Rong, Zheng Shan, I want the two of you and all of your men to guard the Nanjiang Royal Court.¡±

    Feng Qingyou instructed, ¡°Assuming my predictions are correct, the first army to arrive at the Nanjiang Royal Court must be King yer.¡±

    ¡°Say, where is Profound Spirit Taoist?¡± Ye Qing suddenly asked a question that seemed rather out of ce.

    ¡°I¡¯ve removed him from the walls since we¡¯re going to fight soon,¡± Zheng Rong replied instinctively.

    ¡°Bring him back,¡± Feng Qingyou instructed. ¡°Knock him out and suspend him on the walls. Then, withdraw into the city, every single one of you. Do not reveal your faces to the enemies.¡±

    ¡°But... why?¡± Zheng Shan looked more confused than ever.

    ¡°Th Empty Fort Strategy?¡± Ye Qing said subconsciously.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡± Feng Qingyou shot Ye Qing a curious look before exining, ¡°Remember that our goal is to dy the Chu army, not fight with them.¡±

    @@novelbin@@

    ¡°ording to my knowledge, the great general of King yer, Jin Wujiu, is an exceptionally cunning and intelligent man. He is known to make a move only if he has sufficient information and has plotted out every possibility and oue. To put it nicely, he is a cautious and meticulous man who ns far ahead. To put it bluntly, he is excessively paranoid and cannot help but see shadows at every corner.¡±

    ¡°When they arrive, Jin Wujiu will notice that Profound Spirit Taoist is hanging on the wall for some reason, and our men are conspicuously missing. He will surely suspect an ambush or something of simr nature. Until he figures out exactly what is going on inside the city, he will never attack.¡±

    ¡°Jin Wujiu would only grow even more certain about his paranoia once we¡¯ve made contact with the other two armies. He will most likely turn around and leave to assist his fellow armies instead. Assuming all goes well, we would be able to buy a massive amount of time without losing a single soldier.¡±

    Zheng Rong and Zheng Shan weren¡¯t speaking, but their eyes were shining with clear respect.

    ¡°Of course, although I¡¯m confident in my predictions, I am just a mortal. Assuming I was wrong, you must defend the Nanjiang Royal Court to thest even if it costs you all your lives.¡±

    ¡°We understand and obey, miss.¡± Zheng Rong and Zheng Shan sped their fists and dered firmly.

    ¡°If we are staying, who will intercept Barbarian yer and Wilnd Suppression, miss?¡± Zheng Rong asked.

    ¡°We will,¡± Feng Qingyou pointed at Ye Qing.

    ¡°Just the two of you?¡± Zheng Rong and Zheng Shan eximed in surprise, though not Ye Qing. He had had a vague feeling from the moment Feng Qingyou ordered Zheng Rong and Zheng Shan to stay behind.

    ¡°Specifically, the two of us and the Eight Divine Armors will go,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°That¡¯s too much! Allow me and my best men to join you, Miss!¡± Zheng Rong argued.

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯lle as well,¡± Zheng Shan said as well.

    ¡°No thanks,¡± Feng Qingyou rejected their request mercilessly. ¡°You need to stay here just in case my predictions go wrong.¡±

    ¡°Besides, all of you are too weak. Bringing you with us would only increase our chances of being exposed and even reveal to our enemies that we are plotting something. Frankly, your presence is useless at best or actively detrimental at worst.¡±

    Zheng Rong: ¡°...¡±

    Zheng Shan: ¡°...¡±

    Long story short, she thought that they were too weak to be useful.

    ¡°But...¡±

    Zheng Rong wanted to argue some more, but Feng Qingyou interrupted him, ¡°Time is running short. Obey and do as I say.¡±

    ¡°As youmand.¡± The two men did not dare to argue.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Feng Qingyou cast Ye Qing a nce before leaping off the city gate tower and flying off toward the jungle.

    Ye Qing was following right behind her.

    ¡°Can the two of us and the Eight Divine Armors really dy the Barbarian yer and Wild Suppression?¡± Ye Qing asked while flying beside Feng Qingyou.

    ¡°We can,¡± Feng Qingyou dered without hesitation. ¡°Oh right, I forgot to tell you, but the two armies may not be our only opponents. There could be a Sage as well.¡±

    <i>¡°Excuse you?!¡±</i>

    Ye Qing lost control of his qi and nearly fell from the sky when he heard this. <i>A Sage?! Does she have a death wish?!</i>

    ¡°Chu¡¯s eastern, southern, western, and northern armies all have Sages in them, though the Nanjiang Pacification Army only has one Sage because the Nanjiang Royal Court is weak. His name is Wei Nanhua, and he is currently watching the Sky Mending Sect to prevent them from interfering with this war.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°However, there is a high chance Profound Spirit Taoist had notified Wei Nanhua about our activities, so...¡±

    ¡°So Wei Nanhua ising to kick our asses?¡± Ye Qing visibly trembled at the news.

    ¡°He is,¡± Feng Qingyou murmured, ¡°but how soon he¡¯ll show up is a question. Does the Sky Mending Sect still remember their old bond with the Meng n? Could they really stand and do nothing while foreigners are running amok in Nanjiang?¡±

    ¡°I think not. So Wei Nanhua will arrive, but he most likely won¡¯t arrive fast enough to interfere with our operation.¡±

    ¡°... If he¡¯s not going to show up in time, then why did you bring him up?¡± Ye Qing asked in confusion. He only made out one thing from Feng Qingyou¡¯s reply, and that was that Wei Nanhua most likely wouldn¡¯t arrive in time. After all, when Feng Qingyou used words like ¡°most likely¡±, she usually meant ¡°definitely¡±.

    ¡°Tofort you, duh.¡±

    Feng Qingyou smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel much more confident now that you know that you don¡¯t have to fight off a Sage as well?¡±

    Ye Qing: ¡°...¡±

    <i>You sure have a strange way offorting people, girl.</i>

    ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the details of our operation, Qingyou,¡± Ye Qing changed the subject.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple.¡±

    Feng Qingyou began, ¡°We¡¯re going to split the Eight Armors into three groups. I will take the Qian Armor and Kun Armor and ambush the nearest Barbarian yer. You will take the Xun Armor, Zhen Armor and Gen Armor and lie in ambush on the path Wilnd Suppression is sure to pass through. You will attack them when you deem the time is right and stall them. Finally, the Kan Armor, Li Armor and Dui Armor will be deployed against King yer.¡±

    ¡°Remember, our goal is to dy the enemy, not kill them. Don¡¯t try to fight them head on, and if possible, try to use everything around you¡ªthe terrain, the weather, the native Strangers etc¡ªto stall them.¡±

    ¡°How long do I need to dy them, exactly?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°It takes an incense stick to carry out the Moon Praying Ceremony.¡± Feng Qingyou said, ¡°But of course, we don¡¯t need to dy our quarry for that long. In fact, we need to return to the Nanjiang Royal Court before the Moon Praying Ceremony isplete.¡±

    ¡°When it is time, I will message you using the Hundred Kilometers Flying Voice Talisman. You will withdraw as soon as you receive my message.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to transfer the method to control the Divine Armors to you now.¡± Feng Qingyou turned around and nted a finger on Ye Qing¡¯s forehead. An incredibly profound spell immediately appeared inside his headspace.

    At the same time, he felt a thread appearing between himself and the Xun Armor, Zhen Armor, and Gen Armor. Now, he could control them with a single thought.

    ¡°Done. This is where we part ways.¡±

    After transferring the method to Ye Qing, Feng Qingyou said, ¡°Remember, nothing is more than your safety. If necessary, do not hesitate to sacrifice the Divine Armors to save yourself.¡±

    ¡°Mm, I will.¡±

    Ye Qing blurred and reappeared a far distance away from Feng Qingyou. He was about to leave when suddenly, the woman called out to him lightly, ¡°Joyless...¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Ye Qing looked back thinking that she had more instructions to give him.

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    Feng Qingyou gave him a smile, and it looked so beautiful that it was like a dream, stunning throughout the ages.

    ¡°You too, Qingyou.¡±

    The heavy weight in Ye Qing¡¯s heart abruptly disappeared. His body felt light, and his mind felt fully in control.

    ¡°See you in a bit.¡±

    Ye Qing returned a sunny grin and took his leave.

 Chapter 1017: King Slayer, Wildland Suppression

    Outside the Nanjiang Royal Court, a massive, wriggling patch of shadow appeared in front of the Nanjiang Royal Court in the blink of an eye.

    It wasn¡¯t until it stepped under the starry sky that its true form was revealed.

    It was no shadow. It was a group of soldiers.

    The soldiers wore ck masks and ck soft armor. They carried short des and hand crossbows on their waist, and they all sported prodigious aura. They leaked almost no energy and made no noise despite running as fast as the wind, however. One could almost mistake them for a part of the night.

    The soft armor the soldiers wore were iparable to heavy armor in terms of defense, of course. Their weaponry seemed rather simple as well. However, those watching closely would realize that their soft armor and their boots were giving off a dark glow, and their short des and hand crossbows sported ferocious auras.

    Clearly, every single one of their equipment was a Strange Artifact. Not only that, they were Strange Artifacts that any <em>jianghu </em>warrior would fight to the death to obtain.

    Some might say that equipment was ultimately, just that, equipment. No amount of extraordinary equipment could save a worthless wielder from their own ipetence. That wasn¡¯t the case for these soldiers, however. Their aura was thick and strong, and their spirit was full andplete. It was clear that their cultivation levels were high.

    They were none other than the famous, terror-striking army of Chu, the King yer Army.

    King yer was an army that excelled at stealth and covering long distances. They were normally deployed to assassinate or ambush a target. That was why the soldiers were wearing soft armor and wielding short des and hand crossbows. It allowed them to assassinate their enemies in perfect silence after a sessful infiltration.King yer abruptly came to a stop when they reached the edge of the Moon God Lake. Like a ck tide, they were thunderous when on the move but maiden-like when they were still.

    ¡°Is that the advisor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Everyone noticed that Profound Spirit Taoist was hanging on the city walls. Such was their shock that some of the soldiers could not help but break out in hushed whispers.

    A man from in front of the army, and the hushed discussions and exmations of surprise all disappeared into silence.

    The man was short, slender, and ordinary-looking. His aura was nothing special as well. If not for the fact that he was waving his hand, he was the kind of person who could step into a crowd and just disappear.

    He was the great general of the King yer Army, Jin Wujiu.

    Jin Wujiu¡¯s appearance might be perfectly ordinary, but his reputation was anything but. In fact, he was the kind of person parents used to scare their young into silence at night not just in the Nanjiang Pacification Army, but Chu itself.

    ¡°Is that the advisor, great general?¡±

    Standing next to Jin Wujiu, the left battalionmander of King yer, Nian Fu, asked gravely.

    ¡°It is him,¡± Jin Wujiu replied in a cold, sharp voice that sounded like a de being unsheathed. ¡°The advisor¡¯sst message imed that he would be able to hold out for two hours at the minimum, and yet he was captured long before the promised hour. Something huge must have urred within the Nanjiang Royal Court.¡±

    ¡°The remnants of the Meng n could have other treasures rivaling that of the Eight Divine Armors, or they have other reinforcements. However they managed to achieve victory, it is bad news for us.¡±

    ¡°What should we do now? Do we save the advisor, or¡­?¡± Nian Fu asked after a moment of silence.

    ¡°The enemy is aware that we¡¯reing, but we are unaware of what they have in store for us. Now is not a good time to act,¡± Jin Wujiiu analyzed. ¡°There¡¯s no one on the walls right now, and yet the Meng n remnants dared to suspend our advisor on the city gate. Something must be bolstering their confidence.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, they are attempting to provoke us into a rash rescue. Once we¡¯re inside the city, they will spring their trap and ambush us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, there is also the possibility that this is just a bluff.¡±

    ¡°Should I send someone to test if it¡¯s a trap or a bluff?¡± Nian Fu asked.

    Jin Wujiu considered this for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°There is no need to risk our men. Remember that time is on our side, not theirs. Barbarian yer and Wilnd Suppression are right behind us. Once they arrive, the three of us will be able to crush any plot they have in store.¡±

    ¡°Wisely said, general,¡± Nian Fu echoed in agreement.

    ¡°Tell the men that we will be resting for a bit. No one is to move carelessly without my orders,¡± Jin Wujiu ordered.

    ¡°As youmand.¡± Nian Fu left to carry out his orders.

    ¡°The remnants of the Meng n, huh? Hmph. They have no idea about the disparity between our strength.¡± Jin Wujiu stared at Profound Spirit Taoist on the city gate with a steely expression.

    Inside the city, Zheng Shan licked his dry lips and asked nervously, ¡°Hey¡­ do you fall for the bluff, or¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Zheng Rong shook his head and said seriously, ¡°Whatever the case, we obey the Miss¡¯ orders. If the enemy doesn¡¯t make a move, then we won¡¯t either. If they do, then we will fight them to the death.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Worstes to worst, I won¡¯t allow them to set one foot inside the Nanjiang Royal Court,¡± Zheng Shan growled viciously.

    Suddenly, Zheng Rong¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°They stopped. I think they¡¯re resting.¡±

    ¡°They really are! The Miss¡¯ prediction is spot on!¡± Zheng Shan looked overjoyed. ¡°She truly is one of a kind!¡±

    ¡°Still, we mustn¡¯t be careless. Send the word and remind everyone to be on high alert. Just because our enemies are reacting as we predicted doesn¡¯t mean that we should lower our guard,¡± Zheng Rong ordered.

    ¡°Righto!¡± Zheng Shan replied and turned to leave.

    ¡°I hope things are going smoothly for the Miss as well¡­¡±

    Zheng Rong whispered hopefully as he stared at Zheng Shan¡¯s departing back.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Is this the acimed Wilnd Suppression Army? They definitely deserve their reputation.¡±

    On a cliff, Ye Qing was looking down on an army wearing dark armor, wielding long sabers, and riding strange horses with admiration in his eyes.

    Normally, Nanjiang¡¯s tall mountains and thick jungles rendered all horses and cavalrymen useless. This was not the case for the Wilnd Suppression Army. Their strange mounts were navigating through the treacherous terrain like it was the t ins, moving nimbly like fishes and swiftly like lightning.

    Wilnd Suppression was the one and only cavalry squadron in the Nanjiang Pacification Army. However, they were famous not just in Chu, but throughout the the four nations.

    Over a decade ago, the ten thousand strong Wilnd Suppression Army covered five hundred kilometers in a single night to stab Nanjiang¡¯s army of over a hundred thousands in the back,intercepting their army provisions and supplies. It was a battle that shocked the world and paved the way for Guo Ximian to trample over Nanjiang.

    So, how did Wilnd Suppression manage to travel five hundred kilometers in one night? It was all thanks to their strange mounts.

    A Hatred-ss Stranger, ck Wind was shaped like a horse but shorter than one. It was also covered in dark gray scales. Not only did it excel at navigating mountainous and jungle terrains, it was as swift as the wind. That was why it was named ck Wind, and why the Wilnd Suppression was able to cross five hundred kilometers of mountains and jungles like it was the nds and pull off an impossible attack.

    Of course, ck Wind wasn¡¯t without its ws. ck Wind was native to Nanjiang, and it could be artificially raised and bred after taming as well. However, its reproduction rate was pretty low, and its lifespan was extraordinarily short. An adult ck Wind could only live for a year. As a result, it was difficult to breed and raise them en masse, nor was it easy to introduce them to other regions. That was why the entire Nanjiang Pacification Army only had ten thousand or so ck Winds.

    Ye Qing took a moment to observe the Wilnd Suppression Army and gauge their movement speed. Then, he leaped off the cliff.

    At the bottom of the cliff was a river valley. It was long and narrow and surrounded by sheer cliffs.

    From his earlier observations, Ye Qing judged that the Wilnd Suppression Army must pass through this river valley to reinforce the Barbarian yer Army. They could circumvent it, but it would add an entire hour to their travel time, so they wouldn¡¯t do that.

    Naturally, this was the best spot for him to stall Wilnd Suppression.

    After circling around the river valley and observing the terrain a little while longer, Ye Qing began arranging the stuff he had prepared earlier. Then, he leaped into the air, waited until his momentum was spent, grabbed a protruding rock with his right hand, changed his breath, and leaped into the air once more. Like an agile spirit ape, he reached the top of the cliff in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±@@novelbin@@

    Ye Qing let out a small sigh of relief and cracked a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s up to Qingyou now.¡±

 Chapter 1019: Bone Rakshasa, Three Axes of Confusion

    <h4>Chapter 1019: Bone Rakshasa, Three Axes of Confusion </h4>

    ¡°Please answer my call, Mister Ksa...¡± Duan Pofeng said while praying to the ksa.

    An old man with white hair and a long beard appeared above the ksa. He let out azy yawn and asked, ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    Duan Pofeng said in a respectful tone, ¡°Mister Ksa, please perform the Fiend Suppressing Mind Returning Spell, suppress their Stranger bloodline, dispel their anger, and restore their minds.¡±

    ¡°Same old, huh? Oh my, it looks pretty serious this time.¡±

    The old man spun the ksa around to check out the soldiers fighting each other at the distance and lifted his beard. ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be easy, man. It¡¯s going to empty me to dispel their anger and suppress their bloodline. No, no, I can¡¯t do this... unless...¡±

    ¡°Unless?¡± Duan Pofeng asked in a hurry.

    ¡°Unless... you pay me an extra girl!¡± Mister Ksa dered.

    ¡°No problem. You can have as many as you want.¡± Duan Pofeng was very familiar with the artifact spirit¡¯s personality and so did not try to haggle with it.

    The ksa¡¯s full name was the ¡°Ksa That Speaks Of Willow Branch¡±. A Disaster-ss Strange Artifact, it was both intelligent and sentient. Although it possessed no offensive capabilities whatsoever, it had two powerful Magia known as Sweet Rain of Rejuvenation and the Evil Suppressing Mind Returning Spell.

    Sweet Rain of Rejuvenation summoned a rejuvenating rain capable of healing one¡¯s wounds, restoring severed limbs, and bringing someone back from the brink of death. It could heal anyone below the Spirit Master stage back to full health in a short time so long as their injury wasn¡¯t fatal.

    On the other hand, the Evil Suppressing Mind Returning Spell could dispel one¡¯s anger, focus one¡¯s mind, and suppress the bacsh of a Stranger bloodline.

    That was why the Ksa That Speaks Of Willow Branch was not inferior to some offensive-type Strange Artifacts. In fact, it was even named on the ¡°Strange Artifact Register¡±.

    For the Barbarian yer Army, the Ksa That Speaks Of Willow Branch was practically a second life. Not only could it be used to heal one¡¯s injuries, it could suppress the bacsh of a Stranger bloodline on arge scale. In that sense, it was even more useful than their Ancient-ss Strange Artifact, the Heaven Destroying Jar.

    That was why everyone in Barbarian yer treated the Ksa That Speaks Of Willow Branch and its artifact spirit like a living deity or Bodhisattva. They did not hesitate to fulfill Mister Ksa¡¯s every whim.

    Luckily¡ªor unluckily, depending on one¡¯s perspective¡ªthe Ksa That Speaks Of Willow Branch¡¯s artifact spirit was entric. And how was he entric, exactly? Long story short, he was a lecher.

    No, Mister Ksa did not like exquisite bottles or containers despite his true form. He adored beautiful women.

    Every time it used its power, the army had to gather a bunch of beautiful women¡ªthree or five were usually enough¡ªand have them hug him for several days straight. They couldn¡¯t just find a random woman with above average looks either. They must be stunning above a certain standard.

    Long story short, Mister Ksa was a pure lecher.

    Still, considering that the price one usually paid to use a Strange Artifact was the wielder¡¯s health, life, or everyone¡¯s lives, Mister Ksa was definitely one of the friendlier artifact spirits out there.

    ¡°As many as I want? It¡¯s a promise!¡±

    Saliva poured out of Mister Ksa¡¯s mouth like a waterfall as he daydreamed, ¡°Hahaha... wait for me, dearies! I¡¯ming!¡±

    ¡°People are dying, Mister Ksa. Please save them already!¡± Duan Pofeng urged, unable to wait until Mister Ksa was done with his daydream.

    ¡°Fine, fine. Ugh, youngsters these days have no idea how to respect their elders!¡± Mister Ksa grumbled under his breath. Then, a pair of thin, long elbows grew out of the ksa¡¯s sides and grabbed the willow branch.

    Mister Ksa raised the willow branch and prepared to cast his spell when suddenly, he froze in mid-air as if he just saw something unbelievable.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Duan Pofeng asked in puzzlement.

    ¡°By the bubbliest butt!¡±

    As if Duan Pofeng¡¯s question had jolted him out of his shock, Mister Ksa abruptly grew two legs underneath the ksa, jumped off Duan Pofeng¡¯s palm, and ran.

    At this point, it became clear to Duan Pofeng that he was in danger. He abruptly became so thin that he was skin and bones and grew countless bone spikes out of his back. Then, heunched himself backward.

    Duan Pofeng¡¯s Stranger bloodline originated from the Bone Rakshasa[1] The Bone Rakshasa was a Disaster-ss Stranger, and it loved nothing more than to wear human skin and dismantle human bones. Wherever it traveled, the bones piled like mountains, and the blood ran like rivers.

    One of the most defining characteristics of the Bone Rakshasa was its ability to control the growth and shape of its bones. If even one bone in its body was still intact, it could never die.

    As the Strangerkin of the Bone Rakshasa, Duan Pofeng too possessed the ability to control the shape and growth of his bones. That was how he was able to transform his bones into spikes and extend them out of his body.

    The bony spikes were white and translucent. Bones were usually associated with horror and fear, but not these ones. In fact, they looked rather beautiful.

    Of course, anyone who was stupid enough to underestimate these spikes because they were beautiful would not live to regret their mistake. Not only were they sharp enough to rival some of the best-forged weapons out there, it was coated in deadly poison as well. If the spike managed to pierce one¡¯s skin, then they would immediately melt into a pool of fleshy goo and an ugly skeleton in less than an hour.

    Therefore, this back throw could kill most enemies upon impact.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Unfortunately, it was Duan Pofeng who turned as pale as a sheet. It was because he felt as if he had thrown his back against a mountain. Forget pushing them off bnce or skewering them where they stood, he was the one who was sent reeling from the impact. He could feel that some of his bone spikes were cracked or broken as well.

    Despite the failed assault, Duan Pofeng did not panic. Instead, he pivoted on his feet and swung his right arm at his enemy like it was an axe.

    In fact, Duan Pofeng¡¯s right arm had burst out of his flesh and blood and grown to the size of a pir as it swung toward his attacker. At the same time, the bones of his hand stretched forward and grew into a millstone-sized axe head.

    Right now, his arm was as thick as a pir, and it was about three meters long. The axe was as big as a millstone, and the edge was jagged and sharp like many rows of teeth.

    As the giant axe cut through the air, haloes of power rippled out of its surface and conjured many illusions that seemed to describe the fall of deities and the death of Buddhas.

    It was an axe that could y a celestial. Hence, it was named the Celestial Killing Axe.

    <i>THANG!</i>

    However, when his axe finallynded on his attacker, it elicited a loud, potent impact that could only be described as metallic. At the same time, the shockwave cracked the ground within a radius of tens of meters, injuring or killing the unfortunate soldiers who failed to dodge out of the way in time.

    For a moment, Duan Pofeng could only stare at his attacker with wide, shocked eyes.

    The reason was simple. His attack... was blocked.

    He could understand why his bone spikes were blocked. It was a reactionary attack executed in haste after all. But this was the Celestial Killing Axe, one of the greatest techniques he knew of!

    The Celestial Killing Axe was one of the key techniques of the ¡°Three Axes of Confusion¡±. A man named Cheng Tianyang had created the ¡°Three Axes of Confusion¡± a hundred years ago. Supposedly, a celestial had taught Cheng Tianyang the axe art, and that the axe art originally boasted thirty six techniques. Unfortunately, he was stupid and untalented, so he only remembered three after he awoke back to reality.

    Although he only knew three axe techniques, the power they boasted were no joke. Thanks to them, he came to earn the moniker ¡°Demon King of Confusion[2]¡± and made quite the name for himself. The three axe techniques were eventually named the ¡°Three Axes of Confusion¡±, and they were Demon ying, Buddha Ending, and Celestial Killing respectively.

    It was absolutely possible that the stories regarding Cheng Tianyang and his axe techniques were exaggerated, distorted, or outright fabricated in some cases. However, the ¡°Three Axes of Confusion¡± was definitely powerful.

    The ¡°Three Axes of Confusion¡± boasted no exquisite skill nor unnecessary variation. Their principles were very simple, and that was an overwhelming strength that could cut even celestial or Buddha.

    As a Strangerkin of the Bone Rakshasa, Duan Pofeng cultivated his bones and not his flesh and blood. Even so, he was strong enough to rival Grandmasters who specifically honed the body. Therefore, the ¡°Three Axes of Confusion¡± was verypatible with him.

    He dared not say that he could actually cut a celestial or kill a god with an axe strike, but he dared say that not even a Half-Sage would dare to take his attack head on.

    This time though, his opponent had blocked his attack. This sounded whiny, but the problem was that his opponent had caught the de of his axe with his bare hand as if he was an adult male gently stopping a child from iling his toy weapon dangerously. It was definitely humiliating and even more frightening.

    1. If you guys remember, this guy was once on disy at the Ghost Tower all the way back at chapter 300+. ?

    @@novelbin@@

    2. An official term btw. Not exactly the most urate trantion in my opinion but it¡¯s good enough. ?

 Chapter 1020: Rakshasa Battles The Kun Armor

    <h4>Chapter 1020: Rakshasa Battles The Kun Armor </h4>

    ¡°The Kun Armor!¡±

    Duan Pofeng¡¯s eyes widened, and hisplexion grew paler when he finally recognized his attacker.

    The Eight Divine Armors were extremely famous. It was why he had personally paid them a visit after conquering the Nanjiang Royal Court. Naturally, he was able to recognize it at first nce.

    The Kun Armor he saw in the secret room was cold, lifeless, and weak though. This one was beyond powerful and terrifying.

    ¡°The remnants of the Meng n!¡±

    Duan Pofeng did not hesitate. He immediately backed away from the Kun Armor and detonated the giant axe his arm had transformed into. A million shrapnels immediately shot toward the Kun Armor like arrows.

    The Kun Armor was an inanimate object, but it was also a bonafide Sage. If the Kun Armor was here, then the Eight Divine Armors could be here as well. He could deal with one Divine Armor, but two? Three? He could only be dead.

    That was why he did not hesitate to beat a hasty retreat. He couldn¡¯t allow himself to be pincered by two or more Divine Armors.

    To Duan Pofeng¡¯s credit, he reacted swiftly and decisively. The problem was that the Kun Armor was no slower than him.

    The Kun Armor paid no attention to the shower of bone shrapnels whatsoever. The deadly projectiles bounced off its body as harmlessly as cotton.

    The Kun Armor took a step forward and executed Earth Contraction, crossing tens of meters of distance in just the blink of an eye. It appeared right in front of Duan Pofeng and threw a punch.

    As soon as the punch emerged, the ground split open, and the stone and soil rose into the air tobine into a dark yellow dragon.

    A dragon had descended upon the battlefield, and its blood was dark yellow in color.

    Duan Pofeng was given no chance to dodge. The dark yellow dragon struck him squarely on the chest and sent him flying toward the distance like a cannonball.

    As Duan Pofeng was propelled away, the Kun Armor grasped its fists and hammered the ground. Countless earthen spikes immediately shot out of the ground within a radius of dozens of meters.

    Caught off guard, the several hundred Barbarian yer soldiers who were fighting among themselves were skewered without resistance.

    Not only that, the earthen spikes were rippling outward like a wave, killing and injuring many more soldiers in the process.

    ¡°Bastard!¡±

    Duan Pofeng was enraged. The earthen spikes could not hurt him one bit. Even his soldiers would have been fine if they were able to form an army formation.

    Unfortunately, therge majority of his soldiers had lost their minds and were busy killing each other right now. Naturally, they couldn¡¯t defend themselves.

    At this point, it became absolutely clear that the bloodline bacsh and loss of sanity Barbarian yer was facing was triggered by the Meng n remnants.

    There was no time to think. After arresting himself and roaring, Duan Pofeng turned around and charged toward the Kun Armor.

    The Kun Armor boasted the strength of a Sage, and Barbarian yer was unable to form an effective army formation right now. For them to go up against the Kun Armor was like pitting an egg against a stone. If he did not stop this, Barbarian yer would suffer massive casualties for sure.

    As he ran toward the Kun Armor, Duan Pofeng grewrger and taller. He burst out of his flesh and blood like they were just clothes and grew into a thirty-meter tall bone giant.

    The next moment, the bone giant became wreathed in cold, white mes. The mes felt eerie and evil as well.

    The mes spread to the surroundings and melted the flesh and blood of the corpses on the earthen spikes, leaving behind only their skeletons. Then, the bones flowed toward the bone giant like tidewater, forming a bony armor around its body and a massive bone axe in its hand.

    Duan Pofeng had nearly cultivated his Bone Rakshasa bloodline to the max and be like the true Bone Rakshasa. He had given up on his flesh and blood and focused on his bones only. He could control every bone in the world for his own use.

    Seeing Duan Pofeng¡¯s charge, the Kun Armor plunged its hands into the ground and heaved.

    The entire chunk of ground was flipped into the air like it was a piece of fabric.

    @@novelbin@@

    Duan Pofeng brought his giant axe with one mighty swing, and the tidal wave of earth was split in half.

    Then, the axe made contact with the Kun Armor¡¯s fist.

    There was a huge impact. The axe strike mmed the Kun Armor into the underground, but Duan Pofeng himself was pushed back from the Kun Armor. As he staggered, his axe crumbled into fine powder, and parts of his bone armor were sted to smithereens.

    Still, more bones were being absorbed into his body and repairing the damaged bone armor.

    This was one of the Blood Rakshasa bloodline¡¯s greatest strengths.

    <i>Rumble!</i>

    It was at this moment the ground behind Duan Pofeng exploded. Then, the Kun Armor leaped out and threw a punch at Duan Pofeng¡¯s back.

    The punch resonated with the ground, and mountain and water seemed to join in with the punch.

    Duan Pofeng¡¯s head turned a hundred and eighty degrees backward as a third arm grew out of his back. Each arm wielded a giant axe and executed Demon ying, Buddha Ending, and Celestial Killing respectively.

    Together, the Three Axes of Confusion seemed capable of killing any demon, buddha or celestial and stirring the world into chaos.

    <i>Rumble...</i>

    This time, the Kun Armor was pushed back three hundred meters. Duan Pofeng¡¯s bones exploded to smithereens once more.

    The next moment, the Kun Armor ran toward Duan Pofeng with footsteps as heavy as mountains. Literally, the ground was shaking like a high magnitude earthquake, and anyone unfortunate enough to be standing in its path exploded into a shower of blood and gore upon contact.

    The scattered bones converged into separate locations and formed thirty six bone humanoids.

    The bone humanoids looked no different from the bone giant Duan Pofeng had transformed into earlier. They were just several times smaller. That by no means meant that they could be underestimated, however. Every single bone humanoid gave off an evil aura and felt as strong as a Trueman.

    The next moment, the thirty six bone humanoids charged toward the Kun Armor and fought against it.

    Although the Kun Armor boasted the power of a Sage, and Duan Pofeng was no match against it, his Bone Rakshasa bloodline gave him extraordinary vitality and various anomalous abilities. It allowed him to put on a good fight against the Kun Armor for a time.

    Duan Pofeng knew that it was only temporary though. It was only a matter of time before the Kun Armor killed him.

    At first, he thought that he could handle the Kun Armor. It might be as strong as a Sage, but it was also an inanimate object. He thought for sure that human intelligence would be enough to bridge the gap to an extent.

    It wasn¡¯t until he fought the Kun Armor for real that he realized his folly. The Kun Armor might be an inanimate object, but it could control the earth, possessed immense strength, and was as tough and resilient as the ground. It was an opponent someone his level couldbat at all.

    The only thing he could do right now was to buytime until Kui Pingshan returned. Kui Pingshan was a Half-Sage, and the Barbarian yer Army¡¯s Disaster-ss Strange Artifact was with him. Unlike him, Kui Pingshan definitely possessed the strength tobat the Kun Armor and even defeat it.

    There was only one problem: Could Kui Pingshan make it back in time?

    ......

    Kui Pingshan probably couldn¡¯t make it back in time. It was because he was lost.

    Yes, he was lost.

    It sounded unbelievable, but he, Kui Pingshan, was definitely lost.

    Kui Pingshan was extremely angry and frustrated right now.

    He was angry because he, a Half Sage and a Strangerkin of the Evil Suppressing White Tiger capable of seeing far, far away and listening to everything within this range, was unable to walk out of a small forest.

    The forest was obviously small. The screams and noises sounded like the battle was happening right around the corner. But no matter what he tried, he just could not exit the forest or locate his troops. It was anomalous to say the least.

    It was almost as if he and his army existed in two separate worlds.

    ¡°Who dares to trick this general? Show yourself!¡±

    Kui Pingshan snarled as he swung his golden halberd wantonly.

    Every time he executed a swing, the force would split heaven and earth and smash every tree within a radius of tens of meters to smithereens. The surrounding mist was dispelled as well.

    ¡°Show yourself! Fight me fair and square!¡±

    Eyes bloodshot, Kui Pingshan roared at the top of his lungs as he destroyed anything and everything. Despite this, his efforts proved to be futile.

    Wan Pojiang and his personal guard were scattered throughout the area and attempting to find a way out of the rest or a w in the anomaly they were trapped inside. Despite this, they found nothing.

 Chapter 1021: A Wisp of Dark Wind Cuts Down The Heavens

    At a ce neither Kui Pingshan nor his men could see, Feng Qingyou was sitting crosslegged on a massive rock with an old qin ced in front of her.

    Her face was calm and expressionless as he plucked at the strings and elicited invisible ripples in the air.

    Floating beside Feng Qingyou was a ball of fog. Indistinct and constantly changing, the ball of fog resembled a round mirror about one meter in diameter. However, it seemed infinitely deep and vast, capable of amodating the immense earth and the boundless sky. It was quite mysterious and unusual to say the least.

    Even more unusual was the fact that Kui Pingshan, Wan Pojiang and their men were all trapped inside the ball of fog.

    Inside the fog, Kui Pingshan and his men rampaged around like wild boars but could never pass through the perimeter of the fog.

    Outside the fog, just sixty meters away from Feng Qingyou, the Kun Armor was fighting against Duan Pofeng, and the Barbarian yer Army among themselves.

    Not a single person was looking at Feng Qingyou though.

    She was the one behind everything, of course.

    It was her music that caused the Barbarian yer Army troops to suddenly suffer a bloodline bacsh and lose their minds.The name of the music was the ¡°Mantra of Confusion¡±. It could bring out one¡¯s heart demons and inner violence and induce them into confusion and insanity.

    Of course, the ¡°Mantra of Confusion¡± was just a catalyst. The true cause of their madness was the trees around them.

    These trees were no ordinary trees. They were a type of tree called the Calming Wood.

    The Calming Wood emitted an anomalous scent that was perfectly harmless to humans. In fact, it could soothe one¡¯s mind. However, if a Stranger or an animal were to smell it, they would be possessed by irritation and madness and fight among themselves. Many Stranger Hunters used the Calming Wood to hunt Strangers because of this characteristic.

    This was only possible if the target Stranger lingered long enough around the Calming Wood though. Moreover, the scent only worked on weaker Strangers.

    Therge majority of Barbarian yer soldiers possessed Stranger bloodlines. Their bloodlines were activated to a greater degree than most people due to their martial arts as well. As such, they were no different from Strangers despite sporting a human¡¯s appearance.

    That was why Feng Qingyou chose to sow the seeds of chaos amidst the Barbarian yer Army using the ¡°Mantra of Confusion¡±. It also elerated the effects of the Calming Woods. Her n worked. Barring those with higher cultivation and greater mental fortitude such as Duan Pofeng, practically everyone had sumbed to madness and were fighting each other to the death.

    The fog trapping Kui Pingshan was a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact called the Spirit Altar Space Mirror.

    There existed a world within the space of a spirit altar. When dispersed, Spirit Altar Space Mirror appeared to be mist or fog. When gathered in one spot, it appeared to be a mirror. It was capable of pulling an entire space of three hundred meters unto itself without a trace.

    To put it bluntly, the Spirit Altar Space Mirror was no different from ordinary mist or fog when it was dispersed. When its ¡°mirror¡± form was activated, it would draw in the space the mist was epassing including its living creatures into a separate space. The transition was seamless, and it was very difficult for the victims to break out of the space prison.

    ¡°There exists a meter of space on the spirit altar where gods and demons cannot leave, and celestials and Buddhas cannot cross over.¡± That was what the Spirit Altar Space Mirror was.

    Earlier, the Spirit Altar Space Mirror was in its dispersed form. Once Kui Pingshan and his personal guard had separated from the Barbarian yer Army, Feng Qingyou immediately activated its mirror form and trapped them all inside its pocket space.

    The reason she hadn¡¯t just trapped the entire army inside the Spirit Altar Space Mirror was because one, it wasn¡¯t powerful enough to pull off such a feat, and two, separating them was the best way to deal the most amount of damage to the Barbarian yer Army.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    On hisst legs, Duan Pofeng finally could not hang on any longer and was punched into fine bone powder by the Kun Armor. Then, the Kun Armor pounced on top of the Barbarian yer Army and ughtered them like sheep. Bloodcurdling screams filled the air as the army suffered huge losses.

    ¡°Argh! You cowardly mice!¡±

    Hearing the screams, Kui Pingshan finally could not hold back his killing intent any longer. Eyes bloodshot, he let out a roar and summoned a grayish, earthen jar above his head.

    The earthen jar was old, covered in cracks, and looked like nothing special. However, Wan Pojiang and his personal guards turned as white as a sheet as soon as they saw it.

    ¡°God Demon¡­ Come eat¡­¡±

    The next moment, a strange murmur came from inside the jar. It sounded both anomalous and filled with madness.

    The next moment, the light of reason in Kui Pingshan¡¯s personal guards¡¯s eyes¡ªall hundreds of them¡ªslowly disappeared, and they began making their way toward the earthen jar.@@novelbin@@

    Once there, the personal guards all dropped to their knees, cut open their chests with their own two hands, and ripped out their hearts. Then, they held their hearts high above their heads.

    Everyone¡¯s movement was uniform, and everyone¡¯s expression was respectful. They could not seem to feel any pain.

    ¡°God Demon¡­ Come eat¡­¡±

    ¡°God Demon¡­ Come eat¡­¡±

    ¡°God Demon¡­ Come eat¡­¡±

    The next moment, the personal guards touched their foreheads against the ground¡ªarms still raised high in the air, and chanted the strange mantra in perfect unison.

    As they chanted, the hearts actually began to grow eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, and four limbs. The facial features of the hearts looked almost identical to the personal guards themselves.

    ¡°God Demon¡­ Come eat¡­¡±

    ¡°God Demon¡­ Come eat¡­¡±

    ¡°God Demon¡­ Come eat¡­¡±

    Then, something even stranger happened. The hearts themselves began chanting the mantra while jumping off the personal guards¡¯ hands. They hopped over to the earthen jar and jumped inside.

    The horrifying sounds of chewing appeared as soon as the first heart leaped into the earthen jar. Bright red blood began seeping out of the cracks as well. Strangely, the blood did not fall off the jar and drip on the ground. Instead, they formed all sorts of wailing and screaming human faces. It was terrifying to say the least.

    At the same time, the personal guards who had cut out their own hearts slowly withered like a dead tree that was slowly being eroded away by time. Their bodies withered away into skeletons, and the skeletons eroded into fine powder.

    When everyone had turned into powder, the chewing noises finally came to a stop. The earthen jar no longer looked as dark and tattered as before either. It looked as good as new and bright red in color. A cloud of blood vapor emanating otherworldly whispers hovered above its opening, horrifying and strange.

    As the whispers continued, the entire forest began shaking for some reason. The nts, the rocks, even the earth began to wriggle unnaturally as if they hade alive.

    ¡°Please, God Demon¡­¡±

    Kui Pingshan said respectfully and prayed.

    <em>Boom¡­</em>

    A pir of thick red light burst out of the opening and into the sky. The sounds of drums filled the air, and countless celestials suddenly appeared in the clouds. At the same time, a terrifying god demon who was covered in blood took form on the ground.

    ¡°The heavens have nine levels. Is that all?¡±

    ¡°So what if there are a million celestials? They are all ants¡­¡±

    The god demon opened his mouth and blew out a wisp of dark wind.

    The wind rose, and the nine heavens were split. The sun and moon grew dim and lightless.

    The wind stilled, and the celestials fell like rain.

    ¡°Ants, that¡¯s all you are¡­ hahahahaha¡­¡±

    The god demon slowly vanished amidst theughter, leaving behind only gusts of dark wind.

    As the dark wind swept across the forest, the Spirit Altar Space Mirror¡¯s pocket space seemingly cracked under immense pressure and disintegrated inch by inch.

    Outside, the ball of fog abruptly exploded, and deadly shockwaves of dark wind withered every nt in the vicinity.

    At the same time, Kui Pingshan reappeared in the real world.

    The moment Kui Pingshan reappeared, he was immediately greeted by the sight of his devastated army. His rage was such that his eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets.

    Of course, he detected Feng Qingyou as well.

    ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ I¡¯m going to crush you into a million pieces!¡±

    When he saw Feng Qingyou, Kui Pingshan¡¯s eyes were utterly crimson, and his hair and his beard were floating like he was a god demon himself. He swung his halberd at her.

    ¡°White Tiger Evil Suppressing Halberd¡ªRepel Evil!¡±

    The halberd fell, and a white tiger swooped down from the sky. Its roar resounded throughout the jungle, crushing hills and rivers and repelling all evil.

    The tiger¡¯s roar caused the Barbarian yer troops fighting against each other to finally snap out of their madness.

 Chapter 1022: Spirit Altar Space Mirror

    Feng Qingyou did not react to the iing white tiger. It was almost as if she couldn¡¯t see it.

    The next moment, a humanoid figure descended from the sky and stepped on the white tiger¡¯s head, crushing it in an instant.

    After destroying the white tiger, the humanoid figure rode the wind and charged toward Kui Pingshan.

    His run was grandiose and unmissable like the sun and moon appearing on the same sky, or a sea of stars filling the night sky.

    <em>THUNK!!!</em>

    The humanoid figure made contact with Kui Pingshan, and both were pushed back dozens of meters away from each other. By the time they stood still, the earth was shaking violently like an earthquake.

    ¡°The Qian Armor?¡±

    Kui Pingshan red at the humanoid figure standing a fair distance away from him with a dark expression.

    ¡°Meng n remnant!¡± He growled.¡°Killer of brother, rapist of sister-inw!¡± Feng Qingyou responded.

    Enraged as if Feng Qingyou had just touched his reverse scale, Kui Pingshan roared, ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    In fact, Feng Qingyou¡¯s remark was Kui Pingshan¡¯s reverse scale. To be more urate, it was the one memory he never wanted to dredge up for as long as he lived.

    Kui Pingshan was born into a famous n, but he was willfully ignorant and ipetent and so were loathed by everyone. On the other hand, his older brother was naturally talented and took to the family business from a young age. His future was bright and limitless.

    Despite Kui Pingshan¡¯s character, his older brother loved him and showered him with care and affection. Unfortunately, not only were his feelings not reciprocated, Kui Pingshan had coveted his wife for a long time. One time, Kui Pingshan tried to rape his sister-inw while she was intoxicated. When he was discovered, Kui Pingshan flew into a rage and ughtered not just his brother, but the entire n. He ran away the very same night and eventually became a bandit.

    Although fortune favored Kui Pingshan despite his atrocious acts, and he eventually grew from a mere bandit to a great general with an entire army at his beck and call, his crime remained a thorn in his heart and a major stain in his reputation he could never remove. He was often ridiculed and insulted for what he did, and even in the Nanjiang Pacification Army, he was scorned by most of the officers.

    That was why Kui Pingshan was extremely cagey about this particr past of his. Feng Qingyou¡¯s direct and scathing retort might as well be a knife plunged deep into his reverse scale and nerves.

    Eyes red with wrath, Kui Pingshan tried to attack Feng Qingyou only to be stopped by the Qian Armor.

    Kui Pingshan was a Half Sage, and the martial art he used, ¡°White Tiger Evil Suppressing Halberd¡±, was a world famous martial art. Well known for its deadliness, it boasted broad techniques that could crush mountains and split rivers; repel evil and suppress demons. Combined with the fact that he possessed the bloodline of the Evil Suppressing White Tiger, the martial art was more potent than ever.

    Unfortunately, his opponent was the Qian Armor. Not only was the Qian Armor capable of controlling the sun, the moon, and the stars, it was exceedingly fast thanks to its ability to ride the wind and traverse through space. As a result, Kui Pingshan was unable to break through the Qian Armor and reach Feng Qingyou at all.

    But of course, the Qian Armorcked the power to kill Kui Pingshan earlier. In fact, if Kui Pingshan had not wasted the Heaven Destroying Jar on breaking out of the Spirit Altar Space Mirror, then he absolutely could have dealt the Qian Armor a grievous blow.

    The Qian Armor might be an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact, but it was absolutely iparable to the Heaven Destroying Jar in terms of sheer destructiveness.

    Legend had it that the Heaven Destroying Jar was created by the legendary Heaven Destroying Emperor using the corpse of the God Demon You Xuan. As such, the Heaven Destroying Jar possessed the power of You Xuan and could supposedly blow the celestial bodies out of the sky and dry rivers,kes and seas with a single wisp of dark wind. That was why the Heaven Destroying Jar was also called the You Xuan Jar.

    Unfortunately, the Heaven Destroying Emperor passed away, and the Heaven Destroying Jar went missing for a time. When it finally reappeared, its power was a shadow of its former self¡ªnot even a-tenth of what it was during its prime¡ªand its use conditions had be much more stringent than before.

    First, using the Heaven Destroying Jar required human sacrifice. Each activation required the sacrifice of three hundred humans at least. The more people were sacrificed, the greater its power.

    Second, the Heaven Destroying Jar could only be used once per three days.@@novelbin@@

    Finally, the more the Heaven Destroying Jar was used, the higher the chance that it would turn against its user and devour them.

    Of course, despite the stringent conditions, the Heaven Destroying Jar remained an extremely powerful Strange Artifact.

    Although it could no longer blow the sun, moon and stars from the sky or dry entire rivers,kes and seas like it used to during its prime, it could still kill an ordinary Sage with a single wisp of dark wind.

    As strong as the Qian Armor and Kun Armor were, even they could suffer massive damage if the attack hit them, much less Feng Qingyou.

    Therefore, the first thing one should do before dealing with Kui Pingshan was to eliminate the threat represented by the Heaven Destroying Jar.

    So, how should she pull this off?

    The obvious and best way was, of course, to kill Kui Pingshan before he could even use the Heaven Destroying Jar.

    It was a method that only existed in one¡¯s dreams though. It was hardly easy to kill a Half Sage like Kui Pingshan, much less end him so quickly that he couldn¡¯t even activate the Heaven Destroying Jar.

    The ancients said that if you could not block a river, then you should divert it. If she could neither kill Kui Pingshan nor block an attack from the Heaven Destroying Jar, then how about she forced him to waste it on something else? This way, he would not be able to use it again until three dayster.

    That was why she trapped Kui Pingshan using the Spirit Altar Space Mirror.

    Not only that, she intentionally allowed Kui Pingshan to listen to the battle between the Kun Armor and his Barbarian yer Army precisely to agitate him and provoke him into using the Heaven Destroying Jar.

    Although the Spirit Altar Space Mirror possessed the power to trap someone, it was just a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact. Considering how strong Kui Pingshan was, he could have found a w in the mirror and break out given enough time and patience.

    Luckily, Kui Pingshan was violent and irritable. A bit of excitement was all it took to provoke him into using the Heaven Destroying Jar.

    Now that the threat of the Heaven Destroying Jar was gone, the Qian Armor and the Kun Armor were enough to dy the Barbarian yer Army. It could also bait King yer and Wilnd Suppression intoing to Barbarian yer¡¯s rescue andy down the groundwork for their future ns.

    In any case, things went more or less exactly as Feng Qingyou predicted. Kui Pingshan and Barbarian yer were no longer a threat.

    Now, it was time to deal with Wilnd Suppression and King yer.

    Feng Qingyou cast Kui Pingshan and the Qian Armor onest look. Then, she gradually disappeared with a smile.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°The Heaven Destroying Jar? Kui Pingshan used the Heaven Destroying Jar? Did they run into some sort of danger?¡±

    Inside a thick forest, Wilnd Suppression was marching at high speed when suddenly, they came to a stop. The great general of Wilnd Suppression, Du Nanhai turned his head and stared into the distance as if he was sensing something.

    He did. He could feel the shockwaves of Kui Pingshan fighting against a formidable opponent.

    ¡°Did something happen to Barbarian yer, general?¡±

    The left battalionmander of Wilnd Suppression, Du Yicheng, was also Du Nanhai¡¯s son. He too felt the shockwaves.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Du Nanhai said solemnly.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Du Yicheng asked.

    ¡°We go to their aid!¡± Du Nanhai replied without hesitation.

    ¡°But why?¡± Du Yicheng couldn¡¯t understand. His father, Du Nanhai, was never on good terms with Kui Pingshan. Their poor rtionship inevitably caused the Wilnd Suppression Army and the Barbarian yer Army to act around each other like cats and dogs. In the past, Barbarian yer would be thanking their lucky stars if Du Nanhai chose not to add salt to their injury, much less ride to their rescue. But now, Du Nanhai was going against his usual decision and choosing the unthinkable option. It was no wonder Du Yicheng was confused.

    ¡°The grudge between Kui Pingshan and me is strictly personal, and a personal grudge can never be bigger than national interest.¡±

    Du Nanhai seemingly guessed Du Yicheng¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°Remember, Yicheng. As a superior, you may be selfish, but you must never allow your selfishness to overtake impartialness, much less affect your nation¡¯s interest.¡±

    ¡°This operation to wipe out the Nanijang Royal Court is something in the culmination for over a century. Therefore, every part of the operation must go smoothly. Right now, Kui Pingshan is under attack. If we ignore their plight and, as a result, cause a chink in Chu¡¯s grand n, then we may not atone for the crime even if with a million deaths. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I will remember, general,¡± Du Yicheng replied with a salute.

    ¡°Good.¡± Du Nanhai nodded in satisfaction before ordering, ¡°Send the order that we are changing our course to the southeast.¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    The next moment, the Wilnd Suppression Army changed course and marched toward the Barbarian yer Army.

 Chapter 1023: Calm Mind Annihilation

    ¡°She did it!¡±

    On the cliff, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the Wilnd Suppression Army changing directions and moving straight toward the river valley. At the same time, his eyes grew steely and cold.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Wilnd Suppression to show up. They rushed right through without any hesitation whatsoever.

    The river valley was long and narrow; wide enough to fit several cavalrymen in the same line only. Therefore, they could only alter their formation and pass through the valley like a snake.

    As a result, by the time the foremost troops had reached the exit, the rear troops had just entered it.

    The great general of the Wilnd Suppression Army, Du Nanhai, was riding the center as a matter of course. It was the best position for him tomand and organize the troops.

    Now was the time to enact his n. With a thought, Ye Qing contacted the hidden Gen Armor.

    Gen meant mountain, which was why the Gen Armor possessed the power to control mountains. With a just thought, the cliffsides of the river valley slowly split open, and giant rocks began raining down on the cavalrymen.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±As a Half Sage, Du Nanhai naturally noticed the falling rocks at first notice. Heunched a devastating palm strike that instantly shattered all falling rocks within tens of meters of him into fine powder.

    Unfortunately, his efforts were but a drop in the bucket. The long and winding valley was at least a kilometer long, and the rocks were falling along the entire trail. Du Nanhai might be able to secure one area, but he could not secure all of them.

    There were plenty of elites in Wilnd Suppression as a matter of course, but the mountains were breaking, and the giant rocks were falling like rain. They could not possibly stop all of them especially since their own lives were at risk.

    As for the ordinary soldiers, the terrain prevented them from forming an army formation at all. Naturally, they began taking massive casualties.

    ¡°All units, leave the river valley immediately!¡±

    ¡°Quick! Everyone is to leave the river valley immediately!¡±

    Du Nanhai was roaring orders when suddenly, a pair of rumblings urred at the front and back of the valley. Then, two gigantic boulders fell from above and blocked both the entrance and the exit of the river valleypletely, trapping therge majority of the troops inside.

    ¡°Dammit!¡±

    Du Nanhai¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot with anger. At this point, he knew that he and his army had fallen into a trap.

    The Barbarian yer Army¡¯s plight¡­ was a bait!

    Despite his anger, Du Nanhai did not lose his cool or rationality. His eyeballs turned left and right for an instant before he suddenly stared at a certain point of the valley. ¡°Found you.¡±

    As soon as he said this, the image of Skanda[1] appeared behind his back, tall and mighty. It was d in golden armor and wielding a golden vajra scepter.

    The image raised the vajra scepter into the air and smashed a spot of the cliff.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    The tall, jagged cliff bent inward a good ten meters, and thunderous rumblings could be heard erupting inside the cliff. However, the cliffside looked perfectly unharmed on the outside. His force control was truly remarkable.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The next moment, a dark green humanoid figure burst out of the cliffside. It was none other than the Gen Armor.

    As the Gen Armor appeared, the cliffs began shaking even harder and dropping more rocks on top of the army. They were falling apart even faster than before.

    ¡°The Gen Armor¡­¡±@@novelbin@@

    Pupils contracting a little, Du Nanhai recognized the armor at first nce.

    Before Du Nanhai could react, the Gen Armor sank into the intact cliff closest to it. It was only then the great general realized his mistake and tried to give chase. Unfortunately, it was already toote.

    Du Nanhai repeated his previous tactic and tried to force out the Gen Armor again¡ªthe avnche would surely stop once he caught it¡ªbut the Gen Armor refused to fight him at all. It just kept ducking behind cover after cover and kept the engagement to a minimum.

    All the while, the mountains continued to fall apart, and the avnche was growing more and more severe by the second. Countless Wilnd Suppression soldiers were taking injuries or dying.

    A steely glint flickered in Du Nanhai¡¯s eyes then. No longer hesitant, he made a hand seak and caused Skanda¡¯s forehead to split open. What looked like a third eye but was really a pearl slowly floated into the open.

    The pearl was about the size of a person¡¯s fist. It was translucent on the outside and pitch ck on the inside. It was emitting a rainbow light.

    ¡°Calm Mind[2]¡­¡±

    The rainbow light abruptly shot into the sky and temporarily chased away the darkness of the night. The world looked as bright as daytime for an instant, beautiful and fantastical, everything touched by the light abruptly froze as if spacetime hade to a standstill. Every living being within a radius of three hundred meters came to aplete stop including the Gen Armor hidden within a cliff.

    ¡°Annihtion!¡±

    The next moment, the pir of rainbow light slowly narrowed until it was centered at one spot. Then, the pearl slowly rotated and shone its light at the cliff where the Gen Armor was.

    The cliff began losing its color and luster as if it was being eroded by time. Then, it slowly disappeared into nothing as if erased by some sort of invisible power.

    It was anomalous, mysterious, and spine-chilling.

    The cliff wasn¡¯t the only thing that was being affected. The Gen Armor was being erased as well. When the rainbow light was finally done with its work, over half of the cliff so tall that it reached into the clouds had been wiped out. All that was left was a smooth, perfectly t surface over hundreds of meters tall.

    ¡°Gulp¡­¡±

    On a different cliff, Ye Qing was watching everything from the shadows. He could not help but gulp when he saw the giant wound.

    The pearl Du Nanhai used was none other than the Calm Mind Pearl.

    Legend had it that there existed a Stranger as big as a hill in ancient times. It had a bird¡¯s body and a dragon¡¯s head, and its feathers were rainbow-colored. It also had two pupils in its one eye. It was known as the Rainbow Dragon Bird.

    All of the Rainbow Dragon Bird¡¯s divine power was contained within his one eye. If one pupil was dted, it could freeze any living being with rainbow light. If both pupils were dted, then the rainbow light could annihte anything and everything.

    The Calm Mind Pearl was the single eye the Rainbow Dragon Bird had left behind after its passing. It contained its divine power. Capable of freezing any living being and annihting everything, the specific Magias were named ¡°Calm¡± and ¡°Annihte¡±.

    Although Feng Qingyou had exined in great detail the origin and power of the Calm Mind Pearl on the way, so Ye Qing wasn¡¯tpletely unprepared for this, he still could not help but be bbergasted by what he just saw.

    After all, a towering cliff several hundred meters tall was gone in just the blink of an eye, and an armor possessing the power of a Sage disappeared just like that. It was scary to say the least.

    The one silver lining was that he was hiding in a different cliff when the attack happened. Had the Gen Armor been on the same cliff as him, it was impossible to say if the rainbow light would erase him from existence as well.

    ¡°What a terrible loss!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s heart ached at the loss of the Gen Armor. It was an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact, and it was gone just like that. Anyone would be distressed in his shoes.

    Sure, it was his n to bait Du Nanhai into using the Calm Mind Pearl through the Gen Armor, but he never thought that the Ancient-ss Strange Artifact would be erased so easily.

    To lose the Gen Armor at this point was like losing an arm.

    Luckily, it wasn¡¯t all bad news.

    For one, Du Nanhai had used the Calm Mind Pearl and so could not use it again in the short term. He did not need to worry about its threat for the duration of this battle.

    Second, Du Nanhai¡¯s fluctuating aura made it clear that he was fatigued after using the Calm Mind Pearl.

    Thirdly, the Calm Mind Pearl had carved open an exit when it erased the cliffside and the Gen Armor from existence, but the remnants of its power prevented anyone from actually passing through it. As for the gigantic boulders blocking the entrance and the exit of the river valley, it would take the Wilnd Suppression Army least some effort to destroy them and break free.

    With this, the first step of his n and objective was basicallyplete.

    It was time to move onto the second step.

    With a thought, a powerful gale suddenly swept through the entire river valley. It smelled a little like rotten fish for some reason.

    ¡°Watch out for poison!¡±

    Du Nanhai yelled as soon as he caught the stench. Then, he turned around and barked, ¡°Yicheng, Chaoying!¡±

    ¡°I am here!¡±

    ¡°I am here!¡±

    ¡°Calm the troops and be ready to guard against an enemy assault!¡±

    Du Nanhai ordered loudly, ¡°Tijian, Podao, Chenng, Wufeng, to me!¡±

    As soon as he was finished, Du Nanhai leaped into the air and ran toward the source of the wind.

    Four figures fell in behind him. They all boasted powerful auras.

    1. Kartikeya (IAST: K¨¡rtikeya), also known as Skanda, Subrahmanya, Shanmukha and Murugan, is the Hindu god of war. He is generally described as the son of the deities Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha. Kartikeya has been an important deity in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. ?

    2. Special Attack and Special Defense +1! ?

 Chapter 1024: When The Blue Sea Turns Into Mulberry Fields

    Du Nanhai summoned arge bow into his hands. It was azure-colored but did not have a bowstring or any arrows.

    Du Nanhai¡¯s right hand grasped at seemingly nothing before he started pulling. As therge bow began bending, the sound of blowing wind, rolling waves, and roaring waters ovepping with each other, a boundless sea slowly appeared in front of Du Nanhai.

    The sea water then converged between Du Nanhai¡¯s fingers and formed an arrow.

    He loosened his finger, and the arrow flew. There was no arrow whistle, however. Instead, there was only the sound of the wind, the waves, and the sea.

    As the wavespped, everything seemed to be traveling back in time. Soon, the blue sea had turned into mulberry fields.

    Therge bow Du Nanhai was wielding was called the Blue Sea Bow, and the arrow he just shot was called the Mulberry Field Arrow[1].

    ¡°To gather the blue sea in one arrow and turn it all into mulberry fields.¡± Such was the power of the Blue Sea Bow.

    In the distant sky, a powerful gale manifested out of seemingly nowhere and rotated into a gigantic tornado that connected heaven and earth.

    However, the Mulberry Arrow ripped it apart by force and revealed the cerulean blue Xun Armor within.<em>Thump!</em>

    The Mulberry Field Arrow struck the Xun Armor¡¯s chest and elicited a metallic sound that sounded like a ringing bell, causing the tornado surrounding the Xun Armor to scatter in every direction in an instant. The grass and trees within several hundred meters were ripped from the ground, and even earth and stone were torn into shreds. It was like the apocalypse.

    The Xun Armor flew back several hundred meters before it finally came to a stop. There was also a fist-sized hole at the center of its chest.

    Clearly, the Mulberry Arrow had pierced through it.

    The Eight Divine Armors were forged using all kinds of natural treasures. It was unbelievably tough and impervious to either conventional weapons or natural elements. However, Du Nanhai¡¯s shot had pierced right through it. It was clearly an extraordinary attack.

    However, the Xun Armor did not seem to be affected by the deadly wound whatsoever. In fact, crisscrossing strands of blood and flesh were forming where the wound was as if it was healing itself.

    ¡°It is the Xun Armor!¡±

    Du Nanhai¡¯s pupils contracted after he identified the new attacker. ¡°Leave the Xun Armor to me. The rest of you will search the surroundings for the bastard controlling the Divine Armors. Find them and kill them!¡±

    Du Nanhai shouted and manifested the image of Skanda once more. Then, he and the Xun Armor engaged each other in a furious battle.

    ¡°At once!¡±

    Tijian, Podao, Chenng and Wufeng replied affirmatively. However, they were just about to split up when a sea of lightning and thunder poured down on the group of four as if someone in the sky had identally tipped over a thunder pool.

    ¡°The Zhen Armor¡­¡±

    Du Nanhai¡¯s face was as dark as it could be. It was clear that their enemy hade prepared.

    The only good news was that he could sense no other armor besides the Xun Armor, Zhen Armor, and the Gen Armor he just killed earlier. This meant that his enemy had only mobilized three Divine Armors to fight them.

    Once Wilnd Suppression left this river valley and formed their army formation, these two Divine Armors would not pose a threat anymore.

    But for whatever reason, a thread of unease was pooling inside Du Nanhai¡¯s heart.

    That sense of unease was only growing stronger and stronger as time passed.

    He did not realize that the ck Winds trapped inside the river valley were growing increasingly restless. They kept snorting and stomping the ground.

    It was at this moment someone reported to Du Yicheng, ¡°Battalionmander, we¡¯ve opened up the exit.¡±

    ¡°Well done!¡± Du Yicheng eximed in excitement, ¡°All units, form up and leave the valley in an orderly fashion!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    Everyone responded and left to guide their ck Winds toward the exit.

    However, the ck Winds seemed extremely irritable and fretful. They refused to cooperate.

    ¡°Move it!¡±

    A soldier whipped his ck Wind angrily because it refused to move.

    ¡°I said move it, you stupid animal!¡±

    The next moment, the ck Wind let out an angry roar and kicked the soldier on the back. Caughtpletely off guard, the soldier hit the ground with a loud thud. Before he could react, the ck Wind stepped on him and bit off half off his head just like that.

    ¡°UuUUUUUuuuuUuUuU!¡±

    It was like the spark that ignited the powder keg. Every ck Wind began roaring in anger and attacking the surrounding soldiers with bloodshot eyes.

    To begin with, the ck Winds were Hatred-ss Strangers with sharp teeth and tough scales that were immune to conventional weapons, not to mention that the soldiers weren¡¯t expecting the sudden attack at all. As a result, some people were kicked to the ground, some people¡¯s chests were crushed into pieces, some people lost their arms, and some people lost their necks¡­

    In just the span of a dozen breaths, thousands of people were killed or injured. It was a greater number of casualties than what they had suffered during the avnche.

    ¡°What on earth is going on here?¡±

    While keeping the rampaging, roaring ck Wind under his feet firmly under control, Du Yicheng looked left and right in confusion and eximed in disbelief.

    Although a ck Wind was a Stranger, a tamed ck Wind was extremely gentle. It was tamer and more obedient than your average horse. There were rarely any incidents of a ck Wind going crazy and injuring someone, much less a mass hysteria like this. Naturally, he waspletely confused.@@novelbin@@

    It was at this moment several shrill, piercing whistlings cut through the air. It alternated between high-pitched and low-pitched and followed some sort of cadence.

    As soon as the whistlings began, the rampaging ck Winds calmed down slightly and stopped attacking their riders. Unfortunately, they grew restless again the moment the whistlings stopped.

    ¡°Yang Dong! Where is Yang Dong!¡±

    ¡°I am here!¡± A man dashed out of the crowd andnded beside Du Yicheng.

    ¡°Yang Dong, what is going on here?¡± Du Yicheng barked in a harsh voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Fish Stench Grass, battalionmander! The Fish Stench Grass is why the ck Winds went crazy!¡± Yang Dong answered fearfully.

    Yang Dong was the Horse Taming Lieutenant of the Wilnd Suppression Army. He was responsible for taming, training, and feeding the ck Winds, hence his title.

    Yang Dong answered, ¡°The Fish Stench Grass is a strange grass that grows out of the carcass of a dead fish-type Stranger. It gives off an extremely thick stench of fish odor, hence the name.¡±

    ¡°The Fish Stench Grass could be applied as it is or used as a medicinal ingredient. It ispletely harmless to humans. However, its thick stench could agitate some Strangers and cause them to go on a rampage. The ck Wind is one of those Strangers.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention this earlier?¡± Du Yicheng erupted in anger.

    ¡°Forgive me, battalionmander. The Fish Stench Grass is usually found at the bottom of ake, and few people use it against Strangers due to its thick stench. It¡¯s why I did not realize the risks immediately. It is my mistake.¡±

    Yang Dong said fearfully, ¡°Please punish me, battalionmander!¡±

    ¡°The punishment can wait. Do you know a way to pacify the ck Winds?¡± Du Yicheng asked.

    ¡°M¡­ Maybe¡­?¡± Yang Dong stammered.

    ¡°Yes or no? Spill it now!¡± Du Yicheng urged impatiently.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually very easy to handle such a scenario. We just need to let the ck Winds vent for a bit. But¡­¡±

    Yang Dong did not finish, but Du Yicheng understood exactly what he was trying to say.

    This was neither the time nor the ce for the ck Winds to vent.

    Du Yicheng did not speak for a moment. His face was a storm of anger and worry.

    When Du Yicheng¡¯s silence stretched over ten seconds, and the ck Winds began grew restless once more, Yang Dong forced himself to speak up, ¡°Battalionmander¡­ The Horse Taming Whistles can only pacify the ck Winds for a moment. It won¡¯t fix the restless energy inside the ck Winds caused by the Fish Stench Grass. You need¡­ you need to make a decision soon.¡±

    1. It¡¯s a Chinese saying to say that the blue sea has turned into mulberry fields or vice versa, meaning that times have changed drastically. ?

 Chapter 1025: The Pearl Heist

    Chapter 1025: The Pearl Heist

    Du Yicheng gritted his teeth for a second before barking, ¡°All units, abandon your ck Winds and leave the river valley immediately!¡±

    It was not an exaggeration to say that half of what made the Wilnd Suppression Army strong was the ck Winds. Without them, they were so much weaker than before. On top of that, the ck Winds were rare and valuablemodities. To abandon them was to incur a huge loss.

    And yet, Du Yicheng had no other choice. If they chose to stay behind, it was only a matter of time before the ck Wind rampaged once more. The Wilnd Suppression Army would surely suffer more unnecessary losses, not to mention that there was no telling what else might happen if they continued to remain inside the river valley.

    Therefore, the only order he could realistically give was to abandon the ck Wind and evacuate from the river valley.

    ¡°All units! Evacuate from the river valley now!¡±

    ¡°Evacuate from the river valley¡­¡±

    Every soldier abandoned their mounts and charged toward the exit as per order.@@novelbin@@

    Ye Qing paid them no attention. They had suffered a not insignificant amount of losses due to his trap, and now they did not even have their mounts. They were no longer a threat at this point. The crux of this battle was now Du Nanhai.

    It was true that Du Nanhai was fatigued from his usage of the Calm Mind Pearl. It was also true that he was just a Half Sage. However, not only was he holding his own against the Xun Armor, he was actually holding the upper hand a little.It was partially because Du Nanhai had used the Blue Sea Bow and Mulberry Field Arrow right from the get go to deal it a serious blow, and because Du Nanhai could always seize key opportunities, strike at the Xun Armor where it was weak, and predict its movements.

    It was all thanks to the Calm Mind Pearl.

    Besides ¡°Calm Mind¡± and ¡°Annihte Mind¡±, the Calm Mind Pearl boasted a third Magia called ¡°View Mind¡±.

    ¡°View Mind¡± could observe the arts of heaven and earth, the profound wonders of son and moon, and the energies of all creations.

    To put it simply, it meant that ¡°View Mind¡± allowed the practitioner to see the energy fluctuations of all living things and the strength of forces. This allowed the practitioner to judge a situation urately and predict an enemy¡¯s movements to gain the upper hand.

    Unlike Calm Mind or Annihte Mind, View Mind did not have a long cooldown period nor a short activation duration. In fact, it could be used repeatedly and indefinitely so long as the practitioner possessed enough spiritual energy.

    View Mind might not be as powerful as Calm Mind or Annihte Mind, but it was no less effective than the two Magia. In fact, one might argue that it was better.

    It was thanks to View Mind that Du Nanhai was able to suppress the Xun Armor, a powerful construct possessing the power of a Sage.

    In fact, the reason Du Nanhai was able to shoot right through the Xun Armor¡¯s wind barrier and deal it a serious blow was thanks to View Mind showing him its weak spot.

    None of this was important, however. Although Du Nanhai currently upied the upper hand, he was far from being able to defeat the Xun Armor in a short time. This meant that his mission to dy the Wilnd Suppression Army wasplete.

    What concerned him right now was something else. The Calm Mind Pearl to be exact.

    It was great that he hadpleted his mission, but he saw an opportunity in the Calm Mind Pearl.

    Ye Qing was not in the habit of letting a good opportunity pass right in front of him, and after witnessing what the Strange Artifact could do, he desired it very, very much.

    But of course, it would not be easy to steal the Calm Mind Pearl. After all, Du Nanhai was quite strong.

    Still, the heavensugh, but man ns anyway. He was determined to have the Calm Mind Pearl.

    Right now, he was waiting for an opening. A good opening to steal the Calm Mind Pearl.

    As time passed, the Xun Armor continued to lose more and more ground, and Du Nanhai the opposite. At this rate, it would not be long before the great general suppressed the Xun Armor.

    It was at this moment the light of a saber suddenly shed far, far away from the battlefield. Although the sh disappeared immediately afterward, the rolling shockwaves of infinite killing intent was a different story.

    Not a sliver of unnecessary emotion or power was mixed within the killing intent. There was only the pure, unadulterated desire to kill the heavens, kill the earth, kill anything and everything.

    ¡°The King yer Saber¡­¡±

    The technique had urred at least tens of kilometers from where he was, and still Ye Qing felt cold all over.

    Three hundred years ago, the godlike artisan Gongye Shen had somehow intercepted a wisp of Innate Unbounded Killing Intent and forged the King yer Saber. It was said that, on the day the King yer Saber was born, it had taken flight on its own and in every man and woman in the entire vassal state. Such was its killing intent that it was named the King yer Saber.

    Unfortunately, the King yer Saber¡¯s killing intent was so strong, so fierce, that countless lives were lost every time it appeared. A hundred years ago, a legend named Hidden Dragon Warrior felt that the King yer Saber was an existence that damaged the natural order of things and decided to purify it using Innate Supreme Yang True Fire and Innate Supreme Yin True Water. He was able to wash away most of the Innate Unbounded Killing Intent and reduced its deadliness drastically.

    The King yer Saber became much weaker as a matter of course, but it was now controble and no longer taxed its master nor created massacres every time it was used. It was overall a positive oue.

    After that, Chu obtained the King yer Saber and gave it to the King yer Army as a trump card.

    All six armies of the Nanjiang Pacification Army possessed an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact. In terms of sheer deadliness, the King yer Saber was inarguably the greatest of them all.

    It was why Ye Qing could sense that pure and terrifying killing intent even from tens of kilometers away.

    <em>The King yer Army probably encountered the Kan Armor, Li Armor and Dui Armor, </em>Ye Qing thought. His demonic thought was firmly locked onto Du Nanhai though.

    As expected, the usage of the King yer Saber caused Du Nanhai¡¯s concentration to waver for just a moment.

    <em>Now is the time!</em>

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up. The opening he was waiting for had finally appeared.

    At the same time, the Xun Armor who seemed to be weakening and being suppressed by Du Nanhai this whole time suddenly unleashed an unimaginable amount of power and closed the distance in an instant. It lifted its hand and made a pulling motion.

    As if the mad gale blowing around them was a tangible object, it crashed right on top of Du Nanhai with what felt like the weight of the gxy itself.

    ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡±

    Du Nanhai was shocked. It was clear that the lethargy the Xun Armor disyed earlier was just a ruse.

    It was toote though. Caughtpletely off guard, the mad gale hit him hard and sent him flying through the air like a cannonball.

    Before he could arrest himself, a thunderous giant wielding a spear abruptly appeared behind him with a crack of thunder.

    ¡°The Zhen Armor! When did¡ª?!¡±

    Du Nanhai¡¯s eyes widened like saucers. If the Xun Armor¡¯s false weakness was unexpected, but not too surprising, then the Zhen Armor¡¯s appearance waspletely unexpected.

    His four subordinates should be fighting against the Zhen Armor right now. How did it appear here so suddenly and without warning?

    Did it kill them already?

    A million thoughts raced in his mind as the Zhen Armor brought his spear down on Du Nanhai. What looked like a million iling silver snakes that looked like they could end heaven and earth engulfed Du Nanhai whole.

    ¡°Flood of Blue Sea!¡±

    Du Nanhai¡¯s roar came from within the thunderous sea of silver snakes, and the sound ofpping waves appeared. The sea of lightning was brutally and violently ripped apart as a result.

    There was a sh, and Du Nanhai appeared outside the sea of lightning. He looked terrible. His entire body was scorched, and he looked battered and exhausted. Even his Skanda image looked weak.

    Because of this, Du Nanhai did not notice a fist soundlessly appearing behind his Skanda¡¯s back.

    <em>¡°Break Hammer¡±</em>

    The next moment, a fist intent overflowing with the power of destruction erupted. The Skanda¡¯s head abruptly exploded like a watermelon.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    The partial destruction of his yang god dealt serious damage to Du Nanhai¡¯s mind. It was so painful that even a grizzled veteran like him could not help but scream in pain. Instinctively, the headless Skanda swept his golden vajra scepter to seal off the surrounding space and crush his attacker.

    Unfortunately, the attack failed to hit anyone. Du Nanhai wasn¡¯t expecting it to. It was just a retaliatory attack meant to force his attacker into defending themselves and by extension, protect him from further harm.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, his ambusher was none other than the person who had been controlling the Divine Armors from the shadows this whole time.

 Chapter 1027: Welcoming the Moon God

    As expected, Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer appeared at the horizon just half a teatimeter. They resembled ck clouds that consumed the ground as they crept closer.

    The three armies did not meet up with each other though. Instead, they upied three of the four sides of the Nanjiang Royal Court.

    ¡°Barbarian yer, kill!¡±

    ¡°Wilnd Suppression, rise!¡±

    ¡°King yer, join!¡±

    As soon as the orders were given, Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer mobilized at the same time.

    Fiendish qi rose from Barbarian yer¡¯s troops andbined into a monstrous dragon. It flew ominously across a sea of boiling blood.

    Wilnd Suppression ran forward speedily like an inferno consuming a in. Flying above the sea of me was a phoenix that boiled the ocean and burned the heavens.

    King yer marched forward as dark as the night and as quiet as the clouds. A demonic de just barely peeked out of the darkness while a field of corpses bobbed up and down a sea of blood.When ck clouds encroached upon a city, even the sun and the moon became dim and lightless. When man resolved to kill, the heavens might fall, and the earth might tear asunder.

    Thanks to their army formation, Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer passed right over the Moon God Lake like it did not exist. They ran across theke¡¯s surface like it was solid ground and reached the city walls in just the blink of an eye.

    Right before they could climb over the walls though, a dazzling screen of light suddenly appeared out of nowhere and enveloped the entire Nanjiang Royal Court. It blocked the three armies like an invisible wall and prevented them from advancing even an inch further.

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    ¡°Kill!

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    The next moment, the monstrous dragon roared, the phoenix extended its wings, and the demonic de swung at the screen of light at the same time. Thebined assault was fearsome to say the least, but they still couldn¡¯t breach the light screen and invade the city.

    ¡°Moonlight¡­¡±

    On the city gate tower, Ye Qing touched the screen of invisible, cool light and murmured to himself.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s moonlight.¡± Feng Qingyou answered beside him.

    ¡°They¡¯reing from the Moon God¡¯s statue.¡±

    Ye Qing looked up. ck clouds were covering up the skypletely, so the moon was nowhere to be found. Therefore, the light could onlye from the center of the inner city.

    Ye Qing viewed the inner city with his demonic thought. He saw Meng Feixue wearing an exquisite outfit and standing in front of the Moon God¡¯s statue. She was holding up a scroll and chanting words of offering.

    Elder Soul Sacrifice and a group of sacrificial priests had also changed into colorful outfits. They were currently performing a strange dance.

    The citizens of Nanjiang Royal Court were kneeling with their foreheads pressed against the floor. Their faces were no longer numb and desensitized, however. It was now filled with reverence and caution.

    These were all strange, but none stranger than the Moon God¡¯s statue itself. Right now, the statue no longer looked like an cold, inanimate object carved from stone. It was as if it hade to life. Its white clothes were floating, andyers of starlight were glittering around its body. The moon above its head was shining brightly and unleashing seemingly infinite radiance.

    The moon was the source of the moonlight surrounding the entire Nanjiang Royal Court and protecting it from harm.

    The moon was no real moon as a matter of course, and yet it gave off a grand, vast, and enigmatic feeling.

    As Meng Feixue continued chanting, the sacrificial priests continued dancing, and the citizens of Nanjiang continued worshipping, the statue grew increasingly lifelike, and the moon increasingly bright. The moonlight felt so bright and clear it was like a dream.

    Strangely, Ye Qing¡¯s senses were telling him that the moonlight emitted by the statue was no different from ordinary moonlight. It should not possess any power whatsoever, and yet it was a fact that it was keeping Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer at bay.

    ¡°This is the Clear Light of the Moon[1]. It might be intangible and seem no different from ordinary moonlight, but it really possessed the power to protect anything and everything. So long as the Clear Light of the Moon was present, the three armies would not be able to break inside no matter what,¡± Feng Qingyou exined.

    ¡°The Clear Light of the Moon, huh?¡± Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow while watching the three armies still attacking the light screen with all they got. ¡°Is this the good show you¡¯re talking about?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Patience. The show is still beginning.¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled.

    ¡°Nanjiang Pacification!¡±

    Seeing that their assault wasn¡¯t working, Jin Wujiu waved his arm and stopped his troops. At the same time, Barbarian yer and Wilnd Suppression began marching and moved to King yer¡¯s left and right side.

    The three armies blended with each other andbined into a single army in an instant.

    Vigor shot into the sky, and killing intent filled the clouds. Slowly, a strange beast that was shaped like a tiger but with two horns, three heads and six eyes took form above thebined army.

    It was the divine beast worshiped by the Nanjiang Pacification Army, the Jiang.

    In the sky, the Jiang voraciously consumed the vigor and fiendish qi of the three armies, causing the wind to blow like a storm, and the clouds to shake violently.

    Gradually, the energies of tens of thousands of troops merged into one, and the Jiang¡¯s body grew bigger and denser. Its aura was growing increasingly immense and terrifying as well.

    In just the span of a dozen breaths, the Jiang had be as big as a mountain range¡ªit was literally fifty kilometers wide from one end to the other¡ªand its aura was as terrifying as a god demon.

    ¡°The Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation?!¡±

    Ye Qing watched the gigantic Jiang in the sky with growing sternness. This could not be anything else but the other legendary military formation of the Nanjiang Pacification Army, the Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation.

    Meanwhile, Meng Feixue¡¯s sacrificial ritual had also reached its final critical moment. At the Moon Praying Stage, Meng Feixue¡¯s voice grew faint and spiritual as if it was bing one with nature itself, ¡°I offer these spirits to the moon and ask that you eat them. I ask that you protect Nanjiang and ensure that its prosperity is evesting. I, Princess Feixue of the Meng n of the Nanjiang Royal Court, humbly request the Moon God to descend to this ne¡­¡±

    ¡°Offer the sacrifices!¡±

    As soon as themand was given, Elder Soul Sacrifice immediately tossed a human skull he was holding into the air.

    The next moment, a pair of white mes lit up in the empty sockets of the skull. Then, it blew at the Nanjiang Pacification captives.

    The gust of wind eroded the captives¡¯ flesh and blood so quickly it was like watching a video on fast forward. In just the span of a few breaths, the ten thousand captives had all withered away into piles of dead bones.

    At the same time, many souls were slowly floating into the air.

    ¡°Come eat¡­¡±

    Meng Feixue cried. As if on cue, the souls all flew toward the Moon God¡¯s statue and entered its body.

    Before this, the statue still looked a little stiff and unnatural. But now, it was truly lifelike and overflowing with divinity.

    ¡°Wee, Moon God¡­¡±

    ¡°Wee, Moon God¡­¡±

    ¡°Wee, Moon God¡­¡±

    Meng Feixue, Elder Soul Sacrifice, Grandma Yu, and every Nanjiang citizen all dropped to their knees and kowtowed to the statue, chanting.

    Gradually, the Moon God statue moved and pointed outside.

    Seemingly ignoring thews of space itself, the finger magically appeared outside the city and touched on the forehead of the divine beast.

    The finger was as tiny and weak as a speck of dustpared to the massive, imposing-looking Jiang.

    And yet, when the two objects collided, it was the terrifying Jiang that shattered like a moon in the water.

    The Nanjiang Pacification Evil Suppressing Formation created by Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression, and King yer was destroyed just like that.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    Kui Pingshan, Du Nanhai and Jin Wujiu turned as white as a sheet. They could not believe what just happened.

    Before they could regain their wits, a humanoid silhouette appeared in the sky and walked toward them.

    At first nce, the silhouette was still far, far away from them. When they looked again, it was right in front of them.

    The silhouette was tall and imposing. Its dress and essories were weaved from moonlight, and a bright moon was suspended above its head. It was carrying a jade rabbit in one arm and standing on a field of blue frost. It looked noble, holy, mysterious, and terrifying.

    1. I forgot to mention, but Supreme Yin and Moon are interchangeable in Chinese, just as Supreme Yang and Sun are interchangeable. ?

 Chapter 1028: Plucking Moon From The Sky, Lighting Heaven And Earth With The Moon

    ¡°The Moon God¡­¡±

    Ye Qing felt his mind trembling just watching the silhouette in the sky. Respect and fear pooled inside his heart despite his willpower.

    The Moon God gently waved her hand, and the ck clouds covering the sky slowly faded away to reveal a bright, round moon.

    For a moment, it felt like daytime. The entire area was illuminated by silver light.

    Then, the moon in the sky grew bigger and brighter¡ªno, no, that wasn¡¯t right. The moon wasing <em>closer</em>.

    The moon shone so bright and wless that even the sea of stars in the sky paled before its radiance.

    At the same time, moonlight flowed in from every direction like streams and entered the Moon God¡¯s body, cleansing her further and growing her mystery and strength.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Moon God! Those crazy bastards!¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Retreat! Quick! We need to retreat now!¡±Sensing the unstoppable powering from the Moon God, Du Nanhai and Jin Wujiu lost their will to fight and shouted for retreat. They tried to rally the troops and withdraw as quickly as possible.

    The Moon God was known as the Sovereign of the Star of Supreme Yin or the Lord of Moon Pce. Born from the moon, she was an ancient, natural deity.

    A deity was, of course, a Stranger. They became deities only because they were worshiped by humans.

    Deities were separated into natural deities and acquired deities. An acquired deity was born from the power of wishes of humanity. Born from humans, they did not wield thews and principles of the Heavenly Way.

    On the other hand, a natural deity was born when the world was created and so could naturally wield thews and principles of Heavenly Way since birth.

    The Moon God was born from moonlight. Hence, she naturally knew how to wield the power of the moon. Later, humans came to worship the moon, and she became a natural deity as a result.

    Obviously, a natural deity was immensely powerful, not to mention that the Moon God was born many millennia ago and had existed for just as long. To say that she was powerful and terrifying would be an understatement.

    The Moon God standing before the three armies right now was, in fact, not her actual self. It was just a projection of her consciousness. Even so, it was powerful beyond the ability of the three armies to fight.

    That was why the great generals did not hesitate to sound the retreat.

    Unfortunately, they did not go far before the Moon God made a plucking motion. The moon in the sky entered her hand just like that.

    In her hand, the moon shone brighter than ever and spilled its light across thends like a tsunami. The ground was covered in blue frost, and the mountains and rivers suddenly gained an armor of silver.

    In just an instant, the retreating soldiers turned into ice sculptures.

    Ye QIng¡¯s senses told him that the soldiers¡¯ minds were annihted the instant they made contact with the blue frost. On the outside though, not a scratch could be found on their physical bodies, none that were new anyway.

    That was why the victims showed no signs of struggles whatsoever. The final fear on their face was so lifelike one could be fooled into thinking they were still alive.

    ¡°Moon Annihtion¡­ It¡¯s the power of Moon Annihtion¡­¡±

    Kui Pingshan, Du Nanhai and Jin Wujiu¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their eye sockets when the devastation the Moon God had wrought upon their armies.

    ¡°The three of us need to work together to stop the Moon God! Otherwise, we¡¯re all going to die here!¡±

    Kui Pingshan roared and swung his halberd at the Moon God.

    Du Nanhai and Jin Wujiu exchanged a nce with each other before falling right behind them.

    However, the trio felt increasingly hopeless and in despair the closer they got to the Moon God.

    It was because their attacks failed to do any damage to the Moon God whatsoever.

    To be more urate, any secret art, Magia, force or spirit would be frozen and annihted by the power of the Moon when they got within ten meters of the Moon God. Naturally, nothing could hurt a hair on the Moon God¡¯s person.

    Not only that, blue frost was gradually growing out of their body, and their consciousness slowly but surely growing dim.

    They had expected this to happen from the beginning, but they weren¡¯t expecting the gap between their power to be this huge. It was so big that there was absolutely nothing they could do to resist. It was like the difference between a firefly and the moon; an ant and a tree.

    They could only watch as their bodies slowly froze over, and their minds were annihted bit by bit.

    They could only despair as their troops of tens of thousands turned into ice sculptures and perished like insects during winter.

    ¡°Moon Annihtion! Heavens above, just how powerful is the Moon God?¡±

    Ye Qing was stunned. The Moon God had, in just the span of a few breaths, turned Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer into ice, effectively killing all of them. He could not help but be shocked by the overwhelming power of cold and death permeating throughout thends.

    The soldiers weren¡¯t the only ones who were being affected. Everything illuminated by moonlight besides the Nanjiang Royal Court was turning into a world of ice. The nts were withering, the rivers were freezing, and the mountains were covered in ice. Anything and everything within fifty kilometers died just like that.

    This was just the beginning. Even now, the blue frost was spreading outward and seemingly plotting to turn the entire One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang into a wastnd bereft of life.

    The moonlight that froze heaven and earth and extinguished all light was called Moon Annihtion.

    Moon Annihtion was one of the many powers of the Moon.

    The Moon was the representative of the ultimate cold and yin of the world. In the right circumstances, it could create countless lives and warp nature in endless ways. Just the same, it could freeze the world and annihte all life.

    The power the Moon God was using right now was the power to freeze and annihte all life, a.k.a Moon Annihtion. Born from the Moon, the Moon God naturally knew how to use this power since the moment she was created. This was why the Moon God was so powerful and terrifying.

    ¡°Ancient natural deities are scary as a matter of course.¡±

    Feng Qingyou exined, ¡°By the way, did you know that this is just her projection? Her true self is really still slumbering. If it was her true self who appeared today, then the entire One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang would turn into a frozen, lifeless hell in but the blink of an eye.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s that powerful?¡± Ye Qing clicked his tongue in shock.

    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Feng Qingyou sighed. ¡°Humans love to say that they are the chief of all living things and beloved by the world itself. In reality, it is these natural gods, demons, and Strangers who are born alongside the world who are truly the world¡¯s favorite children. If our wise human ancestors haven¡¯t exhausted their thoughts and ingenuity, if they haven¡¯t ovee all obstacles and trail-zed the way of humanity for us, if they haven¡¯t suppressed or sealed away these natural monsters, they would be the protagonists of our world today, not us.¡±

    ¡°That is true.¡± Ye Qing nodded.

    ¡°Now, a great chaos is almost upon us, and these natural gods, demons, and Strangers are all awakening and returning to the world. There is no telling what the future has in store for us.¡±

    Feng Qingyou seemed to be implying something when suddenly, she looked in a certain direction. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡±

    Ye Qing felt the same thing and followed her gaze. As if on cue, a grand, dignified voice boomed throughout thends, ¡°You shall not rampage, evil monster!¡±

    Infused with seemingly godlike power, his voice resonated with the world and summoned a tidal wave of ck clouds that cut off the moonlight. At the same time, gusts of wind as sharp as a sword slowly increased in number until they covered the entire sky.

    The wind was blowing, and sword intent filled the sky. Wherever they went, moonlight disintegrated inch by inch, and the power of Moon Annihtion was severed.

    One could almost call it a spring wind that warmed humanity and heralded theing of a new season.

    As if sensing danger from the new voice, the Moon God gently tossed out the moon she was holding. It immediately shone twice as brightly as before and filled the world with light.

    The wind kept blowing and shing against the moonlight, surrounding and seemingly merging into the moon. It caused all sorts of chaotic ripples in the air.

    From an outsider¡¯s perspective, a round moon was riding the wind amidst a blue world. It was a mysterious, magnificent spectacle that one might not witness again if they missed it the first time.

    From Ye Qing¡¯s perspective though, two terrifying powers were shing viciously against each other between the wind and the moon.

    The wind was sword intent, and the moon Moon Annihtion.

    The sword intent was transient, extraordinary, yet sharp like no other. It felt like it could literally cut the clouds and the sky in half to reveal the gxy beyond. It was quite potent to say the least.

    Just looking at the sword intent caused Ye Qing¡¯s eyes to hurt, and his mind to tremble against his will.

 Chapter 1029: Wind Riding Void Cuts The Moon

    <h4>Chapter 1029: Wind Riding Void Cuts The Moon </h4>

    Ye Qing lifted a curious eyebrow. ¡°Is that the Wind Riding Void Sword Intent?¡±

    ¡°That is correct. It is Wei Nanhua¡¯s Wind Riding Void Sword Intent!¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°The void lurks within the clouds and rides the wind to the firmament. Its reputation is well deserved,¡± Ye Qing praised.

    Wei Nanhua was, of course, the Sage overseeing the Nanjiang Pacification Army and the one Feng Qingyou had mentioned earlier.

    A legendary figure in his own right, Wei Nanhua¡¯s original name was Wei Fenghua. The scion of a famous n in Chu, he entered the Jixia Academy at a young age but achieved nothing due to his naughty and mischievous nature. He was eventually expelled by the Jixia Academy and became theughingstock of the entire nation. The schrs in particr ridiculed him saying that a rich kid who learned nothing is no different from a mediocre fool. The Wei n was so angry that they kicked him out of the family and removed his name from the n¡¯s genealogical record.

    It was quite the fall from grace. Wei Fenghua had turned from a wealthy scion to a pauper with not a coin to call to his name. He was forced to beg for a living and was constantly beaten and harassed as a result. It was a difficult life to say the least.

    In order to survive, Wei Fenghua joined an old temple and became a scripture guardian. He also changed his name to Wei Nanhua.

    A scripture guardian sounded like a morous job, but all he really did was keep an eye on the scriptures. Bored and having nothing better to do, Wei Nanhua entertained himself by reading and reciting the scriptures and guarded.

    Wei Nanhua had suffered tremendously during the few years he worked as a beggar, but if there was one good thing about the experience, it was that it had ground his youthful arrogance and mischievous personality into nothing. He was perfectly okay with his job¡ªat the very least, he did not need to fight someone for scraps of food, nor did he have to worry about someone coveting his position¡ªand would continue working as a scripture guardian for sixty years straight.

    Sixty years came and went in the blink of an eye. What was once a young boy had turned into an old man. That said, Wei Nanhua hadn¡¯t wasted his time. He had finished reading all sixteen thousand Taoist scriptures in the scripture library and memorized them well enough he could recite them from beginning until the end backward.

    One day, a disciple of the old temple slew a Dark Way heretic during his adventure, but he did not realize that his victim was the only son of the Bone Painting Sky Sect¡¯s chief, one of the thirty three unorthodox sects. Naturally, it was a disaster. The chief decided to dispatch his men and take revenge for his son.

    The Bone Painting Sky Sect was among the more powerful sects of the thirty six unorthodox sects. Not only that, their chief was a Half-Sage. Inparison, the old temple was a perfectly ordinary Taoist temple with less than a hundred members. The temple head himself was just an oldte-stage Spirit Master.

    Compared to the Bone Painting Sky Sect, the old temple might as well be an ant, no, less than that.

    The Bone Painting Sky Sect thought nothing of them as a matter of course. They got ready to wipe out the entire temple and take revenge for the chief¡¯s son.

    At a critical moment, one man stood up to save the old temple that had amodated him for sixty years. He was none other than Wei Nanhua.

    When Wei Nanhua stepped out of the scripture library, he became a Grandmaster and slew every Bone Painting Sky Sect disciple in the temple in one sh, saving the temple from annihtion.

    Then, he left the mountain and walked for a total of 1,500 kilometers. It was at this moment he became a Sage and triggered a tribtion. Then, he soared into the sky and slew the chief of the Bone Painting Sky Sect, a Half Sage, from 5,000 kilometers away. He would continue his grisly work until every single disciple was dead, and the Bone Painting Sky Sect was no more.

    After he transcended mortality and became a Sage, Wei Nanhua left behind a Taoist scripture and a sword scripture for the old temple. Then, he would leave the temple once and for all. He journeyed south to gather his sword intent and channel his qi. When he finally arrived at the capital, he intended to demand justice for all the pain and suffering he had endured back then.

    Wei Nanhua wasn¡¯t able to enter the capital, however. It was because one man had blocked his way at the gate.

    He was none other than the Chief Libationist of the Jixia Academy.

    With just one question, the Chief Libationist had shattered Wei Nanhua¡¯s frame of mind. With just one ruler, he had shattered Wei Nanhua¡¯s sword intent as well.

    After defeating Wei Nanhua, the Chief Libationist said this, ¡°Your swordes from beyond the world. It is free from the mortal coil, but not sharp enough. If you wish to improve further, then enrich yourself with the faces of dead men.¡±

    And so Wei Nanhua came to Nanjiang and served as the Sage of the Nanjiang Pacification Army for twenty years.

    Wei Nanhua rarely fought during these twenty years, but his sword intent was undoubtedly sharper and more intense over time. With the Void of Taoism as the core, he merged his knowledge with the intent of Wind Riding and created the powerful Wind Riding Void Sword Art.

    Over a decade ago, when Guo Ximian and his army rode into Nanjiang, Wei Nanhua had fought the chief priest and the royal guardmander of the Nanjiang Royal Court, both of them Sages, alone. Despite this, he emerged victorious by ying one and grievously injuring another. His achievement was undoubtedly one of the major reasons Guo Ximian was ultimately able to trample Nanjiang and pave the way for their decade-old n today. Clearly, Wei Nanhua was immensely powerful.

    Before today, Ye Qing¡¯s knowledge of Wei Nanhua¡¯s strength strictly existed in the realm of rumors. It wasn¡¯t until now that he confirmed that Wei Nanhua absolutely deserved his fame.

    Was the Moon God powerful?

    Of course she was. Three Half Sages and tens of thousands of Nanjiang Pacification Army elites were as frail as ants before her.

    However, Wei Nanhua alone was able to fight the Moon God to a standstill. Wei Nanhua was worthy.

    While perceiving the air of Dao and thews resulting from Wei Nanhua and the Moon God¡¯s battle, Ye Qing asked somewhat distractedly, ¡°Who do you think is going to win?¡±

    Wei Nanhua was a Sage, and the Moon God was a natural deity. Their every move imbued the Dao of the world and thews of nature. Spectating their battle would not directly increase his power, but it could certainly brush up his knowledge, improve his martial understanding, broaden his horizon and so on.

    ¡°Wei Nanhua will.¡± Feng Qingyou answered after a few seconds of thought. ¡°Wei Nanhua is no ordinary warrior.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ye Qing looked puzzled. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you worried?¡±

    ¡°Why should I?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°If Wei Nanhua wins, we¡¯ll be in trouble, won¡¯t we?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°It will be a pyrrhic victory even if he wins, so it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly. ¡°Even if he emerges unscathed, there are other preparations in ce.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Feng Qingyou¡¯s response assured Ye Qing, and he returned his attention back to the battlefield.

    The Moon God¡¯s Moon Annihtion was absolutely yin, cold, and capable of extinguishing all life. Anything that was touched by the moonlight would be affected by its power. It was grandiose and terrifying to say the least.

    Wei Nanhua¡¯s Wind Riding Void Sword Intent was ephemeral and out of the world. However, it was also sharp and vigorous, capable of shooting into the sky and cutting open the firmament.

    Moon and wind danced, and the Moon merged with sword intent. What was a ravaged and dimnd slowly became filled with colorful, fantastical illusions.

    Of course, only terrible horrors existed behind these gorgeous, rich, fantastical illusions. Thousands and thousands of kilometers of space were ripped into pieces, hundreds and hundreds ofnd were ttened into ins. It was absolutely terrifying.

    Thankfully, the Nanjiang Royal Court was protected by the Moon god¡¯s power. Otherwise, the shockwaves of the battle alone would have destroyed over half of the city, and Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou definitely wouldn¡¯t have the leisure to enjoy the show.

    The stalematested for a moment when suddenly, the Moon God who had been standing still this entire time, began walking toward the flickering, bobbing moon in the air.

    Every time she took a step, the moon would brighten, and the wind and the sword intent would be dispelled.

    @@novelbin@@

    Three stepster, the Moon God stepped <i>inside </i>the moon. Immediately, the world became as bright as daytime, and silver light filled the entire sky.

    ¡°From the center of the Void emerges one sword, a celestial rides the wind to the nine firmaments...¡±

    On the opposite end, Wei Nanhua chanted as gusts of wind began blowing in from every direction. They brushed against the moon before transforming into three hundred and sixty celestials wearing Taoist robes.

    The three hundred and sixty celestials joined together to form the cosmic orbits of the universe. Stepping on the sky and wielding long swords, they danced across the nine firmaments and swung their swords one after another.

    Not a single sword swing was identical to another in terms of technique or intent. However, there was the all-epassing intent to end heaven and earth.

    When the trajectories of the three hundred and sixty swords joined with each other, they formed cosmic orbits that cut the moon.

 Chapter 1030: The Occasional Mischief Is Good For Oneâ€™s Health

    <h4>Chapter 1030: The asional Mischief Is Good For One¡¯s Health </h4>

    It all happened in a sh. The silver moonlight illuminating thousands and thousands of kilometers ofnd were instantly cut into three hundred and sixty pieces by three hundred and sixty swords. After that, the sword intent annihted it all.

    The moon had been so bright that it felt no different from daytime, but now, everything plunged in the darkness of the night once more.

    All that remained was the moon suspended high in the sky.

    The moon¡¯s brightness had not changed one bit, and yet its perimeter was surrounded by ayer of absolute darkness. The clear moonlight was unable to pass through it for some reason.

    The next moment, like a jade te that fell on the ground, it split into many chaotic yet profound-looking cracks.

    Each crack was overflowing with deadly sword intent and clear wind.

    <i>Crack!</i>

    The Great Way was silent, and the world was still. Without a sound, the moon broke into multiple pieces and fell from the sky.

    At that moment, all light faded from the world.

    Amidst this darkness, the now dim, silent, and cracked all over Moon God pointed a finger at the false sky. A beam of power shot out, and¡ª

    <i>Dang!</i>

    It sounded like someone had struck arge bell. The false sky crumbled inch by inch and revealed a handsome Taoist wearing a yin yang Taoist robe.

    It was none other than Wei Nanhua.

    Wei Nanhua currently cut a sorry figure though.

    His long sword had broken into several pieces, and his left chest waspletely missing. Moon Destion energy covered the wound and prevented it from recovering.

    ¡°I have remembered you, mortal.¡±

    The Moon God watched Wei Nanhua as she slowly crumbled into nothing like sand.

    ¡°Moon God...¡±

    Wei Nanhua narrowed his eyes a little, his face arranged into a look of wariness, frustration, and hatred. Then, he wiped clean his expression and nced coldly at the direction of the Nanjiang Royal Court. He pressed his fingers together and performed a vertical swing.

    It was such a harmless gesture, and yet the sky split open like someone was pulling open the curtains.

    A straight, simple beam of light appeared in pitch ck darkness and spread downward, splitting the boundless night sky in half.

    If even the sky could be split, why not a nation on the ground?

    Even before the sword beam descended, Ye Qing already felt every hair on his body standing on end. He had a feeling that the sword beam would slice even the massive Nanjiang Royal Court in half and wipe out every life residing in it.

    ¡°You guessed the process but not the ending, Qingyou,¡± Ye Qing remarked with a bitter chuckle while scratching his nose. He had alreadymunicated with the Earthly Sovereign Bell to block the sword intent if necessary.

    Back at Lu Tai Yuan, the Ten Directions Stupa had suddenly vanished without a trace, and the Earthly Sovereign Bell had fallen aslumber. After he left Lu Tai Yuan, and he had the time to inspect the Earthly Sovereign Bell carefully, he discovered that the Ten Directions Stupa hadn¡¯t disappeared after all. It had simply entered the Earthly Sovereign Bell. The gigantic pit at Lu Tai Yuan was the scar left behind after the Earthly Sovereign Bell consumed the Ten Directions Stupa.

    The reason the Earthly Sovereign Bell consumed the Ten Directions Stupa was very simple. It was to devour and absorb its power.

    How did he know this? He could sense the Ten Directions Stupa growing weaker with every passing day while the Earthly Sovereign Bell grew stronger and more intelligent.

    Clearly, the Earthly Sovereign Bell was gradually recovering its strength.

    Although the Earthly Sovereign Bell was an ultimate natural treasure, it had taken serious damage in the past and had its origin energy split into four portions to suppress the Four Evils. As a result, it didn¡¯t even possess one percent of its original power when Ye Qing first found it.

    The Ten Directions Stupa was one of the Strange Artifacts thatpleted K?itigarbha Buddha¡¯s Dao back in the day. Naturally, it contained all sorts of naturalws and origin energy. They were greatly beneficial for the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s restoration.

    Thanks to this unexpected boon, the Earthly Sovereign Bell had grown in both power and intelligence. It would still be difficult for the Strange Artifact to protect the entire Nanjiang Royal Court and its people, but just him and Feng Qingyou? That was more than possible.

    ¡°Looks like Wei Nanhua is truly angry. He intends to kill everyone in the city even at the risk of losing some of his cultivation.¡±

    Feng Qingyou remained calm and collected, however. She said smilingly, ¡°It is useless though.¡±

    As the sword came closer, Ye Qing suddenly realized that the air in front of him was rippling like water.

    The next moment, the sky splitting sword passed through the Nanjiang Royal Court and caused further ripples like a sword cutting through a clear pond. However, the city itself was perfectly unharmed.

    Not only that, Ye Qing could tell that Wei Nanhua was growing blurrier and more distant from them.

    ¡°What¡¯s...?¡± Ye Qing eximed in surprise. ¡°The Nanjiang Royal Court is moving?!¡±

    ¡°Mm hmm. Haven¡¯t I told you before? The Nanjiang Royal Court isn¡¯t set in one location. It can move anywhere it wants,¡± Feng Qingyou replied smilingly.

    Ye Qing did not answer. He thought that Feng Qingyou meant that the Nanjiang Royal Court would literally move to another location using the power of the Moon God Lake, but now, it would appear that the city had entered a different space altogether. That was why Wei Nanhua¡¯s attack failed to harm even a single brick on the city.

    Meanwhile, Wei Nanhua¡¯s fury doubled when he realized that his attack failed to harm the Nanjiang Royal Court whatsoever. He tried to give chase, but the distance between them only grew as time passed.

    ¡°Wei Nanhua is a Sage. His divine thought can cover thousands and thousands of kilometers in an instant. Wouldn¡¯t he easily track down or divine the new location of the Nanjiang Royal Court?¡± Ye Qing asked worriedly as he stared at Wei Nanhua still chasing after them like his life depended on it.

    ¡°He won¡¯t. The Nanjiang Royal Court also possessed the ability to conceal itself from the rivers of fate. For the short term at least, neither Chu nor Wei Nanhua would be able to locate or discover the Nanjiang Royal Court,¡± Feng Qingyou answered.

    ¡°Really. That¡¯s reassuring to hear.¡±

    Having received assurances from Feng Qingyou, Ye Qing looked at Wei Nanhua, cracked an audacious grin, and curled a finger at him. It was as if he was saying: Come at me, bitch!

    And why did he do this? There was no reason really. The asional mischief was good for one¡¯s health, right?

    ......

    <i>Boom!</i>

    A sword descended, and every stone, grass, tree, and mountain within a radius of fifty kilometers were split in half just like that. Despite this, Wei Nanhua¡¯s anger burned as brightly as ever.

    Ever since he became a Sage, Wei Nanhua believed himself that he had be as tough as stone and as untouchable as the wind in terms of his mental fortitude. The fact was that few things triggered his anger anymore, much less his wrath.

    He could not help but feel wrathful at what happened today though.

    He was at the Sky Mending Sect when he suddenly received Profound Spirit Taoist¡¯s message for immediate help. He would have departed right away, but the sect master of the Sky Mending Sect held him back and insisted that he yed a game of Go with him first. It wasn¡¯t until he finished the game of Go that he was finally allowed to leave.

    Earlier, it was he who kept the sect master busy and prevented him from interfering with the Nanjiang Royal Court using the exact same excuse. The sect master had not hesitated to give him a taste of his own medicine as soon as the opportunity had presented itself.

    The game sounded harmless, but at their level, a game of Go was also a duel of martial cultivation and understanding of the naturalws and principles. The game board was the world, the stones were human lives, and dangers lurked at every corner both inside and outside the board. He literally could not just quit the game and bid his opponent goodbye even if wanted to, not to mention that the sect master was unwilling to release him. As a result, he had no choice but to finish the game.

    The oue of the game was obvious. Not only did he lose, he lost horribly.

    There were several reasons. One, the sect master of the Sky Mending Sect was stronger and hade into his power sooner. Two, Wei Nanhua was disturbed by the message he received and could not focus. Naturally, it was a terrible loss.

    It wasn¡¯t just dignity that he lost. His frame of mind was damaged as well.

    @@novelbin@@

    For obvious reasons, he was pissed off even before he came to the rescue. Worse still, he was one step toote. Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer were almost totally annihted, and even Kui Pingshan, Du Nanhai and Jin Wujiu were almost dead. It was a terrible defeat to say the least.

    In the end, he was able to y the Moon God¡¯s projection after giving his all. Then, to end the threat the Meng n remnants represented once and for all, he forcefully mustered his strength again and unleashed a deadly strike that would kill everyone in the Nanjiang Royal Court.

    But what happened? The Meng n remnants ultimately managed to activate the Nanjiang Royal Court¡¯s defense mechanism in time and escaped. The attack he risked his cultivation to unleash had failed to harm even a hair on their person.

    As if that wasn''t bad enough, a goddamn <i>junior </i>had taunted him at the veryst moment. Although the hand gesture dealt no actual damage to him whatsoever, it was extremely humiliating to say the least.

    All things considered, how could he not be frustrated? How could he not be angry?

    The fact that he hadn¡¯t erupted into expletives was a good show of self-restraint on his part already.

    As if sensing Wei Nanhua¡¯s anger, a furious downpour descended from the sky, but not a single drop of rain nor a gust of wind came close to Wei Nanhua. More urately, they just disappeared as soon as they got within a certain range of him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve remembered you, junior.¡±

    Wei Nanhua cast onest look in the direction the Nanjiang Royal Court had disappeared to before sweeping an unconscious Kui Pingshan, Du Nanhai and Jin Wujiu into the air. Then, he and the three men disappeared in a sh.

    All that remained was an endless, violent rainstorm.

 Chapter 1031: Meeting

    The loss of the Nanjiang Royal Court, the capture of Profound Spirit Taoist and Chi Tian, the total annihtion of Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer, and the serious injuries Wei Nanhua suffered were transmitted to the Chu capital and entered the ears of the most respected person of Chu at first notice.

    Right now, the air inside the Chu imperial pce¡ªalso known as Qian Yuan Pce and the symbol of power and status in Chu¡ªwas so silent, so suffocating, that one could hear a pin drop.

    A few breathster, a man opened his mouth and said usingly, ¡°What has happened to the war situation in Nanjiang, General Li?¡±

    The speaker was a middle-aged man in his forties. He had a handsome face and a long, refined beard. Right now though, his eyes were sharp and threatening.

    His name was Cui Qingshan. He was the Director of the Imperial Secretariat of Chu.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know, Director Cui?¡± Another man answered.

    The other speaker was in his fifties, refined in manner yet soldierly in appearance. His eyes were deep and unfathomable like seas of stars.

    His name was Li Chengzhong, and he was the Strategist-Generalissimo of Chu. He was also the man responsible for supervising the armies of Chu and general military affairs.

    ¡°I am aware of the oue, but not the process,¡± Cui Qingshan said.¡°If you don¡¯t know, then you shouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    Li Chengzhong replied coldly, ¡°There is no need for you to know either.¡±

    ¡°This is a military affair. Of course I have the right to know about this.¡±

    Cui Qingshan¡¯s tone grew even more threatening, ¡°Or is there something fishy that you are afraid of letting us know?¡±

    ¡°Freedom of speech does not mean freedom of consequences, Director Cui. Watch your mouth,¡± a military officer next to Li Chengzhong said sternly.

    ¡°Consequences?¡± Cui Qingshan let out a cold chuckle. ¡°Speaking of consequences, can you please tell me how we lost the Nanjiang Royal Court, how Barbarian yer, Wilnd Suppression and King yer were annihted, and how Wei Nanhua took serious injuries, General Zhou?¡±

    ¡°It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but I don¡¯t believe that the Meng n remnants alone could do this.¡±

    ¡°Put yourself in my shoes and tell me you don¡¯t think that something fishy is going on. I dare you.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhou Yuchong could not respond immediately.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Cat got your tongue?¡±

    Cui Qingshan did not hesitate to press his advantage. ¡°So, was it negligence of duty, intion of self-importance via nurturing the enemy, or outright collusion with the Meng n remnants?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    Li Chengzhong looked at Cui Qingshan with eyespletely devoid of any emotion or temperature. ¡°Enough is enough, Director Cui. I will be reporting the details to His Imperial Majesty himself in time. I alone will bear all the responsibility resulting from this incident as well. Your concern is unnecessary.¡±

    ¡°¡®It is our natural duty to share the tribtions of the sages¡¯. How can I not be concerned about this?¡±

    Cui Qingshan sneered. ¡°Besides, the Nanjiang war is a war that affects the foundation of our empire. Now that it has gone to shit, our armies are annihted, our reputation is lost, and His Imperial Majesty¡¯s dignity has suffered, do you seriously think that a simple, ¡®I will bear all the responsibility¡¯ is enough to make up for everything?¡±

    ¡°Besides, this is a matter that affects the foundation of our empire as I said earlier. Can you even bear the responsibility yourself?¡±

    ¡°Ahem¡­ stop arguing. You¡¯re all giving me a headache. Can¡¯t an old man get some shut eye?¡±

    The tension was sharp enough to lob heads when suddenly, an old,zy voice came from a corner. There, an old man who seemed to be dozing off until a moment ago stretched and swept his murky gaze across the group.

    ¡°My apologies for disturbing your nap, Elder Wan. Can you please offer us guidance?¡± Cui Qingshan said in a respectful tonepletely unlike the one he used against General Li earlier.

    The old man might look like he had one foot in the grave, but there wasn¡¯t a single person present who dared to underestimate him.

    The old man¡¯s name was Wan Bainian, and he was a hundred and thirty years old this year. He was also the Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat of Chu.

    If that was all he was, then the people present would not be so wary of him. After all, there wasn¡¯t a single person in this pce who wasn¡¯t a high official with tens of thousands of people under theirmand.@@novelbin@@

    The crux of the matter was that Wan Bainian wasn¡¯t just the current Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, but also an elder with three imperial reigns under his belt. In fact, he was the Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat for three reigns straight.

    He had started as nothing during the first year of thete Emperor Wen Jing and climbed all the way to Senior Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat. He was the one who assisted Emperor Wen Jing in establishing an age of literary prosperity. After Emperor Wen Jing passed away, and Emperor Long Qing ascended the throne, he continued to hold the position and toiled long and hard in support of his emperor, achieving countless merits in the process. When it was finally Emperor Jing Run¡¯s to rule, the emperor boldly and decisively conducted a reorganization that would see the recement of almost all of the high officials in the court. Wan Bainian was the one and only person who wasn¡¯t affected as if he was untouchable.

    Today, even Emperor Jing Run must address Wan Bainian respectfully as ¡°Elder Wan¡±. He was also one of the handful of people who were allowed to enter the imperial pce on a litter, not kneel when he had an audience with the emperor, and take a seat during an assembly.

    To say that he was revered would be an understatement. That was why even the arrogant Cui Qingshan had no choice but to treat him with the deepest respect.

    ¡°What guidance can I possibly offer at my age? I just find it annoying that you are speaking too loudly, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Wan Bainian said slowly, ¡°At my age, it¡¯s so easy for me to doze off without me noticing. Please empathize with this old man and speak a little quieter. And of course, try to keep the conversation on the useful side of things.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happened has happened. It is already toote to assign me. The important thing right now is to find a solution. As Director Cui says, this is something that affects the roots of the empire. If we don¡¯t manage it properly, it could easily cause a major upheaval in all levels of society. We must be careful.¡±

    ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure His Imperial Majesty would not enjoy us shouting expletives and throwing spit at each other like fishwifes, and yet produce nothing of use in the end.¡±

    ¡°You are right, Elder Wan.¡± Cui Qingshan and Li Chengzhong both saluted him before Cui Qingshan asked, ¡°Can you please offer us your expert opinion, Elder Wan?¡±

    ¡°You jest, Director Cui. I am an old man with one foot in the grave. What expert opinion can I possibly give you?¡± Wan Bainian waved him off. ¡°It is up to you younglings to share the burden of His Imperial Highness now!¡±

    ¡°That said, considering that His Imperial Highness hasn¡¯t arrived yet, I believe that he has already arrived at a decision.¡±

    ¡°Oh? How do you know?¡± Cui Qingshan asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a guess.¡± Wan Bainian chuckled good-naturedly.

    <em>Like I¡¯ll believe that, you terrible, cunning old man! </em>Cui Qingshan sneered mentally.

    It was at this moment a pce attendant stepped in from the inner hall.

    ¡°Where is His Imperial Majesty, Eunuch Li?¡± Cui Qingshan asked the pce attendant.

    ¡°His Imperial Majesty has gone to the Heavens'' Eye Tower, so there will be no court. Please return,¡± Eunuch Li reported.

    ¡°He¡¯s visiting the Heavens'' Eye Tower?¡±

    Cui Qingshan, Li Chengzhong and more all exchanged a confused nce with each other. This hardly seemed like the time to be visiting the Heavens'' Eye Tower.

    A flicker of intelligence appeared in Wan Bainian¡¯s murky eyes. ¡°Is His Imperial Majesty nning to use the Heaven¡¯s Eye?¡±

    ¡°You are as wise as ever, Elder Wan,¡± Eunuch Li replied with a smile.

    ¡°Heavens¡¯ Eye?¡± Li Chengzhong frowned deeply. ¡°His Imperial Majesty is nning to take out the Nanjiang Royal Court himself?¡±

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye was the national relic of Chu and ranked sixth on the ¡°Strange Artifact Register¡±. It could guard the realm, suppress evils, and even move mountains and turn over seas.

    It was clear now that Emperor Jing Run was nning to destroy the Nanjiang Royal Court using the Heavens¡¯ Eye.

    ¡°The Heavens¡¯ Eye is an important artifact that guards the entire realm. Isn¡¯t it a little too risky?¡± Li Chengzhong voiced his worry.

    Heavens¡¯ Eye could suppress evils and guard Chu because fragments of its power was scattered across the entire realm. If Emperor Jing Run ns to use Heavens¡¯ Eye, then he must first assemble all these fragments. Once Heavens¡¯ Eye unleashed its full power, it would be much weaker than before and require a long time to recover.

    As a result, Heavens¡¯ Eye would no longer be able to watch over the entire realm as it had before. The prefectures and themanderies were one thing¡ªthey had enough guards and elites to handle the Strangers and protect the people from harm¡ªbut the counties, vigers, and other secluded and backwater ces where manpower was low would surely be beset with disaster.

    Besides that, Heavens¡¯ Eye was the national relic and the guardian of the Will of the Empire. Therefore, unleashing its power would damage Chu¡¯s Will of the Empire as well.

    Finally, Heavens¡¯ Eye could only be used by the emperor, and Emperor Jing Run was not a Sage. The consequences were unimaginable if something bad were to happen during this time.

 Chapter 1032: Heavensâ€™ Eye

    ¡°Yes, this is quite the serious matter. Is it possible for us to have an audience with His Imperial Majesty before any decision is made?¡±

    For once, Cui Qingshan did not refute Li Chengzhong. In this regard, they were on the same side.

    Eunuch Li smiled. ¡°His Imperial Highness¡¯ n is foolproof, so you do not have nothing to worry about, General Li, Director Cui.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Li Chengzhong wanted to say something more, but Eunuch Li cut him off. ¡°His Imperial Majesty has already made his decision, so please, return. I have to go and serve His Imperial Majesty, so I bid you all goodbye.¡±

    Eunuch Li took his leave after saying that.

    A short silence settled inside the Qian Yuan Pce after Eunuch Li was gone. A momentter, Li Chengzhong looked at Wan Bainian. ¡°What do you think of His Imperial Majesty¡¯s decision, Elder Wan?¡±

    Wan Bainian remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. ¡°If he seeds, the people suffer. If he fails, the people still suffer.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, why didn¡¯t you stop him, Elder Wan?¡± Li Chengzhong asked.¡°His Imperial Majesty desires to aplish something that will be remembered for all eternity. That is why no one can stop him. Not you, not even me.¡±

    Wan Bainian sighed. ¡°Besides, is there a better solution considering what happened? His Imperial Majesty must do this if he desires to rescue Chu¡¯s reputation and dignity.¡±

    Li Chengzhong and Cui Qingshan both fell silent at that.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Since His Imperial Majesty has made up his mind, all we can do, his subjects, is to fulfill our responsibilities to the utmost degree.¡±

    Wan Bainian suggested, ¡°While there is still time, you should warn all the prefectures to be on their guard, just in case something unexpected happens.¡±

    ¡°You are right, Elder Wan.¡± Li Chengzhong and Cui Qingshan nodded.

    ¡°Sigh. Time really is a merciless thing. My back is hurting after standing just a bit. I¡¯ll be taking my leave. Please, continue your discussion.¡±

    Wan Bainian waved his hand and sauntered out of the Qian Yuan Pce. ¡°See you all next time¡­¡±

    ¡°Have a good day, Elder Wan.¡±

    Li Chengzhong, Cui Qingshan and everyone in the court saluted Wan Bainian. After he was gone, the two men split up without a word.

    ¡­¡­

    In Chu, there was no one who didn¡¯t know about the Heavens¡¯ Eye. However, those who had witnessed its true body were few and far between.

    It was because the Heavens¡¯ Eye¡¯s true body was kept within the Heavens¡¯ Eye Tower. It was heavily guarded as a matter of course, and no one was even allowed to get close to the tower without an imperial edict.

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye Tower was over three hundred meters tall, seemingly tall enough for one to pluck the stars from the sky. It was the highest building in the Chu capital and almost tall enough for one to overlook the entire city[1].

    Right now, the most powerful person in Chu was standing at the top of the building and looking down on the beautiful capital city and its people.

    Emperor Jing Run was in his forties. He boasted a refined appearance and a cultured personality. Just like almost all the schrs in Chu, he sported a kind of modesty and tenderness that was unique to a schr.

    Unlike most schrs though, Emperor Jing Run had a pair of brilliant, bright eyes that resembled the celestial bodies. They seemed sharp enough to pierce the sky and expose humanity¡¯s nature down to the veryst fabric.

    For most people, possessing both characteristics at once made them look incongruous at best or disturbing at worst. However, Emperor Jing Run¡¯s appearance was just right that they co-existed in harmony. They made him look noble, esteemed and enigmatic.

    It was at this moment Emperor Jing Run looked up into the distant sky. A sun was slowly rising from the horizon, piercing through the sky and spilling its endless rays across the world.

    Floating at the center of the endless rays was an ancient, unfathomably mysterious mirror that looked as big as the sky itself. It floated over the capital city as a blurry, semi-transparent silhouette.

    The ancient mirror was none other than the Heavens¡¯ Eye.

    Except those in the know, no one would believe that the renowned Heavens¡¯ Eye was not, in fact, stored inside the Heavens¡¯ Eye Tower. In fact, it had been floating above the capital city this entire time. One simply needed to look up to see it.

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye Tower wasn¡¯t the ce where the Heavens¡¯ Eye Mirror was stored. It was the eye of the array called the Great Heavens'' Eye Array.

    And what was the Great Heavens'' Eye Array? As its name implied, it was the base that supported the functions of the Heavens¡¯ Eye. The Great Heavens'' Eye Array was spread across the entire capital city. The Heavens¡¯ Eye Tower acted as a conduit that absorbed earthly qi and the Will of the Empire from all sides and channeled them into the Heavens¡¯ Eye, supporting its operations to suppress evil and oversee the entire realm.

    Although the Heavens¡¯ Eye was unimaginably massive and floating above the capital city of Chu, it was as mysterious as it was powerful. Naturally, it could not be seen or even perceived by the ordinary.

    Emperor Jing Run watched the Strange Artifact floating freely in the sea of white clouds for a bit before his yang god left his body. He grew bigger and bigger until he towered over the entire capital city, and even the Heavens¡¯ Eye looked like a normal-sized mirrorpared to him.

    Emperor Jing Run reached out and caressed Heavens¡¯ Eye¡¯s surface, wiping away the sea of clouds and the sunrays. It immediately turned as clear as ake and as brilliant as morning stars.

    Then, Emperor Jing Run made all sorts of hand seals and unleashed all sorts of spells into its surface, causing it to ripple like water. Invisible waves then rippled out of the Heavens¡¯ Eye and spread toward the horizon and beyond.

    At the same time, every Heavens¡¯ Eye imitation ced everywhere in the realm of Chu lit up at once and fired their light into the sky.

    For a time, the winds and clouds of the entire realm stirred violently, and countless pirs of pure, white light illuminated the sky. It was a magnificent spectacle that one might not be able to see even once in a lifetime.

    A dozen or so breathster, the imitations¡¯ light grew dim, and the pirs of light slowly faded into nothingness as well. All that remained was the windstorm and the spreading light.

    The next moment, as if drawn by some sort of invisible yet irresistible force, the wind, the clouds, and the light all surged toward the capital city and into the Heavens¡¯ Eye.

    As the flow of power continued, Heavens¡¯ Eye grew brighter and more brilliant. It eventually got to the point where it looked like a second sun had appeared in the sky.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°The sun?¡±

    ¡°Why are there two suns in the sky?¡±

    ¡°It must be a natural wonder!¡±

    Everyone in the capital city saw the magnificent phenomenon happening above their heads. Everyone was stunned by the forces emanating from the sky.

    In the sky, Emperor Jing Run looked in the direction of Nanjiang. His gaze seemingly covered countless kilometers of mountains and rivers in a short time and finallynded at that ancient, mysterious ce called the One Hundred Thousand Mountains.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    As soon as he gave themand, the Heavens¡¯ Eye transformed into a beam of colorful light and flew south.

    It was like the sun had physically flew toward the south, illuminating everything in its wake.

    It was a magnificent spectacle witnessed by millions and millions of people in all of Chu; one they would not soon forget for the rest of their lives.

    It took the Heavens¡¯ Eye to fly countless kilometers and appear in the sky of the One Hundred Mountains of Nanjiang in just a few breaths.

    ¡°Heavens¡¯ Eye¡­¡±

    The next moment, Emperor Jing Run¡¯s grand, imposing voice resounded throughout the sky, and countless rays of light shot out of Heavens¡¯ Eye, illuminating the entire One Hundred Mountains.

    The One Hundred Mountains of Nanjiang was mountainous and full of jungles. It was raining all year long and covered in fog. Right now though, the clouds were evaporating into nothingness, and both the rain and the fog were washed away in an instant. The chill, the cold, the darkness, it was all gone.

    All Strangers and evils¡ªpowerful or weak, hiding or not hiding¡ªwerepletely exposed by the mirror¡¯s light. They were all shivering in fear and wondering what on earth was happening.

    When the Heavens¡¯ Eye inspected the earth, no evil no matter, how well hidden, could hide from its gaze. That was why it was called the Heavens¡¯ Eye.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    At the Nanjiang Royal Court, Ye Qing was half-lying down on the rooftop of the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce and drinking wine when suddenly, he felt something and looked into the sky.

    As if on cue, rays of white light chased away the darkness and illuminated the night sky.

    1. I won¡¯t lie I thought this was a mistrantion, but it wasn¡¯t. If you guys think this tower is way too short as well I can amend it to three thousand meters or something. ?

 Chapter 1035: Fuck Off, All Of You

    Unfortunately for the headless demon god, it failed to grab the Heavens¡¯ Eye even after it had dismantled its enemies¡¯ moves. It was because a taichi symbol suddenly appeared out of nowhere and reversed yin and yang, earth and heaven. The headless demon god was obviously making a grab for the Heavens¡¯ Eye, but for whatever reason, its movement somehow put it even further out of its reach.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not worthy either.¡±

    The taichi symbol enveloped the Heavens¡¯ Eye protectively and flew toward Chu once more.

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye was about to cross over Chu¡¯s borders when suddenly, a lotus throne pierced through the void and appeared right on top of the Heavens¡¯ Eye. At the same time, a dignified voice boomed, ¡°Boundless mercy, this item is destined with my Western Paradise.¡±

    The lotus throne boasted nineyers. As it rotated, countless golden lotuses descended, and Buddhist chants filled the air. Theybined to lock down the surrounding space.

    ¡°Are you going to make an enemy out of Chu as well, Subh¨±ti[1]?!¡± Emperor Jing Run asked wrathfully.

    ¡°All things in this world are predestined, and this item is destined with this poor monk. Boundless mercy¡­¡±

    The nineyered lotus throne rotated, and it was as if the surrounding space was rotating as well. The taichi symbol enveloping the Heavens¡¯ Eye was easily ground into nothingness.

    ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s see if you are worthy of stealing our national relic!¡± Emperor Jing Run erupted, and the Heavens¡¯ Eye released its light once more. It shed against the nineyered lotus throne and shook heaven and earth.At the same time, the Great Emperor of Fengdu, Faceless King, headless demon god and many, many more Sages caught up with the Strange Artifact and unleashed their power.

    For a time, the wind and clouds raged without end and heaven and earth were ripped asunder.

    ¡°W-Why are there so many Sages all of a sudden?¡±

    Inside the Earthly Sovereign Bell, Ye Qing was quaking in fear.

    Normally, these Sages seemed to exist in a different ne of existence and barely showed their faces in the mortal ne, if at all. One would be lucky to catch even a glimpse of one in years. Now? Now a dozen of them had appeared out of nowhere, and every single one of them was a champion on the Heavenly Champions Ranking. It was scary to say the least.

    ¡°To fight for the Heavens¡¯ Eye, of course!¡±

    Feng Qingyou seemed to have predicted this though. She exined calmly, ¡°The Heavens¡¯ Eye is the sixth Strange Artifact in the ¡®Strange Artifact Register¡¯. Who doesn¡¯t want to im it for themselves? Besides, the Heavens¡¯ Eye is intricately bound to Chu¡¯s Will of the Empire. That is more than enough reason for the other empires to covet it as well.¡±

    ¡°Normally, the Heavens¡¯ Eye was stored in Chu¡¯s capital city and heavily guarded. No one cany a hand on it no matter how much they covet it. But now, the Heavens¡¯ Eye had left the Chu border and used up much of its strength. Why would these thieves allow such an excellent opportunity to slip through their grasp?¡±

    ¡°It is easy to use the Heavens¡¯ Eye, but it is much harder to retrieve it.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization.

    While the two were chatting, a loud explosion caused the Heavens¡¯ Eye and the nineyered lotus throne to fly away from each other.

    The nineyered lotus throne was broken, and its Buddhist light was dim.

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye was also dim, and its aura was chaotic.

    <em>THANG¡­</em>

    It was at this moment nine rusty bone nails appeared out of nowhere and nailed the Heavens¡¯ Eye. At the same time, an unholy wail resounded throughout thend, and the world grew lightless for a moment.

    Not only did the nine bone nails pierce right through the Heavens¡¯ Eye, they were leaking dirty, disgusting blood that immediately started eating away and corrupting the Strange Artifact.

    ¡°The Bone Nails of God Killing? White Bone Divine Sovereign, you deserve death!¡±

    Emperor Jing Run raged when he saw that the Heavens¡¯ Eye was damaged.

    The next moment, the Strange Artifact shone brightly and unleashed its immense power. All nine nails instantly evaporated into nothing, and the mirror¡¯s light followed the spiritual bond connected to the nine nails into somewhere.

    Somewhere in the world, a mysterious entity sitting on a throne of bones abruptly let out a muffled groan. The throne he was sitting on soundlessly broke into pieces, and the world around him seemed to disappear in a st of power.

    Unfortunately, the strike seemed to have used up all of the Heavens¡¯ Eye¡¯s power. It began falling toward the ground.

    The Sages immediately stopped fighting each other and pounced toward the Heavens¡¯ Eye.

    ¡°You bastards dare to covet the Heavens¡¯ Eye? Get lost!¡±

    Right before the Sages could grab the Heavens¡¯ Eye, a powerful voice boomed and filled the entire sky with righteous qi, purifying it by the second.

    The Strange Artifacts, secret arts, spiritual projections, all of it were shattered or outright destroyed by the wave of righteous qi.

    ¡°The Chief Libationist!¡±

    There was no one who did not recognize the owner¡¯s voice.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Fuck off! If you don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll fuck you all up!¡±

    Sensing that someone was still spying on him, the Chief Libationist cursed and summoned a ruler. Then, he swung it at someone.

    The ruler seemed to ignore thews of spacetime altogether and smacked a noble, enigmatic entity wearing an emperor¡¯s robe right in the head. The silhouette did not manage to put up even a sliver of resistance before it was destroyed.

    Inside Fengdu, the Great Emperor of Fengdu was sitting on his throne when suddenly, an uncontroble tremor overtook him, and countless yin dragons rushed out of his body. The entire pce was immediately filled with ghastly qi and howling ghosts.

    At the same time, the Chief Libationist¡¯s voice resounded throughout the city of the dead. ¡°Fengdu, I dare you to covet humanity one more time. Just one more time! And I promise I will kill you instead of your body double.¡±

    His voice was forceful and overflowing with yang energy. For a time, the entire Fengdu shook as if a high magnitude earthquake had impacted the city. The shockwaves were such that the weaker ghosts outright died from the unexpected disaster.

    Inside his pce, the Great Emperor of Fengdu growled darkly, ¡°Chief Libationist¡­ I will remember this.¡±

    Back at the sky of the One Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Chief Libationist¡¯s voice boomed once more after he annihted the Great Emperor of Fengdu¡¯s body double in one strike, ¡°How many more warnings do you need? Fuck off now, or I¡¯ll smash open your heads like a watermelon, you curs!¡±

    No one dared to test the Chief Libationist¡¯s wrath after seeing what happened to the Great Emperor of Fengdu¡¯s body double. They hurriedly left the area.

    ¡°Thank you for your help, Chief Libationist!¡±

    Emperor Jing Run thanked the Chief Libationist after everyone was gone.

    To be honest, he had underestimated the wannabe thieves¡¯ madness. It might be because the other empires were behind them, or it might be just in old greed. In any case, the consequences would have been unimaginable if the Chief Libationist had not shown up in a timely fashion.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Your Imperial Majesty. I¡¯m just protecting the people of Chu.¡±

    The Chief Libationist replied, ¡°Sigh. If someone hadn¡¯t tried to steal the Will of the Empire of Chu while the Heavens¡¯ Eye was missing, and I was forced to repel them for a moment, these petty thieves wouldn¡¯t even have the chance toy a finger on the Heavens¡¯ Eye.¡±

    ¡°Someone tried to steal our Will of the Empire? Who was it?¡± Emperor Jing Run eximed in shock.

    ¡°Who else? The mice that had survived since the ancient times, of course.¡±

    The Chief Libationist assured him. ¡°Worry not, I have already chased them away. That said, there is no changing the fact that Chu will lose a portion of its Will of the Empire since the Heavens¡¯ Eye is damaged. The age of chaos is nigh, and I hope you will make the necessary preparations soon. Do not harm the people over personal ambition, Your Imperial Majesty.¡±

    Emperor Jing Run replied, ¡°Thank you for your guidance. I know.¡±

    ¡°I really hope you do.¡± The Chief Libationist sighed quietly. ¡°This is as far as I can help you, Your Imperial Majesty. Take care.¡±

    The old man¡¯s voice and aura disappeared the next moment. It was clear he had taken his leave.

    After the Chief Libationist was gone, a hand reached out of the void and pulled the Heavens¡¯ Eye into it.

    With that, calm and tranquility finally returned to the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang.

    About a teatimeter, a weak chime resounded somewhere in the mountains. Then, a hill cracked open to reveal Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou.

    ¡°They¡¯re already gone¡­ I hope!¡±

    Upon emerging, Ye Qing immediately extended his mind and scanned his surroundings using his demonic thought.

    Unfortunately, the area he was at had been washed by the Heavens¡¯ Eye¡¯s attack, and its energies hadn¡¯tpletely dissipated yet. Later, over a dozen Sages had sprung out of nowhere and fought a battle against each other, stirring the river of fate until it was positively unrecognizable. As a result, his demonic thought could only stretch about ten kilometers in every direction.

    This was also why he and Feng Qingyou hadn¡¯t jumped out immediately after the war was over. What if an old fox had been hiding around the corner? They would¡¯ve run face first into a Sage, wouldn¡¯t they? That would have been bad.

    Sure, there was a high chance that the Sage wouldn¡¯t do anything to them. After all, few Sages could lower themselves into attacking a junior, much less one that had nothing to do with them. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    1. Subh¨±ti was one of the ten principal disciples of the Buddha. In Theravada Buddhism he is considered the disciple who was foremost in being "worthy of gifts" and "living remote and in peace". In Mahayana Buddhism, he is considered foremost in understanding emptiness. ?

 Chapter 1036: The Age of Chaos Is Nigh

    ¡°I think they¡¯re all gone,¡± Feng Qingyou said.

    Finally rxing his shoulders after hearing Feng Qingyou¡¯s assurance, Ye Qing recalled what happened earlier and praised, ¡°Tsk tsk, the Chief Libationist was quite domineering, wasn¡¯t he? As expected of him!¡±

    The old man had singlehandedly shouted off a dozen Sages. If he wasn¡¯t powerful, who was?

    ¡°The Chief Libationist is one of the strongest Sages of this world. Of course he¡¯s powerful,¡± Feng Qingyou echoed in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s a shame though.¡±

    ¡°What is?¡± Ye Qing nced at her in confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame that there is only so much one person can do. Not even the Chief Libationist could save the world by himself.¡±

    Feng Qingyou sighed. ¡°Chu¡­ will soon plunge into chaos.¡±

    Ye Qing fell into a rare silence before sighing as well. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    It was inevitable that using the Heavens¡¯ Eye would negatively affect Chu to a certain extent. However, as long as everything was executed properly¡ªfor example, if they sessfully wiped out the Nanjiang Royal Court, Meng Feixue and her people, and retrieved the Heavens¡¯ Eye without much trouble¡ªthen the damage would be greatly limited, and they would soon recover.But it was different now. Not only did Chu fail to wipe out Meng Feixue and her people, the Heavens¡¯ Eye was damaged in the process. It was a ssic case of giving away a bride and to lose one''s army on top of it. As a result, Chu wasn¡¯t contending with just a severe loss of reputation and dignity anymore, the damage to their national relic was going to cost them a significant amount of Will of the Empire and trigger an untold amount of disasters in the future.

    The Heavens¡¯ Eye was the guardian artifact of Chu¡¯s Will of the Empire. It being damaged was of course going to cost Chu their Will of the Empire.

    The Will of the Empire might seem like an ephemeral, even superstitious thing, but it was definitely real and important beyond measure. If an empire¡¯s Will of the Empire was strong, then the empire would prosper, the people would be at peace, and fortune would favor them both. On the other hand, a waning Will of the Empire would result in constant natural disasters and endless spawning of evil within the boundaries of the realm. The people¡¯s lives would be miserable as well.

    Since Chu had lost a significant amount of Will of the Empire from this effort, it was inevitable that bleak times were ahead of them.

    Second, the Heavens¡¯ Eye possessed the ability to watch the realm and suppress evils via its immense power. However, on top of using up most of its energy, it had suffered a not insignificant amount of damage as well. Naturally, it could no longer watch the realm, meaning that Chu¡¯s control over their territories had weakened significantly. They could no longer protect their people as effectively as they had before as well.

    In conclusion, Chu was destined for a period of disaster, unrest, and upheaval in the future.

    Of course, these problems would not surface immediately. It might not even be obvious in the short term. But it would eventually.

    Chu had prospered for a long time, but it looked like that period was finallying to an end.

    One thing for certain, it was the people who would suffer the worst of it.

    ¡°A great cmity is upon us. No one under the heavens of Spring and Autumn can avoid it. Chu is just the beginning, not the end.¡±

    Feng Qingyou sighed quietly. ¡°The age of chaos is nigh.¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hmm? Look, teacher! There¡¯s a star!¡±

    At a grass hut, a young boy was cooking tea when suddenly, a bright star appeared in the sky.

    It was daytime right now, so it should be almost impossible to see the stars barring certain exceptions. However, that particr star was extremely bright. Not only that, it wasn¡¯t dazzling like the sun or brilliant like the moon. It was cold, white, and overflowing with inauspiciousness and violence.

    ¡°What is that star, teacher? Why does it look so strange?¡±

    There was a man in his thirties sitting at a bamboo table. He was wearing a tall crown and a wide belt and carrying a book. He answered slowly, ¡°That is Ketu.¡±

    ¡°Ketu? What¡¯s a Ketu?¡± The child asked.

    ¡°The Ketu Star is one of the navagraha[1]. It is a star that represents disaster. ¡®When Ketu shines, disasters must appear¡¯. That is how it is,¡± the man answered.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± the young child said.

    ¡°It means, that the world is about to fall into chaos.¡±

    When the man looked up, his eyeballs were missing from his eye sockets.

    ¡°The age of chaos is nigh. It is time I head out for a walk.¡±

    As he said this, the grass hutt, the bamboo table, the furnace, and even the boy gradually disappeared like mirror reflections. They flew into the man¡¯s eye sockets and transformed into a pair of blood red eyeballs.

    The man disappeared right after that.

    ¡­¡­

    The imperial star has diverted, and the disaster star has appeared! Wonderful, wonderful!¡±

    Inside an abode, a handsome old man wearing a Taoist robe suddenly looked up into the sky and muttered to himself.

    ¡°Child!¡±

    ¡°I am here¡­¡±

    A tall, muscr, imposing-looking man d in golden armor appeared in front of the Taoist. Strangely, his voice sounded like that of a three-year-old boy.

    ¡°Message Heavenly Soul Breaker, Earthly Soul Destroyer, Myriad Shadows and Thousand Faces and tell them that the time hase!¡± The Taoist ordered.

    ¡°As youmand,¡± the strange man responded in a childish voice before turning to leave.

    The Taoist gazed long and far into the horizon after the strange man was gone.

    ¡°The Azure Sky is already dead; the Way of Taiping will soon rise¡­ and indeed, we will!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Namo Maitreya Buddha, a great cmity will soon engulf all under the heavens, and the people shall suffer¡­¡±

    At a beautifulnd filled with Buddha light like a Kingdom of Buddha, a fat Buddha as big as a mountain was sitting in the sky with a warm and merciful smile on his face. ¡°To save all living beings from suffering, and to free all living things from the sea of bitterness, is an act of infinitepassion.¡±

    ¡°We, the Maitreya Sect, shall not shirk away from our duty¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Hahaha! The great cmity is nigh! The age of chaos is <em>here!</em>¡±

    At an imperial court inside a mountain somewhere, a man wearing an emperor¡¯s robeughed like a madman. ¡°He who emerges victorious in the age of chaos is the king. How can my Court of Chaos possibly abstain from this great race?!¡±

    ¡°All subjects, heed my call! Today is the day we return to the world!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°The world has been corrupted for too long. Extinction is the only way to cleanse it all¡­¡±

    Inside a sea of blood, a man wearing a mask was slowly walking on its surface. Wherever he went, the blood disintegrated into nothing and revealed the mountains of corpses hidden underneath it.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°The world must be destroyed and forged anew¡­ if no one wille, then I will. If no one will do it, then I will¡­¡±

    ¡°Unborn Venerable Mother[2], Home of True Void¡­¡±

    A noble, holy-looking woman stepped out of the void. Every time she took a step, a white lotus would grow beneath her foot and emit a ripple of sacred light.

    ¡°Pity the suffering, enlighten the ignorant¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    The past few months were easily the most exciting, unbelievable, and eventful months the world had seen since ages ago.

    First, the Four Seas Dragon Pce betrayed humanity and tried to bring the Dragon Sovereign back to the human world. Luckily, humanity saw through their ploy, slew the Dragon Sovereign, and annihted the dragons of the four seas, saving themselves from a cmity.

    The incident was still fresh in everyone¡¯s mind when the news that the Chu¡¯s greatest geniuses, Fang Muyun and Chu Wangsun, had both been in by a mysterious person. Chu suffered a huge loss in reputation as a result.

    Just when everyone was waiting for Chu to embarrass themselves further, Chu rode out of their gates and wiped out the Nanjiang Royal Court and Eight Tribes and Nine Fortresses of Nanjiang in one fell swoop, stunning the entire world.

    They were still busy being shocked by the strength and domination of Chu when suddenly, the remnants of the Meng n resurfaced and stole back the Nanjiang Royal Court. They then summoned the Moon God to wipe out the Barbarian yer Army, Wilnd Suppression Army and the King yer Army, and seriously injure Wei Nanhua, a Sage.

    Enraged, Emperor Jing Run did the unthinkable and activated Chu¡¯s national relic. He used the Heavens¡¯ Eye''s vast powers to wipe out the Nanjiang Royal Court and turn five hundred kilometers ofnd into an uninhabitable wastnd.

    Was this the end of the story?

    Not at all. In fact, the best had yet toe. As Emperor Jing Run was returning with the Heavens¡¯ Eye, he was ambushed by over a dozen Sages, all of them coveting to steal the weakened Heavens¡¯ Eye. At a critical moment, the Chief Libationist finally showed up and scared all of them away, saving the Heavens¡¯ Eye.

    In conclusion, the fantastic incidents just kepting one after another. It was to the point where the people did not even have the time to process them.

    For a time, every man and woman under the heavens be it the ordinary people or the <em>jianghu </em>people were talking about it.

    Of course, most people didn¡¯t think too much about the incidents. They just thought that it was the most interesting months they had experienced in a long while.

    They had no idea that these incidents were just the calm before the storm; the interlude before the climax.

    None of this has anything to do with Ye Qing though, at least not right now. It was because Ye Qing was currently practicing in seclusion.

    1. The navagraha are nine heavenly bodies and deities that influence human life on Earth ording to Hinduism and Hindu mythology. ?

    2. ">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiguandao ?

 Chapter 1038: Donâ€™t Keep It To Yourself! Share It With Me!

    Originally, the old man was covered in wounds. His aura was weak, and his face was as white as a sheet. It was clear that he had grievously injured.

    However, the mysterious energy permeating the air was healing his injuries at a visible rate. His aura quickly stabilized, and his pallidplexion soon regained a healthy color. In just a dozen breaths or so, the old man had made a major recovery.

    The next moment, a terrifying aura washed out of the old man¡¯s body. At the same time, a dark green fog spread across the surroundings. The nts withered, and the earth and rocks disintegrated at a visible rate. In just the blink of an eye, everything within several hundred meters of the old man had turned into a corroded swamp. More fog was rising from the swamp, and the miasma was everywhere.

    As it turned out, the old man was a Great Trueman. His true name was Wan Dusheng, though most people would not recognize it.The King of All Poisons though? That was a name practically everyone in the <em>jianghu </em>had heard of.

    The King of All Poisons was the forty-third named warrior on the Earth Champions Ranking. A Great Trueman, he was a master of poisons. Cruel and ruthless, he once turned an entiremandery and five thousand kilometers ofnd into a poisonous swamp. The tens of thousands of citizens living in themandery had all been turned into Poison People as well. He waster hunted by the orthodoxy and was forced to escape into the One Hundred Mountains of Nanjiang. He was ultimately able to avoid justice.

    Despite the harrowing experience, the King of All Poisons did not know restraint. He continued to massacre innocents in the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang to practice his evil art. He was notorious to say the least.

    Unfortunately, the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was rife with dangers, and the King of All Poisons himself was cunning and powerful. As much as the <em>jianghu </em>wanted him dead, they had no choice but to leave him alone.

    This situationsted until a while ago, where the King of All Poisons¡¯ bad karma finally caught up to him. He had captured two random people to test his poison as usual, but it turned out that they were Sky Mending Pce disciples. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, they were quite prestigious disciples as well.

    The Sky Mending Pce was notorious for their vengefulness, and he quickly found out that the rumors were true. The Sky Mending Pce had dispatched three Sky Mending Envoys to hunt him down.The Sky Mending Pce boasted seven elites called the Seven Sky Mending Envoys. They were the Envoy of Joy, Envoy of Rage, Envoy of Worry, Envoy of Thought, Envoy of Surprise, Envoy of Terror, and Envoy of Sorrow. They were all Great Truemen and extremely powerful.

    Although the King of All Poisons was a Great Trueman himself, he was inferior to the Sky Mending Envoys. In fact, every single Sky Mending Envoy could defeat him one on one. Three? He could multiply himself by three, and he still wouldn¡¯t be able to win against them.

    As a result, he suffered serious injuries and was forced to escape. By the time he reached this location, he was already exhausted beyond imagination and on hisst legs. He thought for sure that this was where he met his end, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Through sheer luck, he encountered this strange energy and found himself mostly restored.

    He did not know what was hidden within this underground cave, but it could only be extraordinary. Forget the purple qi or the illusion of celestials, just the fact that the ambient energy could restore his injuriespletely and fill him with vigor was enough to resolve him to obtain it.

    It wasn¡¯t just because it was his opportunity, but also because it was his only hope of surviving his predicament.

    If he could obtain this item, it might allow him to escape the Sky Mending Envoys'' pursuit. It might even grow his strength further until he became a Half-Sage, no, a Sage!

    When that happened, the so-called Sky Mending Envoys and Sky Mending Pce were all going to pay.

    ¡°Sky Mending Envoys, Sky Mending Pce. Wait for me¡­¡± The King of All Poisonsughed like a madman. ¡°I¡¯ming for you!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s got youughing like that? Share it with me! Funny jokes should be shared with everyone.¡±

    The King of All Poisons was stillughing when a voice suddenly rang behind his back.

    His joy morphing into shock and a bit of fear in an instant, the King of All Poisons spun around to find a youngster standing not far away from him.

    Right now, he was standing in the middle of the poisonous swamp he created. The miasma was so deadly that any living being foolish enough to enter this ce would be poisoned and melted into a goo of flesh in an hour at most.

    Not only that, he was spiritually connected to the poisonous swamp. He should be able to detect anyone who set foot inside its perimeter at first notice.

    And yet, he felt nothing when the youngster appeared. Not only that, the miasma did not seem to affect the youngster at all.

    He tried to perceive the youngster¡¯s energy, but it was profound beyond words. It felt as ephemeral as the wind or the clouds, but also as thick and dense as the earth at the same time. It was unusual to say the least.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± The King of All Poisons asked cautiously when he realized that he could not figure out the youngster¡¯s cultivation level immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be asking you that question!¡± The youngster, a.k.a Ye Qing, countered.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Suddenly, a possibility urred to the King of All Poisons. It was perhaps the only exnation as to why the youngster was able to appear behind him without him noticing: the cave. His swamp did not epass the cave, so assuming that the youngster came from the cave, then it made sense that he wouldn¡¯t notice him.

    And if the youngster really dide from the cave, then the treasure in the underground cave was probably in his hands!

    The King of All Poisons could not help a rush of killing intent when he thought until this point. ¡°Did you take the cave¡¯s treasure?¡±

    Ye Qing lifted his eyebrows and asked in confusion, ¡°What treasure?¡±

    ¡°Stop pretending and surrender the treasure now! If you do, then I can let you live!¡± The King of All Poisons¡¯ killing intent grew sharper, and as if resonating with his killing intent, the poisonous swamp began stirring restlessly as well. The dark green fog transformed into venomous snakes, scorpions, spiders, toads and more poisonous Strangers. It was both anomalous and frightening.

    ¡°Treasure?¡±

    Ye Qing ignored it all, however. He asked with a smirk, ¡°Are you talking about this?¡±

    Ye Qing raised his right hand and looked at the sky. When he made a grabbing motion, the skyful of purple qi descended, and the celestials, gods and Bodhisattvas all bowed their heads. They all flowed into his palm in an instant.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°You¡­ what¡­¡± The King of All Poisons¡¯ eyes widened. He was bbergasted by what he just saw.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m probably the ¡®treasure¡¯ you thought I was.¡±

    Ye Qing continued smilingly. ¡°Do you still want me? Not that I woulde with you, of course. You¡¯re far too ugly.¡±

    ¡°You bastard¡­ I¡¯m going to kill you!¡±

    The King of All Poisons¡¯ breathing slowly grew heavier. His eyes grew bloodshot, and his expression became contorted by fury and savagery. He was hoping that the treasure inside the cave would be able to save his life and even aid him to be a greater warrior. But now, he realized that there was no treasure after all. Everything he saw and felt was juts a product of the youngster¡¯s cultivation.

    Without the treasure, there was no hope for him to live; no hope for him to be stronger.

    How could he not be angry? How could he not be mad?

    That was why he desired to kill the youngster. He might die, but he was going to drag the bastard to the grave with him at least!

    <em>¡°Poison Swallows The Sky¡±</em>

    The next moment, the poisonous liquid and fog in the swamp converged in the air and formed a gigantic, nine-headed snake monster. All nine heads threw up torrents of poisonous liquid, withering nts and eroding rocks along the way. It was as if this small part of the world had turned into a kingdom of swamp and poison.

    The nine-headed snake monster¡¯s name was Xiangliu[1], and it was the King of All Poisons¡¯ yang god. He had fashioned it to imitate the ancient Stranger Xiangliu. ording to ancient folklore, Xiangliu was an evil beast with a snake¡¯s body and nine heads. It was a human-eater, and its mere presence caused deadly poison to flow like rivers. It left behind kingdoms of swamp and poison in its wake.

    Manifesting his yang god and transforming his surroundings into a kingdom of swamp and poison was the King of All Poisons¡¯ greatest trump card. It showed just how much he wanted Ye Qing dead.

    Ye Qing was looking at the flood of poison with disdain, however. He took one step forward, and the ground shook violently. The flood of poison was blown apart, and the kingdom of swamp and poison fell into shambles in an instant.

    1. Xiangliu (/???.lju?/), known in the ssic of Mountains and Seas as Xiangyao (/???.ja?/), is a venomous nine-headed snake monster that brings floods and destruction in Chinese mythology. ?

 Chapter 1040: The Careful and Timid Joy Envoy

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ You tter me too much! Too much!¡±

    The Joy Envoy was beside himself with joy when he heard Ye Qing¡¯spliment.

    ¡°You mentioned that this guy is wanted by the Sky Mending Pce? Can you exin?¡±

    Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Of course. His name is Wan Dusheng, the one they call the King of All Poisons in the <em>jianghu</em>. You might have heard about him, but he is a vicious, terrible viin who hasmitted every crime under the sun and more.¡±

    The Joy Envoy answered, ¡°Not long ago, the King of All Poisons killed some of our disciples. So, our head ordered us to hunt down this cur.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ye Qing eximed in realization but asked another question, ¡°In that case, why did you stop me from killing him? You want him dead, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The Joy Envoy answered without hesitation, ¡°Because he¡¯s worth more alive than dead, of course.¡±

    ¡°Regardless of my intentions, you took out this cur for us and took revenge for our dead disciples. I hereby offer you our sincerest thanks.¡±Ye Qing saluted back. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. You¡¯re wee.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, may I have your name, brother?¡± The Joy Envoy asked.

    ¡°I am Ye Feng, a nobody. You wouldn¡¯t have heard of me.¡± Ye Qing made up a random name.

    ¡°You must be joking, brother. With your strength, you cannot possibly be a nobody.¡± It didn¡¯t take much thinking for the Joy Envoy to realize that Ye Qing had given him a fake name. There was no way a Great Grandmaster this young could possibly be a nobody. However, he had never heard of the name ¡°Ye Feng¡± before. This could only mean that ¡°Ye Feng¡± had lied to him.

    Still, the Joy Envoy did not expose ¡°Ye Feng¡±¡¯s lie. They were strangers who ran into each other by chance. If ¡°Ye Feng¡± did not wish to tell the truth, then so be it. Why should he press him?

    ¡°I see that you have justpleted your breakthrough and are in need of solidifying your cultivation, Brother Ye. Since the King of All Poisons have been subjugated, I shan¡¯t waste your time any longer.¡±

    After conversing with Ye Qing for a little longer and receiving lukewarm and short responses from him, the Joy Envoy got the hint and bade him goodbye. ¡°This is my token, Brother Ye. If you have time, do not hesitate to find me at the Sky Mending Pce. I promise to give you our greatest hospitality. Once again, thank you for your help.¡±

    The Joy Envoy produced a token and gently sent it over to Ye Qing.

    Ye Qing caught the token and smiled back. ¡°I will certainly pay you a visit if I have the time.¡±

    The Joy Envoy let out augh before saluting. ¡°In that case, this is where we part ways. I hope to see you again, Brother Ye!¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Ye Qing returned the salute.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The Joy Envoy whispered to his litter carriers, and the four men turned away from Ye Qing. As if crashing through the void, they disappeared in just the blink of an eye.

    When they reappeared, the Joy Envoy and his litter carriers were dozens of kilometers away from their original location. However, the Joy Envoy was looking a little white, and the four litter carriers looked tired as well.

    It was clear that the spatial teleportation had cost them quite a bit of strength.

    One of the litter carriers could not help but ask, ¡°Honored envoy, why on earth did you use the Void Walking Spell when we could¡¯ve just¡­ walked away?¡±

    The Void Walking Spell was an escape spell that allowed the practitioner to escape through the void. It was, in fact, the Joy Envoy¡¯s life-saving trump card. However, the Joy Envoy had suddenly used the Void Walking Spell even though there was no danger. It was no wonder he and the rest of the litter carriers were confused.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. A virtuous man does not stand next to a wall about to copse, and that guy feels dangerous as fuck.¡± The Joy Envoy wiped away the sweat on his forehead and heaved out an audible sigh of relief.

    ¡°Dangerous? Are you no match for that man, honored envoy?¡± The litter carrier eximed in surprise.

    ¡°Screw you! Of course I¡¯m more than a match for that guy!¡±

    The Joy Envoy threw a tantrum. ¡°Even if I wasn¡¯t, I could¡¯ve escaped from him as easily as snapping my fingers, you understand? But what about you guys? You¡¯re so weak. If we fought, you would¡¯ve been killed before you could even think of escaping. I used the spell to save your lives, understand?¡±

    <em>Yep, that is definitely not the case. You¡¯re just scared of that man! </em>The litter carrierined inside his head.

    The Joy Envoy was astoundingly talented, amiable, and careful. His one and only weakness was that he was as timid as a mouse. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. Despite his extraordinary strength, he was scared of everything. For example, he rarely left the sect because he was worried that someone might kill him as soon as he set one foot out of the door. On the few asions he did, he avoided all conflicts like his life depended on it, and he would rather run away or hide like a coward than fight unless he had no other option.

    Frankly, if the head hadn¡¯t personally appointed the Joy Envoy to hunt down the King of All Poisons, the guy would be pretending to be a corpse on his bed right now.

    It was one thing if the Joy Envoy was just timid, but for whatever reason, he was also quite prideful. He refused to admit that he was scared, and he always must have the final say¡ªunless his life was on the line, of course.

    The four litter carriers knew very well what kind of master they served, so without even needing to exchange nces with each other, they saluted the Joy Envoy and said, ¡°Thank you, honored envoy.¡±

    The Joy Envoy nodded in satisfaction before urging, ¡°Alright, job¡¯s done. Let¡¯s head back to the sect as soon as possible!¡±

    There was one thing the Joy Envoy did not tell his subordinates, and that was the fact that the King of All Poisons was, in fact, still alive. ¡°Ye Feng¡± had only knocked him out. It was clear that he had no intentions of surrendering the King of All Poisons to him either.

    Whatever the reason ¡°Ye Feng¡± was keeping the King of All Poisons alive, the Joy Envoy was worried that he would try to silence him. That was why he was in such a hurry to leave.

    There was no need to tell his four litter carriers about this though. If they knew that the King of All Poisons was still alive, they would surelyin to no end and even urge him to fight that man, the fools.

    He still had so much to live for. He had negative value intentions to get involved in this mess.

    <em>King of All Poisons? Who the fuck is that? He¡¯s dead, isn¡¯t he?</em>

    It wasn¡¯t like ¡°Ye Feng¡± was a soft-hearted man. The Joy Envoy had a feeling that the King of All Poisons would suffer a fate worse than death in his hands. Whatever happened to the bastard, he did not think he would be able tomit evil anymore, so he might as well be dead.

    <em>Yep, this is the end of this matter. He¡¯s happy, I¡¯m happy, everyone¡¯s happy! What¡¯s not to like?</em>

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Interesting!¡±

    Ye Qing shook his head smilingly as he stared at the empty spot where the Joy Envoy had just teleported away in a hurry.

    For someone as strong as the Joy Envoy, he was surprisingly timid. It might seem like their conversation was an amiable one, and the Joy Envoy had not acted anything but generous from the start until the end, but on the inside, he was really a bubbling pot of fear and cautiousness threatening to spill at any moment. He had no idea how he managed to be the Joy Envoy considering his personality.

    Ye Qing did not spend too much time thinking about the man though. With one stomp of his foot, he pushed the King of All Poisons he buried underground a while ago back to the surface.

    <em>Snap!</em>

    Ye Qing snapped his finger, and a ripple of demonic thought caused the unconscious King of All Poisons to open his eyes slowly.

    ¡°Greetings, young master!¡±

    The King of All Poisons got up and saluted Ye Qing politely.

    ¡°Mm. From now on, you are no longer the King of All Poisons, understand?¡± Ye Qing said.

    ¡°As youmand, young master.¡± The King of All Poisons asked, ¡°What will be my name?¡±

    ¡°Your original name was pretty good. I will call you Wan Dusheng,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Thank you, young master.¡± The King of All Poisons¡ªnow Wan Dusheng¡ªreplied.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave.¡± Ye Qing nodded and began walking away. Wan Dusheng hurriedly fell in behind him.

    About an hourter, Ye Qing arrived at a valley overflowing with miasma. It was overgrown with some sort of purple flower. The faint mist permeating the air was purple as well. It was sweet-scented, beautiful, and dreamlike.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Careful, young master. That¡¯s the Purple King Yan.¡±

    Wan Dusheng¡¯s face grew a little serious when he saw the flowers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    The Purple King Yan was the purple flower. In this world, it was an absolute, eternal truth that the prettier something was, the deadlier it was.

    The Purple King Yan was one such example.

 Chapter 1041: Purple King Yan

    <h4>Chapter 1041: Purple King Yan </h4>

    The Purple King Yan was a purple flower that gave off a faint mist that was sweet-scented and purple-colored. Those who smelled it would fall into a hypnagogic[1] state and forget all about their worries.

    But of course, this wasn¡¯t why the Purple King Yan was called the Purple King Yan. It was because those who saw it would suffer all sorts of unusual nightmares when they went to sleep at night. The nightmare was endless, and the dreamer was tormented until they died.

    Anyone below Trueman or Grandmaster was dead as soon as they saw the Purple King Yan. It was because they would have smelled the mist from this distance. Even a Trueman and Grandmaster might not avoid this gruesome fate if they weren¡¯t careful.

    To run into the flower was like encountering King Yan himself. Death was the only oue. That was why it was called the Purple King Yan.

    There was a silver lining though. The Purple King Yan was extremely rare, and it only grew within a huge swamp deep within the mountains. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t as harmful as it could have been.

    @@novelbin@@

    ¡°Hold this in your mouth.¡± Ye Qing handed Wan Dusheng a pill. ¡°Do <i>not </i>swallow it.¡±

    ¡°The pollen of Clear Sky Flower, Luozhi grass, foxglove, rice-paper nt, and hyacinth juice?¡±

    Wan Dusheng gave the pill a sniff before eximing in shock, ¡°A good number of the ingredients of this pill are deadly poisonous. What on earth is this, young master?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called the Fifth Watch Survivor,¡± Ye Qing answered while feeling quite impressed. As expected of someone formerly called the King of All Poisons, Wan Dusheng was able to guess most of the pill¡¯s ingredients just by sniffing it. ¡°I have a friend who created an antidote that specifically counteracted the Purple King Yan. ¡®King Yan wants you dead by the third watch, but I will keep you alive until the fifth.¡¯ That is the description of this pill, and why it was named the ¡®Fifth Watch Survivor¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Whoever made this pill must be a master of medicine. Tobine so many deadly poisons together and have them counteract each other without producing any harmful effects is just incredible!¡± Wan Dusheng praised.

    ¡°Save the praise for when you meet herter.¡± Ye Qing smiled. ¡°Nowe on.¡±

    Ye Qing ced the pill inside his mouth and took the lead.

    The entrance of the valley was incredibly narrow, and both sides of the walls werepletely covered in Purple King Yan. The spectacle of countless Purple Yan swaying to the wind was certainly something.

    After they traveled about a hundred meters or so, the road abruptly widened into a vast clearing. Here, countless people could be seen building houses, carrying items, or patrolling the area. Although they were all busy, everyone was wearing a happy and hopeful smile on their face.

    ¡°Warrior Ye!¡±

    ¡°Warrior Ye...¡± Some of the people nearby recognized him and walked up to him immediately.

    ¡°Mm. I¡¯ve only been gone for a few months, and you guys have made quite the improvement to this ce,¡± Ye Qingplimented them while admiring the valley.

    The valley was one of the hiding spots he and Feng Qingyou had chosen for Meng Feixue after escaping the Vile Water. This valley was shaped like a cbash in the sense that the entrance was small, but the interior was vast. It had its own natural water source¡ªa mountainke to be exact¡ªand the entrance was guarded by the Purple King Yan. It was a perfect ce to live with a natural barrier to boot.

    The Purple King Yan was extremely dangerous, but it was nothing to Feng Qingyou. After just several days of research, she sessfully created an antidote that could neutralize its toxin. And so this valley became a shelter for some of the citizens of the Nanjiang Royal Court.

    There were several more ces like this scattered throughout the area. Some were shelters for the people to live, some were training grounds, some were ntations, some were smithing grounds and more.

    Although this valley was big enough to fit everyone, Feng Qingyou and Meng Feixue decided to separate them after due consideration. It was easier to manage the people if they were all gathered in one ce, but if the Chu army or other enemies discovered them, then there was a huge chance that they would be destroyed in one fell swoop.

    On the other hand, separating them would make management harder, but if one location was hit, the other locations would still be safe. It would maximize their security.

    Feng Qingyou and Meng Feixue had selected a number of shelters, though the valley guarded by Purple King Yan was the biggest and most excellent. It also boasted the most number of citizens out of all the shelters. Feng Qingyou spent more time here than elsewhere.

    That said, when Ye Qing had left this valley, it was still a jungle with no signs of human activity anywhere. To think that it had transformed into such amendable town in just a matter of months. It was like a hidden slice of paradise.

    Of course, he had been gone for over three months. It made sense that things would be much different then and now. Still, Ye Qing could not help but be surprised by this.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the princess and Miss Feng,¡± One man answered with deep gratitude and respect for the two women.

    ¡°Where are they?¡± Ye Qing asked smilingly.

    A guard answered, ¡°The princess left on some business. Miss Feng is residing in the Nanjiang Pce. I¡¯ll take you there right away!¡±

    ¡°Nanjiang Pce?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. Since when was there a Nanjiang Pce?

    ¡°Right. The Nanjiang Pce is a temporary royal pce made for the princess. Although the Nanjiang Royal Court is gone, a country must have a ruler, just like a ruler must have a pce. Therefore, the princess ordered us to build the Nanjiang Pce after you left. It is the center of our governmental affairs and other businesses.¡±

    Ye Qing would ask the guard about a couple more matters until they finally arrived at the Nanjiang Pce. To be honest though, it looked far more like a bigger pavilion than a pce. It was quite shabby-looking as well. Forget the likes of the Peaceful Nanjiang Pce or the Sky Mending Pce, it couldn¡¯t evenpare to a high-ss restaurant or inn.

    That said, the pce looked majestic and solemn despite its shabby design. The dozens of Malevolent tribesmen patrolling the area added some steel to its atmosphere as well.

    Considering that they only had three months to work on the building, it was quite impressive already.

    The guard bade him goodbye after leading him to the Nanjiang Pce. Since the Malevolent tribesmen recognized him, they only performed a perfunctory inspection before taking him to Feng Qingyou.

    ¡°We have only just begun to build our order, and we cannot afford to be challenged at this time. Zheng Rong, tell the men that anyone who creates a disturbance or resists orders during this time is to be killed immediately!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Hunting Strangers and foraging wild fruits cannot be a long-term solution to our food problems. To have enough food, we must find a suitable ce to grow them. Zheng Shan, I leave this to you. I expect you toplete this mission in three days.¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ¡°Qian Hun, I want you to scout out and create a map of everything within five hundred kilometers of this valley. I want to know the geography, the terrain, the location of the Strangers etc, everything. Report back to me when you have the map!¡±

    ¡°As youmand!¡±

    ......

    When Ye Qing entered the pce, he immediately saw Feng Qingyou issuing orders to the men and conducting all sorts of government affairs with a solemn and dignified expression. She looked untouchable and unapproachable right now.

    Instead of disturbing her, he went to a corner of the pce and took a seat, waiting. The wait wouldst over two hours. During this time, Feng Qingyou would go through dozens of affairs, big or small, and somehow create order out of the pile of absolute mess one called work in front of her.

    By the time she was done, the sky outside the pce had already turned dark. Feng Qingyou was rubbing her forehead with a fatigued expression as well.

    1. Meaning half-asleep, half-awake. ?

 Chapter 1042: Save Me, Joyless

    <h4>Chapter 1042: Save Me, Joyless </h4>

    ¡°Do you have to handle so much work every day? It must be tiring!¡±

    Ye Qing finally walked up to Feng Qingyou and poured her a cup of hot tea.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Feng Qingyou epted the offer and took a sip. She said smilingly, ¡°It¡¯s always like this at the beginning. There will be less work once things have gotten on track.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, I almost forgot. Congrattions on taking another step in the martial way and bing a Great Grandmaster, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± Ye Qing smiled back.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Feng Qingyou asked curiously while looking behind Ye Qing where Wan Dusheng was standing.

    ¡°He¡¯s Wan Dusheng,¡± Ye Qing answered. ¡°His strength is passable. You¡¯recking in manpower, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯s why I brought him over.¡±

    ¡°The King of All Poisons? It looks like your seclusion wasn¡¯tpletely peaceful after all!¡± Feng Qingyou chuckled.

    ¡°It¡¯s just some small fries, so it¡¯s nothing big.¡± Ye Qing proceeded to tell Feng Qingyou about his encounter with Wan Dusheng and the Joy Envoy.

    ¡°Do you think your ns will be impacted by the Sky Mending Pce¡¯s presence?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it will be fine.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°The age of chaos is nigh, and not even the Sky Mending Pce can survive alone. They will need allies.¡±

    ¡°An alliance with the Sky Mending Pce? Is that possible?¡± Ye Qing raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Given enough interest, anything is possible,¡± Feng Qingyou replied indifferently. ¡°We would have sought them out eventually even if you didn¡¯t meet them today.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It feels like asking a tiger for its hide to me,¡± Ye Qing voiced his worry. The basis for any alliance or cooperation was equal strength. If the gap between the two factions was too big, then the inferior side would surely suffer from the arrangement.

    ¡°Anything is possible if you put your mind into it,¡± Feng Qingyou dered confidently.

    ¡°True.¡±

    Ye Qing smiled back and changed the topic. If Feng Qingyou was this confident, then there was nothing to worry about. ¡°So, what happened to the world while I was away?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it was quite lively...¡± Feng Qingyou briefly exined everything that had happened during the past three months before ending with, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you head back outside.¡±

    The two would continue to chat for a bit when Ye Qing took note of Feng Qingyou¡¯s fatigue and said, ¡°You¡¯ve been busy the whole day, Qingyou. Go catch some rest.¡±

    ¡°You too. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you on a tour around the King Yan Valley,¡± Feng Qingyou said smilingly.

    With that, Feng Qingyou bade him goodbye and ordered a guard to take Ye Qing to his amodation.

    Ye Qing had been practicing for three months. Although he was feeling pretty excited since he just became a Great Grandmaster, he couldn''t help but feel a bit of fatigue himself. That was why he fell unconscious as soon as he was done freshening himself, and his head hit the pillow.

    Moonlight passed through the window frame and spilled across the wooden floor, dyeing it in a sheen of silver.

    However, the sheen of silver soon wriggled unnaturally before turning into the silhouette of a man.

    The silhouette was covered in blood as it wobbled its way toward the sleeping Ye Qing.

    ¡°Save me...¡±

    ¡°Save me...¡±

    Every time the silhouette took a step, he would leave behind a small pool of blood. It quickly overshadowed the moonlight on the floor.

    The silhouette would cry out, ¡°Save me!¡± every time it took a step. Its voice was dark and eerie like a malevolent ghost who had escaped from Fengdu. It also sounded like the angry roar of a cornered animal.

    The silhouette reached Ye Qing¡¯s bed in just the blink of an eye. It slowly looked down on the slumbering Ye Qing and opened its mouth, ¡°Save me, Joyless...¡±

    ¡°Save me, Joyless...¡±

    ¡°Save me, Joyless...¡±

    The silhouette¡¯s voice grew increasingly urgent and dark when it received no response from Ye Qing. Its mutted, blood-covered face was just inches away from Ye Qing¡¯s.

    ¡°Save me. Save me. <strong>Joyless!</strong>¡±

    The silhouette roared and spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. It instantly engulfed Ye Qing in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Yi Pin!¡±

    On the bed, Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes and sat up. He looked around, but there was no silhouette crying for help, no flood of blood, nothing. There was only moonlight still spilling through the window and painting the floor in peaceful silver.

    @@novelbin@@

    ¡°Phew... it¡¯s just a nightmare!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief, but he frowned almost as soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth. At his current level, it was impossible for him to dream without good reason, much less Yi Pin.

    That¡¯s right. The blood-soaked man he dreamed of earlier was none other than Yi Pin. It was quite unusual to say the least.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and got up on his feet. He was going to pour himself a cup of tea when he noticed something that caused his pupils to contract into pinheads.

    Just outside his room, there were two bloody words on the floor:

    ¡°Kunlun Ruins¡±

    The words were huge and bright red as if someone had written it using all the blood inside their body. It was full of terror and despair.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a nightmare?¡±

    Ye Qing appeared in front of the three words with his eyebrows knitted together tightly. ¡°Did something happen to Yi Pin?¡±

    His demonic thought could not sense any unusual energy inside or outside his room. It was as if the three words had appeared out of thin air.

    He thought for a moment longer before producing the Annon Sutra and asking:

    ¡°Did something happen to Yi Pin?¡±

    Ever since he became a Grandmaster, the number of times Ye Qing used the Annon Sutra had dwindled considerably. It was because of two reasons. One, the Annon Sutra¡¯s dragon-serpent runes were almost useless to him at this point. And two, he had never stopped being respectful and wary of the Strange Artifact. That was why he kept his usage of it to a minimum.

    There were times where he must use it though. In some situations, the Annon Sutra was still the most time-saving and energy-conserving method.

    As Ye Qing fed the Annon Sutra his blood, rows of bloody text slowly appeared on the Annon Sutra.

    ¡°My name is Yi Pin. If you see this message, then I am about to die.¡±

    ¡°It is because I have foolishly entered the Kunlun Ruins, one of the most dangerous ces in the entire world. No one has ever walked out of the Kunlun Ruins alive, and I am no exception.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to die...¡±

    ¡°Going to die...¡±

    ¡°To die...¡±

    ¡°Die...¡±

    That was the end of the Annon Sutra¡¯s message. The words of blood slowly sank into the Annon Sutra¡¯s vellum and disappeared.

    ¡°Looks like Yi Pin really is in danger.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression was stern and grave. But what were the Kunlun Ruins, exactly? He had never heard of this location before.

    ¡°What are the Kunlun Ruins?¡± Ye Qing asked another question, but this time, his blood slid right off the Annon Sutra¡¯s surface. It wasn¡¯t going to answer this question.

    ¡°Where are the Kunlun Ruins?¡± Ye Qing changed his question.

    This time, it took half a teatime of blood before the Annon Sutra finally responded with a simple, ¡°Kunlun Mountain.¡±

    ¡°Kunlun Mountain?¡± Ye Qing frowned. He was aware of Kunlun Mountain as a matter of course. Kunlun Mountain was the sovereign of all mountains and the origin of the dragon veins. Since ancient times, it was called the celestial mountain. The number of anomalies and legends it boasted was countless, and many powerful warriors and factions still resided in Kunlun Mountain to this day. The West Kunlun of the Nine Dark Ways or the Ling Xiao City of the Five Profound Sects were two such examples.

    ¡°So, I must travel to the Kunlun Mountain first before I can head to the Kunlun Ruins.¡±

    Ye Qing thought for a moment before putting away the Annon Sutra. Then, he went to Feng Qingyou¡¯s room.

    Before he even arrived at her room, the windows suddenly lit up with candle me.

    By the time he reached the door, he heard Feng Qingyou calling out to him, ¡°Come in, Joyless.¡±

    ¡°Apologies for disturbing your rest,¡± Ye Qing apologized after stepping inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Do you have something urgent you need to speak to me about?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s like this...¡±

    Ye Qing proceeded to tell Feng Qingyou about his dream and the bloody words outside his doorsteps.

 Chapter 1043: Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell

    Chapter 1043: Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell

    ¡°It¡¯s probably the legendary Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Feng Qingyou answered after mulling over Ye Qing¡¯s words for a bit, ¡°Legend has it that the Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell could convey a meaningful dream to others no matter the distance. It is an incredibly mysterious and powerful secret art.¡±

    ¡°However, it would seem that Yi Pin was unable to convey the full message to you. In fact, all he could do was to beg you for help and tell you that he is currently at the Kunlun Ruins. The Kunlun Ruins are notoriously dangerous. It¡¯s possible that whatever anomaly is affecting that ce has also diminished the effectiveness of the Great Animitta Dream Posting Spell.¡±

    ¡°Do you know where the Kunlun Ruins are, Qingyou?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I do not.¡± Feng Qingyou shook her head before offering a guess. ¡°Judging from its name though, I reckon that it has something to do with the Kunlun Mountain.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The Kunlun Ruins are connected to the Kunlun Mountain,¡± Ye Qing replied. ¡°Unfortunately, that is the extent of my knowledge. I do not know where it is located on the Kunlun Mountain or how to enter it either.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to go to the Kunlun Ruins?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Yi Pin is my friend. I cannot do nothing during his time of need!¡± Ye Qing dered seriously.

    ¡°Kunlun Mountain is massive though. It would not be easy for you to locate the Kunlun Ruins.¡±Feng Qingyou did not try to stop Ye Qing. In fact, she said, ¡°Very well. I will apany you on this journey.¡±

    ¡°No, you should stay here.¡± But Ye Qing turned her down. ¡°There is still much work that needs to be done here, and the danger hasn¡¯t fully passed yet. Miss Meng needs you more than I do.¡±

    ¡°All I ask is that you find someone to investigate the Kunlun Ruins for me. Message me if the investigator finds anything.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    Feng Qingyou was nning to say more, but Ye Qing added with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not stupid. I will ask Cheng Qishang, Withered Sword and Wan Dusheng to apany me.¡±

    ¡°Besides, I have the Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent. I can¡¯t die easily even if I try.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± Ultimately, Feng Qingyou gave him a nod. Ye Qing was now a Great Grandmaster with the legendary Strange Artifact, the Earthly Sovereign Bell. Wan Dusheng and Cheng Qishang were quite powerful in their own right as well. He should be fine. ¡°Nothing is more important than your safety though. Never put yourself in danger if you can help it.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    The reason he did not allow Feng Qingyou to apany was simple. One, it was as he said before. Meng Feixue and the people of Nanjiang needed her right now. Two, it was because of the Annon Sutra¡¯s warning.

    ¡°No one has ever walked out of the Kunlun Ruins alive.¡± To say that the bloody warning chilled him would be an understatement. However, Yi Pin was his friend, and he could not ignore his plight no matter what. One way or another, he had to go to the Kunlun Ruins to save the old fart.

    Feng Qingyou and Yi Pin did not know each other though. There was no reason for her to take such a risk. Besides, Feng Qingyou had already helped him so much. He couldn¡¯t allow her to risk herself any further.

    ¡°When will you be departing?¡± Feng Qingyou asked.

    ¡°Now. It¡¯s clear from the message that time is of the essence,¡± Ye Qing answered.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Feng Qingyou smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see you off.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    This time, Ye Qing did not reject her offer. Without alerting anyone, with the moon serving as the backdrop, they quietly left the pce, passed through the public square, and walked toward the narrow entrance filled with Purple King Yan.

    The road was both very long and very short.

    ¡°This is far enough.¡± Ye Qing stopped in his tracks after they left the valley. He turned and looked at Feng Qingyou beside him. ¡°You should return, Qingyou.¡±

    Moonlight draped over Feng Qingyou like the finest cloak. It made her look like a fairy who had walked out of a painting.

    ¡°Take care, Joyless.¡± Feng Qingyou gave him a smile beautiful enough to make even the wind and the moon drunk.

    ¡°I will.¡± Ye Qing nodded in response. ¡°You should take care of yourself too.¡±

    They exchanged smiles. There was no need to say anything else.

    May the moon shine just as bright tomorrow.

    May our smiles remain the same tomorrow.

    Take care, and let us meet again someday!

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Trust in the Golden Millet, and you shall have a good night¡¯s rest¡­¡±

    ¡°ept the talisman, and you will be immune to illnesses¡­¡±

    ¡°The Golden Millet will protect you from all tribtions and ensure eternal peace¡­¡±

    ¡°Trust in the Golden Millet, and you shall have a good night¡¯s rest¡­¡±

    ¡°ept the talisman, and you will be immune to illnesses¡­¡±

    ¡°The Golden Millet will protect you from all tribtions and ensure eternal peace¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ these Golden Millet worshipers are out scamming people again!¡±

    ¡°Shh! Careful, Brother Feng. This is the first time you¡¯re here at Long Qing, so I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t know that the locals all worship the Great Golden Millet Celestial? They are extremely pious and cannot stand anyone disparaging their deity even a little, so you really shouldn¡¯t say that. Besides, the Great Golden Millet Celestial is said to be omnipotent and omniscient. You would be wise not to insult him.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! Great Golden Millet Celestial my ass, it¡¯s just another chatan who¡¯se out of the woods to deceive the people and scam the foolish? Don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯re a believer as well?¡±

    ¡°Well, better to believe than not, right?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, a blind man could tell that this so-called Great Golden Millet Celestial is bad news. Why aren''t the authorities doing anything about it?¡±

    ¡°They wish! But can they? Stranger sightings and attacks have be extremely frequent as ofte. They simply could not afford to split their attention further than it already was!¡±

    ¡°That is true. It¡¯s aplete mess in the <em>jianghu</em> as well. Recently, all kinds of bad characters have crawled out of their hidey-holes and caused all sorts of trouble. It¡¯s only the beginning, and peace already feels like a distant concept.¡±

    ¡°Sigh. The monsters are everywhere, and it is only a matter of time before the nation falls into chaos. It¡¯s all because His Imperial Majesty used the Heavens¡¯ Eye!¡±

    ¡°Careful, careful! That is dangerous talk!¡±

    ¡°Bah! He can do it, but I can¡¯t say it? How¡¯s that fair?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not, but you really should keep your mouth shut. As ofte, the Intelligence Department has been biting everyone they cany their hands on like mad dogs. Those who criticize the emperor were killed on the spot, and I heard that there were countless people who lost their heads or their whole families because of this.¡±

    ¡°Bah¡­ hawks and hounds, what else can they do except abuse their power?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this, okay? Here, have another cup¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Inside a tavern called the Fast Horse Tavern, Ye Qing was drinking his wine and listening to the nearby conversation with a sigh.

    ¡°I was herest year. Long Qing is one of the more prosperous counties in Tian Liang. To think it would be so chaotic in just the span of a few months!¡±

    Wan Dusheng was looking out of the tavern window and shaking his head as well.

    Long Qing was a small county under the Xi Liangmandery and the Tian Liang prefecture. It was located right next to Wei. Although it was no fortress city, it was famous for producing an ore called the Dragon Mark Stone, an extremely important auxiliary material in weapon forging. Adding even a single piece of Dragon Mark Stone to a weapon would greatly enhance its sharpness and forging sess rate.

    It was thanks to the production of Dragon Mark Stone that Long Qing was fairly stable and wealthy.

    That was in the past though. Today, Long Qing was filled with violent-looking<em> jianghu </em>warriors carrying weapons of all sorts. The ordinary people also wore fearful faces and hurried to finish their daily tasks and businesses as soon as possible. As a result, the streets were conspicuously empty even during the day, and the asional cold wind only added to the destion. It was nothing like the hustle and bustle back in the day.

    It all began from the Nanjiang incident from three months ago. To say that it was a war that cost Chu more than they gained would be an understatement.

    After destroying the Nanjiang Royal Court, Chu was hoping to conquer Nanjiang in one fell swoop. Assuming that everything went well, they would have wrapped up the war before the other nations could mount a response, added a whole new territory to the realm, and pacified the southern threat once and for all.

    However, the Meng n remnants had interfered with their n and nearly ruined it all. They had no choice but to activate the Heavens¡¯ Eye.

    Although the Heavens¡¯ Eye had ¡°sessfully¡± wiped out the Nanjiang Royal Court and the Meng n remnants (Feng Qingyou and Meng Feixue had chosen not to reveal the fact that they were still alive since they needed time to rest and recuperate), and Chu had conducted an ancestral worship ceremony and announced to the world that the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was now the Nanjiang prefecture, anyone with a pair of brain cells could tell that it was just an act. Chu had not mastered the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang at all.

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 Chapter 1044: Great Golden Millet Celestial

    Chapter 1044: Great Golden Millet Celestial

    Why was that? Because the Nanjiang Pacification Army had suffered tremendous losses in the Battle of Nanjiang Royal Court. Intentionally or not, the interference of the Meng n remnants had indirectly bought the surviving tribes and forces of Nanjiang just enough time to save themselves from total annihtion.

    After that, forces from all sides intervened to prevent Chu from effectively conquering Nanjiang. Combined with the fact that the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang was exceeding treacherous, Chu¡¯s hope of suppressing and annihting dwindled to almost zero, at least in the short term.

    Long story short, Chu managed to deal the Nanjiang tribes a severe blow, but they ultimately failed to end the southern threat once and for all or master the One Hundred Thousand Mountains of Nanjiang.

    Therefore, both the ancestral worship ceremony and the creation of a new prefecture were simply measures they were forced to adopt before they had already made all those bombastic statements earlier.

    Not only that, on the day of the ancestral worship ceremony, several Nanjiang champions had slipped into the capital city and attempted to assassinate the Chu Emperor. Although the assassination attempt ultimately ended in failure, it inevitably cast a shadow over what was already an imperfect ceremony.

    In conclusion, Chu¡¯s attempt to rescue their reputation and grow their strength through the Nanjiang war had ultimately ended in failure.@@novelbin@@

    If this was all Chu had suffered, it still would have been okay. However, the Heavens¡¯ Eye was also heavily damaged and drained all because of the Chu Emperor¡¯s whim. The loss of the Will of the Empire aside, the Strange Artifact could no longer supervise the realm or intimidate the evils. As a result, Stranger sightings and attacks had increase dramatically at those backwater ces where the manpower was low, and the defenses were weak. Countless heretics and bad characters had also crawled out of their hidey-holes to throw the <em>jianghu</em> into chaos as well.

    It signified the end of the peace and prosperity Chu had enjoyed up until this point.

    Long story short, the order of the smaller settlements such as the viges and counties had decreased significantly. Only the big cities and important counties andmanderies remained unaffected.In fact, that might have been an understatement. On his way over, Ye Qing had witnessed many backwater viges and towns that were either harassed by evils, annihted by Strangers, or massacred by bandits. It was terrible to say the least.

    What Long Qing was experiencing was anything but unique. In fact, there were countless other settlements that were suffering worse fates than Long Qing.

    Worse, Ye Qing knew that this was just the beginning. As time passed, the situation was only going to worsen.

    ¡°Uuu¡­ mama¡­ mama¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah Yang! Ah Yang! Please, honorable priests, please forgive my daughter! She¡¯s still young and ignorant. Her sphemy of the Great Golden Millet Celestial was aplete ident. Please have mercy and let her live! Please!¡±

    On the streets, a woman was kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to a group of Golden Millet disciples.

    The Golden Millet disciples were holding a struggling, wailing girl who looked to be seven or eight years old at most.

    It was a simple incident. The little girl had identally knocked over an effigy of the Great Golden Millet Celestial while she was ying. So, the Golden Millet disciples intended to punish her.

    The Golden Millet disciples belonged to a mysterious sect that had suddenly appeared in Long Qing as ofte called the ¡°Golden Millet Sect¡±. A few months ago, countless citizens of Long Qing had suddenly begun to suffer from insomnia. No, they weren¡¯t suffering from nightmares or startled awake by some unknown phenomena or something. They just couldn¡¯t sleep no matter how tired they were. They could close their eyes the entire night and not sleep a wink the entire night.

    Because of the insomnia, the citizens of Long Qing could not obtain the proper amount of rest and began falling apart bit by bit. Some died from sheer exhaustion, and somemitted suicide because they could not stand the suffering.

    Of course, the local government and the Pacification Bureau tried to solve the issue, but forget finding a solution, they couldn¡¯t even identify what was causing the insomnia in the first ce. It was anomalous to put it mildly.

    It was at this moment the Golden Millet Sect appeared and imed that all those who prayed to the Great Golden Millet Celestial and worshiped the Golden Millet sect would be able to obtain a good night¡¯s sleep. They would be free from illnesses and tribtions as well.

    At first, most people did not believe them. However, the few who did and began worshiping the Great Golden Millet Celestial discover that the insomnia that tormented them was gone, and they could finally fall asleep once more.

    As a result, the Golden Millet Sect and Great Golden Millet Celestial took root in Long Qing in no time at all. Countless citizens joined the Golden Millet Sect, and they eventually became so strong that not even the local government could stop them.

    Right now, it was no exaggeration to say that Long Qing waspletely controlled by the Golden Millet Sect.

    The people¡¯s hearts weren¡¯t made of stone, but as much as they pitied the woman and her daughter, they were afraid of the insomnia that damned near killed them months ago even more. So, they turned a blind eye to their fate.

    ¡°Get lost! The sin of spheming against the Great Golden Millet Celestial is unforgivable!¡±

    A Golden Millet disciple kicked the woman away and said coldly, ¡°And only death can cleanse one such sinner of their sin!¡±

    All Golden Millet disciples were warriors, so the kick flung the woman several meters away and caused her to throw up blood.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hit my mama, you bad people! Bad people!¡±

    The girl screamed at the sight of her mother¡¯s injuries and bit the Golden Millet disciple holding her in the hand.

    ¡°Argh¡­ you little shit!¡±

    Caught off guard and in pain, the Golden Millet disciple threw the girl to the ground and growled, ¡°It¡¯s bad enough to sphemed against the Great Golden Millet Celestial, but you dare to disrespect a priest as well? You must be burned as an example to all who dares to defy us!¡±

    Without hesitation, the Golden Millet disciple summoned a fireball in his hand and threw it at the girl.

    ¡°Cease your atrocity at once, heretic!¡±

    Right before the girl would be burned into a crisp, a sweet cry cut through the air. At the same time, a throwing knife flew toward the fireball at high speed.

    Fire had no form or substance, but for some reason, the throwing knife was able to nail it to the ground like it had a tangible form. The fire slowly extinguished.

    ¡°Who dares to stop me?!¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    A woman descended from the air and stood protectively in front of the young girl and her mother, eyes ring at the group of Golden Millet disciples.

    The woman looked to be about twenty years old. She was beautiful and heroic-looking. She seemedpletely unafraid despite being outnumbered many times to one.

    ¡°I am the chief protector serving under the Great Golden Millet Celestial, Nine Word Trueman. Dare you reveal your name, interloper?¡± the leader of the group said loudly while staring at the woman.

    ¡°Why not? I am Tan Jinyan of the Throwing Knife Sect,¡± she responded just as loudly.

    ¡°Do you know your sin, Tan Jinyan?¡± Nine Word Trueman said threateningly.

    ¡°What sin have Imitted?¡± Tan Jinyan asked.

    ¡°You have sphemed against the Great Golden Millet Celestial and obstructed this protector from conducting his business. Your sin is unforgivable!¡± Nine Word Trueman said harshly, ¡°Kneel and submit to your judgment now, or the Great Golden Millet Celestial will turn you into ash!¡±

    Tan Jinyan scoffed. ¡°Hmph! Impotent threats of a heretic. Come at me then. I wanna see what your so-called Great Golden Millet Celestial can do.¡±

    ¡°Stubborn woman!¡± Nine Word Trueman fumed. ¡°All disciples, capture the woman who sphemed against the Great Golden Millet Celestial so we may burn her on a stake!¡±

    ¡°At once.¡±

    The Golden Millet disciples behind Nine Word Trueman immediately rushed toward Tan Jinyan with a battle cry.

    ¡°The two of you should leave.¡±

    Tan Jinyan raised her foot and gently lifted the young girl into the woman¡¯s arms, smiling.

    ¡°Thank you, warrioress! Thank you!¡±

    The woman kowtowed to Tan Jinyan while hugging her daughter tightly.

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 Chapter 1045: Divine Might, Divine Martial, Boundless Art

    ¡°Saving people and removing viins is our natural duty.¡±

    Tan Jinyan replied smilingly, ¡°Now seriously, go. It¡¯s dangerous here.¡±@@novelbin@@

    She was still speaking when a Golden Millet disciple reached her and swung his saber. However, she easily dodged the attack as if she had eyes on the back of her head and kicked him in the stomach. He flew backward uncontrobly and bowled over his fellow disciples.

    Next, Tan Jinyan dashed forward and darted here and there like a butterfly pping through a flower garden. By the time she came to a stop, the Golden Millet disciples were all lying on the ground and wailing in pain. Every single one of their wrists had a throwing knife nted in it.

    ¡°It¡¯s your turn now,¡± said Tan Jinyan as she looked at Nine Word Trueman. As she spoke, she flung a throwing knife straight at his forehead.

    ¡°My divine art protects me from all harm!¡±

    Nine Word Trueman didn¡¯t attempt to dodge, however. Instead, he let out a loud, bell-like roar and summoned a sheen of golden light around him. Tan Jinyan¡¯s throwing knife nged against the golden light like it was metal and bounced right off of it.

    ¡°Your divine art protects you from all harm, is it? Let¡¯s test if that is true!¡± Tan Jinyan grew a little more serious and swung her hands rapidly. A dozen throwing knives immediately flew toward Nine Word Trueman like a storm.

    Tan Jinyan dared to stand up for the woman and her daughter because she was strong. A Spirit Master to be exact. Every single one of her throwing knives were imbued with enough spiritual energy and astral qi to pierce rock and steel like nothing.However, her throwing knives failed to put a single dent on the golden light surrounding Nine Word Trueman, much less hurt him. There was a series of metallic ngs, and every single throwing knife bounced off his person harmlessly.

    ¡°The chief protector is a god from the heavens! His divine art is invincible!¡±

    ¡°The chief protector is a god from the heavens! His divine art is invincible!¡±

    ¡°The chief protector is a god from the heavens! His divine art is invincible!¡±

    The injured Golden Millet disciples all chanted fervently when they saw that the throwing knives failed to injure Nine Word Trueman.

    ¡°There is no way you can defeat my divine art, woman. Surrender!¡± Nine Word Truemanughed at the sight of this.

    ¡°Keep talking, you chatan¡­¡±

    Tan Jinyan harrumphed and waved her hand. As if pulled by some sort of invisible power, the throwing knives on the ground flew into the air and spun round and round like a cyclone.

    ¡°I am a god from the heavens, and my divine power is unstoppable!¡±

    Nine Word Trueman shouted, and the golden light protecting him abruptly sank into his body and caused him to grow an entire size bigger. He was also shining golden. In this form, he truly looked like a god from the heavens.

    The next moment, Nine Word Trueman threw a punch that destroyed the cyclone of throwing knives in one punch.

    As Tan Jinyan¡¯s energies were connected to the throwing knives, the destruction of the move caused her to throw up a mouthful of blood and turn pale.

    Tan Jinyan wasn¡¯t expecting Nine Word Trueman to be so powerful. Since she had already saved the woman and her daughter, she decided that there was no need to linger and dashed away all of a sudden. ???¦­¨®¦¢¨º£Ó

    ¡°I¡¯m busy today, so I¡¯m going to let you go for now. In the future, I will definitelye back and end you all.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! You think you can run?¡±

    Nine Word Trueman sneered when he saw this. ¡°Divine dragon, fly out of my sleeve and subjugate this demon!¡±

    As soon as he said this, a sh of golden light flew out of his sleeve and made a beeline for Tan Jinyan. It was emitting draconic roars as it flew.

    The golden light was unbelievably fast. It caught up to Tan Jinyan in just the blink of an eye and transformed into a rope that bound her.

    The next moment, Tan Jinyan fell from the sky and hit the ground with a solid thud. It was as if she had lost all of her energy in an instant.

    ¡°The chief protector is invincible and unstoppable!¡±

    ¡°The chief protector is invincible and unstoppable!¡±

    ¡°The chief protector is invincible and unstoppable!¡±

    The Golden Millet disciples chanted once more when they saw that Tan Jinyan was captured.

    ¡°What do you have to say for yourself now, demoness?¡±

    Nine Word Trueman walked up to Tan Jinyan and looked down on her imperiously.

    ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡±

    Tan Jinyan kept struggling, but she just couldn¡¯t break out of the rope no matter what. She began threatening, ¡°Do you know who I am? My father is the sect master of the Throwing Knife Sect! He will end all of you if you dare to hurt a hair on my body!¡±

    ¡°So what? All who spheme against the Great Golden Millet Celestial must die.¡±

    Nine Word Trueman said coldly, ¡°Someone, take this demoness back to the sect. The rest of you, track down and recapture that woman and her daughter. I wish to sacrifice these demons through a ritual and make an example out of them by the third quarter of the Hour of the Horse[1].¡±

    ¡°You, you dare¡­¡± Tan Jinyan turned as white as a sheet. This was the first time she left her sect and experienced the <em>jianghu</em>, so she was hoping to emte the heroes in the books and on the opera stages. She dreamed of defeating viins, saving the weak and poor, and growing her fame until all of the <em>jianghu </em>and <em>wulin </em>knew of the heroine, Tan Jinyan.

    Unfortunately, she had fumbled on her very first roadblock, and from the looks of it, the price of failure was death.

    Tan Jinyan could not help but feel a wave of sorrow when she realized her fate.

    <em>This isn¡¯t how the story goes!</em>

    ¡°Ah¡­ the folly of youth.¡±

    Inside the tavern, Ye Qing shook his head with a chuckle. Then, he tapped a finger against the wooden table. The gesture made no sound, though a wave of invisible energy immediately washed out to the surroundings.

    On the streets, a demonic lotus suddenly shed in the Golden Millet disciples¡¯ eyes. Then, they abruptly turned toward Nine Word Trueman and attacked him.

    ¡°What are you doing? Have you gone mad?!¡±

    Nine Word Trueman was caughtpletely off guard. As a result, he took a direct hit to the shoulder. If his divine art wasn¡¯t still active, that attack could¡¯ve killed him outright.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Nine Word Trueman yelled, but the disciples ignored himpletely and kept attacking.

    <em>Is someone controlling their minds?</em>

    While pushing back a few Golden Millet disciples with a palm strike, Nine Word Trueman made a hand seal and boomed, ¡°Heavenly thunder, calm our minds!¡±

    It was as if he truly possessed the power to shape the world via words alone[2]. Thunder immediately rumbled in the sky like a divine being was striking a drum.

    For an instant, the Golden Millet disciples were stunned. Unfortunately, Nine Word Trueman did not even get to be happy before they charged him once more.

    <em>It¡¯s no use?</em>

    Nine Word Trueman frowned and stopped holding back. He knocked out all of the disciples in one move before scanning his surroundings with open, angry eyes, ¡°How dare you manipte the disciples of Golden Millet! Show yourself, sphemer!¡±

    There was no response.

    ¡°Cowardly mouse! If you do not surrender now, then I will request the Great Golden Millet Celestial himself to enact divine judgment! He will smite you and turn you into ash!¡±

    There was still no response.

    ¡°Very well!¡±

    Seeing that no one was responding, Nine Word Trueman jumped into the air. His hands making hand seals and his feet stepping on the stars, he chanted, ¡°Heavenly rumbles three, and the golden millet descends to the earth!¡±

    <em>Bang bang bang!</em>

    Nine Word Trueman sped his hands together, pointed one finger toward the sky, and stomped the air three times in a row. Every time he did this, the effigy of the Great Golden Millet Celestial would shine a bit brighter.

    Three stompster, the effigy reached full brightness and soared into the sky.

    ¡°Divine might, divine martial, boundless art. Leave the demons and monsters with no ce to hide!¡±

    ¡°I, Nine Word Trueman, chief protector of the Great Golden Millet Celestial, humbly requests the mighty, martial, and boundless Great Golden Millet Celestial to descend and aid this disciple in subjugating the evil!¡±

    ¡°Descend!¡±

    After barking themand, Nine Word Trueman opened his mouth and inhaled the light of the effigy into his mouth.

    The next moment, Nine Word Trueman¡¯s aura grew from that of an early-stage Spirit Master to middle-stage Spirit Master,te-stage Spirit Master, Half-Step Trueman, and finally Trueman.

    Right now, Nine Word Trueman was shining golden while a tall, imposing divine being stood behind him. His power seemed unstoppable, and his presence epassed heaven and earth.

    [3]

    1. Specifically between 11.45 am to 12.45 pm. I normally try to modernize this but this is a bit too specific, so. ?

    2. Man, it¡¯s been too long since we encountered a simr type of power. ?

    3. This whole scene has been pure stage drama lol. ?

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 Chapter 1047: Anomalous Clay Statues

    ¡°y?¡±

    Wan Dusheng frowned. Before he could think deeper into this, a series of footsteps came from the distance.

    Somehow, the footsteps sounded both soft and loud at the same time. Specifically, the footsteps were soft, but there were so many of them that it inevitably sounded loud. The noise was alsoing from every direction.

    The footsteps wereing closer and closer, but he couldn¡¯t see anything at all.

    Knowing that he could not afford to be careless, Wan Dusheng released his spirit and was immediately greeted by a shocking scene.

    In his senses, they were surrounded by an entire army of y statues. The whole ce was covered in them.

    The y puppets came in different sizes, shapes, and colors. They all looked lifelike and real.

    Strangely, none of the y statues had a face. There was only a smooth, unblemished surface where there should have been a face. And yet, Wan Dusheng could clearly feel them watching him somehow. It was spine-chilling to say the least.

    As if on cue, the sea of y statues began marching toward him and Ye Qing with stiff footsteps.¡°Young master¡­¡±

    Wan Dusheng was a <em>jianghu</em> veteran who could kill without batting an eyelid, but even he could not help but feel fear and trepidation toward the y statues.

    ¡°Attack!¡± Ye Qing ordered with raised eyebrows.

    These bizarre y statues could only be the work of the mastermind behind the Ghost Taisui. When he took out the Stranger, he had intentionally left behind a wisp of energy to bait the mastermind into showing themselves, so this ¡°surprise attack¡± wasn¡¯t a surprise to him at all.

    He was surprised by the fact that the mastermind was even stronger than he thought, however[1]. It was because he could not locate the mastermind even with his spirit.@@novelbin@@

    It wasn¡¯t a problem though.

    <em>If you won¡¯t show yourself, then I will kick your ass until you do.</em>

    Wan Dusheng had been itching to throw himself into battle. As soon as he received the order, he immediately pushed out with both hands and shattered countless y statues into pieces.

    The next moment, Wan Dusheng summoned his Xiangliu yang god and have its nine heads spray enough poisonous liquid to transform an entire area into a kingdom of swamp and poison. Every y statue caught within the swamp was instantly melted into nothing.

    Strangely, the y statues kept charging even though Wan Dusheng¡¯s kingdom of swamp and poison was melting them all like nothing.

    It was both amusing yet strangely terrifying.

    In just a dozen breaths or so, thousands of y statues had melted into nothing. However, Wan Dusheng¡¯s senses told him that the number of y statues was increasing, not decreasing. Not only that¡ªhe wondered if it was his imagination¡ªbut the y statues¡¯ smooth, nk faces seemed to be growing eyes, nose, mouth and ears. On top of that, they seemed to be just a tad stronger than before.

    <em>It¡¯s not my imagination!</em>

    Wan Dusheng soon found out that he wasn¡¯t imagining things at all. Just a few breaths after the strange sensation struck him, he realized that the y statues¡¯ faces were growing increasingly defined. The y statues were several times stronger than they were at the beginning as well. ???????¨¨?

    This wasn¡¯t the strangest thing about the y statues, however. It was the fact that they were growing <em>his </em>face. Although the facial features weren¡¯t fully grown yet, there was enough that he felt like he was looking into a mirror.

    Besides that, the y statues were bing more and more nimble and lifelike. Some of them were sporting dark green-colored poison auras as well. His aura was stronger as a matter of course, but otherwise, their auras were practically identical to his.

    The y statues were all showing the same changes.

    Worse, as the y statues looked more and more like Wan Dusheng, their power became infinitely close to Trueman stage as well. The techniques and abilities they used were exactly the same as Wan Dusheng.

    At the beginning, Wan Dusheng was able to crush them all like ants. But as time passed, he was slowly but surely straining to maintain the defense.

    What frightened Wan Dusheng was the uncertainty. It seemed impossible, but would the y statues eventually looked exactly identical to him and be exactly as strong as him?

    Would he have to go up against an entire army of Great Truemen?

    Just the mere thought was enough to send chills up his spine.

    ¡°Should we retreat, young master?¡±

    Wan Dusheng looked at Ye Qing and suggested.

    ¡°No need. Keep defending.¡±

    Ye Qing ordered indifferently with eyes as ck and deep as the night. He seemed to be observing the y statues in front of him and the distant horizon at the same time.

    ¡°Yes, young master!¡±

    What could Wan Dusheng do? He could only carry out his order faithfully.

    ¡°Young master¡­ it¡¯s going to get dangerous at this rate.¡±

    Another dozen breaths passed, and the y statues¡¯ facial features were almost exactly the same as Wan Dusheng. Their strength had risen to the level of Trueman stage, and their moves, tactics and everything were exactly the same as his.

    Fighting these y statues felt like fighting himself. It was a bizarre experience to put it mildly.

    Of course, he was a Great Trueman, and the y statues Truemen. For now, he could still hold them back, albeit barely. However, his senses were telling him that the y statues were still rapidly growing in power.

    If they did not retreat now, then they might not be able to retreat at all.

    Ye Qing paid Wan Dusheng¡¯s words no attention, however. His expression remained calm and collected.

    Wan Dusheng dared not disobey his master. He could only hang on with all his might.

    Another dozen breaths passed, and the y statues¡¯ strength had be infinitely close to Wan Dusheng¡¯s. The Great Trueman was now mere seconds away from being overwhelmed.

    ¡°Found you.¡±

    At a critical moment, profound light suddenly exploded from Ye Qing¡¯s eyes like a sun that chased away the ck clouds.

    The next moment, he clenched his fist and punched diagonally toward the sky.

    Purple qi seemed to be seeping out of the punch. The fist force chased away the clouds, and the fist intent could be felt from thousands of kilometers away. It was a grand, fearless, and majestic punch.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    The entire sky was cleared in an instant. Sunlight as warm as spring shone down from the nine heavens.

    Beneath the sun, a pond appeared not far away from the desert.

    The pond was only ten meters in radius. It was a wless blue color with lotuses floating above its surface, and colorful koi swimming in its waters. It was quite the picturesque pond.

    Sitting beside the pond was a woman sporting cascading ck hair that looked like a waterfall, and wearing a dress as white as snow. She was gorgeous.

    The woman dug some mud out of the pond with one hand. A couple of careless squeezester, a lifelike y doll appeared in her hands. When the woman washed away the dirt using the clear pond water, the y doll became dry and clean. It was now a y statue.

    The y statue looked lifelike, but it neither had a face nor sentient. It was just an inanimate object. Then, the woman conjured a sculpting knife and carved a face on the y statue.

    Every time a facial feature was added, the y statue grew just a bit more sentient. Every time an orifice was added, the y statue grew just a bit more lifelike.

    This was creation in the work; bringing the dead to life.

    After she was done, the woman ced the y statue on the ground. As if it hade alive, the y statue wobbled forward as if it was adapting to its new body.

    Even stranger, as the y statue walked forward, its facial features slowly turned into Wan Dusheng¡¯s, and its power climbed until the Trueman stage. Its aura was exactly identical to Wan Dusheng¡¯s as well.

    The woman¡¯s movements were elegant and rxed. It looked like she was taking her time, but multiple y statues hit the ground in just the blink of an eye.

    There was no doubt about it. The army of y statues assaulting Ye Qing and Wan Dusheng was her handiwork.

    1. Is there level scaling in this world? Fuck! ?

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 Chapter 1048: Taiping Taozhu

    ¡°You found me? I guess I should¡¯ve known you would have some skills considering that you dared to ruin my ns!¡±

    It was at this moment the woman looked up with a hint of surprise.@@novelbin@@

    The pond she was sitting next to was no ordinary pond. It was her Bonded Strange Artifact called A Water. It could conceal energy, seclude itself from the world, and create ¡°life¡±.

    Conceal energy was obvious. ¡°Secluding itself from the world¡± contained two meanings. One, it could hide itself in the void and be almost undetectable even by a Half-Sage. Two, even if it was detected, the distance between the Strange Artifact and the threat was much, much further than it appeared. Most enemies would not be able to cover that distance and force her to show herself.

    ¡°A water may exist between the clouds and the sky.¡± Hence the name.

    Her Bonded Strange Artifact gave her the ability to fight anyone from a theoretically unassable position. That was why she never imagined that this young man would find her and even force her to reveal herself. Not only did he surpass her expectations, the rm bells inside her head were ringing slightly and warning her of danger.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting the notorious Mister Taozhu to be a beautiful woman either, so we¡¯re even,¡± remarked Ye Qing with not a small dose of surprise himself.

    Mister Taozhu was one of the Three Misters of the Way of Taiping and on the same level as the Four Sakyamunis. The Three Misters of the Way of Taiping were all named warriors on the Earthly Champions Ranking, but they were more mysterious than the Four Sakyamunis. For one, they rarely took to the battlefield themselves. Even if they did, they usually hid behind a curtain of anonymity.

    Out of the Three Misters, Mister Taozhu was the most mysterious of them all. Mister Taozhu was an expert in creating life from y, and her creations were more anomalous than most. Not only could she create an unbelievable amount of y statues in a short time, her creations could mimic her enemy¡¯s face, techniques, and even cultivation level. Mister Taozhu always fought from the shadows. Specifically, her y statues did all the fighting while she sat in the backlines. That was why very few people got to meet Mister Taozhu, and even when they did, they did not know if she was male or female, old or young.

    The name ¡°Mister Taozhu¡± was indicative of a man though, a portly, wealthy man too if the stereotype was to be believed. No one, not Ye Qing at least, could have expected the infamous ¡°Mister Taozhu¡± to really be an attractive woman, though he guessed from the start that the mastermind behind Long Qing¡¯s tragedy was most likely the Way of Taiping.

    All of the methods Nine Word Trueman employed earlier such as consuming the light and requesting a ¡°god¡± to empower him all reminded him of the Way of Taiping. It was also the Way of Taiping¡¯s favorite method to use Strangers and deities to fool the masses and control them as they pleased. That was why he figured that the Way of Taiping was behind this as soon as he saw the so-called Golden Millet disciples.

    Later, the Ghost Taisui and the talismans stered on the altar proved his suspicion.

    Of course, he only knew that the mastermind was a member of the Way of Taiping. He could not know exactly who among the Way of Taiping was behind this. Still, anyone with the strength to nurture a Ghost Taisui and undertake such an important mission could only be a VVIP. That was why Ye Qing schemed to bait them out into the open.

    There were two reasons he was doing this. One, it was to save the people and eradicate the bastards. Even if he didn¡¯t hold a grudge against the Way of Taiping, there was no way he was going to allow a ruinous organization like them to exist. He might not be so motivated that he would intentionally go out of the way to eradicate them all, but he certainly wasn¡¯t going to overlook them when he stumbled upon their activities.

    Since his goal was to save the people and eradicate the bastards permanently, he knew that just killing the Ghost Taisui and the Golden Millet small fries would not be enough. He would be treating the symptom but not the cure as the mastermind could simply cook up a new scheme once he was gone. Therefore, he desired to cut the grass by the roots.

    Two, he was hoping to collect some relevant clues regarding the Kunlun Ruins from the mastermind. Ever since he left Nanjiang, he had requested his friends and his subordinates including Feng Qingyou, Cheng Qishang, Chen Wuxin etc to search for any useful info regarding the Kunlun Ruins. However, two weeks had passed, and they weren¡¯t able to find anything.

    To be fair, it wasn¡¯t like they weren¡¯t able to find anything about the Kunlun Ruins at all. In fact, there were just as much information as they were useless. Who cared if the Kunlun Ruins was the ¡°sanctuary of the divine¡± or ¡°the ce where celestials and gods still live¡± or ¡°the blessednd of the Queen Mother of the West¡±? He needed to know how to find the Kunlun Ruins and get inside. He needed to know how he could save his Yi Pin. None of these folktales or legends could help him in this regard!

    Since he ran into the Way of Taiping, he was hoping that he could pry some useful information from the mastermind.

    The mastermind must be someone important in the Way of Taiping, and the Way of Taiping had a long, storied history. It wasn¡¯t impossible that they would have information regarding the Kunlun Ruins. Even if they didn¡¯t know anything, he could still turn them into his dependent and use the Way of Taiping to collect useful information regarding the Kunlun Ruins.

    This was why he intentionally left behind a wisp of energy for the mastermind to trace when he killed the Ghost Taisui earlier.

    He knew that the mastermind would be a big fish, but the fish turned out to be bigger than he thought. He wasn¡¯t expecting to catch the notorious Mister Taozhu of all people.

    This was perfect though. The stronger the mastermind was, and the higher their position in the Way of Taiping, the bigger the power he would be able to mobilize and collect some actual information regarding the Kunlun Ruins.

    As for why he managed to recognize Mister Taozhu at first nce, that was because he shared a grudge with the Way of Taiping, of course. He had looked through the files of all the elites of the Way of Taiping while he was still serving under the Pacification Bureau, and Mister Taozhu was mentioned among them.

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±

    Mister Taozhu curled her lips into a beatific smile, but when she saw that her opponent was smiling as well, she suddenly had a bad feeling about this. ¡°Is it just me, or do you look rather happy?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m feeling quite happy right now,¡± Ye Qing admitted honestly.

    ¡°So, this is definitely a trap to lure me out?¡± Mister Taozhu frowned and felt increasingly uneasy. She didn¡¯t understand why though. Her enemy wasn¡¯t weak, but her y statues had also reached full maturity and gained the power of a Great Trueman. No matter how strong the young man was, he was alone against an army of thousands. How could he possibly hope to stand up against her? ???§à?¨§?

    She might just be a Great Trueman, but her strategy was so effective that more than one Half-Sages had perished to it. That was why she wasn¡¯t afraid¡ªdidn¡¯t need to be afraid¡ªeven though her opponent was clearly plotting something.

    She calmed down a little once she convinced herself that she was still secure.

    ¡°But of course!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s smile grew even sunnier.

    ¡°For what reason have you lured me out?¡± Mister Taozhu asked.

    ¡°To catch you, of course!¡± Ye Qing beamed at her. ¡°So, are you going to surrender quietly, or do I have to detain you noisily?¡±

    ¡°The arrogance!¡± A hint of killing intent shed in Mister Taozhu¡¯s eyes. The next moment, the y statues stopped attacking Wan Dusheng and charged toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°Heh¡­¡±

    Ye Qing was already moving the second Mister Taozhu changed targets. He took one step forward and appeared thirty meters away from his original position. Profound light surrounded his body and gave him an aura of mystique.

    He was less than two meters tall, but he felt as lofty as the sky above.

    His body was flesh and blood, and yet it felt as thick as the earth below.

    Such was the case for the Earthly Sovereign True Body.

    Of course, Ye Qing hadn¡¯t attained the true Earthly Sovereign True Body yet. He was still at the journeyman level. This was a natural breakthrough he made after entering the Great Grandmaster stage.

    This ¡°minor¡± growth wasn¡¯t to be underestimated though. The Earthly Sovereign Scripture described this level as, ¡°Carry three hills and five mountains on one shoulder, lift a river, ake, and even a sea in one palm.¡±

    If he could carry mountains and lift a sea, then why on earth would he fear a little y army?

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 Chapter 1050: Taiping Martial Method

    <h4>Chapter 1050: Taiping Martial Method </h4>

    Half a teatimeter, Mister Taozhu had regained a healthyplexion. Her aura had stabilized as well.

    ¡°How are you doing?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    Mister Taozhu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine now. Thanks for your concern, young master.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, have you heard of the Kunlun Ruins before?¡± Ye Qing asked directly.

    Although he had searched Mister Taozhu¡¯s memories earlier, he decided not to probe too deeply after discovering that a powerful restriction was buried inside her mind. That section of her mind was restricted probably because it contained the Way of Taiping¡¯s secrets, but there was a chance a clue regarding the Kunlun Ruins wase hidden among them. So, he asked.

    ¡°The Kunlun Ruins?¡± Mister Taozhu thought seriously for a moment. ¡°I know some folktales regarding the Kunlun Ruins. Is that what you desire?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. He had already heard all the folktales regarding the Kunlun Ruins and confirmed that they were useless. ¡°I want to hear some actual information, not legends. Where are the Kunlun Ruins, and how can I find them?¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± Mister Taozhu shook her head. ¡°My apologies, young master. I never knew that the Kunlun Ruins were even a real ce until now.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible that I¡¯m just ignorant. The Way of Taiping has a long, storied history, and they have amassed and preserved quite the collection of ancient books and records during this period. Perhaps there are clues regarding the Kunlun Ruins in one of them. I¡¯llmand the men to investigate it immediately.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Be absolutely careful and keep a low profile though. Also, please handle the aftermath of today¡¯s incident. I do not want anyone to find out about my existence.¡±

    ¡°It shall be done.¡± Mister Taozhu saluted him. ¡°Where should I find you once I have an answer for you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be staying at Fast Horse Inn for the next few days. Seek me there.¡±

    Ye Qing added, ¡°I¡¯ll inform you if I need to leave earlier than expected.¡±

    ¡°Understood. May I take my leave, young master?¡± Mister Taozhu asked for permission.

    ¡°Yeah. See youter.¡± Ye Qing waved.

    After Ye Qing waved Mister Taozhu away, he went back to Fast Horse Inn as he told Mister Taozhu he would.

    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to look for the Kunlun Ruins, but because he couldn¡¯t.

    Right now, all he knew was that the Kunlun Ruins was located somewhere in the Kunlun Mountain. However, the Kunlun Mountain Range spanned across both Chu and Wei and was over hundreds of thousands of kilometers long. To say it was vast beyond imagination would be an understatement. To try and seek out the Kunlun Ruins without an actual lead would be like trying to find a needle in a sea. The grass at Yi Pin¡¯s grave would be as tall as him by the time he found the Kunlun Ruins, if at all.

    That was why he did not rush to the Kunlun Mountain recklessly. Instead, he remained in Long Qing and waited patiently.

    Long Qing was located at the eastern side of the Kunlun Mountain Range. It was right within seeing distance. Therefore, once he obtained a lead regarding the Kunlun Ruins, he could depart for the Kunlun Mountain immediately.

    The first thing Ye Qing did after returning to Long Qing was to write Feng Qingyou a letter. Then, he practiced while waiting for someone to send him news.

    @@novelbin@@

    Several days came and went in the blink of an eye. Feng Qingyou, Cheng Qishang, Chen Wuxin, and Mister Taozhu kept sending him news during this time, but unfortunately, no one was able to gather any useful information at all. If Ye Qing was confident before, now he was stewing with anxiety. After all, the more he dyed, the more dangerous Yi Pin¡¯s situation would be.

    At least there was a silver lining. ording to the Annon Sutra, Yi Pin was still alive, though it was impossible to say how much longer he still had to live.

    If he took the nightmare he had earlier at face value, Yi Pin wasn¡¯t looking very good at all. That was why he was worried that the old man wouldn¡¯tst until he found the Kunlun Ruins.

    ¡°Should I just throw caution to the wind and spread the news that the Kunlun Ruins truly exist?¡± Ye Qing muttered to himself with deeply knitted eyebrows and an empty tea cup in his hand.

    The <i>jianghu </i>was greedy. He could fabricate a story iming that the Kunlun Ruins had appeared in the Kunlun Mountain, and that opportunities and treasures descending from divine beings of the ancient times were ripe for the taking. He had no doubt that the people of the <i>jianghu </i>would depart in search for the ruins as soon as they heard the story.

    There was strength in numbers. It was possible that the human sea strategy would work.

    On the other hand, it remained just a possibility, not to mention that these people were hardly united in their purpose. He would be engineering a bloody massacre just for a possibility that he might be able to locate the Kunlun Ruins.

    In summary, there were pros and cons.

    Still, it was a viable method. If he really couldn¡¯te up with anything better, then he would give it a try.

    He was still thinking when suddenly, he felt something and turned his head. The earth covering a corner of the wall suddenly dropped to the ground beforebining into a little y doll.

    ¡°Young master...¡±

    The little y doll gave its little arms and legs a tentative shake before bowing to Ye Qing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the pleasantries. It¡¯s umon for you to contact me at such ate hour, so I¡¯m assuming you have a lead for me?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    The little y doll was created by Mister Taozhu, of course.

    ¡°That is correct, young master.¡±

    Mister Taozhu did not keep Ye Qing in suspense andunched straight into a question, ¡°Have you heard of the Taiping Martial Method before, young master?¡±

    ¡°Who hasn¡¯t heard of the Taiping Martial Method?¡± Ye Qing replied.

    Despite its name, the Taiping Martial Method was not a martial arts manual. Instead, it was a record containing the origins and secrets of all factions within the <i>jianghu </i>and <i>wulin</i>. It contained secrets few outsiders knew and were unknown to the public.

    Legend has it that the Taiping Martial Method was created by the first Way Lord of the Way of Taiping, the Taoist of Heavenly Fairness. Every Way Lord who came after would add to or remove entries from the record.

    The Way of Taiping had existed for over ten thousand years. Just the same, the Taiping Martial Method was over ten thousand years old. As a result, some of those entries had be an absolute secret today.

    On the surface, the entries in the Taiping Martial Method looked unimportant or inconsequential. However, some of these secrets could turn a certain sect or faction upside down if it was leaked. This was how the Way of Taiping recruited certain factions to their cause and controlled them.

    It was also why the Way of Taiping was feared throughout the <i>jianghu.</i>

    ¡°Did you find something in the Taiping Martial Method?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡± Mister Taozhu smiled. ¡°For the past few days, I have been ordering the men to find a lead regarding the Kunlun Ruins in the Myriad Scrolls Tower of my Way of Taiping. One of them was reading a secret between the West Kunlun and the East Kunlun when he found mention of the Kunlun Ruins.¡±

    ¡°West Kunlun? East Kulun? Tell me!¡± Ye Qing ordered urgently.

    ¡°Once upon a time, the descendants of celestials and gods left the Kunlun Ruins and founded the Kunlun. They desired to unite the <i>jianghu </i>and once possessed the power to do so. Unfortunately, internal strife split them into East Kunlun and West Kunlun, and to this day, the two factions had never reunited,¡± Mister Taozhu said.

    ¡°Is that... all?¡± Ye Qing asked after waiting for a bit and receiving no answer.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Mister Taozhu confirmed. ¡°Here is a copy of the entry, young master. Please have a look!¡±

    The y doll¡¯s stomach split open. What looked like an innumerable amount of soil poured out of it until it formed a chapter of pages.

    Ye Qing made a grabbing motion and attracted the pages created from soil into his hand. When he read it, he found that Mister Taozhu had not missed anything. Besides what Mister Taozhu had already told him, the rest of the pages described the strength of the elites of the East Kunlun and West Kunlun. There was no mention of the Kunlun Ruins at all.

 Chapter 1051: Celestial Peach Gathering

    <h4>Chapter 1051: Celestial Peach Gathering </h4>

    ¡°Phew... good job.¡±

    Ye Qing let out a small sigh of relief and smiled. Although the chapter only mentioned the Kunlun Ruins once, it wasn¡¯t a useless find. It confirmed that there was a connection between the Kunlun Ruins, the East Kunlun and the West Kunlun, meaning that he might be able to find a way to enter the Kunlun Ruins through the two sects.

    Although it was just a possibility, it was much better than searching for the Kunlun Ruins without a lead.

    ¡°You did very well. Thank you, and sorry for putting you through a tough time.¡± Ye Qing looked at Mister Taozhu and showered her with praise.

    ¡°I am simply performing my natural duty, young master. I would not dare notin about it,¡± replied Mister Taozhu while looking overwhelmed and surprised.

    <i>Knock knock knock!</i>

    It was at this moment a series of knocks came from the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Ye Qing ordered.

    @@novelbin@@

    ¡°I greet you, young master.¡± Wan Dusheng stepped inside.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°Cheng Qishang has news to share with you!¡± Wan Dusheng said and handed him an indigo jade cicada. It was the Swordsgrave specialmunication Strange Artifact, the Indigo Ming.

    Ye Qing epted the Indigo Ming and pressed it to his forehead, causing it to chirp melodiously and rhythmically. The chirps sounded no different from a cicada¡¯s chirp, but they were words to Ye Qing¡¯s ears.

    A momentter, Ye Qing set down the Indigo Ming and pondered to himself, <i>looks like I¡¯m definitely heading to West Kunlun.</i>

    Cheng Qishang reported that a dozen or so Swordsgrave disciples had been ambushed and killed while they were investigating the Kunlun Ruins. At the same time,rge groups of mysterious elites had sprung out of nowhere and attacked people who were searching or asking about the Kunlun Ruins on purpose. Cheng Qishang imed that their martial arts and attire all pointed to them being members of West Kunlun.

    Assuming that Cheng Qishang wasn¡¯t mistaken about the attackers¡¯ identity, West Kunlun must be rted to the Kunlun Ruins. It must be a top secret within West Kunlun as well. Otherwise, they would not bother to search and hunt down Cheng Qishang¡¯s men.

    If before he was still suspicious of the entry in the Taiping Martial Method, now he was absolutely certain that it was real.

    With this, his destination was set. He was going to West Kunlun.

    Ye Qing spoke to the Indigo Ming, ¡°Qishang, tell Withered Sword and Old Child to stop looking into Kunlun Ruins and lie low. Their safety is the top priority right now. Once everyone is secure, head to West Kunlun immediately and standby for orders.¡±

    He blew at the cicada after finishing his message. The Indigo Ming chirped twice before pping its wings and disappearing through the window.

    ¡°Are you headed for West Kunlun, young master?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡±

    ¡°You are perceptive, young master.¡± Mister Taozhu said, ¡°That¡¯s right. The Kunlun Ruins must be a top secret in West Kunlun. If you ask about it recklessly, you may not get what you wish for. Therefore, I would advise caution.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a solution?¡± Ye Qing asked her.

    This was exactly what Ye Qing was worried about. Judging from West Kunlun¡¯s reaction, the Kunlun Ruins were a secret they would not allow a single outsider to find out. To ask them about it was tomit suicide.

    However, infiltrating West Kunlun was no easy task either. After all, West Kunlun was one of the Nine Dark Ways. They were strong, numerous, and guarded by Sages. It was almost impossible even for him to slip into West Kunlun and find clues regarding the Kunlun Ruins without being detected.

    It sounded like Mister Taozhu had a n though.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, young master. The West Kunlun would be holding their novennial[1] Celestial Peach Gathering in five days. Every noteworthy warrior under the heavens is invited to attend it.¡±

    Mister Taozhu answered, ¡°It so happens that I¡¯ve received an invitation as well. When the timees, you can simply apany me to West Kunlun without eliciting any suspicion.¡±

    ¡°The Celestial Peach Gathering? That is a good opportunity!¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Legend has it that the ancient Heavens boasted a peach garden with a total of three thousand and six hundred heavenly peach trees. They were all natural spirit roots. It took them three thousand years to flower, three thousand years to fruit, and three thousand years for the fruits to mature. Anyone who ate a peach would ascend to the heavens and be as long-lived as the heavens themselves. Such was the power of a celestial fruit.

    Therefore, the Queen Mother of the West held a peach gathering once every nine thousand years and invited all celestials and gods to join her.

    There was a simr tree on the Kunlun Golden Peak of West Kunlun. Legend has it that it was the core of a heavenly peach a god had unknowingly flung to the earth after eating his fill. The corended on the peak of Kunlun, and after countless years of nourishment from both the sky and the earth, it eventually grew into a peach tree.

    The peach tree took three years to bloom, three years to fruit, and three years for the fruits to mature. Not only that, it only bore thirty six peaches each time. No more, no less.

    As this peach tree was born from the core of a heavenly peach, its fruits could notpare to the real thing as a matter of course. It did not possess the power to ¡°elevate one to the heavens¡± or make them as ¡°long-lived as the sky itself¡±, but it could bring someone back to life, heal a person from the brink of death, and add nine years to one¡¯s lifespan.

    Of course, one person could only consume one celestial peach. It wouldn¡¯t do anything for someone who had eaten a celestial peach before. Even so, the celestial peach was a rare spiritual object that could increase one¡¯s lifespan and so was unbelievably valuable.

    Because of this, the West Kunlun emted the ancient Heavens and held the Celestial Peach Gathering every time the celestial peaches were mature. They extended invitations to all warriors under the heavens to partake in the fruits.

    But of course, the im that they invited ¡°all warriors under the heavens¡± was a gross exaggeration. For starters, West Kunlun was a Dark Way sect, so they could only invite others of simr nature. No one from the orthodoxy was invited, and even if they were, they wouldn¡¯t attend such a gathering.

    Second, the peach tree only bore thirty-six celestial peaches at a time, so only a maximum of thirty warriors were invited every gathering. Of course, these thirty people were either champions or titans of the Dark Ways. They were all people whose footsteps alone could shake the <i>jianghu</i>, which was why the Celestial Peach Gathering of West Kunlun was considered a significant event to a certain extent.

    For obvious reasons, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t expecting the novennial Celestial Peach gathering to happen just five dayster, much less the fact that Mister Taozhu was invited. It was a pleasant surprise.

    Although only thirty people were officially invited to attend the Celestial Peach Gathering, it was famous enough that countless <i>jianghu </i>people traveled to West Kunlun to observe the event. The invitees were allowed to bring attendants with them as well. As a result, the day of the Celestial Peach Gathering was guaranteed to be a busy one, and the guards would surely be less capable of performing their duties than they normally would. When the time came, he could slip under the radar and search for clues regarding the Kunlun Ruins.

    Even if he was discovered, he could use the attendees to create chaos and slip away without too much effort.

    When he thought this, Ye Qing looked at Mister Taozhu and instructed, ¡°Head back to your ce and prepare what you need. We will be departing for West Kunlun immediately.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master.¡± Mister Taozhu saluted him, and the little y doll slowly retreated to the corner before crumbling into a pile. The soil then reattached itself to the hole it left behind earlier and restored the wall exactly the same as it was before. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

    Ye Qing did not forget to instruct Wan Dusheng. ¡°Wan, you should prepare as well.¡±

    ¡°At once.¡±

    Wan Dusheng obediently took his leave.

    Ye Qing turned around and looked outside the window, sighing. ¡°Five days. Let¡¯s hope you can hold on for another five days.¡±

    The darkness was still, and the moon was round.

    It was a silent night.

    1. recurring once every 9 years. ?

 Chapter 1052: The Court of Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 1052: The Court of Chaos </h4>

    There were countless peaks in the Kunlun Mountain Range as a matter of course, but its two most famous peaks had to be West Queen Mountain. Why? Because Ling Xiao Peak was where the Ling Xiao City, one of the Five Profound Sects,y, and the West Queen Mountain was where West Kunlun, one of the Nine Dark Ways, resided.

    Ling Xiao Peak was the highest peak of them all. It was almost on the same level as the sky and was the origin of Ling Xiao City¡¯s name, meaning ¡°Approaching Firmament¡±.

    Because Ling Xiao Peak was higher above the sea level than most, it was constantly assaulted by wind, snow, and harsh weather in general all year long. It would¡¯ve been a barren wastnd if not for the fact that the sword lunatics of Ling Xiao City willingly chose to reside in Ling Xiao Peak to hone their des in the harshest of elements. Everyone else wisely stayed far, far away from the ce.

    In contrast, West Queen Mountain also resided in the Kunlun Mountain Range, but it was beautiful, lively, and eternally spring no matter the season.

    The Kunlun Mountain Range was located in the northwest region of the continent and colder than most as a result. Since West Queen Mountain was located at the westmost region of the Kunlun Mountain Range, it made sense that the environment would be even harsher. In fact, every peak around West Queen Mountain was constantly covered in snow and utterly barren. Only the West Queen Mountain defied logical sense and enjoyed four seasons of spring. To say that the nts grow like weeds would be an understatement. It was quite magical.

    Legend has it that the West Queen Mountain was the Dao Domain of the ancient deity, Queen Mother of the West. The mountain was protected by her great power, which was why it was overflowing with spiritual energy andpletely untouched by the harsh environment.

    It was also how the mountain got its name.

    Of course, the legend was just that, a legend. It was impossible to confirm if it was true. One thing was certain, however. There was no denying that West Queen Mountain¡¯s spiritual energy was greater than most, its nts grew like weeds, and its environment was warm all year long like spring.

    When Ye Qing and Mister Taozhu arrived at the foot of West King Mountain, he was greeted by a divine, picturesque scene straight out of a painting.

    The gigantic mountain before him was so tall that it cut into the clouds and seemingly taller than the sky itself. The nts were swaying gently to the wind, the birds were singing a melodious tune, and the mountain streams were freshening the ears. The spiritual energy of this ce was overflowing, and through the clouds, he could see strange beasts running through the forest, and celestial birds soaring into the sky. It was gorgeous and mystical like a celestial realm.

    ¡°As expected of the West Queen Mountain. This is quite the sight!¡±

    The chapter Mister Taozhu had copied for him had also briefly described the Eastern Kunlun and Western Kunlun, so he wasn¡¯tpletely ignorant about the sects or their location.

    To be honest, it was difficult to imagine that such a picturesque realm would have anything to do with the notoriously ruthless and disagreeable West Kunlun, one of the Nine Dark Ways.

    It should not need to be said, but anyone who thought that West Queen Mountain was just a bright and beautiful mountain was dead wrong.

    Ye QIng¡¯s senses were telling him that the entire mountain was enveloped by a mysterious energy, grand and terrible. Anyone who dared to enter the West Queen Mountain without permission would be annihted by this energy at first notice.

    Besides that, several powerful spirits were scanning the surroundings and patrolling constantly. During the brief moment he and Mister Taozhu stood still and admired the beautiful mountain before them, at least five spiritual energies had swept across their person. Even the weakest among them was a Half-Step Trueman.

    Therefore, it might look like the West Queen Mountain was rtively unguarded, but appearances could not be any more different than from reality.

    ¡°This is just the perimeter. The inner mountain of West Kunlun is even grander and more divine-looking,¡± Mister Taozhu helpfully exined to him.

    Mister Taozhu wasn¡¯t in her true form right now. She had disguised herself as a man wearing luxurious silver robes with a portly belly. She looked like the stereotypical image of a wealthy merchant with more money than sense.

    It was probably the kind of appearance people expected when they thought of Mister Taozhu.

    ¡°I look forward to it.¡± Ye Qing smiled.

    ¡°Hand them the invitation letter!¡± Mister Taozhu instructed.

    ¡°At once!¡±

    The brawny man who answered her was wearing a set of ck armor and carrying a pair of great axes behind his back. He was also wearing an iron helmet that covered his facepletely. His entire body was overflowing with vigor and fiendish energy, and his footsteps were unmissable like that of a tiger or a dragon. To say he looked imposing would be a massive understatement.

    The brawny man was one of Mister Taozhu¡¯s four Waterway Commanders, the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander. He walked the path of honing the body via the military school of thought and counted as a body-tempering Grandmaster.

    The Three Misters and Four Sakyamunis all had their respective forces. In Mister Taozhu¡¯s case, she possessed Four Waterway Commanders, Eight Spellcasters, Sixteen Halls. In total, her forces numbered around several thousand people.

    The Four Waterway Commanders were her most important subordinates. For this venture, she only brought the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander with her. The remaining three were hiding nearby with a small force just in case Mister Taozhu and Ye Qing needed help for whatever reason.

    It was at this moment a series of gong crashes came from the distance. When Ye Qing looked, he saw a group of people moving in their direction.

    Golden-armored soldiers opened the path, and ceremonial attendants apanied the entourage. It looked both grandiose and ceremonious.

    At the center of the entourage was a golden carriage. It was exquisitely designed, noble-looking, and adorned with carvings of dragons, phoenixes, and other auspicious beasts. Leading in front of the golden carriage were dozens of naked people wearing iron chains and pulling the golden carriage forward like they were beasts ofbor.

    ¡°The crown prince travels. All menials shall step aside!¡±

    <i>Dang!</i>

    ¡°The crown prince travels. All menials shall step aside!¡±

    <i>Dang!</i>

    ¡°The crown prince travels. All menials shall step aside!¡±

    <i>Dang!</i>

    Every time the golden carriage traveled ten meters, someone would smack a golden gong with a mallet. Then, a feminine-looking man wearing a red minister robe would yell for everyone in front of the entourage to step aside.

    ¡°Crown prince?¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but lift an eyebrow when the conspicuous group came closer and closer. Was West Kunlun more prestigious than he thought? Did they actually have the prestige to invite a crown prince from some country to attend their Celestial Peach Gathering?

    He quickly realized that he was mistaken. Even if this so-called crown prince really was a prince, he could not havee from a proper country.

    At first nce, both the entourage and the ceremony looked official and grand. In reality, the procedures, regtions and more were all wrong. On top of that, they were behaving excessively, ostentatiously and inappropriately. It was unbefitting of the entourage of any crown prince.

    @@novelbin@@

    ¡°Which country does this crown princee from?¡± Ye Qing asked via sound transmission.

    Mister Taoist scoffed, ¡°Crown prince my ass, he¡¯s just a clown ying to the gallery.¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°Oh? Exin.¡±

    Mister Taoist replied, ¡°You¡¯ve heard of the Court of Chaos, right young master? They¡¯re from the Court of Chaos.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no wonder,¡± eximed Ye Qing in realization. He knew something was off. There was no way a crown prince from a proper country would behave like this.

    The Court of Chaos was one of the thirty-six unorthodox sects and one of the more famous¡ªor rather, infamous¡ªfactions in the <i>jianghu</i>. In fact, it was loathed and hated even more than pure heretics such as the Way of Taiping or the Maitreya Sect.

    The Court of Chaos was founded based on the belief that chaos reigns supreme. They viewed it as their responsibility to throw the world into chaos and viewed all life in the world as ants. That was why members of the Court of Chaos were naturally cruel andwless. There was no evil they would notmit, no methods they would not resort to achieve their objectives. They often engineered all sorts of natural disasters or man-made cmities to disrupt the order and poison the popce. It was all in hopes that the age of chaos would arrive, and they would reign supreme.

    There were many, many disasters in the history of the four empires that were all caused by the Court of Chaos. There were even more mass deaths and disorder with the Court of Chaos¡¯ shadow behind them. They often engineered chaos and made countless lives miserable. As a result, the countries hated them, and the people loathed them. There were few people in the entire world who didn¡¯t wish they were gone.

    They were so disgusting and loathsome that even some Dark Way sects and members hated them and felt ashamed to be lumped in a group with them. It wasn¡¯t just because of their cruelty andck of scruples.

 Chapter 1053: Chaos Emperor Fist

    The Court of Chaos regarded themselves as the legitimate rulers of the world. They believed it was their natural duty to act on behalf of the heavens and protect their realm from invaders. Therefore, their sect imitated a country¡¯s system with an emperor, kings, counsellors and generals; three dukes and nine ministers. They also behaved as if they were a legitimate court. When they went out, they never failed to surround themselves in a grand entourage with ceremonial guards and attendants. They acted high and mighty, believed themselves to be awe-inspiring, and viewed others on the same level as dogs and grass.

    Of course, the Court of Chaos was ultimately just a sect. They absolutely did not have tens of thousands of people under their rule. Forget the four major empires of humanity, they were far inferior even to the likes of the Five Profound Sects or the Nine Dark Ways. Only good enough to be rated as one of the thirty-six unorthodox sects, all of their ceremonies and show of extravagance were no better than a monkey wearing a crown and thinking itself king. They, to put it bluntly, were aughingstock.

    If these people really were from the Court of Chaos, then it would exin everything.

    ¡°Do you know who this so-called crown prince is?¡± Ye Qing asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably Zhao Wushuang,¡± Mister Taozhu answered softly. ¡°There are many princes and princesses in the Court of Chaos, but only one crown prince. He is Zhao Wushuang, and only Zhao Wushuang would put on such a ridiculous show.¡±

    Since the Court of Chaos boasted an emperor, kings, counsellors and generals, of course they had their so-called Three Pces and Six Courtyards, princes and princesses, and a crown prince.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Is this not the first time you¡¯ve met Zhao Wushuang?¡± Ye Qing asked curiously. Mister Taozhu¡¯s tone made it clear that she was overflowing with scorn for the so-called crown prince.

    Mister Taozhu replied indifferently, ¡°I have had the misfortune of meeting him one time, yes. He is just a small fry. You don¡¯t need to pay attention to him, young master.¡±

    Ye Qing nodded. Mister Taozhu had grown into her fame a long time ago, and she enjoyed a prestigious status in the Way of Taiping. Zhao Wushuang was at most a juniorpared to her, not to mention that the Way of Taiping was way stronger than the Court of Chaos. Of course Mister Taozhu could afford to look down on Zhao Wushuang.It was at this moment the Court of Chaos entourage finally arrived at the foot of West Queen Mountain. When the feminine-looking man standing on the golden carriage saw Ye Qing¡¯s group, he immediately rebuked in a harsh tone, ¡°Ignorant grass roots! You are in the presence of the crown prince! Salute, or face the consequences!¡±

    If Ye Qing wasn¡¯t mistaken, the feminine-looking man wearing a red minister robe was probably an eunuch.

    Mister Taozhu did not even look at the eunuch. She said to her Mountain Opening Waterway Commander, ¡°Ignore him. Go hand in the invitation letter!¡±

    The Mountain Opening Waterway Commander obeyed and strode forward.

    ¡°You dare ignore mymand?¡±

    Like a provoked cock, the red-robed eunuch screeched, ¡°Subjugate them! Kill anyone who resists!¡±

    ¡°At once!¡±

    A dozen or so golden-armored soldiers immediately unsheathed their des and rushed toward Ye Qing¡¯s group with cruel grins on their faces.

    It did not take a genius to realize that they were all heartless killers.

    Disdain shed in Ye Qing and Mister Taozhu¡¯s eyes though. Right before the golden-armored soldiers could swarm them, six people standing behind Mister Taozhu rushed forward and slew five in just a single exchange. ????¨°?¦¥?

    ¡°Rebels! They are rebels! Kill them all!¡± The red-robed eunuch screeched furiously.

    The golden-armored soldiers dared not underestimate their enemies. Dozens of them surged forward together at once.

    It was at this moment one man rushed out from the side and mmed into the soldiers.

    Like bowling pins, the golden-armored soldiers were instantly sent flying. Their bones snapped like twigs, and their flesh spewed blood like blood bags. It was quite gruesome.

    The attacker was the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander, of course.

    Seeing how powerless the golden-armored soldiers were before the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander, the red-robed eunuch¡¯s face darkened before he yelled at the elites standing next to the golden carriage, ¡°What else are you waiting for, trash? Get him now, or you shall face my wrath!¡±

    Having received theirmand, nine Half-Step Truemen guards stepped forward and charged the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander.

    ¡°Get lost!¡±

    Scarlet light shed in the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander¡¯s eyes as he roared.

    It was like a tiger¡¯s roar or a thunderp in summer. The nine guards instantly flew backward and spewed blood from every orifice like they were struck by thunder.

    If even the Half-Step Truemen were faring this poorly, the weaker ones could only do worse. The one roar injured or killed countless people within the entourage.

    Right before the roar would reach the golden carriage though, the carvings of auspicious beasts unleashed waves of golden light and dispelled it.

    ¡°You¡­ you dare! You¡ª¡±

    The red-robed eunuch was turning pale and trembling at this point. When he tried to rebuke the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander, thetter gave him the evil eye and silenced him instantly.

    At the same time, the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander unsheathed the axes behind his back, grabbed them in a reverse grip, and rushed toward the golden carriage.

    As the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander ran, red fiendish qi gushed out of his body like steam and enveloped the two axes. Like blood, it slowly dyed his weapons red.

    By the time the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander had reached the golden carriage, his axes had turnedpletely red.

    The next moment, the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander raised his axes high and executed a cross sh.

    The sky turned red for an instant before breaking into pieces. At the same time, a pair of tyrannical and bright red axe beams descended straight toward the golden carriage.

    The axe beams boasted no variation norplicated concepts. All it contained was strength and killing intent. Pure and powerful, oppressing and barbaric, all they desired was to split the mountains and rivers before their eyes into pieces.

    Hence, the name of the technique was ¡°Opening Mountains and Rivers¡±.

    Long before the axe beams descended, the carvings of auspicious beasts on the golden carriage disintegrated as if they could not bear the pressure. The golden carriage had be dim and lightless as well.

    Right before the golden carriage was split in half, a hand reached out from inside.

    The hand was slender like a scallion and fair like jade. It looked like the palm of a youthful girl.

    Then, the fingers curled together into a fist.

    Suddenly, the wind changed, and the sky darkened. The fist wasn¡¯t moving yet, and already the world was trembling in fear.

    The next moment, the fist punched out.

    <em>Rumble!</em>

    A brutal and oppressive fist intent swept the sky and stirred its elements wantonly. Origin energy shook uncontrobly, time and space seemed to fall into disorder, the world grew as dark as night, and all things threatened to fall dead before the punch.

    If the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander¡¯s axe beams were pure tyranny, then this punch exuded the intent of absolute sovereignty. Even better, the fist intent was mixed with the power to throw the world into chaos, reverse yin and yang, and flip the world itself upside down.

    It was a punch fitting for a sect who wished for chaos to reign forever supreme.

    ¡°The Chaos Emperor Fist?¡±

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. It was said that the Court of Chaos boasted a Sage-stage martial art known as the ¡°Chaos Emperor Canon¡±. Practicable only by the imperial family, the ¡°Chaos Emperor Canon¡± was an all-inclusive martial encyclopedia containing all forms of martial arts such as fist, palm, finger, w; saber, spear, sword, halberd and more.

    Out of all the martial arts recorded in the ¡°Chaos Emperor Canon¡±, the three most powerful were the Chaos Emperor Scripture of Supremacy, Chaos Emperor Body and Chaos Emperor Fist.

    The Chaos Emperor Scripture of Supremacy was a mental art, the Chaos Emperor Supreme Body was a body-tempering art, and the Chaos Emperor Fist was a fist art. Despite honing different aspects of the warrior, these three martial arts were not at odds with each other. In fact, practicing all three to the adept level would allow the practitioner to break out of the cage of the world and be a Sage.

    Ye Qing was pretty sure that the punch earlier was the Chaos Emperor Fist.

    Get 50% off for a limited time only.Be a Champion today. Support authors and trantors, and be rewarded for it!50% off now!: 00days: 16hrs: 18min: 29secAll Chapters + 2 Advance$2.50 $5.00 / monthSUBSCRIBEMundane-ss Stranger

    You are mostly harmless, but one does not need a weapon to kill. * Renews at $5.00 / month

 Chapter 1054: A Sword Rises From Spring

    The Chaos Emperor Fist possessed the power to reverse yin and yang and flip the world upside down.

    Because of this, the axe beams that should have cut the golden carriage in half suddenly changed directions and flew up into the sky instead. It was almost as if the sky and the earth of this part of the world had been flipped around.

    When the axe beams disappeared into the sky, the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander also staggered backward nine steps in a row before he finally caught himself. Every time he took a step, the ground beneath him would crumble into pieces.

    Right now, the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander¡¯s vigor was in disorder, and his chest was caved in. A fist print was clearly imprinted on the spot where he took a punch.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­¡±

    The Mountain Opening Waterway Commander wasn¡¯t afraid despite his grievous injuries, however. In fact, his fiendish qi grew even stronger like that of a wounded wolf or tiger.

    ¡°Blood stains the sky, axes that split open mountains and rivers. eptable.¡±

    It was at this moment an arrogant, icy voice came from the golden carriage. ¡°You¡¯re qualified to be my servant. Surrender, and I shall overlook your transgression today.¡±

    ¡°I can say the same to you.¡±Mister Taozu finally deigned to interfere and let out a chuckle. ¡°Not even Zhao Xuanba would dare to tell me to surrender, much less you.¡±

    Zhao Xuanba was the emperor of the Court of Chaos, a.k.a Zhao Wushuang¡¯s father.

    ¡°You dare!¡±

    Zhao Wushuang¡¯s angry voice erupted from the golden carriage, but an inexplicable sense of trepidation gripped him even as he blurted those words. It was almost as if some sort of great horror was about to manifest.

    <em>Rumble¡­</em>

    Before he could figure out what was going on, the ground directly underneath the golden carriage was suddenly ripped into pieces like fabric. At the same time, a gigantic hand reached out from the chasm and swatted in the direction of the golden carriage like a bat.

    ¡°Great Trueman!¡±@@novelbin@@

    Zhao Wushuang was both shocked and angry. He could feel that the hand was an unstoppable terror he couldn¡¯t stop.

    A Great Trueman was infinitely close to a Half-Sage. He was quite powerful, but he was still ultimately a Trueman. Forget a Half-Sage, he was still a ways away from bing a Great Trueman.

    That was why Zhao Wushuang did not hesitate to abandon his golden carriage and escape to the distance.

    Not a moment too soon, the giant hand shattered the golden carriage and annihted the concubines, the guards, and the red-robed eunuch before they could even scream.

    Cold sweat appeared on Zhao Wushuang¡¯s forehead. If he had been even a step slower, he wouldn¡¯t have turned into dust like his subjects, but he absolutely would have suffered some serious injuries.

    Before he could thank his lucky stars, the giant hand moved away from the shattered carriage and made a grab for him.

    It wasn¡¯t the only one. Three giant hands extended from the ground directly to his left, right, and behind and made a grab for him as well.

    The four hands was enough to block every direction and cut all paths of retreat. Zhao Wushuang felt like a bird who was trapped inside a shrinking cage. Despair welled inside his heart.

    ¡°I am the crown prince of the Court of Chaos! If you kill me, the Court of Chaos will hunt you down to the ends of the earth!¡± Zhao Wushuang screamed out his final resistance.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Mister Taozhu¡¯s response was a cold sneer and a scornful look. The giant hands never stopped for even an instant.

    ¡°Mercy.¡±

    Right before Zhao Wushuang would perish, a spring wind suddenly blew from the distance.

    At the beginning, it was only a small gust. As it came closer, it split into two, three, infinity.

    The infinite spring wind was also infinite sword qi.

    The infinite sword qi was gentle, but not of yin attribute. Cold, but not evil. Overt, but spine-chilling.

    The sword qi blew past the four titanic hands, and suddenly, they all crumbled away like sandcastles washed away by the tides.

    The sword qi was unbelievably strong and dense, and yet it did not harm a hair on Zhao Wushuang¡¯s person. After the giant hands were destroyed, it immediately dissolved back into harmless wind. ????¨®B??

    Like spring returning to the earth, the forces and energies permeating the area also receded slowly until all that was left was rity.

    ¡°You are all honored guests of West Kunlun. Give this host some face and maintain some cordiality with each other. Please?¡±

    A woman slowly walked over from a distance. She was in her thirties and wearing a dark green-colored long dress. Her temperament was gentle like a spring breeze, affectionate and warm.

    The woman was beautiful, and her voice even more so. It melted the violent intent in one¡¯s chest instantly like spring.

    ¡°Of course I will give you face, Spring Lord. I shall forgive this insolent cur this time.¡± Mister Taozhu smiled at the woman.

    Neither Ye Qing nor Mister Taozhu was surprised by the woman¡¯s appearance. In fact, they had sensed her while the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander and Zhao Wushuang were fighting.

    The woman was named Xi Wangchu. She was one of the Four Lords of West Kunlun.

    The Sacred Lord was the supreme leader of West Kunlun. Beneath them were the Left and Right Sect Masters, Four Lords, Ten Protectors, and Thirty Six Halls. In other words, the Four Lords answered to the Sacred Lord and the Left and Right Sect Masters only. They were easily some of the most respected persons in West Kunlun.

    The Four Lords were named after the seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. The Spring Lord was in charge of misceneous affairs, the Summer Lord was in charge of finance, the Autumn Lord was in charge of discipline, and the Winter Lord was in charge of conquests. Each lord had their own functional responsibilities and were deeply respected.

    Therefore, Xi Wangchun might have the appearance of a gentle, harmless woman, but she was really theplete opposite. Cunning and strong, she was as respected as she was feared in West Kunlun.

    West Kunlun was a massiveke where all sorts of fishes and dragons swam. Although Xi Wangchun¡¯s responsibilities could be summed up in two words, it was anything but trivial. The words ¡°misceneous affairs¡± meant everything besides what had already been taken by the other Lords. It could be something as trivial as a disciple¡¯s basic necessities and amodations, or something as big as the very existence of West Kunlun. She was singlehandedly responsible for every decision, every task, and every rule that shaped West Kunlun in this area, and yet she was able to do it all perfectly. Such a woman could only be as ruthless as she was intelligent.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, Xi Wangchun boasted the strength of a Great Trueman. Ranked forty on the Earth Champions Ranking, she was praised as, ¡°The spring that returns to the earth, the one whose sword qi is like the wind.¡±

    That was why even Mister Taozhu must give Xi Wangchun some face.

    ¡°Your generosity impresses me, Mister Taozhu.¡± Xi Wangchun smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to wee you in person even though you had traveled a long distance to attend this gathering. I hope you will forgive my poor show of hospitality.¡±

    ¡°You tter me, Mister Taozhu.¡± Mister Taozhu saluted back. ¡°It is I who failed to hand in the invitation letter in time. It is not your fault.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, we as the host could do better.¡± Still smiling, Xi Wangchun looked at Zhao Wushuang next. ¡°Crown Prince Wushuang, we admit that our poor hospitality has resulted in your sh against Mister Taozhu. We hope you won¡¯t take offense.¡±

    Xi Wangchun did not treat Zhao Wushuang lightly simply because the Court of Chaos was poorer than West Kunlun.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Zhao Wushuang replied. He might be arrogant, but he wasn¡¯t that stupid. No matter how dissatisfied he was on the inside, he wasn¡¯t going to offend the Spring Lord, one of the Four Lords of West Kunlun.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to make the introductions. This here is Mister Taozhu, one of the Three Misters of the Way of Taiping. I¡¯m sure you have heard of him,¡± Xi Wangchun said. It was both an introduction and a subtle reminder.

    ¡°Mister Taozhu?¡±

    Zhao Wushuang¡¯s eyes narrowed. Of course he had heard of Mister Taozhu. Earlier, he thought that Mister Taozhu¡¯s group was harrasable per se since their numbers were few, and their auras were nothing special. Who would have thought that they were really a tough nut, one sharp enough to split his foot no less?

    Neither the Way of Taiping nor Mister Taozhu was easy prey as a matter of course.

    Get 50% off for a limited time only.Be a Champion today. Support authors and trantors, and be rewarded for it!50% off now!: 00days: 16hrs: 18min: 14secAll Chapters + 2 Advance$2.50 $5.00 / monthSUBSCRIBEMundane-ss Stranger

    You are mostly harmless, but one does not need a weapon to kill. * Renews at $5.00 / month

 Chapter 1055: Riding A Crane Across Kunlun

    <h4>Chapter 1055: Riding A Crane Across Kunlun </h4>

    ¡°This junior failed to recognize Mount Tai. Please forgive me, senior.¡±

    Zhao Wushuang gritted his teeth and apologized to Miser Taozhu.

    ¡°I ept your apology, but only because the Spring Lord requests it.¡±

    Mister Taozhu chuckled while rubbing her portly stomach. ¡°If you¡¯ll listen to my advice, make sure to keep your eyes wide open the next time you¡¯re on one of your outings. You may not be this lucky next time, understand?¡±

    There were veins popping on Zhao Wushuang¡¯s clenched fists. That was how angry he was. Still, he did not dare to show even a sliver of it on his face and replied, ¡°You are right, senior. This junior will remember your guidance!¡±

    ¡°Haha, good boy.¡±

    Mister Taozhu soaked in Zhao Wushuang¡¯s expression with yful eyes.

    ¡°Mister Taozhu, Crown Prince Wushuang, you must be hungry from your journey, right? We have prepared a feast for you all. Please,e with me.¡±

    Xi Wangchun stepped in at an appropriate time and acted as the mediator.

    Mister Taozhu shot Zhao Wushuang onest look before chuckling. ¡°But of course, Spring Lord.¡±

    ¡°This way, please.¡± Xi Wangchun let out a chuckle of her own before flicking her fingers. A wisp of sword qi shot into the clouds, loud and ringing.

    A few breathster, the sea of clouds surrounding the peak of West Queen Mountain suddenly churned unnaturally. The next moment, the sharp, melodious cry of a crane cut through the air, and a celestial crane the size of a small hill descended from above andnded in front of everyone.

    The celestial crane had white feathers and ck ws. It was handsome, gorgeous, and clearly intelligent.

    Even stranger, the back of the celestial crane was overgrown with unusual nts. The nts were tangled and swirled into tables, chairs, and cups. Resting on the tables were all sorts of fine wine and delicious food.

    <i>The Great Distance Crane... Tsk tsk, West Kunlun sure knows how to put on a show!</i>

    Ye Qing raised his eyebrows. The celestial crane in front of him was called the Celestial Weing Crane. A Phenomenon-ss Stranger, it was shaped like a crane and extremely massive. There were nts growing out of its back, and it could bear extremely heavy objects and fly thousands and thousands of kilometers with ease. That was why it was named the Great Distance Crane.

    Although the Great Distance Crane was just a Phenomenon-ss Stranger, it was extremely rare and only appeared in blessednds belonging to celestials. The blessednd must be overflowing with spiritual qi and air of dao as well.

    For this reason, the Great Distance Crane was also nicknamed the Auspicious Crane. ¡°If an auspicious cranees to you, you will have no worries for countless years toe.¡± That was how the people described it.

    As a result, there wasn¡¯t a single sect that did not treat the Great Distance Crane like their most precious treasure and afford them every luxury, unwilling to strain it even a little.

    The West Kunlun seemed to be an exception, however. After all, they dared to use the Great Distance Crane as a beast ofbor and an attendant. As a guest himself, Ye Qing must admit that he felt quite ttered.

    Of course, this also proved that West Kunlun possessed a deep, unshakeable foundation.

    While he was thinking, the Great Distance Crane shook its feathers and caused vines to fall down from its back. They joined together to form a vinedder.

    ¡°Scree!¡±

    The Great Distance Crane let out a melodious cry after the vinedder was fully formed.

    ¡°Mister Taozhu, Crown Prince Wushuang, if you would...¡±

    Xi Wangchun gestured, and everyone climbed up the Great Distance Crane¡¯s back one after another.

    There were dozens of them in total¡ªover a hundred, if Mister Taozhu hadn¡¯t annihted most of Zhao Wushuang¡¯s entourage¡ªbut the back of the Great Distance Crane was so big that there was more than enough space for everyone.

    Xi Wangchun, Mister Taozhu and Zhao Wushuang sat on the seats of honor after climbing up the Great Distance Crane¡¯s back. Ye Qing and everyone else sat together.

    @@novelbin@@

    As Ye Qing was pretending to be the Mountain Opening Waterway Commander¡¯s subordinate, of course he didn¡¯t have the right to sit together with the trio.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be off.¡±

    After everyone had taken their seats, Xi Wangchun gave the Great Distance Crane a gentle pat on the head. The crane cried again and pped its wings, taking them into the clouds instantly.

    ¡°This is the Celestial Peak, one of the six peaks of West Queen Mountain...¡±

    ¡°That is the Heavenly Pond of Kunlun...¡±

    ¡°That is the Cloud Sea Heavenly Pce...¡±

    ¡°That is the Sky Level Valley...¡±

    On the Great Distance Crane¡¯s back, Xi Wangchun dutifully introduced them the many beautiful sceneries of West Kunlun.

    The Great Distance Crane flew very, very slowly probably because it would be difficult for the guests to admire the view otherwise. It only pped its wings every once in a while and appeared almost slothful.

    In any case, it was absolutely incredible to look down on West Queen Mountain and West Kunlun from high up in the sky though.

    From above, the West Queen Mountain looked like a massive dragon crouching on the earth. This alone was quite impressive, but the back of the ¡°dragon¡± was overgrown with nts and overflowing with spiritual qi as well. The contrast between West Queen Mountain and the snowy, barren wastnd around it was dramatic to say the least.

    shes of colorful light would appear on the mountain from time to time. If someone were to look into the light, they would find clumps and clumps of exquisitely-designed buildings, auspicious beasts and rare birds racing about, and peopleing and going like streams. Combined with the fog and clouds that swirled around West Queen Mountain, the whole ce truly looked like a celestial realm of dreams.

    Of course, they could only see what West Kunlun allowed them to see. ording to Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought, there were various ces that appeared blurry and indistinct because they were hidden behind restrictions. Neither sight nor spiritual energy could pierce through it. Clearly, they were forbidden zones or important locations of West Kunlun.

    While enjoying a cup of delicious wine, Ye Qing was silently engraving the locations he could not perceive with his spiritual energy into memory.

    After all, one of these ces might be the key to entering the Kunlun Ruins.

    Since Xi Wangchun and the others were either chatting with each other or admiring the beautiful sceneries of west Kunlun, no one noticed what Ye Qing was doing.

    About a teatimeter, the Great Distance Crane suddenly let out another long cry and passed through a patch of clouds. Then, itnded on arge square.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, everyone.¡±

    Xi Wangchun smiled, and a vinedder fell off the Great Distance Crane¡¯s back once more. After everyone had gotten off its back, Xi Wangchun gave the Stranger a doting pat and tossed a pill into its mouth. ¡°This is yours. Thanks for your hard work.¡±

    The Great Distance Crane swallowed the pill and gave Xi Wangchun an affectionate bump of its own. It was definitely intelligent.

    ¡°Off with you!¡± Xi Wangchun smiled after rubbing its head.

    The Great Distance Crane cried in response and pped its wings. It disappeared into the clouds in just the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Master.¡±

    ¡°Master.¡±

    It was at this moment a man and a woman walked up to them. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful. They were both wearing ck robes with red linings. The image of a sun and a moon were sewn to their sleeves. This was an attire only the direct disciples of West Kunlun had the right to wear. Their auras marked them as Half-Step Truemen as well.

    Considering how they addressed Xi Wangchun, they had to be Xi Wangchun¡¯s direct disciples.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Xi Wangchun gave them a nod before looking at Mister Taozhu and Zhao Wushuang. ¡°Mister Taozhu, Crown Prince Wushuang, I have other businesses to attend to, so this is where we part ways. I¡¯ll leave it to my two disciples to take you to your residences. Do not hesitate to speak with them if you need anything.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish, Spring Lord.¡± Mister Taozhu saluted her.

    ¡°Qinghe, you will take Mister Taozhu and his men to the Qianyuan Garden. Qingye, you will take Crown Prince Wushuang to Kun Mount Garden.¡±

    Xi Wangchun instructed, ¡°Mister Taozhu is one of the Three Misters of the Way of Taiping, and Crown Prince Wushuang is the crown prince of the Court of Chaos. They are both honored guests of West Kunlun, so I expect you to treat them with the utmost respect.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, master.¡± Qinghe and Qingye saluted her.

    ¡°Please follow my disciples to your respective residences. Again, just speak to them if you need anything,¡± Xi Wangchun repeated.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Spring Lord.¡± Mister Taozhu and Zhao Wushuang saluted her.

    ¡°Very well. See you allter.¡±

    Xi Wangchun returned the salute. ¡°Take good care of them. You will be held ountable if you mistreat our guests!¡±

    ¡°Yes, master[1].¡±

    Qinghe and Qingye bowed. After Xi Wangchun was gone, they looked at Mister Taozhu and Zhao Wushuang and sped their fists. ¡°This way please, seniors.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Mister Taozhu and followed behind Qinghe, the handsome disciple. On the other hand, Qingye, the beautiful woman led Zhao Wushuang in the opposite direction.

    1. I can¡¯t help but wonder how arrogant these disciples normally were if she has to warn her disciples twice not to disrespect anyone lol. ?

 Chapter 1056: Sexagenary Dragon Koi

    <h4>Chapter 1056: Sexagenary Dragon Koi </h4>

    On the way, Mister Taozhu asked, ¡°Who hase to attend this year¡¯s Celestial Peach Gathering?¡±

    ¡°As of now, the distinguished guests who came to West Kunlun includes Venerable Tiang from the Demonic Mountain, Blood Buddha from the Maitreya Sect, Fickle Young Master from the Demonic Abode of Six Desires, Corpse Hiding Old Man from the Corpse Hiding Mountain,

    Mister Myriad Manifestation from the Red Dust Tribtion, Iron Bodhisattva from the Vajra Temple, Great Sage Yuan Zhantian The Heavens'' Greater, Hundred-faced Demon Consort Jin Yaorao, Profound Profound Spellcaster Yuan Xuanyi...¡±

    Qinghe dutifully answered Mister Taozhu¡¯s question. Everyone he mentioned was either a longtime famous person in the <i>jianghu</i> or a named warrior on the Earthly Champions Ranking.

    Of course, none of these people were orthodox or good either. Most of them hailed from the Nine Dark Ways or the thirty-six unorthodox sects, and even those who were independent were at least champions of heresy or titans of the Dark Ways. These were names that were used to scare children to silence at night. Nearly every single one of them was as notorious as they were terrifying.

    ¡°I could act as your guide if you wish to visit someone, senior,¡± Qinghe added in the end.

    ¡°That would be much appreciated,¡± Mister Taozhu replied.

    ¡°Please, it is my honor to be able to serve you, senior,¡± replied Qinghe with a salute.

    ¡°Mm. Not bad. Here, have this.¡± Mister Taozhu produced a pill and handed it to Qinghe. ¡°This is the Sexagenary Pill of the Way of Taiping. It would aid you in increasing your power and piercing your heart demons. It will greatly benefit your cultivation.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t possibly ept such a gift, senior. I am simply performing my duty,¡± Qinghe eximed with pleasant surprise.

    The Way of Taiping¡¯s Sexagenary Pill was famous among the Dark Ways, and he was currently a Half-Step Trueman. The Sexagenary Pill would almost certainly allow him to take that final half step and be a Trueman. Naturally, he desired it greatly. However, it was customary to act coy during the first exchange so as not to be seen as greedy and to show courtesy.

    ¡°It is my gift to you. You simply need to ept it!¡± Mister Taozhu¡¯s voice grew a little cold as she ordered in a tone that would ept no rebuke.

    ¡°In that case, this junior shall happily ept your gift. Thank you very much, senior.¡± Qinghe straightened a little and felt his back break out in cold sweat. He actually felt a hint of killing intent from Mister Taozhu.

    The problem with seniors and champions of the Dark Ways were that they were temperamental in the best of circumstances. He was just being courteous, and he had nearly earned himself a death sentence.

    ¡°Good boy.¡±

    Mister Taozhu was smiling again after Qinghe epted the pill. ¡°Oh right, where will the Celestial Peach Gathering be held this time? Is it still the Kunlun Golden Peak?¡±

    ¡°No, it will be held at the Kunlun Heavenly Pond this year,¡± Qinghe answered.

    ¡°The Kunlun Heavenly Pond?¡± Mister Taozhu sounded puzzled.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Qinghe answered. ¡°Besides a change in venues, this year¡¯s Celestial Peach Gathering will be grander and different from the previous ones as well. West Kunlun promises that it will be a gathering that everyone will remember for a long time toe.¡±

    ¡°Now I¡¯m curious. Spoil me!¡± Mister Taozhu voiced her interest.

    ¡°You do not know this, senior, but this year is the year the koi leaps the Heavens¡¯ Gate. It is a magnificent spectacle that only happens once every sixty years, and we will be inviting everyone to watch it while the gathering is ongoing.¡±

    ¡°The koi leaps the Heavens¡¯ Gate? Could it be the famous Sexagenary Dragon Koi of West Kunlun?¡± Mister Taozhu eximed in astonishment.

    ¡°You are very knowledgeable and well-traveled, senior. That is exactly correct,¡± Qinghe paid her apliment.

    ¡°This is surprisingly generous of West Kunlun. I would think that such an important event would be conducted in privacy and secrecy.¡± Mister Taozhu voiced her honest surprise.

    The Sexagenary Dragon Koi of West Kunlun was a type of Stranger that only existed within West Kunlun. Born from the earthly veins and fortune of West Kunlun, it was raised within the Kunlun Heavenly Pond and nurtured using West Kunlun¡¯s earthly veins, spiritual qi, and fortune. If the sect¡¯s spiritual qi was overflowing, and their fortune was great, then the Sexagenary Dragon Koi would leap the Heavens¡¯ Gate and be a dragon after sixty years had passed.

    The dragon it transformed into would not be a True Spirit, but a dragon of earthly veins and fortune that added to a sect¡¯s foundation and umtion. It would continuously increase a sect¡¯s spiritual qi and fortune for a long time toe.

    Of course, if the sect¡¯s spiritual qi and fortune werecking, or if someone were to interfere with the process, then the Sexagenary Dragon Koi would fail to leap the Heavens¡¯ Gate. The failure would deal a severe blow to the sect¡¯s spiritual qi and fortune.

    In fact, the way to nurture the Sexagenary Dragon Koi was a top secret of West Kunlun. In the past, forget showing it off to outsiders, the viewing was limited even within West Kunlun. Only core disciples and above possessed the right to watch the koi leaping the Heavens¡¯ Gate, much less anyone else.

    That was why Mister Taozhu had heard of the Sexagenary Dragon Koi but never seen it before, much less witnessed the Sexagenary Dragon Koi leaping the Heavens¡¯ Gate.

    It made sense. Both the Sexagenary Dragon Koi and the leaping were extremely important to the sect. If someone found out about the secret, or if some malicious people sessfully interrupted the process, then West Kunlun would suffer a major blow. It might even be a blow that threatened their roots.

    That was why Mister Taozhu was so surprised. She did not think that West Kunlun would allow outsiders to watch the Sexagenary Dragon Koi leap the Heavens¡¯ Gate at all.

    ¡°The leaping of the Heavens¡¯ Gate might be a critically important event for most people, but to West Kunlun, it is trivial at best.¡±

    @@novelbin@@

    Qinghe dered with a clear note of pride, ¡°We believe the honor of keeping our guests entertained is more important!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Mister Taozhu chuckled. ¡°West Kunlun is certainly courageous. I look forward to it then.¡±

    ¡°You will be satisfied, senior,¡± Qinghe replied confidently.

    Mister Taozhu would continue to ask a couple more things while Qinghe answered all of them. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious.

    No one noticed that Ye Qing¡¯s eyes were as ck as the night, nor did they see the demonic lotus rising behind his pupils.

    A demonic lotus appeared in front of Qinghe¡¯s forehead, though no one could see it. Then, it slowly sank into his head.

    Qinghe felt something and frowned, but he wasn¡¯t able to find anything after a quick check. He shook his head thinking that it was just his imagination and resumed his conversation with Mister Taozhu.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, senior!¡±

    Very soon, Qinghe and the group arrived at a luxurious, exquisite garden. The garden was built next to a tall cliff, so it looked as if the entire structure was hidden within the clouds. One simply needed to look up to find an endless sea of clouds above their heads. It was something straight out of a fantasy.

    Qinghe introduced, ¡°The Qianyuan Garden is built with sovereignty in the heavens in mind. Here, one may view the clouds and embrace the sun and the moon as if they live at the peak of the heavens.¡±

    ¡°The Spring Lord is most thoughtful. Please, convey my thanks to her when you see her.¡± Mister Taozhu nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re satisfied with your residence, senior.¡± Qinghe smiled and pointed at a small group of people standing outside the garden. ¡°These are the stewards and servants of the Qianyuan Garden. Do not hesitate to order them for anything during your stay here.¡±

    ¡°Steward Xiao, this is Mister Taozhu, one of the Three Misters of the Way of Taiping. They are honored guests of West Kunlun, and I expect you to give them the best care we can offer. You will be held ountable if our guests are unsatisfied with our hospitality, understand?¡±

    ¡°This ve obeys,¡± An old man in his fifties responded before bowing. ¡°This ve is Xiao Fu. A pleasure to meet you all, honored guests!¡±

    ¡°Mm. You¡¯re wee!¡± Mister Taozhu waved for the steward to save the pleasantries.

    ¡°Is there anything else would you like me to do, senior? If not, then I shall be returning to my master,¡± Qinghe asked.

    ¡°There is none. Your arrangements are great. Once again, be sure to convey my thanks to the Spring Lord for her amazing hospitality.¡± Mister Taozhu nodded with satisfaction.

    ¡°This junior will definitely do so.¡± Qinghe saluted. ¡°This junior shan¡¯t disturb your rest any longer. Goodbye, and I look forward to seeing youter.¡±

 Chapter 1057: The Forgotten Peak

    Mister Taozhu nodded. After Qinghe was gone, he looked at Xiao Fu and said, ¡°These are my subordinates. Once you¡¯ve assigned them to their respective rooms, please prepare a meal for all of them.¡±

    However, Xiao Fu said, ¡°It has already been done, honored guest. Please, follow me.¡±

    As Xiao Fu imed, the rooms had already been assigned¡ªit was just a matter of telling them where they were staying and leading them to their respective rooms¡ªand the food and wine had already been prepared a while ago.

    ¡°Did you find anything, young master?¡± Mister Taozhu asked Ye Qing after sending everyone away.

    ¡°We will know by tonight.¡±

    Ye Qing sat down on a chair and drank a sip of tea, ordering, ¡°Tell your men to scout out West Kunlun for a bit. I will make a decision after tonight.¡±

    ¡°At once, young master,¡± Mister Taozhu responded and turned to leave.

    After Mister Taozhu was gone, Ye Qing sat crosslegged on his bed, closed his eyes, and meditated.

    ¡­¡­Night at West Kunlun was quite something. The moon hung high in the sky like a jade disc that cast down countless rays of clear, focused radiance. They shone in from every direction and gathered around West Queen Mountain, illuminating the whole ce so bright that it felt like daytime and painting thousands and thousands of kilometers ofnd in silver.

    For those who came to West Kunlun for the first time, it was a rare and magnificent spectacle. On the other hand, the people of West Kunlun had long gotten used to it.

    That was why therge majority of West Kunlun disciples besides those responsible for patrolling and guarding the mountains had already returned to their dwellings to catch some rest.

    Qinghe was no exception.

    The Spring Lord was responsible for the misceneous affairs of West Kunlun. Therefore, she was the main nner and organizer of the Celestial Peach Gathering and the guest hospitality.

    As Spring Lord¡¯s disciple, Qinghe¡¯s burden was quite heavy as a matter of course. He was needed for all sorts of matters. It was why even he, a Half-Step Trueman, felt wrung dry after a whole day of hard work, and why he went to his bed after returning to his room and eating a few mouthfuls of food. He was out like a light almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

    Qinghe¡¯s sleep wasn¡¯t peaceful, however. At times, he would frown, murmur, even shake his head as if he was in the middle of a conversation.

    About one teatimeter, Qinghe abruptly opened his eyes and sat up. It took him a few deep breaths before he finally managed to calm himself.

    ¡°Strange. Why was I dreaming?¡± Qinghe muttered with a frown on his face. At his level, dreams should have been a thing of the distant past. On top of that, everything he dreamed about was a secret about West Kunlun; some of which he himself had forgotten for whatever reason. And yet, they had surfaced in his dream as clear as day, almost as if someone was going through his mind and reading his memories. It was quite unusual to say the least.

    ¡°Is it because I was too tired for the past two days? Strange, so strange¡­¡±

    Qinghe could not figure out why he was dreaming despite thinking for a long time. In the end, he shook his head andy on his bed once more.

    This time, he slept peacefully. He no longer had a dibobted dream.

    At the same time, far away at Qianyuan Garden, Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes and caused his room to pitch ck and seemingly without borders. A strange energy that was profound beyond words was also floating in the air. ?????????

    A few breathster, the darkness in the room finally subsided and slipped into Ye Qing¡¯s body, and the bright, silver moonlight shone through the window and into the room once more. It was as if everything that happened just now was a dream.

    It was at this moment Mister Taozhu stepped out of the darkness. ¡°How did it go, young master?¡±

    ¡°I found some useful information,¡± Ye Qing replied while massaging his forehead a little. During the day, he had secretly nted a demonic lotus in Qinghe¡¯s headspace while the young man was busy conversing with Mister Taozhu. Although Qinghe was a young genius, he was far inferior to Ye Qing as a matter of course. Therefore, it took Ye Qing no effort to perform the deed.

    However, this was West Kunlun. He did not know what kind of secret art or mental restriction West Kunlun might have nted in their disciples¡¯ minds. That was why he did not risk converting Qinghe into his Heavenly Demon Dependent. Instead, he waited until the disciple was asleep before using both his Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent Magia and the ¡°Dream Butterfly True Scripture¡± to enter his dreams and search his memories. That was why Qinghe experienced a strange dream just now.

    ¡°Did you find anything about the Kunlun Ruins?¡± Mister Taozhu asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°Qinghe does not possess any memory regarding the Kunlun Ruins whatsoever. That said, my search wasn¡¯t fruitless. I was able to find out the specific identities of the people who hunted down Cheng Qishang and his men.¡±

    ¡°Who are they?¡± Mister Taozhu asked curiously.

    Ye Qing answered, ¡°To be specific, they¡¯re not West Kunlun disciples. They¡¯re Tomb Keepers.¡±

    ¡°Tomb Keepers?¡± Mister Taozhu looked puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s a Tomb Keeper?¡±

    ¡°There exists a tomb on the Forgotten Peak of West Kunlun called the Kunlun Tomb. It is where the remains of the sect masters and elders of West Kunlun resided.¡±

    Ye Qing exined, ¡°The Kunlun Tomb is the most mysterious and important ce in West Kunlun. Only the sect master, elders, the Lords, and other prestigious persons of West Kunlun are allowed to enter. Everyone else is forbidden from even getting close to the Forgotten Peak, much less entering.¡±

    ¡°The people guarding the Forgotten Peak and the Kunlun Tomb are known as the Tomb Keepers of West Kunlun. They all hail from the same lineage, and they do not interact with the outside world or participate in the businesses of West Kunlun at all. They are as mysterious as they are powerful.¡±

    ¡°No wonder the people who attacked Cheng Qinshang¡¯s subordinates did not wear the same outfits as the disciples of West Kunlun. It¡¯s because they belong to a different group in West Kunlun.¡±

    Mister Taozhu eximed in realization before continuing, ¡°If what you said is true¡ªthat the Tomb Keepers of West Kunlun never participate in the businesses of West Kunlun¡ªand yet they are breaking that rule after finding out that someone is looking for the Kunlun Ruins, that must mean that they know about the Kunlun Ruins.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Ye Qing nodded. ¡°Time is limited. I n to pay a visit to the Kunlun Tomb immediately.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Mister Taozhu offered.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I alone am enough.¡± Ye Qing shook his head. ¡°I want you to stay here and provide support.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Take care, young master.¡± Mister Taozhu nodded.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Ye Qing nodded and dashed out of the garden. He disappeared in the night in just the blink of an eye.@@novelbin@@

    ¡­¡­

    The Forgotten Peak was located to the east of West Queen Mountain. It was a low, barren peak with dangerous terrain. Appearance wise, forget the likes of Celestial Peak, Heavenly Pond Peak, Kunlun Summit and other main peaks, it was inferior evenpared to some of the peaks were the disciples and servants were staying.

    In fact, many Wst Kunlun disciples had never heard of the Forgotten Peak before, much less know about the Kunlun tomb.

    As a result, the Forgotten Peak was extraordinarily cold and quietpared to the bustling main peaks of West Kunlun. Even the moonlight seemed to avoid the Forgotten Peak as the whole ce was covered in darkness and destion.

    It was a fitting appearance for a tomb at least.

    ¡°Is this the Forgotten Peak?¡±

    Ye Qing stood at the foot of the Forgotten Peak and looked up at the mountain, a chill growing in his heart despite himself.

    In Ye Qing¡¯s senses, the entire mountain was surrounded by a mysterious and immense power. Not only was his vision a lot poorer than usual, the range of his spiritual energy was limited to just a couple meters as well.

    Ye Qing frowned. The Kunlun Tomb was a forbidden zone in West Kunlun and heavily guarded as a matter of course. If even his spirit was limited, then his infiltration would be even riskier than it already was.

    Ye Qing weighed the pros and cons for a bit. In the end, he still chose to enter the Forgotten Peak. Yi Pin¡¯s life was in danger, and he could not afford to waste anymore time than he already had.

 Chapter 1058: Tomb In The Sky

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing concealed his energies and dashed up the Forgotten Peak like a ghost.

    The second he set foot within the boundaries of Forgotten Peak, he was immediately assaulted by a wave of cold and mist. The mountain path before him was slowly vanishing as well.

    Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought informed him that the mountain path still existed though. It had just been covered up by the mist.@@novelbin@@

    Not only that, the mist seemed to be capable of inducing hallucinations.

    Most people would probably lose their way if they entered such a mist, but not Ye Qing. It was because his demonic thought boasted great resistance toward illusions. Therefore, he was able to continue his journey as if he wasn¡¯t affected at all.

    Ye Qing dashed forward for a bit when suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and spun around.

    He saw nothing. There was nothing except mist.

    Eyebrows knitting with puzzlement, Ye Qing eventually turned around and resumed his journey. However, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he spun around and looked behind him once more. Still, he found nothing.

    <em>Strange. Am I just imagining things, or¡­?</em>Ye Qing frowned. The reason he kept looking back was because he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was following him and watching him. It wasn¡¯t just one observer either.

    And yet, neither his demonic thought nor his eyes could perceive anything.

    <em>I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an imagination.</em>

    At his level, nearly all sudden impulses or shes of intuition he experienced had a concrete reason behind it. This was doubly true after he became a Great Grandmaster.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled something and flipped his wrist. A white object that looked a bit like a stone appeared in his hand.

    Ye Qing ignited the white object with a small me, causing it to generate a milky white smoke. At the same time, a refined, wonderful scent began spreading to the surroundings.

    Shock gradually covered Ye Qing¡¯s expression. It was because the smoke caused not one, not two, but countless eyeballs to manifest in the air.

    The eyeballs looked like human eyeballs, but the colors were inverted. The sclera was ck, and the pupils and irises were white. It was eerie to say the least.

    Right now, the eyes were floating in the air and staring at him unblinkingly. From time to time, blood red tears would slide off the corners and reflected what looked like many pale and eerie-looking faces.

    <em>It wasn¡¯t my imagination after all! The Nether Eyes!</em>

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. He immediately turned around and dashed toward the nearest exit.

    As he moved, the eyeballs shifted and followed behind him. No matter how fast he moved, the eyeballs never failed to keep up with him and stare at him fixatedly.

    That said, as soon as he left the boundary of Forgotten Peak, the eyeballs soundless disappeared as if they had lost their target.

    Ye Qing did not rx though. He immediately concealed himself and became one with the darkness.

    Not a moment too soon, a wave of terrifying spiritual power spread out of Forgotten Peak and enveloped everything within two kilometers of the mountain.

    At the same time, dozens of shadowy figures emerged from the clouds and fog andnded right in front of Ye Qing.

    The people were all wearing ck robes with hoods that covered up their facespletely. Their body was ice cold, and their aura was dark like that of a dead person. ???????

    ¡°Search the area!¡±

    One man waved his hand and ordered, causing the ck-robed figures to split up and search around Forgotten Peak and the surroundings instantly.

    A momentter, the ck-robed figures returned. They found nothing and no one.

    The man who gave the order earlier said, ¡°Return to your patrol routes and stay alert. I¡¯ll be reporting this to the elder.¡±

    His voice was raspy and gloomy almost as if he hadn¡¯t talked for a very long time. The ck-robed figures simply saluted him before vanishing into the mist like ghosts.

    The man scanned his surroundings one more time, eyes glowing with clear, violent green underneath his hood. A few breathster, he finally turned around and left as well.

    Not long after the man left, the wave of spiritual power receded as well.

    Ye Qing did not show himself immediately though. Instead, he waited for about an incense stick before the mist trembled unnaturally, and the man from before reappeared without a sound.

    Clearly, the man hadn¡¯t actually left. He had been hiding in the darkness this whole time.

    Having confirmed that there was truly no one, the man finally turned around and left for real.

    The top of Forgotten Peak was covered in a sea of clouds and mist, and above the clouds was a gigantic floating tomb.

    After arriving at the peak of Forgotten Peak, the man first prostrated himself before the tomb and kowtowed several times in reverence. Eventually, the clouds condensed into a flight of stairs that seemed to lead toward the heavens.

    The man got up and climbed up the stairs. Every time he took a step forward, the step he left behind would dissolve into nothing.

    Ny nine stepster, the man passed through the clouds and arrived at the grand, magnificent-looking tomb.

    Although it was a tomb, it was as big and grandiose as a pce.

    A gigantic stele was erected in front of the tomb. It was almost as tall as the tomb itself. The words ¡°Kunlun Tomb¡± were engraved on its surface. It looked almost grandiose and sacred.

    Sitting beneath the stele was an old man with white hair and white beard. He was unbelievably thin andnky, and his breathing was so shallow one would think that he was dead.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t find anyone, elder!¡± The man walked up to the old man and bowed, reporting.

    ¡°Really?¡± the old man slowly raised his head to reveal a horrifying face.

    The man¡¯s eyes, mouth, nose and ears were sewn together by some sort of red thread. It was horrifying to look at.

    The old man¡¯s name and age were unknown. However, everyone in West Kunlun including the sect master himself who met him must address him respectfully as, ¡°Elder Tomb Keeper.¡±

    ¡°Forget it then. It¡¯s probably just my paranoia again.¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper responded with a clear voice even though his mouth was clearly sewn shut, ¡°The Celestial Peach Gathering is nigh, and all sorts of people would be gathering at West Kunlun very soon. You and everyone else must keep your guard up at all times. No one is to set foot in the Forgotten Peak and disturb the peace of the Kunlun Sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°Let the men know that all intruders are to be killed without mercy!¡±

    ¡°As youmand, elder.¡± The man responded with another bow.

    ¡°You may withdraw,¡± Elder Tomb Keeper ordered.

    ¡°Tomb One will take his leave,¡± the man saluted Elder Tomb Keeper and did just that.

    ¡°The Nether eyes are stirring. Someone must have entered the Forgotten Peak before, and yet Tomb One, his men, and even I weren¡¯t able to find anyone. How strange.¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper muttered to himself after Tomb One was gone, ¡°Who on earth would dare to enter the Forgotten Peak without permission? And why?¡±

    ¡°Is it¡­ for the Kunlun Ruins?¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper recalled the people who tried to look into the Kunlun Ruins several days ago. Was the intruder part of that group? Had theye today for the Kunlun Ruins?

    Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s expression slowly turned dark.

    The wind stirred, and lightning boomed on the Forgotten Peak.

 Chapter 1059: Nether Eye

    ¡°Phew¡­ that was too close!¡±

    At the foot of Forgotten Peak, Ye Qing finally stepped out of the darkness and shot the cloud shrouded mountain with a long, narrow-eyed look. At the same time, he felt a sh of fear and trepidation.

    That was seriously too close. If he was just a little slower, then the Tomb Keepers would have discovered him, and he would be in deep, deep trouble.

    The eyeballs that spied on him earlier were called the Nether Eye. A Phenomenon-ss Stranger that was shaped like an eyeball, it was called the Nether Eye because it was born in the Nether.

    The Nether Eye was divine in the sense that it could not be seen, heard, or perceived by a flesh-and-bloody being. If it encountered a living being, it would follow them and watch their every move. It was impossible to shake them off. Once the Nether Eye had observed all possible actions their victim could take, the victim would lose their eyes and be permanently blind.

    In summary, the Nether Eye was an extremely rare and anomalous Stranger.

    The white object Ye Qing ignited earlier to reveal the Nether Eyes was the horn of a Psychic White Rhino. There was one quote in a book called the ¡°Garden of the Strange¡±: ¡°The living rhino cannot be burned. If burned, it would give off a strange scent that clings to the clothes, and Man would be able tomunicate with ghosts.¡±

    It was a description of the power of the Psychic White Rhino¡¯s horn.

    A Disaster-ss Stranger, the Psychic White Rhino possessed the ability to see deities, ghosts, and all other supernatural beings. Its horn in particr could be ignited to identify an anomaly that could not be identified; see the evil that could not be seen.He had obtained this Psychic White Rhino horn from the vault of Goddess City, though he never found a reason to use it until now. Earlier, after sensing that something was off, he also came to the realization that the mist of Forgotten Peak gave him a cold, evil feeling. The sensation normally meant that he had encountered some sort of unseeable, imperceptible evil spirit.

    That was why he decided to ignite the horn of the Psychic White Rhino and see if his intuition was correct. And he was right.

    Objectively speaking, the Nether Eyes weren¡¯t a serious threat to him. The real threat was the Tomb Keepers themselves.

    Clearly, the Nether Eyes were cultivated by the Tomb Keepers. Their purpose was to keep watch and prevent any outsiders from entering the Forgotten Peak.

    Ye Qing had to admit that it was quite the effective method.

    After all, the human eyes and senses could be fooled sometimes, but not the Nether Eyes.

    The Nether Eye possessed no intelligence, but it could track down all living flesh-and-blood beings. No matter how well one concealed themselves, they could not stop their body from leaking vitality, and the Nether Eye could track that trail of vitality.

    Not only that, once the Nether Eye had locked onto someone, it was impossible to escape it unless the person left its territory. No secret art or method could save them.

    Finally, the Nether Eye could not be seen, heard, or felt. Barring certain special items like the horn of the Psychic White Rhino or secret arts, it was impossible to perceive the Nether Eye.

    And if one could not perceive the Nether Eye, they could not effectively avoid its gaze or handle it as a matter of course.

    What this meant was that the Nether Eyes alone could keep watch over the entire mountain, and the Tomb Keepers only needed to observe their activity to know if an intruder had crossed into the mountain.

    In fact, that was definitely the case. As soon as the Tomb Keepers noticed that the Nether Eyes were acting unusually, they immediately took action and searched the area with a fine toothb. The spiritual power that enveloped the entire Forgotten Peak just now must belong to a Half Sage as well.

    If he didn¡¯t have the Psychic White Rhino¡¯s horn, if he didn¡¯t discover the Nether Eyes, if he didn¡¯t turn around and leave the Forgotten Peak immediately, he would have been discovered already. ??????¦¢¨§?

    These Tomb Keepers sure were a scummy bunch.

    ¡°Dammit¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to find another way.¡±

    Ye Qing sighed and left the ce.

    Although the Tomb Keepers failed to find him, he had alerted the snake inside the bush so to speak. There was no way he could sneak onto the Forgotten Peak now. He could only head back and think of a new n.

    That said, this venture wasn¡¯tpletely fruitless even though he had fumbled at the starting line.

    At the very least, he confirmed that Forgotten Peak was rife with dangers. Not only was it guarded by the rare Nether Eyes, the Tomb Keepers possessed at least one Half Sage among their ranks.

    Therefore, the only way he could scale the mountain was one, deal with the Nether Eyes and two, deal with the Half Sage and the Tomb Keepers guarding the Forgotten Peak.

    Dealing with the Nether Eyes was the easy part. They were dangerous only if you could not perceive their existence. Otherwise, there were a hundred and one ways to deal with them.

    For example, the Nether Eyes followed living beings because they were attracted to their vitality and life force. Therefore, insting his vitality was one way to avoid the Nether Eyes.

    This was also how the Tomb Keepers avoided attracting the attention of their own Nether Eyes. Whatever they did to inste their life force and vitality, they felt no different from a corpse.

    Dealing with the Tomb Keepers was a different story though. The Half Sage most of all.

    Ye Qing was still thinking when he avoided the many guards of West Kunlun and returned to the Qianyuan Garden.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Who came?¡±

    To Ye Qing¡¯s surprise, the Qianyuan Garden was fully lit up. Inside the main hall, he could sense Mister Taozhu conversing and drinking with several people.

    It took barely any effort to confirm that these people were all quite powerful. Every single one of them was either a Trueman or a Great Trueman. They were clearly <em>jianghu </em>warriors who hade to participate in the Celestial Peach Gathering.

    Ye Qing had no intention of eavesdropping on their conversation and was going to return to his room. However, when an idea urred to him, he stopped in his tracks and looked back at the <em>jianghu </em>warriors, a smile slowly curling his eyes into slits. ¡°Now that I think about it, these <em>jianghu </em>warriors seem like a good option¡­¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°You came back, young master.¡±

    Mister Taozhu greeted a meditating Ye Qing at his room.

    ¡°The feast is over, it seems. Who are those people?¡± Ye Qing opened his eyes and asked.

    They are my <em>jianghu </em>acquaintances. They knew I was here and so came to pay me a visit.¡±

    Mister Taozhu suggested, ¡°I can reject further gatherings like this if you prefer a tranquil environment, young master.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. In fact, I want you to invite as many of your <em>jianghu </em>acquaintances to visit you as possible. I also want you to visit others and make contact with those who will be participating in the Celestial Peach Gathering. The more the better.¡±

    ¡°May I know why, young master?¡± Mister Taozhu asked in puzzlement.

    ¡°Because I need pawns. As many pawns as possible.¡±

    Ye Qing said, ¡°One more thing. I want your men and Cheng Qishang¡¯s group to spread rumors and information regarding the Kunlun Ruins as much as possible. Don¡¯t just spread them in one ce though. I want it to be as widespread as possible.¡±

    ¡°Also, no need to keep the rumors subdued. In fact, make absolutely sure that West Kunlun finds out about these rumors.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, young master,¡± Mister Taozhu answered without asking for the reason.

    ¡°This is the best I can do. Will it seed, or will it fail? We will see.¡±

    After Mister Taozhu left, Ye Qing let out a quiet sigh and returned to his meditation.

    ¡­¡­

    Heavenly Pond Peak was the tallest peak of West Queen Mountain. The top was steeped into the clouds like a bridge that connected heaven and earth.

    At the summit of the Heavenly Pond Peak was a hugeke with crystal clear water. From above, it looked like a giant mirror that was embedded to the ground. It was both magnificent and beautiful.

    Theke was, of course, the famous Heavenly Pond[1] of West Kunlun.

    Legend had it that the Heavenly Pond of West Kunlun was created from the tear of a goddess. It transformed into ake when it hit a peak of the world of mortals, and it boasted all sorts of wondrous powers.

    Of course, the legend was just a legend. To believe it was to indulge in folly.

    It was true that the Heavenly Pond was magical in many ways, however. For starters, it never ran dry, and it was lukewarm throughout the whole year. Second, it was overflowing with spiritual qi and could be used to nurture spirit nts, create medicine, forge Strange Artifacts and more.

    The Kunlun Heavenly Pond was both a famousndscape and a forbidden zone because of this. Normally, it was forbidden even to the disciples from West Kunlun.

    Today though, it was absolutely packed with people.

    It was because today was the novennial Celestial Peach Gathering of West Kunlun.

    1. This has the same vibe as calling a horse D small lol. ?

 Chapter 1060: Golden Light, Sea of Clouds, Celestials Appear

    In the past, the Celestial Peach Gathering was held at the Kunlun Golden Peak because that was where the famous celestial peach tree was growing.

    Today though, West Kunlun wasn¡¯t just holding the Celestial Peach Gathering, they were inviting everyone to watch the Sexagenary Dragon Koi leaping the Heavens¡¯ Gate.

    The leaping always took ce at the Kunlun Heavenly Pond, so this year¡¯s Celestial Peach Gathering was held at the Kunlun Heavenly Pond as well.

    ¡°Venerable Tiang has arrived. Please take your seat, Venerable Tiang¡­¡±

    ¡°Fickle Young Master has arrived. Please take your seat, Fickle Young Master¡­¡±

    ¡°Mister Myriad Manifestation has arrived. Please take your seat, Mister Myriad Manifestation¡­¡±

    ¡°Profound Profound Spellcaster has arrived. Please take your seat, Profound Profound Spellcaster¡­¡±

    Right now, the circumference of the Kunlun Heavenly Pond was absolutely jampacked with people. There were both West Kunlun disciples and <em>jianghu </em>warriors who hadn¡¯t been invited, but still came all the way to watch the show.

    When an invitee did show up, the golden gongs would ring, female celestials would shoot flowers into the sky, and a loud, grandiose voice would resound throughout the area. It was quite impressive to say the least.It wasn¡¯t long before the thirty Dark Way elites who had been invited to participate in the Celestial Peach Gathering had arrived at the Kunlun Heavenly Pond.

    <em>Dang!</em>

    <em>Dang!</em>

    <em>Dang!</em>

    When it was noon, someone struck a bell three times in a row. The clouds above the Kunlun Heavenly Pond immediately faded to reveal a clear, sunny sky.

    Amidst the endless rays of sunlight, a man flying together with the celestial bodies slowly walked toward the ground.

    He was a young man who looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old at most. His face was handsome beyond measure, and he was wearing a robe with a sun and the moon picture on it. A single vermillion dot adorned his forehead, and he shone brightly and unmistakable like the sun itself. He looked like a divine being of the heavens.

    The young man looked young, but his aura was as vast as it was terrible. He drew everyone¡¯s eyes as soon as he appeared.

    ¡°We greet the Kunlun Sacred Lord!¡±

    ¡°We greet the Kunlun Sacred Lord!¡±

    ¡°We greet the Kunlun Sacred Lord!¡±

    The next moment, everyone be it the West Kunlun disciples or the <em>jianhu </em>warriors all rose to their feet and saluted the young man.@@novelbin@@

    That¡¯s right. The immature-looking youngster was none other than the Sacred Lord of West Kunlun, Jiang Yui. He was a famous warrior on the Heaven Champions Ranking and was nicknamed, ¡°The Hand That Blocks The Sky¡±. ?????¨§?

    ¡°No need to stand. Please, take your seats!¡±

    Jiang Yui smiled. ¡°You havee long and far to attend the Celestial Peach Gathering, my <em>jianghu </em>brethrens. It is both West Kunlun and my honor to receive you all. I hereby thank you all foring today.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee, Sacred Lord.¡±

    Everyone saluted respectfully in return.

    Some people were still standing, so Jiang Yui said again, ¡°Please, take your seats.¡±

    After everyone sat down, Jiang Yui waved his sleeve. As if a portal to a different world or spacetime was opened, a golden peak overflowing with golden radiance slowly appeared in front of everyone.

    The golden peak was vast and boundless, and the golden rays dyed everything in gold like the sun itself. At the center of the golden peak was a peach tree swaying gently in the wind and basking in the golden light.

    The peach tree was neither thick nor tall, but every single branch was shining gold, and every leaf a wless emerald that oozed with spiritual qi.

    It was just a peach tree, and yet it looked so wless, so divine, that it felt like it did not belong to this mortal world at all.

    It was at this moment peaches began appearing between the branches and leaves. They were red on the outside and white at the center. Tender, beautiful, and glistening, they were surrounded by countless phantasmal wisps of air of dao.

    ¡°The celestial peach¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the celestial peaches!¡±

    Everyone looked excited when they saw the peaches. Desire and envy were oozing out of their eyes.

    The golden peak could only be the famous Kunlun Golden Peak, the peach tree could only be the legendary celestial peach tree, and the peaches could only be the celestial peaches.

    Almost everyone was astounded by the celestial peach tree and the celestial peaches, but Mister Taozhu, Blood Buddha, Venerable Tiang and more were more focused on Jiang Yui¡¯s power.

    The Heavenly Pond Peak and Kunlun Golden Peak were two different mountains. In fact, they were quite far away from each other with many mountains in the middle. Therefore, it was impossible to view the Kunlun Golden Peak from the Kunlun Heavenly Pond.

    However, Jiang Yui had brought the Kunlun Golden Peak and the celestial peach tree before them with just the wave of her hand, and it definitely wasn¡¯t an illusion of sorts.

    What this meant was that Jiang Yui had shrunk five hundreds kilometers of distance into nothing using a Magia. It was a kind of power that even they could scarcely imagine. No wonder they called him ¡°The Hand That Blocks The Sky¡±.

    It was at this moment a few women in white dress walked over to the celestial peach tree¡ªtheir feet treading the clouds like they were solid ground¡ªplucked the celestial peaches, and deposited the fruits on jade tes.

    As soon as the celestial peaches were plucked, the celestial peach tree abruptly grew dry and withered as if it had suddenly lost its vitality and essence. The leaves yellowed and flew off its branches as well.

    Still stepping on rainbow clouds and carrying the tes, the women descended from above and entered the airspace of the Kunlun Heavenly Pond.

    They eventuallynded in front of the invitees and ced the celestial peaches in front of them.

    A thick, delicious scent spread throughout the pond immediately.

    Those around them felt their bodies rxing, and their spirits purifying just smelling the celestial peaches. Those with hidden damage inside their bodies were healedpletely, those with tainted energy were purified gradually, and the warriors with low cultivation broke through their limits and ascended to the next stage.

    For a time, everyone¡¯s mouth opened and closed like a fish as they desperately inhaled the scent.

    ¡°It is time. Please savor our celestial peaches, warriors.¡±

    Jiang Yui picked up a celestial peach and said simply.

    ¡°Thank you, Sacred Lord.¡±

    Mister Taozhu and the others got up to their feet, picked up the celestial peaches, and thanked Jiang Yui. Then, they began savoring the fruit. The delicious scent in the air grew even thicker, and everyone wore an intoxicated expression for a time.

    ¡°Please, return to your seats.¡±

    A few breathster, after everyone had finished their celestial peaches, Jiang Yui said smilingly, ¡°West Kunlun has one more show for this grand asion. Please, enjoy.¡±

    As he spoke, ripples suddenly appeared on the smooth, mirror-like surface of the Kunlun Heavenly Pond. Then, a gigantic shadow slowly rose from the bottom of theke.

    The shadow was so massive that it nearly filled up the entire Kunlun Heavenly Pond. It gave off an oppressive and terrifying feeling to say the least.

    It wasn¡¯t until the shadow rose higher that the people saw that it was a fish.

    The shadow was as big as a mountain and golden red from head to toe. Each scale on its body was so big that it wasparable to a millstone. They were also shining brightly with gold. Their two eyes resemblednterns that shone a bright red color, and a pair of long red whiskers at least ten meters long hung beside its mouth. Every time the red whiskers swayed, auspicious, rainbow-colored clouds would appear and manifest illusions of an infinite expanse, sun, moon and stars. They were bodies that could bear the fortune of a world.

    ¡°The Sexagenary Dragon Koi¡­¡±

    As the audience watched the fish and felt its presence, exmations of astonishment and admiration erupted in everyone¡¯s heart.

    Countless outsiders had heard of the Sexagenary Dragon Koi, but no one had ever seen one with their own eyes. It was only natural for them to be impressed.

    The Sexagenary Dragon Koi before them wasn¡¯t just singrly awe-inspiring and fortunate, it was a Disaster-ss Stranger as well.

    Considering the sheer amount of fortune the Sexagenary Dragon Koi was exuding, no one had any doubt that it could bring great prosperity to any sect and secure their strength for at least a century toe.

 Chapter 1061: The Fish Leaps The Heavenâ€™s Gate, Forgotten Peak Receives Visitors

    <h4>Chapter 1061: The Fish Leaps The Heaven¡¯s Gate, Forgotten Peak Receives Visitors </h4>

    ¡°Sixty years have passed. The Heaven¡¯s Gate shall open...¡±

    Jiang Yui said while watching the Sexagenary Dragon Koi swimming here and there inside the Heavenly Pond.

    As if on cue, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi in the Heavenly Pond leaped into the air, its mountain-sized tail so big that it actually blotted out the sky and cast a shadow upon the entire peak for an instant.

    The next moment, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi¡¯s tail shattered the sky like ss and opened what looked like a portal into the void. Then, it crashed back into theke.

    <i>Rumble...</i>

    The noise was absolutely deafening, and the entire Heavenly Pond Peak shook as if it was threatening to copse. The Sexagenary Dragon Koi¡¯s descent had caused such a sh that it looked as if theke water was flowing in reverse, shooting into the air and blotting out the sky once more.

    Cries of shock and astonishment filled the peak for a time. Without exaggeration, some of them would suffer serious injuries if theke water fell back to the ground and hit them.

    Of course, their worries werepletely unfounded. Instead of falling back to the ground, theke water briefly circled the sky before condensing into nine water dragons.

    Dancing and roaring from time to time, the nine water dragons then joined together to form a gate.

    The gate was massive, tall, and mysterious. Embedded in the sky, it made everyone on Heavenly Pond Peak feel as small and powerless as an ant.

    <i>So that¡¯s the Heavenly Gate...</i>

    The same thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind.

    ¡°It is noon, so what else are you waiting for?¡±

    When the sun finally reached the zenith, Jiang Yui suddenly shouted, ¡°Leap the Heaven¡¯s Gate!¡±

    At the same time, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi in the Heavenly Pond swam faster and faster. It eventually got to the point where a gigantic whirlpool had taken form in theke water in the Heavenly Pond[1].

    As soon as Jiang Yui shouted, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi leaped out of the water while its whirlpool followed closely behind like guards.

    As the Sexagenary Dragon Koi soared through the air, its body grew longer and longer as if it was transforming into a divine dragon.

    By the time it got close to the Heaven¡¯s Gate, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi looked like the spitting image of a divine dragon except for the fact that it had no ws and no horns. Its power was great, and the world quaked in fear.

    The next moment, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi struck the Heaven¡¯s Gate with the weight of many mountains.

    There was no sound, but the clouds were rolling madly like tidal waves. At the same time, everyone on the peak was struck by a wave of dizziness. Their vigor churned as if they had just been struck by lightning.

    The Heaven¡¯s Gate... did not budge even a little. It was the Sexagenary Dragon Koi who was sent flying, its head split open as blood and scales rained all over the peak.

    ¡°ROAR!!!¡±

    Unwilling to give up, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi let out another long roar that sounded like an amalgamation of a fish and a dragon¡¯s cry. Then, it mmed the Heaven¡¯s Gate once more.

    <i>THUMP!!!</i>

    Once again, an invisible yet impossibly powerful soundwave washed across the peak, and this time, the Heaven¡¯s Gate wobbled just a little. Unfortunately, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi was sent flying a second time, and this time it fell in a straight line, limp and seemingly motionless, before crashing into the Heavenly Pond.

    The crystal clear water was instantly dyed as red as blood.

    <i>Did it... fail?</i>

    The spectators all couldn¡¯t help but think. They were disappointed that the grand event had ended in an anti-climatic fashion, but they felt even more hidden delight and Schadenfreude.

    The Sexagenary Dragon Koi was a koi of fortune. If it had sessfully leaped over the Heaven¡¯s Gate and transformed into a dragon, then West Kunlun¡¯s fortune and power would surely increase by leaps and bounds. Most of the audience did not want this to happen as a matter of course.

    Jiang Yui sitting on his golden throne looked very calm though. He seemed confident that the Sexagenary Dragon Koi would seed.

    ¡°Look!¡±

    Someone shouted, and the people instinctively obeyed. They immediately noticed that their surroundings had be colorful and bubbly before they knew it.

    The next moment, the colorful, bubbly clouds surged upward like an endless wave.

    ¡°What an unbelievable amount of fortune...¡±

    The audience was astonished. Some of them were even standing on their feet before they knew it.

    It was because the cloudy gas was no cloud or vapor. It was fortune; West Kunlun¡¯s fortune.

    Fortune was normally invisible, but there was so much of them that they condensed into a visible, cloud-like form. That was why they could see it, and why this spectacle was so magnificent.

    The clouds of fortune converged above the Heavenly Pond Peak before slowly descending into the Kunlun Heavenly Pond. All of it.

    Theke was gorgeous to begin with, but the addition of the colorful clouds of fortune made it look positively dreamy¡ªand demonic, as theke was currently blood red because of the Sexagenary Dragon Koi¡¯s blood.

    ¡°ROAAAAAARRRRRR!!!¡±

    An angry roar neither fish nor dragon erupted from the bottom of theke, and the colorfulke water surged straight toward the sky. d in water and rainbows, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi once again struck the Heaven¡¯s Gate.

    <i>THUMP!!!</i>

    It was like a celestial was striking a drum, the sound so deafening that it was all everyone could hear for a time.

    It worked. The impact had blown open a huge gap between the Heaven¡¯s Gate.

    Of course, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi had split open its head for the third time, but countless gusts of fortune seeped into its body and healed its wounds instantly.

    Not only that, as soon as the Heaven¡¯s Gate was blown open a little, some sort of mysterious power descended from above and caused a pair of bulges to swell on its head. Judging from its appearance, it looked like the nascent shape of a pair of horns. The Sexagenary Dragon Koi¡¯s strength was much stronger as well.

    Its strength had grown, and it was supported by a vast amount of fortune. Growing even more excited, the Sexagenary Dragon Koi roared and attacked the Heaven¡¯s Gate a fourth time.

    For a time, the world kept thumping, and the winds and clouds kept blowing. It was like a scene straight out of a painting.

    @@novelbin@@

    While everyone was absorbed in the Sexagenary Dragon Koi¡¯ challenge of the Heaven¡¯s Gate and transformation into a divine dragon, a group of uninvited guests had appeared at the normally forgotten Forgotten Peak.

    They numbered around twenty people or so, and they were all wearing ck[2]. They did not exchange words with each other despite arriving at the foot of Forgotten Peak. They simply slipped inside like phantoms.

    After entering the Forgotten Peak, the group split into teams of two and scattered in every direction. They were gone in just the blink of an eye.

    Beneath the gigantic stele in front of the Kunlun Tomb, the Elder Tomb Keeper whose seven orifices were sealed looked up all of a sudden. ¡°More intruders, but...¡±

    ¡°Why are there so many?¡±

    The Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s eyebrows were knitted together tightly. It was because he sensed a lot of intruders within the Forgotten Peak.

    ¡°I see. It was premeditated.¡±

    Something clicked in the Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s mind, and his expression gradually darkened.

    He could sense that the group of intruders were quite strong. The weakest of them was ate-stage Spirit Master, and the strongest of them were Truemen or Grandmasters.

    If this was any other time, this group would not have posed a threat whatsoever. The Tomb Keepers alone could have in all of them. However, two days ago, he received word that rumors regarding the Kunlun Ruins had suddenly popped up all over the ce. At the same time, countless people were inquiring and looking into the Kunlun Ruins.

    The Kunlun Ruins was the West Kunlun¡¯s top secret. No one except the Sacred Lord, the Left and Right Sect Masters, and the Tomb Keepers had the right to know about it. No one else was allowed to know, much less outsiders.

    That was why he dispatched the Tomb Keepers to silence those who were looking into the Kunlun Ruins immediately. Unfortunately, they were unable to capture the mastermind despite seeding.

    In any case, the Elder Tomb Keeper did not hesitate to dispatch his Tomb Keepers to investigate the rumors. The problem was that far more people were looking into the Kunlun Ruins than before, and they were scattered all over the ce as well. He had no choice but to dispatch more Tomb Keepers to avoid missing a spot or something.

    As a result, Forgotten Peak was quite defenseless right now. There were barely a handful of Tomb Keepers left in the Forgotten Peak, and they were no match for the intruders.

    It could not be a coincidence that these people had shown up exactly when the Forgotten Peak was at its weakness.

    This could only mean that the sudden outbreak of rumors regarding the Kunlun Ruins wasn¡¯t an ident as well. It was a ploy to lure away the bulk of the Tomb Keepers and ensure the sess of today¡¯s infiltration.

    Not only that, the time the intruders appeared was also the time the Sexagenary Dragon Koi challenged the Heaven¡¯s Gate and transformed into a true dragon. As this matter directly impacted the future and fortune of West Kunlun, therge majority of the sect¡¯s forces were gathered at that location.

    Besides that, the fortune of the entire West Kunlun was gathered at the Heavenly Pond Peak in order to assist the Sexagenary Dragon Koi in evolving into a true dragon. The rivers of fate were stirred beyond recognition as a result, making it impossible for anyone to notice what was going on at Forgotten Peak unless he contacted someone.

    All things considered, he had to admit that the timing of the infiltration was impable.

    1. If some of you are like nani, why is there still water in theke after that stupidly big ssh, remember that theke is inexhaustible. ?

    2. ... At noon? I know the Forgotten Peak is situated in an overcast valley or something bute on. ?

 Chapter 1062: Luring The Tiger Away, Scaling the Heavens to Meet The Tomb

    <h4>Chapter 1062: Luring The Tiger Away, Scaling the Heavens to Meet The Tomb </h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad that all this plotting is for naught.¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper spoke to himself as a sneer appeared on his face.

    What was the saying again? No amount of scheming was enough before absolute power.

    The intruders failed to ount for one thing, and that was the fact that a Half-Sage was guarding the Forgotten Peak as well.

    They could double or even triple their numbers, and they were still grass he could cut as he pleased.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see who is the audacious cur who dares to covet the Kunlun Ruins!¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper disappeared into nothing.

    When he reappeared, he was standing behind a pair of ck-robed men. They did not notice him at all.

    Elder Tomb Keeper slowly extended his hands and summoned countless red threads from his palms. The red threads were as thin as an ox¡¯s hair and as red as blood. Their numbers were great, and they were all writhing like they were alive. It was quite horrifying to look at.

    @@novelbin@@

    Finally, the two men seemingly sensed something and spun around.

    Unfortunately, it was already toote. The red threads entered their bodies without resistance almost as if their flesh and blood were intangible.

    As if someone had cast an immobilization spell on them, the two men suddenly found themselves unable to move or say a word. They were perfectly conscious though, as evident from the shock and terror on their faces.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt, so be good and open your mouths. Ah~¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper smiled eerily as countless threads slithered into their mouths, nose, eyes and ears and into their brains.

    The two men¡¯s horrified expressions became contorted in an instant. They seemed to be enduring an unbelievable amount of pain, and yet no sound wasing out of their throats.

    ¡°Demonic Mountain Patrol, Fire Demon of the Demonic Abode of Six Desires...¡±

    A short whileter, Elder Tomb Keeper frowned. ¡°You¡¯re from the Demonic Mountain and the Demonic Abode of Six Desires? Is the Demonic Mountain the puppet master then?¡±

    The Demonic Mountain was one of the Nine Dark Ways. Legend had it that they were the sessors of the Progenitor Demon Rahu, which was why they were also known as the ¡°Origin of All Demons¡±, the ¡°Root of the Dark Ways¡±, and the ¡°Demonic Mountain where All Demons Are Born¡±.

    Obviously, the nicknames were most likely exaggerated, but the fact was the Demonic Mountain did boast a longer history than even West Kunlun. They were unfathomably powerful as well.

    As for the Demonic Abode of Six Desires, they were one of the stronger thirty six unorthodox sects. However, they might as well be a fireflypared to the moon that was West Kunlun. Elder Tomb Keeper did not think they would have the gall to covet what belonged to West Kunlun.

    Therefore, between the two sects at least, the Demonic Mountain had to be the head of the snake.

    In fact, both the Demonic Mountain and West Kunlun were entrenched in Wei. As the saying went, one mountain was not big enough to fit two tigers. The two sects had often butted heads with each other for various reasons, so it wasn¡¯t unthinkable that this trespassing was all nned by the Demonic Mountain.

    While he was thinking, the threads pulled out of the two men¡¯s body and slowly receded back into Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s palms.

    ¡°Demonic Mountain...¡± Elder Tomb Keeper muttered distractedly while walking away.

    As soon as Elder Tomb Keeper disappeared, the two men abruptly copsed limply like a pair of empty waterskins.

    As it turned out, their flesh, blood and bone hadpletely vanished. All that was left behind was a pair of empty shells.

    A few breathster, Elder Tomb Keeper appeared behind two people like a phantom.

    They were both Half-Step Truemen, and they were more powerful than most. As soon as they noticed that something was amiss, they did not hesitate to attack Elder Tomb Keeper.

    Unfortunately, countless red threads grew out of Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s body and neutralized their attacks long before they could hit him.

    The next moment, they pierced the two Half-Step Truemen like a waterfall.

    ¡°Red Dust Tribtion, Jade Green Mountain Vi?¡±

    A few breathster, Elder Tomb Keeper frowned again with puzzlement.

    He thought that these two intruders would hail from the Demonic Mountain or the Demonic Abode of Six Desires, but he waspletely wrong.

    Both Red Dust Tribtion and Jade Green Mountain Vi belonged to the thirty six unorthodox sects.

    ¡°Did they join the Demonic Mountain, or...?¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper shook his head almost immediately after the theory urred to him. It was because these unorthodox sects hailed frompletely different ces and were a million kilometers away from Demonic Mountain. There was no way Demonic Mountain could control them, and even if they could, it would be pointless.

    This was very strange.

    ¡°Did I guess wrongly? Was it not Demonic Mountain who plotted against West Kunlun, but someone else?¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper muttered to himself, ¡°But who else could possiblymand these unorthodox sects?¡±

    ¡°I must investigate this to the bottom. I must find out who is the one behind it all!¡±

    A cold, dark expression etched on his face, Elder Tomb Keeper made his way toward the next pair of intruders.

    Not a single one of them would be leaving the Forgotten Peak alive!

    Elder Tomb Keeper had no idea that one man was standing in front of the Kunlun Tomb he was guarding.

    ¡°Is this the Kunlun Tomb?¡± Ye Qing stared at the magnificent, floating tomb in front of him with a stunned expression.

    He was the one behind everything that had happened today, of course.

    He was the one who ordered Cheng Qishang, Wan Dusheng and more to spread the rumors about the Kunlun Ruins everywhere and cause others to look into them.

    As for the group of intruders who invaded the Forgotten Peak today, they were dependents he had converted using the Paranirmita Boundless Heavenly Demon Dependent during the feasts Mister Taozhu was hosting or attending.

    Of course, he only converted those of above average strength. Those who were too weak would not be able to put up any resistance, but those who were too strong might notice his machinations and fight back. That was why everyone he converted was either a Half-Step Trueman or a Trueman.

    Luckily for him, the Celestial Peach Gathering of West Kunlun was seriously famous. Otherwise, he might not have been able to gather a big enough group to keep the Half Sage distracted.

    So, why was he doing this? To lure the tiger away from its mountain, of course.

    The rumors were meant for the Tomb Keepers, and the elites were meant for the Half Sage.

    There were two obstacles he must ovee to infiltrate Forgotten Peak and enter the Kunlun Tomb without being detected. The first was the generic Tomb Keepers, and the second was the Half Sage Tomb Keeper.

    The rumors were spread to lure most of the generic Tomb Keepers away from the Forgotten Peak. He made sure to spread the rumors in different locations to force the Tomb Keepers to dispatch as many of their men as possible, and to ensure that they couldn¡¯t just silence everyone in one swift strike and head home.

    Thanks to his machinations, Forgotten Peak¡¯s defense was at an all-time low. As a result, there wasn¡¯t nearly enough defenders left to deal with his elite dependents. This meant that the Half Sage had no choice but to deal with them himself.

    Now that the Half Sage was distracted, he was free to infiltrate Forgotten Peak and enter the Kunlun Tomb without being detected.

    So far, everything had gone exactly as nned. After the Elder Tomb Keeper had left the Kunlun Tomb to deal with the intruders, he immediately used a Strange Artifact to conceal his vitality from the Nether Eyes. Then, he quietly snuck his way to the Kunlun Tomb.

    At first, he thought that the Kunlun Tomb was a tomb built on the peak of the Forgotten Peak or something. He did not expect it to be floating above the peak, nor was he expecting it to be so big and grand.

    After observing his surroundings for a bit and confirming that there were no Tomb Keepers in the area, Ye Qing finally flew up to the Kunlun Tomb.

    Afternding on the small ind, the first thing he did was to circle around the stele and the tomb one time hoping to find some sort of clue. Unfortunately, there was none. So, he had no choice but to turn his gaze onto the entrance.

    If there was any clue regarding the Kunlun Ruins in this ce, then it had to be inside the Kunlun Tomb.

 Chapter 1063: Opening The Entrance Alone

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ye Qing was trying to scan the interior of the Kunlun Tomb with his demonic thought, but it was blocked as soon as it made contact with the walls.

    ¡°This is¡­ made from Nether Bamboo Stone?¡±

    Ye Qing could not help but exim in surprise when he walked up to the entrance and touched the stone door in front of him.

    The stone door was tall, massive, and ck as night. It was emitting a dark aura, and engravings of worship and deities decorated its surface. It looked both solemn and serene.

    It wasn¡¯t just the entrance. The entire Kunlun Tomb was created from this dark stone.

    The stone was called the Nether Bamboo Stone. It was unbelievably rare and precious because it could only be found at least five thousand meters underground, and it took a thousand years ofpression for theher qi to turn into this stone.

    The Nether Bamboo Stone was extremely heavy and resilient. It was immune to all elements and conventional weapons. It could also shackle astral qi and inste spiritual energy, which was why no Magia or secret art could damage it in any way.

    Because of this characteristic, the Nether Bamboo Stone was the natural choice when building a secret room, treasure box, and other important buildings.Unfortunately, the Nether Bamboo Stone could only be found five thousand meters underground, and it took at least a thousand years to form. The Nether Bamboo Stone¡¯s unique characteristic meant that it was impossible to move using force or spirit, and it was unbelievably heavy and resilient as well. The only way to excavate it was to brute force it bit by bit using pure physical strength.

    As a result, only a small quantity of Nether Bamboo Stones existed in this world. Due to its immense rarity and value, it was far moremon to mix powdered Nether Bamboo Stone into other materials instead of building something out of pure Nether Bamboo Stone. Thetter was simply too luxurious an option even for some powerful sects or major ns. They usually only applied it to small objects as well.

    This was why Ye Qing almost couldn¡¯t believe that West Kunlun had built this massive tomb using pure Nether Bamboo Stone. As for the amount of manpower, wealth and resources it must have taken to undertake such a project¡­ he simply could not imagine it.

    It wasn¡¯t until now that Ye Qing truly realized just how massive and powerful West Kunlun really was.

    Despite hismentations, Ye Qing wasted no time in doing what he came here to do. He sucked in a deep breath until his eyes shone a dark light, and it was as if the sun and the moon were rising and falling behind his eyes. At the same time, a dark yellow aura drifted around him and gave him a lofty, thick, and massive feeling.

    <em>¡°Earthly Sovereign True Body¡±</em>

    The next moment, Ye Qing stepped forward and pressed his hands against the massive door. Then, he pushed forward with all his might.

    As the entire Kunlun Tomb was made from Nether Bamboo Stone, it was absolutely impossible to look inside the Kunlun Tomb or infiltrate it using any Magia or secret art. Therefore, the only way left for him was to open the stone door.

    Of course, the method to open the door was very simple. All he needed to do was to push it.

    Not only that, the Nether Bamboo Stone¡¯s insting qualities also meant that he did not need to worry about the tomb being booby-trapped by restrictions or arrays.

    But as with most things in the world, it was easier said than done.

    As the Nether Bamboo Stone was immune to all arts, he could only rely on pure physical strength to open the door. However, the Nether Bamboo Stone was also unbelievably heavy and dense. To give an example, a fist-sized Nether Bamboo Stone weighed around almost fifty kilograms give or take.

    The stone door in front of him was unbelievably huge. Even if it was made out of ordinary stone, it would have weighed several thousand kilograms at least. The Nether Bamboo Stone? He was looking at a weight of a couple hundred <em>thousand </em>kilograms.

    Forget an ordinary Great Trueman or Half Sage, even a Great Grandmaster or body-tempering Half Sage would be hardpressed to move such a weight.

    That said, Ye Qing had many advantages that most people did not have. For starters, he was an extraordinary Great Grandmaster who cultivated the ¡°Earthly Sovereign Scripture¡±, the martial art practiced by the ancient Earthly Sovereign himself. He had also reached the journeyman level of the martial art and created the most basic version of the Earthly Sovereign True Body. His body was tough enough to handle whatever exertion he ced on it, and his strength could easily move mountains.

    On top of that, his stamina was theoretically infinite. He would never run out of energy so long as his feet were nted on the ground. Therefore, he of all people had the possibility of opening this door.

    Of course, it was just a possibility. He would be lying if he said he was confident. The damn thing was made out of Nether Bamboo Stone after all.

    <em>Crack¡­ crack¡­ crack¡­</em>

    As Ye Qing pushed, the ground beneath his feet¡ªwhich was paved using Nether Bamboo Stone as well¡ªbroke inch by inch. The spots where his hands were pushing had caved inward as well. ?????¦¢??

    <em>Rumble¡­</em>

    The stone door let out a deafening, creaky noise as it swung open slowly.

    <em>It¡¯s working!</em>

    Ye Qing was relieved to see that his efforts weren¡¯t futile. He sucked in a deep breath and continued to push the door.

    ¡°Hmm? Someone is pushing the tomb¡¯s door?¡±

    At Forgotten Peak, Elder Tomb Keeper was toying with another pair of ck shirt intruders when suddenly, he sensed something and looked at the sea of clouds shrouding the peak.

    ¡°What a fool.¡±

    He immediately broke into a sneer though. As the Elder Tomb Keeper, he knew exactly how heavy the door was. It weighed almost two hundred and fifty thousand kilograms, and no one except a Sage could open it singlehandedly.

    Of course, West Kunlun had their own fixed method to open the tomb. After all, they couldn¡¯t possibly trouble Jiang Yui or other Sages every time they needed to open the door, right?

    To open the tomb door, West Kunlun had raised a Disaster-ss Stranger known as Nine-headed Mountain-bearing Beast. Shaped like an elephant, it was as big as a hill and had a back that was as wide as a in. It was unbelievably strong and could lift an entire mountain or an entire chunk ofnd without trouble. Hence the name.

    That was why Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s first reaction after discovering that someone was trying to open the tomb door was scorn and disdain.

    However, his smile stiffened the very next moment.

    It was because he heard the sound of rumbling.

    It wasn¡¯t the rumbles of thunder or something. It was the sound of the tomb door opening.

    ¡°Impossible. This cannot be possible!¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper was bbergasted. As much as he wished to say that he was hearing things, he was the Elder Tomb Keeper. He more than anyone was familiar with the sound of the door opening. That was why he could not deny the reality he was hearing.

    He could still ept this oue if more than one person was pushing the door, but his senses told him that there was only one pusher.

    How could any one man possibly push open a door that weighed over two hundred and fifty thousand kilograms via brute strength?

    <em>Are they¡­ a Sage?</em>

    He rejected the motion immediately. It was because he could tell that the pusher¡¯s aura, while extremely potent, was dissimr from the unfathomable, united aura of a Sage.

    Plus, a Sage could probably have suppressed him and the rest of the Tomb Keepers with a single thought. They would not have bothered to lure him away from the tomb.

    If the pusher wasn¡¯t a Sage, then he must be a Great Grandmaster. There was no other answer.

    After his shock had passed, Elder Tomb Keeper was gripped by a sudden re of anger and killing intent, ¡°Audacious thief! Cease your action this instant!¡±

    As soon as he said this, countless red threads grew out of Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s body. They enveloped everything within a hundred meters of him in an instant and looked like a red sea from a distance.

    The two ck-shirt intruders he was toying with were crushed into paste in an instant.

    The next moment, Elder Tomb Keeper raced toward the Kunlun Tomb.

    However, he didn¡¯t manage to go far before a dozen or so figures appeared all around him and charged toward him.

    They were part of the group of ck-shirt intruders who invaded Forgotten Peak earlier.

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Elder Tomb Keeper growled. @@novelbin@@

    At first, the red threads gathered and withdrew unto themselves. Then, it abruptly spilled open like a sh flood and dyed anything and everything in front of Elder Tomb Keeper in red.

    The ck-shirt intruders at the forefront were instantly overwhelmed by the red sea and killed in both body and mind.

 Chapter 1064: Mural

    Elder Tomb Keeper did not intend to waste anymore time on the ck-shirt intruders. He continued to run for the Kunlun Tomb after killing those blocking directly in his path.

    Why? Because these ck-shirt intruders were just pawns to lure the tiger away from its mountain.

    And who was this tiger? Elder Tomb Keeper himself, of course.

    The man opening the door to the Kunlun Tomb could very well be the mastermind behind all this, and as the saying went, one should capture the chief first to defeat a band of thieves. He could toy with the small fries after he had the mastermind in his clutches.

    More importantly, the secret of the Kunlun Tomb must remain a secret from outsiders.

    He thought his thunderous strike would be enough to intimidate the rest of the intruders and stop them from getting in his way, but to his surprise, they charged him again as soon as he twitched a muscle. It was almost as if they weren¡¯t afraid to die.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, more people were flooding in from multiple directions and joining the battlefield.

    Although Elder Tomb Keeper was a powerful Half Sage, the ck-shirt intruders weren¡¯t exactly weaklings either. Combined with the fact that they fought without fear, he was unable to break free from them immediately.

    He killed them ruthlessly and roared in anger and frustration, but his efforts were futile.¡°Looks like I need to speed things up a little.¡±

    In front of the Kunlun Tomb, Ye Qing¡¯s face looked contorted and strained. Every muscle on his arms was bulging, and blue veins were popping here and there.

    He was aware of the battle between Elder Tomb Keeper and the ck-shirt intruder, naturally. He was the one who orchestrated it after all.

    He knew he would probably cause a loudmotion and alert Elder Tomb Keeper as to his intentions when he pushed open the door. That was why hemanded his dependents to stall Elder Tomb Keeper at all cost even before he began his work.

    They were just fodders anyway. He wouldn¡¯t feel a lick for them even if they all died.

    Of course, he also knew that his dependents would not be able to dy Elder Tomb Keeper for long. That was why he needed to speed things up.

    A growl escaped Ye Qing¡¯s lips as every muscle and bone in his body popped in unison and elicited a noise that sounded like a dragon¡¯s roar. His blood ran like a river, deafening and ceaseless, and the blue veins on his arms wriggling wantonly like they were actual dragons.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°O¡­ pen!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a guttural growl, and the stone door was flung open all of a sudden, the friction causing a deafening, screeching noise in the process.

    Ye Qing was careful. The second the stone door opened, he immediately clenched his fists and sent his demonic thought forward.

    Although his haste demanded that he make his move immediately, he firmly reined in his impulses and did not charge into the Kunlun Tomb at first notice. ???????¨¨?

    After all, who knows if there was a trap or an ambush lying inside the Kunlun Tomb? It would be bad if he rushed in recklessly only to be caught in a death trap.

    Thankfully, his worries proved to be unfounded. There were no traps or ambushes inside the Kunlun Tomb whatsoever.

    Clearly, West Kunlun was extremely confident in the Kunlun Tomb¡¯s defenses. They did not believe it was possible for anyone to infiltrate the tomb.

    After confirming that there was no danger, Ye Qing slowly walked into the tomb. He had to because there seemed to be some sort of power that prevented spiritual power from functioning properly inside the tomb.

    As soon as he took his first step, a cold, dark, deathly feeling immediately assaulted his senses. Surprisingly, it did not feel tainted. In fact, the sensation felt sacred and noble.

    The interior of the Kunlun Tomb was pretty bright. Fist-sized night pearls were embedded to the ceiling, casting down enough light to light up the entire tomb.

    The Kunlun Tomb was impossibly massive and spacious. One naturally felt lonely and afraid when walking inside its belly.

    Ye Qing would continue forward a little longer when suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and felt a sh of fear.

    It was because a bunch of people had appeared in front of him. They were all sitting on the ground and boasted powerful auras.

    Ye Qing quickly realized that they weren¡¯t alive. It was because they exuded no vitality whatsoever.

    That said, their bodies were so well-preserved that they seemed alive.

    On top of that, their auras were potent, terrifying, and unfathomably deep like the abyss or the sky. Even in death, Ye Qing could not help but fear them and be on his guard.

    ¡°Sages¡­¡±

    There was no doubt that they were Sages, all of them. Only a Sage¡¯s physical body would remain as fresh as the living even after they had long perished, and only a Sage could retain their power beyond death.

    What shocked Ye Qing even more was that there were over a hundred corpses in front of him. Their auras were different, but they were all vast and powerful beyond imagination.

    This meant that every single one of these corpses was a Sage.

    ¡°They must be thete Sacred Lords and elders of West Kunlun.¡±

    West Kunlun was the graveyard of all the Sacred Lords and elders of West Kunlun who came before. Considering how long West Kunlun had existed, it wasn¡¯t surprising that over a hundred Sage-stage corpses were stored in this ce.

    However, why weren¡¯t the corpses stored inside a coffin or a sarcophagus? Why were they left out in the open like that? Did West Kunlun know how bloody scary it was?

    ¡°Junior Ye Qing does not intend to disturb your eternal rest, seniors. I hope you will forgive me for my intrusion.¡±

    Ye Qing cast off his stray thoughts and bowed to the corpses respectfully.

    After that, he walked over to the foremost row of corpses.

    There was an altar in front of the corpses, and ced on top of the altar was a single branch. The branch was about as thick as a human¡¯s finger andpletely purple in color. It was also as smooth and unblemished as jade. Attached to the end of the branch was a leaf and a flower. The leaf was so green it looked like a dew might take form on its surface, and the flower was so red and overflowing with vitality that it was like fire.

    Behind the altar were three murals. Although the murals were carved using simple lines, they looked surprisingly lifelike and real.

    The first mural depicted a group of people living in a pce high up in the clouds. They were all drinking, singing or dancing as if they were living in paradise.

    The second mural depicted some sort of terrible tragedy that caused the world to decline, and the celestials living in the floating pce to fall aslumber. The servants and ves looked panicked and unsure what to do.

    Finally, the third mural depicted the servants and ves climbing down arge tree that led through the clouds, leaving behind the celestial realm.

    The tree in the mural was unbelievably huge and massive. It looked like a pir that connected heaven and earth. It also looked differentpared to your average tree. First, its trunk waspletely devoid of branches. The canopy of the tree was covered in bends that stretched in every direction, covering the entire sky. Its roots were twisted and intertwined, long and meandering. They stretched for kilometers and kilometers like dragons. Its leaves were also as big as houses, and its flowers were shining like the sun itself.

    A thought suddenly urred to Ye Qing.

    <em>Is this¡­ the legendary Radiant Tree?</em>

    There was a passage in ¡°On Picking Lost Items Across Mountains and Seas¡± that went something like this: In the great barren at the peak of the Cyan Mountain next to a river called the ck Water, there exists a sky-reaching tree called the Radiant Tree. The Radiant Tree is many feet tall and branchless. Its crown boasts nine bends, and its bottom nine woods. Its branch is purple, its leaf is cyan, and its flower is crimson. With help, one can ascend to the heavens and be a celestial.¡±

    The Radiant Tree described in ¡°On Picking Lost Items Across Mountains and Seas¡± looked rather simr to the tree in the mural, and the branch on the altar was purple-colored with a cyan leaf and a crimson flower. Again, it matched the description of the Radiant Tree in the book.

    This meant that the branch could very well be the branch of the legendary Radiant Tree.

    Therefore, the three murals weren¡¯t describing some sort of myth or folktale. It was a record of a historical event that happened way back in the past. It was the origin of West Kunlun.

    To put it simply, the ancestors of West Kunlun most likely hailed from the celestial realm mentioned in the murals. They were originally the servants or ves of the celestials until something happened to the celestial realm, and the celestials all fell aslumber. After a period of panic, the ancestors of West Kunlun eventually decided to climb down the Radiant Tree and arrived at the world of mortals. After that, they founded the West Kunlun.

    This would exin the origin of the Radiant Tree and why west Kunlun would keep these murals in the Kunlun Tomb.

    Combined with the description of East and West Kunlun in the ¡°Taiping Martial Method¡±, there was no doubt that the ancestors of West Kunlun¡ªor more urately, the ancestors of West Kunlun <em>and </em>West Kunlun¡ªall hailed from the celestial realm.

    If Ye Qing had to make a guess, the name of the celestial realm was most likely¡­

    The Kunlun Ruins.

 Chapter 1065: Sealing The Five Sense Organs, Black and White Qi

    ¡°The Kunlun Ruins¡­!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes lit up when he put two and two together. Finally, he found a lead regarding the Kunlun Ruins.

    Unfortunately, his eyebrows immediately knitted into a frown once more.

    Although the murals confirmed that East Kunlun and West Kunlun originated from the Kunlun Ruins, there was no description on how someone might travel to the Kunlun Ruins. There were no relevant clues inside the Kunlun Tomb either.

    <em>Wait, no, there </em>is <em>a clue. That branch¡­</em>

    Suddenly, Ye Qing recalled the branch of the Radiant Tree on the altar. ording to the murals, the ancestors of East Kunlun and West Kunlun had left the Kunlun Ruins and arrived at the world of mortals through the Radiant Tree. This meant that the Radiant Tree was also the bridge between this world and the Kunlun Ruins. If he could locate the Radiant Tree, then he could probably travel to the Kunlun Ruins.

    And how might he find the Radiant Tree? The key was probably the Radiant Tree branch.

    His mind made up, Ye Qing extended his arm and summoned the branch of the Radiant Tree into his hand.

    The Radiant Tree branch felt warm to touch like the first sunlight of spring. It immediately made him feel warm and full of vitality.Besides that, the branch of the Radiant Tree seemed to be imbued with some sort of mysterious energy.

    Before he could inspect it further though, an angry shout erupted from the entrance of the Kunlun Tomb. ¡°You darey your filthy hands on the sacred object of my West Kunlun, thief?! Put it down, now!¡±

    The voice was low and raspy. As soon as it appeared, the space around Ye Qing suddenly twisted and shattered like ss. He also felt an invisible power attempting to shackle him and annihte him where he stood.

    <em>He¡¯s here</em>, Ye Qing thought to himself. He was Elder Tomb Keeper, of course. Right now though, the threads sewing his mouth had split apart, and blood was dripping profusely from the ends. It was a horrifying appearance.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised by Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s appearance as a matter of course. If anything, his dependents had outdone themselves by keeping Elder Tomb Keeper at bay for so long.

    The one thing that surprised Ye Qing was the fact that Elder Tomb Keeper was able to use a Magia or a secret art inside the Kunlun Tomb. The shout earlier contained some sort of mysterious power that could shackle and kill its targets. Anyone weaker would probably have suffered serious damage from the shout.

    Logically speaking, the entire Kunlun Tomb was created from Nether Bamboo Stone. It should be impossible for anyone to use any secret art or Magia within itspound. And yet, Elder Tomb Keeper had done the impossible.

    Then again, Elder Tomb Keeper was the guardian of the Kunlun Tomb. It made sense that he would know a method or two that allowed him to work around the Nether Bamboo Stone¡¯s insting properties.

    A clear glint shed in Ye Qing¡¯s eyes. Then, while letting out a disdainful scoff, he put away the branch of the Radiant Tree right in front of Elder Tomb Keeper.

    Then, he kicked off the ground and ran toward the old man with thunderous footsteps.

    ¡°You are courting death!¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper snorted at Ye Qing¡¯s charge as the threads binding his nostrils abruptly snapped free. It sounded like lightning had erupted inside the tomb, and the noise felt loud enough to crack stones or tear metal. Then, two wisps of qi¡ªone ck and one white¡ªpoured out of his nostrils.

    The two wisps of qi were swirly like dragons or snakes. They were also overflowing with an aura of fear and inauspiciousness.

    Suddenly, the ck qi and white qi disappeared at the same time, and Ye Qing abruptly skidded to a stop. His eyes looked unfocused, and one of his eyeballs turned as ck as the night, and the other as white as paper.

    They looked just like the color of the ck qi and the white qi.

    ¡°Hmph. What did I tell you?¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper scoffed imperiously when he saw that Ye Qing had lost his consciousness.

    The cultivation art he practiced was called ¡°Sealing The Five Sense Organs¡±. It was both a martial art and a Magia West Kunlun had specifically invented for the Tomb Keepers. It allowed them to ignore the insting properties of the Nether Bamboo Stone and employ Magia within the Kunlun Tomb.

    The five sense organs were the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and tongue. If all five sense organs were sealed, then the human could not see, could not hear, could not smell, could not open their mouths, and could not taste. In exchange, the human would gain the Five Sense Organs Magia. When they opened their eyes, they could plunge an entire domain into darkness. When they moved their ears, they could hear everywhere with perfect rity. When they snorted, they could unleash a wisp of yin qi and a wisp of yang qi. When they opened their mouths, they could let out a deafening shout that shook mountains and threatened space. And finally, when they exposed their tongues, they could taste a hundred tastes and a thousand poisons. ?¨¤£Î????£Ó

    The longer one sealed their five sense organs, the stronger the Five Sense Organs Magia became.

    How long had Elder Tomb Keeper nurtured his Five Sense Organs Magia? Twenty years.

    Just now at the foot of the mountain, he had untied the threads binding his mouth and shouted. That was how he killed all of his enemies in an instant.

    The ck qi and white qi were the Magia of the Nose.

    Each Magia possessed their own abilities. If the Magia of the Mouth excelled at killing the physical body and force, then the Magia of the Nose excelled at killing the spirit.

    The two qi were named ¡°Yin Yang Annihtion¡±. He had harvested the yin qi and yang qi of the world during sunrise and sunset and stored them inside his nose. When he snorted, his victim would lose their spirit, and their heart and soul would plummet. Its power was supposedly unparalleled.

    Yin Yang Magia was a top-tier killing Magia evenpared to all the Magias out there. Assuming that he had the advantage of surprise, he could instantly destroy even the spirit and mind of a fellow Half Sage.

    Inside the Kunlun Tomb, Yin Yang Annihtion was practically unstoppable. After all, it was impossible to use any Magia, secret art, Strange Artifact, and other items rted to spirit or force within the Kunlun Tomb. Therefore, it was impossible to shield oneself from the Magia.

    Even a Sage would have to dodge his Yin Yang Annihtion inside the Kunlun Tomb, much less anyone weaker.

    Elder Tomb Keeper growled furiously as he strode toward Ye Qing. ¡°I must know who gave you the gall to trespass into our sanctuary and spheme against our sacred object!¡±

    Elder Tomb Keeper had not in Ye Qing¡¯s mind immediately. Instead, he simply shackled it.

    After all, he couldn¡¯t find out the truth if Ye Qing¡¯s mind was destroyed. He needed to know why he had invaded the Kunlun Tomb, and if there was a mastermind behind him.

    With Yin Yang Annihtion, he was absolutely confident that there was nothing Ye Qing could do.

    After reaching Ye Qing, Elder Tomb Keeper examined Ye Qing for a moment before eximing in astonishment, ¡°What an impressive physique. A Great Grandmaster? No wonder you dared to enter the Kunlun Tomb.¡±

    ¡°This is great. Considering how powerful your physique is, you should be able to withstand my many, many torture techniques. Allow me to enlighten you as to the skinning, bone breaking, tendon stripping, and blood refining techniques I personally invented, keke¡­¡±

    A cruel, savage smile crossed Elder Tomb Keeper¡¯s face. It was a horrifying look to say the least.@@novelbin@@

    The reason Elder Tomb Keeper hated Ye Qing so much was simple. One, Ye Qing managed to y him like a fiddle and even barged into the Kunlun Tomb. Two, he had ruined two whole decades of hard work.

    ¡°Sealing the Five Sense Organs¡± was powerful, but it also came with a huge w. It was the fact that each Magia could only be used three times. Not only that, each activation was weaker than thest. Once he had used a specific Magia three times, he would have to nurture it from the very beginning.

    Just now, he had used the Magia of the Mouth and the Magia of the Nose. It was a huge price to say the least.

    Naturally, he loathed Ye Qing to his bones.

    While cackling, Elder Tomb Keeper extended his right hand and sent countless red threads into Ye Qing¡¯s head.

    The red threads were neither a Strange Artifact nor a martial art. It was a Disaster-ss Stranger called the Crimson Blood.

    Born from dirty blood, Crimson Blood looked like strings or threads but was really formless and intangible. It fed on human blood and flesh and left behind a trail of empty skins wherever it went. Humans, animals, any flesh-and-blood being could be a source of nourishment.

    Besides that, Crimson Blood was an intelligent-type Stranger, meaning that it could feed on a person¡¯s brain to know their mind and memories. It was worse than having one¡¯s mind and soul searched.

    Elder Tomb Keeper was a Strangerkin with Crimson Blood bloodline from the beginning. Later, he got lucky and obtained a Crimson Blood. He refined it into its servant using a secret art and wiped out its intelligence. Now, he and his Crimson Blood shared a symbiotic rtionship.

    This method allowed him to control Crimson Blood and use its power.

    However, his personality was also affected by the Crimson Blood¡¯s nature to a certain extent. He became cruel and bloodthirsty, and he grew a taste for flesh and blood.

    Long story short, he simply needed tomand the Crimson Blood to consume Ye Qing¡¯s brain to know what he wished to know.

 Chapter 1067: Watching Mountains and Rivers In My Palm

    ¡°Roar¡­¡±

    At the same time, a dragon¡¯s roar shook the sky of the Heavenly Pond Peak.

    A divine dragon had shattered the Heavens¡¯ Gate and soared into the clouds.

    As the Heaven¡¯s Gate fell apart, auspicious, rainbow-colored clouds grew out of the dragon''s body and cast multi-colored light toward the earth. It looked both majestic and benevolent.

    As the rainbow-colored divine dragon continued to soar in the sky, the wind blew in from the north and the south, the rain poured in from the east and the west, purple qi quickly spread across the entire sky, white clouds took the shapes of dragons, phoenixes, and other auspicious beasts¡­

    The world itself was congratting the divine dragon¡¯s transformation via a plethora of supernatural phenomena.

    As the phenomena took form, everyone on Heavenly Pond Peak could clearly sense that West Kunlun¡¯s fortune was growing stronger and stronger.

    It was at this moment a dark red cloud suddenly rose into the sky.

    The cloud was overflowing with inauspiciousness and brutality. It was decidedly differentpared to the rainbow-colored auspicious clouds above the Heavenly Pond Peak or the purple qi spreading from the east.Not only that, as the dark red cloud spread across the sky, the rate at which West Kunlun¡¯s fortune was growing suddenly slowed down dramatically.

    Finally, the divine dragon wearing rainbow light on its body became dyed in a sheen of dark red. If it looked majestic and benevolent before, now it looked inauspicious and bloodthirsty.

    ¡°ROAR!!!¡±

    The divine dragon roared as blood dripped from its eyes. The next moment, a rain of blood struck the Heavenly Pond Peak.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°A bad omen colors the sky, and the divine dragon weeps blood¡­ this is an inauspicious sign no matter how you look at it, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Something terrible must have happened to West Kunlun. If they don¡¯t deal with it properly, they might be struck by a cmity in the future!¡±

    ¡°Seriously? What kind of cmity are we talking about?¡±

    ¡°How would I know? All I can say is that it¡¯s either a natural cmity or a man-made one!¡±

    ¡°One thing for certain, we¡¯re in for some exciting times ahead!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    All over Heavenly Pond Peak, the people were chatting among themselves and bubbling with excitement.

    Mister Taozhu could not help but think as she watched the dark red cloud in the sky: <em>I wonder if this sudden change has something to with young master.</em>

    It was because the cloud had risen from the direction of Forgotten Peak.

    Jiang Yui had also risen to his feet. He was looking in the direction of Forgotten Peak with a serious expression on his face. He could not tell because the river of fate was currently distorted, but he could not shake the feeling that something bad had happened at Forgotten Peak.

    Like a divine being¡¯s rage or a sudden thunder in summer, Jiang Yui shook his sleeve and copsed the entire space where the dark red clouds had originated from. At first nce, it was as if an invisible, gigantic pair of hands had erased the dark red clouds from existence.

    At the same time, a silver-robed man with cold, sharp featuresnded beside Jiang Yui and greeted him, ¡°Sacred Lord¡­¡±

    The man saluted Jiang Yui before moving his lips slightly. He seemed to be reporting to Jiang Yui via sound transmission.

    At first, Jiang Yui¡¯s expression was calm. However, his eyes widened in shock at some point of the report, and the world responded to it by covering the sky with dark clouds. The wind howled, and thunder boomed. ?????????

    <em>What on earth happened that Jiang Yui is shaken to this extent?</em>

    The guests were stunned by the abrupt change in weather to say the least. It was clearly caused by Jiang Yui¡¯s emotions.

    A Sage was a transcendent who had be one with the world. Their thoughts and emotions could be reflected by the world around them.

    This abrupt phenomenon was caused by a destabilization in Jiang Yui¡¯s Dao heart.

    As a Sage, Jiang Yui¡¯s Dao heart was like the heavens¡¯ heart¡ªuntouched and undisturbed by all external factors. Naturally, his emotions were normally perfectly concealed. But not only had he failed to control his expression, his Dao heart had be so turbulent that he could not prevent his surroundings from reflecting how he truly felt. This rarely happened for any Sage, much less one of Jiang Yui¡¯s caliber.

    The next moment, the dark clouds, howling wind, and roaring thunder disappeared into nothing. Jiang Yui¡¯s expression had returned to normal as well.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Apologies, but there is something I need to attend to. I hope you will forgive me for being away during such an important asion.¡±

    Jiang Yui saluted the crowd and said, ¡°Wangchun, please take care of our guests on my behalf.¡±

    Xi Wangchun responded with her own salute, ¡°As youmand, Sacred Lord.¡±

    ¡°Feel free.¡± Jiang Yui spoke onest time before a sun slowly rose out of Jiang Yui¡¯s back and into the sky. For a moment, the entire West Kunlun was showered by its blinding, golden light.

    Then, Jiang Yui slowly disappeared from view.

    ¡°See youter, Sacred Lord.¡±

    The crowd rose to their feet and bowed respectfully as Jiang Yui departed for somewhere.

    The weaker warriors could only feel the immense power filling every inch of space and be shocked by the Sage¡¯s strength, but greater warriors such as Mister Taozhu, Blood Buddha, Fickle Young Master and more were nching a little and exchanging nces with each other.

    It was because they could feel that the surrounding space had been sealed by some sort of great power. Clearly, the sun¡¯s power had sealed off the entire West Kunlun. They were effectively trapped here.

    No one said a thing even though they were exchanging nces with each other. They were curious as to what had happened to West Kunlun as a matter of course. After all, not only had Jiang Yui lost hisposure, he even went so far as to seal off the entire West Kunlun. However, they were also wise enough to rein in their curiosity and stay where they were. Jiang Yui¡¯s behavior and action were all the warning they needed to see.

    After Jiang Yui was gone, Xi Wangchun raised a ss of wine and dered, ¡°On behalf of the Sacred Lord, I offer a toast to all of you.¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    ¡°Cheers¡­¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Yuanqiu, I want you to gather the men and lock down the entire West Kunlun yourself. No one is allowed to leave without my express permission.¡±

    In the sky, Jiang Yui was looking down on the crowd gathered on Heavenly Pond Peak like ants. ¡°Feel free to kill anyone who disobeys.¡±

    ¡°At once, Sacred Lord.¡±

    Luo Yuanqiu, a.k.a the Autumn Lord of the Four Lords of West Kunlun, responded with a salute.

    ¡°Go.¡±

    Jiang Yui waved his hand before taking a single step and appeared inside the Kunlun Tomb in an instant.

    ¡°We greet you, Sacred Lord!¡±

    ¡°We greet you, Sacred Lord.¡±

    A few warriors immediately saluted Jiang Yui.

    ¡°Let¡¯s skip the pleasantries.¡±

    Jiang Yui jumped straight into the topic. ¡°Tell me the results.¡±

    A man wearing a robe as white as snow answered, ¡°Elder Tomb Keeper is utterly dead in body, mind, and soul. The sacred object is stolen. Nothing else is missing besides that.¡±

    He was Shen Xuedong, the Winter Lord of the Four Lords.

    A woman with silver hair and wearing a silver robe added, ¡°It is clear that the thief came for the sacred object.¡±

    She looked surprisingly young despite her silver hair. As she spoke, a semi-transparent moon floated at the back of her head and emitted waves of silvery light.

    Her name was Yingyue. She was one of the two Deputy Sacred Lords[1] of West Kunlun, the Silver Moon Sacred Lord.

    ¡°Judging from the clues we¡¯ve gathered so far, there is no error with that deduction,¡± Shen Xuedong answered.

    ¡°Who is the person who killed Elder Tomb Keeper and stole our sacred object?¡± Jiang Yui asked.

    ¡°Please look, Sacred Lord.¡±

    Silver Moon Sacred Lord held out her palm and conjured a bright moon. As the bright moon disyed what looked like a fast-forwarded evolution of the¡ªthe¡¯s geography changing, the sun and moon changing¡ªthe interior of the Kunlun Tomb began disying all sorts of scenes as if time was reversing.

    The scenes were what had happened at Forgotten Peak and inside the Kunlun Tomb earlier.

    Everything¡ªthe intruders slipping into Forgotten Peak, Elder Tomb Keeper killing the intruders, Ye Qing opening the door of the Kunlun Tomb singlehandedly, Ye Qing entering the Kunlun Tomb, Ye Qing catching Elder Tomb Keeper with a clever trick and killing him, and finally Ye Qing escaping from West Kunlun¡ªwas disyed by the moon floating on the Silver Moon Sacred Lord¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Watching The Mountains and Rivers In My Palm¡±. This was the Silver Moon Sacred Lord¡¯s Magia. It allowed her to ¡°watch the mountains and rivers of the world, reverse the sun, moon, yin and yang¡±.

    To put it in simpler terms, it allowed her to temporarily break thews of time and space, reverse the flow of time to a certain point, and observe past events.

    1. ?? Shouldn¡¯t it be Left and Right Sect Leaders? Well whatever¡­ ?

 Chapter 1068: The Celestialsâ€™ Curse

    At first, Jiang Yui and the group were very calm. They were surprised when they saw Ye Qing opening the door of Kunlun Tomb singlehandedly, but that was all.

    When they saw Ye Qing using some sort of unknown method to freeze Elder Tomb Keeper in ce and kill him though, Jiang Yui, the Silver Moon Sacred Lord, and everyone else finally lose theirposure.

    Elder Tomb Keeper was a Half Sage. Inside the Kunlun Tomb, not even a true Sage was a match for the old man.

    And yet, that man had somehow <em>killed </em>Elder Tomb Keeper <em>inside </em>the Kunlun Tomb. This was a feat even they would be hardpressed to achieve.

    Of course, it was clear from the rey that their enemy only seeded because Elder Tomb Keeper had let his guard down. Even so, this was still unbelievable.

    It was at this moment Shen Xuedong spoke up. ¡°Why is the enemy blurry?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s appearance in the rey including Elder Tomb Keeper was crystal clear. Ye Qing was the only one whose entire appearance was blurry to the point it was impossible to tell his gender.

    The Silver Moon Sacred Lord answered in a cool voice, ¡°There are two possibilities. One, he is a Sage. Two, he has an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact.¡±

    A Sage could not be seen, and an Ancient could not be spoken. Therefore, only a Sage or an Ancient-ss Strange Artifact could affect her Magia.¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re a Sage.¡±

    Jiang Yui broke his long silence. ¡°If they were a Sage, they would not need to use such petty tricks to achieve their goals.¡±

    ¡°I believe you are right, Sacred Lord,¡± replied Shen Xuedong.

    ¡°What about those who were killed by Elder Tomb Keeper? Do they offer any clues?¡± Jiang Yui asked.

    ¡°Yanxia is investigating them. She should be able to answer your question very soon.¡±

    As if on cue, a fiery red figure stepped in through the entrance and dered, ¡°Sacred Lord, I bet you can¡¯t guess who the intruders are!¡±

    The fiery red figure was a young girl who looked to be seven or eight years old at best. Red-eyed and scarlet-haired, she wore a red dress and a pair of pigtails. Like a living ball of fire, her very presence scorched the ground underneath her and rapidly increased the temperature inside the Kunlun Tomb.

    ¡°Yanxia, this is serious. Stop fooling around and tell us already!¡± Shen Xuedong chided her.

    The girl in red dress pouted. ¡°Ice cube. You¡¯re no fun at all.¡±

    The young girl¡¯s name was Duan Yanxia. She was the Summer Lord of the Four Lords.

    ¡°Yanxia, don¡¯t keep us in suspense, please,¡± Jiang Xi said coolly.

    Duan Yanxia huffed in Shen Xuedong¡¯s direction before turning serious. ¡°The intruders all came from different factions. Some of them came from the Demonic Mountain, some came from the Maitreya Sect, some came from Red Dust Tribtion, and some came from the Demonic Abode of Six Desires¡­¡± ???¦­§°?????

    ¡°Demonic Mountain, Matreiya Sect, Red Dust Tribtion and Demonic Abode of Six Desires¡­? Are they all in this?¡± Shen Xuedong frowned deeply.

    ¡°Are you stupid? These four sects are so unrted to each other you couldn¡¯t connect them together even with eight bamboo poles[1]! Even if we assume that they¡¯re cooperating with each other, why on earth would they send these small fries to steal our sacred object? A few Sages would¡¯ve done the deed much better and without incurring any casualties!¡±

    Duan Yanxia rebuked Shen Xuedong mercilessly before adding, ¡°Oh right, I believe these people are the followers of everyone who were invited to participate in the Celestial Peach Gathering, Sacred Lord.¡±

    It was at this moment Silver Moon Sacred Lord broke her silence, ¡°It¡¯s highly possible that these people were subverted by our mysterious enemy. They are pawns used to lure Elder Tomb Keeper away so that the thief could steal our sacred object.¡±

    ¡°My thoughts exactly, sister Yingyue!¡± Duan Yanxia chirped happily.

    ¡°These people all hail from different sects at least thousands and thousands of kilometers away from each other. If they were subverted and controlled, it must have happened after they came to West Kunlun.¡±

    Shen Xuedong analyzed. ¡°Therefore, all we need to investigate who these people have interacted with recently. That may be enough to uncover the thief¡¯s identity.¡±

    ¡°Sacred Lord, I would like to request a temporary lockdown of West Kunlun to facilitate this investigation.¡±

    ¡°Heh! Why bother? Didn¡¯t the Sacred Lord say that the thief isn¡¯t a Sage? Elder Diviner is already pursuing the thief. With his unparalleled divination and deduction skills, he will capture the thief for sure!¡±

    Duan Yanxia interrupted, ¡°When that happens, we will find out the mastermind as well.¡±

    The Elder Diviner she was speaking of was the other Deputy Sacred Lord of West Kunlun. A Sage, he was an expert in divining the stars and analyzing the rivers of fate. There was nothing and no one he couldn¡¯t divine except a Sage, which was why he was praised as the ¡°unparalleled diviner who can know one¡¯s fate just by observing the heavens¡±.

    Shen Xuedong shot Duan Yanxia a look but did not say anything. She clearly agreed with the girl even though she didn¡¯t say it.@@novelbin@@

    In fact, Elder Diviner was the first person to realize that something had happened to the Kunlun Tomb. He also gave chase immediately after discovering that the branch of the Radiant Tree was stolen. Considering Elder Diviner¡¯s abilities, it did not seem difficult for him to track down a non-Sage.

    To Duan Yanxia¡¯s surprise, Jiang Yui ordered, ¡°We will execute your n anyway, Xuedong.¡±

    ¡°But why, Sacred Lord?¡± Duan Yanxia asked in puzzlement.

    ¡°Better to be safe than sorry,¡± Jiang Yui replied indifferently. ¡°On that note, you will assist Xuedong, Yanxia.¡±

    ¡°Why am <em>I</em> assisting <em>her</em>, not the other way around?¡± Duan Yanxia mumbled, though her frustration immediately vanished when she made contact with Jiang Yui¡¯s severe, merciless eyes. She said softly, ¡°Fine, fine.¡±

    ¡°Go.¡± Jiang Yuimanded, ¡°Remember, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. If you think that someone is suspicious, there is no need to wait for evidence. Kill them.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, Sacred Lord,¡± Shen Xuedong and Duan Yanxia responded in unison before taking their leave.

    After Shen Xuedong and Duan Yanxia were gone, Jiang Yui looked at the Silver Moon Sacred Lord and said, ¡°Yingyue, you can tell Elder Diviner to return now.¡±

    Silver Moon Sacred Lord was visibly surprised by this. ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°You should know that the branch of the Radiant Tree is a divine wood of the world. Not only is it immune to divination or pursuit, it could blind the sky and muddy the rivers of fate. So long as the thief still holds the Radiant Tree¡¯s branch, not even Elder Diviner would be able to track them down. It will simply be a waste of energy,¡± Jiang Yui said calmly.

    ¡°Do you have a n, Sacred Lord?¡± Silver Moon Sacred Lord asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is an opportunity?¡± Jiang Yui slowly turned around and stared at the murals on the wall.

    ¡°Are you saying that we should allow the thief to lead us to the Kunlun Ruins?¡± The Silver Moon Sacred Lord guessed Jiang Yui¡¯s thoughts and, for the first time since she made her appearance, revealed a hint of emotion.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Jiang Yui said quietly, ¡°Only a destined one may get the chance to enter the Kunlun Ruins. Since that thief was able to find out about the Kunlun Ruins and even steal the branch of the Radiant Tree from right under our nose, it is clear that they are favored by the celestials. We might just be able to follow them to the Kunlun Ruins.¡±

    ¡°That sounds ideal, but will it really work?¡± The Silver Moon Sacred Lord voiced her doubt.

    ¡°We have to try.¡±

    Jiang Yui¡¯s eyes burned with fervor and urgency. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. I must enter the Kunlun Ruins and find a way to resolve the curse that gues my Jiang n once and for all.¡±

    1. An idiom meaning that two people/objects arepletely unrted to each other. ?

 Chapter 1069: Before A Celestial, All Life Be Like Ants

    Chapter 1069: Before A Celestial, All Life Be Like Ants

    For a time, the Silver Moon Sacred Lord did not say anything.

    The curse Jiang Yui mentioned referred to the fact that all members of the Jiang n of West Kunlun suffered shortened lifespan.

    West Kunlun was a sect, but it was no different from a n. Every generation was firmly in control of the Jiang n. And who was the Jiang n? They were one of the two groups of celestial servants who had escaped from the Kunlun Ruins.

    A long time ago, something happened to the Kunlun Ruins, and the celestials fell into slumber. Sensing an opportunity, two groups of celestial servants decided to sneak away from the Kunlun Ruins.

    One of them was the Jiang n, and the other the Ji n.@@novelbin@@

    After the Jiang n and the Ji n escaped the Kunlun Ruins, they immediately founded the sect named Kunlun. It was jointly managed by the Jiang n and the Ji n.

    Unfortunately, the union did notst. Disagreements and conflicts broke out between the two ns, and Kunlun eventually split into East Kunlun and West Kunlun.

    The Ji n was in control of East Kunlun, and the Jiang n West Kunlun.

    The main point was that both the Jiang n and the Ji n were originally celestial servants, but they escaped the Kunlun Ruins after the celestials fell aslumber. So, they received the celestials¡¯ curse.Both the Jiang n and the Ji n were celestial servants. They might not be able to live as long as the world itself, but their original lifespan was still very, very long. However, after they left the Kunlun Ruins, they discovered that their lifespan had shrunk dramatically. Forget living a long life, their lifespan was much shorter than even an ordinary person.

    It did not matter if they were an ordinary person or a Sage, a weakling or a champion. No one from the Jiang n and the Ji n had ever lived past their natural lifespan.

    The Ji n and the Jiang n boasted some of the greatest talents and bloodlines in the world. Every single one of them simply needed to practice diligently to eventually achieve transcendence and be a Sage. However, once their time was up, they would suffer all sorts of unexpected cmities or disasters and perish as a result.

    This had continued for generations. No one had ever found a way to neutralize it.

    The worst part was that they could clearly sense the cmity or disastering after them, but no matter what they did, they could not avoid their grim fate. Not even a Sage could save their own lives.

    In other words, they could only watch as death slowly and casually walked toward them, shortening their lives with every step it took, and there was absolutely nothing they could do to avert it or even buy some time.

    It was a level of fated helplessness, fear and despair that could crush anyone.

    Death, sometimes, wasn¡¯t scary.

    What was scary was knowing that you are going to die soon, and that there is absolutely nothing you could do to stop it.

    This was the curse of the Jiang n and the Ji n; the punishment the celestials had set upon the traitors.

    All life be like ants before a celestial.

    This was an absolute truth East Kunlun and West Kunlun had to face every day for all eternity.

    Naturally, their ancestors did everything in their power to resolve the curse and break free from their cursed fate, but nothing worked.

    In the end, their ancestors discovered in deep irony and sorrow that the only way they might save themselves¡­ was to reenter the Kunlun Ruins and seek out the slumbering celestials.

    However, it was easy to leave the Kunlun Ruins, but much, much harder to enter it, not to mention that they were despicable traitors. When they tried to reenter the Kunlun Ruins, they discovered in shock and horror that they were unable to locate the entrance or find the Radiant Tree no matter what they tried.

    They had betrayed the Kunlun Ruins. Naturally, the Kunlun Ruins had abandoned them in turn.

    For the past several thousand years, they tried everything and paid unimaginable prices in search of a way to reenter the Kunlun Ruins. It was all for naught. Forget the Kunlun Ruins, they couldn¡¯t even find the Radiant Tree. Naturally, they could not resolve their curse and break free from their fate.

    Find the Radiant Tree, enter the Kunlun Ruins, resolve the curse, break free from fate. Over time, this had be the obsession and fate of every member of the Jiang n and the Ji n.

    That was why they would not allow any chance to enter the Kunlun Ruins to slip through their grasp. Even the most unlikeliest of possibilities were worth trying.

    Jiang Yui was a descendant of the Jiang n. The Silver Moon Sacred Lord was no exception. Jiang Yui had a feeling that his time was running out. She, was no different.

    That was why she understood his feelings, his urgency, his hastepletely. How could she not when she was the same?

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    The Silver Moon Sacred Lord asked, ¡°You said it yourself. The thief¡¯s location cannot be divined because they had stolen the branch. How can we find them?¡±

    Although Jiang Yui had already ordered Shen Xuedong to investigate the person, there was no telling if it would actually yield any result, not to mention that their time was short.

    Jiang Yui dered, ¡°I want you to head to East Kunlun yourself and borrow the Crimson Sun Mirror from them.¡±

    ¡°The Crimson Sun Mirror? Would they lend it to us?¡± The Silver Moon Sacred Lord sounded worried.

    The Crimson Sun Mirror was a Strange Artifact forged from a type of bird living on the Radiant called the Crimson Luan.

    When the Jiang n and the Ji n escaped the Kunlun Ruins back then, they had also taken away a single branch and a single Crimson Luan from the Radiant Tree.

    The Crimson Luan and the Radiant Tree were bound to one another. Because of this, the Crimson Luan could sense the Radiant Tree no matter where it went.

    Not only that, the Crimson Luan could not live without the Radiant Tree. That was why the Crimson Luan they took away died not long after they left the Radiant Tree.

    After the Crimson Luan perished, the Jiang n and the Ji n worked together to create a Disaster-ss Strange Artifact known as the Crimson Sun Mirror.

    The Crimson Sun Mirror was forged using the Crimson Luan¡¯s body. It could naturally sense the Radiant Tree.

    In fact, the reason they took away the branch and the Crimson Luan was precisely in case they needed to return to the Kunlun Ruins one day.

    s, they werepletely cut off from the Kunlun Ruins because of the curse. Therefore, the Radiant Tree branch and the Crimson Luan became useless.

    Still, the Crimson Sun Mirror might not be able to detect the Radiant Tree, but it could still sense the Radiant Tree branch. The connection would not fade even if the two objects were hundreds of thousands of kilometers away from each other.

    Therefore, they could easily locate the Radiant Tree branch with the Crimson Sun Mirror.

    Of course, Kunlun had splintered into West Kunlun and East Kunlun, so West Kunlun kept the Radiant Tree branch, and East Kunlun took away the Crimson Sun Mirror. If they wished to obtain the Crimson Sun Mirror, they must seek out East Kunlun first.

    However, to say that the Jiang n and the Ji n had a nasty breakup would be an understatement. They could not have loathed each other more than fire and water were ipatible. That was why both West Kunlun and East Kunlun strived to maintain their contact with each other to the absolute minimum possible. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t going to be easy to borrow the Crimson Sun Mirror from them.

    ¡°No one is afraid of death. The Ji n is no exception.¡±

    Jiang Yui said indifferently, ¡°They had spared no less effort than us to search for the Kunlun Ruins.¡±

    ¡°Tell them that lending us the Crimson Sun Mirror is the only way we might find the Kunlun Ruins. If they wish to break free from their curse and fate once and for all, they best give us their full cooperation. Otherwise, well, we¡¯ve already died premature deaths for thousands of years. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind this continuing for thousands of years more.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    The Silver Moon Sacred Lord nodded. ¡°I shall depart right away.¡±

    ¡°One more thing. Do <em>not </em>tell them that the Radiant Tree branch has been stolen. We must have the initiative.¡±

    Jiang Yui ordered seriously, ¡°No one is more crafty and treacherous than the Ji n! Give them an inch, and they¡¯ll take the whole ruler!¡±

    ¡°I know what to do.¡±

    The Silver Moon Sacred Lord said coldly, ¡°If there is nothing else, then I shall depart immediately.¡±

    ¡°Mm. By the way, your time is almost up. Be absolutely careful, okay?¡± Jiang Yui instructed.

    ¡°I will.¡± The Silver Moon Sacred Lord nodded again before shooting away into the sky as a beam of silver moonlight.

    ¡°Kunlun Ruins¡­¡±

    As he watched the fading moonlight, a rare look of fury and madness flitted across his face. ¡°It¡¯s been thousands of years. Surely our punishment is nearing its end.¡±

    ¡°Right, celestials of the Kunlun Ruins?¡±

 Chapter 1070: Chasing The Sun

    Chapter 1070: Chasing The Sun

    ¡°When day and night change ces, chase the sun. If the light does not fade, then the Radiant Tree you shall see¡­¡±

    Underneath a tree, Ye Qing suddenly opened his eyes and muttered with a puzzled look on his face.

    Then, he seemingly recalled something and produced the branch of the Radiant Tree in his hand.

    The branch of the Radiant Tree did not look as lush and full of life as before though. The branch had be dim, and both the flower and the leaf had withered. It was as if the branch had lost therge majority of its life force all of a sudden.

    ¡°I knew it¡­ it was a hint after all!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes glinted as he inspected the branch of the Radiant Tree.

    He already guessed why the branch of the Radiant Tree had withered without warning.

    Logic would say that it was because he had taken the branch away from the Kunlun Tomb, but that wasn¡¯t true. It was because he had had a dream¡ªor more urately, he heard a message while he was catching a small nap earlier.

    Yesterday, after he left West Kunlun, he had chosen a random direction and ran for an entire day and night. On the way, he even changed directions at random several times in total. Therefore, even he did not know where he was right now, much less anyone else!

    That said, he did run for a whole day and night. Even with his strength, he could not help but feel a bit of mental fatigue. So, he sought out a random resting ce to take a nap.

    However, he was just closing his eyes when suddenly, he heard a voice that seemed to hail from a different spacetime. It sounded old and distant.

    At first, the words were too blurry to make out. Gradually, it became clearer and clearer until he could hear exactly what it was saying:

    ¡°When day and night change ces, chase the sun. If the light does not fade, then the Radiant Tree you shall see¡­¡±

    The message would repeat beside his ears again and again until he finally grew conscious and opened his eyes. At that moment, the voice disappeared like it never happened.

    It was quite unusual to say the least.

    There was no one, not even a Stranger around him. Clearly, the strange message had nothing to do with his surroundings. It could only havee from something on him.

    And what was the one thing on his person that was suspect? The branch of the Radiant Tree, of course.

    In fact, he was absolutely right. The branch of the Radiant Tree had undergone a drastic transformation and lost most of its vitality and spirituality. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the branch was the reason for the voice.

    The meaning and intent of the message were crystal clear. It was a hint of how to find the Radiant Tree and enter the Kunlun Ruins.

    ¡°Strange¡­¡±

    Ye Qing looked at the branch of the Radiant Tree thoughtfully. It was said that the Radiant Tree was a divine tree with intelligence and sentience. There was nothing strange about this. What was strange was why the Radiant Tree branch chose to tell him the way to find the Radiant Tree and enter the Kunlun Ruins.

    After all, he was just an outsider.

    Was this a trap?

    A ploy?

    Or something else?

    A few breathster, Ye Qing decided to give up on this line of thought. Whether or not it was a trap or a ploy, he had a reason to enter the Kunlun Ruins no matter what.

    Besides, all traps and ploys could be crushed with absolute strength.

    This hint was a good thing. It saved him much time and effort in trying to figure out how to make use of it. Yes, it was definitely a good thing.

    ¡°The sun is just out. Perfect.¡±

    It was at this moment a brilliant golden ray cut through the pitch ck sky. At the same time, something red slowly rose from the horizon in celebration of a new day.

    Ye Qing did not hesitate. He immediately ran toward the west.

    The hint provided by the Radiant Tree branch wasn¡¯t difficult to understand. ¡°When day and night change ces, chase the sun¡± meant running toward the sun during sunrise. More urately, it meant running toward the west as that was the direction the sun was heading.

    The second line stated, ¡°If the light does not fade, then the Radiant Tree you shall see.¡± If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the hint was telling him to chase the sun and not allow it to fall past the horizon. If he seeded, then he would find the Radiant Tree.

    In short, it was the isekai version of Kua Fu Chasing the Sun[1].

    And so Ye Qing transformed into isekai Kua Fu and chased the sun, climbing countless mountains, crossing countless rivers, passing through countless cities, and stunning countless people in the process.

    Someone saw a youngster running across a in with the wind, quick as lightning.

    Someone saw a youngster running through a mountain forest, swift as a gale andpeting against the beast.

    Someone saw a youngster running across a river like it was solid ground. When he was about halfway through, he abruptly opened his mouth and inhaled half of the river water.

    Someone saw a youngster dropping his shoulders and keeping his elbows to the sides. Then, swinging his fists like hammers, he shattered half a hill that was blocking his way before continuing onward.

    Someone saw a youngster descending from the sky like a deity and crushing an evil-doing sect and killing hundreds of viins in one stomp. Then, he moved on like it was nothing special.

    Someone saw a youngster throwing a punch that shook Kunlun and letting out a breath that cleared out an entire territory of fog, killing thousands of Strangers and saving even more people from disaster.

    ¡­¡­

    For a time, rumors regarding the youngster popped up everywhere. Some people said that he was a celestial who had descended to the world of mortals, some imed that he was a hero who decided to cleanse the <em>jianghu</em> a bit with his sword, some believed that he was a madman who had entered martial deviation, so on and so forth.

    Ye Qing knew nothing about this however, nor did he care to even if he did. It was because he felt like he was dying.

    Seriously, he was about to die from exhaustion!

    It sounded like a joke that a body-tempering Grandmaster was about to die from exhaustion, but it was just facts.

    Chasing the sun didn¡¯t sound that difficult in theory, but it was impossibly hard to actually do it.

    A few inches of movement in the sky was equal to an untold amount of distance on the ground. To keep pace with the sun, he would have to run thousands of kilometers in just the span of a few breaths. To actually catch up with it, they would have to cover tens of thousands of kilometers in that short time. How could a mortal ever hope to achieve such a thing?

    In fact, they couldn¡¯t. Any mortal who imed they could was either dreaming or overestimating themselves.

    After all, not even a Sage would dare to im that they could catch up to the sun.

    But what could Ye Qing do except to give it his all?

    Yi Pin would die if he gave up. He had no other option.

    At first, the burden was still manageable thanks to his massive repertoire of secret arts, Magia, Strange Artifacts and treasures. He could easily ovee any terrain and cover dozens of kilometers in an instant.

    However, he eventually ran out of true qi and spirit and could no longer employ anything. So, he had no choice but to rely on his physical body.

    The good news was that he had reached the journeyman level in the Earthly Sovereign True Body. So long as his feet were stepping on the ground, his stamina was theoretically endless.

    The bad news was that the stream of stamina he obtained from the earth wasn¡¯t enough to keep up with the energy necessary to travel fifty kilometers in an instant.

    And so Ye Qing slowly forgot about the time or the journey. He began to weaken, tire, and grow dizzy.

    The hint he received did not mention how long he needed to chase after the sun. Therefore, Ye Qing did not dare to stop even though he was so tired he could die.

    After all, he might lose his one and only chance to save Yi Pin if he did.

    So, he squeezed out every ounce of strength inside his body and soldiered on through sheer willpower.

    He did not know how much longer he could keep this up; how much further he could run. All he knew was that he could not fall or stop no matter what.

    Yi Pin would die otherwise.

    ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ I think¡­ I¡¯m really at my¡­ limit¡­¡±@@novelbin@@

    A day passed, or maybe it was a lifetime. When Ye Qing tripped and fell on the ground onest time, he discovered that he had finally reached his limit. He could no longer even lift a finger.

    Looking at the departing sun, pain flickered in Ye Qing¡¯s murky eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother Yi Pin.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ did my¡­ best¡­¡±

    Ye Qing muttered weakly before his head hit a patch of dead grass. His consciousness sank into darkness.

    1. A Chinese folklore about a guy who tries to chase the sun andmand it to stop scorching the earth and evaporating the water, making it impossible for the people to live. ?

 Chapter 1072: The Bell Quells The River

    Ye Qing observed the ck Water for a moment before making a grabbing motion. In the sky, a two-headed bird that had been circling his head and watching him hungrily this whole time suddenly flew toward the ck Water against its will.

    The strange bird was shaped like a goshawk, and it had a ck head and a white head. The ck head looked handsome, formidable, and dignified, but the white head was rotten, partially melted, and absolutely disgusting.

    The two-headed strange bird was a Disaster-ss Stranger. It had been circling Ye Qing¡¯s head the moment it discovered him. It was clear as day that it harbored malicious intentions toward him.

    Ye Qing had never been merciful to his enemies. Since the two-headed strange bird clearly meant him harm, he decided to return the favor by pitting it against the ck Water.

    ¡°Oo oo oo!¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah!¡±

    The two heads let out a strange cry at the same time. One of them sounded like a woman sobbing, and the other sounded like a man howling at the top of his lungs. Together, they produced a horrifying shriek that could only be described as chaotic and full of madness.

    Even stranger, the shriek didn¡¯t enter Ye Qing¡¯s ears. It had appeared right inside his heart.

    If he was a weak-minded, weak-spirited warrior, the noise would instantly cause him to lose control of himself and fall into madness.However, Ye Qing was a different story. The second the sound invaded his mind, the Profound Yellow Mother Qi rippled and dispelled both the noise and the taint in an instant.

    <em>You tried to hurt me first, so it¡¯s perfectly reasonable for me to mind control you and use you as my test subject, right?</em>

    Ye Qing ignored the two-headed bird¡¯s struggles and forced it to fly toward the ck Water using his demonic thought.

    ¡°Oo oo oo!!¡±

    ¡°Ah ah ah!!¡±

    The closer the two-headed bird got to the ck Water, the shriller and fiercer its cries and struggles became. Ye Qing could clearly sense its growing terror.

    Too bad for the bird, it could not break free from Ye Qing¡¯s control no matter how hard it struggled. It could only fly closer and closer to the ck Water.

    As soon as the two-headed bird crossed into the ck Water¡¯s airspace, it reacted violently and decisively like a provoked beast. Massive waves immediately took form andshed out at the two-headed bird.

    Surprised, Ye Qing hurriedlymanded the two-headed bird to fly higher. However, not only did the ck Water keep chasing like it was a dragon or a serpent viciously defending its territory, it moved faster than the bird could fly and reached unbelievable altitudes in just an instant. The next moment, it engulfed the two-headed bird.

    The two-headed bird was a Disaster-ss Stranger. It was anything but weak. However, as soon as the ck Water caught it, it could not break free no matter how hard it struggled. The water bound it firmly as if it had a will of its own.

    Not only that, Ye Qing could tell through his demonic thought that the two-headed bird was weakening at an elerated rate. The ck Water was somehow eroding its strength.

    Just a dozen or so breathster, the two-headed bird lost even the strength to struggle and sank helplessly into the ck Water.

    As it sank, its life force leaked profusely until nothing was left. It was dead.@@novelbin@@

    Even after the two-headed bird had died, it continuously sank deeper into the ck Water. Seemingly bottomless, the two-headed bird failed to reach the bottom even though it had been sinking for an entire teatime.

    Ye Qing discovered something curious. The deeper the two-headed bird sank, the darker the ck Water became, and the more bodies he found floating inside of it.

    He saw a strange fish the size of arge hill, a flood dragon over three hundred meters long, a ferocious tiger that was covered in scale armor, a strange snake with a single horn on its head, so on and so forth. ?¦Á??§£§§S

    There were far too many Strangers in the ck Water to count, and their faces were all frozen in horror and despair almost as if to show off the terror that was the ck Water.

    Another dozen breaths passed, and the ck Water finally eroded the demonic thought Ye Qing had imbued to the two-headed birdpletely. Right before it was gone, Ye Qing still could not see the bottom. He only saw an ever increasing amount of Stranger carcasses. It was chilling to say the least.

    Some of the Strangers Ye Qing recognized, and some he had never seen or heard before ever in his life. One thing was certain, however. The Strangers were all very powerful. Even in death, the auras they gave off intimidated him.

    ¡°Hah¡­ it looks like the ck Water is even more dangerous than I imagined!¡±

    Ye Qing exhaled deeply after the demonic thought was fully eroded. He knew that the ck Water was dangerous, but its true threat level still exceeded his imagination.

    He only needed to recall the bodies in the ck Water to know that.

    A moment of thoughtter, Ye Qing produced a log from Nine Heavens and tossed it into the river. The good news was that the ck Water did not be enraged. The bad news was that the log turned ck and melted into nothing not long after it left the shore.

    ¡°Heavens¡­¡±

    Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help a gasp. The log was an extraordinary log called the Iron Cotton Wood. As its name implied, it was as tough as iron but as light as cotton. It was quite the unusual material, and yet it had taken the ck Water almost no time to erode itpletely. How terrifying!

    ¡°This is troublesome¡­¡±

    Ye Qing muttered while furrowing his brow. It looked like the ck Water was uncrossable by the animate or the inanimate.

    What did he mean by that? If a living, animate object attempted to cross the ck Water, it woulde alive and devour that object. A dead, inanimate object could cross the ck Water without enraging it, but it would be eroded and melted by the ck Water in a short time. In short, it was an impassable river.

    To reach the Radiant Tree, one must first cross the ck Water and scale the Cyan Mountain.

    Earlier, he had observed thendmarks carefully and realized that the ck Water seemed to circle around the Cyan Mountainpletely. Therefore, it was impossible for him to reach the Cyan Mountain without crossing the ck Water.

    Unfortunately, it did not look like it would be easy to cross the ck Water at all.

    ¡°Screw it, I¡¯m just gonna ask the Annon Sutra!¡±

    A few breathster, Ye Qing gave up on his brain. When in doubt, ask the Annon Sutra! It would save you time, energy, and many brain cells!

    Ye Qing produced the Annon Sutra and asked, ¡°How can I cross the ck Water?¡±

    Then, he dripped his blood on the piece of vellum.

    A short whileter, the Annon Sutra replied, ¡°Calm the waves, still the wind.¡±

    ¡°Calm the waves, still the wind?¡±

    Ye Qing repeated the answer a few times as he mulled it over in his head.

    Was it saying that the only way to cross the ck Water was to freeze the ck Water¡¯s wind and waves?

    It made a certain amount of sense. If a living being tried to cross the ck Water, it would be enraged and kick up a towering wind and wave that devoured everything. However, if he could somehow freeze them in ce, then the ck Water would not be able to do anything. He would be able to cross it safely.

    ¡°In that case, there is an easy solution to this.¡±

    A smile appeared on Ye Qing¡¯s face as he extended his left hand. A dark yellow bell appeared on his palm.

    The next moment, Ye Qing flicked the dark yellow bell lightly.

    <em>Thang!</em>

    A grand, solemn bell chime resounded throughout heaven and earth, and a profound light seemed to illuminate anything and everything.

    Wherever the bell chime traveled, the wind subsided, and the waves receded.

    Wherever the light reached, the ripples smoothed over, and the waves disappeared like it never was.

    It was a magical scene. The ck Water that was still raging and surging a moment ago suddenly became perfectly smooth and peaceful. It was almost as if an invisible power had stretched out a wrinkled piece of fabric. The torrent was no more, and the wind and waves vanished into thin air. All that was left behind was a perfectly smooth, shiny surface that resembled a ck mirror.

    ¡°The bell chime quells earth and water, the profound light illuminates wind and extinguishes fire.¡± Such was the power of the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    In simpler terms, the Earthly Sovereign Bell could suppress an entire area and shackle both space and time. This was why Ye Qing was confident it would work.

    This was also the first time he fully unleashed the Earthly Sovereign Bell¡¯s power in the real world, and its power did not disappoint him.

 Chapter 1073: The Cyan Mountain Is Difficult To Climb

    After the ck Water was suppressed, Ye Qing tossed the Earthly Sovereign Bell over his head. Then, while the bell floated above his head and shone endless rays of profound light, Ye Qing walked toward the ck Water.

    As soon as he set foot on the ck Water, Ye Qing was struck by a distinct wave of emotions: anger at being provoked, and malice that threatened to consume all. It wanted to engulf him and consume him whole.

    However, the light shining from the Earthly Sovereign Bell was as heavy as mountains and as dense as the earth itself. It suppressed the ck Water so thoroughly that it could not create even the tiniest ripples or waves.@@novelbin@@

    From the distance, Ye Qing looked like a bonafide celestial. A bronze bell floating above his head and a sheen of profound light covering his body like a cloak, he calmly walked across the ck Water like it was solid ground.

    Thanks to the Earthly Sovereign Bell, Ye Qing was able to cross the ck Water almost effortlessly. When he finally set foot on the other side of the shore, Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief and gave the Earthly Sovereign Bell a tap. It rotated once on top of his head before sinking into his skull.

    As soon as the Earthly Sovereign Bell disappeared, and the profound light was no more, the still waters of the ck Water suddenly churned ferociously.

    Not only that, Ye Qing¡¯s demonic thought told him that the entire river seemed to be boiling with infinite rage. In almost no time at all, a titanic wave stretching from one end to another climbed to a height of three hundred meters and crashed down toward Ye Qing.

    ¡°Motherfucker! It¡¯s a sore loser!¡±

    Shocked, Ye Qing hurriedly backed a few steps away from the rivershore. He was about to summon the Earthly Sovereign Bell once more when suddenly, he saw the wave crashing into what looked like an invisible wall before copsing back into the river.Reluctant to give up, the ck Water gathered its waves a second time and copsed on top of Ye Qing. However, as soon as the ck Water threatened to leave the rivershore, it was blocked and shattered by an invisible force. It had no choice but to fall helplessly back into the river.

    ¡°I see! The ck Water cannot leave the river. Thank goodness!¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his half-stretched arm and let out a sigh of relief.

    For whatever reason, the ck Water could only operate within the boundaries of the river. It could stretch upward infinitely, but as soon as it tried to cross either side of the shore, it would be stopped by some sort of mysterious power.

    A dozen or so breathster, when the ck Water tried again and again to hurt Ye Qing to no avail, it finally gave up on its assault and returned to its previous appearance.

    Ye Qing could tell that the ck Water¡¯s malice toward him hadn¡¯t disappeared or even decreased, however. On the contrary, it was mounting by the second.

    He had no doubt that the ck Water would do everything in its power to kill him if he so much as tried to poke his toes over the shore.

    ¡°What a bad temper!¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose and rolled his eyes at the river. For an entity with such a cool name, the ck Water¡¯s personality was anything but. It was petty and an expert at holding a grudge.

    Luckily for the ck Water, Ye Qing wasn¡¯t in the mood to tease it. After confirming that the ck Water couldn¡¯t harm him, he immediately turned around and walked toward the Cyan Mountain.

    The Cyan Mountain was right before his eyes after he crossed the ck Water. A short whileter, he arrived at the foot of the mountain without running into any more danger.

    ¡°Is this whole mountain¡­ made of bronze?!¡±

    Ye Qing did not realize this when he was far away, but now that he was standing at the bottom of the Cyan Mountain, he was surprised just how massive and tall it was.

    If size was all it had, then he wouldn¡¯t have been this surprised. What truly astounded him was the fact that the mountain was madepletely out of bronze. Not earth, not stone. Bronze. Every single speck of it.

    As if he was unable to believe his own eyes, Ye Qing reached out and gave the mountain two light taps. The metallic ng confirmed that it was definitely a bronze mountain.

    Now he understood why the Cyan Mountain was cyan-colored. Bronze was cyan, and the whole damn thing was made out of bronze.

    After he was done being surprised, Ye Qing began examining the bronze mountain carefully. wlessly cyan, the bronze mountain was a seamless integrated masterpiece of nature. Majestic and spectacr, it looked both like a miracle and an unfathomable mystery. ?????£Â§§?

    A few breathster, Ye Qing withdrew his gaze and fell into thought.

    How could he climb the Cyan Mountain?

    The good news was that he sensed no danger or inauspicious sign from the mountain.

    The bad news was that the mountain waspletely bare besides the Radiant Tree. It was also extremely steep and perfectly smooth like a vertical mirror. There was literally no foothold or grip he could use to climb the mountain.

    He already tried using his true qi to attach himself to its surface, but it was useless. His Strange Artifacts only fared worse.

    It looked like scaling the Cyan Mountain was going to be a trial.

    ¡°I guess the only way left is to fly up there.¡±

    Ye Qing produced a paper crane on his hand and blew at it. It immediately pped its wings and flew toward the peak of the Cyan Mountain.

    At first, everything seemed normal. However, he soon noticed that the paper crane was flying slower and slower. It looked like it was being weighed down by a terrible burden.

    How could he tell? It was because the paper crane was gradually, no, rapidly transforming into bronze.

    Just a few breaths after the transformation began, the paper crane transformedpletely into bronze and lost its power. Then, it plummeted straight to the bottom.

    Ye Qing was going to catch the falling paper¡ªwell, now bronze¡ªcrane and examine it when suddenly, it shattered to smithereens. The wind quickly scattered the debris and left no traces of it behind.

    Seeing this, Ye Qing frowned and surrounded himself in a sheen of dark yellow light. Then, he leaped into the air.

    He had only crossed the ten meter mark when suddenly, he discovered that his skin was turning cyan and umting ayer of bronze rust. He had no idea when it happened. His profound light did nothing to stop it.

    Unwilling to push things further, Ye Qing hurriedly descended back to the ground and checked his body. Theyer of bronze rust did not fade away, so he channeled his true qi and shattered it into nothing. Of course, bits of his flesh and blood were blown away as well, though his powerful vitality quickly restored everything back to normal since only small parts of his flesh and blood were converted into bronze.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I guess flying is not an option.¡± Ye Qing frowned deeply as he rubbed his nose. There was a bit of lingering fear and trepidation in his heart as he recalled what happened. If he had persisted for just a few seconds longer¡­

    This Cyan Mountain was definitely anomalous. Not even the Profound Yellow Mother Qi could shield him from it. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, the transformation had taken ce without him noticing anything. It was scary to say the least.

    So, how could he climb the Cyan Mountain?

    ¡°You¡¯re up again, bud!¡±

    Ye Qing let out a helpless sigh and produced the Annon Sutra obediently.

    As much as he was wary of the Annon Sutra, he always came back to it at a critical moment. It was both sad and ironic.

    ¡°How can I climb the Cyan Mountain?¡± Ye Qing asked before dripping his blood over the vellum. A momentter, the Annon Sutra replied, ¡°Prostrate yourself and climb up the mountain.¡±

    ¡°Prostrate myself¡­ and climb up the mountain???¡±

    Ye Qing rolled his eyes, hard. He understood every word that had appeared on the piece of vellum, but the sentence? The sentence was apletely different story.

    <em>If you¡¯re going to answer me, then just give it to me straight! Why do you always have to riddle me so?</em>

    Then again, the Annon Sutra had always been like this. It was basically the Riddler in vellum form.

    Ye Qing quickly shook aside the stray thoughts and focused on deciphering the Annon Sutra¡¯s words.

    ¡°Prostrate yourself¡±. ¡°Climb up the mountain¡±. Both were very simple and easy actions.

    To prostrate oneself was to lie down with one¡¯s hands, knees, and head touching the ground. It was also an expression of absolute reverence and submission.

    In the past, it was the highest sign of worship or respect a mortal could convey to a deity or a Buddha.

    ¡°Climb up the mountain¡± meant¡­ well¡­ climb up the mountain. There was absolutely nothing special about the sentence.

    The problem was that the two phrases¡ª¡°prostrate yourself¡± and ¡°climb up the mountain¡±¡ªhad absolutely nada to do with each other.

    What the hell was the Annon Sutra trying to say?

    Was the message literal?

    Did it expect him to lie face down on the ground and somehow climb up a mountain?

    How?

    Was the Annon Sutra ying a practical joke on him?

 Chapter 1074: The Crimson Luan

    ¡°Wait¡­ maybe¡­ it can actually work¡­?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing realized something and perked up. ¡°Yeah¡­ I think it¡¯s doable!¡±

    The Cyan Mountain was extremely steep and smooth as a mirror. Assuming no other way was possible, the only way left one might scale up the mountain was to cling to the wall with all their might, arms and legs and everything, and climb upward.

    Was that what the Annon Sutra was trying to say?

    <em>I think so!</em>

    The Radiant Tree was supposedly a divine tree, and a Cyan Mountain was also a divine mountain. If a mortal wished to scale a divine mountain and meet the divine tree, then of course they should act reverent. One way to show reverence was to prostrate oneself, meaning that he needed to maintain a prostrate position as he scaled the mountain.

    <em>Let¡¯s try this immediately!</em>

    Ye Qing immediately pressed his arms and legs to the wall. Then, he tried to climb upward like a lizard and¡­

    ¡­ Slide off immediately.As mentioned before, the Cyan Mountain was perfectly smooth. There wasn¡¯t a single blemish on the mirror-like surface in which he could use to pull himself up. True qi could not be attached to its surface, and everything else such as Magia, secret arts, Strange Artifacts and more werepletely useless as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Was I wrong?¡±

    Ye Qing frowned deeply as he tried to figure out why the method didn¡¯t work.

    He thought for a moment before pressing his fingers against the mountain¡¯s surface.

    He was checking to see if he could brute force a handhold for himself.

    Of course, it waspletely useless.

    At his current strength, forget breaching the side of a mountain, he could punch a mountain out of existence if he wanted to.

    However, the Cyan Mountain was so tough that he failed to leave even a single dent on its surface. He was employing almost all of his strength too. It showed just how tough the Cyan Mountain was.

    Therefore, brute force was not an option.

    ¡°What the hell is going on here? Is the Annon Sutra really ying a trick on me?¡±

    Ye Qing rubbed his nose furiously. ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    The Annon Sutra was a chronic riddler, and sometimes it outright refused to answer his questions. When it did though, it was never wrong.

    Therefore, he was probably the problem here. He still didn¡¯t understand what it meant to ¡°prostrate yourself and climb the mountain¡± fully.

    ¡°Prostrate yourself¡­ prostate¡­ oh. Oh!¡±

    Ye Qing was muttering to himself when suddenly, he paused for an instant before pping himself in the forehead. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I forgot about this! Prostrating requires touching one¡¯s head to the ground as well!¡±

    To prostrate oneself was to touch one¡¯s forehead, arms, and knees to the ground. His arms and knees were touching the wall earlier, but his head was raised because he wanted to see where he was going. That was why it didn¡¯t count!

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it another go!¡±@@novelbin@@

    Once again, Ye Qing walked up to the Cyan Mountain and pressed his arms, knees, and forehead to the mountainside. Then, he began climbing upward.

    It worked. He did not slide off the surface. It felt as if some sort of attraction force was pulling his body and the mountainside together, so the surface was no longer smooth and impossible to climb. ?§¡?????

    ¡°Finally!¡±

    Delighted, Ye Qing slowly crept his way upward.

    He could have climbed faster, but he wasn¡¯t sure if the strange power that transformed his flesh and blood into bronze was still present. That was why he had to be careful.

    After climbing up about ten meters, Ye Qing stopped and observed his body carefully. Once he confirmed that his skin, flesh and blood showed no signs of transforming into bronze, he finally rxed and climbed quickly.

    Now that the obstacle and the danger had all been neutralized, Ye Qing¡¯s climb speed had dramatically increased as a matter of course.

    There was the minor problem of his climbing posture, but thankfully, there was no one around to witness it. If no one saw it, then it never happened! His heroic image was still safe!

    A teatimeter, Ye Qing¡¯s vision suddenly changed from pure cyan to thick, winding roots. The roots were as thick as a tree trunk big enough to require several people to embrace. They weren¡¯t all the same either. Some were slithering like a python, some were meandering like a river, and some were entangled like a dragon. It was quite grand and impressive.

    Also, the end of the roots were sunk into the bronze mountain. It was as if the bronze structure even he could not put a single dent on was no more but ordinary soil.

    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±

    Delighted, Ye Qing climbed up a giant root that stretched outward and stood up.

    The roots were so unbelievably massive that each one was almost as wide as a patch of tnd. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t worried about falling off at all.

    Ye Qing looked up. The first thing he saw was a tree trunk that was as thick as a mountain, and as tall as the heavens themselves. It waspletely purple in color and devoid of branches. Smooth as jade, it looked more like an exquisite art piece than an actual tree.

    The top of the tree trunk was an endless canopy that seemed to cover the entire sky. Countless red flowers were growing out of the branches.

    The red flowers were as big as houses. Boasting nine petals and nine pistils, they were as red as the sun and emitted haloes.

    The crimson flowers were brightly colored and absolutely magnificent. When the wind blew past them, they swayed lightly and emittedyers of red light and puffs of spiritual qi. Thebination was what caused the sky to look like it was burning and wlessly red. It was like a dream; a fantasy.

    ¡°So beautiful¡­¡±

    Ye Qing could not help but murmur as he took in the magnificent sight.

    The purple tree in front of him was none other than the Radiant Tree, and it was even bigger, loftier, and more beautiful than he had imagined.

    The red flowers glowed like fire and sun, but they actually did not give off any heat at all. On the contrary, it felt as cool as spring and as soothing as the night up here.

    Not only that, the entire Radiant Tree was oozing spirituality and beauty. The rich spiritual qi in the air and the air of worldly Dao felt like they wouldst forever.

    Just standing on the Radiant Tree made Ye Qing feel like his mind was bing one with the world, and a bridge was forming between his will and the Dao. It was beyond profound yet perfectly natural.

    Ye Qing had no doubt that practicing three to five years under the Radiant Tree was equal to practicing decades in the outside world.

    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s called the divine tree. It¡¯s too bad¡­¡±

    Ye Qing let out a long sigh. If he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to enter the Kunlun Ruins, he definitely would have considered practicing under the Radiant Tree for a bit.

    Ye Qing chased away his stray thoughts and began walking toward the Radiant Tree.

    Legend had it that the Radiant Tree was the bridge between the realm of mortals and the realm of gods. Therefore, the only way to enter the Kunlun Ruins was to climb the Radiant Tree.

    ording to the murals inside the Kunlun Tomb, the Radiant Tree was also how the ancestors of West Kunlun and East Kunlun had left the Kunlun Ruins.

    In short, he still had some more climbing to do before he could reach his destination.

    ¡°Chirp!¡±

    It was at this moment a long, mellifluous chirp came from the tree¡¯s canopy.

    Ye Qing immediately entered high alert and looked up. He saw arge red bird jumping off the canopy and flying toward him.

    The bird looked like a fire phoenix of the legends. Its feathers were red like fire, its head carried a feathery crown of five colors, its tail sported feathers of seven colors, and its whole body was covered in mes. Its wings were big enough to cover the sky, and its presence was loftier than even the clouds.

    ¡°Is it¡­ the legendary Crimson Luan?¡±

    ording to the book ¡°On Picking Lost Items Across Mountains and Seas¡±, a bird shaped like a phoenix and chirped like a sparrow lived on the Radiant Tree. It was called the Crimson Luan.

    The Crimson Luan was born from the essence of the Radiant Tree. Immortal and undying, it was as long-lived as the world so long as it remained on the Radiant Tree, but if it left, then it would gradually lose both its power and its life force and eventually perish.

    Therge bird before him was as huge as it was mighty. He was certain that it boasted the strength of a Half-Sage at least. It had to be the legendary Crimson Luan.

    Ye Qing¡¯s expression was solemn, and he was ready for anything. He did not attack the bird or try to escape, however. It was because he could not sense any hostility or malice from the bird.

    As expected, the Crimson Luan circled the air twice beforending on a root not far away from Ye Qing. Then, it turned its head and examined Ye Qing with clear interest.

    ¡°I greet you, senior Crimson Luan!¡±

    Ye Qing greeted the bird and bowed respectfully.

    The Crimson Luan was the essence of the Radiant Tree. Although it couldn¡¯t speak, it was an intelligent-type Stranger. Naturally, it could understand his words.

 Chapter 1075: Seeing The Heavensâ€™ Gate

    Chapter 1075: Seeing The Heavens¡¯ Gate

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    The Crimson Luan pped its wings and chirped twice, loud and clear.

    Somehow, Ye Qing could clearly hear the Crimson Luan¡¯s delight and goodwill from its chirps.

    The Crimson Luan pped its wings and scattered its mes a little. Several birds then flew out of the mes, chirped as they circled around him, andnded on his shoulders.

    ¡°It¡¯s you guys!¡±

    Ye Qing recognized the birds immediately. They were the ones who woke him up with dew when he was unconscious earlier.

    ¡°So, it was you who saved me. Thank you very much, senior.¡±

    Ye Qing saluted the Crimson Luan once more. At this point, it became clear that the birds were illusions conjured by the Crimson Luan before him. They were just so realistic that he wasn¡¯t able to recognize their hidden ws until now.

    This also meant that the Crimson Luan had taken notice of him the moment he arrived in this realm.¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    The Crimson Luan let out another pair of happy chirps.

    It was at this moment one bird leaped onto his arm and pecked the Nine Heavens on his wrist lightly. From time to time, it would look at him and chirped twice as if there was something inside his Nature¡¯s Shell that interested him greatly.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Ye Qing asked smilingly while giving it a pat on the head.

    Then, he realized something and summoned the Radiant Tree branch. He asked, ¡°Is this what you¡¯re looking for?¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    As soon as the birds saw the Radiant Tree branch, the rest of the birds jumped onto his hand or flew tiny circles around the branch, chirping excitedly.

    The next moment, the birds transformed into wisps of me and entered the Radiant Tree branch.

    What was a dim and lightless branch before instantly became translucent and pure as if it had regained its vitality. The withered flower on the branch too became rejuvenated and bloomed like fire once more.

    Not only that, Ye Qing could clearly sense the Radiant Tree branch was emitting waves of delight and excitement almost as if it was sentient.

    ¡°Chirp chip!¡±

    Ye Qing was still admiring the branch when the Crimson Luan chirped twice and pped its wings at him.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Ye Qing asked tentatively after taking a moment to decipher the Crimson Luan¡¯s gesture, ¡°Are you asking me¡­ to sit on your back, senior?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to carry me up there?¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    The Crimson Luan nodded and chirped again, seemingly urging Ye Qing to get moving already.

    ¡°Thank you so much, senior!¡±

    Ye Qing was delighted as a matter of course. He was just wondering how he should climb up the Radiant Tree to the Kunlun Ruins. Although he hadn¡¯t sensed any danger from the Radiant Tree yet, he had a feeling that the climb up to the Kunlun Ruins would not be easy. He only needed to recall his experience with the ck Water and the Cyan Mountain to know that.

    He never imagined that the Radiant Tree branch would draw the Crimson Luan to him, however. With its aid, he could easily reach the top of the Radiant Tree and enter the Kunlun Ruins.

    Ye Qing did not pause even though a million thoughts were racing in his mind. He appeared on the Crimson Luan¡¯s back in a sh.

    ¡°Please, senior!¡±

    The Crimson Luan gave him a soft chirp, and it took off toward the top of the Radiant Tree.

    The Crimson Luan reached the canopy in just the blink of an eye. Ye Qing immediately felt as if he had entered a world of cloudy fire where all he could see was pure, unblemished red. It was beautiful and fantastical.

    At the same time, he noticed that many Crimson Luans were residing on the branches. Some were pecking away at the dew residing on the crimson flowers, and some were flying circles around a cluster of flowers as elegant as butterflies.

    At first nce, there were dozens of them at least.

    Ye Qing was extremely relieved that these Crimson Luans held no animosity toward him. Otherwise, not even a dozen hims would be a match for these Crimson Luans.

    The Crimson Luan flew higher and higher until it finallynded on top of a dim, broken tree branch. This was unusual as this was the only branch that was broken and devoid of vitality.

    Ye Qing was wondering what was going on when suddenly, the branch he was holding suddenly flew out of his hand and flew toward the broken stump.

    <em>Could it be? Is this </em>the <em>stump where the ancestors of East Kunlun and West Kunlun had obtained their branch?</em>

    The thought shed in Ye Qing¡¯s mind, but something wasn¡¯t right. The stump was the size of a millstone, whereas the Radiant Tree branch was only as big as a human finger. Just looking at the sheer difference in size, the branch could not possiblye from this stump.

    Ye Qing was quickly proven wrong, however. As soon as the Radiant Tree branchnded on the stump, purple qi bubbled, and fire flowed into it. The Radiant Tree branch immediately became connected to the stump.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened as he watched the big, dead branch gradually regained its vitality and became smooth and bright like the other branches. At the same time, the Radiant Tree branch that was only the size of a human finger began swelling at an elerated rate. It kept growing until it became as thick as the stump it was attached to. At the same time, thin shoots of green leaves and red flowers grew out of its body.

    The blink of an eyeter, the broken branch looked exactly the same as the other branches of the Radiant Tree. If he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, he would never know that there was once a broken, dead branch at this spot.

    ¡°Huh. It really was taken from this branch!¡±

    Ye Qing was amazed to say the least. No wonder they called the Radiant Tree a divine tree. This was a divine feat for sure.

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    It was at this moment the Crimson Luans flooded in from every direction and chirped incessantly. The noise wasn¡¯t unpleasant, however. On the contrary, it was melodious and delightful like a song.@@novelbin@@

    As the Crimson Luans chirped, the red flowers of the Radiant Tree shone brightly and swayed gently. For a moment, the ¡°clouds¡± vibrated, and the ¡°fire¡± danced. It was a scene straight out of a fantasy.

    Ye Qing could not help but share in the Crimson Luans¡¯ sentiment and felt happy as well.

    A short whileter, the Crimson Luans stopped chirping. The Crimson Luan who carried Ye Qing then chirped a few times.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s only right,¡± Ye Qing replied because he could sense a hint of gratitude from the Crimson Luan¡¯s chirps.

    The Crimson Luan stretched out its wings once more, and Ye Qing got the hint immediately. Once his footing was steady, the Crimson Luan leaped off the branch and soared into the sky once more.

    It wasn¡¯t the only one. The rest of the Crimson Luans followed suit and flew alongside them.

    It was an experience Ye Qing did not think he would forget anytime soon.

    When the Crimson Luans finally reached the top of the Radiant Tree, the world of red abruptly changed into a sea of clouds.

    Standing at the peak of the world in the middle of the sea of clouds was a Heavens¡¯ Gate.

    The Heavens¡¯ Gate was tall and massive. It almost spanned from one end of the horizon to another, and it was overflowing with mystery and antiquity.

    ¡°The Kunlun Ruins¡­¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened in amazement and excitement as he stared at the magnificent gate. Even his fingers were trembling a little.

    ¡°Chirp!¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    The Crimson Luan carrying Ye Qing let out a long chirp, and the Crimson Luans at the back followed suit. They crossed their wings in front of themselves as if saluting the giant gate.

    Then, the Crimson Luan carrying Ye Qing flew toward the Heavens¡¯ Gate while everyone else stayed behind.

 Chapter 1076: Nether Demon

    Chapter 1076: Nether Demon

    A few breathster, the Crimson Luannded in front of the Heavens¡¯ Gate.

    Ye Qing leaped off its back and gave it a solemn bow. ¡°Thank you for everything, senior.¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    The Crimson Luan chirped softly before flying away. Once it had reunited with its brethren, they all took flight and disappeared into the sea of clouds. Ye Qing reckoned that they had returned to the Radiant Tree.

    Ye Qing examined the Heavens¡¯ Gate only after the Crimson Luans were all gone.

    Hebeled it as the ¡°Heavens¡¯ Gate¡± in his head, but it was really a gigantic <em>pailou</em>[1]. Seemingly made from bronze and covered in auspicious engravings such as dragons, phoenixes, and auspicious clouds, it seemed to be infinitely tall and wide. It also exuded an aura of mystery and antiquity.

    Standing at the bottom of the structure, Ye Qing felt as small and weak as an ant.

    That said, although the Heavens¡¯ Gate seemed to be infinitely tall, he could clearly see the words ¡°Kunlun Ruins¡± hanging on the roof.

    The second he saw the words ¡°Kunlun Ruins¡±, they suddenly unleashed a sh of light so bright that his eyes hurt, and tears streaked down his cheeks.¡°Argh!¡±

    It was at this moment Ye Qing suddenly heard a bloodcurdling scream. It came from behind him.

    Spine tingling with shock, Ye Qing ignored the pain of his eyes and surrounded himself in profound light.

    When he turned around, he saw a shadow writhing and smoking a little on the floor. It looked like the blinding light was burning it.

    ¡°Warrior¡­ save me¡­ please, save me¡­¡±

    It was at this moment the shadow suddenly transformed into a beautiful woman and begged Ye Qing for help.

    The woman was extraordinarily attractive. Her appearance naturally induced sympathy in anyone.

    Ye Qing waspletely unmoved, however. He didn¡¯t so much as bat an eyelid.

    Seeing hisck of reaction, the shadow turned into a five-years-old girl next and cried, ¡°Save Young Nan, uncle! Please! It hurts! It hurts!¡±

    The young girl looked as cute and pretty as a doll. Her cries of pain were impossible to ignore either.

    Still, Ye Qing did not move a muscle, though he was now wearing a curious expression. Not only could this shadow transform its appearance and looked exactly like a human, it could draw out their Seven Emotions and Six Desires as well. It did this to lure them to temptation and distort their mind.

    Of course, this power waspletely useless against him. At his current level, only a handful of people was his better in the area of controlling another¡¯s Seven Emotions and Six Desires and bending their mind to their will. Compared to him, this shadow might as well be a child trying to cut down an adult with his toy sword.

    Seeing that Ye Qing was still unmoved, a vicious snarl slowly appeared on the shadow¡¯s face.

    ¡°Go on, change your appearance. Why are you stopping?¡± Ye Qing said with a chuckle.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you helping me? Why aren¡¯t you helping me!?¡±

    The next moment, the shadow transformed into Ye Qing, though it was bleeding from all orifices and looked as ugly as a ghoul. The next moment, it pounced toward Ye Qing as if it would swallow him whole.

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    Ye Qing sneered audibly before increasing the intensity of his light. Like fire tossed into a pot of oil, the shadow immediately caught on fire and sizzled loudly. It wasn¡¯t long before it melted into nothing and perished.

    ¡°A Nine Nethers Demon¡­¡±

    Ye Qing withdrew his power and turned serious after killing the shadow.

    He was very familiar with the shadow¡¯s presence. Uniquely dark, evil and tainted, it was almost identical as the Fog Demon¡¯s. That was why he recognized it as a Nine Nethers Demon immediately.

    ¡°Why is there a Nine Nethers Demon in the Kunlun Ruins?¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyebrows were tightly knitted. The Kunlun Ruins was a blessednd of the celestials, whereas a Nine Nethers Demon was a vile creature of the Nine Nethers. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were the furthest things away from each other, so how on earth did they get involved with one another?

    Or perhaps the cmity that struck the Kunlun Ruins many centuries ago were caused by the Nine Nethers Demons?

    It wasn¡¯t impossible. The Kunlun Ruins was an ancient blessednd of the celestials, and everyone residing within it was an extraordinary genius who could be a Sage. There might even be a legendary Immortal or two among them. Despite this, they were hit by a cmity so terrible that all of the celestials had fallen ¡°aslumber¡±.

    The Nine Nethers Demons were one such cmity. Born in the Nine Nethers¡ªthe darkest, vilest, most heretical, and most yin ces in the entire world¡ªno one boasted greater power of corruption than them. They could easily tempt a person to fall into temptation, indulge in their vices, lose sight of their heart, and give birth to all sorts of evil desires.

    All Nine Nethers Demons were born with the Nine Nethers¡¯ power of corruption. Naturally, they were quite terrifying. They were many times scarier than even the Strangers terrorizing the world of mortals right now.

    Assuming that, for whatever reason, the Nine Nethers Demons and the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi had invaded the Kunlun Ruins and formed a ck Tide, then even the Kunlun Ruins would be hardpressed to repel them.

    This would also exin why he encountered a Nine Nethers Demon just now.

    But of course, this was just an assumption. He could not verify its authenticity until he had further proof.

    Regardless of the truth of the matter, this ident was a reminder that the Kunlun Ruins were as dangerous as the Annon Sutra said they were. He must never let his guard down.

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes gradually turned deep and dark yellow as he looked up at the three words in the sky once more. He was curious. What on earth was within the three words that they could discover a Nine Nethers Demon that even he had missed?

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t too afraid even though the damn thing had been hiding right inside his shadow. The Profound Yellow Mother Qi shielded him from all evils. Even if he hadn¡¯t discovered it, there was still nothing the Nine Nethers Demon could have done to him.

    Thanks to the power of the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, he was able to examine the three words even though the intense light shining down from the Heavens¡¯ Gate was still hurting his eyes a little.

    ¡°A stamp¡­¡±

    After a careful examination, Ye Qing discovered that the bright light came from the stamp at the bottom right corner of the board.

    ¡°Stamp of Profound Sovereign Chongming¡­¡±

    Ye Qing muttered the words within the stamp under his breath. It was only five words, but they were ancient, profound, and possessed seemingly limitless power.

    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the name on the Heavens¡¯ Gate¡ª¡°Kunlun Ruins¡±¡ªwas written by this Profound Sovereign Chongming. That was why his stamp existed at the bottom right corner of the board.

    He did not know who Profound Sovereign Chongming was, but the fact that he was allowed to stamp his name on the main entrance of the Kunlun Ruins, and the fact that his stamp was so powerful, could only mean that Profound Sovereign Chongming was an extraordinary person. He was most likely one of the celestials living in the Kunlun Ruins.

    ¡°It¡¯s too bad¡­¡±

    A momentter, Ye Qing reluctantly withdrew his gaze from the stamp. Had the stamp existed anywhere else, he would have done everything in his power to im it for himself. Unfortunately, the stamp was engraved into the Heavens¡¯ Gate itself. He couldn¡¯t possibly destroy this whole structure just to obtain the stamp, right?

    If he did, the celestials of the Kunlun Ruins might jump out of their coffins and p him to death.

    But of course, he wasn¡¯t serious about taking the stamp. The main reason he came to the Kunlun Ruins was to save Yi Pin. He didn¡¯t mind a bit of looting, but considering his objective, thest thing he wanted to do was to start a side quest.

    A shrugter, Ye Qing stepped through the Heavens¡¯ Gate.

    The second he crossed the threshold, the scenery before his eyes changed as if he had entered a whole new world.

    He saw cyan mountains, green waters, and leisurely clouds at the distance.

    He saw clusters of towers, pavilions and pces.

    The air was overflowing with spiritual qi, colorful and gorgeous.@@novelbin@@

    The white clouds leisurely floated across the sky while taking all kinds of forms.

    The blowing wind secretly showed off the profound secrets of nature.

    And the tall mountains and flowing waters came together to y a melodious tune of nature.

    This was a realm anyone would say, ¡°What a blessednd of the celestials!¡± at first nce.

    Ye Qing was frowning though.

    It was because hidden behind this picturesque realm of the celestials was thick, tainted darkness.

    1. Literally meaning ¡°memorial archway gate¡±, a paifang, also known as a pailou, is a traditional style of Chinese architecture, often used in arch or gateway structures. ?

 Chapter 1077: Sages Arrive

    <h4>Chapter 1077: Sages Arrive</h4>

    There were tainted demonic qi mixed within the spiritual qi.

    The white clouds were hiding a darkened sky.

    A mixture of energies permanently existed within the wind.

    And the tall mountains hid a dark, evil energy underneath.

    The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi to be exact.

    Not only that, the world appeared to be thriving and overflowing with life, but in reality it was full of rot, decay, and death.

    Ye Qing could clearly sense that this entire realm was slowly dying.

    It was a polluted world, a decaying world, a world that was slowly but surely walking toward demise.

    ¡°It really does have something to do with the Nine Nethers!¡±

    Ye Qing reached out and broke a branch from a nearby tree. The branch looked perfectly intact on the outside, but it was really withered and dead on the inside. Not only that, he could sense thick Nine Nethers Demonic Qi within the decay.

    His assumption was right after all. The cmity that struck the Kunlun Ruins definitely had something to do with the Nine Nethers.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t too worried though. The Nine Nethers Demonic Qi was scary because it was one of, if not the most corruptive elements in the world. Capable of corrupting anything and anyone, it possessed the power to tempt it all to damnation.

    However, he was immune to all evils because he was protected by the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, and the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi definitely counted as a form of evil. On top of that, he also practiced the ¡°Paranirmitava?avartin Heavenly Demon Sutra¡±. Founded in the natural desires of humanity, the demonic intent it generated was fundamentally different from the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi, but surprisinglypatible in the sense that they were birds of a feather. Therefore, not only did he feel neither incongruous nor ufortable in this tainted world, he actually felt like a fish who had returned to the sea.

    ¡°If that is the case, then maybe...¡±

    Suddenly, an idea shed inside Ye Qing¡¯s head. He immediately withdrew his profound light and summoned a pair of demonic lotuses behind his pupils. At the same time, his eyes darkened until they were pools of ckness, and his aura grew increasingly dark and evil until it resembled the Nine Nethers Demon from earlier.

    He was using his demonic thought to conceal his energies and vitality. It was to avoid the many dangers he could not have avoided as your average flesh-and-blood being.

    Since the Kunlun Ruins were corrupted by Nine Nethers Demonic Qi, the creatures in it must have suffered the same corruption. Therefore, there must be more dark beings like the Nine Nethers Demon he encountered earlier.

    A living creature was like a delicious meal to any Nine Nethers Demon, and considering his Profound Yellow Mother Qi and titanic levels of vigor, Ye Qing reckoned that he was the most delicious of them all. He was going to draw everyone and everything like a lighthouse in the darkest night and garner himself unnecessary danger and trouble if he just waltzed inside as he was.

    That was why he chose to conceal his vitality and disguise himself as a Nine Nethers Demon using his demonic thought. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

    ¡°Now then, where is Yi Pin?¡±

    After observing his surroundings for a bit and detecting no danger, Ye Qing produced the Annon Sutra and asked for Yi Pin¡¯s location.

    This time though, the Annon Sutra refused to answer.

    Ye Qing wasn¡¯t surprised though. He had long since gotten used to the Annon Sutra capitting and ying dead whenever it was at a particrly dangerous location, near a particrly powerful presence, or both.

    ¡°The dumb method it is!¡±

    Ye Qing produced a stack of paper dolls and tossed it into the air.

    @@novelbin@@

    About the size of a human hand, the paper dolls were cut out of yellow talismans and brought to life using his Cutting People Into Paper Magia. Imbued with a wisp of his demonic thought, they possessed a certain level of sentience and could be used to spy, search, and explore certain dangerous locations or objects.

    The next moment, the paper dolls floated in the air and gave Ye Qing a bow. Then, they spread out in every direction and disappeared in just the blink of an eye.

    Thanks to the paper dolls, his demonic thought was spreading out like a spider web, and his surroundings were rapidly being imprinted into his headspace.

    ......

    Unbeknownst to Ye Qing, a group of uninvited guests had also arrived at this realm while he was searching for Yi Pin.

    ¡°Cyan Mountain, ck Water, Radiant Tree. This is it! The Kunlun Ruins have to be here!¡±

    On a cliff, a group of a dozen or so people were standing in the sky and overlooking the gigantic ck Water, the towering Cyan Mountain, and the all-epassing Radiant Tree with sheer joy painting their faces.

    Every single person in the group boasted impossibly powerful presences. Even the weakest among them was a Great Truemen.

    Four of them were especially conspicuous. They were three men and a woman. The only woman in the group was the Silver Moon Sacred Lord, and one of the men was Jiang Yui.

    The other two men wore robes of contrasting colors but simr design. The white-robed man possessed a benevolent face. Carrying a halo on his head and wielding a ruyi scepter in his hand, he emitted seemingly infinite cyan light that took the form of countless living beings.

    The ck-robed man possessed a strict, traditional face. Carrying rainbow-colored smoke above his head and a sword around his waist, he also emitted haloes of light that took the form of countless illusions.

    The two men were the temple head of the Shang Qing Temple and Yu Qing Temple of East Kunlun. The white-robed man¡¯s Taoist title was Cyan Radiance, and he was honorably called ¡°Cyan Celestial Superior Celestial¡±. The ck-robed man¡¯s Taoist title was Supreme Origin, and he was known as ¡°Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign¡±. Both men were Sages.

    The group had clearly tracked Ye Qing to this ce.

    Something was odd, however. Every single one of the Sages looked pretty tired, much less the others. Some people outright copsed on the ground and fell unconscious the second they came to a stop.

    It was understandable. Anyone who chased the sun for a whole day like Ye Qing was going to experience the exact same thing, if not worse.

    Frankly, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they were apanied by four Sages, or if the Sages had decided not to lend them a hand from time to time, it was truly unknown if they could make it here at all.

    As a result, even the transcendent Sages were running out of energy and deeply exhausted.

    That said, their joy and excitement could not be denied even by the mountain of fatigue burdening their bodies.

    ¡°In the great barren at the peak of the Cyan Mountain next to the ck Water, there exists a sky-reaching tree called the Radiant Tree...¡±

    Even the calmest, most cool-headed of them all, Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial, looked unfocused for a moment. ¡°This is definitely it. The Kunlun Ruins are here. Once we climb up the Radiant Tree, we¡¯ll be able to enter the Kunlun Ruins immediately.¡±

    ¡°What else are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The ck-robed Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign spoke up in a cold, sharp voice.

    Silver Moon Sacred Lord interjected, ¡°Let¡¯s catch a break first. Neither the Cyan Mountain nor the ck Water are easy to ovee, and I am sure there is danger within the Kunlun Ruins as well. We just had a long and arduous journey, and I am sure that we are all drained to a certain extent. The correct course of action here is to rest and recuperate until we¡¯re back to full strength.¡±

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have brought so many useless pieces of trash with us. They wasted our time and energy,¡± The Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign said coldly.

    Embarrassment immediately colored the faces of the Half Sages and Great Truemen. These people were either elders and stewards of West Kunlun, or stewards and guest warriors of East Kunlun. To put it simply, they were all bigshots.

    No one dared to voice a singleint, however. It was because the one who rebuked them was none other than the Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign, the man who walked the Way of Killing and wielded the deadliest sacred artifact of West Kunlun, the Demonying Sword. He was the Demonying Sage whose bloody feats were such that the mere mention of his name terrified both sides of the <i>jianghu.</i>

    ¡°There is no need for haste, Profound Sovereign. What is a couple hours of wait when the Kunlun Ruins are right in front of us?¡±

    Jiang Yui advised, ¡°Besides, no one knows what danger lies within the Kunlun Ruins. It is better to be safe than sorry!¡±

    ¡°There is no danger greater than the human heart. You¡¯re the ones who should be careful,¡± Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign said bitingly.

    ¡°Watch your mouth, Supreme Origin.¡±

    Silver Moon Sacred Lord expressed her dissatisfaction. ¡°You would never have found the Kunlun Ruins without us.¡±

 Chapter 1078: Rage of The Black Water

    <h4>Chapter 1078: Rage of The ck Water </h4>

    ¡°I beg to differ. Without our Crimson Sun Mirror, you would not have found the Kunlun Ruins either.¡±

    Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign retorted without hesitation. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve told any lies. The Ji n has not forgotten what the Jiang n has done, and we never will!¡±

    ¡°Says the liar! Be quiet, or you will regret it!¡± Silver Moon Sacred Lord exploded in anger as the moonlight around her flickered and chilled heaven, earth, and everything else in between.

    Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign wasn¡¯t impressed as a matter of course. He rested his right hand on his Demonying Sword, and its sword intent filled the world even before it escaped its sheath.

    The two powers shed, and the sky was suddenly shrouded by dark, thunderous clouds.

    Just the rage of a Sage was enough to throw heaven and earth into chaos.

    The Truemen and Half Sages nched. They hurriedly backed away from the two Sages.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    At a critical moment, Jiang Yui stepped forward and stood between Silver Moon Sacred Lord and Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign, hands lowered in a cating manner. The gesture seemed perfectly harmless, but the moonlight disappeared, and the sword intent receded as ifmanded by the heavens themselves. The world immediately returned to calm.

    The weaker warriors did not notice a thing, but Jiang Yui was shining like the sun in the eyes of both the Silver Moon Sacred Lord and Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign. Like a god who had be one with the world around him, he singlehandedly suppressed their air of dao like nothing.

    Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign in particr felt as if he was standing right next to the sun. He could not help but panic as his sword intent melted like ice and snow the instant it made contact with Jiang Yui¡¯s aura.

    Around his waist, the Demonying Sword was shaking a little as if afraid or angry as well.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget our objective. We have gathered here today to enter the Kunlun Ruins and resolve the curse the Jiang n and the Ji n have borne for thousands of years, not to squabble with each other like children.¡±

    Jiang Yui stared straight at Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign and Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial¡¯s faces as he said sharply, ¡°If you wish to cooperate with us, then cooperate properly. If not, then we might as well part ways now and save ourselves from future troubles.¡±

    ¡°You are right, Brother Jiang.¡±

    Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial smiled. ¡°We share a unified goal today, and the Kunlun Ruins are most dangerous. Only by cooperating with each other sincerely may we finally break free from our grim fate and cycle of death.¡±

    ¡°Junior Brother Supreme Origin does not mean any harm. This is just how his personality is. On behalf of him, this poor monk apologizes to Brother Jiang and asks for your forgiveness!¡±

    As Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial saluted, he gave off a clear, boundless light that neutralized the suppression and restriction Jiang Yui¡¯s aura had inflicted upon Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign.

    ¡°I forgive you, but let me be frank about something. Since we are cooperating, I expect everyone here to cooperate sincerely and without reservation. If anyone tries to pull something or act out because of foolish arrogance or selfishness, then I will not overlook their transgression.¡±

    Jiang Yui¡¯s harsh words caused the entire world to shake as if it was afraid.

    ¡°Naturally.¡± Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial replied with a warm, friendly smile. It was as if he didn¡¯t mind Jiang Yui¡¯s threat at all.

    Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign snorted, but he did not say anything else.

    ¡°Junior brother, can the Crimson Sun Mirror still detect the person with the Radiant Tree branch?¡± The Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial asked.

    ¡°No.¡± Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign shook his head. ¡°It lost track of them the moment they entered this ce. Or rather, the Crimson Sun Mirror has been pointing at the Radiant Tree since they came in.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising,¡± Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial replied as if he had expected this. ¡°The Radiant Tree branch is but a fireflypared to the moon that is the Radiant Tree.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Brother Jiang. Now that we¡¯ve lost track of the thief, I don¡¯t think we would be able to retrieve the Radiant Tree branch.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. The reason we kept the Radiant Tree branch is to find the Kunlun Ruins. Since we have arrived, the Radiant Tree branch has lost its usefulness,¡± Jiang Yui replied indifferently.

    It was at this moment someone spoke up. ¡°Er... do you think the thief will affect our ns?¡±

    Silver Moon Sacred Lord assured, ¡°It¡¯s just a petty thief. For all we know, they have already drowned in the ck Water. There is nothing to worry about.¡±

    No one said a thing. They all agreed with her deduction.

    A momentter, when everyone was more or less rested, the group finally headed for the ck Water.

    @@novelbin@@

    After arriving at the rivershore, Jiang Yui looked at Silver Moon Sacred Lord and ordered, ¡°Do it!¡±

    Silver Moon Sacred Lord took a step forward, and the moon above her head floated into the sky.

    The next moment, the bright moon turned silver as if covered by ayer of frost.

    The world was dyed silver white under the silver moonlight. The ck Water was no exception.

    A silver moon hung in the sky, and all under and above the heavens shared the same color.

    The next moment, a terrible chill spread out in a specific direction. Everything illuminated by the moonlight was encased in ice.

    The ck Water was no exception.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Seeing that Silver Moon Sacred Lord had seeded, Jiang Yui beckoned and took the lead.

    The ancestors of East Kunlun and West Kunlun were once the servants of the celestials of the Kunlun Ruins. Naturally, they were well aware of the characteristics of the ck Water and the Cyan Mountain and had devised many ways to counter them.

    However, they were still in the middle of the ck Water when a thunderous rumble came from the bottom of the river. It sounded like a roar, and it was very, very angry.

    The next moment, the ck water on both sides of the frozen passage rose a hundred meters into the air and copsed toward them.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The ck Water underneath the frozen passage was mming repeatedly against the ice like an angry dragon as well.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Jiang Yui and the others werepletely confused. ording to their ancestors¡¯ records, the ck Water was a sentient entity. When it encountered a living being, it would be enraged. When it encountered an inanimate object, it would consume it. Only by quelling the waves could one pass through the river safely.

    Of course , their founders did not mean quelling the waves of the entire ck Water. After all, the ck Water was vast like an ocean and practically endless. No one could freeze the entire river even if they tried.

    When their ancestors left the Kunlun Ruins, a man possessing an ice Magia had frozen a portion of the ck Water for everyone to cross over. That was why they decided to follow in their ancestors¡¯ footsteps.

    However, they never expected the entire ck Water to surge toward them like it had gone insane. It clearly desired with all its heart and soul to devour all of them.

    If the ck Water could speak, it would surely say this, ¡°I already allowed one piece of shit walk over my head, and now an entire group is passing through?! Do you think this is a tourist spot? I¡¯ll fucking kill all of you!¡±

    ¡°Silver Moon, maintain the ice. Everyone, please cross the ck Water as quickly as you can.¡±

    Jiang Yui ordered calmly, ¡°Dao Brother Cyan Radiance. You take the left, I¡¯ll take the right.¡±

    Jiang Yui moved to the right and faced the ck waves copsing down on him. Cyan Radiance did the same on the other side of the ice bridge.

    His face devoid of emotion, Jiang Yui hovered in the air as he made a pushing motion. The crashing waves of ck water immediately reversed its course fifty kilometers before it copsed in a helpless heap.

    On the other side, Cyan Radiance gripped his ruyi scepter and unleashed waves and waves of clear light. When the ck water made contact with the clear light, it slowed down dramatically like a man who was caught in a quicksand.

    While Jiang Yui and Cyan Radiance were handling the ck water attacking them from the sides, everyone else executed their Magia and movement art and dashed for the opposite shore as quickly as they could.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    Unfortunately, they were still halfway there when suddenly, Silver Moon Sacred Lord nched and cried out in warning.

    The next moment, the ice beneath the group¡¯s feet shattered, and the ck Water assaulted them like angry dragons. Caught off guard, some of them were swept off their feet and pulled into the river instantly.

    The victims struggled to break free with all their might, but it was futile. They were instantly dragged to the depths of the ck Water, dead.

    The ck Water grew even more violent after the sessful assault. It continued to attack the rest of the group.

    The Great Truemen and half Sages tried their best to resist the raging ck Water, but the effects were minimal to say the least.

 Chapter 1079: So Long As The Radiant Tree Still Stands, The Crimson Luan Is Eternal

    Chapter 1079: So Long As The Radiant Tree Still Stands, The Crimson Luan Is Eternal

    ¡°Back off!¡±

    At a critical moment, a harsh yell erupted from behind the group of Great Truemen and Half Sages. A ck sword beam cut through the air.

    If the ck of the ck Water was the absence of light, evil and anomaly, then the ck of Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign¡¯s sword beam was the yer of illusion and time.

    Unparalleled sharpness and deadliness. That was what the Yu Qing Demonying Sword Intent was.

    In one sh, the rampaging waves were cut in half.

    The sword intent wasn¡¯t done though. It grew even stronger and travelled all the way down to its depths, splitting the ck Water in two.

    The sides of the cut werepletely still.

    The sword not only split the ck Water in half, but also severed the flow of the river temporarily.

    The cut was so powerful that almost everyone had frozen in ce.¡°What are you waiting for? Get to the shore already!¡±

    Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign grunted when he saw this, jolting the group out of their reverie and urging them toward the shore.

    While the cut kept the ck River suppressed, Silver Moon Sacred Lord waved her sleeve and caused her silver moon to freeze the surface of the ck Water once more.

    Thanks to the teamwork of four Sages, the rest of the group ultimately managed to cross the ck Water safely.

    No one looked happy, however. The Great Truemen and Half Sages were especially worried.

    They hadn¡¯t even entered the Kunlun Ruins, and the ck Water had already cost them two Great Truemen and a Half Sage. What would they encounter when they entered the Kunlun Ruins, a ce that was surely even more dangerous than the ck Water?

    What kind of fate was awaiting them all?

    The four Sages were far less concerned about the deaths. What they were concerned about was the fact that the method to cross the ck Water left behind by their ancestors were useless.

    Was it because their ancestors were mistaken?

    Or was it because of some other reason?

    A moment of silenceter, Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial said suddenly, ¡°It¡¯s probably because someone had already crossed the ck Water ahead of us.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Everyone turned to look at the East Kunlun Sage.

    Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial exined slowly, ¡°Do you remember this line from our ancestors¡¯ notebook? ¡®The ck Water is sentient, so it can only be crossed once per day.¡¯¡±

    ¡°That is true.¡±

    Jiang Yui nodded. ¡°It all makes sense now. Someone had already crossed the ck Water before us. That was why the ck Water was so violent when it was our turn to cross it.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe the thief is still alive. They sure are a fortunate one,¡± Silver Moon Sacred Lord said coldly.

    ¡°They were favored by the celestials and led to this ce. They must be a bearer of great fortune and destiny. It is not surprising that they would be able to cross the ck Water,¡± Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial replied.

    ¡°So what? In the end, an ant is an ant,¡± Jiang Yui scoffed. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s get going already.¡±

    Figuring out the truth greatly lifted the morale of the group. They continued forward until they arrived at the Cyan Mountain.

    ¡°So this is the fabled Cyan Mountain. What a miracle!¡± Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial looked at the humongous mountain of bronze with a shocked expression.

    ¡°Legend has it that the Queen Mother of the West built it using the bronze of ten thousand mountains. Of course it is extraordinary.¡±

    Jiang Yui looked impressed as well. ¡°Everyone, press your hands, knees, and forehead against the mountain and climb upward. You must harbor reverence in your heart as well.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± replied the group before doing exactly as Jiang Yui said.

    The four Sages waited until the Great Truemen and Half Sages were up before they climbed the mountain. Why? Because it didn¡¯t look good, of course.

    When the group reached the peak of the Cyan Mountain and saw the legendary Radiant Tree, shock and wonderment filled their faces once more.

    How could they not when they were in the presence of a divine tree?

    The four Sages were frowning, however. It was because they could sense a wave of anger and loathing from the Radiant Tree. It was as if it did not wee their presence.

    They exchanged nces and saw the worry in each other¡¯s eyes.

    They knew exactly why this was happening.@@novelbin@@

    The ancestors of the Jiang n and the Ji n were the servants of the celestials, and yet they had abandoned them and escaped the Kunlun Ruins during their time of danger. It would not be inurate to say that their ancestors had betrayed the Kunlun Ruins.

    The Radiant Tree was the divine tree that supported the Kunlun Ruins. Naturally, it harbored only ill will toward the betrayers of the Jiang n and the Ji n.

    Sure, the original group who betrayed the Kunlun Ruins were long gone, and they were just the descendants. However, it was the fate of all living beings to bear the fruits and sins of their forefathers. It was only natural and righteous for them to be loathed by the Radiant Tree.

    In fact, they knew that this might happen a long time ago. It was also the part that worried them the most.

    After all, the detest of the Radiant Tree or the Kunlun Ruins could only mean danger or trouble.

    No one wanted danger or trouble if they could help it.

    Unfortunately, their worst fears hade true.

    Naturally, they were worried.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    It was at this moment the Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign hummed in puzzlement as an ancient mirror of bones appeared in his hand. It was the Crimson Sun Mirror.

    Right now though, the Crimson Sun Mirror was surrounded by red light and burning like fire. It was also visibly trembling.

    In fact, it would have flown out of his hand if he wasn¡¯t keeping it restrained.

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    The group was still confused when a series of bird chirps drew their attention. They saw dozens of Crimson Luans descending from the tree and circling above their heads.

    All this time, the Crimson Sun Mirror¡¯s struggles only grew worse.

    Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign frowned a little before making the snap decision to release the mirror.

    The next moment, the Crimson Sun Mirror flew into the air and stayed there.

    The Crimson Luans began flying around the Crimson Sun Mirror like they were dancing, and chirping softly as if singing.

    Gradually, the Radiant Tree¡¯s branches began shaking, and the red flowers began swaying. From below, it looked as if an inferno was consuming the sky, and everything was painted red because of it.

    The next moment, the crimson light gathered into a single beam and hit the Crimson Sun Mirror.

    The Crimson Sun Mirror immediately shone brightly and brilliantly like the sun.

    As time passed, the Crimson Sun Mirror slowly melted and transformed into a dazzling ball of light.

    ¡°Chirp!!!¡±

    A dozen or so breathster, a long, loud chirp came from the ball of light, and it shattered to reveal a fiery red Crimson Luan.

    The newborn was clearly smaller than the other Crimson Luans. Its cries sounded quite childish as well.

    ¡°Chirp chirp chirp!¡±

    The newborn Crimson Luan looked and sounded incredibly happy. It crossed necks with the other Crimson Luans like old friends and danced with them.

    ¡°So long as the Radiant Tree still stands, the Crimson Luan is eternal¡­¡±

    Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial murmured softly.

    The Crimson Sun Mirror was created from the body of a Crimson Luan stolen by the ancestors of the Jiang n and the Ji n.

    The Crimson Luan was born from the essence of the Radiant Tree. If it resided in the Radiant Tree, then it would leave forever. On the other hand, it would die if it left the Radiant Tree. That was why the Crimson Luan they stole died not long after they left the Radiant Tree, and its body was made into the Crimson Sun Mirror.

    No one thought that the Crimson Luan could be reborn after it returned to the Radiant Tree, however. Despite having died and being made into the Crimson Sun Mirror thousand of years ago, the Radiant Tree¡¯s divine power was such that it was reborn in mes. It was quite amazing to say the least.

    ¡°Chirp chirp!¡±

    After rejoicing its rebirth for a bit, the newborn Crimson Luan suddenly looked at the group and let out a series of chirps. It was clearly filled with indignance and fury.

 Chapter 1080: Kunlun City

    Chapter 1080: Kunlun City

    ¡°The descendants of the sinners greet you, seniors.¡±

    Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial hurriedly said, ¡°Our ancestors abandoned the celestials and left the Kunlun Ruins not because they were afraid, but because they were searching for a way to resolve the Kunlun Ruins¡¯ crisis. Just the same, theymitted a grave transgression against your kind not because they wanted to, but because they did not have a choice. For thousands of years, our ancestors and everyone who came after have dreamed of returning to the Kunlun Ruins in hopes of begging for your forgiveness, confessing our sins to the celestials, and finally saving the Kunlun Ruins from danger.¡±

    ¡°Please see the truth, seniors!¡±

    Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial¡¯s plea was so touching, so well-acted, that an outsider would have beenpletely fooled by it.

    ¡°Chirp chirp chirp!¡±

    Unfortunately, the Crimson Luan did not buy it. Still chirping madly, it abruptly charged toward Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial.

    The rest of the Crimson Luans were right behind it.

    ¡°Sigh. Attack!¡±

    Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial let out a sigh when he realized that negotiations had broken down. His eyes were cold and merciless, however.He was hoping to trick the Crimson Luans and save themselves a fight, but the birds proved to be smarter than he imagined. It was fine though. If civility wouldn¡¯t work, then martial strength would!

    Jiang Yui, Silver Moon Sacred Lord, and Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign were prepared from the beginning. They immediately attacked the Crimson Luans.

    The Great Truemen and Half Sages were a beat behind, but they too unleashed their attacks without hesitation.

    Although the Crimson Luans were all Disaster-ss Strangers, the Kunlun group boasted four powerful Sages. As a result, several Crimson Luans were killed even before they got close.

    The battle was one-sided to begin with, and it only got worse after they had lost some of their numbers. It was only a matter of time before they were all killed.

    Then, something extraordinary happened. Just a few breathster, the group noticed that the in Crimson Luans were reborn from the crimson light of the Radiant Tree. Then, they attacked them again.

    Not only that, everyone could feel that the malice permeating heaven and earth was growing stronger and stronger. Even the spiritual energies in the air were leaving them as if they were loathed and abandoned by the entire world.

    ¡°This is pointless. All of you, climb the Radiant Tree. I¡¯ll hold back the Crimson Luans.¡±

    The Crimson Luans were undying and eternal within the Radiant Tree¡¯s presence. Unless they could destroy the Radiant Tree, they could fight until the end of time itself, and still the Crimson Luans woulde back to life.

    Could they destroy the Radiant Tree though?

    Of course not. It was antithesis to their goal anyway.

    The Radiant Tree was the only way they knew to enter the Kunlun Ruins. Even if they could destroy it, doing so could only be described as pure folly. Therefore, there was no point staying here and fighting the Crimson Luans.

    On top of that, this corner of the world was beginning to loathe them and withdraw itself from them, meaning that every bit of qi, essence, and spirit¡ªand in the cases of the Sages, their Dao¡ªcould no longer be replenished. Therefore, a war of attrition was absolutely against them.

    Besides, their goal was the Kunlun Ruins, not the Crimson Luan or the Radiant Tree. There was just no reason for them to linger at all.

    Before he even finished talking, Jiang Yui had already summoned a massive sun that scorched heaven and earth.

    Dozens of Crimson Luans were burned into ash in an instant, but the Great Truemen and the Half Sages weren¡¯t affected in the slightest. It showed just how powerful Jiang Yui was.

    Jiang Yui wasn¡¯t done yet. The crimson sun above his head slowly darkened.

    If before the red sun was hot, bright, and capable of burning anything and everything, then the ck sun was cold, lightless, and full of the promise of death.

    The sky had two poles, and humanity had light and darkness in them. Naturally, the sun was no exception. It too had a red side and a ck side.

    The red sun was fiery, bright, and scorching.

    The ck sun was silent, lightless, cold, and deadly.

    The ck sun seemed capable of devouring light and vitality. It was because the red light cast by the Radiant Tree was all being consumed and annihted by the ck sun. For a moment, the world waspletely shrouded in darkness and death.

    Without the crimson light of the Radiant Tree, the Crimson Luans that had turned into ash could note back to life, at least not immediately.

    The group did not hesitate. They used the lull Jiang Yui had bought them to rush up the Radiant Tree.

    ¡­¡­

    While the Kunlun group was scaling the Radiant Tree, Ye Qing was standing in front of a city.

    The city walls were made from profound stone, the gate was forged from gold wood, the buildings were erected from heavenly jades, and the ground was paved by ink bricks. It was tall, massive, and magnificent.

    The city was bigger, taller, and morevish than any city Ye Qing had seen in the human world. Even the imperial pces were a pale shadowpared to this city.

    Take the materials used to construct this city alone. Profound stones, gold wood, heavenly jades, ink bricks and more, every single one of these was a rare, priceless treasure.

    Compared to the cities on the ground, this city might as well be a celestial city.

    In fact, this city did have a magnificent name: Kunlun City, the city of celestials!

    Ye Qing¡¯s senses told him that the Kunlun City waspletely silent and dead though. He could not sense a speck of life force whatsoever.

    He had discovered Kunlun City via his paper dolls, of course. However, for whatever reason, he lost contact with them after they entered the city. That was why he had toe here personally.

    Obviously, Yi Pin hadn¡¯te to the Kunlun Ruins to sightsee. He could only be here for opportunities, and what better opportunities could he find than the ones residing in the city of celestials? Therefore, there was a high chance that Yi Pin was somewhere in this city. If not, he should still be able to find traces and clues of the old man.

    Right now, the gate of Kunlun City was half open. Through the gap, he could vaguely see a wide street and rows and rows of buildings. They were all reminders of the city¡¯s former glory and magnificence.@@novelbin@@

    Right now though, the street waspletely empty. It was alsopletely silent. So silent, that he could not hear the sound of insects or even the wind.

    It further cemented his feeling that Kunlun City was a dead city.

    Ye Qing did not rush into the Kunlun City immediately despite standing right at the gate. Instead, he released his demonic thought and sent it through the gap.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing let out a muffled groan and scrunched up his face a little.

    It was because his demonic thought was devoured by something the second it entered the city.

    That¡¯s right. His demonic thought didn''t just disappear into nothing. It was devoured.

    He could feel something forcefully ripping the wisp of demonic thought away from his mind and consuming it.

    Worse, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t see anything.

    Unwilling to give up, Ye Qing released another wisp of demonic thought. The oue was the same.

    He spent a few breaths considering his options before ultimately deciding to enter the city.

    The anomaly affecting Kunlun City was strange to say the least, but with the Earthly Sovereign Bell protecting him, he wasn¡¯t too afraid for his own safety.

    Having made up his mind, Ye Qing dashed into the city soundlessly like a ghost.

    The buildings in Kunlun City were quite simr to an ordinary human city. He saw restaurants, inns, theaters, tradingpanies, shops, houses, residences¡­

    But unlike your ordinary human city, every single building in Kunlun City was exquisitely designed. They were not sovish that they looked vulgar either. They were elegant, refined, and beautiful.

    ¡°Why are there no bodies inside the city?¡±

    Kunlun City was massive, and Ye Qing did not want to put himself in unnecessary risk. That was why he only spent a teatime searching a small half of a city block.

    He found nothing. That was the strangest thing.

    There were some copsed buildings and signs of fighting inside the city. Something must have happened to this ce. And if something had happened to this ce, then it should have left behind some corpses at least.

    Of course, over a thousand years had passed since whatever befell the city. The corpses should have dposed into bone or dust a long time ago. And yet, forget bones, he could not even find the ashes of a dposed body.

    It was almost as if the people inside the city had evacuated to somewhere.

 Chapter 1081: Theyâ€™re Up There All of Them

    Ye Qing did not believe that was the case though.

    It was because he found some spirit jades, natural resources, Strange Artifacts, medicine and other valuables in some buildings. There were quite a lot of them as well.

    In ancient times, the ambient spiritual qi was so rich that a portion of them had condensed into jades known as spirit jades. Specifically used for cultivation purposes, spirit jades were invaluable even back in the day, much less everything else.

    Of course, spiritual qi was much sparser these days. As a result, these valuables had all turned into garbage.

    What he was trying to say was that the citizens would not have left behind these valuables if they really had evacuated the city.

    Even if he assumed that it was an emergency evacuation, there was no way every single building had valuables in them. Once is an ident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern.

    From his perspective, it almost felt as if the people in the city had suddenly just vanished into thin air.

    Of course, people did not just disappear into thin air.

    Whatever had happened to Kunlun City must be absolutely terrifying¡ªso terrifying, that almost no one was able to put up a struggle at all.But how was that possible?

    The Kunlun Ruins was a blessednd of the celestials, and the Kunlun City was, if not the heart of the celestials, at least the living quarters of the servants and their kinsmen.

    It should not need to be said, but no one in this ce¡ªnot even the servants and ves¡ªwere ordinary.

    After all, one must not forget that the ancestors of the Jiang n and the Ji n had singlehandedly founded the world famous East Kunlun and West Kunlun.

    Naturally, this city could not becking in elite warriors or champions.

    And yet, these powerful warriors of the past had, without any resistance whatsoever, vanished into thin air.

    Just how scary was that?

    But of course, it was all just his spection. The cmity had happened over thousands of years ago, and anything could have happened during this time. It was impossible to say what the truth really was until he collected more evidence.

    Besides, he had the Earthly Sovereign Bell. No matter what the threat might be, he wasn¡¯t too afraid.

    So, Ye Qing continued his search.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just corpses. There¡¯s not even a single animal carcass in the city!¡±

    After searching for a while longer, Ye Qing noted with shock that he couldn¡¯t find a single animal bone in the city either.

    More urately, nothing made of flesh and blood was left behind in the city.

    Surely the citizens of Kunlun City weren¡¯t all vegans? Even if they were, surely someone had raised a pet or two?

    It wasn¡¯t possible. This could only mean that the humans, animals, and all flesh-and-blood beings had, for some unknown reason, disappeared from the city. ?????¨§?

    At this point, Ye Qing couldn¡¯t help but feel a little intimidated.

    ¡°Screw it, Yi Pin probably wasn¡¯t here anyway. I¡¯m leaving!¡±

    This wasn¡¯t cowardice, this was wisdom!

    ¡°Huh? The city lord¡¯s residence?¡±

    Suddenly, Ye Qing caught sight of a massive residence.

    Of course, he didn¡¯t think it was the city lord¡¯s residence just because it was big. It was because the words ¡°City Lord Residence¡± were engraved on the signboard above the entrance.

    ¡°I¡¯m already here. It would be a shame not to investigate this ce as well.¡±

    Ye Qing told himself while rubbing his nose. This was the city lord¡¯s residence, man! The heart of the Kunlun City! It might have some good stuff¡ªwoops, he meant clues regarding Yi Pin¡ªand shed some light as to why the living beings of Kunlun City had suddenly disappeared.

    Of course, whatever the oue of his search might be, he was going to leave the city right after that.

    Ye Qing froze as soon as he set foot inside the city lord¡¯s residence.

    It was because the walls, ground, windows and other empty ces of the residence were covered in words.

    Blood red words.

    The words were written in a poor and haphazard fashion. It was clear that whoever wrote them was either panicking to the extreme, or on the brink of losing their minds.

    As for why the text were blood red in color, it was because some of them were written using cinnabar¡­ and some with human blood.

    In any case, the entire residence was covered in blood red words. It looked strange, bone-chilling, and full of madness.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? More people have disappeared from Kunlun City. Just like before, they did not leave a single trace behind¡­¡±

    ¡°The celestials are not responding, and the city ispletely sealed. Everyone who tried to leave had disappeared without a trace just like those who went missing inside the city¡­ and I am powerless to change anything¡­¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I cannot see or find anything, so why are people going missing one after another? Just why¡­ Celestials, please save us, please save your people¡­¡±

    Ye Qing could almost imagine this person wallowing in utter panic and helplessness as he was forced to face an inexplicable anomaly.

    So far, the incident described by the words fit his theory of what happened. People were going missing inside the city. Those who tried to leave the city would disappear without a trace as well.

    Ye Qing frowned deeply and continued reading.

    ¡°Today, over a thousand people had gone missing in the blink of an eye. As a result, everyone in the city had gone insane. Insane! They ripped into each other like animals until the blood ran like rivers¡­¡±

    ¡°Gone. All gone. The corpses are all gone. They just went missing right before everyone¡¯s eyes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just humans. The livestocks, the rare animals, everything is disappearing into thin air¡­¡±

    ¡°My wife has gone missing. She was sleeping right next to me, but when I woke up the next morning, she was gone¡­¡±

    ¡°Young Hua is missing. Young Lu is missing. My sons and daughters are missing as well. They¡¯re missing. They¡¯re all missing¡­¡±

    ¡°Celestials¡­ why didn¡¯t you save us¡­ why¡­ why¡­ why¡­¡±

    If the words before were someone crooked, but still well-structured and very readable, now they were borderline iprehensible and overflowing with madness. It was clear that whoever read these passages were on the brink of total copse.

    Ye Qing remained patient and kept reading.

    ¡°They¡¯re gone. They¡¯re all gone. I am the only one left. I know it¡¯s watching me. I know it¡¯sing for me very soon¡­¡±

    ¡°There it is! Hahaha¡­ it¡¯s finally here¡­¡±

    ¡°I see it! I see it! It¡¯s right above our heads! So many tentacles, so many people! They¡¯re in the sky! They¡¯re all in the sky!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    That was more or less the end of the person¡¯s message. There were more words, but the rest of the words were all incoherent rambles that made no sense whatsoever.

    As soon as Ye Qing read the final line, he looked up. How could he not?

    He found¡­ nothing. The sky lookedpletely empty. Still, Ye Qing felt uneasy.

    The person¡¯sst message was just too frightening.

    ¡°Tentacles¡­ they¡¯re all in the sky¡­¡±

    Ye Qing mulled over the final message while making a break for the city gate.

    The meaning of the final message was clear. It was saying that some sort of tentacled entity had kidnapped all the living beings in the city into the sky.

    But what on earth was this entity? How could it kidnap everyone and everything without being seen or perceived.

    Just thinking about it sent chills up his spine. That was why he wanted to get out as soon as possible.

    Back at the city gate, Ye Qing was just about to pass through the threshold when suddenly, something transparent and intangible wrapped around his torso and pulled him toward the sky.

 Chapter 1082: The Cloud Mother of Nothingness

    The thing wrapped around his body waspletely transparent. It was also slimy like some sort of tentacle.

    The moment the tentacle caught him, some sort of evil, anomalous energy of nothingness was injected into his body.

    His body immediately grew transparent and intangible as well as if he was being assimted or departing this world.

    Not only that, his strength and mind were instantly shackled as well. All that was left was his consciousness.

    As he was slowly lifted into the air, Ye Qing¡¯s eyes grew wider and wider.

    It was because he saw countless tentacles where there was nothing before.

    The tentacles were transparent and colorless. Each tentacle was as thick as a tree trunk requiring several people to embracepletely, and they were covered in suction discs from head to toe. They descended from the sky like roots and covered the entire Kunlun City.

    Before Ye Qing could make sense of what he was seeing, an even greater horror entered his vision.

    There were countless humans in the sky. Male, female, old and young. There had to be at least a hundred thousand of them. It looked as if they were standing in the air.These people were all dead as a matter of course, and yet their bodies didn¡¯t rot even though thousands and thousands of years had passed. Looking at their appearance alone, one might think that they were still alive.

    Not only that, Ye Qing could sense their souls, even though all he felt from their souls were pain, fear, and despair.

    He could even hear them sobbing and wailing. The screams, cries, and sobs of a hundred thousand souls were so hellish, so unholy, that even Ye Qing almost broke under the pressure and sumbed.

    Their bodies were intact, and their souls were still present. Some people might think that they could still be saved.

    In reality, they were as dead as they could be. It was because their souls had beenpletely transformed into pain, fear, and despair. Not a sliver of thought of consciousness remained in their souls. Their mind[1] was long gone.

    Ye Qing had no doubt that these people were the missing citizens of Kunlun City.

    As it turned out, they weren¡¯t missing after all. They had just been kidnapped into the sky and converted into a form that could not be seen or perceived by the tentacles.

    The tentacle lifted him up some more, and Ye Qing finally saw that everyone¡¯s head was pierced by a tentacle.

    That was how they were suspended in mid-air. The invisible tentacle of nothing had pierced through their heads and buried deep into their body and soul.

    That was why it looked from the bottom like they were standing in the sky.

    Not only that, Ye Qing could clearly sense the tentacles absorbing the souls¡¯ pain, fear and despair.

    Suddenly, Ye Qing felt something and looked up.

    He immediately saw a transparent, shapeless tentacle descending toward his head and sinking into his headspace.

    The second the tentacle made contact with his headspace, what felt like an infinite amount of malice, desire, and other negative emotions broke out like a dam had broken.

    It was trying to drown him in infinite fear and despair.

    It did not take much to imagine how much the citizens of Kunlun City had suffered during their final moment. It was bad enough that they were filled with endless horror until their minds had burned out, but their souls were turned into vessels of fear and despair that would feed the beast for eternity as well.

    Speaking of beast, it was at this moment Ye Qing saw something he would never forget.

    The owner of the tentacles turned out to be a Stranger that was shaped like a jellyfish. It waspletely transparent, and it was so gigantic that it covered the entire sky.

    Beneath its umbre-like body were countless writhing tentacles. They spread out in every direction like spider webs or tree roots.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Cloud Mother of Nothingness?!¡±

    Ye Qing¡¯s eyes widened as he finally recognized the Stranger.

    The Cloud Mother of Nothingness was a type of Nine Nethers Demon. It was also a bonafide Ancient-ss Stranger.

    Throughout the history of the human race, many Nine Nethers Rifts, Nine Nethers ck Tides or Nine Nethers Demons had broken out here and there and caused untold havoc on the world. That was why the humans were very familiar with them.

    Out of all of the known Nine Nethers Demon, the Cloud Mother of Nothingness was easily one of the strongest and most terrifying types of Nine Nether Demons.

    The Cloud Mother of Nothingness was born from the nothingness of the Nine Nethers. Shaped like a jellyfish and big as the sky itself, it floated in the infinite void and fed on fear and despair.

    Because it was born from nothingness, it could not be seen or perceived. It was also undying and immortal.

    When a Cloud Mother of Nothingness showed up, it would bind and drag all flesh-and-blood beings into the sky. It would create fear and despair using negative emotions and drag them into the pits of degeneration. Should they sumb, they would be trapped in an eternal hell of fear and despair of the Cloud Mother of Nothingness¡¯ making and feed it for eternity.

    The Cloud Mother of Nothingness had only appeared three times in the history of the human race, but each time it appeared, it dealt an unbelievable amount of damage to humanity and took countless lives.

    Worst of all, the Cloud Mother of Nothingness was an Ancient-ss Stranger and on par with a human Sage. It was powerful enough that only a Sage could fight against it.

    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the Cloud Mother of Nothingness¡¯ unique birth and characteristics meant that conventional means could barely put a scratch on its body. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, it was immortal and undying. As it enjoyed a near infinite lifespan, it was almost impossible to kill permanently. The best way to deal with it was to exile into the depths of the void via great power.@@novelbin@@

    Ye Qing was on full alert as soon as he recognized the entity who had kidnapped him. Without hesitation, he knocked the Earthly Sovereign Bell inside his head.

    <em>Dang!</em>

    Inside his headspace, his Heavenly Demon yang god gently held the Earthly Sovereign Bell with one hand and tapped its surface with the other. The outburst of bell chime and profound light instantly annihted the tentacle that dared to slither into his headspace.

    The next moment, the bell chime and profound light emerged from his body and spread out in every direction.

    <em>Bang bang bang bang¡­</em>

    A series of strange noises popped in the air. The next moment, Ye Qing found the invisible energy restricting his body disappearing without a trace.

    Not only that, the tentacles piercing everyone else¡¯s heads abruptly broke at the center and released the bodies, causing them to fall like the rain.

    For a time, Kunlun City was struck by a downpour of dead bodies.

    ¡°Time to run!¡±

    As soon as he broke free from tentacles, Ye Qing immediately dashed toward the exit while carrying the Earthly Sovereign Bell on top of his head[2].

    Seemingly angered by Ye Qing¡¯s resistance, the Cloud Mother of Nothingness floating high above the nine heavens shook its umbre-like body and sted countless beams of fear and despair toward the ground. For a time, both heaven and earth were dyed by all sorts of colors.

    Not only that, the broken tentacles rapidly regrew themselves before iling wildly like weeds at the bottom of the river. They then attacked Ye Qing from all sides.

    Ye Qing did not bother dodging. With the Earthly Sovereign Bell covering him in an unbreakable shell of profound light, nothing could harm even a hair on his body.

    That said, the tremendous strength behind each impact made it very difficult for him to make any progress.

    ¡°Hah¡­¡±

    Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and abruptly removed the Earthly Sovereign Bell from his head. It slowly grew bigger when he tossed it into the air.

    Activating the Earthly Sovereign True Body, Ye Qing punched the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

    The Earthly Sovereign Bell abruptly shone brightly. The mountains, the rivers, the sun, the moon, the celestial birds, and the strange beasts all emerged to suppress anything and everything.

    The countless tentacles broke at once, and the endless fear and despair were scattered instantly.

    Ye Qing seized the opportunity to break through space and reappeared dozens of kilometers away.

    The second he was out of Kunlun City, Ye Qing immediately put away the Earthly Sovereign Bell, concealed his life force, and covered up his energies with his demonic thought to avoid detection.

    It might look like he was one-sidedly kicking the Cloud Mother of Nothingness¡¯ shapeless butt¡ªshattering countless tentacles and suppressings its endless waves of fear and despair like nothing¡ªbut he really failed to inflict even a single wound on the Stranger.

    At his current strength, he might be able to injure the Cloud Mother of Nothingness with the Earthly Sovereign Bell, but there was zero chance he could kill it. He did not dare to say he could pull it off even after he became a Sage.

    That was why he never nned to sh against the Cloud Mother of Nothingness head on from the start until the end.

    1. This is why I specifically tranted Éñ»ê as mind, at least for this novel. There is a huge difference. ?

    2. Actual tinfoil hat moment. ?

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!